《The Devil's Cage》
Chapter 1: Enter the game
Chapter 1: Enter the game
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
It was July, and the sun was harsh and shining bright in the sky.
Even though the thick curtains had been drawn shut, the vicious sunlight could not bepletely blocked away.
It shined through the gaps of the curtains, forming a squarish border, which was the only source of light in the room.
Ring!
The phone rang again.
After ringing three times, it went to the answering machine.
Kieran? This is Doctor Wong. You are one year away from turning eighteen years old. If you dont start your gic treatment immediately, you will lose your chancepletely!
Polite and official as usual.
Kieran ignored the message and concentrated on the game cartridge in his hand.
Bright red color, the size of a thumbnail.
After he checked it, Kieran pushed the cartridge that had cost all his savings inside the virtual helmets cartridge slot.
Tuck!
An alert notice came out of the virtual helmets speaker.
He didnt care.
There was obviously no such thing as a manufacturer or safety hazard warning when it came to an underground game.
When it was first released a year ago, this game had imed that it could achieve a hundred percent realism.
Theoretically, when a game proims a hundred percent realism, it should easily be able to overtake all other games that could only achieve around thirty to forty percent realism, and be an instant hit among fans.
However, in this case, the game was banned before it was even released to the market.
The reason: it was too real.
Real enough to kill you if you died in the game itself.
Out of three thousand beta yers, only ten percent survived and were able to log out of the game.
Counting thousands of casualties, it was decided that this game could never be released to the market. Even so, Kieran had heard some rumors about rich people wanting more excitement and investing in this game to make it work again, thus making it a true underground game that only a handful of people could ess.
Not even taking into ount the hidden ways one had to resort to in order to purchase this game, and the extraordinary fees that one had to pay, the fact that death in this game meant death in real life was enough to make everyone stop seeking it.
But Kieran did not care.
Because if he did not manage to gather three million in medical fees within the year, considering the condition of his gic disorder, he would die anyway.
Three million might not have been that big of a number for someone who was rich, but for Kieran, it was an unachievable sum of money.
Three years ago, when he was first diagnosed with gic illness, he had already been working hard to make a living.
But that was only a drop in the ocean for him.
Kieran was only fourteen years old back then; a normal union secondary school student with no academic diplomas. Although he was young and energetic, he did not qualify for work because of his age.
He could only work part time.
However, no matter what kind of part time job he took, he still could not have afforded three million in medical fees.
Even by working three jobs and getting only five hours of sleep a day, he could only umte thirty thousand over the years.
That was only one percent of what he needed for medical fees.
He was desperate.
He had so much hope, so many dreams for his life... He did not want to die.
But reality was cruel.
Then, at his time of despair, he heard a rumor about an underground game from the cksmith that he was working for.
The rumor said that any epic equipment could sell for millions in that game.
After confirming the rumor, he decided to take a chance on it.
He used his savings from three years of hard work and bought the underground games cartridge, ready to gamble for his life.
Make it or break it! he thought to himself.
He put on the helmet and lied down on the bed.
His vision darkened as a line of words appeared, apanied by a voice.
[Authenticating User ID...]
[User ID Confirmed: Kieran, 17, orphaned, living in a union welfare home...]
[Authenticating Element...]
[Underground Game wees you. The game will begin shortly...]
[Entering Single yer Dungeon...]
[Background: War is descending upon the city. The people are not prepared for it. Most of them died in the crossfire, leaving behind civilians like you struggling to survive in the ruins of the city. Shootings scare you from time to time. The rebels and the thugs have no intention to cease fire. Their eyes are filled with rage and violence, and they want to destroy everything!]
[Main Mission: Survive for seven days, 0/7]
[Secondary Mission (Optional): Aid civilians until the war ends. Each civilian helped can provide you with a higher rating.]
(Hint: The Beginners Dungeon is a great opportunity for every yer.)
When all the words appeared, the game paused for about three minutes, allowing Kieran sufficient time to read them. Then, a blinding light struck him. Even with his eyes shut, he could still feel it hurting his pupils. He held his hands up and tried to block the light. He felt a falling sensation simr to a fast descent towards the ground.
The sensationsted for a couple of seconds.
When he felt like normal again, he moved his hands away and opened his eyes.
For an instant, his eyes widened.
In front of his eyes, less than a meter away, lied a body with its stomach ripped open, its head slightly tilted up, and its rotten eyes staring directly at Kieran.
Kieran breathed rapidly.
In his life, he had never seen a human corpse before.
The worst he had seen was bleeding during fights.
Now, a corpse was right in front of him, and staring at its lifeless eyes was enough for him to panic in fear.
Frightened, Kierans natural instinct was to back off right away until he hit the wall behind him.
Bam!
The impact of his back hitting the wall caused him blinding pain.
However, the pain rescued him from fear and panic, bringing him back to his senses.
This is a game! This is a GAME! Even though it is a hundred percent real, it is still a game!
His senses allowed him to realize the kind of situation he was in.
This was not a real corpse. It was just a game simtion.
However, the realism in front of his eyes, the smell of blood, and the rotten smell of the body convinced him otherwise, and he needed proof to calm himself down.
Character! Kieran said.
During his part time work at the cksmiths, he had gotten quite familiar with gaming controls.
Luckily, some of the rules and controls applied to every game, even to this underground one.
As his voice rang out , a Character Attributes Window that only he alone could see
appeared in front of him.
The Character Attributes Window was made up of three columns.
[Name: Kieran]
[Age: 17 (Male)]
[Race: Human]
[Title: None]
[HP: 100%]
[Stamina: 100]
Kieran scanned through the first page, which was basically the characters status and details. The second page described the characters attributes.
[Strength: F ]
[Agility: F]
[Constitution: F]
[Spirit: F+]
[Intuition: F+]
The third page included skills, equipment, and inventory, but it currently only disyed empty slots.
[Skills: None]
[Equipment: None]
[Inventory: Empty]
(Rating: a Newbie, totally worthless!)
Even though the rating at the end offended him a little, Kieran still maintained a smile on his face.
If the system windows still appeared in front of him, he was undoubtedly within the game.
Despite the fact that it felt a hundred percent real.
Kieran took a few deep breaths, shrugged off the remaining fear and calmed himself down.
When he felt calm enough, he looked at the ripped corpse.
In real life, it would surely cause him fear and panic; but in the game, the body held a different meaning: in-game currency and equipment!
He had not forgotten why he had entered the underground game in the first ceearn enough money to get treatment for his gic illness.
But in order to do that, he would need to get strong enough.
Only when he was strong enough would he be able to acquire more in-game money and decent equipment, and when he had enough of that, he could trade it in for money in real life.
Yet now he had nothing. No skills, no equipment, an empty inventory, and low character attributes. Even his rating was rock bottom. Obviously, he did not meet the requirements yet.
He would need more time to get stronger.
But he did not have that much time either.
He only had about a year left back in real life.
But inside the game?
Although he could not determine the exact time that he had, by the looks of the virtual game time, he did not appear to have a lot of extra timepared to real life.
The reason why he needed to take advantage of every opportunity to make himself stronger.
In front of his eyes, there lied such an opportunity.
Holding back his disgust, Kieran slowly got closer to the body.
Even though he knew it was just a game, the one hundred percent realism made him feel like he was actually approaching a corpse.
The stench of the dried blood made him feel really sick.
Kieran avoided looking directly in the bodys turbid eyes. As for its ripped stomach, he dared not eveny an eye on it. He used both his hands to search the corpse, looking around for anything.
After a while, Kierans eyes shined brightly as he tilted his head slightly, as if he had found something.
He looked at the strap his left hand hadtched on, pulled it out hard, and watched as a backpack fell off the body.
The backpack had been hidden well, concealed by the way the body had been arranged. If Kieran had not searched carefully, it would have been hard to spot with the naked eye.
It had to hold something good inside.
Instinctively, Kierans eyes turned passionately to the backpack in his hands.
Chapter 2: Backstab
Chapter 2: Backstab
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The backpack in Kierans hands was not that big.
If it had been, it would not have been able to stay hidden so well inside the corpses torso.
The backpack was only the size of a normal school bag made up of two zip locks and two pockets, which divided it into front and back.
Unable to hold himself back, Kieran opened the two zip locks.
The contents were disappointing.
Three cans, a bottle of distilled water, and an old book. This definitely did not meet Kierans expectations of in-game money and equipment.
But then again he realized something.
Even though he was in an one hundred percent realism underground game, some game rules still applied, and he was currently in the first dungeon, which ording to any normal game guidelines basically meant he was in Beginners Vige.
Obviously, it was not possible to get good equipment in Beginners Vige.
He exhaled and went on to check what he had acquired.
[Name: Can]
[Type: Food]
[Rarity: Common]
[Attributes: Recovers 25 HP and 50 Stamina within 1 minute]
[Effect: None]
[Able to bring outside of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: It can prevent you from starving. Tastes better when served hot!]
.....
[Name: Distilled Water]
[Type: Food]
[Rarity: Common]
[Attributes: Recovers 10 HP and 20 Stamina within 1 minute]
[Effect: None]
[Able to bring outside of the dungeon : Yes]
[Remark: It has more uses than you might think!]
As Kierans finger touched the can and the bottle of distilled water, all this information popped up in his vision. It didnt make much of a difference since he already knew most of it.
He turned his attention to the old book.
When he touched it, a message window popped up.
[Name: Dells Diary]
[Type: Book]
[Rarity: Damaged]
[Attributes: None]
[Effect: None]
[Able to bring outside of the dungeon: No]
[Remark: Its true, the guy just took random notes in a book! You can still try to read it though!]
Kieran subconsciously flipped the old book open. The handwriting was rough and messy, and a lot of the pages were covered in dirt, which basically rendered it unreadable.
Thus, the whole diarys contents were hard to make out.
October 21st, Cloudy
The war has been going on for four months. Food, water and medicine are running out. Guns are fired asionally. Luckily, the rebels have stopped searching day and night. Their routine now is to just patrol during the day and then return to their base. The worst ones are the thugs, who only raid at night,ing through like locusts and robbing everything in sight.
October 27th, Sunny
Damn it, Ive been robbed by a thug. The only canned food and water I had left is all gone, taken away by that scoundrel. What should I do now?
October 29th, Cloudy
No, I cannot continue to wait for a miracle. I need to do something while I still have the strength to!
November 1st, Sunny
Hahaha, luck is really on my side! Ive hit the jackpot! Not only have I found food, I have even found weapons! Please refer to me as Dell the Lucky from now on!
November 11th, Sunny
Dell the Lucky is going out again! This time will be fruitful as well!
....
The diary stopped there abruptly.
Obviously, the guy had not been as lucky as he thought he was.
Kieran looked at the corpse again.
Although it was still hard to look at, he did not turn away.
That unorganized, messy diary, other than providing some basic information for Kieran, also provided a clue: There had to be a weapon inside the body in front of him.
For someone as unarmed as Kieran was, a weapon was necessary in order to survive.
At least it would give him some sense of security and a chance of survival.
Judging by what he had read in the diary, it was not safe around that area.
It would not be an easy task to survive there for seven days.
Hope is not lost!
Holding that thought in his head, he extended his hands again, searching around the body once more.
This time he was more careful, more thorough thanst time.
The sticky, dried blood was all over his hands. It made Kieran sick to his stomach, but if he was able to find something, then it would all be worth it.
[Name: Dagger]
[Type: Sharp Weapon]
[Rarity: Damaged]
[Attack: Weak]
[Attributes: None]
[Effect: None]
[Able to bring outside of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: Lacks maintenance. If possible, you can try polishing and oiling it.]
.....
[Name: Lighter]
[Type: Misceneous]
[Rarity: Damaged]
[Effect: None]
[Remark: Do you really need an introduction?]
.....
The dagger was well-hidden under the waist area, covered by the corpses shirt, and if it werent for Kierans thorough search, it would not have been discovered.
As for the lighter, it was found inside the bodys pants pocket.
Lifting the rusty dagger, Kieran rolled the lighters disc. After a few rounds, a spark appeared.
Under the spark from the lighter, Kieran could clearly see what was on the rusty dagger. It was not just rust. It was also coated with a red substance.
What was that?
Having read the diary, Kieran knew perfectly well what it was.
The people that were trapped in this city facing famine had lost their daily order and be dangerous. When facing the rebels, they were in civilians that could not retaliate, but when facing each other, they became thugs and raiders.
Just like the corpse in front of Kieran.
He looked at the corpse again, turned to the canned food and bottle of water, then nced back inside the backpack before putting it on his back. He kept the lighter in his shirt pocket. Before he entered the dungeon in front of him, his clothes had already started resembling the clothes of the civilians living in the city. Dirty, but luckily not damaged.
Dagger in hand, Kieran prepared to leave.
The empty room held no more reason for him to stay.
Through the tightly-sealed windows gap, the sunlight that pierced through slowly faded away, making Kierans retreating footsteps quicker.
When the night fell, the thugs woulde out.
Kieran did not n to face a group of thugs heads on, so he would not stay in this room that was giving away his presence.
Any house would eventually be a raiding target.
The drain or the sewers would be a much better hiding ce!
Kieran was thinking where he should stop.
It did not have to be afortable ce, just a big enough ce for him to hide.
The underground could shield him from peoples eyes, so it seemed like it would be the best choice.
Of course someone else might be hiding there.
However,pared to the raiding thugs outside, the way Kieran saw it, the people hiding underground would be much safer to be with.
Pushing the door open, Kieran found a corridor, and at the end of the corridor another open room which waspletely empty. Someone had already taken everything that had been inside it.
He walked through the wide empty room that led outside of the house.
Just when Kieran was about to step out...
Bang!
The door that led outside was forced open. A shadowed figure fell on the floor and a second shadowed figure emerged,ughing deeply.
As the door was forced open, Kieran retreated back into the room quickly, holding the dagger tightly in his hand and listening carefully.
Ha ha, look at that! Who wouldve thought itd be a woman!
Clear excitement, apanied by that cruelugh.
Scram!
A roughpelling voice, followed by a shaking sound.
Kieran pictured the figure using both its arms and body to fall back on the floor and back away from the threat.
Suddenly, Kierans face fell. The voice was getting clearer and clearer as the figures seemed to be approaching him while they were speaking.
At the end of the corridor, there was a second room besides the one that Kieran was hiding in. Once they reached the end, they would have to enter one of the rooms, either the room that Kieran was in, or the empty room on the other side.
It was a fifty-fifty chance.
Kieran held onto his dagger so tightly that he began to sweat.
They were close.
Closer.
Kieran gulped down anxiously.
His unease could not change the reality before him.
When the fallen figure backed up and reached the room that Kieran was in, he could not draw another breath.
The fallen figure, who was retreating using both hands, seemed stunned as well. After all, who would have thought that there would be another person in the room?
But the next moment, the figure came back to its senses.
As it kept retreating, its eyes did not linger on Kieran, let alone ask him for help.
It startled Kieran quite a bit.
As the footsteps kepting closer, Kieran quickly sobered up.
The person in front of him might not have been dangerous, but the one following them definitely was.
If that person discovered him, they would definitely end up in a fight.
And a fight like this would eventually end up in a massacre.
Kieran knew really well what he was capable off.
He was not strong enough, nor did he have any fighting skillspared to a thug who had survived four months in a war.
But there was still a chance.
Kieran looked at the fallendy who was backing up.
She looked calm but there was strong intention in her eyes, one that made Kieran understand. He held his breath and hid deeper in the shadows.
The leather shoes stepping on the ground made a strong clear noise. It sounded like a beast hunting its prey while at the same time trying to disy its dominance.
Donte any closer!
Thedy on the ground shrunk towards the corner, her coarse voice showing a hint of despair.
This seemed to excite the pursuer even more.
He had not noticed that there was another person in the room, because his eyes were locked on thedy.
As the pursuer inspected his prey, his back was totally exposed to Kieran.
Kieran has been holding his breath while the man approached. He did not hesitate. He slowly picked up the dagger.
And stabbed the man fiercely.
Chapter 3: Skill
Chapter 3: Skill
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Kieran stabbed fiercely at the pursuers back, but the dagger only went half-way in.
Blood oozed out from the wound instantly.
Ahh!
The pursuer let out a scream and his body moved forward on its own.
Kieran followed his movement, his left hand pressing down even more on his right hand, which was the one holding the dagger. He pressed down with all his might, but the dagger did not seem to move in any further.
Oh no, its struck a bone!
Kieran was rmed, and instinctively pulled out the dagger.
Fresh warm blood gushed out and spilled all over his face, blinding his eyes.
His vision temporarypromised, he panicked and started to wield the dagger all over the ce.
In that moment, his only thought was that he should not give the pursuer any breathing space, or else hed be the one who would end up dead.
With that thought in mind, Kieran quickened his wielding pace.
The sound of metal cutting through flesh became the only sound in the room.
After wielding the dagger around numerous times, Kieran finally figured out how to use it properly.
Blindly slicing around would only inflict a flesh wound on his target.
He should be in a stabbing stance instead.
What he had to do was avoid the mans skeleton and go for his soft spots, which were his flesh and muscles.
His body moved naturally toward his target.
Soon he regained part of his vision and adjusted his grip on the dagger. He found that if he used his elbow right, the dagger lunged out as if it were tied on a spring.
Bam!
The whole body of the dagger entered the pursuers chest.
The pursuer, who was about to counter attack him with the kitchen knife in his hand, copsed, his eyes staring at his chest and the dagger that was lodged deep inside, with an incredulous look on his face.
To his death, the pursuer could notprehend how a seemingly harmless fellow could have be such a lethal killer in just one instant.
Kieran felt the same way. He waspletely puzzled. As he stared at the dying man, the smell of the mans blood reminded him of what he had just done.
As he faced the very real-looking corpse, the bright red blood stimted his senses. The fact that he had killed the pursuer with his own hands made him so sick that his stomach turned, and he vomited.
When he was done, Kieran fell to the ground, weak and empty of any energy.
Tears and snot covered his face, making him look silly and messy.
Are you done yet?
The coarse voice next to his ear made him lift his head instinctively.
He saw a face covered with ashes and dirt. The womans gray eyes were cold and alert.
I...
The loot is yours, I wont fight for it.
Kieran wanted to say something, but she cut him off. She stuck to the wall, and slowly moved towards the door while staring at Kieran.
She did not trust him.
She would not let her guard down.
Watching her actions, Kieran realized something, and that realization stopped him from saying anything or making any further movement. He was afraid that she would misunderstand and cause him unwanted trouble.
Kieran silently let her get out of his line of sight.
When she disappearedpletely, he felt relieved and stood up, using his hand for support.
She looked cold, but she was kind! Kieran eximed with a sigh.
Despite theck ofw and order, she did not take advantage of him. She might have been cold and worried, but she could still be considered a kind person.
And she was at least ten times better than the thugs.
Kieran looked at the system window.
[Acquired Skill: Sharp Weapon (Dagger) (Basic)]
It was that skill that turned him from a total newbie into a highly skilled dagger user, one able to kill his opponent with one hit.
Curious about the skills window, Kieran decided to check the battle log as well.
[Stabbing: Inflicts 15 Damage to opponent...]
[Wielding: Inflicts 3 Damage to opponent...]
[Wielding: Inflicts 2 Damage to opponent. Causes bleeding...]
......
[3 Effective Hits. Acquired Skill: Sharp Weapon (Dagger) (Basic)]
[Stabbing: Lethal Attack. Inflicts 80 Damage to opponent (40 Sharp Weapon (Dagger) (Basic) x2), Opponent dies...]
(Remark: Weak Point = True Damage X2)
Three effective hits? Kieran mumbled to himself, before flipping to the skills window.
It used to be empty before, but now a skill had been entered in the first column, reading [Sharp Weapon (Dagger)(Basic)].
Kieran focused on the skill description, which only he alone could see.
[Name: Sharp Weapon (Dagger) (Basic)]
[Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Offensive ]
[Effect: Dagger Mastery, Increase Damage inflicted by 10%]
[Consumes: Stamina]
[Learning Requirement: Strength F-, Agility F, Constitution F]
[Remark: This is only the beginning, dont push yourself!]
Increase Damage inflicted by 10%.
Kieran looked at the description and subconsciouslypared it to the battle log from the previous fight.
Then he moved quickly to the mans body and pulled out the dagger that was fully submerged in his chest.
When he held the dagger in his hand, that familiar feeling rose again from the bottom of his heart, and he plunged the dagger in again.
It felt like he had practiced that move a thousand times, or even ten thousand.
The sound of sharp metal tearing through thin air could be heard in the room.
Without the slightest tremble in his palm, Kieran urately stabbed in the chest the imaginary enemy before him.
The whole stabbing experience was no different from the fight that had cost the man his life.
He was precise, fast, relentless.
This is just ten percent? And I achieved this by effectively hitting him three times?
Kieran mumbled incoherently.
He couldnt conceive this.
It was hard to imagine that only ten percent increase in power could make such a huge difference.
The ten percent increase in power provided Kieran with abination of Strength, Agility and Experience, which would not be possible to achieve without a long period of practice.
He had only made three effective hits, and he could already beat people who had had years of practice.
Kieran did not think of himself as talented, or thought he could be considered a genius.
However, given the circumstances, even a real talented genius could not have achieved such a feat.
Kieran gave it some thought.
Then an idea popped in his head.
The Hint!
He remembered the hint that was given to him when he first entered the game.
He quickly checked the system record log, looking for it.
[Main Mission: Survive 7 days, 0/7]
[Secondary Mission (Optional): Aid civilians until the war ends. Each civilian helped can provide you with a higher rating.]
(Hint: The Beginners Dungeon is a golden opportunity for every yer.)
The game hint could be seen clearly below the Main Mission and Secondary Mission.
He paused at the words golden opportunity. He took a long breath, then exhaled.
Although the game is one hundred percent realistic, some rules still apply. The system will not let a newbie start in an extremely dangerous situation, but will get progressively harder. As long as the opportunity presented is fully utilized, all danger and obstacles can be ovee, Kieran thought to himself.
However, after some thought, he frowned at the conclusion that he reached.
He wondered what would have happened to him, if he hadnt thoroughly searched the corpse hede across, and acquired a weapon for himself.
The possibilities scared him.
So this is the underground game that only ten percent of beta yers survived... I guess a number of them must have died so early on because of their carelessness and inability to adapt to the situation.
The thoughts crawled inside Kierans head while he turned to the body in front of him for ast inspection.
His face looked dead serious.
When he looked at the battle log, there was no mention of Experience Points (XP), or even an experience gauge, even after he had killed the pursuer. However, he had acquired a skill, one that was marked as Basic.
Judging by his previous online game experience, this was a dungeon-based level, and he would not gain any XP while he was still going through it, but only when he had sessfully cleared it. That was when he would be given a rating for his performance.
That rating would be determined by his loot and growth.
But how could he achieve a higher rating?
Excluding the mission requirements for the main quest itself, everything else would be based on his performance in the game.
From what he understood, games usually required yers to kill monsters, acquire equipment and money, and so on.
Although he did not currently know much about the Secondary Mission, he was extremely familiar with usual gaming routines, killing monsters, acquiring equipments, treasure, etc.
After all, he had just searched a dead body, and now there was another one before his eyes, thetter one that he had killed himself.
The stimting smell of blood still stung his nose.
Although he had just killed someone, Kieran was still disgusted by the smell, but also getting kind of used to it.
At least he was not throwing up anymore, and his heart held less fear and panic.
The first thing Kieran picked up was the knife in the dead mans hand.
[Name: Butcher Knife]
[Type: Sharp Weapon]
[Rarity: Damaged]
[Attack: Weak]
[Attributes: None]
[Effect: None]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remark : A normal household butcher knife used for slicing vegetables... or someone elses hand.]
The moment Kieran picked up the knife, the information appeared in front of his eyes.
After inspecting it, he putted the knife away in his backpack and continued his search.
Soon enough, he made another discovery.
Chapter 4: Gunshot
Chapter 4: Gunshot
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
A half-empty pack of cigarettes fell into in Kierans hands.
[Name: Cigarettes]
[Type: Misceneous]
[Rarity: Common]
[Attribute: Has a small effect on fear and anxiety.]
[Effect: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: In face of true fear or panic, its better than nothing!]
Next to the pack of cigarettes, there was also another lighter. The look and details of the newly-found lighter were exactly the same as the previous ones that Kieran had acquired.
Looking at the cigarettes in his hands, Kieran put them in his shirts pocket along with the new lighter.
He was not a smoker.
Firstly, because of his health, and secondly because thanks to his financial problems he could not afford to be.
His gic illness and the fact that a pack of cigarettes cost as much as two meals in the real world, were enough to make him keep his distance.
However, within the game, he would not mind smoking.
Of course, now was not the time.
Kieran bent down and searched the body carefully once more. When he made sure that there were no other valuables to obtain, he left.
It was already nightfall, and Kieran did not want to stay in a house that attracted this much attention, waiting for the thugs toe and raid it.
He needed to find a more secluded, safer ce to hide in and think about what his next move would be.
After walking down the empty corridor and living room, Kieran came to a stop beside the door that led outside. He took a look, his head leaning out and inspecting what was waiting for him there.
All he could see were fallen buildings, debris, and stones scattered everywhere.
They looked like abandoned ruins.
Kieran assessed the ce in his head.
After confirming that no one was around, he crouched down forward, leaving the house and taking tiny steps outside.
He soon reached a demolished wall.
It seemed to be the bearing wall of a building or a house. Judging by its length, it must have been an at least three-floor high building. All that was left behind now was a torn down wall the height of a child, some stones, bricks, and a few pieces of old wood.
Kieran stayed under its shade and inspected his surroundings.
Everything might already have been in ruins, but judging by the building cement and structure, Kieran concluded that this had been a residential area, and a high-end, rich one at that.
At a residential area like this, there must have been sewers, a drain system, maybe even some kind of underground space.
That was good news for Kieran, because it meant that he would not need to face any more survivors for the time being.
Given the fact that any survivors might turn out to be thugs, Kieran thought that it would be best to avoid them for as long as possible.
He hunched down and continued to move forward.
He was looking for the entrance to the sewers and, through them, to the underground that he was sure existed.
The searchsted for about thirty minutes, and within that time Kieran managed to find two sewage entrances.
The bad news was that the first one was buried under a pile of debris. Although he could clearly see the entrance, it was still blocked and impossible to open and squeeze inside.
In order to do that, he wouldnt just need to clear all the debris lying on top of it, but hed also need to do so in total silence.
Any noise would only attract other survivors and thugs, who woulde for him.
He could see at least two armed men patrolling around that area.
They had not spotted him yet, and he had no intention of attracting their attention and taking on both of them.
Kieran hid carefully from the patrollers, and waited for them to leave so he could continue his search.
Moving on with it, he eventually reached the second sewage entrance, only to find out that it also presented the same problem as the first one.
More than that, another problem arose that was even bigger than the first one.
Kieran came upon two peple confronting each other.
One of them was holding a wooden stick, while the other one was holding a steel rod with a mass of concrete on its end.
The sewage entrance that Kieran had located was between the two of them.
It seemed that his sudden appearance had not captured their attention though, not because Kieran was moving particrly quietly, but because both of them were focused solely on each other and did not pay any attention to him.
Kieran frowned as he looked at them. He did not n on interfering, nor did he intend to take any advantage of them.
Unless one of them could quietly knock out the other, or kill one another, their screaming would definitely attract a lot of unwanted attention in a wide area like that.
If that time came, Kieran might have to face not only one or two people, but a whole group of armed thugs.
Could one of them really silently take out the other?
Even in that scenario, Kieran would have to be very lucky to be able to get away.
After all, if one of them were able to kill the other in a confrontation like this, then that person would not be an easy target.
Kieran thought about it and came up with a solution.
He crouched down while keeping them in sight, and slowly moved backwards.
He tried hard to move quietly so that he would not attract their attention, but all his effort went down the drain when he identally stepped on a nk.
Crack!
The clear breaking sound made him freeze on the spot.
Damn it!
Kieran cursed silently. He had not remembered that there had been a nk on the way he hade, but now nothing he said would be useful.
The two confronters had already turned their eyes toward the source of the sound.
They had raised their guard, clearly wondering what was going on.
Kieran didnt want the situation to get any worse, so he came out of his hiding ce, holding both his hands up and signaling that he was harmless.
Its you! eximed one of them suddenly with a coarse voice.
Kieran instantly knew who that was.
It was the woman that he had met back in the house.
When she spoke, the person holding the steel rod backed up quickly.
Like Kieran, they obviously did not want to take on both of them either.
They had no other source of information other than thedys words, but those seemed enough to let them know that Kieran and thedy knew each other.
And that was a sufficient reason for them to leave.
Kieran shrugged as he watched it all unfold.
He was eighty percent sure that thedy had spoken on purpose, using him to solve the problem at hand.
Just like back in the house, thedy was the first to be aware of Kierans presence.
In order to effectively to take out her pursuer, she had not spoken up. Instead, she had taken the lead and acted even more scared so that she could lure the pursuer into her trap.
This was obviously a really smartdy, and Kieran did not want to get on her bad side.
Plus, she had shown a small act of kindness back there.
He thought that she was a person worth talking to.
Kieran wouldnt mind trading what few things he had in exchange for some valuable information from her.
I....
BANG!
A loud gunshot cut Kieran off before he could even finish his sentence.
The guy who had just backed off had been shot. His head had exploded like a watermelon ran over by a car, sshing all over the ce.
At the same moment, two people stepped forward from the darkness with a chilling smile on their faces.
Kieran looked at the headless body on the ground, then back at the two shooters. His whole body shivered and he quickly retreated to the wall behind him, hiding himself from their line of fire.
Damn it!
Thedy hid behind the same wall. When they started firing again, she began to curse non stop.
Son of a bitch! Why would the Vultures men show up here?
Kieran could clearly sense fear and hatred under her ash-covered face.
Vulture?
Kieran mumbled the word under his breath. Of course he knew that it was not the bird that she was referring to, but a sort of title.
Any person with such a title did not sound like a nice person.
In the animal kingdom, vultures were notorious for preying on corpses and feeding on their dead meat.
If someone held such a title...
Unconsciously, Kieran thought of the fallen headless body and his own body stiffened up.
Calm down! Calm down! Kieran told himself.
Then he pulled out the butchers knife and handed it over to thedy beside him.
An ally would be useful at a time like this, and the butchers knife was much powerful than the wooden stick she was holding in her hand.
Thedy understood Kierans intention and epted the knife eagerly. She held onto it tightly, her eyes set in a steadfast re.
After surviving four months in a war, she had been through enough.
She knew what to do.
Diversion and attack! she said.
Diversion? Attack? Kieran asked, scared.
Obviously, a diversion would be a huge risk.
One misstep meant certain death.
And Kieran sure did not want to die like this.
He didnt agree with that suggestion, but before he could voice his disagreement, thedy went on exining her n.
Ill go lead them off! You are good with the dagger and Im good at evading, this is the best strategy!
As she finished her thought, footsteps begun to sound out near them,pletely ignoring them both.
Dont kill me!
Without hesitation, a coarse feminine voice escaped her mouth.
Then she ran back towards the ruins.
Chapter 5: Ambush
Chapter 5: Ambush
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Kieran was stunned as he watched her rush out.
When she had suggested diversion and attack as a strategy, Kieran had secretly thought that she would ask him to be the live bait.
Against all his expectations, it was she that took on the high-risk part of the n and rushed out there bravely.
Hahaha... Look what have we here!
Thedys scream and the shootersughter snapped Kieran out of it.
His strong morals did not allow him to try to escape, but that did not mean that he would let this opportunity pass either.
Kieran leaped out from his hiding spot, holding the dagger tightly in his hand.
The two shooters walked in his line of sight.
The two of them stood in a front to back formation. The one in front lookedpletely distracted by thedys screaming, but the one in the back was keeping an eye out on their surroundings.
When Kieran jumped out from his hiding spot, the one in the back saw him and pointed a gun at him, ready to fire.
Sh*t!
At the sight of the gun, Kieran felt his heart freeze.
He knew very well that he was not bulletproof, and the man stood barely three meters away from him. The distance was short, but still long enough to make it impossible for Kieran to stop him from firing.
It was checkmate.
Kieran could smell his own fear.
The cold sent chills down his spine, but he felt a warm sensation burning up in his body, rising up like boiling water.
It was his will to survive.
It was that will that kept him alive in the real world, working hard to pay his medical bills, and not giving up in the face of the harsh reality.
He was not going to give up now either.
Kieran did not stop. He opened his eyes wide and looked at the two armed men.
His heart beat faster and faster, fighting to give him a chance at survival.
One of the menughed.
Hisugh was full of contempt and irony.
He had seen too many people fighting for their lives, had even killed a bunch of them.
The number was starting to get so big that he had lost count of how many people exactly he had killed.
But never mind that. He was going to add that guy in front of him to that number.
The man stuck out his tongue and licked his lips in excitement, lookingpletely disgusting as he prepared to pull the trigger.
However, in that very moment, Kieran took a big leap to the right.
The thug instinctively followed his movement, but his partner was blocking his line of sight.
The thug was caught off guard.
NOW!
Kieran dashed out with exploding speed. He lunged towards the first thug, whose attention was focused on thedy.
The dagger in his hand flew, avoiding the targets rib bones and stabbing him right in the heart.
[Stabbing: Lethal Attack, Inflicts 100 Damage to HP (50 Sharp Weapon (Dagger) (Basic) X2), Target dies...]
Phew...
When he removed the dagger, hot bright red blood flowed out.
The blood sttered on his face once more, but after his previous experience, this time he was smart enough to close his eyes while removing the dagger.
Kieran did not stop when the man was down.
He was well aware that the real enemy was the one behind him.
Arggggh!
Kieran let out a loud scream and used all his strength to grab the dead body in front of him. Using it as a human shield, he lifted it and rushed towards the remaining enemy.
Bam!
With a deafening sound, Kieran, his human shield and the remaining thug fell to the ground.
The human shieldnded on the thug and pressed down on him, while Kieran fell to the side.
Kieran quickly got back up and lunged towards his enemy.
When the thug sensed the approaching danger, he struggled to get up.
However, the dead body on top of him was heavier than hed expected, and Kieran had already reached him before he could push it off.
Kieran showed no mercy. He added his own weight on top of the dead body, pressing down on the thug even more and making him struggle even harder. He used the dagger in his palm to stab the thugs right hand.
The gun.
The thugs biggest weapon and Kierans greatest concern.
Bam!
The tip of the de prated the thugs right wrist, plunging the whole way through.
Arggggh!
While he screamed, the thug let go of his gun and slided it aside. Kieran did not stop, though. He turned and aimed his dagger towards the mans upper body and neck.
Considering his chest was currently covered by a dead body, his neck was the only other viable option.
Bam!
The dagger pierced through the mans throat, silencing him in the process.
[Tackling: Inflicts 2 Damage to HP, stuns for 1 second...]
[Stabbing: Inflicts 12 Damage to HP, cripples target...]
[Stabbing: Lethal Attack, Inflicts 86 damage to HP (43 Sharp Weapon (Dagger) (Basic) X2). Target dies...]
When the battle log popped up, Kieran squatted down on the ground and took several deep breaths.
The whole battle had notsted longer than five seconds, but it had consumed a great amount of Kierans energy and concentration.
He had taken advantage of their formation and killed them both, one after the other. Kieran had done his best every time, and as a result both of the thugs were dead.
Kieran starting seeing stars, and his vision darkened. A fainting sensation came over him and made him lie down on the ground.
Despite the stinging smell of blood, he did not move.
Besides, he was beginning to get used to the smell.
Its a scary thing to get used to!
Kieranughed ironically.
He had no choice. It was a life-and-death situation.
He kept smiling as he looked at the attributes window.
[Stamina: 20]
His stamina had dropped from a hundred to twenty during the battle.
However, as he kept taking deep breaths, he was recovering by one percentage point per second.
After a short rest, Kieran was be able to stand up again.
He quickly searched the body in front of him for potential loot.
[Name: M1905]
[Type: Gun]
[Rarity: Damaged]
[Attack: Normal]
[Magazine: 7 rounds]
[Attributes: None]
[Effect: None]
[Able to bring outside of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: This is a 11mm handgun that has not been maintained well. Beware of jamming bullets!]
......
[Name: Bullet]
[Type: Ammunition]
[Rarity: Common]
[Attributes: None]
[Effect: None]
[Able to bring outside of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: Rounds for a 11mm handgun. Potent handgun bullets.]
.......
Two M1905 handguns and six rounds of bullets was the best that Kieran could find.
Apart from those, there was nothing else worth carrying.
Holding the M1905 in his hand, Kieran felt an increased sense of security.
He turned and looked back.
Its clear! he said.
He rushed towards thedy, who had not been far behind him, to let her know that the coast was clear.
Thedy, however, did note forward to meet him.
Surviving four months in the war hadnt just made her vignt, but also very smart.
When she had taken on the task of diverting the enemy, shed had more reasons than the ones shed shared with him. She was aware that if she had asked Kieran to create a diversion, the barely-formed alliance between them would have broken and they would both have been killed by the thugs.
Kieran understood her reasoning.
That was why he wanted to talk to her and, if possible, work with her as a team.
He liked to work with smart people.
Of course, he would have to be honest in order to persuade her.
You know, wevee across each other twice and weve teamed up both times. I think we can work together to survive the gloomy days that lie ahead!
When thedy hesitated to let her guard down, Kieran holstered both of the guns on his waist and put his hands up.
He wanted to show her that he meant no harm.
His words also helped move thedy a little.
After a few seconds, she came over.
I did my part too. I want a share of the loot! she said.
Sure, of course, Kieran nodded, acknowledging her contribution.
She did deserve most of the credit after all. If it hadnt been for her diversion, which had distracted one of the thugs, no matter how hard Kieran had tried, he would not have been able to escape both of the men.
Therefore, Kieran did not mind sharing the loot with her.
He was nning on handing her one of the M1905 handguns when, out of the blue, she ran over to the headless body.
Kieran was startled, but came back to his senses quick.
That confrontation had definitely not been a coincidence.
There must have been a reason behind it.
Kieran fought his curiosity. He had promised that he would share the loot with her, and he would keep that promise.
Standing in ce, he kept an eye out for danger while he waited for thedy to finish her search.
After a while, she returned with a backpack.
I think we need a hiding ce, its not safe here! Kieran said.
The gunshots must certainly have attracted unwanted attention.
To be honest, Kieran already felt eyes trained on him and his belongings.
Despite the gunshots, people would stille over to check, and it would definitely not be harmless civilians.
He might have two handguns on him, but he only had six rounds of bullets, and he did not feel like facing an unknown number of enemies just yet.
Follow me! thedy said, signaling to Kieran.
Considering she had lived around the city for four months, she was much more familiar with the terrain than he was, and she knew a lot better what were they facing up against.
The battles themselves were not that frightening, but it was the idea of the unwanted, continuous, endless fighting that seemed downright terrifying.
In order to avoid that, he would have to end each battle as soon as possible, and leave the scene fast once the fighting was over.
Trailing behind thedy, Kieran ran in zig zag despite the blisters on his foot. He did not stop for a second.
After running for about twenty minutes, they reached another pile of ruins.
As thedy came to a stop, so did Kieran, instinctively looking around him.
He could not see anything rming.
The ruins before them looked almost identical to the ones they had just left.
Copsed walls, stone debris, broken wood...
But Kieran was sure of one thing.
While they had been running, the sounds behind them had gotten further and further away. They had shaken off the people who had been watching them.
He was safe.
For now.
Chapter 6: Rest
Chapter 6: Rest
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Kieran felt safe for the time being.
Thedy still had her guard up, though, listening carefully and inspecting their surroundings. When she felt assured that there were not any more pursuers, she kept walking.
Keep up! she said.
Kieran quickly followed her as they went deep into the ruins.
After dodging a number of wooden beams and passing through several piles of debris, they came to a stop. Thedy used her hand to wipe the dirt off the debris before her, revealing a hidden wooden entrance.
Quietly, she lifted up the wooden cover and a set of stairs that led underground was revealed.
Come on! thedy signaled to Kieran, motioning for him to go in.
He obeyed without a second thought.
Through a line of faint light, Kieran saw what was hidden at the bottom of the stairs.
It was a storage locker with some wooden racks and a few tools lying around.
There seemed to be no one else there, which lessened the possibility of an ambush.
Kieran entered the storage room and waited by the stairs for thedy to follow him.
When she did, he introduced himself.
Hi, Im Kieran.
Colleen. Are you a soldier?
She seemed to want to find out who he was. It was her voice that betrayed her suspiciousness.
Obviously, the way that Kieran had wielded that dagger was still fresh in her memory.
No, Im not. I just like martial arts. And in this goddamn war, Ive put them to good use. Look, I mean you no harm. You should know that. If I did, I wouldnt have gone through all this trouble.
He noticed that her eyes remained alert while he exined, so he chose his words carefully and borated as much as he could.
A soldier was not a good thing to be during a war.
Soldiers were a threat to the enemy and needed to be eliminated.
Civilians thought of them as a threat too.
War was like poison. It brought out the darkness in people, especially when one side had an advantage over the other. Kieran could understand her attitude, considering all the soldier brutality that she must have witnessed during the four months of the war.
After all, the Dungeon Mission description had mentioned a rebellion.
Kieran could never have been identified as a soldier, and that was certainly the right move for him.
Kierans words must have had some effect over thedy.
When he was done exining, her eyes looked slightly relieved and she seemed less worried.
Sorry, I shouldnt have asked, but I did meet a lot of rebellion deserters. Some of them are okay, but most of them are...
Colleen frowned. She did not know how to go on exining.
There is good and bad people everywhere, Kieran said.
It could not be consideredforting or judgmental, just the right thing to say at that time.
These words made Colleen acknowledge him.
I could let you stay with me for a day to repay you for helping me, but you must leave before nightfall tomorrow, Colleen said.
Thank you, replied Kieran.
Although he wanted more information, he felt that it was not the right time to ask Colleen.
Even though it was just a game, the realism made Kieran realize that if he made any inappropriate moves, they would most likely cause a chain reaction that would influence his future in the game.
That reaction might be good or bad, but based on his experience, it was more likely be thetter.
At least now he did not have to exin how a guy who had survived four months in the war had not gotten familiar with the city.
Even so, Kieran thought that if he asked Colleen a question that did not match his chosen identity, her attitude towards him would change fast.
Hed possibly even risk losing his hiding ce for the day.
So, when Kieran watched Colleen walk to the other corner of the room, settled down there and made no further noise, he did the same. He walked to the other end of the room, backed up against the wall and closed his eyes.
When his eyelids were shut, darkness filled his vision, and with every breath he took his body recovered, allowing him to have some rest.
He was mentally tired, though.
Images of blood and death were imprinted all over his brain, taking a toll on his mental health.
It took him a while, but he managed to fall asleep.
.....
Kieran was woken up by the sound of movement in the room.
He opened his eyes to see Colleen having a biscuit at the opposite corner. By the looks of it, it must have been in the backpack that she had acquired from the headless body the previous night.
When Kieran looked at her, Colleen stiffened up.
Food had a totally different value at times of war.
The biscuits and bread that were expendable during any other day were a cause for fight in the midst of a war.
Colleen and the headless guy had fought for them just the previous night.
Kieran had already known Colleens intentions after witnessing her suspiciousness around him. He signaled to her that he meant no harm and pulled out the can of food from his own backpack.
Colleens body remained stiff until Kieran took out the can. Only then she did she finally ease up.
If both of them had food, there was no reason for them to fight.
None of them spoke while they ate breakfast.
Colleen lowered her head, looking like she was thinking about something.
Kieran was munching on own his food while he looked at the system log.
[Main Mission: Survive for 7 days, 0/7] had changed to [1/7], and a [Hunger] status had appeared in the character window.
[Hunger: While in a state of Hunger, Maximum Stamina is 20% lower than normal and is exhausted twice as fast. When Stamina is insufficient, damage over time to HP might ur.]
After he gobbled up the canned food, the [Hunger] status disappeared from the slot.
Theres hunger in the game, too? he thought quietly.
Once again, he was amazed by the games realism.
Then suddenly, he frowned again. Thanks to the newly-discovered [Hunger] status, he would have to find and acquire more food in order to survive.
Obviously, such a task would not be easy in a war-ridden city like this one.
The remaining food willst me for about two to three days. Two at most if I need to fight! Kieran thought while he looked at the two remaining cans of food and the bottle of distilled water.
He would need to ration his supplies if he wanted to survive. Things were not looking good for him.
A sudden coughing fit interrupted Kierans thoughts.
He looked up to see Colleen covering her mouth with one hand, and beating herself on the chest with the other.
It looked like she was choking on the biscuit that she had been eating. Dry biscuits were not that easy to chew.
Here, have some water!
Kieran went closer to her and offered her the bottle.
Colleen took two big gulps, leaving only one third of the water for him.
She exhaled a long breath.
Th... Thank you!
Colleen looked at the remaining water and felt a little embarrassed.
Food was essential in the war, but so was water.
If one was willing to share their food and water during those times, then that was proof enough that they meant no harm.
Colleen knew that, and that was why she eased up on her attitude towards Kieran.
She grew more willing to talk to him, which was what Kieran had anticipated.
What was your job before the war? Colleen asked curiously.
I was a student, but then something happened and I became an otaku. How about you? he asked.
I was a student too, but because of the fighting, the alcohol and other problems, I was thrown into amunity service center. Before I could finish up my two hundred hours ofmunity service, the war broke out. At first I was d that I was relieved from my duties, but now I would much rather serve a lifetime ofmunity service than keep living in this hellhole! she added after Kierans exnation.
She did not seem to be able to stop talking.
Her cold vignt face had dissolved in an instant.
All Kieran could do was ept what she told him and let her continue.
People wore masks in their daily lives to protect themselves, and these desperate times called for it even more.
I was from around Sixth Broadway, but when the Vulture and his repulsive thugs came by and raided the ce, I had no choice but to move to the Garden Vi Area, and who the f*ck knows, he might have followed there as well! That piece of sh*t!
So is this Vulture guy really powerful? Kieran asked when he heard that name again.
Of course, you havent heard of him because you are not from here, Colleen said. Before the war, that Vulture guy was just a nameless thug. But when the war started, I dont know what kind of dogsh*t luck he had, but he suddenly acquired tons of weapons from the police station. He was locked up in there during that time. As the rebels were building up their forces, that piece of sh*t became relentless. He teamed up with the other criminals in the lockup and took over Sixth Broadway!
The other organization did not even dare face the Vulture head-on, because that assh*le is really strong and holds a grudge against anyone who crosses him. Civilians, thugs, anyone can end up dead if they get on his bad side. Thest guy who opposed him, another organizations head, was hanged and burned to a crisp on an electric pole at Sixth!
Colleen seemed to know a lot about the Vulture.
Suddenly, her face turned pale as she talked.
She realized that the two guys that she and Kieran had taken out yesterday were his men too.
Hearing Colleens words, Kierans face shared the same sick look with her.
Chapter 7: Second Skill
Chapter 7: Second Skill
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Looks like Im in big trouble! Kieran said lightly.
His intention was to get more information out of Colleen.
Ever since he was a kid, hed always had to work for a living so he had made a habit of never fully trusting anyone.
Especially in life-and-death situations like this one.
Youre not the only one in trouble, both of us are. Last night, there were witnesses back there when we killed those shooters. Those suck-ups will go and tell the Vulture all about it. If he finds out that both his men were taken out by us, he will start hunting us right away. Hell put all his men on the job. That f*cker will not stop until he sees our dead bodies hanging! Its how he defends his pride and ego! Colleen said through gritted teeth.
Then she turned to Kieran, My food willst me for about two days. What about you?
About the same, Kieran answered while opening his backpack wide, revealing the remaining canned food inside.
Kieran was honest, so Colleen felt that she had nothing to hide either. She walked to the other side of the storage room and took out a can of food and some biscuits.
Even if I rationed the food, it would onlyst me for a couple of days, Colleen frowned as she looked at the food in her hands. Obviously, she was not nning on doing that.
No matter how hungry or close to death she was, she would not do it.
How many men can you take on at the same time? she asked, looking at Kieran soberly.
If theyre bare-handed and unarmed .... Two or three, I suppose, replied Kieran, acknowledging her question. He understood what Colleen wanted from him.
Although the two of them had teamed up the previous day against those two shooters and had aplished what seemed like the perfect ambush, he knew that he had been very lucky to able to pull it off. Extremely lucky.
If it were not for Colleens help, he would have died by the guns of the shooters.
He still remembered his [Stamina] restrictions.
Once his [Stamina] reached its limit, he might not even be able to fight at all, only wait to be ughtered like amb.
Do we have to face them head on? Kieran asked, taking into consideration his limitations and advantages.
What, youd rather set up an ambush? Colleen asked.
She seemed shocked at first, but eventually calmed down.
I suppose you are right. We are outnumbered and they have more guns, so if we face them head on, we cant win. An ambush is our only choice!
Kieran agreed with a nod of his head. Then he went on, You said that they were active around Sixth Broadway, right? I suppose they are not as familiar with the area as you are, and if they wanted to search for us, theyd have to split up. Even if they outnumbered us, splitting up would lessen their numbers!
Please dont tell me theyre more than a hundred! he added as a joke.
More than a hundred? They are not an army, you know! The Vulture has only about twenty men under hismand. If he had hundreds, he would have taken down the rebellion in no time given what an arrogant pr*ck he is! Colleen answered with a smile.
She seemed to be affected by Kierans lighter tone of speech.
Then Colleens smile disappeared.
The Vultures men might not be familiar with the terrain here, but neither are you. You are from another area as well, she told Kieran.
Kieran agreed with her without hesitation. He had already acknowledged that he was new to the area.
You can use your dagger really well, Ill give you that. But are you sure that you are not just some guy I came across, but someone who can get the job done? she went on.
Kieran was taken aback by her critical eyes.
He knew that she was referring to that time during the previous night, when Colleen had been confronting one of the shooters and Kieran had backed up, stepped on a nk, and made a loud noise.
That was an ident! It wont happen again. Besides, we dont have any other choice. I dont want to stay here forever and starve to death, or wait for the Vultures men to find me! Kieran exined, trying to persuade her once again.
He did not want to risk their ns.
He had not minded fighting the Vultures men. If it were other thugs or civilians though, he would rather avoid the battle because there would be a much smaller chance of getting any good loot out of it.
The Vultures men were a different matter entirely.
One look at the guns on Kierans waist, and the thugs would surely drop their guns after getting defeated.
Although he did not know how much those guns were worth in the game, that was not going to stop him from collecting more. After all, he had entered the game for the money.
Basically, Kieran was willing to take any risk if the reward was high enough.
He might have already killed two of the Vultures men the previous day, but he still needed to spend six more days in the game. Only then he would clear the level.
He might as well strike first and eliminate any iing danger, rather than sit around and wait in fear for the remaining six days.
Kieran was not a passive, weak kind of person.
For three whole years he had lived with his illness, both his will and character getting stronger in the process. As a result, he had a way more mature mindset than the rest of his peers.
He knew there were some things you could not run away from.
It was go big or go home. Either way, he would not just sit around and wait for his end toe.
He had made a choice by entering this underground game without any security measures, and the same was true for the Vultures men.
Of course, given the chance, Kieran would like to improve his odds and boost his confidence.
In real life, the information that he had been able to gather about the game had been too little. He had tried his best, but none of that information had proved to be any useful.
It was different with the Vultures men, though.
Judging by Colleens words, Kieran could guess that she was very familiar with the Vulture and his men, as if she had a bad rtionship with them.
She would not be holding that big of a grudge against them if that were not the case, and her familiarity with the terrain made her an ally that Kieran did not want to lose.
Of course, I dont want to stay here forever either, starving and waiting to be discovered by the Vultures men. I like your n, but I think you need to prepare better if you want to make it work, she said.
Prepare how? Kieran asked straightforwardly.
Like I said yesterday, Im good at evading. I think I should teach you some skills so that when you face them, youll have more options. Too bad Im not good with guns, Colleen said, shaking her head.
Without a strong body and adequate fighting skills, the majority of people would choose a gun for protection.
One could practice martial arts for ten years and still lose to someone who had only practiced for about three months, if they were smart enough and had put enough distance between the two Do you want to learn how to Evade from me? she asked him.
A system window popped up at the same time.
[Do you want to learn the Evade Skill from Colleen? Yes/No]
A new skill? Is she a newbie skill instructor? Or does this mean that Ive reached a certain favourable rating with her?
All sorts of questions started to pop up in his mind as his heart beat faster.
He agreed straightaway, Of course I do!
Kieran had only one skill in his arsenal, and as that skill had already changed his life drastically, he longed for more skills that could help him that way. Having been a substitute gamer for others in the past, he knew perfectly well that, excluding levels, attributes and skills were the only defining power in the game.
Attributes could also help in supporting the skills, and vice versa.
What happened next confirmed his hypothesis.
After he agreed, Colleen started to exin her evading technique and performed a demonstration for him. When the demonstration was over, a system window notification popped up.
[Agility reached F. Sufficient to learn the evading skill...]
[Skill Learned: Evade]
[Name: Evade (Basic)]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effect: Evasion Increased by 10%. You have learned battle evading techniques.]
[Consumes: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: F in Agility]
[Remarks: You can use the side roll or back roll to evade your opponents attack!]
Just as I expected, attributes and skills support each other!
That was the conclusion that Kieran reached afterparing both the skills he had acquired and the system notifications.
He also came up with another hypothesis, When skill levels increase, attributes increase as well.
He had yet to confirm that.
How was it? Did you get it? said Colleen, standing to the side after her demonstration.
She looked at Kierans vacant expression. She frowned a little, wondering if he was okay.
Obviously, she did not like the fact that he had not been paying attention while she had been demonstrating.
When Kieran noticed her dissatisfaction, he tried to distract her with a demonstration of his own.
He did a side roll, a back roll, a front roll, he even did a sideflip with a single hand. He performed all these moves with ease.
Colleens jaw dropped at the demonstration.
You do gymnastics? she asked.
Colleen, whom had been a member of her schools gymnastics team, was aware that for someone to reach this level two or three years of practice were necessary. A beginner might not even be able to do a decent flip, let alone a side flip with one hand, which was considered an extremely difficult move.
Nope, I just really like martial arts. Plus, I think that my body is quite flexible, said Kieran, trying to provide her with an eptable exnation.
Although the game did not mention anything about keeping his yer identity a secret, in this highly realistic game Kierans exnation seemed to work, whereas such an exnation in real life might have led people to think that he was crazy.
I see...
Colleen epted his exnation.
Kieran was distracted once again when his eyes focused on his attributes.
His stamina had dropped from 100 to 80.
Chapter 8: Nightfall
Chapter 8: Nightfall
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The side roll doesnt seem to consume a lot of energy. Flipping front and back consumed five points of stamina though, and the single hand flip cost me 10 points of stamina per flip.
Kieran thought about his actions while looking at the skills window.
[Consumed: Stamina]
Without exception, all skills consumed Stamina, but it did not state how much stamina each of them consumed.
It does not state how much they consume, because I think it differs depending on how hard you are performing the action.
Remembering the battle before and his actions just now, he drew an easy conclusion.
He looked all over the system log for more information.
It did not state how much stamina his actions had consumed.
But his stamina had gone down for real, just like his [Hunger] status on the character window.
Is it a hidden message? Or is it...? he thought to himself, frowning.
He hade across this type of game multiple times, had even read a lot of hidden messages.
They were either totally useless or they held game-changing information.
As he was currently inside the underground game, it was obviously thetter.
He quickly collected his thoughts.
It seemed futile to try to figure it out any further and he didnt want to waste any more energy on it.
Kieran, can you teach me martial arts? Colleen asked him when he came back to his senses.
Of course, no problem.
He did not have any reason to decline, so he nodded and said, There are many types of martial arts, but I am only quite familiar with the dagger.
Kieran knew a lot about the martial arts, but his knowledge was mostly justmon sense and a basic understanding just like everyone elses. If he needed to put it to actual use to save others, he didnt think it would be possible.
Except for his [Sharp Weapon (Dagger) (Basic)] skill.
After he had learned that particr skill, it had made him look like a total professional who had been wielding a dagger for years, and even his brain was all of a sudden full of dagger-rted information and knowledge.
If that was all he had to teach her, then it was more than enough.
That is what I want!
Colleen smiled. She was happy that Kieran was willing to teach her dagger martial arts.
After all, she had witnessed Kierans battle with the dagger, and he had not only been fast and precise, but he had also made a killing hit every time that he had striked.
Considering that this was wartime, Colleen knew that she needed the advantage that the dagger wielding technique would provide her.
Kieran exined his technique while performing a demonstration.
The system had not asked him to confirm whether he wanted to teach others or not.
Obviously, Kieran could only learn from others, not teach them.
It might be because of a game restriction, or because his skill level was still too low.
The teaching sessionsted from morning till afternoon, and then they rested.
In order to be fully prepared for the uing fight, both of them needed to reserve energy.
Seems like I am not that gifted!
Colleen stopped and returned the dagger to Kieran while shaking her head.
You did really well, he replied.
He did not say it just tofort her. It was the truth.
But she took it as him trying tofort her.
Im so stupidpared to you! she sighed.
She had shown her strength though, and had proved it by surviving in this war for four months.
Dont worry, she said, I wont be a burden during the fight at night.
I believe you, Kieran nodded with a smile.
Although it was time to rest, they did not waste it, but instead spent it discussing how to perfect their n.
Colleen even used her finger to draw ayout of the city terrain on the ground.
After a while, they had a whole map of the Vi Garden Area before them.
This is the Vi Garden Areas main road. Its around seven to eight meters wide, with a wide field of vision. We cannot have the fight there. If we get surrounded, we will be dead meat. The best battle position would be around the Vis ruins. Not only can they hide us from our enemies, but theyre also full of debris and broken wood. The wall is still intact too. That area can definitely make up for the disadvantage of being outnumbered, Colleen said in a serious tone while pointing at the map.
Then we will start the battle there, Kieran agreed.
For an outsider like him, who was not familiar with the terrain, Colleens battle advice was invaluable. Of course he would go with what she said, especially when it came to information about the terrain.
Other than that, what else should I be aware of? he asked, trying to get more information for himself.
Theres another group of thugs in that area, while here...
Colleen continued pointing at the map while telling Kieran about their enemy.
They kept talking until nightfall descended upon them.
.....
Jackal Wurke was the Vultures right hand man and his most trusted follower.
At that particr moment, Wurke was marching towards the Vi Garden Area with six more of his men. Every one of them was armed with guns and a bulletproof vest.
The six men were looking around while Wurkes face was filled with rage.
How dare someone challenge the infamous Vulture!
As the Vultures right-hand man, Wurke was an undeniable asset to the Vultures reign over the area.
Wurke himself felt proud. He was fond of his position.
Especially because of the perks that came with it.
While others were starving, he had decent meals and a full stomach. He also had a weapon and could take out whomever he so much as disliked.
It was the perfect life for Wurke.
If anyone ever dared interfere with it, he would kill them.
Therefore, when he received the news that two of his men had died, Wurke told the Vulture that he wanted to kill the culprits himself.
They should be around this area. Find them and flush them out! Be careful, dont go too far away. The bastards have two guns on them. Dont let your f*cking guard down just because one of them is a woman! Wurke shouted to his men.
Yes, sir! the six of them answered in unison before going into the ruins.
Every one of them held a certain degree of contempt towards their targets.
So what if they had guns?
ording to the Vultures rules, each time anyone left the base, they got four rounds of ammunition. Between Sixth Broadway and the Vi Garden Area, their deadrades must have already wasted a shot or two, because it was what they always did. They would open fire to scare away other civilians and thugs. They just liked to watch others fleeing in fear when they fired. It had been their only hobby for the past four months.
Given this habit of theirs, their ammunition must have already been reduced when they faced the culprits.
So what if the culprits had their guns now? What kind of threat could they be with such a limited amount of ammunition?
However, the Vulture was furious that both of his men were dead, and he had sent double the number of men and had given them sufficient ammunition and even a bulletproof vest.
They were all full of confidence and did not feel scared at all.
Although the vests they wore were not equipped against rifle guns, only M1905 handguns, it was still more than enough.
Every single one of them was thinking the same thing. Even their leader, Wurke the Jackal.
Wurke held the guns in his hands while he walked behind his men and scanned their surroundings.
He was itching to kill them both.
.......
Kieran was also itching for some action.
He had been hiding behind some ruins, but from the moment Wurke the Jackal had walked into the area, he had already tagged him.
As a matter of fact, Kieran had expected Wurkes arrival at their hiding area soon enough.
They might have shaken off their pursuers, but it would not have been that hard to guess where Kieran and Colleen would go afterwards.
Basically, everything had gone as nned.
Now all he had to do was wait for the perfect chance.
Wait for them toe closer so he could kill them with one hit.
It was not an easy task as it required great patience and a certain amount of skill.
The good news was, Kieran was a guy with great patience.
He was also equipped with the [Sharp weapon (Dagger) (Basic)] skill, which made him way better than he used to be.
Patience plus skill made what should have been a hard task fairly easy.
The fact that the men were full of contempt and werepletely underestimating Kieran, made it even easier.
The seven of them lined up in a straight formation, while maintaining some distance between one another, and started to search the area.
The one on the side walked past Kieran.
He was moving around arrogantly, not paying attention. He did not even notice Kierans presence. He was only looking around, trying to find some kind of hideout or hidden entrance, because he could not possibly imagine that Kieran and Colleen would dare attack them first. Surely both of them would be scared and hiding away somewhere in the area.
When Kieran jumped on him, he was taken by surprise.
Boo!
The sharp edge of the dagger sliced through his throat.
Ughhh!
Blood flowed into his trachea, silencing the thug and making him scream in a slurred low-pitched voice. Kieran dragged him into the ruins with an unreadable expression as he died.
[Stabbing: Lethal Attack, Inflicts 100 Damage to HP (50 Sharp Weapon (Dagger) (Basic) x2). Target dies...]
One down, Kieran thought to himself while taking away the thugs M1905.
He inspected the gun fast. It was damaged but full of ammunition. It was loaded with seven rounds.
This made him happy for a while.
To ensure the ns sess, Kieran had given one of the guns to Colleen along with five rounds of bullets.
He was actually nning on giving her all the bullets, were it not for the thugs idental surprise.
It was only mere hours after the lesson with him and her skills had not really been used in a real battle yet.
Now he had a fully loaded M1905, which had been an unexpected gift.
But the best thing by far was the thugs bullet proof vest.
Chapter 9: Undercover
Chapter 9: Undercover
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
[Name: T1 Bullet Proof Vest]
[Type: Body Armor]
[Rarity: Common]
[Defense: 1, Able to guard against regr gun bullets; 2, Weak protection against sharp weapons.]
[Attributes: None]
[Effect: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: This is a standard issue bullet proof vest. Wearing it doesnt make you invincible!]
The moment Kieran picked up the vest, all that information popped up in front of him. After a quick review of the item, he put it on without any further dy.
Compared to the Common Vige Outfit that he was wearing, the T1 Vest was much better protective gear. One able to take bullets and protect him in hand to handbat.
Even if it was not that effective against daggers and other weapons of that sort, it still made him more confident in carrying out their n.
Kieran closed his mouth and tried to control his breathing. He didnt want to make any sound as he headed towards his second target.
The man had not noticed that hisrade had died.
Although they knew that he and Colleen were nearby, he acted the same way the first one had right before Kieran had killed him. He walked around casually, not paying much attention to his surroundings.
He had not noticed that Kieran was close to him.
Kieran did not ambush him. He started closing up on him from behind instead.
When he was within range, he covered the guys mouth with one hand to prevent him from yelling for help. He used his other hand to slice the mans throat open with his dagger.
He had moved his hands almost simultaneously.
Before the thug could even shout or bite Kierans hand, the dagger had already slit his throat.
Fresh warm blood gushed out from his neck. Before long, the man stopped struggling.
[Stabbing: Lethal Attack, Inflicts 100 Damage to HP (50 Sharp Weapon (Dagger) (Basic) x2). Target dies ....]
Kieran dragged the second body into the ruins and imed his loot.
This time, however, he did not take the T1 Bullet Proof Vest. He just took the fully loaded M1905.
If it were possible to wear two vests at the same time, he would not have minded another one.
Too bad that as soon as he had put on the first vest, he had already started feeling a slight weight increase in his movements. If he wore a second one, his agility would bepromised even more.
He could not riskpromising his speed in a situation like that.
It could cost him his life.
He would be shot down on the spot by the remaining men.
Two down, he thought to himself while he kept walking like a cat.
He moved forward for about ten meters and then hid in the shadows, revealing his head out a little to spy on his third target.
Unlike the the previous two, the third man was standing on top of a pile of debris and broken wood about a meter high. Although he was not paying attention either, the height slowed Kierans progress down somewhat.
Because of it, Kieran could not face the man head on. Even with the cover the debris provided, he would still be spotted if he tried to.
He had not gotten cocky after killing two men.
The third man was armed as well.
Perhaps he could attack him from the back?
Kieran noticed the look on the mans random scanning of the surrouding. It was enough to make him give up that n.
He did not want to be discovered while he was approaching him.
Lets skip this one for now, Kieran decided before he moved on.
Although he still had the fully loaded M1905, he had no intention of using it so early on in the game.
The thugs had protection against bullets, and when it came to his own shooting skills, he was not confident that he could make a lethal shot while they had their vests on.
Besides, the gunshots would expose his location.
Even with only five of them remaining, he still had toe up with a n with Colleen if he wanted to avoid any one against five situations.
I must take out at least two more.
With this thought in mind, Kieran took a detour.
To avoid being discovered by the man on top of the debris, Kieran chose the long way back to the spot where he had taken out the first thug, then did a U-turn.
More than ten minutester, he reached the back of the remaining mens formation.
Using his eagle-like eyesight, he marked everyones position and decided quickly on the third target that he would go for.
It was the one on the far left.
That man looked even morezy than the others and was not paying any attention, evenpared to the two that Kieran had already killed.
At least the dead men had tried to look for Kieran. The guy on the far left, though, just squatted down where the others would not be able to spot him, and lit up a cigarette.
Hisziness made him an easy target for Kieran, who carefully closed in on his target while avoiding detection.
He would not let his guard down, even if his target was squatting down and smoking a cigarette.
Kieran knew perfectly well that idents could happen at any time. It was better to be safe than sorry.
With extra vignt movements, he closed up on his target step by step.
He was within two meters of him, and the man still had not noticed him. Only when the dagger came close enough to him did the thug finally realize that something was off.
But it was already toote.
Kieran did not mind the cigarette burning his hand. He covered the thugs mouth with his left hand and used his right hand to deliver the killing blow with the dagger.
His throat was slit open and he fell to the ground, just like the others.
[Burn: Inflicts 1 Damage to HP]
[Stabbing: Lethal attack, Inflicts 100 Damage to HP (50 Sharp Weapon (Dagger) (Basic)x2). Target dies ...]
[Approached target 3 times without getting discovered. Skill acquired: Undercover]
[Name: Undercover (Basic)]
[Rted Attribute: Agility]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effect: Makes use of the shadows, conceals you from sight, increases Hiding by 10%]
[Consumes: Stamina]
[Skill Prerequisite: F in Agility]
[Remarks: Just because you are good at hiding, it doesnt mean you are invisible!]
As the thug fell to the ground, a system notification popped up, exining the [Undercover (Basic)] skill.
Suddenly, a chain of information was transferred into Kierans brain.
He was used to the process as he had already acquired two skills.
Once the information was transferred into his brain, his body could use the knowledge that he had gained right away.
Three times?
Kieran was searching the body before him, while at the same time looking at the system notification.
When he had acquired the [Sharp Weapon (Dagger) (Basic)] skill, it had required three effective hits to achieve it as well. The number had caught his attention.
Are only three sessful hits required in order to acquire the respective skill in the newbie dungeon?
That was his guess.
He quickly came back to his senses. He knew what he had to do, and it was definitely not think about these things. There would be time for thatter.
As Kieran looked at the remaining four targets, his brain filled with information about the undercover skill.
He walked into the shadows silently, leaning against the walls and slowly moving towards his next target.
If Kierans lurking speed had been a crawl before, one could say that now he had learned how to walk. He was faster and more quiet.
He was like the best thief in town. Or more like an assassin.
Four down!
Five down!
Kieran took out two more of the thugs. It was even easier than before because of his newly acquired undercover skill. Even though the fourth and fifth man had been much more vignt than the others, Kieran had still been able to cut their throats.
If one or two men out of a squad of seven went missing, it could perhaps go unnoticed. If most of the men went missing, however, even an idiot would be able to figure out that something was wrong.
If Wurke the Jackal was an idiot, he would not have ended up as the Vultures right-hand man.
His contempt though made him no different than amon fool.
Wurke screamed for his men with a tightening grip on his gun.
None of them responded.
Wurke looked at his surroundings. Everything that he had been familiar with suddenly lookedpletely strange to him.
The emptiness of the ruins and the shadows cast by the moon in the sky made him feel like the Devil was watching him. Cold sweat ran down his back.
When the wind blew, he could not help but shiver.
Boss Jackal!
A sudden voice cut through the silence. Wurke trembled with rage when he saw that it was one of his men.
Furious, he started yelling at him.
YOU PIECE OF....
BANG!
Before Wurke could even finish his sentence, a shot was fired.
The third man, whom Kieran had chosen to avoid earlier, fell to the ground.
His vest had protected him from the lethal blow.
However, when he fell to the ground, he turned, pulled out his gun and started shooting aimlessly at the source of the gunshot.
Wurke, who had witnessed the whole incident, pulled out his gun as well and aimed at the spot where the first gunshot had been fired. He pulled the trigger over and over again.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
The whole scene turned into a sea of flying bullets.
Chapter 10: Exploding Head
Chapter 10: Exploding Head
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Bullets hit the walls and the broken wood.
Debris flew everywhere from the st point.
However, before the shooting had even begun, Kieran had already rolled to the side to get out of the way.
He had Colleen to thank for that. If it were not for the [Evade] skill that she had taught him, he would have been crushed under the torn down wall or killed by the gunshots.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The guns were still firing.
As he had expected, his gunshot had startled them. They were anxious to kill him, even if that meant that they would have to shoot down the whole wall.
M1905 bullets could not shoot through concrete walls though. Even if they could, Kieran was already long gone.
He backed up against the wall and took deep breaths while holding the M1095 tight, waiting for a chance to strike.
Thest shot that he had fired had missed its target.
As a matter of fact, if the thugs had not noticed that something was wrong, Kieran would have kept hiding and backstab them using the dagger skill until he had taken them all out.
However, just as he expected of himself, his gun skills were sh*tty, though.
Even within close range, he had not been able to hit the target and make a lethal shot.
[Shooting: Inflicts 50 Damage to target HP, 45 Damage Reduction by Protective Gear, 5 Damage Inflicted to target HP...]
He looked at the battle log, shaking his head in disappointment.
If only he could hit the targets heads and not the protective gear on their bodies, they would all have been dead already.
He hadnt though, and now there were two more attackers remaining.
However, Kieran and Colleen were two as well.
Bang!
A clear gunshot rang out amidst all the firing. It was unbelievably loud.
Ahhhh! My leg! My leg....
he mans screams got clearer and clearer.
It had to be Colleen!
She had stayed hidden when the battle had started, but now it was time for her to strike.
ording to Kieran and Colleens n, Kieran would act as the main shooter. Only if he was surrounded or suppressed by gunfire would Colleen make a move, creating enough space for them to strike back.
Thest remaining thug nowy on the ground. Colleen had done her part.
Without further hesitation, Kieran pulled the trigger from the shadows.
Bang! Bang!
Two shots were fired.
However, despite Colleens contribution, the oue was far from satisfying.
The first shot he firednded on the protective vest once again, and the second one missed the targetpletely.
F*ck! he cursed silently, moving quickly.
The thug had already spotted him and turned his gun on him.
F*cking rookies! Hahahaha... Goddamn rookies!
Wurke the Jackalughed out loud, unable to hold back his contempt for Kieran.
It had scared Wurke at first when his men had started to disappear one by one. He had thought that they had ran into some kind of unbeatable assassin, had even felt fear at the possibility. When he had watched hisst man fall to the ground after the gunshots, it had made him even more scared and desperate.
Wurke had been prepared to die if he failed to kill the man.
He had been so scared that he could not move. He had just stood there and waited for his end toe.
However, his thoughts and fear both faded away when he watched Kieran miss two shots at his men.
It was not an unbeatable assassin after all. It was just a rookie. A rookie in possession of a gun.
Someone who could not even hit his target from a 10-meter radius.
He saw his way out of this situation. He just needed to kill Kieran so he wouldnt have to die.
What about the second person who had fired, though?
Wurke looked at his guy who was holding the wound on his leg. He was smart enough not to mess with the person who had shot his man. He was not that stupid. He would go after the rookie.
Wurke carefully avoided the path within Colleens shooting range and yelled at his man, Go, you assh*le! Go and lure the other one out!
Wurke pointed his gun at him, threatening him.
No, boss... Please dont do this! Please! the thug begged as he too pointed his gun at Wurke.
Wurkeughed and answered with contempt, You still have rounds left in your gun?
The thug was stunned as he realized that he was out of bullets.
He panicked. He had wasted all his bullets earlier when hed gotten startled. He had wasted them all without even aiming at his target. Hed just shot away blindly.
Sweat slid down his forehead. He did not want to be live bait.
Youre out of bullets too, Boss! he told Wurke boldly.
You dont understand. Theres a reason why youre a low-levelckey and I am the bosss right-hand man! said Wurke as he pulled out another fully-loaded magazine. You see this? Every time Im out of the base, the boss gives me extra magazines just to deal with sh*tty situations like this one! Now go. Go and lure that bastard out, or I will kill you myself!
Wurke pointed the gun at him again.
The thug knew that if he did not obey, Wurke would kill him. He was sure of that.
Wurke was known for his hostility andck of mercy.
He hesitated a little before he obeyed.
He thought that he might have a better chance against Kieran than against Wurke. Kieran was inexperienced at shooting while Wurke was the Vultures right-hand man. His shooting skills must have been up to a certain standard or he wouldnt have gotten that position in the first ce.
The thug clenched his teeth and crawled out of cover.
Hiding in the shadows, Kieran had witnessed the whole exchange. He knew what they were nning on doing.
He had even heard them call him a rookie after he had missed that shot.
He could totally see the uninjured guy shooting him if he pointed his gun and took aim again.
So he had two choices.
The first one was to run and hide.
The second one was to face them head on.
If he ran, so would the enemy.
If he faced them though, chances were that he might end up dead before he could even make a move. He could not depend on his lousy gun skills.
Still, Kieran decided to face them head on. If this was real life, he would have never chosen that option, but he was in the game.
Despite the high realism, this was still a game, and there were still settings that remained unchanged.
One of them were the benefits of the newbie dungeon yer.
In the newbie dungeon, skills could be acquired with three sessful attempts.
That was the hypothesis that he hade up with earlier and now the time hade to put it to the test.
He had already shot his target twice and missed once. He would only need to hit it one more time to acquire a new skill.
If he seeded, then he might stand a chance to win this battle.
He was confident that he could do it.
Even if the thugs were good with their guns, they would still not exceed the games skill level.
Otherwise, Kieran would have already gotten killed during the gunshots earlier.
He took a long breath, readjusted his position and picked up the M1905, aiming at the crawling thug with one eye closed.
Bang!
He fired.
The bulletnded on his protective vest again. It hit it so hard that it sent the guy rolling away.
Wurke, who had witnessed this, came out of his hiding ce and aimed his gun at Kieran, who was still in the shadows. Kieran did not move or flinched as he too pointed his gun back at Wurke.
Wurke was so happy, he felt likeughing.
It was easier than he had thought. Kieran was a lot more stupid than hed imagined.
Wurke had expected Kieran to run or hide when he pointed his gun at him, but he did the exact opposite. He obviously nned to face him head on.
You dare point that tiny gun of yours at me, you f*cking rookie?
The Jackalughed.
His original intention had been to flee, but since Kieran seemed to have a death wish, then far be it from him not to grant it.
He had led six men out of the base and nearly all of them were dead. If he did note up with a reasonable exnation, the Vulture would be furious with him.
Wurke could not help shivering. He remembered the Vultures merciless executions very vividly.
He had already nned to flee the area and hide from the Vulture if he failed to capture Kieran and bring him in.
He thought that he might be able to make it using his guns and wits, even if his days would no longer be as glorious as the ones hed spent with the Vulture.
That thought fueled his rage. He was not prepared to give up his luxurious life yet.
DIE!
Wurkes finger was already squeezing the trigger.
BANG!
But it was Kieran who fired first.
Hes just a f*cking rookie! The Jackalforted himself.
And thats when it all went dark.
The very moment that Wurkes head exploded like a watermelon.
Chapter 11: A Plan
Chapter 11: A n
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
[Shooting: Lethal attack, Inflicts 100 Damage to target HP, (50 Firearm Weapon (Light Firearm) (Basic) X2), Target dies.....]
The battle log appeared in front of Kieran while he watched the headless body fall to the ground. He quickly moved towards the remaining man.
While he moved, he also peaked at his Skill Window.
[3 Effective Hits, Skill Acquired: Firearm Weapon (Light Firearm) (Basic)]
[Name: Firearm Weapon (Light Firearm)(Basic)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Constitution, Spirit]
[Skill Type: Offensive]
[Effect: You have mastered the skill of handling handguns, submachine guns, rifles, assault rifles, and sniper rifles, 10% Increase in Damage]
[Consumes: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: F in Strength, F in Constitution, F in Spirit]
[Remarks: You might have acquired the firearm skill but youre no sharpshooter yet!]
Just like with the dagger skill previously, Kieran suddenly felt like a pro at using guns. Not only had he acquired new information and knowledge about firearms, but he also knew how to maximize the damage the firearm in his hand could inflict.
Just as he had done when he had blown Wurkes head off.
The power of the skills astonished him every time, although he had already experienced it more than once.
The knowledge that hade out of nowhere and had been transferred into his head had also made changes to his body, and Kieran felt like he knew the game a little bit better every time.
At the same time, he got to appreciate the Newbie Dungeon even more.
Maybe once he had cleared this level and moved on to the real game acquiring skills would be different from what he had experienced so far. It might require a lot more than just three effective hits or sessful actions.
It might require him to achieve thirty effective hits, or even more than that.
No doubt the level of difficulty of the game would increase, and as for its realism, the harder the level of difficulty, the bigger the dangers that would await him would be.
Were it up to him, Kieran would definitely try to gain as many skills as possible while he was still in the Newbie Dungeon.
And this was just the right opportunity for him to do that.
He approached the remaining wounded thug, and looked down at him.
Please dont kill me! Please... I dont know anything, I was just following the bosss orders! Please!
The wounded thug started to beg for his life. Kierans presence seemed to frighten him.
As the man was stripped of his firearms and dignity like a tiger being stripped of its teeth, he became even more worthless than a regr civilian.
His face was covered in tears and snot. Kieran frowned.
Then he punched the thugs face with all his might.
He threw a second punch.
Then a third one.
When the third punchnded, a system notification popped up.
[Punching: Inflicts 1 Damage to target HP]
[Punching: Inflicts 2 Damage to target HP]
[Punching: Inflicts 1 Damage to target HP]
.....
[3 Effective Hits, Acquired Skill: Hand-to-Hand Combat (Basic)]
[Name: Hand-to-hand Combat (Basic)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Offensive]
[Effect: You have mastered the punching and kicking skill, 10% Increase in Damage]
[Consumes: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: F in Strength, F in Agility, F in Constitution]
[Remarks: Now you can find work as a part time street fighter!]
As the information flew into his brain, that familiar feeling filled his body once more and he tightened his fists, feeling the power gushing out of his body.
Then he punched the thug hard on the cheek.
ording to the information in his brain, that was where the trigeminal nerve was located. If he applied enough force on that particr nerve, he could stun or knock out his target.
[Punching: Inflicts 20 Damage to target HP, (Hand-to-Hand Combat (Basic), Target knocked out...]
After watching his enemy pass out, Kieran stood up, feeling satisfied.
Once again he had experienced the power of the skills, but it was not fulfilling enough for him.
He nned to acquire a couple more skills by using this thug.
Of course he was in no hurry.
He looked at his partner who wasing towards him.
You wont let him off that easy, right? Anyone who is associated with the Vulture is not a good person. Not a single one of them! Justice has not been served yet. Just punching him is not enough! Colleen said when she reached Kierans side, raising one of her eyebrows.
After surviving in this city for four months, Colleen had witnessed hell and knew that there were devils lurking around who deserved no mercy.
The Vulture and his men were exactly those kind of devils.
No, of course I wont let him go! Kieran shook his head, reassuring Colleen.
He might have been a kind and empathetic person, but he did not n on wasting any of that empathy on his enemy, whether that was in real life or inside a game.
Then what? Colleen looked at Kieran with a puzzled expression.
Can you help me gather all the loot? There should be quite a lot of it around since we took them all out.
Kieran smiled at Colleen, but she did not move right away.
He shrugged.
He knew that if he could not provide her with a reasonable exnation, the strong-willed girl would notply.
But he had no intention of spilling the beans just yet.
He pointed at their surroundings and said, When we get everything, Ill tell you everything. You wouldnt want our loot to get stolen by thieves, would you?
Kieran quickly began gathering the loot, and so did Colleen.
After the battle, Colleens trust in Kieran had went up another level, with her even lowering her guard around him.
She agreed that they shouldnt let their loot get stolen by some low-rank thief.
Despite the gunshots, there would still be others who would not be afraid and who would want to take a chance ande forward to have a look. It would not be a small number either.
Once the scavengers arrived, there would be trouble.
If the scavengers got their hands on the firearms and protective vests on the dead bodies, they would be a threat to them both.
Colleen did not want to let that happen.
After five minutes of gathering whatever they could, they met up again. Both of them had collected several [T1 Bulletproof Vest]s and [M1905] handguns. Colleen put a vest on. She looked at Kieran with a puzzled expression again.
She had noticed that all the thugs were dead.
Every single one of them killed with a clean lethal shot.
This reminded Colleen of what had happened with the rebels.
No, even rebels could not pull off such deadly attacks. Only the elite squad could do such a thing! she thought to herself silently.
However, the rebel elite did not match Kierans self-proimed identity.
Colleen did not ask any further about it.
After all the hardships that she had been through, she had be mature beyond her age and she knew that everyone had secrets.
Kieran was no different. Even she had secrets that she was keeping to herself, so she respected his privacy. Kieran had shown such kindness and friendliness towards her.
She knew that if she stayed with him, her odds of surviving would increase greatly, and she might even make it through this damned war alive.
If there was a price to pay for it, then she would dly pay it.
It was just reality and a survival instinct.
Kieran had noticed something different about Colleen, but he could not tell what it was.
He hadnt noticed Colleens gaze towards him, or the strange look on her face as it was covered with dirt and ashes.
Now can you tell me?
Despite the various thoughts on her mind, Colleen could not speak openly, so she let her shyness take over and changed the topic.
The Vulture must have a base right? Kieran replied with a slightly lowered voice.
Although there seemed to be no one else around, Kieran still dragged the unconscious thug to a secluded hiding ce. It was better to be safe than sorry.
Yeah, he does have one. It is located at Sixth Broadway, inside a mall. After the rebels swept the ce clean, he imed it for himself and set up his base there, Colleen replied with a nod.
And none of them know who I am, right? Kieran went on to ask.
Colleen nodded again and she turned her eyes on Kieran, looking at him with an incredulous somewhat surprised look.
Are you nning on sneaking in? Colleen asked in disbelief. Her voice was higher than usual.
She continued before Kieran could answer.
The Vulture never lets strangers wander around his base. Anyone who wishes to enter needs to be brought in by his men, or prepare to get shot to pieces. Are you thinking of using this assh*le here to sneak in? Dont dream, okay? I bet my grandmas name that once you guys even get near the base, this assh*le will cross you and you will be the second person to get hanged and burned to a crisp! Colleen grunted in distress while pointing at the unconscious thug.
Of course I wont do that! Kieran replied with a smile.
Good. We already have the upper hand against the Vulture. We just won this battle. A few more victories like this and hell be a king without a guard! Colleen said with relief.
She did not want Kieran to do anything stupid.
They had just disfused the danger before them, and had even gotten some good loot out of it.
I am going there by myself, Kieran said.
A stressing crushing sensation reced Colleens relief once again upon hearing Kierans words.
Chapter 12: Interrogation
Chapter 12: Interrogation
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Are you out of you mind? Colleen grunted at Kieran.
No, he replied.
Colleens eyes widened as if she thought he was crazy.
I know what am I saying and I know what I want. I know that the Vultures base will be tightly guarded, I know its dangerous, but I have to do this. Its a great opportunity! Kieran said in a serious tone.
The Vulture sent his men after us. Obviously he doesnt want us alive and after this failed attempt, he will send even more men. Like you said, he wont rest until he kills us. That assh*le will do anything to protect his pride and ego. Its better to show him our fangs rather than run away like rats! Kieran said.
He had gotten pretty worked up so he took a deep breath before continuing.
When the Vulture sends his next team, it wont be like the one we just killed. They will be more vignt after what we did, so it will be harder for us to strike! And dont even think about ambushing them. They will definitely be wearing better gear and carrying bigger guns. Dont tell me that before the war broke out the police used just those handguns to maintain peace! Kieran said while looking at the loot they had just acquired.
But... But ..., Colleen frowned.
She seemed to want to speak, but she did not.
She knew Kieran was telling the truth.
Although she despised the Vulture, she could not deny the fact that he was powerful.
We need to strike first before they can react and take them all out. Everyst one of them! Kieran said in a strong tone.
Fine! I get what youre saying, but you need to know that this would not be an easy task!
Colleen threw her hands up, giving in to Kierans n. However, her words still carried a sense of persuasion.
Colleen needed a long- term partner that she could rely on. Kierans words might make sense, but she still hoped that his n would work without a glitch.
They were a step ahead of the Vulture now.
Colleen even hoped to trade some of the loot they had acquired to satisfy some basic needs, so she could survive a little longer in this goddamned war. She wanted to survive, even if it meant spending her life hiding.
After all, she had survived for four months that way.
Kieran, however, was a different case.
He was a yer, a desperate yer that needed game items to trade them for cash so he could get treatment for his illness.
To achieve that, he needed to be even stronger, take out as many NPCs as possible and get more in-game equipment to earn enough money to pay for his medical fees.
The Vulture sounded like an NPC Boss to Kieran, so he did not want to waste this opportunity.
As for spending the rest of his life in hiding?
If he was a normal yer, he would have considered it, but he wasnt one.
I know its not easy, thats why we need to make sure that our n works and that its executed smoothly. Can you help me by keeping a lookout on our surroundings ? Oh, and I need to borrow your kitchen knife as well! Kieran told Colleen while he pointed at the hostage.
Sure, Colleen replied.
She sighed before walking to the other side of the ruins.
The ruins were a strategic spot. They offered a good vantage point, wide enough to spot iing enemies while also covering the whole the area. Before she went to keep guard, Colleen left behind the kitchen knife that Kieran had requested.
It had originally been his.
It was only a countermeasure for tonights n.
Colleen would not object if he wanted it back.
What did he want it for, anyway?
She knew why, but she still supported Kieran.
After the war, Colleen had changed a lot. She was not as stubborn as she used to be in her opinions of what was right and wrong. The only thing she cared about was surviving.
Surviving was what everyone wished for during the war, and so did she.
When Kieran saw Colleen take her lookout position, he turned towards the captive.
He did not know what Colleen was thinking and he didnt need to. All he needed to know was that they were on the same page and that she could be trusted.
Kieran kicked the captive to wake him up.
Please, please, please let me go! the thug begged once more as he woke up.
I will, after you tell me what I want to know, Kieran told him in a calm tone.
However, the calm tone seemed to scare the captive even more as he couldnt tell what Kierans intentions were, or whether he was telling the truth or not.
He did not have a choice.
Kieran was the one in control of his life.
What do you want to know? he asked softly.
Everything you know about the Vulture. The exact location of his base and how many men he has in there! Kieran said.
I dont know much about the Vulture, but the base is at Sixth Broadway, in an underground storage area under the mall. We have twenty men....... AAAAAAH!
Before he could finish, he screamed in agony.
Kieran had cut one of his fingers off using the knife.
Shut the hell up! Dont tell me the bullsh*t that everybody knows. Tell me something I dont know! You have two more chances! Kieran said, holding the knife in his hand and staring at him.
I really dont know a lot about him. He was no one before the war, but he became infamous when the war started. The base is really in the underground storage area, but I think there might be thirty men there. The boss recruited some more men a few days back!
Pain and fear made the thug spill out more information.
Thirty men?
Kieran squinted his eyes.
Thirty men was a totally different story. Ten more men made a huge difference.
If it was only twenty men, Kieran would only need to face eleven more, counting out the ones he had just killed and the two he had faced the previous day.
But now he would have to face twenty-one more men.
His stress level skyrocketed.
Then he frowned.
How can you feed more than thirty men in a situation like this, unless you have an endless food and water supply? Even if your base is in the mall, its still not in a supermarket! Dont tell me the Vulture brings in supplies from the police station! Youre lying to me!
When he finished talking, he raised his knife again.
These were not peaceful times. The war had been going on for quite some time now.
After four months, supplies should have been running low around the warzone.
Kieran already felt the importance of food and water, even though he had only been there for two days.
The thug, however, was not exhibiting any signs of hunger or thirst. Quite the opposite, he appeared to be strong and lively.
If it was just one guy, perhaps it would have been possible, but every single one of the men that Kieran had killed had appeared healthy.
It seemed that the thugs had a sufficient supply of food and water. Maybe even more than what they needed in order to survive. The war couldst for quite a while, and finding supplies for at least thirty full-grown men could not be that simple.
The Vulture would need to n at least two or three weeks ahead if he wanted to keep his forces strong.
It would be hard to do that considering the numbers and weapons that the Vulture owned.
They couldnt have raided a hypermarket, because they all would have been emptied when the war had broken out. Civilians would have already raided every hypermarket there was.
Thats how Kieran knew that the thug was lying.
No, Im not! No! The Vulture uses his connections to get supplies!
The thug shrinked as he watched Kieran raise the knife again.
What connections? Kieran asked.
The thug hesitated, but Kieran did not.
As he brought the knife down, he cut off another finger.
Aaaaah! the thug screamed once more.
Seems like you are not being clear enough. Do I need to ask you again? he said before lifting the knife once again.
Its the rebels! Its the rebels! the thug rushed to exin.
The rebels?
Kieran was confused.
He had never thought that the Vulture would have any connection with the rebels. ording to what he knew, the Vulture had been a nobody before the war. How could he have formed such strong connections with the rebels?
The Vulture holds women captive and he trades them for supplies! the thug added quickly to stop Kieran cutting another finger off.
This piece of information infuriated Kieran. He tightened his grip on the knife as he realized what the deal between the Vulture and the head of the rebellion was.
His rage turned into an urge to kill.
However, he faced the thug calmly.
Very nice. It seems like you have understood our speaking method. Now I would like you to tell me the structure of your base and the positions of the guards. Everything. Now! Kieran said.
Yes...Yes!
The captive nodded before spilling the beans.
The thug did not noticed Kieran eyes had turned ice cold.
Chapter 13: Shifting
Chapter 13: Shifting
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Aaaaaah!
Kieran stabbed the screaming thug in the heart. The mans lips moved a little, but he did not say anything as he passed away.
Kieran was cold and merciless.
He had not nned on letting him go in the first ce.
Especially now that he knew about the trade that was taking ce between the Vulture and the head of the rebellion.
Just as he had been told, everyone who associated with the Vulture was a bad guy.
Now he truly understood the meaning behind those words.
Kieran did not consider himself a good person either. He had struggled to survive from a very young age, and he had came across a lot of darkness in his life, to the point that he could not distinguish the good from the bad anymore. However, he did not consider himself a bad person either. He was something in between, and he did not want to change.
He was actually a kind person.
Showing mercy is optional, but having a kind heart and not harming others is not!
That was what he lived by.
He did not know whether that would change one day, but until then he nned to hold on to his beliefs.
Kieran exhaled a long breath and collected his thoughts.
Now was not the time to think about that. He had to focus on the matter at hand.
[shing: Inflicts 10 Damage to target HP, crippling target...]
[shing: Inflicts 10 Damage to target HP, crippling target...]
[shing: Inflicts 10 Damage to target HP, crippling target...]
Kieran went over the system log.
The three notifications on it stated that Kieran had effectivelynded his knife in the target. However, the skill acquisition window had not popped up.
Kieran had also been threatening the thug, which could be considered an effective move too, but no skill acquisition window had popped up about that either.
So there is a limit to the skills that I can acquire? Coercive skills such as [Threatening] or [Trading] have not appeared. Could I have done it wrong? Plus, the knife hits should have counted as sword skills. It should have appeared as a new skill! Unless Ive hit the limit already?
He frowned as he reached a conclusion.
He was currently still in the newbie dungeon. In order for new yers to make a good start, the game gave them a small advantage. That advantage, however, was not endless. It was within reason.
Skills required only three effective hits to be registered in the skill window.
However, it seemed like they could only be used for that specific weapon category.
For example, Kieran had already acquired the [Sharp Weapon (Dagger)] skill, so other weapons and skills within the [Sharp Weapon] category would be automatically unattainable.
To acquire those skills, he would have to follow the rules of the real game. The advantages of the newbie dungeon no longer applied.
If this is the case, then..., he frowned again.
Things were not going as he had expected.
His initial n had been to interrogate the thug and get more information about the base. His second motive, though, had been to acquire more skills and make himself stronger in a shorter period of time.
It looked like the creator of the game had taken certain measures to prevent this kind of abuse.
The game would allow the yers to acquire skills for defending purposes, but it would not allow them to be very strong right from the start.
After all, power imbnce within the game could ultimately lead to its downfall.
Although Kieran wanted to gain more power, he realized that he would have to follow the rules of the game for the time being.
What if I tried to level up the skills that I have already acquired? Would I have to follow the newbie dungeon rules or the regr rules then? Kieran wondered.
It would be easier with the newbie rules rather than with the regr ones. Following the regr rules would be a lot harder.
However, Kierancked the information to specte about this any further.
He shook his head hard, wanting to clear his brain of all thoughts.
He stood up and waved at Colleen, signaling her toe back.
Kierans wish to acquire new skills had not worked out, but he had gotten a lot of information about their enemies. It had definitely been more than he had anticipated.
The dead thug had told Kieran everything he needed to know and had even mentioned the secret dealings between the Vulture and the head of rebellion.
Son of a bitch! How could he? Colleen eximed when Kieran told her everything he knew.
As a woman, she could understand what the women who were being traded were going through.
That son of a bitch! He will rot in f*cking hell when he f*cking dies! Colleen cursed angrily.
Then we will send him there! Kieran said.
Colleen nodded in agreement, Yes, we will!
But before we do that, we need to properly organize our loot so that we can have a proper fight against the Vulture! said Kieran, pointing at the protective vests and the guns.
Kieran would never abandon them. Just like every yer, he wanted to fill his inventory with items and equipment. Even if the item value was not high, Kieran would still keep every item.
Besides, loot was worth more than any regr items.
Leave it to me! Colleen said confidently.
Are you nning on bringing it all back to your hiding ce? It was secluded enough therest night, but it wont be anymore, Kieran questioned Colleens n.
Their hiding ce had been quite secluded and safe before the Vultures men had found them around that area. But considering that they had been exposed, it would not be safe to go there anymore. The Vulture could have sent more men to patrol the area, plus it was also exposed to other civilians. Kieran did not want his loot to be stolen while he was out fighting the Vulture.
It was invaluable. If they failed to kill the Vulture, it would be their only source of supplies while they gained back their strength.
Kieran considered failure as an oue because he knew that they were greatly outnumbered. He might have certain skills, but he didnt have one hundred percent confidence in himself.
Do I look like Im stupid? I have more than one hideout... Pick it up and follow me!
Colleen signaled for Kieran to gather their loot and took off.
She went back to the old hideout and gathered everything she could before bringing Kieran to the outskirts of the Garden Vi Area.
Nine handguns, excluding the ones Kieran and Colleen were carrying, and several cans of food had been stuffed inside Kierans backpack.
The same went for the protective gear. Each of them was wearing a vest while the rest had been strapped together for Colleen to carry.
Colleen moved haphazardly under their weight.
Although Kieran had his own backpack to carry as well, he offered to carry Colleens too. He thought he could handle the extra weight, but Colleen declined.
If you want your n to seed, you need to have enough energy. We dont have enough food, water or time. If we dont get to my other hideout at Sixth, we wont be able to execute your n before dawn.
That gave Kieran a pause.
Three hours had passed since the battle against the Vultures men and the interrogation that had followed. It was now around 1 a.m. in game time.
Around 6 a.m. the rebels would start their routine patrol of the streets.
That left Kieran barely five hours to prepare.
They would need one hour to get to the hideout at Sixth, so that left them less than four hours.
Despite the information taken from the captive, reconnaissance of the base would be crucial to his n and that would take time as well.
We need to hurry! Kieran said.
Lets go! Colleen replied as they speeded up towards their destination.
.........
After forty-five minutes of walking, an exhausted Colleen brought Kieran to a half torn down building.
By the looks of it, Kieran could tell that it had originally been a two-story boutique. The broken mannequins gave it away.
Following Colleen, Kieran jumped over a fallen beam that used to support the building. At the back of the house, there was a door to a storage room.
I used to work here before the war. There is an underground storage area safe enough for us to hide in. This is myst hideout location, Colleen said while she opened the door.
Kieran nodded and followed her inside.
The storage room wasrger than theirst hiding ce. Both of them plus their loot fit inside, and yet it still looked very spacious.
As they sat down, Kieran passed Colleen the remaining water.
You need this more than me! she said, even though her throat was already dry.
Just one sip! Kieran insisted.
Fine..., she nodded and epted the water.
She drank enough to get hydrated, and then passed the water back to Kieran despite his protests that she drink more of it. She did not want to.
Kieran drank the remaining water with a big gulp. He was just as thirsty.
During the battle, Kieran had not moved much but he had consumed a lot of energy.
Even though his virtual body could regain energy faster than his real one, the [Dehydrated] and [Hungry] status still caused problems for him.
Watching Kieran gulp down the rest of the water, Colleen realized that he had been extremely thirsty too.
She was touched that he would put her first. Despite his thirst, he had offered her the first drink.
It was the first time since the war had broken out that something had moved her this much.
Chapter 14: Infiltration
Chapter 14: Infiltration
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The night was dead silent.
Sixth Broadway used to be a merry and lively area, but after the war had broken out everything had changed. Now it was all in ruins.
However, there were still a couple of taller buildings that had survived the war, standing proudly among the ruins.
The mall was one of them.
As the citys biggest mall, it had definitely seen better days. Now it didnt even have a proper roof covering it. A big hole could be seen on its top, as if a meteor had smashed through the building.
Still, it was a good hiding ce for people during the war.
The only problem being that it was upied by a bunch of armed thugs.
There were currently two guards leaning against the walls in the shadows, monitoring the area around the mall.
They both looked bad at their job. Neither of them was any paying attention.
This was not unusual behaviour.
Every civilian andckey living around Sixth knew that this was the Vultures base. When the first person to ever oppose him had been hanged and burned in front of the building, it had scared everybody else away.
Besides, there was one more guard on the half torn-down rooftop.
That guard was the real dealpared to the two men by the entrance.
His spot offered him a vantage point, so he could oversee everything going on below. Plus, he was not using one of those M1905 handguns, but a much better sniper rifle.
Compared to the men below, that guy looked like the Grim Reaper himself. If anyone dared take a step toward the mall, they would get their head blown off in an instant.
I need a cigarette, one guard told the other.
Lets go together! the second one agreed.
The two of them walked out of the shadows and entered the mall.
To light up a cigarette, they needed to find a ce that was sheltered from the wind.
There was no such ce outside the mall, so they headed inside.
The mall had been damaged by gun fights during the war, and all its walls had holes in them that the wind kept blowing through during the night.
The guards nned to get into the mall through one of those holes. The one who had suggested the cigarette break went in first, but before the second one could even bent his body, a hand grabbed him from behind and covered his mouth.
Before he could make a sound, he felt a sudden pain on his neck, and fell into the abyss of death.
[Stabbing: Inflicts 100 Damage to target HP, (50 Sharp Weapon (Dagger)(Basic) X2). Target dies...]
Hurry up!
The guard who was already inside told his partner. He hadnt noticed that anything was wrong.
He lit up a cigarette.
The moment he lit it, a dark figure rushed through the wall and knocked him to the ground, using a dagger to cut his throat.
Before the guard could do anything, he was already dead.
[Stabbing: Inflicts 100 Damage to target HP, (50 Sharp Weapon (Dagger)(Basic) X2). Target dies...]
Kieran, who had take out both guards, stood up and let out a long breath.
He had arrived on site half an hour ago, and had been waiting ever since for a chance to strike.
With his [Undercover] skill, it had not been hard for him to get close to the building.
The hard part was taking out both guards without rming the one on the roof.
The entrance to the underground storage area had been rigged by the Vultures men to sound an rm every time someone opened it. It would have been hard for Kieran to pass unnoticed by the two guards and reach the underground storage area.
Especially if he didnt want to rm the guard on the roof. ording to his observation, the man on the roof had only one sniper rifle, which was why Kieran had insisted, despite Colleens protest, that the two of them split up.
Kieran could hide himself very well, but Colleen couldnt.
If Colleen had followed Kieran, not only would it havepromised Kierans n but it also might have cost Colleen her life.
The captive had mentioned the sniper on the roof and had said that although he was good with a sniper rifle, he was no professional assassin.
If he was, Kieran would not have been able to sneak inside.
Kieran searched the dead bodies for loot, but did not found anything, so he moved towards the rooftop.
He didnt care about the guns on the dead guards.
He had already one fully loaded M1905. Carrying any more would only slow him down.
The path that led up to the rooftop had been demolished and wasnt safe anymore.
The steel beams and the concrete roof had fallen all along the wall, leaving only one end still attached to the rooftop, forming a natural flight of stairs that led up to the top.
Kieran went up the stairs silently.
When he reached the top, he saw the sniper that he had been warned of.
The man was squatting down, holding the sniper rifle in his arms and overseeing the area surrounding the mall.
Undoubtedly, he was much more dedicatedpared to the men that Kieran had encountered.
His shooting skills were yet to be tested, though.
Kieran closed up on him quietly, moving in abat-ready position, the dagger in his left hand raised up slightly.
It was like he had practiced this a million times. His left hand covered the snipers mouth as he pulled him back hard, creating some space between the mans neck and the rifle. Having exposed his neck, he used his right hand to sh through it quickly with the dagger.
Fresh blood gushed out and spilled all over the rifle that fell to the ground.
The snipers body was shivering as if his arms and feet were being electrocuted. Kieran held him down tightly and covered his mouth.
The sniper didnt make a single sound as he died.
The wound got evenrger though as Kieran pulled the man back.
[Stabbing: Inflicts 100 Damage to target HP, (50 Sharp Weapon (Dagger)(Basic) X2). Target dies...]
When the notification popped up, confirming that the man was really dead, Kieran let go of his hand.
Huh? he eximed in surprise.
The rifle that the sniper had been holding was not actually a real sniper rifle. It was merely a handgun with an aiming scope that did not even fit well together.
It was abination of two different things.
[Name: M12]
[Type: Firearm]
[Rarity: Common]
[Damage: Common]
[Ammunition: 20 Rounds]
[Attributes: None]
[Effect: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: This is a well-maintained 7.62mm rifle. It should be reliable.]
......
[Name: M12]
[Type: Telescopic Sight]
[Rarity: Damaged]
[Attributes: Can zoom-in 4 to 8 times]
[Effect: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: It should not be attached to this gun.]
After reading the system notification details on the sniper rifle and inspecting it one more time, he eventually put it aside.
Even if it had been a real sniper rifle, Kieran would not have taken it.
He needed to be more agile in his movements, and the so-called sniper rifle was too eye-catching and would definitelypromise his ns.
His n was to take out all the guards and infiltrate the Vultures base.
He had nned to infiltrate the base right from the very beginning, during his fight with the Vultures men.
Even though Colleen had rejected his n, Kieran still insisted on carrying it out.
He had stuck to his n even after he had found out that he would be facing not eleven, but twenty-one of the Vultures men.
He knew very well that he could not beat twenty-one men, even with the skills the game had blessed him with.
After checking out the body and the rooftop, he went down again, heading towards the underground storage area.
When he came down the slope, he spotted the entrance.
It was so conspicuous.
The door wasnt even fully shut. It was partially open, and light from the inside of the room slid through the gap. It was easy for Kieran to peek inside.
He saw a corridor wide enough to fit a forklift, framed by rooms on each side.
ording to what he knew, this storage area was made up of separated concrete walls, creating small rooms for mall visitors to store their bags.
Now it had be a hotel for thugs.
He slowly approached one of the rooms.
The light inside it shined through the door of the storage area, forming a bright line on the ground.
Unlike other civilians and thugs, the Vultures men were living quite the life considering the current war situation. By having connections with the rebellion, the thugs had earned themselves sufficient daily supplies. There was even a diesel generator in there.
That only proved how wicked the Vulture was.
The better the lifestyle of his men, the more the dealings between the Vulture and the rebellion, and the more the innocent women that had fallen to the evil hands of the rebels.
The urge to kill surged in Kierans heart.
Chapter 15: Kill
Chapter 15: Kill
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Kieran could barely hold himself back anymore.
As soon as he walked through the storage entrance door, the door squeaked open and Kierans expression turned smug and cocky, much like all the thugs he had encountered.
What now? Goddamn it! Why do I have to be here again while all the others are drinking and ying poker? This is the third time this week!
The words were spoken by a thuging out of one of the rooms. He was supposed to be on guard duty by the storage entrance, and he wasining about it.
When he noticed Kierans unfamiliar face, he turned his gun on him.
Who the hell are you? he asked.
Hey man, Im on your side! Drey introduced me to the gang. I even got Wurkes approval!
Kieran exined, holding his hands up in the air.
When Kieran mentioned the captives name and the leader of their group, the thug seemed relieved. However, he still did not put his gun down.
Drey? Then where the hell is he? he asked.
Oh. So you dont know about Drey and Wurkes mission? Kieran asked him with a perplexed expression.
Of course I know about it! They are both out looking for some guy and girl that crossed us! If I didnt need to keep watch here, I would have join the mission too!
He felt that Kieran was looking down at him, so he exaggerated his willingness to participate in the mission, even though he was just some low-levelckey.
Oh really? Kieran said suspiciously, which kind of ticked the thug off.
However, his attention was captured by what Kieran said next.
Yeah, youre right. F*ck them both! But the guy is already dead, and the girl was brought back to the base. Everyone is lining up for her! Kieran bluffed, acting like he knew everything.
For real?
The mans eyes shined when he heard about the captured girl.
You bet. Wurke asked me to fetch Darte, Kieran bluffed again, his lies getting more ridiculous by the minute.
The thug was not buying it, though.
Darte was The Jackals most trusted man, so if Wurke thought that capturing Kieran would prove difficult, then Darte would have joined Wurke on the mission.
So can I go get Darte? Kieran asked the thug, who still looked doubtful.
Kieran already knew what his answer would be.
ording to the captive, although the Vulture used women as bargaining chips to make trades with the rebels, he valued his goods greatly.
Other than the Vulture and the Jackal, only very few thugs were considered powerful enough to keep women for themselves.
Low-levelckeys like the one before Kieran could not even get near the goods.
Of course there were exceptions, such as women that could not even be considered goods. Obviously Colleen fell into that category.
Thats why the thugs mind was on her.
Get on with it!
The man waved his hand, signaling for Kieran to go ahead while he walked out the entrance, wanting to get a piece of the goods himself.
His lust clouded his judgement, and he did not notice anything suspicious.
At least not until a hand grabbed his mouth firmly from the back. Then the next thing he knew, a sharp de had sliced through his throat. It was already toote for him to figure out what was going on.
He died before he could even fight back.
[Stabbing: Inflicts 100 Damage to target HP (50 Sharp Weapon (Dagger)(Basic) X2). Target dies...]
Kieran quickly dragged the body back into the room the thug hade out of. The only piece of furniture inside it was a chair.
As a matter of fact, the whole base up to thest line of defense was crude like that.
Kierany the body on the chair, checked his shirt for any blood stains, and went deeper into the storage area.
He moved at a moderate speed, ignoring all the other thug rooms and the sound of the diesel generator. All he could see was the room at the end of the hallway.
The room the Vulture was in. That was his destination.
As the saying went, when a tree fell, the monkeys on it scattered. Once the Vulture was dead, his men would eventually scatter due to theck of supplies. Their big number would only speed up the process.
As for whoever would take over the Vultures position?
The Vulture would never let any important information about his status or life reach his mens ears. If they realized that they could take over his position and status, their greed would lead to internal conflict.
Kieran was certain of this. He knew all about their ignorance, greed and ego. After all, he had encountered enough thugs.
The Vulture had to die.
Not only would that end all the suffering around the area, but it might also affect his rating at the end of the Dungeon Level.
Kieran reached the end of the corridor. The door looked the same as the others, but the inside of the room was spacious. It was a few times the size of the room that Kieran had ced the dead thug in. Even though the Vulture had made this room his chamber, there was still enough space to store the supplies that supported eighty percent of the base.
Still, ording to the captive, the Vulture was a cautious man who wanted to monopolize everything.
The Vultures room was not just full of supplies. It also stored firearms and some of his special goods.
Kieran stood behind the door, trying to eavesdrop.
The door was thick though, and it cut off most of the soundsing from the inside.
Realizing he could get no information on this side of the door, Kieran used his left hand to knock while his right hand held tightly onto the dagger.
Who is it? a sharp frustrated voice called out.
Boss Vulture, Wurke is back! Kieran said.
His n was to try and trick him, and the Vulture seemed to buy it. He was really confident in Wurkes ability toplete the mission and in the triple defense that he had set up.
He also thought that his notorious reputation would discourage anyone from trying to harm him.
The Vulture then opened the door.
A thin, tall man in a pair of bermuda shorts and a top stood in front of Kieran. The mans face was thin with harsh features, a sharp nose, and thinning hair. It was as if Kieran was facing a real vulture.
He looked around and noticed Kieran.
Wheres Wurke? Wheres the boy and the girl? he asked.
The boy is dead and the girl was brought back here. Shes with Wurke..., Kieran left off a smirk.
He inspected the infamous Vulture.
He was not as buffed as he had expected him to be.
That bastard Wurke! the Vulturemented with a smile that revealed his ck teeth.
He did not care what Wurke was doing. He only cared that he hadpleted his mission and upheld his reputation.
Hes done well, Ill give him a better reward!
After he finished his sentence, he prepared to close the door.
As for Kieran?
The Vulture had just recruited some new guys, so he did not suspect a thing. Plus, he would never believe that anyone would dare take a step inside his preciousir.
As a result, when Kieran raised his right hand and thrust the dagger into his throat, the Vulture did not have any time to react.
Ughh!
The Vulture backed into the room, holding the dagger that was sticking out of his throat. He had left the door wide open, and Kieran entered the room and closed it softly.
The Vulture fell to the floor.
His eyes were wide open in surprise and his face looked puzzled by what was happening.
Until the very moment of his death, the Vulture still did not know why Kieran had killed him.
He did not even know that Kieran was the man he had ordered his men to kill.
[Stabbing: Inflicts 100 Damage to target HP, (50 Sharp Weapon (Dagger)(Basic) X2). Target dies...]
Kieran bent down and removed the dagger from the Vultures throat, avoiding to touch his blood.
He looked around and saw arge master bed. On top of it there was a girl. Her hands and legs had been tied and her mouth was gagged. The girl looked at Kieran with shocked eyes.
Dont worry, I mean you no harm! he told her.
Before he could borate though, a cell phone ringtone diverted his attention.
Following the sound, Kieran spotted an old cell phone lying on the bedside table.
He went over and picked up the phone, checking the caller ID.
It was the rebellions major.
Chapter 16: The Major
Chapter 16: The Major
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The Major!
There was only one person who held such a title and who had connections with the Vulture. It must be the secret personnel from the rebellion.
Kieran looked at the cell phone screen, squinting his eyes to adjust to its brightness.
He wanted to reject the call. He did not want to get involved with the rebels and the city turf war.
He knew very well that by killing the Vulture, he had basically just signed on to eventually stand up against the rebellion. If anything went wrong, they would end up in a fight.
Kieran would not let his guard down just because he had taken the Vulture out so easily.
He had been able to achieve his goal because of his enemys contempt for him besides his strong game skills.
Right from the beginning, the Vulture had not seen him as a threat.
Kieran had used this to his advantage and he had taken the mans life.
Things would be different, though, once the army got involved.
An army would have strict discipline and would not make the same mistakes as low-level thugs.
He did not want to face an entire army with advanced equipment and an overwhelming number of men. Besides, he only had Colleen on his side. The situation was already hopeless as it was.
He was about to reject the call, but his thumb stopped before he could do it.
He remembered the reason that he had entered the game, which was to gather enough money to get treatment for his illness.
He had only a year left to achieve it before he died. It was not a long period of time, even when it came to game time. He needed to grab every opportunity that would lead him closer to his goal. He had to get stronger as well so that he could make more progress in the game.
An opportunity had presented itself to Kieran. It was the person waiting on the other end of that phone call: the Rebellion Major.
Killing a thug leader and a rebellion leader were two different things, and the rating at the end would be totally different.
Even though it was his first time in a dungeon-based game, he knew that once he was able to kill off the leader of the rebels, his rating would improve greatly.
He puckered, hesitating.
The rewards might be great, but the process might cost him his life.
If he died inside the game, he would die in real life as well.
His logic told him to give up and be cautious, but deep down he did not feel like throwing such an opportunity away.
He asked himself, If I pass it up this time, who knows when the next opportunity will present itself?
There would eventually be a second opportunity.
But cowardice might make him turn that down too.
He could not afford to back off. There was not much time to waste. His time was limited to a year.
I will still die if I dont gather enough money in a year..... So why not now? Go big or go home!
He clenched his teeth and answered the call.
I hope this was worth the wait! Give me some good news!
A deep mechanical voice could be heard from the other side of the phone.
He imagined a cold military man talking.
You know what will happen if you do not deliver, right? the voice went on before Kieran could say anything.
The tone was mechanical but there was a sense of invasion to it, like a lion closing in on a jackal.
If this was the mans attitude every time theymunicated, then obviously they did not share the same rank. It sounded more like the Vulture was his subordinate.
Maybe the Vultures position before the war had defined their rtionship. It made more sense that way.
If the Major and the thug leader hadmunicated on the same level, then something would definitely have been off.
But if the Vulture had been a mere subordinate, then he had to have provided the rebels with more than just women.
Worth the wait? Seems like its not just the women theyre after. There must be something else! Kieran thought.
He looked at the girl tied down on the bed with her mouth gagged. She was definitely not the goods they were talking about.
He frowned a little, still guessing at the mans intentions.
Suddenly a light bulb lit up inside his head.
He remembered the game introduction:
The war came suddenly, and no one had been prepared for it!
If the war had started in a sh, how many people could have taken their fortune with them?
The answer was none.
They would have been extremely lucky to even survive through the war, let alone save their fortune too.
One could not ask for more than survival during such desperate times.
But in front of Kieran, there lied an exception.
The Major had used his position, his power and his subordinates, and it had been more than enough for him to earn what others had not even dared think of.
Kieran only saw a part of the big picture, but he boldly put into action the n that was forming inside his mind.
Are you looking for the Vulture? he asked the Major. Oh, excuse me. I guess youll have to look somewhere else. Im the one in charge now. Everything from now on falls under me! Kieran spoke in a hyped voice, acting like he was a thug that had just been promoted and taken over the Vultures ce.
The man went quiet.
After three seconds, he replied, I do not care who you are. If you value your life at all, youd better deliver what the Vulture has promised me.
His voice was still as stiff as a robots. The fact that he knew that he was now speaking to a different person did not make him change his tone at all.
Are you threatening me? Kieran replied in the same tone as before.
Dont forget that the food you eat and the water you drink alles from me, the man replied.
Kieran pretended to be quiet and did not answer right away.
He wanted to appear like a newly-promoted boss that held pride in his new position, but the mans words did not allow him to protect his newly-earned status.
Without the supplies that the Major provided, no one could calm the thugs down and make them follow orders.
Kieran could not determine whether his performance was perfect, but it was the only way he knew to defuse the situation.
He needed to make the man believe that he was still in control, so he would channel everything the Vulture formerly had to Kieran.
He did not want the rebel army storming the base under his orders.
So, do you understand your position now? the Major asked in slight mockery.
Okay, okay. Youre the boss. Ill deliver what the Vulture promised you. It was just a bunch of women, I have one in my room right now! Kieran answered in an attempt to suck up to the man.
Women? the Major scoffed before he went on, What I want is the jewellery and the paintings.... Since you are in the Vultures room, you should be able to see them. I will send my men over to collect them tomorrow morning and bring you more supplies.
When he finished, he hang up the phone.
Just as I thought! Kieran said while he looked at the phone.
It had never been about the women. What they traded was actually the treasures the Vulture had raided from the city.
Kieran looked at the room again. On the other side of the bed there were tworge cupboards. They were the only ce in the room where supplies could be stored.
As for that steel cage on the other side of the room?
Kieran understood perfectly well what that was for.
He turned to the tied-up girl again.
I mean you no harm. Ill remove the cloth from your mouth, but you need to promise me that you wont scream or make any noise. Although the Vulture is dead, there are still a couple more men outside. If you understand, please nod your head.
Once he had finished speaking, the girl nodded.
Very well.
Chapter 17: Boom!
Chapter 17: Boom!
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
As Kieran pulled the cloth out of her mouth, the girl coughed. She kept it down just like Kieran had told her to, and looked right at him. She looked delicate and pretty, which exined why she had ended up at the base.
Her eyes begged Kieran to untie her.
Kieran did not do so immediately. He asked her a question instead.
Hold up, can you introduce yourself first? A proper introduction.
He needed to make sure that she wouldnt cause him any trouble. She had kept her voice down so far, so Kieran hoped that she would continue to be cooperative.
She might have been a victim of the Vulture, but that did not mean that he would let his guard down around her. She was still a stranger to him, unlike Colleen whom he had formed a bond with.
Still, that was not the main reason why Kieran would not untie her.
I am Maggie, an apprentice nurse at St. Joanna Hospital... Before they captured me, I was hiding with the others at the Harles Street Underground Subway Station. The subway has a hidden passage that leads to an abandoned ce. I was justing out of that passage when they caught me! the girl said after a minor hesitation.
Despite the slightly frightened tone of her voice, she did her best to exin herself.
Something had caught Kierans attention, though.
Wait, how did you find the hidden passage? he asked.
My father was a subway maintenance worker, so I got the information from him.
She seemed sad at the mention of her father.
The sadness in her voice implied that he had died during the war.
These might have been hard times, but families could not help but mourn. There was nothing else for them to do.
Sorry to hear that. How many people were with you? Kieran expressed his sympathy while he tried to get more information out of her.
I was thest one to leave that ce. Although it was safe, we were facing a seriousck of food and water. In the beginning, we still had lots of supplies, but eventually they ran out and people started to leave. I was afraid to leave at first. I waited until the veryst moment toe out. When I did, I was captured by these men.
As she spoke about her encounter with them, she lowered her head. Maybe she was of a cowardly nature, or maybe she just hadnt had the courage to face the Vulture and his men.
Youve got nothing to be ashamed of. They were notorious, violent thugs. There was nothing you could have done, Kieran tried tofort her, but it seemed to make her even more depressed.
She had witnessed Kieran kill the Vulture right before her eyes.
Alright, we dont have much time. I have to get some stuff and then were leaving!
Kieran cut the rope off her hands and untied them while Maggie tried to untie her own legs. Kieran searched around the room.
He still kept an eye on her in case she made any sudden moves. He did not fully trust her yet.
Although Maggie seemed to be harmless, he could not afford to put his trust on someone he had just met. Colleen was a different matter. She been through a life-and-death situation with him.
Kieran cut Maggies hands loose, but did not untie her legs.
He did not care if Maggie noticed his wary attitude towards her.
He opened a drawer next to the bed.
Inside the drawer he found a handgun, two magazines, and two grenades.
The handgun was an M1905, and the magazines were bothpatible with it.
What was important was the grenades.
[Name: U-II]
[Type: Explosive]
[Rarity: Common]
[Attack: Strong]
[Attributes: + 30% Damage against bare-handed targets]
[Effect: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: This is a defensive grenade, so please take cover before you throw it.]
While he looked at the details of the grenade, especially its attributes, Kieran came up with a n.
He put both grenades into his shirt pocket along with the gun and the magazines.
After he made sure that there was nothing else worth taking, he went over to the two big cupboards on the other side of the bed.
Maggie was still struggling to untie her legs.
Kieran opened the door of the cupboard without hesitating.
He wasnt being careless by not looking for traps. He just figured that the Vulture would not install any traps inside his own room. After all, Kieran had taken him out with just one hit, so he couldnt have been a very vignt man.
The left side of the cupboard was dragged open with a screeching noise.
Canned food, bottles of water, magazines, guns. Everything was arranged in perfect order as if it were a supermarket.
There were almost thirty cans food and boxes of water, about six or seven M1905s, and even a M12 rifle. Yellow bullets were stored inside a big box.
What the...
Even though he knew that the Vulture had been storing supplies, Kierans jaw still dropped open at the sight.
If he took all these supplies, they would be enough for him to survive the next six days of the mission. Maybe even more than enough.
He strapped the M12 on and moved on to the second cupboard.
He opened the door wide again.
It held the same supplies as the previous one, plus two extra backpacks.
He quickly grabbed one to inspect it.
It was so heavy that he had to use both his hands to lift it.
He put the backpack on hisp and used his knee to hold the door of the cupboard open.
He pulled the zipper and a reflection of light shined out of the backpack.
There was jewelry and treasure stuffed inside it.
His heart skipped a beat just by looking at it. He could imagine what all this would be worth.
It hit him pretty hard when he read the description details.
[Name: Priceless Jewelry]
[Type: Jewelry]
[Rarity: Mixed, unable to identify multiple items]
[Attributes: None]
[Effect: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: No]
[Remarks: You could give it to the Head of the Rebellion, or choose to do something else with it!]
I cant bring it out?
The message struck him like lightning.
All that jewelry could be worth a fortune.
If he were able to bring it out of the dungeon, he could just abandon all his future ns and find a ce to spend the remainder of his days.
It would allow him to reach his goal in no time. However, the maker of the game was not that stupid. He would never have set such an easy task for the yers.
If he tried to take the bag with him, the low-level thug base he had infiltrated would suddenly turn into a high-tech military base with extreme security.
Even the boss that Kieran had taken out so easily would in that case be a martial arts professional or military specialist.
You take what you give.
That was a game rule.
Unless there was some kind of bug or hack that he could use to his advantage.
Kieran was a rookie though, so he was not able to spot any noticeable bugs.
As for using a hack? Forget it.
He closed the zipper again and turned his attention back to Maggie.
She had already untied herself, but she had not made any sudden moves despite the amount of supplies and firearms that were on disy.
Intentional or not, it still gained her some points with Kieran.
She was either very naive or extremely clever.
Either way, it was good for Kieran. Thetter might cause him some trouble, but as long as he was in control, he could prevent her from doing anything rash.
Ill be right back. Just need to settle something with the guys outside.
He walked out of the room, nning to take out every single one of the thugs outside.
Although this had not been his initial n, acquiring the two grenades had given him room for improvisation.
Kieran approached the diesel generator. Right next to it was the room where the thugs gathered. The men inside were too busy making noise to notice that anything was wrong.
Kieran switched off the generator, and all of a sudden the corridor turned pitch ck.
Damn it. That fricking generator stopped again!
Lets go take a look. We dont want the boss yelling at us again.
I think we need to find a generator that works properly.
All sorts of curses came from the room before footsteps began to sound out. Theck of light made the men clumsy.
As one of them opened the door, Kieran came out of the dark, lifted his left foot, and kicked the thug back inside.
The kicknded hard on the man, who could be heard rolling backwards into the room again.
Shortly afterward, Kieran pulled the pin out of the grenade and threw it inside the room.
What the f*ck?
What in the f*ck happened?
BOOM!
A loud explosion silenced the thugs. Everything became quiet as the explosion subsided.
Chapter 18: Reward
Chapter 18: Reward
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
When the explosion was over, Kieran did not run over to turn on the generator right away. Instead, he waited patiently to see if the thugs were still alive.
The grenade had caused a powerful explosion within a short radius. It was not possible for the them to have survived, but Kieran wanted to be on the safe side. He could not afford to let his guard down yet.
He waited until there were no more soundsing out of the room, and then walked to the diesel generator and turned it back on.
The generator sounded like an old machine. The power was back in the corridor and in all the rooms, except the one the thugs were in.
The grenade had destroyed its walls and killed all the lights.
Although Kieran was already familiar with the smell of blood, his stomach still turned when he faced the scene inside the room.
He had to hold himself back not to throw up.
He forced himself to confirm that each and every one of the thugs was dead before he collected the loot.
Unfortunately, the thugs had already been bombed to pieces and all the loot had been destroyed in the process.
Kieran still searched though. He wanted to get used to the gore and blood because he would encounter even more of it in the future. He would face more death in theing days, and he needed to be strong enough to deal with it.
About two minutester, he came out of the room looking pale.
He took a deep breath, trying to wash off the stench of blood filling his nose.
ot there yet, huh? heughed at his own expense as he began to check out the other rooms.
Most of them were mere sleeping spots for the thugs, with barely more than a bed and a couple of sheets inside.
The only exception was a room that looked like a tool storage area.
Kieran found saws, shovels and several buckets of oil inside it, but most importantly, he found a cart. This gave him an idea.
Considering the amount of supplies he had discovered in the Vultures room, his backpack would not be big enough to carry everything. But if he used the cart, he could take with him at least half of the supplies.
Kieran ced the shovel and saw in the cart and moved towards the Vultures room.
The tools would be useful to him in the future, and if the buckets of oil were not that heavy, Kieran would have taken them as well.
Inside the Vultures room, Maggie was still on the bed. She had not budged an inch since Kieran had gone out to take care of the thugs.
When she heard the explosion outside and then saw Kieran walk through the door with the cart, her face turned dark. She even moved backwards a little instinctively.
Maggie might have been hiding during the war, but she was not stupid.
She knew exactly what had happened just now.
Kieran noticed the movement and the inexplicable fear in her eyes.
He did not exin anything, though. He could not fully trust her yet, so he thought it would be best to keep her scared so he could order her around.
Help me get the food and the water inside the cart, he told Maggie.
Before he could finish his sentence, Maggie was already putting supplies into the cart. She looked frightened as she watched Kieran take the saw and the shovel out. She had moved in such a rush that she had not even put on her shoes.
Kieran had not remained idle either. He had also begun to move supplies into the cart.
In less than two minutes, half the supplies had already been loaded. ording to Kierans calctions, they wouldst him and Colleen for about a month or so.
Not bad! he said to himself quietly while he loaded the bag of jewelry and the tools on top of the cart. After he had arranged the remaining firearms, he was ready to depart.
Thank you for helping me load the cart. The remaining supplies are yours to keep. If I were you though, Id leave before dawn, Kieran said before he left with his prize.
At daybreak, the rebels would arrive and they would find out that it had all been a lie. He could only imagine the rage on their leaders face once the Major knew the truth.
Whoever stayed behind would definitely end up dead.
If it was just the thugs, he would not have cared, but Maggie was a civilian and he thought he should warn her. That was all he could do for her. Kieran could barely keep himself alive during such dire times.
Pushing the cart with the loot, he left the underground storage area and ced the makeshift sniper rifle on top of the cart as well. He was ready to head back to the hideout when Maggie ran up to him with a bundle on her back. The bundle was made of bedsheets that she had found back in the Vultures room.
Can... Can Ie with you? she asked Kieran with an uneasy feeling, afraid that he might refuse.
She was still afraid of him, but she had no other choice.
After getting captured by the Vultures men and everything else that had followed, her instinct told her that she shouldnt remain in such a dangerous ce.
She could take the remaining supplies and head back to her old hideout, but what would happen when they ran out?
She would have to go out of hiding again and put herself in dangers way.
Would she be so lucky as to have someone save her again like Kieran just had?
The answer was no.
Rather than face that kind of danger in the future, she might as well just ignore her fear and follow him now.
She might be scared of his methods of surviving, but Kieran has still proved to be a gentleman in the end. She might feel cautious around him, but he was harmlesspared to the thugs, who made her feel like prey.
After some hesitation, she rushed to catch up with him.
Im a nurse. I have medical knowledge and know how to treat wounds! she tried to prove her usefulness to him.
She was sessful.
Keeping in mind that all civilians had the potential to be thugs, Kieran had no ns to let anybody else join him other than Colleen, whom he had shared a life-and-death experience with.
However, he needed to acquire more skills if he wanted to get stronger.
Now that a potential healing skill was being presented to him, he did not want to pass it up. He had no confidence that he wouldnt get hurt in any future fights.
If it werent for the healing skills and Kierans uncertainty of how the game worked when it came to wound treatment, he would have tried to cut himself with the dagger a long time ago.
Now he had someone who could teach him some healing skills, and he did not want to miss that chance.
Okay!
He kept pushing the cart forward fast.
It took him some time to realize that Maggie was still standing back where he had left her, staring nkly into space.
Hurry up! he told her.
Yes... Yes! she nodded and followed him quickly.
She did not know why Kieran had agreed, but she did not want to miss this opportunity either. Her footsteps became faster as she caught up with him.
They both hastened until they disappeared into the dark.
About ten minutes after they had left the mall, a shadowy figure with a camouged cloak appeared in front of the building. The figure quickly checked the surrounding area and seemed to sense that something was not right. It entered the building, and exited it again after a while.
....
YOU KILLED THE VULTURE!?
Colleen could not hide her surprise upon seeing Kieran again. Her gray eyes betrayed her excitement.
Of course. Where do you think I got all this loot, from a mall event? Kieran smiled, patting the cart in front of him.
UNBELIEVABLE!
As she voiced her excitement, she could not help but notice the figure standing behind Kieran. It was Maggie, who was catching her breath.
Although it was dark, Colleen could tell that Maggie was beautiful.
Her delicate, pitiful look made an even bigger impression on her.
Colleen knew what kind of girls attracted men the most.
It was not really about a womans face or body, it was a womans demeanor and attitude that aroused a mans protective instincts.
If a girl possessed a beautiful face and body and the right demeanor and attitude, she could attract men like flowers attract bees.
It was obvious that Maggie was one of those girls.
Who is she?
Colleen silently cursed, but she tried to look friendly and approachable on the outside.
She had already decided to be Kierans partner, and as such she could not look rude in front of him.
Something like that might scare him away. She needed to appear like a woman with a kind, weing attitude.
Only then would she get closer and closer to Kieran.
Until she could...
Ahem *
Colleen had never been one of the nice girls. Shed had too much experience dealing with guys during her street days.
This is Maggie, I found her at the base. She had been captured by the Vulture. Shes a nurse and she knows how to treat wounds. I thought she might be useful to us, so I agreed to let her tag along, Kieran introduced Maggie.
When he was done, Colleen smiled even wider.
She could tell that Kieran had not brought her back because of her looks, but because she was a nurse and he thought she might turn out to be useful to them.
Wee, Maggie. Im Colleen! Colleen said.
She sounded like she was speaking to a housemaid.
Chapter 19: Lone Wolf
Chapter 19: Lone Wolf
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Colleens excess enthusiasm did not make Maggie ufortable.
Quite the opposite, her passionate greeting made Maggie feel more wee. This just went to show how naive Maggie was.
Looking at Maggies innocent face, Colleen did not fully buy her act. She had been living on the streets for too a long time to believe that there could be such a nice girl out there.
Yet Colleen could not show her real intentions while Kieran was around.
Lets see for how long you can put up a show! Colleen mocked Maggie silently as she began to help Kieran carry the supplies into their hideout.
Unlike with Maggie, whom she felt a minor hostility towards, Colleen did care about the supplies that Kieran had brought back.
There was food, water and firearms, and Colleen knew the value of those things better than anyone.
Maggie started to help them carry the supplies too.
Although she was weak, she still wanted to help out as much as she could.
Soon the three of them had moved everything inside the hideout, including the cart.
They could not let go of it yet as it might prove useful again.
So you raided the Vultures base clean? Colleen asked while she covered the tracks Kieran had left behind.
The amount of supplies was astonishing.
Thats only half of it!
Kieran had no problem with Colleens vignce when it came to covering their tracks. Although he had already tried to cover his tracks and hide his presence on his way back, he still might have missed something. It was nice to have someone double check.
Their new enemies might be different than the armed thugs in the Vultures base.
Colleen, were in some deep sh*t.
Just as Colleen was expressing her excitement over the supplies that Kieran had brought, Kieran decided to tell her about the rebels and their leader.
Oh, my God! Have you lost your mind?
Do you even know what the hell you are DOING?
WHY WOULD YOU GO AND PISS OFF THE MAJOR?
After she listened to Kierans story, she started yelling at him. She looked very upset and frustrated, just like she had when Kieran had first told her that he wanted to infiltrate the Vultures base.
This time though Colleen seemed more worried, maybe even desperate.
Even a five year-old could tell the difference between a bunch of thugs and an army.
And Colleen was no five year-old. She had been through hell, all thanks to the rebel army.
Before Kieran could borate any further, she said without hesitation, Okay, hurry up and pack some food and water. We need to leave before dawn! This hideout will not be safe anymore once the rebel army starts searching for you!
As soon as she had finished her sentence, she moved towards the supplies and started to pack.
Kieran held her back by grabbing her hand.
Colleen turned in surprise and saw him smiling at her.
How could you even smile at a time like this? Colleen said in an agitated tone.
Calm down, things arent as bad as they look. At least it was just their leader. Hes only an officer, hes not the whole army! Kieran tried tofort Colleen by speaking to her calmly.
Colleen had not chosen to leave Kieran behind when she had found out that he had pissed off the Major. Instead, she had wanted them to leave together again. This made Kieran feel a little closer to her.
Colleen could sense the change of tone in Kierans voice.
It wasnt his usual courteous distant tone, but more of a friendlier one. If it wasnt for all the trouble that Kieran had caused, she would have been really happy.
However, her anxiety overshadowed all other feelings.
If Kieran had been a stranger, she would have left him straightaway, but they had been through a life-and-death experience together and she considered him a friend.
She would not grant her friends death wish.
She considered that she might even have feelings for him.
Colleen felt as nervous as ever.
Even if he is just an officer, he might have over a hundred men under hismand! Fully-armed men! Disciplined soldiers! Not those damned thugs the Vulture had!
Her words were full of worry.
Calm down, please. Im not underestimating our enemies. I knew exactly what I was doing when I took that bag of jewelry. Ive got a pretty good idea..., Kieran stated.
Before he could further borate on his ns, the phone in his pocket began to ring. It was the Major.
Kieran rejected the call without any hesitation and took the phone battery out.
He turned to Colleen and said, He must have noticed that somethings off at the mall. We dont have much time, help me pack some food and water. I need to go away for a couple of days. Dont worry, Ill make it back in one piece!
Colleens lips moved a little as if she wanted to say something, but she did not.
She just turned around and started putting supplies inside Kierans backpack.
Kieran took the makeshift rifle that he had gotten from the Vultures base. After he checked it out, he stuffed the rifle and four more rounds of bullets into his backpack.
Be careful! Colleen said while she watched Kieran pack the guns.
He nodded and gave Colleen a smile that was meant to reassure her.
He checked the M1905 and the dagger on his waistst.
When everything was ready, he smiled at Colleen again and, before she could react, he went out and disappeared into the day.
As Colleen watched Kierans disappearing figure, she wanted to raise her hand and wave.
In the end, she didnt have the courage to.
He will get back safe! Maggie had watched the whole thing and tried toe up with somethingforting to say to Colleen.
You bet he will !
Maggies voice reminded Colleen that she was not alone. She quickly regained herposure, hiding her softer side and putting on her attitude.
He wille back in one piece! He is my... my... best friend! she said with a nod.
......
Rebel Military Base.
Major Zarukhar hit the table so hard with his fist that everything on it was knocked over.
His aide-de-camp looked frightened by his actions.
His superior was infamous for being merciless and cruel towards his enemies as well as his subordinates.
As the third aide-de-camp of Major Zarukhar, he did not want to follow into the footsteps of his predecessors.
He didnt dare move a muscle as the major let out all his steam.
Zarukhar did not pay the slightest attention to his aide-de-camp. He was blinded by rage.
Son of a bitch! Goddamn it! he yelled furiously.
When he had found out that the Vulture had died and his base had been turned upside down, he had not been happy. He did not know who the new person-in-charge was, so he had sent out his best recon team to find out what had happened exactly.
His team did not bring him any good news.
The Vultures base had been wiped out. There was not even a single survivor.
Thats when he knew that he had been yed.
The rejected phone call from before proved as much.
You piece of stinking rat! You rotten scumbag! Do you think you can outsmart me and go on living your life in peace? You must have left the base right after our phone call. That was forty minutes ago. Now its half an hour till daybreak. Where could you run with those puny legs of yours while you had to carry those heavy supplies?
Although he was furious, he did not let his anger cloud his judgement. He carefully calcted where Kieran might be heading.
Then he turned to the aide-de-camp standing next to him, Send everyone out at first light. Search in a twenty kilometer radius from the mall. Search everywhere that son of a bitch could be hiding...
Before he could finish, his phone rang again.
Caller ID: Vulture.
Trace it! Zarukhar shouted to his aide-de-camp, forgetting what he had been about to say.
The poor aide ran to the call tracing device in the corner of the room and prepared to trace the call.
As a matter of fact, the aide had been standing by the device earlier, waiting to trace Kieran when Zarukhar had called the first time.
The aide was familiar with the device and he was confident that he could pinpoint Kierans location within only ten seconds.
He had even thought of how to best present his skills to his superior so he could look good.
But the call had not gone through the first time.
It had infuriated Zarukhar, and with a raging superior on his case, the aide had been scared and he too had cursed their target over a thousand times.
However, another opportunity had just presented itself.
The aide would not let it pass now.
Zarukhar might blow his head off if he failed this time.
With his life on the line, the aide quickly prepared the device and signaled to his superior that everything was set.
Zarukhar answered the phone.
You liar! Once the call had been connected, Zarukhars deep voice reached Kierans ears.
What are you talking about, Sir? Kieran replied, pretending to be stupid.
You son of a bitch, do you think you can run from me? Zarukhar raised his voice, sounding like he wanted to strangle Kieran with his bare hands.
Do you still want your jewellry, dear major? Kieran replied in a light joking tone.
Zarukhar went silent.
Chapter 20: Snipe
Chapter 20: Snipe
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Kieranughed as he heard the silence on the other side of the phone line.
He truly felt the urge tough. He was not just pretending in order to irritate the man.
For once, he was the one in control of the game.
An outrageous number of fully-armed men was nothingpared to the greed of one man.
Yes, Major Zarukhar was extremely greedy.
That was his weakness.
Kieran could take advantage of it, he was confident that he could.
He waited for the man to reply.
What do you want? Zarukhar asked after a short while. Even from the other side of the phone, Kieran could sense the mans anger.
He didnt care though.
To him, Zarukhar was only a Boss he needed to kill to advance farther in the game. Nothing more, nothing less.
What do I want? Thats a very good question Mr. Major. What could I possibly want in this goddamn city? Well, to leave, for a start. I want to leave this godforsaken city!
Kieran followed his n, which was to pretend he was a war survivor wishing to escape from the area.
Give me back my jewelry, and Ill get you out of here, Zarukhar quickly granted Kierans request.
Its done, Ill wait for you by the Vultures old base at nightfall! Kieran answered without a second thought.
The major hang up the phone.
Kieran looked at the screen before he quickly removed the battery. Then he shrank to the side of a piece of wall and closed his eyes.
He knew he had a tough fight ahead of him, so he needed to rest as much as he could.
As for the deal with Zarukhar?
Of course it was all a lie.
Judging by the strong intimidating vibe that he got from the man, it was safe to say that he was not an easy-going person.
He would notply that easily after what Kieran had done to him.
He would definitely want revenge.
But because he wanted the jewelry, he would not send his full force. He would just sent out an elite squad.
The squad would certainly include Zarukhars right-hand man, which meant they would be a powerful enemy. Kieran was not about to step back though.
Facing an entire army, even with his current skills, would have been tough, but he figured he could take down a small squad.
His n needed to be executed perfectly in order for him to progress farther in the game.
He could find me within a minute! he thought to himself while he rested his eyes.
When he had found the phone in the Vultures room, he had noticed that it looked different than any regr phones.
It looked a lot more rigid and hard. Plus, nomunication device was safe in this war-ridden city.
Given the circumstances and the fact that the phone still worked, it had to be a gift from Zarukhar to the Vulture so the man could contact him. By the looks of it, the phone had to have some kind of tracing device on it so Zarukhar could keep an eye on the Vulture.
That was why Kieran kept removing the battery every time he ended a call.
He did not want to drag Colleen into this, but he also needed a safe ce where he could head to in an emergency. It was only his second day in the game after all.
Its been such a long day!
Noticing that the [Main Mission: Survive 7 days, 1/7] had changed to [2/7], Kieran felt the warmness of the sun touch his face, and he sighed softly.
.......
Did you located that sewer rat ?
Zarukhar hang up the phone and turned to his aide.
Ive locked into his position, he is near the Garden Vi Area! the aide replied quickly.
Very well. Send the coordinates to Hank, and send the squad out to kill that sewer rat and retrieve my belongings! Remember, I want them unscathed! Zarukhar ordered his aide with a nod.
Yes, sir! the aide saluted before he quickly went off with the message.
You little scumbag! You think you can threaten me? Major Zarukhar? Zarukhar said in a chilling voice while he looked at the red dot on the tracing machine.
.......
Under the stark sunlight, a truck appeared between Sixth Broadway and the Garden Vi Area route.
The special signage on the truck allowed it to pass through without any resistance.
A squad of ten men jumped down swiftly from the truck and lined up by its side. Then a man got out of the passenger seat and all ten men saluted him with a uniform action.
Mission instructions from Major Zarukhar: Locate and kill the target. He is an armed man hiding around this area. Locate him, kill him, and confiscate everything in his possession! I repeat, locate and KILL! the man said in a steady tone.
The truck drove off, the sound of its engine trailing behind it.
The man looked strict and fierce, but had a manly seriousness about him.
His name was Hank and as Zarukhars right-hand man he was aware of the importance of this mission.
Should they fail to execute it, he and his squad would not even need to wait for the Government Forces to kill them. The rebellion generals would get to them first. Zarukhar might have provided them with plenty of dangerous toys, but those in the higher ranks would not care.
Hank knew this in his stomach. If he failed, he would die. Therefore he had to be extra careful while he carried out this mission.
Sniper, Machine Gunner, get to your vantage points! The rest of you split into teams of four and start searching!
Aye, sir!
At his order, the soldiers quickly moved into position.
The sniper went up to a high vantage point while the machine gunner along with his aide carried a box of ammunition and settled down in a wide open area full of ruins to set up the machine gun.
The remaining eight men, including Second Lieutenant Hank, split into two teams and went into the Garden Vi Area to search for the man.
Witnessing all this from his hiding spot, Kieran frowned.
He thought he had been overestimating his enemies, but apparently it was not enough.
The thugs were nothingpared to them!
Kieran looked at both searching teams, and then watched the sniper get into position silently on a building with a partially blown-off roof.
Kieran could not make a move !
No matter what he did, the sniper would get him.
I need to take the sniper out first!
Having made his decision, he went into [Undercover] mode and moved along the ruins, using them as cover as he headed towards the sniper like a cat.
Kieran chose the route halfway between Sixth and Garden on purpose. He wanted Zarukhar to track him down to that spot.
When he and Colleen had passed by this route earlier, it had made a strong impression on him.
Before the war had started, it had been a futuremercial street that was still under construction.
Then after the war, the ruins from the fallen buildings had piled up around the area, making it the perfect hiding and ambushing point.
Kieran had already familiarized himself with the ce after he had rested. It had been a good choice for him to engage the rebel squad there.
Other than memorizing the terrain and area, Kieran had also used his [Firearms (Light Firearms)(Basic)] skill, which allowed him to gain more knowledge toe up with a n to deal with anything that had to do with firearms.
Such as the sniper in front of him.
The sniper had not noticed him approaching him.
The advantage of a sniper was that he could kill off his enemies from a distance while also remain hard to capture.
If a sniper was any good and he was really familiar with the terrain, he could eliminate a whole squad of armed soldiers from a distance.
However, this sniper did not have the advantage of the terrain that Kieran did.
Kieran was monitoring the snipers every move.
What would a sniper do if the element of surprise was taken out of the equation?
Kieran stood in the shadows holding his makeshift rifle. He aimed at the sniper from a hundred meters away. The firearm skill gave him the best technique possible, and let him achieve easily what others failed to do.
Although the [Basic] level of the skill might not make him a pro, it was sufficient under the circumstances.
Kieran controlled his breathing and steadied his hands, aiming carefully through the scope.
Finally, he pulled the trigger.
Bang!
A shot was fired, but Kieran did not stop. He did not even go up and check. He held the [M12] in his arms and rolled sideways, sliding quickly into another part of the ruins and heading towards his next shooting target.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
While Kieran was rolling away, the machine gunner fired at the spot Kieran had upied. The strong wall Kieran had been leaning against was torn down in an instant.
Luckily, Kieran was already gone.
What happened? Hank yelled at the walkie talkie after he heard the gunshots. He could not see what was going on as he and his team were searching for Kieran on the other side.
Sniper down! the machine gunners aide replied.
What? Hank was stunned.
He was about to ask another question when...
Bang!
Before the machine gunners aide could reply, another shot had been fired.
This time around, Hank could see clearly that one of the men on the second search team had had his head blown off.
Sniper! Get your heads down! Hank shouted.
Realizing they were being ambushed, the team quickly got down and hid from the snipers range of sight.
In an instant, the search team had taken cover, leaving the machine gunner and his aide to fend for themselves.
Chapter 21: Shot
Chapter 21: Shot
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The machine gunner and his aide were well aware of how bad their situation was.
They were out in the open facing a sniper. Their surroundings were all ruins and debris, not a defense fortress by any means. They were both in grave danger.
Without any further dy, the two of them hid like everybody else.
It was already toote though.
Bang!
Another shot was fired and the machine gunner, who had barely had enough time to raise his gun, suddenly had his head blown off. The machine gun fell to the ground while the aide got scared and covered his own head.
He did not want to lose his life. No one could me him for that.
As the squad leader, Hank could not care less about the machine gunner. He had already estimated the direction the shots wereing from and he fired towards it using his assault rifle.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
The others joined Hank in shooting, and the spot where Kieran was supposed to be was shot to dust in an instant.
After Kieran had fired that shot, hed rolled away to dodge the iing bullets.
His [Firearm (Light Firearm)(Basic)] skill had not only strengthened his body, but it had also enhanced his knowledge of firearms, enabling him to both use a gun and know the advantages of each type of gun.
Just like he knew everything about the sniper rifle in his hands.
Although it was a poorly assembled sniper rifle, it did not slow Kieran down in the slightest.
The most important factor for a sniper was their location.
It was more important than killing the enemies one shot off..
Sniper rifle in hand, Kieran quickly avoided the iing fire and hurried into one of the spots that he had chosen before the battle.
Then he looked down at the wound on his left shin.
[Shooting: Flesh Wound, Inflicted 5 Damage to HP...]
Just as the notification stated, it was only a flesh wound, but it also served to remind Kieran how strong his enemies were.
Kieran had an advantage over them, which was his location and the power it gave him to ambush them. However, he had gotten hurt after only engaging his enemies for the third time.
It didnt escape him that it was the first time hed gotten injured inside the game.
Ouch!
Kieran tore a part of his shirt off and used it as a bandage to tie up his shin.
I should have learned how to deal with wounds from Maggie before I came here...
The pain reminded him of that while he bandaged himself up.
He had to move once more.
He knew that if he stayed in that spot any longer, he would eventually be surrounded. The soldiers would easily be able to estimate his location after thatst shot.
His gut told him not to underestimate them.
The wound on his leg slowed down his movement, especially when he went [Undercover]. Then it slowed him down even more than before.
After five whole minutes, he finally left the battle area.
He settled down in his new hiding spot and looked at the spot he had just left. Seven soldiers had already surrounded it.
It was a three-four formation, three of them moving forward vigntly while the rest covered them from behind.
If Kieran was still there, he would have already been killed ten times over.
Even if he had been able to take out one or two of them, he would still have been killed by the rest.
Kieran had already left that area though, and could safely snipe out the remaining soldiers from a distance.
Bang!
One of the soldiers fell down in a puddle of blood.
[Shooting: Lethal Shot, Inflicted 100 Damage to Target HP, (50 Firearm (Light Firearm) (Basic) X2). Target died.]
The battle log notification confirmed that the man was dead.
Kieran started to move again.
Shots followed him, fired right at the spot that he had just moved away from. Kieran was d that he had chosen this area that he was so familiar with.
Damn it! Hank shouted.
One of his men had fallen once more.
He wanted to tear the damn sniper apart with his own hands and rip him limb by limb, but he knew that rage would not help him solve the problem at hand.
If he did note up with a n soon, then he and all of his men would die there.
Hank started to look around, butyers of ruins were blocking his view.
He noticed that the only vantage point was the one his sniper had upied.
He must have chosen this ce on purpose!
After inspecting his surroundings, Hank was sure of it.
He had a bad feeling about it all.
This was not a mere armed thug.
If he had been able to handle a sniper like this and had purposely chosen a terrain that suited his purposes, he had to be a soldier.
Could it be a government agent? Hank wondered silently while he frowned.
Although he was just a second lieutenant in the ongoing war, as Zarukhars right-hand man, he knew perfectly well that the rebellion was failing.
They were just grasping at straws. Without any support from third parties, they would run out of supplies, and then defeat would only be a matter of time.
When that time came, all debts would be paid.
Hank did not n on dying in the process, though.
That was why he had followed Zarukhar in the first ce. Zarukhar had promised him that he could ensure his survival when the government came, and make sure he had a richfortable life afterwards.
His survival was based on this. Hank could not kill too many government agents or any of their high-ranking officers.
If he did, Zarukhar would not be able to keep his promise.
If the guy is a government agent, what happens if I kill him? I cant afford to hesitate anymore! If thats Zarukhars order, I have no choice but to follow it! Hank thought as he clenched his teeth and gave orders to his men.
Mark, Johnny, take the vantage point!
Hendrall, you distract the sniper!
The rest of you, keep an eye out for that bastard!
He ordered them one after the other. The soldiers quickly moved ording to his orders, disying once again the discipline of an army. If this had been the thugs, they would have started ming each other.
But this was the rebel army, and the soldiers carried out their leaders orders in a disciplined manner.
Three of them moved out at the same time.
Hank and the rest stayed behind and tried to pinpoint Kierans whereabouts.
Kieran noticed the bait. One of the soldiers was moving conspicuously between the ruins, not making the slightest effort to take cover.
Kieran aimed at him, but he didnt fire.
The soldiers sudden change of action made him suspect that something was going on.
This behavior did not even match the discipline a low-level thug, let alone that of a trained soldier.
Is it a trap? he instantly thought.
After all, the best way to deal with a sniper was to try and lure him out.
Kieran pulled his finger off the trigger. He need to look at the situation as a whole.
Thats when he realized something.
When he was still getting familiar with the terrain, he had made an extra effort to memorize all the hiding ces and the spots that were safe to use to go undercover.
Judging by the position of the soldiers, it was not hard to see what they were up to.
Two of them are heading towards the vantage point!
Kieran looked at their destination using his scope.
The vantage point could very well be the only spot that could bring Kieran down. He had already taken out the first sniper, but he could not allow a second or third one to get there.
Without hesitation, he fired.
Bang!
One of the soldiers heading towards the vantage point fell to the ground.
The second one did not even pause. He quickly got up from his crawling stance and dashed out towards his destination.
Kieran saw him, but he could not fire again right away.
He needed to leave that spot immediately, or his location would be exposed and the others would start firing at him.
The soldiers had caught up with him again.
This time, he did not have enough time to go [Undercover].
The soldier that was dashing towards the vantage point was barely a hundred meters away and judging by his speed, he would reach the vantage point in no time.
Damn it, I have to do this!
While the soldier approached the vantage point, Kieran raised his sniper rifle again.
He could not risk exposing himself while the others were closing up on him.
However, he knew perfectly well that if the vantage point was taken, he would die.
Bang!
He fired and the soldier fell to the ground.
Although he rolled away right after, the force of the iing bullets pushed him from running off to his original destination.
He had been shot.
Chapter 22: Battle Again
Chapter 22: Battle Again
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
When the immense pain subsided, Kieran could no longer feel the left side of his body.
He looked down where he had been shot.
The wound was near his abdomen. A bullet was embedded in the protective vest, blood gushing out.
If it had not been for the protective vest, his abdomen would have been pratedpletely.
But even with the protective vest on, he had taken quite a hit.
[Shooting: Target Inflicted 80 Damage, Equipment Protection On, 40 Damage Deduction, Inflicted 40 Damage to your HP, Moderately Wounded...]
[Moderately Wounded Status: Strength, Agility and Intuition Lowered by 1 Level]
[Durability has gone down, T1 Bulletproof Vest Degraded]
Rifle and handgun bullets were so different that the vests durability had gone down by about 5 points and its rarity had gone from Common to Damaged.
The main issue, though, was that Kierans HP had dropped from 95 to 55. He had lost around half his life points and entered a [Moderately Wounded] status.
All of his stats had dropped by one level. Strength and Agility had both dropped from F to F- while Intuition had dropped from F+ to F. His jaw dropped as he took it all in.
Compared to his flesh wound earlier, this time he had really gotten hurt and he would have to deal with the consequences.
It was a good thing that this was his digitized body, and that he knew he could push it further despite the immense pain he was feeling and the fact that all of his stats had dropped.
He clenched his teeth and covered his wound as he entered the [Undercover] mode again, holding his makeshift rifle.
Once again, he was grateful that he had chosen this particr terrain, which allowed him enough space to avoid the iing fire and enough time to leave his current hiding spot.
By the time Hank and the others reached the spot that Kieran had upied, he was not there anymore.
Damn it! If we had a bazooka, a grenadeuncher, or even a goddamn grenade, this scumbag would have been long dead! Hendrall the Bait expressed his frustration when he saw that no one was there.
This is Zarukhars orders! Hank told his men in a steadfast tone without any further exnation. He could not provide one.
Even though all the men were Zarukhars trusted troops, Hank still ranked higher than them.
He was the only one that knew what Zarukhar really wanted.
His goal was to retrieve the jewelry, not kill Kieran.
Even if they seeded in killing Kieran, if they could not get that bag of jewelry, the mission would still be considered a failure.
Hank knew perfectly what Zarukhars attitude toward failure was.
Considering the high level of evasive maneuvers that Kieran had performed, it looked like he did not have the package with him. Still, Hank dared not order his men to use the bazooka or the grenadeuncher.
He did not know how much jewelry they were searching for, because Zarukhar would not even disclose that much information to his right-hand man.
Hank could not help but stay on the passive side.
Was the package they were searching for mobile or not?
Based on the situation, he could not be sure.
If it was not, all Hank and his men had to do was continue searching until they eventually found it.
But if Kieran had the package on him and Hank ordered his men to use an explosive, what would he tell Zarukhar? That theyd identally blown up the very thing that theyd been searching for?
Not unless he wanted his own head blown off. He was almost certain that Zarukhar would shoot him without waiting for an exnation.
Therefore, even if they were being suppressed, Hank dared not bring out the explosives.
HE IS HURT!
One of the soldiers had spotted blood on the ground.
In an instant, everyones eyes shined, including Hanks.
Follow the trail! he gave a direct order.
......
Kieran was hiding under some ruins made up of concrete walls and fallen wooden beams. If it were not for the sunshine between the gaps, he would have been in total darkness.
He knew he did not have much time, so he hastened up.
Even though he had covered his wound with his shirt, blood was still gushing out of it and dripping on the ground.
It would leave a trail behind for the soldiers to track.
Soldiers were extremely familiar with blood trails, so it would only be a matter of time before they caught up with Kieran.
Within that short period of time, Kieran needed to heal his wound and get back on his feet.
He had to at least get rid of the [Moderately Wounded] status.
If he didnt, he would not even be able to fight anymore.
As for his lowered stats?
Lowered [Strength] made the makeshift rifle and the magazine feel heavier, and lowered [Agility] affected his [Undercover] movement. He could barely walk in a straight line anymore.
Of course, [Evading] was also affected severely, and [Intuition]promised his sight and hearing to a certain extend.
With all these stats down by one, he was a good as a handicapped.
It was even worse than the damage to his HP.
I hope this works!
Kieran took out a hidden can of food.
Never put all your eggs in one basket, thats what they used to tell him in the orphanage every time he lost his candy to the older kids. In order not topromise his [Agility], he had hidden canned food and water all over the ruins.
He found himself wishing that allmon game rules applied to the underground game, and that food could both restore his HP and clear the debuff on him.
[Canned Food, Recovers 25% of HP and 50 Stamina within 1 minute]
His max HP being 100, the canned food could restore 25 HP.
It was enough to restore his HP from 55 to 80.
He opened the canned food and gobbled it down, waiting patiently.
[Eating canned food...]
[Hunger Status Cleared...]
[25 HP Recovered in 1 minute...]
A notification popped up when his HP reached 60.
[HP over 60%, Moderately Wounded Status Cleared...]
[HP at 80, Lightly Wounded Status...]
[Lightly Wounded Status: It wont hurt if you dont touch the wound!]
Although the wound had not really healed and blood was still gushing out, it was not as bad as it was before.
The pain had subsided, but the most important part was that hed gotten rid of the [Moderately Wounded] status.
Kieran let out a long breath. If he had not been able to get rid of it, he would have been as good as dead.
Now what?
Kieran picked up the makeshift rifle. He feltfortable holding it again now that the [Moderately Wounded] status was gone.
.....
Hank and three of his men tracked the blood trail to Kierans hiding spot.
Pieces of concrete walls and fallen wooden beams were covering it. Hank lifted one of the wooden beams and Hendrall stepped forward, leaning on a concrete wall.
Come out with your hands up in the air! he said without even looking underneath.
You are surrounded!
We will spare your life if you do not resist!
Although he hated Kieran, Hendrall was aware of his exceptional gun skills and he did not want to risk sticking his head inside to take a look.
Hendralls loud voice could be heard from a couple of meters distance.
However, he got no response from the inside of the hiding spot.
The fact that the blood trail led there made Hank and the others certain that Kieran was inside. If he was not responding, then that meant that he had chosen to resist till the very end.
Machine gunner, get your ass over here before I kill you! Hank yelled into the walkie talkie.
ording to war rules, if the first gunner was killed in battle, the aide would automatically take their ce.
This particr aide, though, had a very poor performance and the fact that hed gotten scared and abandoned his post when the main gunner had been killed certainly had not improved it.
He could be considered a deserter.
If this was Court Martial, he would have been shot to death. Sometimes there was not even a need for Court Martial as the squad leader could make the decision himself.
Yes, Hank could have killed the aide, but he did not, because they were still chasing after Kieran.
Hank had given the newly appointed machine gunner a chance to redeem himself.
He would not kill him. He would just send him to Court Martial. Whatever happened from then on was not Hanks concern.
Hank had promised that he would not kill him on the spot.
Yes.. Yes, sir! a young voice replied through the walkie talkie. The man sounded afraid as he stuttered on his words.
How could someone like this be under Major Zarukharsmand? Is he new? Hank thought to himself in dissatisfaction as he frowned. He quickly came up with a possible exnation.
Major Zarukhar was invasive and merciless, but he was also a brave soldier. It was because of his courage that he had been promoted to Major and takenmand of the Rebellions most advanced military base.
Zarukhars base was the main opposing force against the Government Army.
Because of the constant fighting, the base camp was always in need of men.
Troops or squads from other bases could be transferred to the base for replenishing purposes.
They might even recruit a couple of new men as well, but there was no guarantee of the quality of the new soldiers.
As a matter of fact, the man had just been transferred to Hanks squad right before this mission to act as an aide to his machine gunner.
But considering his level of cowardice, Hank wondered how he could even have enlisted, let alone made it into the squad.
Hank shook away his thoughts. He was a soldier and his job was to follow orders, not question them.
The next moment, Hank felt an inexplicable sense of danger.
He ducked and took cover without a second thought.
BANG!
A shot had been fired once again.
Chapter 23: Sudden Change
Chapter 23: Sudden Change
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Hanks experience on the battlefield had saved his life.
Bang!
The shot hade from another part of the ruins not far from him.
He is there!
Although they did not know how Kieran, who was supposed to be dying in his hiding spot, could have materialized in a different spot and be firing at them, they did know what to do about it.
The three of them pointed their guns at that spot and fired.
The soldiers robbed Kieran of a chance to fire a second time.
He rolled quickly to the side and entered another part of the ruins.
The sunlight shined down on the ruins, forming rays of light that cut through the shade behind the wall. It created a monochromatic scene; wherever the sun shined, it was warm and bright; under the shade though, it was dark and cold.
Kieran shrank into the cool shade while he tried to avoid the fire from the soldiers. He frowned.
After a careful inspection of his enemies, he had identified the squad leader. He had never thought that he would miss a shot at him.
[Shooting: Missed, Target Evaded, Inflicted 0 Damage to Target HP...]
So this is what being an elite really means, huh? Kieran said in a soft voice while a part of him shivered.
It was the first time he had encountered an enemy that could predict his actions.
Although Kieran could not confirm that the squad leader could predict his every single action, one time out of ten was already impressive enough.
He proceeded to make another move.
He might have been scared, but he had to focus on his goal.
Plus, he did not believe that all the soldiers possessed the kind of instinct that their squad leader did.
Kieran entered the [Undercover] mode again and walked into the shadows.
After a few rounds around the area, his shirt had be his best camouge equipment, and the [Undercover] mode made him even harder to spot.
He pulled out his makeshift sniper rifle again.
This time though, he did not go for the squad leader, but aimed for the three soldiers instead.
They were already on the alert for Kieran shooting. They had hidden themselves among the ruins and taken cover while they hoped to pinpoint him with their eyes.
However, the sunlight was too strong and they could hardly see anything.
It was a natural sniping ground for Kieran. Even an idiot could tell that.
Sir! Hendrall turned to his leader.
Hank knew what he was about to say. That they should either bring out the big guns or retreat.
The explosives were out of the question though. Hank knew that perfectly well.
As for retreating?
Hank hesitated.
He did not want Zarukhar to be disappointed in him.
If he let Zarukhar down, then the Majors opinion of him would change drastically, and Hank could even be deserted by the Major, let alone bringing him away from the warzone.
He did not want that to happen.
Bang!
While Hank was fighting his own thoughts with all his might, another shot was fired.
Hendrall, who had just voiced out had his head was blown off.
Hot red blood and brain matter sttered on Hanks face. The remaining two men looked like sitting ducks. He came back to his senses and cleared his mind.
Why had he followed Zarukhar in the first ce?
Was it to survive?
And now what?
They were all sitting ducks inside Kierans trap. They would be dead even before the goddamn war ended.
It had been a trap all along. An evil trap.
Having watched Kierans shooting technique, Hank already had a general idea of who he was.
His gun skills might be better than a rookies, but he was still far from a true sniper elite. If Kieran had been an actual elite, Hank would have bitten the dust long ago.
As for his undercover skills, they might be worth praising, but they were still pretty basicpared to a real recon soldiers.
If it was not for his terrain advantage, Hank could have easily killed Kieran before he could have even taken a shot at them.
It had all been a set-up.
A setup to deceive Zarukhar and send them out to die.
Rage filled his heart. He wished he could tear Kieran apart with his hands, wished he could skin him alive and break every single one of his limbs. But he knew what his priority had to be now.
He had to leave the battlefield.
Machine gunner, cover us! Hank yelled into the walkie talkie.
Yes... Yes, sir! the mans cowardly voice reached Hanks ears from the other side of the walkie talkie.
It made Hank even more repulsed.
As soon as the machine gunner received his order, he was on his way there. Hank could already see him approaching.
The machine gunner had to move strategically to avoid the fire, given that he was still carrying a light machine gun and a box of ammunition.
He was quite fast, evenpared to the rest of Hanks troops.
Still manageable!
Hank saw him and kind of understood why he had been allowed on his squad.
Retreat! Hank signaled his other two men.
The two of them covered each other and backed off.
Hank was right behind them.
He knew Kieran would not miss this chance.
It was hisst one after all.
Hank reached for the grenade on his waist.
COME ON! he thought to himself as he clenched his teeth.
He wanted to show Kieran his wrath.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Several rapid shots sounded out and Hank fell to the ground, feeling pain all over his body. He watched his other two men fall into a puddle of blood and saw a smile on the machine gunners face as he ran towards them.
It was the smile of a cat who had just caught a mouse.
What the hell? Hank looked at the machine gunner with an incredulous expression.
The machine gunner replied with a series of shots.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
As the sound of the shots subsided, Hanks body was torn apart by the bullet rain.
Kieran was stunned as he witness the scene.
He automatically aimed his makeshift rifle at the machine gunner, but by the time he did, the man was nowhere to be found.
Kieran had a bad feeling about this.
Without any dy, he quickly left that hiding spot and headed towards the next one.
Kieran did not get why the machine gunner would fire at his own men, but he knew it was not just the soldiers that had been deceived. He had been as well.
When Kieran had taken out the original machine gunner, the aides cowardly look and pretend helplessness had fooled him.
He had thought that the aide was harmless and had turned his attention to the rest of the soldiers.
Who would have thought that he would prove to be the most dangerous one, even stronger than the squad leader he had fired at.
Was this the Majors n all along?
While he remained in [Undercover] mode, he thought about the whole situation.
He could not reach a conclusion though, so he cleared his thoughts. There were too many inexplicable things to consider.
Although Kieran had spoken to the Major before, he had only been able to sense that the man was greedy. He had not gotten any crazy lunatic vibes from him.
The man had no reason to act in such a way.
What the hell is going on?
Kierans heart was filled with uncertainty, but it did not slow him down in the slightest.
Ten secondster, he had reached his new hiding spot and let out a long breath of relief.
Although he could not see what was going on, he was certain that the missing machine gunner was already at his previous hiding spot.
After the man had fired, Kieran had had a hunch that he would chase him.
It was just as Kieran had expected.
After he let out a long breath, a voice came from his previous hiding spot.
Hello, sir! I think we should have a nice talk!
It sounded genuine and serious, but Kieran did not reply.
He started moving again towards his next safe spot.
He was really cautious of the man. After all, he had just killed three of hisrades with a machine gun.
When Kieran had moved about ten meters from his spot, he heard the sound of footsteps.
Their hastened sound meant that the guy was rushing to catch up with him.
Who else was in the area other than Kieran and the traitor?
Kieran had given the guy a new nickname worthy of his actions.
The traitor had a set of strong tracking skills.
After realizing it may be him, Kieran quickly turned his makeshift sniper rifle back to the assault rifle that it used to be and aimed at the source of the steps. As soon as the mans figure appeared, he would pull the trigger.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The muzzle sh and smoke from the barrel of his gun lighted up the ce.
But he had hit nothing.
Kieran didnt need to check the battlelog to know that he had shot an empty coat.
F*ck!
He realized he had been baited and quickly turned around.
There was a long, narrow passage behind him, formed by the fallen pieces of concrete and the wooden beams. The passage had a good view on the other side of his hiding spot. Its entrance was where Kieran had fired his gun from.
When Kieran turned around, he did not see anyone behind him.
F*ck!
He realized why the traitor had thrown off his coat. He had not meant to ambush Kieran from behind, but make him turn around instead.
The man was hiding behind the coat, not making a move. He was just waiting for Kieran to turn and face him.
When Kieran turned around, it was already toote.
Good day, sir! a familiar voice sounded out.
Kieran felt like he was falling into an icy abyss.
The coldness striked him from head to toe.
Chapter 24: Counter Attack
Chapter 24: Counter Attack
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The voice sounded friendly, but it still sent chills down Kierans spine.
Its over!
Kieran closed his eyes instinctively.
He thought this might be it.
He was afraid of dying. He had entered this game for the sake of survival, but who would have thought that he would die before he could even make it through the newbie dungeon.
It kind of made him regret the risk he had taken.
If he had taken Colleens advice and hidden in the underground storage area to wait for the days to pass, he might have survived for longer.
However, the cloud of regret dispersed as his survival instinct took over, igniting his will to survive.
He was willing to risk it until the very end.
Kieran held the [U-II] grenade tight and ced his finger over the pin, ready to set it off.
Please, sir! the traitors voice said, sounding even more sincere than before.I have no intention of harming you. I know you dont believe me, but you can look at the facts. If I wanted to shoot you, you would have been already dead. I didnt, though!
The traitors words made Kieran hesitate.
He was not buying it, but what the traitor was saying was kind of true.
If he had fired, Kieran would have already died, but he had not. Why though?
Why hadnt the traitor pulled the trigger?
Kieran didnt think it was his personal charm that had won over the guy. The traitor had to want something from him.
After some thought, Kieran came up with a logical exnation.
The man wanted the bag of jewelry.
Are you really that kind? he mocked the traitor.
Of course. Just look at the facts. If you cooperate, I promise I will let you live.
The traitor went so far as to promise hed spare Kierans life.
A promise? Promises are worthless during a war! Youve only let me live this long because you havent gotten what you are here for yet. Once you get it, it will be a whole different story! Kieran said in disdain.
Behind his rough, low voice, hysteria made him shiver.
He would not take the chance and turn around, though.
He was sure that if he made any sudden movements, the traitor would fire.
The man needed to know the whereabouts of the jewelry. That was the only reason Kieran was still alive.
So if he did fire, he would go for Kierans arms or legs.
Even so, Kieran would not take that chance.
He needed to stand his ground and disy his demented, desperate side just enough to maintain his position in the situation.
Calm down! Please just calm down, sir! I dont want any misunderstandings. Im sure you are a smart person, and if you would just tell me the location of the jewelry, I could fulfill your request to leave this damn city! Trust me, its not that hard for me to lead you out! I serve General Zennings after all. Hes not like your partner, Major Zarukhar! Zarukhar is just one of General Zennings dogs!
Kierans method had worked.
The traitor had started spilling information that Kieran wanted desperately.
He was repeating Kierans false story, the one Kieran had revealed when hed been trying to fool Major Zarukhar during their phone call.
This proved that the traitor was no ordinary enemy. He had to be smart.
Otherwise, he wouldnt have known about his conversation with the Major, nor would he have been able to infiltrate the Majors most trusted squad to sabotage this mission.
Kieran did not doubt that Major Zarukhar was just one of General Zennings dogs.
It sounded like it was the truth.
Kieran was confused.
He felt like a hunter chasing after a rabbit in the mountains, only to discover that the rabbit was actually a tiger.
Kieran had only nned to take Major Zarukhar out to raise his game rating, but now the man behind Zarukhar had been revealed, the Rebellion General.
Although it was still unclear what role the General yed in the Rebellion, given his title, he had to be the real Head of the Rebellion.
Zarukhars actions were under his radar.
The traitor behind Kieran proved as much.
Prideful arrogance.
That was what Kieran had gotten from the Major during their conversation. He should have added self-righteousness to arrogance as well.
Zarukhar thought that he was doing so well, but Kieran knew that as soon as Zarukhar had gotten his hands on that bag of jewelry, he would have been secretly arrested. Skipping the Court Martialpletely, the Major would have been executed as a criminal.
No doubt it had been General Zennings who had plotted all this since the very beginning.
The man behind everything! Kieran came to a conclusion based on everything he knew about the two men.
So what do you think? the traitor behind Kieran interrupted his thoughts.
The time was up and Kieran had to either ept or decline his proposition.
I want to leave this city first. Then Ill tell you everything! he replied.
Sir, you know its not possible for me to do that. At least not until I see the jewelry with my own eyes. I have no authority to take you out of this city. Only General Zennings can do that! the traitor replied with augh.
Then I want to meet General Zennings! Kieran changed his terms. Do you think thats possible?
The traitorsugh carried a sense of mockery. He thought he should teach Kieran a lesson to let him know who was in charge of the situation.
As a matter of fact, if he had confirmed the location of the jewelry, he would have already killed Kieran just to avoid all this unnecessary conversation.
I need medical treatment, Ive been shot! Kieran stated his terms once again.
This time, however, the traitor did not refuse right away.
He could see that Kieran had been shot. Although Kieran had a protective vest on, he seemed to be jumping and moving all over the ce. As they spoke, his life might be hanging by a thread.
The traitor did not agree right away.
He said, Well, to prove to you that I am an honest man, I will provide you with some medical supplies. Please do take this as proof of my sincerity. Now put your gun down and turn around slowly! Yes, do it slowly. Let me see your wound.
Following his instructions, Kieran put down his makeshift rifle and turned around slightly.
The traitor saw the wound on Kierans abdomen and left calf.
Judging by his experience on the battlefield, the flesh wound on his leg was nothing, but the wound on his abdomen might have caused him some serious damage to the organs, even with the protective vest on.
After all, it was just a police vest against a military bullet.
The traitor knew Kieran had been severely injured. There might even be some internal injury that was beyond repair. If Kieran could still move around freely, it had to be due to his strong body and survival instinct.
But he wouldnt be able tost long. Soon he would fall into an eternal slumber.
The traitor had witnessed lots of cases like this on the battlefield.
Still, he kept his guard up, his gun pointed at Kierans head.
Your wounds are not that serious. You just need to tie them and youll be fine. I can give you some medicine and gauze to fix yourself up quickly!
The traitor grabbed the pack on his waist and threw it near Kieran.
His right hand was still holding the gun, pointing it at Kierans head.
Kieran managed to sit down and grab the pack the traitor had thrown him. There were two gauze bandages and two syringes inside.
[Name: High Quality Gauze Bandage]
[Type: Medicine]
[Rarity: Common]
[Attributes: Recovers 30 HP within 30 seconds, suppresses bleeding and elerates healing.]
[Effects: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: Better than your average gauze bandage!]
......
[Name: Painkiller]
[Type: Medicine]
[Rarity: Common]
[Attributes: It can relieve your pain for 3 minutes!]
[Effects: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: Three minutes allow you do a lot of stuff, such as write a will.]
The notification popped up as soon as Kieran had touched the items.
The [Painkiller] made Kierans eyes brighten.
It made him even more confident about what he was about to do.
He slowly unbuttoned the [T1 Bulletproof Vest], trying to look like he was in a lot of pain.
You should take a shot of the painkiller first. If you tell me the location of the jewelry, I can provide you with a better treatment, one that will get you up in no time! the traitor reminded Kieran as he watched him suffer.
He was afraid that Kieran might die.
Yeah, of course.
Kieran obediently rolled up his sleeve and injected himself with the painkiller.
Then he removed the vest.
While he watched Kieran remove his [T1 Bulletproof Vest] over his head, the traitor moved his gun downwards, aiming at Kierans legs instead of his upper body, which was at the time covered by the vest.
It was a natural instinct to inflict the maximum damage to his enemy. That was exactly how the traitor had been trained.
His move gave Kieran a chance to fight back. A chance he had been waiting for a long time.
As Kieran noticed the gun pointing away from his head and toward his legs, he quickly took off his vest, throwing it towards the traitor like a gunnysack and blocking the mans vision.
As he did so, Kieran stood up and leapt back to the passage behind him.
Chapter 25: The Level Up and the Skill Βook
Chapter 25: The Level Up and the Skill ook
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Bang! Bang!
As Kieran threw off his vest, the traitor fired back.
The mans line of vision was blocked. He could not see Kieran clearly and he was firing off bnce because he had to dodge the iing vest. However, that did not stop him fromnding two shots in Kierans leg. He had his rich experience in the battlefield and his background as a veteran soldier to thank for that.
After injecting the [Painkiller], Kieran was not feeling pain anymore. He rolled out from his spot as if he had not been shot at all.
You wasted a good opportunity! Do you know that?
The traitor watched Kieran keep his distance from him and leap away as if he had not been injured in the first ce. He knew damn well why that was, and his urge to kill Kieran grew even more.
It was the [Painkiller] he had given him.
Kieran had used his own [Painkiller] against him, which kind of insulted the traitor in a way.
He really wished he could just blow Kierans head off, but there was the mission to consider.
The traitor decided to teach Kieran a lesson.
He would show Kieran that he was the captive, and at the same time show off his power and authority in the situation.
He was an interrogation expert after all.
He knew at least a hundred different ways to interrogate a hostage.
Just as he was thinking what he should do to him, he saw a strange smile form on Kierans face.
Something was wrong. He could feel it in his gut.
He looked down and saw the [U-II] grenade.
Instinctively, he moved to dodge it, but it was already toote.
BOOM!
The explosion enveloped the traitorpletely.
Even Kieran felt the shockwave, and he was watching it unfold from a distance.
Luckily, it was just a shockwave of wind. There was no debris.
The traitor was not as lucky, though.
He had been at the center of the explosion, and the [U-II] engulfed himpletely, making him explode into pieces. He looked even worse than Hank had when he had shot him.
[Shooting: Inflicts 20 Damage to HP...]
[Shooting: Inflicts 20 Damage to HP...]
[Moderately Wounded State...]
[Lower Body has been Crippled...]
[Painkiller Buff in Effect, counters Moderately Wounded and Crippled State...]
[Explosion: Inflicts 150 Damage to Target HP. Target dies...]
Looking at the battle log, Kieran felt d that the [Painkiller] had been effective. If it hadnt been for it, he could not have executed his n and remained in one piece too.
He might have been caught in the explosion himself.
A stroke of bad luck inbination with his remaining 40 HP might have resulted in a GAME OVER for him.
Damn, Im a lucky son of a bitch! he eximed before turning his attention back to the battle log.
150 HP?
Kieran was stunned by the amount of HP the traitor had.
Everyone, from the first men he had encountered to the rebel squad, had had an HP of 100. There had been no exceptions until now. That included himself.
The traitor though appeared to have an 150 HP.
Is it because he had a stronger physique? Or because he was an elite soldier? he wondered.
Before he could continue his line of thought, he was interrupted by another notification.
[Sessfully eliminated enemy using Firearms (Light Firearm)(Entry Level) Skill...]
[Skill: Firearm (Light Firearm) (Basic -> Entry Level)]
[Name: Firearm (Light Firearm) (Entry Level)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Constitution, Intuition]
[Skill Type: Offensive]
[Effects: You know how to use a handgun, rifle, revolver, assault rifle, submachine gun and sniper rifle, increases damage by 20%]
[Consumes: Stamina]
[Prerequisites: Strength F, Constitution F, Intuition F+]
[Remarks: You know how to use light firearms. Youre as good as an army veteran!]
....
[Skill: Firearm (Light Firearm) Skill Up, Rted Attributes Leveling Up...]
[Strength: F -> F+]
[Constitution: F-> F+]
[Intuition: Capped for this specific skill at current level]
A refreshing warm feeling started to fill Kierans body as further firearm knowledge was transferred into his brain. The warmth made the information spread even faster.
Most importantly, his HP value had risen.
While there had originally been 40 HP left, now thanks to his [Constitution] leveling up it had increased to 60.
My [Constitution] leveling up added 20 to Max HP?
Just as I expected, attributes and skills are rted after all!
But is this a newbie dungeon advantage? Or is that how skills normally level up?
He frowned as he pondered all these questions.
He figured that it might be a newbie advantage, because if this was really how skills leveled up, then it was way too simple. Achieving such a goal should be just as hard as defeating that traitor.
After all, Kieran had less experience and power than the man.
If it had not been for his luck and the fact that the traitor had wanted something from him, he would have been dead by now.
It had indeed been too simple.
yers, no matter the game, were the most creative and adventurous kind of people.
Had the traitor been strong?
Very much so.
If Kieran had fought with him in hand-to-handbat, he would never have won.
But he had used the time hed been given toe up with a n to trick him.
It might have taken some time, but Kieran had not minded. It was give and take, and he had exchanged his time in return for skill and attribute upgrades.
So did every yer, Kieran believed.
Given the circumstances, leveling up ones skills by eliminating a higher skilled person could only be a newbie advantage.
If not, then the game makers were not doing a very good job.
Things were not totally hopeless for Kieran, though.
He would not give up, just like he hadnt when hed tried to gain more skills from the captive thug and his n had not worked out.
His hopes had been renewed now.
Eliminate higher skilled people to level up, huh? Kieran mumbled, clenching his fist.
He had came up with a new idea, but now was not the time to test it.
His priority was to heal himself as fast as possible.
Although his upgraded [Firearm (Light Firearm)] Skill had raised his [Attributes] as well, it still did not change the fact that his HP was low.
Once the [Painkiller] wore off, he would be in big trouble.
He needed to bring his HP to a reasonable level before the [Painkiller]s effect subsided.
He approached the traitors corpse to inspect it.
The mans body might be beyond repair, but that did not mean that there would be no rewards on it.
As a matter a fact, when Kieran flipped the body over, he discovered something.
It was a purple book the size of a human palm that seemed to glow faintly.
A Skill Book? Kieran said out loud.
Obviously, within the 100% realism game, the game system was still working like normal.
Kieran picked up the book.
[New Skill Avable: Tracking]
[Do you wish to learn it?]
Yes!
He agreed without a second thought.
[New Skill: Tracking]
[Name: Tracking (Basic)]
[Rted Attributes: Intuition]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effects: You can observe your surroundings for tracks and clues to track down your target!]
[Consumes: Stamina]
[Prerequisites: Intuition F+]
[Remarks: Youre still no better than a search dog.]
In an instant, the familiar feeling of knowledge being transferred filled Kierans body once again.
When the process waspleted, Kieran opened his eyes wide. He noticed that everything looked different. He could now pick up details that he had missed before and everything seemed a lot clearer.
Footprints on the ground appeared in white color. The color of blood became brighter and the explosion looked like a ck cloud.
In the blink of an eye, everything returned to normal. When Kieran focused again, the scene in front of him changed once more.
A active skill? he thought to himself.
However, a stinging sensation reminded him that the [Painkiller] was already wearing off.
He quickly grabbed the traitors pack and headed towards the spot where he had hidden all the canned food.
The corpse held no more loot except for the [Tracking] Skill Book.
The one thing that Kieran was missing was his makeshift rifle that had been destroyed during the explosion. The loss made him kind of sad.
Kieran would have protected the gun if he could have done so without causing further injury to himself.
Thats when he remembered that he had killed the rebel squads sniper. There could very well be a real sniper rifle on the mans corpse.
When his [Firearm (Light Firearm)] Skill had gone up, his need for a gun had increased along with it.
He knew perfectly well that when facing an immense numbers of rebel soldiers, a sniper rifle would be more effective than anything else. Not to mention that it would make him feel a lot safer.
Plus, after all the changes he had made to his n, he was going to need a sniper rifle even more.
General Zennings, hmm? he mumbled the mans name.
Obviously, the General was a Boss that could raise his rating even more than Zarukhar could.
Chapter 26: Dissension
Chapter 26: Dissension
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
As time ticked off second by second, the sunshine from the setting sun shined through the window and covered the wooden desk in bright red light. Zarukhar was sitting behind the desk in his office.
The expression on his face was nk as he held a cup of coffee in his hand.
The aroma of the coffee filled the room, but Zarukhar did not bother tasting it.
He felt that something was off.
Something bad was about to happen.
Zarukhar was extremely confident in his intuition.
It was his intuition that had saved him from death many times before.
This time was no exception.
But he needed to figure out what was going on.
What is wrong? Zarukhar frowned as he started questioning the situation.
His first thought was that that dirty sewer rat had something to do with his bad feeling.
Impossible, Hanks team will finish the job easily!
Zarukhar let out augh with a hint of self-mockery as he shook his head.
How could an armed smartass match a real soldier, not the mention a squad of his most trusted men?
The only troublesome thing was flushing the rat out from the sewer he was hiding in.
Zarukharughed at himself for overthinking things.
Just as he was about to continue down this line of thought, his cell phone started ringing.
The white disy screen showed the caller ID: The Vulture!
Zarukhar held his breath.
After a moment, he picked up the phone.
This time, he did not speak first. Instead, he waited for the man on the other side of the phone to speak.
He did not believe his own men would fail, but he needed to know what was going on.
Did you expect your men to reply? Well, Ive got some bad news for you. You might need to try speed dialing Hell! Oh wait, youll be joining them soon enough, so you dont need to go to all that trouble! My new ally gave me a better deal and granted my request! I really cant wait to see your lying face dead! Kieran spoke quickly and hurtfully in an effort to irritate the Major.
When he finished, he hung up the phone right away without waiting for a reply and removed the battery.
Zarukhar tried to call him back, but he couldnt get a dial tone.
GODDAMMN IT!
He smashed his phone furiously on the ground.
After a moment, he calmed down again.
He was not buying the lies that dirty sewer rat had told him, but he still had to take this seriously.
Aide! Get me Hank!
Yes, sir! the trembling aide replied instantly.
He noticed that his superior was easy to agitate these days.
Was the situation that bad?
As Zarukhars aide, his information was quite urate.
He suppressed all this thoughts and questions, and did what he had been ordered to.
After a few minutes, the aide reported back.
Sir,munications are down. Ive tried reaching Second Lieutenant Hank and everybody else on the squad, but I cant get through!
Damn it! Send another recon squad down to the ruins to see what happened!
Zarukhar had still not given up hope.
Yes, sir!
The aide saluted and left the room quickly.
Zarukhar was left alone.
He started recalling his conversation with the dirty sewer rat.
Someone saved that scumbag and promised to kill me?
Zarukhar squinted as he thought about who it could be.
Who could have noticed that hed dispatched his men for a mission and could have taken out Hanks squad without causing much of amotion... There were not many people that fit that criteria.
There was only one.
General Zennings.
Zennings was the only one who knew that hed been working with the Vulture.
As a matter of fact, half of that bag of jewelry belonged to him. Zarukhars deal with Zennings was that once he had given him enough, he would be able to leave the city with all his belongings.
Zennings controlled a passage out of the city.
It was not really a secret. All the Rebellion high-ranking officers knew about it.
That was why they could afford to negotiate with the Government Forces.
Yes, the Rebellion and the Government were already negotiating.
That was why Zarukhar had rushed the Vulture on this matter.
But now...
He breathed heavily as his heart beat fast. Zarukhar was furious.
He had been yed like an idiot.
ZENNINGS! he roared as he clenched his teeth. His eyes looked like a hungry wolfs waiting to rip his prey apart.
He had not just lost a big sum of his wealth, he was also facing a dangerous crisis.
Zarukhar knew Zennings well enough.
If Zennings had nned all this just to get that bag of jewelry, then he would kill anyone who knew about its existence.
If Zarukhar wanted to live, he had to make a move fast.
You forced me! Zarukhar mumbled angrily before he shouted, AIDE! PUT EVERYONE IN CAMP IN STANDBY AND SEND OUT AN ALERT!
It was not Zarukhars style to be a sitting duck.
He swore that whoever had crossed him would pay the ultimate price.
Even if that turned out to be the Rebellion General.
As soon as his recon team came back, he would know the truth.
......
While he hid in the shade of the ruins, Kieran aimed at the military base in the distance. A military recon team had just left the ruins, confirming that his n had worked.
When Kieran had found out the traitors identity, he hade up with a n to cause dissension.
The fact that General Zennings had nted a mole in Major Zarukhars squad and thements the traitor had made about Zarukhar proved that the two of them were not on the same side, even though they were on the same faction.
At least thats what it looked like.
Zarukhar thought that he could hide things from Zennings, and Zennings thought he was in control of everything.
With such power-hungry men in the equation, all it would take was a small spark to cause an explosion.
Kieran would dly be that small spark.
That was why when Kieran had called the Major, he had not spoken clearly enough and had not given Zarukhar a chance to reply. Kieran knew that the more he spoke, the higher his chances of failure would be.
A strong man like Major Zarukhar would not believe the words of a scumbag.
He would only believe what his own eyes saw and what he thought was true.
Even if he got the facts wrong, he would still only believe in himself.
As for General Zennings?
Kieran could pretty much guess what he would do against Major Zarukhars uprising. If he was unable to reach the traitor, then an internal conflict would soon befall the Rebellion.
Meanwhile, Kieran would ensure his ns sess and try to eliminate any chances of failure.
His target was not just set on Major Zarukhar anymore, but on General Zennings as well.
From the moment General Zennings hade into y, Kieran had already decided to kill him off too to raise his game rating.
Only through that could he achieve his real goal, which was to earn enough money to treat his illness.
It would be difficult, but he was not prepared to give up just yet.
He still had many hopes and dreams for his life.
Kieran took a deep breath and cleared his mind of any messy thoughts as he looked at the setting sun. Then he looked down at the sniper rifle that he had just obtained.
[Name: Viper-M1]
[Type: Firearm]
[Rarity: Superb]
[Attack: Great]
[Magazine Rounds: 5]
[Attributes: 1. Armor Pration Lvl. 1 ; 2. Long Range Shooting Lvl 2]
[Effects: None]
[Prerequisites: Firearm (Light Firearm)(Basic)]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: A 12.7 mm allows immense firepower and range, but requires a certain skill level.]
.....
[Armor Pration Lvl 1: Able to prate light armor]
[Long Range Shooting Lvl 2: Effective shooting range of 1 km]
.....
Vastly different from the makeshift rifle that Kieran had before, the [Viper-M1] was the real deal, not just because of its two extra attributes, but because of its [Great] attack power.
ording to the system firearm descriptions, the [U-II] grenades attack power was [Strong], and the [M12]s and [M1905]s was only [Common].
The [Viper-M1] surpassed them all with its [Great] attack power.
Even without its two extra attributes, its attack power alone was already scary enough. No one would be able to survive a direct shot from it.
Even Kieran who had an 150 HP now, just like the traitor, would be defenseless against the [Viper-M1].
It was after Kieran had recovered his HP that hed discovered that his Max HP had been increased by 50, not 20.
That was because, ording to the original 100 HP system, it had been increased by percentage based on Kierans [Constitution]. Hence, the 150 HP.
The same went for increasing his [Stamina], [Attributes] and equipment enhancement.
He opened his Character Window and checked it carefully.
[Name: Kieran]
[Age: 17 (M)]
[Race: Human]
[Title: None]
[HP: 150]
[Stamina: 150]
.....
[Strength: F+]
[Agility: F]
[Constitution: F+]
[Mentality: F+]
[Intuition: F+]
....
[Skills: Sharp Weapon Dagger (Basic), Evading (Basic), Undercover (Basic), Firearm (Light Firearm (Entry), Combat (Basic), Tracking (Basic)]
[Equipment: Dagger x 1, M1905, Viper-M1, Grenade x 8]
[Inventory: Canned Food x 2, Distilled Water x 2, Painkiller x 1, Gauze Bandage x 2, Lighter x 1, Tobo, Ammunition]
[Remarks: Still a newbie, but stronger than your regr John Doe.]
Chapter 27: Prelude
Chapter 27: Prelude
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Following the new rating, Kierans Character Window changed to represent his increase in power.
Kieran didnt need to see the rating though. He could already tell the difference by himself.
Two and a half days had turned him into a new man.
While he held the [Viper-M1], which had been his reward for taking out the sniper, Kieran felt like a veteran soldier with tons of battle experience. Deep down he knew this was all just virtual reality, but he still liked the feeling. It all felt too real.
Were it not for the Character Window and the Mission Bar, Kieran would have dly submersed himself in the feeling.
So this is what attracts people to underground games.
Kieran thought of all the people who had entered the game with a different motive that him. He kind of understood their reasoning.
If he had been healthy though, he would never have joined the game, no matter how real or exciting it was.
Kieran just wanted to live like a normal person.
He had never been the greedy or adventurous type, he had just been desperate.
Still, that had not stopped him for doing his best. After all, his very life was on the line.
He leaned against a wall among the ruins, hiding in the shadows. His eyes were half-open as he took light breaths and waited.
If the situation had allowed for it, Kieran would have lied down and taken a nap.
However, he could not afford such a luxury.
The crucial moment was approaching.
Darkness covered the sky as the night fell.
The moon ascended slowly, hanging in the dark blue sky. It was a sharp crescent moon that brought a sense of peace to the war-ridden city.
The peacefulness was broken by the sound of footsteps.
They came from afar and caught Kierans attention.
Under the weak light of the moon, he saw the troops that had left earlier.
The rushing soldiers did not notice Kieran hiding in the shadows.
Their anxiety made them less observant.
The soldiers just wanted to search the ruins for theirrades and report back to Major Zarukhar.
Second Lieutenant Hank was dead, and so was his squad. None of them had survived.
The news had shocked them to their very core.
After all, Hank had been considered a very strong man among the soldiers. Whether it had been shooting or hand-to-handbat, he had always been the best out of his peers. When he hadpleted several impossible missions, the whole base hade up with a theory that Second Lieutenant Hank was invincible.
Most of the troops really believed that.
But the Hank that every soldier used to talk about was dead now.
Brought down by a machine gun. Shot by his own men.
It puzzled the soldiers. They just couldnt ept it.
They needed an exnation, and the only person who could provide one was none other than Major Zarukhar.
They hastened their pace.
Kieran, who was still in the shadows, saw the troops leave in a hurry and slowly stood up.
This was exactly what hed been anticipating.
.....
F*CK!
After hearing his subordinates report, Zarukhar jumped out of his chair fast. So fast, in fact, that his chair fell down with a bang.
None of the attendees seemed to care about the chair though. They were all looking at Zarukhar.
They needed an exnation. Why would Hank and his team get wiped out?
Even the aide, who was so afraid of Zarukhar, had not averted his eyes.
I know you all have many questions. Everything will be clear soon. Gather all the troops that are on standby! They have the right to know the truth as well! Zarukhar said in a deep voice while he looked everyone in the eye.
Yes, sir!
The aide and the recon soldiers saluted and left his office.
Zarukhar was left alone. There was a calm expression on his face.
Before his recon soldiers hade back, he had still been holding onto some hope in his heart.
But when the reports hade in, Zarukharsst hope had been crushed to pieces.
His right-hand man was dead, and so were the troops who had followed him.
All because of a sniper and one of his own machine guns!
When hed heard the news, an image of the spy who had infiltrated the squad and backstabbed Hank and his troops had formed into Zarukhars mind .
Other than Zennings, no one else would have dared cross him.
After all, infiltration and murder was Zennings mens strongest point.
You crossed me and stole my stuff, and now you want me dead? Well, we shall see who will end up dead! Zarukhar mumbled.
Then he pulled a drawer open and took out a gun.
He held the gun in his palm and felt the rough texture of its grip.
That hot-blooded attitude of his filled his head again as he turned around and looked outside the window. His troops had already gathered around.
No matter how furious Zarukhar was, he would not go directly to Zennings by himself.
That would be suicide.
Luckily, he had whole troops under hismand. He was equipped with the most advanced weapons and the strongest fighters among the Rebellion.
It was the ace up his sleeve and now was the time to use it.
As Zarukhar walked out of his office, he straightened his body and hastened his step, the friction between his boots and the floor causing a loud clear sound.
It sounded like a hammer hitting a nail.
Whoever saw him would be fooled by his steadiness and discipline, and respect him for the true soldier that he was.
Aside from his fiery attitude and imposing character, wasnt he everything a soldier aspired to be?
A couple of ws could be forgiven.
Zarukhar knew what his troops needed in a leader, and he had be exactly that.
Looking at rows and rows of soldiers, all of them looking at him with respect, he felt satisfied.
He walked up to the dais, took a deep breath, and started speaking in his deep voice through the loudspeaker, My soldiers, we have been betrayed!
Zarukhar got straight to the point, revealing the shocking truth.
It shocked the troops to hear such wordsing from Zarukhar himself, but respecting his prestigious position, they did not make any noise at the time.
Zarukhar continued, It was General Zennings! He struck a deal with the enemy at the cost of our own lives! That son of a bitch chose to betray his own men to ensure his own survival! He started this war, and now he wants us to fight for him! He med us for everything! He treated us like scapegoats! Zarukhar said as his tone got louder.
Then he suddenly turned gloomy.
I know, things like this happen. It might be hard to believe, but it is the ugly truth. I had sent Second Lieutenant Hank to collect more evidence, but he was ambushed by that son of a bitch! The recon team can confirm that. Hank was my most trusted soldier. He was a true warrior, a good soldier! Such an ambush was not fair to him! Its an insult a soldier has to bear to his grave!
Zarukhar looked gloomier than ever. Even his eyes were all red.
The soldiers closer to him could see the tears shining in them.
Not wanting his troops to see him in this state, he turned around and signaled at the recon team soldiers who were standing to the side.
The leader of the recon team came up to the loudspeaker while the troops looked at the upset Major.
Yes, I can confirm that Second Lieutenant Hank was ambushed and assassinated. He was shot from behind, and his whole squad was taken out by a sniper, the team leader said.
In an instant, the troops raised their voices.
Everyone looked at each other in disbelief as rage started to fill the crowd.
Zarukhar captured the moment in his mind.
When all the soldiers were agitated, he turned around.
My soldiers, Hank was assassinated! The next one could be me, and then you! Or you! Because only when we, the first line of defence is eliminated, can that son of a bitch Zenningsplete his negotiation with the enemy! All he cares about is saving his own life!
Zarukhar looked at the surrounding troops as he raised his voice, I dont want this, because Im a soldier! I would rather die on the battlefield, sacrificing myself for the greater good, than bear an insult like this! Now, I will take the battle to that son of a bitch Zennings! Who is with me? Zarukhar shouted.
I am! I am!
I am! I am!
....
The soldiers were filled with rage after listening to Zarukhars propaganda.
Only the aide beside Zarukhar looked shocked and puzzled.
As Zarukhars aide de camp, he knew a little more than the others.
Things were not exactly as his superior had described them.
There was no mention of the jewelry, for example.
But before the aide could ask any questions or make a move, a gun was pointed to his head.
It was Zarukhar.
Bang!
He fired without a second thought.
The aide died, his eyes opened wide, but Zarukhar did not show any mercy or empathy.
The aide had known too much.
He was the spy that son of a bitch Zennings had nted in my office! But its toote, Hank is already...
Once again, Zarukhar put on a great performance.
The troops looked stunned, but soon their shock turned into even greater rage.
They looked at the dead aide in disgust.
My soldiers, its time for Zennings to pay! Justice will be served!
Justice!
Justice!
The crowds shouts broke the silent night.
Chapter 28: Bloody Night
Chapter 28: Bloody Night
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Zarukhars passionate speech had spread through the loudspeakers around the whole base. It had even been heard outside it.
Kieran, who was hiding outside the base in the shadows of the ruins, had heard everything.
Choosing the easy way and manipting the facts! That was Kierans opinion of the Major.
He had anticipated Zarukhars performance on the stage that had been set up for him.
As for General Zennings?
Kieran had seen a couple of soldiers leave the base quietly.
Their identity had been quite obvious.
Apparently, General Zennings had nted more than one mole in Zarukhars base.
Now he would be facing Zarukhars rebellion against him.
It was exactly what Kieran had wanted.
He wanted the two of them fighting against each other, so hed have the chance to take out both of them at the same time.
The sound of the tank engines inside the base was like thunder. Several soldiers boarded the military convoy trucks, their footsteps sounding like battle drums getting ready for war.
Zarukhars soldiers had began their march.
Tanks and convoys passed one after another.
Soon there were only three squads of soldiers left guarding the base.
Kieran looked at the almost deserted base with a pitiful look.
Were it not for the important tasks at hand, he wouldnt have passed up the opportunity to raid the camp.
After all, the base would definitely have stocks of supplies. Not just daily supplies, but also military supplies, tons of military weapons and protective gear. Kieran felt tempted just thinking about it.
However, he wasnt the kind of person to miss the forest for the trees, even though he might regret it down the road.
It was like when hed had to ditch the machine gun back in the ruins.
The machine gun plus the box of ammunition had been too heavy for him.
Even though his [Strength] and [Stamina] had both been increased by one level, he still could not carry the additional weapon plus the sniper rifle and the items on his own inventory.
Not unless he wanted to give up running and dashing.
But that was out of the question.
He took a deep breath and started running in the ruins shadows.
The rebel forces had almost disappeared from sight.
It would be difficult to chase them now.
Luckily, Kieran knew where they were headed.
Thanks to Colleens directions, Kieran already knew the location of every rebellion base.
Other than the base Major Zarukhar was stationed at and the base that his forces were heading toward, there were two more bases in the city, upied by the other high-ranking rebellion officers. They were stationed on the South and West side of the city respectively.
Zarukhars forces were heading towards the base in the heart of the city.
It was General Zennings camp: Times Square.
The two bases were not that far away from each other and they were even closer if one used shortcuts to get there.
By lurking and dashing through the ruins, Kieran had managed to reach Times Square before Zarukhars forces. He arrived early and started to look for a high vantage point.
When he found the right spot, he saw that it was already upied by someone else.
A mysterious man was crawling in the shadows holding a sniper rifle, aiming at the road while he looked down at the entire Times Square.
Kieran suddenly broke into a sweat.
If he hadnt used the shortcuts in the mysterious snipers blind spots, he would have definitely appeared under his scope.
Although the mans target had to be Zarukhar, he couldnt be sure that he would not take out anybody else who crossed his path.
If this vantage point was taken by the sniper, then what about the others?
When the thought popped up in Kierans head, he quickly shrank back into the shadows and took a good look at his surroundings.
He spotted at least four more snipers on standby.
Discovering this, he suddenly felt d that he had entered the [Undercover] mode before heading to Times Square. If he hadnt, he would have been shot into a griddle by now.
Times Square? More like Sniper Square! Kieran thought.
He looked at the snipers, not making any rush moves.
Although he was confident that he could take out the sniper in front of him, he couldnt be sure that he wouldnt be targeted by the rest. Only when the other snipers were fully distracted, only then could he make a move.
He would not have to wait very long for that chance.
Kieran knew very well who they were waiting for. Major Zarukhar.
It was obvious that General Zennings had received word of Zarukhars uprising and had set up a trap for him.
In the distance, the engine sounds of the vehicles were getting louder.
The convoy had already appeared.
The sniper quickly adjusted himself for the assassination. Before he could get into position though, a strong palm covered his mouth and dragged him backwards. There was suddenly the feeling of sharp pain on his neck.
Kieran let go of the body and checked the dead mans sniper rifle. It was the same [Viper-M1] as his, but itcked the two extra attributes. He was not keen on keeping it.
He pulled out his own and aimed downwards, maintaining a sense of vignce about his own surroundings.
He could not be sure whether Major Zarukhar would send his men to upy the high ground or not, but Kieran did not want to follow into the footsteps of the previous tenant of that spot.
.....
Your Excellency, Zarukhar is here!
The staff officer, who had been looking outside, had spotted the convoy arriving at Times Square. He turned around and reported it to the second person in the room.
His reverent and respectful attitude towards the man spoke volumes about who he was.
The stars on the mans shoulders revealed his prestigious ranking.
He was one of the Rebellion Generals, General Zennings.
The General looked younger than one would expect. His hair was pitch ck with just a couple of strands of grey hair, all neatlybed backwards.
His face was slightly chubby with reddish cheeks and an aura of brilliance, and he had a pair of sharp brown eyes that looked terrifying.
So did the centipede-like scars on his forehead.
Others would have instinctively turned their gaze away upon seeing his face.
Zennings was particrly terrifying when he was angry.
So he just cant wait, huh? Zenningsughed coldly.
His prestigious aura inbination with his sharp gaze made the staff officer freeze.
After Zennings had received the word from his mole, he had immediately thought that Zarukhar was nning to keep the bag of jewelry for himself and then me him for stealing it.
Although Zennings had no intention of splitting the jewelry with Zarukhar, that did not mean that he would forgive Zarukhars rebellious actions.
Howre the preparations going? Zennings turned and looked at his staff officer.
Everything is ready, Zarukhar will be defeated! the staff officer replied.
Zennings seemed satisfied with the answer. He took out a delicate box slowly and took a piece of cigar out of it.
The staff officer immediately came over with the cigar cutter. He cut the tip and lit the cigar, passing it to Zennings.
I like this Rump No.3 cigar. The cinnamon and leather scent remind me of the burnt smell of corpses annihted by bombs.
Zennings held the cigar in his mouth and sucked in a deep breath, letting out the thick smoke.
The smoke covered his sharp eyes and kind of twisted his intimidating face.
You know why? Zennings turned his eyes on his staff officer once again.
The man shivered. He didnt know how to reply.
The thing was, Zennings was not expecting an answer.
He sucked on his cigar again and said, Because standing in front of other peoples corpses reminds me that I am the WINNER!
Zennings stood up.
As he grew older, his strong, bulky body became stout but his powerful aura became even stronger. As he walked forward, he looked like a lion looking over his territory.
Zarukhar, on the other hand, looked weaker than ever.
When the convoy reached Times Square though, he did not fret or turn around.
He lifted his head up and marched forward.
Zennings raised his hand, signalling for the soldiers below him to prepare to fire and the snipers to get ready.
When he was about five steps away, Zarukhar halted and shouted to Zennings,General Zennings! We are here to serve justice!
Justice?
Zennings removed the cigar from his mouth, looking down at Zarukhar and the troops behind him with his sharp eyes.
Zarukhar thought it would be a smart move to march his troops there and threaten him?
If the troops thought that they could change his decision just because of their numbers, they were too naive.
Zenningsughed coldly out of the bottom of his heart.
He wanted Zarukhar and his troops to see the situation clearly.
You think-
Bang!
A gunshot was fired, interrupting Zennings words and blowing his head off..
Brain matter and blood sshed on Zarukhar.
What had just happened?
Zarukhar had not given orders to fire.
He was shocked and puzzled as he looked around.
Bang!
Another shot was fired just mere seconds after the first.
Zarukhars fate was the same as Zennings.
His headless body fell to the ground.
The troops on both sides were stunned, the whole Times Square was filled with an awkward silence.
The silencested for about two seconds.
REVENGE FOR THE MAJOR!
REVENGE FOR THE GENERAL!
Both sides assumed that it was the other side who had taken out their leader, and they shouted at each other at the same time.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang !
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
The next moment, gunshot and bombing sounds broke the silence of the night.
The fire of war devoured the whole Times Square in an instant.
Chapter 29: Escape from Death
Chapter 29: Escape from Death
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
[Shooting: Lethal Attack, Inflicts 100 Damage to Target HP, (50 Firearm (Light Firearm) (Basic) X2), Target dies...]
[Shooting: Lethal Attack, Inflicts 100 Damage to Target HP, (50 Firearm (Light Firearm) (Basic) X2), Target dies...]
[Rebellion General Zennings Eliminated, Main Mission progress altered, Game Rating increased to GREAT, Main Mission shortened by 3 days]
[Rebellion Major Zarukhar Eliminated, Main Mission progress altered, Game Rating increased to HIGH, Main Mission shortened by 1 day]
.....
Four notifications popped up simultaneously in Kierans line of vision .
Thest two shocked him.
He quickly opened up the Mission Window, and saw that the Main mission [Survive for 7 days: 2/7] had changed to [Survive for 3 days: 2 /3].
Kieran had not expected this.
It was messing up his original n. After taking out Zennings and Zarukhar, he had nned to slip unnoticed while the rebels were fighting each other and find those soldiers with a higher skill level than him and kill them to raise his own skill level.
He believed there would be a lot of soldiers with a higher skill level among them.
But now it had all gone south.
No, there is still time until the end of the day!
He quickly picked up his [Viper-M1] and started to look for targets.
Thats when he heard a sound directly below him.
Someone was there.
He had noticed in an instant.
Before, when he had taken out the sniper upying that spot, hed paid extra attention to his surroundings.
He had wanted to avoid sharing the same fate with the sniper he had killed.
Immediately, he adjusted the [Viper-M1] and aimed at the direction of the sound.
Directly beneath him stood a ck figure. He did not even need to aim before he fired.
Bang!
His entry level [Firearm (Light Firearm)] skill once again proved its usefulness and high uracy.
He and his target were only ten meters apart. Under the circumstances, he had the upper hand and had sealed the mans fate.
[Shooting: Lethal Attack, Inflicts 150 Damage to Target HP, (75 Firearm (Light Firearm) (Basic) X2), Target dies....]
......
[Sessfully eliminated enemy with Undercover (Entry) skill...]
[Skill: Undercover (Basic) -> (Entry) level]
[Name: Undercover (Entry)]
[Rted Attributes: Agility]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effects: Better use of shadows and hiding, harder for others to discover, increases hiding by 20%]
[Consumes: Stamina]
[Prerequisites: Agility F]
[Remarks: The fact that youre good at hiding does not mean youre invisible!]
....
[Skill: Undercover Skill Up, Rted Attributes Leveling Up...]
[Agility: F -> F+]
....
The familiar warm feeling flowed into his body again, knowledge being transferred to his brain while he adjusted to it.
Damn, am I lucky! Kieran thought to himself.
While he adjusted to the changes the new [Undercover] entry level had brought plus the knowledge entering in his mind, he realized that despite the extra attention to his surroundings, if another soldier appeared, he would still be on the passive side.
His passiveness would eventually lead to his death.
After getting familiar with the new [Undercover] level, he knew how scary it would be if he lost the upper hand.
Looking at the fallen headless body, he felt even more scared.
The man Kieran had just shot was definitely one of Zarukhars men.
Were it not for the sudden death of Zarukhar, the man would not have screamed out in surprise and gotten discovered by Kieran.
But before Kieran could catch his breath, voices sounded again beneath him.
Sniper on top!
The headless body had attracted unwanted attention, which was followed by a series of footsteps.
Kierans heart skipped a beat as the footsteps approached fast.
He quickly strapped both his own and the dead snipers [Viper-M1]s on his back, took out a [U-II] grenade and threw it down.
BOOM!
When the grenade exploded, Kieran rushed down with his [M1905] without hesitation.
He dared not stay in that spot any longer.
Even though it was a vantage point that oversaw the whole Times Square, there was nowhere for him to retreat if anything happened.
If he got cornered, there would be no escape for him.
Boom!
As Kieran left the vantage point, a rocket hit the very spot he had just upied.
The heatwave from the explosion pushed Kieran down, making him roll on the ground.
After a few rolls, he quickly jumped up and started running again.
He could see dozens of soldiersing after him.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Assault rifle bullets formed a cloud as they rained down on Kieran. He rolled away quickly, getting injured by the bullets getting in his path.
Boom!
He rolled towards the group and threw out another grenade.
The explosion killed dozens of soldiers, but it attracted even more attention from the other soldiers around the area. A nearby tank adjusted its cannon and aimed at Kieran.
He did not have time to think about his n anymore. His priority now was to stay the hell out of the tanks shooting range.
He dashed towards the obstacle-filled ruins.
Boom!
The tank fired its cannon.
Although he avoided the fire, the immense explosion sent Kieran flying to the ground once more.
Damn it! Kieran kept cursing silently
He had to ditch the extra [Viper-M1] and his backpack.
He knew that, under the circumstances, they would only be a burden to him. He would never be able to outrun the fire if he kept them.
Yet Kieran could not just leave them behind for the soldiers to find.
He pulled off another pin from a grenade and threw it onto his abandoned backpack.
Carrying only one [Viper-M1], Kierans speed increased tremendously, showcasing the full potential of F+ rank speed.
Kieran felt like thebination of a gymnast and a runner.
His reflexes were better and his speed had gotten faster.
Boom!
When he slipped into the shadows once more and entered the [Undercover] mode, the grenade he had set off exploded, igniting the other grenades in his backpack as well. The massive explosion caused severe damage to the soldiers.
Finally he had gotten rid of them.
It was the first time Kieran had experienced the terrifying human sea tactic.
If it had been a one on one battle, he believed that he could have taken the soldiers out one by one, or even two or three at a time.
But when those numbers were multiplied tenfold, he could not think of any other tactic except running away and hoping he would be fast enough.
After nearly escaping death by rockets and tank shots, he felt like he hade back from the edge of hell.
However, his heart sank every time he remembered that hed had to ditch his gear.
Still, he would have done it again if he had to.
Equipment was expendable, but his life was not.
He moved quickly into the shadows with no intention of returning to the battlefield.
Although the soldiers chasing him had been badly injured, he would have attracted even more attention and there would have been more soldiers looking for him. Going back there would have been suicide.
He had one more ce to visit though, and that was Zarukhars base.
Since his original n had been aborted due to unforeseen circumstances, hed had to form a new one to make up for it.
He had to get new equipment and supplies, and Zarukhars nearly empty base had immediatelye to mind.
He had liked the ce since he hadid eyes on it.
Other than three squads of men, the base was basically deserted.
If he was extremely careful and used his recently upgraded [Undercover] skill, he could definitely infiltrate the base without anyone finding out.
The weapons and equipment inside the base would not evenpare to the ones that he had just abandoned.
Just the thought of it was enough to get him excited.
Without a pause, he kept on running towards his destination.
......
A bright searchlight shedded light on the path and the blockage in front of the base.
The stuffed gunny sack with the two heavy machine guns scared away any unwanted visitors.
Kieran, however, had been attracted to the outpost of the base camp.
It was ten meters tall and there was a soldier on top of it holding a light machine gun. If he noticed anything suspicious or unusual, he would rain down bullets on the unexpected visitors.
On the outpost were also two heavy machine guns ready to obliterate anything trying to climb its walls.
The only way in was to attack with a rocketuncher or drive a tank past the wall.
Well, Kieran did not have a rocketuncher, nor did he know how to drive a tank, but his [Undercover] entry skill allowed him to enter the base more easily.
He took a detour around the ruins and reached the other side of the base. Using the shadows as a cover, he climbed up an abandoned houses beam and carefully looked inside the base.
The tents were lined up neatly.
Five teams of three were cross-patrolling the base. Anyone entering would be spotted immediately.
This must have been a school before the war! Kieran guessed as his eyes turned from the men patrolling the field and to the building behind the wall.
Thats when he spotted the empty field between him and the wall.
It was an unusual empty field.
It has to be andmine! he spected.
Chapter 30: Personal Favor
Chapter 30: Personal Favor
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Kieran did not know who the hell had set up the base defense.
It could have been Zarukhar or somebody else.
No matter who it was, the man had meant business. The machine guns, outpost and patrols all proved as much.
Although the base was short on manpower, all its defensive points were well-guarded.
All except the empty field before Kieran.
He could not believe that every other ce was guarded, except this one.
The only logical exnation was that it was a minefield.
No doubt a minefield would be the perfect defense.
It could deal maximum damage and serve as an rm for the soldiers inside the base.
Two birds with one stone.
Kieran thought of something as he looked at the empty field.
Hope this works!
Then he went ahead and activated his [Tracking] skill.
Instantly, the world around him changed.
His vision was split into three colors, white, red and ck. A trail of white footsteps appeared in front him.
The footsteps looked shallow, like ayer of dust ready to be blown away by the wind.
Kieran knew it was because they had been there too long.
It was terrifying how time could wash away things that were profound and make one forget about them.
Luckily, Kieran had gotten there in time to see the tracks.
A few more days and they would have been gone.
What was even better, Kieran had found a safe path. He could cross the field by following the footsteps.
He carefully followed them through the minefield.
By the time he had crossed it and reached the other side of the wall, sweat was covering his forehead.
Crossing a minefield was a hard test for Kierans mentality. Hed had to suppress his fear of being blown to pieces. He could not afford to take a wrong step.
That task had consumed a lot of his [Stamina].
It had only been a distance of ten meters, but it had consumed around half of Kierans enhanced 150 [Stamina].
Active skills sure are tiring!
While he looked at his half-empty [Stamina], he tried to catch his breath.
When his [Stamina] was fully recovered, he squatted down and then jumped high, clutching the edge of the wall with his hands and pushing himself up over the wall.
Swiftly and quietly, he jumped over the wall and rolled once again into the shadows.
He did all this in one breath.
It only proved how effective his enhanced body attributes and [Undercover] skill were.
Although it was only F to F+, he could deeply feel the changes it had brought.
He was stronger, faster, and had better stamina.
If he still was the way he had been when hed first entered the game, he could have pulled of that move, but definitely not in one breath. It would not have been possible for him back then.
He was quite happy with himself for oveing obstacles so easily.
It this is what the F+ rank is like, then what about the higher levels?
As he pondered the question, excitement rose up in his heart.
If this went on, he could very well be on his way to high stat attributes.
Then he realized the situation he was in and forced himself to calm down and solve the problem at hand.
He hid in the shadows and waited for his excitement to subside before he went forward with his n and headed towards the three-storey building. The building had originally been a school teachers office before it had been turned into a military office and storage area.
The searchlights from the outpost constantly shined towards the field, slowing down Kierans progression towards his goal.
After a few steps, he needed to stop and wait for the lights to go away. Only then did he continue.
Yet again, he felt d that he was entering the base while it was understaffed.
There were usually three searchlights, but only two were on while he was there.
If there had been more, there would have been no chance of him sneaking through the field unnoticed.
Of course, there were also the patrolling soldiers that were constantly walking around the area.
Despite theck of manpower, the soldiers really did their job well.
The patrolling men were Kierans main concern.
The soldiers were human and could not only see, but also smell and hear him.
Although the shadows might have hidden Kierans figure, they could not stop any sound that Kieran might make by ident.
Kieran moved carefully, trying his hardest not to make a sound.
It took him almost ten minutes to cross the distance between the wall and the entrance of the building. The entrance was guarded by two soldiers.
He had already chosen his entry point, a second-floor window.
The reason he had chosen this was because it was closer to him and the guards would not spot him. Plus, the window was already broken, making entering through it even easier.
Like a hare leaping before a falcon swoops down to capture it, he jumped on the edge of the first-floor window and climbed the beam connecting the first and second floor. He reached the window and entered the building quietly.
Both the first and the second floor were empty.
Although Kieran could not confirm what had happened there, he didnt need to switch to his [Tracking] mode to tell that there was dried blood on the floor. Its presence made him specte.
The blood stains must have been thick at first, but must have spread over a bigger surface over time.
This meant that this was not the blood of a single person. It must have taken dozens to cover a surface thatrge.
F*cking rebels! Kierans eyes filled with rage.
People were killed during wars, Kieran was not denying that.
But he couldnt deny how furious he was either.
Looking at the small tables and chairs, he couldnt help but picture the innocent children getting ughtered by the rebels. They must have felt helpless and afraid.
His ears moved as if he could hear their sorrow, and his eyes felt as if they could see the young lives being taken away.
Those children had been like him. Theyd had hopes and dreams for their lives.
However, they hadnt gotten the chance to realize them. They had been ughtered likembs.
They hadnt gotten a single chance.
The feeling caused so much pain in Kierans chest that he felt like he couldnt breathe.
He felt his long suppressed rage starting to explode.
A calm persons rage was not easy to handle.
He wanted to do something about his anger, and it so happened that there was something that he could do.
His harsh early life might have robbed Kieran of his kindness and mercy, but he would not be evil and merciless too.
He had been given help before, and it had helped him believe in himself.
Therefore, he was willing to help others too within his power.
Only within his power.
He looked at the dried blood stain, and then quickly turned around and left the ssroom. He opened the door and went out to confirm his destination.
It was easy to spot as there was a soldier keeping guard in front of the entrance.
That guard was the only soldier in the whole building.
Obviously, he was guarding something important.
Grabbing his dagger, Kieran approached his target quietly.
The corridor was narrow and it was only lit up by a small faint light.
That did not affect him though.
Quite the opposite, his [Undercover] skill plus the [Sharp Weapon (Dagger)] skill boosted his performance under the circumstances.
Like a leopard stalking its prey, he leapt toward the guard and pushed him down before the man could react. Then he covered his mouth and slit his throat.
[Stabbing: Lethal Attack, Inflicted 100 Damage to Target HP (50 Sharp weapon (Dagger)(Basic) X2), Target dies ...]
After confirming the guards death, Kieran noticed the lock on the door behind him and quickly search the dead guard for a key.
He found it.
A bunch of keys was hanging around the guards waist.
[Name: Storage Keys]
[Type: Keys]
[Rarity: Common]
[Attributes: None]
[Effects: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: No]
[Remarks: If you knew how to pick locks, you wouldnt be needing them!]
He turned the key in the right direction and the big, heavy lock opened.
Kieran pushed the door open and saw tons of boxes.
Unable to hold himself back, he quickly moved to one of them, smashed the lock with his dagger, and lifted the lid of the box.
Under the faint light of the corridor, he could see what was inside it.
It was a rocketuncher.
[Name: Tekken-II]
[Type: Rocket Launcher]
[Rarity: Common]
[Attack: Powerful]
[Rounds: 1]
[Attributes: None]
[Effects: None]
[Prerequisites: Firearm (Heavy Firearm (Basic)]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: It can prate armor etc. Provided that you have the right kind of explosive, that is.]
.....
He touched the rocketuncher and a notification popped up.
It was a pity that Kieran did not possess the [Firearm (Heavy Firearm)(Basic)] skill.
Although he could see the power of the weapon, he could not handle it as he wanted to.
He paused for a while, and then he turned around and opened another box.
[Name: HK-20]
[Type: Gun]
[Rarity: Common]
[Attack: Great]
[Rounds: 100]
[Attributes: None]
[Effects: None]
[Prerequisites: Firearm (Light Firearm (Basic)]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: You will need a massive number of 5.56 mm bullets to use it.]
......
Kierans eye brightened up. This gun he could use.
That, however, did not stop him from smashing the other boxes looking for more.
It was not enough for him. He needed more than that.
Chapter 31: Bloody Nightfire
Chapter 31: Bloody Nightfire
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The guards in the base were a little distracted.
Their attention was diverted by the loud explosion soundsing from one specific direction.
The direction where General Zennings base was.
Every single one of them knew what was happening over there, yet they still held onto a small thread of hope.
If Major Zarukhar could win this battle, then they would be able to survive and they wouldnt be treated as bargaining chips on a negotiation table.
Zarukhar had put up a good show. He had captured the hearts of the soldiers and none of them had doubted him for a moment.
Distracted as they were, the guards did not notice the ck shadow lurking between the third floor and the roof.
Not until...
Bang!
A gunshot was fired and the machine gunner at the outpost had his head blown off.
His headless body fell to ground from the ten-meter high tower.
INTRUDER! the patrolling guard shouted loudly.
Kieran fired two more shots, taking out the machine gunner behind the roadblocks.
The entry level [Firearm (Light Firearm)] skill allowed Kieran to continuously shoot his targets smoothly.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
After Kieran had taken out the three biggest threats, the guards below started to react to what was going on and fire back at him.
Kieran replied with a rain of bullets.
Then he pulled a side roll, left his sniping point and lifted up his gun.
Shooting a hundred rounds per minute, the [HK-20]s muzzle sh-fired at the guards below, instantly killing about five of them.
The patrol leader was shouting loudly.
A rocket flew towards him, faint white smoke trailing behind it. It had been fired from the top of the building. The patrol leader instantly gave up hope.
Watching his impending death descend upon him, he could not help but close his eyes.
Boom!
A rocket explosion was always bigger than a grenade explosion, no matter the power or the terrain.
However, the wide area did help Kieran, who did not even have to aim perfectly, just estimate the range of the shot.
A couple of guards hiding behind the tents were bombed to pieces. The rocket even took down several tents.
[Explosion: Inflicts 100 Damage to Target HP, Target dies...]
[Explosion: Inflicts 100 Damage to Target HP, Target dies...]
[Explosion: Inflicts 100 Damage to Target HP, Target dies...]
.....
Battle notifications spammed Kierans view one after the other.
This was just the beginning.
Now that he owned military weapons, he was not going to spare any expenses during the fight.
Kieran loaded another rocketuncher and lifted it on his shoulder.
Go repent your sins in hell! he shouted as he pulled the trigger.
Boom!
The rocketuncher disyed its destructive power once again.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Three more rounds of rockets.
The whole base was engulfed in mes and almost all the soldiers were burnt to a crisp.
Not all of them, though.
There were two more soldiers who were hiding at just the right angle to avoid Kierans wrath.
Kieran unloaded the [Tekken-II] from his shoulder and quickly loaded another one, aiming towards the steel door at the top of the building.
The soldiers wereing for Kieran and the locked steel door would not prevent them from knocking it down if they really meant business.
Soon Kieran heard footstepsing from the stairs. He imagined both soldiers rushing up towards him.
Bang!
A shot was fired, breaking the lock on the steel door.
At the same time, Kieran pulled the trigger on his rocketuncher. The rocket flew in a straight line towards the steel door.
The heatwave and fire caused by the explosion turned the soldiers into ashes.
[Explosion: Inflicts 100 Damage to Target HP, Target dies...]
[Explosion: Inflicts 100 Damage to Target HP, Target dies...]
After he read the notifications, Kieran started to gather the weapons on the roof.
Practically, Kieran could not have taken away all the weapons in Zarukhars armory, but he still knew how to pick the ones that would be easy to carry.
He found arge pack in one of the tents, and imed it for himself so he could carry the weapons.
Rocketuncher, light machine gun, grenades, ammunition...
He grabbed everything that could fit into the pack.
He was very fast. Everything was settled within two minutes.
When he strapped the pack on himself though, he couldnt help but feel how heavy the extra load made it.
Despite his upgraded attributes, it was still quite a lot of weight to carry.
That, however, did not stop him from bringing the weapons back.
It was his loot after all.
Kieran walked down from the third floor and exited the base.
He knew the explosions and mes shone bright, but no survivors or thugs would dare approach.
However, if the soldiers that were currently engaged fighting Zennings forces noticed that something was off, they would definitely head back to the base.
At the thought of the number of the soldiers and the terrifying tank, Kieran could not help but shiver.
He quickly hastened his steps.
The craters and holes created by the explosions slowed him down.
The once t, concrete ground had been blown into ruins, and there were still mes lingering around the area.
It all felt very familiar. It reminded him of the ce he was from.
Kieran had to make a detour to avoid the holes.
As for the burnt bodies inside them?
He had witnessed worse. He felt no fear anymore.
The fact that its bing a habit is kind of scary, heughed at himself while he jumped over a burnt body.
Suddenly the body moved !
It was not dead yet .
Kieran tried to dodge it, but the weight on him prevented him from doing so.
The burnt soldier was fuelled by his final survival instinct as he tried to drag Kieran down and kill him.
The mes were dancing under the crescent moon as a sharp dagger was lunged at Kierans abdomen.
Before the dagger couldnd on him though, Kieran felt an icy cold sensation.
If the dagger had stabbed him, his abdomen would have opened up and his intestines would have burst out of his virtual body, causing him to die.
He clenched his teeth and struggled to turn his body.
He did not want to die.
The newbie dungeon stage was finallying to an end and he was fully loaded with loot.
Kieran was not prepared to die just yet. His heart would not allow it.
This unwillingness became his fountain of hope amid his despair and allowed Kieran to twist his body around and avoid what would have an unavoidable hit.
Despite Kierans sudden change of position, the zombie-like soldier did not stop. He just lunged forward with all his remaining might.
Kierans slight turn had exposed the side of his waist to the soldier.
The iing dagger was about to pierce through his skin and tear his kidney apart.
Arrrghhh!
The soldier let out a death call for Kieran and himself.
He knew very well that the damage to his body was too severe for him to make it.
If he could drag Kieran down to hell with him though, it would all be worth it.
This single thought turned into motivation. His motivation and Kierans unwillingness to die came to a standstill.
It felt like time had stopped for the two of them.
A clear sound came from the dagger near Kierans waist area.
The dying soldiers eyes turned nk.
He did not know what had happened.
How could a sharp dagger be stopped by flesh?
The soldiers gaze was vacant.
After thatst strike, his life was reaching its end.
Arrrrrhhh!
The soldier let out a disappointed shout and moved his hand slightly.
This time, the tip of the dagger pierced Kieran and entered his body.
The nk-eyed soldier looked at his sessful hit, satisfied with his achievement.
Still, he could not escape his ultimate fate.
Kieran unloaded his backpack and retreat quickly, avoiding the iing attack and punching the soldiers temple hard, robbing him of hisst breath.
[Punching: Lethal Attack, Inflicts 6 Damage to Targets HP, (3 Combat (Basic) X2), Target dies...]
[Stabbing: Inflicts 35 Damage to your HP, Bleeding Status...]
After Kieran had confirmed his kill, he held his shirt up and checked his wound.
It was about ten centimeters long and blood kept gushing out as he moved.
Just below the wound was his [M1905].
The dead soldiersst attack hadnded on its handle.
The sudden move of the soldier had not allowed Kieran to evade him, but hed thought of the [M1905] on his waist.
Although it was a weapon, that did not mean that it could not be used as defensive equipment as well.
Especially in a desperate situation like this one.
Kieran had struggled to turn his body so he could use the [M1095] as a shield.
Although it had worked, he had still gotten hurt.
He survived though.
He looked at the dead soldier again, and made himselfmit this incident to memory.
This was a life-changing moment for Kieran.
If you lose your grip, youll get hit, huh? Well, lets hope Maggie is as good at bandaging wounds as she said! he mumbled to himself.
After covering up his wound and lightening his backpack, he headed back towards the hideout where Colleen and Maggie were waiting.
Although it was a pity, he knew he could not carry the full weight of the pack while he was wounded. The trip back might cost him his life.
He had escaped death once again.
He did not want to stare the Grim Reaper in the eyes again anytime soon.
Chapter 32: Overdue Peace
Chapter 32: Overdue Peace
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The gunshots, explosions and bombing sounds in the distance caused Maggies face to turn pale. She unconsciously went near Colleen and clutched her arm tightly, seekingfort.
Dont worry, its gonna be okay, Colleenforted her.
She kept her opinion of Maggies naivety to herself.
Her beliefs did not stop her from providingfort to her peers when they needed it.
Or should it befort to herself instead?
The concentrated gunshots and explosions were a scene Colleen had forgotten for almost three months. Shed only experienced it during the upation of the city by the rebels.
But now the terror was back once again.
Something very serious must have happened.
Colleens heart skipped a beat as she thought of Kieran.
His odds of getting into danger must have skyrocketed under the circumstances
Such a worrisome fellow! Colleen thought to herself silently.
A sudden knock on the door startled her. She held her gun tightly as she asked in rm, Who is it?
Its me, Colleen!
The familiar voice filled Colleen with surprise and joy.
Kieran! she said loudly as she opened the underground storage door.
Kieran fell through the entrance under the weight of a big backpack.
Colleen rushed to hug him, but instead she was pushed to the ground by the immense weight of it too.
Whats going on Kieran?
With Maggies help, they lifted Kieran up and noticed the wound on his waist. There was blood all over his body. It was hard to look at.
Youre hurt! Colleen looked shocked as she yelled for Maggie loudly, Maggie! Kieran needs your help!
Colleen remembered that Maggie had been a nurse, or at least an apprentice.
Its okay, Colleen. Help me bring some cans and water over, will you?
Kieran looked at the anxious Colleen. He smiled and tried tofort her, but his smile looked weak.
As a matter of fact it was.
His full HP of 150 was now a little less than 30.
As the bleeding continued, it kept getting lower.
Right away!
The ever anxious, panicked Colleen answered Kierans request and quickly went over to the storage area and grabbed the supplies.
Kieran looked at Maggie again and said, I need your nursing abilities. If you could fix me up and teach me at the same time, that would be perfect!
Oh... Of course!
If Colleen was in panic, then Maggie had totally lost it.
She kept bandaging Kieran the wrong way and the way she exined her treatment method wasnt making any sense. He could tell how terrified she was.
She still got the job done, though.
Kierans wound stopped bleeding, and after he ate the food Colleen had brought over, his HP started recovering at a steady pace.
Of course, Maggies mini lesson had helped as well with a little something extra.
[Name: Medical Treatment (Basic)]
[Rted Attributes: None]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effects: Better use of bandages and gauze, increases recovery rate by 10%]
[Consumes: Stamina]
[Prerequisites: None]
[Remarks: Bandage; your best friend when youre bleeding!]
.....
[Name: Medical and Medicinal Knowledge (Basic)]
[Rted Attributes: None]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effects: Better understanding of how to differentiate, use and mix the medicine at hand, increases medicine effect by 10%]
[Consumes: Nothing]
[Prerequisites: None]
[Remarks: Its either a healing potion or a killing poison!]
....
Kieran had not thought there would be two skills to learn from Maggie until he saw the system notification.
Although both skills were not attribute-rted, and could not be upgraded to enhance his attributes, they were still useful.
The second one more so.
Healing potion or killing poison, huh?
It would be an idiot for Kieran not getting the idea of it.
Ideas started forming in Kierans mind.
When he noticed Colleens angry eyes, he pushed them away for a moment.
I can exin!
Colleen seemed worried about him, so Kieran put up his hands with a wry smile.
Im listening!
Kieran grabbed her shoulders as she sat down in front of him.
Noticing the look she was giving him, Kieran chose to be honest with her.
The deal with Zarukhar, killing Rebellion General Zennings, getting back to Zarukhars base, getting ambushed by a half-dead soldier and getting hurt, Kieran told her everything. He frowned a little when he mentioned the incident that had resulted in his injury, because he could have avoided that.
He got a little cocky when he talked about raiding the armory in Zarukhars base though.
He did not think that anyone could have survived that st.
Hed gotten his lesson, that was for sure.
If it was not for his F+ [Constitution], the 150 HP, and the handgun on his waist that had acted as a shield, he would have bitten the dust already.
Kieran spilled everything slowly.
He didnt even hide the part where hed gotten hurt, even though it made him embarrassed to admit it.
You...
When Kieran finished his story, Colleen stared at him with wide eyes. She could not have imagined that the war tonight had been caused by the guy in front of her.
Maggie looked lost as well. She was so shocked, she couldnt even talk or think. She just sat there staring at Kieran nkly.
The Government Forces will enter the city in the morning. Then there will be peace. Well, its long overdue anyway ! Kieran said while he struggled to pack everything including, but not limited to, the stuff hed gotten from Zarukhars armory.
He had only five minutes left in the dungeon.
[yer will leave the Newbie Dungeon after 5 minutes...]
[Please carry any items that you wish to keep!]
[Remarks: Any items that exceed the inventory space will be automatically discarded!]
.....
Carry what I wish to keep? Exceeding items will be discarded?
Looking at the notification, Kieran could not help but curse.
His logic told him that he needed to hurry up.
If he could only bring what he could carry, then he had to mend his half-healed body fast.
He felt like cutting his own flesh again.
None of the items in his inventory had been given to him. Hed risked his life to get every single one of them.
F*cking sh*t!
He decided to bring the [Viper-M1] and two [Tekken-II] rocketunchers. He looked at all the equipment that he had to leave behind, including the [HK-20] light machine gun, which hed carried back while he was wounded. He cursed quietly.
Kierans packing caught Colleens attention.
Are you leaving?
Colleen grabbed Kierans sleeve and stared deeply into Kierans eyes.
Her action made Kieran stop.
He had to say something, but he could note up with anything.
He was grateful for Colleens help.
If it had not been for her, Kieran would have faced a much worse situation and certainly would not have collected as many rewards.
He could not reveal too much to her though.
Especially when Colleens action had expressed her feelings for him.
No matter how slow Kieran was, the moment Colleen had grabbed his sleeve, he knew how she felt about him.
Kieran could not return that feeling.
Their identities had already determined their fate.
He could not tell Colleen that this was just a high-realism game and that she was only an NPC, a Newbie Instructor type of character.
He could not say it.
You might not be merciful, but please treat others with kindness and do not destroy their happiness.
That was his life motto.
Kieran knew very well what happiness meant for Colleen, and he had not just been kind to her, hed shown her a lot more empathy and mercy than he was prone to.
Still, he did not know what to do.
He remained silent. He could only reply with a stare of his own.
In the end, Colleen let go of him.
What do you need? Ill help you! she said.
Thank you, Kieran replied.
Chapter 33: Chance
Chapter 33: Chance
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Five minutes passed in the blink of an eye.
Kieran did not say, See you.
He knew he would never be able to set foot inside this newbie dungeon again.
He just carried the [Viper-M1], the two [Tekken-II] rocketunchers and the rest of his stuff, and made his effort to raised his right hand, bidding farewell to Colleen and Maggie.
Both girls raised their hands too to send Kieran off.
Colleen looked like she wanted to say something.
Her mouth opened, but before Kieran could hear what she had to say, the blinding light he had seen when hed first entered the dungeon appeared in front of him again. He could not help but cover his eyes with his hands.
The loss of gravity that followed made him feel dizzy for a while.
When everything was back to normal again, he found himself in a storage-like tin-ted room covered in dust and webs.
The word old could not fully describe the room.
The only thing worth mentioning was its huge size. It was big enough for five buses to drive through and ten buses to park there.
Is this the game lobby?
Kieran looked around, uncertain of his location.
It was certainly not what he had expected.
It did not look anything like the other games, whose lobbies were decorated with all kinds of fancy decorations. Couldnt this lobby at least be a little cleaner?
Kieran looked down at the footprints formed in the dust, frowning.
He quickly focused back on the loot he had brought with him, checking his backpack and his belongings.
The [Viper-M1] and two [Tekken-II]s were still intact, but other supplies such as the [U-II] grenade, the magazines for the [M1905], and food and water had mostly been lost on the way there.
Still couldnt get through, huh?
With Colleens help, hed maximized the weight he could carry, to the point that he was barely able to stand under it.
Kieran had hoped hed be lucky, but obviously most of it had been considered extra weight and had automatically been discarded.
Lucky indeed!
Kieran looked at the [Viper-M1] and the two [Tekken-II]. He was relieved.
If he had lost those weapons, he would have been as good as dead.
Kieran had thought of this scenario. He had imagined that he might have to discard other items and keep just those two.
He had not known what his maximum carrying weight would be, and he had pushed his luck, figuring that he might be able to carry it all.
If Kieran had been given a hundred kilos of stones, he would definitely have passed.
But if he was given a hundred kilos of union coins, not only would he carry it, he would run faster than anyone with them.
To Kieran, his fortune was his life.
I need to find a ce to store my equipment! he thought to himself.
Boom!
An explosion came from outside the room and interrupted his thoughts. Instinctively, he picked up the [Viper-M1] and aimed towards the entrance.
The door appeared to be sealed tight.
ording to his spections, the other side of the door, where the explosion had taken ce, was also sealed tight.
Before the explosion had even subsided, a second one was heard. Just like falling dominoes, explosions kept happening.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
He suspected that the continuous explosions were taking ce around the room.
Although the room looked old and battered, it had not moved an inch.
What the...?
Kieran started to specte about what was going on.
Thats when a line of words appeared in front of him.
[War has broken out between the Steam City and the Iron Chariots. yers, please do not leave your room unless you want to get caught in the crossfire!]
A guild war?
Kieran was stunned.
He had had encountered such events before during his cksmithing days, so he was not a stranger to this.
He just hadnt thought that he would stumble upon something like that.
The words had not stopped though just because Kieran had gotten distracted.
They kepting, one after the other.
[Newbie Dungeon: War-Ridden City]
[Dungeon Type: Open World]
[Main Mission: Survive for 3 days]
[Mission Completed: 100% (Awarded Rating: F)]
[Secondary Mission (Optional): Aid civilians until the war ends. Each civilian helped can provide you with a higher rating.]
[Mission Completed: 200% (Saved Colleen and Maggie, Ratings: F -> E)]
[Battle Performance: Vigorously Active, (Rating: E-> D)]
[Exploration Performance: Average (No rating avable)]
[Special Rating 1: Assassinated Rebellion Major Zarukhar (Rating: D -> C)]
[Special Rating 2: Assassinated Rebellion General Zennings (Rating: C-> A)]
[Newbie Dungeon Advantage: Ratings were boosted by 1 level]
[Final yer Rating: S]
[Calcting yer Newbie Dungeon Loot...]
[Final Newbie Dungeon Loot is as follows...]
[Points: 3000, Skill Points: 3: Gold Skill Points: 1]
[yer is not hurt, no medical treatment needed]
.....
3000 points? 3 Skill Points? 1 Gold Skill Point?
Kieran kept looking at his final rewards. Although he could not determine what the value of those skill points was without any point of reference, by the looks of it, an [S] rating was supposedly the best reward he could have achieved.
[Completing Newbie Dungeon, opening channel...]
While Kieran was looking at his skill points reward, a mechanical sound was heard from somewhere in the room.
Following it, Kieran looked at the wall the door was at. An LED screen had been revealed, changing the original tin-ted wall.
The screen remained ck for a short while before it suddenly disyed three options written in bold writing.
Shop, Forum and Dungeon.
As Kieran focused on the options, descriptions of them followed.
[Shop: Sells all kinds of raw materials, bullets, basic weapons, protective gear, medicine, etc. Provides yer with skill leveling services.]
[Forum: A ce where yers meet up tomunicate and trade.]
[Dungeon: Single yer, Team Dungeon World.]
[Tip 1: In the Single yer Dungeon, cooldown time is 1 week per entry. No matter how long that takes, it equals to 1 hour in real life]
[Tip 2: Team Dungeon (At least 2 yers), cooldown time is 1 month per entry]
[Tip 3: You have to enter the Single yer Dungeon or Team Dungeon at least once every 3 months. Those who do not enter, will be disqualified and considered dead in the game.]
Kieran went through the details and stopped at the [Dungeon] part. He looked at it for quite some time, shock evident in his eyes.
It was not the dungeon time or the cooldown time that concerned him. He had already experienced those in other VRMMORPGs.
What was unexpected was the requirement to enter the dungeon at least once every three months unless he wanted to be considered dead in the game.
If I remove the VR helmetpletely, will I just be considered dead in the game, or will I die in real life as well?
He frowned as he tried to figure out the situation.
He could not reach a conclusion.
Ive still got a long way to go until I earn enough for my medical fees. Its useless to think about this now!
He mocked himself with augh.
Then he quickly started to surf the [Shop] and [Forum] options.
He took careful note of the points value and the price of different kinds of equipment.
He still had not forgotten his main objective for entering the game, which was to earn money.
The surfing turned out to be time consuming.
He spent around two hours and by the end of that time, he had only roughly gone through the contents.
First, he checked out the points.
Within the forum, there were yers who offered about twenty to thirty union coins for each point.
Sellers were hard to find though.
Obviously the price was exceptionally low.
That was good news for Kieran.
It meant that, after clearing the Newbie Dungeon, he had earned at least 60K to 90K union coins. That was almost twice the amount he had earned for three years of work.
Then there was the [Shop].
As the description stated, it only sold raw materials and other kinds of basic equipment. The most powerful equipment, including skill books and storage equipment, was nowhere to be found.
At the thought of skill books, Kieran felt embarrassed. He had already earned a good sum of rewards from the newbie dungeon, but everything was very costly.
It cost 1000 points and 1 skill point to go from the entry level [Firearm (Light Firearm)] skill up to the next level, which was called Master.
It also cost 1500 points plus 1 skill point to go from the entry level [Undercover] skill up to the respective Master level.
Although it did not require skill points for other basic skills to reach the entry level, it was still expensive. It cost around 200 to 800, depending on the skill.
The most expensive one was [Tracking].
The rest cost about 200 points.
Basically, If Kieran wanted to level up his [Firearm (Light Firearm)] and [Undercover] skills, the remaining points would be enough for him to level up two more skills, excluding [Tracking]. His other option would be to visit the [Shop] and buy a full set of equipment, including weapons, defensive gear, medicine, etc. Each set cost about 500 points. The offer was ced among the top selections on the first page of the [Shop] menu.
The full set equipment included a handgun, a dagger, two gun magazines, head to toe protective gear, and medicine, including three rolls of High Quality Bandages. The ETC included a water bottle, cigarettes and lighter. Kieran would not buy it though.
He had better equipment and gear.
Plus, based on his experience during his cksmithing days, the cheapest way to obtain gear was through the game itself.
Low-level equipment was always sold among the yers, and it was always cheaper than in the game shop.
Kieran looked around at the [Forum] section, and confirmed that he was right.
Compared to the [Shop], a full set of gear there was sold only for 400 points.
Without the weapons, it only cost 300 points.
It could go as cheap as 200 points by taking away the medicine. That was the cheapest one he could find.
While he silently looked at the ever-inting prices of weapons and medicine, his eyes shined.
Afterall, he had brought over two [Tekken-II] rocketunchers.
Chapter 34: Trade
Chapter 34: Trade
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Kieran was prepared to sell both his [Tekken-II] rocketunchers.
He did not have the required skills to use them and could not maximize their power unless he fired blindly like he had at Zarukhars base. In any other case, the sniper rifle would be much more effective.
Plus, considering the weight of the [Tekken-II], even with his minor attribute enhancement, if he carried both the sniper rifle and one of the rocketunchers, he would not be able to walk as fast. With his current strength and agility, he could not do it. After countless battles, he had finally recognized the importance of agility during a fight.
The most important reason for selling them though, was ammunition price on the market. A standard rocket that could fit every model of rocketuncher was selling for 500 points in the [Shop].
When he looked at the price, he hesitated.
At the same time, he had made his decision. He could not afford such a price for a reload.
He might not want to admit it, but his [S] rating had not provided him with a very rich reward.
After all, the rockets that he had fired at Zarukhars base had both been worth around three [S] ratings.
Is it because of the newbie dungeon?
Kieran checked his notifications once again. It was written there clearly. Final Newbie Dungeon yer Loot is as follows.
It made him wonder even more.
His attention was diverted when he looked at the trades going on in the [Forum].
A rarity [Damaged], attack [Common] handgun cost around 90 to 110 points among the yers. The price varied because there was a side offer that included two fully-loaded magazines.
A rarity [Damaged], attack [Common] assault rifle cost around 300 points, not including any magazines.
A [U-II]-like grenade cost around 300 points.
All trades in the [Forum] were mostly like that.
While he browsed, he would sometimese across a handgun with a [Precise Shooting Lvl 1] attribute, sold at 1000 points. Before he could inspect it any further though, the gun would quickly get sold.
It seemed like yers were more keen on buying weapons with [Attributes].
That boosted his confidence about his uing n.
After all, the [Tekken-II]s that he was nning on selling both had attributes.
Because of the weight restriction, he had chosen the best weapons in Zarukhars base.
[Name: Tekken -II]
[Type: Rocket Launcher]
[Rarity: Minted]
[Attack: Powerful]
[Rounds: 1]
[Attributes: Burn Damage Lvl 1]
[Effects: None]
[Prerequisites: Firearm Weapon (Heavy Firearm) (Basic)]
[Remarks: It can prate armor etc. Provided that you have the right kind of explosive, that is.]
....
Maybe it was because they were made from the same factory, but both the [Tekken-II] rocketunchers had the same attributes.
Their value would be really high.
The [Forum] trade consists mostly of high attack firearms. Swords and daggers are quite rare. Until now, Ive only seen regr daggers, swords and knifes, nothing special. The equipment is also standard protective gear and bulletproof vests. Nothing much there, either.
Kieran looked at the variety of items on the list while he thought to himself.
He came up with a general idea.
The early game yers must have entered the game with big firearms.
Of course, there was the possibility thatter game yers had been excluded as well.
After all, there had been three hundred survivors during the beta test, and that had been about a year ago.
Even if the survivors had entered the dungeon with minimum quota, until the time Kieran had started, they would have already cleared at least four dungeons.
If they were more dedicated yers, then that number would be even higher.
A yer who had been through eight dungeons would definitely not choose the standard equipment on the list.
Theyd go for the more powerful weapons.
While Kieran was browsing through the [Shop], he noticed something. Although stronger weapons were nowhere to be found, all types of magazines were sold.
Kieran looked at the special rounds that were avable, and realized that there had to be more higher-end weapons than those.
It was the end-game yers that Kieran wanted to trade with.
Not only because they had more money, but because they also had a better understanding of the game.
Kieran would dly give them a discount in exchange for some information about the game itself.
That was provided that he could find such a yer in the first ce.
With that thought in mind, Kieran quickly made his move.
yer entering the Forum Trade for the first time. Would you like to choose a nickname? the mechanical voice asked.
Yes! Kieran replied as he nodded.
He randomly chose the nickname 2567.
It did not hold any meaning, it was just a random number.
It had been the same when hed worked for the cksmith.
Nickname 2567 epted! Please ce the items that you wish to trade on the trading tform and set a price!
When the mechanical voice faded away, a square tform appeared in front of Kieran.
He ced one of the [Tekken-II]s on the tform. Instantly, the rocketuncher became datafied. Kieran was not surprised. He was inside a game after all.
If he was surprised by anything, it was by the games realism.
A form and a pen appeared on the tform.
Kieran picked up the pen and wrote down a price for the [Tekken-II]
10,000 Points, 5 Skill Points.
The [Shop] buying price for the rocketuncher was 3000 points and 1 skill point. Kierans price was far from that, but if hed believed the [Shop] buying price, he would have been an idiot.
Every yer knew the game [Shop] buying prices were always half the original prices, sometimes even lower.
He would need a high enough price to attract the end-game yers.
He was not afraid that the expensive price would scare away other buyers.
yers who really wanted the rocketuncher would private message him.
Kieran ced the filled-in form on the tform again. It was datafied together with the [Tekken-II] before it disappeared.
Inside the yers [Forum], a new thread had been created.
Kieran logged out of the game.
He knew that it would take time to achieve the ideal price.
It would not be too long or too short a time, but it would be enough for him take care of his own business in real life.
.....
When he came out of the bathroom, the fast food had already been soaked in hot water and was ready to be eaten.
Kieran didnt mind the taste.
Hed had to eat that kind of fast food every day for the past three years. His tongue had be immune to it.
As long as it could fill his stomach, that was enough for him.
His financial status did not allow him to waste anything.
A box of fast food cost 3 Union Coins, which for Kieran was already expensive, despite the discount.
As an underage orphan, he had a free welfare home to stay in and any daily supplies he bought were heavily discounted.
Especially food, which he bought at almost half the price.
Although Kieran wanted to keep getting free stuff, he knew that was not possible.
As a matter of fact, welfare came with a price.
Kieran would have to enlist at the Union Government Army Force for eighteen months when he turned of age.
He did not mind that. If it had not been for that policy, he would have died long ago.
He finished hisst mouthful of his soup, leaving no leftovers.
Although it was bad, he would never waste any food.
After he cleaned up and threw away the trash, he lied down on his bed and put on the VR helmet again.
....
The scene before his eyes changed in an instant.
Before he realized it, he was already back in the huge empty storage room. There was still nothing around, other than the four walls and lots of rusted iron.
Kieran moved towards the LED screen and opened up the [Forum]. He entered the thread where he was selling the [Tekken-II] and checked thements.
Notifications started beeping rapidly one after the other.
His mailbox kept blinking, but he was in no hurry to reply. He turned his attention towards thements from the other yers.
....
1: OMG! A Rocket Launcher!
2: Seller has to be crazy!
3: Thementer above me is stupid.
4: I offer 2,000 points, pls PM me!
5: Hes trying to scam u! I offer 2,500 Points!
6: I am a guild officer from Steam City. Give me the [Tekken-II], and I will let you join the guild!
7: Iron Chariots say thementer above is fake!
8: Without the rted skill, no yer can manage such firepower!
9: Sorry to ask, but whats a skill point?
10: Thementer above me is a noob!
.....
Almost two hundred meaninglessments flooded the thread.
There were some though that were worth looking at.
At the end of thement section, someone nicknamed Lawless was offering 5,000 Points and 2 skill points to purchase the [Tekken-II].
It was the highest price that Kieran hade across.
A new yer? Or is it an end-game yer?
He would guess thetter.
If he had been a new yer, he would not have had the money to purchase that kind of arsenal. If hed achieved an [S] rating as well, his reward would only have been 3000 points. Unless he had gotten a higher rating. Still, the reward points would not have spiked that high. He would have earned 5,000 to 6,000 points at the most, and given the circumstances, only a handful of yers would be willing to fork out 5,000 points to buy the [Tekken-II]. Maybe not even that many.
Kieran would not have spent almost all his rewards on just one weapon and one without ammunition at that. Ammunition was sold separately.
After going through all thements, Kieran opened his mailbox, where the yers had PMed him.
However, just like thement section, most of it was worthless, rude messages, including friend requests and people asking for real life pictures.
Kieran deleted the messages right away, keeping only those that looked potentially useful.
Once again, he saw the nickname Lawless appear inside his filtered mailbox.
This time, he was offering an even higher price for the rocketuncher.
6,000 Points and 2 skill points.
It surprised Kieran, who thought he had already set the price sky high.
Chapter 35: Surprise
Chapter 35: Surprise
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Lawless had surprised Kieran with his offer once again.
Let alone that the price he was offering was near Kierans ideal price. The fact that he had made such a high offer to begin with already deserved Kierans attention.
He was the only one with a direct price offer in a message. All the other messages were just bullshit and scammers trying to trick him.
It seemed like the sky-high price Kieran had set had attracted some of the end-game yers, who were offering low prices for the items.
They would dly scam Kieran if they could. Kieran had experienced this in real life more than once.
However, this Lawless guy seemed different. The fact that he had made two offers one after the other clearly meant that he was so desperate to buy the [Tekken-II], he did not even mind giving Kieran the freedom of choice.
It seemed like he was not a very bright person.
If Kieran had been a professional businessman, he would have tried to get more benefits or extra items out of the deal.
Although he was nowhere near a businessman, he was in control of the price, so he could ask for more, or even get better deal out of it.
After some thought, he replied to the private message.
.....
2567: U there?
Lawless: 10K points and 5 SP is really expensive!
2567: Its not expensive at all!
Lawless: It really is bro, the Tekken-II has a Powerful attack, but it can only be fired once! If u cant one hit KO others, u still need other methods to follow up! The shop is selling the reloads for 500 points per round! Its like burning money!
.....
He was stating the truth, but this was no reason for Kieran to lower his price.
Reading between the lines, Kieran could sense that Lawless was in desperate need of the [Tekken-II].
Did he really need it that much?
Was it some kind of monster that he was facing, or some other problem that needed to be solved aggressively?
None of this was Kierans concern though. All he knew was that Lawless was not being sincere enough, and that he could probably get more things out of this.
Kieran collected his thoughts and prepared to type back.
An item you have registered, [Tekken-II], has been sold. You have acquired 10,000 Points and 5 Skill Points!
The mechanical voice sounded after a beep.
Kieran was totally stunned by the information.
Suddenly, he grinned widely.
It had been aplete surprise.
He never would have thought that the [Tekken-II] would be sold at such a ridiculous price.
Kieran was very clear on the fact that the optimum price for the [Tekken-II] would have been around 7,000 to 8,000 points and 2 to 3 skill points.
He was not entirely sure about the skill points as he was still new to the game.
They were required to level up all skills to [Master] though, so they had to be worth a lot.
At least more than in points.
He had never imagined that the [Tekken-II] would be sold when hed set such a sky-high price.
Unless someone needed it for emergency use.
For something even more urgent than Lawlesss problem.
Kieran remembered that there was a guild war going on.
The Steam City against the Iron Chariots.
Individual yers and guild yers were twopletely different concepts.
To an individual yer, such a price would be ridiculous, but to a guild yer, it would be just a little expensive.
One could never underestimate the power of unity.
Unity was the true path to bing stronger.
It was just like Kieran fighting against a couple dozens of soldiers in the newbie dungeon. He had been able to take them out one after the other in one-on-one fights, but when the soldiers hade all together at once, hed had to abandon the fight and run.
So how fierce exactly has this guild war gotten? Kieran mumbled.
Although he could hear explosions from time to time, he had not thought that the battle would be that heated.
Guild wars could break out with the slightest spark. Small quarrels among guilds could ignite a full-scale war in no time.
After the fury had subsided though, everything returned to normal once again.
Kieran had experienced this during his cksmithing days. Most guild wars ended abruptly.
Unless there was something that one of the sides could not leave behind.
That something could include turf, equipment, fame, or women.
Thetter being the most tremendously powerful and unpredictable one.
It was either the Steam City or the Iron Chariots. One of the guilds had bought the [Tekken-II] rocketuncher without even looking at the price. It seemed like neither of them wanted to give up on the war.
The [Tekken-II] rocketuncher would be a game changer for anyone in the guild who got their hands on it. The other side though would take a hard hit from it.
But what if, during such desperate times, another [Tekken-II] were to appear on the market?
Kieran looked at the remaining rocketuncher and his eyes shined.
He could literally see thousand of points and skill points waving at him.
Once one of the two guilds had been hurt, Kieran would increase his asking price. They would not mind it either.
He squinted his eyes and his smile became even wider.
The message tab was blinking. Lawless had contacted him again.
.....
Lawless: ...
Lawless: The guilds are jacking up the prices, nothing a lone wolf can do!
.....
His message carried a little dissatisfaction, but mostly self-mockery.
Lawless knew who had bought the [Tekken-II] as well.
Kieran read the message and smiled. He took a screenshot of the remaining [Tekken-II] and send it over to Lawless.
.....
Lawless: U have another one?
Lawless: Or is it a picture of the one u sold?
.....
At first, he was surprised by the doubt in his tone.
But it was to be expected. Kieran was not frustrated at all. He directly opened up a trade window with Lawless and showed him the [Tekken-II].
Immediately, his PM tab was spammed with messages.
.....
Lawless: OMG Bro! Did U rob an armory or what!?
Lawless: What else do u have?
Lawless: Let me see!
Lawless: Ill give u a fair price!
.....
He received ten consecutive messages.
.....
2567: 15,000 Points, 8 Skill Points
.....
When Kieran replied, Lawless went silent.
It took him a while to answer.
.....
Lawless: Bro, how could u be so evil, it was 10K points and 5 SP just now, u hiked the price up too high!
2567: U said it was high before too.
2567: I bet someone will buy it soon, even at this price.
.....
There was silence again after Kieran listed his price.
If Lawless had been able to guess who had bought the first [Tekken-II], then he could also guess what would happen next as well.
Given some time, the new price would be able to sell as well.
After a short silence, Lawless replied again.
.....
Lawless: I need it urgently, can I trade it with other stuff?
.....
Kieran looked at the reply and smiled again. He replied quickly.
.....
2567: We could barter, or even trade with valuable information.
.....
After typing those words, Kieran waited patiently for Lawlesss reply.
He knew in his gut that the other [Tekken-II] could get sold for a higher price, but he still kept chatting with Lawless because he was interested in getting better items and information.
If he wasnt, Kieran would have just waited patiently for the rocketuncher to get sold.
It took about five minutes for Lawless to reply.
.....
Lawless: I dont have any valuable information right now.
Lawless: But I have a blueprint!
[Name: Basic Medicine Crafting tform Blueprint]
[Type: Instruction Blueprint]
[Rarity: Common]
[Prerequisites: Medical and Medicinal Knowledge (Basic)]
[Remarks: Its just a basic bandage crafting method, dont get your hopes up! Theres a small chance of crafting a high quality gauze bandage!]
.....
It was an open blueprint, so Kieran could read it clearly.
Crafting gauze bandages, plus a small chance of making high quality ones? Kieran mumbled.
If he could craft bandages, even with a small chance of them being high quality, it would be very useful.
Medical supplies were selling like hot cakes among the yers.
Inside the [Shop], amon gauze bandage cost 5 points and high quality ones cost 40 points.
Among the yers, prices were slightly lower; 3 points formon ones and about 30 to 35 for high quality ones.
If he could craft bandages himself, he could make big profits.
He did not lose his chill though, thinking of the potential profits.
Despite his minor understanding of the underground game, Kieran knew very well that the process of crafting required raw materials. That was why the [Shop] sold raw materials for various purposes.
Kieran believed that the cost of crafting bandages would be too high.
If it wasnt, then Lawless would have been able to use the blueprint himself.
Unless he didnt have the necessary skill.
Nevertheless, because of those various elements, the value of the blueprint had gone down a lot.
Kieran collected his thoughts again before he replied.
.....
2567: Its not enough, I dont have the rted skill and I cant afford the crafting expenses.
.....
Although Kieran did have the rted [Medical and Medicinal Knowledge (Basic)] skill, even if he didnt, he could have mastered it in no time using his points and skill points.
He was not going to tell others though.
It was his leverage against Lawless so he could get an even better deal.
Lawless did not object to Kierans message. He seemed to agree.
He offered him another item on the trade window.
[Name: Single yer Dungeon Cooldown Reset Card]
[Type: Card]
[Rarity: Common]
[Attributes: Resets the cooldown for a single yer in the dungeon]
[Remarks: To a coward, its useless; to an adventurer, it is priceless]
.....
Kieran looked at the item and his eyes shined bright like a diamond.
Chapter 36: Upgrade (Part 1)
Chapter 36: Upgrade (Part 1)
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
What was the thing Kieran wanted the most?
Time.
No question about it.
If he had enough time, he would be able to be stronger in the game, gain more equipment and earn more points, and exchange them both for money.
Therefore, to Kieran, time was money.
Kieran kept that word close to his heart. Money could not buy time, but it could buy everything else. Be it medicine or food, or just in getting by, money was necessary.
Being an orphan from a young age, Kieran had a deeper understanding of this than others.
For the past three years, his three meals a day had been the same fast food. When it came to the importance of money, Kieran had sacrificed taste for his soul.
Compared to the [Basic Medicine Crafting tform Blueprint], he favored the [Single yer Dungeon Cooldown Reset Card] more.
He would not reveal his true intentions during the trade, though.
He did not reply immediately. Instead, he waited a while.
.....
2567: Its still not enough. The [Single yer Dungeon Cooldown Reset Card] has no value.
Lawless: Ill throw in another 2,000 points and 1 skill point! I cant do anything better, though. If you want more, Ill just get one another way.
.....
Lawless was not offering any more items?
Kieran saw the price that Lawless was offering and did not bother with thest part of the message.
If Lawless could figure out another way to get a rocketuncher, then he would not have been negotiating with Kieran in the first ce.
Either he could note up with a better solution, or all other solutions were too costly.
After Kieran calcted his loss and profit, he made an offer again.
.....
2567: 5,000 Points, 3 Skill Points!
Lawless: 2,500 Points, 1 Skill Point! Nothing more!
.....
Kierans offered price had gotten under Lawless skin. It was not enough to scare him off. It made him want to give up, but at the same time he felt pity.
It was not a smart move.
Lawless had already offered his original price.
He had at least 6,000 Points and 2 Skill Points at his disposal, or at least that was what he could mobilized for his points.
As for the two items, the [Single yer Dungeon Cooldown Reset Card] and the [Basic Medicine Crafting tform Blueprint], if he was offering them, then that meant that he didnt need them either. They were dispensable.
The trades fate had been sealed right from the beginning.
In the end, Lawless closed the deal, offering 4,000 Points and 2 Skill Points, plus the [Single yer Dungeon Cooldown Reset Card] and the [Basic Medicine Crafting tform Blueprint], for the [Tekken-II] rocketuncher.
After the trade was done, Lawless said see u around and disconnected abruptly.
When Kieran tried to contact Lawless again, the system disyed a Currently in the dungeon, Unable to contact message.
Kieran could not help but shrug. He had wanted to get more information about the game from him.
He was not unhappy, though. They had just made a business deal after all. Theyd never had a connection or a rtionship to begin with, and neither of them owed the other any favours.
After the trade had beenpleted, they both went their separate ways.
Of course, Kieran would not have minded waiting for Lawless toe out of the dungeon and contact him again. He wanted to make another deal with him in exchange for valuable information, even though Lawless had imed that he didnt have any valuable information at the time.
Kieran needed more basic information, and Lawless attitude towards information was good news. It usually meant a more affordable price.
Good and cheap. Nobody would pass that up.
Kieran grinned a little as he checked his earnings from the trade.
The [Single yer Dungeon Cooldown Reset Card] was simple. There was nothing much to it, it was just ready to be used.
However, Kieran needed to study the [Basic Medicine Crafting tform Blueprint] carefully before learning the skill.
Especially when he noticed the system notification informing him about its cost.
[Pay 8,000 Points to use the (Basic Medicine Crafting tform). Yes/No?]
[Prerequisite not met, Unable to create.]
8,000 Points!?
Kieran took several deep breaths to calm himself down.
Although he had been expecting a cost for the [Basic Medicine Crafting tform], the price still shocked him when he read it.
[Points: 17,000; Skill Points: 10; Golden Skill Points: 1; Golden Attribute Points: 1]
He looked at his points and skill points and calcted carefully.
If he wanted to use the [Basic Medicine Crafting tform], he would need to level up his [Medical and Medicinal Knowledge] from Basic to Master. Including the material crafting costs, it would cost him 9,200 points and 1 skill point. That was more than half of his current points.
He also wasnt sure about the crafting process either.
If the crafting cost exceeded the selling price among the yers, then it would not be worth it.
Yet Kieran did not change his original n.
While hed negotiated with Lawless, hed nned on using the [Basic Medicine Crafting tform]. If the deal had not been made, then he would have waited for the guild war to heat up even further and sold the [Tekken-II] at a higher price.
Kieran was well aware of the importance of medicine inside the game.
Especially when the game [Shop] was only selling basic healing supplies.
Because the blueprint was tagged as Basic, it was possible for it to be upgraded. Once he could craft out higher quality medicine than the [Shop], he could make huge profits off it.
Provided that he had the [Basic Medicine Crafting tform].
Kieran did not mind the long-term investment if it came with a hugepensation.
Especially when there was such a thing as the [Single yer Dungeon Cooldown Reset Card]. Kieran was confident that he could very well speed up the long-term investment.
He was not going to use the tform blindly though.
While creating high-level medicine and earning more profit was the goal, Kieran knew his own strength.
If he decided to use the [Basic Medicine Crafting tform] instead of upgrading his own skills and attributes, it would be like killing the hen in favor of the eggs.
His goal was to get stronger and more powerful to get more equipment and higher-point rewards.
He needed to get his priorities straight.
Kieran knew this very well.
If it had been an [Intermediate Medicine Crafting tform], he would have invested all his resources to use it and seize the business opportunity.
But it was just the basic one and it would cost Kieran more than half his points. Kieran chose to upgrade himself first, which would cost arge sum as well.
[Sharp Weapon (Dagger) (Basic Entry). Pay 200 Points to upgrade. Yes/No?]
[Evading (Basic Entry). Pay 200 Points to upgrade. Yes/No?]
[Hand-to-hand Combat (Basic Entry). Pay 200 Points to upgrade. Yes/No?]
[Medical Treatment (Basic Entry). Pay 200 Points to upgrade. Yes/No?]
[Medical and Medicinal Knowledge (Basic Entry). Pay 200 Points to upgrade. Yes/No?]
[Tracking (Basic Entry). Pay 800 Points to upgrade. Yes/No?]
Six skills went from Basic to Entry level, costing a total of 1,800 points, [Tracking] taking up half of it.
Kieran pressed [Yes] to all.
The knowledge was transferred into Kierans body and synced with his brain.
[Sharp Weapon], [Evading,] [Hand-to-hand Combat] and [Medical Treatment] were all upgraded to Entry level, but other than the strengthened skills, they did not affect Kierans attributes.
All the skills disyed a [Capped for this specific skill at current level, Unable to level up further] notification.
It did not surprise Kieran at all.
When his [Firearm (Light Firearm)] had leveled up to Entry level, his [Intuition] attribute had been capped as well, so hed had a feeling that the other skills would be as well.
What had been unexpected was his [Tracking] skill, which had leveled up and increased his [Intuition].
[Tracking (Basic Entry)]
[Name: Tracking (Entry)]
[Rted Attributes: Intuition]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effects: You can follow all kinds of tracks and trails to track down your target!]
[Consumes: Stamina]
[Prerequisites: Intuition F+]
[Remarks: Your overall senses are as good as a hunting dogs.]
.....
[Tracking level increased, Rted attributes increased...]
[Intuition: F+ E-]
[Tracking] leveling up to Entry can boost my [Intuition]? Is it because of the skill book, or is it because of the special effect of the skill?
Kieran would prefer thetter, but hecked any information to support his guess.
Although he had run into some bumps along the way, that had not stopped him from leveling up his skills.
In order to take a better look at them, Kieran listed all his skills next to the leveling cost from Entry level to Master level.
[Sharp Weapon (Dagger)] 1,000 Points, 1 Skill Point.
[Firearm (Light Firearm)] 1,000 Points, 1 Skill Point.
[Evading] 1,500 Points, 1 Skill Point.
[Undercover] 1,500 Points, 1 Skill Point.
[Hand-to-hand Combat] 1,500 Points, 1 Skill Point.
[Medical Treatment] 500 Points, 1 Skill Points.
[Medical and Medicinal Knowledge] 1,000 Points, 1 Skill Point.
[Tracking] 3,000 Points, 2 Skill Points.
A total of 11,000 Points and 9 Skill Points.
Among the skills, [Tracking] was the most expensive, costing about two skills to reach the Master level.
[Medical Treatment] was the cheapest, costing only half of what the others costed.
Kieran looked at the eight skills he had, and carefully thought about which ones he wanted to upgrade next.
His most familiar fighting style was abination of [Sharp Weapon (Dagger)] and [Undercover], more like an assassins style. There was also the sniper style, which was abination of [Firearm (Light Firearm)] plus [Evading].
Those four skills no doubt needed to be upgraded to Master level.
He nned to upgrade [Hand-to-hand]bat as well, because he could not assure himself that he would not get stuck in a situation without any weapons to fight back.
[Tracking] was a no brainer. Its special effects were useful in any kind of situation.
[Medical and Medicinal Knowledge] was the prerequisite for [Basic Medicine Crafting tform], so it definitely needed to be leveled up.
As for [Medical Treatment]?
Unless Kieran could avoid getting injured, it would be best to upgrade it to a certain reasonable level.
After an overview of his skills, he realized that everything needed to be upgraded.
Instead of focusing on a single skill and leveling it up to the max, Kieran was more keen on maintaining a bnced build. After all, determining whether one was strong or not was not about ones strong points, but their weakest.
If he had a focused build, it would be easier for enemies to pin him down.
That was why Kieran preferred a bnced build.
If every skill were to be leveled up to Master, it would cost him a great sum.
Kieran could not help but frown.
He quickly lightened up again when he realized something.
Chapter 37: Upgrade (Part 2)
Chapter 37: Upgrade (Part 2)
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Why cant I upgrade everything? Kieran asked himself.
Perhaps other yers could have limitations because of their points and skill points and be unable to upgrade all their skills, but Kieran was different.
Afterpleting two major deals, he had sufficient points and skills points to do it.
Kieran knew very well how strong the skills were, even though each level could put a limit on upgrading his attributes.
One drawback though could not beat the numerous advantages.
He could not deny the importance of the skills to him. If it were not for them, he would not even have finished the newbie dungeon, let alone gained such rich rewards.
Not to mention his current points and skill points. All he needed to do was adjust the order of the upgrading process from Entry level to Master level, and he could upgrade every single one of his skills, excluding [Mentality], to the next level.
The changes in attributes had the most direct effect.
With every attribute he leveled up, it felt like he was being born again.
After thinking about it for a short time, Kieran made his decision.
He would upgrade them all.
It would be a waste if he did not put his points and skill points to use.
If Kieran had stronger powers, he would definitely be able to acquire more points and skill points.
The first one to upgrade was [Hand-to-hand Combat].
It was the first to upgrade because of its rted attributes, which were [Strength], [Agility], and [Constitution].
The second to upgrade was [Firearm (Light Firearm)], which ovepped with [Strength] and [Agility], and had an extra [Intuition] attribute.
[Tracking] was third.
Following the previous incident, when [Intuition] had been capped at the current skill level but could still be leveled up, Kieran believed this time would be no exception.
He entered the [Shop].
[Hand-to-Hand Combat (Entry Master), Pay 1,500 Points, 1 Skill Point to level up. Yes/No?]
Yes!
[Hand-to-hand Combat reaches Master Level, choose one special effect]
[A. Master the art of Hand Combat (When you attack with a punch, gain Agility +1 Effect.)]
[B. Master the art of Leg Combat (When you attack with a kick, gain Strength +1 Effect.)]
[Please choose one...]
The sudden pop-up option startled Kieran a bit. He had not expected any special effects.
So every skill that reaches the Master level could have a special effect attached to it? he wondered.
The answer was obvious.
Each special effect would affect the yers growth towards a different ying style.
Just like the option before him would.
Mastering the Hand Combat no doubt was intended for punch-favoring yers who wanted to further their growth, while mastering the Leg Combat was intended for the kick-favoring yers.
Kieran guessed that further down the game there would be special punching and kicking skills as well.
It was possible considering the options at hand.
If so...
Kieran frowned a little. He could not decide which one to choose.
Both punches and kicks would be useful.
Finally, he made up his mind. He remembered that his other two skills, [Firearm (Light Firearm)] and [Sharp Weapon (Dagger)] both required the use of his hands.
The option was suddenly obvious.
I choose B!
[yers option: B. Master the art of Leg Combat]
[Name: Hand-to-hand Combat (Master)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Offensive]
[Effects: You know how to use your fists and legs better duringbat, Increases damage by 30%]
[Special Effects: Master of the art of Leg Combat (When you attack with a kick, gain Strength +1 effect.)]
[Consumes: Stamina]
[Prerequisites: Strength F+, Agility F+, Constitution F+]
[Remarks: Youre on the same level as an MMA champion!]
......
[Hand-to-hand Combat skill upgraded, rted attributes enhanced...]
[Strength F+ E-]
[Agility F+ E-]
[Constitution F+ E-]
......
After he chose his skill, the transferring process began once again, synchronizing his body. Kieran felt the warm stream replenishing his body.
When the process was over, he felt full of power.
He could not help but take a step forward and strike with his right fist.
Boom!
A sharp, precise punch tore through the air. Before Kieran could retract his fist, his body naturally followed the motion of the punch, turning 180 degrees. His right leg was like a spring, striking out lightning fast.
The sound of air tearing numbed his ears a little as he performed a jumping kick.
Feels damn good!
After throwing a couple of punches and kicks, his face was filled with happiness and his fists felt extremely powerful.
He went on to upgrade his second skill.
[Firearm (Light Firearm) (Entry Master), Pay 1,000 Points, 1 Skill Point to level up. Yes/No?]
Yes!
[Firearm (Light Firearm) reaches Master level, choose one special effect.]
[A. Master Reloading (Whenever you reload, Agility+1 Effect)]
[B. Master Aiming (Whenever you aim, Intuition +1 Effect)]
[Please choose one...]
I choose B!
This time, Kieran made his choice without a second thought.
The option of Master Reloading was meant for guns that required a lot of reloads; Kieran wanted to be a sniper though, so it was natural for him to choose B.
[yers option: B. Master Aiming]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Constitution, Intuition]
[Skill Type: Offensive]
[Effects: You know how to use a handgun, a rifle, a revolver, an assault rifle, a submachine gun and a sniper rifle even better, Increases damage by 30%]
[Special Effects: Master Aiming (Whenever you aim, Intuition +1 Effect)]
[Consumes: Stamina]
[Prerequisites: Strength F+, Constitution F+, Intuition F+]
[Remarks: You are the king of light firearms!]
......
[Firearm (Light Firearm) skill upgraded, rted attributes enhanced...]
[Strength has reached capped level for the current skill level, Unable to enhance.]
[Constitution has reached capped level for the current skill level, Unable to enhance.]
[Intuition E- E]
......
Everything was going ording to his n. All E- level attributes were capped because of the skill level and unable to upgrade any further.
Kieran turned to his special [Tracking] skill.
[Tracking (Entry Master), Pay 3,000 Points, 2 Skill Points to level. Yes/No?]
Yes!
[Tracking reaches Master level, special effect added: Master of Tracks]
[Name: Tracking (Master)]
[Rted Attributes: Intuition]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effects: You can follow all kinds of trails and tracks to track down your target!]
[Special effects: Master of Tracks (You know everything about trails and tracks!]
[Consumes: Stamina]
[Prerequisites: Intuition E-]
[Remarks: Your overall senses are better than a hunting dogs!]
......
The [Tracking] skill did not disappoint.
With his [Intuition] at E+ level, he felt that he could see even farther away and listen even clearer. He could even see the dust on the floor.
It excited Kieran even more.
The more changes he noticed, the more powerful he felt.
After leveling three skills up to Master, Kieran felt pumped up and upgraded all his remaining skills to Master.
The [Sharp Weapon (Dagger)] (Entry Master) cost him 1,000 Points and 1 Skill Point, and the special effects offered were Master shing or Master Piercing.
The first effect had a 5% Crippling Effect while the second one had a 10% Bleeding Effect.
Judging by his own experience, the first skill would be more effective for him. Although the second one had a higher percentage, the first one suited his assassinating style better.
The [Evading] skill went from Entry level to Master, costing 1,500 Points and 1 Skill Point. The special effects offered were Master of Swift Steps and Master of Dodging.
[Master of Swift Steps: You steps allow your body to be more flexible, Increases Evading by 10%]
[Master of Dodging: You can roll away further and faster, and be more efficient in your movements, Increases rolling distance by 1 meter.]
Kieran chose Master of Swift Steps. Although Master of Dodging sounded appealing as well, he was more keen on the additional 10% of Evading adding to the original 30% of the skill.
[Undercover] Entry Master, cost 1,500 Points and 1 Skill Point, and the special effects offered were Master of Light Steps and Master of Shadows.
[Master of Light Steps: Lowers the sound of your steps, making it harder for enemies to detect you, Decreases stepping sounds by 30%. Special effect not applicable if overweight.]
[Master of Shadows: Allows you to hide even better in the shadows, Increases undercover effect by 10%.]
These options both sounded good to Kieran, so he hesitated a bit.
The lowered sound made for harder detection while the second option made it easier to go undercover.
He thought about it for a while and decided to go with the second one.
His reasoning was the same as with [Evading].
His total undercover percentage was 40%, already reaching the next level.
Next were the [Medical Treatment] and the [Medical and Medicinal Knowledge] skills. Leveling up from Entry to Master cost 500 Points, 1 Skill Point and 1,000 Points, 1 Skill Point respectively.
[Medical Treatment] was simr to [Tracking]. There was only one option avable.
[Fast Treatment: Increases treatment speed by 20%.]
[Medical and Medicinal Knowledge] offered Master of Potions and Master of Poisons.
[Master of Potions: Increases recovery rate by 10%.]
[Master of Poisons: Increases poison effect by 10%.]
Kieran selected the second one without a second thought.
After all, that had been his n all along.
As a matter of fact, the [Medical and Medicinal Knowledge] skill had appealed to him because of the poison effect.
After upgrading all his skills from Entry to Master, he looked at his remaining points and skill points.
4,200 Points, 1 Skill Point, 1 Golden Skill Point.
Then he opened the [Hand-to-hand Combat] further upgrading options.
The next [Hand-to-hand Combat] level was Professional (Pro) and cost 4,000 Points and 2 Skill Points.
He frowned a little as he read it before he opened the [Firearm (Light Firearm)] upgrading options.
It cost 3,000 Points and 2 Skill Points.
He moved on to the others.
Even [Medical Treatment] cost 1,500 Points and 2 Skill Points. Everything else, excluding [Tracking], cost around 3,000 to 4000 Points and 2 Skill Points.
[Tracking] cost 6,000 Points and 4 Skill Points to upgrade to Pro level. It was about double what the others cost.
Although he still had some points left, Kieran was short on skill points.
He had to give up on any further upgrading and save his points and skill points for the future.
The next thing Kieran did, was wait for Lawless to came back online. He did not use the [Single yer Dungeon Cooldown Reset Card] right away though.
He wanted to get more information out of Lawless before he entered the next dungeon.
He would wait up to three hours. He could still afford to spend that much time.
Of course, given that Lawless woulde back alive and well.
After all, no one could predict the future.
Chapter 38: The Smoking Pipe and the Deerstalker
Chapter 38: The Smoking Pipe and the Deerstalker
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
[Background: The daughter of a renowned businessman by the name Hunter has gone missing. You, as the citys greatest detective, have been hired to find his precious daughter. You are now heading to Hunters manor to investigate...]
[Main Mission: Find Altilly Hunter, dead or alive, within a month.]
[Temporarynguage pack, disappears upon exiting the dungeon.]
[Clothing, backpack, weapons, items, attributes remain unchanged, temporarily changed look, disappears upon exiting the dungeon.]
[Inspecting firearms and grenades... Weapons do not match the current year, damage reduced by 50%, handgun reloading speed +1 seconds, sniper reloading speed +30 seconds]
[Hint 1: This is your first official dungeon. You can fail the main mission, but you will have to pay 100 Points as a penalty, and your highest attributes will drop by 1. If your points are insufficient, the system will deduct from your equipment. If your equipment is insufficient, you will fail.]
[Hint 2: The real dungeon marks the beginning of the title mission. The title mission and sub mission are both hidden. You will need to discover them yourself.]
...
When the blinding light subsided, Kieran heard a series of gallops and the sound of a wheel sshing through a puddle on the ground. His body was bouncing in a orderly manner.
It had been raining the day before and the roads were full of puddles of water. There were people cleaning them, but only the bigger puddles were cleaned offpletely.
The smaller puddles that the wheels were sshing into were hard for the cleaners to get rid off.
"A horse wagon?"
Kieran looked around with a startled face.
It was an average cabin with a three to four person capacity. There were two rows of seats, front and back, facing each other. Kieran was sitting in the back, facing the front. He could see clearly the passing view through the window of the cabin.
They were in a Victorian Era street. Antique cars passed by from time to time, allowing Kieran to estimate the date.
The people on the streets greeted each other by taking off their hats. The men wore suits, and the women wore long parasol skirts.
Kieran himself was wearing a ck trenchcoat. While he was inspecting his new outfit, he noticed that he was holding a smoking pipe and wearing a deerstalker. After checking the background message, "You are the citys greatest detective", he raised his eyebrow and wondered...
"If you want me to cosy as Sherlock Holmes, you might as well give me a Watson to go with it! The female version, that is!"
"Searching the missing link? Firearms damaged and decreased?"
After his wild guess about his outfit, he noticed the introduction of the dungeon stating that his firearm abilities had been decreased. He frowned at that.
Decreased, damaged, increased reloading time... No doubt those were big disadvantages for Kieran. His fighting power had to have been reduced by 30% or so.
"So this is what Lawless meant by restrictions, huh?" Kieran could not help but mumble.
Before entering the dungeon, Kieran had waited for three hours for Lawless to return just to have a talk with him. Lawless had been generous enough to share some information with Kieran, most likely because he had aplished what hed wanted to through his trade with him. Kieran could feel his excitement from the mere words they exchanged through messages.
Basically, the information he got could be categorized into four parts.
First, veteran yers had created a secret bazaar within the game. It would only open its door every month for a certain period. Any yer could enter by paying a 10-point entry fee. Inside, it housed tons of high-rank equipment that exceeded the quality of the forum.
Secondly, the dungeon would change ording to the environment and year, and generate different restrictions for the yers. Some were good, some were bad. The majority were bad.
Third, the dungeons the yers cleared would not change difficulty because the yer had gotten stronger. That would change ording to the times the yer had entered the game. When entry times increased, the dungeons difficulty would as well. The [Team Dungeon] difficulty would change ording to the average entry times of the yers.
Last but not least, yers were allowed to fail the mission of the dungeon, but would have to suffer a penalty. Depending on the number of times they had failed, the penalty could be more or less serious.
[This is your first real dungeon. You may fail the main mission, but you will need to pay 100 Points as penalty, and your highest attributes will drop by 1.]
Kieran looked at that specific hint as he recalled Lawlesss kind warning.
"If you dont want to die a gruesome death, you must finish the main mission. Even if you cant, you willpensate for your losses!"
Kieran could not agree more with that statement.
100 Points were nothing for him, but his highest stats decreasing by 1 would be a big loss. Kieran could not afford such a heavy penalty.
If his stats decreased, the cost would be almost same as the cost of leveling [Tracking] up to Master level.
A hefty sum of 3,000 Points and 2 Skill Points.
Although his calctions were just an estimation, they were not too far from reality.
Kieran could imagine the state that he would be in if he failed the dungeons main mission.
It would be an abysmal death cycle.
If he did notplete the dungeons main mission, other than losing points and having his attributes drop, it would also affect badly the second dungeons main mission.
Since his stats would have been lowered, Kieran would eventually fail the second mission too, and pay the penalty once more.
It would go on and on and on... It would be an endless vicious cycle with self-exnatory results.
A weak yer facing a vicious beast could only end up in a massacre.
"Not only do I need to finish the main mission, but if possible, I also need to finish the submission, as well as the title mission. Only then will I be able to survive and have better odds in the other dungeons!"
Kieran knew that dungeon difficulty changed based on entry times, so he knew what he was supposed to do.
He was already one step ahead of the other yers.
Using his rewards from the newbie dungeon, he had progressed much further than them.
It was the tools that made the handyman after all.
Kieran quickly prepared himself for the uing mission.
He looked at his own tactical backpack, but it had already changed.
A wooden box about 1.5 m long and 45 cm wide was ced beside Kierans hand. It was covered in ck paint and locked with two silver pearl security locks. A leather belt was tied over it to use as a strap for carrying it. On the upper part of the strap, two keys were hanging- a small one and a big one.
When Kieran touched the big key, his mind was filled with simple memories, including but not limited to the past years knowledge- his characters identity, contacts and address.
When he absorbed the new memories, Kieran took the small key and opened the box.
It was easy to unlock.
The box held the sniper rifle [Viper-M1], the [M1905] handgun, the dagger, five [U-II] hand grenades, three cans of food, and three bottles of water. Everything was arranged neaty inside, nothing was missing. Even the magazines were arranged together.
Although the look of the equipment had been altered a little to fit the era that Kieran was in, the method of using them was still the same.
Kieran let out a breath of relief.
If the method of using his equipment changed ording to the year, it would have been a nightmare for him.
Although his [Firearm (Light Firearm)] had already reached Master level, it had not really taught Kieran how to use all kinds of guns and firearms. That part had to fall under the [Firearm (Special Firearm)] category.
Kieran took out the dagger and the [M1905], and stuck them on both sides of his waist, covering them up with his trenchcoat.
After some thought, he took out the [U-II] grenades as well and hid them in the outer pocket of his coat.
Even if the main mission was searching for a missing person, Kieran would have been naive to believe that searching was all he would need to do.
An unexpected battle was sure to ur.
In other words, "discovery and battle" were the theme of the underground game dungeon.
If the [Viper-M1] was not too eye-catching, he would have hidden it under his coat. He would not have minded bringing it along as well, but hed had to leave it behind in the box.
After all, Kieran was the citys greatest detective, not some kind of assassin.
He was just starting this dungeon, and he did not want to do anything that did not match the setting and could potentially attract unwanted attention.
Even if he really had been an assassin, he would not carry the sniper rifle out in the open.
This was not a war-ridden city like the one in the newbie dungeon.
It was a safe, peaceful, quite wealthy city.
Or at least thats what it looked like.
...
"Sir, we will be there soon!"
The wagoner spoke to Kieran through the small window in the cabin. After about two minutes, the wagon stoppedpletely, and the wagoner opened the cabin door.
Kieran carried his box as he jumped out of the wagon.
He started to inspect his surroundings. As mentioned in the introduction, there was a manor with fields of green grass and fountains. There was even a wall surrounding the manor.
In front of him, at the center of thepound, was a big house with five floors.
Kieran stood in front of a mermaid fountain statue and looked towards the blue and white exterior of the building. It reminded him of the waves of the sea.
Especially the lively mermaid statue in front of him, which really made one feel as if they were in the middle of the sea.
"There was an admiral in House Hunter about a hundred years ago. Greetings, Sir Kieran. Im the butler of the Hunter family."
After a short introduction, a kind-looking elderly gentleman approached and greeted Kieran with a bow.
Meanwhile, the wagoner, apanied by a couple of young men, pulled the horse wagon into the stable and parked it.
Kieran briefly scanned over the young men. They all looked strong and fit. Perhaps they had been trained inbat as well.
"The manor needed guards, just the police was not enough," the kind butler exined, borating further. "Please, if you may, Master is expecting you."
With a weing gesture, the butler guided Kieran inside.
Kieran followed with a nod, going up the flight of stairs and into the building.
There was a broad corridor, covered with a bright red velvet carpet, both sides of it decorated with candlesticks.
When he reached the end of the corridor, Kierans eyes were blinded by the light.
A grand, morous hall appeared in front of him, crystal lights hanging from the top, reflecting the lights, instantly brightening up the entire hall.
However, the master of the hall seemed to be in a gloomy mood.
He was a pale, stout middle-aged man of average height.
Behind him was a middle-aged woman who shared the same facial expression.
By looking at the paintings in the middle of the hall, Kieran could tell that this was the master of the house, Hunter himself, and his wife.
Although the paintings had to be about a decade old, neither of them had aged much. They were both still recognizable.
When the master saw Kierane in, he immediately stood up and voiced his request, "Sir Detective! Please help us!"
Chapter 39: The First Case
Chapter 39: The First Case
Trantor: Dess Editor: - -
"Please, Ill give you anything you want! I will fulfill any request within my power!" Hunter promised him.
"Sir, please calm down. I have to know whats going before I can be of aid," Kieran tried to speak in a manner that matched his identity.
In real life, Kieran had note across the detective genre.
The memories he had gained through the key did not include investigating skills either.
Therefore, at the time Kieran could only imitate books and movies inspired from Sherlock Holmes.
He had to imitate almost everything. The way he spoke, the way he moved, everything. It seemed to work on the businessman though.
The man calmed down and continued, "Oh my, excuse my manners. Im too anxious over this! Please understand that my daughter is missing, and as a father, Im extremely worried," he apologized before he borated on the incident, "It was just yesterday morning that we discovered that Tilly was missing from this very manor. I was with my wife here, and we asked the maid to call Tilly for breakfast, but her bedroom was locked from the inside. My wife knocked on the door, but she got no answer. I had my men knock down the door, but the room was empty! Ive sent my men out looking for Tilly, but theres been no news yet. Theres no trace of Tilly inside or outside the manor!"
Hunter exined the incident in an orderly manner from beginning till end.
His wife had remained silent throughout the whole narration. She looked even gloomier when Hunter was finished.
"May I have a look at Miss Altillys room?" Kieran asked.
"Of course!" Hunter and his wife answered, escorting him to the top floor of the manor.
"This floor is only upied by me and my wife, and of course Tilly. This is her room!"
While Hunter exined, he opened a door to his left.
It was a typical girls room, filled with pink and decorated with all kinds of puppets and dolls.
Kieran entered the room and started his inspection.
He turned on his [Tracking] skill.
If anything could assist him in acting as a detective, it was that particr skill.
It was also the very reason that Kieran had epted the detective title right from the beginning without question.
With his [Tracking] turned on, everything before his eyes became more clear.
There were white messy footprints all over the floor.
After a shortparison, Kieran confirmed that the set of footprints belonged to Hunter himself.
It seemed like Hunter had indeed sent his men to look for his daughter while he had searched the room himself.
However, they were not searching at the right direction.
Kieran let his eyes wander a little. Other than Hunters footprints, there were two more sets of footprints in the room, both smaller than Hunters.
After a secondparison, he decided that one of them was Hunters wifes while the second one belonged to Altilly.
Altillys footprints were orderly, unlike her parents messy ones. They were frequently circting between the window and the bed, and less around other ces.
Following the footprints, there were two spots that Kieran was suddenly aware of.
The first one was the spot by the wooden frame of the window, where he could see three w marks on inside the room.
The second one was the carpet beside the bed, where there were two distinctive drag trails formed by a box. Kieran could tell just by looking at the trails that it had been a box.
After inspecting both spots, he looked at the other side of the bed and the window that led outside. It had rained the previous day, so despite his Master level [Tracking], there was nothing left for him to discover.
All the clues outside had been washed away.
The room was a different story though. Kieran bent to look under the bed.
"Tilly is a very obedient girl. Shes studying at the church school. She has always been ady both at school and at home..."
While Kieran was investigating, Altillys father praised his daughter like any father would in front of a stranger.
Before Hunter could finish, Kieran pulled a box from underneath Altillys bed and stopped him.
The box had been well-hidden, inside a gap on the floor.
If it had not been for Kierans [Tracking] identifying that the drag marks had belonged to a box, it would have taken them a lot longer to discover it.
"Whats this?"
Hunter and his wife looked at each other when they saw Kieran pull out the box from underneath their daughters bed. Their eyes had widened in surprise.
Kieran shook his head as he inspected the box. It was locked.
"May I open it?" Kieran asked, pointing to the lock.
"But its Tillys private belongings..." Hunters wife said in a gloomy tone.
She wanted to stop Kieran from opening the box, but she was prevented by her husband.
"Tilly is missing! We need to find her!" Hunter raised his voice to remind his wife of the current situation.
He noticed that his wifes eyes were red and filled with tears. Looking at her gloomy face, he realized that he had gone too far.
"My dear, Im sorry! I am so anxious. Forgive me."
Hunter hugged his wife with a sorrowful expression.
"I.. I understand!" Hunters wife said with tears in her eyes.
She apologized to Kieran and quickly excused herself from the room.
"Pardon my wife, Tilly was her precious jewel. Both hers and mine. Ive never felt this anxious before in my life, and neither has my wife. I contacted the police, hoping that they could locate Tilly, but they brushed me off. They said they were understaffed and had another case. Thats why I called for you. I did not hide this from you on purpose. I just hoped you wouldnt mind,"
Hunter said in a lowered voice.
"No worries," Kieran nodded at Hunters words.
He remembered that the butler had mentioned the polices unwillingness to help.
"Ill get some tools to open it," Hunter offered and walked out of the room.
Kieran waited patiently.
After a short meeting with the couple, Kieran could tell that they were both well-mannered and well-educated, and loved their daughter very much.
Even if they were to discover that their daughter had a secret, they would keep it among themselves.
That was why Hunter had gone to get the tools himself.
There were a lot of servants in the manor. All hed had to do was ask for someone to bring them.
Kieran waited for a while. About five minutester, Hunter came back with a hammer.
He did not say much. He just hammered the lock off the box straightaway.
The box opened, but there was nothing much inside.
A dagger, a flintlock revolver, and a firepower pouch.
The items only upied about a fifth of the space inside the box.
Judging by this new discovery, Kieran could specte what had originally been inside the box.
Weapons!
More dangerous weapons than the ones left behind.
"TILLY!" Hunter shouted his daughters name as he covered his forehead with his hands.
Hunter was not stupid. He owned a big manor and was a renowned businessman. Just like Kieran, he knew very well what was missing from the box.
"I am not entirely sure about what has happened, but I can assure you that Miss Altilly has not been kidnapped. She has disappeared on her own free will. There are w marks by the window, but it rained yesterday, so that is all that I can say for now."
Kieran went over to the window and pointed to the w marks.
"sted! Why couldnt I discover this earlier? If only I had, I could have brought Tilly back!"
Hunter seemed full of regret as he looked at the w marks.
"Sir Kieran, please help me find my daughter!"
Kierans outstanding performance had won the businessmans trust, and the man expressed it in the most direct way possible.
A stack of money was ced in Kierans hand.
It was a stack of 10$ that amounted to about 500.
Using the memory of his new identity, Kieran knew that the value was sky-high.
Even in the dungeon, an average man could only earn around 30$ to 40$ per month.
"This is a deposit. if you locate Tilly, I will reward you generously!" Hunter promised.
"Ill see what I can do!"
Kieran did not resist. He epted the money with grace.
Although the money had no value to him, it could be useful to his identity in the dungeon.
[Name: Stack of Money]
[Type: Etc]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: No]
[Remarks: Its what they use in the current dungeon as money.]
.....
Hunter and Kieran were standing in front of a painting of a grown-up Altilly. Hunter was telling Kieran more about his daughter, when the kind old butler rushed in.
"Master! Chief Police Officer John has sent his men over. He said that someone has discovered a dead body that looks like Miss Altilly!" the butler spilled everything after Hunter gave him permission to talk. There was a small hesitation behind his words.
Kieran could clearly see Hunters face turn white at the news. He clenched his fists hard, his expression transforming him into an angry lion.
A faint cold aura was radiating from Hunter, sending chills down everyones spine.
A Killers Aura.
Kieran looked at Hunter in astonishment.
No doubt, Hunter was hiding a lot behind his good father image, but Kieran did not question him any further.
Everyone had their secrets, right?
"Mr. Hunter, calm down. It just looks like her, we dont know for sure yet. Shall we take a look at the body?" Kieran asked Hunter. He needed him to calm down and make a n.
Hunter nodded and ordered his butler right away, "Mike, get the wagon ready! And remember, keep this a secret from Madam!"
"Yes, master!" The butler hastened to execute his orders.
Chapter 40: Sub Mission
Chapter 40: Sub Mission
Trantor: Dess Editor: - -
The wagon was traveling very fast.
The wheels kept crashing on the ground while Kieran and Hunter were shaking helplessly inside the cabin. Neither of them talked much.
Hunter was worried about his daughter, and Kieran was thinking about the dungeon.
"Dungeons are created randomly!"
Kieran had asked Lawless how the underground game dungeons were created, and Lawless had given him a verified answer.
Then another question hade up.
What if the yers entered this dungeon without a skill akin to [Tracking]?
The answer was obvious.
It was all arranged ordingly at the beginning of the dungeon.
When Kieran had realized this, he had already been on his way to Hunters manor on the horse wagon.
It was not a free condition. Instead, it was ingrained into the games story.
No matter what kind of yer entered the game, and what strengths or skill sets they had, they would automatically be in that state at the beginning of the story.
If the yer did not do anything that shed with their identity, they would eventually proceed to the current state of the game and went to investigate the body.
Kieran guessed that even if he had done something out of character, as long as it had not disturbed the surroundings or harmed the NPCs lives, Hunter would have just ignored his odd behaviour.
The only difference between the two was the stack of money inside Kierans pocket.
An outstanding performance always got rewarded. In this case, with a deposit.
A normal performance, however, would have left him empty-handed.
As for a wild and crazy behaviour?
Well, it might have gotten him killed for real.
The amount of security in the manor was not just for appearances.
Kieran squinted his eyes a little, trying to predict what would happen next.
No doubt, the dead body that had been discovered was not the missing Altilly, because his main mission was to find her or her dead body.
Even though it was his first dungeon, the game would never arrange such an easy mission for himpared to the newbie dungeon.
Therefore, the point was not the body, but the police.
Chief Officer John.
ording to his characters memory, the Chief Officer was an acquaintance of his, someone he might even consider a friend.
If he had a policeman for a friend, the difficulty of finding Altilly would drastically decrease.
Asking the Chief Officer for help was definitely an option for the yers.
What was the point of the dead body, though?
"The Sub Mission!"
As Kieran squinted his eyes, a sh of light passed by.
The Chief Officer was a friend of the character, therefore he could offer help.
Simrly, yers could also choose to help the Chief Officer.
Kieran already had his favour in the bag.
He still remembered the goals that he had set for himself during the dungeon run. He didnt just want toplete the Main Mission. If possible, he would like toplete both the Sub Mission and the Title Mission.
The horse wagon kept dashing towards its destination.
It did not slow down, even after entering the bazaar.
The wagoner kept calling out to the pedestrians to watch for the iing wagon.
Next to the wagoner sat the police messenger who had reported the incident to the manor. The uniformed policeman also helped by asking people to make way.
The wagon sessfully reached the police station after half an hour.
Without waiting for the wagoner to open the cabin door, Hunter pushed himself out of the wagon.
Kieran followed right behind him.
He looked at the police station. It was not a big building, it was only three stories high.
If it were not for the policemen on duty at the entrance, and theing and going police officers, the ce would have looked more like a market than a police station.
It was very noisy inside. You could hear screaming and scolding everywhere.
The apanying officer guided them through the station, making sure that no one stopped them along the way.
The ever-anxious Hunter followed behind him.
Kieran, on the other hand, had the luxury to look around the station.
He spotted a lot of normal clothing plus some dirty criminals. They were kept in a crude cell room, most of them very young in age. They looked arrogant and unyielding, and would provoke the officers from behind the bars by yelling out profanities. The provocation was retaliated by the officers on duty. The criminals wouldugh out loud while they got beaten, looking like they were enjoying it all.
One or two men were particrly eye-catching. They were the ones that started the fight every time.
Even those though kept some distance from Kieran and were quite low profile. Having an E+ [Intuition] granted Kieran exceptional vision. He could easily see the whole thing without any obstacles.
Were they gang members?
That was the theory he hade up with after watching that scene.
Before he could confirm his hypothesis though, the guiding officer had already gone through the lobby.
Kieran had to keep up.
They were going to the morgue.
The morgue was located in the basement, but it did not take up the entire floor. Only a fourth of the ce was used as a morgue. The remaining space functioned as a storage area for evidence.
As they went down the stairs, the bright me of an oilmp lit up the dark corridor.
Although there were electrical bulbs, they were still surrounded by kerosenemps and candles.
Kieran looked at the weird-looking bulb inside the sealed ss. There was a thin fibre-like fment inside that was ck in color.
Unlike the light tubes that Kieran was familiar with, this was the first prototype of a lightbulb.
The first prototype was a simple, improved version that cost a lot, which exined why the station still resorted to the old lighting methods.
The guiding officer stopped.
A strong, buff middle-aged man stood there waiting for them.
Under the bright light of the candlelight, Kieran could clearly see the rough look of the man and the way his body stretched his XL-sized uniform tight.
The man was holding a lit cigarette in his hand, and there were three more cigarette buds on the ground.
He must have been there for hours.
ording to Kierans memory, the man was the aforementioned acquaintance of his, Chief Officer John.
"Kieran!" John greeted Kieran before turning his attention to Hunter. "I cannot confirm that it is Miss Altilly Hunter, but I still hope that you are prepared for what youre about to see. Despite my long experience in the force, this is the first time I see such a gruesome body."
"Rx, I am fully prepared for this," Hunter answered.
The conversation between them was both cold and awkward.
No doubt, the two of them had a beef with each other, and it was more serious than what Hunter had let on.
The Chief Officer opened the door behind him and entered the room first.
Kieran and Hunter followed while the officer shut the door and stood guard outside the room.
The smell of alcohol and blood mixed together in the medium-sized room.
On top of a wooden bed, lied a covered dead body.
It was not covered with a white cloth, but a sewed cowhide.
Hunter extended his hand and grabbed the corner of the cowhide. His hands were shaking non-stop and his face reflected his internal struggle.
He was worried that he was about to witness the one thing that he least wanted to in the world.
In the end, he removed the cowhide.
Just as the Chief Officer had said, it was a truly gruesome corpse.
The face was beyond recognition and the chest area had been ripped open, but the organs were nowhere to be found. All that was left was an empty carcass, as if it were an animal ughtered by a butcher and hung on a rail.
The womans red hair had been dipped in a pool of blood, causing it to look even brighter.
It was the only thing that rted that body to Altilly Hunter.
Kieran remembered seeing paintings of her in the manor. Hunters missing daughter had a head of bright red hair.
Kieran inspected the body without the slightest difort.
His time in the newbie dungeon had made him immune to gruesome scenes and all kinds of corpses. The bodies that had been sted to pieces by the rocketunchers had been much harder on the eye than the one before him.
Hunter did not look ufortable either.
Quite the opposite, the renowned businessman had focused all his attention on inspecting the body.
After about two minutes, Hunter let out a long breath.
"This isnt Tilly! Although she does share the same red hair, she has no earlobe and the skin on her arms is much rougher than Tillys!" Hunter said in an affirmative tone.
His face could not disguise the relief in his heart.
Suddenly, Hunter seemed to realize that his expression was not appropriate under the circumstances. "Pardon me, it was not intentional. Chief Officer John, Im willing to reward 100 dors to help find the killer of this poor woman!" he added.
"Very well, then!" the Chief Officer nodded. He did not seem excited by the reward. He escorted both Kieran and Hunter out of the room and headed towards the upstairs lobby.
When they reached the lobby corridor, Hunter prepared to leave.
"Sir Kieran, please excuse me. Im quite worried about my wife. Id hope that you could swiftly locate my Tilly!" Hunter told Kieran.
"Most certainly!" Kieran guaranteed.
On that note, Hunter hastened his steps and left the station.
Kieran saw Hunter enter the wagon before he turned back to John.
"This is not the ce to talk,e to my office!" John said before Kieran could utter a word.
"Yes, of course!" Kieran was not going to disagree.
The Chief Officers office was located on the second floor. It was a medium-sized well-lit room, containing a desk, a few chairs and a cupboard filled with documents.
"Whats going on downstairs?" Kieran spoke slowly.
While Kieran had been in the wagon, he had thought about whether he should ept the Sub Mission. He had used the scene he had seen when he had entered the station as a way to appeal to John. No doubt, it had been a good choice.
"A week ago, this blocks gang boss, ckhand Jimmy was murdered. Although we could not find his body, the whole block was thrown into a hot mess. Those who wanted revenge, the ones who wanted his position, and of course the other gangs. Everyone was making their move at the same time. Ever since that day, theres been at least ten cases of group fights every single day. You saw those men in the lockup, right? A few more days and wed have a full house! The worst was this murder case that popped out of nowhere. We are really understaffed and we cannot spare any men for the case."
Chief Officer Johns angry voice filled Kieran ears.
"Thats what friends are for! Ill help you solve the murder case," Kieran said in a straightforward manner.
When Kieran offered his help, a notification popped up in front of him.
[Sub Mission Discovered: The dead woman in the police station]
[Sub Mission: Your friend, Chief Officer John is exhausted by dealing with the gang fights on the streets. You have agreed to help him with the murder case. You will need to find the murderer quickly and help avenge the poor woman. This mission can also affect your friendship with Chief Officer John!]
Chapter 41: Lured Out
Chapter 41: Lured Out
Trantor: Dess Editor: - -
"Ill need to hear all the details, from beginning to end!" Kieran requested as he looked at the simple description of the Sub Mission.
"Arent you looking for Hunters daughter? That prick treated every one of our officers like his own servants!" John expressed his dissatisfaction with Hunter.
He looked at Kieran in disdain for a second, but he still revealed everything he knew about the case to him.
"The body was discovered by a drunkard near the train station just this morning. It had been left there like trash, dumped into a corner. Ive came across a lot of evil men, but none of them would have treated a dead body like that!"
As he spoke about the murder case at hand, John looked frustrated. He mechanically lit up a cigarette, offering Kieran one as well.
Kieran refused.
He told John that he had brought his own smoking pipe.
There was no tobo in it and Kieran had no matches on him, but he still managed to convince John.
"Pipes are too messy for me, cigarettes are more convenient. Especially this Ship Brand cigarette. You should give it a try."
John lit up the cigarette in his hand and started puffing out clouds of smokes.
After a few puffs, he resumed talking, "Well, we are currently understaffed, so if you are willing to help, Id be grateful. This is a letter with my signature. It will grant you ess to Altilly Hunters school. I hope youll find something there."
While he was talking to Kieran, John was writing something on a piece of paper.
A few secondster, he handed the paper to Kieran.
This is what was written on it.
Kieran, Official Police Consultant, hired by the police station.
Chief Officer: John
Station Director: Patrick
4.1.1861
Below all the names was the stations seal.
When he saw the station directors signature, Kieran looked up at John with a startled face.
"The bastard went off on his honeymoon two weeks ago. Im in charge of everything now, so I have to deal with all this sh*t!"
After his rant about the director, John took another puff of the cigarette.
"I thought you would send someone to help in my search." Kieran waved the letter in his hand at John.
"Like I said, we are understaffed. Extremely understaffed!" John ranted even more about the current situation.
Kieran shrugged at his harsh reply.
No doubt, this was all the help that Kieran was going to get from the Chief Officer. If Kieran wanted more help, he would need toplete the Sub Mission first.
It was a little less than he had expected, but he was still on the right path.
"Even if I hadnt triggered the Sub Mission, this letter would still have been given to me. If a yer had not triggered the Sub Mission though, they would have headed directly to Altillys school. What if somethings happened there? I need to hurry!"
After some thought, Kieran stood up.
He needed to hurry up and visit the train station where the body had been dumped.
Then, no matter what he discovered at the crime scene, he had to head quickly to the school. Hunter had mentioned that Altilly went to school every day by horse wagon. All her remaining time, including her weekends, she spent with her parents.
Kieran thought about Altilly Hunters box underneath her bed. He assumed that the school would be a very important ce.
It might not give him any direct clues, but he might at least be able to discover who had taught Altilly how to disappear.
That might be the clue that would lead to her location.
"See youter!" Kieran waved at John swiftly.
Before John could reply, Kieran had already walked out of his office.
He exited the station and signaled for a wagon.
"To the train station, please," he told the driver.
.....
The crowd was noisy and messy, and there was an awful stench all around the filthy ground.
Kieran came down from the wagon and witnessed the other side of the city.
It was not morous there andck the peace and smiles.
All that was left were the hardships of survival that the people had to struggle with.
There were hard-working young men, middle-aged women carrying groceries, kids selling newspapers for a living, and beggars begging for money.
There were also people who blended in with the surroundings although they were slightly different from others.
They were wearing old, ragged clothes, but their hands were clean and nimble, and they mostly squatted down at corners, looking around for travelers. Once they spotted a target, they would follow them quietly and use those clean, nimble hands to pickpocket them.
Since Kieran hadid his eyes on them, they had already pickpocketed a couple of travelers.
Their identity was obvious. They were thieves.
Kieran did not bother mingling with them. He had better things to do.
He observed his surroundings and quickly found what he was looking for.
A fully-uniformed policeman still attracted attention in the area, no matter where he was standing.
Kieran walked over.
"Stay back, this ce is temporarily off limits!" the policeman on duty warned Kieran as he spotted him.
He seemed like a dutiful officer with a sense of justice.
Kieran appraised the officer and pulled out the letter.
The young policeman inspected Kierans letter and greeted him with a smile, "Oh, you are Sir Kieran! Ive heard of you. Please to meet you, Im Carl."
The identity that the game had given Kieran proved useful once more.
Of course, it was the letter that granted Kieran ess in the end.
Kieran put away the letter and said, "Good day, officer. May I have a look inside?"
"Yes, of course!" the officer answered as he made way for Kieran.
Kieran went past the officer into the alleyway.
It was dirtier and smellier than the ones hed seen so far.
It wasnt broad, it could even be considered narrow in a way, and there was a tall wall at the end of it.
No one would go there if they had any sense.
If it had not been for the drunkards idental discovery, the body would have rotted away before anyone could have found it.
Kieran inspected the ground carefully.
He entered the alleyway and turned on his [Tracking].
He could clearly see a set of messy footprints and the remaining blood stains.
It was not much use though. The messy footprints ovepped too many times, so he was unable to differentiate between them.
The blood stains revealed the location of the body, but did not help much either.
Kieran could not help but frown.
This was not what he had been looking for.
He observed both sides of the alley. There was a red stain on the wall on his left side.
A blood stain.
Kieran walked over and inspected it.
His brain started to function as he spected about the situation.
"There are no dragging marks on the ground. The killer must have carried the body to the scene. The blood from the body might have seeped through a little, hence the blood on the wall. It should not have been that much though, or there would have been drops of blood on the ground. That means that the ce where the killer killed the woman is not far from here! The killer must have purposely destroyed the womans face beyond recognition to hide her identity."
Kieran measured the height of the blood stain.
"The killer was not very tall, but he must have been very strong. Otherwise, he would not have been able to carry the body all the way here! Besides, he scraped the left side of the wall, which means that he was carrying the body on his left shoulder, so he must have been left-handed! He also ripped the woman apart, so he must have hated her and been very familiar with butchering. Why would he have chosen not to bury or burn the body, if not to show off?" Kieran asked himself.
The body had been dumped there, even though the alley was secluded.
It would have been much safer to just bury or burn it.
Unless....
Unless this was more convenient for the killer.
It would never raise any questions.
Kieran turned his eyes outside the alleyway. Even from deep within the alley, he could clearly see a coolie carrying goods.
It seemed like the people making a living there only confirmed his spections.
"Carl, I think I might have gotten something here!" Kieran told the young police officer.
"What did you find?"
The young officer looked surprised. Despite the rumours about Kierans skills, it still seemed unbelievable that he had discovered something so fast.
"The killer had to be shorter than you, but very strong and also left-handed. Go ask around who had been mingling with a redhead. He also might have been a butcher or something along that line. You might get something!" Kieran pointed at the coolie further away from them.
As a policeman, Carl might have a better chance if he asked questions around.
Even better with a sense of authority. Which was what Kieran wanted.
If the killer was really a coolie, that would be enough to scare him and force some kind of clue out of him.
"Oh... Okay." The young policeman was a little hesitant, but he still fulfilled his request.
Once again, Kierans identity had proven useful.
Everything was going ording to his expectations.
After a while, he heard amotion from the ce where the coolies gathered.
An average-height, strong-looking fellow had pulled out a dagger and was holding a skinny guy hostage.
The crowd quickly dispersed.
The young policeman was trying to handle the situation, but he did not have it under control.
Quite the opposite, as the man became more agitated, he used the dagger in his hand to slice the neck of his hostage.
A line of fresh blood spilled out, shocking the crowd.
Kieran had to do something.
Using Carls identity to lure the killer out had worked, but he did not want to cause any more casualties.
Suddenly, Kieran noticed something and frowned a little.
A hand had been inching towards Kierans pocket during the confrontation.
Chapter 42: St. Paolo School
Chapter 42: St. Paolo School
Trantor: Dess Editor: - -
Before the hand could reach Kierans coat pocket, Kieran grabbed it hard and twisted it.
The sound of bones dislocating was heard.
[Grasping: Overpowered Target by 2 Levels, Inflicted 20 Damage to Target HP, Dislocated Targets arm...]
"Let go! Let go! MY HAND!" the thief screamed in agony.
In the face of sheer pain, the thief did not remember to hide his face. He just shouted with all his might, his body kneeling down due to the immense pain, snot and tears covering his face in an instant.
The sudden shouts and change of events attracted the crowds attention.
They even attracted the killer with the hostage and Carl, who had been confronting him.
The killer was quicker than Carl though.
He pushed the hostage straight into Carls face, preventing him from moving forward, and then swung his dagger around madly, pushing through the crowd.
The crowd saw the crazy killer with the swinging dagger, and quickly moved out of his way.
In an instant, a safe path was carved out through the crowd.
At the end of that path, stood Kieran.
"F*ck off!" The killer lunged towards Kieran with the dagger.
He was the only person blocking his escape, so he had no intention of sparing his life.
The dagger was moving fast toward its target, but it was not precise. Itcked the necessary technique.
With his [Sharp Weapon (Dagger)] skill at Master Level, Kieran could tell that the killers stabbing technique was wed.
Other than the sheer force of the killer, there was nothing to be afraid of.
The driving force of the stab was no stronger than an average mans.
Kieran stood right there, calcting the attack, with no intention of dodging or ducking.
The scene was too much for the crowd to handle. It looked like Kieran had been stunned by the iing attack and could not move at all.
The poor guy.
The crowd felt pity for him.
Of course that was all their merciful heart could do at that particr moment.
They couldnt save Kieran from the attack.
They stayed away from the killer, scared of spilling blood onto their clothes. That was the only reason that could exin the choice they made.
However, not all of them were cowards.
"Careful!" Carl could not help but shouted at Kieran.
He pushed the hostage away while he struggled to get up and dash towards Kieran.
Just as the young policeman stood up, the crazy killer that was rushing forward was sent flying backwards. The man fell to the ground, blood flowing out of his mouth.
What had just happened?
Carl stood there with a puzzled look on his face.
The crowd shared the same expression with him.
Everything had happened in a sh. No one had seen what had really happened.
The only person who knew what had transpired was Kieran.
While the killer had been approaching him, Kieran had moved slightly andunched a straightforward kick. The killers dagger had shed through Kierans coat, but Kierans kick hadnded hard on the mans abdomen.
Kierans [Strength] Level was currently at E-, but when he struck using his legs, the [Hand-to-hand Combat] special effect was triggered, boosting his Strength up to E Level momentarily.
Such power definitely exceeded a normal persons.
ording to Lawless, and using [Strength] as an example, this was how levels were categorized.
F-: Less than a grown mans strength; a womans strength.
F: An average fully-grown mans strength.
F+: A strong, buff body, like a coolies working at a station or at the docks.
E-: An amateur weightlifter.
E: Professional Weightlifting Level.
E+: Weightlifting World Champion
For ones rank to reach D or higher, they had to have superhuman strength.
Kierans strength level could not be considered superhuman, or even E+ Rank Weightlifting World Champion. As a matter of fact, he could only reach E Rank Professional Weightlifting Level because of the triggered special effect from [Hand-to-hand Combat], but still no one could deny that Kieran was stronger than the average person.
The blood-vomitting killer was proof enough.
[Straight Kick: Inflicts 70 Damage to Target HP, (Hand-to-hand Combat (Master))...]
"Carl, I think this fellow here is the killer that your Chief has been looking for. Take him to John, it will relieve some of his anxiety. Oh, and I think this guy here belongs to a gang. You could probably arrest an extra pickpocketing gang!"
Tit for tat. It was only fair.
As for the thieves, Kieran had chosen to stay out of it, because he knew that thieves around the station were like wild grass. You picked one off, and another took his ce. Not even a prairie fire could destroy wild grass. It would grow right back once the spring breeze blew.
However, the thief had struck Kieran and almost ruined his original n.
Kieran was not going to stay calm while being treated like that.
He was not one to tolerate things.
He was more of the aggressive type who liked to solve the problem at hand.
"Yes... Yes, sir!" the young policeman stuttered as he collected his thoughts. He was still in shock over what had happened.
However, that was not any of Kierans concern.
[Sub Mission: The dead woman in the police station (Complete)]
Noticing that his Sub Mission had beenpleted, Kieran quickly moved to the side of the road and hailed down a wagon.
He had not forgotten that he had more urgent matters to attend to.
"To the St. Paolo School!" Kieran told the wagoner.
.....
The first part of the name described the schools nature urately.
It was a church school, and like all church schools, it was famous for its strict rules and quality education.
It was the educational aspect that made all the parents in the city send their children there, especially when the "No forced religion" rule was established.
Thats when St. Paolo raised its tuition fees and turned from an affordable school into an expensive half-public, half-church school.
The strict school rules and quality education still remained though.
In other words, it became a school for the higher sses.
No child could even dream of entering the school if they hadnt been born with a silver spoon in their mouth.
Kierans memory provided him with a briefing on St. Paolo School while he sat in the wagon cabin on his way there.
He could notment any further on the "No forced religion" order, or the changes at the school.
Following the discovery of fire powder and firearms, basic knowledge was no longer necessary.
Still, some special rights had been maintained.
The wagon was still several blocks from the school when it was pulled over by a policeman.
There was a police outpost on both ends of the street where the school was located. The outposts were upied by patrolling policemen 24 hours a day.
Still, that was not the only security around St. Paolo. Inside the school, there was a security team employed by the school itself, called the School Security Force.
For Kieran, the School Security Force was the main point of this investigation.
After all, Altilly Hunter could not have learned fencing or disappearing out of thin air, and the weapons in her possession definitely did not match her status or position. Considering Hunters protectiveness over his daughter, such dangerous items would have been totally off limits.
Altilly Hunter must have understood that as well, which was why she had hidden the box under her bed.
Kieran spected that she had learned that hiding method from someone else.
After all, creating a gap on the floor without damaging the ceiling underneath was not something any John Doe could have pulled off.
Obviously someone had taught Altilly Hunter fencing, shooting and even the art of hiding, not just things, but also herself.
Fooling her own parents must not have been an easy task.
As for the mysterious person who had taught Altilly Hunter all this, Kieran considered them the key to solving this mystery.
From the looks of it, Altilly Hunter had trusted this person a lot, so there was a very high chance that, after running away from home, she hade into contact with that person.
Kieran was thinking of all the possible oues of the case, but his thoughts did not slow him down in the least. When the patrol officer asked him who he was, he quickly showed him the letter from Chief Officer John.
"Thank you, sir. You may enter, but only by foot!"
"Sure," Kieran did not argue with the patrol officer.
He had no reason to as he had not really entered the school for his investigation yet. Such conflict might be good to avoid.
Kieran payed the wagoner for the trip and quickly headed toward the school entrance.
The old school gate showed the grand history of St. Paolo School, and the newly-built buildings behind it looked very lively.
"Please hold, Sir!"
When Kieran approached the entrance gate, he was inspected by guards once more.
The guard this time was a middle-aged man who looked like he belonged to the School Security Force. He was wearing a wide, loose missionary robe, but Kierans sharp senses allowed him to notice the weapon under his garment.
It was not a dagger or some other kind of sharp weapon. It had to be a flintlock pistol.
"What tight security!"
Kieran kept the thought to himself as he cooperated by halting and stating, "Im Kieran, the special consultant from the police station. Ivee here to take care of an urgent matter!"
Kieran did not know if the man had been made aware of Altillys disappearance.
He figured that it might hurt Altillys case if he said anything, so he chose to bluff his way through.
The man raised his eyebrow at Kierans bluff, but when he looked at the letter in Kierans hand, he didnt question him any further. He made a hand signal to his side and another member of the School Security Force wearing the same robe ran inside the school.
"Please wait here. I cannot authorize your entrance on my own, even with the verification letter from the police station," the man said.
"Well, of course," Kieran smiled in reply.
Time passed by the seconds.
After about ten minutes, the man who had run inside came back, followed by an elderly woman.
Judging by the way she looked, she had to be a nun.
Chapter 43: Knight
Chapter 43: Knight
Trantor: Dess Editor: - -
"Sister Mony!" the middle-aged guard greeted the woman with respect.
Kieran could tell that she had not earned that kind of respect because of her age or status as a sister.
"Leave it to me, Reed," the elderly Sister replied with a kind, warm smile.
"Yes, Sister!" Reed took a bow and walked away.
As he passed by Kieran, his eyes were full of warning.
He did not go far though. He stopped just beside the school gate and stood guard there.
Kieran was sure that if he behaved inappropriately towards the Sister in any way, Reed would rush over in a sh and pull out his gun without a second thought.
His immense awareness said it all.
"Reed has no hostile intentions. He is a responsible man, its just that at times he can be a little... reckless," the Sister exined to Kieran with a kind smile.
She had the same expression shed had when shed talked to Reed, as if Kieran and Reed were the same person to her.
Her attitude made Kieran feel a little uneasy.
He could not have done it, smile at everyone like that.
To Kieran, a friend was a friend and a stranger was a stranger. The two were entirely different and could not be mixed together.
Although he could not have disyed such kindness himself, he still did not mind showing respect to other peoples kindness, especially towards the elderly.
Kieran took a bow and stated his intentions, "Good day, Sister. Im Kieran, Im here to-"
"Its about Altilly Hunter, isnt it? Please follow me, this is not the ce to talk," Sister Mony said lightly, asking Kieran to follow her.
They walked around the new building until they reached a field. What attracted Kierans attention though, was the church on the other side of the field.
It was not big. Its maximum capacity had to be around thirty to forty people.
Following Sister Mony, Kieran crossed the field and entered the small church.
Inside, on the other end of the room, was a merciful goddess statue, though not one that Kieran recognized.
Two rows of long benches were arranged neatly, extending to the entrance of the church.
When they entered, Sister Mony walked up to the goddess statue and lowered her head in prayer.
Kieran was right behind her. He could clearly hear her say the words "The merciful Bernadette" and other things along that line.
"Please have a seat. I am Mony, the principal of St. Paolo," the sister said as she turned around.
"Im Kieran. Im a detective," Kieran gave the identity that he had been given.
"Yes, Ive heard of you. Youre the greatest detective in the city. Mr. Hunter was right toe and ask for your help in finding Altilly. That little girl could be naughty at times, but she had never caused such trouble. She knew what she was allowed to do and what she was not,"
Sister Mony exined.
Her kind look was mixed with worry.
"Sister Mony, had you noticed anything unusual about Altillytely?"
Sister Mony seemed willing to cooperate, so Kieran asked his question quickly.
"No, Tilly was like all the other children. Just a little bit naughty, but nothing out of the ordinary. After Mr. Huntersst visit, I talked to the children who were close to her, but they said nothing had been going on," Sister Mony replied after thinking for a while.
Kieran believed her.
As the principal of St. Paolo, she wouldnt have ignored such an incident.
"Did you know that Altilly was quite skilled?" Kieran followed up with another question.
Sister Mony looked startled by it.
"What do you mean?" she answered with a question herself.
"I mean she was very good at fencing, shooting and other sorts of skills," Kieran borated further.
"Our school offers equestrian lessons, but we do not teach fencing or shooting. Im sorry, detective, but I would like to rest. I am a bit tired. If you may, we could continue this conversation tomorrow," Sister Mony replied in an apologetic tone, looking at Kieran sadly.
Kieran could see that Sister Mony was intentionally avoiding the topic. She was not a good liar.
Obviously, she knew something, but she was unwilling to share it.
Before Kieran could inquire any further, Reed, the middle-aged guard, appeared outside the church with a couple of his men.
The men all wore the same outfit and were armed with weapons.
"Detective, please leave!" Reed was not exactly polite.
"Reed!" Sister Mony looked at him unpleasantly.
"Sister Mony, I am the captain of the School Security Force, and I have the responsibility to protect everyone inside this school and exterminate anyone whoes here with bad intentions!"
Reed stared at Kieran.
The part about the bad intentions had clearly been addressed toward him.
"Detective, please dont mind Reed. He has gotten nervous due to recent events. Please excuse him!" Sister Mony apologized again and again.
"Its fine, Sister. Ille by again tomorrow," Kieran smiled and headed towards the exit.
Reed escorted Kieran out with his men. They didnt return to their post until Kieran was well out of the school and onto the street.
However, the security captain had not noticed the shadow trailing him.
Kierans Master Level [Undercover] skill, allowed him to slip past the school guards with ease and trail behind Reed as he headed back to the church.
Sister Mony was praying in front of the goddess statue again.
Her prayersted around twenty minutes. It seemed like it was a full prayer this time.
Reed was waiting silently by her side.
When Sister Mony finished her prayer, Reed went over and offered a hand to help her up. He led her to a nearby bench and sat down.
"Its fine, Reed. The detective has no bad intentions. He was different from the other greedy men," Sister Mony told Reed before sitting down on the bench.
"They all looked the same to me. My job is to protect you and the school, and Ill eradicate any danger in order to do it!" The security captain shook his head, standing by his own point.
Sister Mony looked at Reed and eventually let out a long breath. She said, "Go back to your patrol, Reed. I need some rest."
"Yes, Sister!" Reed left the church with big strides.
After the security captain had left, Sister Mony did not rest as she had said she would. Instead, she left the church as well, following a small path that headed deeper into the school grounds.
She was too old to make it in one trip, so she had to rest frequently before finally arriving at a wooden cabin.
It was at the most secluded corner of the St. Paolos schoolpound. Other than the wooden cabin, there were only trees as far as the eye could see.
As Sister Mony came to a stop, the cabin door opened and a white-haired, bearded man came out. The man looked huge. He was wearing a in rucksack shirt, and his arms and feet were bare.
His strong arms did not show any signs of aging, and his muscles exuded a sense of exploding power.
"Mony!" the old man greeted Sister Mony with a warm smile.
"Guntherson, was it you who taught Altilly Hunter?" Sister Mony asked in a stern voice as she frowned.
"Of course," Guntherson did not deny it. Denying facts did not seem like his style. "That girl had some serious talent. It would have been a waste if she hadnt exercised it," he said straightforwardly.
At Gunthersons admission, Sister Mony began to breath hard and take deep breaths.
"Did you forget what youd promised me!?" she asked him in an angry tone. "Dont you understand that such actions could have put Altilly in harms way?"
"I just taught the girl a thing or two. Besides, those skills could only protect her," Guntherson shrugged.
"But now Tilly is missing! My dear Guardian Knight!"
Sister Mony started coughing. It seemed like her body could not stand such a high-tension conversation.
Guntherson unconsciously moved towards her in an effort tofort her. Suddenly he stopped and turned towards the shadow in the bushes.
"Whos there? Come out!"
With a loud roar, Guntherson leapt towards the shadow, punching out in its direction like a strong wind.
The punch found its target, and suddenly Kierans face hurt as if hed been blown by a powerful wind.
Kieran regretted getting distracted by the "Guardian Knight" mention. It had messed up his breathing and allowed Guntherson to discover him.
He was still very much in shock by the immense level of strength disyed by the old man in front of him.
Gunthersons body and build alerted others to his strength, but Kieran had not expected him to be quite that strong.
He was definitely over E Rank. He might even be higher than E+.
Since Kieran could achieve E Rank with his legs, he guessed that E+ Rank would not be that hard to reach either.
Such a powerful punch could only have been achieved by a higher level than E+ Rank.
Kieran was shocked by his own spection.
He had not expected to encounter a superhuman person in his first time in the dungeon.
Kieran suddenly felt excited.
No one could understand the situation better than him. It meant that he could get stronger in the game and earn rewards.
Huge rewards!
Chapter 44: Clue
Chapter 44: Clue
Trantor: Dess Editor: - -
The huge potential rewards did not make Kieran lose his chill.
Quite the opposite, he became even calmer than before.
He knew very well that gaining huge rewards would definitely not be an easy task.
It didnt matter if Guntherson was an ally or a foe. Kieran would still need to spend all his effort on trying to obtain them.
If Guntherson was a friend, Kieran would need to raise their rtionship level through the quest. In other words, the friendlier he got, the higher Kierans chance of getting equipment or skills would be.
If Guntherson was a foe, things would be much simpler. All Kieran would need to do was gather enough strength and hope to overpower and defeat him. In other words, kill him and make him drop all his equipment and skills.
However, Kieran was still far from earning the farming equipment he was thinking of.
He needed to solve the problem at hand first.
Helped by the strong wind, Gunthersons punch was already within meters from Kieran.
Kieran did not n on having his bones broken by such a punch, therefore he did not take the punch directly.
Master Level [Evading] and E- Rank Evading made his steps swift and quick. He dodged the iing punch with ease, just like a cat.
"Huh?"
Guntherson was shocked that Kieran had been able to avoid his punch.
Despite his shock though, he followed up quickly with a second punch.
The second one was stronger and faster than the first one.
It was mere fractions of a second before the punch reached Kieran, preventing him from avoiding it by using his swift steps and fast reflexes like before.
Kieran knew that if the second punchnded, things would not be that simple. His bones might get punched out of shape altogether.
No one could survive with so many dislocated bones.
Not even a datafied body.
After all, his head, heart and other inner organs were listed as weak points.
Without any second thought, Kieran bent his waist and leant his upper body back, his legs standing steadfast on the ground.
The punch rubbed over Kierans face like a matchstick, messing up his hair.
Kieran suddenly felt immense heat on his face, followed by a dripping sensation.
There was stinging pain as Kierans face was chafed by the strong wind.
He did not care about that though as he saw the third strikeing.
The punch that had chafed Kierans face turned into an elbow strike. It felt like a hammer beating down a nail as it aimed for Kierans abdomen.
He couldnt spare any strength while he maintained his iron bridge stance. He had been forced into a corner.
Between life and death, Kieran chose to raise his leg and stepped forward.
Kierans foot was locked tight on the ground. Loaded like a spring, he stepped on Gunthersons calf before Guntherson couldnd his elbow on Kierans abdomen. Kieran went flying backwards because of the pressure on his leg.
That was a messy technique.
When Kieran had raised his leg, he had lost his bnce. Although he had gathered enough strength to back up, he thought it would be better to roll backwards.
The box that was holding the [Viper-M1] fell to the side.
Guntherson followed Kierans backroll, but Kieran was not just going to wait for his end toe.
During the backroll, he had managed to grab the [M1905] and the dagger.
"STOP AT ONCE!"
Sister Mony had seen Kieran clearly from far away, and tried to stop the two of them from fighting.
The old man had his leg raised up and Kieran was holding his gun up ready to fire, but both of them froze when they heard Sister Monys shout.
They looked at each other, still on alert.
"Detective, I require an exnation!"
Sister Mony looked at Kieran. Her eyebrows were raised, but her tone and expression were still kind.
Hearing her question, Kieran let out a bitterugh.
Her kind inquiries were harder for Kieran to answer than a strict, angry question.
"When I spoke to you earlier, I sensed that you were hiding something, so I pretended to leave and came back to see what was going on," Kieran exined.
"It was my mistake. You are the citys greatest detective. How could you not have noticed the lies behind my words? Im so sorry, Guntherson thought that you were someone else, thats why he got so aggressive," Sister Mony sighed as she apologized to Kieran.
"Sister Mony, please, it was my fault."
Kierans expression was even more bitter than before.
He was more willing to brawl it out with Guntherson rather than face Sister Monys kind, sorrowful expression.
It was not Sister Monys fault.
The fact that she had not revealed everything to Kieran was not a mistake.
Other than the girls own parents, no one else in the world was obligated to tell him anything.
Kieran understood that very well.
His infiltration might have been forgivable in terms of reason, but it hadnt been morally right.
As a matter of fact, it had all been Kierans fault.
He was not denying that.
He was already embarrassed enough by the situation at hand.
"Detective Kieran, youre a good man.Tilly was Gunthersons student, so he should know more about her. I nned on telling you tomorrow, but it would be better if you heard it from him now. Guntherson, tell the detective everything you know about Tilly. Im asking you."
Sister Mony looked at Kieran with a kind face before she turned her eyes to Guntherson.
"Yes, your Highness!"
Gunthersons right thumb pointed at his heart, and his head bent down slightly.
It was old-time etiquette.
The way Guntherson had addressed Sister Mony was part of that etiquette.
As Kieran stared at Sister Mony and Guntherson, he recalled that when the Sister had scolded him, she had addressed him as her Guardian Knight.
Now Guntherson had formally addressed Sister Mony as "Your Highness".
Kieran was no idiot. Considering the way they addressed each other, he could tell that there was more to them than met the eye.
Guntherson did not care about what Kieran thought though.
After saluting Sister Mony, the strong old man started to tell his side of the story. He told Kieran everything he knew about Altilly Hunter.
"Tilly identally discovered this secluded area of the schoolpound. She was very curious for her age, and that was how she discovered this ce. She just kept on searching until she stumbled upon my secret. At the same time, I discovered that Tilly had quite the potential. Well, to make a long story short, I promised Tilly I would teach her things she could not learn from school as long as she kept my secret."
There was a smile on Gunthersons face. The smile of an old man who was happy to forgive the pranks of children.
"Our lessons went on for four years. I taught her all the basic knowledge and some entry level knowledge too. Just a week ago, she brought an injured man here. I think he was a stranger that she had coincidentally saved. The man spent the night and then left. Tilly was worried about him and she decided to follow him. Tillys disappearance must have something to do with that stranger. But worry not, Tilly wont be in harms way!"
Guntherson looked confident in Altillys strength and in his own teaching.
"idents can happen anytime. Guntherson, tell the detective everything you know about that stranger. Our main concern now is to quickly locate Tilly!" Sister Mony ranted lightly with a sigh.
She seemed worried about her student.
"The man had a scar on his face, right between the brows to the left edge of his mouth. It was very distinct. His arms were muscr and he was big-boned. He must have had a certain level ofbat practice. His injuries were on his back. If he had not been able to dodge in time, he would have been pierced through the kidneys. Whoever had attacked him must have been a veteran!" Guntherson painted the image of the injured stranger.
He seemed to have thought about this long. Obviously, the man had made quite the impact on him a week ago.
"Will that do?"
Sister Mony looked at Kieran.
"It will suffice," Kieran answered with a nod.
As a matter of fact, just the mention of the scar on the mans face had been enough.
Such a feature would definitely have made an impact on peoples memory.
Let alone all the other features as well.
All Kieran needed was the Chief Officers help, and he was confident that he could locate Altilly in a short time.
"Please help us get Tilly back!" Sister Mony bowed again, expressing her gratitude towards Kieran.
"Ive gotten the deposit from Mr. Hunter already. Its my job as a detective," Kieran replied with a smile while awkwardly dodging Sister Monys gratitude.
Kieran had already found what he hade for, so theoretically he could leave the school.
However, he had not forgotten his goal ofpleting both the Sub Missions and Title Mission.
ording to his information, Sister Mony had to have a Sub Mission for him.
Most importantly, if Kieranpleted Sister Monys side quest, it would eventually elevate his rtionship level with Guntherson.
Gunthersons strength had made quite an impression on Kieran.
Especially his continuous, lightning-fast punches, which he definitely did not owe to his powerful body, but some kind of mysterious skill.
If possible, Kieran wanted to learn that skill from Guntherson.
Of course, he was also likely to lend a hand to Sister Mony considering her prestigious position.
Therefore, after a short pause, Kieran said, "Sister Mony, I kind of eavesdropped on your conversation with Captain Reed earlier, and I am truly sorry for that. It seemed like you had some kind of trouble on your hands. If you do not mind, I think I could be of aid. Consider itpensation for my inappropriate behavior!"
Chapter 45: The Secret
Chapter 45: The Secret
Trantor: Dess Editor: - -
When Kieran offered his help to them, Sister Mony and Guntherson each had a different response to his offer.
"I am grateful for your offer, Detective Kieran, but this is a private matter. Involving you would only cause unwanted trouble," Sister Mony smiled as she declined Kierans offer.
"You need to have the right attitude to offer apologies. Its not something that you can say lightly," Guntherson nodded with a smile upon hearing Kierans proposal.
He tried to persuade Sister Mony on Kierans behalf.
"Mony, I kind of like him. He has some good skills and hes a nice fellow. Besides, you did say that he was the best detective in the city, right? Finding those scoundrels would be a piece of cake for him!" Gunthersons tone became serious as he spoke, "We have formed a group of men, but those scoundrels are always hiding in the dark. Once they lose their patience though and decide to cause any more trouble... Ive vowed to never leave this ce, and Reed and the others will definitely suffer a huge loss. After all, no one can know when they will break in. If its during the school day, then the oue will be most dreadful."
Gunthersons words made Sister Mony hesitate a little.
Guntherson had a ce in Sister Monys heart and what he was saying was the truth.
If there was any more trouble...
Sister Mony shook her head. She would not allow those greedy thugs to harm her students.
"Detective Kieran, please help us!" Sister Mony turned around and looked at Kieran with a serious face. "We dont have enough money to pay you, but..."
"Sister Mony, I already said that I want to make it up to you for my behavior. If you consider this aspensation, surely there would be no cost for you," Kieran interrupted Sister Monys words with his own. "But first, you have to tell me everything.The more details, the better!"
"Its a long story, Ill go grab some stools!" Guntherson said before bringing three stools from the wooden cabin.
When everyone had sat down, Sister Mony began her story.
"Fifty years ago, Saint Paolo School was known as the Saint Paolo Church. It was the ce where the Goddess of Dawn had first descended and worked Her miracles about a thousand years ago. Of course, everyone believed that this was a legend, but to tell you the truth, neither me nor Guntherson knew whether it was real or not. My teacher, who was thest Pope of the Church of Dawn, believed in the legend without a doubt, and anticipated the next time the Goddess would bless us with Her miracles again."
"It was pity that nothing ever happened while my teacher was alive. On the contrary, the Churchs power weakened day by day. It wasnt just the Church of Dawn. Even the Church of Light, the biggest church around here, was not be spared by time. People believed more and more in fire powder, steam machines and electric energy. That knowledge was not within the churchs grasp, so an ever-increasing number of people gained it."
"To me, it was a new beginning, because everyone was able to break free from the bindings of darkness. There was wealth and peace. It was what the doctrine of the Church of Dawn was about. So at the beginning, I revealed the library of the Church of Dawn to some famous philosophers, and together with them, we converted the Saint Paolo Church to the St. Paolo School."
"As for me, I was originally the Saintess of Dawn before I became a Sister and principal of the school. Guntherson was my Guardian Knight back then. He too was thest knight of the Church of Dawn."
Sister Mony told her story in a peaceful tone, her soft voice narrating the history of the St. Paolo Church and how her and Gunthersons roles had changed.
Kieran got a sense of sorrow from both of them.
It was not just their emotional shift, but also the changes of history.
The wheel of history could not be stopped. It would always move with the current of time.
When one was helpless, all that was left was sorrow and bitterness.
Guntherson being thest knight of the Church of Dawn said it all.
What had happened to the other knights, though?
Even taking into ount death by old age, sickness or ident, there should have been more than one knight left.
Plus, Gunthersons remarkable physical strength meant that the knights of the Church of Dawn could probably outlive ordinary men.
The shift of generations would always be apanied by bloodshed.
The shades of the old were revolutionized by the waves of the new.
It was not something a simple word could solve.
Kieran could imagine those old knights being unable to adapt to the change in generations. There must surely have been some kind of conflict between them.
He pictured them lining up against lines of canons and guns, riding their horses and galloping towards the brightest moment of their lives.
A short, yet very bright moment.
This was only a small part of the old generation, but it was the purest of them all.
Simr generations shifts would definitely have affected countless lives.
In the end, the results were clear.
Kieran kept silent, the heaviness of history rendering him unable to utter any words.
This was not a history that he had been familiar with until now.
Sister Mony and Guntherson were silent as well. They seemed to be having shbacks of that time.
After a while, Sister Mony came back to her senses.
"Pardon me, I was reliving some rather unpleasant memories. Lately, memories have been creeping up on me. We used to have the same kind of trouble ages ago," Sister Mony continued after a long sigh. "Back in the day, the Church of Dawn was only a small church, not even a fraction of what the Church of Light was, but it still had thousands of years of knowledge and wealth.
"My teacher, thest Pope of the Church of Dawn had hoped that the Church of Dawn would rise to its glory days again, and he hid away all its treasure. He hid it so well, not even me or Guntherson were aware of its location. Maybe Guntherson and I had disappointed him, and that was why he did not reveal the location to us, but to someone else."
"In the end, the treasure was lost."
"When Guntherson and I were ready to leave it all behind, a couple of young men approached me, looking for the treasure. They imed that they wanted to revive the Church of Dawn. I turned them away, but they were persistent, and their methods have be even more extreme since then. Thats why Reed was so anxious when he met you."
Sister Mony looked apologetic once again.
"So thats what happened."
Kieran suddenly realized something.
"What was that crap about wanting to revive the Church of Dawn? They were probably just some random greedy scoundrels who had gotten some information from God knows where and wanted a piece of the treasure for themselves!"
"We really dont know the location, but even if we did, wed never tell them. If I hadnt taken a vow to never leave this ce, I would kill those greedy bastards!" Guntherson said angrily, clenching his fists.
He looked really furious.
Kieran did not doubt that he meant what he said.
After exchanging a few punches, he had experienced his strength first hand and knew very well how powerful Guntherson was. No one could match him in hand-to-handbat.
Gunthersons strong body and special technique had overpowered Kieran easily.
Not only did he have a strong body and a uniquebat technique, but he was also very familiar with weapons.
Judging by Altilly Hunters arsenal, Kieran could tell that thest knight of the Church of Dawn was also familiar with the use of fire powder.
He had to be at Master Level.
Considering his strong body and immense experience inbat and firearms, if he really chose to hunt them down, those scoundrels had better pray that he would not find them.
"So do these men have any special features?" Kieran asked.
"Theye in here silently, their face always covered. Only two have appeared before me. I dont know if there are any more of them." Sister Mony shook her head, unable to provide any more information.
"Very well, leave the rest to me. I can assure you that I will find them as soon as possible."
Kieran had not hoped for more information from Sister Mony. The men wanting to locate the Church of Dawn treasure would definitely have been prepared.
Still, that did not stop him from epting the Sub Mission.
[Sub Mission Unlocked: The spy!]
[Sub Mission: Some unknown scoundrels have learned about the treasure of the Church of Dawn and want to get to it through Sister Mony. You promised Sister Mony that you would find these scoundrels and keep St. Paolo School safe.]
Kieran looked at the Sub Mission description.
Compared to the first one, the new mission seemed a lot harder. Probably twice as much.
Not only could he not determine the number of scoundrels, but he couldnt find their trail either.
Other than waiting like a sitting duck, he could note up with any better ideas at the moment.
Kieran did not let his awkwardness show as he smiled and parted ways with Sister Mony and Guntherson.
In order to avoid any unnecessary conflict with Reed, Kieran entered the [Undercover] mode once again.
It was different thanst time, because he had Sister Monys consent before.
After he left St. Paolo School and the street leading to it, Kieran rearranged his belongings and the box holding the [Viper-M1], and came out of the shadows.
He did not call for a wagon, because he was not far from where he lived.
As he looked at the darkening sky, he decided to walk back and buy some food along the way.
He had not eaten anything the whole day.
He had not moved more than twenty meters, when he suddenly noticed someone following him.
Chapter 46: Street Assassination
Chapter 46: Street Assassination
Trantor: Dess Editor: - -
Someone was following him.
Kieran frowned, but he did not stop walking.
He was sure of it.
His E+ Rank [Intuition] gave him extraordinary eyesight and hearing. He could predict all iing danger, especially when someone with malicious intent shed by. He could not help but get goosebumps.
Plus, his Master Level [Undercover] skill already enabled him to familiarize with the ways of approaching enemies without being detected.
It was not hard for Kieran to know if someone was following him. He could tell just by the path he had gone through and easily locate his stalker.
Although he was being followed, he did not turn around to inspect the situation.
He did not want any unwanted trouble. Instead, he followed his original n and headed towards the diner not far from his current spot.
His mind started to work as he walked quickly.
Who was following him?
Was it one of the people after the treasure of the Church of Dawn?
Or was it a new enemy that this identity had brought?
Granted, in order to earn the title of the greatest detective in the city he must have solved countless cases. Based on the brief memories he had been provided with, the fellows who had ended up behind bars because of him were at least in the double digits, and those who wanted him dead were not the minority of them either.
As for the treasure hunters?
It has a higher possibility too.
They could have sent someone to keep an eye out around St. Paolo.
After all, we were talking about the treasure of an over a thousand year-old organization.
Just the thought itself would be able to seduce anyone.
Kieran was no exception.
When he had heard about the treasure, he had been moved as well.
It was hismon sense that had held him back.
He knew very well that the treasure would not be easy to obtain.
Guntherson, the Last Knight, would not allow the treasure to fall into the hands of evil men, and even more parties and factions would get involved eventually.
There was no wall in the world without a crack.
Considering there was already a bunch of people with information on the treasure, there could eventually be a second group, a third one, and so on.
After all, who could guarantee that the people who were after the treasure would keep that information to themselves?
As time flew, the changes at St. Paolo would definitely attract more attention.
If the case was not solved within a short period of time, Kieran thought there would be a dangerous, giant whirlpool forming around St. Paolo, dragging in more and more people and factions, and blending everyone together into a hot mess.
Sister Mony had predicted that, but it was Guntherson who had realized how scary it would really be.
That was why he had persuaded Sister Mony to ept Kierans offer to solve the case before the catastrophe that could destroy St. Paolo School ever took ce.
If he hadnt been worried, Guntherson would never have discussed the matter openly with Kieran.
Although he had his new identity, the letter from John and his abilities added to his appeal.
However, Kieran thought it was his abilities that had won Guntherson over. If he had not been able to evade his attack and hold his own until Sister Monys interference, the Sub Mission would not have been unlocked.
No doubt, other yers would not have been able to trigger this Sub Mission, considering it already exceeded the first-time difficulty level of the dungeon.
Judging by the normal progress of the yers and their abilities, they would not even havested one moment against Guntherson.
Maybe they wouldnt even meet Guntherson in person.
The security force had looked weak to Kieran because he happened to have had a better starting point than others, but that did not meant that other yers who had finished the newbie dungeon wound find them weak as well.
As a matter of fact, Kieran was sure they wouldnt.
He would notin about the difficulty of this mission though.
He knew very well that the harder the mission, the better the rewards would be.
It was the rewards he was after.
He did not have sufficient time though, so he could only rely on the difficulty of the mission to make up for it.
Despite everything going on in his head, Kierans attention was still on the stalker behind him.
Suddenly, he felt a chill down his spine.
It was a vicious vibeing from somewhere up ahead.
Although it was just a sh, the coldness made Kieran feel like he had been bitten by a venomous snake.
He was not a stranger to that feeling.
It was the vibe of a killers intent.
In the newbie dungeon, both the armed thugs and the rebels had exuded that same vicious vibe.
Kieran looked up ahead and spotted three figures in an instant.
One of them was walking in the same direction as him. Obviously that was not the one exuding the killing vibe.
The second one was a well-dressed gentleman with a pair of spectacles, who looked like an office clerk who had just finished work. He was walking in a rush.
Thest one was a drunkard with torn clothes. He was walking in a wobbly manner, reeking of alcohol.
Drunkards were amon sight in the city, especially after nightfall. They caused a lot of trouble for the police.
Neither of them looked suspicious, but Kieran was sure that one of them was the killer.
Which one was it?
Kieran inspected them carefully, but he could not make an urate decision.
The assassin was no doubt very good in hiding his identity. If it was not for the sh of the killers intent, Kieran would not have been able to tell at all.
What now?
Although Kieran could not differentiate between them, he still remained on alert.
He kept walking and the men did too, gradually getting closer to him.
When Kieran was three steps away from the man who looked like a clerk, he took his pipe out of his pocket. He made it look like his addiction had gotten the better of him, but he also identally dropped some change that had been left over from the wagon trip earlier.
"Damn it!" Kieran cursed in a low voice as he bent down to pick up the coins.
His eyes were still locked on the two approaching targets.
The drunkard had watched the scene and paused for a moment before continuing without any care.
The well-dressed man acted like nothing had happened and kept walking at his fast pace.
When he approached, Kieran finished picking up his change and straightened his body.
Just as Kieran was ready to put the change back into his pocket, the clerk passed by Kierans side with a small dagger in his right hand.
He turned, raised it and stabbed at him in one smooth move.
The stab turned into a cold ray of light aimed towards Kierans waist.
Kieran was one step ahead though.
His right leg was like a spring. He kicked the assassins hand, his foot pointed at the assassins wrist and pumping hard, following a kick on the assassins face.
With two clear loud sounds, the assassins dagger fell and Kieran kicked the man down, letting him roll on the ground. Half his teeth had gone missing and his face looked crooked. He seemed to be out of breath as he looked at Kieran with an incredulous expression.
No doubt, he was surprised that he had discovered him.
He had thought his disguise was perfect.
"Your intent was too obvious. You didnt even exhibit the basic curiosity. At least the drunkard cared enough to look at what I had dropped," Kieran said in a soft tone.
Of course he would never tell the man the true reason. Not even if he was killed.
[Kicking: Inflicted 30 Damage to Target HP, Dislocated joints...]
[Kicking: Lethal Attack, Inflicted 120 Damage to Target HP (Hand-to-hand Combat, Master of Kicks), Target dies...]
The battle log stated that the assassin was dead.
After the lesson he had been taught in the newbie dungeon, Kieran was more vignt.
He turned and looked around. The person who had been following him was long gone. He could not help but frown.
He was unable to confirm that the assassin and the stalker had been partners in crime.
"A full 150 HP! Big, fast, strong, good at disguising... He must have been an assassin or a hitman!" Kieran guessed at the identity of the deceased man, hoping that he could solve the mystery at hand.
If he could have, he would have preferred to keep him alive.
His sudden appearance had been unexpected though, and his disguising skill had made Kieran worry.
He thought he should show no mercy against someone who was good at disguising. Even if the assassins abilities were no match for him, if he had gotten away, Kieran wouldve had to be on the lookout for a killer in disguise.
Therefore, when he had struck, he had made sure to kill the man.
Although his death might attract attention, it was nothingpared to having to protect himself against a disguised killer.
"Murderer! Murderer!"
The quiet street slowly filled with noise.
A couple of policemen whistled as they surrounded Kieran with their clubs.
Kieran cooperated, raising his hands. He was holding the letter in his right hand.
Hed never been more d for that letter than in that moment.
"Im a Police Special Consultant, I wish to see Chief Officer John!"
Chapter 47: Coincidence
Chapter 47: Coincidence
Trantor: Dess Editor: - -
Kieran had dinner in Chief Officer Johns office.
Two hot dogs, one doughnut and three pieces of fried chicken together with a jug of fresh orange juice.
Although he could only use one hand, because the other one was cuffed to the chair, he still gobbled down the food easily.
Considering he had been eating fast food for the past three years, the food before him was like a gourmet meal.
"It tastes just like real food!"
When he finished thest drop of orange juice, he savored the sweetness and sourness on his taste buds, and squinted his eyes.
It was a pity that the food could not replenish his [Health] or [Stamina].
The meal only removed the [Hunger] debuff.
He naturally recalled the newbie dungeon canned food and water.
"Was that also a newbie advantage?"
The answer was obvious.
He regretted that he had not been able to bring canned food and water from the dungeon, although he had managed to bring both rocketunchers.
Never underestimate a mans stinginess.
Just as Kieran ced the jug back on the table, the door opened.
John entered, holding a cigarette in his mouth, and tossed Kieran the keys.
It was clear. Kieran was free to go.
After removing the handcuff, Kieran massaged his left wrist and asked, "Who the hell was that guy? Dont tell me hed been hired by some old friends of mine?"
"No, he wasnt. Remember earlier today, when you caught that killer and the pickpocketing gang?" John asked.
"Dont tell me that thieves these days are brave enough to take peoples lives?" Kieran said in surprise.
Although he was not a true detective, he knew that thieves and pickpockets lived in the gray zone and never took anyones life.
"Of course they dont, but the boss behind them would. Do you remember me mentioning the name Jimmy before?"
John exhaled smoke out of his mouth.
"Yes. Isnt he supposed to be missing? Your block was in a hot mess because of his disappearance, right?"
John nodded in agreement. "Never have I wished so bad to see that bastard! By disappearing, Jimmy left the underground faction leaders position up for grabs! Those who wanted to get a promotion or get on the fame train became obsessed with taking it themselves!"
John lit up another cigarette, although hed just had one two minutes ago.
"So was I just a demonstration target?" Kieran suddenly realized what was going on.
After Johns exnation, he could now see the whole picture.
Earlier that day at the train station, the boss of the pickpocketing gang had been nning to take over the block when Kieran had identally provoked him.
It just so happened that the boss needed more fame for himself.
What better than getting rid of the guy who had just provoked him and raising his own notoriety at the same time?
Fight-hungry fellows seeked revenge for the slightest grievance.
It was a danger to normal people, but an advantage for the underground factions.
"Calm down, Ive sent my men to arrest that bastard. I will make him spent the rest of his life in jail!" Johns rough face formed an angry smile.
One could not help but feel uneasy at that smile.
John had learned about the situation through the patrolling police officers. As Chief Officer, he knew very well that that fellow was not joking around. He was out to take Kierans life.
If it was not for Kierans exceptional abilities, the two of them would have been meeting in the morgue instead.
John still valued Kierans friendship, especially after Kieran had helped him solve the murder case earlier that afternoon. He now considered Kieran his best friend.
"So, do you have anything on Altilly Hunter?"
After John had made sure that the gang boss would be arrested, Kieran did not press the matter any further. Instead, he asked about the missing person case.
Kieran knew that the Chief Officer would let him get away with self-defense, but he would not allow him to go around killing people intentionally.
Especially during such hectic times. If Kieran went for the gang boss next, he would automatically cease to be on Johns side.
As long as he didnt have any exact information on Altilly Hunter, Kieran could not afford to lose such a strong ally.
If he did, he might as well be trying to find a needle in a haystack.
"Ive put all the men that we can afford on the case, including my own spare officers," John said.
Johns answer made Kieran understand that thepleted Sub Mission [The dead woman in the station] had already made its y.
Kieran would not mind speeding up the searching process as well.
"I got some solid information on the case this afternoon. Some man had been with the missy! The lucky thing is, the man had a very distinct facial feature. There was a big scar on his face, from the middle of his eyebrows straight down to the left edge of his mouth. He had strong arms and he had suffered an injury on his back," Kieran described the person ording to the information he had gotten from Guntherson.
John seemed stunned by his words.
"Whats wrong?" Kieran asked. "Are you looking for this guy?"
John took out a picture from the pile of documents on his desk.
Although Kieran had not seen the man before, the scar from his eyebrows to his mouth was an easily recognizable feature. He was pretty sure it was the guy he was looking for.
Kieran did not say this out loud, though. Instead, he asked who the guy in the picture was.
"Who is this?"
"ckhand Jimmy, the boss around this block!" John replied.
Kieran was stunned by his answer.
After a while, he rubbed his temple and sighed in distress.
"What are the odds that the girl I was looking would be rted to this "ckhand" Jimmy? That means that the man Altilly Hunter saved was him! When Altilly disappeared on that rainy night, it was because she was worried about this wounded man and the ce where he was hiding. He had no shelter from the rain, just a crude ce without a roof! If Hunter knew about this, he would be off his rocker!" Kieran thought while he looked at the picture in his hand.
The man named "ckhand" Jimmy was kind of good-looking, despite his scar. He looked quite young as well.
His identity would have seemed exciting to Altilly. That kind of youngdy would be extremely attracted to a man like him.
The worse part was, Altilly was not some kind of weak girl. She had been trained under Guntherson and was far stronger than the average Jane Doe.
Such strength would definitely make her long for more adventure.
She would not want to be tied down in her fathers manor, even if it was for her own good.
Her strength would eventually lead to her demise. Reality was far more cruel than she thought.
[Main Mission: Find Altilly Hunter within 1 month, dead or alive.]
Looking at the Main Mission, the word "dead" made Kieran let out a long sigh.
The mission already stated that Altilly Hunter might die.
"I dont care how Hunter might feel. I just know that if I could find "ckhand" Jimmy, this mess would end! Then I would have all the time in the world to deal with each of them by myself!" John said.
"Then I hope that there arent many ces without shelter from the rain in the city!" Kieran said with augh.
"No matter how many there are, I will still find him!" John concluded as he turned around and left the office.
Kieran shook his head.
After almost a whole day, Altilly Hunter and "ckhand" Jimmy went missing. The odds of finding them at the same ce had gotten worse.
The Chief Officer had to know this, but he would still not give up even the slightest clue.
Kieran had not tried to stop him.
He straightened his back and stood up, picking up the box with the [Viper-M1] and preparing to head home.
He had no ns of spending the night on a police station desk.
As Kieran walked out of the office, he saw an officer walk by in a rush.
"Hey, Carl!" Kieran waved at the young policeman.
"Detective Kieran! Wheres the Chief?" Carl asked as he greeted him.
"He just left. What happened?" Kieran asked out of curiosity.
Although Carl was young, by his brief interaction with him that afternoon, Kieran had gathered that he was not prone to overreaction. If he looked this anxious, then something must have happened.
"Our men are fighting Shubergs men. They have heavy firepower, we need reinforcements!" Carl summarized the situation.
"Shuberg?"
It was the first time Kieran had heard that name.
"Its the assassin that tried to kill you on the street!" Carl exined.
"Is it?" Kieran squinted his eyes in surprise.
Chapter 48: Night Battle
Chapter 48: Night Battle
Trantor: Dess Editor: - -
Kierans eyes were filled with killers intent.
If someone wanted to kill him, then he would retaliate in full force.
John had interfered before and prevented him from doing anything.
Now though?
He would never have imagined that there would be such trouble.
"What a freaky coincidence!" Kieran smiled as he looked at the young policeman. "I bet you guys could use some help. Tell me, where is the fight taking ce?" Kieran asked straightforwardly.
"Near the train station. You will know it when you get there! But youll have to be careful, theyre armed with guns and explosives!"
Carl knew what Kieran was capable of, so he did not turn down his offer to help. He just gave Keiran a courtesy warning before quickly running off to catch up with John.
[Sub Mission Unlocked: Crazy Shuberg]
[Sub Mission: Shuberg was forced into despair after wrongfully underestimating you, but he will certainly not go down easy! You have chosen to be on the side of the police, so you should be hurrying to the train station!]
The unexpected Sub Mission was good news for Kieran.
He had a reason to make a move now.
He picked up the [Viper-M1] box and quickly left the police station, disappearing into the night fog.
.....
The train station was extra busy that day.
A body had been discovered in the morning, and the man responsible for the murder had been caught in the afternoon along with a pickpocketing gang. Now there was also a gun fight going on there.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The loud, harsh sound of gunfire had scared away the civilians in the area, who had hidden under their beds to get out of harms way.
However, hiding did nothing to calm them down.
Their shivering bodies betrayed them.
Boom!
The loud explosion almost scared the civilians to death.
Even the policemen confronting Shuberg and his men trembled as they held on to their firearms.
"Goddamn it! Where did they get guns and explosives?" the Deputy Chief Officer Leschuder shouted as he took cover behind a sturdy, concrete wall to reload his gun.
His men could not provide him with an answer, which infuriated him even more.
He found a better way to release his rage, though. Leschuder leapt out of cover and fired the gun in his hand, the muzzle shing nonstop.
After the shots, a scream came from the other side of the rooftop, followed by someone falling down from the roof.
"Ill teach you sons of bitches some manners!" Leschuder shouted loudly.
The urate shot of the Deputy Chief Officer had lifted the spirits of his men, who came out of cover one after the other and started to fire back.
It did not have much of an effect, though.
Dozens of guns were fired at the same time, but other than one of Shubergs men getting hit on the arm, no other shots had found their target.
"You morons! Aim properly, will you? Are you knobheads blind?" Leschuder scolded them after witnessing the disappointing results.
His body was slim but fit, and his roar almost covered the gunshots.
"Aaarhhhhgh!"
They heard a scream as another one of their enemies fell from the rooftop.
"Nice shot! Who was it?"
After his fierce scolding, a smile finally formed on Leschuders face. He turned his eyes to his men, who were trying to see who had fired the shot. He definitely would not mind having a good shooter on his team.
All he got from his men though was nk faces.
Bang!
Another shot was fired while he was looking at his men.
It was followed by a scream and someone else falling to the ground.
"Deputy, there!" an eagle-eyed policeman had spotted a figure slowly emerging from the darkness.
"Kieran?"
Leschuder was shocked by Kierans sudden appearance.
"Carl told me you needed help!" Kieran greeted the Deputy Chief with a smile.
Following Carls instructions, when Kieran had gotten near the train station, he had followed the sounds of gunshots and explosions and located the exact spot of the fight.
It had not been far from the train station.
Shuberg and his men were winning.
They had upied a deserted two storey building and used it as their fort of defense. The height of the building made the underground thugs stand out.
The subtle light of the moon showed them the location of the policemen beneath them.
On the other side, the policemen had taken cover behind a building on the other side of the street. Every time the policemen fired, their location was exposed to the thugs.
Kieran had already seen about five injured policemen, and the remaining policemen were trying hard not to get hurt. They extended their hands behind their cover and shot blindly at their targets. The results were obvious.
If Shubergs men didnt suck at handling guns, the policemen would have had their heads blown off by now.
That was still not the point, though. The point was that Shubergs side had explosives.
Not the normal kind of explosives that were made of powder, but homemade explosives made of cowhide and mixed with ss shards and iron pallets. The explosions they caused were simr to a weak hand grenades explosion.
Kieran had witnessed firsthand the power of homemade explosives.
A shop that had been caught in an explosion had had its big wooden gate and frame sted high up into the air.
If Kieran had been within the explosion range, he knew that he would not have been able to get away. He would have certainly gotten hurt badly, or even died in the process.
Shuberg seemed like he had an unlimited supply of homemade explosives.
His men were sparing no expenses, throwing them out one after the other, forcing the policemen into an ufortable defensive stance.
After watching that scene, Kieran tried to be more careful.
He did not approach the building where Shuberg was holding his defense. It was across a wide street and the rooftop was upied by six or seven thugs. Considering their high-ground advantage, unless Kieran could be invisible, he could not have gotten into the building unnoticed.
That was why he had appeared in front of Leschuder instead. He wanted to help their team dissolve the situation.
ording to his memories, he and the Deputy Chief Officer had an awkward rtionship that was characterized by subtle hostility. However, Leschuders position as Deputy Chief Officer undoubtedly meant that he had the principles of a policeman.
At Kierans sudden appearance, Leschuder said, "We dont need amateurs here-"
Bang! Bang!
Before Leschuder could finish his sentence, Kierans [M1905] and [Viper-M1] fired simultaneously, producing another scream and a falling sound at the building across the street.
Despite the broad street between the two buildings, his E+ Rank [Intuition] allowed Kieran to easily spot the men on the other side.
If you added that to his Master Level [Firearm (Light Firearm)] skill, Kieran could not have missed a shot if he tried.
If his firearms and grenades had matched the current year and there had been no 50% decreased firepower, +1 second reloading speed, +30 seconds sniper rifle reloading speed restrictions, Kieran was confident that he could have wiped every one of Shubergs men off that rooftop within ten seconds. That was also the reason he had chosen to team up with Leschuder.
Leschuder had good shooting skills. That was why he had been promoted to Deputy Chief Officer and been tasked with arresting Shuberg.
Because of that, Leschuder was well aware of Kierans earlier shooting abilities.
Kieran was currently handling two different guns, one of them a calvary firearm, and firing them almost simultaneously. Such gun skills already exceeded him, probably even exceeded the best shooter in the military.
Although he did not like Kieran, Leschuder had to admit that his shooting skills were great. He was even better than him. Actually, a lot better than him.
But that still did not mean that Leschuder had toply with such an amateur.
The stubborn officer had always considered such detectives a disgrace to the police force.
"Hmmph!" Leschuder shrugged coldly.
He quickly reloaded his gun and prepared to shoot again.
Before he could leap out and fire though, he was pulled back by Kieran and sent rolling backwards.
BOOM!
The sudden explosion shocked Leschuder.
He knew that if Kieran had not pulled him back, he would have ended up in pieces.
He naturally wanted to thank Kieran for his help, but his stubbornness prevented him from opening his mouth.
While Leschuder was still struggling with his conflicting emotions, Shubergs men started firing again.
The sudden increase in casualties on the other side did not scared them at all and still unwilling to back down.
Quite the contrary, they retreated back inside the building and under their safer cover, they started to retaliate using meaner methods.
Fuses were lit up one after the other, and homemade bombs were thrown from the roof. It was like it was snowing flowers.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The continuous explosions lit up the night sky with noise and shes.
The policemen, who had been ready to charge, turned back and took cover again.
Shubergs men, who had retreated into the building, came out on the roof again and started to fire down at the retreating policemen.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A series of gunshots hit a police officer.
"TAKE COVER!" Leschuder shouted to his men, noticing that there was a man down.
He naturally wanted to rush out and save his men, but someone had beat him to it.
It was Kieran.
Chapter 49: All Out
Chapter 49: All Out
Trantor: Dess Editor: - -
Bang! Bang! Bang!
As Kieran came out of his cover, gunshots were fired from the roof once again.
In the darkness of the night, Kieran moved like a cat, all swift hands and fast legs.
The bullets missed him and hit the ground, sttering waves of dirt and sand. They looked like animals trailing behind Kieran, unable to catch him.
His E- Rank Agility, Master Level [Evading] and special effect [Master of Swift Steps] were more than effective against a bunch of thugs with poor shooting skills. Kieran avoided the iing bullets as if he was dancing a waltz.
Everyone was in awe of him. He quickly pulled the fallen policeman up and rolled away. Soon he was back behind the cover, where Leschuder was.
"He needs a medic!"
Kieran delivered the wounded policeman to hisrades. The man looked at Kieran with grateful eyes and smiled.
Kieran would save anyone on the team if it was within his power.
"Tha.. Thank you!" Leschuder said with a stutter.
Before Kieran could reply, Leschuder turned around and looked viciously at Shuberg, who was on the second floor of the building across the street.
If it was not for those explosives, he would not have embarrassed himself and stooped so low as to thank an amateur.
Although Leschuder had been sincere in thanking Kieran, that still did not diminish his hate for Shuberg.
As a matter of fact, if were not for those unexpected explosives, Leschuder could have taken Shuberg by himself and would not have had to ask for backup.
Even after Chief Officer Johns backup had arrived, Leschuder still had not been confident that he could bring down Shuberg.
After all, Shuberg had too much firepower.
"Do we really need to call in the army?"
The dilemma had formed in Leschuders mind. Unconsciously, he rejected the idea, but his senses told him that it was the only solution.
"If we do, it will bring disgrace to the police force!"
Leschuders eyes became darker. He could already imagine the headlines in the newspapers the next day calling the police force useless.
"Goddamn it!"
Leschuder punched the ground hard. Just the thought of it made him upset.
"Its not over until we give up!" Kieran told Leschuder, who raised his head and looked at him. "Deputy, if I may, I would like to know what the situation on the other side is. Perhaps I coulde up with something." Kieran words sounded modest, but his tone carried a sense of strong confidence.
"You..."
Leschuder felt like mocking the amateurs overconfidence, but he held himself back as he remembered that Kieran had saved both him and one of his men.
However, he still did not think that Kieran would have any kind of n, despite the fact that he had disyed some exceptional gun skills earlier.
The situation at hand could not be solved just by having good gun skills.
Kieran could guess what Leschuder was thinking.
The Deputy Chief Officer was not good at hiding his emotions.
It was easy to find a way to deal with this kind of person.
"Dont tell me that you dont even have the courage to try?" Kieran said with a smile.
The light mockery infuriated Leschuder even more. His face turned red and he took a deep breath before he said straightforwardly, "You think you can solve this, when me and dozens of my men could not? There are at least twenty men on Shubergs side, and every single one of them is armed! They have an unknown amount of explosives. It has to be over a hundred, by the looks of it. Those bastards have blocked the windows on the first and second floor. Anyone wanting to go in has to go through the roof! Goddamn it! If I find out who gave them those guns, Ill squeeze their balls out of them!" Leschuder released his anger, punching the floor angrily.
"So theres at least twenty men, everyones armed, and theres an unknown numbers of explosives?"
Kieran squinted his eyes as he listened to the Deputy. His mind was calcting, assessing the situation across the street.
The darkness of the night did not pose a problem for Kieran. The moonlight allowed him to see clearly what was going on the other side. The thugs who had fired had gone back inside to reload, but three more thugs had appeared on the rooftop with fully-loaded guns.
One of them held an unlit homemade explosive in his hand.
Suddenly, an idea popped into Kierans mind.
"Deputy, can you take out one of the guys up there?" he asked.
"Of course, but theres two more!"
"Leave the remaining two to me. I have a n! It looks like they have lots of explosives. With that many explosives, all we need is a spark and theyll go boom and fly straight into hell!" Kieran exined his n.
"Are you crazy? Do you even know what youre talking about?" Leschuder shook his head as he heard Kierans n.
To him, the mission was impossible.
The broad street and the two-storey-high building were problematic enough, but if anyone somehow did manage to climb up to the roof, they would still be showered by bullets.
"Of course I do! Why wont you let me try? Do you have a better n? Or have you resigned yourself to being everyones tea-time joke?" Kieran said with a smile.
"Fine! But youll be acting alone! This has nothing to do with us!" Leschuder clenched his teeth in anger.
"My pleasure!"
Kieran was not surprised by Leschuders eptance.
Although they had only spend a little time together, Leschuder was very bad at hiding his emotions. Kieran already knew what kind of man he was.
"So, shall we?" Kieran said as he rolled out.
He got out of cover, the [M1905] and [Viper-M1] in his hands firing simultaneously.
Bang! Bang!
Bang!
Two shots were fired, followed by a third one.
Kieran was fast, but Leschuder was not slow either.
Two men, three shots, all of them finding their target.
Leschuder was amazed by Kierans gun skills and how he could fire almost at the same time.
As a matter of fact, Kieran had not fired together.
However, the difference was not noticeable and his speed was extremely fast. To Leschuder, it had almost looked like he had fired both shots at once.
"Cover me!" Kieran asked Leschuder.
Then he ced the [Viper-M1] down on the floor, and dashed out towards the enemys building.
The next moment, Leschuder witnessed a scene that had his jaw dropping and his gun hand shaking.
He clearly saw Kieran dash swiftly across the street at an abnormally fast speed, jump high into the air like a monkey, and grab onto the balcony on the second floor.
The whole process did not even take three seconds.
Suddenly, two of Shubergs men appeared on the roof again.
The men did not startle Leschuder, who was focused on his mission.
The moment they appeared, he fired his gun.
"Cover him!" Leschuder shouted. Instead of reloading his gun, he took another fully-loaded gun from one of the men beside him and aimed to fire.
The other policemen had also seen Kierans courageous ascend to the building, and at the Deputys shout, they all provided Kieran cover without any further dy.
With a series of gunshots, they took down Shubergs men, who had just appeared on the roof.
While all this was happening, Kieran climbed higher and higher up until he reached the rooftop and checked out the situation there.
A big piece of the roof had broken off, creating a giant hole. Shubergs men came in and out of the building using two woodendders.
Kieran could see Shubergs men inside the building through the hole in the roof. The thugs had also noticed Kierans presence.
"Get that son of a bitch!"
The voice hade out of the inside the building, and the thugs obeyed it by picking up their guns and firing at the spot where Kieran was standing.
Before they could fire though, Kieran had already rolled out of the way.
He already had a n in his mind. Without a second thought, he pulled out the [U-II] grenade, released the pin and threw it inside the hole.
Then he quickly stood up and dashed away from the grenade. He ran along the roof and leapt up towards another rooftop about eight meters away.
Other than Shubergs men, Kieran had also seen an open box of homemade explosives in the roof hole.
The grenade would definitely detonate the explosives, so if Kieran remained in the area, he would be caught in the explosion.
Boom!
Just as Kierannded on the nearby rooftop and rolled away, the building behind him exploded with a bang. Kieran was unable to withstand the explosive force. In an instant, it had sent him rolling even further away.
While he rolled, Kieran could clearly see Shuberg and his men on the second floor of the burning building. They were lit up like human torches.
The bright explosives illuminated half the night sky.
The brightness also shed light on Leschuder and his men, and their stunned expressions.
They could not believe what they were seeing.
Kieran had done this?
Kieran had done it!
One of the police officers screamed out loud, soon followed by the apuse of the remaining men.
Even Leschuder could not mask the happiness on his face.
The police officers thought of the person who had pulled off this miracle. While Kieran was still struggling to get to his feet, the others started cheering and heading towards the roof he hadnded on.
Chapter 50: Skill Book
Chapter 50: Skill Book
Trantor: Dess Editor: - -
Kieran was crawling, struggling to get to his feet. He felt like his body had been broken into pieces. Although he had tried his hardest to put a long distance between him and the explosion, he had still been caught in the shockwave and sent flying.
He felt like all his joints had been dislocated, and his HP had dropped by about 50 points.
If it was not for his E- Rank [Constitution] and his 200 HP, that shockwave alone may have gotten him into [Moderately Wounded] status.
It had all been worth it, though. Kieran took a deep breath and checked his mission bar.
[Sub Mission: Crazy Shuberg (Completed)]
Kieran had never even seen the guy. The underground gangster boss had died in the explosion.
"Kieran! Kieran!"
A series of cheers came from afar.
Kieran managed to get up on wobbly feet. He waved at Leschuder, who wasing for him, signaling that he was okay.
"You crazy son of a bitch!" the Deputy said honestly before he sent two of his men to help Kieran down from the roof.
The men did notin. Their eyes were filled with respect as they looked at Kieran.
His actions had impressed them immensely.
His shooting skill, his agility, the fact that he had saved both their Deputy andrade, andst but not least, that suicidal attack that had blown the thugs straight to hell...
Every single one of those actions would have been enough to earn their respect, and Kieran had done all those things by himself.
Both the police officers and Deputy Leschuder had changed their opinion about Kieran.
Still, the Deputys stubbornness would not allow him to express his gratitude.
"Prepare to extinguish the fire! See if any of those bastards are still alive!" Leschuder ordered all his men that were still able to move.
They all thought that no one could have possibly survived the st, but the fire still had to be extinguished.
Although it was a detached two-floor building, no one could ensure that the wind would not carry the sparks elsewhere.
Buckets of water were poured over the mes, and steam started to rise in the process.
Then from afar, a series of hastened footsteps were heard.
Despite the darkness, the uniform and the huge body of the leading man could still be seen clearly. Everyone could tell that it was Chief John with his reinforcements.
Everyone, including Kiera, saluted him as he approached.
Kieran got distracted by something else, though. As the fire was being putted out, he saw a white booklet glow faintly among the mes.
No further confirmation was needed. Kieran already knew what it was.
After all, inside the whole underground game, there was only one kind of book that could emit that particr faint glow. It was a Skill Book!
Through his earlier conversation with Lawless, Kieran had found out that Skill Books had their own ranks too.
They were divided into four known categories; White, Green, Orange, and Gold.
White color represented the Common Rank, where most of Kierans skills belonged, Green represented the Magic Rank, which was used for magical skills, Orange was Rare, and Gold was Legendary. As Lawless had exined, these colors were supposed to represent the skills in those books.
As for skills above all these categories?
Lawless did not know much about that either.
Until now, the underground games highest-ranking Skill Book had been a Gold Legendary one.
That particr Skill Book had caused a global-scale war to break out in the game.
Not a small conflict like the one between the Steam City and the Iron Chariots. That was a mere squabble inparison.
The war that the Skill Book had caused had had an infinite death toll.
Kieran could clearly remember Lawless mentioning that incident. Sensing the fear behind his words, Kieran had not wanted to press the matter any further.
Other than the aforementioned Skill Book categories, there was one more special Skill Book, the faint Purple Skill Book.
Kierans Tracking was that kind of Special Skill.
A Special Skill could be very powerful or have very little use. It was not possible to determine usingmon sense.
Kieran had some experience on that matter.
His Master Level [Tracking] skill was not an offensive skill, but he had still incorporated it into his life.
He was not going to underestimate the value of the Skill Book just because it was White.
After all, his current strength had been built on different White Rank Skills that he had acquired along the way.
Furthermore, in the secret bazaar among the veterans, White Skill Books were priced somewhere between 1,000 to 2,000 points.
As for higher rank ones?
Unless Kieran was crazy or somehow forced to sell them, he would definitely keep them for himself.
As a result, the moment Kieranid eyes on the Skill Book, he forgot all about his pain and made a ridiculous suggestion, "John, have your men put out the fire faster, there might be some clues left behind!"
"Okay!" John just nodded at Kierans advice.
Their current friendship level allowed him to ept such suggestions, no matter how ridiculous they sounded.
Plus, John was having a lot of doubts about the case. How had Shuberg gotten his hands on that amount of firearms and explosives?
Low-level thugs did not normally possess tons of firearms.
The fire was extinguished swiftly.
The officers had done their job. After confirming that it was safe, the civilians came out to help too.
Some busybodies were even asking around about what had happened.
Kieran and John did not have time for them, though. They entered the extinguished building together.
Leschuder automatically ordered the rest of the officers to barricade the ce and quietly watch as his superior and Kieran investigated.
Kieran entered the crime scene and quickly walked over to the Skill Book.
[Discovered Skill Book: Explosive Weapons (Explosives)]
[Do you wish to learn?]
There was nothing to think about. Kieran quickly agreed.
[Learned Skill: Explosive Weapons (Explosives)]
[Name: Explosive Weapon (Explosives) (Basic)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Agility]
[Skill Type: Offensive]
[Effects: You know how to make homemade bombs, TNT, grenades and other kinds of explosive weapons, Increases Damage by 10%]
[Consumes: Stamina]
[Prerequisites: None]
[Remarks: You better be sure that what you throw is not gonna backfire on you!]
...
After reading the skill notifications, knowledge was transferred into his body once again. Kieran nodded in satisfaction.
Grenades were one of his favorite ways to deal with his enemies. Now that he also had the rted skill, he would be like a tiger with wings.
The only downside was that if he wanted to upgrade the skill, he would need to finish the dungeon and get back to the lobby.
When he had fully acquired the skill, he turned around and looked at John. His friend was still searching carefully around the burnt area, frowning at his findings.
Kieran knew what John was looking for.
After all, he was the one who had suggested the idea.
He had been after the Skill Book, but he could not have just entered the scene with John for fun to get it. Such behavior would have shed with his identity in the current dungeon.
Kieran sighed as he joined his friend in his effort to find clues.
The results were obvious.
After a whole hour of searching, all Kieran had found was ashes.
John hadnt found anything either. The two of them looked at each other and gave up the search. They got up and headed out of the ruins.
"Maybe theres some hidden passage or underground storage area!" Leschuder was not ready to give up yet.
John was not either. "Send someone to clean the ce up and dig for more clues underground!" he ordered Leschuder as he signaled for Kieran to return with him to the police station.
He looked like he wanted to discuss something with him, so Kieran did not refuse.
They arrived back at the station without any incident, and headed towards Johns office. As soon as John stepped inside, he started smoking.
Two cigarettester, he still had not said a word.
"Is it so hard to speak?" Kieran asked John impatiently.
"Harder than you think. Just as I suspected, theres even more trouble," John said in a low voice, shaking his head.
"The military? Hmmm quite the trouble I see"
"And Ive kept encountering troubles with the military!"
Kieran sighed after the first sentence and soften the second so only he could hear.
Everything was clear now.
Shuberg had been after "ckhand" Jimmys position in the territory ever since the man had gone missing. He had contacted some of his connections to ask for help, but naturally, his connections had asked Shuberg to do their dirty work for them in return.
As a reward, they had provided him with a big amount of firearms and explosives.
It was easy to guess who was able to supply Shuberg with such a huge amount of firearms.
The military.
No one else could have supplied such a huge amount of weapons.
The explosives had been disguised as homemade just for appearances sake.
Anyone who understood the situation would never have believed that those homemade explosives had really been made by Shuberg and his men.
If Shuberg had such skills, he would have been infamous.
Plus, if he had really made those explosives, the skill that Kieran had acquired would not have been [Explosive Weapon (Explosives)], but some kind of crafting skill instead.
Still that was not the worst of it.
Dirty coborations between people in power and street thugs were amon urrence.
What was unexpected was Shubergs nerve.
No matter how strong the underground factions were, they would never have dared engage with the police like that. Shuberg had done it though.
If it hadnt been for Kierans interference, things would have gone south and the military would have eventually turned up.
It was no coincidence that Shubergs connection was within the military.
Kieran would have been the first to suspect that there was something fishy there.
Kieran leaned back on his chair and made himselffortable.
Then he looked at John and asked, "What are you going to do?"
Chapter 51: Plan
Chapter 51: n
Trantor: Dess Editor: - -
Kieran believed that there were things that he foresee, and so did John.
John might knew better than him too.
After all, Kieran had just arrived at this ce, and he was just a detective, while John was a native. He was of a higher status and held a more important position among the citizens.
Natives. Thats what Lawless had said that the other veterans had nicknamed the NPCs of the game.
Apparently, it was because of the realism of the characters.
Kieran was fine with that nickname. Although he was not quite used to it, but he believed that the realism would eventually grow on him.
"What should I do?" John redirected the question at Kieran, but Kieran did not need an answer anymore.
John had been hiding his rage under that rugged look of his, but he was done doing that.
Although the Chief Officer had kept silent before, that still did not mean that he was going to back down.
He still had a sense of justice, and he would never allow such things to happen.
"Those damn maggots! Ill teach them to obey thew!" John said through clenched teeth.
To other people, Johns words might have seemed funny, but to Kieran, this was not aughing matter.
John was very serious, both in his tone and attitude.
"Need any help?" Kieran offered his aid.
It just came out naturally, mostly because he knew that it would mean another Sub Mission. There might also be trivial stuffs within the Sub Mission, but Kieran decided to ignore the small problems.
At Kierans words, John raised his head and looked at him with a startled expression.
He looked at him for about two seconds before he burst intoughter. An honest smile formed on his rough face. It somehow still looked vicious, though.
"Thanks, but its not the right time yet. I need to call the others in. You and me alone could not pulls this off by ourselves."
John headed outside. Before he stepped out of his office, he halted and turned around. Looking at Kieran, he said, "Dont worry, I still havent forgotten about Altilly Hunter. After all, you are one of my best allies!"
Then he left without looking back.
Kieran looked at the space where he had been standing nkly. He was not used to his friends messing around with him.
Actually, it would be more urate to say that he was not used to having any friends.
For someone like him, who was always struggling to survive, a friend was a luxury that he could not afford.
Maintaining friendships required time and money, both things that Kierancked.
"Seems like this Sub Mission has already exceeded the first-time difficulty level of the dungeon!" he thought to himself.
He didnt have any proof. He was basing his theory on Shubergs power.
Normally, a first timer would not even have had the chance to turn that situation around.
Even if they had managed to blow up the building like Kieran had, they might still have sted themselves to pieces.
"Another tough Sub Mission..."
As Kieran sat in the Chiefs chair, the corner of his mouth lifted.
He was not afraid of the difficulty of the mission. He was more worried that the missions would not be enough.
Of course, he had thought about it before, but trying anything else would bear a certain amount of risk. With his life at stake, what choice did he have?
The answer was self-exnatory. He had none. That was why he was willing to take the gamble.
It was not really his style to take such risks.
"Seems like I dont have much of a choice," Kieran mumbled before he stretched his body. As the pain caught up with him, he could not help but clench his teeth.
If he had to chose between a chair and a bed, he would definitely go for thetter.
His back would hurt if he spent the night on a chair.
...
The bright dawn broke the silent darkness of the night.
The people on the streets started their daily routines, the city instantly filling with life and noise.
The newspaper boy was going through the pedestrians one after the other.
"Extra! Extra! The great detective Kieran solved the dead womans case!"
"Extra! Extra! The great detective apprehended the local underground gang!"
...
The loud, clear voice of the newspaper boy could be heard from afar, attracting peoples attention.
After the explosion the previous night, one would have to be dead not to notice that something was going on.
The explosion had been too dangerous formon civilians, so they had not dared step outside their doors to inspect the situation.
However, that only made them more curious.
People who usually did not read the news bought the newspaper to read what was going on. There were a lot of people willing to pay for a newspaper.
Every paper boy was surrounded by customers. While normally it would have taken them a half a day to sell out, now it only took them half an hour.
The paper boys were ecstatic, and so were the people who had finally satisfied their curiosity.
The businessmen had had to print more copies of the newspaper, so they were pretty happy themselves.
Almost everyone had read the newspaper headline that took up almost half the front page. On it there was a picture of Kieran with his deerstalker, smoking his pipe.
Kieran was the only one who was not happy with his achievements.
When he woke up in his soft bed, it was already afternoon.
After changing into his clothes and taking everything that he needed, he headed to a restaurant not far from his house.
Although he was living on the second floor, there was no Mrs. Hudson on the first floor to prepare breakfast for him.
When he entered the restaurant, he noticed something weird.
Everyones eyes were locked on him.
There was curiosity, contempt and jealousy in their stares.
He sat down, ordered food and ate it, all the while feeling like he was surrounded by hundreds of swords.
The situation got even worse as more people joined the crowd staring at him.
The chatter of the crowd let Kieran know what themotion was about.
When he saw two women walk towards him with two pairs of passionate eyes, he packed his breakfast without a second thought and left the restaurant in a rush.
Shaking off those women would not be hard for Kieran, as long as their number did not increase. If there were a dozen or twenty such women staring at him, even his Master Level [Undercover] skill would not allow him to get away safely.
In the end, Kieran had no choice but to head towards the St. Paolo School to get away from them. The school had been his original destination, anyway.
Kieran had to ask the help of the outpost policemen and the School Security Force to get rid of the fanaticdies.
"Attention seeker!" Reed showed clear contempt at Kierans behaviour.
However, he did not stop him from entering the school.
It seemed like he had received orders to allow him to pass through.
Still, that did not change Reeds opinion of him.
Kieran did not mind. After all, it was a small price to pay for peace.
"Sister Mony is praying right now, and she will be busy with schoolwork afterwards. She will have time for you in the afternoon," Reed told Kieran.
"May I see Sir Guntherson instead, then?" Kieran asked.
The captain did not reply. He just brought Kieran to Gunthersons cabin and left him there.
"Ill be watching you!" Reed warned Kieran before he left.
Kieran could do nothing but smile back awkwardly.
After Reed left, Guntherson came out of the wooden cabin. Just like the previous day, he was wearing gunny sack clothes, and his feet and arms were bare.
"Morning!" Kieran greeted Guntherson.
"Any clues yet?" Guntherson asked in a clear voice.
"Not yet. I was nning on doing some investigating, but I was caught up in a sticky situation. I had toe here to escape it!" Kieran shook his head with a bitterugh. He looked embarrassed as he told Guntherson how he had arrived at the school.
Guntherson replied with a loudugh. "A man should not avoid such a situation, but embrace it instead! Its kind of a reward!" Guntherson said.
"Dont you think that such words sound awkwarding from a Knight?" Kieran asked.
"How do you know that I didnt be a Knight to be more popr?" Gunthersons reply left Kieran speechless.
"I think we should talk about the investigation instead. The one I am supposed to be doing now?" Kieran switched back to their original topic.
"Im all ears!" Guntherson became serious as well.
"When I left the school yesterday, I was followed. I couldnt tell who my stalker was, but Im quite sure that it was one of those scoundrels. They are monitoring St. Paolos closely. Theyre watching anyone who enters the school," Kieran described the situation briefly.
"You should have exposed that bastard! With your skills, it should not have been that hard!" Gutherson expressed pity at the missed opportunity.
"Well, I guess. Provided that no one else had interfered..."
Kieran told him about the street assassination the previous day in an embarrassed tone.
The story seemed to excite thest Knight of the Church of Dawn even more.
"You are one unlucky young man! If you had grown up in my generation, you would have been famous!" he said.
"Yeah, by the title "The Unlucky Bastard"? Kieran said, curling his lips.
Gunthersonughed. "Yes, yes, youre right about that! It would have showed everyone what a "great" detective you are, smartass!" Gunthersonughed again. He looked more entertained than ever as he pped his knees,ughing at Kierans bad fortune.
"I think such mockery is shameful for a Knight!" Kieran reminded him.
"It would be if Knights were still recognized by people! Now Im just the night guard of St. Paolo School!"
Guntherson seemed to have no intention of holding back hisughter. Instead, heughed even louder.
It made Kieran realize how rotten he was.
It seemed that he did not mind drawing pleasure from other peoples pain.
Kieran was sure that whoever had vouched for Guntherson to be a Guardian Knight must have been blind.
"I really think we should get back to the topic at hand, which is the investigation!" Kieran reminded Guntherson once more.
When it came to such a serious matter, Guntherson managed to maintain some integrity. He stopped fooling around and held back hisughter. "Go on!" he said in a serious tone.
"I was nning on luring them out," Kieran stated his n.
Guntherson frowned. "But your n was messed up. You cant carry it out anymore."
"Quite the contrary, actually. My n is even easier to execute now, because they will definitely read the headlines today!" Kieran could not help but smile.
Chapter 52: Baited
Chapter 52: Baited
Trantor: Dess Editor: - -
It was midnight at the St. Paolo School.
Sister Mony had sent Kieran outside the church and asked him to board her personal horse wagon. The wagoner was Security Captain Reed.
Reed seemed very unwilling to serve Kieran, but he could not disobey Sister Monys order.
He just wanted the task to end quickly. As soon as Kieran had gotten on the wagon, Reed swinged the whip in his hand.
With a clear noise, the horse wagon started to move, slowly disappearing into the night fog.
When it was out of sight, Sister Mony turned around and went back inside the church.
Her Guardian Knight was hiding behind the shadows of the candles, remaining vignt.
After ten seconds, Guntherson came out of the shadows.
"Just as Kieran said, those scoundrels have been spying on the school the entire time. They might have used binocrs with extra long vision or night vision. Those scoundrels sure are bold!" Guntherson shrugged coldly after he finished his words.
"Now their attention must be directed at Sir Kieran!" Sister Mony sighed softly, sounding worried.
"Dont worry. If Kieran chose to go ahead with his n, then he must have confidence in it. After all, so far so good. Everything is still going ording to n. We just need to wait patiently for Kierans good news!" Guntherson offered somefort to Sister Mony.
"Lets hope so."
Sister Mony approached the Goddess statue and started to pray again.
Gunthersons lips moved a little, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he did not.
He moved back into the shadows quietly.
Once a glorious Guardian Knight, now a quiet night watcher.
His prideful days were over, and his glory had worn off with them.
The vow he had once sworn had be clear to him.
That was why he had started to face his own emotions.
To Guntherson, one incident had been more than enough. He would not allow anyone near Sister Mony again.
...
The city was quiet during the night, and the streets were empty.
The horse wagon sped through them without meeting any obstacles.
Ten minutester, Kieran had already reached his house.
The captain did not bid Kieran farewell. He just drove away quickly.
Kieran saw Reed off with a cold shrug of his shoulder.
He knew that it was wishful thinking to want to get along with someone as hard as Reed.
It was hardly easy in such a short period of time.
He pulled up his coats cor to cover his face from the chilling night wind, and headed up to the second floor, where he lived.
He did not need to go through the first floor. The stairs were outside and he could directly ess his ce from them.
The door was made of a single piece of wood.
At the top of the door frame, there was a crude palm-sized sign hanging. The crooked words on it spelled "Detective Kieran".
Seeing his name there for the first time, Kieran could not help but smirk.
Had he been given the choice, he would have rather not have such a sign on his door.
He took out his keys, unlocked the door, and entered the apartment.
The apartment consisted of an outer and inner area with a separate washroom.
The outer part was the living room, study, and dining room, all of them neatly arranged. The inner part was just the bedroom.
Kieran was quite satisfied with the arrangement.
He had no OCD, he just wouldnt like to live in a messy apartment.
The room itself was nothing to talk about.
He had inspected it the night before when he had stayed there.
Therefore, when Kieran entered the ce, he went straight into his bedroom, tightened his coat and waited patiently on the bed.
He was waiting for the bastards that were after the treasure of the Church of Dawn.
Kieran believed that they woulde for him. He was the greatest detective in the city after all.
Two days in a row, he had showed up at St. Paolo School. It might have made sense yesterday, when he had been there for Altillys case, but what about today?
Not only had he stayed there a whole day, but he had also been well-received by Sister Mony.
That alone had to be enough to spike their interest.
After all, one would call a detective for no reason.
They would have to be in need of a detectives skills.
Why would St. Paolo School require the aid of a detective?
To find the millennium treasure of the Church of Dawn!
There was nothing else there that mattered.
If those scoundrels were thinking the same way, they would definitelye for Kieran.
Kieran knew it in his gut. It would be either that night or the next day.
Kieran had made an estimation about the time it would take for them to approach him.
If that time passed though, he would need to go with n B.
Lucky for him, he would not need to use the alternative n.
About twenty minutester, his E+ Rank [Intuition] picked up the clear noise of the lock turning.
It was not the sound of a key, but some other kind of metal instrument.
It was not loud, but it was loud enough for Kieran to hear it.
He reached for his [M1905] and dagger, quietly moving out of his bedroom and backing up against the wall behind the door.
The clear, cracking noise indicated that his door had been opened by someone.
Following the sound, a shadowed figure entered the room slowly.
The person scanned the room and nced in the direction of the bedroom, moving silently towards it.
He had not noticed Kieran hiding behind the door in his [Undercover] mode.
Kieran watched the person carefully. After confirming that he was alone, he frowned slightly.
ording to Sister Mony, there had been at least two men.
If he could only see one, then that meant...
Kierans mind was specting, but the answer was obvious. He had guessed it right from the beginning.
Kieran kept quiet as he approached the person from behind. He raised the [M1905] in his hand and pointed it at the back of their head.
The person froze in an instant.
"I meant no harm!" they said in a slightly sharp voice. "I can exin!"
"Im listening, but my patience is wearing thin!"
The person seemed to hope that Kieran would put down the gun, but Kieran did not.
Instead, he pushed the gun harder onto the persons head.
"Ill talk! Ill talk! Were here to cooperate with you! Its about the secret of the Church of Dawn!"
The gun had made him spill everything quickly.
Hearing this, Kieran smirked in mockery.
He was obviously bluffing to save his own life.
He was using confusing words to spike Kierans interest.
He was sure that Kieran didnt know enough, and thought he could use their knowledge of history, books or some Church of Dawn Popes personal notes to bluff his way out of this tight spot.
If Sister Mony and Guntherson knew the location of the millennium treasure, then it might confirm the scoundrels guess.
The thing was, he did not know that Sister Mony and Guntherson were unaware of the location of the treasure.
If it were not for the scoundrels sudden appearance, Sister Mony and Guntherson would have continued to treat that story as a legend.
This person though seemed to think that Sister Mony and Guntherson were aware of the existence of the treasure and might know its approximate location, but probably could not confirm the exact spot, which was why they had to search for it discreetly. Whenpetition had arrived though, Sister Mony and Guntherson must have been forced to get help from this "outsider detective".
The scoundrel thought that he could convince this "outsider" to join their side, using the Church of Dawns treasure as bait. Afterwards, they would most likely kill Kieran after to keep the secret among themselves.
Kieran was sure that this was their n, so he gave a direct answer to the persons proposition.
He kicked him on the kneecap, instantly breaking his joint with a clear sound.
The person tried to scream in agony, but before any sound coulde out of their mouth, Kieran covered it with his hand and punched them hard in the abdomen.
[Kicking: Inflicts 30 Damage to Target HP, Dislocated joints...]
[Punching: Inflicts 20 Damage to Target HP, Target fainted...]
After the invader had passed out, Kieran removed his mask, the dim light from the window revealing their face.
The man had a pair of small, sharp eyes, a t nose, a small body and ck-and-white hair.
Easily forgettable. He could even be considered ugly.
Kieran searched the invaders body for loot.
A dagger, a flintlock pistol, a monocr and a set of lock picking tools was everything the invader had on him.
The dagger, pistol and monocr were nothing special.
The lock picking tools though were the size of a palm and looked kind of like a purse, which surprised Kieran a bit.
[Name: Lock Picks]
[Type :Etc]
[Rarity: Great]
[Attacking Power: None]
[Attributes: Precisions Lvl 1]
[Effects: None]
[Prerequisites: Lock Picking (Basic)]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: Made using a hairpin, a steel wire and a screwdriver.]
...
[Precision Lvl 1: Lockpicking sess rate increases by 10%]
...
"Attribute items!"
It was the first attribute items that Kieran had acquired ever since entering the first official dungeon.
"These are some good items from the extra difficult Sub Mission!"
Kieran was hyped.
Suddenly, he turned his eyes back to the invader. This was how he had broken in so easily.
By picking the lock!
Kieran was pretty sure that once he killed the man, a Skill Book of sorts would appear.
Chapter 53: Serendipity
Chapter 53: Serendipity
Trantor: Dess Editor: - -
The possibility of acquiring a Skill Book had sparked Kierans interest, but he had not forgotten his original goal.
He used a rope to tie the invader onto a chair, and then got a mug of cold water from the bathroom and sshed it onto his face.
The cold water woke the invader up in an instant. His mouth was stuffed with the cover he had been wearing, so he could not scream. He could only make awkward sounds.
Considering they were not in the middle of nowhere, Kieran did not want to attract the attention of the neighbours.
The invader opened his eyes wide and looked at Kieran nkly.
Kieran did not exin why he had knocked him out.
"Who else is with you? Where are the others?" he got straight to the point.
Then he took the dagger and pressed it against the invaders left pointing finger, cutting a line into it. He had left the invaders hands purposely untied so he could use his interrogation method on him. After Kieran had cut the finger, he removed the gag from the invaders mouth.
"You f*..."
Before he could say a word, Kieran stuffed the gag back into his mouth and cut off the mans finger.
"Ughh!"
The invader sobbed from the pain.
"Who else is with you?"
Kieran waited for his sobbing to stop and then removed the gag once more. At the same time, he moved his dagger to the mans middle finger.
"Bas..."
Wrong answer. Kieran cut off the mans middle finger.
The uncooperative attitude of the invader and his constant cursing irritated Kieran, who immediately cut off his remaining three fingers.
The invader was twitching in pain, his sweat pouring out like rain.
Kieran had no intention of stopping, though. He just moved the dagger to the mans right hand.
After his first interrogation, he was well aware of how to deal with these kind of bastards. They might be all threatening looks, but they were faint at heart.
"Last chance, mate! Want to talk now?"
Kieran once again removed the gag and looked at the invader coldly.
"Ill talk!"
The pain was still lingering in his hand, but it was Kierans cold stare that broke him down.
Just as he had expected.
The invader was not as tough as he looked. Otherwise, he would not have disturbed Sister Mony and treated her so disrespectfully.
The kind, merciful olddy had not borated on her previous meetings with these scoundrels, but Kieran knew he had to do something about it.
This was not because he wanted to appeal to Sister Mony and Guntherson. He just felt like he had to.
That was why he had chosen to deal with these bastards in a more direct way and not fake his cooperation to bait them out, although that would have been much easier.
"Whats your name?"
"Swarko!"
"How many more of you are there?"
"Two!"
"What are their names?"
"Lushan and Evan!"
"Where are they?"
"Lushan is at 6 Celler Street! I dont know about Evan!"
"Where did you get the information about the Church of Dawn?"
"From Evan!"
"Evan?"
"Yes, it was him! He contacted me and Lushan and said that he had discovered a treasure!"
.......
Kierans sharp dagger and the lingering pain made the Swarko spill everything.
Kieran asked the questions over and over again, changing them repeatedly to confirm the reliability of Swarkos answers.
He had already drawn a conclusion.
First, he had confirmed that these three men had been the spies. Swarko there and that Lushan guy, who were both working under Evan.
Second, that Evan guy sounded very mysterious. There was no direct contact between the three of them. They onlymunicated through letters, using fake addresses.
Third, this Evan must have contacted other people other than Swarko and Lushan too, although whom these others were, Swarko had no idea. He was only partnered with Lushan.
"Evan?" Kieran uttered the name in a low voice.
Swarkos words had not painted a full picture of Evan. The man was obviously careful, vignt and greedy. He could be a woman too, for all they knew.
"Ive told you everything I know!"
Kieran nodded and stabbed Swarko in the throat with his dagger.
Swarko was taken by surprise. He looked at Kieran incredulously. He did not understand why he would want to kill him.
Why not confirm his story first and then kill him? That was usually how these things went.
Swarko fell into the eternal abyss of darkness, his questions remaining unanswered.
After Swarkos death, a faint white glow Skill Book wrapped in a piece of cloth appeared in front of Kieran.
He did not pick it up. Instead, he turned his eyes to the door, which had been pushed open.
Guntherson entered, carrying a body.
He did not bother hiding his footsteps. That strong, huge body of his and the big body on his shoulder made the floor in Kierans apartment squeak.
"Lushan?" Kieran asked as he looked at Guntherson and the body on his shoulder.
"Yeah, one of the two!" Guntherson nodded, dropping Lushan beside Swarko.
Judging by the heavy drop of the body, Guntherson felt no mercy for the men.
Kieran shrugged. When he had suggested that they lure the spies out, Guntherson had offered his aid, keeping it a secret from Sister Mony.
Kieran had been more than happy to ept his offer. He had hoped for a powerful ally like Guntherson, but it seemed that he had underestimated Gunthersons power.
Considering his huge body, Kieran had thought that his strongest point would be his unimaginable strength and unique technique, but after Gunthersons offer, Kieran had realized that his strongest point was going undercover.
Despite Kierans E+ Rank Intuition and the fact that he knew Guntherson would be hiding in the shadows, he still had not been able to sense his presence.
If Guntherson had not revealed himself from time to time, Kieran would not have expected his arrival. Thats why he had killed Swarko without a second thought.
Kieran did not need to leave to confirm the story. Gunthersons arrival had confirmed it.
Swarko had not noticed his presence either.
Guntherson looked at Kierans odd expression.
"Youre curious about my undercover expertise?"
"Yes!" Kieran nodded.
"In order to be a Guardian, one must understand the darkness. Only when you understand your enemy, can you crush them!" Guntherson said softly, his tone hinting that it made sense for him to act like that.
Kieran was learning even more about Gunthersons past from his manner.
Conspiracy, assassination, blood...
Sister Mony and Gunthersons generation was much more cruel than he had originally thought.
Kieran sighed and turned his attention back to the matter at hand.
"Did you find anything useful at their hiding spot?" he asked.
Guntherson revealed two sticks of homemade explosives that Kieran was very familiar with.
"Yes, these! I found almost a hundred of these in those bastards ce! They were nning to blow up St. Paolo School!"
While he inspected the explosives, Kieran realized that they were simr to the ones that Shuberg had used.
Almost identical, actually.
Kieran could not help but frown at the realization.
He hade up with a wild guess. Shubergs bold engagement with the police was to allow his connections to bring the military into the city. The person behind this did not want to cause a riot or take over the city. They wanted to use the militarys power to search for the treasure of the Church of Dawn under the pretense of locating Shuberg!
His guess was that the person behind this was in the same gang as Swarko.
As Kieran looked at the explosives that were so simr to the ones used the night before, he could not help but squint.
"What happened?" Guntherson asked Kieran, frowning.
"I think Ive discovered something big! But Ill need to confirm it first!"
Kieran did not tell Guntherson his guess right away. Just as hed said, he still needed to confirm his theory.
After all, his theory was based on the simr homemade explosives, and there was no guarantee that their simrity was not just a coincidence.
"Sir Guntherson, could you please watch this ce for me for a while?"
"Of course! But Ill need to get back to the school before dawn, or else Mony will start suspecting something. If she knew that Id broken my vow, Im afraid that I might lose the night guards position and get expelled from the school!" Guntherson did not refuse, but he reminded Kieran of the time limit.
"Worry not, Ill be back very soon!" Kieran assured Guntherson.
Chapter 54: Countermeasures
Chapter 54: Countermeasures
Trantor: Dess Editor: - -
Kieran left his ce and rushed to the police station. He needed to know whether the ce where Shuberg had been sted to hell had a secret passage or not.
If there really was a secret passage, it would confirm his wild theory. Of course, Shuberg might have had a different use for the secret passage, but Kieran needed to verify this himself.
The station was not far from his ce. Although they were on the same block, one was on the north side and the other on the south side.
Kieran ran as fast as he could and within twenty minutes, he could already see the station.
He did not enter it right away though. The existence of that Evan guy had made him more vignt.
Although his theory had yet to be confirmed, if he was right, Evans deliberate n to get his hands on the millennium treasure must have been thorough. Whether that was Evans identity or his secret ns, it was not something someone like Kieran, who had just entered the dungeon, couldprehend.
His secret n could be something as simple as nting a mole in the police station.
"Frickin bastards! Goddamnit! Have explosives be a must for gang members? How could others besides Shuberg get their hands on them, too?"
Deputy Leschuders loud ranting could be heard from miles away.
Kierans ears picked it up and an idea instantly popped into his head.
It was not that simple after all. It was not just about allowing the military to enter the city, it was about creating chaos.
If it was only to support their "agent" like they had Shuberg, that "agent" might had been one too many.
Leschuders ranting continued, but Kieran did not enter the station. Instead, he stayed outside and monitored the situation.
He hoped that he could get more information by using that method.
Chief John and Deputy Leschuder were the perfect candidates to get informations from.
Not only were their offices on the second floor, but they were also next to each other. Climbing up to the second floor would be a piece of cake.
However, just as Kieran was about to enter the premises, he saw someone walk out of the station.
It was Carl.
Although Carl was not in his uniform, Kieran would have recognized him anywhere.
He looked tired as Kieran followed him from behind.
Carl was heading towards the police hostel for single officers. It was one of the benefits of being in the police force, but of course once an officer got married, they needed to move out.
Carl was too young to get married, at least in the foreseeable future.
"ckhand" Jimmys disappearance and the chain of events during the past few days had been too much even for a young, energetic police officer like Carl.
He had rested less than ten hours the past three days, which was why he had been ordered by the Deputy to go get some rest.
"I need a strong, brave lion, not some sleepy worm!"
The Deputys words had made Carl happy. He took them as words of encouragement, and they really were.
Coming from the stubborn Deputy, those words were almost like apliment.
As soon as Carl got into his room, hey down on his bed.
Just as he was about to get some sleep though, he heard a whisper beside his ear.
"Carl!"
"Sir Kieran?"
He quickly woke up. He seemed shocked by Kierans surprise visit.
"Wha... What are you doing here?"
Carl looked at Kieran with an incredulous expression. He could not understand why Kieran would appear in front of him in such a way.
"Something has happened and I need toy low."
Considering Kierans identity and his earlier help, Carl was willing to believe him.
"Youre looking for me?"
Carl was not all that stupid. He knew Kieran had not showed up in his room for a midnight chit-chat.
"Did the police find the secret passage in Shubergs ce?"
"Yes, we found it! Its a long passage that leads to the next block on the street," Carl said honestly.
"The next block on the street? When did Shuberg upy that ce?"
Kieran was surprised by the length of the secret passage, and it made him think even more.
"It was a week ago. When "ckhand" Jimmy went missing!" Carl answered naturally. As he uttered those words, his expression was stunned. The young policeman seemed to have realized something.
An underground passage that led to the next block had been built in less than a couple of days.
It would normally take ten weeks for a construction crew to finish such a passage in time, but that time frame exceeded the time that Shuberg had been upying that ce.
"Sir Kieran!" Carl looked at Kieran.
"So it was built long ago?"
Kieran did not answer Carls question and uttered the words in his heart. After thinking a little silently, he said, "Did the Deputy bring the others to "clean up" the rest of the gangs?"
"Yes! After the incident with Shuberg, the Deputy wanted to take down the other gangs too, but those bastards had the same explosives as Shuberg! Plus, they seemed to know about our operation in advance! It was just likest night!"
Carl was hesitant, but eventually he spoke up about his doubts when they had failed to suppress Shuberg and his men.
As Kieran had expected, there was a mole in the police force.
That was Kierans first reaction to hearing Carls words. Then he started to specte about that "Evan" guys influence again.
It had just been a wild guess, but now Carl had confirmed it.
"What happened?" Carl asked when he noticed Kieran thinking hard about something.
"Something bad has happened and lots of folks will be dragged into it! Carl, I need you to promise that you will keep this a secret. Dont tell anyone that you saw me tonight. You came back here and fell asleep right away! Understand?" Kieran looked at Carl seriously.
Carl wanted to say something, but he just nodded.
"Very well, Sir Kieran!" the young police officer said seriously, as if taking a vow.
Suddenly, Carl seemed to remember something and he said, "Sir Kieran, theres one more thing. The Chief was missing the whole day from the office!"
"What?" Kieran was caught off guard.
"The Chief did not show up in the office on time today. The Deputy sent some men over to the Chiefs house to look for him, but Mrs. Adams said that he hasnt been home for a week! It has happened before, but this time..."
As Carl spoke, his expression grew more and more worried.
"I understand. John must have had to deal with some urgent matter and could not let the station know in time. Ill find out what it is for you," Kieran tried tofort Carl. "Remember your promise, okay?" he reminded Carl again before leaving the police hostel swiftly.
As soon as he left, his face turned heavy from the information he had just gotten.
John was in trouble. Kieran had had a hunch before Carl had even said that the Chief had been missing the whole day.
What had really happened?
Kieran knew. After all, when John and Kieran had parted ways the day before, John had mentioned that hed wanted to contact more allies and investigate Shubergs case.
"Damn it! Evans influence has spread wider than I thought! I hope that John was just captured and not..."
Even though he had known John for a short period of time, Kieran still hoped that a righteous man like him would not lose his life over this.
...
As Guntherson saw Kieran came back, he thought that he did not look happy. He could tell that things were much more serious that theyd looked. Something must have gone wrong.
"What is it?" he asked Kieran in a calm tone.
As a Guardian Knight, Guntherson was not one to be afraid.
He had been through alot, and was never surprised if things went south.
He knew that panic would not help in any situation.
"Hold on a moment, please!
Kieran walked over to the unconscious Lushan and woke him up with cold water.
"Did Evan give you the explosives?" he asked.
"Yes!"
Noticing Swarkos cold, dead body beside him and Kierans cold stare, Lushan cooperated without aint.
With a quick hit on the neck, Kieran knocked Lushan out cold, and turned around and told Guntherson what he had discovered, "I think thats it! The person behind Shuberg and this Evan are the same person!"
Guntherson frowned. "Is it the military?"
Guntherson knew very well what the military was capable off. Even he could not have ignored the hundreds and thousands of guns, not to mention the canon that they had.
It was nothing mere mortals would be able to fight against. Gunthersons previousrades and friends were the very proof of the militarys destructive power.
"We need a n!" Guntherson said.
"Of course, we cannot take on a whole army by ourselves!" Kieran agreed with Guntherson. While he spoke, he tried toe up with a n.
"Still, we have an advantage on our side. The thing that that bastard wants most, the millennium treasure of the Church of Dawn, is in our hands! Or at least thats what he thinks!"
Chapter 55: The Test
Chapter 55: The Test
Trantor: Dess Editor: - -
The night flew by as Kieran and Guntherson went about their business.
Before sunrise, Kieran made a promise to Guntherson and told him to return to the school.
Kieran went back to his apartment and cleaned up the ce before picking up the Skill Book from the floor. It was the one that had dropped off Swarko. NPCs were unable to see or touch Skill Books.
[New Skill Book Discovered: Lockpicking]
[Do you wish to learn it?]
"Yes!"
[Skill Learned: Lockpicking]
[Name: Lockpicking (Basic)]
[Rted Attributes: Agility, Intuition]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effects: Able to pick simple locks with a hair pin, steel wire and screw driver]
[Consumes: Stamina]
[Prerequisites: None]
[Remarks: Make sure there is no one around when you pick the lock!]
...
Once again, knowledge was transferred into Kierans mind. Kieran automatically grabbed one of the lockpicking tools. He felt the edge of the hairpin with his finger. It was so familiar, it made Kieran smirk.
Although he had been through the knowledge transferring process several times, it still surprised him every time he acquired a new skill.
He delicately felt the [Lockpicking] skills changes before he tightened his coat andy down on the bed.
There was still some time left before sunrise. It was enough for him to rest his eyes.
Kieran appreciated the rest, because he knew such peace would be a luxury during theing days.
...
It was around 7 a.m. in the morning, and the sun was already shining bright. Kieran arrived at St. Paolo School once again.
"Morning, Reed!" he greeted the captain with passion.
Reed grunted at Kieran, but he did not stop him.
He put Sister Monys orders above his own emotions.
Kieran did not bother acknowledging the captains cold treatment. He headed straight to Gunthersons cabin like it was his own backyard.
"Mornin Kieran! Ive got bread, milk and some honey! Though I would prefer a roast pork knuckle myself!"
Compared to Reed, Guntherson was a lot more weing. He even invited Kieran for breakfast.
The small table was filled with food. No one would believe that such a huge amount of food was just for an 80 year-old man. That same amount could feed three to four full-grown men.
"I like meat as well!" Kieran smiled, not rejecting his offer.
After the previous night, their rtionship has grown closer. They had gone from mere acquaintances to friends.
None of them spoke of what had happened the previous night, though. Even though Sister Mony was not joining them for breakfast, they still kept silent about it.
Once again, Kieran regretted that the food could only fill his stomach, but not replenish his health or stamina.
Still, that did not stop him from enjoying it. He gobbled down the food like a tornado and licked his te clean.
His behavior kind of startled the Guardian Knight.
"Has my cooking improved that much?"
Guntherson doubted his own skills, because he had tried the food himself.
He was looking at Kieran in surprise.
If it was not for his well-dressed appearance, he might have mistaken Kieran for some war refugee. Even civilians had some basic table manners, plus no one would have such a big appetite.
Despite the fact that Guntherson was staring at him, Kieran did not feel embarrassed of the way he was eating. After all, his table manners did not sh with his game identity. They just drew a little attention.
He was a detective after all, not some noble duke of some sort.
Guntherson felt the same way. He was not concerned about appearances. He believed that ones integrity was their true honor. Kieran had good skills, and he was quite famous as well.
After a short engagement with him, Guntherson could vouch for that.
He seemed like a very nice young man.
Guntherson gobbled down his food at a simr speed and as he thought quietly.
He was different from Kieran. Although he ate fast too, others found the way he ate elegant. Kieran, who was currently sharing a meal with him, thought this had to be the manners of a Knight.
Kieran waited patiently. He hadnt gone to the school this early in the morning to have breakfast with Guntherson, but for something else entirely.
Still, it was good manners to wait for Guntherson to finish. Kieran could grasp that.
Five minutester, Guntherson ate thest piece of bread and started to clean up the tes. Kieran helped him. He had just had a satisfying breakfast, so he did not mind repaying Guntherson that way.
After Kieran and Guntherson had cleaned up the table, they sat back down in front of the cabin.
Kieran had wanted to discuss this matter with Guntherson the previous night, but there had not been enough time to do so. They hade up with a rough n, but still needed to fill in all the details.
Before Kieran could speak though, Guntherson said, "Kieran, what do you know about firearms?"
Kieran, who hadnt been paying attention, was surprised by his question.
It led him to believe that this was some kind of test, but he was not sure what kind. It hade out of nowhere, at least in Kierans point of view. Such a test should not havee up before he hadpleted the Sub Mission.
ording to Kierans original calctions, only when he finished the Sub Mission would he achieve a closer rtionship status with Guntherson, and would be able to use that rtionship to learn more skills.
Then the aforementioned test would follow, or maybe be skippedpletely.
Kieran was familiar with that questing route, but this?
Although he was puzzled by the situation, he had to answer the question fast.
Now was not the time for him to figure these things out. He quickly collected his thoughts and considered Gunthersons question.
It was hard to answer it. Gunthersons generation had been wiped out because of the invention of firearms, and Gunthersons glory days had been brought to an end because of their bright fire.
As for firearms themselves, this was just the beginning. Hundreds of yearster, the age of firearms would still reign.
Kieran was well aware of those facts, which was why he found it hard to answer the question.
He could not have said that it was the wheel of time that moved things along and anything who stood in its way would be crushed mercilessly.
Something like that would surely make their conversation and rtionship awkward.
As foring up with some white lie?
Kieran believed the truth was always the better choice.
He assumed that Guntherson was no fool. As thest Knight of the Church of Dawn he had definitely witnessed the changes around him through the course of time.
Kieran was stuck in an awkward situation. He had no idea how to answer,
As time went by, Gunthersons face became moody and he soon turned impatient.
The time that Kieran had taken to answer had upset him.
"Not yet?" Guntherson asked after two minutes.
"No. I dont know how to answer," Kierah shook his head.
It was not a satisfying answer. No matter what he said, he could not pass the test. It might be better if he kept quiet.
He could avoid giving a dissatisfying answer and use a different method to save their rtionship. After all, this was not a game of limited choices.
It was a high-realism game, so anything and everything was possible.
Before Kieran could speak again, Guntherson started tough.
"Not bad!" he said.
"Huh?" Kieran was puzzled. He did not know what was going on.
"The rise of fire powder and steam machines was inevitable. Just as the times of knights. A new generation will rise from the ashes of the old generation and be even brighter than the previous one! Although the transition might have its consequences, its still inevitable. However, a certain tradition has to be preserved, and that is kindness! The fact that you could not answer only proves that you are a kind person!" Guntherson said with a smile.
He was admiring Kieran even more now.
"You have quite the reputation around here, plus a good set of skills. You show no mercy to your enemies, but still maintain a sense of kindness. I think that every time you execute one of your ns, you get even stronger... Although this is the age of fire powder and steam, some ancient knowledge can still be useful! Are you willing to learn, Kieran?" Guntherson offered in a prideful manner.
"Definitely!" Kieran shouted with joy in his heart.
He agreed without a second thought.
Chapter 56: Body Tempering Arts and Kicking Technique
Chapter 56: Body Tempering Arts and Kicking Technique
Trantor: Dess Editor: - -
Gunthersons teaching was straightforward. There were no rituals or initiation involved like Kieran had imagined.
Guntherson just demonstrated three simple stances.
Sit, Lie, Walk.
Sit was the way one held their lower body in a hollow sitting stance; Lie was lying down and rxing your body and mind like a baby; and Walk was stepping onto the ground with the whole foot, including your toes.
Guntherson exined every stance and move deliberately. He even exined some details repeatedly.
"Its only small details, but it is these small details that make the true quintessence of the body tempering art. During the hollow sitting stance, your spine must be straight and still. When you lie down, remember to rx your breathing and prolong it. Your body must rx like a babys. When you walk, your toes must touch the ground. Each time your toes touch the ground, there will be a small wave of vibration building up and spreading through your whole body!"
.....
[Guntherson wants to teach you the Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Arts. Do you wish to spend 1 Golden Skill point to learn it?]
"YES!"
Kieran was caught slightly off guard by the system notification mentioning the Golden Skill Point, but it still did not change his mind about learning.
Until then, Kieran had not known what was a Golden Skill Point was, but its name alone seemed to imply its high value. If a precious item could not be used to increase Kierans strength though, then it was a worthless item.
Kieran needed to grow strong within a short period of time and there was such an opportunity presented to him now.
[Learned Skill: Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Arts (Basic)]
[Name: Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Arts (Basic)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution, Spirit, Intuition]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effects: You know how to utilize the special stances, movements and breathing techniques, All Attributes +1]
[Consumes: Stamina]
[Prerequisites: Strength F+, Agility F+, Constitution F+, Spirit F+, Intuition F+]
[Remarks: This was the Knights of Dawn entry course, but it will affect other rted skills!]
A stream of warm sensation burst out from Kierans heart.
It spread throughout his body in an instant, the stream of power cleansed Kierans soul.
When he got to his senses back, he could immediately feel his new power.
The [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Arts] had made a new man out of him.
"All Attributes +1!"
As he looked at the effect of the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Arts], he thought it had totally been worth the Golden Skill Point investment.
[Attributes: Strength E; Agility E; Constitution E; Spirit E-; Intuition D-]
Such rewards in his attributes surpassed all other skills put together.
After all, Kieran did not have a skill that could increase his Spirit.
After a few deep breaths, he calmed down from his excitement and noticed Gunthersons very puzzled face.
"You... You mastered it?"
The realization had him stuttering.
Although Guntherson had said something along the lines of "Before you execute your ns, you have to get stronger", he had never imagined that after one demonstration, Kieran would be able to master the art, let alone be quite skilled at it.
It was beyond his wildest imagination.
Guntherson had already been quite impressed by Altillys potential and eagerness to learn, but it had taken her a whole four years before she had mastered the arts.
Although Guntherson considered Kierans potential much higher than Altillys, it was far beyond anything he had anticipated.
For a moment there, the Last Knight waspletely astonished.
"I kind of pick up things faster than others. Ive been like this ever since I was a kid."
Kieran needed toe up with an exnation for Guntherson. It was a white lie, but he had no choice. Some words could not leave his mouth.
Since Kieran had entered the underground game, he had a much better understanding of the term "white lie".
"Is that so?"
Guntherson was still looking at Kieran, wanting to discover more of his potential.
It was not that he did not believe Kierans words. It was just that Kierans amazing gift was too much for him. In the records of the Church of Dawn, there were some people who had been called "The Sons of God", and only those people could disy such an amazing gift.
However, thest recorded Son of God had lived 500 years ago. It was such a long history, even Guntherson could notprehend it anymore.
One thing was for sure. Kieran had indeed mastered the basics of [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Arts] within an instant.
Guntherson was sure, because he had been practising this set of body tempering arts since he was young. He could know just by looking at Kieran.
The discovery was apanied by curiosity. It kind of tipped the Last Knight off.
"So you learn things faster than others, huh? Well I have another set of defensive skills for you. Watch carefully!" he said.
Guntherson did not try to hide his curiosity or suppress it. As soon as he finished his words, he started to demonstrate a series of kicks, exining the moves in detail along with his actions.
[Guntherson wants to teach you the Barsical Kick. Do you wish to spend 1 Skill Point to learn it?]
Kieran waspletely stunned. He could not believe that something that good was actually happening.
If his identity had allowed it, he would have given Guntherson a big hug.
"Is it because I triggered some hidden event?" Kieran thought about it silently.
Obviously, Guntherson had demonstrated a second set of skills because Kieran had mastered the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Arts] in an instant.
Once again, Kieran was very excited about the return of his Golden Skill Point investment. As happiness overflowed his heart, he could not help but smile.
It had totally been worth it.
As for learning the [Barsical Kick]?
It was a no brainer.
"Yes!"
[Learned Skill: Barsical Kick (Basic)]
[Name: Barsical Kick (Basic)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Offensive]
[Effects: Your legs are more nimble than your hands. When you attack with a kick, the second hit will trigger an additional Agility +1 effect]
[Consumes: Stamina]
[Prerequisites: Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Arts]
[Remarks: Please note that the level of the Barsical Kick and other rted skills cannot be higher than the Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Arts skill!]
...
The knowledge once again flowed into Kierans body and synced with it.
When the process was over, Kieran performed a series of consecutive kicks using both his legs.
A line of shadow swept the air, apanied by a loud sound.
Currently, Kierans Strength and Agility were already at E Rank. Combined with the [Hand-to-hand Combat] and [Barsical Kick]s enhancement, during the second kick that Kieran tried, his Strength and Agility reached E+ Rank.
Such power was equivalent to a Weightlifting World Champion.
Kieran performed a series of kicks with trailing shadows, abination of lightning speed and immense strength.
Guntherson waspletely in awe of him. His eyes were wide open.
Son of God. It was really the Son of God.
He cheered in his head, ever astonished by Kierans skills.
A long overdue excitement rose in Gunthersons heart, but subsided quickly, only to be reced by a faint sorrow.
If Kieran had showed up fifty years ago...
Uncontroble thoughts popped up into his mind, but he pushed them away with a long sigh.
There were no ifs in life. Guntherson watched Kieran as he demonstrated his newly learned [Barsical Kick].
That particr kicking technique had no specific stance. Its essence was how to utilize ones strength to fully unleash the potential strength of their legs and boost their kicking speed.
Of course if it reached a certain level, it could affect other parts of the body as well, such as the hands.
Although Kieran was not quite there yet, Guntherson believed that he could achieve it very soon. After all, he was the Son of God.
...
Kieran only stopped when he had almost depleted his stamina.
He was hoping that Guntherson would teach him more skills, and he looked at him eagerly, but he did not get what hed wanted. Guntherson was lost in his own thoughts and did not notice him at all.
Still, Kieran had nothing toin about. After all, if skills were categorized by Skill Books, the [Barsical Kick] would have been Magical Rank and [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Arts] would have been considered as a Rare Rank.
To Kieran, being able to learn those two skills had been more than enough. Even if he failed the Main Mission, he would still have no regrets. However, he certainly would not give up on the mission intentionally.
Kieran ced his hands on his knee, and his low Stamina started to recover as his body naturally used the methods of the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Arts] to breathe and rx.
The lukewarm feeling was followed by soothing breathing as it spread throughout his body.
It was amazing.
"The [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Arts] was the basic arts that every Knight of Dawn had to learn when they joined. It served as the foundation for other skills as well. It will take more time to practise it and level up to a higher rank. Once you reach a certain level though, learning other skills will take half the effort!"
Gunthersons voice lingered in Kierans ears. His tone had a very slight change to it, but it soon returned to normal.
Kieran did not notice the small change, but he was very grateful for Gunthersons reminder and thanked him wholeheartedly, even though the system had given him the same information as him.
"You better not waste your gift, Kieran! Dont forget my kindness. Now back to our main problem, that Evan guy!"
Guntherson had not warned Kieran in a stern voice. It was just a slightly strict reminder before he switched the topic back to their main problem.
The bastard that was eyeing the millennium treasure.
Chapter 57: Setting Up
Chapter 57: Setting Up
Trantor: Dess Editor: - -
A book half the height of a human being and as heavy as a ton was ced on a special book holder by Kieran for reading purposes.
From time to time, Kieran would turn and take notes.
Surrounding him were hundreds of copies of books.
They were left on the ground by the book case, but they were not damaged. Kieran was handling them delicately.
He was not one to simply destroy books. Besides, he had made a deal with the librarian. He could ess all the books in the underground library as long as he made sure not to damage them.
Otherwise, despite the letter he had from the station, he would still be kicked out of the library and have to paypensation for any damages he had caused.
For the past week, Kieran had been well-behaved. He might not have been returning the books to their original racks, but he was exhausted from reading, his eyes looking very red in contrast with his pale face. No one could me him.
Considering he had not gotten enough rest in a week, how could anyone me him for not returning the heavy books back to their original ces?
Kieran flipped to thest page of the book, finishing it.
He carefully put the book in front of him down and ced thest book that he had not read on the table. Before he continued, Kieran rubbed his temples a bit to ease his tiredness.
The heavy books did not have a lot of content. The reason that the books were made this way was because during the revolution, the decline in book crafting skills had made people choose to preserve books like this. They had to use custom made materials and each of the pages were a couple of millimeters thick, making the whole book about 50 to 60 pages.
That was only one book, though. When a hundred of those books were added up, there were about 5,000 to 6,000 pages. The mere idea of having to go through all those books was beyond intimidating.
Especially when they were on different topics, like history, religion, humanitarian sciences, geology, and a lots of legends and myths.
It was a giant hodgepodge.
Even Kieran, who lived in an information overload generation, thought it was a headache to have to go through all this unorganized knowledge.
Still, he needed to read through every single one of them. He needed to make the spy who was after the treasure believe that he had found its location.
His reputation alone was not enough. He needed actions, and reading through old books was one of them. Taking notes from them was another.
As for whether the spy had noticed Kierans actions?
Kieran believed so.
How had the spy gotten the information about the treasure of the Church of Dawn in the first ce?
It was from books. Or some heirloom codex of sorts, or maybe even some zealots who had told him so.
No matter where the spy had gotten the information though, in order to verify the authenticity of his source, he would have needed to gather more information.
What better ce than a library that held all the books ever printed?
Just like Kieran, the spy would have been careful not to get spotted by others.
Kieran knew very well who was the real owner of the library, which in name belonged to the city council but not really. The spy had already disyed an immense influence everywhere.
Chief John had been missing for a week, and his disappearance should have caused amotion in the city. However, once the city council had given out a secret order, the whole matter had been suppressed.
"John has been sent on a top secret mission!"
A simple sentence had been enough to clear all doubts.
Even Kieran might have been fooled if he did not know where John had went off to.
Deputy Leschuder, on the other hand, was different. He had focused his attention solely on the gang activities around the city, too busy dealing with them nonstop.
He had a sense of justice, but also apetitive spirit, and he waspeting against John.
Kieran refused toment on that matter, but he had be more vignt against the spy.
A simple order like that had been able to divert Leschuder, who might have caused him trouble with the gang activities. Such a method had proven once again that his identity wasplicated.
As a matter of fact, Kieran had felt like he was being constantly monitored since the day he had first stepped into the library.
That exceedingly good Intuition of his had allowed him to notice the spy monitoring him through the shadows. They were well-hidden, but Kieran had a D- Rank Intuition, so it could not be clearer for him. However, he did not act recklessly. He knew that the person monitoring him was just one of theckeys of the man behind everything. A very goodckey.
Kieran could tell just by sensing the re he was constantly getting from the man. He was two meters tall. Even when he was sitting at a table and bent his body, he still looked awkward to others. His huge outer coat could not fully hide the buff body underneath, and his arms were bigger than normal mens, which was enough to give away his fighting strength.
Judging by the way he hid in the shadows, he also had to be Entry Level [Undercover].
Although Kieran could not confirm whether the person knew any special attacks, their big buff bodybined with the [Undercover] skill reminded Kieran of Guntherson, despite the fact that this person was not as strong as the Last Knight.
Kieran knew he should not underestimate his enemy, but most importantly, he wondered how many more men like that that Evan guy had.
That question had appeared in Kierans mind about a week ago, because it could determine whether his ns would seed or not.
The spy did not seem like one to risk getting in danger. Even if he was confident that he would win, he might have other men behind him too. If his backup were just a couple of men, it was still manageable, but what if it was four or five? Or even more than that?
Although the fact that they had recruited Swarko and Lushan as their allies implied that they did not have enough capable men, who could confirm that it was not misleading information that they had purposely given out? Thats why Kieran had be more careful.
Not only had Kieran carefully read all the books, but he had also taken thorough notes. Even if the spy could go through all the books, he could not confirm what was in Kierans notes.
Even though it was all just an act, he needed to put on his best performance.
...
When the sky turned dark, the librarian walked over and said, "Sir, we are closing for the day!"
"Oh, right. Ill finish up in a moment!" Kieran replied as he quickly wrote down some notes in his notebook. After he finished, he smiled at the librarian and said, "Thank you for the past week!"
"How was it? Did you find what you were looking for?"
"Actually, yes. I found lots of rewarding information. Today will be myst day here. Thank you again for your hospitality!"
"It was our pleasure having you here."
After the typical small talk, Kieran parted ways with the librarian, and someone guided him out of the underground library and sent him off to a wagon.
When Kieran left, the librarian hopped into a wagon and left the library as well.
Ten minutester, the wagon reached the back alley of amercial street. After getting inspected three times, the librarian was finally led into a dark room by the two-meter tall fellow.
"Master!" The librarian bowed before the figure in the shadows.
"How was it?" a stern voice called out of the dark.
"Kieran has read through all the books about the Church of Dawn. He has to be onto something. He wrote everything down in this notebook that he carries. We could send someone after the notebook!"
The librarian reported his findings and gave a smartass suggestion, but it seemed to agitate the figure in the shadows.
"Do you think I take orders from you?" the figure said lightly.
The librarian was drenched in cold sweat in an instant.
"Ma... Master, I did not mean it that way!"
The librarian knelt on the ground, his body shivering. He knew the identity of the figure in the shadows, and his heart was struck by fear.
Begging did him no good.
"Troot!" the figure said the name out loud and then went on thinking about other things.
The two-meter tall giant entered the room and grabbed the librarian by the neck. He clenched his palm slightly and the librarians neck snapped.
With a clear sound, the librarian was out cold and his body was thrown out of the room.
The figure in the shadows did not even bother to look over throughout the whole process. It seemed like he did not give a damn about the dead librarian.
To him, the death of the librarian was like the death of a fly. He hadnt always been this cruel, but hed had to be after hed been betrayed.
"Swarko, Lushan!" the shadowy figure said the names in a low voice. ording to his sources, those two had already sided with the detective.
Why?
Because the detective had a better chance of leading them to the treasure of the Church of Dawn.
Those two were greedy and the shadowy figure knew it. He had always used that method to control those twockeys and he thought hed been doing well, until hed been pped in the face by their betrayal.
He swore that he would show them the consequences of betraying him, but he was also ming the person who had converted those two.
"Kieran!" he said coldly before he gave out a few orders.
The silent night was filled with his wrath.
Chapter 58: Lured Out
Chapter 58: Lured Out
Trantor: Dess Editor: - -
The wagon stopped in front of Kierans ce. After he paid the wagoner, Kieran took his dinner with him and opened the door to his apartment.
Without even looking, his D- Rank Intuition could sense Gunthersons presence.
"How was it?" Guntherson asked while he stood in the shadows.
"Everything is going well!" Kieran took out a hotdog and munched on it.
"So do you need me to further exin the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Arts]?" Guntherson asked with a nod.
"Of course!" Kieran answered.
The lecture that startedsted for about twenty minutes. Guntherson kept emphasizing that the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Arts] were the foundation for everything.
Kieran had been hearing that for the past week. It was how Guntherson ended every lecture.
"I understand!" Kieran always gave the exact same answer.
"Kieran, you have already mastered the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Arts] basics. All you need is time and practice to reach the Entry Level. With your gifts, it will take you a month at the most! My experience cannot help you more than your own discovery. Quite the contrary, my experience will only hinder your progress. The same goes for the [Barsical Kick]," Guntherson advised Kieran.
Kieran was his student, and as such, each lecture was crucial for him, even though it might not be necessary. He was the Son of God after all.
Guntherson, who knew all about the records of the Sons of God, knew perfectly well how to train one. All they needed to know was the basics and origins of the knowledge, and then all they had do was wait. Wait for the most basic and primal form of knowledge to bloom into something that others could not even imagine.
If the age of the church had not been long over, and their rtionship had been closer or Kieran had asked for more lessons, Guntherson would not have needed to use this shortcut method to teach him.
It mightpletely be wasting the potential of a Son of God. It could bind him and tie him down.
Guntherson did not know what to say to him, and Kieran seemed to be lost in thought.
"If this was fifty years ago, I think I might have been crucified and burned!" Guntherson mocked himself with augh.
Kieran, however, was looking at the system skill notifications.
[Higher rank lecture on the rted skill Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Arts, leveled up...]
[Higher rank lecture on the rted skill Barsical Kick, leveled up...]
...
"So there are other ways to level up skills without using points and skill points?"
While Guntherson was telling him about the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Arts] and the [Barsical Kick], Kieran had received a system notification.
The notification was clear. Kieran knew what had happened.
He was quite surprised about the new leveling-up method. He had not encountered a simr leveling-up method in a game before.
After his initial surprise, Kieran asked Guntherson to lecture him on both skills every day. The visible effects might be less, but they would still serve a certain purpose.
Without the use of points and skill points and their instant results, all he needed to do was listen carefully. It was free, given that he had enough time to dedicate.
In fact, Kieran did not have enough time. Both the Main Mission and the Sub Mission had him running around like a blind fly.
Kieran just wanted Guntherson to lecture him about the skills 24 hours a day and allow him to level up to a certain rank, but that was not possible.
Gunthersons feelings could keep Kieran from achieving his goals. This particr games NPCs were not the typical stiff, robotic A.I.s. They were like real people living in that time.
"If I had one more week, then I could level up the [Knight of Dawn Body Tempering Arts] and the [Barsical Kick] to the next rank...," Kieran sighed in regret.
He could identify the level of the skills just by looking at the notifications, but he could also feel the difference in power.
When he learned a skill, the transferring process and the synchronization allowed Kieran to understand everything about the skill, including the next rank power up or levels.
Although it was a pity, it still would not hold him back. He knew what he had to do next.
He quickly collected his thoughts and looked at Guntherson.
"They might make a move soon!"
Kieran could only imagine what had happened to the librarian after he had left. He was not some secret spy, and the way he had asked for information had been a dead giveaway.
"Then "Swarko" and "Lushan" will have to make their move as well! Lets hope they will notice these two bastards movements!" Gunthersonughed.
"Dont worry, they will!" Kieran guaranteed.
Considering the spys influence over the whole city, it wouldnt take long for them to notice those two scoundrels betrayal. Unless Swarko and Lushan showed up again. But how was that possible?
Kieran and Guntherson had been preparing for this for a long time.
...
At night, the street was empty of people.
The sudden appearance of a figure would be extremely suspicious at two in the morning.
Two figures, a tall and a short one, appeared and carefully shuttled back and forth between the alleys.
They moved carefully, making very little noise, soon reaching the small sewer beside the train station alley.
Both of them looked at each other, the tall figure lifting up the sewer cap and the short one jumping into the sewer. The tall one followed.
After they entered the sewer, the cap was carefully closed once again.
Mere moments after the two figures had gone into the sewer, another figure appeared. Compared to the previous two, this figure looked more careful.
When the third figure entered the alley, a ray of light shined down on it and the street.
Suddenly, a dozen human figures blocked the alleys exit and entrance.
One of the figures was two meters tall and extremely eye-catching, however his was nothingpared to the smaller figure in front of him.
Every time the city experienced any sort ofmotion, that man was sure to appear in the papers.
It was Duke Wayne.
Everyone addressed him like that. He was the heir to the noble family that ruled that city and had overthrown the churches about fifty years ago.
His family was in control of a big portion of the military and almost half of the politicians family heads.
He was over fifty years old, but he looked very young, because he had aged well.
He had curly brown hair, a clean, fair face, sharp eyes and a high nose. If it were not for his eyes, his in clothes would make him look like a poor clerk.
With that sharp gaze of his, he looked different, his higher ss aura oppressing others with its presence.
"Ive been waiting for you, Detective Kieran," he said slowly, his sharp eyes filled with mockery.
Chapter 59: Entrance
Chapter 59: Entrance
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
"Duke Wayne?"
Kieran put on a surprised expression, although he was very calm inside.
When that Evan guy had disyed such immense influence all over the city, Kieran had narrowed down his guesses to a couple of candidates, and Duke Wayne had been one of the suspects.
His family had a powerful reputation in the city, but Kieran did not have enough proof.
Now he didnt need it anymore, though.
"So this is the citys greatest detective!"
Duke Wayne noticed the surprise on Kierans face and his mockery became even heavier.
"I thought you might need a whole week to help me find what Im looking for!" he said lightly.
There was no doubt that Duke Wayne was already treating the treasure of the Church of Dawn as his own.
"As a reward, I bet youd want to see your old friend."
Without waiting for a reply, Duke Wayne pped his hands.
At once, Chief John was pushed out of the crowd, his hands tied and his mouth stuffed as he wobbly reached Kierans side.
There were clear marks of wounds on his body, made by whips and daggers. John was still bleeding.
However, Kieran was relieved not to be seeing his dead body.
"John, are you okay?"
Kieran helped him by removing the rug from his mouth and untying the bindings on his hands.
"Im fine!" John replied with a bitter, dark smile. The realization that the enemy was too powerful for him had caused him a mental breakdown.
Of course, most of his sorrow was directed at himself for not realizing that the man behind everything had been Duke Wayne. His integrity as a Chief Officer had taken a hard hit.
Duke Wayne, on the other hand, did not stop Kieran from untying John. He just stood there and watched them talk.
After two minutes, he opened his mouth again.
"Detective Kieran, it seems to me that youre satisfied with your reward!"
While Duke Wayne mocked Kieran, his men surrounded him and John, holding their guns up and pointing at them. The two-meter tall fellow walked over to Kieran and searched him for the notebook.
Kieran raised his hands, making the smile on the dukes face even wider.
He was happy with Kierans cooperation, and he thought that Kieran deserved to know more as a reward for his investigation.
"Swarko and Lushan were already one step ahead of you, Detective. The ally you chose was not as loyal as you think they were. But worry not, I will make them pay as well. After all, they were mere crooks who did everything wrong. Especially after that infuriating incident..."
Duke Wayne could not help it anymore. Heughed out loud when he saw Kierans face turn dark. When he was doneughing, he continued slowly, "The assault at St. Paolo School!"
"You cannot do this-"
"Of course I can! I can do anything I want in this city!" Duke Wayne said in a cold sharp tone, interrupting Kieran.
Kieran looked even more worried and upset, which made Duke Wayneugh at him again.
"You are blinded by your own greed as well. What right do you have to take such an expression? Control that fake empathy of yours, you have a much more important task to do! Pathfinder, a title well-suited for you and Chief John here!"
Duke Wayne did not care about the guns and daggers pointed at Kieran. He just took the notebook that the tall fellow had gotten from Kieran and flipped through it. After confirming that the information in it was about the Church of Dawn, but it did not provide any way to proceed, he gave an order to his men.
The fake Swarko and Lushan had gone down the sewer before Kieran, so Duke Wayne had no time left to go through the information in the notebook. He was still confident that he was in control of everything, though, just as always.
As for why he had not sent his men after Swarko and Lushan first?
Duke Wayne believed that Kieran was a smart person, and he would not tell those two idiots anything.
Those two thought that they had known everything, but actually theyd been misled and eventually be pawn pathfinders.
Duke Wayne admired Kieran, and he had tasked him and John with the same thing.
Everything had gone as nned. It was quite interesting, actually.
Duke Wayne looked at Kierans ugly expression andughed once more.
Hisugh was soft and elegant.
The sewer cap was opened again, and Duke Wayne sent three of his men down. After they confirmed the coast was clear, Kieran and John were forced down together with the two-meter tall fellow while Duke Wayne followed behind them.
Out of the twelve men, eight of them lit up kerosenemps and shed light into the underground sewer while the remaining three surrounded Duke Wayne.
The two-meter tall fellow was standing behind Kieran and John.
"This is Troot, my best man. He has saved my life countless times in the past. He likes to tear his enemies in half. I assure you that you do not want to get on his bad side and feel his wrath!"
Amid his mens protection, Duke Wayne looked calm.
The giant named Troot followed Duke Wayne with a vicious smile. Under the pressure of dozens of guns being pointed at them, John and Kieran were filled with fear.
John wanted to say something, but Kieran stopped him. He mumbled something to him, and John sighed instead.
Chief John was neither stupid nor stubborn. He knew what would happen if he tried to resist or make a move. The gunners around them would not mind teaching him a lesson or two.
They didnt need to aim for his vital parts. Just his limbs would cause him enough suffering.
Johns integrity was to me for his anger.
It was the difference between his ideals and reality that made John suffer mentally, even more so when he had topromise.
As Kieran looked at Johns expression, he felt helpless as well.
Not at the situation they were facing. That was under his control. No, it was the fact that he could not talk out loud with John.
Kieran really wanted to inform John of his ns, but hismon sense told him that he should not.
"Lets go." Kieran assisted John and together they walked forward into the sewer.
Duke Wayne pped when he saw them.
"I like to work with smart people!" he said as he signaled for his men to move as well.
In an instant, all his men except for Troot got in a special formation, cing Duke Wayne in the middle of their protection and watching for movement all around them.
Protecting Duke Wayne was their main task. Every single one of them was expressionless and machine-like, their eyes nk, without any light, as if they were the walking dead.
Real men of sacrifice.
When they watched the scene, Kieran and John looked at each other, reading the answer in each others eyes.
Kieran had heard from Guntherson about the men of sacrifice. He just hadnt expected to encounter them so soon.
"If youe across any men of sacrifice, dont bother tangling with them. They care only about carrying out their given task, even if they have to die in the process!"
Gunthersons words lingered in Kierans ears, but he had no intention of changing his ns.
When hed been thinking up his n, he had already anticipated the worst oue, and that wasnt the appearance of men of sacrifice.
Quite the contrary, their appearance was a better oue than expected.
Fortunately, although John was wounded, he was not crippled by any means. Kieran knew why Duke Wayne hadnt hurt him that much. It was because he had no intention of keeping the two of them alive after he found the treasure. They would definitely get killed.
Actually, Kieran had kind of the same n. When the treasure was "found", it would mean the end of Duke Wayne and his men.
He helped John up and walked further up front.
An awful stench bombarded their sense of smell. Beneath their feet there was a slimy sensation, as if they had stepped on something.
The sewer was actually half-abandoned. Had it been in full use, the situation would have been ten times worse.
Kieran and John were walking inside the sewer along with the men of sacrifice, who maintained the same nk expression. Duke Wayne had covered his face with a handkerchief that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. He obviously couldnt stand the smell.
Troot was not overly fond of it either.
From time to time, there was some chit-chat behind Kieran and John. Kieran could not tell what they were talking about, but it was definitely nothing good.
The group ventured inside the sewer under those conditions for almost an hour. The stench had gotten much more worse.
Kierans sense of smell was already numb. It was the first time he had ever felt that having such a heightened sense of smell was not a good thing.
He wasnt about toin, though. The trap that he had set up for his enemies was very close.
Chapter 60: Gold!
Chapter 60: Gold!
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
When the kerosenemp fuse was changed once more, Kieran stopped.
"Its just over there!" he said.
However, Duke Wayne did not seem to get excited. He made a "please, after you" gesture at Kieran and John, and let them continue to lead the way.
The cunning duke would never let his guard down or do anything reckless before he saw the treasure with his own eyes.
"Give me themp!" Kieran said.
One of the men handed him themp that had just been refilled with kerosene.
The light source in his hand allowed Kieran to clearly map the path before his eyes.
Although he had seen the map and other pictures before, and Guntherson had exined everything to him in detail, it was totally different from what he had imagined.
There was a flight of stone stairs covered in dried mud. Any stairs that were not covered in mud were coated inyers of thick dust.
This path was different from the previous one, which had been wet and filled with a foul stench. From there onwards, the path was dry and dusty, and the smell was much easier on the nose.
Looking at the stairs covered in dust, Duke Wayneughed lightly. It was just as he had expected. Those two idiots, Swarko and Lushan, had not reached this ce. Theyd gotten lost in the process.
There were a lot intersections and crossroads on the route they had taken. Without a guide that really knew the ce, getting lost was more than just a possibility.
"Detective Kieran, please continue!" Duke Wayne asked.
"Watch your step!" Kieran reminded John as he helped him up the stairs. Then he moved his hand slightly and ced his finger on Johns palm.
He started to write something on it as they climbed up the stairs. Troot, who was right behind them, did not notice anything, and neither did Duke Wayne.
At the top of the stairs, there was a corridor less than twenty meters long, but long enough for Kieran to inform John of something important. John did not show any visible sign of getting the message, but then again he had toy low.
The two of them led the group to the end of the corridor, where there was a big, square hall.
Right across the corridor there was a wall, and on the right and left side of the hall there were pirs supporting the structure and five small stairs leading down. Down the stairs was the wide central hall.
The floor wasid with square brick tiles and on top of the tiles there was some kind of carved pattern, covered by a thickyer of dust.
Everyone was looking at the wall on the other side, though.
Time had caused the color on the wall to fade, but everyone could still clearly see that there was a painting there.
The ring of a rising sun.
The emblem of the Church of Dawn!
Carved on the wall beside the emblem, were two rows of small words.
Guntherson had already exined the meaning of those words to Kieran, so he did not bother reading them. Duke Wayne, on the other hand seemed captivated by them, and so did John.
"This was the Council Hall of the Church of Dawn! So all this time, the treasure has been hidden here! Right under my nose!" Duke Wayne mumbled to himself as he looked at the words.
The secret that had been passed down for generations all around the city had led Duke Wayne right into Kieran and Gunthersons trap.
The Council Hall of the Church of Dawn before them was the real deal. It have been built 500 years ago by thest Son of God Pope recorded in the books. It was a known secret among the high ranks of the Church of Dawn, and by high ranks, one usually meant the Pope, the Saintess and the Chief Knight of Dawn.
Guntherson was not the Chief Knight of Dawn, but following the Church of Dawns demise, Sister Mony, who had been thest Saintess of Dawn, had not minded revealing the information to him.
Simrly, when Kieran had mentioned his n of luring the suspects to an ambush point and taking them all out at the same time, Guntherson had thought of this ce and told Kieran about it.
Kieran had been extremely overwhelmed by the suggestion. What ce would be more fitting to hide the millennium treasure than the original Council Hall of the Church of Dawn?
Guntherson was not worried about desecrating the once sacred Council Hall. ording to the Last Knight, all that was left there was a bunch of rocks that would eventually be buried in time. However, although Guntherson had agreed to the n, his face had still looked very dark.
As for Sister Mony?
Since Guntherson had taken over as liaison, Sister Mony had started dedicating all her time to schoolwork and teaching, and would only asionally join them for meals. To her, the school and her students were everything she had.
Plus, she trusted Guntherson fully. She knew for a fact that he was a trustworthy Knight that would carry out any task sessfully.
Just like hed been told, as soon as hed set foot into the hall, Kieran spotted the marks Guntherson had made in the corner, signaling that everything was ready. All Kieran had to do was act.
Kieran scanned their surroundings carefully, noticing that the duke was captivated by the painting on the wall and the men of sacrifice were scattered around, protecting their master.
Troot the Giant was still tailing Kieran and John, though.
It seemed like he was Duke Waynes most trusted subordinate, Duke Wayne did not have to worry about any sudden moves from Kieran or John.
Just the size of the man said it all. Even John looked small inparison to him, Kieran even more so.
Thats why Kieran kicked him hard on the side to startle him. Troot smiled viciously and threw himself at Kieran without bothering to dodge his kick.
From Troots perspective, such a weak kick could not have harmed him.
He shouldnt have underestimated Kieran, though.
Kieran kicked his shoulder swiftly with his left leg at an air-breaking speed. The heavy striking sound sounded like a hammer nailing down something.
Using the special effect [Hand-to-hand Combat, Master of Kicks], Kieran, who had already reached E Rank Strength, momentarily increased it to E+ Rank Strength.
E+ Rank Strength equaled a Weightlifting World Champion level, far exceeding the power of ordinary men. Although Troot was as tall as a giant and had lots of fighting experience, he was still a normal person, at best just slightly stronger than the ordinary John Doe.
As a strong kicknded on him, Troot felt a long stabbing pain, the impact making him wobble and almost fall down.
The second kick followed the first one closely,nding only mere fractions of a secondter and aiming for Troots chest.
Troot had just tasted the power of Kierans kicks and he instinctively tried to evade the second one, only to realized it was a lot faster and more powerful than the first one.
It was the [Barsical Kick].
Kierannded his second kick on Troots chest without holding back. Troot was already staggering after the first kick, so when the second kicknded, he was thrown to the ground, blooding out of his mouth.
The [Hand-to-hand Combat, Master of Kicks] effect plus the [Barsical Kick] had bestowed Kieran with E+ Rank Strength and Agility, the skill triggering the second kick.
"RUN!"
After Kieran had disposed of their only obstacle, he did not try to assault the others. He just grabbed John and run.
Duke Wayne was stunned. He had not expected his best man to fall.
"Fire!" he ordered the rest of his men right away.
All the revolvers were fired together, the smoke from the fire powder quickly filling the hall.
However, Duke Wayne could still spot them under the light of the kerosenemp.
Before his men had fired, Kieran and John had already gotten out of harms way and headed towards the pirs inside the hall.
"Get rid of them!" Duke Wayne shouted.
The continuous mistakes of his men had made him angry. A source of light suddenly appeared behind him and he instinctively turned around. He saw a huge old man with a torch in his hand holding a box and standing by the entrance.
Beside the old man was a strange young man, who was looking at Kieran and Chief John anxiously.
"Guntherson! Youre still alive?"
Duke Wayne had noticed the old man and frowned. He knew all about the legend of the Last Knight of Dawn, but what was more intriguing to him was the box on Gunthersons shoulder.
"What is that?" Duke Wayne asked himself.
"How could I die when you scoundrels are still alive?" Guntherson said with a smirk before he moved the torch near the fuse attached to the box and lit it up. "Here, have your toys back!"
Guntherson threw the box as hard as he could, like a catapultunching a boulder strike. The box flew towards Duke Wayne like a rocket.
The men of sacrifice dashed to Duke Waynes side, using their bodies to block the iing attack, but Duke Waynes expression had turned dark. He knew what was inside the box.
After all, he had provided Swarko and Lushan with a ton of homemade explosives.
If he still had not realized that Swarko and Lushan were long dead, the moment he fell into the trap, he knew that he had been an idiot.
"SCATTER AWAY!"
Duke Wayne ran like mad towards one of the pirs. He knew taking cover was the only way he might be able to survive the st. At the same time, he also shouted to his men to take cover. The men of sacrifice were his most precious pawns. It was not the time for them to die there.
It was already toote, though.
BOOM!
The huge explosion shook the underground hall hard. Troot and eleven men of sacrifice spilled their blood on the ground as they were sted to pieces. They all perished in the mes of the explosion.
The hall shook even harder as the seconds went by, and a tremor began to snowball, making the hall start to copse.
Kieran and John, who had been hiding behind the pir with Duke Wayne, had survived the st and began running towards the entrance like crazy.
"QUICK!" Guntherson shouted.
"Chief! Sir Kieran! Quickly!" the young man running alongside them urged them as well.
The five of them had not noticed that the wall opposite the entrance had began cracking, the cracks spreading through it like a spider web. As the tremor kept shaking the hall, the cracks only got wider and wider, until the wall exploded.
The entire painting was blown to bits, and countless gold came gushing out of the wall like a tsunami.
Chapter 61: Church of Dawn
Chapter 61: Church of Dawn
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Gold coins and bars of gold were mixed with bits and pieces of gold, gushing out like a gyser.
The five of them were in awe and shock, the scene leaving them stunned.
"My fortune! My wealth!" Duke Wayne shouted.
"Its really here?" Kieran could not believe his own eyes.
Never once had he thought that the millennium treasure would really be in the Council Hall.
When theyd chosen the hall as their ambush point, Kieran remembered Guntherson clearly saying, "The treasure is not in the Council Hall. Fifty years ago, I checked every nook and wall there, and each wall was made of a whole piece of mountain rock. Its not possible to hide any passage or door behind it!"
The Last Knight had not lied, but judging by the scene in front of them, Guntherson must have been looking in the wrong ce. The walls had not been hiding a secret passage or door. They had been covering the treasure as a whole, keeping it like a treasure box.
The walls unique material had been protecting the treasure from potential raiders.
Kieran was impressed by the hiding method and the structure of the walls. The builder might not have been well known, but he must have known the true nature of human beings. However, Kieran had not forgotten the danger descending upon them.
"Run!" he shouted as he grabbed John and started running towards the exit once again.
Compared to the trembling structure copsing, the gushing waves of gold were far more dangerous. Anyone caught underneath them would definitely not be able to make it out alive.
John came back to his senses as Kiran dragged him, but Duke Wayne was not that lucky. He realized the danger when Kieran and John had already started running.
It was only a secondter, but in a life-and-death situation, differences like that mattered. Duke Wayne had never hated gold in his life as much as he hated the growling wave of gold before him now. He wanted to get as far from it as possible.
Reality, however, did not bend to human will. Not even to Duke Waynes will.
Duke Wayne ran for his life, but the growling tremble behind him only got louder and louder, as if he was being chased by a hungry beast.
He was panicked and afraid, his sweat soaking his clothes in an instant. He did not want to die yet.
He had unimaginable authority, a very important position in society, and a long list of ns waiting for him. How could he die just like that?
"No! I cant DIE! You should be the ones dying!"
As death approached, Duke Wayne went mad. He looked at Kieran and John running in front him, and suddenly threw himself towards them and shouted, "DIE!"
His twisted face was like a vengeful ghost, eerie words escaping his mouth.
Carl, who was at the outer part of the hall and had watched the whole scene, could not help but shout, "Be careful!"
As Carl shouted, Kieran felt like a prophet. He knew what wasing. He turned around while he ran, and just as Duke Wayne wastching onto his coat, he unleashed a strong kick onto the mans face.
The strong impact sent Duke Wayne flying backwards and into the waves of gold.
Kierans D-rank Intuition had heightened his senses and allowed him to avoid Duke Waynes sudden assault.
As a matter of fact, when the man had been behind them, Kieran had reserved some of his attention for him. As Duke Wayne had leapt towards them, Kieran was already prepared to counter attack. It was a piece of cake. Duke Wayne might have had wealth and immense influence over everyone and everything in city, but when it came to physical strength, he was pretty worthless. He might have had some training when he was younger, but as soon as hed gotten his duke title and be the leader of his family, he had abandoned it. Plus, the man was old.
Duke Waynesst move on Kieran had been nothing more than a mere mortal struggling before the door of death.
Kieran, who had been long prepared, was able to catch his enemy easily.
Therefore, the moment Duke Wayne had decided to leap forward, he had sealed his own fate.
"Noooo!" he screamed in despair.
The bright, golden waves swallowed Duke Wayne in an instant, and moved on towards Kieran and John. After Kieran had kicked away Duke Wayne, he did not bother looking back at the result. He just kept running for his life. If he did not want to share the same fate as the duke, he would have to run as fast as he could.
However, after that minor dy, the golden waves had almost caught up with them.
"Leave me and run!" John shouted at Kieran as he felt the tremble behind them.
John knew that if it was not for him burdening him, Kieran would have already left the hall. Because of him, both of them might end up getting swirled in by the golden waves.
John could not help but grin at the thought. Suddenly, he pushed Kieran away and waved to the others as he said, "RUN!"
As he urged his friends to go, Johns lower body was already covered by the golden wave. Kieran naturally turned around and tried to pull John out. Although his logic told him running was the right choice, at the moment, Kierans body was out of control.
He had no idea what he was doing. A yer risking his life for an NPC... Kieran could not help butugh bitterly.
John, on the other hand, waspletely stunned. He looked at Kieran, who was pulling him as hard as he could, and instantly felt honored to have a friend like him.
"CHIEF! SIR KIERAN!" Carl was shouting their names as Guntherson frowned at the situation. The scene had made Guntherson relive unwanted memories from his past. He had been helpless then, but now?
The sound of cracking joints could be heard as Guntherson emitted a stream of energy. The clear stream gathered in his palms, and that tall, huge body of his grew even bigger.
"IN THE NAME OF THE DAWN!" the Last Knight shouted as he pushed his hand forward as hard as he could.
The energy stream started to take a straight, slim form. The stream was violent and powerful, like a dragon emerging from the sea and shooting towards the golden waves.
It sted the golden wave, causing an explosion as the two forces collided.
Countless gold flew all over the ce as the uncontroble golden wave paused for a moment.
Within the slight window created by Guntherson, Kieran quickly grabbed John again and ran like crazy.
As the two of them dashed out of the hall and entered the corridor, a coffin that had been buried inside the golden wave appeared. Guntherson had dispersed the wave for a while, so it was like a surfing board surfing through the rough waves of gold as it was pushed out of the hall and into the corridor, hitting the wall hard.
As the coffin collided with the wall, the golden case cracked open and two people fell out of it.
"Altilly Hunter? Jimmy?"
Kieran and John could not help but be surprised by their sudden appearance.
Altilly and Jimmy also seemed stunned as they fell out of the coffin, but mere momentster, their faces turned pale and they shouted together, "RUN! THERES A MONSTER HERE!"
The heavy roar could be heard clearly as the gold kept filling the hall.
Kierans D- Rank Intuition granted him extra vision and he could make out a huge figure among the golden pile.
[yer finished the Main Mission: Locate Altilly Hunter within one month, dead or alive]
[yer will leave the dungeon in 5 minutes...]
[Please carry out of the dungeon any items that you wish to keep!]
[Overweight items will be considered prohibited items and will be discarded!]
The system notifications went on.
[Name: Fiery Ruby Fragment]
[Type: Jewel]
[Rarity: Great]
[Attributes: When embedded on weapons or equipment, it provides weapons with 1-2 Burn Damage and equipment with 1%-2% Fire Resistance.]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: Its far more valuable than a normal jewel!]
.....
There was a piece of jewelry the size of babys fingernail stuck on his coat.
It seemed that it had gotten stuck when Guntherson had sted the golden wave with his "Knight of Dawn" energy stream and had sent the jewels flying.
Kieran looked at the piece of ruby and the gold-filled hall. There were golden coins and bars of gold, and countless shining jewels sparkling all over the ce.
Kieran shivered as he saw the sparkle, a thought popping into his mind.
He needed to gather as much jewelry as possible within five minutes.
Chapter 62: Vicious Beast
Chapter 62: Vicious Beast
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
As soon as the gold had burst out from the wall, Kieran had intended to grab some for himself. He was sure Guntherson would not mind as long as he did not take too much.
However, Altillys appearance and the abrupt end of the Main Mission had interfered with his original n.
He had only five minutes to bring whatever he could before leaving the dungeon.
He was left without a n.
He wanted to curse the person who had thought up this "Bring whatever you can" rule.
The existence of the jewels had turned around a desperate situation.
Compared to the heavy bars of gold, the jewels were much smaller in size and a lot lighter, thus more suitable for him to take.
His previous cksmithing job had helped him understand the importance and value of jewels embedded on equipment, not to mention the extra effects and attributes those jewels could grant.
He had made up his mind.
There was another wave of a heavy, fierce growl, the huge figure bing clearer and clearer. The others could see it approaching as well.
Everyone started to back off. Only Kieran was left standing there.
"Lets go!" John pulled Kieran, who was still standing there nkly.
"You go ahead, Ill cover you! Someone has to distract the monster, otherwise none of us will be able to make it out alive! We cant outrun it!" Kieran said quickly.
Within mere seconds, the monster had crawled out of the deep hole that had been holding the treasure and reached the hall entrance, disying its incredible speed.
No one could match it, except for Kieran and Guntherson. However, after Guntherson had unleashed his powerful attack, he had worn out his body and looked darker than ever. He could not even stand by himself.
The earlier attack had drained most of his energy, turning Kierans strongest ally into nothing more than a prop.
Therefore, the only one who could hold up the monster was Kieran.
The situation coincidentally fit Kierans n perfectly.
"Ill do it!" John said immediately.
"Youre wounded! Besides, Im faster than you!" Kieran shook his head as he walked towards Carl, taking back the box with his weapons.
After he took out his weapons, he looked at Guntherson and said with a smile, "I would like to learn that if I get the chance!"
"Definitely!" Guntherson said in an affirmative tone.
However, Kieran knew that he would not get the chance. When he left the dungeon, the two of them would not be in contact anymore.
That was why he had replied with a smile.
"Help you teacher out and ask your father to give the rest of my sry to Carl!" Kieran asked the tall, slim girl with the red hair. "Cant be penniless when you have a girl you like, my friend!"
Although he had wanted to repay Carl for his assistance throughout the dungeon in a different way, it seemed like he had to go for the more direct way.
Kieran had to cut his farewell short as the monster was getting closer and closer. The golden wave, which had momentarily subsided, suddenly bulked up as the monster lurked beneath it like a whale swimming towards them.
"Carl! Take John and get back where you came from!"
Kieran turned around and rushed back into the hall.
"Kieran! Sir Kieran!"
As he heard his name being called, Kieran raised his right hand and waved goodbye.
His left hand was holding the [U-II] grenade as he rolled to the side.
The monster was very close.
Like a whale surfacing from the sea, it sshed gold all over the ce and jumped out towards Kieran, only scathing him a little as it revealed itself.
It was a colossal crocodile.
It was almost 15 meters long and 4-5 meters wide with pearl white scaling all over its body.
Just the head alone was 3 meters long, and those scarlet eyes located its prey with a vicious, beastly gaze.
The crocodile could have probably swallowed a whole car as it opened its mouth wide and leapt towards Kieran.
BOOM!
The [U-II] grenade Kieran threw exploded inside its mouth. That particr grenade could st a human into pieces, but it had barely hurt the beast, causing only some minor scratches on its skin.
[Explosion: Inflicts 200 Damage to Target, Target has High Tensile Armor and High Iron Skin Skill, Resisted 180 Damage, 20 Damage Inflicted to Target HP]
The notification that popped up annoyed Kieran immensely. He had tried his hardest not to underestimate the beast, but reality had proven him wrong.
The system battlelog allowed Kieran to understand the danger he was facing.
The colossal crocodile was thest protective measure for the Church of Dawn treasure.
Since the Church of Dawn was able to have a skill like the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Arts], it would not be unheard of for it to have other special skills too.
Maybe creating abnormal monsters through alchemy was also possible. The abnormality could be exined by the extra skills.
Other than that, Kieran had also confirmed that the colossal crocodile had definitely more than 100 to 200 points HP. Its huge body meant that it probably had a unique constitution.
If it had 500 to 600 HP or more, it would stille as no surprise.
Kieran had hoped that he would get lucky and somehow be able to kill it off, but after witnessing its insane defensive power, he let go of his intention to kill it.
The only good thing was that the monster had its attention focused solely on Kieran.
"NOW! RUN!" Kieran shouted at his friends from far away. After seeing the vicious beast and hearing Kierans shouts, they finally snapped out of it.
"Lets go!" Guntherson, who had had a long experience in the battlefield, said right away. The Last Knight knew what was best under the current situation, even though he was unwilling to face the facts.
"But... But..." Carl stuttered, trying to to speak. John was exactly like him. He just stood there, not wanting to leave his friend behind.
There were two clear sounds as the two police officers were given a chop on the back of their necks by "ckhand" Jimmy. He had knocked them out cold.
"Now!" Jimmy said in a stern voice. He had been raised in a gang, so he also knew what was best under the circumstances. Jimmy quickly gathered everyone and swiftly headed back the way they hade from.
The colossal crocodile had dashed toward Kieran once again. Kieran was relieved to see that everyone had left. His n might have been hard to carry out with everyone looking.
After all, he had to dodge the attack of the monster and gather the jewels. This would have made everyone else suspicious. No matter how greedy someone was, they would still not do something like that. Plus, his identity in the dungeon was not some greedy, money-hungry bastard.
With everyone gone though, he could openly grab all the jewels that he could.
Of course, he had to watch for that colossal crocodile as well.
The crocodile had immense strength and abnormal speed, not to mention its size and unbreakable skin. It was a real monster of destruction.
If Kieran had to face the monster head on, he would not stand a chance. Even Guntherson was no match for it.
However, the huge size of the crocodile made it less nimble and flexible.
All Kieran had to do was evade its attacks. With his E Rank Agility, plus his ant-like sizepared to the crocodile, Kieran was tiny and nimble, which gave him an advantage in confronting the beast.
The leg of the crocodile was as thick as a water tank, and its tail was 6-7 meters long. Suddenly, it swiped through a pile of gold beside it.
Kieran quickly rolled to the side to avoid it. Although the wind from the movement made him extremely uneasy, using enough strength, he was able to roll away and avoid the attack.
He rolled away again, grabbing a handful of jewels in the process.
The crocodile swiped its tail at Kieran again while he moved out of the way. Once again, Kieran grabbed a handful of jewels while he avoided the swipe.
The crocodile stood up on its hind legs. Using its enormous body, it was nning on body mming Kieran, like dropping a mountain on him.
The impact of the m was like a ton of explosives being detonated. Countless gold and jewels flew all over the ce as Kieran managed to dodge the m. Watching all the jewels and gold fly in mid air, Kieran quickly grabbed it with his hands, his shadow trailing his movements. The speed of his hands was at the maximum limit of his E Rank Agility.
Like Kieran had said before, if he was given a hundred kilos of rocks, he would throw it away; but if he was given a hundred kilos of union coins, he would grab all of it and run faster than anyone.
The jewels were the same as union coins in terms of value, so Kieran used his abilities and survival instinct to the fullest. After all, to him, that wealth was his life, so he was fighting for his life in that moment.
Kierans struggle provoked the colossal crocodile, who felt that its pride was being hurt. The crocodile unleashed its full strength against its prey.
The tail swipe, the w scratch and the crunch of its enormous mouth; each attack it unleashed could have shaken mountains.
However, every single attack missed its target. Kieran was as nimble as a cat, circling the colossal crocodile with jumps and rolls, and picking up every jewel he came across in the process.
As the crocodile missed its target once more, it got even more irritated and grew even more vicious.
Its scarlet red eyes lit up like two hundred watt light bulbs as it unleashed a deafening roar, louder and stronger than all the ones before it.
Suddenly, an enormous suction force was unleashed from its colossal mouth. Every treasure within a thirty-meter radius was sucked into it like it was a ck hole. Kieran was also caught in the suction force, falling quickly into the crocodiles mouth.
Chapter 63: Seize the Moment
Chapter 63: Seize the Moment
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Darkness engulfed Kieran in an instant, the slimy, wriggly motion apanied by the foul stench of rotten fish reminding Kieran exactly where he was.
Inside the esophagus of the colossal crocodile.
He was meters away from the crocodiles liver. He struggled hard, using his limbs and trying to stop himself from falling further down the beasts throat. He was not keen on having a liver acid bath while the crocodile digested him into nothing.
The fact that the crocodile could swallow gold like it was water only proved how strong its liver acid was. If Kierans flesh came into contact with it, there would be nothing left of him.
However, the slimy wall of the esophagus and the wriggly motion of the crocodile sent Kieran further down the throat of the beast.
Kieran pulled out his dagger and stabbed it hard into the wall of the esophagus.
He stabbed it with all his strength, but the dagger did not even enter one third of the flesh of the crocodile. It was like stabbing an extremely tensile cowhide. It astonished Kieran, although it had stopped him from slipping further down towards the crocodiles liver.
Before Kieran could catch his breath, the crocodile wriggled its esophagus again and its enormous strength forced the dagger out. Kieran was once again slipping down.
The wound made from the dagger spilled a hot liquid onto Kierans arm and face, scalding him.
[Minor Corrosion : Inflicts 10 Damage to HP...]
"F*ck!" Kieran cursed with all his heart.
At the same time, he quickly adjusted his body and stabbed the wall of the esophagus with his dagger once again. He avoided the same wound. He knew that if more liquid sshed on him, he would run out of chances. The battlelog notification had reminded him as much.
Kieran had once again stopped sliding down. Without any dy, he adjusted his waist and forced himself forward while at the same time avoiding the crocodiles blood and the wriggling motion of its esophagus.
It was extremely hard for him to avoid all the liquid, and he got sshed on three times while he tried to evade it.
After the third time, he managed to climbed out of the esophagus and reach the crocodiles mouth. The dagger that had helped him escape his doom had been destroyed in the process.
It was not the one from the newbie dungeon, but a new one that he had gotten from Guntheson. The original dagger had been confiscated by Duke Waynes men when theyd entered the sewer, along with a makeshift flintlock.
Gunthersons dagger was nothing special. The only good thing about itpared to his previous one was its quality.
Its good quality proved that it had been maintained well by its master. However, after the rough climbing process, it had been corroded and deprived of its shine.
Kieran could see light through the crocodiles mouth as the beast opened it again, trying to suck in more gold.
Its strong suction force was in effect once again.
"Sh*t!" Kieran knew what the crocodile wanted to do, and without a second thought, hetched onto its closest tooth.
He did not take the chance to try and escape from its mouth. He knew that he could not regain his bnce fast enough, and it would be suicidal to stand against its suction force without any support.
As Kieran held on tight to the crocodiles tooth, which was as thick as a grown mans thigh, the suction force became stronger, its immense power forcing him to use both his hands andy down t, holding onto the tooth for dear life.
However, this was not enough to save him from the iing danger. Countless gold from the hall started entering the crocodiles mouth.
It was like it was hailing gold. Each piece and jewel struck Kierans body. Kieran was hit hard as the enormous suction force pulled all the small gold pieces and jewels inwards. There were bars of gold and sticks, all of them striking Kieran and making him clench his teeth in pain.
The impact felt like having your bones broken by a baseball bat. When the continuous striking stopped after two seconds, Kieran could not feel his body anymore.
[Buffeting Strike: Inflicts 120 Damage to HP, Heavily Wounded Status...]
[Heavily Wounded: Strength, Agility, Intuition decreased by 3 Ranks]
Kieran felt extremely weak. His body had reverted from his powered-up version to a normal persons once again.
After the corrosion and the hail, Kierans 200 HP was down to 40 HP and still dropping.
The worst part was that the crocodile had opened its mouth again when it sensed that Kieran was still alive.
It could not stand its prey living inside its mouth. It wanted to swallow him down again.
Kieran realized he would not survive the next wave of hail, so he decided to act fast.
He took out his remaining [U-II] grenades and aimed at the esophagus of the crocodile, pulling the pins and throwing all three of them inside.
At the same time, the crocodiles suction force started again, sucking all three [U-II]s deep inside its body.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A heavy, continuous sound came from its stomach area, dispersing the suction force.
The colossal crocodile growled in agony.
[Explosion: Lethal Damage, Inflicts 800 Damage to Target HP (400 Explosive Weapon (Explosion Basic) X2), Target is lethally wounded]
The battlelog notification confirmed that it had been an effective attack. Kieran was extremely surprised.
The next moment, a light bulb went on in his head.
"Although its outer skin is as thick as tank armor, the inside of its stomach is not protected by High Tensile Armor or the High Iron Skin Skill! Maybe this is my chance!" he thought as his survival instinct was ignited.
He might have a chance at killing the crocodile after all.
Any HP lower than 60% would enter Moderately Wounded Status, and any HP lower than 30% would enter Heavily Wounded Status. A Lethally Wounded Status would only appear when the HP was less than 10%.
At the same time, all stats would be lowered by 5 Ranks.
Kieran had only 30 seconds left before he would be transferred back to the lobby.
He took out the [M1905] and the [Viper-M1], aimed inside the crocodiles mouth and started to shoot.
Bang! Bang!
[Shooting: Lethal Damage, Inflicts 1 Damage to HP (0.5 Firearm Weapon (Light Firearm (Master) X2)...]
[Shooting: Lethal Damage, Inflicts 6 Damage to HP (3 Firearm Weapon (Light Firearm (Master) X2)...]
The first shot was with the [M1905] and the second one was with the [Viper-M1].
"It lost 800 points of HP and entered Lethally Wounded Status! Although it has 10% of HP left, the exact number is still unknown! Sh*t! Here goes nothing!"
As Kieran looked at the notifications, he clenched his fists hard.
He could not determine the exact number of the crocodiles HP. He had fired the [Viper-M1] once, but he was restricted by the dungeons 30-second reloading time. Although it had been rendered useless, Kieran had nothing left to lose.
He kept firing with the [M1905].
[Shooting: Lethal Damage, Inflicts 1 Damage to HP (0.5 Firearm Weapon (Light Firearm (Master) X2)...]
[Shooting: Lethal Damage, Inflicts 1 Damage to HP (0.5 Firearm Weapon (Light Firearm (Master) X2)...]
Kieran fired his gun nonstop, each shot contributing to the agonizing growl of the crocodile as it struggled and rolled around.
No matter how hard it struggled, Kieran had nted himself like a tree and would not budge.
The muzzle of the [M1905] kept shing as the seconds passed by.
Four seconds!
Bang!
Two seconds!
Bang!
The beast had stopped growling and moving altogether.
A golden item appeared in front of Kieran and he grabbed it quickly.
As the timer went off, he disappeared into thin air.
Chapter 64: Primus Arm
Chapter 64: Primus Arm
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
As the blinding light and the loss of gravity faded away, Kierans vision returned. He was in the lobby of the underground game once again.
It was still the same room, filled with dust and spider webs.
He could also still hear gunshots and explosions outside. It seemed like the Steam City and Iron Chariots squabble was not over yet.
Suddenly, lines of notifications popped up in front of Kieran.
[First Dungeon: The Failed Great Detective]
[Dungeon Type: Free World]
[Dungeon Difficulty: Low]
[Main Mission: Find Altilly Hunter within 1 month, dead or alive]
[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating F)]
[Sub Mission 1: The dead woman in the station]
[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating FE)]
[Sub Mission 2: Crazy Shuberg]
[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating ED)]
[Sub Mission 3: The Spy]
[Mission Completion: 100% DC)]
[Battle Performance: Very Active (Rating CB)]
[Exploration Performance: Average]
[Special Rating 1: Lowered Main Mission Time (Rating BA)]
[Special Rating 2: Eliminated Duke Wayne (Rating AS)]
[Special Rating 3: Killed Colossal Crocodile Primus (Rating SSS)(Gained 1 Rep)]
[Acquired Title: Crocodile Hunter (When applicable, 5% Damage increase against reptilian monsters, small chance of inducing Fear)]
[yer Final Rating: SS]
[Calcting yers first dungeon reward...]
[Final yer rewards are as follows...]
[Points: 8,000; Skill Points 5; Golden Skill Points: 1; Golden Attribute Points: 1]
[yer is in Heavily Wounded Mode, do you wish to recover?]
"Yes, please."
[yer had no abnormalities, Healing free of charge, Healing starting...]
A line of green light shined over Kierans body and under the lights effect, his HP started to recover at an incredible rate.
When the green light was gone, so was Kierans weakness. Everything was back to normal.
The notifications too had disappeared. Kieran looked at the glowing golden item in his hand.
It was a ck leather wristband, covered in ayer of scales. Between the rows of scales were several fascinating carvings that attracted ones attention.
As he looked at the item, a notification popped up.
[Name: Primus Arm]
[Type: Protective Gear [Left Wristband)]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Defense: Extremely strong]
[Attributes: 1. Primus Scale; 2. Primus Crunch; 3. Primus Greed]
[Special Effects: None]
[Prerequisites: None]
[Remarks: The Pope of the Church of Dawn wished to keep the millennium treasure safe, so he bred a special breed of giant crocodile called Primus. Primus was enforced with alchemy, which made it even stronger, but it was robbed of its senses in the process, making it impossible for anyone to control it. As a result, it became thest straw that crushed the Church of Dawn.]
...
[Primus Scale: When the skill is active, a force shield will appear with 3 Sturdiness (stronger than supreme protective equipment), Lasts 3 seconds, 2 times/day]
[Primus Crunch: When the skill is active, it grants the user the strength and sharpness of Primus itself. Effects: Left hand Sharpness +2 (equal to a strong attack with a sharp weapon), Sturdiness +2 (equal to strong protective gear), Lasts 10 seconds, 1 time/day]
[Primus Greed: When using Primus Crunch, the Lifesteal Effect is activated, recovers 10% of Damage dealt to HP]
...
A legendary item!
Kieran was breathing heavily. It was just like the Skill Book categories. Items had ranks as well.
No color meant that the item was Common, green that it was Magical, orange that it was Rare, and gold that it was Legendary.
After hed killed Primus, Kieran had been able to tell by the golden glow of [Primus Arm] that he had acquired something good. However, only after the system notification had confirmed his suspicions, did he realize that he had hit the jackpot.
Kieran was sure that [Primus Arm] was a Legendary item that could sell for millions in the underground game. Maybe even more than that.
Perhaps if he could find a suitable buyer, he would earn enough to pay for the medical fees for his treatment.
His breathing had gotten even faster.
What had been his goal for entering the underground game? Had it not been to umte enough money to pay for his treatment?
In an instant, he opened his message box to contact Lawless.
A veteran like him would surely be able to find Kieran a suitable buyer.
However, as soon as he opened the chatbox and raised his hand, he froze mid-air.
"Is it enough for me to just gather enough money for my treatment?"
"Ill being of age soon and the federal government welfare will be taken away. Everything will be gone."
"Ill have to serve in the federal army for eighteen months. Maybe my performance will be good and Ill get dispatched somewhere nicer, but what are the odds?"
"Ill have to start from scratch again. Considering my low educational level andck of specific skills, what job could I get?"
"It will be hard for me to live on minimum wage. I might be even worse off than I am now!"
"Is this what I wanted?" he asked himself, shaking his head.
No. This was not his idea of a good life.
He did not long for a wealthy, luxurious lifestyle, but he still wanted to feel secure.
If he followed the course that had been set out for him though, he would not be able to achieve that.
Why would he give up now that he had a better starting point and resources?
In the end, Kieran kept his hand away and sighed.
"Humans are greedy after all. We can never be satisfied, can we?"
After a long sigh, he stood up in the empty lobby room, mocking himself for his decision.
His spirit was still burning with that burning sensation that could turn into motivation.
Kieran started to check his loot from the dungeon.
Items: [Primus Arm] x 1, [Lockpicking Tools] x1, [Jewels] x10
...
The truth was that he had more than that, but there were only ten jewels that had attributes and were able to be identified as embedding items. Even so, nine out of ten were only fragments of jewels. Only one of them was a cracked piece of jewelry.
[Name: Cracked Topaz]
[Type: Jewel]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attributes: When embedded on weapons or protective gear, it provides the weapon with 4-8 points of Lightning Damage, and the protective gear with 4%-8% Lightning Resistance]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: Its value surpasses that of a normal jewel.]
...
Although the difference was just one rank, the effects were twice as big, and so was the price.
However, he needed a more urate pricing of his loot.
After his first trading experience, he decided not to go on the forum and search blindly. Instead, he opened the mailbox and screenshotted one of the jewel fragments before contacting Lawless.
Chapter 65: Choice
Chapter 65: Choice
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
It didnt take long for Lawless to reply.
"2,000 Points, 1 Skill Point!"
It was an ideal price for Kieran. Although it might fluctuate in the future, it would not be by a lot. After doing business with Lawless a couple of times, Kieran was able to trust him, although notpletely.
His previous experience in trusting people had made him not trust others easily.
"What about embedded?" Kieran asked.
"If it were embedded, it would cost about 500 to 1,000 Points. 1,000 Points would be considered a sess."
Lawless replied in an instant. It seemed like he had sufficient knowledge on embedded jewelry.
"Wanna sell it? Jewels sell for a good price among veterans," he told Kieran.
"Let me think about it," Kieran replied. He didnt want to shun him, he truly needed to consider it.
He nced at his character window.
[Points: 12,200]
[Skill Points: 5]
[Golden Skill Points: 1]
[Golden Attribute Points: 1]
The SS rating had earned Kieran more than 10,000 Points again, and his almost depleted Skill Points had also recovered to a considerable level.
The Golden Skill and Attribute Points also made him excited.
The former was rted to the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Arts], but thetter could instantly rank up any of his attributes.
What was even better, was that it could be used straightaway in the dungeons. He wouldnt need to ess it through the [Shop].
Such rewards would have seemed luxurious to someone else, but for Kieran they were still not enough.
[Hand-to-hand Combat (MasterPro), costs 4,000 Points, 2 Skill Points, Yes/No?]
[Firearm Weapon (Light Firearm) (MasterPro), costs 3,000 Points, 2 Skill Points, Yes/No?]
[Tracking (MasterPro), costs 6,000 Points, 4 Skill Points, Yes/No?]
[Sharp Weapon (Dagger) (MasterPro), costs 3,000 Points, 2 Skill Points, Yes/No?]
[Evading (MasterPro), costs 3,500 Points, 2 Skill Points, Yes/No?]
[Undercover (MasterPro), costs 3,500 Points, 2 Skill Points, Yes/No?]
[Medical Treatment (MasterPro), costs 1,500, 2 Skill Points, Yes/No?]
[Medical and Medicinal Knowledge (MasterPro), costs 3,000 Points, 2 Skill Points, Yes/No?]
...
If Kieran wanted to level up all his skills, it would cost him 27,500 Points and 18 Skill Points.
Even if he sold the other nine pieces of jewels, he would only get 18,000 Points and 9 Skill Points. If he added those to the 12,200 Points and 5 Skill Points that he already had, he would have a total of 30,200 Points and 14 Skill Points.
Although the Points would be sufficient, the Skill Points would not be enough.
Still, that was not all. Kieran had learned quite a few new skills in the dungeon as well.
His [Lockpicking] and [Explosive Weapons (Explosion)] skills were only at basic level, and to level them up to Master Level would cost him 2,400 Points and 2 Skill Points.
The [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Arts] was already a core skill for Kieran after he had experienced its magnificent effect, and The [Barsical Kick] had had outstanding results when used against Troot. He had better level them up as well.
[Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Arts, (BasicEntry), Received lecture from skill instructor, cost dropped to 2,500 Points, 1 Golden Skill Point, Yes/No?]
[Barsical Kick, (BasicEntry), costs 3,000 Points, 2 Skill Points]
The two skills required 5,500 Points and 2 Skill Points, plus one Golden Skill Point.
Moreso, [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Arts] was already discounted because of Gunthersons lecture. If Kieran had not been given that lecture, he could only imagine how big the cost might have been. It might even have cost more than one Golden Skill Point.
"27,500 Points and 18 Skill Points plus 2,400 Points and 2 Skill Points, plus another 5,500 Points and 2 Skill Points... The total is 35,400 Points and 22 Skill Points!"
After a simple calction, Kieran could not help but sigh at the cost. He only had 30,200 Points and 14 Skill Points, and the amount that he needed was really high.
He looked at the only cracked jewel among the bunch. He believed that if he sold it, it would definitely lighten his burden.
But was it really worth it? He was still having second thoughts.
"Jewels sell for a good price among the veterans!"
Lawless words lingered on Kierans mind.
Maybe the veterans needed the jewels to power up in order to face even stronger monsters, like the colossal Crocodile Primus.
The skills on the crocodiles body and the damage reduction had been ridiculous. Normal damaging methods had not worked against it.
However, the jewel might have been able to change that. If Kieran had embedded it onto a firearm, given enough time, he might have been able to take out Primus using his skills and he wouldnt have had to escape from the mouth of death and barely make it out, like he just had.
"No, I cant sell it!"
After thinking about it, he decided to keep it for himself.
It was only the first time he had entered a dungeon, and he had already encountered a monster like Primus. Taking into ount that the dungeons increased in difficulty, if the second dungeon he entered also hid a monster, it would definitely be more dangerous than Primus.
Then his only option would be to give up any Sub Missions and the Title Mission and justplete the Main Mission.
For Kieran that was not even an option. He had set his new goal and he was not about to give up on the advantages that he had. He needed to expand his advantages gradually as he progressed through the game. That was the right way to reach his goal.
"If I keep this cracked jewel, Ill need a weapon that it can be embedded on. The [Viper-M1] is not bad, but firearms might be restricted based on the timeline of each dungeon. The increase in reloading time would not allow the jewels potential to be realized. I think Ill need a faster weapon to make use of the jewels effect."
"In that case, it would be either a dagger or gauntlet."
"Still, I do not have any suitable dagger or gauntlet..."
"If I were to get some, the rarity would have to be at least [Great] and that would cost at least 1,000 Points. Plus, the embedding process would cost another 1,000 Points, so that would be a total of 2,000 Points!"
"I still have the [Basic Medicine Crafting tform] to use, but that would cost me another 8,000 Points..."
After giving it some thought, he realized the hole in his budget had gotten deeper. In order to fill such a deep hole, he would need to broaden his sources of ie and reduce his expenses. To do that, he would need to enter another dungeon.
However, the single yer dungeon would be in cooldown for a week.
As for entering a team yer dungeon? Kieran would have to pass.
If a consistent team or some kind of contract existed, entering a team dungeon would be the best choice. Kieran was a lone wolf by nature though, so it would most likely hinder his progress and be the worst choice he had ever made.
Without a consistent team or contract, the yers who entered the dungeon together would be much more dangerous than the NPCs.
No dungeon was peaceful, and yer Killing (PK) would definitely start urring once there were enough benefits or rewards. No one would mind it either. Not even Kieran himself. Once he thought about the fact that he would need to both focus on the mission and beware of his own team members, he could not help but shake his head. It was definitely not a good option for him.
Since he had extreme advantages over other equal ranking yers, no one could guarantee what would happen if they got jealous.
Jealousy could end up in betrayal.
If the previous dungeon had been a team dungeon, Kierans team members might have gotten jealous of his achievements and chosen to side with Duke Wayne.
The results would be unimaginable.
That was why a team dungeon had never crossed his mind before.
Since the cooldown wouldst a week, and Kieran had no intention of entering a team dungeon, increasing his sources of ie would be impossible for the time being.
All Kieran was left with was limiting his expenses.
He looked at his skills again. He would need to pick the skills that he could utilize the most based on his strength. Considering that he could not level everything up, this was the most sensible choice.
As for [Primus Arm]?
If he were to sell it, everything would be solved in the blink of an eye. He might even have leftover points. However, that thought had never crossed his mind either.
Selling [Primus Arm] would be like killing the hen in favor of the eggs. Kieran knew what he wanted for the future, and he was not about to do something as stupid.
He had already selected the skills that he would level up.
Chapter 66: Trade (Part II)
Chapter 66: Trade (Part II)
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Kieran had made his decision based on his skills optimum attribute growth and attacking power.
[Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] was at the top of the list, followed by [Hand-to-hand Combat] and [Sharp Weapon (Dagger)], [Firearm Weapon (Light Firearm)], [Evading],
[Undercover], [Tracking], and finally the [Barsical Kick], which was restricted by the level of the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art].
[Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] was a core skill to Kieran, so when there was room for an upgrade, he would definitely take it.
Both [Hand-to-hand Combat] and [Sharp Weapon (Dagger)]s rted attributes were Strength, Agility, and Constitution. The attributes ovepped, so in order to upgrade either skill, Kieran would have to depend on the kind of weapon he would be able to acquire, either a dagger or a gauntlet.
Kieran preferred [Sharp Weapon(Dagger)], because it was cheaper by 1,000 Points than [Hand-to-hand Combat].
ording to his calctions, even if he chose [Hand-to-hand Combat], which was more costly, he would still need to spend 25,500 Points, 14 Skill Points, and 1 Golden Skill Point.
After selling the jewels, he would have 30,200 Points, 14 Skills Points, and 1 Golden Skill Point. To Kieran, this was the better option.
Better still, there would also be a bnce of leftover Points, which would allow him to have more freedom in choosing a weapon.
His stock of grenades had been used up during his battle against Primus too, so he would need to restock. After the grenades outstanding performance, he had already be emotionally attached to this expensive consumable.
Despite the timeline restrictions, the grenade had still proved to have a formidable destructive power.
Of course, there were two more skills, [Explosive Weapon (Explosion)] and [Lockpicking], which both needed to be leveled up from Basic to Entry, or even Master Level.
"Im still some skill points short!"
Kieran looked at his calctions after the selection. The Points were still sufficient, but the Skill Points were not enough to meet his needs.
He opened his mailbox and PMed Lawless.
"How many Points is 1 Skill Point worth?"
"At least 3,000!"
Lawlesss reply shocked him. He could not even process it.
Without hesitating, Kieran screenshotted the nine jewel fragments and sent them over along with their prices.
Lawless did not reply immediately. He went silent for quite a while.
Then suddenly, Kierans mailbox was spammed with messages.
......
Lawless: BRO! Where did u get so many jewels?
Lawless: Did u raid the dragonsir?
Lawless: I thought u were just a noob? U cant have encountered a dragon!
Lawless: Youre so lucky, man!
...
A series of surprised messages started popping up nonstop following the screenshots.
It had not been hard for Lawless to guess that Kieran was a newbie. Kierans earlier questions about the underground game had said it all. He was just a very lucky bastard.
Kieran typed, "Cut the crap! Lets get down to business already!"
Lawless had proven to be a worthy friend, but after multiple trades with him, Kieran knew that his one problem was that he talked a lot.
If he did not stop Lawless from spamming him any further, this could turn into a very long conversation.
......
Lawless: I cant buy it all myself!
Lawless: Ill introduce u to someone!
Lawless: Besides, you have 5 rubies and 3 emeralds in ur stash. The price will vary depending on whether you sell them individually or in bulk!
2567: How much?
Lawless: 5 rubies for 12,000 Points, 7 SP
Lawless: 3 emeralds for 7,000 Points, 4 SP
Lawless: Hold on, Ill contact my guy!
.....
As Lawless went offline, Kieran smirked. Those extra 3,000 Points would allow him to have more choices.
Lawlesss honesty had made a favorable impression on Kieran as well. Honesty was always a wee virtue.
As for trust? It was still too early to decide at this stage.
After a while, Lawless invited a yer nicknamed cksmith into their chat, creating a group chat.
...
Lawless: 2567, make an offer to cksmith!
Lawless: cksmith, this is the guy that sold me the [Tekken-II]!
Lawless: Oh cksmith, u missed the scene where I blew that Burrow Dragon to hell! It was a once in a lifetime experience!
Lawless: 2567, If u are looking for embedded items, hit up cksmith! He is a trustworthy merchant!
Lawless: Too bad the Burrow Dragon had only a tiny bit of Elder Dragon Blood! It was strong alright, but it did not collect treasure like the others!
Lawless: What a let down!
...
Ignoring Lawless usual mumbling, Kieran made an offer to cksmith, just like Lawless had told him to.
5 Rubies: 12,000 Points, 7 Skill Points.
3 Emeralds: 7,000 Points, 4 Skill Points.
1 Topaz: 2,000 Points, 1 Skill Point.
cksmith ignored Lawless crap as well. After the deal with Kieran was done, he went offline.
Kieran looked at the 21,000 Points and 12 Skill Points and messaged Lawless that he was looking for a dagger or gauntlet (Right Hand), at least Great Rank, priced around 1,000 Points.
He was about to logout of his mailbox when, after a short consideration, he added "Magical Rank will do as well" and sent it to Lawless.
As for Rare or Legendary Rank? Kieran dared not even think about it.
If there even existed such a weapon in the market, he would not be able to afford it.
...
Underground game, location unknown.
Lawless had been typing about his game experience excitedly in the chatroom when, after about ten messages, 2567 and cksmith both went offline.
"Come on, guys! Dont be such party poopers!" Lawless started to rant about 2567 and cksmiths ignorance.
He whined about the two of them for ten minutes, acting as if they had done something unforgivable.
He only stopped when a name on his friend list lit up.
It was Monien.
Lawless saw the namee online and frowned. He and Monien had both been beta yers in the earlier stages of the game.
He did not like him, because he was an unpredictable yer, but Monien had helped Lawless enough times for him to add him to his friend list.
...
Lawless: What?
Monien: One of my clients, Starbeck, wants to enter a Fifth Time dungeon, and hes looking for a reliable team to do it.
Lawless: Im a lone wolf.
Monien: What about cksmith?
Lawless: Dont u drag other people into this!
Monien: Then... How about that lucky newbie that you mentioned? He should have a certain level of strength. It would bring down the average times in the dungeon as well! Definitely the best teammate one could ask for!
Lawless: I said, dont drag others into this!
Monien: You know I could make you a good offer, right? Why dont you ask the newbie for me? After all, you cant rece him, can you?
...
Lawless was left speechless as he looked at Moniensst sentence.
He knew that Monien would make 2567 an offer he wouldnt be able to refuse. Plus, it was exactly as he had said. Lawless could not rece 2567.
"F*cking c*nt!" he cursed quietly.
Chapter 67: Power Up
Chapter 67: Power Up
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
After settling his personal business, Kieran put on the virtual helmet once again. Everything became dark before he appeared in the lobby of the game again.
His mailbox had been spammed while he was away. Considering the number of the messages, it could only be Lawless.
...
Lawless: I found u a gauntlet!
Lawless: 800 Points, Rarity Great, it fits ur criteria!
Lawless: No Magic equipment though, it was too hard to find!
Lawless: Last time, when I bombarded that Burrow Dragon, it only dropped a Magical Rank item! Damn it, dragon! Thats totally unworthy of your bloodline! At least give me some Rare equipment!
...
After a lot of BS, Lawless finally sent over a screenshot and enabled the trading option.
[Name: Tigers Finger (Right Hand)]
[Type: Gauntlet]
[Rarity: Great]
[Attacking Power: Weak]
[Attributes: None]
[Effects: None]
[Prerequisites: None]
[Remarks: It might look like a punk essory, but it sure can throw a punch if you know how to use it!]
...
The item on the trade window was exactly what Kieran had imagined.
It was ck in color and made out of four pieces of metal chained together.
After a quick scan, Kieran epted the deal.
He had mentioned that he was looking for a Magical Rank equipment as ast minute thought. if there had been one, it would have been good, but none would do him no harm either.
Kieran did not insist on getting a Magical Rank item, because embedding the jewel onto the equipment would enhance the equipment with magic as well.
After paying 800 Points, Kieran now had 32,400 Points, 17 Skill Points, 1 Golden Skill Point, and 1 Golden Attribute Point.
The total from the sale of the jewels was 21,000 Points and 12 Skill Points. The dungeon rewards had been 12,200 Points, 5 Skill Points, 1 Golden Skill Point, and 1 Golden Attribute Point.
After he calcted the total sum, he PMed cksmith.
...
2567: You there?
cksmith: Talk.
2567: Embedding.
cksmith: 1,000 Points.
...
A tform simr to the one Kieran had bought on the forum appeared in front of him along with a form.
"Please ce the item to be embedded on the tform and pay 1,000 Points."
"Fill in the form. The whole process is being monitored by the game system."
The mechanical voice stated that the trade was being monitored by the system, a fact that gave Kieran some reassurance.
He signed the form and ced the [Tigers Finger] and the cracked [Topaz] on the tform.
After a minute, a new item called [Lightning Tigers Finger] appeared in Kierans hand.
[Name: Lightning Tigers Finger (Right Hand)]
[Type: Gauntlet]
[Rarity: Great]
[Attack: Common]
[Attributes: Lightning Enhancement]
[Effects: None]
[Prerequisites: Hand-to-hand Combat (Entry)]
[Remarks: This is a product of embedding.]
...
[Lightning Enhancement: Each attack will trigger 4-8 Points of Lightning Damage Effect]
...
The originally ck item was now embedded with several lightning stripes, but other than that, nothing else was different.
Kieran put the glove on his right hand and clenched his fist. The glove produced a small lightning effect around his hand, but it did not harm him.
Kieran nodded in satisfaction.
He wanted to thank cksmith, but by that time, the yer had already gone offline.
"A chatterbox and a man of few words..."
Kieran shook his head and left a thank you message for cksmith. Then he turned his eyes to the skills window.
Now that he had acquired the [Lightning Tigers Finger], he could leave the [Sharp Weapon (Dagger)] skill, and focus on the [Hand-to-Hand Combat] skill. ording to his upgrading n, after the [Hand-to-hand Combat] skill were the [Firearm Weapon (Light Firearm)], [Evading], [Undercover], [Tracking] and [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] skills, followed by the [Barsical Kick], which was capped by the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] skill.
[Hand-to-hand Combat (MasterPro), costs 4,000 Points, 2 Skill Points, Yes/No?]
[Firearm Weapon (Light Firearm) (MasterPro), costs 3,000 Points, 2 Skill Points, Yes/No?]
[Evading (MasterPro), costs 3,500 Points, 2 Skill Points, Yes/No?]
[Undercover (MasterPro), costs 3,500 Points, 2 Skill Points, Yes/No?]
[Tracking (MasterPro), costs 6,000 Points, 4 Skill Points, Yes/No?]
[Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Arts, (BasicEntry), Received lecture from skill instructor, cost dropped to 2,500 Points, 1 Golden Skill Point, Yes/No?]
[Barsical Kick, (BasicEntry), costs 3,000 Points, 2 Skill Points]
...
It was a total of 25,500 Points, 14 Skill Points, and 1 Golden Skill Point.
Kieran epted every single one of them.
[Name: Hand-to-hand Combat (Pro)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Offensive]
[Effects: You know how to use your fists and legs better during a fight, Increases Damage by 40%]
[Special Effects: Master of Kicks Pro (When your kicksnd, Strength, Agility +1 Effect)]
[Consumes: Stamina]
[Prerequisites: Strength E-, Agility E-, Constitution E-]
[Remarks: You can beat a mixed martial artist champion easily!]
...
[Hand-to-hand Combat leveled up, Rted attributes increasing...]
[Strength EE+]
[Agility EE+]
[Constitution EE+]
...
[Name: Firearm Weapon (Light Firearm) Pro]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Constitution, Intuition]
[Skill Type: Offensive]
[Effects: You know how to use a handgun, rifle, revolver, assault rifle, submachine gun and sniper rifle better, Increases Damage by 40%]
[Special Effects: Professional Aim (When you aim at your target, Intuition +2 Effect)]
[Consumes: Stamina]
[Prerequisites: Strength F+, Constitution F+, Intuition E-]
[Remarks: Anyone youre aiming at will tremble in fear!]
...
[Firearm Weapon (Light Firearm) leveled up, Rted attributes increasing...]
[Strength has reached the capped limit, Unable to level up any further]
[Constitution has reached the capped limit, Unable to level up any further]
[Intuition has reached the capped limit, Unable to level up any further]
...
[Name: Evading (Pro)]
[Rted Attributes: Agility]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effects: You know how to evade iing attacks better, Increases Evading by 40%]
[Special Effects: Master of Swift Steps (Your steps make you even nimbler, Increases Evading by 20%)]
[Consumes: Stamina]
[Prerequisites: Agility E-]
[Remarks: You can use steps, rolls and other ways to evade your enemies attacks!]
...
[Evading leveled up, Rted attributes increasing...]
[Agility has reached the capped limit, Unable to level up any further]
...
[Name: Undercover (Pro)]
[Rted Attributes: Agility]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effects: Better use of shadows, Harder for your enemies to discover you, Increases Hiding by 40%]
[Special Effects: Shadow Stalker (You can hide better in the shadows, Increases Hiding by 20%]
[Consumes: Stamina]
[Prerequisites: Agility E-]
[Remarks: You might be good at hiding, but youre not invisible!]
...
[Undercover leveled up, Rted attributes increasing...]
[Agility has reached the capped limit, Unable to level up any further]
...
[Name: Tracking (Pro)]
[Rted Attributes: Intuition]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effects: You can track your target by following all sorts of trails and tracks!]
[Special Effects: Professional Trail Searcher (You will always know what tracks and trails youre looking for)]
[Consumes: Stamina]
[Prerequisites: Intuition E]
[Remarks: You can already sense strange things living amongst us!]
...
[Tracking skill leveled up, Rted attributes increasing...]
[Intuition D- D]
......
[Name: Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art (Entry)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution, Spirit, Intuition]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effects: You know special methods to move your body, regte your breath and rx. All attributes +2 (+1 Basic level)]
[Consumes: Stamina]
[Prerequisites: Strength E-, Agility E-, Constitution E-, Spirit E-, Intuition E-]
[Remarks: This is the Basic Entry Skill for the Knights of Dawn. Its the skill that determines your proficiency in other skills!]
.....
[Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art leveled up, Rted attributes increasing...]
[Strength E+D-]
[Agility E+D-]
[Constitution E+D-]
[Spirit E-E]
[Intuition DD+]
...
[Name: Barsical Kick (Entry)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Offensive]
[Effects: Your legs are nimbler than your hands, When you strike with your legs, each hit will increase Agility +1]
[Consumes: Stamina]
[Prerequisites: Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art]
[Remarks: Remember that the Barsical Kick level cannot surpass the Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art level!]
.....
[Barsical Kick level increased, Rted attributes increasing...]
[Strength has reached the capped limit, Unable to level up any further]
[Agility has reached the capped limit, Unable to level up any further]
[Constitution has reached the capped limit, Unable to level up any further]
...
When all seven skills had been leveled up, Kierans attributes were as follows.
[Strength: D-, Agility: D-, Constitution: D-, Spirit: E, Intuition: D+]
The attributes had increased ording to the upgrade of the skills.
Kieran felt a series of warm sensations on his body as if he was in a hot spring, his mind gushing out knowledge like a fountain.
The whole processsted about ten seconds, before he returned to normal.
He released a long breath, and then frowned.
He had not achieved his original goal in leveling up.
Chapter 68: Restrictions
Chapter 68: Restrictions
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Kieran frowned as he looked at his stats. Although his attributes had all increased, ording to his calctions, his Intuition should have reached C- Rank.
However, when Kieran had leveled up the [Firearm Weapon (Light Firearm)] skill to Pro, the skills rted attributes had all been capped and unable to level up any further, ruining Kierans original n for his Intuition.
"As soon as the attributes reach E+ Rank, the restrictions will be simr to the basic skills going from Master to Pro."
"Using that as a base for further spection, once my attributes reach E+ Rank and surpass ordinary mens limitations, it will be hard to level up attributes by leveling up the skill itself. It might take two or three levels just to level up the attributes once, if at all!" Kieran spected.
He kind of understood why a Legendary Skill Books appearance could spark a full-scale war.
It wasnt just because of the powerful skill. It was also because of the rted attributes and character growth.
Even if the Legendary Skills prerequisite was high and hard to learn, it would still have people chasing over it like a flock of ducks.
After all, using the Legendary Skill, one could already improve like a rocket while others were still stepping on the ground. It would only take a couple of dungeon runs for the power gap between the yers to increase greatly.
"So, the Golden Attribute Point..."
Kieran looked at the Golden Attribute Point longingly.
Although it could level up any attributes by one, it was mainly there for the purpose ofpensating the yers. If not for it, even if there was a Rare or Legendary Skill Book, one could not learn it because of theircking attributes.
For example, the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] prerequisite was to have five F+ Rank attributes. Kieran had all basic skills except for Spirit, so it was easy for him to meet the requirement.
If he wanted to increase his Spirit, he would have to learn Spirit-rted skills or directly increase it by using the Golden Attribute Point.
When it came to Spirit-rted skills, other than [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] itself, Kieran had note across any other relevant skills. Obviously, it was very hard to achieve, at least at the current stage of the game. Therefore, the existence of Golden Attribute Points became a necessity.
The problem was, Golden Attribute Points were also very hard toe by. An SS rating clear of the dungeon was enough to prove its rarity.
Kieran had had to go through that brutal fight with Primus to earn it.
The Golden Attribute Point could be used in dungeon without the need to return to the lobby, and could level up any attribute +1 in an instant. Kieran had originally wanted to use it as ast resort.
He might have to face some immense danger and need that point to level up his Strength or Agility. Being stronger or faster could turn around any situation.
Even though he had understood the real purpose of Golden Attribute Points, he still held onto his intention for it. He did not have any Rare or Legendary Skills with high prerequisites yet.
He pushed aside his thoughts regarding the Golden Attribute Point and looked at his remaining Points and Skill Points.
[Points: 5,900]
[Skill Points: 3]
...
While he looked at them, Kieran opened the option for Pro [Hand-to-hand Combat]. The next rank after Pro was the Grand Master Rank, which cost 8,000 Points and 4 Skill Points.
[Firearm Weapon (Light Firearm)] required 6,000 Points and 4 Skill points to Grand Master,
[Evading] and [Undercover] cost 7,000 Points and 4 Skill points respectively, and [Tracking] was the highest of them all, costing 12,000 Points and 8 Skill Points.
Although Kieran had been prepared, the cost to go from Pro to Grand Master had still overwhelmed him.
He had gotten an SS rating in his first dungeon, but despite the rewards, he could only level one skill up to Grand Master, and [Tracking] was not even close.
Should he upgrade [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art]?
Upgrading it from Entry to Master Level would cost a hefty 10,000 Points and 3 Golden Skill Points, which made Kieran miss Gunthersons lecture even more.
The [Barsical Kick] cost 6,000 Points and 4 Skill Points to level up from Entry to Master, and the same went for the basic skill going from Pro to Grand Master Level. However, the [Barsical Kick] was restricted by the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] level, which made it even harder to upgrade.
Obviously, the remaining points could not level up any more skills.
The newly acquired [Explosive Weapon (Explosion)] and [Lockpicking] were also in Kierans upgrading n. After all, one of them was rted to the use of grenades, and he did not n on giving up such a practical way of dealing with threats. Therefore, he definitely had to level up [Explosive Weapons, Explosion].
As for [Lockpicking]? No one could confirm whether further down the game there would be a treasure chest behind some locked door that would require a certain level of [Lockpicking] to open.
After spending 2,400 Points and 2 Skill Points, both skills were upgraded to Master Level.
[Explosive Weapon (Explosion)] leveled up to Master Level, Choose a special effect]
[A. Master Explosive (The explosive in your hand can deal bigger Damage, Increases Damage by 10%)]
[B. Master Throwing (You can throw better and more precisely at your designated target, Youre even able tond things under your enemies feet).]
[Please choose one...]
"B!"
After some minor consideration, Kieran made his choice. Although he was quite fond of the damage increase of the grenade, he was even more keen on improving the precision of his throws.
After all, what good would a grenade do if it did not reach his enemy?
Master Throwing was what Kieran needed the most.
[yer chose B, Master Throwing]
[Name: Explosive Weapon (Explosion) Master]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Agility]
[Skill Type: Offensive]
[Effects: You know how to use homemade explosives, TNT tubes, grenades and other simr weapons more, Increases Damage by 30%]
[Special Effects: Master Throwing (You can throw better and more precisely at your designated target, Youre even able tond things under your enemies feet)]
[Consumes: Stamina]
[Prerequisites: None]
[Remarks: Explosion is an art, but you are far from qualifying as an artist!]
....
[Explosive Weapon (Explosion) leveled up, rted attributes increasing...]
[Strength has reached the capped limit, Unable to level up any further]
[Agility has reached the capped limit, Unable to level up any further]
...
[Lockpicking leveled to Master Level, choose a special effect...]
[A. Master Fast Lockpicking (Increases Lockpicking Speed)]
[B. Master Silent Lockpicking (Limits Lockpicking Sounds)]
[Please choose one...]
"B!"
Although Fast Lockpicking was all well and good, Kieran preferred Silent Lockpicking, because if he was discovered while picking a lock, speed would serve him no use.
[yer chose B: Master Silent Lockpicking]
[Name: Lockpicking (Master)]
[Rted Attributes: Agility, Intuition]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effects: You know how to use a hairpin, steel wire and screwdriver to pickplicated locks!]
[Special Effects: Master Silent Lockpicking (Limits Lockpicking Sounds)]
[Consumes: Stamina]
[Prerequisites: None]
[Remarks: Make sure there is no one near you when you try to pick a lock!]
...
[Lockpicking leveled up, rted attributes increasing....]
[Agility has reached the capped limit, Unable to level up any further]
[Intuition has reached the capped limit, Unable to level up any further]
...
When all skills had been upgraded ording to n, Kieran had 3,500 Points and 1 Skill Point left over.
It was still enough for him to buy 5 more grenades. Kieran remembered that in the forum a grenade simr to [U-II] cost around 300 Points.
However, before he could go on the Forum to search for grenades, Lawless started spamming him with messages.
...
Lawless: Theres a yer asking to contact you!
Lawless: This guy is not like cksmith. Hes not my friend, okay?
Lawless: But his information is urate and he is one of the founders of the secret bazaar. Hes one of the best brokers in the game.
Lawless: One of his biggest clients wants to clear a fifth time dungeon, and to lower the difficulty, theyre looking for a yer with certain strength and less times in the dungeon!
Lawless: Then u popped up in his radar! He says that he will make a contract with you and offer you a good deal.
Lawless: What do u say?
...
Kieran was not surprised that he had been noticed by the veterans. Truth be told, it was unavoidable that he would get noticed ever since he had put the two [Tekken-II]s up for sale.
The veterans contacting him through Lawless was not unexpected either. After all, Lawless had juste back from a team dungeon.
As soon as he brought up the [Tekken-II], the truth would have been revealed to the other yers.
If Lawless said that the veteran had urate information, then he had to have his own way of finding things out.
Kierans attention had been captured by the phrases "fifth time dungeon", "promised to make a contract" and "a good deal". He went ahead and asked directly.
2567: How much?
Chapter 69: Biting Cold
Chapter 69: Biting Cold
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Lawless could not stand his impatience, so he replied right away.
...
Lawless: 10,000 Points. Hell deposit half of it first. All expenses are included, but youre not entitled to any of the points at the end of the dungeon. Youll only clear the Main Mission, nothing else.
2567: Such a good pay?
Lawless: Not really. The guy is an evil businessman, why would he give you an advantage?
Lawless: When you sold the two [Tekken-II] rocketunchers, you got 10,000 Points from Steam City, 5 SP, and 4,000 Points, 2 SP from me, and the [Basic Medicine Crafting tform Blueprint] plus the [Single Dungeon Cooldown Reset Card]!
Lawless: ording to my calctions, you have a total of 14,000 Points, 6 SP. If you were able to bring 2 [Tekken-II]s from the dungeon, then your rewards must have been good. Even if you used the [Medicine Crafting tform], you should have at least one Pro Level Skill and one Master Level Skill respectively!
Lawless: Not to mention that you just sold a bunch of jewels! That alone would be enough to get two Pro Level Skills!
Lawless: Of course, that ass doesnt know about this!
Lawless: 10,000 Points to hire a mercenary with Pro Level Skills seems like a fair price to me!
...
Lawless precise calctions made Kieran shrug coldly. No one liked their secrets being known by others. Lawless was special, though. As Kierans second trade veteran yer and the man who had introduced him to cksmith, all it had taken was a little eye for detail for him to use the points and predict Kierans strength urately.
The only thing Lawless did not know was the things Kieran had gained in the dungeon. It was also the reason why Kieran had continued to deal with him. Because he could never have guessed that Kieran could have gotten an SS rating along with the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] and the [Barsical Kick] skills. Besides, Lawless had disyed a certain level of trustworthiness.
If that was not the case, Kieran would not have minded heading to the secret bazaar during the cooldown time of the dungeon, while he waited for the guild war between the Steam City and the Iron Chariots to end. It was supposed to open that day, but the opening had been dyed because of the guild war.
Fortunately, from the looks of it, the war would notst very long. Kieran could tell by the explosions, which had been dimming down. No one knew who would be the winner, though. The Steam City might have bought his [Tekken-II] rocketuncher, but no one knew what tricks the Iron Chariots had up their sleeves. Anyhow, this was none of Kierans concern. He was not a member of either guilds.
He collected his thoughts and focused on Lawlesss words, thinking hard about the situation.
If there was a contract, Kieran would not mind entering a team dungeon, even if that particr dungeon exceeded his level of difficulty. He was quite confident of his own strength, even if he could not confirm where he ranked among the rest of the yers.
Still, ording to his spections, he had to be stronger than the average yer who had been through three or four dungeons.
Lawless had mentioned that the man was going into his fifth dungeon, and wanted a yer who did not exceed four times inside a dungeon. Kieran could tell that the teams average dungeon entry times would most likely be four, but in any case would not exceed five.
Otherwise, there would be no point in hiring him. Although it was only the fourth time, Kieran was quite confident that he could clear the dungeon.
Plus, there were also other reasons that could persuade him. The higher number of entry times would increase the level of difficulty, but the rewards would increase along with it too.
Between a second time single yer dungeon and a fourth time team dungeon, thetter would surely be much more rewarding.
However, potential rewards aside, Kieran was still quite attracted by the pay. 10,000 Points and all expenses covered, but no points from the dungeon.
Judging by his own first dungeon, an SS rating reward was only 8,000 Points, 5 Skill Points, 1 Golden Skill Point and 1 Golden Attribute Point respectively. It kind of proved that they were quite sincere about hiring him, because no matter the rating in the end, Kieran would still earn 10,000 Points and other potential loot. He sure would not mind increasing his own benefits, though.
He started writing back to Lawless.
"2567: I have 3 Pro Level Skills, [Hand-to-Hand Combat], [Firearm Weapon (Light Firearm)], and [Evading]!"
After some consideration, Kieran had decided to reveal the skills that he had. He would not be able to keep the [Lightning Tigers Finger] and the [Viper-M1] a secret from his team, and the same went for [Evading]. If any battle urred, his Pro Level [Evading] would be impossible to hide.
Therefore, it was better to let them know now rather than have them discover itter inside the dungeon. He might as well use that information to raise his own status and get more things out of the deal.
As for the rest of his skills, Kieran wanted to keep those a secret for now. He would prefer that others not know exactly what he was capable of, especiallyplete strangers.
...
Lawless: You want me to tell that guy that you want to bargain about your pay?
...
After a little dy, Lawless seemed to get what Kieran wanted.
...
Lawless: How many times have you cleared a dungeon?
Lawless: If its not that many, raising the price will be a piece of cake!
Lawless: Those cowards always like to find people with enough strength and power, but less dungeon entries!
Lawless: So which dungeon is it? The 3rd? The 4th?
2567: 2nd.
Lawless: ...
Lawless: ...
...
The series of dots he got as an answer implied Lawless surprise. After a full five seconds, Lawless bombarded Kieran with messages.
...
Lawless: What the hell! Does that mean you got two [Tekken-II]s from the newbie dungeon?
Lawless: And a bunch of jewels from your first dungeon?
Lawless: Holy Mother of God! Are you a hacker or something?
Lawless: Or is your father the creator of the game? Can you introduce him to me??
2567: I just got lucky.
2567: Contact that broker for me.
Lawless: Right away!
Lawless: You sure that you are not a hacker or a rtive of the creator??
...
Before Lawless could start again with his BS, Kieran stopped him by stating his request, and then logged off the chat without a second thought.
Ten minutester, he opened the chat again.
...
Lawless: Why do you have to be so much like cksmith? Boo!
Lawless: Cant you just enjoy the game?
(After the usual BS, he finally got to the topic at hand.)
Lawless: 20,000 Points, the rest of the terms remain the same.
2567: Deal.
Lawless: Then lets team up and sign the contract!
...
After hearing the doubled price, Kieran agreed to the terms immediately. At Lawless words, the hollow tform appeared once again in front of Kieran. What followed was not a form though, but a goat skin scroll.
As Kieran looked over the scroll, the mechanical voice started to exin the team contract, reassuring Kieran about any cases of potential betrayal.
"Team Contract"
"All signed parties will be bound by the present contract."
"After entering the dungeon, you cant be released from the contract."
"The contract prohibits friendly fire and sabotaging the benefits of other team members."
"Breaking the contract will be deemed as betrayal, and the yer will be killed by the contracts power!"
Kieran opened the scroll and was surprised to notice Lawless name on it.
He was stunned for a while before he asked Lawless about it.
...
2567: Youre going too?
Lawless: That ass found me first!
Lawless: Besides, whats wrong with me being invited? Arent I a super awesome yer?
Lawless: As a matter of fact, I was the one he was looking for! Youre just some appendage!
Lawless: If it wasnt for me, how would that ass get some expensive Team Contract just to enjoy a team dungeon?
Lawless: Plus, he offered me another [Team Dungeon Cooldown Reset Card]!
Lawless: Chill, man! When we enter the dungeon, Ill make sure that we win hands down!
Lawless: Ill show you what a professional super awesome yer looks like!
...
While being bombarded by BS, Kieran wrote his nickname on the scroll and ced it back on the hollow tform.
The scroll and tform disappeared together as Kieran noticed that a new option had popped up on the LED screen. It was called Team Channel.
Kieran clicked on it, but only Lawless was online. As he kept sending him messages, Kieran quickly closed both the team chat and his own personal chat.
As soon as he closed it though, he suddenly thought of something.
He quickly opened the chat log of his messages with Lawless and dragged it all the way up. He found the point where Lawless had mentioned appendages, read the words carefully, and began specting.
"The guy is after the fourth dungeon, and yet he still needs to hire others to clear the fifth?"
"That means he might have used the same method to clear all the other dungeons as well!"
"Someone who uses this kind of method to clear dungeons is not someone who wants to experience some excitement. Plus, this method also proves that that person is not short on money. Otherwise, they would not have been able to buy all these points!"
"Such a person would not even need to logout of the game in the first ce..."
Kieran had a bad feeling about this. The game might be unable to log off at all.
That was the first thought that popped up in his mind as a deadly, cold chill shocked his spine.
He frozepletely and just stood there nkly.
After some time, he finally collected his thoughts and messaged Lawless with his question.
......
2567: If a yer left the virtual helmet and did not log into the game for over three months, what would happen?
...
Chapter 70: Burning Heart
Chapter 70: Burning Heart
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Kieran PMed Lawless and waited for his reply. It was a little different this time. It took Lawless a whole minute before he wrote back.
...
Lawless: idents might happen!
2567: idents?
Lawless: Yes, all sorts of idents!
Lawless: After the beta test, there were yers who ditched their virtual helmets and didnt log in again for over three months.
Lawless: Then... idents started to happen.
Lawless: Two of my friends, who were also beta yers like me, decided to leave this deadly game. Three monthster, one of them fell down the stairs and broke his neck, and the other one got electrocuted while taking bath.
Lawless: Every yer who stopped ying the game has died in an ident. There were no exceptions.
Lawless: It was like Death came and took their lives.
...
It took Lawless almost two minutes to type all these words. It seemed like he did not wish to remember the tragic death of his friends.
Kieran had been too busy working to make a living to watch movies, but he did remember hearing about a movie where all the actors had died in all sorts of different idents.
For such a thing to happen to him... He dared not even imagine it. Everything was too peculiar. Any kind of small incident or item could be the very thing that could end up killing him.
It was far scarier than his illness. After all, the progress of his illness could be monitored using medical methods, while those peculiar deaths had urred without a warning.
It was just like the Grim Reapers scythe. Once the time hade, the scythe would appear around the yers neck and drag them off to the underworld.
Kieran took a couple of deep breaths to calm himself down.
He knew that panic and fear would do him no good. They would only make things worse and eventually make him fall into a whirlpool of despair.
Kieran already had some relevant experiences after all. This was not the first time he had felt threatened in his life.
Three years ago, when hed gone for his regr medical checkup, the discovery of his gic illness had thrown Kieran into despair. He could still taste the feeling on his tongue.
If Kieran had not had enough hope and expectations for his own life, he would have killed himself long ago.
However, back then, he had chosen to be strong, and he was going to do the same now. He didnt even need to give it a second thought.
He had a new goal for his life. He didnt just want to keep living. He wanted to lead a better life than before.
His chest wes burning with hope, and within mere fractions of a second the warmth in his heart spread throughout his whole body, getting rid of the biting cold.
"Well, its already better than it used to be, right?" Kieran thought to himself once he calmed down.
Then he messaged Lawless again.
...
2567: Is there really a way to log off the game?
2567: Like for real. A safe way.
(Kierans words emphasized how serious he was.)
Lawless: Yes!
Lawless: After you finish the 30th dungeon!
(Lawless affirmative answer made Kieran frown a little. He was so sure that there had to be someone who had done it before.)
2567: Has anyone done it before?
Lawless: Cornelia the Witch!
Lawless: A maniac. A scary woman.
Lawless: Remember what I told you before about the Legendary Skill book that sparked a full-scale war? That was that crazy womans doing!
2567: Then?
Lawless: Then that b*tch tricked every veteran there was back then, and killed almost a hundred yers with her bare hands!
Lawless: It was because of that incident that the numbers of yers that went through the beta stage was cut into half.
Lawless: Truth be told, when the system notified us that that woman was gone, everyone was relieved. Including me. Back then, no one dared opt for the team dungeon without a Team Contract, because everyone was scared of getting her on their team!
Lawless: Once you came into contact with her, it didnt matter if you were a friend or a foe. She killed everyone!
...
Lawless went into BS mode again and started to describe how scary Cornelia the Witch had been. Kieran just scanned through his words, not bothering to answer any of his crap.
"Theres still chance! As long as there is one, things can still work out!"
Kieran felt extremely relieved. If someone had really left the game for good, then so could he.
Even if it took him 30 dungeons to get free. It was still better than nothing.
"Cornelia the Witch, huh?" Kieran pronounced the name lightly. There was no special meaning to it. He only saw her as an opponent he needed to catch up with.
As he kept scanning through his chat with Lawless, he soon discovered another hidden message.
...
2567: To my knowledge, there were 3,000 beta yers back then, and only 1/3 of them were able to finish the newbie dungeon.
2567: Those who got ughtered by Cornelia the Witch must have been only half of the yers that remained. Seems like there was quite a number of yers who had decided to stay on!
Lawless: All thanks to that guy!
2567: Who?
Lawless: The one who hired us for this quest, the one that works for his client who wants to finish this dungeon, that evil businessman, Monien the Broker.
Lawless: I might not like him, but I gotta give it to him. He is smart. After he finished the newbie dungeon, he used the forums to notify the other surviving yers to be careful.
Lawless: Most of us believed him, but there were also exceptions. I am one of the ones who believed him and were lucky enough to survive. As a result, I now owe him a favour. Well, basically everyone who survived owes him a favor, I suppose.
Lawless: That prick really knows how to call in his favours, too. Not only did he gather the veterans and founded the secret bazaar, but he even got a hold of some rich kids and millionaires and started a Point Trading System for Union Coins, just to allow us poorer yers to survive within the game!
2567: What a guy!
(Kieran really meant it. Founding the secret bazaar and the Point Trading System was enough to impress him.)
Lawless: Yeah, he really is something! He was the only one who was able to acquire a Unique Title. How good could he possibly be?
2567: Unique Title?
(Kieran unconsciously looked at his character window. His title was Crocodile Hunter. It was in and without any ambiguous meaning. Obviously it was not a Unique Title. Kieran wanted to ask Lawless about his title, but once he realized that Lawless would start spilling a ton of BS again, he wisely chose not to mention it.)
Lawless: Unique Title, a title with a unique distinctive effect!
Lawless: In other words, if any yer acquires a Unique Title, other yers will not be able to acquire it anymore.
Lawless: There have been many yers trying to get a prestigious Unique Title, but no one has seeded yet.
Lawless: I can guarantee that there wont be another Unique Title yer in the foreseeable future!
2567: Are you sure about that?
Lawless: Of course! After all, The Witch and the Broker are not something you can just copy! Even my own Dragon Killer title is not a Unique Title. Those other yers should just forget about it!
...
It was all still good until Lawless began to boast again. Then Kieran had to roll his eyes.
He was sure Lawless crap would not just stop there. Just as Lawless was describing how he had killed the Burrow Dragon with the rocketuncher for the fifth time, the team chat started to ping, notifying them that someone else hade in.
Chapter 71: Venture In
Chapter 71: Venture In
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The sound was like a bus getting ready to drive off.
"Starbeck has joined the team!"
"No.1 has joined the team!"
"No.2 has joined the team!"
"Zywane has joined the team!"
The mechanical voice spoke again as four notifications popped up in the team chatroom.
"Starbeck wants to trade 10,000 Points. ept? Yes/No?"
"Yes!" Starbeck was obviously the big client that Broker had introduced. Kieran was not going to reject the deposit payment.
The client did not type anything. It was No.1 who spoke in his stead, acting as his representative to the other team members.
...
No.1: Can we enter the dungeon now?
Zywane: Hold up, I need to replenish some supplies!
Lawless: Same +1!
2567: Same +2!
No. 1: How long do you need?
Zywane: Another hour!
Lawless: Same +1!
2567: Same + 2!
Zywane: ...
No.1: Then we will enter the dungeon in exactly one hour. Hope that everyone can be on time.
...
The team chat had filled with strangersmunicating with each other before everyone went quiet again.
One hour for preparation was not considered long enough, especially when one had to prepare for entering a dungeon.
Kieran scanned all his remaining points.
[Points: 13,500, Skill Points: 1, Golden Attribute Points: 1, Golden Skill Points: 0]
Although he was low on Skill Points, his Points were sufficient for him to buy the supplies he needed and still have some extra left to do what he had not managed before, during the first dungeon. Back then, his points had been insufficient for him to use the [Basic Medicine Crafting tform].
Purchasing the grenades went smoothly. After spending 1,500 Points on them, he had gotten himself 5 [U-II] grenades. He spent another 300 Points and bought a set of [Shop Equipment], excluding the weapons.
Quality Bandages, a dagger and other basic equipment were also crucial for Kieran. When he was done shopping, he opened the [Basic Medicine Crafting tform Blueprint].
[8,000 Points to use the Basic Medicine Crafting tform Blueprint, Yes/No?]
[Prerequisites Met, Crafting Avable]
"Yes!"
After selecting yes, the blueprint in Kieran hands floated up and was burned to ashes.
Inside the lobby room, a corner of the steel garage started to take shape. It was like when the LED screen had first appeared. The floor changed and formed a table that looked like a tform with two mechanical arms sticking out of the wall. It seemed like something out of a scienceb.
[Name: Basic Medicine Crafting tform]
[Type: Automated tform]
[Rarity: Minted (Constant)]
[Attributes: Consumes 2 pieces of raw material within 1 hour, Able to create 1 piece of gauze bandage, 3% chance of creating a Quality Gauze Bandage.]
[Special Effects: None]
[Remarks: This is an automated crafting tform. All you need to do is to put enough alcohol and gauze, and you can create unlimited gauze bandages.]
"In the game [Shop], amon gauze bandage costs 5 Points, while a Quality Gauze Bandage costs 40 Points."
"Among the yers, the price drops to about 3 Points for themon one and 30-35 Points for the high quality one."
"In that case, considering that crafting 1 gauze bandage costs 2 Points, I can earn 1 Point in 1 hour, 24 Points in a day, 720 Points in a month and 8,640 Points in a year... If I take into ount the small chance of creating a Quality Gauze Bandage, I could earn about 10,000 Points in a year..."
Kieran calcted carefully using the information that he had. The time was real life time, though. The result was not disappointing, but it was still not good enough for Kieran.
Although he didnt have to worry about the cost, he still couldnt rely on the [Basic Medicine Crafting tform] to get rich. It was just not possible. The tform would at best help him out a little with his daily expenses.
"I suppose if I were to make a profit out of this deal, I would need to upgrade it to Medium Rank..."
Kieran opened up the upgrade option for the crafting tform.
[Basic Medicine Crafting tform Upgrade Requirements: Medium Medicine Crafting tform Blueprint, 10,000 Points]
"A Medium Rank Blueprint costs 10,000 Points."
The requirement did not exceed what Kieran had expected. The 10,000 Points were not a big deal for him. The problem was the Medium Rank Blueprint.
"I suppose I could ask Lawless where to find one!"
He did not contact Lawless right away, though. He knew he would also be preparing for entering the dungeon.
It was not really appropriate to ask for a favor at the moment, so all Kieran could do was double check all his belongings and make sure he wasnt missing anything.
One hour flew by very fast. He was already down to thest second of the preparation.
...
No.1: Everyone ready?
Lawless: Alright, lets go!
...
Lawless was the team leader representing the team as they entered the dungeon.
[Entering Team Dungeon]
[Authenticating Team Dungeon...]
[Number of yers: 6]
[Difficulty: Fourth Time Dungeon]
[Background: Alcatraz Prison has been experiencing some mysterious incidentstely. Your special expert team has been hired to solve the mysteries...]
[Main Mission: Solve the mysteries in the prison within 1 week.]
[Temporary Language Pack, Disappears upon exiting the dungeon.]
[Clothing, backpack, weapons, items, attributes remain unchanged. Temporarily different look, disappears upon exiting the dungeon.]
[Hint: This is your second real dungeon. You can fail the Main Mission, but you will have to pay 200 Points as a penalty, and your highest attributes will drop by 1. If your points are insufficient, the system will deduct from your equipment. If your equipment is insufficient, you will fail.]
...
The notification sounds rang out simultaneously. Kieran carefully went through all the content presented to him.
The fourth time dungeon difficulty was nothing surprising, but the background had been a little unexpected.
Terms like "mysteries" and "special expert" made Kieran think of paranormal activity or something along that line.
"Just as I expected. As the level of difficulty goes up, there will be enemies that cannot be defeated using normal methods. Its lucky that Im well-prepared!"
Kieran looked at his embedded gauntlet [Lightning Tigers Finger] in relief. The lightning power that had been fused into the gauntlet would provide him with some protection against the paranormal.
Lawless had also mentioned that he had encountered simr incidents before and dealt with them using a torch or taser, but then again that was Lawless words. Kieran did not buy his BS.
One thing was for sure, though. Fire and lightning could cause elemental damage strong enough to harm spirits and ghosts. It was quite simr to other games that Kieran had yed, so he needed no further rifications.
"Lets hope these ghosts and spirits can give me enough rewards!"
While he was clear on his own goals, he still kept reminding himself of them.
Suddenly, all the words and notifications disappeared, and Kieran was thrown into a weightless, blinding passage.
He had entered his first team dungeon.
Chapter 72: Ferry
Chapter 72: Ferry
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The salty sea breeze blew across the sea, the waves crashing one after the other. The ferry was carrying food, water and medicine as it cruised smoothly towards the ind.
Captain Ralph looked a little distracted as he stood in the cockpit of the ship, letting the first mate take over the wheel.
He kept looking at the room outside the cockpit from time to time. It had originally been the captains cabin, but he had surrendered it over to those men voluntarily. He knew exactly why those people were on the ferry.
Captain Ralph could not help but shiver every time he thought about it. Those people were on their way to the ind to solve the mysteries.
As a man making a living working at sea, Captain Ralph had witnessed countless incidents that could not be exined by science. As a result, he was afraid of certain things.
One of those things were people who dealt with mysteries.
...
"A ferry? Oh, Ive missed this kind of transportation!" said a hunky, bare-chested man sucking on a cigar. He was leaning against a backpack almost as tall as a man as heughed.
It was the first thing Kieran heard and saw when he regained his sight and bnce. He scanned every inch of the ce. The crashing waves and visible sshes of water through the small round window indicated that he was on a ship.
The people stuffed inside the average-sized room with him were his team members.
Except for the hunky man that had just spoken, the other four men had extremely distinct features. Although everyone had changed their expression in an effort to hide them, some features were impossible to hide.
Opposite Kieran sat a gorgeous, well-dressed young man with a pale face, maintaining a gentlemans pose.
Beside the young man stood two fully-armed hunky men, looking very serious and alert. Both of them were holding a shield half as tall as a man, which was the most eye-catching thing in the room.
The two of them were standing in front of the well-dressed young man, seemingly guarding him.
Their identities were a dead giveaway. The man in the gorgeous outfit had to be the client, Starbeck.
The other two had to be the ones speaking on Starbecks behalf, No.1 and No.2 respectively.
As for their identities? Their in nicknames and guarding stance said it all. They were bodyguards. Kieran could not think of a more suitable term to describe them.
Next to the three of them was a slim, but fit looking young man, though his face was pretty ordinary.
The slim young man noticed Kierans staring and replied with a generous, honest smile. However, Kieran could tell by his sharp gaze that there was more to him than met the eye. He was definitely not harmless.
"If this is not a special skill, then his Intuition must be at least D!"
Kieran had tried to avoid staring as much as possible, but the young man had still noticed him. If anything, that was proof enough that the man was something else.
He had to be stronger than the other three, even though the well-dressed young man had been more times inside a dungeon, and so had the two fully-armed men.
Who was Lawless, though?
Ruling out the group of three, Kieran turned his eyes to the hunky, bare-chested fellow with the cigar and the ordinary-looking young man.
This time, Kieran did not hide his staring. Everyone could tell that he was inspecting them.
Given Kierans understanding of Lawless, the man would definitely stand out from the others. It was just as he had expected.
Suddenly, the hunky fellow with the cigar stepped forward and looked at Kieran, a wide, generous smile forming on that rough face of his.
"I am the leader of this team, Lawless. This is my eighth dungeon. Are you 2567?"
"Um, yeah. This is my second dungeon." Kieran nodded with a smile.
It hadnt surprised him that the hunky fellow had turned out to be Lawless. As a matter of fact, when he had first spoken up, Kieran had been almost sure that he was Lawless. His "talking crap" attitude was too much like him.
"Hey, 2567! You look much younger than I imagined, and way stronger than I expected! cksmith kept saying that you are one lucky bastard! Lets hope that your evesting luck will be on our side, because its luck we need the most!"
The mans nagging confirmed Kierans guess.
The tall, hunky fellow with the rough face was indeed Lawless.
"Im Zywane, and this is my fourth time!" the honest-looking young man introduced himself when Lawless was done talking.
The other three introduced themselves as well.
"No.1, third time!"
"No. 2, second time!"
"Im Starbeck, and this will be my fifth dungeon in the game. Ill leave the rest to you."
When the well-dressed young man named Starbeck introduced himself, he stood up with his leg straight, his upper body slightly bent over at less than 20 degrees. It was a very uniform greeting, but it did not seem forced or fake. It really brought out the mans graceful posture.
His simple and seemingly casual manner betrayed his wealthy background once again.
"Starbeck, we are just men for hire. Theres no need for courtesy with us," Lawless said. It sounded like this was not the first time he had been hired by Starbeck.
"My, my, Ive used this manner my entire life. I guess I could not help it!" Starbeck shook his head with a bitterugh.
Lawless shrugged at his employers extreme courtesy.
Everyone had a different characteristic, and what they held on to was different too.
Lawless could not change Starbecks way of life. He had just been hired by him after all, so their rtionship was only that between an employer and an employee. Even if they had been friends though, Lawless would still not have disapproved of his friends lifestyle.
The team leader cleared his throat to get everyones attention before he asked, "So what do you guys think of this mission?"
Everyone turned serious as they thought of the mission description.
The term "mysteries" brought a sense of worry to both Kieran and the others.
"No.1, No. 2 and I are not able to deal with mysteries!" Starbeck came forward about his weakness.
"If its something with a real, physical body, I could use all my power to take care of it. But even if its some kind of spirit or ghost, I could still manage... Unless its some kind of vengeful spirit. That I could not handle!" Zywane did not hide his strength either. He reassured them about his ability to deal with the paranormal, but spared them the exact details.
"2567, what about you?" Lawless asked as he looked at Kieran.
"My abilities are bnced. Physical form or not, I can deal with anything as long as its not ridiculously powerful," Kieran also partially revealed his strength.
After all, he could trust no one in the room except Lawless. Plus, they had not told theplete truth either.
At least Starbeck had not. Considering his wealth and fortune, surely hed anticipated all sorts of situations when hed entered the dungeon. There was no way that he had not been prepared for this.
However, when Kieran only mentioned part of his strength, he did not just capture Lawless attention, but everyone elses too.
"I get why Broker rmended you, even though this is only your second dungeon. Your strength is not to be taken lightly!" Starbeck said in an admiring tone.
Zywane looked kind of shocked, but he did not question Kierans worth. He knew that the team had been put together by the Broker. The Brokers name alone was famous enough to captivate people.
Plus, there was also the fact that Lawless seemed to be quite familiar with Kieran too. Kierans reputation among the veterans convinced Zywane of his abilities.
He believed that Lawless would not befriend someone who would lie during a crucial meeting regarding a mission.
After everyone had briefly introduced themselves, Lawless spoke again.
"Given that this is a fourth time dungeon, as long as theres not some kind of special triggered Sub Mission, I can handle any monster, with or without a physical body, with ease!"
Lawless words sounded overconfident, but none of the others objected. He was entitled to that kind of confidence after clearing seven dungeons.
Kierans sharp Intuition picked up something after Lawless boasting. Starbeck had let out a sigh of relief, that pale face of his turning a healthier red.
"So Starbeck was only pale because he had been feeling afraid?" Kieran could not help but wonder.
He was quite surprised by his guess.
He would not dare specte without any solid proof though.
Compared to Starbecks relief, Zywane looked hyped up. It seemed like he would not be satisfied with only the Main Mission, and neither would Kieran.
Kieran hoped that he would get to meet another monster like the colossal crocodile Primus. Only such a monstrous beast would drop some valuable loot.
Lawless looked at Kieran and Zywanes excited expressions, andughed.
"Follow the temporary team rules, and dont expect me to look after you! Other than the Main Mission, I will only finish my own Sub Mission and take what belongs to me. The same applies to you guys. Its a give and take game!" Lawless reminded both young men seriously.
"This is the way it should be!" Kieran answered in a clear tone. He was not expecting any help from Lawless, and he did not want to owe anyone any favors either.
Favors were hard to repay. He had learned that a long time ago.
"No objections!" Zywane shrugged, agreeing to the proposition.
Lawless nodded in agreement and pointed outside.
"Very well. What we should do first is determine how strange these mysteries are!"
Although they were unable to see was what going on outside, they could clearly hear people speaking.
"The natives cannot understand my art of talking. Ill leave this mission to you guys!" Lawless looked annoyed as he turned to the others.
"It would be best for me to stay here," Starbeck said. Neither of the bodyguards said anything.
Excluding the trio, Kieran and Zywane were the only yers left.
Neither of them seemed about to budge. Kieran looked at Zywane, and Zywane looked right back at him.
After all, talking to the natives would not just provide them with information about the dungeon, but also potentially trigger a Sub Mission and raise ones rating at the end of the mission. Obviously, no one would want to pass on that, even if there was only a slim chance.
Just within mere fractions of a second, a sense of strong gunpowder had broken out in the captains cabin between the two of them.
Chapter 73: Competition
Chapter 73: Competition
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Zywane looked at Kieran with sharp, glowing eyes.
As time passed, his fighting intent and provocation got clearer and clearer.
That was why Kieran had been reluctant to join a team dungeon in the first ce. Once there was a conflict of interest, no matter how harmonious the group was, a fight would break out among the team members and things would get hard.
Kieran was sure that if it hadnt been for the Team Contract, Zywane would have already started a fight with him.
Of course, so would Kieran.
It was the strong that had the authority and the right to speak.
Survival of the fittest. Thew of the jungle.
Kieran had recently gotten a better grasp of thews of nature.
Lawless, Zywane and Starbeck all abode by thosews too. Every veteran yer in the game obeyed thews of nature.
Any yers who were unable to obey got eliminated from the game.
As long as there was aw or rule, even if thatw or rule was unwritten, it was still traceable.
At Zywanes provocation, Kieran turned and looked at Lawless, who acted as the team leader.
He was not just the team leader. He was also the strongest one among them, so he automatically had the authority and right to speak.
Zywane also looked at Lawless, waiting for his decision.
Despite the fact that Kieran seemed to have a closer rtionship with Lawless, Zywane still believed that Lawlesss decision would live up to his good reputation among the veterans.
"If two yers who were not in team ran into such a problem, they would fight to the death. A long-term team would have a vote, and a short-term team wouldpete to see who was stronger in terms of skill levels. We fall into the third category. Do you both want topete?" Lawless asked Kieran and Zywane straightforwardly.
It was not an impulsive decision on his part. The rule had already existed among the yers right from the beginning. Although there were three possible scenarios, the essence of those rules still followed thew of the jungle. It was survival of the fittest.
Kieran could sense the hidden meaning behind Lawless words. It came as no surprise to him, though.
"Yes!" he replied right away.
"Yes, of course!"
Kierans tone was short and light, while Zywane had replied brightly. Truth be told, Zywane sounded like he thought he had already won before they had even begun.
Kieran had been introduced by Broker, so he had to possess some formidable strength, but he was just a second-timer after all.
Even though he had stated that he could deal with monsters with or without a physical form, that still did not change the fact that this was only his second dungeon.
This was already Zywannes fourth time. The newbie dungeon plus three more dungeons of experience was not something Kierans newbie and first dungeon couldpete with.
Plus, Zywane had gotten an S rank clear rating in one of the three dungeons. It was the S rank rating that had boosted his power and eventually gotten Broker to notice him and recruit him for the team dungeon.
He thought that Kieran, who had also been chosen by the Broker, must have gotten an A rating at both the newbie and the first dungeon. Zywane had the utmost confidence that he could beat him.
The possibility that Kieran might have gotten a higher rating than A had never crossed his mind, not even for a second. Zywane knew better than anyone that it was extremely hard to achieve an S rating. One would have to have strength, courage, and luck. All three of them were necessary for someone to get where he was, and Zywane did not believe that Kieran had them.
Lawless exined the rules before thepetition started.
"Its apetition of skill levels. As long as two skills are within the same rank, the skill type can be anything. Its the rank that matters. The skill with the highest rank will be marked as double rankpared to the skill with the lowest rank. Shall we begin?"
Lawless looked at the super confident Zywane and then at Kierans nk face.
He knew perfectly well what Zywane was thinking. Had he not had a closermunication with Kieran, he would have thought the same, too. After all, that was the logical thing to think.
However, Lawless had had multiple trades with Kieran and had been there while Kieran had traded with others, so he knew very well what Kieran was capable of. He looked at Zywane with a sense of pity, but Zywane missed the sympathy in Lawlesss gaze.
Hispetitive spirit was burning hot inside his heart as Lawless initiated thepetition. He was impatient to bring up his first skill.
[Hand-to-hand Combat (Pro)]!
Zywane had opened up his skill window and made the skill visible to everyone. Then he turned and looked at Kieran with a smile, waiting for him to surrender.
[Hand-to-hand Combat (Pro)]!
Kieran replied with a smile of his own as he too opened up the skill window and made his [Hand-to-hand Combat] skill visible to everyone.
Zywanes smile became a little stiff when he saw his opponents skill. That Pro Level Skill had cost him half his S rank rating points from hisst mission. Zywane had thought that hed had the win in his pocket. He had not expected Kieran to have a Pro Level Skill as well.
Plus, it was the exact same skill.
How was that even possible? Shouldnt Kieran have been expanding his firearms skill?
Zywane looked at Kierans backpack, which was obviously full of guns.
The man was carrying around a big bag of firearms, yet he had the same [Hand-to-hand Combat] skill as Zywane. Zywane questioned the oue silently, but he knew the system was always right.
He looked at Kierans nk face in confusion before taking a deep breath and quickly opening up his second skill.
[Evading (Pro)]!
As a melee yer, [Evading] was a crucial skill for Zywane to level up. Given his Points and Skill Points, that was Zywanes second andst Pro Level Skill.
He looked at Kieran a little nervously. Deep down in his heart he hoped that Kieran had already yed his best card.
However, the very next moment, Zywanes hopes were shattered to pieces.
[Evading (Pro)]!
Kieran also brought up his second skill, which was the same skill as Zywanes once again. [Evading] Pro Level.
Without even waiting for Zywanes reaction, Kieran decided to solidify his position in the temporary team so he would not run into any more problems in the future. He brought up a third skill to the table.
[Firearm Weapon (Light Firearm)(Pro)]
As he looked at Kierans third Pro Level Skill, Zywanes face went totally pale. He could not even imagine how a second-timer like Kieran could have enough Points and Skill Points to level up all these skills.
Unless Kieran had cleared all his dungeons with an S rank rating or higher.
Suddenly, the way that Zywane was looking at Kieran changed. He had originally wanted to y hisst card, but he gave up that thought. He could not know whether Kieran had any other tricks up his sleeves.
If Zywane did y hisst card but still wasnt able to win thepetition, his losses would outweigh his gains.
After all, this was just the starting point of the dungeon. The probability of a Sub Mission triggering was extremely low, so it was not worth the fight.
"I surrender!"
Zywanes mind was full of different thoughts as he chose to surrender.
No one looked surprised by Kierans victory. Lawless knew a lot about Kieran, and Starbeck, as the employer, had also been informed of his strength after the Broker had introduced him to the team. Otherwise, he would not have paid double the original price to hire him.
In other words, it was only Zywane that had been kept in the dark. Luckily, he was too baffled by Kierans strength and his own messy thoughts to notice Lawless and Starbecks expression. Otherwise, he would have been extremely upset over it.
As soon as Zywane had surrendered, Kieran pushed open the cabin door and exited the cabin. He knew that he had already lost lots of time. If they dyed it any longer, they might have even reached their destination.
As for Zywane? Kieran acknowledged his strength, but he would notment on it any further. After all, they were still bound by the Team Contract. Zywane was only a short-term team member. After the dungeon, they would never cross each others path again.
...
"May I help you, sir? I am the captain of this ferry, Ralph."
As soon as Kieran had walked out of the cabin, Captain Ralph, who had been watching his old cabin, came over and introduced himself.
"Im 2567. Good day, captain!" Kieren also introduced himself, greeting the captain.
"Mr. 2567, please just call me Ralph!" the captain replied in an awkward, yet reverent manner.
Kieran could sense the reverence in the captains words and manner easily. His effect over the man had to be based on the identity that the dungeon had assigned to him.
He had been a refugee in the newbie dungeon, and a detective in the first dungeon, but this time he was a specialized expert.
Kieran had already gone over the dungeons background, but he still could not help but smirk. He had been assigned ridiculous identities in the previous dungeons, and this time had proved to be no different. At least his new identity gave him more of an advantage.
Although he had not acquired any memories like he had in the first dungeon, that still did not stop him from using his character identity to the fullest.
"Ralph, can you tell me more about the Alcatraz Prison? I want your side of the story, not the official one that glosses over everything," Kieran said.
"Of course!" Captain Ralph did not hesitate in granting Kierans request. He did not want to offend someone that could solve mysteries by telling him the stories almost everyone knew, or totally unrted information.
Ralph gathered his thoughts and started his story.
"For us, Alcatraz was a giant graveyard. Although there is now a prison on the ind, all the locals still remember the inds legend."
"A few hundred years ago, that ind belonged to a duke. Back then, it was famous for its variety of different fish and pearls. It was strangely flourishing, and the people living on it led good lives."
"However, nothingsts forever. After the duke married his wife, famine struck thend. The maind people thought the ind would have more food, so they sailed towards it. The duke was a charitable person, and he was willing to help them. However, his charitable nature was treated as weakness, and the duke and all the inders were killed by the outsiders."
"The dukes wife was tortured and raped by the raiders next to the dukes own dead body.Then out of the blue, the duke came back to life! He acted more violent than he had ever been. Controlled by his frenzy, he killed all the raiders and massacred anyone who dared set foot on his ind!"
"Thissted for about a hundred years, until suddenly the duke vanished. All that was left on the ind were countless bones and skeletons."
"Some of the dukes distant rtives inherited the ind. Their heir brought a couple hundred people to the ind in an effort to revive its glory days, but just as they arrived, everyone fell sick. Luckily, there was a priest among the group and he saved everyone."
"The priest exined to the heir that the dukes resentment was gone and his soul had been set free. However, the once flourishing Alcatraz had been vited by the dukes angry spirit and be uninhabitable. Anymon man that set foot on the ind was affected. If they wanted to live a peaceful life on the ind, the priest said that they had to protect themselves, so he taught them how to make a protective talisman."
"This is the talisman the first group of people who arrived on the ind made!"
While telling his story, Ralph opened his cor and revealed a piece of unfamiliar grass-knitted tasliman. It was only the size of a thumb.
"Can I have a look at it?" Kieran asked.
"Sure!" Ralph generously handed Kieran the talisman he was wearing.
Kierans eyes brightened up as he took it.
Chapter 74: Malicious Intent
Chapter 74: Malicious Intent
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
When Ralph handed Kieran the talisman, item notifications started popping up in his vision.
[Name: Knitted Tasliman]
[Type: Equipment]
[Rarity: Common]
[Attributes: When enemies in spirit form appear within a 5-meter radius, it will give you a warning.]
[Effects: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: This talisman was knitted by the nimble hands of a pure soul. Knitted with Mist Snake Grass under the first light of dawn, it is able to detect paranormal activity near the wearer. Please remember that it will only give you a warning. It will not help you defend yourself.]
...
The scariest thing about ghosts was the fact that they were formless and undetectable with the naked eye. Had they been visible, given the fact that fire and electricity could destroy them, they would not have been considered scary at all.
Although the [Knitted Talisman] could not allow Kieran to do that, it could still give him a warning whenever a ghost was present. For Kieran, that would be more than enough.
After all, unlike the rest of his team, he had a Pro Level [Tracking] Skill under his belt.
"You can faintly sense special beings living among us!"
That description had shown up when Kieran had leveled [Tracking] up to Pro. But what did "special beings" mean exactly?
Before Kieran had entered this dungeon, he had not been able to tell, but now he understood the meaning perfectly well. The term included ghosts, spirits and spectres.
However, the description of the [Tracking] skill had included the word "faintly" to remind Kieran that the skill had its limitations as well. However, adding the [Knitted Talisman] to the mix would greatly reduce those limitations.
At the very least, its warning signal would increase Kierans chances of sensing formless beings. He had to get his hands on that talisman.
That was the thought that bloomed in Kierans mind. After all, this was only a fourth dungeon and ghostly beings had already made an appearance, which meant that further down the road he might encounter even more of them. Although he might not be able to obtain some other equipment, the [Knitted Talisman] before him was something he had to have in his inventory.
"Would you sell this talisman to me? I can feel that it has the power to help me in my mission. I will offer you a good price for it," Kieranid out his thoughts honestly as he looked at Captain Ralph.
He would not resort to any dirty methods to obtain the talisman. He might have been dishonest about his reasons for wanting it, but he still had some principles that he lived by, which was why he had suggested to buy it from the man.
"What?" Captain Ralph had been caught off guard. He had not expected Kieran toe up with such a proposition. Unconsciously, Captain Ralphs face filled with doubt.
Although he respected Kieran and his team, that still did not mean that he would simply sell his heirloom talisman to Kieran.
As the man hesitated, Kieran brought out a tiny, fingernail-sized ruby.
It was a onlymon jewel from the Church of Dawn treasure, not something that could be embedded.
His loot from the Church of Dawn treasure consisted mostly of non-embedding jewels like this one. Kieran had brought some of them into the dungeon for his immediate expenses.
After all, in the dungeon that he had just been through, even the mostmon jewel had been worth a lot of money, and no one could guarantee that he would not be in need of money in this dungeon. The current situation was proof enough of that.
Captain Ralph was lost in his own thoughts when he suddenly saw the ruby. Its clear, red sparkle immediately wiped the troubled expression off his face.
He hated to part with his heirloom because he was still afraid of the paranormal, but he was a businessman in nature. After all, he was the only person to bring food and medicine from the maind to Alcatraz.
"It would be my pleasure to be of assistance to you!" Captain Ralph replied with a smile.
Kieran answered with a smile of his own and a fling of his finger. The ruby fell urately into Captain Ralphs coat pocket. The captain, who had just been paid, smiled with an additional sense of reverence.
The conversation had brought the two of them only 40 to 50 centimeters apart, but all it had taken was a simple fling of Kierans finger for the ruby tond urately. They hadnt even needed to touch each other. Captain Ralph had never witnessed anything like that before in his entire life, but he had heard some rumours. From time to time, the prison guards at Alcatraz would talk about someone there who was able to do something simr.
Before that person had been arrested and sent to Alcatraz, he had been an infamous thief. The reason such a petty criminal had been sent to Alcatraz was because he was too good at escaping from prison, and no other prison could hold him except Alcatraz.
At the thought that of one of the six passengers on his ferry had the skills of a master thief plus the skills to deal with the paranormal, Captain Ralphs heart fill with awe.
Kieran didnt know what Captain Ralph was thinking, but he was still in a good mood because he had been able to acquire such useful equipment at a fair price. It had all been worth it.
If he had sold the talisman to a yer, it would easily have earned him 3,000 to 5,000 Points, maybe even a couple of Skill Points too.
Kieran quickly put on the [Knitted Talisman] around his neck. He had lots of questions about its sudden appearance. Had it been a coincidence? Or had someone predicted that he would need it?
Kieran had no idea, but that still did not stop him from continuing to talk to the captain.
As a native, Captain Ralph was very familiar with Alcatraz, and Kieran wanted to win the mans favour before the ferry reached the ind dock. Kieran already knew a lot about Alcatraz and the stories about it.
Captain Ralph went back to the cockpit and took over cruising the ferry from the first mate. When the ferry reached the docks, Lawless, Zywane, Starbeck, and the two bodyguards came out of the cabin.
"You are indeed very lucky! Its just the beginning of the dungeon and you have already acquired a piece of equipment! Come on, shake my hand, pass me some of your good luck!"
Lawless extended his hand while he chewed on his cigar, but Kieran rolled his eyes and ignored him.
No one even asked what Kieran had acquired. It was one of the rules when it came to short-term teams.
"The situation on Alcatraz is quite clear now. It used to be and of myths and legends, but because of the governments policies, it has now be a prison for notorious criminals. An ind solely used for imprisonment... Something is definitely fishy here! Especially that dead duke. Maybe thats the mystery that we need to solve, or something about that younger heir or that priest. They also sound suspicious!" Lawless concluded, as the team leader.
Although it was only Kieran who had spoken to the captain, he had purposely not lowered his voice during the conversation. Their discussion definitely could not have escaped the ears of his team members inside the cabin. They all had a pretty sensitive sense of hearing after all. Everyone inside the cabin had heard Captain Ralphs stories about the ind.
"What should we do next?" Starbeck asked.
Kieran could see that his face had turned pale once again.
"Can he really be that much of a coward?" Kieran thought to himself.
"Well improvise, of course! We havent even met the person whos hired us to solve the mystery yet!" Lawless said with augh.
No one dared object to his proposition. He was making sense after all. Everyone just waited patiently.
"Gentlemen, we have reached the ind!"
Following Captain Ralphs loud call, the ferry docked firmly at Alcatraz. After the group was off the ship, Captain Ralph signaled for his sailors to unload the cargo.
Kieran and co. met the person who had invited them. It looked like it would be a pretty cold reception, judging by the mans cold, pale expression. The man was almost the same age as Captain Ralph, but he was much more well-dressed. He was wearing a ck suit and shiny leather shoes, and his brownish hair and beard were neatlybed. His gray, serious eyes made him look extremely strict and stiff.
When he opened his mouth, his strictness became even more obvious.
"Im the Deputy Warden of Alcatraz Prison, and my name is Swalker. I dont know how the prison management found you people, but I hope that you understand that this is not a ce where you can do as you please. You better watch out and follow the rules!"
After a simple introduction and a stern warning, the Deputy Warden signaled at a prison guard that had been waiting off to the side.
"Ill leave them to you for the rest of the week."
Then the man turned around and left the dock.
"What an arrogant, pushy fellow!" Lawless said with a click of his tongue.
"Deputy Warden Swalker is like this because of those recent incidents. His anxiety has gotten the better of him. Hes quite a nice person, actually. Good day, everyone! Im one of the prison guards. My name is Jack Ben, but just Jack will do!"
The appointed prison guard had walked over and exined the situation with his superior. He was in his thirties, and had an ordinary face and quite a friendly demeanor.
Suddenly, he changed his tone of voice became stricter.
"For the next week, Ill do my best to assist you with the case. However, Alcatraz is a special establishment, and I hope one of you could inform me before you conduct your investigations so l can let Deputy Warden Swalker know. Its for everyones safety. Trust me, this is not a joke to be taken lightly. Please bear this in mind," Jack emphasized once again.
"Very well. We understand," Kieran answered with a smile.
Lawless and Zywane remained quiet. They allowed Kieran to handle the liaison for the mission while Starbeck and his two bodyguards acted as if they did not even exist. They let the mercenaries deal with everything.
Obviously, when Lawless had said that he was not good at talking and the natives would not understand a word he said, he had not been lying. Zywane, on the other had, was bitter about losing to Kieran in thepetition and was allowing Kieran to do the talking for the time being.
"Please, everyone follow me!"
Kierans willingness to cooperate had earned him a smile from Jack, who immediately guided them out of the docks.
The distance from the docks to the prison was not too long. It was only about 300 meters.
The t line ofnd provided the guards on the prison wall with a clear line of shooting, as well as a clear view of the inside of the prison.
Kieran and his team entered through the big prison gate. There was a wide field inside, and the prisons main building stood in the middle of that field. The area was surrounded by walls, looking like it was embracing the building.
Up on the walls, there were over twenty patrol guards holding real guns with real bullets.
Kieran could even see two light machine guns. Security was very tight, but then again, everyone would have thought so upon seeing the prison.
The main building was three stories high and upied most of thepound. It did not have a front entrance. There were just two gates on the west and east side of the building.
The west side was tightly secured with guards holding guns, and the outside of the building did not have any windows. It was just a big wall of concrete.
The east side looked a lot nicer. It actually had windows, and a couple of them were even decorated with flower pots.
Jack led the group to the east side of the prison.
"This is the prison management control center, security monitor center, prison infirmary, storage area, and the sleeping quarters of the prison guards."
"This is where you will be staying for the next week. Its just beside the security monitor center."
"That is also the ce where I will be most of the time. Just drop by and ask for me if you need anything. You can go to the prison guard cafeteria for your daily meals."
"Since today is the first day of your visit, the Warden has ordered the chef to prepare a feast to celebrate your arrival. Im lucky enough to enjoy that meal with everyone!"
Jack continued his introduction about the ce as an anticipating smile formed on his young face.
The meal was what Jack had been looking forward to. After a while, Kieran and co. entered a room with a round table full of food.
Escargot, ox tail soup, grilledmb leg, grilled fish... There was even a whole grilled chicken and a basket of bread apanied by a bottle of red wine and other beverages.
"Wee to Alcatraz! It might not be a very weing ce, but it will have to do!"
Jack raised his winess, acting like he was the host and Kieran and his team were his honored guests.
Everyone else raised their sses too. Kieran was having juice instead of wine, and so were Zywane, No.1 and No.2. Only Lawless and Starbeck were having wine with Jack.
As Kieran moved the ss closer to his mouth, the orange juice emitted a strange fragrance that made its sweetness smell a little different.
As Kieran smelled the fragrance, his mind flooded with knowledge from his [Medical and Medicinal Knowledge] skill. Specifically, the part about poison.
"Stop! Dont drink it! Its poisoned!" Kieran quickly shouted at his team members.
Chapter 75: Gunshots
Chapter 75: Gunshots
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
At Kierans warning, the atmosphere in the room turned ice cold. The merry scene became chilly in an instant.
Everyone froze like a statue with their sses in their hands, not even making the slightest movement.
Starbeck threw his ss onto the table, his face turning extremely pale. He backed up a few steps as if he had stepped on a snake.
The bloody-red wine sshed onto the table and dripped onto the floor, the sound breaking the spell that hade over them.
"Impossible! I just got this from the kitchen!"
Jack looked at Kieran, and then at the ss in his hand. He did not dare drink it.
Unlike the prison guard, the rest of the team did not doubt Kierans words. They all believed him. Lawless, who had a good rtionship with him, Starbeck, who had hired him, evenpetitive Zywane did not question him.
They knew that Kieran would not lie in such a situation. A lie would have easily been detected.
"We can try it and find out, or get a specialist," Kieran said.
"Very well. I think the prison doctor, Dr. Fenkes, can provide a reasonable judgement."
It was clear that Jack still had his doubts. As soon as Kieran agreed, he walked out of the room.
"Such a weing party! Seems like someone is not happy about our arrival!" Lawlessughed coldly as he stared at his ss.
"Ill go check out the kitchen back there." Zywane stood up and left. This time Kieran did not challenge him, not because he had given up, but because he knew that Zywane would not be able to find anything.
If the culprit had been able to poison their wine so easily, then they must have been nning this for a long time and would definitely not have left any traces behind.
Zywane had been gone for about two minutes, when Jack entered the room with an elderly man. The man was wearing a doctors white coat and spectacles, and his bright white hair had beenbed back.
No introduction was needed. It was obvious that this was the prison doctor Jack had spoken of, Dr. Fenkes.
The elderly doctor did not greet them. He just went straight for the ss of red wine, picked it up, and smelled it carefully.
"This is chamaejasme grass. Its extremely poisonous," Dr. Fenkes said. "Who noticed it?"
It seemed that Jack had briefed the doctor on what had happened before hed brought him in.
"Me!" Kieran stood up.
"Have you studied medicine?"
The doctor looked at Kierans surprisingly young face and unconsciously pushed his spectacles up his nose to take a better look at him. He had not expected such a young man to be able to instantly recognize poisonous chamaejasme grass.
Dr. Fenkes was a doctor, but it still had taken him almost a full minute to identify the type of the poison.
"No, no, Im just-"
"Doctor! Doctor! Come quick, lots of people have been poisoned!"
Kierans exnation was cut off by an extremely anxious voiceing through the loudspeaker in the corridor.
"I could use your help. Theres many people that need help right now, and Im the only doctor around here!"
The old doctor looked at Kieran while thetter nodded in agreement.
"Yes, of course!"
Just as Dr. Fenkes voiced his request, a Sub Mission notification popped up in Kierans vision.
[Sub Mission Unlocked: Poison]
[Sub Mission: You have just set foot on Alcatraz when you are served a poisonous drink. It looks like you were not the culprits only target! Your ability to quickly recognize the poisonous beverage has made quite an impression on Dr. Fenkes, who has requested your help in treating the poison victims in the prison. The more patients you help, the more your reputation at Alcatraz will improve!]
"What are we waiting for then? Follow me!" The doctor stood up and walked outside at a speed that did not match his age. Kieran followed tightly behind him, and so did Jack.
Lawless, Starbeck, and the two bodyguards were left behind, staring at each other.
"Ive said it before, 2567 is extremely lucky! Of course, this is also about the reflection of his strength!"
As an eighth-timer, Lawless could easily guess why the elderly doctor had favored Kieran. It was just because Kieran had been able to recognize the poisonous drink.
Lawless also knew how Kieran had been able to recognize the chamaejasme grass poison.
[Medical and Medicinal Knowledge]!
"Its such a coincidence that he bought the [Basic Medicine Crafting tform] when the prerequisite skill was [Medical and Medicinal Knowledge]! How lucky!"
Lawless did not feel bitter over the lousy trade he had made with Kieran. He really was impressed by Kierans luck.
"No.1, when we get back to the lobby, contact Broker! Use all our resources to find a skill that can help differentiate between medicine and poison!" Starbeck ordered his bodyguard after the incident.
That poison could have killed him.
He could not even imagine what might have happened if Kieran had not warned them in time.
"This f*cking game!"
The elegant young man started cursing in a way that did not match his gentleman-like appearance.
...
Zywane was cursing as well.
After he had left the room where everyone was, he had gone straight to the kitchen, believing that he would find some clues there. Zywane thought that even if the culprit had been nning this for a long time, they would still have left a trace behind.
As he entered the kitchen to start his investigation though, he saw a prison guard who had been eating start to vomit white foam out of his mouth. Suddenly, the man fainted and fell to the ground.
Zywane tried to go up and check on him, but he was surrounded and pushed to the corner of the room by the other guards. They all pointed their guns at his head.
They seemed to have misunderstood the situation. Zywane wanted to exin, but no one was buying his story.
There were six pitch ck guns pointed at his head. Zywane was smart enough to raise his hands up and shut up.
Thats when he saw Kieran enter the kitchen with an elderly man.
Unlike Zywanes wee, Kieran seemed to be treated with respect by everyone.
When he helped revive a couple of fainted guards, the people began to show even more respect towards him.
Sh*t!
Zywane watched Kieran use his finger and press down on the poisoned guards tongues to make them vomit the remaining food in their stomachs. He waspletely astonished.
He also knew that simple first aid method, but he had not thought of using it before Kieran had gotten there. Regret flooded his heart. He knew that if he had been quicker to perform first aid, he would not have ended up with guns pointed at his head.
His regret grew as the seconds passed and Kieran kept saving the fainted guards before he looked through the kitchen and cafeteria.
After checking them both, Kieranid thest poisoned guard down on the floor. As he had expected, the culprit had not left any clues behind. There was no trail to follow.
Kieran noticed the [Sub Mission: Poison (Completed)] notification and turned back to the doctor.
"This is all I can do. The rest is up to you, doctor!"
He was not being modest. Although he had easilypleted the Sub Mission, that did not mean that he could alsoplete the next one just as easily. He might have poison-rted medicinal knowledge and know how to bandage wounds, but he still did not have any healing skills.
Leaving that part to the expert was the best option.
The emetic first aid he had administered was justmon sense. He had acquired that skill during his childhood as an orphan.
The old doctor nodded with a smile.
"You have done enough. I thought I might need to use emetics or pump their stomachs!"
Obviously Kieran had gained even more of the mans favor. The doctor stood up and told the other prison guards, "Lads, help yourrades to the infirmary. They will need be to observed for a while!"
The guards moved quickly, following the doctors orders. Suddenly, an enraged voice was heard.
"I warned you people that his was not a ce where you could just mess around! I told you to stick to the rules! Now look what youve done!"
The Deputy Warden rushed in with a red face, pointing at Kieran. He seemed to be holding him responsible.
"This man here just saved at least fifteen guards. He should not be getting scolded, Deputy Warden Swalker."
The doctor was about to leave the kitchen, but he stayed and stood up for Kieran. The other guards also frowned at their superior, fixing their eyes on the Deputy Warden.
Although it was only a fleeting expression on their faces, Kieran still caught it. The Deputy Warden was obviously not a crowd favourite.
Suddenly, the man showed exactly why he was not liked.
"You are just the prison doctor, Fenkes! I am the Deputy Warden here! You have no right to tell me what to do!" Swalker turned around and shouted at the old doctor.
"Then Sherko will tell you what to do!"
The old doctor seemed unfazed by the Deputys harsh words. He just pointed behind the Deputy, at the figure of a man approaching quickly.
"Sir Warden!" The Deputys rage dissipated by the sudden appearance of his superior.
He went silent as the old doctor turned to Kieran and smiled like a big child. Finally, the old man walked off, minding his own business.
"Swalker, I hope that you will reserve some respect for Fenkes! Not only because of your position, but also because of his age! He is old enough to be your father," an average-sized man with a stern face said in a strict tone.
"Yes, Warden." The Deputy seemed to mumble something, but that was the answer he gave in the end.
The man no longer wished to stayed there. Embarrassed, he nced at Kieran and Zywane before he turned around and left.
"Excuse him, I am the one who hired you. Im Alcatraz Prison Warden Sherko!" the man apologized on behalf of the deputy before introducing himself.
"Im 2567, and this is my colleague Zywane. There are four more of us staying in the room that you arranged for us. If it is not too much trouble, I would like to have you join us and brief us on the situation here."
Kieran once again represented his team inmunicating with the natives. Zywane remained quiet. Although he was unwilling to admit it, Kierans performance was a lot better than his.
"Of course!" the Warden said with a smile.
Bang!
Just as the Warden and Kieran were about to head to the teams room for the meeting, a gunshot was fired.
Then an abrupt, familiar scream was heard.
Chapter 76: Killing a Witness
Chapter 76: Killing a Witness
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
"Deputy Warden!"
The moment the scream was heard, Kieran could tell who was screaming in agony.
His body naturally moved towards the origin of the gunshots. He was like an arrow shooting through the bow, using his D- Agility to the fullest. Zywane quickly followed behind at a simr speed, looking like a horse let loose.
The guards and the Warden only started to move when the two of them were about ten meters ahead. Doubts formed in Kierans head while he was running.
"Something is not right!"
As Kieran recalled the series of incidents that had taken ce since theyd set foot on Alcatraz, his brows were knitted together tight.
From the poison in their wine, to the guards drinking it and the Deputy Warden getting shot, every single incident seemed like it had been arranged beforehand.
"Was the Deputy Warden the target after all?"
Out of the blue, spections bloomed in Kierans mind.
Meanwhile, he looked at the Deputy Warden, who was lying between the stairs of first and second floor.
The once arrogant Deputy had had his face ripped off by the bullets force. There was no sign of life on him whatsoever. They could only recognize him by his uniform.
The wall by the second floor stairs was bright with blood, and the bullet hole in it stood out like a target.
Other than that, there was no one around. As he looked at the blood and the bullet hole, Kieran tried toe up with any scenarios that could have led to the Deputy Wardens murder.
The sudden appearance of Warden Sherko had upset Deputy Warden Swalker, and he had left in a very angry mood. He had been walking up the stairs cursing, when he suddenly saw a man standing in front of him on the edge of the second floor stairs, pointing a gun at him.
Naturally, the Deputy had tried to scream, but the killer had fired his gun and shot Swalkers face off.
That had been the scream that everyone had heard from the kitchen.
"Did the killere from upstairs?" Kieran spected.
There were a lot of people living upstairs. After all, that was where the guards living quarters were. On the third floor was the infirmary and the office of the Warden and the Deputy. Lots of guards had been moved to the infirmary after the poisoning incident.
Unable to specte any further, Kieran activated his [Tracking].
His sight became extremely clear in an instant. It didnt take long for him to discover something.
The flight of stairs had footprints going up and down. They were as messy as an abstract painting, but a pattern could still be detected. All the footprints were connected after all. The owner of the footprints had gone up and down the stairs, and within them was a set of footprints that began abruptly, as if out of midair. It was very obvious by the pattern the footprints were forming.
Kieran went over to the spot where the footprints suddenly began, and he looked up. It was directly under the second floor stairway.
"After the killer fired the shot, he must have leapt over the handrail and jumped down."
"He would never have headed towards the crowded cafeteria, so he must have gone another way..."
"He wanted to create an alibi for not being on the second floor and remove all suspicion from his person!"
"However, that seemingly clever move turned out to be a foolish one!"
Kieran quickly ran up the second floor stairway, and inspected the handrail using his [Tracking]. There was an obvious trace of handprints on it. Kieran mumbled to himself.
Within an instant, the suspects had been narrowed down to a smaller area. Zywane had just arrived after him.
He saw Kieran staring at the stairway and noticed the blood stain and the bullet hole on the wall by the stairs. He instantly dashed towards the second floor.
Why was Kieran just standing there, not even bothering to move?
Although Zywane was curious, that was not enough of a reason for him to stop. What he wanted was to catch the killer.
Judging by his own experience, Zywane could guarantee that the incident before him would definitely trigger a Sub Mission.
If he couldplete the Sub Mission smoothly, his rating at the end of the dungeon would be even higher.
It was what every yer wanted.
As Zywane dashed out to the second floor, the Warden and the guards arrived at the scene.
"Swalker!"
When the Warden saw his Deputy Warden lying down in a pool of blood with his face ripped off, he could not help but scream out.
Rage took over the mans features as he quickly scanned his surroundings and shouted loudly at his men, "Get up there and find that bastard! Ill send him down to the water dungeon myself!"
"Yes, sir!" the prison guards answered in a uniform manner, sharing the same expression with the Warden.
Although the Deputy was their least favourite colleague, he had still been one of them, and he had been murdered on their turf. That was not something that they could just let slide.
The killer had to be found.
"Hold on!" Kieran stopped the prison guards before they could leave.
Ever since the Warden and his men had arrived, his eyes had been locked on a single person, a prison guard that had turned up on the siteter, after most of them had reached the scene.
"Whats wrong, Mr. 2567?" The Warden was looking at Kieran doubtfully.
The prison guards looked confused as well. Some of them who had a shorter temper could not hide their impatience. If Kieran had not helped them during the poisoning incident at the cafeteria and earned a good reputation among the guards, the hot-headed prison guards would have not minded treating him the way they had treated Zywane.
No one expected men that had to deal with vicious prisoners on a daily basis to have a good temper.
"I think youll need my help to find the killer," Kieran told the Warden.
"Youve found the culprit already? Please, tell us who that bastard is!" the Warden said strictly as he looked at Kieran in astonishment.
"I will." Kieran nodded.
Following his nod, a Sub Mission notification appeared in his vision again.
[Sub Mission Unlocked: Unexpected Killer]
[Sub Mission: The hateful Deputy Warden has been found murdered by the first floor staircase. Although he was not popr, he was still a member of the Alcatraz Prison Guard. The Warden would never allow such a thing to happen to his Deputy. You need to help the Warden find the killer!]
"The killer is... him!" Kieran pointed his finger at the target he had locked on right from the start.
The Warden and the guards looked in the direction Kieran was pointing at. It was a man in his fifties with a pale face, wearing a prison guard uniform.
"How can it be Old Tom?"
When everyone looked at the suspect Kieran had pointed out, they shook their heads in disbelief.
"You must be mistaken, Mr. 2567. Old Tom has been serving in the prison guard for over thirty years! He is a responsible person and the kindest man among the guards. How could it be him?" The Warden looked at Kieran, waiting for an exnation. So did Old Tom, who had been pointed out as a suspect by Kieran. The old mans eyes showed that he was not afraid.
"Why would you use me of such a horrible thing?" Old Tom asked.
His old, pale face had turned angry at the usation.
"Why?" Kieranughed lightly and pointed towards the stairway on the second floor as he went on, "You fired the shot from the second floor and leapt over the handrail, jumping down to the first floor and then ran towards the other side of the crowd. Your escape n was not as effective as you thought it would be, though."
"Hide yourself among the crowd was the best way, but you also should have remembered to wipe your handprints off the handrail on the second floor!"
"Even if you changed your clothes and shoes, detecting the gunpowder would not have been that hard!"
As Kieran went on, Old Toms face changed swiftly. By the time Kieran had finished talking, the old man looked uglier than ever.
"You bastard! Die!"
Old Tom pulled out a gun from his waist and pointed it at Kieran, ready to pulled the trigger.
Kieran was faster, though.
The [M1905] was already in his hand.
BANG!
The gunshot shot off Old Toms gun, fresh blood gushing out of his hand.
Still, Old Tom looked like he had not felt anything as he stared viciously at Kieran.
"It was Old Tom?" The surrounding guards seemed to be in shock. They could not believed what they had just witnessed.
"Tom, why?" Warden Sherko also found it inconceivable.
"Why? Becaus- Ugggh!"
Old Tom groaned coldly. He had been about to say something, when suddenly his body started twitching hard and white foam spilled out of his mouth and fell to the ground.
Chamaejasme grass!
The Warden and his guards were familiar with that particr scene. Everyone inhaled sharply.
Kieran rushed over and started to help Old Tom by performing emetic first aid. He was frowning hard.
Someone had just killed a witness.
That was the first thought blooming in his mind. The second one was that there were more aplices.
Chapter 77: Strange Things
Chapter 77: Strange Things
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
As the old doctor came out of his office, the Warden, who had been waiting for him on the third floor outside the infirmary, swarmed him questions.
"Dr. Fenkes, how is he?"
After Kieran had performed first aid to help Old Tom, they had rushed him to the infirmary and allowed Dr. Fenkes to perform emergency treatment on him.
"Hell live, but hes still out cold," the old doctor said, letting out a long breath.
As the only doctor at the prison, Dr. Fenkes knew that the odds of Old Tom surviving were not particrly good.
Death was Old Toms best option now, but that was not for him to decide. He was just a doctor after all. All he could do was carry out his duties to the fullest.
"Good, very good. As long as hes alive, its all good. If he dies, Ill have no way to locate his aplices!" Warden Sherko said with a vicious expression. Warden Sherko was not an idiot. The fact that he had be the Warden of the facility was proof enough of his intelligence. He had been the fastest to collect his thoughts and calm down during the incident, and the first to realize that the goal had been to kill a witness.
Not only had he immediately sent away the other prison guards, but he had also forbidden anyone other than Kieran and Zywane to approach the infirmary.
Kieran was clear on what Warden Sherko wanted to do. It was obvious that he was infuriated. After all, his Deputy had just been killed by one of his subordinates.
During the process of saving Old Tom, the Warden had mumbled words like "kill", "rip his neck off", and other things along that line.
Kieran was confident that even if Old Tom did not make it, Warden Sherko would still let the other guards believe that he was alive. It was the only way to lure out the other aplices, even if he had to lie about someones death.
The Warden had disyed unusual persistence and pride.
After he made sure that Old Tom was still alive, he turned around to thank Kieran for his help.
"Thank you for your help, Mr. 2567. It seems like I was right to hire you. Its probably the best choice I have made in a while."
"Its been our pleasure to work for you, Warden Sherko. Besides, Im more than willing to help you find the other aplices!" Kieran said with a courteous smile.
Of course, the smile and courtesy were not because of the Warden. Kieran was smiling because the Sub Mission he had been assigned had beenpleted smoothly. That was clearly not the end, though.
[Sub Mission: Unexpected Killer (Completed)]
After Kieran noticed that the Sub Mission had beenpleted, he waited patiently for the Wardens reply.
He believed that bypleting the first Sub Mission [Poison] and the most recent one [Unexpected Killer] he had earned enough of the Wardens trust.
Yes, everything was as Kieran had anticipated. After giving his words some thought, Warden Sherko nodded in approval.
"Ill be really d to have your help on this matter, 2567! I hope that you can diffuse the situation in the prison quickly, just like you solved Old Toms case here," he said.
[Sub Mission Unlocked: Secret Aplices]
[Sub Mission: Old Tom was not alone in this. There is someone more vicious and cunning behind him. Find the culprit!]
As Warden Sherko spoke, a Sub Mission notification popped up in Kierans vision again.
Kieran replied with a smile. His smile looked really bright and dazzling to Zywane, who was standing off to the side, observing the situation.
When Zywane had dashed up to the second floor earlier, he had ended up looking like a naive fool. Obviously, there must have been something going on for Kieran to be just standing there, but Zywanes anxiousness had made him miss the opportunity.
"Damn it!"
Zywane had encountered several bumps along the mission after meeting Kieran. His irritation got the best of him, and he gazed at Kieran with an unfriendly expression.
Kierans D+ Intuition had picked up Zywanes unfriendly gaze. He did not give a damn about it, though.
Given the binding of the Team Contract, unless Zywane had a death wish, he would not try to do Kieran any harm.
Their rtionship was not important enough for Zywane to lose his life over it.
Kieran turned his attention away from Zywane and back to the Warden, reminding him to borate on the situation.
"Could you exin the whole situation around the prison to me and my colleagues downstairs?"
"You dont represent them all?" the Warden looked at Kieran in surprise.
"We all have our own specialty and we work together as a team, not individually," Kieran exined.
"Very well, go back to the room and wait for me. Ill be there in a moment," the Warden said with a nod.
"As you wish." Kieran kept smiling as he parted ways with the Warden and headed downstairs, scanning the corridor of the third floor as he passed.
The corridor that led the to west side of the third floor was split in half by two big iron fences. The east side was where the guards lived, and the west side was where the prisoners were held.
The guards there were armed, and guarded the area in shifts of two.
On the corridors wall were security cameras. There was no camera blind zone on the whole floor. Everything was being recorded. At least that was the arrangement on the third floor. The first and second floor were only divided by a concrete wall. There was no iron fence.
That must have been why Old Tom and his aplices had chosen to lure the Deputy Warden out, and not kill him in his office on the third floor.
If anything had happened on the third floor, the culprit would not have escaped. Even if they had been able to silently assassinate the Deputy Warden, the security cameras would still have recorded everything.
It would all have been revealed after a short investigation.
As soon as Kieran answered one of the questions in his head, another one popped up.
Why was the prison been built that way?
The floor that held the Warden and Deputy Wardens office along with the infirmary had a passage that led to where the prisoners were held. It seemed extremely odd to Kieran.
From his point of view, a concrete wall would have been a lot safer than a fence.
Another thing that was troubling him was the Wardens attitude. Kieran and his team had been hired by the prison to solve the mysteries taking ce there, but judging by the Wardens attitude back there, the mysteries must not have been as urgent as they sounded.
The Warden seemed to care less about solving the mysteries and more about protecting his pride.
Truth be told, the Warden has disyed such an attitude right from the beginning.
He had arranged for the Deputy to wee Kieran and his team at the docks, and the wee feast had been coordinated by amon prison guard. If it was not for the poisoning incident, Kieran thought the Warden would never even have showed up.
"Interesting." Kieran smirked as he walked down the stairs slowly.
...
"2567, youre really lucky! Come give me a hug and share some of your luck!"
When Kieran returned to the room where his team members were, he was warmly weed. Lawless opened his arms wide to give him hug.
Kieran dodged his iing affection with ease.
"It was just a coincidence," he replied.
Lawless knew everything that had happened following the poisoning in the cafeteria. Jack the prison guard must have told him. Kieran could not think of anyone else that could have.
"You also need to have strength and luck for coincidences to ur! So any new discoveries?" Lawless asked seriously when he stopped joking.
"I have nothing," Zywane replied before hey down on a bed, not saying anything else.
Lawless was not concerned about him. He was more fond of Kieran than him, anyway.
Zywane was all well and good, butpared to Kieran, who had been able to acquire two [Tekken-II] rocketunchers in the newbie dungeon and ten pieces of jewels in the first dungeon, the gap of strength and luck between them was very wide.
"Theres something off about the Warden," Kieran stated his discovery.
Any information about the Main Mission had to be shared with the team. There was nothing to hide.
"Hmm..." Lawless touched his chin, appearing to be in deep thought.
"Anything?" Kieran asked in anticipation as he saw Lawless pondering expression.
Lawless had survived through seven dungeons, so Kieran was not going to underestimate him. He could not evenpete with his strength and experience.
He knew Lawless might be able to catch any details that he had missed.
"Absolutely not! Im not good at analysing. Its only during a battle that I can fully use my power!" Lawless answered seriously.
Kieran looked as if lightning had struck him before he rolled his eyes at Lawless.
Even Zywane, who had been pretending to take a nap on the bed, and Starbeck and co. had frozen for a while. The answer had caught everyone off guard.
"Ill leave such troublesome things to you, 2567! When the monsterse out, leave it to me! We have to work as a team, right?" Lawless said as heughed out loud.
Hisughter quickly faded away as suddenly Kierans ears picked up a series of footsteps approaching their room. It was the Warden.
An overdue knock sounded on their door.
Chapter 78: Gilfren Hatch
Chapter 78: Gilfren Hatch
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
"Wee to Alcatraz, everyone. Im Warden Sherko."
When he entered the room, the Warden weed everyone like a host would their guests.
Unlike the cold, arrogant Deputy Wardens wee, the Warden was smiling a lot. However, his smile did not look sincere. It felt like just a show that he had to put on.
His tone became more official as he started telling them more.
"Alcatraz is not big, and I am responsible for a lot of things around there, so I could not receive you when you first arrived. I am really sorry about that."
"Especially after this recent incident. My anxiousness really got the best of me."
Warden Sherko opened his speech with an apology before he started to exin why he had hired Kieran and his team and invited them to the ind.
"Everything started a month ago. I believe Gilfren Hatch is a familiar name to all of you. He was the leader of the infamous Hatch Heresy, a sadistic psychopath with a personality disorder, who caused the suicide of over a hundred people."
"When he was captured, he was transferred to Alcatraz."
"The prisoners of Alcatraz are basically criminals that no other prison can keep locked. We are talking about vicious, satanic criminals, or criminals who possess a unique set of skills. Alcatraz is the only ce that can hold those prisoners in."
The Wardens face expressed a sense of pride as he talked about his institution. That feeling looked a lot more sincere than the smile he had given them earlier.
The Warden continued, "That was also true for Gilfren Hatch. He was transferred here about a year ago, and was held in an istion cell. His abilities to seduce people with his poisonous mind were renderedpletely useless."
"As a result, he fell into despair and eventually took his own life... Or at least, thats what we thought."
Warden Sherko paused a little.
"What happened then?" Kieran asked, representing the team after his deal with Lawless.
"Suicides. Mass suicides. One after the other, prisoners took their own lives. Although there had previously been cases of prisoners who could not go on anymore and had chosen this path, it was not as frequent after Gilfren Hatch died. Within one month, six other prisoners died in their own cells!"
"That, inbination with the local Alcatraz legend, caused some bad rumours to start circting around the prison."
"That was the reason I hired you."
The Warden raised his head and looked at everyone in the room, eventually fixing his eyes on Kieran.
"Mr. 2567 here has proven his abilities to be useful, and I hope that everyone else in this room possesses the same abilities that he does. Jack here will be your guide and liaison for the next week."
The Warden stood up, preparing to leave the room.
"Sir Warden, can we visit the cells of the prisoners whomitted suicide? And the prisoners files, well need to see those as well," Kieran said.
The Warden nodded. "Of course. Ill give most of my authority to Jack here. If theres something that Jack cannot do for you, you can contact me through him."
"Thank you very much. Well solve this as soon as possible," Kieran answered.
His answer seemed to satisfy the Warden. There was a smile on his face again as he left the room swiftly.
When his footsteps could no longer be heard, Lawless started to mimic his manner of speech and mock his words.
"What did he mean by I hope that everyone else in this room possesses the same abilities that 2567 does? This guy is brushing us off! He wants to drive a wedge between us! Did he just hire us to cover everything up and put on a show for people?" Lawless said as he munched on his cigar, taking a deep puff and blowing out a giant ring of smoke.
He looked at Kieran, who had been in deep thought ever since the Warden had left.
"2567, what do you think?" Lawless asked.
"Gilfren Hatch, the leader of the Hatch Heresy. Even if the Warden is really brushing us off and using us as a cover-up, the things he said would still have to be true. Prisoners really did die one after the other after Gilfren Hatchs suicide. If that was a month ago, the clues left behind must have already faded away. Still, if we were to start investigating, that would have to be our starting point!" Kieran said.
"Ill stay back and protect our employer." Lawless nodded, agreeing with Kierans statement and setting his own mission.
"Ill stay back too and get some rest," Zywane, who had been pretending to be asleep on the bed, said as well.
"Good luck," Starbeck wished Kieran in a friendly tone.
Kieran nodded before he turned around and left the room.
Three of his team members had apletely different attitude than him, but no one could me them.
Lawlesss duty was to protect Starbeck.
Although Kieran did not know how much Broker had paid Lawless for his services, he was sure that his sry had definitely been higher than his. At the very least, it would have been reflective of his seven cleared dungeons.
If that was not the case, then Lawless, who had previously advised him "to fully explore all the Sub Missions in every dungeon", would not have been sitting around casually doing nothing.
Starbeck wanted to be protected. His only goal was to clear the dungeon safely. Therefore, staying at one ce seemed like the best choice for him.
No.1 and No.2 would just follow their employers orders.
Zywane was not nning on resting there for long. He was just waiting for Kieran to go off so he could head off to a different site to perform his own investigation.
Kieran knew it in his gut, but he could not care less.
It was his right to fully explore all the Sub Missions in the dungeon. Kieran was not so dominating as to im all the Sub Missions for himself.
...
After he left the room, Kieran headed towards the Security Monitor Center. Jack, who had been sitting at his post, stood up.
"Is there anything I can help you with, Mr. 2567?"
It seemed that after the Wardens personal orders, Jack had be a lot more polite to Kieran and had be familiar with his odd code name.
"I need to go over to the heresy leaders cell to investigate. If its possible, I would like to go there through the third floor," Kieran voiced his strange request.
"The third floor? Yes, of course!" Jack seemed a little startled by the request, but he acknowledged it without protesting. Then he asked, "Whats so special about that ce?"
"The buildings first and second floor are divided by a concrete wall, but only the third floor has a passageway," Kieran answered his question without getting straight to the point.
"It was for the Wardens convenience, so he could inspect the prisoners easier. The Warden likes to enter the cell area as hees out of his office. Of course, anyone else can use that passageway as well, as long as he is not a prisoner!" Jack exined, adding a joke at the end.
The two of them went up the stairs.
"Does that mean that the passageway was purposely left behind?" Kieran asked, squinting his eyes.
"The passageway was carved two years after the Warden got promoted. Truth be told, it has been really convenient for us all. Some of us have even made a habit out of this. We ess the cell area through the passage rather than outside, from the west side of the building," Jack said.
The Warden had ordered the passage to be carved out? Just for conveniences sake? Question marks started popping in Kierans mind, but he did not press the matter any further.
He raised his head and looked ahead as the third floor stairway appeared before him
He had his reasons for choosing to go that way rather than trying a new experience.
Chapter 79: The Prisoner’s Cell
Chapter 79: The Prisoners Cell
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Old Tom was unconscious in the infirmary on the third floor. The passageway that led to the cells was also on the third floor.
These two reasons were enough for Kieran to want to visit the third floor again and Jack apanied him there.
He would have preferred to go alone, but once he thought about the cameras in the corridors, he frowned.
Even with his Pro Level [Undercover] Skill, he still would not have been able to move freely. He was not invisible after all.
The arrangement of the guards had been changed as well, because the Warden wanted to catch Old Toms aplices.
Two guards were standing there without the slightest hint of a smile on their faces. They inspected everyone that set foot on the third floor, hoping to catch the culprits.
Looking at the new arrangement, Kieran shook his head in silent disagreement. He doubted that this method would lead to the arrest of Old Toms aplices.
Not the very men who had caused all that chaos back there and seeded in luring the Deputy Warden out and killing him. Those men were nothing if not vignt.
Even if they knew that Old Tom was still alive, they would not just show up there without a reason.
The presence of the two guards at the entrance didnt matter at all. Kieran, who had only visited the third floor once, still remembered all the security there, let alone the culprits, who had carefully nned how to lure the Deputy Warden out and kill him.
They would definitely use a different way to approach Old Tom. Kieran was sure of it. Even if it was for their own safety, or just to make sure that Old Tom would protect their secret against the Wardens interrogation methods.
Kieran leaned more towards thetter. If the aplices had decided to kill off Old Tom, why would he choose to protect them once he realized hed been betrayed?
If Kieran had been in Old Toms ce and hed been betrayed by his own aplices, he would have dragged them down to hell with him.
As for the extreme, merciless interrogation methods of the Warden, Kieran believed he would use them. The Warden had been holding himself back, but his sense of blood was not fooling Kierans senses.
After two times in a dungeon and enough bloody scenes, Kieran had already familiarized himself with the smell of blood and had a sharp nose for it. It had almost be a second instinct to him.
"What method will they use? Create more chaos to divert everyones attention? No, it wouldnt work. After thest incident, everyone has been on high alert, and the two guards by the entrance must have definitely been ordered by the Warden not to leave their post, no matter what. Even if they could sessfully get rid of the guards though, the cameras would still record them!"
Kieran could not think of any way for someone to sneak into the third floor unnoticed. No matter the method he tried to entertain, anyone would eventually get caught.
Unless it was someone who could be invisible, or some kind of ghost killer. But how was that even possible?
Kieran dismissed his thoughts without confirming his spections.
The [Knitted Talisman] caused even more doubts to form inside his mind.
Without any more proof to back up his spections, he was stuck in a void. He took a long, deep breath before another thought popped up into his mind.
It was about the Warden.
"The Warden is definitely not stupid. He has to know that he will never catch the aplices with that new measure. Yet, he still ordered it, because... He does not need to do anything! All he has to do is wait for Old Tom to regain his consciousness and then the truth will be revealed!"
"So Old Toms aplices only have two options, either run or surrender! The Warden is forcing them to make a choice, and neither choice will have a good oue for them!"
There would be no need for words if the aplices were caught by the Warden. It would not be possible for them to make amends with the Warden.
As for escaping? If the Warden had already taken such a measure, then he would definitely have taken countermeasures as well.
Kieran realized that a big was closing up around Old Toms aplices.
"Then how will I be able toplete my Sub Mission?" Kieran thought to himself as he walked.
The Sub Mission [Hidden Aplices]s goal was to find out who Old Toms aplices were, but if the Warden discovered them himself, Kieran would fail.
Failing a Sub Mission would not just affect the dungeon rating, but it would also affect the NPCs fondness of him.
Kieran did not care much about the Wardens fondness of him.
His main concern was the final rating of the dungeon, which was rted to the Points and Skill Points he would get rewarded.
As he thought about what his next move should be, he realized he had already reached the iron fences.
With Jack on his side, Kieran passed through the armed guards with ease. They barely even bothered with them. All they did was simply scan them over.
Kieran was carrying a big backpack, but they did not check it. The security was loose to non-existent. It definitely was not as tight as it looked.
Kieran quickly scanned over the two guards, who were cking. If anything were to happen, what use could these two be of? Would they scream to alert everyone?
"The guards over here are considered the luckiest in Alcatraz. Truth be told, even if they were not here, nothing would have happened. Everyone wants this position, but you need to be extremely lucky to get picked. Every year, six lucky winners are picked to routinely guard this particr area. Its an easy job, plus they get an extra allowance! Really lucky, right?" Jack started exining to Kieran after they passed through the iron fence.
Kieran replied with a smile.
ording to Jack, this was the position everyone wanted, but he had not been lucky enough to get picked for it himself.
Kieran was more concerned about the other thing Jack had mentioned.
"Jack, you said that even if there were no guards here, it would still be okay?" Kieran asked.
"Of course. This is Alcatraz, the worlds most cruel and tightly-guarded prison!" Jack said as he pointed at a ce not far away. Kieran looked in the direction Jack was pointing at.
It was apletely isted cell room. The lights in the corridor shed a little light on the side of the cell. A row of heavy steel doors had been installed on the wall, the lock on them the size of a palm.
The distance between each steel door was three meters, and every door had a 20-by-10 valve that could only be opened from the outside.
"These two gates are used for watching the prisoners and delivering food to them. The prisoners only get one meal per day and trust me, even a girl on a diet would be surprised by how small the amount of food they get is!"
"The ce is not air-vented. Theyre only allowed toe out for a bath once a week. Thats their only chance to leave their cell. Other than that, theyre in their cells 24 hours a day!" Jack said as he walked Kieran to the end of the third floor corridor, where even the lights did not shine through.
"This is Gilfren Hatchs cell. Its the worst cell in Alcatraz. I hope you can tolerate the smell. We tried really hard to clean it up, but the smell was too strong!"
Jack opened the door of the cell with a key. Just as hed said, the foul stench assaulted Kierans senses right away. Kieran could not help but frown.
It was pitch dark inside. If it were not for his D+ Rank Intuition and his exceptional vision, he would not have been able to see.
There was a toilet bowl and a broken mat. No lights or furniture. That was everything there was inside the cell.
Jack covered his nose and switched on the shlight. He walked in first, and Kieran followed him.
"Its really living up to its name!"
As the foul stench got even stronger, Kieran activated his [Tracking].
The room turned a blood-red color, appearing in an orderly manner before Kierans eyes.
What was that? Kieran could not help but widen his eyes.
Chapter 80: Unexpected Discovery
Chapter 80: Unexpected Discovery
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Words...
No. To be precise, there was abination of symbols and pictures before Kieran.
The blood formed two big circles, one inside the other, an inner one and an outer one. In the middle, there was an abstract drawing that looked like a scorpion.
Kieran was notpletely sure that it was a scorpion. As a matter of fact, he could not even tell if it was a real symbol or picture that was formed by the blood stain.
As for the words?
Kieran had never seen any words like these before. At least not that he knew of.
"What are these?"
Kieran looked at the gap between the two big circles. There were even more symbols there.
The line started with a pentagram and ended with an upside down pentagram. By Kierans calctions, there were about 41 of them.
It wasnt that Kieran couldnt be bothered to count them precisely. It was just that the symbols were too alien andplicated, and he could not tell whether they were mixed together forming one meaning, or if they werebinations of two forming separate meanings.
Kieran squatted down on the floor and looked at the symbols over and over again.
He was trying to find a pattern within them.
Ten minutester, he was still baffled by the unorganized, alien symbols. He could not help but frown. He had nothing.
Dealing with something that one waspletely unfamiliar with and trying to draw a conclusion was extremely hard. It was definitely not something one could achieve in ten minutes. It was tooplicated.
Kieran sighed and stood up, turning around and looking at his surroundings, hoping for more clues. There was nothing.
"Any discoveries, Mr. 2567?" Jack asked as soon as Kieran stood up.
He had stayed beside him all along, holding the shlight as he covered his nose.
"A few. How did Gilfren Hatch die?" Kieran did not go into detail about his findings. Instead, he asked about the circumstances of the previous tenants death.
"Gilfren Hatch was a psychopath. Can you believe he bit his own wrist and bled to death? I have worked here for almost 10 years, and Ive seen a lot of crazy and vicious men, but he was the only one that went that far!"
As Jack talked about Gilfren Hatch, his face looked full of fear. He seemed terrified by the scene he had witnessed.
"Is there anything else you know about him? What did he have on him when he was arrested?" Kieran continued.
"I do not know anything else about this man, other than the fact that he was aplete psychopath that made over a hundred peoplemit suicide. If I could, Id rather not know that either. It was too creepy. Hatch was not arrested, anyway. He turned himself in!" Jack said with a shiver.
Kieran was shocked by Jacks words.
"Thats right, he was like a rat. He could move through the darkness easily. The police could not get their hands on him. If he hadnt surrendered, I think he might still be roaming the streets freely. The official announcement stated that he was arrested, but it was not the truth!" Jack said with a shrug. It was not something anyone would brag about.
"Did he have anything with him when he turned himself in? Any books or notes?"
Kiera had still did not given up on the idea. The symbols and pictures had picked his interest and he wanted to find out what they meant.
Normally, information and knowledge were kept in books. In Gilfren Hatchs case, he might have been carrying something rted to those symbols.
"No. When he surrenderedst year, he walked into the police station empty-handed. He was only wearing his clothes, he didnt even have a wallet," Jack replied as he tried to recall the incident. His answer disappointed Kieran.
"Do you need me to double-check for you?" Jack asked.
"No need, thank you. Lets head to the cells of the other six prisoners," Kieran shook his head, urging Jack to continue their investigation.
He did not think Jack would lie to him about this particr case.
Nevertheless, when Gilfren Hatch had turned himself in, the books or notes holding the key to those symbols might have fallen into other peoples hands.
The dungeon had categorized Kieran and his team as special experts, so it would note as a surprise to him if other experts existed as well.
Any expert would have been very interested in the notes or books containing the story behind the leader of the Hatch Heresy, the very man that had made over a hundred people kill themselves. From a normal persons point of view, Gilfren Hatch was nothing more than a sadistic psychopath.
Two of the prisoners that hadmitted suicide had been kept on the third floor, three on the second floor, and one on the first floor. The first and second floor had surveince cameras as well, but they were not as many as on the third floor.
There was nothing in the first five cells and Kieran continued to the sixth and final cell.
Compared to the cell where Gilfren Hatch had been kept, the other six were a lot better. At least for cell rooms. They certainly could not bepared to hotel rooms. The best Alcatraz had to offer did not evene close to a hotel bathroom.
Even the best cell in Alcatraz had nothing more than amp on the ceiling, a steel bed, and a cover on the toilet bowl. No window, and no washing basin.
"The first floor is for the criminals that have been the most honest and well-behaved. They are allowed to read books sometimes, but not that often," Jack said as he guided Kieran around the ce.
"Hope they didnt get any ideas about freedom from books," Kieran said as he activated his [Tracking] again.
"Lets hope so, but it was what they deserved anyway," Jack said with a smile. He did not feel any mercy for the prisoners, and neither did Kieran.
Thanks to Jack, Kieran had a general understanding of the prisoners there. Even the one that were considered well-behaved had robbed three banks and killed a dozen innocent people. The cell they were currently in belonged to that particr prisoner.
In other words, the prisoners in Alcatraz hadmitted every conceivable despicable crime to ever exist. Even the pettiest Alcatraz inmate could be executed over ten times in a Union prison.
As for being frame for their crimes?
Inmates in other prisons might have possibly gotten framed, but not the prisoners in Alcatraz. Definitely not.
Every single one of the men locked up in Alcatraz had had solid proof against them. That was what Jack had said at least, but Kieran still had his doubts.
He activated his [Tracking], just like he had the previous five times, and carefully scanned over the prison cell.
Everything would be revealed to him. No trace or trail would escape his eyes.
Yet there was still nothing.
The cell before them was very clean. Nothing had been left behind. Even under the bed, behind the toilet bowl, or in the gap behind the door. Kieran searched every tiny gap that could hide anything, but he still found nothing.
He was not even sure if the prisoners had not left any clues behind, or if the clues had been wiped clean. He was leaning towards thetter.
Jack had ranted more than once about the trouble of cleaning the cells.
"Its too clean!" Kieran sighed.
Considering that the attitude of the prison guards toward the prisoners, it should not have been that clean.
"It should be! Its the Warden himself who cleans every cell first, and then we do a follow-up cleaning. Then the Warden inspects the cell one final time. Some of the guys who were sloppy on cleaning duty were scolded pretty hard by the Warden!" Jack said with a helpless expression.
"The Warden cleans the cells himself?" Kieran was shocked once again. He would not have expected it from the Warden. He had thought him to be much more proud than that.
"Yeah. Those prisoners might be sh*t, but this is our turf. I dont want us to be as filthy as those sh*ts! Thats what the Warden says," Jack said.
"That sounds like him." Kieran nodded as he walked out of the cell.
Although thats what he said out loud, he was now even more suspicious of the Warden.
It would be useless to investigate any more without any further clues, though. Lingering around would do him no good.
Why not return to the guest room and ask Lawless about the symbols instead? Maybe throughout the seven dungeons he had cleared he hade across something rted to that mystery, or made some new discovery.
After Kieran walked out of the cell, he did not go back to the third floor to return to the east side. He was about to walk towards the west side and head back through the entrance to the east side, but before he could take a step, the west side prison gate opened and a team of five fully-armed men entered.
They unlocked the cells and brought the prisoners out.
Every single one of the prisoners had a dirty face and dishevelled hair. They all reeked of a rotten smell. They were holding a small, well-folded piece of towel in their hands, but there was no soap or washing bucket in sight.
"Bathtime?"
Kieran realized something as he witnessed the scene. Jack had mentioned that once a week the prisoners had a chance to go out out of their cells and take a bath.
"Today is bathing day!" Jack had also just realized what day it was. He walked to the wall of the corridor and stood aside. So did Kieran.
"This is also one of the Wardens rules. Any guards who are not on duty must make way for those who are. Bathing day is one of the most important shifts in Alcatraz for us prison guards, because its the only day the prisoners leave their cells!"
Jack and Kieran stood aside, their shoulders touching. Jack exined the situation before he mumbled, "We are short on manpower because of the poisoning incident. There was originally supposed to be a team of ten!"
The poisoning had not really caused the shortage of men. That was because the Warden had deployed men all around Alcatraz to catch Old Toms aplices. Kieran knew perfectly well the reason behind theck of guards, but he could not exin it to Jack.
Instead, he looked at the cells that were unlocked one by one, the prisoners walking out one after the other.
Soon, the cell opposite Kieran was unlocked, and a skinny, shriveled old man walked out.
"Ah, nice to see the sun again!"
Unlike the others, the old man was smiling and stretching his body under the sun. He looked really satisfied. He did not even fold the towel, he justid it over his shoulder.
"New face, huh?" the old man said in awe when he noticed Kieran.
His action triggered the guards on duty, who had unlocked the cell doors. "Shut up! Youve missed your bathing chance now!"
One of the guards pounded the old man on his back with his gun, and the old man fell to the ground near Kieran. Before he could stand up, the guard dragged him back and threw him back inside his cell.
Kierans face had a hint of an odd expression.
"That fellow was the infamous master thief. If it was not for his countless escapes from other prisons, he would not have been here," Jack exined.
"Master thief, huh? No wonder!"
Kieran moved his hand to his pocket and suddenly felt a crumpled paper that hadnt been there before.
When the old man that was known as the master thief had fallen down, he had moved his hands like hed wanted to bnce himself, but what he had actually wanted was to stuff that crumpled paper inside Kierans pocket.
The moment the old man had approached his pocket, Kieran knew what he had been up to, but he had not stopped him.
Why would a prisoner locked up in Alcatraz risk their life to put a crumpled paper in a strangers pocket?
What for?
What did that paper hide? What was written on it?
The unexpected discovery made Kieran smirk.
Chapter 81: Appearance
Chapter 81: Appearance
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The unexpected discovery had made Kieran delighted in an instant.
He could not wait to find a secluded ce and see what was on the crumpled piece of paper in his pocket.
The guard who had knocked down the old master thief came ranting towards Jack.
"Jack, if you have time to exin useless information, why dont youe over here and give me a hand? The Warden took too many men from my team, Im short on manpower!" the guard said as he signaled for Jack to help him.
"But the Warden has asked me to-"
"I think the Warden would not object to you helping me."
Before Jack could finish, he was cut off by the guard, who was looking at Kieran deliberately, as if he wanted to make things awkward.
"I suppose the good sir here would not mind as well?" he said.
"Of course not," Kieran said, smiling under the stare of the two guards.
He could not wait to see what was inside that paper, so he did not object.
"Very well. Then follow this corridor straight to the end. You can exit through the door there. Good day, sir!" The guard nodded as he exined the way out.
"Ill see you again." Kieran waved at Jack, who was smiling bitterly, and walked out of the cell area in big, quick steps.
He passed by the two armed guards guarding the gate, left through the west gate and made his way to the east entrance.
On his way to the east entrance, he noticed that the guards on the wall were less than half the number theyd used to be. Especially the guards by the gate that led to the cell area. When theyd first arrived at the prison, there had been a squad of guards present, but now all that was left was two men.
The Warden was determined to catch the aplices.
Kieran sighed, and quickly he turned his attention back to the crumpled paper.
After he checked his surroundings and confirmed that he was alone, he took out the paper and opened it carefully.
It was made up of two separate pieces of paper. Both pieces had words written on them.
You can lead a better life than you currently do all you need to do is to give in something.
Freedom is not out of reach if you have something to offer to me.
The words were written neatly. Based on the handwriting, Kieran could tell that they had been written by two different people.
The meaning was quite simr, though. The only difference was that the first papers words were more euphemistic, and the second ones were more direct.
"What the...?"
Looking at the papers, Kieran tried to guess why the old man would give him such a message. Then a light bulb went on inside his head.
"Is this...?"
Kieran looked towards the far end of the corridor, where the Security Monitor Center was.
Just as Kieran raised his head...
BOOM!
There was a sh, and suddenly fire engulfed the entire facility in an instant. The walls and windows all around it werepletely destroyed, scattering among the mes and thick smoke.
The Security Monitor Center was blown to bits.
Suddenly, Kierans heart skipped a beat. Beside the Security Monitor Center was the room where Lawless, Starbeck and his bodyguards, No.1 and No.2., had been.
Kieran was relieved when he saw Lawless carrying Starbeck out of the thick smoke. They were fleeing in panic, but it looked like nothing serious had happened to them. Lawless made the OK sign to Kieran. No.1 and No.2 were nowhere to be seen, though. They had obviously been caught in the explosion. It seemed like they had not made it.
The fact that Lawless had been able to carry Starbeck dashing out of the explosion already exceeded Kierans expectations. The moment Kieran had felt the st, he had thought that Lawless and the others were gone for good.
"So this is what a seven-timers strength is like! Seems like I still have a lot of catching-up to do!" Kieran thought in shock.
He walked over to where Lawless was, shaking his head. Lawless had both escaped the st and saved Starbeck.
It had happened just out of the blue... No, not out of the blue. It had all been nned by Old Toms aplices!
Their next target had to be the infirmary. As Kieran realized this, he waved at Lawless and flew like an arrow towards the third floor.
Just as he reached the second floor stairway, the rm sounded off.
"There is a prisoner riot, I repeat, there is a prisoner riot! All the guards please report here! All the... Arrrrggggg!"
The irritating rm kept ringing as an eager voice was heard through the loudspeaker. The voice screamed before it went silent.
The guards on the east side of the building were stunned by the message.
It took them a few seconds to react to it, but eventually every guard got a hold of their weapons and headed towards the cell area on the west side.
Every guard, Including the two guards by the third floor stairway and the two standing by the passageway that led to the cell area.
The guards visiting their colleagues who had been poisoned and the ones that had already recovered also rushed there, and so did the old doctor.
Everyone rushed towards the west side like bees, wearing an angry, startled expression.
When all of the guards had left for the cell area, Kieran climbed up to the third floor. The surveince cameras all over the floor had been rendered useless following the explosion of the Security Monitor Center.
The only people left there were the patients unable to move.
Kieran walked openly towards the Warden and Deputy Wardens offices. He had one more thing he needed to confirm, but of course both offices were locked.
However, Kieran had a Master Level [Lockpicking] skill and a set of great [Lockpicking Tools], so breaking in was a piece of cake for him.
He inserted the hairpin into the keyhole and turned it slightly. A clear unlocking sound was heard, and door to the Wardens office opened.
Kieran went straight for the Wardens desk and started searching.
...
A ck male figure was running swiftly up the stairs. He knew the riot would onlyst for a while.
Even if he was there, he could not prevent the riot from being suppressed. He needed to make haste. He needed to kill Old Tom.
The ck figure crossed the stairs in one big step and reached the third floor. He went straight for the infirmary.
Just as the man ced his hand on the door handle, he heard a voice behind him.
"Jack Ben, it really is you!"
"2567!"
Jack turned around fast. He could not believe it. Kieran was leaning against the wall of the corridor, waiting for him.
Chapter 82: The Truth?
Chapter 82: The Truth?
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Jack looked at Kieran incredulously. He could not believe his eyes.
ording to his calctions, Kieran should have been fully upied grieving for his friends death.
Why would he be there?
The questions on his mind were evident on his face and doubtful gaze.
"What are you saying, Mr. 2567? What do you mean its me? I dont understand. I am here because I was worried Old Toms aplices would take advantage of this chance and kill him!"
Jack looked at Kieran with a puzzled look, his tone even more doubtful than before.
Kieran slow-pped. Even though he had confirmed his theory, he really had to give it to Jack. He was a remarkable actor. This was an Oscar-worthy performance.
"If you dont understand, you can take a look at this."
Kieran took out the two pieces of paper.
"Whats this? The paper from the old master thief? That old f*g!"
When Jack saw the two pieces of paper in Kierans hand, his ordinary, kind face suddenly turned vicious.
He did not try to exin any further. Any excuse he gave would be useless against those pieces of paper.
Especially considering that Kieran had been waiting for him there, which meant that he had already confirmed whom the handwriting belonged to.
"Thats right! Im Old Toms aplice, and also the Warden and the Deputy Wardens aplice!" Jack admitted. He was looking at Kieran as he spilled out the truth word by word.
"Of course you are both their aplices! Separately, that is! The truth is, I should have realized it earlier. Both the Warden and the Deputy Warden seemed to trust you a lot, yet the two of them didnt seem to get along well. It was really odd."
Kieran shook his head. He was regretting that he had not discovered Jacks involvement earlier. If he had, No.1 and No.2 would not have died.
They might have just been short-term team members, but both of them had disyed the integrity of a bodyguard, and most importantly, they had not been hostile towards Kieran.
He would not have minded saving them if he could have.
It was a pity that that was no longer an option.
[yers No.1 and No.2 are dead!]
The notification popped up in Kierans team chat. Just as Kieran had expected, neither of them had survived the st.
Jack was the one who had caused the explosion and killed them both.
Of course, Jack had also poisoned Kierans beverage and poisoned his ownrades in the cafeteria. He was even the one who had tried to kill Old Tom, and had also been an aplice in the prisoners mysterious deaths
The true killer of the prisoners, though, had been the Warden, the Deputy Warden and Old Tom.
Why would they do that?
Their motives had been written down clearly on those two pieces of paper.
You can lead a better life than you currently do all you need to do is to give in something.
Freedom is not out of reach if you have something to offer to me.
The first paper had been written by the Warden himself; the second one had been written by the Deputy Warden.
The two of them had held the highest authority in Alcatraz, and they had both abused their power and position, and extended their greedy hands to the prisoners, taking advantage of their hidden wealth.
There was no doubt about the wealth of the prisoners. When Kieran had inspected thest prisoners cell, he had found out that even that "well-behaved" prisoner had robbed three banks and killed dozens of innocent people.
The point was, the money and treasure he had robbed had been hidden, and the officials had only been able to recover one third of it. The remaining two thirds of the money were still missing.
The prisoner had imed that he had spent it all, and had been sentenced to a lifetime in Alcatraz because of it.
Kieran had gotten the information from the Wardens desk while hed been trying topare the Wardens handwriting to the paper.
The file on Gilfren Hatch and the multiple suicide case file had both been ced on the desk at a most obvious spot. It seemed that the Warden had had his suspicions too, but that had still not been enough to affect his confidence in his dirty work. The Warden had thought that his n was perfect. Opening a passageway to the cell area had not just been for his convenience in patrolling, but also for his convenience in "withdrawing money".
To the Warden, Alcatraz Prison was an unlimited treasure vault, but his dirty secret had been discovered by the Deputy Warden.
However, the Deputy Warden had not been a righteous person either. He had also joined the "withdrawal" without letting the Warden know.
However, there was one more person who had been crucial to the Wardens and the Deputy Wardens ns. That person had been Jack, the very man who had been tasked with manning the Security Monitor Center.
Unlike thezy guards in the corridors, even though Jack was just aszy and would sleep openly in the Security Monitor Room, all he needed to do was peek an eye and everything was before him. The corridors on the first, second, and third floor were all monitored by surveince cameras.
The Warden had bribed Jack to win his favour, and the Deputy Warden, who had discovered the dirty secret, had bribed him as well.
Although there had been lots of threatening andpromising along the way, one thing had remained unchanged. Jack had been the only person in charge of the Security Monitor Center, and he had reaped the benefits of that position.
However, the benefits had been too little. So much so, that Jack had decided to include another aplice in the deal. That was how Old Tom hade into this.
An aplice that Jack had been hoping for for a long time. An aplice that belonged solely to him. Kieran could only imagine Jacks excitement when Old Tom had approached him. After all, it was a no-brainer that Jack had been at a bargaining disadvantage in his deals with the Warden and the Deputy Warden.
A Warden causing a prisoners death could be considered a mere ident. Even if the Deputy Warden were to rece the Warden in the equation, it would still be the same. However, when Old Tom had been thrown into the mix, everything had changed. Old Tom had started off without any restraint and had only gotten worse under the influence of money.
Kieran was sure that out of the six cases of suicides during the past month, half of them had been caused by Old Tom.
"Trust me? Stop joking. If my job did not benefit them, do you think they would even have taken a second look at me? I was just like Old Tom. Hed worked here for over thirty years, yet he was still in the same ce. He had not even earned enough to get retired! I didnt want to be like him!"
Jack seemed to get triggered by Kierans narration. He started to shout loudly, before he suddenly calmed down and continued, "Join me! Let me kill Old Tom, and I will share half of my money with you! Its enough for you to live wealthily for the rest of your life! No one will suspect anything!" Jack tried to persuade him.
"I like money. It allows me to wear good clothes, have full meals and lead the life that I want...," Kieran said slowly.
A smile started to form on Jacks face. He knew that money was almighty. At least that was the naive idea in his mind at the time.
The next word that came out from Kierans mouth made Jacks smile freeze, though.
"But I am used to earning money my own way. Im not a ve of money, and I do not wish to be one and lose my senses like you!" Kieran said.
It was what he really felt. Even though the world was both ck and white, he still tried to remember the one thing that had kept him going and prevented him from crossing the line.
He clenched his teeth and fought on, because that was life.
Kieran did not know who the hell had said those words, but it really had been the harsh reality of his life.
He knew perfectly well that once one crossed the line, they would eventually end up in an eternal abyss.
He did not wish for such a damned life. It would be like being screwed by a dog.
It was his life, and it should be him making the choices.
Kieran looked at Jacks frozen face, and let out a long breath as he walked over.
The Sub Mission [Unexpected Aplices] would be ending soon, and so would the Main Mission.
It had been easier than Kieran had expected, although he had met some obstacles along the way.
"Stop! If you dont want to be a ve of money, then you might as well die!"
Jack pulled out his gun, ready to fire. Obviously, he had heard that Kieran had shot off Old Toms gun in a single shot in the afternoon, but it seemed like he had not listened, or perhaps thought he was stronger than Old Tom.
Still, the result was the same. Just like Old Tom, Jacks gun was shot off by Kieran, who followed up by punching Jack in the abdomen.
Jack fell to the ground, his eyes rolling to the back of his head.
Kieran picked him up and headed down the stairs. No matter how slow the Warden was, he would have been able to realize his own mistake by now.
Kieran needed to hand Jack over to the Warden toplete his Sub Mission.
Still, there was one more thing puzzling Kieran and making him frown.
[Background: Alcatraz Prison has been experiencing some mysterious incidentstely. Your special expert team has been hired to solve the mysteries...]
Kieran looked carefully at the description again. It seemed like the Warden was also one of the problems he needed to solve.
When he thought about the armed men protecting the Warden, Kieran frowned even harder.
Although he could expose the Warden and his dirty actions, how many of the guards would believe an outsider who had only been in Alcatraz for a day?
In other words, even though he had solid proof, he did not know whether the guards would be willing to aid an outsider in exposing their superior, or would rather side with their superior to reap greater benefits.
No doubt, thetter was more possible.
"I think Ill need to ambush the Warden too..."
Just as Kieran finished nning his next move, the [Knitted Talisman] around his neck started to feel warm and emitted a faint glow.
Kierans heart skipped a beat.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
The general minions of the game will soon arrive.
Chapter 83: Wandering Souls
Chapter 83: Wandering Souls
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The hot sensation on his chest made Kieran turn on his [Tracking].
He knew why the [Knitted Talisman] was emitting heat.
[Attributes: When a ghost type enemy appears within a 5-meter radius, it will give you a warning!]
The description on the item window had stated as much clearly.
Kierans vision had turned to revealing mode following the activation of his [Tracking], but he could not see any white tracks, red blood or ck gun residue. All he could see was a shadow.
It was blurry and only partially visible, but it was heading straight for Kieran.
Lines of sparks appeared around Kierans [Lightning Tigers Finger]. Without holding back, Kieran punched the monster hard.
Bang!
Kierans punchnded urately on the ck shadow. The feeling was like hitting a gunny sack, and the sound was simr too.
The shadow that rushed towards Kieran shivered with high speed after it was attacked .
A scream of agony was heard before the shadow was shredded to pieces and disappeared into thin air like dust.
[Lightning Punch: Inflicts 50 Damage to Target HP (25 Hand-to-Hand Combat (Pro) X2), Target is a formless wandering soul, Double Damage Inflicted, 100 Damage to Target HP, Target dies...]
The battlelog notification popped up in front of him, but Kieran did not pay any attention to it.
There were more shadows... Formless wandering souls had appeared, heading for him.
Through his [Tracking] vision, the formless souls looked like shadows ovepping one another like a thousand locusts. The buzzing sounds they made made it hard to tell them apart.
Ice-cold, pitch-ck darkness surrounded Kieran in an instant. He felt like he had fallen into an abandoned underground cave.
Despite his Pro Level [Evading] Skill, it was still hard for Kieran to evade the dense, concentrated attack of the formless souls.
[Negative Corrosion: Ignores Defense, Inflicts 5 Damage to HP...]
[Negative Corrosion: Ignores Defense, Inflicts 5 Damage to HP...]
[Negative Corrosion: Ignores Defense, Inflicts 5 Damage to HP...]
...
A shadowy figure passed through Kierans arm and five battlelog notifications suddenly popped up. It seemed that the formless souls had a special attacking attribute, a cumtive attack.
It was not an attack by a single soul. Instead, when the formless souls oveid each other, there was a cumtive attack from the whole bunch of them.
The effect of the attack could be felt directly on Kierans body, but there was no pain. It was actually far worse that pain.
An ice-cold feeling came from the area where the formless souls had touched him. The coldness was merciless. It did not just aim to freeze Kierans body, but his soul as well.
Kieran could not feel his arm. It was as if it did not belong to him anymore.
A couple more of those attacks and his left arm could be permanently damaged.
His intuition told him not to risk it.
When the next formless soul appeared and attacked him with negative corrosion, he was not able to evade the attack in time. He clenched his teeth and turned around, allowing the formless soul to pass through his chest. At the same time, he unleashed the [Lightning Tigers Finger] punch.
[Negative Corrosion: Ignores Defense, Inflicts 20 Damage to HP...]
[Lightning Punch: Inflicts 50 Damage to Target HP (25 Hand-to-Hand Combat (Pro) X2), Target is a formless wandering soul, Double Damage Inflicted, 100 Damage to Target HP, Target dies...]
The lightning element attack was lethal to the formless soul, but thebined formless-soul attack was far more powerful than a single-soul attack. Kieran had received four times the damage, and had also been notified that, depending on where the formless souls hit him, they could cause a different extent of damage to him.
The cumtive attack damage was not something to be underestimated. Despite his D- [Constitution] and his 350 HP, Kieran could not ignore the constant 20 damage to his HP, especially when it was made by thebined power of formless souls. He needed to be more careful if he wanted to evade those attacks.
Truth be told, if thatst attack had been from the whole group of formless souls, Kieran would never have used his body to fight it. He would have just allowed them to continue to pass through his left arm.
Sacrificing his left arm was better than losing his life, right? After all, he could still get healed at the end of the dungeon.
"That was close! What the...?"
Kieran was relieved for a while, but before he could savour the relief of protecting his left arm, he had to take another deep breath.
More formless souls had appeared andbined themselves with the previous ones that had passed through Kierans body. They were as thick as a bombing airne as they headed right for Kieran.
The cold and darkness became even denser. It was like a pitch-ck beast opening its huge mouth, wanting to devour Kieran in one bite.
Without a second thought, Kieran quickly rolled over, avoiding the first wave of attacks by the formless souls. As the formless souls passed over Kierans head, Kieran jumped up and started to unleash a barrage of punches.
Lines of lightning enveloped Kierans right hand, making him look he was like holding a thunderbolt. The lightning dispersed the cold and darkness around him,
[Lightning Punch: Inflicts 50 Damage to Target HP (25 Hand-to-Hand Combat (Pro) X2), Target is a formless wandering soul, Double Damage Inflicted, 100 Damage to Target HP, Target dies...]
[Lightning Punch: Inflicts 50 Damage to Target HP (25 Hand-to-Hand Combat (Pro) X2), Target is a formless wandering soul, Double Damage Inflicted, 100 Damage to Target HP, Target dies...]
...
Four notifications popped up one after the other.
It seemed like the formless souls advantage had been their cumtive attack, but theirck of a respective defense had turned their advantage into a disadvantage when they received damage.
However, Kieran had only managed to kill four of them. Their massive numbers and the fact that they were stacked together like locusts had allowed them to get away with a mere scratch.
Through his [Tracking] vision, Kieran saw the formless souls turn around again and fly towards him.
"No, this wont do. I can kill some of them, butpared to their numbers, its only a drop in the ocean! Plus maintaining [Tracking] to see them drains my stamina. If you add the fact that Im also fighting, my stamina is depleting twice as fast! Once my stamina reaches its limits and I can no longer maintain my [Tracking], Ill be as good as blind!"
Kieran rolled over again on the floor, dodging the iing attack of the formless souls. His HP was dropping rapidly from 350 to less than 100. He quickly scanned his surroundings, looking for a way to escape.
As he scanned over the staircase, his eyes lit up.
Chapter 84: The Grand Demonic Heptagram
Chapter 84: The Grand Demonic Heptagram
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The window had a wooden frame and ss embedded on it, and the sunlight shined through the transparent ss, shedding light inside.
The warm sunlight expelled the cold and darkness all around it. Countless formless souls were swarming the third floor, but none of them went near the staircase window. It was like their nemesis was hiding there.
There was nothing there but sunlight. Sunlight! They were afraid of sunlight. Kieran realized it in an instant, and after rolling to dodge their attack, he used both his hands and legs to jump towards the window.
The formless souls tangling with Kieran had noticed his intention and they let out a screech, flying towards him once again.
This time, the formless souls threw themselves at him faster. Kieran was only two meters away from the window when the souls caught up with him. Not waiting for Kieran to roll away again, they appeared before him one after the other from beneath the floor.
They could pass through walls? Kieran was shocked as he realized the danger he was in.
The souls in front of him were blocking his way while he was being pursued by a bigger group of souls from behind. Their formation had put him into a tight spot.
What could he do? Kieran looked front and back, but he was surrounded by countless formless souls from both sides.
Without any more time to think, he clenched his teeth and dashed forward with all his strength. He had nowhere else to go after all.
No matter which way he headed, there were souls blocking his path. However, in front of him there was still a thin ray of hope. It was the area where the sunlight was shining.
Like a cheetah ready to run, Kierans leg muscles tightened up as he leapt forward.
He turned into a blurry shadow as he rushed towards the sunlight.
His left wrist shined at the part where he was wearing the ck leather gauntlet, and a formless barrier covered Kierans body.
It was [Primus Scale], the skill he had acquired from the legendary equipment [Primus Arm]. It was the first time Kieran had activated it, and it did not disappoint him.
The formless souls that blocked Kierans way were not formless anymore. Through his [Tracking] vision, he could see the souls get suppressed by the barrier created by [Primus Scale], their advancement toward him being prevented.
Although Kieran could not feel himself pushing the countless souls, there was still nothing else in sight. His eyes told him that the space before him was not empty, but the formless souls were so light in weight that they could hardly be felt.
Still, this had opened up a small window, allowing Kieran to quickly reach his destination. Within one breath, he was standing inside the sunny area.
The continuous screech of agony of the souls lingered in Kierans ears.
Every single one of the souls he pushed into the sunlight was engulfed in ck smoke before turning into ashes. The ones pursuing Kieran stopped right in front of that area and lingered around its edges. They did not dare cross that minefield.
Kieran let out a breath of relief, but he did not let his guard down.
He shrunk in the area where the sunlight was shining, but he kept an eye on the floor. The memory of the formless souls appearing through the floor was still fresh. He was worried that they would appear again and attack him. After all, the sunlight could not shine through the concrete floor. When his body interlock with the sunlight, a shadow formed beneath him. That shadow could cause the temporarily stable situation to fall apart once again.
Luckily, that did not happen. Maybe the souls had a low intelligence, or they were afraid of sunlight itself, because they kept wandering around the edges of the light.
While Kieran was watching the floor for any potential attacks and recovering his stamina, he got an extra reward.
He noticed a small, sparkly, unusually eye-catching reflection under the sunlight. Among the pile of the souls ashes, he found a fingernail-sized pale blue crystal.
[Name: Soul Shard]
[Type: Jewel]
[Rarity: Great]
[Attributes: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: A crystallized shard of a weak soul is a crucial item for enchanting. Of course you will need an enchantment tform, too!]
...
"Enchantment material?"
Kieran looked at the attribute-less shard that had a different, special use. Based on his own experience, these kind of items were worth a fortune.
"Then..."
Kieran quickly scanned through the equipment skill [Primus Scale]. There was only a second and a half left in its activation time.
As a matter of fact, [Primus Scale]s total usage time was only three seconds, and it could only be used twice a day. Kieran would not have used it if it had not been a life-and-death situation.
He looked at the sunlight beneath his leg again, clenched his right fist hard, and followed the lines of the lightning sparks on it.
Suddenly, Kieran stepped out of the sunlight again. It was exactly how he had told Jack. He preferred to earn money his own way. That was his way of life.
Trails of shadows formed by his barrage of punches, followed by a blueish white lightning that looked like real lightning. The formless souls were abolished one after the other, turning into ashes.
Even more of them had lost their formless advantage because of the [Primus Scale] skill of the gauntlet. They were torn apart by Kieran and pushed towards the sunlight.
The souls kept screeching in agony, their eerie voices as scary as the screams of an evil spirit. Kieran did not care at all, though. He just concentrated on fighting them.
When the [Primus Scale]s activation time was up, Kieran just relied on his punches to kill them.
As his stamina depleted, he shrunk back into the sunny area to recover.
When his stamina was fully replenished, he went out again to fight the formless souls.
He repeated the same actions at least a dozen times, until the third floor waspletely free of souls.
He had also received an additional three pieces of [Soul Shard]s as a reward.
As he watched the third floor go back to normal, Kieran stepped back into the light, fell on his bum, and sat down in exhaustion.
Although he had been able to recover his stamina sufficiently, he was still mentally tired.
The battle with the formless souls had been tough, and despite the shelter of the sunny area, hed still had to be on high alert. Every second that hed been fighting the formless souls he had been on high-concentration mode. He knew perfectly well what would happen to him if he was even the slightest bit careless.
Despite his high concentration though, he had still suffered some scratches. However, unlike Jack, Kieran had been extremely lucky.
The serial killer was already out cold and robbed of any signs of life. His body was stiff as ity down on the stairs.
The formless souls only appeared before and targeted people who exhibited signs of life.
Kieran felt no sympathy for Jack. He deserved none after what he had done.
Several innocent guards in the infirmary had also died.
Kieran let out a long breath and felt his mental fatigue fade away. He stood up and looked towards the infirmary. He shook his head in regret. It was not that he did not want to save those guards. He just did not have enough power to save any more people.
Kieran had never dreamed of bing the sort of hero people sang songs about. It was lucky that that was not his life goal.
After a few seconds, he turned away and looked down the stairs. He was not sure whether there were still formless souls wandering around the building, so he quickly decided to leave the area.
He jumped out of the window.
Three floors were a piece of cake for Kieran, whether he wanted to climb up or jump down from them.
The window and water pipes acted as Kierans stepping tform as he climbed down like a monkey andnded on the ground with ease.
He quickly spotted Lawless and Starbeck. Lawless was munching on a newly lit cigar while Starbeck was standing behind him looking white as paper. He was looking at the building in fear and alertness.
Beside them were the Warden, the doctor and a couple of guards.
"Dead! All of them! All dead! What happened? Tell me what happened!" the Warden shouted in shock.
"Jack was Old Toms aplice!" Kieran said as he walked over to the Warden.
"What?" The Warden raised his head and looked at Kieran in shock.
Kieran had no intention of starting a conversation with him.
[Sub Mission: Hidden Aplices (Completed)]
The notifications in his vision were the reason Kieran had to stay away from the Warden. If Kieran was not sure that the Warden was rted to the Main Mission, he would have killed him too.
"How was it?" Lawless asked as he walked over.
"Not good. Things went south, I started..."
Kieran told Lawless a summary of what had happened, putting particr emphasis on the magic circle in Gilfren Hatchs cell.
Then Kieran pointed to the Warden and the doctor, and asked, "What happened to them?"
"They were there suppressing the riot, but they did not take my advice and rushed directly inside. They bumped into a formless soul army and got surrounded. I could only save a couple of them, the rest..."
Lawless shrugged. His gesture was self-exnatory.
Even Kieran had had a hard time facing the formless souls, let alone normal prison guards. They would definitely not have been able to make it out alive.
"What a fellow that Gilfren Hatch was! He really used his own life as a trigger to start that magic circle!" Lawless said, his tone both admiring and mocking.
"You know about the magic circle?"
Although Kieran might have guessed that Lawless could know something about the circle, he was still in awe when Lawless himself confirmed it.
"I have cleared seven dungeons, mate. Whats so strange about me recognizing a Grand Demonic Heptagram?" Lawless said proudly.
"Grand Demonic Heptagram? Whats that?" Kieran asked, pressing the matter.
"Havent you seen it? With enough blood and flesh, it can summon dead souls and make them your ves! All the dead within a certain radius will be controlled by whoever creates the magic circle! The magic circle that Gilfren Hatch created was covering the whole Alcatraz Prison!"
Lawless pointed at the main building of Alcatraz.
Under the sunlight, the building seemed to be emitting an endless cold aura that frightened Starbeck even more.
"So all we have to do is destroy that Grand Demonic Heptagram and it will all be over?" Kieran asked.
"Of course! If it was night, there might be some trouble, but now the sun is shining down on us. This Main Mission was too easy. Ill show you what a Dragon Killer can do!" Lawlessughed.
A pair of sunsses appeared on Lawlesss face. When he put them on, he could easily locate Gilfren Hatchs cell.
Lawless set the [Tekken-II] on his shoulder, aiming the rocketuncher at the outer wall of the cell.
The rocketunched directly towards the cells wall.
BOOM!
The sh and the explosion created a huge hole in the building.
As the sun shined inside it, a shadowy figure appeared amidst the debris.
As the figure revealed its face, Lawless and Kieran were left speechless.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
The heptagram is not for exorcism i suppose...
Chapter 85: Mutation
Chapter 85: Mutation
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
It was Zywane.
Although there was a blood-colored pattern on his face, the structure of his head and his clothes allowed Kieran to quickly recognize his hostile teammate.
The blood pattern on his face gave Kieran a very familiar feeling. Somehow it even felt a little cordial.
Kieran unconsciously stared at the pattern, his gaze suddenly making ite alive.
It was wriggling and crawling around like a blood-colored snake, and moving like one too.
The bloody snake raised its head and started hissing at Kieran with its tongue out.
Kierans eyes opened wide in shock . The snakes head had appeared in front of him out of thin air, its tongue close to Kierans lips. A strong repulsed sensation flooded Kierans heart, as if he had eaten something utterly disgusting. It was actually even worse than that.
Kieran quickly grabbed the snakes head, feeling how slippery it was between his palms.
He wanted to toss the snake away or just crush the creatures head.
Contrary to Kierans expectations though, the snakes head was quite hard, and it also had immense strength stored inside its body.
Kieran forgot about crushing its head, and just used his full force to toss the snake away.
The strange snake left Kierans hands slowly, its tongue still hissing at him.
After a certain distance, the snake disappeared into thin air, exactly the way it had appeared.
Suddenly, Lawlesss shout reached Kierans ears.
"2567, dont look at his eyes! Hes possessed, hes be a half-dead!"
Kieran turned his head around and saw Lawless looking at him with a slightly anxious expression. Kierans vision started to get wobbly, and he quickly shut his eyes and shook his head hard.
The wobbly feeling faded with the motion as a couple of notifications popped up in his vision.
[yer Zywane is dead!]
[Fear: You are in the area of influence of your enemys Fear. Your Spirit has passed the test. No abnormalities have been detected...]
[Delusion: You have fallen under the influence of your enemys illusions. Your Spirit has passed the test. Your Intuition has passed the test. The illusions will not cause any real damage anymore...]
"What happened? Whats a half-dead?" Kieran asked Lawless quickly as he came back to his senses.
He kept in mind Lawless words and did not stare at Zywanes dead body anymore.
"A half-dead is a kind of monster that hase back from the dead after its body has been possessed by someone! They have abnormal strength, and their bodies are very hard to prate with regr guns and knifes. But the worst thing is, when you face one, they might cause you Fear or Delusion. Especially thetter one. If you die under the influence of their illusions, you die for real!"
"Just amon Grand Demonic Heptagram could not have possibly created a monster like this! Something must have gone really wrong without our knowledge! Goddamn it, what the hell did Zywane do? How could this happen in a fourth-time dungeon?" Lawless told Kieran as he ranted.
The appearance of the half-dead seemed to have made him really worried.
"Where should it have happened then?" Kieran asked as he looked at the half-dead out of the corner of his eye.
The monster was standing on the hole created by the rocketuncher, letting the sunlight shine down on it. The bloody pattern on its face looked even more evil.
That feeling of evilness was very unsettling to Kieran. He felt that even the sunlight had turned cold because of it.
He thought he was looking at a strangers face.
Gilfren Hatch. Thats right, it was his face Kieran was seeing on the half-dead.
Kierans mind flooded with the information he had recently read on Gilfren Hatch. The picture in Gilfren Hatchs file looked exactly the same as the face of the half-dead.
"So, he did not really die?" Kieran thought.
Lawless answered hastily, "In a sixth-time dungeon at least! During my sixth dungeon, the same kind of monster yed an important role! Its the type of monster I hate the most! Goddammit, is it provoking me?"
Just as Lawless was answering Kierans question, the zombie stood on the building and made a cut-throat sign with its right index finger, looking at the two of them.
Lawless replied right away.
A rocket missile with a me trail headed towards the half-dead.
The missile exploded on its target, the me engulfing the half-deadpletely.
"Thatll teach you some manners! Im not the same person I used to be anymore! Stay here, Ill go deal with that assh*le!"
Lawless spit out his cigar on the ground before kissing his [Tekken-II] like a dear lover, not giving a damn about its hot temperature.
He gave some advice to Starbeck before he ran towards the main building of the prison.
He did not climb up like Kieran had. Carrying his huge backpack, he jumped up from the ground and reached the second floor window in one try. Then he quickly stepped on the window ledge with his feet and, using all his strength, he did a backflip and entered the third floor through the hole created by the rocketuncher.
Kieran followed, in awe of Lawlesss strength and body synchronization. He was still feeling amazed by the seven-timer as he climbed up to the third floor using his hands and legs.
Kieran had been very surprised by the appearance of the half-dead, but he wasnt feeling afraid. He was only unsettled at worst.
After that feeling had subsided, Kieran felt eager to face the half-dead.
Both Zywanes death and the half-deads appearance were tied to a huge secret, and within that secret, Kierans instinct could pick up the smell of money.
Although Zywanes death was a sign that this was something extremely dangerous, Kieran still did not back down. He had already stared death in the eye. He was not going to get scared by some possessed dead man.
After all, he had been alone in facing death in real life. He wasnt going to be afraid now that he had a reliable ally like Lawless. By Lawless expression, Kieran could tell that he was ny percent certain that he could defeat the half-dead. Its difficulty had undoubtedly already been reduced.
When Kieran pushed himself up to the breach on the third floor, he could not see Lawless anymore. It seemed like he had gone chasing after the half-dead.
Automatically, Kieran activated his [Tracking], ready to catch up with Lawless and the zombie by following their tracks. However, what he saw instead was the Grand Demonic Heptagram magic circle.
"Huh?"
Kieran inspected the Grand Demonic Heptagram and was surprised by his discovery.
The Grand Demonic Heptagram before him and the one hed had in mind were different.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Probably the first yer to die...
Chapter 86: Walk Together
Chapter 86: Walk Together
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
"This is different than I remember it! Something has changed!"
As Kieran revisited that particr memory, he realized that the Grand Demonic Heptagram before him was different than the one he had seen before. Something had changed, but it was a very slight change.
Had Kieran not memorized the original Grand Demonic Heptagram, he would not have been able to tell the difference. It was in the gap between the outer and the inner ring. 3 of the 41 symbols had changed.
Kieran was not going underestimate even such a small change. He knew that if any symbol or icon that represented knowledge was altered, it could cause the original meaning to change dramatically.
Among the changes on the Grand Demonic Heptagram was the scorpion-like symbol in the middle, which now had a footprint on it. It was Zywanes footprint.
The footprint was identical to the one Zywane had left when hed passed by Kieran to investigate the Deputy Wardens death.
Looking at the footprint, Kieran pictured Zywane entering the cell. He must have thought that hed been onto something and went into Gilfren Hatchs cell room.
Without any hesitation, Zywane had walked up to the original Grand Demonic Heptagram. He might have chanted a series of spells or used some other kind of method to activate the Grand Demonic Heptagram and alter it. The process had cost him his life, though. Gilfren Hatch had possessed him and turned him into a half-dead.
"What did Zywane discover? What made him think that activating the magic circle was safe?"
Kieran squinted his eyes as he started to think.
He activated his [Tracking] and scanned over the whole room.
"Huh?"
His findings made him frown. He could not see Lawless and the half-deads footprints leaving the room.
The half-deads footprints were all over the cell room, but they were only indicating entry, not exit.
Lawless only footprints were the ones he had left when hed backflipped into the cell room, and the two steps he had taken forward.
Other than that, the rest of the footprints were Kieran and Jacks from their previous visit.
"What happened?"
Kieran looked outside the cell. After he confirmed that it was not Lawless and the half-deads leaping around that had caused the discontinued footprints, he frowned even harder.
"Unless they can fly, this means that Lawless and the half-dead disappeared upon entering the cell! How did they disappear into thin air?" After Kieran expressed his disbelief, he looked at the Grand Demonic Heptagram again.
Other than the magic circle that had created the half-dead, Kieran could note up with a better exnation that could have made a seven-timer disappear out of thin air.
Fortunately, there was no notification about Lawlesss death.
He continued to scan the cell room, hoping that he could gather more clues about their disappearance. What had happened to the two of them when Kieran had been just a second behind them?
He had nothing. Even through the vision of his [Tracking], he could not discover any more clues.
Kieran had already inspected the cell room earlier when hed visited it with Jack. There was no hidden door or passageway behind its walls. His second inspection produced the same results.
"Then, all thats left is..."
Kieran lowered his head and looked at the half-deads footprints, or to be more urate, Zywanes footprints before he had been turned into a half-dead.
Although Zywanes footprints did not show signs of exit either, they did show signs of entry.
It seemed like Kieran would have to follow Zywanes entry footprints to figure out what was going on.
If Kieran could not confirm Lawlesss well-being, he was not going to just sit around and do nothing. Such a passive approach was not his style. He was more of the active type.
However, just as he was ready to follow Zywanes footprints out of the cell room, there was some noise by the hole on the wall made by the rocketuncher.
Kieran turned around and saw his employer, Starbeck, climbing up.
"You really should listen to Lawlesss advice," Kieran warned Starbeck quickly when he saw him. He was not dissatisfied with his employer. After all, Starbeck had been generous enough to hire him, and he did not have the bossy attitude of the typical employer. Most importantly, he did not question the actions of his employees.
Still, that did not mean that Kieran would like to bring him along for the next part. Tracking those footprints would be extremely dangerous. Zywanes current condition proved as much.
Kieran was not confident that he could keep himself alive while also protecting Starbeck. After all, he did not have Lawlesss experience.
As he looked at that pale face of his and his cowardly eyes, he could not help but shake his head.
If he brought that coward along, some kind of ident would ur, and things would go south very fast.
In other words, Starbeck would only be a burden to Kieran.
"I think Ill be safe with you, 2567. The Warden was looking at me very oddly, and I was worried he might vent his anger on me," Starbeck said sincerely.
"You could have easily traded your wealth for Points and Skill Points. Its not like you cant afford them. A White Skill Book only costs around 1,000 to 2,000 Points on the market. If you really wanted to learn, you could have bought all the avable White Skill Books and learned everything yourself before leveling them up to a certain level. You have such an advantage, yet youre worried that a normal person like the Warden could harm you?" Kieran asked his employer curiously. He was unable to understand the mans way of thinking.
As Kieran had said, with his wealth, it should have been easy for him to reach a certain level of strength for self-protection, at least in the earlier part of the game.
If he really did hire mercenaries for his own safety while he was in the game, then he had to be putting his cowardice first. However, the fact that he disyed such cowardice before an ordinary native made Kieran wonder how much of a coward he really was.
Was he a mimosa nt? The kind that would hide and shrink even at the slightest touch?
"I... Im kind of bad with strangers..."
Starbecks pale face blushed, and his stuttering words robbed him of his elegance. All that was left was a shy, embarrassed man.
"What about animals?"
"Im scared of them!"
"Monsters?"
"Im afraid of them!"
"Corpses?"
"Im both scared and afraid of them!"
Kierans series of questions confirmed Starbecks mimosa-like characteristics.
His blush and shyness made Kieran frown even more.
He was positive that he could not bring him with.
"If you take me along and protect me, I can offer you an extra reward!" Starbeck added, noticing Kierans troubled expression. Although he was a coward, he still knew how to read peoples expressions. Truth be told, it was the only thing he was quite good at. It was all thanks to his wealthy family.
"How much?" Kieran asked, raising an eyebrow.
"5,000 Points! I can write it down in the Team Contract!" Starbeck offered.
Kieran nodded, "Deal!"
The nod drove his troubled thoughts and reluctancy away.
Despite the fact that Kieran was worried Starbeck might cause him trouble, if Starbeck agreed to give him a reasonable reward, he would not mind sparing some extra attention to protect him.
He would totally do it for 5,000 Points, but there were still some things he needed to consider.
"You will listen to my orders. And if anything happens, its on you. Write that down in the Team Contract as well," Kieran added.
"Done!" Starbeck did not object.
He wrote down the new details in the contract, and they both signed once again.
"Nowe with me. Try to stay within three steps distance. If anything happens, youll need to keep ca-"
Kieran tried to give another warning to Starbeck, but before he could even finish his sentence, Starbeck, who was standing right beside him, saw something that made his face turn pale as paper. The man screamed.
At Starbecks cowardly scream, a cold, chilling wind blew against Kierans back.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Starbecks new babysiter, Kieran the almighty!
Chapter 87: Secret Passage
Chapter 87: Secret Passage
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Screaming, Starbeck quickly hid behind Kieran. Sensing the familiar chilling feeling, Kieran turned around and unleashed a hard punch without even looking.
A lightning spark shed as the formless soul was beaten to ashes.
[Lightning Punch: Inflicts 50 Damage to Target HP (25 Hand-to-Hand Combat (Pro) X2), Target is a formless wandering soul, Double Damage Inflicted, 100 Damage to Target HP, Target dies...]
His earlier battle with the formless souls had familiarized Kieran with their attacking pattern.
Although he might be in trouble if he encountered a whole group of them, a single soul was a piece of cake for him.
Still, Kieran frowned at Starbecks cowardly scream.
The sharp sound pierced his ears, making him feel as if his eardrums were being torn apart. It triggered even more of Kierans anger.
He turned to Starbeck and told him in contempt, "Stop it! Unless you want to attract even more of them! If too many of them appear, I will leave you behind and save myself!"
His angry words stopped Starbecks cowardly screams.
The well-dressed man looked at Kieran pitifully. The elegance hed had when theyd first met was long gone.
"Th... This was just an ident! It wont happen again!" Starbeck tried to defend himself.
"Make sure it doesnt! If theres a next time, I will leave you behind!" Kieran warned him.
He might not have minded the extra reward, but that did not mean that he would ce himself in harms way for it.
"Remember what I said. Stay within three steps of me, and if anything happens, stay calm!" Kieran exined clearly once again for both their sakes.
"Ye... Yes, sir!" Starbeck nodded.
"Can you see the formless souls?" Kieran asked out of curiosity after a short hesitation.
Kieran was relying on his [Tracking] and the [Knitted Talisman] to see the formless souls. Lawlesss sunsses had to have a simr use. Although he had not said what they were for, it was quite obvious.
No doubt, Starbeck could also see the formless souls and other ghostly monsters. He might have some kind of simr skill or equipment as well.
Kieran felt that he had stepped over the line with his question, though.
"Never mind. Its none of my business," he added quickly.
Kieran shook his hand, preventing Starbeck from answering.
Starbeck was startled, but he kept his mouth shut.
Yet after a second, the man spoke again, "I think you might need this. I cant go into battle, but I sure can support you!"
He took out two magazines from his pocket and handed them over to Kieran.
[Name: Bullets of Blessing]
[Type: Ammunition]
[Rarity: Common]
[Attributes: Effective against negative-energy monsters, be that spirits, werewolves or vampires. They can cause considerable damage to them!]
[Effects: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: Its a 11 mm magazine crafted with pure silver and made throughplicated craftsmanship. Its blessed with holy power, so its of very high value!]
...
After inspecting the [Bullets of Blessing], Kieran epted them without any objections.
It was exactly what he needed to kill the formless souls from a distance. He might still have the [Lightning Tigers Finger], but that might not be enough if he wanted to protect Starbeck with it too.
Once again, he was in awe of Starbecks wealth and generosity.
It was two magazines with fourteen rounds of bullets. Although Kieran could not know their exact price, based on the remarks at the end, they must have been very expensive.
"Keep up!" Kieran quickly urged Starbeck.
He was still in awe of him, but he did not let it show on his face.
Activating [Tracking], Kieran followed the half-deads entry footprints, tracking them in the opposite direction.
Starbeck followed carefully behind him.
His eyes kept scanning the area around him. When they entered the corridor, Starbeck saw something and unconsciously opened his mouth wide, instinctively wanting to scream again.
Before the scream could escape his mouth, he quickly covered it with his hands.
It seemed like Starbeck had remembered his promise to Kieran, and his sharp screaming was reduced to a series of muffled noises.
As Starbeck was trying hard to keep his screams down, Kieran had already dashed out like a jaguar. Before the formless souls could even attack them, they were punched to ashes.
Kieran resumed following the footprints that had belonged to Zywane, the two of them moving forward.
From beginning till end, Kieran did not even spare a nce for Starbeck. He just kept signaling for him to keep up and stay close.
Formless souls were appearing out of nowhere, so Kieran had no time to even speak to Starbeck. His hand signals was the best he could do.
On their way from the third floor to the first floor, Kieran took out fifteen formless souls.
They were not as much as there had been during his first encounter. It was actually less than a tenth of them.
These formless souls were also slower and less smart than the previous ones, a fact that baffled Kieran.
"Maybe the ones I encountered earlier were special?" he spected.
He could not gather enough proof to support his guess, though. After all, Kieran could hardly even see the monsters clearly.
With his [Tracking], Kieran could spot every small detail in his line of sight, yet he still could not see the formless souls or any simr type of monster clearly. They were only a blur, as if he was seeing them through a foggy ss. He was also restricted by distance. When the monsters were 20 meters away, the blurriness got even worse, and anything further than 20 meters waspletely out of his range of sight.
Fortunately, the stairs could be used now. After stepping down thest flight of stairs, they reached the first floor of the cell area, and the footprints Kieran had been following disappeared.
They were stopping at the corner of a piece of wall. If they exined the sudden disappearance of the half-dead, it might have made sense, but the footprints had been left behind by Zywane before he had turned to a half-dead, and Zywane could not have possessed any abilities like that.
If Zywane had had the ability to disappear and reappear at will, he definitely would not have been a fourth timer. He would have had to be at least at the same level as Lawless or even higher. That was impossible, though. The system notification about the average dungeon entry had said it all.
That only left one exnation. There had to be a secret passage somewhere around that area.
A secret corridor that even the Warden and the guards did not know about.
Kieran raised his hand and touched the wall inch by inch, searching for any gaps.
Suddenly, a noise was heard. Kieran was really happy to hear it. It was what he had expected. There was a secret passageway behind the wall. Kieran inspected the wall with even more care, looking for a switch to open the secret door, until...
Crack!
The sudden sound of a switch stopped Kieran. He raised his head and looked towards the source of the sound.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Kieran found the home to the missing link!
Chapter 88: Other Intentions
Chapter 88: Other Intentions
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Kieran saw a steel wire as thin as hair sticking out from the cell rooms door gap. It was poking skillfully at the inside of the cell rooms lock, waiting to be turned.
If it was not for his D+ Intuition, his activated [Tracking] and the sound that had reached his ears, he would not have believed his eyes.
He unconsciously blinked as he stared at it.
He remembered that the cell room he was in had belonged to the prisoner everyone had called the Master Thief.
A series of shbacks appeared in Kierans mind, reying the scene of the two of them meeting in a hurry. The old mans face had had a satisfied smile on it, unlike the other prisoners stiff, angry faces.
At the time, Kieran had not understood how the old man could have such a rxed expression, but now he knew.
Alcatraz Prison was not able to hold him down after all. The old Master Thief had not been harmed while the formless souls had rampaged all over the ce.
Kieran had already checked carefully along the way, and every single guard and prisoner were dead.
"He could have escaped anytime, but he chose to stay in this hellish ce. If he was not concerned about the formless souls, why would he pass me those papers in the first ce?"
Kieran squinted his eyes. He had just realized he might have been used by the Master Thief. From what he gathered, the old man had been prepared for everything.
Even if Kieran had not appeared, the papers would still have fallen into somebody elses hands.
Some righteous prison guards hands, or the hands of someone wanting a piece of the cake.
Kieran thought it might be thetter, but no matter what it was, the riot would have been unavoidable, and the Master Thief would have used it as a stepping stone in achieving his goal. Just like he had now.
"Another Gilfren Hatch?"
Oddly, Kieran thought of the heresy leader. Their methods might have been different, but their goals had been simr.
Kieran signaled for Starbeck to stop as Kieran himself headed towards the cell room.
Crack!
The lock opened with a clear sound, and the cell room door was unlocked.
The gate was pulled from the outside and the door let out an unsettling, screeching sound. The man in the cell room did not possess any of the characteristics of amon thief, let alone a master thief.
The old man did not seem to care about the screeching of the door. He pushed it even harder, opening the gate quicker.
Kieran was waiting for him. watching him from the corridor.
Once again, he had confirmed that the old Master Thief had known what had been going on in Alcatraz all along. He was the only one who had been able to move around without any concern or care after all.
However, the old Master Thief had not foreseen that Kieran would survive the riot and the attack of the formless souls. That only confirmed that he had not given Kieran the papers out of goodwill, but malicious intent.
That act had been necessary in order for him to realize his goal.
When the Master Thief opened the cell room door, Kieran held his [M1905] in his hand and pushed it against the old mans head.
"Its you? I think there might have been a little misunderstanding!"
The old man had recognized Kieran and quickly raised his hands up.
"A little misunderstanding? I think this misunderstanding is quite big!"
Kierans tone sounded angry. He did not pull the trigger, but he pressed the gun even harder against the old Master Thiefs head, pushing his head back along with it.
"I can exin! Please let me exin!" the old man said loudly, afraid that Kieran might pull the trigger out of rage.
"Please do exin the situation at hand! Howe all the other prisoners are dead, yet youre alive?" Kieran did not hold back on his strength. He kept pointing the gun at the old mans head as he urged him to exin.
He wanted to know the old Master Thiefs goal. The appearance of the half-dead had proved that Alcatraz was no normal prison.
Zywanes actions might have added fuel to the me, but if there hadnt been a secret in the first ce, no matter how hard Zywane had tried, he would not have been able to cause a sixth-time dungeon Boss to appear in an average fourth-time dungeon.
As a matter of fact, if it had not been for Lawless, the whole team would have been wiped out by now.
Kieran was perfectly clear on that, just like he knew that he would get a big reward once he uncovered the secret behind everything.
The very reason that he had entered this team dungeon, other than the high price Starbeck had offered him, was to gain more rewards through the dungeons high difficulty.
That was why he had tracked down Zywanes footprints without a second thought, and ended up where he was now. It might have seemed extremely dangerous, but high risk and big rewards always went together.
The Master Thief before him seemed able to lower his odds of running into danger.
"Before I came into Alcatraz, I had someone tattoo a magic circle on me. A shaman that helped me for free when he found out I would being to Alcatraz, the very ce where Gilfren Hatch was held at. I am d for his help. It got me out of harms way with those evil spirits!" the old man exined as he opened up his cor.
At the left side of his neck, there was a tattoo the size of a coin. The symbol was extremelyplicated and detailed, so Kieran could not really tell what it was by just one look. It was even moreplicated than the Grand Demonic Heptagram. Obviously, it had to be the real deal.
The mans words did not satisfy Kieran, though. A shaman?
Considering that they were currently confined in the Alcatrazpound, he could hardly verify that im.
In other words, the small magic circle might really have kept the old man safe from the formless souls, but the shaman story might be a bluff. There were too many ws in his exnation. The old man was still trying to fool Kieran with his words. The whole thing made Kieran frown in anger.
He punched the old man in the abdomen hard.
The heavy blow made the old man bend down like a cooked shrimp. Before he could recover, Kieran raised his elbow and struck him in the back.
The Master Thief fell right to the ground, the [M1905] in Kierans hand pushing against his head once again.
It was not on his forehead this time, but at the back of his brain.
The gun was pointed down at the old mans head, pressing his face hard against the floor, robbing him of his freedom to move.
"My patience is limited! Tell me what your real goal was, and not some bluff about Gilfren Hatch!" Kieran emphasized again, changing his tone to a more anxious, faster one.
"Or are my methods too soft? Should I cut off your fingers one by one to show you your ce?"
Kieran grabbed his dagger and lingered with it around the old mans hand.
The sharp edge of the dagger sliced the skin on the mans index finger, making him spill the truth faster.
"Ill speak! Ill speak!"
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
The most important NPC in the dungeon. Guess what he does?
Chapter 89: Methods
Chapter 89: Methods
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The man before Kieran was not some tough guy. A little trick and some pain was enough to make him talk.
"My goal was Gilfren Hatch! That guy had made a fortune by using his ability to seduce others! But as my investigation progressed, I discovered that Gilfren Hatch was not just some charismatic idiot able to seduce people. He really had supernatural powers! I wanted to learn more about him so I joined his bunch heretics, but in the end..."
The man paused for a while, a frightened expression forming on his face.
Kieran urged him a little with his dagger, and he quickly continued, "That monster came to my room at night by moving through the wall! He appeared right in my face! I checked the wall up and down, but there was not secret door. It was a solid concrete wall, and he had gone through it just like that!"
"The moment I saw him I thought I was dead, but he only gave me a warning, telling me to mind my own business. Then he just disappeared into thin air right in front of my eyes!"
The mans face was smeared with fear. It seemed like the encounter had been imprinted in his mind.
"I quickly left that ce. I told myself that it had to be a trick of sorts, but my senses told me it was real!"
"Since that day, Id been having nightmares. Every day I was worried that he mighte for my life again. Just as I was paralyzed from fear, I suddenly learned that he had surrendered! Surrendered!" the old man repeated the word, emphasizing his surprise.
"I was delighted and filled with joy, at least for a while. Soon, I became curious, though. Why would a man with that kind of power surrender? What kind of prison could even hold him in? Plus, the man had been known for his merciless methods, yet he had only given me a warning instead of killing me. It was all very suspicious, and my suspicions got the best of me. I became even more curious!"
"When I found out that he was locked up here in Alcatraz, I started investigating the prison itself. I suspected that he had some kind of secret purpose, and my findings proved that I was correct. He did have a secret agenda!"
The old Master Thiefs tone had been hyped up and his head had been moving upwards despite the gun pressing down on him. It was like he had to use that particr tone in order to borate on his findings.
Kieran responded by pressing his gun down even harder, pushing the mans head back against the floor.
"Go on! No more tricks!" Kieran urged him in a stern tone.
However, this time the man did not continue right away. He paused for a second before he said, "If I tell you the truth, promise that you wont hurt me!"
"Do you think youre in a position to bargain with me?" Kieran held his dagger with his other hand and stabbed the sharp edge of it into the old mans index finger, making him scream in agony.
"I dare not bargain, I just wanna save my sorry life!" Despite the scream, the man was quite firm in his statement.
"Promise me that you wont hurt me and I will tell you his goal! I swear it will be worth your while!" he added.
Kieran naturally moved his dagger again, The tip of the dagger had already reached the old mans bone, but other than screaming in agony, the man did not show any intention of continuing.
He was unusually tough, or maybe just perseverant. Kieran frowned. The situation at hand was not exactly what he wanted.
ording to his original n, Kieran would get what he wanted, and then take the old mans life. The old Master Thief had used him with malicious intent, so Kieran had no ns of letting him go. He would just have to alter his n a little.
He understood how taking and giving worked. Compared to the secret of Alcatraz and Gilfren Hatchs goal though, the old man before him was on a whole different level.
"I could let you go, but how will I know that what youre saying is the truth? Dont tell me youll take a vow, or Illugh my ass off!"
Kieran lifted his dagger and pulled the gun on the old mans head back a little.
"Vows are more useful than you think if you know how to use them!" the old man said.
"And you know how? Did that shaman that you mentioned teach you?" Kieran guessed. He was a little bit startled.
"Yes, of course!" the old man answered.
"That shaman sure was generous. He didnt just give you a tattoo to protect you from spirits, but also confided in you such special knowledge! Dont tell me he was your father or something!"
Kieranughed coldly. His words were full of contempt for the old mans statement.
From Kierans point of view, no one in the world would treat another person so selflessly, unless there was some kind of benefit for them. Only if both parties had a benefit would their rtionship grow tight.
Unless that someone was ones own parents.
Although Kierans memories of his parents were already long gone, he still stubbornly believed that they had been the way he imagined them.
That shaman was definitely not the Master Thiefs parent, though. Although Kieran was unsure of the old mans age, judging by his white hair, if his parents were still alive, they would be really old.
It was definitely out of the realm of possibility.
"He told me because it was rted to the secret of this prison. The shaman also pay close attention to the things happening here!" the old man said with a bitterugh.
His manner caused an extra spection to take form in Kierans head.
Not only had the secret of Alcatraz Prison attracted the attention of heresy leader Gilfren Hatch, but it had also attracted the attention of the shaman the old Master Thief was talking about. So much so, that the shaman had even sent his own man to investigate the situation.
The process would definitely not have been peaceful, but the old man before Kieran had chosen topromise.
Kieran grew cautious of the vowing methods of the old man.
If he was indeed a pawn sent by the shaman, a vow from him might harm Kieran in ways that he could not even imagine.
Kieran treated anything that he was unfamiliar with with extreme care. He knew that if things went south, it could cost him his life.
Just like Zywanes.
Hold on... Zywane!
Kieran thought back to his short-term teammates, stunned.
Suddenly, a spection formed in his mind.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
The mastermind ?
Chapter 90: Deceived
Chapter 90: Deceived
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Was Zywanes death rted to the man in front of Kieran?
The thought popped up in his mind, making him blink in alert.
The more Kieran thought about it, the more suspicious he became.
How had Zywane died in the first ce?
Being possessed by Gilfren Hatch had led to his demise, that was for sure.
But what had happened to him before he had died?
Why had Zywane headed to Gilfren Hatchs cell so obediently and agreed to bing a host for the mans soul?
Zywane had not been a particrly generous person, so Kieran could not picture him giving his life for someone, let alone for a native.
Kieran spected that he had done so unwillingly.
He could note up with another exnation.
"If he was controlled, how was he controlled?" Kieran asked himself again.
Then he started to rearrange all the events in his mind.
"Jacks under-the-table funding led to the prison riot, and there were gunshots everywhere. Zywane must have heard the gunshots and headed there, thinking he might trigger a Sub Mission!"
"Then he must have identally discovered this "special" person. After Zywane had disyed his skills and strength, the old Master Thief here must also have showed some of his specialties, attracting Zywane and deceiving him into taking a vow. It was the vow that had taken control of Zywanes body!"
Kierans heart shivered. Zywane must have been an easy target as hed anxiously been looking for a Sub Mission. All the old Master Thief would have had to do was look too unpredictable and profound to understand, and offer Zywane enough benefits, and making him fall into his trap would have had a 90 percent chance of sess.
"Then..."
Kieran looked at the man on the floor and smirked.
If his spections were right, then he could draw another conclusion.
The person before Kieran had to be Gilfren Hatchs aplice or subordinate.
The shaman the old man had mentioned must not even have existed at all. The magic circle that protected him from the spirits and the correct way of taking a vow, everything must have been Gilfren Hatchs n.
The old man must have already pledged his allegiance to Gilfren Hatch from the first time they had met.
Kieran recalled the words of the old man and took a deep breath.
The old man had seemed very concerned about his encounter with Gilfren Hatch and how he had narrowly escaped from the clutch of death. Hed kept talking about that incident. Initially, Kieran had thought that the old man had been afraid, but now it seemed like it had just been a cover-up for the old mans tricks.
Still, his words must have had some truth to them as well.
His original goal must have been the one hed imed, except that when hed joined the heretics, he must have been discovered by Gilfren Hatch.
Then Hatch must have given him two options, either serve him or die.
Obviously the old man had chosen the former.
"In order for Gilfren Hatch to be reincarnated as a half-dead, he had to use the hundreds of prisoners in Alcatraz as leverage. Although the prisoners were not exactly innocent people, how could Gilfren Hatch forgive anyone who coveted him?"
"In fact, any normal person would also have had the urge to kill if their secret had been exposed by a stranger, let alone..."
Kieran kept thinking silently as he bent down his head and activated his [Tracking].
Its precise vision allowed Kieran to easily locate the final clue he needed in order to support his spections. Zywanes footprints.
He had been tracking Zywanes footprints all along the way and had already grown familiar with their shape. He could recognize them by just one look.
The set of footprints were heading in from the corridor and stopping at the spot Kieran was at, entering the cell and eventually leaving it to head towards the rest of the cell area.
After Zywane had encountered the old Master Thief, he must have entered his cell room as expected. In order to unlock the Sub Mission, he would have needed to find a certain item to make his vow.
After Zywane had finished his vow, he must have been possessed and involuntarily walked out, heading towards his final destination.
The ce Zywane must have headed to must have already been prepared by Gilfren Hatch to meet the requirements for the half-dead reincarnation ritual. The ce that the ritual had been held at must have had a secret passage that led to the main building of the prison.
The controlled Zywane must have returned to the building through the secret passage and entered Gilfren Hatchs cell room.
When Lawless had sted the cell room with his rocketuncher, Gilfren Hatch must have just finished his reincarnation ritual and takenplete control of Zywanes body.
From then on, Zywane had been considered dead.
"I was too careless!"
Kieran was upset by the facts before his eyes. He had not initially noticed the ws in the old mans words, even though they had been obvious.
"I must have lost my cool thinking about the potential rewards from solving the mystery! Greed really is one of the seven sins. It doesnt just blind ones logic, but it can cost ones life as well!"
Kieran mocked himself with a smile before his face suddenly turned stiff and serious.
He warned himself silently to remember this incident. He knew very well that this time he had been saved by his habit to not believe in others.
What about the next time, though?
Would he be as lucky if there was an even bigger reward ced before him?
This time, he had lost his calm because of Alcatrazs potential rewards, and the next time he would eventually be less cautious and careful because of a bigger reward.
He could not handle this. Zywanes fate had said it all, and Kieran did not want to follow in his footsteps.
A mild wind blew through the corridor and passed by Kieran, giving him a chill in an instant.
He noticed that his undershirt was soaked in sweat, but he didnt know since when.
The chilling sensation made Kieran recollect his thoughts. He looked down at the man on the floor. The old man was still waiting for Kierans answer.
It looked like the Master Thief had the situation under control. He seemed pretty confident that Kieran would agree to his proposition.
The only doubt he had left was why Gilfren Hatch had not appeared yet, but even if he did appear, the old man would not get to meet him.
Kieran squeezed the trigger of the [M1905] in his hand.
Bang!
Before the old man could react, his head was sted off by [Bullets of Blessing].
A faint purple glowing book appeared on the old mans dead body.
Chapter 91: The Gate
Chapter 91: The Gate
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
As Kieran picked up the special rank Skill Book, the system disyed the details before him.
[Skill Book Discovered: Mystical Knowledge]
[Learn? Yes/No?]
"Yes."
After Kieran confirmed the option, its details popped up.
[Skill Learned: Mystical Knowledge]
[Name: Mystical Knowledge]
[Rted Attributes: None]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effects: You have learned an extremely rare type of knowledge. It includes, but is not limited to, mythology, religion lore, mystical arts, special symbols, runes etc.]
[Consumes: None]
[Prerequisites: None]
[Remarks: You can read simple things regarding alchemy, potions, astrology, and mystical, beast-rted knowledge, but you are not really a master in any of them!]
...
The notification was followed by the synchronization process and knowledge transfer. To be precise, the knowledge of countless special symbols and icons was transferred into Kierans mind.
As he came back to his senses, he had already understood a lot of things that he had not known before.
One of them was the Grand Demonic Heptagram.
Using his memory,mon sense and logic, Kieran could tell that the symbols on the Grand Demonic Heptagram were around 41.
However, ording to the newly acquired [Mystical Knowledge] though, they only had three meanings.
Death, Soul, and Comply.
The two other pentagrams that were upside down were the decree for forgiveness, made to ensure the sess of the spell. However, Kieran still did not understand the scorpion-like symbol or the three spots that were different.
It seemed like that [Mystical Knowledge] level was not enough for him to venture any further.
It was still enough for him, though. He had not been blinded by the darkness so much as to know nothing.
Surely, his knowledge could be leveled up to a certain rank once he trod into the waters of the vast knowledge of mystical arts. In fact, he had already added that to his ns.
Kieran picked up the small, extremely thin wire that had been curled into a steel wire ball by the old Master Thief.
Once he held it in his hand, he noticed that it was very different from a normal one.
It was not just lighter in weight, but also far softer than hed imagined.
He could mold the ball into the size of a coin using his strength, but when he let go, it went back to normal. It was also longer than it looked. Kieran took both its ends and extended his arms, but still could not reach its limits.
What was more surprising, was that the small, hair-thin steel wire had incredible tensile strength. Even with his current strength, Kieran could not pull it apart. Not even the dagger could cut through it.
Kieran turned to the item information notification.
[Name: Deceivers Key]
[Type: Etc]
[Rarity: Great]
[Attacks: None]
[Attributes: Precision Lvl 2, Extension Lvl 2]
[Special Effects: None]
[Prerequisites: Lockpicking (Master), Agility E+]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: This key is made of very powerful beast hair. It was granted magical powers through alchemy, and became Carpals favorite tool. If you want to use it, make sure you have the necessary skills!]
...
[Precision Lvl 2: Lockpicking sess rate increases by 20%]
[Extension Lvl 2: It can extend its length twice as much [Original 2 meters, Total Stretched Length 6 meters]
......
A magical item!
The remarks about the [Deceivers Key] exined exactly what it was.
"What a decent reward!" Kieranmented.
Any kind of magical item would be worth such ament. If the old Master Thief, whose name had been Carpal, had been able to get his hands on such an item, then he definitely had not been someone to mess around with.
Kieran looked down at the old man, whose brains were sttered everywhere. If the man had still had a face, it would have had the restless expression of a dead man.
However, Kieran was more concerned about his brain matter and blood, which looked slightly darker than usual.
Obviously, that was not what the inside of a normal persons head was like. The old man must have undergone some kind of modification.
The thought of the strange half-dead possessing Zywanes body came up involuntarily. Carpal might not have reached that level yet, but he still might be a pain to deal with.
[Shooting, Bullets of Blessing: Lethal Attack, Inflicts 200 Damage to Targets HP (100 Firearm Weapon (Light Firearm (Pro)) X2]
[Bullets of Blessing: Inflict Extra 200 Damage to negative-energy Target, authentication deemed as lethal, Inflicts 400 Damage to Target HP, Target dies...]
[Lethal Attack: Impossible to defend against with any equipment or skill]
The battlelog notification let Kieran know that if hed had to face off against Carpal, it would have indeed been a hard fight.
Kierans D- Constitution equaled a 350 HP, so ording to these calctions, if Carpal had had a 400 HP, it would have equaled at least a D Rank Constitution.
If hed had a D Rank Constitution, his others stats might have been simr as well.
Taking into ount the [Mystical Knowledge] that Kieran had not known before, if Carpal used that as a method of offense, it would have been even harder to beat him.
Fortunately, Carpal had wanted to get rid of Kieran the easy way, or maybe Zywanes case had built up his confidence and made him believe that he could trick Kieran into falling into his trap.
Another possibility was that Carpal had needed another fool to carry his tasks out for him, which had eventually given Kieran the chance to kill him.
After inspecting Carpals body once again, Kieran kept the lesson Carpal had given him in his heart, and walked up to Starbeck, who had been waiting quietly not far away.
"Follow me!" Kieran said.
Although Starbeck had seen that Kieran had acquired a special rank Skill Book and what seemed to be a quite decent piece of equipment, he was not greedy. He did not even have the urge to ask what it was.
Starbecks goal was just to finish the Main Mission and gain three more months of safety.
What would happen after those three months, was another story.
He would eventually find a way to leave this damn game, and he would reign in his damn curiosity for good when he did.
Every time he remembered that he had entered this game out of curiosity, he felt instant regret over his actions. If he had known the games true nature, he would never even have touched it.
It was toote now, though.
All he hoped was that Broker would deliver on the promise he had made him.
Broker had guaranteed to keep his end of the deal, and Starbecks understanding of Broker made him believe that the man must have had a certain level of confidence in order to make a promise.
"Hope everything goes well!" Starbeck prayed silently.
When he came back to his senses, he realized he had been following Kieran for some time. Theyd already reached the beach outside Alcatraz Prison.
The two of them entered a hidden cave behind a reef. Starbeck did not ask Kieran how he had discovered the entrance.
After clearing four dungeons with men for hire, he knew that some men were destined to be different.
They could be right at home inside the damn game, while the rest of the yers got killed as the game progressed.
If it was not for his wealthy background, Starbeck might have died as well.
He knew that he had to rely on the wealth of his family to keep himself alive.
"Hold up!"
The voice of 2567 reached Starbecks ears. He halted and saw the two-timer carefully scanning their surroundings. Starbeck could not help but sigh.
He saw the shadows of many other veterans in Kieran.
Calm, precise, brave, and with a sufficient amount of luck.
It was all the virtues he had never had, though after this dungeon, he might be considered a veteran as well.
"The weakest veteran ever," Starbeck thought with a bitter smile.
Kieran had not noticed his smile. His attention was focused on the dark path ahead of him.
The ce where he stood was the main building of Alcatraz Prison. It would only take a flick of the switch before him for him to get to the first floor of the cell area.
Yet that was not what had captured Kierans attention. What he was looking at was the huge gate at the end of the passage.
Obviously, it was not what he had imagined. Hed thought it would be a ce that Gilfren Hatch had dug up temporarily toplete his ns, but the path and the gate had already been there for a long time.
It had just been a coincidence that Gilfren Hatch had discovered the ce when hed been locked up there and decided to use it in his n.
What was behind that gate then?
Kierans heart filled with curiosity.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
One of the skill that impact the progress most
Chapter 92: Strange
Chapter 92: Strange
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
What was behind the gate?
The thought bloomed up in Kierans mind and aroused his curiosity, but he did not go over straightaway.
He activated his [Tracking] and carefully looked around for any clues.
He discovered a total of four sets of footprints, his own, Starbecks, Zywanes and Carpals.
His, Starbecks, and Zywanes footprints were still fresh and clear, but Carpals were blurry, as if he hadnt been there for quite some time.
Still, that was not the point. The point was that between the spot that Kieran was standing at and the front of the gate, there were no traces on the path.
In other words, no one had gotten near the gate.
At least not in a while. If someone had, they must not have used amon way to reach it.
Had they flied?
Had they been in spirit form?
Kieran made guesses.
Even though the [Mystical Knowledge] he had acquired had only been at basic level, it had still been enough to broaden Kierans horizons.
The knowledge in his mind reminded him that those seemingly impossible ways were quite possible after all. Although he did not know the exact way, the thought was enough to make him check his surroundings for a specific contraption.
Kieran was more careful and precise in inspecting the area. After ten minutes, he confirmed that there was no contraption around.
Still, that did not mean that he could just walk through the gate.
"Ill go get some stones," Kieran told Starbeck.
"Ill help!" Starbeck quickly followed Kieran out.
He knew Kieran wanted to throw stones to check if the path was clear. Starbeck was not new to such methods. He had witnessed a couple of veterans using them, but it was the first time he had volunteered to help.
Obviously, the only reason he had was because he was too afraid to stay near the entrance, in that cold, dark ce, but he dared not say it.
Even though he knew he was a coward, saying it out loud was a different matter.
His pride still made him shy and embarrassed.
"I think youll be safer out here," Kieran said as he picked up a few stones. He had seen Starbecke out to help, and as his temporary guardian, he felt that he had to advise him.
"I think Ill be much safer by your side, 2567! My instinct is always urate!" Starbeck said stubbornly as he shook his head.
"You think youre some kind of animal whose instinct will make it tingle when its in danger? Or do you really think youre a mimosa nt after all?"
He did not care anymore. He just rolled his eyes at Starbeck.
He had said what he could and should say. Whether Starbeck took his advice or not was not up to him. He was just a short-term employee, not a full-time nanny.
Kieran turned his attention back to the uncharted path, using a slingshot to shoot the stones in his hands with his D- Rank Strength. The stones hit the solid floor, making a clear sound.
Kieran left a footprint for every half meter he walked between his original spot and the front of the gate.
There was no trap?
He was slightly surprised. Hed thought that such a ce would have been filled with traps, yet he had found nothing.
"Maybe this ce is not important?" he spected unconsciously.
He frowned over what he had discovered. After all, hed been hoping to find some extra rewards there.
Still, that did not stop him from venturing forward.
"Wait here!" he told Starbeck.
"I can help!" Starbeck said once again.
"Are you sure you can?"
Kieran turned his head around and looked at Starbeck with a forced smile on his face. Starbeck realized that he could see through his cowardice, and blushed.
"I really want to help!" he said in a low voice.
"Sometimes good intentions are not useful," Kieran replied.
Starbecks face fell in disappointment. He looked like a mimosa nt caressed by the wind. His thin leaves were blowing softly, ready to close up at any moment.
Kieran looked at his employers hopeless face. He could not help but sigh as he pointed outside the gate.
"Wait here. This is as far as you can go!"
"Oh... Okay." Starbeck nodded.
He went over to the spot designated by Kieran before Kieran turned to look at the gate.
After some inspection, he confirmed that there were no traps on it, and pushed it hard with his body, leaning against the gate.
As the gate was pushed open, Kieran leapt through to the other side.
Although he had confirmed that there were no traps on the gate, he was not sure whether opening it would not trigger any other traps, such as a downpour of arrows or some kind of metal-corroding acid.
Kieran was overthinking things.
Nothing happened when the gate was pushed open. No arrows or acid.
There was just a series of beating sounds.
A slow, powerful beat, beating rhythmically.
It sounded a little like a heartbeat.
A heartbeat?
Shocked by the sudden thought, Kieran looked inside the gate, and his jaw dropped.
Inside the spacious hall, there was a bronze lustrous coffin hanging in mid-air.
It was the size of a small truck, muchrger than amon coffin, and made out of metal. Lots of words and symbols were carved on it, symbols that a basic level of [Mystical Knowledge] could not decipher.
On top of the coffin, there were 13 metal chains wrapped around it like snakes with different levels of thickness. The thickest chain was as big as a grown mans thigh, and the thinnest one only as big as a babys little finger. Kierans exceptional vision allowed him to see the thinnest chain, although ordinary eyes would not have been able to see it.
The 13 chains were locked tightly around the bronze coffin, moving without wind. They were not making any noise.
There was only a reddish sparkle from time to time, signifying their unusual existence.
"Wha... What is this?"
Starbeck, who had been standing aside, had seen the scene as well. He was in awe. His cowardly personality did not even allow him to speak coherently.
"Hide!" Kieran suddenly shouted.
A series of formless waves suddenly started to ripple from the bronze coffin, and a human figure started to take shape on it.
Kieran took out his [M1905] and started shooting without a second thought.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Whats inside the coffin? Any guess?
Chapter 93: Fight
Chapter 93: Fight
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Although the figure was blurry, the bloody pattern on its face stood out.
It was the half-dead.
The one that was Zywanes body possessed by Gilfren Hatch.
Kieran didnt know why it would appear there, especially considering that Lawless, who was supposed to be fighting it, was missing as well. There was no death notification though, which meant that he still had to be alive.
Kieran was relieved. He did not hesitate in firing three shots.
[Shooting, Blessed Bullets: Inflicts 40 Damage to Target HP, Target is Immune to Lethal Attacks, Moderate Death Skin Skill, Resists 30 Damage; Blessed Bullets, Inflict Extra 100 Damage to Target HP, Authentication deemed as Lethal, Inflicts 110 Damage to Target...]
...
The sudden shooting seemed to frighten Gilfren Hatch. He could not have imagined that after getting rid of his persistent opponent and reaching this secret ce, he would have to face another attack.
It waspletely out of his expectations.
Yet even though he was surprised, he quickly came to his senses and his body, which had been in the middle of the formless ripples, turned in unimaginable ways to dodge the next bullets.
Hatch looked at Kieran with a vicious face that looked like a mix between a man and a monster.
Kieran remembered Lawlesss advice and quickly turned his head to avoid his gaze.
"Its you!" Hatchs coarse, dry voice was filled with rage.
Kieran replied with another shot of his gun.
Bang!
Gilfren Hatch had twist its body to dodge the iing bullet again.
It made him even madder, yet his rage was followed by confusion.
After so much delicate nning and hard work, he was finally going to be reincarnated as a legendary monster. He did not understand why these two kept getting in his way.
It seemed like both his opponents had an unusual amount of knowledge about the half-dead. Not only did they know his strong points, but they also knew his weaknesses and even find a way to restrain him.
Gilfren Hatch had managed to shake off the previous fellow, who had been wielding a rocketuncher with beyond superhuman strength, yet now he hade across hisrade, who was even more persistent and hard to deal with than him.
Gilfren Hatch might have had some trouble with the unusually strong fellow, but the current battle was far tougher than that one. It was causing him extreme pain.
The bullets that the man in front of him had fired felt as if they had beenced with poison. Gilfren Hatch felt his life energy slipping away.
He should have been able to withstand any kind of bullets and ignore their attack, yet he seemed to be threatened by the weapon in Kierans hand.
"Damn you!" Hatch shouted in that coarse, dry voice of his. He sounded vicious and vile, and his face was filled with blood patterns, wiggling and glowing brighter along with his rage.
Hatch raised his hands towards Kieran and brought up a powerful binding force.
Kieran was not able to dodge it in time. He tried to roll to the side, but he was still caught by its constraining force and pushed down to the floor with immense pressure.
Kieran was dragged off in mid air as Gilfren Hatch floated off the formless waves, descending slowly from the bronze coffin. Kieran floated towards him.
[Constraints: You are constrained by your enemy, Authenticating Strength... Authentication failed, unable to break free...]
[Constraints: You are constrained by your enemy, Authenticating Strength... Authentication failed, unable to break free...]
...
Kierans vision filled with battlelog notifications as Gilfren Hatch, who was not far from him, was waiting for him to get close with a vicious, vile smile on his face.
Kieran did not even want to imagine what would happen if he got close enough to Hatch. The oue would be nothing to look forward to.
He quickly opened up his character window.
[Points: 3,700; Skill Points: 1; Golden Skill Points: 0; Golden Attribute Points: 1]
Immediately, he added his Golden Attribute Point to his Strength. He didnt regret it. The very reason he had saved that Golden Attribute Point in the first ce had been in order to use it in desperate situations like the one before him.
[Using Golden Attribute Point...]
[Strength D- D]
Following the increase of his Strength, a stream of warm energy gushed out from his body. His already muscr body had be even stronger. Although his muscles were hidden underneath his clothes and there seemed to be no difference on the outside, he still felt the change clearly.
The fact that the constraining strength he had not been able to shake off just now had loosened up was proof enough. It was still very hard to get away from, but it was different than before, when he could not even budge. It gave Kieran a thin ray of hope as he clenched his teeth and struggled to free himself from his constraints.
Kierans heart was beating faster, and his blood was circting all over his body, stimting his muscles and making them tighten up. In an instant, he felt as if his body had expanded by one size.
"Struggle all you want! Only through struggle will you understand despair! And you deserve to feel desperate!" Gilfren Hatchughed as he watched Kieran struggling to break free from his constraints.
Kierans thin body structure made Hatch think he could never break free. In other words, he thought he was amb heading for ughter. Just like the heretics who once followed him before they were killed.
Foolish mortals! With such ament in his heart for his own followers, Hatch made himself look very high on top and waiting for Kieran to approach him with his next attack prepared.
Hatch wanted to rip Kieran into pieces to vent his anger.
However, he suddenly realized that his constraints were broken.
How was that possible?
Hatch opened his eyes wide and looked at Kieran, who was about to pull the trigger, with an incredulous expression.
Hatchs face was filled with a vicious, vile expression once again as he aimed at Kierans chest and punched him.
Under the circumstances, Hatch was a sitting duck. He would be unable to dodge the iing bullets, no matter how fast he was.
The fact that he could not dodge them though did not mean that he was willing to give up. He would rather get hurt than die. Kieran was the one who would die.
Kierans [M1905] fired nkly at Gilfren Hatchs forehead at the same time that Hatchs punchnded hard on his chest.
A ck stter of blood appeared on the mans forehead, while the punch on Kierans chest was blocked by an invisible barrier.
For three seconds, [Primus Scale] had provided Kieran with a defensive barrier stronger than any protective equipment.
Kierans ck leather gauntlet was shining as he looked at Gilfren Hatchs stunned expression and said coldly, "The thing I hate most is despair!"
As his words faded, Kierans [M1905], which was still pointed at Gilfren Hatchs forehead, was fired once again.
Bang!
Gilfren Hatchs forehead was sttered with ck blood once more.
Chapter 94: Frenzy
Chapter 94: Frenzy
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Kierannded two consecutive shots on Gilfren Hatchs head.
His head, which had be iparably solid after his reincarnation into a half-dead, was deformed from the repeated shots. That wasnt enough to kill him, though.
[Shooting, Blessed Bullets: Inflict 50 Damage to Target HP, Target is Immune to Lethal Attacks, Moderate Death Skin Skill, Resists 30 Damage; Blessed Bullets, Inflict Extra 100 Damage to Target HP, Authentication deemed as Lethal, Inflicts 120 Damage to Target...]
[Shooting, Blessed Bullets: Inflict 50 Damage to Target HP, Target is Immune to Lethal Attacks, Moderate Death Skin Skill, Resists 30 Damage; Blessed Bullets, Inflict Extra 100 Damage to Target HP, Authentication deemed as Lethal, Inflicts 120 Damage to Target...]
...
The three shots Kieran had fired dealt a total of 350 damage to the half-deads HP, but it was only enough to force it into a Moderate Wounded Status.
Such a debuff would not affect Gilfren Hatch.
On the contrary, the half-dead before Kieran seemed to have entered a special mode. It became even more furious, the bloody patterns on its face burning bright as it roared loudly. The punch thatnded on Kierans chest was infused with even more strength, sting Kieran with immense power.
Boom!
As the extremely strong barrier of [Primus Scale] was crushed to bits by the punch, Kieran was forced to back off a couple meters.
Gilfren Hatch followed up with an even stronger punch than the previous one.
Kieran could feel the pressure before the punch had evennded on him, the wind hurting his face like a knife cut.
The punch was both powerful and fast. It was actually so fast that before Kieran could even dodge, it had already reached his chest.
Kieran dared not underestimate the damage that such a punch could inflict.
The previous one had already broken through the [Primus Scale]s defensive barrier, and the iing punch was far stronger. Despite his 350 HP, Kieran would not be able to survive the hit.
He had no way to dodge it, though. The punch was already in front of him.
He just clenched his teeth and tried to take it.
"Die!" Gilfren Hatch shouted as he watched Kierans final struggle.
The infuriated half-dead could not wait to taste the blood of his enemy. He had been assaulted by Kieran earlier after all.
Hatchs powerful punchnded hard on Kieran, as if he wanted to punch him through the chest.
Boom!
The heavy blownded on him, blood spilling out of Kieran mouth.
An item fell off in mid-air as he was punched.
It was his [M1905], its shapepletely deformed and broken.
Kieran was not able to dodge. He had chosen to just take the punch, but that did not mean that he wanted it tond on his chest.
Even the [T1 Bulletproof Vest] would not do him any good. He had already experienced the powerful blow of Gilfren Hatchs punches and he knew it would be suicidal if he took one on his chest.
If one piece of equipment was not enough though, what about two? Or even three?
Kieran had more than three pieces of equipment on his body.
As Kierans thoughts shed like lightning, he felt the [M1905] in his right hand and the [Primus Arm] on his left.
The system had stated that the [M1905] was only an offensive weapon, but it had not stated that he could not use its metal body for defense.
If the [M1905] could not be used for defense though, [Primus Arm] would no doubt be the strongest defensive equipment that he had.
[Primus Arm] was already legendary equipment, so its defensive power was incredibly strong.
As Kieran had to withstand an immensely strong punch from the half-dead though, he made the effort to move [Primus Arm] onto his chest and put the [M1905] on top of [Primus Arm], forming a special line of defense.
The result proved him right. Although the [M1905] and the [T1 Bulletproof Vest] werepletely destroyed, he managed to survive the punch.
[Punching: Target inflicts 450 Damage to your HP, Defensive equipment blocked 300 Damage, 150 True Damage inflicted to HP, Moderately Wounded Status...]
[Moderately Wounded Status: Strength, Agility, Intuition down by one rank]
[T1 Bulletproof Vest destroyed]
[M1905 destroyed]
...
After all the guessing about the damage that the punch could inflict, the system battlelog notified Kieran that it was capable of a 450 damage.
Kieran would have really kicked the bucket if it were not for the triple line of defense of the [M1905], the [T1 Bulletproof Vest] and [Primus Arm].
Although he had just escaped deaths grasp, things were still not looking good for him.
The [Moderately Wounded Status] debuff took effect, lowering his stats by one.
Kieran, who had been punched in mid-air, was still in mortal danger. Gilfren Hatch had already thrown himself towards Kieran with a loud roar, like a vicious beast hunting its prey.
Even Kierans original stats had been no match for Hatch, let alone his lowered ones. Still hanging in mid-air, and without any way to block or dodge the iing attack, Kieran had to face it head on again.
This time he didnt have the aid of the [M1905] or the [T1 Bulletproof Vest] though, and [Primus Arm] alone could not prevent him from suffering a huge amount of damage.
To add insult to injury, Gilfren Hatch did not just unleash a single punch. He used both his hands as he leapt towards Kieran, wanting to tear him apart with his bare hands.
When Hatch was within two or three meters, Kieran waved his right hand and instantly brought up a thin, light metal wire, throwing it towards one of the metal chains on the coffin.
It was the [Deceivers Key].
The magical item allowed Kieran to alter his course in mid-air, the wiretching onto the metal chain. Kieran swung towards the coffin, dodging Gilfren Hatchs attack.
Kieran managed to avoid the attack, the strength of his hand pulling his body as if he was flying towards the coffin. After a mid-air flip, Kierannded on the metal chain.
As he was flipping in the air, he pulled out two grenades and removed the pins, throwing them towards Gilfren Hatch with all his might.
"Return!" Gilfren Hatch shouted as he saw the two grenades flying towards him.
The fiery red pattern on his face glowed even brighter, and with a loud shout, a shockwave sent the two grenades back to Kieran, who was standing on the metal chain.
Kieran leapt off the chain without a second thought as the grenades flew towards him. He did not possess the skills of the half-dead.
Boom! Boom!
Both grenades exploded on the metal chain, causing a series of loud bangs as the chains hit against each other.
The chain was dazzling with red sparkles, lighting up after the explosion and turning a fiery red color.
The chain reaction caused the heartbeat inside the bronze coffin to beat louder and stronger.
As the sound reached Kierans ears, he suddenly felt an extremely painful, suffocating feeling on his chest.
It felt like his heart was being squeezed out.
Kieran spit a mouthful of fresh blood, but the blood did not fall on the floor. It flew right on the bronze coffin instead,cing over its surface.
The coffin absorbed Kierans blood at an incredible speed.
[Fear: You are within range of your Targets Fear, Your Spirit did not pass the authentication, and a concussion was caused to your body, 100 damage inflicted to your HP...]
[Tribute: Your blood has activated a special magical spell within the coffin...]
[While the spell is active, your HP will decrease by 1 point per second...]
[HP lower than 30%, Heavily Wounded Status...]
[Heavily Wounded Status: Strength, Agility, and Intuition decreasing by three ranks]
A series of notifications popped up in Kierans vision, but he had no time to care about any of them.
He knew that his HP was depleting every second. If he did not leave the area fast, he would die. He did not have much time left.
[HP: 97]
Kieran nced over his depleting HP as he ran quickly towards the exit. He didnt even give a damn about Gilfren Hatch, who had also copsed.
Suddenly, Kieran had to stop. Hatch, who had also been induced by the unusual Fearing from the coffin, had stood up again and was blocking Kierans exit.
He looked even worse than Kieran. Maybe the Fear had dealt a significant damage to his body, or his special trance had worn off and hed entered a weaker status.
Kieran could not confirm any of those theories, but he noticed that the bloody pattern on Hatchs face had lost its fiery glow. Without the red lustrous color on his face, Hatch looked like a rotting corpse.
His body looked exhausted, yet his manner and expression had gotten even more frenzied.
"This is a gift from our ancient ancestors! It is you who will perish!" Hatch shouted.
Kieran looked at the half-dead with a bitter expression. He could not determine what form he was in, but one thing was for sure. The half-dead would not rest until he had killed Kieran.
What options did Kieran have left?
The [Primus Arm] shined on his left wrist.
Activate [Primus Crush]!
Activate [Primus Greed]!
Chapter 95: Restraint
Chapter 95: Restraint
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The shine formed an energy flow that surrounded Kierans left hand like water.
He felt as if his hand had been enforced like a sword and shield, and be indestructible.
The power of [Primus Crunch] had empowered him immensely. Although he knew it was because of the skill, the sudden surge of energy made him hallucinate because he was not familiar with it yet. It was the first time he was feeling like this, and he could not help but let out a cry.
His cry burst out like waves, echoing around the area.
Suddenly, a colossal mirage formed behind Kierans body along with his cry. The white mirage had scales on it and had opened up its mouth, which was big enough to swallow a car.
A faint yet heavy roar produced by the mirage merged with Kierans cry.
Scarlet red eyes formed on the mirage as it roared and gazed at its prey.
It was the Colossal Crocodile Primus!
When Kieran activated [Primus Greed], its soul, which was fused together with [Primus Arm], had been unleashed back into the world.
Kieran was able to grasp its unique form and immense power and disy its destructive ability.
He sliced Gilfren Hatch with his left hand. Startled by the sudden appearance of Primus, Hatch did not dodge the attack.
A bloody wound formed on his body, which was immune to normal sword or knife attacks.
His ck blood sttered all over Kierans left hand.
Ayer of scarlet energy simr to the red color of Primus eyes surrounded Kierans left hand and expelled the ck blood on his hand, leaving a purified life energy that went into Kierans body.
[Primus Crunch: Inflicts 20 Damage to Target HP, Targets Immunity to Lethal Attacks and Moderate Death Skin Skill could not surpass the power of Primus Crunch, 20 Damage inflicted to Target HP...]
[Primus Greed: Inflicts 20 Damage to Target HP, Steals 2 Life Points...]
"Immunity to Lethal Attacks and Moderate Death Skin Skill could not surpass Primus Crunch?"
Feeling his HP recovering, Kieran checked the battlelog notification, his eyes shining.
Suddenly, he went into frenzy mode as well, unleashing a barrage of attacks towards Gilfren Hatch.
Left [Primus Crunch] and right [Lightning Tigers Finger]!
Lines of scarlet red energy and lightning filled the space, creating a flurry of attacks.
The wind produced from Kierans attacks engulfed Gilfren Hatchpletely.
Hatch, who had once again received damage from Kieran, became even more frenzied.
The heavily wounded half-dead had quit dodging and chosen to fight hand-to-hand with Kieran.
Hatch was confident that, using his bodys special attributes, he would emerge victorious from the fight.
The two of them looked like reckless, boorish fighters as they exchanged punches, blood and flesh sttering everywhere.
However, after only a couple of seconds, Gilfren Hatchs body was filled with wounds and he could barely stand up properly. His movements were getting slower, and his consciousness was fading. All he remembered was that he needed to win, so he kept on fighting.
Kieran was not feeling all that well either, but he did not slow down in his attacks, his eyes filling with even more craziness.
Since [Primus Crunch] surpassed both skills of the half-dead, he purposely aimed at Hatchs weak spots.
Hatch was showing signs of weakening, so Kieran pushed him over and rode over the half-dead, unleashing a barrage of vicious attacks on Hatchs head.
The heavy blows keptnding on the half-deads head until it was unable to move. Only then did Kieran finally stop.
The whole fightsted only about six to seven seconds.
As a matter of fact, Hatch was already exhausted. He had used up most of his strength in the 350 damage that Kieran had inflicted on him and had entered a [Heavily Wounded Status].
Although he had some kind of special mode that allowed him to ignore the negative effects of the [Heavily Wounded Status], he could not ignore the fact that his HP was gradually dropping.
ording to the 30% HP decrease, Gilfren Hatchs maximum HP was around 500.
After the 350 damage that Kieran had dealt though, he only had about 150 HP left.
With the empowerment of [Primus Crunch], one hit from Kieran could inflict 20 damage to the half-dead, and that was not even on its weak spots.
Kieran had unleashed more than ten punches, and most of them hadnded on Hatchs head.
Although Kieran had also taken a dozen hits, without his special mode, Hatchs punches were not as strong. In fact, they were barely stronger than amon mans. Kieran was still able to withstand that kind of attack, but if [Primus Greed] had not granted him those Life Points, he would have died as well.
[Primus Crunch: Inflicts 20 Damage to Target HP, Targets Immunity to Lethal Attacks and Moderate Death Skin Skill could not surpass the power of Primus Crunch, 40 Damage Inflicted to Target HP (20 Hand-to-Hand Combat Pro) X2, Target dies...]
[Primus Greed: Inflicts 40 Damage to Target HP, Steals 4 Life Points...]
...
The battlelog notification notified Kieran that he was the victor of the fight.
The Colossal Crocodile Primus roared loudly, as if it were undefeatable, and the mirage of its figure dispersed into thin air.
The 10-second limit of [Primus Crunch] was up, and so was [Primus Greed], which was a follow-up skill of the former.
Gilfren Hatchs body fell to the ground and started to deteriorate rapidly like a melting candle.
As his body melted away, a faint orange glow ring appeared within the puddle of goo.
Kieran quickly grabbed the ring and dashed out of the area. He remembered that the [Tribute] magical effect was still in effect.
When he rushed out of the hall and through the gate, a notification popped up in his vision.
[Leaving area of influence...]
[Tribute Effect disappears...]
He had felt his life energy slipping away before, and now he felt relieved to be alive. He turned around and looked back at the hall.
He saw the ck and red goo that was Gilfren Hatch fly into the bronze coffin hanging in the air. Within the blink of an eye, it was absorbed by the coffin.
As Hatch was absorbed, the chains and heartbeat of the coffin went back to how theyd been when Kieran had discovered them.
At the same time, a system notification popped up.
[yer has finished the Main Mission: Solve the mysteries in the prison within one week]
[yers will leave the dungeon in 5 minutes...]
[Please take whatever items you wish to keep with you.]
[Note: Any items that exceed the maximum weight will be discarded!]
.....
Starbeck shouted in joy. This was what he had been waiting for.
Kieran saw the notification and his expression turned bitter. He looked at the bronze coffin deliberately. He knew there were more secrets in it than he had discovered, and much greater rewards.
Such rewards woulde with a risk that Kieran was not willing to take, though.
He had already lost 100 HP by being induced with Fear. No matter what was inside the coffin, it was not something he could afford to provoke.
Kieran clenched his teeth as he looked regretfully at the closed coffin. He did not want to lose his life because of greed.
He quickly walked out with a sense of regret.
Starbeck, on the other hand, had been observing Kierans movements. He was afraid that Kieran would recklessly provoke something that he should not.
He saw Kieran heading somewhere as the dungeon wasing to an end. "Where are you going?" he asked curiously.
"Topensate for my losses!" Kieran replied without even turning back.
He quickly disappeared from Starbecks line of sight.
Chapter 96: Special Reward
Chapter 96: Special Reward
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Kieran materialized back in his lobby room inside the game with two light machine guns.
He shook his head, trying to get rid of the weightlessness.
When everything returned to normal, he looked down at thepensation he had gotten during hisst moments in the dungeon.
[Name: WK-22]
[Type: Firearm]
[Rarity: Great]
[Attack: Great]
[Ammunition: 100 rounds ]
[Attributes: None]
[Special Effects: None]
[Prerequisites: Firearm Weapons (Medium Firearm Weapons (Entry))]
[Able to bring out of dungeons: Yes]
[Remarks: You will need 5.56 mm bullets and a certain level of shooting skill to use it!]
...
From the moment Kieran and co. had set foot on Alcatraz, he hadid eyes on the two light machine guns on the outer wall of the prison.
After confirming that he had cleared the dungeon and was about to leave, hed abandoned the coffin and its unknown risk, and somehow gotten his hands on the two light machine guns hed remembered.
No one had stopped Kieran. Only the Warden, the doctor and a couple of guards had been left in the prison, and they all had been too scared to care about what Kieran did.
Yet Kieran still had some trouble getting his hands on hispensation.
Hed had to drag his heavily wounded body to the outer wall of the prison within the limited time frame that he had.
The distance between the reef area and the outer wall had been two kilometers, and the two light machine guns had been on the north and south side of the wall respectively.
If Kieran had been at his strongest, he would not have minded the distance. He would have been able to secure the loot in a couple of minutes.
However, Kieran had had to risk his life to get the two light machine guns, what with his Heavily Wounded Status debuff, and his Strength, Agility and Intuition decreased by three ranks.
His D- Rank Agility had dropped to E. Although that was above average, things had still been very hard for him.
Despite the debuff, his urge to survive had not diminished, especially before the rewards within his grasp. He always made the most of every situation, and he had eventually managed to grab the two [WK-22]s.
His rewards were not just what hed taken out of his pocket, though.
The faint orange glow had already faded from the ring, which was ck and made of metal.
A pea-sized ruby was embedded on it, and the dazzling sparkle of the ruby was like an enshrouding mist, giving it a beautiful, elegant appearance.
Its beautiful look aside though, Kieran was more concerned about the rings attributes.
[Name: Half-Deads Gaze]
[Type: essory]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: None]
[Attributes: 1. Dead Mans Gaze; 2. Fear Illusions]
[Special Effects: None]
[Prerequisites: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: Gilfren Hatch had been siphoning the hidden power within Alcatraz, sessfully being reincarnated as a half-dead. However, that was just the beginning of his ns. Hatch wanted more of that hidden power. It was too bad that the immense power of Alcatraz made him lose his calm and eventually led to his demise. This very ring is proof of your victory against the half-dead!]
.....
[Dead Mans Gaze: Whenever this skill is active, every living being thates in eye contact with you will have to go through a Spirit authentication. Their Spirit cannot be lower than yours. Those who do not pass the authentication will be induced with a Fear Debuffsting one second, 3 times/day]
[Fear Illusions: When an opponent has been induced with a Fear Debuff, they have to go through a Spirit and Intuition authentication. Their spirit cannot be lower than yours by -2 Ranks and their Intuition cannot be lower than yours by -1 Rank. Any opponent that passes through both authentications will be immune to the effect; any opponent that passes through one of the authentications will receive damage the same rank as your Spirit rank; any opponent that does not pass either authentication will receive damage the same rank as your Spirit rank +1]
...
The rings attributes reminded Kieran of his first encounter with Gilfren Hatch as a half-dead.
From what he remembered though, those skills were a little different than the half-deads had been.
The gaze of the real half-dead had been induced with [Fear] and [Delusion] at the same time, but the [Half-Deads Gaze] required a trigger for its skills to be activated.
Gilfren Hatchs skill set seemed better, but without any urate information on his skills, Kieran could notpare the pros and cons of the two skill sets.
One thing was for sure, though. The [Half-Deads Gaze] was rted to the Spirit, so without a high level of Spirit, it would serve no purpose to its wearer, despite the fact that it was a rare piece of equipment.
The second part of the description stated that there was an Intuition authentication, but it had to be triggered by the [Dead Mans Gaze], and the former skill was solely relying on Spirit to be utilized to its fullest.
Kieran quickly scanned through his own Spirit stats.
[Spirit: E]
An above average rank, but definitely not something worth mentioning, especiallypared to his D+ Intuition, which made it look weak inparison.
Kieran frowned. He did not want a worthless piece of equipment.
"To fully utilize the [Half-deads Gaze] Ill need to find some skill that can boost my Spirit! The price, though..."
His brows locked even tighter as the price came into the equation.
Although he had not asked Lawless about the price of skills that could raise his Spirit, judging by the results of his previous three dungeons, only [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] had a rted attribute, and even that wasnt enough to justify its value.
He was slightly relieved when he saw his dungeon rewards.
It was his second personal dungeon and first team dungeon, and his ratings were as follows.
[Second Dungeon: Prison on the Ind]
[Dungeon Type: Free World]
[Dungeon Difficulty: Below Average]
[Main Mission: Solve the mysteries in the prison within one week]
[Mission Completed: 100% (Rating F)]
[Sub Mission 1: Poison]
[Mission Completed: 100% (Rating FE)]
[Sub Mission 2: Unexpected Killer]
[Mission Completed: 100% (Rating ED)
[Sub Mission 3: Hidden Aplices]
[Mission Completed: 100% (Rating DC)]
[Battle Performance: Very Active (Rating CB)]
[Exploration Performance: Normal]
[Special Rating 1: Fast Dungeon Time (Rating BA)]
[Special Rating 2: Eliminated Carpal (Rating AS)]
[Special Rating 3: Eliminated Gilfren Hatch the Half-Dead (Rating SSS)]
[Acquired Title: Ghost Buster, Eliminated a hundred wandering formless souls (Rep +1)]
[Ghost Buster: When active, +5% Damage and Defense against enemies in spirit form, Small chance of inducing Fear. Some areas will wee you, while others will expel you!]
[yer dungeon entry number lower than dungeon average dungeon entry number: Rating +1 (SSSSS)]
[Calcting yer second dungeon rewards...]
[Final yer rewards are as follows....]
[Points: 15,000; Skill Points: 10; Golden Skill Points: 1; Golden Attribute Points: 1]
[Acquired Special Dungeon Entry: The Shamans Partner]
[yer is Heavily Wounded, Heal up? Yes/No]
"Yes!"
After Kieran chose to heal, he stared at the newly acquired Special Dungeon [The Shamans Partner].
He was staring at it with his full attention. Not even the continuous pings of the messages could distract him.
Chapter 97: Special Dungeon
Chapter 97: Special Dungeon
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
As Kieran stared at the [Special Dungeon: The Shamans Partner], the system provided the dungeons details.
[Final yer Rating SSS, Acquired Special Dungeon]
[Special Dungeon: The Shamans Partner]
[The Shamans Partner: Your performance in Alcatraz Prison has caught the attention of a shaman on the West Coast. You have been invited by the shaman to work as his assistant to solve several puzzling mysteries...]
[Main Mission: Starts after entering the dungeon]
[Remark 1: The Shamans Partner and Prison on the Ind exist in the same universe.]
[Remark 2: The Special Dungeon will not be counted towards the dungeon entries of the yer.]
[Remark 3: The Special Dungeon difficulty will be the same as the dungeon where the yer acquired the Special Dungeon.]
[Remark 4: The Special Dungeon requires the yer to clear a single yer or team dungeon. After the cooldown resets, it will automatically begin.]
[Remark 5: The Special Dungeon has a single yer or team dungeon option. A team dungeon will grant all teammates the same authority. They will work on the same side as the initiator and the Main Mission difficulty will be determined ording to the different dungeon entry numbers of the yers.]
[Remark 6: If the yer fails the Main Mission of the Special Dungeon, they will have to suffer a penalty equal to the yers current dungeon entries.]
...
The lines of description that appeared in Kierans vision made him raise his eyebrows.
The acquisition of the Special Dungeon had been totally unexpected, but Kieran was still aware of its value.
The line that said The Special Dungeon will not be counted towards the dungeon entries of the yer was enough to convince Kieran.
Even without the benefit of that specific line though, the fact that the Special Dungeon difficulty was the same as the level of difficulty of the dungeon where the yer had acquired the Special Dungeon was a big enough advantage.
For example, if a yer had acquired the Special Dungeon in their fourth dungeon, and then went into cooldown, the yer would enter a Special Dungeon of fourth-time difficulty with a fifth-time strength and power. No doubt, that was good news for all the yers.
The same applied in Kierans case. He had entered the fourth-time team dungeon with his second-time dungeon strength and power, so when the Special Dungeon was avable, Kieran would enter a Special Dungeon of second-time difficulty with a third-dungeon strength and power.
It was delightful news. Kieran knew that ording to the previous example, after a yer cleared a sixth-time single yer or team dungeon, initiated the Special Dungeon and cleared it, they would have the rating of a sixth-time yer and when they entered the seventh official dungeon, thanks to the remark The Special Dungeon will not be counted towards the dungeon entries of the yer, the difficulty of the official dungeon would still be that of a sixth-time dungeon.
Obviously, given the right chance and timing, if a yer cleared a Special Dungeon, they would have an extra advantage on their next dungeon.
A Special Dungeon could actually trigger a beneficial long-term growth pattern.
But was that really possible?
Kieran recovered from his surprise and carefully read the first line, which stated that The Shamans Partner and Prison on the Ind exist in the same universe.
The term "same universe" had already caused many spections to form in Kierans mind. He naturally he remembered that he had taken two light machine guns with him when hed left the dungeon.
If he entered a dungeon in the same universe, they would definitely cause him some unwanted trouble.
Kieran had the confidence to handle it though, so it would not be a big deal.
In fact, it also served as a reminder for him. He had only taken two light machine guns this time, so he had lots of ways to deal with the consequences, but what if it had been something of incredible value and hede across his remaining enemies again?
There would be an unpredictable situation once Kieran went back into the Special Dungeon, and old obstacles might cause a chain reaction and increase the difficulty of the Main Mission.
"So is that one of the disadvantages of the Special Dungeon?" Kieran mumbled.
The thought of the bronze coffin popped in his mind once again.
"So I still have a chance!"
Kieran smirked a little, his mood improving.
If there was anything that Kieran regretted from thest dungeon, it was that he had missed the chance to investigate the inside of the bronze coffin. If that opportunity was presented to him again, he would be very happy.
However, he was also aware that in order to fully investigate the bronze coffin, he would need to have enough strength and power. Given his current power level, even if he went back inside the dungeon, he might not have what it took to investigate it.
He needed to increase his strength, and the quickest way to do that was by using his Points and Skill Points. He brought up his character window right away.
[Points: 18,700; Skill Points: 11; Golden Skill Points: 1; Golden Attribute Points: 1]
His second dungeon rating had replenished his points to a considerable level, yet it was still not enough.
Upgrading Pro Level [Hand-to-Hand Combat] to Grand Master cost 8,000 Points and 4 Skill Points, and upgrading Pro Level [Tracking] to Grand Master required a hefty amount of 12,000 Points and 8 Skill Points. The same went for [Mystical Knowledge], which was on the same special rank as the previous skills.
Kieran had looked up the cost of upgrading [Mystical Knowledge] from Basic to Entry Level, and it was 1,000 Points.
It was much more expensivepared to [Tracking], which belonged in the same category, and even more expensivepared to other normal skills.
If he wanted to upgrade [Mystical Knowledge] to a certain level, the cost would be a big burden.
He still had other skills to upgrade as well, so the Points and Skill Points he currently had were insufficient.
Even Starbecks payment could not cover his expenses.
Kieran turned his attention to the newly acquired [WK-22] and the 4 pieces of [Soul Shard]s.
"I hope I can get a good price for these!"
As he thought about it, Kieran opened up his inbox, which had been pinging nonstop ever since he hade back to the lobby.
It was Starbeck and Lawless flooding his mailbox.
Starbeck was expressing his gratitude for Kierans services and stating that he would like to coborate with Kieran again after three months. He had transferred the remaining 10,000 Points and the extra fee of 5,000, so Kieran had gotten a total of 15,000 Points.
Kieran smiled and quickly epted Starbecks generosity.
Starbeck was quite a nice person if one overlooked the cowardly nature that made him an ipetent teammate.
It was not worth adopting the mimosa-like child of another parent.
Starbeck had left the team, and the number of teammates had decreased from the original six to five. There was only Lawless left in the chatroom, spamming Kieran with messages.
No doubt, it was his bragging that was causing the non stop pinging. Kieran turned his chat on, and messages starting pouring in like rain.
...
Lawless: Goddamn it ! I was tricked!
Lawless: That ass trapped me inside one of the dungeons!
Lawless: How did u kill him?
Lawless: When that guy was reincarnated into a half-dead, he was not that bright anymore, but his power level increased like crazy!
Lawless: Not an easy opponent to deal with!
Lawless: I said that I will bring u victory, but I failed!
Lawless: Next time! Follow me and I will bring u victory while u lean back and rx!
(From his concern about the dungeon to his self-boasting BS, this was typical, noisy Lawless. Fortunately, Kieran was already familiar with his personality.)
2567: See how much these are worth.
(Kieran screenshotted both the [WK-22]s and the 4 pieces of [Soul Shard]s and sent them over to Lawless)
Lawless: !!!!!!!
Lawless: I had my eyes on those [WK-22]s from early on! I was nning on grabbing them before we left!
Lawless: That f**king bastard!
Lawless: I hate that half-dead!
Lawless: The Soul Shards are good items!
Lawless: There are veterans that would dly pay extra Points and Skill Points for them.
(Lawless started to BS him about stuff again, but Kieran stopped him.)
2567: So how much are these worth?
Lawless: The secret bazaar is opening soon. Why dont u wait for it?
2567: What about the GW between the Steam City and the Iron Chariots?
Lawless: Rx, it wont go on for much longer. U think that when u start a war within the game, the game wont tax u? Every hour that goes by costs a heavy amount of points! Those two bastards might be rich, but theyre not stupid. This has been going on for a whole day, so every squabble should be finished soon. Face was lost and goals were met, but everything will eventually be over.
...
At Lawless words, Kieran realized what he had to do next.
Between an offer from one person and offers from a group of yers, even an idiot would know what was better for business.
"The secret bazaar?" Kieran mumbled in anticipation and curiosity.
Chapter 98: Secret Bazaar
Chapter 98: Secret Bazaar
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
After a night of rest to relieve his mental fatigue, Kieran had to eat fast food again to fill his stomach. The taste of the food was like sending his tongue straight down to hell. After his daily routine, he logged into the game once again.
When he was inside, it was just as Lawless had predicted. The guild war between the Steam City and the Iron Chariots had stopped, and so had the constant gunshots and explosions.
When Kieran walked towards the lobby door, he discovered that the notifications were different as well.
[Do you wish to leave the lobby? Yes/No]
"Yes!"
[Do you wish to camouge your looks? Yes/No]
"Yes!"
After agreeing to both options with a clear voice, the iron door before Kieran slowly opened up. As the door began to move, a ray of sunshine bathed Kieran in warmth, and a light, cool breeze hit him.
Kieran opened his eyes wide and looked at his new surroundings.
Although Lawless had already exined to him in detail what the environment of the open world outside the yers lobby was like, Kierans jaw still dropped in awe when he witnessed it himself.
Under the dazzling sun, the two-tailed g on the big old castle was moving against the wind.
The ss on the skyscrapers reflected the sunlight on the streets, shedding light down on the busy road.
A pitch ck steam-powered train with dozens of cabins was running on the rails, shuttling back and forth between the streets.
There were all kinds of oddly dressed people on the streets. Some were unarmed, while others had swords on their waists or guns on their shoulders. Some were wearing long ck robes, while others were wielding shields as tall as men.
However, under the protection of the system, all the faces of the yers had been blurred off slightly. Even if one had exceptional vision, they still wouldnt be able to see the faces of the yers under thatyer of blurriness.
Kieran was also protected by that function, just like everybody else.
Carrying a huge backpack, he turned around and looked at his own house. It looked the same from the outside, so he did not give it another thought.
Whether looking at it from the outside or the inside, it was still nothing more than a broken warehouse. It could even possibly be considered abandoned.
Yes, his house looked like an abandoned warehouse to anyone whoid eyes on it.
There was also an address te on it saying "13th Wallway Street".
After memorizing his own address, Kieran took off for the designated location of his meeting with Lawless.
He didnt go on foot. He took the public transportation that he had seen moments before, the vehicle that looked like a steam-powered train.
It was only simr to one, because other than its steam-powered front, the rest of its parts had nothing inmon with an ordinary train, certainly not when it came to speed orfort.
Kieran boarded the vehicle at a train stop. He walked to an empty, spacious cabin, and settled down on a wide,fortable couch. He felt quite satisfied as he squinted his eyes infort.
However, he had not forgotten Lawless advice. He needed to quickly enter the address of his destination on the LED screen and wait for the conductor to find the fastest route for him.
Even when yers were out of the dungeon, they were not granted teleporting abilities. Other than walking, the only other way to reach another ce was by taking public transportation.
It was the only other option provided to the yers, but fortunately it was free of charge.
If a yer had enough time, they could cruise around the whole city without paying a dime.
Kieran did not have the luxury of time, but he still did not mind enjoying the scenery outside his window.
The images flew past, forming a line of rainbow light. If Kierans D+ Intuition had not granted him exceptional vision, he would not have been able to see a thing outside at the speed that he was travelling.
However, Kieran had the privilege of enjoying every single one of the buildings and sights outside his window.
He was enjoying the scene in satisfaction as the spacious cabin was not hosting any other yers at the moment.
After about a quarter of an hour, the conductor gave a notice to its only passenger.
[yer 2567 has reached his destination. Please disembark!]
The sudden notification that popped up in his vision prevented him from further enjoying the scenery or thatfortable couch. He stood up, took his luggage and got off the train.
The train did not leave immediately after Kierans disembarkment. It departed after about three minutes. If Kieran had still been aboard the train, the conductor might have had to reschedule its journey for him.
Kieran looked around his destination and spotted Lawless not far from the stop.
He was very recognizable, despite theyer of blur on his face. His strong, buff body and the cigar in his mouth were pretty eye-catching.
"Hey! 2567!" Lawless waved his hand.
He had spotted Kieran as well. No matter how ordinary Kieran looked, the two of them had been in a team together recently, so Lawless was able to tell that it was Kieran when Kierans eyesnded on him.
"So how was it? It was your first time on the train, right? Any romantic encounters? Im telling you, if you want anything good to happen, you should sit by a window..."
Lawless came over and grabbed Kieran by the shoulder, naturally going into BS mode again.
Kieran quickly shook off Lawless hand and took two steps away from him, putting some distance the two of them.
"Hey, I thought we were friends! Or did your journey here suck? Dont worry, I am the prince of the romantic train encounter! Ill show you a whole new side of life!"
Lawless pretended to be hurt, but instantly turned on his BS mode again, even going so far as to give himself that absurd title.
Kieran kept a distance of at least two meters from him as he walked towards a two-storey building not far from there.
Although he did not know what kind of ce would host the secret bazaar, based on its given name, Kieran could not imagine any ce big enough to amodate the amount of yers participating.
While Lawless had talked BS, Kieran had noticed at least ten yers entering the building, and even more yers heading towards it.
Kieran reached the building quickly.
From the outside, it looked like nothing special. Its ordinary decoration made it look more like a coffee shop or a house cafe of sorts.
If it wasnt for the three-meter tall robot and the servant by the entrance, no one would even pay attention to the building.
"Entry Fee 10 Points!" the robot said as a trading option appeared in front of Kieran.
Kieran epted the trade. Hed already known there would be an entrance fee to get in. A chip-sized entrance ticket was printed out from the robots left hand.
What caught Kierans attention though, was the robots right hand and the weapons on its shoulder.
There was a six-barrel revolving machine gun on its right hand and two mobile cannons on its shoulder.
"This is Brokers baby!" Lawless introduced the robot as he caught up with Kieran.
"Hi, Jensen!" Lawless greeted the robot.
"Good day, Sir Lawless," the robot replied, making a polite gesture.
As the robot weed them in, the five gazes that Kierans Intuition had picked up staring at him disappeared. It seemed like Jensen was not the sole defense line around the ce.
Kieran followed Lawless, entering the shop.
Once they were inside, he quickly scanned over their surroundings, There was no one there, or on the second floor.
Kieran unconsciously activated his [Tracking], and a series of footprints appeared before him.
The footprints were leading to an oil painting on the wall before disappearing.
The oil painting was the height of a grown man and was depicting a door.
"Whats this?" Kieran asked in surprise.
"Follow me!" Lawless replied with a smile as he walked towards the painting. He knocked on the door on the painting three times.
One knock followed by two continuous ones, and the door within the painting opened up.
Lawless ventured into the painting, Kieran following closely behind him.
This was Lawless, so it was doubtful that it would be a trap, but Kieran still inspected the painted door closely out of habit.
Even his [Tracking] and [Mystical Knowledge] could not provide him with any further information, though.
Kieran frowned as he carefully extended his hand inside the painting.
It felt like going through a water veil. Before he could feel the veil, an unknown force had sucked him inside the painting.
Instantly, the deserted shop was once again empty.
Chapter 99: Monien the Broker
Chapter 99: Monien the Broker
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
As Kieran was sucked into the oil painting, he felt like hed been thrown into a washing machine. He kept spinning non stop.
When he came back to his senses, he found himself in a bright. well-lit corridor.
Kieran shook his head hard, trying to shake the dizziness off before he started to inspect his surroundings.
The corridor was only 10 meters in length, so it could hardly be considered long.
At the end of the corridor were two doors, one of them open.
Through the open door, Kieran could clearly see tons of people moving around, bumping against each others shoulders. Even though he was looking at them from afar as if observing wildlife, Kieran could tell that the atmosphere was very merry inside.
Was that the secret bazaar?
Surprised, he quickly walked forward with big steps.
He had already forgotten about the oil painting door in the face of this new discovery. He hadpletely hated the washing-machine feeling of going through the entrance, though.
Kieran stepped through the door like stepping into another world.
The noisy crowd and bargaining voices were loud around him. The ce was even merrier than he had expected, far exceeding his initial expectations.
The room was not huge, but there were rows of shops lining up like fish scales and stalls connected to each other.
There were almost a hundred people walking around the bazaar, each of them picking up things, bargaining, and trading with each other.
The most eye-catching spot was the two-meter high tform that held the rare equipment. yers were surrounding the tform, having a bidding war.
"What do you think?" Lawlesss voice sounded next to him.
"Far better than I expected if I overlook the entrance method," Kieran said.
The secret bazaar had exceeded his initial expectations by a mile. Both the arrangement of the stalls and the people doing business were beyond his imagination.
Initially, Kieran had imagined a secluded room with lots of guards, and no more than a couple of dozens of attendees.
"You can make suggestions to that fellow, but he wont listen! That guy has an even worse taste than you can imagine, and hes very stubborn about it, too! The first time I came here I vomited, and that fellow was just standing thereughing his ass off!"
Obviously, Lawless was very dissatisfied with Brokers arrangement. As soon as Kieran broached the topic, he started ranting about his first time there.
"That was because there had been something in your mouth," a voice said.
It belonged to a young man in long ck robes standing before them. Although his face was covered with ayer of blur, his voice made him sound quite young.
As the young man appeared, Lawless looked at him vigntly.
"Stop looking at me like that, I told you Im straight! Wheres cksmith? I thought you were together? I was very much anticipating meeting her again!" The words that came out of the young mans mouth sounded ridiculing, but the young man opened his hands wide and shrugged.
"Ive told you before, dont drag her into this!" Lawless said in a serious tone, emphasizing each of his words.
Kieran looked at Lawless with a startled expression. Even he could tell that Lawless was feeling anxious throughout the exchange.
It was the first time he had seen Lawless act like that since theyd met. Even facing the half-dead had not worried him at all. The young man before them seemed to be Lawless arch nemesis.
Was it Monien the Broker?
It was not hard to guess his identity. Paying some attention to Lawless expression was enough to give away who the young man was.
Kieran inspected the young man in front of him curiously, even though he could not see his face clearly.
As Kieran was inspecting Monien, the man replied with a gaze of his own.
"2567?" he asked in a friendly tone. Before Kieran could reply, he continued. "My old client Starbeck speaks very highly of your service. I think we can establish a long-term business rtionship!"
Monien seemed sure of Kierans identity as he spoke. He extended his right hand for a handshake and Kieran shook it out of courtesy.
It felt cold, as if it did not have any warmth in it. It was like shaking a piece of ice, not the palm of a human being.
The feeling made Kieran frown unconsciously as a sense of danger rose up in his heart.
When the handshake was over, Kieran quietly kept a small distance from Monien.
"Please to meet you!"
His attitude did not catch Moniens attention as the young man greeted Kieran passionately. Suddenly, another man in a ck robe walked up to him and passed him a piece of paper. Monien peaked at the paper, and gave Kieran an apologetic smile.
"I have to take my leave to attend to some other matter. Again, very pleased to meet you, 2567! Ive given orders to my men, so any deals you make today will be free of any service charges!"
When Monien finished, he bowed and quickly disappeared among the crowd.
Kierans brows were still furrowed when he saw Moniens figure disappear.
Moniens polite manner had reminded him of Starbeck. He was the only other person Kieran hade across who could maintain such a polite attitude all the time. Something was different about the two of them, though. Kieran had strangely disliked Monien, even though both Starbeck and Monien had very good manners.
It was not just the sense of danger that had risen up in his heart. It was something else that could not be exined by words, a vibeing from Moniens presence.
"Hes a really hateful guy, isnt he? Be careful not to fall into one of his traps!" Lawless warned Kieran.
"Yeah, he is..." Kieran nodded, his words bing softer than ever.
"Lets go! Dont let that guy ruin our ns!" Lawless cut him off, not caring about what Kieran had to say. All he needed to know was that he would be vignt around Monien.
Lawless took Kieran on a tour around the bazaar, waving his hand around.
It was exactly what Kieran had anticipated. The items at the bazaar were much more valuable than the ones on the forum.
Although he could not spot any [Tekken-II] like the ones he had sold, there were many sniper rifles around, with or without attributes.
There was also Magical Rank Equipment, which was something that Kieran could not find on the forum.
With Lawless as his guide, Kieran went through most stores and shops at the bazaar.
Suddenly, he saw a piece of Magical Equipment near the auction tform.
[Name: ming Dagger]
[Type: Dagger]
[Rarity: Great]
[Attack: Common]
[Attributes: Additional 1-1 Burn Damage when you attack]
[Special Effects: None]
[Prerequisites: Sharp Weapon (Dagger) (Basic)]
[Remarks: This is the sessful product of a disciple.]
...
The [ming Dagger] had been ced on a piece of goatskin, its attributes set to visible. It was priced at 4,500 Points and 3 Skill Points.
Quite a number of people had stopped by and taken a look at the dagger, but none of them had bought it.
Obviously, it was not worth its price.
Although Kieran was not sure of the exact value of the dagger, based on the other yers reactions, its price must have been hiked up quite a lot.
"Lets go, theres nothing to see here. People are not idiots. If they have any quality goods to sell, they put them up for auction! Those who linger around the stalls for leftovers are fools!" Lawless said before pointing towards the two-meter high tform.
Kieran nodded in silence, not objecting to Lawless statement.
From his short tour around the bazaar, he had gotten a general idea of the business around there.
The stores and stalls had items that could not be found on the forum, but theycked any quality goods worth the trouble.
Like Lawless had said, people were not idiots. If they really had any quality goods, theyd put them up for auction instead of disying them in stores or stalls.
Kieran knew the benefits of auctioning very well, and so did the other yers.
The queue beneath the auction tform proved that its benefits were worth it.
Many yers were standing in line, getting numbers for the auction, but most of them were rejected by the registrar.
Only some of them were allowed to put their items up for auction, and no doubt they were really happy about it. Those who did not get the chance, on the other hand, looked gloomy.
However, they were still very well-behaved, none of them acting like idiots.
That was definitely not because of their character. It was actually because of the guards present around the auction tform. There were 10 robots surrounding it. Although they were a little smaller than Jensen, they all had the same weapons, the six-barrel machine gun and two shoulder cannons demonstrating their immense firepower.
There were also patrol guards around the stores and stalls making sure that everyone followed the rules of the bazaar.
Lawless and Kieran stood at the end of line, moving forward with the crowd.
"Registrar Zorl is one of Moniens best men! He has quite an eye for rating equipment, and of course he is also a master at appraising it. If the system gives you an item with a question mark on it, you can ask him to appraise it. It will cost you a sum of points, though!"
...
Lawless stood beside Kieran for the whole process, talking softly as the queue moved forward.
Most of the time, it was Lawless talking and Kieran listening. Fortunately, it was not a slow queue, and what Lawless spilled out was information that Kieran actually wanted to hear. Otherwise, Kieran would have had no way of escaping.
After 20 minutes, Kieran had finally reached the registrar.
Like everyone before him, Kieran did not talk much. He just ced the items that he wanted to auction off on the table. It was two [WK-22] light machine guns and four pieces of cracked [Soul Shard]s.
The two [WK-22]s did not even make the registrar raise his head. All he said was, "[WK-22], stronger attack, better rarity. Starting price 3,000 Points and 2 Skill Points. epted!"
However, when the registrar saw the four pieces of cracked [Soul Shard]s, he quickly stood up.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
I wonder how powerful is Monien?
Chapter 100: Eyes
Chapter 100: Eyes
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
"Four [Soul Shard]s?" the registrar said in a raised voice before he quickly told Kieran softly, "Dear sir, I can buy these off from you at a good price! 20,000 Points and 4 Skill Points. What do you say?"
Before Kieran could answer, Lawless, who was right behind him, stepped in.
"Not really impressive. A cracked [Soul Shard] costs around 5,000 Points and 1 Skill Point. And thats just one unit. This price is not enough for four same level [Soul Shard]s. The amount of [Soul Shard]s alone is enough to affect the rarity of Magical Equipment! Dont be an old fox, Zorl!"
"Lawless!? Youre together?"
The registrar looked at Lawless and Kieran again, his expression bing a little unsettled before he offered a new price for the [Soul Shard]s, "25,000 Points and 6 Skill Points!"
"Not bad, but still not enough. That price is not even worth the trip here!" Lawless smiled at the registrar, the cigar still in his mouth.
The registrar stared at Lawless beforeing up with a new offer.
"Lawless, you are as greedy as a wolf yourself! 27,000 Points and 6 Skill Points!"
"500 more and you got yourself a deal!" Lawless said, making a five sign with his hand.
The registrar clenched his teeth, but eventually agreed to the price.
"Deal!"
Lawless stepped aside, allowing Kieran to trade with the registrar.
Kieran did not even hesitate when he heard about the 27,500 Points and 6 Skill Points. He epted right away.
The very purpose of his visit to the secret bazaar was to milk a good price out of his items. That price had served his purpose right.
A cracked [Soul Shard] cost about 5,000 Points and 1 Skill Point on average, but when the amount increased to four and there was the possibility ofpleting a special enchanting circle, the price increased.
It was what Kieran had learned from cksmith when hed messaged her to see whether she wanted the [Soul Shard]s herself.
cksmith had said that she was mastering embedding, not enchanting, so the [Soul Shard]s were of no use to her.
Keeping the [Soul Shard]s for himself had definitely crossed Kierans mind, but when hed thought about what an enchanting investment would cost him, he realized his current financial status would not allow it.
It would be best for him to sell them instead.
27,500 Points and 6 Skill Points were quite the bargain. He would have gotten a simr price if hed auctioned them off.
Although the four cracked [Soul Shard]s were quality goods, no one was stupid enough to inte the price any further. Not unless it was an emergency, such as the time Kieran had sold the [Tekken-II]s in the forum.
"What a lucky guy you are, 2567!" the registrarmented when he looked at Kierans nickname.
It seemed like selling the [Tekken-II]s in the forum at a sky-high price had made Kieran famous among the yers, but the registrar was not saying that just because of his previous business transactions.
The man gave professional advice to Kieran as he looked at the two [WK-22]s.
"The boss has given orders that anything you put for auction today will be free of charge. Do you want to auction both in one go or separately? I would suggest separately. Quite a number of team gunners and solo yers are fond of this kind of weapon!"
"Then Ill auction them separately!" Kieran followed the advice of the professional.
After Kieran and the registrar, who represented the Broker, signed a contract, Kieran and Lawless walked to the side of the auction tform.
It would be quite a while before the auction started, and Kieran did not want to waste any time.
He looked at his own Points and Skill Points, and started doing calctions.
[Points: 61,190; Skill Points: 17; Golden Skill Points: 1; Golden Attributes Points: 1]
"The two [WK-22]s can give me at least 6,000 Points and 4 Skill Points, so Ill have a total of 67,190 Points and 21 Skill Points after the auction."
"Based on the optimum attribute growth path, and considering that I have insufficient Golden Skill Points to level up [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art], [Hand-to-Hand Combat] and [Tracking] are a must. That would cost me 20,000 Points and 12 Skill Points, though!"
"Then I would need to choose between the others based on preference. [Firearm Weapon (Light Firearm)], [Evading], and [Undercover] would also cost me 20,000 Points and 12 Skill Points."
"In other words, Ill need 40,000 Points and 24 Skill Points to carry out my n!"
"ording to the exchange rate of 3,000 Points to 1 Skill Point, the remaining 27,190 Points would be enough for me to trade them in for Skill Points. Theres still [Mystical Knowledge], though."
Kierans mood turned gloomy once he thought about his newly acquired skill.
Participating in a fourth-time team dungeon had been enough to make Kieran understand what he would face in future dungeons. In order to fully prepare for such a situation, or in other words, in order to survive under such circumstances, he would need to level up [Mystical Knowledge] to a certain level.
He had no intention of dying because he was unable to read certain symbols or words of warning. Most importantly, he would also lose a lot of treasure if he could not understand symbols.
Leveling up [Mystical Knowledge] had be crucial for him.
"ording to the cost of leveling up [Tracking], if I want to level up [Mystical Knowledge] to at least Grand Master, I would need another 22,000 Points and 14 Skill Points! I stillck a lot of Skill Points!"
The final conclusion made him bitter.
Suddenly, he thought of the [Half-Deads Gaze]. In order to fully exploit the potential of the ring, he would need to have a high-rank Spirit. Since he did not have any skills rted to that attribute, he would need to spend more to buy them.
That was bound to be costly as well.
Now that he had the [Deceivers Key], he could afford to sell his [Lockpicking Tools], but that still would not be enough.
Kieran knew that the price of the [Lockpicking Tools] was not high. Even with the [Precise Lvl 1] attribute, the most he could get was 1,000 Points and 1 Skill Point.
"Its another round of give and take I guess," Kieran thought lightly.
He listed [Hand-to-Hand Combat], [Tracking] and [Mystical Knowledge] as priority, thinking of the situations he might face in the future.
[Hand-to-hand Combat] was prioritized because of the rted attribute growth and the fact that it could bring forth both [Primus Arm] and the [Lightning Tigers Finger].
Since the marvelous performance of [Primus Arm] during the fight with the half-dead, it had be Kierans core equipment and a favorite attacking method. No doubt, it had saved his life during thatst battle.
[Tracking] would lead to great attribute growth, plus its specialty also granted Kieran extreme observation and allowed him to sense the existence of other beings.
[Mystical Knowledge] was simr to [Tracking] in terms of specialty.
After those main three came [Evading], because it made a betterbination with [Hand-to-hand Combat] and maximized its potential in melee battles.
"51,000 Points and 30 Skill Points. Trading Points for Skill Points aside, Im stillcking 4 Skill Points. Even if I sell my [Lockpicking Tools], theres still three more to go..."
Kierans calctions did not seem to satisfy his needs.
While he was busy calcting how to better distribute his Points and Skill Points, he suddenly felt a pair of eyes on him.
He sensed a light malicious intent in that gaze.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
100th chapter !! Thank you everyone who showed interest to TDC. Please continue to support us in the future as well. Thank you
Chapter 101: Advanced Skill
Chapter 101: Advanced Skill
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The gaze shed over within mere seconds.
With his D+ Rank Intuition, Kieran could sense the cold, sharp gaze on him. It felt as if someone had driven a knife along his skin.
Kieran did not make any sudden movements. He just kept waiting for the auction to begin. He remained alert though, looking out of the corner of his eye and scanning everything in the direction of the malicious gaze.
It was easy for him to pinpoint the culprit as he was the only one standing there.
He was wearing armor and he had a long sword with him. His long ck pants were stuffed inside pelt boots.
He looked normal, despite theyer of blur on his face provided by the game.
Still, a smart person would be able to tell by the pattern on his armor and the two red rubies on the hilt of his sword that he was not someone to mess around with.
Kierans brows furrowed as his heart filled with doubt.
That malicious gaze had reminded him that he had been on other yers radars ever since that first trade he had made on the forum. ording to Lawless, there was no such thing as a safe zone in the game. Ones own lobby room was their only safe ce. Even though there was a system to penalize offenders, as long as they did not get caught, they were fine.
Some offenders would risk everything to satisfy their greed, but the person before Kieran was a little different than an ordinary robber. No matter how stupid a robber was, they would not walk out in the open like that without even bothering to cover themselves or their intentions.
"What does he want?" Kieran wondered.
As he kept guessing, the long-awaited auction finally began.
The secret bazaars auction was not a real auction. The officials did not inform everyone of the time or brief them on the procedure.
The auction started with three or four quality goods from yers, and the auctioning time began when the secret bazaars tradings were over, andsted a whole day.
"Does anyone in your team of fire gunnersck immense firepower? Do you want to suppress monsters on your first encounter? Then the [WK-22] is your best friend! With 100 rounds per magazine reload, it will let any monster know what raining bullets truly means! It has a Stronger Attack and only requires Entry Level [Firearm Weapon (Medium Firearm)] to be fully utilized! The starting price is 3,000 Points and 2 Skill Points! The auction starts now!"
The auction emcee described the [WK-22], using attracting words to entice customers. Enhancing items pros and downying their cons was what the emcee did best.
The pros of the [WK-22] were what the emcee had stated, but its cons were also obvious.
If a yer didnt have sufficient weight, carrying such a weapon would definitely be a burden for them. To fully exploit the potential of the [WK-22], a yer would have to fill their inventory with nothing but bullets.
That was also one of the reasons that Kieran had decided to sell it. Another one was that he did not possess the necessary skill.
In order to use the [WK-22], Entry Level [Firearm Weapon (Medium Firearm)] was a must, and if one wanted to exploit its destructive power to the fullest, they would need at least Master Level.
Such an expense was a luxury that Kieran could afford. He was already struggling with his existing skills as it was.
He was certainly not about to tell the buyers about the cons of the [WK-22], though. All he cared about was selling the [WK-22] at a higher price and solving his pressing dilemma.
That was what Kieran was thinking about as the emcee finished his description.
"4,500 Points and 3 Skill Points!" a voice said.
It was a surprising price, and it attracted the eyes of all attendees, who started searching around for the idiot who had offered so much.
No doubt, the [WK-22] was a quality weapon, otherwise it would not have been on the auction table.
However, it was definitely not worth 4,500 Points and 3 Skill Points.
4,500 Points and 2 Skill Points would have been its maximum price.
The attendees of the auction were all veterans. They had seen tons of weapons prices as theyd gone up for auction. Unless it was some kind of emergency, no one in their right mind would offer such a price. In their eyes, the person who had offered that price was truly an idiot.
Or maybe it was just a newbie.
However, when the attendees discovered who had offered the price, they quickly dismissed that thought.
A newbie would never own such obvious Magical Rank armor or an embedded weapon.
Some of the veterans even knew the man who had spoken.
"Have you changed your fighting style, Nobian?"
"Not really. Its just that the dungeons are getting harder and harder. I figured that I might need a weapon with bigger firepower," the yer known as Nobian answered.
It was obviously a brush off to the other yers, but no one dared press the matter as it would be a breach of another yers privacy.
No one daredpete against Nobian for the [WK-22] either, not because of courtesy, but because the price was too high to be worth it.
In the end, Nobian got the [WK-22] and Kieran got his 4,500 Points and 3 Skill Points.
Kieran was delighted on the outside, but frowning hard on the inside. The yer known as Nobian was the person who had been looking at him earlier.
"What does this fellow want?" Kieran really did not understand his motives.
As Nobian approached Kieran, Kieran could not help but be more alert.
"Hi, Im Nobian. I saw you before while you were registering with Zorl. Dont worry, I mean you no harm. I am no match for Lawless after all."
Nobians sense of humor made Kieran even more cautious.
Nobian seemed to know Lawless. The fact that they greeted each other proved as much.
"Hows it going Nobian?"
"Not too good, it seems that I ran into some trouble. I was only able to finish the Main Mission in myst two dungeons. I think its time for a change. Otherwise, I might need to buy a coffin next time!" Nobian answered Lawless question with a bitterugh.
"So, I was wondering whether you guys have any more strong firepower weapons?" Nobian naturally looked at Kieran.
Kieran shook his head. "Not right now. You should look at the auction table for more."
"Ive waited long enough. The Broker will not really let quality goods go. Most of the time, he buys them for his own people. All us lone wolves get is the leftovers."
Once again, Nobianughed bitterly. Even Kieran and Lawless knew that this was true.
Zorl buying the [Soul Shard]s before the auction had proven as much.
"He is always like that..." Lawless ranted.
"Looks like I need to find some other way to turn things around. If you acquire a better weapon, dont hesitate to contact me! Ill offer you a good price!"
When Nobian was finished talking, he waved at Lawless and Kieran, and left the bazaar.
If it wasnt for his initial malicious gaze, the whole exchange would not have seemed odd. Nobian had just sounded desperate for a strong weapon to clear his obstacles.
"You know this Nobian?" Kieran asked Lawless after Nobian had left.
"Well, hes not a stranger, I guess. Hes like me. He was a beta yer who survived through the Witchs Uprising. Judging by his strength, Id say hes at his fifth dungeon. But of course, hes much stronger than Starbeck, especially when ites to swordy. He has an Advanced Skill in that. Still, he is a lone wolf. He never participates in team dungeons. The Broker has tried to recruit him, but he rejected him," Lawless exined briefly.
"Advanced Skill?" Kieran squinted in curiosity.
That did not sound like good news. An Advanced Skill was a branch out from Basic Skills.
A Basic Skill was Common rank, but an Advanced Skill branching out from it might be Magical Rank or even Rare Rank.
Maybe even Legendary? Well, lets not put too much thought into it.
ording to Kierans understanding, if a Skill was able to branch out to a Legendary Advanced Skill, the Skill itself could not be Common Rank. It would have to be at least Rare Rank for such a possibility to even exist.
Simrly, branching out to an Advanced Skill was extremely hard.
yers could only achieve that themselves in the dungeon rather than through a Skill Book. It was kind of a test of luck.
"Are you thinking about the Advanced Skill?" Lawless asked.
"Yes," Kieran answered, not bothering to exin his intentions.
"Okay then, let me tell you a secret about Advanced Skills."
Lawless kept his voice down and pretended to be secretive, looking around them for potential eavesdroppers.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Will Kieran ever get one?
Chapter 102: The Higher Chosen One
Chapter 102: The Higher Chosen One
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
"What secret?" Kieran asked, observing Lawless mysterious behavior.
The moment the words left his mouth, Kieran instantly regretted asking.
Someone had warned him to beware of Lawless when he was acting all mysterious and secretive. Kieran would rather have kept quiet.
That same person had described Lawless as more than just BS, someone who likes to act mysterious and secretive, especially when someone wants to ask question.
As soon as Kieran uttered the question, Lawless took a step back and sucked hard on his cigar, waiting for Kieran to ask more.
That was a typical characteristic of a despicable person.
Kierans informant was cksmith. Kieran recalled thements she had made about Lawless when theyd chatted.
He decided to take cksmiths advice and ignore Lawless whenever he acted like that. Instead, he turned his attention back to the auction. His second [WK-22] was currently epting bids.
After a mere two seconds, though...
"Are you for real, my friend? This is your attitude when you ask about a secret? Wheres your passionate spirit? Youre lucky were such good friends and stuff, so Ill still share the secret with you, despite your cold attitude! Its the level! If you want to acquire an Advanced Skill in the dungeon, the skill level is the most important factor. Youll need it to be at least at Master Level, and of course, the higher the better! Even if you acquire a rted Skill Book, youll notice that it will require the skill level as a foundation!" Lawless spoke like a gatling gun, firing words non stop.
"Thank you, cksmith!" Kieran truly thanked her from the bottom of his heart. That particr moment, his gratitude was off the charts.
He was d that he had asked whether cksmith wanted those [Soul Shard]s. cksmith had repaid Kierans kindness and generosity with her advice.
Although she had no use for the [Soul Shard]s herself, she was grateful for Kierans friendly inquiry and shed given him something in return.
"You are one lucky son of a gun! I think you can get the skills with your eyes closed. Your [Hand-to-Hand Combat], [Firearm Weapon (Light Firearm)] and [Evading] are all Pro level, so once youre able to branch out to the Advanced versions of the skills, it will be truly awesome!"
"But before that, youll need to choose carefully. The cost of skill advancement is nothingpared tomon skill leveling!" Lawless kept talking, even though he was being ignored.
"Truth be told, I am also facing a shortage of Points and Skill Points!"
Kieran stopped ignoring Lawless when he heard that statement. He could use the advice of an experienced yer after all.
"Theres always a shortage of them. Even Starbeck faces that problem sometimes, despite his wealth. For us lone wolves, though, the problem is even bigger!" Lawless sighed as he borated, describing his situation.
"Choosing the right skill is very important for leveling up. This is also why team yers have an advantage over us lone wolves. All they need is to focus on one specific skill and grow that skill to the fullest. Us lone wolves, on the other hand, have too many things to consider. We need to cover all sides, because you never know what youlle across in a dungeon!"
"For example, you could have just killed a bunch of robbers, and thene across a spectre! Or you might think its a spectre, but it might actually be a werewolf! Such scenarios are toomon in the dungeons. Somon, actually, that I have to bring a whole bag of supplies every time I go into one!"
Lawless made the shape of his big bag with his finger to remind Kieran while he recalled his encounters in the past dungeons.
There was no need for Lawless to do that as Kierans memory of his huge backpack was still fresh. He understood what Lawless meant.
"How about developing your skills along a certain path and making up for the rest with equipment?" Kieran asked.
"Yeah, thats the only option for us since our choices are limited," Lawless nodded.
"What if the equipment you are relying on is not strong enough, or the use of the equipment deviates from the Main Missions purpose?" Kieran asked, his brows furrowing.
"Id give up! Although Ive said before that one should fully explore the Sub Missions in every dungeon, we only have the one life! If the Main Mission fails, we could start again, but if we lose our life, then its really Game Over!" Lawless emphasized his words seriously.
Kierans brows were still furrowed as he nodded in agreement.
"If we run into a dungeon with a ton of Sub Missions, it wouldnt be wrong for us to fail the Main Mission," Lawless continued as he saw Kieran nod.
He did his best to hide the unhappiness behind his words, but Kieran could easily make out his meaning.
Lawless sucked on his cigar, releasing a giant ring of smoke. Kieran could note up with any words offort. He was in the same situation as Lawless after all.
While they talked, the auction for the remaining [WK-22] ended. It was sold for 4,000 Points and 2 Skill Points, not a maximum price, but an optimum one.
Kieran looked at his Points and Skill Points again.
[Points: 69,690; Skill Points: 22; Golden Skill Points: 1; Golden Attribute Point: 1]
That seemingly considerable amount of Points and Skill Points was barely enough for him to make ends meet.
Even if Kieran followed Lawless advice, the oue would still be the same.
After all, top quality equipment was always priced really high. It might even cost Kieran more than he estimated.
Kieran believed Nobians earlier words about the Broker. No matter how bad his intentions might be, he would never lie in front of Lawless.
At the thought of Broker, the young man that had given him a mysterious, dangerous feeling, Kieran frowned again.
He started to doubt whether attending the secret bazaar had been the right decision or not.
He had met an unpredictable young man, Monian the Broker, and Nobian, another yer with secret ill intentions.
Although Kieran did not know what their end game was, he knew that his strong powers and his vignt mind would be his sword and shield against any future danger.
If he could exploit his equipments potential to its fullest though, that would also serve as an upgrade for his growth.
"I need a skill that will raise my Spirit attribute. Any rmendations?" Kieran asked Lawless as he calmed down.
The [Half-Deads Gaze] was one of Kierans most prized pieces of equipment besides [Primus Arm].
"Rmendations for a skill that can raise your Spirit attribute? Sorry, no can do. Not even Broker could help you with that. As far as I know, there is no such Skill Book in the game yet!"
Lawless looked at Kieran with a doubtful expression as he shrugged.
"None?" Kieran looked back at Lawless with an even more doubtful expression.
"But there should be at least some skill or equipment that has Spirit as a prerequisite, right?" Kieran asked. It was an almost natural reaction to his previous question.
"Of course there is, but that kind of equipment and skills are too powerful and strange. Theyre only meant for yers who have a high Spirit Rank by nature. Those yers are known as the Chosen Ones. Although it might sound ludicrous, their strength and power is something to be reckoned with. They only need one suitable skill or piece of equipment, and suddenly theyre the yer everybody wants on their team! I still remember..."
Lawless kept talking, but Kieran was not paying attention to him anymore.
Naturally gifted high Spirit yers were known as the Chosen Ones.
Out of instinct, Kieran looked at his character window and attribute column.
[Spirit: E]
[Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art]
If that was the case, then...
If hebined his naturally strong Spirit with a skill that could raise his Spirit attribute, what would Kieran be known as?
An enhanced version of the Chosen Ones?
A Higher Chosen One?
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Typical novel mc cliche?
Chapter 103: Time
Chapter 103: Time
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Kieran and Lawless wandered around the secret bazaar for a whole day.
Lawless told Keran all he knew about the Chosen Ones and even borated on other secret interesting news.
He did not give a second thought to why Kieran had asked about the Spirit attribute. Every yer entering the game would eventually ask that question. It was only a matter of time.
Kieran had also asked about other things from time to time, such as the Basic Medicine Crafting tform Blueprint, but the answer he got from Lawless was disappointing.
"Its pure luck! I know nothing about the blueprint, or where to find the next level! If did, I wouldnt have sold it!" Lawless answered, smirking at Kieran.
It seemed like he was very happy about his decision to use the blueprint as a secondary item in his deal with Kieran.
Kieran rolled his eyes at him.
Although they had talked a little the whole day, their original ns foring to the secret bazaar had not changed one bit.
It was a pity that they had not gained much after spending a whole day there. Still, Kieran had managed to sell the [Soul Shard]s and the two [WK-22]s at a fair price.
There were quite a few quality items on the auction table. but none of them fit Kierans criteria.
As the secret bazaar wasing to an end, there was still a quite decent Magical Rank dagger ced on the auction table. However, the bidding war between the other yers had hiked the price up to 8,000 Points and 5 Skill Points within mere seconds.
It was not a price Kieran could afford at the moment, so he went home empty-handed.
After rejecting Lawless invitation to go out for a beer, Kieran headed back to his in-game home by train.
13th Wallway Street.
As he walked into his dusty, web-filled garage, he sat down near the LED screen. The screen was in a spot he had purposely cleaned up to put stuff in. It wasnt too neat, but it was still better than the other three corners of the garage.
Kieran thought about what he had gained that day. The Points and Skill Points were his most obvious reward, but the information he had gotten from Lawless could also be considered a form of reward. It might not beparable to Points or Skill Points, but it had increased Kierans understanding of the game by a lot.
"If no skills that can increase Spirit have ever existed in the game before, that means that the [Half-Deads Gaze] should be able to have a considerable effect on yers. Other than the Chosen Ones, that is."
"The usefulness of the Golden Attribute Points has suddenly be even greater, though. And theres still the [Knight of Dawn Body Tempering Arts]..."
Kieran touched the ruby on the [Half-deads Gaze] softly as he thought about the Golden Attribute Points and the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Arts].
No doubt adding the Golden Attribute Point to Spirit would help him in an emergency.
It was hard for Kieran to make a decision, though.
After all the information he had learned about the Spirit attribute, the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] seemed even more important.
If Kieran had still had any doubts about the skills Legendary Rank at the beginning, that day had cleared them all. The Body Tempering Skill ranked even higher than Legendary.
The new possibilities that hade into y made Kieran pay even more attention to the skill.
As he thought about the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art], he recalled what Guntherson had told him about practising the skill.
"Its only small details, but it is these details that make the true quintessence of the Body Tempering Art. During the sitting stance, your spine must be straight and still. When you lie down, remember to rx your breathing and prolong it. Your body must be as rxed as a babys. When you walk, your toes must touch the ground. Each time they touch it, you will feel a small vibration build up and spread throughout your whole body!"
...
As Gunthersons words lingered in his ears, Kieran stood up and started practising what hed been taught.
He sat down, theny back, and finally he walked.
Kieran had mastered the posture and breathing methods from the moment the skill had showed up in the skill window, yet this was the first time he was actually practising the exercise.
During Gunthersons lecture, all hed wanted had been to raise the [Knight of Dawn Body Tempering Art]s level, not explore the true potential of the skill.
He kept repeating the sity-walk exercise until he could feel a slight difference in his body.
He could hear his own blood flowing in his veins, but he thought it might be him being delusional. He had seen a radiant sh shine before him, but it had been just for a fraction of a second.
He felt odd practising the moves, yet he did not feel tired, even after practising the three postures for hours.
As the hours went by, Kieran slowly exited the exercising mode naturally. He felt some slight changes to his body, but he thought he might be thinking too much.
He unconsciously looked at his character window, looking for any obvious changes.
Not in attributes or skills, but something.
After inspecting both his skills and attributes, he finally found something.
[Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art (Entry Master), costs 9,500 Points and 3 Golden Skill Point, Yes/No?]
He recalled that the skill had cost a hefty 10,000 Points and 3 Golden Skill Points before.
"As expected, exercising can really level up the skill rank!" Kieran mumbled.
He had actually guessed as much before, but he had not had the time to put his theory to the test until now.
"If Points can be decreased through exercise, what about Golden Skill Points?"
Kieran looked at the requirement of the 3 Golden Skill Points with excitement in his eyes. He knew exactly what they represented.
His excitement faded off quickly though when he realized he had not thought about a more important point. Time.
"So this is what Enter at least one solo or team dungeon within three months meant! That wont do for me, though. At least not before I cure my illness!"
Kieran sighed. Unless he achieved his short-term goal of curing his disease, he had no ns of clearing the game at the maximum time limit.
He walked over to the LED screen and started a new round of upgrades.
He was still sticking to his original upgrading n, prioritizing [Hand-to-hand Combat] and [Tracking].
Upgrading them from Pro to Grand Master cost him 20,000 Points and 12 Skill Points. In addition to the new level of the skills though, he had also gained new special effects and attribute upgrades.
[Name: Hand-to-Hand Combat (Grand Master)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Offensive]
[Effects: Your hands and legs are your best weapon, Increases Damage by 50%]
[Special Effects: Grand Master of Kicks (Every time youunch a kick, you get an additional Strength and Agility +2 Rank Effect]
[Consumes: Stamina]
[Prerequisites: Strength E+, Agility E+, Constitution E+]
[Remarks: You should really consider creating a martial art n!]
...
[Hand-to-Hand Combat leveled up, Rted attributes increasing...]
[Strength DD+]
[Agility D- D]
[Constitution D- D]
...
[Name: Tracking (Grand Master)]
[Rted Attributes: Intuition]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effects: You can track your targets using all sorts of trails and clues!]
[Special Effects: Grand Master of Tracks (No tracks left behind can escape your eyes!)]
[Consumes: Stamina]
[Prerequisites: Intuition D-]
[Remarks: You can clearly sense the presence of supernatural beings!]
...
[Tracking leveled up, Rted attributes increasing...]
[Intuition D+ C-]
...
Kieran was extremely happy that both skills had been leveled up to Grand Master. The additional effects were exactly what hed wanted. [Hand-to-Hand Combat]s additional Strength and Agility and [Tracking]s ability to clearly sense supernatural beings would be extremely useful.
The Grand Master [Hand-to-Hand Combat] upgrade had exceeded his expectations by upgrading his Strength to D Rank.
Kieran believed that if hed used his Golden Attribute Points to increase his Strength, he might have reached the capped limit of that attribute.
The prerequisite for leveling up to Pro back then had been E- Rank Strength, Agility, and Constitution, but when he reached Grand Master, the prerequisite of those three attributes became E+ Rank.
The prerequisites had increased by two ranks at the new level. If it wasnt for the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art], he would not have been able to level the skill up so easily. The same applied to Grand Master [Tracking].
Rejoicing, Kieran opened up the [Mystical Knowledge] upgrade options. It would cost him 1,000 Points to go from Basic to Entry. Compared to the same [Tracking] level, [Mystical Knowledge] was much more expensive.
The upgrade from Entry to Master cost 5,000 Points and 4 Skill Points, exceeding the price of [Tracking] by a lot. When Kieran saw the cost and requirements to level up [Mystical Knowledge] from Master to Pro, he widened his eyes.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Tik tok
Chapter 104: Entering The Third Dungeon
Chapter 104: Entering The Third Dungeon
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
[Mystical Knowledge (Master Pro), costs 10,000 Points and 8 Skill Points, Yes/No?]
Although the price was a little higher than expected, that was not why Kierans jaw had dropped.
The reason was the prerequisites.
[Prerequisites: Alchemy (Basic), Potionology1 (Basic), Astrology (Basic), Research of Mystical Beings (Basic)]
To Kierans surprise, there were four prerequisite skills for upgrading [Mystical Knowledge] from Master to Pro.
Kieran believed this was just the beginning of the skill.
If that was the case though, then what would the prerequisites be if he wanted to upgrade from Pro to Grand Master?
"Is this some sort of joke?"
Kieran rubbed his temples in an effort to ease his headache.
Before this sudden revtion, he had carefully nned to upgrade [Mystical Knowledge] to Grand Master. He had even allocated his Points and Skill Points ordingly so he could do it. Reality had hit him hard though, making him realize how naive he had been.
He could certainly not upgrade to Grand Master. Even upgrading to Pro would be too much trouble for him.
Unless he could get his hands on the prerequisite skills.
In the meantime though, upgrading the skill to Master Level was all he could afford.
[Name: Mystical Knowledge (Master)]
[Rted Attributes: None]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effects: You have already mastered reading about Alchemy, Potionology , Astrology, and Mystical Beings!]
[Special Effects: Master of Symbols and Runes (You will always grasp the meaning of unknown symbols and runes)]
[Consumes: None]
[Prerequisites: None]
[Remarks: You can read aboutmon Alchemy, Potionology , Astrology and Mystical Beings, but you have not mastered the true essence of the skill yet!]
.....
As the synchronization process transferred even moreplicated knowledge into his mind, Kieran thought about the Grand Demonic Heptagram in Gilfren Hatchs room. He had not gotten a satisfying answer about that yet.
The scorpion-like symbol and the changes on those three runes were still a mystery to him, even with his Master Level [Mystical Knowledge].
"It required a higher skill than Master?" Kieran thought.
He felt his head hurt once more as he thought about the four prerequisites. He was not ready to give up yet, though.
.....
2567: Is there anything rted to Alchemy, Potionology , Astrology and Mystical Beings?
Lawless: Are you sure you wanna go there?
2567: Why?
Lawless: Alchemy and Potionology are considered hot cakes among the yers. Each of them is priced at around 30,000 Points and 10 Skill Points. Anything higher than that is a waste of money! Only team yers and guilds can afford them, though. Lone wolves like us should not even think about it. As for Astrology and Research of Mystical Beings... Neither of them are on the market yet. Maybe Broker might have some...
...
Lawlesss reply made Kieran sigh even heavier.
He had already suspected the skills might be expensive when Lawless had answered in surprise, but he was still in shock over the actual price of Alchemy and Potionology .
30,000 Points and 10 Skill Points. If he bought both, all his earnings would be gone. Plus, those two were only half of the prerequisites. Lawless had known nothing about the other half.
Kieran rubbed his temples unconsciously again.
He needed to divert his attention to something else, otherwise he might get sucked into the endless whirlpool of thinking about how many dungeons it would take to upgrade [Mystical Knowledge]. That was a scary ce for Kierans mind to be in.
[Points: 43,690; Skill Points: 6; Golden Skill Points: 1; Golden Attribute Points:1]
He quickly scanned over his remaining points and brought up the next skills on his upgrading list.
It was [Evading], [Undercover] and [Firearm Weapon (Light Firearm)], with [Evading] at the top of the list.
[Evading] could work well against melee attacks inbination with [Hand-to-hand Combat].
As for [Undercover] and [Firearm Weapon (Light Firearm)]?
[Undercover] was an inconspicuous skill, but not something to be overlooked as it coulde in handy in some situations.
As his number of dungeon entries increased, [Firearm Weapon (Light Firearm)] could be useless further down the road. The addition of the [Blessed Bullets] had showed Kieran that it was not that simple to neglect it, though.
"Ill need 20,000 Points and 12 Skill Points for leveling up both skills to Grand Master. Given the exchange rate of 3,000 Points to 1 Skill Point, my remaining points should be enough for me to level them all up to Grand Master and still have a bnce of 5,690 left!"
Kieran came up with a backup n as he did all the calctions.
He did not make a move immediately, though. He needed to get prepared first.
How could he maximize the power of [Hand-to-Hand Combat, Grand Master of Kicks]?
With a decent pair of boots, of course. He had note across any decent ones at the secret bazaar, though, and the next bazaar would not be for another month.
His only option was to contact Lawless.
...
2567: Are there any boots with attack stats?
Lawless: Of course! Theres quite a number of yers who choose to master kicking. Some of them might have some leftover equipment. What do you need?
2567: Highest rarity possible and strong attack. Extra attributes are a priority.
Lawless: It might note cheap, though!
2567: I have a 5,000-point limit, but Ill throw in something else.
(Kieran screenshotted the [Lockpicking] tools and sent the picture over. Lawless replied immediately.)
Lawless: Ooooh, some people might really like this. You can definitely get a good price if you find the right person!
Lawless: Just leave it to me! Ill get back to you by tomorrow morning at thetest.
Lawless: If you need anything else, just rub themp gently and your genie will be at your service 24/7! Please use silk or satin when rubbing themp, though. I have a prestigious reputation after all!
2567: ...
(Kieran was left speechless by Lawless lousy joke. There were still some things he needed to ask, though.)
2567: What about [Blessed Bullets]? Where can I get some?
Lawless: 400 Points a round. You have to preorder them from yers who make them, so youll need to tip them if its urgent!
Lawless: How many do you want?
2567: Not now.
...
Lawless words made Kieran realize once again how generous Starbeck had been.
400 Points per round, yet Starbeck had given him two magazines, which equaled a total of 14 rounds.
Those bullets had been worth 5,600 Points!
Given his financial status after covering all his basic expenses, Kieran could not even afford two rounds of [Blessed Bullets].
He could do nothing about it, so he just shrugged. He was a little jealous of Starbeck, but he mostly just felt grateful for his help.
Life was not fair after all. Getting orphaned at a young age had taught Kieran the meaning of that saying.
Fortunately, he still had a chance to change things.
Kieran took a deep breath, and went back to practising [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Arts].
He needed to make his time there count, because the maximum dungeon clearing time was not an option for him.
.....
The next morning, Lawless was punctual about providing him with information.
[Name: Iron ming Boots]
[Type: Heavy Boots]
[Rarity: Great]
[Attack: Weak]
[Defense: Common]
[Attributes: Second Grade Fire Enhancement]
[Effects: Master of Kicks]
[Prerequisites: None]
[Remarks: Its creator had originally been making a different type of boots, but obviously they failed! Sometimes failure does not mean game over, though!]
...
Second Grade Fire Enhancement: Triggers 1-2 Fire Damage every time you attack with a kick.]
...
It was a pair of iron boots embedded with a cracked ruby.
The boots were painted with a ckish paint on the outside, and soft leather was covering the inside. The embedded jewel was on the tip of the boots, covered inyers of unspecified leather. It seemed like man-made leather, or something simr.
"Theyre fireproof and able to provide you with better undercover effects," was all Lawlessmented.
The final price for them was 2,000 Points plus the [Lockpicking Tools], a total of 3,000 Points and 1 Skill Point.
A reasonable price within Kierans means. The boots were definitely worth their price.
After Kieran epted the deal, Lawless helped him exchange Points for Skill Points.
When everything was ready, Kieran started his second round of upgrading.
[Name: Evading (Grand Master)]
[Rted Attributes: Agility]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effects: Better use of Evading duringbat, Increases Evading by 50%]
[Special Effects: Grand Master of Swift Steps (Your nimble steps make your body more flexible, Increases Evading by 30%)]
[Consumes: Stamina]
[Prerequisites: Agility E+]
[Remarks: You can use side and front rolls to evade your enemies attacks!]
...
[Evading leveled up, Rted attributes increasing...]
[Agility has reached the capped limit for the current skill level, Unable to upgrade any further.]
...
[Name: Undercover (Grand Master)]
[Rted Attributes: Agility]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effects: Even better use of the shadows, Your presence is kept secret from your enemies, Increases Hiding by 50%]
[Special Effects: Grand Master of Shadows (You are better at hiding in the shadows, Increases Hiding by 30%]
[Consumes: Stamina]
[Prerequisites: Agility E+]
[Remarks: You are good at hiding in the shadows, so youre able to hide from most eyes.]
...
[Undercover leveled up, Rted attributes increasing...]
[Agility has reached the capped limit for the current skill level, Unable to upgrade any further.]
...
[Name: Firearm Weapon (Light Firearm) (Grand Master)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Agility, Intuition]
[Skill Type: Offensive]
[Effects: Even better use of handguns, rifles, revolvers, assault rifles, submachine guns and sniper rifles, Increases Damage by 50%]
[Special Effects: Lock On Grand Master (When you aim at your target, you activate an Intuition +3 Rank Effect]
[Consumes: Stamina]
[Prerequisites: Strength E, Agility E, Intuition E]
[Remarks: Your target will feel true fear under your scope!]
...
[Firearm Weapon (Light Firearm) leveled up, Rted attributes increasing..]
[Strength has reached the capped limit for the current skill level, Unable to upgrade any further.]
[Agility has reached the capped limit for the current skill level, Unable to upgrade any further.]
[Intuition has reached the capped limit for the current skill level, Unable to upgrade any further.]
...
The synchronization process was initiated once again, the familiar warm stream flowing into Kieran and spreading throughout his whole body.
As time passed, everything returned to normal. Taking a deep breath, Kieran scanned the notifications. The familiar matter of the capped attributes was troubling him once again.
Kieran had anticipated this though, so he got over it quickly and started to get used to the changes.
After his experience with the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art], Kieran thought that it would be best for him to actively familiarize himself with his skills through practice rather than wait for the skills to synchronize with his mind.
He was determined to spend the week of the cooldown practising his skills.
Other than logging out and rejecting Lawless countless invitations to go out for a beer, he kept himself submersed in training all his skills and exercising the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art].
Of course Kieran had also checked out what the next level was. After Grand Master came Musou2.
As expected, the requirements for that went up exponentially.
To upgrade Grand Master to Musou, [Hand-to-Hand Combat] cost 20,000 Points and 12 Skill Points, [Firearm Weapon (Light Firearm)] cost 15,000 Points and 10 Skill Points, and [Evading] and [Undercover] cost 18,000 Points and 10 Skill Points respectively.
The requirement for [Tracking] was only higher by 1 Point. It was 30,000 Points and 1 Golden Skill Point. Thats right, 1 Golden Skill Point!
After looking quickly at the upgrading cost for all his skills, Kieran started training even harder, submersing himself even deeper into practising.
He knew that the rewards from the dungeons were no longer able to cover his upgrading expenses.
Despite all his hard work though, the results were still depressing.
Despite the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art]s first big discount in Points, his continuous training and practise only lowered the cost by a couple of points every time. The same also applied to the other skills.
That made Kieran understand that the one-time Point discount had been a special condition of the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art].
He instinctively tried to get himself back to that condition, but nothing happened.
His continuous failure did not break Kieran, though. He was not willing to give up yet. Instead, he kept trying to figure out what had gone wrong, and he started to practise again.
He failed, practiced, and thought over again and over again...
Time flew by as Kieran lived in his own experimenting training loop.
Before he knew it, the cooldown for the single yer dungeon had been reset.
Trantor Note
1 Potionology: Study of potions and magical medicine
2 Musou: Unparalleled, without equal.
Chapter 105: Beginning of A New World
Chapter 105: Beginning of A New World
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
[Entering Single yer Dungeon]
[Difficulty: Third Dungeon]
[Background: The city has experienced a couple of vicious animal attacks. As a reporter with a good reputation, you sense that there is a secret behind those attacks. Your boss does not agree with you though, so you need to prove your worth once again...]
[Main Mission: Discover the truth within two weeks.]
[Temporarynguage pack, Disappears upon exiting the dungeon.]
[Clothing, backpack, weapons, and other items remain unchanged, Temporarily altered appearance, Returns to normal upon exiting the dungeon]
[Hint: This is your third official dungeon. You can fail the Main Mission, but you will have to pay 300 Points as a penalty and your highest attributes will drop by one point. If your points are insufficient, the system will deduct from your equipment. If your equipment is insufficient, you will fail.]
...
After the blinding light disappeared, Kieran found himself in a small dark room.
His mind had been filled with memories of his new identity in the dungeon, so it only took one look at the single bed and his messy surroundings for him to know where he was.
"I suppose this is my room?"
Kieran looked at his backpack on the bed. It had not changed much, except that there was also a camera next to it.
Kieran opened his backpack and checked whether all the items he had brought were there. His supplies, bullets and grenades were all intact.
Kieran picked up the camera and inspected it. It was nothing special. It was just a normal camera. The only attracting thing about it was its long lens, which looked kind of expensive.
"A reporter, huh?"
As he looked at the camera in his hand, Kieran could not help butugh bitterly. This identity was even more ridiculous than one hed had in the previous dungeon.
The cell phone next to his pillow rang.
It was an old-fashioned cell phone that only made calls and received messages.
His memories told him that it was his although it looked very cheappared to the camera.
Kieran picked up the phone and saw the caller ID. It was an unknown number, yet Kieran answered it without a second thought.
After three dungeons, including the newbie one, Kieran had mostly grasped the flow of the game.
At the beginning of each dungeon, there was always someone that introduced the yers to the Main Mission.
That had been Colleen in the newbie dungeon, Hunter in the first dungeon, and Captain Ralph in the team dungeon.
Those three natives had triggered the Main Mission of each of the dungeons, the only difference being the difficulty, which resulted in different appearance and solving methods.
This phone call was obviously the trigger point for the Main Mission of this dungeon, or to be more urate, the person who was making the call was.
"Yo, Mr. Great Reporter! The case you wanted to investigate has some new leads. Come on over so we can talk about our arrangement! The price you offered is not worthy of a big scoop like this!"
The voice on the other side of the line sounded eloquent. The person it belonged to seemed very confident about their attitude and hang up the phone before Kieran could even react.
Kieran was not mad, though. Everything was progressing ording to his expectations. The person who had called had indeed been the trigger of the Main Mission.
The mans name was Larry, and he made a living by selling information to interested parties. Larry was good at what he did, and the credibility of his intel was impable, which was why he was Kierans best source.
In other words, Larry was Kierans informant.
ording to the memories in Kierans brain, if Larry had sounded so confident on the phone, then that probably meant he was onto something big.
Kieran quickly searched for his wallet in the mess of his room.
...
The door of a small, ordinaryundromat in the back alley of Falcon Street opened.
The owner of theundromat was a big, stout ck man with an unfriendly face, who spoke in a mix of local and other ents.
Theundromats odd location inbination with the angry face of its owner were the reason business was not going well. Still, theundromat managed to stay open.
People often wondered what kind of magic allowed it to stay in business.
Truth be told, theundromat had been reported more than once by the locals, and the police had shown up several times. However, every time they came, they left empty-handed. There were never any drugs or illegal firearms hidden in theundromat like people reported. The police officers that went there to investigate had be the stations lunchtime joke.
After a couple of false rms, no officers were willing to set foot in that ce and stain their reputations anymore.
The ce became even more famous after two incidents like that. The police had had rock-solid information about illegal business going on in theundromat, but it had ended up being fake. The vicious owner had even sued the police station, and two chief officers had been suspended because of the fiasco.
Since then, theundromat had became a no mansnd for the policemen.
All this had been orchestrated by the true owner of theundromat, Larry.
The skinny man with the long, narrow face was sitting before Kieran with a cigarette in his hand, smoking leisurely.
The way he was sitting was very odd. He had one leg on top of the chair and the other coiled to the leg of the chair, looking more like a monkey than a normal human being.
"Whats the news? Im not here to watch you smoke," Kieran got straight to the point.
Since he was an old customer, he could just head behind the shop and look for Larry.
Simrly, Larry was even more casual and crude around Kieran, who was one of his oldest customers.
"Give me the 10,000 first and then well talk! You know Im selling information for a living, mate, and Ive got tons of mouths to feed! This is my only business, so Im really short in cash!"
Larry put up a pitiful expression, but it looked extremely fake. Even a child could tell that he was acting.
"10,000? Fine, but Ill need some solid info to justify all that money!"
The wallet that Kieran had found in his messy house did not have that much money, but he still had some bank cards. The money in the bank was more than enough to cover Larrys fee.
Kieran could pay that price as long as the information was worth it.
"Its the witness I picked up near the crime scene. Ive questioned him, and Im sure the guy knows a lot more about the attack. On my honor!" Larry said with utmost confidence.
As an informant, his honor was his best bargaining chip.
WIthout his credibility and honor, he would be out of business in no time.
Kieran threw the bank card towards Larry, and Larry swiped it with a delighted expression. He picked up a piece of paper, wrote down a name and address, and then folded it and handed it to Kieran.
"Thank you for your generosity, mate! This is his name and the address where Ive set him up temporarily. Its really safe and secluded. That guy is a real bad luck ma. He definitely messed with the wrong people. Though thanks to him, Ive made some money too!" Larry said with an even more delighted expression.
Kieran did not reply. He just looked at the information on the paper and walked himself out with a final wave at Larry.
After going through a narrow passage only wide enough for one person, he reached the front of theundromat. He never bothered to make eye contact with the ck owner. He was only an owner in name after all. He was actually Larrys bodyguard.
However, as Kieran turned on Falcon Street, a ck car drove past him like lightning and entered the alley.
With a sharp screeching of its brakes, the car stopped right in front of theundromat, and two ck gun barrels popped out through its back windows.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
New dungeon!!
Chapter 106: Continuity
Chapter 106: Continuity
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The sounds of the machine guns and the muzzles shing filled the air as the shop was showered with bullets. Orange shells fell off the car like rain.
Within mere fractions of a second, theundromat was shot into a beehive, and the ck bodyguard in front of it was torn to pieces, turning into a pile of charred meat.
When both machine guns ran out of bullets, the attackers did note out of the car. Instead, they pulled out two grenades and threw them towards the alley behind theundromat.
Kieran had seen everything. The speed of the car had caught his attention as it had sped past him, and he had naturally scanned the car out of curiosity.
Although Kieran had barely been able to catch a glimpse of the inside of the car, his C- Intuition had allowed him to clearly see what was inside.
Machine guns and grenades.
Those men did not look like they were there for a business deal.
Kieran halted and turned around swiftly, heading back towards the alley.
Although he did not really care about Larrys life, the potential of unlocking a Sub Mission made him go back and try to prevent an incident.
As Kieran had expected, the people in the car were not there to talk. The attackers seemed to be quite familiar with Larrys ce.
They knew their machine guns could not pierce through the thick front wall of theundromat, so they followed up by throwing two grenades inside the shop.
Boom! Boom!
The two explosions caused even more damage to theundromat, which was already half torn-down and filled with smoke after the shooting. The grenades turned the shop into ruins after the two explosions.
When theundromat was blown to bits, the attackers opened their car doors and came out.
Bang! Bang!
As they stepped out from the car, their heads were blown off by two shots, and their bodies fell to the ground.
The remaining man came out of the drivers side and looked around in panic after hisrades had been killed.
The grenades that the attackers had thrown had produced a thick wave of smoke. The smoke blocked the remaining attackers view, preventing him from locating the person who had killed hisrades.
When a cold hard gun barrel was pushed up against the back of his head, the man froze in panic.
"Put down your gun and dont move! If you value your life, you wont try to pull any tricks!" Kieran said coldly from behind the attacker.
Considering that his tworades were dead and he currently had a gun pressed against his head, the man knew that Kieran was not joking.
He followed Kierans orders, putting his gun down and raising his hands.
"I..."
Before the word could even form in the mans mouth, Kieran rewarded him for his cooperative spirit with a hard hit on his neck. The attacker fell down to the ground, passing out.
After confirming that the man was out cold, Kieran turned his attention to theundromat.
"Larry? If youre still alive, make some noise, please!" Kieran shouted towards the shop.
"Im not dead yet! But Im not that far from it either! Goddamn it, Kieran! Are you sure this is not your doing?"
Larrys voice came from within the debris of theundromat. After such an attack, he dared not show his face. He just kept hiding there.
"My doing? For what? The 10,000 I paid you just now, or the 100,000 Ive paid you before? Dont make meugh, Larry. Hiring these fellows would have cost me more than that!" Kieran replied with a loud mockingugh.
"If youre not willing to show your dried-up face, Ill leave you be! The cops wont ignore such amotion though, even if your shop is considered a no mansnd!" Kieran continued in a slightly impatient tone.
"No, no, no! Wait! Were friends! How can you leave me at a time like this?"
Larry hobbled out from the ruins, afraid that Kieran would leave for real.
"Friends? You give friendship a bad name, Larry."
Kieran looked closely at Larrys injuries. Both his arms and legs were wounded and there was blood on his left side. It was not anything serious though, despite the fact that he looked bruised and battered.
His wounds were just flesh wounds, so Larry was still able to make his way over to the attackers bodies and have a look.
"Holy cow, its the Moro Brothers! God-fricking-damn it! Who hired them to kill me?" he asked in an angry tone after recognizing the face of thest man, who was being held captive by Kieran.
He swiftly collected his thoughts and calmed down.
"Kieran, I need you to do me a favor. Take me to my safe house and hand this son of a bitch to me! Ill find out who is behind this!"
Larry begged Kieran with his eyes.
[Sub Mission Unlocked: Helping the Informant]
[Helping the Informant: Larry has gotten into some trouble, and he needs you to take him to his safe house and hand over the captive to him.]
The sole reason that Kieran hade back for Larry had been to unlock a potential Sub Mission, so he dly epted Larrys offer.
"Fine, but only because youve helped me before!" Kieran nodded in agreement.
"Rx, my man, you wont regret helping Larry! From now on, if you want any information, Ill give you a 10 percent discount!" Larry smiled as he opened the door to the attackers car.
"I wonder how cheap your life is." Kieran hit the captive once again and threw him into the backseat.
Kieran got into the drivers seat despite the fact that he had no driving experience. He knew the standard procedure of driving a car, but as an orphan he had been destined to never get near one.
He had only heard about driving from his co-worker when hed been working at the cksmiths.
Still, the situation before him had forced him into being the driver. There was no one else avable for the job.
As the car engine started up, noise starteding from the cars hood.
Although Kieran had started it up carefully, the car only moved a little before it braked hard.
Boom!
The sudden emergency brake made Larry knock his head against the dashboard of the passenger seat and scream in pain as he ranted about Kierans driving skills.
"You drive worse than you fight!" he said, mocking Kieran in a tone simr to the one Lawless often used. "Your fighting skills are really odd for a reporter! Were you aiming to be a war correspondent before this? No, nevermind. Forget I asked. Everyone has their secrets!"
Compared to Lawless, Larry was much more observant. He quickly shut up when he noticed Kierans cold expression.
Larrys safe house was 20 kilometers away from Falcon Street. As soon as Kieran familiarized himself with driving the car, the two of them made it to the safe house on the outskirts of themercial and residential area.
Larrys safe house was an abandoned factory that looked quite simr to Kierans game lobby from the outside. There was an extra wired fence surrounding it. Although the fence was all rusty and pushed down at parts, it seemed like no one had been there for a long time.
"Its old alright, but its very safe! Come with me!" Larry said with utmost confidence as he got out of the car.
Larry did not walk to the front of the locked factory. Instead, he headed behind the facility and straight for a sewer cap.
He lifted the sewer cap with all his might and went in. It seemed like the safe house that he was so proud of was not on the surface of the ground.
Kieran followed him, instinctively scanning his surroundings for any danger. When he was sure that the coast was clear, he grabbed the captive and started going down the irondder.
After descending about three to four meters down thedder, a wide underground room appeared before him.
The room stored tons of food, medicine and weapons, meeting all the criteria of a safehouse.
Kieran turned his attention to the weapons and noticed that they were sufficient to fully arm at least 10 men.
Although it was just handguns, the fact that the weapons even existed was proof that Larry had been lying when hed said that hed never touched any other types of business.
Kieran had not bought Larrys words in the first ce, but he still scanned the whole ce before eventually looking at him.
Larry pulled out a heavy-looking cell phone from a drawer and turned it on. Judging by its bulky design, it had to be a custom made phone.
"Well, it looks like youve reached your destination. Anything that happens from here on is none of my business. Im heading off!" Kieran told Larry after throwing down the captive.
He had just gone there for the Sub Mission. He had no intention of participating in Larrys illegal activities, unless those constituted another Sub Mission.
Chances were slim though, considering that Larry seemed to be prepared for this. He had both weapons and manpower, and a phone to call in backup if he wanted to get revenge.
"Sure, sure! You did what a friend is supposed to do. Thanks again for saving my life!" Larry said while making a phone call.
[Sub Mission: Helping the Informant (Completed)]
Kieran was feeling quite good about finishing his first Sub Mission so easily. Waving at Larry, he turned around to head up again.
However, before he could reach the surface of the ground, a cold, freezing presence assaulted him from above. When he looked, there was nothing in front of him.
Kieran felt an immense sense of danger. Without a second thought, he jumped back down thedder.
Bang!
Just as Kieran jumped back down, a big chunk of concrete was sted off by an immense force, and a deep hole was punched on the side of the entrance.
It was a sniper!
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Larryyyyy
Chapter 107: Sniper
Chapter 107: Sniper
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The bullet hole in front of Kieran was enough to let him know what was going on. He knew perfectly well what would happen to him if he stayed in the same ce.
It was a sniper.
The sniper must have followed the two of them to the safe house entrance.
Maybe they had been there before Kieran and Larry had arrived, but in Kierans opinion, that was not likely.
If the sniper had been at the site waiting for their target to get there, they would have fired when Kieran and Larry had still been heading towards the entrance of the safe house, and not have waited for Kieran toe out of it.
There had been no obstacles on the way to the safe house, so the sniper would have had a clear line of fire. However, Kierans Intuition would have alerted him if hed been under someones sniper scope. That previous shot had been proof enough of that. If someone had been following them, Kieran would have known.
That only left one exnation then.
After the person who had wanted to kill Larry had found out that the Moro Brothers had failed in their mission, a second hitman had been quickly dispatched and sent straight to Larrys safe house.
Anyone able to do that must have had a huge influence over the city, because theyd have to have ears and eyes everywhere.
Another possibility was that Larrys men had betrayed him. Whether their betrayal was voluntary or not was irrelevant.
As he thought about this, Kieran looked over at Larry who was still in shock, holding his phone in his hand.
It seemed like Larry had not been expectingpany at his safe house either.
"Is this what you call safe? First the Moro Brothers, and now a sniper! They know everything about you, Larry! It seems like you crossed the wrong guy, man. I think you should try to recall what you have done recently. Any despicable stuff that stands out?" Kieran asked Larry.
"Goddamn it! Whats going on? I know I have a lot of enemies, but this is too much! Ive always been nice to powerful people!!" Larry could not help ranting.
Kieran rolled his eyes at him.
"Are your men still alive out there? Is the killer just aiming for you or every single one of your men? Do your men even know the location of this safe house?" Kieran asked.
"My men are still alive! None of them were attacked, nor did anyone cause any trouble on my turf! None of them know this location. I found this ce identally, and I fixed it up with my bare hands! Other than you, no one else knows about it!" Larry shook his head, denying the betrayal of his men.
"It sure doesnt look that way! It seems like youve stepped on some big fellows toes! Remembered the witness you told me about on the phone? Are you sure its not him thats causing all this? Most importantly, is the guy that Im looking for still alive?" Kieran kept asking questions, hoping to get an answer about the situation at hand, but he was disappointed by Larrys reply.
"The witness is safe, Ive just called him on the phone! His problem was not my problem. It just took a phone call to solve that," Larry answered affirmatively.
"Then who is the guy who sent the sniper?"
Kierans questions hade full circle. Larry frowned hard as he tried toe up with any people that might want to kill him.
After a few seconds, he shook his head.
"I cant figure out which bastard did this, but obviously, hes onto me. Hes so damn sure that he can kill me! Oh, how naive he is. Ill let him know what happens to people who mess with Old Larry! Ill make him pay!" Larry threatened before he turned his eyes to Kieran.
"My friend, I need to get through this. Will you help me?"
Once again, the cunning informant begged Kieran for help in a pitiful tone, showing his cowardice.
[Sub Mission Unlocked: Unknown Attacker]
[Unknown Attacker: Larry is being hunted down by an unknown killer. Since youve helped him before, hes asking for your help again. He will not forget your goodwill if you agree!]
Kieran looked over the Sub Mission and nodded.
"Fine, but the sniper is outside, and Im trapped in here with you! Were on the same boat now..."
"This is what friends are for! Going through hardships together tightens ones bond. Some of the weapons here will surely be of help!" Larry delightedly pointed at the weapon rack next to them.
Kieran took a look at the weapons on it and shook his head.
They were great overall, but they were nothing more thanmon handguns without any extra attributes attached to them.
Unless Kieran was out of his mind, he would never use a handgun against a sniper. Snipers had the advantage of distance.
Despite the fact that his [Firearm Weapon (Light Firearm)] was at Grand Master level, it was only the skill itself that had been upgraded. It could not alter the attributes of any guns he used.
"Im fine with my own guns," Kieran stated as he took out his [Viper-M1].
The sudden appearance of the [Viper-M1] made Larry suck in his breath.
"A sniper rifle? It is a sniper rifle, right?! I thought you were a reporter! Shouldnt you be carrying a camera instead of a sniper rifle?" Larry was shocked by Kierans revtion.
He was not to me for his shock. As an informant, he knew perfectly well how hard it was to get a sniper rifle.
Anyone with some money and connections could get their hands on a handgun, but a sniper rifle was an illegal firearm.
For the first time, Larry started to seriously doubt Kierans identity. Hed already had some doubts when hed noticed Kierans exceptional fighting skills, but he had been smart enough not to ask any questions.
The more he knew, the greater the chances of him dying would be.
As an informant, Larry had an exceptional understanding of these things.
Kieran was on his side though, wasnt he? That was all Larry needed to know. After all, he had always been a realist.
"What else do I need to do?" he asked eagerly after deciding what mattered to him.
"Give me your jacket, and the other guys jacket as well. Try to ask him whether he knows anything about this. I would not hope for much, though!"
Kieran put his backpack down after taking the two jackets, and approached thedder again.
As he was going out of the pits entrance, he suddenly stopped. The sniper had to be aiming right inside the entrance, waiting for his target. If Kieran walked out all of a sudden, he might get shot, despite his extraordinary constitution.
Even though it was just a possibility, Kieran would rather not risk his life.
As he looked at the two jackets in his hand, he came up with a better n.
He needed to trick the sniper into firing, and he needed the two jackets to increase his chances of seeding. He could not be sure that the sniper would be tricked after one try after all.
Kieran also needed to confirm the number of snipers outside. There might be one, two, or even more enemies waiting for him.
He took a deep breath and threw the attackers jacket out of the pit before quickly throwing Larrys as well.
The first trick did not work, but the second time he caught the attention of the sniper.
Bang!
A loud, sharp voice came from the pits entrance, and Kieran instantly jumped out.
In the blink of an eye, he leapt out like a jaguar and turned his sniper rifle towards the source of the shot.
Using the special effect of Grand Master [Firearm Weapon (Light Firearm)], [Lock On Grand Master], Kieran was granted +3 Intuition when he aimed at his target, so he managed to do so within mere fractions of a second.
The special effect temporarily boosted Kierans C- Intuition to B-. Even though the buff only appeared while he was aiming, it was still enough for him to perform an unbelievable feat.
Kieran pulled the trigger, aiming at the sniper on the other side.
Bang!
The snipers head was blown off just as he was about to take another shot.
His head waspletely gone, so it was safe to assume that he was dead.
However, before Kieran could go search the snipers body for more information, a squad of three SUVs appeared before him.
Judging by their fierce manner as they drove up to Kieran, their intentions could not be good.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Im still a little hungover from the previous dungeon :(
Chapter 108: One Shot
Chapter 108: One Shot
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Thanks to his [Viper-M1] scope, Kieran could clearly see what was going on within the SUVs.
There was a uniformed man in a bulletproof vest and a mask, armed with machine guns. If it wasnt for theck of military ranks, Kieran would have thought he used to be in the army.
Kieran doubted any of them were there for tea. The people inside the SUVs were dressed simrly to the sniper that Kieran had just killed. Their only difference was their choice of weapons.
Kieran had no reason to show mercy to his enemies. They would be best dead.
Bang!
He pulled the trigger again after he climbed up to the garages rooftop.
Using his high-ground advantage, he aimed for the tires of the SUV.
If he had igniting armor-prating bullets, he would have aimed for the gas tank, but unfortunately he did not.
What would be more effective than disposing of this threat with a one-shot kill at the gas tank of his enemies SUV?
Truth be told, Kieran could not even get his hands on basic armor-prating bullets, let alone on igniting armor-prating ones. The game [Shop] did not include any of these things in its basic selling list.
Although there was a chance that normal bullets could prate the gas tank and cause an explosion, that chance was so low that Kieran did not even care to risk it.
Especially since he had a better option.
The bullet fired from his [Viper-M1] hit the tire of the SUV he had purposely aimed at, the one in the middle of the squad.
As the speeding SUVs tire was punctured, its left front tire caught fire, sparks flying as the wheel bent out of shape, eventually getting crushed by the force and exploding into pieces.
After a couple more spins, the whole wheel got out of control, and the SUV itself started spinning uncontrobly.
The speeding SUV kept on driving as if it was drunk, moving in a zigzag like a snake crawling on the sand.
The driver tried to control the vehicle, but his effort was in vain. It actually backfired on him instead.
Bang!
The SUV in the middle tipped to the side and crashed into the front SUV. Its hood was bent and knocked off as the engine started smoking.
The SUV behind them tried to stop as hard as it could, but the distance was too close and the vehicle was going too fast. The effort of the driver was futile.
Bang!
Thest SUV also crashed into the middle one, its front end experiencing an even worse fate than the other vehicle.
The front SUV had stopped instantly when the middle one had crashed into it, wanting to find out what was going on, but instead, it had provided the middle SUV with a point of resistance.
Within a second, the middle SUV had been cramped between the front and back one.
The hard crash caused the middle SUV to start leaking oil. It seemed that the gas tank had been destroyed in the process.
The oil was flowing backwards towards thest SUVs deformed hood, right to where its circuit was sparking.
Sparks were flying everywhere, some of themnding on the leaking oil.
The mmable oil instantly turned into a ball of fire, spreading back towards the crushed gas tank.
Boom!
Boom! Boom!
A thunderous explosion followed when the gas tank was ignited.
Only two to three seconds had passed from the moment Kieran had pulled the trigger to the explosions of the three SUVs.
The people in the cars did not have any time to react before they were engulfed in mes.
[Explosion: Inflicts 200 Damage to Target HP, Target has equipement, Resisted 50 Damage, 150 True Damage Inflicted, Target dies...]
[Explosion: Inflicts 200 Damage to Target HP, Target has equipement, Resisted 50 Damage, 150 True Damage Inflicted, Target dies...]
...
Kierans vision was spammed with battlelog notifications, a total of twelve to be exact.
What would be more effective than disposing of this threat with a one-shot kill at the gas tank of his enemies SUV?
The answer was three explosions!
"Kieran! Kieran! Are you okay? Answer me!"
The huge explosion had attracted Larrys attention, who had started to shout Kierans name from the pit.
"Im fine!" Kieran answered.
The cowardly informant did not show his face after Kierans answer, though. Instead, he threw out the attackers shirt and pants like Kieran had done earlier to check that the coast was clear.
After making sure that it was safe for him, he stuck his head out.
He was left in awe by the scene before him. Thick smoke filled the air as a huge fire burned around the remains of the vehicles.
"How... How did you do that?" Larry stuttered.
"I just fired a shot," Kieran brushed him off.
Some things were hard to exin to a native, especially when it came to skills.
It was true that Kieran had just fired a shot, but that shot had been reinforced by the Grand Master Level of [Firearm Weapon (Light Firearm)]s knowledge and body synchronization, which had allowed Kieran to make the optimum choice given the situation.
The [Armor Pration] and [Long Range] attributes of the [Viper-M1] had only made it easier for Kieran to find his target.
As a matter of fact, both had been crucial in order to make that happen.
Without the Grand Master [Firearm Weapon (Light Firearm)], even if hed a better sniper rifle than the [Viper-M1], he would not have been able to pull it off. Simrly, he would not have been able to make it without the [Viper-M1] either.
Larry looked at Kieran with an incredulous expression, but he was smart enough not to ask any questions about his skills.
Larry looked back at the burning vehicles and asked, "Were those here to kill me, too?"
"What if they were?" Kieran countered Larrys question.
"Im not dreaming, right? Since when did I be such a big deal? Why would I have so many assassins on my tail? What trouble have I gotten myself into? Creedo is not strong enough to gather such a number of men! If he was, he would have been the King of the Underworld!"
Larry pulled at his hair as he thought about the situation. It seemed like he needed the pain to remind himself that he was not dreaming.
"Creedo?" Kieran had noticed the name that had escaped Larrys mouth.
"That bastard is also doing business in the gray area, but hes different from me. I only sell information, he willmit all sorts of crimes, from illegal firearm deals to human trafficking! The witness I picked up had also gotten on his bad side. The Moro Brothers have been hired by him to kill me before!" Larry replied.
"He sounds very powerful," Kieran said about the mysterious man.
"He only sounds like that, my friend! Truth be told, he was suppressed by most people in the business, including me. Theres rules and order in every corner of the city, especially in gang factions. If anyone breaks the rules, we all rise together and attack them. Im actually the most honest and well-behaved man among them!"
Larry was full of mockery and disdain when he mentioned Creedo, but when he talked about himself, he looked proud of his achievements.
As soon as Kieran had learned what he wanted, he did not pay any more attention to the informant.
He quickly headed towards the spot where the sniper had been killed, hoping to find more clues.
As he climbed up to the rooftop, heid his eyes on the sniper rifle of his deceased enemy.
[Name: Jagdtiger-X1]
[Type: Firearm]
[Rarity: Great]
[Attack: Strong]
[Magazines: 3 Rounds]
[Attributes: Armor Pration Lvl 2]
[Effects: None]
[Prerequisites: Firearm Weapon (Light Firearm)(Entry)]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: This is a very powerful sniper rifle. Even Medium Armor is no match for it!]
...
[Armor Pration Lvl 2: Able to prate Medium Armor (Strong Defense)]
...
Kieran strapped it on his body without hesitation. It was an attribute weapon after all.
Then he looked around and searched the dead body for any clues. He found nothing in the surrounding area, but he discovered a keycard on the snipers corpse.
It had no symbols or pictures on either side. It actually looked like a white paper.
Kieran took the white keycard back to the pit. When Larry saw it in Kierans hand, his face went instantly pale.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
New sniper. But...
Chapter 109: Clues
Chapter 109: Clues
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The expression on Larrys face could not fool Kieran.
"Whats wrong? Something fishy?" Kieran waved the white keycard before Larry.
"Hold on!"
Larry went back into the pit without giving a direct answer.
After a while, he came back with a money detector equipped with ultra violet light.
Kieran passed the white keycard to Larry and took a nce at the money detector.
He did not ask why Larry would have such a thing inside his safe house. If he were to guess, he would say that the safe house was hidden for a reason, and the fact that it was hidden made it perfect for conducting illegal activities safely. Larry belonged to a gang after all.
After Larry ced the white keycard under the money detector, he started to rant about the results, "I hope Im wrong about this... Damn it! It really is Sphendix!"
"Sphendix?" Kieran asked, raising his eyebrow.
He could not find any information about that name in his memories.
"Sphendix! The Sphendix Corporation! Specializing in medical equipment and military construction! Half the hospitals in the city have been built by Sphendix Corporation, and over a quarter of the police and military equipment are made by them!"
"Theyre a really big yer! Im so dead! Im telling you, Im dead! If we stepped on their toes, were both dead!" Larry fell to his knees on the floor, covering his face in despair.
"Calm down! Havent you thought about why you would have crossed them?" Kieran raised his voice, trying to calm Larry down.
If Larrys face hadnt still been wounded and covered in blood, Kieran would have used a more direct way to calm him down. He did not want to get any blood on his hands, though.
"Why? Why is this happening?"
Larry looked stunned as he kept mumbling to himself. All of a sudden, he raised his head and said, "The witness! That goddamn witness was one of Sphendix Medicals discharged employees!"
"That son of a bitch! I was fooled by that bastard! He said he had some huge secret about the beast, but it was actually about Sphendix! Otherwise, why would Sphendix want to assassinate me? They mustve thought I knew the secret, too! After all, I did take the witness in!"
As Larry started to figure everything out, he looked infuriated.
"Ill f*cking kill him! Ill rip him to pieces!" he shouted.
"So what are you waiting for? Pack your things and lets go see this witness youre talking about! If Sphendix is really as powerful as you say, then we dont have any time to waste!" Kieran told Larry as he walked to the car.
...
Kieran was already familiar with driving after that first time.
Larry had just bandaged himself up, but he still remembered the first time hed sat in the car with Kieran and knocked his head against the dashboard. He strapped on the seat belt this time.
As Kieran kept elerating though, Larrys pale face got even whiter.
He thought that he was going to be fine, but when Kieran barely avoided hitting a couple of trash cans and turned into an alley, he could not hold back anymore and shouted, "Slow down! We might be in a hurry, but I dont want to die in a car ident!"
He kept holding onto his seat handle and screaming of panic. He hoped that the handle would be strong enough to keep him safe, but as Kieran narrowly missed a fire hydrant, he could not help screaming again.
Obviously, the handle did not provide him with any sense of security, and Kieran was ignoring his ranting. He just kept stepping on the pedal, the car going even faster.
"You crazy bastard! Stop the car! I want to get off!"
The elerating speed of the car made Larrys voice sound distorted. He was frightened to the point that he could not even speak properly.
Kieran was not crazy though, and he did not have a death wish either. His C- Intuition and D Agility just allowed him to perform and act beyond ordinary human limits.
Kieran had everything under control, even that extremely dangerous situation was unfolding ording to his calctions.
Since Kieran was getting more familiar with driving, some of the calctions were getting easier for him, and naturally, the cars speed was getting even faster.
If theyd taken the original route, it would have taken them an hour to get there. Under Larrys guidance though, Kieran chose a shortcut and they reached their destination faster.
They got there in only half an hour, but Larry regretted telling Kieran about the shortcut. He actually wanted to p himself for his poor decision-making. He totally would, after he had finished vomiting from the rollercoaster ride.
Larry vomited, holding onto the door handle of the car.
Kieran naturally moved away, avoiding the vile stench of Larrys bile.
He looked towards the two-storey, half-independant house not far away. It was the house Larry had arranged for the witness to stay in the meantime, a middle ss residential house far away from any gang harassment. There were even policemen patrolling around the area from time to time.
It was safe and hidden, just like Larry had mentioned, but that was only under normal circumstances.
It would be no use against Sphendix Corporations power. Even the police officers might be working for Sphedix, for all they knew.
The influence of money was infinite at certain times.
After taking a nce at the building, Kieran walked up to the front. Before he entered the house, he halted.
Despite the door in his way, he could pick up a faint smell of blooding from the inside of the house.
He took out his [M1905] and carefully turned the doorknob.
Kieran was not sure whether the killer had gotten what he wanted or was still inside the building.
ording to Larry, he had arranged for three men to protect Leonard, which was the name of the witness. It was what Leonard had requested, and based on the potential value of Leonards information, Larry had granted his request.
Kieran did not ce any hope on Larrys men, but he still wished the oue would be different than what he feared.
The doorknob opened easily with the slightest pressure from Kieran. Kieran pushed it open and saw a dead body. Its head had been blown off as ity down on the floor before the door.
In the living room, near the still turned-on television, were two more bodies that looked the same.
No doubt they had been Larrys men. Reality was always cruel.
After a quick nce, Kieran could tell that Larrys men had been killed without any resistance. They had been of no use in protecting the witness.
Kieran went straight up to the second floor and saw two rooms with their doors open.
Beside the doorknob was a clear footprint.
It seemed like the intruder had entered the house without any holdbacks, they had kicked down the doors when they made sure that no one else will pop up in the house.
Kieran found Leonard in the room on the right side of the stairs. Or to be exact, he found Leonards dead body. His body was inplete disorder. It was quite much for the eyes. His limbs were bent in unnatural ways, most of his teeth had been knocked off, and his scalp had been cut in half.
Kieran turned his attention to the messy room after pausing on Leonard for a while.
"Were they looking for something?"
The room was really messy and it seemed like it had been searched by someone. Kieran squinted and activated his [Tracking].
When everything was revealed to him, Kieran quickly picked up some traces on the floor beneath the bed. When he looked underneath, there was nothing there except a couple of pieces of folded newspaper.
He took the newspaper and inspected the folding lines on it.
It was easy for Kieran to know what the newspaper had been used to wrap by looking at the lines on it.
It was what he and Larry had suspected. Leonard had been hiding a secret.
The intruders had been one step ahead of Kieran, though.
Kieran frowned, but he did not rant about the fact that he had not gone there faster, or about the fact that the Sub Mission had dyed the progress of the Main Mission. Leonards body was stiff.
From the looks of it, he must have been dead for at least five to six hours. Kieran had barely entered the dungeon by that time.
Even if he had rushed to the scene right after Larry had informed him of it, it would not have changed anything.
Kieran was sure that Larrys earlier phone call to Leonard had been answered by someone else.
After taking a deep breath, and figuring out the details, Kieran took a final nce at the ce and prepared to leave.
He could not figure out what Leonard had had with him or what secret he had been hiding, but one thing was for sure. Leonard had either been really bad at hiding things, or the intruder hade in suddenly and hed not had much time to hide the items hed been holding. Instead, he had simply stuffed them under the bed.
Unconsciously, Kieran threw away the newspaper he had picked up. As the newspaper fell to the floor, it opened up to the front page, revealing the title on top.
As Kieran caught a glimpse of the title, he stopped and picked up the newspaper again to read it.
Chapter 110: Bounty Reward
Chapter 110: Bounty Reward
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
"Wild beast ate people! The people-eating beast is back! The frequent incidents have the publicining that the police isnt doing its job!"
...
Most of the front page consisted of that big, bold title, but what had really caught Kierans attention and made him pick up the newspaper again was the content under the title.
"Sidneys body was found eaten in Royaljer!"
"Poor Courtneys head and upper body were found on the Andalier Gardenwn!"
"Another tragedy! Pauls arm was found in the Beth Hayes Fountain! The police states that Paul might still be alive!"
Those three sentences had been underlined with a ck pen.
If the newspaper hadnt suddenly unfolded when it fell down, the clues might have slipped Kierans sharp eyes while his attention had been captured by the folding lines of the newspaper.
"Why would Leonard underline these sentences? Did he really discover something about the beast?" Kieran looked at the lines doubtfully.
Hed had his doubts about Leonard ever since he had found out that he had been hiding some secrets.
He believed that Leonard had known nothing about the beast attacks and had just been hunted by Sphendix. He had just happened to be near the scene of the beast attack and be discovered by Larry. In a moment of desperation, and in an effort to get Larry to protect him, he had lied to save himself.
The situation before Kieran was a little different than what he had expected.
"Maybe he was doing some homework so he could fool Larry better?"
The thought rose in his mind, but was suppressed fast.
Larry was no fool, and if too many lies ovepped each other, there would eventually be inconsistencies.
Once Larry discovered Leonards lies, he would not let him off.
Although Larry imed that he was just an informant, what Kieran had seen contradicted Larrys words. When Larry had killed off the remaining attacker, he had shown no mercy. He had actually looked like he was quite familiar with killing people.
Unless Leonard was an idiot, he had to know what people he was messing around with and he would not lie to them.
Leonard really must have known something about the beast attacks.
He must have identallye across the beast or at least something rted to it while he was being hunted.
Kieran hade up with a new theory, but soon more questions formed in his head.
What had the newspaper been used to wrap?
What was even more intriguing, was how Leonard had had the interest and focus to investigate the beast attacks while he was being hunted by Sphendix.
And why would Leonard wrap the item that had been taken away with those pieces of newspaper?
Before Kieran had discovered the newspaper, he had thought that Leonard had just casually wrapped the item with it, but that that was no longer a valid theory after he had read the new clues. Those papers had not just been there for decoration.
"Was the newspaper hiding any secrets? Or were the two items somehow rted?" Kieran said softly to himself.
His brain was working lightning fast, trying to find the answers to the mystery.
Larrys voice came from the first floor, "Kieran,e quick! Now!"
Larrys sudden urgency interrupted Kierans thoughts, and Kieran walked down the stairs.
When he reached the first floor, he found Larry staring at the television nkly.
His eyes were locked on the screen.
"A while ago, there was a gang war at the Yvens Edouard Factory. The death toll had reached 10 people, and the Yvens Edouard Factory had been discovered to be a small military garage. The police hase up with the suspects involved in this gang war, Kieran and Larry!"
"Sphendix Corporation has been concerned about the dangerous individuals lurking in the city, so in order to aid the city in regaining its peaceful state, thepany has ced a bounty on the two suspects! A total of 500,000 for capturing both of them! Sphendixs best security consultant will also participate in the operation!"
...
As the news reporter moved on to other news, Kieran and Larrys pictures were shown on the television.
Neither of them were in the mood to keep watching.
A high enough reward would make the bravest peoplee forward to im it.
The two of them understood what that meant, especially Larry, who knew the city like the back of his hand. He realized the severeness of the hot mess they were in.
"Those bounty hunters will be impatient to get their hands on the reward, and anyone who wants to make a fortune will start looking around as well! Were in a tight spot right now! We cant even move freely across the city!" Larry ranted loudly as he pulled at his hair.
"F*cking shit! Not only did Sphendix send out that scary guy and ce a bounty of 500,000 on us, but it also rendered our earlier escape pointless! Those f*cking capitalists! What now, Kieran? What about Leonard? Hes our only hope now!" Larry looked at Kieran in anticipation.
"If you had really protected him with a decent bodyguard and not with thoseckeys of yours, he might have been ourst hope instead of the dead meat he is now! The scary guy that youre talking about is the security consultant?"
Larry fell into despair at Kierans words. His face was robbed of any sign of hope, and he did not even bother answering Kierans question.
"Finished! We are so finished! Everything is finished! Without Leonard, weve really be wanted criminals!" Larry said in a sad tone, covering his face with his hands.
Kieran noticed Larrys emotional breakdown, and he did not ask about the security consultant again. He was afraid that Larry might have a meltdown.
Kieran switched to a slightly calmer tone and told Larry, "Even if Leonard was alive, wouldnt we still be wanted criminals? You think Sphendix would have just let us go if Leonard was still with us? No, they wont! Theyll only add another name to their bounty list! Or did you think that if we knew Leonards secret, wed be safer? Well only end up being in more danger than we are now!"
ording to Larrys description of Sphendix and their methods of handling their ex-employees, it seemed like Sphendix would use any means necessary to achieve their goals.
In Sphendixs point of view, Kieran and Larry were just two small bugs they could squish without any problem. There was no point in talking sense with such enemies. Sphendix was not concerned with justice. With their wealth and power, they could suppress anything and anyone in the dungeon.
"So what should we do? Should we leave the city?" Larry asked.
"Run away? With Sphendixs wealth and power, plus the bounty they just announced, where would we run to? Everywhere we went would be the same. Wed be like rats, constantly afraid of being caught!" Kiera shook his head in denial.
"Then what should we do?" Larry looked at Kieran in confusion.
"Find someone who knows Leonards secret! It might lead us down a more dangerous path, but things are already as shitty as they can get. How bad could it go? Its the only way we can fight back against Sphendix!"
As soon as Kieran finished lecturing Larry, he walked out.
Chapter 111: Target
Chapter 111: Target
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Before the roads were sealed off for checking, Kieran and Larry arrived at a secluded alley, waiting for their target to appear.
Larry, who was in the passenger seat, was looking outside cautiously. He was afraid that the police or a bounty hunter might ambush them, especially thetter. As an informant himself, he knew perfectly well how bounty hunters worked. They were vicious and dirty, and would resort to any conceivable means.
A bounty hunters only concern was catching a wanted criminal.
No rules applied to them. In fact, some of them were even worse than gang members.
"Are we really going after Creedo?" Larry asked again anxiously. "That guy must be busy sharpening his knife for us! If we appear before him, well be like sheep approaching a wolf!"
It was the fourth time he had said that, so Kieran answered him impatiently, "Leonard offended Creedo before you saved him! Although it might have been a misunderstanding, one things for sure. Creedo was looking for Leonard, and so was Sphendix! I dont know if the two of them are rted, but all we can do now is try to connect the dots. Its better than sitting around doing nothing!" Kieran repeated quickly, looking at Larry again.
"Tell me something, though. Im curious, how can an informant like you be such a coward? Others are not like you!" Kieran told Larry, his eyes filled with doubt.
"Its because of my cowardice that I became a qualified informant! And because I am honorable and trustworthy!" Larry answered seriously.
"This is the first time I hear a coward talk in such a prideful, righteous manner!" Kieran rolled his eyes at Larry.
"Ill take that as apliment!" Larry thanked Kieran with a smile.
"That scary guy that you mentioned before... Who is he?"
Larry was smiling proudly, so Kieran took advantage of it and asked him about the security consultant.
Instantly, the smile froze on Larrys face, and his eyes filled with fear.
Kieran did not pressure him for an answer. Instead, he waited for him to collect his thoughts.
After about five seconds and a long deep breath, Larry looked at Kieran with a bitter smile and said, "I call him the Scary Guy, because I do not even want to remember his name if I can help it. Kailuark the Executioner. The personification of the Devil himself. He has killed over 200 people, and every time he cuts off his targets head and keeps it for his collection! All the headless bodies dumped in the sewers and drains are his work!" Larry said slowly in a calm tone.
Kieran could tell that he was trying hard not to shiver in fear.
"How has such a guy not been put on the electric chair?" Kieran asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Thats why hes scary! No one knows where he is, and no one has ever seen him kill anyone!"
Larry was shivering as hard as if the executioner himself had appeared before him.
"So how is he a security consultant at Sphendix? Did he retire?" Kieran had even more questions.
"Of course not! He became known to the public after he became Sphendixs security consultant!
"In fact, he is the very reason Sphendix is so powerful and influential. The Executioner is responsible for removing Sphendixspetition. All theirpetitors had their heads cut off, so anyone wanting to oppose Sphdendix is hesitant now! He is like the Guardian God of Sphendix!" Larry exined.
"Not bad as far as Guardian Gods go," Kieran said, not making any furtherments on the man. He did not say anything about the mans intentions, because Kailuark the Executioner sounded like some kind of myth or urban legend. Kieran even spected it might be a smokescreen used to scare off Sphendixspetition.
Of course, people had died, but it might not have been by the hand of this Kailuark guy. Sphendix certainly had the manpower to kill anyone they wanted. Kieran had witnessed that first hand earlier.
When Larry noticed Kierans disbelief, he wanted to say more about the Executioner to scare him and make him understand how terrifying the Executioner was.
Just as he opened his mouth though, he was interrupted by Kieran, who signalled with his finger for Larry to be quiet.
"Here hees!" Kieran pointed up front, and Larry quickly stopped thinking and kept quiet.
Kailuark might be scary, but he didnt pose an immediate threat to Larrys life. If the situation at hand went south, on the other hand, Larry would definitely get killed.
Larry understood perfectly well what his priorities were.
...
In the alley across from Kieran, stood two teams of four. One team headed further down the alley and another slowly walked in Kierans direction.
They did not venture deep into the alley, though. They stopped after only crossing a third of it.
One of them flipped over a trash can and started searching it.
"Hurry up! That Larry really did it this time! All the policemen in the city are looking for him! Quick, grab the stocks and lets go!"
A stout-faced, half-bald fat man, who seemed to be the leader of the group, kept rushing the others.
His men started to speed up as their boss breathed down their necks. When all the trash cans had been flipped over though, the stocks were still nowhere to be found.
"Nothing, boss!" one of the men reported.
"What?" The bald, fat man pushed him aside and started searching himself.
Just as he bent down, the sh of a bright light shined behind him, followed by the growling sound of an engine.
By the time the man got up to check what was happening, a car had already rushed into the alley.
A strong hand came out of the car and grabbed the fat man by the neck. Before he could even react, the pain on his neck had knocked him out cold.
The man passed out, still not understanding why his men could not find anything after hed sent them all out to search. Had he still been conscious, he would have known why.
As Kieran threw the unconscious fat man inside the car, he jumped out and headed straight for his men.
After a few punches and kicks, the three remaining gang members did not even know what had hit them. They all fell to the ground, knocked out cold.
Considering Kierans Grand Master [Hand-to-Hand Combat] and his exceptional constitution, it was a piece of cake for him to deal with the thugs, who were only relying on their number.
"Good job!"
As he witnessed Kierans amazing fighting skills again, Larry, who was still in the passenger seat, cheered in joy. It was different than before, when hed had to hide in silence.
Larry had nothing to worry about. He even wanted to get out of the car and give Kieran a celebratory hug.
However, Kieran signalled at Larry with a heavy expression, preventing him froming out.
Ever since the fight had begun, Kierans eyes had been fixed on the end of the alley, and he had not moved them during the whole fight.
Larry quickly went back inside the car before he could do anything. Kierans expression told him that something was not right.
Larry immediately stared at the end of the alleyway, his eyes wide open. Under the cars bright headlights, a human figure emerged from the shadows.
Chapter 112: Numbers
Chapter 112: Numbers
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The partially visible human figure appeared slowly, and suddenly the light of a muzzle shed before him.
The odd noise echoed around the small alleyway. It was a handgun with a silencer on it.
Larry heard the noise as he was getting in the passenger seat, and he quickly ducked and hid under the dashboard, realizing that it was a gun firing.
Even though the car was not bulletproof, it was better than taking a bullet.
Larry saw Kieran dodge the gunner before he vanished from his sight.
He had no idea where he had gone, but he knew Kieran would not just abandon him and ran away.
The continuous gunshots proved as much.
Both the cars headlights were shot off. Other than the asional muzzle shing and the shooters malicious gaze in between the shes, the alleyway waspletely dark.
It was pitch ck when the guns stopped firing, and Larry, who had been cowering down, got up again to check the situation.
He moved his head outside the car window, but it was too dark, so he could not make anything out.
As Larry was carefully scanning the alley, a hard metal sound came from the front of the cars hood.
Two metal weapons shed together, igniting a spark and producing a dim light in the dark alleyway.
Suddenly, Larrys eyes widened. That weak, dim light was enough for him to make out the person fighting with Kieran.
That sharp, long de and that face haunted him in his dreams. It was Kailuark the Executioner.
Larry instinctively wanted to scream, but before his voice could escape his mouth, he covered his lips with his hand.
He did not want to distract Kieran with his scream. He knew it would eventually cause him trouble, so he just covered his mouth and looked straight ahead.
However, Kieran and the Executioner had once again disappeared in the darkness, the same way they had appeared.
The two of them were like ghosts, and the darkness made an astonishment beyond words rise in Larrys heart.
Kieran was on par with the Executioner? Even though Larry had witnessed Kierans peculiar strength that day, it had been nothingpared to that particr moment. Larry was in shock, but he had now confirmed his earlier guess.
A reporter? What kind of reporter could fight as well as Kailuark the Executioner?
Everything had been a cover-up. Kierans existence was simr to the Executioners.
"Who is he? Judging by Kierans age... Theres no missing person or confirmed death within these three years. His face is like a strangers and hes using a dagger, able to appear and disappear like a ghost, just like Kailuark..."
Larry started to search his memories for any information, and he quickly came up with an identity.
"Theres only one! The Shadow Stinger! Kieran is the Shadow Stinger! Only the Shadow Stinger could fight the Executioner!"
Larry was shivering in excitement with his own theory about Kierans identity.
The Shadow Stinger was another urban legend in the city, one that was on the same level as the Executioner.
Obviously, Larry was wrong. Not just about Kierans identity, but about his abilities being on the same level as the Executioners, too.
Kieran, who was one with the shadows at the moment, raised his dagger in an offensive stance. The darkness before him could not stop his eyes, so everything was revealed to him. He saw the spark and the wound created by the dagger, along with a line of red.
The Executioner was hurt.
Kieran had been sure about the attackers identity when Kailuark had pulled out the long de that Larry had mentioned. At the same time, this had also confirmed Kierans previous spections. Kailuark the Executioners abilities had been exaggerated.
After exchanging a couple hits with Kailuark, Kieran was sure that his Strength and Agility were E+ Rank, marginally better than ordinary mens, and his [Undercover] and [Firearm Weapon (Light Weapon)] were at Master Level.
That was all Kailuark had. Even the long de he was wielding was just swinging with brute force. His technique was crude and rough, a Basic or Entry Level Skill at best. That might have been enough to beat ordinary men, but he was not as good as Larry had imed. At least notpared to Kierans strength.
Kierans Strength and Agility exceeded Kailuarks stats by at least two to three ranks, and his [Undercover] and [Firearm Weapon (Light Weapon)] were two levels higher than his.
Plus, through Kierans powerful Intuition, Kailuarks actions had all been revealed to him, so the battles oue had been determined from the moment the Executioner had appeared.
To an ordinary man, he would have been nothing but a pitch ck shadow, but Kieran was no ordinary native. He could see the twisted space and bright shadows before his eyes. Kailuark had been like an ostrich sticking its head underground, exposing the rest of its body to its enemy.
Finally, Kieran made his move. He was like a shadow moving through the darkness silently as he appeared beside Kailuark, his dagger shing by his side.
Blood gushed out from Kailuarks neck.
[Slicing: Lethal Attack, Inflicts 200 Damage to Targets HP, (100 Sharp Weapon (Dagger) (Master) X2), Target Dies...]
As the notification popped up, Kailuarks body fell to the ground.
Avoiding the sshing blood, Kieran bent down and searched for loot.
[Name: MI-02]
[Type: Firearm]
[Rarity: Great]
[Attack: Normal]
[Magazines: 7 Rounds]
[Attributes: Silence lvl 1]
[Effects: None]
[Prerequisites: Firearm Weapon (Light Firearm)(Entry)]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: This handgun is equipped with a silencer, but dont expect dead silence from it!]
.....
[Silence Lvl 1: Able to suppress gunshots to a certain extent.]
.....
[Name: Alloy de]
[Type: Sharp Weapon]
[Rarity: Excellent]
[Attack: Common]
[Attributes: None]
[Effects: None]
[Prerequisites: Strength E+, Sharp Weapon (Long Sword)(Basic)]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: This alloy de has been forged using modern technology.]
.....
Kieran picked up both weapons from the Executioner.
He immediately swapped the [MI-02] for his [M1905]. They had the same rarity and attack, but the [MI-02] was superior due to its extra attribute.
As for the [Alloy de], Kieran could only sigh and shake his head.
It was a very decent de with excellent rarity and a simr attack to the [M1-02], but it was not a dagger that Kieran could use. Still, that did not stop him from putting it in his backpack.
Kieran started to search the Executioners body for clues. In his previous encounters, clues had always been hidden in tough spots. Bearing that in mind, he did not want to be as careless as he had been with the newspaper.
Indeed, he was rewarded for his thoroughness. He discovered a roman number on the back of the deceased mans neck.
III.
A bad feeling instantly bloomed in Kierans heart.
Chapter 113: Mr. Big
Chapter 113: Mr. Big
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
When the number was revealed to Kieran, more numbers started flooding his mind.
If the number III had appeared before him, then that meant that there would be a I and II, or even a IV or V, and so on.
"So the supposed Executioner was not just Kailuark?" Kieran started to specte.
Considering Sphendixs power and wealth, it would not have been hard for them to acquire a bunch of good fighters and make them use amon name or number as a distinction point.
The executioner before Kieran was obviously one of a group. What was bothering Kieran though, was why Kailuark would appear before him.
It was impossible for him to be after Kieran or Larry, so he had to be after Creedo.
Sphendix Corporation must have followed the clues left behind by Larry and discovered that Creedo and Leonard hade in contact. As a result, they had decided to kill the witness.
"Damn, theyre fast!"
Kieran took a deep breath, amazed by Sphendixs influence and power.
If Kieran had gotten there a littleter, the only clue they had would have been lost forever.
Still, Kieran needed a more reliable source to identify the body, even if he was almost sure that it was the Executioner himself.
"Larry,e over here, please! Is this the Executioner that you spoke of?" Kieran asked Larry, who had imed to be very familiar with the man.
Larry got out of the car right away and approached the body. He shed some light on the dead mans face, using his cell phone to get a clearer look.
Even though Larry had already confirmed the Executioners identity, he took ten more seconds to double-confirm who the man was. The Shadow Stinger himself had asked him to do it after all.
He might be mistaken about Kierans identity, but he was 120 percent serious when it came to identifying Kailuark.
After taking a long look at the dead man, he said, "Yes, hes the Executioner himself! Only the Shadow Stinger could have killed the Executioner with such ease!" Larrys words held a deep admiration.
"What? What Shadow Stinger?" Kieran was startled by the unfamiliar name.
"Its fine, I understand. You have to hide your identity, right? Dont worry, I wont tell anyone. It will be our secret. A secret between buddies! So tell me, why did you disappear for three years? Was it because of some woman? Or some man?" Larry continued with a grin, his questions betraying his job as an informant.
"No, Im not some Shadow Stinger!" Kieren repeated.
He could guess what was going on. It seemed like Larry had mistaken him for that Shadow Stinger because of his fight with the Executioner.
"Okay, okay, if you say so! So why did you be a reporter?" Even though Larry had said okay, he still kept trying to get information out of Kieran.
"If you want to wait for the patrolling officers to get here, then by all means keep asking."
Kieran rolled his eyes, fed up with Larrys persistent questions
He walked to the cars backseat and grabbed his backpack and the unconscious Creedo before heading to the end of the alley.
"Wait! Wait for me!" Larry quickly followed him.
...
A ssh of chilling cold water woke Creedo from his sleep. When he saw Larry before him, a wide grin formed on his face.
Suddenly, he shouted at Larry in a ferocious, yet weak tone, "What the hell do you want, Larry?"
Creedo struggled against his bindings as he shouted.
Despite all his effort though, the rope bindings did not loosen up. Instead, they tightened to the point that they squeezed his fat out.
"You better not struggle too much. Ive learned this binding method from one of the bounty hunters. The more you struggle, the tighter it gets!" Larry exined with a wide smile on his face.
After that malicious smile, Larrys face turned violent and he gazed ferociously at Creedo. Before Creedo could utter a word, Larry started punching him repeatedly on the face.
"The Moro Brothers! Did you hire them to kill me? Did you think I was dead? Think again, you idiot!" Larry shouted in dissatisfaction as he kept punching him.
His voice was echoing around the small underground room, but it was not loud enough to cover the sound of his punches.
Larry used all his might to vent his anger on Creedo. Every single punch hit the mans face hard.
After about five punches, Creedos face had swollen up, the corners of his eyes and nostrils were bleeding, and two of his teeth had fallen off.
Larry seemed to be exhausted from the beating, and he repeatedly took deeps breaths to recover.
Suddenly, he turned around and walked towards a toolbox, pulling out a plier.
"No! You cant do this! It will ruin your honor and reputation as an informant if you do!" Creedo shouted in panic as he watched Larry walk towards him with the plier.
"Of course I can! I can do whatever I want! What honor and reputation? The moment Sphendix decided to hunt me down, everything went down the drain! What use do I have for honor? Dont worry, my friend, the night is still young. Ill treat you very well to repay you for your treatment of me!"
When Larry finished talking, he opened the huge plier and stuffed Creedos index finger in it.
Not allowing Creedo to say anything else, he squeezed the plier hard with all his might.
"Aghhh!"
The immense pain had Creedo screaming out loud.
When Larry released his index finger and moved on to his middle finger, Creedo quickly stopped screaming and said, "Its not me who wanted revenge! I wasnt looking for trouble with Leonard either! I dont know why Sphendix would go to such lengths just for one guy!"
Creedos words proved that he had misunderstood the situation, but that was exactly what Larry had wanted. He stopped torturing him and looked at Creedo.
"Then who is it? Who the f*ck is ordering your big fat ass around?" he asked.
"It... Its... Aaargh!" Creedos hesitant pause resulted in more pain on his middle finger.
As Larry moved on to his ring finger, Creedo begged him, "Stop, stop! Ill talk! Ill tell you everything! Please let me go!"
Kieran was smiling from the corner as he heard Creedos begging. As hed expected, Creedo did indeed know something that the two of them did not. From the beginning of the interrogation, Kieran had been hiding in the corner, out of Creedos range of sight.
"Leave him to me! I know how to deal with bastards like Creedo!"
That was what Larry had said when theyd arrived at the underground room that supposingly belonged to a gang.
Kieran did not object to Larrys help. Just like Creedo, Larry was an informant lurking in the shadows. He knew enough about Creedo to make him talk, so Kieran believed that he could handle the situation.
Reality had proved him right.
While Larry was interrogating Creedo though, Kieran had not been cking off either. He had been keeping an eye out on their surroundings by using his Intuition.
Larry had assured him that the underground room was not one of his secret hideouts or rted to him in any way. Hed said that the gang that owned that ce had disbanded, so it would take Sphendix a while to locate them.
Despite Larrys assurance though, Kieran could not afford to let his guard down. Even if his watch proved pointless, he would not be frustrated about it.
Between risking his life and wasting a little energy to keep watch, he would of course choose thetter.
After quite some time, Larry ended the interrogation with a bitter expression.
"Its Compton! Compton was behind Creedo! The one and only underground king, also known as Mr. Big!" Larry uttered the name with difficulty, as if it took all his strength to talk about the man behind Creedo.
Chapter 114: Reaction
Chapter 114: Reaction
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
After Larry finished, he sat on the ground with a nk expression on his face.
Kieran frowned at Larrys revtion. The simple memories he had did not include the name Compton, but the mans title was enough to know who he was.
"Weve already got Sphendix on our tail. Whats so different about this Mr. Big?" Kieran asked without the slightest care. He needed to know more about Mr. Big.
"Theres a huge difference! If Sphendix rules the city by day, then Mr. Big rules the city by night! We might have still had a slight chance with only Sphendix on our tail, but if Mr. Big is after us too, then were really dead!" Larry said.
He looked as if he was about to cry.
"Who said that we dont have a chance?"
Kieran shook his head as he saw Larrys state. Larry was consumed by his own fear and had fallen into despair. As a result, he could not see the details.
"You are the Shadow Stinger! Of course youll find a way to escape! Even if you cannot get away, Sphendix and Mr. Big would wee you into their ranks! Im different, though! Im just an informant! Im a mere piece of trash in the eyes of those behemoths!"
Larry could not hold back anymore as tears started falling from his eyes.
"Thats it, roll back your tears! You can cry when you die! Havent you noticed the opportunity before us yet?" Kieran scolded Larry.
He was not prepared to deal with a crying person, especially a man.
"Opportunity? Dont tell me that you want to assassinate the higher ranks of Sphendix? Dont even think about it! Sphendixs security level is on par with the military! Even the Shadow Stinger wouldnt be able to do that!"
Despite Kierans hint, Larrys fear had gotten the best of him, and he still could not see the hidden opportunity before them.
"Im saying that theres an opportunity for us with Sphendix and Mr. Big! Dont forget what you just learned from Creedo. The one who ordered him to deal with Leonard was Mr. Big! Mr. Big is after you, because you identally saved Leonard! This means that Mr. Big was either concerned about Leonard or about the box in Leonards hands! Simrly, Sphendix is hunting you down because of Leonards secret box! Try to see things from a different perspective. What kind of rtionship is there between Sphendix and Mr. Big? Both them were after the box in Leonards possession. If we take Leonard out of the equation though, what was their rtionship in the first ce? Dont tell me they were both saints willing to allow the other party to have full control of the city!" Kieran exined the reasons behind their supposed opportunity.
As for him assassinating the higher ranks of Sphendix?
In a big corporation like Sphendix, there was only one person in charge, and that was Sphendix himself.
If Mr. Sphendix could hire Kailuark the Executioner as his security consultant, that meant that there had to be a thousand more security measures around him and hispany.
Kieran had experienced the human sea tactic first-hand before, but despite his current strength, he did not have the confidence to take on an entire security force. ording to Larry, Sphendixs security was on par with the military.
Knowing that his opponent had such firepower and manpower, Kieran quickly dismissed any thoughts of assassination.
As he clearly exined what their opportunity was, Larry got back on his feet.
"Theres a beef between Sphendix and Mr. Big! Ive always heard about the two of them fighting! If they wont work together, then we might still have a chance!"
Larry started to get himself together as he realized that he was not doomed after all.
"Still, its a fact that we have a bounty on our heads because of Sphendix! Even though Mr. Big will not work with Sphendix, he could still get rid of us to boost his own notoriety. As long as it would hurt Sphendixs reputation, he would dly do so! Its a huge disadvantage for us. We need to use theirpetition to cause a war between Sphendix and Mr. Big..."
As Larry began to stand up, he came up with an idea to get them out of that sticky situation. As soon as he expressed it though, Kieran rejected it.
"No, tricks and squabbles wont work! Since Sphendix and Mr. Big are constantlypeting against each other, they surely recognize their opponents. We need something bigger to create chaos and a misunderstandingrge enough to invoke a full-scale war between them! We need something more harsh and intense, like an assassination!"
When he mentioned the word assassination, Larrys eyes lit up.
"Lets kill some people from each side and ce the me on the other side! Well start a war! We wont need much provocation either, as soon as one side is hurt, the other side will take the opportunity and intervene! Killing Mr. Sphendix or Mr. Big themselves will be impossible, but killing their best men would be a piece a cake for you, right?"
Larry looked at Kieran in anticipation. He looked quite clear about his n, but Kieran still shook his head in disagreement.
"Both sides are behemoths, and they put their profit first, not their personal squabbles! Unless we killed someone on the drivers seat of these behemoths, our breeze would not even produce a wave! Targeting their best men might infuriate both parties and lead them back to us, putting us in a danger that we wouldnt have been in otherwise!" Kieran came up with a reasonable excuse to brush Larry off.
Truth be told, if Kieran had had enough time, he would have been willing to take the risk of Larrys suggestion.
Killing off some lower-rank leaders would not have much of an effect on either behemoth. Some of them might even have been happy, because there would have been room for promotions.
However, if the lower-rank leaders of the groups were dying in big batches, that might have been enough to cause fear among the rest of the men.
A position that everyone would have been after otherwise would instantly be a position that everyone tried to avoid.
At the same time, the other side, which would still be intact, would intervene, and if everything went smoothly, both behemoths would be hurt badly.
Anyone who fanned the mes to take advantage of the situation would speed up the process and cause both organizations to disappear within matter of days.
Humanity was not something to be underestimated. There might be no one willing to help during a blizzard, but there were plenty of people who would throw a stone if someone fell into a well.
That n might work given enough time.
A huge organization like Sphendix and Mr. Big might only have one leader on top, but the men beneath that leader were too many to count. Investigation and preparation would take a lot of time, even with Larrys help as an informant. Given only two weeks, Kieran might barely be able to make it. Plus, he was notpletely free during that period. He still needed toplete his Main Mission.
Maybe the assassination would unlock some kind of Sub Mission, but was it wise to give up on the Main Mission because of some potential Sub Mission? Kieran was not willing to take that bet.
His personal stats had been getting higher, but if he failed the Main Mission, his highest stats would drop by one rank.
That was what Kieran was most concerned about, because it meant losing a huge sum of Points and Skill Points.
When Kieran had still been in his first dungeon, upgrading his [Tracking] skill from Entry to Master had only cost 3,000 Points and 2 skill points.
Considering his current progress in the game though, upgrading [Tracking] from Pro to Grand Master would cost him a hefty sum of 12,000 Points and 8 Skill Points, and any upgrades to increase his Intuition level would not cost him Skill Points anymore, but Golden Skill Points.
Taking everything into ount, this could cost him almost the entire reward of clearing a dungeon.
Such a loss was not something Kieran wanted, or was willing to suffer.
Plus, he had a more energy-friendly n.
"Those goddamn capitalists! So does that mean that well have to kill Mr. Sphendix or Mr. Big themselves? How is that even possible? Considering the number of their guards, if they all spit, theyd produce enough saliva to drown us to death!" Larry scolded, unwilling to back down.
Kierans excuse had easily persuaded Larry, who was not a risk taker by nature.
"Even if I could kill Mr. Sphendix or Mr. Big, Id need to kill them at the same time! Otherwise, the other side would have enough time to conquer the city. No matter who the victor of the war would be, he would not spare the people who defied him!" Kieran kept pointing out the ws in Larrys n.
Larry was stunned as he understood what Kieran meant.
"So what should we do?" Larry looked at him with a helpless expression.
"Sphendix has ced a bounty on us, and I just killed their security consultant, so its kind of hard for us to fix things with them. Unless Mr. Big is different... Please dont tell me Creedo was one of his men!" Kieran said jokingly.
"Creedo? Of course not! That fellow does not respect the rules, so no one really likes him! If Mr. Big didnt still have a use for him from time to time, he would have skinned him a long time ago! But well need to pay a lot if we want Mr. Big to protect us! Since youre the Shadow Stinger, your strength is the best leverage! Me, though... I think Ill probably go broke!"
At the thought of paying the price for Mr. Bigs protection, Larrys eyes filled with tears again.
"Damn it! If we still had Leonards box, we wouldnt even need any leverage! Mr. Big woulde to us instead!" Larry felt regret about his decision again. If he could go back in time one day, he would have spent all his fortune to hire real bodyguards for Leonard.
"Only you, me and Sphendix know that Leonards box is not in our hands, Mr. Big doesnt! Plus, by the sound of things, Mr. Bigs would not believe anything Sphendix said anyway!"
Kieran looked at Larry with a smile as he exined the n he hade up with earlier.
"Youre saying..."
Larry widened his eyes as he looked at Kieran,pletely startled by the meaning behind his words.
"Thats right! From now on, were Mr. Bigs coborators! We dont need to seek his protection, because we have exactly what Mr. Big wants!" Kieran said with confidence.
Chapter 115: Difficult Position
Chapter 115: Difficult Position
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The bright sunshine shone down on the thin fog that covered the streets.
As the fog dispersed, the air remained humid.
The people on the streets were not feelingfortable, especially the patrolling officers and bounty hunters who had been searching all night.
The dew and thin fog had soaked their shirts, the chilling, sticky feeling unsettling them.
Even though they had been up all night, working in extreme concentration, their exhaustion was not holding them back. They kept searching with their eyes wide open, looking for any suspicious individuals.
Despite pulling an all-nighter, they knew that the period before them was the most important. Still, no matter how hard they searched, they could not find a trace of Kieran or Larry.
Even though he had Larry on his side, Kierans C- Intuition helped him predict the unknown, drawing an advantage from his ability and avoiding any disadvantages. If the police or the bounty hunters made a move, Kieran would know and be able to dodge them easily.
Larry was not a burden, though. Quite the contrary, he had turned out to be quite useful. Being an informant himself, he knew every corner of the city, and every gap and hole in it. He was like a walking map of the city, except he was actually even more than that. The secret information that Larry possessed had saved Kieran plenty of times. Without Larry, Kieran would not have imagined that the Underground King would be residing in a barber shop, let alone that Mr. Big would be the barber himself.
The barber shops store front was not too big. It had a door and a window that one could look through and see inside the shop. There were some advertisements on the window, just like the grocery store and the cobbler shop nearby.
The barber looked ordinary too. He was a kind of stout, friendly middle-aged man of average height.
When Kieran and Larry walked into the shop, the barber greeted them with a smile as he shaved another customers beard.
"Wee! Would you two like a haircut or a shave?"
The smile and greeting made him look like a real barber. If it was not for the razor-sharp gaze around that was locked on Kieran, Kieran might have really believed him.
He could imagine what would happen if someone were to attack this seemingly friendly barber. Anyone who did would get shot into a sieve.
The grocery store and the cobbler shop on the block were also owned by the barbers men. Even the customer the barber was serving had to also be one of them.
Inside the barber shop, Kieran could make out at least five men behind the wall of the washing area. The customer sitting on the shaving seat was also a buff man.
If anything were to happen, the buff man who had his face covered in shaving cream, enjoying the barbers service with his eyes closed, would stand up right away and block the barber with his muscr body.
What looked like amon barber shop was actually Mr. Bigs headquarters, so it was certainly safe.
Kieran thought silently as he observed everything.
"Mr. Big, we require your assistance!"
Larry opened his mouth nervously, just like he had promised Kieran.
If Kieran had not been beside him, he would have been crawling down on the floor, asking for Mr. Bigs help.
Larry had already said that he would bow down without a second thought if someone stronger than him stood before him, and Mr. Big was intimidatingly stronger than Larry.
"I beg your pardon? What did you say, sir? I dont understand."
The barber looked puzzled by Larrys words.
"Mr. Big, I know you have your rules..."
"If you know it, then how can you have the balls to just walk in here?"
Before Larry could finish, he was interrupted by the barber. Or rather by Mr. Big.
Mr. Big had been friendly one moment, but the next second his face had transformedpletely. He was still smiling, but the aura he was emitting had changed dramatically.
His eyes had be icy cold and hostile as he stared around him coldly, looking down at everyone else.
The shaving knife that he had used to shave the customer looked like it was oozing blood from the de. There were small dribbles and giant waves of bright red blood.
Larry was drowned in an instant by the phantom blood waves, his fear and panic making him stagger backwards. If Kieran had not held him up, he would have fallen to the ground. His face was extremely pale and he was taking big breaths.
[Fear: You are in your Targets Fear range, you Spirit has passed the test, No abnormalities have been detected...]
Kieran nced at the notification in his vision and looked at Mr. Big with a worried expression. Never would he have thought that Mr. Bigs aura alone would be enough to inflict a [Fear] effect on his targets. However, his worry faded quickly. This was not something to be worried aboutpared to the [Fear] effect that the bronze coffin had caused him. Although he was surprised by Mr. Bigs abilities, it was nothing more than a ripple in ake. Kieran had witnessed whole tides before.
While Larry was still struggling to calm his frightened soul, Kieran stepped forward and stood in front of him. The original n had been to wait for Larry to reveal their intentions first, and try to use leverage to acquire Mr. Bigs favor. His sudden exploding aura had messed up their n, though.
Kieran believed that this was what Mr. Big had intended when hed fixed his cold stare on them. Mr. Big was ustomed to a strong, powerful stance, and he would not let go of that easily. His sudden burst of aura made them feel as if he had eaten them alive.
"If you people daree to me for help, that means you have yourselves some leverage! Im on board with anything, as long as it can make Sphendix suffer! Show me what you got! If it pleases me, pledge your allegiance to me and Ill let you live!"
Mr. Bigs charitable tone of speech confirmed Kierans guess, yet it was not what Kieran wanted. He quickly shook his head.
"We want a coboration, we dont want to be your ves!" Kieran said in a peaceful tone.
He knew very well what Mr. Big meant by "live".
"A coboration? Who do you think you are? What right do you have? The leverage in your hands, or the fact that youve taken out some of Sphendixs men? Perhaps you think youve really killed Kailuark the Executioner?"
Mr. Bigughed hard as he reacted to Kierans words. Hisugh held a sense of mockery toward Kieran, as if he thought nothing Kieran had done could be worth mentioning.
"You know perfectly well what right we have, and our leverage is far bigger than you imagine, Mr. Big!" Kieran continued in his peaceful tone, not betraying any emotion.
The more he revealed, the higher the chance of him being made fun of by Mr. Big would be. Before Kieran could get his hands on any more information, he emphasized the term leverage.
Mr. Big knew why they had approached him. If hed decided to meet with Kieran and Larry, it meant that he was also concerned about the leverage Kieran had mentioned. His attitude towards it was definitely not as indifferent as he pretended to be.
"Oh, I see. Then do show me what you have. Dont tell me that the beast attacks were rted to Sphendix. Ive known that for a long time! Even Leonard could be considered one of my men!" Mr. Big said, putting emphasis on every word.
His attitude sounded even more oppressive than before. With a movement of his hand, his men, who had all been hiding around, came out and pointed their guns at Kieran and Larry.
The sharp gaze locked on Kieran became even colder. The buff man that had pretended to be a customer stood up and stepped beside Mr. Big.
Kieran was scared deep down in his heart, but he did not let it show on his face. It wasnt because the tide had changed in the current situation. After all, he had already been aware of the presence of those men. It was because what Mr. Big had said had scared him.
Kieran had actuallye up with a theory based on the newspaper that had been left behind by Leonard. The beast attacks and the box in Leonards hard were somehow rted, and the item had been recovered by Sphendix, which meant that the beast attacks were directly rted to Sphendix Corporation.
However, his theory was contradicted by the current situation. Mr. Big had already known that the two cases were rted.
"Mr. Big must have nted a mole in Sphendix! His mole must have ess to the higher ranks to be able to scoop out such secret information!"
Kieran quicklypared the situation to his spections. The mole had definitely not been Leonard.
As for Mr. Bigs im that Leonard had been one of his men? Kieran had not bought that lie. Mr. Bigs aggressive tone meant that it was at best a bluff.
Even if Kieran could guess Mr. Bigs intentions though, it would do him no good. Kieran was in a difficult position.
What should he do? He quickly spinned the gears of his brain, trying toe up with a solution.
Chapter 116: Approaching The Truth
Chapter 116: Approaching The Truth
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The atmosphere in the barber shop had turned icy cold thanks to Mr. Bigs cold stare and his mens malicious intent.
Larry, on the other hand, looked very worried about the situation before them. After all, it had already exceeded their expectations. Although Kieran and Larry had anticipated Mr. Big to be quite familiar with Sphendix, they had not predicted that he would have such a deep understanding of thepany and have even nted a mole in it.
Larry had already drawn the same conclusion as Kieran. He was not that stupid after all. However, that conclusion increased his fear and panic even more, as it meant that their bluff would being to an end.
In other words, they would die.
Once the thought had begun to bloom in Larrys head, he could not help but start mumbling in gibberish and unconsciously look at Kieran.
Larry saw that Kieran was as calm as ever and had not even batted an eyelid at the desperate situation before them.
Larrys heart calmed down in an instant. He had witnessed too many amazing feats from Kieran in one day, and no doubt it had boosted his confidence. Larry mistaken Kierans exceptional calmness for Kieran having everything under control.
He quickly calmed down and waited for him to turn the situation around and get them out of that difficult position. Larrys eyes were filled with anticipation as he looked at Kieran.
Kieran, however, did not notice his anticipation. He was quite busy at the moment, his whole mind focused oning up with an argument to persuade Mr. Big. He hade up with one within ten seconds. It was an extremely hard feat even for him. If the argument that he came up with was not enough to convince Mr. Big, he would have to fight a hard battle, him against Mr. Big and all of his men. That potential battle could be lethal for Kieran.
The five gunners before him were not a big deal, and the buff man beside Mr. Big might look intimidating at first nce, but he was not much of a threatpared to the snipers outside of the shop.
A couple dozen of scopes were circling around on Kierans back, every single one of them from a sniper. Kieran was familiar with that feeling, because he had been targeted by a sniper before. However, even he did not have the confidence to dodge a dozen sniper shots.
Snipers aside though, there were still plenty more of Mr. Bigs men on the street. Those men would swarm Kieran like bees if he went out and cover his whole body.
Unless Kieran could produce a shield that could make them hesitate to attack him for fear of hurting someone else.
Mr. Big!
"Five steps! Mr. Big has purposely chosen such a distance so he can be within his mens protection. The buff guy and the other five gunners will stop me or Larry if we make any sudden moves, and their interference will give the snipers outside enough time to shoot us into sieves!"
Kieran was considering the possibility of capturing Mr. Big by calcting the distance between them. It was not encouraging, yet he was willing to risk it.
He still has his ace card, [Primus Arm]. The legendary equipment was enough to give him a ray of hope. Kieran took a deep breath and got ready to strike.
Just as he was readying his muscles though, a series of rushed footsteps came from outside the shop and the door was pushed open.
The small bell above the door frame chimed clearly as it came into contact the door.
A thin man came in with a newspaper, heading straight for Mr. Big.
"Mr. Big, theres been another beast attack!" the thin man said, passing the newspaper to Mr. Big.
As Mr. Big took it, the thin man walked to the washing area.
A couple of secondster, the man came out with a map in his hand and opened it up before Mr. Big.
A total of three separate locations had been marked down on the minted map of the city.
The locations had beenbeled as "Sidney", "Courtney", and "Paul". The names were still fresh in Kierans memory. As soon as he saw them, he recalled that they were the names he had read in the newspaper, in the articles about the beast attacks. The thin man had reminded Kieran of the names, but below the markings were also detailed descriptions of the incidents.
The thin man put a fourth marking on the map,beled "Redecker".
After he wrote down the name, he added a description.
"Munched down until only the head remained, lots of blood and minced flesh around the area, but the main body parts were all eaten."
The description was much more detailed that the ones in the newspaper, and from start till end, the men showed no intention of hiding anything from Kieran. They acted as if he was not even there.
After the thin man wrote down the description, he went beside Mr. Big, letting Kieran see everything.
The man had written down the name and description with a ck ballpoint pen, which seemed to appear oddly obvious on the map, especially where he had circled the spots that the beast attacks had urred.
It was very obvious to Kieran, and somewhat dazzling.
The first marking, "Sidney", branched out at 45 degrees to the second marking, "Courtney". Courtneys location branched out to the right and led to "Paul", followed by the newest and fourth marking, "Redecker", which branched out in a parallel line.
Kieran unconsciously looked at the spot parallel to "Courtney" after he observed all four markings. If he used a pen to connect all the locations, they would form an upside down pentagon. Using his [Mystical Knowledge], Kieran connected the markings mentally and formed a pentagram.
A reverse pentagram.
"A magic circle?" Kieran squinted at his new discovery. He was approaching the truth behind all the beast attacks.
"Whats Sphendix up to this time? None of the victims were rted to him! This is so not his style! Are you sure about this?" Mr. Big asked as he looked at the thin man.
"Yes, Mr. Big! The victims had no connection to Sphendix, or to each other, whether that would be a hobby, personality trait, or upation. They had absolutely nothing inmon!" the thin man answered Mr. Bigs question seriously.
Kieran opened his mouth, his voice attracting the gazes of everyone in the room.
"Sphendix doesnt need that, hes just targeting people randomly. Anyone who appears at the wrong ce at the wrong time can be that unlucky fellow!"
"Very well said, but you dont have any proof to support your words! Besides, you still have not shown me your leverage! Ill let you die beautifully, exactly the way you spoke now!"
Mr. Big was not happy with Kierans interruption. Frowning, he gave Kieran ast ultimatum.
"Proof?"
Kieran gave a snort of contempt at Mr. Bigs use of the word "proof". Proof was useful to people who served justice. Mr. Big was no man of justice. His invasive aura and contempt only epted results.
Kieran was not going to argue with Mr. Big. Instead, he would provide him with the results he was looking for.
Kieran pointed at a spot on the map that was not marked yet and said, "The leverage and proof that you want so much is there!"
Chapter 117: Discovering The Truth
Chapter 117: Discovering The Truth
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
A ck MPV stopped by the roadside. Inside the vehicle, Kieran and the thin man were sitting opposite each other. Beside the thin man were two armed men with their guns pointing at Kieran.
"I hope that youre telling the truth, or else youll experience the consequences of lying to Mr. Big!" the thin man said.
Kieran did not say anything. He only nodded. He was confident that the fifth victim would be found around that area.
Sidney, Courtney and Paul had been found one after the other, but Redeckers body had just been discovered the previous day. Sphendix Corporation had not turned a new page all of a sudden, it was because Leonard had just taken something rted to the preparation of the magic circle, thus hindering the progress of the circle as a whole.
Since the item had been recovered by Sphendix, their priority would be to finish the magic circle, so Kieran was sure that they would not wait any longer. Their n was close to seeding after all.
After the recovery of the magical item and the fermentation caused by the beast attacks, all that was left was thepletion of the magic circle, or to be more precise, thepletion of the basic structure of the magic circle, the Reverse Pentagram.
The Reverse Pentagram was one of the basic structures of magic circles. It was the most well-known one among users, and also the mostmon one able to perform all sorts of rituals.
It was easy to learn and quick to master. With a precise drawing, inbination with enough pain, fear and despair as an energy source for conversion, the runes within the magic circle could be activated to fulfill the users goal.
That was why Sphendix had started the beast attacks in the first ce; to cause fear, panic and despair to the people and gather enough energy for the magic circle.
As for what was the goal of gathering fear, panic and despair?
Anything but happiness, goodness and hope. It was what [Mystical Knowledge] had taught Kieran.
"If theyre using a whole city to build the base for the Reverse Pentagram, the conversion circle must be quite big too! In order to increase their sess rate as they finish the basic structure of the magic circle, they will need to finish the conversion circle at the same time as well! So, where is the conversion circle?" Kieran thought.
The conversion circle was the second basic structure for the construction of a magic circle.
A simple example was the Grand Demonic Heptagram, which was formed by two giant outer circles and an inner circle as basic structures. Between the circles were the forward and reverse pentagrams, plus all sorts of runes. The forward and reverse pentagrams in it had the same function as the one before Kieran, which was to siphon energy.
The outer and inner circle were the conversion circle, and both of them were used to transfer energy to the runes between the forward and reverse pentagrams.
In the end, the caster could channel their mystical power through the runes.
As for the scorpion-like symbol in the middle? Kieran guessed that it was a supportive method meant to elerate the process or either amplify the effect of the magic. However, that was just a wild guess. He was not sure about it at all.
The vast knowledge of [Mystical Knowledge] was not all essible through Kierans Master Level. He even had a hard time locating the conversion circle of the Reverse Pentagram before him, but he was at least able to confirm its existence.
Although Kieran had limited ess to that vast knowledge and could not determine the location of the final piece, he had a decent understanding of how the magic circle and the casting process worked. His Master Level [Mystical Knowledge] was enough for him to know that.
One, the basic structure of the magic circle. Two, a suitable conversion magic circle. Three, adding the appropriate runes within the circle.
Although the process might require other supportive elements and incantations to activate the magic circle, understanding the process did not help Kieran with the situation at hand.
Quite the opposite, Kieran felt a sense of worry in his heart. He was worried about what would happen if such a huge negative-energy magic circle was actually activated.
Kieran dared not even imagine the oue.
Other than that sense of worry, he also had some doubts.
ording to Lawless, dungeon difficulty would increase ording to the number of dungeon entries. However, this was only Kierans third dungeon, and the difficulty was already even harder than the previous team dungeon, which had had an average dungeon entry number of four.
How could the third time be harder than the fourth?
"Did I miss any important information?" Kieran thought.
Suddenly, he was pulled out of his thoughts by a knock on the vehicle window. The thin man pulled the window down, and a tall, muscr man said, "Found something in the alley back there!"
The thin man instantly looked at Kieran with a curious expression, his face full of doubt.
"You did not set this up beforehand, did you?" he asked Kieran.
"Go see for yourself! Since youve recorded the past four attacks, you should know whether its real or not!"
Kieran opened the vehicle door straightaway and went out.
The thin man did not stop him. As Kieran had said, he had recorded all four past incidents himself, so he would be able to tell if they were fake or not just by one look.
The buff man who had reported the incident guided the thin man, followed by the two other men.
Mr. Bigs other men in the area, who had been looking for the dead body, had also gathered around when theyd heard the news.
It was a very-eye catching sight to see almost a hundred men gather around the area. Even more eye-catching, though, was Kieran, whom Sphendix had ced a bounty on. All the policemen and bounty hunters around had noticed his presence, but they did not make any sudden movements. They just stayed back and stared at Kieran with eager eyes.
As soon as the thin man walked out of the crowd and stepped beside Kieran though, their eager gazes turned panicked. Their expressions changed within a second, and they all left the area one after the other with their heads down, ignoring Kieranpletely.
The thin man was Kent, Mr. Bigs right-hand man. Anyone who knew that name and the mans background knew that something had to be wrong. Was this another one of Mr. Big and Sphendixs fights?
The gathered bounty hunters quickly dispersed as that thought bloomed in their minds.
Even the policemen left. No superiors orders or luxurious rewards were more valuable than their own lives.
None of them wanted to interfere in the fight between the two behemoths. All it would take was one wrong step, and they would be crushed to bits. A couple of righteous young policemen were dragged into their cars by their seniors.
Within a couple of breaths, the streets had been emptied of everyone other than Mr. Bigs men.
Kent was already used to scenes like that, so he just shrugged.
Kieran was not surprised, as Larry had already told him a lot about Mr. Bigs influence in the city.
He reached the alleyway without any further hindrance. The alley was not the dirty, narrow kind filled with rats and awful stenches. It was actually quite clean, and there were also street lights in it. It could have been a merry ce filled with people if it was not secluded.
The dead bodyy under a streetlight in the middle of the alley. It had been badly mutted by the beasts teeth, and most of its muscles and fat had been eaten. Even the skull was half-eaten this time.
As soon as he saw it, Kent went up to the body to investigate it. After a while, he turned around and looked at Kieran with a curious expression.
"How did you know?" he asked.
"Can I take a look myself?" Kieran answered with another question.
Kent did not stop him. He just moved to the side to make way for him.
Kierans urate prediction had already proved his value. Although Kent was curious about how Kieran had known about the attack beforehand, that it did not stop him from carrying out Mr. Bigs orders.
"If Kierans telling the truth, try to y nice. If hes bluffing, just kill him!"
Kieran squatted down in front of what looked like a puddle of minced meat. By the remaining skull, Kieran could tell that it had been a woman. When her head had still been intact, she must have been quite decent looking.
The scene was too gruesome for normal people, but Kieran had a steady heart. He investigated the body in detail without any hindrance. He had gotten used to such gory scenes right from the beginning.
After a delicate investigation, he discovered something.
Chapter 118: Realization
Chapter 118: Realization
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Bones!
Although the body before Kieran was badly mutted, there were still the remainings of some meat, fat and organs on it. However, the hardestponent of the body was tougher to find. Other than the half-eaten skull, there was not a singleplete bone to be found.
Had the bones been crunched? Or did the beast prefer bones over meat?
Neither spection was valid.
The second one was easier to reject. Even if the beast had munched on all the bones, there should have been some bone residue left behind, but Kieran couldnt find any.
The first one was pretty obvious. Considering that the skull was half-eaten, it was safe to say that the beast disliked bones, which meant that the victims bones had been taken by someone else before the beast had eaten them.
"What does Sphendix want with the bones? Does the magic circle require bones as a medium?"
Kieran quickly spected on his new findings, but that minimal information and his low level of [Mystical Knowledge] led him nowhere.
To be precise, Kieran had made no further discoveries on the mystical aspect of the attacks, but he had still found something on another matter. It was something about the third victim, Paul.
Unlike the rest of the victims, what had been left of Paul had only been an arm, which had led Kieran to believe that the beast was not picky about its food. By the look of the current victim and what was left of her, the beast had to have quite the appetite, and it did not know how to cover its tracks well either.
Using his [Tracking] vision, he saw the beasts tracks clearly. The paw prints left behind were covered in fresh blood. They looked thick and strong, certainly not something belonging to a man. Was it a bear? Kieran was not really sure, because he had not encountered such an animal before.
Although Kieran was clear on where the beast had gone, he kept following the paw prints, walking along the trail.
"You want to track down the beast? Weve tried it before, but we failed every single time!"
Kent was not particrly in favor of Kierans idea.
"That was because you werent using the right method," Kieran said as he turned into another alley.
The bloody paw prints almost faded when they reached the alley, but Kieran was still able to see the white tracks. They were still clear to him.
He even discovered another set of footprints, which seemed to have belonged to the beasts feeder or tamer.
That person must have been very vignt. As theyd ced down the "food" and removed the bones, they must have waited for their pet to finish the meal so they could leave together.
Kieran was turning left and right through the alleys, following the two sets of prints. After walking for around five minutes, he reached a busy street filled with cars.
The beasts paw prints disappeared there, the tracks turning into two tire marks.
Adding the tamers footprints to the equation, Kieran came up with a scenario in his head.
The fully fed beast must have been led there under its tamersmand and boarded a vehicle that had been waiting for it.
As Kieran looked at the tire marks that blended into the busy road, he turned around and told Kent, "I need a car and a driver!"
The tire marks blended into the road, but they did not disappear. Kieran was not going to give up just like that.
The tracks might lead Kierans car to Spehndix HQ, or to some other ce that would provide him with more clues.
Kent furrowed his brows, frowning at Kieran, but he had orders to cooperate with him.
Following Mr. Bigs orders, Kent waved at his men. After a while, the ck MPV pulled up before Kieran.
Kieran shook his head, looking at Kent as the man opened the back door for him.
"I want to ride shotgun!"
"Dont push it, son! Remember who you are!" Kent warned him in a stern voice, speaking very close to Kierans face.
Mr. Bigs men had started to look at Kieran with an unfriendly expression. They had gotten tired of following him around while he looked like he was doing nothing. If Kent had not been around, they would have taught this young man a lesson.
Kieran looked at Kent, and then at the men around him. He could not help but let out augh.
"Of course I do, Im Mr. Bigs coborator!" he said in a clear tone, emphasizing each word.
If Kieran disclosed his discoveries to the man before him, he knew that he wouldply easily, but obviously Kent had no right to know. Kieran wanted to have a face-to-face conversation with Mr. Big, not talk to him through his men.
As for why Kieran wanted that?
Since he had discovered the existence of the huge Reverse Pentagram, he had been thinking about why a third time dungeon would seem harder than a fourth time one.
He had not understood at first, but as he investigated the body and followed the tracks, he took note of Mr. Bigs men following behind him. Now he understood why hed felt that way. Kieran had a lot of helpers on his side, even though he had subconsciously thought that he was alone.
Unlike the dead guards at Alcatraz, the dungeon Kieran was in now had granted him a lot of helpers to aide him in facing a behemoth like Sphendix.
He was not alone after all.
If Kieran gave the dungeon Main Mission flow some thought, he would realize that if he had not helped Larry and gone straight to Leonards hiding ce, he would have discovered Leonards body and the key item taken away. Following the fourth and fifth beast attacks, the yer would have definitely been on the case as they followed the Main Mission.
Eventually, the yer would enter Mr. Bigs radar because of the Main Mission, and when they disyed formidable strength, Mr. Big would dly add another capable fighter to his ranks. In the end, the yer would finish the Main Mission unhindered with the help of Mr. Big.
Other than the part where the yer needed to disy formidable strength in front of Mr. Big and the potential war with Sphendix, which might be a little hard, the rest of the Main Mission was quite easy in Kierans opinion. It was quite fitting for a third time difficulty dungeon, but that did not mean that Kieran would follow that path.
His goal was to finish the Main Mission, Title Mission, and every Sub Mission possible with good results. Only that way would he be able to gain more advantages in future dungeons. Kieran did not forget his goal every time he entered a new dungeon. Since anything was possible, he did not just want to clear the dungeon at hand.
Truth be told, staying behind Mr. Big and finishing the Main Mission would be easy, but what about the next dungeon? And the dungeon after that?
As his dungeon entry times increased, so did the difficulty, and such a happy-go-lucky attitude in clearing a dungeon would eventually lead him to death.
That was not what Kieran wanted.
He had no intention of finishing the Main Mission through Mr. Big. He wanted to be in an equal position with him. Only then would he reap the biggest benefits. However, making that goal a reality would not be an easy task.
Although Kieran had just met Mr. Big for the first time, the memory of Mr. Bigs invasive, arrogant attitude and his cold stare were still fresh in his mind. Still, Mr. Big was not someone who ignore everyone before him. How seriously he took Sphendix was proof enough of that.
This had made Kieran understand that, in order to make his goal a reality and carry out his n, he would need to present himself as a force to be reckoned with.
He wanted Mr. Big to take him seriously as a coborator, and not treat him like a higher status person who did not spare a nce for someone that far beneath him.
Of course, it would take a certain formidable strength to achieve such a result. Fortunately, Kieran had that kind of strength, otherwise his actions would have already led to his demise.
The situation at hand had presented him with an opportunity to show off that strength.
"Coborator? Who do you think you are? Since you dont seem to be able to distinguish the good from the bad, Ill let you know what attitude you should have before Mr. Big!"
Afterughing coldly, Kent punched Kieran in the face.
Kieran stood still as a stick, as if he had been stunned by the unexpected punch. Mr. Bigs men around them seemed to expect a good show from the two of them. They knew what Kent could do. He was certainly not someone to mess around with, considering that he had been able to be Mr. Bigs right-hand man. Kents formidable strength made him rank in the top three fighters among Mr. Bigs men.
Kent was far more ruthless than the other top two, and his loyalty to Mr. Big had helped him get promoted to where he was.
If Kieran got on his bad side, he would meet a bad end.
A number of Mr. Bigs men with fierce, aggressive personalities started to smile at Kierans misfortune.
They even began guessing what state Kieran would be in after the fight.
Broken ribs? Broken arm? Maybe two broken legs?
The guesses were so many that they actually wanted to punch Kieran themselves.
They focused their evil gazes on Kieran like wolves hunting down their prey in a circle.
Despite everything that was going on around him, Kieran simply moved his right index finger a little, and the ring on his finger with the beautiful embedded ruby immediately emitted a terrible glow.
It was as if it was telling the world its name.
[Half-Deads Gaze]!
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Early chapter today
Chapter 119: Collaboration
Chapter 119: Coboration
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The lightning-fast punch unleashed towards Kieran was stopped in mid-air before it even touched him.
Kents cold smile froze on his face. Even his breathing slowed down in that moment, as if he had witnessed something horrific that he could not ept. He backed up a few steps, his face turning pale as he panted.
The men around Kieran also acted the same way.
When Kieran turned his eyes towards them, they felt as if his gaze was more ferocious than a tigers or a leopards. It felt like a sharp sword driving into their hearts.
A big number of them fell to the ground, blood gushing out their mouths. The rest also looked pale as they stared at Kieran with a horrified expression.
They had no idea what was happening, or why one gaze from Kieran could make them suffer such a mental shock.
Out of instinct, some of them tried to conquer the unknown fear by pulling out their guns, hoping to fight it with modern weapons.
Their wobbly hands and feet would not allow them to pull them out though. Some of them even fell down as they tried to pick up their weapons.
As men fell before Kieran like bowling pins, he softly touched the [Half-Deads Gaze] on his finger. He was in awe of the power of that rare piece of equipment.
He was inplete advantage, unless he was facing someone who had a strong Spirit Level by nature. Most importantly, the ring had a specific range of effect.
The [Dead Mans Gaze]s skill had no target limitation though. During its one second of duration, anyone who came in contact with Kieran would be forced to undergo a Spirit authentication, and if their Spirit was lower than Kierans by -1 rank, they would be induced with [Fear] and consumed by [Fear Illusions].
[Fear Illusions: The Target has fallen under the spell of your Illusions, Spirit authentication... Spirit did not pass authentication, Target suffers Damage simr to your Spirit rank, 40 Damage Inflicted to Targets HP, Target is Moderately Wounded...]
[Fear Illusions: Target has fallen under the spell of your Illusions, Spirit and Intuition authentication... Spirit and Intuition did not pass authentication, Target suffers Damage simr to your Spirit rank +1, 60 Damage Inflicted to Targets HP, Target is Heavily Wounded...]
Although Mr. Bigs men looked tough on the outside, the battlelog notifications proved that they were nothing more than ordinary men. Theirbat ability might be much stronger than average, but that did not change their status.
Kieran looked down at Kent, who looked as if he was about to copse.
"I think Ive made myself clear about who I am and what attitude you should have when talking to me! You have one minute to find me a driver! Dont even think about trying anything, or you wont survive the consequences!" he warned Kent in a calm, stern tone.
Without waiting for a reply, he opened the passenger door and got in the car.
Kent clenched his teeth hard to keep himself from falling down. His faint, struggling expression eventually turned into fear.
Kieran could clearly see Kents expression through the side mirror. It was exactly what he wanted. He was actually delighted by the results.
Kent was not some fighter who would look death in the face. He was nothing more than a high-ranking gang member. When his life was threatened, he got scared and panicked. Facing the unknown made him feel the same way.
When Kent was facing both at the same time, his fear got the best of him and tore down his confidence, causing his worldview to copse.
"Next... Mr. Big!" Kieran said quietly.
Kent would definitely report the incident to Mr. Big, there was no doubt about that, and Kieran could already guess what Mr. Bigs reaction would be.
After all, Mr. Big was not the kind of man to stare death in the face either.
Kieran needed to go through the minor details carefully though, and a one-minute timeframe was obviously not enough for him to do it.
He quickly collected his thoughts as the driver opened the door and got into his seat.
[Tracking] would consume a lot of his Stamina, and distinguishing a single track from the countless tracks on the road would require him to be highly concentrated.
"Start the car now and follow my directions!" Kieran said.
"Yes, sir!" the driver nodded inpliance.
It seemed like someone had told him about what had just happened back there.
With a turn of the key, the ck MPV started to cruise on, following Kierans directions.
After an hour and a half of driving, the MPV reached a huge building.
"This is the Sphendix Corporation Headquarters, sir. We cant go any further, or well be in big trouble!" the driver told Kieran.
Kieran didnt need the drivers warning to see the big Sphendix sign before the building and the tire tracks leading straight to Sphendixs parking lot.
"Okay, turn around!" he told the driver after memorizing the tire tracks.
He was not upset that this had been their destination. Before they had started following the tracks, Kieran had already had a hunch that they would eventually lead to Sphendix. He had followed them just to be on the safe side.
After all, his effort had not been futile. At least hed had the opportunity to disy his strength. Of course, his decision to show his strength meant that he would have to take Mr. Bigs testter on. Only after he passed that test would he really have shown his strength to Mr. Big. Kieran was sure that the man would be prepared for him, so he had saved up his good equipment especially for him.
...
Kieran went back to the barber shop and pushed the door open right away.
There was only Mr. Big and Larry inside the shop. No other men were around.
Larry was sitting in the chair, his face covered with shaving cream as Mr. Bigs sharp shaving knife caressed his face softly.
Mr. Big had quite the shaving skills. He shaved Larrys beard off along with the cream.
It was supposed to be a rxing process, yet Larry looked close to tears. After all, the man shaving him was Mr. Big, the Underground King himself.
One gaze from Mr. Big was enough to shake the informants heart and make him want to bow down before him.
Larrys eyes lit up when he saw his savior push the door open, but he dared not move a muscle.
The sharp shaving knife had suddenly moved close to his neck.
Kieran saw the sharp knife on Larrys neck and turned his attention back to Mr. Big, who had just turned around with a friendly expression.
"I gave you the "proof" and "leverage" that you wanted so bad!"
"Yes, you did. Even more so than I expected. But it was a little too much, to the point that I cannot ept it!"
Mr. Bigs manner was still friendly, but his eyes were filled with killing intent.
He wanted to kill Kieran. After confirming the reports sent by his men, the thought of killing him had bloomed inside his heart. He felt threatened by Kierans existence, and it was not something that he could tolerate.
Sphendix was enoughpetition for him, he did not need another opponent. Yet as he faced the unknown, Mr. Big felt the hint of a doubt in his heart. It was because of that doubt that he had decided to meet with Kieran again after setting up an escape-proof for him.
He wanted Kieran to clear his doubts.
"ording to my sources, Sphendix has some kind of terminal illness. He should have been long dead, yet he is still living and kicking. His personality has also changed suspiciously. Using a beast to chew onmon people did not use to be his style. Even I, his oldest rival, have been having a hard time figuring out whats happened, yet you, aplete stranger, can predict the precise location of the attacks and seem to know exactly what he is up to! Can you tell me why?" Mr. Big said slowly.
"Its because Sphendix has someone like me by his side as well. Whats so special about defying death?" Kieran smiled as he raised his right hand.
A lightning sparkle shone around the room in an instant, making Mr. Big turn his face away.
Chapter 120: Underground
Chapter 120: Underground
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Lines of lightning circled around Kierans right index, middle and ring finger, as if lightning wasing out of his palm.
In fact, the real source of the lightning was the [Lightning Tigers Finger] that Kieran had hidden under his sleeve.
It was so well hidden though that the scene had caused Mr. Big a shock. He did not realize the trick Kieran was pulling.
Larry, on the other hand, who was tied down on the chair, had already lost it.
He was looking at Kieran incredulously, as if he was the descendant of Zeus himself.
Kieranid his hand down in satisfaction after noticing both their expressions.
Before he had gotten back to the barber shop, he had been thinking about what kind of approach he should use to pass Mr. Bigs test.
If it was too provocative, it would lead to retaliation and end up in a messy fight, which was not the result Kieran was hoping for.
A soft approach would not work either. Considering Mr. Bigs intimidating nature, he might end up joining his side under different terms. The benefits might be higher, but he would still be under his control, which was not what Kieran wanted either.
Therefore, the only way to approach Mr. Big was bypromising.
He had to find a way that would fit his criteria, but would not be provocative enough for Mr. Big to retaliate. It was not an easy feat. Kieran had started to recall every detail of his first meeting with Mr. Big.
"Dont tell me that the beast attacks are rted to Sphendix! Ive known that for a long time!"
The phrase had made an impression on Kieran, and Mr. Bigs concern over the incident had also been worth remembering. Not only had he sent his men to keep an eye on things, but he had also used the mole he had nted in Sphendix a long time ago. Of course, Mr. Big was not interested in the beast attacks. He was only intrigued because the incidents were rted to Sphendix. Kieran was sure that Mr. Big had some inside information regarding the beast attacks, and that information would surely be something the ordinary mind could not conceive.
After all, it was a magic circle ritual. Nomon mind would be able to understand it, not even Mr. Bigs mind, yet it granted Kieran an entry point inessible bymon people.
From the looks of it, it was quite effective. Kieran had already found out that Sphendix had a terminal illness and should have died a long time ago.
"If things did not go as they were supposed to, how did they manage it?" Kieran thought about it quietly.
He turned to Mr. Big and said slowly, "While you could not ept the fact that my "leverage" was more than you expected, your old rival epted the aid of someone like me. Now that they solved their most imminent problem, can you guess who their next target will be?"
At Kierans revtion, Mr. Bigs heart instantly skipped a beat.
Who would be Sphendixs next target? The answer was self-exnatory.
Mr. Big. It could only be Mr. Big.
Mr. Big had mentioned that he treated Sphendix as an arch nemesis that needed to be eliminated, and Sphendix thought of him the same way. If he could get Mr. Big out of the picture, he would dly do so.
The two behemoths had beenpeting for the past decade, and both of them were very clear on how the other would behave. Sphendix seemed to have acquired the power to win the war between them.
Mr. Big did not hesitate anymore. He removed the shaving knife from Larrys neck and made a polite gesture towards Kieran.
"Want to take a look at my real ce?" he asked.
"Of course, with pleasure!" Kieran said with a smile.
Larry was the most excited to see Kieran and Mr. Big reach an ord. It meant that he would be freed from his hostage position and the fear and panic of getting killed by Mr. Big or being hunted down by Sphendix.
Larry knew that he would be safe under Mr. Bigs protection. He could not bear to go through another near-death experience. Hey down on the chair, panting heavily.
His breathing sounded like an old broken wind box being pulled.
As Kieran passed by him though, he jumped up right away.
"Thank you for everything, Kieran! You are my best friend!" he thanked him sincerely.
[Sub Mission: Unknown Attacker (Completed)]
Apleted Sub Mission notification popped up in Kierans vision as Larry thanked him. This meant that he would get an additional reward at the end of the dungeon, which made Kieran smile even brighter.
Before he could say anything though, Larry pointed at the cream on his face.
"I think I still have to finish shaving! You two can go ahead without me!" he said.
Although Larry was really curious about what Mr. Bigs ce really looked like, as an informant, he knew that some things were better left unknown. This was way out of his league, and so was the conversation Mr. Big and Kieran were about to have.
Mr. Big looked at Kieran in admiration. After all, Larry had just demonstrated that he knew his own limits.
Larry grinned widely at Mr. Big. Kieran was sure that if hed had a tail, he would have been wagging it non stop.
Larry stayed at the front of the barber shop to finish shaving while Mr. Big led Kieran to a room at the back of the shop.
The room looked like a storeroom, but turned out to be an elevator. The elevator was right there, without any further cover-ups.
"If an enemy has made it this far, a cover-up will be useless anyway," Mr. Big said.
Kieran nodded, although he did not really buy it.
Any normal person would value their house the most, even more so a gang leader. If it was possible, they would built their house in the worlds safest ce, and the interior would be even more dangerous than the exterior, even though it would look safe.
The elevator door opened with a clear sound.
Mr. Big and Kieran entered the elevator together and started to descend.
The weightlessness made Kieran frown unconsciously. He had experienced it every time he entered a dungeon, and the familiar feeling caused mixed emotions inside him.
He felt disgusted and repulsed, yet also excited at the same time. He was torn about what he was feeling.
"My feelings are like a separate human being!" Kieranmented.
His emotions shed over quickly though, so Mr. Big did not notice anything odd.
When the elevator door opened again, Mr. Big went out first.
He weed Kieran like a host would his guest, "Wee to my underground pce!"
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Early chapter again!! And its 120 already!!
Chapter 121: Still Puzzled
Chapter 121: Still Puzzled
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Mr. Big had described his ce as a pce, and the term was very urate.
In Kierans opinion, it might also have been a little humble of him. After all, even a real king could not have built a grand underground building as magnificent as this one.
Kieran walked out of the elevator and passed by a delicately carved fountain before going up a flight of pearl-white stairs. Four rows of marble pirs separated the grand hall from the corridor.
There was a scarlet red carpet on the floor of the main hall, spreading from the entrance to the deepest part of it. A soft, lukewarm light shone down from above like the evening sun, as if the whole premises were bathed in holy light.
A team of six young girls in bright chiffon dresses came out of a small door on the side of the corridor, each of them carrying a tray in her hands. On the trays were clean clothes, fresh water and sses of wine, in that particr order.
Mr. Big started to change his clothes before Kieran, without any qualms about the two young maidens before him. Then he used the fresh water to wash his face and hands, and picked up a ss of wine from one of the trays.
As Mr. Big shook his ss, the amber-colored wine emitted a rich fragrance. It smelled like a mix of apples and cherries. Although Kieran did not like drinking, the smell of the wine alone was enough to make him feel like he was in a fruit garden ready for harvest.
"It must be worth a lot!" Kieranmented on the wine. This could be said about everything Kieran had seen after hed set foot on the premises.
The group of young maidens wearing chiffon dresses were particr eye-catching.
Their indifferent gazes and strong bodies gave Kieran an idea about what they were. They were the maidens and bodyguards of Mr. Big. If they were allowed to be in the pce, it meant that they were very loyal to their master.
What happened next proved Kieran right.
"You are my honored guest, so everything here is free for you to enjoy!" Mr. Big said with a smile.
The maidens quickly surrounded him, but Kieran took a quick step back.
"I dont like wine, and I prefer my own clothes, thank you!" Kieran rejected the offer with a smile of his own.
"You dont know how to enjoy life! You must be a friar! Or shall I call you a sorcerer?" Mr. Big asked in a guessing tone after some consideration.
"Maybe Im a sorcerer, maybe not. I just possess a little more power than the average man. Other than that, Im still a normal person," Kieran sounded humble, but his answer was ambiguous.
Before he hade up with his n, he had decided how he would answer Mr. Bigs questions. He would pretend to be a sorcerer of sorts, not just to maintain his mysteriousness, but also to gain the vast knowledge that he needed.
Though thetter might be harder to pull off, the former was easy. All Kieran had to do was speak ambiguously. He just needed to use some professional jargon, knowledge, and his special skills to pull it off sessfully.
The jargon and knowledge came of course from his [Mystical Knowledge] skill.
As for the special skills that could create magic or other simr techniques? Kieran had those in his arsenal as well. His current skill set and equipment were enough to deal with Mr. Bigs inquiries, no matter what he chose.
"A sorcerer who possesses more power than the average man? Can you even beat guns?" Mr. Big was mumbling to himself in a soft voice, but as soon as the maidens heard the wordsing out of his mouth, they quickly moved in formation and pulled out small, delicate handguns.
Kieran looked at the guns pointed at him and turned his eyes to Mr. Big, who was busy tasting his wine. Kieran smiled uncontrobly. Everything was exactly as he had expected.
Considering Mr. Bigs intimidating personality, it would have been suspicious if hed agreed to coborate with him after Kieran had disyed his extraordinary powers once.
Mr. Big might have witnessed something extraordinary, but his worldview would not crumble that easily. After all, he was someone who could decide the fate of other peoples lives with a mere word.
He was a high-ranking person in his own world, so if he were to discover that he was just a drop of water in a vast ocean, it would be hard for him to ept it. It would have been hard even for an ordinary man.
He would definitely use his own methods to verify the facts before him, including harsh and unusual means. However, no matter his final choice, it was Mr. Bigs ambition that made him a high-ranking person in his own world. With that in mind, a second test would be inevitable.
Through his continuous tests, Mr. Big could adjust his ns to the limits of the real world.
One of the most important tests was force itself, and Mr. Bigs biggest force was guns.
He was used to the power of his guns, and Kieran understood that nullifying that power would make Mr. Big understand the difference in strength between the two of them. With that difference in mind, Mr. Big would fullyply and be the coborator that Kieran wanted.
In any other case, even if Mr. Big seemingly agreed to coborate with him, he might have a hidden agenda. Kieran did not wish to coborate with someone who could drag him down at a critical moment.
If the maidens had some kind of sniper guns, it might have been a little more difficult for Kieran, but the small handguns before him were nothing to worry about. He stood up generously, as his [Primus Arm] force field possessed a strong defensive power.
"Go on, fire at me!" he told the maidens.
The maidens replied by pulling the triggers right away.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Six shots were fired uniformly, aimed at Kierans head, throat, heart and other weak spots of his body. This showed that the maidens were well-trained inbat.
Still, the results left them stunned.
The six bullets theyd fired had stopped in mid-air within an inch of Kierans body. Although they were still spinning vigorously, they had stopped advancing, as if an invisible wall was blocking their path.
Within a second, the six bullets had frozen before Kieran.
Kieran raised his hand and plucked the bullets out as if he was plucking flowers from his own garden.
The wine ss in Mr. Bigs hand fell down. Even Mr. Big could not control his emotions when hed just watched his biggest force fail.
"Is this enough for you?" Kieran said while ying with the deformed bullets in his hands.
"Yes!" Mr. Big stared at the bullets in Kierans hands and nodded with a bitter expression.
He waved at the startled maidens to leave and led Kieran to a guest room near the main hall that resembled a study of sorts.
The two of them sat down at the table, Mr. Big showing a sense of respect throughout the whole process. After losing his biggest advantage, Mr. Big was clear about his position. Kieran was impressed by the mans ability to adapt to setbacks. If Kieran had been in his position, he would not have done the same.
"So thats why Mr. Big has so much power!" Kieran thought mockingly as he looked at the man.
Before Kieran could start asking questions though, Mr. Big started spilling everything voluntarily.
"My source told me that six months ago Sphendix had gotten some terminal illness and he only had three months left to live. Yet those three months have passed, and Sphendix is still alive and well. My source is really reliable and would never betray me. Sphendix Medical Group must have made some major breakthrough, and I am very interested in that. I asked my men to approach Leonard, who was a gambling addict. We wanted to get him over to our side and it was easy, but Leonard was too stupid. Before he could make himself useful and discover anything, he was fired. By the time that happened, I was too distracted by the beast attacks and did not notice what Leonard had discovered. By the time I noticed, it was already toote. Sphendix had sent out his cutthroat killer and gotten rid of Leonard. Id never expected to bump into you though!" Mr. Bigughed bitterly.
"So thats the whole story!" Kieran nodded in realization. Everything that had been troubling him had been cleared up by Mr. Bigs exnation.
However, there was still something troubling him about the Main Mission.
Kierans expression turned serious, and his tone became stern.
"Theres something I need your men to investigate!" he said.
"Please do tell!" Mr. Big replied in a simr manner.
Chapter 122: Missing Paul
Chapter 122: Missing Paul
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
"I want all the information you have on Paul, the third victim of the beast attacks. As many details as possible!" Kieran said.
Among the five victims, Paul was the one that had caught Kierans attention and made him specte about the incidents.
Of course, given theck of urate information, Kieran was not willing to specte any further. He didnt want his objective analysis to be influenced.
Being prejudiced was a scary thing, and Kieran knew it. It was actually even worse than habitual actions.
"Paul? Okay, please wait for a bit." Mr.Big sounded doubtful about Kierans request.
All five victims had been investigated thoroughly by him, but nothing had seemed unusual about them. Still, that did not stop him from fulfilling Kierans request.
Ten minutester, Mr.Big came back with two thick cowhide bags in his hands.
"Heres all the information I have about Paul, from the moment he entered the orphanage to the moment of his death. Everything has been recorded here. This is all I have for now. Do you need to know anything about the rest of the victims?" Mr.Big said, patting the cowhide bags.
"Not right now, thank you," Kieran thanked Mr.Big with a smile before opening the bags right away.
The information inside was organized by date. All twenty years of Pauls life had been arranged in chronological order.
One of the bags held the records of Paul entering the orphanage as a boy, and his life as a teenager and eventually a young adult. It included, but was not limited, to his school years, club activities and love life.
The other bag contained records of minor things about Paul, including his rtionships outside school and the people he knew. Kieran went through both of them, but did not notice anything unusual.
Paul had not been the brightest student in ss, but his grades had been quite decent. Other than being an orphan and a loner whod had a hard timemunicating with others, he had been no different from an ordinary guy.
Hed had idols that he had admired when he was young and a puppy love that had ended without a reason. After college, he had started to work two jobs to cover his ever-expanding expenses. Because of his good grades though, he had qualified for a school schrship every year.
Other than the fact that hed needed to support himself because he was an orphan, there was nothing that stood out about him. Kieran was not ready to give up though. He checked every page carefully, until the veryst page, the full stop of Pauls life. On thest page, there was a photo of a piece of his left arm. The arm was iplete. There was no palm or upper arm, just a chewed forearm.
The forearm had been mutted badly by the beast. Only a couple of torn-up tattooed letters could be seen clearly. It was the traces of that tattoo that had allowed the public to identify the forearm as Pauls.
Kieran was not surprised that Pauls forearm had a clear sign on it. That sign actually fit Kierans initial guess. However, when Kieran squinted his eyes to take a closer look at the letters, he realized something. He recognized those words. Not because of the temporarynguage pack, but because of his [Mystical Knowledge].
Kieran could read the letters on the forearm by using his [Mystical Knowledge]. He was even able to pronounce them, but he could not understand what they meant, because the tattoo was iplete. It was only a part of a bigger symbol or sign.
Every word made readable by [Mystical Knowledge] wasplicated and tediously long. There werent just letters, but symbols as well, some of them unfamiliar tomon people. Just like with othernguages, the slightest change to the words could alter their meaningpletely.
The words "burn" and "frozen" both had fourteen letters and only two small differences, meaning that their remaining twelve letters were exactly same. That was why words like the one on Pauls forearm tattoo were mystical and hard to learn. Kieran felt a little strange about his new discovery.
"Could Paul be the person behind the beast attacks and the one who set up the magic circle?" Kieran spected before eventually shaking his head.
He believed that Mr. Bigs information was urate. If Mr. Big said that Paul was not rted to Sphendix, then they were not rted, neither openly nor secretly.
Unless Paul had been able to change his facepletely, he would not have been able to fool Mr. Bigs source at Sphendix.
Most importantly, if Kierans guess was right, it meant that Paul must have had a certain level of [Mystical Knowledge] and known one or maybe even a couple of basic structures of magic circles.
It seemed quite impossible for an orphan of only twenty years of age. A slow person would have to work even harder in school in order to maintain good grades, and given the circumstances, the extra effort of learning [Mystical Knowledge] and working two jobs to survive already exceeded the average persons mental and physical strength.
Kieran had a simr background, so he had experienced this as well. When he was young, he had been grateful just to be able to keep up with his homework, never mind get good grades.
Eventually, Kieran had quit school to work full time.
Learning [Mystical Knowledge] was even harder. Kierans Master Level of the skill allowed him to know quite well how hard it was for themon mind to learn it.
Mystical knowledge wasplicated and tough to master. Even if someone was fully concentrated while learning, it would be extremely difficult to reach a certain level by Pauls age, let alone know how to create magic circles. Creating magic circles was not something one could learn on his own. A mentor had to be there to guide them. Even Kierans Master Level included nothing rted to incantations, which were necessary to activate a magic circle.
In other words, someone must have taught Paul.
"Did someone teach Paul everything? Or did Paul see someone and get influenced by them, and got a tattoo on his arm instead?"
The thought bloomed instinctively in Kierans mind as he quickly went over the details and looked at Pauls pictures again.
He wanted to find out who could have taught and influenced Paul and confirm what the letters on his arm meant.
The results were disappointing though. The collected information didnt point at anyone that Paul had been close to, or someone who could have had the chance to teach Paul and influence him. Although there were a lot of pictures of Paul, in most of them he was wearing a suit and leather shoes. They all seemed official. None of them depicted him in his daily life.
Before this, Pauls loner personality had seemed quite normal, considering that he was an orphan. However, the discovery of the words on Pauls arm had changed everything.
"Was the tattoo covered up on purpose?" Kieran was not sure about his guess.
He rubbed his temple to ease his headache.
He thought he had been onto something, but all the clues had led him back to his starting point. More than that, they had even ruled out his previous spections.
"Why did Paul do what he did?" Kieran asked himself in a low voice.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Paul!
Chapter 123: Traces
Chapter 123: Traces
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Kierans first guess had been that Paul had faked his own death. Compared to the other four victims, whose skulls had been the only thing found at the scene, Pauls case was too obvious. Only his forearm had been left behind.
A forearm left too much room for spections. Without the palm, there were no fingerprints to identify, and only the special alphabet was recognizable.
If it had just been some random alphabet, Kieran would not have given it a second thought. It would only have strengthened his original spections. However, that kind of special alphabet was not something ordinary people coulde up with, and it filled Kieran with doubts.
If Paul had cast the magic circle, why would he use himself as a tribute?
Human beings could exhibit a sacrificial spirit. That was a fact Kieran could not deny. However, the reasons they would sacrifice themselves were very limited. They would only do it for family or loved ones.
Paul and Sphendix were not rted at all, so why would Paul sacrifice himself for Sphendixs goals?
Most importantly, provided that Paul had managed to set up such a magic circle and possessed a certain level of [Mystical Knowledge] himself, even Sphendixs wealthy background would be nothing against him.
"Why would Paul sacrifice himself for an unrtedmon mortal?" Kieran asked himself.
Only a martyr would do that.
Paul was obviously no martyr, or else he would have achieved some kind of respectable feat long ago.
In a city controlledpletely by Mr. Big and Sphendix, Kieran was sure that no one would need any help.
If someone had taught Paul how to set up that magic circle, why would he sacrifice his own student? Finding someone able to learn about [Mystical Knowledge] was not an easy task. Kieran knew that himself. Even if the person who had taught Paul had had evil intentions right from the start, he had no reason to purposely leave Pauls arm behind and take the rest of his body. That would only make Paul stand out from the rest and create more doubt among the public.
"Maybe Pauls body was special in some way?" Kieran thought to himself before shaking his head.
If Pauls body had been truly special, it would not have been possible to hide it from the people around him. The records showed nothing of that kind though, and neither did Pauls pictures.
Maybe Paul had met or been influenced by someone or something and gotten the words tattooed on his forearm, but that still did not exin why he would leave his forearm at the scene.
"Why would he leave his forearm behind?" Kierans brow furrowed even harder.
Meanwhile, Kieran started to rearrange all the information. He knew he had reached a dead end and he needed to find a way to get past it.
Mr. Big was waiting quietly beside him, ignoring the sound of flipping papers that filled the room. Despite being the Underground King of the city, Mr. Bigs patience was remarkable.
As time flew by, the flipping noise gradually stopped. Kieran stopped moving as he read about Paul.
After another round of re-arranging, he suddenly realized what he had been missing right from the start.
The tamer! No matter what way Kierans spections went, the tamer always appeared.
The tamer of the beast was there to create pain and panic. Even if the man was not aware of the big picture, he still might know something important. He might know if Paul was really dead.
"Mr. Big, is there a tamer among Sphendixs men?" Kieran asked, turning around.
"Ever since the beast attacks started, Ive been searching for this tamer myself. I have discovered nothing though. That bastard is very mysterious. He must have joined Sphendix Corporation after the beast attacks started happening, but he must only be in contact with Sphendix himself!" Mr. Big replied with a frown.
He looked kind of upset about it. It seemed like Mr. Big was not overly fond of not having things under control.
"Even your source could not discover the tamers identity?" Kieran asked in awe.
ording to Kierans spections, Mr. Bigs source had to hold a high-ranking position in Sphendix Corporation. Such a position should allow him to have ess to most of thepanys intel, except Sphendixs personal secrets.
"You dont know how hard Sphendix is protecting that bastard! Hes set him up on a floor only Sphendix himself can enter, and he delivers that little pricks meals himself every day! I swear Sphendix is not this protective even of his own son!" Mr. Big replied.
A light bulb suddenly went on in Kierans head.
A sudden addition to Sphendix Corporation, whose identity not even Mr. Bigs source could discover, and who was protected by Sphendix himself...
These three new pieces of information elevated the tamers status in Kierans spections.
"Maybe the tamer was the one who set up the magic circle?" a new thought bloomed in Kierans mind.
Although it was only a hunch, Kieran treated it as a breakthrough in his investigation.
The tamer had been ced on an isted floor only Sphendix himself could enter and no other employees knew who he was or how he looked, but there had to be traces of him. After all, he had been tasked with setting up the magic circle, which required a series ofplicated procedures. The tamer had to take out the beast, which was not small by any means, and head to the designated locations so the beast could munch on the dead bodies.
Even if the tamer could avoid any surveince cameras during the attacks, it was impossible to avoid them on his way there.
Especially on a busy road. The tamer would need a car big enough to carry the beast, a big SUV or maybe a truck. Of course such vehicles weremon on the roads, which was why the tamer had been bold enough to use one.
Once the vehicle had entered the streets near the Sphendix Headquarters, he would have been absolutely safe. When Kieran had been chasing the vehicle earlier and had approached the Sphendix Headquarters, the driver had reminded him that the surveince cameras were all controlled by Sphendix, just like the streets near the barber shop were controlled by Mr. Big.
Therefore, any traces of the tamer could only be found in the area between the Sphendix Headquarters and the five crime scenes.
For others, finding a vehicle among the streets would have been like finding a needle in a haystack, but it was easy enough for Kieran.
He pulled out a nk piece of paper and started drawing.
After a while, Kieran passed the paper to Mr. Big.
"Whats this?" Mr. Big looked at Kieran with a puzzled expression.
"Tire marks! Ill need your help in finding the vehicle with that exact width and marks!" Kieran said.
Chapter 124: The Beginning of The War
Chapter 124: The Beginning of The War
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Mr. Big came back to the room after a full five hours. Despite the time, Kieran was still in awe of Mr. Bigs efficiency. ording to Kierans calctions, if Mr. Big had managed to get the information by the next morning, it would have already been a cause for celebration.
Kieran knew how hard it would be to find a vehicle on a busy road, and even though he had narrowed down the list, without Mr. Bigs speciality, it would have taken him at least a week to locate the car, if he even managed to locate it at all.
"As expected, the advantages of big numbers are always incredible!" Kieran thought in awe as he looked at Mr. Big.
"We found at least thirty vehicles that appeared around the area during the beast attacks and match the tire tracks that you gave us... However, after some selective investigation..."
Mr. Bigs manner became strange as he spoke. Without borating any further, he passed Kieran the file.
As Kieran flipped open the thick file Mr. Big had handed him, he quickly understood why Mr. Big looked perplexed about his findings. It was a picture taken from a surveince camera. It was a little blurry and it had been taken during the night, which made the person even harder to recognize. Despite all these factors though, Kieran could still make out the person in the picture.
It was Paul, both arms intact, driving a ck sealed cargo van.
Kieran went through the file and found four more simr pictures. Because of the camera angle, the full face of the subject had not been captured, but based on the features of his face, Kieran was sure that it was Paul in all the pictures.
The tamer was Paul? The answer shocked Kieran, but this new discovery solidified his spections. However, Kieran could not connect these findings with what he had at the moment. He still needed more information to confirm his theory.
"Is there anyone close to Paul thats rted to Sphendix?" he asked, anticipating Mr. Bigs answer.
Before this new discovery, Mr. Big had been dead sure that Paul and Sphendix had not been rted, but Pauls reappearance had proved him wrong.
Either there was something Mr. Big had not discovered, or he had been looking in the wrong ce.
This new discovery was a big p in his face, but considering Mr. Bigs character, he must have already ordered another in-depth search on Paul. As Kieran had expected, Mr. Bigs answer was very informative.
"Paul is definitely not rted to Sphendix, but the director of the orphanage he grew up in is! He has received financial aid from Sphendix more than once, and it was always some kind of secret deal. If I had not ordered my men to perform a thorough search, nothing would havee up! And Ive gotten something extra too!"
Mr. Big had emphasized the term "secret deal", implying that it was not something good.
What could an orphanage director possibly deal in?
Kieran frowned. He had a bad feeling about this, but he did not interrupt Mr. Bigs revtion. He just waited patiently for him to arrange his words. After a while, Mr. Big continued, "That respectable orphanage director should have died three years ago from some kind of illness, but his coffin was empty. I sent my men to the orphanage and discovered a couple of secret rooms. Even though the secret rooms were cleaned up, there were definitely some tracks left behind. Everyone in the city is saying how scary I am, butpared to those mourous-looking, rotten, evil people, I am nothing!"
Mr. Bigs face was filled with mockery, but Kieran could understand what he meant.
His bad feeling had gotten even stronger. As an orphan himself, Kieran was no stranger to such things. Wherever the light could not reach, there was always darkness lurking. Darkness could twist a man with fear and make him ignore both morals andws. Fortunately, he had note across anything like that.
However, the rumours he had heard from his orphanage ymates had scarred Kieran as a kid.
He took a deep breath and recollected his thoughts, quickly continuing to read through the files before him. In thest part of the files, he saw the orphanage Mr. Big had mentioned.
There were clear pictures of the orphanage, and what Kieran saw was countless dried up blood stains on the floor and sharp cutting marks on the walls.
He even spotted a small tooth near a corner that seemed like it had belonged to a five or six year-old kid.
If the tooth had appeared at some other ce, one might have thought that a child had been changing its teeth, but this was in an orphanage.
Kierans killer intent rose up as he squinted in rage. Still, he did not let his killer intent take over his mind and do something reckless. Quite the opposite, he became even calmer than before. He knew the exact distance between him and Sphendix Corporation.
Fortunately, he was not alone in this, so he looked at Mr. Big.
"I think I have the big picture, and its also clear who I need to find! What are you going to do?" he asked.
"What else? Go to war, of course! I dont want to have to face a healthy Sphendix in the future! He is better dead! I am really looking forward to his restless face when he realizes his foolproof n fail!"Mr. Big smiled, his face turning from friendly to ferocious as his killer intent took over.
Mr. Big would not show any mercy to his arch nemesis, although some of those enemies were not his to handle. He quickly controlled his smile and told Kieran seriously, "Ill leave his sorcerer to you then!"
A notification popped up in Kierans vision as Mr. Big said that.
[Sub Mission Unlocked: Final Fight]
[Final Fight: Mr. Big has decided to dere war on Sphendix, but considering that Sphendix has a sorcerer on his side, he has to watch his back. He has asked you to take care of the sorcerer!]
"Yes, of course. Its what we agreed." Kieran nodded without a second thought, but he made a request after his agreement. "Ill need some heavy weapons for the fight. Not too many, approximately the amount five or six men would carry would be enough!" Kieran requested as he roughly estimated his own Strength.
"Is it for Sphendix?" Mr. Big asked out of instinct.
"Of course not. Its for my personal collection," Kieran said with augh.
"Very well!" Although Mr. Big did not understand Kierans intention, he still agreed to his request.
As Mr. Big quickly left the room, Kieranid back in his chair and took a morefortable sitting position. He was looking forward to the arsenal Mr. Big would bring him. It would be his biggest reward from the dungeon after all.
Chapter 125: Strike
Chapter 125: Strike
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The night was as dark as ink as dark clouds covered the blue moon.
A loud thunder tore the silent night like a sharp de, and raindrops as big as peas fell down from the dark sky.
Countless pedestrians rushed to their destinations, and the shops on the streets closed early. After a while, the streets were silent and empty of people.
The silence was broken after a few breaths time. A couple of hundred thousand men marched down the streets like hundreds of rivers flowing back into the ocean.
They gathered around and formed a tight ck patch on the street.
Under the ck umbre were men with ferocious faces and cold expressions. None of them bothered to hide the weapons in their hands. They did not need to in the city.
Their boss was the Underground King of the city, Mr. Big.
Whenever darkness covered the sky, the city belonged to them.
After that particr night, when the sun rose again, the city would belong to them as a whole. They were there to take out their onlypetition, the Sphendix Corporation.
With Sphendix out of the picture, they would be the sole dictator of the city. This was what their trust was built on.
As Kent gave an order, the men rushed towards the Sphendix Headquarters without dy.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A couple of rockets wereunched towards the buildings big gate, a bright me trailing behind them.
The iron gate was blown up to the sky after a couple hits.
The thick smoke sounded the rm, which rang around the whole building, serving as a signal for Mr. Bigs men to rush in.
The men rushed in like tigers and wolves, taking all the vantage points with amazing speed. They covered each other and took formation in their charges, looking nothing like gangsters.
"Were they in the military? No, not the military! Although they have a simr fire power as the military, they have something special about them, something that could only be found in military-trained gang members!"
This was what Kieran thought as he watched Mr. Bigs men in action.
The righteousness of military men made them easy to recognize, but none of that righteousness could be found in those gang members but it was enough to make Kierans jaw drop.
He could only imagine Mr. Bigs dedication in training those gang members into military-like fighters.
Their heavy arsenals included rocketunchers and heavy machine guns, which Mr. Big had also given to Kieran beforehand. Kieran was sure that if it wasnt for Sphendix, Mr. Big would have already taken over the city. That was the only reason Mr. Big wanted to kill Sphendix so bad.
Mr. Big would not waste an opportunity to do that, and that opportunity was before his eyes right now.
Mr. Big was inside the bulletproof limo, holding a ss of wine in his hand as Kieran sat across from him. He was looking at the mes burning the Sphendix Headquarters not far from his location. Mr. Big was exceptionally calm. He looked like he was just watching a firework show.
"My source has relocated Sphendixs defensive power elsewhere. The building before us ispletely empty. In twenty minutes, the Sphendix Headquarters will be mine!" Mr. Big said in an unusually steadfast manner while tasting the wine in his ss.
Kieran did not give it a second thought. From the looks of things, this was the truth. Larry, on the other hand, was different. As soon as Mr. Big stopped talking, he started sucking up to him.
"Sphendix Corporation is nothingpared to your excellency! You are like the sun in the bright sky, and they are the bloody dirt in the drains! From this day on, the city will truly be yours! I hope that I can continue to conduct my business under your excellencys rule! Of course, I will follow all the rules andws as a good,w-abiding citizen!" After a couple of words of ttery, Larry quickly showed his true intentions.
"If you are a friend of Mr. Kieran, you are a friend of mine as well! If you follow my rules, Ill let you operate on my turf!" Mr. Big said with generosity, considering Kierans reputation.
"You are as selfless as the sun! Thank you, my lord!" said Larry tteringly. Of course, he had not forgotten the person hed had to rely on the most. "Kieran, my best friend! Ill take care of everything you said! Dont worry, Ill protect your belongings with my life!" Larry promised seriously. At least he looked serious.
Kieran knew that if anything actually happened, Larry would be the first to run for his life. Still, he had no one else to entrust his biggest reward in the dungeon to.
He couldnt trust Mr. Bigs men.
If Kieran went all out and trusted Mr. Big with all his heart, a coborator like him would eat him alive.
Larry opened the door and disappeared quickly. After waiting for Larrys figure topletely disappear and making sure that no one had followed him, Kieran turned around and looked at Mr. Big.
"When will you strike?" Mr. Big asked with a smile, shaking the ss in his hand.
"No need to rush things. We might not have an advantage, even if we strike first," Kieran said slowly.
Although he had almost figured out how the entire incident had yed out, he still could not determine where the conversion circle was located inside the magic circle.
Considering the situation going down before Kieran, there was a high possibility that the conversion circle was in the Sphendix Headquarters, in the ce only Sphendix and Paul had ess to.
However, that was just a possibility. Kieran was not entirely sure of the location, but since Mr. Bigs men were clearing the way for him, it would be a pity if he did not take advantage of it.
"I dont understand how sorcerers fight, so Ill just listen to you." Mr. Big kept smiling and shaking his wine ss. The car was filled with the aroma of his wine. Mr. Big understood Kierans way of thinking, but he did not care.
His main concern was eliminating hispetition and conquering the entire city. Considering he had so many men at his disposal, a couple of deaths meant nothing to him.
However, Kieran was the kind of man Mr. Big wanted to recruit. He was unique and not known to the public yet.
"Sir Kieran, would you be interested in ruling the city with me?" Mr. Big asked.
"Ruling the city? That would be too troublesome..."
Kieran was startled, but he rejected the offer immediately. As a yer, it had never really crossed his mind. Even if it had though, it would have been too hard to do so. ording to Kierans understanding, the only way to return to a specific dungeon would be by getting an SSS rating and initiating a special dungeon. There was no other way to do it. It was not something that he could easily achieve though, and he was not even sure if this was one of Mr. Bigs tests.
Before he could go on though, he felt a malicious gaze fixed on him. Out of instinct, Kieran looked outside the car window.
The rain blocked Kierans vision andpromised his hearing, but he was very familiar with the evil gaze targeting him. He was sure that it was not his imagination.
"Whats wro-" Mr. Big started to ask before he noticed the unusual look on Kierans face.
Before he could finish, he felt the car turning upside down. To be more precise, the car was spinning out of control. Mr. Big could not control his body as he rolled with the car, looking extremely ugly.
Kieran managed to grab the handle with all his might, holding down his body as he looked outside the car window at the same time.
A huge, monstrous figure appeared before him.
Chapter 126: Crumble
Chapter 126: Crumble
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Behind the curtain of the rain, a monstrous, five-meter tall figure stood like a giant. It flipped the car with ease, as if it was ying with its toys.
A loud, heavy, thunderous roar sounded from the monsters mouth. It was like a war drum beating in ones ear.
[Sonic Wave: Inflicts 10 Damage to HP...]
[Sonic Wave: Inflicts 10 Damage to HP...]
...
Notifications kept popping up one after the other, alerting Kieran to the danger he was in. Kieran quickly moved his hand from the handle and covered his ears without a second thought. Meanwhile, he reminded Mr. Big to do the same.
"Cover your ears!" he shouted.
Mr. Big was dizzy, as he had been thrown off along with the car. He quickly covered up his ears after Kieran warned him. However, even though he was much stronger than the car and his men, he still suffered quite some damage.
Kieran noticed that Mr. Bigs men had all been taken by surprise by the monstrous figure. They only reacted and counterattacked after Mr. Bigs car had been flipped over.
However, before the men could inflict some damage on the monster, another thunderous roar was heard, and the monster sent shockwaves all around it. Mr. Bigs men fell down one after the other.
Some of them were twitching and had blood oozing out of all seven of their orifices.
"Stay in the car!" Kieran warned Mr. Big.
Kieran quickly opened the door and leapt out of the car as the monsters roars paused slightly.
Although Mr. Bigs car was strong enough to survive the flipping, sitting inside the car and waiting for the monster to attack was not Kierans style, or what he wanted to do.
Kieran knew that the longer he stayed in a defensive position, the higher his chances of losing would get.
When he left the constraints of the car, he finally got a clear look at the monster.
It was a huge ck bear covered in fine ck fur. Its limbs were as thick as a grown mans, and its fangs were as sharp as des. There was a ferocious look on its face.
Kieran had never seen a bear as big as the one before him in his life. Its sudden appearance, inbination with the sonic wave attack, proved that the monster was no ordinary bear.
Was it an alchemy beast? Kieran was not too sure about that. Compared to the unique bear though, he was actually more concerned about its tamer, Paul.
Kieran had activated [Tracking] and he kept sweeping the area, hoping to find a trace of Paul.
The pouring rain had weakened Kierans Intuition and [Tracking] by a lot, so all he saw was the rain and all he heard was the sound of raindrops falling.
Even the tracks left behind had been washed away, leaving no trace.
Time was not a luxury Kieran could afford. As the huge bear noticed him, it charged towards him like a fully elerating tank.
"Sh*t!" Kieran could not help but curse in reaction to the shock wave sent out from the huge bears steps. The bear was strong enough to produce shockwaves on the ground with every step it took. Its ridiculous strength during the previous attacks freshened Kierans memory and reminded him of the danger he was in.
In contrast to the brute strength the bear had used earlier to flip over the car, it was now charging at Kieran with a mixture of strength and speed, plus the empowerment of a certain skill. Its previous brute strength was not much to worry about inparison.
The bear was ridiculously fast, and the agility it disyed did not match its huge body. Within a second, it had already reached Kieran, its rush producing a strong, powerful wind that messed up Kierans hair and clothes.
As the wind blew past Kieran, a faint force of suction pulled his body towards the bear.
Kierans expression changed slightly. The bear was much stronger than he had anticipated. Even his D Rank Constitution might not be able to withstand a hit from such a huge bear, unless he was willing to activate [Primus Scale]. However, using his ace card so early on in the battle was not an option. The enemy had not showed its ace card either, which was the man still hiding in the dark. Paul.
Paul was the ace card of their enemys assault, the tamer that always led the beast. The huge bear was loyal to its master, and it would only obey a stronger being than itself, not a weaker one, which meant that Paul had to be even stronger than the bear before Kieran.
However, no matter how strong Paul was, he was still a man. He had chosen to tame a beast instead of transform into one, because humans could still maintain their intelligence.
Using his intelligence, Paul was waiting for a chance to present itself. He was waiting for his bear to create the perfect diversion so he coulde forward and finish Kieran himself.
Despite all the thoughts shing like lightning in his mind, Kieran quickly pulled a left side roll and escaped the bears range.
As Kieran rolled away from the bear, he held the newly acquired [MI-02] in his right hand and the [Lightning Tigers Finger] in his left hand.
Paul did not appear though. He was much more vignt than Kieran had thought hed be.
The huge bear let out a thunderous shockwave roar again when it missed its target.
Kieran backed up quickly and started shooting with his [MI-02].
The silenced handgun had a softer, more concentrated noisepared to a normal one, but its power did not diminish one bit. With Kierans Grand Master Level [Firearm Weapon (Light Firearm)], its potential was used to the fullest, leaving everyone speechless.
Two bulletsnded urately inside the bears mouth.
[Shooting: Weak Point Attack, Inflicts 100 Damage to Target HP, (50 Firearm Weapon (Light Firearm)(Grand Master) X2), Target has Medium Tensile Armor, Beginners Iron Skin Skill, Resisted 40 Damage, 60 True Damage Inflicted to Target...]
[Shooting: Weak Point Attack, Inflicts 100 Damage to Target HP, (50 Firearm Weapon (Light Firearm)(Grand Master) X2), Target has Medium Tensile Armor, Beginners Iron Skin Skill, Resisted 40 Damage, 60 True Damage Inflicted to Target...]
...
The notifications made Kieran raise his eyebrows. It was really an alchemy beast. The Medium Tensile Armor and Beginner Iron Skin were enough to show Kieran what kind of monster he was facing exactly.
However, Kieran was not nervous at all. After all, this was not a big dealpared to Colossal Primus, which had had a ridiculous Immune Damage Skill.
Kieran fired another shot into the huge bears mouth, the continuous pain sending the bear into an angry, frenzied mode.
Its simple mind told it to close up his mouth to prevent any further damage, which was exactly what Kieran wanted.The formless sonic wave attack had been Kierans main source of worry.
Kieran raised his [MI-02] again and pointed it towards the huge bear. He looked like he wanted to shoot it again, but he was actually just keeping an eye out on their surroundings, looking for Paul.
Paul had to appear any moment now, as the bear could not hold on for much longer. Unless he was willing to lose his alchemy beast, he had toe forward.
And yet...
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A series of huge explosions were heard from the Sphendix Headquarters not far away, bright mes shooting up high in the sky.
The huge explosions sent shockwaves throughout area. Kieran, who had been caught off guard by the explosions, was sent flying into the air.
A moment of silence struck the rainy night, followed by a loud crumbling sound. The Sphendix Headquarters were about to copse. Kieran opened his eyes wide, looking at the building crumbling down. Before he could give it a second thought though, another danger had appeared before him.
A ck figure had materialized in the pouring rain.
It was Paul!
Chapter 127: Traitor
Chapter 127: Traitor
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Paul appeared out of thin air, just like his huge bear had. It was raining heavily, so there was no sign of his arrival at the scene. No footsteps, or breathing sounds, not even a smell.
Paul appeared like a formless ghost, although he was more dangerous than one.
After forming a couple of hand signs and chanting a series of incantations, a cone-shaped me appeared out of thin air between his palms.
The me spread out within seconds and engulfed Kieranpletely.
The bright, burning me created light in the dark night. Before the raindrops could even go near the me, they instantly evaporated.
In a second, the me was extinguished and the area was filled with steam, a sudden cloud of it blocking everyones view.
Paul was camouged by the steam, but his vision was blocked as well. However, Paul did not seem the least bit nervous. Everything was going ording to his n.
From the battle of his pet with Kieran, to Kieran being blown away into mid-air by the explosion shockwave. Kieran was defenseless in mid-air, so Paul came out and burned him into ashes.
Everything had gone as nned. Paul was like the perfect hunter,ying down traps and waiting for his prey to fall in them.
If there was a difference in Pauls n, it was that the prey hed been waiting for had been a different one. His original target had not been Kieran, but another man. In fact, his initial n and everything he had done had been to lure out that man, whose fear was still instilled in Pauls heart.
However, his original target had not showed up after all.
Maybe he had been hurt badly and died from his wounds three years ago, or maybe he had already left the city altogether. There were too many possibilities.
Still, without the appearance of his original target and the trouble he would bring, Paul and his mentors n was bound to seed.
This was what Paul had believed. And yet...
A strong, hard punch with a lightning trailing behind it hit Paul below the chin. The immense force sent Pauls feet flying from the ground, and the concussion on his chin made his vision blurry. However, he was still able to recognize the man who had attacked him.
It was Kieran!
Paul had believed that hed be a pile of ashes by now, yet Kieran had appeared before him and sucker punched him.
The sucker punch had shocked Paul more than the fact that Kieran was alive and kicking.
The power of lightning? How could there be another sorcerer in the city?
The numbness and stinging sensation from the lighting punch proved that it was real. Pauls confident expression turned incredulous, but this was just the start.
Just as Paul was about to defend himself against the power of lightning, a bright red shadow of a kick appeared near his head.
Its incredible speed did not even allow him to react, and the strength of the kick had yet again exceeded his expectations. What concerned Paul the most though was the line of fire produced from the kick, the fire burning on Kierans legs.
How was this possible? Paul could not understand how Kieran had managed to pull it of. The lightning before might have been long prepared, but how could the kick have happened so quick?
Soon enough though, the question that baffled Paul became the least of his worries.
Bam!
The heavy kick was like an iron whipshing out at Pauls head. A loud sound sent his body spinning in mid-air as a clear sound was heard from Pauls skull.
Kieran had no intention of stopping though.
After the first kick, he followed up with a second one. As one legnded on the ground, another one was already kicking Paul, creating an endless chain of kicks. The shadow from Kierans kicks was scarlet red because of the fire on his boots, and his kicks went even faster, as if theyd been multiplied from one to ten kicks in an instant. The series of fiery red mes and shadows engulfed Paulpletely, burning him to ashes.
[Hand-to-Hand Combat, Grand Master of Kicks] plus [Barsical Kick] had granted Kieran temporary Strength and Agility that had reached C Rank. Both attributes had temporarily exceeded the strongest human power possible by two ranks, and the addition of the [Iron ming Boots] had allowed Kieran to unleash a series of deadly attacks.
[ming Kicks: Lethal Attack, Inflicts 150 Damage to Target HP, (75 Hand-to-Hand Combat (Grand Master)X2), Extra Fire Damage from attacks Inflicts 2 Burns to Target, 152 True Damage Inflicted to Target HP...]
[ming Kicks: Lethal Attack, Inflicts 150 Damage to Target HP, (75 Hand-to-Hand Combat (Grand Master)X2), Extra Fire Damage from attacks Inflicts 2 Burns to Target, 152 True Damage Inflicted to Target HP...]
...
The battle notifications kept spamming Kierans vision until Paul was dead.
A loud roar was suddenly heard from behind him though. The huge bear had sensed that its master was dying and had charged recklessly towards Kieran.
Kieran headed straight for Pauls body, not minding the huge bearing at him. He was aiming for the Green Skill Book that had suddenly appeared by Pauls deformed body.
Just as Kieran managed to grab the Skill Book, the huge bear crashed hard against him.
A heavy, loud noise sent Kieran flying like a kite without a string. With [Primus Scale]s protection though, things were not as bad as they looked, just like during Pauls previous me attack.
The barrier protected Kieran from harm. [Primus Scale] was as good as its description stated, creating a window for Kieran to counterattack.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Kieran adjusted his body mid-air, picked up the [MI-02] and fired between the bears eyes and nose.
The bear could not counter the attack after charging at Kieran in such a rush. Three of Kierans shotsnded on the bears weak spots.
[Shooting: Lethal Attack, Inflicts 150 Damage to Target HP, (75 Firearm Weapon (Light Firearm)(Grand Master) X2), Target has Medium Tensile Armor, Beginner Iron Skin Skill, Resisted 40 Damage, 110 True Damage Inflicted, Targets eyes are hurt, Target is blinded by the attack...]
[Shooting: Lethal Attack, Inflicts 150 Damage to Target HP, (75 Firearm Weapon (Light Firearm)(Grand Master) X2), Target has Medium Tensile Armor, Beginner Iron Skin Skill, Resisted 40 Damage, 110 True Damage Inflicted, Targets nose is hurt, Target loses sense of smell...]
...
The huge bear, which was already hurt from its previous fight with Kieran, now fell to the ground with a long howl. It was notpletely dead though.
Its huge body granted it an extremely high HP, but its life was hanging by a thread after the attacks.
Kieran followed up with a kick on the bears head, robbing it of any signs of life.
Surprised, Kieran saw a green piece of equipment fall off the huge bears body.
Together with Pauls Green Skill Book, the tamed and the tamer duo had provided Kieran with a Magical Rank Skill Book and Equipment.
Kieran felt relieved after the whole fight. If it wasnt for [Primus Arm], he would have been killed by Pauls me attack. Instead, he had used the steam to his advantage to hide from Paul and counterattack with his Grand Master [Undercover].
Kieran wanted to check his rewards out of instinct, but Mr. Big shouted loudly from behind him.
"TRAITOR!"
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Earlier chapter today! Are you enjoying this arc? Let me know in thements!
Chapter 128: Eerie Stab
Chapter 128: Eerie Stab
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Mr. Bigs enraged eyes were locked at a spot not far from where he stood as he shouted. Kieran followed Mr. Bigs gaze, turning his eyes in that direction as well. Among the ruins of the explosions, a middle-aged man in a formal outfit was smiling at Mr. Big.
It was Sphendixs secretary, Trumbo.
Kieran recognized the man as soon as heid eyes on him. Although he had not met him before, he remembered his name, looks and position from the files Mr. Big had given him about the Sphendix Corporation.
His position in thepany had caught Kierans attention. Trumbo was the top ranking officer of thepany, surpassing even the security consultant, Kailuark the Executioner.
Kieran had listed Trumbo as Mr. Bigs potential source. Mr. Big had never mentioned anything about his source in Sphendix, but the list was a short one. After all, not many people had ess to Sphendixs top level secrets.
The situation before his eyes confirmed that Trumbo had indeed been Mr. Bigs source, although obviously he had betrayed him.
As for the reason why?
Trumbo had not really been on Mr. Bigs side to begin with, and he had never really served Sphendix either.
Hed had his own agenda in approaching Sphendix and Mr. Big, and he had silently juggled both rulers of the city on his palm.
Considering that Paul had known about the timing of the explosion, Trumbo must have had a third identity as well. He had been the director of Pauls orphanage and the teacher who had taught Paul all about [Mystical Knowledge].
The moment Trumbo walked out of the ruins, Sphendix and his security consultant team were nowhere to be seen, Kierans uncertainty about Trumbos identity had instantly been cleared. Trumbo had been the mastermind behind everything, from curing Sphendixs terminal illness to the beast attacks, to the most recent explosion before Kieran.
If the explosion had been arranged by Sphendix himself, he would have been leading his team out in victory at the moment instead of sending out his secretary.
Unless Sphendix himself was already dead.
Kieran could not help but take several deep breaths as he collected his thoughts about the case. Most of his doubts had been cleared, except for two.
First, why had Paul left his forearm at the attack scene?
And second, if a yer had followed the normal flow of the dungeon, they would have eventually met Trumbo as well, so how would that yer have cleared the dungeon if the difficulty had obviously exceeded a third time dungeon?
Kieran could note up with an answer. Every theory that he came up with ended with the yer dying when they faced Trumbo.
Was there something that he had missed? He quickly scanned over his surroundings out of instinct and frowned hard.
Meanwhile, Trumbo looked at Kieran.
"I did not expect you-"
Trumbo was interrupted before he could finish his words.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The silver revolver in Mr. Bigs hand was fired. Mr. Big looked viciously angry as he pulled the trigger. He did not care about losing some of his men, but a betrayal that could wipe out his whole forces was not something that he could tolerate.
Rage had taken over his logic and senses. Hed picked up the weapon that he had prepared for Kieran and attacked Trumbo. He wanted to crush Trumbo for his betrayal.
Mr. Big was very confident with the revolver and the custom-made bullets in his hand, but confidence alone could not alter reality.
The custom-made bullets stopped in mid-air, unable to advance toward Trumbo, even though they possessed firepower and speed far greater than a normal bullets.
It was like a discounted version of Mr. Bigs test to Kieran, but the only difference was that Kieran was on Mr. Bigs side now.
Just before Mr. Bigs bullets were nullified, Kieran had thrown three more grenades at Trumbos feet.
The moment the bullets had stopped, the grenades had exploded before Trumbo, the immense firepower sting the grenade sharples and engulfing the man.
"Did you kill him?" Mr. Big asked.
Kieran did not even give a damn about Mr. Bigs question. He pulled out two more grenades, but he did notunch them at Trumbo, even though he knew he was not dead. To be precise, he was not even hurt.
[Explosion: Inflicts 300 Damage to Target HP, Target has Powerful Force Field Barrier, Resisted 300 Damage, 0 Damage Inflicted to Target HP...]
[Explosion: Inflicts 300 Damage to Target HP, Target has Powerful Force Field Barrier, Resisted 300 Damage, 0 Damage Inflicted to Target HP...]
...
Three notifications popped up simultaneously. Kieran was shocked by Trumbos defense, which was even stronger than [Primus Scale]s defensive abilities. He knew what he had to do next though.
Instead of pursuing victory, he had to destroy the conversion magic circle.
Ever since Kieran had discovered the basic structure of the Reverse Heptagram, he had been wondering where the conversion magic circle was.
Initially, Kieran had believed that it was still inside the Sphendix Headquarters, on the floor only Sphendix and Paul had ess to.
However, after the explosion, Kieran had started thinking that he might have been looking in the wrong direction.
He wanted to clear his doubts about the location, so when he discovered something unusual at the explosion site, he scanned it out of instinct.
They were explosions traces! The Sphendix Headquarters building had been used as the st point, but the traces were very well-organized.
Even if Kieran did not look at the building from above, he could tell by looking at it from the side. Those particr traces had led him to realize that Trumbo had used the explosion to form a unique conversion magic circle.
Kieran was not sure how Trumbo had been able to pull it off, but there was one thing he knew for sure. He could never let Trumbo finish the magic circle!
A magic circle of that magnitude would be extremely powerful and horrendous ifpleted.
Kieran tried to stop Trumbo by throwing a grenade in an ingenious way so that itnded on the explosion traces.
Kieran himself was watching Trumbos actions. If Trumbo moved, he would stop him right away.
Contrary to Kierans expectations though, Trumbo was standing still, looking at him. A bad feeling suddenly rose in Kierans heart.
Boom!
The two grenades exploded, but amid the explosions, Trumbos evil, mockingugh could be heard.
"Oh, unexpected one, is this where you think my defensive poweres from? Its toote now! The moment I appeared before you, the magic circle was alreadypleted!"
Trumbo was approaching Kieran and Mr. Big as he spoke.
Until suddenly...
A short dagger silently appeared behind Trumbo and stabbed him right through the chest!
The tip of the dagger pierced Trumbos chest as bright blood oozed out from the wound, dying his outfit red.
Chapter 129: Ignored
Chapter 129: Ignored
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Trumbo looked down at the dagger that had pierced his chest, the corners of his mouth lifting in a smile.
It was a ghoulish smile,ing from the bottom of his big bad heart.
"Rock, the infamous Shadow Stinger has arrived! My ex-partner, youre finally here!" Trumbo spoke in a delighted manner, as if he was meeting an old friend he had been in contact with. However, that ghoulish smile made his words sound as eerie as ever.
It felt like a snake had crawled up Kierans back, a slimy, cold feeling spreading through his body.
"Paul had always thought you were dead. He thought luring you out was a waste of energy! But I knew, I KNEW you were still alive! After all, the miracles of that magic book are unparalleled! Paul will never get the chance to know now!"
As Trumbo spoke, his eyes remained on Kieran.
Kieran felt like a toad waiting to be dissected by a bunch of curious high school boys during a biology ss. It was a very unsettling feeling.
He gazed back at Trumbo instinctively. If he knew how high Trumbos Spirit was, he would have activated the [Half-Deads Gaze] and induced Trumbo with the [Dead-Mans Gaze].
"Quite the gaze you got there!" Trumbo seemed intrigued as Kieran gazed back at him.
He thought Kierans strength might be decent, but he was was not concerned about Kieran himself.
There was only one true enemy for him, and that was the Shadow Stinger Rock.
Trumbo snapped his fingers and instantly two fist-sized fireballs appeared beside him, firing off at the blurry figure behind him at lightning speed.
Loud explosions simr to a grenades were produced, and the fireballs instantly turned into two-meter fire waves, spreading out like wildfire. In the blink of an eye, everything in a ten-meter radius was covered in mes.
As the burning heat assaulted the area, even the asphalt on the ground started to melt.
The fire kept burning without any signs of slowing down.
Kieran was surprised by the power of the small fireballs.
Shocked, Mr. Big backed a couple of steps away and looked at Kieran with a nk expression. He didnt seem to know that to do.
"What are we supposed to do now?" he asked.
Kieran did not reply though. He had his eyes locked on the mes, where the figure of the alleged Shadow Stinger had started to rise.
The Shadow Stingers body was covered in a shadow-like cloak. Even his face was covered, but his appearance solved every question in Kierans head.
Paul had left that forearm back there to lure out the Shadow Stinger. If a yer followed the progress of the dungeon and eventually faced Trumbo, the Shadow Stinger woulde to their aid.
Even if Kieran had chosen to finish the Main Mission, Sub Mission and Title Mission, the Shadow Stinger would still have appeared before him.
After all, it was only a third time dungeon. His appearance caused even more thoughts to form in Kierans mind though.
What if the Shadow Stinger had not appeared? Or what if the yer had decided to oppose the Shadow Stinger?
It would not have been hard for that to happen. All the yer would have had to do was choose to do things the exact opposite way.
Side with Sphendix Corporation instead of Mr. Big and approach Paul and Trumbo after entering the Sphendix Headquarters. This way there was a higher possibility that the yer would clear the dungeon.
The Main Mission was to discover the truth within two weeks, but it did not specify what methods the yer had to use. It could be fighting or eavesdropping on someone.
Of course, siding with Sphendix would not have been that easy. Other than using Larry as leverage, Kieran could note up with any other way to do it.
Even though those thoughts shed in Kierans mind, he did not regret any of his decisions. Things had already happened and nothing could be done to change them.
Even the thought of using Larry as leverage crossed a line for Kieran, not because of the supposed friendship Larry kept talking about, but because Kieran did not want to.
Other yers might have chosen another way, but it was not Kierans right to interfere. He would not have done that to Larry.
It was not really a principle of his, it was just something unusual about his character. He had always thought that way, just like he did not like sitting around waiting for things to happen. He could not just focus on clearing the dungeon.
Trumbo might symbolize a bigger reward though. Even though hed already gotten what hede for, no one would have minded an extra reward.
"Give me your gun!" Kieran ordered Mr. Big.
"Oh... Okay!" Startled, Mr. Big quickly handed over the silver revolver and a bunch of bullets.
[Name: Python-W2]
[Type: Gun]
[Rarity: Excellent]
[Attack: Common]
[Magazines: 6 Rounds]
[Attributes: 1. Armor Pration Lvl 1; 2. Precise Shooting Lvl 1]
[Effects: None]
[Prerequisites: Strength F+ (E when single-handed), Firearm Weapons (Light Firearm)(Basic)]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: This is a custom-made weapon. Its grip is good and it packs quite a punch!]
...
[Armor Pration Lvl 1: Able to prate Light Armor (Weak and Common Defense)]
[Precise Shooting Lvl 1: The projection of the bullets bes more urate after an adjustment to the gun barrel (+5% Damage to Target)]
...
[Name: 0.357 Bullets]
[Type: Ammunition]
[Rarity: Excellent]
[Attributes: Armor Pration Lvl 1]
[Effects: None]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: A 0.357 diameter bullet. Use it and you wont be afraid of the ck bear anymore!]
...
As Kieran epted the revolver and felt the wooden grip of the handle, the description notifications popped up.
"Nice!"
Even though Kieran had known it was not amon revolver the moment hed seen Mr. Big pull it out, he was still in awe of the double-attribute gun.
This was the second time hede across a weapon with double attributes. The other one had been the [Viper-M1].
However, the awe did not dy Kieran in doing what he needed to do. He reloaded the gun, aimed and fired at Trumbo, all in one breath.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
[Shooting: Inflicts 200 Damage to Target HP, Target has Powerful Force Field Barrier, Authentication higher than Armor Pration Lvl1, Resisted 200 Damage, 0 True Damage Inflicted to Target HP...]
[Shooting: Inflicts 200 Damage to Target HP, Target has Powerful Force Field Barrier, Authentication higher than Armor Pration Lvl1, Resisted 200 Damage, 0 True Damage Inflicted to Target HP...]
The bright muzzle sh that shot out the 0.357 mm bullets was useless against Trumbos High Force Field Barrier.
"F*ck!" Kieran cursed.
Since the Shadow Stinger had pierced Trumbos chest with the dagger, Kieran had thought that the barrier might have worn off. However, the barrier was still intact and it was very powerful.
Kieran realized that the dagger the Shadow Stinger had wielded had not been an ordinary one. It had been a dagger able to pierce barriers.
The Shadow Stinger could not have broken the barrier just with brute strength. Otherwise, Kieran would have managed to as well.
If Kieran could not break the barrier though, he could not inflict any damage on Trumbo. He could only watch the two of them fight, and bid any potential rewards from Trumbo goodbye.
Battles between natives did not produce any equipment or Skill Books.
When he felt Kierans bitter gaze, Trumbo looked at him with a smile full of contempt and disdain.
The smile was meant for both Kieran and the Shadow Stinger, as if the appearance of the Shadow Stinger could not change the fact that Trumbo was the victor.
Kieran did not know whether Trumbo had any other tricks up his sleeve, but he knew he had to do something. He could not just sit around and do nothing!
Suddenly, Kieran seemed to realize something, and he ran towards Mr. Bigs flipped car.
His backpack with the two sniper rifles was still inside the car, but it was not the rifles that he had gone back for.
Even the [Jagdtiger-X1]s Armor Pration Lvl 2 was no match for the Powerful Rank Barriers defense.
What Kieran wanted was his cell phone. The cell phone hed had when hed entered the dungeon. He wanted to call Larry.
"Larry! Bring me my equipment! I need to put it to good use!"
Chapter 130: Big Bang
Chapter 130: Big Bang
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Trumbos contempt grew even stronger when he saw Kieran and Mr. Big running away from him. He was not surprised though.
From his point of view, it was the right choice for them.
"Rock, my friend, its just the two of us now! Time to settle the old debts!"
Trumbo raised both his hands as he spoke.
All the fire in a 10-meter radius gathered and fermented above his hands like a summoned pet.
In the blink of an eye, a two-meter wide fireball was created above Trumbos head. Its burning temperature cooled down a little, but the turning, spinning fireball was flickering as if something scary was brewing inside it, waiting to break out of its shell.
"Rock, my old friend! Ive been preparing this feast for you for a long time! It might crush you to bits, but try not to disappoint me!"
Trumbos face twisted in an evil way as he spoke. The kind, gentle aura that had surrounded him earlier had disappearedpletely. His true face was a vicious, evil one that suited him very well.
Suddenly, a slightly rough voice came from the shadows. Shadow Stinger Rock was used to being silent and did not intend to reply with words, but actions.
The shadow energy that surrounded Rock started to move and gather like ck silk, unfolding in the wind around his daggers handle. The dagger was a medium for channeling the shadow energy and using it as an attacking method to inflict damage on Trumbo.
"Ah, that familiar stinging sensation! The Grimoire Dagger! You know, Rock, you are relying too much on that weapon. Of course, it is very powerful, but you should not forget about yourself. Behold my power, the purgatory that I created! Soon you will be a part of my prized collection!"
Trumbo exhaled lightly at the stinging sensation of the dagger before heughed out loud. He didnt even seem concerned about the pain.
He had been preparing a long time for this. Why would he care about a little pain?
The huge fireball above him had turned dark, as if the fire had gone off as he spoke. However, a terrifying screech and a sharp whistling sound alerted everyone to the true fear and dangering.
"Behold, Rock! This is the end of you! You will forever sink into my eternal purgatory, and I will ascend to the heavens like an immortal! I have been wai..."
Before he could finish, Trumbos face changed. It wasnt because of anything the Rock had done. It was because Kieran hade back. To be more precise, Kieran had returned with a rocketuncher on his shoulder.
Kierans actions had exceeded Trumbos expectations. ording to his original n, any weapons that might potentially pose a threat to him, whether from Mr. Big or Sphendixs side, should have all been destroyed during the earlier explosion.
But how? What had gone wrong?
Puzzled, Trumbo tried to stall Kieran before he could fire.
"Unexpected One..."
Kieran pulled the trigger straightaway, not giving a damn about what Trumbo had to say.
The rocket wasunched toward Trumbo, a bright ming tail trailing it.
"YOU DARE!" Trumbo shouted in an extremely loud voice.
Kieran replied by giving him the middle finger with his right hand. Once again, he disappeared among the ruins in the area.
The rocket flying towards Trumbo was still there, even though Kieran had disappeared.
Trumbo knew that his Force Field Barrier would not be able to withstand the rockets explosion. He had no choice but to use some other countermeasures that he had not thought he would need to.
A fist-sized fireball appeared in mid-air without a warning and flew towards the rocket.
Boom!
The rocket was detonated by the fireball. Thanks to his Force Field Barrier, Trumbo was not harmed, although his lustrous hair and skin were slightly affected by the sudden ambush.
"Fool! Ill deal with youter! Ill show you what real fear is!"
Trumbo felt his heart ache at the minor loss of life energy. It had taken many years of nning to fill his life energy, yet that little incident had cost him 1/10 of it.
He could not tolerate such defiance from Kieran. He hated him even more now and couldnt wait to tear him apart limb by limb.
However, when Kieran emerged again from the ruins, Trumbos face turned a solid green from shock.
Kieran was carrying a second rocketuncher on his shoulder, another one on his back, and one more in his hands.
Trumbo couldnt figure out how Kieran had gotten his hands on so many rocketunchers. Could Mr. Big have a hidden armory that he did not know of?
Trumbos spections could not alter the facts before him though.
Kieran quickly pulled the triggers one after the other, and three rockets were fired off towards Trumbo.
As the rockets were sted towards him, he was still tangling with Rock. Trumbo had no other option but to use his earlier technique again.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The continuous explosions consumed even more of Trumbos life energy. However, his sudden old age aside, it was Trumbos rage that had reached its tipping point.
Trumbo clenched his teeth, swearing that he would tear Kieran apart with his bare hands.
However, his rage was suddenly reced by panic. The Grimoire Dagger, which was still lodged in his chest, was on the brink of exploding and unleashing its destructive power much sooner than hed expected.
"How is this possible?" Trumbo shouted in confusion.
"The biggest difference between men and animals is that men can use tools and make full use of each one in their hands!" a rough voice told Trumbo.
Shadow Stinger Rock had broken his silence.
As he finished speaking, the dagger in Trumbos chest emitted a gloomy, deep purple light.
The Powerful Force Field Barrier around Trumbo was broken along with his body.
Kieran watched the scene from afar before quickly pulling out the silver revolver and firing at Trumbo, spending all of his rounds on him.
Meanwhile, Kieran dashed towards Trumbo like an arrow let loose from a bow.
He had sacrificed the weapons hed considered his biggest reward for the even bigger reward he expected to get out of Trumbo.
However, Kierans biggest reward would escape his grasp if Trumbo died by someone elses hand.
Kieran would rather die than let that chance slip away.
[Shooting: Lethal Attack, Inflicts 200 Damage to Target HP, (100 Firearm Weapon (Light Firearm)(Grand Master) X2)...]
[Shooting: Lethal Attack, Inflicts 200 Damage to Target HP, (100 Firearm Weapon (Light Firearm)(Grand Master) X2)...]
[Shooting: Lethal Attack, Inflicts 200 Damage to Target HP, (100 Firearm Weapon (Light Firearm)(Grand Master) X2)...]
...
As Kieran kept firing at Trumbo, battle notifications kept spamming his vision.
He finally let out a relieved breath when thest shot signaled Trumbos death.
Kieran looked at Trumbos body out of instinct. He wanted to inspect his rewards, and he was not disappointed. Among a whole bunch of green, there was something gold sparkling.
Kieran wanted to approach, but the extinguished fireball was oozing out a dark shadow, creating an army of formless wandering souls as it broke.
The [Knitted Tasliman] emitted a burning sensation, causing Kieran to activate his [Tracking].
All he saw was a seemingly endless sea of formless souls.
The formless souls stood between him and his rewards. They were thest obstacle that he had to ovee.
"Get the f*ck out of my way!" Kieran shouted loudly as he dashed out.
An indomitable aura gathered around Kieran. Even though he was alone, it felt like he had an army at his disposal.
The Shadow Stinger felt the sudden change in Kieran and could not help but look at him askance. He was surprised by Kierans aura and the hidden power he seemed to possess.
The Shadow Stinger did not understand Kierans rage at the irrelevant things standing between him and his treasure. It would not be an exaggeration to say that Kieran would crush the formless souls bones and spread their ashes after he was done with them.
Kieran rushed in like a strong wind with lightning punches and ming kicks. He was like a tiger against a bunch ofmbs. Nothing could stop him.
TL Note
Crushing Bones, Spreading Ashes: When someones bones are crushed and their ashes are spread after their death, its a sign of extreme hate towards them.
Chapter 131: Fruitful Return
Chapter 131: Fruitful Return
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The shadows ovepped, creating an eerie wind.
However, Kieran was still rushing, trying to kill them all while fearlessly managing to carve a path among the sea of formless souls.
After the battle in Alcatraz, Kieran was very familiar with the formless souls attack pattern and dealing with them was extremely easy for him.
The formless souls had two distinguishable features.
One, they were formless and shadowless, thus invisible to ordinary men.
Two, they could go through walls and floors, and they were hard to defend against during a sudden ambush.
This was nothing for Kieran though, as his Grand Master [Tracking] allowed him to see every single one of the formless souls before him.
Their ability to go through walls and floors was just as useless.
Although the area was not as wide as a stadium, it was not narrow either. It was actually wide enough for Kieran to unleash his full potential while dealing with the souls. Plus, an explosion had just taken ce there, so all the walls around the area had been blown to pieces, leaving the formless souls only one option.
Before the formless souls could go underground though, the Burn Damage from the [ming Iron Boots] turned them into ashes. Kieran could clearly see bits of ck shadows being burned.
Thebination of fire and lightning was very effective against enemies in spirit form, as the double damage from the element advantage allowed Kieran to kill every single one of the formless souls with one hit.
Besides, Kieran had also earned the title [Ghost Buster] before he had even rushed into the sea of souls.
The addition of +5% Attack and Defense plus a small chance of inducing [Fear] were not really overwhelming, but during a battle, even the slightest change could affect the oue.
As Kieran kept dashing towards the fountain of formless souls, a pale aura took form around him.
[Fear: Target is within your Fear Range, Authentication failed, Stun Debuff induced...]
[Fear: Target is within your Fear Range, Authentication failed, Panic Debuff induced...]
...
The formless souls in front of Kieran were stunned for a bit before they started moving around.
Some of them were roaming blindly like flies, while others had been stunned hard and could not move an inch.
Kieran was delighted by the [Fear] description in his title.
He quickly dashed towards the stunned souls blocking him from his reward without a second thought.
The mes from his kicks tore down and pierced through the ck shadows.
[Fire Kick: Inflicts 100 Damage to Target HP, (50 Hand-to-Hand Combat (Grand Master) X2), Target is a wandering formless soul, Double Damage dealt, 200 True Damage Inflicted to Target, Target dies...]
.....
Notifications were spamming Kierans vision like a waterfall.
The oveying attack of the formless souls might have seemed intimidating, but at the same time they were defenseless. Once they were hit, it was a lethal attack.
A fingernail-sized pale blue crystal fell to the ground during the attacks. It was a [Soul Shard]!
Kieran recognized the item at a nce.
Only when he saw the [Soul Shard] did he remember that formless souls were also worth a lot in rewards. The rewards from Trumbos death suddenly went over his head.
Even a cracked [Soul Shard] was priced at 5,000 Points and 1 Skill Point.
The number of the formless souls there was a lot biggerpared to the one in Alcatraz.
Kierans eyes lit up instantly. He had been fighting with 120% of his strength when hed seen Trumbos reward. As he suddenly recalled the value of the [Soul Shard]s though, he forced an extra 10% out of himself.
Kieran was sweeping the fear-induced formless souls with a barrage of attacks, but he still did not forget to warn the Shadow Stinger from afar in a loud voice, "Dont attack, theyre all mine!"
The Shadow Stinger was puzzled by Kierans warning.
"What is he? Some battle fanatic? Is this the Berserkers Blood effect?"
The Shadow Stinger came up with some theories when he noticed Kierans bright eyes as he fought against the formless souls. He shook them off quickly though.
As far as he knew, those who possessed the Berserkers Blood did not fight in such a smart way. Even when they knew they were outmatched, they would still go head-on into battle with their weapons.
It was how the heir of the Berserker bloodline had fought.
That bloodline had no need for logic or sense to suppress it. Therefore, it was more fitting to call Kieran a battle fanatic.
The Shadow Stingers face turned gloomy when he recalled his deceased friends will and beliefs. His team was long gone, and nothing was left behind except for bitter memories. He was the only one still alive.
The Shadow Stinger looked down and stared at Trumbos deformed body in silence.
He only came back to his senses when Kieran walked over full of spirit. Before he could say anything though, Kieran stopped him by raising his hand.
"Hold on! I have lots of things I want to ask, but please wait for a while!"
Kieran knew that the Main Mission woulde to an end as soon as the Shadow Stinger spilled everything he knew about the incidents.
When the mission ended, he would only have 5 minutes to pack what he wanted to bring out of the dungeon. He was still having a hard time coping with the rules, so if he had the chance to stall, he would not mind taking it.
First, he grabbed the rewards by Trumbos body, a total of four items, three green Magical ones and one gold Legendary one. Every single one of them was a scroll.
Kieran was puzzled by this new type of item, as he had never encountered it before.
The Shadow Stinger was staring at him though, so he did not have much time to check the scrolls out.
Even though the natives could not see the loot from the battles, they could still experience curiosity and doubt the yers actions and decisions. A powerful native like the Shadow Stinger would notice that Kieran was up to no good, and unnecessary trouble would follow.
After Kieran hid away all four scrolls, he left Trumbos body and went back to his backpack to grab the four remaining rocketunchers.
Of course, he would still need to make a call to Larry to inform him. After all, his collections from Mr. Big did not consist only of those four pieces. There were still a couple of light and heavy machine guns.
In fact, if Mr. Big had not needed more firepower to take down the Sphendix Headquarters, Kieran would have had more rocketunchers. Still, he was quite satisfied with what he had.
After a while, Larry droved a modified SUV around.
"Mr. Big is missing!" he told Kieran as he jumped out.
"Let him be," Kieran shrugged.
He did not care much about that. He started to move his collections instead.
Kieran was clear on why Mr. Big had left voluntarily. After losing almost every single one of his men, the gang leader could not appear before Kieran like nothing had happened.
Kieran was not concerned about Mr. Bigs departure without saying goodbye.
He had acquired four rocketunchers, light and heavy machine guns, a Magical Rank Equipment and Skill Book from Paul and his pet, three Magical Rank Scrolls, one Legendary Scroll, and a Magical Rank potion from Trumbo.
Other than that, he still had his present from Mr. Big, the [Python-W2], the [Jagdtiger-X1] from his battle with Sphendixs men, a silenced [MI-02] and an [Alloy de].
On top of that, he had an extra six pieces of [Soul Shard]s from the formless souls.
After a rough estimation of the value of his rewards, he ced most of the items inside his backpack happily. As he picked up his backpack, he strapped the rocketunchers and light and heavy machine guns on his back, because they could not fit inside.
"What are you doing?"
Larrys jaw dropped as he saw Kierans odd-looking posture.
"I might try weight-lifting, I guess..." Kieran replied before turning his eyes to the Shadow Stinger.
"Can I know the truth behind everything?"
"Very well... As someone involved, you have the right to know everything. Trumbo was one of my teammates. We spent precious time together adventuring and exploring. It was the best time of my life... Until we discovered a magic tome, and the knowledge inside it drove both of us crazy. After Trumbo discovered the secret to immortality inside the tome, everything changed..."
The Shadow Stinger told his side of the story. It was quite lengthy and heavy, but as he talked about his past, system notifications started popping up.
[yer has finished the Main Mission: Find out the truth within 2 weeks]
[yer will leave the dungeon in 5 minutes...]
[yer will leave the dungeon in 5 minutes...]
[Please carry out of the dungeon any items that you wish to keep!]
[Overweight items will be considered prohibited items and will be discarded!]
...
Kieran could not help but smirk at the notifications as he felt how much weight his body could take.
Chapter 132: Organized
Chapter 132: Organized
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
As the blinding light and weightlessness faded away, Kieran found himself once again in the game lobby.
The descriptions before his eyes summed up his rewards from the third dungeon.
[Third Dungeon: Wandering Beast]
[Dungeon Type: Free World]
[Dungeon Difficulty: Low]
[Main Mission: Find out the truth within 2 weeks!]
[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating: F)]
[Sub Mission 1: The Informants Aide]
[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating FE)]
[Sub Mission 2: Unknown Attacker]
[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating ED)]
[Sub Mission 3: Final Fight]
[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating DC)]
[Battle Performance: Very Active (Rating CB)]
[Exploration Performance: Average]
[Special Rating 1: Greatly shortened dungeon time (Rating BA)]
[Special Rating 2: Eliminated Paul the Tamer (Rating AS)]
[Special Rating 3: Assisted in eliminating Trumbo (Rating SSS)]
[Acquired Title: Spectre Buster (Rep +1) (While Ghost Buster is active, kill 300 formless souls in one battle)]
[Spectre Buster: When the title is active, +10% Attack and Defense against Enemies in Spirit Form, A certain percentage is required to induce [Fear], Some ces wee you, while other ces expel you!]
[Final Rating: SS]
[Calcting yers Third Dungeon Reward...]
[yers Final Reward is as follows...]
[Points: 10,000; Skill Points: 6; Golden Skill Points: 1; Golden Attribute Points: 1]
...
Compared to the Alcatraz dungeon clearance reward, [Wandering Beast] was much lower.
One of the reasons was that the difficulty was different, while another one was the rating.
Even though there was only a one-rank difference between an SSS and an SS rating, the rewards that difference represented were iparable.
An SSS rating could grant a yer a Special Dungeon.
Even though Kieran had not been able to acquire a Special Dungeon this time, the dungeon loot itself was enough to satisfy him.
The dungeon point rewards were iparable to the rocketunchers and light and heavy machine guns on his body, although those were was only a part of his loot.
However, Kieran was not going to ck off just because hed gotten so much loot from the dungeon.
He ced everything down and started to recall his third dungeon clearance to determine his losses and gains.
Kieran still did not know enough about the dungeon world and the underground game itself, so the only way he could increase his own strength was through the most primitive way.
"The easiest way to raise an SS rating to SSS would have been by killing Trumbo by myself... Considering Trumbos power and abilities, if I could have killed him on my own, the rating would have been raised by at least three ranks! So does this mean that theres a higher rank than SSS?"
Kieran thought about the phrase "assisted in eliminating" and came up with an affirmative answer fast enough.
"There must definitely be an even higher rating! Considering Mr. Big and Sphendixs position in the dungeon, if Id killed one of them, the rating would have risen up even more. Whats beyond SSS then?" Kieran mumbled to himself as his face filled with anticipation.
He was looking forward to the rating beyond SSS and the rewards it would bring.
If an SSS rating could grant a yer a Special Dungeon, then surely there would be a special reward for any rating beyond SSS.
However, Kierans anticipation was soon reced by somber thoughts. He knew how hard it would be to achieve such a high rating.
Using the third dungeon as an example and his current rating as a point ofparison, he would have needed to kill at least Mr. Big or Sphendix to achieve it.
Sphendix was always under Trumbos watchful protection, so it would have been extremely difficult to even get near him. Mr. Big might not have had his fighters around him, but killing him would have been just as much of a challenge.
Mr. Bigs men were all very well-trained and well-equipped, so if Kieran had had to face them head-on, their number alone would have been overwhelming. Kieran did not have enough confidence that he could have escaped unscathed.
Even if Kieran had seeded in killing Mr. Big, Trumbo would still have appeared as well, and considering his character in the dungeon, he would definitely not have spared the man who had messed up his ns.
On top of everything else, there was also the Shadow Stinger.
Although the Shadow Stinger had been an enemy of Trumbos, that did not necessarily mean that he would have been on the same side as the yer. Unless the yer had disyed a certain level of friendliness, the Shadow Stinger would have remained neutral.
If Kieran had chosen a method that would have messed up the citysw and order, like killing Mr. Big or Sphendix, the Shadow Stingers background as a hero would definitely have been revealed and Kieran would have had to face him as well.
There were certainly some gaps between the events, and Kieran might have been able to pull off some tricks, but he was sure that before any of those tricks could have worked, he would at least have needed to survive an attack by one of the parties. There was no way that all the parties would have believed the word of someone they could have killed off just by raising their little finger.
Especially when some of those tricks might have involved the secrets or privacy of those parties. Kieran could only imagine the risk he would have had to face if he had really done what he was thinking about.
Kieran pushed away the image of his gruesome death and let out a long sigh of regret.
He was thinking about the Grimoire Dagger and the magic tome the Shadow Stinger had mentioned. Kieran suddenly remembered his conversation with him. Considering Trumbo and the Shadow Stingers revtions, those two items had to be the most valuable ones in the whole dungeon.
Unfortunately, getting his hands on both those items would have been impossible, unless Kieran had wanted to face both the Shadow Stinger and Trumbo head-on.
Kieran shook his head helplessly again.
Amid all this disappointment, he had also managed to discover something useful about the Sub Missions.
"The Sub Mission [Final Fight] was considered cleared during the final calctions, even though I did notplete the mission personally. Does that mean that if I keep my promise, a Sub Mission will be considered cleared, even if I dont hand it in personally?"
Kieran kept pondering the subject.
He was not sure what the calction process was based on to begin with, but the authentication process could also be based on his actions during the mission.
The [Final Fight] description had stated, "Mr. Big has decided to go on war with Sphendix, but considering that Sphendix has a sorcerer on his side, he has to watch his back. As a result, he has asked you to take care of him."
Kieran had killed both Paul the Tamer and Trumbo.
Objectively speaking, Kieran had finished Mr. Bigs Sub Mission, although from Mr. Bigs point of view, Kieran had not delivered on his promise. Because of Trumbos trap, Mr. Big had lost almost every single one of his elite fighters.
"Seems fair enough...." Kieran thought silently.
At least it had prevented a lot of unwanted trouble. After all, the nasty native that had given him the Sub Mission could also have caused Kieran to fail it.
If Kieran had reallye across such a nasty character, he would not have minded teaching them a lesson or two to turn them into a better person, despite the extra work it would have required on his part.
After Kieran had gone through his ratings carefully and made sure that he had not missed anything, he moved on to his loot.
First, he checked out the four rocketunchers, the two light machine guns and the heavy machine gun.
[Name: Cobra-I]
[Type: Rocket Launcher]
[Rarity: Excellent]
[Attack: Powerful]
[Magazines: 1 Round]
[Attributes: None]
[Effects: None]
[Prerequisites: Firearm Weapon (Heavy Firearm, Basic)]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: The armor-prating effect might vary depending on the type of rocket round that you use, if you even have such a rocket.]
...
[Name: BK-20]
[Type: Firearm]
[Rarity: Excellent]
[Attack: Strong]
[Magazines: 100 Rounds]
[Attributes: None]
[Effects: None]
[Prerequisites: Firearm Weapon (Medium Firearm, Entry)]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: A big amount of 5.56 mm bullets is the key to unleashing its destructive power!]
...
[Name: MG-08]
[Type: Firearm]
[Rarity: Excellent]
[Attack: Strong]
[Magazines: 250 Rounds]
[Attributes: Armor Pration Lvl 1, Rapid Shooting Lvl 1]
[Effects: None]
[Prerequisites: Firearm Weapon (Medium Firearm, Master)]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: 250 rounds is definitely not the limit. An extension might be possible if you remember to modify the reloading method.]
...
[Armor Pration Lvl 1: Able to pierce light armor (Weak or Common Defense)]
[Rapid Shooting Lvl 1: Increases shooting speed (350 rounds per minute)]
...
Next were the Magical Rank Equipment and Skill Book he had gotten from Paul and his pet bear.
[Name: Pauls Camouge]
[Type: Armor]
[Rarity: Magical]
[Defense: Strong]
[Attributes: Hiding lvl 2, Nimbleness Lvl 2]
[Effects: None]
[Prerequisites: None]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: Paul had named his pet bear Paul as well. The bear was brought up with Pauls special raising method, and it grew to an extraordinary size. Its size did not affect its nimbleness or specialty to hide itself though.]
...
[Hiding Lvl 2: Increases 20% Hiding Effect during Undercover or Hiding]
[Nimbleness Lvl 2: Armor will not affect your movements]
...
It was a ck sleeveless armor with a peculiar pattern on it. Kieran quickly put it on without a second thought.
It was what Kieran had been missing in terms of proper protective gear. The bulletproof vest could not keep up with Kierans progress anymore.
[Pauls Camouge] was the best recement, and it hade at just the right time.
A Strong Defense and two extra attributes were exactly what Kieran had wanted.
The [Hiding Lvl 2]s 20% increase effect worked well inbination with Kierans Grand Master [Undercover] and the special effect of [Grand Master of Shadows]. The existing 80% effect plus the new 20% granted Kieran a 100% Hiding Effect, which would prove extremely useful if he needed to go undercover for a mission.
After doing a couple of backflips to test out the [Nimbleness Lvl 2] attribute, Kieran was satisfied with the effect. Next, he turned his eyes to the Skill Book.
[Discovered Skill Book: Burning Hand]
[Prerequisites: Mystical Knowledge Entry, Fulfilled]
[Learn the skill? Yes/No]
"Yes!"
When he saw the skill, Kieran recalled the cone-shaped fire Paul had used.
He quickly learned it without any dy.
[Skill Learned: Burning Hand]
[Name: Burning Hand (Basic)]
[Rted Attributes: None]
[Skill Type: Offensive]
[Effects: A 45-degree cone-shaped fire with a length of two meters will strike and inflict Strong Level Damage. Theres also a small chance of inflicting Burn Damage. (Burn Damage: Target is inflicted with a Burn for 1 second, If the authentication of their Constitution is lower than E Rank, Target will carry the Debuff for another 4 seconds, until the Burn Debuff ends.)]
[Consumes: 1 Cracked Rank Ruby and Jagen Volcanic Ash]
[Prerequisites: Mystical Knowledge (Entry)]
[Remarks: This is a spell that requires a hand gesture and tribute items. To make full use of the skill, every gesture must be done in a certain order. If you dont want the spell to backfire, you have to remember the gestures!]
"Consumes 1 Cracked Rank Ruby?"
Before Kieran could celebrate his first Magical Skill after the synchronization and transfer process, he was shocked by the consumption of the skill.
One Cracked Rank [Ruby] would cost around 2,000 Points and 1 Skill Point per shot.
With such a harsh requirement, he would not be burning his enemies anymore, but his own points.
A true skill that burned points!
However, it might still be useful in a desperate situation. Kieran tried tofort himself, despite the costly nature of the skill.
With 2,000 Points and 1 Skill Point per shot, it certainly couldnt be used as amon attacking method. It could only be used as ast resort or an ambush method.
Still, each shot would be like cutting his own flesh.
Kieran turned his attention to the scrolls that Trumbo had dropped, the three Magical Rank ones and the Legendary Rank one.
He needed some joy to ease his disappointment.
What could better than checking out his most prized loot from the dungeon?
He took a couple of deep breaths and recollected his thoughts before he picked up the Legendary Scroll and opened it.
He was stunned by what he saw inside.
Chapter 133: Prescription
Chapter 133: Prescription
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
[Holy Blessing Potion Prescription, costs 10,000 Points to learn, Yes/No?]
[Potionology (Grand Master) not learned...]
[Requirement not met, Unable to learn]
The notification left Kieran dumbstruck.
"Potion Prescription?"
Kieran widened his eyes as a bad feeling rose in his heart.
He quickly opened the other three Magical Rank Scrolls.
[Beginner Healing Potion Prescription, costs 2,000 Points to learn, Yes/No?]
[Potionology (Entry) not learned...]
[Requirement not met, Unable to learn]
...
[Beginner Fire Resistant Potion Prescription, costs 2,000 Points to learn, Yes/No?]
[Potionology (Entry) not learned...]
[Requirement not met, Unable to learn]
...
[Underwater Breathing Potion Prescription, costs 2,000 Points to learn, Yes/No?]
[Potionology (Master) not learned...]
[Requirement not met, Unable to learn]
.....
Kierans bad feeling about the remaining three scrolls was proven right.
"Every single one of them is a Potion Prescription!" Kieran could not help butugh bitterly at his discovery.
The situation before him was very different from what hed imagined.
Kieran had originally thought that he would have been able to use the Legendary Scroll and the three Magical Rank Scrolls to drastically enhance himself and enter the Special Dungeon [The Shamans Partner] with a better, upgraded version of himself.
He had even nned on going back and looking for the secret of the bronze coffin.
Yet, reality was...
"F*cking harsh!" Kieran said to himself.
Kierans solefort was that [Potionology] had also been in his learning n. However, when he recalled that the skill cost 30,000 Points and 10 Skill Points, he could not help but rub his hurting temples to ease his headache.
After a few seconds, he had finally recovered from his disappointment.
Kieran put away all the Prescription Scrolls and inspected the Magical Rank Potion.
[Name: Medium Healing Potion]
[Type: Potion]
[Rarity: Excellent]
[Attributes: Instant Recovery of 100 HP, Continuous Healing of 20 HP per second for 5 seconds]
[Prerequisites: None]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: This is a magical potion crafted by a Potionology Prescription. The magical power in it could save your life during desperate times!]
...
"At least I got something good here!"
The notification boosted Kierans spirit up a little.
When the HP value decreased to a certain level, debuffs would appear, and a debuff alone would be enough to increase the value of that potion.
Plus, ording to the description, that potion could save lives during desperate times, so Kieran knew that its value had to be high. Even though he had note across anything like that before, he had no intention of selling it. It would serve as ast resort during dangerous times.
"So the only thing I could sell is..."
Kieran turned his attention back to the four rocketunchers, the two light machine guns, the heavy machine gun with the Strong Attack, the [Alloy de], and the six pieces of cracked [Soul Shard]s.
Ultimately, Kieran decided to add the [Viper-M1] to the selling list.
After he had acquired the [Jagdtiger-X1], he had decided that the sniper rifle that had apanied him for four dungeons would have to leave his main equipment slot.
Ever since Kieran had experienced the ridiculously strong defensive power of Trumbo, he had realized what he needed the most.
Between a long-range attack and a higher attacking power, thetter was much more important to him.
Even if Kieran could snipe at his enemies from afar, if he could not break through their defense, it would be of no use at all.
The [Jagdtiger-X1] with its [Armor Pration Lvl 2] was much more fitting to Kierans needs.
Kieran touched the body of his [Viper-M1] and bid farewell to his trusty sniper rifle.
Then he sent Lawless screenshots of his loot.
...
Lawless: !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Lawless: Did u rob the military armory again?!
Lawless: Whats with the six cracked [Soul Shard]s?
Lawless: Is there a sale in the local military armory??
(It was only a mere three seconds after Kieran had sent over the screenshots, yet Lawless had already gone into the gibberish BS mode that Kieran was so familiar with.)
2567: U know ur jokes r not funny, right?
2567: These r the items I want to sell. Any good buyers to rmend?
Lawless: I have won the Funniest Man Competition 10 times over, okay? I am the funniest man alive!!
2567: Yeah, yeah. More like the best gibberish champion alive!
Lawless: ...
2567: Can we get down to business?
Lawless: Not many yers could afford so many things. Except Broker!
Lawless: But even if u sold to Broker now, that evil bastard would bring the prices down!
2567: Bring the prices down?
(Kieran was puzzled by Lawless statement. ording to his understanding, good weapons and equipment were always in shortage, and prices were high when there was a high demand. Why would the Broker bring down the prices? Lawless answered his question in his next sentence.)
Lawless: Do u know why the Broker only opens the secret bazaar once a month? Its because everything is calcted ording to his own benefit!
Lawless: Normal yers only enter the dungeon once every three months, but adventurous yers are different. Every time the dungeon cooldown is reset, they will enter it right away. Especially the lone wolves. Theyll need to sell the loot from their previous dungeon to raise enough funds for the next one, but the secret bazaar is not open all the time!
Lawless: As a result, they only have two options. Either wait for the bazaar to open, or sell to the Broker. That evil bastard buys things 10% to 20% lower than their auction price.
(Kieran kind of grasped the idea behind it, but he still had a lot of questions.)
2567: And no one objects?
Lawless: A lot of yers have, but whats the use? The Broker might be disgusting, but hes rich! Hes the only one who can afford some really good items, and on top of that, he really does have a sense of sincerity in doing business! He wont go around scamming other yers, so even though the prices are lowered by 10-20%, some lone wolves are still willing to do business with him.
Lawless: A lot of them will wait for the secret bazaar to open though.
Lawless: However, whether one waits for the bazaar or sells directly to him, he still gets everything in the end. Its a win-win for the evil businessman!
...
Kieran frowned a little. This was not good news for him. He could either wait for the bazaar, or sell everything to the Broker at a lower price.
None of these options would have been his first choice. He just wanted to sell his items at a normal price without being shackled down by others.
He believed there certainly had to be others who shared the same thought.
After all, he had risked his own life for these items, and he didnt want other people putting shackles on what he traded his life for. He believed others would also agree with him.
Kieran messaged Lawless again.
...
2567: I dont suppose everyone has only these two choices, right?
Lawless: Of course not!
Lawless: Wherever there is oppression, there is also resistance!
Lawless: Go to the Harvest Inn, youll find something youll like there!
...
Lawless ended his conversation with ame joke and sent Kieran an address.
After reading it, Kieran went straight out of the lobby.
Chapter 134: The Harvest Inn
Chapter 134: The Harvest Inn
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
After Kieran got off the train, he saw the Harvest Inn right across the stop sign.
It was an inn with red bricks and white luting, the squarish window with the blurry ss outside allowing the passersby to see the people inside the merry inn. Above the arched door handle there was a one and a half meter long metal railing sticking out. The Harvest Inn sign was hanging from there.
The oval sign was made of wood, and the words on it were written in a goldish-yellow paint on one side. There was a picture of a beer cup on the other side.
The words were written in some kind of flowery font that Kieran was not familiar with.
The beer picture on the other side of the sign was magnificent. Even Kieran, who knew nothing about art, could tell that it had been done by a talented artist. A couple of simple strokes had made the beer and foam look three-dimensional. It was so amazingly vivid that it felt liked the beer was spilling out.
After taking another nce at the amazing picture, Kieran knocked on the door.
[The owner has granted you permission to enter!]
[Do you wish to keep hiding your face?]
Kieran was surprised. He had thought that the ce was something simr to the Brokers secret bazaar, but it was actually the game lobby of some other yer.
He epted the option, even though he had been caught off guard.
"Yes."
Although the ce belonged to one of Lawless friends, judging by the sign at the front, it was not a simple gathering ce.
Kieran naturally wanted to hide his face from strangers in such a strange environment.
He pushed the door open with his left hand while holding his [MI-02] with his right hand.
The door opened with a screech as the wooden pivot and frame brushed against each other.
A strong aroma of grape wine apanied by merryughter weed Kieran inside.
"2567! Here!"
Before Kieran could even inspect his surroundings, he heard Lawless loud, clear voice.
The room instantly went silent as dozens of surprised, cold, observant gazesnded on Kieran.
Even though the gazes held no ill intentions, he could feel their observation very clearly with his C- Intuition.
It was very unsettling for Kieran. He felt like a piece of goods waiting to be picked off a rack.
Frowning a little, he quickly went over to Lawless, who was waving at him with his cigar from the bar.
"Is this some kind of wee party?"
Kieran sat down on a round cocktail chair in front of the bar as he looked at Lawless with a sigh.
He knew that Lawless had purposely shouted his name out loud to capture the attention of everyone in the room.
Judging by Kierans understanding of Lawless and cksmiths description of him, Lawless had meant no harm, neither had he expected any benefit from that action. It had just been a prank. A very lousy prank.
Before meeting Lawless in person, Kieran would not have been able to imagine that a big, strong fellow with a rough face and sideburns, who fit all the criteria of a tough guy, could be such a boasting clown that liked to y pranks from time to time.
"There is a vital bnce between his rough face and that childish heart of his."
That was how cksmith had described Lawless, and Kieran had truly experienced that first hand.
"Of course not! Rachel, this is 2567, a new friend of mine!"
"2567, this is Rachel, the owner of the Harvest Inn! One of the few inn owners with a Grand Master Brewing Wine and Cooking Level!"
Lawless shook his head with a big smile as he pointed at the bartender behind the bar.
"Nice to meet you," Kieran greeted the woman politely as he inspected the ce.
The woman was wearing purple dungarees and a white shirt, presenting herself like a bartender. Her face was simr to everyone elses. Even though it was blurred off, one could easily tell that she was a female yer.
"How do you do, lucky boy? To show my appreciation for the business youll bring, this round is on me!"
Rachels voice had a mature tone to it, and her actions and movements seemed even more experienced.
Before Kieran could react, a ss of wine had been ced before him.
[Name: Margarita]
[Type: Alcohol]
[Rarity: Fresh]
[Attributes: Recovers 50 HP within 5 seconds, Increases recovery rate of Stamina by 50%]
[Prerequisites: None]
[Remarks: This is one of Rachels special cocktails. It only tastes so-so, but it has some special effects!]
...
As the notifications popped up in his vision, Kieran looked at Rachel suspiciously.
The [Margarita] was the first item he hade across ever since leaving the newbie dungeon that could recover HP and Stamina.
Wine Brewing and Cooking Grand Master Level, huh?
Kieran remembered Lawless earlier introduction as he turned his attention back to the topic at hand.
"Appreciation for the business I will bring?" he asked.
"With this guy here promoting you like hot cakes, itd be hard for my business not to go up! Nine out of ten people who are here today came because of your weapons and equipment. But dont worry, this is only some of them. The most suspicious ones are looking from afar."
Rachel threw a nce at Lawless, who was smirking. Her tone sounded ridiculing, but Lawless did not seem to mind at all. Instead, he requested in a bold tone, "So youll treat me to another round?"
"If you pay off your old tab, maybe Ill consider it!" Rachel told Lawless softly.
Lawless instantly shut up. As Rachel gave him a cold look, Kieran could clearly see that Lawless was uneasy and somewhat scared.
Obviously, the old tab Rachel was referring to was not just some points or money.
After two seconds of silence, Lawless seemed like hed remembered something
"Hey, 2567! The weather seems nice today! Youre here to sell your equipment, right? Rachel has her own rules. No dealing allowed near the bar. Come on, lets head over there!" he said as he dragged Kieran off to a side table near the bar.
"Pussy!"
They both had clearly heard Rachels cold, mocking words.
Kieran naturally looked at Lawless, but surprisingly, Lawless pretended he had not heard anything. He just kept dragging him off with an awkward smile.
"Bring out the screenshots of your weapons and price them ording to market prices!"
Lawless messaged Kieran with a list of prices as he talked to him.
Kieran gave him a tacit gaze after epting his suggestion.
Then he set the screenshots of the four [Cobra-I] rocketunchers, the two [BK-20] light machine guns, the [MG-08[ heavy machine gun, the [Alloy de], the four pieces of cracked [Soul Shard]s, and his own [Viper-M1] to visible.
The price was tagged on each of the items.
[Cobra-I], 10,000 Points, 4 Skill Points each.
[BK-20] light machine gun, 4,000 Points, 2 Skill Points each.
[MG-08] heavy machine gun, 10,000 Points, 5 Skill Points.
[Alloy de] 1,000 Points.
[Soul Shard] bundle of four, 27,500 Points, 6 Skill Points.
[Viper-M1] sniper rifle, 8,000 Points, 4 Skill Points.
The price listings were a little higher than Kieran had expected.
Even the four-piece bundle of [Soul Shards]s had reached the auction price.
Even though the [MG-08] and [Viper-M1] had each two attributes, their price had still exceeded Kierans expectations by a mile.
Kieran still believed Lawless and his judgement as a veteran yer, and he had been proven right the next moment.
After a mere ten seconds of inspection, the yers around them started to ce bids.
Chapter 135: Auction
Chapter 135: Auction
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
"The [MG-08] is mine!"
"I raise 500 Points!"
"I raise 1,000 Points!"
"1,500 Points! That HMG is mine!"
...
The continuous increase of the price made Kierans jaw drop. He had not been expecting such a good reaction from the yers.
Truth be told, the original price listings had already been high enough, so he had not expected the yers to raise such a high starting price.
Kieran looked at Lawless unconsciously. He was no idiot. He knew that it was because of Lawlesss rtionship with them that all these yers had turned up.
Lawless noticed Kierans gaze and smirked. He replied with a private message of his own.
...
Lawless: Every single one of the yers here are rich veterans who could not get their hands on any decent equipment.
Lawless: Its extremely hard to get something good from the Broker. That evil business man will swallow u down along with ur bones and skin!
2567: The Broker hiked up the prices?
Lawless: If it was just high prices, these yers could have still afforded to buy equipment! What the Broker wanted was someone willing to work for him. In other words, a contract that would sign ones life away to him! Although it wouldnt be forever, 2-3 dungeons are quite hard for these guys to ept!
...
Kieran furrowed his brows at Lawlesss message.
Although he had expected getting decent equipment at the secret bazaar to be quite difficult, he had not expected it to be that difficult.
Signing a life contract was not an option for these veterans, and neither was it for Kieran.
Even signing on for one dungeon with the Broker had been hard enough for him to ept, let alone two or three in one go.
From Kierans point of view, each dungeon should not be given up easily. Only when a yer spent their time exploring all the Sub Missions and Title Missions in the dungeon could their rating at the end increase. yers could only gain an advantage in the game if their dungeon ratings were high enough. Then they were able to enter the next dungeon with a head start and form a good cycle.
ording to the rule The difficulty of the dungeon will increase based on the dungeon entry times, if one gave up on a dungeon run, the advantage that yer had built from the start could all go to waste.
Unless a yer was as rich as Starbeck and could afford the huge amount of points it took to hire mercenaries, they would have to sacrifice their own growth and risk their lives for nothing.
No one would choose topromise their dungeon unless they were out of options.
Kieran instantly understood why the veterans before him kept raising the price. After having the situation exined to him, such a price suddenly seemed quite normal.
For the veterans, the price of Kierans weapons was much more affordable than the contract the Broker wanted them to sign.
This was both bad news and good news for Kieran.
The good news was that he would benefit from additional Points and Skill Points, but the bad news was that it would be even harder for him to acquire the [Potionology] skill from the Broker.
"The Broker..."
Kierans mind mumbled the name subconsciously, but it was not out of hatred.
The fact that the Broker had what no one else did and had built up his own faction through his sharp insight only proved his strength. If Kieran had reached his level, he might have done the same in order to increase his own benefit.
Of course, there were some principles that Kieran would not be willing to let go of.
Kieran understood perfectly that he had Lawless to thank for everything. If Lawless had not used his reputation to gather the veterans, Kieran would never have had the chance to deal with them, let alone get the extra earnings that he was getting now.
"Ill give 5% of whatever I earn to Lawless!" Kieran considered showing his gratitude that way.
He knew that that was what the service charges cost at the secret bazaar. He had heard people mention it more than once.
Yet before Kieran could say anything, Lawless PMed him first.
...
Lawless: No need to thank me, Im just returning the favor!
2567: Favor?
(Kieran looked at Lawless in confusion.)
Lawless: If it wasnt for u, my mercenary mission in the Alcatraz dungeon would have failed!
Lawless: Starbeck was quite a decent employer, so if the mission had failed, my business would have been affected greatly!
Lawless: Reputation is everything to a mercenary! Plus...
...
Just as Lawless began his gibberish BS again, Kieran turned his attention back to the auction that was still going on.
The bidding war had not cooled down as time passed. It had gotten even fiercer instead.
As more veterans entered the inn, the prices of the [Cobra-I], the [BK-20], and the [Viper-M1] kept hiking up quite a lot from their original prices.
Everything seemed to be popr among the veterans except for the [Alloy de] and the four cracked [Soul Shard]s. Both those items had not even had a bid.
The [Alloy de] might not be suitable for the veterans anymore, and the [Soul Shard]s had a skill limitation that might have prevented them from bidding on them.
The fact that the description of the [Soul Shard]s mentioned the Enchantment tform proved as much.
Kieran believed that if there was a requirement for an Enchantment tform, there would also be a requirement for a rted skill.
As the seconds turned into minutes, there were only a couple of veterans left bidding fiercely on the equipment. Everyone else had already gotten what they wanted.
Kieran was of course the biggest winner of the price war, since he owned all the equipment.
[Cobra-I] rocketuncher, 15,000 Points, 4 Skill Points each.
[BK-20] light machine gun, 5,000 Points, 2 Skill Points each.
[MG-08] heavy machine gun, 15,000 Points, 6 Skill Points.
[Viper-M1] 12,000 Points, 5 Skill Points.
Kieran hadpleted all the deals ording to the new price listings.
The prices that concerned Kieran were those of the dual attribute heavy machine gun [MG-08] and the sniper rifle [Viper-M1]. The [MG-08] had even surpassed the price of the rocketuncher [Cobra-I], and the price of the [Viper-M1] had also been hiked up a lot.
"Attributes are more important than Attacking Power?" Kieran was puzzled by the fact.
From what he understood, the two stats wereplementary to each other.
"Its because of the enchantment! Equipment that has natural attributes has a higher chance of seeding at enchantment! Of course, your [Alchemy] must also be above a certain level!"
Lawless took two deep puffs on his cigar as he spoke. He looked at the final price of the [Cobra-I] and smiled awkwardly.
"I was really low on Points and Skill Points back when I bought the [Tekken-II] from you..."
"Enchantment is rted to the [Alchemy] skill?"
Kieran did not care about what Lawless had to say, so he just cut him off with his own question. Since [Alchemy] was rted to [Mystical Knowledge], he was really keen on finding out.
He did not care for Lawlesss apology.
Both parties had willingly epted that deal, and Lawlesss help afterwards had been more than enough to reimburse him for the value of the rocketuncher.
Kieran was sure that if Lawless had bought the rocketuncher from him at a normal price, they would not have grown so close to each other.
After all, Lawless had also had reimbursing Kieran in mind while he had beenmunicating with him, or else he would not have shared so much information with him. Only veterans knew that kind of information.
Technically speaking, Kieran had still earned the most out of that deal.
He might have needed to take a detour to reach his goal if it hadnt been for Lawless help.
Kieran knew that if he had not been careful enough, he would have already lost his life.
After all, all this had led Kieran to the auction currently happening and the prices of his equipment rising thanks to Lawless. The price of his equipment had exceededmon market prices, just like their deal about the [Tekken-II].
Kieran understood that the value of his equipment was not that high, so he could not be calcting with Lawless.
Lawless, who had been interrupted by Kieran, was startled at first, but soon he started smirking.
He went on to exin about enchantment in a lighter tone, "[Alchemy] is necessary for enchantment, but I am not quite familiar with either one. Dont worry though, someone will exin it to you soon enough!"
Lawless was acting all mysterious and secretive as he pointed at the screenshots of the four [Soul Shard]s.
Kieran quickly shut up. He was too familiar with Lawlesss bad habit.
The veterans around themughed out loud at the scene. No doubt they also knew how nasty Lawlesss character could be.
One of the veterans, who seemed to be a close friend of Lawless, started to joke, "Yo, Lawless, are you going to say it? If you dont, Ill have the pleasure! Last chance! Im counting to three! One, two-"
"Its Lemour the Alchemist!"
Before the veteran yer could spill out the name, a person interrupted their conversation, crossing the crowd in Kierans direction with a smile.
"Pleased to meet you again, 2567! Seems like Imte to the party! Although, even if Ide earlier, I could not have afforded anything!" he mocked himself.
"Hey, Nobian! How could you KS1 my chance! Ive waited for a long time for the chance to shut Lawless up for good!" the veteran yer told Nobian, who had just appeared.
"Ive waited for a long time to shut Hanses and Lawless up for good myself!" Nobian said with augh.
Everyone in the crowdughed even louder except for three people. Lawless, Hanses and Kieran.
Lawless and Hanses did notugh because they were being made fun of by Nobian, and Kieran didnt because of Nobians sudden appearance. He still remembered the malicious intent he had felt in his gaze during the bazaar.
"What have youe for?" Kieran thought silently as he looked at Nobian.
TL Note
KS1: Kill steal, get the credit before someone else does.
Chapter 136: Alchemist
Chapter 136: Alchemist
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
While the crowd of veterans keptughing out loud, Nobian went over and sat down near Kieran and Lawless naturally.
Sighing, he said, "Youre really lucky, 2567! Your one-time dungeon rewards have already exceed the rewards of yers who have cleared three or four dungeons! I said before that you should contact me if you have anything nice, bute to think of it, that was a little premature of me to say... All your good stuff is too expensive for me!" Nobian mocked himself again.
His sense of humor seemed to resonate with Lawless.
"I know, right? Hes the luckiest guy Ive met in a while! If he had been through the beta test with us, he would have be a big name by now!" Lawless said in awe.
"A big name? To me, 2567 has quite the reputation already! If he can maintain his luck, he will overtake all the big names we know! Rachel, a round of honey mead for everyone! Its on me!"
Nobian snapped a finger at Rachel and instantly the crowd of veterans cheered on his generosity.
When Rachel brought the honey mead over, Nobian stood up with a ss in his hand and proposed a toast. The veterans mimicked him.
Kieran could not resist. He had to stand up as well, as the crowd urged him to.
"A toast! To the future big names! Cheers!"
Amid the clear noise of sses shing against each other, Kieran drank the honey mead with a bitter smile.
[Name: Honey Mead]
[Type: Alcohol]
[Rarity: Fresh]
[Attributes: Recovers 10 HP within 3 seconds]
[Prerequisites: None]
[Remarks: This is a sweet, smooth wine made by Rachel.]
...
The sweet, smooth taste of the wine made it easy for Kieran to drink. He did not feel the sense of spiciness he had been expecting as he swallowed it.
It tasted more like a soft drink than wine.
Although Kieran had only drunk soft drink once or twice before, the sweet taste of that soft drink lingered on his tastebuds and was imprinted on his mind.
"How is it? Rachels honey mead is very famous among us veterans! Not only does it taste good, but its also cheap! Thats why I can afford to treat everyone!" Nobian said with augh.
"Not bad!" Kieran replied with a smile. He was even more cautious of Nobian now.
Kierans memories of that malicious gaze got clearer as Nobian became more enthusiastic.
Kieran was sure that Nobian had approached him with an ulterior motive.
What was his end game? Kieran was in no hurry to find out. The man would eventually show his true colors sooner orter. Kieran had exceptionally good patience when it came to dealing with evil people.
"Where is Lemour? Why is she not here yet? Im quite anxious to meet her!" Hanses said.
"Right! Wonder what shes bringing?"
"So much anticipation!"
"Ive been waiting for her to enchant my items!"
"Me too!"
The crowd of veterans started to talk about the so-called alchemist.
From their discussion, Kieran got an idea of what this Lemour was capable of.
She seemed to have gained the trust of all the veterans present at the inn and have a high level [Alchemy] skill. Not only could she enchant items, but she could also craft some magical items.
Kieran was not satisfied with that vague description though. He wanted to know more.
He turned his eyes to Lawless and got a reply from him in the form of a message.
...
Lawless: Lemour was one of the beta yers. She acquired the [Alchemy] skill during the newbie dungeon, and it only took her two dungeons to upgrade it to a considerable level! After that, she started her own alchemist business. Shes quite active among the veterans yers. She charges a fair price for enchanting and will also sell some Magical items. Thats why shes so popr among the veterans!
Lawless: Except for that evil Broker! Some say that the Broker has tried to approach her and recruit her to his forces, but was rejected every single time.
Lawless: Being an Alchemist is not a Unique Title, but most of us believe that Lemour will eventually get a Unique title rted to alchemy one day.
...
Kieran gained anotheryer of understanding regarding Lemour after Lawlesss introduction.
However, Kierans jaw still dropped when he saw the Alchemist herself.
She was wearing a greyish-white robe and carrying a pointy wizard staff, and her satchel was filled with potions and materials. There was nothing special about her except for her height.
She was 150 centimeters tall.
Kierans eyes widened. He looked at Lawless as if to confirm his doubts, but Lawless and the other veterans had already surrounded Lemour.
As soon as shed set foot inside the Harvest Inn, she had been flooded by the veterans enthusiasm. The only thing Kieran could see of her anymore was her magic staff, which was almost twice her height.
Kieran felt a strange feeling bloom inside his heart as he watched the scene.
"Dont even mention her height! Its her taboo!" Rachels voice sounded beside Kieran.
Before he could react, the bartender shouted, "Lemour! Your mes of the Ice Lake!"
Two bottle almost half a meter tall popped up on Kierans table next to Rachel.
[Name: mes of the Ice Lake]
[Type: Alcohol]
[Rarity: Fresh]
[Attributes: Recovers your HP fully within 3 seconds just with one sip, will induce a Drunk Debuff]
[Prerequisites: None]
[Remarks: This is a liquor Rachel brewed. Normal people dare not even take a sip!]
...
The bottles of liquor was visible to everyone, and its attribute of inducing a [Drunk Debuff] made Kieran frown unconsciously. The reason he did not like alcoholic drinks was because they got people drunk.
Kieran would dly excuse himself from any drink that affected ones sanity and ability to think.
He naturally wondered why an alchemist would drink such a heavy liquor.
"Is it perhaps an alchemy material?" Kieran thought as he looked at Lemour, who was able to squeeze out of the crowd thanks to her 150 centimeters.
Kierans doubts quickly disappeared when he saw Lemour pull the wine stopper off and take a sniff. She looked very satisfied as she smelled the strong smell of the liquor. From the looks of it, she really did like heavy liquor. Otherwise, she would not have sighed in satisfaction.
Suddenly, Lemour noticed Kieran.
"The names Lemour! So youre this 2567 that Lawless has been talking about! 27,500 Points and 6 Skill Points are quite fair for four pieces of [Soul Shard]s, but since I also need to pay for the "mes of the Ice Lake", I dont have enough Points and Skill Points to spare. Can we trade in other stuff?" Lemour introduced herself before proposing a new method of trading.
Kieran would not have objected anyhow.
He had a higher priority than Points and Skill Points on his wishlist.
[Potionology]!
Kieran answered with a smile, "Yes, of course. I am currently looking for a [Potionology] Skill Book. I can pay off any remaining bnce in Points as well!"
At Kierans words, the veterans around the inn went silent.
They were all looking at him with an incredulous expression.
Chapter 137: Enchantment
Chapter 137: Enchantment
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Despite all the curious gazes from the veterans, Kieran kept looking at Lemour without the slightest change in his expression.
Lawless, on the other hand, was getting all anxious. He tried to talk Kieran out of it.
"2567, calm down! I know you can probably afford [Potionology] with your Points right now, but advancing in [Potionology] is not just about one Skill Book! You need to collect all kinds of potion ingredients and materials so you can use the potion tform! And dont forget the most important thing, the prescriptions!" Lawless emphasized that word as he spoke.
"Each and every one of the potion prescriptions is as expensive as [Potionology] itself, and thats only themon prescriptions. The rarest ones are priced higher than us lone wolves can even imagine! Every potions master out there has some guild or organization backing them up financially. Some lone wolves have tried advancing in [Potionology] as well, but each and every one of them has failed miserably!" Lawless sighed.
The other veterans exchanged looks as well. Some were gloomy, others helpless, but most of them were self-mocking.
Kieran noticed everyones expressions.
There had been a lot of brave yers who had been willing to take that risk, but most of them had failed, just like Lawless had said. However, that did not break Kierans spirit. Quite the opposite, he became even more interested in learning [Potionology].
Not because one wasnt supposed to give up before they tried something, but because of the prescriptions he already had.
He had three Magical Rank ones and one Legendary Rank one. Based on what Lawless had said, their price had to exceed even his wildest dreams.
Plus, leveling [Mystical Knowledge] from Master to Pro also required [Potionology].
Kieran did not answer Lawless. Instead, he just looked at Lemour, his serious attitude proving that he was not joking.
"Stubborn fellow, aint ya?" Lawless could not help but cover his forehead with his hands helplessly.
The veterans around them praised Kierans courage. Some of them were sympathetic, but most of them mocked him in disdain. However, none of them had any intention of stopping him.
After all, they were not as close to Kieran as Lawless was, and they had met too many stubborn yers before.
They had been those yers once themselves.
"If I had a [Potionology] Skill Book to trade, I would. You wouldnt even have to reimburse me or anything. However, Im sorry to say I am mastering [Alchemy], so I have nothing rted to [Potionology]. I dont have any intention of learning it either, so Im not collecting anything rted to the skill!"
Lemour had praised Kierans courage at first, but she had eventually shaken her head and said that she could not help him either.
"I see... Then can I ask you to enchant my equipment?" Kieran said with a sigh.
Even though he had bet on a positive answer from Lemour, she had disappointed him in the end.
Kieran had gotten his emotions under control quickly, despite the fact that he had not gotten what hed been longing for. He knew what he had to do while he still had that famous alchemist before him.
"Of course! But different ranks of equipment have different prices. If you have prepared the materials beforehand, Ill only charge you for my services!" Lemour said as she nodded in agreement.
After some thought, Kieran sent a screenshot of his [Jagdtiger-X1] to the alchemist.
He just wanted to enchant his equipment, not sell it, so he had no intention of making that information public. When it came to privacy, every yer had to be extremely careful.
Kieran had chosen the [Jagdtiger-X1], and not the [Lightning Tigers Finger], the [ming Iron Boots], the [MI-02], or the [Python-W2], because of its Armor Pration Lvl 2 attribute rather than its high attacking power.
Kieran had thought even more about Armor Pration after his battle with Trumbo and his Powerful Force Field Barrier.
A truly formidable attacking powerbined with the Armor Pration attribute could have made up for the gap between them. More so, it could even have changed the oue of the battle.
If Kierans [Jagdtiger-X1] had had an Armor Pration Lvl 3 during his fight with Trumbo, he should have been able to prate his Powerful Rank defense mechanism, considering that Lvl 2 was able to prate Strong defense armor. Kieran would have been able to inflict direct damage on Trumbo instead of spending his time trying to find heavy artillery like the rocketuncher to turn the battle around.
It had only been a coincidence that this dungeon had included a powerful rocketuncher, but what about the next dungeon?
Kieran would consider himself extremely lucky if he had a coborator like Mr. Big in every dungeon.
Kieran messaged Lemour about wanting to enchant the Armor Pration attribute.
As for [Primus Arm] and the [Half-Deads Gaze]?
Even if Lemour had the ability to enchant both Rare and Legendary Equipment, Kieran would have rather died than show that equipment to someone else.
It didnt matter that Lemour had a good reputation.
Betrayal always reaped good benefits, and greed always got the best of humans.
Maybe it wasnt fair to assume that everyone was like that, but Kieran would rather be safe than sorry.
...
2567: Could u enchant Armor Pration to Lvl 3?
Lemour: Lvl3? Thats beyond my current [Alchemy] level, Lvl 2 is my maximum!
2567: Then how about the attack? Could u raise it up one rank?
Lemour: You should find a top-tier machinist, alchemy cant help you!
...
Kieran tried to change his request after Lemour turned him down for enchanting his Armor Pration.
Trumbos existence meant that he mighte across simr enemies in future dungeons. If he maintained his advantages and maximized his benefits, he would only need a powerful weapon that could tear down a Powerful Rank defense.
That could be either a stronger attack or Armor Pration, but Lemours answer was disappointing.
Kieran frowned as he asked, "A machinist?"
Lemours answer spawned even more thoughts in Kierans mind, but it did not help with the situation at hand.
Did Kieran really have to acquire a [Firearm Weapon (Medium Firearm)] skill and select a rocketuncher as his default fighting method?
Kierans brows furrowed even deeper.
WIth his current Points and Skill Points, he could afford [Firearm Weapon (Medium Firearm)] and even level it up to a considerable level. Buying an extra rocketuncher would also be a piece a cake for him. However, the thought of the consumption of the rocketuncher alone caused him a headache. It would outweigh any rewards by a lot.
Of course, Kieransmon sense was telling him what the right choice he had to make was.
He did not give up yet though. He asked Lemour again instead.
...
2567: Is there any way to increase its attack with alchemy alone?
Lemour: Of course!
Lemour: Both [Critical Rate] and [Critical Damage] could do that!
Lemour: [Critical Rate] will increase the chances of 2x Damage when you hit someones weak spots!
Lemour: [Critical Damage] has a chance of inflicting higher rank damage!
2567: Ill go with [Critical Damage]!
(Lemours answer made Kieran exhale in relief. Kieran could not tell if she was purposely mocking him just by looking at her blurry face, but after Lemour named the two possible attributes, she had Kierans attention. Afterparing [Critical Rate] and [Critical Damage], Kieran picked thetter without a second thought.)
2567: I hope that [Critical Damage] can reach the maximum level with ur current [Alchemy] level.
2567: If four pieces of cracked [Soul Shard]s are not enough, I can pay you more!
Lemour: That will suffice!
2567: What if I added [Critical Rate] as well?
Lemour: Then it would not be a matter of money anymore.
Lemour: Enchanting one extra attribute with my current level of [Alchemy] is a 99% sess, but if I add a second one, that sess rate will go down by half!
Lemour: If u can afford it, Im in! Problem is, are u willing to take the bet?"
...
Kieran ignored Lemoursst question.
If enchanting failed, not only would the enchantment materials be consumed, but the items themselves might also suffer damage. Without a recement for his [Jagdtiger-X1], Kieran was not willing to risk it.
After confirming the enchantment attribute, the two of them signed an agreement that vaguely stated that Lemour would try her best to enchant the item for one day and would keep all information regarding the enchantment to herself.
The veterans once again surrounded Lemour after she and Kieran had signed the agreement.
Kieran sat aside, counting his earnings from the earlier auction. He had earned a total of 97,000 Points and 31 Skill Points.
After adding that to his rewards from the dungeon, he had a total of:
[Points: 110,690; Skill Points: 37; Golden Skill Points: 2; Golden Attribute Points: 2]
When he saw that his Points were over 100,000, Kieran had the urge to trade them for union currency so he could treat his illness. He suppressed that thought quickly though. He had not forgotten about his original goal. He was not longing for a wealthy life, but just for enough to livefortably.
He wished for a better life.
The Points and Skill Points before him would help him realize that goal.
Why would he trade them so easily?
"Theres still some time before my next treatment! What I should be doing right now is turning my points to strength and power and earning even more!"
Kieran stood up and canceled the remaining screenshots of the [Alloy de] as he prepared to leave.
The deals were not finished. He had received the Points and Skill Points, but the veterans had not received their goods. Both parties had signed an agreement.
Kieran would still need to go back to his lobby and send the goods to their respective owners.
Before Kieran could leave, his message tab pinged again.
He had received a message from Nobian.
Nobian: I have a [Potionology] Skill Book.
Chapter 138: Silent Strike
Chapter 138: Silent Strike
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
A [Potionology] Skill Book?
Kieran was stunned when he saw Nobians message.
Although he had been talking with Lemour, he had kept his guard up around Nobian. He had kept a part of his attention focused on him on and off until Nobian had left the Harvest Inn.
To Kieran, this seemed like another round of Nobian trying to get information out of him.
However, the message he had received proved that this was more than that. Nobian was anxious to collect the he hadid around Kieran.
Why now?
Money could easily shake the hearts of men.
Kieran took a nce at his more than 100,000 Points and 37 Skill Points andughed softly at the realization.
The underground game did not really forbid yers to kill each other. Although anyone who did was punished severely, as long as the offender didnt get caught, nothing happened to them. Quite the contrary, the offender got all the possessions of the yer they had killed.
Kieran viewed that setting as an encouragement of PVP1 and bloodshed among yers, but fortunately there were not many yers who actually did it.
One of the reasons was the penalty if one got caught. All attributes -1 and all Points, Skill Points and equipment will be confiscated. It was the very punishment all the yers were afraid of.
The other reason was that everyone had been raised under the Union system, which did not encourage killing under any circumstances. As a result, it was hard for people to kill others in the game. Even though yers had tomit murder a lot during the game, the targets were only NPCs2. They were not real people, so the yers were fine with it.
However, nothing was certain, just like this situation with Nobian.
Nobians ill intent was very clear to Kieran. He had said that he was looking for a [Potionology] Skill Book, and all of a sudden Nobian happened to have one?
Kieran was very suspicious of that coincidence, yet he did not rule out the possibility of it being real.
He could not deny that such a coincidence could actually happen in the real world, but Nobians malicious gaze when theyd first met made it all seem a little fishy.
He was sure that Nobian would try his best to persuade him not to spend any of his Points or Skill Points and use some made-up lie to secure his reward.
Kieran replied after some consideration.
...
2567: For real?
2567: Why didnt u trade with me before?
Nobian: Because one of my friends had some prescriptions and a [Potion Crafting tform Blueprint]. I wanted to get them all first before reaching out to u.
Nobian: After all, a bundle price is always better.
(Everything had gone ording to Kierans expectations, which only made Kieranugh silently. He was still surprised when he got a reply though.)
2567: A [Potion Crafting tform Blueprint] and prescriptions?
Nobian: Yes, a [Potion Crafting tform Blueprint] and prescriptions.
Nobian: My friend and I teamed up and finished a team dungeon before this. We acquired the [Potionology] Skill Book, the [Potion Crafting tform Blueprint] and the prescriptions in that dungeon. My initial n had been to buy off his equipment and expand [Potionology] myself, and hed had the same n!
Nobian: However, we suffered a great loss after that dungeon. Not only did neither of us reach our goals, but we even faced a lot of trouble in our next dungeon. As a result, we decided to sell it as a bundle to get a higher price. What the Broker offered us was too low though!
Nobian: I hope u will not let us down as well.
2567: If its real, I wont!
...
Nobian sent over a screenshot of the [Potionology] Skill Book.
He really did have one?
Kieran squinted in surprise and suspicion. The screenshots of the items in the game could not be replicated, so this meant that Nobian had taken a picture of the Skill Book himself.
However, his surprise did not alter Kierans earlier decision. On the contrary, it made him specte even more.
If Nobian had coincidentally had a [Potionology] Skill Book right from the start, that would have been great, but if hed acquired it within the small amount of time since hed left the Harvest Inn, then...
The forces behind Nobian were not to be messed around with.
Kieran was struck by fear for a moment. His mind instantly shed with the picture of someone.
The Broker!
Other than the man who had a Unique title and had founded the secret bazaar, Kieran could note up with anyone else that could be capable of such a feat.
"The Broker is targeting me?" Kieran furrowed his brows.
This was not good news by any means, but he was more concerned about why the Broker would target him in the first ce.
There was a reason for everything, but Kieran had only met the Broker once briefly during the secret bazaar. Both of them had been courteous with each other, so the Broker had no reason to target him.
"Did I spill out any information by ident?"
The doubts in his mind made him want to get more information out of Nobian.
...
2567: Ur friend?
Nobian: Yeah, a veteran like me nicknamed General.
Nobian: Lawless knows him as well, but the two of them have a bad rtionship, so I try not to mention my deals with General to Lawless and vice versa.
Nobian: I am quite close to General though, so u can wait for my good news!
...
The conversation ended abruptly when Nobian stopped talking.
Kieran went through the messages carefully, from the point where Nobian had mentioned the [Potionology] Skill Book to where he had talked about the yer nicknamed General. Everything was carefully linked to Nobians n.
Not only had Nobian bundled the [Potionology] Skill Book with the [Potion Crafting tform Blueprint], but he had even provided a reasonable exnation for it.
If Kieran had not been wary of Nobian right from the beginning, he would have fallen for it.
Nobian had sensed Kierans eagerness to learn [Potionology].
He had even set up a fail-safe n to lead Kieran to his trap. Lawless!
Of course Nobian would not directly use Lawless to lure Kieran into his trap, but he knew that Kieran would definitely ask Lawless about General.
Kieran would get satisfying information from Lawless, but still keep it a secret from him out of goodwill.
As he saw Lawless squeeze out of the crowd surrounding Lemour, he quickly asked, "Lawless, do you know someone by the name of General?"
Although Kieran knew what Nobian wanted, that did not stop him from following his own n.
After all, he was not sure whether there were any of Nobians aplices in the Harvest Inn.
"General? That son of a bitch thats always taking away my business is still alive? Hes my rival in the mercenary business. He has a fair amount of power and quite a reputation. Why do you ask?" Lawless asked.
"Just curious," Kieran brushed Lawless off with an excuse.
Lawless shrugged. He did not care to talk about it any further. He headed towards the bar, but before he did, he paused for a fraction of a second.
The moment passed by in a sh, and Lawless returned to normal.
Other than Kieran, no one else had noticed his minor pause.
TL Notes
1PVP: yer vs. yer
2NPC: Non-yable Character.
Chapter 139: Narrow Alley
Chapter 139: Narrow Alley
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Nobian carefully twisted open a bottle and poured out an unknown liquid on a soft piece of pelt. He rubbed the pelt with the liquid on his long sword.
He was serious, and his movements seemed very skilled.
He did not even spill a drop of the liquid. Every single drop of it was smeared evenly all over his sword.
The body of the sword was lustrous and dazzling but then its reflection had be dark blue and gloomy, and a faint smell of rotten fish spread all over as he wielded it around.
It was hard on the nose and repulsive, but Nobian nodded in satisfaction before sheathing his sword.
He looked at the empty bottle with a sense of regret on his face, but soon it was reced by a vicious, greedy expression.
The thought of the Points and Skill Points his prey possessed excited him. He had not expected to get so many rewards out of a single mission.
"After this job, I will be able to level up my skills by a couple of levels! The next dungeon will be much easier!"
Nobian could not help but fantasize about his rewards. It was not the first time he had done something like this and it would definitely not be thest.
Compared to entering the difficult, danger-filled dungeons with the minimal rewards, Nobian was much more eager to earn bigger rewards this way.
He had been forced to do it the first time, but after tasting the forbidden fruit, he had been soaking himself in it.
All he needed to do was y a certain role and trick his preys into falling into one of his traps. The foolish yers did not even know what happened until they drew theirst breath.
As Nobian recalled his victims faces while theyd died, he started tough helplessly.
That twisted mind of his was filled with sick satisfaction.
A knock on the door signalled the arrival of his next target.
Nobian hid his malicious smile and tidied up his weapons and equipment before walking out of the room.
He weed no one in his secret premises, as there were too many secrets inside that foul den of his.
...
Kieran arrived at the address Nobian had given him. It was on the outskirts of the big city inside the game.
It had taken him almost two hours to get there from his ce, despite taking the shortest route arranged by the conductor of the train.
Kieran had even had to walk another ten minutes after disembarking from the train.
After walking down a narrow alleyway, he finally reached Nobians ce.
It was quiet and secluded.
That was what Kieran thought initially, but soon he thought of another way to describe it as he scanned his surroundings.
It was the perfect ce to kill someone.
"Could he be a killer?" Kieran mumbled to himself softly.
He had been specting about Nobians true identity, and one of his theories had been that he was a hitman.
Kieran had not confirmed his spection until he saw Nobians ce. He was also sure that this was not Nobians first time doing this.
Although the game provided the option of moving a yers house, it cost a lot and it consumed a whole dungeon cooldown.
Nobian had ended his message conversation with Kieran with the intention of letting his prey off first and catching itter, but he had started to message Kieran again half an hour after Kieran had left Harvest Inn, and he had been quite chatty this time.
He would send Kieran messages about the progress of his discussion with General from time to time.
One of the reasons was to show that he was working hard and providing a valuable service, and the other reason was to keep stimting Kieran to excite his eagerness even more.
Nobian had not stopped messaging him except for the couple of hours that he had after their first conversation.
From the look of things, Nobian had had no time to enter another dungeon. ording to the game rules, once a yer entered a dungeon, single or team, they were cut off from anymunication with the outer game.
Thatmunication would only return after the yer came back from the dungeon.
A single yer dungeon equaled one hour in real life, and a team dungeon equaled three hours.
The longest break between his messages with Kieran had been around 40 minutes, so it was not enough time for Nobian to clear a dungeon.
Maybe Nobian had spent only a little time in the dungeon, so the time had been shortened in real life?
This was not possible though.
Kieran had already known this right from the newbie dungeon. No matter how long a yer spent inside a dungeon, a single yer dungeonsted one hour in real life and a team dungeonsted three hours in real life.
The fact that Nobian had stayed in this part of the game for such a long time proved that his real target was not Kieran.
So who was it? Kieran was not interested in finding out.
All he needed to know was why Nobian was still alive and his target was not.
The facts reminded Kieran of what he had to do.
He needed to be more vignt and careful.
He was going up against a veteran in killing, so even the slightest carelessness could cause him to lose everything. Even his own life.
Even though he was fully prepared, it was better to be safe than sorry.
Kieran took two deep breaths and knocked on the door.
The system did not notify him like it had when hed arrived at the Harvest Inn. Instead, the door opened and Nobian came out,ughing coldly.
"2567! Just in time! General is also here! Come pick him up with me from the train station! Remember, hes quite weird, so if you want the deal to go smoothly, dont mention that you know Lawless!" Nobian reminded Kieran as he walked out of the house. He was acting all good and friendly.
"Okay."
Kieran pretend to agree with a nod. He knew what was going on, so he took big steps as they walked towards the train station, trying to act anxious.
As Nobian saw Kierans manner, he could not help but feel delighted.
It was exactly what he had expected. Another idiot who had fallen into his trap!
As soon as Kieran entered that narrow alleyway, Nobian pulled out his long sword.
He did it slowly so as not to make any noise, but his palm that was grabbing the hilt was very firm, pulling the sword out with exploding strength.
The sword was not only steady and firm, but also fast.
The sharp edge was exposed as it was aimed at Kierans neck.
The rotten smell of the de spread out in the alleyway as the sword stabbed towards its target like a snake ambushing its prey with its venomous fangs,
Nobian was anticipating the moment when Kieran would turn around with a shocked expression.
However, Nobians prediction waspletely off.
It was a strong kick and not a shocked expression that Kieran surprised Nobian with when he turned around.
Kieran followed up with a right kick.
Not only did he dodge Nobians stab, but his right kick alsonded hard on Nobians incredulous face.
The immense force of the kick sent Nobian flying off his feet and crashing against the alleyway wall.
Bang!
Just as the heavy sound of the collision was heard, the counter force made Nobians body bounce off the wall.
As Kierans right footnded on him, his left foot was already in mid-air, aiming for his target.
The second kick was much more powerful, quicker and vicious than the first one.
A strong wind brewed up the burning mes and engulfed Nobianpletely before he could even react.
Chapter 140: Honorable Kill
Chapter 140: Honorable Kill
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Nobian looked confused by Kierans iing kick.
He did not understand how Kieran had reacted so quickly. Kierans previous kick had caused Nobian to enter a Heavily Wounded Status, and the pure power of his kick had exceeded a two or three dungeon yers ability.
It seemed impossible to Nobian, no matter how many rewards Kieran had gotten from thest dungeon.
Skills and attributes were linked, so a skill could raise all rted attributes. At the same time, attributes acted as a cap for each of the skills.
It was impossible to level up skills without reaching a certain rank of attributes, even if a yer had the Points and Skill Points to spare.
Plus, the same rank skill could not upgrade an attribute repeatedly. If a yer wanted to raise their attribute again, they needed to find a higher rank skill.
Abination of a high and low skill, or a couple of others, could form an upgrading system.
Forming such a system was not something a two or three timer could achieve. It would take at least five or six dungeons to develop a clear upgrading system.
And that was only if one was lucky.
If they werent, they would not develop a solid leveling system for themselves even after seven or eight dungeons. As dungeon difficulty went up, so did the chances of a yer failing the Main Mission. This eventually led to elimination.
Could that information be wrong? Nobian thought of this unconsciously, but quickly rejected his own theory.
His secret source of information was very reliable. It was not possible for him to have been misinformed.
His sources would never give him false information, if only for the sake of his reputation.
Then all that was left was...
Nobian looked at Kierans boots, where a fire was burning bright before his eyes. They were [Iron ming Boots]!
"It must be the magical attribute of the boots!"
He could tell by his experience as a veteran.
Nobian thought he had everything under control. When he saw Kierans iing kick, he quickly used hisst card without any further hesitation.
The armor on Nobians body started shaking slightly, and a warm feeling spread throughout his body.
The HP he had lost from the previous kick was recovered in an instant. He even recovered from the Heavily Wounded Debuff Status.
While Nobian was healing himself, ayer of a rock-textured pattern spread out from his armor and covered his whole body.
By the time Kierans second kicknded on Nobians face, the rock armor had covered all his body. A loud, hard noise was produced when Kierans foot came into contact with theyer of rock.
[ming Kick: Target inflicts 200 Damage to your HP, Rock Skin Skill activated, Resisted 180 Damage, 20 True Damage inflicted...]
Nobian looked at the puny damage Kieran had inflicted on him and start tough.
"Its useless! Your reaction might have been fast, and you surprised me with that Magical or Rare Rank Equipment of yours, but..."
Before Nobian could even finish, he was interrupted by Kierans foot once again.
The kick hadnded on Nobians face, just like the previous two.
Kieran was locked on his target and followed up with series of kicks, every single one of them aimed at Nobians face.
Nobian was enraged. After his face was kicked and stepped on a couple more times though, his rage was soon reced by fear.
He noticed that Kierans kicking speed was too fast for him toprehend, to the point that his Rock Skin Skill could not even keep up with the attacks.
How was it possible?
Nobian was inplete shock. He had thought that Kierans previous kicking power hade from his boots, but Kieran had disyed the same level of strength and speed, contradicting his thoughts.
To his knowledge, there was no equipment that granted the user Strength, Speed and Burn Damage all at once. Even if there was something like that, it would have been even higher than Rare Rank. It would have been at least Legendary Rank.
How could Kieran possess such powerful equipment?
How could it be possible?
How many Legendary items were there in the game itself? Most of them were in the hands of the most famous yers. Each and every one of them was Nobians idol. He wanted to be one of them.
After muttering "impossible" a couple of times, Nobian came up with the only possible exnation.
He had been betrayed.
From the moment he had been hired, it had all been a conspiracy against him.
Kieran was not the two or three timer that people thought he was, but a veteran yer who had developed his own Strength leveling system.
As for Kierans goal... It was definitely something beyond that.
After Nobian had gotten his hands on that item, he had tried very hard to cover his tracks, but he had still not been 100% clean.
Once someone started to investigate, he would eventually be exposed. He had not expected to be exposed this fast though.
But what if he was exposed? So what?
The item still belonged to him and he had no intention of giving it to anyone else.
It was his best asset in solidifying his position within the game in the future. He would not tolerate anybody meddling with his n.
Nobians face became twisted once he thought about his n. Kieran had to die.
Suddenly, a wild aura started to spread from Nobians body.
Theyer of defense from Nobians Rock Skin started to crack. Without the empowerment of the Rock Skin, his defense went down the hill, but his Agility, which had beenpromised by the heavy skill, had returned.
Nobians recovered Agility allowed him to use his advanced skill.
Between Kierans kicks, the long sword in Nobians hand stabbed out at an incredible speed. Its speed was so great that it tore the air apart and produced a breaking sound, as if ten crossbows were being fired all at once.
The dark, gloomy de with the rotten stench created a mirage of des as it was aimed at Kierans weak spots.
It flooded Kieran with the mirage before he could react. Nobian was grinning wide.
However, his grin suddenly froze in ce.
The stabs of his sword were all stopped before they could reach Kierans skin, as if they were being blocked by an invisible barrier.
A Force Field Barrier!
Nobian instinctively wanted to retreat after witnessing the impossible. His veteran experience told him that everything was going south.
Kieran did not present Nobian with such an option though.
With his [Primus Scale] activated, he extended his hands and grabbed onto Nobians de as if it was blunt. With a strong twist, he threw the sword off Nobians hands.
Nobian fell back with a stagger.
Although Kierans punches were not as strong as his kicks without [Hand-to-Hand Combat, Grand Master of Kicks], the Grand Master rank of the skill raised his strength by one rank, making it easy for him to disarm Nobian with his C- Rank Strength.
Before Kieran hade to Nobians ce, he had gone back home, not to take a rest, but to level up his skills.
The facts before him proved that it had been crucial for him to do so.
If he hade unprepared, it would have been hard for him to take out Nobian.
Kieran quickly followed up with a barrage of kicks while Nobian staggered back.
He eventually fell against the ground, robbed of any sign of life. Kieran did not let him live.
He dared not. Nobian had already cleared at least five dungeons, but he was still acting as a killer outside them. Thats why Kieran did what he did.
His heart would not be at peace unless he killed him.
Nobian mighte after him eventually if Kieran showed him any mercy.
Kieran did not want that.
[yer Killed: Nobian]
[Treated as self-defense through authentication]
[Categorized as an Honor Kill]
[You will receive all the Points and Skill Points of the yer...]
[Total: 12,000 Points and 4 Skill Points]
[Received the yers house key]
[Granted the right to use the yers house]
[All the yers belongings are in their house]
[Honor Kill: 1]
...
As the notifications popped up, Nobians body turned into speckles of light and disappeared.
His body had disintegratedpletely within two seconds.
A key had also popped up in Kierans hand. It was obviously Nobians house key.
Kieran rubbed the cold, hard key with his thumb and looked over at the spot where Nobians body had disintegrated. Then he set off for Nobians house without any hesitation.
He did not feel much empathy about the incident. From his point of view, he had just been defending himself.
He could not show generosity and forgive someone who had tried to kill him.
He might have hesitated if this had been in real life under Unionws, but it was an underground game, so any second thoughts could cost him his life.
"Ever since I let go of my fear, Ive be quite bold and daring, havent I?" Kieranughed at himself.
Then he turned his attention to the corner not far away, picked up the key, and inserted it into the keyhole.
The door was unlocked easily with a twist of the key before Kieran pushed it open.
Chapter 141: Title
Chapter 141: Title
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Nobians room was much smaller than Kieran had imagined.
His ce was not even a tenth of Kierans old broken garage. A quick nce was enough for Kieran to taken in every item and piece of decoration before him.
There were only two points of interest. One of them was the ck curtain hidden behind the front door, and the other was the spot where Nobian had originally ced his equipment.
Kieran had hoped to find clues about Nobian upon entering the room, so this naturally led him to the suspicious ck curtain.
Nobians secrets were hidden behind that curtain, but before Kieran ventured in, he checked the ce for any potential traps and dangers out of instinct, even though yers room was to be absolutely safe.
After ruling out the existence of any secret traps or magic circles and confirming that the ce was actually safe, Kieran pulled the ck curtain back.
The metal rings on top of the curtain dragged over the metal rail, producing a clear sound.
A ckboard with five names appeared before Kieran. The first name was "Gibbons", and thest one was "2567", which was Kierans nickname.
The first four names had a red cross over them. Only Kierans was clear.
The scene was self-exnatory, but Kieran still frowned over what he had discovered.
The four names on the ckboard had been crossed off because those yers had been assassinated by Nobian. Kieran had been the next one in line.
He had not expected to discover something like this while he had been looking for clues.
"Did he write down the names to memorialize his achievement because he couldnt tell anyone? Or did he make a gallery out of his work?"
Whatever Nobians goal had been, it only proved how twisted he had been deep down.
Nobian might have been a psychopath, but under the restrictions of the Unionws, he had still been able to maintain his sanity. Once he had entered the underground game though, everything had changed.
He had nothing to be afraid of while he was out of the Unions grasp.
Or maybe it had all started when he had killed the yer named "Gibbons". Maybe thats when hed be that way.
Whatever the process, Kieran could not know and did not care to find out. The ckboard before him was a clue.
It was not a direct revtion of Nobians goal and identity, but Kieran could find out more from the names on the list.
He removed the ckboard from the wall and headed towards his second point of interest.
It was the deepest ce of the room, the darkest corner, where Nobian kept all his equipment.
A couple more pieces of equipment popped up at the spot as Kieran approached it.
A piece of armor, a long sword, a pair of pants and a pair of boots. It was what Nobian had been wearing when he had died. The pants and the boots were nothing special, but the armor and the long sword caught Kierans attention.
[Name: Tessirot Blessing]
[Type: Armor]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Defense: Strong]
[Attributes: Scale of Blessing]
[Effects: None]
[Prerequisites: None]
[Remarks: Tessirot is a nomad earth element. It likes all sorts of jewels and gems, and when it collects enough, it will be happy to grant anyone it likes a blessing!]
...
[Scale of Blessing: When the skill is active, it grants the yer a Medium Healing Effect (+200 HP) instantly. It also grants them a Medium Rock Skin Defense for one minute (Medium Rock Skin provides an extra 500 Strong Defense points. When the time is up or the 500 points are depleted, the Medium Rock Skin will disappear. When the Medium Rock Skin is active, Agility -2 Rank), can be used once a day]
...
[Name: Burning Long Sword]
[Type: Sword]
[Rarity: Superior]
[Attack: Common]
[Attributes: Fire Empowerment]
[Special Effects: 2nd Grade Venom]
[Prerequisites: Sharp Weapon Long Sword (Entry)]
[Remarks: This is a special item with embedding craftsmanship!]
...
[Fire Empowerment: Each attack will inflict an additional 4-8 Burn Damage to Target]
[2nd Grade Venom: Each effective attack will force the Target to undergo a Constitution Authentication not lower than E+. If the Target fails, they will be poisoned with 5 Damage per second, duration 10 seconds. If they pass, the Targets consumption of Stamina will increase for 5 seconds.]
[2nd Grade Venom: The effect will fade off in time, but the rarity of the sword will go down because of the corrosive attribute of the venom.]
...
The [Tessirot Blessing] had caught Kierans attention.
He finally understood how Nobian had recovered from his Heavily Wounded Status in just an instant during their fight.
Kieran naturally imed it for himself, considering it a greatmon-use defensive measure.
Although he had [Pauls Camouge] already and could not have two simr pieces of equipment on at once, the [Tessirot Blessing] was much more important to him.
A 200 HP recovery within an instant was ast resort that could save him during a crucial battle.
Although the Medium Rock Skin would decrease his Agility. it would also provide an extra defensive measure. If it was used carefully, it could also be a lifesaver.
Since Kieran did not have the rted skill for the [Burning Long Sword], he was nning on selling it.
In fact, after a quick check, he realized that most of Nobians equipment was more suitable for sale.
However, a small box on the table had caught his attention.
The box was locked in an absolute safe ce, which was very unusual in itself.
The [Potionology] Skill Book!
Kieran quickly recalled the screenshot he had received from Nobian earlier, the thought invoking great excitement in his heart.
The Skill Book was too important for Kieran in learning [Potionology]. He might possess a couple of prescriptions, but he did not have the rted skills to use them yet.
The locked box was nothing for Kierans Master [Lockpicking] and [Deceivers Key].
With a slight turn of his tools, the lock on the box was opened.
Kieran checked the box over carefully, making sure it would not shoot out any arrows or poison when he opened it.
When he lifted the cover, he saw a scroll inside.
"A scroll?"
This was not what Kieran had expected. He raised his eyebrows as he picked it up and rolled it open.
[Title Dungeon: de of the Daybreaker (Sub Scroll)]
[de of the Daybreaker: The Burning Daybreaker, who was stationed at the High Road, was assaulted by an unknown enemy and was heavily wounded. He was desperate to find someone that could inherit his spirit and title as the next Daybreaker!]
[Dungeon Cooldown Time: 5/10]
[Note 1: Title Dungeon will not be calcted in yers dungeon count.]
[Note 2: Title Dungeon has a specific difficulty and is not rted to the dungeon entry difficulty.]
[Note 3: This is only 1/4 of the scroll. A Sub Scroll cannot initiate a dungeon, only the Main Scroll can.]
[Note 4: The Title Dungeon initiator must have cleared at least 10 dungeons, single or team. During the 10th dungeon cooldown, the yer can initiate the dungeon with the Main Scroll. Any yers who have a Sub Scroll can enter the dungeon together.]
...
"What the...?"
Kieran took a deep breath when he saw the description of the scroll.
A Title Dungeon? What kind of title was big enough to have a whole dungeon to itself?
A Unique Title!
Kieran could note up with any other logical exnation.
Before he could inspect his findings any further though, there was a knock on the door.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
THIS IS IT! THE TITLE MISSION SCROLL! SO MUCH WILL HAPPEN REGARDING THIS SCROLL!
Chapter 142: The Killer’s Organization
Chapter 142: The Killers Organization
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
[yer Lawless has requested to enter the house, Yes/No?]
The notification popped up right after the knock.
Kieran was not surprised by Lawlesss presence there.
After their short conversation back in the Harvest Inn, Lawless did not had any solid proof to doubt Kierans theory. However, that had not stopped him from trailing Kieran to see the truth with his own eyes.
Kieran had been well aware that Lawless had been following him. That huge backpack of his was extremely eye-catching.
Even though Lawless had purposely boarded the wrong train, Kieran had noticed him the moment Lawless had entered the narrow alleyway.
He had also been present when Nobian had ambushed Kieran and Kieran had killed him in self-defense.
Lawless had witnessed the whole incident and had seen the truth with his own eyes. He had been very open-minded about everything he had watched.
He had been on Kierans side right from the start though. He would never have sided with a killer.
Kieran granted Lawless ess without a second thought.
As he answered yes, he put the scroll in his pocket.
When Lawless came in with his huge backpack and buff body, Kieran did not utter any weing words. Instead, he just pointed at the ckboard.
It was easier to exin the situation through Nobians ckboard than with his own words.
"Sh*t!" Lawless cursed instinctively when he saw it.
He was not that stupid. He could guess what had happened.
"I knew Gibbons! He was a beta yer like me! Quite a decent fighter and a great person. I thought he had died in a dungeon, but..."
Lawless brows tightened as he spoke of his acquaintance, and he quickly shook his head.
"Somethings not right. Considering Gibbons strength at the time, Nobians ambush could not have killed him. Unless..."
Lawless turned his eyes to Kieran as he spoke, their gazes locking. They both came up with a logical exnation.
"Unless Nobian had some aplices helping him. He lured me in with the [Potionology] Skill Book, but I found nothing of the sort here. He seemed to be quite familiar with my information, something a man alone could not have achieved. There must be a killer organization founded by a couple of yers, an organization unknown to the public," Kieran said slowly.
"So how would we find them?" Lawless asked directly.
It seemed like the existence of a killer organization hade as no surprise to him. In fact, the term seemed to fill Lawless with rage. He could not tolerate killers that treated people like they were something expendable.
"How would we find them? They should have some kind of specialmunication method and a secret meeting ce, but thats not something we could discover easily. Fortunately, even if we cannot find them, we can still find their employer! We have the list of the victims, so all we need to do is find out who they pissed off and who wanted them dead, and vo!" Kieran pointed to the ckboard as he nned everything out in his head.
"Youre also on the list!" Lawless said.
"And I can provide you with a valuable lead! Who bought my rocketuncher during the guild war between the Steam City and the Iron Chariots?" Kieran said with a smile.
"What are you saying?" Lawless looked puzzled.
"Im just a newbie in this underground game, so I havent had much contact with other yers. The only thing I did that might have caused a grudge against me was selling that rocketuncher to one of the guilds. The other side, who suffered a big loss, was obviously mad at me and wanted me dead! Thats why they contacted Nobian or Nobians superior!" Kieran said with a shrug.
He had figured it all out on the way to Nobians ce. Compared to his theory about the Broker, for which he had minimal proof, the guild war exnation made much more sense.
When the guild war had been lost and their men had died, the guild master must have also lost face. Any one of those reasons would have been enough for them to have Kieran assassinated.
"Leave that to me!" Lawless said as he prepared to leave.
"Hold up! I want to leave something else to you as well. Help me sell the equipment, and Ill give you 5% of the earnings!" Kieran stopped Lawless, pointing at the equipment that had once been Nobians.
It was not that Kieran did not want to sell it himself. After his experience at the Harvest Inn, he certainly knew what to do. However, Kieran could not exin the origin of that equipment, or to be more specific, he could not convince the other veterans of the identity of Nobians killer.
Lawless was different though. Kieran could tell that Lawless had quite a reputation among the veterans, and that reputation would be enough for everyone to believe him.
What if the information was leaked and the killer organization found out though?
Kieran was sure that now that Nobian had died, they must have already found out.
After all, when Nobian had borrowed that [Potionology] screenshot, he must have exined to the owner why he needed it.
When he had taken a longer time to reply to Kierans message earlier, the owner must have known what was going on.
Every arrow would be pointed at Kieran, and the hitman who woulde after him after Nobian would be an even higher rank killer.
Kieran was not naive enough to believe that everyone in the organization was as weak as Nobian had been.
Instead of facing the organization in the dark with an even more powerful killer looming behind him, why not expose the incident, gather more allies, and buy himself some time?
If Lawlesss rage was any indication, Kieran had reason to believe there were many like-minded yers among the lone wolves.
"Okay, leave that to me! Do you need me to apany you back to 13th Wallway? Or you are nning on staying here?"
Lawless had quickly figured out what Kieran was nning, but he did not object. Quite the opposite, he asked Kieran what he would do straightforwardly.
"I have no intention of staying here. Compared to a killers den, I am way morefortable in my old broken garage!" Kieran said.
Kieran and Lawless tidied up Nobians leftover equipment.
When everything was cleaned up, Lawless apanied Kieran back to the old garage on 13th Wallway.
After Lawless left Kierans ce, Kieran went back to his room. He took out the Title Dungeon scroll and thought about what skills he should upgrade next.
Although he had already upgraded a skill for his fight with Nobian, that was certainly not the end of it.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Bonus 1
Chapter 143: Upgrade Part III
Chapter 143: Upgrade Part III
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
In order tobat Nobian, Kieran had upgraded three skills in total.
[Hand-to-Hand Combat], [Firearm Weapon (Light Firearm)] and [Evading].
[Name: Hand-to-Hand Combat (Musou)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Offensive]
[Effects: Your punches and kicks are your best weapon, Increases Damage by 60%]
[Special Effects: Musou Combat Kicks (When you strike with your kicks, they temporarily grant you +3 Strength and Agility)]
[Consumes: Stamina]
[Prerequisites: Strength D, Agility D, Constitution D]
[Remarks: Your Hand-to-Hand Combat Skill is unparalleled!]
...
[Hand-to-Hand Combat leveled up, Rted attributes increasing...]
[Strength D+ C-]
[Agility D D+]
[Constitution D D+]
...
[Name: Firearm Weapon, Light Firearm (Musou)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Constitution, Intuition]
[Skill Type: Offensive]
[Effects: You know how to use a handgun, rifle, revolver, assault rifle, submachine gun and sniper rifle better, Increases Damage by 60%]
[Special Effects: Unparalleled Aim (When you aim at your Target, +3 Intuition Effect, Small chance of triggering Critical Rate)]
[Critical Rate: When you hit the Targets weak points, you have a bigger chance of dealing 2x Damage]
[Consumes: Stamina]
[Prerequisites: Strength D-, Constitution D-, Intuition D]
[Remarks: Your Target will feel True Fear under your scope!]
...
[Firearm Weapon (Light Firearm) leveled up, Rted attributes increasing...]
[Strength has reached the capped limit, Unable to level up any further]
[Constitution has reached the capped limit, Unable to level up any further]
[Intuition has reached the capped limit, Unable to level up any further]
...
[Name: Evading (Musou)]
[Rted Attributes: Agility]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effects: You know how to evade iing attacks better, Increases Evading by 60%]
[Special Effects: Unparalleled Swift Steps (Your steps make you even nimbler, Increases Evading by 40%)]
[Consumes: Stamina]
[Prerequisites: Agility D-]
[Remarks: You can use steps, rolls and other ways to evade your enemies attacks!]
...
[Evading leveled up, Rted attributes increasing...]
[Agility has reached the capped limit, Unable to level up any further]
...
Leveling three skills from Grand Master to Musou had cost Kieran 53,000 Points and 32 Skill Points.
The most costly one had been [Hand-to-Hand Combat], which had cost 20,000 Points and 12 Skill Points.
The second most expensive one had been [Evading], at 18,000 Points and 10 Skill Points, andst but not least, [Firearm Weapon (Light Firearm)], at 15,000 points and 10 Skill Points.
However, that hefty upgrading cost had increased Kierans strength significantly.
Other than the rted skill notifications, the special effects had also been enhanced greatly.
Especially the [Hand-to-Hand Combat] special effect, which when triggered, could upgrade Kierans Strength and Agility to a whole new level.
Kieran had relied on that special effect to overpower Nobian during their fight.
[Firearm Weapon (Light Firearm)] and [Evading] were quite decent as well.
[Firearm Weapon (Light Firearm)] had an extra [Critical Rate] effect. Although the chances of it being triggered were low, once it was, it could kill with just one shot.
His maximum 100% [Evading] made Kieran feel veryfortable when fighting his enemies.
After spending 53,000 Points and 32 Skill Points on those three skills, Kieran had gotten an extra boost from killing Nobian.
[Points: 69,690; Skill Points: 9; Golden Skill Points: 2; Golden Attribute Points: 2]
This might have seemed a lot to amon person, but it was barely enough for Kieran to make ends meet.
Upgrading his [Undercover] from Grand Master to Musou alone would cost 18,000 Points and 10 Skill Points, and buying a [Potionology] Skill Book would cost 30,000 Points and 10 Skill points.
Upgrading the [Burning Hand] from Basic to Entry would cost 10,000 Points 5 Skill Points.
The hefty cost made Kieran think for a while. It was only a Basic to Entry upgrade, yet it was already very expensive. Beyond Entry, there was still Master, Pro, Grand Master, Musou and so on.
How much would it cost in total?
The thought of that sum made Kierans heart hurt.
He felt even more helpless when he thought about the grand total, because after that sum of points, Skill Points would be reced by Golden Skill Points.
The next level of the three skills that had been upgraded to Musou, [Hand-to-Hand Combat], [Firearm Weapon (Light Firearm)] and [Evading], was Transcendence, which would cost Kieran Golden Skill Points.
[Hand-to-Hand Combat] would cost 45,000 Points and 1 Golden Skill Point, [Firearm Weapon (Light Firearm)] would cost 30,000 Points and 1 Golden Skill Point, and [Evading] would cost 40,000 Points and 1 Golden Skill Point.
Kierans jaw dropped open when he thought of the cost.
He could not even imagine how he would close the Golden Skill Point gap when his reward was only 1 Golden Skill Point per dungeon.
On top of that, he still had his core [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] skill, which relied solely on Golden Skill Points to be upgraded. Upgrading it from Entry to Master alone cost 10,000 Points and 3 Golden Skill Points.
As the levels went up, so did the Golden Skill Points.
"I would need to improve my dungeon ratings or reduce the cost by training more," Kieran thought with a puzzled expression.
These were the only two options he coulde up with at the moment.
The trading of points among yers was only limited to Skill Points. Golden Skill Points were meant solely for self-use.
"Golden Skill Points are the good stuff, but acquiring them is too hard, and they are only meant for personal use. You cant trade them or exchange them!"
It was what Lawless had said while they had been messaging.
Although Lawless was very talkative and liked to boast about stuff from time to time, he would never lie about something like this.
Plus, the fact that the other veterans had never mentioned Golden Skill Points only proved that they were special.
Kieran had hoped that Golden Skill Points would be easier to acquire so he wouldnt have too much trouble upgrading his skills. However, this would still not stop him from developing his skills.
Kieran would never be paralyzed by a dilemma or a difficult choice he had to make.
He had not given up when hed seen the sky-high treatment fees back when he was only 14 years old, so he definitely wouldnt now.
[Burning Hand (Basic Entry)], 10,000 Points and 5 Skill Points, Yes/No?]
"Yes!"
[Name: Burning Hand (Entry)]
[Rted Attributes: None]
[Skill Type: Offensive]
[Effects: A 50-degree, cone-shaped, 2.5-meter wide fire will strike and inflict Strong Level Damage, small chance of inflicting Burn Damage. (Burn Damage: Target is inflicted with Burns for 1 second, if the Constitution Authentication is lower than E Rank, Target will carry a Debuff for 4 more seconds, until the Burn Debuff wears off.]
[Consumes: 1 Cracked Rank Ruby and Jagen Volcanic Ash]
[Prerequisites: Mystical Knowledge (Master)]
[Remarks: This is a spell that includes hand gestures and tribute items. Every gesture must be done in a specific order in order to fully use the skill. If you dont want it to backfire, please remember the gestures!]
....
Other than its area of effect increasing by 5 degrees and 0.5 meters, nothing else had changed.
The next level of [Burning Hand] would require Pro Level [Mystical Knowledge], 20,000 Points and 10 Skill Points.
Everything was as expected, which made Kieran feel even more pressured to upgrade it.
However, he could not do anything because hecked the prerequisite skills, [Alchemy], [Potionology], [Astrology] and [Research of Mystical Beings].
Even though the requirement was just the Basic Level, it was still impossible for Kieran, at least in the foreseeable future.
Kieran asked Lawless for help in exchanging Points for Skill Points, and chose to upgrade his [Undercover] skill.
He had chosen to upgrade [Undercover] and not save up for [Potionology], because he wouldnt mind even if he was able to buy a [Potionology] Skill Book. As a matter of fact, no one even possessed such an item at the moment.
Kieran would much rather try his luck in the dungeons than sign a contract with the Broker to get one.
Thats why he had upgraded his [Undercover].
[Name: Undercover (Musou)]
[Rted Attributes: Agility]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effects: Better use of shadows, Makes it harder for your enemies to discover you, Increases Hiding by 60%]
[Special Effects: Unparalleled Shadow Stalker (You can hide better in the shadows, Increases Hiding by 40%]
[Consumes: Stamina]
[Prerequisites: Agility D]
[Remarks: Your enemies cannot locate you with the naked eye.]
...
[Undercover leveled up, Rted attributes increasing...]
[Agility has reached the capped limit, Unable to level up any further]
...
After the final skill upgrade, Kieran took another look at his remaining skills.
[Points: 23,690; Skill Points: 0; Golden Skill Points: 2; Golden Attribute Points: 2]
"After I sell Nobians equipment, I should have some extra ie, but most of the skills will require Golden Skill Points to level up. Even the skills that do not require Golden Skill Points are not much use now, because Ive already developed an upgrading system. Rather than leveling up unnecessary skills, I might as well buy supplies for my next dungeon!"
Kieran turned his eyes to the next dungeon, [The Shamans Partner].
He squinted as he recalled the bronze coffin.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Bonus 2
Chapter 144: Returning
Chapter 144: Returning
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
"The bronze coffin!" Kieran mumbled to himself.
Among the four dungeons that Kieran had gone through, the newbie dungeon [War-Ridden City], [The Failed Great Detective], the [Prison on the Ind] and the [Wandering Beast], the natives that had had the most impact on Kierans memories had been the Last Guardian Knight, Guntherson, and the most recent one, Trumbo.
Guntherson had made a very strong impression on Kieran, not because of what he had taught him about the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art], but because of the aura he had emitted. The firm, reliable aura of the Last Guardian Knight had made quite an impact on Kieran.
Trumbo, on the other hand, had made an impression on him because of his immense power and calctions. If things had note together by coincidence, Kieran would have been no match for Trumbo during their fight.
However, Trumbos power was not as formidable as what was inside that bronze coffin.
A mere [Fear] effect had made Kieran lose 100 HP in an instant, without even facing what was inside the coffin, and the [Tribute] effect that had followed had almost killed him.
The next dungeon Kieran was going into was in the same universe as the bronze coffin.
Kieran would need to gear up, otherwise he would not even be able to set foot on Alcatraz.
"Since [Fear] is rted to Spirit, the most direct way to counter it is by raising my Spirit. I have only 2 Golden Skill Points though, and I dont know whether that would be enough to improve its effect..."
"I think Ill need another skill that can resist [Fear], or a piece of equipment. Alcatraz Ind has tons of formless wandering souls, so other ces might have them as well. It seems like Ill be needing [Bullets of Blessing] too..."
After calcting what he needed to take with him to Alcatraz, Kieran made a list.
First, he needed some kind of skill or equipment that could help him resist the effect of [Fear], and second, he needed to get some other kind of defensive measure against the formless souls.
Although thebination of the [Knitted Tasliman] and his [Tracking] skill could easily locate the formless souls, other than [Primus Scale], Kieran had no other defensive measures against their overlying attacks.
This might eventually put him at disadvantage if he encountered too many of them.
After all, [Primus Scale] could only be activated twice a day, and it would be overkill to use it against the formless souls.
After another nce at his shopping list, Kieran contacted Lawless.
...
2567: I need something that can help me resist the [Fear] Debuff, skill or equipment, and something that can defend me against formless souls.
2567: On top of Nobians equipment, I can fork out another 10,000 Points.
Lawless: These types of skills and equipment are very expensive, especially those that can defend one against formless souls. The prices are sky high!
Lawless: But if u want consumables, there are some other options.
2567: Consumables?
Lawless: Yes, consumables crafted by alchemists. They can only be used once, but they have quite a decent effect.
(Kieran frowned over the answer, as it was not what he had expected. He did not wonder about it for too long though. Instead, he moved on.)
2567: Price?
Lawless: Not really high quality, but the price is reasonable. Its definitely worth the points youll spend.
Lawless: Need me to contact someone for you?
2567: What about Lemour?
Lawless: Of course, but u wont be able to reach her for the next couple of days! I bet that after she finished enchanting ur sniper rifle, she started to party with her liquor! Those two bottles of [mes of the Ice Lake] were not for decoration!
2567: ...
2567: Fine then, Ill leave the rest to u! I also need to order 12,000 Points worth of [Bullets of Blessing], 11 mm diameter and 0.357 mm, half for each.
Lawless: No problemo!
(Lawless guaranteed. After an unusual pause, he started typing again.)
Lawless: U have anything new on the Killer Organization?
2567: Id really like to say yes, but Im here for other business.
Lawless: Okay then, TTYL1!
...
Kieran let out a heavy sigh when he read Lawlesss words. He could clearly feel anxiety and rage mixed into them.
"Did something happen? Lawless seemed more agitated than me about the Killer Organization!" Kieran eventually shook off these ridiculous thoughts and turned his attention back to the matter at hand.
All he needed to know was that Lawless was on his side and meant him no harm.
Things might be different with [The Shamans Partner].
"The dungeon description stated that my performance at Alcatraz Prison has caught the attention of a shaman on the West Coast, so the things that happened in the prison should be no secret. At least not to special experts. Those experts might also have noticed the existence of the bronze coffin and could make it harder for me to explore its secrets! The shaman that sent me the invitation must have some rtion to the bronze coffin as well!"
Kieran started specting about the situation he mighte across based on the minimal description of the dungeon.
He spent more time thinking about what it might rte to. Since it was a dungeon in the same universe as the previous one, it was not as hard for him to specte.
The results of his spections were not all delighting though.
"I still need to determine whether the shaman is a friend or a foe! I also need to take precautions against other special experts that might exist within that universe... Just as I thought, a Special Dungeon is not a simple ce for yers to upgrade their skills!"
Kieran thought about the shaman silently before turning his attention to the newly acquired Title Dungeon [de of the Daybreaker].
Compared to [The Shamans Partner], the [de of the Daybreaker] had to be much more difficult. Kieran could not even determine when he would have to enter the dungeon.
Only the Main Scroll yer knew that.
[Dungeon Cooldown Time: 5/10]
"Five more dungeon runs?" Kieran mumbled to himself as an urgent feeling rose in his heart.
Although he didnt know much about the Title Dungeon, he was sure that there were unimaginable rewards in it.
The best example were the Broker and the Witch, who had left the game.
Kieran would not pass up a chance to acquire a Unique Title either, but the yer who had the Main Scroll wouldnt be a simple John Doe, and the same went for the three other yers who had the remaining Sub Scrolls.
In other words, Kieran would need topete against four powerful yers for that title.
He was in the worst position, as he knew nothing about the yers or the dungeon.
Plus, the Title Dungeon had a specific difficulty that was not rted to the dungeon entry times of the yers.
However, Kieran could make a wild guess about its difficulty. Based on the 10 dungeon cooldown, it would have to have an at least 10 dungeon difficulty, maybe even more.
This was not good news by any means, as Kieran had just finished his third official dungeon.
Although Kierans strength was not measured by his dungeon entries, there was still a wide gap between him and a 10 dungeon yer.
The only thing he could do was increase his strength and power.
He had to seize every opportunity to increase his power and make himself a worthypetitor when the Title Dungeon began, so he wouldnt get eliminated as soon as it started.
After clearing his doubts and determining his goal, Kieran took a deep breath and started practising [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Arts].
...
A week flew by in the blink of an eye as Kieran immersed himself into practicing [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art].
When the single yer dungeon cooldown had been reset, Kieran took his [Jagdtiger-X1] from Lemour and paid Lawless for several consumable items and tons of [Bullets of Blessing]. He was finally ready to enter the Special Dungeon.
[Entering Single yer Dungeon]
[This dungeon is a Special Single yer Dungeon]
[Difficulty: 2nd Dungeon]
[The Shamans Partner: Your performance in Alcatraz Prison has caught the attention of a shaman on the West Coast. You have been invited by the shaman to work as his assistant to solve several puzzling mysteries...]
[Main Mission: Be the shamans assistant for three months]
[Acquired temporarynguage pack, Disappears upon exiting the dungeon]
[Altered looks and clothes, Disappears upon exiting the dungeon]
[Hint: This is a Special Dungeon. You can fail the Main Mission, but you will have to pay 300 Points as a penalty and your highest attributes will drop by one point. If your points are insufficient, the system will deduct from your equipment. If your equipment is insufficient, you will fail.]
As the blinding light faded away, Kieran found himself before the gate of a two-storey building.
An invitation card appeared in his hand, and he opened it.
Rows of special words and runes were written on it, but thanks to his [Mystical Knowledge], he could understand what the invitation said.
Kieran smirked.
TL Note
1TTYL: Talk to youter
Chapter 145: Haunted House
Chapter 145: Haunted House
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The trantion of the symbols and runes was as follows.
......
2567,
Im d that you can understand this invitation card. It means you are not someone who was in Alcatraz just to fill the numbers.
Go to 13th Lanconbelle Street. There will be a test waiting for you there.
If you pass the test, you will be my assistant, and I will give you a reasonable, quite luxurious reward. If you fail the test, you will need to leave though.
Take note that you are not the only one that has the qualifications to be my assistant. You have quite a number ofpetitors.
Sincerely,
Nikorei the Shaman.
Er997.9.271
...
"A test? Competitors? Does he want to make us take precautions against one another by telling us beforehand? ying with our nerves before its even begun, huh?"
Kieran made a guess about Nikoreis intentions.
The test that the invitation mentioned had started as soon as Kieran had opened the envelope. He took another nce at the Main Mission, [Be the shamans assistant for three months], and shrugged helplessly.
The situation was perfectly clear. If Kieran did not pass the test and qualify to be the shamans assistant, he would fail the Main Mission.
The test should not be too hard though if the dungeon had a second dungeon difficulty.
Kieran was d that the Special Dungeon had the same difficulty as when the yer had acquired it and not the difficulty that the yer was currently at.
Otherwise, the Main Mission would have changed and wouldnt have been just Be the shamans assistant for three months, but something even more precise rted to Shaman Nikorei. The difficulty would also have increased tremendously.
Kieran would not let his guard down though, even though the uing test would not be that hard. He had heard quite a lot of stories about people failing miserably at easy tasks. Kieran was not keen on bing the main character in one of those stories.
He would also not be satisfied with justpleting the Main Mission.
Kieran took a deep breath and scanned his surroundings and the two-storey building before him.
The first thing heid his eyes onto was the huge ck gate shut tight in front of him. It was made of iron and steel and painted ck. The original ck paint had faded away, mottled by the rain and sun through time.
The brownish red rust and the mottled ck paint mixed together, looking like a big patch of hardened blood on the gate. Anyone would have turned their eyes away from the eerie sight.
On the right side of the gate hung a rusty old gate sign. It was 13th Lanconbelle Street.
It was smeared with rust, but Kieran could still see the words clearly. This was where the test would take ce.
He did not enter the building right away though. Based on his previous experience, there had to be a native or an item that would lead the yer to the start of their mission every time they entered a dungeon.
The pattern might not remain the same as dungeon difficulty increased, but the Special Dungeon was set at second dungeon difficulty, so there had to be something that would aid the yer.
However, 13th Lanconbelle Street was definitely not it.
Kieran turned his attention to a spot further away and saw a notice board on the other side of the street.
As Kieran walked over, it seemed to be nothing special. It was a paper notice board rather than an electronic one.
"ident-filled 13th Lanconbelle Street!"
"Tragedy-stricken 13th Lanconbelle Street!"
"Haunted 13th Lanconbelle Street!"
"The ce that frightens the most brave of souls!"
"Beware the ghost of 13th Lanconbelle Street for it has started to devour human souls!"
...
A total of five newspaper clippings were pasted on the notice board, all of them referring to 13th Lanconbelle Street.
The earliest article was Er966.7.12 and thetest was Er997.8.21.
Among the five articles, the first two were about the owner of the house, his extreme bad luck, and all the idents that had happened after hed moved into the house.
The third article was about some kind of paranormal incident, the fourth was about a non-believer who had moved into the house, only to be scared away after one day, and the fifth and final one was about a homicide. ording to the article, a drunkard had barged into the house and had been discovered dead on the iron gate the next morning.
Kierans attention was focused on the fifth article, which was different that the rest.
Other than the fact that the drunkard had hung to death in front of the gate of 13th Lanconbelle Street, all the other information was mere spections and guesses.
"Is the test to solve the mystery of the house?"
Squinting, Kieran turned his attention back to the house.
13th Lanconbelle Street seemed unusually quiet under the shade of the trees around it. If the eerie broken gate did not spoil the atmosphere, it would had been a good ce for people to take shelter from the hot sun.
"Hold on! What about the gate?"
Kieran quickly turned around. He read through the fifth article once again from beginning to end before running over to the big gate. After a thorough inspection, he raised his eyebrows.
He had found something interesting, but there were still some other elements that needed to be verified.
Kieran left Lanconbelle Street without any further dy.
...
He came back at nightfall.
Lanconbelle Street had already been quiet during the day, but during the night it was covered in darkness. Even the streetmps had very limited use.
The only difference was that the iron gate was open. Kieran, who was standing outside, could clearly see lights through the windows.
It wasnt electrical light bulbs, but candles.
The small candles did not shed much light to the darkness of the night. Quite the opposite, they made their surroundings seem even darker than before, especially when the light dimmed and brightened with the wavering candle mes. The trees in front seemed twisted under the candle mes. They looked as if they were possessed by demons trying to extend their ws and teeth towards Kieran.
The trees that provided shade andfort to people were gone. Instead, they inspired fear and terror.
Kieran did not care though.
He went through the gate and along the stone path that led to a small staircase and eventually to the door of the building.
His rhythmic knock on the door spread through the night.
A set of heavy footsteps could be heard approaching the door slowly.
As the door pivot rubbed against the frame, its squeaky sound sounded like a punch to the ears.
When the door opened slowly, a face appeared under the wavering candlelight.
TL Note
Er997: The in-game era
Chapter 146: The Competitors
Chapter 146: The Competitors
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The night breeze caressed the candle mes.
The light dimmed and brightened as the tongues of the mes wavered.
The face before Kieran dimmed and brightened along with them.
The face was filled with intertwined scars. It was like a puzzle pieced together. One could hardly tell what the original face had been.
A huge clear scar extended from its right temple to the left corner of its mouth, standing out from the others.
The lifeless face stared at Kieran with dull dead eyes, its eerie gaze wearing down his nerves.
The messy scars on it made it look vicious and sent a chill down Kierans spine.
Kieran took a careful look at it before he barged in through the door.
As the door was pushed open, the face disappeared back into the darkness in an instant.
The candle mes were extinguished, the candles falling to the ground as the face disappeared.
The whole corridor and front hall were instantly covered in darkness.
Whispers were suddenly heard from the living room, but the blurry voice was too rough for Kierans C- Intuition to make out what it was saying.
When Kieran picked up a candle off the floor and lit it up, the whispers went away as if they were afraid of the light.
As soon as the whispers faded away, a breathing sound filled the entire room.
Before Kieran could make a move, a couple of emerald will o wisps appeared before him.
The will o wisps floated around mindlessly, passing before his eyes.
Kieran ignored them and took the candle in his hand, venturing into the living room.
The room was not big. There were a couple of sofas inside, and warmth wasing from a faux firece that was actually a heater.
Kieran picked a sofa and sat down, setting the candle down next to his feet.
Except for the sparks the candle produced from time to time, there was total silence.
After a full ten minutes, a diplomatic voice was heard from one side of the corridor.
"Fine, fine, you win!"
As the words faded away, a girl in ordinary clothes with delicate features entered the living room, holding a candlestick. Her face was quite pretty, but the dim light of the candle she was holding made her eyes seem cunning.
The candlestick in her hand lit up the living room.
She picked the sofa next to Kieran and sat down, staring at him in amazement.
"Arent you afraid?" she asked.
"Afraid? Of what? The mask? The balloons covered in phosphorus? Or maybe the recorder you ced behind the faux firece?" Kieran told the girl as he turned around.
"You saw through everything? Haha, seems like youre worthy of being mypetitor! Pleased to meet you! The names Elli, Elli Jones!"
Surprised by Kierans discovery, Elli extended her hand excitedly for a handshake.
Kieran had no intention of shaking her hand though.
As he inspected the girls palm, he noticed a ring on her long, delicate index finger. The inner part of the ring reflected an unusual glint produced by the brightness of the candle me. It looked wet.
"Is that superglue?" Kieran asked.
"Whoa, what sharp eyes!"
Elli did not look embarrassed or unsettled. Instead, she smiled brightly and energetically, inspecting Kieran as if she was trying to see through him.
Kieran was not bothered by her intense inspection. He just stood up and went on with his original n, which had been to inspect the house.
The whole building was made of a ground floor and first floor.
The stairs in the living room connected the two floors.
There were corridors, a living room, kitchen, study, and a door on the ground floor that led to the backyard. Kieran tried opening the door the led to the backyard, but the handle was too rusty.
When he went up to the first floor, he found a master bedroom, three guest rooms, and a balcony.
The balcony was essible, and one could see the backyard from it. There was a small garden in the backyard with only a dozen flower pots and a parterre. The nts in the garden had withered long ago, as no one was there to take care of them. The garden was surrounded by a metal fence, and the rust and dead nts made the scene look like a death cage without any signs of life.
Kieran noticed an entrance that seemed to lead underground.
It was on the side of the main building, so if Kieran had not been looking at the garden from the top of the balcony, he would never have discovered it.
Kieran went back to the ground floor and headed towards the underground entrance.
As he was walking out, Elli told him, "Theres nothing there, no message from Nikorei. No otherpetitors either. I still dont know what the test is! Do you know anything?" Elli asked with a puzzled expression, waiting for an answer.
Kieran of course knew what the test was about. He had already discovered some important clues before hede in, but hed never tell her what he had found.
It was the key topleting the Main Mission and bing Nikoreis assistant.
Kieran would not have paid so much attention if it had not been rted to the Main Mission. However, getting the position was the Main Mission itself, and the penalty would be too heavy if he failed.
Kieran would neverpletely trust Elli.
He did not slow down to answer her question. He just headed straight for the underground entrance. He opened the door, which was on a corner of the main building, and a flight of stairs appeared.
Kieran took his candle and carefully went down the stairs with extra vignce. Any potential danger he might encounter aside, he also needed to be vignt around Elli.
Elli acted normally until he reached the underground room.
The room was exactly like she had said. It was empty of things, and there were no doors leading back to the main building. There was nothing unusual about it.
"You should trust people more!" Elli told Kieran when she saw him emerge from the underground room once again.
"Hmmm!"
Kieran nodded without any furtherment. His gaze just swept past Elli.
His rude manner made the girl frown, but suddenly there was another knock on the door.
"Someone else is here!"
A cunning smile formed on Ellis face. The prankster inside her took over as she quickly went back into the main building and waited by the door.
As soon as she went inside, a loud scream escaped her mouth.
When Kieran went back in, he found Elli pressed down against the floor, her arm twisted back by a middle-aged man.
Elli saw Kierane in and naturally tried to scream for help. The words lingered on the tip of her tongue though, as she realized she did not know Kierans name yet. Still, the pain in her arm urged her to scream for help before her arm broke.
Just as Elli was about to scream again, the pain faded and the middle-aged man pressing her down dashed towards Kieran.
Before the man could move though, Kieran pointed a silver revolver at him.
"Who are you?" Kieran asked.
"Debosky! I received an invitation from Nikorei the Shaman. I did not intend to harm the youngdy. She showed malicious intent first!"
Debosky was quite cooperative. He put hands up right away when he saw the revolver.
"It was a prank!"
Elli, who was rubbing her arm to ease her pain, stared at Debosky angrily.
"Pranks also hide malicious intent!" Debosky pointed out as he looked at Kieran.
The man, who was wearing a tuxedo, felt ufortable around his shoulders and cor as he raised his hands, but he dared not lower them before he confirmed that Kieran would not fire.
He knew that Kieran was not someone to mess around with. He was sweating hard under the pressure of his revolver.
Fortunately, Kieran put the gun away, and Debosky released a long breath of relief.
"Did the two of you also receive Nikoreis invitation? Are you here for the test?" Debosky asked.
"We are yourpetitors! Dont sweat it, with us in the game, you will never be the shamans assistant!" Elli said in an angry tone.
Out of instinct, she hadbeled Kieran an ally and started to act like a fox with the power of a tiger.
"I wouldnt be so sure about that. I am quite the specialist in paranormal activity!" Debosky said confidently after shooting a scared look at Kieran.
"Your confidence will lead to your failure!" Elli mocked him.
"The same goes for overestimating yourself!" Debosky replied with a smile.
Kieran was not interested in their squabble.
He turned his attention outside. He had sensed another figuree in through the front gate.
The figure was in a trenchcoat, and under its ck top was a face covered in bandages. Only its eyes, nostrils and chin were not covered.
As the figure approached, Elli and Debosky turned their attention to it as well.
"Excuse my looks. I suffered these injuries after a big fire. I was invited here by Nikorei the Shaman. And you guys are?"
The figures dry, rough voice had a sense of friendliness to it.
"We were invited as well!" Elli said as she looked at the fourthpetitor curiously.
"You can call me Raul," the man introduced himself.
After Raul, everyone else started to introduce themselves as well. Kieran satisfied Ellis curiosity by giving his "2567" codename. No one seemed surprised by his nickname, not even Elli.
It seemed quite normal to people who dealt with the paranormal.
In other words, every single one of their names could be an alias, although perhaps not as odd as Kierans, which was obviously a codename.
The four of them went back inside the house. Kieran headed back to the living room and sat down on the same sofa hed been sitting on earlier.
Debosky and Raul went through the whole building, even the underground room, despite the fact that Elli told them exactly what she had told Kieran.
It drove her mad.
"You pipsqueaks!! Did you guys never learn how to trust people?" Elli said in a furious tone.
As she spoke, a sudden scream was heard from upstairs, followed by something falling on the floor.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and a heavy crashing sound.
Chapter 147: Killer Ghost
Chapter 147: Killer Ghost
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
"Get the door!" Kieran told Elli as he rushed to the rusty door that led to the backyard.
The door could not be opened by regr means, but Kieran did not care.
Bang!
A hard kicknded beside the doors handle, and the whole door flew out along with its frame.
Kierans Strength was already C- after the upgrades, and when he kicked, his Strength and Agility granted him a temporary +3 Rank, which meant that his kick was B- rank.
With such a powerful kick, a steel door would have easily been kicked down, let alone a wooden one.
Both the wooden door and its frame flew out in an arc andnded on the parterre.
Kierans attention was on Raul, who had fallen on the garden.
Raul, who was wrapped in a trench coat and bandages, was lying down against the ground, moaning in pain.
A dagger had been stabbed near his abdomen, and Raul was barely conscious from the attack and the fall. There was a dazed expression on his face as Kieran called his name.
"Raul, can you hear me? Raul!"
Kieran was calling his name as he checked his wound.
Thanks to his [Medical Treatment] knowledge, Kieran could tell that the wound was not too deep, but if it was left untreated, it would still cause him a big problem.
Suddenly, Kieran heard a series of footsteps behind him as he was checking on Raul.
It was Elli. There was also a gentle-faced young man with her.
"Im Cidney. I was also invited here for the test, just like everyone else. Im a doctor, leave this to me!" Cidney quickly stated who he was as he arrived at the scene.
Then he picked up the wounded Raul and headed back inside the house.
Kieran frowned as he watched Cidney carry a grown man easily in his arms.
After all, Cidney was not the buff type, nor did he seem to be well-trained in martial arts.
When they went inside, Cidney pulled out all sorts of medical supplies from his backpack, which made Kieran frown even harder.
"A coincidence?"
Kieran was puzzled by the scene, but he eventually shook his head. He didnt believe that it was a coincidence.
He didnt express his doubts immediately though.
He was polite enough to wait for Cidney to finish his treatment.
In the meantime, he was not nning on standing there and waiting for answers. There was one more person who was missing after all.
"Wheres Debosky? Did he attack Raul?" Elli asked.
When she saw the dagger sticking out of Rauls abdomen, the naughty little girl shrank back behind Kieran and looked around anxiously, afraid that Debosky might jump out and assault them.
"We cant know that for sure yet!" Kieran shook his head before heading upstairs.
Judging by the earliermotion, the first floor had to be where the incident had taken ce.
Elli paused a little when she saw Kieran heading up, but when she turned and saw the dagger in Rauls abdomen and the blood oozing out from the wound, she quickly screamed at Kieran, "Wait for me!"
"Wait here!" Kieran told Elli from the stairway.
Then he activated his [Tracking] and headed upstairs without waiting for Ellis reply.
He could see four sets of footprints, Ellis, Deboskys, Rauls and his.
Elli was not on the suspect list, because she had been with Kieran when the incident had urred.
Excluding Ellis and his footprints, Kieran focused on Deboskys and Rauls.
Their footprints were following each other closely all along the first floor, intertwining from time to time.
From what Kieran could see, the two of them had been searching the ce carefully.
When he reached the balcony, Kieran found fresh blood. It was not a few drops of blood either, but a huge ssh of it. It was obviously from a shed main artery. The whole balcony was covered in it. Under the dark sky, the small terrace looked scarlet red.
The handrail was also covered in dripping red blood, the sticky liquid flowing slowly across it. Kierans eyes followed the flow of the blood as he stared at the handrail for quite a while. Until...
"Aaaaa!"
It was Elli who had screamed. Even though she had tried to covered her mouth as soon as shed realized it, her voice had already echoed around the whole house.
Obviously, the little girl had not taken Kierans advice to stay behind. Kieran took a nce at her and went straight down without caring about the little girl.
When he reached the ground floor, he went out of the house and scanned his surroundings.
Blood was extremely eye-catching with his [Tracking].
Following the trail, Kieran rushed out to the gate of 13th Lanconbelle Street and found a body hanging from the top of the big gate.
It was Debosky.
His body looked like a butchered pigs, his neck half-torn from his body. He was hanging stiffly on top of the gate, his eyes bulging out with a twisted expression.
The body emitted a strong stench of alcohol.
"Ah!"
As Kieran caught the smell, heughed lightly. He didnt mean to mock the dead, it was just an instinctiveugh.
Elli, who had arrived right after Kieran, was in shock. Unlike Kierans light reaction, the girl looked pale. Suddenly, she fell on her knees against the ground, her teeth chattering.
"Its the ghost! The killer ghost!" she stuttered before shouting out hysterically. Her sharp voice hurt Kierans eardrums.
"Shut it!" he shouted at her sternly.
Kieran, who had cleared a couple of dungeons and been through some hard battles, had not lost control like her.
Elli shrank back in panic like a cowering deer.
"Oh my god, what happened? Whats going on?" Cidney, who imed to be a doctor, cried out in rm as he came out and saw Deboskys body hanging from the top of the gate.
"What happened? Well, lets get back inside first and well discuss it," Kieran said before making his way back to the living room.
Raul, who was resting there, was breathing steadily. He was more conscious than when Kieran had found him. He even nodded at Kieran when he entered the room.
"Raul, could you please remove your bandages and show us your face?" Kieran requested as he sat down on the sofa.
As soon as the words escaped his mouth, Elli and Cidney turned towards him.
"2567! How could you request such a horrible thing?"
Elli, who had just calmed down thanks to Kierans stern manner, had mustered up enough energy to shout at him.
"Dont you want to know how Debosky died?" Kieran replied with a question as he looked at the naive little girl.
"Yes! But that was the ghost! Its not something that us neophytes can handle! We should get Nikorei to solve this!"
Ellis face had turned pale as she mentioned the ghost, but she was still able to suggest how to solve the problem.
"Thats right! We should be contacting Nikorei and asking her to take care of the ghost, not checking Rauls bandages!" Cidney nodded in agreement.
He looked very serious about it too.
"You think the ghost killed him? What if I tell you theres no such thing as a ghost here?" Kieran said slowly as he turned his gaze to the two of them.
Elli and Cidney froze instantly.
Chapter 148: Burning Exorcism
Chapter 148: Burning Exorcism
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
No such thing as a ghost?
Elli and Cidney were shocked by Kierans words.
Kieran was sitting on the sofa with a stiff, calm expression.
Elli said, "But the notice board outside stated that there have been cases of a ghost killer, and the way Debosky died..."
The little girl looked scared as she mentioned the article.
It seemed like Deboskys death had made quite an impact on her.
"You wanted to say that the way Debosky died was simr to the articles?" Kieran finished Ellis sentence for her.
"Yes!" she nodded.
"Seems like you really read the articles on the notice board, but did you check the gate thoroughly? The gate the dead man was hanging from in the article? If someone had really hung there and struggled to death, the paint on the gate would not have faded away that naturally. There would have been at least some sign of struggle on it!"
Kieran looked at Cidney and Raul. He noticed that both of them had gone stiff as sticks as soon as hed mentioned the gate.
"The article said that he had been drunk! He must have lost any ability to struggle or resist!" Cidney rejected Kierans statement.
"Yeah, thats right!" Elli nodded in agreement.
"Then what about the body? Did you guys see the drunkards body with your own eyes? Please dont forget what you are here for!" Kieran added.
"Is this a part of Nikoreis test?" Elli sounded shocked by Kierans words.
"I initially got here in the afternoon, but I chose toe back again at night, because I found some differences between the articles descriptions and the gate. I went off to do some investigating, and what I discovered was very shocking. That presspany shared a simr titled article with a couple of others, but there was no such case reported in the station, and there was no body like that in the morgue. The article was a joke the shaman yed on us, but she could not have imagined that her joke would be used as a method for a reckless murder!" Kieran looked at Cidney and Raul again as he spoke. He could not hold back anymore and just spilled his thoughts out.
"Cidney, your appearance was too coincidental. Raul was suddenly hurt and a doctor with the appropriate medicine and equipment just appeared out of nowhere? Of course, a doctor would carry their supplies with them because of their upation, but the medical tools you carried with you were meant to treat a very specific wound!"
"Raul, your methods were too rusty. You might have approached Debosky quietly and covered his mouth when you shed his throat, but if you want to hang a man, you better use a rope instead of bandages! You used the bandages on your body to tie Debosky up and throw him down from the first floor, passing him over to Cidney. Cidney then moved the body to the gate and fixed the scene so it looked like the dead drunkard in the article!" Kieran stated his discoveries word by word.
Cidney and Raul were silent throughout the revtion.
Elli was shocked. She looked at the two of them with scared eyes and slowly moved closer to Kieran.
"This is only your side of the story! Theres n-"
Cidney was about to argue with Kieran, but Raul stopped him, revealing the truth.
"Thats enough, Cidney! 2567 saw through our tricks as soon as he found that bastards body!"
"No, not really! Theres one more thing Id like to confirm. Raul, should I address you as a man or a woman?" Kieran asked.
"Wo... Woman?" Elli widened her eyes at Raul, who was wrapped in bandages and covered in a big trenchcoat. He didnt look like a woman at all.
"Cidney is a normal guy, not particrly strong. He might have been able to carry a full grown man on his back, but not in his hands! Plus, Raul chose to sh Deboskys throat instead of strangle him to death. This might have been because of his burns, or because of his inferior physical strength as a woman!" Kieran exined.
"Then how did he move Deboskys body and throw it down from the first floor?" Elli asked in confusion.
"If you know how to use phosphorus and balloons to make ghost fire, how could you not know how to make a pulley? Take a closer look at Rauls trenchcoat. Even though its a mans size, its too big. Obviously, shes hiding something underneath." Kieran pointed at Rauls unusually big trenchcoat.
Elli turned her attention to Raul.
"Just call me Raul! That fire was supposed to be some kind of exorcism, so I am no longer a woman! If youre looking for the pulley, its in Cidneys bag," Raul confessed everything.
"But... But why? Killing people is wrong!" The naive little girl was caught off guard by Rauls sudden confession.
"It was all because of that bastard, Debosky! Five years ago, there were a lot of unusual idents happening in Rauls hometown. No one knew how to deal with the paranormal until Debosky came along!" Cidney said in a hateful tone. His gentle face was filled with rage.
"Debosky imed that Raul had been possessed by some evil spirit! He wanted to exorcise her for everyones safety! We thought he would finally save us from those malefic incidents, until he poured a bucket of gasoline on Raul!"
Cidney punched the floor hard as he said it.
I am quite the specialist in handling paranormal activity. That phrase surfaced in Kierans mind as he saw Cidney punch the floor in regret.
"Does that mean solving everything by burning it?" Kieran thought. Debosky had been full of confidence about his abilities. Kieranughed coldly at him from the bottom of his heart.
"And then?" Elli sounded captivated by Cidney and Rauls story.
"I tried my best to save Raul. The person who had caused all the idents was eventually caught by the police."
"Do you have any idea how I felt in that moment? Watching that liar pour gas all over my lover and not stopping him right away? Id even had a sense of hope in my heart as it happened! I thought everything was going to be fine!"
Cidney covered his face with both hands, sobbing as he choked out the words.
"Its not your fault. We were too naive then," Raulforted Cidney, who was crying inconsbly, before turning to Elli.
"I think you can both guess what followed. I wanted revenge, and Cidney was the only one who would help me. We left our hometown and went searching for that bastard, but it seemed like he knew what he had done. He kept changing his name, eventually disappearing from sight. In order for us to find him, we had to be experts in the paranormal ourselves, just like you two. Thats when we received Nikoreis invitation. When we came to the city, we found Debosky. This was finally my chance to take revenge! But who would have thought..."
Raul shook her head with a sense of self-mockery.
"Its all my fault. I took advantage of Cidneys guilt to force him into helping me get revenge. I killed Debosky! Cidney had nothing to do with it!" she said.
"No! It was my own decision to avenge Raul, she had nothing to do with it!" Cidney quickly appealed to Kieran.
They both were willing to take the me rather than figure out a way to avoid punishment. From seemingly ruthless killers, they had be two pitiful souls begging for forgiveness.
"I dont care about your business at all!" Kieran said calmly after taking a quick nce around. Everyone instantly fell silent.
"How could you, 2567?" Elli looked at Kieran in shock, as if she was meeting him for the first time.
Kieran revealed his intentions, "I am only here to take the shamans test. I just happened to find an evil spirit!"
Kieran stood up from the sofa, mes burning bright on his legs.
The mes on his boots burned even brighter than the candles in the room, shedding light all over the living room.
The sudden brightness revealed a twisted figure in the room. Its throat was shed and blood kept gushing out. Its green paleish face was filled with hatred for the living.
It was the spirit of Debosky. He had appeared like a formless soul after his death.
"If youre such a specialist in using fire to solve everything, then go repent your sins in Hell!"
Kierans right leg kicked out like an iron whip,shing toward his target as Deboskys spirit threw itself at him.
The fiery mes swept across the air and burned the spirit into ashes.
Everyones jaw dropped as they watched Kieran but his attention was fixed on the gate outside.
Chapter 149: The Shaman
Chapter 149: The Shaman
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
A white-and-yellow striped cat approached Kieran with light steps.
The cat was unlike most strays, which moved in a guarded, vignt manner when they came across a stranger.
It looked casual and rxed, strolling around thepound with its tail up and shaking all four of its limbs with every step.
To Kieran, it did not look like a cat, but a lion patrolling its turf.
As the cat made eye contact with him, Kieran squinted.
Was that admiration?
Thats the feeling Kieran got from the cats stare, yet it was not something a cat could express. Such a sentiment did not even exist among animals. Only humans could feel it.
It had to be Nikorei the Shaman. After some thought, Kieran recalled where he had seen the cat before.
It had been in the newspaper articles. All the pictures had had a cat in them, which was supposed to be Nikoreis pet. Kierans mind instantly filled with theories.
"Since this is a test, there should be at least one or more invigtors watching over us! Among all the people who have showed up so far, this cat is the only one rted to Nikorei! This means that the cat is the invigtor!"
Although the answer Kieran came up with was a little outrageous, when the cat came closer to him, his guess was confirmed.
Elli, Cidney and Raul came back to their senses after the shock of Deboskys sudden appearance.
They all looked at Kieran in curiosity and reverence. Ellis curiosity was particrly strong. The naive little girl was inplete awe as the mes on Kierans boots burned bright.
Only when Cidney and Raul were startled by the approaching cat, did Elli notice it.
"Tiki?"
This was what Elli called the cat. She noticed that Cidney and Raul looked confused by the cats sudden appearance.
"This is Tiki, Nikoreis pet cat! Ive seen it quite a few times in newspapers and magazines! It really is a cute fat cat!" Elli said.
Kieran noticed that Tiki was a little upset. He could tell by its manner and the look in its eyes as Elli called it a "fat cat". He was sure that it was annoyed.
"Meow!" Tiki meowed lightly before turning around and heading outside. When it reached the door, it turned around and meowed again.
"Is it asking us to follow it?" Elli asked Kieran with a curious expression. Raul and Cidney shared the same expression with her.
Kieran had disyed his strength during the earlier drama with Deboskys ghost, so he had automatically been granted absolute authority in their temporary team.
"Lets follow it!" he said in answer to their questioning gazes.
He was not surprised by Tikis behavior now that he had confirmed that it was the shamans invigtor.
The four of them followed the cat, leaving 13th Lanconbelle Street. The group shuttled through streets and alleys under the veil of the night.
Just as Raul could not hold on any longer due to the wound in her abdomen, Tiki finally stopped.
The group arrived before a three-storey building. It was not that big, but there was a garden in front of it.
"Meow!"
Tiki entered thepound through a gap in the fence surrounding the garden.
The garden gate opened up by itself without any movement from Kieran and co.
It wasnt an automatic electronic gate. There was something special about it.
Kieran activated his [Tracking] without a second thought, and saw a translucent figure standing by the door.
It was different from the formless souls. The figure had a clear face and manner. Except for its translucent body, it was no different than a normal human.
It seemed to have noticed Kierans gaze as well, as it took a weing posture and nodded gently.
Kieran nodded in reply and quickly followed Tiki through the garden and into the house.
The door was once again opened by the friendly spirit.
Elli, Raul and Cidney looked scared. They were unable to see the spirit. Even though they knew they were meeting Nikorei the Shaman, they were still not prepared for it. Judging by the shamans reputation and previous actions though, it seemed like they were in safe hands.
Still, their eyes were filled with worry as they faced the unknown.
Could learning [Mystical Knowledge] help them understand the paranormal?
Elli was just a naive, naughty little girl, who had learned [Mystical Knowledge] out of curiosity and excitement.
It was even simpler for Raul and Cidney, who had been seeking revenge from Debosky.
It was absolutely normal for them to be worried before the unknown. After all, their motives for learning [Mystical Knowledge] were different from Kierans, who had remained calm throughout the whole incident.
Kieran could see spirits clearly, and he knew what he needed to achieve.
He needed to be Nikoreis assistant.
He scanned the entire area as he followed Tiki inside, his vignce and curiosity making him want to discover the difference between a shamans and amon persons house.
After he scanned the ce with his [Tracking], he realized there was not much of a difference.
When he entered the study though, he felt a force pass through his body. He felt as if he was not walking through a door, but a strong water veil.
Kieran looked down instinctively and saw a carpet covering the floor of the whole study.
It was a mixture of red, white and green. Red and greenposed the base, interweaving with each other as the white color formed the shape of a small deer across the carpet. There was also a thin golden thread weaved between the three colors.
Kieran was sure that the force that had passed through him hade from the carpet.
What kind of alchemy was that?
Kieran frowned as he looked at the carpet under his feet.
Even his Master Level [Mystical Knowledge] could not provide him with an answer. He had no idea what the carpet was made of or what it was used for.
"Nice observation!"
The admiring tone caught Kierans attention, who immediately turned towards the source of the voice.
A silver-haired, kind olddy was sitting behind the desk with Tiki in her arms. When she noticed Kierans stare, she replied with a kind smile.
It was Nikorei the Shaman.
She looked exactly like the picture in the newspaper, so it was very easy for Kieran to recognize her.
The olddy scanned Kieran and the others over with an appraising look before she said, "Considering there was a small incident, all of you have passed the test!"
Her prolonged tone of speech was twisted at the end, but her words made Elli breathe out in relief.
Raul and Cidney looked at each other for a while. It seemed as if they wanted to say something, but they were interrupted by the olddy, who waved her hand at them.
"That bastard got what he deserved! I always keep my word. Just leave the rest to me. Cidney, take Raul to the second floor and pick a room. Even though shes been treated by you, shes not fit to stay up all night."
The olddy called out their names as she made arrangements for them.
Raul and Cidney bowed in gratitude before they headed upstairs.
"How could she do that to herself?" Nikorei sighed as the two of them left.
Then she turned her attention to Elli and Kieran.
"Ms. Jones, you are really talented. If time allows it, I wouldnt mind teaching you more about the mystical arts while you serve as my assistant."
"Could I shoot fire like 2567?" the young girl asked as soon as the olddy had finished.
"If you are talented enough and work hard enough, why not? Now head upstairs and pick a room!" Nikorei said.
The young girl went upstairs, hopping off happily after saying goodnight to Kieran. She did not even care to understand what Nikorei had said.
When Elli left, Kieran was left alone in the study with Nikorei and Tiki.
"Well, Mr. 2567, we are alone now. Its time to discuss a more serious matter!"
Kieran and Nikorei locked gazes before she asked in a stern tone that did not match her age, "What happened in Alcatraz Prison? Or to be more specific, how much do you know about the bronze coffin?"
The bronze coffin!
Her words made Kierans heart skip a beat.
Chapter 150: The Unexpected One
Chapter 150: The Unexpected One
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Since [Prison on the Ind] and [The Shamans Partner] were set in the same universe, Kieran already knew his actions in the prison had caused a ripple throughout that world.
Hundreds of prisoners had died, and almost a hundred prison guards had been killed.
Even though the prisoners had gotten what theyd deserved, the huge number of prison guards who had died must have caught peoples attention.
However, Kieran had not found any articles regarding the incidents at Alcatraz Prison during his afternoon investigation.
Obviously, the news had been suppressed by someone and had not reached the public.
This was both good and bad news for Kieran.
The good news was that Kieran didnt need to worry about any more people getting sucked into that whirlpool of events.
The bad news was that he needed topete with other experts that were already stationed at Alcatraz over inspecting the bronze coffin.
Kieran raised his head and looked at the olddy behind the desk.
"Its not what you think! The people who are stationed or going to Alcatraz have nothing to do with me! Im just asking out of curiosity!" Nikorei answered straightaway.
Maybe it was just her straightforward character, but Kieran still had his doubts about her.
He would not believe anything that came out of her mouth. There was too much mystery surrounding those events.
If Nikorei imed that she was not rted to the people at Alcatraz, then how did she know about the situation there, considering that everyone wanted to cover things up?
Those who were already stationed at Alcatraz and had discovered the bronze coffin would not have let any information leak so they could avoid morepetition.
"You are a suspicious young man, aint ya? I am the most powerful shaman on the West Coast! If I want to know something, there are very few people who can prevent me from doing so! Of course, that does not include you or your missing colleagues! Your hiding skills are magnificent. If you had not coincidentally left a trace in the city library, Im afraid I would not have been able to find you either!" the olddy said in admiration of Kierans abilities.
Her gaze was full of curiosity.
Kieran remained silent after her statement, as he knew too little about the dungeon world around him.
Other than Alcatraz Prison, all he knew was some information about the city, which he had just gathered that afternoon.
As for her being the most powerful shaman on the West Coast? He had no idea if she actually was.
The phrase coincidentally left a trace in the city library was obviously a dungeon game setting.
"Fine, fine! You really are a suspicious, stubborn young man! It seems like its too hard for me to get information out of you. Since you have passed the test to be my assistant though, I will help protect you."
"If you leave here, this thing will save your life during a critical time. Catch!"
As soon as she finished her words, the olddy fling a round silver medal, barely five centimeters in diameter, to Kieran.
[Name: Mark of Nikorei]
[Type: Etc]
[Rarity: Excellent]
[Attributes: None]
[Prerequisites: None[
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: No]
[Remarks: This medal represents the shaman herself in person. If you run into any trouble, it might be of use in some special way.
...
A system description popped up before Kieran.
Kieran touched the rune carved on the medal gently. The rune tranted to "Nikorei", which was the shamans name.
As he held it in his hand, Kieran started to recall the events before meeting Nikorei and the test that had been set up for him.
It seemed like Nikorei had no ill intentions, but Kieran was not sure whether it was all a cover-up.
He didnt know if she was really curious or had some other ulterior motive in testing Kieran, but he would not leave unless he found out.
After giving the situation some thought, Kieran finally understood the main objective of the mission in that dungeon.
It was to get Nikoreis protection.
With her protection, Kieran could clear the dungeon without any trouble. Although that objective shed with his goal of fully exploring the Sub Missions and Title Mission, it was in line with the Main Mission, which was to be her assistant for three months.
The situation before Kieran was clear. If he left the premises, he would fail the Main Mission.
Kieran collected his thoughts before he said, "I wont leave. Even with your mark on me, I will be much safer if I stay by your side. Since you offer me protection, I will tell you everything that happened in Alcatraz!"
Kieran stared at the olddy anxiously, waiting for an answer.
"Youre not just suspicious. Youre smart as well, aye?" the olddy replied with a smile.
Then she picked Tiki up and got in a morefortable position, ready to listen to him.
"Everything started with Gilfren Hatch..." Kieran started to tell his side of the story.
He tried his best to avoid being subjective about the incidents and narrate the story from a more objective point of view.
He told her everything, from the poisoning to Gilfren Hatchs half-dead body falling to the ground, turning into a ck-red liquid and flying into the bronze coffin hanging in mid-air. Kieran even mentioned the ck-red liquid getting absorbed by the coffin.
Of course, he had purposely skipped some crucial details, such as the gifts from his ancestors that Gilfren Hatch had mentioned.
"Reincarnation?" the olddy mumbled after Kieran had finished.
Kieran noticed that Nikoreis gentle, kind face had gotten serious when shed heard that word.
After ten long seconds, Nikorei let out a sigh.
"This is even more serious than what I had predicted. Thank you for telling me all this important information. This has by far exceeded satisfying my own curiosity. As a reward... Yes, a reward for bing my assistant, I will try my best to teach you what I know about the mystical arts. You can go upstairs now and pick a room for yourself!"
Nikorei seemed unfamiliar with Kierans side of the story.
She had to try a few times before she could speak coherently.
As she spoke, the Main Mission tab in the system changed.
[Main Mission: Be the shamans assistant for three months. 0/90]
There was a duration slot now after the Main Mission description. After a quick nce at the change, Kieran still did not leave Nikoreis study as he had been told to.
He quickly followed up with the remaining questions troubling his mind.
"Who are the people stationed at Alcatraz or going there? Or should I say, who are the people or forces after me?" Kieran asked.
Although the incident surrounding the bronze coffin was moreplicated than hed thought, he was not ready to give up yet. He needed to know more, and the olddy before him was the perfect person to get information from.
"Those who are already stationed at Alcatraz are known as the Dark Star Society. Its a quite neutral group with its own rules in conducting business. However, those who want to get to the ind are different. Its the Night Demon Society, a ruthless group of fanatics that will use any means necessary to achieve their goals! As for who your main opponent is, although there are some other small fish in the area, your biggest enemy is still the Hatch Heresy!" the olddy answered.
"The Hatch Heresy? But I thought Gilfren Hatch was dead?" Kieran asked in shock.
"He is, but the heresy is still alive and kicking, and a new ambitious leader has emerged from that bunch of heretics. In the name of avenging their fallen leader, he has seeded in uniting the heresy again. No doubt, you will be their next target!" the olddy said in an affirmative tone.
"And who might that new leader be?" Kieran asked as he raised an eyebrow.
"Fenkes!"
"What?"
The name that came out of the olddys mouth shocked Kieran and made him ask again instinctively, "Fenkes? As in Dr. Fenkes? The doctor?"
"Yes, that Fenkes!"
Once again, the olddy gave an affirmative answer to his burning question.
Kieran frowned as he realized that his past ally had turned against him.
Chapter 151: Guest
Chapter 151: Guest
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Fenkes!
The kind, friendly, responsible prison doctor was the new leader of the Hatch Heresy?
Was Fenkes the secret agent of the heresy nted in the prison by Gilfren Hatch?
Or had Fenkes joined the heresy and eventually be the new leader?
The questions lingered in Kierans mind for a while.
On top of that, the Dark Star Society and Night Demon Society were also eyeing the bronze coffin in Alcatraz.
Kieran was up all night trying to figure out the rtionship between all the parties involved.
He wanted to know what had happened to Fenkes, since he had still been on the ind when Kieran had left.
ording to Nikorei, Alcatraz Ind had been taken over by the Dark Star Society, who had turned the ind into its own headquarters. No outsiders could set foot on it anymore.
On the other side, the Night Demon Society was also investigating the incident on the ind, and judging by its ruthless methods, it had to be even more dangerous.
Fenkes must have joined the Hatch Heresy to keep himself safe from both organizations, although this was just a spection.
Kieran could note up with any more theories without any further information.
"I need more information on this!" he said softly.
He had a general idea of where he could get more information about the incident.
In the dungeon, Kieran had no factions or authority whatsoever, so getting his hands on secret information would be harder than flying.
He might be able to get Nikorei to help him search, but he knew that woulde at a price. After all, one could not make an omelette without breaking any eggs.
A favor from Nikorei might be hard for Kieran to repay though.
Therefore, rather than searching blindly, why not let the Hatch heretics approach him instead?
All Kieran had to do was leave an obvious trail and spread the word about avenging Gilfren Hatch, and the heretics would turn up themselves.
Then the truth would finally be revealed. There were still some things he needed to consider in order for his n to seed though.
In the morning, when Ferad the spirit butler came to notify him that breakfast was ready, Kieran got dressed and headed down to the kitchen.
He needed to discuss the matter with Nikorei. It could cause her trouble in the future after all.
.....
As the warm sun shone through the window, Nikorei sat in the kitchen in casual clothes, gently stirring her bowl of cereal. Beside Nikorei was her cat, Tiki.
Kieran had never seen a cat eat fruit sd for breakfast, nor a spirit ignore the sunlight like Ferad was.
Not only did Ferad not seem hurt, but he was also smiling pleasantly at Kieran.
"Morning, 2567! Tiki here is different from your average cat, and the same goes for Ferad!" Nikorei said with a smile.
"Morning, Rei!" Kieran replied to her greeting.
The shaman had asked everyone to address her by her short name.
Breakfast started when Elli finally arrived, sitting down at the table with a big yawn.
Since Raul was still injured, Cidney came down to greet everyone and take some breakfast up to his lover.
The meal was quite sumptuous. There were eggs, bacon, and sausages, and a big jug of milk and a bowl full of fruit sd to bnce their vitamin intake. There was also toasted bread, with butter and honey to go with it.
Elli took a piece of toast and smeared it with honey and butter. The little girl still looked like she was dreaming.
It seemed like she had been too excited to sleep well the previous night.
Kieran didnt like speaking with his mouth full, so even though he had a lot of things to discuss with the shaman, he decided to wait until breakfast was over.
The olddy was obviously thinking about something as well.
They all finished their breakfast quickly in silence.
"So what are we learning today, Rei?"
Elli, who had still been in a sleepy daze a moment ago, was suddenly filled with excitement.
"From today on, I will need you to study by yourself. You were able to read the runes on my invitation, so you have to be able to read and memorize the information and incantations in this book. If Im happy with you, I will teach you more after you finish this!"
As Nikorei spoke, she picked up a big notebook and passed it to Elli.
The notebook was tagged with all sorts of bookmarks, and it was over 10 centimeters thick. It looked as big as a small shield.
"You want me to read and memorize everything in this?" Elli asked, her jaw dropping as she picked up the heavy book.
"Yes! Ill give you enough time to study, but I would suggest that you start as soon as possible," Nikorei said with a smile.
The naive little girl stared at Nikorei for a while before looking at the notebook in her hands. Eventually, she carried the huge notebook up to her room.
Kieran could tell by the thickness of the notebook that if Elli were to listen to Nikorei, she would note out of her room in the foreseeable future.
Kieran gave the little girl a sympathetic look as she walked up to the second floor. Then he turned his attention back to Nikorei.
"Your issue is quite serious, so I have to go visit an old friend of mine for a couple of days. While Im gone, you will have to handle my daily shaman duties. In exchange for that, all the books in my study will be avable to you. I believe they can be quite helpful sometimes. As for teaching you more about the mystical arts, Im afraid that will have to wait until Ie back. Dont worry, a promise is a promise, and I intend to keep mine!" Nikorei told Kieran before he could even open his mouth.
"Very well!" Kieran agreed without a second thought.
Not only had he just gained ess to all the books in Nikoreis study, but he had also triggered a Sub Mission.
[Sub Mission Unlocked: The Shamans Daily Routine]
[Sub Mission: You have already be Nikoreis assistant, but now she needs you to help her fulfill her duties as a shaman and solve problems as only a shaman can. Go find cases to solve! It will not just improve your reputation, but your rtionship with Nikorei as well!]
The Sub Missions objective fit Kierans goals perfectly.
Being a substitute shaman for Nikorei was the proper course for his ns, although there were still some things that he needed to mention.
"The Hatch Heresy is still looking for me..."
"Dont worry. Remember, you are now a shamans assistant. Go teach them a lesson!"
The olddy cut Kieran off, waving her hands in a casual manner.
Before she left with Tiki, she looked at Kieran in anticipation. Eventually, she was sent out 1st ck Street by Ferad.
"So shes hoping for me to turn the ce around?"
Kieran was still lost in his thoughts when the olddys figure disappeared from sight.
Her attitude towards trouble was strange. After all, not everyone was overly fond of getting into trouble.
Unless she needed the trouble.
What kind of person would be in need of extra trouble though?
As Kieran started guessing, a guest rted to Nikoreis daily duties arrived at the house.
Before Kieran coulde up with a theory, he looked at the guest.
It was a policeman.
Kieran could tell that the middle-aged man was a policeman by the two gun-like shapes under his coat, the way he walked, and the fact he had a simr presence to Chief Officer John from the [Great Failed Detective] dungeon.
"Wheres Madam Nikorei? I need her help!"
The policeman was looking at Kieran with a doubtful expression.
Kieran replied by lifting the edge of his mouth in a warm, pleasant smile.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Its bonus friday again! #1
Chapter 152: The Heart Taker
Chapter 152: The Heart Taker
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
There was no hint of mockery in Kierans warm smile.
He was just d that he had met someone who expressed all his thoughts through his facial expressions and words at that particr time.
The policemen was a straightforward man. His way of thinking might be a little old-fashioned, but Kieran would not have to worry about getting betrayed if he worked with the man.
This was a crucial element in Kierans n, but if the policeman was seeking a coboration, Kieran would first need to show his abilities in order to earn the mans respect.
"Rei trusts me. Dont you trust Rei?" he asked, raising his eyes while still maintaining his pleasant smile.
"The reason I trust Nikorei is because shes proved herself to be trustworthy through her abilities!" the policeman said straightforwardly as he furrowed his brows.
"So can I! All you need to do is entrust me with the matter that you wanted to assign to Nikorei. Nikorei is on a business trip anyway, so other than me, you wont find any other suitable shaman in town," Kieran said.
The policeman frowned in thought for quite a while before he eventually nodded.
"Fine! My names Schmidt. I hope you can keep your word, or I will show you the consequences of lying. I dont care if Nikorei is here to see it!" Schmidt introduced himself before warning Kieran.
"Im 2567! I think actions are more powerful than words. When shall we start?"
Kieran replied to Schmidts warning with a smile. He had the utmost confidence that he could handle the policeman.
This was just a second time dungeon, so everything had to be a piece of cake for him, except for any Sub Missions that exceeded the Main Missions range.
ording to Nikoreis words before shed left, Schmidts request had to be within the Main Missions flow.
"Right now!" Schmidt said before quickly walking outside.
Kieran waved at Ferad the spirit butler and went out with his backpack.
When he came out of 1st ck Street, he boarded a police cruiser with Schmidt.
"Seems like you are much more prepared than Nikorei was, but lets hope you have at least half her abilities!"
Schmidt started his car after he saw Kierans huge backpack.
The heavy roaring sound of the engine sent them off on their way.
"So, can we talk about your case?"
Kieran was not bothered by the elerating vehicle as he sat in the passenger seat. His Constitution exceeded a normal mans and was enough for him to adapt to the bumpy ride in seconds. All he did was hold tight to his backpack.
Schmidt, however, did not answer Kierans question. He passed a file to him instead.
When Kieran opened it, the first thing he saw was the title.
"Heart Taker?"
Kieran raised an eyebrow. Judging by the title, the person it was describing was surely no ordinary man.
That instinctive thought formed in Kierans mind as he slowly went over the details in the documents.
He buried himself in the file, studying the case while the policeman drove.
After a forty-minute drive, Schmidt finally stopped the car, and Kieran raised his head.
"What do you think? Anything? Schmidt asked.
"The four victims have nothing inmon. Identity, upation, character, even their gender is different. Their way of death is the only simrity," Kieran said slowly.
As he spoke, he organized the information in his head.
The first victim was a female bartender who had been found dead on her way back from work. Her chest had been ripped open, but her heart was missing.
The second victim, a male librarian, had been found dead in the alley behind his apartment. His cause of death was simr to the bartenders.
The third victim was a retired athlete, found dead at his home. His cause of death was the same as the previous two victims.
The fourth and thest victim was a doctor who had been found dead in a parking lot. His heart was missing as well.
The killer had been very careful. No traces had been found at the crime scenes, and the surveince cameras hadnt recorded anything.
"You dont say Mr. Shaman! Tell me something I dont know!" Schmidt pressured Kieran for a clearer answer.
"Dont rush me! Are we at the fifth crime scene?" Kieran saw the policeman line up in front of a car.
"Yes, Nikorei told me that the nearer she was to the time of death, the more she could see. I was hoping for her to provide us with some clues, but since shes on a business trip..."
Schmidt nodded before he started ranting. He did not trust Kieran yet, as he had not proved to be of any use to the case.
"I might be overthinking, but can you give me a map of the locations of the previous victims?" Kieran asked.
After what had happened in the [Wandering Beast] dungeon, Kieran was very sensitive to the number five, even more so when it was rted to dead bodies.
Schmidt seemed a little puzzled as he looked at Kieran with his brow raised. He still ordered one of his men to get him the required map though.
Since Schmidt had worked with Nikorei over a dozen times, he was quite used to shamans requesting weird things.
"Want to have a look at the scene?" he asked.
"Sure!" Kieran replied delightedly.
...
He reached the house before him with Schmidt guiding him through the police blockade.
The ordinary furniture and decorations inside meant that the owner was not a rich person. The house was in a secluded area, so his financial status could not be any good.
Thendlord, who stood aside being questioned, verified his guess.
"That piece of sh*t! If I knew this would happen, I would have evicted him! He still owed me two months worth of rent!"
Thendlord ranted about his missing rent while the victim was lying down face-up beside him.
A couple of forensic experts were collecting evidence apanied by the police.
When Schmidt walked into the room with Kieran, everyone was startled.
"Nikorei is on a business trip. This is her assistant, 2567. Thisd here promised that he would provide services simr to Nikoreis!" Schmidt exined Kierans presence there.
"If you guys cooperate, so will I! Now everyone please stay where you are! Dont move!" Kieran emphasized as he activated his [Tracking].
Suddenly, countless minor details were revealed to him.
The footprints indicated that there had been no struggle from the victim. It seemed like he had been killed with just one shot.
The right side of his chest had been ripped opened roughly. The wound was really messy.
The right side of his chest?
It seemed like Kieran had finally found a difference from the previous four victims.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Bonus friday No.2!! Enjoy!
Chapter 153: Hidden Book
Chapter 153: Hidden Book
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The heart was supposed to be on the left hand side of the human chest. There were only a handful of people who had their heart on the right side.
Only a close acquaintance of the victim would know such personal information.
Kieran turned his attention to the door lock. There was no sign of forced entry.
The athletes house had had traces of the door being pried open.
"Did the Heart Taker start to target close acquaintances? Or had his original target been the acquaintance and the previous murders had been just to throw off the police? Or could this be just a crude imitator?"
Kieran supported his chin on his left hand, thinking deep about the case anding up with a wild guess. No doubt he would need more evidence to support his theory.
For now though, he had an easier way to confirm it.
His used [Tracking] to carefully go over the footprints inside and outside the house.
There were all kinds of footprints on the floor, most of them from the officers or forensics experts present at the crime scene. Kieran could easily identify the owner of each set of footprints.
Except one.
Who had arrived at the scene, but disappeared? The killer.
All other footprints appeared at the scene more than once.
Through his [Tracking], Kieran noted two types of saturation on the footprints.
The brighter ones had been made in the past few hours and all stopped near the victim.
The dimmest one had been made a couple of days ago.
Afterparing the footprints, Kieran turned to Schmidt. "Give me a pen and paper!" he said.
"Give the man what he wants!" Schmidt ordered one of his officers.
Kieran quickly drew the footprint ording to size.
After three minutes, a perfect footprint was on the paper. Even the patterns beneath the shoe were clear.
Meanwhile, the police officer who had been sent to grab thebeled map hade back to the house.
"Thanks!"
Although Kieran might be overthinking, he still took the map from the officer and looked at it carefully.
The locations were all random. Neither hismon sense nor his [Mystical Knowledge] could find any connection between them.
Kieran folded the map up and handed it to Schmidt along with the drawing of the footprint.
"Ive discovered something about the case," Kieran said slowly.
"What?" Schmidt was startled.
"Lets put it this way. I think the previous four cases were just a cover-up for the fifth one. The suspect led the police to a dead end and covered his tracks very well. No one would ever suspect him. Of course, there is also a possibility that this particr case was just a crude imitation of the previous ones. The only clue I can give is that the killer is someone who knew the victim very well. This paper has his footprint on it. All you need to do is track down the guy, and you will find out what happened. Oh, before I forget. If it isnt an imitator, the killer should be quite strong and good at using daggers and short knives. Better be careful if you find him," Kieran told Schmidt.
"Find out who this print belongs to!"
Schmidt handed the paper over to his men as he walked out of the premises.
"Yes, sir!" the officers replied in union.
Kieran was left behind with the officers on duty plus a couple of forensics experts.
Thendlord was also taken away to give a statement.
Kieran started to look around at the footprints.
Obviously, no one there could take him back to 1st ck Street.
Kieran just shrugged and walked out of the house.
.....
He took a cab and was back at Nikoreis ce after an hour.
He pushed opened the door after paying the driver.
Knowing that he would enter the same universe as [Prison on the Ind], Kieran had fully prepared himself for [The Shamans Partner].
Not only had he bought weapons and equipment, but also some daily supplies.
Thanks to [The Failed Great Detective], Kieran had gotten his hands on a lot of attributeless gemstones.
Although they were useless for embedding, they could still be traded for currency in the dungeon.
The system might not provide a specific currency exchange, but if a yer had their own trading channels, they faced no problems.
Fortunately, there were a lot of jewellery stores in the city of that dungeon.
"Wee back!" Ferad the spirit butler had written on a piece of paper.
"Thanks!" Kieran nodded with a smile before heading to Nikoreis study.
He had not forgotten that everything in the study was avable to him.
The shamans collection of books was crucial, as he needed upgrade his [Mystical Knowledge] urgently.
He might not get a direct leveling hint from the books, or even find a Skill Book among them, but surely they had to contain rted knowledge.
ording to Kierans understanding of the skill, every single one of his skills in that particr field changed after a certain umtion of knowledge.
He could not acquire a Skill Book directly, and it might take too long for him to umte enough knowledge to acquire a certain skill, but it was his only option.
He was not ready to throw away that option yet.
In fact, if it was not for Schmidts sudden visit, Kieran would have already began his search for hidden books in the study.
He was also concerned about Ferad, who seemed like he could notmunicate with words. Kieran guessed this might be because of his spirit form, but what had really caused it was a mystery to him. His [Mystical Knowledge] was still too low for him to know.
However, this made Kieran even more eager to read the books in the study.
When he opened the door, the first thing he saw was the alchemy carpet beneath his feet before he turned his attention to the bookshelves.
It was not that Kieran did not want to check out the carpet, but he knew what his priorities were.
Setting a goal to motivate himself had proven quite effective.
Most importantly, he was actually making progress in realizing his goal instead of having pointless thoughts.
Marching step by step towards his goal was far better than having dark thoughts.
Kieran knew this very well, so he put all his effort into reading.
The thick, bulky books were ced on a seven-shelf bookcase.
The bookcase had three sections, every section 1.5 meters wide and leaning against the wall.
Every single one of the books on the shelves seemed to be over a hundred years old.
The spines of the books had no titles on them. Only the bookshelves themselves werebeled.
"West Coast Paranormal Incident Collection (Pre-Er990)"
"Levels of Evil Demonic Spirits"
"Distribution of the Man Eater"
"The Peculiarity of a Night Walker"
...
Kierans eagerness faded as he read through all thebels slowly.
Being in a hurry to read the books certainly did not help.
"Ferad, could you please get me a cup of tea?" Kieran asked the spirit butler after taking a long breath.
Ferad bowed a little and disappeared into thin air.
Ten secondster, a warm cup of freshly brewed tea appeared before Kieran.
Compared to Ferads mortal counterpart, his spirit form provided him with some unusual advantages.
After a nod of thanks to Ferad, Kieran picked the book closest to him off the bookshelf and started reading.
He had picked it at random. He had no particr need or order in which he needed to read.
Since Nikorei had made her whole collection avable to him, it would be a let down to her goodwill if he did not read every single one of the books there.
After he finished reading "The Peculiarity of a Night Walker", a notification popped up.
[Research of Mystical Beings has slightly increased after reading a rted book...]
The notification boosted Kierans spirits in a second.
It had just been a guess in the beginning, so when he saw the notification, he was very excited that it had worked and even more motivated to continue.
Kieran nned on staying in Nikoreis study the whole day, and even have lunch and dinner there.
He even nned on spending the night in the room.
However, as Ferad was preparing a pillow and nket for him, Schmidt visited once again.
"Good evening, 2567! Sorry to drop in thiste!"
Schmidt seemed like a different personpared to when hed first visited during the day. He even apologized when he saw the pillow and nket.
He was obviously apologizing because theyd caught the Heart Taker with Kierans help.
Otherwise, judging by his temper, he would have barged in with an angry face and scolded him instead.
Everything was unfolding ording to Kierans theory.
"We arrested the Heart Taker! It was just like you said. The guy was only targeting the fifth victim. The first four had been just to throw us off. The killer was a butcher and an addicted gambler. He had some sort of conflict with the fifth victim because of gambling, and he was nning on selling the hearts to make more money to gamble!"
Schmidts face seemed a little odd when he mentioned selling the hearts.
"Selling a badly stabbed heart? Has technology advanced to selling damaged organs now?"
Kieran raised his eyebrow in question. His intuition told him that there was something fishy there.
"I dont know why either, but my men are interrogating him as we speak. Surely we will get something out of him. I am here for another case though."
Schmidt opened a file and handed it to Kieran.
The Murder of the Missing Link.
That was the title of the file.
Chapter 154: Silence
Chapter 154: Silence
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Kieran went over the file carefully. It was about a missing person who hadmitted murder right after reemerging.
The whole file could be divided into two parts.
The first part was about the missing link, Louver.
Ten years ago, when Louver had only been 15 years old, he had gone missing on his way to school.
The police had spent a huge amount of resources and manpower to locate the boy, but in the end had not managed to find him.
Three days earlier though, while Louver was still considered missing or dead, he had reemerged after ten whole years.
Not only had hee out of the shadows, but he had also ruthlessly killed a cab driver, Muntle.
The second part of the file was about the victim.
Muntle, a 50 year-old cab driver, had been found dead in his own house, and Louvers fingerprints had been discovered all over the crime scene.
Muntle had been a friendly, kind person who had loved to read. Other than his death, there had been nothing special about him.
There was nothing else worth mentioning in the file, which caused even more doubts to form in Kierans mind.
"Anything to add about this Mr. Muntle?" Kieran asked Schmidt as he raised his head.
"I know what you mean. If a missing teen reemerges after ten years and kills a cab driver, then there must definitely be a connection between them. The cab driver might even be the one who kidnapped him ten years ago. Thats what I thought, but my men investigated him, and everything seemed normal!" Schmidt shook his head.
"Everything seemed normal?" Kieran asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Everything seemed normal to usmon people. Thats why we needed someone like you who can see things from a different perspective!"
Schmidt opened his arms wide as he admitted his ipetency.
"Lets go then. Lets pay Mr. Muntle a visit!"
Kieran stood up.
He had thought about rejecting Schmidts request and continuing to study, but his promise to Nikorei forced him to help. After all, that promise was one of the reasons he had been allowed ess to her books.
....
A total of forty freezers were lined up against the walls in a ten-row, four-column arrangement.
There were also two autopsy tables in the middle of the room.
A forensics expert was waiting by one of them.
"Schmidt, if you keep me longer on a night shift next time, please pay me overtime!" the forensics expert started to rant as soon as Kieran and Schmidt entered the morgue.
"As long as you can get the director to approve it."
As Schmidt spoke to the forensics expert, he headed towards one of the freezers.
It seemed like he was a regr there, but the expert quickly caught up with him.
He stopped Schmidt and opened the freezer himself.
"Hey, this ce is being monitored! I have to act like Im doing work here, or Ill get another deduction in my pay!" the forensics expert reminded Schmidt as he smiled at Kieran.
"Im Derrick, pleasure to meet you Mr. 2567," he introduced himself. "Your analysis of the Heart Taker was marvelous! If its possible..."
"Thats enough Derrick. Were here for serious business, not for tea and gossip," Schmidt cut Derrick off before he could finish.
"Fine, fine. The victims name was Muntle, 50 years old, and his cause of death was multiple stabs all over his body. The lethal stab was delivered to his heart..."
Derrick pulled open the body bag as he spoke.
Kierans eyes focused on the corpse.
The victim was quite buff and strong. He looked more like a professional wrestler than an ordinary cab driver.
His palms and the backs of his hands had extremely thick calluses. Judging by his body, Kieran believed that he could crush a brick without trouble. Yet that buff guy had been killed off with minimal effort.
Muntle had suffered a stab to his chest, from the front right through the back. It was a clean cut directly through his heart.
It seemed like the murder weapon had been extremely sharp, and the killer had had some extraordinary skills.
However, what troubled Kieran more was the other cuts on Muntles body.
They were neither too deep, nor too shallow. They had been deep enough to cause excruciating pain, but not so much so as to be lethal.
"Louver was torturing Muntle!" Kieran spected.
Given the circumstances, if Louver and Muntle had not been rted in the kidnapping case or in some other way, Kieran would not believe it.
There was still a burning question he had to ask though.
"Surely Louver and Muntle must have made some noise while they were fighting. No passersby or neighbors heard anything?" Kieran asked.
Nothing of the sort was mentioned in the file.
"Nope, Ive asked all the neighbours in the area, but none of them heard any screaming or fighting," Schmidt replied firmly.
"I think we should pay Muntles house a visit. Thanks for the help, Derrick!"
Kieran waved at the forensics expert before heading outside.
"Im just doing my job," Derrick replied with a smile and a wave.
Schmidt left the morgue without any word or gesture. It seemed like their rtionship required no extra chatter.
...
Muntle had lived at 155th Ciaran Street.
It was a street where below-average ie families resided.
They were not exactly middle-ss, yet they werent willing to move to the slums either, so they all lived on that street.
The neighborhood was a little messy, but there were constantly policemen patrolling the area.
People still considered it a safe ce, as most of the people who lived there were quite friendly.
Muntles murder had caused a ripple throughout the streets though.
The rumors circting made everyone afraid and paranoid.
The station had had to send more men to patrol the area.
Kieran noticed two simple police outposts and a group of patrolling policemen when he entered the street heading towards Muntles house.
"Weve exined, but the people here are still worried. They think a serial killer like the Heart Taker killed Muntle. Muntles kid did not deserve any of this," Schmidt said helplessly.
"Did the people here know Louver?" Kieran could sense the hint from the way Schmidt exined things.
"Yeah. When Louver went missing, it caused quite amotion like this one for a while. Now that everyone knows both incidents were linked... I can already imagine tomorrows headlines."
Schmidts tone sounded even more helpless.
In fact, Kieran had already noticed a couple of reporters squatting down at the corners of the streets.
Some of them started taking pictures as soon as they saw Kieran and Schmidt.
Schmidt chased them away in an unfriendly tone, yet the reporters replied by taking pictures even faster.
Kieran shook his head as he watched. He finally understood why Schmidt was still a sheriff after working in the force for more than 10 years.
It would be strange if he had been promoted considering that temper of his.
While Schmidt was still yelling at the reporters, Kieran went over to the police line and entered Muntles house with a slight push on the door.
Schmidt was the best clearance he could get if he wanted ess to crime scenes. None of the patrolling officers would stop them.
Yet Kieran still frowned the second he stepped into the house.
Chapter 155: Anticipation
Chapter 155: Anticipation
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The room before Kieran was very tidy. Except for the blood stain on the floor, it looked nothing like a crime scene.
"This cant be the crime scene. Its too tidy, and the neighbours heard no screaming or fighting."
That was the theory Kieran came up with after he inspected the ce.
Then he started to search carefully for proof to support it.
"The wounds were all over Muntles body. In order to create such wounds, the killer must have been circling Muntle and torturing him. Muntle would surely have tried to evade the knife. He would not have just sat there and taken it. Considering the arrangement of the house, it wouldnt be possible to do that!"
Kieran observed the arrangement of the living room and confirmed his theory.
Muntles house was enough for a single person to live infortably. There might even be room for another person, but it wasnt big enough for both the killer and the victim to struggle across the room. It certainly wouldnt have been this tidy if they had.
Schmidt came in after shaking off the reporters.
"What do you think?" he asked as soon as he entered the house.
"This is not the crime scene," Kieran said.
"Not the crime scene? But ording to the forensics experts, Louver must have been hiding behind the door and killed Muntle from behind!" Schmidt raised his eyebrows at Kierans answer.
Kieran could not help but shake his head as he saw Schmidt go behind the door and act the scenario out.
"Even if it was a one-hit kill, there should have been at least a scream, considering that the cause of death was not a cut to the throat. As for the crime scene, this ce is too clean and tidy. Of course, you might argue that Louver could have cleaned the ce up, but why would he leave his fingerprints behind then?" Kieran asked.
Schmidts brow furrowed even deeper at Kierans question. He could not provide a logical exnation. There were still a lot of doubts in his mind.
"If this is not the crime scene, then where is it? And why would Louver purposely bring Muntles dead body back to his own house? It doesnt make any sense!"
Schmidt looked at Kieran with a puzzled expression, hoping for an answer.
"Okay, then. Consider this scenario. If it was Muntle who had kidnapped Louver and imprisoned him for ten years, and you were Louver, what would you do once you got out?" Kieran asked hypothetically.
"I would have sought revenge, of course!" Schmidt said without even giving it a second thought.
"And then?"
"I would have gone home!"
When Schmidt said thosest words out loud, he was shocked himself.
"Youre saying that after Louver killed Muntle, he was not willing to stay at Muntles secret ce because of his hatred and fear for it, so he purposely brought Muntle back here... No no, that cant be right!"
Schmidt came up with his own theory before eventually shaking his head.
"If I was Louver, I would have definitely returned the pain Muntle had caused me all these years. Even if Muntle was dead, I would have still let his body rot in that vile ce!" Schmidt said straightforwardly.
"Those words sound wronging from a sheriff. They also do not sound like the thoughts of a 15 year-old kid. Louver was only 15 when he went missing, and his mind was definitely not as mature as an adults," Kieran continued after taking a deep breath.
"Louver might have been a rebellious teenager, but he was still a good kid back then. He might have killed Muntle because of a sudden rush of emotions. When he came to his senses though, he must have been shocked by what he had done. All the kid must have wanted was to make it up to Muntle. Louvers biggest wish was to go home, so he must have thought that going back home would be the bestpensation for Muntle as well. Thats why Muntles dead body was found here."
Kieran was looking at the blood stain as he talked.
His eyes were filled with emotions that could not be described by words.
As an orphan, Kieran assigned a different meaning to the word home.
He could not do anything about it though. He had been born without a home, so it was his biggest desire and what he longed for the most. Reality never bent to ones will. It always cut like a sharp de, reminding humans of its harshness. Anyone who touched it got hurt.
"Then why would he make this up?" Schmidt asked, not noticing Kierans odd manner.
"Everyone is scared when theyve done something wrong. The same applies to you and me. Louver was no exception, but hecked any experience, so he left too many traces behind!"
Kieran hid his emotions as he walked out the door.
"You might doubt what I say, but as I said right from the beginning, this is just a hypothesis. Its easy to find the proof to support it though. Were going to Louvers ce!" Kieran told Schmidt as he walked out.
Schmidt quickly followed him.
...
Louvers house was only a block away from Ciaran Street, where Muntles house was.
When Schmidt rang the doorbell, a pale old couple answered the door.
The appearance of the couple made Schmidt understand that Kierans hypothesis was correct.
The couple was Louvers parents. After Louvers disappearance, the two of them had been tortured by guilt. They had gotten exhausted throughout the years, and as a result, they both looked much older than their actual age. Yet, at the moment, their eyes and manner had a sense of delight and hope in them.
The only thing that could ignite hope in that old couple was Louvering back.
Schmidt had a hard time finding the right words. On any normal day, catching a criminal would have been good news for him.
Lost in a whirlpool of words, he turned to Kieran, who was waiting by the car, asking for help.
Kieran made a "please go ahead" sign and pushed back the responsibility back to him.
He felt lost himself. He didnt know how to deal with the situation, but it was better to leave it to the professionals than let an outsider give all the wrong cues.
"Goo... Good evening, sir, madam. I know this may sound harsh, but I assure you that I am on your side, and on Louvers side too... Ill try to defend Louver in front of the judge and jury. They will definitely pardon him and his actions!"
Schmidt was stuttering as he greeted the old couple and started to exin the reason he was there.
Kieran was nning on watching Schmidts awkward exnation when a shadow suddenly appeared in the distance and caught his attention.
The shadowy figure walked towards Kieran and stopped 30 meters away from him.
It was purposely hiding its face as it approached. When it stopped, it hid its face behind an electric pole and only extended its palm, waving at Kieran.
Kieran raised his eyebrow at the scene.
Although the shadowy figure was quite good at hiding, its malicious intent was too obvious.
Was it a Hatch heretic? Kieran did not stop to look. He headed towards the figure instead.
No matter which side it was on, Kieran had anticipated it for a long time.
Chapter 156: Evil Earth Spirit
Chapter 156: Evil Earth Spirit
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Kieran was extremely vignt as he closed the distance between him and the stranger.
When the two of them were less than 10 meters apart, the person, who had been hiding their face behind the electric pole, moved their head and exposed their face to Kieran.
It was a nk face with no traditional features on it. It was just a head covered with skin.
A low-pitched howl came from under the skin, and the whole face started to ripple like water, upsetting the surface of the creatures whole body.
Its body started to twist before Kierans eyes.
Kierans gaze was glued to the twisted body and the ripples on it. Suddenly, he saw snakesing out of the body.
The scarlet red tongues of the snakes were hissing at Kieran, their venomous fangs ready to strike.
The cold hard gaze of the snakes was caressing his exposed skin.
All of a sudden, tons of snakes leapt out of the strange body, trying to drown Kieran with their number. However, before the snakes could reach him, every single one of them disappeared.
[Illusions: You fell under the targets Illusion Realm, your Spirit has passed the test, your Intuition has passed the test, the Illusions have had no effect on you...]
Illusions!
The notification told Kieran exactly what he had just witnessed.
As he faced the faceless man throwing himself at him with a dagger in his hand, Kieran knew what he had to do.
He quickly raise his leg and kicked the dagger off mans hand. His second kicknded on the mans chest.
The mes from Kierans boots were burning bright, engulfing the strange faceless manpletely.
The mes were burning extra hot and fierce, as if the faceless man was covered in gasoline. Within an instant, he had turned into a giant torch.
Kieran frowned over his weakness before turning to his battlelog.
[me Kick: Inflicts 100 Damage to Target HP, (50 Hand-to-Hand Combat (Musou) X2), Target is an Evil Earth Spirit, Damage received X3, 300 True Damage inflicted, Target dies...]
"Evil Earth Spirit?" Kieran mumbled the monsters name.
When hed kicked the monster, it had not felt like kicking a person or a formless soul.
It had felt harder, as if he had kicked a piece of brick.
The monster had a form and a great defense, but it was extremely weak against fire.
It was what Kieran had gathered from the notification.
Until that notification, he had not known what hed been dealing with, but that had still not stopped him from finishing the monster off effectively.
"What happened, 2567?"
Schmidt seemed to have noticed the drama from afar and quickly ran over.
As he reached Kierans side, he took his gun out and pointed it at the unknown burning residue.
Obviously, working with Nikorei a dozen times had given Schmidt a general understanding of the supernatural.
He could clearly tell that the monster was highly mmable and had ignited without any catalyst. This was not amon scene by any means though.
"Ive been ambushed, but I dont know why yet. Im pretty sure this fellow here is dead though!"
Kieran went over to the Evil Earth Spirit after it had stopped burning. Other than a pile of dirt, the fire had not left anything else behind.
"Whats this?" Schmidt asked as he stood beside Kieran looking at the pile of dirt.
Even if Kieran hadnt already been sure, Schmidts question would have confirmed his guess.
An Evil Earth Spirit was not something Schmidt dealt with everyday.
If it had been a real person, there would have been a charred body left behind after the fire instead of a pile of dirt.
"An Evil Earth Spirit," Kieran said.
Schmidt wanted to ask more, but before he could, his cell phone rang in his pocket.
Schmidt made an apologetic gesture at Kieran and walked two steps away to answer his phone.
"What?" he yelled loudly seconds after picking up his phone.
Kieran could see that he was enraged.
Schmidt walked back over when he hung up the phone.
"The Heart Taker is dead! He was killed in the station, even though he was under surveince!" Schmidt said, clearly upset.
"Killed?" Kieran had noticed the word Schmidt had used to describe the incident.
If the Heart Taker had been killed, then there had to be a killer on the loose.
"Wheres the killer?" Kieran asked.
"There is none! None of the officers at the scene saw anyone, including two of my most trusted men. I guess this is another case that Ill need your help with," Schmidt said in a serious tone.
He shivered as the thought of a formless, shadowless killer bloomed in his mind.
Schmidt knew better than anyone how scary it was for normal people to face such a creature. He had encountered one before, which was how he had met Nikorei.
If he had a choice, Schmidt would choose his ordinary life over the eerie supernatural world.
"Is no an option?" Kieran shrugged as he headed towards the police cruiser.
His mind was still on the Evil Earth Spirit. It had obviously been there to kill him.
This proved that the Evil Earth Spirit had not been sent by the Night Demon Society.
The Night Demon Society wanted information about Kierans time at Alcatraz, so there was no way that they would have tried to kill him right away.
It could be the Hatch Heresy, but the heretics had a certain degree of knowledge concerning Kieran. If theyd sent a killer after him, they would not have sent a small Evil Earth Spirit, but a bunch of creatures.
Neither the Hatch Heresy nor the Night Demon Society were potential suspects.
"Is there some other faction or person after me?"
Kieran was thinking about potential attacks on his way to the police cruiser.
He quickly stopped thinking when Schmidt brought over a young man along with the pale old couple.
It was Louver.
Kieran could tell it was him by just one look.
"Please dont worry. I swear on my badges honor that I will ensure Louver will be treated justly. In fact, if you want to, the two of you cane with us," Schmidt told Louvers parents with a serious expression.
The father walked straight up to his car and started it without a word. The mother hugged her son and watched him get in the backseat of the police cruiser with unwilling eyes.
Kieran moved his backpack over to made space for Louver on the backseat.
"Tha... Thank you," Louver said.
His words were not connected properly, and his voice was extremely rough. It seemed like he was not a talker.
He did not make eye contact with Kieran as he thanked him.
After he got in the car, he shrunk to the side and tried very hard to keep some distance between him and Kieran.
Louver was afraid of the unfamiliar environment and people. Kieran was not surprised given that he had been kidnapped 10 years ago.
Kieran kept quiet as well. He did not want to upset the anti-social young man.
He inspected Louvers hands instead. He had thick palms, long fingers, and ayer of thick calluses across his fingers and on the spot between his index finger and thumb.
Kieran imagined Muntle being stabbed through the heart.
"What a good pair of hands to wield a knife," he thought.
The very next moment, Louver proved Kierans thought right.
Chapter 157: Getting Ambushed
Chapter 157: Getting Ambushed
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
BOOM!
A huge explosion was heard from behind the police cruiser.
The shockwave shook the car hard, but Schmidt tried to steer the wheel, managing to prevent the car from flipping over.
After pulling the emergency break, Schmidt quickly turned around to see the explosion.
All he saw was the old couples car turning into a fireball.
There was no chance that the old couple could survive that.
Schmidt was shocked by the sudden explosion. He sat stunned in the drivers seat, unconsciously turning his eyes to Louver, who was in the backseat.
Louver seemedpletely lost, his senses stunned by the scene.
The young man was staring nkly at the burning vehicle. After a few seconds, he started screaming his lungs out.
"Noooooooooooooooooooooo!"
As he screamed, Louver broke out of the car and rushed out.
Schmidt wanted to stop him, but before he could even react, Kieran had already lifted him up and ran to the side of the car.
Three gunners with light machine guns had appeared at the corner of the street and started to shoot at the police cruiser without hesitation.
The continuous shooting sounds forced the questions back inside Schmidts mouth. That did not mean that he was going to sit there and do nothing though.
After he was pulled off by Kieran, he followed him, rolling into a green flower bed to dodge the enemies fire.
Schmidt got back his senses and started to fire back.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The repeated shots slowed down the pouring bullets of their enemies.
One of the gunners had fallen down, but the remaining two replied with an even heavier rain of bullets.
The downpour forced Schmidt to keep his head down.
"F*cking f*cks! Im calling in reinforcements!"
Under the force of the bullets flying above their heads and the debris flying all over the ce, Schmidt was feeling strange. He noticed that Kieran was unusually calm, but he quickly cursed again when their enemies started firing even harder.
Suddenly, the heavy fire stopped.
Schmidt took that window of opportunity to roll to the side of the flower bed, getting ready to fire back. What he saw next made his jaw drop in shock though.
The two remaining gunners had fallen down and started begging for their lives, screaming sadly.
Both the gunners arms had been chopped off and their legs had been detached from their bodies. The first gunner, who had been shot by Schmidt, looked exactly the same.
That gruesome scene was just the beginning.
Whoever saw Louvers twisted, enraged face would know that he could not be stopped easily.
A de that shone like the clear reflection of a silentke had suddenly appeared in his hand. The de seemed to havee alive through the young mans wielding as it started to spin around like a whirlwind.
Every cold shine of the de split the air around it. There was a series of screams from the gunners.
None of them was able to calm the rage inside their hearts. What was left was only a sea of despair.
Louvers only hope had been to get home to his parents. His parents had been his sole hope for surviving all those years, yet he had been robbed of that hope now.
Nothing else was left in him but despair, and despair brought destruction. His only option was destroying others, himself or both.
"Stop! Louver! Stop right now!"
As Schmidt came to his senses, he raised his gun and pointed it at Louver. He did so instinctively because of his job as a policeman.
However, his words were unable to prate the thick wall of rage surrounding Louver. They only made him even more furious.
A cold sh swept through the air as one of the gunners was decapitated by the sharp shining de.
Bang!
Schmidt fired out a warning shot, pointing the gun at Louver again. His attitude was self-exnatory.
Louver raised his head and turned his eyes to Schmidts gun. Then he raised the long de in his hand.
Schmidt quickly moved the gun slightly, aiming at Louvers arm. Of course he would not take Louvers life, but he did not want to lose both the remaining gunners either.
He didnt feel empathy or mercy for them. All he wanted was to get information out of those bastards.
Anyone would have been able to tell that those gunners had been hired to killed them.
"I suggest you dont fire. If you do, Louver will throw himself before the barrel and take the shot. He can and he will! He has a death wish now!"
Kieran could clearly see the despair on Louvers face.
He had experienced despair first hand himself, so the expression on Louvers face was very familiar to him.
He knew what a man was capable of doing if their heart was filled with despair.
He gestured for Schmidt to stand down, and he walked towards Louver slowly.
"St... Stop right there!"
Louver pointed his de at Kieran.
"Louver, if you want to die now, thats your right. No one can take that away from you. Would that be enough though? Those bastards were just scapegoats hired by someone else. Theyre not the real mastermind. Are you willing to let the real mastermind behind your parents murder roam free? Live Louver, live! Find that guy and take his life with your own hands!"
Kieran did not stop like Louver had ordered him to. Instead, he had quickened his steps and started talking faster.
By the time he spoke hisst word, he was already beside Louver, looking him in the eye.
Louver did not shrink back from Kierans gaze this time. He was like a different person with the de in his hands.
His face was slim and paleish, as it hadnt been exposed to sunlight for a long time. His hair was long and messy, but his gaze was sharp like the de he was holding.
"Kill him! Kill him!!" he was mumbling in a soft voice.
He had already lowered the de hed been pointing at Kieran.
Kieran knew the seed of revenge was sprouting and growing along with his will to live. His different expression and the words he mumbled proved as much.
No one knew what the final fruit would be though.
Schmidt came closer, wanting to interrupt Kierans persuasive words, but in the end he didnt say anything. He quickly called the station for backup.
Kieran was looking with furrowed brows at the surviving gunners, who were screaming in agony.
The three gunners must have set up their ambush there from early on. Otherwise, their ill intent could not have escaped Kierans Intuition.
The explosion of Louvers parents car must have also been nned in advance.
A timer bomb could have easily been set up at the scene.
They had to kill the witnesses after all.
Louver had to know some kind of secret if there was someone out there who wanted to assassinate him and his family.
Keeping that in mind, Muntle couldnt have been just a simple cab driver and kidnapper. He must have belonged to some kind of gang or faction.
The group behind Muntle must have heard about his death and wanted to eliminate any potential danger.
It was the only reasonable exnation for the ambush.
Kieran turned his eyes to Louver, who was still mumbling. He seemed to be hysterical, and his heart was beating really fast.
"Louver, can you tell me what youve been through?"
Kieran tried to use a mild, friendly tone as he asked.
Louver was still mumbling gibberish to himself though, as if the words had not reached his ears.
Louvers state gave Kieran a bad feeling.
He raised his hand and waved in front of Louvers eyes, but Louver did not blink or flinch.
"What happened?" Kierans action had caught Schmidts attention.
"Trouble..." Kieran pointed out Louvers odd manner.
"What the hell..."
Schmidt tried tomunicate with Louver by looking at him, but the oue made Schmidts expression change before he turned back to Kieran.
"Im thinking what youre thinking, but we still need a professional to confirm it. When is the ambnceing? Ask them to send a psychologist if its possible," Kieran said.
"No problem!" Schmidt nodded before he picked up his phone again.
...
They were at the station, in Schmidts office.
Kieran was sitting beside Schmidt on the couch, watching the screen y the scene of the Heart Takers death on repeat. This was the third time he was watching it.
"Anything?" Schmidt asked, pausing the screen with the remote.
"Lets pay the body a visit," Kieran said.
He had a general idea, but he did not want to mention it yet.
Kieran had a habit of not sharing his ns unless he was at least 99% sure.
"Lets go then!" Schmidt stood up and rushed out the office, his impatience evident.
Just as he pushed open the door of the office though, they heard some noisee from the interrogation room.
Bang!
One of the officers was sent flying towards the interrogation room door, mming hard against it before another officer was pancaked on him.
"Kill him! Kill him!!"
Louver, who was mumbling in the room, barged out as the psychologist let out a scream. After a quick nce at his surroundings, he dashed towards Kieran at a ridiculous speed.
He was not in an attacking stance though. He just stood beside Kieran mumbling.
The psychologist rushed out of the interrogation room shouting.
"Officers! Anyone, please! Gosh! How could a patient escape? Bring the restraints and more sedatives!"
"Shut it, doctor! Excuse my manners but Ive told you before, Louver is a special case. Please treat him in a mild, gentle way and help us diagnose his condition instead of screaming around for restraints and sedatives!" Schmidt shouted back at the psychologist, warning him in a stern manner.
"But..."
"No buts! Any more problems and Ill have to find a better doctor!"
The psychologist had been about to express his concern, but he was cut off by Schmidts warning.
Schmidt was having a terrible day. The killer he had caught had died in the station without an obvious reason, and Schmidt himself had been ambushed by gunners on his way to the station.
Now he had to deal with an unreliable psychologist to boot. If it didnt vite his own moral code, he would have already pulled his gun out and asked the doctor to scram.
The psychologist looked upset as he walked away, and Schmidt knew that he was going toin to his superiors.
He did not care though. This was not the first time, and it would definitely not be thest.
He turned around to take Kieran to the morgue, when he suddenly saw something.
After the ident, Louver had suffered a mental breakdown. However, right at that moment, he was pointing at the surveince footage and talking to Kieran about something.
Chapter 158: The Drifter Society
Chapter 158: The Drifter Society
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
As he saw Louver and Kieran talk about the surveince footage, Schmidt quickly walked over.
Before he could reach them though, Louver shrunk back behind Kieran,
"Am I that hateful?" Schmidt asked in astonishment as he stopped.
"Not hateful, but fearsome," Kieran shook his head, correcting Schmidt. He turned around and looked at Louver, who had gone back to mumbling. He could not help but shrug.
"Louvers condition is even worse than we thought. You better find him a good psychologist soon. In the meantime, you should start dismissing the officers in the station," Kieran said.
"What do you mean?" Schmidt frowned.
"The Heart Taker and Muntle knew each other. The two of them were members of a group named the Drifter Society. Dont ask me what it is, Ive only just heard about it from Louver myself. One thing is for sure though. That group includes some very powerful individuals, just as powerful as Nikorei and I. That being said, your investigation about the Heart Taker was just the tip of the iceberg. It was what the group wanted you to know. His secret identity is still a mystery to everyone," Kieran repeated everything Louver had told him earlier fast.
This had already exceeded Kierans expectations. He had not expected Muntle and the Heart Taker to be linked through another group.
Muntle had been tasked with searching for potential candidates like Louver, and the Heart Taker was out finding materials like peoples hearts.
Because of the limitations of Louvers mental state, he had not revealed to Kieran what their end game was. One thing was for sure though. They would not stop until they seeded.
An inevitable battle was right around the corner.
Kieran took a deep breath and looked at Schmidt.
"Youre saying..."
Schmidt seemed to be making some terrifying guesses as Kieran looked at him seriously.
"Its exactly what youre thinking. They wont just go away easily, and considering that they were able to kill the Heart Taker right inside the station, I dont think they would mind killing Louver either," Kieran confirmed.
The Heart Taker had been killed by a bunch of formless souls.
After the society had found out that the gunners they had hired had failed in their mission, they would definitely have sent out formless souls or something even stronger than that to kill Louver. The Evil Earth Spirit was a good example.
Kieran might still be unsure about who exactly was targeting him, but after Louvers revtion, he had gotten a general idea. It was the Drifter Society.
The society had to know Kierans identity as Nikoreis assistant.
That was why they had sent out the Evil Earth Spirit to assassinate Kieran rather than the formless souls.
"They already know about Nikorei, and yet they still decided to target me..." Kieran mumbled to himself.
Although he refused toment on Nikoreis self-proimed title of the strongest shaman on the West Coast, her strength was still a force to be reckoned with.
The books in her study proved as much.
Knowledge was power, even more so for a special expert.
Provoking a powerful shaman without a reason was not a wise move on the societys part. Unless they had another n in mind.
Kieran instinctively wanted to contact Nikorei, but he suddenly realized he did not have any way to reach her.
She wasnt back at the house where Kieran was staying.
"Schmidt, do you have any way to contact Nikorei?"
Kieran looked at Schmidt, who was making a phone call, realizing his own mistake.
Schmidt looked back at Kieran oddly.
"Are you sure that youre Nikoreis assistant? If you hadnt been in Nikoreis house and disyed a certain degree of strength, I might have thought you were a swindler!"
Schmidt covered his phone and stared at Kieran before pulling out a paper and writing down a phone number.
"I just became her assistant two days ago, and on the second day she went on a business trip somewhere far away!"
Kieran opened his arms helplessly before taking the sticky note. Then he picked up the phone and started to dial the number on the piece of paper.
After two beeps, the call got through.
"Schmidt, whats the matter?"
Nikoreis voice was heard from the other side of the line. It seemed like Nikorei was familiar with the stations number.
"Its not Schmidt, its me, 2567! Something has happened..."
Kieran told Nikorei about everything that had transpired from the moment shed left.
"The Drifter Society?" Even from the other side of the phone, Kieran could sense Nikoreis doubts on the matter. It seemed like not even Nikorei herself had known about the existence of the Drifter Society.
There were only two possible exnations for that.
The first one was that the society was staying under the radar, and the second one was that they rarely ever mentioned their names to others or in public.
Kieran was leaning more towards the second exnation.
His theory was based on the second dungeon difficulty rather than the fact that he had any proof to support it. Nikorei solidified Kierans guess.
"I can see them! Theyre heading towards the station as we speak! They will be there in about 20 minutes! I suggest you go back to my house. Although Im not around, Ive set up some defensive measures in case anything happened. It should be enough to deal with a third rate faction!" Nikorei said after remaining quiet for a few seconds. She sounded extremely confident about her work.
It was the word see that had caught Kierans attention though. He could not determine where Nikorei was at currently, but she was definitely not in the city.
She was at least a city away, yet she imed that she could see what was happening there. She had to have the ability to locate her target just by being given a name.
Although Nikorei imed that the Drifter Society was just some third rate faction, her own strength was incredible.
After that conversation, Kieran was starting to believe that she was indeed the strongest shaman on the West Coast.
"You piece of f*ck and your bunch of sh*tty motherf*ckers! You only care about your own reputation and image! You dont give a sh*t about other peoples lives!"
Kieran had been about to reply to Nikoreis suggestion to head back to the house when he was suddenly interrupted by Schmidt, who had started cursing harshly beside him.
"Whats wrong?" Kieran asked.
"That son of a bitch doesnt want to dismiss the officers! He thinks all this is just some kind of bullsh*t! That piece of sh*t! Ill stuff my gun up his ass to show him what real bullsh*t is!" Schmidt said before he started cursing out loud again angrily
"Schmidt, 2567, you guys better hurry up! Time is running out!" Nikoreis warned them from the other side of the phone.
"I get it, I get it! Nikorei, can you give us some more help? Can your power protect us here?" Schmidt asked Nikorei. There was a sense of anticipation in his tone.
"I am the strongest shaman on the West Coast, not God Almighty, you nimbwit!"
Nikoreis answer made Schmidt punch the desk hard. He turned around and saw his busy colleagues running around the station, clenching his teeth hard.
Out of the blue, a wild thought took form in Schmidts mind, and he turned his attention to the fire rm on the wall.
He knew that if he pressed the rm and had the station evacuated, the officers opposing him would definitely deem him as mentally unstable and use that as an excuse to kick him out of the force he loved so much.
Yet, if he didnt do it...
Schmidt kept looking at his busy colleagues. None of them were aware of the impending danger about to descend upon the station.
Schmidt took a deep breath.
"I became a policeman to protect people from getting hurt! Even if it costs me my uniform and badge, it will all be worth it if I can protect everyone!"
Schmidt had held on to his principles from the very beginning, and those principles slowly wiped away all his doubts.
He tookrge steps towards the fire rm, yet just as he was about to push the button, he was stopped by Kieran.
"Dont worry, I know what Im doing. I know the consequences," Schmidt said in a calm tone.
"You know your job, and I know mine. I know youve figured out the consequences, but please think about it again. Its just some third rate faction," Kieran said before taking his backpack and walking out of the station.
Chapter 159: That Thing
Chapter 159: That Thing
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The police station looked bright on the outside. The lights were on at night, but the area around the station was pitch ck.
The monochromatic scene had a high contrast to it, as if it was divided into two worlds, a ck one and a white one.
Still, the darkness was devouring the light inch by inch.
Kieran was standing by the stairs outside the station, raising his head to take a look.
He could see clearly through the darkness with his [Tracking].
A big swarm of shadows were rushing towards the station like the raging waves of the sea.
Amid the raging waves, every heat and light source was destroyed by the negative energy charging down the path.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The streetmps were broken one after the other like a domino as dozens of shadowy figures walked out of the darkness.
One could barely catch a glimpse of their faces through thebination of light and darkness.
Every single one of the creatures had only skin on their faces. There were no visible facial features on them.
Those nk faces with the ghostly features were extremely eerie and frightening.
They were formless souls and Evil Earth Spirits.
Their appearance did note as a surprise to Kieran.
He took a quick look at the spirits, trying to find his target, which was the members of the Drifter Society.
Kieran was well aware that no matter how many those formless souls were or how eerie the Evil Earth Spirits looked, they were only puppets controlled by someone else.
The only effective way to end this was by removing the puppeteer itself.
However, despite Kierans C- Intuition and [Tracking], he could not spot any target that fit the criteria of a member of the Drifter Society.
"Are they hiding their tracks? No, no way. Considering theyve already released such a big number of spirits, theres no use hiding in the dark anymore. The only thing that could escape my eyes is..."
Kieran looked at the ground instinctively. His enemies might be hiding underground using some kind of earth submerging technique.
As for the possibilities of them being invisible?
Unless they could make their bodies formless like spirits, they would still leave some traces behind.
If they could really change their bodies form at will though, Kieran would need to reevaluate the situation with the Drifters, considering that Nikorei had referred to them as a third rate faction.
Or he might need to reevaluate the dungeon difficulty itself.
ording to Kierans theory, after the phone call with Nikorei, any yer would have run back home to have a better chance of avoiding the danger.
If a yer chose to fight face to face with the Drifter Society, the difficulty would hike up by at least two to three levels from the normal two time dungeon difficulty.
Even though Kieran had chosen the least safe option for dealing with the danger, that did not mean that the game would suddenly turn into hell for him.
Suddenly, Kieran sensed some minor movement beneath his feet. The movement seemed about to confirm Kierans theory.
Boom!
There was an explosion at the spot where Kieran was standing. Pebbles and debris flew all over the ce, and a three-meter diameter crater was formed on the stairs.
Suddenly, two figures emerged from the smoke and debris around the crater.
"He dodged it?" a thin, sinister-looking man spoke.
"Death is just a sequence. Whats the difference between now andter? Everyones death is already predicted!"
Beside the sinister-looking man stood a stern, solemn middle-aged man in a long robe. He pronounced Kieran dead as soon as he emerged.
"First you, little assistant, and then that sly fox Nikorei! That pitiful olddy who has divertedpletely from the sole belief of power will be our stepping stone in building our true name!"
The sinister guy stared at Kieran.
With countless of formless souls and dozens of Evil Earth Spirits behind them, the two of them looked at Kieran as if he was already dead.
"So its only the two of you in the Drifter Society?" Kieran said in a in tone, as if he had not heard them or seen the countless spirits behind them.
"So youve heard of us! How many men does it take to deal with a couple of mortals?"
The sinister guy was startled at first, but heughed out loud without holding back when he saw Kierans nk face.
"Arent you guys scared of provoking the public? I think theres supposed to be some kind of rule or limitation regarding special people dealing with mortals, isnt there?" Kieran asked.
It was only a guess, but Kieran was very sure of it. Otherwise, the dungeon world would have been a different ce altogether.
There wouldnt have been any modern technology in the city, and magic would have ruled the world.
And yet, currently it was modern technology that was advancing fast and magic that had fallen behind. There was only the asional minor confrontation.
It was the rtionship between Schmidt and Nikorei that had made Kierane up with that bold theory.
"Rules and limitations? There are, but when that thinges, the cards will be shuffled again! Poor kid, you have no idea about your unavoidable destiny!" the sinister guyughed again.
That thing? The cards would be shuffled again? Kieran was caught off guard by their words.
His sharp instinct told him that he might have discovered something big brewing in the shadows.
"Death will follow the living like a shadow!" the stern guy in the long robe shouted.
The army of spirits behind them rushed at Kieran, trying to drown him with their number.
"Death is great..."
The middle-aged man in the long robe was still chanting without the slightest change in his expression. The spirits kept attacking Kieran until he punched the man under the chin with a lightning punch.
The clear sound of his bones breaking sent the middle-aged man flying in the air without any sign of slowing down.
Bang!
His head crashed hard against the solid marble arch, his brains sttering out at the impact, painting the white marble red.
Bam!
Only when the middle-aged mans body fell to the ground did the sinister guy react.
He was looking at Kieran with a ludicrous expression as Kieran walked out of the mountain of formless spirits with a pale white aura surrounding him.
"A... A Holy Knight?" the sinister guy screamed.
At his scream, the mountain of formless souls and Evil Earth Spirits surrounded Kieran once more, trying to drown him. When they were one step away from him though, all the spirits stopped, as if they were before andmine.
As they stopped before him, Kieran saw the twisted space in front of him form an invisible barrier against them. Kieran was in awe of the effectiveness of the one-time consumable.
[Name: Holy Water VIII]
[Type: Potion]
[Rarity: Excellent]
[Attributes: Within one minute of duration, it causes Fear to low-level spirits and negative energy beings. When ites into contact with low-level spirits and negative energy beings, it causes them lethal damage!]
[Prerequisites: None]
[Remarks: This is an excellent product from a renowned alchemist. Its name originates from an ancient potion prescription ranked no. VIII! Please remember not to drink it. Rubbing it on your body or weapon will do!]
...
[Holy Water VIII] was a one-time consumable Kieran had taken with him when hed entered the dungeon. It was one of the items he had gotten from Lawless, and it had cost him 1,500 Points per bottle, even at a friendly price.
It was not cheap, but considering the effect Kieran had just witnessed, it was certainly value for money.
Kieran dodged quickly towards the sinister guy.
Apparently, the man was still in shock, because he did not react when he saw Kieran in front of him.
Kieran frowned as he realized how strange the members of the Drifter Society all were.
Not just their actions, but their mental state as well. It seemed like all of them had some kind of mental problem.
That did not stop Kieran from knocking the man out cold with a punch though.
He needed him alive to get more information.
Kieran quickly used his title [Spectre Buster] and turned around towards the mountain of spirits.
Every single one of the formless spirits had a small chance of dropping a [Soul Shard], which meant Points and Skill Points for Kieran.
It was the sole reason Kieran had chosen not to ovee the danger in the safest way.
He could not let that chance slip.
Kieran emitted a holy aura thanks to the potion as he rushed in single-handed against the countless formless spirits. He did not even need to attack. A simple touch was enough to turn them into ashes after they let out an eerie howl.
The same went for the Evil Earth Spirits.
What seemed like a big army of Evil Earth Spirits went inplete disarray at Kieran fast attacks.
None of them were even able to react to his sudden barrage of attacks before they turned into a pile of dirt.
"What the...."
Schmidt, who had been overseeing the situation from the second floor window, felt his jaw drop open.
Although he could not see the formless spirits, he could see clearly the Evil Earth Spirits, the crater in front of the station, and Kieran, who was covered in a white aura.
Kieran was shining like a warm source of light within the evil darkness. He looked bright and dazzling.
"A Holy Knight!" Schmidt said.
Sworn to protect the weak, serve justice, and eliminate injustice!
Schmidt lost itpletely as he witnessed Kierans miracle. His head was filled with lores and myths about the Holy Knight. It was what he had been chasing after. It was his dream.
"Schmidt! Schmidt! What happened? What happened to 2567?"
The old shamans voice on the phone pulled Schmidt back to reality.
"Dont worry, Sir 2567 is fine. All of us are safe now!" Schmidt had even changed the way he addressed Kieran after what he had seen.
"Dont worry? Safe? What in the world happened over there?" Nikorei kept asking.
"Just now..."
Schmidt exined the situation to Nikorei as he watched Kieran fight.
Schmidt had not noticed the bright re in his eyes that resembled the look of a fanatic.
His eyes were bright, yet soft instead of dazzling. They looked simr to the white aura surrounding Kieran.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Early chapter today!
Chapter 160: Daybreak’s Bell
Chapter 160: Daybreaks Bell
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The first light shone down on 1st ck Street.
Kieran was eating his breakfast in the study.
The smell of buttered bacon, toast and hot milk filled the room. The smell alone was enough for anyone to feel famished, let alone the delicious food.
Kieran was no exception. He was enjoying his meal at the tea table, fully savouring the delicious bacon and toast with his tongue.
Thebination of smoked bacon and toast was astonishing, and the fact that the bread was smeared with butter took the vour of the whole thing to the next level.
Even though there were cucumbers and cherries as a side dish, the vors did not sh. Quite the opposite, the freshness of the fruit enhanced the vor of the juicy meat and the aroma-filled bread.
The taste and overall experience was intoxicating, and Kieran was generous with his praise to Ferad, who had cooked the wonderful meal.
"What magnificent cooking!" Kieran said.
"Thank you, sir. Here is todays newspaper."
Ferad the spirit butler wasmunicating with Kieran through paper and pen.
Although Ferad could not speak, he excelled at other tasks, such as disappearing and reappearing with two newspapers in his hands.
One of them was the local newspaper of the city publisher, and the other one was a newspaper dedicated to special people.
"Special people have their own newspaper?"
Kieran was surprised when he saw the second newspaper. He had not expected it by any means. He was under the impression that special individualsy low and tried to keep their existence a secret.
Although there were special cases like Nikorei, who often worked with ordinary people, and the Drifter Society, who was bold with their actions, the majority of special individuals tried to stay under the radar.
The existence of such a newspaper was unexpected, and it made Kieran reevaluate his original impression.
"We need to improve ourselves along with society. Nikorei used to be one of the chief editors of this newspaper, so we get a free copy every day," Ferad exined.
"Nikorei? That sure sounds like her." Kieranughed a little as he picked up the regr newspaper.
He had no doubt about that.
A shaman needed to be on friendly terms with ordinary people, but they also needed to use modern technology to get information. Therefore, publishing a newspaper seemed normal for Nikorei.
Given her special irvoyant abilities, Kieran found it very suitable for her to be a newspaper chief editor.
"Gas explosion at the police station, no casualties reported!"
Kieran read the title of the regr newspaper. He had no interest in reading that article, as he already knew the truth behind the incident.
He set that newspaper aside and picked up the special one. It was all written in special symbols and icons, and it was reporting the incidents of the previous day.
There were no pictures on the newspaper, and the symbols and icons were all scrambled. Even if an ordinary person got their hands on it, they wouldnt understand a thing.
"Nice way to keep it ssified," Kieran thought.
[Mystical Knowledge] had built up an invisible, uncrossable wall between special people and ordinary ones.
Except by pure luck or coincidence, ordinary people would never get a chance to tangle with special people.
Kieran lowered his head and read the newspaper carefully.
It was also recording the incident at the police station.
The words Drifter Society and 2567 appeared quite often, but they werent the words that were used the most in the newspaper.
That was Holy Knight.
That was the phrase that appeared the most in the article about the police station. The middle part of the paper exined the term and spected that 2567 might be thest Holy Knight.
"The light of the Holy Knight has descended upon us again. It was what we had anticipated!"
"The Holy Knights were all killed during the Holy War before the Er era!"
"2567 might be a swindler! I still think we should pay this Sir 2567 a visit though. We must see the truth with our own eyes!"
After Kieran read through all the spections, he automatically rubbed his temples to ease the swelling.
He had never thought that one batch of [Holy Water VIII] would cause such amotion.
He knew that being mistaken for thest Holy Knight would mean nothing good for him.
The visitorsing out of admiration could expose the truth and taint his reputation. Kieran frowned.
There were also some good news that he had been longing for. His name was now known to the masses, so all the Hatch Heresy would have to do was pay attention to the news and they would find Kieran soon.
On top of that, after the battle the previous night, Nikoreis fondness of Kieran had gone up again.
The Sub Mission he had unlocked was the best proof for that.
[Sub Mission Unlocked: The Shamans Package]
[Sub Mission: Your performance has made Nikorei the Shaman look at you differently. She now considers you a trustworthy assistant and has decided to let you handle more cases. Go to the Celestial Garden and look for Simones. He will deliver the package that you need to keep safe until Nikoreies back.]
Nikorei had mentioned this task when Kieran had spoken to her on the phone after the battle.
No matter what dungeon he was in, Kierans motive to explore all the Sub Missions and Title Missions did not change a bit.
Other than this seemingly vague good news, Kieran had also gotten some physical rewards from the battle.
The two cracked [Soul Shard]s he had earned plus the two [Soul Shard]s he already had in his lobby room made up a set of four worth 27,500 Points and 6 Skill Points.
After hed counted the potential points, Kieran had decided that he would not mind running into the Drifter Society a couple more times.
It was only a pity that, even though he had tried hard to let one of his enemies live, Kieran had still not been able to get more information on the secretive Drifter Society.
The sinister guy was currently in a condition simr to Louvers. They had had a doctor check that he was not faking it. The guy had really suffered a mental meltdown.
The continuous urrence of that particr kind of illness solidified Kierans guess about the Drifter Society members, yet it did him no good.
It was of no help to the case, even though both of them were currently staying at 1st ck Street.
Louver and the sinister guy had been temporarily transferred to Nikoreis house after Schmidt had handed in his report to his superior. It was not too much hassle to move the special criminals to the special confinement area.
"Those high-ranking freeloaders were already scared after the incident!"
This was what Schmidt had said when hed transferred the two men to Nikoreis house.
Kieran had made no furtherments on the stations chain ofmand.
Suddenly, a white invitation card fell off the newspaper as Kieran was flipping through it.
The invitation had a ck-colored pentagram on it and looked oddly lustrous under the light of the early sun.
Chapter 161: Misled
Chapter 161: Misled
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
"The Dark Star Society?"
Ferad quickly wrote down on the paper after he saw the invitation card.
The Dark Star Society? Kieran was not surprised by their sudden invitation. As a matter of fact, he had anticipated surprise visits from other special individuals or factions after reading the newspaper.
What surprised him was the timing.
The invitation card had been stuffed inside the newspaper the moment the newspaper had been sent out, and one of the chief editors of that newspaper was Nikorei.
Kieran realized how powerful the Dark Star Society was if they could pull something like this off.
He had already known that the Dark Star Society had quite the influence and power, considering that they had been able to station themselves at Alcatraz after the Gilfren Hatch incident and prevent any other factions from setting foot on the ind. However, Kieran was in awe of the Dark Star Society after thistest trick.
Their influence reached as far as the newspaper Nikorei was a part of.
Out of vignce, Kieran did not pick the invitation up right away. He turned his eyes to Ferad instead.
Although Nikorei had said that the Dark Star Society was a neutral force, they had to have their own rules and act ording to those rules alone.
Kieran was not going to let his guard down, especially when he knew that the Dark Star Society had attainments in the mystical realm that he could not even get close to.
"Dont worry, the Dark Star Society is not like the Night Demon Society. They wouldnt do anything to the invitation card," Ferad wrote when he saw that Kieran was worried.
Even though the spirit butler had assured him, Kieran still checked the invitation thoroughly before he opened it.
...
2567,
We have prepared an afternoon lunch at the Celestial Garden. We hope that you can join us for a meal.
The Dark Star Society.
Er997.9.25
...
"At the Celestial Garden?" Kierans heart skipped a beat.
He was quite confident about his memory, and he clearly remembered that during his phone call with Nikorei the previous night, she had asked him to go to that exact same ce to find someone named Simones and retrieve a package for her.
Even the Sub Mission description had mentioned the Celestial Garden.
"Not only do they want to disy their strength, but also show me that theyre omniscient? Is it because of Alcatraz?" Kieran guessed.
He could note up with any other reason why a powerful faction would pay extra attention to a nobody like him.
At the same time, it also proved that the Dark Star Society was keen on learning about what had happened on Alcatraz.
Especially about the bronze coffin. Kieran instinctively recalled the one thing in the cave that had made him get sucked away in the region of dreams. However, he had still been able to maintain his sanity.
He knew very well that with his current power level, he could not even set foot on Alcatraz.
Even Nikorei had had her hands tied after the Dark Star Society had stationed itself on the ind.
Otherwise, she would not have been wasting her time asking Kieran about the incident on the ind.
Kieran would rather die than give up without trying.
He clenched his fists even harder under his sleeves.
"No, I wont give up like this! There must be another way!" he told himself silently before he passed the invitation card to Ferad.
He wanted Nikorei to know that the Dark Star Society had a hand in the mission she had given him.
Why did he want to let her know? Because the crying baby always got the milk.
It was a principle Kieran had known ever since he was still in the orphanage.
"I think we should inform Nikorei," Ferad wrote.
Obviously, he also knew that Nikorei had tasked Kieran with another mission.
Kieran nodded. That had been his intention as well, so there was no reason for him to refuse.
...
Kieran frowned in the cab on his way to the Celestial Garden.
He was recalling the conversation hed had with Nikorei. She had only told him what she knew and asked him to improvise when he got there before shed hung up the phone.
There had been nothing strange about her tone. She had sounded calm throughout the whole phone call.
However, Kieran had noticed that Nikorei had been anxious about something, to the extent that her attention had been diverted from the package she cared about so much.
"I wonder what big case has made Nikorei so anxious?" Kieran thought.
With such limited information, he could not paint the whole picture. Eventually, he just shrugged and concentrated on the matter at hand.
Although Nikorei had said that he could improvise on the spot, for the sake of the Sub Mission, he had to bring back the package despite the odds.
The Dark Star Society might be the variable in this equation, but that still did not mean that Kieran had no chance of retrieving the package.
Considering the power and influence of the Dark Star Society, an invitation card was enough to show their strength.
If they were notpletely hostile though, there was still a chance to pull it off.
Kieran took a long deep breath and closed his eyes. He needed to control his body in case anything happened at the Celestial Garden.
...
Nikorei hung up the phone and carried Tiki back into the small reception room.
There were two people inside waiting quietly for her.
"Lets continue," Nikorei said.
"That thing ising, so we need to take advantage of this time to prepare. ording to my calctions, we have hardly a 10% chance of winning!" a thin-faced man said.
He sounded calm, but there was a hint of irony to his words.
"We need to recruit more forces for our crusade! Dark Star, Night Demon, Unicorn, White Deer, Pris, Sanctuary... Every single one of them is good to recruit! Only through a united front will we be able to win the battle against that thing!" a second white-bearded man said in a rich voice.
"Dark Star and Night Demon are almost at war because of Alcatraz, Unicorn and White Deer have always been arch nemeses, Pris is a bunch of maniacs, and God knows where Sanctuary is hiding in the world! Its impossible!"
The thin-faced man shook his head, rejecting the old mans suggestion.
"Our effort will be the decisive factor!" The elderly man turned to Nikorei hoping to get some support.
"Its hard, but we have to do it. Our very existence is on the line here," Nikorei said slowly.
"Ill go make arrangements for my men!" the old man said.
"Hold on!" a low-pitched voice stopped the old man.
The three of them turned their attention to Tiki.
"I have a candidate who can find Sanctuary," a heavy voiceing from Tikis body said.
"2567?" Nikorei asked, quickly guessing the candidate Tiki was talking about.
"Yes. Sanctuary might be avoiding the real world, but if thest Holy Knight came back, they would surely send someone out," Tiki said with a nod.
"But we know 2567 is not the Holy Knight!" Nikorei frowned doubtfully.
"Then we will turn him into one!"
A cunning smile formed on Tikis face as it wagged its tail.
Chapter 162: The Hand
Chapter 162: The Hand
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The cab stopped in front of the Celestial Garden.
Kieran paid and got off the car before he started to inspect the florist before him.
The Celestial Garden was a florist. It wasnt big, but it was extremely elegant.
There were two windows on the left and right side of the shop, one of them decorated with bright purple and red flowers, and the other decorated with brilliant greens that made the window look alive.
In the middle was a one-way door that allowed only one person to pass at a time.
Anyone who passed through that door felt like theyd entered a jungle.
The aroma of the flowers and the soil lingered on ones nose.
Kieran rubbed his nose in front of the Celestial Garden. He was sure it was not some kind of illusion. It was real.
Suddenly, he noticed the flower pot and greens on both sides of the window.
"A magic circle?"
The arrangement of the flowers and greenery was unusual. He was not sure whether it served some kind of purpose or not.
His Master Level [Mystical Knowledge] allowed him to understand most runes and symbols, but recognizing a specific magic circle was still beyond his capabilities.
He could not figure out the answer, so he eventually turned his attention to the door.
The door had a small window that was divided into half. It was covered in a flowery pattern and had the texture of frosted ss, simr to how people decorated in their bathrooms.
Despite his C- Intuition, the frosted ss was preventing Kieran from seeing the interior clearly. All he could see was a couple of shadows moving around inside.
Unless he had X-ray vision, there was no way he could see clearly what was going on inside.
Kieran noticed that the flower and nt decorations on both windows had also been purposely arranged to block anyone from looking in.
It was perfect for hiding the special individuals inside.
After thinking about all this silently, Kieran pushed the door open.
The bell behind the door frame rang as the door came into contact with it, producing a clear chime.
"Wee!" a man greeted Kieran. He was holding a sprinkler in his hand and watering the flowers.
He was wearing a blood-red suit with a small white handkerchief in his left pocket, and his dark brown hair wasbed all the way back.
He lifted the corner of his mouth in a smile, but his eyes looked nk and calm.
Other than the sprinkler in his hand, the whole ce looked too clean, and his clothes definitely did not fit the appearance of a florist.
It seemed like the man was not the owner, Simones.
"You can call me Carlos, I am representing the Dark Star Society in this meeting. I thought you would take more time, but you seem to be more decisive than you look. I like that, I think we can have a great conversation!" Carlos introduced himself before he bent his body a little to take a bow, making a weing gesture.
The gesture reminded Kieran of Starbeck, his mimosa-like teammate.
Carlos shared the same vibe with Starbeck, although Starbeck would not have been able to match his strength.
Carlos did not disy his power openly, but as he was introducing himself, Kieran felt an invisible pressure that made him feel very unsettled.
He was not afraid though. He already knew what was going to happen.
He nced at Carlos as he slowly walked inside.
Kieran passed through a ss door, entering a more modern room.
A plump, middle-aged man of average height in a checkered shirt and an apron was walking anxiously around the room.
He was startled when he saw Kierane in.
"Simones?" Kieran guessed after noticing the mans tainted cor and the clumped soil on his pants.
Meanwhile, he stared at the other door in the room vigntly.
Although he could not see through the door, he was sure there was someone behind it. The sound of breathing behind the door was obvious enough for Kieran to hear.
"Yes, its me. You must be 2567! Nice. Where is Nikorei?" Simones said delightedly as he headed to the door behind Kieran.
When he saw Carlosing in slowly, his delighted expression disappeared in an instant.
"Are you disappointed that Nikorei didnt show up?" Carlos teased Simones with a soft smile.
"Of course! If Nikorei was here, I bet you wouldnt be smiling!" Simones replied coldly.
"Sure I would, we are not enemies! The Dark Star Society is not hostile to anyone, including Nikorei, you, and 2567. Im only here to ask 2567 some questions," Carlos said in a clear voice while maintaining a mild smile.
As his words faded, he snapped his fingers.
At the clear sound, the door on the other side opened and a group of people came in holding different items in their hands.
A square table covered in a white tablecloth suddenly appeared in the room, followed by cutlery. tes with silver covers were arranged on the table neatly. Under the soft light, the silver emitted a sharp glint. However,pared to the aroma of the dishes under the silver covers, their lustrous reflection seemed a little dim.
"If you dont mind, lets talk over lunch," Carlos requested, sitting down at the table as he spoke.
Simones replied with a cold smile as he sat down opposite Carlos.
Kieran chose the seat next to Simones.
"Oyster cream soup, honey roasted ham, and orchard club steak are my favorites! I hope you like theyer cake and tiramisu were having for dessert!"
Carlos served them like a proper host, talking to his guests about the dishes.
His men stood beside them like waiters. As Carlos introduced each of the dishes, they removed the respective silver cover. The aroma of the dishes was already seeping through the thin gap between the cover and the te, but as his men removed the cover, it became even richer and stronger.
The oyster cream soup was fresh, and thebination of the juicy honey roasted ham and the orchard club steaks rich fruit vor produced a very appetizing aroma that assaulted Kierans sense of smell.
Theyer cakes hot cream cheese mixed together with the cool sourness of the tiramisu produced a unique sweetness. It was smooth and savory, but had just the right amount of sweetness so it did not burden the tongue.
Everything made Kierans appetite grow.
However, his logic told him that he should not be focusing on the food.
After a regretful nce at the dishes, he turned his eyes to Carlos.
Simones had not moved his gaze from him ever since hed seen him.
Carlos, however, did not seem bothered by their gazes. He didnt even look the least bit unsettled.
He picked up his spoon and poured a spoonful of oyster cream soup over the honey roasted ham. He mixed the soup with the juicy oil of the ham, and then took the butter knife and smeared some gravy over the club steak.
When he was done, he cut a piece of steak and started to eat.
"I really like thebination of the vors. You guys should try it too," Carlos said as he chewed on the meat.
"What the hell are you here for? Stop acting like some kind of clown!" Simones said, clearly upset.
"Its sad that you cant enjoy the beauty of food. What about you, 2567?" Carlos turned his attention to Kieran.
"If I share a table with a person I dont like, no matter how delicious the food is, it will still feel like chewing wax if I force myself to eat it," Kieran said.
"Very well said! No wonder the tastes Ive always liked feel a little different today!"
Carlos put his knife and fork down on the te.
The metal came in contact with the te, producing a clear noise.
Carlos picked up the napkin that was under his te and wiped his mouth.
His eyes were moving over Simones and Kieran like a hungry beast choosing his next target.
Despite the [Fear] notifications that kept popping up in his vision, Kieran passed the authentication. Nothing happened.
After a moment of silence, Carlosughed.
"It was just a joke!" he said.
Kieran knew it was anything but a joke. There was no humor in Carlos intense gaze. If Kieran or Simones fell under his [Fear] effect, nothing good woulde out of it.
"Its a neutral group with its own rules in conducting business."
Kieran recalled what Nikorei had said about the group. He had never felt as doubtful in his whole life as he was feeling at that moment.
After all, Carlos looked like a man filled with ill intentions. He liked to y with others and this fake attitude of his did not make him seem like a man who followed any rules.
Maybe he was an exception?
"I think 2567 knows why Im here. I hope to find out what happened to you and your partners on Alcatraz Ind. Everything! I was also hoping that you could keep this between us. Of course Nikorei does not count."
Carlos made a polite gesture as he revealed his intentions.
Simones was staring at him angrily the whole time. After a nce at Kieran, Carlos men escorted him to the other room.
Simones didnt resist, neither did he give Kieran any further hints.
He knew perfectly well that only Nikorei herself could beat Carlos. Kieran knew this as well, so after Simones left, he was prepared to repeat the story he had told Nikorei.
"I..."
Before he could continue, he suddenly stopped.
An eerie palm had tapped him on the shoulder.
The sheer coldness of the palm sent chills down Kierans spine, as if it wanted to freeze him.
Who the hell was that?
Kieran shivered.
Chapter 163: Hunter and Prey
Chapter 163: Hunter and Prey
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Kieran noticed that the hand that had appeared on his shoulder was pale and fair, and the fingers were long and thin.
The sheer coldness emitted from the hand made his spine freeze. He kept getting spammed by notifications that his HP was depleting.
[Chilling Touch: Target inflicts 5 Damage to your HP, Constitution authenticating, Constitution passed, Immune to Targets Freezing Effect...]
[Chilling Touch: Target inflicts 5 Damage to your HP, Constitution authenticating, Constitution passed, Immune to Targets Freezing Effect...]
...
Within a couple of seconds, Kierans 450 HP had gone down by 10%, and it showed no intention of stopping.
Kieran started to struggle instinctively, wanting to shake off the hand hurting him. The moment he started to struggle though, the seemingly soft hand pinned him down with tremendous force.
Kieran was stuck on the chair, the damage from the hand increasing along with the force exerted.
[Chilling Touch: Target inflicts 10 Damage to your HP, Constitution authenticating, Constitution passed, Immune to Targets Freezing Effect...]
Kieran was scared, but that did not mean that he would give up.
Although he had not been able to sense when the person had appeared behind him, no doubt they were not there to talk.
If Kieran failed to shake the hand off, he would lose his life.
He could not ept such a fate, but he wasnt strong enough to resist the hands power either.
Thinking quickly, Kieran redirected his resisting power downwards.
He used the force exerted on his shoulder by twisting his body to divert the force downwards towards the chair.
Then hebined his own strength with the strength of the hand, the wooden chair breaking into half in an instant as he moved his body down.
The tremendous hand had suddenly lost its target and pushed through the chair.
Without any hesitation, Kieran fell to the floor and rolled quickly to the side.
The person behind Kieran was startled. He had not imagined that Kieran would escape his grip in such a way.
He did not pursue Kieran after he escaped though, as a formless aura had suddenly filled the room, preventing him from moving. The aura was filled with killing intent.
"Wilco! You are provoking the whole Dark Star Society with your actions!" Carlos said angrily.
The man named Wilco let out a coldugh filled with contempt and disdain.
Theugh infuriated Carlos.
"Die!" he shouted.
At Carlos powerful shout, the formless steam of aura surrounded Wilco like a typhoon, and the tables and chairs were torn to pieces by the sheer wrecking force of the aura.
The aura was like thousands of sharp knives cutting through anything that stood in their path. Wilco was no exception, even though he had a formless barrier up around him.
It was only a matter of time before Carlos broke through his barrier. It was only a pity that Carlos would not live long enough to see that happen.
A ghostly hand pierced through Carlos chest from behind while his heart was still beating.
Carlos looked down at his own heart, his mouth slightly open, as if he wanted to say something but could not utter a word.
The formless aura dissipated as Carlos was killed.
"You should watch your back when you face the Night Demon Society, Carlos! Your overconfidence got you killed!" Wilco said as he looked at Carlos dead body.
Then he turned his eyes to the door, which was pushed open.
"What a surprising prey. Are you interested, Nelson?" Wilco asked his partner, who had backstabbed Carlos. The mans whole body was covered in a ck mantle.
Nelson seemed like a man of few words. He only shook his head in reply.
"Such a pity. Seems like Im the only one savoring this interesting prey. Dont worry, Ill kill him after I get what we need!"
Wilco understood what Nelson wanted without any further exnation. He just walked out through the open door with big steps.
When Wilco had left, Nelson started to search Carloss body.
...
Meanwhile, Kieran had escaped through the door and caught up with Simones on his way out.
The two of them were running through a narrow passageway at lightning speed.
Although he had escaped from the grasp of that eerie hand, Kieran knew there was a wide gap of power between him and its owner.
Even with all his ace cards on the table, he still did not have enough confidence that he could beat the man.
His only option was flight. He could not fight, and if he escaped the way he hade in, he might run into another ambusher, so his only option left was the door on the other side of the room.
Kieran had been hoping for a window, but what he saw instead was a long narrow passageway.
Simones had knocked out the men that had been escorting him and opened the secret passageway.
"Youing?"
"Yeah!" Kieran answered.
The two of them ran down the passageway as fast as they could.
Kieran was surprised by the speed and endurance Simones was disying.
"If you are not strong enough to fight, you better make sure you are fast enough to run! This is what my teacher taught me! Ive tweaked it a little though..."
Simones suddenly stopped running. Kieran mimicked Simones, stopping without hesitation, even though there was still a long way ahead of him.
Simones was the one who had built the passageway, so he was very familiar with the contraption.
Suddenly, a door appeared on the wall of the passageway.
"One also needs an escaping technique!" Simones said as he pushed the door open.
Kieran followed Simones inside and closed the door automatically after he went in.
"It might not hide us for long, but it will give us some extra time to run away! We have to get back to 1st ck Street fast! Only there we will be truly safe!" Simones said as he hastened his steps.
"Who is this Wilco?" Kieran asked as he kept up with him.
Carlos loud shouts through the door reached his ears clearly.
"A member of the Night Demon Society. An executioner exceptionally fond of lynching. Compared to that guy, Carlos fake attitude seems a lot cuter!" Simones described Wilco in a nutshell.
As soon as he stopped talking, Simones slowed down abruptly.
Kieran stopped as well and looked up ahead with extreme vignce.
Wilco was walking slowly towards them from the other side of the corridor.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Double chaps today
Chapter 164: Risk
Chapter 164: Risk
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
"An executioner fond of lynching? So thats how people think of me... Nice, I like it!"
Wilco was grinning slightly. He seemed like he really liked thatment, but Kieran felt like he was confronting his most formidable enemy yet.
He did not care if Wilco was smiling genuinely or not. The sheer pressure he felt from him was getting more and more intense.
[Fear] notifications kept spamming his vision.
Simones had fallen down because of Wilcos tremendous pressure. He was on his knees, looking pale as paper as sweat ran down his forehead.
"You think youre so smart, Simones, dont ya? Did you forget how your mentor died? You tried to trick me through a narrow passageway? The Night Demon Society members are among the oldest assassins in the world. You know what will be of you!"
Wilco rolled his red sleeves up to his elbows slowly, the same way that he spoke.
His words were like knives, cutting deep through Simones.
Simoness pale face turned red from rage in an instant.
"WILCO! UGHH!"
Simones struggled to stand up, but an even bigger force pushed him down. He could not resist the pressure and spit a mouthful of blood. He was so exhausted from kneeling down on the ground that he almost passed out.
Kieran was no match for that pressure either. He took a couple of steps back.
[Fear] notifications were still spamming his vision.
If this went on, Kieran would be robbed of any fighting abilities and sumb to Wilcos sheer pressure.
Once the [Fear] got through, Kieran would be like a fish on the chopping board, ready for Wilco to slice him into pieces.
[Golden Attribute Point Activated...]
[Spirit E E+]
Kieran quickly used one of his aces without hesitation.
The Golden Attribute Points he had saved up had been reduced to one, but the effects were obvious.
The pressure that had felt like a rough thunderstorm had turned into a gentle breeze and drizzle.
Although he still felt unsettled, the obstacle had been removed and he was now able to act.
He was ready to strike at Wilco first.
Escape was no longer an option considering the situation before them. If that was off the table, then all that was left was fighting.
Kieran would lose his life if he was not willing to take that chance.
Although Wilco was extremely powerful, there was still a chance for him to counterattack.
He thought of Wilcos identity as a member of the Night Demon Society. His group had been wanting to get to Alcatraz, so Kieran used his advantage as an insider at the incidents on the ind.
With a quick turn of wits, a bold idea formed in Kierans mind.
He unleashed a right kick, thrusting forward like a spear as burning mes covered his boots.
"Huh?"
Wilco was surprised that Kieran could still attack him despite his pressure, but that was all it was.
After a small confrontation with him back in the room, Wilco did not think Kierans attack could cause him any damage, even though the fire on his feet looked intimidating.
Wilcos strength level was far beyond Kierans, and his contempt towards him and his puny fire grew.
He raised his hand casually in an attempt to catch Kierans foot and break his leg, ignoring the fire burning on his boots.
This was just the beginning though. Wilco would not mind torturing Kieran to get the information he seeked from him.
However, as his hand came into contact with Kierans foot, his facial expression turned sour.
The power from Kierans kick had exceeded Wilcos expectations. Kierans power was only one level below his.
"Did he act like he could not escape my grip before so he could lure me into his trap? Was he trying to fool me?" Wilco thought.
Embarrassment and rage filled his face as his eyes turned vicious and ugly.
Wilcos hand and Kierans foot collided, the ming kick and ice-cold handing into contact and producing a big cloud of steam.
Kieran took a step back, but Wilco followed him like a shadow. He took advantage of the steam in the air and used the coldness in his hand to bring down the temperature in the passageway.
In an instant, the temperature dropped to the point where Kierans breaths wereing out of his mouth in white steam.
The steam produced from the sh turned into icy shards and floated in mid-air.
Wilco moved his cold hand towards Kierans abdomen.
Kieran took a step back and followed up with a left kick even faster and stronger than his first kick.
The tip of his footnded right on Wilcos palm with precision.
With a clear noise, Wilcos hand was kicked out of trajectory. The coldness spread from Kierans foot to his calf, but Wilcos face turned a solid green color.
Kierans speed was on par with his.
His repeated miscalctions woke the killing intent in Wilcos heart as he drove his ice-cold palm towards Kierans throat.
However, Wilco suppressed the instinct the moment it rose up. Kieran had to die, but only after he had retrieved the information his organization had tasked him to get.
Wilco switched his aim from Kierans throat to his chest.
As his palm touched his chest, ice instantly covered Kierans upper body. His left calf had frozen as well, so all Kieran had left was his right foot, hands and head.
Bang!
Kieran lunged down to the ground by Wilco.
As the ice spread over his body, he was robbed of the freedom to use his limbs.
His mind remained calm, even though his HP was depleting like water and he had entered a [Heavily Wounded Status]. Everything was unfolding ording to his n.
This was his chance.
Wilco had not finished Kieran right away, because he needed to get information about the incidents at Alcatraz from him.
Kieran was waiting patiently as hey down on the ground, extending his hand to the back of his waist unnoticed.
"You are one surprising man, 2567, but please note that this does not work in your favor. When you dieter, you will regret your surprising nature!"
Wilco did not hide his intentions one bit. He was confident that he could force the information out of Kieran with his torturing methods and Kieran would choose death soon enough.
"From where shall we begin? You teeth or your fingers? I would personally start from your tongue, but I need you to talk, so I have to choose another part of your body."
Wilco grabbed Kieran by his hair and dragged him off the ground.
His words were threatening, and he wanted to see the fear in Kierans eyes, but he was disappointed. Kieran was extremely calm.
Wilco frowned as a sense of danger rose in his heart. He instinctively wanted to throw Kieran away, but Kieran was quicker.
He grabbed Wilcos hand with both hands as he took out two grenades and pulled their pins.
"Surprise!" Kieran said softly next to Wilcos ear.
Chapter 165: Wilco’s Grudge
Chapter 165: Wilcos Grudge
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
BOOM!
There was a bright sh and burning shrapnel suddenly exploded before Kieran.
Theyer of rock around him reflected the bright explosion.
Kieran instantly recovered 200 HP from the Rock Skin, and the [Heavily Wounded] debuff disappeared.
He had used [Tessirot Blessing]s [Scale of Blessing] and [Primus Arm]s [Primus Scale].
The two Rare and Legendary items had protected him from the deadly explosion. He had not even gotten a scratch.
Wilco had been less fortunate. The explosion had destroyed his protection barrier and forced him into a terrible position.
His red shirt and pants had been torn to pieces, and his body had been burned badly. There was blood oozing from his burns.
Although Wilco had noticed something unusual a second before the explosion, he had not been prepared. Sometimes, ate reaction sealed ones fate.
"F*ck!"
The excruciating pain elevated his killing intent to a new high. Suddenly, Wilcos face turned ugly.
Kieran was standing in front of him, making a hand gesture. He was crossing his thumb as he kept his other fingers wide open. His palm was facing Wilco as he chanted the incantation, "AIOPLDS!"
A cone-shaped me burst out of his palm and engulfed Wilco.
While the rising heat wrecked havoc in the passageway, continuous gunshots were heard.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Kieran was holding the [MI-02] and [Python-W2] in his left and right hand respectively, and he was pulling the triggers repeatedly.
Bullets poured down on the burning Wilco like a heavy rain. This was still not the end though.
Kieran emptied the clips of his [Python-W2] and reached behind his waist again.
He produced another grenade and pulled its pin off.
He threw the grenade,nding it precisely at Wilcos feet.
Boom!
Another explosion assaulted Wilco, and this time he didnt have a protective barrier.
After enduring the [Burning Hand] and 13 shots of bullets, the grenade became the final straw that crushed him to bits.
Wilcos body was sent flying upwards, his face full of hatred and unwillingness.
Finally, his charred bodynded hard on the ground. There were no signs of life on it.
[Burning Hand: Inflicts 200 Fire Damage to Target HP, Target has Beginner Immune Lethal Attack, Beginner Element Resistance, Beginner Tensile Armor, Medium Iron Skin, Resisted 50 Damage, 150 True Damage inflicted to Target...]
[Shooting: Weak Spot Attack inflicts 200 Damage to Target HP (50 Firearm Weapon (Light Firearm)(Musou) X2), Target has Beginner Immune Lethal Attack, Beginner Element Resistance, Beginner Tensile Armor, Medium Iron Skin, Resisted 85 Damage, 15 True Damage inflicted to Target...]
[Explosion: Inflicts 200 Damage to Target HP (Explosive Weapon (Explosion)(Master)), Target has Beginner Immune Lethal Attack, Beginner Element Resistance, Beginner Tensile Armor, Medium Iron Skin, Resisted 150 Damage, 50 True Damage inflicted to Target, Target dies...]
The battlelog notifications that appeared in Kierans vision proved that Wilco had died.
After making sure he was really dead, Kieran leaned against the wall in exhaustion and panted heavily.
Although the two of them had been fighting for a mere 20 seconds, Kieran had thrown everything he had into the fight.
He had begun with [Hand-to-Hand Combat] kicks and a [Barsical Kick] to lure Wilco into his trap, and then used the fact that Wilco wanted information from him to restrict his movements. The grenades had dissipated Wilcos barrier and removed any obstacles so Kieran could use the [Burning Hand].
He hadbined his skills and attacked from a close distance, but hed had his ace cards and his luck to thank for his sess. Kieran admitted that he had been lucky in killing Wilco.
If Wilco had had no use for Kieran, considering his contempt and disdain for him, he might have been killed the moment he hade into contact with Wilco back in the room.
The way Wilco had emerged from the shadows behind him proved the gap of strength between them.
If it was not for Wilcos mission, Kieran would not even have had enough time to think about what to do, let alone kill Wilco.
Kieran rejoiced in his luck and the fact that he had killed Wilco and acquired a reward in the process.
An orange item had fallen off Wilcos charred body.
Kieran walked over quickly and picked up the rare item.
As the orange glow faded, a glittering, translucent crystal ring appeared in his hand.
There was a blue mist around it.
[Name: Wilcos Grudge]
[Type: essory]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attack/Defense: None]
[Attributes: 1. Chilling Touch; 2. Cursed Grudge]
[Effects: None]
[Prerequisites: None]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: A mission that Wilco had considered easy ended up leading to his death. Wilcos hatred and grudge are sealed in this ring!]
...
[Chilling Touch: You need to touch your target with the ring for the skill to be activated. It strikes with a Powerful Cold Attack thatsts 5 seconds (Whenbined with other equipment on your body, it stillsts the same time), 1 time/day]
[Cursed Grudge: Anyone who wears the ring will suffer Wilcos Grudge. Every time the [Chilling Touch] is activated, the wearer suffers 300 Damage. (Can be resisted with other skills, but the skill level has to be higher than the level of Wilcos Grudge)]
...
"A Powerful Attack?"
Kieran nced at the description of the ring. He was captivated by the Powerful Attack of the [Chilling Touch], but he frowned over the consequences of using the [Cursed Grudge].
He would have to suffer 300 Damage whenever he used the [Chilling Touch].
It was a real burden for him, as he had no skills to resist that huge damage.
300 Damage would be enough to send him into a [Heavily Wounded Status], even if he was in full HP.
Anything below his full HP would kill him if he used the [Chilling Touch].
However, the Powerful Attack was something Kieran had been longing for and needed.
It was also the reason he had enchanted the [Jagdtiger-X1] with [Critical Damage], so he could inflict more damage through his attacks.
However, the [Critical Damage] effect was only triggered with a certain percentage, so not every hit he fired could trigger it.
The Powerful Attack had a 100% chance of damage quality, so despite the consequences that came with it, Kieran was not willing to give it up just yet.
He put the ring on his right index finger, and in an instant, the glittering ring adjusted to his finger automatically. It was somethingmon items could not do.
Kieran tried throwing a couple of punches with his [Lightning Tigers Finger] after wearing the ring to make sure there was no resistance from it. Then he turned his attention to Wilcos body.
He had hoped to get more loot from Wilco, but the results were disappointing.
After enduring a couple explosions, Wilcos body had beenpletely destroyed, so there was no loot left behind.
Even the Magical item that had granted him that extraordinary barrier had been destroyed.
Kieran moved away from Wilcos body in disappointment and quickly picked up his backpack and Simones, who had passed out earlier, and resumed walking down the passageway.
Although Kieran had killed Wilco, he knew it was notpletely safe yet. If Wilco had been able to intercept them in the passageway, there had to be only one exnation. Carlos had been killed.
Although Kieran could not determine how strong Carlos had been, based on the pressure he had emitted, which had been on par with Wilcos, he was sure that Wilco could not have killed Carlos unscathed.
If he had still been able to intercept them within such a short time, then he must have had a partner in crime.
Kieran could note up with any other logical exnation.
The passageway was not safe at all. He had to escape before Wilcos partner found out Wilco was dead.
Kieran wanted to head back to 1st ck Street and contact Nikorei.
After the sudden appearance of the Night Demon Society, he knew his only safe move was contacting the shaman.
Kieran reached the end of the passageway. There was adder there that led up.
On top of thedder was a secret door.
Before Kieran could climb out though, the door was opened.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Early chaps today ! Happy halloween
Chapter 166: The Cat
Chapter 166: The Cat
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
As the secret door was opened, sunlight shone down on the gloomy, dark passageway.
Kieran squinted as a figure appeared at the top of the secret door.
"Nikorei?"
Kieran had to double confirm, even though he could see Nikoreis face clearly.
After all, he thought she had been currently out of town.
"Of course its me, you doubtfuld! Come on up quick! Or do you want me to prove that its me? The first book you read in my study was The Features of the Night Walker and the second was The Distribution of the Man Eater..."
Nikorei had to tell him something only the two of them would know, because Kieran was doubting her.
"Will that suffice?" she asked again after listing the books Kieran had read in her study in the correct order.
"Yes." Kieran nodded before starting to climb up thedder. He was not surprised that Nikorei knew which books he had read. Ferad had been with him the whole time he had been in the study, and considering Nikoreis abilities, "seeing" what Kieran was doing had to be a piece of cake.
Hold on!
"Seeing"?
A sudden thought made Kierans heart skip a beat, but it did not stop him from moving up thedder fast.
Nikorei moved away from the exit. She held Tiki in her arms as she made way for him. Kieran climbed up and put Simones down.
"Let me take a look at him... Hes little hurt, but hell survive. This is typical for him. What a pitiful, lucky guy!"
Nikorei checked on Simones carefully and shook her head with a sigh before turning her attention to Kieran.
Or more precisely to the figure behind Kieran,
There was someone behind him. Wilcos partner!
Kieran reacted quickly, but he did not turn around like a normal person. Instead, he rolled forward and away from the figure behind him.
A cold sh swept past Kieran as he rolled forward.
The chilling, sharp de that could freeze ones spine made Kieran clench his heart, even more so when he saw the attackere out like a chameleon. He had appeared out of thin air, using some kind of camouge technique.
Even a Musou Level [Undercover] could not have achieved that. Was it Transcendence maybe?
The attacker had missed in his first try, but he did not stop. He swung his de toward Kieran again.
The de was only a couple of inches away from him, when suddenly...
"Meow!"
Before Kieran could react, a clear meow was heard.
It was Tiki, who had jumped from Nikoreis arms on the de of the attacker within fractions of a second.
The yellow-striped, plump cat hadnded on the de light as a feather and instantly dissipated the cold, sharp feel of the de.
The ck-clothed attacker saw the unusual cat stand on his de like a feather, but he could not move it, even though he was straining every inch of his muscles.
His weapon was frozen in mid-air with Tiki on it.
Thats right. It was frozen, even though there was no ice on it.
No matter which direction the attacker tried to move the de in, it would not budge.
Kieran could sense fearing from the man.
Even though he could not get a clear look at the attackers face, his panting was very obvious.
Kieran was panting just as heavily.
The tremendous power before him had exceeded his imagination. The casual presence of such force made the power look even more formidable.
Kieran focused all his attention on Tiki. He could no longer consider it a regr cat.
"Meooooow!" the cat yawned in front of him.
Nikorei walked over slowly.
"Go back and tell Morenderke that I dont wish to start a war with the Night Demon Society. I have more important matters to attend to, and Im not afraid of you. I hope that he can pay me a personal visit at my house at 1st ck Street and give me a reasonable exnation why a Night Demon member would attack my assistant! He has one week to do it! Otherwise..." Nikorei warned the attacker in a calm tone.
As she finished her words, Tiki wagged its tail, leaving the attackers de.
The attacker quickly raised his de and fell back through the door. The door was shut as soon as hed left.
Tiki leapt back into Nikoreis arms.
Nikorei caressed the cats head in an odd manner before she turned her eyes to Kieran. Her gaze was full of admiration.
"2567, you did better than I thought! You beat Wilco, and this reflective action just now... It seems like you are fine on your own!" Nikorei said with a smile.
Her praise did not make Kieran cocky. Quite the opposite, his thoughts got even clearer.
"You can "see" again?" Kieran asked instinctively.
Nikorei replied with a nod.
"Does that means that if I get captured, you will appear right on time?"
Again with the nod.
Kieran could not help but rub his temples as Nikorei answered silently.
He realized that he had overlooked an important factor during his encounter. This was just a second time dungeon after all.
Wilcos sudden appearance and his malicious intent and chilling power had consumed Kierans focus and made him forget the facts.
However, Kieran did not regret his forgetfulness, nor was he upset about it.
He had beaten Wilco after all.
Even if he had remembered, he might still have risked it if he saw an opportunity to acquire more rewards or increase his dungeon rating.
His vignce reminded him that he was not calm enough.
"I need to calm down, or else I will really die!"
Kieran turned to Nikorei.
"So what next?" he asked.
"Lets get back to the house. Considering your gift, I could teach you enough Mystical Knowledge within a week! Thats a promise!" Nikorei answered.
A Mystical Knowledge lesson.
Nikoreis words lit a fire in Kierans heart.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Happy november !
Chapter 167: Clash of the Monsters
Chapter 167: sh of the Monsters
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
After breakfast, the sun shone the warmest. The lukewarm sunlight bathed the atmosphere in afortable warmth.
Kieran was sitting on the sofa under the sunlight. He had almost finished the thick book in his hands while he sunbathed.
Nikorei was beside him tasting her tea, waiting for him to finish.
When Kieran read thest page, she said, "So, can we begin?"
Kieran rubbed his temple, which was swollen from the extensive reading, and replied in a nasal voice, "Yes!"
"What is the main feature of a Night Walker pack?" Nikorei asked.
Kieran raised his head in surprise.
"Huh? I just read The Features of the Demon in the Well. Why would you ask me about Night Walkers?"
"Look for the old so you can learn something new. I did not say that I would test you on what you just read!" Nikorei smiled.
Kieran was sure she was doing it on purpose.
As a matter of fact, a week ago, Kieran had been anticipating Nikoreis lessons on Mystical Knowledge with delight. He had not expected her methods to be quite so traditional though.
He had to study and then answer questions.
It was how kids learned in elementary school, even though they did not learn about strange, deep Mystical Knowledge.
One thing was for sure. Nikoreis traditional method was very effective.
Although Kieran had not mastered the skill [Research of Mystical Beings], every time he answered one of Nikoreis questions correctly, he gained a certain amount of experience.
When his experience reached a certain level, it would eventually be a skill.
This was what Kieran believed, so he tried to recall what he had read about the Night Walkers and their packs.
Thanks to his good memory, he found the answer fast.
"The Night Walkers are divided into three main kinds and a special sub kind."
"The three main kinds are Duwurk, Hedurk and Felwurk. Among those three, Felwurk is the most mysterious kind. Some say there are prophets among them. Hedurk is the battle fanatic of the bunch. They are able to utilize most of the weapons known to men and have a far stronger body than humans. Duwurk is the kind that has mastered the art of Potionology. They like to live in the forest and are extremely friendly to humans."
"The special sub kind is the traitor of all three tribes. They like to devour humans and gain strength from their flesh. Because of that, their eyes, teeth and skin have undergone some unique changes. Theyre the most dangerous kind of Night Walkers. Humans need a squad of thirty fully-armed men to deal with one of them," Kieran said slowly.
"However, all kinds of Night Walkers hate Chamaejasme grass. They like buff, mature men, and they mate with humans to extend their bloodlines. After they get pregnant, they leave silently," Kieran added after recalling two more points.
When he finished, Nikorei put her cup of tea down and pped.
"Very good!" she said.
A series of notifications suddenly popped up in Kierans vision.
[Lesson learned, Experience gained on Research of Mystical Beings...]
[Research of Mystical Beings leveled up...]
[Master Skill: Research of Mystical Beings (Basic)]
[Name: Research of Mystical Beings (Basic)]
[Rted Attributes: None]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effects: You have learned some of the features of mystical beings, including but not limited to, their habits, attacks and rearing methods.]
[Consumes: Nothing]
[Prerequisites: None]
[Remarks: You have only acquired a limited knowledge of mystical beings. There are still a lot of mystical beings that you havent even heard of.]
[Hint: You have acquired this skill through a lesson and not a Skill Book. Therefore, you cannot level it up with Points and Skill Points. If you want to level it up, you will need to continue learning or get a Skill Book!]
...
Kieran let out a breath of relief after the notification popped up.
It had been a week. A whole week! Other than sleeping, he had spent all his time doing research on this skill.
Although he had been able notice the increase in his experience, he had not known when he would master the skill as a whole.
He had been nning on spending the rest of his time in the dungeon researching, but he was spared from that tedious chore after acquiring the skill.
Now he could focus his remaining attention on the other three skills he needed, [Alchemy], [Potionology] and [Astrology].
At this point, he did not care that [Research on Mystical Beings] could not be upgraded with Points.
His goal was to learn all four of the basic prerequisite skills to level up [Mystical Knowledge] and handle supernatural situations in future dungeons.
[Mystical Knowledge] had yed an important role in Kierans dungeon clearance.
A simple example was the [Wandering Beast] dungeon. If hed had a high enough level of [Mystical Knowledge] then, he would not have needed to face Trumbo and his almost perfect defensive mechanism. He would have relied on [Mystical Knowledge] to predict Trumbos end game and destroy his ns before hed evenpleted his magic circle.
If Kieran had been able to do that, it would have eventually raised his dungeon rating as well.
It was crucial and tempting, because he needed a big amount of Golden Skill Points and Attribute Points.
A high level of [Mystical Knowledge] would also give him an advantage in the current dungeon.
Nikorei had granted him ess to all her books, so it was a pity that Kieran could not understand almost 3/4 of them.
"You are able to read simple phrases rted to Alchemy, Potionology, Astrology and Research of Mystical Beings!"
The Master Level [Mystical Knowledge] remark made it very clear.
Kieran could use the [Master of Runes and Symbols] special effect when it came to unknown symbols and runes, but that was pretty much useless.
He might be able to understand a single word or symbol, but he couldnt read a whole paragraph in a book...
Kieran felt like hed be rewriting a book if he understood nothing about it.
In other words, hed be making up gibberish.
"Rei, I hope I can learn more about Mystical Knowledge. I am interested in Alchemy, Potionology and Astrology. Or course I wont abandon the study of Mystical Beings either!" Kieran stated his request, exining why he wanted to learn all those things.
After spending a whole week together, he hade to know Nikorei well.
She was very humble, and she sometimes acted like a child, but she also hated people who quit halfway through.
Did Nikorei know anything about Alchemy, Potionology or Astrology?
"When people say that she is the most powerful shaman on the West Coast, they do not just mean that she is strong. She also has different types of skills and abilities, every single one of them at the peak of perfection. Her skills include, but are not limited to, Alchemy, Potionology and Astrology."
Kieran had read this in a book called "The Supernatural Collection of the West Coast, Pre-Er990". The author had been someone named Weister Rei.
Kieran was sure that this was not Nikoreis penname.
Although Nikorei behaved like a child sometimes, she did not like to boast. Kieran was very confident about that.
Her vast pool of knowledge and the lessons she had taught Kieran had shown her humble nature.
Kieran had also noticed something else after a whole week of studying under her wing. She was someone who kept their promises.
"If you can keep up on your studies about mystical beings, I dont see why you cant learn other things as well!" Nikorei replied with a smile, just as Kieran had expected.
"I want to learn about Potionology!"
It was Kierans priority, since he had a couple of prescriptions in his game lobby.
"No problem, lets..." Nikorei nodded before pausing. "2567, I think we might have to put off our lessons for a while. My old friend has paid me a visit!"
Old friend? Kieran squinted before saying, "Morenderke?"
He might have immersed himself in his studies for the past week, but he had not forgotten the name Nikorei had mentioned.
Morenderke had to be a powerful man to have Wilco as ackey, so his name had made quite an impact on Kierans mind, especially considering that he was an enemy of his.
"Yes!" Nikorei replied softly before she stood up.
Tiki, who had disappeared for the past week, appeared again and jumped straight into Nikoreis arms.
"Ferad, Ill be away for some time. Probably for about a week or ten days. Ill leave the house to you," Nikorei ordered the spirit butler.
"Yes, madam," Ferad wrote.
Then Nikorei waved at Kieran and walked out of the study.
A hunched figure was standing in the garden, holding a crutch to support himself.
He was wearing an oversized mens hat that looked ridiculous, but no one would dareugh at him if they saw him.
Beneath his feet were countless bones that were wailing in sorrow. The eerie wails trashed the garden, and the countless souls around him tore the air apart through the ripples of the soundwaves they produced.
He was like a tyrant high in his throne, scourging bones and souls at will. A mere thought was enough to make them turn into ashes.
The scene was no illusion. Kieran did not see any [Fear] or [Illusions] notifications in his vision.
It was all real.
The bones beneath the figure were huge. They definitely did not belong to a human. The man looked fierce, deadly and monstrous. The souls around him had three eyes and four arms. Some even had eight legs. They were the souls of monsters.
Kieran puckered his lips, because they felt dry.
He didnt have to guess to know how powerful those monsters were. Yet those powerful monsters were crawling at Morenderkes feet like ves.
How powerful was Morenderke?
And how powerful was Nikorei if it only took a word from her to force Morenderke to appear?
It was certainly a meetings of monsters.
Messy thoughts formed in Kierans mind as he held his breath in deep concentration, watching Nikorei slowly approach Morenderke.
Chapter 168: Potionology
Chapter 168: Potionology
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Nikorei approached Morenderke with small steps.
As she walked, everything around her returned to normal.
The bones disappeared, and the ground became t again.
The souls wandering in mid-air dissipated, allowing the sunlight to shine through again.
By the time Nikorei had reached Morenderkes side, the whole garden had returned to its former liveliness. She was like an eraser wiping away the mistakes in a drawing.
"What in the world..."
Kieran opened his mouth in an effort to finish his sentence, but he could not find any words to describe what he had seen.
He would not be surprised if Nikorei and Morenderke were to fight a devastating battle. He could see how strong Nikorei was.
However, the scene before him had no depth whatsoever. It was like a peacefulke. Anyone who wanted to discover its depth would drown.
"Nikorei is the strongest shaman on the West Coast. If it wasnt for a specific reason, she would have been the strongest shaman in the world!" a voice behind Kieran said.
It was Simones. He was wearing casual clothes and holding a pipe in his hand as he approached Kieran.
He was also waving goodbye at Nikorei.
Nikorei whispered something to Morenderke, and then turned around and waved to Kieran and co.
Suddenly, the space around Nikorei and Morenderke started to distort, and within an instant, both of them had disappeared right before Kierans eyes.
Tiki had also been with Nikorei when theyd disappeared. Kieran had gotten an odd feeling before Tiki had left. He had felt the cat staring at him teasingly.
Kieran frowned.
Ever since Tiki had disyed a hidden supernatural strength during the confrontation with the Night Demon, he had not been able to treat her like a normal cat anymore.
Tiki still behaved like a cat though. She liked eating, she hated work, and she was overly fond of cat teasers.
"Whats on your mind?" Simones asked as he smoked his pipe.
Ever since Kieran had saved his life back in the passageway, he had been nothing but grateful.
After he had regained his senses, he had taken out Nikoreis package and helped Kieran finish his Sub Mission [The Shamans Package]. As a result, Kieran had reappraised Simones as a native.
He was no longer the useless native Kieran had thought he was.
Plus, Simones was a special individual, so Kieran wanted to develop a better rtionship with him.
Other than Nikorei, he was the person closest to Kieran at 1st ck Street.
Elli hadpletely immersed herself in Nikoreis assignment. Except for dinner time, when she would make an appearance in the kitchen, most of the time she was locked up in her room.
Raul and Cidney had left the city when Rauls wounds had gotten better.
Even though Nikorei had urged them to stay, the two of them had expressed their wish to lead a more peaceful life after they had gotten their revenge. They wanted to start over somewhere new.
"Nothing in particr." Kieran shook his head and headed to the study.
Most of the books there were impossible to read because of the restricted level of his [Mystical Knowledge], yet others remained valuable for his research.
It was the only choice Kieran had, considering Nikorei was no longer around to teach him more.
He had also decided to keep Tikis supernatural strength a secret. Nikorei had asked him to, and he had no reason to disobey her.
"You know, theories and knowledge are useless, unless you put them to practical use. I still have some potions left in my garden. If you help me move my equipment to the house, I could teach you about Potionology, too! My knowledge is not on the same level as Nikoreis, but it would be sufficient for a couple of lessons!" Simones said as he blew out a ring of smoke.
Kieran halted when he heard him.
"Really?" he asked.
Nikorei had already said that she would be away for a week or ten days, so if there was someone else able to fill her spot as his teacher, Kieran would be extremely d.
Simones had found out why he wanted to learn about Potionology during their conversations, so Kieran was eager to learn from him.
"Of course! Only the basics of Potionology though. Nothing rted to those traditional prescriptions! Ferad, we need a car. Best be a Picard!" Simones shrugged a little before voicing his request.
"Very well!" Ferad wrote.
...
Even though they had been left without any care for a week, the nts at the Celestial Garden were still as lively as ever. They showed no signs of withering.
The outer room was still covered in nts, and the frosted ss was blocking the view from the outside.
However, it was for a different purpose this time. Kieran was still being vignt of their surroundings, but his feelings were different.
He was more rxedpared to the anxious, disturbed feeling hed had when hed faced the Dark Star Society.
Simones was humming an unknown melody as they entered the shop.
"Rx, my friend! Nikorei has settled everything, both with the Dark Star and the Night Demon Society! Everything is fine now!"
Simones was like a cart driving down a familiar road. He quickly reached the room where his ntations and potions were kept.
It was beside his sleeping quarters, right before the passage at the back.
Neither Carlos nor Wilco had been interested in anything like that, so everything was still intact.
Kieran saw dozens of weird-looking nts, and eventually his eyesnded on a tform in the corner. It was a two-meter long, one-meter wide, and one-and-a-half-meter tall crafting tform.
The tform was made of wood, and there were three drawers on each of its four sides.
Countless runes and symbols were carved on it, and on its surface were dozens of sks, measuring pots, a beaker and a crucible.
"Is this a Potion Crafting tform?" KIeran asked.
"Yes, pure handcrafted beauty. The alchemy enchantment ensures the freshness of the potions! Come on, lets move everything here!"
Simones was cing odd-looking nts on the tform as he spoke. Then he walked to the side of the tform and tried to move it.
Kieran had already promised Simones he would help, and he had no problem being ordered around. Plus, he would be getting something from all that hard work.
He moved to the opposite side of the tform and got ready to lift it up with Simones.
Truth be told, considering Kierans C- Strength, he would have been able to carry it to the car by himself. However, the two of them would ensure a steadier, smoother move.
They lifted the Potion Crafting tform toward the entrance, but before they could even approach it, a roaring engine sound was heard from outside.
The thundering roar was produced by a dozen horse-powered vehicles. The sound was getting closer by the second.
It seemed to be heading towards the Celestial Garden!
Chapter 169: Hide
Chapter 169: Hide
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The engine sounds were getting louder as they approached.
Kieran exchanged an incredulous look with Simones when they heard the sound.
The issue with the Dark Star and the Night Demon society should have been over by now. Who else was interested in Alcatraz Ind?
Were there some other factions or forces interested inpeting over it?
Kieran frowned at the theories forming in his mind. His sudden thoughts did not slow him down though.
He and Simones moved the Potion Crafting tform back into the room together. What happened next proved that this was the right choice.
A series of messy footsteps were heard outside the Celestial Gardens door.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The intense gunfire wiped off everything in front of the Celestial Garden.
The nts were destroyed, and the door and windows were broken by the sudden downpour of bullets. It felt like it was raining bullets inside the shop.
The decorations and nts that Simones had picked so carefully to fend off the Dark Star and the Night Demon Society were all gone in an instant. Everything was shot to pieces.
"Goddamn it! Who is it now?" Simones cursed, taking cover in the corner of the room.
He touched his heart with his hand. It hurt physically to see his things all destroyed by the rapid fire.
"I dont know, but definitely not someone who wants to ask about Alcatraz!" Kieran said in an affirmative tone.
If the attackers had been there for answers, they would not have opened fire without asking a single question.
They were there to kill, not get information.
The gunfirested for 10 seconds. Simones wanted to go out when it stopped, but he was pulled back by Kieran.
Kieran knew what was going to happen next. He had experienced the same thing in the [Wandering Beast] dungeon.
Grenades were thrown into the shop, sting the interior to pieces. Simones face turned pale as his shop was bombarded.
"You saved me again!" he eximed, looking at Kieran.
"Yes! So you better do your best when you teach me about Potionology!" Kieran said jokingly.
"Definitely!" Simones nodded seriously.
A second round of fire followed the explosions.
The attackers finally entered the shop after another 10 seconds.
As their feet appeared inside, Kieran gestured for Simones toy low. Then he pulled out the [MI-02] and the [Python-W2] and rolled out of the room where he had been hiding.
Being passive was not Kierans style. He always tried to actively solve a problem.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The two guns in his hands shed as he pulled the triggers repeatedly, aiming at his target.
Within a breath, the attackers that had entered the shop were killed.
However, a dozen more attackers outside raised their guns and swept the ce again, targeting Kieran.
Despite his Musou Level [Evading], that kind of fire could still hit him. He had no intention of evading it though.
He used [Primus Scale].
The ck leather wristband shed slightly as the Powerful Barrier appeared. The barrier blocked all the bullets aimed at Kieran in mid-air as they surrounded his body.
Every single bullet was useless against it. As the attackers witnessed the scene, they paused their fire. The shock was evident on their faces.
Kieran seized this opportunity to counterattack.
He fired until his guns ran out of bullets, and then he rushed after the small group of attackers.
It was an instinctive move without any technique, just sheer force and speed.
The attackers were all knocked down like bowling pins.
[Primus Scale] granted Kieran an imprable barrier as he rushed into the group. After two rounds of knocking them around, they were all down on the ground.
Most of them had suffered broken bones, but some of the weaker ones had died.
Kieran frowned over them.
He didnt feel sorry for the dead. He never showed any mercy to the enemies that were after his life.
That kind of mercy would be cruel to himself. He held that principle close to his heart.
The reason he was frowning was because the attackers had all been normal humans. In other words, they were not special individuals.
If they had been special individuals, they would not have paused in shock when they had realized that their attacks were ineffective against Kieran, much less forget to keep attacking.
Kieran would never have chosen such a reckless attacking method in that case either.
"What is going on?" He was confused.
A set of soft footsteps approached him from behind. He might have missed them if he had not been listening closely.
He was sure that that spot had been empty when he had rushed into the attackers.
An invisible enemy? Kieran squinted as he tried to guess.
His doubts were instantly cleared. The men who had died and gotten injured had obviously been scapegoats. A diversion for the real killer.
The person who was actually targeting Kieran was definitely a special individual, and Kierans hunch was telling him that it was someone from the Drifter Society.
The group had had a beef with him before, and he could note up with any other suspects.
Having a general understanding of the situation, Kieran went over to the attackers that were still alive without reacting to the invisible attacker. He acted like he wanted to interrogate the men, yet his full attention was focused behind him.
He squatted down near one of them and activated his [Tracking], taking a quick nce behind.
Amidst all the explosions and gunshots, a clear set of footprints had appeared. The pattern of the sole was clear.
"Mens boots, 25 centimeters long. Based on the calction of his foot length and an analogy of 1:7, he must be around 175 centimeters tall. Judging by the look of his footprints, there was no obvious change of position from standing to undercover. Even his footprints while he was tiptoeing were light. He must be quite slim and not very strong. Possibly fast..."
Based on the information provided by his [Tracking], Kieran made a quick estimation.
The [Tracking] effect was not limited to the [Trace Tracking] special effect. All kinds of tracks were visible to him, and the details of the tracks were presented in an extremely intricate manner in his brain.
[Tracking] could not paint the whole picture though. There were some elements that required guessing and analyzation.
The invisible enemy was approaching slowly. The fact that he had not fired right away meant that his weapon of choice was a long sword, dagger, or some kind of sharp weapon. It was definitely not a gun though.
Of course it could also be some kind of magical equipment that required contact with the target.
Only a strong, powerful piece of magical equipment could make up for the destructive power of a firearm.
This enemy was a special individual, so Kieran would never underestimate him.
The sound of footsteps was getting more and more precise as he approached, but it sounded like there was no ill intent in them.
The man seemed to be good at hiding his killing intent, not letting it out until the veryst moment.
All signs pointed to him being a professional hitman.
Such a professional would not back off, even after witnessing how powerful the defensive power of [Primus Scale] was. This meant that he was confident that he could pierce through [Primus Scale]s barrier.
"He must have a powerful magical weapon!" Kieran guessed, his heart burning with want.
He wanted that weapon for himself.
Suddenly, loud sirens sounded from afar. The police wasing to the scene to investigate the attacks.
Meanwhile, the invisible enemy made his move.
An air-breaking sound dashed out towards Kierans back.
Chapter 170: Dagger
Chapter 170: Dagger
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Kieran, who had been waiting for a chance to counterattack, maintained his squatting position and ced his hands on the ground, kicking back with both legs like a horse.
Bam!
The continuous kicksnded on the attackers chest and wrist, which was wielding the dagger.
Kieran could tell what weapon the attacker was using by the distance of his attack.
The mans chest suffered a strong kick from Kieran, and the attacker flew backwards from the force.
mes were burning his coat, and the air was filled with a faint charred smell.
Burning pain spread from the attackers chest to his body, but the pain was iparable to the fear and shock in his heart.
The man exited his invisible mode and looked at Kieran incredulously.
The moment the police sirens were heard, heunched an attack he had been holding back for a long time.
He thought Kieran would be distracted by the sirens and hed have the chance to take him out with a lethal hit.
That was why he was shocked when he was sent flying by Kierans ming kicks.
"How... How did you notice?"
The excruciating pain made the attacker stutter.
Kieran had no intention of replying. He just followed up with another kick.
Bang!
He kicked like a thrusting spear, aiming precisely at the attackers throat with just the tip of his foot.
The man fell to the ground with a clear neck-breaking sound, robbed of any signs of life.
Nothing fell off his body after he was killed.
Kieran moved over to the dagger the man had been holding.
He already had two captives from the Drifter Society at the house, that was why he had killed this one.
When it came to unknown mystical knowledge, even the slightest carelessness could allow the enemy to retaliate. Kieran would rather stay alive than lose his life during an interrogation.
After all, the best enemies were the dead ones.
[Name: Hatchs Curse]
[Type: Dagger]
[Rarity: Magical]
[Attack: Common]
[Attributes: Hatred]
[Special Effects: None]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Prerequisites: Sharp Weapon Dagger (Master)]
[Remarks: This is an idental product of Gilfren Hatchs alchemy practice. He wanted to make another one, but he did not seed!]
...
[Hatred: After an effective attack, it will deplete the durability of the weapon and cause exponential damage that exceeds the attack of the dagger by far.]
[Hint: The Attack Level is based on the dagger. The strength and technique of the wielder is secondary.]
...
When Kieran picked up the palm-sized, double-edged dagger, the gloomy weapon surprised him.
"So its not the Drifter Society, but the Hatch Heresy?"
The description had mentioned the group.
Kieran would never forget the heresy created by the half-dead himself.
Now that Dr. Fenkes had be the new leader of the heresy, Kieran could not ignore it anymore.
The Hatch Heresy was very strange. Most of its members were normal people who had been deceived, and its small number of high-ranking members were nothing more than tricksters.
Nikorei could easily locate them all with her abilities, but not Dr. Fenkes.
"He is hiding from me with some kind of special method!"
This was what Nikorei had said after she had voluntarily helped Kieran locate the Hatch Heresy.
Since Kieran could not rely on Nikorei to locate them and he could not get any information from other low-ranking members, he had to use the most primitive way to get in contact with Fenkes. He had to lure him out.
He had not expected Fenkes to be so violent as to send out a hitman with special abilities, rather than someone to negotiate.
"Is Dr. Fenkes really the hidden key in Gilfren Hatchs n?"
Kieran frowned a little as he spected.
As far as he remembered, Fenkes had been the only person with a kind face on the ind, as well as the only old man, and the only one to make a good impression on him.
There were plenty of holes in his theories. If Fenkes was really the key to Gilfren Hatchs n, their encounters would not have been that casual.
Fenkes had had too many opportunities to turn the situation around, both during the canteen poisoning incident andter in the infirmary.
"There must be something Im not aware of!"
Kieran looked at the dagger again as he kept thinking.
He was very curious about the daggers [Hatred] attribute. It was the first time Kieran hade across a weapon that could sacrifice its durability to enhance its attacking power.
Although it was a one-time use weapon, the system description was enough to assure Kieran to trust the potential attacking power of the dagger.
As he put the magic dagger away, human figures started appearing all over the ce, surrounding the area with their heavy footsteps. Suddenly, a light shone down on Kieran, and he heard someone yell through a loudspeaker, "Freeze! Put your hands up in the air!"
A squad of policemen surrounded Kieran, pointing their guns at him.
Kieran raised his hands up cooperatively.
"Hey, hey, hey... I was only defending myself! These guys were the attackers!" he said.
The policemen did not let their guard down though. Instead, they widened their eyes and focused on Kieran.
After all, he was the only one standing among a bunch of dead and severely injured people. The scene certainly looked suspicious and unusual to ordinary people.
"Hi, everyone! I am the owner of this shop! I can prove that this gentleman here was only defending himself!"
Simones hade out of the room with his hands up as well, trying to prevent any further misunderstandings with the police.
However, as soon as he mentioned self-defense, the policemen turned their guns on him.
"What the... If you guys showed the same zeal against criminals, youd have cleaned the city up long ago!" Simones said with a shrug.
The confrontation was interrupted when Schmidt walked in on the scene.
Schmidt took a nce at Kieran and Simones before ordering the other policemen, "Stand down, this is a special situation! Ill take over from here!"
Then he turned his eyes to Kieran.
"If you dont mind, I would like you to follow me to my new office. You guys can tell me what happened when we get there. I want to know what transpired here!" Schmidt said.
"Fine." Kieran nodded.
...
Kieran was on the third underground floor of the police station.
When he walked out of the elevator, he saw a special sign in front of him.
The words on it were eye-catching, so he read them out instinctively.
"Special Task Force Leader Schmidt?"
"Thanks to those bloody Drifters, Ive been promoted. These are my new men, dispatched by the director himself."
Schmidt pointed at a bunch of odd-looking people.
Kieran inspected the new men.
There were old men, children and some oddly dressed teenagers.
Although they seemed to be very different from each other, every single one of them had one thing inmon. They were mumbling to themselves.
Kieran did not reply, but Simonesughed out loud at the scene.
"I think your director doesnt know how to differentiate between special individuals!"
"These were the best candidates he coulde up with. Fortunately, I dont have to rely on them most of the time."
Schmidt led Kieran and Simones into his new office helplessly.
It was a decent office, five times bigger than his previous one. Although the decoration was a bit poor, the room was fully equipped.
"Okay, back to business! Tell me what happened back there," Schmidt asked after taking a seat behind his desk.
Kieran did not keep anything to himself except for the Hatch Heresy. He spilled everything out without holding back.
After testifying, Kieran and Simones were escorted out of the station by Schmidt before returning to what was left of the Celestial Garden.
......
"Goddammit!" Simones could not help but curse again when he saw his shop. The mess the attackers had left behind was surrounded by police tape.
Kieran turned his attention to a person behind the police tape. A person whose presence there exceeded even his wildest expectations.
Chapter 171: Treatment
Chapter 171: Treatment
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
It was Fenkes!
The prison doctor Kieran wanted to meet was standing right behind the police tape.
Without his doctors robe, his brown pants, gray shirt and sunny cap made him look no different than any other old man.
Kieran noticed the difference within a second though. Fenkess eyes were more lively than he remembered.
They were not dull and gloomy like the average old mans. They were shining with energy. Even his body had changed. He had gotten fit and muscr, his exposed arms and calves as ripped as a bodybuilders.
It was amazing and peculiar for a man in his 60s.
His senses were much sharper as well. As soon as Kieranid eyes on the doctor, Fenkes instantly felt his gaze.
The moment he noticed him, he waved and greeted Kieran in a loud voice, a delighted smile forming on his face.
"Its been a while, 2567! Im d to see you alive and kicking!"
Despite his doubts, Kieran greeted Fenkes and probed him for more information.
"Im d to see you, too. Your greeting was really something else though!"
"I can exin. Could we...?" Fenkes nced at Simones.
"You folks go ahead. Ill go clean up this mess."
Simones acted very smart in that delicate situation. After telling Kieran, he crossed the police tape and went into the Celestial Garden. He had clearance from Schmidt, so he could ess the scene without any hindrance.
...
They had decided to go to the coffee shop around the corner.
Kieran was sitting opposite Fenkes, stirring his coffee with a spoon.
The rich aroma of the coffee and the savoury vour of the cinnamon cake produced a uniquebination that felt smooth on their tastebuds.
Kieran was not enjoying his afternoon tea though.
His attention was focused on what Fenkes had said.
"You are saying that after we left, you, the Warden, and the remaining prison guards ventured into the cave where the bronze coffin was? That the Warden and the prison guards died after touching it, but you miraculously survived and gained mysterious knowledge and powers? That sounds unbelievable, doctor!" Kieran said after Fenkes was done exining.
His words were filled with astonishment. From his point of view, it was inconceivable.
How much luck would it take to survive and benefit from that coffin if whoever touched it died?
Kieran had his doubts about the doctors words.
Fenkes addressed Kierans suspicions with a bitter smile. "If someone else told me this story, I would have doubted them just like you are, but it really happened to me, so I have no other option but to embrace it!" Fenkes said with a long sigh.
"So why did you be the new leader of the Hatch Heresy then?" Kieran voiced the other question that was troubling him.
"Out of curiosity! I was curious about the changes that had happened to me, but I could not contact you or your team. The only other thing rted to that incident was Gilfren Hatch, so I started searching for things rted to him. I was hoping for an exnation about what had happened to me, but..." Fenkesughed bitterly again as he paused.
Kieran could guess what had happened.
"You had not expected the Hatch Heresy to be aplete fraud. Other than Gilfren Hatch himself, all the others heretics were nothing but liars," Kieran said.
"Yes, but other than liars, I also discovered something else..."
"It was this new discovery that led me to be the heresys new leader. I couldnt just stand by and watch innocent people suffer as they were lied to by Gilfren Hatch! They didnt deserve this, not when I could help end their suffering. Some of them are not willing to ept my help anymore though. They think that Ive deviated from the heresys creed and gone down a different path..." Fenkes nodded helplessly before lowering his voice and asking, "What do you know about magic repulsion?"
"Magic repulsion? You can treat magic repulsion?" Kieran squinted.
He had beening across that term a lot recently during his studies with Nikorei.
"If you dont want to end up like one of the Drifters, dont even try to learn unknown magic spells!"
Nikoreis serious tone when she had said those words was still imprinted in Kierans mind.
She had been stern because the consequences would have been serious.
If one forcefully performed a magic spell without having the necessary talent, the consequences would be severe.
If that person was lucky, they would end up mumbling gibberish from time to time like the members of the Drifter Society. If they were unlucky, they would die.
Nikorei had also mentioned that a mental meltdown like that of the Drifters was permanent. In other words, there was no cure for it.
However, Fenkes was now iming that he had the ability to treat that specific condition, which meant that he had discovered a way to treat it that not even Nikorei knew of...
Suddenly, a light bulb went on in Kierans mind.
"Did you acquire that knowledge from the bronze coffin?" he asked.
"Yes! That mysterious knowledge included a way to treat magic repulsion, thats why I wanted to save innocent people. I need your help, 2567!"
Fenkes looked at Kieran seriously.
"My help with what?" Kieran asked.
"I need you to take me back to Alcatraz! I am familiar with the treatment process, but Ick the ingredients to perform it. Spill fresh blood on the coffin and before the coffin absorbs the blood, intercept it and use it as an ingredient for the cure! I know this is a dangerous quest, but I hope that you can help me! Just take me back to Alcatraz!" Fenkes said seriously.
Take him back to Alcatraz?
Kierans breath suddenly became heavy.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Tada, Fenkes is in da house yo!
Chapter 172: Help
Chapter 172: Help
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Kieran had been obsessed with the thought of returning to Alcatraz because of the bronze coffin, so now that Fenkes had mentioned that he had gained powers from it, his eagerness to return was burning even fiercer.
However, the fire in his heart was extinguished once he remembered that the Dark Star Society was upying the ind.
He knew how powerful they were. Every member of the society was stronger than Kieran by a mile, so it would be impossible to infiltrate the heavily guarded ind.
Kieran could imagine what would happened to him if he were to go to Alcatraz uninvited.
He might not die thanks to Nikoreis reputation, but ending up behind bars was unavoidable.
Plus, such a reckless move might affect his rtionship with Nikorei and eventually influence the Main Mission itself.
Kieran shook his head to push the thoughts away. It was better not to risk failing the Main Mission.
"Im sorry, but I cant help you. The Dark Star Society is upying the ind, so I cant ess it anymore. The bronze coffin might be really tempting, but I know my own limits," Kieran said apologetically.
"Its fine... It was worth a try. Did you say that the Dark Star Society is upying the ind?"
Fenkes could not hide the disappointment and shock on his face.
It seemed like he did not know that the Dark Star Society had taken over the ind after the incidents there.
Before Kieran could utter a word, Fenkes went on to exin, "After I woke up, I was transferred off the ind by government personnel. I have no idea what happened after I left. Although I tried very hard to investigate the incidents on the ind, every path I took led me to a dead end. If the Dark Star Society is behind this though... No wonder! It all makes sense now! Even though Ive just entered the supernatural circle, Im aware that the Dark Star Society is among the six most powerful factions around. Ive heard its name everywhere. Its like a roaring thunder in my ears..."
Fenkes shook his head with a bitterugh.
Six factions? Werent there only five?
Dark Star, Night Demon, Unicorn, White Deer, Pris...
Kieran counted the names silently, making sure that he did not remember wrong.
Simones kept mentioning the five factions during their conversations, so Kieran remembered their names.
Fenkes had said that there were six factions though, and judging by his casual manner and steadfast tone, it did not sound like he was joking.
Was Fenkes misinformed? Or was Kieran?
Doubts started filling Kierans mind again, but he remained calm as he quietly listened to Fenkes story.
The doubts in his heart grew bigger by the second. He had been waiting for Fenkes to find him, but his appearance had been too coincidental.
Kieran had been assaulted by a Hatch Heresy assassin right before the heresys leader had appeared before him iming to have gained powers from the bronze coffin.
Fenkes was feeding Kieran information, eager to tell him the story behind everything.
If Kieran had been in Fenkes shoes, would he have spilled everything to a bare acquaintance?
The answer was no. Kieran would not have been as honest as Fenkes.
The consequences it might cause would have been too severe for him.
Abination of greed and jealousy could incite conflict and bloodshed.
Of course, Fenkes might bepletely honest because he really trusted Kieran, and Kieran might be measuring the stature of a great man by the yardstick of small men.
It was too hard to tell.
After an hour, Fenkes stood up and bid Kieran farewell. He had asked all his questions about the mystical realm and special individuals before Kieran saw him off.
He had not hidden the truth from Fenkes, even though all his information came from Nikorei and Simones. He had told him everything he knew.
Fenkes had thanked Kieran for his eagerness and honesty. He had been very delighted to get the answers he had been seeking. His joy had not seemed like an act.
Although Kieran still maintained his doubts, he needed to confirm his spections before acting on them.
If his spections were wrong, he would apologize to Fenkes, but if he was right, everything would have been worth it.
When Kieran saw Fenkess figure disappear in the distance, he returned to the Celestial Garden.
...
After Kieran and Simones moved the Potion Crafting tform back to the house, Kieran resumed his earlier daily routine.
Except for when he slept and ate, he spent most of his time learning about Potionology from Simones.
Time passed quickly as he immersed himself in his studies. It had already been two weeks before hed realized it.
During his studying period, Nikorei had only called once to say she would extend her trip. Then she had hung up the phone, not even allowing him to utter a word.
This had prevented Kieran from confirming the theories in his mind.
He had not asked anyone else about the number of the factions. He had kept it a secret for the time being.
This did not stop him from learning though.
After spending almost two weeks with Simones, Kieran had discovered that he was much more knowledgeable than hed originally thought. He actually had quite a decent knowledge of Potionology.
When he remembered that Simones was friends with Nikorei, everything made sense.
A tiger never associated itself with sheep, and the weak never lingered around the strong.
Simones might have looked weak, but that was only because Kieran had not discovered his strong point yet.
"This is sandalwood. Its made of the core of a sandal tree after its dried up and grinded. When its used as incense, it calms ones mind easily. If you mix it with other materials, you can achieve a spirit repelling effect and a healing effect."
"This is Alfalfa Medicago. If you dry it up, you can use it as food rations. It wont taste good, but it will fill your stomach!"
"This is a hibiscus. Its a good ingredient to use if you are feeling extremely tired."
"And these here are..."
Kieran was following Simones around the garden of the house. They had changed the garden into his Potionology ntation. Every time they passed by a nt, Simones would pause and exin to Kieran.
Every time Kieran absorbed knowledge from the lecture, he gained a little experience in Potionology.
[Potionology experience increased through teaching...]
Kieran was delighted rather than tired.
He looked forward to the moment when Potionology would appear as a skill in his skill window.
Suddenly, Ferad appeared and interrupted the lecture. Kieran frowned unconsciously in dissatisfaction.
However, he knew Ferad would not appear out of thin air with another person for no reason.
The man Ferad had brought was in his forties, and he had dark skin and hands full of calluses. He looked very buff, but his back was a little hunched.
He resembled the coolies that worked around the train stations and the docks.
However, anyone who could see Ferad could not be ordinary.
Even Simones needed a potions effect to see Ferad clearly.
"Are you Mr. 2567? Dr. Fenkes life is on the line! He needs your help!" the dark-skinned man said.
Kieran frowned hard.
Chapter 173: Location
Chapter 173: Location
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Fenkes had gone to Alcatraz?
Kieran thought about it after the dark-skinned man stated his reason for visiting.
It was just a spection though. He did not just assume so.
"What happened?" Kieran asked.
"Some of the independent members of the group that got out sent a message three days ago. They said that they wanted to negotiate with Dr. Fenkes to eradicate the dispute within the organization. Most of us thought it was a trap, but Dr. Fenkes saw it as an opportunity to make peace, so..." The dark-skinned manughed bitterly.
"So he epted?" Kieran asked.
"Yes. Dr. Fenkes left the headquarters three days ago, and we havent heard from him ever since," the man said with a nod.
"So how did you discover this ce?" Kieran asked with a suspicious expression.
1st ck Street was not a secret location, but neither was it a ce anymon John Doe could just wander into.
Besides, based on Kierans limited understanding of Dr. Fenkes, he did not seem like someone who would actively get involved with other peoples problems.
"Dr. Fenkes told me about it. He said that if he did not make it back, he hoped that you could take care of the rest of the suffering innocents. He didnt want you to try to save him... Still, we hope that Dr. Fenkes will be able toe back," the man exined.
Then he suddenly made a sound of surprise, as if he had remembered something.
"Oh, right! I am Boller. Its a pleasure to meet you, Sir 2567!" he introduced himself shyly.
"Nice to meet you, too. Could you hold on for a moment?" Kieran said.
"So youve agreed toe with me?"
When Boller saw Kieran nod, he happily went to the foyer with Ferad.
"Dont agree so recklessly. This is just what hes saying. It could be a trap! I suggest you contact Dr. Fenkes yourself!" Simones warned Kieran.
"Thats why I asked him to hold on," Kieran replied with a smile.
Before he had parted ways with the doctor, Fenkes had left a contact number in case of an emergency, but that number could no longer be reached.
After three tries, it was still unreachable.
Kieran frowned again before calling a different number.
"Yes, this is Schmidt. How I can help you?" Schmidts voice came from the other side of the line.
Even through the phone, Kieran could tell that Schmidts office was busy.
He thought about the new recruits his director had assigned to him, but decided to avoid the subject and get straight to the point.
"Ive gotten into some trouble... I wanted to ask whether there have been any strange incidents during the past three days," Kieran said.
He believed that even though Fenkes had set off for a peaceful negotiation, if something happened that put his life in danger, he would not go down without a fight.
Kieran was unsure of Fenkes strength at the moment, but it would surely cause quite amotion if the doctor needed to defend himself.
Any unusualmotion in the city would definitely have caught the attention of Special Task Force Leader Schmidt.
"Nope, the past three days have been the peaceful break this city deserved. Although I would prefer to be busier... Goddamnit! You nimbwit! Thats hot coffee! YOU CANT WATER PLANTS WITH IT!" Schmidt interrupted his own words with a loud shout. He sounded angry and helpless.
"Thanks, Schmidt. If you cant fire them, I suggest you give them some independent space!" Kieran said before hanging up the phone.
No unusualmotion?
Fenkes phone was unreachable though. Had Fenkes gotten himself killed right after the meeting? Had the killer covered everything up?
Or was Boller lying?
The gears in Kierans brain turned hard as he thought about the situation. After a while, he waved at Simones and headed to the foyer.
He was ready to discover the truth.
Kieran wished that Nikorei was with him. She could have known the cause and effect of the matter with a simple "look".
He would not have even needed to take this risk to find out what was going on. It was a pity Nikoreis phone had also been unreachable ever since shed left.
Simones waved back at Kieran and let him be. His warning had been the best help he could offer.
He believed that Kieran was a vignt person, so he would know what to do.
...
Following Bollers directions, Kieran drove the car a block away from the city central.
It was where the Hatch Heresy headquarters were.
Kieran felt like he had entered a different world the moment he set foot on that street.
The houses there were old, there were no big supermarkets or malls in sight, and there were few people in the area, even though it was still afternoon.
There were a few small convenience stores here and there, but visitors were few and far between.
Even so, the cashiers behind the counters at the convenience stores had guns on them. The shape of the guns was obvious at their waist lines.
From start to end, Kieran saw only one patrol car pass by the block, and it did not even enter the street. It just made a few rounds by the street entrance and left quickly.
The vile stench that filled the air was intolerable.
Anyone who picked it up held their breath instinctively.
The smell seeped through the car and made Kieran frown.
"Poverty and bad security."
That was the impression Kieran had gotten as soon as hed entered the street.
He did not feel surprised though. He thought it made sense.
The malefic environment created by poverty is a good ce for a religion to grow.
That was not Kierans thought.
He had read it in a book named "Saint Rock Religion" back in Nikoreis study. The author had been the same one who had written "West Coast Paranormal Incident Collection (Pre-Er990)". It was Weister Rei.
"Saint Rock Religion" introduced the origins of that religion, as well as its expansion and destruction.
There were also some authors notes inside the book.
That particr phrase had been mentioned in the authors notes and had made quite an impact on Kierans memory.
The situation on that street made the meaning of that phrase even clearer.
"Go straight and turn right. The second house you will see is our headquarters!"
Boller pointed at a two-storey building with mottled white paint.
The fence around the building had been shortened by half, so a car could drive directly over it.
The grass there had not been taken care of for a long time. There were all sorts of tire tracks and footprints on it. It seemed like people used it as a car park.
"Come with me, Sir 2567," Boller said as he got out of the car and headed towards the building.
Kieran followed him, naturally bing more vignt in that strange environment.
If this was a trap, this would be the best chance for Boller to strike.
However, nothing happened as Boller opened the door and Kieran went inside. No ambush or ident.
He even saw the poor innocent people who were suffering from magic repulsion.
There were five people inside the headquarters, all of them school-age teenagers. They were all sitting there as if they were mentally retarded, staring nkly at nothing. From time to time, they would mumble unfamiliar words.
Except for the fact that they were not afraid of strangers, their condition looked exactly like Louvers.
It was the after-effect of magic repulsion.
"Their clothes are clean and they are neatly dressed. It seems like Fenkes has taken good care of them," Kieran thought silently after taking a quick look.
"We need to take them back to my ce," Kieran told Boller.
"Well, it was what Dr. Fenkes wished as well, but considering he is not around..."
Boller did not object to Kierans suggestion, but he was still worried about Fenkes.
"Dont worry, I promise that after they are settled in, I will try my best to find Fenkes," Kieran said.
He was not justforting the man. He really wanted to locate Fenkes as well.
Before the truth had been revealed, Kieran had still maintained some doubts about the new heresy leader.
Witnessing the scene before him only increased his doubts though.
"If everything before me is an act, Fenkes will surely appear or leave behind some obvious traces! But why would he do that? Just to get back to Alcatraz? Dark Star is on the ind. Even if he made it there, he would not be able to do anything!"
The question remained unsolved as Kieran and Boller took the teenagers back to the ce beside 1st ck Street.
Although Kieran was Nikoreis assistant, without her approval, he dared not allow any strangers to stay in the house.
It was not because of their rtionship, but because of his manners.
Kieran had easily gained ess to 2nd ck Street with his funds in the dungeon world, and even hired a couple of nannies to take care of the teenagers.
After settling Boller and co. there, Kierans efforts to find Fenkes proved futile.
Fenkes had not appeared, nor had he left any traces behind.
Kieran could not find any further clues, not even at the ce where they had both promised to meet up.
After a whole week of futile efforts, Kieran ended up at a dead end.
"Were my spections wrong?"
He could not help but doubt his own spections.
Chapter 174: Oddly Strange
Chapter 174: Oddly Strange
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
"Am I really wrong?"
Kieran eventually shook his head, facing his own self-doubt.
It was not because he was too stubborn to admit he was wrong. It was just that he could not dismiss his suspicions about Fenkes before his doubts had been cleared.
However, that did not stop him from searching for Fenkes and taking in the teenagers.
Kieran found a private investigator through Schmidt and paid them to aid him in his search for Fenkes.
The private investigator was willing to help with sufficient payment.
Two minds were always better than one, especially when it came to finding Fenkes.
Kieran could not deny that there was strength in numbers.
Hisbat abilities might be on a different level than those of a private investigator, but a private investigator would be better than him at finding people, considering that was their job.
If Fenkes had left behind any obvious clues, Kieran would have been able to locate him through his [Tracking], but Fenkes hadnt.
Kieran had to find him the traditional way.
Fortunately, he did not need to do all the work himself.
The private investigator was trustworthy, as they had been introduced by Schmidt.
He trusted them both in terms of ability and character, so all he had to do was wait.
The crucible before Kieran was holding all his attention.
The fire from the alcohol burner was heating the crucible, and therd inside it was melting because of the burning heat.
When therd melted to a gtinous form, Kieran ced the hibiscus grind and sandalwood powder inside and mixed them.
He carefully added the ingredients, controlling the fire beneath the crucible to adjust the heat. He had to finish this step before therd meltedpletely.
It was not an easy feat, as it required countless experience with experiments.
In fact, this was Kierans fifth try at making the calming balm. Thest four times, he had failed at this exact step.
Either the nt powder had not been not mixed evenly, or it had failed to be infused into therd before it had meltedpletely.
Another mistake had been the change of temperature caused by the alcohol burner.
The ingredients Simones had given him were almost finished, but Kieran thought he might able to try two more times with the remaining ingredients.
He could get more from Simones if he asked, but it would not be polite of him, and he did not want to.
If he did, he would automatically owe Simones another favor.
Therefore, Kieran was extra carefully during his fifth try.
He delicately poured thest bit of powder from the wooden dish into the fat and mixed them evenly. The mixture meltedpletely.
The liquid whitish-yellow fat turned purple in an instant.
"Sess!"
Kieran was delighted as he watched the transformation, but he did not get carried away by this minor sess.
He carefully turned off the burner and waited for the liquid to coagte.
He remained beside the crucible the whole time, watching the transformation process.
When the mixture had coagtedpletely and be a purple semi-solid balm, Kieran realized he had sessfully made calming balm for the first time in his life.
[Acquired Item: Calming Balm]
[Name: Calming Balm]
[Type: Medicine]
[Rarity: Excellent]
[Attributes: Rub it evenly on the temple and forehead to freshen ones mind in a short time, It has a minor healing effect against the Fear Debuff.]
[Prerequisites: None]
[Remarks: This is a big portion of a student-level craft. Other than its ability to be used repeatedly, there is nothing special about it. Its the mostmon ofmon products!]
...
After making his first calming balm, Kieran quickly received another piece of good news.
[Brewed your first potion, Gained arge amount of experience in Potionology...]
[Potionology Basic Experience has reached the level limit...]
[Level up!]
[Skill Learned: Potionology (Basic)]
[Name: Potionology (Basic)]
[Rted Attributes: None]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effects: You have the knowledge to turn hundreds of nt stems and several animal parts into potions!]
[Consumes: Nothing]
[Prerequisites: None]
[Remarks: Although you only know how to make a calming balm, for a student, you pass!]
[Note: You have acquired this skill through learning, not through a Skill Book. Therefore, you cannot upgrade it with Points and Skill Points. If you want to level it up, you will need to continue learning or acquire a Skill Book!]
...
Kieran smirked when he saw his skills window. Potionology was avable and it had a tag. It said, "Mastered: Calming Balm" next to it.
After almost three weeks of learning, he had finally gotten what he wanted.
All his effort and studying had paid off.
Being able to achieve his temporary goal was an amazing feeling, but even though he was satisfied, he did not allow himself to be blinded by that minor achievement.
He knew what he had to do next.
"Only Alchemy and Astrology to go!"
As Kieran thought about the remaining prerequisite skills, he covered the [Calming Balm] with preservative wrapper tightly.
He had Simoness lessons to thank for his achievement.
Although it might look odd, its effect is good! It sure beats the traditional way!
It was what Simones had exined to him when Kieran had watched him make the potion during the demonstration.
Kieran had made noments about the traditional way. He still hated the limitations of what he was learning, but using preservative wrapper was agreeable. At least it was convenient.
Kieran took the [Calming Balm] to 2nd ck Street. He needed it to ease the suffering of the teenagers, and he wanted to share his sess with Simones.
After Simones had taught Kieran how to make the [Calming Balm] himself, he had been spending most of his time taking care of the teenagers next door.
Kieran could tell that Simones had also done some research on magic repulsion.
If that was not the case, he would never have asked Kieran to make the [Calming Balm].
Simoned had created the [Calming Balm] through a lot of trials and errors.
Kieran had been surprised and reassured at the same time when hed heard about that.
He had been surprised by Simones Potionology attainments and reassured by Simones and Nikoreis friendship. As expected, Simones was unique in his own way.
"Wee! Wow, you did better than I expected! I thought it would take you at least two weeks to sessfully make a [Calming Balm]!" Simones said with a wide smile when he stood up from his reading chair.
It was a genuine, authentic smile.
"Its the result of my extreme talent and your effective teaching!" Kieran praised with a minor sense of mockery.
"Of course!"
Simones epted thepliment without a second thought before waving at Kieran toe closer.
When Kieran went up to him, Simones showed him a page from the book he had been reading.
There was a piece of writing on it.
It read, "Boller smells fishy!"
Chapter 175: Emerged
Chapter 175: Emerged
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
While doubts about Fenkes were still lingering in Kierans mind, the people closer to Fenkes also shared the same doubts.
Kieran would never characterize someone as a viin right from the start, but he also didnt believe that everyone in the world was kind and harmless.
He turned his eyes to Simones, wanting to ask more about Boller.
Before Simones could exin though, Ferad flew in through the door.
"2567, there is a guest from the Dark Star Society here for you! Theyre very strong! Be careful!"
Ferad wrote.
"Someone from the Dark Star Society is here for me? Because of Carlos?"
Kieran raised his eyebrows, even more doubts filling his heart.
Other than meeting with Carlos at the Celestial Garden, he had no other connection to the Dark Star Society.
Nikorei had already stepped forward and exined to them what had happened, and the Dark Star Society had epted the fate of its member.
They would never pay a visit based on past incidents.
What were they there for then?
Kieran believed that Ferad would never write something without thinking, especially a warning like that.
Using Tiki and Simones as an example, Kieran realized that anyone who was connected to Nikorei was no ordinary person. Ferad was also unique. After all, he was not afraid of the sun.
Despite his troubled thoughts, Kieran did not forget to thank Ferad.
"Thanks, Ferad!"
Then he waved at Simones and headed back to 1st ck Street.
Compared to Bollers fishiness, the Dark Star Society guest was far more concerning.
Simones understood the situation, but he did not follow Kieran.
He knew that if he did, and anything happened, he would only be a burden to him.
...
When Kieran got back to the foyer of the house, he saw a familiar person in a dark red suit.
The middle-aged mans clothes were identical to Carlos. The only exception was the left pocket of his suit, where there was a silver handkerchief. His dark red suit and the way he acted were exactly the same though.
His hair and beard were neat and clean, and there was a faint smile at the edge of his mouth.
However, the middle-aged mancked Carloss hidden pride and arrogance. He was much more enthusiastic and polite when he saw Kieran.
"Good afternoon, Mr. 2567! I am Frostrill from the Dark Star Society. I had to meet with you because of an urgent matter. I hope you understand!" Frostrill said.
"If you dont mind, please take a seat before we talk," Kieran said, pointing at the couch in the foyer.
He was in no hurry to find out what Frostrills intentions were.
"Thank you," Frostrill replied immediately with a smile.
When they sat down, Kieran noticed that the mans sitting posture was different from the ordinary. It was rxed, but also elegant. Frostrill seemed to be fond of his manners.
Kieran, on the other hand, was not. He had increased his vignce to the maximum the moment he had seen Frostrill.
The faint aura Frostrill emitted was much stronger than Carlos or Wilcos.
Even though Frostrill made an effort to dim down his suppressing aura, Kieran could asionally feel a tremendous suppression from him. He had to focus his full attention on the man.
"Very powerful."
Kieran had gotten the general idea thanks to what Ferad had written.
He was very good at hiding his astonishment though.
He was looking Frostrill in the eye.
"Mr. Frostrill, what do I owe this visit to?" Kieran asked.
"Alcatraz Ind, or to be more precise, the bronze coffin. We need your help to open that coffin!" Frostrill said.
"You need me to open the bronze coffin?"
Kieran could no longer hide the astonishment on his face. He had never expected Frostrill to seek him out because of the bronze coffin.
ording to Kierans understanding, the bronze coffin had to be in the Dark Star Societys domain, and there it would remain, an exclusive chunk of meat only for them to chew.
"Yes, only you can open the bronze coffin. Its a truth weve realized after paying quite a big cost!" Frostrills expression was bitter as he spoke.
The cost that he spoke of had to be quite high judging by the bitterness on his face.
Kieran wanted to know what had happened and why only he could open the coffin.
"What happened? I do not remember doing anything to the coffin," Kieran started firing questions.
"You identallypleted the ritual." The bitterness on Frostrills face became even more prominent.
He raised his head slightly. After a few seconds of silence, he continued.
"During your battle with Gilfren Hatch, you identallypleted the most important ritual to awakening the coffin. The tribute! You beat Gilfren Hatch and sacrificed his blood and soul to the bronze coffin. Maybe it was an ident, but now only you can open that coffin. We want whats inside the coffin, so we have to work with you. Of course, well offer you a sufficient amount of rewards. Madam Nikorei can be our witness!"
Frostrills bitter expression turned into a smile as he finished.
Kieran finally understood why Frostrill was so enthusiastic and polite to him. It was because the Dark Star Society needed him.
His bitter smile implied that Frostrill was afraid of Kierans demands.
Right from the beginning, the Dark Star Society had disyed tremendous determination in getting the bronze coffin. Until now, that determination had been a deterrent force against the other factions.
After Frostrills statement though, that determination became Kierans leverage.
The higher the determination of the Dark Star Society to get the bronze coffin, the more it would benefit Kieran.
However, Kieran was more concerned about the fact that Frostrill had suggested Nikorei as a witness.
"Does Rei know about this?" he asked.
"I wouldnt have dared approach you without her consent. The Night Demon Society has experienced how powerful Madam Nikorei is. The Dark Star Society has no intention to follow in their footsteps. Besides, you have quite the position. You are Nikoreis assistant. You might not know this, but weve put a lot of effort into making this meeting happen, so please think this over. Dont just reject our offer," Frostrill asked him, keeping his bitterness at bay.
"So it was Rei!" Kieran sighed silently.
He could only imagine what would have be of him if Nikorei had not been in the equation.
Frostrill would not have been as polite as he was. He would have tried to persuade Kieran by any means.
He might even have used force from the moment their eyes had met.
That was why Kieran needed to ask Nikorei more about the matter. He knew Nikorei had a lot more information and could guide him better.
She would know what kind of reward he should ask for. Kieran could not determine what would be good for him at the moment.
The smaller the reward, the bigger the heartache he would suffer would be.
If he asked for too much though, the Dark Star Society would not agree to the deal.
They could only reach an ord with an optimal, reasonable reward.
As for the things inside the bronze coffin?
Frostrill had made it clear that the Dark Star Society would not let go of the coffin. That was why theyd offer other things aspensation.
After taking a deep breath and thinking about the matter at hand, Kieran looked at Frostrill.
"I need to consult with Rei about this. I hope you can wait a little..."
Before Kieran could finish his words, the phone in the foyer rang.
Judging by the timeliness of the phone call, Kieran could guess that it was Nikorei calling.
There were only a handful of people who knew that phone number. Other than the shaman who could "see" almost everything, who else could be making such a timey phone call?
Kieran excused himself and answered the phone.
He heard Nikoreis voice from the other side of the line.
"Well done, 2567! You have done a great job of being my assistant! If you could kill Wilco by yourself, then you are ready to face an even bigger challenge on your own. I was hoping that you could help me again. There are more secrets on Alcatraz Ind, so I need you to help me investigate the ce again. Ill propose the reward that the Dark Star Society has promised you and will hand it to you once you get to Alcatraz. Im sure it will satisfy you! What do you think?"
Nikorei spilled everything without waiting for Kieran to speak.
Suddenly, a series of notifications popped up in Kierans vision.
[yer haspleted the Main Mission with an excellent performance, a new Main Mission will start now.]
[Main Mission: Return to Alcatraz]
[Return to Alcatraz: Your excellent performance has satisfied Nikorei, who thinks you can work independently to help her solve more problems...]
...
"A new Main Mission?"
Kieran was astonished by the notifications.
If a Sub Mission had appeared, he would not have been surprised, as this was how things usually progressed.
However, he hadpleted the Main Mission earlier than expected, and a new Main Mission had taken its ce. This was a first for Kieran.
"It it because this is a Special Dungeon? Or was my performance really that excellent? Or is it both?"
Kierans theories blossomed like flowers, but he did not hesitate in answering Nikoreis question.
"As your assistant, can I say no? Ill get prepared for the journey then, and uh..."
Kieran could not say no, as this was a Main Mission, but he needed to clear his doubts before he set off.
However, he was interrupted by Nikorei once again. "You need to trust your own judgement!" she said before she hung up the phone.
"Trust my own judgement? Does this mean that theres something fishy about Fenkes?"
Kieran shivered a little.
After that phone call, he was ready to give Frostrill an answer. However, he suddenly heard a series of footstepsing from the corridor.
It was Boller who barged in the foyer.
"Dr. Fenkes is back! A private investigator brought him back! Thank you for everything youve done, Mr. 2567! I cannot thank you enough!" Boller said right after he stepped inside.
"Thats great news!" Kieran replied with a light smile.
His heart went cold as he realized what this meant though.
Chapter 176: The Impossible Theory
Chapter 176: The Impossible Theory
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
It was too coincidental!
Until that Kieran didnt need Nikoreis affirmative answer and he already suspected that the situation was fishy.
After Bollers timely interruption, Kieran figured out more about it.
Boller was pretending to need his help, but he was actually there to monitor Kierans every move.
Otherwise, Fenkes would not have reappeared in such a timely manner.
Yet there was one other thing that surprised Kieran. Fenkes had known that the Dark Star Society would need him to open the bronze coffin.
"Is it because Fenkes touched the bronze coffin and discovered some of its secrets? Or did Gilfren Hatch leave behind some clues for him?"
Kieran made guesses silently, but his eyes were locked on the corridor. Suddenly, Fenkes entered.
He was covered in dust, and his face and manner made him look very exhausted.
One could tell just by taking a nce at the old man that he had been through a rough time recently.
Kieran too but it only made him even more careful of his actions.
Fenkes had to be very good at acting, or maybe he had really been through a lot of suffering in order to fool Kieran.
"Thank you for everything youve done, 2567!"
Fenkes was grateful for Kierans help, and he thanked him with utmost sincerity. However, Kierans heart was struck by coldness.
He could not believe that a person could lie so convincingly.
"What would happen if his mask was removed? Would a monster ready to devour its victims be revealed?" Kieran thought silently as he replied with a big smile.
To beat a monster, one must also be a monster.
Kieran did not recall where he had heard that phrase, but he was doing exactly that.
Part of him felt forced to do so, but most of him was drove by a odd feeling that he could only categorized as excitement.
It seemed like he did not mind ying a monster. In fact, he was quite enjoying the process.
The sensation was simr to how he felt every time he entered a new dungeon.
Kieran did not have time to fully savor the moment though. What he needed to do was finish the mission and earn more rewards.
He looked at Fenkes and said with a slight smile, "Youve helped me before. This was the least I could do."
Kieran had said that instinctively. He had not nned it beforehand.
"I had helped you out of convenience. You saved my life. Its different," Fenkes pointed out before naturally turning his attention to Frostrill. "Who is this gentleman here?"
"Good afternoon. I am Frostrill of the Dark Star Society," Frostrill introduced himself politely to the old doctor.
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Frostrill. I know the Dark Star Society is upying Alcatraz, but pardon my rudeness. Does the Society allow anyone else to get on the ind?" Fenkes asked eagerly.
Frostrill took a look at Kieran. When Kieran did not stop him, he stated his intentions with a slight smile, "Of course. In fact, I am here to invite Mr. 2567 to the ind."
"Really? The... Then could he bring one more person? I need to get something to save those innocent children! That might be worthless to you, but it is precious to me. Please, Im begging you!"
Fenkes eyes had filled with tears.
Frostrill was frowning though. Obviously, even though he belonged to the Dark Star Society, he did not know exactly what was going on.
Kieran, who was admiring Fenkess acting skills, stepped forward and exined the situation.
He was sure that Fenkes had anticipated his act of goodwill.
Even if Kieran had not exined though, someone else would have.
Kieran boldly turned his eyes to Boller and inspected him. He was the person that Fenkes had asked to fill in all the gaps.
Kieran wanted to find out what Fenkes was up to, so he willingly followed the flow of the script before Boller could step in.
"I see. This is not my decision to make though. I will need to ask my superiors permission," Frostrill muttered.
With a gesture, Kieran invited Frostrill to use the foyer phone.
Fenkes was looking at Frostrill anxiously. He hadpletely perfected the behavior of a beggar.
Kieran paid close attention to Fenkess act, asionally ying along byforting him.
Kieran waited patiently, confident of what the oue would be.
After all, as long as the Dark Star Society wanted the things inside the bronze coffin, they would not pass up the opportunity to take Kieran to the ind. They might even consider allowing an extra person or two.
Everything was unfolding ording to Kierans expectations.
After a short while, Frostrill turned around and delivered the good news.
"My superior has agreed to your request, but only one extra person will be allowed," he said.
"Thank you! Thank you so much! The children will have a chance to be cured now! When are we leaving?"
Fenkes was so excited that he started to mix up his words.
Frostrill suggested that they leave right away, but Kieran objected.
"I need to get prepared first!"
"Very well. Ill wait for your arrival then," Frostrill said before Kieran left the foyer.
...
Kieran went back to his room on the second floor. Simones was waiting for him by his door.
Kieran invited him in after opening the door with a gesture.
"When did you notice that Bollers behavior was fishy?" Kieran asked after shutting the door.
"The moment I asked him to rub the [Calming Balm] on the poor children. He did not rub it straightaway. He smelled it first. That act is the habit of a Potionologist. He did it out of instinct!" Simones said with a nod.
"A Potionologist? Wow, Fenkes arranged for some extraordinary guy to watch me!"
Kieran was surprised by Bollers identity.
Potionologists were also gifted people. Only those who were extremely familiar with hundreds of thousands of potion ingredients and were able to formte dozens of effective potions were worthy of that title.
There was not many of them, even among special individuals.
"Watch you? Boller might be a Potionologist, but he is not here to watch you! He has been under my watch for the past week. He has done little else besides take care of the teens... Unless he could split himself in two, he could not have been able to watch your movements. Plus, did you forget about Ferad? With Ferad in the house, there are only a handful of individuals who would be able to monitor 1st ck Street, and Im sure Boller is not on that list!" Simones said confidently.
"If Boller didnt notify Fenkes, then how did Fenkes appear at just the right time? Unless..."
Kieran suddenly came up with an impossible theory.
Chapter 177: Affiliation
Chapter 177: Affiliation
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Had Fenkes been cooperating with the Dark Star Society right from the beginning?
The sudden thrilling thought bloomed in Kierans mind.
He instinctively wanted to remove it, but there was no other possible exnation.
When one eliminated all other possibilities, the only remaining one was the truth, no matter how impossible it seemed.
Along with this new theory, Kieran also answered another question that had been in his mind for a long time.
Pris, Dark Star, Night Demon, Unicorn, and White Deer each had their own secret stronghold on the West Coast, so why would the Dark Star Society be the first one to reach the ind and upy it?
Fenkes had been the insider who had allowed the Dark Star Society to get an advantage over the other societies.
Fenkes coborator had gotten the news first-hand and reported it to his superior right away. That was how the Dark Star Society had been able to upy the ind before anyone else could.
"The man affiliated with Fenkes has to be in the Dark Star Society. Thats how he got the news about Alcatraz so fast!" Kieran thought silently.
As for the possibility that Fenkes was working with the whole Dark Star Society and not just one of its members?
If Fenkes had been able to do that, it would have saved him a lot of trouble, and he would have been able to wait for Kieran on the ind instead.
"So its Fenkes and some other unknown enemy?"
Kierans mind came up with a new possibility.
He was almost sure that his journey back to Alcatraz would not be a smooth one.
Fenkes goal in returning to Alcatraz was none other than the bronze coffin itself. Kieran was sure of it.
The member of the Dark Star Society that was associated with him had to also share the same purpose.
The two malicious men were eyeing the bronze coffin greedily, like tigers looking at their prey.
From the look of things, the Dark Star Society seemed to have total control over Alcatraz Ind, but grave danger was lurking everywhere. All it would take was a trigger for the impending danger to erupt like a fierce, violent volcano. People would never see iting.
Kieran believed that Fenkes and his partner would exploit that trigger to achieve their goals.
If that was the case, then...
"Chance!"
Kieran smirked slightly.
With the Dark Star Society setting up their formidable defense on the ind, no matter how obsessed Kieran was with the bronze coffin, he could not do anything about it.
However, an opportunity had presented itself. No matter how strong the fortress was on the outside, it would be easy to break in from the inside.
Considering the aftermath of the situation though and Nikoreis position in it, Kieran would need to carefully n his actions right down to the details.
He only had a general idea after a few minutes of thinking. Simones was waiting for him with his pipe in his mouth.
"Sorry, I got distracted by some other thoughts." Kieran smiled at him after he recollected his thoughts.
"More thinking means more benefits. Here!"
Simones handed Kieran a brown leather waist pack.
[Name: Potionologist Waist Pack]
[Type: Etc]
[Rarity: Excellent]
[Attributes: None]
[Effects: None]
[Prerequisites: None]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: Every Potionology teacher would give their students this waist pack once they were skilled enough. It can hold up to six standard potions. Its not great equipment, but it has a great meaning to it!]
...
The waist pack was already filled with three different types of potions, two of each.
Other than the two [Medium Healing Potion]s, whose attributes Kieran already knew, there were also two [Agility Potion]s and two [Underwater Breathing Potion]s.
[Name: Agility Potion]
[Type: Potion]
[Rarity: Great]
[Attributes: +1 Agility while running, jumping or evading for 60 seconds]
[Prerequisites: None]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: You are only running faster and jumping higher. Your weight is still the same!]
...
[Name: Underwater Breathing Potion]
[Type: Potion]
[Rarity: Great]
[Attributes: You can breath underwater for 90 seconds]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: Remember the duration, or you will die a tragic death!]
.....
Kieran looked at Simones in surprise.
After a long period of practicing Potionology, he knew very well how much these potions were worth.
Their value was sky-high both among natives and yers.
"Youve saved me more than once. Shouldnt I repay you with some gifts?" Simones said happily.
Kieran replied to his goodwill with a slight bow.
"Thank you!" he told Simones sincerely.
It was true that he had saved Simones more than once, but Simones had also taught Kieran about Potionology with all his heart.
The potions he had presented to Kieran were a symbol of their friendship.
Kieran would remember their friendship in his heart, but he thanked Simones out of politeness.
"Off you go then!" Simones added, his smile as wide as ever.
Kieran nodded before checking all his equipment and supplies.
Then he picked up his backpack and walked away.
Just as he was about to step through the door, Simones gave him a final warning.
"Remember, your life is whats most important. If you notice that things are about to go south, run for your life as fast as you can!"
"Got it! I really do cherish my life a lot."
Kieran waved at Simones as he walked back to the foyer.
Simones watched Kieran walk down the stairs, taking a deep puff on his pipe.
Then he slowly breathed out, smoke surrounding him and making his friendly face blurry.
....
After Ferad and Elli wished Kieran good luck, he went off with Frostrill and Fenkes, setting off on his journey back to Alcatraz.
It would take them one day and one night to reach Alcatraz from the city.
They spent almost 3/4 of that time inside the car and the rest on the ferry.
All the transportation had been arranged by the Dark Star Society.
Not only was it fast, but also very safe.
Fenkes had been resting from the beginning of their journey. He had dozed off in the car and then requested a private room on the ferry.
Kieran knew Fenkes was trying to recover his energy from the previous show he had put on.
Judging by the heavy snoring he could hear from the next room, Kieran was sure Fenkes had fallen into a deep sleep.
If he did not worry that it might mess up his n, Kieran would have seized the opportunity and removed the hidden threat with a lethal shot.
"Ill see what tricks you have up your sleeve, old fox!"
Kieran closed his eyes as well. He also needed to rest before the uing battle.
It would be a fierce one, so he was going to need everyst bit of his energy.
The ferry pushed through the sea. As time passed from seconds to minutes, the image of an ind became visible on the horizon under the daybreak light.
They had reached Alcatraz Ind.
Chapter 178: Choice
Chapter 178: Choice
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The sea breeze made Kierans coat rattle.
He could clearly see the dock of Alcatraz Ind.
It was different than what he had seen the first time he had been there.
The tall, high walls and the high security patrol were no longer there.
Alcatraz had seen better days. The walls of the prison were in ruins, and the path that led towards the building was filled with holes. There were shes of swords, bullet marks and explosion traces everywhere.
One could tell that a terrible battle had taken ce there, but Kieran could tell even more.
With his [Tracking], the marks and traces were clear. They had not been left behind by just one fight or one party.
"It wasnt just the Night Demon Society that wanted to get to the ind. It might have been a good idea for Fenkes to contact more attackers to divert the Dark Star Societys attention!"
Kieran was looking at the battle marks, trying to guess what Fenkes and his aplice might do next.
The Dark Star Society might have a use under normal circumstances, but fortune could strike a chord in peoples hearts. If the stakes were high enough, reverence was nothing to be afraid of.
Not even for an ordinary person, let alone for special individuals.
The only difference might be the point of interest between an ordinary person and a special one.
Special individuals were more concerned about the mystical and the unknown, both things that were rted to them.
The determination of the Dark Star Society to get their hands on the bronze coffin was a signal to other special individuals that the bronze coffin was hiding a huge treasure.
The sole thought of the mystical power inside the bronze coffin would be enough to move the heart of any special individual.
The Night Demon Society would most likely aggravate the alreadyplicated situation to get a im on Alcatraz Ind. They would definitely alter the truth and spread it around to achieve it.
With the Night Demon Societys aggravation, Alcatraz Ind would turn into a treasure ind of sorts and be a great temptation for all the special individuals who had the courage to try.
However, although the final oue might be different in the future, Alcatraz was still under the Dark Star Societys rule for the time being.
"Men die for fortune, and birds die for food."
Kieran sighed lightly again, reminding himself that he had to be calm and vignt all the time.
No matter how big the reward was, it was not worth his own life.
"Those overconfident people have been blinded by their own greed. Ever since we discovered Alcatraz and sent our men over, weve had almost 10 cases of assault from the outside. The first was the Night Demon Society, but the others were all overconfident scums. They are like wild grass. No matter how hard we try to kill them, they keeping back," Frostill said as he walked up to Kieran.
He belonged to the group that was upying the ce, so his words had a hint of rage to them.
"Everything will end soon though!"
He took a deep breath to calm down.
"When you open the bronze coffin, I will be able to go back to the Dark Star Fortress! I really miss the quiet nights back there. I could sleep peacefully and not be awakened by gunfire. Sometimes I really regret discovering Alcatraz in the first ce!" Frostrill said in a joking tone.
Kierans heart skipped a beat.
ording to his spections, the Dark Star Society member who had discovered Alcatraz had to be the one who was associated with Fenkes.
Was it Frostrill?
The thought was shocking and unexpected.
The short journey there had allowed Kieran to get a deeper understanding of Frostrills identity.
He was not some lower rank member of the Dark Star Society, but one of its highest ranking members. His position and authority were second only to the leader of the Dark Star Society, Serdenk.
Could he be associated with Fenkes? Kieran could not believe it. Unless Frostrill wanted to betray Serdenk, it would serve him no good.
No matter the special society, a high position always depended on its leaders strength.
In other words, as long as the Night Demon and the Dark Star Societys leaders were still alive, their position and power would be extraordinary among special individuals.
"Maybe Frostrill is confident that he can overtake Serdenk once he acquires the things inside the bronze coffin."
It was the only logical exnation that Kieran coulde up with.
He pressed on with a new question without the slightest change in his expression.
"Frostrill, how did you discover Alcatrazs secret? Id never believe a prison ind would hide something like this if it wasnt for the Wardens personal invitation," Kieran said.
"Gilfren Hatch! I wanted to recruit him to our society once. He was under the spotlight for a long time, even more so when he was locked up in Alcatraz. He was not the kind of person who would willingly stay inside a cell," Frostrill replied.
"I see!" Kieran pretended to understand with a nod.
The gears in his mind were turning swiftly. Frostrills words made sense, but they raised suspicions in Kierans spections.
Only those who were in contact with Gilfren Hatch could be associated with Fenkes, who was the new leader of the Hatch Heresy.
Kieran tried to imagine Frostrill recruiting Gilfren Hatch, but being coerced into joining the Hatch Heresy instead.
He was not sure how the two of them had divided the rewards, but he knew the situation had to be moreplicated than it looked.
Fenkes could have been associated with amon member or a high ranking officer. The two oues would be different, although they might have seemed simr.
Kieran would still be able to slip through if it was the former, but if it was thetter, he could actually lose his life.
If he was in Frostrills position and really wanted to betray his own leader, in order to guarantee sess, he would definitely have taken all his trusted men with him.
There also had to be others who had followed Frostrill in order to avoid raising suspicion among the Dark Star Society.
The fact that Frostrill had said that the Dark Star Society would pay a hefty cost to get Kieran to finish the tribute and open the bronze coffin implied that all the Dark Star Society members on the ind were Frostrills men.
Frostrill would not need to cause amotion to divert everyones attention. All hed need to do was follow the original n, and he would get what he wanted.
Frostrills ns were intertwined. They had already been set right from the beginning.
If Kieran lost his value to Frostrill, the oue would be self-exnatory.
What should he do?
Kieran asked himself that question as the members of the Dark Star Society came to wee them.
Once they arrived, Alcatraz Ind would be a canyon for dragons to hide and a cave for tigers to set up theirir.
Even if Kieran had wings, he would have hardly been able to fly away unscathed.
Kieran instinctively reached for the waist pack that held the potions Simones had given him.
Two of them were [Underwater Breathing Potions]. Kieran was standing at the dock.
Frostrill was on his left, and the sea was on his right.
"I need to jump!"
As he touched the potions in his waist pack, Kieran got an idea.
Before he could act on it though, Fenkes suddenly came out of his cabin and jumped right out of the ferry.
Hended beside Kieran, forming a parallel line with him.
Kieran was sandwiched between Frostrill and Fenkes.
"Morning, 2567! Sir Frostrill!"
After a good nights sleep, Fenkes looked very energetic. He greeted Kieran and Frostrill passionately.
Kieran smiled in reply. He knew Fenkes was ready to reveal his intentions.
A squad of Dark Star Society members was approaching fast. When they reached them, it would be time for Fenkes to remove his mask and reveal everything.
Kieran did not have much time left. He quickly inspected Frostrill, Fenkes and the ferry behind him, which was operated by Dark Star Society members.
What should he do?
Chapter 179: Escaping Underwater
Chapter 179: Escaping Underwater
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
"Lets go, the item Madam Nikorei has picked for you should be in the underground hall..." Frostrill said with a smile before he suddenly froze.
Ayer of cold ice had formed around his body.
Kieran had made his move. He had chosen to break through from Frostrills side.
The front and back were the first options he had given up on.
Every Dark Star Society member had considerable strength, plus the number advantage, and Fenkes and Frostrills help. It would have been suicide if hed tried to break through the front or the back.
Therefore, Kierans only option had been to get to Frostrill or Fenkes before the squad arrived.
Fenkes would have undoubtedly been far weaker than Frostrill, so it might have been a better choice to break through him, but Frostrill was closer to Kieran.
Plus, if he decided to go after Fenkes, Frostrill would have definitely attacked him.
Since Frostrill needed him to open the bronze coffin, he might not have killed Kieran, but Kierans n to break out would have been in vain.
Simrly, if Kieran had gone after Frostrill, Fenkes would have attacked him.
Afterparing the two, Kieran decided he would rather have Fenkes attack him.
That was why he had pinned down Frostrill and allowed Fenkes to strike.
It was the only opportunity he would get to escape.
Kieran had quietly touched Frostrills arm with [Wilcos Grudge]. The instant theyde into contact, the [Chilling Touch] had been activated and the Powerful Level Cold Attack had formed ayer of ice over Frostrills body.
Meanwhile, Kieranunched a kick at Fenkes waist.
As the burning me lit up, a formless barrier appeared around Fenkess waist and easily blocked Kierans ming kick. Fenkes had suffered no damage from the kick.
However, Kierans intention had not been to inflict damage on the man. He wanted to use the reflective force of the kick to bounce backwards into the sea.
Water sshed around as Kierans figure disappeared inside the water.
"Argggggh!" Fenkes let out a shout, the veins on his forehead bulging. His friendly, kind face was transformed by a ferocious, scary expression.
Ayer of ck mist erupted beneath his feet and engulfed him in a second. He turned into a ck shadow and threw himself into the sea in pursuit of Kieran.
The two figures disappeared in the water within a few seconds.
Everything happened as fast as lightning strike. The Dark Star Society members were not able to react in time.
Theyer of ice around Frostrills body started to crack.
Soon, he burst out of it and turned his attention to the ripples left behind by Fenkes and Kieran. He frowned slightly over Kierans escape attempt.
"So he did find out! Interesting... He really deserves to be Nikoreis assistant!" Frostrill said lightly.
He did not understand how his careful n had been exposed, but he knew that he had underestimated Kierans abilities.
While Frostrill had focused all his attention on confusing Nikorei, the assistant he had been ignoring had discovered a clue. The whole thing made Frostrill feel a little angry.
His anger faded quickly though, as he believed Fenkes would return soon with a satisfying answer.
"If tricks and persuasion dont work, then well use force!" Frostrill thought.
...
After activating [Wilcos Grudge], Kieran had to suffer 300 Damage to his HP. The asthenia was corroding his body.
He had felt an extreme pressure the moment he had dived into the sea, but he dared not slow down.
He quickly swam away, cing a [Medium Healing Potion] in his mouth.
Swallowing a couple of mouthfuls of seawater, Kieran finished the [Medium Healing Potion].
His HP quickly recovered and eliminated the weakness from his body.
His replenished strength exploded from his body, allowing him to swim even faster. It did not give Kieran any relief though.
[Chilling Touch: Inflicts 500 Damage to Target, Target has Secondary Elemental Damage Resistance, Defense enhanced from Special Equipment, 50 True Damage inflicted to target...]
[me Kick: Inflicts 100 Damage to Target (Hand-to-Hand Combat, Kicking), Target has Defense Enhancing Barrier, Resisted 100 Damage, 0 Damage inflicted to Target HP...]
The two battlelog notifications allowed Kieran to understand what kind of monster he was facing.
Kieran had not expected the Powerful Cold Attack to deal any significant damage to Frostrill, but the true damage inflicted was only 1/10 of what he had expected.
"Secondary Elemental Damage Resistance? Special Equipment? What the hell..."
Kieran memorized both terms as he nced at the notifications.
Then he turned around and saw Fenkes, who had turned into a dark mist while chasing him.
Despite the water resistance, Kieran could clearly feel the malicious intent erupting from the cloud of ck mist.
It had been following Kieran closely from the moment he had dived in the sea.
The ridiculous speed of the dark mist did not seem to be affected by water resistance.
It was pursuing Kieran like an arrow riding the wind and the waves.
Its speed rmed Kieran, who could sense the danger in his heart.
He wanted to attack it, but his weapons had lost their power inside the water.
Without any other long-range attacking methods, Kieran could only clench his teeth and swim faster.
He knew he would be safe once hed swimmed out of that area and Nikorei was able to "see" what was going on.
"You cant get away, 2657!"
Fenkes words also ignored water resistance, reaching Kierans ears clearly.
Kieran instinctively wanted to swim faster, but a thin ck chaintched onto his legs.
[Shadow Chain: Target inflicts 10 Negative Corrosion Damage to your HP, Your Strength has failed the authentication, Your legs will remain bound for 1 second, 5 Negative Corrosion Damage inflicted per second for 3 seconds...]
Kierans body froze suddenly while he was swimming.
The notifications told him exactly what was happening to him.
Although he would only remain bound for 1 second, it would be enough for Fenkes to catch up with him.
Fenkes, who had been covered in the dark mist, revealed his face to him.
It was full of popping veins and a ferocious smile that was meant to intimidate Kieran.
"I already told you that you wouldnt be able to escape!" Fenkess voice entered Kierans ears again.
Fenkes pped his hands and extended his hand through the dark mist to grab Kierans throat. His fingers were hard as iron, and the dark mist was blocking Kierans view as the negative energy was corroding his body.
"Smart people never meet a good end! I was nning on torturing you to death after you opened the bronze coffin, but your actions have sped up your torture! Very well then! Or else how could I avenge myself after youve killed me thest time?" Fenkesughed viciously.
The dark mist was rolling around his body.
Suddenly, the boiling mist formed a negative energy figure that reced Fenkes body.
The figure revealed its face. It was Gilfren Hatch!
Kieran panicked before he suddenly became delighted.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
I did not know Kieran could swim so well
Chapter 180: Rampage
Chapter 180: Rampage
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Although Kieran was unsure about what had happened to allow Gilfren Hatch to possess Fenkes, there was one thing he was sure of.
Gilfren Hatch was in spectre form. A one-of-a-kind spectre form.
No matter how unique he was though, this did not change his attributes as a spirit monster.
Before Kieran had returned to [The Shamans Partner] universe, he had prepared beforehand in order to be able to face spirits and spectres.
He had acquired [Holy Water VIII] and two types of [Bullets of Blessing].
The use of [Holy Water VIII] could allow Kieran to get away easily, but considering the suddenness of Gilfren Hatchs appearance, what he wanted was not just to get away from him.
Kieran wanted to kill Gilfren Hatch again.
That raging thought filled his mind all of a sudden. He knew that even if he got away this time, Gilfren Hatch would continue to pursue him.
If Kieran used his [Holy Water VIII] to get away, he would still eventually get caught and he would have exhausted all his tricks against Gilfren Hatch.
Still, rather than letting Gilfren Hatch corner him into a dead end and allowing himself to get caught without a fight, Kieran would take that risk.
When his decision was made, he pretended to be scared and panicked, and acted like he was struggling harder.
"Are you surprised Im still alive? Did you think you could uncover the ancient secret of Alcatraz that easily? Only I have truly inherited the ancestors honor and can open the Gate of Life and Death! You are merely a key, and you deserve to suffer until you die!"
Gilfren Hatch in spectre form was enjoying Kierans helpless struggle and scared expression, his pitch-ck grip injecting negative energy into Kierans body and devouring his life energy.
Kierans vision was spammed by notifications that his HP was continuously decreasing.
When the negative energy reached a certain level, the lethal energy burst out of his body.
Kierans healthy-colored skin turned pale within a second, and his life energy flickered a like a dim candle me.
[Corrosive Negative Energy: Target inflicts 30 Damage to your HP...]
[HP lower than 30%: Heavily Wounded Status...]
[Negative Energy Contamination: You have been categorized as human, All attributes -3, You will undergo an authentication every 100 seconds, An authentication failure will result in a Strength -1 penalty, There will be three authentications, If you fail three times, you will suffer Lethal Damage...]
The notifications reminded Kieran that he was in grave danger, but he did not seem concerned by it.
He kept up his mindless struggle, sure that he would not die just like that.
Not as long as Gilfren Hatch needed him to open the bronze coffin.
He would only enter a condition that did not allow him to resist anymore, just like the [Heavily Wounded] and the [Negative Energy Contamination]. This was exactly what Gilfren Hatch had anticipated.
With the two debuffs, Kieran did not need to pretend anymore. His strength had weakened a lot.
Spectre Gilfren Hatch let out a sharp, eerieugh when he saw Kierans pathetic state.
"Believe me, this is only the beginning!"
The spectres eyes were grudgeful, and his venomous gaze threatened Kieran.
However, all he did was grab Kieran by the neck and swim upwards without any further action.
It was just as Kieran had predicted. Before he opened the bronze coffin, he would suffer through pain and torture, but he would not die.
While Spectre Gilfren Hatch was swimming upwards with him, his body was exposed to Kieran.
Although extremely weakened, Kieran smirked slightly.
It was the opportunity he had been waiting for.
His hands were hanging down from his shoulders and wobbling along with the water current as if they had lost their mobility.
Suddenly, two tubes of 10 ml potions with a faint glow appeared in his hands.
Spectre Gilfren Hatch, who had reached the surface, sensed something unusual and turned back instinctively to take a look.
Kieran raised his right hand suddenly and...
The two tubes of [Holy Water VIII] were smeared all over the spectres face.
"Argghhhh!" Gilfren Hatch let out an agonizing scream.
[Holy Water VIII: Inflicts 300 Damage to Target HP, Authentication passed, Lethal Attack detected, 300 True Damage inflicted to Target HP...]
[Holy Water VIII: Inflicts 300 Damage to Target HP, Authentication passed, Lethal Attack detected, 300 True Damage inflicted to Target HP, Target is Lethally Wounded...]
[Lethal Attack: Unable to defend oneself with equipment or immunity to skills.]
[Holy Water VIII: Purified Negative Energy Contamination!]
...
As the faintly glowing [Holy Water VIII] came into contact with Gilfren Hatchs face, there was a white explosion.
The white fumes and mes engulfed Spectre Gilfren Hatch and Kieran in a second.
Kieran was not harmed at all by the explosion though. He even purified his [Negative Energy Contamination] debuff.
The white explosions forced Gilfren Hatch into a [Lethally Wounded] status, but this was not the end.
Kieran had already simted the situation over 10 times in his mind.
The moment the white mes burst out, Kierans left hand had already taken hold of the [Python-W2], which was loaded with [Bullets of Blessing], and forced it onto Gilfren Hatchs body, firing repeatedly.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
The firearm had regained its explosive attack when theyd reached the surface.
[Shooting, Bullets of Blessing: Inflicts 100 Damage to Target HP, Target has Strong Force Field Barrier, Authenticated higher than Armor Pration Lvl 1, Resisted 200 Damage, 0 True Damage inflicted to Target...]
[Shooting, Bullets of Blessing: Inflicts 100 Damage to Target HP, Target has Strong Force Field Barrier, Authenticated higher than Armor Pration Lvl 1, Resisted 200 Damage, 0 True Damage inflicted to Target...]
...
Everything was negated by the Force Field Barrier.
However, after five hits, the barrier had weakened to the verge of crumbling.
Bang!
As thest shot was fired, the weakened Force Field Barrier reached its limit and crumbled into pieces with a loud bang from the [Python-W2].
[Bullets of Blessing] were shot into Gilfren Hatchs body without any hindrance.
[Shooting, Bullets of Blessing: Inflicts 100 Damage to Target HP, Target has Immune Lethal Damage Skill, High Dead-Mans Skin, Resisted 100 Damage; Bullets of Blessing, Extra 100 Damage to Negative Energy Being, Authentication failed, Lethal Attack revoked, 100 True Damage inflicted to Target HP...]
...
The shot awakened Spectre Gilfren Hatch from theatose state caused by the [Lethally Wounded] status.
His pitch-ck venomous gaze stared right inside Kierans eyes.
His mental state had entered a frenzied rampage because of the influence of the negative energy.
"YOU WILL DIE WITH ME!" he screamed.
The pitch-ck body of the spectre exploded and shrouded Kieran and the space around him in an instant.
The sky and the sea were tainted ck by the mist.
The mist looked twisted as it distorted space and strangled Kieran like a python.
The tremendous power almost suffocated Kieran, but when he saw the orange glow around Fenkes body, he used his unusual strength and got his hands on the loot, even under the pressure of the ck mist.
The mist dragged Kieran back into the sea as he got hold of the glowing orange item.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Some how Gilfren Hatch here is a little bit weaker than his previous forms.
Chapter 181: Cave
Chapter 181: Cave
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Kieran was dragged down straight to the bottom by the ck mist.
Although he was inside the mist, he was not affected by theck of oxygen and the pressure underwater. He still grew more vignt though.
Gilfren Hatchs final retaliation would not be that simple. Kieran looked at the ring in his hand.
It had a ck rough surface, but that did not diminish its value one bit.
[Name: Spectre Grip]
[Type: essory]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attack/Defense: None]
[Attributes: Shadow Chain]
[Effects: None]
[Prerequisites: None]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: This is the power of a reincarnated spectre!]
...
[Shadow Chain: Form a dark chain using negative energy to bind you target, Target has to undergo a Strength authentication in conjunction with your Strength; If they pass, they will be released, If they fail, they will be bound for one second, 15 Negative Corrosion Damage per second for three seconds, two times per day]
...
Kieran understood the value of the [Spectre Grip] after he had experienced it himself.
It could be used to both escape and fight, so it was a valuable addition to his arsenal.
He put the ring on his left index finger and turned his attention to Fenkes body.
After Gilfren Hatchs spirit had left it, Fenkes body started to rot rapidly.
From the look of it, Fenkes must had been dead for months. Kieran was unsure about what the man had been through, but he was sure it had been an unpleasant experience.
"Did Fenkes die after we left the dungeon? Was he possessed by Gilfren Hatch?" he guessed.
Without sufficient information, Kieran could not decide whether he was right or wrong.
When the ck mist around him started to move, he collected his thoughts and turned his full attention to it.
Boom!
The ck mist started to expand like a soap bubble.
Kieran was rmed by the sudden expansion and quickly rolled away.
It turned out to be the right move, as a huge, ripped figure emerged from the bubble after it burst.
The figure had wings on its back, and there was a blood pattern on its face simr to the half-dead Kieran had previously encountered.
The figure dissipated the dark mist andnded on the rock bottom. The moment its feet came into contact with the ground, they crushed it.
"The half-dead!"
Kieran was uncertain of the identity of the monster that had suddenly appeared.
He was familiar with the blood patterns on the monsters face though. It was what Zywane had had on his face when Gilfren Hatch had possessed him. However, Zywane had not been as huge and ripped as the monster before Kieran, and he most certainly hadnt had wings.
The blood pattern did not seem to share the same traits as the one on Zywanes face either, as that one had been able to induce [Fear] and [Illusions].
Just as Kieran was inspecting the monster, it let out a loud growl and disappeared.
"F*ck!"
Kierans heart skipped a beat as he realized what was happening.
He activated [Primus Arm, Primus Scale] and [Tessirot Blessing, Scale of Blessing] right away.
BANG!
A crushing blownded on Kierans back and sent him flying forward like a bullet.
The Powerful Rank Force Field Barrier and the 500 Medium Rock Skin Defense were crushed to bits one after the other.
Despite Kierans strongest defense, all it had taken was one hit from the monster.
After that crushing blow, the monster disappeared again and reappeared above Kierans head.
Itunched a hard punch toward Kierans face while Kieran was in mid-air. His eyes opened wide as he watched the iing punch. He waspletely defenseless against it.
The sheer wind force of the punch was enough to send Kieran straight to the ground, but before he could crash down, his body flew sideways and away from the monster.
A silver wire as thick as a hair was fired out from Kierans hand andtched onto a rock. Kieran relied on his Strength to drag his body away from the lethal blow.
It was the [Deceivers Key]!
The monster did not stop though. Its punchnded on the ground with tremendous force.
Almost half its arm plunged into the ground.
Kieran felt a slight delight at being able to avoid such a powerful blow.
As the monster pulled its hand out, Kieran instinctively widened the distance between them to avoid the monsters iing attack.
The monster did not pursue Kieran though. Instead, it stood on the spot and looked around.
"Poor vision and hearing?"
Kieran raised a brow in silent relief.
Considering the monsters formidable strength and speed, if its vision and hearing hadnt been poor, he would have already been dead.
Now he saw a thin ray of hope.
Kieran readjusted his stance and moved around carefully.
His Musou Level [Undercover] allowed him to fully blend in with the dark mist.
A rough breathing noise came from the monsters mouth as its chest expanded and copsed to the rhythm of its breathing.
There was only a limited amount of light from the surface, but it was enough for Kieran to notice that the monster had a big hole on the right side of its chest.
The heart was supposed to be there, yet the space was empty. There were only veins inside it.
"Where is its heart? Could this be...?"
The missing heart reminded Kieran of the bronze coffins rhythmic beating.
"Arghhhh!"
Before Kieran coulde up with any more theories, the monster pped its wings and flew. It had not given up on searching for Kieran. It expanded its wings to perform a thorough search around the area.
Kieran focused his attention on it again and stared at the monster as he moved around carefully.
Although the monster had poor vision and hearing, that did not meant that it was blind or deaf.
It could still detect Kieran once it got close enough to him. Its detection range had to be around 10 meters.
Kieran came up with that estimate based on his previous dodging moves.
A 10-meter radius was barely enough to avoid soft noise detection though. Any louder noises would allow the monster to discover him.
Kieran tried his best to maintain the distance between them.
As the seconds flew by, the monster was still flying around searching for Kieran.
Kieran used that time window to determine where he was.
It seemed like he and the monster were inside a triangr cave with a narrow space at the top and a wide space at the bottom.
The inside of the cave was average-sized, and there were two doors facing each other.
The doors were made from a translucent gtinous material.
One of them was the entrance that Kieran had been dragged in through. He tried to ess it, but it was shut tight. The gtinous material was as hard as iron. He could not escape from that entrance, and the monster had started guarding the other door after failing to capture Kieran.
"Despite its low intelligence, its natural predator instincts tell it what to do," Kieran thought to himself.
The monster had poor vision and hearing, and itcked the intelligence of a human being. It was like a primitive beast that could only hunt. It could not think at a human-like intellect level.
Kieran had no idea what had caused the monster to be like that, but he knew what he had to do.
He pulled the pin of a grenade from a safe distance and threw it towards the monster.
Thending noise of the grenade instantly captured the monsters attention, who threw itself towards the grenade.
BOOM!
The explosion forced it away. It fell to the ground, but quickly stood up without a scratch. It was growling fiercely.
[Explosion: Inflicts 200 Damage to Target HP, Target has Immune Lethal Damage Skill, High Dead-Mans Skin, High Iron Armor Skill, Resisted 200 Damage, 0 True Damage inflicted...]
The battlelog notifications informed Kieran that the monster was imprable as he took advantage of this distraction to open the door the monster had been guarding.
After a quick nce at the battlelog notification, Kieran did not stop. Even though he had his theories about it, he kept pressing forward.
After getting away through the gtinous door, Kieran heard heavy knocking against the door.
The monster was hitting it with all its might, but the door would not even budge.
Thanks to the protection of the door, Kieran had a lot more time to re-evaluate the monster he was facing.
He wanted to test out another thing though, so he took out the [Python-W2] and reloaded it with [Bullets of Blessing].
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Imagine the monster as a blind flying devil with supermans strength and speed
Chapter 182: Corpses
Chapter 182: Corpses
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Bang!
Kieran pulled the trigger at the monster. The bullet flew right through the gtinous door and aimed at the spot between the monsters eyebrows.
As the bullet crashed into the monster, sparks were ignited and the monsters head was tilted backwards from the force before returning to its original position without a scratch. The monster growled again.
[Shooting: Lethal Attack, Inflicts 100 Damage to Target HP (50 Firearm Weapon, Light Firearm (Musou) X2; Bullets of Blessing: Extra 100 Damage to Negative Energy Being, Authentication failed, Lethal Attack revoked, Target has Immunity to Lethal Damage, High Dead-Mans Skin, and High Iron Armor, Resisted 200 Damage, 0 True Damage inflicted...]
...
"Its useless?"
Kieran went through the notification quickly before taking another look at the monster.
Then he reached for thest [Holy Water VIII] on his pack and turned his back to the monster.
If it could resist the effect of the [Bullets of Blessing], Kieran was not sure whether [Holy Water VIII] could inflict any damage to it. Even if it did, one tube of [Holy Water VIII] might not inflict enough damage to kill it.
Kieran made his choice. Rather than risking it, he chose to save the tube for a more difficult time.
He regretted it immensely. If he really was able to kill the monster, the rewards would be luxurious.
Considering he had no way to inflict damage to it though, he would rather explore the cave and search for a way out than stay where he was.
Kieran had no intention of getting trapped underground, as that would mean failing the Main Mission.
He had escaped death multiple times since he had entered this dungeon, and he did not want his life to end in a dark underground passage.
Kieran carefully inspected his surroundings.
The dim light source allowed him to see that the passage before him was a straight, 5-meter wide, 30-centimeter tall flight of stairs leading up ahead. The walls on both sides were firm and t.
From where Kieran was standing, the darkness did not let him see the end of the stairs. He had no other options though.
After making sure the stairs would not copse or activate any traps, he carefully ventured forward and up the stairs.
The process was slow, as Kieran was scared of falling into a hidden booby trap. He had to check every flight of stairs carefully.
Even though he had some theories about his current location, and there had to be no traps around, that did not stop him from being careful.
After almost an hour, Kieran reached the top of the stairs.
A sudden light shed before him.
Two blue ming skulls had appeared before Kieran. Deep in their eye sockets, blue mes were burning brightly, forming a faint whirlpool-like mirage that seemed like it was trying to suck the souls of the living. The open jaws below revealed extruding teeth that seemed to be letting out a dying howl.
"Evil spirits?"
Kieran instinctively reached for his gun and clenched the handle hard, but he released it after a moment.
Under the blue light of the fire, he saw what the blue ming skulls really were.
Below the skulls were two big femurs and cervical bones that supported them.
The blue mes did not originate from the skulls themselves. but from an oil-like liquid within them.
Inside the skulls were two small containers that held the oil.
Kieran saw everything clearly as he lifted his dagger over the skulls.
"Is this a lighting brazier?" Kieran said after circling the eerie stand.
Although it looked crazy and absurd, Kieran could note up with any other exnation.
What concerned him more was how the brazier had been lit if he had not triggered any trap or switch.
Kieran red intensely at the weird-looking brazier, but got no further answers. He started to inspect his surroundings again.
Although the area was not properly lighted, it was not pitch-ck either.
He found himself on an average-sized tform. In front of it were the endless stairs leading up, and behind him was the ce he hade from.
The blue light that shone on the rock made the ground and wall reflect an even deeper lustrous glint that revealed a half-open door.
A weird part of the wall was sticking out on Kierans left side. It was only a finger high.
Kieran could feel some kind of breeze from the other side of the odd-looking spot. He was intrigued by the space behind it.
After he checked his surroundings carefully, he pressed the switch with his finger.
A clear clicking sound was heard, and the whole wall started to turn in the direction that Kieran was pushing.
When the wall stopped turning, a huge room revealed itself to Kieran.
The room was divided into two by a pathway, and both sides of the room were decorated.
The left side was filled with sks, beakers, and other unknown instruments used for experiments. They had been ced there neatly and arranged nicely.
The right side was a messy bookshelf almost the height of two fully-grown men. Beneath the bookshelf was a desk. There were books all over the ce, forming a small pile.
Thanks to the lighting from outside, Kieran could clearly see the two mummies buried under the pile of books.
After noticing them, Kieran instinctively activated his [Tracking] to look for clues. Meanwhile, he paid close attention to his [Knitted Talisman], looking for any signs of the paranormal.
Everything seemed to be fine though. The mummies were not rted to spirits or spectres.
To make sure they were really okay, Kieran observed them carefully.
The fact that there were corpses in such a ce proved the value of Kierans investigation. He didnt need his intuition to guide him.
Kieran moved the old books away from the corpses, careful not to damage them.
A slight glimpse at the books runes and symbols was enough for Kieran to know that they were very valuable.
They were almost as valuable as the books back in Nikoreis study.
Kieran made theparison based on his experience in reading books on Mystical Knowledge.
The less he could understand, the more valuable the books were.
Although this was no proof whatsoever, considering he only possessed a Master Level [Mystical Knowledge], it was all he could do.
"Huh?"
Kieran was surprised when he moved the books away from the mummies and saw who it was.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Will we see Kieran and the monster fighting in the future? I am quite curious what it will drop.
Chapter 183: Diary
Chapter 183: Diary
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
"A lethal blow?"
This was what Kieran saw when he looked at the mummies after he removed the books.
One of the mummies had a dagger on its back and it was pointing at the other one, whose chest had copsed.
Obviously the victim had managed to kill its killer before dying, and the lethal blow had been very powerful.
Not only had the killer had no ce to dodge, but the killing blow had been so strong that it had caused the books to drop down on them, causing both the killer and the victim to be buried under them.
The two of them had not turned into mummies because of the books though.
"Did a magic circle cause this?"
Kieran had noticed a magic circle beneath one side of the bookshelf.
It was formed by two circles, and its effect seemed to have preserved the books well over time, repelling any vermin that could have destroyed them.
The person who had set up the magic circle could not have thought that it would preserve corpses as well, yet they had saved Kieran lots of trouble.
At least he could make out that the victim was a woman. Judging by her embellished dress, which had been fully preserved, she must have been quite wealthy.
The killer had been a man inmon clothes. His body was still big, even after he had been mummified.
Kieran imagined that he would have been really tall if he had still been alive.
He inspected both mummies carefully, and eventually noticed the dagger the woman had been stabbed with.
Kieran was disappointed. The system told him it was just amon weapon.
After that small letdown, he turned his attention back to the desk.
It was a wide, messy desk, as all the books had fallen down from the shelf. However, a particr detail caught Kierans eye.
It was an open book with a quill beside it. The book had a deep depression on it on the ce where the quill had been used to write.
Ink had been spilled all over the desk, tainting not just the desk itself, but a big portion of the book as well.
"What had the victim been writing right before she was killed? The sudden ambush must have made her lose her grip on the quill and drag it across the book, spilling the ink as she fell down."
Kieran picked up the book after a minor spection.
"Is it a diary?"
He noticed that the date on it was written using [Mystical Knowledge] symbols and runes. His heart skipped a beat. The date was a very old one.
Er627.10.22.
Compared to the current date in the dungeon, the most recent date in that diary was 370 years ago.
"This is like reading a history book."
Kieran looked at the ancient diary in awe before he started reading it.
His expression turned sour after he flipped over a couple pages.
The date might have exceeded Kierans expectations, but the contents of the diary did even more than that.
...
Er527.3.22
There has been no progress to the search outside to this day. In order to uncover the ancient secret, I have to marry that coward who inherited the duke title, but dares not do anything about it.
Er527.5.22
What an idiot! That coward told me everything I wanted to know after a mere engagement ceremony.
Er527.12.22
The wedding is going forward as nned. Every time I picture that cowards repulsive smile, it makes me want to vomit! He wont be smiling for long though.
Er527.12.23
Everything went as nned. That coward really does have the right lineage. His face makes me shiver. Luckily, I have prepared the perfect ce for him.
Er549.2.1.
Things are not going well! I need more experiment materials to find the best way to extract lineage blood!
Er527.1.15
Blood! Lineage blood! Even though all the experiments have failed, the defective product was powerful enough! This powerful lineage shall be mine!
Er592.10.15
As I predicted, in order to acquire the power, I will need a stronger body. One that is closer and more suitable to a lineage bloodline. Fortunately, hes still alive and well and he seems to have fallen in love with me. Is this love? No, but love is not necessary to get pregnant.
Er593.12.22
I am on the brink of sess, I am going to give birth soon. I will acquire the power of the lineage!
Er601.1.1
That traitor! How could lineage blood transfer memories? That bastard has gotten away! All my efforts have gone to waste!
Er625.9.30
A heart transnt! I have finally found a solution.
How did I not think of this simple solution in the first ce?
The monster has a tremendous life energy though. It can survive even without a heart!
Er625.10.2
No, the monsters heart is too powerful for amon body. I will need a stronger body to nt that heart! No, no, no... I just need some other supportive potion, and the problem will be solved!
Er627.10.22
The potion is almost ready! I will be immortal for all eternity, just like Go...
....
Kieran could not read any further because of the tainted ink, but the part he had read sent chills down his spine.
Kieran instinctively recalled the legend Captain Ralph had told him about in [Prison on the Ind].
After someparison, he was sure that the diary had been written by the Dukes new wife.
ording to Captain Ralphs story, the Duke and his wife had met a tragic end, but the diary told Kieran that only the Duke had gone through unimaginable horrors. Not his wife. She had been the one behind everything.
Kieran could sense her insanity through everything she had written.
In order to acquire the lineage power the Duke possessed, she had conceived unimaginable horrors. She had not just experimented on real people, but also on her own child.
It was that experiment that had cost the lives of hundreds on Alcatraz, and it had been the reason no one had dared set foot on the ind for almost a hundred years.
If it was not for the womans sudden assassination, the experiments might have carried on for a longer time.
The diary also confirmed Kierans theory about the cave he was in. It was actually a dungeon.
The one thing Kieran had not expected was that the monster in the story had actually been the Duke.
Kieran turned his eyes towards the male mummy, which had to be the Dukes child.
If the killer had not grown up on the ind and been familiar with everything there, he could not have approached the Dukes wife silently and killed her.
The abnormal size of his body also proved his identity from every possible perspective.
Kieran did not know why the child had chosen to return to this vicious woman, who had not been worthy of being his mother, after escaping for so many years.
One thing was for sure. He had been very powerful. He had been able to bypass the defensive abilities of a special individual and kill her with just a normal dagger. This was no ordinary feat anyone could have pulled of, not even Kieran.
The Dukes wife had been a special individual with malicious intent towards the Dukes lineage.
Kieran would have been an idiot not to realize the hidden identity of the Dukes wife after reading the experiment log and the potion recipes inside the diary.
"The lineage power?" Kieran mumbled to himself as he looked at the mummy on the floor.
It was the first time he hade across such a term, but he could feel the power of the lineage blood just by reading the diary.
Not only had special individuals deliberately nned to acquire that power a few hundred years ago, but the special individuals around now were still trying to uncover that secret.
Gilfren Hatch had to be a descendant of the Dukes child.
ording to the diary, the Dukes child had left Alcatraz Ind for over 20 years. It would not have been a surprise if hed gotten married and had a couple of children.
The diary also stated that, along with the Dukes lineage, his child had also inherited his memories through his blood.
Therefore, Gilfren Hatch must also have inherited his ancestors memories. This had to be why he had returned to Alcatraz Ind seeking power.
It seemed that the memories were notplete though, as he had only known that the dungeon was extremely dangerous. He had not known about the secret study chamber through the dungeon and the final missing piece to the puzzle, the potion that could enable him to inherit the lineage power.
Otherwise, Gilfren Hatch would have entered the chamber by using any means necessary. He was dying to gain the lineage power.
"If the memories are iplete, Gilfren Hatch and Frostrill must have been misinformed too! No, that cant be. Gilfren Hatch would not have told Frostrill everything. He must have left out the most important parts and used the rest to lure Frostrill, thus forming a temporary alliance with him! This must have been the best option! Thanks to the heart and Gilfren Hatchs information, Frostrill must have been confident enough to ignore everyone!"
Kieran finally realized what leverage Frostrill had to betray Serdenk and ignore Nikoreis presence.
Kieran wanted to find out what would happen to Frostrill if he transnted the heart into himself without the potion.
If it was possible, he would not mind getting the heart transnt himself, as he knew what the procedure needed in order to be sessful.
Kieran turned his attention to the left side of the chamber, where the experiments took ce.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
And people say every mother loves their child. Tsk Tsk Tsk
Chapter 184: I Spy
Chapter 184: I Spy
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Compared to the messy desk, theboratory was very neat and tidy, as the fight had not spread to that part of the room.
Kieran turned his attention to the various experimental beakers. There was even an older version of an alcohol burner under some dishes.
The fire had been extinguished centuries ago.
Kieran was stunned at first when he faced the scene. A bad feeling bloomed inside his heart.
He quickly started searching for the supportive potion that the diary had mentioned.
After a quick search, he saw a crystal beaker with some burned ck residue inside it. ording to Kierans analyzation of the residue, the crystal beaker must have been holding a liquid that had eventually boiled over and dried up.
"That supposingly easy potion had been destined to fail. Both of them died..."
Kieran could not help but sigh.
The Dukes wife must have turned her attention to her diary while she had been making the potion, unable to resist venting her exitement. The only other exnation was that the potion-refining process had been an easy one, and she hadnt needed to watch the potion for the whole procedure.
Yet the Dukes wife had not expected to die by her own childs hand.
Kieran picked up the crystal beaker and inspected the ck residue.
Although the diary did mention the supportive potion, it did not specifically state what type of potion she had been making. Kierans only hope was to analyze the ck residue and find out what theposition of the mixture had been.
It was a pity that his Basic Level [Potionology] could not achieve that.
Kieran eventually sighed.
"What about the lineage?" he mumbled to himself with a thick sense of regret.
Despite all his new findings, Kieran was uncertain about how high lineage blood could enhance ones power. Based on the fine example of the monster of the Duke, the results were clear. The monster was not even in prime form.
With that limited information, and by using the monster as a blueprint, Kieran spected that if he got his hands on lineage blood, his current power level would be at least doubled.
The mere thought of it was a temptation. Kieran understood the benefits of getting stronger quicker better than anyone else.
The dungeon entries difficulty rule had already decided how the game would progress and what the optimal way to y it would be.
After all, Kierans nonstop exploration andpletion of Sub Missions and Title Missions to increase his Points and Skill Points during the rating stage also served the same purpose.
An opportunity had presented itself at the best timing possible. He had to turn it down for other reasons though, and it hurt as if he were cutting off his own flesh.
In order to avoid such a pain, Kieran decided not to give in without a fight.
He put the crystal beaker inside his backpack.
His Basic Level [Potionology] might not be able to analyze the mixture, but he believed that one day he would eventually discover the mixturesposition when he leveled up his skill to Master, Pro, or even Grand Master.
Kieran kept ncing around theboratory, hoping to find other valuables topensate for his loss.
He was disappointed though.
Although theboratory shared the same preserving magic circle with the bookshelf, potions were different than books. After a few centuries, all the potions has lost their effectiveness.
As for other types of potions or balms, even a Basic Level [Potionology] was enough for him to tell that they were all useless, and some of them even poisonous.
Yet amidst all these disappointing findings, Kieran stumbled across a crystal ball.
He was uncertain whether cing a crystal ball in theb was some kind of custom from a few centuries back. He had not seen a simr decoration in Nikoreis or Simonesb.
Kieran carefully inspected the unusual crystal ball that stood out from everything else in the room.
The ball was almost twice as big as a grown mans fist. It was shining brilliantly, and it had a red wooden sole. From the look of it, it seemed no different that amon crystal ball.
After Kieran checked his surroundings out of habit and made sure there were no booby traps, he touched the ball.
The moment Kierans finger came into contact with it, a veil of bright light formed inside the ball, brightening quickly and lighting up the wholeb within a few seconds.
When the bright light faded away, the crystal ball projected a television-like image on one of thebs walls.
"What the..."
The projection was showing the familiar hall and the bronze coffin on its floor.
Kieran recognized the ce with just one nce. It was where he had first encountered the bronze coffin and had fought with the half-dead Gilfren Hatch.
When Frostrill also appeared in the projection, Kieran became nervous. He was afraid Frostrill might notice him.
Frostrill did not realize he was being spied on though. He continued his work, repeatedly drawing a particr magic circle.
The base of the magic circle was formed with a Sky Moon and a Bright Moon formation used as a conversion circle. Frostrill seemed to be using some kind of sparkling powder to form the circle from the Last Quarter Moon to the First Quarter Moon. In the middle was a Full Moon, dividing the two of them.
The Full Moon had a specific meaning as a [Mystical Knowledge] rune, but Kierans level was too low for him to understand it.
It was simr to the sparkling powder Frostrill was using as a supporting material for the spell. Kierean did not know what that was either.
After Frostrillpleted the magic circle seven times, the circle seemed to form shadows with many overlyingyers.
When he was done, Frostrill started to chant an incantation. The crystal ball projection did not convey what he was saying, but Kieran could still see what he was doing.
"Its the magic circle thats blocking Nikoreis sight!" Kieran said softly.
Then he focused all his attention on the circle. He knew what he had to do.
He had to destroy the magic circle to allow Nikorei to see what was happening on the ind.
Kieran would not rely on Nikoreis help though, as the wait would be a long one.
Frostrill might locate Kieran during that time, or take the bronze coffin with him and disappear.
Thetter was very likely, especially when Frostrill realized that Gilfren Hatch would not return and started fearing that Nikorei would thrash the ce. He would snatch the bronze coffin away from Kieran.
This was not what Kieran wanted. After reading the diary, Kieran was determined to get the heart inside the bronze coffin.
"I need to act before he does! I need to strike fast and get the rights to the rewards inside the coffin!" Kieran thought silently.
Of course, before he made his move, he had to investigate and prepare some more.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Magic Crystal Ball, what are the odds...
Chapter 185: Gloomy Stab
Chapter 185: Gloomy Stab
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
At dawn, the temperature on Alcatraz Ind dropped to its lowest point.
The changing of the tides spread the thick brume inside the reef cave and caused the temperature to drop even lower than outside.
Even the Dark Star Society members could not withstand the cold and started two campfires to warm up.
Those who had just returned from two continuous battles with outside invaders looked even more exhausted than normal.
The invaders were like ants to them. Each Dark Star Society member could crush them to death.
A sea of ants could kill an elephant though, and the invaders possessed more strength than an ant.
All the invaders were special individuals with a particr set of skills. If their number increased, even the Dark Star Society would not underestimate theirbined power.
Dark Star Society members understood the situation very well. By choosing to follow Frostrill, they were risking their status as Dark Star Society members.
The ind was under attack, and they had no reinforcements to call in. Worrying about the strongest shaman on the West Coast and their former leader Serdenk, who mightunch an attack against them, it took a toll on their mental health and made it drop to a new low.
As the mes of the campfire danced, bright light shone on their faces. Every member of the Dark Star Society had a serious expression that reflected their feelings.
One of them was different though, and that was Frostrill.
As the groups leader, he was sitting beside the campfire calmly. He seemed like he was not worried about the desperate situation before them.
As he nced around at his men, he saw the seriousness on their faces. It was exactly what he was feeling himself.
Frostrill started to feel anxious when Gilfren Hatch did not return and the greedy invaders keptunching attacks against them.
He knew he needed to stay calm to avoid anything bad happening though. He didnt want the men he had recruited from the society with such effort to take any action against him.
He knew the sheer pressure from Serdenk and Nikorei alone would be too heavy for them. Any misstep could cause them to rebel.
"Men, these goddamned days will be over soon. Our ally will be back with that fricking ass, and a new era will start. I will ascend to my rightful throne, and everyone here will be able to witness the glory and bright future our new power will bring!" Frostrill said as he stood up, looking at his men one by one.
His words were not fascinating, but they cut into the mens very core right away.
As his words faded, the men stood up and cheered for their new leader.
Benefits and wealth was what every single one of them was after. They pledged their loyalty to Frostril once more, looking at him to lead them to their envisioned future.
The heavy atmosphere turned merry and lively with cheers in an instant.
The mes burned even brighter with their chanting, and the bright light erged the mens shadows a couple of times. Their shadows looked tall and long, swaying around like dancing snakes and creeping vines.
...
Frostrills motivational words resonated with his men, and their cheers and chants could be heard clearly from inside the hall, where the bronze coffin was. Kieran, who was hiding in the shadows, smiled coldly. He was eager to see whether Frostrill would remain that calm and motivational if Serdenk or Nikorei appeared.
Kieran focused on the magic istion circle as a grenade appeared in his hand.
He pulled the pin out and threw the grenade into the circle.
The mystical power of a magic circle was huge, but that did not mean that it was indestructible, even if it had been drawn with a defensive purpose.
The spell that invoked the defensive mechanism could be extremely powerful, like the one Trumbo had used, but the magic circle itself could still be easy to destroy.
Boom!
The explosion destroyed the magic circle and sted the floor to bits.
Sparkling powder spread around and instantly made the shadowy hall turbid.
Kieran switched the [Tessirot Blessing] with [Pauls Conceal], and using his Musou Level [Undercover], he disappeared in the sparkling, dusty mist.
A dozen of nervous footsteps rushed into the hall. Frostrills face had turned a solid green color.
He knew what was happening without a doubt.
The sparkling dust flying around was obvious enough. The magic istion circle he had drawn had been destroyed.
Who else on the ind could and would destroy the magic circle he had set up?
Kieran!
There was no proof of his im, but Frostrills instinct made himpletely sure.
"You two find that damn rat! The rest of you follow me!" Frostrill yelled at his men as he took big steps towards the bronze coffin.
He could not wait anymore. He had to open the coffin right away.
Frostrill had no idea what had happened to Gilfren Hatch, but considering that Kieran had reappeared instead of his ally, he had to quickly decide his next course of action.
He was d that he had prepared a safe ce in case things went south.
Although he could not dodge Nikoreis sight for a long time, this would be enough to dy her.
With sufficient time, Frostrill was confident that he could open the bronze coffin by himself.
At that particr moment, Frostrill had no intention of using Kierans hand to open the coffin anymore. He just wanted Kieran dead.
Kieran shared the same feeling. He wanted Frostrill dead as well.
A day ago, Kieran had clearly seen the hall where the bronze coffin was kept. The thought of killing Frostrill hade right after the thought of destroying the magic circle.
Yet the destruction of the magic circle had still been his priority. It was a no brainer, considering his habits.
Following his original n, he had investigated the ce where he had been trapped, which had been a dungeon under the ind, hidden under the sea bed.
After Kieran had reached the end of the stairs, he had confirmed that he could get to the bronze coffin and other ces.
Through some careful investigation of the hidden doors there, Kieran had also confirmed that, unless one could literally tear the ind itself apart, no one could reach that ce from the inds surface.
Kieran had used the crystal ball to spy on Frostrill and his men and n his next course of action.
He had been looking for a pattern in Frostrills troops actions and a chance to strike.
When he had seen that Frostrill and his men were exhausted from defending themselves against the invaders, Kierans original n to just destroy the magic circle had been altered a little. It had seemed to him that there was room for improvement.
Kierans thoughts and actions had been in perfect sync.
He had packed up everything that he wanted to take with him, including but not limited to the books in the secret room, and gotten ready for the uing fight.
During the past hour, Frostrill had fought two battles against the invaders. It was the perfect opportunity for Kieran to strike.
He might not have any chance against Frostrill when he was in prime form, but if the man was exhausted, then there was a ray of hope.
Thanks to the destruction of the magic istion circle, plus his mental and physical exhaustion, Frostrills mental state had to be affected. This gave Kieran even more hope.
He also had the [Hatchs Curse], and the dagger boosted his confidence even more.
In the shadows, Kieran was holding his breath with utmost concentration. He was hiding his presence and killing intention, waiting as still as a rock for Frostrill to approach him.
He was very patient. He had been waiting a whole day for this after all. A few more moments would not hurt him.
Frostrill was getting closer to him. He was walking towards the side, where the bronze coffin was. That was also where Kieran was waiting to ambush him.
When Frostrill halted and his men tried toe forward to move the coffin, Kieran made his move.
He slid forward like a blurry shadow and instantly appeared behind Frostrill. The dagger, which was the size of his palm, approached Frostrills throat.
Frostrills exhaustion and concentration distracted him and made him slower. He did not even notice the dagger as it got closer to his weak spot.
As the coldness caused chills to form on his skin though, Frostrill was not as numb anymore.
Still, he had no intention of dodging. He did not even make the slightest movement.
An ironic smile formed on his face as he got ready to fight back and kill Kieran with one of his thunderous attacks. It was the only way to save face.
The memory of the doubt and astonishment on his mens faces when the magic istion circle had been destroyed was still fresh.
If it was not for his former reverence, Frostrill was sure that his men would have already turned against him.
He needed to redeem himself and save face if he wanted his men to continue to be loyal to him.
He had been waiting for such a chance as well.
As for the slight possibility that Kieran might pierce through his defense and harm him?
That was a joke. There might be some magical weapons that could harm him, but those weapons were too valuable to be in the hands of someone as weak as Kieran.
Even though Nikorei possessed such weapons and she seemed to be very fond of her assistant, Frostrill was sure that she would never give Kieran one of them.
So what was the dagger in Kierans hand then?
It was probably some kind of alchemy-produced toy. How could such a toy break Frostrills formidable defense?
Frostrill smirked in disdain at Kieran.
"This might be a good chance to capture 2567 and force him to open the coffin!"
The thought bloomed in the mans mind.
Just as it was close to bing action though, the gloomy dagger approached his throat, shining dazzlingly.
Frostrills seemingly imprable Force Field Barrier was pierced by the dagger like paper. His throat was stabbed, almost the whole body of the dagger going in.
Frostrill opened his eyes wide. He died with his eyes open.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
What could Frostrill drop?
Chapter 186: “I Havent Eaten a Human in 900 Years”
Chapter 186: I Havent Eaten a Human in 900 Years
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The dazzling shine shed over in an instant.
The gloomy dagger was crushed to bits, just like its attribute, [Hatred]. When hatred dissipated, everything turned into dust.
When the wielder got rid of hatred for life, all that was left behind was happiness.
The happiness on Kierans face was real and overflowing when he saw Frostrills body drop a faintly purple glowing Skill Book.
Although the Special Rank Skill Book belonged to an unknown category and might not even be useful to him, ording to Kierans understanding, it had to be anything but weak.
If anyone thought it was weak, they must not have been able to find a proper way to utilize it. Plus, if a Skill Book came from someone like Frostrill, how weak could it really be?
Before Kieran was lost in his delight, he did not forget what he had to do next.
He pulled the pin of thest grenade he had brought to the dungeon and threw it at the men who were about to move towards the bronze coffin.
None of them were able react to what was going on. The continuous battle and sheer pressureing from their potential enemies was too high for Frostrill, let alone for his men.
They only focused when Frostrills dead body fell to the ground. The grenade was already at their feet by then though.
Boom!
One after the other, their Force Field Barriers and Magical Defensive Equipment started shining after the explosion, and every single one of them was engulfed by the explosive force and sent flying.
Kierans original n had been to prevent Frostrills men from essing the bronze coffin and get it himself.
"Seems like their battle with the invaders was fiercer than I thought. Their barriers and equipment were all destroyed by one explosion!"
The thought bloomed suddenly in Kierans mind when he saw the men flying away.
He quickly pulled out the [MI-02] silenced handgun and the [Python-W2] revolver, holding them in his right and left hand respectively.
It was the perfect opportunity to secure his victory and kill those who had lost their powers.
The men were no weaker than they were in their prime form. They all possessed a certain degree of strength, or they wouldnt have been recruited by Frostrill. Plus, the potential loot after their deaths would be a nice addition to Kierans rewards.
Before Kieran could pull the triggers, a single figure appeared before him out of thin air without any warning.
He adjusted his trajectory towards it and pulled the trigger instinctively.
Bang!
The bullet slid past the mans hair.
"You..." Kieran wanted to speak, but he was interrupted by Frostrills men, who were suddenly begging for mercy.
"My... My Lord! Frostrill bewitched us! We didnt mean to betray you!! Show mercy, my lord!"
The sudden chaotic screams of the men stunned Kieran and made him freeze on the spot.
Who would have been able to make the men beg for mercy, and who would they address as their Lord?
It was the Dark Star Society leader, Serdenk!
"That was fast! He appeared five or six seconds after I destroyed the magic istion circle!"
Kieran was truly astonished by how fast Serdenk had appeared. He breathed in unconsciously. He could not help but stare at the Dark Star Society leader.
His facial features were sharp, and he had a steadfast look. His red hair reached his shoulders, but he showed no sign of weakness. Quite the contrary, Kieran sensed that the man was wild and unrestrained.
He was not very tall, but his intimidating aura made him look huge.
Under his thick eyebrows were a pair of sharp, leopard-like eyes that shimmered.
"2567?"
As he uttered Kierans name, a tremendous aura burst out of him, as if he was an ancient tyrant. The sheer pressure of his aura crushed Kieran.
Kieran was frightened of Serdenks aura, as he had no way to resist it.
While he was muddling blindly against Serdenks power, he felt like he was frozen. He could not move at all.
He could not even lift his finger to fight back. He quickly regted his breathing and moved his limbs with his mind, hoping that he could reach his waistpack with his fingers.
Kieran had prepared a potion specifically for a situation like this. It was meant for resisting the bronze coffins heartbeat, but he could not save it anymore.
His thoughts were euphoric, but reality was harsh and cold.
He mustered up all his strength and willpower, but he could not reach his waistpack.
All he managed to do was move his finger slightly.
"Nice, very nice! Not bad!"
Serdenk noticed the slight movement of Kierans finger and praised him with unknown intentions as heughed wildly.
"Meow?"
Serdenks loud, wildughter sounded like thunder in everyones ears. However, amid his thunderingugh, a clear meow had been heard.
Although it had been just a meow, everyone understood the implications of the animals presence there.
While everyone was looking around for the source of the sound, a slightly fat, yellow-white striped cat appeared between Kieran and Serdenk, who was facing Kieran.
The malicious intent that filled the hall and was locked on Kieran dissipated at the cats appearance.
"Tiki!" Kieran said when he saw the cat, lowering his head slightly.
Tiki smiled like a human at Kieran and wagged its tail softly.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
A series of loud bangs were heard from behind them. Other than Kieran, Serdenk, and Tiki, every single one of Frostrills men had been sent flying outside. Judging by the heavy sounds, it must have been a hard fall for them.
"Tiki, what are you doing?" Serdenk shouted, his expression changing in an instant.
"What am I doing? Getting revenge, of course! You are bullying my dear child! Of course Id take revenge for him! I dont need to tell you that cats can really hold a grudge!" Tiki said as Kieran looked at it incredulously.
The low-pitched voice of the cat made Kierans eyes widen even more.
Kieran knew Tiki was no ordinary cat. It was not just powerful, but also smart beyond his wildest imagination. It could even speak.
"Ive always wanted to say hi to you, 2567! Arent surprises more fun though?"
Tiki smiled at Kieran and waved its meaty paw at him.
Kieran had no idea how to reply. All he could do wasugh bitterly and nod.
They were almost ignoring Serdenk, and he didnt look happy about it.
"You think I wouldnt dare fight you with Nikorei around?" he said angrily.
"Just because Rei united you guys because of that thing, you think you can just act recklessly and care about no one else?"
Tiki turned its head around without putting down its paw. Its sharp ws were extended.
"Want to try me, Serdenk? I havent eaten a human in 900 years! Rei wouldnt object to a couple of snacks though!"
Tiki was still smiling as it said those words.
Its smile was full of danger though. Yes, danger, not just threat.
Anyone who saw Tikis smile would not doubt that the cat was able of doing what it imed.
Serdenk was staring at Tiki, and Tiki was staring right back at him.
The atmosphere was silent and calm, just like before a big fight.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Here is a wild guess of what Tiki was before he was a cat.
A dragon.
Chapter 187: Heart
Chapter 187: Heart
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Serdenk and Tiki were looking at each other, the smell of gunpowder between them getting thicker and thicker by the moment.
Just when Kieran thought Serdenk was ready to strike, he let out a cold hmph and turned away.
Serdenk, the leader of the Dark Star Society, had backed down before a cat!
Kieran felt it clearly when Serdenk turned away, as his aura suddenly turned crude and weak.
Kieran could not believe his eyes, but he knew that this was actually happening.
"What is Tiki?"
Kieran lowered his head and inspected the fat cat.
Even though Tiki had the form and size of an ordinary household cat, Kieran could not treat it as a normal cat anymore. He had started to think of it as something else, some kind of unknown being.
"Meooow! Pussy!"
Tiki yawned deeply and pulled its ws away before turning around and looking at Kieran again.
"Scrap those rude thoughts of yours! Im not such a filthy being!" Tiki ranted.
"You can read my mind?" Kieran was astonished.
"I cant read minds. Your thoughts are just written all over your face, you little brat!"
Tiki skimmed its the corner of its mouth, and its whiskers shivered.
Kieran smiled awkwardly in reply.
"Okay, back to business! There are a couple of things Rei has asked me to do."
When Kieran heard that this was a message from Nikorei, he quickly rejected his quirky thoughts and listened seriously. He knew very well that Nikorei was not someone who did anything without consideration.
"I am very delighted that you are able to rely on your own strength and sessfully get the item that I asked you to! If it is possible, try not to exchange it with your own heart. No matter what happens, your own strengthes from what defines you, including your own flesh and blood."
Tiki delivered Nikoreis message word for word.
Kieran felt weird when he heard it.
He was impatient to ask questions as soon as Tiki was done delivering the message.
"Rei knew what was going on here?" he asked.
"She had guessed a little, I suppose, but not in great detail," Tiki answered.
"Then..."
"Youre wondering why she would still send you here? Because Rei wanted that pussy Sedenk to reveal himself and unite against that thing! Alcatraz Ind might hold secrets that concern Rei, but it was just a misunderstanding after all. If you are concerned about the heart inside the coffin, as long as Im beside you, its yours. We had a deal, and thats your reward," Tiki interrupted Kieran, exining everything.
"As long as youre beside me? You have been beside me all along, protecting me?"
Kieran was surprised by Tikis revtion. It altered his focus slightly.
As an orphan, such secret protection was enough to arouse a sense of gratitude in him.
"Dont overthink it, kid. You are not my son, anyway! Im just here to make sure you dont die an ugly death. If you did, Id just have to find Rei another assistant!" Tiki ranted in an egotistical tone as it rolled its eyes.
Kierans newly aroused sense of gratitude dissipated like a cloud blown away by the wind. He looked at Tiki expressionlessly.
"Well, thats that then. Reis matters are done! Time for my own now. You did really well. I guess that guy will also be pleased by your performance. Perhaps he might test you even further, but remember, kid. Follow your heart, and you will reach the end on your own!" Tiki said.
"What are you talking about?" Kieran asked.
As the words escaped his mouth, Tiki suddenly disappeared.
Just like she had appeared out of thin air, she had also left without any trace.
Kieran stared nkly at the spot Tiki had upied, giving deep thought to the cats words. He realized he was missing something important.
Before he could analyze what Tiki had said, notifications started spamming his vision once more.
[yer haspleted the Main Mission: Return to Alcatraz!]
[yer will leave the dungeon in 5 minutes]
[Please take whatever items you wish to keep with you.]
[Note: Any items that exceed the maximum weight will be discarded!]
"WHAT THE F*CKING F*CK?"
The notifications caught Kieran off guard, and he started cursing hard.
He quickly grabbed the Skill Book from Frostrills body and ran towards the hidden door where his backpack was before he could even take a look at what he had gotten.
Heid his backpack down and dragged it out of the hidden door. Then he put on the small mountain-like backpack and walked step by step towards the bronze coffin.
He wanted to go faster, but he couldnt because of the immense weight of the backpack.
He could barely walk, let alone run. He kept staggering along the way.
Finally, he reached the bronze coffin with less than two minutes left on the timer.
"Luckily, theres still enough time!"
After a quick nce at the remaining time, Kieran paused before the bronze coffin and took out the potion he had been saving from the beginning of the dungeon.
[Name: Soothing Potion]
[Type: Potion]
[Rarity: Great]
[Attributes: When consumed, one is able to maintain a calm state of mind for 90 seconds]
[Prerequisites: None]
[Remarks: It can easily resist a powerful Fear Effect, but its notpletely immune to it!]
...
Kieran drank the potion that had cost 3,000 Points in one mouthful.
After taking it, he pushed the lid of the bronze coffin open.
The heartbeat was getting clearer by the second, and when the lid waspletely open, it started beating like a big drum, resonating in Kierans ears. Even his own heartbeat changed to synchronize itself with it.
Kierans heart and the heart inside the coffin were in total synchronization. A suffocating feeling filled Kierans chest instantly. He instinctively opened his mouth to take a deep breath, but he could not suck any air in.
It was the Fear Effect!
Despite the [Soothing Potion], Kieran was still suffering from the negative debuff. He did not panic though. He had anticipated such a situation.
The [Soothing Potion] still made itself useful. Although Kieran was having trouble breathing, that did not hinder his movements at all.
He lowered his gaze at the dark red heart, which was twice as big as a grown mans fist. Even though the heart was out of its body, it was still beating powerfully.
Kieran quickly took out a square crystal box and put the heart inside. He had not evenid a finger directly on the heart during the whole process, yet the Fear Effect was still getting stronger by the second.
It even started to affect Kierans movements to a certain extent. The Fear Effect reached its highest point when Kieran finished loading the heart inside the box and closed the lid.
As he held the box in his hand, his body started to tremble and blood started gushing out of his mouth.
[Fear: You are within the Targets Fear range, Your Spirit has failed the test, You have suffered a concussion, Target inflicts 10 Damage to your HP...]
[Fear: You are within the Targets Fear range, Your Spirit has failed the test, You have suffered a concussion, Target inflicts 10 Damage to your HP...]
...
New system notifications spammed Kierans vision, but he had no intention of letting go.
How could he ce the box back when he finally had the heart in his hand?
For a stingy person like him, it would be like throwing his own life away.
Kieran took out a [Medium Healing Potion] and swallowed the whole thing in one breath. Then he had a second one.
Simoness gifts were useful in a situation like this.
Kieran swallowed a third one, which had belonged to his personal collection from the [Wandering Beast] dungeon.
He looked back at the timer. Never had he wanted the timer to stop so bad.
As the seconds passed by, and the third [Medium Healing Potion]s effect was half gone, the timer eventually stopped.
The blinding light and loss of weight sent Kieran flying again.
When the light shone on the heart, the beating instantly slowed down and turned into a steady rhythm.
Even though the heart was still beating, the Fear Effect was gone.
The powerful heartbeat had turned into a soft, slow rhythmic beat, as if the heart had witnessed something frightening and had been scared into stopping.
The sudden change caught Kierans attention.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
This "Heart" is a beginning of a wonderful journey. Its very powerful!
Note this is the 3rd part of the triple upload!
Have fun!
Chapter 188: Changes
Chapter 188: Changes
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
As Kierans attention was focused on the heart, information about the heart popped up in his vision.
[Name: Devils Heart]
[Type: Organ]
[Rarity: Epic]
[Attributes: ?]
[Effects: ?]
[Prerequisites: ?]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: This is a heart that once belonged to a Devil Lord!
...
Comparing the information that was given to him, Kieran stared intensely at the heart in the crystal box. His expression was serious.
Not just because of the many question marks he saw, but also because of the sudden change to the hearts beating.
The change was as obvious as a wild tiger turning into a tame rabbit.
Kieran believed that he would need a special method to keep the heart, but then what?
He didnt worry anymore. His mind was filled with thoughts about the reason the [Devils Heart] was beating differently.
"Why did it change?"
Kieran unconsciously looked through the notification log, but there was no mention of it.
"Is it a bug? Or some hidden setting that Im not aware of?" he guessed.
Without any further information, he could note up with a reasonable exnation.
He frowned hard over his ipetence, but he had to bury the baffling question for the time being.
Meanwhile, he ced the heart on a clean spot in the garage.
Following Nikoreis advice, he did not recklessly transnt the heart into himself. He believed Nikorei was not someone who did or said anything without a reason. There had to be an exnation for her warning.
After setting down the [Devils Heart], Kieran raised his head again to check the dungeon ratings.
[Special Dungeon: The Shamans Partner]
[Dungeon Type: Mission Based]
[Dungeon Difficulty: Low]
[Main Mission: Be the shamans assistant for three months]
[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating: F)]
[Sub Mission 1: The Shamans Duties!]
[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating: FE)]
[Sub Mission 2: The Shamans Package!]
[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating: ED)]
[Battle Performance: Very Active (Rating DC)]
[Exploration Performance: Normal]
[Special Rating 1: Fast Dungeon Clear Time (Rating CB)]
[Special Rating 2: Completed an Extra Main Mission: Return to Alcatraz Ind (Rating BA)]
[Special Rating 3: Eliminated "Icy Killer" Wilco (Rating AS)]
[Special Rating 4: Eliminated "Spectre" Gilfren Hatch (SSS)]
[Special Rating 5: Eliminated "Usurper" Frostrill (Rating SSSSS) Rep+1]
[yer Final Rating: SSS]
[Calcting yer Special Dungeon Rewards...]
[yer Final Special Dungeon Rewards are as follows...]
[Points: 10,000; Skill Points: 6; Golden Skill Points: 1; Golden Attribute Points: 1]
[Acquired Special Dungeon: The Shamans Partner II]
[Note: Reputation has reached 5. You have earned some reputation to your name. Some natives will remember you.]
...
Since the Special Dungeon had a second dungeon difficulty, even though the final rating was SSS, the final dungeon reward was considerably lowerpared to the reward of the fourth dungeon difficulty [Prison on the Ind].
Different difficulty, different rewards. Kieran had realized this long ago, so after another nce at the dungeon rating to double check, he turned his attention to his newly acquired Special Dungeon [The Shamans Partner II].
[Special Dungeon: The Shamans Partner II]
[The Shamans Partner II: Time flies. Its already two years since thest incident, and the mystic world has undergone some tremendous changes. Nikorei and the five major societies have faded away frommon peoples sight, and a couple of scoundrels have started to misbehave on the West Coast. Elli Jones had sent you a letter asking for help...]
[Main Mission: Starts after entering the dungeon]
[Remark 1: The Shamans Partner II shares the same universe as The Shamans Partner and Prison on the Ind.]
[Remark 2: The Special Dungeon will not be counted towards the dungeon entries of the yer.]
[Remark 3: This is the second Special Dungeon of the same universe, so the difficulty will be the same as the yers first Special Dungeon Entry +1]
[Remark 4: The Special Dungeon requires the yer to clear a single yer or team dungeon. After the cooldown resets, it will automatically begin.]
[Remark 5: The Special Dungeon has a single yer or team dungeon option. A team dungeon will grant all teammates the same authority. They will work on the same side as the initiator, and the Main Mission difficulty will be determined ording to the different dungeon entry numbers of the yers.]
[Remark 6: If the yer fails the Main Mission of the Special Dungeon, they will have to suffer a penalty equal to the yers current dungeon entries.]
...
Another Special Dungeon based on the same universe, except that there was a slight differencepared to the first one.
However, Kierans attention was on the background of the Special Dungeon.
"Rei and the five major societies have faded away? Is it because of that thing?" Kieran mumbled.
He had approached Simones, but he hadnt asked him directly about the matter.
Simones had obviously known what that "thing" was, but he had brushed Kieran off by telling him he had promised Nikorei not to tell him anything.
When Simones had mentioned that "thing" though, his face had been smeared with panic and confusion, which was enough to prove how powerful that "thing" was.
The fact that even Nikorei needed to unite the five major societies to face that "thing", even though she was extremely powerful herself, also proved how terrifying that "thing" was.
By the time Kieran had left the dungeon, he still had not found out what that "thing" referred to.
"Powerful and terrifying means more rewards! Opportunity and risk always coexist, yet with my current power level, I dont have the qualifications to join them!"
Kieran could not help but squint over the background description.
After a couple of dungeon runs, he had understood the underground games motives. The rewards were always correspondent to the risk he took.
If he was willing to risk it and he escaped death, his rewards would be great.
Kieran was a little annoyed about the fact that he did not have the qualifications to enter the new Special Dungeon.
"I wonder... If I finish the Main Mission, will there be a way to contact Rei?" Kieran muttered to himself.
Nikorei and the five major societies would not just fade away without a reason. There had to be some clues and traces left behind. For example, thest ce Nikorei had been seen.
The time frame of the dungeon was two yearster, which reduced Kierans confidence to half.
Time was a terrifying element. As it flew by, seas changed into mulberry fields and mountains were easily toppled. A small clue was a difficult thing to survive in time.
Then there was also the terrifying power of that "thing". Was Kieran strong enough to face it?
Thanks to the [The Shamans Partner], Kieran had a general understanding of his strength level in that world.
He was at best equal to the average member of one of the major societies.
There was still a wide gap between him and the elites of the societies though.
It was almost impossible to face that "thing" at his current strength level, otherwise Nikorei would have invited him to join the Main Mission herself.
Of course, this was also because of the dungeon difficulty. If the Special Dungeon had a seventh or eighth dungeon difficulty, even Kieran, whocked the strength to face it, would have to do his best to survive.
"Strength... Strength!" Kieran mumbled softly, his light tone getting more confident.
He was someone who would stick to their decision once they made up their mind about something.
Anxiety only pushed him to advance further.
Taking a deep breath, Kieran looked at his biggest rewards from the dungeon. It would be the only way to increase his strength.
He saw the hidden books from the chamber, thebs instruments and the crystal ball.
He had brought everything back. He had even considered bringing back the experiment table if its weight allowed it.
For Kieran, everything he didnt know had a certain value. Even if it could not be sold, it could still be worth a lot.
The parts of the books that he could understand were enough for him to achieve his long-term goals.
"I need to upgrade [Mystical Knowledge] to Pro Level, so now its time to study!" Kieran said to himself.
Before he could flip a page though, he was flooded by continuous pings from his message tab.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Heres a question, will or will not Kieran transnt the heart to himself?
Chapter 189: The Troublesome Prison Break
Chapter 189: The Troublesome Prison Break
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
In Harvest Inn, Rachel was carefully inspecting every single one of the sses she had just washed.
Although the inn was not as merry as during Kieransst visit, he liked this peaceful atmosphere better.
Rachel disagreed, as this meant less business for her. The person who had caused it would definitely not be treated nicely by her.
"Wee," she greeted Kieran with extreme coldness, not even turning her head around.
The system had notified her as soon as he had entered the room.
"Good day, Rachel!"
Kieran knew perfectly well why she was so cold to him, so he did not express any dissatisfaction. After replying politely, he walked up to the table where Lawless was sitting, which was the one furthest away from the bar.
As one of the aplices that had caused the scene, Lawless had it worst than Kieran. The ss of water in front of him was proof enough.
To an alcoholic in a tavern, water tasted more like death.
As Kieran walked over, Lawless waved in low spirits.
"Here, 2567."
Unlike Lawless, on the other side of the table was another veteran yer who greeted Kieran with passion. The man looked familiar
"Hi, Im Hanses. Weve met here before!" Hanses stood up and introduced himself, extending his hand for a handshake.
"2567!" Kieran introduced himself once more as he shook the mans hand.
Even though he already knew Hanses nickname, it was good manners to do so.
Then he turned to Lawless.
"Lawless: There is a mercenary mission I need to discuss with u face 2 face. Harvest Inn!"
Judging by the message Lawless had sent Kieran and the fact that Hanses had joined them, it was easy to guess who the employer was.
Kieran was just waiting for Lawless to exin the nature of the job.
"Because of the killer organization you discovered, every yer that knows whats going on has be cautious. See what Rachel did to me as punishment?" Lawless ranted bitterly, pointing at the ss of water before him.
Kieran looked at him in annoyance, but Lawless soon dropped the act and continued, "Its a good thing though. At least we know whats going on so we can raise our guard. I hope there will be no more victims after this. That incident also provided us with a chance to find the organization. Well, of course, theres also been trouble. Everyone has started to doubt each other, and easy mercenary missions have be even harder because of that revtion!"
"Hanses here has that same problem. He needs help getting through a troublesome dungeon, but he cannot trust anyone other than me!"
Lawlesss manner became serious when he was discussing business.
A troublesome dungeon? Kieran was surprised.
It had to be a Special Dungeon. Otherwise, how could it already be troublesome, when it had not even begun?
No doubt Hanses already knew what he would have to face before going back into the dungeon. This was not possible for a normal dungeon. Only Special Dungeons allowed yers some small insight into the uing dungeon.
Title Dungeons were the same, but they did not allow team entries.
Every single one of the participants needed to have an entry scroll in order to enter.
"Is it a Special Dungeon?" Kieran asked Hanses softly after taking another look at Lawless.
If Hanses was willing to trust him, then so was Kieran. Under the circumstances, he was willing to spill something that could be considered a secret.
Plus, Hanses seemed to react well to it.
Lawless was no stranger to Special Dungeons either. Considering his dungeon clearance, what would have sounded strange to a newer yer was nothing to him.
Hanses looked at Kieran in surprise. He was astonished by the fact that Kieran was aware of the existence of Special Dungeons.
He had no intention to hide this though. As Hanses nodded, Lawless dropped his poker face.
It was not news to him that Kieran knew about the existence of Special Dungeons.
Lawless had interacted with Kieran the most, so he could guess his general status based on the items he put up for sale.
"A Special Dungeon that even Lawless needs help clearing? Seems like this Special Dungeon is even more special than I imagined!" Kieran added.
"Thats because this dungeon has certain limitations. One, we cannot bring any equipment and items with us. Two, we might start out as prisoners at the beginning!" Lawless nodded as he briefed Kieran on the situation.
They wouldnt be able to bring any equipment or items inside the dungeon? Theyd be in jail?
Kierans brow furrowed as he listened to Lawless.
Kieran had never denied the importance of his equipment and items.
He had relied on [Primus Arm] plenty of times toplete a mission, and he couldnt imagine removing all his other gear either.
If a yer entered a dungeon unarmed, their power level would drop by at least six ranks.
That was the conclusion Kieran reached after a short calction.
If he added in the limitation of being a prisoner at the beginning of the dungeon, he could understand why Lawless had called the Special Dungeon troublesome.
Kieran would have considered it lethal.
However, there was also a burning curiosity inside his heart, which he had no intention of hiding.
"Although Special Dungeons are somewhat different than normal ones, based on my understanding, it shouldnt be that hard to clear, right?"
Kieran looked at Hanses, who was the one who had called on them.
"Here, 2567. See for yourself."
Hanses smiled helplessly as he PMed Kieran a screenshot of the dungeon information.
[yer "Hanses" Final Rating: SSS]
[You have acquired a Special Dungeon]
[Special Dungeon: Escape from Morko Principality]
[Escape from Morko Principality: You were originally one of Grand Duke Morkos elite infantry troops, but you stole the Grand Dukes treasure from his vault during a time of war. This infuriated Grand Duke Morko, who sent out his best men and captured you, confiscating all the stolen treasure. You have been thrown into prison, and Grand Duke Morko is nning on executing you once the war is over...]
[Note: Because of your theft, all your items are running a risk of being confiscated. Please choose your equipment carefully.]
...
Kieran skimmed through the generic message, focusing on the important bits of information.
When he finished, his brow was furrowed even harder than before.
One of his questions had been answered, but another one had taken its ce.
"You were captured before the dungeon ended? Or..." he asked.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
This dungeon is quite interesting... Imagine the movie "Escape n"
Chapter 190: Blade Kick
Chapter 190: de Kick
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
At Kierans question, the bitter expression on Hanses face got even sadder.
"I calcted the time before entering the vault, just before the Main Mission finishes, and the five-minute countdown! The guards noticed that something was off though, and they came after me. By the time they entered the vault, my time was up!"
"I thought Id identally gotten a huge reward out of it, but it was only an ident. There was no reward. My actions made my ratings jump up by three ranks and unlocked the Special Dungeon, but all the rewards Id brought back were missing! Id brought back an empty backpack instead!" Hanses said.
Kierans heart dropped at his words.
"Returning to the lobby is not safe. Given the circumstances, and the fact that the natives are blocking your way, your abrupt return was just a suspended deadline. You may even suffer some kind of punishment."
Kieran debated about using the word punishment, because of Hanses actions and the dungeon description, but thats what it struck him like.
He randomly recalled how he had gotten back from his own dungeon and how a fierce tiger like the [Devils Heart] had turned into a tame rabbit.
Although the two cases were not rted in any way, the random thought nheless formed in his mind.
He let out a breath before collecting his thoughts.
"Your next mission is to go back into that dungeon?" Kieran asked.
"Yes!" Hanses nodded.
"How much is the reward?" Kieran asked straightforwardly.
Lawless had alreadyid it all down. It was a mercenary mission, so naturally there would be a reward. The higher the risk, the more valuable the reward would be.
"This!"
A screenshot appeared in Kierans PM tab. It was an orange Skill Book.
Its name was [de Kick].
A Rare Skill Book?
Kieran looked at Hanses in astonishment. He never would have imagined that Hanses would offer a Rare Skill Book as a reward.
From what Kieran understood, a mercenarys fee was usually around 30,000 Points and 7 or 8 Skill Points.
The Rare Skill Book far exceeded that kind of reward.
"Dont look at me like that. I am one of the most adventurous yers. I have sessfully cleared six dungeons. Of course I have something good in my hands! Besides, this mission has its own risks. If I dont jack up the price, I dont think youll agree to it!" Hanses confessed.
Kieran was deep in thought, considering the gains and losses if he epted the mission.
After another normal dungeon run, he would have to return to [The Shamans Partner II] universe, and if he wanted to get anything good out of it, he would need to be at least three times stronger than he currently was. Otherwise, he would not even qualify to enter the dungeon.
Kieran was not confident enough to achieve that after just a normal dungeon run, but if another Special Dungeon was thrown in the mix... Then his confidence would be boosted.
Entering the Special Dungeon would consume one normal dungeon cooldown, which was not in the same category as a Special Dungeon.
As for the risk, Kieran always did his best to explore all Sub Missions and Title Missions, which were risky enough to begin with.
Besides, he would already have acquired a Rare Skill Book before even entering the dungeon, which was the kind of attacking skill that hecked.
This was enough to convince him, yet before he could agree to it, there were still some questions that needed to be asked.
"All the loot from the dungeon will be mine, right?" he asked.
"Thats an unwritten rule among yers. All the loot will be yours. All you need to do is fulfill your duties and keep me safe throughout the dungeon," Hanses confirmed.
"Deal!" Kieran extended his right hand to shake his.
"Rachel! Some wine here! We just struck a big deal, a celebration is due!"
Lawless, who had been quiet for quite a while, suddenly raised his voice in delight.
"Any drinks and food you and 2567 order will cost double!" Rachel said coldly.
"Double? Come on, Rachel! How can you be so cruel? This is not fair, darling! Come on, for old times sake! Please..." Lawless begged her like a puppy.
"This is for old times sake! You boys can still enter my inn. And you will pay me double interest on what you owe me as well!" Rachel told Lawless in an even colder tone.
"Oh, nooo!" Lawless ranted out loud beforeying down on the table helplessly.
Kieran smiled over their little drama.
He felt nothing but gratitude towards Lawless, the only friend he had made in the game.
Even without Hanses reward, if Lawless had tried to persuade Kieran, there was a high chance that Kieran would still have agreed to enter the dungeon. Lawless had not tried to persuade him though.
Instead, he had let Kieran finish the deal with Hanses by himself.
Kieran felt another wave of fondness for Lawless, the way he conducted business, and the rules he abode by.
As for Lawless weak behaviour when it came to Rachel, only a blind man would not have been able to see that there was an awkward history between the two of them.
Kieran was sitting at the table drinking beer. The beers price had been doubled despite Lawless dramatic, childlike begging. The three of them continued their discussion and set up a time to enter the dungeon.
Since it was a team dungeon, they would need to enter it with team dungeon settings.
Kieran had justpleted the [Prison on the Ind] team dungeon two weeks ago, and it was still on cooldown, so he would need at least two more weeks to reset the cooldown if he wanted to enter another team dungeon. The same applied to Lawless as well.
This new n did not sh with Kierans original n though.
His mind was filled with all the things that he had to do in the next two weeks. He quickly finished his beer and left the Harvest Inn after saying goodbye to Hanses, Lawless and Rachel.
He boarded the train without dy and rushed back to his in-game home, 13th Wallway Street.
As Kieran approached the door, he picked up a sense of malicious intent.
"Who is it? Show yourself!" he shouted in the intents direction, which was one of the dark corners of his garage.
One of his hands gripped his [Python-W2] as a new spection formed in his mind.
"Is it the Killer Organization?"
It was a simple, quick conclusion, as he did not have many acquaintances or grudges against anyone in the game. The only ones who had a grudge against Kieran and wanted to rip him apart were the members of the Killer Organization.
However, their impatience had exceeded Kierans expectations. Lawless and the other veterans were looking for them, yet they had boldly appeared before Kieran.
They probably wanted to make an example out of him.
The sudden thought made Kieran stare intensely at the dark corner, his ears open wide to listen to any movements around him.
He was afraid that he was not facing just one person.
If he had been one of them, he would have sent more men just to be on the safe side.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
de Kick is life! de Kick is love!
Chapter 191: Surprise Attack
Chapter 191: Surprise Attack
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
"Haaaa!"
A strong, fierce shout revealed a giant, towering shield in the shadows.
The shield was huge and it blocked Kierans vision from the person that was behind it. The pressureing from it was intense.
Within the blink of an eye, it almost reached Kieran in a rush.
Kieran instinctively tried to dodge the iing shield, but before he could make any maneuvers, he felt another malicious intente from behind him.
Another attacker had appeared, creating a deadly formation with the shield bearer in front of him.
Kieran stood still for a moment. If he wanted to dodge from both sides, he would have to head towards the garage door.
But would heading towards the door really allow him to dodge both men?
Although behind the door was the game lobby, unless he seeded in reaching the room, Kieran would not be safe.
The situation before him was clear. The attackers wanted to force him into the garage because that was where they were nning on delivering the killing blow.
Taking that into ount, the area around the garage door had to be the most dangerous one. Kieran would only be safe if he managed to enter the room.
Even if he was one step outside it, he would be exposed. It would be no different than him being out in the open.
After thorough consideration, Kieran realized he only had one option left. He had to face them head-on.
Kieran was certain that his decision was predictable. The attackers must have prepared some countermeasures.
They would not be expecting his strength though. That would be the wild card.
The shield produced a strong wind pressure, blowing hard against Kierans face and messing his hair. It made him squint his eyes.
Both men were less than a meter apart.
Although the shield was not sharp, based on its sheer dashing force, no sharp edge was needed.
The sheer brute force of it would be enough to turn its targets bones into dust.
At least that was what its wielder knew to be true. Therefore, when Kieran raised his foot towards the shield, the second attacker could not help butugh.
This was way too easy!
Although their target had discovered the traps theyd set up for him, he was not that bright after all.
Still, nothing would have changed, even if Kieran had been smart. They had prepared tons of other traps, and every single one of them was capable of taking his petty life.
From the second attackers point of view, the traps did not matter anymore. Everything was about toe to an end.
With a malefic grin, the man tried to go over to his partner to celebrate the sess of the mission. Suddenly, something shocked him into remaining still.
Kierans right foot had collided with the shield, yet Kieran was still standing there with one foot up. He had not been sent flying from the collision. He was standing on the spot, firmer than ever.
On the other hand, the tremendous shield had been stopped abruptly, as if it had crashed into a big wall. It had even let out an eerie screech.
The shield wielder had suffered a st from the collision.
He had staggered away, the shield covering him exposing a tiny part of him.
Kierans sharp eyes seized the opportunity in an instant as he raised his gun for a shot.
Bang! Bang!
Blood sshed out from the attackers body.
[Shooting: Inflicts 150 Damage to Target HP, Armor Pration Lvl 1 higher than Targets armor, 150 True Damage inflicted to Target, Target is Moderately Wounded...]
[Shooting: Inflicts 200 Damage to Target HP, Armor Pration Lvl 1 higher than Targets armor, 200 True Damage inflicted to Target, Target is Lethally Wounded...]
The first shot hadnded on the attackers thigh. The sudden pain made the man expose himself to a bigger extent, almost rendering his intimidating defense useless.
The second shot struck him on the waist.
Suddenly, a bright white whiptched onto Kierans right hand at air-breaking speed.
The second attacker hade to his senses and reacted to Kierans attack.
Kieran did not dodge or budge. The whip had bound his hand.
The attackers intention had been to stop Kieran from firing, but it was a futile effort.
The silenced [MI-02] appeared in Kierans left hand right before he fired the lethal shot.
Bang!
The trigger was pulled with a loud noise.
[Shooting: Inflicts 100 Damage to Target, Target dies...]
[yer Killed: Shielder]
[Treated as self-defense through authentication]
[Categorized as an Honor Kill]
[You will receive all the Points and Skill Points of the yer...]
[Total: 7,000 Points and 3 Skill Points]
[Received the yers house key]
[Granted the right to use the yers house]
[All the yers belongings are in their house]
[Honor Kills: 2]
...
The second attacker had witnessed the death of his partner with his own eyes. Without a seconds dy, he turned around and ran as fast as lightning.
He was certain that, without his partner, he could not inflict effective damage on Kieran.
After only a few steps, a ck chaintched onto him, binding him on the spot.
[Shadow Chain: Targets Strength failed authentication, Bound on the spot for one second, Target will suffer 15 Negative Corrosion Damage per second for three seconds...]
One second was not long, but sometimes it was the difference between life and death.
With the shadow chains eerie touch on his body, the attackers face turned pale in an instant. He took out two items and immediately used one of them with a shout.
"Dont fire, Im telling you..."
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Repeated shots interrupted his words as a total of five bullets broke the Force Field Shield around him.
As soon as the Force Field Shield was gone, a shallow glow appeared all over his body, dissipating the [Shadow Chain]stch in fractions of a second.
With his bindings gone, the attacker started running again, even faster than before. He could not resist being bound by the [Shadow Chain] once again though.
The [Shadow Chain]tched onto his legs this time. A loud gunshot followed.
Bang!
It was Kieransst shot at the attacker. It seemed like the man had run out of tricks to protect himself.
[Shooting: Lethal Attack, Inflicts 400 Damage to Target, (200 Firearm Weapon, Light Firearm)(Musou) X2, Target dies...]
[yer Killed: Correy]
[Treated as self-defense through authentication]
[Categorized as an Honor Kill]
[You will receive all the Points and Skill Points of the yer...]
[Total: 4,000 Points and 1 Skill Point]
[Received the yers house key]
[Granted the right to use the yers house]
[All the yers belongings are in their house]
[Honor Kills: 3]
...
After killing the second attacker, Kieran rolled swiftly to the left.
Bang!
Just as he rolled away, a huge bullet was shot at the spot where he had just been standing.
There was a sniper!
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Kieran was the man of the hour! So hot right now!
Chapter 192: Cyber Law Enforcer
Chapter 192: Cyber Law Enforcer
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
After a side roll, Kierannded on the ground single-handed, clenching the muscles of his arm.
The sudden boost of strength turned into strong force as he pushed himself back towards the spot he had just gotten away from.
Bang!
The bullets were a fraction of a second toote, but the sniper, who was hidden far away, did not give up.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three more shots were fired. When Kieran made his way behind a wall, the firing stopped.
The tremendous destructive force of the sniper was like a mini cannon, sting the ground where Kieran stood. It was inferiorpared to a real cannon though.
Still, Kieran was astonished by what he saw from his new hiding spot. The wall that he had just been taking cover behind a moment ago had been sted into pieces along with a big chunk of the building.
It was not a rocketuncher, but a real cannon.
"There are yers that can use cannons?"
Kieran could not imagine how a yer could even use a cannon inside the dungeon world.
The sheer size and weight of them was not something a single person could handle. There had to be a whole team.
This was the only possible exnation.
Kierans spections made his heart tremble with dyed panic.
If he had not been thinking about counterattacking, he might have taken a cannon st on the face.
Kieran knew what would have happened to him if he had still been at the spot when the almost eight-meter wide cannon crater had eliminated all obstacles.
Even with [Primus Scale], he would have still been crushed to bits. The attackers would not have prepared just a single shot after all.
Kieran took out his [Jagdtiger-X1] and tried to spot the sniper through the scope. He believed the sniper was also looking for him.
The Musou Level [Firearm Weapon (Light Firearm)]s special effect [Unparalleled Aim] boosted his Intuition to B- rank in an instant.
Kierans view was bing clearer by the second, his enemies now more obvious than ever.
Bang!
Kieran pulled the trigger before quickly moving away from his current spot.
[Shooting: Lethal Attack, Inflicts 400 Damage to Target HP (200 Firearm Weapon (Light Firearm)(Pro) X2), Target has Maic Force Field, Bullets are ineffective, 0 True Damage inflicted to Target...]
...
The notification that popped up shocked Kieran, but he did not dare stop just because he was surprised.
The roaring sound of the cannon was heard again.
Boom!
The huge shockwave sent Kieran flying.
The moment he fell on the ground, he rolled quickly to the side and stood up. He kept running towards his original destination to take cover.
Musou Level [Evading] not only allowed him to dodge iing fire, but it also helped him minimize damage if he could not avoid it.
"Maic Force Field? What the hell is that?"
Kieran was not familiar with the term, but he understood what it could do. The Maic Force Field had negated his lethal attack and rendered his bullets useless.
Kieran was in awe of the attackers equipment.
This new wave of attacks waspletely different from the previous two, otherwise they would have taken the chance when Kieran and Shielder brawled it out with brute strength.
The strength of this new wave of enemies shed light on the situation.
Kieran was hiding in a dark corner checking his own wounds.
[Shock Wave: Target inflicts 150 Damage to your HP, Protective Tessirot Blessing resisted a portion of Damage, 100 True Damage inflicted to HP...]
...
The damage from the cannon shockwave exceeded Kierans wildest expectations.
Even though Kieran had gotten away from the sting range, he was still affected by the after wave and had suffered an amount of damage.
The high damage and the negation of his attacks left him only once choice. He had to call reinforcements.
He would need at least one more person to help him locate the cannon.
"2567: Under attack, help!"
Kieran quickly messaged Lawless for help, but it was not Lawless who came to his aid first.
It was a squad of a dozen cyberw enforcers in ck and blue, with an obvious police badge on them.
The cyberw enforcers appeared out of thin air and approached Kieran. One of them spoke in a mechanical voice, "Please remain calm. Your safety is our priority."
It seemed to be establishing its credibility.
The robot opened its hands and a 10-inch hologram appeared before Kieran.
The projection was showing two scenes at once.
One of them was someone carrying a sniper rifle and running for their life, and the second one was four men swiftly dismantling a cannon.
No matter how quick they were though, the cyberw enforcers were one step ahead.
In the projections, Kieran could clearly see two squads of cyberw enforcers surrounding the sniper and the yers dismantling the cannon.
The sniper put his hands up in the air, but two of the four yers around the cannon tried to resist.
The cyberw enforcers fired a bright redser beam from their eyes and pierced the yers bodies with ease.
"Laser weapons?" Kieran shivered a bit.
Back in the real world, the Unions most elite force ofw enforcers were usingser weapons as well.
Kieran kept an eye on the news because his army service would be due soon, but he would never have thought he would get to see aser weapon in the game.
"yer 2567, the attackers assaulting you have been captured. Any resistance has been eliminated."
"You are safe again. You have 3 Honor Kill Points, and you will receive 3% of their total wealth aspensation!"
After the mechanical voice finished speaking, the squad of cyberw enforcers left.
[Authenticated yer has 3 Honor Kill Points, yer will receive 3% of the attackers total wealth aspensation (including but not limited to equipment, items, Points, and Skill Points)]
[Calcting Compensation...]
[yers Final Compensation: 15,000 Points.]
...
"Is this what Honor Kill Points are for?"
Kieran was extremely surprised when he found out what the real use of the mysterious Honor Kill Points was.
With a sudden heartache, he realized that if 3% of the yers total wealth equaled 15,000 Points ofpensation, then 100% would have equaled 500,000 Points.
Ugh! The thought alone made Kierans heartache stronger. He was having trouble breathing. He felt as if something important was just beyond his grasp.
"Honor kill... Honor kill..." Kieran mumbled softly.
When Lawless rushed to the scene, Kieran looked at him with an immensely serious expression.
"When you go after the Killer Organization, you have to take me with you!" he said, emphasizing each word.
"Wh... what? Are you okay, 2567?" Lawless asked worriedly, baffled by Kierans sudden gibberish.
"Im fine, just a little hurt. So, any news from the Harvest Inn?" Kieran shook his head, asking a random question.
"A couple of my buddies searched the area, but nothing!" Lawless sighed.
Kieran frowned. If the attackers had known where to find him, then there had to be someone following him, not only at his own house, but at the Harvest Inn as well. A spy from the Killer Organization had to be somewhere around.
This was the conclusion he had reached, yet he did not suspect Lawless.
If Lawless said so, then his team must have been searching hard, but note up with anything.
If the Organization was out there though, its members must have left some traces.
"I want to go have a look. Is that okay?" Kieran asked.
He believed Lawless, but that did not mean that he would not use his [Tracking] to his advantage.
Kieran was sure his special skill would be particrly useful in this case.
"Sure, of course. Lets walk over. Im curious about what happened here though."
Lawless nodded with a smile before pointing at the sted ruins and debris all around them.
He did not mind Kieran volunteering to join his crusade. It was what he wished for as well.
Even though Kieran had a low dungeon entry number, he had seen his formidable strength with his own eyes.
Lawless was about to turn around and leave.
"Hold on, theres also something else!"
Kieran went inside his room. He had not forgotten the methods the first wave of attackers had used.
He was curious about how Correy and Shielder had rigged up his door.
Before Kieran could venture another step deeper though, he was pulled back by Lawless hard.
"Wait!" Lawless said with furrowed eyebrows.
His eyes were locked on the entrance to Kierans room.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Lasers...
Chapter 193: Traceless
Chapter 193: Traceless
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
When Kieran saw Lawless pull out a long metal rod with a hollowed, round shape attached to its end, he was surprised.
A mine detector!
One would recognize that kind of equipment, even if they were not familiar with firearms, and Kieran knew a lot about firearms thanks to his various skills.
He understood why Lawless would want to use a mine detector.
The trap set up by the first wave of attackers was an obvious one. It was a minefield.
It was an affordable, powerful method to deal with enemies.
Kieran frowned helplessly as he remembered his knowledge about mines.
He was amazed by the neverending methods the Killer Organization had at its disposal.
The system [Shop] did not sell such items, and neither did the [Forum]. There were only somemon defensive grenades. Offensive grenades were rare.
However, the attackers had been able to get their hands on mines, cannons, and a Maic Field.
Thetter made Kierans breath quicken.
There was no situation more desperate than having your attacks negated and their effects nullified. Even the cannons ridiculous firing range was better than that.
Kieran could alwayse up with a countermeasure, but if his attacks were negated, then it was pointless.
His brows furrowed even harder than before.
"The Killer Organization is more powerful and influential than I thought!" he mumbled to himself.
He was certain that, even though the two waves of attacks seemed unrted, they were from the same organization.
As for why the attackers would be divided?
Kieran had a bounty on his head, and from the looks of it, the reward had to be quite high. Otherwise, it would not have lured all those killers.
"This is only the start. There will be more killers sooner orter. My strength has increased gradually, so the killers that will appear will only be stronger than before. I need to get stronger faster than they expect. Thats the only way I will be able to survive a battle with them!"
It was something Kieran already knew. A sense of danger gradually rose in his heart.
He was not afraid of the danger though.
After the pressure of despair and constantly dwelling on the edge of death, he had gotten tougher and stronger.
He would not back off. He would just advance with vignce and careful nning in order to ovee any potential obstacles.
However, Kieran was not denying that one of the reasons that pushed him forward were the Honor Kills and theirpensation.
After the battle he had been through, he had earned a total of 26,000 Points and 4 Skill Points, and the Honor Kills had granted him ess to the items and rooms of both attackers.
The rewards were almost on par with a normal dungeon clearing reward, excluding the Golden Skill Point and Golden Attribute Points.
Points and Skill Points were a motivation for Kieran, as they were closely rted to his current and future way of life.
After about two minutes, Lawless brought over the diffused mine.
"Here, you can keep it as a souvenir. It might bring you good luck!" he said as he tossed the mine to Kieran.
[Name: Z-II]
[Type: Landmine]
[Rarity: Great]
[Attack: Strong]
[Attributes: Power +45% against vulnerable targets]
[Effects: None]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: This is an anti-infantryndmine, an explosive with a wider range than amonndmine.]
...
"This is not something you can just pick up at the supermarket!" Kieran told Lawless after a quick nce through the [Z-II] description.
His meaning was self-exnatory. He was talking about the way the attackers had acquired thendmine.
The first wave of attackers might have identally stumbled on thendmine or gotten it from other yers, but the second wave of attackers must have left some traces to follow.
"I think Ive got a general idea. If it really came from where I think it has, I can track it down by following the clues," Lawless said seriously.
"Time is running out. Lets take another look around and then head back to the Harvest Inn," Kieran said.
"Of course!" Lawless said with a nod.
...
Half an hourter, the two of them were on the train heading towards the Harvest Inn.
Their brows were furrowed, and they were deep in thought.
They had found more traces of both attacks, but had not discovered anything about the person who had been following Kieran.
Kieran had checked a couple of good spots for someone to follow him with his [Tracking], but there had been no clues.
The spots had all been clean and they had not looked like they had been visited by anyone.
"Dont waste brain matter on it. Maybe well find something at the Harvest Inn! What were the attackers names again?"
Lawless could not reach a clear conclusion either, so he pushed his thoughts aside and asked about the attackers.
"There were two waves. I have no idea about the second one, but the first ones were called Shielder and Correy. Ever heard of them?" Kieran asked, revealing the nicknames of the first attackers.
After some thought, Lawless shook his head. "Shielder and Correy? Nope, they might not have been beta yers."
"Then you must know something about the second wave. They were using very special weapons. A cannon and a sniper rifle. The sniper had some sort of Maic Field that negated my attacks!" Kieran added.
"A cannon? Are you sure?"
Lawless opened his eyes wide in surprise. The cigar on his lips almost fell on the floor.
"Are they famous?"
Kieran thought something was off based on Lawlesss expression.
"Hellfire! Its a group of five. Two of them were beta yers, and the other three joinedter. They have quite the reputation among yers because of their cannon. Quite a lot of wealthy yers have hired them to clear dungeons. They are not cheap at all though, so theres no reason they would need to survive by killing people..." Lawless exined briefly.
Then he turned a little gloomy and got lost in thought.
Obviously, Hellfire belonged to the Killer Organization. Lawless was baffled by the fact though, as they had no trouble earning Points.
"Maybe they got rich after they formed Hellfire. What about before though? I think that if you track them down with these clues, you might discover something new," Kieran pointed out, using his sharp senses. He was not affected by Lawless sudden change of emotion.
"Right! They were nobodies before Hellfire! Its after they formed the group and got the cannon that they became famous! Everyone said they had great chemistry, and it seems their chemistry is real, but maybe its not all of them. Maybe its only the one or two who are in charge!" Lawless quickly responded to Kierans point.
Kieran then saw him started to text his contacts.
He sat there quietly and did not interrupt him.
Networking was the only thing Lawless was better at than Kieran.
Kieran believed that as long as someone was not natural twisted in mind, they would be willing to befriend Lawless.
This might vary ording to peoples attitude, but still better than Kieran.
Kieran had never considered himself a friendly person, nor a natural loner, but because of the sudden illness that had befallen him and made him struggle to survive from a very young age. He had almost erased the term "friend" from his vocabry.
By the time hed realized it, everyone around him was either a colleague or a boss, which were definitely not friend material.
"Friends, huh? A mere luxury," Kieranmented before closing his eyes to rest.
The battle earlier had exhausted him. Even though it had notsted long, Kieran had given it 120%, and so had he during the search afterwards.
There would be another search when they reached the Harvest Inn, so he knew what he had to do in the meantime.
He did not talk to Lawless for the rest of the journey.
When they disembarked from the train, Lawless was still contacting his friends, hoping to gather more information on the matter at hand.
Hanses and Rachel were waiting for them at the train station.
"I dont like it when my inn is being watched by some criminal! If I dont catch them, I wont be able to sleep peacefully!" Rachel said. She had an irrefutable reason to be there.
Hanses led the way straightaway. "Come with me!"
He was walking in front, leading them to a couple of spots perfect for spying on the Harvest Inn. All of them were empty though.
Kieran was astonished.
"Could I be wrong? Its not possible though! If they knew my whereabouts, then there had to be someone spying on me. There are no traces at all though... Could the culprit be in some kind of spirit form?" Kieran came up with a bold theory after lots of futile effort.
Hanses and Lawless did not reject his theory. As veterans, the two of them knew very well that the underground game featured millions of odd, mystical skills. No one could confirm that there was no such skill.
If their enemies possessed such a skill though, then theyd be in big trouble!
Kieran would not be able to track them down withmon methods anymore, and if they tried to assassinate him again, it would be impossible for him to defend himself and escape unscathed.
Lawless and Hanses looked at each other. There was a sense of worry in their eyes.
"Spirit form?" Rachelughed coldly, her eyes locked at a specific spot.
Everyone followed her gaze instantly and saw a bird at the spot.
Although it was amon bird, when it sensed the astonished gazes of the humans, it got unusually scared and tried to fly away.
Before it could, Rachel raised her hand and threw a fis, capturing it.
Rachel took the and sniffed at the little bird.
Her cold smile became even colder.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Guess what Rachel did with the bird?
Chapter 194: Unexpected Rewards
Chapter 194: Unexpected Rewards
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Rachel pinched the little birds w, allowing it to p its wings furiously.
The coldness on her face and the sense of danger in her eyes made Hanses twist his neck unusually. Lawless turned away right away.
It was the first time Kieran was witnessing the unusual strength of the female owner of the Harvest Inn.
Some people had no need of a powerful aura. All it took was just a gaze alone to make others afraid.
"Scary!" Kieranmented quietly.
His gaze was locked on the woman. He knew Rachel must have discovered something.
The rest of them had not noticed anything though. No matter how they looked at it, it was just a bird. It didnt have anything unusual about it.
"Ill give you another chance. Come forward and tell me the truth!" Rachel said coldly.
The little bird was struggling for its life even harder.
"Seems like you wont take the chance then... Come, lets go back to the inn."
Rachel pinched the little bird and headed back to the Harvest Inn.
...
After 10 minutes at the inn, a dish named called Roast Bird was served on a te before Kieran.
"My treat," Rachel said.
"Thanks, um..."
Kieran was at a loss for words. He was curious about how Rachel had noticed that there was something unusual about the bird.
He was still confused about what happened back there. He did not have a close rtionship with Rachel though, so it was hard for him to ask.
He had been hoping for Lawless and Hanses to do it, but when the two of them had reached the inn, they had received some urgent news and left abruptly.
Kieran knew it had not been about the Killer Organization. Otherwise, they would have brought him along.
Before Kieran could ask, Rachel noticed his confusion.
"It was the smell! Normal birds dont smell like Pork Hyacinth Bean Stew and brandy. The pork was overcooked and the beans were too soft. Even the brandy was low quality! Lousy cooking and brewing!"
"The smell?" Kieran was stunned by the revtion.
Hed never have thought it would be the smell. It was too hard for him to believe.
Kieran was always confident about his intuition, but he hadnt picked up any unusual scents at that spot.
"I have a cooks nose. Yours is a normal one," Rachel said softly, as if seeing through Kieran.
Then she pushed the te forward slightly and said, "Wasting food is a sin. Finish it!"
"Okay." Kieran nodded.
[Name: Roast Bird]
[Type: Food]
[Rarity: Fresh]
[Attributes: Restores 45 HP in 15 Seconds]
[Prerequisites: None]
[Remarks: This is a dish made by Rachel. The portion is small due to theck of ingredients, but its still delicious!]
...
As the description stated, the portion was small, but it was very tasty.
Kieran finished it in a couple of bites and licked his fingers to savor the leftover taste.
Rachel did not bring him another dish, nor did she open her mouth to talk. Kieran was smart enough to leave.
He had a lot of questions he wanted to ask though. Had that bird been the pet of some yer?
Why had Lawless and Hanses looked so strangely at Rachel when shed caught the bird?
There had to be a story behind it, but it was rted to someone elses privacy, so Kieran could not let the words escape his mouth, even though he was curious.
He could not dig up other peoples secrets without restraint.
He still had manners and a basic respect for everyone, even though it was limited to the people he knew and considered friends or acquaintances.
When it came to his enemies, Kieran wanted to know everything, even what kind of underwear they were wearing.
To know ones own strength and their enemys was the surest way to victory.
Kierans journey back to 13th Wallway Street was safe and smooth.
When he entered his room, he was finally able to rx and let his guard down. Then he logged off the game.
After tidying up and resting, he went back in the game five hourster.
His message tab pinged when he returned.
...
Lawless: I found out where the [Z-II] came from!
Lawless: Ill go meet the guy, wait for news!
(This was the first message Lawless had sent Kieran. It was followed by a second one.)
Lawless: That guy seems to know even more than I expected, but the bastard aint talking.
Lawless: Sh*t!
Lawless: Hes staying in his room, I cant do sh*t to him!
Lawless: If I catch him outside, Ill teach him some manners!
(The second batch of messages were angry. They were not thest ones though.)
Lawless: We found the guy whod been spying on us!
Lawless: That son of a bitch logged out immediately though. I dont think we can get anything from him for the time being.
Lawless: Sh*t!
....
The third message was angry as well. Kieran was speechless.
Facing the Killer Organization was hard not just because of their mysterious ways of conducting business and their ridiculously strong arsenal, but also because of the games elements.
No matter how real the underground game was, it was still a game after all.
Some of the game rules made the Killer Organization even harder to deal with.
ying a single yer game in ones own room was the safest method. Even if one was caught, no one could do anything if they hadnt entered battle mode or logged out immediately.
The former was ridiculously hard to deal with, and although thetter could be sorted out by waiting for them toe back online, there were still difficulties though.
Adventurous yers were up to the task, but they were short on time.
Casual yers could not do either, as they were not strong enough.
It was not easy to find a middle ground between those two. In other words, it cost a lot of time and energy.
"A protracted battle then," Kieran told Lawless with a sigh.
...
2567: Im going to the room of the yers who attacked me. I might find more there.
2567: Youing?
Lawless: Sure!
...
Lawless epted Kierans invitation right away. After they set up a time and ce to meet, Kieran left his room.
He arrived at the prearranged location on time and saw Lawless. He walked up to him with a smile.
No one ever disliked punctuality.
"Lets hope we can find something. These guys are hiding deeper than I thought! Most of my friends had not even noticed them around, and even those who had were not sure before I asked them. I wont let them roam free though. I will show no mercy when I find them!"
Lawless sounded unusually persistent, which made Kierane up with a few theories. He did not press the matter any further though.
If Lawless wanted to reveal his intentions, he would. If he didnt, pressing him would only put up a barrier between them. He might as well not ask at all.
"So whats with Rachel and that bird? Was it a pet or something?" Kieran asked a different question.
"I guess you could say that. Some yers have the skills to raise animals to fight for them, but most of them are exhausting to train and bear few results. That spy had put a lot of effort in training that bird, but in the end it ended up on Rachels te, didnt it? Even if one could get a strong beast on their side, the increasing difficulty of the dungeons would eventually diminish the beasts use. Unless one could find a really unique animal. Using a camel to move goods would be quite nice. If you have the means, you could consider getting an elephant or a camel!" Lawless replied with a hint of humor.
"I cannot even feed myself properly," Kieran shrugged the joke off.
While they were chatting, they arrived at Shielder and Correys neighborhood.
The two of them were living on the same street.
Obviously, it was a ce they had handpicked.
Kieran chose to enter Correys ce first. Judging by their battle and Correys performance, the man had to have some good things in his house.
However, harsh reality pped Kieran in the face again. Other than a piece of Magical Equipment, everything else Correy had owned was prettymon.
[Name: Mystical Grappling Hook]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: Magical]
[Attributes: Extension Lvl2]
[Prerequisites: Sharp Weapon, Rope Weapon (Master)]
[Remarks: This is a remodeled magical weapon. You need to have specific skills to fully utilize it.]
...
[Extension Lvl 2: Able to extend by twice its length, (5 meter extends to 15 meters)]
......
The newfound grappling hook had overlying attributes with the [Deceivers Key], plus a bigger size and special skill requirement, so Kieran put it in his "to sell" list of items.
At Shielders ce though, he made an unexpected discovery.
There was a huge amount ofndmines and shbangs.
Thendmines were the same model, [Z-II], but the shbangs were something new entirely.
[Name: Q-I]
[Type: Grenade]
[Rarity: Great[
[Attack: None]
[Attributes: Blindness (exudes a blinding sh to reduce the enemys vision to zero)]
[Effects:None]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: This is a great shbang. If you know how to throw it, you will get a lot out of it!]
...
"Thats some good stuff you got there! I wouldnt sell it if I were you. It could really get you out of a pinch inside a dungeon!" Lawlessmented on the shbang, giving Kieran some advice.
Kieran was always open to constructive feedback.
"Other than this, we got nothing though."
"Im ready. Lets..."
Before Lawless could finish his sentence, he stopped and looked at his message tab.
His expression changed when he read the message.
"Its from Hellfire! They want to meet you!" Lawless said, raising his head.
The words that came out of his mouth made Kieran frown.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Hellfire... Reminds me of Ifrits Ultimate.
Chapter 195: Mastermind
Chapter 195: Mastermind
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Hellfire, the second wave of attackers.
Their canon and maic field were still a fresh memory in Kierans mind.
When Lawless read him the message, Kieran was astonished.
"They want to meet me?" Kieran asked again to double check.
"Yes..." Lawless sounded doubtful himself. His eyes were on Kieran. "I asked people to investigate them, and now they want to meet... So are you in or not?"
He gave Kieran the right to choose. He was the one Hellfire wanted to meet after all.
Lawless would definitely go with him though.
"Sure, of course! Where and when?"
Even though doubts still lingered in his heart, Kieran had no problem making a decision.
He desperately needed more information about the Killer Organization.
"The time is now, and the ce is Shameiken Square," Lawless said.
"So what are we waiting for?"
As soon as Kieran finished his sentence, he turned around and walked towards the train station.
Lawless hastened to catch up with him.
...
Shameiken Square.
Even though it was called a square, it was actually just another empty, half-abandoned space at the outskirts of the city.
One would never have found or ended up at this ce unless they were an adventurous yer.
As a newbie himself, Kieran was unfamiliar with it. Even Lawless, who was a veteran, had limited information about their meeting ce.
Fortunately, Lawlesss friend knew a thing or two about it.
"Shameiken Square was supposed to be a car manufacturing factory ording to the game description. There had been almost 10,000 workers at the factory during its prime, but it was eventually closed down before bing an empty square. The ce is huge, its the perfect hiding spot and ambushing point. I dont think theyreing for afternoon tea!" Lawless repeated his friends description of the square, voicing out his concerns.
"Me neither, but I think theyre worried that we have a hidden agenda too. We need to be careful either way," Kieran said.
"Rx! Ive contacted enough reinforcements. If anything happens, Ill give them a one-way trip home!" Lawless said with confidence.
Kieran did notment any further. He knew very well that Lawless would not gamble with his or Kierans life.
After 45 minutes, the duo got off the train.
The scenery switched from a modern skyscraper view to an industrial area filled with factories.
The whole area gave off a ruined vibe. The filthy, rotten air assaulted Kierans senses. It was even worse than his old broken garage.
"One of a kind I guess..." Kieranmented.
"It gets better when you get used to it. The same thing happened to me when I moved from a middle-age castle to a modern apartment. It drove me crazy!" Lawless could not help but shrug. "I dont even know whats real anymore!" he added.
"It doesnt matter, we only have one life," Kieran said under his breath.
"One life, huh?" Lawless said with a faint sigh.
He took a big drag on his cigar and blew out a smoke ring. Before it could dissipate naturally, he punched it and waved it away like a kid.
"Want one?" Lawless took out a brand new cigar and offered it to Kieran.
Before Kieran could say anything, Lawless took out a lighter from his pocket, spun it around and lit the cigar. Then he tossed the lit cigar at Kieran.
"This is the best kind of cigar there is. Theyre handmade by thesses of Morderei. They make them on their sweet, fairps. Theyre my favorite!" Lawless emphasized proudly as he looked at Kieran in anticipation.
Kieran had no choice but to put the cigar in his mouth. It was just for show though. He did not actually take a puff.
The smell of the smoke alone was enough to let him know that it was not for a newbie like him.
When the cigar was 1/4 burned off, about eight more people arrived at the train station.
They were the reason Kieran and Lawless had been waiting there. Without reinforcements, even Lawless dared not enter Shameiken Square, let alone Kieran.
The veterans that had survived through the game were no idiots.
Lawless waved at them as a signal, and the group spread around Shameiken Square, everyone getting in position to do their job.
"Lets go then!" Lawless said after two minutes. His men were in position.
Kieran did not object. He entered Shameiken Square, walking side by side with Lawless.
As the two of them walked along a short corridor though, they spotted a member of Hellfire.
It was the sniper from before!
Kieran recognized him with a single nce.
Even though his face was blurred by the system, his body was the same.
"Is it necessary to mobilize that much manpower when the famous Firearm Hunter meets up with a stray dog like me?" the sniper asked in a mocking tone.
"Of course! You are a stray dog after all. There are too many dogs eager to jump over a wall!"
Lawless said in a cheerful tone, emphasizing the word "dog".
"Never mind. Facts speak louder than words. Im here to make a deal with Mr. 2567 here. You have no idea how deep you are in this sh*t hole, do you?" the sniper asked deliberately as he looked at Kieran.
Kieran knew that he did this to increase his leverage.
The deal the man had mentioned was nothing more than a trading of Points, Skill Points and some equipment. If one took into ount the punishment he must have suffered because of the attack, they would be able to guess the snipers motives.
This still did not clear Kierans doubts though, as the deal the sniper had proposed did not include messaging security.
Kieran had been treating this as a trap right from the start. That was why hed waited patiently for Lawlesss reinforcements.
However, nothing had happened until the moment theyd met. Obviously, the situation was different from what Kieran had expected.
"What if its not a trap, and the sniper really wanted to meet?"
His doubts grew deeper by the second. It was very unsettling. e did not show it on his face though. He was trying to y strategically with the guy.
"Are you talking about the bounty your organization has ced on me or something else?" Kieran asked.
"Well, well, Mr. 2567. You are smarter than you look. The smart ones are always the first to die though, because they are often presumptuous. Pay me 200,000 Points and the respective Skill Points, and Ill tell you everything!" the sniper demanded after mocking Kieran.
"200,000 Points?" Kieranughed coldly.
He did not have such a huge amount of points, but even if he did, he would not have given it to someone with ill intentions.
The snipers actions had proved that he was nothing but an enemy.
"You think its too much? Its nothingpared to what I want to tell you! Just know this, I... Ugh!"
He stopped abruptly before he could finish his sentence.
Suddenly, a sense of danger rose in Kierans heart.
"Back off!" he yelled, hurling himself backwards.
Lawless was not slow either. As soon as Kieran spoke, he jumped 10 meters away from the sniper.
Boom!
Just as the two of them backed off to widen the distance between them, the Hellfire sniper exploded.
Blood and flesh flew everywhere. Nothing was left behind, not even the mans bones or body.
"He he he... 2567, Lawless, you will be next!"
A sinisterughter was heard as a ck shadow shed across the factory further away.
"Go!" Lawless shouted, sprinting off like an arrow let loose.
Kieran followed tightly behind him.
Lawless friends, who had been on the lookout, followed them as well.
...
A faint glowing crystal ball was projecting the scene taking ce in Shameiken Square.
A shadowy figure was holding a ss of wine in its hand, sitting quietly on a couch and savoring the taste and fragrance in the ss.
After a while, the figure sighed.
"How disappointing... When did you became so slow, Lawless? You did not even notice the obvious clues in front of your eyes. Ill give you another chance though... There are such boring days ahead!"
As the words faded away, the figure stood up and slowly disappeared in the shadows.
The crystal ball ended the projection and became dark within a breath.
Instantly, the room fell into darkness.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Robot dog sacrificed for the bigger good!
Chapter 196: Level Up (2 in 1 Chapter)
Chapter 196: Level Up (2 in 1 Chapter)
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Kieran looked at the hole with a furrowed brow. The pursuer had disappeared inside it a couple of seconds ago.
The hole before Kieran and the sudden explosion caused by the sniper showed that their enemies had been well-prepared.
Everything had been nned ahead of time, from the meeting with the Hellfire sniper to the mans explosive demise.
"Why did he do it? Why would the sniper kill himself?"
Doubts were mouring in Kierans mind.
Had the sniper been ordered to meet with Kieran?
That one was not that hard to guess. The moment the sniper had been caught, he must have gotten punished. He had already taken a desperate gamble. It was easy to control someone in his position.
"So what was this arrangement for?" Kieran said under his breath in confusion.
Lawless and his friends also shared the same expression.
None of the veterans were idiots. They all had noticed that something was off.
Their doubts did not stop them from exploring the hole in front of them though.
A scrawny guy holding an LED remote control guided a puppy-like robot down the hole.
The LED screen projected what the robot saw inside the hole.
When the robot discovered a dozen red explosives underneath, everyone, including Kieran, drew in a cold breath.
If one of them had gone blindly into the hole...
"I think theyre motion-sensitive explosives... Sh*t! Back off!" the scrawny guy yelled after examining the visual through the remote.
Everyone quickly turned away and sprinted out of the square.
Boom!
As soon as Kieran stepped out of Shameiken Square, the whole ce was sted to the sky in a thunderous explosion.
The tremendous shockwave sent him rolling on the ground.
"HOLY F*CK! MY DOG! THOSE ASSES! Dont let me catch you, or you will feel the wrath of my 2,000 volt lightning gun!" the scrawny guy that controlled the puppy-robot shouted furiously all around the zing square when he got up again.
The other veterans, who were covered in ashes, were also shouting in outrage.
A couple of them were chasing a guy, but he slipped away and they almost fell into a trap. That alone insulted their status as veterans in the game. It infuriated them even more than trying to take their lives.
Amidst all the cursing and scolding, Kieran noticed that Lawless seemed a little absent-minded.
"Whats wrong?" he asked.
"Just a little something. So do you want me to help you sell the equipment you got from Shielder and Correy? Im quite looking forward to the 5%mision!" Lawless replied with an awkwardugh.
"Ill leave it to you then," Kieran answered straightforwardly.
He noticed that Lawless was trying to divert the subject. His excuse was very poor-crafted.
5%mision was what the service charge at the bazaar was, and Lawless was not a greedy man.
Kieran was certain that Lawless had noticed something unusual during the incident, but he did not press the subject any further.
If Lawless had made enough effort toe up with an excuse to avoid the subject, then it had to be hard for him to talk about.
It was meaningless for Kieran to pursue it. It would only cause estrangement between them.
After the explosion, Lawless went on to introduce all the other veterans that had turned up for the little meeting.
Kieran rejected the offer to have another drink back at the Harvest Inn and left soon after.
His n to study had already been dyed by the sudden incident. He didnt want to put it off any longer.
...
During the next two weeks, Kieran exchanged daily messages with Lawless, asking about new information on the Killer Organization, and spent the rest of his time in his lobby room.
Without proper guidance though, he got a simr notification every time he finished a book.
[Alchemy experience has increased a little after reading...]
[Astrology experience has increased a little after reading...]
...
Every book only resulted in a small increase of experience. There was no notification that indicated a huge increase of experience, like when Kieran had a proper lesson with a highly skilled individual.
"Seems like I need to spend more time on this," Kieran said softly.
His original n had been to level up [Astrology] and [Alchemy] to a Basic Level before entering the next dungeon, but judging by his progress, this did not seem possible anymore.
The next day was the day he would be entering the team dungeon.
Kieran took a deep breath and ced his book down.
Although he was frustrated that he could not follow his original n, this did not prevent him from moving forward with his other ns.
His frustration was just affecting the next step of his n because he had failed toplete the previous one.
Kieran checked his remaining Points and Skill Points.
[Points: 86,500; Skill Points: 21; Golden Skill Points: 3; Golden Attribute Points: 2]
After he hadpleted two Honor Kills, gottenpensated by the cyberw enforcers, sold the two killers equipment, and put together a [Soul Shard] bundle bybining shards from his own stash and the newly acquired ones from the previous dungeon, his Points and Skill Points had reached a considerable amount.
While selling the killers equipment, Kieran had favored Skill Points over Points.
"Rare Skills consume Skill Points more than regr ones. Be prepared!" Lawless had advised him as a veteran.
Kieran had no reason to ignore his advice.
In order to boost his confidence before the uing dungeon, Hanses had also made a generous contribution.
Kieran was sure that this was because Lawless was the middleman.
If it had just been Hanses and him, it would not have been the same.
Kieran took out the orange Skill Book.
A system notification popped up.
[Discovered Skill Book, de Kick]
[Prerequisites met, Learn skill?]
"Yes, please!"
[Learned Skill: de Kick]
[Name: de Kick (Basic)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Offensive]
[Effects: A shing wave attack from either one of your feet, The damaging wave from the attack authenticated as a weak qi wave, Consumes 100 Stamina, 5-minute cooldown]
[Consumes: Stamina]
[Prerequisites: Hand-to-Hand Combat (Master of Kicks), Strength D-, Agility D-, Constitution D-]
[Remarks: This is a fierce martial art technique. You will need to seize the opportunity to use it!]
...
[Strength has reached the capped limit, Unable to level up any further]
[Agility has reached the capped limit, Unable to level up any further]
[Constitution has reached the capped limit, Unable to level up any further]
.....
Kieran read about [de Kick] carefully. The effects did not disappoint him. It was just a Basic Level skill, so it was only natural after all.
[de Kick] required 500 Points and 2 Skill Points to be upgraded from Basic to Entry.
Lawlesss advice about the high consumption of Skill Points had already been proven right.
Based on the upgrading rules, Kieran could imagine how costly it would be to level [de Kick] up to a certain level.
He had already prepared himself for that though, and he leveled up [de Kick] without any problems.
[de Kick] Basic Entry Master.
Upgrading from Entry to Master cost him 3,000 Points and 6 Skill Points.
The cost was almost twice as high as the previous level.
[Name: de Kick (Master)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Offensive]
[Effects: A shing wave attack from either one of your feet, The damaging wave from the attack authenticated as an average qi wave, Consumes 150 Stamina, 4-minute cooldown]
[Special Effects: Harder Training (Your de Kick attack and Sharp Edge will increase ording to your level]
[Consumes: Stamina]
[Prerequisites: Hand-to-Hand Combat (Master of Kicks), Strength D-, Agility D-, Constitution D-]
[Remarks: This is a fierce martial art technique. You will need to seize the opportunity to use it!]
[Strength has reached the capped limit, Unable to level up any further]
[Agility has reached the capped limit, Unable to level up any further]
[Constitution has reached the capped limit, Unable to level up any further]
.....
After upgrading twice, the special effect [Harder Training] increased the attack and sharp edge of the [de Kick] to average level.
To Kierans knowledge, the average handguns attack shared the same power.
Kieran could not help but get excited over the fact when he saw it.
"Is this a Rare Level attacking skill? One qi wave from a kick equals the damage of a normal bullet!"
It was not even the final form of [de Kick], but of course upgrading to the next level would require Kieran to increase his Strength, Agility and Constitution as well.
It was not a major problem for him though, as he had the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] as a supporting base.
Everything was progressing smoothly.
Kieran had also discovered something else along with his new skill.
"Attribute points are even more precious than I expected! Even with the Rare attacking skill, there is still a huge limitation on increasing attributes..."
"So does this mean that once I reach a certain level, only Legendary Skills will help attributes grow? Or will even Legendary Skills be unable to do it? Will I have to rely solely on Golden Attribute Points?" Kieran thought silently before eventually shaking his head.
He still had a long way to go to get there from his current level. There was no point in trying to figure it out now. He just needed to keep it in mind.
After taking a deep breath to collect his thoughts, Kieran opened up the upgrading options for the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art].
[Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art (Entry Master), costs 9,000 Points, 3 Golden Skill Points, Yes/No?]
"Yes, please!"
[Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art has reached Master Level, Choose a Special Effect...]
[A: Strength +1]
[B: Agility +1]
[C: Constitution +1]
[D: Spirit +1]
[E: Intuition +1]
A long list appeared before Kieran for him to choose from. He made a quick decision after a single nce.
"D please!"
The uniqueness of Spirit influenced his choice.
[yer chose D: Knights Focus (Spirit+1)]
[Name: Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art (Master)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution, Spirit, Intuition]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effects: You know how to perform special stances, movements and breathing techniques, All Attributes +3 (+1 Basic Level, +1 Entry Level]
[Consumes: Stamina]
[Prerequisites: Strength E, Agility E, Constitution E, Spirit E, Intuition E]
[Remarks: This is the Knights of Dawn entry course, but it will affect other rted skills as well!]
...
[Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art leveled up, Rted attributes increasing...]
[Strength C- C]
[Agility D+ C-]
[Constitution D+ C-]
[Spirit E+ D]
[Intuition C- C]
...
After Kieran confirmed his choice, he fell into a trance.
He tried his best to keep his eyes open and prevent himself from falling asleep.
He savored the feeling throughout the whole process.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
This is a long chapter!
Chapter 197: Excruciating Crash
Chapter 197: Excruciating Crash
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Kierans daily practice of the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] never got to a critical breaking point, but this was because Kieran remembered Gunthersons lessons well.
"Every time you upgrade your skills, you need to savor the process! That will help you advance even further!"
Kieran had memorized the old knights words and implemented them in his actions. He savored the warm stream seeping into his flesh and bones and eventually into his organs.
He instinctively followed the movements of the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] and moved his body, his breath in sync with his motions.
The warm stream was getting warmer by the second.
The stream circting inside his body showed no signs of stopping anytime soon.
After everything ended, Kieran clenched his fists hard and felt the changes in his body.
"Strength, Agility, Constitution, Intuition... Everything has gone up! Its not that easy to tell about Spirit, but ording to the system notification, it went up as well. So..."
When Kieran started practising the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art]s exercises again, performing the movements and the breathing technique, he could instantly feel the warm stream circting all over his body, boosting his energy and spirits even more.
"A hidden elerating recovery power?"
Kieran was not sure about anything except for one thing.
[Master Level Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art has increased in experience through exercise, It now costs -2,000 Points...]
[Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art (Master Pro], costs 29,000 Points, 4 Golden Skill Points, Yes/No?]
"Minus 2,000 Points? Its just as Guntherson said. Every time I level up, the cost gets reduced!"
Kieran let out a breath of relief. He longed for Gunthersons lessons again.
He realized he knew too little about the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art], even though it was his most precious skill.
With his current limited knowledge, if he didnt rely solely on Points and Golden Skill Points, the only other way to level up the skill would be through exercise. He would have to umte experience little by little.
Kieran could not ept this at that moment therefore he could relied solely on Points and Golden Skill Points.
After a quick nce at his remaining points, Kieran realized he still had a considerable amount of Points left. With that out of the equation, the remaining issue was the Golden Skill Points...
"Four Golden Skill Points would require me to clear at least four to five dungeons with an S rating! Plus, upgrading other skills from Musou to Transcendence would also require Golden Skill Points... The worst thing is that Golden Skill Points cannot be traded! Sh*t, my Golden Skill Points are not enough!" Kieran mumbled under his breath.
He had seen the Golden Skill Point abyss before him. He needed to fill that up in order to progress smoothly through the game.
"I need to raise my dungeon rating higher than SSS!"
Feeling determined about his next goal, he clenched his fists hard. It was the only option he coulde up with for the time being.
"Next is [Barsical Kick]!"
Since [Barsical Kick] used the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art[ as a base, its level was restricted by the other skills respective level.
Kieran did not forget about the powerful martial art skill after he sessfully leveled up the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art].
[Barsical Kick, (EntryMaster), costs 6,000 Points, 4 Skill Points, Yes/No?]
"Yes!"
[Barsical Kick has reached Master Level, Special Effect Acquired: Bide]
[Name: Barsical Kick (Master)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Offensive]
[Effects: Your legs are more nimble than your hands. When you attack with a kick, the second and third hit will trigger an additional Agility +1, +2 effect respectively]
[Special Effect: Bide (Every kick that youunch will umte, when the umtion reached the fourth time, +1 Strength and Agility to your kicks.)]
[Consumes: Stamina]
[Prerequisites: Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art (Master)]
[Remarks: Please note that the level of the Barsical Kick and other rted skills cannot be higher than the Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art level!]
...
[Barsical Kick leveled up, Rted attributes increasing...]
[Strength has reached the capped limit, Unable to level up any further]
[Agility has reached the capped limit, Unable to level up any further]
[Constitution has reached the capped limit, Unable to level up any further]
...
The synchronization process started right after.
Kieranunched a series of kicks instantly.
The shadow of his kicks covered his bodypletely like a raging tornado.
A half-moon qi wave sted out of his kicking shadow, and an inch-deep crack formed on the concrete pir instantly.
"Musou Level [Hand-to-Hand Combat, Musou Combat Kicks] plus Master Level [Barsical Kick] and Master Level [de Kick]! Not only does this raise my attributes within a really short time, but when the battle is prolonged, I can ensure that I get the final killing blow as well! This will really help me in the next dungeon considering were not allowed to bring equipment!" Kieran said, his eyes locked on the Master level [de Kick].
With his attributes leveled up, [de Kick] had room for upgrading.
[de Kick, (Master Pro), costs 12,000 Points, 24 Skill Points, Yes/No?]
After a quick nce over the costly Skill Points, Kieran put on his poker face and reached out to Lawless. He needed to trade Points for Skill Points.
He got 15 Skill Points for 45,000 Points, which was just enough for what he needed.
[Name: de Kick (Pro)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Offensive]
[Effects: A shing wave attack from either one of your feet, The damaging wave from the attack has been authenticated as an above average half-moon qi wave, Consumes 175 Stamina, 3-minute and 30-second cooldown]
[Special Effects: Harder Training (Your de Kick attack and Sharp Edge will increase ording to your level]
[Consumes: Stamina]
[Prerequisites: Hand-to-Hand Combat (Master of Kicks), Strength C-, Agility C-, Constitution C-]
[Remarks: This is a fierce martial art technique. You will need to seize any opportunity to use it!]
......
[Strength has reached the capped limit, Unable to level up any further]
[Agility has reached the capped limit, Unable to level up any further]
[Constitution has reached the capped limit, Unable to level up any further]
...
Thanks to the empowerment of [Harder Training], the [de Kick] attack rose to a new high.
It had an above average attack level and sharp edge.
Kieran was certain that if [de Kick] was upgraded to Grand Master, its attack and sharp edge would definitely be Strong, but he had no more Golden Skill Points left.
Everything from that point onwards would require Golden Skill Points.
To upgrade [de Kick] from Pro to Grand Master would require 30,000 Points and 2 Golden Skill Points.
Kieran felt helpless before that kind of requirement.
[Points: 11,000; Skill Points: 0; Golden Skill Points: 0; Golden Attribute Points: 2]
Afterpleting all the necessary upgrades, Kieran was left with only a little over 10,000 Points and 2 Golden Attribute Points.
This was not the end of his upgrading though.
Kieran turned his attention to [Lockpicking (Master)].
After thinking about the uing dungeon and the potential crises they might face, he decided it would be a good idea to upgrade [Lockpicking] to the next level.
[Lockpicking (MasterPro), costs 3,000 Points, 2 Skill Points Yes/No?]
After all those intense upgrades for the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art], [Barsical Kick] and [de Kick], upgrading [Lockpicking] seemed like a piece of cake.
Kieran exchanged another 6,000 Points for 2 Skill Points and used 3,000 Points out of his remaining 5,000 Points to level up [Lockpicking] to Pro.
[Name: Lockpicking (Pro)]
[Rted Attributes: Agility, Intuition]
[Skill Learned: Lockpicking]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effects: You are able to pick simple locks with a hairpin, a steel wire and a screwdriver]
[Special Effects: Silent Lockpicking (You are almostpletely silent while lockpicking)]
[Consumes: Stamina]
[Prerequisites: None]
[Remarks: Make sure there is no one around when you pick the lock!]
......
Even with [Lockpicking] at Pro though, Kieran still needed tools to pick locks, and the uing dungeon stated that yers could not bring any equipment with them.
He had not forgotten that detail. In fact, it had been imprinted in his mind.
"Because of the theft youmitted, all your belongings are running a risk of being confiscated. Please choose your equipment and items carefully!"
This had been the description of Hanses Special Dungeon. Kieran had been through it over ten times.
He had focused a lot on the word "confiscated". In order for his equipment to be confiscated, one would have to find it first.
What if the natives could not find it?
Kieran happened to have a piece of equipment that would be hard for people to find.
He was still figuring out how to perfect his n though.
He took out the purple Skill Book that Frostrill had dropped.
Its title was [Secondary Elemental Damage Resistance].
Kieran had quite an experience with that particr skill.
When hed activated the Powerful Ice Attack from [Wilcos Grudge], the skill had popped up in a notification as the system had been authenticating Frostrills stats.
There was nothing to exin about it. Kieran was sure it would enter his growing list of skills.
[Discovered Skill Book: Secondary Elemental Damage Resistance]
[Learn?]
"Yes, please!"
Kieran answered yes and waited for the synchronization process to start, but instead he was struck by pain.
"Arggh!" he screamed in agony.
He felt like his body was being torn apart.
He did not even have a chance to go through the [Secondary Elemental Damage Resistance]s details before he lost consciousness.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Ouch!
Chapter 198: Punishment
Chapter 198: Punishment
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Kieran came back to his senses after a couple of seconds. It felt like he had been through a short ckout in his mind.
The sore ache all over his body told him what had happened.
"Pain?" Kieran furrowed his brow.
It was not his first time learning skills, but none of the previous ones had shared any simr traits with this one. None of them had caused him pain.
That warm,fortable stream of energy and the synchronization process from his previous skill learning formed a huge contrast with the [Secondary Elemental Damage Resistance]s sore pain.
Kieran was impatient to check out the details of the skill and rearrange the knowledge of the [Secondary Elemental Damage Resistance] in his mind.
He was eager to find out what had caused [Secondary Elemental Damage Resistance] to behave differently than the other skills.
[Name: Secondary Elemental Damage Resistance (Unable to Upgrade)]
[Rted Attributes: Constitution]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effects: When facing fire, lightning, or any types of elemental ice damage, you will be immune to Low, Weak and Below Average elemental damages. When facing Average or Strong elemental damages, you will receive Weak or Below Average elemental damage. When facing Powerful elemental damage, you will need to undergo a Constitution authentication. If you pass, you will receive -1 rank from the Powerful elemental damage. If you fail, you will receive normal elemental damage.]
[Consumes: Nothing]
[Prerequisites: None]
[Remarks: You have trained your body using a special method and increased your resistance against elemental damages, but please note that you are notpletely immune to elemental damage!]
....
Kieran could not help but take a deep cold breath when he saw the details of [Secondary Elemental Damage Resistance] before rearranging the knowledge in his mind.
He wasnt just surprised by the effect of [Secondary Elemental Damage Resistance], but also by the remark that hed trained his body using a special method. Each word was imprinted in Kierans mind.
"If I experienced extremely hot or cold temperatures or was struck by lightning, I would die, even if I used a potion. I need to have an above average physique!" Kieranmented on the knowledge inside his mind and meanwhile made an educated guess about the pain that had struck him.
"The synchronization process alwayses after I learn a new skill, but its not as extreme as the [Secondary Elemental Damage Resistance] process... Too bad this skill cannot be leveled up."
Kieran sighed in regret.
He was not concerned about the pain. If a fruitful reward came with it, he would endure it.
He knew that this was a give and take game, and it would always pay him back in double.
Kieran made another educated guess.
"If my physique was stronger, could I use the [Secondary Elemental Damage Resistance] knowledge to further increase my resistance against all kinds of elemental damage?"
It was theoretically usible, but if he were put it into practical use, there would be a lot more obstacles to ovee, such as supportive potions and all sorts of extreme conditions.
Kieran had all the corresponding prescriptions in his mind for the potions, but he would also need to have the corresponding [Potionology] level.
"So next time I upgrade [Mystical Knowledge], Ill need to look out for [Potionology] as well!"
Kieran filled in the gaps in his mind for his ns in the foreseeable future, although he knew it was not something he would be able to achieve easily.
Two weeks of self-teaching had made him understand that, without proper guidance, it was extremely difficulty to learn a skill from scratch, even at just a Basic Level, let alone an Entry Level.
The [Potionology] level Kieran needed would have to be higher than an Entry Level though. Only a Master Level would do him any good.
"Considering that I dont have any proper guidance, all I can do is earn experience by reading, or..."
Kieran suddenly remembered the [Calming Balm] he had crafted.
After the refining had seeded, a notification had popped up stating, "You just refined your first potion, You have gained huge experience in Potionology..."
Even though the potions that he wanted to refine could not bepared to the first one he had made, practising would be much better than studying theory from books.
"If its possible for [Potionology], it must also apply to [Alchemy] and [Astrology]. I will need a huge sum of points to begin though..."
Kieran suddenly recalled his failed attempts at refining a [Calming Balm] and all the ingredients he had wasted in the process.
He could not help but rub his temples when he thought about the cost of the wasted ingredients.
If practice made perfect, he would need a lot more ingredients than he had used the first time. The number would be ridiculously big, and the refining cost would definitely exceed any results.
"No! Id lose more than I would gain this way!"
Kieran ultimately shook his head after he calcted the pros and cons of his n.
Suddenly, he came up with another theory in his head. He could sign a Selling Contract.
However, the fact that hed have to be bound to someone had him furrowing his brow hard. He eventually shook his head again. The results would be the same as the previous ns.
"[The Shamans Partner II]..." Kieran looked at the uing Special Dungeon.
If nothing worked out, [The Shamans Partner II] would be hisst line of hope.
Inside the Special Dungeon he would get the chance to ess things rted to [Potionology], [Alchemy] and [Astrology] and learn about them.
Kieran was standing stiffly on the spot, carefully calcting what he would have to do to achieve his goal in [The Shamans Partner II] and not fail the Main Mission of the dungeon.
Before he coulde up with anything solid though, his message tab was spammed by Lawless.
...
Lawless: How are the preparations going?
2567: Im doing my best.
...
Kieran answered seriously. He had already received his deposit for the mercenary mission, so he would give it his best. Lawless would do the same as well.
Hanses was the employer, so it was a given that he would.
The three of them got together and started to discuss the uing dungeon, what potential threats they might face there, and ways that they could ovee them.
Hanses gave his best description of the dungeon and what he knew about the ongoing situation inside it. He even drew out a rough map of the Morko Principality.
The discussionsted for hours and finally ended when all of them were satisfied with the briefing.
...
Hanses: Shall we?
Lawless: Lets go!
2567: Lets do this!
...
[Entering Team Dungeon...]
[Categorized as Special Team Dungeon...]
[You will receive the same authority and be on the same side as the initiator of the dungeon. As their teammate, you will also receive a specific Main Mission corresponding to your dungeon entry difficulty.]
[Authenticating Special Team Dungeon members...]
[Number of Participants: 3]
[Difficulty: 3rd dungeon difficulty]
[Background: You were originally one of Grand Duke Morko s elite infantry troops, but you and your aplices stole the Grand Dukes treasure from his treasure vault during times of war. This infuriated Grand Duke Morko, who sent out his best men and captured you and your aplices. All the stolen treasure was confiscated, and you were thrown into prison! Grand Duke Morko is nning on executing you once the war is over, but you have already suffered a punishment for your crime...]
[Main Mission: Escape Morko Principality]
[Temporary Language Pack, Disappears upon exiting the dungeon.]
[Clothing, backpack, weapons, items, and attributes remain unchanged. Temporarily different look, Disappears upon exiting the dungeon.]
[Hint 1: This is a Special Dungeon. You can fail the Main Mission, but you will have to pay 300 Points as a penalty, and your highest attributes will drop by 1. If your points are insufficient, the system will deduct from your equipment. If your equipment is insufficient, you will fail.]
[Hint 2: Because of your theft, all your items are running a risk of being confiscated. Please choose your equipment and items carefully]
...
"Already suffered a punishment?"
When Kieran saw the new description, a terrible feeling rose in his heart.
Chapter 199: Prison Cell
Chapter 199: Prison Cell
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
As the blinding light dissipated, a foul stench assaulted Kierans nose mercilessly.
Pain rose from his chest suddenly as he furrowed his brow harder.
Kieran tilted his head downwards and saw that his chest was filled with intertwiningsh-like wounds. Blood was oozing out. He didnt even have to look at his back to know that it was in the same state.
Blood was smeared all over his body, and his flesh was hurting more and more by the second.
[You have been whipped and tortured, Your HP has decreased to 220!]
[Moderately Wounded Status...]
"So this is the punishment the system was talking about?" Kieran said under his breath.
When hed read the background description of the dungeon, he had already had a terrible feeling.
However, the situation before him had exceeded even his wildest imagination.
If he, as an aplice, was being tortured and whipped, then what was happening to Lawless and Hanses?
As the most experienced yer, Lawless would definitely have it the worst. ording to Special Dungeon rules, dungeon entry difficulty would determine the Main Mission.
Hanses had been the mastermind behind the theft, so he would also get a thorough treatment.
Kieran instinctively popped in at the team chat and tried to send a message out.
[Special environment, Communication is restricted!]
"Damn it!" Kieran sighed helplessly.
The three of them had already anticipated that theirmunication would be cut off.
Fortunately, they had been prepared for it.
Even though the situation before them was not ideal, it was still within their expectations.
Kieran started to check his surroundings.
His cell was no bigger than three square feet, and the wet dark box was filled with a foul stench.
It had been built with hard rock, and any corners and nooks were all covered with a thickyer of moss.
The cell door was a huge wooden door, and on top of it there were raw iron bars and a bolt. Even though all the metal parts were rusty, the whole structure still looked as formidable as ever.
At the bottom edge of the door there was a little window that was shut tight. It made Kieran think of the prison cells in Alcatraz.
No matter the time, ce or universe, there were things that would always share simr traits. Kieran pondered this silently before he raised his hand and knocked on the cell door.
The heavy noise proved that it was even more formidable that it looked. He was not concerned about it though.
His main concern were the chained cuffs on his hands and feet and the giant steel ball at the end of the chains.
The steel waspletely solid. Kieran tried to lift the ball, but it had to weigh at least 50 kilos.
"Ordinary men would not even be able to shake this steel ball, let alone break out of this prison," Kieran thought.
Despite his extraordinary strength, the steel ball would still weigh him down and cause him unwanted trouble if he tried to break out.
That ball was the first obstacle that he needed to ovee.
He looked carefully at the steel cuffs on his limbs.
Then he opened his mouth and put his fingers in, reaching for the strand of hair inside the slit at the back of his teeth. It was the [Deceivers Key].
The dungeon description might have stated that all his items were running a risk of being confiscated and he had to choose his equipment carefully, but that was just a warning.
The truth was that no items would get confiscated if they were hidden well from his enemies.
The [Deceivers Key], for example, was extremely easy to hide. It was like a hair-like wire on his body.
To make his n foolproof though, Kieran had tried his best to hide it. He had tied it on the end of a strand on his tooth and swallowed the rest.
With his tongue blocking it, no one would ever discover the strand unless Kierans mouth was forced wide open and someone shone a shlight in it.
If Kieran still had ess to his key though, Morko Principality Prison must have never performed a thorough search.
Kieran tagged at one end of the strand and pulled the rest out slowly from the inside of his stomach.
It was horrible. When the strand touched his uv, his gag reflex made his stomach twitch sourly.
As Kieran dragged the [Deceivers Key]pletely out, his saliva ran all over the floor and he vomited helplessly.
He unconsciously bent down as his stomach turned upside down, the motion affecting the wounds on his chest and back.
The burning sensation caused Kieran to clench his teeth hard as he choked on his vomit.
He quickly forced himself to calm down when he heard footstepsing towards his cell.
"Prison guards!" Kieran guessed who the footsteps belonged to.
He paid attention to the sound as the footsteps walked from left to right at a moderate pace.
After around two minutes, they finally got weaker and the sound eventually faded away.
Five minutester though, the footsteps returned from the right side. When they reached Kierans cell door, they stopped.
The small window on the door was opened halfway, and half the face of a prison guard was visible through the tiny space.
Thanks to the torch in the prison guards hand, Kieran could see the mans filthy, ruthless face and the disdain in his eyes.
"You dare steal the treasure in the Grand Dukes vault? Do you have a death wish? Rx, I will take really good care of you during your stay. Oh yes, and both your friends as well! Its the wardens orders!" The prison guard dragged his finger across his neck as he talked.
Before Kieran could utter a word, the small window was closed again.
He was not even bothered by the guards threats. His mind was filled with thoughts about the prison guards footsteps and what they meant.
"Judging by the windows height, the guard has to be at least 175 cm tall, and every step he took must have been around 70 mm wide. It took him around two minutes to walk from left to right, and after around 100 steps, he headed down. It took him about five minutes before he came back. If I add the time he used to climb down the stairs... Then the prison has to be a two-storey building, and every floor has to be around 7 meters tall. Judging by the cells width and the security concerns, plus the thickness of the walls, if this is a one-side cell area, there have to be around 15 to 18 cells on this side!"
"Although this is a principality, the poption must be around 100,000, so the prison cannot be this small. This ce has to be the Grand Dukes private confinement facility. It cant be outside the castle, so it must be underground! That exins the cold and the humidity!"
Kierans lightning speed calctions were all thanks to the information he got from his [Tracking].
While the gears in his mind kept spinning, his hands did not stop working with the [Deceivers Key].
One end of the key was already inside the lock, and Kieran was fingerpicking inside it.
The metal cuffs on his limbs were all easily opened, but suddenly footsteps were heard from outside again.
They sounded messy and they belonged to more than one person. It was definitely not the prison guard from earlier.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Avengers Infinity War Trailer is out!
Chapter 200: Accidental Kill
Chapter 200: idental Kill
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The light footsteps stopped right in front of Kierans cell door.
With a turn of the key, the heavy door was pushed open, producing a screeching noise from the outside.
The light of the torch barged in fast, making Kieran squint.
Three people entered his cell.
The person who was holding the torch had good manners, and he was holding the keys. He had to be one of the prison guards, but he had an exceptionally clean face and outfit.
"Is he the prison guard chief? Or perhaps the warden?" Kieran tried to guess the identity of the man.
The other two men beside him were easier to identify.
One of them was wearing a deep blue armor, and a long sword was hanging from his waist. His stern face had a killing intent to it. No doubt he was the bodyguard of the third man.
The third man was wearing a fancy, luxurious dress with a girdle, and his sleeves and cor were decorated with ck silk. He had a white wig on and a pair of brown brows, and the part beneath his eyes was covered with a handkerchief, hiding his heavily powdered face from Kieran.
He was obviously the person the bodyguard was protecting.
"This filthy, rotten ce! If this matter wasnt important, Id never set foot in here!" the fancily dressed man ranted behind his handkerchief.
His rough voice sounded distorted, because he was holding his nose with his finger. It sounded a little higher than a normal mans, and the noise it produced was very unsettling. It was like a fake, girly voice.
"Your Grace is here because of your honorable family name. Im sure My Lord will understand your bitterness!" the man that Kieran spected was the warden said delightedly after taking a bow.
When he turned around to face Kieran, his face became ugly and vicious.
"His Grace here is the youngest son of Grand Duke Morko, the brave hawk of the Morko Principality, the best and strongest swordsman there is, Reedrall! Now tell us, where did you filthy bastards hide the Legacy?"
The warden kept kicking Kieran as he ordered him to reveal any information he had.
He was not worried about Kieran resisting because of the steel cuffs around his hands.
The warden tried to please the "brave hawk of Morko" by kicking Kieran even harder and being even more vicious to him.
His kicks were nothing more than an itch to Kieran though, even though the warden looked very fierce and strong.
The strength of his kicks was nothing for him.
Kierans attention had been focused on the "brave hawk of Morko" from the moment the three of them had entered the cell.
He hade up with an idea. He would take him as hostage and escape from his cell.
Kierans idea was solidified when he discovered the identity of the man.
He was the youngest son of the Grand Duke, so if he took him as hostage, the others would hold back for fear of harming His Grace.
Kierans idea was not an easy one to execute though. The guard beside him was quite a formidable opponent, and Kieran would have to kill him off with one shot before he could proceed with his n.
It was the only opportunity he would get. Kieran secretly stretched his hands and legs.
Reedrall was not the best and strongest swordsman there was. That was total bullsh*t. It was just a tteringment from the warden. Anyone who believed it would be an idiot. Kieran had never seen a swordsman without a sword.
He had also noticed that Reedralls body was bby. There were no signs of any sort of training on him.
If Reedral could be considered "the best and strongest swordsman", then Kieran would be the "saint of swords", even though he had never used a sword before.
"Talk! Start talking right away! Where did you filthy scum hide the Legacy?"
The warden kept pushing Kieran for an answer. He didnt stop kicking him, even though he was already panting from the effort.
Morkos youngest son was still holding his handkerchief up to his nose and looking down at Kieran with an arrogant expression. Reedrall was waiting for an answer. He was confident that if this kept on, Kieran would eventually spill the truth.
Keeping that confidence in mind, Reedrall got extremely terrified when ident happened.
Reedrall tilted his head downwards and saw a long sword pierce through his chest. The handkerchief covering his face fell to the floor, revealing his big mouth.
The brave hawk looked as if he wanted to say something, but the words did not escape his mouth in time before he died.
He just stood there, empty of any signs of life, like a little bird being crushed to death.
The warden was stunned. He wanted to scream out instinctively, but before he could, his mouth was covered by the remaining guards hand, and the dagger that had appeared in the guards hand was driven into his chest, stabbing his heart.
The dagger was plucked off, and fresh blood started gushing out.
The guard did not avoid the blood as it sshed all over his armor.
He just turned around and pulled the long sword out of Reedrall. Then he turned his killing gaze towards Kieran without the slightest intention of talking.
He plunged his sword towards Kierans neck swiftly.
Kieran was surprised by the iing stab.
The moment the hare went out of hiding, the falcon swooped down to catch it. Both the warden and Morkos youngest son had been killed in an instant.
Kieran had been about to take Reedrall as hostage, but before he could, Reedrall had been killed by his own bodyguard.
"What the hell happened?" Kieran asked himself.
The doubts in his mind did not slow down his reaction though.
The metal cuffs that had originally been tied around his hands were lifted within a fraction of a second, blocking the sharp tip of the sword.
The tip of the sword collided with the metal cuffs, producing a bright spark.
The guard was struck by panic when his sword was blocked. He had the same incredulous expression as Reedrall when hed died without knowing what had happened.
He did not understand how Kieran had freed himself.
Unlike Reedrall though, he was not useless. When his first attack was blocked, he quickly turned his wrist around, swinging his sword towards Kierans chest and getting ready for another stab.
The guard disyed considerable swordsmanship through his swinging technique, but this still did not alter the final oue.
Kieran slid sideways, avoiding the second stab and kicking the guards sword-wielding hand. After quickly disarming him, hended another kick on the mans chest.
The guard was sent flying backwards before he collided hard with the wall behind him.
Kieran extended his hand and grabbed the mans sword, which was falling from mid-air. He pressed the sharp tip of the sword against the guards throat.
"Dont move!" he shouted in a heavy voice, ready to probe more information out of him. He wanted to clear the doubts in his mind.
"Who are...." Before he could finish his sentence, a line of ck blood oozed out of the corner of the guards mouth. His face gradually lost the radiance of life.
"What the hell?" Kieran was stunned.
Kieran had held back when he kicked the guard on his chest as he wanted to probe for more information, it wouldnt be lethal by any means.
Still questioning the situation, Kieran went over to the body for a quick check.
As soon as he approached the guards body, a spicy smell assaulted his nose.
"Poison?"
Kieran knew what it was, even without a Master Level [Medical and Medicinal Knowledge].
The guard hadmitted suicide with poison. As soon as hed realized that he would fail his mission, he had taken his own life in order to prevent being taken as captive.
"Men of sacrifice!" The words popped up in Kierans mind. There was no other exnation for the incident.
"A man of sacrifice became the Grand Dukes youngest sons bodyguard and chose this time to assassinate him?" Kieran said under his breath.
A terrible theory took form in his mind. Trouble had descended upon the three of them.
The difficulty of the Main Mission had just gone up a bit.
"I need to contact Hanses and Lawless right away!"
Kieran picked up the dagger and the keys from the floor and left his cell.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
The girly white faced guy...
Chapter 200!
its a milestone!
Lets cheers for another 200!
There will be extra upload this sat and sunday :D
Chapter 201: Disappearance
Chapter 201: Disappearance
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The prison corridor was even darker than Kieran had expected.
There was only a dim light in the whole ce, yet that was enough for Kieran to get a good look with his C Rank Intuition. Everything was clear to him.
"As expected, there are only cells on one side of the corridor, 15 in total. Other than me, there are no others prisoners kept on this floor. Lawless and Hanses must be on the floor below mine!"
Kieran scanned the whole floor, listening for any potential clues. Then he hastened his steps and headed downstairs.
As he went down the right side of the stairs, he heard the sound of chains.
The messy sound stopped and resumed without any rhythm, but Kieran could make out a pattern in its arrhythmic frequence. It was a hidden code!
The hidden code that the three of them had agreed upon before entering the dungeon.
It was not just limited to the sound of chains. They could use doors, walls, or anything that could produce a sound to contact each other. It all depended on the situation and the means avable.
Kieran rushed towards the source of the sound.
It was the deepest cell on the lowest floor.
Kieran made his way to the cell. When he opened the little window on the door, he saw an exhausted Lawless.
Lawless looked relieved when he saw Kieran.
"Finally, 2567! If youde anyter, I might have given up! What kind of bloody mission would have us start in a Wounded Status?" he started ranting about the dungeon.
"Theres a first time for anything, and you should consider yourself lucky that you were on the lowest floor and I was on the upper one. Otherwise, you would be wondering what kind of mission would have you start wounded and ambushed!" Kieran said as he opened the cell door. He quickly used the [Deceivers Key] to release Lawless from his shackles.
"You were ambushed? What is your Main Mission?" Lawless asked in shock.
"[Escape Morko Principality]. Im also Moderately Wounded. Some Morko prince came to interrogate me. He was asking me about the whereabouts of a Legacy! Then he was suddenly killed by his own bodyguard, who happened to be a man of sacrifice! Things went south though, and the bodyguard killed himself with poison. I didnt even get a chance to interrogate him for information! If that sissy prince could stand the stench here, he might havee for you or Hanses first instead of me!"
Kieran knew what Lawless wanted, so he told him everything that had happened ever since hed set foot inside the dungeon.
"My Main Mission is [Escape Morkos Pursuit], which is harder than yours, and I am Heavily Wounded. Hanses must be Lethally Wounded, otherwise he would have made some kind of noise..."
Lawlesss voice got softer as he spoke. When he paused, he looked at Kieran with a nk look.
Kieran turned pale in an instant.
Both of them knew that when one was Lethally Wounded, all their stats dropped by five ranks. Considering Hanses abilities, he would still be able to make some noise and not went totally silent.
Simr to Lawless who was Heavily Wounded, only the decreased HP and stats affected his abilities. It was not so bad that he could not stand up or make any noise like the natives.
This would have been easier for Hanses, unless... Unless he was not inside the prison with Kieran and Lawless!
Once the possibility popped up in Kierans mind, he quickly made his decision.
"Ill go have a look!"
Kieran turned around right away and went out of Lawlesss cell.
He quickly ran through the whole floor, scanning all the prison cells, even the empty ones, yet he did not find Hanses.
"What about the upper floor?" Lawless had not given up yet. He went up stairs for another round of searching.
The final oue was the same. The two of them stood inside Kierans cell, looking at each other speechlessly.
"You dont think his Main Mission is totally different than ours, do you?" Lawless asked.
"Might be!" Kieran nodded.
There were no other possible exnations why Hanses would not be locked up with them.
What was his Main Mission though?
As the main culprit behind the theft, Hanses Main Mission would certainly not be easier than Kierans or Lawless.
It had to be at least a couple of levels harder than Kierans Main Mission.
The Legacy!
Kieran unconsciously recalled the term Reedrall had mentioned in his cell.
Was Hanses disappearance somehow connected to this Legacy?
Although Hanses had failed to retrieve any loot from the previous dungeon, the natives had assumed that he had.
That was why they had sentenced him and his aplices, Kieran and Lawless.
It was the only logical exnation.
What if Hanses had lied to Kieran and Lawless though?
He might have if it had been just him and Kieran, but with Lawless in the equation, Kieran believed that he had no reason to lie.
Most importantly, they had signed a contract. Kieran believed Hanses would not lie to him or Lawless.
"The Legacy? What is that?" Kieran furrowed his brow.
The name itself betrayed its value and worth, but the information they had was too limited. It was insufficient for them toe up with a theory.
Kieran still knew what his priority was though.
"We need to get out of here first! If the men of sacrifice have made their move, the people behind them must have this ce under their control. The longer we stay here, the worse things will get for us! We might be able to contact Hanses through the team channel if we leave this prison!" Kieran said.
"Should we put on their outfits and slip out?" Lawless pointed at the dead bodies.
"Its the best solution I cane up with right now!" Kieran replied.
...
Lawless donned the guards armor and raised his torch as he walked behind Kieran.
Although he made an effort to bend his waist down, his body was still wayrger than the dead guards. The armor looked extremely awkward and distorted on him.
Kieran, on the other hand, shared a simr figure with Reedrall, so he was morefortable wearing his clothes.
Reedrall had been killed with a stab through the chest though, so the cut on his dress was obvious as Kieran walked.
Kieran had no choice but to pick up the handkerchief filled with rouge and powder and cover his face with it like Reedrall had. Then he raised his elbow and arm to cover the cut.
He had to rely on Lawless to help cover the cut on his back though.
The two of them finally made it to the prison gate.
The prison guard that Kieran had seen earlier noticed the torching through. When he saw Reedralls clothes, he did not dare say a word. He opened the gate wide right away.
"Your Grace, Lord Reedrall!" the guard saluted him reverently.
"That filthy bastard is stubborn..." Kieran coughed. "... is teaching him some manners! Damn it, this awful stench is making me suffocate! I want to leave right now! Get out of my way!"
Kieran mimicked Reedralls manner of speech and coughed slightly to avoid saying the wardens name. Then he walked out in a hurry.
With the handkerchief covering his face, the prison guard could not see Kieran clearly.
The man quickly made way for him.
Kieran walked out quickly as Lawless behind him tilted his head down.
Lawlesss move turned out to be unnecessary.
The prison guard did not even notice that the duo before him was two thieves who had stolen Reedralls and the guards clothes. He had a humble smile on his face as he watched Kieran and Lawless go.
After heading up a spiral staircase, Kieran and Lawless reached the ground floor. Although it was only an empty room with a window, it was much better than the underground prison.
At least the air was fresh there. The two of them took big deep breaths, trying to wash away the vile stench from their noses.
"It was even easier than I thought! I thought we might run into more guards. Who knew there would only be one?" Lawless said with augh.
Before Kieran could suppress his ownughter, a series of footsteps and the sound of steel armor and sword sheaths colliding was heard from outside.
The footsteps made Kieran and Lawless turn pale.
They could tell that those fully armored men were heading towards the prison.
"Damn it, I jinxed it!" Lawless pped himself before turning his eyes to KIeran.
He was holding onto his long sword tight.
His intentions were clear. They would face them head on.
Lawlesscked any heavy firepower, his abilities were affected, and his HP was lower than 30%, but that did not mean that he had had lost the power to fight.
Quite the opposite, Kieran could see that he was quite familiar with a sword.
ording to his calctions, Lawlesss sword skill had to be above Master.
The two of them might stand a chance against that squad, but Kieran still had not agreed to such a fight.
They were weak in too many ways for them to just go head and attack them.
A small spark could turn into a huge fire and spread throughout the whole castle, resulting in all the natives raining down upon them.
Even though Hanses had said that most of the fighting units had followed Grand Duke Morko out to war, the leftover natives were still more than enough to handle the two of them, especially considering that they didnt have any equipment, their HP was low, and their stats had dropped.
Kieran waved at Lawless and pointed towards the window.
"Lets just hide first. It has to be the mastermind, the man who sent the men of sacrifice. He must be here to clean up the rest... Lets wait and see!" Kieran said as he opened the wooden window and climbed outside. Lawless followed tightly behind him.
Kierannded on a small crevice outside the castle. He took a nce below and saw a cliff without an end.
He grabbed the wooden window frame tightly and opened his ears wide, waiting for the squad of men to enter.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
meh
Chapter 202: Sharp
Chapter 202: Sharp
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Gradon rushed inside the underground castle prison with a worried expression and a squad of fully-armed men.
The "Legacy" was missing!
When the news had reached his ears, hed been stunned.
He knew what would happen to him if the news reached the Grand Dukes ears.
He would lose both his position and honor.
As the Grand Dukes knight and the Western Commander of the whole principality, Gradons honor was more precious to him than his own life.
"I need to make those filthy thieves spill the location of the Legacy!"
With that in mind, Gradon marched into the prison entrance.
However, the very moment he set his foot on the first step of the stairs, he noticed something out of the corner of his eye.
He immediately halted. The window was closed, but the wooden block of the bezel had fallen off andnded on the ground.
It was nothing eye-catching. Just a barely noticeable corner of the window. If one had not been paying enough attention, they would have naturally ignored the existence of the wooden block.
Gradon walked towards the corner and picked up the block, his eyes locked on the window.
Suddenly, he pushed it open.
There was nothing outside.
"No one?"
Gradon leaned his head out to get a better look.
He looked left and right in the darkness, but he noticed nothing peculiar.
He straightened his body and frowned before another thought formed in his mind and he moved his head out of the window again.
He looked up this time, but he still did not see anyone.
"Am I overthinking?"
Gradon retracted back into the room, mocking himself with a small smile.
His mind was fully focused on the "Legacy". He had no spare time for other minor trouble. He ordered one of his men to stand guard by the window and quickly headed inside the prison.
...
At the top of the prison entrance hall was another room which was about five meters away. Kieran and Lawless, who had just gone inside, let out a breath of relief as soon as Gradon was gone.
"What a cautious, sharp fellow! He was just here to clean up the mess, yet he still managed to notice those small details!" Kieran said in awe.
While Gradon had been approaching the window, Kieran had made an impulsive decision and climbed to a higher spot to hide. If he hadnt, they might have gotten discovered.
"Wow, 2567! You really did pay a lot of attention! Thank God you managed to hide this inside your mouth and bring it into the dungeon!"
Lawless was pointing at the [Deceivers Key] in Kierans hand.
From releasing Lawless from his shackles to silently unlocking the wooden block blocking the window, the hair-like tool had proved itself very useful.
Without it, the two of them would not have reached their new hiding spot unnoticed.
Lawless felt nothing but gratitude for the life-saving tool, and even more so for Kieran, who had managed to sneak it into the dungeon.
"The idea just came to me and I happened to have this tool with me. It was just a coincidence."
Kieran shrugged humbly, his tone matter-of-fact. He was not just pretending to be humble.
From his point of view, it had been the logical thing to do. Nothing more than a twist of wits. It was not the same for Lawless though.
"This is not just a spontaneous idea! This is the talent of an assassin! Considering your age though" Lawless voice became softer as he went on. Hisst few words werepletely inaudible.
"It''s not safe here. If that guy discovers what happened inside the prison, he will order a lockdown! ording to Hanses, we are in the corridor between the prison tower and the prison entrance. If we want to get to the castle exit, we need to go through a water tower, a military camp, and a warehouse. At the entrance, we wille across more than fifty fully-armed soldiers!"
"We might need to fight a tough battle to get through, and our wounds will only slow us down! We need to find medicine to heal ourselves before we figure out an escape route! We also need to acquire horses and food along the way. On top of that, we still need to locate Hanses! If we dont, everything will be in vain!"
Kieran did not notice Lawless mumbling to himself. He was too focused on their surroundings and thinking of a n.
"That bastard Hanses! Where could he have been taken to?" Lawless said with a frown.
He had tried contacting Hanses through the team channel, but he had still gotten the same notification. [Special Area, Communication Restricted].
"He must still be inside the castle. We need to find medicine to heal ourselves first. Hanses will have to wait. Do you remember where the Grand Dukes doctors room is?" Kieran asked.
"Of course! Arent youing?" Lawless nodded before instantly reacting to his odd question.
"Considering that guys vignce and sharp senses, it wont be hard for him to guess our next move. We need a diversion to distract him. When you get enough medicine, meet me in the castle kitchen!" Kieran pointed at the floor beneath his feet.
"Be careful!" Lawless reminded him before leaving quickly. He did not stop him, as he realized it was the best option they had.
With their wounds and their fighting abilities affected, if they did not return to their peak form soon, the rest of their n would be hard to execute. They wouldnt be able to locate Hanses or escape Morko Principality.
Kieran watched Lawless until his figure disappearedpletely. Then he made his move.
...
Gradon rushed to the first floor of the prison. He did not bother with the prison guards ttery. He just made him lead the way.
He knew what the true faces of those prison guards were. They were just a bunch of hyenas that preyed on corpses. He did not like prison guards at all.
"Hurry!" Gradon rushed the guard.
When hed found out that Reedrall had stopped by, his anxiety had been hard to describe.
Reedralls petty personality was known throughout the castle. Even the blind knew about it.
Reedrall had been eyeing the position of the Grand Duke, but his nasty characteristics made talented young men sick.
Still, this did not change the fact that Reedrall was the youngest son of the Grand Duke. If he was one step ahead in finding the "Legacy", then...
Gradon got even more nervous as the thought formed in his mind.
The Grand Duke had other children besides Reedrall. He was certainly not the one Gradon favored.
He felt fed up as he followed the slow prison guard. He grabbed the torch from the guards hand and rushed towards the prison cell after asking the guard about the number.
When Gradon discovered that the prison cell was not locked, but slightly shut, a terrible feeling reced his anxiety.
He pulled out his long sword and slowly opened the door.
The torch shed light inside the cell, and the scene Gradon faced fell like a lightning in his mind.
"Lord Reedrall?"
Gradon was shocked when he saw Reedralls body. He fell on the ground immediately, lifting the young mans body up for a better look. He instantly yelled in rage.
Although Reedrall was not his favorite, he was still the youngest son of the Grand Duke and one of his favorite children.
Reedralls death would definitely infuriate the Grand Duke, and Gradon would be the unlucky person he would vent his anger on.
"Find the killer! Thats the only way we can calm the Lords rage!"
Gradon quickly stood up after putting down Reedralls body, ordering his men to perform a search.
"Put the castle in lockdown and increase the patrols!" Gradon said.
"Impossible! His Grace Reedrall and his guard just left a while ago! This is not possible!" the prison guard that waste to the scene shouted in a surprised tone.
"Shut the fool up!"
Gradon did not even look at the prison guard. One of his men knocked him out with his sword sheath.
The sudden shout of the guard made Gradon realize what had happened though.
"They put on Sir Reedralls and his guards outfits and tried to slip out. When they met me marching in though, they must have hidden outside that window..."
Gradon drew in a deep breath before giving out orders again.
"Go search the corridor between the prison tower and the prison entrance! Start from there, but make sure you search every single room for the killers!"
"Yes, sir!"
A couple of soldiers quickly left.
Gradon stayed behind with a couple more soldiers, scanning the area.
"Reedrall was stabbed from behind, but the man standing behind him.. Was it his guard? Then he must have killed the warden and tried to kill the prisoners too! When he failed, he must have taken his own life..."
Gradons face turned pale in an instant.
Even though the body had been moved, recreating the scene was an easy feat.
As he did so, Gradon realized that his back was soaked in sweat.
He realized hed fallen into a powerful whirlpool. If he could not escape in time, it would tear him into pieces.
"Damn it!" Gradon said under his breath with a frown.
His attention had been caught by the vomit inside the cell.
The stomach acid had already dried up and turned into a pile of goo. It had been mixed with the stitch on the wall and the moss around it, but it was still obvious.
"Did he hide a lockpicking tool in his stomach?" Gradon was shocked.
"Get me information on this particr thief!" he quickly ordered his men.
"Yes, sir!"
A soldier took a bow and turned around to go.
Before he could leave though, another soldier came rushing in, shouting, "Sir, things went south! The warehouse is on fire!"
"On fire?" Gradon was shocked again.
"Such a coincidence!"
Doubts filled Gradons heart as he turned his attention to the prison guard moaning in pain on the floor.
"Did you follow the rules and take care of those three thieves?" Gradon asked.
Trantor''s Thoughts
Dess Dess
Gradon seems like a good guy.
Chapter 203: Blood
Chapter 203: Blood
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
"Yes... Yes, sir! It was the wardens orders!" the prison guard said with a shiver after being pounded by one of the soldiers.
He did not forget to push the responsibility on someone else. Who was better to put the me on than a dead person after all?
Gradon did not care about the prison guards words though. His attention was focused on something else.
"How badly are they wounded?" he asked.
"Hanses was almost passed out. Without medical care, he would notst through the night-"
"I know that! What about his two aplices?" Gradon interrupted the prison guard, as if he did not want him to say anything else.
"One of them was whipped twenty times! The bigger one got fiftyshes!" the prison guard said honestly.
Having gotten what he wanted, Gradon waved the prison guard off.
The prison guard ran off like he had just been given amnesty.
As soon as he set foot outside the prison gate though, a cold light shed through him.
The guards head was sent flying through the air, but his body ran for another two or three meters before finally falling to the ground.
"You shouldnt be this merciful, Knight Gradon!"
The cold voice belonged to a scrawny man with long limbs who was walking through the prison gate slowly.
Gradons face turned serious when he saw the man.
"My beliefs tell me who my sword should punish! I spared him, yet you killed him, Ferlin! Are you trying to challenge my authority?"
"No, no, no... How would I dare? You are the Grand Dukes appointed Knight, and I am but a puny consultant. How would I dare question your authority? Any disrespect towards you would be like disrespecting the Grand Duke himself. Im just here to help!" the man named Ferlin said with a gloomy smile and a slight mockery.
"I could help you catch one of those thieves, if I may! Even though youve guessed their ns, if you let them roam freely like some mannerless brats, they might cause trouble and disgrace His Majestys great name and honor! What do you say?" Ferlin asked.
"Fine!" Gradon nodded stiffly.
Although he knew Ferlin hade down to the prison and killed the prison guard just to silence a witness, it was just as hed said. If the two thieves kept roaming around causing trouble, it would stain the Grand Dukes name and honor.
This was something Gradon, as the Grand Dukes Knight, would not tolerate.
"You will capture the one causing trouble outside. I want him alive. You have no authority to interrogate him privately!" Gradon agreed, setting his own terms.
"As you wish, sir!"
Ferlin took a slight bow and disappeared in the shadows.
All the soldiers present saw him exit the premises and every single one of them shivered.
On the battlefield, they were all brave souls full of pride and honor. Even when they were facing enemies two or three times stronger, they never backed away from a fight. Not a single one of them wanted to face Ferlin though.
Nomon soldier could fight a dagger in the shadows.
"Lets go! Were heading to the infirmary! Ferlin might be a creepy arse, but he is on our side!" Gradonforted his men as he walked out of the prison with big steps.
He might hate Ferlin for his mysterious and eerie presence, but if the Grand Duke was willing to trust him, then so would he. Thats why the other soldiers were also willing to trust the man.
Gradon led his men away from the prison and towards the infirmary.
He never set foot on the second floor of the prison, but it was easy to guess what had happened there.
His theory made him hasten his steps. It seemed like Gradon had underestimated the two thieves, and so had everyone else.
...
After seeding the first time, Kieran threw the torch in his hand towards the warehouse ceiling to light a second fire.
He quickly climbed up the winding corridor and hid in the shadows before the soldiers could rush there.
As the shadows camouged him, Kierans eyes locked on the blurry castle door a little further away.
The sudden surge of soldiers made him realize that the prison was exposed and there would soon be a search that would ce him at total disadvantage.
Kieran knew he had to divert the attention of the newly arrived soldiers, or he would not even stand a chance.
When he saw a squad of men holding long bows and wearing armor, his thought was solidified.
It was the Bestowed Squad. A squad formed entirely of magical archers, and one of the most elite squads in the Grand Dukes army.
Their numbers might not be high, but the Bestowed were always a crucial squad during a war. The other squads included the Barrier which was the infantry troops and the Hurricane Knights.
Those three factions were the strongest forces among the Grand Dukes military assets.
During his previous dungeon, Hanses had been assigned to the Barrier Infantry.
All the information they had about the enemys military forces hade from him.
Truth be told though, when Kieran saw the Bestowed Squad, he could feel their formidable strength even without Hanses intel.
They all had enchanted long bows, armor, and boots, and every single one of them had extraordinary abilities.
Kieran could also tell from their pace and the way they advanced that they were extremely disciplined and well-trained. Even during peaceful times, they still had a sense of vignce in their eyes.
Kieran wanted to avoid facing the Bestowed by any means.
They should have been in the frontline, fighting in the war, but instead they had showed up there. The whole arrangement was very unusual.
"Is this about the Legacy? Or did something else happen?" Kieran guessed as he moved slowly in the shadows.
Lighting a warehouse on fire was obviously not enough to distract the soldiers. Kieran needed to create more diversions.
He had already set his eyes on his next target, the Church Hall.
It was an eye-catching location, but it was not heavily guarded, especially now that the warehouse was already on fire. Everything was progressing like Kieran had expected.
The warehouse fire had attracted all the nearby soldiers attentions, and all the spots along the road that were supposed to be guarded were empty.
Only a couple of important ces had one or two soldiers left.
It was easy for Kieran to avoid the leftover soldiers sight.
He reached the Church Hall smoothly, withouting across any obstacles on the way.
Suddenly, Kieran froze in the shadows. He had noticed that something was not right.
The Church Hall before him was too quiet.
Compared to the busy, noisy outer building, the Church Hall formed a huge contrast.
Water drops tore the silence apart.
Kieran turned his attention towards the source of the dripping and saw fresh red blood.
It looked extremely bright even in the darkness.
Kierans heart skipped a beat as he shivered.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
This marks the beginning of a adventurous dungeon.
Chapter 204: Trick
Chapter 204: Trick
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The fresh blood was giving out a scarlet re.
Kieran, who was in the shadows, focused his attention on the Church Hall before him.
Although the big gate was shut tight, preventing Kieran from seeing what was happening inside, the drops of blood on the stairs was enough for him to guess that the Church Hall was filled with bodies.
"What happened?" Kieran wondered silently.
He wanted to leave silently through the shadows.
It was best for him to minimize the risk rather than increase it, especially considering he had no equipment on him. His curiosity was still tingling his senses though.
One of the most important reasons to remain safe was that this was just a mercenary mission.
If it had been Kierans normal dungeon run, he would have taken the risk.
After all, as dungeon entry times increased, so did the difficulty of the normal dungeon run. If Kieran did not risk it, he would eventually be disqualified through a vicious cycle.
Kierans main concern now though was to do his best in helping Hanses finish his Main Mission.
If there were more Sub Missions or Title Missions, he would not mindpleting them as long as they were on his path.
He was certain the situation inside the Church Hall was out of that range though.
No matter what angle Kieran looked at it from, there was immense danger lurking behind those doors.
Kieran still had other choices to create a diversion, so he did not need to risk going in there.
He took several light steps, backing off slowly, yet suddenly he halted.
A figure had appeared in front of the Church Hall.
The figures face was covered by a hood.
The mans limbs were long, and his steps made no sound at all. He seemed to upy a space between the light and the shadows. It looked like he possessed a certain level of [Undercover].
Kierans attention was caught instantly as the figure barged into the Church Hall straightaway.
Kieran held his breath and concentrated on the figure as the man pushed the door wide open.
He wanted to grab this opportunity to take a look inside the hall.
As the door was opened, even the pivot spot was smeared with blood. It produced a screeching noise as it collided with the frame. A fire from inside the hall allowed Kieran to get a clear look on what was inside.
As expected, the Church Hall was filled with dead bodies. Kieran could make out at least a dozen to twenty bodies, and that was definitely not all of them.
The figure was checking the bodies as well.
Since Kieran was further away from them, he could not see clearly the wounds on the bodies. Their outfits were very clear though.
They were not soldier or guard outfits, not even the clothes the servants in the castle were wearing.
Although the bodies had different weapons on them, they shared the same piece of leather armor. They seemed to be from the same faction.
"Private militias?" Kieran made a solid guess. The limited information he had did not help him recognize which faction they were from though.
"A massacre inside the castle? What the hell is going on?"
Kieran suddenly picked up a sense of conspiracy within the castle and he continued to back off.
This was enough for him to realize what had happened inside the Church Hall.
He hadnt forgotten that his objective was to buy enough time for Lawless to get the medicine.
Suddenly, he had to halt again.
The figure who had been checking the bodies cried out in rm, as if hed seen something out of the ordinary.
The cry was stopped abruptly, as one of the bodies that were supposed to be dead suddenly jumped up and shed a sword through the figures throat.
Fast! It had been very fast. All Kieran had seen was a sword sh through.
The figure was robbed of any signs of life without the slightest resistance.
Kieran drew in a silent breath. If he had been in the figures spot, he would not have been able to dodge the ambush either.
The sword had been drawn too fast, and the timing and hit had been extremely precise.
It made Kieran feel like he had met his arch nemesis. He squinted and tried locate the person out of the corner of his eyes.
The lightning speed of the sword had been ridiculous. It had surpassed even his wildest imagination. Kieran was not sure whether that persons Intuition was also as sharp, but he dared not test it. Considering his current condition, it would be suicidal to face such a man.
Just as Kieran was gazing around, the man disguised as a corpse stood up and tilted his head down to check on the intruder. Suddenly, heughed coldly.
Without any further dy, he pushed down all the candlesticks inside the hall.
The fire spread rapidly as soon as it came into contact with the curtains on the walls.
Within a couple of seconds, the whole hall had been engulfed in mes.
The man walked out of the burning hall slowly, sliding back into darkness.
He had showed no intention of covering his face up until that point.
The mask on his head was covered in blood, and Kieran could not see the face behind it clearly.
As soon as he watched the man disappear into darkness, Kieran left quickly.
The Church Hall fire would attract more soldiers, so if Kieran lingered around, he would eventually be surrounded.
He shuttled through the darkness and dashed towards his rendezvous point with Lawless.
The man who had set the Church Hall on fire had helped Kieran in a way, since he had spared him the time he would have needed to find another target.
Kieran knew the persons intention had not been to help though.
He knew nothing about the earlier massacre, but the assassination that had followed had proved that the man had been waiting for his target to appear. Otherwise, he would not have disguised himself as a corpse and burned the ce down after killing the unknown figure.
The right move would have been to burn the Church Hall down right after the massacre.
The person must have known that his target would go to the Church Hall.
That was not an easy feat, which meant that the man must have had quite a good understanding of his target.
"Were they acquaintances?" Kieran spected.
Even if he knew the answer to that question though, it would still do him no good. He still had no idea who the killed man had been.
...
Gradon was standing outside the infirmary with a serious expression.
He had sent out four of his best men to capture the thief inside the infirmary, and the four of them had entered the room, but none of them had emerged.
It made Gradon realize the severeness of the situation. His target was even stronger than he had expected.
"Damn it! Is everyone on the Barrier Infantry blind? This kind of target surpasses even a captain level, and you people treat him like a normal soldier? Is your head stuffed with sh*t, Gilrulf?" Gradon scolded themander of the Barrier Infantry.
As the Commanding Officer of the Western Area of the Principality, Gradon had an extensive understanding of all the elite squads in the Grand Dukes military forces.
If someone had been able to kill four of his men without making the slightest noise despite the wounds on his body, then his strength was definitely on par with the highest ranking members of the military. There were only a handful of people in the forces who possessed such strength.
Gradon could not believe that such a target had been treated like amon theif by the infantries.
If Gradon did not know Gilrulf well enough and was not aware of his just personality, he would have suspected him of making a secret deal with the thief.
Gradons understanding was not enough to calm his rage though. He had lost four of his best men after all.
"Damn it! Damn it ! Damn it!"
Repeated curses escaped his mouth.
His mind was spinning quickly, thinking of ways to capture the thief inside the infirmary.
Gradon was aware of the difficulties of facing a target that shared simr abilities with a core member of the elite forces, but it was still not impossible.
With some heavy bows raining arrows down on him, plus some precise arrangements, such a target could be beaten as well.
Capturing him alive would be hard though. Gradon had no idea how to achieve that.
When he saw the other elite squads appear though, he suddenly smiled.
The Bestowed!
Gradon had no idea why the Bestowed would show up there, but their appearance had solved his problem.
Even though the target inside the infirmary shared simr abilities with military personnel, he couldnt possibly withstand the power of the Bestowed.
Every single one of the factions members shared the same strength, and the captains strength surpassed any normal members by a mile.
Gradon went over with a smile.
"Captain Jorque, Ive never been more delighted to see you!" Gradon told the tall, buff man.
The captains clothes looked tight on him because of the muscles underneath.
"Weve received orders from the Grand Duke to follow Sir Ferlin. Where is he?" Captain Jorque said in a cold tone as he took a bow.
Gradon was not concerned about Captain Jorques manners.
He would have obeyed the Grand Dukes orders himself without any hesitation.
Without any further dy, he exined the situation before him.
"Sir Ferlin must be chasing the other thief! Youll find himter!" Gradon said.
Captain Jorque nodded, not questioning Gradons words. None of the soldiers present dared object either.
They believed that Ferlin would capture the other thief easily.
Suddenly, a soldier ran over. Panting hard, he said, "The Church Hall is on fire! There are bodies everywhere inside, including Sir Ferlins!"
His words shocked everybody except for one person.
Boom!
The infirmary door was sted out, spinning in mid-air before crashing into the small crowd.
Chapter 205: Coming Out
Chapter 205: Coming Out
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
BANG!
The flying, spinning door was hurled towards the small crowd. Everyone scattered away like ants.
Then they turned their attention to the infirmary, clenching their weapons hard.
They were waiting for Lawless to dash out after the door.
Everyone was ready for a fight, but there was no one inside the infirmary.
The door! Lawless had actually burst out along with the door.
Some of the faster ones turned their attention back to the flying door.
One of them was Captain Jorque. His magic longbow was already in his hand. He quickly loaded an arrow and pulled the string of the bow into a full-moon shape.
Lawless was even faster though.
A thunderous roar sent out visible ripples of energy through his surroundings.
Even the door he had used as a cover to dash out became twisted and cracked, as if it was made of stic.
The small crowd was sent flying off the ground when the ripple hit them.
Before Captain Jorque fell though, he managed to fire the arrow in his hand.
The arrow spun towards its target with an ear-breaking sound.
It was flying towards Lawlesss left leg, but he dodged it.
Lawless pressed forward in an imposing manner, breaking through Gradon and Captain Jorques men at lightning speed.
He was too fast for them to react, and by the time they did, he had already disappeared from sight.
"Everyone follow me! Sir Gradon, Ill leave the Church Hall incident to you!"
Captain Jorque led the Bestowed Squad away, sprinting in the direction where Lawless had disappeared.
Gradon frowned. He did not want to lose Lawless either, but he knew better than anyone that his men would not be able to capture him, even if they managed to catch up with him.
The thunderous roar earlier had shown Gradon the gap of strength between them. Lawless was not who he had thought he was. Such strength surpassed even core members of the military corps.
He might even be on par with the Barrier or the Hurricane captain in terms of strength.
"What the hell happened?"
Perplexed at the situation, Gradon waved at his men with a frown.
"Lets move!"
...
Lawless met with Kieran 10 minutes after his bold escape.
In order to shake off the troops chasing him, hed had to circle around the castle garden. Hed also had to use special methods that he did not wanted to use topletely escape the Bestowed.
He looked exhausted after that tedious ordeal.
"Are you okay?" Kieran asked. He was worried because Lawless looked pale.
Kieran had already gotten some food, and he had been hiding on the arch above the kitchen with Lawless.
"Im fine. I only found these in the infirmary though!"
Lawless handed Kieran the medical supplies he had found.
[Name: Linen Bandage]
[Type: Bandage]
[Rarity: Common]
[Attributes: Increases the recovery rate of wounds]
[Prerequisites: None]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: Although this is not a distilled bandage, it can still help wounds heal through traditional crafting.]
...
[Name: Hemostasis Balm]
[Type: Balm]
[Rarity: Great]
[Attributes: When evenly distributed on your wounds, it recovers 1 HP every 10 minutes. Lasts for 24 hours]
[Prerequisites: None]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: It cannot recover your HP in an instant, but it has a good effect in the long run.]
...
"Better than nothing!" Kieranmented.
[Linen Bandage] and [Hemostasis Balm] might not be on the same level as the bandages and healing balm Kieran was familiar with, but they were still better than nothing.
He was still wounded after all, and he had to start healing up slowly.
Kierans Master Level [Medical Treatment] proved itself useful once again. He applied the balm to his wounds and wrapped them with the bandages with delicate moves.
"Did you kill Ferlin? Get any good loot?" Lawless asked Kieran straightforwardly as he performed first aid on himself.
As their rtionship got closer and closer, some taboo subjects that casual yers would not talk about were open for discussion.
Answering was up to each yer though.
Lawless stopped when he saw the shocked expression on Kierans face.
"Youre talking about the Grand Dukes consultant? The Ferlin that Hanses had mentioned?" Kieran asked back.
"Yes! Wait... It wasnt you?" Lawless returned the question in panic.
"No! Some guy with a mask did it..."
Kieran shook his head as he told Lawless what he had witnessed inside the Church Hall.
Lawless frowned as he listened to his story.
"Another yer must have joined the game! Not only did he massacre a bunch of unknown people inside the Church Hall, but he also killed the Grand Dukes most trusted consultant... Well, Ferlin is dead for sure. This dungeon is getting more and more interesting!" Lawless said with a small smile.
Lawless and Kieran were no strangers to Ferlin.
Hanses had told them about a couple of key natives before they had entered the dungeon. One of them had been Ferlin, the Grand Dukes most trusted consultant.
Although he was just a consultant, he had real authority and he dealt with the Grand Dukes dirty business. Of course, only a handful of insiders knew the truth. Hanses had discovered the secret through a Sub Mission.
"Id rather it was easier. The dungeon could have at least led us to Hanses faster. Besides..."
Before Kieran could finish his words, his attention was turned to the outside of the kitchen.
Two men in leather armor holding torches and weapons in their hands were walking towards the kitchen.
Leather armor!
The two men approaching the kitchen were wearing the same armor as the dead bodies in the Church Hall!
Although Kieran could only look at them from afar, he would never mistake that armor.
"Why are they here? Who are they? How many of them are there?"
A series of questions popped up in Kierans mind, but everything was blown away the next moment.
Kieran widened his eyes at their actions. The two men threw their torches up in an arc until theynded on the kitchen roof.
The oil on the torches created a spark on the rooftop, which spreaded like wildfire.
In a second, the whole roof was burning.
"Fire! He- Ahh!"
The kitchen maid that had not been able to fall asleep because of themotion was startled by the fire.
One of the armored men stabbed her without hesitation.
The screams did not stop there though. Even more and louder ones followed as the fire burned bright.
Before one could subside, another one was heard, forming a chain of screams within seconds.
Lawless and Kieran looked at each other, thinking the same thing.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
The Rebellion!
Chapter 206: Rebellion
Chapter 206: Rebellion
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Rebellion!
Kieran and Lawless thought of the term instantly.
"Everything is happening at the same time, huh?" Lawless said in a joking tone. His expression was intense though.
Considering theirck of equipment and their wounds, he knew what would happen if they came across a big wave of enemies.
Kieran had already experienced the human sea tactic during his newbie dungeon as well, and the memory was still fresh.
After looking at each other quickly, they turned towards the rebels.
Their sudden appearance had caught everyone off guard, not just Lawless and Kieran, but the defending troops in the castle as well.
Kieran and Lawless could already hear the two forces fighting each other.
It was a chance for the two of them to locate Hanses and escape from the castle.
Kieran shot out his leg like an iron whip, striking hard at one of rebels head.
A clear cracking sound was heard as the mans head spun around, his feet lifting off the ground as he fell backwards. There were no signs of life on him anymore.
The second rebel only started to react after his partner was dead. He tried to scream, but a powerful hand silenced his mouth as a long sharp sword shed through his throat.
Gushing blood spilled out as the soldier went down on his knees.
After killing both rebels quickly, Kieran and Lawless checked their bodies in hope of finding some useful items, such as the leather armor they were wearing.
Although the armor would only cause them trouble, it was still better than fighting without any protection.
[Name: Rebel Leather Armor]
[Type: Defensive Gear]
[Rarity: Great]
[Defense: Average defense against sharp des, weak defense against blunt weapons and long-range arrow attacks]
[Attributes: None]
[Effects: None]
[Prerequisites: None]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: This is a rebel leather armor. When you wear it, it might serve as a camouge against other rebels, but it will also attract the defending troops hostility.]
...
Kieran was not surprised when he read the remark. He was not concerned about any hostility from the defending troops.
After all, their status as thieves and prisoners was already bad enough.
What surprised him was the next notification.
[Sub Mission Unlocked: Sudden Arrival]
[Sudden Arrival: An uprising is taking ce as you are trying to escape. The rebels will kill anyone theye across, including you. If you want to leave the castle in one piece, you need to pick up your weapons and fight the rebels! Once you leave the castles range, the more rebels you have killed, the higher your rating will be at the end!]
"A Sub Mission?" Kieran felt as if hed been struck by lightning.
He had not expected a Sub Mission to appear in such a form.
ording to his original theory, considering his status and condition in the Special Dungeon, his chances ofing across a Special Mission had to be really low.
The Sub Missions title and its sudden appearance meant that it was not that hard though.
While Kieran was mumbling to himself, Lawless had already put on the [Rebel Leather Armor].
"Its better than I thought!" hemented after a couple stretches.
The standard-issue leather armor was not as good as custom-made leather armor, but it sure had one advantage.
The fit!
Most standard-issue leather armor was made with an extra knot, which allowed the wearer to adjust the fit themselves.
Of course, that was limited only to leather-based armor.
Full-metal armor also had an extra knot, but it was not for fitting purposes. It just secured the armor on the wearer and made it safer.
It was simr, but still not the same as standard-issue armor.
"I got something more as well!" Kieran said, showing Lawless the Sub Mission.
"Of course you do, 2567! Your dungeon entries determine the dungeon difficulty for you. Not just the Main Mission, but every single aspect. I would need to kill at least a rebellion squad leader to trigger a Sub Mission! Plus, my Sub Mission would not be as easy as killing somemon rebels. The game might ask me to kill the rebellionmander, or even the mastermind behind everything!" Lawless sighed as he looked at Kierans Sub Mission.
Kieran felt even more determined than he originally had though.
Fully exploring the Sub Missions and Title Missions in each dungeon was the right choice for him.
Not only would he gain an advantage inside the dungeon, but as the dungeon difficulty went up, the advantages would also be more.
Advantages equaled benefits, but Kieran never forgot his original mission in favor of those benefits.
They had to locate Hanses and escape from the castle!
The contract kept reminding Kieran of his mission.
"We have to find Hanses now!" he said.
"Do you have a clue where he is?" Lawless looked at him in suspicion.
"We are the thieves that stole the Grand Dukes treasure from his vault! The people who are qualified to interrogate us are very few! Ever since the war broke out, the Grand Duke and his eldest son have been fighting in the frontline, and most of the generals have followed them. Those left behind who are qualified to interrogate us have to be only a handful!
"The Grand Dukes second son, his youngest son, and Gradon! The youngest son died in the prison, and Gradon appeared at just the right time. ording to Hanses, Gradon was an avid supporter of the eldest son! What if Gradon was not at the prison to clean up the mess, but to ask us about the location of the Legacy? Where would Hanses be then?" Kieran said as he looked at Lawless.
He had juste up with that theory. Using men of sacrifice must have saved the mastermind the trouble of leaked information.
Allowing the men of sacrifice to do their duty and protect their employers secret had been the best choice. What was safer than a dead man after all?
It would also make more sense than Gradon going there to clean up the mess.
"The second son!" The words escaped Lawless mouth immediately. "But what about the death of the youngest son and the missing Legacy?" Lawless asked automatically.
"We dont have enough information right now, so I cant really think of anything. Maybe theyre connected, maybe not. Who knows?"
As they spoke, Kieran quickly made his way towards the second sons courtyard. Lawless followed him.
Kieran was thankful for the map Hanses had drawn. If it werent for it, he would have had to look for the ce blindly. He quickly followed the route mapped out for him and headed towards the courtyard.
On their way there, Kieran and Lawless kept bumping into rebels and defending troops.
The first time, it was only a small squad of two to three men, so the two of them were able to take them out easily.
When they came across a bigger number of troops, they chose to avoid direct conflict.
As the rebels number kept growing by the second though, so did the bad feeling in Kierans heart.
"There are too many rebels! Its definitely not a number that could have been umted by infiltrating the ce. Seems more like the defending troops opened the gate and let them in!" Kieran thought as he headed to the courtyard.
When hed found out about the rebellion, Kieran had originally thought that a small number of rebels had infiltrated the castle, made an ambush, and opened the gate amid the chaos, allowing the rest of their troops to take over the castle.
However, considering the increasing number of rebels, this did not seem to be the truth.
"Where did the rebelse from? And what about the massacre in the Church Hall?"
Kierans mind was filled with doubts and questions.
The Church Hall massacre made him the most curious.
Considering that the masked man had killed all the rebels inside the hall, he must have been defending the castle. However, he had also killed Ferlin right after, which probably meant that he had had some kind of n.
That murder had instantly made the man an enemy of the defending troops.
The incident baffled Kieran.
"What did he do that for?"
He kept thinking about it as his steps got faster.
About 10 minutes and a couple of stopster, Kieran and Lawless finally reached the courtyard that belonged to the Grand Dukes second son.
What they saw there made them frown.
The courtyard had turned into a mini battlefield.
The defending troops were taking advantage of the terrain, fending off the rebels by shooting arrows at them.
The rebels were wielding giant shields and pressing forward fearlessly.
One of the rebels was hit by an arrow, but it seemed like he did not feel any pain. He just kept pressing on towards the defending troops, stabbing his enemies with his sword.
The stabbed soldiers fell to the ground, but one of them grabbed the rebels leg, hoping to dy him.
Meanwhile, a couple of long spears pierced through the rebel, and he unwillingly fell to the ground.
The soldiers who had lunged the spears were stabbed by another rebel, who had hurled himself towards them.
Before the rebel could advance though, his head was struck by an arrow.
The cold steel of the rattling swords glinted and shed, arrows poured like rain, and blood was spilled, flowing like a river.
It was like a meat grinder working endlessly, crushing them to bits.
The gruesome scene made the maidens of the castle scream out their lungs in fear. One after another, they fell down, wanting to crawl out of the deadly scene.
They only attracted more attention from the rebels though, who showed no mercy in killing defenseless maidens.
The maidens fell into a puddle of blood one after the other.
This infuriated the defending troops, who struck harder with their weapons and fired more arrows at their enemies.
The rebelsughed, mocking them with disdainful voices, before rushing towards the barricade of the defending troops.
Some of them had fallen, but most of them seeded in making a breach through the barricade.
As more and more rebels broke through the barricade, no matter how hard the defending troops fired arrows, they could not contain the breach.
The courtyard would soon be taken.
A sharp whistling sound tore through the air as an arrow shed through the battlefield.
At least seven rebels were pierced through.
Soon, ten more simr arrows followed.
Although they did not possess destructive power, each arrow could take the lives of at least four to five rebels.
A total of eleven arrows with the same attacking pattern turned the tide around in a second.
"THE BESTOWED!"
The defending troops cheered as the rebels were struck by fear.
They did not intend to back down though. Theyunched another attack instead.
"Something is wrong!" Kieran instinctively thought when he saw the rebels rush in.
Suddenly, he felt the ground trembling.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
This arc is by far the mostpleted one without any strings
Chapter 207: Inevitable
Chapter 207: Inevitable
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
"Look!"
Lawless nudged Kieran, who turned around to see what he was pointing at.
His eyes widened instantly at what he saw.
Two huge rock catapults were being dragged into the battlefield by horses and mules, but it was not the catapults that were making the ground tremble.
It was a dashing rhinoceros fully equipped with battle armor.
The heavy, metal-forged armor covered the rhinoceros body like fish scales, allowing it to ignore any iing arrows.
Even the arrows of the Bestowed merely scratched the armor. No damage was inflicted on the wild-eyed rhino.
Every once in a while, Captain Jorque would fire an arrow that pierced the rhinos armor, but it was still ineffective against the rhinos naturally hard skin.
On the contrary, it only fueled its rage and boosted its frenziness against the Bestowed.
The rhino dashed towards the squad with elerating force. Anyone in its path was stamped to death, both ally and enemy.
The rock catapults rope was cut off,unching a millstone rock up in the air with its giant spring.
The courtyards ward was sted to pieces when the giant rock crashed through and rolled inside.
The defending troops within the trajectory of the rock were crushed into a pile of bloody goo.
The round rock was hurled through the debris and dust, rolling through the courtyard and leaving a bloody trail behind it.
Anyone who stood in its path was blown away and crushed into bones.
The giant rock rolled over the courtyards parterre and the defensive formation of the defending troops.
Meanwhile, a fire caused by two giant rocks obliterated the defending troops defense.
"WAR!" the rebels shouted, giving the signal for attack.
After an unwilling parting nce at the armored rhino and the Bestowed Squad, Kieran and Lawless went into the chaos, sprinting towards the courtyard.
Kieran was sure that if he killed the armored rhino or one of the Bestowed, he would get a good reward.
The situation before him did not leave room for such a thought though.
Once the rebels located Hanses, they would torture him for information about the "Legacy". Hanses would be defenseless, so their des would sh across his throat in no time.
The rebels had shown no mercy against defenseless maidens, so they wouldnt care about a prisoner.
When Kieran and Lawless reached the hall of the courtyard, they saw two corridors.
"Lets split up!" Kieran told Lawless.
They had to expand their searching range, so Kieran headed towards the left-side corridor, and Lawless headed towards the right.
There was a reason behind that choice. An interrogation was not a trial, so it would not take ce in public. Plus, it involved secrets, so it could only be held in a private ce.
The hall in the courtyard was not the right ce for that. Other than that hall, there were two more corridors.
Each of them covering a side was the quickest way to get to Hanses.
The left-side corridor was filled with soldiers from both sides fighting each other.
Kieran rolled quickly into the shadows.
His Musou Level [Undercover] almost allowed him to be one with them.
The shouting and fighting rebels and the pce soldiers did not notice him, as both sides were focused on each other.
It was a life-and-death battle after all.
Kieran went through the corridor filled with defending troops and reached the back of the courtyard.
After a quick scan of his new surroundings, he found his target.
It was a two-storey building filled with defending troops.
Compared to other parts of the castle, where there were soldiers everywhere, that building hadyers of defense. It seemed like there was someone important inside, someone they were guarding.
Who was more important than the Grand Dukes second son?
Hanses had been sent to jail by that man, so chances were that he would be wherever the second son was.
Kieran carefully scanned through the huge amount of guards on the building. Even though there was a huge battle going on outside, the guards remained still.
There was not even a hint of anxiety in their eyes.
They were obviously experienced veterans that had been through lots of tough fights on the battlefield.
This was not good news for Kieran considering that he wanted to infiltrate the ce.
His Musou Level [Undercover] allowed him to slip pastmon people unnoticed, but those guards were not some nobodies.
Although they might not be as powerful as Kieran, their senses definitely surpassedmon peoples.
Every possible path that led into the building was guarded, and there were even archers on the roof. There was not a single way in.
Kieran frowned hard. It would be difficult for him to break through that defense.
He could wait for the rebels to barge in and slip in unnoticed during the fight, but the best option would be to exfiltrate Hanses and leave the ce before the rebels arrived.
Otherwise, considering Hanses weak condition, even the slightest mistake could turn their efforts into dust.
Just as Kieran was racking his brains for ideas, two ear-numbing sounds pierced the sky.
Kieran raised his head and saw two millstone-sized boulders and countless arrows that almost formed a cloud strike down the two-storey building before him.
Half the building was torn down, and rising dust and debris blocked everyones vision.
The soldiers struck by arrows were countless.
Hanses! Kierans heart skipped a beat as he was struck by panic.
He used the dust and debris as a cover and sprinted inside the building.
He had just gotten inside and checked a couple of bodies, when he saw Hanses tied down and gagged. He looked dispirited and exhausted.
Kieran felt delighted when he saw his teammate.
Hanses had seen Kieran as well, but he did not look delighted by any means. His face was filled with anxiety and his mouth was gagged, so he kept making sounds through the stuffing.
He was staring beneath Kierans feet, his eyes wide and round.
Beneath Kierans feet? Kieran was struck by panic a second time.
He unconsciously recalled the scene back in the Church Hall.
He immediately rolled to the side. His dagger, which had just appeared in his hand, was hurled towards the body under his feet.
A long sword suddenly rose up with a cold sh, blocking Kierans flying dagger and lunging towards his chest with unstoppable force.
A masked face appeared within Kierans sight. It was the Church Hall killer!
Kieran dragged himself backwards as the masked killer lunged fiercely towards him. The sword in his hand was as quick as aet.
Within a few seconds, the sword had forced Kieran into a corner.
It did not just possess ridiculous speed. It also reeked of death.
With a turn of the mans wrist, the sword was pointed towards Kierans throat.
Kieran could not dodge it.
Ugh!
Fresh blood sshed out, dyeing the wall bright red.
Chapter 208: Decapitation
Chapter 208: Decapitation
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Kierans left hand had been stabbed.
Just as the tip of the sharp de had approached his throat, he had extended his left hand to block the lethal blow.
Of course, he had not been able to block the iron sharp de with his flesh, but he had slowed down the stab.
That was enough for him, as it had created a window for him to dodge the lethal blow and counterattack the masked man.
Kieran struggled hard to move his body and palm.
Ultimately, the de pierced through his left palm and chafed his neck a little,nding a couple of inches deep inside the wall behind him.
The masked man panicked. He had never thought Kieran would use such a sacrificial way to avoid his attack.
The masked man instinctively wanted to move his de to the side. Even though he had missed on his first try, Kierans neck was still just beside the de. A small sh would achieve his goal easily.
The man did not care about Kierans left palm. The cut was big, spreading from the dorsal interossei between Kierans ring finger and middle finger up to the middle of his left palm.
Even if it could heal, it would still be disabled. The masked man was certain of it.
Of course, his goal was to take Kierans life, not just cripple him.
A bloodthirsty smile formed on his face beneath the mask, but it quickly froze in ce.
Just as the masked man was about to slide his de towards Kierans neck, Kierans left foot, which had been saving strength, jumped up like a rocket and kicked the mans wrist.
Its exploding speed was too fast for the man to react. He had not been ready to dodge the kick, so his wrist was hit hard.
The immense power of Kierans kick produced a clear bone-cracking noise.
The mans wrist was broken, and he released the de, staggering back a few steps.
Kierans next kick followed like a shadow.
His left palm was torn apart, but he did not care anymore.
Clenching his teeth, he endured the pain. All he could see was his target, the masked man.
Kieran followed up with a series of kicks.
Two of his kicks hit the masked mans right leg hard. Kieran wanted to take advantage of his higher agility.
When the masked mans knee made a clear noise, the mans body staggered down. Kierans fourth kick was already there.
He was using his Musou Level [Hand-to-Hand Combat, Musou Combat Kicks] as a base for his attack, plus the [Barsical Kick]s special effect [Bide] along with the explosive power of [de Kick].
A half-moon qi wave was fired out from Kierans right foot. It was like a de with a cold glint, tearing the space before Kieran apart. [de Kick] whipped up a dazzling metal htion and swept past the masked mans neck before he could even react.
Blood gushed out from his neck like a fountain as the masked man was decapitated, his head falling to the ground.
The mask covering his face was broken, revealing a young face.
The mans arrogance and pride had been reced by shock and astonishment.
Until hisst breath, he still could not believe what had happened to him.
An orange item slowly appeared on his headless body.
The long sword that had been nailed on the wall also emitted a faint green glow.
A Rare and a Magical item.
A quick nce told Kieran his rewards rarity, yet he did not have the strength to check them yet.
Using [de Kick] had drained most of his remaining energy and made him pant heavily.
Other than his physical exhaustion, he was also mentally tired.
The fight had happened really fast, and it had taken the most out of his body.
Considering the wounds he had already been suffering from, the fact that he could still stand up was a disy of indomitable willpower in itself.
[Cutting: Target inflicts 50 Damage to your HP, Targeted limbs, Your palm has been crippled...]
[Kicking: Inflicts 35 Damage to Target HP, Targeted limbs, Targets wrist has been fractured...]
[Kicking: Inflicts 40 Damage to Target HP...]
[Kicking: Inflicts 45 Damage to Target HP, Targeted limbs, Targets knee has been fractured...]
[de Kick: Lethal Attack, Inflicts 500 Damage to Target HP (250 Hand-to-Hand Combat, Musou Combat Kicks) X2, Target dies...]
...
Battle log notifications popped up one after the other in Kierans vision.
"Were [Barsical Kick] and [de Kick] calcted automatically? Were both skills categorized under [Hand-to-Hand Combat]?" Kieran guessed when he saw thest notification.
It was the only exnation for the huge damage hisst attack had inflicted.
[Hand-to-Hand Combat, Musou Combat Kicks] alone was not capable of achieving that number, not even at his current Musou Level.
"500 Damage to HP... Musou Level [Hand-to-Hand Combat, Musou Combat Kicks] raised my Strength and Agility by 3. After the fourth attack triggered [Bide] from [Barsical Kick], my kicks gained another boost of Strength and Agility. This means that my previous Strength and Agility reached A- and B+ respectively! [de Kick]s attack and sharpness were above average, and only the half-moon qi wave could cause such a huge damage!"
Kieran was silently admiring the huge damage he had inflicted.
Only he knew what he had been through to achieve such high-damagebo attacks.
It was not just a simplebination of various skills, but countless simtions and nning ahead of his enemies.
In fact, the moment Kieran had seen the scene inside the Church Hall, he had known that his speed would be no match for the masked man, so he had started nning how to counter his attacks.
Kieran had been calcting in his mind how he would beat the man if he had to face him.
The answer was his speed. Kierans only chance was to beat the masked mans speed.
After everything had been nned, Kieran only needed to think about how to put his n into action. It was a difficult obstacle that he had to ovee without his equipment. It would have been easier if he had been fully equipped.
The [Spectres Grip]s [Shadow Chain] and the [Primus Arm]s [Primus Scale] would have easily achieved such a feat.
The former had bindings, and thetter had a tremendous defensive power, which would have allowed him to trade his wounds for his life.
However, Special Dungeon restrictions had removed all those options from the equation.
Kieran had to change his way of approaching his enemies. After all, all he could muster up was the [Deceivers Key], the [Rebel Leather Armor], and a dagger.
None of those items could help him beat the masked mans speed.
That was when hede up with the idea of using his own body to slow down the mans sword.
It was a risky thought, and it had scared him for a while.
After more thought and delicate nning though, Kieran had realized that it could work.
Using his body as a lure, he could beat the masked mans speed and pack a punch by using the element of surprise.
With the element of surprise in the mix, his chances of victory had gone up even more.
He needed to choose carefully which part of his body he would sacrifice though.
That body part had to not be a burden on his current wounds or affect his future mobility or fighting strength.
He would use his palm. His left palm, to be exact!
After excluding all his weak spots, Kieran had decided to sacrifice his left palm.
He was right-handed after all, so his right hand was faster and stronger than his left hand.
Kieran had chosen to use [Hand-to-Hand Combat, Musou Combat Kicks], so his legs did not just represent his mobility, but also his fighting strength.
The [Rebel Leather Armor] might be able to act as a minor defense, but once the sword stabbed his body, his wounds would only increase.
All that was left was his left hand.
He had started to n how to beat the masked man with his left palm, but he was caught off guard when he had to use his n so soon in the dungeon.
"Thank god I came prepared!"
He knew very well that if he had not nned ahead, he could not have taken down the masked man easily.
After drawing a deep breath, his Stamina recovered.
Kieran turned his attention to his teammate, and a crucial factor in winning that battle, Hanses.
Hanses, who was still gagged, looked dispirited. He was tied down on a chair, looking at Kieran with his eyes open wide and his face full of admiration and shock.
He was overwhelmed by what he had just witnessed, but when he sensed Kierans gaze on him, he pulled himself together.
He started struggling even harder.
Kieran used his intact hand to remove the gag from Hanses mouth. Hanses released a long breath before he started talking nonstop.
"Ughh! I almost died of suffocation! If you had note in time, I think this dungeon would have ended prematurely! I have to say, that kick was really beautiful! Giving you [de Kick] was the right choice!"
Hanses looked like he had turned into Lawless for a moment there.
"Im really d youre still this energetic, considering youre lethally wounded!"
Kieran quickly untied Hanses and headed towards the wall the sword was nailed on.
He pulled out the sword.
It felt very light. Definitely not iron. More like a wooden material.
[Name: Sharp Stinger]
[Type: Long Sword]
[Rarity: Magical]
[Attack: Common]
[Attributes: 1. Armor Pration lvl 1; 2. Nimbleness Lvl 1]
[Effects: None]
[Prerequisites: None]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: It was a favorite amongst swordsmen, but it ended up being poprized by an assassin.]
...
After a quick nce over the [Sharp Stinger]s details, Kieran turned to the orange item that had popped up on the masked man.
The Rare Equipment.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Anyone thought of King of Fightersbo?
heres a little early Christmas present for you best readers out there.
See the weekly-ranking-energy-stone-whatever-it-is thingy? If it could reach top 30 by next week, 17th December, Ill do a 5 chaps upload, or maybe even more. Well start at next monday 11th, December since we are half in this week, just so to be fair. :)
Top 30! Guys!
Chapter 209: Crow’s Black Feather
Chapter 209: Crows ck Feather
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The orange glow dissipated soon, revealing a soft hoodless mantle covered in ck feathers.
[Name: Crows ck Feather]
[Type: Armor]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Defense: Common]
[Attributes: Crow-Like Agility, Feather-Like Nimbleness]
[Effects: None]
[Prerequisites: None]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: This mantle was sewn with a crows feathers. It is light andcks any resistance, but Alchemy has granted it unusual power.]
...
[Crow-Like Agility: When activated, wearer is granted Agility +1 for 3 seconds, 2 times per day]
[Feather-Like Nimbleness: When Crow-Like Agility is activated, wearers weight goes down by -50%, When falling from a high ce, -80% Damage]
.......
"It increases Agility and reduces body weight?"
Kierans eyes shined as he realized those two attributesplemented each other.
He finally understood how the masked man had managed to be so fast.
Kieran quickly wrapped the equipment around his [Rebel Leather Armor].
He already had ns for the [Sharp Stinger] as well.
"Argh!" Hanses suddenly shouted, diverting Kierans attention from the items.
"What? Do you know him?" Kieran instinctively asked Hanses, who was looking at the masked man in shock.
"Of course! If I told you his name, youd know him too!" Hanses said with a loudugh.
After he had gotten rid of his bindings, he had not stayed still. He had gone straight up to the masked assassin to have a look at him.
There was an unspoken rule among yers, so he had not asked Kieran what he had acquired.
After taking a clear look at the masked mans face, he had shouted uncontrobly, as if his heart had been turned upside down by a tsunami.
Kieran had a hunch about who the man was when he saw Hansesugh bitterly.
"Its not LeGrand, the Grand Dukes second son, is it?" Kieran asked.
"How did you know?" Hanses was surprised.
"This is LeGrands courtyard, and you just started shouting out of the blue. It wasnt that hard to guess really. Its just that..." Kieran suddenly frowned and paused.
"Just what?" Hanses pressed on.
"I had not expected LeGrand to be the person behind the massacre in the Church Hall..."
Kieran helped Hanses walk outside as he briefed him on the incident.
"Impossible! LeGrand was interrogating me about the Legacy! He never left my sight!" Hanses pointed out.
"Never? Then who was the masked man I saw?" Kieran suddenly stopped walking.
He believed Hanses. He knew he would not lie to him.
The two of them had signed a team contract. They were on the same side. There was no need for lies.
"Maybe the masked man was not alone. Maybe there was an organization behind him. LeGrand could have been one of them. What kind of organization could it be though?"
Kieran recalled the fighting style and attacking methods of the killer inside the Church Hall and the Grand Dukes second son. His brow furrowed hard.
He realized the matter was moreplicated than he had imagined.
The fact alone that this organization could attract the Grand Dukes second son enough to join its ranks proved that it was not somemon rebel group.
Now Kieran and co. were on the opposite side of that organization.
"Damn it!" Kieran cursed silently, instinctively hastening his steps.
He wanted to leave that ce before they could get into more trouble.
Kieran had no intention of facing any problems at the moment. If anything happened, he would rather it urred after he had healed.
With that in mind, he started walking even faster.
Although Hanses stats had dropped a lot because of his injuries, he still surpassedmon natives, so he followed Kieran with ease.
When they reached the exit of the building, which was nearly demolished, Kieran signaled for Hanses to wait for him andy low before dashing out into the battlefield.
He came back a whileter with a [Rebel Leather Armor].
"Here! Put this on!" he said.
Hanses understood what Kieran wanted. Without a seconds dy, he put on the [Rebel Leather Armor]. It was a valuable, reliable defense, considering his HP had almost hit rock bottom.
"Follow me!" Kieran said under his breath. He approached one of the dark corners and slowly headed outside. Hanses followed him tightly.
Hanses light steps showed that he too had a quite high [Undercover] ability.
Kieran was relieved. After searching so hard for the man, he would not want to carry out his dead body.
Kieran and Hanses slipped carefully between the fighting defending troops and rebels.
Hanses was inspecting the rebels carefully on the way. The more he looked at them, the harder Kieran frowned.
In the end, he sighed helplessly.
Hanses was not familiar with the rebels either. Kieran had been hoping that Hanses would be able to provide more information on them, but obviously, even though they were in the same universe as his previous dungeon, Hanses had not encountered them before.
"Where did the rebelse from?"
The same question popped up in Kierans mind again.
He was still puzzled by the fact that so many rebels had appeared in the castle.
Their numbers made it seem like they had marched right through the gates without any resistance.
There was also the masked mans organization.
Those two questions were like two big ropes tied into a death knot around Kierans heart.
Kierans furrowed brows eased a little when he saw Lawless appear.
His appearance did not answer his questions, but at least he had showed up with three war horses.
Considering their injuries and the fact that they needed to leave Morko Principality toplete their Main Mission, the horses would be a crucial element in their escape.
"Well done!" Hanses gave Lawless a thumbs-up.
"You should give 2567 some credit too!" Lawless said with a smile.
Then he passed the [Linen Bandage] and [Hemostasis Balm] back to Kieran. He had already noticed the big cut on his left palm.
Kieran returned the favor by tossing Lawless the [Sharp Stinger].
"Here! Its just for this dungeon though!"
Kieran had already decided it as soon as hed seen the long sword.
Compared to his corresponding skill, Lawless could use the long sword better and provide the team with a better chance of escaping.
Lawless took the [Sharp Stinger] without a word.
Then he looked at Kieran, who was getting on one of the horses, asking with his eyes whether he needed help.
Kieran shook his head. He did not know how to ride a horse, but he knew how to tie his horse to the saddle of the horse in front of him, so his horse could still follow Lawless.
"How well do you guys know each other? A couple of meetings and you can already talk with your eyes? Come on, help the outsider here! Thank you!" Hanses said, mustering up the strength to climb on his horse after witnessing Kieran and Lawless speechlessmunication. He could not help but roll his eyes.
"Youre certainly very observant for someone whos heavily wounded!"
Lawless pped Hanses horse on the butt and put the bridle on it.
The three of them dashed towards the castle gates immediately.
They had instantly be the targets of both sides, and their horses stood out amongst the countless infantries around them.
Suddenly, dozens of killing res were locked on the three of them.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Anyone want teasers ?
I have a prophecy for you.
Chapter 210: Barricade
Chapter 210: Barricade
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
They felt dozens of killing res on their necks. The feeling made Kieran squint.
Seeing the defending troops in front of them rushing towards them, he pressed down on his saddle with his right hand and lifted himself up. Then he threw himself towards the rushing crowd and unleashed double kicks on them. After a half-moon kick and a series of heavy cracking sounds, at least a dozen defending troops were kicked off and fell backwards, dragging the rest down with them like bowling pins.
Within a breath, a path had been carved out before the trio.
"Come on!"
Lawless, who was riding past Kieran, extended his hand to grab Kierans right hand.
Kieran did a flip in mid-air andnded on the saddle again safely.
Lawless rushed the horses with a big shout, and the horses sprinted even faster.
"Arrows! Let them loose!" the defending troops attracted by the smallmotion shouted loudly at the archers.
Arrows poured down like heavy rain.
Lawless did not have the slightest intention of slowing down though. He wielded the long sword in his hand, blocking the iing arrows as much as he could. Arrows were cut down left and right amid his frenzied wielding, the sword shing around as shadows formed an alternative barrier, blocking the trio from the arrows.
Most of the arrows were blocked off.
He had an advanced skill!
Kierans quick nce told him that Lawless was using a skill that surpassedmon skills.
Its level could not be that high though, otherwise he would have blocked off every single arrow, not just most of them.
He had still lightened Kieran and Hanses burden though.
A couple of arrows that slid past were easily blocked by the duo.
Kieran had grabbed a long spear on the way and Hanses was using a standard-issue sword Lawless had given him earlier.
Unlike Lawless, Kieran and Hanses relied on their sight and judgement to block off the arrows. Although it was not as effective, it was enough under the circumstances.
The three horses sprinted through the rain of arrows.
Kieran even jumped off his horse to clear some obstacles a couple of times.
It didnt matter if it was defending troops or rebels. Kieran kicked every single one of them off.
Lawless took full advantage of the sword in his hand and formed the best shield hey could muster up, leading the three of them to the castle gate after a bumpy ride.
The castle gate was shut tight though, and there were dozens of defending archers on top of it, ready to rain down more arrows on them. The trio shared the same frowning expression.
The castle was in chaos, yet there were still soldiers that held their positions, despite everything.
There were only two possible exnations.
One, defending the castle was a cowardly excuse to avoid fighting the rebels.
Two, those men never panicked or lost their head in a chaotic situation.
Kieran leaned towards thetter after seeing the archers calm, steady faces.
This was no reason for them to give up on escaping from the castle though.
"Cover me! Ill go open the gate!" Kieran shouted before jumping off his horse once again and sprinting towards the castle gate.
As soon as Kieran started running, Lawless jumped up on his horse and started blocking all the arrows targeting Kieran, making a safe path for him towards the castle gate.
The gate was formed by two major structures.
One of them was a traditional gate mechanism formed by two pieces, each piece three meters wide and almost as tall as four grown men.
It would require the strength of at least three grown men to push it open.
Despite his injuries though, Kieran could still open it.
He opened one of the gates easily.
Meanwhile, Hanses dragged the horses over and hid in the hole below the gate.
After opening one side of the gate, Kieran realized the next obstacle they needed to ovee. There was a hanging bridge.
The bridge was controlled by a millstone-sized metal capstan. A metal handle as long as a grown mans arm was jammed in the middle of the capstan, locking the bridge firmly into ce.
Kieran walked over to the capstan quickly.
If he wanted to roll up the hanging bridge, it would cost him a lot of time and energy, but pulling it down was a simple task.
All he needed to do was pull the rough metal handle down.
Just as Kieran was a few steps away from the capstan and the metal handle though, a familiar ear-piercing whistling sound was heard.
Kieran quickly rolled to the side.
A refined metal arrownded at the spot he had just upied, forming a tiny crater on the ground.
Half the arrow was plunged deep inside the ground, but its tail was still trembling.
The Bestowed Squad!
Kieran took a nce at the arrow before turning around to look.
Captain Jorque was rushing towards him, the magic bow in his hand already reloaded with another arrow and the string pulled into a full moon.
The arrowed was fired like aet, heading straight for Kieran.
Kieran clenched his spear in his right hand, his eyes locked on the iing arrow, trying to predict its trajectory.
The arrow was not just fast. It also had a quiver to it. As it gained more speed,yers of shadows formed around it, turning it from one arrow into three.
The illusion made Kieran confused and unable to guess its trajectory.
He had no idea who it was aiming at. Him? Hanses? Lawless?
"Careful!" he shouted at his teammates in warning as he rolled to the side again and hid behind his horse.
Suddenly, the arrow that had been flying towards them disappeared.
As soon as it came into contact with the war horse, it disappeared like soap bubble.
It just burst into thin air.
"An illusion? Sh*t!" Kieran was struck by panic as he realized the trick behind it.
The captain had had no intention of attacking. He had just used an illusion to dy their movement and prevent them from releasing the hanging bridge.
Kieran raised his head and saw that Captain Jorque was already before him. The mockery on his face was very clear.
"Release the bridge!" Kieran yelled at Hanses before stepping forward to face Jorque.
Someone had to stall Jorque while someone else released the bridge.
Although Kierans left hand was almost crippled, and his weapon was a long spear that he was not familiar with, he was still a better candidate to face the captainpared to Hanses, whose life was hanging from a thread and whose stats had dropped significantly.
Kieran swept his spear across, producing a strong wind as he looked fiercely into Jorques eyes. His move was full of ws, fueling Jorques mockery even more.
Jorque knew that Kieran was not a spear user. He was a little faster and stronger than most people, but there was no technique in his moves at all.
He was just a boorish criminal.
Jorque felt relieved as he evaluated Kierans strength.
The earlier battle with the armored rhino had exhausted most of his strength and energy. If it hadnt been for the Grand Dukes orders, he would not have left his subordinates to stall the rhino and went after the thieves himself.
He realized his decision had been the right one though. Jorque was highly respected because of his technique, and he was used to dealing with boorish fellows.
He bent his waist to the side like a snake, avoiding Kierans sweep.
Not only did he dodge the attack, but as Kieran was resting after it, he threw the magical bow in his hand like a rope, forming a tangle with the bows body and string and catching Kierans spear with it.
Jorque clenched his palm and used its strength to pull himself towards Kieran, using the body of the bow. The string followed his movement, shing towards Kierans spear-wielding hand.
Before the string could touch his hand, Kieran could already feel a burning sensation on his skin.
Jorque used the tensile string, turning it into a cutting line as sharp as a de.
If it came into contact with his flesh, Kierans right hand would end up like his left one.
Kieran dropped his spear without hesitation and took a step back.
Jorques mockery was almost palpable as he watched Kieran drop his weapon.
From his point of view, Kierans crippled left hand and the other injuries he had suffered made him a very easy target.
He was not even worth mentioning.
Jorque wanted to end it quickly, as Hanses was already close to the metal handle.
He took a step forward and turned the bow around Kierans neck skillfully. He was holding his strength back, so the move was not powerful enough to kill Kieran. It would be enough to knock him out though.
Jorque took out an arrow with his right hand, his gaze locked on his next target, Hanses palm, which was about to touch the metal handle.
"You shall not seed!" Jorque dered, just as he always did.
The magic bow slid past Kierans hair a little though. Jorque was so stunned by the sudden loss of weight that he missed his target.
Jorque looked at Kieran in surprise.
He could notprehend how Kieran, a boorish criminal without the slightest technique, could dodge his skillful attack.
Even more surprises followed.
Kieran was ready for his attack. Half-squatting down, he touched the ground with his right hand, bent his waist, and stood on his hands.
He aimed his kicks at Jorques chin and face, suddenly straightening up like a spring and driving hard towards his target.
Bang!
His thunderous power and lightning speed sent Jorque flying with a precise kick.
Meanwhile, the capstan made a screech. Hanses was putting all his effort into pulling down the metal handle.
When the handle was moved from its original position, the capstan started spinning swiftly.
The heavy chains rattled against each other, producing a loud noise.
Suddenly, there was a loud boom, and the hanging bridge was lowered down, making the ground in the area tremble.
Their escape path had been carved out with blood and sweat, but there was a human figure standing at the end of the hanging bridge.
The mans white mask was glinting under the moonlight like cold, hard ice.
It was the masked man!
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Anyone can guess who the mask man is?
Chapter 211: Accident
Chapter 211: ident
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
It was the masked man!
Hanses could not help but draw in a cold breath when he saw the menacing figure.
He instinctively wanted to warn Kieran and Lawless, but before he could open his mouth, the masked man had already crossed the bridge and dashed past him.
The man headed straight towards Kieran and Jorque, who were fighting, without leaving the slightest sense of presence behind him.
He was like a cool night breeze that no one noticed.
Hanses was slightly stunned. The feeling that he got from the masked man reminded him of another person. It was impossible though.
He quickly collected his thoughts. He hadnt forgotten what he had to do.
"Careful!" he shouted loudly at his teammates.
...
Jorque, who was floating in mid-air, felt a tremendous pain above his chin. He suddenly felt dizzy. As he was sent flying, he still did not understand how Kieran had hit him so easily.
A second attack followed tightly, Kieran hunting his prey like a jaguar.
His kicks caught up with Jorque quickly. They were so fast that even their shadow became a blur. The next kick struck Jorque hard on the waist.
His body suddenly switched direction in mid-air after the second kick.
Kieran would not have minded following up with a third one, but when he heard Hanses shout, he changed his mind.
He had originally intended to kick Jorques left leg, but he hit his back instead.
He kicked him from below, aiming straight up.
His face was facing down, and his chest was parallel to the ground, his eyes focused on the reason Hanses was shouting.
The masked man!
Kieran was not sure whether he had been the one who had caused the massacre in the Church Hall, but one thing was clear. He needed to be cautious around that man.
Kieran forcefully retracted his left leg before it could hit Jorque.
A ring sword sh proved that he had made the right choice.
If he had not retracted his leg, the sword might have crippled himpletely.
The rebounding force made Kieran wobble. His chest had originally been facing the ground, but hed had to turn his back towards the ground instead.
From the looks of it, he was about to m hard against the floor.
Suddenly, the masked mans sword chimed lightly. It was driven straight towards Kierans head, but a half-moon shaped force crashed the mans sword first.
After forcefully retracting his left leg, Kieran did not stop there. He diverted his strength and turned it into a roundhouse kick.
His backflip kick triggered the qi wave of the [de Kick], crashing the masked mans sword.
The wave collided with the de hard and dispersed shortly after the crash, but the de was prevented from advancing any further.
With a great deal of his stamina gone, Kieran could not afford to rest.
He quickly rolled away, putting some distance between himself and the masked man.
Then he rolled straight towards the castle gate, stood up and panted hard.
The masked mans gaze followed him, filled with surprise.
Even though the mans eyes were hidden by ck gem sses, everyone present had sensed his shock.
"Not bad!" a rough voice said from under the mask, admiring Kierans abilities.
The man turned his attention away from Kieran and looked at Jorque.
"Captain Jorque, head of the Bestowed, one of the strongest forces Grand Duke Morko relies on," the masked man said in his altered voice.
"Who are you?"
Although Jorque was still suffering from the dizziness caused by Kierans kicks, he had noticed the sense of dangering from the masked man. He had the intuition of a war veteran, and it always served him right.
"Who am I? I am the man who will kill you!"
The masked manughed in an sinister tone. His altered voice was sharp and irritating, covering his original voicepletely.
"Kill me?" Jorque replied with a coldugh himself.
As the captain of the Bestowed, he was very confident of his abilities and strength.
Jorque did not think that the masked man could kill him, even though the sense of danger around him was overflowing.
This was Jorques turf after all. He had a lot of assistance within the castle.
Although part of his squad was still dealing with the rebellion and the armored rhino, some of his men were still in reserve, on the lookout for such a situation.
A red tube was pulled in the air, firing a red re and dying the dark sky bright red for a moment.
After a while, Gradon arrived with a couple of squads of fully armed soldiers.
He saw Kieran and co, but the masked man in the middle was more eye-catching than the three thieves.
"Gradon, the Grand Dukes best knight, the Western Commander of the principality! If I could kill you too, that would be even better!" the masked man said lightly in his rough altered voice. He did not seem nervous about being outnumbered and cornered. His tone sounded casual and rxed.
"Whats going on? The masked man did not even prevent Jorque from releasing the re. It seems like he does not care how many troops surround him!"
Kierans mind suddenly filled with questions about the masked man as he stood in front of the castle gate.
The man was very strong.
Kieran could not deny it. The fact that it had only taken a casual wield of his sword to beat his [de Kick], even after the [Bide] power-up, was proof enough.
However, that did not mean that he was so ridiculously strong that he could ignore his enemies number.
There were at least sixty to seventy defending troops before him, including the Bestowed Captain, and there were many good fighters among them.
Kieran did not believe that if everyone attacked him at the same time, the masked man would be able to handle it.
"He has something up his sleeve! What is it though?"
A loud, sonorous howl came out of the mans mouth.
Kieran quickly scanned his surroundings with a frown.
He was hoping to see what the masked mans backup n was, but what he saw instead was Hanses strange expression.
Kieran wanted to ask what was wrong, but a sudden tremble shook the ground and the huge figure rushing towards them broke him out of his thoughts.
The rhino! The scaled armored rhino!
Kieran finally understood why the masked man was so calm, even though he was obviously outnumbered. The rhino was charging towards them like a speeding tank.
With the help of the rhinos brute force, the man did not need to worry about the men before him.
The armored rhino had initially been brought to the castle by the rebels, but had fallen under the masked mansmand.
Were the masked man and the rebels rted? Were they on the same side?
A theory suddenly bloomed in Kierans mind before he frowned even harder.
The Church Hall massacre!
Chapter 212: The Hanging Bridge
Chapter 212: The Hanging Bridge
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The Church Hall massacre!
All the bodies had been rebels.
Kieran had seen it with his own eyes.
"If they were on the same side, why would he or his organization want to massacre all those rebels in the Church Hall?"
New doubts filled Kierans mind.
Hanses expression turned even uglier when he saw the armored rhino charging with the rebels beside it.
He raised his hand and signaled at Kieran.
"Lets go!" Hanses barely moved his lips, not making any sound.
What happened? What had he seen?
Kieran noticed Hanses unusual manner.
In fact, Hanses actions hand been weird ever since the masked man had appeared.
Still, Kieran fully agreed with his suggestion to leave.
The defending troops and the main rebellion forces were about to engage in a serious battle, and it was not something the three of them, with their injuries and iplete equipment, could participate in.
Even the slightest misstep could cost them their lives. Lawless was still on top of the castle gate though.
He had not stopped fighting the dozens of elite guards.
"Ill go get him! You cross the bridge first!"
Kieran pointed above his head, signalling at Hanses.
Hanses nodded quickly.
His lethal wounds and significantly lower stats made him unfit for any hand-to-handbat.
He understood that himself, and he knew what he should be doing instead.
Hanses quickly pulled the war horses through the castle gate and onto the hanging bridge.
Meanwhile, Kieran made his way to the top of the castle gate.
The masked man, Gradon and his forces saw the whole thing, but none of them tried to stop him.
No one wanted to make the extra effort.
The fierce battle had already drained most of their concentration and energy.
They could not spare any time or energy on those petty thieves.
The only exception were the elite guards on top of the castle gate. There were seven guards left, to be precise.
The others had all been brought down by Lawless. Some of them had died, while others were moaning in pain.
The long sword in Lawless hand was shing, whipping up shadows from his fast wielding.
Lawless engulfed the remaining elite guards in his frenzy, skillfully wielding his sword and injuring his enemies. Each time the de shed past a guard, a deep cut was left on his body.
The counterattacks from the remaining seven guards were all blocked easily by him.
It was as if Lawless had three heads and six arms. No matter from which side the guards attacked him, his de was there to block them.
"What kind of skill is this?"
Kieran could tell that the skill Lawless was using was the same one that had blocked all the arrows earlier.
Despite his defensive stance though, his sword skill was more suitable for attacking.
Kieran was certain that the remaining guards would not havested long if Lawless had enough time.
Time was of the essence though.
Kieran signaled at Lawless before joining the fight.
The remaining guards noticed Kieran as soon as he appeared on the castle gate, but Lawless was still fighting back, so the slightest distraction could cause another deep cut to form on their bodies. The guards could spare no extra attention for Kieran.
This was his chance.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Kieran raised his leg and started kicking immediately. It was as simple as kicking a ball without a goalkeeper.
In two seconds time, the remaining guards had all fallen down.
One of the guards even dropped a green piece of equipment.
Kieran quickly stepped aside when he saw the item.
Even though he had joined the fight, Lawless had done all the heavy lifting.
He would have managed even if Kieran had not interfered.
Saying that time had been running out as an excuse was not enough for Kieran to get the loot.
His principles would not allow him to do that.
"A surprise drop! Ill share the rewards with you after I sell it!"
Lawless picked up the Magical Equipment and showed Kieran the details generously.
[Name: Piercing Spear]
[Type: Polearm]
[Rarity: Magical]
[Attack: Common]
[Attributes: Armor Pration Lvl 1]
[Effects: None]
[Prerequisites: None]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: This used to be amon long spear, but it was enhanced using alchemy to give it a better piercing power.]
...
[Armor Pration: Able to pierce through light armor (Defense: Weak, Common)]
...
Just like Kieran held on to his own principles, so did Lawless. He was never stingy when it came to sharing things with his friends. Especially good things.
"Lets go!" Kieran did not respond to Lawless generosity. He just turned around and jumped from the castle gate before sprinting towards the hanging bridge.
Hanses had already crossed the bridge and was waiting quietly, his eyes locked on the castle gate.
When he saw Kieran and Lawless sprinting down the bridge, he finally let out a sigh of relief.
However, he was struck by anxiety again the next moment.
"Careful!" he shouted loudly in warning.
Truth be told, Kieran and Lawless would have noticed that something was off even without his warning.
The hanging bridge was trembling hard. When the two of them turned their heads around to take a look, their faces turned pale instantly. They started running even faster towards the other end of the bridge.
The armored rhino was now under Captain Jorques control and was charging through the castle gate!
The heavy scale armor the rhino had on and its thick rough skin made it invincible against normal attacks, but that did not mean that it had no weaknesses.
Its eyes had beenpromised.
No matter how powerful its body was, its eyes were still its weakest spot.
Despite the small cover over them, Jorque had sessfully fired two arrows directly into them, half an arrow plunging deep into the beasts eye socket.
The excruciating pain that had struck the rhino had made it ignore the masked mans orders and dash madly towards the gate.
Considering its elerating force, Kieran was sure that the formidable castle gate would not be able to stop it.
After the rhino broke through the gate, it would charge forward towards the hanging bridge, and Kieran and Lawless would be caught in its path.
Kieran was not sure whether the bridge could withstand the substantial weight of the rhino, but even if it could, the two of them would still be at disadvantage.
They would have to race the rhino. Kierans scalp felt numb when he thought about the tremendous force the rhino possessed. It would be like amon man facing a truck.
They would definitely be crushed to bits.
Their other problem were the countless small fishes with sharp teeth swimming around anxiously inside the water under the bridge.
Piranhas!
Before they had entered the dungeon, Hanses had purposely mentioned the scary moat outside the castle.
Thousands of piranhas were swimming in those waters. All they needed was one second to turn a grown man into bones.
"Sh*t!" Kieran cursed out loud.
This was revenge. Kieran knew what the actions of the Bestowed Captain meant.
His eyes instantly found Jorque, who was looking back at him.
When the two of them locked gazes, Jorque smiled with a pleased expression and raised his right index finger, sliding it across his neck.
Then he turned his attention away from Kieran and went back to join the fight against the rebels.
Jorque was certain that Kieran was dead meat.
The heavy crash sted the castle apart like a paper torn to pieces. The gate did not even stall the beast one bit.
The rhino dashed up the hanging bridge, charging towards Kieran and Lawless.
As the distance between them became smaller, Kieran suddenly stopped running and turned around.
He dashed towards the rhino out of the blue.
Lawless and Hanses looked as if theyd been struck by lightning.
"2567! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" they both shouted at Kieran simultaneously.
Chapter 213: Charging Out
Chapter 213: Charging Out
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
What was Kieran nning?
The hanging bridge waspletely straight, its width just enough to fit the charging rhino.
On its left and right side was the castle moat filled with piranhas.
From the look of things, there was no escape route other than the other side of the bridge.
However, there was actually a second option.
The sky!
Kieran was certain that, considering his and Lawless physique, if they leapt up in the air, there would be enough time for the rhino to pass by them before theynded back down on the bridge.
It was a sudden thought that urred to him while he was sprinting for his life.
It sounded usible, but Kieran did not inform Lawless right away, as he still had one more factor to consider.
The Bestowed Captain, Jorque.
Most people would not miss the chance to watch someone who had embarrassed them die, but if Jorque watched their daring escape instead, what would he do?
The answer was obvious.
He would do his best to prevent that from happening!
Actually, all hed need to do was fire an arrow.
If Kieran was in mid-air, without anything to rely on, he would not be able to avoid an arrow.
The reason he did not inform Lawless was because he wanted to test it out for himself first.
He would have the confidence to avoid Jorques arrow if he was alone.
The armored rhino produced a wild wind as it charged forward.
When the rhino was about thirteen meters away from Kieran, the wind was already blowing hard against him. Kieran instantly felt a tremendous force, although it had not reached [Fear] level yet.
This was good news for Kieran, who opened his eyes wide, trying to calcte the exact distance between them.
When the rhino was less than five meters away from him, Kieran jumped up high.
Just as he leapt up, an air-breaking arrow was fired towards him.
The refined metal arrow tore through the wind at lightning speed as it moved in his direction.
Jorque, who was supposed to be fighting the rebels, lowered his bow and grinned coldly, as if everything was under control.
In fact, it was. By using the armored rhino to get revenge, Jorque had predicted all possible scenarios, including Kierans only escape n.
He wanted to make sure that his n was wless.
He wanted to witness the hope on Kierans face turn into despair. That was the only way he would get back at Kieran for kicking him.
"Die! Anyone who shames me wi- What?"
As Jorque was talking and smiling coldly, his eyes suddenly widened.
He watched Kieran jump up in the air and his arrow move out of orbit at an incredible speed.
Jorques eyesight allowed him to see Kierantch onto the armored rhinos horn with something and let the rhino drag him away at full speed. He could not see clearly what that something was because of the distance.
"Damn it!"
Jorque wanted to fire another arrow, but a long sword was shed quickly over his throat without a warning.
Blood sshed everywhere as Jorque covered his throat and fell to the ground. During hisst moments, he saw a mask covered with his blood.
"Did you ever think there would be a day when you would seek revenge even for the slightest grievance?" the masked man said under his breath.
That was not the altered voice he had been using up until that point. That was his real voice beneath that mask.
Even though Jorque pressed down on his throat hard, he was still unable to stop the blood from gushing out.
As the fire of life started fading from his eyes. he heard the masked mans voice. Coming back to his senses and using hisst bit of energy, he opened his mouth.
"Ss... S..."
He wanted to say something, but his slit throat prevented him from doing so.
The masked man roared withughter. His voice turned back into that sharp irritating voice, but it could not hide his delight.
His loud, wildughtersted for two or three seconds before it faded away.
The masked man muttered to himself for a while as he watched Kieran ride the armored rhino.
Then he turned away and towards his next target, Gradon. A much bigger targetpared to Jorque.
...
Kieran was standing firmly on the moving rhino. Although its skin was full of bumps and its scales were slippery, the rhinos back was unusually wide, providing Kieran with enough space to stand.
"Jump!" Kieran shouted at Lawless.
He had already watched Captain Jorque get killed and witnessed the strange moves and silent sword skills of the masked man as hed killed him.
The whole incident had sent an eerie chill down his spine.
Kieran had tried to ce himself in Jorques shoes. Even with his full concentration, he would not have been able to avoid such a silent strike without any warning.
The masked man had approached Jorque with strange movements, his body casting confusing shadows.
If Kieran did not know that the man was human, he might have mistaken him for a formless soul.
He was truly fearsome!
Kieran had one thing to thank the masked man for though. He had killed his biggest obstacle, Captain Jorque, indirectly nullifying the possibility of him getting killed by the armored rhino if Jorque had seeded.
Lawless jumped down andnded on the armored rhinos back.
After witnessing what Kieran had done, he had quickly understood what he wanted to achieve and obeyed when hed heard him shouting at him.
Hanses was not stupid either. He had already pulled the three horses away from the charging rhinos path.
Within a second, the armored rhino had charged over the remaining distance of the hanging bridge.
When it reached the opposite side, they saw a wide field.
Kieran felt relieved. He had been afraid that the rhino might turn around abruptly and rush into the moat.
If that had been the case, Kieran would have lost one of his rewards from the dungeon.
Yes, Kieran had been nning on killing the armored rhino ever since he hadid eyes on the beast. He just hadnt been able to do so because of the situation at the time.
There were no such restrictions now though. Captain Jorque had even assisted him in carrying out that crucial part of his n.
Kieran looked at the arrow that was stuck inside the rhinos eyes. Then hey down and moved towards it carefully.
"2567! What are you doing?" Lawless asked.
When he saw Kieran grab the arrow on the beasts eye with his right hand, he instantly understood his intention.
Kieran channeled all his power into his palm and pushed the arrow deep inside the rhinos eye socket, followed by the other side.
The raging beast was struggling from the pain and shaking even harder, but Kieran managed to hold on.
[Piercing: Lethal Attack, Inflicts 300 Damage to Target HP, Target has Tensile Armor, 200 True Damage inflicted to Target, Target dies...]
As the battle notification popped up, the armored rhino let out an agonizing cry and walked for ten more meters before finally stopping.
Its heart stopped as well. There were no more signs of life on the rhino after its final cry.
Suddenly, a glowing orange piece of equipment appeared next to the rhinos body.
Kierans eyes glowed as bright as the loot.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Guess what the rhino drop?
Chapter 214: Inquiries
Chapter 214: Inquiries
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
That orange glow signified Rare Equipment.
Another piece of Rare Equipment would be added to Kierans arsenal.
Even though they had been swarmed by danger from the beginning of the dungeon, the loot had been worth it.
Kieran knew why the dungeon had been full of danger right from the start though.
One of the reasons was because his and Hanses dungeon entry numbers had been too far apart.
Even though Kierans Main Mission had been set at a three-time difficulty, when Kieran had signed the contract before entering the Special Dungeon, it had been decided that his mission would intertwine with Lawless and Hanses Main Mission and some other rted incidents that would branch out from it.
As veterans, Lawless and Hanses also knew the reason behind this, but that did not stop them from making their attitude clear.
Lawless stepped aside, signifying that he had no intention of asking for a share of the loot.
Hanses seemed a little jealous, but after a minor hesitation, he did the same.
If Lawless, who had participated in the battle with the rhino, had decided to step aside, Hanses, who had just been a spectator, couldnt do anything else.
"Thanks!" Kieran expressed his gratitude towards Lawless.
ording to an unspoken rule among yers, Kieran had killed the armored rhino alone, so the loot had to be his alone. Fortune always struck a chord in peoples hearts though, even when they were bound by contract, so it may still have caused despicable thoughts to form in their minds.
Lawless had chosen to be honest and open-minded though, thus sparing them from such trouble.
Hanses could not do anything about it either, and Kieran had Lawless to thank for that.
"You deserve it, 2567! Come on, we should leave now. When the battle back there ends, we wont be able to outrun them!" Lawless reminded them, pointing at the battle back at the castle.
Kieran nodded right away and picked up his equipment.
It was a dark brown coarse belt about four fingers wide. It looked nd, but it had a firm, steadfast feeling to it.
[Name: Wild Soul]
[Type: Armor]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Defense: Strong]
[Attributes: Reckless Rush. Wild Rage]
[Effects: None]
[Prerequisites: None]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: This is a belt that contains a wild, untameable soul!]
...
[Reckless Rush: When activated, the wearer will charge forward for 5 seconds, until that time is up or they crash into an obstacle. (The obstacles defense must be Strong or higher, otherwise the wearer will crash right through. The rush is unstoppable after its activated. When crashing into obstacles with a Strong or higher defense, the wearer will suffer Damage simr to a Strong Attack), once per day]
[Wild Rage: When HP is below 30%, Heavily Wounded Status, +1 Reckless Rush Charging Power (The obstacles defense must be Powerful or higher to stop the wearer. When its higher than Powerful, the wearer will suffer Damage simr to a Powerful Attack)]
...
Kieran frowned a little as he read the [Wild Soul]s description.
It had to be powerful to have two attached skills.
It was still a double-edged sword though. If used properly, it would cause great damage to his enemies, but a slight misstep could end up hurting Kieran instead.
He had no right to be picky, considering that he desperately needed equipment, but even if he had been fully equipped, he would still not have let go of a Rare belt like that.
He did not have any protective armor for his waist after all.
After he tied the belt around his waist, he got on his horse. Lawless and Hanses had been waiting for him for a while.
A strong whipter, the horses started sprinting.
The three war horses were like arrows let loose, sprinting fast towards the destination they had decided on before entering the dungeon.
The Forest of Pilgrimage! A huge forest located a hundred yards away from the Grand Dukes castle.
Most of the lumberjacks and pelt makers of the castle were from that forest.
The Grand Duke would always go hunting in the forest during the summer, so the two towns near the Forest of Pilgrimage were very prosperous.
Another important point was that if they went through the Forest of Pilgrimage, they would leave Morko Principality.
The three of them rode from midnight till sunrise. They kept making stops on their horses, but only stoppedpletely when Lawless saw that the horses were tired and needed to rest.
The morning dew soaked Lawless and Hanses shirts. It was exceptionally ufortable, as they were wearing the leather armor, but neither of them wanted to start a bonfire.
Although Kieran had the [Crows ck Feather] on, it was bad for him too. He still agreed not to start a bonfire though.
A bonfire in the wild would surely attract attention.
Although the castle troops and the rebels were far away, that did not mean that the trio was safe.
The town citizens had quite a number of guards patrolling each and every vige.
Although the town guards might not possess high fighting abilities, if they started a fight with them, they would leave an endless trail of trouble.
It was better for them to avoid fights at all costs and stay under the radar of the town guards.
To do that, they needed to stay out of sight of any potential paths the patrolling guards might take. If they were spotted by them, the weapons on their horses would surely raise questions.
With Hanses leading the way, the trio avoided the main path and took smaller ones. They were still extremely careful though.
When they reached a small hill covered by trees, they were finally able to take a longer rest.
"I miss Rachels food and wine!" Lawless sighed after they changed their bandages and reapplied balm.
He was chewing on the hard as brick ration Kieran had taken from the castle kitchen.
"Please stop it! The rations are already hard enough to swallow. If you mention Rachels cooking, Ill feel worse than I do now!" Hanses said in an upset tone as he rolled his eyes.
Suddenly, the two of them realized that Kieran was chewing on his ration at a ridiculous speed.
If they did not know that they shared the same ration, they would have thought that Kieran was eating some kind of delicious food.
"Maybe were eating it the wrong way?"
After witnessing Kieran swallow down the ration like a typhoon, Lawless and Hanses started having doubts. They both followed Kierans example and began munching on their rations faster and harder.
It was still as hard as a brick and it hurt their teeth. Every swallow felt like they were swallowing debris, and their throat felt as if it was being torn apart.
"Youre messing with us, aint ya, 2567?" Hanses yelled at Kieran.
Lawless was also looking at him helplessly.
"No, it tastes okay!" Kieran said, holding another piece in his hand.
[Name: Ration]
[Type: Food]
[Rarity: Common]
[Attributes: None]
[Effects: None]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: This is a ration made from grains, praised for its ability to be preserved for a long time. Of course dont expect any taste from it!]
.....
Kieran saw the systemsments on the ration he was eating and felt that it was not urate.
Other than the fact that it was a little hard to swallow, he thought that the taste was not that bad.
His tongue had been through hard training thanks to his daily fast food meals, so his tastebuds had been modified to amodate even the worst kind of food.
Anything that he could swallow he considered good.
Of course, Lawless and Hanses knew nothing about what Kieran had been through.
The two of them looked at each other awkwardly as Kieran picked up another piece of ration and munched on it with a poker face.
In the end, Lawless and Hanses had no choice but to eat as much as they could.
Even though the [Ration] had no attributes, both of them knew that [Hunger] would cause their stats to drop to a new low.
Neither of them could afford such a debuff, so no matter how hard it was for them to swallow, they forced it down. Whenever they couldnt, they drank water with it.
There was a sufficient water supply at the horse saddles.
When Kieran stopped eating, so did Lawless and Hanses.
"So youre familiar with the masked man on the bridge? Are you hiding something?" Kieran asked Hanses the question that had been troubling him ever since they had left the bridge.
He looked at Hanses with shining eyes, trying to catch every small change in his expression.
Lawless turned his eyes towards Hanses with a frown.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Someone is not being honest...
Dont forget we have a mini mini tiny petty small event going on.
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Chapter 215: Reasons
Chapter 215: Reasons
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Hanses looked at Kieran and Lawless as a bitter smile formed on his face.
"Remember the man who caught me during my previous escape?" he asked.
"Stagner, the Grand Dukes sword master? The teacher of all three of the Grand Dukes sons? Youre saying he is the masked man?"
As Kieran recalled the man Hanses was talking about, he frowned. Hanses had said a lot more than that.
Stagner was the best swordsman in Morko Principality and the strongest fighter under the Grand Dukes dictatorship.
Hanses nodded, the bitter smile on his face getting even bigger.
"Yeah, I think he is the masked man. The feeling I got when he passed by me... It felt the same as I remembered!"
"When I entered the Grand Dukes vault, the whole thing was too easy. It felt like it had been pre-arranged. The news about the treasure had also reached my ears identally... Now it all seems like it was a trap though. They had nned this ahead of time. They had been preparing for this uprising! I swear on the contract that everything I said was true!"
Hanses drew in a deep breath. He seemed to want to suppress his anger, but he could not calm down. He just couldnt ept that he had fallen into a natives trap.
Lawless patted Hanses on the shoulder in an effort tofort him.
Meanwhile, he looked at Kieran.
Kierans frown had not eased up after Hanses exnation. Quite the opposite, he was frowning even harder as he connected more things in his mind.
"So those rebels that entered the castle were led by Stagner with the excuse of capturing you? Even if this is true, he could not have brought in that many troops. There must have been someone on the inside!"
"LeGrand! Dont forget the second son! He was also wearing the same mask as Stagner! Plus, Reedrall was killed by his own guard! I have a new theory now that Ive put everything together!"
"The second son must have been jealous of his older brother. The eldest son was going to inherit the throne, so LeGrand caused an uprising and took this chance to eliminate his otherpetitor, his younger brother!" Kieran said slowly, taking a deep breath.
"Impossible! Even if the second son sessfully rebelled against his brother, considering the meritorious deeds of the eldest son and the fact that he was the peoples favorite, LeGrand would never have gotten the Grand Dukes throne! This might even have backfired on him!"
Hanses shook his head in disagreement.
"Then lets change perspective. What if the second son suppressed the uprising and found the Legacy? Dont forget the Church Hall massacre! I still do not understand why the masked man would kill his own men, but if he wanted to use that incident to im that he had suppressed the rebels, then the massacre would make sense! All theyd need is an appropriate number of rebels, not an army with a big advantage!"
Kieran smiled as he looked at Hanses.
Hanses face turned pale instantly.
"If thats the case..."
Hanses did not finish his sentence. The conclusion was obvious.
"But we killed the second son..." Lawless sighed.
"Theyll hunt us down relentlessly now!"
Kieran sighed as well.
What would he have done if his big ns had been ruined by a couple of thieves?
He would have hunted the culprit down till the end of the world.
Kierans scalp went numb as he recalled Stagners abilities.
"We need to recover as soon as possible and get into prime fighting form!" Lawless said.
Kieran and Hanses did not object.
"Im more worried about how many men hell bring to chase us down."
Once Kieran recalled the scene inside the Church Hall, he realized that his enemies were no noble knights that upheld chivalry rules.
They would not fight them one-on-one if they could beat them by using the advantage of their manpower.
"No matter how many there are, we are still a couple of days ahead. The rebellion in the castle will cost them a lot of time. Unless they find LeGrands body and put everything aside to pursue us!" Lawless said, raising his head towards Kieran and Hanses.
The two of them were looking worried.
"Rx! Its just a theory!" Lawless said with augh, trying to lighten the mood.
A terrible feeling rose in Kierans heart.
He was anxious as they rested. Every time hed had a bad feeling in the past, it hade true.
Nothing happened until they started moving again though.
Kieran breathed out in relief.
Suddenly, he noticed that his Sub Mission [Sudden Arrival] had been marked aspleted.
[Sudden Arrival (Completed)]
[Rebels Killed: 17 (Good)]
...
A Good rating only meant an average result. Not too shabby, but not too great either.
Truth be told, the number of enemies Kieran had killed should have been double, but unfortunately the castle defending troops had not been included.
"The Forest of Pilgrimage is dangerous, and our current equipment and items arent enough! Well at least need more food. Tastier food! The towns near the forest will have everything we need!" Hanses said, leading the pack with his horse.
"Agreed!" Lawless nodded right away.
"Noment!" Kieran shrugged.
He had no reason to deny more food, but what troubled him more than food was the Main Mission itself.
"My Main Mission is [Escape Morko Principality], Lawless is [Escape Morko Principalitys Pursuit], and Hanses is [Escape Morko Principalitys Pursuit in 2 weeks]! Our Main Missions are different because of our dungeon entry numbers, and Hanses is the initiator and the main culprit, thats why his mission is the hardest! When the three of us escaped together though, our seemingly different Main Missions became the same! Only Hanses Main Mission has a time limit..."
Kieran quietly thought about that problem as he sat on his saddle.
The time limit had to serve a purpose.
"What does it mean? Could it...?"
Kieran suddenly came up with a theory. Before he could share his thoughts with Lawless and Hanses though, a series of horse gallops were heard from behind them.
Judging by the sound of the galloping, there had to be at least a hundred men.
In barely a few seconds, Kieran could make out the pursuing horses with his exceptional eyesight.
It was the castle troops!
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Finally the Hurricanes!
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Chapter 216: Face Off
Chapter 216: Face Off
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Lawless saw the pursuing castle troops right after Kieran.
"F*cking hell! I really sh*t myself every time!" he cursed as he pped his own face.
The trio quickly leapt onto their horses and continued on their journey.
If the castle troops on their tail had been fewer, Kieran might have decided to face them head-on.
However, a hundred riders were a huge threat. If theyd fired arrows at him, he would have had to cut and run, and so would have the others.
Besides, Kieran had noticed that the riders were holding crossbows, not normal longbows.
Compared to longbows, which required two hands to use, crossbows were more convenient, powerful and precise, even more so for riders.
Kierans sharp eyesight had also noticed something else. The castle riders had a different kind of armor on than the troops Kieran had seen in the castle.
The crest on their armor was the same, but that was the only simrity. Their gauntlets were all different, and some parts of them were bulging up. They gave out a gloomy reflection, even under the morning sunlight.
"What are those?" Kieran turned his head around and carefully inspected the riders.
He doubted that they would have added a useless piece of armor.
Armor was crucial, as it protected the wearer from potential lethal attacks.
No matter how stupid one was, everyone feared death.
Kieran looked down at the riders horses. Every horse was almost one size bigger than the horse Kieran was riding. The horses limbs were also longer and firmer, which made them better at sprinting.
After a minor chase, the castle riders were already closing up on Kieran and his friends.
Their horses were exhausted from the sudden chase, but the castle riders horses were still as energetic as ever.
The troops armor was different thanmon soldiers, and their horses were stronger and better at running fast for long distances.
"Its one of the Grand Dukes armed forces, the Hurricane Knights!" Kieran recognized the riders after some thought.
If the Hurricane Riders were on their tail, then Kierans theory about Hanses Main Mission had been right.
"The time limit in Hanses mission represents the Grand Dukes victory! During a peaceful time, the Grand Duke could have spared to send the Hurricane Knights after us. When the uprising urred at the castle though, it must have taken some time for the news to reach the Grand Dukes ears. How can they be this fast?"
As soon as one of his doubts was cleared, a new one appeared, making Kieran frown again.
He was certain that the Hurricane Knights had been ordered to pursue them by the Grand Duke, as the Grand Duke himself was theirmander.
The Hurricane Knights would only take orders directly from him, especially considering that almost half of them had been dispatched to chase Kieran and co.
Based on the number distribution of the three biggest forces under the Grand Dukesmand, the Barrier Infantry had the most soldiers. There were almost a thousand men in it.
The second biggest force were the Hurricane Knights, who were almost two hundred fierceful riders. The smallest force was the Bestowed Squad, which had little more than a dozen men.
Still, this did not exin why the Hurricane Knights hade after them.
"Maybe the Grand Duke knew there would be an uprising at the castle! Thats impossible though! If he had known beforehand, he would not have let his second and youngest son die! ording to Hanses, the Grand Duke was very fond of his youngest son!"
His new theory was suppressed quickly.
With the Hurricane Knights closing in on them, time was running out for Kieran.
He turned around and told Lawless and Hanses about their pursuers.
"The Hurricane Knights? Why are they here?"
Lawless and Hanses were both in shock. Hanses even paled in astonishment.
"I dont know. I have my doubts, but one thing is for sure. Given our current riding speed, we wont be able to outrun them!" Kieran said.
"We need to find a way to stall them then! Ill do it! 2567, you and Hanses go on! Remember, go straight to the Forest of Pilgrimage! Finish the Main Mission, dont wait for me!" Lawless said in a resolute tone.
"Count me in!" Kieran said at the same time. Then he pulled the whip on Lawless saddle down and hung it over Hanses.
"Hanses, Ill leave my horse to you. At least you wont have to worry about speed if you ride two horses! Dont give me that face! You are the one who started this! You will attract the Hurricane Knights attention, so you need to run faster! Im going back to finish my Sub Mission!"
Kieran showed his mission tab to Hanses, who looked agitated.
[Sub Mission Unlocked: Pursuers!]
[Pursuers: The Hurricane Knights were supposed to be on the frontline, but they suddenly appeared and started to chase you. You have two options. Either keep running, or turn around and fight! No matter your choice though, you need to remember that your objective is to escape from the Hurricane Knights pursuit!]
[Hint: Killing the Hurricane Knights will increase your final ratings].
The Sub Mission had confirmed the troops identity.
Kieran understood that this Sub Mission had been unlocked because of his Main Mission [Escape Morko Principality]. Lawless and Hanses missions already included the pursuit, so that Sub Mission had not appeared before them.
Kieran was d to join a more difficult mission with a low dungeon entry number. He felt delighted over the potential rewards.
At the same time, the Sub Mission hint had also had an impact on him.
[Hint: Killing the Hurricane Knights will increase your final ratings].
As soon as he saw the potential benefits, Kieran automatically wanted to proceed with his original ideal and fully explore the Sub Missions and Title Missions beforepleting the Main Mission.
That was the reason he agreed with Lawless when he suggested stalling the Knights.
"B... But..."
"We are mercenaries! We took your money and signed a contract to fully protect you until you finish your mission! Now its time for us to do our duty! Dont worry! Neither me nor 2567 will sacrifice our lives to buy you time! Your time is limited, so run faster!" Lawless cut off Hanses.
Then he extended his hand to Kieran, and Kieran jumped up on his horse.
The two of them turned around and headed towards the pursuers, while Hanses kept sprinting forward with the two horses.
"When we get back, the beers on me! Come back safely!" Hanses voice was heard from afar.
"Im sure it will be a bad one..." Lawless sighed.
"Ready?" Lawless gripped the [Sharp Stinger] tight and handed Kieran the [Piercing Spear].
"Here, take this. Its better than nothing!" he said.
Kieran took it without being courteous. Although he had no corresponding skills, he could spin it around with enough strength to inflict some damage.
"Two of us against a hundred! The thought alone is exciting enough!"
Lawless drew in a deep breath, adjusting his stance.
"If I had brought grenades, I would have been even more excited!" Kieran said, rolling his eyes.
If he had entered the Special Dungeon fully equipped, the situation before them would have been nothing. He would even have had enough confidence to turn around the uprising in the castle.
That was just a thought though. The difficulty of the Special Dungeon was the equipment restriction, and every danger branched out from there.
The same applied to the current situation with the Hurricane Knights. If hed had three or even two grenades, Kieran could have easily turned the situation around.
"Dont rely too much on firearms. Some dungeon restrictions are even harsher than you think. If you go in unprepared, you will mess up bad!" Lawless gave Kieran a word of advice.
"What are you saying?" Kieran asked in shock.
Lawless did not reply though.
The shooting arrows required his full attention.
The Hurricane Knights had started firing arrows without mercy.
Thick clouds of arrows poured down on them like rain, but they did not harm Kieran, Lawless, or the horse one bit.
Lawless wielded the [Sharp Stinger] fast, whipping up shadows one after the other, the de shing as the shadows formed a barrier within a breath.
Every arrow was blocked as Lawless controlled the horse and sprinted out towards the Knights. He was blocking arrows and closing the distance between the two parties at the same time.
From high above, he must have looked like a gold crashing into a thick cloud of dark arrows and breaking every single one in his path.
Although this was not the first time Kieran had witnessed Lawless advanced skill, each time he was in awe of him.
"Lawless skillbines defense and offense in one, especially when he beats many targets with minimal wielding. It must be an at least Rare Rank skill, or even a Legendary one! Lawless has always presented himself as a firearm specialist, but he must have at least a Rare Rank sword skill, and considering his advice just now... When dungeon entries increase, firearm limitations must increase as well!"
Kierans heart was swarmed with questions, yet that was not enough to affect his fighting abilities.
He gripped the long spear tightly, his eyes locked on the Hurricane Knights that were within range.
The arrows had lessened down. After a round of reloading, the Hurricane Knights had lost optimal firing range and it was hard for them to fire a second round while Lawless was closing in on them.
In other words, it was time for Lawless and Kieran to counterattack.
Kieran quickly stood up from his spot and jumped up.
"Up!" Lawless boosted Kierans jump by pushing him hard with his left palm.
Kierans exceptional speed reached a higher level with Lawless support.
Kieran hurled himself towards the Hurricane Knights at lightning speed, the spear in his hands sweeping them away and spinning around like a tornado.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Lawless the jinx, dont bring him to your family trip!
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Chapter 217: Crash
Chapter 217: Crash
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Bang!
The front row of Hurricane Knights were struck hard by Kierans spear and flew off like a baseball towards the left, crashing into four other riders.
Those four riders fell down and tripped on some of the other soldiers behind them.
Kieran quickly performed another sweep to the right, and the riders on the right were smashed off their horses as well.
Just like the ones who had just fallen, they also tripped on other soldiers.
Within an instant, the Hurricane Knights frontal formation was in chaos.
Lawless joined the fight after a minor dy.
His sword stance immediately changed, the de sh that formed a barrier instantly spreading like a peacocks tail, firing out everywhere.
The de shes produced a whistling sound simr to the arrows the Hurricane Knights fired.
Compared to the arrows though, Lawless de sh was more cunning. It seemed to attack at the gaps and seams of the Hurricane Knights armor.
About seven Hurricane Knights were struck on their throats and fell off their horses.
Within a few seconds, Kieran and Lawless had taken out over a dozen soldiers.
In an infantry of 100 riders though, that was only 1/10 of the total number.
90% of the troops were still unharmed, and after the duos sudden attack, the rest of the soldiers were ready to fight back.
They pulled back their horses and rode some distance away from the duo.
Then they reloaded their crossbows and counterattacked.
Arrows poured down like rain again, forcing Kieran back to Lawless side to avoid them.
Unlike earlier though, this time around the arrows didnt stop. It seemed like they were endless.
"Theyre firing in turns!"
Kieran saw the Hurricane Knights take turns firing their crossbows.
It was not surprising for a normal infantry to use such a tactic during a battle, but it was quite a surpriseing from riders.
Considering they were one with their horses, it was quite impossible for a hundred men to achieve such a technique.
"Its the gauntlet and the grieves!"
Kieran unconsciously looked at the bulging spots on the riders armor.
The unusual spots exuded a gloomy glint.
"Is this the Hurricane Knights secret?" Kieran spected.
Among the three major forces of the Grand Duke, the Bestowed had the smaller number of members, but the Hurricane Knights were the most secretive.
The Grand Duke himself was theirmander, and every single one of them were third-generation citizens under the Grand Dukes rule.
Hanses had done some research on the Hurricane Knights during his previous dungeon out of curiosity, but he had discovered nothing in the end. He had almost gotten in trouble for it as well.
If it hadnt been for his identity as a Barrier infantry soldier, he might not have escaped.
"Its not really overkill if theyre trying to protect such a secret!"
Kieran knew very well what two hundred men on their horses could be capable of, both mentally and physically, on the battlefield.
It was a crucial element in winning a war.
It was also great news for the Grand Duke, but not so much for Kieran and Lawless.
Kieran knew he had toe up with another n when he saw Lawless fail to close the distance between them and the Hurricane Knights.
Although Lawless had no problem defending them against those arrows for the time being, as time went on, his stamina would diminish, and the situation would turn around in the Hurricanes favor.
Kieran gave up on the idea of them running out of arrows when he saw that each of the soldiers had two full quivers.
"How long can you hold on?" he asked Lawless.
"Two minutes, tops!" Lawless answered.
"See that jungle over there? Lets go inside and spread out! Well divert their attention and increase our chances of escaping! We have to finish our own Main Mission if possible!" Kieran said after considering it for a bit.
"Okay!" Lawless said without the slightest disagreement.
ording to the contract they had signed before entering the Special Dungeon, their escort mission had ended when Hanses had escaped.
Although twenty Hurricane Knights had gone chasing after him, Kieran and Lawless had already stalled them enough, so Hanses had crossed quite a distance.
He also had two horses with him. Unless he had run into trouble, he would definitely have reached the Forest of Pilgrimage before the Hurricane Knights pursuing him.
Once Hanses entered the forest, the soldiers number advantage would diminish.
Just like Kieran and Lawless choices.
Lawless believed that Hanses would not get caught, despite his injuries. He was quite a formidable yer after all.
Lawless whipped his horse and turned around, heading towards the jungle.
The Hurricane Knights quickly realized their n when they saw them.
Some of them stayed behind and fired arrows, and some rushed towards the jungle, intercepting Kieran and Lawless before they could escape.
The knights that reached the entrance of the jungle jumped down from their horses and pulled their shields andnces from their saddles.
Within a breaths time, the Knights shields formed a phnx barrier, theirnces sticking out between the gaps like a iron hedgehog, producing a cold, intimidating reflection under the morning sun.
Some of the pursuing Knights behind Kieran and Lawless stopped firing arrows.
They pulled out ropes from their saddles instead and formed a giant, preventing Kieran and Lawless from retreating.
The whole process only took a few seconds. While they were forming the, the remaining Hurricane Knights kept firing arrows at Kieran and Lawless.
Kieran and Lawless had no alternative n.
Through their actions, the Hurricane Knights had showed them why they were one of the Grand Dukes major forces.
After a quick turnaround, Kieran and Lawless had been forced into a difficult position. All possible routes had been cut off.
There was an ironnce phnx barrier in front and a giant behind them.
Neither Kieran nor Lawless looked panicked though.
Truth be told, after witnessing the exceptional speed of the Hurricane Knights during the chase, they had both anticipated such an oue. However, they had still taken the risk and headed towards the jungle, because they had confidence that they could break through the front phnx barrier or the back.
"I..."
Just as Lawless was about to say something, Kieran had already jumped off his horse and dashed forward.
"Cover my back! Ill carve out an escape route for us!"
He gripped the [Piercing Spear] tight as he charged towards thence barrier up ahead. The [Wild Soul] belt shone as he ran.
A giant rhinoceros mirage formed behind him. It was blurry and ghastly, but it was extremely powerful.
Suddenly, the most primitive, wild force in the realm of nature formed around Kieran.
He had no time to savor the primitive energy though. It was already pushing him forward fiercely.
The giant rhino mirage roared fiercely up in the sky.
Suddenly, there was a tremendous quake as the rhino started taking steps.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Booyah!
Vote People, few more days to the end!
We can make it! Closing date is Sunday 17th December, 11.59 pm.
Bonus Chapters of 5 will be released on the next day but probably at ater time than usual but it will be 5 chapters on monday if we can maintain top 30 until thest minute !
Anyone familiar with SMS game?
Want to fight some bosses and win cool rewards?
(Rare bonus chapters or Legendary permanent release included)
Chapter 218: Prevention
Chapter 218: Prevention
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The moment the [Piercing Spear] stabbed into thence shield, the wooden shields coated with iron broke into pieces.
Boom!
The shields burst open as if there had been a grenade explosion.
The debris from the shields flew inwards because of the tremendous force of the [Piercing Spear].
The Knights behind the shields were sted off instantly, blood sshing out as cries of agony were heard.
Their seemingly indestructible shield formation had crumbled within an instant.
Kierans wild rush did not stop there though. The giant rhino mirage covered his body and trampled over the Knights, crushing their bodies and limbs into bits.
The beastly mirage trampled through its enemies, leaving a bloody trail behind it as it charged directly into the jungle.
After knocking down four big trees, Kieran stopped. The effect duration had ended.
The giant rhino mirage roared again and dissipated as fast as it had appeared.
"Come on!" Kieran turned around and shouted at Lawless.
Meanwhile, he was running deep into the woods.
Lawless followed tightly behind him in a sprint.
When both of them were in the woods, they exchanged a gaze and went in different directions, heading towards the Forest of Pilgrimage, just like they had nned.
By the time the Hurricane Knights reached the jungle, their figures had already disappeared from sight.
"Halt!"
A squad leader raised his hand and stopped his troops from entering the jungle. He turned around and saw the bodies and the heavily wounded men. He looked infuriated, yet he did not lose his temper, despite his rage.
He knew very well that once his troops entered the jungle, they would lose their manpower advantage and eventually turn intombs waiting to be ughtered.
The countless trees were obstacles for their crossbows and decreased their horses nimbleness.
He needed to use his backup n.
A signal re flew up into the morning sky. The red re was very eye-catching as it exploded under the bright sun.
A couple of falcons rose up high in the wind right after.
...
A signal re?
Kieran turned around for a second when he saw the re.
He nced over the light red sky above the jungle and saw a couple of falcons fly up.
"The Hurricane Knights have even more reinforcements? They are already one of the Grand Dukes three major forces! Who else would they call?"
A terrible feeling rose in Kierans heart again.
Suddenly, apleted mission notification popped up and a new Sub Mission followed it.
[Pursuers! (Completed)]
[Eliminated: 21 Hurricane Knights, Rating: Great]
...
Thepleted Sub Mission [Pursuers] had gotten a Great rating, which had exceeded Kierans expectations.
The battle log notifications that appeared in his vision gave him a clear idea of how powerful the [Reckless Rush] was.
[Reckless Rush, Piercing: Target Defense Level is below Powerful, 500 Damage inflicted to Target HP, Target has Multiple Armor Defense, [Piercing Spear]s Armor Pration Level is higher than Targets armor, 500 True Damage inflicted to Target HP, Crushing Effect activated...]
[Crushing, Sputtering: Inflicts 400 Damage to Target HP, Target has Multiple Armor Defense, 350 True Damage inflicted, Target dies...]
[Crushing, Sputtering: Inflicts 400 Damage to Target HP, Target has Multiple Armor Defense, 350 True Damage inflicted, Target dies...]
[Piercing Spear: Durability damaged, Rarity decreased]
...
Notifications about killing the Hurricane Knights kept popping up.
No doubt, the [Reckless Rush] was a lethal skill against enemies without a Powerful defense, even more so whenbined with the right weapon.
The decreased rarity of the [Piercing Spear] had been unexpected though.
The spears rarity had been Magical, and its rank had not decreased, but a "Damaged" tag had been added to it.
Kieran was slowly adapting to the game mechanics, but he was clear on what had happened to the weapon.
Most weapons were categorized as Common, Damaged, Destroyed, or Trash.
A newly-forged weapon or a well-kept one could also be Superior or Minted though.
Magical and Rare equipment fell under the same category.
If a weapon was well-maintained or newly-forged, its rarity would be Magical or Rare, but if it was damaged, a Damaged, Destroyed, or Trash tag would appear.
If a Trash tag appeared, the weapon would be literally useless.
"When a weapon isbined with the [Reckless Rush], the damage it inflicts increases, but does this also cause damage to the weapon itself?" Kieran spected.
As always, he frowned over the unfamiliar issue puzzling him.
The Magical Rank [Piercing Spear] had originally been a better than Common equipment, but after using the [Reckless Rush] once, its rarity had gone down. If it had been a Common weapon to begin with, it might have turned directly into Trash after the [Reckless Rush].
Even if Kieran had known though, he still would not have let that opportunity slip away.
Using a strong skill such as the [Reckless Rush] could enhance a weapons power. Even though it might have some side effects, he would still take that chance.
If his life was at risk, he would not care about one or two pieces of equipment, although this did not include Rare or more valuable equipment.
After a quick nce at the [Piercing Spear], Kieran counted the amount he had so he could reimburse Lawless afterwards, and then turned his attention to the new Sub Mission.
[Sub Mission Unlocked: Prevention]
[Prevention: After escaping from the Hurricane Knights pursuit, you have been targeted by their reinforcements for killing theirrades without restraint. You need to escape the new pursuers grasp or kill them, thus showing your strength to the entire Morko Principality.]
...
"Well, well..."
The new Sub Mission confirmed Kierans bad feeling.
"You have been targeted by their reinforcements for killing theirrades without restraint."
That was enough to prove that the person the Hurricane Knights had asked for reinforcements was much more powerful than them.
It had to be a single person, and not some squad or brigade, as the Hurricane Knights were already one of the Grand Dukes major forces.
Other than the Bestowed Squad, there had to be no equal forces in the Grand Dukes ranks.
If the Bestowed were still intact, Kieran would have thought that theyd be the reinforcements. However, Captain Jorque had been killed during the castle uprising, and the other members of the squad had also put their lives on the line.
The Bestowed Squad was out of the question, and Kieran had no idea what other infantry could be considered reinforcements by the Hurricane Knights.
Only one person was left.
Coincidentally, the only person that was stronger than the Hurricane Knights was somewhere around that area.
Stagner! The Grand Dukes sword master and the teacher of all three of his sons.
He was known as the strongest swordsman and general in Morko Principality.
Still, Kieran prefered to address him as the masked man, the mastermind behind the uprising of the Grand Dukes second son.
"Stagner?" Kieran uttered, his mind lingering on thest part of the mission description. He had to escape from him or kill him, thus showing his strength to the entire Morko Principality.
No doubt, if he was able to kill Stagner, the whole principality would give up their pursuit of him, but from what Kieran had seen, that was impossible.
ording to Hanses, when Stagner had put on that mask to hide his identity and fighting style, he had only used less than half of his strength.
Still, this had been enough to make Kieran afraid. If he faced Stagner head-on in his prime form, then...
That was a situation Kieran would like to avoid at all costs. No matter what he nned or thought, he would not be able to escape Stagners de.
Kieran feltpletely helpless, but he was still not ready to give in.
He had been through a lot of desperate situations, but he had never given up.
He kept racking his brains for a way to get out of this.
Suddenly, he stopped walking.
"I cant go to the Forest of Pilgrimage anymore! Its too obvious that my intention is to leave the principality. Unless hes blind, Stagner will know! If he caught up with me there, it would be really game over!"
Although hiding by using his Musou Level [Undercover] was one of Kierans most effective techniques, it still did not mean that he was not afraid of being discovered.
If a big group of people were on his tail, it would be easy for him to expose himself.
Kieran was certain that Stagner would note for him alone. There would be a bunch of men with him.
All he would need to do was let his men search for Kieran and then strike.
It was all too easy for him.
Kieran stood stiffly as his brain kept spinning as fast as lightning.
As the gears turned, a risky idea popped up in his mind.
"I could go back where I came from! Stagner will definitely head towards the Forest of Pilgrimage after seeing the re, so if I return the way I came, I will brush past him! He would never guess that Id go back to the castle, and even if he did, it would only be two to three dayster! That will give me enough time to treat my injuries and find another way out of here!" Kieran muttered to himself before clenching his teeth.
Then he quickly turned around and headed back the way he hade.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
There goes the team dungeon...
Vote people! Few more days left!
Chapter 219: A Surprising Appearance
Chapter 219: A Surprising Appearance
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The distance from Morko Castle to the jungle had taken about four hours to travel, excluding resting time, when Kieran and co. had escaped.
However, when Kieran had to return to the castle, it took him a whole morning and afternoon to get there.
He was slower on foot than on a horse, and he had to carefully avoid any potential patrolling soldiers looking for him.
The soldiers would be more dangerous on the way back to the castle than when Kieran and his friends had escaped from it, and he had zero intention of bumping into any of them.
When darkness covered the sky, Kieran finally saw Morko Castle.
He looked at it from afar, and saw torches lighting up its sides. Most parts of the castle were blurry and covered in darkness though.
Whenever the torches shed by, they only revealed the hard gray color of the castle.
There was still a faint smell of blood in the air when the wind blew, as if the air was trying to tell bypassers that a fierce battle had taken ce there.
Under the dark sky, the castle looked like a beastly titan that had finished devouring endless blood and flesh and was just waiting for its next meal.
Kieran silently reached a hidden spot and halted. He was nning on resting for two hours before resuming his journey.
He had no intention of entering the castle.
Although security would have weakened tremendously after the fierce battle, the remaining guards would only be more vignt after that bloody fight. Theyd be filled with sorrow and rage.
It was not a good idea to try to infiltrate the castle under those circumstances.
Plus, the hanging bridge had been lifted again. If Kieran wanted to enter, he would have to climb the walls from the outside of the inner courtyard, starting from the bottom of the cliff.
Since he did not have the necessary skill to climb that almost vertical cliff, Kieran wisely gave up on that idea.
He leaned on a dry tree trunk in the darkness and slowed down his breathing, closing his eyes and seemingly dozing off, although he actually still had his guard up the whole time.
The most dangerous ce was also the safest ce.
Kieran could not deny that, but at the same time he also understood that the more danger there was, the more vignt he had to be.
Therefore, when his ears picked up a series of light steps approaching, he quickly turned around and hid behind the trees shadow.
His Musou Level [Undercover] allowed him to be one with the shadows.
As the steps got closer, soon a human figure appeared in Kierans line of sight.
Under the dim light of the moon, Kieran was able to make out the figures face. It was a familiar face. Kieran quickly identified the man with just a nce.
It was Gradon! Morkos Knight and the Western Area Commanding Officer.
Gradons sharp senses had made a strong impact on Kierans mind.
He unconsciously held his breath, getting ready for an ambush.
If Gradon really searched the area, Kieran had no confidence that he could avoid those sharp senses of his.
However, Gradons injured arm was covered in a cast, and bandages were hanging around his neck. It was a surprise for Kieran, even more so when Gradon walked over to the dry tree, looking around only from time to time.
Gradon stood there with his back facing Kieran. It seemed like he had no intention of searching the area.
His actions did not match the sharp, vignt impression Kieran had of him.
"What happened? Not only did Gradon leave the castle right after the uprising, but he also seems to be waiting for someone! Has he lost his mind? Who could have possibly made him do that?" Kieran asked himself silently.
Gradons unusual actions filled him with curiosity.
He silently stayed in the shadows, overseeing the situation.
After waiting for a while, another ck figure appeared on the path Gradon hade from.
The figure was moving in a suspicious way, and it was covered in a ck mantle, its face hidden under that hood.
Only the chin was exposed, but it was covered with a face mask.
The ck figure had appeared out of nowhere. If Kieran had not been focused on his surroundings, he would never have noticed it.
He only looked at it from the corners of his eyes, observing Gradon and the ck figure while staying hidden.
"Its you! Why? Why did you do it? You cant carry on with this mistake anymore! Tell me what really happened! You are not someone who would do something that reckless! Surely there must be someone forcing you to do this! Am I right?" Gradon said with an agitated expression.
His words sounded like gibberish. They escaped his mouth too fast. He had started questioning the figure the moment it had arrived.
The ck figure remained silent against Gradons questions, seemingly guilty of those usations.
Gradon seemed to sense its guilt and suddenly grabbed the ck figures arm, trying to persuade him again.
Out of nowhere, the sudden sh of a de shed Gradons neck.
Gradon held onto his neck with an incredulous expression as he fell down.
Until thest second of his life, the Knight of Morko and Western Commanding Officer had his eyes wide open.
It seemed like he had not expected the ck figure to raise his de against him.
"Im sorry, Gradon, but theres no turning back for me now!" the ck figure said in an apologetic tone, his voice echoing around the tree.
The figure bent down and shut Gradons eyes, carefully checking his body before leaving.
Kieran, who was hiding behind the trees shadow, had not budged during the scene, although his heart was raging with waves of doubts.
Judging by Gradons manner, he was sure he knew who the ck figure was, but he still thought it was impossible.
There was no reason for the man to do what hed just done.
Kieran understood why Gradon had died with so many questions.
If he, whod had so many years of loyal service, had not been able to understand, then how could Kieran, who was an outsider?
"What is really going on?" Kieran furrowed his brow hard.
However, when he heard footsteps again, he collected his thoughts and concentrated on the situation at hand.
The ck figure had returned to search the area.
"Sh*t!" Kieran shouted in his mind.
The ck figure seemed to have noticed how agitated Gradon had been and realized he had not searched the area before. He was just going back for a safety check.
Kieran was in awe of the mans vignce, but he was also saving his power, waiting for a chance to strike.
He had discovered the mans secret, so the two of them would not be able to make peace now.
Kieran might as well strike first rather than wait to get discovered and dragged into a fight.
After a quick inspection of their surroundings, the ck figure locked his eyes on the tree.
The man was approaching step by step, getting closer and closer.
Just as Kieran was calcting the best attacking range for him to strike, the figure halted abruptly when he entered his optimal attacking range.
"Did he see me?"
Kierans heart skipped a beat.
Chapter 220: The Truth?
Chapter 220: The Truth?
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
While Kieran was panicking behind the trees shadow, preparing to attack, the ck figure suddenly backed off a couple of steps and turned around, turning his back to him.
His gaze was sweeping the darkness before him.
"Come out!" the figure said.
Just as the man spoke, another ck figure revealed itself from a dark spot not far away.
"Theres someone else?" Kieran frowned while still hiding in the shadows.
Even though hed had all his attention on the ck figure before him, he had still reserved some attention for his surroundings. However, when the second ck figure appeared, Kieran realized he had not noticed him.
"It must be a high level [Undercover] skill! No, this is beyond [Undercover]! There must be something elsebined with it!"
Kieran could not help but widen his eyes when he saw the second ck figure walk over slowly, seemingly manipting the darkness around him with his powers.
Kieran, who had a Musou Level [Undercover], could easily tell that the second ck figure exceeded that level of [Undercover] and was using other skills as well.
He was more concerned about another matter though.
"When did the second ck figure arrive?" Kierans heart jumped at the question.
Before Kieran had or after?
If it was after, there might still be a chance of turning the situation around, but if he had been there before Kieran, Kieran would be forced into an ugly battle.
He was not willing to be dragged into one, as he was currently a fugitive.
If he was exposed though, he would have to face an endless pursuit.
The powerful Stagner would be one of his pursuers. The sole thought of him was enough to make Kierans palms sweaty. Anxiety filled his head and heart in an instant.
This was not enough to make Kieran lose his cool though.
Things had notpletely gone south yet. Everything was just a spection. It might not even turn out to be real.
Kieran quickly collected his useless, anxious thoughts and kept peeking at the two figures from the corners of his eyes.
The second ck figure was already standing in front of the first one, the two of them less than five meters apart.
"Are you nervous, Sir Mordred? Do you feel guilty about killing both your younger brothers, or are you repenting for the all the damned souls that died in the castle? Is it perhaps the shame of killing someone who had pledged his loyalty to you, like Gradon?"
The second figure was wearing a wide robe, covering up his physique. His eerie voice was too deep for Kieran to make out, even more so from his repeated questions. His questions sounded like the eerie cries of a midnight ghost.
They were not really questions with weight, but more of an borated mockery,bined with a sense of pleasure at other peoples misfortune.
The way the second ck figure spoke created an unsettling feeling in Kierans body.
Kieran frowned slightly.
The first ck figures identity had not surprised him at all.
Gradons reaction had been enough for him to specte about who the ck figure was.
It was Mordred, the eldest son of Grand Duke Morko, the best among the Grand Dukes heirs and the rightful sessor to the throne.
Hanses had told Kieran everything before entering the dungeon, and Kieran did not believe that Hanses would lie about such important information.
That was why Kieran did not understand why the first heir in line to the throne would have to do all those seemingly useless actions.
After all, considering his reputation within the principality, all he needed to do was wait for his father to die of old age. Mordred would ascend to the throne without any trouble.
It would not be too long either.
ording to Hanses, Grand Duke Morko was over a hundred years old. Even though he was immensely powerful, the battle wounds from his younger times were haunting him in his old age.
There had to be more than met the eye though.
Kieran paid more attention to their conversation, hoping to find out what Mordreds secret was.
"Do you know why youre always out of the loop, Ferlin? Its because of your repulsive attitude!" Mordred said slowly.
"Im just ap dog, Your Highness! I would bite whoever you ordered me to without hesitation!"
The second ck figure admitted his identity openly after being exposed.
Kierans heart skipped a couple of beats.
Ferlin? Wasnt he supposed to be dead? Didnt Stagner kill him in the Church Hall?
Could it be...?
A new thought popped up in Kierans mind.
"Yes, you are a really obedient dog, until you throw your life away! Besides, you used Gradon to lure me out by taking a direct hit from teacher. You created doubts in Gradons heart... Now my poor friend will never know it was you who lured him into the eternal abyss!"
Mordred sighed, his gaze turning cold as he looked at Ferlin.
"That strike from teacher was bad, wasnt it? How much strength is there left in you? 50? 40 percent? Or even less than that?"
Mordred gripped his sword handle tightly.
"You seem to be overestimating both Stagner and me! If I dare risk my body for this n, surely I must have enough confidence in it! Just like ten years ago, when Stagner appeared before the Grand Duke! I share the same doubts as him!" Ferlin replied in an eerie manner.
It seemed like he was not concerned about Mordreds gesture. In fact, he looked as if he had anticipated it.
"So is that why youre so confident about stealing my n this time?"
Mordred did not pull his sword out right away. He wanted to know what mistakes he had made first.
"Oh no, no, no... This is about another matter! The Titan Principalitys invasion was too sudden! Even my sources and spies had heard nothing about it! I had to put more effort in investigating things, and fortunately I discovered something else!"
Ferlin sounded delighted.
Mordred did not interrupt him. He just quietly waited for Ferlin to continue.
"That little something is..."
Ferlin was like a cat teasing a mouse before eating it. He purposely prolonged his sentence, savoring the sour expression on Mordreds face.
"You are not his Majestys own flesh and blood! Although you are his eldest son in name, you are not rted to his Majesty in any way! You are just an orphan adopted by his Majestys generosity!"
"His Majestys mercy caused you to turn on him! Youre a wolf without any empathy! I should have killed you earlier, even though I might have died under his Majestys orders! Its not toote now though!"
Ferlins words turned fierce and stern, his eerie voice coated with a cold killing intent.
Suddenly, the shadows around him formedyers andyers, turning into a thin veil of darkness circling Ferlin.
Ferlin hurled himself towards Mordred with a lethal presence.
When the shadow was mere inches from Mordred, he raised his hands up.
"I surrender!"
Chapter 221: On the Brink of Battle
Chapter 221: On the Brink of Battle
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The shadow stopped abruptly in mid air.
It was like a dark mist surrounding Mordred. There was a sense of obscure power to it.
Kieran was sure it was not negative energy though.
The coldness and corrosion of negative energy were easy to recognize.
Kieran was curious about Ferlins dark power, but he was more curious about Mordreds choice.
From Kierans point of view, he should have put up a fight and tried to survive rather than surrender and risk being decapitated.
Even though Ferlin had disyed an obscure, powerful strength, survival instinct alone was enough to turn anyone into a brave fighter.
Plus, Mordred was not some kind of coward. He was a courageous fighter.
Kieran could not believe that such a man would rather surrender than fight for his life, and neither could Ferlin, who had to forget about killing Mordred. Mordred was the Grand Dukes eldest son.
He might have done some something resentful and angered every citizen of the principality, but as long as he was still the eldest son of the Grand Duke, Ferlin would treat him with reverence.
That did not mean he would do nothing though.
The dark mist engulfed Mordred as a series of iron des could be heard cutting his flesh from the inside.
When the dark mist dissipated, Mordred was on the ground, bloody and badly mutted.
The dried tree behind him bore chop marks as well, as if an axe had cut into it.
This made Kieran, who was behind the tree, shiver. He was afraid that the tree might fall and reveal his presence.
Fortunately, the tree was much tougher than it looked, or Ferlin had no intention of chopping it down after all.
"I ept you surrender, but I think some kind of insurance is needed. Otherwise, I would not dare bring you along and wait for Stagner toe back!"
Ferlin went over to Mordred and grabbed his shoulder with one hand.
Then the two of them headed north.
Kieran stayed in the shadows for a solid ten minutes. After he made sure Ferlin was really gone, he let out a long breath.
He squinted over Gradons body. The dried tree, which was filled with cracks and cut marks, was supposed to fall, but it didnt.
From Ferlins words, Kieran knew that the scene had been left behind as a clue for Stagner.
Ferlin wanted to use Mordred as bait to lure Stagner to the north side of the principality.
The ce where Morko and Titan were connected. In other words, the frontline of the ongoing war.
That was another way for Kieran to leave Morko Principality.
Morko Principality had lots ofnd. Both on its east and west side there were mountains and cliffs. Only the north and south were tnds.
Thanks to the efforts of the Grand Dukes of previous generations though, thend had grown through territorial expansion, thus forming the geographical area now using the Morko Castle as a capital. The Forest of Pilgrimage was in the south, and the Afterglow Valley in the north.
Morko Principalitys northern region was connected to Titan territory, thus war always broke out there, even as often as twice or thrice a year.
ording to Hanses, after decades of unresolved war, Morko and Titan had be arch nemeses.
A small spark from either side could start a war.
That never-ending war produced generations of Grand Dukes good at fighting battles.
"Hes luring Stagner to the north? It seems like Ferlin wants the Grand Dukes forces. Hes using their numbers to shorten the power gap between them."
Kieran thought about it silently.
Although Ferlin had showed nothing but disdain for Morkos sword master, his actions proved otherwise. It seemed like he had met his nemesis. Otherwise, he would not have injured Mordred so badly.
Judging by Ferlins actions, Kieran believed that Mordred and Stagner had a very unusual rtionship, far moreplicated than a normal teacher-student rtionship.
"Are they close coborators? Or something else?"
While Kieran was thinking, his legs did not stop.
He was also heading north, even though the best way for him to leave the principality was by going back to the Forest of Pilgrimage and escaping from there.
However, once the thought of the potential benefits and rewards hidden in the north had entered his mind, Kieran had made his decision.
He would not let any opportunity to earn a reward slip away, as this happened only once in a blue moon.
Considering Ferlin and Stagners power level, if he ambushed them, he would get at least a couple of Rare pieces of equipment, and maybe even some Legendary ones!
Under normal circumstances, he would have been no match for Ferlin or Stagner, but things had changed now.
The two of them would inevitably fight, so all Kieran needed to focus on was finding a gap, seizing the chance, and reaping the benefits of their fight.
Of course, Kieran would also need to have a certain amount of strength and vignce.
Therefore, before he left the scene, he wiped clean all the tracks he had left.
All that was left behind was Gradons body.
...
The night had gotten darker, and the torches on the castle were flickering in the pitch ck atmosphere.
A dark cloud blocked the dim light of the moon, and a bright lightning shed across the dark sky, just like white paint being scattered on a ck canvas.
Momentster, it started raining cats and dogs.
The heavy downpoursted the whole night.
By the time it slowed down, the castle moat had overflowed, the water level surpassing the safety line.
The guards on duty were busy getting the water out from the inside.
It was not an easy task. The piranhas in the moat were no joke. The iron gloves the guards were wearing proved as much.
Plus, the sky was still drizzling, which made things even harder.
"What kind of weather is this? Lets hope the iron fences around the water valve are strong enough, otherwise we might be going fishing in the river!"
"That will be a bloody nightmare! Lets hope things dont get that far!"
"Wonder when Sir Gradon will be back? We still need to follow his orders, right?"
"No sh*t! He is the Commanding Officer of the whole Western Area. He even fought those savages in the mountains! His orders have to be right!"
A couple of guards were ranting about the situation while they were carrying out their duties.
"What orders?" a sudden stern voice interrupted the guards.
"Who the he-"
As one of the guards turned around, ready to dish out to the new person, he saw a tall strong man behind him. The guard immediately changed his tone into something more reverent, that vulgar mouth of his opening in a polite greeting.
"Good day, Sir Stagner! Before Sir Gradon went outst night, he gave us an order. He said that no one could leave or enter Morko Castle without permission! Of course, this does not include you, sir!" the guard said with a stutter, trying to tter Stagner as much as possible.
"Is that it? If thats Sir Gradons orders, you better follow them! He is the appointed defender of the castle after all, isnt he?" Stagner said in a loud, powerful voice, giving the guards a generous smile.
"Of... Of course, Sir!" The guards immediately nodded in agreement.
Stagner left shortly after they replied in unison.
However, the moment he turned away, his faced turned sour. He knew something had happened to Mordred.
"Damn it!" he cursed under his breath.
Cursing that cunning thief and the one who had threatened Mordreds safety, Stagner went off searching for the truth.
He soon reached the woods and carefully inspected the tracks and marks around them.
After a whole night of heavy rain, the downpour had washed away almost everything. Not even Stagner could do anything about that.
There was still one clue though. Gradons dead body and the cut marks on the dried tree left behind by some special power.
After a quick inspection on Gradons body, Stagner touched the marks on the tree and immediately understood what had happened.
"Ferlin! You better not harm Mordred, or Ill make you wish you were dead!"
A heavy, angry roar escaped Stagner as he stormed off towards the north in a frenzy.
The battle of the century was about to break out.
Chapter 222: True or False (Part 1)
Chapter 222: True or False (Part 1)
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The war between Morko and Titan was reaching its end. Just as historians would writeter, the invaders were eventually expelled from their homnd.
It was what everyone had been hoping for, at least everyone in Morko Principality.
Every single one of Morkos soldiers was overflowing with joy that they had won another war. Their smiles were as bright as the morning sun.
The soldiers did not care how much Titan would need to pay inpensation, or whether they would get war bonuses. All they knew that moment was that they could go home.
They had settled everything that mattered.
The outpost towers on both sides of the Afterglow Valley had been rebuilt and strengthened even more.
The wall at the end of the valley, which was blocking the entrance to Titan, was also being rebuilt.
As their biggest defense against Titan, the Afterglow Wall had provided a substantial help in fending off their enemies.
Even the farmers in Morko Principality knew this, let alone the soldiers.
The Afterglow Wall had decreased Morkos casualties by at least 30%.
Therefore, every soldier who was helping rebuild the wall was doing so with exceptional seriousness.
It was a matter of life and death after all.
Kieran, who was hiding in a cave on the left side of the valley, could not see their rebuilding efforts, but ever since he had reached the Afterglow Valley two days earlier, the things he had seen and heard had been enough for him to make educated guesses.
He was not interested in the rebuilding. All his attention was focused on Ferlin and Mordred.
"Another glorious victory! Your Majesty is always victorious!" Ferlin said loudly, standing on a giant rock.
He had already removed his hood and mask, revealing a long scrawny, shrivelled face. His hair and beard were almostpletely white.
"Being able to chant praises and sing my virtues is also one of the things a dog needs to learn, huh?" Mordred said full of mockery. His hands and legs were tied together, and he was hanging from a tree.
"Ill take that as apliment." Ferlin bowed with a smile, as if he epted hisment whole-heartedly.
Mordred let out a coldugh before going silent.
Kieran had witnessed scenes like that countless times during the past two days.
Each time, he felt scared of Ferlins ability to control his emotions. It was as if he could not get angry.
No matter how harsh or demoralizing Mordredsments were, or how ugly the words he used could be, Ferlin took everything as apliment.
Kieran unconsciously widened the distance between them after witnessing that scene.
A person who was able to control their emotions so well had to be very delicate.
Kieran did not want to expose himself and ruin everything after following Ferlin by using his [Undercover] for so long.
He was also close topleting his Main Mission, whether that was to leave Morko Principality from the north the conventional way, or kill all the reinforcements with alternate ways.
Everything wasing to an end, so Kieran had to be more careful than usual.
A series of horse gallops could be heard, followed by a team of riders, who appeared below his cave.
Kieran peeked at them from the corners of his eyes.
The leader of the group was a middle-aged man with white sideburns. He also had clear wrinkles around his mouth and eyes.
His back was straight though, and he got off his horse with clean movements that did not match a man of his age.
With every step he took, his iron greaves would produce a clear noise that made his steps sound firm and powerful.
"Your Majesty!" Ferlin jumped off the rock and bowed down in greeting.
"Well done, Sir Ferlin! Your actions will be remembered! I wish to speak with Mor alone now!" Grand Duke Morko said.
"As you wish!"
Ferlin backed off to a spot inside the cave, taking the other knights with him.
When everyone left, the Grand Dukeid his eyes on Mordred.
Mordred turned away from his fathers gaze.
"I am very disappointed in you!" the Grand Duke said slowly, speaking to Mordreds profile.
As soon as the words faded away, the Grand Duke took out his horse whip.
The whip struck hard against Mordreds chest. His skin split open instantly, the flesh of his already wounded body breaking apart.
The whip was stained with Mordreds blood. It was dripping on the ground, slowly coloring the group with red drops. This was just the beginning though.
"Do you know why Im so disappointed?"
The Grand Dukes voice sounded enraged, but he had no intention of covering it up.
The horse whip keptshing Mordreds face and body.
Mordred clenched his teeth hard, remaining silent throughout the whipping, taking it like a real man. He did not even whisper in pain.
The whipping continued for at least 10 minutes. The Grand Duke only stopped when the whip broke in half.
Mordred, who was already suffering from heavy injuries, was on the verge of death after that merciless whipping.
The Grand Duke pulled out his sword and pointed it at his dying son.
When the de and the sheath collided, the noise made Mordred raise his head, using all his remaining strength. He saw the Grand Duke looking gloomy, and noticed the sword in his hand.
Mordred suddenly smiled widely.
He was ready for death.
Ever since hed decided to carry out his n, he had already known it would happen. Even though he was scared, some things were inevitable.
"Kill me!" he muttered, using all the breath he could muster.
Just as the words escaped Mordreds mouth, the sword was flung down hard.
It suddenly shed with a cold glint.
Mordred closed his eyes tight.
There anticipated pain nor the awaited freedom did not ur.
Mordreds hands and legs were freed, and he fell straight down from the tree into strong arms.
Mordred opened his eyes and saw that he was in the Grand Dukes arms, heading away from the tree.
He frowned and looked at the Grand Duke with a puzzled expression. So did Kieran, who was watching everything.
When the Grand Duke had swung down his sword, Kieran had thought that Mordred was gone for good. He would be killed by his own father, who was infuriated by his actions.
However, the Grand Duke had freed Mordred from his bindings instead.
"Whats going on?" Kieran asked himself as he frowned.
A sudden rushed breathing was heard out of nowhere, attracting hisplete attention.
Someone was there!
Kierans heart skipped a beat.
Before he could even move, a ck figure appeared before the Grand Duke and a bright de was revealed and pointed at his throat with a sh.
Before the de could plunge forward into the Grand Dukes throat though, a dark mist appeared in between, preventing the lethal stab.
Within a breaths time, the dark mist had engulfed the de.
Ferlin emerged from the dark mist, a long thorned stinger in his hand, suppressing a wider sword beneath it.
Ferlin looked at the person before him with a cold smile.
"How dare you raise your sword against His Majesty before me, Stagner? I should cut you into pieces!"
The dark mist around Ferlin brewed even more dark energy, an endless stream of killing intent appearing. Stagner stepped before Ferlin, ignoring the life-threatening aura.
He looked right through Ferlin, directly at the Grand Duke.
"Release Mor!" he shouted.
The Grand Duke tapped Ferlins shoulder lightly after hearing the enraged shout and seeing Stagners twisted expression.
"Your Majesty?"
Ferlin looked at the Grand Duke with a puzzled expression.
"Leave it to me," the Grand Duke said.
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Ferlin nodded, quickly retracting the dark mist a little and stepping aside. His thorny sword was still pointed at Stagner though.
He needed to make sure that he could protect the Grand Duke at any moment if Stagner made a move.
With Ferlin out of the equation, the Grand Duke and Stagner looked at each other.
The Grand Duke was exceptionally calm, while Stagner looked furious.
"You think Mor is your child?" the Grand Duke said after a slight pause.
"Of course! Of course he is my child! Give him back to me!" Stagner shouted again.
Kierans eyes opened wide at the truth.
"Mordred is Stagners son? No wonder they had such a close rtionship!"
Some of his unanswered questions were cleared after that revtion. Kieran thought he understood everything now, but he was baffled again when he heard their next words.
"Stagner... Or should I call you Leor? Please hold on a moment."
The Grand Duke slowlyid down Mordred very carefully.
Then he removed the ring from his left thumb and put it on Mordreds thumb.
"This symbolizes the Grand Dukes authority and power," the Grand Duke said slowly, pointing at the ring as he looked at his eldest son.
"Do you know why Im disappointed, Mor? Its because you dont trust me! I might not be a good father, but Id never mistake my own flesh and blood! From the first time I saw you, I knew that you were Kylies son, and I..."
"STOP IT!" Stagners sudden uproar interrupted him.
"Everything you said is a lie! I am Mors real father! Kylie is my wife, not yours!"
Stagner rushed towards the Grand Duke like an angry beast.
The two-handed wield of his sword produced a strong wind, seemingly ready to destroy his opponent.
Ferlin stepped in, blocking the iing attack.
Meanwhile, outside the cave, a series of war cries were heard.
A green viper-tailed g was blowing high in the air.
It was Titans national g!
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Good news people. Im happy to announce that goal is met! Still because of my soft heart i would post 5 bonus chaps even if we didnt make it. Its the process of getting together that matters, results is only second to what u find interesting!
There will be a total of 6 chap (1 original monday and 5 bonus) tomorrow but give the system some time to post all the chaps. (Fyi, there is a 5 mins interval between auto posting so it would at at least half an hour for all 6 to be uploaded).
Last but not least, happy early christmas ! Enjoy and continue your dungeon crawl!!
Chapter 223: True or False (Part 2)
Chapter 223: True or False (Part 2)
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The troops following the Grand Duke went into battle straightaway when the Titan troops appeared.
All the soldiers from Morko Principality were well-disciplined, which was a result of their topnotch military training.
When the battle started, a squad of less than thirty men managed to hold a Titan infantry of hundreds of thousands outside the cave.
The riders had the terrain advantage though, and each of them was very strong.
While the battle outside was going on, so was the battle between Ferlin and Stagner inside the cave. That one was arguably even more fierceful.
The powerful de wave fired out with each swing was enough to break rocks and mountains.
Their shadows could barely keep up with their movements, and the destruction was silent, as sound could not keep up either.
In Kierans opinion, the two of them were equal in terms of strength.
As the seconds passed though, Ferlin slowly got the upper hand, not because of his strength, but because of what the Grand Duke was saying.
"An ident brought me and Kylie together. She was even younger than you when I first met her, and I was still just a boy..."
"Shut up! SHUT IT!"
The Grand Duke was spilling out secrets from beside his son. Even Stagners outraged shouts could not stop him.
That was why Stagner got distracted and upset, thus giving Ferlin the upper hand.
The dark mist flew towards him like silk, slightly caressing his body.
None of his armor could defend him against the ghastly mist. A simple touch from it could cause a small cut to form under his armor.
Fresh blood started spilling out, and within a couple of breaths, Stagners body had been dyed red.
"Something is not right!"
Kieran watched the fight between Ferlin and Stagner before looking at the Morko and Titan soldiers and the Grand Duke, who was still telling a story to his son. Things did not add up. Kieran frowned.
"Why would the Grand Duke choose to tell this story right now? It seems like hes trying to distract Stagner! And why would Ferlin choose such a ce, and not somece safer? He knew Stagner had an unusual rtionship with Titan. Its as if he was trying to lure the Titan soldiers here! Hold on..."
Kieran looked at the Grand Duke in astonishment.
His words were soft as he talked to Mordred, but his face was calm as water and cool as ice.
It was not the face of a father telling a story to his son.
The Grand Duke unsheathed his sword again and pointed the de at the sky.
The sunlight was reflected on the de, shining brightly, the dazzling reflection noticeable from even 100 meters away.
The reflection shone brightly towards the valley stream.
Suddenly, a thunderous sound came from it.
The giant logs inside the stream, which were supposed to be used for the rebuilding of the Afterglow Wall, were rolling downwards along with ball-sized rocks at a ridiculous speed.
Within a mere second, the logs and rocks had crashed hard against the Titan soldiers heads.
Less than a quarter of a minuteter, the Titan soldiers that had infiltrated the Afterglow Valley had been killed.
Some fortunate survivors that had not entered the valley yet ran for their lives.
After thendslide attack, even more Morko soldiers appeared from both sides of the valley and charged down towards their enemies.
"It was a signal to activate the trap! It was all a big trap right from the beginning! A trap set specifically for Titan Principality!" Kieran realized silently.
"The Grand Duke knew about the uprising in the castle, and he used it against them! He knew about everything right from the start, but pretended not to! Was he the one who arranged everything after all?"
The second theory sent chills down Kierans spine. After careful thought though, he realized it was possible.
Ferlin had said that when Stagner had appeared before the Grand Duke ten years earlier, hed had his doubts. If Ferlin had known, why wouldnt the Grand Duke?
The answer was a no brainer. The Grand Duke must have known everything right from the start. Otherwise, Ferlin would not have appeared at the castle at just the right time.
"What a fearsome man! I dont think he has any humanity at all. He wanted to win that war, and he used all means necessary to achieve it!"
Kieran looked at the Grand Duke. His sword was still high up in the air, and he was still whispering to his son. He looked like a scorpion ready to sting its prey.
Kieran took a second look at Mordred, who had already passed out. His life was hanging by a thread.
Still, that was not a good enough reason for the Grand Duke to stop. He continued whispering softly about that woman, Kylie, and how theyd met and fallen in love.
Stagner was roaring like a raging beast while still tangling with Ferlin.
Ferlin wounded him repeatedly, giving him minor cuts from time to time. As the Grand Duke continued his story, the wounds multiplied on Stagners body and his tone got more agitated.
"Do you know why your mother eventually left me, but still presented you back to me? Do you, Mor? It was because she had discovered my secrets. Some very dark secrets... She thought I was just some mindless, merciless tyrant! Thats why she left me!"
"She underestimated me though! My determination brought you back to me. Wasnt it worth it? A whole vige for you? Just like I used LeGrand and Reedralls lives in exchange for the whole Titan Principality! It was a really great bargain!"
The Grand Duke was looking at Stagner as he spoke.
"I really have to thank you, Leor! You are still so simple-minded. All I had to do was feed you some clues. You couldnt even wait to go after it! It was quite disappointing that it took you ten years toplete your ns though! I thought youd form a rtionship with Titan in three to five years! I gave you many chances after all!"
The Grand Duke shook his head as he lectured Stagner.
"MORKO!" Stagner shouted.
"Im here! Oh, I have an idea!"
The Grand Duke nodded as if he agreed, the wrinkled corners of his mouth grinning with malicious intent.
"How about you take your own life? If you do, Ill let Mor live. Your existence is just a nuisance! I cant sleep or have a good meal anymore!" he said before pointing his sword at the unconscious Mordred.
"Are you serious?" Stagner suddenly stopped attacking, and so did Ferlin.
Ferlin went over to the Grand Duke without a blink.
"Of course, Mor is my son after all. Hes the only son I have now. If the situation allows it, I would rather not lose him!" the Grand Duke said.
"Very well... I choose death then! I wont take my own life though. Ferlin, you bastard, youve wanted to kill me for so long, havent you? Heres your chance! Do it!" Stagner threw his de away.
The de fell on the ground, producing a clear sound. Within an instant, Ferlins thorny sword had pierced through Stagners chest.
The slim, long sword was inside his chest, blood gushing out as Stagner replied with an unexpected grin.
He grabbed Ferlin, who was within arm range, and dashed towards the Grand Duke.
Before the Grand Duke could even react, Stagners other arm had grabbed him tightly, preventing an escape.
Stagner instantly turned his head around, shouting towards a specific spot, "NOW!"
It was where Kieran was hiding!
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
This is the Original Monday Post.
Extra 5 chapters will be posted withing 30 mins or so because the auto upload timer apparently has a 5 mins interval...
Enjoy!
Chapter 224: Ideals
Chapter 224: Ideals
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
"He noticed me?"
Kierans heart skipped a beat, but he instantly understood what Stagners intentions were.
Stagner was holding both Ferlin and the Grand Duke in his arms, so there was no way they could get away easily. No matter how hard they kicked, punched or headbutted him, Stagner held on for dear life.
A immovable target was the best way to activate the [Reckless Rush].
"Stagner must have found traces of my battle with the Hurricane Knights in the jungle, so he must have gotten a general idea of the [Reckless Rush] and how I destroyed thence shield! When he fell into the Grand Dukes trap, he must have decided to use me to turn the situation around! Just for... Just for Mordred to live? Even though he knows Mordred is not his own son?"
Kierans mind filled with questions. Compared to Stagner, the Grand Duke was a lot more cold-blooded.
In order to beat Titan, he had been willing to sacrifice two of his children.
If a better reward presented itself to him, he would sacrifice hisst son too!
Selfish people would sacrifice anything to get what they wanted.
That was the reason Stagner wanted the Grand Duke dead. He would use it as an opportunity for Mordred to ascend to the throne.
Otherwise, he would have killed the Grand Duke earlier.
The Grand Duke would aplish his goals by any means necessary, even by sacrificing his own sons, but Stagner would sacrifice anything for his son, even his own life.
They were two vastly different men.
Kieran had to draw a deep breath to focus on his mission.
Then he gripped his [Piercing Spear] and aimed towards the three men.
There was a sudden earth-shattering tremble, and a thunderous roar filled the cave.
The mirage of a giant rhino formed around Kieran.
The primitive destructive force charged towards its target with a quaking trample.
As the beastly mirage charged forward, the spear pierced through the struggling Ferlin bluntly.
Bang!
Ferlin was crushed like a watermelon under a truck.
The dark mist around his body flew towards the Grand Duke and covered him like silk, releasing him from Stagners grip.
Ferlin was willing to sacrifice his own life so his master could live?
Kieran was thrilled over witnessing such strong loyalty, but the [Reckless Rush] would not stop because of it.
The Grand Dukes arm was struck by the [Piercing Spear] as well, the force tearing his arm apart. There was blood and flesh all over, and bones were sticking out of the crushed flesh. It was a gruesome wound.
Stagner was thest one in the rhinos way. Even though he had a sword through his chest, when he saw the Grand Duke survive, he had held on.
Stagner drew a quick, deep breath and expanded his body. Enduring the pain, he pulled the thorny sword out and threw it towards the Grand Duke.
The sword flew straight into the dark mist and stabbed the Grand Duke.
After a scream, the Grand Duke fell to the ground.
Stagner smiled slightly and turned towards Mordred, his stern face splitting into a kind, bright smile.
Despite his bright smile though, he was shocked.
He saw Kieran pass by him, fall on the ground, and vomit blood.
Although the [Reckless Rush] could not be stopped, Kieran could change its direction. Even the slightest change could produce a totally different oue.
Stagner was astonished. He walked over to Kieran with a loudugh.
Hisugh was so energetic that it did not match his wounded walking pace. Still, each of his steps was firm and steady.
Stagner went over and tilted his head down, looking at Kieran, who was struggling to get up with the broken spear in his hand.
"Interesting fellow! Here, this is yours!"
Stagner took out a golden medal the size of a coin and ced it on Kierans palm.
Before Kieran could reply, Stagner had gone over to Mordred.
His steps were getting heavier and slower, his breathing weaker and dimmer.
When Stagner reached Mordreds side, he could not help but kneel down in exhaustion.
He took ast look at his son before tilting his head down. He showed no further signs of life.
...
[Sub Mission: Prevention (Completed)]
A notification popped up in Kierans vision right below the battlelog.
[Reckless Rush, Piercing: Targets defense was not Powerful, 500 Damage inflicted to Target HP, Target is immobilized, 500 True Damage inflicted to Target, Target dies, Bursting Effect triggered...]
[Reckless Rush, Piercing: Targets defense was not Powerful, 500 Damage inflicted to Target HP, Target has a defensive skill and is able to dodge a direct hit, 100 True Damage inflicted to Target, Targets left arm is crippled, Bursting Effect triggered...]
[Reckless Rush, Piercing: Forcefully altered charging course, Slightly weaker Powerful Rank Damage received, 400 True Damage received, Heavily Wounded Status...]
....
With all his stats dropping, Kieran knew his condition would be terrible, but he still did not regret his decision.
He would not kill a man like Stagner, not when he had the power to prevent it. He knew he had to do something. That was why he had altered his charging course.
He had made that decision willingly.
Although he had been hurt because of it, he had also been rewarded with unexpected loot.
"Good stuff for the good guys?"
Kieran lowered his head and looked at the golden medallion with the lion emblem.
[Name: Lionheart]
[Type: essory]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Attack/Defense: None]
[Attributes: Lions Valor, Lions Courage, Kings Traits]
[Effects: None]
[Prerequisites: None]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: This is a medallion of acknowledgment. Stagner would only give it to someone he recognized as an equal. Its power is stronger than it looks though!]
...
[Lions Valor: When activated, it increases any one stat, Strength +1, Agility +1, Constitution +1, 10 second duration, once per day]
[Lions Courage: When activated, the wearer gains Immunity against Wounded, Fear, Panic, Poison and other debuffs, 10 second duration, once per day]
[Kings Traits: When [Lions Valor, Lions Courage] are activated, you share the effect with any teammates within your sight, Limited to 5 teammates.]
...
"It sure deserves to be called Legendary!"
Kieran was in awe of [Lionheart]s attributes.
[Lions Valor], [Lions Courage], and [Kings Traits]. Every single one of them was enough to turn a battle around by itself.
Even more so the [Kings Traits], the team effect, which could be a game-changer.
Even though there was a limit to the number of users, this was not much of a restriction for Kieran.
This was undoubtedly his biggest reward in the dungeon, although his rewards were a lot more than that.
On top of Ferlins crushed body, there was a glowing purple Skill Book, and the thorny sword thrown towards the Grand Duke by Stagner also had an orange glow to it.
A Special Rank Skill Book and a Rare Rank weapon.
Suddenly, the supposedly dead Grand Duke coughed a little.
Kieran squinted at the sudden sound.
He could not kill Stagner because of his ideals, but he felt no mercy towards the Grand Duke.
Kieran grabbed his broken spear and walked over.
Blood was everywhere around the Grand Dukes throat. The Grand Duke had not expected that when hede around.
He widened his eyes at Kieran, feeling the cold gaze in his eyes. It was like death was knocking on his door.
The Grand Duke mustered all his energy to speak and even raised his hand a little, but in the end nothing came out.
Kieran ended the Grand Dukes life by pushing the broken spear into his chest.
[You have eliminated Grand Duke Morko, Main Mission progress altered, Dungeon rating increased significantly, Main Missionpleted earlier!]
[yer will leave the dungeon in 5 minutes.]
[Please take whatever items you wish to keep with you.]
[Note: Any items that exceed the maximum weight will be discarded!]
...
The sudden notifications were not unexpected.
Kieran quickly pulled out the thorny sword and picked up the Rare Rank armor. Then he headed towards the Special Rank Skill Book.
After Kieran tied everything on him using the [Deceivers Key], he looked at the unconscious Mordred, or more precisely, the ring on his left thumb.
It was an act the Grand Duke had put up to provoke Stagner. That was why he had ced the ring on Mordreds finger.
ording to him, the ring was one of a kind and it was rted to the Morko Legacy.
Maybe it was even the Legacy itself.
Kieran had limited knowledge about the Legacy, so he did not exclude the possibility of it being a ring.
As for all the ruckus regarding the missing Legacy?
It could be true. The Legacy had indeed gone missing and ended up in Mordreds hands.
When Mordred had been captured by Ferlin, the Legacy had been returned to the Grand Duke.
After all, during his journey to the Afterglow Valley, Ferlin had met people more than once.
It must have been easy for him to pass the Legacy to the Grand Duke.
A moral dilemma presented itself to Kieran.
Should he take the Legacy or not?
Chapter 225: Untimely Reward
Chapter 225: Untimely Reward
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
No!
In the end, Kieran decided not to take the ring from Mordred.
He recalled what Hanses had been through.
Hanses had thought that he had enough time to get out of the dungeon safely.
As a result, he had gotten nothing at all and had even unlocked this Special Dungeon as punishment.
Kieran was confident that he could lower the possibility of a potential punishment. All he needed to do was kill Mordred.
Still...
Kieran touched the medallion, which was hanging over his chest.
Stagners present made him unable to kill Mordred, at least not until Mordred became hostile. Kieran could not take his life.
"What a hypocrite I am!" Kieran mocked himself as he took another nce at the alleged Legacy ring.
Then he turned around and walked deeper into the caves darker parts.
The soldiers from Morko Principality finally noticed that something was wrong.
When they rushed over, all they saw was the Grand Duke, Ferlin, and Stagner, all dead, plus the unconscious Mordred.
None of them knew what had really happened.
After a few days, Mordred recovered and ascended to the throne without any objections, wearing the Legacy on his hand.
The first thing he did was dere war on Titan, who had plotted to assassinate the previous Grand Duke, Consultant Ferlin and sword master Stagner.
His army was bound to win the war.
After all, Titan had nned the uprising in Morko castle and schemed to overthrow Grand Duke Morko.
The entire Morko Principality was fueled by rage towards amon enemy. After barely two weeks, Titan Principality had fallen and Mordred had sessfully aplished the lifelong wish of the Grand Dukes of previous generations.
The fall of Titan was only the beginning for the newly ascended Grand Dukes conquests.
During the next 20 years, the Grand Duke conquered multiple principalities around the country and forged a unified dynasty.
Grand Duke Mordred, the eldest son of the previous Grand Duke, had ascended to the kings throne sessfully.
A statue had been built in the pce square right after his ascension.
Some maidens and servants heard the king address the statue as his father, but an older servant said that the statue was not the kings father, but the kings teacher, the sword master of the previous generation, Stagner.
...
Kieran returned to the game lobby after finishing the storyline of the dungeon.
The dungeon rating followed.
[Special Dungeon: Prisoners]
[Dungeon Type: Special Punishment Dungeon]
[Dungeon Difficulty: Average]
[Main Mission: Escape from Morko Principality]
[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating F)]
[Sub Mission 1: Sudden Arrival (Rating Good, Unable to increase rating any further)]
[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating FE)]
[Sub Mission 2: Pursuers (Rating Great, Rating increased)]
[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating EC)]
[Sub Mission 3: Prevention]
[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating CB)]
[Battle Performance: Very Active (Rating BA)]
[Exploration Performance: Average]
[Special Rating 1: Eliminated the Grand Dukes second son, LeGrand (Rating A S, Rep+1]
[Special Rating 2: Eliminated the Grand Dukes consultant, Ferlin (Rating SSS, Rep+1)]
[Special Rating 3: Eliminated Grand Duke Morko, altered Main Mission course (Rating SSZ, Rep +3)]
[Title Acquired: Kings Assassin]
[Kings Assassin: You eliminated either one of the faction leaders and altered their forces bnce, causing tremendous effects in the dungeon. You brought a changing of the tides. When equipped, 20% Attack increase against nobles and natives with authority, +5% Defense Effect, You have a certain chance to induce Fear and attract hostility from local faction leaders]
[yer Final Rating: Z!]
[Calcting yer Special Dungeon rewards...]
[yer final rewards are as follows...]
[Points: 25,000; Skill Points: 15; Golden Skill Points: 2; Golden Attribute Points: 2]
[Note 1: As a participant of the Special Dungeon, you have earned no additional Special Dungeon.]
[Note 2: As a participant of the Special Dungeon, you have earned no additional share of the special rewards.]
[Note 3: Your total reputation has reached 10. You have made quite a name for yourself among the natives. Some of them will remember your name.]
...
"No additional Special Dungeon or share of the special rewards?"
Kieran was not surprised that he had surpassed an SSS rating.
He had entered a high entry number dungeon with a lower entry number after all. Although it had seemed like hed had his own solo mission, because of the contract, Kieran had stayed close to Hanses almost the whole time.
As a result, he had been through the same difficulties as Hanses. Plus, he had killed the Grand Duke. Considering his reputation and position, Kieran had known what he would get. Hed had a simr experience back in the newbie dungeon after all.
However, he had not expected those notes. He had earned no additional Special Dungeon or share of the special rewards.
Reading thatst note hurt as much as getting hit.
Although Kieran had no idea what the special rewards were, he was certain they would be good. Otherwise, it would not be worth getting a Z rating and surpassing an SSS rating for them.
"There must have been at least one Legendary Rank item!" Kieran thought to himself.
He covered his heart unconsciously with his right hand, feeling heartache at the missed opportunity.
To divert his attention from the loss, he turned to his final rewards.
A Rare Rank weapon, a Rare Rank full-body armor, and a Special Rank Skill Book.
The weapon hade from Ferlin.
[Name: Rose Thorn]
[Type: Sword]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attack: Strong]
[Attributes: Armor Pration Lvl 2, Technique Lvl 1]
[Effects: None]
[Prerequisites: None]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: This sword was forged by a master swordsman and bestowed with the master swordsmans knowledge of swords!]
...
[Armor Pration Lvl 2: Able to prate Medium Armor (Powerful Defense)]
[Technique Lvl 1: +1 for any type of sword skill (Sharp Weapon, dagger, knife, longsword, dual-handle sword), Unable to surpass Transcendence Level]
...
"Its able to increase skill level?"
Kieran saw the attribute and instantly realized the value of the sword. Even though he only had a dagger skill, it struck a chord in his heart, because the dagger was listed as well.
This could save any yer tons of points in upgrading skills. It was something anyone would be after.
Kieran quickly came back to his senses though.
"The skill increase cannot surpass Transcendence?" he mumbled.
This made the [Rose Thorn]s value drop a little, but that was understandable.
Without that limitation, it would not be Rare anymore. It would be Legendary, or even more valuable.
Kieran ced the [Rose Thorn] down and checked the full-body armor hed gotten from the Grand Duke.
The armor looked sturdy and tough. It included a helmet, a mask, a gauntlet and grieves. It was aplete set.
[Name: Monolith Armor]
[Type: Armor]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Defense: Powerful]
[Attributes: Monolith]
[Effects: None]
[Prerequisites: Strength D+]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: This armor has a sturdiness worthy of its name. When you put it on though, you need to discard any equipment on your palms, hands, boots, helmet or mask. You also need a certain amount of Strength.]
...
[Monolith: When activated, Defense +1 immobilized, 15 seconds, once per day]
...
"Powerful Defense!" Kieran was astonished.
From his experience with [Primus Guard], he knew how big an advantage a Powerful Defense could provide. Activating [Monolith] would give him +1 Defense and boost it up to Extremely Powerful.
Most of his body would be immune to damage. Still, after calming down, Kieran decided to sell it.
He had [Primus Arm] and multiple rings, the [Half-Deads Gaze], [Wilcos Grudge] and [Spectre Grip], each of them with its own unique skills.
Kieran could not exchange one Legendary item and three Rare ones with multiple skills for a Rare piece of armor.
If [Monolith Armor] could provide a Powerful Defense under normal circumstances, he would not have minded, but this was just a thought.
Kieran sighed again.
Then he turned his attention to thest reward, the Special Rank Skill Book.
When he saw the name of the Skill Book, his eyes widened.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
probably the most satisfying ending of a dungeon
Chapter 226: Undercover, Transcendence
Chapter 226: Undercover, Transcendence
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
[Discovered Skill Book: Book of Undercover]
[Learn now? Yes/No]
[Note: Increases Undercover by one Level, Unable to exceed Transcendence Level]
...
"Increases Undercover by one Level?"
Kieran looked at the Skill Book notification and widened his eyes in shock.
He never thought it would be another [Undercover] Skill Book. This had been a really surprising reward.
Kierans [Undercover] was already at Musou Level, and upgrading it to the next level would cost him 40,000 Points and 1 Golden Skill Point.
40,000 Points was not a small amount, but the Golden Skill Point was even more precious.
It was what Kierancked.
At his current growth level, the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] needed a substantial amount of Golden Skill Points, and so did [de Kick]. Even though it was just a basic skill, in order to level it up to Musou or Transcendence, every level cost a Golden Skill Point.
Kieran was determined to upgrade all his basic skills at least up to Transcendence so he could do better in all sorts of dungeons.
This thought caused him immense pressure.
Thankfully, the timely appearance of the [Book of Undercover] had put out the imminent fire singeing his eyebrows.
"The [Book of Undercover] cannot upgrade [Undercover] higher than Transcendence, but fortunately for me, Transcendence is right after Musou!"
Kiera epted without a seconds dy.
[Book of Undercover used!]
[Undercover +1]
[Undercover (Musou Transcendence)]
[Skill has reached Transcendence Level, Additional Transcendence options avable]
[A: Shadow Cloak (Create a supernatural dark veil starting from you and extending to a radius of 5 meters. You will receive an additional darkness-dodging enhancement. Your enemies within that range will be engulfed in darkness and have to undergo an Intuition test. If they fail, they will be induced with a Blind Debuff.)]
[B: Shadow Dagger (When striking from the shadows, your attacks will have an additional shadow energy! That shadow energy will increase ording to the time you spend in the shadows (+1 level for every 10 minutes), Final Attack unable to exceed a Powerful Attack)]
[C: Shadow Armor (Creates a defensive armor with shadows and blocks your enemies attacks! The defense of the Shadow Armor depends on the time you spend in the shadows (+1 level for every 10 minutes), Final Defense unable to exceed a Powerful Defense)]
"Transcendence options?"
Kieran was shocked, captivated by the three options.
All three of them seemed very useful to him.
A, Shadow Cloak was suitable for handling unexpected situations.
B, Shadow Dagger was purely for attacking.
C, Shadow Armor was for defense if he was discovered by his enemies.
Kieran still had a fresh memory of how Ferlin had fought using that dark mist. His raw attacks and defense had been further enhanced by it.
Kieran chose A though.
Compared to [Shadow Dagger] and [Shadow Armor], which needed time in order to be fully effective, [Shadow Cloak] was more suitable for him. He always ran into unexpected situations after all.
Besides, Kieran was quite confident that he could reach the same level of Attack and Defense as [Shadow Dagger] and [Shadow Armor] with enough preparation.
If things suddenly went south though, he was not confident that he could deal with it properly.
After all, no one could guarantee anything. Therefore, it was better for Kieran to have another ace up his sleeve.
Another card was another ray of hope!
"I choose A!" Kieran said.
[Option A: Shadow Cloak]
[Name: Undercover (Transcendence)]
[Rted Attributes: Agility]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effects: Able to fully utilize the shadows for hiding, makes it even harder for enemies to discover you, increases Hiding by 80%]
[Transcendence Shadow Cloak (Create a supernatural dark veil starting from you and extending to a radius of 5 meters. You will receive an additional darkness-dodging enhancement. Your enemies within that range will be engulfed in darkness and have to undergo an Intuition test. If they fail, they will be induced with a Blind Debuff.)]
[Consumes: Stamina]
[Prerequisites: Agility C-]
[Remarks: You can hide in the shadows and use them to your advantage!]
...
[Undercover skill leveled up, Rted attributes increasing...]
[Agility C- C]
[Remarks: Maxed-Out Skill]
...
"Undercover and Shadow Hiding increased by 20%, and Agility increased by 1! It was really worth it!"
Kieran was astonished by the skill effects, but he quickly noticed the remark as well.
"Transcendence is the maximum level of the skill?" he mumbled.
It was the first time hede across a maxed-out skill. Although he could not confirm whether other skills were the same, Transcendence [Undercover] provided Kieran with a general idea.
Even if other skills surpassed Transcendence, it would not be by much.
"Transcendence, huh?" Kieran mumbled as he stared at [Hand-to-Hand Combat], [Firearm Weapon, Light Firearm] and [Evading], the other three basic skills he wanted to level up.
Although each of those skills required a substantial amount of Points, Kieran had enough Golden Skill Points at the moment.
If he chose to level up any of those three basic skills though, he would need to sell the two pieces of equipment he had acquired. Then he might be able to umte enough Points for at least two levels.
Kieran would be able to upgrade two skills to Transcendence and get the Transcendence options that came with that upgrade.
Meanwhile, his Golden Skill Points were also enough for [de Kick] to be upgraded to Grand Master Level.
ording to Kierans spections, if [de Kick] was leveled up to Grand Master, its Attack and sharp edge would be at least Strong or Powerful.
Kieran could only afford one path of growth given his current status though.
One was two Transcendence options, and the other one was a Powerful Attack and a sharp edge.
"Which one should I choose?"
Kieran frowned over the two choices.
He still had not made a decision when his message tab pinged with a message.
Kieran drew in a breath and opened it.
......
Lawless: Harvest Inn!
Hanses: My treat!
...
The messages were from Lawless and Hanses. It seemed like they had made it out of the dungeon safe and sound as well.
Their words were very clear.
Kieran recalled what Hanses had said before theyd parted ways in the dungeon.
He typed back "Wait" and quickly packed up his equipment and headed for the Harvest Inn.
He needed to meet up with them, not just because of Hanses promise, but also because he had new questions for Lawless.
He wanted to ask about the Transcendence options for [Hand-to-Hand Combat], [Firearm Weapon, Light Firearm] and [Evading].
If Kieran could get a better understanding before making a decision, the upgrading process would be a lot smoother.
Just as he was about to leave his room though, he suddenly halted.
"Someones here!"
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Probably the first transcendence skill for Kieran (correct me if im wrong, cuz for me every of his skill is transcendence)
Chapter 227: Killing Intent
Chapter 227: Killing Intent
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Using his C Rank Intuition, Kieran could feel a sharp re pass over him quickly.
It was not from somemon John Doe. The re had a slight sense of malicious intent to it.
Although it was just a sh, it was enough to make Kieran shiver like a slimy venomous snake had crawled over his back.
Kieran unconsciously grabbed his [Python-W2].
He had already been ambushed once when he had been on his way back to 13th Wallway Street. It would note as a surprise if an ambush was waiting for him once he stepped out now.
After all, there was a bounty on his head.
Kieran leaned his back against the door. The system asked him whether he wanted to return to the room or not.
He needed to make sure he could get inside his room if anything happened. Only then would he be able to carefully inspect his surroundings.
Kieran still remembered how powerful the Hellfires cannon power was. He was uncertain whether other yers owned any simr weapons.
He had to be careful just in case though.
"Huh?" As Kieran inspected his surroundings, he frowned.
There was no one around, even after he scanned the whole area from a couple of secure spots.
He could not see anyone.
"Could it be some kind of animal?" Kieran recalled the bird that had been sent by the killer yers to spy on him.
He quickly changed his search settings and found something.
It was an eagle with sharp ws.
Although there were many types of animals in the underground game, even stray dogs and cats, the options were limited to urban animals. There were no wild or predatory animals.
That eagle was a predatory animal though.
Kieran raised his gun without a second thought, but the eagle had exceptional intelligence.
The moment Kieran raised his gun at it, it ascended higher in the sky.
Meanwhile, it threw a ball of paper down using its ws.
Kieran shrugged and stared helplessly at the eagle as it disappeared in the sky.
He wanted to fire, but the eagle was too fast and it seemed to have some kind of evading ability.
Even with his Musou Level [Firearm Weapon, Light Firearm], Kieran could not get a lock on it.
"It cant be amon eagle!"
Kieran guessed that this was not the first time the eagle spied on its prey. His eyes focused on the ball of paper.
After using his Master Level [Medical and Medicinal Knowledge] and [Mystical Knowledge] to make sure the paper was not poisoned or able to trigger any kind of magical trap, he picked it up and opened it.
It was a red smiley face. The bright red color was fresh blood and it still reeked like it.
The smiley was simple, drawn with the index or middle finger using fresh blood. A giant circle formed the face, and the eyes were two arcs. The mouth was a sharp V-shape.
The bright red color made it look spooky.
"What kind of symbol is this?"
Kieran frowned as he searched for answers among the knowledge and memories in his mind.
He had never seen anything like it before. Even after another round of inspecting his surroundings, he still found nothing and no one rted to it.
After a fruitless search, he boarded the train towards the Harvest Inn. His mind was busy thinking throughout the whole journey. He only focused again when he reached the Harvest Inn.
Lawless and Hanses waved at him, and he replied with a slight nod.
"Here, 2567! Its Hanses treat! Ive asked Rachel to bring the most expensive gourmet meal and wine! We will eat and drink like kings!" Lawless said delightedly.
"Can I take back what I said? For real, Im already regretting my decision!"
Hanses had a bitter expression on his face as he looked at Kieran.
"Of course... not!"
Kieran purposely prolonged his sentence to leave a thin ray of hope for Hanses before he stomped on it with hisst word.
Lawless burst intoughter, while Hanses turned even more gloomy. He kept sighing continuously.
"What great friends I have! Really! Im so fortunate!" Hanses said, covering his chest with his hand and wobbly walking over to the bar, where Rachel was.
"Do you eptbor as a payment method? My two friends and I are willing to work for food! One of them is as strong as a bull, and the other is as smart as a rabbit, but I am better than both of them! Would you be willing to hire us?" Hanses begged Rachel with a puppy-eyed expression.
"I run a small business, so any form of payment is epted! If you dont have enough Points to pay, you can pay with one of your hands! My morbid menu iscking a human hand right now,"
Rachel said coldly, mocking Hanses. Her expression made it seem like it was not a joke though.
Hanses went back to his seat with a pale face and waited for the food to be served.
"Rachel is joking, right?" Kieran asked Lawless as he sneaked a peek at her.
"You think?" Lawless pointed at Hanses pale face.
"For real? She would actually use human parts as ingredients? What the..."
"Hows your left hand?" Lawless switched the topic quickly by interrupting Kieran.
"Oh, the system healed me up quite good from the looks of it. My left hand was almost gone, but its not even Moderately Wounded now!" Kieranmented.
"No need to doubt the systems features! Lucky for you, your palm was still somewhat intact. If youd lost the whole thing, it would have cost you a hefty sum! The more you lose, the more you have to pay up! If you lost one of your armspletely, youd need at least 50,000 Points to get it back!" Lawless said, pointing at Kierans arm.
Kieran rolled his eyes at him before he continued, "Oh yeah, you told me to try not to rely too much on firearms. What did you mean?"
"Youve never been into a dungeon with firearm restrictions?" Lawless answered with another question.
"Yeah, man! Firearms and grenades are notpatible with dungeons from different time periods. Theres a 50% decrease in attacking power, handgun reloading takes an extra second, and sniper reloading takes an extra 30 seconds! Theres all sorts of restrictions, its a pain in my neck!" Kieran replied, talking about his experience during [The Failed Great Detective].
"I really dont know whether you should consider yourself lucky or unlucky!"
Lawless and Hansesughed.
"What do you mean?" Kieran was surprised.
"When your firearm weapons attacking power reduction passes the 50% mark, the systempensates you with a skill simr to your firearm weapon skill level! You need to prepare the equipment in advance though!"
"The skill might be rted to Sharp Weapons or other types of basic skills. The system is quite generous. It lists all avable skills for you to choose from, its just that... theres nopensation for the equipment!" Lawless said.
"Does that mean I need to buy extra sharp weapons and simr equipment?" Kieran frowned.
"Yes! The next thing you should do is expand your backpack!" Lawless said with augh.
Kieran interpreted his reaction as Lawless taking pleasure in his misfortune.
"Youre a lone wolf, so you might want to consider every possibility. You need to master at least one kind of sharp weapon skill, because you never know what you mighte across!"
"I acquired aser weapon in a dungeon once, but during the next dungeon, I was sent back to a middle-age colosseum! I immediately turned myser weapon into a piece of metal! You wont know how I felt unless youve been through a simr situation! Just when I was about to go on a killing spree, all I had was a sword! The game really f*cked me in the ass!" Hanses shared his experience with Kieran.
"Well then, how much do you think these two pieces of equipment are worth? The [Piercing Spear] is broken, Lawless, but you can get somepensation when you sell the [Sharp Stinger]. Is that okay?"
Kieran sent the [Rose Thorn] and the [Monolith Armor] over to them.
Lawless nodded before drawing in a cold breath when he saw the [Rose Thorn] and the [Monolith Armor].
"No problem! Wow, two Rare pieces of equipment? You can bundle these two up together!"
Hanses started acting weird all of a sudden.
"You killed the Grand Duke and his consultant Ferlin?" he asked.
Kieran nodded in reply.
"Lawless, help me! Im dying! Why am I even treating you to this meal?"
Hanses leaned over against Lawless. He looked like he was running out of breath, but Lawless pushed him away.
"It should be 2567 paying for the meal! He really got a big reward, man! Two Rare pieces of equipment! Thats enough to let those other bastards bring out their good stuff as well!"
"If youre not running short on Points or Skill Points, I suggest you barter it off in exchange for other equipment or advanced Skill Books!" Hanses said after looking at Lawless in disgust.
"Yeah! Bartering with others is a good option!" Lawless agreed with Hanses suggestion.
The two of them could not make that decision by themselves though, so they stared at Kieran quietly, waiting for him to reply.
"Whatever you guys say!"
Kieran would never take the two veterans advice for granted.
After he gave the green light, they both immediately contacted their friends.
Then Rachel came over with delicious food and wine.
There was lemon-grilled salmon, grilled geese sausages, sturgeon sandwiches, swiss cake rolls, oxtail cream soup, and almost a dozen other dishes.
Each time Rachel ced a dish down, Hanses face turned a little paler.
When she finally brought a bottle of wine the size of a child, Hanses face lost all traces of blood.
"My home-brewed specialty, the Hercules! That will be 3,900 Points rounded up!" Rachel said, her gaze sweeping over Hanses hand. Suddenly, a long chef knife appeared in her hand.
"Ho... Hold on,dy! Ill pay!" Hanses begged her.
Kieran was speechless over the price of the meal, but when he saw the attributes of the foods and wine, he understood why it was so expensive.
The best example was the [Grilled Geese Sausage]s and the [Hercules] wine.
The first one could restore up to 50% of ones HP within 5 seconds, and the second one was able to recover 50% of ones Stamina and provide +1 Strength in 3 seconds.
If eating all of it would not take time or cause a Drunk Debuff, Kieran would have wanted to take back a whole bag of food in the dungeon.
It was satisfying enough to taste everything at the inn though.
Every dish was delicious. It was a feast for his taste buds, every bite causing him goosebumps.
Kieran enjoyed his meal, and so did Lawless and Hanses.
More and more veteran yers entered the inn as the trio savored their food.
Just as Kieran was ready to start his mini auction for the [Rose Thorn] and the [Monolith Armor], Lawless suddenly received a PM and stood up.
His face was like ice, and his killing intent erupted around him, a strong wind sting out.
Some of the tables and chairs were blown away. A few of the veterans got scared and backed off a couple of steps at Lawless sudden outrage.
His fearsome aura made him look like a fierce beast rather than a human.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
The true strength of Lawless is soon to debut
Chapter 228: Nightingale
Chapter 228: Nightingale
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
A cold wine bottle was smashed hard against Lawless head.
The bottle was smashed into pieces, but the force contained in it made Lawless stagger.
"Are you awake now? I wouldnt mind throwing you another one!"
Rachel was already standing in front of Lawless. After she threw away the remaining parts of the bottle, she raised her head up to him.
The system blur made the others unable to see her gaze clearly, but not Lawless.
After that gaze, his killing intent vanished into thin air.
"Im sorry, Rachel! I forgot my manners!" Lawless apologized in a sincere tone, not just to Rachel, but to all the other veterans present as well.
"That bottle is on the house, but all others will be on you! I know you dont have enough points, so Ill put them on your tab as usual!"
After lecturing him, Rachel slowly went back to the bar and resumed cleaning sses.
Lawless looked at her, his mouth moving a little, but in the end he said nothing.
It seemed like some words could not escape his mouth.
After a long sigh, Lawless turned towards Kieran, Hanses and the other veterans.
"Sorry, guys. I..."
"What happened?" Hanses interrupted him before he could finish. Kieran had his eyes on him as well.
It was the first time he had seen Lawless act like that. It had not felt like mere agitation, but true rage, rage strong enough to kill someone.
Kieran was in shock over Lawless killing intent and the odd things that had followed.
How many people had Lawless killed in order to umte such a powerful killing intent?
Or in other words, how powerful would Lawless need to be for his killing intent to cause something so unusual?
"Much too powerful!" Kieran thought silently in awe after a slightparison.
He had never considered himself fortunate, but if he could ess a Special Dungeon, then so could Lawless as a veteran.
Hanses was the best example. Although that Special Dungeon had been a heavy punishment, during their discussion, Lawless had not seemed to be a stranger to Special Dungeons.
During [Prison on the Ind], he had said that this had been his eighth dungeon at the time, and that had been just a normal dungeon count. If a Special Dungeon was added in the mix...
"He must have at least ten dungeon runs, or even more than I can imagine!" Kieran guessed silently while paying attention to what Lawless had to say.
"The bastard that had been spying on us came back online! He teamed up with the killers for an ambush and killed one of our men! Coll was also badly hurt and taken as hostage!" Lawless said in a serious tone before showing them a screenshot.
The screenshot showed a scrawny yer covered in blood, hanging in mid-air. His limbs were all curled in different directions, and he seemed to be unconscious.
Kieran frowned. He had seen Coll before.
Back at Shameiken Square, he had been the one who had controlled the robot dog.
"Who sent this?" Kieran asked.
He was certain it had not been Coll, considering that he was in that hideous condition. He could not have been able to sent a screenshot to Lawless or ask for help.
"The senders nickname is Nightingale. Anyone know him?" Lawless asked everyone present.
The veterans exchanged looks, some frowning in thought, but none of them recalled that name.
Kieran was still a rtive newbie, so he could not have known the yer. He still did whatever he could though. He inspected the screenshot carefully.
"The screenshot must have been taken by the kidnapper. Its from Nightingales perspective. The room has plenty of light. The sunshine ising from above, so judging by the suns position, there must have been a huge window in the room. The screenshot doesnt reflect any color from the exterior, but considering that light, it should not be a t area. It must be a tall structure with no obstacles around! Theres no extra furniture in the room, just some dirty bottles and cigarette buds... Huh?"
Kieran suddenly squinted over the screenshot.
About a dozen of the cigarette buds had lipstick marks on them.
"A woman?" Kieran was shocked. He continued to inspect the trash in the room.
It seemed like he had discovered more clues.
"Judging by the different shapes, it must have been two different types of wine!" Kieran guessed. To make sure, he took the screenshot over to Rachel and showed her.
"If this was the real world, I could have told you what kind of wine this is, or what its made of, but in the game you never know whats inside a bottle!" Rachel said in a slightly irritated tone after a quick nce.
"Okay, thank you!" Kieran went back to Lawless, shrugging helplessly. "I think we should go to the scene for a more thorough search! Maybe well find something there!" he suggested.
"Agreed!" Hanses was the first to support him.
"Okay then! The two of youe with me. The others can stay back and try to find out more about this Nightingale!" Lawless said immediately.
As soon as he finished talking, everyone started to move out.
Naturally, Kieran was on the inspection team.
However, considering there might be an ambush, a trap, or all sorts of dangers waiting for them, Lawless handpicked the rest of the team.
Even though the veterans present were some of the best solo yers around, they had a rather steep growth system. Some were better at attacking, some at defending themselves, and some were full-support yers.
Lawless picked three more yers, including Hanses, based on what they were good at.
...
The five of them, including Kieran, disembarked the train.
Raven, who was good at support and reconnaissance, immediately went to work.
"Meow!"
"Woof"
He suddenly started mimicking the sounds of cats and dogs.
After a few moments, a dozen stray cats and dogs gathered around him.
When Raven took out a handful of dog and cat food, the little animals started to move out.
Although Raven had introduced himself on the train, when Kieran saw it with his own eyes, he was in awe.
"Raven is one of the Chosen Ones! If it was not for his loner nature and shy personality, he might have been scouted by the big guilds!" Hanses exined to Kieran.
"The Chosen Ones? Wow, thats really something!" Kieran said.
The Chosen Ones was whatmon yers called the yers with higher Spirit stats, who could use Spirit-rted skills.
Kieran had heard this before from Lawless when he had been researching the [Half-Deads Gaze].
This was the first time he was seeing a real Chosen One though.
After the stray dogs and cats scattered away, birds started gathering on the street.
Ravenmunicated with the birds and fed them some food as well.
Soon, the birds scattered away too.
After 10 minutes, all the birds, dogs and cats returned.
"Clear!" Raven said, his voice rough. This was not because he had a sore throat. It was actually because he spoke very rarely. Kieran suddenly understood why people described him as a loner.
"Ill go first!" Hanses said.
A giant shield as tall as he was appeared as he stood in front of the team.
Hanses was good at defensive measures. Kieran knew this from thest dungeon.
Because of the special restrictions of the previous dungeon though, this was the first time he was actually seeing Hanses act as a shield defender.
Ramont, who specialized in attacking, was on Hanses left, and Kieran was on his right. Raven was in the middle, and Lawless was covering their backs.
The five of them advanced forward in formation.
Even though Raven had said that the area was safe, it was better to be safe than sorry.
They didnt let their guard down until they reached the scene of the crime.
Hanses and Ramont were on guard duty, while Kieran, Raven and Lawless went to inspect the scene.
The dead bodies were gone because of the game system rules, but there were still some traces of fighting and blood stains left behind.
It was a small alleyway, and outside it was the main road the five of them hade through. Inside the alleyway was a tight T-junction.
It was the ce where the killer who had spied on Kieran had gone offline.
Blood was sshed all over the wall facing the main road, as if it had been sprayed on it.
At the right side of the T-junction, there was a slight crash mark.
Kieran activated his [Tracking] after a quick nce at both spots. Instantly, everything became clear.
"The killer came back online and attracted Coll and the other yers attention, who had been keeping watch in the area. The other man must have been visible, while Coll must have been in the shadows."
"The killers hiding in the dark ambushed them. The other yer was killed instantly with a sh across the throat, but Coll was hit hard on the back of his head. He must have crashed his head against the front wall!"
"Three of the culprits left easily and removed all traces that they were here! They moved fast and remained hidden. Other than some unknown corresponding skills, they must have had quite the teamwork as well. Based on their fast movements, they must known each other not only in the game, but in real life as well! Otherwise, they couldnt have performed so well!"
Kieran frowned slightly over what he had discovered.
He knew very well what the situation would be like if the killers had a connection in real life as well.
Not only would the difficulty of finding them increase, but their actions and cooperation would also be much stronger and better-paced.
"I wonder how many of those yers know each other in real life... Are these three special or not?"
Kieran furrowed his brow even harder.
"Somethings up!" Raven suddenly said.
Chapter 229: That Bastard
Chapter 229: That Bastard
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
A sparrow-like birdnded on Ravens hand and started chirping nonstop.
Raven was listening carefully.
He used his other hand to pick up some grains that birds loved, and the sparrow jumped over and started pecking at it.
Although Kieran knew Raven had that skill, a look at his performance still left him in awe.
He unconsciously inspected him carefully.
He was an average-height guy with a thin body. His face was blurred by the system.
Other than a normal backpack, he had a knife and a handgun strapped to his waist.
Kieran was certain that those were just for show.
Thanks to his Master Level [Sharp Weapon Dagger] and Musou Level [Firearm Weapon, Light Weapon], he knew that Raven could not have reached for the gun or knife while he was walking or standing.
On the contrary, Raven ced his right hand on his bag from time to time.
Judging by the way Raven walked, Kieran knew that his Strength, Agility and Constitution were not that high, probably just a little stronger than normal peoples.
"An average body, a knife and a gun that are just for decoration... Is his real ace in the backpack?" Kieran guessed.
He had a general idea about what was inside after witnessing Raven control the birds. It had to be something that could summon a powerful monster.
What it could summon though, Kieran had no idea.
After a few minutes, the bird flew away.
"She says three men are leaving this ce!" Raven pointed at the left side of the T-junction.
"And?" Hanses asked eagerly.
"She does have a decent memory, but that does not mean that she can recognize human behavior and process more information," Raven said in his unique rough voice.
"Fine, Ill lead the way! Heads up, folks!" Hanses reminded everyone in a loud voice.
Kieran drew in a deep breath and leaped up one side of the wall with Ramont, the two of them advancing together.
Their formation had not changed one bit. Only the altitude had.
Hanses, Raven and Lawless were on the ground, while Kieran and Ramont were on top of the alley wall.
The five of them were 120% cautious while they advanced. Kieran paid close attention to any suspicious movements.
He also activated his [Tracking] from time to time to check his surroundings.
Things were getting clearer as they proceeded.
After the bird-spying incident, even a newbie like Kieran would suspect the animals in his surroundings, let alone those veterans.
As for those evil killers, they would only be more careful now.
Under normal circumstances, no more birds would be discovered by Kieran and co.
Unless those birds were a sign purposely left behind by the killers to lure them to a designated spot.
A spot with a trap or an ambush waiting for them.
The five of them proceeded carefully along the small alleyway and took two turns.
Each time they took a turn, they would be extra careful, because that was the only moment the group would split up for a short time.
That would be the best time for the killers to strike. After two turns though, nothing unusual had happened.
"Goddamnit! What are they ying at now?" Ramont, who was guarding the left side, ranted.
Ramont was a strong man with a double-edged de. On his left side he had a short dagger, and on his right side there was a satchel.
Kieran was more concerned about Ramonts back though and the flying axe and short spears strapped there.
Unlike Raven, Kieran knew Ramont was a really good fighter.
Every time he took a step forward, the tip of his foot would touch the ground first, followed by the rest of it. His muscles would also tighten every time he moved.
Kieran knew Ramonts stance allowed him to attack and defend himself easily at any time.
Kieran and the team had heard his rant, but none of them said anything in reply. No one knew what was going on.
Coming up was a third turn.
"Careful, everyone!" Hanses said again.
As their guard, Hanses was under the most pressure. Even though he was a veteran, he still needed to chit chat to ease the pressure and prevent himself from making any mistakes.
His boots collided with the ground as his body shrunk behind his giant shield.
He advanced forward toward the turn slowly.
After many dungeon runs, the shield in his hands made him confident enough. No matter how powerful the monster or person before him, they could not break his shield with just one hit.
If Hanses was not struck down with one hit, he still had a chance to counterattack.
Plus, he was not alone this time.
Kieran and Ramont, who were on higher ground, could already see around the turn.
They scouted the ce carefully, but there was still nothing.
"Rx! Nothing as usual!" Ramont told Hanses.
Just as he spoke, a ck veil appeared high over the five of them.
Kieran, who was still in his [Tracking] mode, could clearly see that the veil had no physical form.
"Careful! Its formless souls!" he warned his teammates, his boots already burning with hot mes.
Kieranunched his burning kicks right away. His barrage of lightning-fast kicks and the mes formed a mini ming tornado.
The tornado engulfed the formless souls the moment they threw themselves at him.
Ramont had lightning-fast reflexes as well. As soon as he heard Kierans warning, his sword started burning with bright mes as well.
Unlike Kierans [ming Iron Boots], which was just an embedded item, Ramonts sword was a Magical one. The sword itself could ignite mes from the des body and burn even fiercer than Kierans boots.
Even though Ramont struck a little slower than Kieran, the two of them finished off the formless souls together.
The fastest ones were the trio though, Lawless, Raven and Hanses.
Lawless threw a couple of incendiary grenades and blocked the road ahead with the mes. The formless souls were burned into ashes as soon as they passed through them.
The battle ended quickly. However, everyone was looking uneasily at the ck veil above them.
It was over 100 meters in diameter, and it seemed to be formed by steam or a reflection of light.
Kieran could not really tell what it was.
Hanses, who was looking up, suddenly recalled something.
"Is... Is it that bastard?" His stuttering words made Kieran understand that he was panicking.
Ramont and Raven also turned pale, their faces filling with fear when they guessed who Hanses was referring to.
Even Lawless expression was extremely serious.
Only Kieran knew nothing about what was going on.
"Who is that bastard?" he asked.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
The bastard is someone rted to Lawless?
Chapter 230: Supernova
Chapter 230: Supernova
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
"Who is that bastard?"
Hanses replied with a bitter smile.
"One of the ten Supernovas, their strength are only second to the Witch! The ck Hell Banning! A ruthless, selfish bastard that specializes in area of effect attacks!" Hanses borated.
"The ten Supernovas, only second to the Witch?"
It was the first time Kieran had heard of that title.
"Is he a killer yer too?" he asked out of instinct and curiosity.
"Him? Maybe yes, maybe not! As long as you have the Points and Skill Points, he will do anything for you! You need to beware of getting backstabbed though!"
The bitterness in Hanses smile was getting denser. Sometimes he could be really moody. It wasnt just Hanses though, Ramont and Raven were the same.
Kieran had noticed that all three of them had started acting weird as soon as ck Hell Bannings name had been mentioned. They reminded him of panicked deer.
Only Lawless expression had not changed much. He looked very serious about the matter.
When Lawless noticed Kierans gaze, he grinned.
"Can you guys buy me ten seconds?" he said, pointing his finger at their surroundings. The formless souls had emerged again, despite being eliminated once.
Unlike their grand entrance the first time, this time they were popping out of the walls and the ground, making it harder for them to defend themselves against them.
"Ill do my best!" Kieran said beforeunching a barrage of kicks and burning the formless souls to ashes.
It was not difficult for him to deal with the formless souls with the [Lightning Tigers Finger] and his [ming Iron Boots]. The hard part was that they were popping out through the walls and the ground.
Even with his Grand Master Level [Tracking], Kieran could only see them once they came out of the walls. He still did not have X-ray vision, so he could not see the formless souls behind obstacles.
Plus, the formless souls came in bulk, as if they could drown out Kieran like raging waves. Kieran still needed to cover Lawless while he fought them off, which was a stretch beyond his abilities. This was no reason for him to give up though.
Striking blue and burning red colors intertwined, lightning and mes blending together.
Kieran was spinning around Lawless, expelling all the formless souls around them.
Lawless ced his backpack down and took out a [Tekken-II].
He slowly caressed the rocketunchers surface, getting ready to attack.
A screech was heard and sparks spilled out from Lawless palm as he touched the rocketuncher.
After the screech, the dark green rocketuncher instantly turned red, as if it had been heated up with hot fire and was on the verge of melting.
Steam was emitted from the burning part of the rocketuncher.
A heavy howl was suddenly heard, like a battle horn signalling the beginning of a battle.
The formless souls answered the howl with a soundless roar and hurled themselves towards Lawless with even more force.
Suddenly, they surrounded Lawless from left, right, top and bottom. Everywhere he looked, there were dark shadows.
Kieran was like a sailboat in a dark sea raging with waves, struggling to steady himself and not flip over.
After some dy, Hanses and the others came back to their senses and got over the ck Hell Bannings terrifying presence.
"GUYS!" Hanses shouted loudly.
Ramont appeared behind Lawless and wielded his ming long sword quickly, forming a fiery barrier.
Hanses ced his shield in front of Lawless, the giant shield sparkling with lightning.
Raven did most of the heavy lifting though, taking out a scroll the size of a page. After a few simple incantations, the ground beneath Lawless and the walls beside him had ayer of sticky goo over them, which prevented the formless souls froming through the structures.
Kieran was relieved when the three of them reinforced him with their unique abilities.
He gave them a thumbs-up as he kept expelling the countless formless souls, still sparing some of his attention to locate ck Hell Banning.
If Banning had summoned this many formless souls, his goal had to be to trap them there to buy some time for the ck veil above them to make its attack.
Although Kieran had no idea what the ck veils attack would be like, he had no intention of finding out.
Judging from experience though, if Banning was able to channel such a big AOE attack, he had to be nearby.
Where was he then?
Kieran used his spare attention and his [Tracking] to scan their surroundings thoroughly, not letting any clues slip by.
Although Lawless only wanted Kieran and the others to buy him 10 seconds, if Kieran could lend a hand in locating the culprit, he would not mind.
"Huh?"
As Kieran punched the formless soul before him, he saw a shadow different than the others.
That shadow was bigger thanmon formless souls, and it had a more solid structure.
It did not have the misty feel of the souls. It was more like a bottle of ink poured into a bucket of water.
While the other formless souls were floating around like flies, that shadow remained still. It had not moved much.
Although it was not eye-catching at first, as the formless souls thinned down, it became more obvious.
Kieran kept up his attacks as he slowly approached the shadow.
Meanwhile, Lawlesss [Tekken-II] had turned a burning red, the steam it emitted bing even fiercer.
The blurry steam got thicker by the second and engulfed Lawless, his huge body turning blurry instantly. Only the hot red rocketuncher was visible through the steam.
As the rocketuncher moved, everyone could tell that Lawless was using a lot of power to carry it, although it was supposed to be light for him.
By the time Lawless finally moved the rocketuncher upwards and aimed it at the ck veil, two seconds had passed.
Hanses, Raven and Ramont were looking at him, when suddenly...
BOOM!
There was a deafening explosion, and a blinding bright ball of energy was fired straight towards the ck veil from the [Tekken-II]. It was like firing a mini sun.
The formless souls on the ground and in the air vaporized instantly.
When the energy ball came in contact with the ck veil, an even bigger explosion was triggered.
The wind from the explosion turned into a mini typhoon, heading towards the ground. Kieran, Lawless and the others were blown off the ground when it struck.
Kieran had his eyes locked on the unusual shadow though.
It was very obvious now that all the other formless souls had vaporized.
When the shadow hurled itself towards Lawless, Kieran moved his hand and threw the [Deceivers Key],tching it onto Lawless body.
Kieran pulled hard, the sudden force dragging Lawless back and making him switch ces with Kieran in mid-air.
As Kieran threw himself towards the shadow, his right hand charged with freezing air.
Heunched his freezing punch, aiming directly at the shadows head.
Chapter 231: Whereabouts
Chapter 231: Whereabouts
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Bang!
Kierans right hand was holding [Wilcos Grudge], punching the shadow hard on the head.
The moment Kierans punch came into contact with the shadow, the [Chilling Touch] was activated.
Freezing air covered the whole shadow within a breath.
The air removed the shadows ghastly form and revealed its true body, yet it did not stop.
There was a man underneath, his eyes filled with panic as his body temperature dropped to its freezing point. He fell from mid-air and crashed against the ground.
The frozen shadow fell hard and broke into pieces like a block of ice. Then it disintegrated into small pieces and disappeared.
[Chilling Touch: 500 Ice Damage inflicted to Target HP, Special Effect, Freezing triggered, Target dies...]
[Grudge Curse: You do not have any skills or equipment to resist the Damage, 300 Damage inflicted to your HP, Moderately Wounded Status...]
[yer Killed: Shadow Strike]
[Treated as self-defense through authentication]
[Categorized as an Honor Kill]
[You will receive all the Points and Skill Points of the yer...]
[Total: 8,000 Points and 8 Skill Points]
[Received the yers house key]
[Granted the right to use the yers house]
[All the yers belongings have been returned to their house]
[Honor Kills: 4]
...
The battlelog notification that appeared shocked Kieran, Hanses and the others.
Kieran was shocked because the man was not who they had expected. It was not ck Hell Banning, but another killer.
Hanses and the others were shocked, as they hadnt known there were yers among the formless souls.
After a small dy, they all looked at Lawless, whose face was pale and dehydrated.
"Im fine, just a little exhausted! I think I have to find myself another weapon though!" Lawless replied with a smile and a wave of his hand. He pointed at the scrap of junk he was holding. That deformed piece of metal was what was left of the [Tekken-II].
"Now I know why youre so poor all the time! Your skills are really burning money, man!" Hanses said, his words filled with admiration.
Everyone present had witnessed what Lawless had done. His earlier attack had exceeded the range of normal yers, even veteran ones.
With such a terrifying power, it would be a piece of cake for anyone to clear seven or eight dungeons, although it had to have its restrictions.
"Wow, so youve reached a Supernova level now?" Ramont asked in awe.
Hanses and Raven did not object to hisment.
If Lawless could counter ck Hell Bannings attack, he himself must have simr strength. He had to be on par with the Supernovas.
When the ck veil above them dissipated, the sun shone down on them again, blessing them with warmth.
"Theres still a gap though."
Lawless shook his head under the warm sun and looked at Kieran.
"Thanks, man!" he said.
Even without Kierans aid, the sudden ambush would not have killed Lawless, but he would have suffered much heavier damage.
That was a cost Lawless could not afford after thatst attack. He had lost his main weapon after all.
If he lost any more equipment in the process, he would be back to square one in just one night.
"Remember to give me a 5%mision discount, and well be good! So, anyone here know Shadow Strike?" Kieran said in a joking tone, instantly getting serious when he mentioned the culprit.
"Shadow Strike? No, doesnt ring a bell." Lawless frowned, turning his attention to the rest of them.
Hanses and the others shook their heads as well.
"Thats odd. Why are so many strange names popping up and showing such formidable strength?" Hanses said curiously.
Raven and Ramont looked puzzled as well.
Nobian, Shielder, Correy, Shadow Strike, and Nightingale, the man who had kidnapped Coll, were all unfamiliar names to the veterans.
However, the killers were no newbies. If it had been just one or two, it might have been considered a coincidence, but they were alling one after the other.
It was too odd!
"Lets go then! The trail has gone cold here. Lets head back to the Harvest Inn before we make any more moves!" Lawless said. The others did not object.
After the sudden ambush by Banning, the other three veterans were like birds startled by the sound of a bow string. Even though Lawless had sessfully beaten Banning, he had lost his main weapon, so if Banning struck again, they would not be as lucky.
Kieran did not object either. He was still looking at Lawless with a puzzled expression.
He could feel that Lawless had noticed something, just like that time at Shameiken Square, when he had also noticed Lawless unusual behavior.
When Hanses had mentioned that strangers with formidable strength were popping up all over the ce, Kieran had seen Lawless draw in a breath before he quickly returned to normal.
The unusuality was too obvious to Kieran. If Hanses and the others had not been frightened, they would have noticed it as well.
"What he did discover?" Kieran asked himself silently after taking another look at Lawless. In the end, he chose not to say anything.
Lawless was his friend, so he would not press it any further. He was too afraid that it might hurt their rtionship.
Besides, Kieran believed Lawless would reveal everything at some point. All Kieran needed was a trigger.
He just had to wait patiently for that particr trigger to appear.
...
The five of them went back to the Harvest Inn without any further incidents.
Back at the inn, the other veterans were still waiting for them.
On the way back, Hanses had already informed them of their encounter. Therefore, as soon as the five of them entered the inn, the veterans that had stayed back started talking loudly.
"Is it really ck Hell Banning?"
"Damn it, I heard he was dead! Why would he appear again?"
"How could someone like him die so easily? Lawless really surprised me though!"
"Yeah, right! I knew you were strong, but I did not expect you to be as strong as the ten Supernovas!"
"He will be the eleventh Supernova! Firearm Hunter Lawless!"
"Firearm Hunter Lawless!"
...
After the veterans were done talking about Banning, the topic eventually shifted to Lawless. When one of the veterans raised his cup for a toast, the others joined him.
Rachel was smiling happily, watching her wine being consumed ss by ss. She was so delighted that she was humming some unfamiliar melody.
"You should join them!" she told Kieran, who was at the bar.
"Other than Lawless, I dont know anyone else all that well. I only know Hanses a bit, and Im not used to such merry situations!" Kieran shrugged her suggestion off in a light tone.
He did not want to hide his character at such ces.
However, when his light tone of speech lingered around and the [Crows ck Feather] texture shook a little, as if another mans face was covering Kierans blurry one, Rachel was startled.
"CROW?" she said out loud unconsciously.
"What?" Kieran was stunned by her sudden high-pitched voice.
"Um... Nothing." Rachel shook her head. Then she added in an odd tone, "Why is he here?"
"Who?" Kieran asked.
"Zorl. Do you know him?" Rachel said.
"Zorl? The bazaar auction registrar? Brokers right-hand man?" Kieran asked.
"Yeah. He said he knew where Coll was being held."
Rachels high-pitched voice pierced through the ce despite the merry, noisy atmosphere.
The whole inn suddenly went quiet.
Chapter 232: Working Together
Chapter 232: Working Together
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
After about 10 seconds, the inns door was pushed open.
"Good day, everyone!"
Registrar Zorl had entered.
Zorl greeted every veteran present politely. Despite the system blur on his face, his voice and manner of speech alone were enough for others to feel his smile.
Compared to the bazaar auction, where Zorl had been much more intimidating, now he seemed friendlier.
"Its a pleasure to visit your inn, Madam Rachel! And its an even bigger pleasure to meet you two here, Sir Lawless and Mr. 2567!" Zorl said with extreme politeness. The way he had addressed Rachel and Lawless was shocking.
Sir? Madam? That kind of speech wasmon only among natives. It was rare among yers.
Sometimes yers needed to blend in properly in a dungeon in order to aplish their mission, but when they left the dungeon, their manner of speech returned to normal.
Kieran was concerned about the way Zorl had addressed him, Rachel and Lawless.
Calling someone Sir was no doubt a term of respect, and calling them Mr. was basic manners.
Kieran was not jealous of that title, but he felt that it was rted to something else.
"Strength?" he guessed.
Zorl was Brokers right-hand man, so other than strength, Kieran could note up with any other reason that could cause Zorl to address Lawless and Rachel with such respect.
"Can we have a word over there?"
Zorl looked at Kieran and Lawless and pointed at a table in the corner.
Kieran turned his eyes to Lawless and saw him nod.
When Rachel had informed them of Zorls arrival, the two of them had gone over the matter.
Lawless would take the lead. Kieran knew how important he was.
If Kieran agreed to a trade under unclear circumstances, he would definitely be on the losing side, so why not let him take over?
Even the most stupid person in the room knew that Zorl was there because Broker would not reveal Colls location for free. He must have sent his man over for a reason.
Broker was a businessman, every veteran knew that. He was known for being an unscrupulous merchant after all.
"Spill it!" Lawless said as soon as he sat down.
"Im here because Mr. 2567 has acquired two Rare pieces of equipment. My boss is interested in them. He wants them to be the main attraction of the next auction."
Zorl did not try to hide the objective of his visit, but Kieran and Lawless were still surprised.
They were not surprised that Broker had heard about the two Rare pieces of equipment, but because, as Zorl was speaking, the two of them received a PM from Broker himself.
...
Monien: Im so sorry for contacting you this way.
Lawless: What the hell are u up to?
Monien: What am I up to? Im just being careful.
Monien: Those men who have appeared recently are too strange. You cant guarantee that they dont have a spy at the Harvest Inn, same as I could not guarantee that one of my men would not be there either.
Lawless: Did they attack you?"
Monien: What do you think? If they hadnt, why would we be having such an odd meeting?
...
"The killers have targeted Broker as well? How is this possible?"
Kieran shivered when he read the message.
From his perspective, the killers could target anyone in the game, but definitely not Broker!
Broker had a very high reputation among the veterans, both a bad and a good one. No matter what they thought of him though, no one could deny that Broker was a formidable force.
The secret bazaar was a good example.
Every time it opened, the Points and Skill Points trade was astronomical, and when the secret bazaar started its trading, Broker posted a fearsome squad of armed forces at its doors.
Kieran still remembered the three-meter tall fierceful robot called Jason, which had been equipped with a six-barrel heavy machine gun and a mobile cannon.
Kieran did not have even 30% confidence that he could fight Jason, and this was just a spection based on what Jason had shown.
Who knew what else he might be hiding under that tin head of his?
No one knew how many lethal weapons Jason carried with him.
More importantly, Kieran had also seen a smaller version of Jason inside the auction hall.
Maybe Broker had an army of robots like Jason under hismand.
The answer was obvious by the way Broker contracted yers to work for him. There had to be lots of powerful yers among them.
Considering the robots and the yers in his arsenal, it was easy to imagine how powerful his forces were.
Kieran did not believe that the killers would go after Broker, but Broker had no reason to lie either.
"They betrayed him even under the bindings of a contract?"
Kieran could only imagine how dangerous the ambush Broker had mentioned must have been.
He must have escaped narrowly with his life. No one could predict whether their teammates would backstab them.
The penalty for betrayal under a contract was death.
"Those killers are willing to throw their lives away?" Kieran drew in a cold breath.
It seemed like he had underestimated their resolution.
They would be scary enough for everyone if they did not fear death.
Once Kieran realized that hed have to face such enemies, he frowned hard. He did not panic though.
Panicking would not help solve the problem. Kieran forced himself to calm down and try toe up with a n.
He looked at the PMs again.
...
Lawless: Why are you really looking for us?
Monien: I want a coboration!
Monien: ording to my sources, one of their leaders is very interested in you and 2567!
Lawless: U want to use us as bait?
(Kieran, who was beside Lawless, could feel his anger. As soon as Broker typed the words, Lawless clenched his fists hard and tensed up. Broker, on the other side, kept typing casually.)
Monien: No, no, no, its a coboration!
Monien: A coboration with rewards!
Monien: I will pay you and 2567 generously. You can choose anything from my collection. Skill Books, items, equipment...
Monien: Dont worry, I only keep the best in my collection.
(Lawless did not reply immediately. He turned his eyes to Kieran, who was mumbling to himself. Of course he believed that Broker would only keep the best items for himself, but at the same time he understood how dangerous that coboration would be. If he acted as bait, the slightest misstep could cost him his life.)
2567: What is ur n?
...
Kieran replied for the first time in the chat.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Wish one day we can see Moniens truth strength
Chapter 233: Trading
Chapter 233: Trading
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Broker answered as soon as he read Kierans reply.
...
Monien: Its quite easy actually.
Monien: All you and Lawless need to do is reach the ce where those men are holding Coll.
2567: Coll is not in some yers room?
Monien: Of course not.
...
Kieran frowned. The answer he had gotten was quite different than what he had anticipated.
If Kieran had been the kidnapper and wanted to keep the hostage safe, he would have chosen his own yer lobby.
Unless...
"The killers want to lure us to that ce!" Kieran suddenly thought.
That thought made sense, as the killers were not holding Coll in a yers room, but they had still sent over a screenshot.
There was a high chance that Kieran and Lawless would get ambushed at Colls location.
"ck Hell Banning must not have been that close to the person who took Coll, or that Shadow Strike yer, who belonged to another group. Broker also mentioned that one of their leaders is interested in me and Lawless, so the killer organization might be big, but there must be different factions within it as well! The bounty on me and Lawless was open to all killers, but the different factionspeted against each other because of their different choices!"
Kierans mind spun quickly as he managed to answer some of his questions. Before he could catch a breath though, new doubts popped up again.
Brokers source of information was too urate. Broker might even have had one of his men infiltrate the killer organization as a double agent!
As Lawless and Zorl pretended to chat, Kieran texted back Broker to get more information on the subject without asking straightforwardly for it.
...
2567: R u sure?
Monien: Of course!
Monien: Otherwise, I would not be looking for you and Lawless!
Monien: I have sound information that one of their leaders is really interested in you two.
Monien: I think this is an opportunity for me to strike back at them.
Monien: It will also be an opportunity for you and Lawless.
Monien: You arent thinking about facing those crazy killers, who are ready to throw their lives away, are you?
...
Kieran did not reply right away, but he could not deny that Brokers words made some sense.
Of course Kieran did not wish to face those crazy killers alone, but this was no reason for him to agree to Moniens proposal.
Kieran still had his doubts about the "sound information" Monien was speaking of, but he was not going to ask directly. He knew that Broker would not answer any important questions, so he would need to confirm it via other channels, which would take more time.
...
2567: Lawless and I need to think about it.
Monien: That will not be a problem.
Monien: We still have sufficient time. Theres at least 7 hours to go till its optimal time for you to make your move.
Monien: Youll have plenty of time to think about it. Lawless too.
Monien: So about those Rare pieces of equipment... What do you want to trade them for?
...
"Seven hours? Such precise timing? The more Monien tries to hide things, the more he exposes himself. Or did he really send one of his men to infiltrate the killer organization?" Kieran thought. He was in awe of Brokers efficiency.
Meanwhile, when the topic took a sharp turn, he passed the lead back to Lawless.
Kieran believed that Lawless was much better at dealing in trade than a newbie like him.
Lawless did not disappoint him. He immediately demanded an exorbitant price from Broker.
...
Lawless: Alchemy, Potionology, Astrology, Research of Mystical Beings, 4 Skill Books in total.
Monien: ...
(The Broker instantly went silent as Lawless opened his mouth wide. After a few seconds, he replied.)
Monien: Are you joking?
Monien: Do you know how much Alchemy and Potionology are worth?
(Even though Broker was typing, Kieran could imagine how angry he had to be at being fooled around by Lawless.)
(Kieran understood. Both Potionology and Alchemy would be enough for Broker to use as leverage to control other yers. Of course he was angry.)
(Kieran knew what he had to do though. He watched Lawless argue with Monien quietly from the side.)
Lawless: Do u know how much that Rare equipment bundle is worth?
Lawless: Ur secret bazaar auction has only had 2 Rare pieces of equipment before, right?
Lawless: And each of them was sold for at least 100,000 Points, right?
Monien: This is different!
Monien: You dont know how many things Ive sacrificed for that particr auction!
Lawless: Its the same to me!
Lawless: I only saw how much u earned from that auction. As for your sacrifices?
Lawless: If you consider showing off with your eloquence sacrifice, then yeah, U REALLY SACRIFICED SOMETHING!
Monien: Youll never understand the art of speech!
Lawless: I only understand how much people will pay for a Rare equipment bundle!
Monien: ...
(The Broker did not argue about that, but he replied quickly.)
Monien: Potionology and Alchemy are currently out of stock.
Monien: I dont have Research of Mystical Beings or Astrology either.
Lawless: So what do you have?
Monien: Potion and Alchemy prescriptions!
Monien: These prescriptions are quite expensive. If you want to trade for them, youll need to reimburse me with some Points and Skill Points. I will ept other forms of payment as well.
...
It was Lawless turn to go silent.
The reason Potionology and Alchemy were so popr among yers was because of their inseparable rtionship with prescriptions that allowed yers to craft all sorts of potions and enchant all sorts of equipment.
Only with prescriptions could Potionology and Alchemy be effective.
Otherwise, they were just useless skills. Lawless knew very well that Broker was an unscrupulous businessman. He would not just trade off those prescriptions easily.
It would definitely cost them a hefty sum of Points and Skill Points.
As for other forms of payment, other than a team contract, Lawless could not think of anything else.
Such a decision involved the fundamental elements of a yer. Kieran might treat Lawless as a friend, but it was still not his right to make that decision.
Lawless passed the lead back to Kieran, and Kieran replied straightforwardly.
...
2567: I dont need prescriptions.
2567: If u dont have any of the mentioned Skill Books, then I want equipment or Skill Books of the same value.
Monien: Such as?
...
Brokers surprise was transferred perfectly through the words he typed.
Even Lawless was looking at Kieran with a shocked expression, but Kieran was cool as ice.
Without prescriptions, Alchemy and Potionology were just useless skills, but for the time being, Kieran needed useless skills.
He needed [Potionology], [Alchemy], [Astrology] and [Research of Mystical Beings] as a base for upgrading [Mystical Knowledge] to a higher level.
That was his short-term goal.
Besides, he was not short on [Potionology] prescriptions.
Broker was shocked by Kierans choice, but he did not refuse. From his perspective, prescriptions were much more valuable than equipment or Skill Books.
If they were in the hands of a Potionologist or Alchemist, they were like a hen thatid golden eggs.
Broker replied straightforwardly.
...
Monien: What kind of equipment or Skill Books do you seek?
2567: Im mastering kickingbat. What do you say?
Monien: I see... Hold on a moment please.
......
After a while, a screenshot of an orange Skill Book and a pair of boots of the same color were sent over to Kierans mailbox.
Chapter 234: Enough?
Chapter 234: Enough?
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
[Hundred Violent Kicks] and [Boots of Modii].
The screenshot showed the details of the items.
Every small detail regarding their attributes was included.
[Name: Boots of Modii]
[Type: Armor]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attack: Common]
[Defense: Strong]
[Attributes: Modii Sprint, Modii Jump]
[Effects: None]
[Prerequisites: None]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: Modii is not the fastest, but he runs the longest! Modii is not the highest jumper, but he always jumps a second time!]
...
[Modii Sprint: When you wear the Boots of Modii, -30% Stamina usage while walking, running, and jumping]
[Modii Jump: When activated, after the first jump, you can perform a second one in mid-air by consuming more Stamina, three times per day]
...
"Stamina saving? Jumping twice?"
Kieran frowned over the attributes.
Both of them were good. Their attack and defense was higher than his [Iron ming Boots], but Kierans precious elemental attack would be gone.
It would be bad news if he had to face a sea of formless souls without his ming kicks.
Although an elemental attack could bepensated for with other methods, such as [Holy Water VIII], it still would be a littlecklusterpared to the convenience of the elemental kicks.
Meanwhile, Broker started to promote his items via PMs.
...
Monien: How are they?
Monien: [Hundred Violent Kicks] can unleash powerful raging waves of energy to drown your opponent if it reaches its highest rank.
Monien: The [Boots of Modii]s stamina-saving attribute would also provide you with an extra surprise element during a crucial time.
Monien: The [Modii Jump]s double jump is an unexpected countermeasure as well.
...
Kieran did not reply to Brokers selling pitch. He just showed the screenshot to Lawless. He believed Lawless would know more about the items, not just the pros Broker had mentioned, but their cons as well.
Lawless answer was definitely not disappointing. After a quick nce at the screenshot, he replied.
...
Lawless: [Hundred Violent Kicks] could really drown your opponent with just one strike of raging wave energy.
Lawless: But that is when the skill is maxed-out, and the cost to max it out is not something any John Doe could afford!
Lawless: Plus, it has a lethal disadvantage. Whenever the skill is used, the user is immobilized for a while and turned into a shooting target!
Lawless: As far as the [Boots of Modii] are concerned, their attributes are not bad, but theyre only for normal yers. For 2567, who is mastering kickingbat, theyre far from enough!
(As Lawless stated all the cons of the items, Broker did not get angry. He just replied in an exnatory tone.)
Monien: Every equipment has its pros and cons, the most important element is the person who uses it!
Monien: I believe 2567 could take advantage of its full potential.
Monien: What do you say?
2567: We are making a deal here, not discussing users abilities.
2567: If we are including those though, then I must say that, judging by your reputation, I bet you could sell the [Rose Thorn] and the [Monolith Armor] for 10 times their normal price.
2567: So cut the crap and just give me five times their value.
(Kieran was not fooled by Brokers praise. When the matter at hand was rted to his benefit and rewards, Kieran had a clearer mind than anyone. He did not want to be regretting this move for a year.
The attitude of a stingy guy was something others could easily understand. Lawless praised Kierans counter offer and joined in the conversation.)
Lawless: Thats right, Broker! Just cut the crap and pay 2567 five times the items value!
Lawless: Its not much for you anyway!
Lawless: Just another four or five Skill Books with the same value as [Hundred Violent Kicks] will suffice!
Monien: Do you think Im an idiot?
Lawless: Do you think 2567 and I are?
...
The conversation that followed became even fiercer. It went on for 20 more minutes beforeing to an end.
Kieran traded the [Rose Thorn] and the [Monolith Armor] for the [Hundred Violent Kicks], the [Boots of Modii] and 10,000 Points.
"What an unpleasant trade this was!" Broker said, sealing the deal.
Meanwhile, Zorl also ended the endless chat that worked as a cover-up.
"It was nice doing business with you! Ill be looking forward to the next time! Goodbye, everyone!"
Zorl stood up and bid Kieran, Lawless and the others farewell.
However, most of the veterans gave him the cold shoulder, as they knew Kieran had alreadypleted a deal with him.
This made the veterans who had gone there for the [Rose Thorn] and the [Monolith Armor] a little unhappy, but that was to be expected.
Freedom was what all solo veterans thrived for. No one could stop Kieran from trading with whomever he wanted to, even if that was Broker.
Kieran frowned over the scene, not because he felt any empathy for Zorl, but because he was feeling suspicious about Brokers actions.
It seemed like Broker wanted to take a clear stand against the veterans.
That was a strange move, considering he was a businessman.
"What is he after?"
Kieran was baffled by that question, but that was not the only question he had about Broker.
He also had his doubts about the description of the killers he had provided.
Kieran PMed Lawless.
...
2567: What do you think about Brokers n?
Lawless: Its always hard to understand what that guy is saying.
Lawless: It might be true, or it might be false.
Lawless: He might really know where Coll is being held, but he might also be lying about the killers.
Lawless: This might even be a trap set up by Broker and the killers to get rid of you and me!
Lawless: Who knows?
Lawless: One thing is for sure though. He really knows where Coll is being held!
...
Kieran read Lawless reply and frowned hard. In the end, he sighed.
He could tell that Lawless would definitely go along with the n to save Coll, even though it had major disadvantages to it.
Broker was taking advantage of Lawless weakness.
"That bastard!"
Kieran understood why Lawless disliked Broker so much, as Broker knew Kierans weakness as well.
He knew Kieran would not let Lawless take that risk alone. Even if it was just to return the favor, he would definitely follow Lawless. If he didnt, he would lose sleep over it.
"Seven more hours left!" Kieran mumbled to himself.
There was immense danger looming around the corner, and the only way to ovee it was by getting stronger.
Coincidentally, Kierans single yer dungeon cooldown had been reset.
ording to the rules, no matter how much time he spent inside a dungeon, it would only equal to one hour in real life.
Kieran still had sufficient time to clear a dungeon. It was just that...
Would one single yer dungeon be enough?
Chapter 235: Suggestion
Chapter 235: Suggestion
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
"If one single yer dungeon is not enough, then what about a [Single yer Dungeon Cooldown Reset Card]?"
The consumable instantly popped up in Kierans mind.
He sent a PM to Hanses to ask about the cards avability. He got a reply soon.
...
2567: Have any [Single yer Dungeon Cooldown Reset Card]s?
Hanses: I think some guy I know has one, Ill ask for u.
Hanses: That thing is a chicken rib though, its value is near to nothing. What do u want it for?
2567: To join the ranks of the veterans faster!
Hanses: Oh...
...
Kieran brushed Hanses off with a joke. Without sufficient information, he could not afford to trust anyone other than Lawless.
Although Brokers words could not be fully trusted, he had mentioned that he couldnt guarantee the Harvest Inn did not contain one of his spies, which Kieran totally agreed with.
He squinted his eyes at the crowd of veterans yers in the inn.
"Are a couple of them spies for the killers? Or maybe a bunch of them?" he wondered.
Lawless clearly understood what Kieran was thinking about. He tapped Kieran on the shoulder and PMed him.
...
Lawless: Hanses and I found these fes here, 2567. U can trust them!
Lawless: Even if one of them became a spy for the killers, they must have their own reasons.
2567: If it wasnt for thatst part, I would trust them.
(Lawless took a nce at Kieran and shrugged helplessly. He could not do anything about it. Then suddenly he straightened up and messaged Kieran again. He seemed more serious this time.)
Lawless: 2567, did u notice something weird about me?
Lawless: I know I cant hide from u, u sharp bastard!
Lawless: A part of it is rted to private matters though...
Lawless: Ill tell u everything when this is over.
...
Lawless did not leave Kieran a chance to reply as he sent him a chain of messages.
Kieran was polite enough not to press the matter. Lawless was honest with him.
Kieran just nodded and switched the topic.
"I actually wanted to know something else. What are the Transcendence options for [Hand-to-Hand Combat], [Evading] and [Firearm Weapon, Light Firearm]?" Kieran asked out loud.
"Transcendence options? Youve already reached Transcendence? You are truly amazing!"
Lawless shook his head slightly in awe before borating.
"As far as [Hand-to-Hand Combat] is concerned, the options will match your previous Master option and give you an additional attribute enhancement. Since you chose Master of Kicks, the Transcendence option will be an additional attribute enhancement for kicking. In other words, it will allow you to attack beings in spirit form without relying on other supportive equipment, but it will drain your stamina faster! Of course, it will have an effect against normal beings as well!"
"[Evading] has two options. One is increasing your emergency response, and the other is confusing your enemies during a battle! [Firearm Weapon, Light Firearm] has two options as well. One is increasing your firing range, and the other is increasing bullet pration, which is simr to the long-range attack and armor pration effect!"
"So, whats your choice going to be?" Lawless asked after giving him all the details.
"I think it will be really hard for me to choose!" Kieran shook his head with a bitterugh.
The [Hand-to-Hand Combat] Transcendence option would grant his kicks an additional attribute enhancement, not only effective against spirit beings, but against normal beings as well.
It would be the perfect match for the [Boots of Modii], as it wouldpensate for theirck of elemental damage.
The [Evading]s emergency response increase also seemed very attractive to Kieran, and so did the [Firearm Weapon, Light Firearm]s bullet pration options.
As for [de Kick], its Powerful attacking range was enough to make it a good choice.
Although [Wild Soul] and [Wilcos Grudge] could also achieve a simr range of attack, or an even better one, Kieran had to take a risk if he used them.
When facing powerful enemies, even the slightest misstep could cost him his life.
Master Level [de Kick] was much safer.
"What should I choose?"
Kieran fell into the abyss of the dilemma.
"Want some professional advice from the greatest veteran yer ever?" Lawless said in a joking tone.
"Please!" Kieran replied immediately.
"Choose basic rank skills! Remember the attributes limitation! When you level up skills, the rted attributes increase, but a lot of attributes are capped because of their skill type, so theyre unable to be upgraded any further! However, when a skill reaches Transcendence, its attributes increase anyway!" Lawless said straightforwardly.
"They will definitely increase? Despite the cap?" Kieran asked.
"How would it be possible without a cap? If there wasnt a cap, why would I suggest that you pick the basic rank skills? The answer is B! Only attributes below B rank can increase! If your attributes are higher than B, you will waste your chance!" Lawless said after shaking his head.
"I see... Thanks!" Kieran nodded slowly in answer.
He was grateful for the information Lawless had given him. If it wasnt for him, he might really have wasted a golden opportunity and cost himself some Golden Skill Points as well.
"No worries! Were friends, right? This was friendly advice!" Lawless said with augh.
"Well, since we are such good friends, you wont mind helping me sell some more items, right?"
"The Shadow Strike yer?" Lawless quickly understood what Kieran was hinting at.
"Yes, there might be some unexpected rewards there as well!" Kieran said.
...
However, contrary to Kierans expectations, there was nothing much.
Kieran and Lawless went over to Shadow Strikes room, but the equipment there was not very valuable.
All his stuff had to cost 12,000 Points at most.
"So Shadow Strikes ability to turn into a spirit was a skill? Bummer!" Lawless shook his head.
"Yeah, I know!" Kieran sighed as well.
The skill must have been at least Rare Rank to be able to turn a yer into a spirit. If it had been a piece of equipment, it would have to be Rare as well.
Kieran quickly recollected his thoughts.
He knew he needed to face the next dungeon soon. If he was distracted when he entered it, it could be lethal for him.
Even if his strength exceeded the dungeon difficulty, it might still be dangerous.
Flipping a boat in a drain, Kieran had heard so much about simr stories.
If he could he would like to leave it as stories and not be one of the protagonists in them.
Following Lawless and Hanses advice, he tried to prepare his best before entering the dungeon.
"I need a polearm weapon and a bow weapon Basic Level Skill Book. I also need a longsting spear and a bow! If I find even better ones, I wont mind! I need some [Holy Water VIII] and a couple of potions as well! After deducting the cost of the [Piercing Spear] from the [Sharp Stinger], the remaining funds should be enough to cover it! Oh yeah! You also have to help me sell the [Iron ming Boots]! Im in a hurry!" he said.
"Leave it to me! Ill take some more topensate myself!" Lawless said jokingly.
The two of them parted ways afterwards. Kieran went back to 13th Wallway Street carefully.
Nothing happened on the way there. No spies, no ambushes. Kieran was not happy about it though, as the next time the killers struck, they would only be fiercer and more ruthless than before.
"Bring it on then! Let me see what youve got! Lets see who will win in the end!"
After mumbling to himself in encouragement, Kieran opened his basic skills upgrading options window.
Chapter 236: Preparation (2 in 1)
Chapter 236: Preparation (2 in 1)
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
[Hand-to-Hand Combat] Musou to Transcendence, costs 45,000 Points, 1 Golden Skill Point, Yes/No?]
Kieran opened up the [Hand-to-Hand Combat] upgrading options and nced at his points tab.
[Points: 45,000; Skill Points: 26; Golden Skill Points: 2; Golden Attribute Points: 4]
"My points are just enough to upgrade [Hand-to-Hand Combat]. I think I need to trade Skill Points for Points to upgrade [Evading] or [Firearm Weapon, Light Firearm]. The [Hundred Violent Kicks] though..."
Kieran looked at the Rare Skill Book next to him and could not help but frown.
He had a simr experience with [de Kick], so he knew how much it would cost to upgrade the Rare Rank skill to a proper level for actualbat use.
[de Kick] had cost 12,000 Points and 24 Skill Points to upgrade from Master to Pro Level.
Although the [Hundred Violent Kicks] were no [de Kick], the difference could not be that big.
"Even with Lawlesspensation, theres still a big gap to fill! Plus, there are also two more Basic Level skills to learn! I dont have enough!" Kieran mumbled.
That still did not stop him from leveling up [Hand-to-Hand Combat] though.
[Skill upgraded to Transcendence, Additional Transcendence option unlocked.]
[Transcendence Kicks: After a lot of harsh training, cultivation and battle experience, your kicks have exceeded the limits of mortal men. You gain +1 Attack Level against any kind of spirit. (Base Attack notwithstanding, +1 Attack Level); you gain +1 Attack Level against normal beings (Base Attack included). Consumes more Stamina when you unleash your kicks]
[Name: Hand-to-Hand Combat (Transcendence)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Offensive]
[Effects: Your punches and kicks are your best weapon, Increases Damage by 60%]
[Special Effects: Transcendence Combat Kicks (When you strike with your feet, they temporarily grant you +4 Strength and Agility)]
[Transcendence Kicks: After a lot of harsh training, cultivation and battle experience, your kicks have exceeded the limits of mortal men. You gain +1 Attack Level against any kind of spirit. (Base Attack notwithstanding, +1 Attack Level); you gain +1 Attack Level against normal beings (Base Attack included). Consumes more Stamina when you unleash your kicks]
[Consumes: Stamina]
[Prerequisites: Strength D+, Agility D+, Constitution D+]
[Remarks: Your kicks are legendary!]
...
[Hand-to-Hand Combat leveled up, Rted attributes increasing...]
[Strength C C+]
[Agility C C+]
[Constitution C- C]
[Note: Skill is maxed-out!]
...
A warm stream filled Kierans body and gathered around his legs after a while.
Then the warmth turned into a burning sensation, as if Kierans legs were burning on the inside.
The pain made him growl.
After the [Secondary Elemental Damage Resistance]s lesson though, the pain was not unexpected this time.
Quite the opposite, Kieran savored the burning sensation that seeped into his muscles and bones.
With every breath he took, his muscles grew bigger and his bones grew tougher.
After a few breaths, small bulges and press marks started appearing on his skin, as if some invisible man was pressing his thumb hard against Kierans legs.
The motion went on with a pressing, stinging sensation, as if a dozen worms were crawling under the skin of his legs.
"What is this?"
Kieran widened his eyes at the sudden change on his legs.
The pressing, bulging motion went on as he breathed. To normal people, it would just seem like an amazing muscle enchantment, but with his Master Level [Mystical Knowledge], Kieran knew it had a different meaning.
"Magic circle runes?"
Although he could not confirm the meaning behind it, the pattern the bulging, pressing motion formed was that of a magic circle.
It was different than those drawn on the ground though. It appeared differently on his legs.
"Transcendence..." Kieran mumbled softly.
He had some guesses, but he was not sure.
Why would [Undercover] not feature such a change?
Kieran was sure that [Undercover] did indeed feature changes, butpared to [Hand-to-Hand Combat], [Undercover]s changes were far more mysterious, to the extent that not even he was able to notice them.
Or wasnt he?
"Could it be in conjunction with [Hand-to-Hand Combat]?" he thought. He was still unable toe up with an answer though.
The burning sensationsted for a couple of seconds before it quickly cooled down. It did not dissipate like before. Instead, it was infused into Kierans leg.
Kieran took a deep breath and suddenly jumped up.
Heunched a barrage of kicks in mid-air. Every kick produced a powerful wind.
In the end, a half-moon qi energy wave was sted downwards.
Bang!
A deep, wide crack was formed on the floor of Kierans room. It was as wide as a grown mans palm.
"This is already over Strong! Transcendence kickingbat boosted my Strength and Agility by four ranks, which means I could achieve at least an A- rank with my current setup! Combined with the [Barsical Kick]s [Bide] and [de Kick], it couldpensate for myck of attack and even surpass the original attack! If [de Kick] could reach Grand Master..."
Kieran was excited once he thought of the potential power of his attack. He quickly calmed down and faced reality though.
His Golden Skill Points were not enough to upgrade [de Kick], and the restrictions of the basic skills and their attributes were clear enough for him to n his next move.
The rarity of the attributes was self-exnatory.
Not only were the attributes directly rted to the yers fundamental body constitution, but they were also the base for learning other skills. Every element was connected in a big circle.
If that circle was broken, the yers growth system would go out of control and give the yer a huge disadvantage.
With that in mind, Kieran opened up the second skill he wanted to upgrade, [Firearm Weapon, Light Firearm].
He had chosen [Firearm Weapon, Light Firearm] over [Evading], because the former had more rted attributes.
Kieran took 10 Skill Points and asked Lawless to trade them for Points.
Then he resumed upgrading.
[Skill upgraded to Transcendence, Additional Transcendence option unlocked.]
[A: Bullets of Conviction I (You filled your bullets with beliefs, Bullet range increased, simr to Long Range Lvl 2)]
[B: Bullets of Conviction II (You filled your bullets with beliefs, Bullet pration power increased, simr to Armor Pration Lvl 1)]
"B!" Kieran said out loud. Compared to a longer attacking range, breaking through a targets armor was more important to him. No matter how long his shooting range was, it would be useless if the bullet could not pierce through the targets protective gear.
[Name: Firearm Weapon, Light Firearm (Transcendence)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Constitution, Intuition]
[Skill Type: Offensive]
[Effects: You know how to use a handgun, rifle, revolver, assault rifle, submachine gun and sniper rifle better, Increases Damage by 80%]
[Special Effects: Unparalleled Aim (When you aim at your Target, +4 Intuition Effect, Small chance of triggering Critical Rate)]
[Critical Rate: When you hit the Targets weak points, you have a bigger chance of dealing double Damage]
[Transcendence Option: Bullets of Conviction II (You filled your bullets with beliefs, Bullet pration power increased, simr to Armor Pration Lvl 1)
[Consumes: Stamina]
[Prerequisites: Strength D, Constitution D, Intuition D+]
[Remarks: Your bullets will scare anyone you fire at!]
...
[Firearm Weapon (Light Firearm) leveled up, Rted attributes increasing...]
[Strength C+ B-]
[Constitution C C+]
[Intuition C C+]
[Note: Skill is maxed-out!]
...
Just like during upgrading [Undercover] to Transcendence, Kieran did not feel the pain he had felt during the [Hand-to-Hand Combat] upgrade. The knowledge synchronization process still went on as usual though.
When the process ended, Lawless PMed Kieran with a trade request.
...
Lawless: I sold all the stuff u gave me and bought [Holy Water VIII] and some other equipment, and theres still 18,000 Points left.
Lawless: [Sharp Stinger] got sold at a good price.
Lawless: The [Iron ming Boots] were sold at an average 3,000 Points and 1 Skill Point.
Lawless: A total of 21,000 Points and 1 Skill Point, with 5%mission.
Lawless: Ill trade u the items and the Points together. Have a look at them.
...
"21,000 Points and 1 Skill Point?"
Kieran was in shock over the sum. It was more than he had expected.
He epted the trade doubtfully.
He instantly got 21,000 Points and 1 Skill Point, four tubes of [Holy Water VIII], two [Soothing Potion]s, a long spear, a long bow, two Skill Books and a checklist of everything.
Kieran went over the checklist, which was listed in the details of every transaction. Lawless had made it on his behalf.
The [Holy Water VIII] had cost 1,500 Points per tube, and the [Soothing Potion] had cost 3,000 Points per tube with a friendly discount.
Even though it was discounted, the potions had still cost Kieran 12,000 Points.
The Points the other items had cost added up together did not even reach half the sum the potions had cost.
The two Basic Rank Skill Books had cost 3,000 Points in total, and Lawless had mentioned that if Kieran was willing to wait, he could even get them at a better price.
Kieran was not surprised by that. What had surprised him was the long spear and the long bows prices.
The long spear had cost 500 Points.
"Spear type weapons are quite umon among yers, so theyre cheaper!" Lawless had written down on the checklist.
Below thement was the price of the [Piercing Spear]. It was a little lower than Kieran had expected, but still within range. It was Magical Rank equipment after all.
As far as the long bow was concerned, Kieran had requested one with higher durability that wasnt Magical Rank equipment. It had cost 1,000 Points ande with 12 arrows.
After Kieran put the potions in his [Potionologist Waist Bag], he turned his eyes to the spear and the bow.
[Name: Infantry Spear]
[Type: Polearm Weapon]
[Rarity: Great]
[Attack: Weak]
[Attributes: None]
[Effects: None]
[Prerequisites: None]
[Remarks: This is a great standard-issue piece of equipment!]
...
[Name: Hunters Bow]
[Type: Bow Weapon]
[Rarity: Great]
[Attack: Weak]
[Attributes: None]
[Effects: None]
[Prerequisites: None]
[Remarks: Every hunters favorite! It has been crafted from the bestminated yew wood!]
...
Just as Kieran had requested, other than its high rarity, there was nothing special about the equipment. This was enough for him for the time being.
He had insufficient Points to get better equipment after all those upgrades.
[Points: 21,000; Skill Points: 17; Golden Skill Points: 0; Golden Attribute Points: 4]
Kieran nced at his remaining points and then picked up the two Skill Books.
[Discovered Skill Book: Sharp Weapon, Polearm]
[Prerequisites met, Learn? Yes/No]
"Yes!
[Skill Learned: Sharp Weapon, Polearm]
[Name: Sharp Weapon, Polearm (Basic)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Offensive]
[Effects: You know how to use a spear,nce, and all sorts of polearm weapons, Increases Damage by 10%]
[Consumes: Stamina]
[Prerequisites: Strength F, Agility F, Constitution F]
[Remarks: This is the result of peasant training camp after three months.]
...
[Discovered Skill Book: Sharp Weapon, Bow]
[Prerequisites met, Learn? Yes/No]
"Yes!"
[Skill Learned: Sharp Weapon, Bow]
[Name: Sharp Weapon, Bow (Basic)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Agility, Intuition]
[Skill Type: Offensive]
[Effects: You know how to use bow type weapons, Increases Damage by 10%]
[Consumes: Stamina]
[Prerequisites: Strength F, Agility F, Constitution F+]
[Remarks: At least you wont hurt yourself with the bow string!]
...
ording to Kierans experience, upgrading the two Basic Rank skills to Entry would cost 200 Points each, and upgrading them from Entry to Master would cost 1,000 Points and 1 Skill Points each.
Upgrading them from Master to Pro would cost 3,000 Points and 2 Skill Points, and upgrading them from Pro to Grand Master would cost 6,000 Points and 4 Skill Points.
Kierans 21,000 Points and 17 Skill Points would be more than enough.
That was without the Rare Rank skill [Hundred Violent Kicks] though.
Kieran picked up thest Skill Book and confirmed the Points and Skill Points it required.
[Discovered Skill Book: Hundred Violent Kicks]
[Prerequisites met, Learn? Yes/No]
"Yes."
[Skill Learned: Hundred Violent Kicks]
[Name: Hundred Violent Kicks (Basic)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Offensive]
[Effects: Use your left or right leg to unleash an indistinguishable barrage of kicks with 75% Strength at a 90 angle with 125% attack speed, Consumes 100 Stamina per second, Cooldown 10 minutes]
[Consumes: Stamina]
[Prerequisites: (Hand-to-Hand Combat, Master of Kicks) (Master), Strength D-, Agility D-, Constitution D-]
[Remarks: If you sacrifice your attack and mobility in exchange for lightning speed kicks, the power of your kicks will drown your opponent!]
...
When the synchronization process was over, Kieran could not wait to open the upgrading options for [Hundred Violent Kicks]. Upgrading it from Basic to Entry would only cost him 400 Points and 2 Skill Points.
Compared to [de Kick], it was 100 Points lower, but the Skill Point cost was the same.
"If thats the case, if I want to level up [Hundred Violent Kicks] to Master, Ill need at least 8 Skill Points! Then for Pro..." Kieran started specting after upgrading it.
[Name: Hundred Violent Kicks (Master)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Offensive]
[Effects: Use your left or right leg to unleash an indistinguishable barrage of kicks with 65% Strength at a 110angle with 175% attack speed, Consumes 150 Stamina per second, Cooldown 9 minutes]
[Special Effects: Phantasm Mirage (A mirage of your form will appear during your lightning barrage kicks. The mirage will not attack.]
[Consumes: Stamina]
[Prerequisites: (Hand-to-Hand Combat, Master of Kicks) (Pro), Strength D+, Agility D+, Constitution D+]
[Remarks: If you sacrifice your attack and mobility in exchange for lightning speed kicks, the power of your kicks will drown your opponent!]
...
[Strength has reached the capped limit, Unable to level up any further]
[Agility has reached the capped limit, Unable to level up any further]
[Constitution has reached the capped limit, Unable to level up any further]
...
[Hundred Violent Kicks] cost 1,500 Points and 6 Skill Points to upgrade from Entry to Master, and 10,000 Points and 24 Skill Points to upgrade from Master to Pro.
It was impossible for Kieran to level it up any further with his 19,100 Points and 9 Skill Points.
The only choice he had was upgrading one of his other Basic Rank skills, [Sharp Weapon, Spear] or [Sharp Weapon, Bow].
"I have enough to upgrade either one to Master!"
Kieran scanned them over and quickly made a decision.
[Sharp Weapon, Bow]!
Since he had [Hand-to-Hand Combat], [Barsical Kick], [de Kick] and the newly added [Hundred Violent Kicks], meleebat was not a problem for him anymore.
Range was his weakness. If he entered a dungeon with firearm restrictions, that weakness would be enhanced indefinitely. That was the reason behind his choice.
[Name: Sharp Weapon, Bow (Grand Master)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Agility, Intuition]
[Skill Type: Offensive]
[Effects: You know how to use bow type weapons, Increases Damage by 50%]
[Special Effects: Grand Master Reload (When you reload an arrow, +3 Agility temporarily)]
[Consumes: Stamina]
[Prerequisites: Strength E, Agility E, Intuition E+]
[Remarks: You are the master of sharpshooters!]
...
[Sharp Weapon, Bow leveled up, Rted attributes increasing...]
[Strength has reached the capped limit, Unable to level up any further]
[Agility has reached the capped limit, Unable to level up any further]
[Intuition has reached the capped limit, Unable to level up any further]
......
It would cost a total of 10,200 Points and 7 Skill Points to upgrade [Sharp Weapon, Bow] to Master.
Kieran only had 8,900 Points and 2 Skill Points left. If he forked out another 3,000 Points in exchange for 1 Skill Point, it would be enough for him to upgrade [Sharp Weapon, Polearm] to Pro.
Kieran did not even hesitate for a second. He loved turning Points into physical strength.
[Name: Sharp Weapon, Polearm (Pro)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Offensive]
[Effects: You know how to use a spear,nce, and all sorts of polearm weapons, Increases Damage by 40%]
[Special Effects: Pro Spearman (When equipped with a Spear, Damaged increased by 20%)]
[Consumes: Stamina]
[Prerequisites: Strength E-, Agility E-, Constitution E-]
[Remarks: You could work as abat trainer at a military camp!]
...
[Sharp Weapon, Polearm leveled up, Rted attributes increasing...]
[Strength has reached the capped limit, Unable to level up any further]
[Agility has reached the capped limit, Unable to level up any further]
[Constitution has reached the capped limit, Unable to level up any further]
...
After spending another 4,200 Points and 3 Skill Points, Kieran had only 1,700 Points left.
He had chosen [Sharp Weapon, Bow]s Grand Master effect to be [Grand Master Reload], because he figured that bows and automated weapons were different, and he had picked [Pro Spearman] from [Sharp Weapon, Polearm]s Pro Level only because he had a corresponding weapon.
After another thorough check, Kieran went offline to get some rest and clean himself up.
After an hour of taking care of real life business, he went back to the game lobby and started his next single yer dungeon run.
"Enter Single yer Dungeon!"
He saw the familiar words and heard that mechanical voice again.
Chapter 237: Reputation
Chapter 237: Reputation
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
[Entering Single yer Dungeon...]
[Difficulty: Fourth Dungeon]
[Background: Professor Herbert is preparing for an archeological excavation in the ancient city of Isogu. He has heard about your skills and reputation, so he invited you to join his team as a bodyguard. ]
[Main Mission: Explore at least 20% of the ancient city of Isogu in 4 weeks.]
[Temporarynguage pack, disappears upon exiting the dungeon.]
[Clothing, backpack, weapons, items, and attributes remain unchanged, Temporarily changed appearance, disappears upon exiting the dungeon.]
[Inspecting firearms and grenades... Weapons do not match the current year, Damage reduced by 50%, Handgun Reloading Speed +1 seconds, Sniper Reloading Speed +30 seconds]
[Hint 1: This is your fourth official dungeon. You can fail the Main Mission, but you will have to pay 400 Points as a penalty, and your highest attributes will drop by 1. If your points are insufficient, the system will deduct from your equipment. If your equipment is insufficient, you will fail.]
...
The blinding light faded off soon.
Kieran carefully scanned the room he was in. There was a square window on his left made of wood and nails.
It was wide open at the moment, the sunset light pouring in and warming up the room, which was only about 10 square feet.
The room was only meant to amodate one person. There was a single bed, a bedside table, and a closet. That was all.
Kierans backpack was leaning against the closet. He went over to check, but nothing was missing.
On the bedside table, there was a newspaper and a half-burnt candle.
"No electricity? Maybe it hasnt been discovered yet?"
Kieran nced at the candle and picked up the newspaper.
Burgle City Morning News, July 22nd, T1891.
The front page told him where he was and what year it was.
He went through the rest of the newspaper in hopes of finding more clues.
Other than tons of useless information, he also found some valuable leads.
"Gold found in the ancient city of Isogu again"
"Gold rush sweeps again"
"Professor Herbert insists on exploring Isogu City"
"Herbert is looking for a bodyguard to escort him"
...
Kieran got two different pieces of information from the titles.
One, gold had been found in Isogu City, attracting lots of attention.
Two, Professor Herbert was recruiting many people for his excavation.
Kieran was concerned about the details though.
"A bodyguard? What about my reputation?"
Kieran sat on the single bed and opened up his character stats window.
[Reputation: 10]
No doubt this dungeon had been affected by his umted reputation.
"Is this a better way to blend in inside the dungeon?"
Kieran took another nce at the hiring information. Obviously, without his reputation, he would have needed topete with many other natives in order to get the job.
If he didnt get it, he wouldnt necessarily fail the Main Mission though.
Kierans Main Mission this time was to explore at least 20% of Isogu City in 4 weeks. It did not specify who Kieran had to be with during the exploration. He could even go alone if he wanted.
Therefore, if he didnt get the job, it would not affect the Main Mission. It would just slow down his progress a lot.
Considering that Kieran had only been given a brief memory of his identity and no further information about the dungeons history, characters or geographical terrain, exploring 20% of Isogu City would be extremely hard.
Maybe the temporarynguage pack of the system included the ancientnguage of the city, but based on what Kieran had been through before, that was not likely.
Of course, this would not stop Kieran, who had already joined Herberts team, from exploring more of Isogu City and the dungeon itself.
However, he also had another question.
"Will Isogu City be rted to [Mystical Knowledge]?"
It was a wild guess with no foundation. It was not even his intuition speaking.
It might only be a hunch, but if there was any chance for Kieran to upgrade his [Mystical Knowledge], he would not pass it up.
He picked up his backpack and went out of the room, heading downstairs.
Based on the limited information he had, he did not know whether there was a public library in the area. If Herbert was a Professor though, he had to have some books with him.
That would be enough for Kieran for the time being.
However, the number of the books exceeded his expectations.
Compared to the guest room on the second floor, the first floor was mostly upied by Herberts books and a small foyer.
The foyer was only a little biggerpared to the guest room Kieran was staying in.
It could only fit about six to seven people. If there were any more than that, the guests would have to stand in the narrow corridor next to the foyer.
The corridor was not even wide enough for two people to walk through together. One would need to stand aside for the second person to cross it.
Thats what Kieran concluded after a brief look at the ce.
Despite the terribly tight space, Herbert had still upied most of the room with his books.
If there was any upside, it was that no one would ever get lost in that house.
That house was a blessing for people with a bad sense of direction.
Herberts study was on the other end of the corridor.
The door was not shut tight, so the conversation going on inside could be heard from afar.
As Kieran came down the stairs, he picked up the sounds with his exceptional hearing.
They only became clearer as he approached the study.
"Get out! Gangsters and robbers are not wee here!" a slightly old voice filled with power said.
"Gangsters? Robbers? We are here for the bodyguard position! Did you not put an ad in the paper, great Professor Herbert?" a younger voice full of mockery asked back.
"Yes, I did, but I am recruiting bodyguards! Real bodyguards! Not some ckmailing, robbing, crimemitting scumbags! Now get out before I call the police!"
The older voice turned out to belong to Professor Herbert. He was warning the other person, but his warning did not seem to have any effect. In fact, a delightedugh was heard from the other man.
"The police? Your ce is quite far from the police station! How many of your bones do you think I could break by the time the police gets here?" the man said in a threatening tone.
"Even if you broke all my bones, I still wouldnt hire you people!"
Herbert did not back off. He faced the men heads-on.
"So you dont even care about the archeological exploration of Isogu City anymore? Were talking about gold here!"
After threatening him, the man tried to tempt him.
"The exploration is not about gold! And thats not a reason for me to cooperate with scum like you! No matter how many bones you break, I wont give you a cent!"
No threat or temptation could break Professor Herbert.
He instantly made a good impression on Kieran.
Kieran was worried that those scumbags would get agitated and cause unwanted harm to Professor Herbert and affect his Main Mission progress, so he quickly stepped in.
He raised his hand and knocked on the slightly open door twice.
Then he pushed the door open.
Chapter 238: A Very Wild Guess
Chapter 238: A Very Wild Guess
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The moment Kieran pushed the door open, he attracted everyones attention in the room.
There were three badly-dressed, vicious-looking men standing in the middle of the study. Opposite them was a white-haired man.
The old man was sitting behind a desk, a pair of spectacles hanging in front of his chest.
When he saw Kierane in, he instinctively tried to stand up and say something, but someone interrupted him.
"Who are you? It might be best for you not to interfere in our business!" the most buff man out of the three said in a threatening tone as he inspected Kieran.
In Kierans eyes, the man was just intimidating on the outside.
He might have looked big in size, but there was not a single callus on his hands, palms or fingers.
When Kieran entered the room, the three men hadnt moved from their spots, and even now they were still facing him with their sides turned towards him.
Every sign pointed at those three being amateurs who only relied on their size to bully normal people.
As he recalled what Herbert had said about the men, Kieran got a general idea.
He did not stop. He ignored the guys empty threat and walked up to Herbert right away.
"You bastard! Ill show you how powerful big Oli is!"
The big guy opened his mouth again before the three of them threw themselves at Kieran.
"Be careful!" Herbert warned Kieran in a loud voice.
Before the elderly schr could finish his sentence though, the three men who had charged at Kieran had already flown backwards and crashed against the wall.
Bang!
The heavy crash made the wall tremble slightly, and a couple of books from the bookcase dropped on them.
The three men were knocked out instantly after getting hit.
The whole fight was over in a sh.
Herbert could not evenprehend what had happened, even though he had great experience and vast knowledge. He was looking at Kieran in awe.
Under Herberts watchful gaze, Kieran went over and picked up the books, cing them back on the shelves.
Although he had tried his hardest to control the strength and angle of his kicks and had avoided hitting the bookcase directly, he had not been able to stop the wall from trembling.
After he returned the books to their original ce, he turned around and smiled at Herbert.
"I know the expedition hasnt started yet, but you dont mind me fulfilling my bodyguard duties, right?" Kieran said slowly, adjusting his tone to the simple memories the system provided.
"Of course! Pierre is not here, so you being here really helped me! If you hadnt interfered, I think I might have suffered some broken bones!" Herbert said jokingly.
He was not as strict as the average schr, but the thick books and notes around the premises showed that he was worthy of the title.
Kieran was more concerned about that Pierre he had mentioned.
ording to his memories, Pierre was Herberts butler, bodyguard and chef. He was a very reliable person who took care of Herberts everyday needs in an orderly manner.
In other words, he would definitely have been around Herbert, unless something more important had happened.
"Can I ask where Pierre is?" Kieran asked casually.
"Well, I had to raise more funds for the Isogu City expedition, and the Herl City local government was willing to donate some funds, so I sent Pierre on my behalf. If I had a spare second, I would definitely have gone myself. The expedition funds are too important to me!" Herbert said before taking a few breaths.
"Not only are they necessary to acquire all sorts of tools and equipment, but I also need them for the sries of the bodyguards! As a matter of fact, Ive sent out invitations to many famous bounty hunters and mercenaries, but other than you, no one else has epted my offer! My only choice was to publish an ad in the newspaper!" Herbert told Kieran.
Kierans actions had obviously won his trust.
"I see..." Kieran nodded, his mind flooding with questions.
"Its such a coincidence! Pierre just left and those guys appeared! The newspaper ad was only published this morning, so it should have taken a day or two for the news to spread! It shouldnt have spread this fast!"
Kieran nced at the knocked-out trio and took another look at their clothes.
He doubted those men were illiterate.
If they had been, they would not have been able to read the newspaper.
If a timely coincidence was ruled out, only one possibility was left.
"These guys knew Pierres schedule and all his future ns as well..."
Kieran squinted as more questions popped up in his mind.
"Herbert, before the policemen arrive, I want to ask them some questions. Id also like toe to your study to read before we leave. Would that be okay?" Kieran asked.
"Of course! We need to call this in for the police toe though. A couple of my students will be back after dark to help us contact the station, so you have plenty of time to yourself now!" Herbert did not reject Kierans suggestion. He just gave him a reminder.
He was no fool either. He was a schr after all, so he had his own doubts about the timely appearance of those men.
Kieran nodded and walked over to the trio.
...
The basement was a storage room for winter supplies, rations, vegetables and dry food. Kieran had to modify it into an interrogation room.
He tied the three mens hands and ankles with a two-finger thick rope, as if they were livestock.
A pail of cold water was sshed at them.
"Sh*t! Who is this?"
"Who the f*ck is it?"
"I will knock all your teeth out!"
The ssh of cold water had woken the three of them up.
Confused, they started cursing right away. When they saw Kieran in front them though, they suddenly went quiet. They still had a fresh memory of what had happened.
They had been knocked out without even reacting. Even if they were idiots, theyd still know Kieran was not someone to mess around with. Thankfully, they were no idiots.
"Talk! Who sent you?" Kieran said coldly.
The three of them exchanged a nce and fell into silence.
"So there is really something fishy here!" Kieran thought to himself.
The three of them didnt speak, but their manner and expressions betrayed them.
That was enough for Kieran. It would not be hard for him to make them talk.
They did not look like tough guys after all.
Just as Kieran was ready to start his questioning, a loud explosion came from above and a fierce tremble shook the whole basement.
Herbert!
Kierans heart suddenly skipped a beat.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Merry Christmas! (Well it is on my timezone...
Extra chapter for all!
Chapter 239: The Guardians
Chapter 239: The Guardians
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Kieran did not make his move right away, even though he was worried about Herbert.
He saw the three men turn pale from shock, panicking over the sudden explosion.
This was like luring a tiger out of its den!
The tactical strategy instantly popped up in Kierans mind.
"These three fes seem to be worth more than they look. Maybe things havent gone southpletely yet!"
Kierans heart beat fast as he hurled the spear in his hand at the thick rope.
The three men shouted out in shock as they fell. Kieran caught them easily and quickly walked up the stairs.
His Strength had reached B-, so he could carry even more weight and sprint without a problem.
The only concerning matter was his Stamina consumption.
Bang!
The underground door was smashed off by his spear, flying straight towards the burning wall opposite it.
A heatwave assaulted them instantly. The three men started struggling because of the sudden heat, but Kieran did not feel anything.
The burning heatwave before him was like a small breeze caressing his face. Even if he put his palm over the fire, he would not get hurt.
[Secondary Elemental Damage Resistance] was much more useful than it sounded.
Kieran scanned the dancing mes.
Common sense told him that there would not be any more ambushes, but special circumstances could not be predicted bymon sense.
After a couple of dungeons, Kieransmon sense had been reced by vignce.
"Theres no one inside the building or outside it!"
Finally, after a few seconds of scanning the area, Kieran was certain that it was safe. Doubts quickly started filling his mind again though.
The situation before him was the perfect chance for an ambush, but he had no time to spare while mes burned through the walls.
Although [Secondary Elemental Damage Resistance] granted him immunity against fire, if the structure copsed, he would still suffer significant damage.
Kieran grabbed the trio, who had passed out again because of the heatwave, and dashed up the stairs and right through the window.
He broke the window andnded safely on his feet.
He was shocked to see Herbert lying on the ground unconscious.
"Huh? Whats going on?" Kieran was stunned.
Herbert had unexpectedly appeared outside the premises.
Kieran had thought that the mens boss would kidnap Herbert in exchange for the trio. He had evene up with a strategy to deal with the kidnappers.
However, he was proven wrong when he saw Herbert before him.
"If the culprit was not here for these three or for Herbert, then what did theye for?"
Kieran checked on Herbert. He was fine. He had just passed out. Then he turned around and watched the house being swallowed by mes.
Suddenly, a light bulb went on in his brain.
"It must be two different groups of people! The arsonist must have had nothing to do with these three! These men didnt mind hurting Herbert, but the person who caused the explosion had no intention of harming him. Otherwise, I would be looking at Herberts ashes right now! That exins why there was no ambush either!"
Kieran answered his own questions, but his brow was still furrowed. He was frowning even harder.
"The expedition to Isogu City hasnt even started yet, and theres at least two groups of people who want to stop Herbert from going. What secret does Isogu City hide?" Kieran thought.
Then he shook Herberts shoulder lightly to wake him up. After a few shakes, the old schr woke up.
The first thing he saw was his burning house.
"Oh my god! It seems like Ill have to break my promise... I wont be letting you read in my study!" he told Kieran calmly in a slightly amused tone.
He was not shocked at all. He was not even angry about it.
Kieran was stunned.
"Herbert, are you sure youre fine?" he asked worriedly.
Anyone could lose their mind if they went through tremendous trauma. Kieran had heard of it before, but he had never seen it with his own eyes.
The simrity between those symptoms and the ones Herbert was exhibiting was uncanny.
"Of course! My books might be burned to ashes, my notes might be destroyed, but everything is still safe inside my head! Everything that has happened has only confirmed my theories!" Herbert pointed at his head as he smirked.
"What theories?" Kieran looked at Herbert, whose smirk turned into a delighted, excited smile.
It seemed like there was no reason to be worried after all.
"The guardians! The guardians of Isogu City! The legend says that whenever someone gets close to discovering the secrets of Isogu City, the guardians appear and bury the secrets again! The real secrets are not about gold, of course!" Herbert said, sounding even more excited than before.
Kieran was d that he was well.
"Bury the secrets once more? What about you then?"
Kieran looked at Herbert.
What better person to keep a secret than a dead man?
Most people knew the answer to that question.
It seemed like those guardians were capable of killing.
"Youre wondering why the guardians did not kill me? The legendary guardians are no executioners. They will give out a warning before they actually kill someone!" Herbert said.
"Sounds very... polite of them?" Kieran said with a frown. He could not understand why they would go that extra mile.
"Thats why Isogu City is so alluring! Its also why I needed bodyguards with real strength!" Herbert mumbled stubbornly as he gazed away with misty eyes.
What Kieran saw that moment was not a schr, but a fanatic.
He cleared his thoughts and turned his attention back to the trio.
He could not understand the guardians gentlemanly actions, but he understood that Herberts enthusiasm for Isogu City was an obsession.
He understood that, just as he understood that he needed to speed up his interrogation.
Even though Herbert lived quite far from the city, a burning house would attract other peoples attention.
The police would arrive soon.
Kieran pushed the trio with his toes.
The three of them immediately woke up from their unconscious state with a shocked cry.
They looked at the burning house in panic, like littlembs looking at a hungry wolf. That expression did not match their tough image at all.
"Look at this! Your employer is really something! Not only is he ruthless, but his methods are quite extreme too! Think about it. If I had not taken you guys underground, what would have happened to you in the house? You would have been sted to pieces or burned to ashes!" Kieran said in a serious tone.
The three of them grew even more anxious after hearing his words. Their panic made them almost stop thinking.
Their employer had just wanted to kill a witness.
"So you still want to keep his secret? Before, you guys were just ckmailers! Even if the police caught you, you would only spend a few nights at the station. Now though? He wants your lives! Dont you understand? Herbert is a witness, so that guy will have nowhere to run! You guys will only be truly safe when hes caught!"
Kieran opened his mouth again after a quick nce at their panicked faces.
They were on the verge of breaking down.
Just as hed expected, after another round of talking, the leader of the group opened up.
"Its... "
Chapter 240: Better Late Than Never
Chapter 240: Better Late Than Never
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
"It... Its Hook! He gave us money to cause trouble at Mr. Herberts ce this afternoon!" the leader of the trio said with a slight stutter.
Kierans sharp senses picked up something odd about Herbert when the name Hook was mentioned.
"What about him?" Kieran asked him.
"Hes the right-hand man of Chief Officer Calkin!" Herbert said.
"The chief of police?" Kieran was stunned.
"No, no, no... He is the leader of a smuggling organization, one of the gangsters around the station. I took a trip at Herl City once and came across him. We had some kind of conflict! After Pierre taught him a lesson though, he never dared cause me any trouble anymore," Herbert exined, shaking his head.
"So this could be Hooks much awaited chance to take revenge. Of course, it might also be about..."
Herbert did not finish his sentence, but Kieran knew what he was going to say.
It was about the expedition to Isogu City.
Someone wanted to stop Herbert from going, and from what Kieran had gathered, there were multiple factions with that same goal.
Compared to that street gangster though, Kieran was more concerned about the guardians, who had blown up Herberts books and house.
"What happened during the explosion? How did you get out?" he asked Herbert.
"I was preparing the files for Isogu City, when suddenly a pain struck my neck and I passed out! I still have no idea who it was or what they looked like!" Herbert said with a bitter smile, guessing what Kieran wanted to ask.
"Ill go have a look!" Kieran pointed at the burning house.
The fire might have devoured all the tracks within the house, but there were still some tracks left outside.
Before Kieran went over, he did not forget his three captives. They were tied up tightly, but he still gave them a hard kick to knock them out again for Herberts safety.
Herbert smiled in gratitude, and Kieran walked up to the burning house.
The fire was still burning hot, devouring anything that was left inside.
The first and second floor werepletely burned. A giant hole that a horse wagon could pass through had formed on the studys wall.
"The explosion must have started here!"
Kieran looked at the busted pieces of wood outside the house and made an educated guess.
Meanwhile, he also confirmed that the explosion had not been caused by explosives. If it had, the house would not have burned so fiercely.
"There must be some kind ofbustion aid around."
Kieran tried to sniff around for clues amid the burning smoke. After excluding gasoline and oil, he could not think of anything else. He looked down at the ground directly opposite the explosion point.
Although it was within the explosions range, there were tracks even further than that.
Footprints.
Kieran activated his [Tracking] and saw a set of footprints before him.
The footprints were notplete. Each of them was only a half-print left on the ground. Kieran pictured the guardians moving on their tiptoes like cats.
He followed the footprints out to the garden. After about a hundred meters, they disappeared abruptly, as if they had never been there before.
"Huh?"
Kieran frowned. He quickly searched around, using the area where the footprints disappeared as the center point of his search, but he found nothing.
No kind of movement would stop that abruptly, unless the culprit could fly or dig.
Even if they did though, there would still have been some traces left behind.
A wings pping or force of impact would have left a trace on the ground, and there would have been more obvious traces if the soil had been dug out.
If the culprit could fly or dig soundlessly, they would not have left any obvious traces at an 100-meter radius from Herberts house.
There was only one possible exnation.
"They must have relied on some kind of special form of transportation, able to carry one or more men at once, not leave any obvious traces on the ground and make no noise. Could they have used some kind of mystical being?" Kieran guessed.
His mind instantly came up with a couple of mystical beings who fit that criteria.
Although technology was already advancing at an exponential rate in the dungeon world, it wasnt to the extent that one could invent a flying vehicle that could carry one or more men.
Plus, with the ancient citys guardians lurking around, Kieran leaned more towards the mystical way.
"The guardians could have some kind of mystical being... So is the answer Isogu Citys expedition?" Kieran mumbled to himself softly.
Then he took another careful look at his surroundings. After confirming that there were no stones left unturned, he returned to where Herbert was waiting.
"How was it?" Herbert asked while guarding the three captives.
"I found something odd!" Kieran briefly exined his findings, Herberts eyes shining brightly.
"ording to the legend, the guardians of Isogu City do have flying abilities! I never thought it would originate from a mystical being though!"
Herbert seemed to be quite familiar with mystical beings. He did not look as surprised as Kieran had anticipated.
Thanks to his expression, Kieran could confirm his theory.
As Kieran and Herbert discussed which type of mystical being had paid them a visit, three wagons dashed up to them. Dust was flying around the horses as they sprinted, making the wagons visible from afar.
"They were faster than I thought!" Kieran said in a strange tone, suddenly cutting the discussion short.
Thanks to his exceptional sight, he could see that the man on the first cart was wearing a uniform. Although the pattern was different than the previous ones, his identity was clear.
He was a policeman.
The two wagoners behind him were wearing normal clothes.
"Is that your students?" Kieran asked Herbert after giving a brief description of them.
"Yes! Harold, Cohen and Joanna!" Herbert said with a nod.
After a few minutes, the three wagons stopped in front of the house.
Two men and a woman got down from thest two wagons when the door was pushed open.
One of the men was tall and handsome, his fitting formal suit making his good figure stand out.
The second man was wearing a gunny shirt and bib pants. He was quite thin and short, and he had freckles on his face. He looked no older than a teenager.
The only woman among the three was wearing a white dress. She had delicate facial features and a lily on her head. She looked very graceful.
"Professor, are you alright?"
"What happened here?"
The three of them quickly walked over and asked about Professor Herberts well-being.
Then the tall handsome guy turned around and looked at the police officer.
"Chief Calkin! I demand an exnation!" he said in an angry voice, addressing the middle-aged man who had juste down from the first wagon.
The other man and the woman also stared at the officer, sharing the same thought.
"I just got here myself. How could I exin when I know nothing yet? I need to talk with Mr. Herbert here before I can provide you with a reasonable exnation, alright? Are those the culprits? If you caught them, I have to congratte you for your bravery, Mr. Herbert!"
The chief officer was a thin guy with an aquiline nose. His long, scrawny face seemed a little sinister, but his manner of speech was soft, as if he was a leaking wind box.
His soft words left the angry students speechless.
The three of them exchanged a nce before eventually turning their eyes to their professor.
Herbert redirected the attention to Kieran.
"Mind exining the situation to Chief Officer Calkin here?" he said.
"My pleasure!"
Kieran smiled and nodded as a notification popped up in his vision.
[Sub Mission Unlocked: The Troublesome Chief Officer]
[The Troublesome Chief Officer: Chief Officer Calkin has a bad reputation. Herbert does not like talking to a man like him, so hes hoping that you can exin the situation to Calkin on his behalf. Try your best to get more information out of Calkin. This will affect your rtionship with Herbert, Harold, Cohen and Joanna!]
The Sub Mission made Kieran put up his poker face.
"So do you know Hook, Chief Officer?" Kieran asked directly as he walked up to Calkin.
Meanwhile, the [Half-Deads Gaze] shed on his right index finger.
Chapter 241: Sifting
Chapter 241: Sifting
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
"I..."
Calkin instinctively wanted to deny everything.
Although anyone with some authority within Herl City knew he was working with Hook, Calkin himself would not admit to the rtionship. After all, he was still a policeman.
Matters that seemed impossible to others were a piece of cake for him considering his position.
A little twist of his brain, and he could earn a huge amount of money.
There were a couple more men like Hook under hismand. Calkin had already tasted the sweetness of forbidden fruit, and he was not willing to lose the benefits that came along with his position.
Before he could finish his sentence though, the young man before him started to turn blurry.
His shadow elongated and shrunk until it twistedpletely and turned into a giant snake that filled his sight and blocked the sun.
As the giant ck snake lowered its head, gazing at him with reptilian golden eyes, a cold sensation spread all over his body and numbed his senses. He started to pant heavily and tried to open his mouth and shout.
Before he could though, the snake opened its mouth and threw itself at him.
The stenching from its mouth was like a fierce wind, its fangs as sharp as mountain peaks and its mouth as big as ake. Calkin shrunk back like a bug.
"Nooo!" he shouted out in shock.
Suddenly, the scenery before him switched back to Herberts house and he saw the young man standing in front of him.
"You!"
Calkin opened his mouth and an agonizing pain assaulted his whole body. Unable to hold back his cries, he fell to the ground and started rolling around.
After a full 30 seconds, he finally stopped.
Battlelog notifications started popping up in Kierans vision.
[Dead-Mans Gaze: Target authentication failed, Fear Illusion induced...]
[Fear Illusion: Target has fallen under your Illusions, Spirit failed authentication, Target has suffered the same amount of Damage as your Spirit Level, 100 Damage inflicted to Target HP, Target is Heavily Wounded...]
"As expected, he is stronger than the average John Doe!" Kieran thought, his eyes locked on Calkin.
As Calkin was struggling on the ground, he tore his clothes apart and revealed the fit muscles underneath.
From the moment Kieran had seen Calkin, he had sensed that there was something strange about him.
His walking and standing stance allowed him to attack anytime he wanted to, and the calluses on his fingers and the backs of his hands betrayed his strength.
Calkin kept panting heavily. Every breath was like air being sucked out of his marrow and going straight to his heart and veins.
While he was still struggling to catch his breath, he heard a familiar voice.
"So do you know Hook, Chief Officer?"
Calkin raised his head and saw the smiling young man.
He seemed to fall into a trance again and see the golden-eyed ck snake.
He tried to speak up, but the words that came out of his mouth were different.
"I... I know him!" he said with a stutter.
"I see! These three thugs here said that they were hired by Hook to cause trouble to Mr. Herbert over there. You know what you have to do, right? I hope you think this through before you answer. What you saw just now is just the tip of the iceberg. I could show you much more terrifying visions if you wanted to!" Kieran said, his voice softening as he spoke.
Although he had no idea what Calkin had been through because of the [Fear Illusion], it was clear what he had to do.
He was trying to bluff his way out, and it seemed to be working.
"Ve... Very well! I know what I need to do! I will bring Hook before you, good sir!" Calkin clenched his teeth hard.
"No, no, no... Not before me! Before Mr. Herbert over there!" Kieran pointed out Calkins mistake in a mocking tone.
"I understand!" Calkins other men helped him up to the wagon and he left quickly.
Kieran was smiling mysteriously as he watched the wagon go.
He did not know whether Hooks actions were based on personal revenge or other peoples instructions. It might even have been a direct order from Calkin. Kieran knew one thing for sure though.
People felt fear before the unknown, and fear itself was enough for Kieran to control Calkin.
It didnt matter whether Calkin panicked and revealed his hidden agenda, or remained calm and started acting more vigntly. All Kieran wanted was for him to make a move.
"As I expected of you, 2567!" Herbert praised Kieran as he walked over.
The three young students also turned their eyes to him, inspecting him curiously.
The young man in the bib pants suddenly smacked his own forehead and said in surprise, "2567? The Colossal Crocodile Killer and Spirit Hunter 2567?" he asked.
"If there is no other 2567 around, then I guess thats me!"
Kieran had no idea how the system had instilled his reputation into the natives memories, but he epted it as a fact with a nod.
"Its really you? Was that crocodile as big as three wagons? What does a spirit look like? How did you do that just now? Calkin is usually so much different!" the young man voiced out his surprise before he started asking him questions.
"Cohen!" the other young man stopped his friend, looking embarrassed.
Then he turned around and introduced himself to Kieran in a manner that matched the way he was dressed.
"Good day, Sir 2567! I am Harold, this is Joanna, and thats Cohen. We are all Mr. Herberts students!"
Harold pointed at the woman and Cohen.
His words were also filled with curiosity, and the same feeling was evident on Joannas face.
Compared to Cohen though, the two of them were much more reserved.
"Good day everyone. Im 2567!" Kieran replied before stepping back and looking at the scene with Herbert.
As his house burned down, many of his books and files were destroyed. Kieran knew Herbert needed manpower to help restore everything.
His students were the best candidates for the job.
"Harold, I need some pen and papers, and I know you will invite me to your house for the time being, but it would still be much more convenient to tidy things up here. Cohen, go back to the city and tell Pierre to buy some tents. We are leaving on the 25th, so theres still three more days left. We cant just sleep on the ground like this! And Joanna, I need you to help me tidy up my notes!" Herbert assigned tasks to each of his students before turning his eyes to Kieran.
"I have another favor to ask of you!" he said.
"Lets hear it! I agreed to be your bodyguard, so Ill do anything within my powers and the contract!" Kieran replied with a smile.
He could see a Sub Missioning his way.
"Help me sift through the other bodyguards that replied to the ad. Pierre is currently busy with other things, and my students and I are not the right people for that job!" Herbert said in a sincere tone.
Notifications suddenly started pinging in Kierans vision.
[Sub Mission: The Troublesome Chief Officer (Completed)]
[Sub Mission Unlocked: Sifting Through Bodyguards!]
[Sifting Through Bodyguards: Youve won Herberts trust, so hes asked you to deal with one more matter. To repay the trust he has ced on you, you need to carefully sift through those who replied to the bodyguard recruitment ad. Be careful though! Some of them might have ill intentions!]
"Ill intentions?"
Kieran squinted as he read the description.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
THIS NOVEL NEVER CEASE TO MIND BLOW ME!
GOD DAMMIT!!!! MY GOD!!!!!!! FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF!!!%$^$&%^*^&*(
forgive the messy note, I was seriously mind blown -_-
Chapter 242: Once Upon A Dynasty
Chapter 242: Once Upon A Dynasty
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
As darkness filled the sky, two campfires were lit in Herberts garden.
Herbert and Joanna were talking softly in front of the fire. Harold, who had brought back the pens and papers, had not joined them.
The well-dressed young man went over to the other campfire, working with the two wagoners and a cooking maid.
Cohen had returned with Pierre and brought back three tents.
After a short conversation with Herbert, Pierre had left with Cohen again in a hurry.
He did not forget to thank Kieran for taking care of Herbert while he was away though.
Kieran said it was within his duties and then watched him go.
Although Pierre had not mentioned anything about the expedition, judging by the way hed left, Kieran knew the preparations for Isogu City had to be much moreplicated than they seemed.
"Other than all the necessary supplies, well also need some weapons!" Kieran thought.
They were not listed on Pierres checklist, but after what had happened in the afternoon, Herbert might reconsider.
After spending some time with him, Kieran had gotten to know him fairly well.
He was not as stubborn and strict as the average schr. He was actually a very optimistic and adaptable person.
Kieran admired his morals, which he held onto tightly.
A schr who would rather have his bones broken than give in to ckmail was probably better than most schrs out there.
"Dinner is ready, sir! Please join us!"
Harold rolled up his sleeves and wiped the stains off his hands as he walked over.
"Nice!" Kieran nodded with a smile.
Joanna walked up to the cooking maid to help.
Harold and Joanna looked like they had been born in upper ss families, but they did not mind mingling with the cooking maid and the wagoners or serving food for others.
That was not a simple feat for someone from the wealthy ss.
From what Kieran knew, even slightly wealthy people their age were living like princes and princesses, having everything provided to them.
It seemed like Herberts lessons were really something else.
"Your dinner, sir."
Joanna passed Kieran a big wooden bowl filled with soup, and the cooking maid gave him two big biscuits the size of a grown mans palm.
There were mushrooms, beans, bamboo shoot, as well as some pork and shrimp in the soup. The steamy cream soup had a rich vor and a smooth texture.
The fragrance entered Kierans nose and made him swallow his saliva. He took a big mouthful of soup and quickly stuffed a big biscuit in his mouth.
The crunchiness of the biscuit mixed well with the creamy soup. He started chewing delightedly.
"This is really good!"
Kieran was not stingy with hispliments when it came to good food.
Although his mouth was stuffed and he could not pronounce the words clearly, the cooking maid was delighted to see her food appreciated and rewarded Kieran with another biscuit.
Kieran epted the extra biscuit politely before walking over to Herbert.
Herbert had brought his dinner there, but he was not rushing to eat.
He was writing with a pencil, drawing shapes on the papers andbeling them ordingly.
He didnt even notice Kieran walk over.
When Kieran finished hisst mouthful of soup, Herbert was still in his own world.
"Professor is always like this, focusing his full attention on his studies. Thats why I admire him so much!" Joanna told Kieran softly as she ced Herberts dinner next to the campfire.
"I admire people who focus all their attention on something as well!" Kieran said happily.
It was not polite chit chat. This was what he really thought.
Kieran knew perfectly well how amazing it was to fullymit to something.
The fact that the two of them shared the same viewpoint made the gap between him and Joanna shorter. The youngdy instantly became more chatty.
"So is what Cohen said true? Did you really kill a colossal crocodile as big as three wagons? And spirits as well?" she asked curiously.
"It was not as big as three wagons. Maybe half as big! If it had really been three wagons long, it would have been a legendary beast!" Kieran shrugged.
"What about spirits? Are they still looking for their loved ones and hold on to their memories before they die?"
Joannas manner of speech had a sense of yearning to it. No doubt her curiosity was more sentimental.
Kieran was dull to these kind of things though. He just couldnt sense them.
"No, they dont! Most spirits Ive met were just convoluted beings that condemned the living. If youe across such spirits, its wiser to stay in the sunlight. If its night, have a torch with you to protect yourself! Remember, they can go through walls and floors, so try not to lean against walls and watch your steps!"
The conversation had been supposed to carry a sense of romance, but it instantly turned into a battle strategy lecture.
Kieran would not mind showing off about his abilities if Joanna asked for some battle tips.
However, the youngdy had zero interest in fighting, even more so when Kieran smashed her imagination into pieces.
"Ill go help Professor with his work!"
Joanna went over to the campfire and picked up a pen and paper.
"Sorry for that, sir!" Harold, who had witnessed the whole thing, came over and apologized.
"Its fine!"
Kieran had no idea why Joanna was upset, but he would not get frustrated over it. He was not concerned about what a mere acquaintance thought of him.
Unless it was rted to the mission. He would not mind probing for more information regarding the mission.
"What do you know about Isogu City?" he asked Harold.
"The ancient city of Isogu was a giant fortress built by the Neegor Dynasty. It was actually thought to be just a myth! People doubt the existence of the Neegor Dynasty. Legend has it that the dynasty conquered the world about 1,500 years ago! It conquered all other kingdoms and states of the time, but they never left any proof behind. They were just briefly mentioned in some ancient tomes. It was as if they vanished overnight!"
"However, Professor believes that the Neegor Dynasty really existed, so he wants to head to Isogu City to find proof for his theory!" Harold told Kieran the truth behind the expedition.
"I see..."
Kieran nodded in realization as he memorized all the information about the Neegor Dynasty.
It could prove vital for clearing the dungeon.
Just as Kieran was about to ask Harold for more information, the sound of a wagon came from afar.
The police wagon that had left in the afternoon hade back.
When it stopped, Calkin came down. His face was pale and he was staggering.
He seemed to be in shock as he walked over to Kieran.
"Hook... Hook is dead!" he said with a stutter.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Damn, never would I thought how exciting the battle with one of the Supernova would be!
Not really a spoiler if you know its eventuallying sooner orter :P
Chapter 243: Silent Night, Quiet People
Chapter 243: Silent Night, Quiet People
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Hook was dead!
Kieran was not surprised by the news. Based on his spections, there was a high probability that Hook might have been killed to bury the truth.
Unlike the three thugs, who knew nothing, Hook must have known some secrets that had led to his demise.
As for who had killed him...
Kieran stared coldly at Calkin, who was sweating like a pig.
"It wasnt me! When I went over to his ce, he was already dead! If it was me, I wouldve run away!" Calkin exined.
Kieran didnt trust him.
Although he had appeared before him once more, it could just be an act in order not to raise suspicions with his actions.
He might also be telling the truth though. There could be other parties involved in Hooks murder.
It was not hard to prove what Calkin had said.
"Hold on!"
Kieran went over to Herbert. Just as Calkin had arrived in his wagon, Herbert had finished taking notes.
When Kieran walked over to him, Herbert already knew what his intentions were.
"You want to investigate the crime scene? Go ahead then. With Harold and two of his wagoners here, Ill be quite safe! The culprit just killed a witness after all. They wouldnt want to draw any extra attention to themselves!" Herbert said with a smile.
"Be careful at all times!" Kieran gave Herbert a final warning before he turned to Harold and Joanna.
"I need to go away for a while. You can ask your servants to take out their weapons."
When Kieran had seen Harold and Joanna for the first time, he had noticed the unusuality of their wagoners. They were stronger thanmon wagoners, and the calluses on their hands were not from their daily whipping duties.
Obviously, they also served as bodyguards for Harold and Joanna.
It made sense, as both of them were from upper ss families. Considering their age, if there were no bodyguards around, the adults would not have agreed to let them roam outside freely.
"No problem! Leave it to me!"
Harold looked at Kieran with a shocked expression. He had no idea when Kieran had discovered the bodyguards. He thought they had been concealed quite well. That did not stop Harold and Joanna from ordering their wagoners to take out their weapons though.
The wagoners went over to their wagons and pulled out swords and flintlock pistols. After seeing the wagoners skilled technique in handling the weapons, Kieran nodded in agreement.
He told Herbert goodbye again and left with Calkins wagon.
The whipshed against the horse, and the wagon dashed away.
Kieran was sitting opposite Calkin, leaning on the soft,fortable seat and inspecting the inner carriage.
It was mostly red and decorated with golden ornaments that made it look unusually luxurious. The ornaments were made of real gold, and the carpet beneath Kierans feet was velvet. Even the inconspicuous curtain beside him had been weaved with high quality silk.
Kieran reevaluated Calkins wealth.
It was not possible for him to own such a horse wagon with his sry as a police officer. He would have to save up for 20 years and live without food or other expenses.
Only an idiot would believe that that wagon had been issued by the station.
"If you like it, I could find you another one! It would be the same from top to bottom, even the horse would share the same bloodline!" Calkin said suddenly.
He had noticed Kieran inspecting the carriage.
"How generous of you!" Kieranughed.
"If you just let me go... I could give you all my wealth! Everything I have!" Calkin begged in a sincere tone.
He looked pitiful with his pale, dispirited face, but Kieran wasnt moved by the offer. Even if Calkin meant what he said, Kieran was not after the dungeons ordinary wealth.
After all, the Sub Mission stated that Calkin was not some innocent police officer.
If Kieran gave in to the temptation, he would meet a bad end.
"My goal is not to get wealthy. I am more concerned about how Hook died. Can you borate?" Kieran asked.
"I did not kill him!" Calkin stressed out again.
"Yeah, yeah, it wasnt you. So how did you find Hooks body?" Kieran rephrased his question.
"After I left Herberts ce, I went straight to Hooks oldir. I was nning on teaching him a lesson, because of what Id been through! He was not there though. I thought he had run away! I knew the methods and routes he used to escape! The man responsible for the escapes was one of my men as well, but other than me and him, no one else knew!"
"I was worried something like this would happen, so I had a backup n!" Calkin told his side of the story, his delighted face turning slightly scared.
"I am not a good policeman, but I assure you, Ive seen countless notorious men and Ive worked on cases like this plenty of times! None of them made me this scared though, not even close! My source and Hook are both dead! Dead inside the sources room! The way they died..."
After about five seconds, he found the words to describe it.
"It was like a blooming flower!"
Calkins face turned even paler as fear flooded his words.
"A blooming flower?" Kieran raised an eyebrow.
He had never heard such an odd description for a dead body. Kierans mind was filtering Calkins words fast.
If he was bluffing, his words would be the best proof.
After that, there was no further conversation.
The horse wagon with the police emblem entered Herl City without any hindrance. After many turns and shuttling along the streets, they reached a secluded, narrow alleyway.
"Here we are!" the wagoner informed his passengers and opened the door eagerly.
When Calkin saw the wagoners face, who was also one of his men, he cried out loudly. Suddenly, he felt weak and copsed inside the carriage.
The wagoners face looked heavily burned, as if he had been sshed with sulphuric acid a few times. The skin on his face waspletely burned, bones showing on some parts of it.
His eyeballs were intact though. Without his human skin, his eyes stood out in an eerie way, the contrast of white and ck making their motion more prominent.
"The head is here! You and Sir 2567 will be on your way!"
The ghastly wagoners vicious, rotten face had an eerie smile that would seep into anyones soul.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Zombies!
Happy New Year people
Chapter 244: Rigor Mortis
Chapter 244: Rigor Mortis
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Calkin screamed at the freaky scene before him and shrunk helplessly behind Kieran.
"On your way! On your way!" the vicious wagoner with the freaky smile mumbled before suddenly throwing himself at Kieran.
His fierce actions caused the rotten flesh on his face to shake, his cheek falling off and revealing the ghostly green bone underneath.
Kieran had been sure he wasnt human from the moment hed appeared, but the scene still made him frown.
It was not because of the wagoners repulsive appearance. Kieran had seen much scarier corpses than the wagoner.
It was because of the timing. When had the wagoner turned into that?
Although he had been inside the carriage for the whole journey, Kierans sharp intuition would have still picked up on anything happening outside the wagon. He had not noticed when the wagoner had transformed though.
Only when the carriage door had been opened and the wagoners rotten face had been revealed had Kieran realized that he was in deep trouble.
He had no idea what had caused the sudden mutation, but he was sure that the process couldnt have been quiet.
A person turning from a living human being into a zombie-like monster could not have stayed silent. Considering the wagoners burned, rotten face and his green bones, the transformation seemed to be very thorough. The process must have been extremely painful.
There must have been agonizing cries, yet Kieran had heard nothing on the way there.
So...
"Did something happen to him before he came to Herberts ce? But the wagoner and Calkin must have been together the whole time, so if the wagoner transformed, then... why would Calkin be fine?"
Kierans mind was spinning like lightning.
He did not even care about the zombie wagoner charging at him. He leaned to the left and pushed, crashing out of the carriage.
Just as he pushed out of the wagon, Calkin, who was hiding behind him, suddenly let out an angry, beast-like growl.
His pale face began rotting rapidly until Calkin himself turned into a zombie-like monster, just like the wagoner. They shared the same freaky, vicious appearance.
That growl of his was getting louder and louder.
Bang!
Kieran, who was still in mid-air, fired the gun in his hand. The muzzle shed suddenly and Calkins head was sted by the [Python-W2]s bullet.
The loud growl stopped abruptly. When the wagoner leaped inside the carriage and saw the scene, his body froze. He turned around right away, attempting to escape.
The [MI-02]s silenced bullet pierced through his head from behind, the force of the shot making his skull burst open.
The wagoner staggered forward a couple of steps out of reflex, but eventually fell down.
After a few twitches, he showed no more signs of life.
[Shooting: Lethal Attack, 300 Damage inflicted to Target HP, (150 Firearm Weapon, Light Firearm (Transcendence)X2), Target has Tensile Skin, Bullets of Conviction II authenticated higher than Targets defense, Armor Pration Lvl 1 granted, 400 True Damage inflicted to Target, Target dies...]
[Shooting: Lethal Attack, 300 Damage inflicted to Target HP, (150 Firearm Weapon, Light Firearm (Transcendence)X2), Target has Tensile Skin, Bullets of Conviction II authenticated higher than Targets defense, Armor Pration Lvl 1 granted, 400 True Damage inflicted to Target, Target dies...]
...
Kieran looked at the battlelog notifications and nced over at the dead bodies.
"Tensile Skin? Not Dead-Mans Skin? The bodies are still warm! This means they were somehow still alive when I fired at them..."
Kieran raised his eyebrows over what he had discovered. He looked down at the two bodies before him and could not rte the monsters he had just encountered to the living men.
Suddenly, the bodies started going through some changes that surpassed Kierans imagination.
They started to melt like boiling water, green bubbles forming on their skin.
As the bubbles covered them, the bodies started to melt and dissolve.
Less than three secondster, there was only a pile of green goo and bones left on the ground.
The bones were still melting at a rapid speed visible to the naked eye.
"What the hell is this?" Kieran was shocked.
His Master Level [Mystical Knowledge] had some relevant information, but he could not determine exactly what was happening.
Kieran instinctively wanted to walk over to the green goo and the melting bones, but a series of footsteps stopped him.
"Here! The gunshot was fired from here!"
Suddenly, a team of uniformed patrol officers appeared. Kierans gunshot had attracted their attention.
Kieran quickly dodged and hid in the shadows. Then he quickly left the scene.
If the patrol officers reached the crime scene, Kieran would lose his freedom and be unable to investigate the strange green goo.
However, he did not return to Herberts ce right away. Instead, he went over to Calkins sources ce. The room where he had been killed.
Calkin might have been lying, but there had to be a hint of truth in his words.
Kieran didnt mind going the extra mile to confirm it.
After all, the ce where he had been assaulted was not far from the aforementioned location.
"What happened to Calkin and his wagoner? Did they meet the person who killed Hook after they left Herberts ce? Or did Calkin report everything to the mastermind and get punished for his ipetence?" Kieran guessed.
Meanwhile, he was also recalling the changes Calkin and his wagoner had gone through.
"They could speak and they seemed to be sane. This means they were still aware of what they were doing and had not been reverted to a simple-minded state. I just couldnt confirm whether they were being controlled or acting on their own free will. Their abilities also seemed to have been enhanced. They had Tensile Skin, so they were not afraid of a normal knife or any sharp objects... I wonder how much their strength and speed had actually increased though..."
Kieran could not help but sigh as he thought about it.
In his opinion, the best way to deal with an unknown enemy was by shooting them in the head. If he hesitated and allowed his enemies to retaliate, his losses would outweigh his gains.
Kieran would rather spend more effort on investigating than having an unwanted ident ur during a battle. Such an ident could cost his life after all.
"Huh?"
He suddenly halted.
A human figure was dodging and heading into a house not far away from him.
ording to Calkin, that house was where his source had died.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
House of the dead: Calkins source
Chapter 245: Slaughterhouse
Chapter 245: ughterhouse
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
After watching the human figure go into the house of Calkins source, Kieran followed it silently.
Making sure the figure was away from the door, he pushed the half-shut door open quietly.
The house had one single floor, but it was quite big. There were almost eight rooms avable, connected by an average-width corridor.
Fortunately for Kieran, he could see everything with his own eyes from the porch.
At the same time, he picked up the stench of blood from inside the house. The stench was so heavy that it made Kieran feel like hed walked into a ughterhouse.
The heavy smell wasing from the end of the corridor.
Kieran ventured in carefully, holding the [MI-02] in his hand.
Although he could not identify the person who had gone into the house, the fact that they had appeared now was enough for him to treat that person with extreme caution.
As Kieran ventured forward, the smell of blood got even stronger.
It almost deviated from the vile stench, bing strong enough to choke him.
He had to hold his breath as he moved forward.
He didnt know how many bodies would have to be in that room to generate such a powerful stench, especially in the summer, when the stench would spread after the second day.
He could hear the wooden nks on the floor make noise. They were squeaking because they were unable to withstand the heavy weight.
After a while, the squeaking reached the door. Kieran immediately dodged and hid in the shadows.
The door was pushed open, and the person whod gone inside earlier came right out.
Judging by their height and physique, Kieran was sure it was the same person.
The man was unusually tall and bloated, so it was very easy for Kieran to recognize him. As he walked through the average-sized corridor, his huge body made it extremely awkward for him to move.
Kieran noticed he had a parcel in his hand, although he was sure he had gone in empty-handed.
That meant that he had gotten something from the room.
"Whats inside that parcel? A clue left behind after killing the witness? Or some other important evidence?"
Kierans thoughts rippled through his mind as he got ready to make his move.
Before he could though, a hole was suddenly made on the roof, a ck figure flying down like an eagle hunting its prey. The figurended firmly and jumped up,unching a couple of kicks against the tall bloated man.
The fast, powerful kicks made the man stagger back and eventually fall on his butt. The parcel in his hand was thrown off during the attack.
The ck figure hurled itself over towards the parcel as soon as the parcel flew away.
However, Kieran was one step faster. He threw the [Deceivers Key] towards the parcel andtched onto it, dragging it from mid-air into the shadows.
The ck figure was stunned. He had never thought there would be another person in the house.
The tall bloated man let out an angry growl and stood up right away, throwing himself crazily at the ck figure. He did not even care about Kieran hiding in the shadows.
No doubt, he had only seen the ck figure after the sudden attack.
The man dashed towards the ck figure like a raging bear, his force powerful and fearsome. The ck figure was as agile as a sparrow though. He flipped in mid-air towards the charging man, jumped over him and tip-toed against the back of his head before leaping into the hole on the roof.
The tall bloated man crashed through the door, rushing onto the street and running across it towards the house on the opposite side of the road.
He crashed through the wall and was buried under the crumbling debris. No one could tell whether he was dead or alive.
The ck figure jumped down from the roof again and kept a certain distance from Kieran.
"Give it to me," he said in a rough voice.
Kieran knew that was not his original voice.
If the man had made enough effort to cover his face, altering his voice would also be an important element in hiding his identity.
Kieran handed over the parcel. He had not decided topromise. He had already checked the parcel during the quick battle between the ck figure and the tall bloated man.
It was only some cash and jewellry. Nothing had caught his attention.
Kieran didnt mind handing it over, as it was not something he could use to get more information about the situation.
"Was the ck figure here for the cash and the jewellry? Or for something else?" he asked himself as he stared at the figure.
"Catch!" he said.
As his words faded, he hurled the parcel over and watched the ck figure catch it with extra caution.
Even though his face and voice were disguised, the movements of his body could not be hidden.
Kieran saw clearly how the figure had caught the parcel. He was stunned for a second, suddenly realizing what was happening.
Although the ck figure had returned to normal after grabbing the parcel, Kieran was sure he wasnt there for the cash and jewellery either.
The figure didnt even check the inside of the parcel. He knew what it was by its weight alone.
That meant...
"He knows this parcel well! As if its a part of him! Otherwise, he wouldnt be able to tell what it is just by its weight!" Kieran thought.
Of course, he had learned a lot more than that.
The most obvious thing was that the ck figure was looking for something the size of the parcel. Something very fragile.
No normal person would have caught a parcel thrown by an enemy with their own hands.
The safest choice would have been to let the parcel fall on the floor and check itter.
Kieran was curious about the item the ck figure was looking for. Why would the item he wanted even be in that house?
Inside a ughterhouse?
After the tall bloated man had knocked down almost half of the walls and doors, Kieran caught a glimpse of what was inside the door through the dim light of the moon.
He saw the gruesome scene inside, broken limbs and blood flowing like a river.
A couple of dozens of headless, limbless bodies with most of their flesh gone, left only with a perfect ribcage and backbone, were hanging in mid-air by meat hooks.
They were bleeding, some flesh attached to their white ribcages, as if they had been processed by a crude butcher.
Blood was dripping from the ribcages to the floor. It was supposed to seep into the gaps between the floorboards, but it overflowed instead, flooding the floor with a sticky, thick residue and covering its original color.
Kieran nced over the scene inside the room and turned around towards the ck figure, who was backing off.
The figure seemed to have no intention of fighting Kieran. He had confirmed that Kieran had not switched his parcel.
"Seems like he knows this ce... He knew his enemies very well! He was sure I was not the one he was looking for!" Kieran thought as he slowly walked forward.
The ck figure wanted no trouble, but that didnt mean Kieran would not try to get the answers he wanted.
Kierans actions showed his stance and attitude. The ck figure picked up on the signs and halted.
He switched to an attacking stance, warning Kieran.
Kieran responded to the warning by taking his [MI-02] and [Python-W2] in his hands.
When he revealed his weapons, the ck figure took out his sword without hesitation.
It looked like a battle between them would break out at any moment.
Yet what happened next was drastically different.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Human bacon with green juice <3
Chapter 246: Collateral Damage
Chapter 246: Coteral Damage
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The de chimed lightly as the ck figure pulled out his sword.
The long sword didnt even have a slight glint at first. It was ck and gloomy, just like a burned wooden stick.
However, as the de chimed, it started to glow green. Not jade green, which symbolized life energy, but a darker green with a hint of gray.
The gloomy green de made Kieran feel ufortable.
He unconsciously frowned as he looked at the odd-looking sword. Just as his brow furrowed, something happened. The blood flooding the floor suddenly started burning.
The mes were not red, but bright green!
The color was simr to the color of the de.
The green mes flew off like swallows returning to their nest, attracted by an unusual force, and gathered around the ck figures sword.
Kieran shivered a bit and wanted to pull the trigger, but what happened next shocked him even more than the green mes.
The ck figure threw his sword forward nervously, as if avoiding a gue. Then he turned around and jumped up through the big hole on the roof.
"Run!" he warned Kieran before he left.
Although Kieran didnt know what had caused the scene before him and he did not believe the ck figure, his instinct told him that he had to ovee the danger.
[Primus Scale]! [Crow-Like Agility]!
His leather wristband shed and covered his body with a defensive force field barrier.
The feather mantle shook lightly as Kieran flew like an arrow let loose.
The moment he flew out of the house...
BOOM!
There was a huge explosion!
A giant green fireball rose up in the dark sky. It was over three meters in diameter, and pieces of wood, debris and bones were swirling in the powerful energy stream around it.
It exploded in all directions, firing debris everywhere. The force was even more powerful than a loaded crossbow firing an arrow.
Its air-breaking speed sent the debris flying, and everything within a 50-meter radius was caught in the explosion.
Kieran, who was sprinting away with all his might, was also sent flying.
The Powerful [Primus Scale] Defense protected him from the explosion though.
He was unharmed, but when he turned around and faced the scene, he was flooded by panic.
If he had not escaped from the st point of the explosion in time, he might have suffered heavy damage.
The crater created on the ground by the st was as deep as two meters and allowed Kieran to understand how powerful the explosion had been.
The house had had about eight rooms, and they were all gone!
"It was a trap! A trap set up for the ck figure! Both parties are unusually familiar with each other! I just happened to be here and get caught in the crossfire!"
As Kieran recalled the explosion, he smiled bitterly.
Then he turned around right away and went looking for the tall bloated man, who was buried under the debris, in hope of finding more clues.
Although everything seemed like a coincidence, the green mes reminded Kieran of Calkin and his wagoner and the green goo theyd left behind after dissolving.
Besides, Calkins description of the house had been too precise. It had not seemed like a lie that had been thought up on the spot.
Of course, it might have been a mere coincidence, but what if it wasnt?
The thought made Kieran rush up to the debris. He could clearly see the tall bloated man buried under the bricks.
After he moved away the beam on top of him, the mans swollen forehead was revealed.
"He crashed his head and passed out, then got buried under the bricks... Maybe the bricks saved him from the shock of the explosion. What a lucky bastard!"
Kieran grabbed his bloated body and carried it on his shoulder.
Then he sprinted towards the darkness.
As he left, the patrol police arrived to the scene one step toote again. They didnt even notice him.
...
By the time Kieran reached Herberts ce, it was already 3 a.m. in the morning.
Other than Herbert, who was still up writing, only the bodyguards were awake, keeping watch in shifts.
Joanna and the cooking maid were already asleep in the tent.
Harold was snoozing off beside the campfire with a long sword in his arms.
The young man had insisted on keeping watch, but he didnt seem to be faring well.
When Herbert saw Kieran carrying the big man, he put his pen down and said jokingly, "Look what youve got there!"
"Something good!"
Kieran threw the big man down. He was as heavy as he looked, maybe even heavier.
If he hadnt had to carry him, Kieran could have reached Herberts ce earlier.
"There was also something else!"
Kieran told Herbert about everything that had happened, including about Calkin and his wagoner.
He was hoping to get some help from Herberts expertise. Herbert was a knowledgeable schr after all, so he might have an idea about what had happened to Calkin and his wagoner.
Even if Kieran had kept that to himself, when the big guy woke up, he would have had something to say as well.
If that was the case, why not solve the problem right away?
"Their faces looked as if theyd been burned off? They seemed kind of rotten, but still able to maintain their sanity? Their skin could withstandmon knives and sharp objects? What kind of beings would those be? It seems like they share some simrities with a legendary monster! No, no, no, that monster would be way stronger! Thats..." Herbert mumbled to himself as he fell into that trance Kieran had seen before.
Kieran just shrugged.
Based on his previous experience, when Herbert entered that trance, all he could do was wait.
Although Kieran was longing for a final answer, judging by Herberts mumbling, the man had to have some clue about the changes on Calkin and his wagoner.
"What a long night!"
Kieran added two more pieces of wood to the campfire, looking at the sparks flying around. Then he let out a long breath and closed his eyes, trying to take a catnap.
He knew there would only be more things waiting for him the next day.
Of course, he still remained vignt. The big guy was still unconscious beside them after all.
If he woke up, the other two guards might not be a match for him, even if they used their weapons.
After repeatedly crashing through doors and walls, he was mostly unscathed, except for his swollen forehead, where the beam had fallen and knocked him out.
After a quick check over the big guys body, Kieran knew that he had disyed tremendous defensive abilities.
Such abilities were enough to raise more questions in Kierans mind.
"Did he undergo a mutation like Calkin and his wagoner?" he thought as he rxed.
Other than the sparks by the campfire, the whole ce was silent.
When the bodyguards switched shifts again, the morning light expelled thest piece of darkness from the sky.
A new day had begun.
Joanna, who had just woken up, suddenly cried out in shock.
The young girl was looking in the distance, where seven fully-armed men were walking, heading their way.
Even farther than that, as far as the young girls eyes could reach, more men were headed towards Herberts ce.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Herees the candidates (Calvary)...
Chapter 247: Guards
Chapter 247: Guards
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The young girls cry woke up the sleeping Harold.
The young man, who was holding his long sword, tried to stand up immediately, but after a whole night of maintaining the same posture, his limbs were stiff and numb. It was not even possible for him to stand uppletely.
All he could do was groan and fall on his bum.
"Young master, are you alright? Its nothing to worry about. It must be the men who answered the recruitment ad," one of the wagoner bodyguards said,ing to Harolds aid.
"Oh, I see..." the young man said, slightly embarrassed.
Harold was staring at Kieran, who had stood up straight.
As a matter of fact, Kieran had already noticed the men a few minutes ago and confirmed that they were not dangerous. At least they did not look dangerous.
The Sub Mission description had mentioned that there might be some who harbored malicious intent, so Kieran kept that in mind.
"Ill leave those two to you!" he told Harold as he nced over at Herbert, who had just fallen asleep at sunrise, and the big guy hed brought back yesterday, who was snoring loudly.
Kieran headed over to the candidates.
He was sure the big guy he had brought back was dead asleep and not faking it.
Otherwise, he would not have allowed Kieran to tie him up with chains like a chinese dumpling.
While he had been tying the guy up, Kieran had noticed that his swollen forehead had healed.
"What astonishing healing powers!" he hadmented.
He had wanted to ask what the man had been to Calkin, but he knew his priority at the moment was to finish his Sub Mission, not ask questions and look for the unknown.
Kieran walked towards the entrance of Herberts ce and stood there waiting for the candidates.
"The temptation of gold is even stronger than I thought. This is really quite a number of men!"
The scene that was supposed to take ce after two to three days after the news had spread was already taking ce on the second day.
Kieran scanned over the people before him. He was in awe.
He could make out at least 30 to 40 men.
"Please wait here while the others arrive!" he told the ones who had reached him first.
Of course, not all the candidates were willing toply.
"Who the f*ck are you? Piss off!" one of the biggest guys of the first batch yelled at Kieran.
He raised his hand to p him on the face, but the sound that followed was not that of his handnding on Kierans cheek. The big guy cried out in pain.
Kieran had caught his hand with his right hand and twisted it back.
The big guys seemingly strong body instantly shrunk like a shrimp as he cried like a little girl.
Any others who wanted to move on Kieran suddenly backed off.
They hadnt noticed how or when Kieran had struck the guy.
Kierans actions inspired reverence in the candidates hearts and made them obey quietly.
Kieran had used his Transcendence Level [Hand-to-Hand Combat]. Although his choices had not made his punches as powerful as his kicks, that didnt mean that he could not fight with his hands.
Whoever underestimated Kierans hands would taste the power of his fists.
"Aaaah! It hurts! Let go!"
The guy was crying out in pain, but Kieran had no intention of letting go. Instead, he gripped him even harder.
"Arrrgh! Its breaking! My hand is breaking!" the big guy cried even louder.
"Mr. Herbert put me in charge of every single one of you. You can call me 2567 or anything else you like, but everyone will follow my rules. If anyone disobeys or breaks the rules, not only will they be eliminated, but bad things might also happen to them," Kieran said amidst the crying.
His tone was cold, and his words were even colder. He used the sharp gaze he had perfected through a couple of life-and-death dungeons to scan over the candidates. It made the candidates fall silent like cicadas during the winter.
Unlike the thugs that hade by the previous day, the current candidates had a certain level of strength. Just like the thugs though, they knew that they would have to beat a more formidable opponent.
Compared to the three thugs, the candidates knew what kind of person would have that kind of sharp gaze though. It was the kind who had been through life-and-death situations a couple of times.
Definitely not someone they could afford to mess with.
"2567?"
"Sounds familiar!"
"Where did I hear that before?"
Some of the candidates instantly searched their memories for where theyd heard that name.
For a moment, the space in front of Herberts ce became oddly quiet.
Delighted, Kieran nodded lightly.
Ever since he had epted the [Sifting Through Bodyguards] Sub Mission, he had been thinking about how he wouldplete it perfectly.
Strength!
In the end, Kieran chose to go with the most direct way, which was to disy his own strength in front of the candidates and exert his dominance.
He could mostly guess who the people who hade for the job were. Most of them believed their knuckles spoke louder than words.
Not everyone, but most of them.
If Kieran had chosen to use words, the final oue would have been extremely awkward and the time consumption alone would have been uneptable.
Herbert had mentioned that they would be leaving for Isogu City on the 25th. It was already the 23rd.
Kieran, who still had a couple of things to sort out before leaving for the expedition, had no intention of wasting all his time on a single Sub Mission.
As for the men who harbored malicious intent, he hade up with a countermeasure against them. The situation before him was not the right time for it though.
Kieran loosened his right hand and pushed the big guy back.
The guy staggered forward for a few steps, his body out of bnce, before he fell to the ground.
His right wrist had obvious bruises from Kierans grip.
"Thank Mr. Herbert for that. If it was not for him, I wouldnt have broken your hand, but your neck!"
In order for the selection to proceed smoothly, Kieran had to act ruthless and cold.
To further fortify his stance, he activated the [Dead-Mans Gaze].
The next moment, a whole bunch of men were crying for their mothers and jumping around like ants on a hot pan.
When the rest of the candidates reached the scene, they saw a whole bunch of people lying or sitting down, drooling nkly.
Fear was evident on their faces. Powerful, uncontroble fear.
Even more so when Keiran, who was standing on a small tform, turned his gaze towards them. They all shivered in fear and shrunk back like quail.
Instantly, thest men to arrive looked at Kieran in a different manner. They were unsure about what they were facing.
Scared, everyone kept looking at him.
Kieran looked calm and casual about it.
When he nced at thest person in the crowd though, his heart rose up in his throat in surprise.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
The calvary and a bunch of useless cry baby
Chapter 248: The Abandoned Child
Chapter 248: The Abandoned Child
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Standingst in line was a woman wearing a mantle.
The hood did not cover her head, allowing Kieran to see her face clearly.
She had a clean tidy red bob, strong facial features and light, wheat-like skin. She didnt share the weathered feel of a mercenary, but she looked healthy and lively.
What caught Kierans attention was the box she was carrying. To be more precise, it was a metal trunk as tall as a grown man, one meter wide and two knuckles thick. It looked extremely heavy.
The cowhide straps, which were as wide as a mans palm, were stretched tightly.
The trunk had to be full.
"Does it hold weapons? Or maybe armor?" Kieran guessed.
Either way, anyone who could carry that kind of weight had to be a good fighter. Kieran instantly marked her down, not just because of her strength, but also because of the Sub Mission description.
As a matter of fact, other than the redhead, there were a couple more noteworthy candidates, which were also marked down by Kieran.
No doubt, even if the marked down candidates passed through the sifting process and entered the bodyguard team sessfully, they would still be the target of observation.
Seconds turned into minutes. Soon, 20 minutes had passed.
After Kieran confirmed that no one else was showing up, he spoke.
"Ill reintroduce myself. I am 2567. You can call me whatever you want, but Ill say this once more: Everyone will follow my rules. This is thest time I say this. There will be no more reminders for those who break my rules. Ill make sure anyone who disobeys will experience agonizing pain!"
Kieran pretended to be ruthless and strict, stating each and every word loudly and clearly.
Judging by the dispirited, scared faces of the candidates around him, his act seemed to be sessful. The mercenaries and bounty hunters that arrivedter raised no objections.
Of course, Kieran also noticed that a couple of them were making eye contact. Some of them were the ones he had marked down.
"As expected, something is fishy!" Kieran smiled coldly, but remained silent.
He remembered whether the marked down candidates had arrived alone, separately or with other groups. Now they were looking andmunicating with each other.
Such an unusual tacit agreement could not exist among strangers.
Kieran decided to keep this to himself for the time being though.
He didnt even take another nce at them. He had already marked them down in his mind, so there was no need to try to memorize them any further.
"Bill, Cass!" he called as he turned around.
They were Harold and Joannas wagoner bodyguards, so they quickly answered his call.
"Sir 2567!" they both greeted him politely.
Harold and Joanna had already ordered their bodyguards to follow Kierans orders for the selection of the new bodyguards.
It was an important process before the expedition to Isogu City and it involved their employers safety, so neither of them had objected.
Especially not when Kieran had disyed such exceptional strength before them.
The previous night, when Kieran hade back with that big guy over his shoulder while still carrying his huge backpack, Bill and Cass had been astonished by his extraordinary strength.
His huge backpack aside, the two of them could have barely moved that bloated big guy around. However, Kieran hade back really fast, as if hed had wings on his feet.
The two of them had instantly started to believe the rumors about him.
Astonished, Bill and Cass hadnt even tried to object to their employers orders to follow Kieran.
Powerful strength granted one many advantages.
Kieran had experienced that himself after a few dungeon runs. He wouldnt mind enjoying some advantages without viting his own principles.
"Please catalogue their weapons and run some simple tests," Kieran ordered them.
"Right away, sir!"
Bill and Cass moved as soon as the orders were given.
The mercenaries and bounty hunters that hade for the job position were almost 30 to 40 people.
If Kieran had done the registering and testing alone, the time and energy consumption alone would have exceeded his expectations.
Things were different when Bill and Cass were there to help though. Not only did they save Kieran a whole lot of time, but they also allowed him to focus his attention on the suspicious candidates and observe their movements.
Bill and Cass divided the candidates into two groups.
Bill took the group that was good at using sharp weapons, and Cass took the group that was good with firearms.
Of course, the candidates were not just good with one type of weapon.
Many of them had brought all kinds of weapons. Almost everyone had a long sword and a flintlock, and some of them had even brought heavy artillery, such as spiked clubs.
"The dawn of the firearm age, when swords still reigned..." Kieran mumbled to himself as he watched the scene.
He silently recalled thest Guardian Knight, who had carried the burden of history on his back, Guntherson.
"I think Guntherson was also born in a simr era. One could fight with swords and des or seal his enemys fate with the shot of a pistol. As time passed, the convenience and speed of firearms surged and made them the mainstream weapon of the era. Sharp weapons struggled to keep up and what followed was the sorrow and grief of a generation!"
Remembering what Guntherson had been through, Kierans heart filled with an indescribable feeling.
He couldnt say that he understoodpletely how Guntherson had felt, but he understood more now.
Looking at the mercenaries, the bounty hunters and their weapons of choice made him understand why Guntherson had chosen to reside in the most secluded area of St. Paolo, while peoples memories of him faded in time. He was an abandoned child.
"The abandoned child of time... Abandoned by the whole world and living like the walking dead... How despairing was that! It must have been awful!"
Kieran recalled how Guntherson had lived on and felt a chill in his soul.
He was sure it wasnt the life that he had wanted for himself, but at the same time, giving up the hope of living and choosing death was not his choice either.
"Die a glorious death or live a feeble life... Thats my choice..."
It was hard for Kieran to choose his answer to that question.
Ten minutester, he still couldnt make up his mind.
Disappointed, he snapped out of it when he heard Joannas cry.
Kieran turned around unconsciously.
The tall bloated man had awakened and was struggling to stand up. The metal chain tying him down was moving non stop, seemingly unable to withstand his strength.
Joannas petite body was less than three meters away from the big man. She seemed like she was standing beside a raging bear.
Cass, who was registering the candidates, wanted to leap over to protect his employer.
Before he could take a step though, Kieran stopped him.
"Keep doing your job. Leave that to me!"
Just as Kierans words faded, he appeared like a sh before Jonna, cing her behind him.
"Thanks," Kieran thanked Joanna, who was looking at him in confusion. Then he walked over to the big guy slowly.
A small spark ignited on Kierans right hand, followed by another, and then another.
When he took a third step, the electric current had already covered his right hand, letting out an electrifying noise.
Suddenly, everyones jaws dropped. They almost forgot how to breath.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Happy New Year everyone!
Hope we can have a lot more dungeons ahead of us!
Stay safe and be healthy :)
Bonus Chapter to celebrate a new year
Dess
Chapter 249: The Night Race
Chapter 249: The Night Race
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The tall bloated captive saw Kierans electrified punch and took two steps back, his face filled with fear.
He was grunting, making sounds simr to the dungeonsnguage, but not entirely the same.
"Is it some kind of dialect?" Kieran guessed while he tried tomunicate with the big guy.
"Can you understand me?"
The big guy nodded at first, but then shook his head.
The ambiguous answer made Kieran frown.
Suddenly, Herbert stepped in and said, "If you dont mind, may I?"
"Absolutely!" Kieran nodded in agreement and made way for the schr to interpret the big guys words.
Kieran kept his eyes on the captive and stayed within range. If the man made any sudden movements, he could counter first.
However, when Herbert walked over with a friendly smile, the big guy calmed down and stopped struggling.
"What the...?" Kieran looked at Herbert in awe.
Herbert wasmunicating with the man in an extremely slow manner.
"Calm down. Dont worry, no one is going to harm you. Alright?"
"Alright."
"Tell me your name!"
"No... no name..."
"I see. Where are you from?"
"No... nowhere."
After Herbert triedmunicating with the big guy, Kieran was finally able to understand him.
He was not speaking in a dialect or using ng. The mans tongue just seemed to have some kind of problem that prevented him from speaking properly, hence the grunting.
Kieran also noticed that the guy was of low intelligence.
"Is it an act, or is it real?" Kieran was suspicious.
However, when Herbert released him from his chain bindings, the big guy turned tame and stayed behind Herbert quietly. Kieran gave up on his theory, but his heart suddenly skipped a beat.
He recalled that the trap had been set up beforehand the previous day at the house.
"The trap had been set up perfectly and specifically for the ck figure! The big guy here was the lure!"
Kieran could guess the masterminds n.
Faced with a big tough guy who was not afraid of des, but whose intellect could not allow him tomunicate properly, the ck figure would definitely draw his de.
Once the weapon was drawn, the green me trap would be triggered automatically. As the big guy fought with the ck figure, none of them would have been able to escape the explosion.
The oue was obvious.
The only thing that the mastermind had not anticipated was how easily agitated and reckless the big guy was.
"What a pity!"
Kieran saw the big guy follow Herbert harmlessly to the breakfast area and have a serving of breakfast. He let out a breath of relief.
Honestly, Kieran could get nothing out of a low-intelligence person, but with his size and physique, he would attract attention wherever he went.
Some further inquiries would give Kieran the information he wanted.
It was possible to locate the mastermind behind the incident by following the vines to the melon.
The only thing Kieran was still worried about were the mercenaries and bounty hunters applying for the job.
Kieran could not leave Herberts side before the selecting process was over or he located the person with ill intentions.
He knew where his prioritiesy. It was a lead that might provide him with a potential Sub Mission versus a native that was rted to the Main Mission.
Herbert walked up to Kieran after taking care of the big guy and told him in a friendly tone, "If its just about gathering information, Cohen could do it. He drops by every day to deliver the newspaper!"
Ten minutester, Cohen arrived with that days newspaper.
After Kieran agreed to teach him some basicbat moves, the youngd immediately tapped his chest in agreement.
Cohen went back to the city before finishing his breakfast.
"You better keep your promise though! Cohen admires you quite a bit!" Joanna told Kieran after seeing her fellow mate off.
"Why did you thank me before?" the young girl asked after a pause.
"Because I was lost in thoughts I wasnt supposed to be thinking right now. Your cry woke me up!" Kieran exined briefly. He could not borate on everything that he had been through.
His answer was honest though, even though the young girl did not believe it.
"Easy for you to say!"
The young girl turned away with a grumpy grimace. After a few steps though, she paused.
"Thank you!" she said, her face still turned away, and then headed towards the cooking maid without any more stops.
Kieran was left behind, looking astonished.
"This is too hard for me to grasp!" hemented before turning his eyes to Herbert, who was also watching the scene.
Kieran had a lot of questions he wanted to ask the schr, such as the cause of Calkin and the wagoners sudden mutation.
He was also concerned about the reason Herbert was sure the big guy would not harm him.
"The Night Race! Calkin and his wagoners sudden change fit the description of the monsters originating from the Neegor Dynasty. They possessed a certain level of intelligence and were good at disguising themselves. After they died, they turned into a pile of green goo! They were also imprable by sword or de, which also fits your description!"
"They were eliminated by the Neegor Dynasty armies during ancient times while they roamed the coast of the Neegor Lands though. Theres two things Im concerned about. One, the Night Race could not have maintained their normal form while suffering from pain, and two, they shared the same reproduction method as humans, so there is no exnation for the mutations!" Herbert answered Kierans questions as they looked at each other.
"Maybe the Night Race wanted to make aeback? If thats the case though, was Calkin a suitable target?" Kieran said as he started toe up with spections.
"Who knows? Thankfully, I can easily tell ones true heart. This does not include scum like Calkin or monsters like the Night Race though." Herbert shrugged.
"Youve given me enough help already! This is the first time Ive heard of the Night Race!" Kieran smiled in reply.
"It was just a coincidence! You should be thankful they originated from the Neegor Dynasty. If it was some other monster, I could only have done so much!" the elderly schr said before he walked over to the big guy, who was staring at him with an empty bowl, grunting for more food.
Kieran headed back outside, where the bodyguards were waiting.
He realized that he could sift through the candidates with an easier method by adding another step to the selecting process.
As he walked closer to the group, he noticed there was amotion going on between the candidates.
The marked down candidates were exchanging looks again, their hands reaching for their weapons.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
The Night was the zombies all along!
Chapter 250: The Weapon
Chapter 250: The Weapon
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The malicious gazes hidden among the crowd were very unsettling for Kieran.
Still, he pretended he did not sense them and walked in front of the crowd.
He was approximately three meters away from everyone. A safe, yet dangerous distance.
"I think we should add another test to the process. Ive just heard..."
Before Kieran could finish his words, a loud yell interrupted him.
"NOW!"
Three of the marked down candidates that had been hiding in the crowd made their move together.
Bang! Bang!
Two gunshots were fired in no time, the two bullets aimed at Kierans heart and head.
A jumping figure with the force of a mountain swang down a spiked club hard against Kieran, wanting to smash him into a pile of minced meat.
Shocked by the sudden attack, the crowd quickly spread out, moving away from danger.
Everyone was looking around vigntly.
Only Bill and Cass expressed their shock with words.
"Watch out!" they yelled at Kieran, who was still standing on the spot. The two of them instantly thought that Kieran had lost his mind.
Most of the mercenaries and bounty hunters thought the same as well. Some of them even smiled mockingly,ughing at themselves for being scared by Kierans intimidating presence earlier.
To some of them, death was nothing special. All they cared about was that it was not their own death they were witnessing.
Among the crowd, only the redheaded candidate remained calm.
Her eyes were filled with anticipation, wondering what would Kieran do.
The next moment, her eyes filled with astonishment.
So did the other mercenaries and bounty hunters eyes. They widened their eyes, their faces filling with an inconceivable expression.
The two bullets that had been aimed directly at Kieran had had no effect against him.
Kieran was still standing where he was, without a single scratch.
The candidates with better eyesight saw the bullets deform in mid-air as if theyd hit something.
Kieran was imprable by both swords and bullets?
Everyone present drew in a cold breath in shock. Before they could exhale though, they stopped breathing once more.
The crowd saw a half-moon qi energy wave get fired out from Kierans left upper kick.
The energy wave flew up high, aimed at the person who had jumped up, and struck down with the force of a mountain.
The man was instantly shed in half without any resistance.
Green-colored blood sshed down like an exploding water balloon, but it didntnd on Kieran.
He had already left his spot and reached the other aplices,unching a barrage of kicks with his right leg.
The oveying shadows of Kierans leg drowned both his targets instantly.
The repeated hitsnded hard, sending both of them flying backwards.
Their bodies were twisted and deformed, their bones breaking as they fell before the entrance of Herberts ce.
After a slight twitching movement, the two of them lost any signs of life.
"Ahhh!"
The surrounding mercenaries and bounty hunters let out an astounded sound, not just because of Kierans formidable strength, but also because of the rotten faces of the other candidates.
Their burned faces shocked anyone whoid eyes on them, sending chills down their spines as the bodies dissolved into a pile of green goo.
"I see!"
Kieran calmly looked at the battlelog notifications.
[Shooting: Lethal Attack, Target inflicts 100 Damage to your HP, Defense Level Authentication, Primus Scale has Powerful Defense, 100 Damage resisted, Target inflicts 0 True Damage to your HP...]
[Shooting: Lethal Attack, Target inflicts 100 Damage to your HP, Defense Level Authentication, Primus Scale has Powerful Defense, 100 Damage resisted, Target inflicts 0 True Damage to your HP...]
[de Kick: Lethal Attack, Inflicts 400 Damage to Target HP, (Hand-to-Hand Combat, Combat Kicks (Transcendence) X2) (Transcendence Kicks +1 level granted), Target has Tensile Skin, 350 True Damage to Target HP, shed Effect triggered, Target dies...]
[Hundred Violent Kicks: Quick Attack, 300 Total Damage to Target HP, (Transcendence Kicks +1 level granted), 250 True Damage to Target HP, Fracture Effect triggered, Target dies...]
...
"The empowerment was not that bad!"
Kieran scanned over the Transcendence Kicks additional level effect and nodded in delight.
Although it was just a +1 buff, based on the damage level calction, it was able to increase from Strong to Powerful Level.
The true damage might vary depending on the user and their methods, but it was still worthy of a Transcendence skill.
Kieran turned his attention to the pile of green goo and the green glowing spiked club.
After listening to Herberts exnation about the Night Race, he had unconsciously anticipated the appearance of such a monster among the candidates.
After all, after Calkin and his wagoner had been reced by monsters, they had still showed up at Herberts ce. Although they had seemed to be there to invite Kieran to the scene, Kieran knew how much he was worth. Calkins true target had to be Herbert, not him.
How did the Night Race know what had happened at Herberts ce though?
Calkin was definitely not some tough guy that would spill everything during a simple interrogation.
Plus, it had been too easy for the Night Race monster to rece Calkin and appear before Kieran, whom he had only met once.
Kieran had some answers. He knew why the Night Race had targeted Herbert.
"The Night Race had once roamed the coast of the Neegor Dynasty Lands, but was eliminatedter by the Neegor armies!" Herbert had told Kieran.
The Neegor Dynasty had already disappeared in the river of time. It was actually treated as a myth by everyone, yet the existence of the Night Race was proving otherwise.
The Neegor Dynasty had eliminated the Night Race in a big-scale battle.
ording to Herbert, the Neegor Dynasty had existed 1,500 years ago. At the time, firearms had not been invented yet, so all they could rely on were sharp weapons.
The monsters had had the upper hand against sharp weapons.
During that battle, they had disyed exceptional strength and speed, and the Tensile Skin on their bodies had been like a naturalyer of armor.
Their intuition and intellect level had exceeded Kierans expectations.
During his conversation with Herbert, Kieran had been inside the garden of his house.
There had been a garden wall in between, and they had been at least 50 meters away. Even Kieran with his C+ Intuition could barely hear someone talking from that distance, let alone the contents of their conversation.
Under the circumstances, not even a huge army would be useful against such a monster. Before the troops could get near them, the monsters would have already escaped with their extraordinary senses.
The monsters strength could also easily overpower a small number of soldiers trying to ambush them.
Therefore, when the Neegor Dynasty had eliminated the Night Race, they had either created a method that had made the Night Race unable to escape, and then suppressed and eliminated them by outnumbering them, or they had created a weapon that could naturally restrain the monsters.
Judging by the movements of the current Night Race, it had to be thetter. Otherwise, the Night Race would have had no reason to target Herbert, the Neegor Dynasty schr.
ording to Kierans spections, that weapon might very well be in Isogu City!
There was also the possibility that the Neegor Dynasty had had one or two out-of-this-world powerful men, who had eliminated the whole Night Race single-handedly.
If that had been the case though, why would the Neegor Dynasty crumble overnight?
Kieran thought about it while he picked up the green spiked club.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
This had to be the biggest twist of all time in this dungeon... The weapon...
Chapter 251: Disappeared
Chapter 251: Disappeared
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The spiked club was made out of metal, and its handle was quite heavy.
Thumb-sized spikes filled the huge clubs body.
It gave out a vicious vibe under the sunlight, making anyone whoid eyes on it shiver.
[Name: Crushing Spiked Club]
[Type: Sharp Weapon (Heavy Arms)]
[Rarity: Magical]
[Attack: Strong]
[Attributes: Crushing Lvl1]
[Effects: None]
[Prerequisites: Strength D, Sharp Weapon, Heavy Arms (Master)]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: If you want to use this metal spiked club, you need to have both the technique and the strength to wield it!]
...
[Crushing: Lvl1: Able to crush Light Armor (Weak or Common Defense), inflicts a certain level of Damage to Medium Armor (Strong Defense)]
...
Kieran wielded around the [Crushing Spiked Club] easily. Although he did not have the necessary technique, his strength alone was enough to produce a series of deafening sounds, which scared the mercenaries and bounty hunters around. They all shivered and turned pale.
Some of them, who harbored other intentions, started to get nervous.
The half-moon qi energy wave, the oveying shadows of Kierans kicks, which could cover the sky, plus the casual wielding of the heavy spiked club made it clear to the mercenaries and bounty hunters that Kieran was not someone they could afford to challenge.
As a result, when Bill and Cass began the real test of the group, the numbers had dropped to half, making it easier for the two men to carry out their task.
In the end, only two candidates passed Bill and Casss test. They were the ones who specialized in sharp weapons and firearms.
One of them was one of the candidates Kieran had marked down, the redhead with the bob, who was a bounty hunter named Contly.
During the sharp weapons test with Bill, Contly hadnt even picked up a weapon. She had gotten the upper hand against Bill with her bare fists.
Her shooting skills had made Cass fall so far behind that he had only been able to see the dust of Contlys bullets.
From start till end, Contly had never ced down the heavy trunk on her back.
The other sessful candidate was a middle-aged mercenary named Lorl.
He was not in Kierans suspect list, but he had performed exceedingly well in the sharp weapon test with Bill using only one arm. He had disarmed Bill with only two moves.
That was the main reason he had been chosen, even though his shooting skills were average.
Kieran led the two of them to Herberts garden and introduced them.
Herbert stood up with a light smile, weing the two new recruits to their bodyguard positions, "Contly the Bounty Hunter and Lorl the Mercenary! Good day to you both!"
The big guy following behind Herbert ingenuously looked at the new recruits curiously. When Kieran turned his eyes to him, he quickly shrunk behind Herbert, grabbing the edge of Herberts coat in fear.
Kieran frowned slightly and stood aside. His attention never wavered. Neither Conlty nor Lorl had earned his trust yet.
He could not afford to let his guard down before the [Sifting Through Bodyguards] Sub Mission waspleted.
Bill and Cass, on the other hand, went to rest after asking Kierans permission.
The wagoner bodyguards had stayed up almost the whole night in alternating shifts and supervised the morning selecting process. Even though their constitutions were quite impressive, they were still mentally exhausted.
The two of them rested until the sky turned dark. The day guarding duties were assigned to Contly, Lorl and Kieran.
After the new recruits signed a somewhat scrumptious agreement and got a deposit from their sry, the two of them assumed their duties without a fuss.
They carried out their tasks remarkably until the sun set.
When the sky turnedpletely dark, Pierre and Cohen came back with a couple of horses, a wagon filled with supplies, and two hunting hounds.
The two hounds were tame and obedient in Pierres hands. As they walked around with their strong limbs and their ears held upright, listening to the surrounding sounds from time to time and showing their sharp fangs, it was clear that they were very reliable.
Kierans eyes shone when he saw them.
The hounds would increase their security level against a fearful enemy, even more so at night in the wild, if they put them on guarding duty.
If it wasnt for hisck of corresponding skills and their hefty cost, Kieran wouldnt have minded training a couple of hounds to help him.
He tried to show his friendliness to the dogs.
As a matter of fact, everyone in thepound other than Joanna and the cooking maid was quite fond of the canines, including the big ingenuous fellow.
The group surrounded the hounds and talked about them.
Harold brought the leftover meat from dinner and threw it to the dogs.
The two hounds looked excited and anxious, but they did not move towards the food until Pierre gave them the order. Then they threw themselves at the meat and gobbled it down.
"Theyre really well-trained!" Kieran said in awe when he saw the hounds obedience.
"Godnar Hounds, the best partners of the legendary Neegor Dynasty soldiers! Their bodies had a special power that allowed them to fight even the fiercest lion. They were supposed to be famous battle hounds, but thats just a myth! Professor Herbert believes it though, so he spent a fortune so Pierre could raise them! They are not as amazing as they were described to be, but no one can deny that they are the best hunting hounds and guard dogs!" Cohen exined.
"I bet you have some good news for me if you are able to describe the hounds with such excitement!" Kieran said jokingly.
"How do you know Im not just trying to make up for not having any good news?" Cohen said with a bitter smile.
"No clues?" Kieran was shocked. Things had not gone as hed expected.
The big fellows huge body would definitely attract attention wherever he went. Although there might be some ways to hide his presence for a short time, he couldnt do that forever.
Unless the mastermind could hide the big fellows face, that was not possible.
Kieran instantly thought of something.
"Were there any idents?" he asked.
"While I was asking around about the big guy, Mr. Pierre received an official letter from the Herl City Council. They are hoping that Professor Herbert can leave for the expedition immediately. The Herl City Council prepared sufficient weapons, supplies and horses right away."
Cohen emphasized the words "immediately" and "right away".
"If Professor Herbert doesnt leave for Isogu City right away, the council will revoke its sponsorship and prosecute him! What does that big guy have to do with the council?"
The youngd looked at Kieran curiously.
"He has no rtions to the council, but he has something to do with the monsters!"
Kieran looked at Herbert and Pierre, who were also looking at him.
The three of them stood up together and walked to the side to discuss things further.
"The Night Race really exists?" the schrs butler, maid and bodyguard asked with a puzzled expression.
"Of course! And they have stronger powers than we had imagined! The three recruits showed up here just in time while you were away talking to the council about the donation. I had some doubts earlier, but not anymore! The Night Race might even have some authority within the Herl City Council! The fact that they are rushing Herbert to leave proves that the mastermind who used the big fellow belongs to the Night Race! He is afraid that we will find more of his kind by following the vines to the melon!" Kieran said with a nod.
"So does that mean that we have to leave now?"
Pierre frowned slightly. He seemed unwilling toply.
"Thats what it looks like, yes! Unless you can tell the Night Race apart from humans, which isnt that hard. Dont forget that the person you are investigating is someone with authority and an important position in society! If they really belong to the Night Race, itll be easier for us! If we mess up though, we will be in an awkward position. The Night Race could very well use the tide against us. They could use their authority to frame us for political assassination and put us behind bars! If the police cant do it, what about the military?" Kieran asked with a shrug.
He was not concerned about a couple of flintlocks, but canons were a different story.
A couple of dozens of canons firing together could cause some massive damage. Even [Primus Arm] would be useless against such heavy firepower. If that happened, they would be blown to bits. Kieran could not think of any other oue.
Herbert suddenly opened his mouth.
"But you said that the weapon that could beat the Night Race might be in Isogu City!"
"Yeah, but that was just a guess!" Kieran emphasized.
"Even if its just a guess, its enough for us to get moving! Lets go! We dont have much choice left! We need to prepare ourselves! I have a feeling the Night Race will not let us reach Isogu City safely!"
Then Herbert turned around and walked back. Kieran and Pierre exchanged a look before they followed him.
After about half an hour, a small convoy set out in the middle of the night.
Everyone was armed with weapons, scanning their surroundings vigntly. Even the cooking maid was looking around.
Although Herbert had not told them all the details, the fact that they had left suddenly in the middle of the night meant that something had changed, and it was not for the better.
Everyone was anxious, and so was Kieran.
However, after a couple of dungeon runs, he was used to that kind of anxiety.
He had volunteered to be at the front of the convoy as a lookout. Since hecked the corresponding skill, he was not riding a horse. Instead, he was moving on foot.
Kieran kept a 20-meter distance from the convoy behind him. That way, if anything happened, he could warn them and be able to help them.
The pitch-ck night was giving out a suppressing vibe, even more so when the moon was blocked by a cloud, causing their surroundings to fall into total darkness.
Kieran suddenly halted as he was advancing forward.
The noise of the convoy traveling behind him had suddenly stopped. He could hear no horse gallops or wagon wheels.
Everything had disappeared.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Blinded by the dark... Cant you look around more before you say your team is missing? Kieran tsk tsk tsk
Chapter 252: Out of the Blue
Chapter 252: Out of the Blue
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Everything went silent as darkness enveloped the area.
Kierans eyes and ears seemed to have lost their function.
Was it an illusion?
Kieran instinctively opened his notification tab, but there was nothing that indicated he was under an enemys spell. Still, the scenery before his eyes had undergone obvious changes.
Battlelog notifications were not almighty anyway. They would only show yers notifications about attacks during a battle.
The darkness before his eyes and the deafness in his ears were obvious, but they would not harm a yer one bit.
That did not include the lurking danger mixed with the darkness though.
Just as Kieran activated his [Tracking], a skeletal hand rose from the ground and grabbed his feet tightly.
The first pair of skeletal hands were just the beginning. More hands rose up after the first.
Within a breaths time, Kierans feet were bound down on the spot by a dozen of dirty yellowish skeletal hands.
Kierans face suddenly turned sour, not because of the bindings, but because he had seen a cannon from afar.
After he had activated his [Tracking], the darkness was no longer an obstacle for him. He could clearly see a few people controlling a cannon 50 to 60 meters away from him.
Although it was an old cannon, it was still enough for Kieran to feel threatened.
It had all been designed specifically for him.
Kieran sensed the thick malicious intent of the mastermind behind this.
During the bodyguard selection process, Kieran had disyed his kicking ability. That was why the bindings were on his legs.
He was also imprable by des and guns. That was why they were using a cannon against him.
One thing was for sure. They were there to kill Kieran, no matter what it took.
"They think Im the biggest obstacle between them and Herbert?"
Kieran grinned a little as he looked at the loaded cannon.
He was grateful that the dungeon era was during the time firearms had just been introduced, and notter. Otherwise, he could not have escaped unscathed after pulling himself away from the skeletal hands.
Kieran didnt mind returning an eye for an eye, as long as he had the ability to.
A giant rhino mirage formed behind him, a quake making the mountains and the ground tremble.
The skeletal hands were crushed to powder in an instant. His next target was the group of people around the cannon.
BANG!
Kieran sprinted towards the cannon with an unstoppable force. Before the cannon could even be lit, the rhino mirage collided with it, crashing it out of shape and flipping it up in the air.
The people around it were squashed into minced meat. Their defense was below Powerful Level, so [Reckless Rush] trampled over anyone who stood in its way.
A green-colored rain of blood sshed down after Kieran smashed through, his unstoppable force still charging even after his target had been crushed.
In front of Keiran was a faint figure, trying to widen the distance between them.
Under the effect of the [Reckless Rush], the most primitive natural force was empowered by Kierans base strength and speed. The effect had already exceeded the disyed stats.
Constitution was rted to Stamina, which was also rendered useless.
All the stats were supported by his Rare belt, [Wild Soul].
Needless to say, without a Powerful Defense, any obstacles blocking his way before the five seconds of charging time were up would be destroyed. Kieran could charge on forward with strength and speed that exceeded his normal ones even further.
The distance between him and the Night Monster was closing.
When Kieran had activated the [Reckless Rush], the Night Monster had sensed that something was wrong and unconsciously backed off.
He had a breathing window as his subordinates stalled Kieran a little, but that was just a second.
As Kieran closed in on the Night Monster, its burned face filled with despair. Then it turned into a frenzy that only despair could cause.
"DIE WITH ME!"
With a heavy howl, the Night Monster ignited itself into green mes.
The fire started from a small spark and instantly turned into a bright burning me that engulfed its whole body, turning the Night Monster into a green torch.
It was waiting anxiously for Kieran to collide with it, but...
Just before Kieran could crash into the monster, when he was less than a meter away, he suddenly halted and swiftly stepped back.
The monster was stunned by Kierans sudden move. It tried to hurl himself at him when he was near, but the green mes had made it lose its original strength. After a clumsy stagger forward, it fell straight to the ground.
The moment the monsters green burning body came into contact with the ground, it exploded.
The green mes sted fire waves half a meter tall, destroying everything in a five-meter radius.
When the mes were extinguished, a crater as deep as a meter was left behind.
The explosion reminded Kieran of the one back at Calkins sources house.
Although it had a weaker sting force, it was still not to be underestimated.
"Do all Night Monsters have a simr self-destructing ability?"
Kieran unconsciously became more vignt.
He reminded himself that it would be best to avoid meleebat with the monsters, but at the same time his curiosity about the weapon of the Neegor Dynasty grew.
"I really wonder what it could be!" Kieran kept guessing.
However, his thoughts were quickly interrupted by a green glow at the center of the st point.
Kieran quickly walked over and picked up the green glowing ring gratefully.
While the green-colored mes had been burning, he had not been able to spot the Magical Rank ring.
If the mes hadnt died quickly, he might have missed it.
It wasnt the right time for him to check out his loot though. He suddenly heard gunshots from afar and quickly dived in the shadows, dashing in the convoys direction.
As he closed in on the convoys location, the gunshots got louder.
When Kieran was less than 50 meters away from the convoy, he could already see a squadron of 20 attackers firing at them.
The convoy was using the wagon defensively. Pierre was leading the group, fighting back bravely.
Both sides were exchanging fire fiercely. They were miraculously evenly matched.
Kieran was relieved for a while. He maintained his cover in the shadows as he watched the convoy.
The attack was a good chance for him to test the two new recruits.
Kieran could not lower his guard around them yet. Rather than worrying about taking precautions in the near future, he might as well use the attack to test whether Contly or Lorl had any hidden agendas.
After all, the attack was also a great chance for their ill intent to surface.
So who was the traitor? Was it Contly, the self-proimed bounty hunter? Or Lorl the Mercenary?
Or maybe both of them?
Kieran was observing them quietly.
What he saw next though overwhelmed himpletely.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
See! Pft, sharp sight tsk tsk tsk
Chapter 253: Unusual
Chapter 253: Unusual
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Kierans position and his exceptional senses allowed him to see clearly what was going on by the convoy.
He waspletely shocked when he saw the cooking maid, who was always friendly, pointing a gun at Pierre. He never wouldve thought that it was the cooking maid who had been harboring ill intentions.
It was not just her though. Harolds wagoner, Bill, had taken a step backwards, as if he wanted to reload his gun. Instead, he had pulled out a dagger and pointed it at Joannas bodyguard, Cass.
"The enemies had really prated every possible opening!"
Kieran drew in a deep breath and raised his [MI-02] and [Python-W2].
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Shots were fired at the horse wagon, followed by a st of wood chips when the bullets came into contact with it. The smoke of the gunpowder made Pierre shudder, not because he was scared, but because he was excited.
Although Pierre had taken the role of Herberts butler, maid, bodyguard and cook, that didnt mean that he had forgotten who he was inside. He was a warrior!
A warrior that had been through countless wars and battles.
He might have retired from his former duties and have been enjoying a long overdue peaceful time, but his easy,fortable life had not made him slower.
Quite the contrary, his well-trained body had be even stronger and faster, his senses sharper than ever.
Therefore, when the Night Monsters ambushed the convoy, he retaliated with all his might and made the best arrangements.
Pierre was so focused on the battle in front of him that he did not notice the looming danger behind him.
A small throwing knife had appeared in his left hand. He was ready to throw it, but a bullet beat him to it.
Bang! Bang!
Amidst the heavy crossfire, two shots were inconspicuous. The results were shocking though.
The cooking maid and Bills heads had been shot. Even though the dungeon restrictions had reduced the [MI-02] and [Python-W2]s firepower greatly, their heads had still been prated by the bullets.
Green-colored blood gushed out, their bodies dissolving swiftly. Joanna screamed.
Harold, who had been Bill and the cooking maids employer, was at a loss about what to do.
As for young Cohen, although he had not been through such an incident before, he had the same response as Harold.
Herbert, as the teacher of the three youngsters, was much calmer.
He looked at the dissolved green-colored goo first, and then turned his head to Pierre.
"Was it 2567?" he asked.
"Yes, my dear sir. Recruiting 2567 was the wisest choice youve made in the past 10 years, my friend!" Pierre said while pointing far away.
Kieran, who had shot both the cooking maid and Bill in the head, hade out of his hiding ce. He was already dashing like a tiger out of its cage, running right into the Night Monsters formation.
Wielding his [Infantry Spear] up and down, he swept at his enemies like a ck python.
The Night Monsters were killed by his touch, dying thanks to his spear.
Within three seconds, the Night Monster formation had been thrashed.
Most were dead, and the rest were crying as they drew theirst breaths.
Kieran was a little hesitant against 20 enemies that were slightly stronger than normal human targets and possessed modernized weapons, but the Night Monsters were just using flintlock pistols, firing shots one by one.
He was not worried anymore. He activated [Primus Scale] and thrashed them without hesitation.
Of course, he still had a fresh memory of the Night Monsters self-destructing abilities, so he didnt stay long at the same spot after killing them.
Kieran quickly moved away from the area and away from the remaining heavily injured Night Monsters.
As expected, there was an explosion. The green mes wrecked the area without any mercy.
Kieran got away from the sting range, but stayed close to the burning area.
When the mes were out, he inspected the ground around the monsters carefully.
He did not want to miss out on the chance to obtain any potential items like he had the first time.
However, this time around, there was nothing noteworthy left behind.
Still, Kieran had a small window of time to check out the item he had gotten from their first encounter.
[Name: Pitch ck Ring]
[Type: essory]
[Rank: Magical]
[Attack/ Defense: None]
[Attributes: Silent Darkness]
[Effects: None]
[Prerequisites: None]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: This is a replica of a great item!]
...
[Silent Darkness: Create supernatural darkness in a 50-meter radius from you, blocking any light sources and sounds, No Attack, twice per day]
...
Since Kieran had the Transcendence option [Shadow Cloak] from [Undercover], he only nced through the [Silent Darkness] attribute. His attention was on the remark.
"A replica of a great item? That item must be at least Legendary Rank!"
Kieran was sure about his guess. An item worthy of being called great, whose replica was already at Magical Rank, had to be Legendary without a doubt.
"That item must also be in the hands of the Night Monsters!" Kieran suddenly thought, his heart burning with eagerness. He was not in over his head though.
He knew perfectly well that, even if the Night Monsters had some Legendary items in their possession, it would be hard for him to get them.
If a Night Monster could possess a Legendary item, they would definitely not be like the useless loonies he had just fought.
Kieran quickly calmed himself down and walked back towards the convoy.
Herbert wasforting his students, and Contly and Lorl were still on guard, but Pierre weed him back.
"Even though Id heard about the Night Monsters from you and Herbert, this was the first time I encountered them. They really scared me! Theyre quite the troublesome monsters after all!" Pierre sighed with a bitter smile.
Although he had noticed the danger, it had been only when the Night Monsters had made their move that he had sensed the killing intent behind him.
He had not noticed anything unusual earlier.
Although he was extremely brave, he was not confident that he could beat a monster who was good at disguising itself.
"For the sake of security, we need to run another test. We might not have been able to identify the others, but we can at least check those around us!" Kieran said.
Using the cooking maid and Bill as an example, Kieran stressed that he did not want to be in a simr situation again.
Even though he was confident that the others were not Night Monsters, it would be better to run a real test to confirm his theory.
Pierre understood what Kieran was talking about. He turned to Herbert.
He would also prefer not to have to watch his back while he faced other enemies.
Before the convoy moved out, Herbert led the group through the test by performing it himself first. He made a small cut on one of his fingers.
Then he exined in detail the distinguishing features of the Night Race.
Other than being stronger and faster than normal humans, they were also immune tomon sharp weapons. The point was that the Night Monsters could not maintain their disguise while they were in pain and their blood was green.
After Herbert took the initiative to exin, everyone did the test quickly.
As Kieran had expected, no one else in the group was a monster in disguise.
Meanwhile, his Sub Mission [Sifting Through Bodyguards] waspleted.
"Did it include Bill as well?"
The Sub Mission description had been tricky, but Bill had indeed been a bodyguard. That was an undeniable fact.
"I was too careless!"
After ncing through the Sub Mission information, Kieran reminded himself to be more careful.
He realized that it was pure luck that he had discovered Bills real identity. Bill had blindsided him, because he had been Harolds wagoner and bodyguard.
Since Kieran had trusted Herbert, that trust had been extended to Harold and by default to Bill.
Plus, Bill had put on a good performance. Kieran hadnt doubted him or the cooking maid for a second. He had even praised the cooking maid for her cooking skills.
"If Id noticed the cooking maid, maybe it would have been a different Sub Mission?"
Kieran felt a pang of regret in his heart, but as the convoy continued its journey, that regret was forgotten right away.
Kieran would not allow himself to be affected by regret for the past andpromise his future ns.
He was still walking in front, acting as a lookout, while the convoy followed behind him.
They were safe from any attacks until the first light.
After a week of traveling, they were close to Isogu City. The whole journey there had been safe.
The rest of their journey had made that first night feel like nothing more than an illusion. Everyone still had a serious expression though.
Even Joanna had noticed that something was not right. Kierans brow was furrowed most of the time.
The Night Race would not give up just like that. If they had not attacked them on the way, there was only one other possibility...
"They chose to strike at Isogu City!"
Kieran instantly squinted his eyes. He was not the only one who had thought of that possibility. Herbert, Pierre, Contly and Lorl had thought of it too.
Contly even voiced out her concern.
"We cant go on like this. It will only lead us straight into the enemys trap!"
"Do you have a better suggestion?" Kieran asked, his eyes locked on Contly, who had been quiet during the whole journey.
Compared to Lorl, who was more talkative, Contly was a really good example of a person of few words.
She could remain silent for a whole day. Even when she needed to speak, she would just nod or shake her head.
It was the first time Contly had spoken that much since she had joined the group.
Kieran unconsciously raised his guard against her.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Quickly check your friends or family, they might be one of them
Chapter 254: Dead City
Chapter 254: Dead City
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
"Reconnaissance! Someone has to go ahead and check if its safe!" Contly said.
"I suppose that person is me?" Kieran said with a small smile, pointing at himself.
He had assumed the role of a lookout for the whole journey. It was only natural for him to carry out that lookout mission as well.
In fact, even if Contly had not mentioned reconnaissance, Kieran would have thought of it himself and suggested it to Herbert.
The fact that Contly had mentioned it though was unusual, and it made Kieran think more about her.
"Does she want to divert my attention?" he thought unconsciously.
When Contly continued though, he rejected that thought.
"No, no! Not you! I meant me!" she said.
"If you dont mind, I would like to join the recon team as well!" Lorl said.
As he looked at the newly recruited bodyguards who had volunteered to carry out the recon mission, Kieran raised his brow. He stared at them with a critical gaze.
The female bounty hunter was calm and confident, but the middle-aged mercenary tilted his head, not daring to look Kieran in the eye. He looked a little ashamed.
"Well, this says it all!" Kieran sighed silently.
The duo had no intention of doing recon work. They were not willing to continue this adventure with them.
Pierre, who had been behind Kieran all the while, looked stricken. His face had turned green. He seemed infuriated by the duos suggestion.
Someone with a rich life experience like him could easily tell what the hired bodyguards were nning on doing.
"You people! Fine! I wish you all the best then!" Pierre scolded them. Before he could continue though, Herbert nodded with a smile.
The female bounty hunter turned around and left, while the middle-aged mercenary looked apologetic. Making a gesture of gratitude, he took a bow before Herbert and then left swiftly.
"What is this?"
Harold, Cohen and Joanna were exchanging puzzled looks.
Their unusual conversation and actions had struck the three youngsters as strange.
"Professor?" Harold asked his mentor, speaking for his peers.
"Everyones life is precious. I have no right to take their lives from them!" Herbert said with a smile.
"Youre talking about them?"
The three young students immediately understood Herberts words. They were quite smart themselves after all.
"Damn it! Those traitors! We should demand our deposit back and spread word about their actions! We can give them a bad reputation!" the three students ranted. They seemed unhappy with the bodyguards decision.
Herbert maintained his smile as he looked at Kieran.
The question on his face was obvious.
"I still care quite a bit about my own reputation! Ive epted your invitation, so I will carry out my mission just as I promised!" Kieran said with a shrug.
Compared to the other hired muscles, Kierans answer instantly gained him favor among the three students. Cohen even gave Kieran a thumbs-up in the unique lively manner of a teenager.
Of course, it was not just the three of them who were happy. Herberts smile became much friendlier. Even Pierre tapped Kieran on the shoulder, expressing his admiration.
Casss eyes were filled with respect. As a bodyguard himself, he knew what they would encounter further down the road. If it didnt defy his own contract with Harolds family, he might also have joined Contly and Lorl and left the group behind. Because of that, he showed more respect for Kierans actions and the fact that he was keeping his promise.
From Casss perspective, one should risk their lives to keep a promise, whether that was good or bad for them. A promise should always be respected.
Kieran shrugged again as everyone looked at him.
He was feeling really awkward. He could not just tell them that he was staying because of the Main Mission though, could he?
Fortunately, Herbert took the lead and saved Kieran from this awkwardness.
"From here onwards, we might face an even harder journey. There are some things that happened because of me. I knew it would be dangerous, but I did not expect it to be this dangerous. Cass, I need you to take Harold, Cohen and Joanna back. Dont take them to Herl City. Stop at one of the small towns we passed on our journey. You can wait for us there!" Herbert said slowly after ncing around at everyone.
"Professor!"
The three students looked anxious when Herbert announced his decision.
"Professor! Things are not as bad as they seem! We could move forward in groups. Those bastards will not recognize us all!"
"We could rendezvous in Isogu Cityter!"
"Thats right, professor!" the three students said, hoping to convince Herbert. Their reasoning was too naive and simple though.
Kieran shook his head the moment he heard it.
Move forward in groups?
Moving in groups under unknown circumstances would only give the Night Monsters more chances to attack them and take them out one after the other.
As for the monsters not recognizing them all?
Kieran was certain there was not much of a difference between the students and the portraits the Night Monsters possessed. Otherwise, the infiltration of the cooking maid and Bill would have been an utmost failure.
Kieran did not expect the three students to convince Herbert with their reasoning.
"The Night Monsters are far scarier than you can imagine. They share the same features as humans as long as they remain undercover! You cant even know if your friends are one of them! Thats why I cant allow you to go back to Herl City. That ce is as dangerous as the ce we are heading to!"
"Most importantly, think of their numbers! We still dont know how many of them there are, but based on their movements, it wont be just a few hundred! Plus, I also need you to help me finish a mission while you wait in town!" Herbert took out a sealed letter as he spoke. Then he looked at his students with utmost seriousness.
"Four weeks! If we do not make it back in four weeks, open this letter and follow the instructions carefully!" Herbert emphasized each and every word he said.
The three students were shocked by his seriousness, but they took the letter.
Kieran could not help but smirk as he watched the scene.
Herbert knew his students too well. He knew that if he pushed them away, he would not have convinced them. He might as well entrust them with a mission before sending them away.
As for what was inside that letter, Kieran knew the content would not be mission-rted. He didnt have to look inside to know it would only be rted to the students safety.
He said nothing though, and neither did Pierre or Cass.
Then the convoy broke up into two groups, and Cass and the three students took the wagon and the hunting hounds and headed back into town.
Kieran, Pierre and Herbert took the horses and continued on with lighter luggage.
They were less than 10 kilometers away from Isogu City. Kieran assumed the role of a lookout again, venturing on alone.
Although Contly and Lorls suggestion had been a mere excuse, the recon idea was epted by Kieran, Pierre and Herbert as a good one.
Their target was the camp area outside Isogu City, which had been formed by gold diggers.
Every gold digger from all over the country, from the northern mountains to the southern seas, gathered at the campsite. It would be the best ce for a recon mission and the best ce for the Night Monsters to hide.
Therefore, before Kieran actually set foot on the campsite, he entered his [Undercover] mode.
Step after step, he carefully closed in on the campsite. He could see at least 1,000 tents.
From afar, it looked like a town formed by tents.
When he was less than 100 meters away from the campsite gate, he halted and frowned.
The campsite was surrounded by wooden fences and had three outpost towers for lookouts.
Obviously, it had been well-developed thanks to the rumors about the existence of gold. There was a certain order around. It was no longer a messy gathering site.
Kieran could still not see a single soul on the campsite though.
It seemed to be empty of people. It was a dead city.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
I imagined Contly to be quite a pretty bobbed head...
Chapter 255: Warning
Chapter 255: Warning
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Wind blew across the camp. As it did, it made the dead silence of the eerie campsite even more obvious.
The silence made Kierans brow furrow.
Especially when he walked through the campsite gate. He gripped his gun handle hard, preparing for any potential danger.
However, nothing happened as he ventured forward and reached the end of the campsite.
Kieran had carefully checked all the tents as he went on, but just as hed thought, there was not a single soul around.
However, the tents were filled with all kinds of supplies. They were notcking a single thing.
Personal belongings, weapons, everything was casually ced inside, as if the owners were still around.
Kieran even saw a bowl filled with food in one of the tents. The food had been left behind half-eaten.
The bowl had not been toppled or finished by any means. It had just been left there to rot, as if the person eating it had vanished into thin air.
"Vanished into thin air?"
Kierans heart instantly shivered. He quickly entered his [Tracking] mode, but it had been far too long ago. Time had swept the ce clean of any traces.
"Everyone vanished at least a week ago!" Kieran spected based on his experience as he squinted.
He had started his journey from Herl CIty exactly one week ago.
The simr timeframe made Kierane up with a couple more theories about what was going on.
"If thats really the case..."
Kierans expression turned serious all of a sudden. He quickly headed towards the end of the campsite and the road leading to Isogu City.
Isogu City was a historical ce covered by a huge forest. However, ever since an explorer had discovered gold inside the ancient city, Isogu City had been relieved of its green cover and exposed to the eyes of the world.
A path had been carved out from the end of the campsite, leading straight into the city.
Kierans position already allowed him to see a corner of the ancient city clearly.
As he walked along the path, Keiran saw lots of axes inside the woods and on the ground. It seemed like the gold diggers who had carved the path out had not been satisfied with it and had wanted to expand it even more.
Yet before they could finish the work, they had vanished.
Kieran paused where he stood for a while, and then went back without venturing inside the ancient city.
He thought he should inform Herbert and Pierre about the strange scene on the campsite first. Herbert was a schr after all, so he might know something.
...
"Everyone vanished?"
Herbert was shocked when he heard Kierans statement.
"Thats right. Their things are still intact, but everyone is gone. Its as if they vanished into thin air!" Kieran exined with a furrowed brow.
"1,500 years ago, after the Neegor Dynasty united the whole world, they also vanished in one night. It was as if they disappeared from Earth..." Herbert mumbled softly to himself.
Kieran and Pierre exchanged looks, noticing each others frightened expression.
Although Kieran had heard this from Herbert before, he hadnt connected the disappearance of the gold diggers to what had happened 1,500 years ago to the Neegor Dynasty.
Pierre had heard about it even more times, but habit made him focus more on taking care of Herbert rather than on legends.
"We should head back, Herbert. The things happening here are way out of our league! You have enough evidence to prove that the Neegor Dynasty existed. There is no need to risk this anymore!" Pierre said.
As a warrior, he would not mind taking that risk, but as Herberts butler and bodyguard, he needed to put Herberts safety first.
Kieran remained quiet. He had been hoping that Herbert would help him explore Isogu City, but he could not force him to.
Not only would this vite his principles, but Kieran also knew that if he pushed Herbert too far, the way Herbert might react could result in the opposite oue.
"Fret not, Pierre. The Night Monsters could never cause the Neegor Dynasty to vanish. Otherwise, they wouldnt have been eliminated by the Neegor Dynastys troops in the first ce! The situation before us is the same!" Herbertforted his butler and bodyguard.
"This is still dangerous!" Pierre reminded Herbert.
"We cant go back now! The Night Monsters have blocked our way back. The only way for us now is to move forward!" Herbert said with a smile. He was free from any nervousness or anxiety now. He actually looked extremely rxed.
"We still have to try! Its better than pressing forward like this!" Pierre insisted.
"No, no! If we continued, it would be safer for us. We had spected that the Night Monsters would strike before Isogu City, but now it is unfit for a battle. The gold digger campsite was the best option, but 2567 told us the site is empty, free of any souls or monsters! This is our chance!" Herbert shook his head.
"It might be a bigger trap! There are too many coincidences!" Pierre said.
Kieran raised his right index finger, staring at Herbert and Pierre as he stated his own theory, "One week. The people in the gold digger campsite vanished one week ago. Coincidentally, that was when we started our journey. This got me thinking about something. One week ago, when we resumed our journey, we were ambushed. It only happened once though."
"Maybe the strength we disyed exceeded their expectations or something happened between the Night Monsters themselves, but in the end, they altered their original n, which had been to prevent Herbert from reaching Isogu City. Instead, they moved forward with Herbert, heading for the ancient city themselves. They are looking for that thing!" Kieran deliberately emphasized the word "thing".
"So the Night Monsters are relying on our knowledge to help them find that thing inside Isogu City? Does this means we will be safe until they get their hands on that thing?" Herbert agreed with Kierans theory. Pierre nodded too, not raising any further objections.
After a while, Herbert sorted some things out in his head.
"Maybe the Night Monsters will even shield us from other threats! If we use this as a starting point, the people in the gold digger campsite may very well have been the monsters handy work! Of course, it might be something else altogether, but the way I see it, the Night Monsters wanted to remove that distraction to allow me to locate that thing for them! After all, that thing is too important to them! Thats our chance!"
Herbert lowered his voice at the end, so only the three of them could hear.
What was that "thing"?
Everyone except the big fellow knew.
It was the weapon! The weapon that could easily eliminate the Night Race.
At the beginning, the Night Monsters had wanted to prevent Herbert from venturing into Isogu City. They had to stop him from discovering that weapon, as it would threaten their very existence.
However, they had obviously changed their n and approached it with a more radical method. They wanted Herbert to locate the weapon inside Isogu City for them, destroy it and end their troubles once and for all.
That was why theyd had a smooth journey to Isogu City.
Herbert also had another idea about the weapon. He wanted to use it to eliminate the monsters before they could destroy it. That would not be easy though.
"If the Night Monsters are allowing you to search for it freely, this means they must have prepared themselves! Dont forget, no matter what methods they use, they managed to vanish at least 1,000 gold diggers from that campsite! We shouldnt underestimate them!" Kieran said as he drew a deep breath.
"I will need you and Pierres help!"
Herbert looked at Kieran and Pierre seriously.
[Sub Mission Unlocked: Finding the Lost Monument]
[Finding the Lost Monument: The Neegor Dynastys greatness was undeniable. The item left behind by them was enough to strike a chord in any beings heart, including the Night Monsters! The Night Monsters could not solve the riddle of the Neegor Dynasty, so they needed an expert! Herbert is the one. Help him find the lost mystical item!]
"Just find it? Not use the weapon to destroy the Night Race as a whole?"
The Sub Mission had note as a surprise, but the description had. Kieran went through it carefully. He had to decipher each and every word, since he had made a mistake in interpreting the previous Sub Mission. He still epted it though.
"Of course!" he said with a smile.
"I am your butler and bodyguard. Wherever you go, I go!" Pierre said helplessly.
The big fellow grunted, signifying that he would follow Herbert as well. Just like when the group had separated into two, the big guy grabbed the edge of Herberts clothes, unwilling to let go.
...
The group resumed their journey again. As usual, Kieran took the lead.
Although they had spected that they would not be in harms way before they located the weapon, this was not an excuse for Kieran to lower his guard.
Soon, the group reached the gold diggers campsite.
Despite Kierans descriptions, Herbert and Pierre were still in awe when they saw the empty but intact campsite.
They jumped down from their horses and checked around, just like Kieran had earlier, hoping to find more clues.
The result was the same. They found nothing in particr.
In the end, they gathered some food and water from the tents and moved to the end of the campsite and the path that led to Isogu City.
However, as Kieran and co. approached the path, they saw a wooden sign stuck in the middle of it.
On the sign was a warning message written in fresh blood.
"GO BACK!"
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Who wrote the sign!?
Chapter 256: The Blood Mirage Fortress
Chapter 256: The Blood Mirage Fortress
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The sign was crudely crafted, made out of sticks, vines and a wooden nk.
The words were written well enough to read, somewhat neatly, but before the ink could dry, the sign had been tilted up, causing the ink to drip down.
As the messy ink dripped, it made the words blurry and vicious, like a bloody, wide-open jaw.
"Its not blood. I think its some kind of berry juice. It seems like the person who wrote it was in a hurry. The words were written with their finger, using the berry juice. Their finger must have been strong and stiff. The vigorous writing even prated the wooden nk a bit. A normal human being could never have done this!"
After making sure there were no traps around, Kieran went up to check on the sign.
The sourness that his nose picked up allowed him to recognize the origins of the red liquid.
Kieran was unsure what it really was though.
Although he had a Basic Level [Potionology] and he could remember at least 100 types of nts and their stems, root leaves and effects,pared to the number of nts in nature, that was like a drop of water in the sea.
Kieran had already put enough effort into strengthening his Basic Level [Potionology] so he could tell that the liquid was some kind of berry juice.
He stood up from his squatting position and nced around in hopes of finding more clues.
"When I left, this sign was not here. They must have poked it down after I left, certain that we wereing. Most importantly, there are no traces of footprints or fingerprints left around the area. They approached without casting a shadow and left without a trace. Does that feel familiar, Herbert?"
Kieran looked at the elderly schr, who nodded at his inquiry.
"The guardians! Isogu Citys guardians!" Herbert said.
"Those maniptive bastards only know how to y pranks and scary tricks! If they really had this kind of power, why not just kill the entire Night Race?" Pierre said in a grumpy tone, looking at the sign.
Kieran knew why Pierre was so upset about the guardians. It was because the guardians had burned down Herberts ce.
To Pierre, Herberts ce was like his ce. In other words, it was home.
No one would be friendly to someone who had burned down their home, no matter their intentions.
It was good enough that he was not cursing out loud.
Pierre was not a mild-tempered man by any means. The reason he was not cursing was because he had other intentions.
Kieran saw it clearly. As Pierre had mentioned the guardians, his hand had never left the hilt of his sword.
Obviously, Pierre had a more direct approach in mind. Kieran agreed with him, even though hed never had a real home.
Still, he knew how to deal with someone who had burned down his house. He would skin that person alive and torture their body and soul a hundred times over.
"Shall we continue?"
Kieran drew a deep breath and pointed at the path that led to Isogu City.
"Of course." Herbert nodded.
Kieran walked in front of the group for the rest of the journey. Compared to the route they had taken on their way there, the forest-covered path could contain even more danger.
It wasnt just the Night Monsters. The guardians, who never showed their faces, might very well be hiding in those woods.
After all, the gold diggers had only carved out a path to Isogu City. That was nothingpared to the whole forest.
The forest was as wide as a sea, so it was easy for the guardians or the Night Monsters to take cover in it.
That was not a wild guess. Kieran was basing his theory on the Night Monsters attitude towards the weapon they were after. However, there were still some doubts lingering in his mind.
The guardians of Isogu City had to know the ancient city better than anyone. They also had to know what was buried inside the city. Everything there had to be like their family valuables.
Including that weapon. If they had the weapon though, why would they allow the Night Race to expand their forces to a substantial size?
Unless...
"The lineage was broken?"
Kieran thought of a possibility that could reasonably exin the current situation.
Something must have happened among the guardians, and the knowledge and weapon rted to their lineage had been lost, resulting in the monsterseback.
Kieran could not know what had really happened, but he was certain that the Night Race and the guardians were mutually antagonistic, fighting with both open and secret means.
The two sides were each others natural enemies.
The Night Race were abnormal beings once eliminated by the Neegor Dynasty.
The guardians were supposed to be the descendants of Isogu City, and the city had been one of the main fortresses of the Neegor Dynasty.
Even though the Neegor Dynasty had disappeared 1,500 years ago, Isogu City was still there, and so were the guardians.
Kieran could only imagine the fierce battle between the guardians and the Night Race Monsters. It would have been nothing, if not terrifying.
He unconsciously recalled the massacre back in Herl City.
"Was that ck figure one of the guardians? What was he after? The lineage of Isogu City?"
Kierans mind was blooming with new doubts, but he did not stop walking. He was also searching around him with extreme vignce.
After walking for 40 minutes, the group reached the real entrance of Isogu City.
A high wall had appeared before them. It would have looked really tall even to someone from modern society.
The wall was the only thing intact. Beside it were crumbled walls covered withyers of dust.
The high wall itself was no exception. Any dust that fell onto it only added anotheryer of a withered old feel to it, as if it was a giant tree, The bigger it grew, the greater it got.
Kieran was looking at the 15-meter high wall, imagining what it must have looked like during the glory days of Isogu city.
"Was it a fortress?" Kieran mumbled to himself.
"Yes. During that time, Isogu City had been a true fortress! It was abination of a castle, a pce and a fortress. The whole city had been built in a pentagon shape. This city wall here is the only part of it thats still intact. Its only the outer rim. There were two more city walls inside and a moat... Its all gone now though," Herbert said eloquently before letting out a heavy sigh.
"When I first came here, I spent two years trying to identify the city blocks within Isogu City, but I was mistaken! Those were civilian blocks, not the inner city! The real inner city was where the gold was found! If it wasnt for the war that had broken out at the time, I would have gathered more evidence to correct my mistakes!"
Herbert got carried away as he revisited his old memories. His face was filled with regret.
"Its not toote now. Can you tell me more about this ce?" Kieran asked.
He was looking at the notifications that had popped up in his vision.
[Isogu City Exploration +1% through Herberts Narration]
[Main Mission: Explore at least 20% of Isogu City within 4 weeks, Completion 1%]
No doubt, Kierans choice to follow Herbert on the expedition had been the best one.
The best proof for that was the 1%pletion thanks to Herberts words.
Kieran would not let that chance slip away, especially not if it made it so easy to increase the missionpletion rate.
Simrly, Herbert would not deny Kierans request. He started borating even more on Isogu City and his experience.
Pierre, who had heard that story countless times, showed no interest at all. Even the big guy behind them started to yawn.
The four of them shuttled through the streets of Isogu City.
However, as Kieran was listening to Herberts words, his face suddenly turned sour.
Pierre tightened his grip on his flintlock pistol. The big guy was sobbing, making a low grunting sound.
All three of their gazes were locked on the corner in front them. A faint bloody smell wasing from around the corner, as well as a soft rattling noise.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Some thing is there!! Help!
Chapter 257: Exerting Dominance
Chapter 257: Exerting Dominance
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The soft rattling noise was like a big mouth chewing on food. It sounded like someone sucking on beaten bone marrow.
The bloody smell that assaulted their noses was so unsettling, it could make ones flesh shiver.
The big guy twisted his body anxiously. Despite his low intelligence, he had the advantage of an extraordinary body and extremely strong senses. He was trying to tell the group that danger was lurking around the corner.
Even though Kieran listened carefully, he still could not identify what it was. He signaled at Pierre to lead Herbert and the big guy out of the street, and then stuck to the shadow of the wall and quietly approached the turning point.
The closer he got, the clearer the noise and the heavier the smell of blood got.
When the smell reached a certain level, it evolved into a burning stench that assaulted his nose. It smelled like hundreds of rotten fish ced in a sealed box for several months.
When the stench got too strong, Kieran decided to hold his breath.
Although the stench was not poisonous, the foul smell itself was more horrifying than poison for Kieran.
As he stood at the edge of the wall, he carefully stretched his head to take a look around the corner.
When he saw what was there, he waspletely overwhelmed.
Countless skeletons with some remaining flesh attached to them were piled up in a giant pit with a 50-meter radius.
A dozen of hyena-like animals were upying the pit, chowing down what was left of the skeletons.
When Kieran saw the bloody skeletons, he remembered the missing gold diggers from the campsite. His theory was confirmed when he saw some pickaxes and ropes beside the pit.
He took a deep breath to calm his mind. When he had seen that the gold diggers were missing, he had instantly had a bad feeling about them. Seeing it with his own eyes though was a different matter altogether.
Even more so when he recalled the massacre at the Chief Officers sources house back in Herl city. Suddenly, a terrifying but realistic thought bloomed in his mind.
The Night Race Monsters were cannibals!
Back in Herl City, when Kieran had seen the bloody skeletons and the minced meat, he had instinctively thought that something was wrong. The battle that had followed and his instinct had both told him that the scene had been a part of the trap.
However, when he saw the bloody skeletons all over the ce in front of him, the gruesome scene raised questions in his mind again.
Where was the flesh and the organs of the dead?
The monsters must have eaten them. Kieran could note up with another logical exnation.
He let out a heavy breath. He finally understood why the Neegor Dynasty had wanted to eliminate the Night Race.
At first, Kieran had thought that the Night Race had been using their own advantages to rebel against their ruler at the time.
Now though...
The Night Race and the human race had a prey and predator kind of rtionship.
They were fierce opponents. One side had to be fully eliminated. There was no other possible oue.
Heavy growling noises wereing from the hyenas throats. Even in broad daylight, their eyes were glowing ghastly green, their gazes filled with thirst for flesh and fresh blood.
After days of devouring human flesh, that group of hyenas had be different from normal ones. Their hostility towards humans had increased.
After a long howl from the alpha hyena, a couple of the strongest hyenas shifted their attention to Kieran and dashed towards him.
A strong wind assaulted Kierans senses along with that foul bloody stench.
Although the scene before his eyes was a part of nature, when he saw the hyenas chew on human bones, Kierans heart filled with a sense of unusual anger.
When the hyenas threw themselves at him, his burning rage turned into ice-cold killing intent.
He smashed the [Infantry Spear] out like a battle stick.
Bang!
The strongest hyena that had thrown itself at him got smashed on the head with a heavy blow. Its head instantly exploded and brains sshed everywhere around it.
Kieran kept wielding the [Infantry Spear] like a whirlwind.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
All the hyenas were smashed away with bone-breaking blows. The alpha hyena was no exception. Even though it was bigger and stronger than the others, it was useless against Kierans spear and his tremendous strength.
After all the hyenas had been struck down, Kieran added another lethal shot on their heads, just to be safe.
When they were all dead, Kieran turned around, signaling to the others that it was safe.
Herbert, Pierre and the big guy quickly came over. When they saw the bloody scene, their expressions turned ugly. Even the big guys face looked angry.
It was the helpless anger of seeing his own kind trampled and devoured by another species. His anger felt pure and straightforward.
The big guy was grunting at Herbert, stating his intentions. He spoke too fast, and his unclear intonation made his words even harder to understand.
Herbertforted him and then looked at Pierre.
"Pierre, get some kerosene oil from the gold diggers campsite, please. No matter what they were when they were alive, they dont deserve this..." Herbert said.
"Right away!" Pierre nodded, and then turned around and sprinted back to the campsite.
Almost 30 secondster, Herbert sighed heavily.
"The Night Monsters were cannibals?" Herbert seemed to be asking a question and mumbling to himself at the same time.
"They didnt just devour humans. They ate them in a special way too. Even killing 1,000 pigs would have been a long process, let alone 1,000 men. These men might have backed away if they felt threatened, but if their lives were on the line, why would they not resist?" Kieran said slowly, drawing a deep breath.
"Herbert, have you ever thought about why the Night Monsters were so confident in allowing you to find the weapon? I originally thought theyd set up a trap, but when I saw this, I had another thought..."
Kierans expression turned ugly, Herbert shared the same expression, but he wanted Kieran to continue.
"They controlled these people with some kind of drug or magic. Maybe something weve never even heard of before. No matter what it was, they are showing us that they are powerful!" Kieran shared his theory.
"These bodies were ced here for us. They are warning us. They want us to submit to them. They are like a fierce beast hanging the carcass of its prey in its territory, exerting dominance on others. Will you submit?"
Herbert shifted his gaze to Kieran. Kieran smiled.
"I cant!" he replied.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Punk ass dogs! Uh.. I mean hyenas
Chapter 258: Found It!
Chapter 258: Found It!
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The match ignited the red phosphorus.
The me burned swiftly. When the fire reached the skeleton pit that had been sshed with kerosene by Kieran, the small mes turned into a raging, dancing fire.
Thick smoke rose up high in the sky, forming a big dark cloud.
Herbert and Pierre were softly saying a prayer for the dead.
Even the big guy was standing aside respectfully.
The huge fire burned for almost two hours. After the mes dimmed down, Kieran picked up a shovel. He wasnt going to fill the pit. He was just going to bury the unburned bones he had collected from it.
They might still be dug up by an animal for dinner, but they had done whatever they could.
Pierre, the big guy, and Herbert joined him for the digging. The group kept burying bones until the sky turned dark.
"I swear I will never have a Bizel steak1 again!" Pierre, who was resting beside the campfire, said in a serious tone.
"I think I wont have ribs for a very long time! I never really had any before though!" Kieran followed up with a joke of his own.
The steak Pierre had mentioned was a local dungeon delicacy, so of course Kieran had never had it before. Herbert started describing the steak in great detail.
"Bizel steak, huh? The part where the bones are attached, that tender and juicy meat, is known as the best part of the cow. Especially the red juice. It really increases ones appetite..."
"Ugh! Stop, Herbert! Youre making me sick to my stomach!" Pierre yelled with a disgusted look before Herbert could finish teasing him.
Kieran could not take it either. Thanks to Herberts description, he had remembered the bloody bones inside the pit.
Kieran quickly pushed the thought out of his head. He did not want such memories to affect the taste of his food. He immediately changed the topic.
"So when do we start, Herbert?" he asked.
"Right now, of course!"
Herbert finished his meal and stood up right away. Holding a kerosenemp in his hand, he ventured towards the uncharted area of the inner city. Kieran, Pierre and the big guy followed closely.
"ording to Neegor traditions, most of the nobles, knights and royalty resided in the inner city. Commoners like businessmen, no matter how rich they were, could not enter this part of the city! Truth be told, the Neegor Dynasty had a very strict hierarchy system. If amoner wanted to advance to a noble level, there was almost no other way to do it other than by having great achievements on the battlefield. A person would have to kill at least 30 enemies, one of them amander, in order to achieve that!"
When the group reached a field filled with holes, Herbert exined what was before them.
"This has to be the inner part of the city. The inner city buildings had a higher architecture thanmon houses in the slums. As time passed though, the buildings sank into the ground, merging together and bing one. Although I hate that those gold diggers destroyed historical artifacts, I have to thank them because they saved us a lot of time."
Herbert raised his kerosenemp, picked a hole and went down straightaway.
It turned out not to be a random hole though. As Kieran followed him into the hole, he confirmed his theory.
After walking through a narrow passageway with steep slopes filled with dust, they saw a wide space appear before them.
There was no need to bend over, as the air did not feel stuffy. The underground space was much wider and better ventted than theyd imagined.
"This must be the mansion of a nobleman. The room we entered must have been his chambers. Lets go over there and see what he has in his study!" Herbert said as he walked towards it.
He sounded extremely confident, as if the ce he was in was not ancient historical remains from 1,500 years ago, but his own backyard. He was familiar with every corner and nook of the house.
Starting from the noble mansion before them, the group spent a whole week exploring Isogu City.
Other than during meals and resting time, Kieran was behind Herbert all the time, listening to his exnations about the ce.
Kieran was observing the ce with a sense of vignce, in case there was any potential danger. He knew what was best for him very well.
He actually hadnt known a single thing about the history of Isogu City or the Neegor Dynasty before the expedition. If it wasnt for Herberts exnations, he could not even have identified what was he looking at.
From Kierans perspective, everything he saw was pretty much the same. Stones and dirt, and some broken household utensils.
Kieran could not process that with his limited knowledge, but that did not make him sad.
He knew what level he was at. Honestly speaking, even the gold diggers back at the campsite had known more than Kieran about the ce before theyd died.
Otherwise, Kieran would not have followed Herbert around. Herbert was a real professional.
The best proof of that was Kierans vision, where notifications about the exploration kept popping up non stop.
Although it was not as much as 1%, as when hed first entered Isogu City, during that week, [+0.1%] and [+0.2%] notifications would pop up from time to time as Kieran followed Herbert around.
When hispletion rate reached 15%, Kieran was delighted. Another 5% to go before hepleted his Main Mission.
However, during the past two days, the notifications had grown fewer and fewer. Kieran knew that if he wanted to increase his exploration percentage within a short period, he would need a big discovery. Following the holes dug by the gold diggers would not do anymore.
Truth be told, Herbert was doing the same. Every time he left a hole dug by the gold diggers, he would take down notes.
Kieran could not understand his notes. There were lines and numbers on them though, so he knew that Herbert was trying to locate the weapon.
It was not an easy task though. If it was, the guardians or the Night Race would have found it already. They would not have waited for Herbert to do it for them.
Kieran did not rush Herbert. He just waited quietly.
So did Pierre, although he was waiting for the Night Monsters instead.
Within a weeks time, Pierre had found some things from the gold diggers campsite that he thought might be useful, such as flintlock pistols, a big amount of bullets, swords, knives, and bundles of explosives.
The use of the explosives was self-exnatory back then.
...
During the night, a campfire was burning at the inner part of Isogu City. Everyone was stuffing food into their mouths.
Pierre was tidying up the weapons again, Herbert was using the lighting from the fire, writing down notes that only he and his students could read.
Kieran was in the shadows, scanning his surroundings. He needed to be prepared, even if it was just for the night watch,
The day before, Kieran had picked up a spying gaze more than once. The malicious gaze had been as sharp as a sword.
"Cant wait anymore?" Kieran guessed.
The Night Race was less patient than he had imagined, but that was good news for him.
It meant that the monsters were unable to act rampantly. They experienced anxiety too.
Why would the Night Race feel anxious though?
Maybe it was because of the guardians of Isogu City or some other hostile forces.
No matter what the answer was, it was good news for Kieran, who was fighting alone.
Soon, he got some more good news.
Herbert, who was sitting next to the campfire, suddenly stood up. He looked quite tired after all that research, but his eyes looked happy.
He signaled at Kieran and Pierre carefully, without making a sound.
Herbert was worried that the Night Race might possess superhuman senses, so a deal had been made between the group.
That signal had only one meaning.
He had found it!
The weapon had been found!
TL Note
Bizel Steak: Local dungeon specialty
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Found it already? That was quicker than I expected...
Chapter 259: Wrong!
Chapter 259: Wrong!
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Carrying the kerosenemp, Kieran and co. walked towards the inner part of Isogu City.
It was not the first time they were doing this that week. Other than the fact that they wanted to locate the weapon faster, which they had been preparing for for a long time, they also hoped that their unusual actions would not attract the attention of the Night Race.
In other words, they were using habitual actions to fool the Night Monsters.
It was much more effective than they had imagined. Kieran could not sense any monsters following them. Maybe the monsters were beyond his sensing range though.
Kieran still had a fresh memory of the superhuman senses of the Night Monsters.
Maybe not all Night Monsters could reach such a level, but elite Night Monsters were enough to induce fear in peoples hearts, their leader even more so.
Kieran frowned when the thought bloomed in his mind.
He became more vignt as he followed Herbert.
Herbert was making stops on his way in, checking his notes from time to time.
When he finally stopped, they had reached one of the underground holes.
Kieran was no stranger to that ce. He and Herbert had been there before during their third day in Isogu City.
ording to Herbert, it was a knights house. He had talked about the structure of the knights house to Kieran in great detail, especially about the practice ground in it. Kieran remembered it very well.
After all,pared to other noblemens halls and corridors, the practice ground was very unique. The narrow, cramped chambers, and the living room and study around it were hard for Kieran to forget.
Herbert was standing in the middle of the practice ground, carefully exploring the area around him.
After a few minutes, a thunderous noise was heard all over the practice ground.
An underground entrance wide enough for two people to go through at the same time appeared in the middle of the ground.
"Now!" Kieran quickly urged everyone.
He was not astonished that the hidden door could still be used after 1,500 years. He did not even make sure the entrance had no mystical powers.
A series of rattling noises were already closing in on them. They sounded like sprinting footsteps and the wind blowing against someones clothes.
It had to be at least 100 people. One person could not cause such amotion.
Herbert, Pierre and the big guy quickly went through the entrance.
Kierans performance throughout the journey had won their trust, so Kieran was thest one to go in.
He had the explosives in his hands, ready to ignite them to seal the entrance shut.
No doubt blowing up the entrance before locating another exit was a huge risk, yetpared to the Night Monsters in pursuit of them, that risk was nothing.
If there was no other way out, Kieran could st an exit open with the explosives.
If they faced the Night Monsters, their attacks would be relentless.
Debris spread all over the ce, dust and sand flying around.
The open entrance started to crumble right after the explosion.
Huge chunks of rocks were falling down, blocking the entrance and rolling down the stairs.
"2567! Block the rocks!" Herberts voice suddenly reached Kierans ears.
Although Kieran did not know why Herbert wanted him to do that, he trusted the elderly schr.
Kierans original thought had been to dodge and run away from the falling rocks while pulling out the [Infantry Spear] and breaking the moving rocks. He was pushing smaller rocks aside and smashing the bigger ones away,
It was not hard for his Pro Level [Sharp Weapon, Spear]. The only thing Kieran had to worry about were the bigger rocks.
When one of them, which was as big as a milestone, fell down, Kieran had to back offpletely.
It was not just a simple retreat though. Kieran stabbed repeatedly at the rock with his [Infantry Spear].
The sharp spearhead was shing with the rock nonstop, producing sparks each time they collided.
With every stab, the exerted strength was slowing down the rocks rolling speed.
When Kieran was past the stairs, the millstone-sized rock stoppedpletely as well.
"Well done!"
Pierre ran over with more explosives on his back. He was installing the explosives all over the corridor as he said, "Ill show those monsters! Sharp fangs wont do the job!"
Pierre was staring at the blocked entrance with the big rock in between. He lifted the kerosenemp high with his hand.
Kieran believed that once the rock was moved away from the entrance, Pierres kerosenemp would fall. He did not mind the explosions being more thorough this time.
Kieran took more explosives from the big guys back and set them down around the hall while checking things out.
It was not a big hall by any means. Other than a tall tablet in the middle, which was carved with Neegor words, there was only a life-sized statue at the end of the hall.
When Kieran looked at the tablet, the system notified him about thepletion of his Sub Mission.
[Sub Mission: Find the Lost Monument (Completed)]
[Found the Lost Monument, Isogu City Exploration +3%]
[Main Mission: Explore at least 20% of Isogu City within 4 weeks, Completion 18%]
After finding The Lost Monument, thepletion rate increased a lot, which Kieran had expected.
Compared to earlier, when Kieran had to absorb second-hand information from Herbert, this time he had found something by himself, which had resulted in a bigger increase.
It was still less than Kieran had expected though.
"Is this the weapon? Or is it the way to create the weapon? Is deciphering the tablet thest part of the exploration?" Kieran spected as he shifted his attention to the statue far away.
It was a male statue in a resting stance. There were not many decorations on it. No long swords or armor that symbolized courage, or books that symbolized wisdom. That didnt mean that the statue was crudely crafted though.
Truth be told, it was very delicately crafted. Even its facial features looked lively.
Kieran could even make out that the statue was an eastern man.
"An eastern man?"
It was the first time Kieran hade across such a man in the dungeon. Although it was just a statue, this was enough for Kieran, who habitually observed things, to spare another look at it.
However, other than the rare facial features of the man, the statue was nothing special.
After taking another look at it, Kieran turned around and headed back towards Herbert and the tablet.
When he turned around, he was struck by panic.
"Huh? The statues gaze..."
Kieran turned around again and checked the statues eyes carefully. Then he walked behind the statue, parallel to its gaze. The statues eyes were looking at a spot on the ceiling.
There were runes and pictures there, iprehensible bymon people.
Kieran could see a pattern within them though, thanks to the [Mystical Knowledge] writings and the secret script.
"His Majestys ambition drove him madder each day. The day of the Saints Prophecy will soon arrive..."
"Bodies piled up all over the royal city, rivers were dyed red..."
"Disaster is here!"
"The sinful fire burned all thend!"
"I only left my sorrowful knowledge behind..."
[Deciphered Isogu Citys secret scripture, Isogu City Exploration +1.5%]
[Main Mission: Explore at least 20% of Isogu City within 4 weeks, Completion 19.5%]
Kieran was reading the scriptures. He was unable to recognize most of them. The parts he could read were few and far between.
The process still managed to increase hispletion rate and trigger his own memories though.
Since his [Mystical Knowledge] was still low, Kieran had gotten used to reading unknown secret scriptures and cramming them into his mind.
That was no easy feat though. At first, Kieran had had a hard time remembering. His head was full of information, but Kieran had mastered some techniques to memorize secret knowledge more quickly.
Although he could not remember everything with just one nce, by the time Herbert finished copying the scriptures on the tablet, Kieran was almost finished as well.
Suddenly, Pierre threw down the kerosenemp with force.
The corridor leading underground crumbled once more.
"Hurry up, we need to find another way out! The monsters digging speed was much faster than we thought!" Pierre yelled at Herbert.
Among everyone present, Herbert was no doubt the one most familiar with the ce, so it would be wise to consult him about which ce they should blow out in order to create an exit.
However, when Pierre shouted at him, Herbert stood still, stunned by what he had copied down. He was mumbling gibberish as if he was possessed.
"Wrong! Everything! Wrong! Weve been looking at the wrong ce the whole time!"
Herberts sudden revtion stunned Kieran and Pierre as they approached him.
"Whats wrong, Herbert?"
Pierre tapped Herbert on the shoulder, confused by his sudden outrage.
The elderly schr acted like he had been awakened from a dream.
"Hurry! Blow up the tablet! Right now!" He spoke quickly to Pierre, ordering him.
Pierre was even more confused, but he was not slow.
The tablet was strapped with explosives soon, and the fuse was ignited.
As the spark burned through the fuse, Herbert stared at it. He looked more anxious than ever.
Boom!
The tablet was blown to pieces. Herbert finally let out a long breath.
Not waiting for Kieran and Pierres questions, he lit up the notes he had taken down using the kerosene oil.
His move confused Kieran and Pierre even more.
"Weve been wrong all along! There is no weapon that can destroy the Night Race here! That weapon has been in the hands of the Night Race all along!" Herbert said slowly as he took a deep breath.
"What?" Kieran and Pierre said together in shock.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Herberts whole life has been a lie!!
Chapter 260: Impulse
Chapter 260: Impulse
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Noticing the confused looks on Kieran and Pierres faces, Herbert replied with a bitter smile, "That weapon is effective against the monsters, but it is more effective against humans! Anyone who uses it after eliminating the Night Monsters will be a Night Monster too! In other words, the monsters were facing right now all used to be humans! The original Night Race had been one of the guardians of Isogu City back in the day! ording to this tablets record, that weapon was first created to serve the greedy ambitions of a Neegor Dynasty King, who wanted to achieve immortality. The Night Race was just inconspicuous coteral damage!"
Herberts bitter smile got even deeper as he borated.
When he saw what the ancient guardians had written down on the tablet, he couldnt believe it. However, logic told him that it was all true.
None of this was important though. ording to the tablet, there were far more horrifying things out there.
If he destroyed the tablet, its horrifying contents would be gone as well, but when Herbert thought about what was on it, he could not help but shiver in fear.
How could a normal human being do such a horrible thing?
The elderly schr asked himself that question more than once.
"Instead of achieving immortality, they created the Night Monsters? How is that possible?"
Pierre shook his head in disbelief.
"If the Night Race was just inconspicuous coteral damage... Did the tablet mention any other beings too?"
Kieran caught the meaning behind Herberts words as he recalled the bloody scene back in Herl City.
The mastermind and the person who had stepped into the trap had known each other. If both parties had been guardians, it would all make sense.
As for the parcel that the ck figure had retrieved, it had to be the weapon that Kieran and his friends were looking for.
"The weapon that fell into the Night Races hands and the tablet... This cant be just a simple history lesson!" Kieran thought silently as he looked at Herbert, searching for answers.
If it had been just a brief history lesson, the Night Race would not have deliberately nned all these things.
The Night Race leader, one of the original guardians, would not have caused all thatmotion just for a story.
There had to be something else on that tablet!
Herbert opened his mouth, but he did not say anything.
Kieran understood when he noticed the mans manner. No doubt, the elderly schr had hidden some crucial information from them, but Kieran shrugged it off, deciding not to press him.
Forcing answers out of a respected elderly man was not Kierans style, even if Herbert was just a native.
Besides, it was only thanks to Herbert that Kieran would be able to finish his Main Mission smoothly.
By the time Herbert had started to exin the tablets contents, system notifications had already begun to appear.
[Herbert borated on Isogu Citys secrets, Isogu City Exploration +3%]
[Main Mission: Explore at least 20% of Isogu City within 4 weeks, Completion 22.5%]
[Main Mission Completed!]
[yer will leave his fourth dungeon in 5 minutes...]
[Please take whatever items you wish to keep with you.]
[Note: Any items that exceed the maximum weight will be discarded!]
...
As he looked at the tablet, Kieran noticed that the digging sound inside the crumbled corridor was getting louder by the second.
The Night Monsters were digging really fast, faster than he had expected.
"Herbert, where should we set the explosives? We need to make our way out! The Night Monsters areing!" Kieran reminded Herbert.
"No need for that! Here! The tablet mentioned there was another secret exit right here!" Herbert said as he quickly went over to the statue. Pierre and the big guy followed him.
Kieran was standing still in the same spot, looking at the crumbled corridor and listening to the digging sound, which was getting clearer and clearer by the moment.
"2567! Hurry!" Pierre yelled at Kieran as the statue was pushed aside and an exit appeared behind it.
"Thank you for inviting me here, Herbert, but I guess our journey together has toe to an end!" Kieran said, pointing at the trembling rocks and the dirt by the crumbled entrance. "Someone has to stall them so everyone else can leave safely. I think I am the best candidate for that!" he added with a smile.
"2567..." Herbert said. Pierre was overwhelmed, and the big guy was looking at Kieran in confusion.
"I wish a safe trip to the three of you! Dont worry, I wont die that easily! Remember to shut the door!"
Kieran waved at the trio and turned around to face the iing monsters.
He nced around at the explosives he had installed and smirked a little.
"Herees the biggest reward!" he mumbled to himself.
Herbert and Pierre were looking at Kierans back,pletely frozen as they stared at him nkly.
Unaware that Kieran had told them the truth, the two of them instinctively thought that Kieran was about to sacrifice himself to give them a chance to escape.
Both of them had tears in their eyes. Their faces turned red as the tears blurred their vision. Their chests tightened and their throats choked up, preventing them from uttering a single word.
"Lets go!"
After having a hard time struggling with his emotions, Pierre, who was also a soldier, mustered enough strength to get moving. He had witnessed too many life-and-death situations on the battlefield, so he knew what he had to do that exact moment.
"I cant let 2567 die in vain!"
With that thought in mind, Pierre grabbed Herbert and jumped through the exit under the statue. The big guy followed them.
Bang!
After the three of them jumped through, Pierre did not forget Kierans advice to close the statue.
Just as the statue moved back into ce, the Night Monsters dug through the blockage and flooded in like gushing waves.
The kerosenemp in Kierans hand was thrown towards the corner, where the explosives were piled up.
However, as themp was flung in the air, it suddenly stopped, as if a formless hand had caught it.
Suddenly, a powerful, sonorous voice that sounded like two pieces of metal shing against each other was heard, echoing around the hall.
"Such a great sacrifice! When I was still a guardian, such sacrifice was worthy of respect. Now though? I will show respect to your spirit by tasting your blood and flesh slowly!"
A tall figure walked out among the sea of Night Monsters as the voice subsided.
From a humans perspective, it had a vigorous, rugged face. It was scanning around the area with its haunting eyes.
"So there really is another secret passage! That old geezer never trusted anyone, even his own sessor! Was the Philosophers Tablet destroyed? Nevermind, its just a little more trouble!"
It nced over the destroyed tablet and shifted its attention fully on Kieran, who was surrounded by the Night Monsters.
Its eyes were filled with malicious intent and mockery as it gave Kieran a teasing grin, like a cat who had just caught a mouse.
"Do you know why I dont mind? Because the stone crafted Philosophers Tablet was destroyed, but there is another one that is still intact, a living one! Herbert must have read through the Philosophers Tablet and decided to destroy it, right? That old geezer must have written some horrifying tales on it to scare our poor schr out of his mind! This is way more interesting though! I can dig out his memories piece by piece! I always liked slowly peeling silk from a cocoon! Are you curious about how I can read other peoples memories?"
The Night Race leader raised his hand and snapped his fingers.
After that clear snap, a palm-sized, rainbow-glowing crystal appeared above his hand.
"Because I have this! This grants me power and enables me to control both humans and Night Monsters! With it, I am the King of the World!" the Night Race leader shouted in a demented manner.
Kieran squinted his eyes, carefully looking at the glowing crystal floating in mid-air.
His heart suddenly bloomed with an impulsive thought.
He wanted that crystal!
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Ill be changing the auto posting to manual :D
Because I want to get 1st inment section :D
blow me, creampieking :D
Chapter 261: Demented
Chapter 261: Demented
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
"I want that crystal!"
That impulsive thought was like a rising tide beating hard inside Kierans heart and defying his logic.
The calm, cool manner that Kieran was so proud of himself for was close to crumbling down.
His mind was only filled with thoughts about the rank of the crystal, "If I get that crystal, the killer yers would not be a problem anymore!" he thought.
His thoughts became persistent and eventually turned into an instinctive desire.
That desire fed his thoughts and made them grow bigger.
Without any sound or motion, the desire within Kieran turned into a creature that could devour him.
Hundreds and thousands of hands and legs intertwining, all limbs twisted, shing and fusing together. Each time the limbs came into contact with each other, they formed an eye.
The creature was blood-red in color and emitted an eye-catching, rainbow-like glow.
Circles andyers of sharp fangs and vicious teeth were spinning around like a chainsaw, grinding anything that went close to the creature. Its next target was Kieran himself.
The creatures mouth appeared above Kierans head. Kieran was still in a daze, stunned by the crystals re.
The creature was about to devour him from top to bottom.
"What a beautiful creature of desire! What an astonishing, twisted, demented fear! Although this would be interesting, Ill let your flesh and blood stay temporarily attached to your body! I wanted to see you turn into a Night Monster instead! Oh pitiful peasants, ept the grace of your King!"
The ex-guardian and current Night Race leader saw through the rainbow crystal that Kieran would get devoured by his own desire.
The Night Race leader was astonished, but then he quickly changed his intentions.
The frenzy that had turned him into a Night Monster made him sense that nothing was wrong.
His spirit was connected through the rainbow crystal, and the rainbow crystal instantly started shining brightly.
The creature of desire suddenly opened its mouth and extended tubes as thick as thumbs, poking at Kierans body.
Their strange energy started to immunize Kierans body.
The inoction was very direct and violent. Its intent was to destroy and recreate cells, creating new bodily fluids, bones and muscle tissue.
It was a smooth process at first, simr to every other alteration process that the crystal had initiated, but as the energy was soaking deep into Kierans body, it met resistance.
A warm, extremely tensile energy appeared, blocking the external energy.
The [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art]!
The continuous practice of the art had fused it with Kierans instinct. Even though he was so dizzy that he had almost fainted, the way he breathed was still in ordance with the body tempering art.
In other words, as long as Kieran was breathing, the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] would never stop working!
"Huh? Seems like things are getting more interesting! What kind of lineage is this? Well, it doesnt matter anymore! All powers are useless against the Eye of Chimeras!"
The Night Race leader was a little shocked by Kierans sudden change, but his shock was soon reced with maniacalughter.
The thought of destroying a non-resistant body did not satisfy him enough, even more so when he had seen Kieran, whose body was special.
Only resistance made a body worthy of his attention.
The Night Race leader used the rainbow crystal to increase the inoction of its energy.
The slight tremble of the rainbow crystal made it shine brightly across the hall. Afraid, all the other Night Monsters hid away. The shining light could prate almost every spot inside the hall though.
The Night Monsters could only crawl on the ground, shivering in fear.
Only the Night Race leader could stand still against the light. This made him even more unique than the others.
The Night Race leader was fond of that feeling. It made himugh violently again.
An air-breaking sound was suddenly heard from above him.
It was a long sword swinging down in mid-air.
The Night Race leader caught the sudden movement with his left hand, his mouth forming a disdainful smile.
"Youll never change, Contly! How could such an attack be effective? Dont forget that I was your teacher! Everything you know were taught by me!"
Ignoring the sharp edge of the de, the Night Race leader caught the swinging sword with his bare hand and turned his mocking eyes to look at the red-headed guardian.
All the Night Race leader had to do was exert some strength with his palm and the steel sword was twisted with an agonizing screech.
The sword eventually broke into pieces with a loud noise.
Bang!
The Night Race leader punched the red-headed guardian hard against the abdomen.
Contly instantly flew off like a fired bullet, whipping up a small cloud of dust behind the crumbled wall.
"Dont worry, I wont let you die! I am in need of a female for reproduction. Your body was the best target after all. Why else do you think you were able to live this long?" the Night Race leader said in an arrogant tone.
"You are always so arrogant, Bartos!" Contly, who had suffered an internal injury, was bleeding from the corner of her mouth.
"What?"
The Night Race leader, Bartos, suddenly sensed some kind of danger behind Contlys words. He unconsciously wanted to move his right hand, but it was toote.
A pitch-ck dagger shed out from the shadows, aiming right at Bartos right hand.
His monstrous right hand, which should have been able to resist all kinds of sharp weapons, was cut off by the ck dagger as if it was mere paper.
"Arghhh!" Bartos cried out in pain. He did not care about his right hand though. He extended his left hand to grab the falling crystal, but the attacker was faster.
Lorl, the one-armed mercenary,unched a kick at the crystal, altering its course.
The crystal was flying towards Kieran and the wall beside him.
The energy attached to the crystal was so powerful that if it really crashed against the wall, it would break into pieces.
"You think you can seed?" Bartos yelled again, activating his telekinesis.
Earlier, Bartos had used his telekinesis to control the kerosenemp. This time around, he wanted to control the crystal.
However, unlike the kerosenemp, the Eye of the Chimeras had powers no one could ignore. Even Bartos, the Night Race leader himself, could not ignore such power.
Therefore, he did not alter the general direction of the flying crystal. Instead, he only altered itsnding course. That was already enough.
The Eye of Chimeras, which was supposed to crash against the wall, broke into pieces and flew straight into the left side of Kierans chest.
Almost half of the rhombus shaped crystal was stabbed into Kierans chest, the sharp edge on its tip pierced through the wall of Kierans heart.
Instantly, the energy from the Eye of the Chimeras poured directly into Kierans heart.
The warm, mild, tensile [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art]s power suddenly turned violent as the crystal poked into Kierans heart.
The warm stream became more violent than ever before, as if a casual walk had turned into a sprint.
Kierans injured heart was beating violently and relentlessly, ignoring the consequences.
The agonizing pain spread throughout his body in an instant.
Thanks to the pain, Kierans impulsive desire dissipated and his crumbled logic reappeared like a sturdy stronghold.
Kieran had awakened from his daze.
Chapter 262: Primordial Will
Chapter 262: Primordial Will
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Kieran felt like he was drowning in pain when he woke up. He helplessly took in a cold breath, but he stopped before he could swallow it.
He had noticed the creature above his head.
"Illusion!" he immediately thought when he saw the twisted, demented creature.
However, the tubesing out of the creatures mouth were connected to his body, wriggling from time to time, thus showing Kieran that it was all real.
There was also the rainbow crystal that was wedged inside his heart.
The excruciating pain from the wound told him that he was not hallucinating either.
"What the hell happened?"
Kieran unconsciously looked at his battlelog.
[Eye of Chimeras, Hint: Spirit has failed authentication, Creature of Desire has appeared...]
[Creature of Desire, Fear: Spirit has failed authentication, devouring in process...]
[Devouring interrupted...]
[Conversion starting...]
[Conversion interrupted by Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art...]
[Eye of the Chimeras, Stabbing: Lethal Attack, Inflicts 500 Damage to your HP, Tessirot Blessing avable, Tessirot Blessing activated, 300 True Damage inflicted to your HP...]
[Eye of the Chimeras, Suction: Constitution failed authentication, -1 HP per second...]
[Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art, Knights Focus: 200 HP ignited, Eye of the Chimeras, Hint and Creature of Desire, Fear Debuff removed...]
[Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art: Knights Focus, Baptism of Desire changed through concentration...]
...
The battlelog notifications before Kieran only mentioned a part of what he had been through, but it was enough for him to know what was going on.
Kieran could not help but take a cold breath.
Hed only had to take a nce at [Eye of Chimeras] to be induced with the [Hint] debuff and fall into extreme disadvantage. If it was not for the idents during the process and the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art, Knights Focus], Kieran would have been a dead man.
[Knights Focus: Everyone has their own specialty, but not everyone can persevere; Spirit +1, Knights Persistence (When you persist regarding something, you are willing to sacrifice yourself in order to seed; 200 HP ignited, +2 Levels in Spirit, duration: 1 second, no cooldown)]
After a quick nce at the newly-changed [Knights Focus], Kieran shifted his attention to his HP, which was less than 100 and still going down every second.
Instinctively, Kieran activated the [Scale of Blessing].
Although [Tessirots Blessing] was already activated, its rarity had dropped by a rank and its defense was totally gone. The attribute [Scale of Blessing] was still active though.
Rockyered skin started to form on Kierans body, and his HP, which had been as low as 70, instantly recovered to 270 thanks to the [Medium Healing] effect.
Although his HP was still gradually decreasing, at least he could stop worrying about it for the time being.
Kieran let out a sigh of relief. His life had been hanging by a thread...
However, what happened right after shocked Kieran and everyone else present.
The rockyered skin spread all over Kierans body, covering the Eye of Chimeras, which was still wedged inside his chest, in the process. When the rockyered skin came into contact with the Eye of the Chimeras, the crystal started to shake violently.
A dazzling, rainbow-like shine burst out of the crystal, repelling the rockyered skin created by the [Scale of Blessing].
Kieran felt the energy from the crystal start to inocte into his body again, this time in a more direct way than before. The energy wanted to twist his senses and his very soul.
"The Hint!"
Kieran immediately thought of the debuff from earlier and the oue of such an inoction.
He would die or get turned into a Night Monster!
No matter which one it was, it was not what Kieran desired.
When he looked at the Creature of Desire above his head, he saw that it was wriggling eagerly, waiting to devour him. Without a seconds hesitation, Kieran opened his character window, selected his Golden Attribute Points and boosted his Spirit.
[Golden Attribute Point used...]
[Spirit: D D+]
[Golden Attribute Point used...]
[Spirit: D+ C-]
[Golden Attribute Point used...]
[Spirit: C- C]
...
A triple level-up at once. When the energy could not affect him anymore, Kieran stopped upgrading his stats.
He looked at the Creature of Desire above his head again. The wriggling motion had stopped, and the creature had be tame all of a sudden. It had not disappearedpletely though.
"Is it because of the dazzling shine of the Eye of Chimeras?"
Kieran tilted his head down, looking at the crystal inside his chest.
The rainbow-like shine was getting more and more dazzling. It had started to hurt Kierans eyes, so he instinctively turned away from it.
When he turned away, he could not see the force repelled by the shine of the Eye of Chimeras make aeback.
The other spiritual conscience that resided inside [Tessirots Blessing] was Tessirot itself.
The primordial existence was growling loudly at the Eye of the Chimeras, which had challenged its power. The spirit of Tessirotunched a fearless attack towards the outsider and the power of the crystal.
The rockyered skin that covered other parts of Kierans body started to stir up bubbles like hot, boiling water.
The skin left his body parts and gathered together. It formed a ck, fist-sized, lustrous rock outside and threw itself hard against the Eye of the Chimeras.
The Eye of the Chimeras started shaking even more violently.
The wound on Kierans chest was getting bigger and bigger. Suddenly, blood gushed out, especially around the area of his heart.
Kieran staggered and fell on the floor as his wound got more and more severe.
The Creature of Desire formed within Kierans inner conscience extended its parts, blocking the ck rock and preventing it from crashing against the Eye of Chimeras.
As the creatures body tried to block the trajectory of the lustrous rock, it was instantly pierced through, causing its hundreds of thousands of intertwining arms and legs to burst into bits and pieces.
Its giant chainsaw-like mouth was crushed into ashes. All that was left were the eyes that had formed, floating outside in mid-air.
The eyes instantly turned red and let out a rainbow-like shine as it attached itself to the surface of the crystal, resisting the primordial force.
The rainbow-like shine suddenly turned into mini arrows, which were fired at the ck lustrous rock. The rock did not know how to avoid them.
Layers of rocks were scraped off arrow by arrow. When the ck stone reached Kierans chest, it had been reduced to a red dates size rather than the fistful it had been before.
That was still enough though.
Bang!
The ck rock collided hard with the Eye of the Chimeras.
Following the collision, cracks spread like spider webs on the crystal.
The Eye of Chimeras was finally splintered.
The splintered crystal shards fell out and started to float around Kierans chest.
The lustrous ck rockunched its final strike against the crystal and turned into a normal stone, falling to the ground. Kierans [Tessirots Blessing] also fell to the ground when its essence was gone.
Without the primordial spirit imbued in it, the armor started to crumble and rot at exponential speed. The cowhide straps were the first to break.
After [Tessirots Blessing] fell, Kieran waspletely bare on top. The wound on his chest was still gushing out blood.
The crystal shards from the Eye of the Chimeras also fell to the ground, soaking in Kierans blood.
They started to melt and fuse with the blood at a speed visible to the naked eye.
"NOOOO!" Bartos screamed in shock from afar.
Chapter 263: Dazzling
Chapter 263: Dazzling
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Everything happened too fast.
From Kierans awakening to the splintering of the Eye of the Chimeras, everything happened within the spark of a lightning.
While enduring the pain of his torn arm, the Night Race leader used his telekinesis to forcefully alter the trajectory of the flying crystal. There was no chance for him to change anything though.
He watched helplessly as the Eye of the Chimeras got splintered by an inconspicuous rock.
The only other thing splintered was his own greedy ambition.
His helplessness and insults finally turned into pure rage.
His rational senses were used as fuel, added to his burning rage and igniting it even further.
"Die! I want you all to die! I want you to fall to pieces!"
Bartosunched a backhand smash at Lorl. The tremendous collision force and his thunderous speed sent Lorl flying towards the wall without any resistance.
The heavy crashing sound cracked the wall open. The width of the gap was enough for a grown man to pass through.
Rocks of different sizes started to crumble down on Lorl. His back was broken and the muscles on his abdomen were torn apart. Lorl could not even move to avoid the falling rocks.
He looked at the rocks falling on him helplessly. Before he was buried under them, he turned his attention to Contly.
"LORL!" Contly was crying out his name from afar, struggling to get to herrade.
Lorl mustered all his remaining strength to yell back at her, "Contly, its been a pleasure to meet you!"
After hisst words, dust started falling around as rocks kept falling, burying Lorls bodypletely.
"First one down! You are next, Contly! I really wanted to enjoy the world with you, but you are too foolish to appreciate my goodwill! Not only did you find some unworthy scapegoat to die for you, but you even messed up my whole n! Your death will not be regretted!"
Bartos appeared before Contly in a sh. He grabbed Contlys neck with his strong hand, choking the guardian in mid-air.
"Ba... Bartos, your arrogance is your greatest weakness!" Contly said as she struggled.
"Hmph! Do you have any more aplices besides that fool?"
Bartos let out a cold, disdainful sigh and squeezed Contlys neck even harder.
The Night Race leader felt the pain in his broken arm again. The pain stimted his burning rage even more.
As he gripped her even harder, Contlys face started turning purple. She was suffocating. She was going to faint any moment now, yet her face showed signs of relief.
She had achieved her goal. Death would not bother her anymore.
The sound of the burning fuse was echoing around the hall. The kerosenemp that had fallen earlier had moved towards the explosive fuse in the midst of all the fighting, igniting it quickly.
"Telekinesis?"
Bartos looked at Contly with a shocked expression before he quickly smiled in disdain.
It was very easy for him to stop the ignition. All it would take was a thought in his mind.
"I will let you die in despair..."
Bang!
A sudden blinding sh shone over the entire hall, interrupting the Night Race leaders words. The Night Monster goons around him were struggling on the ground, their eyes filled with pain.
Suddenly, a sharp, air-breaking sound was heard, and a half-moon qi energy wave shed at the Night Race leaders neck.
It was like a blunt de hitting an old tensile cowhide. All the energy wave did was chafe some skin off his neck.
"Petty tricks!"
Even though he was blinded by the light, the Night Race leader was still able to mock the attack. He was about to insult his overconfident opponent some more, but the very next moment, he cried out in pain.
The ground suddenly trembled violently, and an unstoppable force crashed against his body. The tremendous force caused pain on Bartos body, even though he was able to withstand small to medium-sized firearm attacks.
Next were Bartos organs.
A mouthful of crushed internal organs was spit out of his mouth along with gushing blood. Bartos opened his eyes wide, trying to identify what had hurt him.
As the blinding light faded away, all he saw was a humongous rhino with a sharp, powerful horn. The very next moment, the rhino disappeared out of thin air.
Then a glowing golden lion appeared before Bartos eyes. The lion let out a thunderous roar.
A series of golden ripples visible to the naked eye started to ripple throughout the hall.
The Night Race leader was staring at the scene anxiously in confusion.
However, when he noticed that the lions roar had caused no changes on him, his arrogance made him want to insult his opponents move again. Before the words could escape his mouth though, a pitch-ck dagger sliced at his right wrist.
"Arghh!"
Bartos screamed in agonizing pain. He turned his eyes to Contly, who was supposed to be breathing herst breath in his powerful grip.
Contly was showing no signs of injury. Her movements were nimble and her attacks were getting fiercer.
Bartos was looking at her with an incredulous expression as the pitch-ck dagger cut wounds all over his body.
After losing both his hands, he could only stand still and suffer her attacks passively.
Instinctively, the arrogant soul felt fear. For the first time in a long time, he wanted to retreat.
Bartos the Night Race leader wanted to escape!
Bang!
A gunshot was fired, interrupting his thoughts.
The bullet fired by the [Jagdtiger-X1] had been shot at Bartos. Even though in the dungeon world the firearms firepower was diminished by 50%, the attribute [Armor Pration Lvl 2] inbination with Kierans Transcendence [Firearm Weapon, Light Firearm] and the effect [Bullets Conviction II] provided an additional armor-prating effect. The power of the bullet was not to be underestimated.
Even though Bartos had a Tensile Skin far superior than the other Night Monsters, the bullet still beat his defense. The powerful force within the fired bullet sent the Night Race leader staggering backwards. He eventually crashed into the group of his minions.
"Now!"
Kieran grabbed Contly, who wanted to perform a follow-up attack, and ran over to the statue.
He knew that the [Lionheart]s [Lions Courage] and [Kings Traits] effects would onlyst for 10 seconds. Once their effect was over, Contly would return to her injured state, and so would Kieran.
Using [shbang] as a diversion, Kieran used [de Kick] to test out the Night Race leaders defense level. Then he quickly activated [Wild Soul]s [Reckless Rush].
Kieran had originally thought that it would deliver a lethal blow to the Night Race leader, but his HP was much higher than he had imagined.
Even though [Reckless Rush] had [Wild Rage]s attack buff, which enhanced the attack to Powerful Level, all it could do was inflict heavy damage on Bartos.
The Night Race leader was only heavily wounded, not lethally wounded.
However, Kierans attacks were still ongoing.
When Bartos fell against his group of minions, a couple of grenades were tossed at strange angles throughout the hall.
The moment Kieran pulled Contly down into the exit under the statue, the grenades exploded.
When they did, their explosions detonated the installed explosives around the hall.
BOOM!
[Explosion: Inflicts 1000 Damage to Target HP, Target dies...]
[Explosion: Inflicts 1000 Damage to Target HP, Target dies...]
[Explosion: Inflicts 1000 Damage to Target HP, Target dies...]
[Explosion: Inflicts 1000 Damage to Target HP, Target has Immune Lethal Attack, Special Tensile Skin, Iron Body, and Iron Bones, 600 Damage resisted, 400 True Damage inflicted to Target, Target dies...]
...
A series of notifications popped up in Kierans vision. Thest one confirmed that the Night Race leader had been killed in the explosion.
Kieran turned around and sprinted back.
When he pushed away the crumbled rocks blocking the exit, his eyes were blinded by the golden-green glow shining all over the ce.
Chapter 264: Monster Vs. Monster
Chapter 264: Monster Vs. Monster
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The gold color stood out starkly among the green.
Kieran dashed over right away and picked up the Legendary Weapon.
It was a blood-red two-handed sword, quite heavypared to the other equipment that Kieran owned.
Kierans expression turned sour. He was still heavily wounded. Thanks to [Lionheart]s effect, he could ignore all negative debuffs temporarily, but when the effects duration was over, he would have to suffer the penalty of the decreased stats caused by the heavily wounded debuff.
The weight he was able to bear would decrease greatly as well.
There were at least a dozen Magical Rank pieces of equipment lying down before Kierans eyes.
"Legendary equipment is a must. As for the Magical Rank equipment, I need to get the smaller and lighter ones," Kieran made up his mind instantly.
The Legendary weapon was his first priority. When it came to the rest of the Magical Rank equipment, he needed to lean on quantity rather than quality.
If he had enough time, he wouldnt have needed to do that. He would have gone over everything carefully and chosen the best equipment.
However, Kieran had less than 15 seconds left, so he could not afford to go over the loot in detail.
Ten, nine, eight, seven...
The countdown appeared in his vision. At the same time, the [Lionheart] buff effect wore off. Kieran instantly fell back into a Heavily Wounded Status.
What was more terrifying was that the wound on his chest had started to crystalize. There was no blood gushing, nor could he see his own flesh. There was only the crystal-clear texture around it.
Starting from his chest, it spread rapidly throughout his whole body.
When the countdown was down to three, Kierans chest was crystallizedpletely.
[Eye of the Chimeras, Synchro: Constitution has failed authentication, crystallizing body parts...]
[Eye of the Chimeras, Synchro: Constitution has failed authentication, crystallizing body parts...]
...
The same notification kept popping up. Every time it did, it meant that another part of Kieran had been crystallized.
Kieran felt his heart lose its rhythmic beat. The cold, hard sensation made him feel like his heart was turning into a rock.
It wasnt just his body hardening though. He could hardly breath either. A suffocating feeling spread all over his body.
Kieran had to halt his step with all the loot on him. He was extremely unwilling to let a couple more Magical Rank pieces of equipment slip away when they were just in front him.
He stood there with his weakened, crystallized body, shaking his head with a sigh.
Three, two, one!
As the countdown ended, a blinding light covered Kieran again.
Kieran saw Contly out of the corner of his eyes. Her mouth was moving. She seemed like she was trying to say something to him, but the words could not reach his ears.
Kieran could not even wave goodbye. His arm had been crystallized as well.
...
When Kieran went back to his game lobby, the dungeon rating screen popped up.
[Fourth Dungeon: Ancient City Foreign Matter]
[Dungeon Type: Open World]
[Dungeon Difficulty: Average]
[Main Mission: Explore at least 20% of Isogu City within 4 weeks]
[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating: F)]
[Sub Mission 1: The Troublesome Chief Officer!]
[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating F E)]
[Sub Mission 2: Sifting Through Bodyguards]
[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating E D)]
[Sub Mission 3: Find the Lost Monument!]
[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating D C)]
[Battle Performance: Very Active (Rating C B)]
[Exploration Performance: Good]
[Special Rating 1: Herbert, Pierre, Harold, Cohen and Joanna survived (Rating B A, Rep+1)]
[Special Rating 2: Eliminated the Night Race leader, Bartos (Rating A S, Rep +1]
[Special Rating 3: Acquired the special Legendary item Eye of the Chimeras inside the dungeon, Rating increased greatly (Rating S Z, Rep+3)]
[Acquired Title: The most essential natives of the dungeon world survived, You have acquired the title "Guardian"]
[Guardian: When equipped and protecting others, Defense +20%; You will be extra popr with anyone who is in need of protection!]
[Final yer Rating: Z!]
[Calcting Fourth Dungeon Rewards...]
[Final Fourth Dungeon yer Rewards are as follows...]
[Points: 30,000; Skill Points 20; Golden Skill Points: 2; Golden Attribute Points: 2]
[Acquired Special Dungeon: Primordial Invasion]
[Acquired Specific Dungeon Reward: Herberts Note]
[yer is Heavily Wounded, do you want to get healed up? Yes/No?]
"Yes!"
The crystallization had spread up to Kierans neck. He had not even had the time to look at the rating calctions and choose a healing option.
[Heavy trauma detected around yers heart area, Healing will cost 100,000 Points and 10 Golden Attribute Points...]
[yer has insufficient Points!]
[yer has insufficient Golden Attribute Points!]
[yer has special organ "Devils Heart, Transnt avable, Transnt will cost 50,000 Points and 5 Golden Attribute Points...]
[yer has insufficient Points!]
[yer has insufficient Golden Attribute Points!]
[Extra healing n detected, Healing n will cost 30,000 Points and 3 Golden Attribute Points...]
[Do you want to heal up? Yes/ No?]
"Yes!"
Kieran had no options left. He was almost a crystal man by now. All his leftover energy was slipping away fast.
When he answered affirmatively, a green light suddenly shone down on his body.
The crystal box holding the [Devils Heart] opened silently.
The dark red organ the size of two grown mens fists suddenly floated up and flew towards Kierans chest, where the wound was.
The crystal around Kierans chest was splintered right away, leaving a space wide enough for the heart.
The [Devils Heart] rushed violently into the empty space.
The half-crystallized heart was squeezed aside instantly.
The original heart was not willing to ept being reced though. It wanted to resist!
After a slight shiver, the Creature of Desire started to form again above the crystallized heart.
Hundreds of thousands of intertwining arms and legs and rainbow-like, dazzling eyes were preparing a counterattack.
The resistance the [Devils Heart] felt was treated as a challenge to its authority.
Suddenly, a bright red me burst out with a boom, engulfing Kierans whole body. A heavy stench, simr yet even worse than sulphur, spread across the room.
The me started to take form. There were fiery wings on its back and two horns on its head as it stared at the Creature of Desire angrily.
The horns of the fiery figure were as sharp as des as they spun around spirally. The wings formed by the mes were extremely dazzling. They emitted mysterious ming ripples.
The fiery figure was using the foul substance of the world as a fuel, burning through the sky and the ground.
The Creature of Desire was coincidentally the best fuel around it.
However, as the Eye of the Chimeras supported the Creature of Desire, it did not back down.
Tens, hundreds, thousands of huge eyeballs took form in mid-air around the room. They were as dense as stars in the Milky Way, each of them shining with a rainbow-like glow.
The eyes were brewing a mysterious energy within it. When that energy was ready, it would be an attack that would shake both Heaven and Earth.
The winged, horned figure did not seem concerned about the eyes surrounding it.
It let out a raging roar, and suddenly a huge burning two-handed sword was formed by the mes around its hand.
A final showdown was due between the two of them.
Kierans body was half-crystallized and engulfed in mes. He could not even budge. He could only watch helplessly as the two monsters prepared for a terrifying fight inside his room.
Chapter 265: Fearless Choice
Chapter 265: Fearless Choice
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
He was incapable of taking any action.
This was what Kieran hated the most. Coteral beings that were incapable of action were always associated with despair and helplessness.
Despair and helplessness were like conjoined twins.
They crushed any seemingly hard mental defense and destroyed anything fragile. It was a way of life. Ambition and life itself would be non-existent if one had such cruel thoughts.
Kieran had experienced such despair and helplessness and tasted such destruction before.
While from someone elses eyes, Kieran might have been holding on withughable strength, like an ant trying to topple a giant tree, he seeded in the end. He held on to that tree like vermin.
He had never given up before, so why would he now?
Kieran clenched his teeth, held his breath and screamed his lungs out.
"MOVE! F*CKING MOVE!"
His crystallized body started to shake a little. The fiery mes were burning even hotter.
Both the Creature of Desire and the devil that hade out of the heart noticed Kierans sudden change, but neither cared about his puny, ant-like struggle.
At that very moment, their only enemy was each other.
Whoever managed to win would be the master of Kierans body. As for the original master, either one could crush it once they took over his body.
Their eyes were shining with a rainbow-like glow. Suddenly, all the eyeballs were fired out like an array of stars towards the fiery devil.
A sulphuric stench and volcanic mes were sted out of the devils wings.
Light and fire intertwined in an instant, their sh overwhelmed Kierans weak struggle, at least from the monsters point of view. Kieran still insisted though.
The crystal started to splinter following his struggle, and the fiery mes scorched his flesh, burning not just his body, but his soul as well.
"Arrghh!"
His soul was twitching, causing excruciating pain to his body as he screamed in pain.
The green light was getting denser. It carried on its healing process, based on the systems procedures.
It felt like an oasis in the middle of the desert, delivering water to Kieran, a traveller lost in the desert, and granting him strength little by little.
Kieran tried his best to turn around by crawling on the floor, but he hit his head on the ground hard. He knocked himself out, but kept urging himself to climb back up.
The [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] was still operating in his body without a pause.
The puny strength Kieran had mustered up was getting stronger.
Kieran pushed his forehead against the ground, shrinking his body back bit by bit. His arched back was like a cooked shrimp, his movements forcing the crystals all over his body to crack again. The fiery mes took advantage of this to seep into Kierans lungs, burning the veryst bit of oxygen inside them.
Suffocating pain rushed to Kierans brain. Blood was gushing out of his nostrils and the edges of his mouth, but before it could drip on the floor, it was turned into steam by the burning mes.
Kieran straightened his body and raised his head. Although his vigorous movements made him gush out a couple of mouthfuls of blood, the crystals around his neck were broken into pieces.
Still, this was not enough to stop him. Kieran raised his head, looking at the green light. He did not know where the light wasing from, but it was shining life energy on him.
When he raised his head, he saw thousands of evil eyese from the Creature of Desire and the fiery devil figure.
Kieran lifted the edge of his mouth that hadnt been crystallized into a small smirk. Then he tried to move harder, slowly raising his left hand up.
The instinctive raise of his hand was normally an easy feat, but under the circumstances, it took him a whole minute to achieve.
The ck wristband on Kierans left wrist called [Primus Arm] became gloomy under the crystals light and the fiery mes. However, the faintly visible, scaleyered texture became extremely clear under the mes and crystal.
Kieran felt like he was watching a Colossal Crocodile struggle out of unwillingness.
Not only did [Primus Arm] make him feel like that, but even [Wild Soul], the huge rhino spirit that was getting scorched by the fiery mes, was struggling on itsst breath.
Meanwhile, [Lionheart], the golden lion with the aura of a king, was staring at Kieran calmly. Its lips were moving a little, as if it was telling Kieran something.
The golden mane of the lion was fluttering as the animal tried to talk, but Kieran could not hear a word it said.
His vision was already blurred by the scorching heat. He was unsure whether he had just seen an illusion or not, but he still persisted in his actions.
[Primus Crunch]!
Instantly, a struggling Colossal Crocodile mirage formed around Kierans left hand. The crystals around his hand were splintered in a second, revealing his bloody, burned hand underneath. Even the burning mes were repelled away.
Kieran regained control of his left hand. While [Primus Crunch] was activated, he pressed his hand hard into his chest.
"STAY THE F*CK DOWN WHILE YOURE MESSING WITH MY BODY!" Kieran shouted out loud.
He reached with his hand inside his chest, grabbed both hearts and squeezed them hard together. A powerful, invisible energy wave was sted away when the hearts were mashed.
Instantly, the two different hearts were fused together bit by bit.
The Colossal Crocodile mirage produced from Kierans left hand crunched and suppressed the energy around Kierans heart, which had once caused the crocodile to struggle in fear.
The ruthless crunch activated [Primus Greed].
A steady flow of life energy kept diffusing into Kierans body.
The room started trembling lightly as the huge rhino mirage jumped around in delight.
The golden lion was staring upwards with its glorious, fluttering mane.
The Creature of Desire, which was right in the middle of the fight, froze hard in mid-air. Suddenly, thousands of evil eyes started to wither away.
The devil figure started to turn into stone, the mes around it getting quickly reduced to small lines of fire.
The withering Creature of Desire and petrified devil figure tilted their eyes down to Kieran, as if they were looking at an ant.
Kieran was not going to hide away from their astonished gazes. He returned their stare with a determined look of his own.
After a few seconds, he fell back to the ground and tried to maintain his posture.
He was exhausted. One could even say that he hadnded one of his feet across the gate of death.
How could a human survive without a heart?
Kieran had no intention of dying, but he still chose the path that could potentially lead to his death. He believed that that green color with its rich life energy would save him.
If it wasnt enough, he wouldnt regret it though. It was still better than waiting for the winner of the fight between the two monsters to take over his body.
Kieran wasnt hoping that the winner of the battle would spare his life once it upied his body. He was not that naive.
"The abandoned child of time? How desperate is that? You were abandoned by the whole world. Even death would not do you any good... What will your choice be? Die a glorious death, or live a pitiful life?"
"I choose..."
Mere seconds before his death, Kierans mind, which was supposed to have passed out, heard a sonorous voice lingering inside, asking him the question that had once troubled him the most.
Kieran mustered up all his strength and moved his lips.
"I... I choose... death!"
No one was able to hear clearly what he had said, but it was still enough for Kieran to know his own choice.
It was enough.
The green light suddenly started shining even more brightly. It gathered above Kierans body and sucked Kieran up into mid-air, shrouding himpletely.
The hearts that had been mashed to bits by Kierans own hand were recovering at exponential speed, but they were no longer two separate hearts.
The two hearts had been fused together into one!
The Creature of Desire and the devil figure were growling fiercely, taking theirst breaths.
Amidst their growls, a dark red heart emitting a rainbow-like shine formed inside Kieran.
The heart beat once, and then a series of drum-like beats followed before it started beating rapidly.
The thunderous sound and the unpredictable corrupted aura were mixed together.
The aura of the seven sins- Lust, Greed, Gluttony, Sloth, Rage, Envy and Pride- was radiated from Kierans body.
A scorching heat with a sulphuric smell and a chaotic, reckless aura was tangling with the seven sins, unwilling to fall behind.
The origin of the mixed aura was a warm, tenacious energy that was flowing slowly.
As the Creature of Desire and the devil figure turned into particles and disappeared into thin air, the mes and the crystals were gone as well.
Kieran was unconscious as he slowly floated down from mid-air with his new, intact body.
[Healing Completed!]
The mechanical voice signified the end of the process.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
This is the beginning of his crazy powerful abilities!
Chapter 266: Lingering Danger
Chapter 266: Lingering Danger
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
After 10 minutes, Kieran slowly woke up.
When he finally regained his consciousness, he jumped up from where he was lying down and vigntly scanned the area around him.
Neither the Creature of Desire nor the devil figure was around!
His injuries had been healed as well.
"I did it!" he mumbled.
Although he believed the system healing light would be able to save him, he was aware that he could have died in the process. Still, he didnt mind that he had survived.
Phew!
Kieran let out a long breath of relief.
The fatigue of hovering between life and death had exhausted him both physically and mentally.
However, he understood that now was not the time for him to rest. He still needed to confirm something.
He needed to know what had happened to the Creature of Desire and the fiery devil. Otherwise, he would not be able to sleep in peace.
When Kieran opened up his notifications, they were suddenly all projected before his eyes like overflowing water.
[Healing Completed!]
[yer 2567 has acquired Fusion Heart...]
[Fusion Heart will rece the original heart of the yer...]
[Name: Fusion Heart]
[Type: Organ]
[Rarity: Above Epic]
[Attributes: 1. Devil Transformation, 2. Desire Summoning, 3. Bacsh]
[Effects: 1. Fiery Sulphur, 2. Eye of Evil, 3. Body of Evil]
[Prerequisites: Constitution A, Spirit S]
[Remarks: This is a fusion organ fused with the heart of a human, the Demon Lord, and the Creature of Desire. Its power is indisputable. but so is its bacsh. As the owner of this organ, you will not just need a powerful body, but you will also need a powerful will! The organ will grow stronger after your battles, but if you do not grow with it, you will be a puppet made of flesh and blood!]
......
[Devil Transformation: This power has been granted to you by your new heart. When activated, you will take the form of the Demon Lord, duration: one minute, one time per day]
[Desire Summoning: Your new heart has granted you control over the Creature of Desire. When activated, you can summon the Creature, duration: one minute, one time per day]
[Bacsh: Your heart allowed you to survive, but it was the product of an ident, created before you could truly adapt to it. Every time you activate Devil Transformation or Desire Summoning, it will consume one Golden Skill Point per use]
.......
[Fiery Sulphur: Burning mes will follow the lineage of the devil like a shadow. When you cast Fire Element Spells, +1 Elemental Damage, extra Sulphuric Poison will be added to the spell. Any requirements, such as gestures, incantations or materials of Fire Element Spells will be down to half. If the spell fails to be cast, you will only suffer a quarter of the Magic Repulsion]
[Eye of Evil: The Creature of Desire was rooted deep inside your heart. Summon Eye of Evil, formed by the Creature of Desire, to fight for you, duration: three minutes, two times per day]
[Body of Evil: Thebination of the Devil and the Creature of Desire, also known as chaos and sin. 200 extra HP, Stamina, Medium Tensile Skin acquired (100 Damage from Strong or weaker attack absorbed), Medium Devil Skin ( 200 Damage from Strong or weaker attack absorbed, extra Defense against Fire and Explosions); When facing Holy Element Attacks, you will suffer 150% Damage, Special counter items will deal extra Damage to you (including but not limited to blessed objects, holy objects etc.)]
....
The notifications before Kieran made him suck in a mouthful of cold air. He was staring at the phrase "puppet made of flesh and blood".
Although he had no idea what it was, the word "puppet" did not give him a good feeling.
Kierans mind unconsciously conjured a picture of him senseless and dazed, walking around like a zombie.
"No! Even if I die, I will not be like this!"
Kieran shook his head as he thought about the matter in an unusually steadfast manner. He could not sit around and wait for that to happen.
He checked the attributes and effects of [Fusion Heart] more carefully than before.
The attributes [Devil Transformation] and [Desire Summoning] made Kierans newly formed heart beat quicker.
Kieran had already experienced the formidable power of the Creature of Desire in the dungeon world. The fiery devil figure had only taken a nce at the Creature of Desire before suppressing its formation. The Devils power was self-exnatory.
Being able to acquire skills rted to such formidable beings made Kieran happy from the bottom of his heart. However...
"I need one Golden Skill Point in order to activate [Devil Transformation] and [Desire Summoning]. Before I get my Constitution to A and my Spirit to S, that cost will always apply!"
Kieran nced over at the [Constitution A, Spirit S] prerequisite.
"I will need to store extra Golden Skill Points for the time being," he thought, feeling his temple suddenly swell.
Kieran was in dire need of Golden Skill Points, as all skill upgrades depended on them.
The skills [Devil Transformation] and [Desire Summoning] widened that gap even more.
Kieran sighed from the bottom of his heart before he shifted his attention to [Fiery Sulphur], [Eye of Evil] and [Body of Evil].
Compared to the previous three attributes, those effects were much more user-friendly.
Even though [Body of Evil] had counter attributes, Kieran could ept that calmly. After all,pensating for such defects would not be too hard for him.
A couple of good pieces of equipment would be able to make up for it.
He would still need to be careful when he encountered a special situation though.
"I need to avoid ces with positive energy and holy aura in the dungeons from now on!" Kieran reminded himself. He would not want to cause himself unwanted trouble.
However, he would not have a choice if such trouble was rted to the Main Mission.
"I will still need an item in order to resist positive energy and holy aura," Kieran thought as his attention shifted to the loot from thest dungeon.
He had acquired a Legendary item and three pieces of Magical equipment!
The three pieces of Magical equipment were remnants that had dropped during thest few moments. Kieran had spent all his energy trying to get them.
Out of those three, none were big items. The biggest one among them was a metal dagger. The other two were two Magical rings.
One of the rings was the one Kieran had gotten from the Night Monsters, the [Pitch-ck Ring].
The other one was made entirely out of white bone.
[Name: Piercing Dagger]
[Type: Weapon]
[Rarity: Magical]
[Attack: Common]
[Attributes: Armor Pration Lvl1]
[Effects: None]
[Prerequisites: Strength F, Sharp Weapon, Dagger (Master)]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: If you want to control this metal-crafted dagger, you will need both technique and strength!]
...
[Armor Pration Lvl 1: Able to pierce through light armor (Weak or Common Defense)]
...
[Name: Skeleton Ring]
[Type: essory]
[Rarity: Magical]
[Attack/Defense: None]
[Attributes: Dead Control]
[Effects: None]
[Prerequisites: None]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: This is a replica of a great item!]
...
[Dead Control: You are able to control one to three dead bodies at once and make them fight for you (the bodies attributes cannot surpass F+), duration: one minute, two times per day]
...
"Another replica of a great item?"
When Kieran saw the remark about the [Skeleton Ring], he frowned and picked up the [Pitch-ck Ring]. Both rings had the same remarks.
"If the great items mentioned were Legendary Rank items, how many Legendary items were inside the [Ancient City Foreign Matter] dungeon? What kind of technology did the people who made replicas out of Legendary items possess?"
Kieran unconsciously looked at the Special Dungeon that came after [Ancient City Foreign Matter], which was [Primordial Invasion].
[Special Dungeon: Primordial Invasion]
[Primordial Invasion: The demise of the Night Race leader was not the end, but a new beginning! The remaining Night Monsters have gone rampant without the restrictions of their leader. They are hiding among the shadows on the streets, assaulting anyone who looks delicious! As if that wasnt enough, a different kind of monster, one totally different from the Night Race, has suddenly emerged]
[Main Mission: Starts when you enter the dungeon!]
[Notes: None]
"Are those the coteral beings the tablet mentioned?" Kieran remembered very clearly what Herbert had said.
"The Night Race was just one of several inconspicuous coteral beings! Thats what Herbert said! Now even more powerful monsters have appeared!"
Kieran went through the background description of [Primordial Invasion]. Although he did not know what the Main Mission was, he was sure it wouldnt be easy.
ording to the Special Dungeon rules, this was only the fourth dungeon Kieran had been through.
However, Kieran was not going to take the difficulty of the dungeon as a given.
He looked at the special rewards from his Z rating dungeon, [Herbers Notebook].
Although it was called a notebook, it was as thick as a dictionary. Kieran quickly flipped through a few pages and then gave up for the time being.
He would be in a life-and-death situation a couple of hourster, so he did not have enough time to pay attention to the notebook.
Even if it was rted to the Special Dungeon, it was not the next thing he would have to face.
Kieran turned his attention to his biggest reward from the dungeon.
The Legendary two-handed sword!
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Here is a question. Now since he became half devil half monster and is a being of evil, what would be of him if he take the Holy Knight trial?
A Devil Holy Knight?
Chapter 267: Legendary Weapon
Chapter 267: Legendary Weapon
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The dark red two-handed sword was glowing with a golden light. The mixed aura made it feel slightly bewitching.
[Name: Arrogant Word]
[Type: Sharp Weapon, Heavy Arms]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Attack: Powerful]
[Attributes: 1. Arrogance, 2. Wildness]
[Effects: None]
[Prerequisites: Strength B- Two-Handed (B+ Single-Handed) Sharp Weapon, Heavy Arms (Master)]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: Arrogance will only understand the arrogant ones!]
...
[Arrogance: When the sword shes at an enemy, +1 Strength or Agility for the next attack]
[Wildness: When facing an enemy twice your size, Stamina consumed -30%. When facing an enemy five times your size, Stamina consumed -60%. When facing an enemy 10 times your size, Stamina consumed -90%, Attack +1]
...
"Arrogance and Wildness?"
Kieran squinted his eyes when he saw the two attributes of the great sword.
As soon as he saw its Powerful Attack, he had already made his decision, but the double attributes only solidified it.
Kieran wanted to keep the [Arrogant Word]. It would be his main weapon of choice from now on!
Any yer out there would have bought and upgraded the corresponding skills to Grand Master for a Legendary weapon.
Compared to a Legendary weapon, a Grand Master basic skill was not a big deal.
Kieran counted all his non-useable items.
He had a [Crushing Spiked Club], two [Pitch-ck Ring]s, a [Skeleton Ring] and a [Piercing Dagger]. He took a screenshot of each of them.
The [Crushing Spiked Club] was a no-brainer now that Kieran had [Arrogant Word].
The [Pitch-ck Ring]s attribute ovepped with Kierans Transcendence [Undercover] options, so he would put it up for sale as well.
Kieran considered keeping the [Skeleton Ring] if the number of controlled dead bodies could increase more, since all dead bodies attributes were unable to surpass F+.
He was leaning more towards hand-to-handbatpared to using a dagger during meleebat though, so he decided to sell the [Piercing Dagger].
When the screenshots were sent to Lawless, his friend was shocked.
...
Lawless: Another generous reward!
Lawless: U r really something, 2567!
2567: I need a [Sharp Weapon (Heavy Arms)] Skill Book and some items that could fight positive energy and holy aura.
2567: Help me trade points for the rest!
2567: Be fast and youll getmission as usual.
Lawless: No problem! Everyone is still at the Harvest Inn causing a ruckus. It should be easy to sell such good items!
Lawless: As for items that can fight positive energy and holy aura, thats something one can only find by luck. You cant search for them. You can substitute them with alchemy consumables though. Is that okay?
2567: Sure.
...
Kieran was not surprised by that.
Items that could fight positive energy and holy aura would have to be at least Magical Rank after all.
It would be impossible to search for an item with special requirements.
Substituting it with alchemy consumables was a viable way though.
After finishing talking about business, Lawless immediately messaged Kieran again.
...
Lawless: Youing for a drink?
2567: I think I might need to keep my head clear for a while.
Lawless: Drinking is also a way to calm down. Why are you so nervous?
Lawless: Ive just contacted Lemour. She promised to contact her mechanic friends to forge me new heavy artillery!
2567: That still doesnt mean I can sleep peacefully. I always tend to rely on myself.
Lawless: Improving urself is a virtue, but so is trusting urrades!
2567: Id prefer to be stronger in front of myrades.
Lawless: Fine!
Lawless: But do note this...
(After a slight pause, Lawless went into BS mode again. Kieran was smart enough to end the conversation while Lawless was still in trance. Then he contacted Hanses.)
2567: Hows the [Single yer Dungeon Cooldown Reset Card]?
Hanses: Settled, of course!
Hanses: The fe was willing to sell out, but the price...
(Kieran raised his brow. Obviously, Hanses had been hanging out with Lawless long enough to get affected by his bad habit of sharing only some information and saving the rest to tease him. Luckily, Kieran knew how to deal with that. He just went silent.
After staying quiet for more than 10 seconds, Hanses could not hold back anymore.)
Hanses: U wont make a lot of friends if you act like this!
2567: The same goes for u, if u keep behaving like Lawless!
Hanses: Im better than u, u dull fe! U r a youngster, arent you? Stop acting like an old geezer killing the mood! No girls will like u!
2567: Whats a girl? Are they edible?
Hanses: ...
Hanses: Have you eaten ur integrity as well?
2567: Yeah, with a little sauce on it. It was quite crunchy.
(Kieran did not mind fooling around with Hanses, considering he was the one who had started it. He would actually love to, but as time flew by, he needed to end the conversation quickly and get back to business.)
2567: [Single yer Dungeon Cooldown Reset Card]?
Hanses: 1,000 Points
Hanses: I dont think it costs that much. [Single yer Dungeon Cooldown Reset Card]s are asmon as chicken bones...
2567: Deal!
2567: Get the points from Lawless. He is selling my things.
...
Kieran replied right away, not denying Hanses statement.
Just as the description of the [Single yer Dungeon Cooldown Reset Card] imed, it was useless for a coward, but priceless for a warrior!
Most yers were leaning towards the former, but there were a few people who entered the dungeon world willingly.
Truth be told, Kieran would not object to such a method. Every interval between dungeons was time for the yer to grow.
If the yer could fully utilize that time, they would gain more advantages when they entered the next dungeon.
Even though those advantages might be trivial, they were enough to lead to a different course of action.
Quality over quantity. Kieran knew that rule very well, but sadly, he could not implement it.
Because of his own personal reasons, he could not afford to do so, as he needed to umte strength quickly.
Kieran had already umted a certain level of strength, but the Killer Organizations interruption had prolonged his journey once more.
After all, he was no different than a normal human being. If he died at the hands of the Killer Organization, that would be the end for him.
Kieran exchanged a few more words with Hanses and then went offline.
When he took care of his physiological problems, he went back to his game lobby.
His PM tab was pinging with new messages.
Lawless, Hanses and... cksmith?
"cksmith?"
Kieran was caught off guard by the sudden appearance of the name.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Boom
Chapter 268: Further Enhancement
Chapter 268: Further Enhancement
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
cksmith, the yer who specialized in all sorts of gem embedding.
Kierans [Lightning Tiger Finger] had been made by cksmith.
However, cksmith was not fond of talking to others, except when it was absolutely necessary. Kieran had never really talked much to her.
He clicked on the message tab out of curiosity.
"cksmith: Need an intact gemstone of any color. Will buy for any price."
Just like Kieran had remembered. cksmith was a person of few words.
"Intact gemstone of any color? Is it to upgrade a skill?"
Kieran, who was a former newbie, had just started to familiarize himself with some special skills, including gemstone embedding.
Every upgrade required both Points and Skill Points, and there were also challenges the yer needed toplete, some without fail.
Failure to aplish those challenges would result in all the yers Points, Skill Points and materials going to waste. The yer would have to fork up another sum of the required materials in order toplete the upgrade.
If there was another failure, they would have to start over once again.
Kieran could not determine what level cksmiths skill was at, but he still epted her offer.
"2567: Okay! Will contact you if I get any!" he replied in a simple manner.
First, cksmith was Lawless friend. Second, among all the veterans cksmith was the only yer who had mastered gemstone embedding to a higher level.
Kieran might need her help in the future.
Although he could not be as resourceful as Lawless or treat everyone with utmost sincerity, at least he knew how to make friends and not enemies. The more friends Kieran made, the farther he would get.
"cksmith: Thanks!"
cksmith thanked Kieran before her username went grey.
Kieran did not bother replying. Instead, he clicked on Lawless and Hanses messages.
...
Lawless: Everything is going well!
Lawless: [Sharp Weapon, Heavy Arms] cost 2,000 Points, and the alchemy consumable that can resist positive energy and holy aura, [Dark Shadow Grenade] x3, cost 1,500 Points each. Hanses took 1,000 Points and left 100,000!
Lawless: I followed ur instructions and turned them all into Points.
Lawless: Of course, procedure fees have been deducted.
...
Hanses: [Single yer Dungeon Cooldown Reset Card], check and sign please!
Hanses: I have to thank you! That guy treated me to a drink!
...
Lawless and Hanses messages were about the items Kieran had requested.
Kieran received 100,000 Points and a detailed receipt from Lawless and the [Single yer Cooldown Reset Card] from Hanses.
Five Magical Rank items for 100,000 Points. The price was not that high, but it was still eptable.
After all, Kieran was eager to let go of his stuff. Other than the [Crushing Spiked Club], which had been sold at 50,000 Points, all the other equipment had not earned him much.
If Kieran had waited a little longer, the price might have been higher.
It was a pity that time did not wait for anyone.
As he thought about all the potential points he had lost, Kieran felt as if his flesh was being cut.
He quickly shifted his attention away and picked up the Skill Book, [Sharp Weapon (Heavy Arms)].
[Discovered Skill Book, Sharp Weapon (Heavy Arms)]
[Prerequisites met, Learn skill?]
"Yes!"
[Skill Learned: Sharp Weapon (Heavy Arms)]
[Name: Sharp Weapon, Heavy Arms (Basic)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Offensive]
[Effects: You know how to use a two-handed great sword, a battle mace, a spiked club and all sorts of heavy arms to fight, Damage increased by 10%]
[Consumes: Stamina]
[Prerequisites: Strength F+, Agility F, Constitution F]
[Remarks: You have gained the basic mastery of heavy arms!]
...
[Sharp Weapon, Heavy Arms upgrade from Basic to Grand Master, costs 10,200 Points and 7 Skill Points. Yes/No?]
"Yes!"
[Name: Sharp Weapon, Heavy Arms (Grand Master)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Offensive]
[Effects: You know how to use a two-handed great sword, a battle mace, a spiked club and all sorts of heavy arms to fight, Damage increased by 50%]
[Special Effects: Two-Handed Sword Grand Master (Damaged increased by 30% when wielding a two-handed sword)]
[Consumes: Stamina]
[Prerequisites: Strength D+, Agility D-, Constitution D-]
[Remarks: You are the Grand Master of Heavy Arms!]
[Notes: Rted Attributes have reached the capped limit]
...
The familiar warm stream flowed into Kierans body again. Apanying the stream was all sorts of knowledge about heavy arms, which was transferred into Kierans mind.
When the synchronization process was over, Kieran grabbed the [Arrogant Word] with both hands. He felt extremely familiar with the grip, as if he had been holding a great sword for a long time.
Although this was not the first time he had experienced the system synchronization process, no matter how many times he went through it, Kieran still felt amazed.
He chose to upgrade [Hundred Violent Kicks] next.
[Hundred Violent Kicks upgrade from Master to Pro, costs 10,000 Points and 24 Skill Points. Yes/No?]
Before Kieran had entered the previous dungeon, he had not been able to produce the required Points, but this time around was different.
Kieran had forked out 33,000 Points and traded them for 11 Skill Points with Lawless before proceeding to upgrade [Hundred Violent Kicks].
[Name: Hundred Violent Kicks (Pro)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution[
[Skill Type: Offensive]
[Effects: Use your left or right leg to unleash an indistinguishable barrage of kicks using 60% of your Strength, at an 120 angle with 200% Attack Speed, Consumes 175 Stamina per second, Cooldown: 8 minutes]
[Special Effects: Phantasm Mirage (During your lightning barrage kicks, a mirage of you will take form, The mirage itself will not attack.]
[Consumes: Stamina]
[Prerequisites: [Hand-to-Hand Combat, Master of Kicks] (Master), Strength C-, Agility C-, Constitution C-]
[Remarks: If you sacrifice your attack and mobility in exchange for lightning speed kicks, the power from your continuous kicks will drown your opponent!]
[Notes: Rted Attributes have reached the capped limit]
...
[Points: 48,500; Skill Points: 0; Golden Skill Points: 2; Golden Attribute Points: 0]
This was what Kieran had left after upgrading the two skills.
His remaining Points were sufficient to upgrade Musou [Evading] to Transcendence or [de Kick] and [Hundred Violent Kicks] to Grand Master, but the upgrade would require one and two Golden Skill Points respectively.
Kieran suddenly hesitated when he saw [Fusion Heart]s attribute, [Bacsh].
[Devil Transformation] and [Desire Summoning] both required a Golden Skill Point. Without it, Kieran could not even activate the skills, even though the heart was inside his body.
The next dungeon in line was [Shamans Partner II], but Kieran would definitely need a stronger aid than that.
The thing that Nikorei and the five major societies had to deal with was surely not something easy to deal with.
The fact that Nikorei, Serdenk and Morenderke had unified against it showed its strength.
Surely, it wasnt something a Transcendence Basic Skill could beat.
Simrly, a Grand Master Advanced Skill would not beat it either. After some thought, Kieran made up his mind.
He would hold off on upgrading [Evading], [de Kick] and [Hundred Violent Kicks] for the time being, and instead he would upgrade [Sharp Weapon, Heavy Arms] from Grand Master to Musou.
At least that would match the Powerful Rank Attack of the [Arrogant Sword] and allow him to wield it with even better results.
[Sharp Weapon, Heavy Arms upgrade from Grand Master to Musou, costs 15,000 Points and 10 Skill Points. Yes/No?]
Kieran spent another 30,000 Points in exchange for 10 Skill Points and went on with the upgrade.
[Name: Sharp Weapon, Heavy Arms (Musou)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Offensive]
[Effects: You know how to use a two-handed great sword, a battle mace, a spiked club and all sorts of heavy arms to fight, Damage increased by 60%]
[Special Effects: Unparalleled Two-Handed Sword Wielding (Damage increased by 40% when wielding a two-handed sword)]
[Consumes: Stamina]
[Prerequisites: Strength C-, Agility D, Constitution D]
[Remarks: You are a beast in the battlefield. A meat grinder! When you wield your heavy arms, no one can match you!]
[Notes: Rted Attributes have reached the capped limit]
...
After Kieran finished his upgrades for the current stage, he drew a deep breath and used the [Single yer Dungeon Cooldown Reset Card].
When the cooldown was reset, Kieran chose to enter another single yer dungeon.
"Entering Single yer Dungeon..."
He was instantly blinded by the white light once again.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
My favorite story arc is back!
Chapter 269: Platform
Chapter 269: tform
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
[Entering Single yer dungeon...]
[Special Dungeon: The Shamans Partner II]
[Dungeon Difficulty: Third Dungeon]
[Description: Time flies. Its already two years since thest incident, and the mystic world has undergone some tremendous changes. Nikorei and the five major societies have faded away frommon peoples sight, and a couple of scoundrels have started to misbehave on the West Coast. Elli Jones has sent you a letter asking for help...]
[Main Mission: Reinstate the order of the mystic realm on the West Coast in 3 months, 0/90 days.]
[Temporarynguage pack, Disappears upon exiting the dungeon.]
[Clothing, backpack, weapons, and other items remain unchanged, Temporarily altered appearance, Returns to normal upon exiting the dungeon.]
[Hint: This is a mystic dungeon. You can fail the Main Mission, but you will have to pay 300 Points as a penalty and your highest attributes will drop by one point. If your points are insufficient, the system will deduct from your equipment. If your equipment is insufficient, you will fail.]
...
A loud hoot suddenly pierced Kierans ears.
When he regained his consciousness, he found himself inside a train carriage. The carriage was not something Kieran was familiar with. It was not a public carriage with seats lined up in a row. There were small independent rooms for each passenger on board.
Kieran was in one of them. The rooms were separated by a solid wooden partition, and there were two seats opposite each other with leather-sewn cushions on them, covering the spongy material inside. Anyone who sat on them felt quitefortable.
There was a hanger for hats and coats on each side of the seats near the door window, but they were empty at the moment.
Kieran was the only one in the room. He did not ce any of his belongings on the hanger. Even his big backpack was ced where he could easily ess it. After all, Kieran was not going on a road trip.
When he moved his eyes in a parallel line and tilted them down slightly, he saw a door window that could be flipped upside down.
Kieran scanned the scenery outside the window, his attention attracted by a square wooden table between two rows of seats.
There was an unopened letter and a train ticket on the table.
The letter was written in a mysticalnguage.
...
2567,
You scum! If you donte back right now, you will have to bag my body next time you see me!
From Jones, who will hate you even in the afterlife!
Er999.11.2
...
The letters content was not much, but the words were pretty straightforward.
Elli must have been extremely mad when she had written the letter.
Kieran could even imagine her grinding her teeth as she thought about him.
He sighed. If it was possible, he would have also liked to stay in [The Shamans Partner]s world for two years, until the beginning of [The Shamans Partner II].
Two years would have been a sufficient time for Kieran toplete a lot of his ns.
Both the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] and [Mystical Knowledge] could have gained a significant boost within that period.
It was a pity that this was not possible. The system would not allow a yer to stay in the dungeon for such a long period of time without any specific reason, unless it was rted to some kind of special mission.
Kieran could not help but shrug. He had nevere across such a mission before, and he hoped that he would not in the future either.
ording to Kierans understanding of the underground game, if such a mission was given to a yer, it would be extremely difficult and dangerous, maybe even impossible to aplish.
Kieran might as well follow the dungeon entry order slowly. At least everything would be under control that way, right?
After taking a turbid breath, Kieran started to process the information before him.
"Thest time I was here, the date was Er997.9.22, and the letters date just now was Er999.11.2."
Afterparing the dates with the help of the letter, he went through his memories and picked up the train ticket.
He needed a more precise date.
[Hologest Port West Coast]
[Departure Time: 13:05]
[Boarding Date: Er999.11.4]
"Hologest Port? This means its still 11.4!" Kieran mumbled to himself.
Hologest Port was a ce Kieran had read about in Nikoreis book collection. It was a small port town a three hours drive away from the West Coast.
It was famous for its seafood and cargo ship business. A lot of high-ss restaurants on the West Coast imported fresh ingredients directly from Hologest Port.
The shamans book collection did not just includemon knowledge though.
One particr book had described a sea creature named Krocpus.
The creature had the appearance of a crocodile and the tentacles of an octopus. It liked to appear on the sea surface, flip boats and devour humans alive during the storm.
That information was also included in [Research of Mystical Beings].
As for why Kieran was in Hologest Port in the first ce, well...
That was thanks to the system. Kieran was certain that if the system had arranged for him to reappear in the dungeon in Hologest Port, there would also be a reasonable exnation for his disappearance for two years.
"Two years... A lot could have happened during that time! Ellis letter makes it sound like shes had a rough two years!"
Scoundrels on the West Coast? Restore the order of the mystic realm in three months?
Kieran squinted over the Main Mission. It was not an easy task to create or restore order in a city or an entire area. It would require both a high reputation and a certain level of strength. In this case, a mystical kind of strength.
Although the background description of the dungeon described the people who had messed up the order of the West Coast as scoundrels, if Kieran really took that description seriously, then he would be considered a scoundrel himself.
The reason Nikorei had left had been to face that thing. She had nned on uniting the five major societies beforehand. It had not been an impulsive decision.
ording to Kierans understanding of Nikorei, she would definitely have left Elli a way or method to defend herself. That method could not have been simple though.
After all, it was a self-defense method left behind by the most powerful shaman on the West Coast.
If the people who had messed up the order were really just some scoundrels, why would Elli, who possessed such a strong self-defense method, ask for Kierans help?
Whoever had messed up the order was not some kind of scoundrel. In other words, they were not a regr John Doe.
Even if Nikorei and the five major societies had faded away, it still made no difference.
Kieran had utmost confidence in himself though. He had his own ace up his sleeve after all.
Although Kieran had only been through two dungeons within that time, his strength had grown exponentially. He was a different personpared to when he had first entered [The Shamans Partner].
His brand new [Fusion Heart] had boosted his confidence to the next level, despite its high cost.
"Dear passengers, the train has reached the West Coast. Please prepare to disembark from the train. Be sure not to leave any of your belongings behind..."
The conductors voice was heard from the loudspeaker. The train had slowed down as well.
Kieran took the box storing the [Arrogant Word] in his hand and then picked up his big backpack.
He stepped out of his room and got off the train. However, the moment he stepped down from the train, he frowned.
The atmosphere on the tform was not right.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Didnt thought there were trains in West Coast
Chapter 270: The Bird of Death
Chapter 270: The Bird of Death
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The passengers that had gotten off the train were looking anxiously at the exit.
There was a dozen of vicious looking men blocking it. They had pictures in their hands and they wereparing the passengers one by one.
There were a couple of buff passengers who voiced out their dissatisfaction, but they were beaten hard and pushed down on the ground. Soon, there was blood all over them.
The policemen were ignoring the scene, so no one else dared speak out anymore.
The passengers were just looking at the men with fearful eyes.
Kieran frowned hard, not because the policemen were not doing their job, but because the pictures in the mens hands looked familiar.
Even though there was quite a distance between them, Kierans sharp eyes caught a glimpse of the person on the pictures. It was him!
"It seems like Ellis situation was much worse than I thought!" Kieran thought silently.
The situation before him exined everything.
Before he could even get back to West Coast, there were men guarding the train station, searching for him.
Obviously, the person behind this had been notified beforehand. Their information seemed to be quite detailed as well.
The pictures in the mens hands said it all. Kieran was sure that even Ellis background was known to the person behind this. They seemed to know who Elli had asked for help.
The person in charge had to have a lot more power than Kieran had imagined.
The thugs were able to search the passengers at the train station publicly while the police ignored the scene. This was no normal feat any John Doe could have achieved.
"Have their forces infiltrated the West Coast government departments?" Kieran guessed.
He unconsciously thought of Chief Officer Schmidt. Considering his straightforward personality, he must have been having a tough timetely.
"I hope everything is fine!" Kieran thought.
Meanwhile, he was heading towards the exit. He had no intention of avoiding the thugs.
There was just a dozen of them, so they were not intimidating enough for Kieran to try to avoid them.
Plus, Kieran had already been spotted, so there was no ce for him to hide.
His gaze was silently scanning over the shadow on the ceiling near the tform.
A malicious intent was being radiated fiercely from that spot.
Kierans rushed steps were quicker than the other passengers. He caught the thugs attention within an instant.
The vicious looking thugs were stunned at first. They took a closer look at the picture in their hands, and every single one of them smirked in delight.
"Its him! Kill him!"
At the sound of the ecstatic shout, dozens of big buff thugs threw themselves at Kieran.
Daggers and tonfas appeared in their hands, ready to kill him.
The thugs leader even took out a gun.
The already scared passengers became even more terrified when they saw the armed men.
They scattered around with terrified screams, like birds being scared away by gunshots.
Instantly, a wide space was cleared between Kieran and the thugs.
Their leader raised his gun without hesitation, but before he could pull the trigger, his vision waspromised by darkness.
An air-breaking sound was heard, and the box holding the [Arrogant Word] was smashed hard against the thugs head.
His bones cracked with a clear noise, and his head was smashed right off. The gun in his hand was distorted with a screech before it fell to the ground.
The other thugs were stunned by the sight of their leader being beaten until his head plunged into his chest.
Kierans enemies were all staring around nkly, but they could not see him.
Kieran was like a tiger charging into a herd of sheep,unching a barrage of kicks.
Layers of his kicking shadows ovepped, drowning all the thugs at once.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The clear noise of Kierans boots hitting the thugs spread all over the tform.
Just like their leader, the thugs flew away from Kierans kicks, as if they had been hit by a car. All their bones had been crushed.
As the thugs were flying away with agonizing cries, a dark shadow jumped on Kieran with a pitch-ck, foul-smelling dagger, aiming for his neck.
Kieran moved slightly, dodging the stab easily. The dark shadow did not fall to the ground though.
Instead, it pped its arms like a bird, extended its wings and flew up in the air.
Thats right, it flew away! Shocked, Kieran was looking at the figure in awe.
A ck mantle covered its body and half of its face. Only its chin was exposed.
From the looks of its beard and the skin around it, the figure had to be a middle-aged man.
"So this is why you were the assistant of the strongest shaman on the West Coast! You are still nothingpared to Master Syken though..."
The flying man was speaking in an arrogant manner, in an attempt to put some distance between them.
Kieran did not miss his chance. He immediately raised his gun and took a shot.
Bang!
The bullet from the [Python-W2] struck the man directly in the head.
The collision made his head burst. His brains were sttered everywhere, and his body fell hard against the ground.
The dagger, which had beenced with poison, fell to the ground as well and bounced around a little before stoppingpletely.
Kieran did not even look at the body. He kicked the box that held the [Arrogant Sword] upwards.
The twisting box crashed against another figure above Kieran, making a slight noise.
Bang!
A middle-aged man named Syken fell hard before Kieran, blood gushing out of his mouth. His face seemed puzzled as he looked at Kieran.
Until hisst breath, he didnt understand how Kieran had discovered his realistic illusion.
Kieran would of course keep that secret to himself. The battlelog had not disyed a death notification for the flying figure when Kieran had shot him in the head. The slight noise from Sykens movement had been as loud as thunder in Kierans ears.
Kieran extended his hand and grabbed the box falling from mid-air.
After picking up the Magical equipment next to the body, he headed towards the exit.
The passengers around them opened their eyes wide at the scene. They were all petrified.
Only after a full 20 seconds, when Kieran had already disappeared, did someone react to what had just happened.
"Aaah! Someone died!"
The passengers scattered around even quicker than before at the scream.
Some of the bolder ones picked up their phones and called the police.
When the operator answered the call though, even they could not say what had really happened.
When the policemen reached the scene, they saw the bodies around the station.
A police officer quickly dialed another number, as if he had seen such an incident before.
Schmidt arrived at the scene with a tired look.
He was working on some other mysterious cases, and he was exhausted. He wanted to p the hell out of his colleagues, grab them by the cors and yell at them.
Not all f*cking murders are rted to the mystical cases!
However, his job forced him to put everything into question.
Especially when one of the bodies was Sykens, a man who had gained some notoriety over the past year on the West Coast. Schmidt became even more serious.
He could not ignore someone who had the ability to take out Syken.
"Can you borate on what happened?" Schmidt asked some of the passengers that were present.
However, everything had happened too fast, so no one had really been able to see much.
Even the witness who described everything in the most detail had a blurry memory of the incident. Schmidt frowned.
"They were looking for the person in the picture, they found him, and then suddenly everyone was killed!"
When Schmidt heard that, he asked the officer beside him to bring him the picture the thugs had been holding.
"The person who was assaulted, what did he look like? What was he wearing, and what did he have with him?" Schmid asked the passengers patiently.
"What did he look like? I couldnt see properly, but he had a big backpack with him and he was holding a huge box in his hand with something heavy inside. He was wearing a ck feather mantle that seemed to be made from raven feathers, the ominous kind!"
"Yes, a really bad omen!"
The passengers finally said something useful, thanks to Schmidts guidance.
Schmidt was not concerned about the bad omen that the passengers had mentioned. He just painted a rough image of the person based on their description.
Suddenly, a familiar figure appeared in his mind.
"Give me the picture! Fast!" Schmidt shouted at his colleague. He was eager to confirm whether his idea was right or not.
When the officer brought the evidence bag that held the picture, Schmidt saw the person on it clearly.
His tired face instantly seemed refreshed.
"Hes back! Finally!" he mumbled.
Schmidt suddenly thought of something and rushed outside the station. He ignored his colleagues shoutspletely.
Meanwhile, the secret forces that had been faintly paying attention to the proceedings at the train station had received the news through their own secret channels.
Everyone had heard the same news. The assistant of the strongest shaman on the West Coast had finally returned!
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Dedicate this chapter to LordDaoThief, who is always giving cookies around thement sections!
Give him a round of apuse!
Chapter 271: Ambush
Chapter 271: Ambush
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Kieran had returned.
Some people panicked, some growled, but most of them mocked his return in a disdainful manner.
Their proudful attitude made them unwilling to believe that Kieran had killed Wilco the Icy Killer, Gilfren Hatch the Spectre, and Frostrill the Usurper.
None of them believed it, because it seemed too absurd for anyone to achieve.
Besides, before he had be Nikoreis assistant, Kieran had been a nobody.
Truth be told, they all stubbornly thought that every powerful individual Kieran had defeated had been directly rted to Nikorei herself.
With the help of the strongest shaman on the West Coast, even the five major societies leaders themselves would be powerless, let alone Wilco, Gilfren Hatch and Frostrill.
That was why they did not care.
This was just like their encounter with Elli Jones, who was the disciple of Nikorei in name, but was actually an amateur.
Orders were being sent from all secret locations on the West Coast.
One after the other, mystical individuals started to gather around 1st ck Street.
They thought this was their best chance. The strongest shaman was currently away, so if they could get rid of her heir and assistant, the whole West Coast would be under their control.
...
Kieran got out of the taxi and looked around 1st ck Street.
It was no different than what he remembered. The garden, the iron gate and the three-storey building looked exactly the same.
The house was uniquely mysterious despite the passage of time.
The only differences were the absence of Ferad the spirit butler, who was no longer there to open the iron gate, and some traps that had sprung up around the gate.
Although they were not lethal, this showed Kieran that the situation was worse than hed thought.
"Those scoundrels dared attack 1st ck Street?"
Kieran scanned the numerous shes on the iron gate and the bullet holes in the garden and frowned helplessly. He could not understand what had given those scoundrels the boldness to do this.
Nikorei was not some kind, even-tempered old woman.
She was just missing. She had not been confirmed dead. Why would they start a war like this? Werent they afraid of being skinned alive when she came back?
Unless...
"They heard news that something happened to Rei!"
Kieran suddenly shivered.
He did not even bother checking 2nd ck Street. He leapt over the iron gate, avoided dozens of traps, and reached the entrance of the building.
The big door, the iron gate, and the garden were all full of traps. The only difference was that the door trap was lethal.
From behind the door came a faint stinging smell.
Even Kierans Basic Level [Potionology] could easily detect that the smell came from a dissolving potion solution. A solution that dissolved stones to extract the minerals inside.
This was Simones proud work.
During their lessons on [Potionology], Kieran had heard Simones mention the dissolving solution more than once. If the solution could dissolve stones, what would happen if it was sprayed on a human body?
Nothing would be left behind. Both the bones and the flesh would bepletely gone!
Kieran could note up with any other possible oue.
He took a detour from the front door, trying to find another way in.
He was very familiar with the ce, as he had spent a lot of time studying and living at 1st ck Street.
He found a second way into the house. He entered through the second floor window in no time.
This had actually been his room thest time he had been there.
Using the [Deceivers Key], Kieran opened the window easily and climbed through.
There were no changespared to thest time he had been there.
Both the desk and the floor were spotless, free of any speckles of dust.
"Is it cleaned regrly?"
Kieran smirked for a while. He was delighted, because he would be meeting his friends again.
Getting even more excited, he headed downstairs to the study with casual steps.
...
The study was a mess. Nikoreis books were all over the ce. On the desk, on the chairs, on the carpet. It was like a tornado had been through the room.
Amid the messy books was Elli. She was crawling all over with a dirty face and a nervous expression.
Kieran noticed that she was flipping through the books single-handedly. Her other hand was in a cast, strapped in bandages over her chest.
She was reading very fast. After reading a couple of pages of a book, she would throw it away and pick up another, as if that was not the book she was looking for.
"Damn it! Damn it! There was a book that said something about a powerful magic spell! Where is it? Where the hell is it?"
Elli was mumbling non-stop, flipping through book after book.
Simones was also present, quietly watching over the youngss with his smoking pipe in his hand. He knew Elli was doing her best, but their enemies were too cunning and vicious. They were like vermin. They could get in through every crack on the wall.
The youngss had recently been through no less than 10 battles, half of them ambushes. Elli had hurt herself during one of the ambushes in order to protect Simones, who was useless in battle.
As Simones recalled that incident, he clenched his fists hard.
"I am so damned useless! Ive dragged Rei down before and now her student... How useless can I be?" Simones med himself silently.
He wanted to help the youngss ovee the danger before her.
It was just that...
The potions he specialized in could not scare their enemies away. A strong feeling of helplessness bloomed and spread in Simones heart.
He wanted to sigh, but he held himself back. He didnt want to increase Ellis burden any more.
"There has to be a way! If not by using the potions I am familiar with, then maybe by using a potion I havent heard of..."
Simones furrowed his brow, thinking hard.
Elli was flipping through the books even faster.
A sudden explosion interrupted both their actions and thoughts.
"Those scoundrels have barged into our ce!"
Simones rushed to the window and pulled the curtain back to take a look.
When he saw the iron gate being blown away and more than 30 thugs in ck gather in front of it, his face turned extremely sour.
He could tell that the thugs were not there to probe. They were ready tounch a real attack.
"Then I will fight to my death!"
Elli stood up from the middle of the study with a serious expression.
She looked down at the carpet, which was full of books, nced over at the red-and-green intertwined lines, and finally looked at the picture of a deer that was sewn there in white.
This was the self-defense method her teacher had left her. Nikorei had warned her not to use it unless she really had to, because it could only be used once.
"Now is the time!" Elli said slowly after taking a deep breath.
"Of course not!" a voice suddenly interrupted her.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Anyone wonder how tall was Elli? Do leave ament lol
Chapter 272: Sea of Green
Chapter 272: Sea of Green
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
After the voice was heard, the almost shut study door was pushed open.
"2567!"
Simones was extremely delighted and surprised. As he looked at Kieran, both his hand and smoking pipe started shaking.
Elli, who was standing in the middle of the room, was looking weird, as if she was about to cry out. She eventually just gave him a cold shrug.
"Simones, Elli, its been a while! Ill go deal with the thugs outside first. Can you guys prepare some dinner for me? There was no meal provided on the train. Such inhuman passenger treatment!" Kieran said in a joking tone as he ced his big backpack down and took out his [Infantry Spear] and the box with the [Arrogant Word].
"Be careful..." Simones warned him.
Elli was quiet, but Kieran could sense that her gaze was locked tightly on him.
Kieran signaled that it was OK and disarmed all the traps around the door, cing the bottle with the dissolving solution beside it.
Then, without further hesitation, he activated the [Reckless Rush] effect of [Wild Soul].
A heavy, loud growl was heard, and a huge rhino mirage formed behind Kieran and charged forward with an earth-shattering power.
BANG!
The door was rammed open. The thugs that had already arrived at the garden were trampled by the rhino mirage before they could even react to the bursting wood chipsing from the door.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Blood and flesh sshed in all directions as bones and spines were crushed to bits.
There was no mercy for the thugs in front of Kieran. The mirage was like a truck driving over a watermelon, sending its red, watery flesh all over the ce.
A bright bloody trail starting from the front door extended to the gardens entrance.
Suddenly, darkness covered the entrance,promising the vision of the remaining thugs that had escaped the mirage. Kieran had disappeared right before their eyes.
Unsure of what had happened, the thugs tried to look around for him. They soon noticed something.
"There!"
A thug turned his head around and saw Kieran, who was still standing at the gardens entrance.
Instantly, five thugs threw themselves at Kieran, their weapons all aimed at his weak spots.
Seven more thugs widened their distance from him and started softly chanting incantations. However, a second sonorous chanting was suddenly heard from behind them.
"A... I..."
Things were bad for the chanting thugs, whose hearts skipped a beat. They instinctively wanted to dodge the attacking from behind them, but it was impossible for them to move while they were chanting. Half of them were instantly struck by magic repulsion and fell to the ground due to excessive movement and distraction.
The remaining half did not fall, but they started spitting fresh blood from their mouths. Every single one of them tried to widen their distance from the spell behind them.
Crawling on their knees or staggering forward with their feet, the thugs gave their utmost effort to survive.
"O!"
However, the next moment, a fiery cone-shaped me with a sulphuric smell engulfed their figures.
"Aaah!"
The thugs screams of agony and pain were filled with despair. They sounded unable to believe what was happening. They could not understand how Kierans spell could be so much quicker than theirs.
One of the thugs tangling with the mes was shouting non stop as he drew hisst breaths.
"Why? WHY?"
The thug pulled out item after item, trying to put out the mes, but the mes burned even hotter instead. After taking two more struggling breaths, the thug became a charred corpse, just like all the others who had been engulfed by the fiery mes.
Thanks to the empowerment of [Fusion Heart, Fiery Sulphur], the [Burning Hand]s Strong Attack had be even more powerful, despite Kieran performing only half the incantation and gesture required to cast it. Its attack had been boosted up to Powerful.
Powerful mes was not something easy to extinguish, let alone when there was sulphuric poison inside them.
[Sulphuric Poison: Burned targets will undergo a Constitution authentication of -2pared to the caster. If they fail, they will suffer an extra 20 Poison Damage for 5 seconds.]
Kieran had already known the oue before he had cast the spell, so he had spared enough energy to check on his burned targets.
The moment Kieran had cast [Burning Hand], he had already switched to a different target.
The dark red two-handed sword was wielded with the force of a mountain at Kierans next target. The thug tried to dodge the sword, but he was pinned down by the strong wind blown at him thanks to the swords force.
The thug moved his sword above his head, in hopes of blocking the iing sh from the [Arrogant Word] and surviving, but the thought itself was a joke.
The seemingly good Magical longsword was instantly dented into an arch. Rendered unable to withstand the force of the [Arrogant Word], it broke into two. The thug wielding the longsword shared the same fate as his weapon. He was also shed into half.
Kieran quickly moved his wrist around and the vertical [Arrogant Word] was turned sideways, shing at its next target.
As Kierans second target had watched hisrade being split into half, his blood and organs spilling all over, his expression had be ugly. That was before he even saw the dark red sword with the bewitching aura being aimed at him.
The thug dared not even resist the sh. He turned around immediately in an effort to escape.
[Arrogant Word] was shining red. [Arrogance] had been triggered!
The great sword, which already had an unstoppable force, became even quicker, shing over the thugs body with a speed that exceeded the thugs imagination by far.
The escaping thug was shed into half horizontally, the agonizing pain inbination with his dying breath overwhelming him like a raging wave and eventually drowning him.
The thugs survival instinct made his body crawl forward using all its strength, seemingly able to escape the grasp of death. The more he crawled forward though, the more his intestines spilled out, elerating his death before it could escape.
The thug was still crawling forward instinctively, making a great effort.
"He.. Help..." he mumbled, but the rest of hisrades ran away even faster.
They were like panicked rabbits, running away in all directions. After a full 10 minutes of running, the thugs thought they had finally gotten rid of Kieran.
When they thought they were safe, they came to a stop. The moment their feet halted though, Kieran appeared once again.
They started running for their lives once more. The process was repeated over and over again, until the thugs lungs started burning from exhaustion.
At the end of this vicious cycle, they were feeling excruciating pain on every inch of their bodies.
They all fell to the ground and stared at Kieran in fear. Kieran was wielding his great sword at them.
When the fallen thugs came back to their senses, they realized they were still in the garden.
It had been an illusion! The thugs suddenly realized they had been deceived, but it was toote.
Their panicked state had made the [Half-Dead Gaze]s [Dead-Man Gaze] and [Fear Illusion] perform exceptionally well. All the thugs had suffered substantial mental damage.
They could not resist the death the [Arrogant Word] had brought.
The chilling darkness shrouded them entirely.
However, not every single one of the thugs had been affected by the [Dead-Mans Gaze] effect and fallen victim to the [Fear Illusion].
One of the nimbler thugs had managed to climb up to the second floor of the house and tried to barge in. He had no intention of facing Kieran anymore. He had decided to target Elli and Simones instead!
If he couldy his hands on either one, he could grasp at a thin ray of survival. He had a n in mind.
When the nimble thug saw Kieran leaping towards him, he grinned. Everything was going ording to his n. When Kieran reached the second floor,pletely exhausted, the nimble thug had already climbed up to the third floor like an ape.
"I can survive this..."
The thought bloomed in the nimble thugs mind, but before it could flourish, he was shed in half by the [Arrogant Word].
The upper body of the thug was spinning in mid-air, his remaining life energy allowing him to see Kieran, who was also on the third floor of the house.
"How..."
As the thought lingered in his dying mind, he fell onto the house entrance, empty of any life energy.
Kierannded on the ground after him and nced over the [Modii Boots]. He clenched the [Arrogant Word] with both his fists, swinging it left and right.
The swinging removed all the blood and organs left on the swords body, forming a red arch on the ground.
Kieran put away [Arrogant Word] and picked up the [Infantry Spear] from the ground. Then he turned around and saw a sea of green.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Keep sending thugs and goons for our dearest MC to farm equipment...
The starting here is a bit slow but guess what will he go after next?
Wanna get your name mentioned here? Comment more on thements section to get my notice xD
Chapter 273: Supernatural
Chapter 273: Supernatural
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
There were eight pieces of Magical Rank items before Kierans eyes, but three of them were scrolls.
"Prescriptions?" Kieran guessed. He had had a simr experience before. The system proved him right.
[2,000 Points to learn Beginner Freeze Resistance Potion Prescription. Yes/No?]
[Potionology (Entry) not detected...]
[Prerequisites not met, Unable to learn!]
...
[3,000 Points to learn Armor Pration Lvl 1 Enchantment. Yes/No?]
[Alchemy (Master) not detected...]
[Prerequisites not met, Unable to learn!]
...
[5,000 Points to learn Critical Rate Lvl 1 Enchantment. Yes/No?]
[Alchemy (Pro) not detected...]
[Prerequisites not met, Unable to learn!]
...
It was a [Potionology] prescription and two [Alchemy] prescriptions.
Although Kieran was unable to meet the prerequisites, he still knew how much the prescriptions were worth. He carefully put them away and turned his attention to the other five Magical Rank pieces of equipment.
It was a pity that four out of the five items were just low-tier Magical Rank equipment that boosted Armor Pration, Hiding, and Nimbleness.
The only noteworthy item was the special potion ced inside a palm-sized leather bag. It was a de oil.
[Name: tinum de Oil VI]
[Type: Potion]
[Rarity: Great]
[Attributes: This oil inflicts an extra 100 Damage for 15 minutes to low-level spirits and spectre-like beings when smeared over a weapon.]
[Prerequisites: None]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: This is a potion crafted by Potionology and Alchemy for a special asion!]
[Notes: Four standard doses, +1 dose when used on a two-handed sword, a spiked club, or a battle hammer.]
...
After checking the [tinum de Oil VI], Kieran carefully ced it in his waist bag, where he could easily reach it.
Although it was inferiorpared to [Holy Water VIII], which could cause lethal damage to any low-level spirit, and far less usablepared to [Bullets of Blessing], it still had its own benefits.
Combined with [Arrogant Word], its specialty could reach its fullest potential. Even though the standard dosage of the de oil was only four, and the two-handed sword [Arrogant Word] would consume two per use, limiting the oils use to only two times, this was still enough for Kieran.
At least this way, he would be able to maximize his damage with [Arrogant Word] by using the de oil when he was facing spirit and spectre-like beings.
[The Shamans Partner II] shared the same universe as the previous two dungeons. Even though technology had advanced to firearms, trains and ferries, spirit-like monsters were not a minority in the dungeon. They might even be a majority.
Kieran sudden turned his head around and fixed his eyes on a shadowy spot. He raised his gun and fired seamlessly.
[Shooting, Bullets of Blessing: Lethal Damage, 400 Damage inflicted to Target (200 Firearm Weapon, Light Firearm (Transcendence) X2); Bullets of Blessing, extra 100 Damage inflicted to spirit and negative-energy beings. (Authentication passed, treated as Lethal Damage), 500 True Damage inflicted to Target, Target dies...]
[Lethal Damage: Unable to resist with equipment or special skills.]
...
A formless shadow revealed its twisted, vicious face when it was hit by the [Bullets of Blessing]. It let out a helpless howl and turned into a pile of ashes.
"Is someone spying on me by using spirit beings?"
Kieran nced over the pile of ashes, but soon shifted his attention away. He knew the thugs and the spirit beings were not the end. There were more enemies spying on him in the dark, waiting for a chance to strike. Those were the enemies to watch for.
Kieran had just put an end to a big fight, so his enemies would be more vignt and careful. They would not strike without sufficient confidence, which was what Kieran needed for the time being.
In [The Shamans Partner II], Kieran wanted to both finish his Main Mission and learn about...
That "thing"!
He needed more time to investigate everything involving that "thing".
Of course, Kieran still had his priorities straight. His top one was investigating whether the thugs had a meeting point of sorts.
Meeting points meant more noteworthy items, which could be Kierans reward. Of course he would not let something like that slip away.
Kieran quickly collected his Magical Rank equipment at the thought and went back into the house.
Simones and Elli stood by the door,pletely stunned and overwhelmed.
"Th... They..."
Simones pointed at the dead bodies, unable to form words from the astonishment. He could not imagine Kieran wiping their enemies off just like that, enemies that they could barely defend themselves against. It had seemed so easy for him.
Simones stood there and looked at Kieran, who was smiling at him, unconsciously reminding Simones of his old friend Nikorei.
"All done! These thugs possessed weapons and invaded our property, so ording to West Coastws, we had every right to defend ourselves. Is dinner ready?"
Kieran shrugged at Simones astonished expression before turning to Elli.
"Make it yourself!" The youngss groaned as she stared at Kieran angrily.
"I tried toe back as fast as I could! Its just that too many things happened all at once. I had to slow down to take care of them!" Kieran exined.
"Yeah? Did those things include killing a king, leading a coup detat, and apanying a schr to an archeological expedition? Such great deeds! The "Raven, Ominous Bird, Bird of Death! Hmph!"
The youngss walked up the stairs with big steps after mentioning three strange titles that Kieran had never heard of before.
Kieran brushed his nose lightly as he looked at Ellis back. He had no idea how the system had exined his two years of absence from the dungeon, but Ellis words gave him a general idea.
"Did the reputation I gained from other dungeons spread here as well?"
Kieran was uncertain whether the stories had appeared in [The Shamans Partner II] by coincidence or because his appearance in the dungeon had affected his own fate.
After some careful thought, he decided that it had to be the former. Kieran thought he was not influential enough to affect a whole dungeon because of his achievements and reputation.
"Dont worry, 2567! Elli is just tired! Shes had a lot on her shoulders ever since Rei went missing. If she had five more years, it might have been easier for her, but..."
Simones shook his head with a sigh.
"Simones, I hope you can help me identify all these thugs and find out whether they have a meeting point of sorts."
Kieran smiled without concern.
Simones was caught off guard when he suddenly realized what Kieran was nning. He had no intention of stopping him though.
Getting the battle loot was an unwritten rule, and Simones hatred for the attackers made him want to torture them in unimaginable ways.
Fortunately, Simones morality pulled him back from the abyss. It did not stop him from actively helping Kieran though.
"This guy here was the leader of the ming Hounds, this one was the leader of the Muller Society, and this burned fellow has to be the leader of the Cursed Society and one of the most mysterious members of the Cursed Five. I did a lot of research on them through the window during the attack. And this here..."
Simones carefully identified each and every one of the thugs. His words were filled with astonishment because he knew them too well. As a result, his surprise was even bigger.
"So is this why you chose him as your assistant, Rei?" Simones thought silently.
Following Simones identification, Kieran realized an interesting fact.
The [Potionology] and [Alchemy] prescriptions had all been dropped by Cursed Society members.
"Is this because they are spell-casters? Or because..." Kieran tried to guess. He already had a starting point for his investigation.
The Cursed Society!
Compared to other societies, who relied on special weapons and their skill sets, that society was notorious on the West Coast for their spells. They might have quite a number of [Mystical Knowledge] books and some spell-casting materials in their possession.
"Where is the Cursed Society?" Kieran asked straightforwardly.
"100th Ciaran Street! Need a guide?"
"No, thanks. I am quite familiar with Ciaran Street. Can I borrow your Picard, Simones? Although I am certain those thugs will stay away for the time being, this doesnt mean that the house is safe. Contact the police as soon as possible and find someone to fix the door!"
After rejecting Simones offer, Kieran picked up his backpack and went off towards the societys meeting point.
However, before Kieran could leave the house, he was stopped by an oing car.
The car pulled over before Kieran and a middle-aged man with untidy clothes got down. Kieran smirked.
"Its been a while, Schmidt!" he said.
"It really is. I need your help right now, 2567!" Schmidt said straight out without any courtesy.
Kieran rubbed his temples.
"Schmidt, I would be happy to help, but at least give me some breathing space! I just came back from Hologest Port and a fight was waiting for me at the train station! Now I need to collect my rewards from the thugs... Ill be busy at least until dawn!" Kieran expressed his own thoughts without being polite.
Schmidt was extremely understanding about mystical rules, so they were spared a misunderstanding. Plus, Kieran had had quite an experience working with Schmidt in the previous dungeon.
"At dawn? Fine... Hold on..."
epting his answer, Schmidt nced over at the garden behind Kieran, which was filled with bodies. He quickly got back inside his cruiser and reported to his station briefly through the radio.
After about 10 minutes, a couple of police cruisers with over a dozen police officers arrived at 1st ck Street.
"With them here, the thugs will not be as rampant. You can go collect your rewards without worrying now," Schmidt said as he pulled open the passenger door of the Picard.
"You are in much better shape than I imagined! I thought you had been assigned to that odd department after the previous incidents, or might even have been relieved of your duties!"
Kieran watched the officers do their job at the scene while he started the car.
Schmidts situation was much better than he had imagined.
He had thought that the reckless, grumpy, outspoken officer would be arranging files in some office at the station and making retirement ns.
Schmidt did not reply right away. He remained silent for a while. Eventually, he spilled it all out.
"It was bad at first, but I was assigned back here soon! Lets go through the case that I need your help on..."
Schmidt seemed unwilling to shed more light on his frustrating experience. Instead, he changed the topic back to the case at hand.
Although Kieran had promised that he would help after dawn, he knew Schmidt well enough and did not try to stop him. Kieran was not someone who was interested in probing private information out of others.
Especially out of Schmidt, who was practically a friend.
As Schmidt borated on the case, Kierans attention was fully captivated by the supernatural incident he was talking about.
"Youre saying its a ghost ship?" Kieran said in shock.
TL Note
1.Picard : The car belonged to Simones.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
The Picard... Hmmmm anyone wondered what kind of car is it?
Chapter 274: Missing Boller
Chapter 274: Missing Boller
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
"A missing ferry that might harbor some unidentified monsters!" Schmidt corrected Kierans words and talked about the matter at hand in greater length.
"The Sunshine Mary left the East Coast in June of Er875. Its original destination had been Hologest Port on the West Coast. Its cruising time was around four and a half weeks, but by the fifth week, it had not appeared in Hologest Port yet. People noticed that something was off and started to search for it, but it was like looking for a needle in a haystack. After a continuous year-long search, in August of Er876, the local government dered the Sunshine Mary and its crew and passengers, a total of 400 people, dead in a shipwreck."
"I went through some papers of the time that had been left behind. Although the government dered that all the people onboard had died, the family members of the missing people never gave up their search. It went on for another 10, perhaps 20 years. God knows how long it really was. However, ording to an article on entertainment news, there was a notorious shaman at the time who said that he had seen the crew and passengers on board, suffering in some strange ce... Of course, he was exposed as a liar afterwards. Unlike you and Rei!"
Kieran shrugged over Schmidts interpretation of the case.
Nikorei was a genuine shaman, and although it would be wrong to say that Kieran was a total fraud, he was still far from holding such a title. At least he could spot spirits and solve cases rted to the supernatural.
"Maybe the ferry got into some kind of ident. The sea is merciless after all!"
Kieran did not want to stay on that awkward topic for long. He needed to ask about more information.
"There were no major storms that month, the wind was mild and the sun was bright. The weather was perfect for a ferry cruise. That was also the reason the Sunshine Mary had left the port that day. The Sunshine Mary was a luxury cruise for the rich. There was no way they wouldnt have noticed such weather conditions. The armed forces and the arsenal they used were pretty advanced for that particr time period. That rules out the possibility of pirates hijacking the ferry," Schmidt said in an affirmative tone.
"I see. Can you tell me how it reappeared then? It disappeared over 100 years ago. I am curious. Why didnt it sink?" Kieran asked.
"I am even more curious than you. A week ago, on the morning of October 28th Er999, the ferry miraculously reappeared on the Golden Beach of the West Coast. The beach handler took some crew members and boarded the mysterious ferry. That was thest we heard of them. That is where Boller and I came in. We..."
"Wait! You said Boller?" Kieran interrupted Schmidt.
"Yeah. After the five teenagers that were suffering from magic repulsion died, Boller shifted his attention to preventing such incidents. He joined my special operations unit. Surprisingly, he was much better than the previous goons Id had in the office. Truth be told, the fact that I can still even be the special operations unit team leader is because of Boller. Didnt Simones and Elli tell you?" Schmidt asked.
"Thats why I said I needed a good rest, to catch up on things! I dont even know whats happened!" Kieran sighed, pretending to be frustrated.
"The problem is that Boller has gone missing. After Boller and I boarded the Sunshine Mary, I unexpectedly passed out before the investigation could even begin. When I woke up, I was off the ferry and Boller was nowhere to be found. Meanwhile, no one could approach the ferry anymore! An invisible force field was keeping us away. Even bullets, explosives, and canons were useless against it! Thats why I needed someone who specializes in that field to help me get back to the Sunshine Mary. Or at least help me get my partner back!" Schmidt said in a serious tone.
"Boller has gone missing?" Kieran frowned.
He still had a general impression of Boller. He was a secret potionologist who had joined the Hatch Heresy with his own agenda. Other than that, Kieran could not think of anything else. This did not stop him from epting Schmidts Sub Mission though.
[Sub Mission Unlocked: Ghost Ferry]
[Ghost Ferry: The Sunshine Mary, which disappeared 124 years ago, has suddenly been sighted again. No one knows what really happened during itsst cruise 124 years ago. Schmidt has requested your help to find Boller, who has gone missing on the ferry. You need to find him!]
[Note: If you are able to solve the mystery of the Sunshine Mary, your dungeon rating will be boosted up significantly.]
...
"My dungeon rating will be boosted up significantly?" Kieran squinted his eyes over the note.
No matter the words used, every sign indicated that the Sunshine Mary incident was no simple matter.
Judging by Kierans experience in the game so far, such a significant dungeon rating boost would surely be apanied by looming danger.
As Kieran recalled the events that had boosted up his rating before, he let out a long sigh. However, his curiosity was uncontroble.
"Hidden secrets, huh?" he thought silently.
Fortunately, Kieran was not someone who tended to mess up their ns because of their curiosity.
Driving Simones Picard, he reached Ciaran Street.
The street was not much different than it had been two years ago. It was still the meeting point of low and average ie families. The only difference was that the parked patrol cruisers were significantly fewer.
"Although I hate to admit it, thanks to the Cursed Society, this ce has be a lot safer. Petty thieves know not to step on the Cursed Societys turf!" Schmidt exined with a sigh after noticing Kierans face, which was filled with questions.
"Still, Im d you took out the Fiery Hounds, the Muller Society and the Syken Society at the train station! Each and every one of them have tried really hard to solidify their power and would not mind destroying other factions meeting points in the process. During thest year alone, the West Coast casualty rate has gone up by 200%, crime rate has gone up by 300% and I can guarantee that the actual numbers are even higher than the collected data! Everything was covered up by high position maggots that feed off the weak! Plus, these mystical rascals are pretty smart as well. They wont target the rich or any government officers. Instead, they are willing to provide certain services to them... Goddamnit!" Schmidt suddenly cursed, seemingly recalling something frustrating.
Kieran got a general idea from Schmidts expression.
Higher ranking individuals always had their hands tied away from certain incidents. If they could spare an extra pissing pot for their secret business, they did.
As for the Syken Society, Kieran remembered them, not because they were the first enemies he had had to fight, but because he had gotten a quite useful Magical ring from them.
[Name: Illusion Puppeteer Ring]
[Type: essory]
[Rarity: Magical]
[Attack/Defense: None]
[Attributes: Puppet Illusion]
[Effects: None]
[Prerequisites: None]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: The honest, the dishonest, the bad and the good, Who is really telling the truth?]
...
[Puppet Illusion: Create a 10-meter radius puppet illusion field where one cannot attack, is unable tomunicate and is immobilized. Puppet Illusion will not disappear after the attack, it will change ording to the damage it received, until its threshold is maximized. Duration: 10 seconds, once per day]
...
The [Illusion Puppeteer Ring] gave Kieran a strange feeling when he wore it on his left middle finger. There was a soft ck spiral texture to it. It seemed ambiguous, but its effect was one of a kind.
Kieran had put the ring to practical use during the battle in front of 1st ck Street. If he had not created the puppet illusions that had bewitched the thugs, his energy would have been drained, even if he had managed to take every single one of them out.
After all, if Kieran had not been able to take out the melee thugs fast enough and allowed the spell-caster thugs to finish their incantations, he was unsure whether he could have withstood all their attacks by using [Primus Scale].
The breaks made a screeching noise as the Picard stopped in front of a two-and-a-half story building.
Schmidt got out of the car and waited quietly for Kieran to go in.
As the leader of the special operations unit, Schmidt had been through supernatural cases before more than once. As a result, he knew the importance of staying away from the mystics. Especially when someone was trying to invade a mystical individuals house.
Kieran walked up to the house and inspected the gate with a smile. As he observed the ce thoroughly though, his face turned serious.
He saw some traces in front of the house. Someone had been there before them!
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
So Boller was a good guy after all? I thought he was with the doctor before this???
Chapter 275: Bladesman
Chapter 275: desman
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
"Is this the guy who used the spirit to spy on 1st ck Street? Or someone who had been hiding here for a while and wanted to acquire profits in times of trouble?"
The thought that bloomed in his mind made Kieran rush in at a faster speed.
Schmidt remained silent behind him. After checking the marks on the gate lock, he pulled out his gun and followed Kieran into the two-and-a-half storey house.
Although Schmidt knew that bullets might not be effective against mystics, it was still better than going in with his bare fists.
However, when Schmidt entered, he saw Kieran standing before a body and inspecting it carefully.
"Werete, no one is alive here!"
Kieran stood up and walked over to another body.
There were three bodies in total inside the house, and every single one of them had a sh on the neck, inflicted from the front.
His [Tracking] vision allowed Kieran to carefully capture the details around the crime scene. He saw the footprints of the culprit in the corridor clearly and made an educated guess based on them.
"The culprit pried open the garden gate and disarmed the magical traps around the door. Then he barged in at extreme speed and killed all the personnel with a single sh before they could even react. His movements and de drawing speed were extremely fast. The two dead victims did not even have the time to pull out their guns!"
Kieran had noticed that two of the dead bodies were holding their guns tightly, but had been robbed of the chance to draw them. Kieran frowned. He could never have matched such a lightning speed kill. At least not with [Arrogant Word].
Not unless the three bodies had been very close to each other. However, the bodies were quite far apart from one another. The first two bodies were in the big hall and the corridor of the first floor respectively, and thest one was on the stairs heading upstairs.
Kierans mind quickly painted the picture when he saw a footprint on the couch. After the culprit had killed the first floor personnel, he had quickly dashed up the stairs, where the third body was. Before the third victim could react, his throat had been shed.
The cut was clean and the method very precise. None of the victims had survived. Kieran had a feeling that the culprit was a professional.
"Such a quick de!"
Schmidts face turned sour after he checked over the scene. He could understand how fearful the deman must have been by putting himself in the shoes of the dead personnel.
No matter which position Schmidt imagined himself in, he could not pull his gun out in time either.
Schmidt even recognized two of the victims. The two of them had actually been quite famous.
"The two dead gunners here were quite famous on the West Coast. They were well-known for their speed. They went missing about half a year ago! I thought they had been ambushed and killed by someone else. Who wouldve thought that theyd joined the Cursed Society!" Schmidt said as he pointed at the two dead bodies.
"What about this guy?" Kieran pointed at the body on the stairs.
"I dont know him. Never seen his face before. He might have been new to the society!"
Schmidt shook his head after taking a careful look at the third one.
"Is that so?" Kieran muttered.
The third victim had casual clothes on and had beening down the stairs when he had been killed. There had also been two staff members on the first floor. No matter how Kieran looked at it, the third persons identity had to be more important than the two famous gunners Schmidt had mentioned.
He was still a fresh face for Schmidt though. His body showed no signs of training either. His hands and palms were quite smooth.
"Maybe he is a spell-caster?" Kieran guessed before beckoning at Schmidt.
"Follow me! Help me investigate this guy. I can sense a secret hiding behind him!" Kieran told Schmidt before he rushed up to the second floor. At the end of the corridor, there was a table there with a vase on it. The sunset light was reflected against it brilliantly.
The white vase had an orange-reddish pattern that seemed to match the paint of the decorative table beneath it.
However, Kierans [Tracking] revealed more obvious traces. There was a partial glove print on the vase and a footprint of the culprit in front of the table.
After Kieran checked the table and the vase carefully, he ced his hand on the vase and pushed it slightly.
Crack!
The vase turned with a clear noise and a door appeared on the side of the wall.
A passage leading downstairs revealed itself after the door was pushed open.
Kieran went down the passage right away.
After around 30 steps down, a secret room with an open door appeared before Kieran. He carefully checked around for any potential traps and then signaled at Schmidt, who had been following him, that it was safe.
"When did the Cursed Society build a secret room like this?"
Schmidt came down and scanned the room with a curious expression.
Judging by his confused tone, Kieran was certain that 100th Ciaran Street had never had such a secret room before. Schmidt seemed to be quite familiar with the ce.
"Any secret societies that enter our radar are thoroughly investigated. The Cursed Society was no exception. Before they bought 100th Ciaran Street and turned it into their base, the blueprint of the building had already appeared on my desk!" Schmidt exined before Kieran could even ask.
"Seems like your investigation was not as thorough as you thought!"
Schmidt gave Kieran a forced, bitter smile.
Kieran nced around the secret room that housed dozens of books about potionology, alchemy and spell ingredients. His eyes eventually came to rest on a table.
The position of the table and the three chairs around it made it look like a meeting table. Through his [Tracking], Kieran saw the culprit enter the secret room and walk right up to the table.
It seemed like there had been some things of great importance on the table before, but there was nothing left on it now. There were still some clues left behind for Kieran though.
"The culprit seems to have been much more familiar with the ce than we thought! His goal was clear as well. Was he a close acquaintance of the Cursed Society after all?"
The gears in Kierans mind span as he asked Schmidt, "Among all the individuals that had a good or bad rtionship with the Cursed Society, was there a 180-centimeter tall person with a nimble figure who was good with swords?"
"Nope! In fact, there is no one like that on the whole West Coast. Professional killers and mafia hitmen are all ounted for. Of course, our investigations might not have been thorough enough this time either!" Schmidt answered in an affirmative tone before adding a self-mockingment. He had suddenly realized that he was in a secret room that he had failed to discover before.
Kieran did not reply. Instead, he circled around the table for clues, hoping to find something useful.
Unfortunately, the culprit was much more vignt than theyd imagined. There were no noteworthy clues around. Schmidt hadnt found anything either.
"I think I should call my cute colleagues back at the station. Although everything here is under my jurisdiction, some standard operation procedures still apply. Besides, we might find something if we get more men to search the room. It will make things easier for us!" Schmidt said.
"Hold on!" Kieran shouted at him.
He had found something.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
A little hint on the desman identity, he appeared before! Guess!
And on a side note, Im at the part of the novel where things really started to get interesting! I always love how much Kieran power up himself! I assure you guys, your wait for the future chapters will not be in vein!!
Chapter 276: Surprise Accident
Chapter 276: Surprise ident
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Out of the three chairs that surrounded the table, two were tucked under it, leaving their backs outside. The third chair was pulled out though, and there was a pair of footprints before it.
Kieran followed the footprints and saw dozens of books in the room. The footprints were no strange finding. They belonged to the dead body on the stairs.
Almost instantly, Kieran painted a picture in his mind. The third person had noticed when the desman had invaded the house, so he had ced his things down abruptly and rushed out of the secret room in hopes of stopping the man. He had underestimated the desmans abilities though, which had far exceeded his imagination. The third man had not been able to stop the desman. Instead, he had lost his life trying
Or...
"Could the desman have known that the third man was inside here all along and purposely allowed him to notice his presence?"
Kieran recalled the footprint on the sofa, which confirmed his theory.
"The desman was far more familiar with the ce than I imagined! Who is he?"
The more sure Kieran was about his theory, the more doubts formed on his mind.
However, his attention was soon turned on the booksying around the room.
ording to the traces left behind, after the third person had noticed the desman, he must have hidden something under the books.
"I hope no clues have been destroyed!" Kieran thought as he looked at the tidy books.
Searching from top to bottom and left to right, Kieran went over all the books that were in the room. Schmidt helped as well, after a brief exnation of the situation.
Why could Kieran see the footprints before the chair, when he could not?
After many coborations with Nikorei, Schmidt had grown ustomed to the paranormal element. After all, shamans could see so much more than he could.
Schmidt concentrated on finding clues in the books, and his concentration paid off.
"Found it!"
Schmidt pulled out a piece of paper from one of the books and signaled at Kieran.
"This is it?" Kieran muttered with a serious expression when he saw the paper.
[Pure Ruby X1]
[Blood Queen Tiara X1]
[Michigi Egg X1]
[Fantos Manuscript X1]
...
Although it was a copied note, the ink had been smeared across it before it could dry off. The words were too blurry to read.
"What is this? Some kind of alchemy prescription?" Schmidt asked out of curiosity.
"I dont recall any prescriptions that needed a manuscript!"
Kieran rolled his eyes at Schmidt and continued searching through the remaining books.
Unfortunately, other than that piece of paper, there was not much else to discover.
"I am taking these with me!"
Kieran pointed at the books and the ingredients around them.
"Sure, be my guest!" Schmidt did not st Kierans ears off with the "you cant take any evidence from the crime scene" bullsh*t. The mystics had their own rules, and since Schmidt had gotten involved in their business, he had to follow them.
Of course, his identity as a policeman made him tell his colleagues to clean up the mess and order his men to let him know if there was a new discovery.
Schmidts colleagues were more than happy toply.
The supernatural cases that had taken ce on the West Coast during the past two years had showedmon police officers that there was another world hidden in in sight.
The best example was the ghostly ferry on the Golden Beach.
A force field that could withstand a canon, and a ferry that had seemingly devoured the people who had boarded it. Those sorts of signs were enough to turn ones worldview upside down.
"They were really scared!" Kieran said after he started the Picard and loaded all the valuable items into the car.
Although the police officers that had arrived to the scene had acted calmly and seriously, Kierans sharp senses had picked up on their unusual manners and sweaty palms. It was all too obvious for him.
"The first time I encountered a supernatural case, I was not much better than them either. They need time to get ustomed to it and also... some guidance. I will make a report to the director and ask for a psychologist to see everyone!"
Schmidt let out a sigh. His colleagues had reminded him of his worst memories.
"A psychologist? Are you sure about that?" Kieran countered Schmidts words.
Whenever he recounted his unpleasant experience during [The Shamans Partner], the psychologist that had treated Louver always came to mind first.
"Louvers case was an ident... That poor kid!" Schmidt understood what Kieran was referring to. He let out a sigh again.
A sudden emergency break made the tires collide violently with the asphalt. The smell of burned rubber suddenly filled the air. Schmidt, who had not put on his seatbelt, smashed his head against the dashboard in front of the passenger seat.
Bang!
The heavy hit was apanied by Schmidts cry of pain.
"Woah, 2567! I admit that the psychologist we hired before was a fraud, but theres no need to be angry every time his name is mentioned! After all, not all psychologists are frauds like him. There are still a lot of true professionals out there!"
Schmidt rubbed his forehead, clenching his teeth as he ranted at Kieran.
"Louver!" Kieran uttered the name in a serious tone as he listened to Schmidts ranting.
"What?" Schmidt was confused. He didnt know what Kieran was trying to say.
"Where is Louver now? Did you forget that he was a skilled de user?" Kieran said quickly.
"It couldnt be! He is at a recovery center outside the city..." Schmidt said unconsciously, his voice lowering as he spoke. His words betrayed hisck of confidence. Kierans description of the culprit, 180-centimeters tall with a nimble figure and extremely capable with a de, fit Louvers description.
"We should head to the recovery center right now! Ill tell you how to get there!" Schmidt suddenly said, changing his mind.
"Now? Its toote!" Kieran shook his head.
The situation before them was clear enough. If Louver was the desman they were looking for, he would have been long gone from the recovery center outside the city. If it was not him, it would be useless if they headed there.
In other words, no matter which route they took, it was toote for them. Still, they had reached some conclusions.
Kieran was not confused about the identity of the desman anymore.
Even if it was not Louver, it had to be someone who was rted to the Drifter Society.
As Kieran recalled Louvers nimble wielding of his de when his parents had been killed during the explosion, he frowned hard.
He had not thought of Louvers wielding when he had seen those wounds on the bodies. Suddenly, Kieran recalled one of the members of the Drifter Society mentioning that "thing".
"Schmidt, any news on the Drifter Society?" he asked.
"Yes!"
Schmidt nodded. The answer he gave made Kierans face turn pale.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Drifters shifters
Chapter 277: Graveyard Silence
Chapter 277: Graveyard Silence
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
"It was eliminated?" Kieran was struck by shock.
"They were torn down to their roots by the Cursed Society! This was the first battle of the Cursed Society when they reached the West Coast. The scene at the time was unbearable. The Cursed Fives spell-casting powers had shocked a lot of mystical individuals, but... they were all wiped out by you!" Schmidt nodded with an odd expression on his face.
He gazed at Kieran out of the corner of his eyes, as if he was wondering how Kieran had done it.
"Our lead is gone! And you, my friend, are not some flower girl. Please dont look at me with such a disgusted expression. It makes me feel like some perverted uncle who molests little girls!" Kieran said in frustration before he looked at Schmidt and raised his brow.
"You are saying I should put on a new coat?" Schmidt answered jokingly.
Kieran rolled his eyes at his lousy joke.
"If I opened a dojo to teach young girls self-defense, the first move Id show them would be the Nutcracker!" he said.
"I believe your dojo would be bursting with students! It would be the dojo of the famous Bird of Death after all!" Schmidt said in a mocking tone.
Bird of Death?
Elli had mentioned those same words before. "The Raven", "Ominous Bird" and "Bird of Death". Each and every one of them had confused Kieran.
At first, Kieran had thought it was a sarcasticment because of [Crows ck Feather], but when Schmidt mentioned it, he realized that was not the case.
"What Bird of Death?" Kieran asked straightforwardly.
"You havent heard? Before Rei disappeared, she made a prophecy about you! Assistant o assistant with the form of a raven, ominously befallen. Bird of Death with a body of chaos and a heart of light, he who will reign thend with a kingsly might." Schmidt looked at Kieran with a bedazzled expression.
He must have been somewherepletely separated from this world. Otherwise, how could he not have heard of the prophecy that had taken the whole West Coast by storm?
Schmidt had also been hearing quite a lot of rumours about Kieran during the past two years.
He had heard that he had assassinated a king, started a coup detat, apanied a schr on an archeological mission and fought legendary monsters.
Kierans resume made him sound like a protagonist of a fiction novel.
Another emergency brake. Fortunately, Schmidt had been holding onto the passenger seat handle above the window after his previous tragic experience.
"2567, you are not a new driver anymore! Stop acting like one!"
Schmidt looked at Kieran in dissatisfaction.
Kieran felt embarrassed under his gaze, not because of the sudden brake, but because of Nikoreis prophecy.
It was too embarrassing for him and his character!
He felt goosebumps all over his body. His embarrassment was burning hot in his head. He was almost certain that Nikorei had done it on purpose. He knew her too well.
"Rei must have drunk a little too much to produce such a prophecy. What the..." Kieran searched for the right word to describe the prophecy for quite a while. "This is so messed up!"
"Messed up? No, no, no! Your actions prove that you are the Raven, the Ominous Bird, and the Bird of Death in Reis prophecy! I can already picture the breaking news tomorrow! Death follows the Ominous Bird, The Bird of Death brought death back as promised, "The King will reign...! Trust me, with Rei being mentioned in the news every day, they will not spare any praise for you!" Schmidt said in an excited tone, shaking his head in disbelief. He seemed to have brightened up.
"Stop! What we need to do right now is collect my rewards and head towards the recovery center outside the city to investigate!"
Kieran stopped Schmidt, who seemed eager to linger on the topic that embarrassed him to no end.
He sped up the car and drove towards the Fiery Hounds meeting point.
However, on their way there, a question popped up in Kierans mind that he could not suppress.
"Rei foresaw my return?"
Kieran believed that Nikorei deserved her reputation as the strongest shaman on the West Coast, but not to the extent that she could foresee the future. That sounded a little ridiculous!
"Rei would have been the worlds strongest shaman, if it was not for a couple of idents."
Kieran suddenly recalled what Simones had told him before.
"The worlds strongest shaman? Then how powerful could that "Thing" Rei is dealing with be, if she had to unite the five major societies in order to take care of it?"
Kierans curiosity about that "Thing" grew even stronger.
What was that "Thing"?
As he thought about that burning question, the Picard kept driving straight towards the Fiery Hounds meeting point.
It was a two-storey building with a garden. No one was there this time around though.
The Fiery Hounds rear guards saw Kieran and dashed out immediately. They were easily suppressed by him. They were just somemon natives with minimal training after all.
Schmidt followed Kieran as he started to load the evidence into the car.
Unlike the Cursed Societys headquarters, where the evidence had been books and ingredients, the evidence there was mostly currency and jewellery. There were only two books rted to [Mystical Knowledge], and the ingredients they found were also basic ones.
"They ventured into the mystic realm without magical items?"
Kieran recalled the thugs that had used magical weapons against his during their previous fights.
ording to Nikoreis description, these people were not truly mystical individuals.
This did not stop Kieran from abiding by mystic rules though and iming his rewards.
After all, in Kierans eyes, the Fiery Hounds were a mystical society not that different from the Muller Society.
At the Muller Societys meeting point, the evidence had been more direct than the Fiery Hounds, where they had found only money and jewellery.
Kieran moved the box of jewellery, which would have required at least two grown men to be carried to the Picard. When the box hit the trunk, the whole car shook. Schmidt looked in awe of Kieran.
"How good are these people at umting illegal wealth?"
Schmidt knew what was in the box Kieran had carried. Some of that jewelry was worth more money than he could possibly earn during the rest of his life.
"The market demand is huge!" Kieran told Schmidt.
Kierans gaze shed over with a sense of respect for Schmidt. He could see that Schmidt did not feel any jealousy or admiration for him. He was just in awe.
The world was always in need of men with pure intentions. They were the very people who made the world a better ce.
Kieran could not help butugh when he saw Schmidt cursing the high-ranking figures that were aiding those illegal acts.
"Lets go to the recovery center outside the city! I am sure Simones has prepared dinner already!"
Kieran started the Picard with a sigh.
"If you dont mind, theres a fast food chain nearby. Its fries and burgers are not bad! My treat!" Schmidt said.
Kieran replied to his generous offer with two simple words.
"Lets go!"
...
Kieran had noment on the taste of the burgers and the fries. Their names said it all.
Other than the ces speed and convenience, there was nothing else noteworthy about it. Kieran still took his time though.
He could even digest a rock if a sprinkle of salt was added to it to make it tasty. Any food he could put in his mouth was tasty enough for him.
"Am I eating the wrong way?" Schmidt unconsciously mimicked Kieran when he saw him munching off half of his burger in one bite and finishing the whole thing on the second one.
Schmidt choked on his food. He only felt alive again when he downed half a ss of his soft drink.
Schmidt wanted to rant when he was done drinking, but when he saw Kierans serious expression, he kept his mouth shut and followed his gaze.
His jaw dropped when he saw what Kieran had seen.
A couple of buildings outside were covered by a thinyer of mist. The mist reminded them of a graveyard during the night.
However, there was still a ray of sunlight lingering around. They were not in front of a graveyard.
That was the recovery center.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
The recovery center scene felt like a horror movie...
Chapter 278: O.D.D.
Chapter 278: O.D.D.
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
"Wait here!" Kieran told Schmidt when he saw the recovery center shrouded in the thin mist.
[Mystical Knowledge] allowed Kieran to know theplete formation of the mist. When concentrated negative energy was umted to a certain extent, the energy would take the form of a mist.
It was quite amon scene at graveyards and abandoned mountain sites.
However, when something like this happened at a recovery center outside the city, there could only be one exnation. Everyone in the recovery center had to be dead!
No matter what had caused the people inside the recovery center to perish, it was not something to be underestimated.
Kieran ced his big backpack down and strapped the box with the [Arrogant Word] on his back. After he took some essential items from his backpack, he got out of the Picard.
"Dont turn on the lights. Reverse the car up to the junction where we came from and wait for me there until Ie back... Please make sure that its me before you open the door!" Kieran warned Schmidt.
Schmidt signaled that he understood and then picked up a bottle filled with some kind of powder and started to sprinkle it all over the car. Kieran was not surprised.
Aftering in contact with the supernatural and bing the person in charge of such cases, it would have been odd if Schmidt had note up with some self-defense method.
Kieran saw the car start up and reverse back to the junction about 300 meters away, where the sign "Gordon Recovery Center" was located. Then he turned around and headed into the recovery center.
The dimming sunset disappeared after a while, and darkness shrouded the sky as the moon started to shine.
The thin mist around the recovery center looked thicker after the moon appeared high in the sky.
The recovery center was totally silent at the moment. Even the wind around it had stopped blowing.
However, the thick mist seemed to be moving by itself without the wind pushing it. It slowly gathered around Kieran, as if a big hand formed by it was trying to crush Kieran in its palm. When the mist came into contact with Kierans body though, it quickly dispersed and returned to its normal form.
[Negative Energy Corrosion: yer has Body of Evil, Low-Level Negative Energy Corrosion ineffective...]
"The negative energy mist was the first line of defense?"
Kieran saw the notification on his vision and helplessly slowed down his steps. He was even more careful when he started walking again.
No matter what the purpose of the killer who had killed everyone in the recovery center was, Kieran believed that, if he really wanted to achieve that purpose, the killer would not set up only one defense line. There had to be more waiting for him!
Kieran was moving slowly across the shadow of the building under the moonlight. He carefully walked through a big grass field and past a dead fountain with still waters. Finally, he reached the entrance of the recovery center.
There was not a single ambush throughout his short journey there.
A ss door with barbed wire that was locked from the inside was blocking his way.
It was not an obstacle for Kieran though. After a quick check, he easily opened the door with the [Deceivers Key]. He pushed the ss door open and entered with a quick dodging move.
While Kieran was hiding in the shadows, he scanned the hall before him. To be precise, he was looking at the main reception desk.
The reception desk was not broad, but it was not narrow either. It was enough for three men to stand side by side behind it, and it was divided into two parts. The upper section had an electric bell button and two telephones that werebeled as the inner and outer line. Obviously, it was used for the visitors.
The lower desk was tall enough for a person toy their hands down on itfortably after sitting down on the chair. There were some registration booklets, ballpoint pens, pins and a clipper on it, which were used by the recovery center staff.
There was also an open bag of barbeque-vored chips.
A big sign behind the reception said, "Gordon Recovery Center, Making you feel at home." Beside it was an erged poster of a sweet, smiling nurse.
In the darkness, the uplifting poster looked eerie and creepy.
Kieran nced over the top of the desk, but did not feel anything unsettling about it. The things that Kieran had been through had made him immune to certain things.
Thanks to his Transcendence [Undercover], the shadows made him feel calm and peaceful. Darkness was no reason for him to be afraid. Quite the opposite, it provided him with a sense of safety that Kieran knew very well.
His gaze did not pause as he nced quickly around the ce. Finally, he found what he was looking for. On the left side of the corridor, next to the reception desk, was the floor n of the recovery center.
ording to the floor n, the Gordon Recovery Center was divided into three main parts that formed an "H" structure. In the middle was the main reception hall, the control room, and the doctors and nurses quarters.
The building on the left was the patients ward, activity room, and medical room. On the right was the canteen, theundry room and a side door that led to the parking lot.
As a matter of fact, ording to Schmidt, the recovery center had been nning on building a hydrotherapy room, but due tock of funding, it had been turned into a parking lot.
"You cant ask for too much. This recovery center survived solely on donations!"
Kieran even recalled the self-mocking expression on Schmidts face when he had said those words.
Obviously, one could ruminate over the word "donations", but this still had not stopped the Gordon Recovery Center from gaining the trust of the people.
People like Louver, who had been cursed with mental illness, were sent there. The ce was a first-rate choice.
"Louvers ward is on the left wing. Room 202... Huh?"
Recalling Schmidts description, Kieran headed left. After taking a step in that direction though, he stopped immediately. The left wings corridor had been sealed off, not with a ss door with barbed wire, but with two simple iron doors.
From where Kieran stood, he could see that the first iron door was a copsible fence door, and the second one was a solid iron door with a small iron window at eye level.
However, the locked doors were not the reason Kieran had stopped. His eyes were staring at the thick ss window, or to be more precise, at the person behind it.
It was a little girl with long blonde hair and a pair of navy blue eyes. She looked about five to six years old. Her skin was so fair that it seemed to glint a little in the darkness.
The vibe she was giving off felt pure and holy.
Kierans mind unconsciously filled with words to describe the little girl.
The little girl opened her mouth, as if she wanted to say something to him, but amid the dead silence, she could not utter a single world.
When the little girl noticed that Kieran could not hear what she said, she grew anxious.
Meanwhile, she kept looking behind her, as if something was chasing her, and staring at the lock on the iron door.
"You want me to open the door?" Kieran asked.
The girl nodded violently and then turned around, looking anxiously behind her, as if the thing that was chasing her was getting closer.
"Okay..." Kieran nodded with a sudden realization.
The next moment, heunched a hard kick behind him without even turning his head around.
A huge monster with vicious teeth and a bloody mouth in a nurse outfit had appeared behind him.
Kierans kick hadnded right on the monsters abdomen.
Bang!
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Huh! A little girl!? Where is she!!
Chapter 279: Contract of Demon
Chapter 279: Contract of Demon
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The huge monster in the nurse outfit flew off with a bang and crashed down hard against the reception desk.
The wooden desk was instantly torn apart, wood splinters flying around as it hit the promotional poster on the wall, which had already turned white.
"Was it hiding inside the poster?"
Kieran looked at the monster in surprise.
"Monster" was a fitting word for the creature, which had no eyes, ears or nose, just a big bloody mouth with sharp teeth. Its fingers were all reced by scalpels, and its arms and legs were muscr.
Its muscles were moving along as it breathed, like frog skin during an experiment. The fresh red muscles were jumping with each shock.
Its abdomen had also copsed in an odd way. No one could connect that monster with the sweet smiling nurse on the promotional poster.
Of course, no one would ever have expected a five-year-old girl with navy blue eyes and a pure, holy presence to be the one controlling the monster.
If Kieran was not sure that the five-year-old could not have reached the tall iron door window or had the time to stand on a stool while being chased down, he might actually have gotten fooled by her.
The little girl floated past the iron doors, hovering above the monsters head.
Her golden blonde hair had turned as yellow as dried grass, and her navy blue eyes were smeared with darkness. Even her fair skin had turned a gray color with a dash of green.
She had turned into a vengeful demon without a sense of holiness.
The little girl demon was hissing like a rattlesnake and breathing like a jackal as it stared at Kieran with its pitch-ck eyes.
A formless [Fear] effect started to erupt from her eyes, but it was useless.
[Fear: yer has Body of Evil, Low-Level Fear is ineffective...]
The oue shocked the demon in the form of a little girl, who hastened her breathing and hissing noises.
The monster in the nurse outfit quickly stood in front of the little girl and raised its arms, opening up its hands, which were filled with scalpels, before it charged towards Kieran.
The huge body of the monster filled the whole corridor, its scalpel hands easily cutting through the walls around it, leaving five long trails on the two walls.
As it elerated, the cutting noise was getting clearer.
The dirt that spilled out from the walls did not fall on the floor. Instead, it floated up.
The demon, which was floating in mid-air, was blowing at the dirt around it, forming a mini cyclone that enshrouded the monster as it charged towards Kieran.
The monsters attack and the mini dirt cyclone almost devoured Kieran.
Bright, cone-shaped mes formed in mid-air among the darkness. The fiery mes were instantly fired off, engulfing the charging monster and its dirt cyclone. There was no space left for it to struggle.
Thanks to the [Sulphuric Poison] effect, the [Burning Hand] attack was boosted up to Powerful Attack, bing the nemesis of the monster before Kieran.
To be honest, if Kieran had not sensed a slightly unusual vibeing from the mini cyclone, he would not have cast the [Burning Hand]. Instead, he would have taken down the monster with [Hand-to-Hand Combat, Kicking Combat].
The kick that had sent the monster flying had allowed Kieran to know what the monster was capable of.
Other than its ability to hide in the poster, there was nothing else worth mentioning.
Everything was progressing ording to Kierans expectations. The monster let out an agonizing cry amid the mes and turned into ashes. A piece of [Soul Shard] fell off it right afterwards, but Kieran did not even nce at it. He threw himself like an arrow let loose, aiming for the little girl demon.
The demon had been going through the wall when the mes had been ignited, but it had underestimated Kierans reflexes.
A tube of [Holy Water VIII] was smashed against the wall before it could go through.
The faintly glowing liquid and the broken ss flew all over the wall. Unable to hold itself back in time, the demon crashed straight against the wall as [Holy Water VIII] was smeared over it.
An agonizing cry followed. It was like the corrosion of a powerful acid, burning the demons body and producing smoke before it fell to the ground.
"I should take its life while its weak!"
Kieran had the awareness not to show any mercy to his enemies.
A barrage of shadows from his kicks wereunched at the demon, drowning itpletely.
[Holy Water VIII: Lethal Attack, 400 Damage inflicted to Target HP, Target is Heavily Wounded...]
[Hundred Violent Kicks: Rapid Attack, 300 umted Damage inflicted to Target HP, [+1 Level from Transcendence Kicks], Target has Demon Aura, 200 True Damage inflicted to Target HP, Target dies...]
...
Kieran only stopped when the battlelog notification notified him that his target was dead.
Just like the monster, the demon turned into ashes when it died.
Another piece of [Soul Shard] fell off the ashes, and so did a picture.
It was a smiling little girl with blonde hair and blues eyes.
"The demon took the form of the little girl in the picture?"
Kieran picked up both the [Soul Shard] and the picture.
Back in Nikoreis library, there had been a book on supernatural monsters like Demons.
They were not humans or animals, but they could take the form of a human, animal, or even a daily-use item, like ab or a mirror.
The infamous Mirror Devil was also a kind of demon.
Their abilities also varied infinitely. It was said that no one would ever be able to record all the abilities of a demon.
One thing was for sure though. Demons had malicious intent towards humans, because they were born from the most extreme, destructive emotions inside the human heart. They were simr to the Creature of Desire, but not entirely the same.
Demons could be controlled through contracts.
Judging by the movement patterns of the demons just now, Kieran was sure that they had been controlled by someone else. Otherwise, a low-level demon wouldnt have yed tricks and tried to escape. Even though their n had failed, the demons characteristics had still been simr to a hungry wild beasts that attacked its prey non stop.
"Controlling demons? Theyve really done it this time..." Kieran muttered to himself.
It was not easy to control demons born from destructive human emotions, even under the bindings of a contract. Even if the target was a low-level demon, the controller would be affected somehow and experience some destructive actions.
As for the recovery center...
Kieran had a bad feeling about it. He kind of understood why that guy had wanted to attack it though.
A recovery center had more self-destructive, emotional patients than any other ce in the world.
Kieran picked up the other [Soul Shard] from the monster and quickly headed towards the left wing.
However, when he opened the iron door, he waspletely overwhelmed.
He quickly backed off without a second thought.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Anyone who watched "Supernatural" knows demon are quite friendly :)
Chapter 280: Trouble
Chapter 280: Trouble
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Thanks to the unique noise of an ignited fuse, plus the sulphuric nitre smell that escaped when the iron door was opened, Kieran instantly guessed what was beyond the door.
Explosives!
Kieran had no idea why a person would prepare so many explosives beforehand. The only thing he knew that moment was that if he wished not to end up in pieces himself, he needed to run as fast as he could.
Kieran sprinted out of the reception door and onto the grass field at the front before suddenly...
BOOM!
An unstoppable force sted him from the back, sweeping him off his feet and sending him flying forward like a leaf amid a raging gust of wind.
Rampant mes sted out through every window, door and frame in an instant. Every possible exit was destroyed by the st and the burning fire as ss debris flew all over the ce.
The burning fire rose up high in the night sky, producing a thick rolling smoke.
Kieran slowly crawled up the grass field, shaking his head.
He was not hurt by any means, but the explosion hadpromised his hearing, filling his ears with a deafening noise and causing him to struggle to find his bnce.
Car lights flickered in the distance. Before the sharp braking noise could stoppletely, Schmidt had jumped out of the Picard.
"Are you okay? 2567?" Schmidt ran up to Kieran, asking about his well-being.
"Im fine. My ears are just ringing a little." Kieran shook his head and turned around towards the recovery center, which was engulfed by the raging fire.
"What happened? What caused the fire?"
Schmidt was also looking at the fire, his face filled with confusion.
"I met a demon. That guy purposely chose the Gordon Recovery Center to raise the demon. I just dont get it. Why did he set up so many explosives?"
Kieran briefly exined about his encounter with the demon before voicing his own question.
"That bastard is really crazy! How could he control something and make it self-destruct? But then... What about Louver?"
Schmidts sense of justice enraged him, but then he started to worry and sympathize with the young man.
As for the person who had raised the demon, neither Kieran nor Schmidt believed that he had died in the explosion. That person must have been controlling others inside the Gordon Recovery Center. There were far too many suspects.
"From the looks of things, Louver might actually have been controlled! His heart was filled with self-destructive emotions! If I was that guy, I would not have let such good material slip away. The method he used to raise that demon..."
Kieran went quiet, but Schmidt understood right away.
Bang!
Schmidt smashed his hand hard against the hood of the car and cursed, "F*ck!"
Although Schmidt was unclear about how the demon had been raised, judging by his past experience, he knew this was bad news.
After all, a demon that was not harmful to humans was unheard of. Raising a demon could only end in a tragedy.
"I will find and kill that piece of sh*t!" Schmidt said furiously.
"We have to find him fast!" Kieran said, raising two of his fingers.
"We have two leads now. First, that list that we found in the Cursed Societys secret room. There were two obvious things on that list, a Blood Queen Tiara and the Fantos manuscript. If we search for those names, we should be able to find something!"
"Second, we have the explosives before us. I dont think that guy could have made so many explosives appear magically. He must have some secret channel for getting explosives! I think you should have some insight on those!"
Schmidt was outright and outspoken. Despite his hot temper, he would never take the bad guys side. Kieran believed that Schmidt had several methods to keep an eye on illegal channels for arms deals.
Explosives had to be included in those channels.
"Leave the explosives to me!" Schmidt said right away as soon as Kieran finished his words.
"Then Ill follow the Blood Queen Tiara and the Fantos manuscript leads! Im quite curious about what that person took from the Cursed Society. Those were my rewards!" Kieran said slowly in a cold tone.
A stingy person like Kieran hated having his rightful belongings taken away from him. As long as they were living under the same sky, Kieran would find that person.
After dividing up the tasks, the two of them waited for the police cruisers to arrive. Only then did they return to the city.
"I dont want to cause a panic! If the famous "Bird of Death" visits the stationte at night, everyone will think the God of Death is at our doorstep! Our director has high blood pressure, you know. I dont need another idiot recing him and poking around right now! It would take me longer to cope with another idiot! Dont worry, Ill find you tomorrow! Good night and sweet dreams!" Schmidt said, waving goodbye at Kieran.
Kieran gave him the middle finger and started the Picard. Schmidt wasughing as he disappeared into the night.
"What trouble have you caused me this time, Rei?"
Kieran could not help but shake his head as he drove with a bitter smile on his face.
Schmidts mockingugh had faded away, but it was not the end.
Kieran knew that Schmidt had no hidden intentions. It was just a joke between friends. Someone else would not have taken it as a joke though.
Others could not understand process. They only recognized results.
From the day Kieran had taken the train back to the West Coast, to 1st ck Street, the Cursed Society, the Hell Hounds, the Muller Society andstly, to the explosion at the Gordon Recovery Center, ill omens had followed him everywhere. Or rather, death had followed him everywhere.
If it hadnt been for Nikoreis prophecy, those incidents would only have caused him surprise. He wouldnt have thought too much about them though.
However, under the circumstances, they had confirmed the prophecy of the strongest shaman on the West Coast. This obviously changed everything.
When the police officers had met them at the scene, their faces had been filled with panic, contempt and fear. Kieran could not help but sigh.
A couple of the officers had seen him several times that day. They had been there to clean up every time Kieran had ended a battle. Therefore, they were the group that feared Kieran the most and the group that spread rumors of those horrifying happenings around.
Kieran had also seen a couple of others, whose fear had turned into contempt after a couple of conversations regarding Kieran.
He had wanted to exin, but before he could approach them, every single one of them had scattered away like he had the gue.
Kieran had made the wise choice to give up.
"Why are you doing this to me, Rei?" he muttered to himself.
Up until now, he had not bought the story about Nikoreis prophecy.
However, if this was a joke, it was an obvious one. Kieran knew that Nikorei was someone who disregarded the consequences sometimes.
The old woman must have known very well what would have happened if she uttered such a prophecy about her assistant and how much trouble she would have caused him.
The Raven, the Ominous Bird, the Bird of Death, and everything else were only the beginning.
The real trouble was contained in the phrase "Reign thend with a kingly might".
Kieran could already imagine what situations he would have to face in the near future.
No one couldugh off something like that.
As a matter of fact, trouble had reached Kieran faster than lightning.
The elerating Picard suddenly died, its lights going out without a warning.
The street lights also turned off, and so did the moon in the sky, which was suddenly blocked by a dark cloud.
Footsteps were heard in the darkness.
The steps seemed to be dragging and pulling against the ground.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Trouble is here, make it double!
Chapter 281: Shepherd of the Dead
Chapter 281: Shepherd of the Dead
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
A dark figure slowly emerged from the dark.
He was wearing long jeans and a jacket, matched with a long golden mohawk. His hair was long enough to cover his shoulders if it hadnt been tied up with a metal hairband.
His sharp brown eyes were scanning Kieran with a curious expression.
"2567? The Bird of Death? The kingsley man who will reign thend?"
Kieran felt very unsettled by the guys questions.
Before he could utter a word though, the guy with the mohawk waved his hand at him.
"Its fine, I dont need any exnations. Im just a messenger. On the first of December, the Shepherd of Death will be awaiting your arrival!"
As he waved his hand up, a ck invitation letter was thrown against the windshield of the Picard. When it came into contact with the ss, it took a sharp detour and span inside the car,nding on the passenger seat next to Kieran.
The guy with the mohawk waved again and disappeared back into the darkness.
The Picard started up again, and both the car lights and the streetlights turned on once more.
Even the clouds blocking the moon dispersed, allowing its mystic blue light to reach thend.
Kieran squinted his eyes, scanning his surroundings. The streetlights in the distance had started to shine again as well.
To be honest, Kieran had noticed the guy with the mohawk the moment he had appeared, but the way he could merge with the darkness had been kind of magical. Still, it was nothing new for Kieran, who possessed Transcendence [Undercover] with a simr attribute.
The thing that concerned Kieran was how that guy had been able to block electricity.
Or had he found a way to block all energy that powered technology?
Thetter was just a wild guess.
"The Shepherd of Death? What kind of organization is that?"
Kieran picked up the ck invitation and saw a skull with an open mouth. There were two cyan-colored spirit fires burning in its eye sockets.
...
To the Bird of Death
We await your arrival on the 1st of December Er999.
Sincerely,
Shepherd of Death
4.11.Er999, Midnight
...
"They sent this invitation to me as soon as it was written? But then where is the address... Herees trouble again!"
Kieran smirked a little as he finished reading the invitation.
The way they had appeared and delivered the invitation screamed of trouble, but Kieran still had to step in and solve the problem, because a Sub Mission had appeared.
[Sub Mission Unlocked: The Invitation of the Ancient Society]
[The Invitation of the Ancient Society: The Shepherd of Death has sent you an invitation. However, there is a lot of mystery surrounding them, so you need to be careful in your dealings with them! If you can find where they are first, of course! Beware, as this Sub Mission will affect Nikoreis prophecy about you and your reputation in this dungeon world!]
[Note: If youplete this Sub Mission regarding the Shepherd of Death with a perfect rating, your dungeon rating will increase significantly.]
"A perfect rating?"
Kieran nced over the description and lingered on that particr phrase.
From the sound of it, the Shepherd of Death was not some ordinary enemy one coulde across.
In fact, he was as much trouble as he sounded like.
...
"What? The Shepherd of Death?"
Kieran went back to the house on 1st ck Street and enjoyed his long-awaited dinner, which was chicken stew with rice.
The slightly charred taste of the onions and the tender chicken meat gave him a mouthful of vor and an abundance of meaty juice when they were chewed together. The freshness and crunchiness of the onions filled the gaps between Kierans teeth with a refreshing taste, further increasing his appetite.
The white pepper seasoning quickened Kierans gobbling speed even more.
Of course, Kieran did not forget to borate on his encounters to Simones while he enjoyed his dinner, nor did he hide his intention to ask for help.
However, Simones hadnt heard of the Blood Queen Tiara or the Fantos manuscript either. He said he needed to do some research on them.
When Kieran mentioned the Shepherd of Death though, Simones looked astonished. The spoon in his hand fell on the table.
The clear noise the spoon produced when it hit the wooden surface seemed extremely loud in the wide dining area.
Kieran swallowed another piece of chicken and stared at Simones ever-changing face.
"Are they strong?" he asked.
"Very strong indeed! Back in the old days, the Shepherd of Death shared the same name and rank as the Dark Star, Night Demon, Unicorn, White Deer and Pris societies. Arent you curious about why you never heard of them if they are so famous and powerful?" Simones asked Kieran, who nodded.
"It was because 30 years ago, Rei eliminated that society! Who wouldve thought that they would rise again from the ashes..." Simones said slowly.
Kieran was rubbing his swollen temples, grunting as if he was in pain.
"The Shepherd of Death shared the same name and rank as the five major societies?"
"Yes."
"And Rei eliminated this so-called society 30 years ago?"
"Yes."
"So theyvee back to take revenge?"
"Yes."
Each and every question was answered in an affirmative tone.
"The Shepherds were quite formidable, They were masters atmunicating with the dead, and used the power of the dead for their own bidding. Some people had even heard rumors about them possessing a secret forbidden technique that could bring one back from the dead! Their members moved around like ghosts and always conducted business under extreme circumstances. They had no regr meeting points! Whenever anyone in the mystical realm spoke of the Shepherds, they felt reverence for them!"
Simones drew a deep breath, as if he recalled how scary the Shepherds had been back then.
"So why would Rei eliminate them?" Kieran asked out of curiosity. "Rei was not fond of fighting."
"Because theyd had their eyes on Ferad. They thought Ferad was good research material..."
Simones opened his hands helplessly.
Kieran kept eating his dinner quietly.
The Shepherd of Death had had their eyes on the spirit butler. It was obvious how that had turned out.
Nikorei had never been a battle fanatic, but she was not someone who would sit quietly when she was being bullied either.
Especially not when people around her were involved. Kieran could only imagine how furious she must have been during her prime time. He suddenly felt some sympathy for the Shepherds.
Despite their extreme measures of conducting business, such as moving around like ghosts and having no meeting point, they had been nopetition for Nikorei.
The whole dungeon world was revealed to Nikoreis sight.
Following those leads, Kieran could already paint a picture of how this society, which had shared the same rank as the five major societies, had been eliminated.
At the same time, his opinion of Nikorei improved once again.
"She dealt with a society that shared the same rank as the five major societies single-handedly... No wonder Morenderke and Serdenk are afraid of Rei! There really is a story behind this! So, what shall I do about the Shepherds now?"
Kieran was thinking quietly as he finished his dinner.
Suddenly, a light bulb went on in his brain, shedding light on this serious matter.
He instantly smiled in delight from the bottom of his heart.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
I suppose this is the 6th society that Fenkes mentioned before
Chapter 282: Pierret
Chapter 282: Pierret
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Kierans serious expression turned into a delighted smile.
His sudden change of expression shocked Simones.
"2567? Are you okay?" he asked anxiously as he took out the [Calming Balm] he had with him all the time.
"Its nothing, I just find it funny that Im frightened by the Shepherds."
Kieran waved the balm away with a smile.
"The Shepherd of Death may have shared the same name and rank as the five major societies, but that was during their prime! Its been almost 30 years since they were eliminated by Rei. Even if they did rise back from the ashes and gathered their remaining forces, they would only recover a little of their former glory. Otherwise, they wouldnt have appeared now that Rei is missing!"
"Rei and the major five societies went missing at the same time. This was a great opportunity for them to rise again, devour the other small factions and reim their power. They only sent an invitation to me though. What does that mean?" Kieran stared at Simones.
"Maybe they are afraid of being discovered?" Simones guessed.
"Yes, they are afraid! The Shepherds do not possess the confidence and abilities to take down the other factions, even without Rei and the other major societies, so they need to spread their name to show their strength! I am the unlucky guy Rei made a prophecy about, so I am the best possible target!" Kieran nodded.
"A lean camel is bigger than a horse, 2567! You need to be careful when you face the Shepherds! Especially considering their ability to control the dead!" Simones reminded Kieran.
"Dont worry, I value my life quite a bit! By the way, how did Rei go missing? What really happened?" Kieran asked in a serious tone, holding back his smile.
It was a question hed wanted to ask ever since he had seen the description of [The Shamans Partner II].
"It was that thing! Dont ask me what it is, I really have no idea! Rei never told me much. She knew it would be bad for a half-ass like me to know too much. Other than the fact that Rei and the major five societies went missing because of that thing, I really dont know much more than you and Elli! If I could just..."
Before Simones could finish his words, he sighed and gave Kieran a bitter smile.
He looked more disconste than he had ever before.
Simones seemed to think that he was unable to do anything to help. His helplessness had increased even more and it felt more like remorse.
It seemed like Simones knew more than it met the eye, but he was not willing to reveal any more.
Kieran was not about to underestimate anyone within Nikoreis acquaintance circle, nor would he force them to talk about something they felt unpleasant about.
He quickly changed the topic.
"So can you help me investigate the Blood Queen Tiara and the Fantos manuscript?"
Kieran switched the topic back to the list he had found in the Cursed Societys secret room.
"No problem, leave it to me!" Simones promised, epting the task.
The two of them continued their casual conversation. Most of the time, Kieran was listening and Simones was talking.
They ended the session at about 1 a.m. at night. Kieran went back up to his room after telling Simones goodnight.
The rewards Kieran had gathered from all the other societies had been moved to his room.
He turned on the tablemp and got ready to go through the books he had gathered about [Mystical Knowledge].
Kieran was also nning on resting after an hour or two, as he still had to investigate Sunshine Mary in the morning. Otherwise, he would not have minded reading all night.
He first went through the books he had gotten from the Fiery Hounds ce. He shook his head in disappointment. He had read those books before.
He had also read half of the books he had gotten from the Cursed Society.
Fortunately, there was also the other half. It was enough for him to read for the time being.
When Kieran picked up a book named "Stars and Destiny", he ced it back down as soon as he flipped open the cover.
He had heard footsteps lingering at his doorstep.
It was Elli. Kieran put his book down and stood up before going over to the door and opened it.
"You... You are not asleep? Uhh... I am going to bed!"
A scared Elli was lingering outside. She staggered back a little, looking panicked and uneasy. She was stuttering, but before Kieran could even reply, she sprinted back to her room and mmed the door shut.
Bang!
The loud m astonished Kieran.
He nced over at her door and could clearly hear Elli screaming. From the suppressed noise, Kieran was certain that Elli was screaming her embarrassment into her pillow.
He had no idea why Elli had behaved like that.
"What happened?"
Kieran went back into his room and closed the door with a puzzled expression.
After a while, he hadpletely immersed himself into "Stars and Destiny". It was the book he had been looking for. To be precise, it contained basic knowledge of [Astrology].
It was what Reis collection had been missing.
This did not mean that Reis collection was inferiorpared to the Cursed Societys. It was just that Reis books were too advanced. Kieran, whocked a basic understanding of the genre, could not understand those books, even though some of them were unique in the world. Even if he could make out some words or letters, when everything wasbined, it left him baffled.
The Cursed Societys books filled those gaps for Kieran. It was an unexpected surprise for him.
Kieran immersed himself in the book, not caring about Ellis odd behaviour outside his door.
"Such an energetic young girl!"
Simones, who was in the study on the first floor looking for information about the Blood Queen Tiara and the Fantos manuscript, had eximed when hed heard themotion upstairs.
...
Kieran was having breakfast in the morning, when Schmidt arrived with the newspaper as hed promised.
"Simones, a fried egg sandwich and a ss of milk, please!" Schmidt requested without any courtesy.
"Very well!" Simones replied with a happy smile.
"Thanks to Boller, Ie here for meals quite often! I hope that fellow is alright..." Schmidt said when he saw Kieran looking at him with a puzzled expression. Whenever he spoke about his partner, Schmidt looked worried.
Soon, he hid his emotions.
"See what the headlines are today? As expected! Death follows the Raven!, The attack of the Bird of Death, The Ominous Bird reigns the West Coast... Such fitting descriptions of you!"
Schmidt was talking in a high voice, waving the newspaper around like a boy selling newspapers on the street as he read the headlines out loud for Kieran.
Kieran remained quiet as he poured cream, pepper and a whole lot of salt on Schmidts fried egg sandwich.
"Please dont waste food!"
Kieran swallowed down his fried egg sandwich in two bites and gobbled down a ss of milk in one gulp. Then he urged Schmidt to finish his "special" sandwich and dragged him away before Schmidt could even grab a ss of milk.
"I wont be back in the afternoon. Just prepare dinner for me!"
As Kieran left instructions for Simones, he walked through the gate the workers were repairing. He dragged and threw Schmidt into the Picards passenger seat and then started the car.
"You did this on purpose, right?" Schmidt said angrily in the car.
"So did you, I suppose?" Kieran countered Schmidts question.
"Fine, fine! I admit it! I just wanted to see the famous Bird of Death get embarrassed when he saw his own name in the papers!" Schmidt said, finally surrendering.
"If youd kept thatst part to yourself, you might have sounded more sincere!" Kieranughed coldly.
"I was just stating a fact! Stop the car, I need some water!" Schmidt told Kieran.
"No, you will repent for your sins by sacrificing your tastebuds!"
Kieran elerated even more to stop Schmidt from jumping out of the car.
The car continued its journey to their next destination, the Golden Beach, at that ever-elerating speed.
The Golden Beach was a popr tourist spot on the West Coast. During the summer, it attracted all sorts of tourists from all over the world.
It could be considered a paradise considering the sunlight, the sea and the number of women in bikinis there.
Unfortunately, it was winter now.
The chilling wind blew from the north. It was cold enough to pierce ones bones inbination with the humidity of the sea.
The dozen of uniformed police officers made the ce look even more awful.
Schmidt raised his cor and tightened his coat as he got out of the car.
Kieran, on the other hand, ignored the chilling wind and looked at the Sunshine Mary at the far end of the beach.
The 20-meter tall ferry was very eye-catching.
Its mottled paint and rusty body did not rob it of its former luxurious look. On the contrary, it gave the ferry a different kind of appeal, making it look like a noble cruising ferry that had been through the sea of time.
As it rose from the bottom of the sea, it looked like an iron fortress.
However...
On the beach below the ferry stood a man in a formal suit and leather shoes with a frivolous manner that ruined the magnificent picture.
The man looked like he was in his thirties. His hair wasbed and gelled back, so that when the sun shone down on his head, the light was reflected brightly.
His face was full of bumps, e, and some swollen sores.
His voice was as loud as a cocks, yet it sounded terrible.
"I said, st this spot right here! Use more explosives!" The man was shouting at the police officer on duty before he noticed Kieran and Schmidt approaching.
After ncing over at Kieran, he shouted at Schmidt, "Hey, amateur! Tell your men to set up some explosives here fast! I am the mystical consultant hired by the director! If it wasnt for your tortoise-like speed, I would have alreadypleted this task!"
The horrible voice of the man and the words he had just uttered made Kieran frown.
A mystical consultant?
If Kieran was not mistaken, that title belonged to Nikorei!
Kieran looked at Schmidt in confusion.
"Yes..."
"You are the Raven, the Bird of Death, the Ominous Bird, the infamous 2567? Arent you a little too normal-looking? Well, anyway, I was looking for an assistant myself..."
The man interrupted Schmidt and started bbering selfishly.
Kierans expression turned serious.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
That piece of sh*t talker
Chapter 283: Trap
Chapter 283: Trap
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Kierans face turned serious, not because of the mans provocative words, but because of the dozens of malicious gazes around him.
Their killing intent was even sharper and more bone-piercing than the winter sea breeze.
Was this a trap?
At the thought, Kieran nced over at the man that was behaving like a pierret.
The next words that came out of the mans mouth sounded even more provocative, confirming Kierans suspicions.
"Before Nikorei disappeared, she was considered the strongest shaman on the West Coast! Now I, the great Trysker, will be the strongest shaman on the West Coast! Its only natural that you would be my assistant!" the man named Trysker said relentlessly. He seemed to want to provoke anyone who listened.
Kieran looked like he was staring at Trysker, but he was actually looking at the police officers behind him, who had been scolded by the man.
It was where the malicious gaze wasing from.
"Are they mystics?"
When Kieran noticed the weapons concealed beneath their uniforms, he knew.
Although he was unsure whether they would dare ambush him out in the open, he knew it was time to shut that guy up.
It was not like Kieran to listen toments like that quietly.
Besides, if their enemies had sent this stupid guy to cause them trouble, they would not just give up like that.
Bang!
Kieranunched a kick at the man without hesitation.
The kick, which contained Kierans full force,nded hard on the guys chest.
That horrible face of his was stunned at first, but then his expression turned into extreme delight. That delight did not evenst for a fraction of a second though. When Kierans bootsnded hard against his chest, his delight was reced by horror.
Crack! Crack!
The force field barrier cracked first, followed by the continuous cracking of his bones. It sounded like the God of Death twittering. Trysker did not understand until he died how his force field barrier, which could even block bullets, was so easily crushed by Kierans casual kick.
As a native, Trysker would never understand the formidable power of Transcendence Level [Hand-to-Hand Combat, Kick Combat].
The Transcendence Effect [Kick Combat] granted Kierans kicks an additional Strength and Agility buff of +4 temporarily as his kicksnded.
Kierans B- Strength and C+ Agility had been boosted up to A and A- respectively in a moment.
That kind of Strength and Agility exceeded themon abilities of a normal being.
Plus, the Transcendence options had also granted him an attack buff of +1.
Even a Powerful Level force field barrier could not withstand that kind of kick, let alone an Average barrier.
Bang!
Tryskers body was sent flying, crashing hard by the side of the Sunshine Mary.
Ayer of the force field barrier prevented his body from crashing directly against the ferrys body, but it did not stop Trysker from dying. Instead, it sped up his gruesome death.
The defensive force field barrier was not just hard. It also had the power to bounce the body back. When Tryskers body crashed against the force field barrier, the rebounding force pushed his body back with a force stronger than the force of impact.
Thanks to the two additional forces of pressure, his dying body, which was already suffering from broken bones and crushed organs, was crushedpletely.
He was like beans being poured into a stone grinder. As the grinder moved, the beans were mashed with a clear cracking noise.
Blood poured down like rain along with pieces of flesh.
The other mystical individuals that were harboring ill intentions were all overwhelmed by what they were seeing. They never would have thought that things would go south.
Trysker had been chosen to provoke Kieran because he was a mystical consultant and his magical items could withstand a bullet.
Trysker relied on his items to promote his magical career on the West Coast. Who would have thought that he would get killed by Kieran with only one kick, his whole body getting destroyed in the process.
Instantly, every other mystical individual present felt chills going down their spines. Some of them regretted being there. They had taken that bastards word for it and turned up, but it was toote for them now.
Kieran was already dashing towards them with [Arrogant Word].
The dark red great sword was whipped up with an air-breaking sh, aimed directly towards them as Kieran wielded it skillfully.
The first three mystics that were the closest to Kieran were all shed in half from the waist up, followed closely by those behind them.
Kieran had no intention of sparing anyone, or giving them even a second to breathe.
Enemies were always better dead, especially enemies from the mystical realm.
The slightest misstep would allow them to counterattack with an unknown method.
Therefore, Kieran had decided to surprise them with a one-sided massacre.
After about 20 seconds, the entire Golden Beach was dyed red.
The bodies of the mystics that had been disguised as police officers were scattered all over the beach, a green glow shining over them.
Schmidt widened his eyes at the astonishing scene. He was no idiot after all.
When Trysker had provoked Kieran, he had felt that something was off. When Kieran had attacked the uniformed police officers, he had realized they were not his subordinates.
It had been a trap! A trap set up specifically for Kieran.
Schmidt wanted to walk forward instinctively, but as soon as he lifted his leg, he was stopped by Kieran.
"STOP! Get away from the beach!" he shouted at Schmidt.
Kieran quickly nced over the beach. The people he had killed had not been the masterminds of the attack. After the incident the day before, if they had not had sufficient confidence, they would not have dared attack him.
The strength they had disyed did not justify having such confidence, so there must have been someone who had given them the confidence to attack.
"Who is this person?"
As Kieran thought about it, his expression became even more vignt. He was holding [Arrogant Word] horizontally, maintaining a vignt stance.
Schmidt quickly backed off, his trust for Kieran making him listen to his words without hesitation, even though he had doubts in his heart.
As reality had proved, trust was an essential element in their rtionship.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Just as Schmidt left the beach, ck tentacles as wide as a water barrel and dozens of meters long spurted out of the sand one after the other.
The chilling winter wind became even colder when the ck tentacles appeared.
A negative energy mist started to spread, covering the whole beach.
Amidst the blurry mist, nine big fat tentacles were dancing high in the air, stirring up the mist around them.
It looked like a sea monster was about to emerge from the sea.
Contrary to expectations though, what appeared was a number of human figures, one after the other.
When Kieran saw their faces clearly, he was shocked.
Schmidt, who had run off the beach, screamed in shock when he saw one of the figures faces.
"LOUVER!"
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Tada!
Chapter 284: The Hex Labyrinth
Chapter 284: The Hex Labyrinth
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
It was not just Louver. The other patients and staff of the Gordon Recovery Center had also appeared in their doctor robes, nurse uniforms and patient outfits.
It was revealed that all the people in the recovery center had been used as vessels to raise demons.
They were divided into nine groups with different numbers.
They all gathered around their respective tentacles. Bloody, vein-like tubes poked into their bodies, sucking non stop at an unknown substance.
The ck tentacles were getting stronger and more powerful. They were even growing longer. The people being sucked at by the veins had no consciousness of their own. They were like zombies piled up together.
The only difference was that Louver was tethered to a single ck tentacle by himself. The other tentacles had seven to twelve people tethered to them.
"Is it because he is gifted?" Kieran muttered.
The biggest difference between Louver and the others was that Louver had the gift of spell-casting.
What concerned Kieran the most though was the meaning of their arrival.
The person raising the demons in the Gordon Recovery Center had appeared.
He was also targeting the Sunshine Mary!
The explosives he had set up at the recovery center had been meant to break the defenses of the Sunshine Mary!
However, when Kieran had appeared, their n had been messed up. That was why that person had contacted other mystical individuals with ill intentions. The ones Kieran had just wiped out...
"Wait! I was wrong! If they wanted to kill me, they wouldnt have sat back and watched me kill everyone like that! Even though those goons were not strong, they could still have stalled me. Instead, they let them die like that..."
The gears in Kierans head were spinning as fast as lightning. When his gazended on the Sunshine Mary, he shivered uncontrobly. He had thought of a theory that would exin the situation.
"The Sunshine Mary! They are here for the ferry! Even without the explosives, they had another alternative!"
As for what alternative they had decided to use, if Kieran had to guess, it would have been the bodies!
The Golden Beach had dead bodies scattered all over it that hadnt been there before.
Just as Kieran thought about it, the blood and pieces of flesh floated up and flew towards the Sunshine Mary. Kieran instinctively wanted to stop them, but the nine tentacles, which looked like a sea monsters ws, exploded, contradicting his theory.
BOOM!
When the tentacles exploded, no blood or juice came from them.
They were torn into pieces and lines of ck substance, like a sentient shadow, as they spread all over the beach.
The shadow encaged the whole beach, with Kieran inside it.
"2567!" Schmidt, who was away from the beach, shouted at Kieran, pulling out his gun.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
He fired shots repeatedly, but when the bullets hit the ck cage, they vanished like a y animal plunging into the sea.
Schmidt scattered a tube of special powder across the ck cage. That special powder had been very useful against spirit-like beings and could even cause lethal damage to them. It was useless this time though.
It only had a small effect. Schmidts action caused a reaction. The shadow turned into a ck mouth and swallowed him whole.
...
Darkness enveloped Kieran.
He felt like he was sinking in quicksand. It was hard to move around. The hand wielding [Arrogant Word] felt like it was wielding a small mountain. He was barely able to move it.
The feeling on Kierans feet assured him that he was still on the beach, but the changes to his surroundings were...
"Is it the demons?" Kieran guessed.
He plunged [Arrogant Word] into the sand in front of him, one hand gripping the hilt while the other reached for the tube of [Holy Water VIII].
The faint glow of [Holy Water VIII] made it shine brightly in the darkness.
Although the sinking sensation was gone, the darkness wasnt.
It still lingered as Kieran smeared [Holy Water VIII] onto [Arrogant Word].
The smearing process was not a pleasant one. Even though Kieran tried his best not to touch the liquid directly with his skin, despite theyer of his shirt between them, he still felt the burn of [Holy Water VIII].
[Body of Evil] had granted Kieran a lot of benefits, but it had also enhanced his weaknesses.
Kieran could no longer touch [Holy Water VIII] directly.
The [Bullets of Blessing] were better. If they were not shot at him, a mere touch of a bullet would make him uneasy, but it would not hurt him.
"Not a demon? Than what is this?" Kieran frowned.
The ck tentacles struck him like a demon. They shared the same negative energy and chaotic feeling after all. The scene before Kieran proved him wrong though.
Although there was negative energy around him, the darkness had not originated from the negative energy itself. Otherwise, [Holy Water VIII] would have been effective.
Maybe...
"Am I hitting the wrong ce?" Kieran moved quickly as he thought of that.
[Arrogant Word] inbination with [Holy Water VIII] made Kieran look like he was wielding a giant torch as he ventured into the darkness.
After walking for 20 seconds, ording to Kierans memory, he had to be away from the beach by now. The sand under his feet told him he was still in it though.
The darkness around him was getting denser by the second.
"Is it an illusion?" Kieran checked his battlelog, but nothing hade up.
"No damage, so no notifications?"
It was not the first time Kieran hade across such a situation with the system, so he did not panic. He knew panicking would do him no good in that situation. Keeping calm was the only way out of this pinch.
Kieran quickly made a mark with his foot and moved on. He did not look forward this time. Instead, he stared at his feet.
After three seconds, he halted. He had seen the same mark he had just made.
"Could it be sensory confusion? The darkness is clouding my vision, preventing me from locating any visible markings. I think I am moving in a straight line, but I am actually moving in circles..."
Kieran drew a deep breath helplessly as he made sure it was the mark he had just made.
He knew what was going on. He was in a maze!
Kieran had read a book titled "The Hex Labyrinth" back in Nikoreis library, which described exactly the situation before him.
The book had seemed like a book on the mystical but it was just describing some interesting phenomenon and actually fell into the category of books Kieran was able to understand.
He had gone through the whole book out of curiosity, so he knew what he had to do to leave that maze.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
I thought this is an episode of Maze Runner...
Chapter 285: Lair
Chapter 285: Lair
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
He had to jump high.
Or even fly if it was possible!
Without any reference point on the ground, instinct could deceive oneself when one was in a miasma maze. A change of altitude would make the reference point reappear though.
That was the true identity of the miasma maze! It would be ones best reference to getting out of there.
Of course, in the book "Hex Labyrinth" it was also stated how to prevent such an escape and trap the person inside forever.
Fortunately, although the darkness around Kieran had taken simr precautious, it was notplete.
Its height was far beyond the reach of any mortal being, but it was still a piece of cake for Kieran.
Kieran adjusted his body and jumped as high as he could.
The darkness around him instantly dissipated as he jumped higher than the maze.
...
"Damn it!"
Schmidt quickly reloaded his gun. This was thest magazine he had brought with him.
If he had known that he would encounter such a monster, he would have brought a methrower instead.
Unconsciously, Schmidt thought of Kierans big backpack and the various weapons inside it.
He even considered whether he should have brought a backpack simr to Kierans, but that was a question for another day. If he didnt solve the problem at hand, he would not get to live another day.
Bang!
The muzzle shed brightly as the smell of gunpowder lingered around Schmidt.
A spider the size of a knuckle was sted to pieces, but more spiders emerged from below the deck.
When the sharp spider legs collided with the wooden deck, a concentrated, flesh-creeping noise was produced.
The ck spider on the deck stared at Schmidt with all of its eyes.
Its eyes were emitting a pale green glow, which made Schmidts forehead break out in sweat.
Schmidt did not fire anymore. He knew firing more shots would only prolong his struggle against the giant spiders.
"The cabin! I need to get to the cabin to get out of here alive!"
The calmness that came after many years of being the Chief Officer allowed Schmidt to make good judgement calls at desperate times.
He took out a palm-sized pure silver pot simr to a teapot and poured out a little of the liquid.
When the giant spiders closed in on him, he lit the liquid up.
The fire instantly sprung up to the height of a human being.
The marching spiders immediately stopped before the fire. Although they had been through some kind of mutation, their insect instincts were still present.
Actually, they were even more powerful. Their hunger and urge to hunt made them more aggressive than normal insects, but also more scared of fire.
Schmidt had created a window of survival for himself. He quickly backed into the cabin and searched for the stairs.
He knew that, although the fire was fierce, it wouldnt stall the spiders for long.
"This is the second floor of the Sunshine Mary. Theres a swimming pool, a dance floor and a big restaurant inside... No, no, no, this ce is too wide open! No way will I be able to block the spiders from here! I need to find a sturdy, narrow space..."
Given the circumstances, Schmidts options were limited, and the most reliable one was...
"The captains cabin! The captains cabin on the third floor!"
Schmidt sprinted towards his destination as fast as he could.
The fire behind him was dimming by the second.
When the fire turned into a spark and was eventually extinguished, hundreds of giant spiders gushed through.
...
"So this is the Sunshine Mary?"
Standing on the deck, Kieran checked out the ferry.
The darkness had dissipated as hed jumped up high, but a powerful, violent pulling force had dragged him down before he could react andnded him on the Sunshine Marys deck.
The force field barrier that prevented people from approaching had suddenly disappeared.
"This must be the first floor deck. The Sunshine Mary has three floors. The passenger cabins are on the first one, and the restaurant and the dance floor are on the second one. Theres a lot of space there. Unless I had tons of manpower, it would be impossible for me to search the area thoroughly in such a short time. I can only investigate some locations I choose and perform a search with a specific goal!"
Kieran recalled Schmidts description of the ferry as he scanned the area around him.
Afterparing all his options, he quickly came up with a destination. He would go to the captains cabin!
A captains cabin was the most important ce on the ship.
Not only was the captain the highest authority on a ship, but the cruising log and all valuables would also be stored inside his cabin.
If the secrets of the Sunshine Mary were hidden anywhere, it would be there!
Kieran needed to get a good rating for the Sub Mission [Ghost Ferry], so the captains cabin was naturally his first choice.
He instantly got moving, but he did not use the stairs to reach the upper deck. He chose a more direct way instead.
He backed up a few steps, ran and then jumped towards the second deck.
While he was still in mid-air, the jumping force started to fade off. He swung the [Deceivers Key] and used the hair-like tool totch onto the second deck handrail.
Before he could fall, he pulled hard with his hand and dragged his body up onto the deck.
"Huh?"
When Kieran reached the upper deck, he was stunned.
His nose picked up a rotten fish stench. When his eyes followed the smell to its origin, he saw bits and pieces of... Was that a spider?
Kieran was unsure what he was looking at. The spider was bigger than amon spider. It was actually bigger than any species Kieran knew off.
He was sure such a species was not found in [Research of Mystical Beings].
Its sharp legs and foul-smelling juices proved as much.
The insects legs were as sharp as des and its juices were venomous.
The venom would not just numb its prey, but deliver a small lethal dose.
[Potionology] and [Medical and Medicinal Knowledge]s Master of Poison confirmed his theory.
"So this has be a spidersir?"
Kieran nced over the eight dead spiders.
When his [Tracking] was activated, he saw the traces left behind by the group of spiders. There was a burn mark and a set of footprints. A simple nce was enough to know that there were hundreds of spiders.
The bullet mark and the footprints led Kieran to believe that Schmidt was also aboard the Sunshine Mary.
"That fe!" Kieran shook his head with a sigh.
Although he still could not determine how Schmidt had gotten on board, he could guess why he had. He wanted to save him.
Given Schmidts personality, it was normal for him to do something like this.
"So troublesome!" Kieran muttered under his breath.
Then he changed his own n and followed the traces into the cabins.
If Schmidt had gone there for him, Kieran could not leave him in danger.
However, as he approached the cabin swiftly, a weak voice suddenly came out of it.
"2... 2567! Help!"
Schmidt was crawling out of the cabin, his body covered in blood.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
SCHMIDT!!!!!!
Chapter 286: Third Deck
Chapter 286: Third Deck
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Schmidts body was full of bite marks of different width and depth.
The biggest one was on his abdomen and it was the size of a knuckle, revealing the broken intestines inside. Even the smallest wound was as big as a coin, gushing out fresh blood.
When Schmidt saw Kieran approaching, his bloody face showed delight. He looked like the survivor of a disaster. However, the next moment, his expression became frightened.
[Arrogant Word] was shed right down at him.
Kieran did not hold back against the imposter. The fake Schmidt did not get a chance to dodge the great sword. He was shed in half at the chest.
His face still had an incredulous expression, but it quickly transformed into something else.
Together with his clothes and wounds, he transformed into a patient from the Gordon Recovery Center. His face did not remind Kieran of anyone he had seen on the beach though.
"They brought others onto the Sunshine Mary?"
Kieran was scanning the body, frowning hard.
Before this, the miasma maze had been used to stall him. Inside the Sunshine Mary was a more fight-worthy opponent though.
Kieran turned around and nced over the spiders carcass. A horrible feeling rose up in his heart.
The spiders were around the same size, but their number was huge. Still, no more manpower would be needed to deal with them.
All it would take was a small team equipped with methrowers. It shouldnt be that hard for them to get a methrower if they could get their hands on explosives.
Their target was definitely not the spiders. It was something even more fearful.
"This ce has really be a monsterir!" Kieran thought.
The very idea made him hasten his steps. He followed the traces, quickly disappearing into the cabins.
He knew that if Schmidt encountered that monster, he would be dead meat.
Actually, Schmidt would not even need to encounter the monster itself. If he came across a demon vessel, he would also be in big trouble.
The reason Kieran had ughtered the imposter without hesitation was because he knew Schmidt only had a slightly better physique than the average officer. He would not have been able to ask for help after being bitten by venomous spiders, let alone if he was wounded all over.
If this had been the real Schmidt, Kieran would have seen his dead body instead.
In other words, the demon vessel had acted like him. Kieran was unsure whether Schmidt could differentiate between the imposters and real people though.
...
Schmidt was feeling terrible.
After hed sprinted at full speed for five minutes, he had reached the stairs connecting the second and third deck, only to find that the stairs to the third deck had been blocked by a huge door nk.
Schmidt tried to push it, but the weight told him that there was also something else behind the door nk. It was not possible for him to move the nk with his strength.
Hundreds of spiders were closing in on him fast. He could even hear the terrifying noise of their spider legs colliding with the wooden floor.
It was light but concentrated, enough to numb Schmidts brain. He could imagine what would happen to him if the spiders caught up with him.
"I guess Ill be eaten until there is nothing left of me anymore..." Schmidt was smiling bitterly. He did not sit there and wait for his demise though.
He dashed towards the dance floor, breaking down the decaying chair in the corner and pouring some liquid from his pot over it. Then he lit it up with his lighter.
The fire was burning hot around the wooden chair.
As Schmidt threw more pieces of wood into the fire, it turned into a giant bonfire.
Schmidt did not just stop there. All the mmable items around the dance floor were thrown into the fire, increasing its power. He also fixed carefully the space around the bonfire, forming a circr burning area around him and leaving only a gap in the middle of the circle. Schmidt had Boller to thank for giving him the magicalbustion catalyst.
Holding a piece of arch from one of the couches, he lit it up as well. He was putting up a defensive stand at the gap, awaiting the ck spiders that were charging at him.
"COME ON, YOU PESKY LITTLE F*CKERS!" he shouted.
The spiders were afraid of the fire, so they dared not approach.
Schmidt had bought himself some time with the fire.
However, if he did not add any more wood to it, it would not burn for much longer.
He needed toe up with another n, but...
When Schmidt saw the faint green glow and hungry light in the spiders eyes, he was out of ideas.
All he could do was wait for help.
"Schmidt! Here!"
Kierans voice suddenly came from the dance floor corridor.
A couple of lit torches were thrown at the spiders.
As the torches fell on the group of insects, the spiders quickly dispersed, creating a small path for Schmidt to dash through.
Schmidt ran as fast as he could. When he dashed out of the dance floor, Kieran shut the door at the entrance of the corridor tight.
"I dont think this will stop them for very long. Itll just buy us enough time to leave! Come on, Schmidt, lets get out of here!" Kieran said.
Schmidt nodded, agreeing with Kierans suggestion.
"Wheres your backpack and box?" Without enough pesticides, Schmidt dared not approach the ce at all.
When he saw that Kieran hade empty-handed, he naturally had questions.
As far as Schmidt remembered, Kieran might sometimes leave his backpack behind, but the box with the two-handed great sword was always with him.
ording to Kieran, it was his most powerful weapon.
"Ive encountered some scary monsters! I could only run for it. Any extra weight would only have affected my speed, so..." Kieran shrugged righteously.
Schmidt felt even more doubtful at his answer.
What kind of monster would cause Kieran to leave his weapon behind, and if something had, why would Kieran look so healthy and free of wounds?
Schmidt knew Kieran very well. Kieran valued his life, but he was not someone who would give up easily. Even if he encountered a formidable monster, he would at least try to take it down before he truly gave up.
Such a feat would be dangerous though, so it seemed impossible that Kieran would be free of any visible wounds.
Something was wrong!
Schmidt grabbed his gun tightly. When he noticed that the Kieran beside him had purposely slowed down, he threw himself forward and fired his gun without hesitation.
Bang!
The shotnded in the middle of Kierans brow.
Half of his brain was sted out as the sharp knife in his hand fell to the floor, making a clear noise.
Schmidt felt even more surprised when he saw the fake Kieran transform. Even his clothes changed.
"Goddamnit! F*ck!" Schmidt cursed angrily.
Although he had no idea how the patient before him had transformed into Kieran, he knew he had done so with malicious intent.
The person who controlled the patients and demons was harboring malicious intent after all.
The rattling noise behind Schmidt and the ever-shaking door forced him to run for his life again. He didnt spare any more time to think.
...
"Consider yourselves lucky!"
An eerie groan came from the captains cabin on the third deck of the Sunshine Mary.
A man with a long scrawny face and an expression full of hatred had appeared in a long robe.
The death of his contact, Raising Dish, was enough to infuriate him.
Plus, the ident back at the Gordon Recovery Center had messed up his nspletely and forced him to take more risk with his moves, thus endangering his ultimate goal.
He would seed soon. But until then...
"The Bird of Death? I will make you suffer until you can neither live nor die!" the man said in a dim tone before waving his hand.
Instantly, a big strong tentacle sprung up from the lower deck and tore the captains cabin in half.
An odd growling sound was heard.
When the man heard it, his long scrawny face lit up with uncontroble delight.
He quickly squatted down and drew a special magic circle on the deck.
The growling was approaching quick.
Kieran and Schmidt, who were still running on the second deck, heard the noise at the same time.
[Fear: You are in Targets Fear range, Your spirit has passed the authentication, No abnormalities will ur...]
A notification popped up in Kierans vision as Schmidt started to feel wobbly and dizzy. He suddenly fell to the floor.
The hundreds of spiders chasing Schmidt stopped their march, as if they had been ordered to retreat. Every single one of them turned around and headed towards the third upper deck.
On the third deck, four tentacles appeared and started smashing down the gathering spiders.
More spiders started to emerge from the ferry itself, but the tentacles did not let them get to the third deck.
The scrawny-faced man smiled. Everything was progressing as hed expected.
However, the very next moment...
Bang!
The third upper deck, which was filled with the tentacles and the bodies of the raised demons, started to tremble.
A dark red sword burst through the lower deck and entered the scrawny mans eyes.
The mans expression instantly turned serious.
"STOP HIM!" he shouted.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
A big battle ising!
Chapter 287: The Hidden Secret
Chapter 287: The Hidden Secret
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The shout echoed on the third upper deck, but it was toote.
The dark red great sword shed an opening through the lower deck at an incredible speed, as if it was cutting through tofu. Kieran jumped through the opening from below, holding an unconscious Schmidt in his hands.
He hurled Schmidt aside, gripped [Arrogant Word] tight and dashed towards the demon vessels.
Just before [Arrogant Word] collided with the demon vessels, Kieran took a step forward and held on to the great swords hilt tightly. The great sword swung downwards and turned horizontal immediately. Kierans dislocated steps allowed him to spin, following the great sword as he channeled all his strength into swinging it around.
When the spinning force turned into inertia, [Arrogant Word] span around in a sh, carrying Kierans body with it.
His targets were all over the ce, so Kieran did not even need to aim properly.
[Arrogant Word] might not have caused sufficient damage to a demon, but it was a disaster for the demon vessels.
Its spinning sh chopped down the demon vessels one after the other, making them fall down in a puddle of their own blood.
The demon had granted the bodies extraordinary mystical power, but the mystical power originated from the demon itself. The vessels were barely any stronger than their previous selves.
One after the other, the demon vessels died, and the materialized tentacles started to disintegrate.
The venomous spiders that had been blocked by the tentacles quickly swarmed the remaining demon vessels as soon as the tentacles were out of their way.
They opened their sharp mouths and attacked their enemies, their venomous nds spitting out poison every time they bit their enemies.
The advantage the demons had had a moment ago had been trashedpletely.
"2567!" the man behind the demons shouted furiously. His eyes widened as he stared at Kieran, but he did not make a move.
The magic circle before him was on the verge of beingpleted. He had to finish the circle. Otherwise, everything he had done would be in vain.
"LOUVER!" he shouted.
Louver, who had been fighting like a controlled puppet thanks to the demonic power, shivered violently.
The big fat tentacles suddenly dissipated in mid-air, turning into dust particles and seeping into Louvers body. His eyes instantly turned ck.
Then he shed his de at such a lightning fast speed that it could even have scratched the night sky.
A sh of Louvers de decapitated at least a dozen venomous spiders around him.
Although this was not the first time Kieran had seen that de technique, he was still in awe.
Schmidt suddenly regained his consciousness. He was confused about what had actually happened.
He remembered hearing an odd loud sound and then passing out.
"What happened, 2567?" Schmidt asked when he saw Kieran standing before him and defending himself against the spiders.
"I followed your trail and found you! You had been knocked out cold by some bastard!" Kieran exined as he swung [Arrogant Word] forward, producing a strong wind that blew away most of the venomous spiders. The spiders closest to Kieran were crushed to bits by the violent wind.
"Judging by your strength, you must be the real 2567!"
Schmidt still remembered encountering a fake Kieran.
"Yes, I think you are real too!" Kieran nodded.
Schmidt realized that Kieran had been through a simr encounter with him.
He turned his attention to the man drawing the magic circle in the captains cabin and stared at him ferociously.
"Is that the bastard?" Schmidt asked as he pulled out his gun.
"The guy behind the Gordon Recovery Center, who deceived us by using the demons. Yes, thats him! But hes not the one who knocked you out cold. If I were you, I wouldnt take revenge right now!" Kieran answered, reminding Schmidt of his priorities.
Schmidt looked at Kieran. He seemed puzzled at first, but soon he understood what Kieran meant.
A loud clear shing noise simr to a cksmith smithing iron against a felt was heard suddenly amidst the chaotic scene on the upper deck. It was not as dense and concentratedpared to the group of spiders.
Suddenly, a head as big as a football sprung up from the lower deck, reaching the demons side.
"This... This..." Schmidt stuttered when he saw the head, drawing a cold breath helplessly.
It was the head of a spider. If its head was as big as a football, then how big was its body?
Soon, everyone on the third upper deck found out the answer to that question.
The spider was as big as a car.
The appearance of the humongous spider attracted everyones attention. Even the demon vessels felt scared instinctively.
Panicked, the vessels attacked the humongous spider.
Bang!
A big strong tentacle smashed the humongous spider, but it bounced back up when it collided with it. There was not even a scratch on the spider as it leapt towards the demon vessels.
The humongous spidernded on top of the demon vessels and opened its mouth. A dark suction force began to suck its victims souls.
The translucent souls were sucked out of the demon vessels one after the other and into the spiders mouth as the vessels wailed in despair.
"Souls? Those are souls, right? How the f*ck is a giant spider sucking souls out of people? Where the hell did ite from?"
Schmidt watched the scene in shock. Kierans eyes were wide and his jaw had dropped open.
No one would have thought that the monster hiding in the Sunshine Mary would be a Hell Fiend Spider, one of the overlords of Hell!
ording to dungeon world legends, a Hell Fiend Spider was powerful enough to devour celestial deities!
Such stories had appeared more than once in the books Kieran had read.
"How the hell can it be a Hell Fiend Spider? What the hell is it doing here? I thought Hell Fiend Spiders had vanished following the Fall of the Gods! Even if there were a couple of eggs around, without the necessary breeding ground, which is the sulphur river in Hell, they could not have hatched..."
"Wait! There was that mysterious Michigi Egg on the list!"
Kieran suddenly connected the dots. As he watched the Hell Fiend Spider devouring the souls, he realized something.
Everything started to connect and form aplete picture in Kierans mind.
"The list was found in the Cursed Societys headquarters. The reason Louver assaulted and robbed the Cursed Society was because they also had their eyes on the Sunshine Mary! This makes sense! A luxurious ferry that had disappeared 124 years ago suddenly reappeared. It would be strange if it did not attract the attention of the mystics!"
"The Cursed Societys influence and strength prevented other factions from participating, but not the person behind the demons, who had already set his eyes on the Sunshine Mary! The Sunshine Marys appearance might even have been the mans doing. Otherwise, why the hell would it appear on the West Coast? The world is a huge ce after all!"
Kieran understood more things as everything became clear, including the mystery of the Sunshine Mary itself.
"I see!" Kieran drew a deep breath. All the broken pieces of the story behind the Sunshine Mary had started to fall into ce.
The luxurious ferry had been carrying wealthy merchants and nobles. A note about a Pure Ruby, a Bloody Queen Tiara, a Michigi Egg, and a Fantos manuscript had been found. One of the mysterious Michigi Eggs had been a Hell Fiend Spider egg.
Even though people at the time had not known it was a Hell Fiend Spider egg, they had still known that it was valuable. It must surely have been worth something if it had been on that note.
Besides, what Kieran had seen on that note had only been part of a whole. Most of it had been blurred, but judging by the number of the lines, there had been at least a dozen more valuables on the note.
So, the question was, what were a dozen valuables doing on a luxurious ferry carrying wealthy merchants and nobles?
The answer was obvious. There had been an auction!
Kieran could note up with any more possible answers.
The appearance of the Hell Fiend Spider had allowed him to understand more about the disappearance of the Sunshine Mary a century ago.
However, the million dor question before Kieran was this: How would he deal with a monster that hade right out of a legend?
When all the souls had been sucked dry, the Hell Fiend Spiders green eyes started to scan around for another prey.
Kierans palms were sweaty as he tightened his grip on [Arrogant Word]!
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Boom! the pieces are connected!
Chapter 288: Peculiarity
Chapter 288: Peculiarity
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
His dungeon entries increased each time, so Kieran was not surprised that higher-tier monsters had appeared. There was even a possibility that he would face God or some other kind of celestial beingter on.
Kieran knew this in his heart, yet this did not mean that he was prepared to fight mythical monsters right now.
Kieran had thought that mythical monsters would only appear after the 10th or 20th dungeon. He was not prepared to face one now.
However, he also knew that the Hell Fiend Spider before him would not let him go if he decided to step down.
The books he had read about the creature had stated clearly that, when the spider entered hunting mode, it did not let go of anything within its sight.
Even if its stomach was full, it would not mind ying with its prey and saving it as rations for another day.
Kieran could not retreat, so he had to risk it.
"Schmidt, go down to the lower deck. The nest of this big ugly bastard should be down there. If Boller isnt dead yet, he should be down there as well!" Kieran said quickly.
"But you..."
"Take care!"
Schmidt wanted to say something, but he eventually just told Kieran to be careful.
"Rx, Ive imagined a lot of ways that I could die, but they definitely did not include being eaten alive. I will eat the monster before I get eaten!" Kieran said coldly under his breath, his eyes locked on the monster before him.
The rhythmic beating of his heart in his chest started to change.
Two distinctive auras started to escape his body.
One of them was an evil rainbow-colored aura that contained the cardinal sins: Greed, Lust, Gluttony, Sloth, Wrath, Envy and Pride.
The other one, a stinging sulphuric stenchbined with a chaotic, violent aura started to burn fiercely enough to destroy the sky itself.
"You big fat bastard! Guess who!"
Kierans voice turned into a deep, rough sound. It felt extremely unlike any beings voice and would have sounded very unsettling to anyones ears.
Kieran soaked in the feeling though.
The first to suffer were the demon vessels around the deck. Their dull expression suddenly became delighted andpliant.
The tentacles produced from the demonic energyy down firmly on the deck floor, as if they were bowing before Kieran.
The man drawing the magic circle looked at Kieran in utter astonishment.
"HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE? HOW?" he shouted over and over, eventually spitting a mouthful of fresh blood and shrinking on the floor. The man was still mumbling non stop.
"Blood of the Devil! Lineage of the Ancestors! How is this possible? HOW?"
No one was answering him.
Schmidt had leaped over the handrail and slid towards the second deck.
Kieran was about to confront the Hell Fiend Spider, ready to reveal the ace up his sleeve.
However, the fact that no one answered the man did not mean that no one had heard what he was muttering.
Deep inside the nest on the ferry, someone shrouded in a needle-like magical glow heard him and stopped struggling.
"Assistant, o assistant, in the form of a raven, ominously befallen. Bird of Death with a body of chaos and a heart of light... He who will reign thend with a kingly might!"
The mysterious figure was muttering Nikoreis prophecy.
"So this is what a body of chaos and a heart of light means? He who will reign thend with a kingly might... Astonishing!" the mysterious figure said lightly before finally sighing.
"What should I choose?"
...
Deep in some other part of the ferry, another abnormal existence had heard the words.
Her cold heart felt a sense of delight before she gave an order to her pet.
A strange growling sound was heard once again.
Upon hearing the sound, the Hell Fiend Spider, which was confronting Kieran, started to back off. It took a quick leap towards the man who was drawing the magic circle and shrunk on the floor.
Just as the Hell Fiend Spidernded on the mans body, ready to devour him, a force field barrier appeared over the man, blocking the spiders attack.
"Huh?"
Kieran, who had been about to use [Devil Transformation] and activate [Desire Summoning], was stunned by the scene before him.
It seemed inconceivable. ording to the books, the Hell Fiend Spiders devouring attack could even pierce through a Gods defensive structure, let alone a magical items force field barrier.
Yet what Kieran was witnessing was not an illusion.
"Unless... Maybe the spider is mighty in looks, butcks any true strength?"
A sudden theory bloomed in Kierans mind. What happened next only confirmed his theory.
Based on Kierans judgement, the mans force field barrier could definitely not surpass a Powerful Level Defense, yet it blocked the spiders poison spit attack once again.
ording to the legend, the venomous spit of the Hell Fiend Spider was enough to corrode even a godly artifact, yet it could not even melt that force field barrier.
How was that possible? The only exnation was that the Hell Fiend Spider before Kieran was not what it seemed like.
After giving some thought to how and where the spider egg had hatched, the exnation he came up with made more sense.
Even without the sulphur river as a breeding ce, other methods could definitely have been used to speed up the hatching process. As a result though, the hatchling had been vastly different from a real Hell Fiend Spider.
"If thats the case..."
Kieran squinted his eyes and stopped what he was about to do.
Even with the buff [Devil Transformation] and [Desire Summoning], Kieran would still have had no hope against a real Hell Fiend Spider. Against a spider that only shared its appearance though, [Devil Transformation] and [Desire Summoning] would be a waste of his energy.
When a poison spit attack finally broke through the force field barrier of the man, the spider opened its mouth, preparing to devour the mans soul. Kieran was quicker though.
Bang!
[Python-W2] shot a wide-diameter bullet at the man, who had lost his ability to resist any more attacks. He was killed with a single shot to the head.
His brains and broken skull were scattered all over the floor.
Suddenly, a golden glowing scroll fell off the mans body.
Kieran squinted at the golden glow and shifted all his attention to the Hell Fiend Spider.
The spider was staring right back at him.
Its hunger, apanied by a feeling of contempt, turned into the purest killing intent.
Dozens of smaller venomous spiders hurled themselves at Kieran as even more spiders gathered around the Hell Fiend Spider.
Kieran swung his great sword and smashed every single one of the spiders with its violent wind.
The rest of the venomous spiders and the Hell Fiend Spider surrounded him.
[Arrogant Word] started to tremble violently, as if the battle drums of an ancient battlefield were beating loudly.
The heavy great sword in Kierans hands became lighter and sharper.
A dark red shine circled the great swords body violently, an unbending, untamed aura establishing its proud presence.
[Arrogance], [Untamed]!
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
If the spider bit Kieran, will he be spiderman?
Here is a little lose end that I cant figure out.
Who is that mysterious figure under deck?
And there is also the premium section added to the site, feel free to ask questions about it, Ill do my best in answering. :)
Chapter 289: The Manuscript
Chapter 289: The Manuscript
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
[Arrogant Word] was radiating its abnormal great sword aura, making the venomous spiders and Hell Fiend Spider freeze.
Kieran did not stop.
"Aaah!"
He charged straight at the Hell Fiend Spider with a loud shout.
His sudden move made the spider back off straightaway.
The group of smaller venomous spiders threw themselves at Kieran, even though their sharp legs and mouths could not harm him while [Primus Scale] was activated.
That Powerful Defense granted Kieran the defense of multipleyers of armor, without the burden of the weight of real armor.
Kieran was charging ahead fast, closing the distance between him and the Hell Fiend Spider.
Although it was inferiorpared to [Reckless Charge], which was still on cooldown ever since Kieran had used it to break through the upper deck, it was more suitable for a situation like this.
The Hell Fiend Spider spit out a mouthful of venomous saliva at Kieran.
Kieran was light as a feather though. A quick jump allowed him to easily dodge the attack.
As he jumped up in mid-air, the Hell Fiend Spider instinctively used its ultimate skill: its spider web!
Legend had it that the spider web of a Hell Fiend Spider was strong enough to drag down stars from the sky.
Although the Hell Fiend Spider before Kieran was a weaker version of the original, and the web it spit out was only three meters long, Kieran was still not willing to be caught in it.
Kierans boots shone bright, allowing his body to linger in mid-air without any resistance and jump up to new heights. Kieran jumped over the spider webs range and adjusted his direction so he appeared above the Hell Fiend Spider.
Then he swung [Arrogant Word] down hard at the spider.
The spider sensed the impending danger above it and quickly shrunk back, spitting out a spider web and covering its whole body, thus providing an extrayer of defense. To Kieran though, it seemed like it was trapping itself inside a cocoon.
The dark red shine of the great sword circled its de violently. It even felt bewitched at times.
The tensile spider web could not defend the spider against the Extreme Attack of [Arrogant Word] after being buffed up by [Untamed].
Plus, [Arrogant Word] was still in [Arrogance] mode.
Although it only buffed the users Strength and Agility by one level after killing an enemy, even the slightest change during a battle could be lethal.
Kieran had received a Strength +1 buff, and boosted his B- Strength level up to B.
If one used enough strength while wielding it, [Arrogant Word] became even more vicious.
The two-handed great sword shed through the spider web without any dy and cut through the huge body of the spider.
The Hell Fiend Spider was split into two from head to bottom.
The green-ck juices inside the spider gushed out like a geyser.
Kierannded quickly and dodged the sshing poison before it could hit him.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
After the death of the Hell Fiend Spider, the smaller venomous spiders around it started to burst like firecrackers one after the other.
"Were those venomous spiders also a product of the hastened birth of the Hell Fiend Spider? Huh... Without the sulphur river as a breeding ce, the spiders strength and power were divided among the smaller spiders. No wonder the spider only looked powerful!"
Kieran nced at the exploding spiders andnded on the giant dead carcass.
To be precise, hended by the glowing equipment that had fallen off the Hell Fiend Spiders carcass.
It was a ck wristband with a spider symbol on it.
[Name: Mardos Arm]
[Type: Armor (Right Hand Wristband)]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Defense: Extreme]
[Attributes: 1. Spider Webbing, 2. Web Binding, 3. Soul Devouring]
[Effects: None]
[Prerequisites: The yer has to be the one who killed Mardos]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: Mardos hatched from a Hell Fiend Spider egg left on the Earth, through a special hurried hatching process. It suffered a growth disorder, in addition to losing the intellect, strength and lineage of a Hell Fiend Spider. All it had was a natural predator instinct, yet it was still not a creature to be underestimated.]
...
[Spider Webbing: You are able to fire a tensile, sticky, retractable spider web up to 20 meters away. The spider web has a Powerful Defense, Target will need to have at least B- Strength to break away from it, Duration: 10 seconds, twice per day]
[Web Binding: You are able to fire a sticky spider webced with poison within a 30-meter radius, binding multiple targets. The spider web has a Powerful Defense, Target will need to have B Strength to break away. The poison will force the Target to undergo 3 Constitution authentications of C+, B-, B. If Target fails the first authentication, they will receive Average Poison Damage. If Target fails the second authentication, they will receive Strong Poison Damage. If Target fails the third authentication, they will receive Powerful Poison Damage, Duration: 10 seconds, once per day]
[Soul Devouring: yer is able to absorb the soul energy of each Target they kill, replenishing the yers HP and Stamina, Recovery rate is based on the Targets soul level]
...
Kieran strapped [Mardos Arm] on his right wrist without any hesitation.
[Spider Webbing] and [Web Binding] aside, the [Soul Devouring] attribute alone made it necessary for Kieran to put it on.
Absorbing the soul energy of any target he killed and replenishing his own HP and Stamina was a much better attribute than Kierans other life-stealing skill, [Primus Greed], as that one required a pre-activation skill.
Even though the recovery rate was based on the targets soul level, this was not a big problem.
It was still better than nothing.
Kieran swiftly moved over to the man who had been controlling the demons and picked up the golden glowing scroll.
[Name: Fantos Manuscript]
[Type: Contract]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Attack/Defense: None]
[Attributes: 1. Demon Contract, 2. Demon Summoning]
[Effects: None]
[Prerequisites: None]
[Remarks: Fantos was only the pseudonym he had used on Earth.]
...
[Demon Contract: By spending Points, Skill Points, Golden Skill Points, and Golden Attribute Points, you can force different levels of demons to sign a contract with you. Different contracts will result in different levels of consumption. Maximum number of demon contracts: 72, Current number: 0]
[Demon Summoning: By spending 1/4 of the Demon Contract Points, Skill Points, Golden Skill Points, and Golden Attribute Points, you can summon the corresponding demon. The demon will disappear if it dies. If the contractor dies, all demons will be released from their contracts.]
...
Kieran frowned over the attributes of the Legendary scroll.
He had never thought that the scroll would be the famous [Fantos Manuscript].
Plus, the attributes of the manuscript were really powerful.
"With sufficient Points, Skill Points, Golden Skill Points, and Golden Attribute Points, one could have a demon army by their side..." Kieran muttered.
However, he did not lose his calm over it. The [Fantos Manuscript] had an obvious downside after all.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
The answer is... a discounted spiderman! Since he had been using Deceivers Key like spidey...
Chapter 290: Monster in the Dark
Chapter 290: Monster in the Dark
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The [Fantos Manuscript] was undoubtedly very powerful.
However, such power came with a huge downside. Its cost was just too high!
Signing a contract with a demon required Points, Skill Points, Golden Skill Points, or Golden Attribute Points. The same went for summoning the contracted demon. Although summoning the demon would only require 1/4 of the contract cost, it was still a heavy burden for any yer.
Another important factor was that demons were easily restrained by holy water and simr items with holy attributes. Such items were not just damaging, but also lethal to demons.
If [Holy Water VIII] was like acid sshed onto a demon, what about higher-quality holy water? Perhaps one tube of high-quality holy water would be enough to vanquish any demon.
Based on Kierans predictions, even if a higher-tier demon was facing off against the best quality holy water, they wouldntst long. It was a matter of time before they would be turned into ashes.
Any qualified veteran yer would always carry such items on them.
As for facing natives, if Kieran was able to deal with them by himself, he wouldnt need the help of a demon. If he could not deal with someone, then a demon would also be of little help.
Even though the [Fantos Manuscript] had a lot of weaknesses, Kieran kept it anyway.
He knew perfectly well that no one could guarantee what he woulde across in the future. More methods to defend himself meant more insurance.
Plus, that particr method was very powerful from a certain perspective, so Kieran would never give it up. He didnt even mind testing out the cost of signing a contract with a demon.
ording to the description, different demons would have different costs.
Kieran nced over the demon vessels bowing before him. He believed those demons were the more affordable kind.
However, when that strange growling sound was heard again, the whole ferry started to tremble.
A crack formed on the remaining wall of the captains cabin, revealing a hidden stairway leading down to the lower deck.
"Come! Come forth!"
A slightly old voice, that Kieran was unable to tell whether it was a mans or a womans, was heard from beneath the stairs. It lingered in Kierans ears.
He did not feel anything when he heard it, but the demon vessels around him started to be frenzied.
Some of them lost itpletely and started knocking their heads hard against the floor, crashing their skulls and spilling their brains all over the deck. Some of them were twitching non-stop, biting the main arteries on their wrists and letting their blood gush out like a fountain.
Other than the word frenzy, Kieran could not think of any other suitable word to describe their actions.
"What the..."
Kieran scanned his battlelog, but saw nothing unusual. However, the scene before him was telling him that something must have happened. Something that he could not understand.
"Is this something only effective against demons?" Kieran guessed.
However, Louver made Kieran question his theory. Louver was one of the vessels of the raised demons, yet he was not acting like the others.
"Maybe Louver is one of a kind?"
As soon as that thought bloomed in Kierans mind, he unconsciously used [Demon Contract] on Louver.
The notification that followed shocked Kieran.
[Demon Contract used, Demon is Special, Faction unknown, Attitude friendly, Condition great, Calcting cost...]
[Cost Required: 2 Golden Attribute Points]
[Insufficient Golden Attribute Points!]
[Contract Unable to bepleted!]
"Two Golden Attribute Points?"
When Kieran saw the required cost, he felt like his own flesh was being cut out.
Although he had expected that the required cost would not be a small amount, when he saw it with his own eyes, his jaw dropped.
"Is it because he is Special?"
Kieran unconsciously nced at Louver.
Louver was dull and lifeless, allowing Kieran to inspect him all he wanted. He did not reply or avoid Kierans gaze. If it wasnt for the long sword in his hand and his killing aura, one might have thought that hed had a mental breakdown.
"Come! Come forth!"
The unisex voice that sounded slightly old came from a pitch ck hole beneath the stairs once more.
The darkness around the hole was obviously of a supernatural origin. Despite his exceptional sight, Kieran could not see what was inside. His [Tracking] was also activated, but all Kieran could see was a blur. He could barely make out some shadows and shapes inside. That was the best he could do.
Other than Louver, all the other demon vessels had died when that voice had been heard. Their blood had flowed out of their bodies and turned into a small stream on the uneven deck. The blood stream slowly flowed into the ck hole.
Suddenly, Kieran heard some sucking sounds from the inside of the hole. It sounded like something was sucking at an almost empty can of juice using a straw. Kieran frowned. His mind had already painted a picture of a vicious monster drinking the fresh blood of a victim.
What came to him right after that image was the auction list, or more precisely, the other items that shared the same value as the [Fantos Manuscript] and the Hell Spider Egg.
After ncing over the stairs, Kieran was certain it was those hidden stairs that led to the auction room.
All the valuable auction items were beyond those stairs, but so was that unknown powerful monster.
"So thats the secret of the Sunshine Mary?" Kieran thought.
His eyes were locked on the description of [Ghost Ferry]. "If you are able to solve the mystery of the Sunshine Mary, your dungeon rating will be boosted significantly."
The description had made Kieran try his best to solve the mystery. He needed the valuables inside the auction room really bad.
Any one of them was worthy of Kierans full effort.
Kieran took out a [U-II] grenade, ready to test the waters.
Damaging the valuables inside the hole was preferable to Kieran losing his own life. Even though he was a stingy person, he valued his life more than the valuable items inside.
Two seconds after the pin was pulled, Kieran hurled it inside the hole. Nothing happened though.
No explosion, no clunking noise as the grenade fell down the stairs. It was as if the grenade had been swallowed into a void.
Kieran frowned again. He picked up some pieces of wood and hurled them inside, but he got the same results as with the grenade.
"Kicking up a cloud of mist, huh?"
Kieran believed that the grenade and the pieces of wood had not vanished into the void. They had just been shrouded by the darkness.
Hed had some simr equipment before, that could block light and sound, the [Pitch ck Ring], so he was no stranger to that effect.
Suddenly, Kieran changed his ns. He did not have an effective way to repel the kind of darkness that could block light and sound, but he had a viable solution to lure the monster out and force it to a fair fighting ce.
Kieran wielded [Arrogant Word] around and chopped off the blood stream flowing inside the hole. All the directions of the blood stream were intercepted one by one.
The sucking sound he had heard before proved that the blood was a crucial element for the monster.
The oue was exactly as Kieran had expected.
After a few seconds, a human figure slowly emerged from the darkness and walked up the stairs.
When Kieran got a clear look at the figures face, he drew in a cold breath.
"How is this possible?" he cried out in rm in his mind.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
The monster that came out will shock you!
Chapter 291: Target
Chapter 291: Target
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
That snowy white hair, those slightly squinted eyes, and that kind smile...
If it was not for her over-shrivelled body that made her look like a walking corpse, Kieran would have thought that he had found the missing Nikorei.
The resemnce was uncanny.
Her face, manner and the aura around her all fit Kierans memories of Nikorei.
"Wait... Memories?" Kieran suddenly shivered.
The monster in the dark could read his memory!
However, before Kieran could check his battlelog, his surroundings had transformedpletely.
The ravaged captains cabin started to repair itself piece by piece, like a video rewinding itself, and the aging smell in the atmosphere started to fade away.
In a second, the whole Sunshine Mary had returned to its former glory.
When Kieran came to his senses, he was standing in front of the secret door inside the captains cabin, following a person down the stairs.
He wanted to stop, but he could not control his body. He was sure his mind was still sane, yet he could not even lift a finger.
"Illusions?" Kieran guessed. Before he could specte any further, he had reached the end of the stairs. The metal door in front of him was pushed open, revealing what was beyond it.
Behind the metal door were luxurious rooms decorated like suites.
Inside each of the rooms was a beautiful youngdy wearing nothing except a cor on her neck. However, none of them looked even a tiny bit dissatisfied.
The naked youngdies were tame as pets, attending to the men beside them.
Young, old, tall, short, handsome, ugly. There was a different man in the arms of each woman. All of them shared onemon trait though. They were all wealthy.
Kieran was certain after getting a small glimpse at the essories on a couple of the men.
His body was still following the person in front him, until an auction table appeared before him.
Pieces of valuables were being safely guarded behind the curtains of the auction table.
Kieran caught a glimpse of the [Fantos Manuscript] and the unhatched Hell Fiend Spider egg. There was also a bright red tiara.
Before Kieran could look any further, the person he was following took a sharp turn to the other side, where there was a caged cell, or in other words, "different merchandise".
A youngdy with otherworldly beauty that could even shake Kierans unbreakable will was sitting straight up inside the cell. Despite the fact that she was imprisoned, her delicate, elegant aura and ice-cold expression could reach visitors even miles away.
When Kieranid his eyes on her, he felt like he was looking at the crescent moon in the winter, the soft light shining down on thend and the sharpness of the moons edge.
The man before Kieran was acting proud, looking down on her from above. His ego was eradicated by the beautifuldys unique ways though.
Thedy swept the mans ego under the carpet, infuriating himpletely.
The man was breathing heavily. Suddenly, he turned around and looked at Kieran.
"What should I do? I want her! I love her! Shes ungrateful though!" the man said.
Kieran was shocked at first, but he quickly came back to his senses. The mans question woke him up from his daze.
Kieran unconsciously realized that he was able to move his limbs again! His strength hade back. This was delightful news, yet the situation before him was not. Kieran frowned.
"Should I kill her now, or ravage her body? Answer me! Give me an answer now!" the man said in a quicker, louder tone. He could have been roaring by that point.
The beautiful woman next to him seemed not to hear his loud roar or notice Kierans presence though. She was just staring at the man with utmost contempt.
"Will a different answer trigger a different oue? Too bad... None of these options is my answer!" Kieran replied honestly.
Then he clenched his fist and punched the man hard on his infuriated face.
The man turned into a dummy and fell to the floor.
"Wrong answer! Wrong answer!" the dummy said.
The beautifuldy inside the cage lifted the corner of her mouth into a bewitching grin. Her beautiful face melted, and her body expanded at exponential speed.
The metal bars of the cell, which were as thick as a babys arm, could not contain her ever-expanding body anymore.
After a series of ear-breaking screeches, the metal bars burst open.
A five-meter tall, sharp-fanged monster with green skin and red hair appeared before Kieran.
The monster opened its bloody mouth and hurled itself at him.
The strength that Kieran had regained a moment ago disappeared once more at that crucial moment.
Kieran could only stare at the bloody mouth approaching fast. He was moments away from being devoured.
He was unsure whether the things happening in this reality would affect his real body.
His burning doubts made his back sweat.
The fear that came with death lingered in his heart again. It was the feeling Kieran hated the most.
Kieran started to struggle. He was unwilling to die like that. He was unwilling to bow down to despair when his life was just getting started.
He had too many things that he wanted to try and experience.
"F*CK OFF!"
The cry burst out of Kierans mouth uncontrobly.
Suddenly, the bloody mouth inches away from him disappeared. So did the auction room and the other luxurious rooms. Everything disappeared.
Kieran had returned back to the Sunshine Mary that had aged through time.
[Fear: You are within Targets Fear range. You have Body of Evil, Affected by High Demons Fear, Spirit has failed authentication, Iplete Hint...]
[Hint (Iplete): You are within Targets Hint range, Spirit has failed authentication, Abnormal Illusion...]
[Illusion: You are inside the illusion of your Target, Your Spirit and Intuition have passed the authentication, The Illusion Realm could not inflict effective damage on you...]
[Stabbing: Special Method, Lethal Attack...]
...
Kieran felt like he had spent over half an hour inside the illusion, although it had been just a second.
A series of notifications spammed his vision, informing him about what had happened.
The high demon that had worn Nikoreis face had used itsmon-looking but sharper-than-de fingernail to cut through [Pauls Camouge] Defense and stab Kieran on the chest.
The first section of its fingernail had plunged into Kierans chest, going even deeper.
The demons target was the [Fusion Heart]!
Instantly, Kieran realized something...
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
The name of the High Demon is Bloody Mary lol
Chapter 292: Fierce Fight
Chapter 292: Fierce Fight
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Kieran had no idea why the high demon before him would want the [Fusion Heart], but one thing was for sure. If he lost the heart, he would die.
Although Kieran was still having a hard time epting that the heart fused by the devil and the shards of the Eye of the Chimeras was his, this did not mean that he would just give up his life.
Kierans right hand grabbed the high demons hand, preventing its finger from plunging deeper. Meanwhile, he took a few steps back to put some distance between them.
He clenched his left fist and punched the high demon hard on the face.
The high demon was suddenly stunned.
Obviously, it had not expected Kieran to be able to free himself from its illusion.
The minor dy had given Kieran a great opportunity though.
BOOM!
A cone-shaped me engulfed the high demonpletely.
The burning mes and the sudden impact forced the high demon to stagger backwards.
After a sharp wail of pain, Kieran picked up [Arrogant Word] and said coldly, "You intimidating ugly bastard! If Rei finds you, you wont die a painless death! Remember that you are wearing her face!"
As Kieran spoke, the dark red two-handed great sword was swung down on the high demon, who was still burning hot, with a numbing sound.
"Aaaaaah!"
The demon let out another sharp wail and switched to formless mode, avoiding the sh and shaking off the burning mes. A chain formed by shadowstched onto the high demon like its own shadow.
It was [Spectre Grip, Shadow Chain]!
Although it was shook off within a second, this was enough for Kieran.
He took advantage of that small window of time and spilled the glowing potion [Holy Water VIII] onto the high demon. This was Kierans lethal attack.
Kieran, who already knew that this type of demon had the ability to be formless, would not just recklessly swing [Arrogant Word] without any additional buffs.
He had even managed to bluff his way through his words.
The high demon had distinguishable differences from lower-tier demons. Not only was it more powerful, but its intelligence was also on a whole different level.
While a low demon would follow its instinct and act like a cunning beast, a high demon would be smarter than that. They might even be on par with human intelligence.
Bluffing would work quite well against such an enemy.
The high demons face and body were emitting white smoke as it was burned by the [Holy Water VIII]. Nikoreis face melted off fast, revealing its original face, which was a skull with ayer of ck skin. Its eyes were almost falling out of their sockets, staring at Kieran with a predatory gaze.
Unlike low demons, the potion only stalled the high demons movements and caused some minimal damage. This was just the beginning of Kierans attacks though.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The [MI-02] and [Python-W2], which were loaded with [Bullets of Blessing], fired shots repeatedly.
A total of 13 shots were fired into the high demons body.
The high demon staggered backwards with an agonizing cry. Kieran had aimed right at its head.
The demons eyes were the first thing he shot off, bright red blood sshing all over its ck skull.
As the high demon struggled to move, Kieran took out another tube of [Holy Water VIII] and smeared it over [Arrogant Word].
The glow over the dark red sword made it shine brighter and look more bewitching and lethal.
The air-breaking sound that was heard from the great sword once more was different from the previous faint sh. This time, thanks to the buff from [Holy Water VIII], [Arrogant Word] could pose a threat to the high demon.
Even without its eyes, it could clearly feel the burning sensation, that seemed simr to the liquid it had felt before, on the weapon that was about to hurt it.
The high demon instinctively wanted to dodge the attack, but before it could even make a move, lines of spider webs as thin as hair were sprayed over it from Kierans right wrist, binding it on the spot.
He was using [Mardos Arm, Spider Webbing]!
The burning pain the high demon felt prevented it from bing formless again.
The high demon might specialize in illusional attacks and have very sharp fingers, but it was useless against the Powerful Defense spider web produced by [Mardos Arm].
The demon did not even possess B- Level Strength.
It could only watch helplessly as [Arrogant Word] smeared with [Holy Water VIII] shed at it.
It was like a hot knife slicing through butter.
The glittering dark red sword shed down at the high demons head until the end of its pelvic area, cutting the demon in half. This was not the end though.
Kieran kept wielding [Arrogant Word] around like a whirlwind, slicing and dicing the high demon non stop. He had not seen a death notification yet.
Within a breath, Kieran had dished out at least a dozen shes at the high demon.
The high demon was sliced into pieces of different sizes. There were at least 20 pieces of it around, yet no death notification had appeared.
Quite the opposite, the pieces of the high demon gathered around slowly and stuck together.
ck lines that looked like veins or tentacles sprung up from the pieces and intertwined, fusing together once more.
Before the demon could take shape though, Kieran shed down again, preventing it from doing so. The fusing did not stop though, and neither did Kierans shes.
As Kieran continued his relentless attack, the blood tentacles did not stop fusing. Their speed just got slower and slower.
No doubt, the high demon had exceptional regenerational abilities, but this was not to an endless extent. It was not possible considering its tier.
Time passed as Kieran dished out more shes and sshed another tube of [Holy Water VIII] onto [Arrogant Word].
Kieran became a raging typhoon, assaulting the high demon pieces before him relentlessly.
Only when the fusing almost ceased did Kieran stop. He was panting heavily.
Without the [Untamed] buff, despite Kierans extraordinary Strength, he could not wield [Arrogant Word] for a long period of time. It was just too heavy.
Besides, his chest still had a deep wound that almost reached his heart, which had been gushing blood right from the start.
After taking two more deep breaths, Kieran wielded his sword up again. Before he could swing it down though, he heard an eager voice in his ears.
"Spare me! I will sign a contract with you! Spare my poor soul!"
At the sound of the voice, the [Fantos Manuscript] started shining brightly.
Chapter 293: Return to Zero
Chapter 293: Return to Zero
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The [Fantos Manuscript] was shining brightly.
Notifications popped up in Kierans vision.
[High demon has voluntarily offered to sign a contract, Cost of signing greatly reduced...]
[1,000 Points to sign a Demon Contract, Yes/No?]
"1,000 Points?"
Compared to Louver, whose cost was sky high, the demon before Kieran was much cheaper.
Kieran hesitated though.
The high demon before him was definitely a monster that exceeded third dungeon difficulty. If he could kill it, he would acquire a Rare Rank piece of equipment, or even a Legendary one.
However, Kieran decided to sign a contract with the high demon instead.
The decision was simple. Kieran was quite fond of the high demons illusional abilities. If he could use the demons power with a mere 250-Point cost, he would dly take it.
Although the item that might fall off the high demon might also possess such an ability, that was just an assumption.
Between gambling with his luck and sacrificing something for a positive oue, Kieran decided to go with thetter.
"Yes!"
[Initiating Demon Contract, Target is a high-tier demon, Faction unknown, Highpliance, Extremely Weak Condition, Calcting 1,000 Points...]
[1,000 Points paid, Contract established!]
[Acquired Demon: Bloody Mary]
[Bloody Mary: An ident in the past caused the Blood Queen Tiara to give birth to the high demon. Bloody Mary has Lifesteal, Illusional and Hand-to-Hand Combat abilities. There are two forms avable when summoning it: 1. Blood Tiara form, a fixed, unchangeable form (one of its skills will be temporarily avable in the summoners skill slot); 2. Human Disguise form, able to summon at any time (Bloody Mary will have ess to all its skills).]
[Note 1: Each summoning will cost 250 Points, no matter if the summoner needs toplete one mission or use the demon for 10 minutes.]
[Note 2: Bloody Mary is Heavily Wounded, Unable to summon for 60 days, 0/60]
...
"An ident in the past caused the Blood Queen Tiara to give birth to the high demon?"
After going through the description of Bloody Mary, a horrible feeling bloomed in Kierans heart.
Every creature had a reason for being born.
When a human was pregnant with a child, the mothers appetite would increase as well.
Demons that were tethered to items suffered even harsher birth conditions. Not only did they require a sufficient amount of negative emotions, but the item itself had to be unique and a huge amount of energy was needed as well.
Which part of the Sunshine Mary would have the highest energy surge?
The auction room of those rare, priceless treasures.
Kieran rushed down the stairs and headed straight for the auction table.
The rooms on either side, the corridor he was sprinting through, and the table before his eyes were all so familiar.
"The illusions from before were all real?"
Kieran was shocked. He would never have thought that the illusions Bloody Mary had made him see had some truth to them.
Kieran unconsciously looked behind the curtain by the auction table.
If part of the illusion was real, then all the auction items and the beautifuldy in the cage would be behind the curtain.
When Kieran thought of thedy with the beauty of a crescent moon, his breathing became slow.
After a slight pause, he jumped up on the auction table and dragged open the curtains.
The curtains revealed a huge magic circle.
A magic circle formed by hundreds of piled-up bones. Its shape was like a t whirlpool with the skulls at its center. The vertebral columns, ribs, humerus and femur bones wereid down like waves of ripples spreading out. On top of the skulls were the palms and the feet.
The feet bones were facing down and the palms up, forming a big strange bowl. On top of the bowl were a few rotten items.
After a quick nce over the items, Kieran knew that those were the items auctioned in the Sunshine Mary.
He unconsciously touched his chest, feeling a small heartache.
It was like a dozen of Legendary Rank items and pieces of equipment were waving goodbye at him. Kierans body shivered uncontrobly.
He calmed himself down after 10 seconds.
Then he rushed up to the no longer functional magic circle and searched the rotten items, hoping to find some salvageable valuables.
The oue was disappointing. None of the items had any value anymore.
Kieran sighed and walked away.
He wanted to know whether the beautifuldy really existed or not.
He saw the cage where she had been locked in the past. However, inside the cell was only a skeleton.
It was not that different from the skeletons used in the magic circle. The only difference was that thedys skeleton was intact, while the others had been torn apart.
As he looked at the skeleton before his eyes, Kieran could not connect it to the beautifuldy in his memory. Judging by the outfit the skeleton was wearing though, it had to belong to her.
"Beauty will eventually fade off in the face of death..." Kieran muttered as he turned around.
He searched around the auction room, but made no further discoveries and went back up to the deck.
He had a general idea of what had really happened to the Sunshine Mary.
The Sunshine Mary had disguised itself as a luxurious ferry that transferred wealthy passengers from the West to the East and back, but it was in fact an auction venue that travelled by sea.
Not only did it auction off rare priceless treasures, but it also provided prostitution services. That particr service attracted more and more wealthy people, and more treasures were brought to the auction table as a result.
As more and more treasures gathered at one spot, this eventually attracted the attention of a mystical individual that was after both treasures and wealthy passengers.
Kieran even spected that the mystical individual had been hired as a prostitute.
This was not a hard feat considering the Sunshine Marys wealth. However, the mystical individual had wanted more than money from the job.
Given the circumstances, no matter what she had wanted to achieve, it would have been all too easy for her. And yet, she had still failed in the end.
The ident had given birth to the high demon and sped up the hatching of an inferior Hell Fiend Spider.
The most important point was that this ident had caused the Sunshine Mary to disappear.
Otherwise, considering the connections of all the wealthy passengers and the mystical individual on board, the crew would not have given up just like that.
The mystics also had their own organization. The man who had raised the demons was the best example of that. His death had produced the [Fantos Manuscript].
The mystical individual on board, who had wanted to achieve her goal, must have sent the [Fantos Manuscript] and some other items away before the ident had urred.
She had tried to ask for help.
"She still was not able to prevent her demise though!"
Kieran took a deep breath as he reached the deck again.
A notification was blinking in his vision.
[Sub Mission: Ghost Ferry (Completed)]
[You solved the mystery of the Sunshine Mary, Dungeon rating increased significantly!]
The notifications were expected, but what came right after made Kieran frown hard.
Chapter 294: More Rewards
Chapter 294: More Rewards
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
System notifications kept popping up in Kierans vision.
[Sub Mission, Ghost Ferrypleted perfectly!]
[Initiated Extra Sub Mission: Hundred Years of Hatred]
[Hundred Years of Hatred: The Sunshine Marys disappearance was more than met the eye. People might have thought that the case was long over, but the ripples of the incident did not stop there! Even after over 100 years, some ancient factions were still looking for the ship! By solving the mystery of the Sunshine Mary, you have be their target. You need to prove yourself worthy of the Sunshine Marys secret to all the forces watching you!]
[Note: Do not lose the [Fantos Manuscript] before you leave the current dungeon, or you will fail the mission!]
...
"The mystery of the Sunshine Mary was not just the auction? The [Fantos Manuscript] is also involved?"
Kieran was in shock as he looked over the new Sub Missions description and notes.
He realized that his deduction had been iplete.
It seemed like the Sunshine Marys mystery had not been solvedpletely after all. Only half of its secrets had been discovered.
"An auction venue that had the support of the local government and mystical factions of the time?"
Kieran drew in a deep breath. He could imagine what impact it would have if the mobile auction venue disappeared.
All parties involved would doubt and me each other, and the small frictions they would experience on a daily basis might even incite a war unknown to themon people.
Now that Kieran had discovered the reason that might have caused the war, what would happen next?
"This is really a pain in the ass!"
Kieran sighed and turned to the man whose head he had sted off.
"So you are a descendant of the person who plotted everything? Or a descendant of some other lucky fellow?" he muttered.
As Kieran gained more information, he came up with more spections.
The unlucky mystical individual who had failed to take over the Sunshine Mary had tried to send away the treasure. Had it reached her organization safely though?
This might not be the case. Even though mystical individuals had mysterious powers unknown tomon men, their ns might not have gone as expected. The sea often experienced the harshness and ruthlessness of Mother Nature.
The treasures that had been sent away might have drifted through the vast sea and eventually ended up in some lucky fellows hands.
That lucky fellow could have used the treasures to make a name for himself anywhere he went.
No matter what had happened, it would only mean more trouble for Kieran.
If the rted parties knew the story behind the Sunshine Marys disappearance, they woulde after Kieran for the [Fantos Manuscript].
Maybe Kieran should consider handing over the [Fantos Manuscript] to appease them?
The rted parties might not ept Kierans surrender and leave peacefully though, and the fact that Kieran would have to give his own belongings to someone else without resistance was uneptable to him.
It was impossible to take something from a stingy person. Besides, he still had toplete a Sub Mission rted to the manuscript.
Given the circumstances, everything led to an unavoidable battle.
The Shepherd of Deaths invitation was still waiting for Kieran, yet now he had stumbled upon another century-old organization. He shrugged helplessly, a slight grin forming on his face.
"A century-old organization should have a lot of valuables, right?" Kieran mumbled as he jumped down to the third deck.
He needed to find Schmidt.
Ever since Schmidt had gone to look for Boller, he hadnt heard from him. Something must have happened.
Louver was following Kieran with a lifeless expression. After a quick nce at him, Kieran did not stop him.
He was curious about Louver and the fact that he was categorized as a special demon. He wouldnt mind studying him more closely.
...
Schmidt had really stumbled upon trouble this time.
Although he had located Boller, his unconscious friend was trapped inside a cocoon. The cocoon was covering his whole body. His head was the only thing sticking out.
The spider webs were so strong that not even his dagger could cut Boller free.
Schmidt thought about burning them with his lighter, but the webs were very thick and Boller was wrapped up in them, so he gave up on that n.
He didnt want his unconscious partner to suffer from heavy burns.
Everything was solved when Kieran came though.
[Arrogant Word] cut through the webs easily, freeing Boller from the cocoon.
Meanwhile, Kieran noticed a lot of treasures and jewellery around the room, which had to be the turbine room of the ferry.
"The Hell Fiend Spider was collecting treasures?" Kieran was puzzled.
He had never read about such an odd spider habit in the books, but this still did not stop him from packing up everything he saw.
There was even an unexpected reward among the treasure.
[Name: Intact Ruby]
[Type: Gemstone]
[Rarity: Great]
[Attributes: Able to be embedded on weapons and armor. Grants 16 - 32 Burn Damage to weapons and 16% - 32% Fire Resistance to armor]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: Its value exceeds that ofmon jewels!]
...
A ruby the size of a thumb was lying softly in Kierans palm.
"An intact ruby! How lucky!"
Kieran remembered the cksmiths favor.
Even though there was only one piece in that whole pile of treasure, it was enough tofort Kierans broken heart.
He also remembered that there were Magical Rank items and equipment on the Golden Beach.
Because of the sudden appearance of the miasma maze, Keiran had been forced to enter the Sunshine Mary before he could collect all his loot.
Once he remembered that his loot was lying outside unprotected, he sped up and packed up all themon jewels.
He threw Boller over his shoulder and headed out to the Golden Beach.
He didnt bother taking the stairs. He just leapt off the first deck, Louver following right behind him.
Schmidt rolled his eyes when he saw the height Kieran had jumped from.
"Hey! There is still amon man up here!" he shouted as he got off the ferry the normal way.
When he finally got down, Kieran had already finished collecting his loot.
He had found four Magical Rank pieces of equipment and two potions.
The Magical Rank equipment were all lower-tier weapons and armor that only gave him Armor Pration, Hiding and Nimbleness attributes.
The two potions were [Elementary Healing Potion]s.
[Name: Elementary Healing Potion]
[Type: Potion]
[Rarity: Great]
[Attributes: Recovers 50 HP instantly and 10 HP during the next 5 seconds]
[Prerequisites: None]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: This is a potion crafted by Potionology. Its mystical power will save your life in a pinch!]
...
Although its effect was far inferiorpared to a [Medium Healing Potion], Kieran still put it away in his [Potionologist Satchel]. Something was always better than nothing.
"Look at this damned scene! Im afraid our dear director might lose his position this time. I hope whoever takes his ce will not give me more headaches!" Schmidt said with a sigh as he looked at the beach. It was filled with dead bodies.
He called the incident in and then asked Kieran, "You going back to the house? I think Simones is the right man to fix Boller up!"
"Sure thing!" Kieran nodded.
When the other police officers arrived at the scene, they looked at Kieran in concern again. The four of them got back into the car.
However, before they could reach 1st ck Street, Kieran saw an unfamiliar car parked in front of the garden.
"Huh? You have visitors?" Schmidt said in surprise.
Chapter 295: Information
Chapter 295: Information
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
"Hope were not in trouble!"
Schmidt automatically pulled out his gun.
His vignce was closely rted to his ability to deal with mystical incidents without getting himself killed.
"Trouble always follows us!"
Kieran got out of the car. Compared to Schmidt, he was even more vignt, although this sometimes made him read too much into a situation.
Kieran quietly opened the door to Nikoreis house. He was surprised when he saw Raul and Cidney sitting in the living room. Then he smiled.
"Hey! Raul, Cidney... Its been a while!"
Raul was wearing a huge coat and was covered in bandages as usual, Cidney didnt look much different than two years ago either. He was just wearing a set of spectacles that made him look more polite.
"2567! Its nice to see you again!"
Two years ago, during the shamans assistant test, Kieran had made asting impression on Raul and Cidney. The rumors circting about him for the past two years had only deepened their admiration of him.
Elli, who was standing beside them, saw Kieran casually greet Raul and Cidney. She let out a cold grunt, but Kieran did not pay any attention to her.
He told Raul and Cidney to wait and turned around to open the door.
Instantly, the youngss face became even colder.
Schmidt walked in, carrying Boller on his shoulder, and Louver followed him with a dull expression on his face.
Raul and Cidney knew Schmidt. They all greeted each other, but when the duo saw Louver, Rauls eyes widened in rm.
"Who are you? Who gave you permission to enter this house?"
Her shout was filled with reverence. Kieran could feel a special energy starting to gather around Raul as she shouted.
The energy was simr to a primordial natural energy, yet also slightly different.
Kieran could easily tell them apart, because he had [Wild Soul] on him.
Of course, what intrigued him the most was that Raul had noticed Louvers identity as a demon.
"What happened to Raul?" he wondered silently.
Two years ago, she had barely even been a half-mystical individual. All she had been able to to was read some mystical runes. That was it.
Now that she had reappeared before Kieran, the special energy emerging was stronger than Ellis. Even Kierans senses were not as sharp as Rauls.
After all, if Kieran had not watched Louver fight in his demon form, he could hardly have been able to tell whether he was still a human or a demon.
"This is Louver, the pitiful young man that I mentioned before..." Schmidt exined quickly as he handed Boller over to Simones. He also revealed what had happened in the Sunshine Mary.
Kieran stepped in and filled in the gaps.
"A Hell Fiend Spider? A high demon?"
Everyone in the living room was shocked. They were all taking cold deep breaths helplessly. As mystical individuals, they knew perfectly well what those two terms meant.
A Hell Fiend Spider was a mythical monster that could even devour Gods.
After Nikorei had settled down on the West Coast, no high demon had been sighted for over 30 years, yet the creatures still struck fear in peoples hearts.
Their ability to kill people by using an illusive realm could send chills down any mystical individuals spine.
"Id rather face 10 vicious Night Walkers than one high demon!"
This was an expression used among the mystics, although mostly as a joke.
After all, Night Walkers were not easy to deal with.
The vicious Night Walkers were the traitors of the Duwurk, Hedurk and Felwurk tribes.
They liked to devour humans and gain strength from them. One would need at least 30 men fully armed with heavy artillery to deal with a single Night Walker.
All joking aside though, this was enough to prove how terrifying a high demon was.
When everyone heard that Kieran had killed a Hell Fiend Spider and a high demon, their expressions changed.
Simones was the only one who looked at ease.
Raul and Cidneys opinion of KIeran got even better. Even Ellis icy expression faded away, getting instantly reced by admiration. However, when Kieran did not even nce at her, it switched back to icy cold.
"It was not what it sounds like. If it had been a real Hell Fiend Spider, the whole West Coast would have perished under its web!" Kieran exined as everyone looked at him. He did not want to boast about his achievements.
He had never made a habit of it, nor did he want to start now. Still, everyone present was in awe of him.
"Even if it just looked like one, such a Hell Fiend Spider would not be amon monster anyone could have dealt with either! I begin to believe Reis prophecy more and more now! I am looking forward to seeing how you will reign thisnd!" Simones said clearly as he looked at Kieran seriously.
Raul and Cidney nodded in agreement, but Elli pretended to be angry. She turned her face away as her breath quickened.
The youngss had obviously thought of something that excited her.
"Please dont mention Reis prophecy... You know it only embarrasses me! Plus...I think I need a doctor and a skilled craftsman!" Kieran quickly changed the topic to avoid any more embarrassment. He took off [Crows ck Feather], revealing the damaged [Pauls Camouge] and the wound on his chest.
Although he had applied [Hemostasis Balm] to the wound and blood had stopped gushing out, the depth of the wound was enough to reach his heart. Everyone drew in a cold breath.
"You got injured seriously, yet you are acting like you are fine? Simones, bring some potions and medicine! He needs some first aid!" Schmidt, who had been with Kieran all along, yelled at him. He had not noticed the wounds either.
Schmidt couldnt bear to see his partner orrades hurt. It only dag up the unpleasant past he had buried long ago.
"Got it! Leave it to me!" Simones ran to his room and came out with a first aid kit.
"You did a good job stopping the bleeding, but thats it!"
Simonnes checked the wound on Kierans chest,menting on the [Hemostasis Balm]s effect.
He took out a [Medium Healing Potion] and told him to drink it.
"This is wasteful!" Kieran said.
Thanks to the system notification, Kieran knew how badly wounded he was. His HP had told him everything he needed to know.
The wound might look terrifying, but it had not harmed Kierans organs. All he needed to do was slowly nurse himself back to health. There was no need to waste a [Medium Healing Potion] on him.
Simones insisted though and Ellis eyes were red and filled with tears, so he had no other choice.
Kieran plucked open the cork and swallowed the potion in one gulp.
As he drank it, the ache made him unconsciously cover his heart with his hand. He still thought that this was wasteful.
"How do you feel?"
Elli was staring at Kieran, her icy cold expression and disdain gone. There was only a nervous, worried expression on her face. The youngss rushed over to Kierans side, asking about his well-being.
"Theres nothing to worry about! Is there any way to fix my armor?" Kieran asked Simones as he wiggled away from Elli. He was not used to being this close to a girl.
Simones noticed and sighed. He knew Elli had carried a heavy burden and travelled a long way.
"I dont have such a skill, but I know someone who can fix it! He has remarkable repairing skills. He is even skilled at Alchemy. I think youll want to meet him!"
Simones knew that Kieran had been eager to learn about [Alchemy] right from the start.
"Great! I cant wait to meet this friend of yours!" Kieran said with a smile.
"Okay, let me contact him now. Oh, before I do that, I think you need to hear what news Raul and Cidney brought us today!" Simones said with a nod.
"News? Is it about Rei?" Kieran was stunned at first, but he quickly came back to his senses.
It was not hard to guess what this was about.
Simones and Elli would not have sat back while Nikorei was missing, but considering that the two of them were unable to leave the West Coast, getting help from someone else would have been the best solution.
Kieran was unsure whether Raul and Cidney were the best candidates for the job, but if the two of them had offered to help, this was enough to prove their loyalty.
Kieran unconsciously felt more fond of them.
"Yes! After Rei went missing, I asked a friend of mine and Reis to find her. Then Raul and Cidney, who had gotten married and lived in the istion of the countryside, volunteered to join the search. As a matter of fact, Raul and Cidney went to almost every ce on the West Coast that Rei could possibly be. Thank you for everything youve done for Rei."
Simones words confirmed Kierans thoughts.
"Madam Nikorei has done so much for us. Without her help, Cidney and I would not have been able to live in peace. Now that Madam Nikorei is missing, its time we lend a hand as well! We just did the right thing," Raul and Cidney replied with a smile.
The couple, who had been through hell, showed an extremely generous attitude.
"You did what you could, which is great by itself!" Schmidt added.
As the Chief Officer, he knew how hard it was to do the right thing.
"We didnte back with great news this time though..."
Raul and Cidneyughed bitterly. Then Cidney started to look odd all of a sudden.
"What happened? Did you find something?" Kieran asked.
Everyone waited anxiously for an answer.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
KNIGHT OF DAWN BODY TEMPERING ART!
Chapter 296: The Black Knight
Chapter 296: The ck Knight
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
"Did anything happen to Rei?" Simones asked, looking distressed. His voice sounded like he was shivering.
"No, no! How should I put this?" Raul shook her head. She wanted to exin, but she didnt know where to start.
She took out an erged colored photo.
The photo pictured a unique rainbow arch soaring through a blue sky and white clouds. It was very beautiful, yet everyones attention was not on the rainbows beauty, but on the blurry figure beside it.
It was Nikorei!
Even though the picture was blurry, beside the figure was a cat and a translucent figure was following right behind it. Everyone present was sure that the blurry figure was Nikorei.
"This was taken by a photographer after a rainy day. He identally discovered the picture and thought it was a mistake of his camera. He threw it aside and forgot about it until he encountered the supernatural element himself. He contacted a mystic to help him solve the problem, and the mystic noticed the picture. Coincidentally, that individual was a friend of ours, so she knew we were looking for Madam Nikorei and contacted us!" Raul and Cidney exined.
"Is she a reliable source?" Kieran asked warily.
"Very reliable. Rukie is a very reliable person and a loyal friend. She would never have lied to us!" the couple said, defending their friend.
Kieran trusted the couple, so he decided to trust that Rukie too, even though they had never met.
He took the picture and scanned it carefully. The figures had to be the missing Nikorei, Tiki and Ferad. After looking at the photo for a while, Kieran was certain.
As for how they had managed to appear so high above the ground, Kieran believed that, considering their abilities, it would not have been hard.
"When was this taken?" he asked.
"About four months ago," the couple replied.
"Four months ago? Any other discoveries?" Kieran muttered, following up with another question. He did not ask where the picture had been taken, as he believed that Raul and Cidney would have done their research before returning to the house.
"Yes! The locals in Feronde saw Madam Nikoreis figure a couple of times! Sometimes at dawn, sometimes at dusk, after the rain, during the rain, even during a full moon!" Raul and Cidney said.
"This means that there is no precise timing... Could you confirm she was only spotted in Feronde?" Kieran asked.
"Yes, only in Feronde, but..."
The couple looked odd again.
"Whats wrong?" Schmidt asked nervously.
"The town of Feronde has disappeared! After we received the picture from Rukie, we headed to Feronde to investigate. It was normal during the day, but at nightfall we were awakened by a series of cries. A group of ck-armored knights appeared in town and killed everyone in sight..."
Cidney looked terrified as he mentioned the incident.
"ck knights?"
Everyone exchanged looks.
"Evil spirits?" Schmidt asked.
Some evil spirits would appear in human form before they died.
"Not evil spirits!" Cidney said in an affirmative tone. Raul nodded, agreeing with her husband.
"Although I am not really a mystical individual, I know fire, blessed items and electric batons would have caused damage to evil spirits, but the ck knights we encountered were not afraid of them! They were wearing noir armor and riding ck horses. Their eyes were scarlet, and they were wielding ck longswords, battle axes and spears as they rampaged through the town. The owner of the hotel we were staying at got his head chopped off by a battle axe. His brains sshed all over my face. That feeling..."
Cidney found it hard to continue. Although he was a doctor, he wasnt fond of blood.
Raul held Cidneys hands in hers,forting her husband. Then she picked up where her husband had left off, borating in a more professional way.
"Fire, electricity, blessed items, and spells could cause no damage to the ck knights. Small bullets could not even prate their armor! Plus, they were moving fast. They were as strong as oxen and they had a clear target in their minds. Throughout the massacre, they did not even talk. They only signaled at each other using gestures! I have never seen such a horrifying squadron before!"
"To be honest, if Rukie hadnt helped us escape, Im afraid we might have died under their swords! However, when Rukie tried to lure away the ck knights, she did note back..."
Rauls rough, dry voice made everyone even more anxious.
"Rukie was a loyal friend," Simones tried tofort the couple.
"When did this happen?" Kierans sharp senses had picked up on something.
"About a week ago! We tried everything within and beyond our powers, but we still got no results, so we came back here seeking help!" Raul said.
Suddenly, Schmidt became infuriated.
"A week ago? A whole town vanished just like that? What the f*ck is the government doing? Why werent we informed about this? Are they scared or something? Those goddamn f*cking pieces of sh*t!"
The chief officer could not hold back his anger anymore. He vented out his rage through cursing.
No one present had any morements to make after that raging outburst.
As mystical individuals, everyone was ustomed to solving matters the mystical way.
The mystical way was to solve their own problems when they came across them.
If they couldnt do so, then they requested help from friends orrades.
The government was always ignored by the mystics. Some of the most elderly mystics had the impression that there was still a king.
They were not wrong from a certain perspective, but Kieran was not one of the old geezers.
As a yer, he had his own ways of dealing with problems. All he cared about was the missions.
[Sub Mission Unlocked: Missing Town!]
[Missing Town: Raul and Cidney brought news about Nikorei, but you need to use your own strength and wits to determine whether these news are useful. Head to Forende Town, but beware! Danger lurks freely there!]
...
The Sub Mission forced Kieran to make a decision.
"Very well! Ill do my best to help, but I cant make a move right away..." Kieran said, pointing at his wounds.
Raul and Cidney seemed to understand Kierans condition.
Everyone sat down and talked about Feronde before Schmidt left to do his job.
As the Chief Officer of the West Coast and the special operation task force captain, he had no spare time for chit chat.
However, after about 15 minutes, Schmidt entered the house again with another person.
Everyone inside the house frowned when they saw the person Schmidt had brought back.
Louver instinctively gripped his sword tight.
Chapter 297: The Kind Ones Never Come
Chapter 297: The Kind Ones Never Come
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The person behind Schmidt was a middle-aged woman.
She was quite tall, evenpared to a man, and there were wrinkles on her face, but she still looked very delicate. She had brownish-red wavy hair and she was wearing a mandarin cored coat with a pair of long boots, which made her look very energetic.
Still, none of these things were the reason everyone was frowning.
As she walked into the house, a vague aura covered the whole living room.
Tomoners, such an aura only felt unsettling, yet to the mystics, it was a disy of strength.
[Fear: You are within Targets Fear range, Your Spirit has passed the authentication, No abnormalities have urred...]
A notification started to ping in Kierans vision as soon as she appeared.
Kieran started to look at her in an unfriendly way.
No matter the reason behind her visit, such a disy of strength was a provocative act based on ill intentions. Therefore, Kieran replied in a straightforward way.
He used the [Dead Mans Gaze]!
Kierans [Half-Deads Gaze] on his right index finger shone as he activated the skill. Instantly, the middle-aged womans face turned sour.
Suddenly, a gold glint started shining within her wavy hair, removing her from the terrifying illusion.
It was her earring, a golden earring in the shape of a snake!
"A magical item that can withstand a mental attack?" Kieran was surprised.
The Spirit attribute had a special ce in the underground game and within the dungeon world.
In other words, within the dungeon world, any skills and items that could counter and correspond with the Spirit attribute were extremely rare. That was why Spirit had a special role in the game.
yers with a naturally high Spirit attribute were known as the Chosen Ones.
Kieran had been through a couple of dungeon runs, but other than [Lionheart], this was the first time he had seen a native possess an item that could resist a mental attack.
Kieran unconsciously wanted to take another nce at her, but the middle-aged woman flipped her hair forward with her hand, avoiding Kierans gaze.
"Schmidt, wont you introduce everyone to me?" the woman said in a pleasant voice filled with reverence.
"This is Simones, Elli Jones, Raul, her husband Cidney, Louver and... I dont need to introduce him, right? I bet your desk is filled with files about him!"
Even a passerby would have been able to tell that Schmidt was being hard on the woman. During the introduction, he couldnt help but use a mocking tone as he spoke.
Kieran looked at Schmidt curiously. He knew Schmidt was not a rude person. He might be hot-headed, but he was actually quite kind and generous. He could be a good friend, if one could ignore his messy outer image.
Kieran was waiting for an exnation. He believed that the man would give him one.
After a slight pause, Schmidt introduced the woman to everyone present.
"This is Tally Landsky, the newly appointed station director of the West Coast. Shepleted the handover procedures with the previous director a day ago," Schmidt said, emphasizing each word.
Kieran squinted instantly, catching the hints Schmidt was throwing at him.
Kieran hade back to the West Coast a day ago, just as the new director hadpleted the handover procedures.
Suddenly, he thought of the attack at the train station and the mystical consultant he had seen at the Golden Beach before the Sunshine Mary. The womans eagerness to disy her strength as soon as shed stepped into the house made it seem like she hade with malicious intent.
Kieran squinted his eyes as he looked at her again.
The newly promoted director looked back at Kieran with a smile.
"Good afternoon, Sir 2567. I hope my sudden visit is not an inconvenience," she said in a friendly tone.
If it wasnt for Schmidts hints, Kieran would have been fooled by her friendliness.
However, now he replied coldly, "Director Landsky, strangers are not wee at our house. I would like you to leave right away!"
Kieran was certain that Landsky was with a hidden agenda, but he was not interested in finding out what it was.
The Shepherd of Death, the mysterious mystical organization that was after the [Fantos Manuscript], and the ck knights that had appeared in Feronde were all that Kieran could handle for the time being.
Other than the Sub Mission, he still had his own agenda, which was to study [Alchemy] and [Astrology] and reach a respectable system level.
With all those things on his te, Kieran was reluctant to get involved into even more unpleasant business. Especially when that business involved a person with malicious intent.
"I came here as a friend. This was just a little test. Such rudeness would not match your kingsly nature," Landsky replied. She was still smiling, even though Kieran had told her to leave.
She exined her actions and elevated Kierans position, all the while downying her own as a veteran. This seemed like an appropriate move for her considering the current situation, but Landsky did not know that Kieran felt embarrassed about the prophecy.
If Kieran had had a decent rtionship with her, he might have kept this to himself, but he did not feel like being generous when the person embarrassing him was someone with ill intent.
Kierans heart beat hard, emitting the aura of the Creature of Desire and the Devil Lord at the same time. That soft aura was enough to make everyone present ufortable, even Tally Landsky, whom Kieran was looking at.
Landsky felt like she was being targeted by two primordial beings. One of them was like a primal sin in the deepest part of her heart, condemning her into an eternal abyss. The other wanted to burn her to ashes and produce mes so high that they could scorch the sky, punishing her to never be reborn again.
Landsky did not have the power to resist those two distinctive auras.
As her face turned pale, she said goodbye quickly and left.
Kieran smiled when he saw her retreating back. He had discovered the use of the [Fusion Heart] aura identally, when he had been facing the Hell Fiend Spider.
Everytime Kieran wanted to use [Devil Transformation] or [Desire Summoning], his body would emit that aura.
Although this was an aura without the true powers of the Devil or the Creature of Desire, it was enough to scare people off.
Schmidtughed delightedly as he watched his director leave in a hurry.
"If you keepughing, you might lose your badge." Simones sighed and turned his attention to Kieran. He inspected him, but did not question his actions.
The mystics had a lot of unspoken rules. One of the most important ones was not to ask about other peoples strength.
"Who cares? Ill just take a vacation!" Schmidt said indifferently after a stunned pause. His manner still revealed his true feelings though. Everyone could easily see that behind his tough front was a kind person.
No one doubted how passionate Schmidt was about his job, yet none of them could help him.
No one lingered on the topic. Instead, they talked about other interesting stories concerning the mystical realm, trying to diffuse the unpleasant, depressing atmosphere.
The conversation eventually turned to Kieran once more. Everyone was really curious about his adventures during the past two years.
Kieran knew his limits though. He was unable to tell everyone what he had done in the past two years. After all, who knew what sort of weird description the system had created for him?
After some chit chat, Kieran noticed that the arrow of the conversation was pointed at him and used his wounds as an excuse to go back to his room and avoid the conversation. He left and went back to doing his own thing.
Before repairing [Pauls Camouge], he wanted to go through all the books he had gotten the previous day.
Even he could not fully understand everything, but he wanted to learn as much as he could.
[Stars and Destiny] was the first book. He had already been half-way through it.
[Reading books rted to Astrology, Experience increased a little...]
[Reading books rted to Astrology, Experience increased a little...]
...
As the pages were flipped over, notifications kept popping up in Kierans vision.
Kieran quickly submersed himself into reading,petely forgetting about the time.
Until...
Chapter 298: Concentration
Chapter 298: Concentration
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
"What? What did you say? The station was bombed?"
Schmidt, who had been free for the past week, was lying down on the couchpletely rxed, when Simones brought back those news. Schmidt jumped off the couch right away.
"Who the f*ck was it?" he asked.
"2567!" Simones replied with a bitter smile.
"What the f*ck? 2567 was reading books here the whole time... Someone must be framing him! Damn it! It must have been that b*tch Tally Landskys idea! She was humiliated by 2567, and now shes back for revenge!"
After a small pause, Schmidt realized what was going on. The suspended chief officer started cursing loudly.
Schmidts hot temper could easily cost him his job. Although this was not the worst case scenario, he had still gotten on Tally Landskys bad side.
Before Simones could utter a word, Schmidt picked up the only phone in the study angrily and dialed a number.
"Arent you worried at all?"
Simones looked at Schmidts reckless, impulsive move and then turned to Kieran, who was sitting on a chair reading his book, as if he hadnt noticed the smallmotion. Simones smiled bitterly.
"Whats the use of worrying? Landsky has already made her move. Well just improvise and get over it!" Kieran said lightly.
As he spoke, his eyes never left the book before him. It was "The Path of Stars and Destiny", an advanced version of "Stars and Destiny".
After finishing "Stars and Destiny" and gaining some other basic knowledge, this was like reading a book from Heaven. However, even after learning tons of things, that book still baffled him. At least he could get something from it though. He was still able to understand a little.
Kieran could feel that he would master the Basic Level of [Astrology] after he finished the book in his hands. It was one of his most important reasons for returning to the dungeon world. Surely, he would not get distracted by any other matters in the meantime.
So what if someone had bombed the station pretending to be him? This was just a petty matter in his mind, but it was not something he hadnt expected.
Kieran knew that he was in the middle of a whirlpool of trouble.
He might not share Schmidts opinionpletely, but the newly-promoted director wanted to win some face back and Kieran was quite sure that she was rted to the bombing at the station.
After all, Landsky was not someone who would give up easily, despite their abrupt meeting the other day.
Schmidt mmed the phone down hard. His face looked uglier than before.
"That f*cking Tally Landsky just issued an arrest warrant for 2567! A team of officers is heading here right now!" he said.
Simones expression turned worried instantly.
Elli, who had juste down from her room, clenched her white tiger teeth and said fiercely, "Ill let that woman know what a big mistake shes made! Ill make her regret her decision!"
The youngss tried to walk out of the house as she spoke, but Kieran stopped her.
"Calm down, Elli! Maybe that woman is waiting for you at her office. It doesnt matter if its you, Simones, or Raul and her husband... Whoever she gets her hands onto, she will use as leverage. She knows that she wont get what she wants from me. Thats why she is using this method to provoke us. Dont forget that she disyed her strength the other day. Shes not some government officer that knows nothing about the mystical realm. She is very familiar with the mystics. She is even able to channel such powers!"
Kieran had to put his book down to talk to the impulsive youngss.
"Rx! Ill be back soon..."
Kieran smiled at Elli and the others around him.
Just as he said, fully armed officers with terrified expressions appeared before 1st ck Street. Kieran cooperated with the officers and got into the police cruiser willingly. He did not even take his backpack and the box with [Arrogant Word] with him. All he had taken was just a book.
Kierans friends were surprised by his actions, but they did not voice their concern. They knew that Kieran never did anything without a reason.
If he had decided to leave with a book, he must have had his reasons.
"Ill follow!" Schmidt opened the cruisers door, pulling one of his colleagues out and sitting inside.
The officer looked like he had been relieved off a heavy burden. He headed to another cruiser delightly. The assistant chief officer sitting in the front seat was smiling bitterly.
"Please dont hold a grudge, 2567. We are just following the directors orders!"
The assistant chief officer, who had been Schmidts partner in the past, knew a little about the mystical realm. When he saw Kieran sitting in the backseat, he felt chills go down his spine.
If it was not for his pension, he would have resigned and handed in his badge before he epted this assignment.
Arresting the Bird of Death? The Ominous Bird?
When hed received the order, he had wanted to pull his gun out and point it at the woman. Hed wanted to question her sanity and nerve.
Did she not know that the man people called a raven would gue every ce he visited with catastrophes?
Did she really want to arrest him? If she had a death wish, so be it, but she could leave the officers behind at the station!
As for Kieran bombing the station, that was a ridiculous joke. Anyone with eyes knew what was going on. Considering how strong the Bird of Death was, no explosion caused by him could have been casualty-free. This was the joke of the century!
The assistant chief officer had pulled himself out of this assignment out of instinct.
Kieran could not help but sigh when he saw the assistant chief officers terrified face. His smile was bitter, yet he had still mustered up the courage to exin.
He never would have thought that Nikoreis prophecy would have been rooted so deep in peoples hearts.
Kieran admitted that some of it was a mere coincidence, but still...
"Is abination of death and the unknown the root of all fears?" Kieran thought before he lowered his head to continue reading "The Path of Stars and Destiny". He had no interest in talking with a person who had lost his ability to judge due to his fear.
It was lucky that Schmidt hade along.
"Lets go!" he said.
The three police cruisers drove off.
Elli, who was staring at the police cruisers from inside the house, felt like she had lost her soul. "If teacher was here, would he have been treated like this?" she asked Simones.
"Rei? If she was here, everything would have been fine. Dont forget that she is the strongest shaman on the West Coast!" Simones said with a soft sigh.
"Is that so?" The youngss nodded before she headed back into the house.
Simones watched Elli walk off toward her room. Maybe it was his old eyes, but for a moment he had felt like he had seen Nikorei back in the day.
A younger Nikorei had once told him that the Gods in the sky had fallen, but there was still her left on the Earth...
Simones smiled.
"Ha ha... How is this possible?" Simones went back into the house,ughing softly.
Despite Kierans assurance, Simones, a traditional person within the mystical realm and a potionologist, still felt uneasy. He might need toe up with a n after this.
Otherwise, when Nikorei came back and discovered the truth, she would be infuriated.
Raul and Cidney shared the same uneasy feeling, and so did Louver, who was forcefully left behind.
After Kieran had gone off, Louvers dull, lifeless emotions were reced by anxiety.
When Louver felt a spying gaze that bore ill intentions, he pulled his de out without hesitation.
Chapter 299: Collusion
Chapter 299: Collusion
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Tally Landsky was wearing a white shirt and ck pants. She looked like a businesswoman.
Unlike her mandarin cored coat and energetic experience, the businesswoman look added ayer of feminine charm to her.
Her long legs looked even longer in those ck pants, attracting everyones attention.
However, Schmidt, who was sitting on the other side of the table, did not care about any of those things. He was staring at Landsky with eyes full of rage.
"Why did you do this?" he asked her.
"What do you mean?" Landsky raised an eyebrow.
"Stop acting! Why did you do something as childish as this? 2567 is not some good guy. Your actions will only backfire on you!" Schmidt said, raising his voice.
"Schmidt, I did not let you walk into my office because of your suspended chief officer status. You seem like an honest man, but I never thought you would beg or threaten me on a criminals behalf!" Landsky said in a cold tone.
"Being honest doesnt mean that Im stupid! I know all the tricks you big fes y, and I also know what kind of person 2567 is! You cant treat 2567 the same way you have treated other criminals in the past. Youve picked the wrong person to mess with!" Schmidt spit out with augh before he stood up, ready to leave.
"Are you sure about that? Havent you thought about whos left at 1st ck Street while the Bird of Death is gone? A useless potionologist, an amateur shaman, and a pitiful couple. Did you think it was that retarded young man or your ex-partner that is in aa?"
Landsky gave him a mocking grin.
"YOU!"
Schmidts eyes suddenly widened.
The threat was too obvious. The rage in his heart almost made him lose control and pull his gun out, sting the bitchs head to pieces.
Landsky kept smiling while Schmidt was looking at her angrily.
"Ive told you before Schmidt. You are an honest man, so youd never guess what ways a despicable person would use. Of course, this is not my decision to make either. Im just following orders too," Landsky emphasized.
"So you are the executioner now?" Schmidt said with a cold grunt.
He had gotten Landskys implication, but that did not mean that he was ready to give in. If he did, given his past achievements, he would get promoted to director or an even higher position instead of being stuck as a mere chief officer.
"Thats right, I became an executioner. An executioner that will pave the future!" Landsky said in a steadfast tone.
"Did you even think about why the people before you never seeded?" Schmidt asked her.
"Are you talking about Nikorei? The strongest shaman on the West Coast? Or about the Dark Star, Night Demon, Unicorn, White Deer, Pris, or even the mysterious Sanctuary society? Stop being so naive, Schmidt! They disappeared! Every single one of them! This is a golden opportunity for usmoners! Join us, Schmidt! You will be my right-hand man! If you join our ranks, you will see how big this world is and enjoy the real meaning of life!" Landsky suddenly proposed.
"Commoners? The robbers shouldnt put themselves in the position of the robbed. This makes me sick!" Schmidt said straightforwardly.
"Thats a pity."
Landsky shook her head, looking regretful.
"Want to make your move now? You high-ranking bastards like that! Come on then! Where is it gonna be? Here? Or here?"
Schmidt pointed at his chest and neck, indicating that he was ready.
"No, no, no... I was just thinking. If you joined our ranks, maybe we could let 2567 live. Now though? All you can do is prepare a body bag for him!"
Landsky stood up from her chair, shaking her finger at him.
"If you bastards could deal with 2567, you wouldnt be having this conversation with me!" Schmidt said,ughing in disdain.
"It might not have been possible in the past, but now... He didnt bring his weapons with him and he is locked in a special interrogation room. Some interested parties that want him dead have already contacted me. I think they will take care of 2567 quite well," Landsky said in an oddly calm manner.
"Did you even think of why 2567 did not bring his weapons? Dont tell me he was afraid that you would confiscate them! You are not capable of that!" Schmidt said.
"Why didnt he then?" Landsky looked at Schmidt in interest.
"Because when he decided toe with you bastards, he already knew what would happen. He didnt even think that he would be threatened, so I suggest you prepare some more body bags!" Schmidt said, emphasizing each word.
"We shall see then!" Landsky replied after a small pause.
Meanwhile, she quietly pushed a button under her desk.
...
After locking Kieran inside the interrogation room, the assistant chief officer left in a hurry. He did not even cuff Kieran before leaving.
Kieran was grateful about that. It was easier for him to read his book that way.
However, things would have been better if the cup of water before him was not poisoned and there wasnt a magic circle in the interrogation room.
The moment he stepped into the room, a notification told him that his [Burning Hand] was sealed.
Kieran was not surprised. He had expected that his enemies would be prepared. He was just curious about the magic circle they had used. The magic circle in the room was not something a low-ranking mystic could have gotten their hands on.
One would need at least a Master Level to set up a magic circle like that.
Kieran knew this from "The Supernatural Collection of the West Coast, Pre-Er990", a book from Nikoreis library. The author, Weister Rei, had stated in surprise that Nikorei had easilypleted a Master Level magic circle when she was only 15 years old and had even made some improvements on it.
When Kieran had consulted Nikorei about the book, her words had made a deep impression on his mind.
"If this was just some average magic sealing circle, I couldve done it when I was 10!"
Kieran had no words to appropriately describe Nikoreis gift, other than the fact that she might not be human.
However, he would never dare say that before her. The prophecy had caused him a lot of embarrassment, so he knew that Nikorei would also hate such a promation.
"Are they mystical individuals from the higher ranks of the government? Or did they collude with some local gangs?" Kieran wondered.
He quickly submersed himself back into reading, finishing his book.
When there were a couple of pages left, the interrogation room door suddenly opened.
Loud steps and a sharp gaze full of malicious intent interrupted Kieran, who lifted his head.
A total of three men had appeared before him. One of them was strong, and one was scrawny, but the three of them still took up half of the room.
"Where is the [Fantos Manuscript]?" the one in the middle, who acted as their leader, asked straightforwardly.
"You are here for the [Fantos Manuscript]? Are you guys East Coast mystics?"
Kieran was looking at the men in surprise. Their appearance had really caught him off guard. He never would have thought that Tally Landskyswork would be so extensive. Had she discovered the secrets of the Sunshine Mary and contacted the East Coast mystics?
Or...
"Did the East Coast mystics contact Tally Landsky instead?"
Kieran squinted his eyes at the thought.
The two possibilities would result in different conclusions.
If it was the former, Kieran would have to re-evaluate Tally Landskys abilities, and if it was thetter, he would need to re-evaluate the abilities of the East Coast mystics.
Unlike the West Coast mystics, the East Coast mystics had formed a tight coboration with the government.
When Nikorei had be a police mystical consultant on the West Coast, she shook the whole coast with her position. If it hadnt been for her formidable abilities, she might have been exorcised.
When he deemed that he had given Kieran enough time to think, the man opened his mouth again.
"Spill! Where is the [Fantos Manuscript]?" He sounded even more anxious now.
His men turned their anxiety into action, moving towards Kieran even though he was right before them. They wanted to grab his arms and force him onto the table, before using a more direct way to get the location out of him.
Could they perhaps have been more cautious?
How much caution was needed against a disarmed mystic in a Sealed Magic circle though?
They didnt think they needed to be careful, even though they were facing the infamous Bird of Death.
As a result, when they were kicked off towards the wall with the table, suffering countless relentless kicks, they could not believe what was happening.
They instinctively wanted to resist, but Kierans kicks were too fast and too strong.
None of them had any idea how Kieran could unleash kicks that fast with so much strength.
This was different from what they had been informed about!
They had been told that he was good with a two-handed great sword, he was able to use bows, spears and firearms, and he was skilled at rush offense tactics and fire element spells.
However, the scene before their eyes told them that they had missed out on the most important piece of information, which was his most lethal ability.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
The small, narrow interrogation room was the best ce to unleash [Hundred Violent Kicks]. When [Barsical Kick]s special effect [Bide] was triggered, [Hundred Violent Kicks] became faster and stronger.
The fast, violent, concentrated kicking shadows oveid, appearing before Kieran in a 120-degree angle, shrouding the three men.
By the time Kieran stopped, the three of them had been robbed of any human features. One of them had dropped a green glowing piece of equipment. Kieran picked it up casually and walked back to his seat without breaking a sweat. He just resumed his reading.
After a while, a voice was heard through the door of the interrogation room.
"Does the Bird of Death care about his destiny?"
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Happy Weekend!
Chapter 300: Judgement
Chapter 300: Judgement
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
An elderly man pushed the door open and entered the interrogation room.
The smile on his face pushed his wrinkles up, yet it didnt look ugly. Instead, it gave him a merciful look.
That, inbination with his kind gaze and fitting clothes, made the elder man look like a kind elder.
Kieran was looking at him vigntly though. From what he could sense, the elderly man had appeared out of nowhere. In other words, Kieran could only sense the man whenever the man himself wanted him to.
That alone was enough for Kieran to be even more careful.
"I am Rond Landsky. I have no ill intent in meeting you here. I came to plead for my proud and arrogant, yet inferior granddaughter. I hope you could forgive her."
The elderly man walked forward with a slight bow.
"Granddaughter? Tally Landsky?" Kieran was shocked, but he quickly came back to his senses.
He hadnt expected this. When the elderly man had appeared, he had thought that this was Landskys killing move.
The mans entrance was very threatening after all.
Kieran was looking at him in suspicion.
"Thats right, that granddaughter of mine always gives me a headache."
The elderly man smiled bitterly as he nodded.
"Although she was taught by from someone from the mystical realm, the environment she grew up in condemned her to never truly understand the mystics. I wished that she would train on the West Coast and be able to blend in, but she did not understand my intentions..."
His bitter smile was getting serious as he exined, but Kieran was not moved by his words.
He was unsure whether the elderly man was telling the truth.
Rond Landskys age granted him much more experience in things, and that kind of experience was more than enough to excel at certain parts of life.
At acting, for instance. Kieran knew this very well. He needed to test Rond with a method that would benefit him.
"If I say no?" he replied right away.
"If you do not agree, Ill take Tally far away from the West Coast and never set foot on thisnd again," Rond said.
"If I say yes?" Kieran asked.
"If you agree, Ill abide by the mystic rules andpensate you with a sufficient amount for Tallys mistake, including but not limited to helping you deal with the East Coast mystics and the Shepherd of Death!" Rond said seriously.
Kieran was overwhelmed by his words. It seemed like Rond was more sincere than he had expected.
The East Coast mystics and the Shepherd of Death were not somemon thugs.
If what Rond had said was honest, then it proved that he was really there to make amends. Kieran could not just believe a strangers word though.
Three years ago in real life, he had trusted a stranger and bought a "special remedy". As a result, he had been cheated out of all his savings. Ever since that incident, he had learned how to deal with strangers.
"So in your opinion, I am more difficult to deal with than the East Coast mystics and the Shepherds? The Shepherds had quite the name back in the day! I dont know much about the East Coast mystics, but I bet they are not somemon John Does either. You are willing to help me deal with them just for my forgiveness? No matter how I look at it, its unbelievable..." Kieran said slowly.
"Unbelievable? I think you do not understand the potential in your body! You are the King that her Highness Nikorei spoke about in her prophecy. Kings are not struck down by obstacles. They ovee them and be stronger from each loss in order to truly ascend to their rightful throne! I do not wish to be under your merciless de at that very moment, or vanquish before your advancing path! Truth be told, considering your name now, all youd need to do is say the word and all the West Coast mystics would gather under your wing and pave a path for you without a single word ofint. You are the one her Highness spoke about in her prophecy after all!"
Rond bowed again as he borated, but not to Kieran this time. Instead, he bowed to the space beside him, as if he was praying to an invisible God.
"Her Highness Nikorei?" Kieran drew a deep breath. This was the first time he had heard someone address Nikorei in that manner.
He knew what it meant when someone was called "her Highness" in the dungeon world. It was the highest honor among the Gods. Only the Queen of Gods was addressed like that.
If a person held such a title...
Kieran suddenly realized he knew almost nothing about Nikorei. He also understood how to correctly clear the third time difficulty Special Dungeon now. He would use the title of Nikoreis prophecy like Rond had said and gather enough manpower to clear the Main Mission easily.
This was not what Kieran wanted though. He did not just want to clear the Main Mission. He also wanted to discover more Sub Missions to improve his rating. Only then would he be able to acquire more Special Dungeons, which did not count towards his dungeon entry number.
Kieran would not mind entering [The Shamans Partner III] after [The Shamans Partner II]. He wanted to know how many times a Special Dungeon could expand. Was it perhaps infinite times as long as the ratings were met?
Kieran was intrigued by the secret rules of the underground game.
Of course, he had to solve the problem at hand first.
He lifted his head, looking at Rond, who was waiting for a reply. His face still looked anxious.
"Can I ask you something? Why would Tally do all these things under your supervision? Dont tell me you realized it after she had already done everything!"
Kieran sounded and looked curious, but he was actually probing for more information.
"A fabricated assignment distracted me. By the time I realized that I had been lied to, everything had gone south! Fortunately, there is still time for salvation! If you are still reluctant to trust me, then please follow me. You can judge with your own eyes and ears whether you should take my word for it!"
Rond opened the door, leading Kieran out with a polite gesture.
Kieran squinted and scanned Rond, who looked very respectful.
After he made sure there were no threats around, he walked out with big steps.
Kieran followed Rond, heading towards a secret room.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
An unexpected alliance.
And this marks our 300th Chapter!
Heres to 300 more toe!
Couldnt have released so much without all the supports andments from you guys!
Dont doubt, u da best yo!
Chapter 301: The Blood Moon Omen
Chapter 301: The Blood Moon Omen
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Schmidt covered his stomach and kneeled on the floor to throw up.
He was certain that the bastard before him had done it on purpose. Such a punch to the abdomen could only be achieved through special training.
The pile of vomit before him was his breakfast, which he had puked all over Tallys carpet. She was really pissed off.
"Stop it, Marco! I did not ask you to show off!" Tally stopped the man, who was preparing his fist for another round of beating Schmidt.
Marco was taller by a foot, and his physique was much bigger than the average grown mans.
Even the loose suit on him looked tight around his muscles.
Those wide palms and strong fingers of his ripped off a corner of Tallys desk, showing off his strength. He clenched his fist as powder fell from the corner of the desk through the gaps of his fingers, as if the desk was made of chalk.
"Pardon me, Landsky. You know I cant control myself sometimes," Marco apologized insincerely before he walked towards the chair behind Tallys desk and sat down in her seat.
His substantial weight made the solid chair let out a screech.
"Do you really need to waste so much energy on this piece of trash?"
Marco was looking at Schmidt, who was struggling to stand up with a disdainful expression.
"A year and a half ago, you were trash yourself. Dont you forget it!" Tally grunted coldly.
"So what? I am not the man I was back then. Ive been reborn! I will be the strongest warrior there is!" Marco sounded upset at first, but then he went on as if he did not care about herment.
"You should show me some respect. It would be best for you to do so, regardless of your current position or the one you wish to have in the future. Dont forget, most high-ranking officials were not satisfied with you. Me? I am the chosen one among thousands, I will soar up to the sky soon!"
Marco mocked Tally before his ego took over.
"Maybe you will soar up to the sky soon, but right now you are just my assistant! The reason I called for you is to show Schmidt my leverage!"
Tallyughed, not holding back the fact that Marco hated the most. The fact that he was the directors assistant. Infuriated by the reminder, he flipped the desk away and dashed towards Tally angrily. He wanted to tear the woman apart limb by limb.
Marco had acquired strength beyond the imagination of any human in a short period of time by using some special methods. It hade at a price though. He might be as strong as an ox, as quick as a swallow, immune to small caliber firearms and able to recover from body injuries quickly, but he had lost control of his emotions in exchange for that.
Once he lost controlpletely, he would also lose his sanity. As the directors assistant, he was bound by a pair of special shackles.
Tally was the one who controlled his shackles, so when she saw Marco rushing towards her, she was not afraid. She slowly turned the ring on her right index finger.
The silver metal ring suddenly emitted a red sh.
Marco, who had been a raging ox a moment ago, turned into an obedient dog.
All he could do was grunt and moan in dissatisfaction.
Tally ignored Marco, who was now crawling around on the floor, and turned her attention to Schmidt, who looked shocked.
"Who... Who the hell is he?"
The director and her assistant had not hidden anything from Schmidt as theyd talked. Schmidt, who had a certain degree of understanding about mystical practices, could make some guesses, but he could not believe what he was seeing.
"An alchemy-enhanced human!" Tally told Schmidt.
"How dare you do something like this? Have you forgotten about the Blood Moon 200 years ago?" The sense of justice in Schmidts heart made him shout at Tally.
Alchemy-enhanced humans were not rare in the mystical realm, but they were forbidden. The transformation process was inhumanly cruel and it had a low sess rate. Such a transformation could create an insane, bloodthirsty monster.
Two hundred years ago, before the current government system had been implemented, a lord had been ruling over the West Coast. The uncontroble, bloodthirsty monsters had destroyed almost the whole coast.
The powerful society that had created those monsters had also been destroyed following the monster uprising. The monsters had started to attack any human or animal within their sight. Any living being became their target.
The kingdom capital had been breached in just two weeks. More than 100,000 lives had been lost during that period.
Generals, soldiers, civilians, nobles, elderly people, children, men, women, no one had survived.
The societies with tremendous mystical power had paid an even heavier price.
When the kingdoms armies had beenpletely destroyed, those mystics who did not wish to die had to go to the frontline and fight the monsters created by their peers.
The war hadsted for over two years. In the end, the mystics had won, but their glory days had been numbered.
The strong kingdom of the West Coast had disappeared in the sands of history.
The mystical societies hade to a tacit agreement, forbidding any human experiment rted to alchemy spells. Anyone who vited that rule would not be forgiven.
As the new agreement was formed, so was the new government that reced the old kingdom.
However, the longsting war had affected the whole country, leaving behind battle scars all along the West Coast.
The Blood Moon!
People who had survived the war called it the Blood Moon.
"You people want to destroy the West Coast again?" Schmidt yelled in outrage, his eyes almost popping out of their sockets.
"No, of course not! Technology advances with time, and so do alchemy spells rted to human experiments. After we..."
As Tally countered Schmidts argument, she did not notice her silver ring. The red sh was dimming as she spoke. Schmidt did not notice it either.
When Marco stood up with a vicious smile, their faces turned pale in sudden fear.
Tally was looking at her ring incredulously. Schmidt instinctively wanted to pull his gun out, but before he could, Marco was already in front of him.
"DIE, YOU PIECE OF TRASH!" he shouted.
A fist as heavy as a hammer struck Schmidts skull hard.
Schmidt unconsciously closed his eyes. He knew that, considering Marcos strength, a punch on his skull would only result in his brains stting all over the ce. He could not think of any other possible oue.
The anticipated pain did note though.
"Trash? Trash like you really deserve to die!" a familiar voice said from beside Schmidt.
2567!
Schmidt opened his eyes in surprised delight.
Chapter 302: Anticipating A Trap
Chapter 302: Anticipating A Trap
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Kieran walked out of the shadows, holding Marcos fist in his hand. When hed felt the force from Marcos punch, he was surprised. Marcos strength was much more powerful than Kieran had expected.
"At least D+ Strength!"
Kieran came up with an estimate byparing it to his own strength.
D+ Rank Strength was not high ording to the charts, but ording to the system description, E+ Rank Strength was already on par with a weightlifting champion, which was quite astounding.
How many average men could be weightlifting champions, let alone exceed the strength of one? This was an impossible feat for the average man.
Compared to Kierans B- Strength though, it was not enough.
Every minor rank suppressed any lower ranks. A major rank could easily crush all others.
The difference between D+ and B- was not just a mere rank leap.
Marco struggled hard. His arm joints started to make noise, but the fist in Kierans hand was like lead welded together, not budging an inch.
"Let go!"
Marco fired another punch at Kieran furiously. With his sanity gone, he did not think of what was happening. All he wanted was to crush him.
Kieran stood still on the spot, twisting Marcos fist up hard.
A clear noise was heard as his joints were twisted. Then it was Marcos whole arm. Finally, Marcos body was forced to lean forward.
The punch that Marco had fired at Kieran missed before it could evennd.
Marco only froze for a fraction of a second. The next moment, he punched Kieran again, ignoring his interlocked joints. His reckless move rendered his right armpletely disabled.
Marco was not concerned, even though his right arm was twisted into a wicked arch. Kieran could not help but sigh silently.
"His strength and constitution exceed the average persons. Although his intuition is average, theck of pain... No wonder the Blood Moon destroyed a whole kingdom! Back in the days when firearms had just been invented, soldiers relied on traditional weapons. Armies were formed bymoners against those monsters. It would be weird if they werent already dead!"
Kierans actions were not slow while he was thinking.
After getting some insight into Marcos abilities, he had lost any interest in tangling with the big fellow any further.
Kieran instantly transformed his aura. If he had been a sheathed swording out of the shadows and grabbing Marcos fist, then his aura was an unsheathed sword.
"Hold-"
Tally, who hade back to her senses, felt the aura around Kieran changing. Her expression changed. She wanted to stop Kieran, but it was already toote.
A half-moon qi energy wave was fired from Kierans right foot, slicing Marcos neck.
His bulky head flew off his neck with a purple sh as scarlet blood dyed the office red.
Tally did not even avoid the blood.
The warm, stinky liquid woke the director up and forced her to react to what was happening.
"Why didnt you stop? You heard me!" she yelled.
Being showered by blood had made her lose her manners, and her ignorant yelling made her lose facepletely.
Kieran nced over at her and quietly picked up the item that had fallen off Marco. Then he looked at Schmidt.
"How are you?" he asked.
He had heard Tally, but what reason did he have toply?
In fact, if it was not for Ronds interesting proposition, Tally would not have been standing there without a scratch.
Tally knew nothing about this though. She was still questioning Kieran hysterically.
"Do you know what you did..."
"Thats enough, Tally!"
Tally stopped as Rond exited his invisible form, emitting ripples as he appeared. The elderly man was looking at his own granddaughter in disappointment.
"You were influenced by that corrupted whirlpool! You were robbed of both your eyes and your sanity! Blinded as you were, your judgement was clouded. You could not tell what was right!"
Rond bowed before Kieran once again.
"I beg for your forgiveness, Sir 2567. I hope you can forgive her ignorant, childish acts. I will take her back to the Landsky family andpensate you for what happened today. That is beside what we have previously agreed," the old man exined.
"Ill be looking forward to it!"
Although Kieran was quite intrigued by the term "childish", he did not press. He waved at Rond and took Schmidt with him.
The fiasco had ended when Rond had stepped in. What remained though required Kierans full attention. There was still time for him to finish what he wasnt able to before.
Tally, who had been stunned from the moment Rond had appeared, was looking at her grandfather with nk eyes. She did not even notice that Kieran and Schmidt had left. She was frozen for almost 20 seconds.
"Have you calmed down? Pack your belongings. We are going back to the family. You are not permitted to take a step outside without my permission."
Rond sighed heavily when he saw his granddaughters messy appearance. He knew he was being harsh on her, but he also knew that if he wasnt, a catastrophe would befall her.
Disaster might have been avoided that day, but new ones woulde from the ones responsible for Tallys actions. They might even tear his family apart.
"Why?" Tally finally said when she had cooled off. She wanted no dignified excuses. What she needed was a direct answer. The true reason.
"Because you are unfit to stay here anymore. Youve always thought that you are smart, but you never thought you might have been yed by those filthy people. You never even considered the obvious odds before you! Blinded by former glory and praise, you became proud and ignorant. You thought you could control and solve everything! Yet everything before you was nothing but an illusion. A terrifying illusion that would doom you eternally," Rond said in a serious tone before sighing once more.
"Pack your belongings fast. Ill call for transportation," Rond said.
"Youre afraid? Afraid of 2567?" Tally did not move. She was staring at her grandfather as she asked that burning question.
"The God of Earth made a prophecy about him. Anyone would... I am no exception," the elderly man said honestly.
"COWARD!"
Tally left the office in her blood-stained outfit after making that disrespectfulment.
Rond sighed as the door was mmed hard on him. He knew his granddaughter would notpromise that easily, even though she had decided toply.
...
"You believe what Rond Landsky said?" Schmidt asked after he heard most of the story. His expression was basically saying "I dont buy that bullshit".
"I do, but not all of it. Its only a coboration!" Kieran replied with a smile.
"But tonight you need to go deal with the East Coast bastards. If anything happens, the oue will be catastrophic! Did it ever ur to you that this might be a trap? You would be surrounded!" Schmidt was worried about Kierans decision. He had evene up with a theory of his own.
"Thats why I need to rest well and save my energy!" Kieran said, picking up "Paths of Stars and Destiny" once more.
Of course, he had thought about what Schmidt had said, but he had a certain degree of confidence that it would not be a trap.
If it was...
Kieran unconsciously turned his eyes to the special item he had gotten from Marco.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
The item from Marco will indirectly affect the future to a certain degree :)
Chapter 303: Prelude
Chapter 303: Prelude
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
[Name: Mutated Raging Blood III]
[Type: Blood]
[Rarity: Great]
[Attributes: Power Rage]
[Prerequisites: Constitution E+]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: Crafted by a third-generation alchemy enhancer. Tremendous power is hidden inside it!]
...
[Power Rage: Strength +3, Agility +2, Constitution +2, Spirit -3, Intuition -4 for 15 seconds (When Spirit is lower than E, the user will lose their sanity upon consuming it). After its duration ends, there will be a Constitution authentication. If Constitution is over D+, the user will be Weak for 30 seconds. If its lower, they will be Weak for 60 seconds. Then another Constitution authentication will take ce. If the users Constitution is over E+, they will recover in 4 hours. If its lower, they will suffer Lethal Damage plus maximum Constitution -1.]
[Notes: If the users Constitution is higher than B+, they will be immune to all debuffs.]
...
The 10 ml test tube with the purplish-red blood looked bewitching under the sunlight.
The remarks about the vial made Kieran ponder the matter.
A failed authentication would result in a worse state, but this was not a problem for him. His attributes were high enough for him to be immune to all debuffs.
[Mutated Raging Blood III] might not even be useful to him, but its existence gave Kieran another ace he could hide up his sleeve...
Kieran added the vial of blood to his arsenal, right beside [Devil Transformation] and [Desire Summoning], which were both his go-to weapons.
If it was not for the 30-second Weakening Effect, this would automatically have been Kierans weapon of choice during a battle. However, this was not the reason Kieran was thinking about it.
He was staring at the remarks on the blood, thinking silently, "Its already the third generation?"
Rond had not revealed much about alchemy transformation. He had just told him that he would see with his own eyes.
Kieran knew what had happened in Tallys office. There had been mentions of the Blood Moon War in Nikoreis books, but he knew nothing about the governments experiments with alchemy and human transformation.
The remarks on the blood made Kieran connect more things.
"This was nned beforehand!" hemented.
Why would the government be interested in alchemy and human transformation?
The transformed subjects possessed formidable strength. That was the only reason the government had had the subjects bound to them.
Kieran recalled the ring on Tallys hand. The ring had been modified. Its unmodified version would have granted absolute control over the transformed subjects.
Compared to the mystics, who were wild and had their own traditions and secret rules, thus posing a potential threat tomoners, the transformed subjects were exactly what the high-ranking officers and political figures needed.
The practice of alchemy and human transformation needed to be kept a secret though. A lot of time and money had been spent on the project. ording to Kierans understanding, Marco had been a third-generation alchemy-transformed subject, but his form had not been the final one.
The masterminds behind this had been anxious about their little project.
Nikorei and the five major societies disappearance had been a great opportunity for them to turn the tide in their favor. That was why they had sent Marco out, or rather some transformed subject with Marcos face.
"Those transformed subjects must be quite a lot... At least 100, if they were to pose such a significant threat!" Kieran guessed silently.
The spection made him shiver. A hundred alchemy-transformed subjects were not just a number. This was technology maturing at exponential speed, which would only mean more sacrifices.
"Those people managed to shift the government in their favor under the fierce gaze of the mystical realm. Even though the Blood Moon War weakened the West Coast mystical forces, their power is still not to be underestimated!"
Kieran took a deep breath. Before the Blood Moon War, the mystics had reigned even higher than the king. Every single mystic out there had been feared and respected.
No society leader had ever lost to a noble. Some had even been from noble families.
If it hadnt been for the Blood Moon War, from what Kieran had read, the mystics would soon have overthrown the king and reced him, bing the true lords of the West Coast.
In fact, such an event really had urred, but it had been further back in history.
Kieran had no more spare energy and attention to go through the thick books.
He focused on "Paths of Stars and Destiny" again while he was in the car.
By the time Schmidt stopped the car, he had finished the book. As he had expected, a long-awaited notification popped up.
[Astrology experience increased through reading...]
[Astrology experience has reached the maximum for its current level...]
[Level up!]
[Mastered Skill: Astrology (Basic)]
[Name: Astrology (Basic)]
[Rted Attributes: None]
[Type: Anciry]
[Effects: You have started to understand the stars.]
[Consumes: Nothing]
[Prerequisites: None]
[Remarks: You can easily recognize constetions in the sky, but dont expect that seeing the stars and their paths will determine a persons destiny. You still have a long way to go!]
[Notes: You have acquired this skill through learning, not through a Skill Book. Therefore, you cannot upgrade it with Points and Skill Points. If you want to level it up, you will need to continue learning or acquire a Skill Book!]
...
A mixture of knowledge was transferred into Kierans mind as those notifications appeared.
Kieran closed his eyes slightly, helping his body cope with the synchronization process. He knew it was going to happen after all.
The whole process felt like it took several seconds, but from someone elses point of view, it was just a sh.
By the time Kieran got out of the car, Schmidt was ringing the doorbell of 1st ck Street.
"Huh?"
The moment Kieran stepped out of the car, he picked up the smell of blood. This was not unexpected, considering that he had left Louver behind. What surprised him was that someone had been spying on them on their way back there. It was not somemon John Doe either!
"Still havent given up, huh?"
Kieran smiled coldly.
The next moment, he vanished on the spot.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Mind Blown! Kieran is John Wick! or Keanu Reeves.
Chapter 304: Hot Pursuit
Chapter 304: Hot Pursuit
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
When Kieran reappeared, he was in a shadowy corner 15 meters away from the car.
The merciless kick heunched at the spy looked like a spear piercing through the ck figure before him.
Bang!
The ck figure was smashed hard against the wall behind him with a loud sound. The impact crashed the wall, causing the bricks to fall on him.
Dust flew up, blocking Schmidts sight as he pulled out his gun to aim. Schmidts jaw dropped unconsciously before he could go over to help Kieran.
A sudden powerful neigh dissipated the dust around that spot.
A red-eyed ck warhorse appeared out of the dust, an armored knight sitting straight on it, wielding a long ck spear. His armor had a footprint-shaped dent on it, indicating that he was the person spying on Kieran.
As the ck knight drove his spear straight at Kieran, aiming for his chest, the ck horse started to gallop.
The galloping was as powerful and loud as battle drums. The ck spear was storing energy, waiting to pierce its target.
Kieran moved swiftly aside, but the red-eyed ck horse altered its course to pursue him, blocking his way.
Then it sped up its charge.
If the horse could change direction while elerating, its hoofs, which already looked sturdy, had to be even stronger and more powerful than expected. After altering its charge, the horses technique and speed surpassed even Kierans wildest dream.
"An alchemy beast!" Kieran shivered silently. As the thought bloomed in his mind, he gave up any intention of dodging.
Considering that the alchemy horse had disyed a certain advantage, it would be idiotic topete against it in that particr aspect.
Kieran waved his palm over at the charging horse.
A chain formed entirely of shadows appeared instantly by its galloping hooves, intending to bind them, or even act as a heel rope. It didnt work though.
[Shadow Chain] didnt work, although it had passed the Strength authentication.
[Shadow Chain: Target is immune to the Shadow Debuff!]
The battlelog notification that popped up reminded Kieran of Rauls words.
"Fire, electricity,mon blessed objects and spells didnt work. Its even immune to shadow energy! What the hell is this thing?" Kieran thought, not slowing down his movements.
He could not dodge it, and bindings were ineffective against it. What else did Kieran have up his sleeve?
He could put up a hard fight!
The [Mordos Arm] spider web might have some effect on it, but once Kieran thought of the battle he would need to faceter that night, he decided to save it.
Kieran stood still on the spot, facing the ck knight as he charged closer by the second.
He lowered his waist, forming a triangle with his shoulders as he charged back at the ck knight like a football yer.
A giant rhino mirage formed behind him, growling loudly.
The ground trembled as Kieran charged, crashing hard against the war horse. The red-eyed horses firm chest was crushed, its head and its buff body following suit. Then the ck knight riding on the horse copsed.
That primitive power was the most direct way to destroy the horse and the knight.
The knight seemed like he did not care about his body being crushed to bits though.
The ck armor hid his expression. but the lunging spear showed his determination.
He was ready to die with Kieran!
The ck spear transformed into a ck lightning bolt, striking its target hard. [Primus Scale] was as sturdy as a monolith though. The ck spear struck Kieran, but it could not advance under the force field barrier.
Kieran, who was still under the [Reckless Rush]s effect, took the ck spear with him as he kept charging forward.
The spear broke in half with a clear cracking noise. The upper half, which was a mixture of metal and wood, flew up high in the air.
Without the spear acting as a buffer, Kierans body crashed against the armored knight.
Bang!
The armor was destroyed, the thing inside it getting trampled to bits.
Kieran was sure it wasnt human. A human wouldnt turn into a dissipating ck mist as they died.
When the [Reckless Rush]s effect faded away, Kieran turned around.
The pieces of the ck knights armor, weapons and horse had turned into a ck mist and dissipated in the air, leaving a palm-sized token with a special carving and a purple glow behind them on the ground.
[Name: Night Owl Token]
[Type: Etc]
[Rank: Great]
[Attributes: Night Owl Summoning]
[Prerequisites: None]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: A night owl is a mutated beast with the appearance of a horse. If you treat it as one though, you will be making a huge mistake! It is far more dangerous than any purebred warhorse, but it has a short lifespan!]
[Night Owl Summoning: Summon an extremely durable, explosive red-eyed ck night owl with outstanding power and speed, Duration: 1 hour, Cooldown: 24 hours, 4 times remaining]
[Note 1: A night owl is a temporarily summoned beast, but despite sharing a connection with it, you will still need to have a Basic Riding Skill in order to ride it.]
[Note 2: Summoning a night owl in this dungeon world will be free of charge. After you leave this dungeon though, every summoning will cost you 1,000 Points.]
...
Kieran picked up the special token and went through the detailed information the system provided him with.
"The warhorse is summoned through this token?" Kieran was surprised.
Although he now knew the origins of the red-eyed ck horse, a bigger question had presented itself.
How had the red-eyed ck horse gotten summoned there?
The level of [Mystical Knowledge] that Kieran possessed could not even recognize theplicated, deep meanings of the runes carved on the token. He could not even make out the structure of the runes.
Although this was not the first time this had happened to him, Kieran still sighed. He was even more eager to upgrade [Mystical Knowledge] now.
"What the hell just happened? How the hell did that horse appear? What about the ck knight? The one Raul and Cidney were talking about? The one from Forende?" Schmidt ran over with a confused expression on his face.
Kieran wanted to exin, but a sudden notification popped up in his vision, making him furrowed his brow hard.
TL Note
Night Owl: A species of horse in the dungeon world.
Chapter 305: Every Single One of Them
Chapter 305: Every Single One of Them
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
[Eliminated Special Enemy, Acquired Mark of Noir...]
[Mark of Noir: This is the token of a grudge that will hunt you down until you are dead. (As long as you are inside this dungeon world, you will face a relentless pursuit until you die, leave this dungeon, or your pursuers are eliminated!]
"Relentless pursuit?"
Kieran furrowed his brow hard. No one liked a relentless pursuit.
Especially when they were chased by a bunch of monsters that were immune to fire, electricity, shadows,mon blessed objects, and spells.
Even Kieran had to reevaluate the risk of the Sub Mission rted to these monsters. It seemed even more dangerous than the extra Sub Mission [Hundred Years of Hatred], but this was no reason to give up.
A higher risk meant higher rewards. Kieran knew that very well.
"Lets talk inside."
Kieran waved at Schmidt, signalling for him to go back into the house.
In fact, the battle with the ck knight had rmed Simones, Elli, Raul and Cidney, who had already headed out of the house.
Louver, who still had the demon inside him, had been the first to dash out.
When he saw Kieran, his explosive temper was reced by a dull, lifeless expression. Louver instinctively went over to Kieran, not saying a word.
Everyone in the house had seen the ck knight dissipate into a dark mist. Their expressions were serious.
They were members of the mystical realm after all. They might not be as powerful as Kieran, but they still had a substantial grasp on somemon mystical knowledge.
Why would the ck knight from Forende appear there?
It had been hunting down his target! Everyone had a simr theory about the ck knights appearance.
At Kierans signal, they all went back into the house.
They sat down in the living room, unconsciously looking over at Kieran. Simones might be the oldest one among them, but Kieran was the strongest one.
Kieran looked at Simones, hoping to get some help from his experience and knowledge.
"Do you know what these monsters are? I found this on him."
Kieran took out the [Night Owl Token] and handed it to Simones.
"Ancient alchemy!" Simones said in an affirmative tone as he nced over the token.
Then he lifted his head and looked at everyones curious expression.
"This is the alchemy before the dislocation. I came across something simr with Rei during an excavation at an archaeological site back in the day. It was just that..."
Simones paused, as if he had thought of something, but eventually shook his head, staying away from that particr subject.
Before anyone could ask what he meant by "dislocation", he went on.
"If this is really a product of ancient alchemy, then our power and knowledge could barely harm them. This is suppression of a whole different level! The mystical knowledge we possess is just the tip of the icebergpared to ancient alchemy. Fortunately, we still have some alternative solutions!" Simones said, looking at Schmidt in a serious manner.
"Spill! What do you want me to do?" Schmidt replied straightforwardly.
"Get some heavy artillery! If our mystical powers cannot beat these knights, we can only rely on firearms! Thank God firearms were invented!"
Simones shrugged in a self-mocking manner as he finished speaking.
Everyone present except Kieran and Schmidt felt uneasy.
As members of the mystical realm, choosing to use firearms over their trusted mystical powers against an enemy sounded too strange to them.
Kieran, who was a solo yer, thought that it was natural to do so. He had be familiar with desperate times and desperate measures. Otherwise, he wouldnt have learned so many skills and wouldnt be carrying so many weapons with him.
Schmidt, who was a part-time mystic, had never had such an experience before. He told everyone goodbye and left in a hurry, assuring them that he would be back before nightfall.
The abrupt appearance of the pursuers had made the chief officer very ufortable.
Louver, on the other hand, had no idea what everyone was talking about.
Before Schmidt left, he exined briefly what had happened back at the station, advising the others to stop Kieran from going on another reckless adventure. Schmidt had a terrible impression of Tally Landsky, and that impression automatically extended to her grandfather, Rond Landsky.
"This is too dangerous! The East Coast mystics are nomon John Does! In fact, if it was not for Rei, those bastards would have extended their evil ws to the West Coast by now!"
Simones shook his head, but he did not try to persuade Kieran directly. Instead, he just revealed further information that Kieran hadnt been aware of before.
The information was also news to Elli, Raul and Cidney.
"The East and West Coast mystics didnt get along well?" Raul asked oddly.
The couple had been to a lot of ces, but theyd never gotten that impression. They had actually thought that the East Coast mystics were more peaceful than their West Coast peers.
"You should thank Rei for this! After the Blood Moon War broke out, the West Coast mystics suffered a nearly catastrophic annihtion. During that tragedy, some people offered aid, but others hurt the victims in favor of their own selfish benefit."
"The East Coast did thetter! They were thrilled that the West Coasts major factions suffered a heavy loss and they started raiding us. From ourmon resources to our rarest spells and ingredients, everything was loaded on cargo ships and was shipped back to their own bases on the East Coast."
"Do you know why the Dark Star, Night Demon, Unicorn and White Deer societies were hostile to each other?" Simones asked.
He nodded when he saw everyones surprise.
"Thats right! Just as you all thought! The Dark Star and Unicorn headquarters were located on the East Coast. They were the ones who had led the raid on the West Coast back then. On the West Coast, the Night Demon and White Deer societies had suffered the most from the raids."
"Their open, secretive fightsted over 100 years, until Rei came of age. She single-handedly annihted the general offense that imed to have conquered the West from the East. The Dark Star and Unicorn societies leaders heads were impaled at the docks by Rei and used to feed the seagulls! The Night Demon and White Deer societies, who had wanted revenge, were also punished hard. The war finally ended after a peace treaty was signed and the parties agreed to never invade each others territory again!" Simones exined slowly.
Ellis eyes were shining brightly, while Raul and Cidney were shivering in fear. They had never thought that Nikorei would be so ridiculously strong.
What would it be like to face the general offense of the whole East Coast by herself, impale the Dark Star and Unicorn leaders heads at the docks and feed them to the seagulls?
Two of the major five societies had been so terrified of her powers that they hadnt even dared retrieve their leaders heads!
Kieran was surprised, even though he knew that Nikorei had also single-handedly eliminated the Shepherds of Death, who had shared the same status and power as the major five.
The power of a single society could not bepared to the power of a whole continent.
"The God of Earth?" Kieran muttered. He realized Nikorei was truly worthy of that title.
When he heard that even the Night Demon and White Deer societies had been punished, Kieran shrugged.
That kind, but hot-tempered old woman was just. She would not allow the West Coast to be ughtered like amb, but neither would she ignite the fire of war on the East Coast.
"This is so much like Rei..." Kieran thought silently.
"So, 2567... I wont stop you from going, but if you insist..."
Simones face turned serious and strict, as if he was voicing his dying wish.
"Please bear in mind that you are the assistant of the strongest shaman on the West Coast, the very God of Earth! Get rid of them! Every single one of them!" Simones said, emphasizing each word.
Elli, Raul and Cidney were shocked.
They had not expected Simones to let Kieran go or utter such harsh words. They also didnt understand the meaning behind the phrases "the strongest shaman on the West Coast" and "God of Earth".
Kieran smiled knowingly as he answered, "Very well!"
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Rei is ridiculously strong...
Ill be away for a couple of days boys and girls.
Dont miss me ya ~
and dont burn up this section when I am away.
Chapter 306: The Devil
Chapter 306: The Devil
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
It was winter on the West Coast. As the sun set and night rose, the temperature plummeted.
The people on the streets tightened their coats, wrapping scarves around their necks and putting on gloves. Everyone was running back to their warm house.
The workers at the docks were still busy though.
Those docks were not like the cargo-oriented Hologest Port. Tourism was the top priority there.
Outside of the docks, cars were parked in an orderly manner. Beside them was a polite attendant.
Philly sighed over the service. Truth be told, after living on the sea for so long, this depressed him. Even though it was a luxurious ferry ride, the bunch of old-fashioned, strict people around him made him feel like a prisoner.
"Is this the West Coast? It sure feels good to stand on solid ground! I wonder if theres anything interesting here to cure my boredom?" Philly asked the attendant, tightening his coat.
"My apologies, sir. Im just a driver..." the attendant answered in a courteous manner.
"A driver with a gun? Seems like those old-fashioned idiots are coborating with some powerful people on the West Coast!" Philly grunted under his breath.
As he looked around casually, he saw a man standing not far away from the fleet of cars.
The young man was wearing a ck-feathered mantle and carrying a huge box. His odd outfit caught Phillys attention right away. He was sure the young man was not from the East Coast.
Although Philly hated old-fashioned people, his deep dislike helped him remember everyone on that ship.
The man in the special outfit was not from his group...
"A mystical individual from the West Coast?" Philly guessed as he walked straight up to him.
"Hey, mate! Any ce to have fun here, if you know what I mean? A ce where you can spend money on some long legs and big boobs..." Philly said.
The young man frowned hard. He was not disgusted. This was just the natural reaction of someone who was being disturbed.
His reaction intrigued Philly. There were not that many people who reacted so strangely to him.
Most mystics avoided him like the gue, and those with a poorer attitude scolded him outright.
"Are all West Coast mystics this interesting?" Philly wondered before he started firing a barrage of questions.
"What are you thinking? What are you doing here? Dont you know its dangerous for you to turn up here?"
His relentless questions made Kieran turn his head towards him. He was wearing a wind coat, and his two small tufts of moustache and hair were neatlybed and gelled.
Kieran frowned even harder. That man was an East Coast mystic.
He confirmed his identity when he realized the man hade down from the ferry.
It was just that the image he presented...
ording to Simones descriptions, the East Coast had not experienced the Blood Moon War, so they had been able to preserve their traditions.
Even though not all the mystical individuals of the East Coast obeyed them, no one should be asking about the location of a brothel like that.
"Hey, mate! I dont know what you are doing here, but I suggest you leave. Those fes are not as fun as I am. They are here to stir some sh*t up. They have a really bad temper! If I were you, Id leave the West Coast and go on vacation at some rural vige. I know its awful to live in the countryside without beautiful women and ces to gamble, but it beats losing your life, doesnt it?" Philly said with a shrug.
He was quite fond of Kieran, so he didnt mind giving him some advice.
After all, it would be a pity for that young man to lose his life like that.
"I suppose hes never had a woman before..." Philly thought as he looked at Kieran. He looked mature, but he still had a young face.
Kieran was standing still as a javelin, rooted on the spot, as if he hadnt heard what Philly had said.
Philly rolled his eyes.
"Stubborn people always lose in the end!" he muttered, ready to get back to his group. He had done all he could. If Kieran didnt want his advice, what else could he do?
Force him to leave? Philly hated to force others into doing things they didnt want to.
If hisrades realized he was still missing, he would get punished.
All the couple of old geezers that were leading the group this time wanted was to obliterate the West Coast mystics. Anyone who dyed them would be punished.
Philly had gotten punished hard a couple of times before. Although he was sure the old geezers had done it on purpose to make an example out of him, this didnt diminish his dislike for them or his effort to obey their orders.
Philly had no intention of getting punished again.
As that thought bloomed in his mind, he hastened his steps. However, the very next moment, he was sted up into the air.
A burning energy wave whipped an unstoppable force and assaulted him from behind. Unable to resist the wave, he was sent flying.
As he floated in mid-air, Philly opened his eyes wide, looking at the scene behind him in shock.
Gosh, what he saw!
Wings formed by pure mes and a four-meter tall body with horns as sharp as des were spiraling upwards, as if they were piercing the sky.
The Devil! How could the Devil appear on the West Coast?
As soon as he got over his shock, Phillys mind flooded with questions.
Everyone from the East Coast who hade with Philly had the same thought.
Soon, they wouldnt be able to figure out the answer to that question anymore.
As the Devil spread its tremendous fiery wings, extremely hot mes were sted out like shockwaves, sweeping everyone in their path.
A part of the East Coast mystics didnt even get a chance to react. They were immediately turned into charred corpses.
The dead bodies smelled like sulphur, their stench spreading throughout the docks.
Suddenly, the mystic runes on the Devils fiery wings glowed once more, following a bright shine of the mes.
"Form a fire-resistant barrier!" one of the leaders of the East Coast mystics shouted.
He was holding a small round shield in his hand, which was shining with a dazzling light. A huge force field barrier was formed around everyone, but as the fiery mes crashed against the barrier, the dazzling light dimmed down right away and started to shatter.
At the shattering noise, their leader was sent flying as if a truck had hit him, crashing down against the crowd. No one could spare any time to check on him though.
A dark red two-handed great sword appeared in the Devils right hand. Compared to his height, the great sword looked like a small de.
As it was swept across the East Coast mystics though, its extremely long, wide sharp body was like the scythe of the Reaper, sowing souls with a ruthless sweep.
[Arrogant Word] emitted a bewitching red re. Its wild, untamed aura fused with the chaotic, rampant mystical power of the Devil and turned into a killing typhoon, ravaging anything in its path.
The East Coast mystics were not going to sit around and die though. Their hearts were erupting with killing intent. Every single one of them was determined to take down the Devil, even if they died.
They all pulled out their aces as spell incantations were heard throughout the docks.
Some of the mystics dashed towards the Devil with frenzied screams.
The front row was trying to buy some time for the back row to prepare their spells. They attacked with deadly resolution, yet the mystical weapons in their hands, which could cut through gold and break jade, were weak and ineffective against the Devil.
None of their attacks worked, but it was enough to stall.
The spell preparations had entered the final stage.
The chilling light of the moon was blocked as a big dark cloud was formed in the sky. Lightning bolts were dancing like snakes, and thunder was roaring all around.
Suddenly, three lightning bolts as thick as water barrels struck down from the cloud.
The Devils body was sted by the force of nature.
Then despair appeared on each and every face of the East Coast mystics.
The devil was unscathed.
...
"Its over!"
Rond sighed softly after watching the scene at the docks through his crystal ball. His aged face was filled with delight.
He was amazed by the power of the Bird of Death and delighted that he had bet on the right side.
Rond unconsciously turned to his granddaughter, who was overwhelmed by the scene on the crystal ball.
"Do you understand now?" Rond asked.
"How... How could he..."
Tally was pointing at the Devils figure, who was ughtering everyone.
She never would have thought that Kieran would have the ability to transform into a Devil. It was unbelievable!
"You knew all along?" Tally looked at her grandfather.
"No..." Rond shook his head.
"Then why?" Tallys eyes were filled with doubt. She knew her grandfather was not lying to her, but she was confused about why he would make such a decision.
"Because I believe in the God of Earth. I believed in her Majestys prophecy!" the old man said, bowing at the space before him.
Tally did not mock her grandfather for bowing before empty air. She was staring quietly at the projection of the massacre on the crystal ball.
She was speechless.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
What is the cost of transforming into his devil form though and this is the debut of Kierans famous form!
Chapter 307: Fear Descending Again
Chapter 307: Fear Descending Again
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
me waves sted the docks again, turning the East Coast spellcasters into charred corpses one after the other.
They were thest bit of resistance of the East Coast mystical realm.
Kieran took deep uncontroble breaths of astonishment, savoring the feeling of being in Devil form.
He felt powerful! Extremely powerful!
Although Kieran had predicted that [Devil Transformation] would be powerful, he hadnt thought it would be so outrageously powerful.
[Devil Transformation]
[All Attributes +3]
[Devil Lord Constitution Acquired: High Devil Armor Acquired, Defense automatically set above Powerful; High Devil Body Acquired, +1 Strength; Every attackes with Powerful Rank Burn Damage, When receiving Damage, Attacker will suffer Extreme Rank Burn Damage; Secondary Elemental Damage Resistance +1, HP +1,000, Stamina +1,000]
[me st Acquired: By pping your fiery wings, a 120-degree, 30-meter st range will be formed before you. Extreme Rank mes, Powerful Rank st wave, three times per transformation]
[Beheading ming Sword Acquired: Summons a great sword made of mes, Powerful Rank Fire Damage and Attack, Duration: one minute, once per transformation]
[sphemous Whisper Acquired: Any target you kill will be resurrected temporarily to fight for you, Duration: one minute, once per transformation]
[Sulphuric Scorch Acquired: Any targets burned by your attack will undergo a -2 Constitution authentication, If they fail, they will suffer an extra 150 Poison Damage, Duration: 5 seconds]
[Light of Fear Acquired: Any living target that sees you will have to undergo a B Rank Spirit authentication, If they fail, a Fear Debuff will be induced]
......
Looking at all the extra attributes and special buffs, Kieran had no doubt that he was outrageously powerful at that moment.
Before he had transformed, he had seen the mystics disembark the ferry and had been worried about whether he would be able toplete this mission or not.
The number of enemies had exceeded his expectations, and none of them looked weak in any aspect.
When he had transformed though, hed realized that he had read too much into the situation. Maybe he was not on par with Nikorei, who could stop the whole general offense of the East Coast, but using the [Devil Transformation] would suffice for him to stop a smaller invasion.
"This was enough to deter those restless bastards!"
Exactly. This was an act of deterrence.
Kieran instantly understood what Simones had meant.
Kieran was the assistant of Nikorei, the strongest shaman on the West Coast and the God of Earth.
While Nikorei was absent, he was the one representing her. He could not fail, because if he did, people would start to doubt Nikorei, which would cause an undesired chain reaction.
Not only could he not afford to fail, but he also needed to show enough power. Only then would he be able to deter the savage-like invasioning from the other side.
When Kieran had promised Simones, hed already had the intention of using [Devil Transformation] or [Desire Summoning]. His thought was solidified after seeing the numbers of the East Coast mystics.
A group of 30 men, all of them elites. Even if Kieran didnt want to use [Devil Transformation] or [Desire Summoning], as the battle went on and he burned all his tricks, he would be forced to do so.
As for choosing [Devil Transformation] over [Desire Summoning], it had been an easy decision.
Kieran had no confidence that he could get away from the battle unscathed. The lightning strikes from the spellcasters had made him rejoice at his luck though.
If he didnt use [Devil Transformation] to protect himself with the [Devil Lord Constitution], he would have been turned into a charred corpse instead.
The second reason was the sudden new Sub Mission.
[Sub Mission: Terrorism!]
[Terrorism: Deter the East Coast forces in a powerful, assertive manner! The shorter the battle, the higher your rating will be!]
[Terrorism: Complete!]
[Time: 45 seconds, Result: Marvelous, rating increased!]
...
Kierans Devil form did not stop the notification or his ability to collect the loot.
Dazzling gold, orange and green glows intertwined as Kieran nced over his loot.
When he saw that there were two gold items, he could not help but get excited.
As he looked at the charred, disemboweled corpses, his excitement caused the mes to burn hotter and brighter, the magmar in his body flowing faster and the chaotic aura and sulphuric odor making one shiver, even though it was not cold.
The car attendants with the guns, who were responsible for weing the East Coast mystics, shivered and started to tremble hard. They had been tasked with helping Kieran ambush the East Coast mystics, but...
They could not help but want to run. The truth was, the reason they were still there was because, afterying eyes on Kierans Devil form, they had all been induced with the Fear Debuff.
In other words, they had lost control of their bodies. They were unable to move even a single inch.
Philly was also in the same condition. The infamous man from the East Coast could not help but smile bitterly as he watched the huge fiery figure walk among the charred corpses.
The magical item on him allowed him to resist a portion of the [Light of Fear] effect, but all it did was help him keep his sanity.
It was impossible for him to move his body.
"F*ck! Who the f*ck said this was a good opportunity to destroy the West Coast? This was a good opportunity to die! First the God of Earth, and now a Fiery Devil? Even worse, I think I just asked the Devil where to find a brothel! Wait... The Devil is a symbol of chaos... Maybe he likes those kind of ces!"
Philly had to rely on his lousy jokes to repel his fear.
It seemed like it was working. His body was slowly able to move.
The devil suddenly appeared before him. Without a seconds dy, Philly knelt before Kieran.
"Oh my graceful Devil Lord! This womanizer is willing to give you his soul! I will obey any order to save my petty life!" Philly dered hispliance out loud shamefully.
Kieran was surprised. It was obvious that he had underestimated Philly.
He did not care much about Phillys shameless behavior though.
His eyes were fixed at a point farther away. The magmar on his body was rolling, and the mes were burning violently.
Fear reigned again.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
The almighty powerful devil form but there is still 1 more ace card that will debut soon :)
Bonus Chapter today because is Chinese New Year!
Gong Xi Fa Cai to all who celebrate it and for those who didnt, celebrate it with this extra chapter!!
Chapter 308: Violence
Chapter 308: Violence
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Combined with Kierans gaze, [Light of Fear] was like a rising tide beating the figures, causing their bodies to tremble on the verge of breaking.
Suddenly, a crystal bone appeared in the hand of their leader. His suffering expression seemed to have triggered the crystal bone contraption, providing a mental barrier for the group.
When the leader had epted this surveince mission, he had expected the assistant of the strongest shaman on the West Coast and God of Earth to be very powerful, but not to such an outrageous extent.
Not only had he single-handedly swept away all the invading East Coast mystics, but he had even been able to spot them under their secret disguising spell!
This was supposed to be a routine surveince mission, yet the leader had to waste a precious magical item. This made him extremely depressed, but it was preferable to losing his own life.
"Retreat!" the leader said clearly.
The previous scene had indicated that Kieran had abilities far more powerful than they had imagined. Staying there longer would not do them any good.
The leader seemed to have underestimated Kierans speed in Devil form though.
Although [Devil Transformation] erged Kierans physique, it did not diminish his speed or nimbleness. On the contrary, because of the [All attributes +3] effect, Kieran was now even faster than he was in his human form.
The dark red greatsword whipped up a hot st, tearing the air before him. The st was aimed towards the retreating figures, engulfing thempletely.
The leaders expression became ugly. Seeing it and experiencing it himself were two different things. He realized that his men did not stand a chance against the dark red greatsword.
The mes burning on the swords body were enough to rob them of any resistance.
Fortunately, the leader was not within range.
His ck mantle was rattling, even though there was no wind blowing. The ck mantle that seemed to blend in with the night was brought to life, flying up from the leaders body towards [Arrogant Word], which was enshrouded by burning mes.
The ck mantle covered the red mes, a strange negative energy erupting from it, turning into a sight-blocking mist and spreading across the area.
Crack!
The sound of bones rattling could be heard within the mist. The next moment, pairs of ghastly blue mes were ignited.
White skeletal figures rushed out of the mist, throwing themselves at Kieran. Even though a mere touch from him would turn them into ashes, the skeletons still threw themselves at him in relentless waves.
There seemed to be no end to their numbers.
From Kierans point of view, the countless skeletons looked whiter than snow under the moonlight.
"The deceased? The Shepherd of Death?"
Kieran had a general guess about who they were, but this was no reason for him to stop.
Even though the two sides were supposed to meet on December 1st, it was the Shepherds who had broken their promise first. Because of Nikorei, the Shepherds were destined to be his enemies, not his friends.
Kieran chanted a jerky, strange incantation, ignoring the skeletons rushing at him as his strong magmar arm was lifted up. The mes around his arm were like fireworks spreading across the night. Sparks floated around andnded on the charred, yed bodies of the East Coast mystics.
The sparks entered their bodies afternding on them.
The bodies did not wake up slowly like typical zombies. Instead, they were awakened in their most violent form.
One after the other, they started howling and standing up, facing their enemy in their most violent, infuriated mood.
The skeletons were both the deceased and the Shepherds controlling them.
The charred bodies used their most familiar attacks, unleashing them at their enemies.
As incantations were heard from the charred, disemboweled bodies, the leader, who had thought that he would get away alive, was shocked.
"How is this possible?"
The scene before him caused him to cry out in shock and fear.
He could clearly sense that this was no bluff, but real spells being casted from the charred bodies. Even the ripples around the casters looked familiar.
Kieran was just as shocked as he watched the bodies under his control.
[sphemous Whisper] was no simple body-controlling skill. It also granted the bodies fighting abilities.
The bodies Kieran had shed in half, who had been melee soldiers before, had lost their original fighting abilities, but this was still enough.
After ncing at the controlled bodies with the simple thought "kill all our enemies", Kieran pped his fiery wings, brushing all the iing skeletons off and shaking the pieces of the ck mantle away from [Arrogant Word]. Then he jumped up and glided towards the escaping figures.
Even though Kieran thought he could fly, he just glided. The feeling was still incredible...
In fact, Kieran had been struck with that same feeling when he had used [me st], [sphemous Whisper] and [Light of Fear].
"Is the fusion not thorough enough? Or does the fusion weaken their abilities? Maybe [Devil Transformation] has more potential than it seems?"
As those burning questions filled his mind, Kierans huge Devil form appeared before the escaping leader and his followers.
When they noticed the burning heat above their heads, their faces filled with despair.
The leader of the bunch was no exception. If anything, his despair was even greater.
He knew very well that these were enemies their organization had assumed they would be able to take down easily. They actually wanted to use this as a way to dere their return to the West Coast.
"Wrong! We were all wrong! But Ill fix this mistake!" the leader muttered in despair, his expression quickly bing twisted.
He crushed the crystal bone he had hidden in his chest to bits.
The crystals chilly, dense negative energy instantly turned into a burning, explosive force, getting infused into the leaders body.
The couple of followers behind him noticed the changes on their leader.
Their faces were struck by panic, but they quickly made up their minds. They mimicked their leader, crushing the crystal bones on their chests.
A violent energy started to wreck their bodies as they all threw themselves at Kieran.
However...
Suddenly, a giant spider web was spun and dropped over them, trapping them inside as they stumbled to the ground.
Chapter 309: Declaration
Chapter 309: Deration
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
"Noooo!" the leader cried out in vain.
The tensile spider web was much stronger than he had expected. It was impossible for them to get out, even though they struggled hard. Not only were they trapped inside the spider web, but the spider webs toxins were also corroding their crumbling bodies, until they became the very thing that crushed them.
The people inside the web could only watch Kieran helplessly as they fell further and further away.
Bang!
A huge explosion urred as the web fell to the ground. The explosion, which had a 30-meter st radius, turned everything within that distance into ashes.
Even a couple ofyers of the ground were sted away. When the dust settled down, a five-meter deep crater had been formed at the st point.
Ayer of strange, unsettling energy was branded on the ground.
Although Kieran could sense that something was wrong with his intuition, when he retreated swiftly from the sts range and saw the strange energy, he could not help but draw in a cold breath.
Even though he could withstand an explosion in his Devil form, the strange energy produced by the explosion gave him an extremely dangerous feeling.
"What is this?" Kieran was scanning the strange energy curiously.
His level of [Mystical Knowledge] did not allow him to identify the energy, but Rond could.
"This is a curse! After the Shepherds were eliminated by her Majesty, they lost the pride and glory of their former days, which had been equal to the major five. All they had left was their sneakiness! If they really wanted to dere a war against the West Coast mystical realm, they should not have stepped away from the battle and watched. Instead, they should have joined the forces that resisted the East Coast attack!" the old man muttered, showing his disdain.
When he saw the wide area of shattered bones and the strange energy branded on the ground, he grunted. His cold grunt expressed his contempt for the Shepherds.
"They didnt know I existed though! Rei and the Shepherds grudge sealed their own fates. That invitation is proof enough!" Kieran said slowly.
Rond wanted to speak his mind, but the next moment, he got distracted.
Kierans Devil form was fading away, his fiery wings, sharp spiral horns and magmar body slowly disintegrating into the air.
"The power of the lineage?" Rond wondered silently.
It took less than a second for Kieran to return to his human form, but the sudden weakening of his power forced him to rx for a while.
"Power is so addicting!"
Kieran let out a heavy sigh as he felt his power level dropping. He was not one of those fanatics that sought absolute power by giving up everything else. That very moment though, he kind of understood them. Being powerful was amazing.
The intoxicating feeling of wielding absolute power and having authority over peoples lives was alluring, but Kieran knew that if he became power-hungry, he would get turned into a puppet controlled by his own greed.
He wanted to be stronger, so he needed to control that power instead of having it order him around.
Kieran had quietly savored the transformation when he had activated [Devil Transformation]. The feeling of wanting for nothing more was still fresh in his mind.
Even so, the Devil form onlysted for one minute and required a Golden Skill Point to be activated. If he did not savor the moment or try to explore its potential, it would be lost on him.
His rewards were marvelous as well. Two Legendary items, one Rare item and dozens of different Magical Rank items.
The two Legendary items alone were worth spending one Golden Skill Point for.
Even though he was still savoring his transformation into Devil form, once he thought about the Legendary items, he was eager to check what he had gotten.
He did not forget that there was still another matter to attend to though.
"Bury the bodies," Kieran told Rond.
The charred bodies that had forcefully risen from the dead thanks to [sphemous Whisper] had fallen back to the ground after the [Devil Transformation] duration was up.
The bodies had crumbled into even more piecespared to their initial deaths.
The charred bodies had been crushed to bits, turning into blood and meat and sshing all over the ce.
"Your mercy will be remembered in peoples minds!" Rond said in a respectful manner.
"What? Theyll remember me killing them and crushing them to bits?" Kieran mocked himself.
He was not in the mood for ttery.
He turned his eyes to the East Coast mystic who called himself Philly. He was the sole survivor of the group.
"What do youmand, master?" Philly ran over to Kieran with a fawning smile, greeting him politely.
"I want you to take a message back to the East Coast mystical realm," Kieran said after a while.
"Go ahead, master!" Philly bowed down, ready to hear Kierans message.
"I will govern ording to Nikoreis will. The [Fantos Manuscript] is still in my hands. Anyone who is not afraid to die cane and get it."
Not waiting for Phillys reply, Kieran turned around and headed into the darkness.
Philly remained stunned on the spot, staring nkly at the ce Kieran had disappeared.
"Mr. Landsky, what did my masters message mean?"
Philly turned to Rond after a while. He hadnt understood what Kierans words meant.
There were two reasons Philly and his group had travelled to the West Coast.
One, to destroy the West Coast mystical realm while Nikorei was not around.
Two, to search for the missing [Fantos Manuscript].
Truth be told, in regards to their benefits, thetter was far more important than the former.
In other words, if Philly did deliver that message back to the East Coast, he was afraid that a third of the continents mystics would swarm the ce like bees.
The Sunshine Marys treasure was no secret among certain organizations of the East Coast.
It would be nothing but tremendous trouble, and Philly knew that no one liked to cause trouble for themselves. He was hesitant. He did not know what his next course of action would be.
"Just follow the orders of the Bird of Death. Tell them toe for it if they arent afraid to die!" Rond said loud and clear, pointing to the bodies around the area.
Philly scanned over the bodies, instantly recalling the image of the fiery devil sweeping his group away. Instinctively, a shiver ran down his body. He suddenly remembered how powerful Kieran was.
No one wanted trouble for themselves indeed. Certain matters might seem unsolvable in some peoples eyes, but not to powerful people.
Philly smiled bitterly.
...
The night was quiet.
The car attendants finally got to work. They worked together with some other personnel that had arrived at the scene, cleaning the docks from the corpses and the big crater and removing the cursed energy.
It was aplicated process, but it was none of Kierans business.
Kieran didnt go back to 1st ck Street yet. He was really eager to check out his loot.
He temporarily stopped by Ronds ce and counted his loot from the previous battle.
Chapter 310: Loot
Chapter 310: Loot
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Kieran checked the two Legendary items first.
When he saw the blue liquid inside the crystal test tubes, he was stunned. He was surprised both by the fact that the two Legendary items were the same potion and by their use.
[Name: Azzindel Potion]
[Type: Potion]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Attributes: When consumed, Spirit +1]
[Prerequisites: Constitution C]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: This is one of the best works of the ancient potionologist Azzindel]
[Notes: Only effective when Spirit is below B Rank]
...
"Spirit increases when its consumed?"
Kieran was looking at the description, his heart pounding fast. This was the first time he hade across a potion that could increase an attribute.
While Kieran had been upgrading [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] with Golden Skill Points in order to increase the Spirit attribute, it had never crossed his mind that it could also be upgraded by using a potion.
Even though there was a small requirement, that little detail did not diminish its value.
"Had ancient potionology reached such a level?" Kieran wondered.
Meanwhile, he recalled the [Night Owl Token], which had been crafted by ancient alchemy.
The word "ancient" seemed to show Kieran the vast, deep knowledge of the mystical realm in the past. It seemed to be totally different than their knowledge these days.
Still, his astonishment did not stop him from drinking both potions at once.
[Consuming Azzindel Potion...]
[Constitution has passed authentication...]
[Spirit +1...]
[Spirit +1...]
...
After drinking both potions, Kierans Spirit increased from C to B- Rank. He could clearly feel his thoughts and consciousness be more lively.
This was only one of its benefits though. The higher his Spirit became, the bigger advantages over illusions and fear effects would Kieran have. Using items rted to Spirit would produce a much more powerful force as well.
However, there was still a long distance to go before being immune to the bacsh effect of [Fusion Heart], which required an A Constitution and an S Spirit. He had gotten one step closer though.
This was delightful news for Kieran. Exchanging one Golden Skill Point for rewards worth two Golden Skill Points was amazing. How could he not be satisfied?
As delight lingered in his heart, he checked out his other rewards.
There was a Rare piece of armor among the bunch. It was made from the skin of a mythical monster. It felt light, yet tensile. When Kieran picked the pants up, they felt slippery.
[Name: Rudenmoren Skin]
[Type: Armor (Long Pants)]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Defense: Strong]
[Attributes: 1. Rudenmoren Breath, 2. Rudenmoren Hatred]
[Effects: None]
[Prerequisites: Pure human blood lineage is restricted]
[Remarks: Rudenmoren was a giant sea serpent that used to rampage the East Coast 50 years ago. It sank ships and devoured sailors until it was eliminated by the East Coast mystics! Both sides fought for over a day, until Rudenmoren was eventually killed at the beach. An East Coast alchemist bought the remaining skin of the serpent at a high price and made this pair of pants!]
...
[Rudenmoren Breath: You are able to breath under the sea like you do onnd]
[Rudenmoren Hatred: +1 Strength and Agility when facing Human enemies.]
...
"Special equipment!" Kieranmented as he went over the attributes of the pants. When he put on the pants though, his delight was diminished.
Even though he had doubted his lineage when he had seen the [Fusion Heart]s attributes, [Rudenmoren Skin] made him feel slightly depressed.
"This is just a game!" Kieran tried tofort himself. Yet he did not believe those words.
Considering the hyper-realistic world before him and the strange penalty of the game, how could he treat the underground game like a mere game?
Fortunately, Kieran brushed hisplicated feelings off quickly when he saw his loot.
The remaining loot was simr to the loot he had gotten from the East Coast mystics earlier. Most of it was less valuable than Magical items, but there were still two items that peaked Kierans interest.
The one Kieran was interested in the most was a Magical item named [Fireball Staff].
It was a 30-centimeter long wooden staff, painted and as thick as a pencil.
[Name: Fireball Staff]
[Type: Weapon]
[Rarity: Magical]
[Attack: Weak]
[Attributes: Fireball, Remaining: one use]
[Effects: None]
[Prerequisites: None]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: It is hard to replenish its usage, even if you have mastered alchemy or a Fireball spell. It was created to be a one-use item.]
...
[Fireball: Fires out a fireball that explodes upon hitting a target, causing Powerful Level Explosion Damage. The explosion will cover a five-meter radius, causing Powerful Level Fire Damage and three-second Burn Damage, a certain percentage is required to induce a Burnt Debuff. (Burnt Debuff: Target will burn for one second and undergo a Constitution Authentication, If Targets Constitution is lower than E, the Burnt Debuff willst for another four seconds]
...
"A one-use Magical item?"
Just like with [Azzindel Potion], this was the first time Kieran hade across a one-use Magical item.
After reading its description carefully, Kieran ced [Fireball Staff[ in his mantle and switched his attention to the other Magical item, a bright-colored conch shell the size of a thumb.
[Name: Trickster Conch Shell]
[Type: Etc]
[Rarity: Magical]
[Attack/Defense: None]
[Attributes: Illusion Generation]
[Effects: None]
[Prerequisites: None]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: This is an item used to prank people. However, this was not the purpose of its creation.]
...
[Illusion Generation: Creates an illusion no taller than two meters or wider than one meter, human or animal. The illusion will be generated in a virtual projection. Lasts three minutes, twice per day]
.....
"A prank?" Kieran muttered.
He didnt think so. Even though it was only a virtual projection, if it was put to good use, it could produce a surprising effect.
After cing [Trickster Conch Shell] in his pocket, Kieran continued organizing his remaining loot until Rond came by with a box.
"Sir 2567, everything is prepared! This is the extrapensation I mentioned, a Magical item that can resist a mental attack!"
Rond opened the box, revealing the golden coin inside it. Kieran picked up the coin.
[Name: Guard Coin]
[Type: Etc]
[Rarity: Magical]
[Attributes: Able to resist a mental attack no higher than a Strong Level]
[Prerequisites: None]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: It might have its limits in terms of resistance, but it is a good thing to have!]
...
Kieran nodded when he saw the [Guard Coin]s attribute. When Kieran had first encountered Tally Landsky, her ability to resist mental attacks had made an impression on him.
Thus, when Rond had offered apensation, Kieran had asked for an item that could resist a mental attack without a second thought.
Rond seemed relieved when he saw Kieran nod in approval.
Smiling, Rond said, "Shall we proceed with the next step of the n, sir? After your disy of strength tonight, the whole West Coast will understand what to do! You can set your own rules from now on!"
"As for the Shepherds..." Rond paused on purpose when he mentioned that name.
Kieran instantly turned his gaze on him.
Chapter 311: Emerging From The Darkness Within
Chapter 311: Emerging From The Darkness Within
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Before Kieran could speak, a series of footsteps were heard.
The familiar sound made Kieran frown.
"Please forgive my selfishness. Tally is my granddaughter and heir after all!" Rond said in a pleading tone.
The door was pushed open as he begged Kieran.
A beautiful girl that looked like a younger Tally Landsky walked in. Kieran frowned hard as he looked at her tall, perfectly proportioned body.
The footsteps had belonged to Tally, but the young girl before them looked younger than 20 years old. It was a huge contrastpared to what Kieran had imagined the middle-aged woman to be like.
"Tally had to alter her face a little for this mission. Shes not deceiving you on purpose!" Rond exined.
"Please forgive my earlier rudeness and ignorance. This is everything we have on the Shepherd of Death..." the young Tally said lightly, cing a thick pile of files before Kieran.
Without the reverence of her esteemed position, her voice sounded more pleasant than it had before. Plus, that beautiful, charming face of hers really struck a chord with men.
Kieran didnt rx his furrowed brow though.
"ording to our agreement, Tally Landsky had to return to your family," he said slowly.
"Of... Of course!" Rond was already sweating.
"Very well... As long as you remember!" Kieran picked up the pile of files from the table and his own belongings before he left.
...
"Damn it!"
When Kieran left, Tally reverted to her true nature and started yelling in an agitated tone.
"It seems like Sir 2567 has a stronger will than we thought... Our original n cant work anymore. Tally, go back to our family for now," Rond said straightaway.
"But..."
"No buts! Ive tried once before, and this situation wont allow a second chance. Not unless we want to lose the upper hand!" Rond stopped Tally, sounding resolute.
"Okay..." Tally nodded unwillingly.
...
"Did he want to test my limits?" Kieran thought silently as he sat in the taxi on the way back.
Tally was Ronds granddaughter, and he didnt want his own granddaughters future to be destroyedpletely, but Kieran had still sensed something else during that scene back there.
It had been a silent test.
If Keiran had backed down, the Landskys would definitely have asked for more, and their future ns would have been centered around Tally. Although he was not sure how Tally had been able to disguise herself as a middle-aged woman before, he was certain that the Tally he had met back at Ronds ce had been dressed meticulously.
The way she had looked at Kieran had given him a weird, uneasy feeling, as if she were a female jaguar with its eyes on its prey. Kieran would never ce himself in such a position, and he would never back down before Rond Landsky.
Rond was not strong enough to pose a threat to him.
The taxi reached 1st ck Street without any further disturbances. Kieran paid the driver and took out his belongings. He noticed that the lights were still on in the living room.
Kieran smiled.
What was the difference between a rtionship based on mutual benefit and a true friendship?
It might very well be the warmness in ones heart, Kieran told himself while he pressed the doorbell at the gate.
The door of the house was instantly opened. Elli was the first to rush out. She was staring at Kieran nkly. When she saw that he was in one piece, her eyes turned red and she covered her mouth before turning away from him.
Simones, Schmidt, Raul and her husband Cidney were behind her.
Simones was smiling as well.
Raul and Cidney were cut off by Schmidt, who rushed past them and tapped Kierans shoulder hard in relief.
Louver was thest one to walk out, his dull expression mixed with confusion. Soon, he reverted back to his lifeless expression though.
As the night got darker, theirughter got louder.
When the Sun blessed the West Coast with its light again, the front page of the "Special Daily" was about the Bird of Death, the Ominous Bird that had swept away the East Coasts attack the previous night. The "Special Daily" had spread to every corner of the city, and even to ces beyond the city, at ridiculous speed.
"Fiery Devil" had been officially added to Kierans long list of titles and been acknowledged by the public.
Everyone was shocked. It was unbelievable.
All sorts of expressions were pasted on the mystics faces. The only thing decreasing was their doubts. There was no room for doubt between the bodies of the East Coast mystics.
Even more so when a couple of famous East Coast mystics had been recognized.
Everyone was overwhelmed,pletely struck by fear.
When the news spread, letters started snowing down on the garden of 1st ck Street.
All the senders wanted to pay them a visit, and they and their organizations bore no hostility towards Kieran.
At first, Elli would check each and every one of the letters, but after a while, she just threw them right into the trash.
Kieran was not concerned about it, so why should she be?
However, Elli remained unhappy when Kieran left in the morning, even though he had a valid reason to. Kieran allowed Schmidt to follow him, but not her.
"Is his brain loaded with sawdust?"
The youngss was pinching her dress grumpily, as if it was Kierans face.
Simones unconsciously let out a heavy sigh when he noticed. He was crafting a potion for the unconscious Boller.
As an experienced person, Simones knew that Elli had too many burdens and responsibilities. At the same time, he hoped that Kieran would have a safe journey.
"Ancient alchemy... Its impossible! Impossible! We destroyed that thing with our own hands a long time ago!" Simones muttered under his breath, shaking his head. Then, as if hed remembered something important, he tapped his own forehead.
"I hope its not toote!" Simones went into the study and picked up the phone.
Kieran was driving his Picard, with Schmidt in the passenger seat and Raul and Cidney in the backseat.
"I wonder how Rukie is..."
Rauls hoarse voice was filled with worry.
"Worry not, Rukie will be fine! Shes smart and shees from a family of mystics. She still has a lot of tricks up her sleeves to protect herself..." Cidney tried tofort his wife.
Both Schmidt and Kieran could hear theck of confidence in his words though.
Schmidt changed the topic.
"Why are you so eager to leave, 2567? You just won a big victoryst night. You should take this opportunity to rally every mystical faction on the West Coast and the Shepherd of Death and give them the killing blow! Sweep them clean!" Schmidt said in a puzzled tone.
Kieran smiled and shrugged.
He couldnt exin that the reason he dyed it was to dy the Main Mission progression and explore more Sub Missions.
Fortunately, Schmidt was familiar with Kierans mysterious behavior.
"I wonder what Forende Town looks like... Raul, do you-"
Before Schmidt could finish his question, Kieran interrupted him.
"Careful!" he cried loudly, turning the steering wheel hard to the right.
A ck spear chaffed the cars rear, piercing deep into the ground.
Loud galloping could be heard from afar. It was the horses carrying the ck Knights.
Chapter 312: Breakout
Chapter 312: Breakout
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Thunderous gallops were heard as ck bodies flew like the raging tide.
Riding their red-eyed ming ck horses, the ck Knights were running towards Kieran and co. surrounding thempletely.
About 500 ck Knights circled the Picard, causing Kieran, Schmidt, Raul and Cidney to turn slightly pale.
When they had decided to return to Forende Town, they had expected resistance, but not these kind of numbers.
"Ill go on the offensive! Schmidt, Raul, cover me! Cidney, take over the wheel and drive us away from this sh*thole!" Kieran ordered everyone before picking up the box with [Arrogant Word] and getting out of the car.
Kieran did not give much thought to the situation before him. He just ran out at full force.
He wouldnt use [Devil Transformation] or [Desire Summoning], unless it was hisst option. He only had one Golden Skill Point left after all.
"If that Golden Skill Point could be replenished..."
Kieran gripped [Arrogant Word] tightly, his eagerness for that Golden Skill Point rising in his heart. He knew that, even though the ck Knights had a high Fire Damage Resistance, if he used the devils me, they would be turned into ashes.
Now though?
Kieran stood on top of the front hood, signalling at Schmidt, who was loading a machine gun by the trunk of the car.
"Charge!" he shouted.
Kieran was like an arrow let loose, rushing towards the circling ck Knights ahead.
He was dragging the dark red greatsword up and down with a nted shing move. The sharp edge sliced the war horse and the knight on top, splitting them into half.
Then the sharp edge was swung back down, executing another sh.
At the sound of the slicing metal, another ck Knight was split in half.
A couple of ck spears were lunged at Kieran, but they couldnt advance anymore.
[Primus Scale]!
As the nted sh struck home, Kieran screamed out loud, channeling all his strength into swinging [Arrogant Word] with a horizontal sh. Kieran purposely dislocated his step to suit the swinging sh of [Arrogant Word], his body spinning like a top as the dark red de moved in deadly circles.
The ck spears were broken by the spinning sh, followed quickly by the ck Knights.
Kieran was like a meat-grinder advancing forward, whipping up a bloody storm and carving a bloody path among the ck Knights surrounding him.
Schmidt pulled the trigger of the machine gun repeatedly, firing over and over again.
Bullets rained down on the ck Knights, piercing their armor. However, a ck mist shrouded their bullet holes, helping recover it.
The force of the raining bullets made the ck Knights stagger though, allowing Kieran to widen his escape path.
Cidney stepped hard on the pedal. The Picards tires spun on the spot for a couple of rounds before emitting a burnt rubber stench and letting loose like a wild horse dashing forward at lightning speed.
The sudden dash had moved the car away from 1/3 of the encirclement in an instant, but the ck Knights reacted quickly, ditching the front blockage and nking the Picard from left and right.
The Night Owls speed and explosive energy allowed the ck Knights to run in a parallel line with the Picard while dishing their weapons on the car.
Their ck spears and swords were stabbing and shing at the car.
The Picard, which had been whole a moment ago, was turned into scraps. The passenger door had been stabbed by a ck spear and split into half by a knights sword.
The windows of the Picard had all been shattered, and the engine hood had sunk down.
The trunk of the car, which was made of pure steel, had also suffered some sh marks.
"F*ck!"
Schmidt tightened his fingers around the trigger. After he fired at a ck Knight heading for Cidney, the corners of his eyes picked up a few more ck Knights hurling their spears at the cars tires.
Schmidt quickly turned his machine gun around.
However, as he turned the gun away, a ck Knight from the other side struck again. His target had also been the tires.
After a sudden loud noise, Raul hurled out a jade-colored vine.
The vine was nimbler than a snake as it constricted around the hurled ck spear. Not only did it alter the spear, but it also caused the ck Knight who had hurled it to fall off his horse.
"NICE!" Schmidt cheered as he watched the scene. His face turned sour again quickly though.
The machine gun was jammed!
"Those f*cking business scoundrels! When I get back, Ill shoot their asses up!"
After cursing, Schmidt threw the machine gun inside the trunk and pulled out his ace from his pocket. Grenades.
"Beat this, you ck bastards!" Schmidt yelled, hurling two grenades at the ck Knights.
Boom!
The ck Knights and horses on both sides were thrown off their feet at the explosion.
"Step on it! Step on it!" Schmidt shouted, tapping the roof of the car eagerly. He wanted to get away from the ck Knights fast.
Even if Schmidt was not urging him, Cidney would still have tried his best to elerate.
In fact, Cidney had been stepping on the pedal from the moment the fight had begun.
The Night Owl horses were too fast though!
After a few seconds, the concentrated galloping noises approached them again.
"Faster! Faster! They areing back!"
Schmidt was reloading his machine gun as he urged Cidney. The ck Knights were back on their tail again.
"This is the fastest it can go!" Cidney shouted back at Schmidt.
Even though Cidney was a polite doctor, his manners were of no use in that situation.
Pieces of ss were crashing all around him, making him bleed all over his body. The ck Knights pursuing them had appeared again. He wished he could jump from the car and push it himself to get it to go faster. This was just wishful thinking though.
As Cidney was stepping down on the pedal with all his strength, a figure jumped on the roof of the car.
It was Kieran! Cidney was delighted, and so were Raul and Schmidt.
Kieran had proved himself to everyone, unconsciously affecting the natives around him.
Schmidt, who had been reloading his machine gun nervously, started reloading it calmly.
As he cleared the jam and reloaded the gun, Kieran took out a couple of grenades, hurling them skillfully at his target.
Boom! Boom!
The explosions took ce almost simultaneously.
The ck Knights on the front row were sted to the ground, dragging the others with them like a heel rope.
The ck Knights toppled down in groups.
Everyone in the Picard was delighted, but suddenly their delight was killed off by shock.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Something came after the ck Knights
Chapter 313: Vanishing Out Of Thin Air
Chapter 313: Vanishing Out Of Thin Air
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Although the ck Knights had stopped advancing, that didnt mean that they would give up.
Countless ck spears were hurled into the sky, producing an ear-piercing whistle.
The spears were like a thundercloud ready to pour down at the Picard.
"Stay behind me!" Kieran said.
Then he wielded the dark red greatsword like a whirlwind, forming an invisible barrier that guarded Schmidt, Raul and Cidney, who was in the drivers seat.
The great sword and the spears kept shing, the metal producing a clunking noise that sounded like a downpour.
The spears that had been hurled at Kieran and co. were all blocked, but those that had been hurled at the car...
The trunk of the Picard had been turned into a beehive. One of the spears had even pierced the te below the trunk, jamming the bearings of the wheel.
The Picard started to wobble like a wiggling snake. Although Cidney tried his best to control the steering wheel, he wasnt able to. On the contrary, the situation got even worse.
"Jump!" Kieran shouted, quickly making a decision.
Everyone started to leap out of the car. Kieran grabbed Schmidts belt and jumped, while Raul hugged her husband and rolled out of the car.
Everyonended safely after a couple of rolls, but the Picard flipped over and crashed against the side of the road.
As the ck Knights shook their horses reins, loud neighs were heard once more.
"Back off!" Kieran ordered everyone. They were undoubtedly in a big pinch, so Kieran had no reason to hold back anymore.
If he ditched Schmidt, Raul and Cidney, he might have been able to get away, but his personality did not let him do so. Even though he kept reminding himself that they were just natives, he just couldnt do it.
He couldnt do it and didnt want to.
He took a deep breath, readying himself to transform into his fiery devil form.
A dense sulphuric stench started to escape from Kierans body as a rampant, chaotic aura started to form.
Kierans feather mantle was moving, even though there was no breeze, and an energy stream was blowing against his hair, revealing his ck steadfast eyes.
Schmidt, Raul and Cidney, who had been backing off, opened their eyes wide. Although they knew that Kieran had the ability to transform into a fiery devil, this was the first time they were seeing it with their own eyes. They couldnt let that chance slip away.
The next moment, when Kieran engulfed himself in mes hot enough to burn the sky, an extremely dense gray mist appeared in the sky.
The thick blinding mist was swirling around in mid-air before it flew over to the ck Knights and covered them.
As the gray mist rumbled and swirled, the ck Knights dissipated with it!
Kieran was shocked. Even Schmidt rubbed his eyes.
"What the hell just happened?" Schmidt asked with a puzzled expression.
"I dont know..." Kieran shook his head. He signaled at the others to stay put and then went over the area where the ck Knights had disappeared.
The tracks on the ground were clear, but the ck Knights were nowhere to be found. Kieran frowned. He unconsciously looked at the direction where the ck Knights had appeared. The tracks of the Night Owls were also clear, which meant that the ck Knights had ridden there on their horses.
"What was that mist? Did it also appear when Forende Town disappeared?"
After a quick, fruitless scan over the area, Kieran walked back to the flipped car.
Thanks to Raul, Cidney and Schmidts help, they managed to flip the car over again.
Schmidt was inspecting the car while Kieran questioned Raul and Cidney.
"No, it didnt. Although we were being hunted back then, I remember it very clearly. There was no gray mist during the massacre or our escape from Forende Town! Only when we decided to return, did we discover that Forende Town had vanished. It had disappeared as if it had never existed!" Raul said in an affirmative tone. Cidney agreed with his wifes statement.
"Is that so?" Kieran believed that Raul and Cidney wouldnt lie to him.
But then... What just happened?
Had the ck Knights sensed that something was wrong and retreated using that special method? Or had something they didnt recognize appeared?
Kieran was making guesses, but theck of information prevented him from confirming his theories.
However, he was sure that the ck Knights were well-organized and had a high level of intellect. This ambush was proof enough, yet this was all he coulde up with.
As Kieran was thinking things over, Schmidt walked up to them.
"Hey, guys. I have some good news and some bad news. What do you wanna hear first?"
"The good news, please. The chase back there was sh*tty enough. Some good news would make me feel better," Kieran said. Raul and Cidney nodded.
"The good news is, after some repairing, the car will still be able to run!" Schmidt said in a joking manner.
"And the bad news?" Kieran asked.
"The bad news is, it might stop moving at any moment. This is based on my 10 years of driving experience! We need to get to the nearest town before it breaks downpletely. Otherwise, we might have to walk!" Schmidt said with a shrug.
"What are we waiting for then?"
Kieran squeezed into the passenger seat without opening the door.
When Schmidt, Raul and Cidney got into the car, the Picard gave out a screech and the engine died.
"I think we would have a better chance continuing on foot," Cidney said sadistically.
Raul reached for Cidneys hand with hers,municating in a way only they understood. Then she carefully used the forceps to clip the broken ss from Cidneys skin and bandage his wounds.
Kieran and Schmidt exchanged an odd gaze.
Although they knew the couple were husband and wife, it felt weird every time they watched Raul, who looked like a bandaged mummy, take care of Cidney.
"Dont expect me to bandage you up!" Schmidt joked, his lips moving sideways.
"F*ck off!" Kieran said straightforwardly.
After trying to start the car about five times, it finally roared to life.
They drove at a fifth of their original speed before they finally stopped at Johnny Town at nightfall.
Under the dark sky, Kieran could see someone standing by the entrance. They seemed to be armed.
Kieran lifted the box that held [Arrogant Word] right away.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Is the person in Johnny Town Friend or Foe?
Chapter 314: What Is Your Answer?
Chapter 314: What Is Your Answer?
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Kieran got out of the car and slowly approached the armed figure at the entrance.
It was an extremely buff elderly man of average height with a long white beard. If he had been holding a battle axe, he would have looked like a dwarf from a medieval tale.
Although he was not holding such a weapon, the dagger at his waist was not to be underestimated. The dagger reeked of a hidden, faint smell of danger that faded one moment and then appeared again at the next one.
Kierans Intuition had gotten higher, so he trusted it with his life. He was still more vignt than ever though.
As he was scanning the elderly man, the man scanned him back. Then he grinned.
"2567?" the old man asked.
"Whos asking?" Kieran replied. He was not surprised that the man knew his name.
If he had gone there with malicious intent, then it made sense that he would be prepared. Kierans nickname was a basic piece of information.
"Im Charles, your armor specialist and Simones good friend."
As he introduced himself, Charles extended his hand for a friendly handshake.
Kieran raised an eyebrow. Simones had said that he would introduce him to a master of alchemy and a craftsman that would repair his armor, but he hadnt described the person in detail. Kieran didnt know whether Charles was telling the truth, so he didnt take his hand.
"A vignt young man!" Charlesmented on Kierans attitude. Before Kieran could answer, he said loudly, "Did Raule with you? Raul? Raul!"
Raul instantly replied from behind them.
"Master Charles?" she asked as she approached Kieran. When she saw the elderly man, she gave him a happy hug.
"Master, its been a while! What are you doing here in Johnny Town? I thought Id have to go back to the West Coast to see you!" Raul greeted Charles in confusion.
"That old fe Simones called me, so I had to rush to meet you people. He was worried about 2567 not having proper armor and thought I might be of use on this trip. I came here earlier to wait for you, but it seems like you guys werete. Ran into some big trouble, did you?" Charlesughed as he took a look at the wrecked Picard.
"Yes, master! We were in a big pinch!" Raul nodded repeatedly, exining about the earlier ambush.
Kieran nced at Raul in surprise.
Maybe it was because of her scars and misfortune, but Raul had always been a quiet person. Most of the time shed rely on her husband tomunicate with others. She would only speak to a few acquaintances she was familiar with, but that was pretty much it.
This was the first time Kieran had seen Raul talk to someone like that.
"Strange, right? Truth be told, I am curious myself, but thats a good thing, right? Although Master Charles wont admit it, Raul treats him like a mentor," Cidney exined softly as he walked over.
Kieran and Schmidt nodded in realization.
Rauls exnation was very detailed. She actually went on for about 10 minutes. Charles asked a question from time to time as she borated even further.
"So this is really ancient alchemy!" Charles sighed.
"Ancient alchemy?" Schmidt muttered. This was not the first time he hade across the term.
"You must be the Chief Officer of the West Coast, Schmidt!"
Instead of answering Schmidts question, Charles asked one of his own, trying to guess Schmidts identity.
"Yes, thats me. Pleasure to meet you, Master Charles!" Schmidt nodded, greeting the elderly man politely.
"What about now?" Charles turned back to Kieran, extending his hand again with an amused expression in his eyes.
"Nice to meet you too, Master Charles."
Kierans face was calm and still. He only smiled faintly as he shook Charles hand, which surprised Charles.
"Dont you feel awkward?" he asked.
"I didnt know who you were, so I had to be vignt. Now that I know, my vignce is not needed anymore. Why would I feel awkward?" Kieran replied with a question himself.
He was a young man who had grown up in a foster house and had been working to make a living ever since he was 14. He had been through too many embarrassing situations. This was actually nothing inparison.
"It seems like you are worthy of Reis prophecy!" Charles praised Kieran. "Wait, are you feeling awkward now?" he asked when he noticed the unusual look on Kierans face.
"2567 still wont ept his identity. He always feels embarrassed! Im notughing on purpose, 2567! I just cant help it every time you pull that face!" Schmidt said,ughing outrageously as he tapped the hood of the Picard.
The Picard was on the verge of breaking down after all that heavy tapping. It waspletely wrecked now.
Not only had its engine died, but ck smoke had also started to escape from the hood.
Kieran rolled his eyes at Schmidt. It was Schmidts turn to feel awkward now.
"I bet theres a car mechanic in town!" Schmidt pointed out, trying to cover up his awkwardness.
"Ill save you the trouble! Come with me! Back when I was young, I had to use a couple of horses to carry all my things every time I went out! Now one car is enough for everything!" Charles said, leading the group into Johnny Town.
The group reached a garage, dragging the Picard with a limo before they stopped there.
The limo was pale blue in color. The car roof formed an arc, and clouds were drawn on the car doors. The rear of the car had a picture of a sun wearing sunsses and chewing a cigar. It looked as if it had been drawn by a child.
Anyone who saw the limo would think that the owner was a fun person.
"If its not a problem, I would suggest that we hit the road tonight. What do you say?" Charles suggested.
"That would be great!"
No one objected to his suggestion, as everyone was eager to reach Forende Town.
Raul and Cidney were itching to locate their friend Rukie, and Kieran wanted to discover Nikoreis whereabouts.
Schmidt was just tagging along with the group.
After moving all the stuff of the Picard into Charles car, the group continued its journey.
Kieran wanted to fix his armor, so he went to the back of the limo.
"I can fix it before we reach Forende Town."
Charles words made Kieran feel relieved. Although [Pauls Camouge] was not some magnificent defensive gear, Kieran would not let it go before he had a better recement for it.
Having some armor on when facing a group of enemies was a lot better than exposing his bare flesh. Even more so when said enemies ganged up on him.
Kieran unconsciously recalled the ck Knights.
"Master Charles, were the ck Knights created by ancient alchemy as well?" Kieran asked.
"Their creation was based on ancient alchemy and some other hidden knowledge. I never wouldve thought that such knowledge would be preserved..." Charles corrected Kieran.
"What kind of knowledge?" Kieran asked.
Charles just smiled in reply.
The average-height elderly man took a pipe out of the limos glovepartment and slowly stuffed it with tobo.
He didnt look around for a lighter. Instead, he just snapped his fingers and the tobo was lighted.
Kieran squinted his eyes.
Was Charles not relying on Magical items, but magic itself? There had been no incantation or gesture. Just a snap of his fingers and a fire had appeared.
Even though the fire was as small as a lighters me, the [Mystical Knowledge] involved had made quite an impact on Kierans mind.
ording to his understanding, this was not possible.
Charles, who was looking at Kierans puzzled face, took a puff and produced a couple of smoke rings. Then he looped the smoke rings around his hand and dissipated them himself.
His childish behavior might have made peopleugh or cry.
Kieran was still recalling the previous scene though.
"Is this the hidden knowledge that you spoke of?" he asked after a while.
"Maybe..." Charles said ambiguously. Before Kieran could ask any more questions, the alchemy master added, "Simones was hoping that I could teach you a little about alchemy. I want to educate the king of Reis prophecy myself. Its just that... "
"You need to answer a question for me first. What do you think alchemy is? Think before you answer. I am fair with everyone! You will only get one chance. If your answer doesnt satisfy me, I dont care if Simones begged me, I still wont teach you a thing!"
Kieran shivered silently at the test.
He was not sure if Raul had gone through the same test before getting taught by Charles, but he was sure that Charles was not joking.
If his answer didnt satisfy him, he would lose this opportunity.
After giving it some thought, Kieran said, "Alchemy is..."
Just as he was about to spit out an answer, he held back his tongue.
Swallowing his noble, gracious words, he looked at Charles judgmentally. Charles was smiling. He had set up a trap for Kieran right from the beginning.
A word trap!
Everything had been meant to mess with Kierans way of thinking and make him anxious about the things he would gain.
Charles had obviously seeded. His lightning-fast move with his pipe and the snap of his fingers had broken Kierans concentrationpletely.
Kierans curiosity climaxed, making him almost lose his usual cool judgement.
If it wasnt for the mocking expression on his face, Charles might have seeded in trapping Kieran.
He did not look like he was anticipating a serious answer though. His expression was that of someone about to make a joke!
Kieran drew in a deep breath, forgetting all the answers he hade up with.
He hade up with a new answer.
"Alchemy is..."
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Alchemy is the prerequisite to learn mystical knowledge. Boom
Chapter 315: Eyes In The Dark
Chapter 315: Eyes In The Dark
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
"Alchemy is used to create gold, cure-all potions and immortality pills. This is what I think of alchemy!" Kieran said, emphasizing each and every word.
"Is that so?" Charles took a puff from his pipe.
Sparks shone and dimmed as he smoked.
The rising smoke shrouded Charles face, blurring Kierans vision.
The elderly master was silent. He looked neither satisfied nor dissatisfied.
The atmosphere felt somewhat suppressed. Kieran was looking at Charles, waiting quietly for his answer.
...
"Is this a word trap for those who seek to be taught by him? Does one need to tell the truth to pass? Does one fail if their answer is a ttering one? What kind of pastime is this?"
Schmidt, who had been the driver for the first half of the journey, stuck his tongue out when he heard what Raul and Cidney had said.
If this was him, he would definitely have given a ttering answer to pass. Instead, he would have ended up failing the test.
"What a cunning old geezer! I hope 2567 can pass the test!" Schmidt muttered, wishing Kieran luck in passing.
"2567 will be fine. He is the one Rei made a prophecy about." Raul sounded very confident.
...
"You are really the young man from Reis prophecy! When did you realize it?"
Charles finished smoking his pipe, but he still detected no uneasy feelings on Kierans face. In the end, he just sighed helplessly, as if he had missed something big.
"If you showed more anticipation and less mockery, I would have fallen into your trap! Of course, I have Reis books to thank. Otherwise, my brain would have gone nk when you asked your question," Kieran said with a shrug.
"What a sharp young man! Alchemy is used to create gold, cure-all potions and immortality pills... Its been many years since Ist heard that! Do you know when I first heard those words?"
Kieran made a pleasing gesture, signalling that he was all ears.
"It was Rei! When she was 12, she told me the same thing. Then when she was 13, she seeded in turning copper into gold. It was a pity that, just as we were waiting for her to finish the cure-all potions and immortality pills, she suddenly stopped her experiments and sealed away her creation. The Philosophers Stone..."
Charles let out a heavy sigh again.
"So it was Rei!" Kieran thought silently.
To be honest, when Charles had asked him to guess, he had had a hunch that it was Nikorei. He had been through simr scenarios too many times to count.
The abilities of the God of Earth were overwhelming.
As for her gifts? Kieran could only catch a glimpse of the dust Nikorei left behind her.
"The alchemy I can teach you could help you learn the basic entry-level stuff. If you want even deeper knowledge, Rei is the real master!" Charles told Kieran.
"Thank you for the lessons!" Kieran bowed in respect. It was something he had to do.
Charles epted his respect without hesitation. He had epted the position of Kierans teacher after all.
From that night onwards and throughout their five-day journey to Forende Town, Kieran submersed himself into learning the basics of alchemy.
Through Charles lessons, Kieran gained knowledge that was not written in books, as well as the experience of a veteran. At least now he could tell apart a magical circle and an alchemy one.
Both had the same basic structure as a base, and even their conversion circles acted simrly. Their runes and incantations were slightly different though. The biggest difference was the adminicle.
"The core of alchemy is the rule of equal exchange. I hate to admit this, but I cant deny it either, because the adminicle of an alchemy circle is everything!"
Just as Charles exined, alchemy circle adminicles provided the basic structure of energy. The stronger and purer the energy was, the most suitable it was.
Soul Shards were a good example of this.
They were the trading currency of most veteran yers. Some of the natives traded in Soul Shards as well, but that was usually only master alchemists.
Kieran was not sure what type of materials a new alchemy apprentice would use with the energy provided, but Charles handed him a hand-made electric generator.
Kierans task was to transform the soft pelt before him into something harder.
It wasnt some attribute-adding enchantment. He would only be altering the properties of the pelt.
This was a piece of cake for Charles. It only took him about four minutes toplete the demonstration for Kieran.
Kieran failed four times.
[Alchemy experience has increased a little through experimenting...]
ncing over at the burned pelt, Kieran checked the system notification. He couldnt help but rub his aching head, forcing himself to calm down.
"What went wrong? Was it the basic structure of the alchemy circle and the conversion circle? Or the unstable energy transfusion?"
...
As a beginner, Kieran had too many questions. However, as Charles had said very clearly, he would only teach Kieran the rest when hepleted the first assignment by himself.
Kieran took a deep breath, trying to control his emotions as he got ready to try again.
He wanted to observe the process more carefully and find out what he had done wrong.
Before he could begin, Schmidt interrupted him.
"Pardon me, sir, but weve reached Forende Town!"
Schmidt was acting weird as he opened the limo door for Kieran apologetically.
"What is it?" Kieran looked at Schmidts strange expression in confusion.
"I think you should see for yourself..." Schmidt opened the door wide.
Instantly, the smell of dirt mixed with the aroma of flowers and wood drifted into the limo. There were birds chirping and animals growling, as if they had reached a primitive forest.
Kieran walked out with a shocked expression, his eyes wide in surprise.
"What... What the?" He was staring at the scenery before him in shock.
They had indeed entered a primitive forest.
"Are you sure we didnt get off course?" Kieran couldnt help but ask Schmidt, even though he knew he wouldnt make such a mistake.
"No!"
"This is... This was Forende Town! Except now there is only the 100-year old forest before us, and some animals and nts found only in books..."
Charles finished Schmidts sentence for him, his face sharing the same puzzled expression.
"Fortunately, it is only as big as Forende Town. It will be a hassle searching every inch, but its not impossible! If it was as big as the West Coast, we would have to spend our whole lives here!" Charles joked.
"So lets start searching then!" Schmidt said eagerly.
"Sure!" Charles nodded.
Raul and Cidney took the lead, since they had been to the town before, Schmidt and Charles were walking in the middle, and Kieran was bringing up the rear with a deep frown.
He was satisfied with their formation. Although the ck Knights had been missing ever since the incident with the mist, this didnt mean that they would not appear again.
Kieran would never suggest spreading out to search for clues. This ce was neither too safe nor too dangerous, but no one would have said anything if Kieran had insisted on taking the lead.
The reason he was frowning was because he felt like he was being watched.
The gaze he felt on him had no clear malicious intent, but he still couldnt locate its source.
It was very unsettling for him. He felt as if he was walking in the woods and had suddenly stepped on a slippery venomous snake.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
I am back!
Chapter 316: The Mysterious Mist
Chapter 316: The Mysterious Mist
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
A dormant snake wasnt necessarily not venomous. It might have kept its fangs hidden away, but once it opened its mouth wide, it would reveal its vicious nature.
Kieran became more vignt under that watchful gaze.
He signalled at his group and kept keeping an eye out at their surroundings.
Everyone else also had their guard up. Nothing happened though.
As the group went through the forest and reached the famouske of Forende Town, everything remained normal. Even the eyes that Kieran had felt before were gone now.
"Does this only happen in the primitive forest that reced Forende Town?" Kieran guessed.
"We could set up camp here, get some rest and then continue searching the forest..." Charles suggested.
The group didnt object. When they had gone through the forest earlier, they had realized there had been a lot to investigate other than the path they had taken.
In fact, they had not even explored 1/10 of the forest.
Although Forende Town was not insanely huge, now that it had been turned into a primitive forest, the tall dense grass was preventing them from getting a clear view of the ce. Even Kierans eyes could not pierce through the trees and grass. He had to go up close to explore the area.
Given the circumstances, an exploration would be time-consuming.
Fortunately, Kieran had plenty of time. The meeting with the Shepherds of Death was on the 1st of December. They still had 13 days left to go.
The trip back to the West Coast would take around 5 to 6 days, so Kieran had another week to investigate the forest and find out the truth.
He wouldnt be breaking his promise to the Shepherds. While the Sub Mission [Invitation from an Ancient Society] was still ongoing, Kieran would figure out a way to reach them instead of giving up prematurely.
Kieran and Schmidt had been tasked to drive the limo to the side of theke, while Charles, Raul and Cidney were all standing watch.
The arrangement had been made ording to their abilities to handle an emergency. Kierans abilities were clear for everyone to see. Although Charles reputation was well-known, it was better that the two of them lead the team.
In order to quickly reach the limo outside the primitive forest, Kieran and Schmidt didnt take the forest route. Instead, they took a detour around the forest that had reced Forende Town and reached the area where the limo was parked.
While they were walking through the rural area outside the forest, the two of them looked around at the lively, fresh scenery.
"If it was not for the missing town, this ce would have been a good tourist attraction!" Schmidt sighed helplessly.
"Trust me, even if people knew what had happened to Forende Town, they woulde here out of curiosity despite the danger!" Kieran said, shaking his head.
"Curiosity killed the cat! Lets hope we can solve this mystery quickly, so no reckless people wander around with no regard for their safety!" Schmidt didnt object to what Kieran had said. He knew it was the truth.
Kieran picked up a sense of worry from Schmidts impatient words, but he ignored it.
The reason he had chosen to befriend a native like Schmidt was his sense of justice and his identity as a Chief Officer. At least he didnt have to worry about being stabbed in the back while Schmidt was around.
The two of them were talking while they made their way back to the limo. Soon, they reached the spot where they had parked. However, just as Schmidt started the car, a cloud of gray mist started to appear out of nowhere and surround the limo.
The thick gray mist instantly robbed them of their sight. Kieran and Schmidt could only see each other.
Their expression changed instantly. The mist before them had left a deep impression on their minds.
The ck Knights that had been pursuing them had vanished when the mist had appeared!
Now they were inside the mist themselves though. Before they could even react, they were enveloped by itpletely.
Schmidt unconsciously stepped on the eleration pedal, in hopes of dashing out of the cloud of mist. Judging by their location, they should have reached the road after 15 seconds, yet they were still trapped inside the mist.
"Get your weapon ready!" Kieran told Schmidt.
Kieran frowned as he inspected the rumbling, ghastly gray mist around them.
He did not know what was going on either, but he remembered that the gray mist had taken the ck Knights away.
In other words, the gray mist could very well transport Kieran and Schmidt to where the ck Knights were. Even if it didnt though, it might still transport them to a very dangerous ce. Getting their weapons out was the best option they had right now.
Schmidt was stunned, but he immediately understood what Kieran meant. He quickly pulled the safety on his gun and ced two grenades into his shirt pocket.
The grenades that Schmidt had bought had been used, Those two were a gift from Kieran.
Schmidt would never ask how Kieran had gotten his hands on them. Mystic individuals possessed vast knowledge and extreme resourcefulness.
Schmidt had known this for a long time.
The gray mist was rumbling outside the car like a monster tumbling in waves and clouds.
Kieran was staring at the clock in the middle of the dashboard. It had been five minutes ever since they had been surrounded by the gray mist, yet the mist had neither dissipated nor gotten denser. It was as if it had just wanted to trap them inside it.
Kierans brow furrowed, this was not good.
The worst-case scenario would have been the mist transporting them to a different ce and keeping them trapped inside it. This would only have made their escape more difficult.
Kieran waited patiently as the mist rumbled around them, hoping that he could detect some change in it.
Another 10 minutes passed, but everything remained the same. Nothing was happening. Even Schmidt could sense that something was wrong. He looked at Kieran, ready to open his lips.
"Ill go out and take a look. You be careful!"
Before Schmidt could utter a word, Kieran beat him to it and opened the door.
Since Kierans strength was far superior to Schmidts, he was more suitable to perform such an investigation.
The moment Kieran stepped out of the car, the rumbling mist threw itself at him violently, whistling like a powerful storm.
Kieran, who was already within the mist, didnt have anywhere to go to dodge it. He was shrouded by itpletely.
The dense gray mist turned ck before Kierans eyes, blocking his visionpletely.
Thest thing Kieran heard was Schmidts cry of shock. When he regained his sight though, what he saw was not the limo beside him or Schmidt.
It was...
Chapter 317: Sacrifice
Chapter 317: Sacrifice
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
A wall!
A wall made out of rock, full of green moss. There were no wall seams on it. The rock was a whole wall. Not only the one before Kieran, but the other three around him as well.
"Is this a prison?"
Kieran noticed the prison door on the other side of the wall. There were bones next to his feet and chains that extended from the wall. Kieran frowned.
The scene before him was all too familiar. He had had the same treatment back in the Special Dungeon [Prisoner].
At least he was much more fortunate than the dead fellow on the floor though.
"This skull was crushed hard. The top of the skull was crushed using some sort of chain or hammer-like weapon... The unlucky fellow that had been cuffed here must have been forced into a dead end. He must have kept struggling and begging, but the assant showed no mercy. They killed him off with a single fatal blow..."
This was the theory Kieran came up with as he squatted down, inspecting the bones. He even pictured the execution in his mind before he turned his eyes to the prison door.
Surprisingly, it was not locked.
"Theres light outside, but the door isnt locked. If I exclude the possibility of this being an illusion, this means that the prison guards have assumed that the person inside here is dead! If they know this fellow is dead though, why would they let him rot here?"
New doubts reced the old ones in Kierans mind. A body rotting down to the bones was not a nice image. The vile stench alone was intolerable formoners. Especially when the body was kept in an underground dungeon like this one.
Kieran could imagine everyone covering their noses. The ce reeked of that vile stench, yet the bodies were still not taken care of.
Kieran unconsciously looked at the bones again, but he saw nothing out of the ordinary.
Disappointed at theck of results, he stood up with a sigh and carefully pushed open the door, trying not to make any noise.
Outside the door was an average-length corridor with enough light for one to see.
"Is this only a single cell?"
Kieran scanned his surroundings in surprise. He was standing at the end of the corridor, his cell right behind him. There were no other cells along the corridor. At the other end of the corridor was a shining light.
Kieran walked over to it carefully. He was vignt enough to check for traps before his each step.
As he was getting closer to the source of light and leaving behind the cover of the shadows, Kierran took out [Arrogant Word] just to be safe.
The scene before him surprised him again.
In front of him was a well-lit hall with nothing noteworthy about it. There were no people or items inside it.
The only thing that caught Kierans attention was the source of light.
There was a statue emitting a dim light that looked like an oilmp. It was a vicious-looking statue.
The base of the statue was not round or square. A couple of human faces were carved into the stone, their heads being stepped on as they wailed in sorrow.
The statue was big and tall. It had wings on its back and it was holding a greatsword and a whip in its hands. A rotten arrow was stabbed in its face, making its facial features obscure. Kierans heart was pumping fast as he looked at it.
Although there were some minor differences, it generally looked simr to his [Devil Transformation] image. Kieran had never looked into a mirror in his devil form, but thanks to the Special Dailys description of him, he could guess what he looked like.
"What is this? Why is there a devil statue here?" Kieran continued scanning the area doubtfully.
Other than the corridor he hade from, there were eight more corridors distributed evenly around the hall, each corridor having a simr length. In the middle of the hall was the glowing devilish statue.
Kieran noticed that the floor of each corridor was different. To be more precise, the patterns on them were different.
"Magic circles!" Kieran reached a conclusion after a simple inspection.
Although he was stillcking in [Mystical Knowledge] and could not understand what the magic circles could do, he could still recognize some of the runes within them.
Especially the word "Death", which was formed by 15 runes and symbols. Kieran made it out with a single look. It was the first meaning that he had understood, so it was still a fresh memory in his mind.
All nine corridors had "Death" runes carved on their floors without exception.
"A sacrifice?" Kieran guessed after connecting the formation of the cells with the devil statue. Then he inspected the remaining eight corridors carefully. Other than the crushed skull bones in each cell, just like in the one he had been transported to, there was nothing else.
Kieran turned back to the faintly glowing statue and started to think seriously about the situation.
"The mist must have some kind of transportation properties in order to bring me here. This seems like a location for some sort of sacrificial ritual, but it must be old. Even the ones in charge of the ritual are nowhere in sight, plus the devil statue looks destroyed... This ce must have gone through a small ambush! Not an attack, but maybe an assassination!"
Kierans gaze unconsciouslynded on the shadows in the corridor, getting into the shoes of the people who had been there.
"The assassin must have infiltrated this area silently, hiding quietly in the shadows and waiting for his target to appear. It was not a clean kill though. When that arrow hit the statue, the target must have fled in panic while the assassin chased them relentlessly!"
As Kieran pictured the whole process in his mind, his brow rxed.
This seemingly useless process allowed him toe up with another theory.
There had to be at least one exit, maybe even two!
The first one was the door that the hosts of the ritual used toe through.
The second one must have been the door the assassin had entered through.
The reason that the existence of a second door was not necessary was because Kieran spected that the assassin might have been one of the hosts that had wanted to kill his ownrade to usurp their position and authority.
That was the first theory Kieran came up with, but there were also other possibilities.
None of this mattered to him though. His objective was to locate the exit as soon as possible.
Just as he was about to inspect his surroundings, a sharp screech was heard.
Suddenly, a figure jumped down from above.
Chapter 318: The Gate
Chapter 318: The Gate
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The figure that jumped down from the ceiling was very nimble. A quick flip in mid-air allowed her tond on the ground without even the slightest wobble.
It was a slightly bewildered woman wearing a half-torn dress. She looked no older than 25 years old.
Her hair was brown, and so were her eyes. She was holding a worn-out dagger with cut marks and blood stains on it.
Kieran could imagine what kind of harsh battle she had been through by just taking a look at her weapon.
As he was inspecting her, the woman noticed his gaze.
She took two steps back out of vignce and took a defensive stance as she held the dagger.
"Who are you?" she said loudly.
Kieran didnt answer. Instead, he lifted his head up.
On the ceiling was a breach wide enough for one person to go through.
"Is this the entrance the assassin used?" Kieran guessed. He wanted to take a closer look.
"Its a dead end!" the woman said when she noticed what Kieran was looking at. When he jumped up and into the breach, the woman let out a cold grunt and started searching the ground.
When Kieran came back 15 minutester, he was frowning. Not only had he discovered that the passage was a dead end, but he had also noticed something else worth his attention.
"The passage was sealed off because I identally triggered the contraption. If you want to leave, well have to find another way," the woman said without lifting her head.
Kieran nced over at her before he started to search for the entrance that the ritual hosts used.
They had encountered each other in an unfamiliar ce, so neither of them opened their mouths to share their thoughts, let alone introduce themselves.
When Kieran pressed down the base of the devil statue, the wailing heads eyes turned. The base let out a noise and the ground in front of the statue slowly moved backwards, revealing a flight of stairs that led down.
"Well done!" the woman said, going down the stairs without hesitation.
Kieran squinted at her back as he followed her slowly.
There were almost 40 steps heading down, each one over 25 centimeters in height. The stairs were build straight, without the slightest spiral. At the end of the stairs was a wide hall.
The torches on the walls lit up as the woman stepped into the hall. The whole hall was instantly bathed in light. Kieran could easily see the end of the corridor. There was a stone gate and two corpses not far from it.
The two corpses had already rotted down to their bones. One of the skeletal hands was holding a crossbow, allowing Kieran to theorize about the skeletons identities.
"Are these the ritual host and the assassin?" Kieran thought as he looked at them.
The assassin had fired an arrow at the hosts heart, but his neck had also been crushed.
Considering the distance between the two skeletons, an ordinary man would not think that this was possible. If one took into ount the devil statue though, they would realize that the host that had been killed might have had some spell-casting abilities. This was totally within the realm of possibility.
Of course, there could also have been a third person besides those two.
Coveting something makes people look ahead, unaware of the danger behind them.
A third person could have emerged victorious. This had happened a long time ago though, so even though Kieran activated [Tracking] in order to search for clues, he couldnt find any more information.
"Come help me! What is so special about those piles of bones? We have to leave this ce! I dont want to stay here a second longer!" the woman, who was pushing at the stone gate, yelled at Kieran when she saw him stop and stare at the bones.
"Okay..." Kieran nodded before walking over to her.
When he was only two steps away though, he stopped andunched a surprise kick.
There had been no warning before his sudden attack. Hs kick was as fast as lightning and as swift as the wind,nding right on the womans neck.
Crack!
The womans body copsed against the side of the wall with a bone-cracking noise. Her eyes were wide, as if she hadnt died in peace, as if she wanted to ask Kieran why he had killed her.
Kieran remained quiet as he walked up to the womans body like a shadow. His barrage of kicks formedyers of mirages and shadows, enveloping her bodypletely. He only stopped when her body had no shape anymore.
A sudden gray mist started to escape her crushed body and spread around the hall.
Then the womans body shriveled like a burned painting and started to disintegrate and turn into sparkling sand.
"Oh my!" Kieran was not that surprised by the scene.
He had kept his guard up from the moment the woman had appeared. As he had explored the secret passageway through the breach though, his vignce had turned into doubt.
The passage had not been ventted, and its rotten stench had made Kieran cover his nose and mouth as hed entered.
And yet the woman, who hade through the passageway, had not been reeking.
She might have isted the stench by using some kind of Magical item, but what about the sealed-off passageway?
That foul stench couldnt have formed in the passageway within such a short period of time. It could only have been achieved through years of umtion.
What had the woman said earlier?
"The passage was sealed off because I identally triggered the contraption."
She had triggered the contraption that had sealed off the passageway. She must have stayed inside the passage for at least a couple of months. She had jumped down from the ceiling in a very timely manner when Kieran had appeared though.
This could not be a coincidence. She had been harboring malicious intent when shed appeared before Kieran.
"She had the looks of an average human and a certain level of intellect... She was not too smart andcked any basic vignce..."
Kieran stared at the stone gate as he thought about it. He was still unsure how the woman had appeared.
He had reason to believe that the womans goal had been the stone gate before him.
She had wanted Kieran to help her open it after all.
The stone gate was not tall or big. It actually looked like amon garden gate.
It was undoubtedly much more dangerous though.
The moment Kieran hadid his eyes on it, he had felt like he was being softly caressed by a thousand des and knives.
As he carefully approached the gate, he noticed that there were runes carved on it.
The runes were small and ovepping.
One couldnt even see them unless they moved closer.
Just as Kieran was about to inspect them, that faint grey mist that was supposed to have dissipated appeared in a dense form and spread throughout the hall.
Kieran was immediately surrounded by it.
Chapter 319: Intellect
Chapter 319: Intellect
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Kieran heard birds chirping and bugs buzzing around him.
The smell of dirt and nts filled his nose.
When the gray mist dissipated again, he was back in the primitive forest of Forende Town.
"Huh?"
Even though he knew he should be celebrating, Kieran was confused about the way he had been transported back.
Before he could think about it though, he heard Schmidts cry of delight from afar.
"2567!"
Charles, Raul and Cidney were with him as well.
"We finally found you! When you got out of the car, the mist disappeared with you..."
"Wait!"
Kieran put up his hand, interrupting Schmidt as he asked again with a serious expression, "I disappeared the moment I got out of the car? What about you, Schmidt? Are you okay?"
"Yes, whats wrong?" Schmidt said with a nod. He had been about to crack a joke to ease the tension, but when he saw Kierans serious expression, he realized that something was wrong and swallowed back hisme joke.
Kieran turned to Charles without answering.
"Master, did you feel like you were being watched when you stepped into the primitive forest?" he asked.
"No, I didnt! I dont sense anything strange. Maybe this is because Im old and my senses are not as good anymore though!"
The alchemy masters words sounded mocking as usual.
After spending a week together, Kieran knew that Charles had sharp senses and quick reflexes. Although he might look like an old man, his body wasnt old by any means. He was almost on par with Kieran!
Kierans doubts were confirmed by Charles answer.
"I see..." Kieran muttered, urging everyone to go back to the campsite.
They all trusted him, so they followed him back to thekeside camp despite their confusion.
"Want anything to eat?" Schmidt pointed to the canned food and grilled fish by the campfire.
Kieran picked up a grilled fish and a tree branch.
"When this happened, Schmidt and I were outside Forende Town..."
Kieran was recounting his own experience as he wrote on the ground quietly with the tree branch.
"The gray mist had a certain level of intellect."
"I hated the feeling of being spied on, but I couldnt see anyone behind me. I thought it was the trees that blocked my senses, but I was wrong. It was the mist."
"I never thought the mist would possess any life or intellect..."
"If it has intellect, then when Schmidt and I encountered the gray mist, I was the one taken because Schmidt couldnt open the gate! When I got interested in the gate and wanted to inspect it, I was transported back here because the mist wanted to protect its secret!"
"It chose the right target toplete the mission and made sure it wasnt interrupted... Although I cant confirm whether it has the intellect of a human being, considering its moving patterns, it isnt relying solely on instinct! This means that we are facing a monster of some kind..."
Kieran wiped the words away before he continued to the next sentence.
This didnt stop the others from seeing what he had written.
Raul and Cidney exchanged a look as Charles smoked his pipe quietly.
Schmidt picked up another branch and wrote down a question.
"Why did it choose you?"
"Lineage! I have the special lineage that allowed me to open that gate!" Kieran wrote.
He had thought it was his strength at first, but when he thought of Charles and the devil statue, he corrected himself.
Charles had strength and abilities that were on par with his. If it had been about strength, Charles would have noticed the gaze as well. Plus, that statue back there...
The answer was obvious.
"Do you remember the runes carved on the stone gate?" Charles asked all of a sudden.
"They were small, concentrated, and written in an ovepping manner, so it was too hard for me to make them out. I can only remember a few," Kieran said before he wrote down the runes he could remember. As Charles saw them, he remained silent. His silence attracted everyones attention.
After a few minutes, he wrote back.
"Its a Seal! What you saw was a Seal, and the thing behind it might be the devil!"
The word "devil" caused everyone to hold their breath.
The modern mystical realm knew how fearsome the devil was thanks to books passed down through generations, but when Kieran had transformed out of nowhere, everyone had realized what a legendary monster looked and felt like. Even though they had barely gotten a glimpse, it had been enough to let the East Coast mystics know they were facing a disastrous defeat.
Fortunately, the Bird of Death is not a hot-tempered man. Otherwise, I dont think anyone couldve held him down other than the God of Earth!
The Special Dailys article had been rooted in everyones heart. Compared to the real devil in the abyss though, Kierans abilities were inferior.
Kieran couldnt deny it. He knew that the blood of the devil was impure after all.
It was only because of [Fusion Heart] that he could transform into it.
Inside his heart was not just the devil, but also a human and the shards of the [Eye of the Chimeras].
Although thetter appeared in the form of the Creature of Desire, he had not forgotten what it had originally been.
"The real devil?" Kieran took a long breath.
He couldnt doubt the master alchemists judgment. He also believed that the devil might appear in this dungeon world himself.
After all, he had acquired his [Devil Heart] in the previous dungeon, which had shared the same universe as [The Shamans Partner I] and [Prison on the Ind].
"There is a statue of the devil. Could the devil be trapped beneath it? Does this seem possible?" Kieran wrote down in confusion.
"The devil did not love peace or harmony. The war within the abyss was caused by those creatures trying to invade each others territory. It is possible that a devil-like being has been trapped inside that devilish temple! It could be a sacrifice to the devil or the lord they used to worship!"
Kieran informed Schmidt about the history of the abyss before he turned his eyes to Charles.
He wished that he could get some help from the veterans experience.
"We..." Charles wrote. Before he could finish though, the grey mist started to rumble once more deep inside the primitive forest.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Id like to dedicate this chapter to Falidus.
Thank you for making thement section merrier !
Chapter 320: Enormous
Chapter 320: Enormous
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Ovepping shadows of armored figures started to emerge inside the mist.
The clunking noise of armor and weapons mixed with the raging neighs of the war horses as the ck Knights emerged once more in a group of hundreds.
"Schmidt, Raul, get to the car and get away from this ce! 2567, buy me three minutes!"
Charles face looked panicked as he noticed the ck Knights sudden appearance.
"Three minutes? Consider that done! Schmidt, the machine gun and the magazines!"
Kieran cut the bullsh*t right away, taking the light machine gun and the magazines from Schmidt and waiting by the path the ck Knights would pass through.
Kieran had no idea what Charles wanted to achieve, but he was sure it would be something that would threaten the gray mist.
Otherwise, the ck Knights wouldnt have appeared in such a timely manner.
The mist seemed to possess a much higher intellect than Kieran had anticipated. It turned out that it could even readmon words.
"What kind of monster are you?" Kieran muttered.
He was careful not to get too close to the primitive forest, The way the mist had appeared before had helped Kierane up with some theories.
The mist could not appear out of thin air. If it wanted to appear, it could only do so around or within the primitive forests perimeter. Otherwise, it would need to rely on the ck Knights in order to move around.
Although it had disyed its ability to make the ck Knights disappear, no one could guarantee that it couldnt transport other living beings as well.
Plus, who knew where the mist would transport its target?
The sacrificial room Kieran had ended up in had been okay, but what if it took them to other ces where immense danger loomed?
What if it transported them 1,000 feet up in the sky or inside an active volcano?
Kieran had no intention of fighting hand-to-hand with the ck Knights.
As the muzzle of the light machine gun shed repeatedly, bullets poured down on the ck Knights like heavy rain. The ck Knights, who had been going through the primitive forest, were now under attack. Sparks flew as the bullets shed with their armor.
Their armor was easily pierced by the firearms, the impact of the bullets causing the ck Knights to topple off their horses. Although their armor recovered from the bullets damage and the ck Knights were still alive and kicking, they fell off their horses, messing up the formation behind them.
Kieran knew what his goal was. He just needed to stall the knights for three minutes. He didnt have to kill them.
He might have seemed to be pulling the trigger non-stop, but he was actually choosing his targets carefully. The targeted knights toppled over,nding on the others behind them.
The ck Knights halted under the merciless downpour of bullets and retreated back into the primitive forest.
Kierans face didnt betray any delight at beating his enemies. He knew that the real battle had only just begun.
A clear galloping sound could be heard from both sides.
The ck Knights front line had been stopped, so they had chosen to take a detour around the forest and surround Kieran.
Suddenly, Kieran saw hundreds of ck Knights on both his left and right side.
The burning sunset shone down on their ck armor and weapons, producing a cold halo-like reflection.
The dazzling halo was filled with killing intent.
Layers of thin mist started to escape from the ck Knights armor and spread throughout the sky as they charged from both sides. The mist formed an enormous face in mid-air. It had two deep eye sockets, butcked any visible eyes, nose, mouth and ears.
The deep darkness inside the ghostly eye sockets looked like it could suck in a human soul.
Kieran ignored the Fear Debuff and stared straight into those deep ck sockets.
He lifted the light machine gun with his right hand, firing at the eerie face as he used his left hand to take out two grenades and throw them at the charging knights.
"Try these new-age weapons, you f*cking monster of the past!"
After two loud explosions, several ck Knights had been sted away. The charging knights were halted once again. However, the enormous face in the sky let out an ear-piercing wail and charged right down at Kieran.
The color and form of the face were exactly like the mist monsters, causing Kieran to raise his guard up high. He quickly rolled to the side, dodging the attack before the enormous face suddenly exploded.
Bang!
The space and sky around Kieran filled with that blurry gray mist.
"2567!"
Hisrades were shouting his name from afar, but Kieran couldnt hear them anymore.
Although he was not transported anywhere by the mist, the mist could still block all sunlight and sound.
Kieran let out a breath of relief inside the mist.
He was standing on solid ground, so things were not that bad.
"It didnt transport me anywhere else? Is it running out of tricks? Or is there some other kind of arrangement in ce?"
Kieran scanned the mist around him, trying to guess what it wanted from him.
Suddenly, the mist formed a mini tornado right before his eyes, rapidly growing about five meters tall. When the tornado reached its peak, a huge figure walked out of it.
"What the hell?" Kierans eyes widened.
Each step of the emerging figure made the ground tremble. It was the devil statue. Although it had no eyes, it made Kieran feel like it was looking at him.
"This is the monster behind the mist?" Kieran thought as he scanned the statue.
It was different from the one he remembered. Although it was still glowing like a dim oilmp, the thin mist was now circling it. Everything was obvious from Kierans point of view.
Meanwhile, the gray mist blocking the sunlight and sound gathered around the devil statue like a group of swallows returning to their nest.
The huge devil statue grew even bigger as it sucked in the mist, expanding like a balloon.
Seven meters, eight meters, nine meters...
It finally stopped when it reached 10 meters.
Kieran frowned as he looked at the energy stream rumbling around and the solid rock of the statue. He found it hard to strike for an instant. This was the first time he hade across such a huge enemy.
Even the two-handed [Arrogant Word] seemed like a toypared to it.
The statues hand, which was about six-meters long, swung a two-meter wide greatsword at Kieran as if it was a door. The violent wind produced by the swing caused Kieran to stagger.
However, it didnt take him long to notice the peculiarity of the statue. The whip was supposed to be made out of stone, but it was actually as soft and flexible as a snake.
As the greatsword produced an air-breaking sound, the whip moved silently towards Kierans body, trying to wrap around him.
Kieran instinctively jumped away.
As his feet left the ground, the statue spread its 20-meter long wings and pped them hard.
A tremendous cyclone was sted out towards Kieran, sending his body flying backwards and crashing into the stone gate that had appeared out of the void.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
I apologize on behalf of the author if you feel the recent chapters its boring. (It is a filler since Kieran purposely extended this for his own gain, he could just have went straight to the Shephards and end this arc asap.) (Nope)
The end of this arc ising soon and the debut of the second monster.
Plus the intermission, we will get to know more about Lawless.
Chapter 321: Meteors!
Chapter 321: Meteors!
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The gate! he stone gate!
he goal of the huge devil statue had been to break the seal right from the beginning!
"2567!"
When Charles, who had been preparing the magic circle, saw this, his heart skipped a beat.
He had no way to warn Kieran, as he had entered the final stage of preparing the magic circle.
Schmidt, Raul and Cidney had also followed his instructions and left.
"Damn it!"
As the alchemy master became more and more anxious, he chanted the incantation faster and started up the power of the magic circle before him.
At that very moment, all he hoped was that the devil within the seal would not be in its prime form. He hoped it would be within his league. Otherwise, both the group and the whole West Coast would suffer a heavy trauma.
Kieran, who was still floating in mid-air with no way of using his strength, suddenly stopped moving and flew straight back towards the huge devil statue.
"Is that a spider web?"
Charles, who was watching the scene anxiously, was stunned at first, but he quickly recovered. His delight was soon reced by anxiety though.
The spider web around the huge statues arm was easily shook off with a wave.
Kieran flew again towards the sealed stone gate as the statue pped its wings.
Another spider web was fired out from his right wrist. This time though, Kieran didnt aim for the statues arms, legs, or even its body.
His previous move had told Kieran that its strength matched its huge size. Even if he continued casting his web, [Mardos Arm, Spider Webbing] wouldnt really hold it in ce.
Therefore, Kieran changed his target and aimed for the ground.
The glittering webnded on the ground next to a rock not far away, contracting fast. Although the cyclone produced by the statues wings was powerful, its Strength was still below B- Level.
Kieran reeled himself closer andnded on the ground. The moment hended, he leapt up and threw himself at the statue.
Even though this was his first face-to-face battle with such a huge monster, his previous experience told him that he couldnt waste any more opportunities. He had to attack the statue. He needed to strike first, unless he wanted to be at a total disadvantage.
As for the Colossal Crocodile Primus?
If the devil statue had a mouth, he wouldnt have minded using it.
The dark red greatsword shed at the statues ankle.
Sparks shed as the sword created a crevice deep enough to fit a palm. Kieran felt slightly delighted.
"Although the statue absorbed the gray mist in order to grow, its sturdiness doesnt match its size!"
While he had been trying to look for an exit back in the sacrificial room, Kieran had performed a thorough inspection on the statue. It had been as hard as granite, yet it would still be crushed under [Reckless Rush].
While it had grown in size, its sturdiness hadnt changed proportionately to its growth.
This was great news for Kieran, who activated [Wild Soul, Reckless Rush] without hesitation.
A huge rhino mirage formed in a sh behind him. The most primitive destructive force in Kierans body charged at the statues ankle with earth-trembling force.
Bang!
Chipped stones flew in all directions.
The huge statues seemingly robust ankle was crushed along with its foot.
A screech caused the statue to wobble uncontrobly.
Kieran quickly followed up his victory with a hot pursuit, wielding [Arrogant Word] and shing frantically at the statues other ankle.
The huge statue swung its greatsword and whip down at Kieran, trying to stop his attack in vain.
After losing one of its ankles and feet, the statues movements became clumsy. Maybe the colossal strength that came with its body size was still there, but the disadvantages that came with its size and itsck of nimbleness were bing obvious now.
The statue needed to rely on its only foot to move and attack Kieran with the weapon in its hands. The weapon struck down very fast, but the time it took for it to move its body was enough for Kieran to sh at it four more times before dodging its attack.
The statues strike was very strong, but it couldnt hit its target. It was like hitting a mosquito with a canon. Its effort would have looked funny to anyone who witnessed it.
However, the mist monster did not just sit back and wait for its demise.
The gray mist that had been absorbed by the statue suddenly erupted, quickly flying back into the ck Knights, who were in an unmoving charging stance.
It was like reactivating a machine. In a second, the ck Knights regained their mobility and resumed their charge on their war horses.
After the gray mist left the statue, the buff statue rapidly shrunk back to its original size.
It was still alive though, the greatsword and long whip in its hands aimed at Kieran and striking fiercely.
If the statue had been able to move freely, it would have caused substantial trouble for Kieran, but ever since it had lost one of its feet, it had slowed down considerably. Kieran quickly put some distance between them.
In an instant, the statue didnt pose a threat to him anymore.
Kieran didnt mess with it. He quickly headed towards Charles, who was preparing the magic circle.
Kieran was not the ck Knights target anymore. Instead, they were fixed on the alchemy master, who was immobilized because of the magic circle preparations.
The ck Knights whipped their horses, raising their long spears and battle axes in the air.
Momentster, they were about to chop the short elderly man into pieces.
Suddenly, a ripple of energy escaped the alchemy masters body.
The spot where he was standing was the center of the five-meter magic circle. The magic circle suddenly lit up, emitting a dazzling red light. Countlessplicated symbols and runes started to swirl around in a circr stream.
Charles was standing still on top of the magic circle. A special aura sted out and suppressed their surroundings as the dazzling red light seemed to be forming ayer of armor over Charles, making him look like a Fire Saint standing inside the mes.
A ping-pong-sized fireball appeared in his hand. Charles threw it right at the primitive forest like an arrow, watching it shoot fast into the trees.
Kierans eyes widened at the scene. He wanted to witness the move Charles had been preparing for three minutes.
The atmosphere in the battlefield suddenly seemed to freeze. The charging ck Knights halted under that special aura and turned around, looking at the primitive forest under the mist monsters control.
Nothing happened for a few seconds.
The magic circle supporting Charles from beneath vanished. Charles looked like he hade out of the water. He was panting heavily and staggering on the ground.
"Master?"
Kieran went over and helped him up with a confused expression.
Charles didnt exin much. He just stared at the mist monster inside the ck Knights.
"Hey, monster! Did you ever get hit by a meteor?"
Charles could barely catch his breath, yet he still sounded humourous.
No one was in the mood to appreciate the humor in hisment though.
Everyone, including Kieran, lifted their heads up and stared at the sky.
It was dyed red!
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
some final fantasy move
Chapter 322: Deep
Chapter 322: Deep
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The sky, which had been turning dark as night fell, was suddenly dyed red.
Clouds rumbled and shrunk before smashing through.
A ck spot pierced the clouds, falling down with an ear-numbing sound.
Kieran widened his eyes at the ck spot.
A meteor! A meteor was on fire!
Kieran had gotten a general impression of Nikoreis friends long ago, so he knew who was powerful and who was not.
What Kieran was witnessing was blowing his mind though.
The very moment that he saw the meteor fall down from the sky, an impression formed on his mind.
The gray mist seeped out of the seams of the ck Knights armor and turned itself into an enormous head with only two eye sockets that stared at the falling meteor without eyes.
Suddenly, it threw itself up into the sky, where the meteor was still falling.
The meteor smashed the misty head out of shape when they came into contact.
The head dispersed in ripples and vanished in the horizon as the meteor crashed hard against the primitive forest.
BOOM!
The earth trembled and mes rose as it collided.
The shockwave felt like sweeping away dead leaves. Everything within a three-kilometer radius was destroyed.
Neither the tall trees nor the deep-rooted grass survived the st.
Everything was crushed and disintegrated into ashes, turning into a sea of fire.
Kieran was supporting Charles with one hand.
He could find no words to describe his feelings as he witnessed the scene.
Overwhelmed? Powerless?
Kieran unconsciously ced himself in the shoes of the mist monster, realizing he could not have withstood the meteor strike, even if he had transformed into his devil form.
His attention was quickly attracted by the night sky.
The burning sky formed a projection before his eyes.
The projection showed Nikorei carrying Tiki as Ferad trailed behind her.
Nikorei was leading a group of men, including the Night Demon leader Morenderke, the Dark Star leader Serdenk, and three more unfamiliar men, who had to be the Unicorn, White Deer and Pris leaders.
They were walking through a small town, heading to an old building. It looked ancient, but Kieran couldnt tell anything else about its structure.
Suddenly, he saw a big and a small gate appear before the group. Kieran raised his brow. He was unfamiliar with the big gate, but he had seen the small gate before.
It was the sealed stone gate!
Nikorei and co. didnt seem to care about the small gate though. They were focused on the bigger gate instead. Nikorei pushed it open, and light shone through as everyone vanished through it.
The projection started to get blurry before it eventually vanished.
"Is this a mirage?" Kieran asked Charles.
"Its a power reflection!" Charles said, using a strange new word.
"Whenever you cast a powerful spell in a special location, it will leave a trace on the horizon. Then thanks to changes in temperature and other natural causes, the scene will be projected. The moment Rei opened that gate, an immense force must have broken through. Even though the projection was not disyed, the power reflection, the primitive forest and the mist monster are proof enough for this!" Charles exined, although he was still looking doubtful.
"Forende Town was hiding both a devil and something else that is just as horrifying? What is Forende Town really?"
Kieran took a deep breath helplessly as he heard Charles words.
Although he could guess that the ce where Nikorei was was the actual Forende Town, he was not sure because he had never been there before. Now Charles seemed to be confirming his theory.
Kieran had a question of his own on his mind. What was behind the gate that Nikorei and co. had gone through?
The devil had to be behind that sealed stone gate, but what was more fearsome than the devil himself?
Kieran realized his imagination was running dry. He couldnt imagine what could be behind that gate.
[Sub Mission: Missing Town! (Completed)]
Even the system notification could not cheer him up. His mind was filled with burning questions about the strange stone gate. He was eager to perform a thorough investigation to put his burning doubts to rest.
...
"2567! Master Charles!"
Schmidt, Raul and Cidney jumped out of the limo as it screeched to a stop.
They were all in shock when they saw the primitive forest in ruins.
The three of them thought they were dreaming. The meteor had fallen down and destroyed the forest in mere minutes.
A primitive forest as big as a town had been destroyed just like that. Even Raul and Cidney, who were members of the mystical realm, were overwhelmed, let alone Schmidt, who was just an amateur.
Schmidt looked somewhat absent-minded. Kieran could tell that his soul had left his body, but he had no spare time tofort the Chief Officer. He had more urgent things to deal with.
"Take care of Master Charles! Ill go take a look!"
Kieran pointed at the burning crater that was the primitive forest and patted Schmidts shoulder, hoping he would get a grip on himself.
"Be careful!" Charles warned Kieran. He knew what Kieran wanted to look for.
He would search for the unknown stone gate. There were simr questions on Master Charles mind as well.
The burning air assaulted Kieran right away. If he didnt have [Secondary Elemental Damage Resistance], he would have gotten burned.
Sweat slid down his forehead, but before it could reach his cheeks, it had already evaporated.
Kierans head looked like it was steaming if one saw it from afar, but this still didnt stop him from investigating the scorchednd.
Even without any visible obstacles, Kieran could not rely on his naked eyes to search for clues inside the burning meteor crater. He activated [Tracking] right away, hoping that this skill would help him spot some kind of special being.
The description of Grand Master [Tracking] stated that by using it, one was able to sense special beings. Kierans eyes could not just spot formless spirits though.
He could see pitch ck tracks everywhere, very much unlikemon burn marks.
He wanted to follow the tracks, but before he could do it, his eyes started hurting.
"Aaargh!" he cried out in pain.
A tremendous power struck his body, making him fly like a kite let loose.
Chapter 323: Qualifications
Chapter 323: Qualifications
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Kieran performed a backflip in mid-air andnded on his feet.
He didnt regain his bnce fast enough though, so after staggering for a couple of steps, he fell down on his knees.
The excruciating pain in his abdomen made him pant, butpared to that pain, he was more concerned about the condition of his eyes.
Countless ovepping shadows filled his vision, making it blurry.
Fortunately, after 15 seconds, everything returned to normal.
Kieran let out a long breath of relief.
Although returning to the game lobby would repair and heal any kind of wound, including physical disability, the cost was insanely high.
Most importantly, if Kieran somehow lost his sight, it would be difficult for him to progress any further in the current dungeon world.
This single advantage would lead to big progress.
On the contrary, a single setback would lead to a huge fallback.
Kieran was in the lead, and he wanted to remain there. That principle had already been branded on his soul inside the underground game.
"Are you okay?" Schmidt ran over and tried to help him up.
"Im fine..." Kieran shook his head and clenched his teeth hard. As he stood up, he felt excruciating pain in his abdomen. It felt as if he was being cut open.
Kieran was not concerned about his injuries though. He just stared silently at the meteor crater.
"I dont even have the qualifications to participate?" he muttered.
He was certain that the profound feeling he felt wasing from that unknown stone gate.
Even though Kieran had guessed that Nikorei had united the five major societies to face that "thing", he had never thought that he would not be able to push open the gate that led to it.
To be precise, he could not even get near the gate. Kieran felt dejected. He was someone who looked peaceful and harmonious on the outside, but was really proud on the inside.
Although he had kept up his guard, ever since he had acquired [Fusion Heart], he had somehow neglected his own abilities because hed thought that [Devil Transformation] and [Desire Summoning] would help him run rampant in all uing dungeons.
The battle with the East Coast mystics had confirmed his theory, but the scene before him had pped him hard across the face.
"I dont even have the qualifications to enter. What else do I have to do in order for me to run rampant in future dungeons?" Kieran mocked himself with a coldugh before quickly stopping.
He looked at the meteor crater and said solemnly, "Wait for me! Next time... The next time..."
His voice lowered as he spoke. Even Schmidt could not hear what he was saying anymore. When he stopped muttering, he turned around right away.
"What happened?" Schmidt asked, looking at his friend in confusion.
"Lets get back to the West Coast. I have something to deal with!" Kieran sped up as he spoke, as if he was very eager to get back.
The others didnt object.
After performing that meteor spell, Charles waspletely exhausted. Although his heart and spirit wanted to keep investigating, his flesh was weak.
Raul and Cidney, who were there to search for their friend Rukie, realized the grim possibilities after listening to Kierans statement.
Schmidt had no reason to be there. He was just their friend after all.
...
Charles was lying down on the bed in the limo, his hand holding on to his favorite pipe, although it was not loaded with tobo.
The alchemy master was aware of his own condition. If he wanted to recover quickly, he would have to quit smoking for at least a month. This was not what had caused his headache though. That spell he had cast had used up all his ingredients. He had spent three years of his life collecting those ingredients, some of which were very rare materials.Who knew how long it would take for Charles to gather all those items again?
This was not a big dealpared to what had happened to Kieran though. Charles was staring at him meticulously as he practised alchemy.
Kieran had been practising ever since he had stepped into the trailer three days ago. He was quiet all the time, and other than eating and sleeping, he waspletely focused on practising, to the point that he looked like a robot.
Charles frowned. He had no idea that something like this could happen. If he had known, he would not have let Kieran investigate. He knew how hard of an impact such a thing could have on a young man with such powerful abilities. Even the slightest misstep could result in...
Once the thought bloomed in Charles mind, he felt the need to talk to Kieran about this again.
"2567..."
Charles coughed lightly, trying to figure out how to approach the topic. He was really bad at such strict, serious talks. His humorous personality was not fit for them.
It was very hard for him, but he had no choice but to brace himself and do it. A young mans bright future was at stake after all.
"You know, a single failure means nothing for a young man... Failing is necessary in order for one to grow and make progress. I have experienced countless failures myself, just like you. Back in the day, I took me almost four weeks just to understand the simplest thing..."
Just as Charles was about to steer the conversation back to the incident that had happened three days ago, he was interrupted by Kieran.
"Master, Ive done it!" Kieran said happily.
"Yes, yes, I know. It doesnt matter if you fail- What? What did you say?"
Charles started to answer out of instinct before he realized what Kieran had said. He forced himself to sit up, even though his body was still weak. When he looked at the hard pelt that Kieran had handed him, his eyes widened.
"Youve done it... Youve really done it! Eight days- No, a week! It took you a week to master it!" Charles mumbled, holding back what he really wanted to say.
Charles himself had spent four weeks searching for the key point, and it had taken him another four weeks toplete the basic experiment, yet Kieran had seeded in just a week!
Charles had only seen one gifted person like this before, and it had been Nikorei. He unconsciously thought of the answer Kieran had given him when theyd first met.
"What do you think alchemy is?"
"Alchemy is used to create gold, cure-all potions and immortality pills. This is what I think of alchemy!"
The answer echoed in Charles ears. Before this, he had never really thought about it, although this didnt mean that he had treated it as a joke. On the contrary, he had admired Kieran for giving such an answer. This was the reason he had decided to teach him about alchemy.
Now he started thinking about it seriously though. A lot of people could give such an answer, but if a gifted individual gave an answer like that...
"Is this a blessing of yours, teacher?" Charles wondered in his mind.
He had forgotten what he had wanted to say. A burning thought bloomed like a spring flower in his mind.
Kieran didnt notice the changes on Charles face. He was too busy looking at the system notification that had popped up.
[You have sessfullypleted an Alchemy Pledge, Your Alchemy Experience has grown significantly...]
[Your Alchemy Basic Experience has reached its limit...]
[Level up!]
[Mastered Skill: Alchemy (Basic)]
[Name: Alchemy (Basic)]
[Rted Attributes: None]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effects: You can create some special items by using certain ingredients]
[Consumes: Nothing]
[Prerequisites: None]
[Remarks: You are just an apprentice. Dont attempt to poke your nose in knowledge you are not ready for!]
[Notes: You have acquired this skill through learning, not through a Skill Book. Therefore, you cannot upgrade it with Points or Skill Points. If you want to level it up, you will need to continue learning or acquire a Skill Book!]
...
"[Research of Mystical Beings], [Potionology], [Astrology] and [Alchemy] arepleted! I can finally upgrade [Mystical Knowledge]!"
Kieran drew in a deep breath. He had been waiting for this moment for a long time.
Even though only a short time had passed in real life, he felt like it had been years.
Before Kieran could n his upgrading process carefully though, he felt Charles looking at him with anticipation.
"Whats wrong, master? Anything wrong with my work?" he asked in confusion.
"No, no, everythings fine! Its just that..."
Charles shook his head quickly in embarrassment before he finally continued, "Would you like to learn about alchemy from me? I know you will surely surpass my power someday with Reis guidance, but I was hoping that you could learn by my side until Reies back!"
"Learn alchemy from you?" Kieran was shocked. This was not the first time something like this had happened.
Charles was overwhelmed by his gifts, just like the old Guardian Knight had been.
Kieran couldnt understand what was so special about his gifts. Even though he had learned everything himself, the system had also been there to help him. Otherwise, he would never have been able to master a skill within such a short period of time.
Of course, he couldnt exin this to the natives.
After some thought, Kieran asked in a careful, probing manner, "Can you teach me how to summon meteors?"
"Of course!" Charles answered immediately.
Chapter 324: Charles’ Fire
Chapter 324: Charles Fire
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Rome hadnt been built in one day.
Kieran wanted to learn how to summon meteors, or to be more precise, how to use [Meteor Burst], but he knew that he would not aplish it in one go.
Even though Charles did his best to teach him, Kieran still needed to have the corresponding level of [Alchemy], [Astrology] and hidden ancient knowledge.
It was still too early for Kieran, whose [Mystical Knowledge] was only at Master Level. However, this didnt mean that he learned nothing during his journey back to the West Coast.
A 10-centimeter tall flower of fire was hovering over Kierans left index finger.
Charles, who acted as his mentor, opened his eyes wide.
The fire Charles had created earlier had only been a small me. It had not been even close to Kierans bright flower of fire.
"Your gift makes me really jealous! Not only did you master [Charles Fire] extremely fast, but you also surpassed my own power by miles!" Charles said jealously, even though his expression was filled with anticipation. He was hoping that Kieran would perform better than him.
Kieran touched his nose lightly. He was kind of embarrassed and unable to find the right words to answer. When he had cast [Charles Fire], the system had helped him a lot, even though he had made some effort himself.
[Name: Charles Fire (Basic)]
[Rted Attributes: None]
[Skill Type: Offensive]
[Effects: You can create fire with your finger, Your attacking power is low to none, but the me burns continuously]
[Consumes: Stamina]
[Prerequisites: Constitution D]
[Remarks: This is a spell with no incantation, casting gesture or casting time limit. Its a skill created by the alchemy master inbination with hidden ancient knowledge!]
[Notes: You have acquired this skill through learning, not through a Skill Book. Therefore, you cannot upgrade it with Points or Skill Points. If you want to level it up, you will need to continue learning or acquire a Skill Book!]
...
Obviously, [Charles Fire]s almost non-existent attack could not produce a big fire, but by using the [Fusion Heart, Fiery Sulphur] buff, the attack was enhanced further, reaching almost Weak Level.
Even though this was just a low-tier attack, it was value for money considering the Stamina consumed.
Compared to other simr skills though, its contribution was not even worth mentioning.
A new intricate dark red tattoo was on the left side of Kierans chest.
The basic structure was formed by a pentagram, the advanced conversion circle using hidden ancient knowledge even older and more profound than Alchemy and Potionology.
A dark red line that looked like a vein extended from the tattoo and wrapped around his shoulder, elbow and wrist. The line was connected to an identical tattoo on the back of his left hand. Finally, another red line extended from his hand tattoo, wrapping around his left index finger.
At Kierans will, another flower of fire started burning brightly on the tip of his finger.
When Kieran raised his right hand towards the fire, he could clearly feel the hot, burning properties of the me, yet he was feeling nothing on his left hand.
Even though this was not his first experiment, Kieran was still amazed.
"You have an energetic body, but you need to learn how to use it! Here, wear this... You should understand this precious knowledge. Although I dont believe anyone is able to understand mystical branding through magic circles, better safe than sorry. Your enemies might very well be spying on you!" Charles said, handing Kieran a fingerless glove.
Mystical branding was what Charles called the magic circles thatbined modern alchemy, ancient alchemy and hidden ancient knowledge.
Charles became strict as he watched Kieran take the glove.
"Ill say it again. You have mastered the basics of [Charles Fire]. I dont know where its limits are, because it has surpassed any spell I know! Plus, given my aging body, I wouldnt be able to upgrade it!"
"You are of special lineage, so you are qualified to upgrade it, but you must remember that it cant just appear out of thin air. It needs energy, and such energyes from the heat produced by your breath and the food you consume! You cant upgrade it before you get stronger, or you will lose your life!"
Charles emphasized each word clearly as he stared at Kieran without blinking.
"This is not an easy task, but Ill try my best toplete it!" Kieran said with a shrug.
He lowered his head against the back of his hand, where the mystical branding tattoo was.
ording to Charles, connecting the tattoo with his other fingers by using the reserved space and lines could take [Charles Fire] to the next level.
It didnt require any Points, Skill Points or corresponding knowledge. Not even any Golden Skill Points. All it required was lines after lines.
It sounded very tempting to Kieran.
Especially when the system stated that the prerequisite was a D Rank Constitution, and he had already reached C+ Rank. His heart started beating even faster on impulse, even though he tried to suppress it.
When he saw Charles tired face and his bloodshot eyes, he realized that the elderly alchemy master had weakened his body a lot by guiding him day and night on how toplete [Charles Fire]. Kieran wouldnt want anyone who cared about him to worry.
Plus, as the group got closer to the West Coast, he would get many more opportunities to upgrade his skill. Why would he do it at such bad timing instead?
After getting Kierans permission, Charlesy back down on his bed and rested his exhausted body. He fell asleep as soon as he touched the bed. Kieran sat down on his seat and stared at the passing scenery through the window.
He was silently thinking about his n and how hard he had worked to perfect it. He had done his best to prevent a misstep.
Finally, when Schmidt told him he had just seen road signs pointing to the West Coast, Kieran stood up.
"Shepherds of Death, East Coast mystics and rats hiding in all corners of the West Coast... Are you ready?" he muttered with sheer determination.
Chapter 325: Intentions
Chapter 325: Intentions
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
"We are invited as well?"
Schmidt was looking at Rond Landsky in shock.
When Kieran and co. went back to the house on 1st ck Street, the elderly man, who had temporarily taken over his granddaughters duties, stopped by for a visit.
He had some surprising news to share. The Shepherds of Death had sent out invitations.
Everyone in the house was given an invitation, except Charles, who was thetest addition to the group, and Boller, who was still unconscious.
"ording to my source, they sent out even more invitations. Any West Coast mystic with a reputation has been invited. They also rented Morsenburg to use it as a venue for the banquet. It seems like theyve decided to give up on all the secrecy and step into the light... I dont think this is a good sign!" Rond added.
The others didnt object to his statement. Everyone frowned. They were no idiots after all.
The Shepherds peculiar actions implied that they were sure of their victory.
Otherwise, they wouldnt have sent out so many invitations and risked stepping into the light.
Everyones attention was on Kieran, who seemed calm over the news.
"What about the East Coast mystics?" Kieran asked Rond.
"I havent gotten any news about them, but ording to reliable sources, they have reached the West Coast and are awaiting your return! Philly did deliver your deration after all, and considering their nature, they will not give up until its done!" Rond said in an affirmative tone.
"I hope they live up to their reputation!" Kieran said softly.
The appearance of the East Coast mystics was a part of his n. He was not surprised that they had decided to team up with the Shepherds and form a temporary union.
Kieran had spected that they would do as much when they changed their way of handling things. There was no proof, but he was very sure of his theory. There was no way to exin the peculiarity of the Shepherds.
Almost everyone in the house had the same thought, except for Kieran, but before anyone could voice it, he switched the topic.
The conversation that followed was mostly casual chit chat. Rond left after half an hour.
He walked out of the house and got in the car waiting for him by the side of the road.
Inside the car was Tally, who lit up a cigarette andy back on the seat, staring at 1st ck Street quietly.
The smoke that moved around her added ayer of mystery and danger to her beautiful face.
The driver covered his nose to protect it from the smoke.
Rond frowned at his granddaughters behavior.
"Are you being rebellious now?" he asked.
"Is it working?" Tally tilted her head, staring at her grandfather. Before Rond could answer, she went on, "Seems like it isnt. You deal with things your way. Im basically wasting my time, but whats wrong with that? You already took away my rights as the first in line, so theres not much else you can do to me..." Tally took another deep puff of her cigarette.
"Enough!" Rond grabbed her cigarette and threw it outside the car.
Tally didnt even put up any resistance. She was just looking dully at her grandfather.
Rond was panting angrily, but he calmed down quickly. He looked like a leaking balloon as hey back against his seat.
"You know, you are exactly like that man! Like the Bird of Death!" he said.
"He didnt ask for your help, even though he realizes that something is wrong?"
Tally seemed to be both praising and mocking him at the same time.
"Not only did he not ask for my help, but he made it seem like he didnt care! As if he wouldnt even stop so low as to look at the union between the East Coast mystics and the Shepherds! I admit that he is powerful, but the union is just as powerful! Most importantly, he has already exposed his ability to transform into the devil!" Rond said with a soft sigh.
"The East Coast mystics and the Shepherds will surely be prepared. This will not be another ambush like the one at the docks! I have started to regret this coboration already. The Bird of Death has been blinded by his previous victory!" Rond added.
"You dont think 2567 has the confidence to win?" Tally refuted her grandfathers argument.
Rond didnt bother answering.
"Start the car!" he ordered the driver.
The ck car drove away swiftly, followed by another one. The spies hiding in the shadows were returning to their own factions with some important news.
The Bird of Death had returned.
Within half an hour, the whole West Coast had heard the news.
Some people were delighted, others were worried, and some felt their killing intent grow.
Philly did not fall into any of those categories. He felt delighted and worried at the same time.
Delighted that Kieran had returned, but worried about his fate.
Philly gave a fawning smile to the well-dressed gentleman before him.
"Master Barry, the Bird of Death has returned. His friends have also received invitations. Considering Simones traditional way of thinking, he and the Bird of Death will definitely attend the meeting, even if they have noticed that something is off!"
Philly was nodding and bowing as he delivered the message. It looked like he had turned into a suck-up again.
"Well done, Philly!" the well-dressed middle-aged gentleman said.
Philly was over the moon, but his face was still filled with fear and reverence.
"It is all thanks to Master Barrys perfect nning, I only try to make myself useful!"
Philly lifted his right hand, pinching his little finger with his thumb.
His manner and actions satisfied the middle-aged gentleman, who waved his hand.
Philly felt like he was being pardoned from death row as he left the room.
"This wont do... I must think of a way to get out of this mess! I cant deal with both the Bird of Death and the Spirit of Evil! I will be crushed if I get stuck between them! Damn it! What should I do?"
The gears in Phillys mind were spinning quickly as he tried to think of a solution to save himself. He regretted delivering the message back to the East Coast.
If he had known, he would have sent someone else to deliver it.
"I am too honest... Huh?"
As Philly was trying to brainstorm, he saw a person in the corridor.
It was a man with a golden mohawk and a long denim jacket. A thought instantly bloomed in Phillys mind.
"Hey, messenger! I have an important matter to take care of! I know you are busy sending all sorts of invitations on behalf of the Shepherds, but I can offer you ten times that money!"
Philly touched his moustache as he ran over to the messenger, not the least bit concerned about the mans reaction.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
I have a thought in drawing Kieran and everything from this novel but I dont have the time :(
What should I do?
Chapter 326: December 1st
Chapter 326: December 1st
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
1st ck Street.
Schmidt, Simones and Charles were sitting opposite Kieran, Elli, Raul and Cidney.
Everyone was focused on Kierans calm expression. The atmosphere felt heavy.
Schmidt couldnt remain silent anymore.
"Didnt you notice the danger before you, 2567? Or do you have any secret ns about it? The outsider is gone. Can you tell us now?" Schmidt said, firing questions nonstop.
"Yes, I noticed, but I have no ns about it."
Kieran didnt object to the use of the word "outsider". Compared to everyone present, Rond was indeed nothing more than an outsider.
"What do you mean you have no ns about it?" Schmidt asked in confusion.
"Would you turn down such an invitation, Simones?" Kieran asked the man without answering.
"Of course not! I might not be of much use there, but I am no coward! Besides, if I dont go, I will be shaming our traditions!" Simones said in an affirmative tone.
"Oh my God! Simones, please tell me you are joking! How is this a tradition? This is just stubbornness! Stubbornness that will lead to death!" Schmidt said loudly, covering his own forehead.
"This is thest tradition remaining on the West Coast. One should not fear an invitation from the East Coast, regardless of whether it is safe or not to go. This is the only tradition left on the West Coast ever since Rei became the God of Earth..." Simones emphasized in a calm tone.
No one seemed surprised by his words. Charles even nodded with a smile. Kieran was no exception either.
He had been unfamiliar with that tradition at first, but when Simones had seen the invitation, his serious expression had made him guess as much.
As far as he knew, the Shepherds never did anything without a reason. Simones words only confirmed his theory.
"Damnit!" Schmidt cursed, rubbing his temples with a frown. He knew Simones wouldnt change his mind, considering how calm he seemed to be about it. Everyone else shared the same opinion with the potionologist, Schmidt stopped wasting his energy trying to persuade them.
Kierans eager look was a sign that he had been anticipating that invitation. Although he tried to hide it, Schmidt could tell.
"What should we do then?"
They couldnt turn down the invitation under the circumstances, so all they could do was prepare for the worst. Schmidt was not about to back off. He had received an invitation himself, but even if he hadnt, his temper would have made him tag along with everyone else.
"Get some rest, get ready and lets wait for December 1st..."
"I hope I can get some nice food! Ive been eating fast food and canned food for almost two weeks now! I dont hate the taste of it, but if I could have something else, Id be grateful!" Kieran said before standing up and going to the kitchen.
Elli followed after a moment.
"Young people these days!" Simones and Charles eximed together.
Raul and Cidney exchanged a look and smiled, implying that they agreed.
Schmidt was the only one standing there nkly.
"We are discussing life and death here! How can you guys act like this?" the Chief Officer protested helplessly in a loud voice.
A few days passed, but nothing changed.
Kieran, Elli, Simones, Charles, Raul and Cidney were not anxious. Everyone carried on as usual.
Schmidt, on the other hand, was getting more anxious every day. In the end, Simones couldnt stand it anymore and pushed him out of the house.
"Arent you supposed to be looking for that ck market dealer? Now is the time!"
Simones words lingered in Schmidts ears as he stood outside the door.
Shaking his head, he mocked himself with a smile. "Fine, fine! I have failed as a mystic anyway!" he muttered, leaving the house in dissatisfaction. He could tell that everyone seemed to be relying on something, which was why they remained calm. The more they behaved like that though, the more anxious he got.
He had no aces up his sleeves anymore.
"Damn it! Do I really need to order a rocketuncher from that bastard? Even if I had one, it wouldnt improve my chances against those monsters!"
Schmidt headed towards the ck market with that thought in mind.
His confidence was slipping away, when he suddenly saw a figure appear in front of him.
"Whos there?" Schmidt asked vigntly, his hand reaching for his gun.
"I mean you no harm, I am just a messenger. Please forgive me... I was unable to deliver this message directly to the Bird of Death. It is too dangerous for me there..."
The figure waved his hand and a white envelope flew into the pocket of Schmidts coat.
Before Schmidt could express his amazement, the figure had already disappeared.
"A letter for 2567?"
Schmidt took out the nk envelope. He had no idea what the figure wanted, but he knew that he needed to pass that letter on to Kieran.
However, after taking a couple of steps, he was stopped again. The person who appeared before him this time made Schmidts jaw drop.
"Long time no see, Schmidt!" he greeted him.
...
The days flew past like a bird.
A heavy snowfall surprised everyone on the day of December 1st.
The snow kept falling from dawn till dusk, not sparing the sunlight.
The gray clouds were dense and the atmosphere felt chilly. As darkness covered the sky, nature made everyone hold their breath.
The umted snow on the ground was an obstacle for the few pedestrians on the streets.
By 6 oclock in the evening, the streets were almost deserted.
A few more people lingered around, but they were all in a hurry. None of them had any intention of staying out in that mercilessly cold and snowy street.
Suddenly, a bell rang on the street.
The pleasant chime caught everyones attention. The pedestrians watched in shock as two four-wheeled wagons being pulled by four horses each dashed through the gray streets.
Even the thick snow on the streets could not slow them down.
Their speed and steady driving impressed the pedestrians, who admired the wagoners skilled control. The ones with the sharpest eyes could tell that those were nomon horses or wagons.
They couldnt tell in what aspect they were different, but they knew they were.
The wagons rode under the pedestrians gazes, disappearing at the end of the street. They were heading towards 1st ck Street.
The two wagoners parked their wagons neatly in front of the house.
Then they jumped down, rang the doorbell and stood to the side with bowed heads.
After about two minutes, the big door of the house opened.
Chapter 327: Welcome
Chapter 327: Wee
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The two wagons were dashing steadily into the night.
Kieran, who was inside one of them, did not feel even the slightest tremble. He was in awe of the wagoners skill and the umon wagons and horses.
Even with his Basic Level [Alchemy] and [Research of Mystical Beings], he could still tell that the wagons were leaving a magical trail behind them and the horses were of a special pedigree.
Although Kieran knew that this was a mere disy of strength from the other side, this didnt stop him from resting inside the wagon.
What would follow would surely be an ugly battle.
Elli was sitting beside him, with a bag as tall as she was beside her. The stuffed bag and the box with [Arrogant Word] made the spacious wagon seem small.
"I made the wrong decision! I should have sat in Simones wagon. At least it wouldnt have been this packed."
Schmidt, who was sitting across from Kieran, had to fit his body between the two big pieces of luggage, yet this was not what was causing him difort.
The sharp Chief Officer had noticed that Ellis eyes gave off a burning vibe that made her look embarrassed. When Kieran closed his eyes quietly to get some rest, the atmosphere got so stiff that Schmidt felt his muscles freeze.
"Elli, I think we should be thinking about what to do about the Shepherds and the East Coast mystics. You should not be thinking about other thi-"
Her sudden death re made Schmidt shut up quickly. As Elli turned her sharp gaze on him, Schmidt raised his hand in apology.
"Sorry, my bad," he said before going silent.
After two minutes, he spoke up again.
"If the Shepherds can rent Morsenburg, their influence must be bigger than we imagined! The castle, which belonged to West Coast royalty before the Blood Moon War, has never been up for rent, even if one had the money to rent it! The Morsenburg Castle has a special symbolic meaning to it..."
"A special symbolic meaning?" Elli asked curiously, not stopping Schmidt this time.
"Thest king of the West Coast was killed inside Morsenburg. He was the only king to be killed in his own castle. After his death, a mysterious veil fell over the castle. It was nothing supernatural, but based on some historians notes, the ce became known as the Kings Grave!" Schmidt emphasized with a nod.
"The Kings Grave?" Elli turned to Kieran in shock.
"Assistant o assistant, in the form of a raven, ominously befallen. The Bird of Death, with a body of chaos and a heart of light, he who will reign over thend with a kingly might..."
Nikoreis prophecy echoed in her ears.
ording to Nikoreis prophecy, Kieran would reign over thend with a kingsly might. Was it a coincidence that the Shepherds had chosen the Kings Grave as the venue of their meeting?
Ellis heart was buzzing with worry. The mystical realm might have been willing to believe the prophecy, but they also believed in certain omens, and some people were very superstitious.
"2567..." Elli wanted to say something, but before she could, Kieran cut her off.
"You wouldnt want me to jump off the wagon now, right? This battle is inevitable. Unless we want to cause more unnecessary problems, we have to settle this tonight! I never believed Nikoreis prophecy anyway!"
Kieran opened his eyes and looked at the worried youngss. Then he shrugged and gave her a soft smile.
His words were not meant tofort her. They were just a statement of facts.
The youngss stared at Kierans fading smile quietly. Kieran tilted his head down. He seemed to be thinking about something.
Schmidt rolled his eyes and said, "You dont believe the prophecy because you are embarrassed by it, right?"
Kieran didnt object, This was one of the reasons why, but he had his ways of dealing with it.
"Schmidt, unless you want me to kick you off the wagon, you better shut up!" Kieran said.
Schmidt instantly pretended to zip his mouth shut.
The cabin was silent after that, but the wagon didnt stop. It was shuttling at an ever-elerating speed, moving away from the West Coast city.
Finally, it stopped on the outskirts, right next to a river.
A modern arched stone bridge was built over an old hanging bridge of the olden royal days, connecting the walls with the tower of the stone castle. As they looked at the Morsenburg Castle from the bridge, they noticed that modern lighting equipment had reced the old torches and braziers.
Under the cold night sky, the dazzling lights matched the majestic building, which radiated a royal, reverent aura.
As the gates of the castle wall opened, a group of armored soldiers walked out one after the other. Their metal grieves produced a clunking noise as they collided with the surface of the bridge. The group split into two and lined up on both sides of the bridge.
Four-meter long spears were raised up into the sky one after the other.
On the tip of the first two spears were a silver and a gray g respectively.
The silver g had a bronze shield on it, and runes were branded all over the shield, spelling the shamans name. It was Nikorei.
The gray g had sshes of red color that intertwined with the gray. The red color was the base, and the gray formed a gravestone in the middle of the g. Beneath the gravestone wereyers of gray earth and a skeleton with its hand sticking up, grabbing the gravestone tightly.
Below each g were smaller swallowtail gs of the same color.
The chilling night breeze blew at the gs, causing them to rattle hard.
The wagoner got down and opened the door for them. Kieran got out of the wagon with firm steps. He could tell the meaning of both gs with just a nce.
The g representing Nikorei was very familiar. It resembled the mark Nikorei had given him once.
As for the Shepherds of Death?
The picture on their g said it all.
"Its been a while since Ive experienced such a formal weing ceremony. Hold on, everyone!" Simones said, asking them to wait a while before going into the castle.
After 15 seconds, a bright red carpet was rolled out from the castle gate, as if that process had been practised a million times. The precision with which the carpetnded on the bridge was impable.
When it was rolled outpletely, the spear-holding soldiers on both sides kneeled down and said loudly, "Wee, Bird of Death!"
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
WELCOME TO THE CARNIVAL!
I dont know why I typed that but an announcement ising soon after this dungeon and before the next.
Dont freak out cuz its a good news.
Chapter 328: I’m Here!
Chapter 328: Im Here!
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Voices mored around the clouds with the strength of piercing gold and breaking stones. A pile of snow was scattered and blown away like a mini typhoon following the weing ceremony.
Amid the brewing breeze, the strong, vigorous soldiers were waiting for Kieran and co. who were standing at the edge of the bridge, ready to step on it.
From the looks of it, this was more of a disy of power than an official weing ceremony, but Kieran had still expected it.
Even if everything went smoothly and Kieran went in without any happening, he would still have to worry the things that happened after that which might catch him off guard.
The devils aura shed past Kierans body, the scorching mes shing with the snow typhoon. The moment the two auras collided, the typhoon burst into powerless snowkes and showered thend with its white grace.
A ck umbre was opened above Kieran, preventing the snow from falling on him.
"Thanks!"
Kieran turned to Elli, who had opened the umbre for him. The youngss raised an eyebrow. This was not the answer she had anticipated. She wanted to say something, but she held her tongue.
The spear-holding soldiers were copsing from exhaustion one after the other. The gs in their hands followed, including Nikoreis and the Shepherds.
Kieran quickly stepped forward and took the pole of the silver g, handing it over to Schmidt.
"Promise me that you wont let it fall to the ground!" Kieran said.
"You bet!" Schmidt took the gpole and raised it high.
After a nod at Schmidt, Kieran stepped over the Shepherds g and walked to the bridge, heading inside through the castle gate.
The two wagoners tried to step in and take the g of the Shepherds, but Simones and Raul stood in their way quietly, preventing them from reaching the fallen g. They could only watch helplessly as Kieran stepped on it.
Kieran was leading the group, with Elli holding the umbre on his left. Schmidt was on his right, holding the silver g high against the night wind.
Simones, Raul and Cidney were right behind them.
The group crossed the bridge and reached the gate at a slow march.
The wagoners behind them exchanged confused looks, and so did the guards on top of the castle wall. Things were not going ording to their n.
Inside the Morsenburg Castles wide living hall, Barry, who was wearing his best suit, was watching the scene unfold through his crystal ball.
"Pieces of trash!" hemented on his ipetent subordinates. He was talking loud enough for everyone inside the hall to hear what he was saying.
Including Rainer, the current leader of the Shepherd of Death.
The man was in his forties, but his face was as pale as snow with a greenish purple hue and his eye sockets were almost ck. Rainer was sitting in a chair in a crooked posture, as if he was really old. He even had a ck wooden walking staff with him to support himself.
The most noteworthy thing about him though were the gaps between his fingers. The flickers of glittering light on them gave out an unusual vibe.
"Are you expressing your dissatisfaction, Barry?"
Rainer was staring at his ally with a chilling re.
Barry, who was also known as the Spirit of Evil, did not avoid his re. Instead, he returned it with one of his own.
"Of course! I dont think this arrangement, or any arrangement after this, will be of any use. It will only make my opponent look like a king patrolling his backyard!" Barry said, emphasizing each word.
"Its still better than losing everything," Rainer said coldly.
His words enraged the East Coast mystics behind Barry. Every single one of them was staring at Rainer with intense anger.
So were the Shepherds behind Rainer.
"I hope you can provide me with an exnation after I deal with the Bird of Death!" Barry said in a calm tone, his words revealing his killing intent.
"I want to hear one from you, too!" Rainer grunted coldly.
...
Kieran and co. reached the castle gate without any hindrance. Before they could go in though, a rotten stench spread from inside the gate.
The blueish green spirit fire lit up the darkness, revealing the skeletons and corpses suddenly filling the whole entrance.
The dead were staring at Kieran and his friends in hatred and contempt, but they didnt make a move. They were waiting for orders.
Kieran stepped forward, getting his weapon ready. It was not like him to wait for his enemy to act.
"Hold on, 2567! You shouldnt waste your energy on these goons! Besides, its almost time for the meeting. They willugh at you if you arete! Leave these guys to us! We will catch up after we deal with them!" Raul said, Cidney nodding in agreement.
"Thanks!" Kieran said, expressing his gratitude.
Raul and Cidney moved onto the dead and lured them away, creating a path so Kieran and the rest could proceed. Kieran nodded in thanks again before he walked away with big steps.
He knew what the Shepherds wanted. To be honest, before going there, Kieran and the others had thought about what the Shepherds would do to weaken their forces.
Isting Kieran and forcing him to attend the meeting alone would be the best way to defeat them.
The sudden poisonous mist that erupted confirmed his theory.
"Leave it to me!"
Simones took out a bottle and released his own mist. The poisonous mist was neutralized by the one Simones had brought.
"Go on, 2567! Just remember!" Simones pointed at the silver g. When he saw Kieran nod, he didnt say anything else.
The group had already been split in half, yet more obstacles kepting their way.
When Kieran and the rest of the team reached the corridor leading to the banquet hall, a bunch of formless souls and evil earth spirits appeared before Kieran.
"Its my turn now!"
Elli passed her umbre to Kieran and started chanting an incantation. The spirits were lured away instantly, carving another path open for Kieran.
After ncing at the youngss, Kieran walked to the door of the hall. He didnt notice the deep stare the girl gave him.
"Is it my turn now?" Schmidt asked when they reached the closed door.
"Your mission is to take care of the g!" Kieran said before opening the door.
There were no mechanical or magical traps on it. It was merely shut from the outside, so Kieran used all his strength to push it.
The door opened. Instantly, hundreds of people gathered at the entrance.
There were people in formal suits, some with white wigs and noble clothes, and some with long robes that covered even their faces. Regardless of their outfits though, their gazes were anything but friendly as they looked at Kieran.
Their dense malicious gazes fused into one and almost materialized into a sharp de pointing at him. It was a pity that, when that dense gaze shed with the rampant, chaotic energy of the abyss, it shattered!
A violent wind of energy ran wild around the hall, blowing at everyones sleeves and skirts.
Kieran ignored everyone and walked straight up to the empty chair in the middle of the hall. It was the throne that had belonged to the previous king.
After 200 years, it was treated as a historical relic that remained in the hall. Kieran inspected the chair, his fingers caressing its edges, which had lost their sharpness through the course of time.
Then he turned around and sat down on it.
"Im here at your invitation!" he said in a loud powerful voice that echoed around the hall.
That chilly night, the grand hall that had remained in slumber for 200 years was awakened.
The ce buzzed lightly in reply to Kierans powerful voice, as if it was weing its old master or celebrating a newly crowned king.
As the buzz got fiercer and louder, the hall started to tremble.
The ceiling above the throne revealed a prismatic mirror that shouldnt have been there. The mirror was dazzling brightly, even though there was no evident source of light.
A brilliant golden glow was shining straight down at Kierans body.
The ck feather mantle turned gold under the glow, and the faint projection of a crown formed above Kieran, as if he was wearing it on his head.
The scene was overwhelming for almost everyone present. Suddenly, an invisible aura burst out and made everyones feet start shaking.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Someone is ying tricks
Chapter 329: Familiar
Chapter 329: Familiar
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The sudden changes following Kierans arrival shocked everyone in the grand hall, including Kieran himself.
He tilted his head down at the feather mantle that had turned gold and touched it with his finger. It felt just like the [ck Crow Feather] he remembered. It still belonged to him.
The faint projection of the crown above his head was weightless.
"A mirage?" Kieran spected silently.
As he looked at the golden fruitless flower above him, he recalled Nikoreis prophecy. He was 70% sure that everything had been set up by Nikorei beforehand.
As far as he knew, the shaman world included a lot of strange mystical individuals, some of whom were outrageously powerful. However, it seemed like only Nikorei possessed that particr irvoyant ability.
"Did she watch this particr scene before making that prophecy?" Kieran wondered.
He even pictured Nikoreis naughty smirk in his mind. He knew that she would have definitely pulled such a prank on him.
"Bloody magic tricks!"
Barry let out a cold grunt after he regained his senses and raised his hand in a wave. A sudden ck stream of energy was fired at the ceiling above Kierans head.
The chilly ck stream was fast enough to produce an irritating whistle.
The sharpness that sliced the air caused everyone around to stagger backwards, unsettled by the eerie energy.
They all raised their heads and looked at the ce where Barry hadunched the energy, expecting Barry to help them escape from Kieran. The mystics from the West Coast even started praying.
When they saw the golden glow and the crown projection appear, their legs started shaking. Everyone thought of the prophecy made by the God of Earth, the prophecy about the king. None of them wanted to believe it, but if the prophecy came true, what would happen to them if they kept standing in the kings way?
They would die!
They had been so expectant because they had wanted to live, but their anticipation had gone to waste.
Suddenly, the ck stream of energy split into pieces.
Before it could even hit the mirror on the ceiling, the slight contact with the golden glow caused it to burst apart as a suppressing power rebounded back toward Barrys body.
Barry spit out a mouthful of blood. He looked like a man being hit by a truck, flying backwards towards the East Coast mystics and toppling the crowd. The East Coast mystics were in disorder after that little incident. They were holding up their leader, staring at Kieran in fear.
What kind of power was that?
Every single one of them tried to guess.
The moment Kieran had walked into the grand hall, Philly, who had been crying as if his parents had died, suddenly seemed to regain his radiance. He was looking at Kieran brightly.
"JACKPOT!" Philly shouted internally in delight.
Kieran, on the other hand, was staring at the golden glow showering him in confusion.
"So it was not just the looks? Rei left a part of her power here? Is this the key point of this dungeon?"
Kieran tried his best to guess, but he was uncertain. The iparable gap of strength between him and the God of Earth could only allow him to theorize, even though he had seen it with his own eyes.
"You are the East Coast mystics, right? Ive said this before. I will govern at Nikoreis will, but the [Fantos Manuscript] will remain in my hands. If you want to die, thene and get it. If you are all here, does this mean that you have decided to die?" Kieran said casually, looking calm.
He had prepared beforehand, but now that he had been bestowed with a part of Nikoreis power, his confidence had been boosted up to the next level.
His voice was louder than ever, sounding powerful and suppressing as it echoed in everyones ears.
The West Coast mystics, who had already been terrified, started to shiver uncontrobly.
The East Coast mystics were infuriated at first, but when they saw their leader struggling to get up, their rage was reced by fear.
What would happen to them if the Spirit of Evil had been beaten just like that?
The only ones who remained calm were the Shepherds.
Considering how powerful the God of Earth was, the Shepherds would never dare underestimate her assistant. Rainer led his robed subordinates over to Kieran.
When they were five meters away from the golden glow, they stopped.
"We are very happy that you were able to attend this humble meeting as promised. I am the leader of the Shepherd of Death, Rainer! I am at your service! I hope that you will not let us down..." Rainer slowly introduced himself, spinning that ck wooden staff of his as he spoke.
Everyone around noticed that the wooden staff was actually a crystal skull emitting a grayish-blue glow.
It was the aura of death! A very immense aura of death!
The aura, which smelled like thousands of rotting corpses, instantly filled the whole hall. Everyone covered their noses and mouths, but even so, they still started coughing one after the other as blood started flowing from their mouths.
The harder they coughed, the more blood oozed out of their mouths. Soon, they started vomiting up big chunks of their organs.
Everyone was in shock as they looked at the bloody pieces in their hands. Their eyes went wide as they fell down and died.
The fallen started to rot at a ridiculous speed, as if they had been sshed with pure acid. The vile stench around them was heavier than ever.
"Believe me, Bird of Death, this is just the beginning..." Rainer said deliberately slow, his words sounding happy to everyone.
His subordinates behind himpleted his simple incantation softly.
The 20-meter wide, 50-meter tall wall of the hall lit up along with columns of runes and rows of connecting veins, forming a huge magic circle.
The grand hall started to tremble once more, but this was different from the upbeat trembling it had experienced earlier. The whole hall was wailing as if it was on the brink of copsing. The dust in every corner of the hall was trickling down swiftly.
Even the golden glow seemed to dim during that violent tremble.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Chains sprung out of the wall and extended towards the throne, binding Kieran tightly.
There was a total of 13 chains of different sizes, radiating a red re from time to time.
Kierans face was struck by panic for an instant. The way the chains had tied him down seemed all too familiar to him.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Surprisingly a short chapter...
Chapter 330: Ugly
Chapter 330: Ugly
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The bronze coffin!
The bronze coffin housing the devil lords heart had been binded exactly like Kieran was now.
Kieran was unsure how the Shepherds had learned about such spells and magic circles.
They might have been at Alcatraz Prison, or the spells might have been passed down to them by older generations.
There was one thing that Kieran knew and could see clearly though. [Devil Transformation] could not be activated for the time being.
Just like he had expected.
"You are more reckless and foolish than I imagined, Bird of Death! Did you really think we wouldnt have been prepared after finding out that you have devil lineage? This is the Devil Sealing Circle. Even the devil himself would not be able to escape it! Are you ready now?"
Rainer had misunderstood the reason behind the shock on Kierans face. Unable to hold himself back, he let out a proudugh.
The Shepherds took off their robes and mantles one by one, revealing their blessed weapons and fire-resistant magic circles branded on their armor.
They were holding daggers, long swords, spears and tridents. Their pale faces were greenish purple, as if they were disgusted to be holding blessed weapons in their hands.
From Kierans perspective, their disgust seemed to be mixed with a bloodthirsty viciousness.
The two different expressions resulted in a strange twisted feeling on their pale faces as they surrounded Kieran slowly, ready to strike.
The dead were wielding their holy des at the fiery devil.
The scene was absurd, but everyone in the grand hall had expected it.
The West Coast mystics were not shivering anymore. They were all focused on Kieran, who was about to be turned into meat paste.
Barry the Spirit of Evil stood up firmly after some time, his hand brewing that ck energy stream again. He was staring at Kieran like a hungry wolf ready to devour its prey.
Many others were also ready to bathe in Kierans blood and feast on his flesh.
A body with devil lineage was very rare. Kierans heart and brain alone would be worth their effort.
The former represented the power of the bloodline, and thetter represented the devils legacy.
Although they had a slim chance of extracting them, this didnt mean that it was impossible.
Maybe others couldnt have done it, but they sure could and they would. Fueled by their greed, everyone grew very confident.
So did the West Coast mystical individuals, who had been shivering and muttering a second ago.
Despite the immense pressure of the God of Earth, they longed for power. Their sanity had been corrupted by their thirst for power.
Rainer oversaw everything with a cold smile. He had never intended to hand over Kierans body or soul to anyone else. Those would go to his collection, to the very source of his power.
The leader of the Shepherd of Death was very aware of the value of the devils bloodline. It would be his only chance of overpowering the God of Earth. Why would he give it to someone else?
Rainer lifted his hands, twisting the little finger of his left hand.
It was like twisting open a cork. His little finger was twisted down hard and then thrown to the floor.
The moment it touched the floor, it turned into a pile of goo and started to wiggle rhythmically. The deadly aura that filled the hall was devoured by the goo like a whale swallowing water. The rotten stench didnt disappear though. Instead, it got even stronger.
The goo was the source of that vile stench. There was no change on its surface, even after devouring a huge amount of that aura. Everyone but the Shepherds felt a sense of extreme danger.
"What the hell did you do, Rainer?" Barry shouted at him before dodging.
The floor under Barrys feet was melting quietly as a small pile of rotten meat oozed out of it. The same thing happened to everyone else, including the Shepherds themselves.
Rainer never believed anyone else. The only person he trusted was himself.
The bottoms of his boots didnt even put up any resistance. They were corroded instantly. That cold, slimy, sticky feeling seeped into everyones shoes.
The rotten goo filled their shoes, making them shiver. They felt sweat run down their backs and goosebumps erupt all over their bodies. They all believed that the thing under their feet was lethal. Everyone turned their eyes to Rainer in anger.
"Im just simplifying the process. See, this is a battle between me and the Bird of Death. You people are nothing more than observers, so do your duty and observe! Now, if you dont mind..."
Rainer had no intention of backing down against their infuriated looks. Before he could finish his words, threats started escaping his mouth.
Then he turned around and asked Kieran in an arrogant tone, "What do you think, Bird of Death?"
He sounded like a cat teasing a mouse before devouring it.
"What do I think? To me, you are all the same. Everyone in here is my enemy!" Kieran said slowly.
Although his body was bound by chains, he was still as calm as ever. His eyes did not even betray the slightest panic as he looked at everyone around the hall.
He might be overthinking, but he got a sense of mockery from everyone in the hall, especially Rainer.
The leader of the Shepherd of Death felt extremely insulted.
"Arent you acting cocky before your imminent death? Do you think you can defeat us without your transforming ability? Or are you that confident in yourrades?"
Rainer pushed his crystal ball into Kierans face, showing him what was happening to hisrades.
Raul, Cidney, Simones and Elli were still holding on. They were not in any life-threatening danger, but they would not being to his aid anytime soon.
"Do you think he will save you? Our famous Chief Officer, Schmidt?"
Rainer mocked Schmidt, who was standing behind Kieran, holding the silver g up high. Rainer didnt linger on Schmidt long before he turned back to Kieran.
To him, Schmidt was nothing more than a clown.
A policeman might have seemed scary to amoner, but to him, he was a total joke.
"I dont wait around for reinforcements. Thats not my style. I like to solve my problems my own way!" Kieran smirked mysteriously.
Rainer instinctively felt that something was off.
"Kill him!" he shouted.
It was toote though.
Lust, Greed, Gluttony, Sloth, Wrath, Envy and Pride. The devilish aura of the seven deadly sins erupted from Kierans body even stronger than a volcano.
The chains binding him rattled hard, and all the lights in the hall started flickering non-stop.
Suddenly, darkness enveloped the whole ce.
Chapter 331: Nemesis
Chapter 331: Nemesis
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The darknesspromised everyones sight in an instant.
What was left was only the heavy, rough breathing that lingered in everyones ears.
The seed of fear sprouted among them.
The mystical individuals in the grand hall were much stronger thanmon men. They didnt scream in panic or flee before the sudden change.
They were all moving slowly and silently towards the big door.
The devilish aura that had erupted from Kierans body made them realize they had underestimated the situation and their opponents.
Such a mistake could only lead to death.
Death was watering the young sprout of fear in their hearts. As seconds passed, fear and panic spread in every heart in the hall. A number of people hastened their steps, when they suddenly heard a clear sound in the hall.
They didnt care anymore. All they wanted was to leave that ce.
As the thought of escaping filled their minds, none of them bothered lighting a fire to shed light in the hall. Their minds had no spare space for that.
As the darknesspromised their sight, all the while also blocking Kierans sight, they thought that they were safe for the time being. Everyone was afraid of being attacked if they lit a fire. Even though that would speed up the process and help them leave, no one was willing to sacrifice themselves for the others. At least none of the mystics in the hall. Their arrogance prevented them from making any unnecessary sacrifice.
Greed, Envy, Pride...
Three types of aura started to materialize from their bodies.
The Creature of Desire slowly expanded its body through the breeding of the auras.
Hundreds of thousands of arms and legs intertwined within its body, shing and twitching relentlessly. During the interchange, scarlet eyes started opening one after the other.
The eyes looked dazzling in the rainbow light, expelling the darkness within the hall.
The mystics in the hall would have rather stayed in the dark.
What kind of monster was this?
Everyone was staring at the monster on the ceiling. Under the rainbow-like glow, they saw an enormous mouth open up, revealing countless sharp teeth.
As the mystics were struck by fear, the hungry Creature of Desireunched its attack.
It opened its mouth wide, and a couple of mystics were sucked into it by the violent suction.
Rings andyers of sharp teeth span like an electric saw, grinding the bodies that had been sucked inside. After a second, the bodies had been grinded into nothing, This was only the beginning though.
The sounds of devouring and spinning and the grinding of the monsters sharp teeth turned into an evil rhythm that filled the hall. Everyone was anxious to escape, but this only sped up their death.
The countless eyes of the creature fired out a rainbow-likeser, piercing and melting the bodies that were trying to escape. No one was spared.
This included the exceptionally skilled leader of the East Coast mystics, Barry. He turned into a shadow and seeped through the seams on the floor like a ghost, but the Creature of Desire extended its hands and grabbed his formless body, throwing it into its mouth and grinding it to pieces in that form.
After a clear noise, the Spirit of Evil was digested thoroughly.
Unlike the other people the creature had eaten, after digesting the leader of the East Coast mystics, Kieran, who was connected to the creature through his heart, felt a refreshing satisfaction deep inside him.
That satisfaction didnt stop the creature though. Quite the opposite, it became even fiercer and more rampant.
To the Creature of Desire, that satisfying feeling was like poison. It only aroused its bottomless desire even more, causing it to be more dangerous.
Gluttony!
The devilish power of the deadly sin enveloped the whole hall.
Everyone within it was struck by a sudden hunger. They were all looking dazed and bewildered as they stood still and exchanged looks with each other.
Their gazes were slowly turning vicious. As their sanity was diminishing by the second, all that was left in their eyes was the desire to devour everything.
This intense hunger made them forget where they were and how dangerous they were. Their eyes were manic as they threw themselves at each other, biting and tearing each other apart.
Everyone bit off a piece of meat from someone else, chewing the bloody flesh in their mouth. They felt satisfied for a moment, but the hunger took over again.
Biting and devouring! All that was left in their heads was the instinct to devour.
Everyone was either eating someone else or being eaten themselves. Delightedughter and loud cries of agony were heard all around the hall.
Kieran, who was still bound to the chair, watched the scene coldly, allowing the Creature of Desire to take over. He felt no mercy for his enemies. Schmidt, who was behind Kieran, could not watch anymore, but he did not say anything.
He turned around, unwilling to witness something that he could not ept.
The golden glow was shining once more, shedding light on Kierans chilling expression.
At that very moment, Kieran looked like a king watching coldly as the rebels were being executed.
"Bird of Death! Dont think youve won!" Rainers voice was heard behind Kieran.
The Shepherds leader grabbed Schmidt by the neck with one hand, using him as a shield.
Rainer was very careful. He only exposed one of his eyes above Schmidts shoulder as he looked at Kieran.
"Make the monster stop!" he said loudly. "Or I..."
"You will what? Kill him?" Kieran interrupted Rainer in a cold mocking tone.
Then he raised his hand invitingly and said, "Please, dont stop! Carry on!"
"I will kill him!" Rainer yelled angrily in shock. The leader of the Shepherds tightened his grip on Schmidts neck, disying his determination. Unmoved by his actions, Kieran grinned mockingly.
"You are willing to watch your friend die? The assistant of the God of Earth has be the devil himself? What do you think the God of Earth will think of you when she finds out about this?"
The hand around Schmidts neck loosened a little as Rainer started to move his mouth.
Thanks to the telepathic abilities of the Creature of Desire, Kieran could clearly feel the fear in Rainers heart.
It was a sweet aroma that the creatures sense of smell thought would be a delicious dessert.
Kieran held back his desire and diverted his attention elsewhere with his own words.
"How do you think Rei will react when shees back and finds out that the Shepherds attacked the people closest to her while she was gone? If the situation was in your favor, this would all have been unnecessary. What a ridiculous exnation!"
Kierans mocking grin got wider as he emphasized each word for Rainer and Schmidt, whose neck was still in Rainers hand.
"I would never let my friends die in front of me. But who said he is my friend?"
What?
Rainer was shocked.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
An all out ughter fest and guess what does Kieran mean in the end?
Chapter 332: The Trials
Chapter 332: The Trials
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Crack!
Rainers palm, which was still grabbing Schmidts neck, was broken as Schmidt raised his hand.
The whole process seemed almost too easy.
A moment ago, Rainers powerful palm could have broken Schmidts neck, but now it had turned soft and powerless.
Rainer was grabbed by the neck as Schmidt turned around and faced him.
Within a fraction of a second, the two of them switched positions and identities. Although Schmidt looked delighted, there was a bitter smile on his face.
"When did you notice? I might be overestimating myself, but I think I did a perfect imitation of Schmidt. Even his own wife couldnt have told us apart, if he had one..." the fake Schmidt said.
"When you came back and passed the letter Philly was holding to me, your anxiety looked very practised. Of course, I wouldnt have suspected much based on that, but the changes on Boller also caught my attention. His body seemed to have weakened all of a sudden, and after some investigation, I noticed something unusual. Boller was unconscious because he had been given a certain medication. Plus, his right finger and thumb had thick calluses on them, caused by holding a gun for so many years. Even his slightly hunched back and crooked spine were gone. Need I say more, Boller?"
Kieran stared at Boller, who had been disguised as Schmidt, with hostility.
He really looked and behaved exactly like Schmidt. If it was not for all that proof and the strange feeling that hadnt worn off ever since their first meeting, Kieran wouldnt have dared think that he and Schmidt had switched identities.
As for the hostility he felt, there was a good reason for it. When Kieran had checked on the real Schmidt, he had noticed some bruises on his lower jaw. Although they had been covered, Kieran could still picture Boller forcing Schmidt to drink that medication when he saw them, which made him angry. Schmidt had treated Boller as his partner and friend. He had even asked for Kierans help when he had gone missing. He hadnt minded putting himself in danger for Boller, but what had Boller done to repay that favor?
He had forced him to take that medication and stolen his identity. Boller had approached Kieran with a hidden motive.
Kieran was almost sure that Boller had be Schmidts partner in order to approach him.
He was unsure what his ultimate goal was, but he knew exactly what he would do to him.
Sensing Kierans rage, the Creature of Desire became just as infuriated.
Thousands of evil eyes were fixed on Boller. The atmosphere in the hall felt frozen, making it hard to breath.
The remaining mystics fell down one after the other and caught fire. Their bodies started burning rapidly, their souls included.
Wrath!
The deadly sin was causing that fire, burning away all sanity and life.
The burning mystics didnt cry out in agony. They were screaming in rage. Every single one of them died with that scream. Their ashes were absorbed by the Creature of Desire, bing a primitive fuel that allowed its body to grow bigger and stronger.
The creatures arms and legs were multiplying. Even its scarlet eyes increased under that dazzling rainbow light.
Its eyes were too gruesome to look at. The moment Boller was stabbed by that intense re, his body broke out in heavy sweat and froze.
He thought he had overestimated the monster, but that feeling made him realize he had not thought enough of it. He was no match for that monster in his current condition.
"I dont mean you any harm. I am bearing the goodwill of the Sanctuary. Her Highness and Master Tiki must know about me. I swear on my soul, Im not lying!" Boller shouted quickly when he realized he would lose. He knew how Kieran would react.
When the Sanctuary was mentioned, the attack stopped for a moment.
The Sanctuary was an organization that shared the same title and position as the major five societies.
It was a mysterious organization that few people had heard of. Kieran had only found bits and pieces of information about them in Nikoreis books when he had learned about the origins of the Major Six.
He was curious about that mysterious society that not even all mystics knew about.
The reason he had stopped the creatures attack though was because Nikorei and Tikis names had been mentioned.
"Rei and Tiki knew about this?"
Kieran suddenly recalled hisst parting with Tiki. The cat had said something that had made him scratch his head.
You did really well. I guess that guy would also be pleased by your performance. Perhaps he might test you even further, but remember, kid... Follow your heart and you will reach the end on your own!
"Is Boller the guy Tiki had mentioned?" Kieran wondered.
"Yes, they must know about me. If her Highness Nikorei wants to know something, nothing in this world can hide it from her. As for Master Tiki, its sense of smell and intuition is really sharp. Im afraid it discovered everything by just taking a look at me!"
Boller smiled bitterly again, making Kieran frown.
"Can you not talk to me with Schmidts face? It makes me want to punch you in the face!" Kieran said as he watched Rainer, whose neck was still being squeezed.
Rainer finally came back to his senses, stricken by shock upon hearing about the Sanctuary.
He suddenly started begging for mercy. "Oh my honorable Holy Knight, please forgive my sins! Ill follow you back to the Sanctuary Prison to repent for them!"
He was still the Shepherd leader. Even though the Shepherds had been eliminated in the past, some traditions had still been preserved, so Rainer knew some things about the mystical realm. Those things included the Sanctuary and its status as the most powerful and mysterious society.
Although it was on the same rank as the other five, its strength was recognized by all the other societies, because it was the only society that had preserved its traditions and legacy without being broken by war or other circumstances.
ording to rumors, their legacy was over 1,500 years old.
That alone could earn them the respect of other societies, but the most intriguing factor were the members of the Sanctuary, who were known as the Holy Knights.
They symbolized Justice, Light and Mercy, and showed strict discipline and generosity towards others. All sorts of virtues were attributed to them. No matter how vicious a criminal was, they were always given a chance to repent.
Rainer begged, only to be disappointed.
Boller had no intention of sparing him. Instead, he broke Rainers arms and legs and ced him before Kieran, who had freed himself of his bindings with the help of the creature.
"I am not a Holy Knight, that title is long..." Boller didnt get to finish his words.
Rainer couldnt hear anymore, as Kieran crushed his neck with a powerful step.
Crack!
Kierans step was like a sharp scythe separating Rainers head from his body.
A glowing orange item floated out of Rainers body, but Kieran was not concerned about it at the moment. He was more interested in Boller.
The doubts he had had about him during their first meeting had not diminished at all.
"You better have an exnation I can ept!" Kieran said.
"Ill try my best!" Boller said, taking out a scroll.
"As an inspector of the Sanctuary, I hereby rmend 2567 to participate in the next Sanctuary Holy Knight trials as a candidate and be given the title of Reserve Holy Knight!"
While Boller spoke, the scroll moved and extended on its own.
Tons of names were written on it in columns. There were almost hundreds of them. On thest column was Kierans nickname.
2567!
Kieran stared at Boller like an idiot. Was Boller using all necessary means to prolong his life?
A Holy Knight candidate?
A Reserve Holy Knight?
What the hell was Boller doing?
Didnt he know about the devils lineage in Kierans body? The Creature of Desire before him was not proof enough?
Choosing a person like that to participate in the Holy Knight trials would only result in an Evil Holy Knight!
What the f*ck?
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
What the F indeed.
Chapter 333: The Truth About The Prophecy
Chapter 333: The Truth About The Prophecy
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
"I am not joking!" Boller, whose expression had returned to normal, emphasized again when he saw Kierans suspicious expression after that shocking revtion.
"The Scroll of Legacy had your name on it. It might be just a code name, but this means that when the next Holy Knight trials begin, you will be enlisted!" Boller exined.
Kieran was quiet.
In fact, he didnt even need Bollers exnation. He could see it all on the system notifications.
[Special Trial Acquired: Path of the Holy Knight!]
[Path of the Holy Knight: Your achievements caused the native inspector to present you with this chance. This doesnt stand for any faction, it is just a trial!]
[Note 1: Special Trials have priorities. The yer will need to meet some advance qualifications in order to enter [The Shamans Partner III]
[Note 2: You will enter the Trial Dungeon with the previous dungeons Reputation]
[Note 3: If you fail the Special Trial, your penalty will be +1]
...
"The special trial can grant me the qualifications for [The Shamans Partner III] in advance?"
Kieran scanned over the notes.
Everything had its advantages and disadvantages.
Although Kieran had met some advance qualifications, if he failed, the +1 severity of the penalty would be a big concern.
What concerned him the most though, now that he met the qualifications to enter [The Shamans Partner III], was what would happen if he gained ess to the future dungeon through his dungeon rating again.
Kieran needed to deal with the matter at hand first though.
With the exception of Boller and Philly, the grand hall waspletely empty.
The Creature of Desire expressed its wish to go out, but before Kieran could answer, its body started to fade away until it eventually disintegrated into nothing.
The summoning time was up!
A notification about the Creature of Desire popped up in Kierans vision.
[Desire Summoning!]
[Name: Creature of Desire]
[Type: Summons]
[Rarity: Special]
[Attributes: 1. Desire Dominance, 2. Thousand Evil Eye Strike]
[Effects: Devouring]
[Prerequisites: Fusion Heart]
[Remarks: The shards of the Eye of the Chimeras have fused with your flesh, blood and desire, and created this monster. Its strength and malefic nature are out of this world!]
...
[Desire Dominance: Your deepest desires will be exposed before the Creature, which will grow infinitely and turn into a weapon against you. When you face the Creature of Desire, a Lust, Greed, Gluttony, Sloth, Wrath, Envy and Pride authentication will ur. If the Target passes, they will be immune to the effect. If the Target fails, they will be punished for their respective sins.]
[Thousand Evil Eye Strike: The 1,000 evil eyes will fire out a burningser. One of the core eyes possesses an Extreme Attack, the 10 main eyes possess a Powerful Attack, 100 eyes possess a Strong Attack, and the rest possess a Common Attack. They are able to fire together or individually, once per day]
...
[Devouring: The Creature of Desire devours the targets under its effect or a target that it has killed, thus granting itself stronger power.]
[Notes: Devouring is a special trait. The targets killed by the Creature of Desire will not drop any loot.]
......
The Creature of Desire was undoubtedly very powerful.
[Desire Dominance], with its seven irresistible authentications, and the attacking power of the [Thousand Evil Eye Strike] were enough to satisfy Kieran, who now had the confidence to kill anyone on his level.
However, the [Devouring] effect had made Kierans chest ache. The [Fusion Heart] expressed that pain in a more practical way.
A heartache! Kieran felt very depressed.
The enemies killed by the Creature of Desire would not drop any loot!
It cost one Golden Skill Point to summon the creature, but after investing that Golden Skill Point, he wouldnt get anything back.
"This is ast resort for desperate times, huh?" Kieran thought silently.
Meanwhile, he put [Devil Transformation] above [Desire Summoning] on his priority list.
At least in his devil form, he could reap his own loot. Now though...
Other than a Rare Rank piece of equipment, there was nothing else before him.
Just as Kieran picked up the staff-like equipment, the door of the hall was pushed open from the outside.
Elli, Simones, Raul, Cidney, Rond, Tally and some strangers rushed into the hall. They were all looking around with a shocked expression, trying to find the opponent that was supposed to be in the hall. The fully-armed strangers seemed resolute enough to bear even the worst oue, but what everyone found was an empty hall.
Their indifference fueled them with delight.
Then their attention was turned to Kieran, who was sitting up straight on the golden throne, with a golden crown and a golden feather mantle over him and a staff in his hand.
"Assistant o assistant, in the form of a raven, ominously befallen. Bird of Death, with a body of chaos and a heart of light. He who will reign over thend with a kingly might."
The prophecy made by the God of Earth rang in their ears once more as they started to bow and salute. They had originally gone there for the God of Earth.
"Master!" everyone said in one voice, forming a sound wave around the hall.
When the sound wave extended from the inside of the hall and came into contact with the broken walls, a part of it went through and a part of it rebounded.
That sound wave was the castles unique power.
The [Lionheart] medallion was shaking. The golden mane felt the familiar power in its slumber and opened its eyes to wee it, ncing around with reverence and forming a powerful aura ofpliance over Kierans body.
When Rond, who had been staring at Kieran from the moment he had walked into the hall, felt that aura, he bowed and saluted wholeheartedly without the slightest hesitation.
"Lord Bird of Death!!"
Tally, on the other hand, was refusing to show any respect to Kieran and was about to show her contempt with her actions. Before she could though, her eyes were hurt by the golden glow and an overwhelming force hit her body.
Tally was forced to kneel down on the ground. She struggled to stand up, but that mysterious force made her shiver and sent her face-first to the ground.
"I see..."
Simones grinned when he saw Kieran. Kieran despised that grin. It usually implied that he had nned things beforehand.
While Kieran was bathing in his own embarrassment, Simones, Raul and Cidney saluted him.
So did Elli. The youngss eyes were dazzling with tears. Her gaze made Kieran feel even more unsettled than the earlier embarrassment.
Kieran twitched at the uneasy feeling. He wanted to say something to everyone bowing their heads, but he was at a loss for words.
Embarrassment apanied the heavy atmosphere.
Suddenly, Kieran realized that Boller was giving him a cheeky smile. A bad feeling instantly bloomed in his heart.
"Your Majesty!"
Boller knelt down on one knee and ced his right fist over his chest.
It was an ancient knight salutation that symbolized a knights loyalty to their king.
This was only the beginning though.
The armed knights within the castle seemed to resonate with Boller. Every single one of them walked behind Boller and saluted Kieran in the same way.
Their bodies were ghastly. Some of them had even lost limbs, but they had carved their pledge in their souls and sacrificed their lives to protect the kings honor.
"Your Majesty!" hundreds of spirits of armored knights said loudly in unison. The energy gathering outside the castle seemed to reach its limits.
The forgotten bell of Morsenburg Castle rang loudly, reminding everyone of the former glory and long history of the castle. The bell sounded like it was writing this scene down in history and dering that a new age had begun!
The curtains of the show were finally being lifted!
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Once a perfect ending and not a cliff lol and damn nothing is left behind when the monster ate every thing
Chapter 334: Advanced Main Mission
Chapter 334: Advanced Main Mission
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The bell was still ringing in everyones ears.
Although Kieran knew that this was a prank, he still couldnt ept it. On the contrary, he became even more embarrassed.
"Revenge! Boller must have wanted to take revenge on the Creature of Desires previous hostility!"
Kieran was staring at Boller angrily, but Boller ignored the fire in his eyes and winked at him.
When he noticed the cheeky grin on Bollers face, Kieran realized that Boller was doing this on purpose. Kieran wanted to take revenge on Boller too, but before he could even open his mouth, notifications started spamming his vision.
[Main Missionpleted!]
[yer will leave the dungeon in 5 minutes]
[Please take whatever items you wish to keep with you.]
[Note: Any items that exceed the maximum weight will be discarded!]
...
"Damn it!" Kieran thought with a frown.
He really wanted to ask the system how it decided whether a Main Mission was aplished or not.
His Main Mission had been to reinstate the order on the West Coast in three months, and Kieran had only managed to eliminate the Shepherd of Death and some East and West Coast mystics. He still needed to reinstate order in the mystical realm.
Unless...
"I will govern at Reis will..."
Kieran suddenly recalled what he had said back at the docks, when he had first encountered the East Coast mystics after the battle. If the system had treated this as his goal, then it all made sense.
Still, this would mess up Kierans original npletely. ording to his n, he should have had a lot more time toplete his Main Mission and get ready to leave the dungeon.
He might even have gotten his hands on some special loot as well, yet...
"F*ck! Damn it!" Kieran cursed again before he started to move anxiously. He knew that the system was strict. It would not spare him another second, even if he wanted to stay.
"Simones, get me some ropes!" Kieran said as he ran out of the hall, ignoring everyone else.
His loot was still outside in the wagon. If he wanted to take it all with him, he could not rely solely on the [Deceivers Key].
As Kieran ran past the crowd, everyone exchanged confused looks. They did not understand why he was rushing.
"Maybe..."
Some smartasses like Simones and Boller thought that this was rted to something entirely different and started to move swiftly.
Elli, on the other hand, paused a little before she went chasing after Kieran. She needed to talk to him.
The wagon was parked outside by the stone bridge. The two wagoners had been beaten and passed out when the crowd had rushed through.
Kieran had been worried about his loot being taken away, but no such thing had happened. After taking a quick look at the two unconscious wagoners, he focused on the tremendous loot he had gathered on his way there.
When the youngss caught up with him, he didnt notice the difort and anxiousness on her face.
Elli was staring at Kierans figure, her words still on the tip of her tongue, even though she told herself that she needed to be incisive now.
"You are leaving again?" the youngss said after fighting with herself for half a minute.
"Something happened. I need to go away for some time. Dont worry, I will be back soon!"
Kieran nodded, giving her an ambiguous exnation. The youngss didnt press the matter.
Even though Kierans excuse sounded like a lie, when he assured her that he would be back soon, she felt relieved and switched to her usual tone.
"Then please be fast! Your previous long leave caused me tons of trouble! Remember, you are Nikoreis assistant. You need to do your duties as such and not push the burden on me. Im only her student!"
Kieran nodded with a smile at her familiar, slightly contemptuous tone.
Simones and Boller walked over swiftly with the ropes.
...
Five minutester, Kieran reached the game lobby in an even worse manner than his previous returns.
Using a total of three intertwining ropes inbination with the support of the [Deceivers Key], he managed to carry back 18 Magical Rank items, not counting his own equipment, potions and sword oil.
After a quick count to confirm the total number, Kieran let out a long breath of relief. Nothing had been left behind. He was happy about the long swords, daggers and short knives he had brought back. If his loot had included heavy spiked clubs, battle axes and two-handed swords, even his B- Strength would not have been enough for him to bring back everything.
Besides the extra loot, he had also had to carry his own equipment. [Arrogant Word] alone was too heavy for amon man to bear.
Even though Kieran didnt have any armor on him, he would still have chosen his loot meticulously.
After all, the system calcted the maximum weight based on the yers strength, not the items type or rarity. If the Legendary and Rare Rank equipment on him were calcted based on their weight, no matter how hard he cried, he would still not be able to bring them back.
After taking a long breath, Kieran checked his dungeon rating.
[Special Dungeon: The Shamans Partner II]
[Dungeon Type: Assistance]
[Dungeon Difficulty: Below Average]
[Main Mission: Reinstate order in the mystical realm on the West Coast in 3 months]
[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating F)]
[Sub Mission 1: Ghost Ferry (Perfect Completion)]
[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating F D)]
[Sub Mission 2: Invitation from an Ancient Society!]
[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating D C)]
[Sub Mission 3: Missing Town]
[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating C B)]
[Sub Mission 4: Terrorism!]
[Mission Completion: 100% (Great Rating, Rating B S)]
[Extra Sub Mission: Hundred Years of Hatred]
[Mission Completion: 100% (Great Rating, Rating S SS)]
[Battle Performance: Very Active (Rating SS SSS)]
[Exploration Performance: Average]
[Special Rating 1: Assisted in the killing of a Sealed Phantom (Rating SSS Z, Rep +1]
[Special Rating 2: Special kills in the grand hall (Rating Z ZZ, Rep +1]
[Title: Unable to acquire title "Bird of Death" (Requirements not met)]
[Final yer Rating: ZZ!]
[Calcting yers Special Dungeon rewards...]
[Final Special Dungeon rewards are as follows...]
[Points: 45,000; Skill Points: 25; Golden Skill Points: 3; Golden Attribute Points: 3]
[Special Dungeon Acquired: The Shamans Partner III]
[Special Rewards Acquired: Kai Prism]
...
[yer has acquired a Special Trial, The Special Dungeon The Shamans Partner III will be initiated in advance]
[Special Trial and dungeon world share the same universe, Advanced Main Mission acquired...]
...
"Advanced Main Mission?"
Shocked by thatst part, Kieran unconsciously turned to the mission description of the next Special Dungeon, [The Shamans Partner III].
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Finally, this is where everyones anticipated Holy Knight trial will begin.
But first let me finish another normal dungeon run and a special dungeon run :D
Chapter 335: Incisive Enhancement
Chapter 335: Incisive Enhancement
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Notifications began to pop up as Kieran scanned over the Special Mission.
[Special Mission: The Shamans Partner III]
[The Shamans Partner III: Your path has been blocked by the unknown stone gate, but you havent given up locating Nikorei and the others. You have started to train in harsher ways, doing your best in an attempt to open the unknown stone gate. As the Sanctuary Trials approach though, you have to take the ferry to the Trial Ind first...]
[Main Mission 1: Clear the Holy Knight Trials in one week, 0/7]]
[Main Mission 2: Open the unknown stone gate in six months, 0/180]
[Note 1: The Shamans Partner III shares the same universe as The Shamans Partner I and II, and Prison on the Ind]
[Note 2: The Special Dungeon entry will not be counted towards the yers normal dungeon entries]
[Note 3: You have acquired a third Special Dungeon in the same dungeon universe, so the dungeon difficulty will be as high as the second Special Dungeon the yer acquired +1]
[Note 4: The Special Dungeon requires the yer to clear either a single yer or a team dungeon before entering it. If there are two Special Dungeons in line, the yer will be exempted from the extra requirement and will be granted entry ording to their normal dungeon runs.]
[Note 5: Special Trial detected, Multiple yers forbidden]
[Note 6: Special Trial detected, If the yer fails the dungeon, they will suffer the original penalty +1]
...
"I need to open the unknown stone gate?" Kieran frowned at the thought.
He still had no idea how difficult the Holy Knight Trials would be, but he knew how hard it would be for him to open the stone gate.
During his first encounter with it, he hadnt even been qualified to look at it, let alone open it.
"ording to Note 4, I will go through another normal dungeon run leading to [Primordial Invasion] before going back into [The Shamans Partner III]! I have two dungeons worth of time... It doesnt seem like much though!" Kieran calcted the time in his mind.
The result was not very encouraging.
Fortunately, this was not an emergency. Despite the +1 penalty rule, he still had enough time to change things.
Kieran remembered what he needed to do before that though.
He had to coborate with the Broker and deal with Coll!
Before he went out, he upgraded [Mystical Knowledge] to Pro and [Burning Hand], which was a rted skill, to Master. He also spared some time to go through [Kai Prism] and the stuff he had gotten from Rainer.
[Upgrading Mystical Knowledge from Master to Pro costs 10,000 Points and 8 Skill Points. Yes/No?]
"Yes!"
[Checking for prerequisites...]
[Alchemy (Basic), Potionology (Basic), Astrology (Basic), Research of Mystical Beings (Basic)...]
[Mystical Knowledge has been upgraded!]
[Name: Mystical Knowledge (Pro)]
[Rted Attributes: None]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effects: You are getting familiar with an extremely rare type of knowledge and earning a certain level of understanding. This includes, but is not limited to, mythology, religion lore, mystical arts, special symbols, runes etc.]
[Special Effects: Runes & Symbols Pro (You will have a precise grasp of unknown runes, symbols and words)]
[Prerequisites: Alchemy (Basic), Potionology (Basic), Astrology (Basic), Research of Mystical Beings (Basic)]
[Remarks: You can read about any Alchemy, Potionology, Astrology and Research of Mystical Beings rted knowledge and make use of their power, but you are still far from mastering this skillpletely.]
...
When [Mystical Knowledge] was upgraded to Pro, Kierans brain was flooded by a vast amount of knowledge that made him doze off for a couple of minutes.
"I see!" Kieran eximed after a while. Some previously mysterious runes and magic circles started to make sense to him now, but he had no spare time to organize all that knowledge in his mind.
He pushed those thoughts aside and opened the upgrading options for [Mystical Knowledge].
[Upgrading Mystical Knowledge from Pro to Grand Master costs 30,000 Points and 1 Golden Skill Point. Yes/No?]
[Prerequisites: Alchemy, Potionology, Astrology and Research of Mystical Beings all need to be at Entry Level, and one of them needs to be at Master Level]
The upgrade required a Golden Skill Point, and the prerequisites had also increased by a lot.
"Just as I expected..." Kieran shook his head with a sigh.
He started to imagine how much effort he would need to put into upgrading [Mystical Knowledge] to Grand Master. He was definitely up for the challenge though.
Any obstacle was a challenge for Kieran. Even though this attempt of his might fail, he would still not give up without a fight!
Kieran opened up the [Burning Hand] upgrading options.
[Upgrading Burning Hand from Entry to Master costs 20,000 Points and 10 Skill Points. Yes/No?]
"Yes!"
[Burning Hand has been upgraded to Master, Special Effect acquired: Ssh]
[Name: Burning Hand (Master)]
[Rted Attributes: None]
[Skill Type: Offensive]
[Effects: A 55-degree, cone-shaped fire with a three-meter radius will strike and inflict Strong Level Damage, with a small chance of inflicting Burn Damage. (Burn Damage: Target is inflicted with burns for one second, If the Constitution authentication is lower than E Rank, Target will carry the debuff for another four seconds]
[Special Effects: Ssh (Burn Area increased by 5 degrees and 0.5 meters)]
[Consumes: One Cracked Ruby and Jagen Volcanic Ash]
[Prerequisites: Mystical Knowledge (Pro)]
[Remarks: This is a spell that consists of hand gestures and tribute items. Every gesture must be performed in a precise order so the yer can use this skill. If you dont want it to backfire, try to remember the gestures!]
...
The increase in degree and damage area made Kieran nod in approval.
After his experience with the [Fiery Sulphur] buff, he was leaning more towards Fire Elemental Attacks. To Kieran, any kind of skill buff was a must after an enhancement.
The next upgrade was Grand Master [Mystical Knowledge], which cost 30,000 Points and one Golden Skill Point.
This meant that he wouldnt be able to upgrade [Burning Hand] again in the foreseeable future.
"Golden Skill Points, Golden Skill Points..." Kieran mumbled, thinking about what hecked the most.
The issue of insufficient Golden Skill Points had once again appeared before him, but he couldnt do anything about it.
In an effort to distract himself, Kieran turned his attention to the remaining items. When he saw the details of [Kai Prism] though, his helplessness grew even more.
[Name: Kai Prism]
[Type: Etc]
[Rarity: Special]
[Attack/ Defense: None]
[Attributes: None]
[Effects: None]
[Prerequisites: None]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: This is a special item Nikorei prepared for you. Although it can only be used once, it has a very high emotional value!]
...
"Emotional value?" Kieran rolled his eyes, feeling cheated.
His previous Special Reward had been [Herberts Note]. Although it hadnt provided him with a direct enhancing effect, if Kieran checked it again, he might be able to get something out of it before going back into [Primordial Invasion]. This time around though, [Kai Prism] was his souvenir.
Had Kieran gone on vacation in the dungeon world and been given a souvenir upon his return?
Speechless, Kieran turned to hisst item.
[Name: Deadly Crystal Staff]
[Type: Staff]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attack: Common]
[Attributes: 1. Death Miasma, 2. Soul Dominance]
[Effects: None]
[Prerequisites: Mystical Knowledge (Master)]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: This is among the most high-ranking equipment of the Shepherd of Death!]
...
[Death Miasma: Releases a cloud of a 25-meter radius Death Miasma within a 100-meter range. Duration: one minute. Any Targets within the miasma must undergo a D Level Constitution authentication and a Spirit authentication. Should the Target fail the Constitution authentication, they will suffer a Strong Rank Poison Mist Attack. Should the Target fail the Spirit authentication, they will suffer a Strong Rank Deadly Illusion Attack. Should the Target fail both authentications, they will suffer a Lethal Attack, Once per day]
[Soul Dominance: You are able to dominate no more than 10 unconscious spirit-like beings by capturing and trapping them into the staff, Current Souls: 0]
...
"Great attributes!" Kieranmented as he read about the unique attributes.
He happened to meet the staffs prerequisites, so he ced the staff into his backpack. Although he did not have the corresponding basic skill, a [Death Miasma] AOE attack sounded quite tempting to him. At least he had gotten a trick he could use against a group of enemies.
As for the soul-capturing attribute, having a spirit guard would also be a good option in some dungeons. As he thought about how he would use the [Deadly Crystal Staff], Kieran checked out the rest of his loot from the dungeon.
The 18 pieces of Magical Rank equipment were a scrumptious reward, but he had no ns of selling it right away. Just as Broker had said, he could not confirm whether the assassins were hiding among the veterans at the Harvest Inn.
Unlike his previous sale, if he sold huge bulks of items now, some information would definitely leak.
Kieran dared not underestimate his enemies. If he could find out the truth by following some traces and clues, then so could they.
If people discovered about [Devil Transformation] and [Desire Summoning], his strength would diminish by at least 50 percent.
Therefore, he would sell his items, as well as the intact ruby he had promised cksmith, after the impending battle.
Kieran took a deep breath and leaned against the corner of his room, closing his eyes to get some rest.
There was only a short time left, and Kieran had no intention of wasting it.
Resting up and restoring his energy was his best option for now. After all, a fierce battle was waiting for him around the corner.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
The fight with Broker?
Friday Bonus chapter, cus a little mistake I made about the Creature of Desire! Please take this as apensation my lords! >.<
Chapter 336: Abandoned Street
Chapter 336: Abandoned Street
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
After three hours of resting, Kieran went off to meet Lawless at the station outside the Harvest Inn.
"Ready?" Lawless asked, sounding very apologetic.
"Sure! If you could talk to me normally, and not like you owe me a hundred million, Id feel more ready though!" Kieran joked.
He was hoping to make Lawless get over his guilt with that joke. He knew that Lawless was thinking that he had put his friends into dangers way.
Lawless was unwilling to ept this. It was just too hard for him to bear. If he went alone though, then Kieran would have been the one feeling guilty.
Kieran knew what he needed to do, and he was aware of the danger.
Lawless had been helping him right from the beginning, so he could not walk away from this.
After all, wasnt this what friends were for?
"Actually... Fine, Ill shut up!"
Lawless seemed like he wanted to say something, but Kieran interrupted him, his middle finger forcing him into a bitter smile.
Lawless didnt shut up though. Instead, he took out two cigars and lit them up in the rudest way possible. Then he gave Kieran one of them.
"Here, have one. It tastes great!"
"Can I say no?"
Kieran stared at the cigar in his hand. The thick smoke had a strong alcoholic vor to it, and the moment he smelled it, Kieran realized he was too young to be tasting such a cigar.
"Of course not! Try it, youll love it!" Lawless insisted.
Kieran frowned, carefully cing the cigar in his mouth and taking a light puff.
The smoke instantly assaulted his mouth with its spicy vor.
Kieran started coughing uncontrobly, tears rolling down his cheeks.
"How was it? Nice, right?"
Lawless patted Kieran on the back hard, trying to ease his coughing, but his words only made Kieran roll his eyes.
If he had not wanted to make the bastard feel better, he wouldnt have taken the cigar.
The taste of the cigar had been surprisingly good though.
When Kierans cough subsided, he felt an unusual feeling bloom in his body. It was not the scent of the cigar smoke, but the refreshing sensation of trying something new.
Under the influence of that new feeling, Kieran mimicked Lawless, holding the cigar in his mouth.
"Congrattions! You are a man now!" Lawless said with augh, grabbing Kierans shoulder tightly.
The duo went on chit-chatting as they waited until the Broker sent his message.
"Old Strea Street? What is this bastard up to now?"
Lawless frowned over the message before exining about Old Strea Street.
Old Strea Street had originally been called Strea Street, and it had been a prosperous street where many yers had been "born".
During its prime time, the street had had everything. Food, wine, weapons, armor, enchantments, potion crafts... Everything had been gathered on that street, which had been the favorite ce of the veterans.
However, when a newly promoted veteran yer had provoked the Witch, the whole street had been annihted along with the yers who had resided there. No one had been spared.
Besides some lucky yers who had been in their rooms at the time, 20 more yers within the Witchs sight had been killed off during the tragedy.
After that incident, Strea Street had been treated as a bad omen and slowly faded off the yers sight.
Then a new street had taken its ce, providing the yers with a new gathering point, and Strea Street had been renamed Old Strea Street.
The new street was Loens Street, the ce where the Broker had risen to power and wealth.
"The old street was destroyed and a new one was established, which is also coincidentally under the Brokers control?"
Kieran raised an eyebrow upon hearing this. That coincidence sounded too much like a conspiracy.
"You think it was the Brokers dirty work, dont you? Everyone thought so! If it hadnt been the Witch who destroyed the street, the Broker would definitely have been a suspect. The only one responsible was the Witch though... Besides, who would daremand the Witch to do anything against her will?"
"Plus, it was that fresh veteran who provoked her. The Old Strea Street incident was eventually treated as an ident. As time flew, nothing changed other than peoples fear for the Witch, which still lingers in everyones hearts..."
Lawless shrugged as he told him the whole story.
"Shall we go then?" he asked.
"Yeah!" Kieran answered with a nod.
Although he felt that something was fishy, he knew what he had to do at the moment.
...
Following the Brokers orders, the duo arrived at a broken old street at the side of the giant city.
If Lawless had not told Kieran about Strea Streets former prosperity, he could not have imagined that this broken street that reeked of a foul stench had ever been prosperous.
Kieran carefully avoided the muddy waters by his feet.
"This ce has obviously undergone some reconstruction. Why did it stop though?" Kieran asked in confusion when he saw an unfinished building.
"Because of the lost yers! The developer behind the citys design was a realist. If any yers were willing to stay, everything would go back to normal, but yers are leaving, so this ce is turning into a wastnd. After that incident, no yers wanted to return to Old Strea Street, and considering theck of sufficient purchasing power, the yers who had originally resided here could not help but move away."
"This is why the current Old Strea Street looks so ugly..." Lawless said with a sad sigh.
"I see..." Kieran nodded, getting more familiar with the underground game rules.
The duo picked a high spot, that was less dirty and wet than the rest of the area, and tried to avoid that foul stench while they waited patiently for the Brokers next message.
This wait seemed to be longer than the previous one.
About 20 minutester, they still hadnt received anything.
Kieran and Lawless exchanged a look. Both of them had been extra vignt with the Broker right from the start. Now they felt that something was not right.
Therefore, when they heard a series of footsteps, they both assumed their respective battle stances.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
We will see Lawlesss true power (other than the firearms) soon
Chapter 337: Vicious
Chapter 337: Vicious
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
The footsteps were approaching.
When Kieran and Lawless saw the person behind them though, they were stunned.
Despite the fact that he was wearing a ck coat and a round hat, the moment he looked at them, they knew it was Monien the Broker.
"What the hell are you doing here, Mr. Broker?" Lawless said rudely when he saw the Broker in that weird outfit.
Compared to the Broker they remembered, the man before them gave them a strange feeling. He looked like a fox wearing a chickens feathers and iming to be a hen.
"Guiding you, of course. While also reminiscing about the former glory of Old Strea Street!" the Broker said, making Kieran frown.
Everyone else could have said this about Old Strea Street, except the Broker. The fact that he had taken advantage of that incident to rece Old Strea Street with Loens Street made Kieran feel extremely ufortable when he said that.
Kieran didnt want the Broker guiding them. The man had to have some ulterior motive. After all, they were not going for a stroll around the city. They were heading to the den of a killer organization. The trip there would be very dangerous.
If the unscrupulous merchant was willing to take that risk, there could only be one exnation. He had something to gain!
Kieran was certain about it.
Otherwise, the Broker would have kept contacting Kieran and Lawless safely through PM and sent someone else to guide them.
"What is his real purpose ining here? It must be something that only he can aplish or benefit from!" Kieran guessed as hemunicated with Lawless through PM.
Lawless agreed with his perspective, wondering about what could have caused the Broker to take this risk himself.
Kieran and Lawless weremunicating behind the Broker while he walked ahead, pretending that he did not notice them chit-chatting behind him.
"The assassin I encounteredst time left me in a state of shock! I need to witness this myself. I need to see what will be of those bastards! Only when they are killed, will I be able to feel safe again. I cant even finish a meal in peace anymore..." the Broker said.
Kieran and Lawless pouted as they heard him.
The two of them were not some kindergarten kids. Theyd never believe anything he said.
If he was in a state of shock, but still willing to take this risk with them, then he had to have an ulterior motive. The two parties were not close enough to risk their lives for each other after all.
The Broker definitely possessed a certain level of confidence though.
"Lawless: Be careful, something is fishy about this guy!"
"2567: Sure!"
Lawless warned Kieran once more via PM.
They both remained vignt as they followed the Broker to a wider space.
The fallen streetmps, the broken benches and the dried-up fountain told Keiran that the ce had once been a za or public square. When the yers had left though, it had shared the same fate as Old Strea Street. It had been turned into a wastnd.
"Tada! There it is!"
The Broker, who was standing at the squares entrance, was pointing at a six-storey building on the other side of the deserted area.
"Coll is in there?" Lawless asked to make sure.
"ording to my sources, yes! Go ahead!" the Broker said with an inviting gesture.
"You are noting?" Lawless asked with a cold grunt.
"Im just your guide. You will reach your destination soon, so it would be wiser for me to stand aside. I hope the two of you make it back safely!" the Broker said with a smile before he stepped back and merged with the shadow.
Brokers skill which was on par with Transcendence [Undercover] made Kieran squint but what concerned Kieran the most was the Brokers blessing before hed left.
It felt very unsettlinging from him.
It had sounded like it had been addressed to the two of them, but it had actually just been meant for Kieran.
Although there was no proof for this, after going through all sorts of dangers, Kieran had begun to trust his intuition. He was currently feeling like he was being watched.
The Broker must have wanted to make sure that Kieran and Lawless entered the six-storey building.
"Something is wrong here!" Kieran thought unconsciously. Before he could connect the dots though, a person appeared in the six-storey building in the distance.
His face was blurred off by the system, but he had a tall, buff figure. He looked very tanned and his arm muscles seemed tight. His palms and fingers were thick and robust.
The buff man was using his left thumb and index finger to hold the scrawny Coll, as if he was holding a small chicken.
The man had obviously seen Kieran and Lawless, as he raised his right thumb up and moved it over his throat.
Then, before Kieran and Lawless could react, he threw Coll off the building.
Bang!
The sound of the impact was mixed with a clear bone-splintering noise.
The sudden impact caused the body to twist upon making contact with the ground.
Fresh blood dyed the ground red in an instant.
"COLL!" Lawless yelled loudly, unable to save his friend in time. His eyes widened in rage as he dashed towards the building like a vicious tiger running down a mountain.
Kieran wanted to stop him, but it was toote.
"F*ck!" Kierans heart skipped a beat.
As he had watched Coll get thrown off the building, he had realized what their enemies had wanted to achieve. They wanted to enrage Lawless!
Lawless and Coll had been very good friends. Even Kieran, who had barely known the guy, felt rage in his heart, but he forced himself to calm down.
One of them was already being fueled by rage. If both of them lost their calm, they would be finished off by their enemies in no time.
Kieran gripped the box that held [Arrogant Word] as he chased after Lawless.
His eyes were scanning the area and his ears were listening carefully, trying to catch anything unusual.
However, even though he was 120% focused, he still couldnt understand how Lawless had disappeared.
A moment ago, his friend had been dashing out madly within his sight, but the next moment, he had disappeared without a trace, as if he had never been there.
Kieran was stunned.
Suddenly, a sharp noise was heard behind him.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Is Coll dead?
Chapter 338: Following Traces
Chapter 338: Following Traces
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
As the air-breaking noise was heard, a cold sh neared the back of his brain fast.
Kieran didnt turn around like his instinct told him to. Instead, he stepped to the right.
He knew that if he turned around, his head would be pierced by the killer, who had been waiting to ambush him. Even with [Body of Evil], Kieran still wouldnt be able to withstand such an attack.
The thin long de chaffed Kierans hair a little, but missed its target. The heavy killing intent that filled the area sent chills down Kierans spine, making him shiver.
The terrifying feeling was caused solely by the dense killing intent.
The killer behind him was like a venomous snake hiding in the bushes, waiting for its prey. The moment it leapt out, it revealed its fangs and sprayed its venom.
The thin long de switched direction, following the turn of the killers wrist and aiming for Kierans head once more. The killer seemed to be confident about terrorizing his opponent. He did his best as he struck again, his thin long sword producing a powerful wind and a whistling sound.
When Kieran bent his body and lowered his head to dodge the attack, the killer was shocked.
Kierans right foot turned outwards as he span his body away from the killer, the [Jagdtiger-X1] appearing in his hand.
By the time Kieran stopped spinning, he had turned around. He was now facing the killer as the sniper aimed at his head.
Bang!
Kieran pulled the trigger without a seconds dy, blood and brains sttering around him.
An Honor Kill notification popped up in his vision, but before he could pay any attention to it, he sensed even more danger. He quickly tip-toed backwards.
As he left his spot, the concrete floor was sted by a powerful impact, a bullet hole appearing on it.
There was a sniper! And he was not alone!
Bang! Bang!
As two more shots were fired, Kieran was forced to change direction once again. The abrupt, continuous twist of his body caused his ankle to give out with a cracking noise.
The stinging sensation that followed made Kieran realize that, unless he wanted to be crippled during the rest of the fight, he had toe up with a solution. Although his ankle was not weak, he couldnt keep twisting his joints like this.
Kieran suddenly dashed towards the empty fountain.
The fountain, which was made of concrete and bricks, was not a good cover, but Kieran had no other choice at the moment. He was nning on activating [Primus Scale] to defend himself against the attack of the third sniper.
However, something strange happened as Kieran was dashing towards the fountain. One of the three snipers that were taking turns shooting made an odd pause, disrupting the rhythmic shots.
Even though snipers soon resumed firing, this pause was enough for doubts to form in Kierans mind.
When Kieran was less than five meters away from the fountain, he acted like he wanted to leap into it, and then backed off abruptly.
BOOM!
A big explosion shook the fountain. The powerful shockwave sted Kieran from behind, pushing him against the ground. Kieran managed to escape the explosion without injuring himself any further. On the contrary, the dust that was sted in the air created a natural cover for him.
Kieran quickly rolled away from his current spot and looked in the direction of the sniper that had paused.
Based on the shooting skills at least at Master rank and the connected traps, Kieran was sure that the person had paused on purpose! Which meant that the sniper had given him a warning!
But why would he do that?
Kieran had no idea, but when he saw a dozen humans gathering around him and the six-storey building entrance, he chose to attack before they could.
A loud, beastly roar shook the ground with a mighty aura.
Kieran dashed out of the dust cloud and crashed into the small crowd.
BANG!
A killer yer was trampled to bits, followed by a second and a third one.
Kieran dashed into the building, leaving a bloody trail behind him. He didnt forget to throw a couple of grenades at the killer yers.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
A series of explosions devoured the killer yers as more Honor Kill notifications popped up.
Kieran didnt even have the time to catch his breath though. Suddenly, an arrow was fired down at him.
Kieran put the box containing [Arrogant Word] over his head, using it as a shield, but the powerful force of the arrow tore the box apart upon the impact. The metal arrownded on the de body of [Arrogant Word], its force as strong as ever.
The arrow shed with the dark red greatsword, producing a clear clunking noise.
It broke into pieces upon the impact, but the dark red greatsword did not even suffer a scratch.
Kieran held the sword up and tilted his head in the direction the arrow hade from.
A man with a strange body was holding a longbow and staring down at him.
The reason he looked strange was because he had a very thin physique. If his arms were not so buff, he would have been considered scrawny.
Kieran thought that he looked like a 12 year-old boy with the arms of a bodybuilder.
However, it was the six-storey building that concerned Kieran the most. Even though he knew that the building was odd, he was still shocked when he entered it and saw its interior.
The second and third floor ceilings had been scrappedpletely, fusing the first and the fourth floor into one. Between the floors and the breaches were chains that intertwined around the entire space.
The man with the bow was standing on one of the chains.
"Lucky you!" the bowman said in a mocking tone. Then he pulled his bow into a full-moon shape, loading another arrow. He didnt fire yet though.
"See the stairs above my head? Thats the entrance to the fifth floor. Tiger... Uh, I mean Lawless, is being tortured by our boss on the sixth floor! I suggest you hurry up, or he will be the second man to be thrown off the building!" the bowman said slowly.
His words were like knives stabbing Kieran relentlessly, but Kieran was not as infuriated as he had anticipated.
"You are the cold, merciless type, huh? Why dont you try to imagine how Lawless is feeling right now? Or are you just going to give up?" The bowman kept talking, but Kieran was ignoring him, as if he couldnt hear what the man was saying.
His attention was not focused on the bowman.
After going through a series of ambushes that he could barely guard himself against, Kieran was smarter than this. When he calmed down, he realized the killer yers were moving in certain patterns.
Everything they had done, no matter how dangerous, had been a bait. The true danger was lurking in the darkness.
From the moment Lawless had disappeared, the killer yers had adopted a specific formation. Whenever one of them revealed himself to Kieran, another group would strike from the dark.
The killer yer that had ambushed Kieran from behind and the other three snipers had been the first line of offense.
Whenever the snipers stepped into the light, the fountain, which was rigged with explosives, would act as the darkness.
The killer yers took on that dark role, waiting for Kieran to fall into their trap.
Even though their rhythmic formation had been messed up and rendered useless by one of the snipers, the light and dark side of the killers had still left traces that one could follow.
If the bowman before Kieran stepped into the light and revealed himself, he would work in formation with another killer yer in the dark.
"So where the hell is the one hiding in the dark?" Kieran thought, squinting hard.
...
Standing by a dark corner of the square, the Broker pped his hands lightly when he saw Kieran dash into the building.
"Not bad, not bad! Better than I expected!" he praised.
Then he leaned back against the wall, crossing his arms and humming a strange melody as he waited for another one of his coborators.
His wait ended when a slender figure approached him.
"Ive done what you requested, so its time you keep your promise and tell me where that thing is!" a womans voice said.
"Of course!" the Broker answered with a nod. "I always keep my promises. Even if the deal doesnt go well, I do my best topensa-"
"YOU LIED TO ME?" the woman interrupted him angrily, throwing herself at him like a jaguar.
The Broker didnt move as a dagger was ced against his throat.
"No! Of course not! My dear Lady Nightingale... I said even if. Do you understand? In other words, although the deal did experience some small problems, I solved them all!"
The Broker raised his hand up as he spoke hurriedly.
"You better be telling the truth!" Nightingale said in a threatening tone.
"I am always honest when conducting business!" the Broker said.
Then he revealed the information Nightingale wanted through PM.
Nightingale left in a hurry after getting the message. The Broker grinned as he watched her go.
He hadnt just given her the information she had wanted, but quite a lot more!
Every person the Broker had contacted shared the same position as Kieran, Lawless and Nightingale. Every single one of them was his coborator.
When the Broker saw the doubtful, angry replies in his PMs, he became even happier.
"Everything is progressing smoothly..." he muttered to himself.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
The mastermind Broker has made his move.
Chapter 339: Such Coincidence!
Chapter 339: Such Coincidence!
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
"What an advanced hiding skill!"
Kieran checked his surroundings with utmost focus, but he still couldnt discover his enemy.
A hiding skill far beyond the skill range of [Undercover] was essential in order for the killers to set up such a sessful trap.
They would never expose their location or killing intent before they struck.
Although it was a fearsome, magnificent skill, after their setup and formation were exposed, it was rendered useless.
Kieran locked his eyes on the bowman, or more precisely, on the shadow next to him.
The intertwining chains made his shadow look messy, as if it was a huge spider web. The bowman, who was standing on top of the chain, had be a spider.
The metal arrow that contained his immense power was like the venomous web of a spider, vibrating with an intense killing intent as it focused on its target.
"Is it the shadow? Or maybe..."
Kieran shifted his gaze to the chain under the bowmans feet.
The unusual chains inside the building were definitely not for decoration. They had to be there to serve the bowman, or...
To hide another killer yer!
Kieran took a deep breath and got ready to move.
Just like the bowman had said, Kieran had a limited time to tangle with him. There might be some other more effective way to detect the other killer, but Kieran chose to go with the most direct way.
He tightened his leg muscles and jumped up high towards the bowman.
When the bowman saw Kieraning, he let out a wretchedugh and released the string of his bow.
Kieran could feel the banter in the mansugh. He sounded like a cat teasing a mouse, his contempting straight from his heart.
Kieran was not angry though. He actually longed for this. It would only ease the fight and grant him an easy victory.
Bang!
The vibrating bow string fired out an arrow like a shooting star, aiming at Kierans approaching chest.
Then the spider web wiggled a little, and a shadowy figure appeared silently behind Kieran, holding a dagger that radiated with a gloomy dazzle and aiming at Kierans back.
A double attack!
The bowman waved his hand at Kieran, bidding him goodbye. Before he could move his hand down though, he froze.
Kieran suddenly jumped up again by stepping on the formless air. The killer behind Kieran was not shielded by Kierans back anymore, so the arrow hisrade had fired was shot at him.
The dark-side yer blocked the arrow with his dagger, but the force of the arrow was too powerful. Even though he did his best, the arrow still hit his shoulder.
As the killer yer was shot, Kieran fell back down from mid-air.
The dark red greatsword shed down and split the killer in half starting from his head.
Blood and organs spilled out in mid-air. The bowman, who was on top of the chain, reacted by firing arrows one after the other angrily. The falling arrows formed a dark cloud above Kieran.
However, Kieran jumped up once more by stepping on the air. He was using [Modii Jump]!
Not only did he escape the arrows range, but he also managed tounch himself higher, reaching the bowman and wielding [Arrogant Word] at him.
The dark red greatsword, which was covered in blood, was giving out a bewitching glow, which made its sh more powerful than before.
The thick chains were broken one after the other.
The bowman, who was standing on the chains, started slipping off. He was barely able to dodge Kierans relentless sh. However, even though the chains were being cut off, the bowmans bow was moving along with them in mid-air, as if his feet were glued to the chains. The man moved upwards at an incredible speed, using a gravity-defying method.
Before he could move back to the upper chains though, a spider webtched onto his back and pulled him down hard, causing him to slip off. Shocked, the bowman instinctively tried to remove the spider web, but his buff arms made him more clumsy as he moved his hands. No matter how hard he tried to reach the spider web, he could not touch it.
When his hands failed him, the bowman swung his bow string behind his back and sliced the spider web off.
His bow managed to cut the spider web, but before he could celebrate its sessful removal, he suddenly realized that his bow had now gotten stuck with the spider web. He couldnt get it off, no matter how hard he tried.
"F*ck! You forced me to use my ace, you worthless newbie!" the bowman yelled, gnashing his teeth in anger as he felt Kieran approaching fast.
He had thought that this was just a simple assassination mission, yet it had turned into a life-and-death battle, which definitely exceeded his original expectations.
Kieran was a newbie who had gotten his hands on some Magical Rank items, such as the greatsword that had sliced the chains and the spider web that hadtched on to him.
Although the sword was heavy and clumsy, and its weight could slow the user down, its sharpness had reached a Strong Level.
As for the spider web?
Based on the battle notifications on the bowmans vision, it had to be Rare Rank equipment. Not even a fresh veteran yer could get his hands on a Rare Rank item, yet Kierans Rare Rank weapon and high-tier Magical weapon had made the bowman use the ace up his sleeve.
If he could kill Kieran, then those two pieces of equipment would be his!
The bowman stopped trying to escape the spider web and turned around, opening his buff arms and throwing himself at Kieran, as if he was going for a hug.
His toned arms became even wider and more robust. The expanding exceeded his arms limit, yet it didnt stop.
Blood cells sprung out of his skin follicles and then went back into his skin, his muscles feeling like they were freed of their shackles as they continued to expand at an exponential speed.
When the bowman stood in front of Kieran, his arms were already blocking his body. His palms were now as big as doors.
"You amateur newbie! You think you can run rampant around me by using a couple of Magical items? Ill show you despair! Behold my [Titans Arm]! Can your Magical greatsword cut my arms off? No matter how sharp your de is, youll need a Legendary Rank item to hurt me!"
The bowmans voice wasing from behind his door-sized arms as Kieran approached him.
His tone was full of arrogance. He seemed eager to swing his arms at Kieran.
A giant palm whipped up a strong wind before it smashed down at Kieran.
The strong wind blew hard at Kierans hair and clothes, making him struggle to move. When Kieran saw the falling shadow of the palm, he could not help but grin.
Chapter 340: Abnormalities
Chapter 340: Abnormalities
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Kieran yelled loudly as the round edge of [Arrogant Word] shed at the mans giant palms.
The seemingly giant palms were cut off in an instant, blood gushing out and flowing like a river.
The bowman, who was hiding behind his palms, yelled in an incredulous tone, "A Legendary weapon!? How is this possible? You are just a newbie!"
His voice was full of despair as he looked at Kieran.
He would never have thought that the dark red greatsword, which he had thought was just a high-tier Magical Rank weapon, was actually a Legendary weapon.
How could a newbie acquire a Legendary weapon?
A rumor that had been circting among the veterans suddenly emerged in the bowmans mind. It turned out that it had been true.
"You are the Witchs..."
His voice trailed off. Before he could finish, Kieran decapitated him.
From Kierans perspective, anything the bowman said would be just a groundless statement used to stall him. He had no reason to believe him.
[yer Killed: Blood Monkey!]
[Kill treated as self-defense through authentication]
[Categorized as an Honor Kill]
[You will receive all the Points and Skill Points of the yer...]
[Total: 20,000 Points and 5 Skill Points]
[Received the yers house key]
[Granted the right to use the yers house]
[All the yers belongings have been returned to their house]
[Honor Kills: 17]
...
An Honor Kill notification popped up again.
After a quick nce at it, Kieran turned his attention to his Points and Skill Points tab.
[Points: 190,000; Skill Points: 35; Golden Skill Points: 3; Golden Attribute Points: 3]
"So this is what people get when they kill others?" Kieran couldnt help but exim when he saw his remaining Points. His 17,500 Points and 7 Skill Points had skyrocketed to almost 200,000 Points.
Now he understood the killer yers better.
An ambush could grant a yer with scrumptious rewards without the risk of entering a dungeon. It was definitely tempting!
After killing a total of 13 assassins and being rewarded in Points and Skill Points, Kierans earnings were as high as three Z dungeon ratings.
The feeling was unexpectedly stimting!
It felt likeing across a gold brick during an evening stroll.
The killer yers equipment and items were enough topensate Kieran.
It was only a pity that he hadnt gotten any Golden Skill Points or Golden Attribute Points.
The [Fusion Heart] inside Kierans chest, which had been beating calmly and rhythmically, started beating fiercely at the thought.
As temptation whispered in Kierans ears, the Creature of Desire started to take form.
"Get off!" Kieran shouted.
The whisper and the creature disappeared with a loud shout, but the fierce beating of the [Fusion Heart] made Kieran pant heavily and cover his chest with his hand.
A suffocating pain started to spread inside his body.
Itsted for half a minute before it dissipated.
When it was gone, Kieran was soaked in sweat. He felt weak and feeble as hey on the ground, looking like a drowning victim that had escaped the grip of death.
"No notifications..." Kieran checked the tab, wanting to know why such a thing had urred. He unconsciously looked at the [Fusion Heart]s remarks again.
"This is an organ fused with the heart of a human, the Demon Lord, and the Creature of Desire. Its power is indisputable, but so is its bacsh. As the owner of this organ, you will need both a powerful body and a powerful will! It will grow stronger after each battle, but if you do not grow with it, you will be a puppet of flesh and blood!"
"A powerful body and a powerful will..."
Kierans attention lingered on those two things, especially on thetter, as he recalled the greed that had emerged in his heart moments ago.
"I already gained huge rewards, but I am still not satisfied. Is that why the Creature of Desire took over?" Kieran guessed as he took a couple of deep breaths.
"This is trouble!" he muttered.
If his theory was correct, then he would be in huge trouble.
Considering his personality, even the slightest misstep would allow the Creature of Desire to take over his consciousness.
This would be fine under normal circumstances, but what if it happened during a battle? Or what if he encountered an enemy in that condition? What would happen then?
A sense of danger lingered in Kierans heart, but he couldnt resolve this within such a short period of time.
"I need to solve the problems at hand first!"
Other matters had priority. Kieran knew what he had to do at the moment.
He grabbed [Arrogant Word] and leapt on the chains, heading towards the fifth floor. The moment he reached the stairs, he entered [Undercover] mode.
He might not have the unique skills of the killer yers, but he was notcking in vignce.
Kieran slowed down his breathing and focused as he approached step by step. When he was close to the entrance, he heard a heavy sound that got clearer and clearer.
The sound was very familiar.
It was the sound of someone punching a body!
Based on the frequency of the punches, Kieran concluded that the person getting punched would copse at any second.
He unconsciously hastened his steps. It had to be Lawless. Who else could be getting punched?
After going up another flight of stairs, Kieran could see the fifth floor clearly.
Just like the lower floors, the fifth floor ceiling had been knocked off, fusing the fifth and sixth floor into one.
The bowman had obviously lied. Kieran was not surprised though. He never believed what his enemies said. He liked to confirm the facts with his own eyes. What he saw now made him squint though.
Lawless was hanging in mid-air, tied up with two thick chains. Before him was the huge killer who had thrown Coll off the building. The man was punching Lawless as if he was a sandbag.
Bang!
The killer punched Lawless abdomen hard, the powerful impact sending Lawless swinging backwards.
His body mmed hard against the wall behind him, making dust and dirt fall.
Just as Lawless was about to bounce back, the killer got ready to strike again.
Kieran was quicker though.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
This is the start of the bacsh of the heart and much more toe until hepletely get rids of the Bacsh.
And daaaaaamn, i am really looking forward to the Title Dungeon! It is going to be bad ass i assure you!
Chapter 341: Unique Power
Chapter 341: Unique Power
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
Bang!
A bullet was fired from the [Jagdtiger-X1]s cylinder, igniting a small spark.
The gunshot echoed throughout the whole floor.
The killer, who had been beating the crap out of Lawless, was shot on the chest. Blood started gushing out of the bullet hole as he fell down, his face looking up at the sky.
Kieran was in shock. He had just fired to stop the killer from beating Lawless. He never would have thought that he would kill him with one shot.
"Something is not right!" he thought unconsciously.
"R... Run!" Lawless, who was still hanging from the chains, stuttered.
He turned his head around and looked at Kieran and then down at his own injured body.
"Run!" he repeated.
"Yes, run! Otherwise, you will share the same fate as this ungrateful little pr*ck! Ill beat the crap out of you and throw you off the building like the other guy!"
Amidst the sharp clunking noises, the killer, who had fallen because of the shot, stood straight up without using his hands or the bindings at his waist. He stood up the way he had fallen, as if an invisible hand had pushed him from behind.
Though what concerned Kieran more was the person who appeared behind the man. It was a woman in a long golden dress.
Although her dress was very eye-catching, the weak, petite woman was not worthy of Kierans attention during normal times.
Of course, given that the woman wasnt floating in mid-air surrounded by three lustrous crystal balls of different colors.
She was a mystic! Kieran felt panic rise in his heart.
The three crystal balls were white, blue and red and looked like they were orbiting the Sun as they moved in a circle around the woman.
They were not moving very fast, so Kieran got a glimpse of the flickering runes inside them. Despite his Pro Level [Mystical Knowledge] though, he could not understand their meaning.
He couldnt have guessed what they meant, even if there had only been one crystal ball.
Kierans heart instantly filled with vignce.
The mystical realm had a basic ground rule. The harder and more profound the knowledge, the more powerful and more dangerous it was.
"Heal!"
"Lock on!"
The floating woman pointed her finger at the killer yer whose chest had been shot, before she turned to Kieran.
The white and blue crystal ball fired out a beam of a different color.
Kieran instinctively tried to dodge it, but light was too fast for him.
Before he could even budge, his body was hit by the blue beam.
A battlelog notification instantly popped up, informing him that he had been attacked, but not showing the actual damage in numbers.
Kieran frowned, a bad feeling emerging in his heart.
The malicious attack had struck him, yet it had inflicted no damage on him. How could that be?
There was only one possibility. The attack had been a prerequisite for a more powerful attack.
As Kieran spected about it, the woman started a series of "attacks".
"2567, Sniper rifle disabled!"
"2567, Handgun disabled!"
"2567, Spear disabled!"
"2567, Bow disabled!"
"2567, Greatsword disabled!"
...
After the womans continuous chanting, the red crystal ball started repeatedly firing red beams at Kieran. Every beam that struck him caused his skills to change.
[Firearm Weapon, Light Firearm has been disabled by a Special Power, Firearm Weapon, Light Firearm is at Transcendence, Skill Level -1]
[Firearm Weapon, Light Firearm has been disabled by a Special Power, Firearm Weapon, Light Firearm is at Transcendence, Skill Level -2]
[Sharp Weapon, Spear has been disabled by a Special Power, Sharp Weapon, Spear is not at Transcendence, Skill has been blocked temporarily]
[Sharp Weapon, Bow has been disabled by a Special Power, Sharp Weapon, Bow is not at Transcendence, Skill has been blocked temporarily]
[Sharp Weapon, Heavy Weapon has been disabled by a Special Power, Sharp Weapon, Heavy Weapon is not at Transcendence, Skill has been blocked temporarily]
...
"What the f*ck?" Kieran started panicking even more.
He had nevere across such a unique power before.
Seeing Kierans sudden confusion, the injured killer yer, who was already healed,ughed out loud.
"Well done, Golden Canary!" he praised hisrade. The woman, who was known as Golden Canary, didnt reply with words. She just nodded silently.
The killer yer didnt seem concerned about the coldness of hisrade. He picked up a chain from the floor and walked towards Kieran with big steps.
"I warned you to run! I told you that if you didnt, I would beat the crap out of you and throw you off the building! Now, lets begin!"
As soon as the killer yer finished his sentence, he threw out the chain in his hand like a viper striking at its prey, aiming at Kierans neck.
Although Kieran was still overwhelmed, when the chain flew over his neck, he raised his hand and grabbed it, pulling it back hard.
The killer yer pulled back with a contemptuousugh.
Did Kieran want to have a strength contest? In the killers opinion, Kieran was way weaker than him.
Suddenly, the chain was pulled tight.
Both sides felt like they were being pinned down on the spot. Neither of them was budging.
They were well-matched in strength!
The killer widened his eyes in shock.
How could a newbie like Kieran be this strong?
"You are dead meat!" he shouted at him.
His facial muscles started to jitter under the system blur as an intense killing intent filled his heart.
The killer yer had heard about Kieran before. That was why he was shocked by the strength he was disying.
Three months! How could Kieran have reached such a level in three months?
No!
The killer yer couldnt afford to let Kieran grow anymore! He had to ughter him first.
He knew that if he allowed Kieran to keep growing, considering his current potential, he would turn into a titan that he would have to look up to.
As the killing intent erupted from the bottom of his heart, the killer yer became even more vicious. His whole body started to tremble as it exploded with even more strength.
Kieran was pulled slightly forward, but he quickly used his left hand to grab the chain, channeling his full body strength into his arms and stepping back a little.
The step he had taken forward a moment ago had been lost!
Both sides were exploding with strength, causing the taut chain to produce a teeth-numbing screech. The gaps on the chain started to break apart under their explosive strength, getting bigger by the second.
The chain was breaking apart!
Just as it was about to break, the killer yer opened his mouth.
"Golden Canary!" he shouted.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Heres a question.
What is beyond Legendary rank.
Since Kierans heart is Epic rank, so whats above that?
Chapter 342: Revenge
Chapter 342: Revenge
Trantor: Dess Editor: Efydatia
"Strength decrease!" the woman in the golden dress said once more.
[Strength has been disabled by a Special Power, Spirit Attribute has not reach B, Strength Attribute has temporarily decreased by -1...]
...
The evenly matched strength contest was broken in an instant.
Kierans body moved towards the killer yer uncontrobly.
"I will tear you apart!" the manughed wretchedly.
Kieran didnt panic any further though. His eyes were fixed on the battlelog notification that had popped up in his vision.
"Spirit Attribute hasnt reach B rank?"
Kieran was unsure where the womans mystical power had originated from. He did not know what mystical lineage or dungeon world she belonged to, or what the B Rank Attribute stood for, but he knew what he had to do at that precise moment.
[Using Golden Attribute Point...]
[Spirit B- B]
[Using Golden Attribute Point...]
[Spirit B B+]
Kieran used his Golden Attribute Points without hesitation, upgrading his Spirit twice.
[Spirit has reached B Rank, Blocking Effect removed...]
[Spirit has reached B+ Rank, Target has been induced with Magic Repulsion...]
...
The woman spit out a mouthful of fresh blood, her floating body staggering in mid-air as the three crystal balls dimmed.
"Its the Chosen One!" she said as she looked at Kieran, making the killer yers heart tremble in fear.
Meanwhile, the chain broke.
Kieran, who had regained his Strength, pulled the chain once more, causing it to break.
The chain shattered, pieces flying out in all directions and smashing into the walls around them, producing heavy clunks.
Kieran dashed straight up to the killer yer, but the man evaded him like a snake.
He swung the remaining part of the chain in his hand, trying to prevent Kieran from getting close to him. The killer yer kept retreating as he looked at Kieran nervously, as if he was frightened to his very core.
When he saw the killer yers shocked expression, Kieran was forced to reevaluate the phrase "The Chosen One". All this while, he had thought that it was just talk among the yers, but now he realized there were still a lot of things he didnt know.
While his mind was pondering the matter, his body didnt stop moving.
He followed up his victory with a hot pursuit, swinging his remaining chain at the killer yers chain, tangling them both together again. Then he pulled hard, making the chain tighten once more.
After breaking, the chain was missing its middle section, so even though it was taut, Kieran was only three meters away from the killer yer.
This was a golden opportunity for him!
Pulling on the chain hard, Kieran moved his body forward and kicked up with his left leg like a long spear, aiming at the killer yers chest.
Bang!
The killer moved his left arm over his chest, bearing the impact of the kick.
Even though his left arm was broken, he tried to release the chain to put some distance between him and Kieran. Kierans speed exceeded his imagination though.
As the killer yer tried to make a move, Kieranunched a second kick.
The second kick splintered the bones in his left armpletely, followed by a third kick.
The third kick crushed his broken left arm into a meat paste before a fourth kick wasunched.
Even though [Hundred Violent Kicks] favored speed over attack, when the fourth kick wasunched, it produced a terrifying whistle.
It was [Barsical Kick, Bide]!
As Kieran attacked with both legs, the fourth kick granted him a Strength and Agility +2 Buff. Thanks to the Transcendence Level [Hand-to-Hand Combat, Combat Kicks] Buff, Kierans Strength and Agility increased by +4.
As a result, Kierans fourth kick had an S- Strength Level and an A+ Agility Level.
Even though [Hundred Violent Kicks] decreased his Strength Level, his increased Agility made the kick irresistible.
Bang!
It felt like firing a powerful shot, Kierans kicknded on the killer yers head before he could even react.
The killer yer was instantly sent flying, but the next moment, Kieran pulled him back by the tangled chains,unching another kick at his head. That kick would crush the killer yers skull. Kieran was confident about it, because the fifth kick was thest attack of the [Hundred Violent Kicks] Agility boost and Strength weakening buff.
He had an S- Rank Strength now!
A moment ago, the killer yer might have been able to assume a defensive stance to avoid a kick at his weak spot, but after the fourth kick struck his head, a fit of dizziness came over him and all he could do was watch helplessly as Kierans foot closed in on him.
Bang!
The killer yers head burst like a blooming flower upon the impact, brains and blood sshing out and staining the floor behind him, forming a half-circle.
[yer Killed: Shark]
[Treated as self-defense through authentication]
[Categorized as an Honor Kill]
[You will receive all the Points and Skill Points of the yer...]
[Total: 30,000 Points and 6 Skill Points]
[Received the yers house key]
[Granted the right to use the yers house]
[All the yers belongings have been returned to their house]
[Honor Kills: 18]
.....
Kieran walked towards the final killer yer, the woman called Golden Canary, without even taking a breath.
He didnt even bother hiding his killing intent. He would never show mercy at a target because they were a woman.
Before Kieran hade of age, the educational system had taught him to show extra respect to women, but when one became his enemy...
KILL!
Kieranunched a merciless kick at Golden Canary.
The Magical Repulsion did not allow her to move. As the woman watched Deathing for her, her heart was unwilling to ept it.
The moment she had decided to avenge her brother, she had pushed all fear out of her heart. If she hadnt, she wouldnt have been able toe this far.
The womans eyes expressed her pity as she turned them to the man hanging in mid-air...
Huh?
Suddenly, she seemed stunned. Before she could react to what had happened, she was blocked by the big figure in front of her.
"Have you lost your mind?!"
Kieran retracted his foot abruptly when he saw Lawless standing between him and the woman, blocking the kick with his body. Staggering back because of the sudden rebounding force, Kieran shouted at Lawless, "No... I owe her this! Ugh!"
Lawless gave him a bitter smile. He seemed like he wanted to exin, but the words never came out of his mouth.
A dagger had been stabbed at the back of his waist. The person holding it was Golden Canary!
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Here on we get some backstory of Lawless and this so call Golden Canary girl.
Chapter 343: Clarity
Chapter 343: rity
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
"Lawless!"
Enraged, Kieran dashed towards Golden Canary, but he was stopped again by Lawless raising his hand.
"I...I am fine!" Lawless said.
He struggled to turn around and looked at Golden Canary who had tried to stab him with that tiny dagger. Even with the system blur, Lawlesss face was filled with memories, sorrow and guilt.
"Im sorry!" Lawless said.
"Sorry? You hypocritical bastard, why dont you die!"
Golden Canary tried to exert her strength once more, but she was never good at it. Additionally, under the magic repulsion, she couldnt drive the dagger any deeper. She felt like shed stabbed an iron te.
No, even sturdier than an iron te!
Her mortal enemy was just in front her, letting her stab as she liked, but she couldnt do anything to harm him...
The helpless feeling bloomed in her heart. Her beliefs that had supported her thus far started to shake.
"WHY DONT YOU DIE!"
Golden Canary screamed her lungs out in sorrow and rage.
"Um... I promise you, when I finish what I should do, Ill give you my life!"
Lawless spoke seriously, having turned around to face Golden Canary.
"Before that..."
While Lawless was speaking, heunched his right hand and grabbed the empty space beside them.
A shadowy figure suddenly emerged from nothingness and retreated quickly.
Though Lawlesss right hand seemed slow, it was following the shadowy figure like a real shadow. Not only had he predicted and blocked the shadowy figures retreat, his hand evennded on the figures shoulder before the figure could react to what had happened.
Kacrack!
After the clear sound of his bones breaking one after another, the shadowy figures bones werepletely crushed, and it fell to the floor, weak and limp.
That was only the beginning.
From Kierans perspective, Lawlesss hand continued on and brought upyers of afterimage, making it look like his hand had split into ten. He then grabbed the hidden killer yers out of the void one after another, and with an effortless tap, all the killer yers bones were crushed.
A killer aura started to form on Lawlesss body.
From the first time he struck with his hand to the fifth time, violent winds of killer intents were blowing out from his body to all directions.
Whuuu!
The heavy wind whistled, making the dust fly and forming a dust cloud that blocked Lawlesss figure.
Between the indistinct image, Kieran thought he heard a tigers roar.
ROAR!
After a moment, a striped tiger leapt out from the dust cloud.
The violent wind around blew fiercer and the tigers roar echoed through the whole building.
Then, translucent tigerve spirits[1] started to appeared along with the violent wind one after another.
The tiger-devoured spirits were shivering amidst the tigers roar, following the orders that were given to them.
One after another, the killer yers were dragged out by the spirits.
Then, the killer yers were all ughtered; none of them remained with an intact corpse after they died.
The paw shes, teeth crushing and tail sweeping eliminated all the killer yers with ease.
When Kieran saw that Lawless was biting off a killer yers throat without the slightest hesitation, he knew something had gone wrong.
Lawless seemed to have fallen into a frenzy mode, but Kieran had no idea how to wake him up.
On the side, Golden Canary waspletely astonished. She was staring at the cowardly man that she had under control before he wentpletely mad. Her mind was recalling the memories of a conversation between her and her elder brother.
"Brother, who is stronger between you and Tiger King?"
"I am stronger during normal times but he is stronger when he goes all crazy! Other than Butcher, whosoever stood in the frenzied Tiger Kings path shall perish!"
"So the Butcher is the strongest?"
"Of course not, the strongest is ..."
Her brother never finished, but Golden Canary knew someone needed to stop Lawless, or else all of Nightingales men would perish.
But...
Where would she find the Butcher now? How could the crazy woman be here?
Pak!
The astonished Golden Canary was awakened by a clear smashing noise.
A wine bottle had smashed on Lawlesss head and upon impact, Lawless was stunned.
A small fire then lit up from the shadow beside. It was Rachel who had lit up the cigarette in her mouth. She took a deep puff and blew the smoke at Lawlesss face.
"Wake up yet?" Thedy owner of Harvest Inn asked coldly.
"Im sorry, I..."
"I know what you are holding back! The day that you made up your mind, youve held a lot back inside. Even though you nicknamed yourself Lawless, but you strap yourself down with restrictions and fetters, because you dont want that incident to happen again. I respect your decision, but it doesnt mean Ill keep cleaning your ass! I hope this is thest time!"
Lawless wanted to exin but he was abruptly interrupted.
Rachels uncourteous words had Kieran making some guesses in his heart, but he was smart not to ask about it. He looked at Rachel with astonished eyes.
Rachels appearance was too sudden, to the extent that Kieran could not even react to her presence until the bottle smashed, just like the killer yers.
No! Even scarier than the killer yers!
At least the killer yers had signs of their appearance, but the Rachel before Kieran was something different. If it was not for seeing her with his own eyes and listening to her words, Kieran would even suspect it was an illusion.
More doubts formed in Kierans heart.
"Very well!" Lawless smiled bitterly and said.
"Come out!"
Rachel didnt care about Lawless anymore. Instead, she turned her attention to a shadow at the corner. After she ordered, a figure walked out of the shadow.
It was Nightingale who had returned to the building long ago and was waiting for the perfect chance to reap her harvest. But she did not expect that her wait would result in such a surprising person.
Nightingale ced her eyes on Kieran, reeking of killer intents, but most of it felt like greed. She knew what Kieran had; it was what she had always wanted but now there were obstacles between them.
What should a killer do to ovee the obstacles?
Kill it!
Though, if it was possible, Nightingale would prefer not to provoke the other two before her, but the item she wanted made her want to take that risk.
There was not much of a hesitation in making choices when the rewards were greater than the risk.
"Butcher, this doesnt concern you..."
Pak!
Before Nightingale could finish, she was pped by Rachel.
"Scram!" Rachel said with an irritated tone.
"You!"
Pak!
Another pnded on her face, even stronger than the one before.
"One more word from your mouth and it will be yourst!"
Rachel was staring at Nightingale; her body was emitting immense danger.
Nightingale kept quiet; a killer knew better than amoner about what to do when faced with someone stronger than them. Nightingale didnt even dare look at Rachel anymore; she hid her vicious gaze away and turned around, wanting to leave.
"Wait!" Rachel opened her mouth again.
Nightingale turned around again; her hand was holding a dagger. She felt like she was insulted and it fueled her rage, causing the ever-proudful Nightingale to want to take a gamble at Rachel.
"Bring this fool with you!" Rachel pointed at Golden Canary.
Nightingale was surprised; she never thought Rachel would release Golden Canary.
Although, there were still value in the "fledgelings" that the organization spent so much in training. Bringing her back would also be apensation for the manpower lost during this trip.
Nightingale then walked over to Golden Canary, helped her up and walked outside.
After a few seconds, the whole building was emptied of people except for Kieran, Lawless and Rachel. Kieran looked at Lawless and Rachel but kept quiet.
Rachel also never wanted to speak about it; she was smoking her cigarette quitely.
"I said it before, when it is is over, Ill tell you everything..."
Lawless finally opened his mouth with a bitter smile but before he could finish, he was interrupted by another series of footsteps.
Nightingale and Golden Canary had returned.
"That son of a bitch, unscrupulous businessman! He actually sent the information about 2567s title mission scroll to so much people! What an assh*le!"
Nightingale was enraged and scolded.
Title mission scroll?
So everything was about the title mission scroll?!
Kieran was shocked, and all the dots regarding the incident started connecting instantly.
TL Note
Tigerve spirit: Originated from Chinese folklore. The spirits were the ghosts of one devoured by the tiger. They couldnt reincarnate or leave the tigers side after they die, and hence became a spirit guiding the tiger to its next victim.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Surprise note.
This chapter is edited by our new editor Zayn as he will take on the editing from now on!
Please wee him with all the cookies in the section.
And soon, we can increase the release rate from a weekly 9 to 10 and maybe more in the future :)
Ill make another official note when the release rate is increased!
p p!
Chapter 344: Countermeasures
Chapter 344: Countermeasures
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
"So this is what everythings about!" Kieran muttered.
The title mission scroll was a reward for killing the killer yer, Nobian.
Other than himself, no one else knew he had the scroll; even Lawless was kept from the fact when he arrivedter back then.
So, how did the Broker know this?
In simple words, from the moment Nobian had gotten the [de of the Daybreaker] sub scroll, his movements were under Brokers inspection. As far as it was concerned, [de of the Daybreaker] sub scroll was a bait released by Broker himself; the purpose was to "fish" out even more killer yers!
Broker must have gotten to know the existence of the killer yers a long time ago, but he decided to keep an eye closed about it because the killer yers existence had their value to Broker.
Think of Brokers secret bazaar, how many items inside were from the killer yers?
Broker must have gotten a clue from a certain item in his bazaar, but after some time, Brokers strength and influence had gotten a substantial enhancement, so he had a different thought about them.
For Broker, it was not that he didnt want the killer yers to survive, but he needed a killer squad that he could control andply to his every order. However, the killer yers were hiding too deep; unless they showed themselves, it was hard to determine whether a yer was one of them or not.
So, Broker needed a bait. The title mission scroll was such a bait!
By slightly altering the information about the title mission scroll and releasing some other phoney news, it was enough to attract the attention of the killer yers. For instance, a title mission scroll could allow 3 to 5 yers entry per run.
Other than the one holding on to the main scroll and the other two people with the Unique Title, the Witch and Broker, Kieran couldnt even differentiate the true from the false.
Since the Witch had left the game, no exnation would being from her, and as the mastermind behind this grand scheme, Broker of course would not exin the truth about the title mission.
As for the one holding the main scroll?
Those who were blinded by greed would not believe it anyway.
However, amidst the grand scheme, Kieran popped up as a interferer, forcing Broker to alter his original ns, and from the looks of it...
"Broker really did an amazing job!"
Kieran walked towards the window and looked down.
A crowd had quietly gathered beneath the building. Although Kieran had familiarized himself in the shadows, but when he looked down from a high ground, everything was clear.
"Broker told you about the title mission scroll? What about Colls kidnapping?"
Kieran asked Nightingale once more to confirm.
"It was a special dungeon that could allow a total of five yer per entry, not counting towards the normal dungeon run, but only one amongst the five could acquire the title!"
"Colls kidnapping was also that bastards order. He wanted me to kidnap Coll and send the news to Lawless!"
Nightingale hesitated a while before she spilled the truth.
"No wonder..." Kieran sighed in his heart. Nightingales words solidified his theory.
What assassination, what coboration! Everything was a trap set up by Broker himself. All he wanted was to lead the both of them to the wide square, suitable for getting surrounded.
Not only Kieran and Lawless but also the killer yers.
"F*ck!" Lawless clenched his fist and cursed. He was no idiot after all; he quickly understood what had happened when he heard Kierans question.
"Cursing will only make you look like a losing dog barking non-stop, pitiful and sorrowful. Think of what you should do now! Those reckless, greedy bastards will not listen to what you have to say!"
"A title mission scroll, eh? Pft, sounds really tempting... Lucky little bastard you are!"
Rachel scolded Lawless without holding back and she turned to Kieran, gazing at him with a half-smile, sending chills down Kierans spine and skin.
Kierans scalp felt numb once he thought about Rachels skill when she had appeared.
If Rachel was after the title mission scroll and was determined to get it, he couldnt do anything about it. He might still able to turn it around with a couple of ace cards if it was a face-to-face battle but he wouldnt stand a chance if he was ambushed...
That will be devastating!
"So do I consider myself an innocent mannded in jail because of my precious stone?" Kieran mocked himself with a smile.
"Of course not!" Lawless looked at Rachel with a strict eyes.
"Its a joke! Just a damn joke! Where is the humour in your big muscle-head!"
Rachel scolded again when she was vexed by their odd manner.
"So what should we do now? The goons below are not much of a problem, but they outnumber us. If it was me alone, I could get out of here unharmed... but with you people? Not possible!" Rachel said.
"No need for all of us, just 2567 will be enough. Their objective is 2567. Once he is gone, the situation will solve itself!" Lawless pointed at Kieran.
"But Brokers goal will still bepleted! His original goal is not me but the killer yers below. Think of it this way: when the killer yers were forced to a desperate situation, how many of them would throw their lives for a risk? I guess most of them will choose to side Broker! Now that Broker has uglified the situation with us, will he let us go after his forces grow?"
"Besides, he will definitely send us pliance invites", once we reject, he willunch a relentless attack at us. When that happens, the moment when we return from the dungeons, other than our own game lobby, nowhere will be safe for us anymore! So lets take a gamble! Though mostly because of I am jealous to see Brokers n seed. I have a narrow heart; I always seek revenge with the smallest grievance!"
Kieran said in a joking tone, but Lawless and Rachel had caught the seriousness in his words.
Both of them knew it was not a joke.
"Um, then lets take the gamble! If worsees to worst, Ill y single yer from now on!"
Lawless agreed to Kierans words without a second thought. Rachel didnt object as well.
The three of them started to discuss their next move softly.
Nightingale was still staring at Kieran with glimmering eyes from the side. The unrestricted conversation caused her to feel something was not right within her bones.
"Because I showed anger towards Broker, he chose to believe me? Could he be this naive? Or did he do it on purpose, wanting me to send a fake message to Broker?" Nightingale thought.
Though they were purely thought, and not hesitation. As a killer, all she ever thought about was benefits, whether in the real world or in the game.
Golden Canary was simr as well, but something differentiated them both: hatred.
The hatred towards Lawless made her more impulsive, or in other words, idiotic.
...
The people inside the shadows stared at each other with vignce. They were also looking at the building entrance not far away from them, but none of them dared to take the step forward because they knew whoever took the first step would be the target of the arrows and being fired by the crowd.
They were waiting in a stalemate situation.
The atmosphere started to get depressing and dangerous. If the wait continued, eventually, someone would strike when they couldnt hold it back anymore.
Just before that happened, a figure suddenly appeared on the rooftop, drawing the attention of the people beneath, before he jumped down.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Leave your guesses of who has the main title scroll?
And, Kieran is actually wrong for the 1st time.
Broker is much more cunning that anyone knew.
Ill try to exin every question but do give me sometime and check back thement sections once in a while lol
Annnnnnd I just saw Kieran bitch pped someone, damn satisfying!
Chapter 345: Aura of Madness
Chapter 345: Aura of Madness
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
"Its 2567!"
One of the killer yer from the crowd shouted on seeing the leaping figure.
The word fired up everyone in the crowd. Those who were hiding in the shadows walked out and headed towards where Kieran wouldnd.
Just when that was happening...
Bang bang bang!
Three shots were fired from afar.
When the first shot was fired, Kieran, who was free-falling, swung himself back on the building and climbed into the window of the third floor. When the second and third shots were fired, Kieran was nowhere to be found.
"Kill the sniper!"
One of the leaders of the killer yers shouted. A couple of them then dashed towards where the sniper was.
In fact, those who dashed towards the sniper were not just a couple, almost a quarter of the crowd went off. While killing three snipers wouldnt require so much manpower and those who really wanted to kill the snipers were only a handful of the quarter, part of them were running away after they saw that the situation had gone south.
Yet, most of them had a sense of unwillingness in their hearts, but they knew what they were capable of. They wanted to leave the area, aiming for chances to grope for the fish in a turbid time.
Every killer yer who arrived at the ce shared the same fate as Nightingale; they only knew they were deceived after they arrived. But the situation before them was too intense; no one dare to move recklessly.
Now, a great opportunity had presented itself. If they didnt take it and run, they would be the real fools.
As for those who stood ground, they had confidence in their strength and were determined to get their hands on the title mission scroll. They were looking around with utmost vignce and threatening gazes.
The crowd started to scatter, breaking into small groups and teams.
After breaking into around a dozen group, they took over the empty space in front of the building. There were no solo yers among them though. During the retreat a moment ago, the solo yers had joined the majority.
"I..."
The leader of the killer yers opened his mouth again, ready for another order, but just after he had uttered a single word, Kieran burst out from the building.
Not from behind or the windows on the left and right side, but through the main entrance, crashing into the the killer yer leader.
Wuuu!
The dark red great sword performed a horizontal sh. The yer killer leader didnt even have the space to dodge; he could only take it head-on with a forcefield barrier on his body.
However, when [Arrogant Word]s de body came in contact with the force field barrier, it was like cutting through soap, decapitating the leaders head with the sh.
Puk!
Fresh blood started gushing out, but Kieran didnt avoid the sshing blood. He allowed the warm blood to shower on him and pressed on forward.
Huuu! Sooo!
A couple of longswords, knives and arrows, together with bullets were fired at Kieran together.
Pang!
[Primus Scale] was activated, though even the Powerful level barrier cracked and broke into pieces under the multitude of attacks. Only some of the attacksnded on Kierans body though.
A long knife managed to sh open the guard of [Pauls Conceal] in front, and two long swords from behind pierced through [Crows ck Feather] and [Pauls Conceal], and hit Kierans back.
However, as if he didnt feel the pain, Kieran continued wielding his greatsword by turning around regardless of his wounds getting bigger. A round sh killed the three killer yers in front and behind him who had broken his defense.
Along with the three was another bunch who jumped on Kieran, wanting to steal the kill.
With that round sh, those who thought Kieran had suffered a heavy injury fell together with the ones who had sessfully caused damage to Kieran.
Blood and flesh sshed everywhere; organs were flowing like rivers.
The diminishing of his enemies life gave Kieran endless energy; he kept charging on with utmost energy.
Souuu! Puuu!
A iron arrow flew out from the shadows and hit Kieran on the shoulder, though he pulled the arrow out right away and threw it back to the shadow.
"Ugh!"
After the sound of the iron arrow stabbing into human flesh, a killer yer staggered out of the shadow while covering his throat, with the arrow lingering, muttering some unknown words and finally falling down to the ground. There were no more signs of life after a couple of twitches.
But Kieran didnt see any of it, he was dashing towards the other direction after he returned that arrow.
More attacks were fired at Kieran, wanting to stop him from advancing.
Kieran, however, was as usual, neglecting the attacks that shed and stabbed him, as if he couldnt see them! He was only wielding [Arrogant Word] like a frenzied whirlwind, slicing and dicing the enemies in his path.
Arrogant! Untamed!
A never before seen resonance appeared between Kieran and [Arrogant Word].
The arrogant expressed their arrogance, chanting loudly and pressing on with an indomitable will!
The arrogant disyed their arrogance, eyeing all as their nemeses and annihting everything in their path!
Exchanging life with wounds, regardless of the sacrifice!
A bewitching red started to radiate from the greatsword.
Its sharpness became unparalleled. Anyone who stood in its path was shed down mercilessly.
Whether was it an iron weapon or a bloody body of flesh, there were no exceptions.
Tssss!
The killer yers gasped heavily one after another when they saw such a scene.
They thought if they had the wounds like Kieran, if not being immobilized, at least their movements would be hindered. But based on what Kieran was showing off...
A mad man? A monster that could feel no pain?
Every one of the killer yers had such a thought blooming in their mind.
Truth be told, Kieran was anxious to scream out loud but he couldnt. Not because of the enemies around him but he didnt have the spare time to do so.
Even more so, Kieran was clear that without the superior defense, HP, stamina and continuous replenishment of health of [Body of Evil], from [Fusion Heart] and [Soul Devour] from [Mardos Arm], he would have fallen a long time ago.
Though as long as he was still standing, he should aplish what he promised. He clenched his teeth and withstood the pain.
All that was left in his mind was "Charge! Charge! Charge!".
Anything that stood in his path, "Kill!"
Under the heavy roaring, the brutal desire for ughter sprung out from the depths of his heart. For an instance, a tiny spider mirage shed over Kierans right hand.
Although it was just a moment, but it didnt weaken Kieran by any means. Quite the opposite. it made him even stronger as he fought.
It was just that everything was happening so fast, even Rachel who was hiding in the shadows didnt notice the tiny spider mirage.
As the first person to "unravel" Kierans identity with her words, following him while hiding among the crowd and helping Kieran deal with those who sneak-attacked him from the dark corners, Rachel was the one who paid the most attention to Kieran. If even she didnt notice the spider mirage, the other killer yers never had a chance.
The majority of the killer yers had the intentions of retreating after seeing Kieran in his frenzy mode. As for why they were still chasing him relentlessly, it was because of the greed in their hearts.
While a minority of the killer yers still had their confidence in taking on Kieran.
At least, it was still what they thought.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Bloodbath
Chapter 346: Target
Chapter 346: Target
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
"First phaseplete!"
Lawless nced over Kieran who had left the square after attracting most of the killer yers attention on the roof. He then turned around and walked down the floor.
Kieran and Rachel each had their own task to aplish; Lawless was no exception.
On the lower floor, Nightingale and Golden Canary were standing side by side.
Golden Canarys body was still weak and relied on Nightingale to keep her up.
When Nightingale saw Lawlessing down, she wisely acted like an invisible person, but Golden Canary could not.
Greed could drag a persons intellect down and so could hatred; maybe it was even scarier.
Golden Canary, who was supposed to be smarter than themon crowd, could not even notice the unusual. She was stubbornly acknowledging everything else with her one-sided thoughts, even made an effort to it.
"Dont you think it will be over this easily!" Golden Canary said.
"Um!" Lawless nodded, and before she could say anything else, he left quickly.
It was a fact that Golden Canary was his best friends sister, but the other two of his friends were still risking their lives. He couldnt afford to dy his actions. Lawless would rather sacrifice his life for another than have others giving away their lives for him.
Since Lawless only had one life, after he repaid it back to Golden Canarys elder brother, he couldnt bear the loss of other lives anymore.
Coll, on the other hand, was safe. At least he wouldnt die the moment Rachel appeared.
It was time for him to proceed to phase two.
"Broker!" Lawless muttered fiercely.
The next moment, Lawless disappeared into the shadows.
...
"Not bad, not bad at all! A Legendary weapon? 2567s growth really far exceeds my expectations!"
Broker praised and apuded Kieran watching the disy on his screen. He was not even a bit angry that his ns were messed up.
"Though, what a pity... If you had appeared during the beta, it would have saved me all the set-ups!"
The Broker suddenly sighed lightly.
When he saw the message sent by Golden Canary, heughed in disdain.
"While 2567 is moving under the light and Rachel in the dark, attracting the attentions of the killer yers to escape my encirclement, Lawless wants to ambush me? What a joke!"
Hed never trust anyone, let alone a stranger blinded by hatred.
Even if what he saw with his eyes was exactly what Golden Canary mentioned, the result would be the same. He would only decide with his own judgement.
"Jason, bring the reserves forward with precautionary measures!" he said.
"Yes, Sir!"
A 3 meter tall, robust robot with a six-barrel gatling gun and two shoulder cannon led a team of over 20 smaller robots outside.
Kak Kak!
The formation was in perfect order; their steps were loud and clear.
Though the robots left following Jason, the vibrant steps didnt stop but became louder and clearer. More robots appeared around Broker and formed a protection circle with him in the middle.
While listening to the rhythmic sounds of the machines clunking, Broker squinted his eyes in satisfaction. Only under the protection of these "loyal" guard did he feel truly safe.
"Lets get prepared. Our real guest is arriving soon!" Broker smiled lightly.
...
On the verge of breaking out of Old Strea Street, there were no more killer yers blocking Kierans way within his sight.
After the killer yers were shocked by Kierans frenzy battle mode, they started changing their tactics one after another, switching from blocking to tailing.
It was also what Kieran wanted, luring the killer yers and breaking out of Brokers encirclement.
After that?
Whether was it restarting the battle with the killer yers or the killer yers dispersed peacefully, that was a problem for another time.
Now he needed to ce his focus on the new enemies.
The 2 meter tall robust robots appeared one after another within Kierans sight.
The robots were all too familiar. They were the guards and patrol inside the secret bazaar.
Following the appearance of the robots, excluding Kieran who had expected it, the killer yers behind halted their steps abruptly.
No matter how idiotic they were, one could notice something was wrong at that moment. Some killer yer with quicker reflexes were preparing to retreatpletely.
But...
More robots appeared behind them. Once the hundreds of robots appeared, they swiftly surrounded the killer yers and locked on their six-barrel gatling guns and shoulder cannons on their targets.
"It really is an army of machines!" Kieran sighed in astonishment in his heart.
The moment he realized it was all Brokers dirty work, he could already guess what methods he would use to force the killer yers into a deadly situation.
The subordinates that signed the contract with him were definitely not reliable.
ording to Lawlesss exnation, the contracts that they signed were more towards the dungeon world and not the game space itself. Most of them even signed an additional contract of not allowing to hurt Brokers life and benefits.
Therefore, within the game space, other than Zorl the registrar, there were no such trusted subordinates characters around Broker. If Broker wanted to forcepliance out from the killer yers with Zorl alone, it would naturally be impossible.
In order to force them toply, other than absolute force, there were no other options.
As for using Points and Skill Points?
The reason the killer yers were known as what they were, other than inheriting one of the oldest upation, most of them killed because of benefits and benefits only.
Broker wouldnt be known as the "Broker" if he kept using such stupid ways to deal with the killer yers who could spark a killing intent for the slightest benefit.
After excluding a majority of impossibles, the previous guess appeared in Kierans heart.
The army of machines! Jason and the bazaar guards.
The scene was pointed towards Broker owning a mature manufacturing technology and adding the astronomical numbers of robots from the bazaar, it was not hard for him to form an army of machines.
Though, guesses were still guesses. When Kieran saw them with his own eyes, he was still overwhelmed by the scene. Simr to Kieran, the killer yers were also shocked beyondparison.
"What the hell is Broker doing?"
"That bastard Broker!?"
The killer yers started to curse at Broker because they already sense the malicious intents from the infamous businessman.
A lie! Everything was a like!
The killer yers were firing PMs at Broker, demanding an exnation, but each and everyone of them was like a y ox plummeting into the sea; none of the PMs returned.
Then...
Dak Dak Dak Dak Dak
Kabooom boom boom boom boom!
The robotsunched their assault without a single sign.
There were nomunications or forcing the killer yers toply, like Kieran had expected, but they fired directly.
Over a hundred barrels of six-barreled gatling gun fired out a of bullets, shadowing the killer yers at the very first moment. The shoulder cannon with double the numbers were also emptying their shots.
Within a single breath, the killer yers had lost a third in numbers.
"This isnt right! The Brokers goal was never these bunch of killer yers, but instead..."
Kierans face suddenly turned ashen.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Finally, the real goal of Broker will be revealed in the next chapter, and hint, it revolves around a single person.
Chapter 347: Legacy
Chapter 347: Legacy
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
"Wrong! I was wrong from the beginning!"
Guns and cannons were sting around his ears, but Kieran was dashing towards the rain of bullets. His heart was anxious beyondparison. Because of his wrong judgement, Lawless and Rachel were in grave danger.
When the killer yers were dying off in bulks, who would be the one suffering the lost most?
The answer was easy, the leader who led the killer yers!
Brokers original target was the leader of the killer yers all along!
Maybe a couple of killer yers could form a petty organization but countless petty groups could form a major faction. On top of that, this faction was operating in an effective manner!
Think of Kierans wanted order!
If there wasnt a person who controlled the overall situation, would there be such a quick reaction to Kierans wanted order?
What did Broker want from that person?
Kieran had no idea, but he knew that if both of them met, the benefits from their meeting would surely surpass the one by gathering all the killer yers here.
More importantly, Lawless and Rachel had gone to Brokers ce for an ambush ording to their promise.
Kieran was tasked with attracting all the killer yers away and Lawless would head straight to Broker to deal with him, with Rachel following behind. It was what they had nned.
With Lawless and Rachels strength, if Broker was alone and his attention was distracted by the sudden incident here, their n could really work. However Brokers attention was not even ced at Kieran but was ced on the real target of his n, the leader who ruled over all those killer yers!
A feeling of unease filled Kierans heart, causing him more anxiety.
Ugh!
"Scram!"
A horizontal sweep from his great sword split the robots before him in half at the waist. Kieran then dived into Brokers robot army like a rampaging rhino, carving a hard path out from them, but he still felt that he was far too slow.
"Faster! Faster! Wait for me!!"
Kierans heart was beating vigorously with the anxiety. The rage that came with the anxiety granted him even more powerful strength.
Dong Dong Dong!
The burning and rampaging, chaotic and violent aura started to erupt like the magma from the ground, rumbling and brewing up the devilish aura into cyclones and sweeping the ce.
The killer yers were overwhelmed and stunned when they felt the apocalyptic aura; even the robots were short circuited for a while.
Kieran took the small window and broke out from the robot army and the killer yers.
...
"Power of the lineage?!"
Looking at the screen, Broker felt astonished before heughed out loud.
"Interesting! Interesting indeed! But..."
Broker muttered to himself, but not a single soul could hear what he said after that.
Though obvious changes of the robots around him were very much visible.
A light blue of electromaic waves was ready to spread out in all directions from Brokers standing point, but another figure was quicker than the.
A chefs knife appeared out of nowhere andnded near Brokers throat.
"Its been a while, Madam Rachel!"
Broker said with a smile and without a change of expression even when feeling the sharp pain at his neck.
"If it were avoidable, I would rather not see you!" Rachel twitched her mouth corner in disdain.
"But here you are... Although you are not the one I am waiting for, Id still wee you like I am weing my most honored guest!"
Broker said with a happy smile.
After his words faded, a series of footsteps appeared.
Dak, Dak, Dak.
The owner of the footsteps walked in without a slight intention of covering up.
Broker was staring at the ck-mantled person who appeared with the footsteps with a warm smile. Even though the person appeared with Jasons mechanical head in his hand, Brokers smile was not diminishing.
Compared to what he was after, a modified robot was nothing. He wouldnt mind even if he had to sacrifice his whole robot army because should he seed in his ns, he could create ten more robot armies with ease.
As for the chef knife at his neck, it was the least of his concern.
Anything had its risk andpared to the benefits of his n, the danger before him was not worth mentioning.
"Wee, Sir Extremus! If my information serves me right!"
Broker couldnt bow with the knife at his neck, all he could do was nod to show his manners. It would be perfect for him if the knife was out of the question.
"You information is indeed precise, to the point that I have toe out and kill you myself!"
The leader of the killers, Extremus emphasized each and every word with his cold and mechanical voice. There was not much difference than Brokers robots in their manner of speech, maybe even more merciless.
"I have no objections if you wanted to kill me. As a matter of fact, a lot of people wanted to. After all, I am not a peoples person, just like the situation now!"
Broker said while he pointed to the chefs knife at his neck.
Then he continued with his ever-hanging warm smile. "But, dont you want to know the reason why would I go to such extreme length to "find" you?"
Extremus was not a bit interested, not only did he not reply but instead...
Shuuu!
Extremus raised his hand and a powerful wind appeared near Brokers throat, however his target was not Broker but the chefs knife of Rachel!
Chang!
A chilly light shed over the room.
A coin split in half and fell from mid air to the ground.
Extremus, who had fired the coin, appeared behind Rachel in an instant and raised his hand towards Rachels neck for a grip but missed.
Rachel had already dodged the attack and appeared ten plus meters away from him.
Thedy inn owner inspected the killer leader that appeared suddenly with doubtful eyes.
That familiar chilly feeling made her ask with a heavy tone, " Who are you?"
Extremus was silent, he turned around to Broker instead.
The erupting killer intent made Broker raised his hands up high.
"There is no hurry in killing me. How about you kill me when we locate the Witchs Legacy?"
Broker said in an orderly manner with his hands held up high.
Extremus suddenly halted his steps and stared at Broker with a judgemental gaze.
"The Witchs Legacy?" The chilly voice repeated.
"Thats right, the Witchs Legacy! Fancy for a coboration, Sir Extremus?" Broker asked.
"Very well!"
Extremus went silent for a few seconds before spilling out his condition for the coboration.
He pointed at the figure in the screen and said, "Only if you help me kill... Him!"
The person that Extremus was referring to was Kieran!
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Boom OP guy appeared. Still it didnt say why Broker was looking for him though. Did Broker need Extremus to locate the Witchs Legacy?
Chapter 348: Alike
Chapter 348: Alike
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
"That will not be a problem! Although its a little bit wasteful, butpared to you, what is 2567 worth? But please give me more time. The cyberw enforcers are arriving soon. Even though I tried my best in stalling, but thats the limit! So Id suggest we temporarily leave this ce first! What do you say?"
Broker continued with a full-fledged smile.
Extremus nodded without giving a clear answer, turned around and headed outside.
Broker was protected by his robot army that followed him tightly. When he reached the exit, he didnt forget to bid Rachel goodbye.
After the first question, Rachel didnt speak anymore. Not that she didnt want to, but she couldnt.
Simr to when she ced her knife at Brokers neck and wanted to take his life, a dangerous feeling spread in her heart, a familiar dangerous feeling.
Rachel frowned hard. The ones that could make her feel danger were limited and those who were familiar were only a handful.
ording to her knowledge, those few people wouldnt even appear here.
Rachel slipped and disappeared into the shadows with her puzzled thoughts.
...
Wallway Street 13th. Kierans old broke garage in the game.
"What afortable feeling!"
Lawless eximed when he entered Kierans garage.
"Please dont praise this messed up ce like a cozy house out loud. That will only lower my thought of your baseline!" Rachel looked at Lawless snappily.
Lawless shrugged helplessly.
Kieran, on the other hand, didnt even mind Rachelsment about his room. All he was waiting for was an exnation, while sitting on the side.
Before this, while he was risking his life charging to Brokers ce, Rachel suddenly appeared before him and signaled him to leave immediately. If it were not for Lawless beside her, Kieran would notply so easily.
At the same time, Lawless also looked at Rachel.
"What happened?"
Lawless asked directly because of his unusual rtionship with Rachel.
"Broker and the killer leader named Extremus met. Broker even proposed a coboration to that ass! Their target is the Witchs Legacy! Extremus also stated his condition, which is to kill 2567! That Extremus gave me a dangerous and familiar feeling, so I need to investigate this outside the game. Ill leave things here to you for now. Remember to behave yourself!"
Rachel briefly stated everything and reminded Lawless before she went out in a hurry.
When she pushed the door open, she suddenly halted her steps again.
"2567, my suggestion to you is, try not to leave your game room for the time being! That ass Broker has discovered your lineage power, the next time he strike will be directed against you."
Then Rachel pushed the door opened and went off before Kieran could reply.
While entering another yers room required permission, leaving didnt.
"So am I grounded?"
Kieran turned to Lawless and asked after seeing his door m shut.
"Better than losing your life! A bunch of killer yer plus the Broker... reeks of trouble!"
Lawless said with a heavy tone. Kieran nodded as well.
He couldnt deny what Lawless said because it was a fact.
Broker would use any means necessary to get rid of Kieran because of the coboration with Extremus, or else the extreme efforts that he took to meet the killer yers leader would be in vain.
As for the killer yers?
[Honor Kill: 35]
[Points: 350,000; Skill Points: 51; Golden Skill Points: 3; Golden Attribute Points: 1]
After witnessing the sudden surge of his Honor Kill, Points and Skill Points, if the killer yers would give up now, Kieran would be the first in line to doubt their actions.
Even more so, killing him was the killer leaders decision; his attitude had stated everything clearly.
The moment Kieran killed Nobian, the first killer yer he encountered, both of them had been on the opposite side. Even though Kieran did it to protect himself and his authority in the game, the killer leader wouldnt let him roam freely either.
As for Kieran himself, to live a better life, he wouldnt present his life without a fight as well.
So, a deadly fight was inevitable.
The small squabbles before that couldnt even be considered as appetisers.
"Power! Strength! I need to be stronger! Not only to survive but to live a better life!"
Kieran reminded himself in his heart.
He then looked at Lawless, looking for some more answers to his questions, including those that Lawless promised to solve before this.
"Whats this Witchs Legacy that we are talking about? I thought she left the game long time ago?"
"Yup, she did. But her equipments and items didnt! All her things were hidden in a corner inside this giant city, and only the "key" that the Witch left behind will lead you to it... Its a rumour among veterans...But I never thought itd be real!"
Lawless couldnt deny the rumour anymore after Brokers extensive measures.
The keys location? No doubt, it was with Broker all the time.
"As for the Legacy?" Lawlesss word sounded odd when he spoke. After pausing for a couple seconds, he continued.
"Everyone wished the Witch would drop dead! The fear and terror that woman caused to us veterans is something that current yers couldnt understand and imagine... "
"Id d that I joined this game after all that!" Kieran said. Not with a joking tone, but a serious one.
Kieran had heard more than once of the Witch from Lawless, a person that could cause every veteran yers to give up in party dungeons; how powerful would she be?
Or on a serious note, how terrifying was she?
While all the veterans were struggling with progress, she had already transcended so much further ahead. One needed to know, the veterans had a lot of formidable yers, the smart and cunning Broker, Lawless, Rachel and the ten Supernovas.
Not to mention that killer leader, Extremus! He must also be a veteran.
Other than the listed, Kieran couldnt make sure whether there were other hidden formidable yers, but every single one of them were suppressed by one woman single-handedly.
Kieran would not think himself stronger than anyone he listed. Because of that, Kieran could onlye up with "terrifying" to describe that woman.
Unconsciously, Kieran thought of another woman. The woman that had the title of God of Earth in the dungeon, Nikorei!
Nikorei also suppressed the whole world with her powers single-handedly.
"What will happen if both of them met?"
The sudden thought bloomed in Kierans mind but was soon dumped away.
"How would a transcended yer that left the game meet the worldly powerhouse in the dungeon?"
Kieran mocked himself with a lightugh. Then he patiently waited for Lawlesss exnation.
While that was happening...
Ding!
Kierans PM tab pinged.
It was Broker!
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Id pay to see the Witch for once
Chapter 349: Decipher
Chapter 349: Decipher
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
Broker!
Kieran frowned when he saw the sender on his PM tab.
Towards the person who showed extreme hostility and even used his life as leverage to coborate with the killer yers, Kieran couldnt stand it anymore.
If the chances presented itself, he would kill Broker without a doubt.
Though, it still didnt stop him from checking the message content. He was curious to see what Broker wrote.
"Monien: Buying all your rewards with 30% market price."
Kieran was stunned by the out-of-the-blue content of the message.
"Shameless bastard! Being the mastermind who created all the trouble, now he wants to take advantage of your misfortunes?"
Lawless scolded angrily after Kieran revealed the message content to him.
"Taking advantage of my misfortunes? His goal is not only that! He is dering that he and Extremus have started their close coboration, so he has gotten the address of all the killer yers that I killed. If I dont rely on him, I couldnt even withdraw all the spoils of war!"
Kieran analyzed with a calm manner.
"I can go in your ce!" Lawless said straight out.
He didnt mean anything else, just a friendly thought for a friend. Though maybe because of this, Kieran felt even more that he couldnt agree to that.
If it was someone else with some hidden agenda, Kieran wouldnt mind using him to test the waters, but because Kieran was certain Broker had set up his sources around the locations, waiting for him or the ones rted to him to fall into the trap.
The 30% market price purchase was a hoax. Only an idiot would believe what Broker said under such circumstances.
"That is a trap!" Kieran said.
"But just because of the traps, surely it doesnt mean you have to give up the rewards, right?"
Lawless looked at Kieran with an astonished look.
After mixing with Kieran for a long period of time, Lawless knew what kind of person Kieran was. No matter how it looked, he surely didnt look like one who gave up his rewards like that.
"Give up? No way! Ill just take them out at ater time!" Kieran said loud and clear.
How would a scrooge give up his own properties? It was not even possible if one would kill him!
"Other than that, 30%? Dont underestimate me! What I want is..."
Kieran said with a cold smile. Thest part of the sentence was too soft even for Lawless, but Kierans tone struck a shiver in Lawlesss heart.
Lawless could guess what Kieran wanted to do.
"Be careful! That bastard Broker is not easy to deal with!"
Lawless didnt dissuade Kieran but instead he reminded him.
"Got it! So I need more umtion of strength, make myself even stronger!"
Kieran nodded.
Against Broker the cunning bastard, Kieran could never be too safe.
Then the topic switched back to Lawlesss exnation that he promised.
"This is something that happened outside the game. I am hitman, a real hit man. But after years of killing, I had gotten fed up of my job. I wanted to find a ce and start over, but the organization sent Golden Canarys brother after me... After a harsh battle, I killed her brother, and the organization task force even sted the whole organization to hell. I got what I had longed for the most, freedom!"
Lawless tried to exined in a calm manner, but regardless of his efforts, the shaking in his tone was unmistakable.
"Just that I didnt thought someone would survive that and seek revenge against me... What a lousy retribution!" Lawless eximed.
Kieran looked at him. Even with the system blur, he could tell that Lawless was behaving oddly. Lawless also seemingly hid away some other details, but Kieran didnt press on.
Everyone had matters they wished not to discuss. Lawless choosing to be honest with him in this matter was enough to make Kieran feel surprised.
After all, he never thought he would spill his life matters to anyone in the game, even a little bit.
So, Kieran switched the topic again.
"A total of 18 Magic rank items, help me sell them! Im looking for horse-riding skill and if theres some other skill that could increase my own defense, it would be great! Oh, other than that, I need you to introduce me a yer that you can trust in repairing armor."
Kieran pointed at his rewards from the previous dungeon and stated his request briefly.
Riding skill was not only topensate [Night Owl Token] but to deal with many more situations. Same went for the skill to increase his own defense.
Although [Primus Scale] and [Body of Evil] granted Kieran a decent defence, but both of them had obvious disadvantages. The former had a time limit and thetter was restrained by holy energy, especially items of blessing and holy artifacts which would even cause extra damage, it couldnt fulfill Kierans request in dealing with all sorts of sudden situation.
A lone wolf needed to attend to all aspects of a matter.
Kieran had a deep understanding of this.
"Selling the items and riding skills are not a problem, just that I cant guarantee the skills that enhance your defense, Ill try my best. As for armor repairing, you can find cksmith. At first, she relied on repairing armor for yers to earn her gemstones-embedding fees. Though your luck is really out of this world! Unlike me when I started, I prepared so long for a couple of times but was sent into a ipatible time period in the dungeon world. My strength was halved and my preparations were in vain!"
Lawless eximed once more when he saw all those Magic equipments.
"Id like to listen to more interesting experience and take it as a warning to myself!"
Kieran said with a smile.
Lawless straightaway pointed up a middle finger to Kieran but he continued talking.
When Lawless was still a newbie, he equipped himself with a ton of electromaic andser weapons but was thrown back to the middle ages. Another time was when Lawless had to foil a robot uprising with a holy sword.
After Kieran listened to Lawlesss story, he was d he joined the gamete and had some veterans to share their pioneer experience with him. He became more determined to build his strength in all aspects after that because he never knew what would be waiting for him in a strange new dungeon world.
The chit-chat went on for another hour or so. After making an appointment for their next contact, Lawless left.
Kieran then opened his PM tab and contacted cksmith, but she was not online.
"2567: Found an intact ruby."
"2567: I have an armor, mantle to repair."
After Kieran left his message, he sent over the screenshots of [Pauls Conceal] and [Crows ck Feather] and waited patiently for a reply.
He believed cksmith would contact him even for that intact ruby.
Kieran was not sitting around doing nothing while waiting for the reply. He took up the [Shop] paper and pen and started scribbling on it.
The doubts that had been troubling his heart for a long time could be solved now.
Soon, following his pencil drawing around the paper, two round circles with different sizes were drawn. The small one was within the big and an abstract scorpion icon was drawn inside the smaller circle. Then between the space of the big and small circles, runes were drawn on it, beginning with a forward pentagram and ending with a reverse pentagram.
The Grand Demonic Heptagram!
"I see!"
Kieran could carefully read the magic circle he had drawn on relying Pro level [Mystical Knowledge].
Some questions that he couldnt figure out before were solved following his realization.
In fact, the whole secret of Grand Demonic Heptagram presented itself before Kieran, but still he frowned hard over it.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
I guess this would be the most satisfying chapter ever? Cept for the cliff lol so much revtion!
Chapter 350: Armor of Excellence
Chapter 350: Armor of Excellence
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
Kieran could understand the whole structure of the Grand Demonic Heptagram now, but he realized after he understood it, it didnt provide much of a use.
Even though he could described in details how the Grand Demonic Heptagram turned a human into a half-dead or a half-spectre, granting them all sorts of peculiar powers, it didnt help him in any aspects because he didnt know the incantations nor the required casting ingredients.
Without the incantations, Kieran couldnt activate the magic circle and without the required casting ingredients, it was like human model missing a bone structure, disying an empty vessel with only the looks.
The other giant magic circle that was branded in the whole city shared a simr fate as well.
No doubt his results were disappointing.
His original n was to conclude some useful knowledge that could aid him in future dungeons by deciphering the magic circles. The simple example was the giant magic circle that granted Trumbo his stable defence. Kieran still had a fresh memory of that.
However...
"There really isnt a shortcut huh?" Kieran sighed.
Though soon, Kieran was caught by cksmiths reply to his message.
...
cksmith: Thanks.
cksmith: Mantle can be repaired, armor cannot.
cksmith: I have an armor with me that I can barter off.
...
Then a screenshot with the details of the armor cksmith mentioned appeared.
It was an upper body armor with a golden lustrous look, sleeveless but protected the torso very well and looked like a smaller size temail.
[Name: Armor of Excellence]
[Type: Metalic Armor]
[Rarity: Magic]
[Defense: Powerful]
[Attribute: Heavy]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: Strength B-]
[Remark: Armor of Excellence is not a standard typical armor. In order to bestow it with powerful defense, the cksmith who crafted this forgot about the weight issue. When done, the mistake couldnt be undone!]
...
[Heavy: Agility -2 level]
...
"Minus Agility?"
Kieran frowned over the attribute [Heavy].
No doubt a Powerful defence armor was great, but the cost to wear it was not little either.
If it was possible, Kieran would prefer an armor that wouldnt decrease Agility stats.
He knew the importance of Agility to his movements but he didnt have any other options at the moment.
cksmith was being frank about being unable to repair [Pauls Conceal].
With Kierans understanding of cksmith, she wouldnt lie in order to purposely sell the [Armor of Excellence]. [Pauls Conceal]s absence made [Armor of Excellence] the only choice.
So after a few minutes, Kieran gave his affirmative reply.
...
2567: Okay.
2567: How much do I need to reimburse?
cksmith: No need.
cksmith: I said I will buy it with higher price. Prepare to receive the goods in 4 hours.
...
After the message was sent, cksmith ended the conversation one-sidedly.
Kieranugh lightly when he saw cksmiths name going grey. Compared to the talkative Lawless, Kieran admired cksmiths character of few words more.
Even more so when the contrast ofparison presented itself right after.
...
Lawless: I found the riding skill book! I dont know if that guy is lucky or unlucky, he got 3 [Riding] skill books in 1 single dungeon!
Lawless: Though I couldnt find any enhance defense skill at the moment, but I got a recement! Guess what is it?
(Not only talkative but has a habit of teasing people as well, a total fit for a bad taste character.
Fortunately, Kieran knew how to deal with him. After being quiet for 3 minutes, Lawless couldnt stand it anymore.)
Lawless: When did u be like cksmith?
Lawless: Howe I didnt know u both are so close and had so much tacit agreement?
Lawless: The skill is [Adaptive Armor], a special rank skill!
Lawless: Cost around 30,000 Points, not too cheap, not too expensive.
Lawless: The equipments this time around is a lot more than usual, might take me a few days to sell them,mission as usual.
2567: Help me get different type of potions, balm and [Bullets of Blessing] from the remaining points, it will be great if u can find me a bigger capacity potion satchel.
Lawless: Leave it to me!
...
Although he was a bad taste character, but Lawless was, no doubt, a reliable person.
After the conversation ended, two skill books appeared on the trading tform before Kieran.
[Discovered new skill: Riding]
[Prerequisite met, learn skill?]
"Learn!"
[Skill learned: Riding]
[Name: Riding (Basic)]
[Rted Attributes: Agility, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effect: You know how to ride a tamed pony]
[Consume: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Remark: A failure among the cowboys!]
...
[Riding, Basic to Grand Master, cost 10,200 Points, 7 Skill Points. Yes/No?]
"Yes!"
[Name: Riding (Grand Master)]
[Name: Riding (Basic)]
[Rted Attributes: Agility, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effect: If it is possible, you could ride a dragons back]
[Special effect: Master of Horse Combats (You skilled at horsebats, you will not be affected by the disadvantages of riding a horse)]
[Consume: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Remark: The grand master on a horseback!]
[Note: This skill is maxed out!]
...
"[Riding] could only reach Grand Master?"
Kieran was caught off guard, but he wasnt too concerned over it. After all, it was not the first time he encountered it. Then he switched his attention to [Adaptive Armor] skill.
[Discovered skill book: Adaptive Armor]
[Prerequisite met, learn skill?]
"Learn!
[Learned skill: Adaptive Armor]
[Name: Adaptive Armor (Basic)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effect: You know how to maximize the efficiency of a piece of armor, bringing out its defensive potential]
[Consume: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Remark: You will always get hurt less than others!]
...
Special skills could cost more than a basic skill during leveling, but to Kieran, it was nothing with his current points.
[Adaptive Armor, Basic to Grand Master, cost 22,000 Points, 14 Skill Points. Yes/No?]
"Yes!"
[Name: Adaptive Armor (Grand Master)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effect: You know how to maximize the efficiency of a piece of armor, bringing out its defensive potential. Other than that, your armor will be more indestructible]
[Consume: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Remark: Whenever you wear an armor, you will be imprable like an iron wall]
[Note: This skill is maxed out!]
...
The knowledge transfer synchronized with Kierans body once again.
Kieran suddenly understood how to correctly use a piece of armor and block the enemys attack with its hardest part, as if it was well-tempered.
It wasnt much of a surprise to Kieran when it came to the amazing feeling of the synchronization process. His eyes were looking at his skill tab, readying for more leveling of other skills.
Including [Sharp Weapon, Dagger (Master)], [Firearm Weapon, Explosives (Master)], [Lockpicking (Pro)], [Sharp Weapon, Spear (Pro)], [Sharp Weapon, Bow (Master)] and [Medical, Medicinal Knowledge (Master)], etc.
In order to level all the mentioned skills to Musou, he would need a lot of Golden Skill Points.
Following that, Kierans choice narrowed down with his limitations.
Even though he had 3 Golden Skill Points in his tab, but in order to activate [Transform Devil] and [Desire Summoning] smoothly, he would need to save at least 2 Golden Skill Points for his ace cards.
In other words, he could only spend 1 Golden Skill Point.
In fact, he has made his choice a while ago.
Chapter 351: A whole new world
Chapter 351: A whole new world
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
[Sharp Weapon, Heavy Arms]!
It was what Kieran had decided.
When the basic skills were leveled up to Transcendence, the attributes would definitely increase.
[Sharp Weapon, Heavy Arms] had three rted attributes: Strength, Agility, and Constitution.
While [Arrogant Word] became Kierans main weapon, under the same circumstances, the rted attributes should be prioritized.
In simple words, Kieran might consider [Sharp Weapon, Spear] or [Sharp Weapon, Bow] if he had the same rank weapon, but for the time being, he didnt need to consider.
However, Kieran still had to wait for Lawless points transfer. The previous leveling of his skills had drained his Points and Skill Points a lot.
After leveling [Riding] and [Adaptive Armor], Kieran still had 317,800 Points and 30 Skill Points.
But after leveling [Sharp Weapon, Dagger (Master)], [Firearm Weapon, Explosives (Master)], [Lockpicking (Pro)], [Sharp Weapon, Spear (Pro)], [Sharp Weapon, Bow (Master)] and [Medical, Medicinal Knowledge (Master)] to Musou level, he would be left with 20,800 Points and 0 Skill Points.
Among the mentioned skills, [Sharp Weapon, Dagger (Master)], [Firearm Weapon, Explosives (Master)] and [Medical, Medicinal Knowledge (Master)] would cost 3000 Points and 2 Skill Points to go from Master to Pro respectively.
Then, excluding [Sharp Weapon, Bow], the other five skills would cost 6000 Points and 4 Skill Points to level them to Grand Master rank.
Finally, bringing all six skills to Musou level cost 15,000 Points, 10 Skill Points each.
Especially thest Musou leveling... Kieran would need to rely on exchanging Skill Points with Points to fulfill his requirements.
While Kieran seemingly had a wealthy status after all the honor kills, he would return to what he was before within a night. Though in response, Kierans strength and abilities would also increase.
This would be a full-fledged leveling and would allow Kieran to have more abilities to deal with sudden incidents and not be busy rushing from one end to another when things happened.
Still, Kieran was not familiar with such a huge difference in feeling.
Fortunately, he knew how to regte his emotions. Reading books and practicing [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] was a good idea.
...
By the time Lawless transferred over Kierans points and items, a week had already passed.
During the wait, other than dealing with his real life business, Kieran spent most of his time in his garage reading and practising, though the duration was too short to yield progress.
"Time is not enough!" Kieran sighed in his heart.
If it was possible, Kieran wouldnt mind trying to be like the normal yers, entering dungeons with the given time limit and spending more time in learning skills because whether it was [Mystical Knowledge] the knowledge type skills or [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art], the special skills would rely on umtion of time to lessen the Points and Skill Points consumption.
The benefits to a yer were self-exnatory.
After a discount on the required Points, the yer would have more freedom to utilize them elsewhere. No doubt it would strengthen oneself faster and more robustly. The benefits would be obvious when the yer entered the dungeon world.
Though, it was a pity that these methods were not suitable for Kieran. The hidden illness in his body forced him to choose another way. Even more so, Kieran had Broker and Extremus on his tail!
Kieran did not wish to be a coward who hid in his garage like a tortoise for the rest of his life.
"Wait! I have to wait a little longer! I am still not strong enough now!" Kieran told himself.
Whuu!
After spitting a heavy, turbid breath, Kieran switched his attention to the items Lawless sent over.
[Name: Safety Potion Pack]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: Great]
[Attributes: Constant Potion]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: This is a pack that could hold a total of 12 potion tubes at once. It is built with anti-shake, anti-drop, and high water resistance. It can also be strapped around your waist, mobile-friendly!]
...
[Constant Potion: Potions, balms had a longer store period when ced inside]
...
Inside the potion back were 4 tubes of [Elementary Healing Potion], 4 tubes of [Holy Water VIII] and 2 tubes of [Calming Potion]. Though it was not free.
[Elementary Healing Potion] costed 5000 Points each.
[Holy Water VIII] costed 1500 Points each.
[Calming Potion] costed 1500 Points each as well. Together with the [Safety Potion Pack], the total cost was 35,000 Points for everything.
Lawless eximed about Kierans luck once more in the message, the life saving healing potions were always extremely in demand in the market during normal times. Even yer will tons of points couldnt get it easily. If it was not for a veteran in desperate need of Points, Lawless couldnt even get a total of 4 tubes this round.
While [Safety Potion Pack] seemed to be a half freebie during that purchase, Lawless boasted about his bargaining skills, though Kieran who knew Lawless through trading wouldnt believe what he said.
"Such a false act!" Kieran shook his head with a lightugh.
What good luck, what veterans who were in desperate need of points and the half freebie [Safety Potion Pack]! There werent that many fortunate and coincidental events in the world.
Kieran was sure that all the items were Lawlesss precious collections. Lawless took it out and sold it to him with the mentioned market price.
As for why Lawless did it, it was apensation! Apensation for the previous trades.
Kieran knew it in his stomach, but he didnt exposed it because he knew if he did, he would ce Lawless in an awkward position.
With Lawlesss attitude, he would definitely have to double his price to pay to help Kieran.
Kieran couldnt ept it since he was involved in the incident with a favour to repay in mind.
So, after Kieran took note of Lawlesss favour, he took the remaining 35,000 Points without hesitation.
Kieran then ced 2 more tubes of [Elementary Healing Potion] that he had gotten from the previous dungeon and filled all the slots in [Safety Potion Pack] and turned his attention to [Sharp Weapon, Heavy Arms].
[Sharp Weapon, Heavy Arms, Musou to Transcendence, cost 45,000 Points, 1 Golden Skill Points. Yes/No?]
"Yes!"
[Skill has reached Transcendence level, acquired additional Transcendence option]
[Shock: The fierceness of the great sword in your hand is unparalleled, and target thates in contact, weapon or armor, will have to undergo a Strength authentication. When the Targets Strength is lower than yours, targets weapon will be struck off and armor will suffer extra damage. When you strike an unarmed or bare-body target, if targets Strength is lower than yours, Target will suffer additional Heavy Would Status!]
[Name: Sharp Weapon, Heavy Arms (Transcendence)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Offense]
[Effect: You know how to use two-handed greatsword, battle mace, spiked club and all sorts of heavy arms to fight, increase 80% damage]
[Special Effect: Two handed Sword Excellence (Increase 60% damage when wielding two handed sword)]
[Shock: The fierceness of the great sword in your hand is unparalleled, and target that came in contact, weapon or armor, would have to undergo a Strength authentication. When the Targets Strength is lower than yours, targets weapon will be struck off and armor will suffer extra damage. When you struck an unarmed or barebody target, when targets Strength is lower than ours, Target will suffer additional Heavy Wounded Status!]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Strength C, Agility D+, Constitution D+]
[Remark:You are the beast, the meat grinder on the battlefield, when you are using heavy arms, no one could rival you!]
...
[Sharp Weapon, Heavy Arms leveled up, rted attributes increase...]
[Strength B- B]
[Agility: C+ B-]
[Constitution C+ B-]
...
[Strength: B, Agility: B-, Constitution: B-. Spirit: B+, Intuition C+]
After seeing his current stats attributes, Kieran was savouring the warm stream in his body.
The feeling of a power-up was very intoxicating. Kieran was no exception.
It took a full twenty seconds before the feeling faded. Kieran started to quickly pack his items and equipments.
He was anxious to be stronger again!
"Enter Single yer Dungeon!"
Kieran said after making sure everything was ready.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
The new dungeons name is "The Queens Shield"
Chapter 352: Difficulty Increase
Chapter 352: Difficulty Increase
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
[Entering Single yer dungeon...]
[Difficulty: 5th dungeon]
[Background: The imperial envoy that carried the kings secret order went missing on the way to Swusters Castle. The owner of Swusters Castle has sent you a help request...]
[Main Mission: Locate the missing imperial envoy within 7 days, 0/7]
[Temporarynguage pack, Disappears upon exiting the dungeon.]
[Clothing, backpack, weapons, and other items remain unchanged, Temporarily altered appearance, Returns to normal upon exiting the dungeon]
[Detected firearms and grenade, did not match the dungeon period, power decrease 90%. When you enter the dungeon, you will bepensated with corresponding skills. (Compensated skills cannot not be leveled up and will disappear upon exiting the dungeon]
[Hint: This is your fifth official dungeon. You can fail the Main Mission, but you will have to pay 500 Points as a penalty and your highest attributes will drop by 2 level. If your points are insufficient, the system will deduct from your equipment. If your equipment is insufficient, you will fail.]
...
As the words popped up line by line, Kieran frowned harder and harder.
He nced over "equipments did not match the dungeon period and acquiredpensated skills" and stopped at "highest attributes will drop by 2 level".
"Following the increase of dungeon entries, not only the difficulties, but the penalties increase as well?"
Kieran muttered and his brows were scrunched together.
Kieran was clear that with his attributes going higher and higher, the highest attributes decreasing by 1 and 2 would seems like a petty 1 point, but the cost to level the attributes had a heaven and earth difference because it was not only rted to Points consumption but Golden Skill Points as well.
"I cant afford to fail as I progress?"
Kieran sighed since he understood the stakes and interest in the term. He turned his attention to thepensations after, and just like Lawless had said, thepensations were fair.
[Firearm Weapon, Light Firearm (Transcendence)]
[Firearm Weapon, Explosive (Musou)]
Those were the skills that didnt match the dungeon period and were avable for a switch with skills that matched the time period for the same level, Transcendence and Musou.
Inside the provided skill lists, there were themon [Sharp Weapon, Sword], [Sharp Weapon, Knife] to [Sharp Weapon, Special Arms] and [Sharp Weapon, Unusual Arms], [Master Shield].
The skills were limited to basic skills and didnt exceed the limited range.
If Kieran longed for a mystical skill?
He would have to throw the thought away; the system was always fair.
"I choose [Master Shield (Transcendence)] and [Cooking (Musou)]!"
Kieran made a quick decision after looking through all the skills and their descriptions.
For weapon skills, after having Transcendence level of [Sharp Weapon, Heavy Arms], Kieran had no further intentions of ovepping the same type of skills. The skills with [Sharp Weapon] prefix were discarded.
After narrowing his choice, the provided skills were still a little over half. Within the remaining skills, other than [Master Shield], there were some swimming and climbing skills.
Compared to swimming and climbing, Kieran would naturally lean towards [Cooking] more.
[Name: Master Shield (Transcendence)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Defense]
[Effect: You know how to use every shield there is, increase 80% defense]
[Special Effect: Shielder (When you are defending with a shield, Strength, Constitution +4)]
[Extra Guard (Not only can your shield defend against swords, but also against arrows even fire, poison and ice attacks. When you are guarding the corresponding attack, +1 in authentication)]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Strength E+. Agility E+, Constitution E+]
[Remark: A good shield will make you stand firm and never fall]
...
[Name: Cooking (Musou)]
[Rted Attributes: None]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effect: You are familiar with most of the dishes ever invented, and could cook them with a skilled hand]
[Special Effect: Taste (Your cooking will be more aromatic and tempt peoples appetite)]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Remark: Your cooking allows you to make a stance in any restaurant!]
...
The simr knowledge transfer and synchronization urred.
The process was no different from learning a real skill, except for the fact that the skill would disappear when Kieran left the dungeon.
After Kieran made his choice, the words before him started to fade off.
Blinding light and loss of gravity happened again.
When everything returned to normal, Kieran was standing outside the wooden fence of a town.
The two guards at the entrance were staring at him with vignce.
The outpost tower not far away from the entrance had a guard with a bow pulled out and arrow in his hand. Although the outpost guard was not really prepared to fire the arrow and not even aiming at Kieran, it seemed like Kieran was not wee there.
"Hey guys, I mean you no harm! I was invited by the owner of Swusters Castle to be here..."
Kieran, who was out of the newbie range, handled the situation before him in an organic way. Though, unexpectedly, after his words, the guards didnt let their guard down but instead heightened their vignce.
The outpost guard loaded his arrow on the bow string.
"Scram! You are thepanion of the witch! We dont wee you here!"
The two guards drew their sword out and tried to expel Kieran.
A witch? Wasnt the owner the lord ofnd?
The information that the guards revealed shocked Kieran slightly.
Though, before Keiran could probe out more information, the two guards were forcing Kieran to leave with their swords. The guards solemn attitude made Kieran believe that if he continued to linger around, the two guards would really stab him with their swords.
Although, even if the guards increased their numbers 10 times more, it was not much of a difference to Kieran. But he decided it was a wiser choice to back down because he noticed that he was tricked and blinded by the word trap.
Inside the background description of the dungeon, there were mentions of "kings order" and "imperial envoy". Plus the previous dungeon experiences always ce him directly facing the mission giver or the mission range. It unconsciously made him think that the ce that he firstid eyes on was Swusters Castle.
Quite the opposite, the ce that Kierannded was not Swuster Castle at all, and the owner of Swusters Castle was not the lord of thend, but a witch.
"After officially leaving the newbie period, the systems aid in the dungeon world was further decreased?" Kieran thought to himself.
He had expected this awhile ago.
ording to the system, the increased dungeon entries will result in higher difficulties. The system would not be a nanny forever, arranging a logical identity for the yer and allowing the yer to progress in the easiest way.
After a certain dungeon entry number, the safety procedures would be removed. It was just that Kieran didnt think it would be this early on.
"I have to be careful of what I say now!" Kieran warned himself.
The current dungeon was only the fifth dungeon, and before him was just a normal town, with loose defense and hatred towards the witch. If it was a sixth of seventh dungeon, should he have been this reckless anymore, it wouldnt end with him backing off and leaving.
Kieran understood the term, execution by burning.
After backing away from the towns guards sight, Kieran pondered over the background description of the dungeon.
"A king would send an envoy to carry a secret order to a witch?"
It was quite unbelievable from how Kieran viewed it but before he could think further, he was interrupted by the sound of rapid gallops from afar.
A team of five fully armed men galloped out of the town.
"Search for the witchspanion fast!"
The leader of the riders shouted and clearly delivered the message into Kierans ears.
Chapter 353: Arrest
Chapter 353: Arrest
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
Kieran was inspecting the five riders from the shadows.
The same standard issued armor, helmet and swords symbolized they were from the same faction but not the town before them.
Let alone the fact that the weapons and armors were different from the guards that Kieran met before, the fact that they had five robust and strong warhorses was not something a broken old town could afford.
He could see the muddy road before the town entrance and the townspeoples dirty faces and hands; everyone was wearing cheap linen clothes, with some of the children even running around with bare buttocks. The best looking building in the town was a two-storey house in the middle. Despite that, there was nothing eye-catching there.
There might be horses around to plow the soil at the farms and some nags to pull the carts around, but war horses? Not possible.
"The captors from outside town?"
Kieran guessed the riders identity, and at the same time, walked out of the shadows. He needed more informations and the riders before him seemed like a good choice.
"There he is!?"
After a few seconds, the leader rider noticed his target. He shouted loudly and quickly jumped up his horse, dashing towards Kieran.
Looking at the riders who were not slowing down and holding the long swords in the air, Kieran raised his brow. Seemed like the riders were not there to catch him but to kill him instead.
Killing a witness!
The term came up in Kierans heart.
Then...
What made them want to kill the witness?
Kierans mind instantly filled with a couple of guesses and no matter which one, it was not something good. At least, he had to pay extra effort to meet Swusters Castles owner.
Though that was a matter forter.
Now, Kieran also dashed towards the charging riders. Kierans sudden move caused the riders tough in mockery. They were mocking Kieran, mocking him for his ignorance.
A dashing warhorse was enough to crush a colliding person into bits and bones.
The riders seemed to not mind at all about worsening the oue.
After all, they had received orders to kill anyone who asked about the witch.
Kieran was not the first and definitely not thest.
"Hyak!"
The leader rider shook his reins hard and hastened the warhorses gallops. His eyes were locked onto Kieran who was also approaching fast. He then raised his sword up and performed a lunging stab.
Souuu!
The long sword lunged forward like a spear, maybe even faster and fiercer with the charging power from the horse. It even gave out an iron de whistle from the stab.
However, such a stab was caught, or more precisely, caught with just two fingers. On top of that, the charging warhorse was also stopped abruptly on spot with only one finger.
"What!?"
The leader rider paled in shock when he saw his sword was blocked by Kierans one hand and his war horse was blocked by the other. No matter how hard or fiercely the horse galloped and neighed, it couldnt advance another inch.
Before the leader rider could conceive how powerful Kieran was, he was sent flying like clouds in the sky.
Pang Pang!
Kieran grabbed the leader rider and threw him at the other two riders on his left, smashing them to the ground. Before the other two riders on the right could react, Kieran jumped up high and kicked them off their horses.
Within a blink of an eye, five riders were already rolling on the ground like a rolling bottle gourd.
The leader rider was struggling to get on his feet when a sharp long de was ced on his neck.
"Dont move! This is your sword and you know how easy it will be to slice your throat open!"
Kieran said slowly while holding the leader riders sword. He then pressed him back down on the ground with the sword edge unreservedly.
The leader rider wanted to struggle out of unwillingness at first but when he felt the pain at his neck, he chose to cooperate.
"Very good!" Kieran said, and swiftly knocked out the other four riders with his kick.
"I am going to ask you some questions first. Then Ill ask the other four, you get what I mean? I am not a patient man, and I hate lying! So if I get a different answer, Ill cut of one of your finger. You can start counting how many times you can lie to me! Dont worry if your fingers run out, because there are still your toes and other parts of your body to cut off! I wont let you die so easily!" Kieran said with a calm tone.
He did not possess any interrogation skills, but he did have some rted experiences.
Kieran knew what he should say and what tone and manner he needed to crush a persons mental baseline. Maybe it would not work against some tough guy, but the leader rider before him was not one.
Although the leader rider wanted to show off his toughness, when he heard what Kieran said, his face turned pale. He knew what Kieran meant by "other parts of your body".
When he tilted his head down at the sword near his neck, he even started to shiver lightly.
There was a dash of red across the de. He knew it was his blood. If the leader rider should hesitate before this, his trachea might be sliced open!
The thought made the leader rider felt more frightened than ever, but he didnt give up resistingpletely. He tried his best in straightening his back and said with a strict tone:
"I am a honorable lord of Warren Kingdom, I am a nobility, I request..."
Pak!
Before he could finish, Kieran pped him with the des body. The powerful p not only cut one side of his face but a couple of teeth even fell off, followed by a mouthful of blood.
"I dont care what your were before this. Here, you only have one identity, my captive! And your attitude really pisses me off, so Im going to teach you a lesson!"
Kieran swung his de after he spoke.
Even without the corresponding skill, cutting off a finger was all too easy for Kieran.
The finger was cut off from the mans hand with just a swing.
The man who imed to be a noble a moment ago was rolling on the ground, moaning in pain and losing his noble bearing.
When Kieran showed his impatience face and raised the sword again, the leader rider quickly spilled the beans.
"I...Im Neet, I am following Duke Sergourney here to arrest the owner of Swusters Castle. My Lord Duke has departed to Swusters Castle this morning with a group of riders! The reason I stayed behind was to prevent reinforcements that might appear in Tita Town! I swear I am being honest!" Neet emphasized.
"Where is Swusters Castle?" Kieran asked.
His eyes were looking at the town entrance again and he couldnt help but frown.
Chapter 354: Block
Chapter 354: Block
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
Beside the townsgate, there were two fresh bodies hanging on a beam, like Chinese sausages.
Kieran did notice the bodies before he arrived.
He originally thought it was just to scare off robbers and bandits from this old, broken town, but after the leader riders words, it made him understand he was not the only one who received the help request from Swusters Castles owner.
Other than that, not only had Swusters Castles enemies left behind troops to block reinforcements, but they were a step ahead of Kieran. It was not a good news to Kieran.
Although the main mission was "Locate the missing imperial envoy in 7 days", but the owner of Swusters Castle was closely rted to the missing incident. Without the owner, Kieran might not even know whether the envoy was a man or a woman, let alone finding him in 7 days.
"I need to make haste to Swusters Castle!" Kieran told himself, but he didnt leave recklessly.
He knocked out the leader rider with a kick and probed for more information from the other riders. After interrogating each and every one of them and confirming the leader was not lying, Kieran got the location and route to Swusters Castle from the fifth rider.
Kieran then killed all the riders with the sword in his hand. Kieran never showed mercy to his enemies, especially towards those that were rted to his dungeon rewards.
Kieran wished to avoid running into any more idents on the journey to Swusters Castle.
Although the riders didnt seem to possess any long rangemunication abilities, Kieran chose the easiest way to deal with it since he was running short on time.
The five riders didnt drop any items after they died.
Kieran ignored the bodies ugly expressions and since he was not a newbie anymore, he searched thoroughly with a familiar hand through every inch of their body that could hold a secret. Though he didnt find anything else.
"I might find something there! But..."
Kieran turned his eyes to Tita Town. With his abilities, it was too easy for him to infiltrate for an investigation but he was running out of time.
ording to the dead leader rider, that Duke Sergourney had departed in the morning. With the distance between Titan Town and Swusters Castle, that duke could reach the castle before sunset.
Now?
The sun was leaning towards the west. Kieran couldnt guarantee whether the duke would capture, imprison or kill on sight when he located the owner of Swusters Castle.
If it was capturing alive and imprisonment, there were was space for turning back, but if it was thetter...
"Hope I can make it!"
Kieran picked two war horses from the rider and rode towards Swusters Castle with haste on two horses.
After two hours of riding, Kieran passed the big t route that the captives mentioned and entered a smaller jungle path. Grand Master [Riding] allowed Kieran to perfectly control and ride in union with the two war horses. Even in a small jungle path, he could maintain an average speed.
Suddenly, Kieran pulled the rein hard and flipped off the horse.
Within the thick jungle, on top of a brilliant green tree, a dash of red mark caught Kierans attention. That mark was smeared on a tree trunk. Other than the bright red mark, there were other long, thin cut marks on it.
Based on the tree trunks height and a handprint on a side, Kieran could easily reenact the incident that happened after activating [Tracking].
A rider was riding his horse through the path and was suddenly shot with an arrow.
The powerful impact pierce through the riders shoulder and toppled him off the horse. The riders other hand was waving unconsciously, and his wound identally touched the tree trunk.
Kierans eyes were sweeping the tree trunk and scanning its surrounding. There were still footprints left behind on the ground; they was emitting a white shine under [Tracking].
He estimated a number of 20 men traveling in a neat and organized manner.
Seemed like after the ambush, the squad of 20 made the best reaction and limited the ambushers victory.
Or...
The ambushers goal was met and he sessfully slowed down the squad! Otherwise, that sudden arrow could very well kill that rider. The ambusher missed on purpose!
His goal was to increase the injured and make the injured a burden to the squad. One needed to know, taking care of an injured personnel in the jungle was not an easy task!
"Seems like the owner of Swusters Castle know a thing or two about the enemy! And even had a nice counter procedure!" Kieran spected while touching his chin.
The battle that appeared in this small path that led to Swusters Castle, both parties were easily identified. The ambush must be from Swusters Castles owner and the squad of riders should belong to Duke Sergourney.
The battle marks that appeared along the way confirmed Kierans spection more.
Inside the small path that took less than an hour to go through, Kieran had discovered at least five ambushes from Swusters Castle.
Kieran couldnt specte how much time that Duke Sergourney wasted to escape from the jungle, but surely, it must be more than he expected.
It was a good news to Kieran.
"Hyak!"
Kieran whipped his reins and disappeared within the jungle.
......
"Faster! Faster! I want to reach Swusters Castle before dark! I will catch that bitch and let her know what will be of her when she offends me!"
Duke Sergourney, with burnt hair and a body of scraped clothes, shouted with a shabby face.
His shouts were filled with rage and killer intent. He had forgotten his original n after being blinded by rage; all he wanted now was to kill the person who did this.
Though he wouldnt mind torturing her before ending her life.
"Yes, my lord!" The soldiers around him replied in a loud voice.
Simr to their duke, the soldiers were also infuriated by the relentless harassing from the opposite. Especially that tall and robust man with an iron ted armor; his reply were even louder than the others.
This tall and robust man had a buffed physique as well, holding a two handed great sword and walking beside Duke Sergourney. Although the rage in his heart was like magma erupting from a volcano, but Gorls eyes were still scanning the dense jungle around them, preventing anymore sudden ambush. After all, he was the knight and guardian of the duke.
"We are here!"
A soldier in front suddenly shouted while pointing at the tower on top of the cliff opposite them.
Then the voice was silenced out all of a sudden.
An arrow was fired from the tower on the cliff and took the soldiers life.
The tower was built on the edge of the cliff and was connected by a hang bridge to thend.
After the arrow, the 20 meter long hang bridge was retracted, leaving a bottomless abyss in its spot.
However, Duke Sergourney was looking at the scene with contempt. He didnt even care about his men dying; all he wanted was to kill the person opposite.
"Gorl!" The duke said.
"Yes, my lord!" The man wielding the great sword moved out of the squad swiftly.
Chapter 355: The death that scattered birds and beasts
Chapter 355: The death that scattered birds and beasts
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
The mighty Gorl stabbed his great sword in the ground in front of him. He turned around and took over a thick rope the size of a grown mans arm from the two soldiers thatbined their effort to carry it.
The rope was giving out a metallic lustre; obviously, it was mixed with materials other than linen-type ones. At the end of the rope was a huge metal refined hook, heavy and sharp.
"Hek!"
Gorl grabbed the rope and shouted vigorously.
Then, the thick rope started to spin, producing a heavy whistling sound when Gorl spun it around with all his might. Gorl swung the rope around, forming a mini tornado, and when it reached maximum speed, Gorl let go of the rope with the hook.
Shooooo!
Pak!
The hook was thrown out dragging the rope behind and it easilytched on the inner wooden te of the hang bridge after it flew over.
Gorl pulled the rope to test whether was it firmlytched before he signaled Duke Sergourney aside.
"Pull!"
The duke shouted after a vicious smile.
Instantly, the dozens of war horses at the other end of the rope started to sprint madly with the ridersmanding the horses with their whips.
The thick rope was tightened into a straight line and was producing a irritating screech. The tall hang bridge started to wobble following the screech.
The tower on the other side started to fire arrows again, but against the stacked up shields, it was useless. In fact, the archer at the tower exposed himself with the shot.
Shooou!
When another arrow was fired out, Gorl who was prepared for the arrow quickly counterattacked with an arrow of his.
Instantly, everyone of the dukes side could hear a faint moan of pain from the opposite tower. It made them cheer loudly, and their ruthless expressions became heavier.
After withstanding a full day of ambushes on the road here, it had infuriated the soldiers like ferocious wolves and tigers. Every one of them was eager to tear their target apart with their bare hands.
The riders with the whips struck harder on the war horses. The war horses were dragged down by the thick rope but they could only sprint forward as hard as they could after being whipped by their riders.
BANG!
After less than a half minute, the capstan of the hang bridge on the opposite was sent flying in the air under the brute force. The hang bridge which was already wobbling instantly fell down before Duke Sergourney, producing a heavy bang.
Duke Sergourney did not immediately order his men to charge but instead he bent down and checked the hang bridge. He used his palm to press on the bridge and sniffed his finger after that.
His face instantly disyed a sense of sneering.
"Gasolene? Bring the sand bags!"
The duke waved at his men behind.
A dozen of idle soldiers quickly took down the sandbags from the horse saddles and threw it onto the bridge. The soldiers shed open the sandbag before throwing it out, and before it couldnd on the bridge, ayer of thick sand had covered the surface of the whole hang bridge.
"Gorl!" The duke shouted again.
As the dukes knight, Gorl quickly carried his greatsword on his back and brought up a shield as tall as a grown man, advancing forward. Three more tall and strong soldiers followed behind Gorl tightly with their shield up too.
The few men formed a small shield formation, firmly guarding the top and front from all sorts of attacks. Regardless of how many arrows the tower fired at them, they couldnt stop the shield formation from advancing.
"I said I would catch you, letting you know what it would be when you offend me..."
The duke was protected by the remaining soldiers. He wasughing ferociously and shouting at the tower loudly. His intention was to strike fear in the peoples heart within the castle and cause them to be in a constant state of anxiety.
However before the threatening words could be finished, the duke was interrupted.
Three continuous arrow were fired from behind the duke and preciselynded on the back of the soldiers neck who stepped on the hang bridge.
Although the shielding soldiers were raising their shield up high, blocking their top and front but they never would have thought the enemy would appear behind them as they fell down into the deep mountains streams with a dying wail.
The sudden arrows and the wailings of dead caused the duke to shrink his body, hidingpletely behind the shields of his men. He quickly rushed the soldiers beside him, saying "Quick! Quick! Locate the enemy! That useless Neet, cant even handle such a small matter!"
"Gorl!"
Before his cursing could end, the duke shouted the name of his knight again.
However, Gorl at that moment was in a tough situation, preventing him from advancing and retreating.
The arrow from behind caused Gorl to tremble in fright, but the arrows from the tower could not be underestimated as well; he knew that if he wasnt careful enough, he would have to suffer an arrow to his body.
More importantly, he didnt have enough space to dodge the arrows on the narrow bridge. Gorl quickly picked up a shield from his fallen soldiers aside and started to retreat with two shields in each of his hands.
He was not by any means slow, somewhat even faster than advancing forward, butpared to Kieran who started the ambush, it was too slow.
The dark red greatsword shed out from the shadow; it was like a grim reapers scythe dyed with blood, shing the iron-coated wooden shields like sweeping dead leaves from a tree. The shielders were also shed into half following their shields, and the person who was hiding behind these shielder soldiers, Duke Sergourney.
UGh!
Blood rain started to drizzle and the bodies that was sliced in half from the waist fell to the ground one after another. Some of them didnt die from the sh and were suffering excruciating pain. They were crawling on the ground, dragging their intestines all over and dyeing their trail red with blood.
Duke Sergourney was one of them.
The duke went mute after the first wail of pain since he never had suffered such pain before. He was crawling among the group and moving forward because of the pain.
He then saw his knight, Gorl in front him. The duke unconsciously raised his hand.
"Go...Gorl, save me!"
The dukes voice was still clear when he muttered, but the knight turned a deaf ear to him.
When Gorl saw the scene, he threw both the shields at Kieran and turned around running for his life, without a single moment of hesitation!
Maybe when Duke Sergourney was still alive, Gorl wouldnt mind continuing his service to the duke, but when the duke was destined to die, he would never follow the same path.
"If the worsees to worst, Ill find another noble family to serve! There are plenty of nobles like Sergourney around!"
Gorl thought in his heart while running for his life.
Suddenly, he felt that his body was running too fast, to the extent that he felt like he was flying?
"Huh?! That body looked so familiar. Is it mine?"
Just when the thought bloomed in his heart, Gorls conscience vanishedpletely.
Kieran then picked up the white glowing skill book and made chase for all the other scattered soldiers.
After a while, when Kieran had dealt with the scattered soldiers, he came back to the spot.
He shook his head when he saw the dead Duke Sergourney. The duke was not a popr man in peoples heart. Maybe before he died, he could rely on his identity and reputation tomand his men to work for him, but the moment he died, nothing was left behind.
Not even a person who was willing to avenge him.
After a thorough check on the dukes body and not getting any results, Kieran stood up and walked towards the hang bridge. His eyes were looking at the tall tower before him.
Kieran could clearly feel there was a pair of vignt eyes inspecting him from within the tower.
"I am 2567. I came here to reply to the aid of Swusters Castles owner!"
He said.
Chapter 356: Rescue
Chapter 356: Rescue
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
Kierans voice echoed through the mountain streams and finally reached the high tower opposite.
After 3 to 4 minutes, that tightly shut door of the high tower slowly opened up. A slender, dressed figure walked out of the door.
Kieran was shocked when he saw that figure.
Although the figures face was covered up, but it was hard to cover her youth underneath and judging from her height, she wouldnt be over 12 or 13 years old.
"You...You are 2567?"
The girl mustered up her courage to ask, not really sounded afraid or brave.
"You are the owner of Swuesters Castle?"
Kieran nodded and asked with a affirmative tone.
"Yes! Can you help me? Galeart is badly injured, he needs aid immediately, but I couldnt do anything!"
A sub mission came right after her words.
[Discovered Sub Mission: Rescue!]
[Rescue: Swusters Castle owners attendant was badly injured. He is a loyal and honorable guardian. If your rescue is sessful, you will gain the favourable impression from Swusters Castles owner!]
...
"Please lead the way!"
Kieran wouldnt reject the request given that it was a sub mission.
However, when Kieranid eyes on the girl that the background described as "Swusters Castle" owner, he felt a little odd. Even though Kieran had heard the word "witch" mentioned back in Tita Town and could vaguely guess the persons gender, he never thought it would be a child that was barely of age.
Though, her senses and intuition were quite sharp as she could notice Kierans strangeness in his eyes.
"Im Mary, Swursters Castles owner. Ive inherited this title from my mother a week ago, I am thirteen this year!"
The girl introduced herself as Mary and briefly exined her background.
"Good day, 2567 here. Pleased to meet you!" Kieran smiled to disy his goodwill, but his sharp senses picked up a sense of sorrow when Mary introduced herself.
"Something happened to the previous owner of Swusters Castle a week ago?"
Kieran was certain, or else a thirteen years old girl wouldnt have inherited the title.
After a topic that held a heavy meaning, both of them didnt continue their chit-chat. Mary quickened her steps forward; it seemed like she was really worried about that guardian named Galeart.
Kieran was following tightly behind, and his eyes were inspecting Swusters Castle as much as he could. Even though it had "castle" in its name, Swusters Castle was not a bit simr to what Kieran had imagined for a castle. Frankly speaking, it was more like a tower than a castle.
The kind of tower that was used as an observation tower for a castle or an archer tower for defense.
However, the humid and cold interior shared the same impression as other castles in Kierans mind. It might even be colder than some other castles because of theck of humans situated inside.
While following Mary through the tower, Kieran didnt see another person on the way.
Though after some thought about it, it seemed only natural. If there was someone else in the castle, Mary the owner wouldnt have to wee Kieran at the gates.
Kieran and Mary moved upwards from the first floor to the third and he finally saw the alleged Galeart.
Galeart was a white-haired, bearded old man. Although his body was fit and buffed, but time had left its harsh marks that couldnt be removed on his face. He seemed to be in a bad condition and was unconscious.
A big scar started from this right brow ridge and dragged all the way down to the left side of his mouths corner. Kieran wasnt sure whether he could keep his eye but he knew what danger Galeart been through. If Galeart hadnt dodged the attack in time, his head would have been sliced in half.
Kierans eyes continued down and saw an arrow was plunged deep in Galearts left shoulder.
However, the arrow and the scar on his face were not the reasons that he passed out.
Galeart was losing blood!
Even with bandages over his wounds, blood was still seeping out the white linen.
When Kieran removed Galearts top, he saw even more wounds over the body. One of the deepest ones was at his back, almost revealing his bones inside.
After seeing the wounds, a thought promptly bloomed in Kierans heart.
"Did he block the duke and his men alone before this?" He asked.
"Yes! Galeart was buying me more time, waiting for mothers reinforcements for the rescue! But... there was no one else other than you, 2567!"
Mary tried to remain calm while she spoke.
Kieran however could detect the panic under the pretended calmness. So he didnt reveal the bodies he saw at Tita Town and never asked how the previous owner discovered the clue, but instead, he started to treat Galearts wounds with a skilled hands.
Master level of [Medical and Medicinal Knowledge] plus [High Bandages] and some [Hemostasis Balm] made Galearts injuries seem so much better.
Another mention-worthy point was the arrow inside his shoulder. It was deeper than he had imagined, and the arrow head was the barb kind, forcing Kieran to widen the wound to pull it out.
"Im done. I cant promise about his eyes, but at least hell live!"
Kieran said with confidence after Galearts breath stabilized.
It wasnt the amazing knowledge from [Medical and Medicinal Knowledge] that could bring Galeart back from the dead, but the effects of [High Bandages] and [Hemostasis Balm].
If the two items were absent and with the hideous wounds on his body, stitching was the best option to heal his body and considering bacterial infections, Kieran would be at a loss of what to do.
Though, with the corresponding items, everything was simplified. Kieran could worry less about the others and let the items work their way on the wounds, recovering the HP points of the target.
Although Mary was young, when she saw Galearts face was being relieved of the pain, she promptly thanked Kieran and brought over a bowl of warm water for Kieran to wash off the blood on his hands. Seemed like Mary had quite the resolving ability.
"Although Ive epted your mothers request for aid, but I need to know more. More than what was written in the letter, the missing imperial envoy! His name, looks and what really happened, including how your mother knew that the envoy was missing. Please dont mind me, but based on my judgement, the current Swusters Castle should not possess such a informative capabilities!"
Kieran started to talk about the reason he was there after Mary brought over the washbowl for him to wash his hands.
Though after considering Marys age, Kieran added an boration at the end to exin.
"Because..."
Mary opened her mouth after hesitating for a while but before she could finish, Kieran dragged her behind his back abruptly.
Mary wanted to resist out of instinct, but she promptly calmed down.
Her sharp senses allowed her to noticed something was wrong.
"Show yourself!"
Kieran shouted at the shadowed corner of the room after standing in front of Mary.
Chapter 357: Stubborn
Chapter 357: Stubborn
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
A figure suddenly hurled itself out of the shadows.
The dagger in its hand was driving towards Kierans neck.
It was fast and vicious, but before it could reach Kieran, the figure suddenly raised its left hand.
Kak!
Shuu!
There was a clear sound of the spring firing a short arrow towards Kierans face.
It was aplete surprise. The methods were very fitting for the figures identity, a hitman or a more urate name considering the time period, an assassin!
When the assassin started to appear under Kierans radar with a slow and hidden state, Kieran only used a fraction of a second to identify the target because the assassin struck a familiar feeling.
The killer yers who kidnapped Coll previously gave him the same feeling.
However,pared to the killer yers skills and abilities, this assassin was still toocking.
Even though the assassin was very careful, he still couldnt escape Kierans Intuition and detection.
As the assassin was discovered, he lost the one chance for a sudden strike. Since it was Kieran he was facing, it would be useless for him to add another strike.
Kieran had a habit of being the most vignt person in the room.
His attention was not fully taken away by the stabbing dagger. He was used to observing the targets body movements to n his next move. Simr to himself when he attacked his target, he was used to ying some extra tricks. Kieran was hoping not to be confused by the enemies tricks.
Therefore, the moment the assassin pulled the trigger that released the spring, Kieran had effectively dodged the attack. He picked up the girl behind and made a turn to the right.
Not only did he dodge the cold arrow but the dagger stab as well.
At the same time, his left legunched a kick following his movement on the assassins back waist.
Bang!
Kieran didnt hold his strength back and the assassin felt like he was hit by a truck. A clear cracking noise came from his spine, and he was sent smashing into the wall by the great impact. His head was the first part of his body to smash the wall. Upon impact on the hard wall, his skull was crushed and brain sttered.
Kieran promptly raised his hand and covered Marys eyes, covering the grueome scene, but Mary moved Kierans hand away with hers.
Her face turned pale in an instant, but she held it together, forcing herself to absorb the scene into her gut.
Kieran saw what Mary did and couldnt help but frown.
The little girl showed a great extent of stubbornness. Obviously, it was out of some reasons, but he couldnt ask in details. He was certain Mary wouldnt reveal it to him.
Just like her stubbornness , the little girls persistence was not something easily moved.
At least Kieran knew his stance; a stranger like him shouldnt have the qualification to question her. So, Kieran went up to the body instead. There was a green glowing equipment on top of the body.
[Name: Hidden Wrist Bow]
[Type: Bow Weapon]
[Rarity: Magic]
[Attack: Common]
[Attributes: 1. Extremespeed lvl 1; 2. Armor Pration lvl 1]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: This is crafted by a skilled and experience craftsman, and was enchanted by an alchemist, granting its extreme speed.]
...
[Extremespeed lvl 1: 10% increase in speed for arrows and bullets fired]
[Armor Pration lvl 1: Able to easily pierce lightweight armor (Weak, Common defense)]
...
The middle tier Magic weapon was not all bad considering its attributes.
The only pity was that Kieran have to unequip either [Primus Arm] or [Mardos Arm] if he wanted to equip it.
It was a no-brainer topare a Magic rank to a Legendary rank. Unless it was under special circumstances, Kieran wouldnt even give it any consideration.
Kieran kept away [Hidden Wrist Bow] into his backpack and while he had the window open, he opened up the skill book he had gotten from Gorl, [Greatsword Blocking].
Kieran clicked the skill book and learned it while he had the time.
[Discovered skill book: Greatsword Blocking]
[Prerequisite met, learn skill?]
"Yes!"
[Skill learned: Greatsword Blocking]
[Name: Greatsword Blocking]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Defense]
[Effect: You know how to block enemy attacks effectively with your great sword, increase 10% defense]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Strength F+, Agility F, Constitution F]
[Remark: This is just the basic blocking!]
...
There was not much difference from Kierans expectation. Just as the name described, the skill effectively increased blocking skills while using two handed sword and greatsword.
Although there were some defensive techniques in [Sharp Weapon, Heavy Arms], it was very limited. Most of the techniques were leaning towards offense.
In the skillpensation list before this, there was no such skill avable like [Greatsword Blocking] as well, which was enough for Kieran to specte even further.
"Although it might be a white basic skill, but it has deviated from the systems category of basic skills? Or do the basic skills have some hidden level ranking that I didnt know of?" Kieran squinted his eyes thoughtfully, but before he coulde up with more, he had to put a stop to his musings.
Mary, on the side, forced herself to go up close to the brain-sttered body. However, the gruesome scene seemed to have stimted her too much.
She covered her mouth and ran outside.
Kieran then heard Mary throwing up outside. He shrugged.
A stubborn person will always receive more suffering but also more rewards.
After a while, when Mary came back with a pale face. She seemed to have familiarized herself to the scene. Kieran looked at the little girl and lifted a corner of his mouth.
Mary reminded him of himself while he was still a total newbie. Maybe, he even had it harder than Mary when he was still a newbie.
At least, Mary was still able to stand on her feet after throwing up.
"Im still trying, I will seed one day!"
Mary seemed to have a slight misunderstanding when she saw the light smile on Kierans face.
Though she didnt include any harsh words while speaking, it felt like she was giving out a statement. Of course, with a slight sense of emphasis.
"I believe that you can, but if its possible, I dont mind sharing my experience. See more, get yourself used to it and youll be fine."
Kieran believed what the little girl said and was willing to give her a word of encouragement.
"Used to?" Mary raised a brow.
A sense of heroic spirit suddenly appeared on the little girls covered face.
"Yes, just get used to it! A habit is the scariest thing. It can make you stronger or weaker. It all depends on your own judgement and how you do it! Though, I think we need to leave this ce immediately. I believe this assassin was just the first of many. There will be moreing here because of that imperial envoy. We can continue the questions on the road. At least it wouldnt dy us," Kieran pointed at the dead body and said.
After Kieran expressed that they could bring Galeart along, Mary had no further objections.
However, just before they left, Mary brought Kieran to the highest room in the tower.
"Sir 2567, I need your experience to provide me aid in another field..."
Mary stood in front of the door and said slowly.
Another kind of help?
Kieran stared at the door before him, and a few thoughts bloomed in his heart.
Chapter 358: Layers of Doubt
Chapter 358: Layers of Doubt
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
When Mary pushed open the door, Kieran knew that his guesses were correct after seeing inside the room.
It was an average sized room. There was a 2-3 meters tall, 5 meters wide wall of books that blocked the whole wall on the left. On the right was a low tea table with an empty rack behind.
Based on the racks design, it should be a rack that stored swords, but it was empty at the moment.
Directly opposite Kieran was a study table, also average sized. It was a facing the door and backing the window behind it on the wall.
The chair was tucked inside the table, revealing only the chair shoulder.
Moonlight shone through the window, casting ayer of silver dust on the floor. The moonlight also revealed an obvious sword mark on the floor. The sword mark extended from the door to to the window, at least a dozen meters long and with the depth enough to insert a palm.
"What a sharp sword sh!"
Kieran squatted down and ced his palm inside the sh mark before he eximed lightly.
He was quite familiar with such a sh mark because his [de Kick] could cause a simr mark but couldnt reach such a length.
"This sh started from inside the room until..."
Kieran followed the mark to the window.
The sh mark near the window was a little bit scattered; even the floor under the window was cracked slightly, far less straightpared to the starting point.
Based on his experience, there were only two reasons for such a scattered-end sh.
First was theck of power; the person might not be familiar with such a technique, simr to Kieran when he first mastered [de Kick].
Second was that an ident happened and the user retracted the sh all of a sudden.
The sharpness and straightness of the sh mark from the start signified that the person was very familiar with its techniques, therefore leaving only the second option.
"Not only did the person retract his sword abruptly, the person also suffered from a counterforce from his sh and was pinned down by others with a sword behind the door?"
Kieran went back to the origin point of the sword sh and discovered some blood stains and a stab mark of a sword a couple inches deep behind the door.
The stab mark was extremely narrow, it should have originated from a rapier or a thin sword.
Kieran activated [Tracking] once more and swept the room clean. After confirming that he didnt miss out anything, he turned back to Mary.
"This is where your mother was killed?" He asked.
Previously when Mary mentioned she had inherited the title of "Swusters Castle owner" from her mother, Kieran had guessed that her mother was killed. Just that Kieran hadnt thought that Marys mother had quite the strength.
Judging from the scene in the room, it was Marys mother who shed out that straight sh mark. However, it was a pity that her target came prepared, used tricks out his sleeves and directly turned the tide around; more precisely, he took the easier route to victory.
Even though Marys mother suffered from the counterforce and absence of mind, but her target pinned her down with one strike that traveled a dozen meters. Surely, it wasnt from somemon assassin.
"Interesting!"
Ady owner of a castle that possessed formidable strength, an assassin that came prepared, plus the imperial envoy that carried the kings secret order. Everything led Kieran to uncontrobly specte their rtionship.
Of course, his spections didnt stop him from listening to Marys words seriously.
"Yes, this is where my mother was killed!"
Mary nodded, trying hard to hold her sorrow back and exined what she knew with all the calmness that she could muster.
"Mother used to study here a lot during the night. She was studying here that night as well. After I went to bed, mother came here to continue her studies and didnt return to her chambers the whole night. It was unusual but not the first time, so I didnt think much of it after I woke up, until..."
Although Mary tried her best holding back her emotions but when she spoke of her mother, her voice was still wobbling slightly.
Kieran wanted tofort the little girl, but he didnt know what to say. It was better for him to remain silent.
After a few seconds, Mary spoke again.
"During breakfast, Galeart and I headed towards the mess hall, but mother didnt appear. When I felt something was wrong, Galeart and I came here and found mother pinned behind the door, without any signs of life." Mary spoke like she was telling someone elses story.
In Kierans eyes, Marys current look could make one feel even more mournfulpared to the previous slight sobs.
As an orphan himself, he didnt know what parental love was but he knew it was a terrible feeling if Mary had her mothers love and it was robbed from her.
"Do you know where your mothers sword is? And what was she reading on the study table at that time?" Kieran pointed at the empty study table, which held nothing besides a nk piece of paper and a feather pen.
Kierna spoke very quickly; he wanted to get rid of the gloomy atmosphere.
"No! Other than burying my mother, I didnt touch anything in this room. This room has remained as it is since the night my mother was killed!" The little girl shook her head.
"A missing sword, a missing book and a missing order..."
Kieran muttered to himself before he suddenly stopped.
If the sword was missing, it might mean the sword might be umon or held other meanings.
If books or letters were missing, there would be only one exnation: the contents that was written.
Based on the situation before his eyes, it made Kieran unconsciously think of the previous owner of Swusters castle and how shemunicated with the kings envoy, through letters!
"Before this, I remember I asked you, how did your mother know the imperial envoy was missing? Were theymunicating through letters?" Kieran looked at Mary and asked.
"Yes! They weremunicating through letters, but every time mother finished reading the letter, she would burn it herself! Based on what I know, mother wouldnt write down what she burnt, so the thing missing on the table shouldnt be the letter!" Mary said.
"Is that so?" Kieran muttered.
Marys mother was very vignt; such a character should not fall easily into enemys hand.
"Do you know the contents of the letter?" Kieran continued.
"A little! That imperial envoy made an appointment to meet with my mother in Tita Town in the letters, but he didnt appear on time, which made my mother worried. So she contacted some of her friends, including requesting your aid!"
Mary then looked at Kieran while speaking.
Kieran was young himself. The little girl suspected him and wondered how he befriended her mother.
"Your mothers prediction was right! And she was killed here! The assassin who killed her should know her very well and was well-prepared. Not only did the assassin kill her silently but also caught the chance to deliver a fatal blow!"
Kieran couldnt answer the little girls doubt about him, so he diverted the topic back to the little girls aid.
"So, the assassin who killed her should be an acquaintance or friend!" Kieran emphasized.
"Is that so?" Mary lowered her head, her thoughts unknown.
"Although I dont want to interrupt, but I need to remind you that we should leave this ce immediately. The assassin just now was not thest, but the first of many!"
Kieran tapped the little girls shoulder; he did not wish to see the sorrowful expression.
"Where are we heading?" The little girl asked with a vacant expression.
"Tita Town!" Kieran said in a resolute and decisive tone.
There were too many questionable points at the little town, including the imperial envoy himself.
Chapter 359: Neglected
Chapter 359: Neglected
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
While Mary was packing her things to leave, Kieran pulled over two war horses.
He used the bedding inside the high tower where Galeart was resting and made a simple stretcher, cing the patient on top.
Kieran wished Galeart would recover and wake up soon because the information that he could gather was too little.
Most of it were of his own guesses, and there was almost nothing that he could really confirm, except for one point. That one point that Kieran was extremely certain about was, there was something fishy about that imperial envoy!
Swusters Castle was not far from Tita Town, only a days journey on horseback.
If it was a secret meeting, there was no need to make a big detour to Tita Town.
A small town with a poption of around 200 hundred was very sensitive against strangers. The guards at the town entrance might not be able to fight a real battle, but recognizing strangers was easy for them.
With the secret order on him, the imperial envoy should move in secret, but he picked such a ce that might risk exposing himself. The fact was baffling Kierans thoughts.
Unless...
"There were some matters that forced him to do so! Being chased by assassin so he needed to request help from Swusters Castle owner, or..."
Kierans heart bloomed a malicious thought. Everything began with the assassination of Swusters Castles owner. Under the circumstances that she might be assassinated by someone familiar, Kieran couldnt help but think more. However, it was just a guess and couldnt be verified yet.
"What kind of incident could cause multiple parties to strike relentlessly?"
Kieran grinded his brain in a puzzled manner.
He was sure that the Duke Sergourney that he killed before was not the same side as the assassin in the high tower. Apparently, if Duke Sergourney had a qualified assassin in line, he wouldnt have gone to Swusters Castle himself and tried to storm the tower by force.
The assassin who killed the Swusters Castle owner belonged to another faction as well.
This faction should be the most hidden and with the quickest response because they might very well be the faction that was chasing to kill that imperial envoy.
Though there was a possibility that they were independent as well.
"Three to four factions at once? Who do they represent?" Kieran thought of it while rubbing his chin. By the time Mary moved her necessities onto the war horse, Kieran could only figure one question out.
The faction with the fastest response to matters should be the ones closest to the king. Only such a position could observe the kings every move.
"There are others who are hiding beside the king... What is this king doing?"
Kieran shook his head, refusing toment on the king.
Beforepletely knowing a person, Kieran would not make furtherments. Same went for the natives as well because it would only cause prejudiced perception towards a matter.
If such ament was wrong to begin with and Kieran had a prejudiced perception towards the matter, it would not be a good news for him. It would only cause him to misjudge things or even create lethal threats to himself.
"Can we depart now?"
Mary asked Kieran after sealing the towers door shut.
"Sure!"
Kieran nodded and he rode in front, followed by Mary.
Kieran was not at all surprised when Mary disyed an outstanding riding skill. With her mothers abilities and strength, under her instruction and influence, it would be normal for Mary to possess riding skills or sword skills.
Behind Mary was the unconscious Galeart and some of the things Mary wanted to bring with her, which utilized three war horses to carry her load.
Kieran nced over the load that Mary had brought. Most of them were misceneous, but among them was a long rapier,pared to Marys stature. When the specially made rapier appeared, it verified Kierans guess about Mary.
Dak Dak Dak.
The war horses moved over the hang bridge with a constant speed. When they reached the end of the bridge, Duke Sergourney and the other dead bodies appeared before them.
Kieran could see the hatred and contempt towards them on Marys face.
"Need me to take care of the bodies?" Kieran asked.
"Ill do it myself!" Mary said before jumping off the horse.
The little girls way to deal with the bodies was also quite simple, pushing every one of them down the mountain streams.
Though repeatedly dragging nearly 20 grown mens dead bodies was quite the burden towards a thirteen year old girl. She was already panting heavily after dragging half of them, but when Kieran offered to lend a hand, she still refused.
After spending half an hour pushing the bodies down the mountain streams, Kieran and co. continued their journey.
The moon of the night sky was bright and clear, shedding faint light on the narrow jungle path. Stars could be easily seen with a raise of the head through the seams of the jungle crown on top. The songs of the insects were lingering in their ears; the quiet feeling was quite satisfying as well.
If it was not for the wrong mood, it might be a decent night walk.
Mary lowered her head and kept quiet when they resumed their journey.
Other than the exhaustion from before, there were changes in her mental state as well.
Kieran was quite familiar with such a change.
When he first entered the game, hed been through the process as well, being familiar with dead bodies and learning to calm his mind. It was not a decent experience, but in order to survive, Kieran clenched his teeth and took the hands-on experience.
Most importantly, no one else could lend their hand while one faced such a process; all that was avable was himself.
So Kieran watched her quietly without saying anything. It might seem a little harsh and cruel, but being cruel on herself was kinder than others being cruel on her.
While keeping quiet in their journey forward, all that was left was the horse gallops.
Until the unconscious Galeart moaned.
"Galeart!"
Mary who was quiet and had her head down quickly jumped off the horse happily and went over to the makeshift stretcher.
"Ma...Mary?"
Galeart who had just awoken couldnt tell what was going on, but when he saw the little girl, his mind was refreshed. But when he saw Kieran, a vignt expression appeared on his face. Even after Mary introduced Kieran, the vignce remained.
"Hello, Galeart." Kieran greeted him with a smile.
Other than the fact that he could get more information after Galeart awakened, it was also because when Galeart woke up, Kierans sub-mission, [Rescue!] was tagged aspleted.
Though Galearts greeting presented a cold and estranged feeling.
"Um, Nice to meet you, Sir 2567! Gratitude for saving my life!"
Although Galeart was saying thank you, but Kieran couldnt feel a bit of gratitude.
"Is he taking precautions against me?"
Kieran was not at all mad about the action. Quite the opposite, he was looking at the elderly man with interest in his eyes. Galearts attitude and manner reminded him that he had neglected some things before, some very important things.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
I feel like I haven been talking in thement sections for a few days lol.
I have tons of unedited chapters waiting to be edit and ultimately release...
So you guys know whose door you should knock on to get MORE chapters.
By MORE I mean like around 3 digits :)
Chapter 360: Arrangements
Chapter 360: Arrangements
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
The aid-giver!
When Marys mother felt that things were going wrong, she wrote letters out to all the potential aid-givers, and those who she requested aid from naturally fit the criteria of an acquaintance.
Galeart was obviously suspecting that Marys mothers death was rted to these aid-givers, which exined his attitude towards Kieran.
Kieran was not mad at all. Instead, he wanted to thank Galeart for his vignt attitude that made him specte more.
It was a fact that Marys mother was not weak, and those she requested aid from, how weak could they be?
However, there were two bodies hanging on the rail outside Tita Town. Kieran didnt think that the five riders from before could have the capabilities to kill someone stronger, hence the question!
Who killed two of the aid-givers outside Tita Town?
"Who did Marys mother request aid from? Or should I say, how many people?" Kieran asked directly.
"Three! Harway, Fuller and Andy. You should be the disciple that Andys letter mentioned! Seems like youve inherited Andys mantle, he should be able to rest in peace now."
Galeart said slowly after some thought.
Kieran could tell Galeart was purposely avoiding to answer his question, resulting in Galearts words having a hidden and vague sense of mockery. Though his answer meant Kieran had to press the question on.
As for the identity that the system arranged for him?
Since Kieran had no memory regarding his identity in this dungeon, he decided to avoid that topic.
"Only three? Based on what I know, there were two fresh body hanging outside Tita Town..."
"So unknowingly, my suspicion is the biggest?" Kieran muttered to himself.
Grt was still looking at Kieran with vignce. Mary was frowning, and her face was disying a certain type of expression that made Kieran feel strange.
"So, you think that I am the one who killed Marys mother?" Kieran asked Galeart while looking him in the eyes.
In order to prevent and disrupt Duke Sergourney, the attendant of Swuster Castles owner should have been to Tita Town a day before Kieran. Thus, he should have noticed the two dead bodies.
Two out of three aid-givers were dead, and the owner was assassinated by an acquaintance.
No matter from what perspective one looked at, Kieran as the remaining aid-giver was quite suspicious.
Galeart kept quiet, meaning he acquiesced.
"I dont have the proof to persuade you now. Even though I would tell your that I am a greatsword user and dont have Marys mothers sword with me. Other than that, you might even think that me saving Mary and your life is a cover up, a cover up for the hidden agenda that I cant disclose!" Kieran spoke in a questioning manner, but it sounded like he was stating the facts.
Kieran knew that if a person was insisting that another person was harbouring malicious intents, no matter what thetter did, it would be useless. Compared to wasting his energy to exin, he might as well wait for the truth to float up the surface. Though Kieran was not the passive, waiting kind.
"Time will prove my innocence, and we now need to quicken the time for it to arrive!"
Kieran then expressed his intention of continuing the journey to Mary.
After a little hesitation, Mary nodded.
The situation before them was clear. Even though Galeart had awoken, he was badly injured, thus robbing his fighting capabilities.
As for the little girl, she might be able to deal with amon grown man, but definitely not Kieran.
Mary recalled her memories of Kieran wielding his greatsword back at the high tower. That kind of power was definitely not one she couldpete with.
So if Kieran was really the assassin that killed her mother, if she were to resist now, it would only worsen their already loose rtionship. Compared to being a captive under Kieran, why not just humour him and showpliance while looking for another chance.
Kieran could understand what Mary was thinking with her glimmering eyes, but he was not concerned. He was thinking about the matter at hand.
"Two of the three aid-giver are dead, only I remain... Is this a coincidence or is someone plotting this deliberately? If it was someones plot, why would they spend so much effort to let me take the me?"
As the situation was whirling itself into even more confusion, Kieran furrowed his brows hard.
While riding a little behind Kieran, Mary could see Kierans face with a slight twist of her head. She was inspecting Kieran with the corner of her eyes. It seemed like he wasparing something, though throughout the whole jungle path, the little girl couldnte up with an answer.
"We cant enter Tita Town directly. We should find a nearby ce to make camp..."
Kieran was making arrangements for the group, but before he could finish, he stopped abruptly.
Kieran squinted his eyes in the direction they came from.
At that moment, the sky was already lighting up, though it didnt block the zing mes from shining through the sky, setting off its own light. Quite the opposite, it was because of the unusual zing light made the smoke clearer to the eyes.
"That...Thats Swusters Castle!"
Mary cried. Her body was shaking and crumbling.
Even though Mary decided to leave Swusters Castle to avoid the danger, but that ce was home to her.
Now, her home had been set aze. One could only imagine the impact to the little girls heart.
Galeart rounded his eyes to the scene and passed out because of the shock the scene gave him.
"Bring Galeart into the woods, clear the tracks around you. Ill be back!"
Kieran didnt have time tofort Mary. All he did was briefly instruct her and then he leapt off his horse. He went back to the other two horses behind, took his backpack and the box with [Arrogant Word] before he sprinted back the way he came.
Even with the weight of his belongings, it felt like feathers under Kierans B- Strength.
He was sprinting as fast as a galloping horse. Within a few breaths time, he disappeared from Marys sight.
Truth be told, Kieran wished he could be faster if possible because he felt that he was already on the trail of the assassin.
Before this, Kieran had spected that there were at least three to four factions involved in this incident and the factions of Duke Sergourney and the assassin that Kieran kicked off shouldnt have such quick response to any incidents. It would take them at least one to two days to realize their mistakes.
Excluding those two factions, all that was left was the one chasing the imperial envoy and who killed Marys mother.
There was still a possibility that those were two separate factions altogether, but regardless of whether it was one or two, Kieran knew they wouldnt return to Swusters Castle without a reason.
They must have plotted something. Although, the zing fire was signifying they didnt achieved their goal and were expressing their anger by burning down the high tower.
As for what their plot was?
Kieran was amazed by Marys mothers intelligence once more.
"She made so much arrangements after knowing something was wrong, not only to buy time for Mary but had also expected the worst?"
Kieran muttered in his heart.
Then he sprinted even faster toward the zing tower.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Something feels weird, not only in the story but in real life as well ... Hmmmm...
Chapter 361: Preparations beforehand
Chapter 361: Preparations beforehand
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
What was the killers goal?
The things on the table!
If Kieran was correct, on that night that Marys mother was killed, the things that the killer took were probably a counterfeit.
A counterfeit so real that one couldnt even differentiate it in a short period of time.
Only then would the killere back to Swusters Castle after some time and set the ce aze to vent his anger. The killer might have toppled Swusters Castle upside down and still couldnt find what he wanted.
Kieran wasnt sure how Marys mother could produce such a counterfeit to fool the killer, but he had his own guesses about Marys mothers arrangements.
Maybe the killer really did assassinate her, but the killer might have neglected what Marys mother was really concerned about. Eventually, he was trapped in her set-ups.
From the start, when Marys mother felt something was wrong, all she cared about was Marys safety. No matter what ns she had, they were all revolving around Mary as the center.
Her mother didnt just buy time for Mary to safely leave Swusters Castle.
With her intelligence, it was impossible that she didnt take into consideration that the killers strength was not something her daughter and her attendant could fight against.
So there must be someone unexpected that could ward off the killer, though that person was surely not Kieran.
Marys mother was intelligent and meticulous, but she might not be a irvoyant like Nikorei. Otherwise, she wouldnt have met her demise.
Therefore, other than Kieran, the expected aid-giver, there should be another aid-giver that was personally invited by Marys mother, a person that was not known to the rted parties.
Though that person might have needed a longer time to be here. Hence, Marys mother had to set up a deceptive strategy to fool the killer.
The killer might have noticed something was not right after the incident, thus performing some countermeasures of his own, such as making Kieran the scapegoat and moving his ns ahead.
"Now I see!" Kieran eximed in his heart.
At the same time, he heightened his vignce as he pressed forward. Since the killer had noticed Marys mother setting him up, he should not have let this final opportunity slip off his hand.
Based onmon sense, since the killer couldnt find the thing he wanted in the castle and given that the original owner was dead, who would be the one who could have known where the things were located?
Obviously, every arrow pointed at Mary.
As the daughter of the previous owner, Mary could be considered the dearest and closest kin.
Telling her daughter the secret if anything were to happen would also be within the realm of possibilities.
Though, Kieran knew the killer would track them down based on the traces they left behind since he couldnt get the things in the castle.
The war horses tracks were too easy to discover without deliberately covering them.
Kieran wasnt hoping for the killer to be blind and neglect the obvious tracks.
In fact, the killers tracking speed was much faster than Kieran had expected. Even the numbers were out of his expectation.
Sou, Sou, Sou....
Amidst the air-breaking flutterings from the cloth edges, five men appeared before Kieran.
The men were donning a ck robe to conceal their physiques, a big hat and a mask to conceal their faces. Only their eyes were exposed outside, giving out a chilly, killer re, simr to a cold blooded predator eyeing its prey.
The five men were staring at Kieran the same way, but Kierans eyes had spotted more than the five men before him. He nced at the darkness further away and his Intuition detected that there was another person hiding there.
The sixth appeared with the other five but entered the shadow at the veryst moment.
Although Kierans eyes couldnt really see as well in the dark as in daylight, but with his C+ Intuition, he could roughly make out what the sixth looked like. He was donning the same outfit as the other five, but he had two weapons on his waist, two distinctively different weapon.
Kieran first thought about Marys mothers sword that was taken.
"The killer?" Kieran guessed. He was hoping to get a clear look by shifting his body, trying not to beat the bushes and frighten the snakes, but the sixth that was hiding had alertness that far exceed Kierans imagination.
Just when Kieran slighted moved his foot, the sixth person whistled.
Following the whistle, the other five threw themselves at Keiran at once.
Two were charging forward with long swords aimed at Kierans throat and chest. Another two moved diagonally towards Kierans rear and drove two swords towards Kierans rear ribs.
Thest one took out a crossbow and aimed at Kieran from afar.
Within a single breath, the five of thempletely surrounded Kieran from all directions andunched their attacks almost at the same time.
The tacit teamwork that the five of them disyed showed that it was not the first time they had worked together, but Kierans attention wasnt even ced at the five before him.
Even with a crossbow aimed at his face, Kieran was still focused on the sixth person who was hiding in the shadows. The danger he sensed from him easily surpassed the five of thembined a few times.
Kierans eyes was glued at the sixth person as he wielded the box in his hand around.
Wuuuu!
The box with [Arrogant Word] inside was turned into a giant blunt weapon in Kierans hand and swept his surrounding clean.
The big box acted like a shield. Although it could neither bring out the full potential of Transcendence [Master Shield] nor the buff that came with the skill, it allowed Kieran to easily block the four iing stabs. Together with the swords, the wielders also received a devastating blow from the box bash.
Bang Bang Bang!
Clear noise of bones cracking followed after the heavy impacts
The four men were sent flying backwards with speed faster than their charge.
Sou!
An arrow flew past the four men and went straight up to Kierans face, but...
Kieran caught the arrow with his bare hand!
He threw the arrow back where it came from with all his strength.
Although without Rachels aid in the dark, the arrow still plunged deep into the enemys chest fortunately. The force upon impact even drove the arrow piercing through the body.
The wound on the chest, that connected the front to the back, caused the ck figure to twitch for a few times before falling down to his demise.
Chang!
A cold sh of a sword appeared within Kierans sight that was still focused despite the moves he performed.
The sixth man in the shadow had made his move!
A chilly glimmering rapier was giving out a metallic shine in the shadow. The rapier, with only a fingers thickness, was as fast as aet, appearing before Kierans eyes in an instant, despite crossing the other two men that held quite a distance.
The scene was just like that night Marys mother was killed, though Kieran had prepared for this.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Nani kore?
YES! The thing that everyone has been wanting and waiting WILL HAPPEN!
Chapter 362: Sword Skill
Chapter 362: Sword Skill
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
After inspecting the scene where Marys mother was killed, how could Kieran not take precaution against such a stab?
In fact, not only did Kierane up with precautions, he even ced himself in the situation, simting how would he face the stab.
Dodging was the first option Kieran ditched.
Under the circumstances of not knowing whether the sixth had some follow-up skill after his attack, a direct dodge would cause Kieran to fall into a possible relentlessbo attack, forcing him into a tight corner.
The second option that Kieran ditched was blocking.
The stab from the sixth man was certainly fast. If there was no negative effect of [Heavy] from [Armor of Excellence], Kieran might still consider blocking. But with it on his body, he couldnt afford to do so.
[Armor of Excellence] was not a backpack that he could remove anytime. The time consumed to take it off would allowed the sixth man to stab him like a beehive.
As for counterattacking, although the negative effect from [Armor of Excellence] still existed, but with the buffs from [Hand-to-hand Combat, Kick Combats], the negative effects could be neglected. But after some thought, Kieran chose not to go with that option as well.
Kieran had a more appropriate countermeasures up his sleeves. As the rapier was meters before him, Kieran raised his right hand swiftly.
The wristband with the spider symbol shed before shooting out a spider web 3 meters in diameters from his hand. The spider web shrouded the sixth man before Kieran instantly, robbing off his fierce and vicious sword aura.
All that was left of the sixth man was struggle!
On top of that, the venom on [Mardos Arm, Web Binding] started to kick in, causing the exposed skin area of his to turn green.
[Web Binding: Targets Strength does not exceed B rank, binded for 10 seconds...]
[Web Binding: Targets Constitution lower than C+, received a Powerful poison attack...]
...
"Arrrrh!"
After an agonizing cry, the sixth man, who failed all three poison authentications, fell to the ground, sinking into the venom uncontrobly.
"Huh!?"
The battlelog notifications from Kierans vision raised a question in his heart.
ording to his spections, the killer who killed Marys mother shouldnt be this weak.
The spider web might bind him but it shouldntst this long either, and the venom...
Even though the attribute was a little biased, but he shouldnt have failed all three authentications.
"Could it be?"
A new thought bloomed in Kierans heart, but it didnt slow him down one bit.
Bang, Bang Bang Bang!
Kierans first kick was like a hurling battle axe, crushing the wrist that was wielding the rapier. Then, Kieran retracted his kick swiftly andunched it again at the mans chin with his heel.
Crack!
Crack, crack...
The noise of cracking bones sounded more than once.
The afterimage of Kierans kick had shrouded the man under the bindings of the spiderweb before him. When Kieran finally stopped, the mans body was heavily deformed. Other than his head which Kieran purposely skipped, the rest of his body was turned into minced meat.
Though the heavily deformed body didnt prevent the green color skill book from floating out from the pile of meat.
Kieran picked it up promptly after and the system notification started to appear.
[Discovered skill book: Sword Skill, Fast Sting]
[Prerequisite met, learn skill?]
"Yes!"
It was a no-brainer decision for Kieran to learn whenever he came across a new skill.
[Skill learned: Sword Skill, Fast Sting]
[Name: Sword Skill, Fast Sting (Basic)]
[Rted Attributes: Agility, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Offense]
[Effect: Using an explosive speed to perform a stab at a target 3 meters in front you, +30% attack speed for that particr stab. (Consume 100 Stamina, cooldown 5 minutes)]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Any of Sharp Weapon- Dagger, Knife, Longsword skill reaches Master, Agility F+, Constitution F+]
[Remark: You can choose either dagger, knife or longswords to perform the skill but greatsword, two-handed sword are out of the range!]
...
"An advance skill!"
Kieran was certain of the skill when the attributes of [Sword Skill, Fast Sting] came up on his vision. Every aspects of the skill fit the criterias of an advance skill.
Using a basic skill as a base and the prerequisite were not that high; it waspletely alike to what Lawless had said back in the bazaar.
Just that Kieran never would have thought of acquiring an advance skill like this.
After all, ording to Lawlesss words, most of the advance skills relied on learning to acquire them. Although it was not as beneficial as the newbie benefit, it was still a lot easier and delightful.
What Kieran had been through just now was definitely not delightful, but it sure was easy.
Kieran bent down and stripped away the ck mask covering the mans face.
Behind the ck mask was a youthful face, to the extent that it wasnt even possible to befriend Marys mother.
"Because of Marys mothers arrangement, the killer doesnt even dare show his face now?"
Kieran muttered softly.
The killers fear of the unexpected aid-giver had far exceeded Kierans expectation, which made Kieran curious about the abilities and identity of the unexpected aid-giver.
If the killer was this scared even with their strength, the aid-givers strength was surely something to be reckon with.
As Kierans gears turned in his head, it didnt hinder him from cleaning up the battlefield.
As for the identity of the young man Kieran had just killed, surely he was some assistant or disciple of the killer.
Kieran then took the weapon from the young man and the knight sword at his waist. Both weapons were onlymon tier, nothing too fancy about their attributes. Still, Kieran took them with him, including the head of the young man.
After a second check around the battlefield and making sure nothing was left behind, Kieran turned and went back.
...
When Kieran returned to Mary and Galeart, the sun was already hanging high in the sky, blessing the earth with its warmth and shedding light through the foggy jungle path.
The lighted up environment made it easy for Kieran to spot those two hiding in the woods.
Even though Mary covered the tracks like Keiran requested, under [Tracking]s vision, the covered tracks were very clear and visible.
Wherever the footnded, there would be tracks.
To Kieran, who had a Grand Master level [Tracking], everything was presented before his eyes.
"2567!"
Mary was gripping her sword tightly but gave out a breath of relief when she saw Kieran walking into the jungle. However, she straightened swiftly once she saw the bag of cloth in Kierans hand.
Even thought it was wrapped withyers of cloth, but the shape and the red seeping through the seams was enough for Mary to guess what it was.
Her face turned pale instantly.
"This is the head of the arsonist?"
Mary had difficulties trying to ask the question.
"Umm, do you need a break?" Kieran asked.
"No need for that!"
Mary switched to her hardened tone and took over the bag of cloth from Kieran and revealed it herself.
As expected, Marys face turned even paler, but fortunately, she didnt vomit.
While looking at Mary struggling with her adaptation, Kieran took out the rapier and the knight sword from his backpack.
"Do you recognize any of this?" Kieran asked.
Although Kieran had a clear answer in his heart and Mary denied repeatedly like Kieran had expected, what Mary requested afterward had Kieranpletely stunned.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
"Be my husband, 2567!..."
No, this is not some weird anime ...
Also, dedicate this chapter to ZephyrZero!
Chapter 363: Found something
Chapter 363: Found something
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
"You want to see the bodies hanging outside Tita Town?"
Kieran asked again to reconfirm Marys weird request.
"Yes! I hope you could aid me in this!"
Mary nodded and said.
Kieran raised a brow at the strange request, but he couldnt refuse.
[Discovered sub mission: Help!]
[Help!: Mary has made a strange request for you. You need to bring the two bodies to Mary without startling the guards of Tita Town. This will increase the fondness of Swusters Castle owner for you!]
...
The sub missions arrival had sealed Kierans fate.
"Very well. But we might need to change our current location. It is secluded here, but this is the necessary path to Swusters Castle. It would be easy for new enemies to discover us. There are quite a few hiding spots on the main route to Tita Town. Well choose a spot as our temporary lodging."
Neither Mary or Galeart objected Kierans suggestion.
Although Galearts vignce towards Kieran didnt decrease one bit, the elderly man with a loyal heart would not deny a solid fact.
The group moved out once more. This time around, Kieran was at the back of the line instead of taking the lead. He was covering their tracks as they advanced forward.
The killer was frightened to death and didnt show up, though it didnt mean he would not send others in his ce. At least, Kieran was sure that the killer wasnt alone in this after the previous battle.
The way the group was moving was destined to be slow.
After finding a suitable spot to settle down, Mary, Galeart and Kieran finally returned to Tita Town in the afternoon.
The two bodies were still hanging on the beam, waiting for the wind to dry them up.
The guards formation was same as yesterday: two at the entrance and one with the bow on top of the outpost tower.
Kieran didnt take the bodies right away. Instead, he carefully avoided the sights of the guards and sneaked into Tita Town.
The two meter tall wooden fence might be a problem for amoner, but it was a piece of cake for Kieran. Kieran didnt even need a run to boost himself up; all it took him was a push of his palm to leap over the wooden fence.
Kieran headed directly towards the heart of the town where the only two-storey building was located.
The five riders from yesterday who were given the mission to hunt down the aid-givers started out from there.
It was evident that the best house in Tita Town had be Duke Sergourneys temporary lodging.
Even though the duke died under his hands, he couldnt obtain more information from a dead body. Therefore, Kieran was hoping for a discovery at the ce he was staying.
In fact, if it was not for the emergency at Swusters Castle, Kieran would have gone into the building yesterday.
The door wasnt locked.
Those five riders left in a hurry because of their eagerness for achievements. The townspeople also seemed to be avoiding the spot as much as possible. Hiding in the shadows, Kieran saw two curious kids going near the building before being dragged back home by their mother, followed by cries from scolding.
No doubt the duke was not weed here. He brought nothing but fear into the townspeoples hearts. But it was good news for Kieran. At least he could make sure the building was unupied after the five riders left.
Kieran gripped the door handle and turned it with the slightest strength to minimize the friction between the door pivot and door frame before exerting more strength to push it open.
The door was pushed open with a light screech that wouldnt startle anyone.
Kieran slipped inside quickly and closed the door.
He turned around and started to inspect the houses interior.
The ce he was standing on was the porch, connecting to the stairs to the second floor and the living room. Other than the living room, the first floor had a kitchen and what should be a foyer but was filled with all sorts of carpets.
After Kieran pushed open the room door, a dense stench of sweat assaulted his nose and forced him to cover it. One couldnt ask for some hygienic behaviour from a bunch of soldiers in a dungeon world where baths were only the privileges of the rich and the nobles who cared about how they dressed.
After a thorough check and finding no valuable leads, Kieran left the first floor and headed to the second.
The second floor had a master bedroom and a regr bedroom, which should be where the owner of this building and their child rested. But after the duke arrived, the master bedroom remained the same, but they turned the other bedroom into a study.
The alteration saved Kieran a lot of work. He quickly found what he was looking for on a makeshift study table that was a cab filled with books.
Two pieces of armor, a long sword and a knapsack with blood stains.
No doubt the items were from the two bodies hanging outside town. After checking the armors, sword and confirming they were juste normal tier equipments, Kieran turned his eyes to the knapsack.
After taking out the food and the water bottle inside, Kieran found two pieces of letter.
...
Dear Harway,
I know this letter will cause you trouble, but I wish for your aid!
I am in grave trouble and desperate for help!
Sincerely,
Ellen, your dearest friend.
Ti680.9.4
...
Both the letters had simr content. One was for Harway and the other was for Fuller.
The dates were the same as well, seemingly sent off at the same day.
"Then, the letter that was sent to my "teacher" should be the same as well!"
There wasnt a letter when Kieran entered the dungeon world.
ording to Galearts words, the letter should be with his "teacher" that he had never met before, but who was already dead.
Comparing both letters in his hand, Marys mother didnt reveal any information in the letters, but based on Harway, Fuller and his, the disciple of Andys, rtionship, the four of them should be something more thanmon friends, though one of them had a hidden agenda.
"Harway? Fuller? Who else would it be?"
Kierans attention was drifting around the two names. His heart was guessing the answer.
He then pocketed the letter and moved towards the master bedroom.
The first thing that came into his eyes was a king-sized bed and a closet. Other than that, there was nothing noteworthy.
Though, Kierans attention was caught by something peculiar, a stand as tall as a grown man beside the bed. The body of the stand was made of wood. On the tip of the wooden stand was a horizontal beam two fingers thick and almost 40 cm long.
A chain as thick as a thumb was hanging around the intersection of both the body and the beam. One side of the chain was nailed onto the body, the other was hanging over the horizontal beam with a buckle.
"This is...?"
Kieran squinted his eyes.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
This is? A dragonball?
Chapter 364: Secret Orders
Chapter 364: Secret Orders
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
An eagle stand.
An essential item when training an eagle. Though after the training, it would be a lodging spot for the eagle instead. Some eagle trainers with a special set of skills could train the eagles to take its meal on the eagle stand as a habit.
It was not out of the blue for a noble to own a eagle.
In fact, owning an eagle was only limited to the nobles because of the resources needed to train it. However, even after being away from his base and obviously on a special mission, Sergourney still brought the eagle stand with him. The fact was food for thought.
Seemed like Sergourney was not some good-for-nothing-man from a wealthy family. He knew his priorities and the consequences of matters. Hence, there was only one reason for him to bring along the eagle stand.
"Amunication-oriented eagle?" Kieran muttered.
He then started to search the master bedroom. Using the eagle tomunicate would definitely leave behind some specialized scriptures or notes. Kieran couldnt find anything on Sergourneys body nor in the study before; it should be around here.
When Kieran lifted up the pillow, a palm-sized note appeared before him.
Kieran picked up the note made of cow leather and took out a pencil from his backpack before rapidly scribbling on it.
After a while, words began to emerge as he scribbled.
"The target isnt within the convoy, heading towards Swusters Castle."
There was no starting or ending, no names or signs, but enough for Kieran to make more guesses. After all, it was too easy to guess the targets rted to Sergourney.
The imperial envoy! There was no other target other than him.
Though, the envoy seemed to be not all that stupid; he left the convoy and carried the secret order to Swusters Castle alone, leaving the convoy to divert attention.
"Hold on!"
Kieran suddenly thought of something. He checked the room a second time and made sure he didnt miss out anything before leaving the house in haste. He went back to the temporary lodging spot.
Of course, Kieran didnt forget Marys request before he left.
Just when the outpost guard turned around, Kieran took a second and grabbed the two bodies down before disappearing into the shadows.
...
"Are they Harway and Fuller?"
Mary frowned hard when she faced the bloody and gruesome bodies.
The girl was not satisfied after witnessing the two bodies because of the badly mutted faces; she couldnt achieved what she had thought.
"Umm. I only found these two bodies outside town. Oh, before I forgot, this one too!"
Kieran then handed over the letter written by her mother while they were talking.
Kieran could clearly see the little girls the strange manner when he handed over the letter, butpared to the doubts from before, Kieran noticed some clues this time around.
More precisely, it was because of a new discovery inside the letter written by Ellen, Marys mother, to the Harway and Fuller.
The word "trouble" appeared in both letters.
It was not something an old friend would use while meeting. On the contrary, it would appear when addressing those who had aplicated rtionship with Ellen.
Evidently, something must have happened between the four of them Ellen, Harway, Fuller and Andy when they were young.
Whenever the hormone-filled youth came together, different feelings would naturally ur.
Though, by the looks of it, Harway and Fuller should be the failed candidates and Kieran wasnt sure whether Andy was the winner. But he knew what Mary wanted to do.
To identify her father!
Inside Swusters Castle, there was not a single trace of a father, but surely it didnt mean that Mary didnt need one. However, based on Kierans spections, Marys mother would consider her past lovers as a taboo and seemed like she never mentioned it in front of her daughter.
Which forced Mary to resolve to the most idiotic way, checking whether there was any resemnce between her and the supposed "father".
Throughout the journey, it was not the first time Mary had made such aparison. Mary evenpare herself to Kieran. Although Mary thought she was undetected when shepared herself with him, it couldnt escape Kierans eyes.
"A father?"
Kieran shook his head and turned around when she saw Mary frowning.
Kieran was not good at dealing with such a situation since he didnt have any parents since his birth. All he could do was wait.
The waitsted for a whole 10 minutes before Mary said something.
"You have my gratitude, 2567!" The girl said. Her face was somewhat regretful.
If Mary could tell the resemnce between herself and the two badly mutted face, her senses would be terrifying. There was not much of a gappared to a real shaman with gifts like that.
Following the thanks, the system notification popped up.
[Sub Mission: Help! (Completed)]
"Where did the envoy and your mother promise to meet up in Tita Town?" Kieran turned around and asked.
"Under the big tree outside Tita Town... Anything wrong?" Mary looked doubtfully at Kieran.
Her sharp sense allowed her to clearly see Kierans thinking manner as well.
"Just thought of a spection. If the envoy had no ill-intent and bore goodwill from start, then why would he make an extra move to call your mother to the big tree outside Tita Town?"
Kieran said, handing the paper with the scribbled marks to Mary.
Mary went into deep thought when she took the paper.
Kieran was not stopping though.
"This envoy knew how to use the convoy to divert the attentions of the people targeting him, then he should have known why those people were after him!"
"The secret order?" Mary asked.
"Exactly, the secret order! The secret order is the real target of these killers! And out of instinct, everyone thought the order would be on him all the time and neglected some other important points! So, this smart envoy yed tricks on the killers again by using himself as lure, capturing the remaining attention and sent someone away to hide the secret order and inform your mother about it."
Kieran was looking at the girl who had seemingly thought of something.
"You are saying?" Mary was not some dumb child. Quite the opposite, the intelligent girl thought of something.
"The secret order should have been buried around the big tree outside Tita Town beforehand!" Kieran said his spections.
"But my mother..."
Mary tried to muster up some words, but before she could, she stopped abruptly.
The little girl thought of the zing Swusters Castle and also thought of some daily habits of her mother. As her daughter, Mary was no doubt the person who understood Ellen the most. And because of such an understanding, made Mary realized something.
"Can I apany you to the big tree?"
Mary requested, trying to verify her own guesses.
"Sure!"
Kieran nodded and headed towards the big tree within sight.
But...
Someone was quicker!
Chapter 365: Agonizing Death
Chapter 365: Agonizing Death
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
Galeart, who was supposed to be heavily wounded and couldnt even get up on his feet, dashed out to that big tree like the wind.
Kieran was faster, or should it be said, he was prepared for this.
He grabbed Mary with one hand and the box with [Arrogant Word] with the other and arrived at that big tree a step ahead of Galeart.
As soon as he reached the big tree, he swung the box in his hand.
Bang!
The sturdy and heavy box smashed hard on Galearts raised arm. The impact stopped his maddened dash and made him stagger behind. Kieran didnt even spare a window for Galeart to breath. He pulled out the dark red greatsword and shed it down onto Galearts skull.
Wuuuu!
The raging, air-breaking howl sted Galeaets white hair and beard. He started to wobble under the pressure of the strong wind. Although, a fraction of a second before [Arrogant Word]s sharp edge shed his skull, he dodged it with a sudden sh of movement and retreated at least 10 meters away.
Mary, who was behind Kierans back, had already squinted her eyes to the scene.
Even though she was a child in the public eyes, her mothers education and her early matured thinking allowed her to hone her intelligence far above her peers to an unimaginable level.
The scene before Mary made it clear to her what happened.
"Galeart! Its you who killed mother!?" Mary yelled.
Galeart kept quiet, not because of guilt or missing words, but because he couldnt speak.
He was dragged back after that sh dodge by an unaware spider web that wastched on his left arm that was covered with bandages.
Kieran, who was controlling the other side of the spider web, pulled hard out of a sudden.
Galearts body was suddenly sent flying towards him even though the body seemed so buffed.
At the end of the line where Galeart was flying towards was the sharp edge of [Arrogant Word] waiting for its victim.
Chang!
A cold light shed in mid air, following which, a thin, narrow sword appeared from his waist to his hand, slicing towards the spider web.
Ding!
The spider web, which should be soft and easy to cut loose, had a defensive power that far exceeded Galearts imagination. He thought the spider web would be easily cut off, but instead, he failed to. It even produced a metallic screech when his de collided with it.
There were no chances for Galeart to escape from the spider web as the dark red de edge appeared in front of him again.
Though the sh missed its target.
Galearts body suddenly twisted like a snake and swirled away from the de edge, arriving before Kieran. He was shooting off killer intents from his eyes at Kieran who was meters away from him. Galeart was eager to tear Kieran to pieces since he was the one who ruined his ns, and so he did.
The thin narrow sword was even more nimble than a whip. It was twisted in mid air and the sharp tip of the de split from one to ten, stinging towards Kierans eyes, throat, heart and abdomen.
When Kieran saw theplicated attack, he didnt make the effort to dodge it and allowed the attack tond on his body.
After a cry from Mary from behind, only she noticed that the des didnt even touch Kierans body, but were stopped by a formless force-field barrier.
[Primus Scale]!
The powerful, defense force-field protected Kieran from theplicated sting.
"Because of the swift attacks, he split the power from his sting?"
"What about the force-field barrier?"
Mary tried her best to analyze the situation, but all she got was another cry from herself.
Her cry couldnt even cover the viciousugh from Galeart.
His ten desbined into one and lunged forward like aet, aiming for Kierans throat.
It was fast! Faster than the reaction from amon man. And that sting was not only fast but had quite the power with it as well.
Marys sharp senses made her feel certain that Kierans force-field barrier wouldnt be able to withstand such a sting.
"Be careful..."
Chang!
A loud chime simr to a giant bell ring overpowered the girls reminder.
No one could tell when, but the dark red greatsword had arrived before Kieran, bing a sturdy shield, blocking away the deadly sting.
[Greatsword Blocking]!
Not only did Kieran block the sting, the thin narrow sword was also sent flying off Galearts hand by the shock of the impact.
[Sharp Weapon, Heavy Arms] Transcendence effect [Shock]!
Galeart seemed to have anticipated it beforehand. After he was disarmed by the shock, he neglected his right arm that was numbed by the shock on impact of both weapons and quickly retreated backwards.
Even though he clearly saw that the spider web effect from [Mardos Arm, Spider Webbing] was still sticking to his left arm, he didnt change his actions.
Then, just as Galeart predicted, Kieran pulled the web hard again, dragging him back with a force that he couldnt resist, though he was not panicked at all.
"DIE!" Galeart shouted.
Galeart then used the force of pulling from Kieran and threw himself into the air,unching a barrage of kicks at Kieran.
Ssss, Ssss, Ssss!
His legs turned into a two-headed venomous snake. Not only did they produced a wicked hiss, the kicks were also mixed with speed and strength that Galeart didnt show before.
Galearts signature move was his kicks!
The [Sword Skill, Fast Sting] from before was just a cover up during his usual times. It was just that the moves of his opponents couldnt make him activate his ace card.
Now? It would be the most appropriate timing for him to do so.
A vicious smile appeared on Galearts face. He was eager to see Kieran being kicked to death by his proud kicking skills. Following that was the time for harvest.
Going undercover in Swusters Castle for 10 unsparing years, was this not his goal since the beginning?
Wealth, Power!
Everything was within his grasp!
Then, Galeart had a glimpse of Kierans smile, a one-sided smile filled with mockery.
An unknown terrible feeling flooded Galearts heart, but his confidence in his ace card suppressed the feeling down.
"You are still ying tricks at the verge of dying? You are as foul as Ellen, that resentful woman! Ill show you what an agonizing death feels like!" Galeart shouted.
It was an insult to Galeart after he was yed by Ellens tricks, tossing him around like a ball.
When he saw Kierans smile, he unconsciously recalled Ellens dying smile, the smile that was exactly the same at this particr moment.
This made the rage inside Galearts heart rush up to his mind. He shouted to cover his insult; at the same time, the rage made his attacks stronger and sharper. He wanted Kieran to die an agonizing death. He wished to break every bone in Kierans body with his kicks and let Kieran wail to death.
However, before Galeart turned his thoughts into action, he was covered by blooming afterimages of kicks that could cover the sky, like the melting snow under the scorching sun.
When Galearts kicks came to impact with the stronger, faster, more ferocious kicks, they were instantly defeated and dispersed.
Crack, Crack!
Under the cracking bones, the sky-covering afterimages of kicks turned into a tidal wave, drowning Galeart within.
Transcendence [Hand-to-hand Combat, Kick Combats]!
Master [Barsical Kick, Bide]!
Pro [Hundred Violent Kicks]!
Thebination of three skills allowed Kieran to deliver an agonizing death to Galeart in a definitive way.
Pak!
After around 15 seconds, a pile of deformed meat paste fell on the ground.
The meat paste sttered upon impact on the ground, sshing blood all around.
An orange glow appeared on top of the meat paste.
Chapter 366: Key Factor
Chapter 366: Key Factor
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
An orange glow was glimmering around the book, a glow that only Kieran could see.
[Discovered skill book: Viper Kick]
[Prerequisite met, learn skill?]
"Yes!" Kieran answered without a second of doubt.
[Learned skill: Viper Kick]
[Name: Viper Kick (Basic)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Offense]
[Effect: Your leg muscles and joints could be slightly altered, slightly increasing the attack range or your kicks.]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Hand-to-Hand Combat, Kick Combat (Master), Strength E+, Agility E+, Constitution E+]
[Remark: A set of kicking techniques that is infamous for its bewitching movements and catching your target off guards!]
...
A burning stream swirled around Kierans legs. His brain was absorbing the knowledge of [Viper Kick] from the system and infusing it into every part of his body.
The stream finally stopped after a few seconds.
Kieran tested out a front kick with the new skill.
Tssss!
When the kick reached its maximum force, Kierans thigh and calf muscle tightened up, the knee joints and ankle trembled a little. The straightened tip of his leg let out a sharp hiss simr to a snake, but actually, it was the sound of his muscles and joints moving, and his kick extended another 5 cm forward.
"Catching my targets off guard, eh?"
Kieranmented on the Rare rank kicking skill.
Inside his mind, he already had the n to put this skill into good use, but it was not the time.
He would at least need to level [Viper Kick] to a considerable level.
Then, Kieran walked over to the thin, narrow sword that fell off from Galeart. It was glowing with a brilliant green radiance.
[Name: Buckle Stinger]
[Type: Sword Weapon]
[Rarity: Magic]
[Attack: Strong]
[Attributes: 1. Critical Rate Lvl 1; 2. Nimble Lvl 1]
[Effects: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: This is the favourite de of an assassin, but one needs to wear it around the waist to bring out the full potential of the weapon]
...
[Critical Rate Lvl1: A possible chance to inflict 2x damage when striking target weak points.]
[Nimble Lvl1: It will not restrict your movement]
...
"So he really is the assassin!"
Kieran couldnt help but exim in his heart when he saw the attributes of [Buckle Stinger]
Whether it was [Viper Kick] or [Buckle Stinger], both had the ability to catch an opponent off-guard. Such abilities had be the favourite of the assassin.
Kieran wouldnt mind using such a method in fighting, but [Buckle Stinger] couldnt bepared to [Wild Soul]; thetter was much more important.
After keeping the stinger in his backpack, Kieran turned around and saw Mary staring at what was left of Galeart with a nk look.
The little girl seemed to reveal a sense of hatred from her mannerism, but most of it was absent-mindedness. But before Kieran couldfort her, the little girls sharp senses forced herself to conceal her emotions.
"How did you know Galeart was the assassin?" She asked.
"Just moments before. The assassin who killed your mother was after the secret order, but based on my previous theory, there were only a handful of person who coulde in contact with this matter! Other than the envoy and the subordinate that was ordered to hide the order, the only ones left were your mother, you and Galeart."
"If I am correct, that subordinate should be a man of sacrifice, so its easy to exclude him. After that, it was your mother, you and Galeart again. Among you three, your mother and you are the victims. The most suspicious one would eventually be Galeart!" Kieran was looking at Mary while speaking.
"Remember the hostility that he showed me? From that moment onwards, he was misleading me! He hoped that I would ce my attention on either Harway or Fuller and also mislead the public into thinking that I was that killer!" Kieran continued.
"But this is not enough to prove anything!" Mary frowned, seemingly unable to ept what Kieran had said.
"Yes, it was not enough. In fact, I was very confused at first because Galearts arrangement was wless at first. No one would know how killed Harway and Fuller by surprise! If thetter incidents didnt happen..."
Kieran didnt refute Marys question. Just as he said, Galearts arrangement was wless at first.
"Dont you think it was too coincidental when Galeart woke up and told me everything, right after that Swusters Castle was lit on fire?"
"Other than that, another coincidental point was that the fire revealed that the killer didnt get what he really wanted. Everything was like an act, shown to us after tons of practise, though he overdid it! Most importantly, the wounds on his body were the thing that confused me the most, but they were also the key factor that made me realize what was going on!"
Kieran said while drawing gestures on his body. Every spot he pointed was where Galeart was wounded before. Because of the bandaging, Kieran had a good look at his wounds.
Kieran could refer to his memory and reenact the wounds perfectly on his body.
Mary was staring at Kierans finger.
"Every single wound avoided his right hand, legs and weak points..."
The little girl muttered to herself when Kieran finished pointing it out.
"Um. If he wasnt skilled enough with handling a de, he couldnt have made such wounds on himself! If he was that skilled, it was easy for him to avoid all the lethal spots. Nomon man would like to be covered with wounds, unless he had some other intentions..."
Kieran nodded and looked at Mary who had tilted her head down in silence.
After a small hesitation, he continued.
"During that night he decided to make his move, he drugged you with some sleeping potions, making you unconscious. But he still suspected that your mother already knew everything! When he discovered that your mother had made some arrangement to meet contingencies, his suspicions were confirmed. So he started to disguise himself back, hoping to be the same as before, finishing his task the easier way and getting what he wanted."
"Though he wrongly estimated my arrival time. If I had arrivedter, Sergourney would have definitely started a siege on the tower. Galeart then would act as an injured attendant saving his master with utmost courage. Not only to deceive you but also the hidden imperial envoy. He also needed Sergourneys mouth to spread the word of the incident."
"Galeart never put all his eggs in one basket."
After Kieran finished, he jumped up on a spot into the tree crown above him.
He made his way to one of the branches, more precisely, a birds nest, and took down whatever was inside.
A sealed scroll appeared in his hand and what came after was the system notification pinging him.
Words started to pile up in his vision.
[Discovered key item for the mission...]
[Main mission altering...]
Chapter 367: Not that far
Chapter 367: Not that far
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
[Main Mission: Escort Mary to the imperial city within 30 days, 0/30]
[Note 1: Discovered key item to main mission, rating greatly increased]
[Note 2: Extra rating boost if Mary arrives at the imperial city unharmed]
...
The words piled up in Kierans vision.
Kieran was looking at the goatskin scroll that was sealed with a heavyyer of wax in surprise. It piqued Kierans curiosity; he wanted to see what was written inside, but he knew what he should do at that moment.
He grabbed a side of the secret order and handed it to Mary.
Whether it was her mothers death or the high tower that was set aze, it was all because of this scroll. Kieran understood that Mary should be the one to open the secret order.
Even more so, the main mission from there onwards was directly rted to her.
Kieran was not willing to protect a little girl that he had estranged feelings against.
Who knew what outrageous deeds her childish nature wouldmit?
Even though Mary had showed a mature side since they met.
Marys youthful palm was trembling slightly and so was the scroll. But it didnt stop her from cutting the wax with a small knife and opening it.
Mary had no intention of hiding it, so even from his position, Kieran could clearly see what was written on it.
...
Ellen,
My body couldnt bear it anymore.
Every night when I closed my eyes, I was afraid that I couldnt see the sun on the second day.
So, I need you to bring Mary back to the imperial city, and inform her of her identity, her responsible and authority. Shes my daughter, the daughter of James VIII. She should be the queen of Warren!
It was my mistake a long time ago. I believed that you would educate her in the best way possible. Thus, I did not interfere with you bringing Mary away from me.
But now, she has toe back to me!
Please hurry, I dont have much time.
Wish you all the best.
James VIII
Ti680.8.20
...
Kieran nced over the contents of the secret order.
Though, it was more of a personal letter than a secret order, but the contents made Kieran exim in his heart.
"So this is the truth!"
Kieran started to recall everything that had happened, and everything started toe to light at that moment.
Why would there be an assassin, a rider and even a betrayer that had hidden for a decade?
Everything revolved around Marys identity.
Kieran started to inspect the little girl before him.
A blonde hair with a ponytail, sapphire blue eyes squinting at the secret order, making them look narrow and long. It added ayer of maturity to the youthfulness. Even though there were freckles on her face, they was neglectable.
She was not pretty by any means, but the valiant aura around her granted her her own unique temperament.
"Although bringing Mary away from the king broke her heart, Ellen knew Mary had to face her destiny in the future. So she gave her heart to educate her?"
Kieran was thinking about the methods of the original owner of Swusters Castle, Ellen.
Her rationality was impressive.
Rationality, not intelligence or wisdom.
The secret order was not opened, but Ellen knew what was written inside. Thus, she started to prepare everything. Even though it was a risk to her life, she was not afraid at all.
A person that didnt fear death was the scariest.
Kieran couldnt deny it, but when he truly came across such a character, he realized that he was too shallow, after all. Kieran believed Ellen knew Galeart had a hidden agenda, but she didnt make any response.
Maybe she had her own set of thoughts about Galeart. However, when the imperial envoy left the imperial city, everything came down to thest resort, using Galeart to assist Mary!
Ellen was confident about Galearts decision after knowing the contents of the secret order. She had insights about what Galeart wanted in his heart since a long time ago.
Even though it came with the most risks, with huge benefits to reap, Galeart would definitely take up the task, even if it cost him his own life.
The nature of greed blinded Galearts eyes. As far as the organization behind him was concerned, the temptation of the throne and the leverage of the wholend was too huge.
Ellen had thought of everything from start.
She left the prosperous city, relied on herself and herself alone, with unbending will to keep her child safe. Though, it couldnt really protect her from what was toe.
The king might have been a force to be reckoned with back in the days, but at the present time, he was weak and on hisst breath.
Ellen couldnt rely on such a father to protect her child because she had predicted that immense danger would be waiting for Mary when she arrived at the imperial city.
The royal family, the nobles... No one wished for Mary, the unrted "outsider", to step in and inherit the throne, bing the ruler of Warren.
Dark waves raged beyond sights, clouds of conspiracy covered the sky, open attacks and hidden strikes followed one after another, leading to a relentless pursue of her. How would a little girl of her age survive such a brutal trial?
So, Ellen needed to find protective measures for her child to escort her to the imperial city.
Galeart and the organization behind him was the best option since Ellen already had insights into their capabilities, but...
Kieran unconsciously looked at Mary who was standing silently before him.
"Are you sure your daughter could afford to be with Galeart?"
Kieran muttered in a voice only he could hear.
Ellens ns and arrangement seemed wless except for one point, Mary!
Kieran really had no idea how Ellen trusted that her daughter would sessfully ascend to the throne under the stares of tigers and wolves that were circting around her like she was their dinner.
Even if Ellen did find the protective measures for her, when Mary seeded in inheriting the throne, such measures might turn into a lethal dose of poison for her.
After all, Galeart and his gang was here for the wealth and benefits.
If the results couldnt satisfy them, they would turn their back on Mary.
It was almost certain that they couldnt be easily satisfied because greed itself was a bottomless abyss.
Kieran could already imagine how would they squeeze their benefits out of Mary.
As for Mary herself?
Since she couldnt reach the stage to confront them in time, what would be waiting for her at the end of the line?
Death.
Even more so, when Mary found out that Galeart was the one who killed her mother, what decision would she make?
Regardless of her decision, it would be a harsh and merciless one. Especially when everything was arranged by her mothers hands.
"Is this mercy or cruelty?"
Kieran realized it was the first time he encountered a person that he couldntment about, making him turn silent right after the thoughts.
After a few minutes, Mary, who had been quiet for a while, finally opened her mouth.
"Mother already knew?" The little girl asked vaguely. It was unclear if she was asking whether her mother knew the contents of the secret order or if she was questioning her mother about Galearts identity.
Though both question shared simr traits.
Kieran didnt answer. He knew when the little girl let the questions out that she wouldve guessed it herself with her early maturity. What followed afterward was her decision.
"2567, how far is the imperial city?" The little girl asked.
"Not that far, Ill escort you there."
Kieran answered.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
The bloom of a romantic rtionship
Chapter 368: Rejection
Chapter 368: Rejection
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
Although the duo had decided to leave for the imperial city, Riverdale, before they could leave, they need to finish up onest matter.
Recover Marys mothers sword.
After realizing that Galeart was the killer, the search was not difficult at all. When Galeart dismissed the doubts on Mary after he killed Ellen, he never had the chance to leave Swusters Castle premise.
Rather than hiding it in a ce that he was not familiar with, the familiar Swusters Castle turned out to be the best choice.
Before this, when Galearts subordinates and disciples burnt down the high tower, they might have the motive to bury the location of the sword with the tower.
So, Kieran and Mary went back to Swusters Castle.
The hang bridge was destroyed by the fire, but fortunately, the remaining iron chains were still sturdy enough.
Kieran carried Mary in one hand and climbed over the iron chain with the other. After swiftly crossing the gap, they started to search the crumbled walls and ruined curbs under Marys direction.
The higher part of the high tower had crumbled downpletely. All that was left in the ruins was the burnt bottom part.
The high temperature and the zing mes made the bricks fragile. Kieran carved a path easily with his hands, leading towards Galearts room. When the debris was cleared, a hidden door was found in his room.
"There should be a carpet around here." Mary said, pointing at the door.
Though Kieran had checked the surroundings, he wasnt sure whether Galeart left some traps behind. It was better to be safe than sorry.
Though, the following moment proved that his vignce was much needed.
Kieran signaled Mary to get behind him, and he pulled the door on the floor up hard.
Sou Sou Sou!
Seven to eight arrows were fired through the door, piercing through the crumbled walls and ruins. If someone was still standing at the spot, they would have been shot into a beehive.
Then, the changes on the wall that followed frightened Kieran and Mary.
Tss Tsss!
After that irritaing noise, the wall started to melt with a speed visible to the naked eyes, and just after three breaths time, the wall turned into a pile of asphalt-like goo.
"Careful!"
The scene before Kieran probed more vignce out of him.
After a reminder to Mary, Kieran took a nce inside the secret room and after checking multiple times, only he jumped down.
The secret room was not big by any means, only 4 to 5 square feet. There werent many items within the room either, only a sheathed knight sword.
The sword was double the width of amon long sword and the length was half as longer. But it was narrower and smaller than a two-handed greatsword like Kierans. The tilt had additional weight on it, granting the user the gripping advantage during a ground sword-fight, yet still being outstanding for fighting on horseback.
[Name: Thorn de]
[Type: Sword]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Attack: Powerful]
[Attributes: 1. Thorn Sting; 2. Keen sh; 3. High Spirit]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: Ellens heir]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: No]
[Remark: It was one of the symbols of the royal family of Warren until it was gifted to Ellen as her own]
...
[Thorn Sting: Unleash a Powerful sword energy wave forward, 3/day]
[Keen sh: Has a certain percentage to cleave off equipment or weapons lower than Legendary rank]
[High Spirit: When Keen sh is triggered, attack rank +1]
...
"Keen sh! High Spirit!"
Kieran saw the attributes of [Thorn de] and was shocked by it.
He kind of understood why Galeart was blinded by his greed because he himself had the thought of getting [Thorn de] for himself.
What if Kieran had a longsword with a base Extreme attack and could cleave off weapons and equipments lower than Legendary rank?
Most of the yers would be afraid of him and avoid him like the gue.
Kieran thought of that in his heart but ultimately sighed.
[Thorn de]s prerequisite alone had destined him to never wield the legendary sword, and Marys attitude towards the sword was also clear enough for Kieran to make up his mind.
Mary had be rted to his his main mission. Should the main mission fail, his highest attribute would go down by 2 ranks. It was not something Kieran could afford, let aloneparing it to a Legendary sword that he could not even wield. What should be his priority?
Since Kieran was not an idiot, he knew what decision he had to go with.
Kieran leapt back outside and handed over [Thorn de] to Mary.
The little girl was holding on to the sword as tall as her chest. Although it seemed like she might tip off any moment, she remained silent and held the de with all her strength.
The duo went back over the bridge through the chains once more.
Adding another de on top of Mary was nothing for Kieran in terms of burden.
However, when the duo was crossing the chains halfway, a person appeared on the other side.
Kierans heart instantly skipped a beat.
Though Kieran carried his precious belongings everywhere he went, but now, Mary with him hanging in mid-air was a disadvantage for him.
If the person who suddenly appear was hostile, all they needed to do was cut the chain off and it would force him into an ugly situation.
Just as Kieran was calcting how would he ovee the potential danger, the person across from him opened his mouth.
"I mean you no harm! I am the kings consultant and minister, Bosco!" He identified himself, but it was not enough for Kieran to buy it.
Even after Kieran crossed the chain with Mary andnded firmly on the ground, he still held his guard up when he saw Bosco in a gunny outfit dressed like a farmer.
As for the kings minister and consultant? That was only his own im. Before there was any solid proof, Bosco was just another stranger.
"So you are as vignt as the rumours has it, Sir 2567! If you could pass me the secret order, it could prove my identity! Fret not, I have no intention of knowing the contents within. After all, his Majesty did write the contents down before my very own eyes!"
Bosco, from the prosperous imperial city, seemed to have heard of Kierans reputation.
He showed a friendly smile towards Mary, but she diverted the attention to Kieran.
The little girl had chosen to trust Kieran.
Kieran nodded. He took over the scroll from Mary and handed it over to the man named Bosco and also quietly moved [Arrogant Word] box to his left hand.
Kieran was right-handed, it was far more agile and stronger than his left hand. If any sudden situation should ur, he would have better confidence in dealing with it.
Suddenly, the scroll started to emit a bright light.
Kierans right hand was shivering when the scroll shined, but he didnt make further movements.
He could clearly see the light rising up and extending towards Boscos left hand.
A bright red vein started to form on the back of his hand.
"A connected bloodline?" Kieran guessed.
"This is the secret spell from the royal family of Warren, using the power of the bloodline to prove ones identity! Now, I think Ive proven myself, so... Can I apany you the rest of the journey, Sir 2567 and your Highness Mary?"
Bosco signaled Kieran to inspect his hand before he asked with a light smile.
Though, what followed was a shocking turn of events.
"No!"
Kieran rejected in a decisive tone.
Bosco was shocked, seemingly puzzled with Kierans answer.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
I just like toying you guys :D
Ive also notice there are one two kind souls who still pledge donations in my patreon page despite it was closed.
Much appreciated ! and as much as I want to give out bonus chapters, it is not my door you have to knock on :D
Still Thank you for the donations ~ I shall work harder to remind you guys to knock on our editors door. :D
Chapter 369: Raid Incoming
Chapter 369: Raid Iing
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
"Are you still in doubt about my identity? Other than the royal familys secret technique, I still have other ways to proof myself..." Bosco quickly exined.
Kieran remained silent while looking at the imperial envoy bursting out his words.
He had no problem against Boscos identity after seeing the light from the scroll, but Bosco wanted to follow them to the imperial city?
Kieran would not just agree like that; he clearly knew the situation Bosco was in.
He was being chased down by killers!
Looking at his outfit and the ce he appeared solidified Kierans thoughts.
Kieran had quite the confidence that this imperial envoy has run out of options to keep himself alive. Even with the disguise he was in, he was still being chased relentlessly. That was why he decided to try his luck back at Swusters Castle.
If Kieran were to agree to hispany, the trouble would definitely shift from him to the duo. Even if the trouble had originated from Mary herself, it didnt mean Kieran would help him unconditionally.
Kieran dislike troubles except for one special circumstance, when the rewards outweighed the risk!
In fact, within the dungeon world, Kieran was eager for troubles popping up here and there. Troubles meant rewards; it was what he was after diligently since the beginning.
Bosco didnt stop talking even though Kieran remained silent. He then shifted the focus of the topic.
"I am willing to pledge my loyalty to your Highness Mary. Of course, I would be willing to disy my sincerity to Sir 2567 as well. How about five hundred gold coins? I could go as far as six hundred, not more than that! I am not a wealthy person. My family is just a petty noble one, I even have to save up money and food for my two daughters expenses in Riverdale..."
The envoy seemed to be a smart person and a shameless one as well.
After guessing out Kierans true thoughts, he didnt even hesitate to name his price, beforeining tearfully about his recent state.
Such behaviour from Bosco caused Mary to look askance at the man. Even with her early maturity, she couldntprehend why Bosco shifted his character in such a short moment.
Kieran, however, was treating it calmly. He had faced men even more shameless and cunning than Bosco and gotten the worst of it from the encounter. He knew perfectly how to deal with a person like this. All he need to do was remain firm on his stand, no matter how fancy Boscos words might be. Kieran should be immune to his persistent nature and not be distracted by any words Bosco said.
Therefore, Kieran had no intentions to speak. He was just looking at Bosco calmly.
"A thousand gold coins! The amount is enough to turn heads! This is also the price of a remotend in the country! I cant, I really cannot offer any more!"
"A thousand five hundred gold coin!! This is really myst offer! It is almost all of my lifetime savings! Please dont tell me you want my familynd? No, its not possible! Even if I give my life away, I wouldnt trade away my familynd!"
"Er... Can we switch the terms? Maybe, I can give you half of my familynd? I have to at least save up a considerable dowry for my daughters! A third of thend! A third!"
Bosco started to up his terms and prices facing Kierans silent and calm face.
Mary aside was struck mute by the speed at which Bosco increased his price.
Her gaze towards the envoy started to turn suspicious when she noticed that he said thend around Swusters Castle could be bought with one thousand gold coins afterparing it with her own home.
Marys heart started to wonder: How did an envoy umte so much wealth? Especially when Bosco raised his terms and price, the guess had already deviated from her initial surprise.
The suspicious gaze quickly turned into disgust.
When Bosco noticed the little girls changes, he quickly presented a bitter smile and exined.
"Your Highness, please believe me, I swear on my honor and name that Im not a man who swarms around the rich like flies. All my wealth was acquired through proper means! None of my actions disgrace the name of my family!"
Bosco sounded very sincere, but Mary didnt buy his words.
The envoys face turned even bitter when he felt the unusual gaze from the heir to the throne.
If Bosco was not forced to reveal his hand, why would he risk such a move?
"Please believe my words!"
He pleaded once more to Mary and turned his eyes to Kieran.
Bosco seemed to have a decision made in his heart.
Once he returned to Riverdale, he would move his family out of the country. With his title and nobility, plus thends he owned, it would be enough for the rest of his life.
After all, if he didnt, being misunderstood by the heir to the throne meant his future would be in crumbles. It might go as far as having his life at stake, rather than living under the influence of fear, might as well run away while he still could, leaving everything behind.
Though, Bosco didnt write his thoughts over his face. He spoke with an even more sincere tone to Kieran.
"Sir 2567, what do you wish? Ill do whatever I can within my powers!"
As Boscoid out his final terms, he had handed over the rights to Kieran as he was out of options; he was already at the line of life and death.
With his little life at stake, the imperial envoy knew what his choices were, and his wait was finally ended by Kieran stating his conditions without further hesitation.
"Sword skills, sword skills rted to two-handed swords!" Kieran said.
"Two handed sword skills? Understood! When we return to Riverdale, Ill search every corner possible for the two handed sword skills at once!" Bosco nodded eagerly.
"Before we enter Riverdale! I want to see the books and scrolls writing down the information about the skills!" Kieran emphasized.
Kierans main mission was to escort Mary to the imperial city. After being toyed by the system a couple of time, he understood how the system worked. Should the main mission remain the same, the moment Mary stepped into the city, it would be the time he left the dungeon.
He didnt have any time for Bosco to return from Riverdale with his search.
Kierans condition made Bosco tighten his heart.
The imperial envoy unconsciously thought that his thoughts were seen through by Kieran, but a sneaky look at Kierans face couldnt tell him what he wanted to know.
While his heart was flooding with whispers, Bosco could only hide his emotions with a bitter smile.
"This might be forcing me beyond my powers... But Ill give my utmost effort to it!"
Bosco was still trying to probe more using his words, but when he noticed the chilly gaze from Kieran, he quickly altered his answers to an agreement, like sailing with the wind.
Only then did he notice that Kieran was staring behind him.
Maybe Bosco might be not of use in battle but as the kings private consultant, he had unparalleled understanding towards a mans gaze and changes of manner.
Bosco could clearly tell Kierans gaze at the moment was filled with killer intent and vignce.
What caused such emotions to overflow from his eyes?
Enemies! There was only one possible answer, and the following moment...
"HELP!"
Bosco screamed without giving any further thought and quickly hid behind Kieran under the contemptuous gaze from Mary.
Suuuu, Suuu Suuuu!
A series flesh-creeping and scalp-numbing buzzes sounded from inside the jungle not far away.
When Mary saw what was causing the buzz, her face turned pale.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Ill leave you guys with something to ease on the cliffs, even I cant stand it -_-
Its bugs!
Dedicate this chapter to PasstheNoose, did I spell your name right?
Chapter 370: A Rough Approach
Chapter 370: A Rough Approach
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
Bugs!
ck, brown, and red bugs!
Bugs with horns, legs and pincers!
The bugs were dense and oveppingyer byyer, gushing towards the trio like a raging wave, but when the bugs reached the border of the jungle, every one of them stopped abruptly.
A melodious whistle from a flute sounded within the jungle and calmed the bugs down as if they were asleep.
Though Kieran could clearly feel that the pretentious feeling was not just the looks...
It seemed like it was the enemys habitual tactic to scare its target.
In fact, things were unfolding just as Kieran had expected.
A figure started to emerged from under the bugs in the jungle.
"Bosco, you think you can escape?"
A cold voice sounded under theyers of bugs.
"Samara, I am not running away, I am just temporarily avoiding..."
Bosco was hiding behind Kieran, smiling and speaking in a light tone while looking at Kieran quietly.
The imperial envoy at that moment had lost his directionpletely.
When he left the imperial city for the mission, he understood the trip would be dangerous, but he would have never thought an insect master would be sent after him.
If he knew it would be this dangerous...
A heavy feeling of regret started to rise from his heart, but there was no cure in the world for regret. All Bosco hoped was that the deal he just made with Kieran could save his life. In other words, Kieran was his only hope.
"Who allowed you to address my name directly?!"
The cold voice sounded together with the flute whistling.
Promptly, the bugs that were asleep a moment ago awakened and opened up their pincers and mouths, buzzing and crackling inside the jungle.
The buzz sounded as if the bugs wanted to tear Boscos flesh off piece by piece.
Dark green venom was drooling off the bugs mouth; a vile stench was floating around the jungle. The breeze carried the stench forward to Kieran and the others.
The buzzing lingered in their ears, and the stench assaulted their nose, which made Bosco feel the breath of death.
Fear hadpletely shrouded the imperial envoy. Even though he knew the insect masters tactic was to let his enemy copse without attacking, at that moment, Bosco was even worse than the little girl beside him, hiding behind Kieran and crying like one.
"Save me!!" His high pitched voice stung Marys ears.
"Shut up!" Mary scolded him.
After she shut Bosco up, she turned and looked across.
Marys face was pale, but still she clenched her teeth and held her gut together. She pulled the short sword out from her waist and pointed it at the infestation in the jungle.
Though, her hands were shivering non-stop.
She was afraid of the scene before her, but her conviction supported her mentally and physically to not cry like Bosco did.
Her actions were responded to with augh of mockery from the insect master.
"You want to stab me with your needle? Come,e on! My little precious ones love tender and juicy meat like yours!"
The insect master spilled out threatening words from his mouth, which caused Marys hand to shiver even fiercer.
Even her fingers were starting to turn stiff, causing her to lose her grip on her sword.
Right away, her sword started falling off her hand, but in the nick of time, a bigger hand held her hand that was gripping her sword. The firm hand made her hold her sword tightly.
"Leave this to me," Kieran said calmly.
Kierans tone was t and never emphasized on any specific words, but it was enough tofort the little girls heart.
The little girl was looking at Kieran who was just a couple of years older than her and his youthful face silently. She nodded.
Kieran stepped up and ced the little girl behind him.
"Another fool not afraid of death! Do you know who you are facing? The insect master, Samara! A name that will strike fear in your heart, you..."
The words of disdain, mockery mixed with threatening manner were interrupted before they was finished.
"You speak too much," Kieran said coldly.
He didnt have the patience to y mind games with the person in front him; he always preferred to deal with matters the direct way.
Then he pped his hands and took out a 30 centimeter long wooden staff which was as thick as a pencil and coated in paint.
[Fireball Spell Array!]
As Kierans thoughts moved, a reddish orange fireball rumbling and swirling with hot mes and the size of a basketball was fired right into the jungle.
KABOOOM!
The deafening explosion sted out 5 meter wide fiery waves half a mans height. The venomous bugs within the st range were turned into ashes in an instant.
The figure that was hiding himself in the jungle started to reveal himself as well under the brightness of the mes.
A dwarf-sized, bare-chested man revealed himself. His chest was tattooed with countless strange tattoos, and his head was twice as big as a normal man, almost taking up half of his body.
His face was vicious, and he had a mouthful of yellowish, rotten teeth.
The abominations eyes went round as he stared in iprehension at what had just transpired before him.
"How is this possible?! Why is there another sorcerer here?"
The scene proved different than the information Samara had been given.
He had never made the preparation to battle with an enemy that was a sorcerer.
The insect master unconsciously wanted to retreat, but it seemed like he had underestimated Kierans speed and determination to kill his enemy.
Wuuu!
Amidst the trembling ground, the image of a rhino shed behind Kieran, and the dark red greatsword was dazzling with a bewitching shine.
The heavy sense of danger caused Samara to instinctively move his bugs in front him as a shield, but the venomous bugs that all his previous enemies were afraid of couldnt even stand a hit from Kieran.
Pak!
Crushed! Every insect within Kierans path was crushed as if a tractor ran through them.
The most primitive force of mother nature presented itself in a rampant and violent form before Samara, Mary and Bosco.
Samara was soaked in fear, Marys eyes were overflowing with splendor and Boscos jaw had dropped.
"sh!"
Kieran shouted; [Arrogant Word]s bewitching shine became even brighter.
Wild! Untamed!
A sharp edge shed over the insect masters eyes. The force prated even the sky and the earth and terrorized the arrogant soul of the abomination.
Pummm!
From top to bottom, a clean sh split the insect master in half, causing two parts of his body to fall on the ground.
With the absence of control and bindings, countless bugs scattered away. Some even started to devour others.
Kieran nced over the venomous bugs and picked up the green glowing item from the insect masters body promptly.
"Y-you are a sorcerer?" Bosco ran over and asked with a stutter.
His eyes were filled with unconceivable shock and reeked of unusual anticipation.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Buggy Mojo JoJo is dead
Chapter 371: Bad News
Chapter 371: Bad News
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
"Umm."
Kieran nodded when he saw the look on Boscos face.
He knew it would do him more good than harm if he did so. At least, he could probe more information out of this imperial envoy.
Was it a lie? It couldnt be consider as one based on Kierans current skill sets.
Kieran had [Mystical Knowledge], [Potionology], [Alchemy], Astrology], [Research of Mystical Beings], plus the active offensive spell, [Burning Hand] and [Charles Fire].
With all of them under his belt, no one would deny his identity as a sorcerer if he said so, even though some of his skills were only at a basic level.
"This is great news! If you are a sorcerer, the tides of the current situation will definitely turn to the better side! The battle of his Majesty against the other person will surely lead to victory if youre on our side!" Bosco sounded excited as he eximed.
Then, in response to Kieran and Marys puzzled expression, Bosco continued.
"That other person is the kings elder sister, the ceremonial minister of the pce and also the one responsible for Ellens exile! She was once the popr candidate to inherit the throne. It was just that the previous king chose his Majesty over her because of his gender which struck dissatisfaction and anger in her. She never gave up the thought of taking over the throne herself and has always been preparing her forces in the dark, striking his Majesty from time to time..."
"During thest winter, his Majesty was suddenly attacked by some "monster". Surely, it was her dirty work! But none of us had any proof against her. Her forces are too overwhelming. Even when his Majesty was in his prime, she always acted independently and defiantly. Now that his Majesty is hurt and on his sick bed, her influence and forces have expanded swiftly inside the imperial city, to the extent that she could shut out the heaven with one palm!"
The imperial envoy seemed to have disyed sadness and helplessness when he spoke of the incident. Kieran was unmoved by his words and continued to watch his performance.
Kieran believed his story should be true, but definitely not as emphatic as he put it.
The reason why he did it was to win over Marys fondness.
Kieran turned his eyes to Mary, who was also looking doubtfully at Bosco and his ims.
Kieran then pointed at the insect masters body.
"This guy here is also one of her forces?" Kieran asked.
"Yes, a very important one! There are three or four sorcerers of simr ranks around her. Those sorcerers had gathered around her a long time ago, and became the core members of her force since then. They were also the reason why she was so feared by the public. The mystical is the unknown, the unknown will breed fear, and death will always follow after fear. Oh, people of Riverdale... if one can leave the ce, better flee in haste!"
Bosco ended his words with a slight sigh; his tone was like the nursery rhymes sung by children and poems sung by poets.
"The mystical force has plunged their fear deep into the peoples heart?" Kieran raised a brow.
The tone of the imperial envoy allowed Kieran to understand the attitude of the natives towards the mystics.
Feared and revered.
It might be considered as quite the result. At least he didnt have to worry about being chased afterwards. Even Ellen who was exiled after being framed as a "witch" could still settle down within the high tower, without having to worry about the witchs trial or other issues.
Kieran, however, didnt forget about his matter even after slightly touching the worldview of the current dungeon world.
"So what is the rank of this guy among the sorcerers?" Kieran continued his question.
"I dont know. They are very mysterious and far exceed the range that a private consultant could reach, even if I served the king. They will onlymunicate as equals with those who share their ranks. Even as a noble myself, I am still a rank lower in their eyes!"
"Though his Majesty isnt within their list because the royal family has the bloodline of sorcerers! That is why the sorcerers are willing to gather around them and serve them. Just that she expanded much quicker than his Majesty. No matter how his Majesty tried to catch up with her, all he could recruit were two more sorcerers on his side. Compared to her, there is still quite the gap..."
"But after you killed the insect master, the tides will be different now! Of course, if you are willing to join his Majestys ranks..."
Bosco then looked at Kieran as he spoke, anticipating his answer.
"We need to pack and get moving!" Kieran said. He didnt provide a definitive answer.
First of all, he couldnt make sure whether Boscos words were true. One couldnt count on an unworthy person mixed around in the pce to spill the truth out.
Secondly, there was no sub mission regarding his request.
ording to Kierans previous experience, with Bosco speaking about the pce, there should be a sub mission appearing right about now, but his empty vision proved otherwise since the system wouldnt lie.
Therefore, he became more suspicious of Boscos words.
"Of course, of course! Whatever you say!"
Bosco smiled and nodded repeatedly and didnt felt the slightest bit of dissatisfaction because of Kierans answer. He even made himself useful and joined them in preparing the war horses and luggage packing, as if he was a worker of the convoy.
"So which is true, which is false? Or... did he hide away everythingpletely?"
Kieran squinted his eyes over Bosco who was busy packing, but he was not in a hurry to press the topic.
Kieran had plenty of time to find out the truth on the way to Riverdale.
He then turned his attention to Mary; the little girl was keeping herself calm. She did not alter her thoughts about Riverdale after Boscos words.
With her early maturity, she would have known what danger would await her on the journey, but she chose not to back down.
"She wants to see her father?"
Kieran sighed in his heart after he rted to Marys previous manners and actions.
He quickly turned around and focused on his Magic reward since he couldnte up with an appropriate word offort for the little girl.
The Magic item was a palm-sized flute.
[Name: Bug Pipe]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: Magic]
[Attack/Defense: None]
[Attribute: Using a special melody to gather the insects in the nearby area.]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: Instrument. Flute, Knowledge (Master), Entomology (Master)
[Able to bring out of dungeon: No]
[Remark: You will need a special set of skills to use it]
...
"Instruments? Knowledge?"
Kieran frowned over the two unfamiliar skill prefixes. He had nevere in contact with simr skills before and neither had he heard anything from Lawless.
"Special skills? Or simr to [Greatsword Blocking], that kind of extra basic skill?" Kieran wondered.
However, until they started their journey, Kieran couldnt get a precise answer, but it didnt wear him down. Quite the opposite, Kieran found it interesting when the system kept presenting refreshing and unknown information for him because it meant that the underground game was much moreplicated that he thought.
It was a good news for Kieran since he wanted to rely on the underground game for more gains.
Though, before he could celebrate, bad news hade knocking on his door.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Kieran is literally a bad news ma
Chapter 372: Failure
Chapter 372: Failure
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
The ground was trembling lightly.
A riding team of over a hundred riders stormed past Kieran and the others with lightning speed.
Based on their advancing path, Kieran knew that their destination was Tita Town.
"They should be Sergourneys reinforcements... but how could they arrive so fast?"
Bosco muttered to himself in confusion, standing on top of the hill.
"Just like what you said, that Madam Jeanne Jamess forces are much stronger than we expected. Maybe she has her spy within Tita Town!"
Kieran was not too surprised over the appearance of the riders.
After knowing who his enemy was, he had already made plenty of preparation, even more so when he asked Bosco about his enemys name and life.
Jeanne James, the elder sister of King James VIII.
A person unwilling to remain out of the limelight after the decision of the previous king robbed the throne away from her.
The secret organization that she founded under her was quite big. Her men were all over every corner of the imperial city, including the men around King James VIII who were her spies.
As for the forces in the light, ording to Bosco, the military minister was one of her most faithful guardians because he tried to woo Jeanne when they were younger.
Over 60% of the entire kingdoms military force was rted to that military minister. If it wasnt for some older noble families that stood loyally beside King James VIII, the king that Bosco mentioned would have been dethroned before he even ascended to the throne.
Even still, it was not an easy life for King James VIII. Not only did he fail to protect Marys mother, he couldnt even look after himself.
Kieran asked Bosco about the details of the monster attack during the kings winter hunting. It could only be described with one word, coincidence.
It was coincidental to the extent that it looked like it was arranged beforehand by someone. In fact, when King James VIII was in aa, Jeanne has practically taken over the pce and the kingdom.
As for why she didnt kill King James VIII on the spot and ascend to the throne herself when she had the chance?
It was not because they were brothers and sisters; it was because there was a sorcerer who imed to be Warrens strongest beside King James VIII. His persistence prolonged the kings life numerous times, but it had its limits as well.
Since that sorcerer didnt pay much attention to the politics, he didnt have the ability to stop Jeanne and her influence from seeping into every seam and gap of the pce, imperial city and the Kingdom of Warren.
Kieran had enough confidence now that he knew that the assassin he met that night in Swusters Castle was one of Jeannes. Only then did everything make sense.
The assassin saw Sergourney and his men dead and thus sent the message back. Then, Jeanne sent out a bunch of reinforcements right away.
The hundred riders before them were just a portion of the reinforcements; there were more troops following behind.
"This means trouble! We have to get to Lightning Fortress as soon as possible. Only then we can wait for the only reinforcement we have!" Bosco said with a heavy expression.
"Lightning Fortress?" Kieran asked.
"That is the ace card his Majesty left for me!" Bosco said but didnt reveal further details.
Kieran didnt press on the topic either; he looked at Mary.
"Are you ready? There will be countless enemies standing in our path, if you want to leave, this is yourst chance!" Kieran said.
"You said you will escort me to the imperial city!" The little girl emphasized, looking stern.
"Well then... Shall we?"
Kieran leapt on one of the warhorses, and under Boscos guidance, they chose to deviate from the main route and journey through the smaller and secluded ones.
To avoid the potential pursuers, they had to hide in the day and travel at night; still, the battles were inevitable.
Jeanne James possessed very powerful abilities and was extremely resourceful; waves after waves of pursuers attacked Kieran and co. with utmost precision, preventing their progress.
However, all of the attacks were only battles to increase more Magic rank loots for Kieran.
Hour after hour, day after day.
Jeannes pursuers had stopped on the tenth day, but Kieran, Mary and Bosco were not enthusiastic about it. They knew that with Jeannes persistent character, she must be preparing something even bigger.
The next attack from the pursuers would be the one where she revealed her ace card.
Though Kieran and co. were still progressing forward.
During the end of the second week and the beginning of the third, Kieran and co. arrived at a mountain cave not far away from Lightning Fortress.
The chilly night breeze was blocked by the mountain backs.
The exhausted Mary fell asleep hugging her long sword beside the warm campfire.
Kieran was busy beside her as well. When the pot water was boiling, he threw in meats and vegetables.
The vegetables were collected on the way there, and the meat was from a hare he had caught. The wild hares during fresh autumn were quite fat and meaty; it was a good choice to either grill it or boil it. Though, after considering the temperature at night, cooking a pot of soup was the best option.
After an hour of boiling, Kieran opened the cover and stirred it with a wooden spoon. The soup was white as milk, the chunks of meat were swirling in the essence of the pot.
Transcendence level [Cooking] allowed Kieran to easily cook up the dish before him.
Even with insufficient spices, Kieran purposely picked the vegetables that could remove the meaty stench and enhance the freshness of the soup. The soup instantly brewed out an alluring aroma when the cover was lifted.
Mary instantly woke up from her deep sleep despite her exhaustion.
When Kieran took out the dried bread that he carried with him, the little girl had prepared her bowl and spoon out of habit.
Throughout the journey, the thing that the little girl anticipated the most was definitely Kierans cooking.
The relentless pursuers from the back and countless obstacles in the front. The seemingly endless journey was supposed to be torturous to Mary, but even under such circumstances, Marys growth surprised Kieran every time.
Mary only spent around two weeks from struggling to hold the [Thorn de] to carrying it casually on her back.
"Here, have some and get some rest. We might have a big battle at dawn!"
Kieran split the dried bread with a hardened stick and passed it to Mary. He reminded her while watching her dip the bread into the souppletely.
Kieran nned to arrive at Lightning Fortress at dawn; that was in the middle of the route to Riverdale.
"Em!" Marry nodded.
No matter how Bosco emphasized throughout the journey that they could get help at Lightning Fortress, but after two weeks of traveling with the envoy, both Kieran and Mary had understood the fact that the words that came out of Boscos mouth had only 30% of reliability.
The reinforcements or help that he was mentioning?
Neither of them held any hope to that. Therefore, when Bosco brought a man before them, Kieran and Mary were quite surprised.
"Why are you people looking at me as if Im lying?"
Bosco opened his arms with a shrug. His face was utterly delighted, but when he saw that the pot was already half empty, the delight of the imperial envoy disappeared instantly.
"Hey! I thought we agreed to start the meal when I came back!" Bosco ranted.
When Bosco discovered Kierans magnificent cooking for the first time, he felt disbelief, like watching aetnding on earth before him.
Even to the very moment, he couldnt believe that Kieran, a sorcerer, would be an outstanding cook as well. The characteristic didnt fit his looks at all. However, there was one thing Bosco was certain about. Even with insufficient ingredients and spices, Kierans cooking was still delicious.
Bosco was wondering whether Kieran casted some spell over the food, but his wondering didnt stop him from chasing after the delicious foods.
Bosco was very much eager to dash over to the pot, but the man beside him made him stand in his ce.
"This is Sir Fandral, Warrens strongest sorcerer!" Bosco said after pretending for a bit.
He was anticipating surprise from Kierans face, but Kieran was as calm as ever.
"Fine, Ill leave you big fellows be. Id like to have my dinner!"
Bosco then ran over to the pot, leaving Kieran and Fandral inspecting each other.
Fandral was a middle-aged man with a head of dense ck hair and a beard-covered face. His eyes were extremely sharp though. His body was quite buffed and tall, wielding a really heavy staff as tall as himself.
Kieran didnt even doubt his melee fighting abilities a bit.
If it wasnt for Boscos introduction, Kieran wouldnt rte the man before him with Warrens strongest sorcerer.
First was his age. Although it wasnt a fact that a sorcerers power grew with his age, but enough learning and absorbing knowledge still would take quite a long time. Thus, most of the stronger sorcerers were the elderly or simr.
Second was his buffed physique and temperament. He looked more like a knight than a sorcerer. It might be innate for his height and physique, but his temperament was something acquired through training.
"Honed his skills in the battlefield?" Kieran guessed.
"So you are 2567? Ive heard that woman has caused quite the trouble for your recently? This is joyous!"
Compared to Kieran who was guessing left, right and center, Fandral the sorcerers was much more direct. With the body and temperament of a knight, the sorcerer revealed a bright smile and said, "Come, let us make way to the imperial city!"
Right after he finished, he started drawing on the ground.
An unknown magic circle was drawn before Kieran on the ground.
After Fandral signaled everyone to stand inside the magic circle, his lips muttered as he chanted some incantations to activate the power of the magic circle.
But...
After a bright sh, nothing happened. Kieran and co. were still standing inside the cave.
Kieran frowned right away.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Gandalf when he was young.
YOU SHALL NOT PASS!
Literally lol
Chapter 373: Solo Ride
Chapter 373: Solo Ride
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
The spell failed to cast?
A bad feeling started to bloom in Kierans heart.
Kierans mind started spinning faster when he saw Fandral had given up muttering softly and had started to chant his spell out loud.
Obviously, the failure casting his spell was very much rted to that Madam Jeanne.
She would have guessed that her own brother, King James VIII, was hiding some arrangement to defy her. After all, it was not too hard.
The king had a limited hand to y. Other than Fandral, there was almost nothing else.
The relentless pursuits from before were not purposely targeted at Kieran, but to chip off King James VIII bit by bit, forcing him to send Fandral out.
So she could kill King James VIII once and for all.
Fandral, who was the shield of King James VIII, was forced to leave his side. How could Jeanne let this opportunity to kill the king slip off her hands?
As far as Fandral was concerned, Jeanne wasnt scared of Fandrals retaliation, judging from him failing to cast his own spell. Kieran was confident that Jeanne has set up countermeasures to pin Fandral down and seal his magic off, causing him to not act rashly.
Things were unfolding as Kieran has expected.
After another failed run on his magic spell, Fandrals bright eyes started to turn gloomy.
"My wife has betrayed me! The room connecting this teleportation magic was only essible to me and her alone. Other than her, no one else could disturb the teleportation."
Fandrals words shocked Bosco and Mary beyond logic, and after the major shock, they both thought of King James VIII simultaneously.
"How about his Majesty!?" Bosco asked anxiously. Mary was staring at Fandral nervously.
"Ive set up a defensive magic circle in his Majestys bed room. Even if that woman sent her men out to kill his Majesty, it would at leastst around three hours. But traveling from Lightning Fortress to the Imperial City would take at least five hours on a horse. And since that woman has made her final effort, she wouldnt let us reach the Imperial City safely! Im afraid Lightning Fortress has been locked down, we..."
Before Fandral could finish, everyone present understood what he wanted to say.
"Its over! Everything is over!" Bosco went limp and fell to the ground.
If Jeanne got what she wanted, with her extreme methods, Bosco, the imperial envoy and private consultant of the king, would end miserably. Bosco was thinking about his wife and two daughters at home.
How would they be treated?
The scary thought made Bosco tremble uncontrobly.
Mary was standing there, still like a wooden sculpture. Her face was white like paper. Her magnificent sapphire blue eyes had lost their dazzle at that moment.
The conviction that supported her from the beginning had crumbled at that moment.
All the little girl wanted was to see her father once, but the cruelty of fate made the small wish impossible toe true.
Tears filled her eyes and eventually rolled down her cheeks. She didnt cry out loud but was tearing up in silence. The sight of her tearing up was very painful to watch.
Fandral was looking at Mary with a heart full of guilt. What he wanted to do was not possible anymore.
The betrayal of his wife made him lose everything in an instant. He was robbed of his abilities to see with his eyes in a thousand miles and the heart to resist. The wife who betrayed him was bearing his child as well, the child that he was anticipating, his heir.
"Im sorry!"
Fandral turned around and apologized in his heart again.
The strongest sorcerer in Warren was at his weakest in that particr moment.
Fandrals actions fueled Boscos despair even more. The sharp envoy seemed to have noticed the sorcerers thoughts. Helplessness filled every inch of his body. Bosco suddenly realized the talking and observing skills that he was always proud of had be something useless and disgusting. He would rather not read Fandrals thoughts at that moment.
Bosco wished that his skills would convert into a sword skill!
At least, he could still put up a fight.
Now? All he could do wasugh helplessly, mournfully. Words of mocking were spilling from his mouth, like the ravens cry.
Gawk!
Mary was biting her lips hard, stopping herself from sobbing. Under her teeth, her lips were tainted with bloody red. Her tears had blurred her eyes. As she raised her hand to wipe it, she gripped the sword on her waist tight as well.
The little girls heart was telling her to be strong.
She had lost her parents, but she had a mortal enemy now. She wanted revenge!
She took a deep breath, wanting to say something, but before she could, a palm was ced over her head. The warmth from the palm was pouring into the little girl. She raised her head and saw the youthful face.
Kieran was calm and cool as usual. His calmness soothed hearts, his coolness gained trusts.
The little girl couldnt help but let the words slip out of her mouth.
"Pl...Please save him!"
Kieran tilted his head down, and he saw Marys sobbing face, tears rolling down her cheeks. His ears was filled with the sobbing entreat. The little girl before him seemed to have oveid with someone within his mind.
"Mommy, Daddy, where are you?"
"Why you dont want me anymore?"
"I want my mommy, I want my daddy!"
"I am a good boy. Mommy, daddy, please pick me up quickly, okay?"
Inside a small room, a petite figure was sobbing non-stop.
Until tears dried off, until reality brought him back.
The feeling was too harsh to bear, to the extent that Kieran could still feel the pain that stung his heart and suffocated his chest. It was like needles poking his chest, a sword stabbing his heart and a knife slicing his skin.
Pain! The pain of losing someone! The pain of loneliness!
Dong! Dong! Dong!
The excruciating pain sped up the beating of [Fusion Heart]. It was beating like a war drum before a war.
Amidst the drums trembling the heavens, Creature of Desire was howling heavily, like a wounded beast in the wild.
Under the scorching mes, the figures with fiery wings were moaning in sorrow.
Then, the creature opened its eyes. Pride, Envy, Wrath, Sloth, Greed, Gluttony and Lust, all seven types of energy were overflowing from his body.
After that, the fiery figure extended his wings, sweeping the world with its chaotic and rampant aura.
The monsters inside Kieran turned into the most primal source of energy; a raging storm was sting inside Keiran.
It was just an instant. The storm shed over, but when it faded off, it expelled the pain that Kieran was feeling. It expelled the painful memories that Kieran had with his birth!
He rubbed the little girls head gently; the blonde hair felt soft and fluffy.
"Okay!" Kieran said lightly.
In his despair, Bosco raised his head and looked at Kieran.
The strongest sorcerer in Warren, Fandral, turned around quickly and inspected Kieran once more. Both of their gazes were giving off an unconceivable feeling.
"Sir 2567, in case you didnt know..."
Before Fandral could finish, he stopped. Kieran didnt even have the time to listen to what he wanted to say.
Kieran turned around and walked out towards Lightning Fortress.
"You want to ride alone to storm past the fortress? Its impossible! Impossible!!..."
Fandral was shocked before he shook his head. However, his voice was getting dimmer, until it couldnt be heard anymore.
Bosco was looking at Kierans back, shivering, clenching his fist hard.
Mary was also doing the same; her mouth were slightly open.
Aaaaaaaaa!
The little girl screamed her lungs out before breaking out a river of tears.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Kieran here is the maniless shit ever!
Chapter 374: Charge!
Chapter 374: Charge!
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
Wind blew pass Herr Mountains ridges.
From the north to the south, small to big, the wind was whistling into the only valley in the mountains.
The valley was unnamed, but the fortress within wasnt.
Lightning Fortress!
The fortress was builtpletely with stone bricks as a defensive measure. It cost the royal family of Warren Kingdom a total of 30 years, and a tremendous amount of manpower and money to construct it.
Since it was in the middle of the valley, it acted as a barrier for Riverdale, the imperial city of Warren.
The fortress was imprable, with a total of 3,000 armed soldiers stationed here throughout the year. Even the enemies from the grass ins faced countless defeats before the fortress. Every disastrous defeat made the enemy retreat in a dejected manner.
The defensive abilities of Lightning Fortress made the people of Warren believe that it was imprable.
However, at that moment, Lightning Fortress was about to face its greatest enemy.
The hang bridge was lifted up, squads after squads of fully armed soldiers were lining up the fortress wall. Teams of riders were on stand-by behind the fortress gate, and catapults after catapults were dragged out the armory by the soldiers.
Two hours ago, a secret order was delivered to Lightning Fortress from the military department.
"Stop anyone who wants to pass through Lightning Fortress within the day. Whoever tries to disobey, Kill!"
Fuuuuu! Fuuuuu!
The wind rushing down the valley was getting stronger by the minute. The whistling of the wind was like thunder itself, sting out deafening screeches.
The wind blew on the soldiers face, causing a stinging sensation all over their features, but the soldiers on the wall were standing straight like a pole. They unsheathed their swords, loaded their bows and stared at a distant point with utmost killer intent.
A single figure was appearing abruptly at the valley entrance.
The ck mantle was rattling loudly in the wind. The pitch ck feathers on the mantle were giving out an unusual shine under the moonlight.
It looked turbid and gloomy, simr to the midnight graveyard, where the ghastly fire that shed light over the tombstones.
An ominous feeling rose up in the soldiers heart, causing their sharp killer intents to blunt out for a moment.
Just when the soldiers had a slight pause due to the sudden appearance, the figure made his move.
It was fast like a sprinting horse, charging towards Lightning Fortress gate within a couple of breath, closing a huge distance. The figure had no intention to stop at the gate; he jumped up straight when he approached the gate and headed towards the fortress wall.
"Let loose!"
The defendingmander ordered the archers to fire.
Sou! Sou! Sou!
Arrows poured down like rain; the ck sky was instantly filled with cold, metallic shes that drowned that jumping figurepletely.
Thousands of arrows piercing the heart!
The defendingmander and the soldiers all shared the same thought when they witnessed the scene.
Automatically, the ominous feeling that was affecting their thoughts was gone, and every one of them released a sigh of relief.
However, before the sigh could be releasedpletely, it was stuck in their heart.
They rounded their eyes as the cold metallic sh that filled the night became messed up; the figure burst out from the rain of arrow and leapt even higher.
"LET LOOSE! LET LOOSE!"
The defendingmander kept shouting at his men, but it was useless. A formless force-field barrier was blocking the arrows as they flew, causing the arrows to fall without aplishing their objectives.
Though the arrows did aplished something; at least the figure was falling off from mid-air after exhausting his jump.
The defendingmanders face lit up in delight, but it onlysted less than a second before the figure made a second jump by stepping on the air. It broke his hopes to pieces.
"How is this possible?!"
The defendingmander was crying out loud after witnessing the act that defied logic, to the extent he didnt even react to the spider web that was fired from the figures hand.
It was already toote when the defendingmander realized that the spider web was pulling the figure higher up to the fortress wall.
"Cut the spider we-"
Puk!
Before the defendingmander could finish his words, he was shed in half by a dark red great sword.
Kieran gripped his sword and stepped onto the fortress wall; his ck pupils were scanning the soldiers before him.
After their superior was killed, the soldiers didnt scatter around like birds and beasts. In fact, their long experience in the battlefield helped them have the fastest reaction against Kieran.
"KILL!"
The soldiers shouted almost in union.
Spears after spears were driven towards Kieran, the sharp edges capable of robbing life surrounded Kieran in a blink of an eye. However, simr to the arrows, the sharp edges of the spears were useless against Kieran; they were stopped by an invisible force when they were an inch away from Kierans body.
[Arrogant Word] was the opposite of those spears as it was cleaving and shing every other weapons around it.
Chang!
Amidst the metal nking noise, spear after spear was chopped off, following the wielder behind the spears.
A bewitching shine was dazzling on the des body and following Kierans step, it was drawing red res in the dark night.
Fresh blood quickly dyed the fortress wallpletely. The bodies that was sliced in half were ditched around like trash, but the soldiers within Lightning Fortress were still pouring themselves at Kieran from front and back. They were bashing Kieran like the tides from the great river, but it was still useless.
If the soldiers of Lightning Fortress were the tides of the great river, Kieran was a huge dam that blocked the river from flowing. No matter how strong the water was beating, he intercepted every inch of it. No matter how fiercely the water was gushing at him, he pressed on with his powerful steps.
Until...
Chang!
Puk!
[Arrogant Word] swept from left to right, shing the three soldiers before Kieran in half. At the same time, the soldiers from other direction sessfullynded their spear on Kierans body.
Dang! Dang!
The loud hitting noises signified that [Primus Scale] was gone, but [Armor of Excellence] had stepped up and proved it was worthy of a Powerful rank defense.
The scene made the soldiers feel disappointed. Even without the support of mystical power, the soldiers still couldnt pierce through the defense of their target, and theirrades were diced and sliced like butchered dogs and chicken.
Despite the fact that they were the veterans on the battlefield, their mental stability had reached its limit as well.
[Armor of Excellence] was thest straw that broke the camels back for the soldiers.
The soldiers on the fortress wall were afraid. The ones that were considered elite soldiers started to back off, opening a path for Kieran.
Kieran saw the path that led inside the Lighting Fortress wall beneath him; it was wide and long.
At the end of the path, five hundred riders hadpleted their formation. The iron armors were dazzling and bright, the spears wear long and sharp, held up in the sky as if they could pierce the heaven. The war horses were robust and buffed, neighing loud and sharp.
Kieran then quickly jumped down on the path without pausing.
Wuuuuuu!
After the loud and heavy bungle rang, the ground started to tremble.
The riders started to charge at Kieran without the slightest intention of stopping. Their spears wereid straight at their only target ahead; they wanted to pierce every inch of Kierans body, and grind him into a pile of meat with their horses hooves.
Even more so when they saw that Kieran was charging at them head-on as well. The riders felt their pride was insulted and turned the thought of killing him into their only conviction for that moment.
The ground trembled even harder, the pebbles started to dance, but it did not originate not from the five hundred riders.
It was from Kieran, or more precisely, the huge rhino mirage behind him.
The rhino mirage was roaring loudly and freely, as if the rhino had returned to his own world, the world that allowed it to run without constraints with its four powerful limbs, charging forward with every bit of strength it had and elerating as fast as it could.
Anything within its path would be crushed, even it was thousands upon thousands of soldiers and horses!
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Reminds me of the hack and sh game.
Killing mobs like tofu
Chapter 375: Phantasmal
Chapter 375: Phantasmal
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
Bang!
The front row riders shed with Kieran, producing a explosive shockwave in all directions. The riders around were sent flying together with their horses, like waves beating on rocks, sshing out countless waves.
Those riders who went head-on were trampled underneath the rhinos feet, turning into a pile of bloody meat paste.
Bang bang bang!
Explosions followed one after another; a straight path of blood was carved out through the riders.
Kieran was like a knife with unparalleled sharpness, splitting the riders into two parts.
"Damn it!"
The defendingmander inside the fortress wall punched his fist hard onto the rock wall beside him after witnessing that scene. He was staring at Kieran who was sweeping through his troops like a tornado with a vicious face.
As the trusted subordinate of the military minister, this defendingmander knew what his men were doing. Should they seed, wealth and fame would be waiting for them, but should they fail, they would be doomed beyond redemption.
They could not afford to fail!
Once the thought of failure appeared in his heart, the defendingmander made a firm decision.
"Release the pulley!" The defendingmander shouted.
The soldier who was delivering the order was stunned for a while; he unconsciously looked at the riders at the inner fortress area and outside the fortress wall.
"I said, release the pulley!" The defendingmander emphasized once more.
"Yes sir!"
The nature of soldiers obeying orders made the soldier send out the order by raising the torch beside him and waving it around, signaling both sides of the mountain walls.
Kark, Kark Kar!
After sounds of springs releasing, caves started to appear in the dark mountain ridges of Herr and the valley on both sides that were connecting Lightning Fortress.
Carts filled with stones were being pushed into theirunching tform by the soldiers in the caves. Every single cart was 3 meters long, 2 meters wide, square in shape and required at least twenty men to move it onto theunching tform.
Then, the carts were pushed down the slopes of the mountain walls.
Kroook! Broooom!
It was loud like thunder on the ground.
Under the disbelieving and shocked sights of the riders, almost a hundred carts full of stones were charging down on their preset trajectory with unimaginable speed.
The charging carts would fully upied the space between the inner fortress area and the outer fortress. Anyone who stood in that area would be crushed into meat paste by the carts due to their powerful momentum.
The riders knew what would be of them; every one of them panicked because the ce they were in had no extra space for them to dodge.
Unless...
Quite a number of riders looked up to the sky, but it was a ce they couldnt reach. However, facing a life and death situation, no one would give up easily.
The riders started to remove their heavy armor to lighten their weight, but majority of the riders were run over by the carts before they could even remove half of their armors.
The running carts produced a teeth-numbing screech when they ran over the riders and dragged them in their wheels.
Piles of bloody metals mixed with human flesh were left on the path of the running carts.
The running carts charged on with the momentum, leaving two lines of red in their wake and pressing forward.
Only a couple of riders managed to jump over the carts but were instantly hit by a fireball in mid-air, throwing them back down under the cart wheels.
On a further side of the inner fortress wall, four 3 meters-tall war machines with sophisticated carvings around their bodies and a ferocious lion head as the firing mouth were spitting out ck smoke from the lions mouth.
"Damn it, you numbwit! Not one of our own! That guy, lock on to that guy!"
The inner fortress defendingmander shouted at his men for misfiring.
He ced all his attention on Kieran and didnt even notice the unusual smoke.
He only knew that if he still couldnt take out Kieran after losing five hundred riders under hismand, even if he was the trusted subordinate of the military minister, he would be finished as well.
That harsh and cruel superior of his would definitely screw him to the bottom, maybe even as far as sending him into the ck dungeon that was built for officer ranks. It was what he wanted the least.
Kill him! Kill him!
The defendingmander had only one thought left in his mind, driving himself away from the thoughts of entering the ck dungeon. He had his eyes locked on at Kieran until he saw that the carts passed through Kierans body.
Passed through! Kieran was standing there like a mirage that shouldnt exist!
"What the hell!? Where did that bastard go!?"
The inner fortressmander rubbed his eyes and shouted loud after confirming that it was just an afterimage of Kieran standing on the spot.
The soldiers around quickly searched for Kieran, and it only took a moment for them to locate him.
"Up there in the sky!"
A soldier aside saw Kieran who once again jumped up in the sky.
"Fire! Fire!"
The inner fortress defendingmander shouted at the soldiers that were controlling the firing war machines. Sparks instantly flew out from the thick smoke of the lions mouth and were pointed at Kieran who had justnded on the ground.
Fuuum! Fuuuum! Fuuum!
A total of four fireballs were fired at Kieran moments after the sparks and engulfed Kieranpletely in the sea of fire.
"Hahahahahaha"
The defendingmander let out a loudugh when he saw Kieran disappearing in the fire.
He killed him! He finally killed him! Somehow, he managed to save his position!
However, before theugh could subside, a dark red greatsword burst out from the shadows and drove its sharp edge into his body.
"Ho...How is this possible!?"
Themander looked inconceivably at Kieran who was so close to him.
He was certain that he saw Kieran got crushed by the fireball attack, not the afterimage that he saw at first, but the real one! He was absolutely sure, but how did Kieran appear before him?
Puuum!
Kieran had no intention of clearing the doubts of his enemies; he wielded his sword horizontally and shed the defendingmander before him into half. Then he flew towards the other side of the inner fortress wall.
It was the certain path towards Warrens imperial city, Riverdale!
The defendingmander would never know even till hisst breath that the first afterimage he saw was from a prankster item [Trickster Conchshell]. The second one was created by [Illusion Puppeteer Ring]; the illusion that could rival reality tricked everyone present, allowing Kieran to dive into the shadow with his Transcendence [Undercover] and take cover in the dark and chaotic situation, thus closing his distance to the fortress wall.
Simr to the soldiers in the outer fortress, the soldiers in the inner side gathered towards Kieran as well. They unsheathed their swords, ready to throw their lives at Kieran, but before anyone could start...
"Run! He is a sorcerer! We couldnt win against him!"
Such a cry was heard from one of the soldiers. Then, one of the soldiers who was controlling the war machine turned away and ran.
Simr to a pebble causing a ripple when thrown at the surface of ake, the thought rippled through every soldiers heart instantly. When the second soldier started running, the others who had a fierce killing intent before instantly lost their will to battle. All of them panicked and opened up a path for Kieran to proceed.
Kieran looked at the first and second soldier who turned away with an astonished look.
His sharp intuition told him that something was fishy about the two of them, but even if he had doubts in his heart at that moment, he didnt have the spare time to clear them.
Kieran leapt down the wall straightaway, and the moment the leapt down, a system notifications popped up.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Kagebunshin
Side note, go watch Ready yer One.
I can rte so much with this novel!
Chapter 376: Miracle!
Chapter 376: Miracle!
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
Words started to piled up in Kierans vision from top to bottom.
[Sub Mission: Fortress charge. (Perfect Completion)]
[Fortress charge: Lightning Fortress is blocking your path, you need to charge past it to fulfill your promise to Mary!]
[Note: The lesser the time consumed, the higher the dungeon rating]
...
[New chain sub mission discovered: Protect the king!]
[Protect the king!: Reach the imperial city of Warren, Riverdale in 3 hours, protect King James VIII from Jeanne James]
[Note: The less time you take, the greater your dungeon rating will be. It will increase even more if you manage to do it without King James VIII being injured by Jeanne James]
...
The first sub mission appeared when Kieran made the promise to Mary, just that the second one...
"Only afterpleting the first does the second pop up? A chain mission?" Kieran wondered.
Although Kieran wanted to ponder the question before him in detail because it was the first time he came across a chain mission, but his intuition told him what his priorities were.
[Night Owl Token] appeared in Kierans hand.
[Spend 1000 Points to summon Night Owl?]
"Yes!"
Kieran answered affirmatively.
Promptly, the palm-sized special carved token emitted a purplish shine.
When the shine dissipated, a tall, big, robust, red-eyed ck horse that was far superior thanmon warhorses appeared before Kieran.
Since Kieran was connected with the Night Owl, it was quite tame when it was summoned and was rubbing its head at Kierans arm.
After Kieran fondled its head for a couple times, he leapt up onto the horse.
The Grand Master level [Riding] not only provided Kieran the skills to ride a horse but also allowed him to bettermunicate with one.
Although Night Owl only shared the looks of a horse and they were connected through a special link in their heart, it didnt stop the Night Owl from giving out a snort.
"Hyak!"
Kieran cried heavily before the Night Owls limb muscle tightend, presenting a clear muscle line and following a burst of energy.
Bang!
After a heavy bursting sound, the Night Owl sprinted out like an arrow that had been let loose.
Its sprinting was not simr to amon horses galloping, more like gliding.
Kieran disappeared from the soldiers sight at Lightning Fortress within a breaths time.
It was as if half a day had gone by before the soldiers reacted to what had happened and stared nkly at the empty area devoid of Kierans figure.
"Quick! Deliver the message to the imperial city! Someone has passed through the fortress! Lightning Fortress has fallen!"
Cries sounded one after another from the soldiers.
...
The imperial city of Warren, Riverdale.
The pce of Riverdale was absent of its former glorious and luxurious looks; all that was left was the sound of the wind and the cries of the cranes.
The architecture was still the same, the decorations were still intact, but the squads of guards appeared with shing swords and des in their hands. The whole pce was instantly shrouded with an awful atmosphere.
The gold and the silver lost its lustre, the gems had lost their dazzle.
A group of attendants were hiding in the corner with pale faces, shivering non-stop.
Donning a scarlet red mantle, Jeanne James walked into the ce. Behind her was the military minister, Folly.
The middle-aged man who was over half a century old and still single was looking obsessively at the woman before him, Jeanne.
In fact, not only the military minister, most of the men who were following Jeanne shared the same gaze as well.
Although she had entered her early middle-age years, her face and skin were as tender as a fair maiden. Especially her eyes; the gaze from those two sapphire eyes could seduce ones soul and force anyone who looked into her eyes to be unconsciously intoxicated in the feeling.
The military minister was not the first, and the men behind him were certainly not thest.
"Teacher! Fandral has left his Majestys room. Ive also ruined his teleportation circle!"
A pregnant woman walked out from the corridor, showing great respect and looking elegant as she spoke softly.
"Nicely done!"
Jeanne praised her with a nce of her brilliant sapphire eyes and didnt pay anymore attention to her.
Before this, she was her most important piece of chess in her ns, but now, the pregnantdy was just a slightly important leverage.
"Folly!" Jeanne said.
The military minister instantly waved his hand.
Promptly, two guards walked forth to the pregnantdy. She was very cooperative and followed the guards into the room that was prepared for her.
The moment she was sent to approach Fandral by her own teacher, she already knew what would be of her in the end, but...
She dared not resist. No one understood better than herself how powerful her teacher was.
Even her husband with the title of the strongest sorcerer in Warren could not face-off with her.
Fandral, at most, was causing some scruples to Jeanne before this, but now, he didnt even possess such qualifications.
The pregnantdy touched her stomach; her face was showing a mocking and ironic smile aimed at herself.
"What an obedient girl. If my idiot brother could be as obedient as you, Id be much happier now!" Jeanne could help but give out augh while looking at her disciples back.
Jeanne brought theugh with her towards King James VIIIs bedroom.
An elderly man with a long, white robe was standing in her path quietly, blocking Jeannes advance.
"Foolish Whiter, you still wish to hold on?" Jeanne asked.
"With all due respect, elder princess, as you said, I am the foolish Whiter."
The elderly caressed his beard and said with a smile.
"You deserve more than just death!"
The old address of Jeanne made her wave her hand without any courtesy.
A figure who donned the same white robe walked out from the crowd behind Jeanne and pointed his finger at Whiter.
Instantly, an extremely unique and formless power spurted out from his finger and enshrouded Whiters body.
Whiters looks, which were already old to begin with, aged another 10 years within a breath.
Then, the figure behind Jeanne pointed his finger at her, and under everyones gaze, the once elder princess started to turn youthful again.
"Time is a merciless de! A simple point to age someone rapidly! I couldnt keep up with the powerful forces of the Sand of Time anymore!" Whiter sighed.
His never-fading smile led him through life and death with utmost resolution.
The elderly turned around and looked at the door behind him, as if his gaze went through the door and saw King James VIII who was lying in his sickbed.
Whiter said slowly and difficulty, "Your Majesty, Ill have to return the debt of gratitude from the previous king to you!"
As Whiter finished his words, his body started to petrify, looking like a fossil that had been buried underground for hundred of thousands years. It started from his finger tip and rapidly spread to his arm.
The energy of life started to fade off from his body with an exponential speed that was visible to the naked eyes. What followed Whiters changes was the bedroom behind him; the rocks beside started to pile up to cover the bedrooms outeryer as if the rocks were alive.
"You think you can stop me with this?"
Jeanne beautiful face gave out a smile that could turned every man upside down.
"Of course not, but it would be great to stall you for a while! Maybe... there will be a miracle?"
The elders voice got dimmer as he spoke.
"A miracle? Only the weak and ignorant will believe..."
Jeanne let out a cold grunt. She continued to mock the dying elder before her, but before she could finish, she was interrupted by a loud notice from the messenger.
"Your Highness!! Report! Someone just broke through the fortress!! Lightning Fortress has fallen, and the person is heading here as we speak!"
The messengers loud voice echoed before the royal bedroom.
Jeanne was quite shocked before her face turned red, as if she had suffered a p.
The elderughed. With hisst breath, he said, "Behold, a miracle!"
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
The battle after this is quite entertaining
Chapter 377: Grim Reaper
Chapter 377: Grim Reaper
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
Jeannes eyes widened, staring at the elder who had passed away without a struggle and still had a smile on his face. She was very upset and was shivering.
"I will let you witness how I destroy the miracle that you longed for so much!"
She emphasized each and every word at the elder.
Then, orders were sent out one after another from the pce.
All the nobles in the imperial city made preparations based on the orders they received.
At the dark corners that one couldnt usually see, gangs and mobs also received corresponding orders.
Everyone who received the order gathered at the imperial city gate.
...
As much as Kieran thought he understood the Night Owls speed, explosive power and stamina, when he saw the huge exteriors of the city, he knew that he had underestimated the Night Owls speed.
It was less than an hour!
The Night Owl had carried Kieran and tonnes of his equipment and sprinted through the journey that would cost any excellent warhorse at least five hours to reach.
"Such a pity! If this didnt have a limit counter..."
Kieran looked at [Night Owl Token]; it was disying [Remaining: 3 Times]. His heart gave out a sigh. After experiencing the benefits of the Night Owl, his heart unconsciously bloomed up other thoughts regarding the token.
Maybe he could acquire more [Night Owl Token]?
The thought was not out of the realm of possibilities.
All he needed was to return to [The Shamans Partner III] and n ordingly. Of course, that was a matter for another time.
As for now, Kieran set his sight at the city in front of him.
Under the night sky, the city lights were shining brightly. The bright lights could almost shine through the dark sky, proving its prosperous and flourishing state.
The imperial city of Warren, Riverdale, housed over a hundred thousand people within its walls alone. Plus, the towns and viges that densely surrounded the city boosted its poption to over a hundred fifty thousand.
Although the number was the tip of the icebergpared to the city where Kieran lived, within the medieval dungeon world, it was quite astonishing.
At that moment, the astonishing city was overwhelmed with people.
That straight, tall city gate gathered around ten thousand men in squads.
Some of them were the city guards, donning leather armor and long spears.
Some of them were private militias of the nobles, donning fancy armor and wielding long swords.
There were also some other suspicious-looking men with mantles from gangs and mobs.
They were quite distinctive from each other but were mixed together at that moment.
The men were stuffing the wide city walls, sending out mocking, disdainful gazes together with killer intents.
"Military, nobles, gangsters... An order sent out and everyone gathered before me! This really is taking the whole Warren Kingdom in her hands!"
Kieran unconsciously thought of Boscos description of Jeanne, "she could cloud the sky with one hand in the imperial city."
Based on the situation before his eyes, it really was as such.
After knowing he would be facing Jeanne James and getting the information about her forces and influence from Bosco, Kieran never underestimated her power.
However, when he saw the dense crowd before him, he realized Jeannes forces were much more powerful than he had expected. But it was not enough for him to stop.
Kieran was looking at the team jumbled up good and bad, feeling the imposing manner that was far inferior than the soldiers at Lightning Fortress. He raised his right hand.
On his index finger, the ck metallic ring with the ruby embedded on it gave out a dazzling shine under the night sky that blinded the crowds eyes.
The shine was white like snow and frost, turning into a monotone rainbow shedding its light over Riverdale.
The crowd with the imposing manner was stunned for a bit, then they saw Kieran and his Night Owl morphing into giants. Kierans ck mantle turned into ck mes, scorching even the sky; the bright moon and milky way turned gloomy in an instant. The night was disappearing as the darkness beyond description shrouded the earth itself.
Simr to the great drought ten years ago, the darkness turned thend into a state of thousand holes and scars, like countless deep cracks that could form a web. The dead that was suppose to be long gone in the crowds heart rose from the cracked seams, opening their zombified jaws, howling with grudge and charging towards them.
"Kill! Hatred! Grudge! Regrets!"
Kieran who had morphed into a giant became the judge and jury; he opened his mouth and shouted the words like a thunderp, frightening the crowd from afar, causing their courage to copse from the inside.
"It is not me who killed you!"
"I didnt mean it!"
"Let me go! Let go of me! Please!"
...
Sharp screams rose one after another; the crowd that was seemingly intimidating was messed up and crumbled within seconds. Men stepped on each other just to run a little faster. However, no matter how fast they ran, they couldnt escape from [Deadmans Gaze]s range.
Their fate was sealed the moment theyid eyes on Kieran; [Fear Illusions] brought up their deepest and darkest fear.
The messy crowd started to fall. From the first one throwing up blood on the floor to the hundreds and thousands who followed, all it took was less than a second. Almost half of the men had fallen right in front of the city gate.
Facing the unknown, fear was like a gue, enshrouding every direction. Though who were still standing saw Kieran approaching, riding his horse. They retreated with shivering bodies, but most of them were limping on the ground in a nk state.
Their mouths were unconsciously singing the rhyme lightly, singing the words that were branded in their heart.
"The mystical is the unknown, unknown will breed fear and death will always follow after fear. Oh, people of Riverdale, if you can leave this ce, better flee in haste! Flee! Flee!"
Their voices were loud and dim, presenting the rhyme faintly under the night sky.
Those who could move ran even faster because not only did they hear the rhyme from the fallen, but also the clear gallops of their enemy.
Dak Dak! Dak Dak! Dak Dak!
The pitch ck horse and the person riding it, as if it was death, was the grim reaper approaching hastily.
One of them fell down while being chased down. His face looked twisted, eyes were rounded and twitching uncontrobly, to the extent he pissed and shitted his pants.
Then, there were no more signs of life on him. He was scared to death!
The scene made the fear spread even faster; those who were running hoped they could have two more pairs of legs.
They ran into every possible path, every possible direction; instinctively, they went through their most familiar path, and coincidentally, none of them were ovepping with the route to the pce.
When they saw Kieran sprinting towards the pce, those that had survived death were relieved, but when they turned around and saw the fallen bodies, all of them shivered hard.
"Grim...Grim Reaper!"
One of the mantled gangster muttered out the thought with his trembling lips and stuttering tone. The one beside him, a noble private militia who was frightened by the unknown followed after the gangster.
"Grim Reaper! Grim Reaper!!"
After a while, those who survived started to mutter the word, forming a sound of union that echoed throughout the corners of the imperial city.
The citizens who were already frightened felt even more anxious by the term. None of the citizens knew what had happened.
As for those who managed to escape death, they tried to find an answer to exin their fear.
They met death, the grim reaper.
Other than death himself, who could reap lives and devour souls with their gaze?
On top of that, all of them knew, the grim reaper was not satisfied yet. The scythe that reeked of death, tainted with life and souls, was still out on the run. In fact, it was wielding hard towards the pce.
The true fight would break out within the pce soon!
Chapter 378: Straight Up
Chapter 378: Straight Up
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
There were over hundreds of flights of stairs before the pce gate.
Every flight of stairs was 10 meters long and half a meter wide. It was also as tall as 35 cm per stair causing a tough and ufortable climb up the stairs, but it set off the prestigious feeling of the pce gate.
The gate was mixed with gold and red color; carvings of rose, the Warren royal family emblem, were all over it. Beside the gate were two 20 meters tapestries hanging from the tower on top, around 3 meters off ground at the end. One side had the embroidery of an unsheathed sword, the other was a shield. Even without the corresponding emblem knowledge, Kieran could guess what the emblem meant, courage and fearlessness.
In fact, the embroidery on the tapestries had a simr meaning from Kierans guess.
The sword represented one of the kings within the Warren royal family and the conquest he led himself.
The shield represent also one of the kings defending a siege from the enemies on the castle wall.
In that moment, in front of the gate and between the tapestries stood a silver armored knight riding on a white horse. His visor was lifted up, revealing a valiant face within, but the wrinkles at the corner of his eyes signified that he was not a young man.
However, his arm was strong. Thence that he was holding stood straight up at the night sky without a slight wobble.
When heid eyes on Kieran, he didnt even have the intention to speak. He whipped his war horse and prepared to charge on.
"Hyak!"
A lion-like shout preceded the knight charging from the pce gate.
The white war horses hooves were stepping precisely on the stairs with utmost agility, as if it was galloping on a t ground. With the momentum charging from the top, the silver knight seemed unstoppable.
When Kieran saw the silver knight charging at him, he charged on as well without any hesitation.
"Neighhh!"
The Night Owl released a sharp neigh and set its scarlet red eyes on the snow white war horse. Its sharp teeth were revealed when it opened its mouth for the neigh.
The Night Owl had a natural repulsive feeling towards the color white, even more so towards a white war horse. However, the white war horse on the opposite side was not afraid of the Night Owls intimidating presence. In fact, it elerated even faster.
The silver knight showed a face of disdain before closing down his visor. Thence that was pointing towards the sky a moment ago wasid straight, pointing its sharp tip towards Kieran. The silver knight had utmost confidence that he could jolt Kieran down with one strike.
Not only because he was riding Warrens finest warhorse, but also because of thence that he was wielding.
It wasnt a standard issued armynce but was instead apact version of a dragonnce.
Even if it was shrunk down, it was still 4 meters long, sharp and sturdy. Moreover, the enchantment from the sorcerer made it even more indestructible.
Together with the force of the charge from the war horse, he could even prate a steel block, let alone a person, and it was also because of his war horse and his dragonnce that he was granted the title of "the ever victorious".
Looking at his opponent, all he was wielding was a heavy two-handed greatsword. Its power might be unrivaled during and fight, but in a riding skirmish?
Any qualified rider could easily locate his enemys weak point, it was the length!
The two-handed greatsword might be as tall as man and packed quite the power inmon weaponry, butpared to themon knightnce that was already 3 meters in length?
It differed quite a bit, let alonepared to the one the silver knight was using, a condensed version of a dragonnce.
On top of that, he still had the force of charging from above. His advantages was not just a single point; the result had been decided from the start!
"I am the victor!"
The silver knight dered it, and his mind was already fantasizing the rewards from Jeanne.
Thus, it fueled his white horse to gallop faster, and he gripped hisnce even firmer.
The silver knight was eager to win the duel.
Dak Dak Dak Dak Dak Dak!
One white, one ck.
One was charging downwards, the other was charging upwards.
As both sides approached rapidly, the silver knight calcted the distance in his heart andunched hisnce!
Hisnce was fast as aet; the air-breaking speed formed a powerful air pressure, firing its force towards Kieran like an arrow let loose.
Souuu!
However, the force from the air pressure missed its target, and not only that, the dragonnce behind it missed as well.
"What!?"
The silver knight cried in shock when he saw that the Night Owls back was devoid of the rider.
Instinctively, the silver knight wanted to retract hisnce and lunge it towards Night Owls stomach. He was confident that Kieran was hiding below.
But it was toote, or should it be, too slow.
When the 4 meter longnce performed a stab forward, it might cover the attack range such that one could not even keep up with the dust behind it, but it was destined to be less agile in wielding due to the overlong length.
Pumm!
The dark red greatsword cleaved horizontally. Both horses galloped past each other, and Kierannded back on the Night Owls back.
Though the silver knights torso felt on the ground after his white horse galloped a couple more steps forward.
A green glowing book and equipment appeared on the silver knights body.
The white horse was neighing in sorrow following its masters demise, and Kieran picked up his loots with a calm face. He would never feel sorry for his enemys passing.
If it wasnt for his Grand Master level [Riding] together with the Night Owl which was different from othermon steed, the one who died would be Kieran.
Amon war horse couldnt have reached the level of the Night Owl, which allowed him to step away for a dodge while still bearing tons of heavy equipment behind.
He was afraid that with that amount of weight on him, a slight movement would cause him to topple down together with the horse; even a Grand Master level [Riding] couldnt save him.
After all, the [Riding] skill couldnt alter the properties of a steed.
Without concerning himself with his two loots, Kieranid eyes on the tightly shut pce gate.
His sharp senses could clearly picked up a dense malicious intent from behind those gates.
Tssssk Gak!
Then, the tightly shut gate opened up slowly under Kierans stare.
After an irritating screech from the pivot and frame, what followed was a depressing silence.
Even the night breeze paused after the gate was opened.
All that was left was the immutable darkness beyond the pce gate, as if it was a giant mouth of a beast, waiting for Kieran to fall into its snare.
Kieran had a calm expression on his face and oversaw the scene with cool eyes.
[Fear: You are within Targets Fear range, Spirit has passed the authentication, no debuff urred...]
[Fear: You are within Targets Fear range, Spirit has passed the authentication, no debuff urred...]
The battlelog notification that continuously popped up, clearly informed him that the scene before him was not some tricks and pranks, but it was not a reason enough for him to retreat.
After spending so much effort to reach the pce, Kieran was not there just for a couple Magic rank equipments.
Kieran thought a move and the Night Owl, which was connected to him, instantly spread its limbs and sprinted inside the pce gate like an arrow let loose.
Tsssk Gak!
After Kieran entered the pce, the gate let out an irritating screech again and slowly shut itself.
The night breeze returned and caressed the earth; everything returned to the silence, untill...
KABOOOM!
zing fire rose up high inside the pce.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
A fast and furious battle.
Chapter 379: Quick Blade
Chapter 379: Quick de
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
Darkness filled every direction.
The Night Owl faded away after its time was up. Kieran was standing in the dark, squinting his eyes.
Somehow, the darkness before him originated from the supernatural. Otherwise, with his C+ Intuition, he could catch a glimpse in the dark even without the bright moon.
"It blocked my vision?" Kieran squinted his eyes and raised a brow.
He took a step forward.
Souu!
A strong wind blew past his body.
Arrow!
Kieran easily determined the attack pattern and direction based on his experience, but he didnt rushed towards it.
He was trying to guess what the enemy was nning.
If it was just for a surprise attack, creating such a big field of darkness seemed a little too wasteful.
With theplicated architecture of the pce, setting up multiple squads of archers could achieve the same results as well; there was no need for such a grand move.
Even with Transcendence [Undercover], it was only a 5 meter diameter range of supernatural darkness. Although it didnt have a time limit, but it would consume Stamina by the second, and the darkness before Kieran was far bigger in size than [Undercover, Shadow Cloak]. The consumption of materials and ingredients to maintain such a sizeable darkness was not to be underestimated.
"The darkness blocked my vision because someone is setting up something that couldnt get under the light! It will be rendered useless if exposed, so there is only one possibility! Traps! Traps that the naked eyes could tell apart!"
Kieran took a deep breath and turned around, walking away in the opposite direction of the arrow. He didnt believe the darkness created could cover the entire pce; if it could, there was no need for the enemy to do so in the first ce with his abilities.
Sou Sou Sou!
Arrows were fired repeatedly from behind him. Even Kieran who was being attack could feel the sense of urgency from the archer. However, the arrows were destined to be useless.
Kieran kept dodging left and right, heading towards his intended direction without pause.
After a continuous fire of over thirty arrows, the firing stopped but the attack didnt.
Kieran could clearly feel the darkness rumbling around him like the wind caressed his skin.
"What is this?" Kieran was surprised.
Any change was noteworthy while being inside the enemys territory, but before Kieran could clearly have any thoughts about the changes, a loud bang sounded in his ears.
BOOOM!
It was not an explosion, but was the crumbling of a dam after being crushed by the river current.
Then, the fast current started to drown Kieran, expelling the darkness around him as the water moved in. Kieran could finally see where he was at, or more precisely, inside something.
He was held inside a huge water ball over 5 meters in diameter.
Beyond the water ball stood two people.
One was donning a fancy outfit, holding a bow, with a sword hanging on his waist. He had amon middle-aged mans features but his temperament was extremely outstanding. A nce at him would let one know he was someone with high authority.
The one in front him was a long-robed man with a withered face; there was still a stain of blood near the edge of his mouth, making him look extra wretched.
"Who was the one who started the Fear just now?"
Kieran inspected the middle-aged man and the sorcerer with the withered face that concealed his true age. He wasnt sure where the Fear effect from before originated from, though one thing was for sure, the withered face sorcerer was enraged.
"Damn you! Forcing me to alter my magic traps... Taste the pain of suffocation! Stop struggling, my "water" is not only heavy, but is also mixed with toxin. There is no way you could escape now! You will meet your maker soon!"
The withered face sorcerer stared angrily at Kieran.
The words that spilled out from his mouth like a chain of pearls allowed Kieran to realized what had happened. Everything was as he had predicted, the trapyout itself was not clever at all, but the trap itself was shocking.
Kieran felt the water around him was pressuring him. If he was amon man, perhaps his organs would have already been crushed under the pressure. Evidently, it was just a 5 meter wide water ball, but he felt like he had fallen into the depths of the ocean.
Though, it was only the pressure that shocked him.
The suffocation that the sorcerer mentioned?
While equipping [Rudenmoren Skin], he could breathe under water, even at the bottom of the ocean. As for the toxin, B- rank Constitution and [Body of Evil] granted him immunity against toxins below Strong rank.
A momentter, Kieran slowly walked out of the water ball under the sorcerers disbelieving gaze. It was true that the water that made up the water ball was heavy, but Kierans strength was already B rank.
The "heavy water" that amon man could not even imagine, at most, required some extra effort from Kieran.
"How is this possible!?" The withered-face sorcerers eyes widened at the sight.
His repeated shouts couldnt allow him to understand how Kieran managed to walk out of his magical water ball, and he never would understand.
Chang!
A cold re shed over.
The sorcerer lowered his head, looking at the long de that had pierced his chest. He mustered all his remaining strength and turned around to look at the person.
"Fo...Folly!" The sorcerer grunted unwillingly, but it waspletely useless.
As the military minister pulled his longsword out, the sorcerer bodys fell to the ground.
"A clown with tricks that couldnt even fool the enemys eyes. Jeanne has no use for such pathetic trash around her!" The middle-aged man said and turned his eyes at Kieran.
"You are angry? Because I killed this trash? You wouldnt ask me why would I kill such a trash, right? Trash deserves to die, especially those who are fond of wishful thinking!" Folly said sportingly.
"I am angry because you killed my target!"
Kieran said with an evaluating manner; the way that he was looking at Folly had a newyer of solemnity with it.
If Kieran was still wondering who gave out the Fear effect outside the castle gate, following the one stab from Folly, there was no need for further guessing.
Folly.
Kieran had heard the name before from Bosco. The most sturdy guardian of Jeanne James. The military minister of Warren Kingdom.
Just that Kieran hadnt thought his sword skill would be this exquisite.
The speed of that sword! It was far superior than his own wielding speed!
Even with the weight of [Arrogant Word] and the burden of [Armor of Excellence], Kierans B rank Strength and B- rank Agility was a solid fact.
In other words, Follys Agility must be above B- rank!
"So herees the true obstacle?" Kieran thought in his heart.
Then, he gripped [Arrogant Word] tightly as he clearly felt the changes in aura from Follys side.
Killer intent!
The cold, sharp killer intent was shrouding over Folly.
"Is that so?"
The military minister said lightly.
A momentter, Folly disappeared from where he was standing!
Tsssn!
Too fast! Even faster than that strike before!
However, Kieran was even faster! Because the two-handed greatsword was not Kierans most skilled technique.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Guess what is Kierans strongest attack to this point?
Hint, its on the lower parts of his body
Chapter 380: Snake and Raven
Chapter 380: Snake and Raven
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
Folly moved behind Kieran with extreme speed and drove his sword out without any mercy.
He wanted to killer Kieran with one strike.
In fact, Folly had utmost confidence in his sword strike.
Before bing the military minister, he was a famous master swordsman in Warren. Maybe because of the passing of time, his title of military minister slowly overshadowed who he was before. People started to forget that master swordsman, but it didnt mean his sword skills would be forgotten by time as well.
Folly knew very clearly how he had earned his current position and the favour of thatdy.
Sou!
His sword was fast as lightning; the moment the air-breaking sound emerged, the tip of his sword was behind the rear part of Kierans brain already. Another inch forward and Kierans head would be pierced through.
However, a fraction of a secondter, the sword shed by but missed its target with its strike.
Kieran leaned his torso down with his right leg supporting him, lying a 90 degree straight forward and his left leg followed the movement andunched a kick backwards like an iron whip, kicking towards Folly with a bang.
Not only was his kick fast, but it was fierce as well!
Suuuuuu!
The powerful wind from his kick buffeted Follys hair and face, causing a stinging sensation on his face, but Folly responded with a coldugh.
Folly moved backwards a little, assuring that he wouldnt get hit by Kierans kick, and shook his wrist a little while he was moving. His seemingly normal hand extended further, and that straight longsword twisted like a snake. Its tip was like the venomous fang of a snake, lunging towards Kierans crotch.
This was Follys perfect strike. The once master swordsman had not only speed, but technique as well.
So did Kieran!
The kick that heunched backwards suddenly let out a hiss, his straight left leg also extended further at the same time.
PAK!
The tip of his kick touched Follys wrist and altered his swords course before the sharp tip could hit his crotch.
Folly, who was smiling coldly, suddenly changed his expression.
"Viper Kick!?"
Folly took a step back, and grunted in a pondering manner.
It was not that he wasnt sure what technique Kieran was using.
He had quite the insight about [Viper Kick]. As far as it was inside his bones, he was sure Kieran had performed the [Viper Kick] because it was one of the secret inherent technique from his sect.
So, because of that fact, it shouldnt be possible for Kieran to use the technique. That sect that he originated from was eliminated by his own hands 10 years ago.
"I dont know where you learned this technique, but I know youve added another reason for you to die!" Folly said with a cold tone filled with killer intent.
Kieran stayed quiet; he turned around and raised his right hand. He moved his four fingers except for his thumb, provoking Folly by gesturing a e on" sign. His intentions couldnt be clearer.
"Hmph!"
Folly let out a cold grunt and wielded his sword up.
He didnt feign with his sword anymore; he was wielding it left and right rapidly, swinging up into a dozen more des before Kieran, as if his sword had divided into a dozen more.
Tss Tss Tss!
Countless snake hisses sounded repeatedly; Kieran felt like he was not facing an iron de anymore, but a group of snakes.
The snakes were dancing as the sword swung, hissing as it tore the air around.
Kieran could feel the Fear effect from Folly again, and even fiercer than before!
Although it was useless against Kierans B+ rank Spirit, it didnt stop him from guessing what Folly wanted to do.
"A sword skill mixed with illusion? If I couldnt resist his Fear effect, I might have fallen into his illusion of being devoured by snakes. When I realized it, my heart would be pierced! What a wicked skill!"
Kieran thought in his heart andmented on Follys stance.
He thenunched a barrage of kicks with his left leg.
The kick shadows overpowered the sword shadows in an instant.
Since Folly couldnt utilize his Fear power and force Kieran into an illusion state, his techniques were nothing but just a show. The snake hisses even stopped abruptly, as if a giant rock had fallen off the sky, crushing the snakes.
While Folly was facing the kick shadows that would soon drown him, he threw his sword out without hesitation like a flying knife. A dazzling re emitted from the de body as it was thrown out, causing the whole sword to shine brightly with a cold radiance; the sharp edge became even sharper, as if an ancient sword with blemishes had been polished delicately and had regained its shine.
Not only did it pierce Kierans kick shadows, the flying sword was also locked onto Kieran.
The moment Folly threw his sword out, Kieran took a wise move and dodged a step aside after feeling the brightness of the sharp edge, but out of his expectation, the long sword altered its direction and followed Kieran again.
Kieran dodged once more as the flying sword chased him. It was still the same after a couple of dodge.
Folly was giving a continuous coldugh when he saw Kieran dodging left and right.
"You never knew the true secret technique of the Viper sect..."
Chang!
Before Follys mocking words could be finished, he was interrupted by a sharp sound simr to a longsword unsheathing.
A half-moon qi energy wave was fired out from Kierans right leg, crashing hard onto the longsword that was giving the cold re.
As the sharp edges collided, the cutting sound dispersed the half-moon qi wave and the longsword also fell to the ground after a shiver.
A nking noise sounded ceaselessly as the sword fell on the ground and continued shivering.
However, the battle between both of them didnt cease following Folly losing his sword.
On the contrary, a sense of danger rose up from Kierans heart; he felt like he had walked into a jungle filled with shrubs covering many hungry beasts behind.
Kieran trusted his battle instinct exceptionally; he gripped [Arrogant Word] and retreated a step back, staring right at Folly.
The military ministers face was red and ferocious. It seemed like he was infuriated when his favorite technique was broken down, but Kieran, who had the upper hand, could smell sulphur around Folly. A faint one, but definitely there.
"What is this..."
Kieran squinted his eyes.
Maybe it was real that Folly tried really hard, but he was definitely not infuriated over the fact, but...
Without a second thought, Kieran swiftly retreated, and when he was less than 10 meters away from Folly.
KABOOOM!
A huge explosion happened.
As the deafening st assaulted his ears, Kieran instinctively ced [Arrogant Word] before him
Fuuuuu!
3 to 4 meters of zing waves spread out to all directions with Folly as the center. Kieran was the first one to bear the brunt and was engulfed by the mes.
The fiery mes were scorching hot; even the white marble ground was burnt ck by that st. Even more so at the spot where Folly was standing, the hard ground had even started to melt. Folly, who was in a fancy outfit, had turned into a raggedly-dressed man after the st, falling to the ground painfully and panting roughly.
The technique that Folly used was not originated from the Viper sect, but it was one of the ultimate skills of the Raven sect. At the same time, it was also his ace card.
Folly believed no one could dodge his fiery st, and even with corresponding defensive measures, one would be turn to crisp with that st!
Folly raised his head at the firm dark red two-handed greatsword; he was eager to see the burnt corpse behind the de. He forcefully dragged his weak body over, staggering as he walked to the de.
Then...
He was stunned to a stoppletely.
Chapter 381: The rage of a scrooge
Chapter 381: The rage of a scrooge
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
Follys eyes were filled with disbelief when he saw Kieran was almost unscathed.
"How...How did..."
Folly stuttered hard, trying to spill his thoughts, but he was instantly drowned by Kierans relentless fists and kicks.
"YOU F*CKER! DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY THINGS YOU DESTROYED!?"
Kieran was shouting in rage while he continued pummeling Folly with everything he had.
A never-before-seen rage appeared on Kieran; even an volcano eruption couldnt appropriately describe his rage; it was more like an apocalyptic rage.
Why was Kieran so infuriated?
The st and mes from Folly a moment ago were not much of a problem to Kieran who had [Body of Evil] and [Secondary Elemental Damage Resist].
Especially, [Body of Evil] had extra defense against fire and explosion damages.
However, the backpack behind Kieran did not!
It was just a slightly sturdy and durable backpack. Once it came into contact with fire, it was turned to ash right away.
The equipment that Kieran kept in his backpack that were toasted in the st included the Common weapons [Infantry Spear] and [Hunter Bow], the firearms, [Python-W2], [Jagdtiger-X1] ,all sorts of bullets and grenades, plus the couple of low tier Magic rank items that he had gotten on the way there. Everything was in Destroyed state.
Other than [Hidden Wrist Bow], [Buckle Stinger] and [Bug Pipe] which were the higher tier Magic rank item; still, they were all in the Damaged state.
Only [Fantos Manuscript], [Death Crystal Staff] and that unknown Magic rank skill book survived the st.
At the same time, the equipments that Kieran wore had no extra defense as well! Although most of them were Rare rank items, their defense was not that high. [Crows ck Feather] once again returned to its Damaged state. On the contrary, [Armor of Excellence] was just a Magic rank item, but its Powerful defense saved it from being damaged.
The only fortunate thing was the various types of potions in [Safety Potion Pack] and some other smaller Magic rank ETC items were with him all the time. Otherwise, he couldnt even cry properly after the st.
Still, the loss of the mentioned items made Kieran feel an unparalleled ache in his heart.
How would a scrooge react if the hard-earned money over a year was lost in a night?
He would be heart stricken to the core.
If there was someone who caused Kieran to suffer such a loss?
He would definitely slice the person responsible to a million pieces; his heart thought the same way, so he did it in an even fiercer way.
The devilish aura was mixed into his rage, causing him to discard every other emotion for a while.
"Damn it! I am affected again!"
Kieran immediately discovered the devilish and unusual feeling from [Creature of Desire], though when the aura was noticed, it disappeared right away.
However, when Kieran saw what he did under the influence of rage, he took in a cold breath.
Although it was just a moment when he was blinded by rage, Folly had been beaten to nothing but a pile of meat paste. Even the marble flooring on the ground had sunk a couple centimeters deep.
Kierans fists were bloody, but he couldnt feel any pain. He knew it was unusual, but he couldnt help it. Unless he could remove the heart in his chest, he could only remind himself from time to time to be careful and not to be tempted into a flesh puppet.
"Spirit attribute!"
Kieran suddenly recalled the only way to solve the problem before his eyes, but he sighed helplessly once more.
Whether using Golden Attributes Points or relying on skills to enhance his stats, it was not something aplishable within a short period of time.
"I need to be careful of my emotional changes within this time!"
Kieran warned himself once more, then he turned his attention to the meat paste.
The gruesome body on the ground had a slight golden glow above it.
A skill book, to be precise; the golden glow around it was extremely eye catching.
Kieran quickly picked up the Legendary skill book.
[Discovered skill book: Sword Skill, Myriad Viper]
[Prerequisite met, learn skill?]
"Learn!"
Although Kieran knew how much this skill book would cost, he knew even more the importance of enhancing his strength, hence the affirmative answer.
[Skill Learned: Sword Skill, Myriad Viper]
[Name: Sword Skill, Myriad Viper (Basic)]
[Rted Attributes: Spirit]
[Skill Type Offense]
[Effect: Utilize your aura to pressurize your opponents in a 3 meters diameter, target will be forced to undergo a Spirit authentication. When targets Spirit is lower than yours, target will fall into the illusion of ten thousand snakes, allowing you to exert your will freely. Consumes 200 Stamina, 5 minutes cooldown]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Spirit B]
[Remark: Although it is categorized as a Sword Skill, but in fact, it actually is an illusory attack, no weapon limitations]
...
The warm stream flowed into his brain, transferring myriad knowledge, removing his thoughts from the heart-stricken condition for a while.
After a whole ten plus seconds, Kieran woke up from his daze.
"Spirit rted attribute!?"
Kieran opened his eyes, and before he could be astonished by the unusually strange way of attacking of [Sword Skill, Myriad Viper], his attention was caught by the rted attribute.
It was the first contact with a Spirit-rted skill.
"Maybe only the Legendary rank skills could have Spirit rted attributes?" Kieran wondered.
Although he didnt have solid proof, but he was 60% sure about it.
Since Strength, Agility, Constitution and Intuition had rted skills, there was no way Spirit didnt have the rted skills as well.
The only exnation was that the previous skills were too low in tiers.
"If this is the case, the value of the Chosen One..."
Kieran had to reevaluate his understanding towards the term that he thought was just a yful address of someone.
The battle with the killer yers allowed him to understand the value of the Chosen One, and now the guess about only Legendary skills being Spirit rted boosted the value of the Chosen One more than just one level.
"No wonder the Chosen One became the one everyone was fighting over to recruit... One is valued when its rare!" Kieran eximed in his heart once more; then he suddenly clenched his fist hard.
"[Sword Skill, Myriad Viper] is a Legendary skill. It might very well require Golden Skill Points from Basic to Entry onwards, but it wont be a lot; maybe even normal Skill Points could be used to enhance Spirit attribute..."
Kieran was quite excited when the thought came into his mind.
ording to the n that he had in mind, he might be able to ditch the bacsh of [Fusion Heart] sooner rather thanter.
Though, it was not time for him to worry about that. He knew deeply that he was still within the dungeon world. He made use of his time and looked at the skill book in his burnt backpack that survived the st.
"Protection of the system rule?"
Kieran opened the skill book when such a wonder in his head.
[Discovered skill book: Spear Skill, Dash Lunge]
[Prerequisite met, learn skill?]
"Spear Skill? A polearm weapon advance skill?"
Kieran had more guesses in his heart, but none could stop him from learning.
After whispering it in his heart, the words started to pile up in his vision.
[Skill learned: Spear Skill, Dash Lunge]
[Name: Spear Skill, Dash Lunge (Basic)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Offense]
[Effect: When using a spearnce, perform a forward lunge with the same Strength and Speed, Strength +10%, Speed +10%, consume 100 Stamina, 5 minutes cooldown]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Sharp Weapon, Polearm Weapon (Master), Strength F+, Agility F+, Constitution F+]
[Remark: Share the same Strength and Speed, but not having both offense and defense!]
...
The synchronization process happened once more, and after the process was done, Kieran unconsciously wanted to test it out by wielding his spear, but when he moved his hand, he recalled that [Infantry Lance] was destroyed among all the other items during that st.
Kierans mood fell to rock bottom again.
Even though he had a Spirit rted Legendary skill, one could not hope it would cancel out the sufferings of a scrooge.
Kieran clenched his teeth in heartache, collecting back the items that were tagged with Damaged, Trash by the system and tied them up with the [Deceivers Key] on his back, then headed towards the inner pce.
It was not that Kieran understood the pce structure and knew where he should go, but a hard continuous ramming noise could be heard from afar; it was too easy for him to recognize.
"Hope its enough topensate for my loss!"
Kieran had the thought in his mind; and he unconsciously fueled it into his legs, moving even faster.
Meanwhile, outside the royal bedroom, Jeanne ordered her men to hasten the process.
Her allies did not have too much patience about this; if she couldnt get control of the whole kingdom within the short period of time given, the results would be devastating to bear.
Though, Jeanne James had the utmost confidence to do so.
At least, she thought she could perfectly deal with the incident.
After all, who could reject her?
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
The bread and butter skill for Kieran in the future.
Chapter 382: Impossible to guard
Chapter 382: Impossible to guard
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
Jeanne had heard the loud explosion a while ago, but she was not a bit concerned.
She knew it was Follys ace card, and after witnessing Folly utilizing the Raven sects secret technique, she was sure that enemy had been turned into ash with that st and the mes.
So, all she needed to do was wait patiently and wait for her best consultant to decipher the defensive magic set by Fandral; she believed it would soon be fruitful.
No doubt Fandral was Warrens strongest sorcerer, but every person had a weakness, and so did the strongest sorcerer. Fandral longed for an outstanding heir to his powers.
To Jeanne, all she need to do was to slightly make arrangements to exploit that obvious weakness, and she could get what she wanted with open hands.
Her disciple was up to her expectation; not only did she prove to be exceptionally useful at crucial times, but she provided Jeanne with a lot of Fandrals secerts.
The sorcerers power originated from the mystic. Once the mysterious veil was lifted, the sorcerer would have no power to utilize anymore.
She had grasp over Fandrals secret since then!
Even though it was not all, but it was enough for her to easily break Fandrals setup.
"Sand of Time, you need to be faster!"
She didnt sound rushed. After speaking, she sat down on the chair that her followers had brought over with their presence of mind.
As she sat down, her followers quickly gathered around her.
The followers originated from the nobles, the military, the mobs and even the civilians. All of them were looking at Jeanne with a fanatic look and zing eyes. They never thought theirdy of their dreams would fail.
Even if she did, it was their mistake!
So when Kieran appeared before Jeanne, the followers threw themselves over like true fanatics, absent of their minds.
"KILL HIM! KILL HIM!"
The heavy roars simr to a beast wereing out of the followers mouth.
Kieran was looking a little shocked at the fanaticism of these faces; it was a type of expression he had never seen before. Their face were ferociously twisted, but their gaze was as solid as rock and iron. Anyone who saw their faces would have chills in their heart and their backs, but it didnt stop Kieran from swinging his sword.
[Arrogant Word] brewed up a cyclone of death, shing those who threw themselves over in half.
They were not too hard to deal with. Although the men before Kieran were stronger than amon man, there was a huge gap whenpared to Kieran himself.
The advantages that Kieran had established since the newbie dungeon kept changing and improving through many normal dungeons and special dungeons.
His process was like brewing wine. The longer the brew duration, the richer the aroma of the wine when he opened the cork. Even though the cork was not opened at the moment, clues of his powers were overflowing.
p, p, p!
After thest standing follower fell, slow ps sounded.
Jeanne, who was sitting in the chair, inspected Kieran with her strange gaze.
"2567, Andys disciple. It is quite unimaginable that "Heavy Swordsman" Andy could raise a powerful person like you..."
Jeanne said slowly; her voice was like a pleasant melody, flowing into Kierans ears.
She was disying a noble, stern face, showing that her holiness couldnt be tainted.
If it was not for the broken limbs all over the ce and blood flowing like a river but a church instead, one would have thought they were meeting the holy maiden.
Though, the following moment surprised Kieran.
"Are you willing to serve me?"
As the words came out of Jeannes mouth, she turned on her charming and seducing side. The temperament was even more alluring than the untainted holiness from before.
At least one wouldnt dare fantasize about the untainted holiness, but the charming and seductive side was like the strongest aphrodisiac being poured into Kierans body.
Huuu! Huuuu!
Kieran started to breath rapidly, while Jeanneughed.
Jeanneughed like the blooming flowers and shivering twigs, causing her huge breast to rise up and down, catching any eyes out there. She had met too many men simr to Kieran. No matter how powerful and strong they were, in the end, no one could escape her grasp.
Even more so for those who shared a simr age with Kieran. They were exceptionally easy to control; a slight sweetness would cause them to get addicted, then they would stick around like flies.
Too simple! Everything was too simple for her!
Jeanne stood up from the chair. She raised her legs slightly, moved out softly with each step, sashaying towards Kieran. Under her mantle, the snow white dress quietly hugged her skin, carving out her stunning figure.
She raised her pearl white arm, ced her slender palm on Kierans chest and pointed softly with her finger.
Dong, Dong Dong!
Her palm could clearly feel Kierans heart pounding.
Strong, vigorous and very fast!
Such speed had already exceeded themon hearts beating speed.
Jeanne raised her head with a slight shock.
She fell quiet.
When sheid her eyes on Kierans, everything became quiet.
The night, the milky wave, the pce, everything else were gone.
Ambitions, wishes, and persistence became void.
All she wanted at that moment was to look at Kieran; that pair of eyes that caused her to sink deeply and uncontrobly.
That pair of eyes became her sky of stars, shining brightly with a rainbow-colored re.
A dense and extravagant Lust aura emitted from Kierans body, filling every inch of the space before the bedroom within a moment.
The Creature of Desires shadow quietly formed behind Kieran; hundreds and thousands of hands were extending themselves from the void andnding on Jeannes body.
Heat!
A burning heat that hadnt appeared for a long time was boiling in her heart, going as far as bringing the inner desire from her.
Jeanne suddenly lost the ability to think. She ripped her clothes off, and hugged Kieran with her delicate body. She twisted and shook her alluring parts to bring out everything she got; she wished for Kierans reply.
The faint moaning sound was numbing ears and bones; the soft and tempting pant were causing bodies to shiver.
After a heavy shiver from the shock, Kieran snapped out of itpletely.
He saw Jeanne before him and also the battlelog notification.
[Seduce: You are within targets Seducing range, your Spirit has passed the authentication, no debuffs urred...]
Kieran had resisted Jeannes [Seduce] based on the systems notification, no doubt.
However, the part that belonged to Eye of Chimeras and the Creature of Desire in [Fusion Heart] started to y its tricks again. Using Jeanne as a bait, the Creature of Desire availed the window to let itself out, even though Kieran warned himself to be careful.
Still, preventive measures seemed to be useless.
Maybe without Creature of Desire, none of these would happen, but Kieran wouldnt find excuse for his own mistakes and never would he forget about his enemy.
He gripped [Arrogant Word]s hilt and slowly raised the dark red greatsword up.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Jeanne... hot damn but actually Lust is the winner here lol
Chapter 383: Curse
Chapter 383: Curse
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
The greatsword was swung downwards, shing Jeanne before Kierans eyes.
He didnt show any mercy because to him, Jeanne was nothing more than an enemy.
The best way to deal with his enemies was death.
Wuuuu!
[Arrogant Word] brewed up the wind of death and shed down at Jeanne, but the sh was different than usual, it didnt cut its enemy in half.
A grayish white radiance emitting from Jeannes body, blocking the dark red sharp edge.
The radiance wasnt a solid force, more like a soft one, but the soft and strange radiance was dispersing the force of [Arrogant Word], resisting the sharp edge from reaching its target.
Kieran raised a brow and then raised his greatsword. He swung down another time, with a more powerful sh.
Wuuu!
However, the grayish white radiance appeared once more and blocked the second sh.
At the same time, the grayish white radiance started to disperse and turned into mist from the mountains, spreading out together with the breeze.
Under the haziness, a figure faintly appeared, a man with long robes.
Kieran couldnt see properly through the mist, let alone the mans face. But when the man raised his arm and pointed Kieran with his index finger, the sharp battle instincts that Kieran had honed through many battles made him switch a step and dodge the direction where the finger was pointing before swinging out a sh with [Arrogant Word].
Still, the battlelog notification appeared on his vision.
[Curse: Constitution is not at A rank, Strength, Agility, Intuition decreased 3 ranks, Spirit is at B+ rank, caster will have to suffer a Heavily Wounded level mental impact!]
Kaaaang!Dang!
[Arrogant Word] that Kieran swung out turned extremely heavy, to the extent that he couldnt wield it anymore, and the greatsword fell on the ground.
An extreme feeling of exhaustion spread throughout Kierans body. It felt like he had run through a long marathon with all he had. His body was weak all of a sudden, especially when he felt the weight of [Armor of Excellence] pressuring his body; he could barely keep himself up.
Kieran then immediately activated [Lionheart, Lions Courage]!
He hoped [Lions Courage] could dispel the curse on him and so it did. The Legendary medallion didnt disappoint Kieran; when the golden lion mirage formed behind Kieran, the feeling of weakness started to dissipate.
Meanwhile, the man in the mist gave out a cold grunt unwillingly.
Bang!
His arm suddenly exploded in front of Kieran.
Then, the blood from his arm and the grayish white mist fused together, forming tons of blood skulls with bat wings within the bloody mist which dived towards the golden lion mirage.
The bloody skulls with bat wings had shadows but form, simr to the golden lion.
They couldnt even withstand a strike from the golden lion, but they had the advantage of numbers.
Hundreds of thousands of them surrounded the golden lion, causing the energy that was poured into Kierans body tog, until it ceased.
"What is this?" Kieran was stunned; he had nevere across such a situation before.
The equipment skills could be interrupted?
The shocking thoughts didntst for long before Kieran forced himself back to reality.
The weight of [Armor of Excellence] made Kierans body wobble and start to fall, but he clenched his teeth and gave his utmost effort to prevent it. Compared to Kieran, Sand of Time on the other side was not having it any better.
Puk!
After the magic rebound cost him an arm, he staggered backwards, throwing up blood from his mouth, dyeing the ground around him red again. But he was ready to raise up his other intact hand.
Although his arm was shivering non-stop, his target was clear.
The Sand of Time wanted to deliver another hit to Kieran!
An extremely dangerous premonition rose up from Kierans heart.
The chilly cold air flowed into Kierans body as he breathed; it made him numb and stole his senses, as if he was frozen solid.
The feeling was too familiar, the breath of death!
Kieran had grazed death more than once, thus he knew what he must do to prevent it. He needed to be calm and not panicked; any more panic would only worsen the situation, causing him more lethal problems and erase the only gleam of hope!
[Armor of Excellence]s heavy weight made it hard to move, but at least he could stand up with his utmost effort.
The enemy on the other side in the mist seemed to be waiting for that moment. Kieran was confident that the sudden strike from before had been plotted for quite a while.
The enemy must had observed him in detail to plot against him.
After suffering the bacsh from the Creature of Desire, Kieran provided the enemy a perfect opportunity to observe him, hence the man could cast the cursing finger with utmost confidence.
Of course, the man hadnt predicted everything; at least, it was out of his prediction that Kieran had the Legendary medallion [Lionheart] and a higher Spirit attribute.
Maybe the man could base off his observation, judging Kierans Strength, Consitution and [Armor of Excellence]. However, it was impossible to notice [Lionheart] which was hiding under [Armor of Excellence] and the formless Spirit attribute, which gave Kieran an opportunity.
One second, two second...
After suffering from the magic rebound and losing an arm, even though he tried to raise his other intact arm, the seemingly easy movement became extremely hard.
After a full five seconds, Sand of Time onlypleted his casting gesture, then he raised his head and looked at the target waiting to be ughtered.
His target was waiting to be ughtered!
In Sand of Times view, Kieran was already a dead man. Even though some minor idents urred in the process but he believed the result would remain the same.
So when Sand of Time raised his head up to Kieran holding his palm straight, he was stunned.
A bad premonition appeared in Sand of Times heart; he hastened his casting speed, but Kieran was a step ahead.
"AIO!"
The loud incantation formed a cone-shaped me, sting towards Sand of Time and Jeanne, engulfing thempletely.
The Powerful rank fire attack sent Sand of Time who was declining in strength and power falling into the sea of mes; his survival chances were fading away as the mes devoured him.
Jeanne, on the other hand, let out an agonized cry and woke up from the illusion that Creature of Desire caused her.
The mes were burning harsh. The pain on her face and her body continued to jar her, telling her that she had lost her looks that she was so proud off.
The burning mes turned Jeanne into a frenzied woman as she lost every bit of sanity inside her. She dashed towards Kieran like a wild beast, wanting to bring him down with her.
Jeanne directly rammed into Kierans right hand that he hadnt let down after his calction in his mind.
Right after they came in contact, ayer of icy frost spread out with exponential speed; the burning mes on Jeanne were rapidly extinguished by the chilly air.
When the high and low temperature shed, steam burst out like a smoke grenade, spreading all over the area before the bedroom like the mist from before.
Under the heavy steam and fading mist, two items with an extravagant golden glow were extremely eye-catching.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
2! Gold!
Chapter 384: A scary item
Chapter 384: A scary item
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
Kierans gaze only lingered a bit on the two Legendary items, then he turned his attention to the figure that walked out of the mist.
When he saw the figure with a bloated stomach, he frowned but didnt let his guard down.
Enemies came in all shapes, sizes and conditions. He had no intention of flipping the boat in the drain.
"Please dont worry, I mean you no harm!"
Hands were waved up high as the figure said.
"My husband is Fandral. I was forced to do something out of my will before... But now, thank you for what you did!"
Fandrals wife?
As the pregnant woman said her words with an apologetic tone, she took a slight bow forward with difficulty despite her condition.
Kieran was inspecting the woman before him.
Amon face with nothing much worth noticing other than the slightly quiet temperament; however, Kieran became more vignt as she appeared.
He didnt forget why Fandral failed to teleport them back to Riverdale in the first ce. It was because of his wifes betrayal!
Even though there might be more reasons behind than what appeared, but the betrayal was a fact, and the result wouldnt change even after her exnation.
Fandrals wifes expression didnt change at all when facing against Kierans vignt gaze.
"Please hold on a moment!" She said.
Then, the woman ced her hands on her belly and quietly stepped aside, to express that she really didnt mean any harm.
Kieran held both his hands on [Arrogant Word]s hilt and stared at the woman.
The duration of the curse was longer than Kierans expectation. Even after the death of Sand of Time, he couldnt feel any better or the curse fading.
Before this, Kieran gave all his effort to keep himself standing, but after the battle, he needed more strength to support himself. He had to use his hands to support his body. Still, he knew that relying on both his hands and supporting himself with the greatsword wouldntst long. The increasing muscle sourness kept reminding him of his limit.
Fortunately, he didnt have to hold on very long until Mary, Bosco and Fandral came out from the room aside.
"2567!" Mary rushed into Kierans arms with a loud cry.
Kieran who was still suffering the curse couldnt even reject the sudden hug when Mary threw herself at him. The sudden add-on weight on his body finally made his body crumble and fall to the ground with Mary on top of him.
"2567! 2567! Are you hurt? Where! Tell me! Where does it hurt!?"
The little girl looked at Kieran with shock and panic after the fall. Her sapphire blue eyes started to tear up.
"Im fine! You father is right inside there, you should go meet him first! After all, that is the reason why you are here, right?"
Kierany on the floor, shaking his head. He was bad at handling such awkward situations, and all he could do was to divert the topic as he was lost for actions.
"But...But..."
"Worry not! Im fine! Just a little exhausted!"
Kieran had to hide the fact that he was cursed to let Mary move away from him.
"Your Highness, you should let Sir 2567 take a good rest."
Bosco, who was good at observing peoples expression, said from the side and pointed at the bedroom door.
After a slight hesitation, Mary nodded.
Mary got up from Kieran, and before she went into the bedroom, she reminded him.
"Wait for me! Ill be right back!" She said.
Kieran nodded with a smile, but he didnt put any hope into it.
Although the system didnt notify him about his missionpletion, ording to the description, "Escort Mary to the imperial city in 30 days", it seemed like it was almost time for him to leave the dungeon.
"Farewell!"
Kierans heart whispered as he stared at the little girls back.
He had no idea when he would meet her again.
Other than that, what kind of twisted story would the system arrange for him, making Mary believe that he had a solid reason to leave?
Maybe their next meeting would be after a few years; she might even be all grown up!
Kieran sighed in his heart.
"I didnt think you could really pull it off..."
When Mary and Bosco went inside the bedroom, Fandral walked up to Kieran with aplicated expression. Until the end, the strongest sorcerer in Warren still couldnt believe Kieran had achieved the feat that he thought unachievable.
"Human effort is the decisive factor!" Kieran looked at Fandral and said slowly.
"Human effort, eh? I myself cant pull it off!" Fandral mocked himself with augh.
Then, the strongest sorcerer of Warren held his wifes hand and stared silently at her bloated belly; he said softly, "After all, I know where I belong now!"
"Please convey my apologies to his Majesty and her Highness, I have no reason to show my face here anymore! I left some of my notes in my room, I hope they could be of some use topensate for my mistakes. Farewell, 2567! May we meet again in the future!"
Fandral then walked out the royal bedroom area as he finished. His wife took another apologetic bow at Kieran and quickly followed her husband with quick steps.
Kieran frowned, wanting to say something, but in the end, he couldnt.
He could tell that it was not that Fandral was ashamed to face Mary and her deceased mother, but he was worried about his wife, or more precisely, the heir in her belly!
"After being forced to submit... now he is scared of his own shadow?" Kieran thought in his heart.
Then he shook off the thought and turned his attention to the two Legendary items.
Compared to Fandrals leaving, he was more concerned about what he could get.
As for what could be affected by his leaving? It was not something within his concern.
Kieran believed Marys father could sustain without Fandral since Jeanne was out of the equation.
Kieran moved towards the items and picked them up.
One was a petite doll, only a finger long, and the other one was a crystal made ring.
[Name: Karma Doll]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Attack/Defense: None]
[Attributes: After a certain procedure, you cany a curse directly at your enemy, instantly killing them regardless of conditions, 1 time remaining]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: Mystical Knowledge (Grand Master)]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: To use Karma Doll, you will need the blood and the real name of the target! Though, bear in mind, the targets strength will be the key factor whether the curse will work effectively!]
...
[Name: Mesly Ring]
[Type: essory]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Attack/Defense: None]
[Attributes: 1. Charm; 2. Dominance]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: Spirit B]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: Do you want to be popr and loved by all? The best choice is to wear it!]
...
[Charm: When skill is activated, you and your target will undergo a Spirit authentication. When your Spirit is higher than your target, target will be sessfully charmed! Target will be your best friend and will do anything possible to aid you! When you fail the authentication, you have to suffer a Heavily Wounded state mental shock. 1/day]
[Dominance: When sessfully charmed target, should you choose to dominate the target, a second Spirit authentication will ur, the charmed target will gain +2 Spirit attribute advantage. If you seed, target willpletely obey yourmands, if you fail, you will suffer a Lethally Wounded state mental shock!]
[Note 1: Charm target doesnt limited to Human targets]
[Note 2: Targets charmed inside the dungeon world, couldnt bring out of the dungeon, when you leave the dungeon, target will live on by its previous life]
...
"Lay a curse to kill one instantly? Shhhh!"
Kieran took in a cold hard breath when he saw the description of [Karma Doll]
He knew perfectly well how powerful this item was. It could already be considered as scary!
"Only if I get the real name..."
Kieran suddenly thought of someone, and that someone had be the core of the n that he was thinking up in his mind, but before he could finalize his n, a rushed yelling came through.
"The Prairies are invading! Weve lost Lightning Fortress!"
Kieran could clearly hear the yell with his ears and promptly raised a brow.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
You think this is over? Its far from over.
The doll works like death note :D
Chapter 385: Invasion
Chapter 385: Invasion
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
Lightning Fortress was lost?
The invasion of the Prairies?
Kieran unconsciously recalled the odd encounter that he had in Lightning Fortress when he heard the news.
The war machines were fired off prematurely like a warning shot. The soldiers were fighting with their lives on the wall but the sudden appearance of the deserter incurred an unprecedented defeat of the troops.
"Come to think of it... Those deserters should be the spies of the Prairies!"
Kieran took in a deep breath and looked towards the piling notification that popped up in his vision.
[Triggered special incident!]
[Mary has returned to the imperial city, main missionpleted!]
[Do you wish to leave the dungeon in 5 minutes? Yes/No]
Kieran couldnt help but squint his eyes at the notification before him.
"I can choose to leave? If I acquire a special dungeon, how will it be then?" Kieran wondered.
The answer though floated out from his heart.
The kingdom of Warren would definitely fall.
What would happen to Mary and her father?
The best case scenario would be that both of them might able to escape and form a resistance from there.
With Kierans understanding of Mary, if the girl could escape, she would definitely form the resistance.
If both of them couldnt escape, that would be the worst case scenario.
Death! Or even worse!
While imagining the possible oues, Kieran raised his head and stared at the royal bedroom. Since his Intuition was greatly reduced, he couldnt listen to the conversation inside, but Kieran was certain that Mary would not be crying and shedding useless tears.
The girl would certainly be questioning the king of Warren, and Kieran could also guess the general contents of their conversation. Even the oue was clear; the fact that Mary traveled so far to be here had stated everything.
"Her only kin?" Kieran muttered.
Suddenly, he lost interest in whatever the oue might be; he wished not to confirm his guess with a special dungeon acquired after the rating calction.
It would be too slow by then! He couldnt afford to wait so long and neither was he willing to!
He had another option!
"Sure enough, I must say my goodbyes with my own mouth!"
Kieran smiled lightly and mustered his strength to stand himself up. The gears in his brain were spinning quickly.
"If I choose not to leave... I might be joining the forces in resisting the Prairies soldier following the current flow, but because of the previous battle, the defensive force of the imperial city has been weakened significantly and is barely able to take a hit. The battle will be extremely hard! But isnt this what I wanted? The harder the process, the higher the rating!"
Kieran smiled brightly and voiced his answer.
"No!" He said loudly.
The system immediately provided a reply as well.
[In consideration of yers option, a special main mission is given...]
[Main mission: Defeat the Prairies invaders vanguard in 3 days!]
[Note 1: Triggered special duration, dungeon rating increase]
[Note 2: Complete special main mission to significantly increase dungeon rating]
...
"Three days? Vanguard?"
Kieran rted into more matters when he saw the brief description of his special main mission.
"This means three dayster, there might be a big fleet of troops appearing outside Lightning Fortress? Lightning Fortress, Lightning Fortress..."
Kieran touched his chin and suddenly realized a problem.
"If this is the case... Seems like it is not that hard!" Kieran muttered.
Tsssk Gak!
The royal bedroom door opened up afar.
Bosco ran out with a terrified face, grabbed the messenger tightly and requested details.
Behind him was Mary and a pale middle-aged man.
Though, after a careful inspection, Kieran found that "middle-aged" was not appropriate to describe the man.
His face might look like a man in his forties, but the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes and the snow white hair made him looked like an elderly. The term elderly fitted his walking manner even more; with every step he took, he need to take a rest and several pants.
However, the light within his eyes looked dignified and impressive for a man with those features.
King James VIII!
Kieran knew his identity the moment he saw him.
"Thank you for everything youve done for me and Warren! But I have to ask more of you now... I hope that you can bring Mary away!"
King James VIII said to Kieran with a faint and weak manner, but his tone sounded stern.
When he walked to Kierans side, even Mary was supporting him with one hand; his body trembled as well. Kieran could also clearly feel Marys palm tighten her grip on the kings arm.
The early matured little girl also heard the news.
In fact, that voice with that kind of level had spread throughout the pce as soon as the messenger yelled; anyone who was not deaf could easily hear the news.
Therefore, the little girl knew what her father, that she only met once, wanted to do. She wanted to prevent it but didnt know how.
"Forgive me, Mary!"
King James VIII looked at the little girl with a face full of guilt.
Then, when the king turned to Bosco, he was looking stern and serious.
"Bosco, help me gather the remaining troops, I will ascend the wall myself! I will buy as much time as possible for you all. You bring your families and as much civilians as possible out of Riverdale! The Prairies soldiers target is me and this city. They wont go after you! Moreover, the invasion before us is just a small vanguard team, they couldnt prevent your escape!"
King James VIII said.
"Your...Your Majesty!"
Bosco kneeled down with his eyes turning red. The private consultant of the king knew the kings decision. All he could do was brood and use his eyes, filled with tears, to look at the weak king before him.
If Jeanne was out of the question, the once mighty king before Bosco would surely lead the Kingdom of Warren to its pinnacle and not end up letting the country perish!
"Dont cry. Warren will not perish like this. At least you will bring the seed of kindling with you! Although those nobles were bastards, they will harbour some of the will of Warren as well. Although I might not have the chance to see the seed burn into a zing fire, my soul will stay here, waiting for you to rebuild Riverdale!"
Whenever the Prairies invaded a city, the city would cease to exist after they trampled past it, just like they did to scare the other tribes with relentless ughters.
ughter cities as they pleased and burn everything to the ground after they were done with it.
King James VIII raised his head and looked at the pce that represented the dignity of the Warren royal family.
After he engraved the pride of the Warren royal family into his heart, he chose a glorious death.
When he put on his crown and picked up his scepter, the resolution filled his mind.
Bosco saluted his king once more and prepared to leave for the troops gathering.
Although he knew the numbers wouldnt be a lot, it was better than nothing.
"Hold on!"
Just as Bosco was stepping out, Kieran stopped him.
"You didnt forget our promise, right? The sword skills, every two-handed sword skill that you can find!" Kieran said, looking at the shocked Bosco with a serious face.
"In the time of urgency, you..."
"Very well, Ill bring over whatever I can find!"
Bosco instinctively wanted to refute, but when he saw the seriousness on Kierans face, he quickly sighed uncontrobly. However, when he thought that Kieran was tasked to escort Mary away, he knew what he had to do.
"Right, before that, prepare a wagon and something to dispel a curse for me! Someone took my loots, and I think I need to inform them what will be of them with my sword!"
Kieran halted Bosco once more as he was leaving, and said slowly.
"What!?"
Bosco halted his steps and turned around, looking at Kieran with an unconceivable gaze.
Even King James VIII who was ready to die a glorious death widened his eyes.
Mary, who was soaked in sorrow, raised her head to Kieran. Her face was showing an extremely touched expression; that feeling turned into some unknown power and poured into her heart.
Kieran tilted his head down at Mary with an odd manner. He smiled and said, "I am not doing this for you, remember? I am doing this for myself! Whosoever dare take my things away from me, I will turn them into ash!"
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Manliest Kieran through out all the dungeon he has been through. Maybe because of the loli?
Chapter 386: Sect
Chapter 386: Sect
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
A two-wheeled, small wagon was heading towards Lightning Fortress swiftly while remaining undercover.
After taking off the heavy [Armor of Excellence], Kieran was sitting on a side of the wagon donning simple clothing. He was staring straight at an empty vial of potion in front him with doubtful eyes.
[Name: Dispel Potion]
[Type: Potion]
[Rarity: Great]
[Attribute: After consuming, able to effectively dispel Medium to Low level curse debuffs]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Remark: If you want to dispel the curse faster, drink the whole vial!]
...
Kierans doubtful face was not because [Dispel Potion] was ineffective. Quite the contrary, it had quite the effect; the curse debuffs were almost cleared upon drinking.
It was because of the immediate effect of the potion that made Kieran feel unbelievable!
The potion was crafted by Marys mother.
"This is one of my mothers treasure that she left behind. It will be of use!"
The image of Mary speaking those words appeared in Kierans mind again.
"So she really was a witch?" Kieran mumbled.
He realized that his understanding of Marys mother was too limited. The woman seemed to be much moreplicated that he could imagine.
However, soon enough, Kierans expression turned odd. He recalled that Mary took the [Bug Pipe] when she handed him the potion.
Kieran, of course, wasnt concerned about an equipment that couldnt be brought out of the dungeon, but it was Marys expression that caught his attention.
"I hope Im overthinking!" Kieran muttered once more.
Then he turned to a cowhide envelope beside him. It was a confidential document that was sealed with wax. Inside it were the arrangements of troops of Lightning Fortress and the secret passage!
The seemingly imprable Lightning Fortress had a secret passage that could lead one away from the fortress walls. A secret passage known only by the king of Warren.
Kieran remembered King James VIIIs terrified face when he asked him whether Lightning Fortress had a secret passage.
In fact, Kieran only realized it after the Prairie invasion.
A fortress so close to the imperial city... if the royal family of Warren didnt n ahead and save a secret passage for themselves, how would they be at ease with a mere defendingmander leading his elite troops to defend the ce?
Although there was a saying to never doubt a person in use and never use a person in doubt, but the human heart itself was the hardest to predict.
One could bear the respect for others to worship and at the same time have the selfishness that others could learn to despise.
A moment ago, one could still be a hero, but a momentter, one could end up being the viin.
No one could guarantee a persons loyalty, just like one couldnt demand a piece of bread to never go rotten.
Based on Kierans guesses, the royal family of Warren would save a way for themselves to escape in case of emergencies at Lightning Fortress.
"If firearms are advanced enough in this dungeon world, the secret passage might be filled with explosives!"
Kieran thought to himself while looking at the map within the cowhide envelope.
Even though it took the Warren royal family 30 years to build Lightning Fortress, but if anything unexpected happened, Kieran believed that if explosives existed, the royal family would definitely blow up the fortress as an option.
After all, the huge ce would drag quite a number of enemies down with it, and it would solved the invasion problem at Riverdale; everything would be worth it.
Though, that was not the case, and Kieran had to resolve it in the most primitive way.
By infiltrating the fortress, and causing the maximum damage to the Prairie invaders.
In his mind, Kieran already had a general idea of what he would do. For the rest of the journey, he would need to give his all to perfect his n, and it wouldnt cost him too much effort.
So most of his remaining time was spent on reading the books that Bosco could gather for him, the ones rted to the two-handed sword skills.
From the basic levels to the significantly high levels and there was even 2 skill books among the bunch.
Obviously, finding two skill books at once was not something Bosco was capable of. It was King James VIII who was willing to reveal his royal vault to Kieran.
Kieran felt grateful for the kings generosity. Even though he could very well treat them as rewards, his moral values and education prohibited him from mixing both up.
One thing differed from another; nothing could rece it.
Having such a character, being branded as a stubborn and old fashion was not too surprising for Kieran.
As for himself, he enjoyed the bitter things as if they were malt sugar.
Everyone had their own way of dealing with things. That was why the world was such a fascinating ce, wasnt it?
Leaning back in the carriage, Kieran got himself into the mostfortable position possible and flipped the book in his hand.
"Summary of the Monolith Sect Sword Skills"
The book was a summation of all the specialties and techniques of the Monolith Sect sword skills. The contents were too shallow and could only be treated as an introduction. It was not the skill book that Kieran thought it was.
In fact, among the near twenty books, the only ones that could be recognized by the system as skill books were the two from the royal vault.
[Sword Skill, Dragon Force] and [Sword Skill, Tiger Stance]!
Both of them were Rare rank skill book, and the moment Kieran had gotten his hands on them, he chose to learn them without a second thought.
[Name: Sword Skill, Dragon Force (Basic)]
[Rted Attribute: Strength, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Offense]
[Effect: Whenever you attack, you could perform a 5 second charge-up and unleash a sh with 30% increase in attack, consumes 200 Stamina, cooldown 5 minutes]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Sharp Weapon, Heavy Arms (Master of Two-handed Sword), Strength C]
[Remark: This is one of the secret esoteric sword skills of the Dragon Sect, and the base for all Dragon Sect secret skills]
...
[Name: Sword Skill, Tiger Stance (Basic)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Offense]
[Effect: Whenever you use a two-handed sword, battle mace, battle axe and sessfully block an enemys attack, if you counterattack, +10% in Strength, +10% in Agility, consume extra Stamina when attacking]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Sharp Weapon, Heavy Arms (Master), Strength C]
[Remark: This is one of the secret esoteric sword skill of the Tiger Sect, its the first step in mastering two-handed weapons.]
...
"Sects?"
Kieran looked over the description of both skills.
Instantly, he rted to the Viper Sect and Raven Sect that Folly mentioned during their battle.
It allowed Kieran to understand that the dungeon world he was in had more valuables that were worth digging, but of course it was not possible now.
Gulu, Gulu!
While being cascaded by the noise of the wagon wheels colliding with the ground, Kieran submersed himself into "Summary of the Monolith Sect Sword Skills".
Even though it wouldnt allow him to learn some skills instantly, some theories behind the book were worth the time. The applying techniques were something he had never learned in [Sharp Weapon, Heavy Arms].
The unknown techniques made Kieran hungry for more knowledge on the books, absorbing whatever he could until the wagon slowly stopped.
"Sir 2567, we will enter the sight of Lightning Fortress soon!" Bosco reminded Kieran.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
New skills yo~
Chapter 387: Secret Passage
Chapter 387: Secret Passage
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
The wagon stopped behind an earth ramp.
Kieran took his belongings and jumped off the wagon. It was thest moment of dawn; the sun would soon rise.
With the height of Lightning Fortress, one would only need slightly sharp eyes to spot movements far away even if they were not a archer.
Even more so, the Prairie invaders were mostly archers, and if themander was not an idiot, he would know how to utilize his advantages after taking over the fortress.
Therefore, Kieran and Bosco had to be careful of their steps.
"This is as far as I can escort you! God speed, Sir 2567!" Bosco said with a rarely seen serious tone.
"Em! Please bid farewell to Mary for me. Although I really wanted to say it myself..."
Kieran shrugged and discontinued his words.
He really wanted to bid farewell to Mary with his own words before, but when he saw the little girls expression, he couldnt take any action, and when he realized it, he was already in the wagon.
It really was regretful since he couldnt say it himself, but delivering the message through someone else would be the same, or so he thought. But he didnt expect Boscos reply.
"Please deliver your farewell to her Highness yourself, dear sir... This kind of farewell is too heavy for me to deliver, please forgive my ipetence!"
Bosco then turned around and boarded the wagon, leaving Kieran behind after he finished speaking.
Kieran raised a brow when he saw the wagon disappearing in the darkness. Seemed like Bosco had misunderstood his meaning, but Kieran had just lost the chance to exin.
He couldnt halt Bosco out loud because it would expose him to the enemies.
He shook his head and threw the trifling thoughts away, focusing his attention on inspecting Lightning Fortress from afar.
The secret passage was located at the left mountain side of the fortress. Although it was not that high on top, but the important point was that Kieran had to dodge the sights of the patrols on top of Lightning Fortress.
It might be easier during the night with the cover of darkness, but once daylight bathed thend, even Kieran himself did not have enough confidence in avoiding them.
So he prepared to move out immediately, but when he looked at Lightning Fortress, his body shivered uncontrobly.
He saw that both sides of the main path to the fortress were piled up with tons of corpses!
Corpses that belonged to the defendingmander of the fortress before. All of them had been chopped into pieces; although they were not as tamp, it was enough to send chills down the spine when oneid eyes on it.
Kieran had seen a lot of bodies throughout his dungeon runs, but it was the first time he saw corpses piled up like that. Only after being stunned for two to three seconds did he recollect his thoughts.
"To unt their achievements and scare the enemies?" Kieran muttered.
No doubt the invasion of the Prairies was quite sessful.
Kieran was sure that if the remaining troops of Warren managed to make it there with their flickering morale, they would be instantly crushed and dispirited upon witnessing such a scene.
Though it was just a nearly impossible hypothesis, Kieran had to make alterations to his original ns.
"Bloodthirst? No! These were not just bloodthirsty invaders, but..."
After a quick nce over the pile of corpses, the numbers were even more than when he broke through the fortress. Where did the other corpses came from?
A part of it must be those soldiers from the battle with the Prairies during their invasion, and the other part...
Prisoners of war!
Even though Kieran took the smaller path which was hidden frommon sight, he still could see routed troops returning from Lightning Fortress from time to time.
There were at least a hundred of them, thoughpared to the numbers of troops defending the fortress, it was not a lot.
Kierans guess at that time was that the soldiers were being held captive, so he instinctively thought the Prairies released the war prisoners to create more chaos and cause problems in their position.
Though, by the looks of things, Kieran seemed to have underestimated the Prairie invaders determination, or should it be, he overestimated the numbers of the invaders.
Even though time was not on their side, King James VIII still managed to brief Kieran about the details of the situation with the Prairies.
They gathered in tribes, had a very system and used ves as currency. In some secluded tribes, ves were worth more than gold.
The main source of ves were wars.
In other words, prisoners of war were treated as ves, and it would be destroying their own properties if they killed off the ves that were used as currency.
Why would one have to destroy their own properties?
When they couldnt really own their properties and were forced to do so.
There were not many situations that could force the Prairie invaders that invaded Lightning Fortress to do so; the biggest possibility was the number of soldiers.
"They have insufficient manpower to watch over the war prisoners, so they killed all of them?"
Kieran quickly moved out even though doubts were still lingering in his heart.
He did not have much toment on the actions of the Prairie invaders; after all, the Prairies and Warren were enemies. It would also not be a surprise if this was a war tactic.
The Prairies ughtered their war prisoners, and piled them up to scare off Warren.
When Warren was at her prime, hadnt they driven myriads of Prairie people back to theirnd?
It was apletely opposite rtionship, and both sides had to switch their role from time to time. Only when one of the two waspletely annihted would the conflict stop.
Kieran had no idea when either of them would be annihted, but he knew he couldnt afford to let Warren be annihted with his current stand.
At least not for the foreseeable future.
Souu!
While carrying a minted backpack filled with Warrens style, Kieran jumped up high towards the left mountain side of Lightning Fortress with a mild air-breaking sound.
ording to the marks on the map, Kieran found the entrance to the secret passage without wasting too much time.
It was under a big dried tree.
After sweeping off the dirt beneath the tree, a rock-made secret passage was revealed.
Kieran stood aside and waited patiently for the morbid air within the passage to disperse; only then did he walk in slowly.
The darkness within couldnt prevent Kieran from advancing. He could clearly see that the whole passage was a straight tunnel, and at the end of it was a flight of stairs leading up.
The stairs were not themon stairs that he usually saw, but more like stairs carved out from rocks, one would need to utilize both hands and legs to climb up. It was around 20 meters tall.
Kieran carried his backpack and climbed up using his hands nimbly like a monkey; he swiftly arrived at the top.
Though, Kieran didnt pushed open the secret door above him right away; he stayed back to try to listen what was on the other side.
ording to the king, the end of the secret passage should be a storage room, holding some of the military supplies, but that was ages ago.
After a long period of time, one could hardly guarantee that the arrangements within had not changed.
Even more so after the invaders conquered the ce. Who knew what they would treated the ce as?
After focusing his hearing for a couple of seconds and not picking up any noise from beyond the secret door, Kieran took a deep breath and ced one of his palm on the secret door, preparing to push it open.
Before he could, a series of footsteps came by.
Dak Dak Dak!
They were firm and strong,ing by in union above Kieran.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Infiltrating at its finest
Chapter 388: Our Target
Chapter 388: Our Target
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
"A trap!?"
Instinctively, such a thought bloomed in Kierans heart because the timing of the footsteps was too coincidental.
Promptly, Kieran tightened all his muscles and shrunk his body a little, like a jaguar ready to hunt its prey.
Just as he wanted to jump out, he stopped abruptly.
He heard someone disarming their sharp weapons, followed by a series of snores from someone deep asleep.
"What the...?" Kieran was stunned.
He carefully pushed open the secret door.
The snoring had gotten even clearer without the blocking, and he saw a threeyer decker bed before him.
A dorm for soldiers!
Kieran inspected his surroundings with his head up, and after swiftly confirming the storage room was turned into a dorm, he sneaked in like a cat through the secret door.
After he came out, he carefully closed the secret door on the floor. The secret door with a palms thickness closed down on the passage below seamlessly; a simple look from outside couldnt distinguish it from other parts of the ground; seemed like it was specially treated.
When Kieran snuck into the soldiers dorm, he carefully inspected the ce again.
It was around 40 square meters, but because of the threeyer bed, a total of sixty men were cramped inside.
The space between the beds only allowed one to pass after moving their body sideways.
The secret door was at a corner of the dorm, or else, with thepact cement of the threeyer beds, the secret door would have been pressed down.
After feeling lucky in his heart and thanking Lady Luck, Kieran slowly made his way to the dorm entrance.
The sun was already half up, the light was dispelling the darkness, shedding its warm shine on Lightning Fortress that had been through a whole night ofmotion.
The morning breeze blew along Herr Mountain ridges as it moved, blowing into the nameless valley and eventually Lightning Fortress, though the dense smell of blood was not washed away.
In fact, the bloody smell spread out as the wind blew.
Kieran who was standing behind the soldier dorm entrance and took a peek outside through the seam before going back inside the dorm.
The security outside was much more tighter than he thought. Every point of interest had Prairie soldiers guarding it. With his current look, if he were to step out of the dorm, he would be instantly noticed.
When the sun rose up high in the sky, there would be no shadows for Kieran to hide in because of the path carved out through the mountain walls.
"I only have two options now! One is to camouge myself with some Prairie outfits and get along. Second is to wait for it to turn dark!"
After some thoughts, Kieran discarded the first option.
Although the system provided him aid in themonnguage of the dungeon world, it didnt include thenguages of the Prairies, so even if he had an outfit to match the bunch, he would be easily spotted as well.
More so, "borrowing" a outfit that was made out of clothes and hides from the Prairies was not an easy task.
The Prairie soldiers before him were sleeping with their clothes on. He was not confident enough to remove an outfit off one of them without startling the others.
There was only one alternative avable, which was to kill everyone in the dorm!
The bloody smell was lingering outside, so he wouldnt have to worry about the smell, but he wasnt sure about their rotation in shifts.
When someone entered the dorm, everything would be hard to conceal, thus leading to a bigmotion.
It would ce his ns in utmost disadvantage.
Given that he still had sufficient time to spend, Kieran chose the more steady way to approach wait for the night again, although it might provide the Prairie invaders a good amount of rest.
......
Time passed by seconds to minutes, the sun slid down from the sky and eventually set under the mountains.
During the 12 hours spent, the Prairie soldiers in the dorm rotated their shifts twice, once every six hours and another six more hours emptied out.
Just as Kieran had expected, the numbers of the Prairie invaders were not much.
When the soldiers that belonged to that dorm returned once more for a rest, Kieran left the secret passage.
After pushing open the door like he knew the ce, he dived into the shadows within the paths and headed towards the target he had set early on.
Kieran was not cking during the six hours that were spent during the rotation of shifts.
Although it was just a door seam, it was enough for him to inspect the area in details.
Then,paring his memories from yesterday, it was not a hard task to locate the invaders leader.
Kieran obviously never learned anything about troop formation, but one thing was for sure. The identity and position decided their treatment and authority.
At both sides of the mountain walls, every point of interest had Prairie soldiers guarding that spot, though there were two points had the most soldiers.
A quick nce on the outside could tell that the number of soldiers guarding those two points were extremely unusual, given that they had limited manpower.
Using the darkness as cover, Kieran initially came to the first point with the concentrated guards on the mountain wall. He ced his backpack in the shadows and leaned his body against the wall, moving past each guard with his Transcendence level [Undercover].
After passing the guards, Kieran was moving silently like a cat to enter the room.
He was grateful that he had leveled [Undercover] to Transcendence level, granting himself exceptional hiding abilities in the shadows. Otherwise, he couldnt have made it through the path with the guards.
Kieran gripped the handle of the door and slowly opened it, preventing the pivot and the frame from producing any noise. He then snuck inside quietly after the door was opened.
When he saw the huge war machine inside the room, he raised his brow and muttered "Bad Luck!". He chose the wrong spot out of the two choices.
He leaned his body back on the wall and wanted to retreat where he came from. But just as he was about to move, footsteps came from outside the door.
Kieran quickly moved behind the door, hiding himself behind it if the door was opened.
Momentster...
Tss Gak!
The door was opened straight up with a tooth numbing screech.
Two buffed men with a tan face but reddish cheeks walked in one after another.
Both of them were wearing the cloth and hide outfit of the Prairies, had some essories on them and were armed with swords.
Though, the one who walked in first seemed to be a higher ranking one based on his essories. Not only he was wearing gold, but red ambers and green emeralds were around his neck as well.
After the door was closed, both men started to converse. The men who was obviosly higher ranking than the others didnt notice there were a pair of eyes watching them from beside the closed door.
"Hurry up! Before the other tribes arrive, we must understand how these war machines work! They will be Tashi Tribes biggest reward for this south journey!" The man in front said with a stern tone.
"Yes, tribe master!" The person behind bowed to his orders.
Crack! Crack!
Momentster, both their neck were snapped off. They didnt know what happened till theirst breath.
Kieran then dragged the two bodies around, wanting to leave them on a side in the room, but just as Kieranid the bodies down, a signal arrow was fired out.
Souuuuu! Pang!
The loud bang broke the silence in the middle of the night instantly.
"Sh*t! Ive been discovered!" Kieran was shocked.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
I like thest part, he was like Oh Shit damn !
Chapter 389: Trial of Strength
Chapter 389: Trial of Strength
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
Different from his previous guesses, Kieran was sure this time that he had been discovered.
Not only because of that signal arrow, but because he clearly sensed malicious intent brewing, and it was within the room he was in!
Kieran stood up focusing and activated his [Tracking] right away.
There would be traces wherever a human walked, regardless of how great their hiding technique was.
Though when Kieran noticed where the malicious intents wereing from, he was stunned.
The souls! The souls of the two men he just killed!
They were staring at him with hate-filled eyes, wanting to devour him.
"No, no, this isnt right! They are not souls!" Kieran frowned when he saw the two souls.
His Pro level [Mystical Knowledge] granted him the abilities to tell souls apart by their appearance.
The souls before him really shared the simrities with a real soul, but they were definitely not one and not a spectre either. It was something in between. Still, it didnt stop him from making his attack.
Wuuu!
Kieranunched a sweeping kick like a battle axe, cleaving its target and instantly turned the two special souls into dust.
[Hand-to-Hand Combat] Transcendence option [Transcendence Kick], allowed Kieran to possess outstanding attacking power even against spirited beings.
Ding!
A [Soul Shard] feel off the souls. Kieran picked it up and ced it his pocket, then headed towards the door. He could already hear footsteps and sounds of shing in his ears when he was near the door.
Bang!
Kieran raised his leg and kicked hard on the door.
The wooden door that seemed sturdy a moment ago was sted away together with the door frame, hitting a couple Prairie soldiers behind the door who were caught off guard.
With bone cracking sounds, a couple of Prairie soldiers fell and rolled down to the horse racing square at Lightning Fortress.
The prolonged scream instantly stopped the moment they crashed on the ground.
The mountain walls which was 40 to 50 meters tall were lethal tomoners should they fall off.
The soldiers that rushed down from both sides of the mountain walls were stunned.
Kieran took the window of opportunity; he turned around and ripped one of the war machines exterior te off. Under the screeching metallic sounds, he folded the exterior te into a temporary shield that could block 180 degrees forward.
Then carried it on his back and dashed out!
Bang!
The Prairie soldiers who came to their senses then rushed towards the room and crashed head-on with Kieran who had the "shield" on him. The Prairie soldiers then followed their tribe-mates, rolling down the mountain wall.
It was also just a start for Kieran!
When he turned around and sprinted towards the spot where he hid his backpack, the Prairie soldiers on his way were like bowling pins, being knocked one after another down the mountain wall with his shoulders.
Agonized screams sounded continuously,;the Prairie soldiers were chasing relentlessly after him; the soldiers on top of the mountain walls kept firing arrows at Kieran, trying to halt his course, but none of them proved of any use.
The narrow mountain wall path could only hold at most three people passing at once, plus it was night and the paths were steep; the Prairie soldiers could not sprint for the chase. All they could do was see Kieran leaving their sights step by step. Those who were firing from the top also stopped because they were afraid of harming one of their own.
Of course, there were arrows thatnded on top of the shield, but mere arrows could not prate the defense of that thing.
Bang Bang Bang!
The continuous knocking produced the endless screaming every time one of the soldiers was knocked down. Every one of the agonizing screams symbolized the end of one life.
However, the Prairie soldiers were not frightened by their tribesmates deaths. Quite the opposite, their savageness was evoked. The kind of savage that was bred under natural circumstances and through a relentless fight with mother nature.
They were fierce towards their enemies and themselves!
"Hold him!"
After a yell in their mother tongue, among those who were knocked down by Kieran, two buffed Prairies soldiers jumped back up andnded in front of Kieran, almost together. Both of them were blocking Kieran in front, even though they knew they would be knocked down once more. It was to buy time for their tribemates behind.
Then, a dozen of the Prairie soldiers who were known for their strength lined up in two rows and dashed towards Keiran with a loud shout together.
Bang!
A huge bang sounded louder than any before; Kieran was finally forced to halt his steps due to the immense manpower before him.
The temporary shield started to bend and twist while both sides brawled out with their strength.
"Push him down!"
Another yell with the Prairienguage gathered more men behind the two rows, pushing forward; but Kieran was faster.
Kieran who was pushing the shield with his shoulder had his body sunk down a little because of the opposite force, but he switched it with his right leg instantly.
A stronger strength was exerted into the temporary shield from his leg.
Transcendence [Hand-to-hand Combat, Kick Combats] granted him additional Strength and Agility +4 buffs temporarily when heunched his kick, and at that very moment, its potential was fully brought out.
A+ rank Strength had far exceeded themoners imagination. That shield which had stopped mid-air due to both sides exerting their strength turned into a rampant ox, and plunged into the Prairie crowd.
The two rows of Prairie soldiers who were on par with Kierans strength a moment ago were rammed hard by the shield. Their bones broke and they fell down the mountain, followed by the ones who joined the ler.
Wuuu!
A whistle filled with strength overpowered the agonized screams from the fall of the soldiers.
After all sounds subsided, Kieran had knocked all of his enemies opposite him down the mountain, carving out a free path to the spot where he hid his backpack.
The invaders on the higher cliffs behind and beside Kieran were shocked before they roared in rage.
"Kill him! Kill him!"
...
The continuous roars from the soldiers were clearly heard by Kieran.
Although he didnt understand the Prairienguage, when he saw their expression and gaze filled with killing intent, he could guess what they meant.
Kieran replied with a coldugh and took out [Arrogant Word] while carrying his backpack.
Then he turned around, facing those behind and opposite him; he raised his right thumb and slid it across his neck.
"Bring it on!"
Kieran swung the dark red greatsword in his hand and dashed out like a ck shadow into the soldiers behind him.
The steep slopes and cliffs which were hard for the Prairie soldiers to advance through were like t ground to Kieran. It didnt slow down his dashing speed and wielding speed a bit!
The bewitching re on [Arrogant Word] shone brightly in the night, like a demons eye staring at its prey.
Each sweep, sh and stab made the re shine even brighter; the brighter the re, the stronger the power of the greatsword!
Wild! Untamed!
Killer intent was getting denser on Kieran. In the end, it evolved into a special energy and flowed into his heart.
Dong Dong Dong!
[Fusion Heart] started to beat even faster.
Kieran halted his steps, but the Prairie soldiers didnt charge on. They were looking at Kieran with anxious and doubtful eyes.
The chaotic and rampant aura started to materialize on Kierans body. The sulphuric smell also burst out instantly, suppressing the bloody smell in the area.
Every one of the Prairie soldiers who picked up the smell trembled in their hearts. They felt they were not facing a human anymore but an ancient monster that was about to awaken or even something worse.
The Prairie invaders were trembling uncontrobly.
Chapter 390: Repulsion Backlash
Chapter 390: Repulsion Bacsh
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
The impression of the Prairie people in Warren peoples heart was that they were brave and skilled in war.
The fear that the Prairie people were facing was not that they were not brave enough, but that of their natural instincts.
The Prairie soldiers couldnt defy the suppression of natural order.
A mirage with huge wings on its back and spiral horns formed before them. It roared towards the moon, sending some of the trembling soldiers falling to the ground and others fleeing in panic.
Fear carved a deep impression in the mens head; the scene before them reminded them of what had happened before in Lightning Fortress.
"Its the devil! He is back!"
A sudden shout sounded.
The shout made Kieran who was absent-minded and stunned on the spot turn his attention to the source of it unconsciously.
On the opposite mountain wall, the deserter that made an impression in Kierans mind was there.
"The spy?"
A feeling of disdain appeared on Kierans dull face, the disdain that was built on top of his principles. His principle was hed never betray anyone, so the contempt towards that betrayer made his gaze more proudful and arrogant when he looked at him.
Whuuuuu!
mes burst out from the spys body and turned him into a zing fireball in a breaths time.
Before hispanions could react, he fell off the cliff with an agonizing cry.
"The cardinal sins is the original evil. The mes will wash away your sins."
Kieran chanted like he was reciting a judgement.
A faint mirage that was different from the devil, different from the Creature of Desire formed above Kieran.
The mirage had Kierans face, but his temperament waspletely different.
Arrogant and deeming everything beneath its ranks.
The Kieran mirage with the devilish temperament looked below at the real Kieran, with the gaze of a superior staring down at ants.
Then it turned to the devil mirage. The devil then stopped its roaring at the moon.
The devil exchanged a nce with the newly formed Kieran mirage; its rampant and chaotic aura surged high up in an instant.
Both of them were like centuries old arch-enemies that were destined to brawl it off.
Crack! Crack Crack!
The sky above Kierans head gave out a clear cracking noise, then lines of crack started to spread out like a smashed ss. In the end, the sky above Kierans head was shattered.
Then, from within the crack, an unrivaled energy stream burst out, turning into a destructive energy, swirling around the mountain walls of Lightning Fortress.
A ck lightning formed in devilish Kieran mirages hand, and a burning red me rose high on the devil mirage.
As for Kieran himself, he was standing on the spot, absent of any control of his body.
The bacsh! The bacsh from [Fusion Heart]!
After a series of minor bacshes, under the stimtion of his killer intents, the cumtive amount finally triggered a qualitative change.
Lust, Greed, Gluttony, Sloth, Wrath, Envy revolved around Pride and thebination of the seven sins aura gave birth to a brand new image in the world.
The devil lord mustered its remaining strength in the heart and turned it into the most primitive form of demonic energy, bing a more chaotic, cathartic form of itself.
Kieran himself below had no realization of anything.
Even though the colossal crocodile, the giant rhino and the golden lion around kept calling for him, none of their roars could wake him up.
The human part of [Fusion Heart] started to weaken off.
The golden lion raised its head; its golden mane was dancing in the strong wind.
Then it tilted down and stared at Kierans right hand, or more precisely, the right hand wristband.
ROAR!
The loud roar went into the wristband, while the other mirages couldnt understand what the lion was doing.
Then, a tiny spider mirage formed on top of the wristband and eventually appeared simr to how the golden lion formed.
The golden lions radiance was dimming by the second and the tiny spiders mirage was getting solid. It really looked like amon spider from amoners eyes, but this was different from previous times since it only appeared for a sh before.
This time, the spider crawled on Kierans wrist in a vacant manner. It felt like it was the ce it should be, but not really.
Then, the thunder sounded; the tiny spider then raised its head, seeing a ck lightning tearing apart the sky and burning red mes scorching the earth.
It saw a face that should be a stranger, but it feel very familiar within its sights, a face of a human.
The loss of its inherited memory prevented it from recognizing the rtionship with that human, but it could feel they had something inseparable, a soul connection.
Therefore, the spider felt the humans anxiety, rage and helplessness! So it was drowned in such emotions as well. The spider mirage started to tremble; the mark that was left in its soul made it feel resentful against such emotions.
This was what the spider shouldnt feel. The moment it was given birth, it was destined to be a supreme predator! Its identity from the past was an unchanged fact!
The spider was one of the Hell Fiend Spiders! Its name was Mardos!
It was powerful enough to devour the Gods and tear down the Milky Way with its web, the Hell Fiend Spider, Mardos!
Raaaao!
The loud roar that shook the nine heavens, resounded through theherworld and echoed through the endless abyss came from that tiny spider body.
KABOOM!
The ground beneath Kieran split open, revealing a river ofva underneath.
The tiny spider then leapt into theva through the crack.
Souuuu! Souuuu!
Two zing spiderwebs were spat out from theva river, and were twined on the seven demonic auraplex and the devil lord mirages.
It was not that both of the mirages didnt want to dodge and resist the web; they couldnt.
Tracing back to their roots, both of them were iplete products, products that were derived from other existence.
Even though the Hell Fiend Spider was iplete, it was enough to handle both of them!
The fiery web dragged both of the mirages into theva river and devoured them swiftly.
Within a breaths time, all that was left was theva river.
The golden lion was standing beside Kieran, staring at theva river.
When a slightly bigger sized Hell Fiend Spider jumped out of theva river, it went back into [Mardos Arm] with a satisfied and delighted manner. Only after then did the golden lion dissipate and go back into the medallion, so did the colossal crocodile and the giant rhino.
Pheeeew!
The wind blew through the destend; the original look of thend was gone. Both sides of the mountain wall were leveled out at least a hundred meters.
Even Lightning Fortress itself was brought to the ground. All that was left of the formidable fortress was a scorchednd in ruins.
HuuHaa, HuuHaa!
Kieran came back from his trance and was heavily panting. He supported his weakened body with [Arrogant Word] stuck on the ground. He looked around with vacant eyes, then extended his hand to his left chest.
Dong Dong Dong!
[Fusion Heart] was still beating vigorously, without the slightest interference of human, devil and desire, as if what Kieran had been through was just a nightmare. Though the scene before his eyes told him it was all certainly real.
"The...The devil!!"
A shrilling scream sounded from afar. Some of the Prairie soldiers who survived were overwhelmed by fear and it drove them mad.
"Devil?" Kieran raised a brow.
He had no time to deal with a couple of madmen as the notifications that piled up before his vision took his attention away.
He then went through the notifications.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Introducing the new kind of battle that happen within Kierans heart.
This will go on until he find something to cure it.
Chapter 391: The Return
Chapter 391: The Return
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
Words piled up one row after another.
[Fusion Heart bacsh urred...]
[Constitution authentication failed...]
[Spirit authentication failed...]
[Puppet of Flesh and Blood conversion...]
[Bacsh dispelled, conversion failed...]
...
Although he had been through it himself, when Kieran saw the term "Puppet of Flesh and Blood", his heart still shook.
He knew that if it wasnt for [Lionheart] that triggered [Mardos Arm] to bring him back, he would be a dead man.
Though, Kieran unconsciously looked at his right wrist band and touched the emblem softly.
The spider emblem on it was very lively and felt real, as if the tiny spider would jump out anytime. Other than that, nothing was out of the ordinary. But the scene that Kieran witnessed before told him that [Mardos Arm] had more secrets than it showed out.
Ava river appeared just before his eyes. The ce he was at was not the sulphuric hell but just a normal dungeon world!
The almost instant kill of the seven demonicplex and the devil lord shocked Kieran beyond belief as well.
Though not only the Hell Fiend Spider from [Mardos Arm] but [Lionheart]s golden lion, [Primus Arm]s colossal crocodile and [Wild Soul]s giant rhino... every one of them seemed to have secrets within.
"If the mirages were not just some skill triggers... Soul remains? Or a cluster of convictions? Or was it some sort of mutation?" Kieran pondered the question in his heart.
He realized his understanding of the underground game was still too limited.
Kieran was in the weird "circle" that the more he knew, the more he discovered how less he knew.
If he were to put his understandings of the underground game in a circle, the inner part would be his knowledges and the outer part would be the unknown. So, the more he knew, the bigger the circle would be, but it would only produce one result.
The more he learned, the less he knew.
While Kieran was still pondering the questions, the notifications kepting.
[Special main missionpleted...]
[yer will leave the dungeon in 10 seconds...]
[Please take whatever items you wish to keep with you.]
[Note: Any items that exceed the maximum weight will be discarded!]
...
"Ten seconds!?"
The sudden shortened period shocked Kieran, but he shrugged at it promptly.
The scorchednd before him was absent of equipment; he didnt need to seize every second to collect loots. All he had to bring was his backpack.
Though, Kieran had anotheryer of understanding towards the systems vicious treatment.
"Even the returning time of five minutes could be altered? Isnt the system certain about this?"
Kieran wondered while touching his chin.
If the return time could be changed and it was not just lowered to 10 seconds, there might be possibilities that it could be lowered to 1 second or even immediate return.
This was a reminder for Kieran to not restrain himself in his own fixed thoughts, or else he himself would suffer the consequences.
Dak Dak Dak!
Just as the timer was almost up, a series of horse gallops sounded.
A white warhorse that seemed familiar appeared in Kierans sight. It should be the white warhorse from the silver knight before the pce gate.
Kieran could recognize the horse with a nce, but the current rider?
When there were less than 2 seconds on the timer, Kieran raised his right arm and waved hard, yelling, "Goodbye!"
Then he revealed a smile since he was able to deliver his message with his own mouth.
"Hold on! I..."
Mary who was riding the horse shouted to hold him back, but some things were destined to be inevitable.
When the timer was up, Kieran disappeared into thin air on the spot.
Just that, Mary saw was a different scene.
...
[Fifth dungeon: The Queens Shield]
[Dungeon Type: Free Mission]
[Dungeon Difficulty: Lower Medium]
[Main Mission: Locate the missing imperial envoy in 7 days]
[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating F)]
[Sub Mission 1: Rescue!]
[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating F D)]
[Sub Mission 2: Help!]
[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating DC)]
[Sub Mission 3: Breakthrough (Perfect Clear)]
[MIssion Completion: 100% (Rating CA)]
Sub Mission 4: Protect the king! (Perfect Clear)]
[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating A SSS)]
[Battle Performance: Very active (Rating SSS Z)]
[Exploration Performance: Good]
[Special Rating 1: Discovered key mission item, perfect clear of extra main mission: Escort Mary to the imperial city. (Rating Z ZZZ, Rep + 1)]
[Special Rating 2: Completed special event mission, defeat the Prairies vanguard (Rating ZZZV, Rep +1)]
[yer final rating: V!]
[Calcting yers fifth dungeon rewards...]
[Final yer fifth dungeon rewards as follow...]
[Points: 80000; Skill Points: 35; Golden Skill Point 5; Golden Attribute Points: 5]
[Acquired special dungeon: The Queens Shield II]
[Acquired special reward 1: Practice Dagger]
[Acquired special reward 2: "Words of the Sects"]
...
After the rating calctions were finished, two special items appeared in Kierans hand.
One was the "longsword" on Marys waist when he first met her, and the other was a book.
Kieran slightly flipped it over; the book was about the hidden sects within the dungeon [The Queens Shield].
Although the books he brought back had some introductions to the various sects, but it was not asplete as the systems book.
However, it couldnt make up to its low value existence.
A in equipment without any attributes or effects and an introduction book.
Although Kieran had a couple of experiences before this and he didnt hold any hope at the special reward, but two special rewards were of such little value. it made Kieran criticize the reward in his heart.
However, he did make one thing clear.
"Following the dungeon clear increase, more special rewards will be given, and by the looks of it, theter the items are received, the more useful it would be?"
Kieran had to question his own guess. After getting items with little value continuously, he really dare not guarantee the next.
Though, through the dungeon clear rating calction, Kieran noticed one point. Even if he didplete a mission with perfect clear, it would go ording to his battle performance or difficulty and produce a different rating, simr to the third sub mission [Breakthrough] and fourth sub mission [Protect the king] in [The Queens Shield].
"Maybe because of the continuous mission as well?" Kieran added in that point.
Then, Kieran went on to arrange the books that he brought back and listed out the "Damaged" items. When he was ready to contact cksmith for repairs, his message tab pinged.
However, the sender was a stranger named Allen.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Allen Walker!
faded
Chapter 392: Crazy?
Chapter 392: Crazy?
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
Allen?
Kieran frowned. He was sure it was the first time he came across the yers name. However, based on the contents that he sent over, he didnt seem to possess the courtesy of a first meeting.
"Allen: I have a grudge with Broker, I hope you can join my side."
A message without a proper start and end; it just purely stated his intentions.
Kieran wasnt sure if it was the senders habit or a trap that he purposely set up.
So, he didnt reply to the message. Instead, he followed his original n to contact cksmith.
Kieran screenshotted [Crows ck Feather] and some other equipment to cksmith.
...
cksmith: Mantle OK.
cksmith: Guns, [Hidden Wrist Bow] and [Buckle Stinger] Nope.
cksmith: U need to find better machinist and craftsman.
cksmith: Mantle repair fee 3000 Points.
...
As usual, the simple conversation exined a lot. After Kieran paid in advance, cksmith went silent. Kieran held back from asking who Allen was. After all, he had a better person to ask.
Lawless!
The one who helped him since the beginning. But Kieran would have to be disappointed this time.
It wasnt that Lawless didnt know, Lawless was offline.
"Things are bad, huh?" Kieran wondered.
The battle with the killer yers from before was obviously not the end. Neither for him nor Lawless.
Even more so for Lawless since it was rted to his real life matters. Kieran still remembered that Rachel said shed left the game a while to investigate something, and with Lawlesss character, he wouldnt allow Rachel to take the risk alone.
"Hope everything is fine!"
Kieran blessed them in his heart and left a message for Lawless. He had to ask cksmith since Lawless was not around, but cksmith had gone offline as well.
Kieran couldnt help but shrug.
Since Lawless was not around to make noise, it was a little quiet, but Kieran was used to being independent and alone, so the fact didnt cause any unsettling feeling.
He then started to neatly arrange his rewards from the previous dungeon, the books.
What was different from the books about Mystical Knowledge, the new batch of books were about sword skills and two-handed sword skills.
Kieran then ced the newer books in a messy but actually well-sorted out way beside the other books about Mystical Knowledge ording to his habit.
Then, he picked up the book, "Summary of the Monolith Sect sword skills" that he had gone through rougly before and studied it in details.
He was nning to go offline after reading the book, but after a third of the book, there was a knock on his door.
[Allow yer Allen to enter?]
Kieran was astonished when he saw the notification. He never thought the yer Allen woulde directly right in front of his doorstep.
Not that it was brave, but hepletely exposed his life to the killer yers.
After all, with Kierans current situation, besides his game lobby, every inch outside his house had Brokers sources spying on him and the killer yers waiting for him.
Any yers who dare approach Kierans house would be marked down.
Although Lawless coulde as he pleased, but besides his hatred for Broker, it was because of his own strength.
If that was not the case, Lawless wouldnt cause a scruple to Broker as well.
Though it might be less lucky for other yers; Kieran was sure Broker would be merciless against others.
"Some reckless guy who doesnt care about his life? Or does he have something to rely on?"
With the doubts in his head, Kieran allowed Allen to enter the room.
A man with an average height and a normal physique walked in after.
Although the face was blurred out by the system, preventing a clear look, the equipment on him was clear. A brown wind coat with a stand-up cor, a wide cowboy hat and a piece of poncho over his shoulder with the same color, covering his chest area, revealing only the left waist area and a revolver. Other than that was a row of neatly arranged orange bullets on his belt and two grenades on the right side of his waist.
The leather pants were tuck into horse boots. As he walked forward, the bottom of his boots kept shing with the concrete on the floor.
Ts, Ts.
As if his knee couldnt bend and had to drag his feet through the floor, but he was not slow at all.
The moment Allen walked into Kierans room, he was inspecting every inches avable, and within a breaths time, he was standing in front of Kieran with a invasive manner, inspecting Kieran from top to bottom, as if he was inspecting a new being in his turf or inspecting goods on top of the supermarket shelf.
Allens manner made the curiosity in Kierans heart disappear.
"Can I help you?"
Though, Kieran still asked Allen out of politeness and because he was educated to do so.
"2567? Join me, we will fight Broker together. I can guarantee your safety!"
Before Kieran could even give a reply, Allen sent out an invitation after he spoke.
A system invitation appeared before Kieran.
[Join Blood Alliance? Yes/No]
Kieran rejected without even thinking.
Kieran was not a person who would join some random group. Allens manner was another reason why Kieran rejected, even though Allen said it was to fight Broker.
Allens invasive manner stated early that he and Kieran were not the same kind of person.
Kieran could ept advice from friends but never ept orders from a so-called superior, especially in a game that could really kill him.
In fact, all of the organizations in the underground game, Broker included, revolved around a single core value.
Benefits.
Without sufficient benefits, why would the yers risk their lives so much?
It was a bad joke in Kierans perspective.
"Rejected? Do you have any idea whatve you done?"
Allen questioned Kieran with an even more threatening manner.
Allen being arrogant and high-handed made Kieran lose the interest in talking. He chose the most direct way to deal with him, expelling him out of the room.
After Allens figure disappeared from the room, Kierans message tab started pinging non-stop.
Kieran knew who they were from without even looking.
After muting the message tab, he continued his reading.
When he finished his book, Kieran unmuted the message tab.
Ding Ding Ding!
Most of the message were from Allen, questioning unreasonable things.
Only one message was from cksmith.
...
cksmith: Repair done, please receive.
(A simple answer about thepletion of [Crows ck Feather] repairs.
After Kieran epted his mantle, he took the opportunity to ask his question while cksmith was still online.)
2567: U know a yer named "Allen"?
cksmith: Allen? Blood Alliance Allen?
2567: Should be. Is that guy famous?"
cksmith: Yep!
cksmith: Best not to tangle with him!
...
Kieran who had asked in a joking manner received a serious warning from cksmith.
It made him squint his eyes and recall the scene when they met.
Although Allen seemed to pose an imposing manner, there was not a single noteworthy point about him, not even his equipment stood out.
Kieran was unclear where cksmiths warning came from.
...
2567: Is he strong?
(Kieran asked with a puzzled thought.)
cksmith: Not only strong, but also crazy!
...
"Crazy?"
Kieran muttered cksmithsment to himself.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Guess its Crazy Allen then...
Chapter 393: Smiley Face
Chapter 393: Smiley Face
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
Crazy!
Using such a word to describe Allen... That person must have done something shocking or outrageous that shocked the world.
...
cksmith: U know Old Strea Street?
2567: Ya.
cksmith: That guy was originally the resident of that street.
2567: Resident?
(Kieran was astonished by cksmiths word. From Kierans perspective, it would be more suitable to describe him as a yer. Unless...
Kieran suddenly popped up a thought in his mind.)
cksmith: Yes, resident.
cksmith: That guy treated this world as his reality, treated Old Strea Street as his home and even got married with some native there. Though no one knows how he did it.
cksmith: Other than that...
cksmith: During the build up construction at Loens Street, Broker used some unpleasant method to kill that guys wife.
cksmith: The result is what u witnessed. That guy listed killing Broker as one of his life goals, and, by all means necessary, he will achieve it.
...
"Home was destroyed and wife was killed... So he went crazy?"
Kieran rted more towards Allens unusual behaviour, eventually sighed in his heart.
...
2567: What about the Blood Alliance?
cksmith: Its not only him who treated this world as their reality. When that guy started to fight back against Broker, some other "residents" who couldnt differentiate between reality and the virtual world joined his crusade and eventually formed the group named Blood Alliance. They have nothing against normal yers, but they will fight Broker with their lives. They once robbed Brokers secret bazaar and foiled Brokers ns more than once.
cksmith: Brokers group tried to encircle and suppress them, but their efforts were futile.
cksmith: Allen and that bunch of maniacs had outstanding strength and power, plus they would throw their lives away. It really struck fear into Brokers mercenary group.
cksmith: Know why Broker had to form a robot army?
cksmith: The biggest reason was because of Allen.
...
"Unable to differentiate reality and virtuality?"
Kieran took in a deep breath. He opened his palm, clenched it and repeated the process.
After a few times, he frowned. Just as the underground game was described, it felt 100% real.
Kieran didnt even notice any difference about himself at that moment and himself back in the real world.
Under such circumstances, if there was something or someone that one could entrust their heart to, then what else could distinguish between reality and virtuality?
Even more so, some people that wanted to avoid their problems or mental trauma would treat virtuality as the new reality.
Virtuality will take over reality in ones conscious.
Kierans heart skipped a beat when the thought came into his mind because he realized he didnt repel such a thought.
"The power of habits is really scary, eh..." Kieran muttered.
cksmith: I dont know much about other things, u could ask Lawless if u want.
...
After cksmith left that message behind, the name quickly dimmed down to gray.
"To differentiate between reality and virtuality, cksmith needs to go back and forth between two worlds? Reminding himself what is real?"
When Kieran saw cksmiths name dim down, he rted to the work and rest pattern of cksmith. Kierans heart bloomed up such a resolution too, but soon enough, he shook his head. Not that he was denying cksmiths methods, but he rted to the most important point.
"Enter at least one single yer dungeon in three months".
With such rule in existence, any effort to remind oneself to distinguish between the two worlds would be futile.
Unless one could breakthrough outstandingly from the conventional way, they would be trapped in the game.
Leaving the game for a short while was like seeking temporary relief regardless of the consequences. It would only waste the precious time of a yer, cing him in more danger in the dungeon world, eventually leading to his own demise.
Kieran had no intention to die. The reason he entered the game was to survive and to live a better life. It was his unaltered motive from the beginning, so he need to go through the game in an outstanding way, like the Witch did!
"The Witch!"
Kieran thought about the Witchs existence that struck fear in every veteran yers heart. Until now, he had no idea how the Witch could breakthrough the game outstandingly, but one thing was for sure.
Her strength!
Powerful enough to strike fear, terrorize and put everyone else behind her!
Strength was the base for everything.
Simr to Kieran at the moment. Because of the proper arrangements and opportunity at the earlier stages, he could now face a normal dungeon without too much pressure.
Problems might still persist in special dungeons, but it elerated his growth significantly, granting him more strength to face the normal dungeons.
"If I follow this benign cycle, one day in the future, I could achieve what the Witch achieved!" Kieran thought with utmost firmness.
Suddenly, when Kieran was having such a thought in his mind, something happened like a signal responding to his thought.
At the corner of his room, that ball of paper with the strange smiley face that was almost forgotten by Kieran burnt up on itself without any signs or notices.
Smoke rose up from the little ball of fire and formed that strange smiley face once more. It was neither too big nor too small, simr to the size of a human face.
Only after the smoke rose up did Kieran realize something was wrong, He felt like he was being watched. Although such a thing was not possible under the system rules protection, but...
Wuuu!
Right after that moment, Kieran swung [Arrogant Word] around, shing the smokey strange smiley face with its dark red sword edge.
The smokey face dissipated with the sh but it didnt go off with the sword wind.
After a while, it gathered around and formed that smiley face again.
Whuuuu!
A cone shaped fire was sted towards the strange smiley face, but within the zing fire, not only did it not disappear, it instead became clearer than before.
It was absorbing the fire!
After concluding that it could absorb fire, Kieran moved his hand towards [Safety Potion Pack] and took out a [Holy Water VIII] in his hand.
The glittering liquid was sshed towards the smiley face right away, but it was useless.
The holy water went through the strange smiley face that had gotten clearer, and fell to the floor, causing a small ssh.
Physical attack was useless since it was formless.
zing fire only solidified its appearance, and even the holy water had no effect on it.
Kieran squinted his eyes, staring at the strange smiley face; he was prepared to activate his ace card.
Even though he might suffer another bacsh, which made him reluctant to use it, it was better than being a sitting duck.
Lust, Greedy, Gluttony, Sloth, Rage, Envy, Pride all the seven sins aura was swirling around the rampant, chaotic and tyrannical aura, turning into a raging wind sweeping every inch of the room. The books and items were blown away the moment the violent wind started.
However, the strange smiley face was not affected by the violent wind either; moreover, it gave out a heavyugh.
"Not bad! You are qualified! Ill count you in!"
After it sounded, the smokey strange smiley face hurled itself at Kieran.
Kieran had no space to dodge the smoke, and before he could react, he was thrown to the floor.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
This smiley face ys a big part in the future, I dont know yet so dont look at me for answers even though I am ahead lol.
It might be good might be bad, its everyones guess.
Side note: I love you readers, <3 I learn many things from thements ~ thank you~ made me cry~
Chapter 394: Urgency
Chapter 394: Urgency
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
The moment Kieran was thrown down, he did a quick backflip and held himself standing once more.
Then he inspected the back of his right palm with a shocked face.
That strange smiley face was tattooed on the back of his palm with a scarlet red ink. When he moved his fingers, the smiley face gave out a wicked smile.
"What the hell is this?"
Kieran inspected his whole body carefully, but other than the tattoo on his palm, there was nothing else, nor did he feel any difort. He didnt even feel an itch, let alone pain.
He felt nothing when the red tattoo appeared on his palm. If he hadnt seen it with his own eyes, Kieran would have thought nothing had happened.
Even the system notification didnt show anything, but it didnt mean he could rx.
The previous scene and the heavy voice was signalling that the red tattoo was something unusual.
It was just that...
"Someone purposely located me?"
Kieran recalled the time he had found that ball of paper.
The ball of paper was dropped down by an eagle with sharp ws and precise sight.
Not only was that eagle fast, but it possessed certain dodging skills. When Kieran raised his gun with Musou level [Firearm Weapon, Light Firearm], he couldnt even ce a lock on on that avian.
Kieran was also shocked during that particr moment, but his shock was built on the fact that the eagle might be some pet or a partner of some killer yer. Definitely not after what he just witnessed. What he just experienced couldnt even be considered shocking, but should be an eerie encounter.
It was as eerie as the smile on the smiley face itself.
Appearing silently within a yers room and almost disregarding the system rules, immune to physical attack, elemental attack and even holy water.
"What in the hell is that thing..."
Kieran looked at the strange smiley face on the back of his right hand, frowned and muttered to himself.
He couldnt determine what the smiley face represented now, but he was sure if this thing could ignore the system rules, the one who made this...
"Did the person find a bug or a loophole within the underground game? Or gained such qualification through certain ways and achieved such effect?" Kieran wondered, but no matter what his guessess were, it made his heart felt heavy.
"Not bad!"
"Youre qualified"
"Ill count you in!"
The words, added up with the tattoo on the back of his hand, were signifying that he was getting himself involved regardless of what it was.
"Trouble, trouble, trouble again..."
"Power! I need more power and strength to boost myself!" Kieran took a deep breath.
The unknown, eerie, and strange smiley face caused a never-before-felt urgency in his heart, causing him to alter his ns before entering the next dungeon.
From reading the books about sword skills, mystical knowledge and only upgrade his skills with points and skill points, to the other way around. Using points to upgrade his skills could provide him with an immediate effect.
It was a wiser choice since the system couldnt even provide a 100% guarantee safety, and he could be thrown into the middle of a dangerous scene any moment.
Kieran already had the ns to upgrade his skills in order.
Firstly it was the Musou level [Sharp Weapon, Polearm Weapon] and Master level [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art].
Kieran picked [Sharp Weapon, Polearm] because it would increase his own stats to the maximum; using 1 Golden Skill Point to increase Agility, Constitution to B rank, which was the limit of the basic skills, was quite worthwhile. Although it would ovep with his main arms effect, butpared to [Sharp Weapon, Bow], it was considered better.
At least when Strength reached a corresponding level, Kieran could wield [Arrogant Word] with one hand, and some sort of polearm weapon with the other.
Did Kieran think of using a bow weapon when wielding [Arrogant Word]?
Unless he could get his hands on a superior bow weapon, or else, Kieran would have to grow a third hand to do that. On top of that, even if he had a superior bow weapon, after firing one arrow, he would still have to reload, and during a real tense fight, reloading time was a luxury he couldnt afford.
As for [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art]?
Given that he could assure there were Golden Skill Points left to utilize [Transform Devil] and [Desire Summoning], Kieran would choose to continue upgrading it because it was a core skill to Kieran, and every upgrade to himself was a quality upgrade.
[Sharp Weapon, Polearm, Musou to Transcendence, cost 30,000 Points, 1 Golden Skill Points. Yes/No?]
"Yes!"
[Skill has reached Transcendence level, acquired one Transcendence option!]
[Piercing: The spearnce that you wield have extra piercing effect, +1 attack buff when facing defense authentication and when a polearm weapon is equipped.]
[Name: Sharp Weapon, Polearm (Transcendence)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Offensive]
[Effects: You know how to use a spear,nce, and all sorts of polearm weapons, Increases Damage by 80%]
[Special Effects: Transcendence Spearman (When equipped with a Spear, Damaged increased by 60%)]
[Consumes: Stamina]
[Prerequisites: Strength D+, Agility D+, Constitution D+]
[Remarks:Your knowledge of polearms transcends themoners logic!]
...
[Skill Sharp Weapon, Polearm level increased, rted attributes increase...]
[Strength has reached the capped limit, Unable to level up any further]
[Agility B- B]
[Constitution B- B]
...
[Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art, Master to Pro, cost 28,000 Points, 4 Golden Skill Points. Yes/No?]
"Yes!"
[Name: Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Arts (Pro)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution, Spirit, Intuition]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effects: You know how to utilize the special stances, movements and breathing techniques, All Attributes +4 (+1 Basic level, +1 Entry level, +1 Master level, +1 Pro level)]
[Knights Focus: Everyone has their own specialty, but not everyone can persevere; Spirit +2; Knights Persistence: When you persist on something, you are willing to sacrifice yourself to seed; Ignite 200 HP to +2 level in Spirit, 1 second duration, cooldown: none]
[Consumes: Stamina]
[Prerequisites: Strength D-, Agility D-, Constitution D-, Spirit D-, Intuition D-]
[Remarks: This was the Knights of Dawn entry course, but it will affect other rted skills!]
...
[Skill Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art level increased, rted attributes increase...]
[Strength B B+]
[Agility B B+]
[Constitution B B+]
[Spirit B+ A (Knights Focus +10]
[Intuition C+ B-]
...
After a moment, a warm stream filled Kierans body, and this time around, the body synchronization processsted for a full minute.
Kieran didnt forget his previous experience though; when the warm stream appeared in his body, he quickly started practising [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art].
At the same time, outside Kierans room, shady figures started to gather.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
filler -_- boo
Chapter 395: Repeated advice
Chapter 395: Repeated advice
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
As seconds turned into minutes, the stream slipped away.
When everything returned to normal, Kieran opened his eyes and let out a morbid breath.
[Through training, Master level Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art received a significant amount of experience, reducing 5000 Points in cost...]
[Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art, Pro to Grand Master, cost 45,000 Points 5 Golden Skill Points. Yes/No?]
The precise information showed that Kierans training this time was outstanding.
However, he was not presented the chance every time, only during skill level up.
"If only I had more time!"
Kieran sighed slightly in his heart. Once again, he felt the importance of time.
His choices of "excavate every possible sub mission, title mission within a dungeon" and "enter the dungeon right away after cooldown to increase his strength rapidly" made him realize that whether he was inside a dungeon or within his game room, time was always on his back, urging him to move faster.
However, everything had its advantages and disadvantages!
Since Kieran had to ditch the option of grinding through time, what he got in return was a rapid increase in strength.
Although it came with a substantial amount of risk, but from the looks of things, it was quite pleasant.
[Strength: B+; Agility: B+; Constitution: B+; Spirit: A; Intuition: B-]
Everyone of his stats were in B category; his Spirit had even reached A rank.
More importantly, he still had spaces for upgrading.
Kieran turned over to his Points and Skill Points tab.
[Points: 28,800; Skill Points: 35; Golden Skill Point: 2; Golden Attribute Points: 6]
"My remaining Golden Attribute Points could fulfill the requirements of [Fusion Heart] after increasing Constitution and Spirit!"
Kieran was still upied by the requirements of [Fusion Heart].
After all, it felt extremely wasteful for the skills to consume 1 Golden Skill Point every time he activated it.
Even though [Transform Devil] and [Desire Summoning] were really powerful, the main point was the bacsh!
Back in [The Queens Shield], if it was not for [Mardos Arm] and [Lionheart]s spirit, he might have been turned into a puppet of flesh and blood.
Fear still lingered in Kierans heart when he thought about that scene. So at this moment, Kieran made his choice of increasing his stats without a second thought.
[Using Golden Attribute Points...]
[Constitution B+ A-]
[Using Golden Attribute Points...]
[Constitution A- A]
[Using Golden Attribute Points...]
[Spirit A A+]
[Using Golden Attribute Points...]
[Spirit A+ S-]
[Using Golden Attribute Points...]
[Spirit S- S]
...
[Fulfilled Fusion Heart requirements, Bacsh cost removed...]
Following the addition of a total of 5 Golden Attribute Points, the bacsh cost of [Fusion Heart] was removed and the remarks were altered as well.
[Remark: This is a fusion organ fused with the heart of a human, the demon lord, and the Creature of Desire. You have acquired a strong body and a firm will to tame the special organ, but it wont yield so easily. Not only will it grow stronger with your battles, it is still searching for chances to overtake your conscious. If you wish to conquer itpletely, you will need a trigger chance or continue growing strong!]
Kieran raised a brow over the newly presented remarks.
Obviously, it was different from what he expected. Although the cost of Golden Skill Points was removed when using the skills, the bacsh effect lingered, or more precisely, it was not gonepletely.
"A trigger chance? Or continue growing stronger?"
Kieran read out thest part of the remark and unconsciously raised his hand, rubbing the spot in the middle of his brow with the second joint of his index finger.
It seemed like two choices, but actually it was just one.
All Kieran could do was continue to grow stronger.
As for the trigger chance that it stated?
He had no idea at all.
However, he had a foolish idea based on the new remarks, which was to cease fighting and remain what he was. It was the safest, most effective and the most alluring method to ovee the effect. But if Kieran could try it, he wouldnt consider it foolish unless he had a death wish.
"So I still need to control my emotions from now on?" Kieran murmured lightly.
After experiencing a few assaults from Creature of Desire and the devil lord figure, Kieran naturally noticed the pattern of their appearance.
The former was connected to his emotions and all sorts of desires, and thetter was connected to his killer intents and pure destructive thoughts.
He had to force himself to calm down from now on before he could further improve his strength or find the trigger that was mentioned.
Or...
Kieran tilted his head down at [Mardos Arm] and [Lionheart].
If he could find a way tomunicate with the souls of both equipment, it seemed like it could provide him a way to resist the bacsh from [Fusion Heart] as well.
Soul equip was the name Kieran gave to the tiny spider and golden lion mirage.
Obviously, it was not an easy task. Kieran tried every method that he could think of: using his will to summon them, talking directly, or even starting off with [Mystical Knowledge]s help.
Nothing proved useful.
While Kieran was considering using his own blood to perform some special rituals, his message tab pinged.
Coll?
Kieran was astonished to see that name.
Although Lawless said as long as Rachel was around, Coll wouldnt die, when he saw that Coll had sent him a PM, Kieran was still overwhelmed by the situation.
...
Coll: 2567, thank you for everything youve done for me.
Coll: Although I dont have anything that could repay you directly, but I feel I must do something to make up to you! Coincidentally, Lawless is quite busy this time around. He temporarily assigned me as the middleman for your selling business.
Coll: Feel free to ask about anything!
Towards Colls attitude of taking every responsibilities on himself, Kieran didnt voice out his thoughts directly. Even though Kieran was in need of a middleman and he had saved Coll once before, but the unfamiliarity between them made him unable to trust Coll right away.
2567: Thanks.
After some thoughts, Kieran replied with his gratitude, which, at the same time, acted as a closing for the conversation. But not for Coll; he started to bber like Lawless did before.
Coll: Before Lawless left, he reminded me that you are quite a loner!
Coll: Worry not! I am a talkative person!
Coll: Whether you are up for a casual chit-chat or professional knowledge of the underground game, I dare to say that I am no worse than Lawless!
Coll: And that crazy fe Allen is starting a war outside your doorstep with Brokers men. dont ever step out of the door!
Words piled up very fast. Kieran consciously looked at the yer name. If "Coll" wasnt written there, Kieran might have thought it was Lawless that he was talking to.
Other than that, not only Coll talked gibberish like Lawless, even his manner of talking, cing the main point behind was identical. If Coll was mimicking Lawlesss talking manner, Kieran had to admit that he had seeded.
Coll: I have utmost confidence that Broker bastard had set up traps around, not only for Allen but also for you, 2567!
Coll: Remember, dont step out of the door!"
...
KABOOOOM!
Even as Coll was giving his advice and words were piling up, an explosion went off outside Kierans door.
Kieran squinted his eyes right away.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Coll the stand-in for Lawless
Chapter 396: Doorstep
Chapter 396: Doorstep
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
Bang Bang Bang!
Allen did another side roll, escaping the st range easily and delivered a fatal counterattack to Brokers man before him.
Every shot that his revolver fired would take away one yers life. No matter how hard they dodged or defend, their efforts were futile.
The bullets fired from that revolver not only had the abilities to identify its target but also possessed high level armor pration effect. Most importantly, it wasbined with Allens firing speed!
Amidst the repeated firing, Allens left hand shed over, leaving an afterimage behind, and his revolver was reloaded fully, making one feel that there was absolutely no dy in his reloading.
He almost suppressed the whole attacking team by himself and kept creating space for hisrades.
"That crazy bastard!"
Standing on the roof of a higher building, Shandy cursed.
Although the team of mercenaries were baits that had signed a contract with his boss, Broker, and he was instructed to spread the baits, but in the end, the mercenaries were still a considerable asset. All they needed was a little training; they could very well strengthen Shandys own team. It was a waste for them to be ughtered before his eyes.
Though he wouldnt me his boss, only that maniac Allen.
The first time Shandy saw Allen, he knew he was crazy. Otherwise, who would challenge a team of twenty yers alone with a sane mind?
What infuriated him even more was that crazy Allen seeded in defeating the twenty-man team.
It was Allens sess that made others fear him.
During their first encounter, Allen relied on multipleyers of setups to take out Shandys second tier mercenary team. But after that time, even a first tier mercenary team couldnt pose a threat anymore, let alone a second tier. Especially when that crazy bastard sessfully robbed the secret bazaar; he was facing his bosss ace troops.
Even still, the ace troops of Brokers were beaten out of shape and fled in panic.
If it was not for his boss utilizing some of his authorities in real life and gathering even more manpower into the underground game, Shandy and his boss might have been eliminated by the Blood Alliance.
"But! That was before! Now?"
Shandy turned his eyes towards the three men hiding in the shadows; his confidence was instantly boosted. He had no right to say anything about his boss cooperating with the killer yers, but if he could use the killer yers to remove the threat, the crazy Allen, hed agree a hundred times by raising his hands up.
After all, as one of the trusted subordinates of Broker, Allen was a target that he had to remove.
"So this is a Sharpshooter Allen? Quite a good gun skill, but the rest? Not so much! Im wondering about that 2567 that was feared by everyone. I really wanted to see the famous person that broke through a hundred killer yers encirclement!"
One of the three killer yersmented while still hiding in the shadows.
His tone was full of mockery, towards Allen and towards Kieran as well. Especially when he spoke about Kieran; his disdain was more than words could express.
"yers with the power of bloodlines shouldnt be underestimated! This is in the game, not real life!" The taller one of the three said.
"Hmph! If this was the real world, I could crush them all with one hand!"
Thest of the three killer yers spoke; he was a dwarf with only the height of an average grown mans thigh. The moment he opened his mouth, his vicious tone overflowed.
"In the real world? If you can say this in front of the Tiger King, Ill give it to you!"
The first killer yer said with a coldugh.
"The Tiger King... Hmph!"
The dwarf killer yer muttered the title that he dreaded; his body shivered when the name was spoken and only after a while did he pretend to be disdainful with a cold grunt.
Then the three killer yers went silent. The moment Tiger King was mentioned, all of them lost interest in the conversation.
The taller killer yer turned his head towards Shandy.
"2567 will appear, right? We took your money to kill 2567, not this crazy bastard!" He said.
"Of course! Boss said that with 2567s character, he wont give up anything that easily without trying! In other words, even if 2567 knows this is a trap, he will definitelye! Because hed like to test whether the trap was sturdy enough for him!"
"After all, after getting the taste of the benefits of mass ughter, he wont give up that easily! Boss once said, the baseline and principles of your left hand will always lose to the benefits of your right hand! Then it will eventually turn into a game of exchanging roles of both your hands!"
"The same goes for the real world, the same goes for the underground game!"
Shandy felt the cold and killing-intent filled gaze from the killer yers; even though he knew he would be fine, his body still shivered.
He didnt even need to check his battlelog notification to know that he was struck with Fear by the killer yers killing intents with his experience alone.
However, he was not afraid, but instead felt delighted.
The stronger the killer yers before him, the higher the chance of them killing Allen and 2567.
One was a thorn in his heart from a long time ago, and the other one was a new disease guing his mind. Regardless of which one the killer yers killed, it would make Shandy happy.
It was not solely because of loyalty but also the rewards back in the real world from his boss; thetter was the main point of his operation.
It was what his boss relied on to lure those mindless people repeatedly into this dangerous game.
"Well said."
The three killer yers nodded in agreement and felt the same way.
Then all their eyes were focused on a single spot.
13th Wallway Street. A garage that looked broken and abandoned.
At that moment, the door of the garage slowly opened up.
"Here hees!"
Shandy shouted in excitement, and immediately activated the traps that he had set up long ago.
Ten vials of [Holy Water V] were sshed towards the door when it opened.
Shandy was hoping for Kierans agonizing scream, but he heard nothing after that. Not only did he not hear the scream, but he didnt see anything as well.
Suddenly, shadows burst out from the door and blocked everyones sight.
"[Shadow Cloak]! Transcendence level [Undercover]!"
Shandy was caught off-guard and he shouted promptly.
Sou Sou Sou!
Just as Shandy was yelling in shock, he heard the air-breaking sounds from sleeves and cors. When he came back to his sense, he noticed that the three killer yers had leapt off the building and used a gliding-like ability, which was countless times faster, and had dashed into the piece of shadow.
Then, everything went silent. Not even a slight peck of sound.
As if the three killer yers were devoured by that darkness when they glided into [Shadow Cloak]s range.
An odd atmosphere spreaded through the air. Those who were still in the fierce fight halted their attacks right away and looked at the shadow quietly, including Allen.
1, 2, 3!
After three seconds passed, Kieran slowly walked out of the shadow he had created.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Tiger King is ...
Chapter 397: Mental Suppression
Chapter 397: Mental Suppression
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
Shandy who was on top of the tall building widened his eyes when he saw Kieran walk out of the dissipated shadows.
He was looking for traces of the three killer yers, but behind Kieran, there was nothing.
A chilly feeling spread out from his heart. As a veteran and towards a scene like this before his eyes, Shandy could onlye up with one exnation.
The three killer yers were killed by Kieran!
But how was it possible?
Shandy himself had witnessed the strengths of the trio.
Other than Spirit, their Strength, Agility, Constitution and Intuition were at least at B rank or higher. Plus, with some corresponding skill, their strengths had far exceeded most of the veterans.
Compared to the second tier echelon of veterans, all they werecking were some experiences.
Especially, his boss had provided respective equipment and items for this operation; there should have been no dangers of things going south.
What really happened?
Shandy looked at at the doorsteps before the garage with disbelieving eyes.
After he was stunned for a while, he unconsciously opened his mouth, muttering non-stop.
"How is this possible! 2567 is a Chosen One?"
...
Kieran was walking slowly, scanning his surroundings.
After Brokers men locked gazes with Kieran, they were sent into [Fear Illusion] by [Deadmans Gaze] Fear effect; none of them were able to escape.
Since Kierans Spirit had reached S rank, none of Brokers men were able to resist his attacks when they faced off against him.
Fear descended like nightfall, swallowing them into darkness and death was like the pitch ck crescent moon, hanging above them clearly. The coldness that froze even their bones seeped into their body, followed by their consciousness dissipating.
PUK!
Brokers men spat out mouthfuls of blood, limping on the ground and eventually disintegrated into white lights.
Tons of honor kill notifications piled up in Kierans vision, but all he did was inclined a look at [Half-deads Gaze].
Although he knew [Half-deads Gaze] would be more powerful as the wearers Spirit reached higher, when he felt the power for himself, he was still overwhelmed by the fact.
Truth be told, before Kieran pushed open his door and walked out, he was still having second thoughts, but the fact that he wascking points and skills points to repair his damaged items forced him to walk out.
After all, back in [The Queens Shield] dungeon, although he had quite a few valuable rewards, his loss was huge as well.
What was a better way to umte points and skill points topensate his loss than ughtering other yers?
The opportunity had presented itself before him; Kieran didnt want to give up, but at the same time, he knew.
The moment he appeared outside of his room, Brokers men would strike.
That cunning bastard must have calcted precisely when he would appear, so Kieran had to prepare as best as he could and n multiple responding measures for contingencies.
Just as Kieran had expected, he was ambushed the moment he stepped out the door.
While within [Shadow Cloak], the supernatural darkness granted enhancement to his dodging abilities but didnt halve his Intuition. He could clearly feel the threat of [Holy Water V] and the aura from the three killer yers that differed from other yers.
After easily dodging the [Holy Water V] sshing at him, Kieran was ready to fight the three killer yers with all his might.
However, when he activated [Half-deads Gaze], the trio with the fearsome manner lost their abilities to resist, simr to other Brokers men around.
The Chosen One!
Oddly, the term appeared in Kierans mind once more.
"A suppression towards other yers of the same rank?"
Kieran muttered to himself, and his eyes turned to another bunch of men unconsciously.
Allen and his Blood Alliance members. The moment they saw Kierans gaze, their hearts skipped a bit; some of them with quicker responses blocked their eyes immediately.
Although it was the first time they witnessed Kieran using [Half-deads Gaze], their rich battle experiences granted them the knowledge of how to avoid such an attack.
"Retreat!"
Allen even covered his eyes with a side of his poncho; his eyes were different from the first time he met Kieran. The arrogance and the feeling of looking down on him were gone. He then did a backflip and disappeared into the shadows.
The members of Blood Alliance were retreating as well; Kieran didnt give chase or prevent them from leaving.
Although he did not have a good impression of Allen,pared to Broker, Allen was a hard-toe-by ally.
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend."
Kieran could never acknowledge the saying but nor could he deny it. As long as Allen kept doing what he was doing, it would be helping him, just like today.
[Honor Kill: 45]
After another 10 honor kills, not only did his Points increase by 150,000, his Skill Points increased by 20 as well.
The majority of the contribution to the points he acquired was from the first three killer yers; the trio contributed at least 2/3.
What made Kieran anticipate more was the weapons and equipment of the trio. From his Intuition, he could tell the equipment on the trio were quite outstanding.
Although he knew it was impossible to get to them since Broker had set up defensive measures everywhere, it still solved his pressing thoughts for now.
At the same time, the incident allowed Kieran to know that the coboration between the killer yers and Broker was not even close to what he had thought.
It could be said that the open strife and the veiled struggles between killer yers were much more fiercer than he had imagined. At least, the fact that Kieran was a Chosen One was something only Golden Canary and Nightingale knew.
"Maybe things arent as bad as I thought it would be!"
Kieran thought while looking at his Points and Skill Points tab.
After a short battle, the amount had a significant change.
[Points: 179,800; Skill Points: 55; Golden Skill Points: 2; Golden Attribute Points: 1]
It could allow Kieran to at least proceed with half of his upgrading ns.
Though, before upgrading, there was one more thing he needed to pursue.
...
The moment Shandy realized Kieran was a Chosen One, he turned away immediately.
He didnt possess the ability to glide down from tall spots, so the stairs were his only option.
Dak Dak Dak!
The hasty sprinting made him jump down almost a whole flight of stairs.
After a dozen breaths time, Shandy reached the ground. As he was just dashing out the door, a figure blocked his path.
"2567!"
Shandy yelled, and staggered back quickly, but only after one step backward, his gaze went dull and he stopped.
On Kierans right index finger, [Mesly Ring] was giving out a bright shine.
After a second, Shandy looked at Kieran with a sincere face.
"I want to know something about Broker," Kieran asked.
"No problemo! I can tell you whatever I know.... Ugh! UGH! Aaaaah! Boss! No, please no, boss!"
Shandy responded in a happy manner, but right after he agreed, he fell to the ground, wailing agonizingly, holding his head and rolling non-stop on the ground.
After three or four seconds, Shandys head exploded just like that.
SPLAT.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Off goes his head, and its not Kieran who did it.
Chapter 398: Intentions
Chapter 398: Intentions
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
Bright red brain juice was sttered all over the ce; it reached almost 3 to 4 meters.
However, Kieran didnt even spare a look.
It was not that he was cold-blooded, but the moment Shandys head exploded, the body took all his attention.
The body suddenly emitted an aura that made Kieran feel threatened.
In simple words, someone took over Shandys body the moment he died, and it might very well be rted to Shandys death.
Wuuuuung!
A minor tremble spread through the air; the brain matter on the ground then started to gather and retract rapidly into a dagger-like weapon within a breath and went on to Shandys hand.
His body stood up right away, and he was tossing around the dagger that was made up with his brain.
Keiran couldnt help the unusual feeling that bloomed in his heart.
Just as Kieran was feeling unnatural, a formless power sted out from Shandys body, like an arrow aimed at Kieran.
[Spirit Sting: Spirit has passed the authentication, no damage urred...]
[Bacsh: Spirit is higher than user by 2 ranks, user will receive a Heavily Wounded degree attack...]
...
PAK!
The brain dagger that gathered in Shandys hand exploded, and soon, the headless body fell back to the ground.
The aura on the body even disappeared into thin air, followed by a suppressed, agonized groan that sounded in the atmosphere before it shed away.
"Zorl! The registrar Zorl!"
Although that voice only sounded for a sh, Kieran could clearly tell it was from Zorl, one of Brokers trusted man.
Kierans impression of Zorl came from the item appraisal at the secret bazaar and the conversation back in Harvest Inn. He never thought Zorl was also a Chosen One, but within the battlelog notification, [Spirit Sting] was enough to prove who he was.
Not only was Zorl a Chosen One, but also one with extremely strange abilities.
Whether it was detonating Shandys head or controlling his headless body, it allowed Kieran to have a general idea of how a Chosen One battled.
"Apetition of Spirit? No, not only that, there are some small tricks involved as well!"
Kiera unconsciously recalled the scene when Shandy was tossing the brain dagger.
That was Zorl trying to create an atmosphere, to create more fear from the wicked scene for Kieran, thus allowing [Spirit Sting] to harness more power from Kierans weakened state.
Although such tricks were useless against Kieran with his S-rank Spirit, it didnt stop him from having the interest to learn such tricks.
Kieran could use his S-rank Spirit to suppress othermon yers and the other Chosen Ones with lower ranks than him, but should hee across an opponent with an equal rank, these tricks woulde in handy.
Kieran believed that as Brokers enemy, he would soone across opponents that could match him.
"Having the loyalty of a Chosen One, Broker..." Kieran ruminated over this matter.
He then walked out even further with anguid pace.
Kieran had originally nned to move towards the rooms of the three killer yers that possessed a decent level of strength, acquire more spoils of war and even confuse Broker by abandoning one or two rooms before Broker could react to the wipeout of this men, but because Zorl suffered the bacsh directly, Broker would be able to react instantly.
Was Kieran willing to abandon his rights to the other yers rooms? All Broker needed to do was to wait him out, and Kierans ns would go to waste.
Besides, Kieran believed Broker would prefer the simple way to deal with him.
Unless Kieran never returned to 13th Wallway Street. But was it possible?
He had the rights to other yers rooms, and each and everyone of the room was unique in its own way, simr to his own.
However, the other rooms didnt have the book collections that he had in 13th Wallway, the [Basic Medicine Crafting tform] and other misceneous items.
Moreover, it was a fact that a scrooge would never give his [Basic Medicine Crafting tform] and his own collection up; it was as hard as plucking the moon. The other fact was that there were still tons of unfinished books about sword skills and mystical knowledge, enough for Kieran to treat them as priceless treasures.
If Kieran still had a sane mind, he would never give the books up.
After all, Kieran had no intentions of cing himself in the dark. He was anticipating Brokers reaction so he could verify his guesses.
...
PUK!
Zorl staggered backwards after a spitting a mouthful of blood on the ground.
However, before he could even wipe the blood off his mouth, he sent a PM to Broker straight away.
After he hadpleted his duty, he took out a healing potion and poured it down his throat.
The effect of the potion spread through Zorls body, healing his bacsh effect quickly. However, as his body was healing, his emotions and his mind werent calm.
2567 was a Chosen One! On top of that he was an extremely powerful one, at least higher than his Spirit rank by 2!
"A Chosen One with A+ rank Spirit or higher?" Zorl took a deep breath.
To Zorl who was quite different from other veterans, it was not his first time encountering a Chosen One, but it was the first time a Chosen One couldpletely suppress him in terms of Spiritpetition.
"What a scary gift! And even more scary potential!"
As a real, trusted subordinate of Broker, Zorl aided Broker in taking care of most of the matters. He even knew the arrangements for the game newbie 2567, but he didnt think it was too much for his boss, Broker.
It was also not the first time he had encountered such incidents either. The little sympathy in his heart was already buried down by the harsh reality.
Zorl knew that in this "man-eat-man" underground game, if he wanted to live on steadily, he would have to bury his conscience. It was a luxury he couldnt afford.
Sess after sess built up his confidence, until the appearance of 2567!
Not only did he ruin the mission that Zorl thought was a piece of cake, now 2567s actions had affected his boss entire n.
"Hmph! Foolish 2567! You really have iting from the boss since you never knew how scary he is!" Zorl let out a cold grunt.
Ding!
His PM tab pinged. Zorl was anxious to check the message, but what followed were puzzled and confused thoughts floating in his heart.
Zorl couldnt understand what his boss intentions were.
No doubt, 2567s existence could threaten the entire n, simr to the previous encounters. They must kill him while he was still in his cradle, but why would his boss let 2567 off so easily?
However, he knew how his boss did things, so he didnt press the question; he didnt dare question his boss orders.
All he did was follow as he was instructed in the PM.
Zorl stood where he was for a while, trying to find the words to put into a PM.
After around twenty seconds, a PM was sent out with a substantial amount of reward and mercenary fees.
The recipient was...
Banning, ck Hell Banning!
One of the Supernovas!
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Banning, ck Hell Banning!
Chapter 399: Power Power Power!
Chapter 399: Power Power Power!
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
ck Hell Banning receiving Brokers request to kill 2567 should have been a confidential matter, but the news was leaked somehow and many other yers came to know of it.
Kieran himself was not a resourceful person in the game, but Coll definitely was.
Coll delivered the news to Kieran the instant he got it.
...
Coll: Doomed! Finished! This is the end!
Coll: Broker, that bastard, went as far as hiring ck Hell Banning!
Coll: And Lawless is not around; anyone whoe across his path will surely be killed!
Coll: 2567, Remember, stay in your room. Dont even step out of your door, even if u r a Chosen One!
Coll: ck Hell Banning is one of the strongest Chosen Ones during the early batch. u wont stand a chance against him!
...
Although it was through a screen, Kieran could feel Colls anxiety between the lines.
No doubt, his recklessness before made the veteran that Lawless had entrusted felt deeply helpless, resulting in Colls repeated emphasis on how powerful ck Hell Banning was.
Truth be told, even without Colls emphasis, Kieran wouldnt neglect Bannings existence.
He saw it with his own eyes, Bannings specialty of a wide area attack. If it wasnt for Lawless who foiled Bannings casting, they would have met some serious problem.
As for Kierans current strength level?
He wasnt sure and unable judge, since Bannings skill casting was interrupted by Lawless, he didnt really fully activate his skill. If after Banning activated his skill and was simr to what he experienced, he wouldnt be too concerned about it.
Though, this theory that bloomed up was not something even Kieran himself was willing to believe.
However,pared to ck Hell Banning who was hired to kill him, Kieran was more concerned about Broker who hired him.
After realizing Zorl was a Chosen One, Kieran started to specte how Broker brought him under his service.
No doubt Kieran couldnt know the process, but he could specte some of the required conditions for Broker to do so. One of the most important condition was that Brokers Spirit had to be definitely higher than Zorls or Broker had some special equipment that granted him special defensive measures against spirit attacks.
Otherwise, with Zorls disy of unusual power, the methods that Broker used against othermon yers wouldnt work on Zorl; there was a higher chance that he might go out for wool ande back shorn.
Of course there was also the possibility that Broker scouted Zorl when he first entered the game, but it was too low to bet on to the extent that it could bepletely neglected.
Then, Kieran went to Coll to get answers to his questions, and Colls answers verified Kierans spections.
The registrar Zorl wasnt Brokers trusted man from the start. After Zorl had disyed a certain degree of strength and gained some reputations for himself, Broker had approached and recruited him under the name of appraisal master.
As for the process, no one really knew what had happened. So Kieran would need to go through Broker himself to confirm his own theory.
However, Broker was too cunning to begin with. Not only did he not provide an answer that Kieran was expecting, he even fired out a smokescreen.
Broker didnt send his own men over to Kieran; he hired other parties to do the job instead. Since the hired mercenary was one of the Supernovas, it might have appeared to the other yers that Broker must have gotten involved in something troublesome, and it forced him to spend a fortune to remove the trouble!
More coincidentally, Broker had one goal to achieve currently. The Witchs legacy!
"Hiding his real fangs? What the hell Broker is after?" Kieran thought with a frown.
Through the earlier short but deep encounter, Kieran knew that anything Broker did had profound reasons behind. Although it might be obscure when it was viewed separately, but surely it would affect the final oue.
So why did Broker conceal his abilities under the light at the moment?
"The Witchs legacy?" Kieran thought about the sole possibility that he could think of, but he wasnt certain about it.
...
2567: Contact me if theres any more news on Broker!
2567: Thanks!
...
After replying to Coll, Kieran had to pull himself out of the swamp in his mind about Broker and his goals.
Kieran also knew perfectly well that with the information at hand, he could never guess what Broker was after. Rather than wasting time grinding on a futile subject, he might as well perform some useful duties, such as upgrading!
Wasnt the reason that he chose to leave his room and join the messy fight between Blood Alliance and Brokers men to earn more Points and Skill Points so that he could afford to upgrade his strength more?
Kieran was lingering over the points tab.
179,800 Points and 55 Skill Points might seem much, but it was far from enough for Kieran.
Most of the basic skills and [Barsical Kick], [Hundred Violent Kicks] and [de Kicks] had reached a considerable level. If he wanted to use his newly acquired weapon skills like [Great Sword Blocking], [Sword Skill, Myriad Viper], [Sword Skill, Dragon Force], [Sword Skill, Tiger Stance], [Spear Skill, Dash Lunge] and [Viper Kick], he would need to level all of them to at least Master level.
As a lone-wolf yer, ditching one of the skills was also not a viable option.
Firstly, since Kieran had chosen two-handed sword and kickbats as his fighting style, [Great Sword Blocking], [Sword Skill, Dragon Force], [Sword Skill, Tiger Stance] and [Viper Kick] couldnt be left behind.
Secondly, [Sword Skill, Fast Sting] and [Spear Skill, Dash Lunge] needed to be at a considerable level once contingencies were added to the equation.
As for [Sword Skill, Myriad Viper]?
Being the only Spirit-rted Legendary skill, leveling it up was a no-brainer.
After experiencing the spirit suppression himself, Kieran wasnt willing to let go of his advantages.
Thus, Kieran came up with the decisions immediately after considering all the options.
Excluding [Sword Skill, Myriad Viper], Kieran would first level up every other newly acquired skill to a considerable level before focusing on [Sword Skill, Myriad Viper] itself.
[Great Sword Blocking, Basic to Master, cost 1500 Points, 1 Skill Point. Yes/No?]
[Sword Skill, Dragon Force, Basic to Master, cost 2000 Points, 8 Skill Points. Yes/No?]
[Sword Skill, Tiger Stance, Basic to Master, cost 2000 Points, 8 Skill Points. Yes/No?]
[Sword Skill, Fast Sting, Basic to Master, cost 1500 Points, 4 Skill Points. Yes/No?]
[Spear Skill, Dash Lunge, Basic to Master, cost 1500 Points, 4 Skill Points. Yes/No?]
[Viper Kick, Basic to Master, cost 2000 Points, 8 Skill Points. Yes/No?]
"Yes!"
Kieran answered to all of the upgrade options.
Prompty, a lot of information was poured into his brain, synchronizing with his body at the same time. New skills then started to form under his tab.
[Name: Great Sword Blocking (Master)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Defense]
[Effect: You know how to block enemy attacks effectively with your great sword, increase 30% defense]
[Special Effect: Extra Block (After familiarizing the structure of a great sword, whenever a sessful block, increase extra 10% defense]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Strength F+, Agility F, Constitution F]
[Remark: Skilled in two handed great sword blocking!]
...
[Name: Sword Skill, Dragon Force (Master)]
[Rted Attribute: Strength, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Offense]
[Effect: Whenever you attack, you could perform a 5-second charge-up and unleash a sh with 60% increase in attack, consume 150 Stamina, cooldown 4 minutes]
[Special Effect: Extra Charge (decrease charge up time by 0.5 seconds]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Sharp Weapon, Heavy Arms (Master of Two handed Sword), Strength C+]
[Remark: This is one of the secret esoteric sword skill of the Dragon Sect, and the base for all Dragon Sect secret skills]
......
[Name: Sword Skill, Tiger Stance (Master)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Offense]
[Effect: Whenever you use a two-handed sword, battle mace, battle axe and sessfully block an enemys attack, if you counterattack, +20% in Strength, +20% in Agility, consume extra Stamina when attacking]
[Special Effect: Power Focus (+5% Strength in counterattack)
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Sharp Weapon, Heavy Arms (Master), Strength C+]
[Remark: This is one of the secret esoteric sword skill of the Tiger Sect, its the first step in mastering the two-handed sword.]
...
[Name: Sword Skill, Fast Sting (Master)]
[Rted Attributes: Agility, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Offense]
[Effect: Using an explosive speed to perform a stab at a target 4 meters in front you, +40% attack speed for that particr stab. (Consume 80 Stamina, cooldown 4 minutes)]
[Special Effect: Extremespeed (+5% attack speed)]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Any of Sharp Weapon- Dagger, Knife, Longsword skill reaches Master, Agility E, Constitution E]
[Remark: You can choose either dagger, knife or longsword to perform the skill, but greatsword and two-handed sword are out of the range!]
......
[Name: Spear Skill, Dash Lunge (Master)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Offense]
[Effect: When using a spearnce, perform a forward lunge with the same Strength and Speed, Strength +20%, Speed +20%, consume 80 Stamina, 4 minutes cooldown]
[Special Effect: Combined Effort (Extra +2.5% of Strength, Speed)]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Sharp Weapon, Polearm Weapon (Master), Strength E, Agility E, Constitution E]
[Remark: Share the same Strength and Speed, but not having both offense and defense!]
...
[Name: Viper Kick (Master)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Offense]
[Effect: Your leg muscles and joints could be altered, slightly increasing the attack range or your kicks.]
[Special Effect: Viper Hiss (Whenever youunch a kick, your muscles will produce snake hissing sounds, targets who gotten struck will force to go through a Spirit authentication not lower than F+, Fear will be induced when failed)]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Hand-to-Hand Combat, Kick Combat (Master), Strength D-, Agility D-, Constitution D-]
[Remark: A set of kicking techniques that is infamous for its bewitching movements, catching your target off guards!]
...
After going through all the newly-leveled Master skills, Kieran turned his attention to [Sword Skill, Myriad Viper]
[Sword Skill, Myriad Viper, Basic to Master, cost 20,000 Points, 20 Skill Points. Yes/No?]
"Not Golden Skill Points!?"
Kiera noticed the skill [Sword Skill, Myriad Viper] costed only normal Skill Points from Basic all the way to Master. His heart was confused with delight and disappointment; at the same time, he was very shocked.
[Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] already costed 1 Golden Skill Point from Basic to Entry only.
So, what category was [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art], after all?
While such thoughts wandered his mind, Kieran chose to level up [Sword Skill, Myriad Viper]
[Name: Sword Skill, Myriad Viper (Master)]
[Rted Attributes: Spirit]
[Skill Type Offense]
[Effect: Utilize your aura to pressurise your opponents in a 15 meters diameter. Target will be forced to undergo a Spirit authentication. When targets Spirit is lower than yours, target will fall into the illusion of ten thousand snakes, allowing you to exert your will freely, consume 150 Stamina, 4 minutes cooldown]
[Special Effect: Viper Venom (Whenever your target passed the Spirit authentication, another Intuition authentication will ur. Only after passing the Intuition authentication will the target break free from the myriad viper illusions.]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Spirit B+]
[Remark: Although it is categorized as a Sword Skill, but in fact, it is actually an illusory attack, no weapon limitations]
...
Different from the previous skills with the free Master level options, [Sword Skill, Myriad Viper]s Master option was fixed.
"Viper Venom? The name really suits it!"
Kieran nodded in agreement when he saw [Viper Venom]s description.
There might be others who had high Spirit attribute naturally, granting one unparalleled aura; some others even might have defensive equipment against spirit attack. However, when the authenticationbined Spirit and Intuition, everything would be different.
While getting caught off-guard, most of the targets would fall into the [Viper Venom] trap.
It was an extremely delightful news to Kieran, so he continued his leveling by opening the leveling option for [Sword Skill, Myriad Viper].
[Sword Skill, Myriad Viper, Master to Pro, cost 20,000 Points, 2 Golden Skill Points. Yes/No?]
This time around, Kieran became doubtful.
ording to his past experience, if [Sword Skill, Myriad Viper] would continue leveling, it would only make the enemies unable to defend against it. However, since his Spirit attribute was already at S rank, if he wanted to raise Spirit any higher, the possibilities would be very slim.
Compared to the other two skills which also costed Golden Skill Points, [de Kick] and [Hundred Violent Kick], things were different.
Among the three rted attributes, Strength, Agility and Constitution, Strength might not increase anymore since it was already at A rank, but with only B+ rank, Agility and Constitution had quite the high chance of increasing.
After a few minutes with his thoughts, Kieran finally came up with an option, which was to level [Sword Skill, Myriad Viper]!
Although, utilizing 2 Golden Skill Points for leveling [de Kick] and [Hundred Violent Kick] would also increase his stats, it didnt mean that Grand Master level of both kicking skills would be more powerful than Pro level [Sword Skill, Myriad Viper].
Even if Kieran calcted his increased stats, plus the buffs from [Hand-to-hand Combat, Kick Combats], the result was still the same.
[Sword Skill, Myriad Viper] was unique! It was not rted to the strength of the body but to the strength of the Spirit!
Unless Kieran encountered some enemies with naturally high Spirit or with special measures, he would benefit in every possible way. As for those who weer naturally high in Spirit and had special methods to defend themselves, how many would there be?
The address of a "Chosen One" stated the situation clearly.
The little things gave away the bigger details. From the looks of the ratio, the natives within the dungeon world with the qualifications of being a Chosen One shouldnt be that many, unless Kieran came across an extremely unusual event or if the dungeon difficulties were too high.
However, even if that was the case, Kieran could still rely on his S-rank Spirit.
Kieran was a person who would execute his ns once he set his mind to it, thus he chose to instantly level up [Sword Skill, Myriad Viper].
The Pro level of [Sword Skill, Myriad Viper] increased its range once more to a 20 meter diameter. Stamina consumed and cooldown time were shortened again to 135 Stamina and 3.5 minute cooldown time.
[Viper Venom] that Kieran was most concerned about wasnt disappointing at all.
The original calction was Spirit + Intuition and was changed to Spirit + (Intuition+1) in equation.
"Confusing the five senses?"
Kieran suddenly had this realization when he saw the special effect [Viper Venom] and gathered all the knowledge about [Sword Skill, Myriad Viper] in his mind.
His understanding was boosted even more when it wasbined with [Viper Kick]. Moreover, Kieran discovered that both skills could assist each other.
"The Viper Sect?" Kieran muttered softly.
He knew the reason for such feeling was because [Viper Kick] and [Sword Skill, Myriad Viper] originated from the same sect and had a lineal descent.
However, he didnt manage to get his hands on more Viper Sects lineal descent skills, but it didnt mean he couldnt in the future.
[Acquired special dungeon: The Queens Shield II]
[The Queens Shield II: The assault of the Prairie invaders was not the end. They kept staring at Warren like hungry wolves, but the rumours about the devil made them halt their march as they were preparing some special method to deal with the devil...]
[Main Mission: Begins when yer enters the dungeon!]
The continuous special dungeon made everything possible.
Meanwhile, Kierans next dungeon and the one after that were special dungeons as well.
Kieran even did tons of preparation with regards to the uing special dungeon.
Before entering [Primordial Invasion], he would study [Herberts Note] thoroughly, and try harder to gain more knowledge before entering the next [The Shamans Partner III].
Compared to the unknown main mission of [Primordial Invasion], the advanced main mission of [The Shamans Partner III] no doubt required more of Kierans attention.
After all, Kieran still had a fresh image of that unknown stone gate.
Before this, he wasnt even qualified to look at it, and now?
Kieran was stillcking confidence. So, to ease his mind, he continued leveling his skills.
Although he ran out of Golden Attribute Points, he still had nearly 130,000 Points and 2 Skill Points. Using them to level the skills that didnt require Golden Skill Points would be the best options.
[Great Sword Blocking], [Viper Kick], [Barsical Kick], [Sword Skill, Dragon Force], [Sword Skill, Tiger Stance] were all within that category, though it would be impractical to level every one of them.
Not only were the Points and Skill Points insufficient, other than leveling, he still needed to fork out repair fees for his firearms and purchase other items and bullets respectively.
It would be a huge sum when both of them were added up, and if his equipment were beyond repair, he would need to repurchase a new corresponding equipment.
His expenses would definitely increase again, so he needed to save up sufficient points.
"Two out of five then?" Kieran muttered.
TL Note:
The author mentioned Kierans Constitution was at B+ but he did raise it to A rank to suffice his Fusion Heart requirements. This is because Golden Attribute Points increase wasnt included in the rted attributes increase in the skills. Just a friendly reminder, in case someone got confused.
Chapter 400: Re-enter
Chapter 400: Re-enter
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
The first skill that Kieran decided on was [Great Sword Blocking].
Although [Great Sword Blocking] was just a basic rank skill, as one of the few defensive measures, Kieran was quite fond of it.
Even though Kieran believed in the ideal of "offense is the best defense", it didnt stop him from calmly analyzing the possible encounters and attacks he might face in special situations.
After all, the dungeon world was never constant and was always packed with surprises; there was no pattern to speak of, and Kieran couldnt even make sure what he mighte across.
Without the support of a team, it was important for him to take care of every aspect.
After choosing [Great Sword Blocking] as the first of the five, the other choice was a little harder.
From the looks of things, [Sword Skill, Tiger Stance]s counterattack was the perfectbination for [Great Sword Blocking]; Kieran should choose that skill without any doubt.
However, that was only if [Barsical Kick] was not in the mix!
Within Kierans hand-to-handbat system, whether he was starting with [Hand-to-hand Combats, Kick Combats] or connecting [Hundred Violent Kicks], [de Kick] or [Barsical Kick] and its effect [Bide], thebo had be an inseparable part of hisbat pattern.
Finally, after some hesitation, Kieran chose [Barsical Kick]!
The reason he chose it was also in consideration of the damage output and his overall build. Kieran believed that when [Barsical Kick] was leveled to Pro, it would provide him with more attacking options, and it turned out to be true.
After contacting Coll to exchange some Skill Points with Points, Kieran continued leveling the two skills he had chosen.
[Greatsword Blocking, Master to Musou, cost 30,000 Points, 16 Skill Points. Yes/No?]
"Yes!"
[Name: Greatsword Blocking (Musou)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Defense]
[Effect: You know how to block enemy attacks effectively with your greatsword, increase 60% defense]
[Special Effect: Extra Block (After familiarizing the structure of a greatsword, whenever a sessful block happens, extra 40% defense]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Strength D-, Agility D-, Constitution D-]
[Remark: The greatsword in your hand is enough to block off most attack!]
...
[Barsical Kick, Master to Pro, cost 15,000 Points, 6 Skill Points. Yes/No?]
"Yes!"
[Name: Barsical Kick (Pro)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Offensive]
[Effects: Your legs are more nimble than your hands. When you attack with a kick, the second, third, and fourth hit will trigger an additional Agility +1, +2, +3 effect respectively.]
[Special Effect: Bide (Your attacks will be umted, during the fourth and fifth hit, Strength and Agility will +2, +3 respectively with each kick]
[Consumes: Stamina]
[Prerequisites: Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Arts (Pro)]
[Remarks: Please note that the level of the Barsical Kick and other rted skills cannot be higher than the Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Arts skill!]
Kieran raised the corner of his mouth in a grin when he saw the effects and special effects of [Barsical Kick].
"This will make up for [Hundred Violent Kicks]s increased speed and decreased damage output! The more I kick, the stronger I get!"
Kieran could imagine his opponents drowning under the fourth and fifth kicks sudden surge of Strength and Agility.
Kieran then turned his eyes to the points tab.
[Points: 18,300; Skill Points: 0; Golden Skill Points: 0; Golden Attribute Points: 1]
There werent too many points to boast about but enough to fulfill his needs and handle the situation.
Kieran had no intentions of repairing [Hidden Wrist Bow] and [Buckle Stinger]. Instead, he wanted to sell them and collect repair fees for his firearms, [MI-02], [Python-W2] and [Jagdtiger-X1].
Two decent Magic rank equipment could sell for a considerable amount of Points even if they were damaged, giving Kieran more liberties regarding his repairing ns.
There might even be some leftover points for Kieran to purchase [Bullets of Blessing], [Shadow Grenade] and other misceneous items.
After Coll introduced a machinist named Stacker, the machinist agreed to trade-in the two Magic equipments for a reduced price. He agreed to Kierans trade with an extra 10,000 Points repairing fee.
For the remaining 8300 Points, Kieran divided them into two parts.
First was to purchase 3 [Shadow Grenades] with 4500 Points.
Second was to purchase 7-rounds magazines of [Bullets of Blessing] for 2800 Points.
After Kieran resupplied hismon bullets and grenades, his points were basically depleted.
An empty feeling arose in Kierans heart when he spent it all, but after the repairs and purchase of items, he felt an unconcerned safety with everything equipped on him.
Though, the feeling of safety didnt increase his reading rate by a lot when he studied [Herberts Note].
The note was too difficult for him to understand, not only because of the words, but because it was iplete. Every single paragraph was summarised; some were nothing more than scribbles and mentions.
Kieran took quite some time to arrange the information within the notes since he was never properly introduced to the history of Neegor Dynasty.
Kieran had to guess some parts to fill the gaps in his mind. Such actions were a little detestable, but he had no better options at the moment, and it was necessary to hasten his reading.
Even still, when the dungeon cooldown was reset, he only went through [Herberts Note] in detail twice. He was far from understanding everything inside.
Closing [Herberts Note] and stuffing it into his backpack, Kieran chose to enter the single yer dungeon after double-checking that he didnt miss out anything.
[Entering Single yer Special Dungeon!]
[Difficulty: Fourth Dungeon]
[Primordial Invasion: The demise of the Night leader was not the end, just the beginning! The remaining Night race monsters went rampant all over the ce without the restrictions of their leader. They are hiding among the street shadows, assaulting loners that looked delicious! Other than that, some other monsters that were totally different from the Night race have started to appear...]
[Main mission: Protect Herbert for 3 months, 0/90 days]
[Temporarynguage pack, Disappears upon exiting the dungeon.]
[Clothing, backpack, weapons, and other items remain unchanged, Temporarily altered appearance, Returns to normal upon exiting the dungeon]
[Note: This is a special dungeon. You can fail the Main Mission, but you will have to pay 400 Points as a penalty and your highest attributes will drop by one point. If your points are insufficient, the system will deduct from your equipment. If your equipment is insufficient, you will fail.]
...
"As expected, the difficulty changed to fourth time! The highest attributes decrease also returned to one point!"
Kieran slightly raised his brow when he saw the Note about the dungeon.
The changes were within his expectations, but some other changes exceeded it.
Herbert the respectful schr was listed as a wanted man!
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Here we go again!
This marks the 400th chapter!
and a new (?) dungeon.
congratte yourself in thements for reading up to this point!
Chapter 401: Wanted
Chapter 401: Wanted
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
Few people lingered in the tavern, yet they were far from being sober.
The bartender and the waiter had started to clean up the mess fromst night, urging their drunk customers to leave the tavern. Seemed like both sides were quite familiar; the customers were not dissatisfied. Even though they were ranting loudly, it was more of a delightful rant.
So, Kieran seemed to stand out from the crowd when he appeared in the tavern.
After Kieran had slightly sized up his surrounding and gotten a general idea of where he was, he walked straight out the tavern without pause.
Though when he was at the tavern exit, he couldnt help but halt his steps.
The wall beside the exit had wanted notices pasted all over. All of the wanted individuals were ferocious looking, except for the one in the middle, the one with the highest bounty.
"Herbert?!"
Kieran was shocked.
After looking carefully at the facial features and name on the wanted notice, Kieran confirmed that it was indeed the main mission target he was supposed to protect this time around, Herbert.
"Trouble again!" Kieran muttered in a low voice.
Not only because his protection target was at the top of the wanted list, attracting tons of mercenaries and bounty hunters on his trail, but also because Herbert would purposely hide himself away from the public, to the extent that even Kieran, the protector, would have a hard time locating him.
Kieran never doubted Herberts wisdom. Moreover, with his age and sufficient knowledge from years of reading, Kieran was sure that Herbert would definitely find himself an extremely secluded ce to hide.
However, Herbert was still in danger, and it had started to endanger his life. The main mission had stated everything.
"I must hurry up my search!"
Kieran quickly left the tavern when his words subsided.
Since he had some better channels to acquire information, he was not keen on probing information from a couple of bartenders and waiters that had been through a whole night shift.
He wasnt sure how urate the information would be with their exhaustion from work.
Of course, if Kieran paid up a sufficient amount of money, he would definitely get what he wanted to know, but it was too troublesome, not just the process, but also the unwanted attention it would bring to himself.
Kieran understood the saying, "never reveal your gold and silver" a long time ago.
It would also be a joke to expect those who lingered in a tavern to possess high moral values and educations.
Although Kieran didnt sense it on purpose, but the blood stench from the alley beside the tavern already told Kieran what happened there.
After all, this dungeon itself was dangerous on its own. Under the disguise of peaceful towns and city, mercenaries, bounty hunters and even the Night race were lurking in dark corners.
Now, even more monsters that were unheard of popped up since thest incident.
Before locating Herbert, Kieran had no intentions of attracting more problem. However, things always went the opposite of how one wanted it to unfold.
Just when Kieran realized the city he was in was Herl City, the one he visited before in [Ancient City Foreign Matter] dungeon and close to Herberts ce, two police officers in full ck uniforms appeared before him when he wanted to purchase a newspaper to get more information.
"2567?"
The taller officer said after taking out a portrait forparison.
Kieran shrugged but did not deny it. Although the portrait was quite unrealistic, but still bore a 40% to 50% resemnce to his face; it was not something he could easily deny.
"We mean no harm! We just need to understand some things!"
The shorter officer exined.
The taller officer beside him made a "please" gesture, directing Kieran to a wagon not far away that had a tightly shut carriage door and a couple of tall, buffed, and fully-armed bodyguards around it. Kieran could sense that there was only one person inside the carriage.
No doubt, the person inside was the one really looking for him.
The two police officers were just for show but were enough for Kieran to have some guesses.
Being able to simply give orders to police officers, having multiple armed bodyguards and even precisely locating and identifying Kieran within 20 minutes after he entered the dungeon; every signs showed that the person inside the carriage was not some simple John Doe. Otherwise, they wouldnt possess so much influence.
Among the people who resided in Herl City with such an influence and were eager to meet him, there were only a handful.
"Harold followed his professor and went into hiding as well?" Kieran thought in his heart.
Among Herberts students, Cohen was the poorest, Joanna was in the middle ss and Harold should be the wealthiest. Kieran could easily tell from their manner of speech and behavior.
After excluding every other possible oue, all that was left was a single one.
As for the possibilities that they came for Herberts bounty?
The sight of the wagon, the horses and the bodyguards said it all. If they really were after Herberts bounty, they wouldnt pose such a grand arrangement, even though Herbert had a 10,000 bounty on his head.
Kieran didnt reject the request to board the wagon.
When he clearly saw the person in the wagon, it verified his spections from before.
The person before Kieran was a middle-aged man. Although he was not at his youthful years, his facial features were almost identical to Harold. His body was also quite tall and big, plus his suit was exceptionally tidy and neat.
A quick nce from Kieran showed what Harold would look like in the future.
"Sir 2567? Good day, I am Harolds father. You can address me as Lander. My son, Harold and Professor Herbert have left Herl City for a while and havent been heard of since. After the gold rush camp ughter incident, Ive sent my men for Harold, but none of them returned, until you came by..."
"If its not too much of a trouble, can you tell me what happened? I dont believe Professor Herbert would do such an outrageous deed, ughtering a whole camp of gold rusher? Only a fool would believe a schr could perform such malefic deed!"
It should have been a questioning session, but the man spoke in an extremely affirmative tone; he didnt even try to hide his intentions. Instead, he came straight to the topic.
However, he didnt sound forceful but instead was very well-mannered, disying his well-educated background.
At the same time, Kieran understood why Herbert was being wanted by the authorities.
ughtered a whole camp of gold rushers?
Truth be told, when Kieran heard such usations being nted on the elderly schr, he became very agreeable to Landersment.
Anyone who took the usation for real was a fool.
Why would such an outrageous wanted notice be sent out?
Other than the corrupt nature of the authorities, there was no doubt the Night race was involved in adding fuel to the mes. Even more so, everything might be plotted up by the Night race.
Which made Kieran realize that the influence and corruption of the Night race in human societies, or more precisely, Herl City was much more serious than he had initially thought.
So...
Kieran looked at Harolds father, then raised his hand and extended it to grab him!
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
"Ojisan, daisuki!"
Chapter 402: Baited
Chapter 402: Baited
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
Kieran grabbed Landers arm, tightening his palm slightly.
Instantly, the pain made Landers face twitch a little, but he held on and didnt cry out in pain. He then looked at Kieran with a puzzled and angry gaze.
"Pardon me! Forgive my recklessness, because of some incidents, I have to be vignt!" Kieran apologized.
"Vignt?"
Lander raised his bruised hand and showed it to Kieran and said directly, "If such actions can lower your vignce a bit, I dont mind, given that you know where Harold is!"
Lander ended his words with a stern tone and a severe countenance. Even though he suppressed his volume, he still sounded verymanding and powerful. But only towards amoner though. To Kieran, Landers manner of speech were nothing by a slight breeze on his face.
He didnt even care about the threats within his words.
Kieran had many tricks to keep himself away from harm, though the sudden test with his grabbing made him feel apologetic, even though he had many reasons behind.
Therefore, after some slight muttering, Kieran decided to reveal some details. "Truth be told..."
He was ready to reveal everything he knew about Harold to his father, but after a few words escaped his mouth, Kieran clearly picked up the sound of an approaching heartbeat.
The person seemed to be moving stealthily towards the wagon, carefully, delicately.
Even the bodyguards around didnt notice anything unusual, or...
The person was one of the bodyguards, thus never raised any attention of his colleagues.
"The Night race? Or something new?"
Almost instantly, Kieran locked on the persons malicious intent.
After all, Harolds previous wagoner, Bill, was also a Night monster.
So when the words left Kierans mouth, they had been fully altered.
"Truth be told, I know where Harold is. Hes with Herbert, so he is quite safe for now! The reason I am here is to search for food and medicines. After all, just like you know, Herbert got caught in some trouble. Even though Pierre tried his best to deal with the problems, idents happened!"
Although it was a lie, but a lie based on true incidents.
The situation had worsened since Herbert was already on the wanted list. Most probably, he would encounter some ambushes as well, and during those potential ambushes, Pierre would be the one to step forward bravely.
Though it might also be Joannas wagoner, Cass.
Kieran wasnt sure who it would be, maybe both. So, he purposely hid the exact process and brushed it off vaguely.
Kierans statement also made Lander nervous right away.
"Is Harold fine?" He asked anxiously.
"Ive said it before, he is safe. Otherwise, I wouldnt be here!" Kieran pressed on with his lie.
"Ill make arrangements right away! Shall we head back to my ce for now?" Lander asked Kieran.
"As you wish." Kieran nodded with a smile.
The journey that followed was silent all the way inside the wagon. Lander was worried about Harolds safety and Kieran was polishing his own ns.
An eavesdropper had appeared out of the blue in Kierans n.
Where was Herbert hiding?
No one knew, but based on Landers performance now, Herbert was behaving just as Kieran had expected, hiding in a extremely concealed ce. Even Lander who had quite the influence over the city couldnt locate him.
One could imagine how much manpower was poured into the search for his son based on Landers anxiety. If even Lander couldnt locate them despite using so much manpower, Kieran didnt think he could perform better than them and locate Herbert.
Maybe the men who went to search were not even a match for Kierans single hand, but in terms of searching, it was always the numbers that performed better.
After Kieran saw Landers behavior, a thought came to him.
Maybe Herbert wasnt even in Herl City!
The reason that the dungeon world before Kierans eyes was worthy of the suffix "world" was because of the wholeness of the vast and extensive history and culture.
Each time Kieran carried out his main mission, all he did was scratch the surface of such history; he was neither able to nor had the time to approach more of those.
In other words, if Herbert really wasnt in Herl City, locating him would be like searching for a needle in a haystack.
If Kierans theory was correct, it was not possible to locate Herbert at all.
Then, could he lure Herbert to look for him instead?
When the eavesdropper appeared, Kierans thoughts made him think about how to lure the eavesdropper out at the first moment.
Kieran then spread out the thought he had in his mind. With his understanding of Herbert, the schr was not some old-fashioned geezer, nor would he adhere to a single defensive spot to the end.
If there were some other, better, safer methods, Herbert would not hesitate to take them.
After all, Herbert showed quite the trust towards Kieran.
Back in [Ancient City Foreign Matter], the hardships of the journey, the life and death situations had formed a thick bond between both of them, an unbending friendship.
If Herbert knew Kieran was fine, surely he wouldnt stay down and not ask questions.
"So I have to dere to the world that Im back?"
Kieran muttered in his heart, leaning back on the seat.
Kroom, Kroom, Krooom!
The wagons wheel ground over the pebbles on the ground as it drove.
Then the wagon was driven into a courtyard within Herl City. The ck fence gate opened up swiftly with two attendants pushing it.
After the wagon went around a mini square, it stopped at the main buildings doorstep.
Lander jumped off the wagon in a hurry and went into the house after summoning his butler.
Kieran who came downter also followed up quickly after a quick nce around.
He caught sight of a wagon full of bodyguards and tons of attendants within the courtyard.
"Wonder how many of these fes are here with hidden agendas..."
Kieran eximed in his heart.
Most of the Night race monsters were not strong to Kieran, but the ability to disguise as someone and hide really caused Kieran to scratch his head.
Other than knowing that pain could force the Night monsters to break their cover, Kieran also couldnt differentiate the Night and human urately.
"A higher level Intuition or some identifying skills could work!" Kieran pondered the question, but regardless of what it would be, it was not something he could achieve for the time being.
"Maybe I can use what I already know..." Kieran thought once more.
Maybe Herbert who mastered the Neegor Dynasty history and studied all the legends and rumors deeply could find some breadcrumbs but not Kieran.
Not that he looked down on himself, but it was a fact, a fact that umted years and years of study.
"Good day, Sir 2567. Master ordered me to lead you to the study room. If you may, please follow me!"
An attendant walked out and bowed at Kieran, before he gestured, leading into the building.
Kieran stepped forth, trailing the attendant, but the moment he stepped on the flight of stairs, his body froze.
Chapter 403: Meanwhile
Chapter 403: Meanwhile
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
The tides of malicious intents were like thorns stinging his back.
Kieran tip-toed and retreated swiftly.
A momentter, ck smoke was sprayed out from the shadow beside the door.
The assassulting stench spread across the area in an instant, bring down the attendant who led the way and bodyguards around. Everyone crumbled down to the ground after inhaling the ck smoke.
Kieran quickly covered his nose and mouth, drawing further away from the smoke.
[Toxin: Constitution has passed the authentication, no debuff urred...]
Battlelog notifications kept piling up in Kierans vision, but his gaze was locked at the shadow beside the door.
Souu!
Under Kierans gaze, a short, small figure with a heavier stench dashed out from the shadow with extreme speed. It was giving out a sharp squeak while dashing towards Kieran with its sharp ws, aiming for Kierans throat.
Kieran easily dodged the attack with a slight tilt of his head and backed up a step.
Bang!
Kieran alsounched a kick at that creature that hurled towards him.
The powerful force infused in Kierans kick sent the creature flying like a firing cannon ball, crashing back hard on the wall beside the door.
After a couple of twitch, the creature has no more signs of life.
Though, Kieran held his force back when he kicked, so the creatures body was kept intact.
It had the shape of a monkey, with a monkeys look but didnt have any fur on it. The flesh and blood were covered with a translucent and slightly turbid membrane. Its teeth and ws were sharp like des and ck like coal.
The obvious vile stench wasing from its body.
"What is this?!"
Lander came out of the house and saw the creature beside the wall. When the stench assaulted his nose, he instinctively took two steps back but still started to wobble.
"Get a doctor, some mint oil and clean water!"
Kieran went up to Lander, but he had already passed out. Kieran brought Lander away from the creatures body and told the butler that came forth.
The Landers family doctor arrived before Kieran after a mere two minutes.
After a quick check up on Lander, the doctor cleaned him up with clean water and rubbed mint oil over his body before giving him some kind of medicine to drink.
Kieran couldntment on the doctors skill. No doubt he was professional, unlike Kieran who had relied on Musou level [Medicine and Medicinal Knowledge]s [Master of Poison] to guess out the generalponents of the toxic fumes and hade up with corresponding measures.
After around five minutes, Lander woke up.
"What is that?"
Lander looked at the creatures body with a shocked expression after swiftly regaining his conscious.
"Some kind of monster." Kieran replied vaguely.
Not because Kieran wouldnt tell Lander, but he didnt know what it was as well.
"Did it cause the ughter at the gold rush camp?"
Lander rted the creature to the incident; he turned to Kieran, staring him with shing eyes.
"No. Thats another kind of monster!"
Kieran shrugged and replied after ignoring the pressure from Landers gaze.
"Meaning... Harold was facing these kind of monsters all the time?"
Lander took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, yet Kieran still could sense his anxiousness and worry.
"If you dont mind, we can continue the conversation in the study room. This ce... lets leave it to the doctor! He is much more of an expert than you and me!" Kieran said.
The doctor who was busy giving care to other fainted ones replied with a smile.
However, Kieran took a nce with the corner of his eyes at the fainted eavesdropper.
The moment the creature appeared, the eavesdropper was knocked out by the stench and hasnt woke up till now.
Kieran was certain he wasnt faking it, the shock on his face was too obvious.
Other than that, during themotion, Kieran tried stepping the eavesdroppers finger, but he still didnt wake up nor did he turn into a Night monster.
The eavesdropper was not a Night monster nor he knew about this attack!
Kieran was sure of his conclusion, but because of his certainty, new doubts filled his heart.
Why would the monkey-like creature attack him?
The creatures target from the beginning was Kieran all along.
The confident sharp senses towards malicious and killing intents never failed him.
"From my appearance at the tavern to being located by Lander, there are some other forces that had me under their radar? In addition, they confirmed that I would arrive at Lander house, so they sent a killing monster to ambush me here, just to... stop me from telling Lander where Herbert and his students were?!"
"No! Thats not right. It should be the person or Night monster behind the eavesdropper, not Lander!"
Kieran followed tightly behind Lander, while analyzing the reason for the attack; it was not too hard to figure out.
From the dungeon [Ancient City Foreign Matter] to [Primordial Invasion], those people or Night monsters who had beef with Kieran and wanted him dead were a handful. After excluding them, his clues led him to the point about Herberts location that he imed he knew.
"The attacker didnt know it was a lie that I made up because they themselves havent located Herbert! Otherwise, they wouldnt send out a killer! Though different from the eavesdropper, the ones behind this have quite the confidence in locating Herbert and the others. All they need is time..."
"Wait! The attacker might not have any confidence in locating Herbert, but it was to stall the eavesdroppers actions! Both of them werepeting? Or enemies?" Kieran wondered about the newly formed question.
Why would the attacker behind the creature want to stall the eavesdropper?
Kieran was sure the attacker was plotting some malicious scheme, but he couldnt know more for now.
It wasnt as simple as Herbert being ced on the wanted list.
Someone needed to be held responsible for the ughter at the gold rush camp, and Herbert coincidentally appeared there and had a grudge with the Night races. Everything unfolded ording to the flow.
"I need to hurry up!" Kieran thought in his heart.
He had no idea what the attacker was plotting, but one thing was for sure, it would be nothing but malicious deeds. There was a high chance that Herbert was or would be involved in the scheme.
Therefore, when Lander opened the study room door for him, he took big strides and entered.
"When can the food and medicines that I requested be delivered to me?" Kieran asked straightforwardly.
"Immediately! Though I need to know what happened first. Why would such a monster appear at my doorstep? Fret not, the study room has gone through special reinforcements. It is absolutely safe!" Lander asked eagerly after closing the door.
However, Kieran shook his head at the eager questions.
He had denied the fact that Lander imed the study was absolutely safe.
At least, from what he observed, such special reinforcements couldnt really prevent the Night race from eavesdropping, but it was what he needed that time.
"I promised Herbert to keep it a secret! So when you see Harold, you can ask him yourself!"
Kieran said.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
New race has entered the coliseum.
Chapter 404: Coffin
Chapter 404: Coffin
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
The wagon was sprinting off Herl City.
When it rode through the outskirts, the bumpy path caused the carriage to jolt uncontrobly.
Even though the wagoner tried his best to control the wagons speed, his efforts were next to nothing. Lander had to extend his hand to grab the handle beside to maintain his bnce.
Still, his gaze was locked at Kieran opposite him.
Lander had too many questions to ask Kieran.
In fact, Lander did put effort in clearing the questions, but Kierans persistence far exceeded his expectation.
If Lander hadnt had a conversation before with Kieran, he would have considered him mute or deaf.
"You coborator or employer must feel very safe with your service. Your mouth is even more secure than any safe I know of!"
Landermented, but not with a mocking tone or upset tone.
"Thanks."
Kieran replied with a smile.
Lander was showing a helpless face instead. Kieran could notice Lander had given up on pressing the topic for the time being, which relieved him from the bottom of his heart.
Kieran was not good at lying and performing tricks, especially in front of an anxious father.
If he really knew where Harold was, Kieran might have spilled the answer after Landers relentless pressuring.
After a short silence, Lander spoke again.
"Although I dont know much about Professor Herberts situation, why would you ask me to send my men to the tavern? Perhaps you want to pick a fight with the bounty hunters, mercenaries and Herl Citys high ranking officials? That would be delusional! Those rascals who would chase you down to the ends of the world for the bounty reward are nothing but a tamed hound in front of Herl Citys officials!" Lander spoke out without reserve.
Kieran couldnt deny Landers words because it was the truth.
"They are not really hounds, but vultures and coyotes, to be urate."
Kieran briefly corrected Landers statement.
"Are we arguing over a metaphor here?" Lander replied with his question, feeling upset.
"Of course not! Coz weve arrived!" Kieran stretched his words while speaking.
Then, before Lander could utter another word, Kieran opened the carriage and jumped off.
Lander then followed tightly behind.
The moment he came off the carriage, he pressed on with his questions again.
"Wheres Harold! Wheres my son?! Where... This is... Professor Herberts ce? Ive sent men to turn this ce over before, but theyve found nothing! 2567, dont tell me everything that happened was a joke! Or else..."
Lander couldnt help but raise his tone when he saw that his surroundings were Herberts ce that had been burnt down a couple of months ago.
There was even a sense of rage within Landers tone when he spoke; he assumed that he was yed by Kieran.
Though, a momentter, his words stopped abruptly.
Kieran suddenly grabbed Landers cor and pulled him away from the spot he was standing.
It was not because Kieran was agitated by Landers words but...
Sou!
An arrow was passed through the spot where Lander was standing a moment ago, and plunged into the ground far away.
Landers face went pale.
His decent sight and intelligence clearly told him that if he was still standing at the spot, his chest would have been pierced through by the arrow.
"Tha..Thanks!" Lander forced himself to calm down and express his gratitude after being saved from the verge of death.
"No need for thanks. All the dangers you are facing are because of me, so its just the right things to do! Though, Id suggest you to stay with your bodyguards from now on, and be careful of that one with the beard!"
Kieran purposely lowered his voice at the end of his sentence, so that only the two of them heard it.
Then, Kieran turned his attention to the darkness afar, where the enemy he had been waiting for had arrived.
Using Herberts name as bait really lured out the enemies that harbored malicious intent, however...
Their numbers were not quite as expected!
Not too much, but it was lesser than Kierans expectation.
With Kierans sharp sight and hearing, he could clearly feel there were a team of at least thirty men appearing in the dark far ahead.
Doubts and confusion lingered in Kierans mind.
"If its the Night monsters, they should know my strength since they fought me before. These numbers would just be a suicide attempt! Unless they arent the Night race or... have some new tricks up their sleeves!"
Kieran heightened his vignce as the thoughts wandered his mind.
ording to his own theory, if the one behind the eavesdropper was indeed the Night race, they should have brought forth arger scale of troops while mixing a couple Night monsters within and would not send smaller troops to face Kieran.
There must be something fishy when things were out of the norm.
With even more vignce, Kieran held the box with [Arrogant Word] in his left hand, allowing his right hand to draw the greatsword anytime.
At the same time, the gears in his mind were spinning fast. The out-of-the-blue scene before him made him realize that he had missed out something crucial.
Dak Dak Dak!
The footsteps in the dark on the opposite side were getting clearer.
After the futile arrow ambush, the attackers had no intentions of hiding themselves anymore. The group walked out from the dark directly, showing their faces!
Each and every one of the "people" walked out from the darkness with burnt and rotten skin. They were donned in ck long-robes and held all sorts of weapons in their hands; the bulging eyes in their eye sockets gave out an extra sense of eeriness.
Lander was frightened and scared to a retreat when he saw the Night monsters true face.
The bodyguards behind him raised their flintlock pistols without a second thought, pointing them at the monsters.
However, the Night monsters were not even a bit concerned about Lander and his bodyguards.
All of them were focused on Kieran; their eerie eyeballs were filled with an undisguised hatred for their target.
"2567!"
A sharp cry came from the leader of the bunch. It was wielding a sword that was pointed towards Kieran.
Promptly after the cry, a hidden box behind them was brought out by a couple other Night monsters.
The box was 2 meters long and had a width and height of 1 meter.
It was a coffin!
Although the ratio was a little off, but the first nce at the box told Kieran that it was indeed a coffin. Kierans attention was also attracted by the odd coffin because he could clearly pick up sounds of breathing from within the coffin.
The breath was on and off, but it was enough for Kieran to confirm that there was a living being held inside.
Momentster...
Tsssk, Tssk Tsssk!
The wooden coffin gave out a teeth-souring screech and started to shake uncontrobly, until the lid was pushed open.
A pitch ck palm, with only the slightest flesh and skin attached, extended out from the coffin.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Guess who it is
Chapter 405: Repelled each other
Chapter 405: Repelled each other
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
Wuuu!
The coffin lid was sent flying after being sted off from the inside, giving out a whistle as it glided through the air.
The vile stench of the corpse spread across the area within seconds. Lander and his bodyguards stepped backwards while covering their noses. Their terrified eyes were looking at the corpse that stood up from the coffin.
The corpse was missing almost half of its body; its left arm, one side of its ribs and even its skull were also in half.
The flesh and skin looked like it was glued onto the other half of the broke body.
Lander and his bodyguards gulped unconsciously; their hands holding the flintlock pistols were already trembling.
The eerie scene before their eyes had exceeded their wildest imaginations. Lander who was in the middle of the group was even paler than others.
The great businessman and once a noble in Herl City never thought he woulde across something like this.
Even though he had a monster encounter at his own house, it was not as thrilling as seeing a dead persone back to life with his own eyes.
Of course, it was not just Lander hand his men who were frightened.
Those bounty hunters and mercenaries who trailed the wagon and stayed hidden in the dark also held their breath when the saw the scene.
They might have much more experience than Lander and his men, but at the same time, they had nevere across such an encounter before.
Some vignt ones decided to retreat after seeing the eerie scene.
The scene before their eyes made them understand; the things that were about to unfold were not something they were qualified to participate in.
Maybe they were after the bounty rewards, but nothing was more rewardful than their own life.
However, just as the bounty hunters and mercenaries started to move away, the broken corpse started to move as well.
It dashed into the darkness, followed by agonized screams and cries.
After a while, it walked back out from the darkness.
The half remaining teeth on the skull were dyed with blood, the leftover flesh and intestines that hung over its body were enough to tell the ones present what it did.
Ouuu!
Lander couldnt hold it anymore and bent down to vomit. The bodyguards faces turned pale as paper as well.
As for those remaining bounty hunters and mercenaries who were still in cover, their breaths became rushed after what the corpse did, but none of them dared to make any reckless move.
The actions of the corpse earlier were a good warning for them; none of them wanted to be served as the corpses meal.
"2567, you will be skinned and have your tendon ripped off, then disemboweled and gutted! Your skin will be hung on our walls as decoration, your tendon will be the best thread for our clothes. Your organs will be devoured as our best meal!"
The leader of the bunch of Night monsters roared loudly.
Under the dark night, it seemed exceptionally ferocious.
"What a bad taste!" Kieran said calmly. He was not a bit frightened by the empty threats.
He had witnessed too many bodies; those who could rise from the dead were also not the first time.
A dead body that could devour humans was a first, but he had seen too many from books.
Ghoul, Night Walker, Moon Stalker and many more; all of them were cannibals.
The only difference was the way they ate humans. Whether it was eaten alive or eaten after they killed it, from Kierans perspective, the broken corpses actions were considered normal.
Perhaps, the only thing that caught Kierans attention was the corpses identity.
Bartos!
The moment the body appeared, Kieran knew it was him.
The Night race leader that should have been dead in that explosion, with his body sted to pieces.
Keiran wasnt sure how Bartos was resurrected, but he was sure the process was iplete. Not only did it lose the memories of the past, but its strength was far from what he had before.
Otherwise, the corpse would have thrown itself towards Kieran, the foe that killed him.
At the same time, Kieran realized what he had missed out.
The Philosophers Tablet!
The tablet that Bartos mentioned before. The tablet was destroyed in the explosion, but the contents were carved into Herberts mind.
"So they came for the Philosophers Tablet?"
Kieran looked at the team formed up entirely of Night monsters.
It was the only exnation for them to ditch the beneficial idea of overwhelming Kieran with numbers; they didnt want to bring up unnecessary ramifications.
Of course, it didnt mean the monsters had no preparations beforehand.
In fact, they had prepared themselves quite adequately.
Other than Bartoss body, they had something else behind their back. The way the leader of the bunch disyed his calm and steady manner revealed this information to Kieran.
"Being stubborn and not admitting defeat on the verge of dying is not a good habit! This will only make me want to torture you even more!"
The leader said with a ferociousugh, causing his heavily burnt face to look even more frightening. Then, a square te appeared in his hand as heughed.
The te was made out of wood, almost 7 to 8 cm in length. The side that Kieran couldy his eyes on had dozens ofplicated patterns.
When Kierans gaze locked on the wooden te, the dozens of patterns wiggled in unison.
Simr to dancing snakes or vines blowing under a violent wind. The lines intertwined swiftly in a messy order that didnt seem to break.
Suddenly, a line appeared from the te like a sprouting nt, followed by dozens more in unison, intertwining in the space above it.
An eyeball formed from the braiding. The eye was red, emitting a rainbow radiance, instantly capturing everyones attention. Beneath the eye wereyers of sharp teeth and ferocious fangs, seemingly ready to devour anything that fell into its grasp.
The Eye of Chimeras!?
Kieran was shocked.
Although the way the monster disyed it was different, the eye should be something simr to the Eye of Chimeras, or was it a derived product?
Kieran couldnt put it into words because the moment the eye appeared, his [Fusion Heart] gave out a sense of extreme rejection, as if it has met its arch nemesis, repulsing it from birth.
Kieran had the utmost assurance that the feeling was from Eye of Chimeras, and he had a general idea of the reason for the rejection.
The same kind repelled each other!
Simr to two extremely beautiful girls that came together. There would be a slim chance for both of them to be friends, but mostly, they would end up being enemies. It was because they had a simr level of beauty with one another, simr to the situation with Eye of Chimeras, or even more intense.
The Eye of Chimeras that possessed all sorts of devilish traits would end in only one result in the situation at hand.
Kill! Kill! Kill!
A heavy growl sounded in Kierans ear, but regardless of how agitating and provoking the voice was, it couldnt move Kierans will.
Kierans S rank Spirit granted him a powerful resistance towards the temptation.
Even so, he could use such resistance to clearly read the thoughts of the Eye of Chimeras.
The thoughts! The thoughts formed by emotions. A simple thought yet it exceeded instinct itself.
"It really is a living being!"
Kieran squinted his eyes since he had simr feeling before; he wanted to probe for more details from the Eye of Chimeras, but it seemed like the eye had a mind of its own. When it realized Kierans intentions, it disappeared instantly, or more precisely, went back into Kierans heart.
A rash act frightened it away!
Kieran raised a brow. Then his eyes unconsciously locked at the wooden te on the Night monsters hand.
Maybe he could...
A sudden thought bloomed in Kierans mind.
However, the gaze from Kieran made the Night monster who was holding the wooden te mistake his intentions. It gave out a cruelugh and said, "How is it? Feeling regret yet? Cant move your body anymore, right? Dont worry, this is just the beginning! I said it before, you will be skinned and ripped off, disemboweled and gutted!"
The Night monsters voice sounded loudly under the night sky, yet no one thought it was an arrogant, nonsensical im because Lander and his men, including the bounty hunters and mercenaries, couldnt move a muscle like the monster said. They becamembs waiting to be ughtered.
The Night monsters cruel face became even crueler when they saw the reactions of the others.
Aside from that, they were certain. They believed with all their heart that Kieran couldnt move as well.
Chapter 406: Plan
Chapter 406: n
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
Under the night breeze, the cruel words revealed the ferocious side of the Night monsters.
All of them were waiting for their leader to give the order.
Then, they would feast!
Tasting the blood and flesh of their foe was even more delightful than a gourmet itself.
Not only did the the Night monster goons think so, the leader of the bunch shared the same thought as well. His burnt and rotten face was giving out an eerie smile.
"Go, Kill..."
It was giving orders to the corpse, Bartos.
However, before his order could bepleted, he was stopped abruptly.
A powerful and impactful kick suddenly appeared out of nowhere and stomped on his face.
The strength that he took pride in crumbled in an instant under the powerful kick.
Bang!
The leader was stomped to the ground forcibly by the kick; his head and upper bodypletely plunged into the ground. The bones cracked like jumping beans repeatedly, and the wooden te was tossed up high beforending in Kierans hand.
Wuuu!
Kieran didnt inspect the wooden te right away and kept it in his clothes. Then, [Arrogant Word] was drawn and smashed down towards Bartos corpse running towards him.
[Arrogant Word] didnt sh but smash!
Kieran used the two-handed greatsword like a hammer, smashing down the corpse into the ground.
He naturally categorized such a resurrected being into ghostly beings based on its looks.
With the mystical knowledge that he had mastered, when dealing against such ghostly beings, only holy water or weapons of blessing would work against them. Otherwise, one could destroy itpletely, robbing away its resurrecting abilities.
Kieran did just that. [Arrogant Word] was smashed on the broken corpse of Bartos with a violent, howling wind.
Bang!
With an immense, loud bang, the corpse that was causing fear to the others a moment ago was smashed into bits by the thick de body of the greatsword.
Everyone else felt unbelievable at the scene.
They widened their eyes at Kieran who was wielding the sword; their jaws dropped unconsciously.
However, Kieran was cool as ice because everything was within his expectations.
Was Bartos powerful?
Two dungeons ago, the Night race leader possessed power that could grind him to pieces, suppressing his every move. If it wasnt for the pre-nted explosives, it was hard to tell who would emerge victorious.
No doubt, Bartos was once a powerhouse, but that was when he was alive!
Now, Bartos was nothing more than a running corpse. Compared to when he was alive, his abilities and strength were like heaven and earth. Not only was his strange power absent, his strength and agility were decreased by more than half.
As for Kieran?
After two more dungeons, his strength and abilities had skyrocketed.
Let alone Bartos the corpse, even if he was still alive, Bartos would still be outmatched by Kieran, excluding the existence of Eye of Chimeras based on Kierans own calctions.
One was standing on the same spot, somehow even going backwards; the other was moving forward with full force.
The ending was decided long ago, whether it was about who emerged victorious or Bartos destiny to end up dead.
A smash from the greatsword turned its skull into bone shards. There was no way he could be resurrected again.
Whuuuu!
The night breeze was blowing even more violently.
The vile stench of corpses was swiftly blown out. Simr to the leader, Bartoss corpse started to dissolve into a mushy, green goo.
The remaining Night monsters were stunned; their brains couldnt react to such a contrast within an instant. They obviously had the advantage moments ago, but how could the situation end up like this?
Still, their survival instinct told them what to do. The remaining Night monsters started to run without a second though.
However, why did the path turn into an endless sprint? Why did the ground beneath them turn into cliffs?
The bunch started to panic as thend beneath their feet was shrinking by the seconds. Some started pushing theirrades down the cliffs in order to survive, even though they had quite a bond between them.
Still, in desperate times, bonds couldnt outweigh life itself. Each of the Night monsters fell off the cliff one after another, until there was only one left.
Fear then surrounded the only monster. Since it came up first among itsrades, it suddenly realized that the ground beneath its feet had shrunk to the point that he had to tip-toe to hold itself firmly above the cliff.
Though, that only spot kept on shrinking until itpletely disappeared.
"Aaaaaaaa!"
The Night monters cried out an agonized scream as he fell off the cliff and was swallowed by darkness.
The little fiasco seemed to have happened for quite while. At least, it was for the Night monters that were induced with [Fear Illusions] from [Dead-mans Gaze].
To everyone else, it was just a breaths time.
All the others saw was Kieran ncing over at the monsters with a focused gaze before the monsters fell to the ground with dying cries. After that, each and every one of the monsters dissolved into green goo like their leader.
Sweat broke out from their forehead, soaking the back of their shirts wet.
When the night breeze blew over, everyone quivered, feeling a chill.
None of them knew what happened, the fear of the unknown assaulting their heart.
The bounty hunters and mercenaries instinctively started to retreat on seeing Kierans back.
They started to hate themselves for their greed. Why had they been tempted by the bounty rewards and gone after Herbert in this freaky ce?
The things they saw were not something they could deal with.
Especially the young man before them who had amon teenagers face but was actually even scarier than the monsters.
All the young man did was gaze, and he could determine the life and death of someone!
Tales and legends they had read in books and nurseries really happened before their eyes.
If they had a choice, they would rather not be involved.
Especially when Kieran turned to them; these men, who were known as vultures and coyotes by others that gathered around corpses, felt their body instantly stiffen. They were panic-stricken and couldnt even move a muscle.
The cowards of the bunch even started to beg for their lives.
"My respectful dear sir! We dont mean it! Let us live!"
"We dont mean any harm, neither to you nor Sir Herbert!"
"Were just reckless for a moment and followed you here! Please dont kill us! Forgive us!"
A few cowards started to plead, before the whole bunch followed as well.
Each of them telling how innocent they were, how reckless they were, hoping Kieran would spare their lives.
On the side, Lander frowned hard at these men; he instinctively drew distance between them.
Then, the gaze Lander showed towards Kieran had an unusual element to it; he seemed to have deduced the truth behind some of the matters.
However, the strength Kieran disyed made him hesitate.
Kieran knew what Lander was thinking after seeing his expression. He knew he owed Lander an exnation. It was not a sudden thought that bloomed after this, but the moment he started the lie, he was prepared for it.
Though it was still not the time.
Kieran nced over Lander and turned his attention to the bounty hunters and mercenaries that were still begging for their lives.
A thought that had sprouted in his mind a while ago evolved into a n that he had to execute right away.
Chapter 407: Dominating
Chapter 407: Dominating
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
Exposing the Night race to the public!
Such a thought appeared in Kierans heart uncontrobly.
The reason that the Night race were hard to deal with was not because of their superhuman strength, but because of their unimaginable abilities to blend in and hide in in sight.
If Kieran exposed their hiding abilities to the public...
The threats from the Night race would plummet, given that flintlock pistols were on the rise in the current dungeon world.
After slightly considering his words, Kieran spoke to the bounty hunters and mercenaries that were still begging for their lives.
"What you just saw is called the Night race, a kind of monster that could take the form of other humans and feast on human flesh! They are vulnerable to pain and cant maintain their human disguise when suffering from pain. They have stronger bodies than normal humans, and their skin can withstandmon des and arrows!"
"Now, they have blended in around you, hunting humans down for meal from time to time. Try to recall, was there any missions that you were confident about clearing with ease but ultimately failed? During your missions, were there people whod go missing without a reason? Are thererades that have suddenly be a stranger to you?"
Kieran didnt clearly spell out the words like, "We will fight the Night monsters together".
He knew that if he want a bunch of vultures and coyotes that gathered around corpses to work together, it was very unrealistic.
These selfish bounty hunters and mercenaries would only care about themselves.
If Kieran wanted to use them, he could only start from their viewpoint.
Kieran nced over the changes of expression of the crowd as he spoke. He didnt state any further and turned to Lander.
He understood the saying, "going beyond is as bad as falling short" a long time ago.
"I think we need to talk," Kieran said.
"Of course!" Lander nodded.
Both of them went back to the wagon and went off once more.
The atmosphere inside the wagon was not too pleasant.
Before Kieran could apologize, Lander had seen through his lie.
"You dont even know where Harold is!" Lander seemed to be infuriated, but he purposely suppressed the anger in his words.
Kieran felt awkward when his lie wasid bare. He touched the tip of his nose and kept quiet before nodding.
Lander started breathing heavily right away as Kieran acknowledged his lie.
Spections and verification were two different concepts.
Spections held a thin line of hope, but verifications forced one to face the reality.
"Damn it!" Lander finally began to curse.
The worried and anxious expression on the middle-aged mans face became more intense by the second.
The encounter before at his own house and the previous one allowed him to understand what kind of danger his son was facing all the time.
More importantly, as a father, he couldnt do anything when his own son was in grave danger. He would probably feel better if he could spare at least a bit of help to his son. Yet, he didnt even know where his son was.
Lander was afraid and dared not imagined what his son was facing that exact moment because he could rte it with the most direct result, Harolds dead body.
Worse, maybe nothing of Harold was left behind.
The thought of losing his only child made Lander tremble hard.
"Dont worry, things arent as bad as you imagined! You should ce your trust in Herbert! At least, you should believe that we still have a chance here!" Kieran exined when he saw Landers condition.
The word "chance" caught the middle-aged mans attention.
"Chance?" Lander repeated.
"Yup!" Kieran nodded. He then told Lander his ns.
After hearing Kierans n, Lander frowned and thought for a bit.
"If you want to spread the news, relying on those bounty hunters and mercenaries is too unrealistic! Youll at least need a bigger and broader channel. Ill contact Herl City and even the Langton State newspaper publisher!"
"Two days! I assure you that after two days, your news will spread across the whole of Langton!" Lander spoke loud and clear. Obviously, he was not in the mood for jokes.
"Thanks." Kieran nodded with gratitude.
"No need for thanks! Im doing this for Harold. You mentioned before that one of my bodyguards, Pelby, was acting up, right?" Lander looked at Kieran again and asked directly.
"Well know if we ask." Kieran asked.
The wagon paused for a while, allowing Pelby the bodyguard to board the wagon before continuing its journey.
Pak!
As the horses were whipped, Pelby looked at Kieran with even more reverence.
In fact, after the previous incident, the whole bodyguard team was all sharing the same expression: frightened and terrified. But Pelby was the worst among all because he was hiding something.
Kieran fixed his gaze at Pelby without even asking any question, and the buffed bodyguard started to quiver.
Landers face had a glimpse of rage. As the employer who paid a hefty wage for the bodyguards, he thought he could trust them, but reality pped him hard on the face.
"I didnt mean to..."
Pelby tried to exin but neither Kieran nor Lander wanted the exnation.
Lander turned his face around, leaving Kieran in-charge of Pelby.
Kieran then reached out to his left middle finger and twisted [Mesly Ring] slightly.
The crystal ring emanated an unusual re.
Just as the bodyguard wanted to give his exnation, he was stunned for a while before bing respectful and submissive, like a loyal hound towards its master.
[Charm]! [Dominance]!
With an S rank Spirit attribute, Kieran had easily gotten the right to control the bodyguard before him.
"I want to know everything." Kieran said.
"Yes master! That blood-sucking Bocker got some evidence against me, forcing me to serve him. Otherwise, he will destroy my steady life. I was a fugitive once and after turning a new leaf, Ive gotten the identity of Pelby. I dont know how Bocker got the evidence against me, but that sucker has quite a widework and is very resourceful. Not only does he have many men under him, but he seemed to be rted to the higher rankings in Herl City..." Pelby exined his background.
Lander aside was looking at Kieran with an astonished face.
After witnessing the whole thing unfold, the middle-aged man felt extremely ufortable, like he was sitting on a needle mat. If he didnt know that running away wouldnt serve him any good, he would have leapt off the wagon, even though it was his own.
"What happened!? What is that ?! Not only he could determine ones life and death, but he could control peoples thoughts?!"
Lander couldnt help but rte to some legendary beings when he looked at Kieran.
Kieran raised a brow when he felt Landers gaze. He disliked being treated with such a suspicious gaze, but he knew what his priority was.
"Where is this Bocker that you mentioned?" Kieran asked, trying to ditch the unsettling feeling in his heart.
"A grocery store beside the post office!" Pelby answered right away.
...
The night was getting darker.
Herl City went into slumber, until...
KABOOOM!
A huge explosion broke the silence and roused the city up.
The grocery store beside the post office was sted off into the sky like a fireball.
The signboard pieces were sttering all over. The biggest piece of the signboard flew almost 20-plus meters away andnded before a pair of boots.
Kieran looked down at the signboard debris and shifted his gaze to the Bockers grocery store that was engulfed in mes.
His expression turned unusually sour.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
:| pokay
Chapter 408: Blazing Fire
Chapter 408: zing Fire
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
The fire was fierce. The ashes of the remains floated up to the sky together with the raging fire.
Ashes were mixed with sparks as they danced around the pure white moon.
A different kind of beauty was disyed before the people, yet none of them had the heart to admire the scene.
"Put out the fire! Put out the fire!"
Such calls sounded throughout the street. The handles on the wells were rolling non-stop.
Pails and buckets of water were continuously sshed at the zing grocery shop.
Yet, quenching a fire from a cartload of firewood with one cup of water was a futile attempt.
The fire wasnt weakened by the effort but instead grew even bigger.
People were forced to push down the wall on both side of the grocery store to iste the burning in order to minimize their damage, but the two walls were more sturdier and heavier than they had expected.
"A few more men! Hurry! Dont let the fire spread!"
A prestigious middle-aged man shouted out loud. A couple more young and buffed men ran over to help but it was still useless.
Everyone even clenched their teeth and pushed with all their strength, yet the two walls felt like they were welded on the ground; they didnt even budge.
"Iste these two walls, well push the one at the back!" The middle-aged man shouted.
The men hesitated a while but eventually followed as they were ordered.
Although tearing down two perfectly intact houses was not what they were willing to do, they knew if they didnt do as ordered, the fire would spread throughout the block, the block where they had lived for a long time.
"Move!"
Just when the men took two steps ahead, a loud shout sounded, followed by a violent wind.
The wind was mixed with scorching air; it almost caused everyone to shut their eyes.
The people automatically dodged left and right since they couldnt see anything.
KABOOOM!
A loud bang entered in their ears and when they opened their eyes, the two sturdy, indestructible wall had copsed.
People started to cheer when they saw the fire was isted, in addition to searching for the powerful man who pushed the wall down.
Though, everyone around them were familiar faces or acquaintances; none of them fitted the criteria of the man with unusual strength. Only the middle-aged man had doubts on his face.
"I thought I saw someone rush into the fire... But how is it possible? Must be the heat, Im seeing things!" The man mocked himself.
...
mes were dancing wildly, as if the ce was the tongue of the devil in hell, and it couldnt hold back licking and devouring anyone who passed through.
Kieran was walking slowing in the mes.
[Body of Evil] and [Secondary Elemental Damage Resistance] allowed him topletely ignore the fire that was lethal tomoners. In his eyes, the zing fire were nothing more than a slight breeze blowing on his face.
Kieran lowered his head, searching for the secret room entrance with maximum effort.
Thats right, a secret room!
When Kieran saw that a dozens of menbined their strength and still couldnt push the wall down, he was sure there was something fishy about the burning house.
If it wasnt some special contraption built in the rooms, the seemingly old wall wouldnt be so sturdy. Kieran verified his spections after helping the civilians kicking the walls down.
Through the transfer of energy, Kieran could clearly feel the two walls still had quite the depth in the ground, far exceeding the space of amon underground basement.
"Got it!"
After a few seconds, with the assurance from before, Kieran soon found the passage leading downwards.
A wooden nk on the floor that was almost burnt to a crisp was the cover of the passage. Not only did it lose the disguising function, it became eye-catching, thus bing a signal to the underground for anyone who noticed it.
Though, only Kieran could "see" such a lead, and it was also a mistake of the arsonist!
The arsonist was too confident of the fire. He thought everything would burn to a crisp and disappear from public, but he neglected Kierans existence.
Bang!
Kieran kicked away the burning floor nk, jumping into the secret room.
The secret room underground was also engulfed in mes, or it should be where the fire started. The fire from the whole house spread from underground. That was the reason why the fire above couldnt be extinguished easily.
Under the zing mes, a couple of burnt corpses were lying there in an intertwined manner. The mes had robbed their original face; the melting and burning of the fat made their body stick together.
Kieran nced over the body and started to mutter softly.
"After killing the witnesses, they are trying to destroy the evidence?"
It was too easy for Kieran to specte the scene.
Unless these corpses were having a troubled thought and seeking death, otherwise when the fire started, they shouldve extinguish the fire at the first moment.
The exit of the secret room was not blocked by heavy things, and there were no other things that could prevent their escape.
There was only one exnation for the bodies lying inside the secret room.
They were dead before the fire started. Only then did the killer set the ce on fire.
"The Night race had othermunication methods?" Kieran wondered.
Kieran was certain that there was one or more Night race monster mixed in that bunch of bounty hunters and mercenaries. In addition, that particr Night monster possessed some long-rangemunication methods!
Otherwise, with Kierans speed, the Night monster among the bounty hunters and mercenaries couldnt be faster than Kieran in reaching Herl City and delivering the message.
As for the possibility that it was from the attacker behind the monkey-like creature?
There was, but it was next to zero; it shouldnt even be taken into consideration.
The first attackers goal was to hinder the Night race. They or it will surely strike with a vicious method and not by burning the traces after killing the witnesses. It was too much of a hassle for them.
Judging from the methods of the first attackers, they would be more frank and wide in the open, going as far as using an even more horrifying way to threaten the Night race.
"I was too careless! Because of the recent smoothness in progress, I had gotten ahead of myself. How could I miss out on the biggest trait of the Night race!"
Kieran sighed in his heart once more, reminding himself.
He wouldnt find an excuse for himself. A miss was a miss.
Even though the Night race used the ws in his mentality, causing him to miss out the clue instinctively, allowing his opponent to take advantage of his ws was a lesson worth carving in his heart.
Because the Night races target would not be someone else every time. The biggest target might be Kieran himself!
Kieran gazed down at the burnt corpses before him once more. He wanted to print the image deep in his heart as a reminder.
However, the diligent size-up had let to some new discovery.
That finger...
Kieran saw the finger of the burnt corpse was straightened. He then took another nce carefully at the fire beside him before heading back up, pretending nothing had happened.
Souuu!
Just as Kieran was halfway up the secret room, the zing mes beneath him paused abruptly before starting to extend. It turned into a fiery whip as thick as a wrist,shing towards Kieran mid-air. The tip of the fiery whip was like a sharp de, stinging towards Kierans throat.
The attacker had been waiting for this particr strike for a long time which he had the most confident in. The attacker gave his all without holding back, yet the fiery whip strike missed its target.
Chapter 409: Clamp of Fire
Chapter 409: mp of Fire
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
Kieran who was in mid-air without any ce tond suddenly jumped up higher by stepping on the air itself.
The fast stinging mes grazed the bottom of Kierans boots. Kieran then disappeared into the entrance of the secret room.
Then...
Wuuuu!
[Arrogant Word] was shed down with a powerful roar as if it was a mming mountain.
BANG!
Wooden pieces smashed in all directions together with fire sparks growing wild.
The zing mes were suppressed down by the violent wind from the sword, shaking and flickering non-stop. Especially the mes at the de edge; it was sliced in half, revealing the true face of the attacker.
It was the umtion of fire in the form of a man.
The reason Kieran thought so was because it seemed like a man but without organs inside, yet having limbs and torso formed by fire.
The unusual enemy didnt stop Kierans dark red greatsword from shing down once more.
The human-formed fire was shed in half without any sound, yet it was far from dead!
It was just the beginning!
It seemed like physical attacks were useless against the human-formed fire. As it was split in half, it fused into the mes around it.
Promptly, the mes in the secret room came alive like a beast, extending their ws and fangs towards Kieran, exerting their scorching heat and terrifying power.
The mes transformed into dozens of fiery swords, aiming their sharp edges at Kierans back, whose greatsword carved a palm-length crack on the floor.
The chilling sensation of death became clear even within the scorching heat.
"You think you people can escape after getting the Philosophers Tablet?"
The coarse voice was hard to identify yet speaking in words that Kieran could understand through the mes. The voice was filled with disdain and mockery but was more like a deration to Kieran.
When the voice subsided, the fiery swords thrusted eagerly at their target.
Soun Soun Soun!
The condensed air-breaking sounds were simr to rains of arrows.
Yet, none of the fiery swords stabbed Kieran.
While that was happening, countless venomous snakes with an arms thickness appeared on the floor and hurled themselves towards the fiery swords like a rising tide.
Within an instant, the fiery swords were extinguished by the snakes, followed by the mes around the area.
After a breaths time, the zing mes that were burning hot a moment ago had disappeared without a trace. All that was left wereyers of snake hisses.
Amidst the series of hisses was eerie, jaded, reptilian eyes and venomous fangs that were sharp like daggers and crooked as a hook. Ayer of chilling, poisonous mist was sprayed out by the snakes, filling the whole secret room, enshrouding every possible corner within, including the being in its fiery form. It seemed to be very effective against the fiery being.
The human-formed fire was stunned on the spot after being sent into a trance.
After a few seconds, it came to its senses.
Though when it escaped the Fear effect of [Sword Skill, Myriad Viper], the whole secret room had been frozen by the chilling mist from [Wilcos Grudge]s [Chilling Touch]. Ayer of freezing frost encased the floor, the wall, and the fiery being!
Everything within the room was frozen solid.
The me that the being was so proud of was extinguished long ago.
The fiery being was struggling under theyer of frost, seemingly wanting to say something, but Kiera replied with a kick to its face.
Bak!
The kick with the force of a thousand men crushed the frozen chunk of ice before it, shattering it to pieces. An orange glowing item appeared on top of the shattered ice.
Kieran grabbed it swiftly and left in a hurry without even checking the item.
If he stayed any longer, the sudden changes in the secret room would be discovered by the people on top.
...
It was after half an hour when Kieran returned to Landers mansion.
Lander didnt go back to his room for a rest, but instead, he was waiting in the study room.
"How was it?"
He asked eagerly when he saw Kieran return.
"The witnesses were killed!" Kieran shook his head.
"Is that so?" Lander muttered in disappointment but swiftly reacted.
"Anything else you need?" Lander asked concernedly.
The businessman was giving out an odd respectful feeling. Kieran could clearly sense it.
No doubt, when Kieran used [Mesly Ring] to dominate Pelby, the scene was dreadful for Lander to watch.
Kieran frowned. He instinctively wanted to exin more, but when the words reached his mouth, they turned into a request for a room to rest. Kieran realized he had no obligations to exin matters to Lander. Their rtionship hadnt reached that point yet.
Kieran was then led to his guest room: a wide room with a basin to wash up, plus a giant soft bed and a delicate supper on the table.
After gulping down the bowl of sweet soup that was simr to longan dessert, he took out the two spoils of war that he had gotten for the night.
[Name: The Fallens Eye]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attack/Defense: None]
[Attributes: Utilizing the demonic energy within the wooden te to confuse the beings thatid eyes on it, 2/3 remaining]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: Spirit B]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: This is a replica of a great item!]
...
[Name: mp of Fire]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attack/Defense: None]
[Attribute: Summon a Secondary Fire Elemental with 1500 HP to serve your will. Able to assign task to it, but unable to leave the summoner more than 50 meter radius, 10 minutes duration, 1/1 remaining]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: B+]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: This is a replica of a great item!]
...
The wooden te that Kieran had gotten from the leader of the little Night monster crowd, [The Fallens Eye], was not much of a surprise since he had guessed about it before he got his hands on it. The system description was not much of a surprise as well.
Though, [mp of Fire] was different.
"Secondary Fire Elemental? Elemental Beings?"
Kieran recalled the strange fire being that he fought.
Even though the human form fire was invulnerable against physical attacks, possessing abilities to transform and even summon fire, it was different from the impression that Kieran had of a Fire Elemental.
Elemental beings had low level of intelligence. When it reached High level, it would only possess a certain level of intelligence.
In simple words, let alone assigning task to the Secondary Fire Elemental, the abilities to speak and actions were simr to other beasts in the jungle.
More importantly, elemental beings lived in harsh environments. For example, the fire elemental resided around a volcano. Coming across one near the mountains was nothing out of the blue, yet it was strange toe across one in the middle of a city.
Plus the remarks, "a replica of a great item"; Kierans expression changed as he started to ponder the question.
"A creation by the Night race? Or like the dungeon background description, some other monster totally different from the Night race? Did they or a part of them decide to work with the Night race?"
Kieran was tossing around the thumb-sized red jewel and thinking in his heart.
In absence of further information, his guesses couldnt be verified. Though one thing for sure was that the Philosophers Tablet was much more important than he had imagined.
It was not a good news though as the tablet itself was destroyed. All that was left was Herbert, the walking tablet.
The Night race and the other interested parties would definitely chase Herbert to the ends of the world.
"Please be safe!" Kieran prayed softly, based on the main mission and also their rtionship from the previous dungeon.
Though, reality always unfolded in the exact opposite direction of hopes and expectations.
Chapter 410: Killing Spree
Chapter 410: Killing Spree
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
In the morning, Kieran was sitting in the parlor in Landers mansion, looking at a visitor.
It was a middle-aged man with thick hands. The wrinkles at the corner of his eyes and mouth did not match his actual age, probably because he kept smiling.
In fact, since the moment he met with Kieran, his smile never dropped.
If it wasnt for his introduction as a police officer, Kieran would take him as a businessman.
The man did not possess the stern manner of any police officer Kieran knew. Even though the person before him in his position was Calkin, the worst police officer in the city, he was serious in his speech and manner.
"Its a pleasure to meet you, Sir 2567!"
The new chief officer, Roshen, took a slight bow and said with a face full of smiles.
Not only was his tone courteous, it also had a sense of inferiority between the lines.
Kieran clearly had felt that inferiority, meaning the chief office was there to ask for his help.
He had never mistaken his own spections before in such situations. He had seen such a manner in people in the past, and most of them were his previous colleagues. They showed such manners when they were requesting for a raise or a day off from the boss.
Kieran was curious what caused the chief officer to treat him with such manner; his heart naturally had doubts over it, but his expression towards Roshen was ever calm.
Since the initiative was within his palms, why not wait patiently for Roshen to speak and try to get more control out of it?
Kieran was not a cunning man, but it didnt mean he wouldnt fight for more benefits for himself.
Especially if he would be the one doing all the heavy lifting; he must be certain it would be worth his effort.
Roshen saw Kieran remain calm and silent; he couldnt help but slightly move his body, making his posture more humble and low before he started to voice out his intentions.
"Yesterday, during the fire at Brockers grocery store, someone seemed to have spotted Sir 2567! My men even discovered a frozen secret room beneath the building! Truth be told, if I didnt witness it with my own eyes, I wouldnt believe it as well, just like the monsters you mentionedst night... The Night race!"
"I never thought there were so many of those monsters hiding within my men, and each of them were rted to certain murder cases, missing cases and others. All the cases led back to Brockers grocery store! Of course, none of these were matters of importance. The important thing is those Night monsters in the higher ranks! Before we started our operation, all of them were assassinatedst night, including our mayor, state secretary, speaker of the house ofmons and my boss, the police director!"
After speaking about a bunch of unhealthy topics with the intention to test Kieran, Roshen finally got to the main point.
The newly-appointed chief officer was looking at Kieran while he spoke; his gaze was judgemental and the meaning of his gaze was self-exnatory.
"Are you suspecting it was me who killed all of them?" Kieran rested his own gaze at Roshen, without any dodging.
"No, no! How could it be? We are just hoping to know more about the Night race. If you can provide some information about the killer, it would be utmost helpful! After all, when my men investigated the scene of the crime, the results were quite unbelievable! So, I would like to ask. Are there any other kinds of monsters besides the Night race?"
Roshen was shaking his hand anxiously, looking panicked, but his voice was clear.
Kieran could even feel that Roshens manner had changed when he said those words. It was not pleasant and warm anymore but was sharp, as if a piece of cotton had turned into a sharp knife.
"A cover?" Kieran thought in his mind, but regardless of what it was, it was none of his concern.
As for monsters other than the Night race? Kieran had no intentions to hide that as well.
Judging by the sides that both of them took, they were more foe than friend.
Since they were foes, Kieran wouldnt mind increasing their trouble.
"Yes, there are some other monsters that I dont even know, or should I say, there are too many monsters out there, to the point that I couldnt even tell which is which! You can find Lander regarding this matter; he might still be keeping the body of the creature that attacked us!" Kieran nodded in reply.
"That will be much appreciated! And I have a presumptuous request as well... Can you please lend us a hand in investigating the crime scene? I know my men gave their best in their job, but they are not experienced in this kind of matter. They might miss out on something!"
Roshen requested humbly.
Kieran instinctively wanted to reject; he wanted to stay put and wait for the days newspaper for Herberts information, but the system notification that came right after made Kieran forcefully swallow his words down.
[Discovered sub-mission: Tracking]
[Tracking: Monsters other than the Night have struck again. Theye and go without a trace, causing the new chief officer, Roshen, to have his hands tied! The chief officer requested you aid in helping them, hoping that you can find the traces of the killer! This is not a difficult mission, but it is a chance to turn the tide around in the current situation!]
"Changing the tides of the current situation?"
Kieran gave it some thoughts for a while before nodding in agreement to Roshen.
Even though the sub-mission description didnt mention what the current situation was, Kieran had his own guesses.
There were two parts.
One, Kieran basically knew nothing about the monsters other than the Night race. This sub-mission would increase his knowledge in that specific area.
Second, information about Herberts location.
Aside from those two points, Kieran would also gain favor from the newly appointed chief officer. Kieran would never underestimate the help from a chief police officer.
Everyone had their own channel and ways to get information and deal with things.
No one could guarantee that an extremely difficult matter wouldnt be easier after changing a perspective to look at it.
Aside from that, the higher rankings in Herl City had all been eliminated.
Who knew how far a mere chief officer could reach in the end?
Judging from Roshens look, other than the responsibility that came with the duty, what else was left inside him?
The motivation to climb higher! Having the urge to acquire ranks and position higher than he had now and the corresponding authority!
Kieran couldntment on this because it was human nature.
Other than some saint mentioned in legends, amon man would have all kinds of desires and such desires would turn into hard work, eagerness or even despicable means.
Kieran wouldnt mind coborating if Roshen didnt get blinded by his own desire and lost his direction.
If he did, the answer was obvious.
"This is great news!"
Roshen didnt sense the changes in Kierans mind. He stood up slightly and said with an excited tone, "Then shall we get going right now?"
"Sure." Kieran also had no intentions of dying since he had decided toplete this sub-mission.
After greeting Lander, Kieran boarded Roshens wagon.
The wagon looked a lot shabbier than his predecessor, Calkins.
Let alone the difference in luxury, the fact that the wagon before Kieran could hold itself together was already surprising enough. Roshens wagon needed no further description beyond that point.
The wagon then started off from Landers mansion. With the police emblem on the wagon and uniformed officers opening the way, Kieran reached the first crime scene, Herl City mayors house, without any hindrance.
"This is the ce!"
Roshen pushed open the door and said, but Kierans brows were furrowed.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
My mind is empty...
Chapter 411: Careless Mistake
Chapter 411: Careless Mistake
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
It was too clean!
Not only was the furniture neatly arranged, the floors were squeaky clean as well.
It didnt look like a crime scene that had just suffered a murder at all. In fact, it looked quite decent for a ce to stay. The furniture was notvish by any means, but it was crafted uniquely. The delicate presentation of the furniture made Kieran realize that their worth had far exceeded themonvish and luxurious furniture.
A carpet made out of animal fur was ced under the work desk. Judging from the fur and skin stripes, it should be a bear rug.
It was soft andfortable when stepped on; it would definitely present a unique feeling when stepped on barefooted.
However, it was a pity that the bear rug had a sticky and smelly green goo all over it, causing one to frown over the scene.
The goo was dripping off the chair though.
Kieran moved his sight towards the desk. The files and documents were neatly arranged at a corner and a mug of tea that had gone cold was ced at the spot where the person behind the desk could reach with ease.
"Drinking hot tea, sitting behind the table and waiting for some news?"
Kieran painted such an image in his mind.
As for what the mayor was waiting for, obviously, it was news regarding Herbert as well.
It was the only thing Kieran could think of that caused the Night race to worry so much.
However, the Night monster that disguised as the mayor was killed off before the news could reach its ce.
The fake mayor was killed off in a clean and effective way by the killer. There were no traces left outside the Night monsters body, and after the Night monster died, its body dissolved into a puddle of goo, meaning nothing was left behind.
Though, that was only under themon eye. After activating [Tracking], Kieran spotted a set of footprints that were different from the others.
The footprints were very unique as they only had the front half of a foot; it was exceptionally obvious when mixed around with the other prints.
"Tip-toeing, moving through the shadows as cover, slowly approaching his target and killing it with one strike?" The gears in Kierans head kept spinning following the trail of the footprints.
Though, he wasnt sure about one part. The Night race should have developed a deep understanding towards human. It was necessary despite Night races understanding towards human which was simr to how humans understand their food.
So, they should understand how important the mayors duties were to a city.
In other words, an important position like the mayor couldnt have been assigned to amon Night monster. It must have been some powerful Night monster.
Even if the particr one couldnt reach Bartoss level, it still should have exceeded themon ones. Such a Night monster was killed off without the least resistance?
Kieran still had a good impression of the green mes and the self-exploding.
Even if it couldnt control the green mes, it could at least try exploding itself.
With doubts lingering in his mind, his gaze was ced on the cup of tea.
Kieran bent down and took a sniff. The cold tea had no more aroma to it.
"Have you checked the tea?" Kieran asked.
"Its just some calming medication, not poison," Roshen answered.
"Calming medications?"
Kieran squinted as he didnt get the expected answer. His gaze sized up the whole room once more, including every corner.
Eventually, his gaze stopped at the corner of the corridor.
A small incense burner was ced there.
Kieran walked over and lifted the lid. A burnt aroma floated out.
Even without a detailed recognition, Kieran could rely on his [Medicine and Medical Knowledge, Master of Poison] to determine the incense was mixed with some nerve-numbing solutions.
"Who was in charged of this?" Kieran pointed at the incense burner.
"It should be the mayor himself. Since his wife died a while ago, he had been living by himself without anyone taking care of him!" Roshen answered directly.
Seemed like the newly appointed chief officer did know a thing or two about the ce.
"Is that so? He had to live alone to hide his secrets?"
"Lets head to the state secretarys house next!" Kieran muttered to himself before telling Roshen to move to the next crime scene.
"Okay!" Roshen nodded.
In the twoing hours, Kieran inspected all the three remaining crime scenes with Roshenspany.
The other three crime scenes were nothing different from the disguised mayors crime scene.
The killer relied on the numbing scent to numb its target before killing it off with one strike.
The only different crime scene was the police director house. It seemed like the director was not fond of burning incense, so the killer used another method instead: poisoning his wine.
"Any new discovery?" Roshen asked eagerly after they were back in the wagon.
"The killer seemed to know his targets well, not only knowing their living habits, but their scheduled actions as well, utilizing it to his benefit. The killer knew that these disguised Night monsters that took over the high ranks of Herl City were waiting for an important message. The wait was torturous, but the Night monsters needed to rely on other supplements to help themselves to calm down and wait patiently. Meanwhile, the killer followed their habits and switched between tea, incense and wine! However, the killer seemed to have left a careless mistake behind at some point!" Kieran said.
"What important news? And the careless mistake?" Roshen asked instinctively.
"What exactly happenedst night?" Kieran replied with his own question.
"Its you, dear sir... Uh... But we didnt find any extra traces at the scene, neither the killer nor the news that they were waiting for!" Roshen realized the question first before covering his face with confusion again.
"The killer did leave traces behind, but because of some techniques, the traces became shallow and small, to the point that your men couldnt find anything!"
Kieran was not hoping for a dungeon world that had just started developing firearms to possess some high-end technologies. All they relied on to solve crimes were experiences and educated guesses.
That was also the reason why the business of bounty hunters and mercenaries were good. A lot of people wouldnt believe results that didnt fit their guesses, and to make the results match their guesses, they wouldnt mind spending money, thus requesting help from others.
"What about the one who called it in? He wouldnt neglect his duties, right?"
Roshen joked when he had an obvious guess on something.
"If his life was on the line, he might neglect his duties. Chief officer, now you need to find a low or medium ranking civil servant that had a suspicious living pattern, looked panic all the time and had the ess to our dear mayor, state secretary, the speaker of themon house and the director. Either one of them will do, and his identity should not be suspicious!"
"Of course, he is the new target of the killer, so I suggest you to bring more men and weapons! After all, the killer will never let him go topensate his careless mistake!"
Kieran smiled and reminded the chief officer.
"Surely it will be done! But can I request your aid against such a mysterious killer?"
Roshen nodded at first before requesting Kierans aid once more.
"Sure!"
Kieran wouldnt reject given it was a sub-mission. He agreed right away.
Aside from that, Kieran wanted to see what kind of Night monster could send out a low fire elemental.
"This is a replica of a great item!"
Kierans heart was filled with curiosity when he saw the remarks about [The Fallens Eye] and [mp of Fire].
"Worry not! I will provide sufficient reward for your service!"
After seeing Kierans agreement, Roshen jumped off the wagon delightedly and started to order his men around.
No doubt, the chief officer had a precise target in mind.
When the wagon started off again, there were two more wagons filled with police officers behind them. Behind the police wagons was a squad of officers equipped with flintlock pistols.
The crowd was marching vigorously under Roshensmand, heading towards a residential area.
However, before they could approach the residential area, a loud explosion sounded.
KABOOM!
It was a cannon strike!
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Guess who fired the cannon?
Chapter 412: Location
Chapter 412: Location
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
The air-breaking whistle from the falling cannonball covered the screams of the panicking crowd.
KABOOM!
The cannon strikended in the middle of the convoy, sting everything in a 5 meter radius.
The wagon in the middle was sted to bits, together with the officers within. They were instantly turned into meat paste.
The front and the back wagon were sent flying, together with tons of broken limbs.
The scent of gunpowder and blood mixed together to form a pungent smell. It spread throughout the street.
A second after the explosion, the street was silent. The seconds that followed were filled with cries and wailings.
It was like a giant rock had been thrown into a calmke, causing tidal waves and not just a few ripples.
"Help me! Help!"
"Mommy, I want my mommy!"
All sorts of cries sted ones ear.
Kieran witnessed the scene with his own eyes while carrying Roshen away.
Roshen saw his most trusted men bombarded, innocent civilians caught in the fire, and a little girl with her legs gone because of the bomb; his eyes instantly reddened, infuriated by the act.
He shook Kierans hand off and took the flintlock pistol out, firing at the bomber across the rooftop.
The bomber was a mantled figured, but it was tall andrge; he alone had lifted up the wheeled cannon that required at least three men to operate.
"You piece of f*ck!"
Roshen pulled the trigger out of rage.
Bang!
Smoke emerged out of the sparking flintlock; the iron pellet was fired at the bomber.
The bomber, though, didnt dodge at all, allowing the pellet to hit his body.
There were no sshes of blood, nor did the bomber flinch or stagger; the iron pellet didnt even scratch him!
Roshen was stunned. He then drew the long sword from his waist, dashing towards the rooftop.
He didnt give it much thought at the moment. The scene that he had witnessed made the newly-appointed chief officers blood boil. But before he could really do anything, he was stopped by Kieran.
"Our target!" Kieran yelled at him, grabbing his shoulder.
Roshen was awakened by the words promptly.
"Those who still can movee with me!"
Roshen threw a deep gaze at the bomber on the rooftop, imprinting the bombers figure in his soul before loudly ordering his remaining men.
Seven to eight officers that survived ran over, following Roshen and dashed towards a single house. The bomber then gave out a weird roar, and jumped off the rooftop, returning to where he came from.
KABAAAM!
A flying kick!
Kieranunched a kick with all his might at the bombers body. The violent impact broke the bombers ribs. The mantle made from amon rucksack was torn to pieces by the powerful wind from the kick, revealing the true face underneath.
A gori! A green gori with a scaly body!
The moment Kieran nced over the monster, it reminded him of the monkey-like creature back in Landers mansion.
Seemed like both of them were from the same ss?
Kieran couldnt categorize it under the same species, ss was the best he could muster.
However,pared to the previous creatures vulnerability, the bomber gori possessed the might and constitution that suited its look.
Its ribs were almost crushed, organs were splintered and its spine should broken into several part, yet it was still struggling.
Aside from that, Kieran could clearly sense that its body was healing at an unbelievable rate.
"GaaGaaTssTss!"
At the same time, a strange noise sounded again. The bomber gori was roaring at Kieran with its ferocious face.
"Havent even learned how to use words?" Kieran muttered.
He then walked forth to the gori. When he saw the monster was still struggling to attack him, he was sure that its intelligence was not high, simr to a senseless beast.
Kieran then stepped on its head without a second thought.
PAK!
The bomber goris head was like a watermelon that was run over by a truck, bursting into pieces.
The cannon it was carrying on its shoulder started to glow green.
[Name: Heavy Cannon]
[Type: Heavy Firearm]
[Rarity: Magic]
[Attack: Powerful (Bombing), Strong (Melee)]
[Attributes: None]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: Firearm Weapon, Heavy Firearm (Master), Strength B]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: It requires a specialized cannonball and has extra loading time, but those wouldnt dim down its destructive power!]
...
Kieran nced over the supposedly higher tier Magic rank weapon; he didnt ditch it because of its hideous design. He took it up, stuffed it into his backpack and went chasing after Roshen.
The killer didnt work alone!
This particr point was out of Kierans expectation.
ording to his previous investigations of the crime scenes, the killer was alone, but now a partner had entered the picture.
"They are aware of Roshens operations? The monsters other than the Night seemed to be blending in with the humans as well, they even chose the same method as the Night race? Or..."
Kieran hastened his steps when the questions rose in his heart.
He was hoping toe in contact with that killer as he needed more information to verify his spections.
Though, the disappointing fact was that Kieran couldnt do so.
"This bastard is very vignt. The moment we closed in, it gave up its operation right away!"
Roshen frowned as he pointed at the tied up target: a guy with multiple identities, such as a congressman, a consultant for the station and much more.
However, the root of his identity was still a Night monster.
Kieran was exchanging gaze with its ferocious eyes hanging over its burnt and rotten face.
"2567? The great leader will not let you live for long! You bunch of fodders! When the army arrives, it will be the day you die! We the Night race will be the true dictators of this world... UGH!"
The Night monsters ferociousugh stopped abruptly. It was Roshen who used the hilt of his sword, smashing it into its stomach. His skilled hand cause the monster to suffer when it breathed.
"Dont worry, before I die, I will let you feel the pleasure of being tortured by us FODDERS!"
Roshen didnt even care about the Nights hideous face. He stuck his face close to it, emphasizing every word that came out of his mouth.
Kieran also saw that Roshen was turning his sword hilt, causing more pain to the Nights stomach.
When Roshen stepped down, the monster started to throw up.
The vile stench of the vomit made everyone step back. Especially when the pile of vomit had half of a ear; the other officers around turned pale when they saw it. Roshen was no exception.
The chief officer held his expression in and grabbed the Nights hair, smashing its head down on its vomit and shouted, "Ill let you eat as much as you like!"
Kieran raised a brow over the scene but didnt stop Roshen.
He could tell Roshen suffered quite a mental shock after the bombardment at his convoy.
The mask that was hanging on Roshens face was torn away, revealing his grumpy nature.
Though,pared to the fakely humble face, Kieran admired Roshens true nature even more.
Still, he felt he needed to remind Roshen of his actions.
"We need him alive!" Kieran said.
Roshen panted hard for a couple of -breaths before releasing his hand.
He waved at his men, and they left immediately.
When all the officers went away, leaving him and Kieran behind, Roshen finally spilled the truth.
"I know where Herbert is!" He said.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
A gori bombing people... where else can you see this.
Chapter 413: Delayed mistake
Chapter 413: Dyed mistake
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
It didnt surprise Kieran when Roshen mentioned that he knew where Herbert was.
In fact, it was within Kierans expectation.
There was no need for excessive spections and guesses; a simple reason allowed Kieran to know that.
This was only the fourth special dungeon difficulty. So it might be a little hard to locate Herbert, but the system wouldnt send Kieran searching for a needle in a haystack.
If the dungeon did so, it would be a dungeon difficulty of at least two digits.
So, Kieran was confident that even if Herbert was not within Herl City, he should be around the city. But out of his expectations, Herbert was in jail.
"I identally discovered Herberts location, and I thought I would reveal it at a more appropriate time. Butpared to those benefits, I value our friendship more!"
Roshen returned to his humble businessman mode, talking to Kieran with a smile in his eyes in the new wagon.
Kieran nodded, declining toment.
"Appropriate? What kind of appropriate?" Kieran thought in his heart.
No doubt Roshen was after a better price to reveal the secret, but after that incident, Roshen thought highly of the abilities Kieran disyed.
Kieran knew what Roshens motives were.
"I think we will have the friendship that you wanted so much!" Kieran emphasized.
Kieran epted the favour from Roshen, and replied with assurance.
"Thank you very much!" Roshen said with a big smile.
Thepletion notification then popped up in Kierans vision, and just like the description said, everything had be clear.
Kieran only had the mood to explore other sub-missions and events when Herbert was nicely protected. Otherwise, regardless of how many sub-missions he could get, it wouldnt be enough topensate for the main mission.
The wagon continued on and finally stopped at the suburbs of Herl City.
With Roshen leading the way, Kieran reached the prison that was holding Herbert without any hindrance.
It was not some prison to hold major criminals with tight security like Alcatraz Prison, but instead was just a few cells around a small corridor. Each of the cells had two prisoners within, but only Herbert was alone.
Herbert had also changed his name to Zeon. As for his crime: forging famous paintings.
An average charge that was not too eye-catching yet wasnt neglectable since it could be settled by bribing. If the victims didnt press charge, everything would be fine.
Obviously, Herbert did his preparations when he chose to settle in the prison. He went over every aspect of the prison, from the prison guards to the prisoners, just for his own safety. Thankfully, he was in great shape.
While recalling the information that Roshen had given him, Kieran was walking through the corridor and finally saw Herbert in person after a long time. He nodded secretly to himself.
Herbert was not was bad as he had pictured. No dishevelled hair or dirty face, not skinny and weak. Instead, he was clean and tidy, his hair and beard were neatly shaved, face was pinkish and he looked energetic.
Herbert even had a book in his hand, which was not the treatment for themon prisoners.
"If everyone could be as free as you in jail, I bet it would be a great getaway for many!"
Kieran opened his mouth when he saw Herbert was in his trance reading the book.
Divided by the iron bars of the cell, Herbert raised his head in astonishment.
When he saw Kieran had appeared before him, he quickly stood up excitedly.
"2567! Youre alive! This is great news!" Herbert said in delight.
"Of course Im alive and kicking!" Kieran said with a smile.
Beside him, Roshen had taken the cell key from the chief guard who was rather nervous and opened up the cell gate, waiting to help Herbert out.
Though, the elder schr needed none of those. He ditched Roshen aside and went straight up to Kieran and inspected him in detail. Herbert also used his own method to confirm Kierans identity, and Kieran did the same.
After both of them had made sure that neither of them was some monster in disguise, the elder schr shook Kierans hand and tapped his shoulder.
"Its been a while!" Herbert said.
"It has been a while!" Kieran replied with a smile.
...
The wagon dashed off once more.
Kieran was sitting with his huge backpack. Herbert and Roshen were on the other side.
"So much has happened!?"
Herbert let out a long sigh after listening to Kierans story.
Then, Herbert made a hand gesture quietly to Kieran. It was the gesture that they had made up during the expedition to Isogu City, to prevent the eavesdropping of the Nights.
The meaning was, "Is it safe around here?" or "Is Roshen reliable?"
"Felt just like yesterday! Herbert, youcan take a good rest now, leave the rest to me!" Kieran nodded and said.
The words sounded without weight but were enough to notify the elder schr what was going on.
Roshen was not reliable!
Even though the newly appointed chief officers had some traits that Kieran admired, but it didnt go as far as trusting himpletely.
For a person like Kieran who was always suspicious of everything, without any life and death events or the passing of time, every rtionship was fragile.
Roshen didnt seem to notice the little gestures or the meaning behind them.
The chief officer maintained his smile, ncing between Kieran and Herbert and eventually stopping at Kieran.
"Sir 2567, although there has been some deviation, but our first coboration could be considered quite sessful! So Id hope that you can lend me your aid once more. I wanted to continue the victorious pursuit of our enemy, cleansing all the monstrous infections of Herl City..."
"No!"
Before the chief officer could finish, Herbert halted his words.
"You have no idea what kind of monsters you are facing! Everything you witnessed was just the tip of the iceberg. Roshen, you could never imagine how scary they are! If you had ten thousand fully armed men, I could ept your suggestion. Otherwise, I would suggest you to be careful!"
Herbert was looking at Roshen with utmost seriousness; Roshen, however, had a face filled with disbelief.
Even without getting in contact with him before, Roshen had heard about Herberts reputation. He knew that Herbert was a man who was strict in delivering knowledge and seeked the truth from facts, but when he heard what Herbert said, it was still quite unbelievable.
"With all due respect, did you say an army of ten thousand fully armed men?"
Roshen couldnt help but repeat the questions with emphasis.
"Thats right! Aside from that, the soldiers have to carry heavy artillery with them!"
Herbert nodded and said in assurance.
Roshen went silent.
He was indeed a newly-appointed chief officer, but he was not a general thatmanded real troops from the military, where could he muster up ten thousand heavy artillery troops.
All he ever had were around a dozen men. After the bombing incident, he was left with seven to eight men.
It would be out of the question, requesting seven to eight men to deliver the efforts of ten thousand.
Aside from that, the important point was that even the closest military base to Herl City didnt hold ten thousand men, at most around two thousand.
Kieran went silent as well. He believed Herbert wouldnt say something without a reason. Since he mentioned such conditions, there must have been some reasons to it.
"Are there so many monster lurking around? Or are they that strong to require such firepower?"
Kieran wondered in his heart. He kept quiet until they reached Landers mansion.
When they entered Kierans temporary guest room, Herbert opened his mouth before Kieran, after the unrted people left the room.
"We made a huge mistake back in Isogu City!"
The elderly schr spoke with a face full of guilt, ming himself.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
Boom revtion
Chapter 414: Philosopher’s Tablet
Chapter 414: Philosophers Tablet
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
"The Philosophers Tablet?" Kieran asked out of instinct.
"Yes, the tablet!" Herbert nodded and spoke with a sigh.
"What was written on that tablet?" Kieran asked again.
When Herbert had requested Kieran to blow up the Philosophers Tablet, Kieran did ask him about the contents within, but Herbert had kept quiet.
From that moment onwards, Kierans curiosity about the tablets content had been piqued.
Following the start of the current dungeon, the Night race and other type of monsters showed persistence towards the tablet as well, which made Kierans curiosity turn into many kinds of doubts and questions.
After all, the monsters wouldnt care so much about a simple stone tablet.
Herbert saw Kierans face seeking the answer; he couldnt help but have a bitter smile. Though Herbert didnt choose to keep the secret anymore.
"There were two parts on the Philosophers Tablet, carved by two different parties. One served as a warning, the other served as a hint. The warning part was carved down by one of the guardians of Isogu City, and the one who carved the hints was the same person who built Isogu City!"
"The warning part was about the one of the king of Neegor Dynasty and everything he did to make himself an immortal and how he conquered the world in details. He ordered the empires best alchemist and potionologist to research the secrets of many kinds of magic and longevity methods and transnted the results to human being. The Night race and Ape creatures were all petty deviation from the process. To be precise, they were all failed products! The real terrifying ones lie with those sessful products!"
"Those sessful products not only became the kings precious experience from his final experiment, they became the most loyal and formidable guards of the king, resulting in the conquest for the whole world. Anyone who defied them would end up dead!"
"As for the hint part, it was the location where his Majesty, the king, was sealed and the incantations!" Herbert exined in details.
"Sealed?" Kieran was shocked and instinctively thought of some new spections.
"Its not what you think! The king never faced defeat from his enemies. In fact, during that time, no one could defeat the king and his Neegor empire except for one... which was himself!"
Herbert shook his head, denying Kierans guesses.
"That king wanted to be immortal and reign forever, but for immortality, even the magic kind couldnt reach his expectations. So he started on some even more dangerous experiments. Yet, idents happened in those experiments, forcing the king to seal himself up, going into eternal slumber! He left his loyal guardians behind to awaken him at the promised time!"
Herbert sighed once again when he mentioned the king.
"Dont tell me the promised time is now? Exactly 1,500 years from then? Now? This day?" Kieran asked.
Herbert didnt provide a reply, but his expression said it all.
"So much coincidence?" Kieran raised a brow.
The over-suspicious character made Kieran vignt but also made him unwilling to believe in coincidences. He kept assuming the so-called coincidence was a set up by someone beforehand.
Those who set things up usually harboured malicious intents.
"The arrangements of fate! Fate caused the king to leave his loyal guardians descendants behind. Then, there was a splintering between the guardians of Isogu City, and the source of the splintering came from the precious treasure that the king held dear most, the Eye of Chimeras! The eye granted him unlimited power and made him believe that it was the secret treasure to immortality!" Herbert sighed once more, seemingly helpless against the cause.
"The Eye of Chimeras? What is that?" Kieran pressed the question.
Kieran obviously wouldnt let any possible leads to the secret to [Fusion Heart] slip off his grasp. However, the elderly schr didnt know much about the relic either.
"ording to the tablets records, the Eye of Chimeras was a gift that the king had gotten from a witch when he was young, but the exact details were unknown."
"You couldnt believe the records?" Kieran asked when he noticed Herberts words were hiding a sense of mockery.
"Im not some old-fashioned old geezer, although my age proves different. But I knew it in my heart, history is written down by the victors!"
"That king was not loved by his people. His strength might be unparalleled, but he was a tyrant. Both the traits added up to form fear, causing the people to fear and revere their king! He didnt get his relics as gifts; most of them were results of intimidation, bribery, robbing and sorts! Such methods made his peopleply even more!"
Herbert said objectively.
Although Kieran didnt have the knowledge and studies of Neegor Dynasty like Herbert did, but he was willing to buy what Herbert was selling.
A king chasing after immortality might not be much; when authorities and wealth were umted to a certain point, it would be natural to have such thoughts. However, when Eye of Chimeras was added to the equation, the result would be entirely different.
After experiencing it himself, Kieran knew how terrifying the Creature of Desire could be, with a corrosion that could prate every opening. What would be of that king?
Probably, he would sacrifice everything and would be willing to pay the price for his own goals.
Let alone intimidation, bribing and robbing, even if he were to ughter the whole world to get to his means, he wouldnt even blink an eye.
In the current situation, Kieran and co. had to face the monsters wanting to release the king from his seal.
It was still unknown whether the other kinds of monsters besides the Nights wanted to break the seal and release the king, but Kieran could confirm what the Nights wanted to achieve.
"When the army arrives, it will be your death date! We, the Night race, will be the true dictators of this world!"
Kieran had a deeper understanding about those words that captive Night monster had said.
"Army? The kings guards? The Night race was confident enough to control the guards of the king that he had used to suppress them? Or the method to control even the king himself?"
Kieran pondered the question in his mind.
As the descendants of the kings guardians, the guardians of Isogu City no doubt had the best understanding of the king. A part of the guardians were transformed into the Night.
So Kieran wouldnt be surprised if they had some strange tricks up their sleeves.
A simple example was, what if the descendants of the kings guardians encountered something they couldnt prevent? Such as the invasion of a powerful foe? What would they do then?
Based on that thought, Kieran guessed the king himself should have left some countermeasures behind to prevent such incidents from ever happening.
Though, based on the methods of the king, the countermeasures would surely be limiting the guardians.
After 1,500 years, who could make sure those guardians that turned into the Night hadnt broken through such limitations; they might even have abandoned their vows to their ancestors.
"Without absolute control, human heart is the most unreliable thing..."
Kieran sighed slightly then raised his head to Herbert.
"What do you have in mind? Dont tell me you are really hiding from the public in jail?" Kieran asked.
"Of course not! Since it was a mistake I made, I willpensate with whatever I can! In the time being, I hope for your continuing service to make sure my research isnt interrupted!" Herbert said with an official manner.
"It would be my pleasure!" Kieran replied as well with the same tone.
Just when all of that was going on, DAK DAK DAK!
With rushed footsteps, Lander barged in while carrying a bunch of items.
When both of them saw what Lander was carrying, Herberts face turned pale instantly and Kieran frowned hard.
Trantors Thoughts
Dess Dess
There might be a hiatus around.
So be prepared! Cant say when but it might happen.
Sorry in advance and Ill make it up to you guys when we return.
Sincere apologies and be patient till we are back!
Chapter 415: Threats
Chapter 415: Threats
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
Kieran had always possessed a decent memory. Therefore, when he saw the things Lander carried in, he could recognize them as essories of Pierre, Harold, Cohen and Joanna.
Adding to that Herberts pale face and Landers panicked expression, Kieran could guess what had happened.
Pierre and co. had gotten into big trouble!
Although Kieran and Herbert didnt mention any of them nor their location in the previous conversation, he could get the general idea.
The group must have split up to minimize the chances of being discovered. However, following Pierre and the others personal belongings being sent over, the answer was self-exnatory.
"Where is the one who sent these?" Kieran asked.
"In the living room, he..."
Before Lander could finish, Kieran stepped out and headed towards the living room, while Herbert followed tightly. Lander suffered a dy because of his worries but soon followed as well.
In the living room, an elderly was standing, holding a pitch ck crutch in his hand, with a leather mantle over his shoulder.
The mantle wasnt too big but was quite thick; when it wasid over the elderly person, it almost covered his whole body, preventing others from clearly inspecting his physique.
When the elderly saw Kieran and Herbert, he gave them a unpleasant smile, plus the dry skin and ckish yellow teeth added an unsettling feeling to it.
"Herbert! Sir 2567! Please to meet you for the first time. The pleasure is all mind! You can address me as Barso, or whatever you like. After all, a name is just a code for us!"
"Seems like both of you received my gifts! How was it? Satisfied?"
Barso smiled again, revealing his dry smile that caused one to dislike him.
Though, be it Kieran or Herbert, both were staring straight at his face.
Kieran was pondering upon Barsos use of the word "us".
Herbert however sted his question straight.
"Where are Pierre, Becker and my students!?"
His voice was trembling when he spoke, not with fear or terror, but with fury. The sudden surge of emotions almost suffocated the elderly schr. It was also because Barso admitted his actions without a second thought.
"They are quite well now, though we had a rough start. After some munications", theyve learned to get along with us quite nicely. Trust me, Im a master at interrogation, just like you at Neegor Dynasty!"
"That young man named Harold? Ive broken one of his arm, and the other, Cohen, suffered a broken leg. Though when I was prepared to castrate both of them, the littless Joanna, right? voiced out to stop me. So I gave a sh to her face and her wagoner bodyguard was so concerned about his master that he started to curse me, so I had to cut his tongue out!"
"As for your butler and the big dumb fe? Dont worry. Pierre was a little weak after all those brandings and electrocutions. Though that big dumb fe was really something. I had to ask my men tosh him all day long to keep him within a controble range!"
"Well then. Ive done my part in talking about the things you wanted to know, so I guess its my turn to get my information in return? Wheres the location where his Majesty was sealed? And the incantations to break the seal, please?"
Barso even bowed slightly to shows his manners to Herbert while he spoke, as if he was really a noble, except for the vicious words that came out of his mouth.
"YOU!"
The elderly schr widened his eyes, disying a rarely-seen killing impulse.
On the other hand, on hearing what his son had been through, Lander started to feel weak and wanted to faint. However, when he got a hold of himself, he stood up firm and the killing intent that filled his mind far exceeded the range of Herbert.
Barso felt the killing intent from both of them, and yet he revealed that contemptuous smile again, showing more disdain on his dry face.
"Sir Herbert, you dont have much time left! Before I left my ce, I told my men that if I didnt return after an hour, your butler and students will undergo a new round of torturing. And fret not,pared to the previous ones, this will be the main dish and not just a simple appetizer like before." Barso emphasized each and every word clearly.
Every single word was like a knife stabbing into Herberts heart; the ache spread throughout his body.
The elderly schr stared at Barso before him and slightly opened up his lips, but when the urge reached his mouth, he couldnt say anything. He wanted to reject because he knew once that king from Neegor Dynasty was broken out of his seal, catastrophe would befall the entire world.
Tens of millions would die when that happen, andpared to that, Pierre and his students were not even worth mentioning.
Though, it was not a problem of numbers but of rtionship and feelings!
Pierre was his butler and also his good friend. The three hardworking students and the big fe that he kept around meant a lot to Herbert. He couldnt even neglect Joannas wagoner bodyguard as well, but he also couldnt neglect the lives of many in the world.
The elderly schr was forced into a difficult situation.
Especially when Lander aside was staring at him with a begging gaze. The elderly schr was choking on his own words; he couldnt even utter a word.
"Is it that hard to decide? Sir Herbert, shall I provide some courage to hasten your decision? A couple of my men were quite fond of your student Joanna, and they are very, very bad men..."
Barso opened his mouth once more, purposely dragging his tone that was filled with malicious intents. He was forcing Herbert once more with his leverage and seemed to be enjoying quite well.
If it wasnt for the important mission ced before him, Barso wouldnt mind prolonging the process a lot longer. After all, such a decent target was hard to find.
So, when Barsos word subsided, his eyes were locked at Herbert; he wanted to enjoy Herberts expression when he was forced to the very limit.
However, Barso was destined to be disappointed, not because Herbert provided no response.
In fact, just as the elderly schr was on the verge of copsing after being mentally tortured by Barsos words, all Barso saw was a young and calm face.
A face so calm that it seemed like he wasnt concerned about anything and never ced any interest in anyone else.
Barso disliked such an expression.
"Sir 2567, do you have anything to add? Or, you are ready to make the decision on behalf of Sir Herbert here?"
Baros squinted his eyes and diverted the pressure to Kieran. Then, Kieran disappeared from his sight all of a sudden.
CRACK!
After a loud cracking noise, Barso felt his knee were in pain; his body then fell for a kneel uncontrobly. Promptly, a powerful hand seized the top of his skull, so powerful that Barso thought his skull was being crushed by the force.
As the hand moved upwards, the kneeling Barso was dragged up in mid-air. He once again saw the young face before his eyes, the face with the calm and cool expression, devoid of any changes.
Just that the hand that was seizing his skull kept on tightening by the second.
"You want me to make the decision on behalf of Herbert?" Kieran asked.
His tone was ice cold. The killing intent was like sharp des, and it overflowed from Kieran like raging tides, drowning Barsopletely.
Chapter 416: Charlie Street
Chapter 416: Charlie Street
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
Barsos dry face started to look twisted.
It became uglier than ever under the stimtion of pain and killing intent, but he did not panic because of the pain.
"Kill me and Pierre and the others will die!"
Barso raised his tone while withstanding the pain from his skull.
The words were not meant for Kieran, of course, but for Herbert behind him.
Barso clearly knew who among the three individuals before him could control his life and death.
"Dear Sir Herbert, surely it doesnt mean that you will give up your friend and students, right?"
Barso hastened his words when he felt another dense killing intent erupting from Kieran.
The disappointing fact was, Herbert didnt react to his words, while Kieran was blocking his view. He couldnt see what Herberts condition was and what expression was hanging over his face; it made the ugly man anxious.
He knew the control of the situation was slipping away from his grasp.
From the upper hand from the beginning to losing control over the situation, everything happened within an instant just because of the actions of the young man.
Aside from that, the palm that was seizing his skull was still tightening by the seconds, the agonizing pain cause him to stop thinking.
As a decent interrogator and his sensitivity towards killing intents, Barso was not doubting Kierans intentions; he really wanted to kill him.
So Barso instinctively was forced to proceed with the actions that would benefit him.
"Think of their suffering faces, doesnt it hurt your heart? Or you would prefer to look at them first? I can make that happen!" Barso managed to open his mouth and spoke out his intentions.
Although his tone were still unyielding, everyone could sense the begging between the lines.
Herbert couldnt stay silent anymore.
"Where are they!?"
The elderly schr went around Kieran to Barso for the question.
"A very safe ce... UGH!"
Barso was trying to trick his way out with his skillful tongue again, but the pain from his skull reminded him of the condition he was in.
Barso changed his manner of speech right away.
"Inside a small square in Charlie Street. Sir 2567 here can trail us, but only you alone can enter the area. Sir 2567 here would remain in my sight at all times! At the same time, your visit will be limited to thirty minutes, which actually had started from the moment I walked into this mansion. Once the time..."
"Lander, prepare the wagon now!"
Before Barso could finish, Herbert interrupted him.
The small square of Charlie Street was not too far from Landers mansion.
It would take at least twenty minutes to walk, but from the moment Barso appeared, ten minutes had passed; walking was no longer an option.
Lander quickly make his move and Herbert took the small window to signal Kieran where Barso couldnt see, asking whether Kieran was confident to take them down.
Kieran replied silently with an affirmative answer before looking at the person before him.
Those monsters that kidnapped Pierre and the others, why would they send this old geezer forth?
Kieran was pondering upon this question the moment he saw him. After the small scene previously, he had a general idea about their actions.
Obviously, it wasnt because of his vicious tongue. If it was because of his manner of speech, Barso would already be dead without an intact body.
It was his spirit! Or rather his willpower!
Barso had exceptional willpower that surpassed ones imagination.
If it were any othermon native under the pressure of Kierans grip, even if they didnt suffer a meltdown, their hearts would suffer extreme fear. But not Barso.
Although the pain was disturbing him, but that was it. He didnt show anymore negative emotions other than the disturbed feeling.
"So they have taken precautions?" Kieran muttered in his heart.
With his Spirit rank getting higher each dungeon, the Rare ring [Half-deads Gaze] was getting stronger as well, but it wasnt invincible.
After the battle with the Night at the suburbs, Kieran knew his unique attacks would soon be taken under precautions.
Simr to Allen from the Blood Alliance, merely a glimpse allowed him to understand the biggest weakness of [Half-deads Gaze], which was direct eye contact. The effect would only take ce after the targets had direct eye contact with the ring, otherwise Kierans effort would be futile.
Maybe the natives wouldnt know the secret of [Half-deads Gaze], but it wasnt hard for them to specte some countermeasures as well.
The simplest and most direct way was to find someone with strong spirit and will to face him or even someone with some special protective gear, though thetter was umon. Hence, Barso the barely qualified liaison stepped forth.
If [Mesly Ring] wasnt in cooldown, Kieran wouldnt mind providing a more direct lesson to Barso, dominate him and ask for more information regarding theirir.
Kieran believed even if the monsters had some protective measures, it still wasnt enough for his S rank Spirit attribute.
However, even without the support from [Mesly Ring], Kieran still could obtain the information he needed.
From thest words that came out of Barsos mouth, the monsters who kidnapped Pierre and others had their decisions made early on and were not as tough as Barso presented them to be.
The reason for Barsos action was simply actions by nature, or he wanted extra appreciation from someone.
The man named Barso before Kieran tried his best in presenting himself as a high-ranking person, but a true high-ranking person would never take the risk and appear before Kieran.
Barso was nothing more than a middle or a lower ss goon.
As for the true higher ranks of the opposite forces, they must be someone with utmost carefulness. The reason for their choice of location, choice of time and everything was linked together tightly. They were creating a sense of urgency for Kieran and Herbert all the time, causing them to be stressed over the matter in a short period of time.
Not only would the stress from anxiety caused one to lose all their judgment, it could also lead onemitting mistakes that would never happen.
In other words, they came with malicious intents!
Kieran was confident enough that Barso and the monsters wouldnt release Pierre and others even after Herbert revealed the location of the kings seal but kill the hostages instead!
The existence of such secret was best to be known by a few, and just for that reason alone, the monsters would definitely n meticulously ahead.
"Well, lets see what well run into!"
Kieran took a deep breath quietly and threw Barso down. He needed to adjust his bodys condition for the uing battle.
Kieran would never dare underestimate his enemies, even more so when he knew the uing enemies would be the sessful products instead of the failures like the Nights and the Apes.
Even though ording to his guess, they shouldnt possess any extremely powerful battle capabilities, who could confirm that it was not just a smokescreen, diverting his attentions?
Chapter 417: Cypress
Chapter 417: Cypress
Trantor: Dess Editor: SSins
Charlie Street, a street no longer than 50 meters and the small square mentioned was nothing more than a space under a cypress tree that was nted ages ago at the center.
The cypress tree was at least 30 meters tall. Its dense and concentrated crown was not affected by the season. Instead of turning brown and withering, the thin needle-like leaves were brilliantly green.
It looked like a huge green umbre from afar.
Under the tree were four stone benches that surrounded the trunk in all four directions, providing a resting spot for the people and protecting the tree in a unique manner.
There were two four-wheeled wagons, wider than themon ones that were parked close to the stone benches. The carriages were covered tight and other than the wagoner on top, no one knew what was in those wagons.
Another wagon was slowly approaching the small square and it stopped when it was around 20 meters away.
"Well, here is the best I can do. Sir Herbert, youll have to talk to that person yourself from now on! As for you, Sir 2567... please stay here. I am fully aware of your courage and capabilities, so please dont do something that we both will regret!"
Barso who filled in as the wagoner was speaking to Kieran and Herbert in the carriage.
Both of them didnt reply after exchanging gazes. Herbert got off the carriage while Kieran stared at the elderly schrs back, moving further away.
Following Herberts appearance, the people on the street started to lessen up. Kieran could clearly sense that there were more eyes on them than before. They included those malicious gazes that were as sharp as des, pointing right at them. Still, Kieran was cool as ice as he acted like nothing was out of the unordinary, at least on the outside.
However, he was anxious, his heart beating quickly and the gears in his mind spinning fast.
What will the enemies do to remove the greatest threat?
Since they had the options to kill the witnesses, no one would be spared, including him, Herbert, Pierre and the others. Everyone was on the enemies hit list.
Kieran knew it in his heart that if there were any differences among them as targets, Herbert was the most valuable one since he had to reveal the sealed location and incantations.
In simpler words, Herbert would be thest one to die.
As for Pierre and the others, they were already birds in a cage. If the enemies wanted to execute the captives, all they needed was a thought.
The only problem and threat that the enemies had were Kieran!
He knew that he would definitely remove the biggest threat first if he was in his enemies shoes.
"What will they do?
While staring at Herberts back, Kieran nced slightly over the surroundings. He could clearly make out some men hiding in the shadows. There were also ovepping figures inside the windows of houses at both sides of the street. Although it was only what he could make out at those locations, the houses surely harbored more men. Those were the ones he thought that he should take note off.
"Sir 2567, we are here with utmost sincerity! Please dontpare us with the Nights and Apes. Those products are failures. We have our own pride as well! In fact, before his Majesty sealed himself, we were the true nobles of that time, not the useless good-for-nothing scum that you know of! Even though the others addressed us as the Mutants, we have the honor and glory that others could only wish to grasp at the dust of our trails..." Barso said in an eloquent speech.
"Mutants?" The term peaked Kierans interest.
"This is how we were addressed with contempt. They envy us! They fear us! Because they never truly served his Majesty! They are nothing but some treacherous rebels! Whether they are men or failures, they are all inferiors. Even if one or two among them were noteworthy, nothing will change!" Barso disyed his pride and glory and before Kieran could talk, he continued.
"Bartos was one and the other was Edgar. Although Bartoss strength was astonishing, he was just a crude beast who acted recklessly without thought. Only Edgar was different! Even as a failure, I have to admit that he really possessed some natural talents. Who wouldve thought that he mastered the technology of forging replicas!"
Barsos words unconsciously rted itself to some secret information that Kieran had concerns about. If it was some other time, Kieran would have definitely kept listening in silence but not now was not that time.
There were dim noises of a fuse being ignited that lingered in his ears. It was enough for Kieran to know what methods they would use.
Explosives!
The wagon that he was in was nted with an extensive amount of explosives.
"What a simple and quick way!" Keiran eximed in his heart.
Barso who was driving the wagon could have parked the wagon wherever he liked. After Herbert left, he had to use his skillful tongue to divert Kierans attention.
If Kieran was slightly more careless, had a lower rank of Intuition or the explosives were buried deeper, he would have taken a serious hit if he didnt die from the st.
However, such treacherous measures were deadly when it was it secretly done. Once exposed, it was rendered useless.
Bang!
Kieran didnt change his sitting position. Heunched a straight kick, firing his leg like a spear at Barsos throat while he gave his eloquent speech. Kieran has no idea what caused Barso to be willing to sacrifice in this mission or what other methods he had under his sleeves to avoid the explosion but regardless of what the answers were, Kieran intended not to let him live anymore.
Not only was Barso an enemy, it was also because of the acts that hemitted. Kieran would never take his words at Landers mansions as pure jokes. Since Barso said such things, Pierre and the others must have suffered many special treatments.
Crack!
The cracking noise of his neck sent Barsos face into a vacant and unconceivable look while heid back on the carriage seat. Until the moment of his death, he had no idea why Keiran was suddenly going to kill him.
A green glowing item came out of his body before Kieran grabbed it swiftly and leaped out the carriage.
As soon as Kieran jumped from the wagon...
KABOOM!
The explosion sent the horse and the wagon flying into the sky. The heavy smell of fire powder and thick ck smoke spread throughout the street like the morning mist.
The shockwaves and trembling ground caused Herbert to fall to the ground. He then noticed the ground was wriggling in an odd way.
"Careful!"
Herbert suddenly thought of something before his face turned pale. He shouted at Kieran, reminding him. However, it was a little toote.
KABOOOM!
Just as Kierannded on the ground, another thundering explosion erupted. It was not from the explosives yet it was louder than the previous explosion.
Thousands of vines erupted from the ground and directly enveloped Kieran entirely.
The 30 meters cypress tree from afar suddenly came alive as its vines sprouted out of the ground. It shook its trunk and a couple of robust branches like palms pressing on the ground, unrooting itself furiously. The moment the roots escaped the ground, it turned into a foot, allowing it to stand firmly on the ground.
ROOOOOAR!
An ear-deafening roar came out from the hold on the trunk.
It was moving forward with clumsy steps towards Kieran who was enveloped by the vines. Because of its height, it wasnt slow at all.
It then mmed its robust branches down on the pile of vines like an oar smashing the waves.
KABOOOM!
Chapter 418: Winter
Chapter 418: Winter
Trantor: Dess Editor: SSins
The cypress ents powerful smash caused the ground to tremble again.
From that robust branch palm of the ent, the smaller branches spread out like a spider web on the ground. Thick dust flew everywhere, enshrouding the entire street.
Herbert opened his eyes wide, trying to see how Kieran was managing. However, all the elderly schr could see with hismon level intuition was thick dust shrouding the area.
"2567!!? 2567!?"
Herbert screamed for Kieran, trying to confirm whether he was safe.
"Anyone who gets hit by Thaads powerful branch will be smashed to bits!"
A voice sounded behind Herbert. The words were filled with certainty and carried a mocking tone.
The voice was certain of his allys strength and was mocking Kierans overconfidence.
"No one can be sure of the results until the very end. Witness our victory with your own eyes!"
Herbert said in an unusually steady tone as he turned around, noticing that the two wagoners who concealed their faces with their mantles appeared behind him without a sign.
"You underlings! Always so full of themselves!"
One of the wagonersughed coldly before casually reaching with his powerful palm to grab Herbert.
They knew what their missions were: to capture Herbert. There was no need to argue with them.
It was a simple mission for them and everything was unfolding just as how the two Mutants expected it to.
Herbert was captured so easily!
As a schr, Herberts knowledge and understanding were far beyond what anyone couldprehend. But in battle?
Although Herbert was much more healthy and energetic than his peers, anymon young man had the capabilities to take him down. Obviously, two Mutants that far surpassedmon human capabilities would easily capture Herbert.
Herberts hands were then tied with a sturdy rope by one of the wagoners while the other opened the carriage door. Herbert could tell with a nce that the hostages inside the carriage were his butler, Pierre and his students,though four of them were not in good shape. Not only were they suffering from countless wounds, they were also unconscious due to the pain.
"Pierre! Harold..."
"Move!"
Herbert wanted to call out each of their names but before he could finish, the wagoner beside him interrupted him brutally. The wagoner forcefully pushed Herbert forward and he couldnt resist his push, causing him to stagger into the carriage and trip on the wooden steps. He hurt his abdomen in the process.
The pain made Herbert lie down. He tried pushing himself up with his hands but it was a futile attempt. The pain in his stomach forced him to give up halfway and he fell down on his stomach helplessly.
Hahahahahaha!
Both the Mutantsughed hysterically when they saw Herberts disorderly manner.
One of them grabbed Herbert by the leg and attempted to stuff him inside the carriage while the other prepared to start the wagon.
Everything was unfolding as they expected, wasnt it?
Yet the true oue was far from what they had actually expected.
The broad, dark, red des edge stirred up the turbid dust and dirt, shing horizontally with an unstoppable force like a dragon that burst out of a muddy pool.
Pum!
The two Mutants were cut in half at the waist before they could react to the des.
Like how the two Mutants captured Herbert, Kieran killed them just as easily; it was probably even easier.
Kieran walked over to Herbert, helping him up after putting his [Arrogant Word] away.
"How are you doing?" Kieran asked.
"Im fine! But we have a bigger problem here!"
Herbert smiled bitterly and pointed at the unconscious bunch inside the carriage.
Kieran frowned. Truth be told, he never thought that they would be held inside the wagon.
When he saw the tightly shut wagon, the first thing he thought was that the wagon was empty and that everything was a hoax. Now, he realized it was another countermeasure set up by the enemies.
The countermeasures to prevent unexpected events...
The unconscious Pierre and the others would be a burden for him and Herbert shackling their abilities to leave the area.
Sou Sou Sou!
A volley of arrows poured down at the two wagons.
Kieran grabbed Herbert and hid into the carriage, while the horses outside werent able to escape their demise. They fell into their own puddles of blood with an agonizing neigh.
After the final neighs from the horses, Herberts face turned sour.
The elderly schr knew that they lost theirst chance to escape.
Without the horses, the wagons were like two giant coffins, binding them down on the spot.
"2567, you..."
"Stay here!"
Herbert wanted to say something but Kieran interrupted him with a wave.
Kieran knew that Herbert was going to ask him to leave by himself but given that he still had the main mission to carry out, how could he leave?
Aside from that, a new submission appeared!
[Discovered submission: Escaping threats!]
[Escaping threats: The setup from the Mutants forced you and the group into a difficult position. You need to break through this difficult situation!]
[Note: Ratings will increase based on how many natives you sessfully rescue!]
...
Just as the words subsided, Kieran jumped off the carriage without waiting for Herbert to say anything.
Outside the wagons, the dust and dirt had settled down. The Mutants that were hiding in the shadows stepped out, one by one, and surrounded them.
The giant ent turned around clumsily. Its robust palm branches had vines that did not belong to its body. However, the ent was quite fond of the vines.
When the ent saw Kieran who broke the vines that it loved again, it bellowed a thunderous roar.
ROAR!
It sounded like a real thunder strike emanating from the trunk hole. The ent even entered its frenzy mode as it charged towards Kieran without regarding the consequences.
Dong Dong Dong!
Every step it took was ground-trembling, producing an ear-deafening thump!
With the ents height, it only took two steps for it to reach the wagons. It raised its robust branches up high like an oar of a sailship, ready to m Keiran.
Just as the branches were about to fall, a voice sounded behind the ent.
"Thaad! Stop!"
The voice was cold and emotionless as if a bucket of ice water sshed the ents head, freezing its movements.
The cypress ent moved its body away clumsily, providing a clear path. The rest of the Mutants even kneeled down in reverence with one knee.
The voice that carried an icy cold presence slowly walked in from the end of the street.
Each step the figure took, ayer of frost as thick as a thumb covered the ground beneath it.
The crystal clear, glittering frost formed a long trail as though a small, icy path was carved out.
The temperature along the street started to plummet. The breeze even turned into the harsh winter wind.
The figure that appeared acted like the God of Winter who was inspecting his territory with his majestic prestige was unchallenged.
Any soul who dare defied his will would suffer a punishment of the extreme winter.
Kieran who stood still without kneeling was one.
Chapter 419: Ice and Fire
Chapter 419: Ice and Fire
Trantor: Dess Editor: SSins
The approaching figure looked at Kieran who was standing still. His deep blue eyes showed that he was displeased.
Fuuuu!
A cold breeze suddenly blew towards Kieran.
Kieran felt the threats clearly before the breeze even touched him. He instinctively dodged it.
Crack! Tsk Tsk!
After Kieran moved from his spot, ayer of frost formed on top of the ground that was caressed by the cold breeze. The rate at which it spread out was increasing exponentially.
Thisyer of frost was not the same as the trail left behind by that figure. It was almost 10 cm thick and was emanating chilly air that could freeze ones spine.
Aside from that, the breeze grew into a swift wind that didnt stop. In fact, it only became stronger and colder.
Fuuuuuu!
The freezing wind roared loudly as if it turned into a giant, formless ice viper that curled its wiggling body, raised its head up high, and gave out a chilling hiss that shook the air.
Kieran was at least 5 meters away but he could clearly see his breath from his nose and mouth that turned white. When his breath left his mouth, it swiftly froze into ice crystals.
He clearly knew what would happen to him if he got struck by the frozen wind, so his best options were to prevent it from closing in.
"AIO!" He extended one of his hands with his palm open and pointed at the frozen wind. A cone-shaped fire zed out.
KABOOM!
The master level of [Burning Hand] was buffed by [Fusion Heart]s [Fiery Sulphur]. Its fire damage instantly boosted up to Powerful rank.
The 3.5 meter and 60-degree angle area before him was engulfed in mes, including that approaching frozen wind!
The frozen wind was rampaging violently as the formless ice viper hissed loudly with its head raised up.
The zing mes brought up the heat, scorching everything in its path to ash like what waves of fire do.
The ice and fire shed, turning everything else around it white and pale.
The extreme contrast and well-matched power collided directly and caused an intense reaction.
KABOOOM!
The moment of impact caused a giant explosion, sting out waves of steam in all directions, sweeping everything away.
Frozen air sshed in all directions. The zing mes burned whatever it came across.
Instantly, the ground of the street that had suffered a heavy impact started to crack as if the explosion was thest straw that would copse the camel. The cracks were big and it spread around fast. The wide cracks were deep enough to swallow an entire human calf.
As the crack on the ground spread out like a spider web, the base of the houses around were affected and started to crumble.
One by one, block by block, each of the houses copsed like domino pieces. In the end, all the houses in Charlie Street crumbled into ruins.
KACROOOM!
The crumbling whipped up enough dust clouds from the ground to even cover the sky.
All the other Mutants were shocked by the scene before their eyes. Even the cypress tree ent started to back off subconsciously, wishing to further itself from the st point. However, the big trunk that formed its body was as clumsy as ever.
The cypress ent became the one most affected by the explosion.
The tenacious bark on its body was able to withstand knives, axes and even flintlock bullets that sted and left holes and bumps. Its body was covered with frozen frost and burn marks all over.
Especially the robust and strong branches that made up its hand, countless smaller branches were snapped in the process.
It was not a true ent by any means after all, even if it shared an extremely simr look. Its abilities and strength were worlds apartpared to the legendary being.
Roooar!
The pain made the cypress ent roar towards the sky. Its huge body was wriggling non-stop, whipping up a violent breeze, blowing away the dust of its surrounding. The violent breeze expelled the dust and revealed two figures standing on opposite sides of each other. They seemed like they were never caught in the explosion.
Both of them locked gazes. The contrasting energy and aura were elevating by the seconds.
One of them wanted to freeze the earth and the other wanted to scorch the sky.
The temperature around plummeted and skyrocketed, one after another.
The rapid change of temperature formed a cyclone in the middle between Kieran and the icy figure. It swiftly grew into a size that one couldnt neglect anymore.
Whuuu Fuuuu Wuuuuu!
The cyclone created a strong gale, dragging all the trash and leaves around as it continued growing inside. Even the bricks and debris were moving.
Anyone with a slightly better insight could tell that it was the formation of a catastrophe or a natural disaster.
The Mutants started to run backward. Even the cypress ent wished it could run away with all four of its limbs so that it could leave the area faster.
However, amongst all the runaways, another figure moved in the opposite direction.
The figure was carefully closing in on the two that were confronting each other, waiting for the best timing to strike.
Truth be told, the figure never thought that Kierans abilities and strengths were that powerful but he knew it would be in his best interest for her to not know.
"Fight! Fight! Fight with all you can. The best will be when both sides are heavily wounded and when that timees..."
The figures ambitious thoughts bloomed like a flower. He brought a ring in his hand and gazed at the ever-erging cyclone.
Then, the big cyclone burst out with a loud bang, following another shing of ice and fire that caused another explosion.
However, the second explosion was silent.
An area of darkness appeared on the field, enshrouding the bursting cyclone with chilly ice and zing mes inside, including Kieran and the Mutant he was fighting.
"Hahahaha! Benz! 2567! You would never have thought right?"
A wildly arrogantugh sounded from aside. A Night monster walked out from the darkness and even with the burnt and rotten face on its head, its delight was hard to conceal.
It has its own reasons to be delighted!
Surprisingly, it caught the leader of the Mutants, Benz, within its grasp. It was one of the greatest achievement yet. It was probably thinking about what rewards it would receive from its leader.
So when it saw an ice de form out of thin air, the Night monster never looked more inconceivable. This feeling amplified when the dark, red great swords edge shed its body a step ahead of the ice de.
The Night monster would never understand until the moment of its death: why were the both of them not unaffected after being shrouded by "Darkness Grave"?
It was impossible!
After Kieran nced over the orange equipment on top of the melting body, his attention switched back to his opponent at hand.
Compared to the clown that he just killed, the Mutant before him was the real concern.
Truth be told, Kieran knew exactly why the Night monster appeared.
After he verified the strength of the Mutants, he had a question in his heart.
Why would the Mutants spend so much effort in setting this up given that they had the absolute advantages? Why not go to Herbert the first moment when they discovered him?
With the capabilities that Kieran showed, his opponent had the potential to easily suppress him with raw power even though his methods were strange!
As far as his abilities were concerned, the moment the icy figure appeared, his gaze never moved, meaning he was not scared of the skills Kieran used.
Since his opponent was not concerned about his power yet, they set up seemingly useless traps, what was it for then?
The answer was quite obvious, the setup was for the Nights!
The Night leader, Edgar!
A powerful foe was beside him. Even Kieran who was in a battle with Benz, the Mutant leader, reserved some of his attention for the other opponent.
Therefore, before the clown appeared, Kieran noticed Edgars presence.
After setting up extensively, Benz the Mutant leader would have noticed Edgars presence as well, causing the Night monster that walked out to behave like a clown.
"Not bad!" Benz said.
The words sounded like they were praising Kieran but the temperature around Benz started to plummet once more as if the coldness was trying to freeze the air around him.
Kierans heart skipped a beat. He knew that his opponent wanted to end the battle since he failed to wait for his target to appear and got impatient.
In other words, Benz was getting serious, going as far as utilizing his ace card.
Whuuuuuu!
Keiran took in a long, deep breath. He was readying himself for his ace card as well without further hesitation.
The indifferent sulphuric scent started to appear, turning denser every moment.
The rampant and chaotic aura was cascading down with the force of a mountain.
Chapter 420: Reverse Star
Chapter 420: Reverse Star
Trantor: Dess Editor: SSins
Crack Tsk Tsk!
A teeth-souring screech came from the frozen area asrge chunks of ice started to form around Benz. It sted out in all directions from him at the center.
With its broken paths and crumbled houses, Charlie Street was frozen in an instant.
Those Mutants who were retreating couldnt escape the fate of bing frozen as well; even the giant cypress ent was frozen. At most. Itsrge size would dy its death for a while.
Ice kept forming over the tree trunk. The clumsy cypress ent wailed in pain. It begged for life but Benz wasnt moved by its pleading.
He even hastened the freezing over its branches because the opponent he was trying to freeze was in front of the ent and the ice couldnt pass even one inch past that point.
The ground was in mes. A body formed by magma stood still, blocking the ice from advancing.
The 3 to 4-meter tall figure had a dignified and imposing manner that even the ent couldntpete against. When the magma rumbled, the ming wings spread out and sted out sharp, ming waves that were like powerful des that disyed its unrivaled sharp edges. It cut everything before his eyes in half, including the moving ice and even Benz who controlled the ice!
The Powerful level st wave and Extreme level scorching mes were replies to the icy attack.
The ice that was hesitant to advance a moment ago waspletely shattered by the mes of [me st].
The ice that could cover the sky was vaporized in an instant, turning everything into steam.
As the steam rose, the st waves continued forth, heading towards Benz.
Even though he had formedyers of ice barriers in front of him to block the fiery st waves that caught him by surprise, he still underestimated the power of [me st].
His tenyers of ice barriers were instantly incinerated with one strike; the st wave tore Benz apart.
Pum!
Upon impact, Benz disappeared like the steam around him. Or more urately, he fused with the steam.
A malicious gaze emanated from inside the steam, which was how Devil Kieran knew what had just happened.
"He vaporized himself?"
Devil Kieran was shocked after seeing the gaze within the steam before his eyes. He never thought that Benz possessed such an ability but the shock in his heart did not slow down his actions at all.
Fuuuuu!
When the steamy mist swirled around to be a more dense and lethal form to enshroud the magma devil, a scorching energy that was even hotter than the previous strike erupted from the magma devils body. It instantly turned the mist around the devil into steam that rose.
At the same time, mystical runes on the 10-meter zing wings shone brightly again as it extended itself and pped hard, whipping up a powerful force.
The rising stream became even thinner and clearer because Benz in his steam form was caught by the force from the wings. The powerful force also prevented Benz from taking any proper position to attack.
Benz was forced to reveal himself.
Kabooom!
Just as Benz revealed himself, Kieran sted another [me st] at him in mid-air!
Kieran already understood the saying of "follow up on the victory with hot pursuit", let alone the fact that there was a time limit on [Transform Devil]. If he couldnt seize this chance, he would end up being the one to suffer instead.
The st wave struck hard on Benzs body which was covered in ice. The powerful impact and mes shattered the ice shield and Benzs own body with a single strike again.
Benz disappeared into the steamy mist once more but Kieran wouldnt give him the chance to fuse himself into the mist this time. Kieran pped his zing wings, dispersing the mist in the area in an instant.
"Hmph!"
After a heavy grunt, Benzs figure appeared beside the frozen cypress ent with an ugly stance; he was looking at Kieran with an anxious and doubtful gaze mixed with the intention to kill.
As one of the leaders of the Mutants, he never thought that any existence in this world could harm him before his Majesty was awakened. Even those who shared the same rank as him werent able to do so. Thus, Kierans presence broke his confidence.
While looking at the magma rumbling on the devils body and its horns that were upright high in the sky, Benzs sense of panic erged infinitely.
Even though Benz expelled his emotions the moment he noticed it, he was angered and embarrassed.
"I want you to die!"
Amidst his loud roar, he raised his right hand and pressed it into the cypress ent.
Instantly, a blue light shone out like an explosion.
Crack! Tsk Tsk!
The freezing started again but this time, Benz himself was also frozen together with the ent.
After a breaths time, Benz froze himself with the ent. The ent was resurrected under the heavyyers of ice coating, showing a different form.
The thick ice coating and the huge body size, as well as the ferocious features that formed on its tree crown, made it looked like the legendary frost giant.
"DIE!"
After bellowing a thunderous roarter, itunched its icy fist at Kieran.
The punch was as clumsy as ever but its strength and destructive power were enhanced in an unimaginable way.
The wind alone from the punch itself flipped the ruined grounds.
More importantly, a chilling force was mixed into the punch that struck panic and fear into peoples hearts as if it was going to freeze the entire block of Charlie Street.
Devil Kieran looked up at the punch. He bent his legs a bit and retracted his wings behind his back.
Wooosh!
He then jumped towards the frozen punch head on!
Kieran never thought of dodging, even for a punch like this. He was confident that in his devil form, his strength would not lose to any other existence.
The frost that could freeze an entire street was indeed extremely frightening but his mes were powerful enough to scorch the skies and boil the sea!
Dong!
Dong Dong!
Dong Dong Dong!
Inside the heart in his chest, the part where it seemed to have dried off a long time ago felt like it was infused with the morning dew at this particr moment.
That dried part of his heart came back alive, beating vigorously. Not only did ite back alive, it came back strong and powerful!
It was born from Kierans conviction of victory, transforming him into an existence that would never lose a fight.
The golden lion was awakened from its slumber. It stepped onto the empty space, shaking its golden mane and letting out a powerful roar at the sky. It symbolized that the king had returned!
The roar woke the tiny spider up as well. The Hell Fiend Spider with broken memories was wiggling its body as if it was unwilling to fall behind the lion. It buzzed softly at Devil Kieran.
The roar and the buzz gathered at a single spot, stimting the heart with its spirit.
The part of the heart where it was infused with the morning dew became even more energetic and lively. It even stimted a sense of Origin Force from within.
KABOOOM!
A loud explosion that shook heaven and earth went off from Devil Kierans chest. A me different from themon fire exploded from Kierans magma body.
The dense sulphuric presence instantly filled the realm.
Kieran who jumped towards the punch looked like he turned into a reverseet, sting towards the sky.
The fear from the natural instinct rose from Benzs heart. It made him feel like he was a vermin fighting a giant or like a mortal fighting a God!
"NOOOOOOOO!" Benz screamed out loud but it was toote.
Kieran who turned into aet collided hard with the huge frozen punch, shattering the fist with unparalleled strength. Everything went silent after that.
But this was just the start!
Chapter 421: Ghastly Sapphire
Chapter 421: Ghastly Sapphire
Trantor: Dess Editor: SSins
The moment the frozen fist shattered, time felt like it stopped.
The sshing frost and ice froze in mid-air. Only the zing mes kept burning higher up.
The unrivaled power entered the ents body through Kierans kick as it came in contact with the bark.
KABOOOM!
The frozen ent giant exploded. Every single piece of ice was ground into bubbles by the rampant strike and was vaporized by the burning mes.
Even Benz who vaporized himself shared the same fate.
When the fear and fright against the higher power aroused in his heart, Benz had left the ents huge body and was ready to escape after transforming himself into mist.
In fact, the reason why the huge ent body was crushed with a single hit was because Benz left the body. Otherwise, even with multiple skill buffs and enhancements, Kieran wouldnt have been able to take it down with one strike.
However, Benzs decision to escape with his mist form proved that he had incorrectly calcted the pattern again. His decision would have been the best option earlier but at this moment, it was the mistake that cost him his life.
The otherworldly mes spread like cancer that spreads through organs, moving together with the mist. Regardless of how Benz dodged, it was futile. When the mes touched Benz in his mist form, he was finished!
Without a real body, his sou burned from the mes that came from hell, vaporizing his conscience in an instant.
Ding!
A quail egg that was the size of a ghastly blue sapphire fell from the air, emanating an orange glow.
Kieran picked it up with his hand.
[Name: Ghastly Sapphire]
[Type: Gemstones]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attributes: ???]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: You will need some professional to appraise it!]
...
"A gemstone that needs to be appraised? And its even a Rare one!" Kieran squinted.
It was not the first time he came across gemstones. However, none of them were at a Rare rank like [Ghastly Sapphire] or needed to be appraised.
However, Kieran was happier this way. It meant that [Ghastly Sapphire] had unparalleled value!
Compared to the sapphire, the other equipment was much more direct. One was a pitch ke ring without any embeddings or carvings. It looked like it was nothing more than a simple ck ring.
However, those who underestimated this ring would surely suffer from consequences.
[Name: Darkness Grave]
[Type: essory]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attack/Defense: None]
[Attribute: Within a 50-meter range, create a 25-meter radius of supernatural darkness. Living beings shrouded in the darkness will have to go through Strength, Constitution, and Spirit authentication that is not lower than a B rank. Failure of Strength authentication will result in binding for 5 seconds. Failure of Constitution authentication will result in receiving a Strong darkness energy attack. Failure of Spirit authentication will result in the inducement of a Strong level illusion attack. Failing two of the three authentications will result in receiving a Heavily Wounded State attack and Lethally Wounded State if all three fail.]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: This is a delicate replica of a great item!]
...
"A delicate replica? What a fearsome ability!" Kieran eximed.
He had no idea how Edgar, the leader of the Night race, could forge these replicas from the "great items" but one thing was for sure, Edgar was powerful. He was out-of-this-world powerful!
The danger level from Edgar should far exceed Benzs, the one who just fought against him.
There was a limit to how powerful Benz was but Edgar was different!
There was no prerequisite on the [Darkness Grave] replica!
In other words, should Kieran face him in the future, Edgar might create tons of delicate replicas for his usage and more importantly, the fact that he could forge them with his hands meant that the original "great items" were in his possession as well!
The delicate replica alone was already a Rare rank. What would the rank of the original item be then?
"Above Legendary?" Kieran pondered.
Then, he observed up his surroundings and after confirming that there was no lingering danger, he removed his devil form which had only a few seconds left.
The sulphuric sense faded off and mes slowly dimmed to nothing. Magma hardened into rocks. Then, Kieran broke out of the rock encasement like a butterfly that breaks out of its cocoon.
The wind blew off the hardened magma, bit by bit, eventually scattering them into dust that the wind carried away.
Nothing was left behind except a ruined Charlie Street.
The entire Charlie Street waspletely destroyed by the fight between Kieran and Benz. Not only was it leveled to the ground but craters were all over the ce. Burnt marks tainted what was left of the road and traces of frost were everywhere.
The only spot spared from the destruction was where Herbert and the others were with the two wagons.
Both Kieran and Benz had purposely avoided that spot during their fight so when everything ended, that spot became an ind in the sea of rubble.
"What a fearsome power!"
Herbert eximed when he came out of the wagon. The elderly schr inspected Keiran with an odd gaze that was mixed with astonishment and judgment but most of all, disbelief.
"2567, you are one of the Nobles as well?" The elderly schr asked.
"Nobles? No!" Kieran was stunned for a while before he responded. The Nobles that Herbert mentioned were different than the Nobles that Kieran had in mind. He thought he was using the alternative name for the Mutants.
"Is that so? Well whether you are or not, I have to thank you once again! Thank you, 2567!"
Herbert nodded and his face showed that he seemed to understand what Kieran said.
Kieran saw Herberts expression which showed that "I know you have your difficulties, I understand!". He couldnt help but frown but he didnt exin further.
Humans were used to being prejudiced by their first impressions. After the impression was branded in their brain, it was not something that a couple of words could scrape off.
Instead of wasting his energy exining, he decided to rather focus his thoughts on something more productive, which was to analyze the changes in his body from before.
Although the changes were minimal and the system didnt notify him, he was clearly able to feel the changes of [Fusion Heart], let alone the one-of-a-kind me that burst from his devil form.
"So there are still secrets that I dont know about [Fusion Heart]?" Kieran muttered in his heart.
He had this spection a long time ago, and he just verified that his spection was true.
[Fusion Heart] was imnted into his body with the most brutal and violent method possible. It only prolonged his life temporarily and because it was with such a violent method, there were tons of side effects. Also, some abilities that should have appeared remained hidden away as well.
Kieran didnt rant about how unfair it was. He was happy to just be alive. Aside from that, staying alive meant that he could excavate the hidden abilities within his chest and clear all the other lurking dangers at the same time.
Of course, the process would require time and would have to be done, step by step.
It was not the time for that though. The priority was to send Pierre and the others back to Landers mansion and get them medical treatment.
However, on their way back, Kieran ran into someone who he least expected.
"Hey, Contly! It has been awhile!" Kieran still proceeded with a greeting but he quietly moved in front of Herbert to shield him.
Chapter 422: Unknown Intentions
Chapter 422: Unknown Intentions
Trantor: Dess Editor: SSins
Contly, the self-proimed bounty hunter, was actually one of the guardians of Isogu City.
Back in [Ancient City Foreign Matter], she coborated with Kieran to take down Bartos. Because of their cooperation, it made Kieran more vignt against her.
It was not just because of her strength. It was also because of her identity.
As one of the guardians of Isogu City, she was a guard who was left behind by the Neegor Dynasty King.
Some of her group deviated and got lost in the path, turning them into Night monsters.
What about the remaining ones?
Were they the ones who obeyed the hint in the tablet, aiming to reform Isogu City? Or were they the older fashioned guardians which took the warning seriously?
Kieran couldnt know which is why she closely observed her.
"I mean no harm! Can we talk somewhere else?"
Contly waved her short bob red hair and asked Kieran directly.
"Sure, of course. But youll have to wait!"
Kieran pointed at Pierre and the others who were still unconscious on the ground.
"Not a problem. Ille back for youter!"
Then, Contly leaped up to the rooftop of the closest house and disappeared after a couple jumps and flips. She possessed a nimble body and moved as light as feather.
Just after Contly left, he heard a series of messy footsteps.
It was Roshen and his men, arriving at the scene a second toote.
Roshen was astonished when he saw that Charlie Street was leveled to the ground; he turned to Kieran with an unbelievable look on his face.
If he was still reluctant when Herbert said earlier that he would need at least ten thousand fully armed men to deal with the situation, this reluctance vanished when he saw the scene.
Based on the information he received, the scene before him was caused by two men.
One was an unknown individual and the other was Kieran who was standing before him!
"What a monster!"
Roshen thought this, his heart racing wildly, but he continued speaking to Kieran with even more respect.
"Sir 2567. Sir Herbert. Do you need me to call for some wagons?"
"That will be great!" Kieran said with a smile.
Kieran had guessed what Roshen was thinking.
Since it was such a greatmotion, it was not hard for anyone who had a brain to know. However, Kieran refused toment on Roshen.
He wasnt concerned about a natives change of attitude when he could barely consider the native a friend and was not rted to the main mission.
After Roshen called for help, three more wagons appeared before Kieran and Herbert that sent them back to Landers mansion in a swift but steady pace.
Back in Landers mansion, Landers own house doctor and a couple more of the best doctors in the city were waiting for them.
Herbert was relieved when he saw the doctors move Pierre and the others into the room specially emptied out for them.
The worries in the elderly schrs heart were finally free; Lander also shared the same feelings.
The father of the young man heard from his doctor state that although his sons arm was broken, it was not crippled. All they needed was some chiropractic treatments and a casing over his hand for it to fully be healed after some recuperation.
"Thank you for bringing Harold back to me!" Lander turned around and expressed his gratitude to Kieran and Herbert.
"This was my mistake. I led them to harms way in the first ce. If you really wanted to thank someone, you should thank 2567 here. Fortunately for him, everything proceeded smoothly!"
Herbert waved out of shame. His character and well-educated personality would never allow himself to ept such thanks. In fact, he was full of apologies at that moment.
Kieran easily saw what Herbert was thinking. The expression on his face was too easy for him to read.
"Leave the rest to the professional doctors. They will be fine in no time! For the time being, all we have to do is wait patiently!"
Kieran pointed to the sofa at a side and diverted the topic. At the same time, he went over his sub missionpletion notifications.
[Sub mission: Escaping threats (Complete)]
[All rted personnel was saved, Perfect rating!]
Frankly speaking, like all the previous missions that gave ratings, a Perfect rating was quite hard to achieve. Kieran knew clearly if it wasnt for [Fusion Heart]s variety of skills, it wouldnt have turned out so well for him despite having the goal to clear every sub mission and title dungeon with his best efforts except when he came across a mini-boss like Benz.
Without the heart, Kieran at most could have onlypleted the basic requirements and escaped with Herbert. If he was lucky, he might have been able to save one or two from Pierres group.
After all, Benzs abilities had far exceeded the dungeons difficulty.
In fact, for othermon yers, once they realized the signs pointed at the Mutants, they would have definitely persuaded Herbert to look at the bigger picture. Given Herberts character, the chances of sessfully persuading him would have been quite high.
Of course, the rewards of that decision would have been obvious as well. It might not have even provided the yer with a basic reward.
"Raising the dungeon rating means that I need to face a greater risk, and to face greater risks, I need more strength and power. To get that, I would need higher dungeon ratings..."
"Its aplete death cycle!" Kieran eximed softly.
He felt utterly grateful in his heart. If it wasnt for his luck in the newbie dungeon and Lawlesss guidance, he would probably be lost in the sea ofmon yers.
Maybe it wouldnt turn out like exactly like that but it probably will be pretty close.
"Whenever there is a risk, there is a reward!" Kieran thought.
Compared to the real worlds harshness where there might not even be a reward, at least the scale was bnced in the virtual world, even if it was more dangerous. With such fairness in the game, it was enough to change a lot of things like Kieran himself at that very moment.
Because of the fairness of the game, it made him stronger, exceeding the dungeons difficulty with his abilities and granting him more advantages and benefits. Kieran, of course, wouldnt mind widening his advantages as well. Thus, he sat down on the sofa and thought about the targets that would grant him more rewards.
The Night Race! Or more precisely, the current leader of the Night race. That leader possessed the abilities to forge replicas from great items. Edgar!
Kieran has longed for the "great items" since he saw the descriptions and what moved his heart was the technology to forge the replicas out of it.
Quantity will incite changes in quality. Kieran had a deep understanding of this saying.
Although he knew better, it would be a more difficult task to acquire the great items themselves than to acquire the technology to forge the replica out of it.
It would be harder than flying to the moon.
Yet, it was notpletely out of the question.
Kieran recalled the Mutants and their leader that he just killed, Benz.
The war going on between the Mutants and the Nights seemed to provide him an opportunity to take advantage of.
It was also possible for the Mutants to scatter in the wind after their leader got killed, given that the Mutants were under a singlemand.
However, regardless of the oue, it was only going to grant Kieran more chances. Without the control from their leader, he wondered what the Mutants will do next?
Kieran was quite looking forward to their actions.
The most likely oue was an election of a new leader, simr to the Nights.
After Bartos went down, Edgar took his ce.
However, no matter how often both sides changed its leaders, Kieran had one absolute advantage over them.
It was Herbert!
The Mutants or Nights races were determined to get information about the location of the seal and incantation of the Neegor Dynasty king.
It was the insurance for Kieran to get more chances.
Since the elderly schr was getting more important, Kieran was also determined to protect him with diligence.
Kieran also needed to remove every potential danger elements around him. He took a deep breath and asked Herbert, "Herbert, what do you think about Contly?"
Chapter 423: Uncontrollable Flames
Chapter 423: Uncontroble mes
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
"Contly? She definitely has other intentions! Though I dont want to doubt those who once traveled with us, but her appearance was too much of a coincidence. She must have reached Herl City a while ago, mixing around with the bounty hunters and mercenaries. She wouldnt have not known what you did a day before, but she didnt appear! Instead, after your battle with the leader of the Nobles, she appeared out in a hurry! Aside from all that, we couldnt verify who she was either!"
Herbert answered after muttering softly to himself.
He was doubting Contly was a Night monster in disguise or some other kind of monster.
Kieran didnt object, but he doubted Contly as herself even more.
After all, that kind of temperament and skills couldnt be imitated that easily.
However, Kieran didnt refute Herberts saying, but he rephrased his question in perspective of Contly as the guardian of Isogu City.
As the expert in this field, Herbert had more rights in saying, but Kieran was disappointed.
Herbert could only reply to his question with a bitter smile.
"Even after many years of studying Neegor Dynastys history, I couldnt confirm what roles the guardians of Isogu City are ying... Because this has exceeded the study itself, but it is a matter of human heart! From the beginning of time, the mostplicated thing was the human heart!"
The conversation ended with Herberts exmation.
Kieran continued waiting for Contly to show herself. He was patient enough to find out what she was there for.
Though as hours turned into days, Kieran didnt expect Contly went silent for a whole two weeks.
Thest word that she left behind, "Not a problem, Ill find youter!" had be nothing but an empty promise. However, the unusuality didnt make Kieran anxious by any means; instead, he became more patient.
The more unusual she was, the higher the chance she was hiding something.
The moment Contly appeared would be the moment problem arrived.
Kieran waited on patiently and quietly.
During the ten days out of the two weeks, the treatment went well for Pierre and the others.
Other than Cass, Joannas wagoner who suffered a permanent injury, the others hadpletely stabilized, especially Becker.
Becker was the big bloated guy that Kieran brought back; he didnt shame his tensile skin and flesh and the abilities of fast healing. On the second day he was brought back, after a full meal, he could run around behind Herbert already; most of the time was because of food.
As for the sealed location and the study of the incantations, only Harold and Cohen could provide help to Herbert.
Even though Kieran had Pro level [Mystical Knowledge] already, the incantations to open the seal was one-of-a-kind, it didnt only consist of mystical knowledge but mixed with some unique cultural influence from Neegor Dynasty, which tied Kierans hands since he knew almost nothing about the ancient kingdom.
So when Herbert led his students to study the incantations, Kieran went on with his own.
He was studying about [The Fallens Eye] and the Creature of Desire, or more precisely, Eye of Chimeras!
However, the efforts that Kieran spent in studying both were futile. The Eye of Chimeras didnt provide any reaction at all, as if the test from thest time scared it away.
Even when Kieran wasted one usage of [The Fallens Eye], the result was the same.
Compared to the silent Eye of Chimeras, the other part of [Fusion Heart] was sprouting its energy from time to time.
The energy that belonged to the devil was circting in his body in a special way, almost simr to [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] but entirely different.
The violent energy was like the wildest horse, running rampant in Kierans body, but it didnt sh with the warm stream of [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art], it only...
Fuuu!
A small fire spark appeared on Kierans left index finger, lighting the book in Kierans hand on fire. Kieran tried his best by pping the fire away but the book plus the carpet was a goner.
"Im sorry!" Kieran apologized to Herbert for interruping during his studies.
The elderly schr nodded in a kind manner and went back into his trance while Kieran was staring nkly at his left hand.
He knew the sudden spark of fire was not a coincidence, but because of [Charless Fire].
[Name: Charless Fire (Master)]
[Rted Attribute: None]
[Skill Type: Offense]
[Effect: Create fire with your finger, attack is Weak, burn continuously]
[Special Effect: Lineage Fire (Your bloodline is suitable to cast fire element magic, after charging 5 seconds, increase fire elemental damage by 1)]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Constitution B]
[Remark: This is a spell without incantations, casting gesture and casting time. A skill created by the alchemy master fusing ancient hidden knowledge together!]
[Note: You have acquired this skill through learning, not through a Skill Book. Therefore, you cannot upgrade it with Points and Skill Points. If you want to level it up, you will need to continue learning or acquire a Skill Book!]
...
Kieran again went over the description of Master level [Charless Fire]. With the buff from [Fiery Sulphur], the fire attack from [Charless Fire] had reached Average level.
Following Kierans Constitution reaching A, [Charless Fire]s level was increased again and the attack was enhanced to Strong level; it became one of themon offensive measures for him.
Truth be told, it was also one of the biggest downside of [Charless Fire].
The prerequisite was a major rank increase in Constitution!
Without the buff from [Fiery Sulphur], he would at least need a S rank Constitution to be able to use itmonly and the leveling cost would be a headache for him even if [Charles Fire] didnt have any consumption when used.
However, Kieran was not concerned about that because everything was unfolding ording to his n.
Until the battle with Benz, the part of [Fusion Heart] which belonged to the devil overlord was triggered by something and it altered [Charless Fire] in some way.
The name, effects and attributes didnt change, but a newly added special effect, [Lineage Fire]!
[Special Effect: Uncontroble Lineage Fire II (Although your bloodline is suitable for fire magic, you havent control itpletely. After charging 5 seconds, fire elemental damage +1, but has high chances an explosion, misfire. (Able to damage friend or foe!)]
Although it was just the special effect that changed, it became a undetermined variable to Kieran since he was used to knowing well about himself and nning ahead.
Kieran disliked such a variable, let alone the effect it might cause during a battle.
In battles that could cost him his life at the slightest mistake, Kieran would never put the skill to use. Aside from that, he needed to solve the problem as soon as possible.
Following how fast was Herbert studying and deciphering the incantations, there would be an inevitable battle between them, the Mutants and the Night race.
Kieran wished not for some slight random mistakes during his battle, so he spent most of his time in the two weeks to control the fire.
The result were the ashes of the book and the big burnt hole in the carpet.
"Herbert, Ill go have some air outside!"
Kieran then walked out of the room.
Harold and Cohen in the room exchanged a gaze before they followed Kieran, leaving the room.
They had waited for this opportunity for a long time!
Chapter 424: Persuasion
Chapter 424: Persuasion
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
At the corridor beside the window, Kieran was looking at the Lander family fountain from afar.
It was mid autumn and the weather was turning cold. The fountain was dry for a while but the Goddess statue in the middle that was hugging a vase full of water was still a magnificent view.
The skillful sculpting of a master easily brought the statue to life, presenting it in a delicate and beautiful way.
Kieran was staring at the statue; his mind was reying Landers introduction of the fountain.
"This is one of the masterpiece left behind by Master Heathergor when he was young!"
Kieran had no idea who Heathergor was, but at least he knew how to admire a piece of beautiful sculpture.
From the moment heid eyes on the statue, Kieran knew it was from the hands of an incredible master, and he hoped that through observing the statue, he could rest his mind for a while and loosen the tense mental state of his.
Though it seemed like it was not a good day for that.
Harold and Cohens steps were too obvious, especially Cohen with his crutch. Even a normal man at a farther ce could hear it clearly; both of them were walking towards him.
"I am really helpless towards certain matters!"
Kieran turned around and saw both of them approaching and said it before they voiced out their intentions.
He knew why both of them were looking for him. It was about Joanna; her face was disfigured in the incident.
She was also one of Herberts student, butpared to Harold and Cohen which only suffered a broken hand and leg, as a girl, having her face disfigured was a regretful and sorry matter.
Herbert tried to persuade her in the two weeks period, but the results were near to nothing.
From the maidens and servants to Harold and Cohen, every one of their conversation served as information, allowing Kieran to know what condition Joanna was in.
She locked herself in a room and was not seeing anybody, including her own parents.
Kieran was not that arrogant to think that he had a much higher position that Herbert and her parents in the girls heart, plus the condition she was in. As far as position and importance was concerned, Kieran was not evenparable to Harold and Cohen.
Therefore, Kieran would not make himself unweed by her.
"I hope you can help Joanna. Other than you, I cannot think of anyone else that can help her!"
Cohen held onto his crutch and looked at Kieran with a begging expression.
"Yes, please sir! You are ourst hope!" Harold shared the same manner of speech.
Looking at these two students of Herbert, Kieran really wanted to ask where their confidence in him came from.
"If it was a fight or even about facing a powerful enemy, I might still have the courage to fight with all my might. But some things are bigger than just a powerful enemy. My hands are tied!"
Kieran shook his head and sighed.
"You said it yourself. Even against a powerful enemy, you still have the courage for a fight, so why not give it a try?" Harold asked once more.
"Yes! Just give it your best try. Even if you failed, who could me you?" Cohen followed up with his mates request.
At the same time, the system notification appeared.
[Discovered sub mission: Persuasion!]
[Persuasion: Joannas condition is worrisome to everyone. If you can lift Joannas spirit up, everyone will be grateful!]
...
Kieran was shocked over the system notification about the sub-mission.
No doubt it was out of his expectation that a sub mission would require him to persuade a native, but soon enough Kieran, held the matter to his heart.
ording to his understanding of the underground game, since the matter could appear as a sub mission, it meant that persuading Joanna would be difficult, extraordinarily difficult. But since the sub-mission had presented itself, Kieran wouldnt reject it anyhow.
"Fine! Ill go give it a shot then!"
Kieran said, and when he saw the delight on Harold and Cohens face, he added more. "No guarantees though!"
...
Joannas room was located on the second floor corridor on the left in Landers mansions main building. Kieran and the others were on the right side.
The whole second floor had guest rooms.
It was easy for Kieran to locate Joannas room since he had stayed in Landers mansion for more than two weeks.
Dok Dok Dok!
Kieran summed up his words and knocked at the door but no one answered.
Dok Dok Dok!
"Its me, Joanna!"
Kieran knocked on the door again, revealing who he was this time, yet no one answered.
Kieran raised a brow. He brought his ear to the door, trying to figure out what was going on.
When Kieran heard some unusual noise within the room, his was frightened.
He wanted to knock down the door instinctively, but just before he did so, something else came up to his mind.
In the end, Kieran decided to go with the less violent method: picking the lock with Musou level [Lockpicking]; it was easy since Kieran always had [Deceivers Key] with him.
Kieran unlocked the door and entered with almost no sound and trace. He slowly closed the door behind him as he entered. Kieran saw the bed sheet was hung over the beam above and Joanna had the bed sheet around her neck.
Kieran quickly went over and got her down. The suffocation knocked her out but it was not fatal. Kieran ced her back on the bed and took a chair, sitting beside the bed while waiting for Joanna to wake up.
After a few minutes, she opened her eyes.
She saw Kieran beside her bed and then saw the bed sheet hanging over the beam on the ceiling. She immediately knew what had happened since she was not dull. Joanna continued to keek quiet and buried herself in the nkets and pillow.
She didnt question Kieran or act hysterically, which made him feel more troubled.
At least if Joanna was willing to talk, Kieran could still try to talk her out of it.
But with the silence before him?
It forced Kieran to break the ice first, but with what kind of words?
Kieran was pondering over his words carefully, thinking of what he should say; a slight misstep would cause the situation go south very fast.
After thinking for a while, Kieran finally opened his mouth.
"Death is not the end of everything, maybe it is just a start! It might be even scarier than when you are alive! If its possible, you should be prepared before dying. At least you need to learn how to protect yourself before dying, otherwise you will end up in the same sorrowful condition you are in now!"
Kieran was very direct; it could also be considered harsh words to the girl.
His words were like knives making bloody wounds on Joannas heart, without even showing any sympathy, but at the same time, it was the words that Kieran had thought through.
Herbert and the others had made countless attempts tofort and persuade; if he followed their pattern, he would end up with the same result.
More importantly, such kind were useless to her, otherwise he wouldnt be beside Joanna. Therefore, Kieren thought he might need to advance from another perspective.
No doubt, his words were effective.
The pillow was thrown at his face, and at the same time, Joanna yelled, "GET OUT!"
Chapter 425: Clues
Chapter 425: Clues
Trantor: Dess Editor: SSins
Kieran caught the softly thrown pillow. He stared at Joanna who had rageful eyes.
"You are angry? Because I made you cry? Honestly, if it wasnt for Harold and Cohen, I wouldnt even be here at all, looking at you trying to die! It really is detestable!"
Kieran said this while pretending to give a coldugh in disdain. At the same time, he continued to inspect Joannas expression.
Although the girls face was covered by bandages and gauze, some micro-expressions and subtle changes of her eyes were enough for Kieran to tell. He continued.
"You feel wronged because I called you detestable? Then have you ever thought of the problems you will cause to the master of this house if you hang yourself here? Harold is your friend and this is how youre going to repay him? By dying in his house? If you really wanted to die, go find a hidden ce and dont trouble others. The best ce would be a ce where no one would notice you for a long time. After you die, your body will slowly rot to the point that it bes even more ugly and vicious than your wounds right now. Everyone whoy eyes on your rotten face will throw up and never hope to see you again!"
Kieran purposely lowered his pitch, describing the gruesome scene.
"Enough! Dont say anything more!" Joanna yelled.
"Fine. Then pack your things and go find a ce to die! Even when Herbert, Harold, and Cohen get worried about you, you still have a death wish! Be quick about it and dont waste everyones time!" Kieran nodded and said in a cold tone.
"I...I..." Joanna was dumbstruck as she was having difficulties forming whole sentences.
Death was a scary thing. Those who could get rid of the fear of death were able to do so because a certain impulse rushed into their heads. When the hot-blooded impulse faded, it was not easy to stare death right in the eyes. Regardless of how calm a person was, he or she would definitely feel estranged when death was in front of the person, let alone a young girl like her.
Maybe when she was alone, bathing herself in loneliness and despair shrouding over her, her death wish would be more sturdy. But when Kieran let himself in, everything changed.
"Dont want to die anymore? You want me to help you?"
Kierans blurted out a little threatening joke in his coldugh.
Even without any killing intents or emotions, the slight manner of speech scared Joanna to the corner of the bed. She trembled under the nket.
"Donte over! Ill scream!" She yelled.
"Though I really wanted to go with the flow and tell you to go ahead, even if you scream your lungs out, no one would hear you. What I wanted to say more is... since you dont really want to die, then dont torture yourself. Because when you do, you are also hurting those around you.
Harold and Cohen liked you. Both of them wouldnt abandon you just because of what happened to you. Dont you think its a wonderful thing?"
"Everything is a coin with two sides. Although the process is hard, after the suffering, you will get what you deserved! At least for now, you have twods that like you, not your face but you as a person! You should be happy, and dont let them wait for too long!"
"Here, drink this. Get changed and go see them. Talk to them and youll realize that its good to be alive!"
Kieran took the bowl of porridge besides the bed and handed it over to Joanna.
Joanna was extending her hands out doubtfully but she instantly cried out in surprise.
She saw a ball of fire appear in Kierans palm, reheating the cold porridge with the fire. The porridge was heated swiftly and its smell started to fill the whole room.
Kieran took away the porridge with his right hand and allowed the fire on his left to keep burning. The moment he carried the porridge, the devilish energy inside him lost control again.
He looked at the burning fire and Joanna with a shocked face. He frowned in his heart.
Kieran never thought that the devil energy would cause any unwanted problem at that moment. However, he didnt want to screw up what he was trying to teach Joanna when he was almost done with it just because of some ident.
So he pretended that he had control of the fire and moved it in front of Joanna.
"The world is much more fascinating than what you imagine. If you choose to leave now, youll miss out on a lot of things! And its better to drink the porridge while its still warm!"
As his words subsided, Kieran ced the porridge down, ready to head back outside.
Just as he turned around, he heard a dim voice from the girl.
"Thank you."
"No need to thank me."
Kieran then left the room without stopping any further.
Fuuum!
The fire on his left hand went off with astonishing speed. For the past two weeks, Kieran had concentrated extremely hard in studying [Charless Fire] and the rtionship between it and the devilish energy inside. He could tell clearly that the speed that the fire went out this time was quicker than previous times. It was at least three to four seconds faster.
No doubt it was good news for Kieran since he longed to gain control of the devilish energy but he had no clue at all how to.
Although the shorter time of the fire didnt mean he could control it, it was enough to provide him the directions where he should be heading.
"My previous conditions? Was my attention diverted? No, no, maybe its because I didnt try to suppress it, control it with force and the cover and the cautious heart about the devil energy was absent! Which means that even the power of the devil had emotions?"
Kieran recalled the situation and started to arrange his clues in his head.
He never dared to underestimate the power of the devil that could match the power of Eye of Chimeras. Since the Eye of Chimeras had emotions, why couldnt the power of the devil have emotions too?
It was the reason why Kieran was in a dilemma.
He was eager to control the devils power but he considered the power as a burden and a bringer of immense trouble, simr to how Eye of Chimeras had affected him and his desires. Yet considering this was the direct opposite of the emotions of the devils power. There was no doubt that it would only give him half the results with twice the effort, and even halt his progress.
"Now I see!"
Kieran let out a long breath of relief after realizing.
Then, he went on to wave at Harold and Cohen who had been waiting in front of Joannas door and left them with their business while he headed to Herberts room alone.
Kieran was anxious to test out his new theory. He didnt have any spare time to respond to both theds anymore. After all, the system notification did indicate that [Persuasion] has beenpleted.
Why not be in a single room so he could test out his theory alone?
It might be the best option. Whether he was thinking or testing, a private space for him was the best he could ask for, given that he wasnt obliged to the main mission of protecting Herbert.
A couple of days went by after that. Everything was progressing smoothly.
Kieran started to get a hang of his devils power as the days went by. Through the skilled practice, he had discovered the downsides of the devils power as well.
Maybe the devils power couldnt affect a persons state of mind directly like the Eye of Chimeras while its influence was much more subtle.
Kieran noticed every time he tested out the power with [Charless Fire] that he would be extremely grumpy and cranky for a few seconds after the test.
"So there are pros and cons as well?"
Kieran looked down at the ball of fire on his left hand, feeling the crankiness that rose in his heart without a reason. He couldnt help but sigh and get over it.
Then, Kieran threw the fireball in a straight line and itnded beside the outside window.
Bang!
Sparks and mes burst upon impact and it also revealed a staggering figure behind.
Chapter 426: Tricks
Chapter 426: Tricks
Trantor: Dess Editor: SSins
The infiltrator panicked. He didnt understand why he was discovered but he knew that if he didnt leave soon, he would end up dead.
Not only did the fire startle and make his heart tremble, killing intents were following tightly as well!
The killing intents were like tidal waves gushing towards him as if it was going to drown him any second now.
Without any further dy, the infiltrator turned around and made a run for it.
He ran as fast as a sprinting horse and leaped over a wall of Landers mansion which was 3 meters high. He made this leap with one jump. By the time the nearby guards noticed something, the infiltrator was long gone.
The infiltrator retreated using the route that he came from. He was shuttling through the entire wealthy block and the slums, circling one time at the train station. After confirmed that no one was following him, he returned to the hotel beside the train station.
The hotel was an old one but the business was going on decently just like its name, Old Stallion.
It seemed like every customer who stayed there was a frequent visitor.
After the infiltrator entered the hotel, he didnt greet anyone and no one greeted him. Instead, he went straight into his own room.
Inside the room, his receiver has been waiting for him for quite some time.
"You failed?"
The receiver was not surprised when he saw the infiltratore back empty handed. Even though his words were with doubts, his face showed that he expected the oue.
"That 2567 is much stronger and sharper than we thought! Aside from that, he might be a Noble as well. And not just any Noble but a high-rank Noble!"
The infiltrator nodded and spilled what he found out.
"A high-rank Noble? Are you sure?" The receiver was not buying what he heard.
"Other than a high-rank Noble, who else do you know who can control fire?"
The infiltrator took his special coated outfit down and threw it to the receiver.
The outfit was ck, seemingly burnt by fire.
"So he really can control fire!" The receiver said in shock and muttered to himself uncontrobly.
"Its no wonder that the Benz fe died in battle. Who wouldve thought that he came across a high-rank Noble. Their powers countered each other! Although I dont really like Benz, his capabilities as a leader were real and 2567 suppressed him single-handedly..."
Then, both of them entered a short period of silence.
"I need to move. Its too dangerous for me since I exposed myself against such monsters! Ill head on to location 4 to standby!" The infiltrator wanted to head out after he said so.
"Hmm. I need to report back to master as well. The ns must change for now, otherwise..."
The receiver was not nning on staying as well but just as the infiltrator opened the room door, a palm extended into the room and pressed on his face.
Fuuuu!
A ball of fire erupted from the hand.
The fire burned widely on the face and before the infiltrator could breathe, he suffocated and passed out. The receiver quickly ran towards the window without even thinking. He wanted to break out through the window but Kieran was one step ahead.
After a sh, Kieran appeared before the receiver andunched a kick. Before the receiver could react, his neck felt Kierans foot and he ended up like the infiltrator: knocked out cold.
Looking at the two Mutants that were passed out on the floor, Kieran grabbed both of them and pushed open the window before disappearing into the night.
Although Kieran arranged some countermeasures around Herbert, it could only do so much. If he left Herbert by himself for too long, something was bound to go wrong.
Therefore, even though Kieran was eager to probe information out of these two Mutants, he didnt stay at the hotel room to interrogate them.
Kieran moved at top speed. He reached Landers mansion in less than 2 minutes.
If the infiltrators speed was like a stallion, then Kierans speed was like the Night Owl. Not only was he faster, he was also stronger and packed with explosive power.
Technically, it was a suppression from a different kind of being. As a matter of fact, if Kieran didnt want the infiltrator alive, he wouldnt have escaped in the first ce.
...
Back in Landers mansion in the small living room on the first floor.
After Kieran, Herbert and the others moved in temporarily, the small living room has be their activity room. They deciphered the incantations, discussed and held all sorts of meetings there.
Everyone was fully armed and gathered there including Pierre who had recovered.
Especially the big fellow, Becker who even donned a whole body of iron armor, guarded beside Herbert who was holding a spiked club that was as thick as amon mans waist, looking very intimidating.
Pierre was at the window side, holding flintlock pistols in both of his hands. After ncing over the courtyard, the corner of his eyes was looking at the big fellow who was extremely eye-catching among the bunch.
Although Pierre hated to admit it, he couldnt deny that the big fellow had the highest fighting capabilities among them other than Kieran.
His strong and tensile body, as well as his astonishing strength, made him a formidable opponent if his intellect was not too low.
Even so, Pierres heart was like beating drums. He knew clearly who his opponents were.
If they were justmon humans, he had the confidence to take out ten of them at once. But if they were Mutants, hecked confidence even though he had been fully prepared.
After all, what he had been through before was the best proof. Those within the room, at least half of them, shared the same mentality.
As for the other half, they were overflowing with confidence and all of them shared this simrity.
All their confidence originated from Kieran, including Herbert, Joanna, and Pelby who understood this.
Becker on the other hand though shared none of those concepts.
What was fear... worriness to him? Was it edible? Or in a better sense, were fear and worry delicious?
Dong, Dong, Dong!
"Who is it!?" Pierre asked anxiously.
"Its me!"
After Kieran replied, Pierre let out a breath of relief and Pelby went over swiftly and opened the door.
"Wee back my master!" Pelby bowed down to salute.
"Go get some ropes and cold water," Kieran ordered Pelby and he pointed at the two Mutant captives.
"Right away!" Pelby went out swiftly after he was given an order.
Herbert tapped the big fellow, signaling that it was safe for the time being and he stood up, walking over to the front of the two captives.
After he sized up the captives, he looked at Kieran and Kieran looked at him.
Then, both of them spoke after one another.
"His patience is running out!"
"Or should I say, theyve prepared themselves!"
"We need to hurry up then. Otherwise, we will be forced into a premature battle!"
"Since the spies are here, that means that the battle is inevitable since its being moved forward. We could try to get the best advantages we could get!"
"Its hard!"
"That is why we need to y some tricks!"
Both of them paused after that, Herbert gave it some thought before continuing.
"What kind of tricks?"
"I only have a general idea. Well figure some more outter!"
Kieran pointed at the captives aside.
Most of the bunch in the living room widened their eyes at Kieran and Herbert, having absolutely no idea what were they talking about.
Only Joanna had a flicker in her eyes, seemingly understanding something.
Chapter 427: Chance
Chapter 427: Chance
Trantor: Dess Editor: SSins
A convoy departed from Landers mansion during the night.
The convoy consisted of five wagons and had more than thirty guards and escorts with it.
After leaving Herl City, the convoy headed north from midnight until sunset. After a full day of traveling, the convoy stopped at a shelter area and the guards built a temporary camp to rest.
Some of the guards and escorts were cooks and they started making dinner while the rest kept a lookout around the perimeter, searching for potential pursuers.
Harolds father and Joannas parents were sitting together, whispering about something.
They were doubtful about this "trip" as they didnt even know the destination. However, their trust towards their children and the abnormalities that happened in Herl City for the past few days persuaded them to listen to Herberts advice.
Of course, Herberts well-known reputation from the old days made him more reliable in convincing them.
"May everyone be safe throughout the journey!"
Joannas father was a middle-aged gentleman and her mother was a delicate and beautifuldy. Both of them shared the same worries about the current situation.
"Worry not. Ive brought my familys most loyal guards and escorts. Besides that, we still have Sir 2567 with us!" Harolds father said with confidence.
When he mentioned Kieran, his tone sounded unnatural. Not only was this because Kieran took control of the spy in front of him but it was also because of what happened at Charlie Street. He was also an indirect participant in that incident and had a lot of knowledge about the context behind it. When he saw Charlie Street get obliterated, the shock in his heart raged like frightful storms and violent tides.
The perspective of amon person would be toppled over when they experienced such events. Yet the toppled perspective made Lander trust Kieran even more, allowing him to be even more confident in relying on Kieran.
So when Lander had gotten the news from Herbert that this "trip" was proposed by Kieran, he agreed without hesitation.
"Lander, you seem to trust that bounty hunter a lot, dont you?"
Joannas father looked at Lander, trying to observe everything with his gaze.
Since their children were the best of friends, the rtionship between both parents was quite good as well. In fact, both sides were friends from the previous generation. It started with their grandparents, so Joannas father knew quite well what kind of person Lander was.
The fact that Lander could truly trust a person to that extent within such a short period was quite rare and astonishing.
Unless...
Some other thoughts appeared in Joannas fathers heart but Lander didnt give any reply. Instead, he just waved his hand and pointed to the furthest wagon which belonged to Kieran.
...
The four-wheeled wagons carriage was very spacious.
The front and back seats that faced each other could hold six, maybe seven men. After stuffing a huge backpack, the spacious carriage became cramped although there was still more than enough space to fit another three people.
Kieran nced over his two captives. One of them quivered and the other was saying "Master" with a respectful tone.
After hearing that word, the one who was quivering got even more nervous.
Rien never thought that he was a coward. After all, as a Mutant, he had witnessed too many things that themon folks werent even aware of. Frightening matters to themon ears were just ordinary tales to him.
As far as those matters were concerned, he was a participant as well. The serial murder case that went wild in Herl City a while back was his nifty work.
Rien spared no mercy to the Night race. He resorted to his most brutal and harsh methods to deal with those failures and betrayals of the experiments.
Yet Rien was like a helpless girl facing a hulking brute when he sensed Kierans gaze on him.
He could only quiver harder than before, unable to resist Kieran.
In fact, up until now, Rien couldnt understand why Sven, his partner, would suddenly turn on him, not only addressing Kieran as master but also answering all of his questions. Even the most secretive matters about the Mutants were revealed before him without any hesitation.
It was too profound for him toprehend. Even as a Mutant himself, Rien never saw anything like this, though he did hear some rumors before.
ording to the legends, his Majesty, the king of Neegor Dynasty, possessed abilities to control ones mind.
"Damn it, damn it, damn it! Everyone underestimated our enemy! This guy here is not some high-rank Noble. He is the direct bloodline to the king himself: a Royal! Only a Royal could possess such abilities! But why would a Royal appear here? Grouping himself with themons? Maybe some unpredictable changes happened to his Majestys seal?" Riens gears were turning fast in his head.
At the same time, the panic and fear of the unknown spread throughout his heart.
Right after that, Kieran finally made his move.
[Mesly Ring]s cooldown has been reset, emanating its shine once more that one could barely notice. Rien stopped thinking abruptly. When he regained his ability to think, he gazed at Kieran with respect, seemingly treating Kieran as the person that he was born to serve.
"My Master! Rien reporting!"
Rien kneeled on one knee and gave a salutation of the ancient, simr to Sven beside him.
"Rien, tell me your ns again. Fill up the gaps in Svens statement." Kieran said slowly.
"Yes, my master! Mozorc and Edgar had formed an alliance. They are eager to make their move! Not only had they sent me and Sven for recon, he also got a hold of Contlys weakness. They wanted to use masters acquaintance with her to keep an eye out of your whereabouts..."
Rien said everything he knew andpared to Sven, his side of the information was much more constructive.
Especially the part about Contly.
"Being held by her weakness... so she was controlled?"
Kieran squinted his eyes, recalling the guardian of Isogu City.
It was unusual for her to not show up as promised and it seemed like she did at least try to resist the control over her but the effect was self-exnatory.
At least now, the enemies were still very vignt but the alliance between the Mutants and Nights were out of Kierans expectation.
Based on Svens words, Kieran knew that Bartos led the Night race and betrayed the Mutant race in the past. The Mutant race just suffered a huge loss that almost exterminated their entire race.
Given such a grudge between both parties, an alliance was quite surprising.
"Are my actions too overbearing during that battle? Is it causing them to feel threatened by me? Or did the Night race offered some irresistible benefits to the Mutants?" Kieran muttered.
He was never an arrogant person so he leaned towards thetter.
Especially when thetter was rted to Edgar who could forge replicas out of great items, Kieran guessed that Edgar must have offered something from his side.
It might very well be one of the "great items", but regardless of what it was, the alliance formed between two race was already done. The dominated Mutants wouldnt be able to lie to him.
After getting affirmative news, Kieran fortified his thoughts for his "escape n".
If Kieran waited until the Night and the Mutant races were fully prepared in their setups, it would result in disaster after disaster, like frost being added to the snow...
Only when they left Herl City, the ce where the enemies had plotted for a long time, Kieran would have the chance to catch them off guard with a chance to strike back.
Of course, escaping was just a name. Kieran would never escape by all means. It was not his style.
He preferred to counterattack with a lethal strike!
"Master! Lady Contly request an audience!"
Pelby, the dominated guard, knocked on the carriage door and delivered the message softly.
Kieran lifted the corner of his mouth.
"This is the chance to strike back!"
Chapter 428: Counterattack
Chapter 428: Counterattack
Trantor: Dess Editor: SSins
Kieran met the guardian of Isogu City once more at a corner of the temporary camp.
Contly was still carrying that box that was about a persons height: a meter wide and two knuckles thick. One would know that it was extremely heavy with a nce; her hearty look was slightly dull though.
Before Kieran could speak a word, Contly rushed ahead and spilled hers in an anxious manner.
"The Night race and the Mutant race have forged an alliance. Our remaining people can no longer remain neutral. Although Ive tried, the results changed little to none! Everything is useless!"
Her anxious tone elevated the shocking contents even more. Not only did she exin the pinch ahead, she even exined why she didnt show up before.
More importantly, everything she said was the truth. Kieran could easily verify them by sending a couple of men to investigate.
Kieran was even confident that if he sent some men out to investigate, his men would return with news that was like discovering the pursuers had cornered them or something simr.
From the look of things, Sven and Rien being missing, and Kieran leaving the mansion with the convoy were already known facts to the Mutant race leader, Mozorc. He swiftly made ns to counter Kierans moves.
That was why Contly appeared before Kieran: to bring forth logical reasons...
However, a dull face like hers spilling such truth was ufortable to Kieran. It was not just Kieran. Anyone who saw her face and listened to what she said would doubt her words.
When Kieran looked into Contly eyes, he realized something in his heart.
Contly was not willing to be someones puppet.
"So this is to remind me? But with such ways... she must have something on her that could transfer sounds or even transfer a view of the scene here with a certain angle very far away!"
With Kierans increasing understanding of the dungeon world before him, he didnt exclude the possibilities that the Night race or Mutant race possessed some simr tools.
After all, both of his enemies were from the dynasty that conquered the world 1,500 years ago.
No one knew what gifts they received from ancient times. Still, Kieran knew how to y along with Contly.
"Its even faster than I imagined! Thank you for your notice in advance, Lady Contly. Ill send some men to investigate and we will talk in detail when they return!" Kieran frowned and pretended to sigh.
"Very well!" Contly nodded and the dullness on her face went away. Her face returned to the image that Kieran had of her in his mind.
Then, Contly turned around and headed towards the campfire.
While looking at Contlys back, Kieran signaled with his hand and Pelby ran over instantly.
"Master!" The dominated bodyguard bowed down respectfully.
"Bring some men and go check the paths that we came from. Inform me if you find anything!" Kieran said.
"Yes, master!" Pelby bowed once more before turning around to some of the familiar bodyguards.
After around two minutes, horses galloped away.
Everyone in the temporary camp was shocked by the sudden galloping but almost everyone saw Kieran discussing something with Pelby before Pelby went off with a small squad right away.
Their movements told everyone that something must have happened.
A disturbed atmosphere rose in the camp. Herbert even had to step out andfort everyone with his words, despite the fact that it was just for a while.
"We need to hurry up now. This situation brings us at a total disadvantage! The speed of the reactions from the Nights and Mutants exceeded our expectation. We can not afford to dy any more!"
Herbert went over to Kierans side, mimicking Kierans manner and sitting on the floor before saying it softly.
"Mm, I understand!" Kieran nodded and he nced over Contly with the corner of his eyes.
They were at least 10 meters apart. He didnt know whether the tool on Contly could receive the sounds where he was but it didnt really matter if it couldnt.
Everything was proceeding as nned.
After an hour, Pelby came back. The other guards that followed returned with a frightened expression.
Everyones hearts skipped a beat when they saw the scene.
"There are five hundred fully armed men behind us and closing. Its around 20 miles from here!"
Pelby revealed what he saw.
Everyone instantly gasped when they heard the news.
Their convoy had less than thirty men in total, but there were five hundred pursuers on their tail, almost twenty times their numbers. The stress from the numerical disadvantage instantly sent everyone into a state of despair.
"Maybe they arent chasing after us?" Someone pretended to y a joke but no one responded.
The atmosphere was getting denser by the second. Sorrow and despair spread through the air.
Based on his calctions and a quick nce, Kieran determined that it was almost time. He stood up immediately and headed towards the campfire.
Promptly, his actions gathered all the attention from the others.
"Get moving everyone. Ditch all of your useless belongings and move on lightly! Ill try to buy enough time for you guys!" Kieran said loudly to the crowd.
"Yeah, thats right! 2567 and I will try to buy as much as possible. You people better start moving!" Herbert nodded and squeezed himself out of the crowd before headed towards Kierans side.
"Professor!"
"Sir Herbert!?"
Harold, Cohen, Joanna and their parents were dumbstruck as they were looking at the elderly schr in a nk gaze.
"They are after me! My departure will make you guys safe..."
"Professor!"
His students interrupted his words once again but before his students could continue, Herbert quickly followed up with a wave of a hand.
"Dont show such sad faces now. Im not sending myself to die. 2567 is with me! Even against thousands upon thousands of men and soldiers, Ill be fine! And dont try to say something about how you want toe along. 2567 is powerful but he cant guarantee everyones safety at once!"
"Now, get moving!" Herbert made his tone even stricter at the end, sounding as firm as ever.
His students hesitated for a while before taking immediate actions.
Their gazes towards the duo besides the campfire hadplicated reactions. It was a mix of relief and disturbed conscience.
They knew the trouble originated from Herbert and that it would be best for Herbert to solve it with his hands if Kieran was not around!
Although no one dared to say something like that, most of them had a tacit acknowledgment in their hearts.
When Kieran was added to the mix, everything was different.
ording to their rtionship, they, his students, should be the ones standing beside Herbert but at that moment, the nearer kin was running for their lives and leaving Herbert behind in the hands of a mere acquaintance.
It made them ashamed of themselves. Blush smeared all over their faces.
Harold and Cohen were breathing rapidly. Both youngds exchanged a nce, seemingly plotting something. Although Lander as the father knew his son more than anyone, he ordered a couple of the guards to surround Harold and Cohen and escorted both of them into the wagon. The same went for Joanna.
"Father, mother, I wont act impulsively. I only wanted to say something to the professor and 2567. I promise!" The young girl told her parents with a calm tone but her parents knew perfectly well. Such calmness came from her stubborn side.
"You promise?" Her father emphasized.
"With the guards around me, isnt my promise important?" The young girl pointed at the two guards before her.
The already cold rtionship between her and her family had be even colder following her rebellious question.
The girls father frowned but he waved his hand, allowing the guards to make way for her to Kieran.
Joannas steps were slow and hesitant. It took her almost ten seconds to cross less than a dozen meters.
When the girl was before Kieran and Herbert, her eyes could only focus on Kieran. Some words of farewell were discarded right away.
She said in a straightforward manner, "Please dont die!"
After her words escaped her mouth, she turned around and ran back to the already departed convoy without turning back.
Kieran and Herbert stood there and saw them off.
Kieran thenid his backpack down and started to prepare delicately.
He had to perform his act to the very end right?
Since he said he would stay behind to buy time if he didnt pretend to confront and prevent the pursuers, wouldnt it be too fake?
Chapter 429: Different
Chapter 429: Different
Trantor: Dess Editor: SSins
The soldiers kept whipping their horses, sparing no mercy while they rode.
Under the pressure and the pain, the warhorses sprinted even faster. Still, the soldiers felt that it wasnt fast enough!
A total reward of a hundred thousand gold and a promotion of three ranks in the army was enough to excite them and cause a frenzy among the soldiers that were stationed at the military camp outside Herl City.
Without an ongoing war to fight, any chance of raising their ranks was a risk worth taking because the honor came with a hundred thousand gold as well!
For the soldiers who had a monthly allowance of two hundred gold, the reward was an astronomical figure. Therefore, when the orders were given, the soldiers were eager to move out.
Each of them rode two horses, traveling even under the starry night sky.
Dak Dak Dak Dak!
The concentrated gallops were like a strong gale beating on banana leaves. There was not a single second of a break. Instead, the gallops were quick and hurried as if they represented the soldiers burning desire, causing them to forget everything else and branding the rewards and promotions in their mind.
Anyone who stood before their path was going to be trampled over.
When the soldiers saw a figure walking out of the darkness, they didnt even hesitate to stop. Instead, they wiped their horse, growling loud to express their killing intentions but none understood what they spoke.
Promptly, the growls stopped abruptly.
A dark red greatsword swept across the night sky. The soldiers who were rushing in the front row were shed in half together with their horses. The following row of soldiers behind them met the same fate.
And the third. And the fourth. And so on.
One row after another, the dark red greatsword shed left and right.
The one with the greatsword pressed forward step by step and the soldiers on their war horses were shed row by row.
Both sides shed without surrendering an inch.
In the end, the five hundred soldiers that were chasing Kieran were sliced in half like a rapid stream in the river crashing into a river rock, splitting the stream into two.
Though the river streams would eventually joined together after going through the river rock, the difference between the river streams and soldiers was that the soldiers behind Kieran all died with their horses.
However, the piling up bodies didnt frighten away the remaining soldiers. Instead, it cranked them up even more. Each soldier became even more violent.
"Fire!" A loud voice shouted.
The rider soldiers pulled out their flintlock pistols and sted it at Kieran. The instant sh at the muzzle produced thick ck smoke from the firing.
Bang Bang Bang!
Tons of iron pellets were fired at Kieran but onlynded on top of [Primus Scale]. The bullets were ineffective!
Let alone the flintlock pistol pellets, even modernized machine guns could barely scratch the Powerful defense of [Primus Scale].
Yet the soldiers seemed to not be too concerned about such a despairing fact.
They ditched their pistols and drew their swords from their waist, continuing to charge at Kieran. The frenzy and violent temper of the soldiers were even clearer.
A familiar feeling rose up in Kierans heart.
"So these soldiers are mentally affected by Eye of Chimeras or something simr?" Kieran thought to himself.
The moment heid his eyes on the soldiers, he knew something was off. It was not the pursuit team formed by Night monsters or the Mutants but they were real human beings from the dungeon world but something was very unusual about them.
Since Kieran hadmunicated with the Creature of Desire before, it allowed him to make educated guesses. When his guesses were verified true, he swiftly made alterations to his original ns.
Now, following his newly altered n, he started to scan his surroundings with an anxious and doubtful gaze.
Ayer of blood red mist started to spread around. The shallow veil of mist was getting denser by the second.
After a breaths time, the blood mist enshrouded the whole battlefield. Not only did it swallow up Kieran, it swallowed up the remaining rider soldiers as well.
A huge, disfigured figure appeared vaguely from the blood mist right after.
"Hahahaha!" You only realized something was wrong now? Its toote! Foolish humans!"
Mozorc let out a wildugh after seeing everything that happened on the battlefield through a crystal. Hemented with a contemptuous tone and especially emphasized the word "human". He didnt onlyment on Kierans strength but his judgment as well.
Originally, Mozorc thought that other than himself, there were no other Nobles that could defeat Benz. After what he saw, his thoughts were solidified. Kieran was not worth mentioning at all; it was just pure luck that he defeated Benz. Benzs time was almost up, therefore allowing a mere human to get the upper hand over him.
"Edgar, inform Contly to strike now!"
With an ordering manner, Mozorc spoke to a pale, scrawny person beside him.
The pale one was not like other Night monsters, disying a hideous face. However, it did not bear the face of a human yet it was as arrogant as every other Mutant that existed.
Even with its pale face, he had quite the features and feeling of warmness attached to it.
Edgar didnt reply with words. He only nodded before he took out a crystal piece.
A hologram appeared from the tiny finger-sized crystal pieces. The projection was swirling around and shaking non-stop but it was clear and so were the sounds.
Even Contlys breathing sounded crystal clear for the other Nights and Mutants to hear.
More importantly, the projection was a first-person view of Contly in action.
In other words, the Nights and the Mutants saw things through Contlys eyes.
"Contly, bring Herbert in now!" Edgar gave his order.
Promptly, the projection started to move out and soon bore fruit.
Herbert was waiting at a shadowy spot patiently.
With the night sky and darkness around, his spot looked very safe but Mozorcs mocking manner on his face was getting denser.
"Take him in!" The Mutant leader ordered.
The projection moved out once again, meaning Contly was rapidly approaching Herbert but another figure was one step ahead of her!
Before Contly could get to Herbert, the figure stood in front of Herbert, blocking Contly from advancing.
More importantly, another figure appeared silently beside Contly and struck her down with lightning-fast speed, knocking her out cold.
The projection showed that she went through a violent concussion but the Night and Mutant race who were watching the projection knew who the figure who appeared was.
It was because of their identity. All the monsters felt strange.
The mocking manner froze on Mozorcs face. His violent, vicious gaze was staring at the projection that froze at thest moment before Contly passed out.
"Sven! Rien! You dare betray me!?"
A loud roar sounded before a strange aura erupted from Mozorc. The other Night and Mutant monsters started to back off, feeling scared of their raging leader.
At the same time, a strange subtle atmosphere rose among the Mutant race.
The news about Kieran being a high-rank Noble was not a secret among them. It was just something that they couldnt confirm it. Yet, Sven and Riens betrayal had proved something.
Huuuhaa, Huuuhaa!
Amidst the heavy panting, Mozorc forced himself to cool down, suppressing the rage in his heart. His abilities allowed him to instantly grasp the subtle atmosphere.
His prompt decision made him point at the other crystal piece and said, "If he really is a Noble, how could he have fallen to such a petty trap? He is just a mere, petty human..."
KABOOM!
Before he could finish, a huge explosion came from the void and interrupted Mozorcpletely.
Crack!
The crystal piece was hit by the explosion and cracks spread on its surface like a spider web.
At a farther spot, the devilish aura was sweeping across the field.
Chapter 430: Unbearable
Chapter 430: Unbearable
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
"What...What is that?!"
The Night and the Mutant race were frightened when they felt the devilish aura and gazed at the battlefield from afar. Somemon Night monsters even started to tremble.
Even the Mutant race that had superior battle capabilities were also shocked by what they saw.
Those Nobles with the utmost power could even feel the terrifying power more directly.
"Impossible! Impossible! How could this be..." Mozorc eximed in shock.
Obviously, as a leader, Mozorc knew more than his subordinates, but his words stopped abruptly.
He clenched his teeth and swallowed down the words that were about to escape his mouth with his willpower.
Then, an extremely distinct killing intent erupted from his body. The killing intent was like ice cold des stabbing the other Night and Mutant monsters around him, causing the others to take a step back.
"Wait for my return!" Mozorc said before he leapt into the darkness, disappearing from sight.
The Nights and Mutants exchanged gaze; they didnt know where their leader had leapt off to.
Then, the crowds gaze turned to Edgar.
The pale Edgar though responded to the gazes on him with a warm smile.
...
The blood mist was very humid, making it feeling like a red swamp swirling around ones skin, even more so with corrosive properties.
The battlelog notifications kept piling up in Kierans vision. If it wasnt for his B+ Strength and A Constitution, he would be forced to stay where he was, unable to move another inch.
Though, the opposing soldiers werent so lucky. Series of agonizing wailing and crying came from the soldiers mouths. Their body were rotting, melting with exponential speeds, simr to a melting candle.
Whether was it their flesh or blood, or even their skulls and organs, everything dissolved into puddles of blood without exception. The blood then infused into the blood mist.
A simple and extremely effective chain of supply has formed.
Kierans gaze was following the flow of the blood that was converting into mist.
Eventually, his gazended at the deeper section of the blood mist.
There, a huge, disfigured figure was faintly presenting itself and starting to coagte into shape.
A huge eyeball, the size of a small house, started to form in mid-air and tendrils with an arms thickness sprouted out behind the eyeball and started wriggling in the air. At the tips of the tendrils, smaller eyeballs formed.
It was condensed and concentrated, at least a hundred eyeballs were formed from the tendrils.
The moment the eyeballs appeared, each of them stared at Kieran.
[Fear: You are within targets Fear range, Spirit has passed the authentication, no debuff urred...]
[Fear: You are within targets Fear range, Spirit has passed the authentication, no debuff urred...]
...
Battlelog notifications started to spam his vision. Kieran didnt even have the time to count the tendrils, but he guessed there were at least a hundred of them.
"Every eyeball can cause a Fear effect?"
Kierans heart skipped a beat when the guess popped up in his mind because the monster before him reminded him of the Creature of Desire.
"Something rted to the Creature of Desire?" Kieran guessed.
Then, the things that happened after verified Kierans guesses in an instant.
The house-sized eyeball started to emit ayer of colorful re on its surface and gathered at its pupil. It then fired out a beam, like aser.
Tssuuuuum Bang!
The burningser grazed Kierans body and sunk into the space beside him, creating a deep hole on the ground.
The attacking pattern was simr to Creature of Desires [Thousand Evil Eye Strike]; its power was also at the level of the main eye.
"Relying solely on blood and desire, it can give birth to an Evil Eye?"
Kieran was shocked beyond words.
ording to his knowledge, to give birth to the Creature of Desire, the Eye of Chimeras was needed as a catalyst to propel its formation. At the same time, the Evil Eye was the main part of the Creature of Desire; its formation should be hastened by the Eye of Chimeras as well.
Yet, what Kieran saw before him told him that his thinking and knowledge were all wrong, in a miserable way as well!
The humid blood mist started to swirl around like water swiftly, spinning like a whirlpool with undercurrent and gathered at a point in an extremely strange way, simr to a crushed wooden block being thrown into an incinerator.
Then dozens of smaller Evil Eyes formed with a size of a millstone. They gathered beside the biggest Evil Eye and fused with the wriggling tendrils.
A momentter, a 30 meter pir with tons of eyes with different sizes embedded on it appeared before Kieran.
"As I expected, the Nights, Mutants that inherited the legacy from Neegor Dynasty one thousand five hundred years ago had too many tricks I didnt know of!" Kieran drew in a deep breath.
Then, he dashed out towards the Evil Eye pir.
Although the Nights and the Mutants that had the legacy from a thousand five hundred years ago were powerful but it was also not reason enough for Kieran to back down.
In fact, any enemy that he would face from this point onwards, he would never back down against them. Giving up without trying was not his style.
Sou Sou Sou!
Just as Kieran was charging towards the Evil Eye PIr, the eyes on the pir adjusted their angle and fired out beams ofsers from the pir.
Each and every beam was at least a Strong rank attack and the strongest among the beams had exceeded the Powerful rank.
Obviously, the dozens of Evil Eye were not merely fusing together for show but to increase its power as well. Though, even if itsser beam was enhanced, it was useless if the beams couldnt hit its target.
Kieran dodged left and right, with short steps and leaps, charging forward. Every beam ofser was locked on Kieran but they could only graze past his body.
Musou level [Dodging] allowed Kieran to perform an easy dodge against such a huge monsters attacks.
Even though the firing speed of theser beams was fast, it couldnt evennd on him properly!
Simr to the theory of dodging bullets, it was never about outspeeding the bullet, but predicting the bullets trajectory.
The gap between both sides was closing rapidly.
Just as Kieran was less than 20 meters away from the pir, the upright pir stopped its burningser attack. Instead, it wanted to crash its body down at Kieran with the force of a toppling mountain.
KROOOM!
Thend trembled fiercely, the thundering blow shocked the sky. Dust and dirt were sted into the air, blocking every sight within the area.
Crack Tsk, Crack Tsk!
A series of tooth-souring noises sounded in the dust storm. When the night breeze finally blew the dust away, a frightening scene was revealed.
The Evil Eye pir that fell on the ground was caught by Kieran with his bare hands at the tip of the pir, his legs were plunged deep into the ground by the force of the pir upon impact.
The Evil Eye pir could withstand Kieran grabbing its tip with his bare hands, even managed to struggle to get away, but when Kierans legs were firmly nted in the ground, he forced the Evil Eye pir to a standstill position, unable to budge even for an inch with the strength from the ground.
Even though the biggest Evil Eye at the end of the pir kept wobbling around, trying to exert its strength to the top, but the strength was dissolved when it reached the top.
The Evil Eyes were unwilling to be pinned down by Kieran like that; they were ready to break apart their tendrils, releasing a part of their eyes and preparing for another attack. For the monster born from the darkest ce of desire, it would be normal for them to do so.
Yet, Kieran was always one step ahead.
The moment the saw the Evil Eye pir, he was waiting for that exact moment. In simpler words, he was ready for the pir to break apart.
GROOOOOWL!
A huge rhino mirage formed behind Kieran, growling at the sky with its loud roar.
The most primitive force of nature brought Kierans body together and charged on.
A momentter, the dozens of Evil Eyes were crushed like piercing bottle gourds and popping balloons; they were being pierced through one by one.
Bom! Bom Bom! Bom!
Just like balloons filled with water being smashed at the ground, the dozens of Evil Eyes sshed out green and red juices all over the field when they were crushed to nothing.
Among the greens, there was a slight orange glow, giving out its dim radiance in Kierans sight.
Though Kieran saw it, he couldnt care about it then.
He had to focus his mind and prepared his body for what was about to arrive.
Dong Dong Dong!
The [Fusion Heart] in his chest started to beat in a strange manner.
The Creature of Desire... No, it should be the Eye of Chimeras couldnt hold itself back anymore!
Chapter 431: Devilish
Chapter 431: Devilish
Trantor: Dess Editor: SSins
The devilish aura burst out like a raging storm, sweeping everyone on the battlefield.
Suddenly, seven mirage figures appeared around Kieran.
They shared the same face as Kieran but each of them had a distinguished aura.
Lust, Greed, Gluttony, Sloth, Wrath, Envy and Pride.
They were embodiments of the seven cardinal sins within Kieran; a total of fourteen eyes were staring at him and their gazes were strange and observant.
They didnt feel the resistance like before though.
Although they had their restrictions, this time Kieran couldnt deny their existence.
"I think we can talk!"
Kieran turned around, inspecting the embodiments of the sins that shared his face.
Lust had a pale face with a dash of green. He looked like an evil spirit that was addicted to wine and sex unable to sober up from his addictions.
Greed had squinted eyes and gave out a re from time to time that was so sharp that it was as if it could devour anything.
Gluttony turned its head left and right, looking at the dead Evil Eye and the equipment lying on the ground, gulping and drooling non-stop.
Sloth stood there casually, seemingly tired from a relentless battle. His eyes were already shut as if he was going to sleep any moment.
Wrath was panting loudly. His heavy pants were disturbing the silent atmosphere after the battle and his bloodshot eyes were staring so intently at Kieran that it seemed like it wasnt going to budge an inch.
Envy had a twisted face and gave out an enmity gaze, seemingly wanting to destroy everything that he couldnt get such as Kierans real body.
Pride was cold and prideful, looking down on everything around him including Kieran himself and the other embodiment of sins as if he was a God. He gazed like he was looking at ants crawling beneath his feet.
Kieran looked at the embodiments of the seven sins that shared his face but was distinctively different because of its auras. He could feel that the seven of them had changed when he said they could talk.
Some showed contempt and didnt even spare a nce. Some mocked him orughed at him while others didnt even care about him.
None of the sins reactions were what he wanted to see but it was consistent with his spections.
After going through the wild and untamed power of the devil, Kieran realized that he had entered an error zone in dealing with the power within [Fusion Heart]. The methods he used were wrong.
It was because it was his own heart that Kieran subconsciously wanted to expel all others that didnt belong within him; it was an instinctive reaction from a living being but he had forgotten the fact that his heart was shared now!
There wasnt any distinction between him, the devil and Eye of Chimeras anymore!
If he truly wanted to expel the part of him that didnt belong, it was impossible to do so with his current abilities.
Even in the future, he couldnt muster up any confidence to do so. It was indeed a helpless fact.
If he had any other choices, he would prefer not to look at the fact with his face.
So he kept on suppressing the other powers within [Fusion Heart]. Some part of him was scared of the term "puppet of flesh and blood". Thus, he was still mostly resisting.
When he directly contacted the devils power, a sudden realization came to Kieran.
Since he couldnt expel them out, was it possible to cooperate?
In other words, he wanted to maximize his usage in a safe way to siphon the power of [Fusion Heart]. It seemed like an unrealistic tale or a fairytale but it might very well be workable because Eye of Chimeras and the devils power had their own emotions.
As far as Eye of Chimeras was concerned, it was even more advanced than the devil because it could "think".
Talking to a monster with only instinctive actions was like ying a flute to a cow but negotiating with a monster with the ability to think was a viable option.
At least the seven embodiment of the cardinal sins before Kieran were expressing their own emotions following Kierans words. Even though they didnt speak, it was enough.
"In here, we all shared a ce!"
Kieran pointed at his left chest, where [Fusion Heart] was beating vigorously.
"But I am in charge!" Kieran said clearly.
Right away, the sins emotions changed once more.
Prides face was getting colder, Envys face was even more twisted, almost mashing every feature on his face. Wraths panting was getting heavier.
Lust, Greed, Gluttony, and Sloth didnt respond.
"I can stop you all from appearing! As time goes by, I will slowly get the upper hand and stop you sins from appearing will get easier. As a parasitic being inside my heart, you guys should know better than me! When quantity turns into quality, Ill get stronger and stronger and eventually, you guys will disappear! Yet, I am willing to spare you all a chance!"
Kieran smiled at them after he said this. He then removed the bindings on Gluttony.
The already impatient Gluttony felt the power that was suppressing him get removed. He dashed like a violent wind and flew towards the body of the Evil Eye and the equipment on the ground.
Then, Greed widened his eyes. Kieran released his bindings well.
Greed went up swiftly, fighting Gluttony over the rewards.
Envys face was twisted beyond recognition, just before he disfigured his face, Kieran loosened the bindings on him too. Envy also dashed over with his own strength and joined to fight over the equipment.
Wrath got even angrier. He even started to resist Kierans bindings on him but Kierans powerful Spirit and merciless suppression made Wraths struggle look like nothing more than a mere ripple on the surface of theke.
Wrath struggled, roaring loudly out of unwillingness but it didnt help.
All he could do was watch Lust and Sloth get freed.
Lust went over to join in on thepetition as well and he purposely picked the delicate looking equipment.
Sloth however just gave out a yawn and stood still even when his bindings were released.
After two seconds, Wrath finally broke out of his struggle. He changed like he was a hungry tiger off to the mountains, pushing Gluttony, Greed, Envy, Lust, and Sloth aside.
A momentter, six of the seven embodiment of sins fought messily.
None of them gave way, fighting as if their lives were on the line.
When Kieran saw them fighting, his smile was getting wider.
Sincemunication had popped up in his mind, he was thinking about how he should approach them. After thinking for a long time, he came up with a conclusion.
Coercion and enticement!
He thought that he should bring out the best advantages that he had over the rights to control and disy the benefits of obeying his orders.
Everything was unfolding ording to his n and it was even going smoother than he expected.
The embodiments of sins were iplete. It was like they formed from the darkest parts of human thoughts but they had even less self-control over their actions that Kieran had thought. Even if they had emotions and knew how to think, he knew that their instincts would take over in a second.
They were like beasts that had acquired intellect but still lived on with animal instincts.
Their weakness was obvious and such weakness was good news to Kieran.
However, there was one exception!
Kieran turned his eyes to Pride and Pride looked at him.
Both of them held cool, calm faces. Pride was different from the other six sins. Pride seemed to be the one that had the most simr temperament with Kieran, even though it was just one-third of Kieran.
If it wasnt for its cold look and proudful manner, Pride would be exactly like Kieran.
Pride was looking at Kieran with a mocking gaze and he nced at the other six that were fighting. It felt like he had seen through everything and nothing was worth his attention.
Whether it was Kieran or the other six counterparts, everything was just mere ants before Pride.
Pride didnt even mind watching the crude show before him. As he tried to guess what kind of useless words Kieran would say to try to persuade him, he suddenly realized Kieran went hiding in the shadows.
Pride was stunned.
Then...
KABLOOM!
A huge explosion sted out from the ground. A huge figure sprouted out from the ground with an open mouth, seemingly overshadowing Pride with its sheer size.
Chapter 432: Bite Ones Self
Chapter 432: Bite Ones Self
Trantor: Dess Editor: SSins
Amidst the loud roar, a big, bloody mouth swallowed Pridepletely.
At a spot further away...
KABOOM, BOOM BOOM!
A series of quick explosions sted the huge mouths outwards like ck holes under the ground. Lust, Greed, Gluttony, Sloth, Wrath, and Envy were swallowed.
Some mouths swallowed one while others swallowed two together in session.
Then, the ground started to tremble fiercely.
An enormous body that could strike fear in ones heart sprung out from the ground, bringing with it a vile stench of rotten fish.
The bright, clear moon shines its light onto the enormous body. Its ck scales reflected the moonlight as if it was a lustrous metallic te. Five giant snake heads were flicking their forked tongues, disying vicious looks.
A five-headed hydra! They over a hundred meters in length but even that was not its most terrifying point. The truly terrifying point was on top of the snake heads that were asrge as wagons, five pairs of dark yellowish snake eyes gave mocking, contemptuous res, seemingly no different from humans.
Aside from that, a depressing rattling sound came from within the snake heads.
"Even if you are a Royal, you will die a graveless death! It is the era of Nobles now. You are nothing but a relic from the past! And I, Mozorc, will be the new eras king! I will rule over everything!"
Arrogant words kept spewing out from the snake heads.
Kieran who was standing in the shadows frowned when he saw the hydra and heard what it said.
"Isnt Mozorcs goal to free that king from Neegor Dynasty? Were those his own thoughts? Or do the majority of the other Mutants share his vision as well?"
The sudden thought that bloomed made Kieran draw in continuous breaths.
He was no stranger to the name Mozorc. Through the dominated Sven and Rien, he knew who Mozorc was. He was the other leader of the Mutant race besides Benz.
Not only was he strong, he also had a far better reputation amongst the Mutant race.
Aftering to know his existence, Kieran treated him as the greatest enemy in his thoughts from the main mission. Kieran just didnt expect that Mozorcs goal was not to free the king from its seal but to take his ce instead.
"If this was the case, all my spections before are wrong!"
Kieran stood in the shadow and raised his head to the enormous reptile. The five snake heads of the hydra were wriggling under the moonlight, giving out loud hisses that were mixed with some knownnguage.
"I am the strongest!"
"I am the rightful king!"
Mozorc was crazy!
"Has he lost his mind?"
Kieran squinted his eyes. He was sure that it was not because of the embodiment of sins that the hydra swallowed that affected his mind but it was he himself who has lost it.
However, it didnt stop Kieran from further escting the situation.
Even though Kieran made some mistakes in his spection, it didnt change the fact that Mozorc was still an enemy he had to defeat, and a strong one too.
Therefore, Kieran didnt transmit his thoughts to just the cardinal sins: Lust, Greed, Gluttony, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, and Pride, whose bindings had to be freed as well.
The devilish aura erupted promptly.
The clear and bright moon was dimmed by the aura spreading throughout the field.
The faint mist of aura enshrouded the enormous hydra body without it noticing.
Mozorc who was in his hydra form was astonished by the sudden mist. He instantly growled louder, acting more animalistic at the sky.
"Mine! Everything is mine!"
"Everything that exists in this world will fall beneath me!"
What Kieran saw after that shocked him. He astonishedly gazed at the five snake heads of the hydra which started to bite and tear each other apart.
The unified voice even split into five.
"You are all mine!"
"My words are the truth! Listen to me! Obey!"
"No, I should be the one to ascend to the throne!"
Five of the snake heads bit and crunched each other, instantly tearing the flesh and blood of the enormous body apart. Its wiggling body shook the ground, trembling the surrounding mountains and hills.
Even Kieran had to escape from the shadow that he was hiding from so that he didnt get caught in the shockwaves from the hydras body.
Mozorc saw Kieran move away but he didnt pay attention to him. He kept biting himself, devouring his own flesh and blood.
"Being devoured by his own desire?" Kieran muttered softly and raised his vignce in his heart.
The scene before his eyes served as an rm once more to his heart.
Although the embodiments of sins were good, a slight misstep would cause a huge misfire to himself.
If Kieran wished to not be devoured by his own desire, he had to let his guard up at this moment against the sins.
Otherwise, even if he was as powerful as Mozorc, he couldnt escape his demise.
Mozorc was indeed powerful. The fact that he could be a hundred meter snake head hydra proved that.
Although the five-headed hydra had no special abilities, it could rely solely on its enormous body and rigid scales to protect itself and it could freeze anyone that gazed at it.
ording to Kierans calction, the hydras strength was at least S rank or above. The defense on its scales was also at least a Powerful rank.
He validated his thoughts when he shed one of the scales that flew towards him with [Arrogant Word]. Even [Arrogant Word] with a Powerful attack had a sluggish feeling when he shed the scale. He believed that if the greatsword hadnt reached Powerful attack, the sluggish attack would have been quite the obstacle.
However, what use was a powerful body and rigid scales as a defense?
In the end, Mozorc still lost himself from his own desire!
"Without a state of mind that could rival his desire, the weak points were infiltrated and his desire ambushed him from within..."
Kieran witnessed the hydra gradually go from its frenzied state to a weakened state. Still, it continued biting itself with all its might. Kieran couldnt help but think about Mozorc.
Who ambushed Mozorc from within and caused him to be like this? It was surely something or someone that the hydra swallowed, which made Kieran almost out of time.
He gripped the tilt of [Arrogant Word] and leaped out. The dark red greatsword had sharp edges that had a bewitching re under the moonlight.
Puum!
The intact snake head among the five was beheaded by the great sword at its neck which was already missing almost half a chunk of its flesh.
The vile rotten stench burst out together with the hydra blood. Kieran turned around swiftly, not only dodging the sshing blood but also swinging out [Arrogant Word] to its next target.
Puum!
Another head was cut off.
After losing two of its heads, the intense pain struck Mozarc hard, but it didnt wake him up from his trance. Instead, it made him even more animalistic..
"You traitors! Betrayer! How dare you defy me. I am your king!"
"I will execute you one by one!"
The weakest of the remaining three snake heads growled loudly. The other two snake heads replied with abined attack on its neck.
Karb! Tssk Tssk!
The bone-crushing bite with the ear-piercing screech snapped the weakest snake head off.
Kieran swiftly followed up with his charged up stance with [Arrogant Word], slicing the two remaining snake heads.
Pum! Pum!
Thest two snake heads were beheaded, and they flew into the sky before falling hard to the ground.
A glowing, golden item appeared on the enormous body.
As the enormous hydra was in, the rest of the embodiment of sins were released from its body.
Kieran quickly took a step ahead and grabbed the golden glowing item before Greed, Gluttony and Envy could touch it. Then he pointed at the remaining loot beside the enormous hydra body and what was left of the Evil Eye body. He said, "Those are yours!"
Instantly, the released embodiment of sins charged like a violent wind, devouring what was left in the battlefield.
Only Pride stayed behind, staring at Kieran without budging.
Kieran didnt care about Prides gaze.
Ding Ding Ding!
The system notification kept spamming Kierans vision.
Chapter 433: Similarity
Chapter 433: Simrity
Trantor: Dess Editor: SSins
[Fusion Heart, fusion level increased a little...]
[Acquired special effect: Touch of Cardinal Sins]
[Touch of Cardinal Sins: The cardinal sins of desire is flowing in your blood. Consume 100 HP to summon either Lust, Greed, Gluttony, Sloth, Wrath or Envy to assist you. Consume 200 HP to summon Pride to assist you. The embodiments of sins share your looks but each of them possesses different abilities. The summonsst for 1 minute and an extra duration will cost extra HP.]
[Note: When the target is in panic, chaos, fear or has an extreme desire for something, they will be devoured by the respective embodiment of sins.]
...
"As I expected, the potential of [Fusion Heart] has not yet been fully discovered!"
Kieran clenched his fists hard when he saw the new special effects.
Then, he nced over the description of [Touch of Cardinal Sins].
"By consuming my own HP? Each of them possesses different abilities?"
Kieran raised a brow. He looked at the seven other embodiments of sins before him. He could feel himself be closer to them after getting the new special effect.
Yet, this closer rtionship cost Kieran a fortune.
Not only dozens of Magic rank items but a Rare rank item was consumed by them as well.
However, Kieran knew deeply that he had to take the risk as it was a game of give and take.
Using dozens of Magic items and one Rare item to exchange for a further progression of [Fusion Heart] was quite worthwhile for Kieran since he had a long-term goal in the future.
More so, the biggest reward of this trip was still in his hand.
A ring forged with gold in the shape of a snake.
The ring was seemingly alive; the snake was biting its tail, forming a circle and space in the middle.
When Kieran wore it on his right ring finger, the space in the ring shrunk to fit his finger.
[Name: Ring of the Serpent King]
[Type: essory]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Attack/Defense: None]
[Attributes: 1. Dominate Reptile 2. Serpent Spirit 3. Snake Molt]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: Spirit A]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: A ring fused with the blood of the lineage. Its birth was an ident. Grindwell has been searching for it until now!]
...
[Dominate Reptile: Able tomunicate with any reptile youe across. You and the target will have to go through a Spirit authentication. If your Spirit is higher, you will temporarily acquire control to that target reptile. Every additional reptile will increase your Spirit burden. When your spirit burden is maximized, dominating effect will disappear and you will receive a Moderate Wounded spirit attack]
[Serpent Spirit: Summon a 20 meter long two-headed snake spirit with 3500 HP and Stamina to serve your will. The serpent spirit is a unique being, able to convert between a mirage and solid form. 3 minutes duration, 1 per day.]
[Snake Molt: When you receive Lethally Wounded damage, you will shed your skin like a snake, resisting 1 lethal attack but you will be induced with Weaken debuff for 12 hours. 1 per week.]
......
Its Legendary rarity granted it powerful attributes that matched its status.
Kieran would list [Ring of the Serpent King] as one of hismon items just because of [Snake Molt], let alone the other two powerful attributes.
Promptly, the seven embodiments of sins vanished into thin air with a thought from Kierans mind.
Kieran then went on to check the battlefield, making sure that he didnt leave out anything before sprinting swiftly back towards the rendezvous point that he promised Herbert.
Mozorcs strange appearance made him aware that the real battle was ahead of him.
...
Meanwhile, in a shadowy spot somewhere in the wilderness, Herbert was standing there, hiding. Beside him was Contly, knocked out cold and tied up, with furrowed brows.
Herbert witnessed Contlys condition with his own eyes before: a dull, absent face with a dash of frenzy to it.
That was definitely not Contlys original character. The elderly schr was certain of this.
"What in the world happened?" Herbert pondered the question hard.
"You are not convinced?"
Suddenly, a voice sounded beside him, causing Herbert to look beside him.
A pale-faced, scrawny figure but with a beautiful feature of a young man appeared beside him with a warm smile.
"You are?" Herbert was anxious in his heart but his voice disyed a different tone.
Herbert also nced at where Sven and Rien were hiding but instead, he noticed a couple of unfamiliar men in their ce.
His heart sunk.
As more and more men appeared with some Night monsters mixed with the bunch, the elderly schrs heart sunk to the bottom of the abyss.
The situation before him was clear.
They were the alliance army of the Night and Mutant race!
The pale-faced young man should either be the leader of the Mutants, Mozorc, or the leader of the Nights, Edgar.
"If this is the case, then 2567..." Herbert thought in his heart as his heart grew more anxious by the second.
An intense worry topped the anxious in his heart.
"I am Edgar, not Mozorc. Dont be afraid. ording to my calctions, 2567 will not have any big problems. He might be tangled for a bit but the final victor will be him! Of course, should he fail... Well, you cant me me for that. After all, idents happen right?" The Night leader said with a light-hearted smile.
"He read my mind?!" Herbert was shocked.
Although Herbert was thinking about Kieran in his mind, he was sure that he kept away all expressions on his face, revealing nothing to Edgar.
If he knew what Herbert was thinking, there was no other valid exnation other than mind reading!
More coincidentally, some old records about the legends of Neegor Dynasty did mention that that particr king had some simr abilities as well.
Perhaps...
Concluding what he knew, Herbert suddenly thought about something else. His gaze turned slightly dreaded when he looked at Edgar.
"Thats right. It was just like what you thought it would be! I am one of the Neegor Dynastys Royals!"
Edgar nodded with a smile, acknowledging Herberts guess. Then, before Herbert could utter a word, he eximed, "As expected of you Professor Herbert to discover the weakness of mind reading in such a short period... You are trying to avoid thinking about it, using some old memories to shield the information that I truly seek..."
"Given a few months ago, I really have no other options if you do this, but now? Thank you and 2567 for eliminating Bartos for me!"
Edgar walked close to Herbert as he spoke.
However, he stopped when he was a few steps away from Herbert. His gray eyes started to shine colorfully, the shine that was simr to the shine of Eye of Chimeras but slightly dimmer and with fewer variations of color. However, it was mixed with a distinctive devilish power.
The Nights and Mutants around submitted before that power when it appeared, showing their allegiance to it. All except for Sven and Rien who were dominated by Kieran. But still both of them were unconscious and no help wasing from them anytime soon.
As for Herbert, the moment Edgar gazed at him with that colorful shine, his face was struggling, hesitating, and resisting the power before him but eventually, the struggles turned into a calm face.
"Tell me, Herbert, where is the sealed ce? What is the incantation to break the seal?" Edgar asked.
"It is..." Herbert slowly opened his mouth.
Chapter 434: Clash
Chapter 434: sh
Trantor: Dess Editor: SSins
Herberts calm face was ready to reveal the answer that Edgar sought most. However, just before the answer escaped his mouth, the elderly schrs face started to struggle again.
Underneath his coat, a golden coin started to shimmer.
"Huh?"
Edgar looked at Herbert strangely. His colorful gaze then shone brightly. The most direct mental shockwave turned into a formless dagger, trying to prate deep into Herberts brain.
Wuuung!
The shimmering golden coin suddenly shone brightly as well. Its shine even prated Herberts coat, beams of golden shine going through Herberts shirt and coat andnding within Edgars sight.
"Interesting!" Edgarmented on what he saw.
He raised his hand into Herberts shirt. He wanted to uncover the item that was obstructing his power. After all, it was quite rare to find something that could have such an ability.
Bang!
A heavy bang sounded from afar, causing Edgar to retract his hand suddenly.
Pang!
A small hole was sted on the ground before Edgar.
"This is the new pellet for that firearm?"
Edgar looked at the deformed bullet in the ground and followed its trajectory to its origin.
Wuuu!
An unidentified object flew past Edgar with an irritating, air-breaking whistle.
Subconsciously, Edgar decided to take a step back while tightly locked his gaze on that flying object.
Edgar himself who was already skilled in all sorts of tools and items had an extraordinary vignce and also curiosity for unknown objects.
Edgars colorful eyes stared at the object that hurled at him in an instant. He was trying to see what the object was but...
BANG!
A blinding light burst out following a loud explosion. It caused Edgar to cover his eyes in pain and growl heavily. The other Night and Mutant monsters who were also staring at the object followed in covering their eyes in pain and crying in agony as well.
Croom! Croom Croom!
Although Edgars eyes were blinded for the time being, he could clearly hear the noises around him, the loud trembling, and thundering growl. He forcefully opened his eyes and held his tears back. He saw Herbert wrapped by a two-headed giant snake as it brought him out of range.
Edgar couldnt stand that his target was being taken away. He looked up while his eyes were tearing up because of the irritation and the tears were instantly reced by a realistic, colorful gaze.
The colorful shine caused his tendrils and veins to sprout out of his body as it connected with the other Nights and Mutants around him.
The connected Nights and Mutants behaved like thread puppets as they were controlled by the tendrils to dash madly at the two-headed snake regardless of their body conditions.
However, the two-headed snake possessed strength far beyond their imagination. A slight wiggle from its body and a swipe from its tail sted almost a dozen of the monsters that had thrown themselves at the snake. Monsters kept being sent flying backward faster than before and were sted 20 meters away.
However, more monsters stacked themselves up before the two-headed snakes path fearlessly.
But then, behind the stacked up Night and Mutant monsters, a figure appeared with air-breaking speed and sound.
Bang!
That figure didnt stop when he charged into the Nights and Mutants. Instead, the monsters who were supposed to be a lot stronger thanmon humans were crushed by the figure on impact as if they were as fragile as ss.
Each of the monsters was sent flying away with broken bones and torn muscles. Most of themnded on each other, causing them to roll on the ground like a bottle gourd. However, that figure has no intentions of stopping.
Charge! Charge! Charge!
Regardless of who stood in his path, they were crushed without mercy!
It was not as fierce and powerful as the force of nature but it was still unrivaled by his enemies.
It was the disy of pure strength and speed.
Roar!
A loud roar sounded from [Wild Soul]. The belt that was strapped on Kierans waist, the rhino spirit, was cheering delightfully, enjoying every moment Kieran crushed his enemies.
The ck brownish belt with a texture of a coarse leather was glimmering faintly.
A petty rhino mirage appeared from the glimmer.
The mini rhino mirage first humbly looked at where [Lionheart] was and then looked with reverence at Kierans right wrist where [Mardos Arm] was before fusing back into the ck glimmer.
Soon, the ck faint glimmer disappeared and the belt returned to its original state. It seemed like nothing had changed but something was definitely different.
But Kieran didnt care about all that at the moment. He knew that he had to reach Herberts side quickly. To do that, he needed to charge through the Nights and Mutants that were blocking his path.
Bang!
Another Mutant monster was knocked off but when its feet flew off the ground, Kieran grabbed it with his left hand by its ankle and wielded it like a spiked club. On the side of the idled right hand, [Arrogant Word] was swinging ceaselessly. The bewitching red energy flowed all over its de.
Arrogance! Untamed!
The more enemies Kieran faced, the more advantages Kieran had when he was wielding [Arrogant Word]. He didnt have any dual wield skills at that moment, so he was relying on his B+ Strength to carve his path out, relying solely on brute force.
Still, among the concentrated Nights and Mutants, brute force fighting was the best way to get rid of them quickly.
Bang Bang Bang!
Kieran swung the Mutant in his left hand. Three to four more of them were sent flying.
Pum Pum Pum!
With another swing from his right hand, [Arrogant Word] shed another four to five more in half.
Kieran didnt pause his movement. He was exchanging swings with both his left and right hand, swinging a flurry at the hoard of monsters simr to a razor de slicing through the grass and carving out a path.
Ssssss!
The hisses of the two-headed snake could already enter Kierans ears.
Kieran swung his left hand in front and let go instantly. That dead Mutant was thrown out like a rocket, crashing into the bunch of monsters that was growling at Kieran. It revealed the two-headed snake behind them.
Kieran quickly leaped up towards the two-headed snake. Since the two-headed snake was connected with Kieran through a special link, it followed Kierans pace as it leaped out a little and lowered the right head, allowing Kieran tond firmly on top of the giant snakes head.
Ssssss!
The giant two-headed snake gave out a loud hiss and straightened its huge body upright, lifting Kieran to the air.
Then Kieran took out a crystal staff and pointed it at the ground.
Fuuu!
A huge area of poison mist appeared around the giant snakes body, enshrouding the Nights and Mutants within. Then, they either fell to the ground one after another or went into a trance.
[Death Crystal Staff, Death Miasma]!
It was just the start after Kieran activated the poison mist. A couple of grenades was thrown in all directions right after the mist.
KABOOM BOOM BOOM!
Even though its destructive power was decreased by half because of the dungeon restriction, it still sted the monsters beneath into nothing but a pile of broken limbs and skulls.
The veins that were connected to the monsters started to wobble after the explosion. It seemed like it might break any moment but instead, it strengthened up promptly.
Edgar has recovered from his ufortable condition. His shut eyes opened up once again, emanating the realistic colorful shine. It grew even brighter and even had a substantial change to it!
A devilish aura started to flood the field which Kieran was so familiar with.
Then, a monster started to take form above Edgar!
It was the Creature of Desire!
Kierans face turned ugly.
Chapter 435: Who is the Fake One Now?
Chapter 435: Who is the Fake One Now?
Trantor: Dess Editor: SSins
The night was misty as darkness reigned. Monsters were stretching their bodies for a fight.
Gears with different colors and sizes that ranged as big as a house and as small as a teacup, gathered to form a huge crowd. In the middle of each of the gears, eyeballs popped up.
A colorful shine started to brew on the eyeballs, spinning the gears as it shone.
The gears spinned faster and faster.
Kark Kark Kark!
The friction between the grinding gears irritated the ears ceaselessly.
The mechanical Creature of Desire was very different from the one Kieran knew about but he was sure that it was the same kind but in a different form.
Although Kieran had seen the Evil Eye that could breed itself without the aid of the Eye of Chimeras, when he saw how the mechanical Creature of Desire was formed, he was still in awe and had no intentions of hiding.
Edgar saw how surprised Kieran was.
"You are astonished? By the Creature of Desire? Thats right. The Eye of Chimeras was destroyed because of that reckless, hot-headed fool Bartos but I was able to replicate another! Although it isnt as powerful as the original, some traits still remain!"
Edgar said this with his ever friendly and smiling face but his face subconsciously turned cold.
"Or are you astonished that you and I shared the same bloodline? My elder brother? Or younger brother? This is getting a little out of hand! Ive just realized that the Royals had other extensions of their bloodline but this is what it was supposed to be! That very person wouldnt ce all his eggs in one basket. Surely, he would keep something for himself!"
"But did you know? Your existence has obstructed my ns!" He continued.
Edgars face turnedpletely frozen as heavy killer intents erupted.
A replica of Eye of Chimeras? Which meant...
"All of these are just deviations from a replica with simr traits?"
Kieran thought in his heart and looked at Edgar with a doubtful gaze.
Although he already knew Edgar possessed the power to replicate "great items", he never thought that even Eye of Chimeras could be replicated so easily.
"You really do share my bloodline. My mind reading has no effect on you! Though, I assume that you should be eager to kill me now! After all, the fewer the people that could inherit the "legacy", the better right?" Edgarughed again.
He hid his killing intents and his coldness. He turned warm again as if he was a venomous viper that kept away its fangs. Kieran knew that Edgar with his fangs kept away was the most dangerous and it was exactly as he thought.
The mechanical Creature of Desire above Edgar started to move.
The rapidly spinning gears stopped all of a sudden and beams of burning rays showered down from the sky.
Kieran grabbed Herbert who had passed out and jumped off the snakes head, diving into the shadows beside.
The two-headed snake turned into its mirage form once again but still, it was buffeted by the burning rays that had Powerful attack and was wailing in agony. In the end, its mirage form faded away and vanished into the air. However, the burning rays didnt stop just because of the disappearance of the two-headed snake.
In fact, the burning rays started to concentrate its beam.
KABOOM BOOM BOOM!
Series of explosion sounded when the rays showered the ground; the ground trembled and debris sshed in all direction.
The Nights and Mutants gathered around Edgar one after another. Their dull and lifeless faces made Edgars warm and friendly face stand out even more. The scene was strange to look at.
"Avoiding the problem is not the way to solve it! Since you have the same bloodline as me, you should know about the special traits of the Creature of Desire. That is the strongest point of ours, the Royals! The pitiful thing is that your gift is not "replicate". Otherwise, having two Creature of Desire battling would have been amazing! Its what I longed for!" Edgar said slowly.
Then he saw Kieran walk out from the shadows. Edgar smiled a wide and delightful smile.
"Are you ready to serve me? Wise choice!" He said with utmost confidence, assuming that he already won the battle.
"Serve? I dont do such a thing but didnt you say you longed to see two Creature of Desire battling it out? Im here to grant your wish!"
Kieran said while spending his effort in avoiding the burning rays.
The Eye of Chimeras was long destroyed. Although Kierans gift was some sort of "transform" ability, his Royal bloodline allowed him to advance into the higher ranks. However, it was still not enough whenpared to Edgars "replicate" ability.
Edgar instinctively thought that Kieran was ying a psychological tactic.
"ying tricks with your words? Such things have no effect on..." Edgar mocked Kieran.
He didnt mind making his "brother" who shared the same bloodline suffer a little more.
After all, it was a test that the Royals had to face eventually.
However, before Edgar could finish his words, he halted abruptly.
Another Creature of Desire started to take shape above Kieran, the empty space above him.
Hundreds of thousands of arms and intertwining legs sprouted out from nothing. They were like tentacles dancing in mid-air, tangling and shing together.
Eyeballs started to form in the intersection point from the sh.
More than a thousand eyes with different sizes appeared almost together.
Then, a rainbow shine brightened up the night sky. The shine showered down from the sky, shedding its bright radiance on Kierans body.
The ck feathered mantle reflected the radiance upwards, seemingly resonating with the shine above him.
Kieran shook his mantle a little and plunged [Arrogant Word]s sword into the ground. Heid his hands on the hilt, staring at Edgar.
A sense of insult rose up directly in Edgars heart. That pale face of his started to blush.
"Dont you think that relying on the shards of Eye of Chimeras and summoning the Creature of Desire is arrogant? Do you really think that could rival me?! I have the strongest gifts among the Royals! Replicate! I also still have my men with me! My Creature of Desire fed on their desires and were born from the deepest part of their heart. Although my mens strengths have decreased drastically which granted you the chance to exploit their weakness, dont forget that the weaker my men are, the stronger my Creature of Desire is!"
"After feeding off hundreds of my men and the desires that formed from within, do you have any idea how powerful it is? Your fake one would never even stand a single blow!"
Edgar was upset by Kierans actions. He pointed at the Creature of Desire above him and roared loudly.
"Is that so? Then, shall we find out who has the fake one then?"
Kieran said each and every word out loud. He raised his head at the anxious Edgar and grinned.
Then, Kieran whispered, "Go on then. Devour it!"
Chapter 436: Black Rain
Chapter 436: ck Rain
Trantor: Dess Editor: Zayn_
Under the night sky, the vicious, horrifying Creature of Desire was wailing without a sound.
Those human arms and legs were wiggling rhythmically like seaweed under the sea.
That red eyeball emanated a rainbow shine that would attract gazes from all around.
Whenyers of rainbow color shine gathered at a single spot, a bloody mouth with sharp, grinding teeth appeared.
Different from the first time it revealed its shine shyly, the anxious and restless Creature of Desire used all its might when Kieran gave the order.
Fuuu!
A mighty suction force appeared in its mouth, enough to even pull in a truck.
The mechanical Creature of Desire floating above Edgar couldnt even react to the sudden suction force and was sucked towards the bloody mouth. When it realized the situation, Kierans Creature of Desire had already had its mouth on a part of its mechanical body.
Pum Pum Pum!
The round mouth withyers of fangs spun fast like a chainsaw, grinding the gears and meat off its counterpart.
The meat beneath the gears was torn off together with the gears; its ck blood started to spill from its wound as if it was raining ck.
The livelynd with grasses and nts were instantly corroded when it came in contact with the ck rain.
The extreme negative energy loomed over everything with its sheer coldness before the life energy of the living faded away.
The nts started to wither, thend started to dry off!
After a couple of breaths time, the area that was showered by the ck rain formed a mini dessert.
The sands of the mini dessert were up until the calves of the Night and Mutant race, yet they felt nothing. They kept standing where they were like a statue, allowing Edgar and the mechanical Creature of Desire to control them freely with the veins from its body.
The bunch of Nights and Mutants were supplying endless energy to Edgars Creature of Desire yet the mechanical creature still gave out series of agonizing wails.
It was at a disadvantageous position, beaten badly by Kierans Creature of Desire.
Edgars eyes were widen and jaw dropped when he saw the scene.
In fact, when Kierans Creature of Desire shone with a rainbow shine, Edgars eyes had long been widened.
As the descendants of the Royal bloodlines, he knew perfectly well what it represented.
The Creature of Desire was catalyzed by the original Eye of Chimeras!
It was not a fake that he imagined it would be and definitely not an imposter!
Yet, how was it possible?
The Eye of Chimeras was destroyed! Edgar was certain of it.
Whether it was the information that reached his ears or the results of his own investigations, both produced the same oue. It was impossible that he was wrong!
Could it be...
Suddenly, a thought bloomed in Edgars heart.
"You burned your own bloodline?" Edgar looked at Kieran, eximing with a look of disbelief.
But soon enough, he returned to his pale and kind, pretentious face.
"In order to allow the Creature of Desire to reach its ideal form, you really burned the Royal bloodline? This is very astonishing! So what should I address you as now? The exiled 2567? Do you know what will you lose after what you did?"
"No, definitely not your higher tier "transform" ability, but the rights to the legacy! The king left his legacy for us rightful descendants, and now, without a rightful bloodline, you have no rights to contend for it anymore! Truth be told, I really wanted to let you go now because you couldnt pose a threat to me anymore!"
Edgar looked at Kieran who was standing still with his hands over the hilt of his great sword. Edgar was most certain of his guess, his mocking started to breakout in an outrageous way.
He wanted to attack Kieran at the weakest point in his heart. He assumed that he had done quite well and gotten quite the results. So Edgar proceeded with his next move.
"Though, since we are already at this stage, it is quite impossible for me to let you go! If my Creature of Desire devours your Creature of Desire, I think it could reach its ultimate form. I really have to thank you, 2567!" Edgar said with a smile.
His kind and warm smile looked very pretentious, simr to a cat teasing a rat that it just caught.
He stared at Kieran who had been silent for a while and then raised his right hand.
Promptly, three items with distinguishable features floated around Edgars body.
First, a rough ruby that had ayer of me burning on its surface.
Second, an obsidian ring, darker than ck. Even under the night sky, its abysmal darkness was unrivaled.
Third, a folded leather of sorts that seemed to have not been tailored; it seemed the mostmon yet was the thing that caught Kierans attention the most.
Kieran could guess a little what the first and second item were for, but as for the final piece, it was first time he saw it as well.
"See this? Now do you realize the difference between us?"
"These three great items followed me since I was born. Under the arrangement of destiny, they appeared before me one after another. They are the proof that I am the rightful heir to the legacy. The others were nothing more than mere stepping stones; their sole existence was to obstruct my rightful ce! That also includes you!"
Edgar unfolded the final item as he said.
As Edgar flipped theyers off one by one. The leather started to rattle before a bunch of translucent, wailing, struggling souls floated out.
They were notmon souls but those who were obsessed with something, persistent to linger longer in the mortal world.
Vengeful spirits, or even wraiths to some extent.
Kieran couldnt help but frown when he saw the vengeful spirits.
ording to the outfit of the spirits, they should be wearing what they remembered at thest moment of their lives. Although it was something that didnt really exist, it had a substantial meaning not only to the spirit itself but to those who could see them as well.
To the spirits, the outfits were the memories that they couldnt cut off and to those who could see the spirits, they could judge when the spirits actually died.
"This is at least a few hundred years old!"
Kieran nced over the vengeful spirits outfit and made his call.
He also knew perfectly well what Edgar was nning next.
To feed his Creature of Desire! To the point that Edgars Creature of Desire was strong enough to devour Kierans Creature of Desire.
"If thats the case..."
A sudden thought made Kieran sent out an order to his Creature of Desire through his mind since both of them were connected in a unique link.
Then, everything unfolded as what Kieran had expected.
The moment the vengeful spirits appeared, Edgars mechanical Creature of Desire started to spin its gears around rapidly, devouring groups and groups of the released spirits.
The part of its body that was torn away by Kierans Creature of Desire started to regenerate with an exponential speed visible to the eyes.
Its body then started to bloat up like a balloon.
After a breaths time, Edgars Creature of Desire had grown almost twice as big as Kierans.
"The feast has begun! Dont worry, after my Creature of Desire finishes its meal, only then you will die!"
Edgar shouted loudly, and he shook the leather piece in his hand harder.
More and more spirits floated out from the leather, but when the spirits had been released to a certain limit, Kieran finally decided to strike.
Chapter 437: Capture with One Haul
Chapter 437: Capture with One Haul
Trantor: Dess Editor: SSins
Under the night sky, Kierans Creature of Desire finally moved, shaking away the suppression that it received from its counterpart.
Its wide mouth with countless sharp teeth started to suck in the spirits like a whale sucking in seawater, swallowing tons of spirits.
The night sky that was filled with vengeful spirits, specters and sorts were swept clean in an instant.
"How is this possible? How is your iplete Creature of Desire capable of doing this!?"
Edgar shouted loudly, stopping all of a sudden.
A new thought bloomed in his mind: the Creature of Desire before him that belonged to Kieran was already in itsplete form!
When this thought urred, he looked at Kieran with anxious and doubtful eyes.
However, when he saw that Kieran was still standing firmly on his ground, he let out a breath of relief. However, his relief went away when supernatural darkness shrouded Kieran where he was standing.
Edgar suddenly lost Kieran from his sight.
"You think you can fool me with your petty tricks?"
Although his heart was anxious and doubtful, his words proved that he still didnt take Kieran seriously, showing nothing but contempt at Kierans actions.
Edgar also moved quickly; that obsidian ring glimmered in a faint glow.
"If you wanted to use the darkness to dodge me, then I will give you eternal darkness!" Edgar said loudly.
Then, around Kierans [Shadow Cloak], another circle of darkness appeared in a 50-meter radius, filling Kierans darkness with a corrupting scent.
Everything went silent in the darkness. Then, concentrated, ceaseless rattling and whispering sounded in Kierans ear. It sounded like his mistress was whispering love at his ears mixed with his enemies cursing viciously at him.
The noises ovepped one another and it was hard for him to tell them apart.
The sands on the ground started to be moist swiftly. It wasnt because life energy was being poured into thend. It instead became a pile of sludge that could take life.
The pile of sludge was rotting with a vile stench and it was filled with lethal poison as if it was a grim reapers scythe swinging a flurry in the darkness.
"Die in the grasp of ck Sky Grave! I will have your soul now!"
Edgar said while he shook that piece of leather in his hand. However, nothing happened.
"I will have your soul now!?"
Edgar repeated his words and shook the leather once more. Still, nothing happened.
Then, the figure in the darkness vanished and Kieran appeared in a sh before Edgar.
Whuuu!
Edgar didnt even make a sound or move his finger. The burning raw ruby that was floating around him started to burn fiercely, sting out a fiery fire that engulfed Kieran.
Pak!
However, upon contact with the ruby fire, Kieran burst like a soap bubble.
"A clone?!" Edgar was shocked.
Another figure of Kieran shed before him. Edgar was more careful this time around but his over-cautiousness forced him to be in a disadvantageous position in the fight.
The dark red sword edge was giving out a bewitching re ceaselessly, producing a numbing air-breaking whistle as it shed down towards Edgar.
Bang!
The loud sh produced a deafening st. The leather in Edgars hand opened up and protected him underneath like a formidable shield.
Tsk Tsk Tsk!
The supposedly soft leather piece turned into the strongest of metals when it came in to contact with [Arrogant Word]s de edge. When [Arrogant Word]s de grazed over the surface, it even produced sparks.
"Damn it! You piece of useless sh*t! How is it possible that you forced me into such a position? I will make you regret what youve done! I will!"
Edgar was crying like a losing dog. However, his actions were not to be underestimated.
The three great items floating around him lined up before him, emanating a distinguishable shine respectively.
The red burning mes even forced Kieran to retreat at least several meters away the moment it burned.
Even with [Body of Evil] and [Secondary Elemental Damage Resistance], Kieran could feel a sense of extreme danger from the red mes, a lethal kind.
Buuush!
Just as Kieran was dodging away, the abysmal darkness shrouded Edgar as a whole. Edgars presence in Kierans senses started to get blurry when the darkness appeared. He was forced to use an extra hand to get his eyes on Edgar.
Bluuuuuu!
A sudden ghastly blue energy stream gushed and flooded the area. Itbined the red and ck around Edgar. The fused energy stream sent out shockwaves on the ground and was sted at Kierans Creature of Desire.
A series of soundless wailing came from the creature. Half of Kierans Creature of Desire melted away from the shockwave, forcing it to be in an ugly position in its battle against its counterpart.
"Hahahaha! See that? This is what my true power looks like! My true power!"
Edgarughed wildly, seemingly entered a hysteric trance.
The shockwave st that he fired out even exploded with his wildughs, causing Kierans Creature of Desire to wobble hard.
Even under the moonlight, the explosion was extra bright. But more importantly, the brightness exposed Kierans hidden hand that he was keeping away from the start.
Wrath appeared from the shadows, panting heavily and anxiously.
Pride crossed his arm, giving out cold grunts of disdain.
"The cardinal sins!?" The frenzicugh was halted abruptly when Edgar saw those two counterparts of Kieran.
He was looking at the cardinal sins inconceivably. His frenzy state started to calm down and he muttered in a dull state of shock, "Just now..."
Before he could finish his words, he stopped, because he was not willing to believe such things could happen to him.
He was the heir of the Royals. How could he be confused by some tricks?!
"This is impossible!?" Edgar emphasized his thoughts.
Yet, the facts were ced before his eyes. Kierans Creature of Desire was not the iplete version that he thought it was but it was truly born from the Eye of Chimeras as a catalyst.
Theplete Creature of Desire possessed all the abilities that could truly strike fear and panic, including [Desire Dominance] and [Thousand Evil Eye Strike]!
While under [Desire Dominance] influence, the cardinal sins took advantage of it and infiltrated Edgar, causing him to lose his cool and became mad.
The cardinal sins turned a battle of life and death into something easy.
Souuu!
Edgar was stunned and he slowed down because of the appearance of the cardinal sins but Kieran didnt.
He raised his right hand and [Mardos Arm] fired out a spider web at Edgar.
The spider webnded precisely at the three great items that have lined up before Edgar with an air-breaking whistle. Another line of webbing was attached on the web, connecting the wristband and theted items.
Kieran pulled it with all his might by raising his hand and the three great items flew to him instantly.
Edgar only came to his senses when he saw that his items wereted away. However, he couldnt even budge because a negative energy chain appeared and bound him down; Edgar continuouslyughed coldly.
"Childish act! You think you can rob me of my rights to use the great items?! You will only suffer the consequences of your deeds!"
While Edgar was talking, the three great items within the spider web emanated a blinding shine, removing all gazes on them. However, a momentter, all three items dimmed down to a gloomy state.
A tiny spider mirage appeared from the wristband and crawled towards theted items on the connected spider web. It easilynded on top of the web and stared at the three great items beneath, like a spider gazing at its prey that had fallen into its web.
The predator from hell sted its aura throughout the field like a typhoon sweeping thend.
Not only did the three great items go silent, but so did Edgar.
His face was already pale to begin with but when he saw what happened to his items, even the slightest blush on his face bleached to a ghostly white.
Chapter 438: Swallowing
Chapter 438: Swallowing
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Ka, Kakkak!
A frostyyer of ice spread throughout Edgars body. When the icing finally stopped, the Night race leader has turned into a frozen statue.
A momentter...
BANG!
A powerful force from the void smashed the frozen statue to bits.
Everything happened too fast, just as Kieran wanted to send a thought to stop the process, Edgar was already a bunch of crushed pieces.
The system notifications kept pinging him but he didnt have the time to care.
Kierans attention was ced on the little spider that was dancing and jumping for joy.
Although there wasnt a conversation between him and the spider and Kieran didnt know how to read a spiders expression, his heart felt a faint joyous feelinging from the spider.
"What the!?"
Kieran was shocked over the little spider crawling over the spider web with items, swallowing something into its petite body. Then a full stomach sensation was transmitted to Kierans heart, assuring Kieran that he wasnt hallucinating.
"The remainder of the soul is repairing itself?" Kieran guessed.
Kieran had the guess early on about his equipment retaining a part of the original soul of whatever that was imbued in it. Though the remaining soul could repair itself through devouring and other methods was out of Kierans expectation.
Subconsciously, Kieran nced over the three great items that were already gloomy and withered.
Rust and fractures covered the three great items, if Kieran didnt witness the power of these three great items moments ago, he would have thought they were just some random pieces of junk.
Obviously, the repair or restoration of the spider soul didnt appear out of thin air, after analyzing the things before him with a calm mind, Kieran grabbed his chest.
He felt immense heartache!
A heartache that even a breath through his lungs could tear his body apart and it was spreading through his chest.
A Scrooge has lost three "great items" before his very eyes.
Once the thought of those items might be Legendary or above, Kieran even had to rely on [Arrogant Word]s tilt to stand properly without falling, yet the little spiders mirage didnt care so much. After a full meal, it went back into the wristband.
The ck color [Mardos Arm] suddenly gave out a lustrous golden shine thatsted around four to five seconds before fading off.
It then returned to its original ck wristband with the spider icon on it, just that the spider had be more and more lively, even the attributes undergone drastic changes.
[Name: Mardos Arm]
[Type: Armor (Right hand wristband)]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Defense: Extreme]
[Attributes: 1. Spider Webbing II, 2. Web Bind II, 3. Soul Devour II]
[Effect: Hell Fiend Spider Fire]
[Prerequisite: The one who killed Mardos (Binds to yer)]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: Mardos was hatched from a Hell Fiend Spider egg that was left on earth, through a special and hastened hatching process, it had a growth disorder in nature, in addition to losing the intellect, strength and lineage of a Hell Fiend Spider, all it had was the natural predator instinct, still it was not to be underestimated.]
...
[Spider Webbing II: Fire a tensile and sticky retractable spider web no longer than 30 meters, the spider web has a Powerful defense, target is required to have B Strength or above to break away from the stickiness, 20 second duration, 3 times per day]
[Web Binding II: Fire a 5 meter radius sticky spider webced with poison, binding multiple targets 50 meters within sight, spider web has a Powerful and above defense, target would required to have B+ Strength to break away. The poison will force the target undergo 3 times Constitution authentication of B+, B, B-. If target failed all 3 authentication, target will receive Powerful poison attack. If target fail 2 authentication, target will receive Strong poison attack.
If target fails 1 authentication, target will receive Average poison attack, 15 seconds duration, 2 per day]
[Soul Devour II: yer will absorb the soul energy of each target kill, replenishing yers HP, Stamina, the recovery rate is based on the targets soul level. The soul can be temporarily stored in the wristband, able to replenish at will. The restore level is equal to 3 Moderate Wounded Status worth of HP and Stamina]
...
[Hell Fiend Spider Fire: When using Spider Webbing or Web Binding, bound target will receive Strong fire damage and Average negative energy corrosion. Able to activate Hell Fiend Spider Fire at your will.]
...
"Attributes level up? A new effect?" All the attributes had a considerable enhancement, especially [Soul Devour II], it can really save my life during crucial moments!"
Kieran nced over [Mardos Arm]s description in awe.
His heartache was instantly halved, at least he still got something out of the loss.
As for relying on [Creature of Desire] to earn him more equipment and items?
That was not an option for Kieran.
[Creature of Desire]s [Devour] special effect will only eat all the loot cleaner than [Mardos Arm], Kieran would not even get the leftovers from the creature.
In fact, it was exactly as Kierans thought.
Edgars death caused his Creature of Desire to turn into a rootless duckweed, floating aimlessly, although it was controlling tons of Nights and Mutants but without the middleman to sync the process.
The mechanical Creature of Desire spun its gears rapidly and had fallen into a chaotic state, it had lost its purpose and goals within an instant.
Yet, Kierans Creature of Desire hasnt, with sufficient intellect, Kierans Creature of Desire took the chance and started its counterattack. Its half melted body didnt gather and recover anymore, instead, the wide mouth filled with grinding sharp teeth bit hard on the mechanical body.
Kierans Creature of Desire started to swallow its counterpart. It altered its original way of grinding off its opponent piece by piece after its counterpart was at lost of actions.
It was simr to a greedy snake trying to swallow an elephant!
Compared to its counterpart, Kierans Creature of Desire was like a small cauliflower snake trying to swallow an elephant. Even a seven to eight-meter long python would explode when trying to swallow an elephant, let alone a cauliflower snake.
However, Kierans Creature of Desire was different. It was formed by Kierans desire and used the Eye of Chimeras as the catalyst, it was a monster at birth, a monster that used Kierans heart as its foundation.
The human heart was infinite, it was able to store a whole mountain and house the sea, even upy the whole heaven and earth.
With such a foundation inside the Creature of Desire, let alone its counterpart which was a few times bigger than itself, even the Night and Mutant monsters below were not spared.
It wanted to swallow everything within its grasp.
When the summoning time was up, the Creature of Desire went away in a satisfied manner.
Dong Dong Dong!
Kierans heart started to beat rapidly again.
He could easily feel the part in his heart which belonged to the Eye of Chimeras had grown stronger, though it didnt start a fight with his human or the devil part right away but it decided toy dormant for the time being, as if it agreed to Kierans previous agreement during their "talk".
The prerequisite of [Fusion Heart] didnt change but Kieran knew it within himself if he wished to not give up his position as the host to his "guests" he will need to get stronger!
Getting stronger faster than the Eye of Chimeras and the devil could cope! To the point that Kieran could keep his thoughts away, without worrying about himself being turned into a puppet of flesh and blood.
He was clear that either the Eye of Chimeras or the devil could faintly share his emotions as well. Without utmost confidence, he didnt want to tip the bnce of the current situation.
He raised his head to the system notification after.
[Eliminating key person in main mission,pleted main mission in advance!]
[yer will leave the dungeon in 10 seconds...]
[Please take whatever items you wish to keep with you.]
[Note: Any items that exceed the maximum weight will be discarded!]
...
Another 10-second duration before leaving.
Different from his previous 10 seconds leaving which he had in control, Kieran went over to the unconscious Herbert in a hurry and anxious. He took out the pen and paper in Herberts coat and quickly wrote down his thoughts.
Chapter 439: Changes
Chapter 439: Changes
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
When Kierans eyes could see again, he was back in his old broken garage.
The dungeon ratings then followed.
[Special Dungeon: Primordial Invasion]
[Dungeon Type: Free Mission]
[Dungeon Difficulty: Below Average]
[Main Mission: Protect Herbert for 3 months]
[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating F)]
[Sub Mission 1: Tracking!]
[Mission Completion: 100% Rating F D)]
[Sub Mission 2: Escaping Threats]
[Mission Completion: 100% (Perfect Completion, Rating D B)]
[Sub Mission 3: Persuasion!]
[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating B A)]
[Battle Performance: Very Active (Rating A S)]
[Exploration Performance: Average]
[Special Rating 1: Complete Main Mission in advance (Rating S SS)]
[Special Rating 2: Eliminated Mutant race leader, Benz (Rating SS Z, Rep +1)]
[Special Rating 3: Eliminated Mutant race leader, Mozorc (Rating Z ZZZ, Rep +1)]
[Special Rating 4: Eliminated heir of the Royal bloodline, Edgar (Rating ZZZ VV, Rep +3)]
[yer final dungeon rating: VV!]
[Calcting yers special dungeon rewards...]
[Final yers special dungeon rewards as follow...]
[Points: 100,000; Skill Points: 40; Golden Skill Points: 6; Golden Attribute Points: 6]
[Acquired special dungeon: Primordial Invasion II]
[Acquired special reward 1: Herberts Note II]
[Acquired special reward 2: Night race Herl Citymunication logs]
[Acquired special reward 3: Mutant race Herl Citymunication logs]
...
"As expected!"
Kieran nced over the special ratings of his kill on Benz, Mozorc and Edgar. Each of them had increased significantly.
Kieran nodded in delight.
No doubt, even the system recognized Benz, Morzorc and Edgar as enemies that had surpassed the dungeon difficulty.
When Kieran received his final dungeon rewards, he was quite satisfied with the amount as well.
Despite it was a VV rating, [Primordial Invasion] was only a fourth dungeon difficulty special dungeon,pared to [The Queens Shield] which was a fifth dungeon difficulty and its rating of V, the final rating was not too outstanding.
Though, the rewards on the Points, Skill Points, Golden Skill Points, Golden Attribute Points were delightful enough for him.
As for the special reward, [Herberts Note II], [Night race Herl Citymunication logs] and [Mutant race Herl Citymunication logs]?
Following his dungeon rating getting higher and higher, Kieran spected that eventually it will reward him with something useful. Yet when he saw the logs and notes which were only slightly better than a souvenir, he was helpless and couldnt even give a sarcastic remark.
[Herberts Note II] no doubt was about more of the Neegor Dynastys history.
Themunication logs of both races though, since both races were exterminated by Kieran, what use of the logs anymore? It might even be even worthy as a souvenir after all.
Kieran took a deep breath and he turned his attention to the special dungeon description, [Primordial Invasion II].
[Special Dungeon: Primordial Invasion II]
[Primordial Invasion II: Benefiting from your reminder, Herbert is currently under the surveince of the government, faking amnesia. He is waiting patiently for your return!]
[Main Mission: Begins when you enter the dungeon!]
...
"I did it!"
Kieran clenched his fist hard when he saw the description of [Primordial Invasion II].
In fact, Kieran had been wondering other than his reputation, what actions would directly affect the potential special dungeon, yet the possibilities were near infinite. Kieran wasnt able to categorized each and everyone of them.
If he really wanted to categorized them he would have to take note of all his actions and choices from the moment he stepped into the dungeon in the first ce. The process was tooplicated.
Kieran wasnt able to achieve that since he only had a week of rest time, so he changed his perspective on the matter.
What kind of actions could maximize the effects on the potential special dungeon?
Simr to this new encounter.
Following all sorts of special incident that happened throughout Herl City, including but not limited to the destruction of the small square at Charlie Street and tons of serial murder, all the incidents were eye-catching, enough to draw attention from all over Langton state.
In fact, Kierans malicious spection led him to think that those who had authority over the state of Langton knew what happened in Herl City.
They decided to close an eye to the incidents because of some situation.
The bnce of authority was like a toy to those who had utmost authority.
Of course, even those authorities were really as slow as pigs or pure as rabbits, after what happened in Herl City, they couldnt pretend to be ignorant anymore, surely they will send over some rted personnels for investigation.
As for Herbert, the key person rted to all the incidents, he would naturally given the primary importance among all the priorities.
Following his current thought, Kieran attempted to test out his theory and left a note to Herbert before he left the dungeon.
To Kieran, it didnt matter if his attempt would to seed or not but thankfully, it did.
Now, some of Kierans original guesses, thoughts about the special dungeon [Primordial Invasion II] became viable. More importantly, following this sessful attempt, it will benefit him even more for the rest of his underground game progress.
An unknown dungeon world versus a known dungeon world with some setups beforehand.
Which was was easier? The answer was a no-brainer.
"Lucky!" Kieran smiled delightedly while opening his PM tab that was flickering non-stop.
The messages were from Lawless who had been away for awhile, Lawlesss representative, Coll and the Blood Alliances boss, Allen.
Kieran opened up Lawlesss message first.
"Lawless: Everything is fine."
A simple message but Kieran sighed over it. He knew Lawless must be having a hard time, otherwise with his nagging characteristic, how would he leave such a simple message?
"Couldnt even lie properly eh?"
Kieran muttered softly, his brows furrowed hard.
He once again felt helpless against Lawless.
If it was in the game and with his current power level, he was confident to be of aid to Lawless, even against the ten supernovas, Kieran had certain level of confidence that he would survive.
Though back in the real world, Kieran was nothing more than a orphan getting welfare aid from the Union government. Not only he was poor but he had no one to aid him as well.
If he would sell some of his equipment in trades of real world currency, he might be able to remove the "poor" from his life but he wouldnt be wealthy either.
At most better than an average family, almost stepping into the middle ss.
Yet with his assets and power in hopes of helping Lawless in real life, it was a fools talk.
Although there were still many things he was still unclear off, based on what he knew and concluded, it was hard for him to provide help to Lawless in any means.
Though it didnt mean Kieran would stay back and do nothing.
Although he was weak and petty in the real life, some tricks in the game could boost his strength in the real life, a lot!
Such trick was...
The mimosa nt!
Chapter 440: Value
Chapter 440: Value
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The mimosa nt, a nickname that Kieran gave Starbeck.
He was also the only one at the moment Kieran could think off that could provide help to Lawless in real life.
After all, ording to what Lawless had said before and what Kieran witnessed himself, Starbeck must be one of the wealthiest yers in the game.
If Starbeck could lend a hand, it would be like sending charcoal in the winter for Lawless.
Though after some thought, Kieran frowned instead.
He had no leverage to ask for Starbecks help.
The onlymunication he had with Starbeck was that party mission and their rtionship has only gone that far. His only leverage that he could give was also the same as before, lending his hand to Starbeck during their next dungeon entry.
Though would it be enough for Starbeck to lend a hand? It will be difficult.
Even if Kieran were to promise his service for free or a couple more dungeon entries, the oue would be the same.
Starbeck might be a coward but he was no idiot, he will definitely judge and size up the situation.
Kieran had a clear idea about that but he knew even clearer that Lawless was not in somemon trouble.
Would a hitmans trouble be anything simple?
If anything involved a humans life, it would be anything but a small matter, especially when many more lives were at stake.
Against such a troublesome request, even Starbeck had to pay a hefty cost to lend his help and under equal circumstances, Starbeck had many more choices.
Starbeck had no obligations to Kieran.
The one thing that the underground game wasntcking was people willing to sell their lives for money! It was the same as the real world.
Almost out of instinct, Kieran recalled the bodyguards 1 and 2 beside Starbeck during their dungeon run.
Although both of them were dead, he was sure when Starbeck entered the next dungeon world, simr bodyguards would appear around him.
At the same time, characters simr to Kieran or Lawless would pop up left and right without any dy.
Kieran never thought he had any absolute advantages against those yers, contending for the spot.
Maybe Kieran had a decent power level and low dungeon entry number but he wasnt arrogant to the point that he would assumed he was the only one with such an advantage. Among the mountains of yers, there will be someone with simr or even identical achievements, it was not something out of the blue after all. In fact, the strange thing would be the opposite.
As long as Starbeck was willing to raise the bounty reward, all the yers will gather around like bees to honey.
Comparing the cost of hiring him and the bounty reward Starbeck could afford to pay, one could imagine that thetter option would be more decent and affordable.
So, if Kieran wanted absolute advantages in suchpetition, there were only two options for him.
The first option was to lower his price and the second would be heighten his power, making himself worthy of the price.
Considering Lawlesss safety, the first option was discarded almost immediately.
Only the second option was left in the open.
"Which means... I have to make my own value surge high enough and be one of a kind?"
Kieran muttered softly, his eyes uncontrobly looked at the garage door.
Outside that door, one of the Supernova, ck Hell Banning was waiting for him.
Kierans eyes glimmered, his gaze was unconsciously overflowing with killing intent.
What else was better than to eliminate a Supernova to increase his own value, thus making himself one of a kind?
Subconsciously, Kieran toyed with this idea in his mind. He didnt have much understanding about ck Hell Banning, most of it were stories from veterans around him.
A merciless, selfish Chosen One that was famous for his area of effect attacks.
It was everything he knew after concluding all the information in his head.
In other words, other than that frightening encounter that he could barely catch a glimpse of Banning, Kieran had no idea what else that Banning was capable off.
Judging from what he saw, he would require at least an Extreme level of attack to shake the ck veil that shrouded above him that has over a hundred meters in diameter.
If Kieran used [Transform Devil], he could rely on [me st] to do so but given that Banning had no other hidden cards in his hands.
How was that possible?
A veteran yer with the title of Supernova, how could Banning not have any hidden cards up his sleeves?
As for what his hidden cards were, it would be the important factor to figure out should both of them fight.
Another point was that, Kieran having the devil bloodline was not a secret anymore. Even though he never really transformed before yers, Banning would also be specifically prepared against his devil, it would be a total disadvantage to him.
Even if Kieran had another hidden ace card, Creature of Desire, it was also restrained by holy attacks and blessed weapons.
On top of all that, there was another important point that Kieran had to consider!
How to locate Banning in the first ce?
Recalling the battle they had before, from the beginning to the end, other than the ck veil attack that was allegedly from Banning, he never showed himself at all.
ording to Kierans own guess, Banning should be in the center of the ck veil area, but the ck veil above the sky was over a hundred meters in diameter, using that to specte Bannings location was definitely not a simple task.
At least it wasnt possible for Kieran alone.
"If I want to challenge ck Hell Banning, I must first locate him! Otherwise, before the battle even begins, he would be already victorious! Yet such a big area of attack... Hold on! If thats the case, things might just work out!"
Suddenly, Kieran realized something amidst his thoughts. He squinted his eyes instantly as it glimmered.
A n swiftly formed in his head but he didnt proceed with it right away.
There were some other things that required his attention before that, which was informing Lawless about his ns!
Although Kieran knew with Lawlesss character, he would never allow him to proceed with his n so Kieran nned to only "inform" Lawless, not ask, not exin.
After leaving his message, Kieran opened up the message from Coll.
Most of Colls message were minor chit-chats, plus some advice telling him not to go out.
Kieran sighed and shook his head when he saw the advice. He was afraid that Colls effort might go to waste.
It wasnt that he didnt wanted to stay in his broken garage and safely live out the danger period.
It was just that if he really did so, what he held to his heart and persisted since the beginning would turn into a joke and eventually he would turn into the kind of person that he hated most.
Kieran didnt have the wisdom or thoughts of a wise person, therefore he didnt really understood the good and bad in the world but only one saying that he understood from his childhood.
Repaying a debt of gratitude and avenging a grudgeful deed.
If he didnt repay his debt of gratitude, he would be less than an animal. Kieran wished to not lower himself to the point that being address as an animal.
So, what he owed Lawless, he would repay it with all his effort.
"This is so corny of me." Kieran mocked himself with augh and he opened up the message from Allen, the boss of Blood Alliance.
......
Allen: Join me in Blood Alliance, we will fight Broker together!
Allen: I have the equipments, skills of a Chosen One here, as long as you join me, the resources of Blood Alliance will all be yours to utilize!
...
"Coercing turned into temptation?"
Kierans self mocking smile instantly turned into ridicule when he saw Allens change of heart.
He knew what caused Allen to change and it didnt interest him one bit.
Kieran closed the message tab without even replying.
Then, he turned his attention to the character and skill tab, starting his final step of his ns.
Enhancing!
Chapter 441: Upgrade Part VI
Chapter 441: Upgrade Part VI
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Kieran looked at his points tab.
[Points: 100,000; Skill Points: 40; Golden Skill Points 6; Golden Attribute Points: 6]
A decent amount of Points and Skill Points and a considerable amount of Golden Skill Points and Golden Attribute Points.
Enough for him to upgrade his power to the next level since he had the unique [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Skill] as a base for his stats.
Now, he was hesitating about the remaining 1 Golden Skill Point after leveling [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Arts] from Pro to Grand Master that would him cost 45,000 Points and 5 Golden Skill Points.
Kieran has no intentions of keeping that single Golden Skill Point. Since a battle with a powerful opponent was inevitable, he should make use of every point and turn them into his strength instead of keeping it idle.
Kieran nced over his various skills and eventuallynded on Grand Master [Tracking].
Compared to the other skills, [Tracking] would be the most beneficial skill for the uing battle.
Although Kieran already had other solutions to locate ck Hell Banning, if he could form a backup n in case his ns went south, he wouldnt mind doing so.
[Tracking, Grand Master to Musou, cost 30,000 Points, 1 Golden Skill Points. Yes/No?]
"Yes!"
[Name: Tracking (Musou)]
[Rted Attribute: Intuition]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effect: You can observe and inspect all sorts of leftover traces and trails to locate your desired target!]
[Special Effect: Musou Trace Inspection (No type of trace can escape your eyes!)]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Intuition D+]
[Remark: Not only you can clearly sense the special existence of other beings, you can also locate the traces they left behind!]
...
[Tracking leveled up, rted attributes increasing...]
[Intuition: B- B]
...
The knowledge transfer and synchronization process started again.
Kieran savoured the small changes in his body while feeling awe as his Intuition increased.
Although before leveling [Tracking], he was doubtful about whether Intuition could be increased with the skill. He was holding the slightest hope on the skill, otherwise he wouldnt level up [Tracking] first.
Though when the stats increased, he was still astonished.
"Is it because of Tracking is a special skill?" Kieran wondered.
Then he turned his attention to [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art].
Kieran didnt level up the skill right away. After multiple times in leveling, his experience allowed him to make good use of every resources in each leveling session.
After adjusting his mood and condition, getting the best of his body, he opened the leveling option.
[Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art, Pro to Grand Master, cost 45,000 Points, 5 Golden Skill Points. Yes/No?]
"Yes!"
[Name: Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Arts (Grand Master)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution, Spirit, Intuition]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effects: You know how to utilize the special stances, movements and breathing techniques, All Attributes +5 (+1 Basic, +1 Entry, +1 Master, +1 Pro, +1 Grand Master]
[Knights Focus: Everyone has their own specialty, but not everyone can persevere; Spirit +3, Knights Persistent (When you persist on something, you are willing to sacrifice yourself to seed; Ignite 200 HP to +2 level in Spirit, 1 second duration, cooldown none)]
[Consumes: Stamina]
[Prerequisites: Strength D+, Agility D+, Constitution D+, Spirit D+, Intuition D+]
[Remarks: This is the Knights of Dawn entry course, but it will affect other rted skills!]
...
[Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art leveled up, rted attributes increasing...]
[Strength B+ A-]
[Agility B+ A-]
[Constitution A A+]
[Spirit S SS- (Knights Focus +1)]
[Intuition B B+]
...
The warm stream flowed into Kierans body again. Without further dy, Kieran quickly practised [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art].
The practice was even longer than the previous practices itsted around 15 minutes.
When Kieran opened his eyes again, the notification in his vision popped up right away.
[Through practicing, Grand Master Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art acquired significant experience, decrease leveling cost by 10,000 Points, 1 Golden Skill Point...]
[Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art, Grand Master to Musou, cost 90,000 Points, 9 Golden Skill Points. Yes/No?]
...
Kieran saw the notification before him and was stunned.
He was delighted about the sessful decrease in cost with his training and at the same time was shocked as well towards the sudden surge of difficulty of leveling [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] further.
After a while, he finally gathered his thoughts.
"As I thought, when I keep on leveling [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art], the difficulty will increase gradually. Just like Guntherson said, every stage of [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] will provide a new difficulty until the skill itself had a qualitative change!"
Kieran couldnt help but recalled the old knight stationed in the small hut in St. Paolo School.
He still remember Gunthersons face when he mentioned those words.
It was filled with destion and yearning.
He yearned for that state of the skill but couldnt reach it himself, his heart was tormenting thus giving out such expressions.
Kieran sighed instantly, because he knew without the aid from the system, a normal person couldnt reach such a high state of the skill. Grand Master and Musou level should be the limitation of where amon person could go, simr to the old knight.
Guntherson must be the chosen one among the many knights in the Church of Dawn, yet still he was trapped around Musou level of [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art]. In fact, when Kieran reached Grand Master of the skill, he had a general idea of how strong Guntherson would be.
"Which means, from Musou to Transcendence will have an even bigger gap to cross?"
Kieran muttered. He didnt seem to be afraid about the sudden surge, what he has was the eagerness to challenge it.
Different from the old knight in the hut, having the systems aid, Kieran could ovee the problem with enough Points and Skill Points, as far as requiring Golden Skill Point...
As long as he was given enough time, he could earn another day worth of points.
Just like his current power level, if he would to appear before Guntherson, whether [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art]s level or his strength and capabilities would definitely leave him in awe.
After going through a couple dungeon worlds and umting strength through hardship, he was not the newbie that he used to be.
Even against an established scale army of troops, he would be fit to contend against them and not escape in an ugly posture like he did before.
If he would to return to the dungeon world of Guntherson, with his current strength and power, he might have the chance to turn the tides around. Though, the sad thing was, he didnt acquired the special dungeon of that dungeon world.
"What a pity!"
Once Kieran thought about the benefits that a dungeon world with the tides changed and the many techniques from the old knight plus more knowledge about [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art], Kieran couldnt help but shake his head in pity.
Though he quickly swept away his negative emotions.
The past had passed. He should be living in the present, not pitying the past.
Without any further hesitation, Kieran started to distribute his Golden Attribute Points again.
As for which stats, it was a no brainer.
[Using Golde Attribute Points...]
[Spirit SS- SS]
[Using Golde Attribute Points...]
[Spirit SS SS+]
[Using Golde Attribute Points...]
[Spirit SS+ SSS-]
[Using Golde Attribute Points...]
[Spirit SSS- SSS]
[Using Golde Attribute Points...]
[Spirit SSS SSS+]
.....
[Detected Spirit has reached your character limit, do you want to set Spirit as your main attribute?]
"Character limit? Main Attribute?"
Kieran raised a brow at the new options.
Chapter 442: Location
Chapter 442: Location
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Character Limit? Main Attribute?
The sudden notification stunned Kieran.
Neither the LCD screen in his room nor the options in his visions had information about this Character Limit and Main Attribute.
[Detected Spirit has reached your character limit, do you want to set Spirit as your main attribute?]
That notification alone was enough to made Kieran frown uncontrobly.
His habitual vignce kept him from doing anything rash. Even more so, the people around him and the ones he could trust might know such situation.
Kieran opened up his PM tab to Lawless and left his question there.
Then he turned his attention to his character stats window.
[Strength: A-; Agility: A-; Constitution: A+; Spirit: SSS+; Intuition: B+]
Spirit was much further ahead than the other stats.
Strength, Agility, and Constitution were bnced and only Intuition was on the weaker side when it waspared to his other stats.
A B+ Intuition was considered high even among themon veteran yers.
Though after considering the uing battle, Kieran decided to increase it again.
His original n was to highlight his powerful Spirit stat. He was trying to contend to be the absolute powerhouse that could suppress all the other Chosen Ones.
Yet idents happened and it forced him to step down for the time being while seeking a secondary solution.
[Using Golden Attribute Points...]
[Intuition B+ A-]
[Using Golden Attribute Points ...]
[Intuition A- A]
...
Maybe it will affect [Tracking] by increasing Intuition in the future, but guessing that [Tracking] was a special rank skill and the uniqueness of leveling Musou to Transcendence, it made Kieran confident that the next time he leveled up [Tracking], Intuition will once again increase.
Then Kieran looked at his points and skill points tab.
[Points: 25,000; Skill Points: 40; Golden Skill Point: 0; Golden Skill Point: 0]
The remaining points and skill points allowed Kieran to upgrade one of the leftovers of the 2/5 skills that he had to choose before which was [Viper Kick], [Sword Skill, Dragon Force], and [Sword Skill, Tiger Stance].
Although [Viper Kick] could slightly affect Spirit and its authentication, the rted attributes of [Viper Kick] were not Spirit but Strength, Agility, and Constitution.
Based on the previous encounter with ck Hell Banning, with his offensive style, Kieran would not be granted the time to charge his skills.
Therefore, [Sword Skill, Dragon Force] was ruled out. In the end, Kieran picked [Sword Skill, Tiger Stance], which was a great match with [Great Sword Blocking].
[Sword Skill, Tiger Stance, Master to Pro, cost 10,000 Points and 24 Skill Points. Yes/No?]
"Yes!"
[Name: Sword Skill, Tiger Stance (Pro)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Offense]
[Effect: Whenever you use a two-handed sword, battle mace, or battle ax and sessfully block an enemys attack, counterattack +30% in Strength, +30% in Agility, consume extra Stamina when attacking]
[Special Effect: Power Focus (+10% Strength in counterattack)
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Sharp Weapon, Heavy Arms (Master), Strength B-]
[Remark: This is one of the secret esoteric sword skills of the Tiger Sect, its the first step in mastering two handed swords.]
...
When the knowledge transfer and synchronization process was over, Kieran took a deep breath and arranged his equipment and items.
After double checking everything, he stood up and headed out the door.
...
Outside at of 13th Wallway Street.
After the battle between Broker and the Blood Alliance was over, the street that was not prosperous to begin with turned silent and withered.
When the news on ck Hell Banning epted the mission to kill Kieran, the ce became a restricted area for the other yers.
Other than some other newbies and rookies, everyone knew how cruel and merciless Banning was, the Supernova would not care about causing coteral damage to the innocent.
Once Kieran appeared, Banning will attack without concern about other yers safety and with his specialty, therge area of effect attacks, who could dodge his attack?
So, when Kieran pushed open his door, he couldnt spot a single yer in his sight.
Not only yers, even the urban animals that loomed over the city were nowhere in sight.
It was not a usual scene, if such changes urred, something in the area must have caused it.
Without further hesitation, Kieran squinted his eyes and activated [Tracking].
Instantly, he spotted a translucent spirit before his eyes. At a farther spot, more translucent spirits were flying over, gathering before Kieran.
When he saw the spirits hurling themselves over, Kieran was not scared or panic, but instead grinned.
"As I expected! Although the moment the ck veil was formed, it could spread over a hundred meters in diameters rapidly but before that, Banning must have some preparation time! Thest encounter with the guy was in a narrow, crooked alley that was hard for us to perform a thorough search in a short time. He purposely picked that spot for his preparation! And now with the spirits popping up, it was to buy him time to charge his skill!"
Since the moment Kieran has decided to battle Banning once and for all, he analyzed the previous sudden encounter back and forth and more than a dozen times, not even letting the slightest details slip.
It was natural that Kieran noticed that Banning would not appear in the flesh during battle, other than that, he noticed another strange spot in the previous encounter.
Since Banning had decided to strike, why would he go the extra length and do so much before which seemed useless in Kierans point of view.
There was only one answer that Kieran could think of: it was not that he didnt want to strike directly, but he couldnt!
The charging or preparation for the area of effect attack was much more longer than they imagined during that encounter.
Just that when Bannings ck veil appeared above, it was already matured into form, plus the powerful attack and ridiculous wide range caught the attention of everyone present at that time, causing them to neglect the particr point.
Of course, not everyone was easily distracted, someone like Broker never would.
Kieran never underestimated the cunning merchant.
Kieran could notice a strange point based off a single encounter with Banning, it was impossible that Broker couldnt notice it since he was much higher than a veteran.
So, Banning must have some other methods topensate for his long preparation time, or in other words, his other trump card!
A trump card that could remove his preparation or charging timepletely and Kieran wanted Banning to activate this card of his!
Only then would Bannings emotions be truly affected and causing disruptions in his mental state.
Whether was it the rage that a seemingly newbie forced him to activate his trump card or the pride in killing an ant with extreme measures, or even some other negative emotions.
It was what Kieran really needed to determine Bannings location.
Therefore, a momentter...
Whoosh!
Kieran fired a barrage of kicks, turning the surveince spirits into ashes and he jumped up rapidly like a hare and vanished into the shadows aside.
At the same time above the area, the ck veil had appeared, seemingly formed by mist or light somehow.
Aside from that, it seemed like a monster was stretching its body, ready to strike.
A thousand eyes were gazing at a single direction.
Everything was unfolding ording to Kierans expectations.
Chapter 443: True Quality
Chapter 443: True Quality
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Negative yin energy was rumbling fiercely under the ck veil.
Amidst the shrieks and wails, waves and waves of spirits started to gather from all direction.
Broken limbs, twisted faces and some even holding their own skull; spirits in all kinds of form were floating towards Kieran.
The vicious scene with the eerie spirits was enough to frighten a bold person, causing his spine toshiver without the cold. Even more so when such arge number of spirits were gathered together. The negative energy gathering was like a rising tide, beating and corrupting the living around it.
Though, the Creature of Desire was not truly a living being.
The Creature of Desire was the conglomeration of Kierans most instinctive desire, it has a body that could transform between mirage and material form, yet deep inside its eyes, it was still the cumtion of evil desires.
It was a being of evil that could devour souls, therefore under such dense negative energy environment, it became more delighted than ever.
Its wide mouth with sharp teeth started to spin and grind at the spirits surrounding it.
Regardless of how scary the souls or vengeful spirits were, they couldnt resist the suction force from the grinding mouth, each of them were being swallowed into the Creature of Desire.
Its hundreds of thousands limbs were wobbling and dancing, expressing its satisfaction to Kieran, yet just a secondter, its satisfaction was reced with hunger once more.
Just like its name, desire was the hardest thing to fulfill.
Emitting its signature rainbow shine, thousands of eyes were staring at its prey, signaling ceaselessly at Kieran through a special link that it wanted to continue its devouring.
While borrowing the eyes of the creature, Kieran finally spotted ck Hell Banning.
A man who seemingly had a broken hooded robe over him but was actually branded with unique, exquisite runes over it.
Even with the system facial blur, Bannings habit made him lift his hood over his head, covering his face.
His long robe touched the ground, his arms were hidden under the robe and the huge sleeves on the end revealed a scrawny and thin palm, simr to a chickens w.
He was holding a bronze rusted reversed cross in his hand in an odd way.
His right palm was holding the longer part of the bronze cross like holding a dagger, his little finger and his palm were firmly stacked on the horizontal part of the cross and the shorter part was facing the ground.
While Kieran saw ck Hell Banning through Creature of Greeds eyes, the Supernova titled veteran also saw Kieran through his own unique method.
Banning raised his head, gazing directly at the hideous Creature of Desire. Then, he stabbed the shorter part of the reverse cross into his left palm.
Pum!
The end was supposingly square yet it stabbed into his palm like a sharp dagger.
Fresh blood dyed the reverse cross instantly, the rusted part of the bronze cross started to turn red.
A beam of light shone through the red and gave out a vile rotten stench.
Even though both of them were quite far apart, the smell still entered in Kierans nose, causing him to unconsciously frown, not because of the stench but the ck veil above his head.
"So that is his hidden ace card?"
Kieran raised his head at the ck veil, it was rumbling like a thundercloud thatpletely shrouded almost a hundred meters in diameter in darkness.
Kieran knew Bannings attack was about to begin.
Without further dy, Kieran gave the order to attack to Creature of Desire through his mind.
Woum! Woum! Woum!
The Extreme attack core eye acted as the main unit and 10 more secondary eyes with Powerful attack acted as the subunit, together with hundreds more of the smaller and derived eyes, all of them lighted up in an instant.
A blinding rainbow color light shone brightly amidst the ck veil all of a sudden.
A momentter, more than a thousand beams of burning rays were fired in unison!
The light from the burning ray almost materialized, as if it was a long rainbow sword that has been drawn at its enemy or a meteor rain from the sky, striking down its doe together..
The ck veil was pierced upon contact; it was torn apart like a piece of paper but it didnt really faded away.
"Gotchu!"
Banning ignored the thousands of burning rays fired at his ck veil, instead he say with a casual tone.
Kieran couldnt hear what Banning said because of the distance and the volume, yet the disdain and mocking manner from Banning was clearly seen through the Creature of Desires eyes.
PUK!
The reverse cross was pulled out from Bannings left hand, blood gushed out as the wound was left open.
Then, a special kind of energy gushed out and went away from Bannings hand before it floated in mid air.
Ayer of blood colored bright shine brought out even denser vile stench than before. It spread out from the reverse cross andced itself onto Bannings body like a shield covering himpletely.
KRooom! Kroom! Krrooom!
The burning rays from the eyes were fired out like ceaselesssers after traveling some distance to hit its target but when it hit Banning, the blood shining shield didnt even budge.
At a farther spot, under the ck veil of mist that has patched itself up, the rumbling negative energy was being directed by a bewitching purple light, turning the energy around into a purple lightning.
It was different from themon lightning that shone majestically with its invible sternness, the purple lightning before Kieran was more like a product of sphemy, not only vicious but violent as well.
The purple lightning struck down from the ck veil of mist, grazing pass a corner of a six storey building.
Without any crumbling, the corner of the building vanished into thin air; the building itself suddenly turned into an old withered building as if it had existed for thousands of years.
The sudden disastrous state caused the building to wobble, like it could crumble at anytime.
The purple lightning struck down at the Creature of Desire, the creature was destroyed upon contact.
It died off melting away and was turned into a rock statue when the lightning went through it. Then the petrified state of the Creature of Desire shared the fate of the building, it started to wither and crumble.
The scene froze Kieran because he was quite familiar with the power itself.
The curse! The power of curse!
It only took half a breaths time for Kieran to recall what he experienced in the fifth dungeon, [The Queens Shield].
The power that he remembered and the power before him was very identical.
"So this is his true form? Everything else is a cover up?" Kieran muttered.
ck Hell Banning seemed like he heard what Kieran muttered. He replied directly, loudly.
"Yes, this is the true face of the ck veil! But it is toote now!"
Banning exined in an arrogant tone, showing a prideful gaze down at Kieran when he exined. His eyes had already painted the scene where Kieran was surrounded by hundred bolts of purple lightning.
From his point of view, Kieran was finished.
So, before Kieran met his demise, wasnt it a kind of mercy allowing Kieran to know what was going on?
Banning exined for the sake of how much rewards and benefits Kierans death would grant him.
As for his other targets, he would only sted them into ashes with his lightning without a second word!
"You have quite the potential, its a pity you crossed my path, the path of ck Hell Banning, one of the Supernova!"
Banning said slowly while he sted more bolts of purple lightning at Kieran.
However, Banning didnt notice in the shadow beside him, two figures were waiting for him.
Pride and Wrath.
Chapter 444: Whos Dead Now?
Chapter 444: Whos Dead Now?
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
ck Hell Bannings voice was arrogant and cold, as if he was a tyrant that had control over the life or death of his subjects.
He dered Kierans death.
It sounded natural, it sounded affirmative.
Outside Wallway street, hundreds of thousands of other yers saw the street got turned into a wastnd. Everyone gasped when they saw the ruined street and their gaze at Banning was much more fearful, as if they realized for the first time the meaning of the Supernova.
Especially the earliest batch that arrived at the scene among the surrounding yers, each of them belonged to a team or an organization. They were tasked to monitor Kieran and Bannings movements.
Therefore, they were able to make it to Wallway street in time from other ces when the ck veil appeared.
"Too bad 2567 was too impulsive! With the strength he disyed before, if he were to umte more experience and strength patiently, he would surely be able to contend with ck Hell Banning!"
"I heard 2567 was still a half newbie, what fearful potential!"
"So what? He still died when he go up against a Supernova!"
"Hey, this is definitely not the end, dont forget 2567 and Lawless are good friends! With Lawlesss character, the real show will start the moment he returns to the game!"
"Such hype! So much anticipation!"
"You bet it is!"
Pity, disdain, mockery or even taking pleasure in misfortuned,; everyone of the veterans outside were discussing the matter.
The ones who arrivedter and the newbies who were just around the corner stuck their ears up for stories.
The yers who just entered the game, or had been through the initial stages of being lost or were still at loss for what to do in the game were all there, gathering information instinctively. After all, dying in the game equaled to dying in real life, it was not a secret anymore since veterans advertised it somehow and because of that, it made the newbies and rookies tremble even more.
Their emotions got even heavier when they saw the scene before them.
Whether was it the ck veil that shrouded a hundred meters and leveled a whole street, or the disgusting, fearful monster that could fire a thousand burning rays from its eyes, everything they saw before them was something they couldnt understand at their stage.
The newbies and rookies subconsciously ced themselves into Kieran or Bannings shoe, imagining what would be of them and every single one of them ended with one oue.
Death!
It made them depressed.
Some of them who had escaped the stages of being lost saw death as the final result, it put them back into the lost and absent stage again.
Some of them though were excited by that what they saw, the power that they saw was very fascinating, it even pulled them out of their drowsy lost state and strengthen their gaze and goals.
Depressed and given up; excited and fired up.
Two different states of mind lingered and intertwined among the newbie and rookes hearts like two long swords swung in a flurry.
Their temperament started to change, some getting even weaker, some getting stronger.
The veterans shifted their gaze at the hyped up, stronger newbies that had the potential. After some slight inspection, they went over representing their team, organization and offered an invitation to ones with potential.
As for the weaker newbies, no one cared.
Some things were decided from the start and some things will turn harsh and cruel under the threat of death. The oue might be bloody and gruesome to ones sight but it was reality.
Suddenly, somemotion urred at a farther point.
A bunch of lone wolves yers appeared at the end of the street following themotion.
"Haha, be ready for a good show!"
Some veterans that arrived earlier smiled and they looked at the newbie that they just recruited, exining the situation.
"These yers are what we call lone wolves, the greedy, lonely wolves that are so used to being alone in the dungeon world. Although they might be quiet and obedient in the city here, but dont expect any cooperation from them! They know nothing about teamwork! Their existence will only tear the team apart!"
"As for the good show, the one who just gotten himself killed, 2567 was one of the lone wolves and he is a good friend of the infamous lone wolf, Lawless! So these guys that appeared are here for revenge!"
The veterans were mocking with all their vocabry, but those newbies were confused over theirments.
"But you just said that they are lone wolves, why would they gather..." One of the newbie yer asked.
"Just for show! Because only with such petty actions they could disy their so called "friendship" and allowing others to understand their "pride". I bet this battle would start off fierce but finish poorly! When ck Hell Banning strikes, these wolves will scatter in the wind! Bunch of noobs!" The veterans pouted and said.
"Is that so?" The newbie yer muttered when he saw the lone wolves charging in with fierce manner.
Somehow, the newbie yer couldnt believe what the veteran beside him said.
While that was happening, the bunch of lone wolves charged in with an angry roar.
"BANNING!"
It was Hanses who was wielding a giant shield and Coll with a mechanical dog.
Both of the lone wolves that had quite a rtionship with Kieran stared at Banning with burning gaze.
"You are to avenge 2567? Two ignorant ants!" Banning said with a coldugh under the blood shine shield.
"Ants? Then you should really try the power of ants!"
Hanses was upset by Bannings remarks, he lifted his shield, ready to test out his luck.
Even though Hanses knew he was no match for Banning, he insisted on fighting as well.
Otherwise, the burning fire within his heart will burn him inside out instead.
Coll was silent, the system blur prevented others from seeing his expression, yet the others around could feel Colls boiling magma presence.
Different from Hansess character by nature, Coll had guilt over his heart.
Kieran saved his life before. Lawless who helped him more than once even entrusted him.
Even still, he saw Kieran head to his demise without doing anything.
Coll didnt rant about Kieran neglecting his advice.
At that moment, such me couldnt rece Kierans death in his mind, all he could think of was why didnt he persuade Kieran with more effort. Why would he just PM Kieran, and not go up to his door instead?
Coll was scared of the Supernova. He feared death.
Though, at that particr moment, he had one thing that he fear more than death, the gaze of the other lone wolves at him on the way there.
The gaze were like swords and knives, slicing his flesh piece by piece.
"Hhmm!"
After a softugh, Coll took out two bundle of special explosives from his bag.
It was not themon ck powdered explosives but it was liquid explosives!
The ghastly blue liquid in the explosives gave out a daunting shine to the others under the natural light of the city.
Coll strapped the explosives on himself without any hesitation and stared at Banning from afar.
He only spilled out a word after that, "Come!"
Banning didnt reply.
The face of the veterans that arrived earlier turned green. They knew the destructive force of liquid explosives. If any one of the explosives went off, it will cause a huge crater on the already leveled Wallway Street.
The veterans around started back off one after another. Those newbies and rookies that had no idea also followed tightly after being exined to. Though some of the yers gaze towards the lone wolves had changed.
Especially when many more of the lone wolves walked out from their bunch without hesitation, preparing their fighting stance against Banning, showing him their resolution.
Ramont stood up in front, wielding two swords in each hand, one was burning with fire and the other frozen with ice. The mixture of aura surrounded him fiercely.
The slim Raven also walked out slowly after, opening up a scroll in his hand and mysterious runes appeared underneath his feet.
A tallerdy with a red mantle over her body floated in mid-air, and had gemstones circting her while emanating a dazzling shine..
"Hmph! Hanses, Coll, Ramont, Raven, cksmith, who else? Come on all out, so that I can take care of all of you once and for all!" Banning grunted coldly.
"Are you blind or what? Of course all of us are standing here!"
The girl with only 150 cm pushed herself out of the bunch and stood parallel with Hanses and the others.
"Lemour? Are you sure you want to oppose me?" Banning asked.
"Its not that I wanted to oppose you, its just that I really wanna punch your face so hard! 2567 is quite a decentd! Although his ideals are quite frantic, I am looking forward to what he could achieve! Now you crushed my anticipations! So If I dont teach you a lesson, I cant calm my heart down!" The alchemist, Lemour crossed her hands and yelled at Banning loudly.
"Well, well, well!" Banning growled heavily in a depressed manner.
The bloody reverse cross was once again stabbed into his palm and it retracted the blood shine shield around him in an instant. The ck veil once again spread out in the sky.
The other veterans around started to stagger back and retreat in panic.
The lone wolves though made a charge at Banning.
"Then, you people will share the same fate as 2567, death! Everyone of you!"
Banning shouted in rage against the lone wolves charging on him.
He wanted to pull out the reverse cross from his palm once more but another palm was faster than his.
The palms finger was long but strong. It covered Bannings right palm and squeezed it.
Then, a voice sounded beside the Supernova which Banning thought was impossible to hear anymore.
"Whos dead now?"
Kierans figure started to take form clearly beside Banning!
GrackTsk! Gak Tsk! GrakBak!
Kieran squeezed his palm tight. Bannings palm gave out noises because of the force crushing his bones and after a second, the heavily injured palm cracked in a clear sound.
Kieran crushed Bannings palm with sheer strength.
The others opened their eyes wide at the scene, whether was it the lone wolves or the other retreating veterans.
Their widen eyes were filled with unconceivable gaze.
"How is this possible!? I already..."
Banning was growling loud. His words voiced out his inconceivable thoughts.
"Is that so? Oh well, I think I forgot to tell you... I am an immortal!"
Kieran said with a softugh.
Chapter 445: The Very Unexpected
Chapter 445: The Very Unexpected
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
"Immortal? You f*cking bastard!"
Shocked and enraged by the embarrassment, Banning shouted.
He realized the banter in Kierans words. Obviously Kieran was ying him, teasing him who was a Supernova!
"You think you can escape your death with some petty tricks and you can talk nonsense now? I will let you taste..."
While he spoke, Banning wanted to move his left hand but simr to his right hand, Kieran beated him to it. Kieran held Bannings hand firmly and let the reverse cross stick to his palm tightly.
Blood started to gush out because of the pressure from Kierans hand and because of the pressure, the wound was getting wider, causing what seemed like minced meat to ooze out.
The seemingly square and blunt reverse cross were sharper than one could imagine. Kieran squinted his eyes as he looked at the reverse cross.
"This is quite the item you have here!" He said.
Banning didnt answer but his imposing manner was brought to a halt.
Then he shouted with an even angrier tone, "This is mine!"
"It is yours now alright but what aboutter?" Kieran fired out his disdainfulment at Banning, trying to agitate him.
"It will still be mer! Not only this, everything that Iy my eyes one, its mine! You bunch of ants, I will destroy you easily!"
Further enraged, frantic words came out from Bannings mouth. This time around, even the yers from afar noticed something was wrong with him, yet they were all scared of the title, Supernova, resulting in none of them stepping up.
As for the lone wolves, they abide the rule of fair distribution of loots.
Everyone of the lone wolves could see Kieran had the upperhand in the battle, although they had no idea how he did it, none of them nned to approach further at that particr moment.
After all, the properties and belongings of a Supernova should be quite sizeable.
Everyones gaze wereid on Kieran and Banning and their tangled hands.
A momentter, their already astonished heart was shook again, sending shiver down their spines.
What did they see?
2567! 2567! And more 2567!
Although his face was blurred out by ayer of distortion simr to the system blur, everyone was sure they were 2567!
Three more 2567 popped up from the shadowy spot around Banning. They were standing in triangle, surrounded Banning in the middle firmly.
"A mirage? Illusions? Clones?"
Rising voices of shock came from the yers from far, then followed by dead silence, because they felt an extreme anger presence brewing from one of the Kieran.
The face was hidden. There was nothing wrong with his body and neither did he utter a sound but most of the yer around felt the wrath in Kieran, as if they were witnessing a volcano bursting out ck smoke, sending earthquakes through thend.
Though, it was not the reason they the crowd went silent.
The real reason that shut the yers mouth was the prideful gaze. As real as matter itself, it was staring at them from high up like a God witnessing the acts of mortals.
The gaze made them felt ashamed of their ungainly appearance, made them feel as inferior as ants. Especially when theypared themselves to the lone wolves in front, shame befell them all. All of the retreating yers shut their mouths.
The lone wolves were shocked and astonished when they say a couple more Kieran popping out.
They were also having thoughts at the scene, just not as awestruck as the yers behind and didnt stir up a ruckus among themselves.
Though, simr to the other yers, the lone wolves were quite baffled by the scene before them.
Among the lone wolves, only two of them felt something different.
The Alchemist, Lemour and the Loner, Raven. Both of them shared amon trait as well.
They were also Chosen Ones! The Chosens One that had outstanding Spirit attribute!
Both of their gaze were lingering between Pride, Wrath and Kieran himself who summoned Greed a while after.
Lemour had a slight thought of what she saw but Raven was dumbstruck. Still, it didnt stop Kieran from continuing what he was doing.
He was looking at Banning who was puzzled and baffled by the appearance of the cardinal sins; his heart sighed uncontrobly.
Kieran had to admit that Banning indeed had some outstanding strengthpared to the others, at least he was good at being pretentious as he assumed a greater appearance. Kieran could only fall far behind behind Banning in that category.
If a normal yer could be recognized as a Chosen One, together with the power of the reverse cross in Bannings hand, he could really be as formidable as other imed.
If it wasnt for a face to face confrontation with Banning, Kieran might never believe the infamous Banning was just amon yer.
In fact, when Pride and Wrath easily bewitched him, Kieran felt it inconceivable and he even went as far as thinking it might be a trap.
That was the reason why, after Kieran withstood Bannings lethal attack, he decided toy low for a while. Until he was sure Banning was really bewitched, only then did he decided to step out.
Right after that, Kieran was shocked once again, because of how weak Banning was.
After relying on [Ring of the Serpent King, Snake Molt] to endure the lethal strike from Banning, Kieran was induced with Weakened state.
Weakened state: all attributes -6.
His Strength and Agility were decreased by at least two major ranks, leaving him with only C- stats yet still, Banning couldnt dodge him nor escape his grip.
ording to Kierans spections, Bannings Strength and Agility were around E or so, he was not a Chosen One. Since his Strength and Agility were around E, his Constitution and Intuition were average as well.
However, with such a weak character base stats, he could rely on a single equipment to reach the ranks of Supernova, how was it not shocking to Kieran?
However, no matter how shocking the exposed fact was, Kierans actions were not slow.
Hisunched his left kick directly at Bannings right knee.
Crack!
The clear noise broken Bannings right leg, cracking it into a wicked shape. Bannings upper body leaned down following the loss of bnce, revealing his head down without any protection.
Kieran quickly changed his left kick stance beforending andunched his knee up like a battle mace swung upwards with all his might.
BANG!
The loud and heavy sound crushed Bannings head like a watermelon hit by a baseball bat.
"Not even other extra equipments on his body?"
The oue was out of Kierans expectation once again, but the scene before his eyes told him that it was indeed as he saw.
Not only was ck Hell Banning weak in stats, other than the reverse cross, he didnt even have an extra piece of equipment.
[yer Killed: Banning]
[Treated as self-defense through authentication]
[Categorized as an Honor Kill]
[You will receive all the Points and Skill Points of the yer...]
[Total: 3000 Points and 0 Skill Points]
[Received the yers house key]
[Granted the right to use the yers house]
[All the yers belongings are returned to their house]
[Honor Kills: 46]
...
The honor kill notification even allowed Kieran to rte into more.
Though before he could delicately specte further, a figure threw itself out from the shadowy spot aside, the sword in the figures hand was aimed at Kierans back, where his heart was.
Chapter 446: Strangest Thing
Chapter 446: Strangest Thing
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The thrust of the sword was as fast as a fallinget. Within an instant, the tip of the sword had arrived before Kieran.
The yers around cried in shock one after another.
No doubt, none of them had thought the situation would take such a drastic turn. There was someone waiting for an ambush after Kieran and Banning fought.
The presence of the sudden attacker was also shocking, not only was his timing was perfect but the speed of his sword was extremely fast, butpared to his hiding skills, the timing and the speed wasckluster.
Before the attacker showed himself, the yers around including the lone wolves didnt even notice his presence.
Did the attacker have Transcendence level of [Undercover] or something higher?
Everyones heart had a simr thought. Simr to the other basic skills, [Undercover] had its own branch of advanced skill as well, just that it was harder to acquire than basic advance skill.
"Careful!" "2567!"
Hanses and Coll called out to Kieran loudly, warning him.
At the same time, they dashed off to Kieran once more, some of the lone wolves were better at shooting fired off their guns directly.
Bang Bang Bang!
The bullets were fired off fiercely but the effort was useless.
It was not that they didnt hit their target, in fact they did but instead the bullets was deviated off course, as if the bullets were beams of light and the attacker was a mirror, when the bullets were near the attacker, they were reflected in other directions instantly.
"Reflection!?"
Some of the lone wolves yer cried in shock, and doubts were mixed together.
If they were right about who the attacker was, it would be another hard battle ahead.
Reflection, the well-known skill among the veterans and the skill only represented a single person, The Enlightened King, Ac.
Sharing the same ranks as ck Hell Banning, he was also one of the Supernovas, second only to the Witch.
The only difference was that, Enlighten King Ac was much more stronger than ck Hell Banning.
In fact, among the Supernovas, ck Hell Banning wasst on the list because he didnt have any believable, visible achievements. He was far from being a worthy opponent for the other Supernovas.
Though, the Enlightened King Ac was an entirely different case, his achievements were visible and believable.
One man army against a thousand soldiers!
During a certain dungeon world, the Enlightened King encountered troops of a thousand Magic race on a certain battlefield ins . It was he alone against a thousand Magic race troops yet he managed to annihte everyone of them.
The Magic race was not elite human soldiers but it was how the yers address the elves, dwarfs, vampires and lycan race.
It was not easy for one man to go up against a thousand elite human troops, let alone a thousand Magic race troops.
So after the news of that particr achievement gotten out in the wind, Ac was naturally crowned with the title of Enlightened King from the yers.
It was said that during that battle, Ac did nothing but stood still in the battlefield just like his name, all he relied on was a skill, Reflection. It reflected the attacks back to his enemies and won the battle easily, as if he was the God from the myths, The Immobile Enlightened King, suppressing his enemies with his Godly might.
That was title the yers crowned him plus his name was a indirect trantion of the Godly being in religious myths.
Though after being crowned the title, it was still not the reason that he became the topic of discussion among the veterans.
The most shocking fact was Ac the Enlightened King had a close encounter with the Witch, and he came out alive!
That was the main point though, running into the Witch anding out alive. Such an achievement was enough for any yer in the game to be proud of, let alone his visible achievements.
Therefore, Enlightened King Ac was ranked highly on the Supernova list, but even sharing the same ranks, Enlightened King Ac and ck Hell Banning were two very different people with entirely different manners of doing things.
Banning was selfish, cruel and all he was after was points and benefits. He wouldmit any despicable deeds if he was promised enough points.
Though, Ac was different, although he was more of a loner than the other lone wolves, he was not someone that could be easily bought off by mere points and skill points.
However, other than the Enlightened King Ac, who else would master the skill simr to Reflection?
That was the reason why some of the lone wolves yers cried in disbelief.
Yet, before the shocking cry from the lone wolves, the other side of the veteran yers gave out an even more shocking cry.
A giant two-headed snake sprung out from the ground all of a sudden, before the attackers de could really scratch Kierans body, he was swallowed up by one of the mouths of the two-headed snake.
The attacker disappeared just as the way he appeared, without any trace or sign. The only difference was the moment he appeared, killing intent was erupting fiercely but when he disappeared, he ended up inside the snakes belly.
The moment he was swallowed up by the [Serpent Spirit], his fate was sealed.
The crowd then went into a dead silence, not even a slight buzz throughout the battlefield.
All the other yers were looking inconceivably at the two-headed snake as it lowered one of its head, allowing Kieran to step on top. It then turned its giant body around and left Wallway Street.
No one dared to stop him, even for those team yers that had a slight thought of doing so. Their thoughts were extinguished swiftly when they saw the giant twin-headed monstrosity.
The mere look at the two-headed snake was frightening enough, whether was it its body, or aura, it was best not to mess around with it, let alone Kieran himself!
Who knew what kind of aces Kieran had hidden under his sleeves.
Everyone present saw Kieran off in a swift manner, including Hanses and Coll plus the others.
They already received Kierans PM, informing them what he was going after right now.
To collect his spoils of war!
A Supernovas worth of spoils of war was definitely unimaginable!
Hanses, Coll and the others eximed, although they were a little jealous, they werent envious, because it was what Kieran earned through his own efforts.
Though, Coll replied Kierans message with more informative warnings, such as thete attacker that had the skills simr to the Enlightened King Ac and the person himself.
"The Enlightened King, Ac? Another Supernova?!"
Kieran frowned when he saw Colls message.
After being acknowledged by his visible achievements, the Enlightened King Ac will not be a fake anymore. The yer that [Serpent Spirit] swallowed just now was also not Ac himself.
The system notifications noted that the yers name was Hughes. It increased his honor kill points by 1 and only gave him 15,000 Points and 5 Skill Points, much more better than the fake goods from Banning.
Still, it didnt stop Kieran from venturing into Bannings room, he has to do it fast!
The attacker that sprung up after Banning meant that person was eyeing him from the start.
Kieran was running out of time.
As for who that person was, the answer was the obvious, Broker!
Other than the cunning merchant, Kieran couldnt think of anyone else, and everything was progressing just as Kieran guessed.
The moment ck Hell Banning failed, Broker had gotten the news and he gave the direct order to Hughes to follow up the kill on Kieran, but still ended up in failure.
...
"2567 has be this powerful?" Broker muttered to himself.
"Master, should we send out..."
"Its not time yet, though its not a bad thing 2567 has gotten stronger anyway. Dont forget I need a seemingly powerful enemy to make my ns work! I really ced my bets on Lawless at first but now it seems like 2567 is the better candidate!"
Broker waved to interrupt Zorls words and couldnt help butugh out loud as if he had encountered something delightful.
Then, he continued giving orders to Zorl but not a single word could be heard from his opened mouth.
Chapter 447: Reverse Scar
Chapter 447: Reverse Scar
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
3rd of Long Pipe Street, Bannings ce.
After killing Banning, Kieran gained the address and ess of his room within the big city.
The street before Kieran was a narrow, rugged and filled with rubbles and debris. The path was bumpy and rough, if one would walked above the rough path and without a leather shoe, the stinging rubbles might poke ones feet through the bottomyer.
Though even with leather boots, one would need to keep an eye out as well.
There were many puddles of ck, stenchful water on the street, one would easily slip if not careful.
Kieran, tiptoed on the rubble and half broken bricks edge, gliding through the path like a bird touching the surface of ake. Kieran moved swiftly and steadily, then arrived at a small building.
It was a double storey house but without the garden and corridor, only a single door facing out.
Though the double storey house had sunk halfway into the ground, making the whole building looked like half a storey shorter.
One would need to follow the steps downwards to enter within.
Kieran raised his head and saw ayer of cornice on the roof, it seemed like it was made out of wood with a steep arc leading down. Dark green moss was all over the cornice, even the wooden part felt like it was going to crumble at anytime soon.
Kieran has no idea how the game system distributed the yers rooms but he couldnt be fond of the room before him.
A single look at the ce made him feel humid and disturbed, easily sick of the look within seconds, plus the vile stench on the street made Kieran feel very unsettled.
He quickly moved on by pushing the door open and entered.
What he saw inside stunned him on the spot. The scene within the room had exceeded his wildest imaginations.
There wasnt any furniture, decorations, books or things that should be within a room. It was empty, an empty area with only that reverse cross in the middle of the floor.
Kieran didnt believed his eyes and went up to the second floor but still it shared the same scenery as the first. Empty.
Utter destitution!
It was the only term Kieran coulde up when facing the scene before him.
Then, more thoughts appeared in his mind. He went over to the reverse cross and picked it up.
The bronze reverse cross with rust all over it was heavier than Kieran thought and its attributes shook Kierans heart even though he had prepared himself for the worst.
[Name: Reverse Scar]
[Type: essory]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Attack: Strong]
[Defense: Extreme]
[Attribute: 1. Whisper of Evil Demon; 2. Blood Cerements; 3. Drain]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Remark: Using this cursed object is nothing good but its better than being dead, right?]
...
[Whisper of Evil Demon: 20 minutes casting time, summon a ck veil of a hundred meters in diameters. Curse of Evil will be casted on the targets within, the cursed targets will be forced to go through Constitution and Spirit authentication of A rank at least. Fail either one and the targets will suffer a Lethal attack, 1 per 3 days.]
[Blood Cerements: Acquired a defensive coat made out of the Blood of Evil. Has Strong level defense, 30 second duration, 1/day]
[Drain: You can spend an extra 10,000, 20,000, or 30,000 points respectively to increase the authentication level of Whisper of Evil by +1, +2, +3. You can spend extra 30,000 Points to increase the defense level of Blood Cerements by +1. If you spend 1 Golden Skill Point or Golden Attribute Points, you can temporarily acquire a brand new Whisper of Evil or Blood Cerement effect. In the absence of Golden Skill Point, Golde Attribute Points, you can choose to lower any of your five stats by 1 rank to acquire a simr effect!]
...
"As expected!"
Kieran let out a long sigh when he saw the system description of [Reverse Scar].
His guess at Banning was verified finally.
The reason why Banning was so weak and poor was because of [Reverse Scar]! It was also the reason why Banning was selfish as a person, it was also because of [Reverse Scar]!
Kieran could paint the picture of how Banning acquired this cross and how he was drained by the equipment, leading him to turn into what he was.
He knew clearly Banning must have known the danger of using the cross but given the circumstances, Banning must have been forced to use it.
Regardless of the danger within the dungeon world or the confrontation with his enemies in the big city, Banning was left without much of an option.
After all, Banning lived through the end of the era of the Witch, a time where it was 10 times more dangerous than the current game period.
Though ording to real world calctions, the era of the Witch was just a couple months ago but Kieran remembered how Lawless sounded serious and heavy when he mentioned that time period.
Kieran didnt joke about it, because what the Witch did in her time was worthy to be address as her era by the survivors.
While the Witch seeded herself, sorrow brewed within the game.
The sorrow of the powerful ones being stuck with the Witch at the same era!
No matter how much effort the powerful yers put in to catch up to the Witch, they could barely catch a glimpse of her back in despair.
Although there were the ten Supernovas that werebeled only second to the Witch that were admired by themon yers, what about the other side of the truth?
Kieran sized up Bannings room once more. He couldnt imagine what Banning would feel like being in an empty room like the one he was in.
Would he be presumptuous or wail in despair? Or will he hug [Reverse Scar] day and night, quenching his thirst of being fulfilled?
Kierans mind had hit a wall , he nced [Reverse Scar] again before cing it at his belt where he could easily reach and turned around to head out.
It was unbearable staying in that room. Kieran would not want to spend another second inside.
He didnt go over to the other yer killers room after some thought because he knew that Broker would not grant him the opportunity to do so, plus his Weakened state was a problem for him.
If any battle broke out, he would be ced at a total disadvantage.
So, after moving away from Long Pipe Street, Kieran boarded the only transportation in the big city, the train.
After entering his destination as Wallway Street with the conductor, Kieran leaned back at the seat and slightly shut his eyes. His big backpack was ced beside his leg.
He was resting his mind and thinking about what words he would use to talk to Starbeck.
In the end, Kieran went with the direct way.
...
2567: I need your help.
Starbeck: ?
2567: Lawless had some big trouble in the real world, he would need some extra help. I cant really help him but I know you can.
Starbeck: What do you mean?
2567: If you are willing to provide help to Lawless, I can help you to go through 2 dungeon runs safely.
...
Two dungeon runs, it was what Kieran came up with after tons of thoughts about it.
It couldnt be too little nor too many Too little would make him looked less sincere and too many would affect his progression.
So, Kieran started off with two dungeon runs as based and he could go for three if bargained.
It was what Kieran wanted but the decision was in Starbecks hand, since Kieran gave him the initiative to offer.
Keiran would still take it if it was a little too over.
Though, after around twenty seconds, Starbeck replied but Kieran frowned hard over the reply.
Chapter 448: Main Scroll
Chapter 448: Main Scroll
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Starbeck: No need for 2, just 1 will be enough!
...
Just one?
Kieran frowned.
Even though he was not a qualified merchant, at least he knew how to make a deal in a proper trade. It should be built on terms that both sides were agreeable with or on even grounds.
In simpler words, both sides wished the other side to put forth more effort so they could receive more out of the deal.
Yet, Starbeck went away from the norm and lowered his part of the bargain.
It made Kieran frown hard.
The unusual reaction could only mean one thing from Kierans perspective, Starbeck must have some special request!
Kieran didnt reply right away, he waited patiently.
As expected, after a while, Starbecks message verified Kierans guess.
...
Starbeck: I need you to sign a confidential agreement with me, only then I can proceed.
2567: Fine with me.
...
Since Starbeck had the initiative, Kieran had no grounds to reject. In fact, he was quite curious himself, what kind of dungeon had Starbecke across?
The agreement was witnessed by the system when they signed. After Kieran agreed to never expose Starbecks secret in any form or means, a follow up screenshot appeared before Kieran.
Instantly, Kieran was shocked beyond words, his eyes widened and his face went dull.
[de of the Daybreaker (Main Scroll)]!!!!
The screenshot even captured the description properly.
[Title Dungeon: de of the Daybreaker (Main Scroll)]
[de of the Daybreaker: The Burning Dawn, who was stationed at the Supreme Road, was assaulted by an unknown enemy and was heavily wounded. He is desperate to find someone that could inherit the spirit and will of the de of the Daybreaker!]
[Dungeon Cooldown Time: 5/10]
[Note 1: Title Dungeon will not be calcted in yers dungeon count.]
[Note 2: Title Dungeon has a specific difficulty and is not rted to the dungeon entry difficulty.]
[Note 3: You have the only main scroll of the dungeon, you can decide when to initiate the dungeon but you cant trade, discard or expel it by any means unless you choose to die.]
[Note 4: You as the main scroll owner will have a higher difficulty than the other sub scroll owner, but at the same time have more conveniences to aid you.]
...
Kieran would never have thought that Starbeck was the one who possessed the main scroll of [de of the Daybreaker].
Kieran viewed the dungeon cooldown which was stuck at 5 for a long time and never seemed to have any signs of increasing. From his original guess, the owner of the main scroll must be someone with utmost vignce, careful and was a yer that never wasted a single moment to strengthen himself, that was the reason why the cooldown number never increased.
Kieran even went as far as guessing the owner might be someone with a tempering skill simr to [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] like him, which cost more time to level up.
However, following Starbecks message, Kirean realized he was overthinking.
What vignce, what carefulness? What simr skill to [Knight of Dawn Body Tempering Art]?
Everything was crap except Starbecks cowardness!
"What in the hell..."
Kieran muttered, trying to find words to describe his current mood but he couldnt find any appropriate words.
Whuu! Whuuu!
Kieran took in deep breaths to try to adjust hisplicated feelings that he was unable to describe, then he inspected the screenshot before him in detail once more.
With the system guaranteeing the deal, Kieran had no need to worry about the screenshot being tampered with or any simr means, so the validity of the scroll should be real.
But because of that, he became more cautious.
[de of the Daybreaker (Main Scroll)]s third and fourth note was enough to tell him that the mission wont be easy.
The main scroll and sub scroll had different difficulties, which means...
"Will the main mission be different as well? Or we might even end up in opposing factions?"
Kieran couldnt keep his mind froming up such spections, and if such spections were valid...
Kieran frowned even harder. He then spilled his own spections to Starbeck.
However, Starbeck replied with some more screenshots.
[Name: Faction Change Card]
[Type: Card]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attribute: Grant yer the option to choose his/her desired factions, including the enemies.]
[Remark: This cards usage is unpredictable, yet it is nothing whenpared to the human heart!]
...
[Name: Alliance Card]
[Type: Card]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attribute: Two yers could form an alliance between two different factions.]
[Remark: The enemies from yesterday might be your ally today!]
...
[Name: Loyalty Card]
[Type: Card]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Attribute: Used on hostile natives to change their thoughts and turned them into a potential cooperation target.]
[Remark: It is not a 100% sess rate item but at least it will give you a chance!]
...
[Name: Escape Card]
[Type: Card]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Attribute: This card will assure your safety and allow you to escape dangerous situation at hand.]
[Remarks: Life is worth more than gold!]
...
Kieran took in more deep breaths after he saw the following screenshots.
The impact to his eyes agitated his mood again.
He couldnt imagine what kind of dungeon could prove to be a problem to Starbeck in the game if he wasnt a coward by nature.
Starbeck has this many rare items in his possession!
Kieran was sure this was not even all of it!
If these were in the hands of other yers, their progress in the game might already thriving and prosperous!
Yet, look at what Starbeck was doing...
...
Starbeck: Not enough?
Starbeck: Ill put in more funds and ask my men to search for more tools!
Starbeck: But even though I dont mind throwing in more cash but these are the best rare items that I could get my hands on. Those even better items, even if I am willing to pay, the other yers arent willing to sell.
...
A dense one-of-a-kind generosity grazed Kierans face through the screen.
He covered his face with his hand, shielding himself from the imagined pain.
After a couple secondster, Kieran only replied. He didnt want to linger on the topic anymore, hence he went directly to the main point.
...
2567: You have 5 more dungeon cooldowns to go. When you start the title dungeon, I will give my best to assure your safety and a clear dungeon run.
2567: We can sign the contract now.
Starbeck: Good!
The system acted as a witness again in signing the contract, then Starbeck sent out his questions.
Starbeck: So how should I contact Lawless?
2567: I will leave him a message, he will contact you with his own ways.
...
Kierans reply was a little vague but it was the fact. Because of Lawlesss identity in the real world, it was destined that Lawless couldnt request help from others throughmon means, even if it was Starbeck that he was looking for.
After ending the conversation with Starbeck, Kieran left a message to Lawless and briefly stated the situation.
A whileter, the train conductor sent out a notification to Kieran.
[yer 2567, you have arrived at your stop, please disembark the train!]
Kieran stood up and went off the train, heading back to his old broken garage.
Though, just as he approached his ce, the figure that stood before his door surprised him, causing him to halt his steps.
Chapter 449: Preparation
Chapter 449: Preparation
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
"Rachel?"
Kieran was surprised that the female owner of Harvest Inn appeared at his door.
Based on how nervous Lawless was in his message, both of them in the real world must have gotten into some big trouble; Rachel shouldnt be able to be here!
Though, the Rachel before Kieran was not a fake. The feeling that scared Kierans heart was definitely not from some random Jane Doe.
"You are really that bastards friend, the way you do things are just as disgusting as him!"
Rachel said, giving out a cold grunt.
"Its a debt of gratitude that I owe him, if I dont repay the favour, I cant sleep well."
Kieran said with a lightugh.
"Dont tell me you wanted to add, "as long as I did my best, I have no regrets" or something simr?" Rachel was a little upset when he said that.
Kieran touched the tip of his nose and gave a silly smirk, his answers were self-exnatory.
"That bastard Lawless didnt want to tell you all this is because he didnt want to drag you into this mess. Something is far worse than your imagination. But he never would have thought you would help him this way. Though, now with Starbeck familys influence, this matter is over for now. But dont forget to never let anyone know your true identity in the real world, otherwise, it will be the beginning of troubles! Those bastards hold quite the grudge."
Rachel was still grunting angrily at first but as she spoke, her tone gotten weaker and eventually turned into a reminder, a reminder mixed with intense feelings.
Although Kieran couldnt see Rachels real face, he could slightly feel theplications behind the system blur.
"Um!" Kieran nodded. He got the kindness that was hidden under all theplicated emotions and Kieran was not someone who didnt know to appreciate the good and the bad.
"Take care of yourself ok? You have Broker and Extremus on your tail, especially that Extremus bastard, if what we investigated is correct, that guy might be the scariest!"
Rachel then walked past Kieran after she talked.
The feathers on [Crows ck Feather] grazed her shoulder. Rachel stopped.
She looked at Kieran from the side, with emotions that she didnt even know to describe.
The pause was less than a second before she walked away, after that her voice echoed in Kierans ears.
"Your mantle is hideous. Change it if you have a spare."
As Rachels voice subsided, her figure went off.
Kieran stared at the spot where Rachel disappeared, he raised his hand and lightly caressed the ck feathers on his shoulders, remaining quiet.
He knew why Rachel would tell him that. Lawless once mentioned a couple of names before, and one of it left an impression in Kierans mind.
"Crow! Is he part of her old memories?"
Kieran sighed. He moved his hand and turned around, returning to his room.
He was sure such memories were everything but pleasant, even Lawless didnt borate in detail but Rachels tone said it all.
Though, before finding a recement for [Crows ck Feather], Kieran has no intentions of taking it down, even though its defense was less than ideal.
The old saying still stood strong for Kieran: it was better than nothing.
Kieran walked into his old broken garage. He let out a long breath.
It was only when he was in his garage that he could really rxpletely. At that particr moment, his anxious nerves were eased up thoroughly.
Broker was a cunning bastard, in order to achieve his means, he will use any means necessary. Kierans vignce was never enough against him.
As for that Extremus figure, even without Rachels warning, Kieran dared not underestimate him either.
Setting aside his identity in the real world, the sole fact that he could create a faction that deviated from themon yers in such a short time was outstanding itself.
If that was not enough for Kieran, the fact that Extremus had agreed to coborate with Broker proved how hard his future path will be. Thebined efforts will be terrifying enough.
Although Kieran didnt have much interaction with Broker, he knew in his gut how a person like Broker would do things and the habits he had. If Extremus didnt have enough value for his attention, Broker would never put so much effort into luring him out in the first ce.
Even more so when the Witchs Legacy was in the equation.
The reason for his actions were simple, if it was possible, why wouldnt Broker take all the legacy for himself? Because he couldnt!
A single or multiple key factors forced Broker to borrow Extremuss strength to achieve his goal.
"What is it for then?" Kieran wondered.
Theck of information however didnt allow him to form any more spections.
Though, one thing was certain, he wouldnt let Broker live an easy life!
Otherwise, Brokers previous hefty efforts on Kieran would really be a waste!
To make Brokers life miserable, all Kieran need was more strength.
Kieran sat on the floor where he stood and opened up his character window.
[Points: 33,000; Skill Points: 21; Golden Skill Points: 0; Golden Attribute Points: 0]
The spoils of war was much less than what he had expected.
Kierans initial expectation was, if he could get rid of ck Hell Banning, his strength would skyrocket once again, at least simr to a special dungeon rewards.
However, given how weak and cheap Banning was, it had already fell far behind Kierans lowest expectation of him. As far as the points were concerned, if it wasnt for Hughes who appeared after Banning, Kieran would really suffer a substantial loss.
As for the only equipment, [Reverse Scar]?
The attribute [Drain] has destined it to not be Kieransmon hand, even without [Drain], the long casting time of [Whisper of Evil] wasnt practical even if it had a wide attacking range.
The enemies will not spare such luxuries during battle. What Kieran saw in the cross was the [Blood Cerements] attribute.
A Powerful rank defense, simr to [Primus Scale] to begin with, though the 30-second duration and extra cost of 30,000 Points to acquire a +1 in defense level were concerning.
It would be an Extreme rank of defense if Kieran was willing to spend the points and despite the huge cost, it will be sufficient for Kieran to achieve a lot during that period.
After much thought about things, Kieran selected [Viper Kick] as his next leveling skill.
Although the charging attack from [Sword Skill, Dragon Force] was decent, it will be quite impractical during actual battle, even more so during a melee fight. A 4.5 seconds charging time would equal to gambling with his life.
It was a gamble as to whether Kierans enemies be idiots and not attack him for 4.5 seconds, but regardless of how he controlled the scene, he would lose his life.
Although through leveling the skills higher, the charging time would be shorten by a lot but only a single level up was far from decent. Comparing a skill that couldnt be put to practical use with only one level up, why not choose the other skill that could disy practical effects with just one increase in level.
[Viper Kick, Master to Pro, cost 12,000 Points, 24 Skill Points. Yes/No?]
"Yes!"
After asking Coll to trade Skill Points for Points, Kieran went on with [Viper Kick]s leveling.
[Name: Viper Kick (Basic)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Offense]
[Effect: Your leg muscles and joints could be slightly altered, slightly increasing the attack range or your kicks.]
[Special Effect: Viper Hiss (Whenever youunch a kick, your muscles will produce snake hissing sounds, targets who gotten struck will force to go through a Spirit authentication not lower than E-, Fear will be induced when failed)]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Hand-to-Hand Combat, Kick Combat (Master), Strength D, Agility D, Constitution D]
[Remark: A set of kicking techniques that is infamous for its bewitching movements, catching your target off guards!]
...
Sss Sss Sss!
The warm stream was circting through Kierans legs. After experiencing it for a couple of minutes, Kieran fired out his left leg and his kick left afterimages in its wake, forming a series of kick mirages. The mirages shrouded the space before him in an instant.
Promptly, snake hisses filled the old garage.
If one would close their eyes and only listen to the hissing, they would think they were surrounded by dens of snakes.
The truth was, the afterimages were thebination of [Viper Kick] and [Hundred Violent Kick], yet thebination was not as sessful, simr to [Charless Fire].
Kieran then spent the following week practicing his kicks but the progress was minimal.
"I still dont have enough time!" Kieran looked at his single dungeon cooldown that had been reset.
After receiving the 25,000 Points from Coll which Kieran entrusted him to sell off the previous Magic rank equipment that he got from thest special dungeon, he contacted cksmith about the [Ghastly Sapphire].
cksmith reply told him that she would need more time to appraise it.
Kieran then went on to prepare his equipment, inspect his items and double check everything.
After everything was taken care off, he chose to enter the trials of the Holy Knight.
Chapter 450: Spring’s Winter
Chapter 450: Springs Winter
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
[Entering Single yer Special Dungeon!]
[Difficulty: Fourth Dungeon]
[The Shamans Partner III: Your path was blocked by the unknown stone gate but you havent given up locating Nikorei and the others. You started to train yourself in harsher ways, giving your best efforts in an attempt to open the unknown stone gate. Though as the Sanctuary Trials are near, you had to take the ferry to the trial ind first...]
[Main Mission 1: Clear the Holy Knight Trial in 1 week, 0/7]
[Main Mission 2: Open the unknown stone gate in 6 months, 0/180]
[Temporarynguage pack, Disappears upon exiting the dungeon.]
[Clothing, backpack, weapons, and other items remain unchanged, Temporarily altered appearance, Returns to normal upon exiting the dungeon.]
[Note: This a special dungeon. You can fail the Main Mission, but you will have to pay 400 Points as a penalty and your highest attributes will drop by one point. If your points are insufficient, the system will deduct from your equipment. If your equipment is insufficient, you will fail.]
...
When the blinding light disappeared, Kieran found himself in a narrow room.
The ground beneath his feet kept wobbling, allowing him to suspect that he was in a ship.
"Im taking the ship to the trial ind now?"
Kieran nced over the description of the mission background and started to size up the surroundings.
His backpack was beside his leg, leaning on the wooden hammock that supposedly belonged to him. On the other side of the hammock was the pir of the cabin, a calendar was hung on top of it.
Er1000. 4. 16.
The date on that calendar. It was the ending of spring and summer will arrive soon.
It has been almost 4 months plus since he left the dungeon, though when he saw the scenery outside through the round window in the cabin, it was the middle of a harsh winter.
No! It was even denser and colder than winter itself, everything was white!
The scenery had an endless white over everything.
Even with Kierans extraordinary sight, he couldnt see what was at the end of the white snow.
All he could see was snow, frost and translucent ice.
The ship that he was on was slowly cruising on the horizon.
As the ship cruised forward, the thinyer of ice on the surface of the sea was being moved aside by the edge. Some of the ice was being crushed into smaller pieces, but most of it was beingid over on top the unbreakable ice.
Kieran felt heart-stricken when he saw the hardened ice. He believed that if the captain of the ship had a slight misstep or minor mistake at steering the wheel, the whole ship would sink into the bottom of the harsh ice with her crew.
"The captain must be very experienced and must have been here many times during his younger days!" Kieran made an educated guess with the utmost assurance.
Other than a well experienced veteran, no one could easily cruise through theyers of ice, not even one gifted with endless talent.
Unless, some mystical means were involved!
Though it was not something amon native could have, or in other words, one with such talents wouldnt be at the steering wheel of a ship.
Nothing was certain however, Kieran didnt forget where the ship was heading.
The Sanctuary Trials!
No one could assure him who would be the one steering the ship.
It might be amon captain or it might even be the trials overseer!
In the past, back in Kierans old workce, he had witnessed more than once that such petty tricks were being used to test job applicants. He saw some pleasant surprises and some idental embarrassments as well.
Regardless of what situation Kieran saw, he had the best impression of the smile from those who had the initiative.
The smile towards an unexpected surprise and the smile to dissolve embarrassment.
Smiles never changed because the ones who smile always gained something out of the encounter.
Kieran still remembered clearly back in the days, an authorized high ranking officer reprimanded some arrogant applicant and after that he fired two of the staffs that handled the recruitment.
The wholepany underwent a huge change.
However, when thepany seemingly had lost two veteran staff members, the benefits that came with the relief was ten times, no, hundred times better than two veteran staff members contributions.
Therefore, Kieran didnt object to such methods to approach applicants, but he wasnt willing to be one of them.
Being an observer was the best option for him.
As observant as he was, Kierans Intuition picked up a multiple presences that were far stronger thanmon natives but he didnt have the intention to probe more.
He slightly closed his eyes and leaned back on his wooden hammock.
The thin mattress and nket was something toin about in such a harsh cold weather but with [Secondary Element Damage Resistance], Kieran was feeling nothing more than a cool breeze.
Kierans breath was slow and rxed, organized and calm.
The [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] energy in his body was circting throughout every inch of his muscles, the energy was tempering his body at a slow speed that he himself couldnt even determine.
Though one thing was for sure, when he leveled up [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] to a certain limit, his body would definitely face drastic changes, qualitative changes and to the very foundation itself!
Before that, even with the systems aid in progressing, Kierans grinding was nowhere nearplete.
Seconds turned into minutes. When the sky turned dark, a sailor brought over an simple meal on a tray to Kieran. Three pieces of bread, some vegetables and a piece of ham.
The vegetables were dry, absent of any vour. Same went for the ham, it was more like chewing hardened cowhide. The drink on the tray had hot cocoabeled on it by the system but it was nowhere near hot, it was at most at room temperature and didnt have any taste to it.
In simple words, the meal was less than pleasant, nothing much to praise.
The ice shoveling sounds that lingered in Kierans ears wasnt an issue for him though.
In order to unfreeze the ship and enable a somewhat smooth cruise, the sailors had to shove away the ice on top and below the ship from time to time.
Compared to the sailors that had to work under such harsh environments, Kieran considered himself a lucky guy. Even more so, the simple meal was much better than the fast food he had in real life.
Kieran gobbled down the dry bread, the little vegetables and the only ham jerky, even the so called hot cocoa was finished with a single gulp.
He then let out a breath of satisfaction,it would be better if the portion was bigger.
Though, not everyone in the ship shared the same satisfaction as Kieran.
"What is this? Are you feeding me what pigs eat? No! Even pigs had better meal than this! Dont forget that I paid enough money to get on this ship, the amount was even enough for me to buy this broken shi... UGH...!"
The "ship" word was not even utteredpletely and the mour halted abruptly.
After a couple secondster, something was thrown down to the sea.
"Aaaaaaaaa!"
What was it? The answer was self-exnatory.
"They are harsher than expected huh!"
Kieranmented without including his emotions in it since he had some thoughts on the ships management.
He was going to continue his practice of the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] but a series of footsteps outside heading towards his cabin interrupted him.
Chapter 451: Condition
Chapter 451: Condition
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The footsteps were getting closer and just as Kieran expected, they stopped before his cabin.
Dong, Dong Dong!
"Good day, I am one of the passengers that are heading to the Final Ind as well, may Ie in?"
The rhythmic knock came with a greeting.
"Please do."
Kieran raised his brow slightly. He didnt really care about why someone was looking for him.
After the smallmotion happened just now, there were only two reasons that the person came to him at this timing.
One, was to probe for information and , find out who Kieran was.
Two, if it was possible, try to rope Kieran into that persons little group.
Kieran did pick up the footsteps wandering around the cabin area before the person with the rude remarks was thrown into the sea, though he didnt care too much about it.
The way the footsteps were walking didnt sound like it was for sightseeing.
If it wasnt for the little fiasco with the person getting thrown off, the footsteps owner would have already knocked at Kierans door.
Kieran was ready to reject politely at the visit since it contained tons of other probing intentions of him but when he thought that he might need more informations about the current situation, he ended up allowing the person in.
Tssk Grak!
After the slight friction of the cabin door, a young man walked in.
Aroundte twenties of age but there was already a thinyer of beard around his face, though it didnt make him look dirty, in fact it was neat like hisbed hair.
"Good day sir, I am Azinder and you are...? Oh, okay, so did you heard about that littlemotion that happened back there?"
Azinder introduced himself politely with a smile and questioned Kieran but when he noticed Kieran has no intentions of replying, he continued directly.
There was no awkwardness amidst the slight pause, which made Kieran size him up.
He looked resourceful, seemingly reliable and quite good at socializing, just like how he presented himself a moment ago.
"Mmm!" Kieran nodded.
"It seems like we are in trouble. The fellow that was thrown into the sea was not just some John Doe in the Northern Inds, yet the captain killed him off with one strike from his de. The de was drawn so fast that I didnt even see anything and the next thing I knew, that fellows head was sliced off!"
Azinder started to describe the previousmotion vividly and even made postures to show the actions at that particr moment.
Kieran stared at him in silence, waiting for him to spill his true intentions.
After bbering for four to five minutes, Azinder finally cut to the point.
"We need to stand united now, or else we might be finished before we even reach Final Ind! I suppose that you are also here for the Sanctuary Trials right? If thats the case, we need to stand together even more! There is something wrong with the trials this time around, that captain and a couple of his crew certainly are here to cause damage! If we can stop them, the overseer from the Sanctuary will look at us in a different way! Then we might be able to pass the trials easily!"
"What do you say? Want to join us?" Azinder then extended his hand for a shake, but Kieran shook his head.
It was not because of Azinder was there because of the Sanctuary Trials, there was nothing doubtful about that. Even if Boller didnt tell him everything in detail, Kieran knew that the trials wouldnt open up for just him alone.
It will definitely open up after a certain number of candidates were umted, or the trials were opened at a specific time, attracting more trial contenders.
Whether was it the former ortter, the candidates number was the key factor.
Another simple theory was, if there wasnt any people around, how could the Sanctuaryst for 1,500 years without any disruption in their traditions and inheritance throughout the period?
The reason Kieran rejected it was that he had the lesson of teaming up with people that he was not familiar with. It made him clear on what choices he should make at that moment. No matter how alluring Azinder made it sound, the oue will be the same.
"No thanks, Im better of alone." Kieran said.
"Is that so? Well then, its such a pity! I really hope that you can join us... I am at the cabin at the end of this corridor, should you change your mind, please do drop by for a visit! Though, time is limited, so be fast before we make our move!" Azinder then said his goodbyes and went off.
Keiran raised a brow at the shut door.
Kieran had to admit that, Azinder did gave out an impressive presentation from start to finish . He was polite and well mannered. Even when he was rejected by Kieran, he didnt show any dissatisfaction but it felt unreal to Kieran. It felt like he was watching a theatre y, regardless of how real the acting was on stage, the audience below knew it was all an act.
"Hidden agendas?"
Kieranughed softly and continued his ns of practicing [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art].
He didnt n to mess up his ns because of Azinders appearance. To Kieran, Azinder was not important enough to force Kieran to change.
It was gettingte into the night.
The pure moonlight was shining on the ice on the sea. A slight white glow reflected from the surface, forming the scenery totally different from the day or the tropical sea.
It was not as far as alluring, causing one to forget to return however. After all the temperature was very unforgiving yet even one who was afraid of the cold would admit, the ce was very peaceful.
Peaceful scenes tend to make ones mind more focused.. Just like that, Kieran, entered the special state once more while practicing the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] that he rarely got into.
Other than relying on the system leveling and the warm stream circting, it was the second time Kieran entered the training state by himself.
Kieran tried his best in rxing, giving his best effort to experience the current state that he was in, he wanted to carve the feeling into his mind.
However, simr to the previous time, Kieran exited the training state soon after.
[Through practicing, Master level Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art acquired a decent amount of experience, leveling cost decreased by 500 Points...]
The results on the notifications was far from delightful. Kierans focus was ced on how he would enter the training state again.
"Is it the focusing problem? Or the current environment?" Kieran guessed but he wasnt sure of any of it.
For the focus part, every time he practiced the skill, he would discard all the lingering, useless thoughts and ced himself in a state of utmost focus.
As for the environment, thest time he entered the training state, it was in his old broken garage. There was nothing inmon with the current icy field that he was in.
"Is there something more that I havent discover?" Kieran recalled the scenes, trying toe up with aparison.
However...
Aaaaaa!
A loud scream broke the silence of the cold night.
Kieran sitting in his wooden hammock could clearly hear the noise of swords nging, blood sshing and bodies being thrown into the icy sea.
The battle didntst for long though, at most four to five minutes before it stopped.
Then, Kieran picked up series of heavy footsteps.
The owner of the footsteps arrived at Kierans cabin door and kicked it down without any sense of courtesy. The person barged in with a long knife stained with blood, one of his hands was holding a head.
Although the head was in pain and couldnt hide the fear and twisted expression before it died, but Kieran could tell with one nce that it was Azinders head.
"This guy said before he died that you are hisrades?"
The man threw Azinders head at Kierans feet, emphasizing each and every word.
Chapter 452: Final Island
Chapter 452: Final Ind
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The person before Kieran was tall and buff but he had an ugly and vicious face.
Underneath his wide mouth, there was a bunch of rotten teeth. He held a long bloody knife in his hand and the head on the floor made him look more ferocious as killing intent was erupting from the man.
Kieran looked at him calmly. Not only because his strength was enough to handle the situation but because the little clues that the man gave away.
He might look ferocious and was erupting killing intent but it was just for show, there was no real intent to kill within.
Even though Kieran was berated by the man, he didnt feel any difort or nervousness from the gaze.
In other words, the man was putting up an act and as for why?
The Sanctuary Trials!
Other than that, Kieran couldnt think of anything else.
"The moment I stepped onto the ship, the trials had begun? Then... is this one of them as well?"
Kierans nced over at the head beside his leg, Azinder was clenching his teeth, seemingly suffering quite a bit before he died.
If it was the real trial, Azinder wouldnt die. In fact, the one who was thrown into the sea was also part of the trials.
Yet, the blood on the head was real. Kieran wouldnt mistake the smell of fresh blood with his heightened senses.
For the head itself though, Kieran took it up and the moment his finger touched it, he knew whether it was fake or not.
"A fake head made out of y?" Kieran asked in shock.
The way the man threw the head to Kieran was rough, it bumped on the floor and rolled over and with the fragileness of harden y, it should have broken the moment it was thrown on the ground. No doubt something was stuffed inside the y head.
"When did you realized all this?"
The man who barged in with the ferocious look couldnt help but lowered his bloody knife when Kieran started to check the y head. He asked Kieran with an inconceivable gaze.
The voice that came from the man though... it was Azinders!
Since he was discovered, there was no need for disguises anymore. Azinder removed the disguise on his body and returned to his original looks from before.
"Where did I show my ws?" He couldnt help but ask.
Whether was it the timing, or the distributions of props, Azinder thought it was wless.
The other trial goers that fell victim to his trick proved that as well.
But for Kieran...
The meeting before made Azinder feel that Kieran was a tough one, therefore he decided proceed with his n himself, yet he still screwed up.
"There was no killing intention, or should I say it was just for show. So can you tell me what is going on here?"
Kieran could only guess about half of the situation but he was hoping to listen to theplete version of the story.
"The moment all the candidates stepped onto the ship, the trial had begun! Let me reintroduce myself, I am the elementary overseer, Azinder!"
Azinder shrugged helplessly and reintroduced himself, though he didnt extend his hand for a shake like he did before but instead performed an old salutation of the ancient knights.
"2567." Kieran stood up and replied with a simr salutation.
"The famous Bird of Death and the Fiery Devil is much stronger than I expected! Congrattions! As the only candidate that discovered my w, you have passed the initial trial!" Azinder said with a smile.
"Discovering the w was the criteria to pass the initial trial?" Kieran asked.
"Of course not! Courage, Justice, Wisdom and Empathy, if the candidates show anyone of the virtues, they are allowed to pass! But, the sad thing was, the other candidates that shared the same trip didnt have all these virtues. They are cold by nature, unwilling to lend a hand to the sailors aboard in times of harshness, they alsocked true courage as well! If without sufficient benefits, they are just a bunch of cowards and when more benefits are involved, they will be blindedpletely!" Azinder shook his head.
"Only one of those virtues will do?"
Although Kieran didnt know a lot about the Sanctuary Holy Knights, ording to his guess, it wouldnt be this easy,only having one of the virtues to pass the initial trials.
"Well, if a few hundred years ago, a candidate would need to possess all four but now..."
"The reason that the Sanctuary had gotten through 1,500 years safely and without being affected by the disruption of the inheritance, it was not because its location was secluded enough but also sufficient adaptability!"
The moment Azinder revealed the story behind, he wasnt showing a proud face but instead it was a little helpless mixed with a slight sense of awkwardness.
Though, Kieran could tell Azinder was still hiding something, he understood the situation well and didnt press the question.
If hed press the question with his current identity, he would get nothing in return and on top of that, he will cause awkwardness in their seemingly friendly conversation.
Kieran then swiftly switched the topic.
"Can you tell me more about this trial? Other than having the title of a reserve knight, Boller never told me anything else." Kieran asked the question that bothered him the most and the one thing he wanted to know.
"Of course! As the candidate who passed the initial trial, 2567, now you have the right to know everything. Well be carrying on with our journey soon and by sunset tomorrow, we will reach the trial ind, also known as Final Ind by others. Then, you will have to face the trials and tests further ahead!" Azinder said.
Kieran instantly raised a brow. "So this is all I am allowed to know for now?"
Kieran heighted up his tone, emphasizing whether Azinder missed out anything.
Azinders exnation was not informative at all.
"Yes. This is all you need to know for now. In fact, for the uing trials and test, even I as the initial overseer wouldnt know what lies ahead, but I can give you a personal tip, best rest up your energy beforending on Final Ind." Azinder was quite serious this time around, but he didnt exin much more.
He bent down and picked up the y head before heading out.
After the cabin door closed, Keiran was the only one left in the cabin.
He was thinking about the matter with furrowed brows.
He was rather dubious about the phrase "even I as the initial overseer wouldnt know what lies ahead" that Azinder mentioned, because it contradicted the personal tip that he gave.
Though, it wouldnt be right to say that he was lying, it might be him giving tips because of his previous experience as well.
Whichever it was, Kieran knew the main course was waiting for him. What he had just experienced was just an appetizer.
"Final Ind?" Kieran muttered the name that felt ominous.
The ship then set sail once more and was sailing faster than before.
No doubt, there was no need for concealing anymore since Azinder haspleted his mission.
The ship sailed full speed ahead, moving through the icy sea and the dark night.
As the sun rose and set again, a small ind was within sight.
The sunset glory bathed the icy sea and the ind which was also covered in ice with red warmth. The ind looked like it was on fire from afar and also looked like a blood jade.
Kieran who was already on top of the deck and was inspecting the ind before his eyes.
What he saw though had shocked him for a while.
A person that shouldnt be there appeared within his sight.
Chapter 453: Seemingly Trapped
Chapter 453: Seemingly Trapped
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Schmidt!
Kieran knew it was the West Coast chief officer with a single nce. He was wearing a thick winter outfit, walking off a boat and walking along the walled bridge to the docks on the ind.
"Why is Schmidt here? Could it be...? That bastard Boller!"
A sudden guess appeared in Kierans heart. Instantly, his decent mood plummeted.
Kieran believed that the reason Schmidt appeared on the ind was somehow rted to Boller.
Without Boller, Schmidt wouldnt even be here. Maybe he hadnt encounter any danger on the ship but once Schmidt stepped onto the ind, his life would be on the line.
Even though Azinder didnt tell Kieran anything, among the lines and vague hints showed that it was clear the trials on Final Ind was not a road trip.
Aside from that, Final Ind and its trial were not the end. Schmidts strength was only slighter stronger than themon natives, it would be suicidal for him to be here.
More importantly, with their rtionship, if something should happen to Schmidt, Kieran couldnt stay away from it.
Boller should knew this well, yet he decided to bring Schmidt to the ind.
So what were his intentions?
"What in the hell is he up to?" Kieran furrowed his brows hard.
Although they hadnt been in contact for long, Kieran knew Boller was also a person that would not do things without a reason. There must be something driving him to such a decision.
It may be well intended or for another purpose.
As Kieran was pondering the question, Azinder walked over.
"This is as far as I can go with you. You will need to travel alone from here onwards. There is a wooden cottage in the middle of the ind and there is where your trial shall start. Remember, be at the cottage before dark, otherwise, you will be disqualified! May fate bring us together again!"
The elementary overseer had no intentions to step foot on Final Ind, after bidding farewell to Kieran on the walled bridge, he returned to the ship.
The ship didnt stop at the dock but instead went back the way it came, the same went for the ship that brought Schmidt here.
It seemed like there was something specially arranged, or maybe because of something else.
Kieran couldnt think of precisely what at the moment because a sub mission had appeared.
[Sub mission discovered: Search!]
[Search: Search for Schmidt in the shortest amount of time possible, it is what you should do at the moment!]
[Note: Ratings will change ording to time used.]
...
With the appearance of the sub mission and the rtionship between him and Schmidt, Kieran sprinted off the moment he stepped on the walled bridge.
Without even activating Musou level [Tracking], Kieran could easily track Schmidts footprints on the snow. He swiftly followed along.
However, the prints stopped abruptly after they left the docks.
Kieran halted before thest footprint and tilted his head down to inspect the prints.
The previous footprint was at least 10 cm deep into the snow but the one after it was shallow, as if Schmidts feet barely touched the snow, then it disappearedpletely.
All that was left were the footprints that came down from the ship but it didnt continue further.
Kieran frowned. He sized up his surroundings but there werent anymore traces and tracks on the thick snow covered ground.
"After getting the same information as mine which is the wooden cottage in the middle of the ind, Schmidt must have run off top speed without stopping until he reached his destination. Then he disappeared into thin air without any struggling? No, no, not only did he not struggle, he didnt even take another step forward and he vanished!"
Kieran painted the picture in his mind.
The footprints on the walled bridge showed the snow was sshed by heavy steps. It was the best proof of Schmidt running off full speed.
Only when a person was in a hurry would such sshing snow tracks be left behind but the snow covered ground was absent of further footprints.
Even if the person that kidnapped Schmidt could fly, it wasnt supposed to be like this.
When Schmidt lost his ability to resist, the footprints that he left behind werent supposed to be this natural. With Schmidts force from his body and the changes around him, there must be some extra traces left behind, such as imbnced footprints, traces of leaning forward and so on.
The situation shouldnt be like this,leaving a slight footprint behind before it discontinued.
"Really vanished into thin air?"
Kieran scanned the surroundings again and he walked back the way he came, inspected the whole docks and walled bridge. There was nothing noteworthy but Kieran knew there was something that he missed.
Though, Kieran at that moment didnt have enough time to look for what he missed, the sun was almost setting, the night woulde soon enough.
If he didnt reach the cottage before nightfall, he would be disqualified.
It had been a long time since anxiety rose and filled Kierans heart.
One was just amon native in the dungeon, the other was the mission that affected his dungeon world rewards and might even punish him with a penalty.
With such aparison at hand, Kieran should be able to easilye up with a decision.
However, after all the things that happened, Kieran realized that the decision was not that easy to make.
If it was just some random natives, Kieran would never hesitate but Schmidt wasnt.
Not only did they work together more than once, theyve fought along side as well.
The familiar acquaintance forced a hard decision out of Kieran since his heart was not truly cold.
After all, everything before him was so real, it was hard for Kieran to treat Schmidt as a NPC that never existed.
Maybe among the yers, when the word "natives" were mentioned, everyone shared a tacit agreement of whom they really are.
However, most of the yers didnt realise it or might have even realized it but were unwilling to admit it that the natives were more than just empty NPCs.
Phew!
"So I need to give up my mission and look for Schmidt? Is there no way to make the best out of things? Wait! Hold on! Maybe..."
Kieran squinted his eyes when he suddenly thought of something.
After thinking about something for a few seconds, he then sprinted off towards the middle of the ind without further ado.
...
Kierans every move was monitored and projected in the crystal ball.
After witnessing Kierans choice, the person in the cottage in the middle of the ind sighed slightly.
The person had originally favored Kieran. After all, he was the one that he thought highly of and the one in the prophecy, there should be something extraordinary about him.
However, Kierans decision was quite disappointing to the person.
"So even Nikorei would misjudge sometimes eh? Even though being crowned as the God of Earth, you are not really the omnipotent God right..."
BANG!
Before the sigh subsided, the cottage door was kicked open.
The winter wind gushed in through the cottage entrance and messed up the things inside. It even dimmed down the fire in the firece.
However, the thing colder than the winter wind was the dark red greatsword. Its sharp edge was pointing at the person who was sighing a moment ago.
"Spill it, where is Schmidt?"
Kieran said sternly.
Chapter 454: An Unyielding Attitude
Chapter 454: An Unyielding Attitude
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Nicil was shocked and panicked.
He was looking at Kieran with more astonishment than his expression showed.
The conclusion that he came up with was toppled following Kierans chilly entrance.
It was not a great for Nicil, but he couldnt think of anything else.
A sharp and cold killing intent that far exceeded the tip of the sword pierced into his heart.
Nicil knew that Kieran before him was not in the mood for jokes.
If Nicil remained silent, Kieran would really kill him.
Such a thought rose in his mind all of a sudden when he saw Kierans cool, expressionless eyes.
"Schmidt is with the other trial goers in the hall, and congrattions, youve passed!"
Nicil said after a deep breath.
Then, Nicil pointed at the sword tip before him and said slowly, "I think we can have a better, more suitable way ofmunication!"
"Is that so? But I think ourmunication should be this direct. Now, tell your approaching men to back off, otherwise, I couldnt guarantee what else I might do! And take me to Schmidt!"
Kieranughed coldly and sized up the little cottage that seemed empty. He filled the entire space with his umted killing intent from all the massacre that he had been through like a whistling whirlwind.
Fuuuu!
The fire in the firece dimmed down even further.
The cold that could cause ones soul to shiver started to spread, freezing the men that were approaching in their spots as if they were really frozen. Most of them were afraid as if they had seen some terrifying demon.
Nicils apprentices and assistants had never really been in a real fight before and when he felt the fear in them, he sighed because of the difference in strength.
He couldnt help but say, "2567, Ive said you already pass the test! There is no reason to..."
"Ive said it once, bring me to Schmidt right now!"
Kierans wrist slight moved forward, [Arrogant Word]s tip was pinpointed at Nicils neck tightly. Lines of blood started to flow down the sword edge.
The bewitching greatsword started to emanate its re.
The rock-like unyielding attitude made Nicil halt his words.
Nicil looked at Kieran who was wielding the greatsword yet was calm in his temperament, he felt like he was looking at another persons figure before him instead.
In the end, Nicil didnt say anything because he knew it was useless from that point onwards.
He knew Kieran wouldnt let him off if he didnt bring him to Schmidt.
"Should I say as expected of Nikoreis assistant? You share the same grumpy temper as her."
Nicil touched the crystal ball after the thought rose in his heart and sighed upsetly.
Crack!
After a spring contraption was triggered, the bed inside the cottage started to descend, revealing a flight of stairs downwards.
"Follow me then!" Nicil said and he strided over.
Kieran followed him closely.
[Arrogant Word]s de was ced near Nicils shoulder as its tip was aimed at his neck throughout the process as if Kieran was prepared for a fight at anytime.
Kieran knew Nicil was one of the overseers of the trials and because of that, Kieran decided to approach the matter aggressively.
He wanted the Sanctuary to be afraid of him, not treat him in an unscrupulous way.
This time they had Schmidt as one of the trial criterias, but what about the next time?
Kieran had thoughts about the intentions of the Sanctuary. It was nothing more than having him to choose between mission or friend and from there onwards, extending towards aspects about life,rades and sorts.
Every aspect of the trial could be considered as the beauty of life.
Every aspect of the trial could be admired by others.
However, it didnt mean Kieran was willing to allow such beauty to be built on his painful decisions, despite him also acknowledging the beauty and admiration of life.
Truth be told, if Kieran didnt figure out the trial situation before him, Kieran would not just threaten Nicil when he saw him but would kill him directly, without any mercy.
Therefore, the killing intent that Nicil felt was genuine and from the moment they met, the killing intent hadnt went away.
Nicil knew the best since [Arrogant Word] was still ced on his shoulder and aimed at his neck.
"Not just having the same grumpy temper as Nikorei, even his way of carrying out things are simr to Tiki?"
Nicil was a little regretful of his decision to participate in the trials.
It supposed to be a normal trial test, why had he wanted to join the merry party when he heard Nikoreis assistant wasing for the trials?
Shouldnt he be in his room, nning the new trials for the possible trial-goers that might be the next Holy Knight?
"This shouldnt be the case!" Nicil walked faster as his mind was vexed.
He anxiously wanted to shake off Kieran behind him!
...
Meanwhile in a bigger stone room, a few people was gathered around the table, one of themughed out loud when he saw the scene with Kieran.
Theugh was delightful and carefree, the volume of theughs and theck of intention to stop proved as much.
"Teacher."
Boller who was standing beside theughing man had to remind him of the situation in the room as he saw the others that shared the table started to look ugly.
"Well done, Boller! You finally found a suitable candidate to participate in the trials! This is wonderful! Did you see Nicils expression? Its very amusing!"
Theughing belonged to a buff elder who bared his top even in such harsh temperature, revealing a body of scars.
The elderly man was really delighted by Kierans arrival. The trembling pebbles on the stone table were proof and the others who shared the same table had their faces turned even uglier.
"Smulder! This is the council hall of the Sanctuary! Now, someone showed contempt of its holiness and I suggest we disqualify him!"
A bald elderly man with a long white beard down to his chest grunted out loud.
"What are you saying? Can you speak up? I really cant hear what you are saying! Useless Simon!" The bare top Smulder raised his pinky finger on his right hand and dug into his ear before leaning his gaze towards the bald elder.
"YOU!"
Simon, the bald elder was insulted by the manner of address He stood up abruptly and scowled at Smulder with an enraged face.
"I thought you are going to hit me or something! What useless trash you are Simon!"
Smulder flung visible earwax at Simons face with his pinky finger.
KABOOOOM!
An explosion went off, simr to a ton of explosives being ignited together. Simon who was struck with the earwax was sent flying backwards like he was being hit by a trailer. Simon didnt just get sted backwards, he was embedded on the hard wall that he crashed into.
"Smulder!"
The remaining two people in the room spoke up.
One was a middle aged man that looked like a dwarf and his long beard was touching the ground. The other one was a woman, her delicate features helped her hide her true age.
As Smulders name was called out, both of them stood up left and right before Smulder, blocking him from pressing the attack against Simon.
"Maya, Ohara? You both have sided with that useless trash Simon now?" Smulder raised a brow.
"No, its just that we..."
"I dont care what the hell you both are here for, I will only say this once! I am the one hosting this new round of trials, it is my responsibility and I will be the judge whether the candidates are qualified or not!"
"Anyone, ANYONE who dares to interfere with me or dares toy as much as a finger on these candidates, I will skin him, OR her alive, tearing their bones apart!"
Smulder interrupted Maya with his loud and stern voice, stating his stand in this trial.
As Smulder was scolding, his eyes were staring at a single spot, where Simon was embedded.
Then, Smulder turned around and went off without giving the others any chance to exin.
Boller gave a bitter smile at his teachers back and apologized to Maya and Ohara, the other two Sanctuary Archdeacons before he went after his teacher.
As for Simon, Boller didnt even bother to spare a nce at him.
Chapter 455: Second Trial
Chapter 455: Second Trial
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
As for what happened within the Sanctuary Council, none of the trial-goers on the ind knew.
In fact, when the trial-goers saw Nicile by the underground hall with a giant two-handed greatsword on his neck, all of them caused an uproar.
They were either stunned at the scene or filled with confusion but every one of them were looking at the person behind Nicil.
Kieran!
All the trial-goers gazes were curious about the person who seized Nicil and brought him into the hall except for Schmidt.
The dear police chief officer stood up from the corner and waved at Kieran casually.
"Yo, mate! Here!"
Instantly, all the gazes in the hall were ced on Schmidt instead.
When Schmidt felt the sharp gazes that were poking him like a thousand needles, he shrugged it off, hiding his unsettling feelings and walked to Kieran. Kieran kept away his greatsword and went to Schmidt as well.
"Its been a while! Its almost 5 months since Ist saw you! You really dont leave traces or news around do you! Believe me, if you to returned to West Coast now, Elli would teach you a good lesson! Shes been looking for you since the moment you disappeared!"
Both of them hugged it out in a manly way.
Schmidt then tapped strongly at Kierans back while they hugged and Kieran returned the favor.
Right away, Schmidt spilled out the petty threats from Elli that were waiting for Kieran back in West Coast with his clenched teeth.
"Is that so? Seems like Ill have to dy my return to West Coast a little longer then."
Kieran was not concerned about the matter though.
It was not that Kieran wasnt concerned about Elli but the point that concerned him was different. Though, Kieran tended to be more vignt whenever he should reply to Elli.
"Whatever, thats your choice." Schmidt shrugged his shoulders.
As a single middle-aged man, Schmidt had no right nor the qualifications to advice Kieran with constructive feedbacks or proper guidance, thus the chief officer decided to shut his mouth.
Kieran and Schmidt then went over to the corner but the other trial-goers didnt let their gaze rest, instead, when Kieran walked in with that intimidating manner, most of the gazes were ced on Schmidt, a person that they thought there was nothing worth mentioning about.
No doubt, it gave Schmidt some pretty big pressure.
Since Kieran was in front of him, he clearly felt the pressure that Schmidt was feeling which was causing a burden to his condition.
Kieran then turned around and nced over the other trial-goers.
The rampant, merciless gaze together with the faint sulphuric sense came like a strong wind, assaulting the others.
Whuuuu!
All the other trial-goers hair moved by themselves, some of the weaker ones even took steps back. A terrifying expression appeared all over their faces.
If some of them were still doubting how Kieran could be so bold and dauntless when he seized Nicil and brought him to the hall with his greatsword, Kieran replied them with actual actions, showing them what they witnessed was just the tip of the iceberg.
Kieran was opposing the rest of the trial-goers alone, and more importantly, he didnt even make a move, all he used was his gaze, his aura, and it froze all of them, striking fear in their hearts.
The devilish aura turned into a frightening pressure, suppressing everyone within the hall and filled every inch of the ce as if a mountain was crashing down on them.
Kierans gaze slowly went over each of the trial-goers face, most of them turned their heads and avoided the sharp gaze. Even the three among them who looked Kieran in the eyes was wobbling and about to a fall.
Though, it was no longer important to Kieran how they reacted.
He believed after disying his terrifying aura, if the trial-goers were not idiots, they should know what kind of attitude they should use in treating him and Schmidt.
The key factor of his decision was still Schmidt.
Since he was just amon police chief officer that was merely stronger than themons, Kieran was worried whether Schmidt could return to the West Coast in one piece if he didnt ce any insurance on him.
Kieran already had the intention when he seized the Sanctuary overseer in the hall with his sword. Since he was presenting himself as a tough guy, might as well go all the way with his act.
The other trial-goers finally let out a breath of relief when Kieran put away his fearful gaze, and the mountain-like pressure lifted away from them. Subconsciously, they started to avoid that corner, showing that they were afraid of him.
However, when Nicil saw the scene, he was sure that Kieran was definitely the assistant taught by Nikorei herself and might even be her disciple!
Among the teachings he received, it would be natural that Tiki was involved as well and only then a person like Kieran would appear.
While his heart was thinking as such, Nicil gave out a slight cough for attention.
All the eyes in the hall were attracted to Nicil promptly.
"Ahem...I am Nicil, one of the deacons of the Sanctuary. I hereby congratte everyone who passed the initial trial and now we shall enter the next one! Before that, does anyone have any questions? If so, please voice them now!" Nicil asked.
"Sir Nicil, how many trials are there?" A big strong guy asked directly.
He was the one that didnt move his gaze when Kieran nced at him.
"Three," Nicil answered.
"So, how many people can pass the trials?" Another man from the three people asked.
Different from the big buff guy, he was tall and his physique was average, but the weapon that he wrapped in a ck cloth was concerning.
Even if the weapon didnt reveal itself, everyone around could feel the sharp temperament within.
"At most three, at least... well, none I guess!" Nicil answered without hiding anything.
His eyes then nced at the trial-goers that went silent after his answer.
"Any other questions?"
After a few second pause, Nicil continued.
"If not, then I shall announce the contents of the second trial!"
"Over the next three days, you people will need to find a scroll on this ind that is exactly the same as this in my hand."
Then, Nicil took out a goat-skinned scroll that was not longer than 20 cm, enough for one grown man to hold within his palm.
Nicil then passed it down for the trial-goers to read. The scroll swiftly arrived at Kieran.
Kieran examined the scroll carefully. There were no visible words on the scroll, whether was it themonnguage or mystical writings. When Kieran tried to open the scroll, he noticed that the scroll was sealed tight, other than breaking the scroll itself, it couldnt be opened at all.
While that was going on, Nicil didnt stop giving the instructions.
"There are three scrolls in total. Regardless of your methods, anyone who gets either one of the three would be considered qualified for the next and final trial. During the night of the third day, those who couldnt get the scroll or are immobilized, including losing your life will be considered to have failed the trial!"
"Am I clear enough? Does anyone wants to quit now?"
Nicil asked with a smiling face.
None of the trial-goers spoke a word. It seemed like everyone was resolute of their decisions.
"Very well, let us begin now!"
Nicil announced that the second trial had officially started with his delightful nod.
When Nicils voice subside, a couple figures started to move out in a hurry.
Chapter 456: The Purpose of the Trial
Chapter 456: The Purpose of the Trial
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
First, the big buff guy who asked the first question.
Second, the man with the ck cloth wrapped weapon who asked the second.
Lastly, the man who also didnt moved his gaze when Kieran nced over but remained silent during the questioning session.
The three of them dashed out to Nicil as soon as his words subsided.
The man who remained silent was the fastest, he easily took the scroll from Nicils hands by raising his own, though momentster, he was forced to let go the the scroll.
A sharp de aura shed over the side of the scroll.
Souuu! Tssng!
The wind the de aura brought up behind was strong, sending the scroll which was rolling on the ground flying upwards. The de aura itself crashed onto the wall behind Nicil without any resistance.
A sword mark as long as 2 meters and could easily slip in a whole palm was carved on the wall.
Though, none of their gazes were ced on the powerful de aura.
Most of the trial-goers attention was attracted by the scroll itself.
Even those who were slow reacted to the situation.
There was a scroll before them!
Everyone started to move out. Dozens of hands extended towards the scroll but a wide, thick palm was a step ahead of everyone else.
Not only did the strong palm took the scroll but the buff body of the palm let out a powerful shockwave that sted a dozen trial-goers backwards.
The buff man was going to grin as he took the scroll but before he could truly smile, he felt the emptiness in his hand.
When the buffed man turned his head to his hand, he realized that the scroll suddenly went back to the man who remained silent without him noticing.
Another sharp de aura was sted at the man like shadow tracking his movements.
The weapon that was wrapped in the ck cloth finally revealed itself, it was a four finger wide long sword.
The swords body was clear like crystal but there wasnt a sword guard at the tilt but instead a metallic round weight with the size of a fist that took its ce. One would need a set of special techniques to wield it for shing.
The man who wielded the crystal sword fired out a total of three de auras.
The first was fired at the man who remained silent.
The second and third were fired at the retreating course of his opponent, performing a seemingly perfect strike.
Then...
Whooosh!
The first de aura swept pass the man who remained silent but there wasnt any blood sshing out but instead his figure burst off like a soap bubble.
"A clone!?"
The other trial-goers cried out in shock, turning their heads around.
They wanted to locate the man with their sight since he was the one who got the scroll first.
Although the man who remained silent showed quite decent capabilities, it didnt mean the others didnt stand a chance.
Numbers built up a formidable strength!
Soon, the other trial-goers proved that saying to be true.
"There he is!"
One of a trial-goers spotted the man who was already on the stairs heading up.
Right away, everyone else wanted to give chance but Nicil however opened his mouth despite all themotion going on.
"Oh right, forgot to mention that, the scroll in my hand is just a sample. Its not one of the three scrolls to pass the trial."
Nicil wasnt speaking loudly but everyone else who was ready to give chase was stunned.
Everyone exchanged gaze, in lost of actions all of a sudden.
"You people thought that the Sanctuary will y such petty word tricks in the trials?"
Nicil nced over everyone with a smiling face.
Especially when he saw the trial-goers ugly face as if they swallowed a fly, an extrayer of joy was added to his face.
When Nicil was nning the trial contents, he was already thinking how many of the trial-goers would be tricked. Now, his results proved that it was quite enjoyable.
Even though Kieran who Nicil thought would have gotten tricked by his words didnt even flinch, he had no regrets in his little trick.
After all, it was expected of Kieran possessing such sharp senses since he was the assistant and disciple of that Nikorei.
Nicil nced over the embarrassed face of the rest of the trial-goers again, after taking a good look and enjoying most of it, he continued.
"Ill give you people some advice. It is quite cold here in Final Ind during night, so you better find somewhere to stay warm. Aside from that, this hall plus the cottage above will be listed as forbidden areas throughout the three day trial, starting after ten minutes!"
"That means that after ten minutes, you people only can get back here at night during the third day. Should you return here anytime other than the given period, even if you have the scroll, you will be disqualified!"
Nicil finished his announcement and threw an admiration gaze at Kieran before he turned around and to return to the cottage.
After getting the gaze of admiration from Nicil, Schmidt couldnt hold it anymore as he stood in the corner..
"Youve known it from the start?"
Just when Nicil was announcing the trial contents, Schmidt was unconsciously hinting at Kieran, ready to contend for the scroll but he was rejected with Kierans shook of his head.
Out of the trust he had for his friend, Schmidt halted his thoughts as well. He remained silent in the corner and watched the show.
Now, the situation proved that Kieran was wise indeed.
"You are really something man!" Schmidt then gave a big thumbs up to Kieran.
"Not really. I am just waiting for thest one who get the scroll so I can go get the best out of their fight!" Kieran shook his head sincerely and spilled his own thoughts.
Instantly, when Nicil from afar heard what Kieran said, his figure staggered and almost fell down because of the revtion.
"Damn it! This guy did it on purpose! Just as resentful as that bastard cat, Tiki!"
Nicil turned over his head and thought about it when he saw Kieran with his smiling face.
Then the overseer went up stairs with a grumpy manner, disappearing in the corridor.
Schmidts thumbs up was a little frozen when he saw such a scene.
He had to ask Kieran once more to confirm his thoughts.
"You really thought so?"
"Yup!" Kieran nodded without denying.
It was indeed the truth.
He was doubtful of the Sanctuary ying such petty tricks in their trials, but until the end, his intentions to contend for the scroll didnt change.
Schmidt gave out a bitter smile when he saw Kieran nodded.
The other trial-goers however had a strange expression all over their face.
Watching a monkey was was all good but when the monkey was themselves, the feeling was self-exnatory.
Yet, everyone of the trial-goers branded the time limit in their mind. Each of them headed up one after another.
Throughout the process, none of them came over to speak with Kieran or Schmidt.
When everyone else left, Kieran stood up.
"Lets go." He said.
When Kieran and Schmidt went up to the cottage, Nicil was nowhere to be found.
Obviously, the overseer was not eager to see Kieran at the moment.
Kieran and Schmid then went out the door.
The sky was already dark, the whistle of the north-east wind caused the already harsh temperature to plummet even more.
Schmidt couldnt help but shiver in the cold.
Even with [Secondary Elemental Damage Resist] Kieran felt a little cold.
He looked at Schmidt who was shivering and said, "Lets go, lets find us somewhere warm to tuck in. The cold night could be very long!"
"Its fine! I can hold myself together! Well go look for the scroll first!" Schmidt shook his head.
The adorable chief officer didnt want to hinder Kierans progress in finding the scroll because of his weakness, even more so when the other trial-goers were already on it.
"This trial though, its not all about speed." Kieran pointed out something.
"What?" Schmidt couldnt react to Kierans words all of a sudden.
"Think of the trial that youve gotten previously and think about the environment that we are in now." Kieran reminded him.
Schmidt promptly thought more into things.
Chapter 457: Changes
Chapter 457: Changes
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
A small crude cottage made out of spruce wood was built.
In the middle of the cottage was a small fire but it was burning fiercely, giving out sparks from time to time.
Two opened can food were ced over the fire for heating.
After a while, the aroma came with the heated scent, causing Schmidt to swallow his saliva.
Though, the chief officer knew best what he should do at that moment.
Two sticks of bread that were harder than an iron rod was pierced over by a dagger and ced over the fire for heating.
"2567, I never thought you would be able to build a house!"
Schmidt was spinning the bread and looked at Kieran.
Until now, he still had a fresh memory of how Kieran used that frightening greatsword of his to chop down all the big spruce wood around, shaving the unnecessary twigs off and build a small cottage that could shelter them from the wind and provide warmth.
The most impressive thing to Schmidt was Kieran never used other tools other than his greatsword to build the cottage, yet the cottage that he was in was exceptionally sturdy.
The fact that the loud roar of the north-east wind outside was proof of such as anything not sturdy enough would be blown away.
"I dont know how to build a house, I only know how to y jigsaw. Most people can build such a crude temporary snail house without any sense of design." Kieran replied.
"Most people? Most people arent wielding the big ass sword that youre wielding now!" Schmidt raised a brow.
Schmidt felt the heaviness of [Arrogant Word] before, he used all his might to move the greatsword but the thing didnt even budge.
Kieran though could wield the greatsword with ease and fluently with only one hand.
This matter made Schmidt know the gap between him and Kieran was too far apart to fill.
No doubt, Schmidt did feel a little upset because of his inner ego but what made Schmidt feel even more depressed was the fact that Kieran who possessed such battle capabilities was not someone reckless hot head. Instead Kieran was a thinker, noticing things that Schmidt himself would never think to look at.
Kieran had expected this a while ago.
"I thought I was suppose to help but now instead I ampletely dragging you down!" Schmidt bitterughed and shook his head.
"Its just that you are used to viewing things from amoners or even a trial-goers perspective. When you switch your view to the Sanctuary side, you notice that these things like how the trials are testing us in a certain level of courage, justice, wisdom and empathy, just like how they wanted me to decide between either friendship or mission. So how would the trials that follow would be that simple, like finding a scroll?"
"Final Ind is not that big but neither is it small by any means. Relying on a one or two peoples strength isnt enough to scout the whole ind in three days, let alone in such a terrible weather. So all that is left is cooperation between trial-goers, let all of them work together to ovee this obstacle."
"Though ording to Nicil, there are only three people who can pass the trial. So when a whole bunch of people finding one specific thing but only three of them can pass, the sole thought of such a situation lets me guess that the overseers of the Sanctuary have some hidden or malicious intentions."
"They kept forcing the trial-goers to decide between conscience and benefits, but they didnt really state which one was more important, giving the liberty to the trial-goers to decide. If some big plot twist happens in the end of the trial, I wouldnt be surprised at all."
Kieran tapped Schmidts shoulder tofort him after he saw Schmidts bitter smile.
He then took up the boiling can of food, neglecting the burning heat on it and gave one to Schmidt and one for himself.
"Yeah right! Even worse, before the trial began, they gave out a slight hint in favour of choices that align with ones conscience, which will definitely affect the trial-goers decision. Now I dont even know what is right anymore!"
Schmidt handed one of the bread to Kieran and he himself bit on the other without caring the heat and tear it off with his best effort, chewing the bread and spilling the thoughts in his mind.
"Rx, you are not the only one. Im quite confident that the group of trial-goers just now are racking their brains right now at the possible decisions. Besides, if I was with the Sanctuary, I would be more cruel, forcing them to cooperate at first and eventually lead them to fight each other."
Then, Kieran took the long bread, dipped it into the beef soup and took a bite.
Instantly, the oil from the beef soup spreaded out on Kierans tongue, the mixing of the vourful soup made Kieran chewed a few more times. The savoury feeling that came from his mouth made Kieran quickly take another bite.
This time it wasnt some beef stew but the toasted bread that still made him close his eyes in satisfaction. Then, after swallowing the second bite of bread, Kieran took out a hot piece of seared beef and chewed it.
Under the harsh north-east wind and coldness that could turn drips of water into ice, even if it was just a canned beef soup, Kierans satisfaction made him grunt lightly.
Schmidt saw how satisfied Kieran was.
He couldnt help but stare at the bread and beef soup in his hand. He tried to mimic Kierans way in eating but the taste was not as vourful as he thought.
"I thought I took these out from my bag and heated them myself..."
Schmidt thought to himself in confusion.
He wanted to exchange his bread and beef soup with Kieran to try out the taste, seeing whether was there some kind of mistake that caused Kieran to enjoy the canned food.
Though his manners prevented him from carrying out the eager thought.
Schmidt then asked to divert his attention.
"2567, you said that the trial-goers have to work together?"
"Its quite simple actually, arrange some monsters around where they hide the scroll and only the trial-goers can beat them. With the Sanctuarys capabilities, it might be too easy for them! Also, this is our chance!"
Kieran gobbled down the soup and the remaining pieces of beef before saying it slowly.
"Chance?" Schmidt was even more confused.
...
The other person who was confused over the matter was Nicil.
As the overseer of the trials, Nicil gasped hard when he saw the sudden arrangements added in by Smulder.
Nicil immediately contacted Smulder without any second thoughts.
When the crystal ball projected Smulders image, Nicil was yelling loudly with an angry tone.
"Are you out of your mind, Smulder! You Goddamn bastard, do you know how many candidates will lose their lives over your sudden arrangements!? You freaking murderer! I will report you the the Archdeacons!"
Nicils voice echoes throughout the little cottage that he was in, but what he got in reply was a cold, unconcerned word from Smulder.
"Whatever."
Smulders projection then went off.
The enraged Nicil subconsciously took his crystal ball and wanted to smash it on the ground but just as he was letting go, he grabbed it back tightly, looking unwilling.
"Damn it! I will not lose my own stuff for that bastard! Too wasteful! If I want to smash crystal ball, Ill smash his instead! But even though that bastard is wild and arrogant all the time, he wouldnt have gone as far as this, doing something crazy... Unless..."
Nicil suddenly realized something in his mind and his face turned ugly.
"That bastard! Does he really want to settle a grudge by abusing his position? The grudge between him and Nikorei which should be over for ages! Can it be?... Hmmm, it cant be... Right?"
Nicil was circling around the wooden cottage with his crystal ball in arms, mumbling in a less confident tone.
Chapter 458: Diverting Catastrophe
Chapter 458: Diverting Catastrophe
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The raging north-east wind that went on for the whole night finally stopped during at first light.
A thinyer of mist spread throughout the whole ind.
After searching for a whole night, many trial-goers were exhausted and started to find ces to rest, however, a sudden beastly roar interrupted their ns.
When they saw a 5 meter tall and extremely buff monster with a body of white fur, running rampant throughout the ind, they were energized instantly because they saw a transparent box on the monsters neck holding two scrolls that were sought after so much.
The exhaustion from the night went away just like that, each of them transformed themselves into the best hunter, starting to hunt down the rampaging monster.
As the number of trial-goers increased, almost 80% of the trial-goers gathered around the monsters trail. The bunch included Orgeton, Fenix and an alias known as ck Hound, which were the three that Kieran had his attention on and the ones who started the fight back in the cottage.
The other 20% though, other than Kieran and Schmidt, none of them coulde forth. Not that they didnt wanted to but they couldnt.
The night on Final Ind was not only cold but dangerous. The potential dangers came from mother nature herself and also from the other trial-goers, but all of them were not concerned about that.
In other words, such an oue was already expected, if they had chosen the path, they had to ept their fate.
"Not going to strike eh?"
Orgeton, the muscr guy looked at Fenix who was hugging his long sword and ck Hound who he had to maintain a certain level of focus on to not lose his presence; Orgeton giving away a slightly provoking smile.
During the night, three of them were searching for the scroll as well and in the process, they had fought more than a dozen times but every time ended in a draw as they were evenly matched.
Orgeton was unwilling to submit to the oue, if it wasnt at thest moment, both of them teamed up against him, he would have disqualified both of them when the trial started.
"Hmph!"
Fenix nced over at Orgeton and gave out a cold grunt, he didnt show any intention of striking.
Just the look at the transparent box that was tied around the monsters neck with the two scrolls in it was clear enough to exin the situation.
Fenix wouldnt believe anything he was told if this situation wasnt purposely arranged.
As for who the arrangement was for? The answer was self-exnatory.
Among all the trial-goers, there were only one pair that traveled together.
One would easily know if he wasnt an idiot.
The situation before them was arranged specifically for that duo.
Why would Fenix waste his energy to help the other two?
No doubt the majority of the trial-goers shared the same thought, hence none of them struck first even though they had been trailing around the monsters side. Everyone was waiting for a fierce fight to break out between formidable opponents.
Though, not exactly every single one of them shared the same thought.
The silent ck Hound disappeared on the spot and appeared near the monsters neck, extending his hand into the transparent box for the scrolls.
Every other trial-goers were shocked by what they saw, their breaths went dull for a while because of how easy ck Hound acquired the scrolls in the box.
"What!?"
"What in the f*ck!?"
The trial-goers couldnt believe what they saw, it was a total opposite of what they imagined.
The seemingly powerful monster was that clumsy?
But if the monster was specifically there to deal with that devilish guy, wasnt it supposed to very powerful?
All sorts of thoughts appeared in the trial-goers minds, however after excluding all the possibilities and extra thoughts, they were left with one option.
Grab the scroll from ck Hound!
The burning gazes from the trial-goers wereid all over the transparent box.
Everyone of them dashed out towards ck Hound in a frenzy. ck Hound himself turned around immediately and ran for it.
The scene was exactly the same as the one back in the cottage from the day before.
The only difference was that, Nicil was there to stop the previous one but this time around, it was that monster who took Nicils ce.
ROAR!
The heavy loud roar sounded like an explosion of thunders in the sky.
That seemingly clumsy monster suddenly grew in size and raised its front limb that looked like ws and palm, smashing down at the ground with unimaginable force.
BOOOOM!
The trial-goers felt the ground trembled fiercely. Then before their sight, the whole area of snow was whipped up like a rising tide from the ocean, crashing towards them.
The wave of snow was like the breath of the legendary Frost Giants, as tall as 10 meters and those trial-goers who were at the front row vanished under the white wave within seconds.
Signs of life were no longer present after that.
The remaining trial-goers started to retreat in panic, trying their best to avoid the snow wave. Though they felt something was wrong through their instinct, Orgeton and Fenix were the fastest to retreat.
Everyone of the retreating trial-goers saw those that those in the front row were swallowed by the snow wave and instantly turned into ice statues.
They didnt even have the ability to resist, not even a slight struggle. The snow wave wiped out at least a dozen of the trial-goers as if it was breaking twigs from a dead tree.
Orgeton and Fenix were struck by fear and panic because they themselves couldnt pull of such feat.
"What kind of monster is this?"
After the snow wave gushed out at least 50 meters, it finally started to slow down to an eventual stop. The retreating trial-goers could easily spot the ice statues of their peers among the snow, one of them even gave out a cry of shock uncontrobly.
Following the cry of shock, all of the surviving trial-goers had doubts in their hearts but none of them could provide a precise answer.
Many of them had involved themselves in the mystical realm in one way or another but against the monster before them that looked like a yeti or a snow beast, they really couldnt tell it apart.
Following the basic rules of categorizing, the long white fur belonged to a yeti and the ws belonged to a snow beast but the monster before them had both distinctive features and its size was bigger than both of the mentioned species. Even the power that it disyed was not of ordinary means that other yeties or snow beasts could contend with.
ROAR!
The monster gave out another loud roar.
ck Hound who was not far away threw back the transparent box to the monster, disying an unusual cooperative behaviour. Then he disappeared again as if he never existed.
The monster extended its w like palms and caught the flying transparent box. It looked at the box in doubt and uncontrobly neglected ck Hounds presence. Its lowered intellect didnt allow it to understand what happened but it knew since the order was released, it could enjoy a full meal!
The devouring instinct of the monster made it turn around to the remaining trial-goers.
Instantly, the survivors backs were soaked in cold sweat that resulted from fear.
A pressuring presence from the higher level of the food chain was suppressing them mentally, causing the surviving trial-goers under the monsters gaze to quiver out of control.
They couldnt even lift their swords and des with their quivering, let alone put up a proper fight.
Without a second dy, one of the trial-goers turned around and ran for it, leading the others to scatter around like birds and animals from lower levels of the food chain without exception.
The speed of their running was ten times faster than the speed they had when they gathered around the monster butpared to the monster itself, it wasnt enough.
The snowy environment was the monsters natural habitat, it was like a tiger with wings gliding on Final Ind.
The monster gave chase with its lightning speed, swallowing the escaping trial-goers entirely, one after another.
The agonizing screams from their peers made the others run even faster, they were eager for another pair of legs so that they could escape their demise.
Orgeton shared the same fate as well. Under the cold weather, his forehead was covered with sweat and giving out steamy mist from his body because of the running. He clenched his teeth and ran with all his might, running past the other trial-goers one after another.
He didnt need to outrun the monster but just his peers would do because he had such confidence.
Surprisingly, he even managed to spare a couple of leisure moment to nce at the surroundings.
When he noticed a couple of trial-goers that were falling behind were running towards a single direction, even though Orgeton was running himself, his sweaty face was astounded by the direction that they were heading to.
If he remembered correctly, that direction was supposed to be the little cottage that arrogant bastard built over the night.
"Diverting the catastrophe to another?"
Such a thought bloomed in Orgetons mind, not only Orgeton alone saw the scene, those who were in front him saw it too.
They were as astounded as Orgeton was, or was it just a ridicule expression instead?
Even more so when they saw the monster run towards that direction, most of them started to take pleasure of the misfortune of that arrogant bastard.
Chapter 459: A Blast of Thunder in a Silent Spot
Chapter 459: A st of Thunder in a Silent Spot
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Kierans arrogance and domineering manner wasnt favourable among the trial-goers.
The monster swallowing people was even more upsetting to the trial-goers.
However, when two things that they hated the most were about to sh, it was a matter worth celebrating with unparalleled happiness, even though some measures were countering their beliefs.
"Lets go have a look?"
Orgeton stopped running when he saw the retreating trial-goers lead the monster away. He sized up Fenix who had stopped beside him as well.
Fenix didnt answer but he headed towards the direction of the monster, Orgeton followed up with a smile.
In fact, most of the trial-goers did the same, they simply maintained a safe distance from the monster.
A single thought was shared among their minds as they couldnt wait to see Kieran making a fool of himself!
No doubt Kieran was strong, everyone acknowledged that. How could he not be strong if he could suppress everyone with just a st of his aura, forcing them to stay put but the monster before them was even stronger!
Let alone the terrifying snow wave attack, the sole pressuring aura from the higher level of the food chain was enough for the ever-panicking trail-goers toe to a conclusion: the monster was stronger than Kieran.
Therefore, Kieran will definitely fail miserably, making a fool of himself. The other trail-goers who were also in an ugly position were eager to witness the scene, only then would their crushed pride could feel better.
Their malicious guesses even went as far as guessing the monster was arranged by the Sanctuary overseer to purposely take revenge on Kieran.
The despicable thought started to distort their beliefs but none of them realized that.
However the scene was all caught under the eye of Nicil through his crystal ball.
"Damn it! I knew this would happen! Damn it! Damn you Smulders! Ruining everything!"
Nicil saw the projection in his crystal ball and started to curse at what he saw. Then he quickly turned the scene to Kierans area.
His brain was spinning fast. He was hoping nothing bad would happen to Kieran. It was his genuine thought because if anything happened to Kieran, he would have no face to face Nikorei in the future. Hence, he needed to assure Kierans safely but how would he deal with the snow beast?
"Damn it, I cant take it anymore!"
Nicil clenched his teeth, ready to activate his ace card but what the crystal ball projected the next moment had his eyes widen and jaws dropped.
"How...How is this possible?!" Nicil said in shock.
Not only Nicil was shocked, every other trial-goer who saw the scene shared the same expression as Nicil.
The scene that they was was beyond theirprehension.
...
Crack Tsk Crack Tsk!
Maybe after swallowing many of the trial-goers, the snow beast was not that hungry anymore. It started to chew its prey slowly, yet the trial-goers the snow beast was chasing felt even more terrified.
The chewing noise of the muscle and meat were like a demonic sound that could lift their soul away when they heard it.
Blood and minced meat were sshing all over the snow beasts mouth. Its snow white fur was dyed red, meat residue was all over its chest. The trial-goers who saw the bloody beast were terror-stricken.
One after another, after thest one that it was chasing was crushed by its bloody teeth, the snow beast arrived at the little cottage that Kieran was in.
Its sharp smelling sense told it there was more food inside the cottage.
What attitude should a beast show towards its food?
The beast would hurl itself onto the prey and devour it with all its might, and so it did.
The ones that it swallowed proved as much, the ones inside the cottage wouldnt be an exception as either.
ROAR!
It opened up its big mouth with sharp teeth, ready to continue its feast but at the moment when it hurled itself towards the cottage, the sky and earth drastically changed.
The white snowynd was instantly covered by darkness. It was darker than ck and as deep as the abyss.
The snow beast was stunned suddenly, the trial-goers that came after were frightened as well. Their faces were pale as they were falling back. A sense of danger rose in their heart.
As for the snow beast, its sharp instinct allowed it to sense more than the trial-goers.
The snow beast stopped its hurling attack instinctively and examined the darkness around it with its sharp eyes, but the supernatural darkness was not something the naked eye could see through. More importantly, even the snow beast had a sense of danger rising up in its heart.
It started to give out continuous roar, trying to scare away its enemy but it was useless.
The darkness within was brewing, rumbling violently. It was robbing away light and sound, causing blindness to the eyes and dead silence to the ears.
The sight and hearing of the snow beast waspletely sealed off.
The dead silence made the beast panic. It kept roaring, trying to build up its courage.
Momentster, its beastly eyes could see a slight purple light turning brighter amidst the darkness.
Suddenly, a huge purple lightning struck down from the top, striking down at the beast.
KAKROOOOM!
The snow beast couldnt even flinch a muscle and the lightning struck down. It couldnt resist and wasnt able to outrun the lightning, however it didnt die on one strike, instead it was nearly unscathed.
This made the snow beast even more angry, roaring louder and more sonorous than before.
The next moment though, its white fur that was able to withstandmon des and knives started to turn dull, robbed of its glittering radiance. The ws on its palm that could tear down the hardened rocks of the winter started fell off. Its body that could run relentlessly for three days and night without any problem started to feel tired, to the point that it was utterly sleepy.
Though, its instinct told it that if it ever fell asleep, it would mean its death.
The snow beast struggled, trying to shake of the sleepiness but it wasnt able to do so.
When Sloth appeared beside the beast with a yawn, the wobbling beast then fell into slumber without pausing.
Then, its slumbering body was being blown by the winds of time, wittering away slowly. The signs of life were seeping away, all that was left after the process was a carcass that disintegrated with the wind.
Phew!
The darkness rumbled once more, dissipated faster than it appeared like the mist and light.
When the cold wind blew over the area, the slightest darkness was removed and the snow beast was blown to bits, returning the ce into the white field that it was before.
Without the darkness blocking their sight, the trial-goers could finally take a clear look of what happened, but other than the slight traces on the ground, they found nothing.
If it wasnt for many of them dying and witnessing horror with their own eyes, the trial-goers might have thought it was just an illusion.
However, the transparent box and the two scrolls within told them everything that happened was real.
Tssk gak!
The crude looking cottage finally had its door open, even the umted snow couldnt stop the door from pushing it over.
The umted white snow was pushed and stamped aside by the wooden door.
Kieran then slowly walked out.
Instantly, the other trial-goers skipped a breath. They started to back down when Kieran came out.
One step, two step, three step...
When Kieran was approaching that transparent box, the trial-goers were more hesitant than ever.
Just when Kieran was truly beside the box, some of the trial-goers started to breathe heavily.
Chapter 460: Affected
Chapter 460: Affected
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
A beast knew how to retreat from a powerful opponent but not humans.
Greed mixed with glimmers of hope made them want to take the risk.
When the trial-goers saw Kieran walk to the transparent box, some of the them couldnt stand it anymore.
Kieran might be exhausted after dealing with that monster from before, now he was just pretending to be strong but actually withered inside. Such a thought started to spread around the trial-goers which caused them to strike.
Each of them charged at Kieran like an arrow released from a fully taut bow.
Kieran noticed themotion and raised his head to the charging crowd. He nced at them with a cold gaze.
"SCRAM!"
The loud yell sounded like rumbling thunder.
Within the eyes of the charging trial-goers, the snow beast from before suddenly reappeared again, in a much more violent, frenzied form, charging rampantly at them.
Instantly, they wanted to turned around and run but their legs felt like they were being cemented to the ground. They couldnt even move a muscle!
Other than that, the snowy ground started to melt gradually, turning into a swamp to drag them down.
A snow beast at their back and a swamp swallowing their legs. Fear and despair filled their body, until it consumed them wholly.
Ugh! Ugh!
Each of the affected trial-goers were throwing up mouthfuls of blood one after the other.
Under [Deadmans Gaze]s [Fear Illusion] and Kierans SSS+ Spirit level, all of the trial-goers that charged at Kieran was affected, none of them could escape.
One after another, they fell to the snowy ground, absent of any signs of life.
Kieran nced over the floor of dead bodies and after confirming there were no spoils of war, he turned his attention to the remaining trial-goers who were hesitant.
The remaining ones were instantly shocked. They backed off with an unusual unity, no one dared to look Kieran in the eyes, Orgeton, Fenix and ck Hound included.
Maybe it was their pride and their guts to look Kieran in the eyes before drove them in opposing Kieran but after Kieran showed such terrifying power, their persistence was long gone.
A mere yell from him and a dozen trial-goers lost their lives.
That was something the three of them couldntpete with. All three of them fell too far behind Kieran.
When such thoughts appeared, they chose to retreat. The same went for the others.
Still, there were some who were not willing to leave empty handed.
Jealousy struck their frenzied heart, causing their faces to twist in an ugly manner but they felt their lives were at stake. It prevented them from making any moves.
"Huh?" Kieran frowned lightly.
He still could understand if any of the trial-goers led the snow beast to his cottage however, when the jealousy rose in their hearts, it rmed him more than the beast.
"So, they didnt chose Final Ind without a reason!" Kieran thought to himself.
Before arriving at the ind, Kierans mind did ponder a question like, "why they would choose Final Ind?".
He never epted the reasons such as "Final Ind was closer to the Sanctuary base" or something like that.
However, when they trial-goers before him acted unusually, it made him realize a hint of the answer.
"There is something here that can affect the peoples heart like the [Touch of Cardinal Sins]?
As the thought lingered in his mind, Kieran picked up the transparent box and went back into the cottage.
When Kieran came back in, Schmidt finally let out a long breath of relief after observing the situation through the seams.
"I was really worried those fes would really group up on you!"
Schmidt closed the wooden door after feeling the chilly wind and some grudgeful gazes from the trial-goers. He couldnt help but shiver. Then, he gave out a puzzled expression.
"Even if the others werent chosen by Boller to participate in the trials, how would the Sanctuary, as described by Boller, allow these bunch to participate in the trials?"
"Because they are also part of the trials?"
"Part of the trials?" Schmidt looked at Kieran in astonishment.
"There is something wrong with Final Ind. This ce has some power or things that we dont know of and are affecting us without our knowledge. It will bring out some hidden emotions, manners or the deepest things inside us to the light!" Kieran spilled the spections slowly.
"Shhhht! Then those fes back there?" Schmidt gasped and pointed at the door.
"Should be affected as well, and based on my spections, the affected ones will not pass the trial even if they had gotten the scroll!"
"No wonder they kept giving us so much options...The real trap is hidden right under our noses. What loose requirements, what only need one of the four courage, justice, wisdom and empathy, if we dont have a steady mind and unyielding will, nothing would matter!"
Kieran touched his chin and pondered the words that Azinder gave him.
Obviously, that overseer didnt lie to him. It was just that he didnt finish the sentence properly and Kieran had reasons to believe the other trial-goers had encountered simr situations as well.
"I think those Sanctuary fes are not just your ordinary despicable bad guys eh! We have to be more careful from here onwards!" Schmidtmented.
"Um. At least we can slightly rx in this trial." Kieran pointed at the transparent box.
Although the box had a lock on it, Kieran had reached the Musou level of [Lockpicking]. It was too easy for him to open the box.
With [Deceivers Key]s aid, Kieran easily picked off the lock on the box but the contents were less than amusing.
The scrolls within were no different than the sample in Nicils hands. Without destroying the scroll, it couldnt be opened.
Kieran squinted his eyes at the scrolls, he wasnt quite buying that the Sanctuary would arrange two useless scrolls as the trial requirements.
In other words, there must be something fishy about the scrolls, just that he hadnt found it.
However, after double checking the scrolls and still not being able to find anything, Kieran simply put the scroll aside.
No doubt the secrets on the scrolls were hidden well, it wasnt practical for him to break cipher it in such a short period. Rather than wasting time on the scrolls, might as well spend his effort on something useful.
Practicing [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art]!
The night before, Kierans habitual practices of the art gave him a sudden realization. He seemed to be able to enter the practice state easily now and the state wouldst long, so was the effect.
Although it wasnt as effective as the time where the skill was leveled up, which he saved up to almost 10,000 Points in one night.
During the process, Kieran was already suspecting something unusual about the ind. Of course the oue was more than expected but it didnt stop him from practicing.
He nned to spend the rest of the trial period practicing the art.
...
The Knights Hall back at the Sanctuary base.
Smulder was listening to Bollers report patiently.
"The snow bastard was dealt with so easily?" Smulder asked his student in astonishment.
"Yes, teacher! It was even easier than we imagined. The exponential rate of growth of 2567 has far exceeded our wildest imaginations!" Boller gave a bitter smile.
"Is that so? Then..."
Smulder revealed an interesting smile, then he gave orders to Boller in a soft tone.
Right after the whisper, Bollers face turned in shock.
"Teacher, is this...?" Boller wanted to speak his mind subconsciously but just as the words escaped his mouth, Smulder had disappeared before his eyes.
Smulders actions answered Bollers questions.
"2567, you better hope for the best this time around!"
Boller gave out an even bitter smile, mumbling to himself.
Chapter 461: Knight
Chapter 461: Knight
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
As Schmidt was arranging the firearms and grenades in his bag for the tenth thousand time, the sun on the third day began set.
On top the fire that was kept burning for three days, there werest two cans of beef soup from Schmidts collection of rations.
Schmidt seemed to be in a good mood since they were hours away frompleting the second trial.
Although Kieran kept quiet for the past three days which caused Schmidt to spend his time in boredom, he treated it as a long overdue vacation since there was nothing there to bother him,
He was humming an unknown melody while adding branches to the fire and adjusting the canned beef soup.
For Schmidt, the biggest gains that he got from the past three days was definitely understanding the essence of grilling a canned soup.
The adorable chief officer was already at the point that he knew what was the best angle to heat the soup to produce a best vour and bring out savoury texture from the beef inside, and one would have to admit, the results were outstanding.
"Smells nice!" Kieran opened his eyes and said with a smile.
"How was it?" Schmidt asked directly.
Since Schmidt had involved himself in the mystical realm, he eventually knew what Kieran was doing for the past three days without uttering a word. With their rtionship, Schmidt didnt feel it was over or awkward to ask.
"Better than I imagined!" Kieran answered. He was being honest.
Originally, when Kieran was able to save around 10,000 Points the first night, he thought it was quite an incredible amount but still his expectations were still exceeded as he entered the practice state for a longer period of time. The results were even better than his initial expectations.
[Through practicing, Grand Master level Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art acquired a significant amount of experience, the leveling cost decreased by 79500...]
[Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art, Grand Master to Musou, cost 0 Points, 9 Golden Skill Points. Yes/No?]
Numbers were the best facts. When the notifications popped up in his vision, he couldnt help but grin happily.
He saved around 80,000 Points through practicing; it was not a small amount even to Kieran. Even more so, he did it within a mere three days period.
"If I had even more time... Maybe I can also decrease the required number of Golden Skill Points!"
Kieran looked at the unchanged Golden Skill Points requirement and couldnt help but sigh.
Though, he quickly reced the depressing thought with a self-mocking smile.
Greed was part of human nature. Unless one can be a saint that has no urge or desire, it will always exist in ones heart.
In order to restrain ones greed in the most effective way possible, other than having greater temptation to cover the first, all that was left was to face greed directly in the face.
With the experience from the Creature of Desire and the cardinal sins, Kieran chose to face his devilish desires and emotions heads on.
It was not just only to restraint himself but also because of the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art].
When Kieran found out that he could better enter the practice state on the ind, he was pondering the question of what caused it.
Eventually, his thoughts led him to the uniqueness of the ind and how it affected its inhabitants deepest, darkness emotions and it was also the only part that the ind was different than the other ces.
Meanwhile, Kieran too had a deeper understanding of [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art].
The understanding was not only about the effects that the skill granted but also the origins of the skill itself, since he was able to explore the deepest part of the skill.
"Church of Dawn was not a radical religious sect back in the days. Quite the opposite, they lived a simple life. Even during festivals or celebrations, all they did was alter their meals a bit. The living style was simr to the dervishs traditions. When the Church of Dawn was starting to be known to the public, only the traditions were ditched."
"At the same time, it was also the turning point for the Church of Dawn. It was the beginning of their downfall. The scrumptious materialistic life and temptations of wealth started to corrupt the people within the church, even the knights that were protecting the church were no exception. They werent strong enough to hold their thoughts together under all sorts of negative emotions, causing the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] to slip into a stagnant state. Even more so since it caused some unpredictable side effects!"
"When the firearm revolution started, that was the reason for the knights being unable to withstand their firepower. Otherwise, even with the rise of firearms, if there were more knights like Guntherson to protect their church, they wouldnt even need that many. A small squad of formidable knights was enough to alter the tides of the battlefield. In terms of ambushing, assassinating, every aspect was fearful to the enemies!"
Kierans guesses in his heart made him sigh.
Although they were all uneducated guesses, he was almost sure they were the true recollection of events.
Let aside the sad end of being affected by the negative emotions, which Kieran had witnessed tons of simr cases, Guntherson the old knight was the best example of a tradition well kept.
Other than his extremely gifted sense, the dervish kind of lifestyle might be the true reason for his [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] to reach Musou level.
"Able to hold ones heart before the face of temptations? As expected from the body tempering art that was named after the knights! But what about Dawn? What does it mean? The light after darkness? Does it represent hope, warmth?" Kieran wondered.
He didnt forget the canned soup on the fire, with his [Secondary Elemental Damage Resist] body, he easily neglected the heated can and picked up the meal from the fire, giving one to Schmidt and himself.
"Tastes nice!" Kieran praised after giving it a taste. It was not some courteous remarks, he was speaking his mind.
In fact, since every meal was canned beef soup, Kieran could tell the difference easily. It was much better towards the end.
"Of course! When I retire, I wanted to open a restaurant, selling nothing but grilled canned soup!" Schmidt said with a delightful smile.
"I think... It will be out of business the day it opened! You need to cherish your pension money!"
Kieran advised with a serious manner. It was the real advice that came from his tongue afterparing it with the previously owned Musou level [Cooking].
With Schmidts current cooking, it might be better for him to treat it as a joke since it might very well closed down the day it opened.
"Ill try to grind my skills more!" Schmidt however sounded very confident.
Then he saw Kieran gobbled down the soup, swallowing thest piece of beef and put the empty can aside in a hurry.
Schmidts understanding of Kieran made him know that something was up, he reacted to it quickly by reaching to his firearms and grenades aside.
"Those bastards?" Schmidt pointed at the door.
"The trial is going to end soon, surely they will take the final risk. The fact that they were able to hold it to the veryst moment was already out of my expectations. It seems like they are able to form an ord even under the influence of the ind. Is there someone with powerful capabilities that gathered them together?"
Kieran then picked up [Arrogant Word] and his backpack before pushing the door open.
Outside, there were over thirty of the trial-goers standing in a scattered formation, ready to confront Kieran.
The duo that led the group was standing at the farthest point possible.
Kieranughed when he saw the scene. No doubt the trial-goers were scared by [Reverse Scar]s lightning but after using the relic once, if it was possible, Kieran wouldnt wanted to use it again.
It was just the normal level of [Whisper of Evil] and to Kierans surprise, it shared the same properties as [Creature of Desire] by not leaving any spoils of war behind after killing an enemy.
The attribute made Kieran have an unusual understanding about ck Hell Banning and some of the reasons behind his actions.
Possessing [Reverse Scar] under normal circumstances and never even provided proper spoils of war after battle but Banning could still reach the level he was at. It was very impressive to Kieran.
Though. Kieran wasnt Banning to begin with. Since he was a lone wolf and decided to proceed as he was, he has much more means to deal with the situation beforehand.
Chapter 462: Coincidence?
Chapter 462: Coincidence?
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Huuhha! Huuuhha!
The trial-goers stared at Kieran with their twisted expressions, breathing heavily.
Under the influence of the ind, they had forgotten the fear that lingered, all that was left was greed and envy. It was like the poison ivy that grew in their hearts, the vines grew longer throughout the period and even sprouted buds.
They were in an empty state of mind, forgetting who they were and being dominated by their desirespletely.
ROAR!
Thirty of them roared like fearsome beasts, unlike their human voices. The formation that they were maintaining crumbled within an instant when the frenzy took over.
They dashed out crazily at Kieran.
Wuuung!
The dark red greatsword was glimmering. Kieran then dashed forward and swung his greatsword in a flurry which looked like a glimmering whirlwind.
Arrogance! Untamed!
As the greatsword was creating heavy whistling sounds with its movement, [Arrogant Word] again disyed utmost resonance with Kierans movements.
A forward horizontal sh brought out the bewitching red from its body. It became the focus of that particr space. The heavy red from the sword overwhelmed the sunsets reddish shine and the fresh red blood of its victim.
The first frenzied trial-goer couldnt even react to what happened and he was shed in half.
After death took his life, his torso remained in the posture of charging and grazed Kierans side, falling to a further spot.
He was the first one and thus started the massacre.
Kieran made a quick cross step and dodged the spear lunged at his chest, [Arrogant Word] then charged forward like the peak that pierced through clouds.
The spear was torn apart, the wielder was pierced by the dark red sword tip but more deadly weapons were lunged at Kieran from left and right. Behind him there were more shing and thrust strikes.
Kieran didnt want to dodge the iing strikes, he gripped his greatsword tight and moved forward three steps with the body on the greatsword tip.
Then, a series of swords and des shed, producing a messy clunking noise as they missed their target.
The spear wielders behind even pierced their peers in the opposite direction. The shes and thrusts hit the ground instead of Kieran.
Wuung!
A flip of his palm, Kieran pulled out [Arrogant Word] from the half-torn body and spun it around. After a perfect roundhouse sh, sounds of flesh and bones being torn apart followed.
Blood sshes across the ce, a couple of torsos were sent flying upwards by the shs force.
Kierans movements was fierce like tiger and agile like monkey. He became an unstoppable force, rampaging and shing in every direction among trial-goers.
All of the trial-goers fell like grass under the sharp edge of [Arrogant Word].
Broken limbs and punctured organs flowed across the bloody stream, yet the couple of remaining trial-goers had no intentions of stepping away.
Their twisted heart made them even more agitated, frenzied against death. Under the domination of their desire, they didnt mind dying with Kieran.
The remaining ones even strapped themselves with explosives, grenades, charging at Kieran while roaring their lungs out.
The terrifying manner would strike fear in every mans heart if they were the target.
Orgeton and Fenix has been waiting for the golden opportunity to finally make a move.
However, their target was not Kieran but the wooden cottage behind him!
More precisely, the scroll in the wooden cottage.
Their eyes were on fire when they saw the cottage. It blinded them to not notice the unusual behaviour of the other trial-goers behind them nor did they noticed anything unusual around the wooden cottage.
When the explosion went off and a two-headed snake sprung out from the ground, only then they noticed the situation they were in but it was a little toote.
Orgeton was swallowed by one of the snakes heads.
Fenix relied on the de aura that he fired out at the lunging snake, thus escaping his demise.
Though he was quickly chased down by the two-headed snake and was overwhelmed by its power.
A swipe of its tail sent Fenix flying towards Kieran like a baseball. When he was before Kieran, the downward sh from [Arrogant Word] weed him.
Instinctively, Fenix raised the longsword in his hand to parry Kierans greatsword.
CHANG!
Amidst the clunking, the long sword that Fenix relied on the most had a crack on the point where Kierans [Arrogant Word] struck down. The crack was getting bigger by the second.
"No!" Fenix cried in shock.
However, his cry couldnt alter his dying fate as his sword broke into pieces.
UGH!
A line of blood appeared on the spot between Fenixs brows and extended downward rapidly.
When blood gushed out from the line, Fenix was sliced in half!
An orange glow appeared on one half of Fenix body after and Kieran clearly saw that it was the broken de.
[Name: The Slicer (Damaged)]
[Type: Sword weapon]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attack: Strong]
[Attribute: 1.de Aura Type I; 2. de Aura Type II]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: Sharp Weapon, Long Sword (Master)]
[Remarks: This is a treasure that Fenix got idently which changed his life forever!]
...
[de Aura Type I: Firing de aura ording to the users Strength. Different levels of attack ranging from Weak, Average, Strong. Attack range could reach 5 meters, 10 meters, 15 meters respectively.]
[de Aura Type II: Charge up for 5 seconds and fire out a wave of de aura with Powerful attack, 30 meters in range, 1/day]
...
Quite a decent Rare weapon, if it wasnt damaged though.
"Because it was destroyed before, when it dropped, it presented itself as Damaged state?"
After wondering about some of the rules of equipments and items dropping, Kieran raised his hand to his [Serpent Spirit] and one of the snakes heads opened its mouth, spitting a potion out.
Kieran grabbed the potion and nced over its details.
[Name: Perfected Raging Blood IV]
[Type: Blood]
[Rarity: Great]
[Attribute: Power Raging]
[Prerequisite: Constitution D]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: It was crafted by a third generation alchemy enhancer, its tremendous power was halved but so does the side effect!]
...
[Power Raging: Strength +3. Agility +2, Constitution +2, Spirit -1, Intuition -1, for 15 seconds. After the duration ended, a Constitution authentication not lower than D+ will ur, user who passed the authentication will be Weakened for 10 seconds, failure will result in 20 seconds Weakened state. Another Constitution authentication not lower than E+ will ur again, user who passed the second authentication will recover from Weakened state after 30 minutes, failed will result in Moderate damage to the user.]
[Note: When Constitution is higher than C, immune to all debuffs.]
...
"The descendants of the alchemy enhancer?"
Kieran was shocked over the remarks of [Perfected Raging Blood IV].
Suddenly, he rted it to the government of the current dungeon world.
After the Blood Moon war, the forces and authorities that were built over the rubbles of the previous kingdom never seemed to give up the thoughts of enhancing human beings through alchemy.
There was Marco previously at the station and now some random trial-goers.
[Mutated Raging Blood III] and [Perfected Raging Blood IV].
These two items were enough for Kieran to specte more.
Kieran didnt believe that the dead trial-goer before him was some stranded descendants of the alchemy enhancer and coincidentally discovered by the Sanctuary, thus inviting him to the trials.
It was too much of a coincidence!
Kieran never believed in coincidences. The coincidences that people mentioned so much were nothing more than a delicate arrangements.
While using that sole fact as point of spections, the identity of the remaining trail-goers were something worth ruminating over.
"Is this the Sanctuary trials as well? Or...?"
For a moment there, Kieran became doubtful about the purpose of the Sanctuary in organizing the trials.
While doubtful thoughts lingered in his mind, he continued on picking up the other six more low tier Magic rank items and signaled to Schmidt that coast was clear.
What was the Sanctuary after? He had some vague guesses but what did their goals have to do with him?
He was there toplete the trials only.
As for the other matters, he would rather not be involved.
But...
Things will never change ording to ones honest will.
Chapter 463: Light
Chapter 463: Light
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Inside the wooden cottage of the overseer, Kieran saw ck Hound who was already there.
During the previous group up, with Orgeton and Fenix around, ck Hound was overshadowed and didnt stand out from the rest but when everyone else failed, ck Hound sessfully acquired one of the three scrolls and emerged a victor.
It was only natural that Kieran had his attention on ck Hound.
Other than that, Kieran noticed something different about him as well. ck Hounds hiding technique was one-of-a-kind, it didnt be weaker even when the number of people around him has decreased. In fact, his hiding technique was much more effective when the people around him were fewer.
If it wasnt for ck Hounds light breathing, Kieran couldnt even locate him at the first moment.
However, Kieran frowned over the light breathing, ck Hound purposely revealed his breathing to Kieran by breathing heavier than usual.
It was almost certain of him but what was his purpose of revealing himself to Kieran?
"Wanted me to lower my guard?"
Kieran had no idea how ck Hound got thest scroll but he managed to stand out from the rest of the trial-goers under the influence of the ind, obviously, it wasnt an easy feat.
On top of that, ck Hound was not affected by the inds influence either.
It was the most important aspect in the second trial. Kieran wasnt affected because of his powerful Spirit attribute and Schmidt because of his unyielding will. Regardless of which ck Hound was, he will be a worthy opponent in theing trials.
Plus, the revtion of himself on purpose made Kieran heighten his vignce against him.
ck Hounds danger level had surged from there onwards.
A beast with sharp fangs and long ws was scary but a venomous snake hiding in the woods was scarier.
Kieran kept quiet even though he noticed ck Hound, he remained as he was, keeping the situation as it was with ck Hound while waiting patiently for Nicil.
After a while, Schmidt finally noticed ck Hounds presence at the opposite part.
The chief officer frowned a little and subconsciously reached towards his gun.
No one liked a dangerous individual that could pop up anywhere anytime, not even Schmidt.
Schmidt opened his eyes wide, giving an intimidating stare at ck Hound and locked him down within his sight, preventing his escape.
While Schmidts stare was showering all over him, ck Hound was not concerned at all and didnt even flinch. He was standing there with the same posture when Kieran and Schmidt walked in.
He didnt further conceal himself nor did he revealed himself in the open, even when Nicil had appeared.
"Congrattions everyone! You have passed the second trial!"
Nicil was wearing a fur coat with its cor flipped up. He walked out from another door with a smile. The smile added anotheryer of wrinkles on his well-aged face.
If it wasnt for his bright eyes, he would look like a dying old man.
Though at that moment, the elder seemed to be excited and happy.
"Well done!" Nicil praised Kieran and Kieran replied with a raise of a brow.
However, before Kieran could utter a word, Nicil continued on his own.
"Now you people will have to proceed to the next trial and also the most important one! Lets go shall we, Ill bring you all to the overseer of thest trial!"
While he was talking, Nicil took out a crystal prism from his pocket.
Before anyone could speak, the crystal prism in Nicils hand shone brightly and dazzlingly.
The blinding light shone over every corner of the cottage.
Kieran then felt that his body has to lighten up, simr to the feeling when he entered the dungeon world. He subconsciously raised his hand and blocked it before his eyes since it was not the first time he experienced blinding light around him.
He tried to peek through the seams of his finger of the situation around him but under the blinding light, all he could see was some concentrated,yered runes around him.
Just when he wanted to read the runes, his eyes started to hurt.
Kieran was aware of that peeking through his finger seams did not weaken the light around him. His eyeballs were still exposed under the stinging light.
If Kieran cherished his eyes and didnt want to suffer some real damage, he had to close his eyes.
He was forced to choose between his eyes and reading some unknown runes scriptures, or in a more particr sense, he had to choose between his main mission and mystical knowledge.
The options made it clear for him, without any further hesitation, he closed his eyes.
After three to five seconds, Nicils words could be heard at his ear.
"Were done here!"
Kieran opened his eyes and saw Schmidt who had bloodshot eyes beside him.
"Damn you! I thought I was going blind!" Schmidt kept rubbing his eyes to ease up the stinging sensation in his eyes.
No doubt, due tock of experience, Schmidt suffered from the sudden blinding light.
ck Hound at his opposite though, even with a mask and hood to cover his face but Kieran picked up a faint smell of herbs from him.
"He was prepared? He must have known some insider information about the Sanctuary! Or is he affiliated with someone inside? Or did he get the information after tons of testing?"
Kieran nced over ck Hound with a slight shock before he led his attentions elsewhere.
He started to size up the surroundings in detail.
Kieran was not at all interested in the fight between the Sanctuary and the one or factions behind the trial-goers, even though there might be a huge reward behind it.
Based on their performances, both sides seemed to be well-prepared and among those prepared ns, it should include Kierans appearance.
What would happen to Kieran if he didnt know how to appreciate his current safety level?
Even though his strengths were enhanced from top to bottom, he wasnt that arrogant to think that he could take on the whole Sanctuary and the forces behind it.
Although the Sanctuary was quite mysterious, it was a cold hard fact that they shared the same ranks and reputation as Dark Star, Night Demon, Unicorn, White Deer and Pris and might even be better than the other societies in certain aspects.
Aside from all of that, the leader of the Sanctuary alone was enough for Kieran to heighten his vignce like never before.
After all, he did witness the strength of the Night Demon and Dark Star leaders.
Whether was it Morendurke or Serdenk, Kieran still had to question himself because even at his current power level, he felt he was still inferior against them by a lot, let alone the Sanctuary leader that was stronger than both of the mentioned leaders.
So, how could the one behind the trial-goers that were going after the whole of Sanctuary be weak by any means?
Of course, none of that matters right now. Giving up without trying was not Kierans style.
The reason Kieran gave up before was directly rted to Schmidts sudden appearance in the trials.
Schmidt honestly said that he was invited by Boller and Kieran was suspicious over such a move by Boller.
In simple words, Kieran didnt believe Boller would make a move without any valid reasons, such as inviting Schmidt. The facts after also proved Kierans guesses to be right.
Maybe before this, Kieran could still persuade himself with excuses like idents but up until then, as he discovered some of the secrets with the trial-goers, he wouldnt believe the Sanctuary had no ulterior motives behind these trials.
It might be just a friendly reminder for him or maybe to purely restraint him.
Regardless of what the motives were, he knew clearly what he must do, at least when Schmidt was around, his actions were clear. Kieran decided to y along and be cooperative.
When he saw the stone-made decorations before him and the huge space that he was in, he knew they already left Final Ind.
"Long-range teleportation device!?" Kieran didnt conceal his shock because it was the first time he encountered such a method of traveling in all the dungeon runs.
Schmidt was curious beyond logic, if it wasnt for Nicils presence, the chief officer would definitely turn the ce upside down to find out why he appeared in such a ce.
Dak Dak Dak!
A heavy, vigorous steps caught Kieran and the others attention.
A muscr figure came from afar, bringing the "light" with him.
Just as the light appeared and shone over them, Kieran suddenly gave out a heavy grunt of pain.
Chapter 464: Who is the Target?
Chapter 464: Who is the Target?
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The light came in a sudden.
Pain followed like its shadow. Kieran waspletely taken by surprise, he grunted heavily and even his face turned ugly.
"Whats wrong?" Schmidt asked nervously.
It was the first time Schmidt saw Kieran being hurt since he knew him.
Out of instinct, Schmidt pulled out his gun and pointed at the approaching figure.
Schmidt wasnt hurt by the light, quite the contrary he even felt his spirit being lifted when the light shone on him but Kierans condition told Schmidt what he must do.
Though, just as Schmidt was going to pull the trigger, Kierans palm appeared on the gun and stopped him from firing.
"Its fine! Im just not used to it yet." Kieran said.
Then he looked at the approaching figure with a not so friendly gaze.
He knew that he would eventually be troubled by holy energy, items of blessings and holy relics because of his [Body of Evil] but he didnt think it would be this troublesome.
Just like Kieran said, he wasnt receiving any actual damage, neither did his HP drop.
Based on his judgement, the light before him was not that strong but still even a weaker light energy made his body feel like it was being stung by needles and scalded by boiling water. The worse thing was the pain kepting and it was the least pleasant feeling for him.
So, while Kieran warned himself in his heart to be careful of those existences that could bring harm to his [Body of Evil], he wasnt that fond of the quickly approaching overseer that he never met.
When Kieran finally saw the overseers face, he could feel that his expression was all an act.
Whether was it the deep smile on his face or the seemingly interested re from his eyes, every sign pointed towards an act that the overseer put up even though theycked malicious intent.
"So these are the three remaining?" The overseer said.
The tall, muscr, and bare top examiner that shared the same temperament of a vicious beast then took a step forward to Kieran, looking down on him with his powerful gaze.
Although when the overseer was approaching, Kieran could sense that he was a pretty big guy, however when he stood before Kieran, it was only then that Kieran noticed that his physique had far exceeded his estimation.
Kieran was considered a tall person among the average height standard but the person before him was two heads taller than him. Kieran wasnt even at his chin and barely reached his chest.
As for his buff thighs and robust arms, they were enough to cause others to be awestruck.
Plus that terrifying beastly temperament, the overseer was more like a ferocious beast than a human, even if he was giving off a bright light around him and spoke like one.
"Smulder, dont get too close! He is..."
"Shut up! Nicil, your duties as an overseer are over, my trials are up next, you have no right to stick your finger and poke around in my affairs!"
"Now listen up you three! My trial is simple, all you three have to do go along the path before you. Whenever I am satisfied, you will pass the trial!"
A loud voice exploded from Smulder interrupted Nicils words. Smulder then turned away from Nicils angry gaze and provided the requirements of his trial to Kieran and the others.
While Smulder was talking, the wide hall they were in started to shift around in a precise manner.
Kroom Rooom Roooom!
After multiple loud noises from the walls, the left, right and the wall behind Kieran sunk into the ground and revealed three dark entrance behind.
"Pick the one you like!" Smulder pointed at the three entrance.
Souuu!
Just as Smulders words subsided, ck Hound already jumped into the dark entrance in the left. Kieran frowned.
"He even has the ns to deal with the third trial?"
Obviously, ck Hound knew more than he imagined and it was not good news for him and Schmidt.
The easiest route was taken, all that was left was the more dangerous one and the most dangerous one, or maybe the remaining both routes were equally dangerous.
Kieran stared at the remaining route, giving his best effort to remove the pain from his body. He hoped to rely on his eyes and ears to provide him with a more urate judgement on the route but everything was so obscure.
The darkness at the entrances blocked his sight and hearing all together, even if he had A rank Intuition, it was rendered useless at this moment. Even his instinct that he was proud of failed him this time.
Kieran looked at the route, regardless of which was it, it didnt strike him as dangerous.
"So... it all depends on luck now!"
Kieran took a deep breath over the method of relying solely on luck. He hated it the most, handing over his sess or failure to fate.
Though he wouldnt mind taking the risk when he was forced to face an inevitable danger.
Kieran then turned to Smulder.
"Is give up an option?" Kieran asked.
Kieran couldnt escape this because of his main mission but Schmidt was different.
If it was possible, Kieran wished that Schmidt would not continue taking risk of his life.
"No!" Smulder replied with an iron voice, nailing his words down with his loud hammer.
Nicil beside seemed to be more agitated than ever, just as he wanted to utter his dissatisfaction, he felt Smulders gaze pounding him. The worlds that he had on the tip of his tongue were swallowed back instantly.
Kieran saw the looks on their face, he knew in his gut that something wasnt right. There must be an option provided for the trial-goers to forfeit the trial, just that Smulder decided to go on with his decision denying that.
"Even until now they needed Schmidt to set a reminder for me? Could it be..."
Kierans heart has a new guess about Schmidts purpose.
"Who first?" Kieran then looked at Schmidt since he had an inkling in his heart.
"After you of course!"
Schmidt pretended to ponder upon the decision after he saw Kierans hidden signal and he replied Kieran with a please gesture.
Although Kieran didnt spill out every guess he had about the Sanctuary trials to him, Schmidt was not an idiot. He could observe through his own eyes and realized something was wrong with the Sanctuary trials.
The trials were quite different than what Schmidt heard from Boller and on top of that, danger lurked at every corner of the trials.
Under such circumstances, Schmidt could only believe in Kieran.
Schmidt uttered out the hint that Kieran provided him without dy.
Kieran then stepped forth to the middle entrance right away.
After seeing Kierans back disappear into the middle entrance, Schmidt purposely waited for another ten minutes before heading towards the right entrance step by step.
A couple breathster, Schmidts figure also disappeared from the big hall. All that was left were Smulder and Nicil staring at the three dark entrances.
"I dont think your arrangement will work! 2567 is much smarter than you think!" Nicil said.
He was not being sarcastic or mocking but also wasnt speaking in a polite manner either .
"So? My target was never 2567!" Smulder said without being concerned.
"WHAT!?" Nicil suffered a shock.
Then, a sudden realization made him raise his head in astonishment, trying to verify his guess, but just as he was brewing the thought, Smulder had already left the hall.
Chapter 465: Scream
Chapter 465: Scream
Trantor: Dess Editor: SSins
The darkness felt like still water.
When Kieran entered through the middle entrance, he felt like he walked through a curtain of water that fell on his shoulder.
After walking forward for around ten steps, the light that appeared before his eyes freed hisck of vision.
With the light shedding some clues before his eyes, Kieran saw a straight path before him.
The ce was made of ground stones. The ground and the wall had crude textures.
Torches as thick as a mans arms were ced on the iron holder on the wall. They were ten meters apart from each other and they lighted the path.
The fires on the torches were burning with oil, giving out small sparks from time to time with a distinguished noise.
However, the most concerning point was a forked path 50 meters from the entrance. Kieran quickly moved towards the forked path and after some minor examination, he squinted his eyes.
"As expected! Just like I spected, the three entrances are connected to the inner part! This is the reason why Smulder denied Schmidts option of giving up, because..."
Wuuuu!
Just as Kieran verified his spection, the path that he was in lighted up brightly.
It was the same light again!
Compared to the light from Smulder which was a milder type, it was much harsher this time.
If the milder version of the light were like needle stings that felt scalding, the harsher version would be like des and knife slicing him apart or a burning charcoal ced on his body.
Kieran cried in agonizing pain. He wobbled, about to fall.
Wuuuu!
The harsh light got even stronger after a while. Wobbling Kieran plummeted to the ground immediately but it was not the end yet.
After torturing Kieran for around twenty seconds, the lights power had reached a certain limit and it returned to its original state like when Kieran entered...
"Aaaarrgh!"
His agonizing scream turned his face pale. He leaned on the wall with a weakened breath.
Kieran extended his shaking hand and mustered all of his might to reach for the [Elementary Healing Potion] in his [Safety Potion Pack] but before he could pull the cork open, a hand came out from nowhere and stole the potion.
It was ck Hound! He appeared out of nowhere and stood before Kieran.
With a mask and hood over his face, it kept Kieran from seeing his true identity but theugh from him was delightful.
"2567! The infamous Bird of Death and the Fiery Devil! What have you be now? A dying dog?"
ck Hound was tossing the potion between his hands and teasing Kieran.
Kieran was exhausted and panting heavily. He wanted to say something but he couldnt find any words for the asion. All he did was open his eyes wide at ck Hound.
"What a scary pair of eyes!" ck Houndughed again with a mocking tone.
Then, ck Houndunched a sucker kick, hitting Kieran on his shoulder!
Bang!
Kieran couldnt withstand such a kick in his current state and was sent flying 4 to 5 meters away.
"Hahahahaha!"
The light, mockingugh turned into a outrageous one.
ck Hound skipped several steps forward and he looked down at Kieran.
"You know what? Ive been waiting for this moment since the moment I saw you! Ive been wondering when that arrogant, foolish, boorish bull that had a grudge against Nikorei would make his move on you. I didnt even know what means he used! Thankfully, the results werent disappointing at all!"
"The devil being shined on with the Sanctuary Force... Hehehe, I have to give it to Smulder for his creativity! That boorish meatbag! Feeling angry? I bet you are but what can you do now? You think that you can run rampant here in his special path like you did elsewhere? Stop dreaming, my dear Bird of Death, sir Fiery Devil! You cant do sh*t here!"
The path was lighted up once again as if it reacted to ck Hounds words.
Simr to the previous light, it grew stronger from a dimmer state and when it reached its maximum point, it went off for a short while; Kieran was tortured badly regardless of what level the light was.
"Hahahaha! See that? Did you see that? That boorish Smulder is a person that will uphold his revenge. He wouldnt just let you die like this though! You know, in order to give you a proper treatment, he didnt just grind his mind to create this path. He even gave all of his thoughts in luring you into this trap! I can assure you that after he hears your agonizing scream enough, he will let you die, suffering from all of these!"
"But dont worry! We will avenge you! After all, your appearance gave us this opportunity right?" So to repay us, try to scream as loud and as agonizing as you can please? Your scream can definitely attract that boorish bastard!"
Then, ck Hound pressed his feet onto Kierans face.
PAK!
Just as ck Hounds feetnded on Kierans face, a powerful hand grabbed ck Hound by the ankle. The ck wristband on the hand revealed a spider icon under the fires light. It was giving out an unusual shine, granting the weakened Kieran a rapid recovery of his strength.
[Soul Devour II]!
Grak Tsk! Grak Tsk Tsk!
The powerful grip caused ck Hounds ankle to crack upon contact...
"You!...You!"
The pain broke a cold sweat on ck Hounds forehead. Butpared to the pain, ck Hound was more shocked by the fact that a weakened Kieran could have such strength to retaliate.
"You want an agonizing scream? How about your own?"
Kieran grabbed ck Hounds ankle harder and lifted him up by the leg. His words escaped through his clenched teeth.
He then swung his hand that was grabbing ck Hounds ankle hard.
Wuung! BANG!
The struggling ck Hound was smashed to the ground by Kieran without any mercy. The sounds of cracking bones were like jumping beans, popping in multiple directions.
Blood gushed out from ck Hounds mouth. Still, he mustered his remaining strength to utter his mind.
"Spare...Spare me!" He sputtered.
Kieran stood up while remained silent. He swung his hand the other way, grabbing ck Hounds ankle with it.
BANG!
The left side of the wall!
BANG!
The right side of the wall!
BANG!
Finally the ground!
BANG BANG BANG!
Kieran repeatedly swung ck Hound in that order continuously, smashing him in all directions. At first ck Hound was able to mutter some words incohesively, trying to ask for mercy. In the end, he was nothing more than a lifeless pile of crushed bones and bloody meat.
The ck colored outfit was dyed red by his blood and hadyers of minced meat and shards of bone all over.
After a dozen times of smashing ck Hound in all directions, other than the leg Kieran was holding in his hand, ck Hound was left with nothing else but a pile of a gruesome mix of flesh and bones.
An orange ring floated up from the pile of unrecognizable meat.
[Name: Phantom Illusion Ring]
[Type: essory]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attack/Defense: None]
[Attribute: Shadow Escape, 1/3]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Remark: Even from the hands of ancient alchemy, this product was produced from an extreme ident!]
...
[Shadow Escape: While facing an inevitable attack, the ring will allow its wearer to escape by recing the wearer with a phantom illusion in his ce. The wearers real body will appear in any spot desired, 10 meters from the original spot]
...
Kieran took the [Phantom Illusion Ring]. Although there was only 1 more usage left in the ring, it didnt stop him from putting it on his left ring finger.
Right after that, a series of footsteps sounded behind Kieran and the so-called Sanctuary Force lighted up once again.
Chapter 466: Collecting the Net
Chapter 466: Collecting the Net
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
After suffering from the almost fatal Sanctuary Force shower, this time around was the normal level of which Kieran had quite the immunity against already.
It wasnt that it didnt hurt anymore, but Kieran has gotten a little use to the stinging sensation.
While being showered by the light force, Kieran turned around and looked at the figure behind him.
Although there were footsteps, the figure was nothing but a visible projection. The upper body was clear but the lower part was only half visible, yet it didnt feel like a haunting spirit.
That projections reaction time was simr to a real person. When the projection caught Kierans gaze, he gave Kieran a direct reply.
"Well done. Congrattions, youve passed the trial."
Smulders projection pped his hands while hememorated Kieran for his sessful run but his tone was very cold.
Still, regardless of how cold Smulders tone was, the system notification came up after.
[Main Mission 1: Complete the Holy Knight Trials within 1 week. (Completed)]
Kieran looked at Smulders projection andughed coldly.
"Passed the trials? I am the one with the devils bloodline and yet Ive be a Holy Knight? It sounds so outrageous! Or was it... From the very beginning, this so called trials was just a trap, a lure attract those other parties with ulterior intentions, attracting all of your enemies in one ce!" Kieran confronted Smulder.
"You are really something different!" Smulder didnt deny.
"Of course! I am the main bait after all! If without me, the assistant of the God of Earth, how would you, the boorish man that envies Nikorei so much can carry out your ns specifically targeted to me?"
While Kieran had pieces of clues before this but after ck Hound spilled all the information when he lost himself in his self-excitement, Kieran could see the big picture now and got the general idea of what was going on.
Kieran didnt know what Smulder initial ns were but with his appearance on the ind, Smulder altered his ns by cing Kieran at the center.
Smulder purposely erged his jealousy towards Nikorei and led everyone else to believe that his actions were to vent his anger towards her assistant, even to go as far as conducting a Holy Knight trial just for Kieran alone.
The so called Holy Knight trial really existed but definitely not the one Kieran had just cleared.
This trial was just a huge gamble, or more precisely Smulder was using this trial to exterminate the mole within and those who had their eyes on Sanctuary.
It wasnt hard for Kieran to picture how overjoyed those with ulterior motives were after hearing the arrogant suggestion from Smulder stating that he would be "teaching Nikoreis assistant a lesson and exterminate outer and inner threats along the way".
They would think the chances that they had been waiting for so long had finally arrived.
Some pawns would start to appear from either the light and the dark side, posing as fake trial-goers.
Just like Kieran spected before, these trial-goers had their own hidden agendas, they were here to acquire profit in times of trouble and not the really qualified candidates.
Thus, resulting in all sorts of unusual events during the trials.
As for Schmidt, he was also part of Smulders n.
Smulder wanted everything to look real and only by including the innocent Schmidt, he could fool those trial-goers and the parties behind them, misleading them to believe he himself had lost his mind over jealousy.
Smulders ns were sessful so far without a doubt. Kieran was sure that some of Smulders targets had fallen into his trap without noticing.
The projection gaze over Kieran as if he was meeting Kieran for the first time, sizing him up in details.
Then projection thenughed.
"Seems like youve gotten quite a bit of information from ck Hound. Though, none of that matters. The mystery will eventually be revealed, just that I never thought that a guy who transnted the heart of the devil into himself didnt even die because of the blood rejection and still could remain as sane. Should I say its expected of Nikoreis assistant that your brain was not reced by magma?"
Smulders projection shook his head, looking unconceivable.
Though, before Kieran could utter a reply, he continued in an ordering manner.
"Stay here quietly and wait for things to pass!"
Smulders projection then vanished without giving Kieran any chance to speak.
Almost two seconds after Smulder vanished, footsteps could be heard again.
It was a familiar one. It was Schmidt!
The adorable chief officer kept his promise with Kieran and approach the forked path carefully.
After he saw Kieran in once piece, he let out a breath of relief but when he saw Kierans condition, his breath of relief was stuck in his throat.
"2567, are you okay?"
"Wait, is this guy that powerful?"
Schmidt asked nervously and he nced over the pile of minced meat on the ground with a sense of dread in his eyes.
He could tell that the deformed body was treated with utmost violence before he died and from the only intact foot beside, he could tell the deformed body was certainly ck Hound.
However, Schmidt looked a little unbelievable that ck Hound could cause so much damage to Kieran.
"He is not strong at all, its just the special environment here." Kieran exined.
"That "light"?" Schmidt reacted quickly to Kierans words.
"More precisely, its the Sanctuary Force. I dont know how that Smulder bastard did it but when the real battle starts, the Sanctuary Force shouldnt appear anymore. But we have to leave this ce immediately just to be safe." Kieran corrected Schmidts words.
"Sure! But can you tell me what is going on? Im scratching my head on this." Schmidt said while expressing to help Kieran up.
Kieran rejected it with a wave of hand.
Without the Sanctuary Force dealing continuous damage, his A+ Constitution plus the healing from [Mardos Arm, Soul Devour II], the rest of the damage were just mere scratches for him.
"Ive only gotten the information from ck Hound before this. Well, to put it in a simple way, this Holy Knight trial that we are in right now is nothing more than Smulders trap. I am the bait and you are the spice to make the bait looks tasty."
"Now, those parties with ulterior motives that were eyeing Sanctuary fell into Smulders trap, so he is eagerly waiting to collect the!" Kieran exined.
"So this is whats going on!" Schmidt nodded his head slowly. The expression on his face was weird, it was like mixing fortunate and helplessness together.
He was fortunate that the Holy Knight trials werent as unbearable; he was helpless that the trials has turned into a huge n to trap others.
What about the Sanctuary? Was it still as admirable as Boller said it was?
The thoughts in Schmidts heart of justice made him sigh heavily.
"Stories are always the best right!" Schmidt said.
"Because theyve been beautified countless times!" Kieran said before heading back to where he came from. Schmidt followed tightly.
Though before the two of them reached the entrance, a loud rumble sound from afar.
The water like darkness has disappeared, what reced it was the rough and thick wall.
The entrance was sealed off!
Chapter 467: War Initiated
Chapter 467: War Initiated
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The sealed off entrance was not only at Kierans side, after inspection, the other two were sealed offpletely as well.
Bam Bam!
Schmidt knocked on the stone wall, the heavy noise made him frown.
Based on his experience, he knew the thickness of the stone wall had exceed the limit that amon man could dig.
Schmidt unconsciously looked at Kieran. Sure it had exceed themon limit but beside him was a person that also exceeded themon limit.
Though, out of Schmidts expectation, Kieran was frowning against the stone wall.
"Something wrong with the stone wall?" Schmidt reacted to Kierans expression immediately.
"Since the stone wall has appeared, surely Smulder wants to prevent us from trying to get out. He should know better than anyone that I can easily break the stone wall, so..."
Kieran said while he drew [Arrogant Word] from the box. He performed a forward lunge, trying to test the stone wall by striking it.
Wung!
Even if it was just a test, the dark red greatsword still whipped up a heavy gust of wind.
DING!
Sparks were ignited and the sword tip was plunged into the stone wall, however a concentrated light of the Sanctuary Force gushed in from the seams.
The blinding, burning white light was like a shbang exploding in front Kieran.
Even though he was prepared for it and retreated almost a dozen meters the moment the light sted in, he still suffered from the burning sensation all over his body once again.
"Damn it! He is f*cking on to you! These lights are specifically targeting you! 2567, are you okay?" Schmidt retreated to Kierans spot quickly while cursing.
"Im fine but Smudlers jealousy and envy for Nikorei was much deeper than I thought!"
If it wasnt for his habitual vignce and careful, that st of light was enough to cause heavy damage to him. Even if he has healing potions and [Soul Devour II] to help him recover, if he wasnt killed off in one shot, he still had the confidence to escape a fatal hit. However, the scene before Kieran allowed him to know something.
Smulder must have perfected the ce for his enemies to fall into his trap. Kieran wasnt left with any holes to squeeze through and it was not a good news to him, meaning that it will only increase the difficulty of escaping.
Why not wait for Smulder to return with his deration of victory?
After knowing the details of what was going on, Kieran discarded such thoughts from his mind.
Although he didnt feel any danger from Smulder, the cold attitude from him proved that the rumours about him being jealous and envious of Nikorei was not some made up story. There should be some validity behind it and what followed will surely be some secrets.
While under such circumstances, Kieran would be an idiot if he remain inside the paths.
Smulder did went to extreme lengths to put his ns in to action.
How well would one expect Smulder to treat the assistant of his old rival that he was so jealous of yet helpless against?
The answer was self-exnatory.
Kieran knew it would be delusional to request Smulder send him off submissively.
It might go as far as trapping Kieran forever in this "prison" that Smulder put forth so much effort to build.
Kieran wouldnt even doubt Smulder if he already has some simr thoughts of imprisoning him when Smulder built the paths.
As for why?
Smulder wanted Nikorei to collect her assistant herself.
Think about it, a Sanctuary personnel able sweep away enemies both foreign and domestic while forcing the God of Earth into lowering her head down to him, what would it be like for Smulder?
"Im afraid he would be delighted beyond words right?" Kieran muttered.
"What?" Schmidt didnt catch what Kieran said.
"Nothing!" It was better for Kieran to keep it to himself rather than revealing things that would only increase the burden of others.
Then, before Schmidt could press the question, Kieran gripped [Arrogant Word] and started to touch the walls around him with the des edge.
As expected, when [Arrogant Word] was pressed against and damaged the wall with Kierans inhuman strength, the Sanctuary Force gushed through.
"So, Smulder wouldnt leave us with such an obvious w. Since the entrance and the walls were sealed of, all we have left is the path behind us."
Kieran pointed at his back.
"Smulder built all these to specifically target you, why would he install an exit?" Schmidt asked.
"Just because all these are specifically targeted at me, that is why he installed an exit. If he really wanted to imprison me, everything before us are enough! But what he wanted was to present himself as an envious bastard by torturing me, so he could further mislead those who fell into his trap to believe everything was real. He will surely install an exit, an exit that is visible but unreachable!"
"What is more torturing than a visible hope being turned into unreachable despair?"
Kieran looked at Schmidt with a smile.
"If this is really that kind of situation, I would never smile!"
The chief officer wouldnt even imagine what he woulde under such pressure.
He might suffer a meltdown!
He was puzzled about how Kieran could utter those words with a smile.
"The more despairing the situation, the more we need to smile. Otherwise, all hope would be lost. Despair is scarier and more powerful than you think at some times but then bes more pitiful and weak at others. As for which it is, it all depends on how you look at it."
Kieran then headed towards the other side of the path. Schmidt then followed closely and uttered at the same time, "Well, dont say it like youve experienced despair before. Is it appropriate to use pitiful and weak to describe despair?"
"I think its quite fitting at times!"
"Well, not at all for me!"
Both their voices were getting far and eventually faded into darkness.
...
Back at the big hall that Kieran and Schmidt arrived in, a team of special forces troops started to gather around. There were almost a hundred of them.
The one who was leading the special forces was a bald elderly and his snow white beard was at his chest. He was the one being called useless trash by Smulder, Simon.
The elderly nced over the trial paths that were sealed off. Then his eyes turned to Nicil who was dumbstruck by his appearance.
"Im sorry Nicil. I didnt mean to deceive you!" Simon bowed with an apologetic manner but Nicil didnt react to it because he was shocked beyond words and logic.
The dispute between Smulder and Simon was well known throughout the Sanctuary but now, it was Simon leading the troops instead of Smulder!
Sea of thoughts entered in Nicils mind all of a sudden.
"I was deceived by both you and Smulder!" Nicil said with a bitter smile while he looked at Simon.
Simon bowed again but he didnt have time to chit-chat anymore.
Sacred runes started to appear beneath Simons feet one after another. The dim white light was turning denser by the second and eventually became a blinding light.
"God Speed!"
Nicil knew what the runes meant and he gave out a strict face.
He held his right hand with a clenched fist at his left chest, showing respect to Simon.
Nicils greeting echoed continuously in the wide hall and eventually went out from the hall.
It was like the horns of war, trying to sound its signal towards the horizon, his words shared simr purpose as well.
One mans voice was weak but what about ten, a hundred, or even a thousand?
Besides, there were more than a thousand members in the Sanctuary!
Their voice and battle intentions fused together and pierced the clouds.
While at a farther ce, a fleet of battleship were sailing towards its destination.
Iron cannons over the ships were striking chills into hearts under the white moonlight.
Chapter 468: At the End of the Road
Chapter 468: At the End of the Road
Trantor: Dess Editor: SSins
On top of one of the battleships decks, a crew was shuffling back and forth in an orderly manner.
The iron cannons were being loaded with pellets, ready to fire.
General Barry was standing at the front deck, donning a ck military outfit. He was looking stern and persistent. That strict manner of a soldier that was hanging over his well-aged face was intimidating. He was staring at the ind on his ship like a hawk targeting its prey.
The ind before him was the destination that he had been searching for 20 years: Sanctuary Ind!
It was a ce with secrets that could topple the world and at this very day, General Barry was going to finally expose the secret to the eyes of the world!
"Fire!" General Barry said softly.
The ordering officer beside him sent the order down with a raise of the red g in his hand.
Promptly, hundreds of iron cannons were fired off from the fleet of battleships.
KABOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The ind afar was being bombarded by the cannon and was instantly engulfed in a sea of fire.
The bright fire and thick ck smoke enshrouded the whole ind in an instant.
...
After moving forward for around 3 kilometers, Kieran and Schmidt went through trap doors, pit holes, poison gas and hidden arrows. Then, they arrived in front a wooden door.
Three of the paths led to the same end.
Schmidt looked at the intact wooden door with metal covers on all four of its edges and a single handle. He looked hesitant because he recalled what Kieran said before.
Although he hated to admit it, Schmidt knew that the current situation had a high chance to turn out exactly like what Kieran said before.
Subconsciously, Schmidt looked at Kieran.
"Since we are already here, theres no way back for us!" Kieran said with augh, trying to lighten the mood.
"But..."
"I rather take a gamble than stay in this ce imprisoned by Smulder. Even if you are willing to be my cellmate, nothing will change! Now, lets proceed with our ns!"
Kieran interrupted Schmidt and pointed at the wooden door.
Schmidt sighed and backed off as a signal of understanding.
After Schmidt retreated around 10 meters, he raised his hand to signal Kieran.
Kieran nodded and headed towards the door. He didnt pull the door open immediately because he was considering the existence of Sanctuary Force. Kieran hid behind the door and pulled the handle with his hand.
Tssk Gak!
The door was pulled open, blocking Kieran in the corner.
A faint light shone through the doors back.
Sanctuary Force!
Kieran identified it without a second nce since he had multiple encounters with that power despite it not burning him this time around..
Then, Kieran pushed the door back again.
Bang!
After a loud bang, the door was shut once more.
"How was it?" Kieran asked Schmidt.
It was the n that both of them had discussed on the way there.
Because of Sanctuary Force, Kierans movements were highly restricted so Schmidt had to act as his eyes in certain situations.
Schmidt was a little stunned when Keiran asked the question.
After a dy of three to four seconds, Schmidt gave a bitter smile.
"Just like you predicted. There is an exit behind this door leading outside but there is also a diamond emitting Sanctuary Force in the middle of the room! That diamond was very dazzling. It softly radiated around the room but the brightness at the center was hard to look at!" Schmidts bitter smile got heavier as he spoke.
He did witness the light that caused damage to Kieran. Even the milder version previously had caused quite the pain on Kieran. Should Kieran go near the bright diamond in the middle of the room, it might really kill him!
As the thought flooded Schmidts mind, he tried to persuade Kieran.
"Lets change our path! There must be some other way out!" Schmidt said.
Kieran however shook his head calmly.
"Other than that, is there anything else noteworthy in the room?"
Kieran wasnt concerned about the diamond since he already expected it. He didnt n on altering his initial ns to break through.
On the way here, Kieran had thought it through. No doubt Smulder was crazily strong but he wouldnt have stored Sanctuary Force within the walls itself. He must be relying on some items or relics.
Sanctuary was such an ancient organization; it didnt surprise Kieran that they may possess such an item.
At the same time, such items must have some protective measures whether it was being stored or being used. The protective measure was what Kieran was afraid of.
With Sanctuary Force in the mix, Kierans power was not even a tenth of his former selfs strength. All he could rely on was Schmidt to help and his limited strength...
No doubt facing a powerful enemy was nearly impossible but how about dealing with the item that was emitting Sanctuary Force?
If the protective measures was removed, everything would be easy for him.
Kieran had a few hands in dealing with such a item anyway.
"Cant really see properly, its too dazzling!" Schmidt said with a shameful manner.
Kieran frowned, not because he was grunting at Schmidt.
He knew that Schmidt was amon man. Surely he wouldnt be upset over such things but if they couldnt figure out protective measures, their next move was going to be troublesome for both of them. It ced them in a terrible position.
So Kieran went with n B instead.
"You open the door this time. Dont worry. Ill stand as far as I can. If we cant figure out what is inside, we are really going to stuck here forever!" Kieran said.
"At least 30 meters!" Schmidt gave an estimated safe range based on the shine range of the diamond.
Kieran didnt say anything and headed backwards on the path. After getting into position, he gave Schmidt an "OK" sign with his right hand.
The door was pulled open again. The Sanctuary Forces light shone again but the shine was just as Schmidt had estimated. It was dimmer at the 10 meter range and barely any light reached the 30 meter range.
Kieran was able to see what was inside the room.
The room wasnt that big but because of the angles view, he could only get a general image.
A diamond, the size of a grown mans thumb, was ced over a delicate iron stand carved with mystical wordings; it was ced in the middle of the room.
The iron stand was welded to the ground. The ground around the stand and the walls were also carved with mystical wordings.
On the wall opposite of the door, there was an opening that revealed the night sky outside.
Simr to Schmidt, Kieran too couldnt spot the protective measures.
Although it didnt mean that Kieran would give up just like that. After signaling Schmidt another "OK" sign, Kieran took his [Python-W2] revolver and aimed at the ground inside the room.
He pulled the trigger.
BANG!
The muzzle shed, shone and the bullet was fired.
Chang!
Suddenly, when a bullet entered the room, a broadsword appeared in its trajectory and blocked the bullet. Upon impact, sparks were flying from the broad swords body.
Then, a two meters tall armored figure appeared from within the room andnded in Kierans sight.
It charged out at Kieran without any hesitation. As the armor was charging, the Sanctuary Force on its body was dazzling brightly. At the same time, the walls along the path faintly emanated the light again.
Chapter 469: Phantasm Bloodline
Chapter 469: Phantasm Bloodline
Trantor: Dess Editor: SSins
Kieran didnt panic at all as he faced the Sanctuary Force seeping from the walls and the dashing, shining armor.
He pulled the trigger once more on [Python-W2].
BANG!
The transcendence level of [Firearm Weapon, Light Firearm] allowed the revolvers bullet to travel at a specific angle. It passed through the dashing armor and headed towards the room behind it.
CHANG!
Another broadsword appeared in the room, blocking the bullet.
A second identical shining armor with Sanctuary Force over its body appeared again in Kierans sight.
The seeping Sanctuary Force on the wall became denser by the second.
"As expected of Smulder, he didnt just set a single protective measure!"
When Kieran saw the two shining armors that almost took up the whole path, he wasnt relieved just yet because his testing wasnt over.
While enduring the stinging pain all over his body, Kieran was estimating the distance between himself and the other two enemies by using his eyes. When they were less than 5 meters away from each other, Kieran moved.
He dashed quickly and leaped over the first shining armor like a monkey, dodging the first sh from the broadsword.
While he was in mid-air, [Boots of Modii] shone softly, allowing Kieran to step on air itself and perform a double jump.
Kieran jumped higher. Not only did he dodge the second shining armors forward thrust, there were no more obstacles between him and the room.
Bang Bang Bang!
Kieran pulled the trigger repeatedly without dy and three rounds of revolver bullets were fired into the room.
This time around, there wasnt a third guardian armor that blocked the bullets.
The bullets perforated its target precisely: the diamond emitting the Sanctuary Force.
However, the diamond didnt even budge upon impact. Kieran was surprised.
The diamond then merged itself with the delicate iron stand and sunk into the ground, revealing only the diamond on the surface as the diamond was embedded on the ground.
Kieran didnt have any time to wonder why that happened because he already picked up the air-breaking noise from the broadsword behind him.
"SCHMIDT!"
Kieran yelled loudly. He performed a back turn with his body and swung [Arrogant Word] together with his moving body.
Fuuu!
The greatsword whipped up a violent wind from its sh that was simr to a huge typhoon assaulting the pathway.
The sharp de edge with its tremendous force wielding was able to slice rocks and perforate metals.
Tsssk Gank!
An ear-numbing, metallic screech came right after [Arrogant Word] sliced the armors broadsword in half. Not only did the sword break, the armor that was wielding it was damaged as well.
A big crack appeared on its helmet that went all the way down to its armor, revealing the guardian armors true face.
The things inside the armor wasnt a man. They were gears, springs andplicated contraptions surrounding a prism shaped crystal imbued with mystical runes.
Spark, Spark Spark!
Mini electric sparks were seen from the prism crystal. The guardian armors body twisted ording to the small sparks but it was very unsynchronized.
"An iron puppet?!"
Kieran was shocked by the truth underneath the armor...
He never thought that Smulder would utilize the iron puppets to guard the diamond.
After all, ording to his knowledge from the books, most iron puppets were used as bodyguards in alchemybs by grand alchemists.
In fact, iron puppets were absent in recent generations of alchemyb. Even if there was one avable, it would have been treated as a collection by some alchemist.
No one would treat them recklessly and waste such great gifts as Smulder did.
"So this is the Sanctuarys inheritance and powers?"
Kieran muttered while taking a step back.
Wuuu!
The broadsword whipped up a heavy whistle, grazing Kierans nose from above.
Though the broadsword didnt really touch Kieran, the Sanctuary Force imbued in it made Kieran felt like he got burned.
After one of the iron puppets was destroyed, the remaining one entered a special attacking stance.
The Sanctuary Force that was glimmering over its armor started to shine brightly. Although the white light from the armor wasnt as dense as the light when he came into the pathway, the brightening Sanctuary Force from the wall seemed like it should not be underestimated as well. The brightening light forced Keiran to back off uncontrobly for a few steps.
What made Kieran anxious was the Sanctuary Force on the wall. It was getting denser by the second and eventually it seemed like it was going to reach a density simr to when he entered the pathway. It was going to be a fatal kind.
When that happened, Kieran would be cing himself on the chopping board, about to be minced into a pile of meat paste.
"Sh*t! I cant dy anymore. I must deal with this now!"
When that thought came into Kierans mind, he gripped [Arrogant Word] hard and threw himself towards the remaining iron puppet.
However, just as Kieran was dashing towards the iron puppet, the iron puppet and the wall suddenly dimmed and eventually turned gloomy once more.
The Sanctuary Force was gone!
A moment ago, it was shining brightly and getting denser by the second. However, it became a flickering candle under the wind that was ready to be blown off any second.
The whole pathway returned to its dark, gloomy state, relying on the torches to shed light.
"Yes!" The sudden change of tides made Kieran think of Schmidt who entered the room while he was dealing with the puppets. However, before Kieran could spare any more extra movements...
Dong Dong Dong!
[Fusion Heart] in his chest was beating rapidly. The long-suppressed, devilish and sinful aura and the rampant sulphuric aura erupted at the same time.
Fuuuuu!
The formless energy wave sted out in all directions with Kieran at the center.
Creature of Desire even appeared in its mirage form beside Kieran. Its sinful eyes and relentlessly intertwining limbs were like those of a hungry beast. Under its dazzling rainbow color shine, its sharp teeth appeared above the iron puppets helmet.
The wide mouth withyers of grinding teeth opened up and chomped off the iron puppet entirely; it was removed from Kierans sightpletely.
A series of grinding metal and breaking noises came from the mouth and it was not the end. After devouring the iron puppet, the creatures appetite grew even more. More mouths appeared from thin air and started to tear apart the walls around it. The mouths kept on grinding the walls piece by piece. Or more precisely, the Creature of Desire was feeding on the Sanctuary Force!
Kieran who was connected with the creature clearly felt an unusual satisfaction from within.
"What the...!" Kieran was astonished. But before he could rte to more, the vigorous beating of his heart filled his ears.
Dong, Dong Dong, Dong Dong Dong!
It was like rumbling thunder or war drums sounded before a war.
Phantasmal illusions started to take shape before Kierans eyes. He saw pieces of dark-red, distorted, uneven mirrors gather around him and shatter one after another.
The sinful, chaotic, cataclysmic aura spread out around him. Horrible faces appeared one after another,ying their violent, cruel gazes on him. A momentter, the gazes turned into something that seemed to express ttery.
Kieran extended his hand, which was covered in magma, and crushed those disgusting faces that harbored ill-intentions against him.
Magma?
He tilted his head down in a dazed state and he saw that his body was reced by a magma-like body that was vigorous and powerful. A thought from his mind extended its fiery wings outwards; it was so huge that it covered the sky itself, blocking any light from above.
Darkness instantly enveloped thend and his sight.
Suddenly, a dash of white appeared with the darkness. It was bing brighter by the second.
Kieran looked at the dash of white as if he was looking at the person that he dreamt of all day and night.
He wanted to extend his hand and touch it but his magma hand forced him to stay still.
The white person was getting farther and farther away, eventually disappeared into nothing.
Kieran then felt sad. He med himself. He was angry at himself. Tons of negative feelings were mixed inside his mind, causing him pain and suffering; it was torturing his mental and physical state!
He looked up at the sky and roared in rage and pain!
ROOOOAR!
The roar changed everything around him; the sky above and thend below went through drastic changes.
He was in a hallucinogenic state but it felt like reality to him.
Chapter 470: It’s Time! (2 in 1)
Chapter 470: Its Time! (2 in 1)
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Heavy wind blew across the night sky, the waves were high at sea.
Despite the rumbling waves, the huge battleships cruised on smoothly as if they were on calm waters.
The cannoneer in the cannon turret had struck its target precisely again.
Under the relentless bombing from the fleet of battleships, the targeted ind waspletely lost in sight.
General Barry squinted his eyes on the fiery ind, he never stopped his men from continuing the relentless bombardment.
He was waiting, he was waiting for that one person. From the start, General Barry wasnt after the ind itself but that particr person.
Smulder!
The only Holy Knight left on earth was the target that he sought to destroy.
ROOOOAR!
Suddenly, a deafening roar came from the ind under fire. A rampant aura sted off from the ind and onto the surface of the sea.
The soldiers who were behind the cannon turrets were dumbstruck by the sudden roar. They felt an unknown fear rising in their heart, robbing them of their actions. If it wasnt for their discipline, they might have already ran for their lives.
Though standing on the spot was the best they could do, anything else wasnt possible, let alone operating the cannon turret.
The bombing stopped, leaving the fire and the ind to a pause.
From the loud noise of the bombardment to the sudden silence, it was as if the world was suddenly frozen in time.
General Barry smiled.
"Finally, you couldnt hold back anymore?"
The general waved his hand.
The long-awaited alchemy fighters ascended from the lower deck with the elevators.
Everyone of the them was strong in physique but cold in manner. They were equipped with the most advanced weaponry and were standing in formation behind General Barry like a pole.
The most concerning part were the three boxes that the alchemy fighters brought up on deck.
There were two small boxes and one big one. The small boxes though were still as big as a car and the big one was in the size of a house.
"Go, my fighters! This is your first battle since youve returned to this world and it will be the battle that spreads your name far and wide! The annihtion of the Sanctuary is the best achievement for you all!"
General Barry said with a sonorous voice, the alchemy fighters stepped up one after another and jumped into the sea without taking any transportation to the ind.
While his fighters were jumping into the sea, General Barrys eyes were gazing at the ind.
"Come on, Smulder! Youve been waiting for this fight for so long right? Arent you jealous, envious of the God of Earths achievements of eliminating the invasion of the East Coast mystical realm? Now Ive set up the perfect stage for you, you better not disappoint me!"
General Barry was standing between the three boxes and as he spoke, he got more delighted. In the end, an uncontrobleugh sounded across the deck.
General Barry had his reasons to be delighted because Smulder, as expected, was standing in the path of the alchemy fighters.
Smulders rugged face looked slightly confused.
Compared to General Barry, Smulder could clearly pick up the sulphuric smell from the rampant aura that shed over before, he was very familiar with such aura.
It was 2567! Nikoreis assistant!
Though, ording to his arrangements, 2567 at most was able to escape the pathway but to st out such an aura in a wide area...
"He broke through the Sanctuary Force filled dangers? Not too shabby! Nikorei has once again proven her sharp eyes. Though, it is more interesting this way! A bunch of alchemy fighters, a devils descendant plus a Sanctuary Archdeacon, seems like they might be able to put up a fight!"
Smulder muttered to himself while his eyes were glimmering in white.
...
Kieran had no idea what happened outside.
All he knew was that he was Kieran, a young man with a terminal disease and not some devil overlord.
The devil form that he was in was only a part of [Fusion Heart]s power, it wasnt really his body.
Kieran kept mumbling to himself, reminding him who he was as if he was chanting a spell.
However, no matter how clear his mind was, he couldnt expel the illusions before him. It was as if he was really inside the realm of illusion. He transformed into that devil, feeling its emotions and experienced how the devil fought.
A year has passed, two years, three years...
Countless time has passed in Kierans illusion, it flew pass in the blink of an eye but it felt really long, to the point that Kieran had almost forgotten to remind himself with his self-mumbling.
Kieran experienced countless life and death battles in his devil form. He was getting used to it as time went on . It also allowed him to get used to the battle techniques of the devil.
All that was left in his life was fighting, constant fighting.
The meaning of his life was to fight!
Kieran shuttled pass countless battles until he came across that dash of white before his eyes again.
This time around, his body instinctively went over and grabbed the white color.
Upon contact, all Kieran felt was a pain, a pain that his body hadnt felt for a long time appeared in his mind.
He tilted his head down to the round diamond tainted with blood in his hand, he was shocked.
The memories as a human that he had forgotten gushed out like a geyser.
"I...I..."
The mumbling sounded once more, forcing the huge devil body to a standstill.
He swung the sharp ws on his hand hard and plunged it into his magma chest, tearing his body apart.
As the devils body dispersed, Kierans human form fell out.
The illusory image around him started to splinter, shattering into pieces and disintegrated into dust.
When he came to, he realized he was leaning on the wall of the pathway that he was trapped in.
Schmidt was squatting before him, looking at him with worried eyes.
"How is it?" Schmidt asked.
"..." Kieran opened his mouth, he realized he couldnt speak. On top of that, he felt like there was a burning charcoal stuck in his throat, burning him fiercely.
He instinctively raised his hand, wanted to signal Schmidt about his condition and it was then he realized he was holding onto the round diamond that has lost its luster and was tainted with blood.
[Name: Sanctuary Star (Damaged)]
[Type: Gemstones]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attribute: It contains the life energy of the Holy Knight of the previous generation!]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: It has no value at all since it is damaged!]
...
Kieran frowned and he turned his eyes to the system notification that kept on pinging since then.
[Foreign matter influence, the bnce of Fusion Heart was broken]
[Creature of Desire devours the foreign matter, triggering Fusion Hearts Imperfect Evolution]
[Authenticating Constitution, Spirit...]
[Authentication passed, Imperfect Evolution starts...]
[Devil Bloodline running rampant!]
[Imperfect Evolution interrupted!]
[Altering to Imperfect Special Evolution...]
[Reauthenticating Constitution, Spirit...]
[Reauthenticating failed, Constitution, Spirit hasnt reach required rank...]
[Inspecting Fusion Heart, anomaly urred in Imperfect Special Evolution, Extra Special Evolution begins...]
[Repulsion!]
[Repulsion!]
[Repulsion!]
[Puppet of flesh and blood conversion begins...]
[Foreign matter/energy detected, conversion halted!]
[Extra Special Evolution restarts...]
[Authenticated!]
[Extra Special Evolutionplete!]
[Fusion Heart leveled up!]
...
[Name: Fusion Heart II]
[Type: Organ]
[Rarity: Above Epic]
[Attributes: 1. Transform Devil II, 2. Desire Summon II , 3. Saint Thorns ]
[Effects: 1. Fiery Sulphur II, 2. Eye of Evil II, 3. Body of Evil II, 4. Touch of the cardinal sins]
[Prerequisite: Constitution A, Spirit SS]
[Remark: This is a fusion organ fused with the heart of a human, the demon lord, and the creature of greed. Its power is indisputable but so does the bacsh, even it has the life energy of a Holy Knight as a synthesizer. As the owner, you still need to have a powerful body and even more powerful will to tame it! It will grow stronger following your battles and if you are unable to grow with it, you will be dominated and converted into a puppet of flesh and blood!]
......
[Transform Devil II: Your heart grants you power. When activated, you will take the form of the demon lord, 2 minute duration, 1 time per day]
[Desire Summon II: Your heart grants you control. When activated, you can summon the Creature of Greed, 2 minute duration, 1 time per day]
[Saint Thorns :If you did not choose to activate Transform Devil II or Desire Summon II, you will resist 25% of the damage when encountering holy energy. When you receive damage (regardless of holy damage), of Average, Strong and Powerful level, you can activate a "Halo of Thorns" of different levels to reflect the damage you receive by 5%, 10%, 25% respectively. You will also be healed of Light, Medium, Heavily wounded state respectively. When you choose to activate Transform Devil II or Desire Summon II, Saint Thorns effect will temporarily halted.]
.......
[Fiery Sulphur II: Burning mes will follow the lineage of the devil like shadow. When casting Fire element spells, +1 elemental damage, extra Sulphuric Poison added on the spell. The requirements such as the gesture, incantations materials of Fire element spells are decreased by 60%, even if the skill failed to cast, you will only suffer a quarter of the magic repulsion]
[Eye of Evil II: The conviction of Desire is rooted deep inside your heart. Summon evil eye (secondary eye attack power) formed by the conviction of Desire to fight for you, 3 minute duration, 2 times per day]
[Body of Evil II: Thebination of the devil and desire, chaos and sins but with a dash of light. Granted 250 extra HP, Stamina, acquire High Tensile Skin (absorb 200 damage from Strong attack or below), Medium Devil Skin (absorb 200 damage from Strong attack or below, extra defense point against Fire and Explosions); When facing Holy element attacks, you will receive 125% damage, special counter items will deal extra damage to you (included but not limited to blessed objects, holy objects etc.)]
[Touch of Cardinal Sins: The cardinal sins of desire flow in your blood. Consume 100 HP to summon either Lust, Greed, Gluttony, Sloth, Wrath or Envy to assist you. Consume 200 HP to summon Pride to assist you. The embodiment of sins shares your looks but each of them possess different abilities. The summonsst for 1 minute, extra duration will cost extra HP.]
[Note: When target is in a panic, chaos, fear driven state or has extreme desire for something, they will be devoured by the respective embodiment of sins.]
...
"Extra Special Evolution? And Saint Thorns?"
After going through the notifications, Kieran subconsciously looked at the [Sanctuary Star] in his hand. He felt an after scare after experiencing all those illusory visions.
Although he has no idea why [Sanctuary Star] wouldplete the so-called Extra Special Evolution, if it didnt and Kieran was converted into a puppet of flesh and blood, he would really wish he was dead rather than live like one.
While the thought lingered in his head, Kieran took a deep breath and looked at Schmidt.
"Thank...Thank you!"
He withstood his pain and mustered out his strength to express his gratitude.
It was Schmidt that ced the [Sanctuary Star] in his hand, naturally expressing gratitude to someone who saved his life was necessary.
"Do we still need such courteous words? Though, this thing is really strange, I tried to pick it off with a dagger, firing at it at point nk and even sted it with a grenade! Nothing worked, but when I punched it out of anger, it fell off just like that!"
Schmidt waved his hand seemingly unconcerned.
Kierans sharp sense saw Schmidts hand was smeared with blood and taken quite a hit. Obviously, Schmidts light punch that he described was not that light after all.
"How do you feel now? You looked terrifying just now, being surrounding by dark red energy streams, I cant even approach you but this diamond flew towards you instead!" Schmidt noticed Kieran eyeing over his hand and switched the topic immediately.
"It flew towards me?" Kieran was shocked again.
He knew the Extra Special Evolution contained secrets he didnt know but the diamond flew to him on its own...
Kieran looked down to the [Sanctuary Star] again, he knew it in his gut there must be secrets hidden within.
Though, the pathway obviously wasnt a great ce to think. He suppressed his thoughts and expressed his intentions to Schmidt.
Both of them quickly got up and ran towards the exit.
Before they got near to the exit, explosions, and smell of gunpowder flew in through the breach and entered Kieran and Schmidts nose.
When both of them were finally out of the pathway and on to the tform outside, Schmidt gasped.
The ce they were at was in the middle of the only mountain back on the ind.
They could easily see what was going on at the sea.
There was a fleet of ten battleships, firing hundreds of cannons at the ind.
It was very clear even under the dark night sky.
Especially when the fired iron pelletnded on a translucent barrier protecting the ind and destroyed it, it shed even more brightness over the ind.
"What the hell is this?" Schmidt was almost at a loss for words.
Kieran though was looking weird.
[Triggered special event!]
[yer will be ced in an extra faction!]
[You do not belong to the general, or Smulders faction. The actions you take against the general, Smulders faction will be the standard of your dungeon rating in the end!]
[Note: Actions include but doesnt limited to destroying, the bigger your actions affect, the higher your rating will be!]
[Do you want to join the extra faction? Yes/No.]
...
Kieran took in a deep breath when he saw the special event notification, he made his choice without a second thought.
Then, he looked at Schmidt, saying, "Schmidt, go back to the hall back there and wait for me!"
"What about you?" Schmidt nodded and asked.
"Illy waste to everything! Ive been waiting for this so for so long!" Kieran said slowly.
Because of the previous limitations on him, he was holding back, but now that the opportunity presented itself, how could he hold back anymore?
Kieran never thought himself as a broad-minded, kind-hearted person, therefore although he admitted that the saying "Revenge is the dish best served cold", he preferred to take his revenge all day long, from the moment the dish was made to the moment the dish was eaten!
If it was an overnight dish, interest will be added!
Now, it was time for him to collect his interest!
Chapter 471: Betrayer
Chapter 471: Betrayer
Trantor: Dess Editor: SSins
Nicil was staring at Ohara before him as he was sinking into his own unbelievable state.
Maybe because of his character, Nicil wasnt the respectful elder from first impressions, but everyone whoid eyes on Nicil knew that he wasnt some kind of idiot.
In fact, when Nicil discovered the unusual behaviour of Smulder, he already had some guesses.
When Simon was ying coy with all of his efforts, Nicil already knew what Smulder nned to do.
After all, as a deacon of the Sanctuary, he was very clear of the current state of the Sanctuary, though it was because of such an understanding that he was shocked by Oharas betrayal.
"Why?"
Nicil could hear the fighting noises outside the room but he pretended to not hear them. He was staring at Oharas delicate face, asking his question in a dry voice.
Nicil was puzzled. Ohara was one of the Archdeacon of the Sanctuary other than the current Holy Knight Smulder. She was the most respectful and had the most authoritative of them all.
Ohara was notcking in glory or authority, yet still she decided to betray the Sanctuary.
Nicil couldnt think of a reason to betray them because it would do her no good at all.
"Why? Do you remember Sanctuary forty years ago?"
Oharaughed lightly and replied with her own question.
"Forty years ago? That unexpected incident?"
Nicil was stunned, leading him to rte more about the incident.
Then, Nicil put on a bitter smile. He seemed to be slowly understanding Oharas goal.
"Believe me! Rei has no grudge against the Sanctuary. That was really an ident! Rei is a person who is willing to stay in her own turf, mind her own business. You dont have to worry about anything! See how we get along for forty years! There wasnt a single dispute between us, and we coborated once..."
"Coborated? You call that forceful fight a coboration? If she didnt force us to fight, how would Hugh have died?"
Nicil was interrupted by Oharas sudden shout. Her delicate face started to show anger.
"Hugh... None of us wish to witness his death, but the situation back then..."
Nicil muttered the name, trying to say something but eventually fell into silence.
"There has to be someone to cover the retreat back in the situation right? But why Hugh? Why not the others? Dont tell me that is an ident anymore! That incident was plotted by that bitch Nikorei! She plotted everything just to justify her title of God of Earth!"
Ohara clenched her fist and scolded loudly.
"So I want to take everything from her! I want to destroy her name and her identity!!"
Her shout was getting sonorous as she scolded. The anger on her face was merging with her killer intents, causing her delicate features to turn extra vicious and terrifying.
More importantly, a sharp aura appeared faintly along with her expression change, forcing Nicil to back off a couple steps to avoid them.
Nicil knew that if he was caught in Oharas sharp aura, he would be finished.
"Calm down Ohara!" Nicil cried for her but she pretended to not hear it.
"Hugh is the true Holy Knight and not some half-assed reckless Smulder! The Sanctuary in Hughsmand is the true Sanctuary! The Sanctuary now has gotten rotten to its very core. There is no use for such an existence on the earth! I will destroy his corrupt establishment myself. Then,I will go after that bitch!"
Ohara was muttering on her own. The frenzy in her eyes were getting heavier.
Then, Ohara went on to strike Nicil without any hesitation.
A sharp aura sted out like an arrow let loose.
Nicil closed his eyes immediately. He wasnt ready to face his death but he knew that he could never dodge Oharas keen strike.
Ohara, one of the three Archdeacons, thought that it was a piece of cake to deal with a deacon like Nicil.
He wished to die with an intact body! Such thoughts rinsed Nicils mind after he closed his eyes.
Then, he heard a noise break out at his ear.
Subconsciously, Nicil opened his eyes and he saw a familiar figure standing before him and shielding him from the keen aura strike.
"2567!?" Nicil said in shock.
Simr to the shock of Oharas betrayal, Nicil didnt believe that Kieran was able to escape the prison that Smulder had crafted.
In fact, at a certain aspect, thetter was even more shocking than the former.
"Why are you here? Shouldnt you be in... Aaaaarh! You bastard!"
Nicil sted his questions but Kieran didnt have the intentions of answering. He grabbed Nicil by the neck and threw him out of the room.
After saving Nicil from that strike, Kieran wished to not involve Nicil by any means in the uing fight. Moreover, it was also because of the Special Events rating. Kieran too wished that Nicil would be alive and kicking after this.
While Nicil was flying in mid-air after being thrown out, Ohara was like his shadow, following him and unwilling to let him go.
Kieran however intervened in between both of them.
Souuu!
The keen aura strike was fired again, aimed at Kierans throat. It also brought up a sharp air-breaking whistle simr to some instrument.
No doubt, Ohara was trying to perforate Kieran together with Nicil with her strike,. However at the next moment...
Wuuung!
The heavy wind whistle simr to a beastly roar sounded and echoed the room. The sharp air-breaking sound was overshadowed instantly and that was not the end.
[Arrogant Word] was imbued with Kierans tremendous strength, allowing the great sword to bring up a violent wind that was enough to rip apart amon man with ease. When the violent wind from the dark red greatsword shed with the keen aura strike, the energy aura shattered with a destructive force, reduced it to nothing.
[Arrogant Word] was ceaseless. It followed Kierans swing and shed right at Ohara.
Oharas frenzied face didnt even flinch when she received a sh from the greatsword. Sheunched a punch as a counter. It was a normal punch absent of any air-breaking wind and violent aura. However, the seemingly normal punch evenly matched Kierans shing!
CHANG!
When [Arrogant Word] came in contact with Oharas punch, it struck Kieran as if he struck his sword onto the hardest metal. Other than that, the power that came from the punch was no weaker than his own.
Dak Da Dak!
Both of them split up upon contact and left in different directions. The harden ground was even imprinted with their shallow footprints as they stepped back onto the ground.
"2567!"
The traitorous Archdeacon seemed to have noticed Kieran after that strike. Her eyes were even more hateful than she looked at Nicil.
"Very well then! 2567, you are also on my to-kill list! There isnt a difference. Ill kill you sooner orter!" Ohara was like a beast gazing at Kieran while muttering softly.
Then, a sense of danger which Kieran was very familiar with started to spread across the room.
"Repent your sins before Hughs soul!"
Wuuuuu!
The pearl white light shone brightly from Oharas body all of a sudden.
It was Sanctuary Force!
"2567!"
Nicil couldnt help but cry for Kieran when he crawled over to the entrance and saw the scene.
However, his cried halted abruptly.
The elderly deacon opened his eyes widely at the overwhelming scene before him.
Chapter 472: Undefeatable Form
Chapter 472: Undefeatable Form
Trantor: Dess Editor: SSins
Nicil was dumbstruck by the scene before his eyes.
Under the pearl white shower of Sanctuary Force, there was something else that was powerful. It was white and shined brightly amidst the powerful force.
The unusual white was as sharp as a de and as keen as a sword.
The white, metallic shine spread out from Kierans heart, forming a circle that went over his head and feet. It circted around him with a random but organized order.
Even though the whole ce was showered with Sanctuary Force, it still couldnt overpower the sharp shine from Kieran. This was even more so when the sharp shine appeared from Kieran as the Sanctuary Force around seemed a little gloomy.
"Halo of Thorns!" Nicil cried in shock.
As the deacon of the Sanctuary, Nicil was quite familiar with the skill before his eyes.
However, it was because of this familiarity that made him feel unbelievable because within the Sanctuary itself, everyone knew that Halo of Thorns was the legacy skill of thete Holy Knight, Hughs specialty. It was not possible to imitate or learn this skill.
Inside Sanctuary itself, every knowledge and item that was marked with the term legacy all originated from a single ce: the Hall of Legacy.
Only the previous generations of Holy Knight, Archdeacons had the qualifications to enter the Hall of Legacy.
Even though Kieran had the titles as the assistant of the God of Earth, the Bird of Death, Fiery Devil and other sorts, it didnt mean that he had the right to enter the hall.
From certain points of view, if Kieran entered the hall, he would die without a question because the Hall of Legacy was the source of the Sanctuary Force.
However, it became more and more difficult to exin the Halo of Thorns before Nicils eyes, which confused him.
A momentter, he suddenly thought of something.
"Could it be...is it some skill that Rei developed?"
Nicil thought that it was very possible after the thought hit him.
Maybe for others, to develop such a skill was harder to fly to the sky but with the God of Earths capabilities, as long as she wanted to do something, she was able to achieve it with ease!
Nicil strongly believed this since he had witnessed Nikoreis miraculous feat more than once.
At the same time, Ohara was also sharing the same thought.
The traitorous Archdeacon was dumbstruck for a moment before she roared even louder, fiercer, "You liar! That bitch! Nikorei you damn bitch! How dare you use such tricks again! Let me tell you something. ITS USELESS!"
Following her frenzied roar, Sanctuary Force shone brighter from her and in reply, Kierans Halo of Thorns changed ordingly.
A second and third halo appeared!
Following the appearance of the first halo circting Kieran, the Sanctuary Force from Ohara regained part of its brightness. But as more halos appeared, it turned gloomy once more.
The halos with the metallic-like, sharp brightness spun even faster around Kieran and stopped all of a sudden.
CHANG CHANG CHANG!
Three repeated clunking sounds simr to a sharp de being drawn made the already bright Halo of Thorns even brighter, overpowering Sanctuary Force in the process.
Nicil covered his eyes after he cried in pain because of the extreme brightness.
Ohara was sent staggering backwards and eventually crashed into the wall behind, sinking to the ground.
Following Oharas fall, Sanctuary Force dispersed quickly.
Kierans figure slowly emerged from the extreme brightness.
Nicil held back the pain in his eyes, forcing himself to size up Kieran with his eyelids open.
When he saw that Kieran was rapidly recovering from the burns caused by Sanctuary Force, he couldnt help but gasp repeatedly.
"It is the same!?" Nicil eximed in his heart.
Oharas rage was foreseeable after she was sent flying back. Her persistence kept leading her to think that it was some trick that Nikorei performed to y her.
She freed herself from the wall and dashed out with a punch filled with Sanctuary Force.
"A fake is a fake! You will never be the same as the original!"
Her rage was like a scorching fire, causing her tounch her fist absent of any technique. However, when strength and speed has reached a certain level, any technique was an abundance, such as Oharas punch.
On top of that, Oharas punch was very sturdy! It was to the point that her punch could evenly match the Legendary level weapon [Arrogant Word].
Her punch was bound to shatter earth and batter heavens. However, Kieran stood there as if he didnt see such a punching at him.
He stood straight up, puffed up his chest and allowed Ohara tond her punch on him.
KABAAAM!
Strong wind broke out upon contact. [Armor of Excellence] trembled slightly and caused Kierans body to wobble for a moment.
Wuuuush!
Three ring of Halo of Thorns appeared all at once, sting Ohara backwards upon contact and sending her flying back into the wall again.
BAM!
As she crashed into the wall, she roared like a fierce beast.
"I dont believe it!"
She got herself up and charged her punch at Kieran again.
The oue was the same. Nothing was going to change as long as Halo of Thorns was active.
Kieran didnt take any damage with the healing of [Saint Thorns] but Ohara was getting damaged more and more by the skill.
"This...This..."
Nicil who was standing outside was at a loss of words. He couldnt describe his current emotions.
Before his eyes, Kieran had already exceeded his wildest imagination. He was standing there allowing Ohara to strike him as much as she liked and he didnt even flinch as if he nted himself to the ground like a mountain or a monolith in the middle of a rapid stream.
A one-of-a-kind aura started to form above Kieran vaguely.
Kieran wasnt aware of the aura forming. He was in awe of the effects of [Saint Thorns].
Even though he was receiving damage of Average, Strong and Powerful levels, he recovered by Light, Moderate and Heavily wound worths of healing with the the reflection damage of 5%, 10% and 25% respectively. He felt like he was in an undefeatable form, standing tall in front of a thousand and thousand of soldiers.
Still, he didnt get carried away by its effect. He was aware of the weakness of [Saint Thorns]. Powerful damage was its maximum threshold, he wouldnt be able to withstand damage further than that.
Once he received damage that was more than how much his healing could catch up to, even if he could reflect a part of the damage, he would fall before his enemies aside from exceptions where an unexpected turn of events happen.
Still, it was enough to deal with the situation before him.
Kieran smiled when he saw Ohara panting heavily in a damaged state.
It was his first step, the first step of removing the traitor within the Sanctuary before Smulder could. Everyone else including Smulder would never see iting and the influence of his actions was no doubt going to be substantial.
It was what Kieran wanted since he triggered the [Special Event]!
Kieran took in deep breaths and coldly nced at Ohara who was still charging at him regardless of the consequences.
Being passive and withstanding hits was not his style. Kieran stood still for a quite a while because he wanted to test out [Saint Thorns] effect. After he got the results, it was time for him to take matters into his own hands.
[Arrogant Word]s dark red shine glimmered ceaselessly, simr to a haunting eye staring at its opponent.
When the greatsword was wield up, such a stare was filled with killer intents.
Kieran did not believe Oharas neck was as hard as her punch. A momentter, things started to change.
Hundreds of thousands of vipers rumbled around as the vile stench assaulted ones nose.
Amidst the nest of vipers, a dark red shine shed over.
Chapter 473: Empathy and Mercy
Chapter 473: Empathy and Mercy
Trantor: Dess Editor: SSins
The sudden hisses and bites of a myriad of vipers sunk Ohara into an illusory realm in an instant.
Not only was Ohara affected but Nicil was caught in the effect as well.
[Sword Skill, Myriad Viper] has an effective range of 20 meters. Although it wasnt considered huge, it was enough in the building.
With Kierans powerful Spirit attribute, [Sword Skill, Myriad Viper]s sudden attack was always going to be a sessful strike.
KABAAM!
A powerful m struck Ohara, sending her flying out of the room and crashing into the wall in the corridor like a kite cut loose.
However, Kieran was gripping his left chest with an unusual look.
Just when he was about to finish off Ohara once and for all, an anomaly suddenly urred in his heart.
It was a very familiar feeling: the unusual anxiety from the Creature of Desire and the fiery devil when they were restless.
Although the only difference from their confusion and priming was that this time, he felt empathetic.
Kieran could only describe the unusual anomaly with empathy because he could clearly feel from the bottom of his heart that he wasnt able to kill Ohara who was waiting for her demise.
"F*ck!" Kieran cursed in his heart.
Kieran only needed to give it a little more thought to figure out what was going on. After absorbing [Sanctuary Star] andpleting the Extra Special Evolution, [Fusion Heart] must have absorbed some other foreign matter!
What was it exactly?
The attribute on [Sanctuary Star] had exined everything.
"It contains the life energy of the Holy Knight of the previous generation!"
Once the thought came to Kieran, his face almost turned green.
He didnt really despise the meaning of being a Holy Knight. He couldnt deny that the title was respected but he would rather die than be one.
It has too many restrictions underneath the title!
Losing his own freedom over such a title was simr to being a living dead; it was an unusual feeling of despair.
Fuuu!
Kieran took in a deep breath, gripping [Arrogant Word] harder and walking towards Ohara.
He was not going to allow such restrictions to hold him back!
Wuuung!
[Arrogant Word] was whipping up its dark red energy stream again as it swung towards the unconscious traitor of Sanctuary.
However, the anomaly happened once again. It froze Kierans movement.
This time around, it struck Kieran with a promise". It wasnt an intact meaning but just a vague expression through his emotions.
Yet with Eye of Chimeras and the devils energy as examples, after Kieran had frozen his movements, he knew that suppressing his emotions wasnt the best idea.
Kieran needed tomunicate with his feelings and so he did, knowing what was right for him to do.
"Mercy? Redemption?" Kieran muttered. His heart was beating with an odd rhythm.
Then, a blurry white mirage appeared in his sight.
It was a man with full ted armor and snow white skin. He wasnt wearing a helmet, revealing his kind face that had the love and modesty for everything that existed through time.
The blurry mirage turned to Ohara with Kieran eyeing over him. Ater two to three seconds, he turned around to look at Kieran with a merciful gaze.
"Only her!" Kieran said with a resolute and decisive tone.
The mirage figure hesitated for a while and eventually nodded. It then vanished into thin air.
Kieran quickly nced over [Fusion Heart]s attribute, including attributes and effects of [Saint Thorns] but he didnt notice any changes.
"Different from the Eye of Chimeras and the devils rampant manner, the power of a Holy Knight couldnt get the changes in its power after a sessfulmunication... So the evil side favors benefits more? No wonder everyone prefers the dark side."
Kieran mocked himself with augh.
He then looked at Ohara before grabbing her.
Since he made a promise, Kieran intended to keep it but it didnt mean he wouldnt make use of Ohara here.
"Nicil!" Kieran said out loud.
Nicil was awoken in a shiver by Kierans call after having fallen into [Sword Skill, Myriad Viper]s effect.
His face was still looking scared after going through the hisses and bites, but when he saw Kieran grab Ohara over, his fear was reced by shock.
"Ohara, she...she..."
The shock made Nicil stutter hard.
"Dont worry, shes not dead! I need a favor from you!" Kieran said.
"Do tell!" Nicil nodded immediately after letting out a breath of relief.
"Help me gather the other traitors who sided with her!" Kieran said.
...
The waves at night were extra fierce because of the low tides.
Smulder who was grabbing the head of one of the alchemy fightersughed disdainfully.
"After all these years... Barry still hasnt improved on anything! He really likes to shame himself by sending all these defective junks to battle!"
Smulder crushed the skull of thest alchemy fighter as he said this.
PAK!
The head exploded like a crushed watermelon.
The red and white brain substance with a dash of green sshed out in all directions.
Smulder swung his palm in disgust.
Fuuuu!
The night breeze of the sea couldnt expel the bloody stench on the beach.
Almost a hundred of those alchemy fighters dead bodies were scattered all over the beach as if they were discarded toys of some kid.
Smulder was looking further away. While he was waiting for one of the important targets to appear, he was warming himself up for the next fight.
Then, he raised his right hand and struck a punch out.
The punch was normal and in absence of any formidable aura or energy, simr to a casual fling of his hand.
However...
KABOOOM!
A white burning shockwave sted out from his punch. It felt like an endless aura of arrogance, traveling straight forward like a divine sword drawn out from its sheath.
One of the battleships was destroyedpletely when the white shockwave hit it.
There wasnt an explosion or an agonizing cry. When the white shockwave dissipated, all that was left was debris of the ship floating on the surface of the sea.
Smulder saw the remains floating. He frowned in dissatisfaction. By his calctions, everything should have been wiped out and no remains should have been left behind.
Smulder then took in a breath, trying to be more serious the second time.
He retracted his right hand slowly and the burning white Sanctuary Force was concentrating on his punch.
Just as he was about to fire the second wave, a fiery st wave that fired from above the sky cut him to it.
KABOOM!
Another battleship was struck and different from the destructive Sanctuary Force, this battleship was perforated by the intense heat from the st.
Then, the iron battleship started to melt like glue. It couldnt even stand a single blow.
The icy water around the melted ship started to boil as well. The burning steam from the surface was enough to scald a person alive. Yet the temperature on the surface of the sea was iparable to the zing mes on the ship.
The zing mes were like spreading cancer, burning away all lives on the ship. No one was at its mercy. Series of agonizing cry sounded and the fear of death filled the sea.
After taking the first blow, the fleet of battleships never thought that there was another enemy around.
All the soldiers on the remaining ships raised their heads, trying to locate the fiery st owner.
It was too obvious for them. Almost everyone saw that fiery figure pping its zing wings under the clouds at the first moment. Its sharp-as-de spiral horns and reddish magma body were dying the sky red, striking fear into everyone whoid eyes on him.
"The...Devil!!
Chapter 474: Gaze
Chapter 474: Gaze
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Dark clouds covered almost half of the bright moon.
As the steam from the sea kept rising to the sky, the moon started to be blurry.
Yet under the blurry moon, a minimal amount of moonlight shone over the zing figure. Following its zing fire, the night became bright, dazzling and even eye-catching.
It looked like there was a smaller burning sun rising up high in the night sky.
Though, the soldiers on the battleships couldnt admire such a peculiar scene.
The rampant aura brought forth endless chaos, the dense sulphuric scent was like a sign of a volcanic eruption.
Trembling with fear, the soldiers who had weaker wills started to mutter gibberish to themselves, they fled in disorder around the ship deck.
Some of the stronger willed soldiers were frozen as well when they saw the devilish figure, only a single thought lingered in their mind.
How could the Sanctuary house a devil? Why would the Sanctuary send out a devil?
General Barry was asking the same question too.
Compared to his men, General Barry knew the identity of the devil floating in the sky.
It was 2567, the assistant of God of Earth.
The bait that started the series of events but wasnt he imprisoned by Smulder?
Why would the devil appeared before them?
All of a sudden, General Barry thought his ns werepromised, he was trying to find the ws within.
Any perfect n would fail because of unexpected circumstances, so a wise man would prepare a contingency n in case such incidents ur.
General Barry was no exception, even more so because of his position and authority. He had more contingency ns than others.
Still he wasnt fond of the scene, he couldnt appreciate the scene at all.
General Barry was looking coldly at his useless men.
Despite being known as elite soldiers, they were only elites to themoners, not the mystics.
The chaotic scene reminded General Barry of a birds nest being destroyed by rocks.
His gloomy mood plummeted even more and eventually infuriated him.
"Get off!"
General Barry kicked away one of the escaping soldiers before him and quickly headed towards the boxes.
After inputting someplicated instructions, the two smaller boxes opened up.
Two strange beings walked out of the boxes. They had the head and body of a lion but wings were on its back. The wings on it were strong, a slight p would bring up a strong wind, it sent all the escaping soldiers falling on deck.
Its limbs were covered with snake scales, especially its ws at the end, it looked more like a iron forged weapon than a lion w.
Gak Tsk, Gak Tsk!
As both the monsters took steps forward, their iron ws gave out an irritating screech when they touched the deck, leaving marks on the nk.
As both the monsters walked, they were wiggling their robust tail which was simr to a fish and at the end of their tail, there was a eerie head of a human! The human head had no nose, mouth or ears but four pairs of eyes, lining up from its forehead to its chin. Its eyes were blinking non-stop, emanating a haunting green glow.
Following the monsters movements, a rotten stench floated across the deck.
The fallen soldiers were struggling on the floor, giving out cries of panic ceaselessly. However, such struggles caught the attention of the monsters. Without any hesitation, both the monsters threw themselves over to the struggling soldiers and devoured them after a hungry roar.
After a series of agonizing cries and chewing noises, both the monsters were covered withyers of blood and minced meat. They walked towards General Barry with a face of satisfaction.
"Finished your meal? If so, go have some exercise!"
General Barry didnt eveny eyes over his dead men, he pointed at Kieran in the sky and Smulder at the beach.
In the generals point of view, he was not moved by his men dying in vain. If all his useless soldiers lives could be traded for Smulders life, he wouldnt mind to pay ten times, hundred times over. He would dly pay the lives of his men rather than revealing his trump card at this moment.
After all, his ambitions wasnt only limited to the Sanctuary, he had more on his mind.
General Barrys ambitious thoughts made him very confident after he revealed two of his aces.
"Die Smulder! Die 2567! Both of you despicable bastards, you should die a graveless death!"
The general shouted loud.
Wuung!
Both the monsters roared at the sky following their masters shout and dashed out to their targets like arrows let loose.
...
At the beach, Smulder saw the monster charging at him butpared to the hideous monster, he was more concerned about Kieran.
Smulder frowned as he recalled the previous scene.
"This aint right! He didnt break out of a desperate situation but its the evolution of his bloodline!"
After a sudden realization, Smulders calm facial expression became heavy.
As the only living Holy Knight of the Sanctuary and with an intact legacy within him, he understood what a bloodline evolution meant.
The bloodline evolution was a special change that only urred on the hybrid descendants of the Magic species and human.
It was a rare and extremely harsh special evolution.
ording to the books that he studied before, only one in a hundred blood descendants of the Magic species would trigger such a change and among the hundred ones that triggered the change, only one will emerge sessful.
If failed, the bloodline that the blood descendants relied on to survive would suffer a heavy loss, following a decrease in its strength.
However, if the process was sessful, the bloodline power would multiply!
The slim bloodline will be denser and more powerful, thus inciting a qualitative change. On top of that, it was not impossible for them to reach their ancestors power if sessful.
The books in the Sanctuary had the exact recordings.
That blood descendant that achieved his ancestors power level would no doubt be the strongest person in his era.
He would reign over everything on earth and no one would dare to oppose him.
ording to the books, an elf bloodline descendant once seeded in the special evolution before. He was still considered as a peace lover though.
But, what if the person who seeded the evolution process was a descendant of the devil?
Smulder squinted his eyes at the zing figure floating in the sky.
He was sure Kieran had high density of devil blood in him, otherwise he would not be so sensitive to the Sanctuary Force.
Now, Kieran haspleted the bloodline evolution. the density level of his devil blood was enough to frighten even Smulder.
A human with the devils bloodline and a devils descendant that haspleted the bloodline evolution. Even if both were the same person, Smulder could no longer treat him the same way he did.
"Nikorei... Hiak! SCRAM!"
Smulder muttered heavily as he recalled some of his memories.
When the rotten stench assaulted and interrupted his thoughts, he gave out a cold grunt andunched a punch at the monster before him.
This punch was different than the one before, which wascking the power and stance.
As Smulderid out his punch, a pir of light sted out from him.
As it pierced the sky above him, the white burning Sanctuary Force formed a set of armor over Smulder, covering his entire body, including his hands and head.
The Sanctuary Force armored punch hit hard on the monsters skull,
BANG!
While higher up in the sky, Kieran raised his magma arm and grabbed the charging monsters mouth.
Gush!!
Both Kieran and Smulder exerted their power at the same time.
One of the monster evaporated under the Sanctuary Force punch, simr to the battleship previously.
The remaining monster had its neck snapped by the powerful magma grip, tearing it into half.
Both the monsters were killed at the same time and when Kieran and Smulder has gotten rid of the obstacles, they turned at each other, exchanging gaze.
The fiery eyes of the devil against the burning white re of the shining armor.
When both their gazes locked, sparks flew and an immense suppression aura sted out in the field, spreading across every inch of the visible battlefield.
Chapter 475: Cyclops
Chapter 475: Cyclops
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The battle intentions were fierce as Kieran and Smulder gazes locked onto each other.
When their eyes met, sparks flew out from thin air but a momentter, both of them turned their gaze at a single direction.
The fleet of battleships on the sea, or more precisely the box as big as a house on that particr battleship.
General Barry was nowhere to be found but the box had already been opened up.
A cloud of dense ck mist came out from the box. It shrouded the whole battleship within a breaths time and was going after the other ships as well, as if the mist was devouring the ships.
Kieran could even hear chewing noises from the mist like chewing with sharp teeth.
When he noticed a figure was faintly appearing from the ck mist, he squinted his eyes.
A reddish, wobbling figure started to rapidly take shape within the ck mist. It formed a visible head, chest, arms and a bloated stomach. Below its bloated stomach were tons of tentacles and veins extending downwards. The tentacles weretching onto a couple more battleships around it, forming a disgusting, vicious lower body, simr to a distorted octopus.
ROAR!
Its sonorous roar sucked in all the ck mist around with one breath and it revealed its face.
It was a bald figure with a big bloodshot eye in the middle, it had a big mouth with sharp teeth. Together with its two robust arms, it was the center of attention on the battlefield.
Its lower body which consisted of multiple battleships was looking more haunting than anything else.
However, Kieran and Smulder both had their attention on the only eye of that monster.
"A cyclops giant?" Devil Kieran muttered in his heart.
Although its lower body was attached to multiple battleships, its upper body was identical to the cyclops giant that Kieran knew of. Yet ording to the records, all the cyclops giants should have perished during the Blood Moon war a couple hundred years ago.
"They really live up to the name of the faction that ruled over the other side eh. They even found the remaining monster species like this! Besides..."
Kieran recalled how the cyclops giant took shape. He took in a deep breath uncontrobly.
Obviously the monster before him had went through alchemic modifications. The monster didnt only possess the abilities of a cyclops giant, it even had some other powers that Kieran didnt know of, which skyrocketed its danger level.
Still, it didnt change Kierans n: be ahead of Smulder to eliminate the Sanctuary invaders.
Therefore momentster, Kieran retracted his zing wings and dived towards the cyclops giant like a kamikaze ne.
Smulder has no clue of Kierans n but his pride and his armor wouldnt allow him to present his enemies to others.
The moment Kieran made his move, so did Smulder.
Sanctuary Forces light was dazzling brightly on its shining armor, Smulder leapt up in the air and moved through space with an extremely unique pattern. It was simr to a bolt of lightning and it charged towards the cyclops giant as well.
ROAR!
The mutated cyclops giant roared loudly at the charging Kieran and Smulder, it felt like its dignity was being challenged. Following the loud roar, the scarlet red eye on its forehead started to shine.
The wicked, rotten aura around the monster formed tornadoes, wreaking havoc on the surface of the sea. The seawater was drawn up promptly when the tornadonded, as if a water dragon emerged from the depths of the ocean and gathered in both of the cyclops giants hands. It formed two giant water balls over a hundred meters in diameter.
Fooosh! Fooosh!
Following two heavy whistles, the two water balls were fired at Kieran and Smulder respectively.
Kieran extended his zing wings amidst his hard dive and easily dodged the huge water ball.
Smulder had a different approach though. More precisely, Smulder did dodged the nd water ball attack easily like Kieran since it was really nothing special other than being big but just as he thought he sessfully dodged the attack, the water ball that grazed him suddenly exploded.
The water ball burst out and caught Smulder like a, drowning him in the process.
At the same time, twenty iron cannons on the battleships that formed the mutated cyclops giants lower body were shining in red at their cannon mouth before sting out red energy beams at the drowned Smulder.
BOOM BOOM BOOM!
The red beams overpowered the white force. It didnt just rece the colour, the white energy was being devoured.
Sanctuary Forces white light was being devoured by the wicked red beams!
"Specifically targeted at Smulder?"
Kieran who was still flying saw the scene clearly but he wasnt all surprised.
The simple reason was, if General Barrys forces were confident enough tounch an attack at Sanctuary, they must have some countermeasures to specifically target the higher ranks of the Sanctuary, otherwise regardless of how much calctions and nnings, it would be useless against them.
A couple of high rank individuals with destructive powers were enough to turn the tides around.
At the same time, since Smulder had decided to go with his ns, he must be prepared as well.
Although Kieran had no idea what Smulder had under his sleeves, he knew the opportunity before him was hard toe by.
Foooosh!
His zing wings pped hard and strong, it whipped up a scorching strong wind as he paused his mid-air dive.
Then, lines and lines of mystical symbols and runes shone on his zing wings.
The scorching strong wind turned into a violent one, forming a powerful cyclone.
The zing light brightened the night sky once again.
[me st II]!
KABOOOM!
A fiery stwave was fired downwards at the mutated cyclops giant in a mighty manner, simr to the punishment of thunder from the ninth heaven.
A red energy beam was also fired upwards from the eye of the mutated cyclops giant. It was fired directly towards the fiery stwave.
The fiery stwave versus the red energy beam.
The scorching fire versus the decay energy.
When both of the formidable energy beams shed, a huge explosion urred, causing deafening st throughout the sky.
KABOOOM!
The zing mes danced brightly in mid-air and the red beam scattered into more beams.
The mes were burning the decay beam and the beam was devouring the mes, yet in the end, the burning mes emerged victorious as it started to suppress the red beam.
ROAR! ROOOAR!
The mutated cyclops giant roared in dissatisfaction.
The water tornadoes appeared once more and gathered around its already raised hand.
Though before it could fire out the huge water ball again, Kieran disappeared from its sight.
The mutated cyclops giant was still wondering what happened with its limited intellect and the next thing it felt was severe pain at its chin.
Kieran suddenly reappeared before the monster andunched a full-fledged kick.
That head with the size of a house leaned backwards with a jerking manner from the sudden impact.
Crack Ba, Crack Ba!
Countless of its sharp teeth was shattered upon impact from the kick. More importantly, the mutated cyclops giants neck and its spine were cracking loudly without pause.
An agonizing roar sounded, its huge palm was swung at Kieran, trying to grab him but regardless of how terrifying its strength might be, its speed was too slow for Kieran. Before the huge palm could even get near, Kieran pped his wings and moved himself to the other side of the monster, giving it another powerful kick.
Back in the illusory realm during the devil bloodline rampage, despite Kieran almost being converted to a puppet of flesh and blood, he had experienced the techniques and mastered the body of the devil and its fighting capabilities.
Still, the key point was the speed and power disyed in his devil form.
His kicking speed had exceeded how fast human eyes could see, his kicking strength was self-exnatory as the lower body of the mutated cyclops giant was almost lifted away from the barrage of kicks.
One needed to know its lower body consisted of a multiple battleshipstched together. Although the mutated cyclops giant had strengthened the ships together with its sticky veins, causing its weight to increase tremendously, after receiving the barrage of kicks, it was shaken at its base.
It was enough to prove how powerful Kieran was in his enhanced devil form, at least Smulder was willing to admit he couldnt pull off such a feat.
Smulderid eyes on such a scene when he freed himself from the red beams.
Promptly, ayer of solemnity was added to his gaze but he would not back off. Quite the opposite, his battle intent was overflowing.
He flew out with an exploding speed faster than before and reached in front of Kieran and the mutated cyclops giant who was being beaten up by Kieran within a breaths time.
Though, at that moment, an unusual change suddenly urred.
Chapter 476: Confidence
Chapter 476: Confidence
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Without a sign, a red beam shrouded Smulder as he arrived before the monster.
It seemed like Smulder had stepped into a trap specifically made for him.
"What the... it triggered because of the Sanctuary Force?"
Kieran who was still beating the mutated cyclops giant noticed the unusual event immediately.
In fact, when Smulder zapped himself over, Kieran was already prepared. After all, there was a rivalry between him and Smulder. It was just that Kieran never thought that the scene would unfold like that.
"This was the monster modified and created specifically to target Smulder?" Kieran thought in his heart.
Kieran even painted the scene in his mind that Smulder would be caught off guard by the trap and the mutated cyclops giant gave him a direct hit.
Maybe the monster wasnt as nimble as Kieran but he couldnt deny that the mutated cyclops giant was very strong in terms of power.
Even with his [Transform Devil II] form, he barely had any advantages over the monster.
If his devil form didnt enhance his stats as a whole, he might have even faced disadvantages against it.
However, it was now like water flowing in the river, it was simple and easy.
Bang!
After dodging the palm of the monster and neglecting the strong wind that came with it, Kieranunched a kick at its elbow. The zing kick sshed out fire in all directions at the precise point of the kick.
Kieran extended his wing in mid-air tounch another swift kick at its elbow.
Following countless kick shadows appearing, more zing fire gushed out from the motion, engulfing the mutated cyclops giants entire elbow.
It even started to release a burnt smell in the air.
The newly upgraded skill, [High Devil Body II] was in effect. The fire from his kicks was triggered by the devil bloodline within him.
After [Transform Devil] had leveled up, the devils capabilities had be much stronger and his other changes were not to be neglected anymore either.
By activating [Transform Devil II], his powers of the devilpletely multiplied.
[All attributes +4]
[Acquired Devil Lord Constitution II: Acquired High Devil Armor II: defense automatically set above Powerful and 20% damage reduction against Holy energy damage; Acquired High Devil Body II: +2 Strength; Every attack is added with Powerful rank burn damage and has a certain percent chance to trigger fire ssh damage within a 3 meter range; fire ssh damage is ranked at Strong. When receiving damage, attacker will suffer Extreme rank burn damage; Secondary Elemental Damage Resist +2, HP +1500, Stamina +1500]
[Acquired me st II: By pping your me wings, form a 130, 40 meter st range before you. Extreme rank mes, Powerful rank st wave, 3 times per transformation]
[Acquired Beheader ming Sword: Summon great sword of mes, Powerful rank fire damage and attack, 2 minute duration, 1 time per transformation]
[Acquired spheme Whisper II: Any target you kill will resurrect temporarily and fight for you, 2 minute duration, 1 time per transformation]
[Acquired Sulphuric Scorch II: Any targets burnt by your attack will undergo a -2 Constitution authentication to yours, if they fail, the target will suffer extra 300 poison damage, 6-second duration]
[Acquired Light of Fear II: Any living target that sees you will have to undergo a Spirit authentication of at least B+ rank, if they fail, induce Fear debuff]
[Devil Libra: The density of the bloodline awakens a part of the gifts of the devil overlord inside you. You can choose any stats at will, adding onto other stats with a 2:1 ratio. Added stats should not be lower than D rank and the added stats will not exceed the limit of Spirit level +3. Duration 2 minutes, 1 per transformation.]
...
The precise changes were presented in numbers to Kieran.
A +4 to all stats and enhancement of all the other skills as well as the newly acquired [Devil Libra] boosted Kierans confidence to the max. Otherwise he wouldnt have made the decision to strike first.
Aside from the others, the sole fact that Kierans HP was at 2400 in his devil form plus the effects of [Mardos Arm, Soul Devour II] granted him the capabilities to face any fight head on if he didnt receive any destructive damage.
The only sad fact was that after activating [Transform Devil II] and [Desire Summon II], [Saint Thorns]s effect temporarily disappeared. Otherwise, Kieran would have had even more confidence to take his power to the next level.
Still, it was enough to deal with the mutated cyclops giant before him. The mutated cyclops giant was undeniably strong but since it was created to specifically target Smulder, it provided Kieran with an unexpected opportunity.
After all, the mutated cyclops giants power was a direct counter to Sanctuary Force but Kieran however was wielding the power of the devil!
Whuuuu!
A breath from Kieran boiled the magma on his body to a new high, the wings behind him were burning even brighter.
A giant ming beheader sword appeared with the same zing fire in Kierans devil form hands.
The mutated cyclops giant seemed to sense the danger from the beheader. Kieran who deemed the monster as clumsy and stupid surprisingly didnt extinguish his elbow on fire with the other hand. Instead, it went after him and tried to get a hold of him. At the same time, its scarlet red eyes were glimmering with red lights, attempting to block Kierans retreat with fire beams.
Thebination attack seemed to be quite rareing from a low level intellectual monster.
Kieran wasnt sure whether it was a sudden sh of a lightbulb in the monsters head or if it was trained to do such. The cyclops giant was surprisingly disying movements that toppled his previous actions which were unorganized and messy.
Although it was useless against Kieran, it gave Kieran a boost of strength.
Kieran didnt cover his path of retreat and when he dodged the big, mming palm, the red beam was fired at him like a shadow trailing him. However, at that very moment, Kierans already quick speed skyrocketed once more!
[Devil Libra]! Converting Intuition into Agility!
Within a blink of an eye, his S rank Agility with the enhancements of the devil was added with another +5 buff, instantly boosting his Agility to SSS- rank!
SSS+ rank Spirit allowed Kieran to suppress most of his enemies with ease but Spirit was an abstract attribute after all. It couldnt be described with words but Agility was different!
Its effect was very visible! Still, it was lower than SSS+ Spirit by two minor ranks but it allowed Kieran to dodge the red beam with ease.
Then, everything unfolded ording to Kierans calctions. The red beam struck Smulder instead after missing Kieran.
Smulder who was halfway freeing himself from the first trap was fired back inside again, removing his figure from sight.
While Kieranunched the fatal attack at the mutated cyclops giant, his unparalleled speed allowed him to create fiery afterimages of himself on the surface of the sea under the night sky.
When the fiery afterimages increased in number and fused into one giant area of fire, it turned into a fiery tornado, engulfing the monster from top to bottom.
KABOOOOM!
A deafening explosion went off.
The fiery tornado across the sky had disappeared along with the giant mutated cyclops giant.
A dash of golden glow was visible on top of the pieces of the broken deck.
Kieran quickly grabbed it as hended.
Following the death of the cyclops giant, Smulder finally freed himself from the red beam. Although the Holy Knight seemed to have gone through a rough time inside, the shining armor formed by the Sanctuary Force turned gloomy. His rugged face had small cuts all over and blood seeped out.
Smulder didnt bother to wipe the blood off his face. He was looking at Kieran who was still floating in mid-air. His eyes were overflowing with rage.
The gloomy Sanctuary Force armor started to regain its shine and the meaning was self-exnatory.
It was time to duel!
Smulder wanted a one-on-one duel with Kieran!
While feeling the intentions of battle from Smulder, Kieran replied with a calm gaze.
If it was some other time, even with [Transform Devil II], [Desire Summon II], and [Saints Thorn], Kieran wouldnt have had the confidence to triumph over Smulder.
Ohara and Smulders Sanctuary Force were twopletely different concepts.
BUT!
At that very moment, Kieran had the utmost confidence to give Smulder the beating of a lifetime.
Chapter 477: Scorching Wind
Chapter 477: Scorching Wind
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Foooosh!
An extending of his wings brought up a scorching wind as Kieran ascended higher in the sky.
The dark clouds were dispersed long ago during the previous fight.
The pure moonlight shone down like a waterfall, showering Kierans devil body. The white moonbeam and the red fire resonated with each other, producing a obscure melody of incantations simr to a nocturnal tune, echoing on the sea.
The waves were rumbling non-stop, sending away the debris of the battleships.
Smulders battle intent overflowed in his gaze as he viewed the scene.
In order to deliver a fatal blow, he was charging the Sanctuary Force in his fist. He wanted the invader before him to know he was the final victor.
However, a momentter, Smulders expression turned bad.
The giant mutated cyclops rose before him again, in an even more frenzied form.
ROAR!
A sonorous roar fired out the red beam of light which was three times denser than the previous one, engulfing Smulder in the blink of an eye and was feeding off the Sanctuary Force in a peculiar way.
Smulders face was even uglier when he saw the mutated cyclops giant rise from the dead. He realized he had underestimated the level of Kierans Bloodline Evolution.
From the tomes back in the Sanctuarys collection, Smulder knew if a devils blood descendant who could use [spheme Whisper], its ancestor was surely no ordinary devil.
"Which kind of great devil descendant are you?"
Being engulfed by the wicked red light andyers of red was blocking his vision, Kierans figure in Smulders sight started to get blurry.
Then, he uttered out word by word, "You think you can..."
Smulder wasnt ready to give up just because he was being restrained, it was not the style of a Holy Knight and his pride wouldnt allow it.
Therefore, he wanted to utilize his full power to break out from the entanglement. However before Smulder could finish his sentence, his already ugly expression had turned even uglier than ever before, as if his face had turned solid green.
It was the scarlet red eye! The eye that belonged to the mutated cyclops!
The eye started to undergo a special change.
Rings and lines of special mystical symbols appeared on eye surface, ovepping each other as if a delicate armor made of symbols wereid over the scarlet eye.
The lines and rings on the eye were spinning, giving out abination aura of the decayed, wicked and chaotic.
A momentter, a reddish aura erupted from the lines, almost suffocating Smulder when it appeared. While trapped by the dark red light around him, Smulder seemed to have taken a direct hit. Half of his freed body quivered before sinking back into the red light but it didnt stop Smulder from aiming his gaze at the scarlet cyclops eye.
There was an unconceble shock on the struggling Holy Knights face.
On the contrary, Devil Kieran was all calm and cool.
"As expected, that general invader was here to deliver the fatal blow to Smulder!"
Kieran extended his zing wing and glided beside the mutated cyclops.
He quietly nced over his transformation period which had 30 seconds left, then he raised the beheader sword in his hand.
Kieran and Smulders different standpoint was more hostile than friendly.
The restraints from Smulder were too pressuring even before this. If Kieran let this big opportunity slip past him, he had no idea where else to find an invader that wanted to kill Smulder so bad with such specifically targeted measures. Though in the end, the invader had presented the opportunity to Kieran instead.
He had no intention to spare Smulder.
The killer intent was chilly, even among the fiery body of his, it would send shiver down ones spine.
"Wait!"
The cry came from the ind far away. Kieran heard it but he turned a deaf ear.
A simple thought came from that symbol-armored scarlet eye and it fired out a beam of light with decay, wicked and chaotic aura inside.
The charged beam was sted out like a violent typhoon, whipping up waves beside the eye.
The red beam drowned Smulder in an instant and Kieran was following tightly like its shadow, the beheader sword in his hand was raised high up, but before he could deliver the final blow...
White!
Amidst the area of tainted energy, a dash of white appeared, like a lotus blooming from the mud, its petals quivered and stamen shook, looking lively as ever.
The sudden sense of danger exploded in Kierans heart, forcing him to retreat without a second thought.
KABOOOM!
Just as Kieran drew distance between him and the trapped Smulder, a huge explosion urred.
The explosion shook the sea and sky, shining over the dark night. The scarlet red beam and white energy shed together and sted out in all directions like arrows of light.
A big tsunami came following the huge explosion, drowning the mutated cyclops at the first moment. The waves then went for the ind further away.
A huge area of Sanctuary Force lit up the ind after that. The formless force field barrier that shielded the ind was pushed to its limit as it slowly materialized.
Still,pared to the dozen meters tall tsunami, with all sorts of unusual energy contained in its water, it was barely enough.
Crack Tsk, Crack Tsk Tsk!
Upon contact, the force field barrier started to form cracks. When more of the strong waves containing the unusual energy beated on the force field barrier ceaselessly, even with the Sanctuary Force supporting the barrier, it didnt evenst three seconds.
KABAAM! CRANK!
The barrier that was shielding the whole ind shatteredpletely like ss that fell on the floor.
The members of the Sanctuary who was pouring their own force into the barrier fell to the ground one after another, spitting out mouthfuls of blood.
Their face were filled with despair when they saw the tall waves that even covered the moon.
"Look! Its Sir Smulder!" A sudden voice called out to the Holy Knight.
Everyone was looking at the person in mid-air, who was donning the Sanctuary Force armor.
Even though the armor was already gloomy, his appearance assured the members more than anything at that moment.
The pale Smulder nced over the members of the Sanctuary who had hopes for him. Without a second thought, he turned at the tsunami that was going to crash down on them.
The powerful beam strike from the mutated cyclops had made him suffered quite the damage, he should be resting instead, but when he was facing the impending tsunami, he knew what his duties required of him.
He was the Holy Knight, the Sanctuarys most honorific title! He was the banner of the Sanctuary and it was time for him to uphold that meaning with his existence!
As the only living Holy Knight from the fruitful era, the title had more meaning than it seemed to him.
Smulder didnt retreat, he didnt escape from his duties because he knew if the banner was broken, as long as the fundamentals were not harmed, a new banner would rise again someday. If once the fundamentals were wounded, no matter how glorified the new banner was, it wouldnt have any meaning to it.
Huuu!
Smulder took in a deep breath. The gloomy Sanctuary Force regained its shine once again.
Then, he unleashed his punch straight at the tsunami.
KABAAM!
The burning white stwave was like divine sword unsheathing itself, bringing a prideful aura with it but when it shed with the waves, it only held back the raging waves for a few seconds before shattering into pieces.
Smulder utilized thest bit of Sanctuary Force in him and turned it into the brightest sword he could yet it flew out like a firefly and onlysted for a while. As its light dimmed out, Smulder fell to the ground from mid-air head first.
The wounded body plus the overextension of his power had led him into an unconscious state.
A couple of the Sanctuary members leapt up and caught the falling Smulder.
Even though Smulder was arrogant at times, his self-sacrificing personality at crucial times was still very respectful.
However, it didnt help the situation at all. Everyone on the ind looked at the huge waves upon them.
Despair filled their heart, as the only Holy Knight had fallen, what else did they have?
"Never thought Id die under a tidal wave." Nicil bitterlyughed with a shaking head.
He looked apologetically at Schmidt.
"Im truly sorry. Smulder was trying to set things up for the Sanctuary, just that no one thought it would unfold like this."
He bowed and expressed his apologies at Schmidt, some of the others member did the same as well after they learnt the truth.
"Hold on! Just hold the hell on please! We still have hope!"
Schmidt said loudly at the Sanctuary members.
Everyone else looked back at Schmidt with an astonished face.
Their only Holy Knight, Smulder had fallen, where else could they draw hope from?
Right after that, a scorching wind blew out at the huge tidal waves.
The zing figure stood tall and stern in the face of the raging waters.
Chapter 478: Promotion
Chapter 478: Promotion
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Lines of mystical runes started to light up on the zing wings.
The runes appeared faster than ever, ovepping on each other.
When the mystical runes spread out together, a fiery st wave gushed out from the wings.
[me st II]!
Not only was the Fire damage at the Extreme level, even the stwave was too. Thebination of both crashed at the tidal wave the moment it was fired out.
Upon contact, a huge breach appeared and because of the extreme heat vapourizing the water, the breach on the wave kept expanding.
A huge cloud of steam spreaded across the whole ind, blocking everyones sight at once. Even though they couldnt see clearly, they knew the tidal wave hadnt crash on them, which meant they were saved!
Escaping from death made some of them cheer.
Schmidt didnt but he clenched his fist hard, looking more excited than everyone else.
Although he was encouraging the others before this, he was alsocking the confidence deep down in his heart until Kieran appeared in the sky.
"Hope... IS HERE!" Schmidt muttered.
Nicil and the other higher rankings of the Sanctuary were looking dazed and unbelievable at the devil figure that had its wings opened up in the sky.
They were saved by a devil blood descendant?
Such an absurd fact filled their hearts with unknown emotions but what shocked them the most was that the devil figure could stop the tidal wave even when Smulder couldnt!
Was Kieran really stronger than Smulder?
The thought rose in their hearts, affecting their acknowledgement from the past.
Though most of them felt purely thankful for being saved.
Some of the Sanctuary members were going through the initial shock and disbelief but when they got to know the identity of the devil, they stood up stern and straight, performing an ancient salutation to Kieran in his devil form when he took a dive back down thend.
...
While being surrounded by the burst of steam, Kieran slightly released a breath of relief after stopping the tidal wave together with the strength of the mutated cyclops giant.
The tsunami that came from the huge explosion was much fiercer than he had expected.
Even after the force field barrier on the ind and Smulders Sanctuary Force weakening its power, it was still too much for Kieran to take in.
When Kieran activated [me st II], during the moment it crashed with the tidal wave, he could feel that his stwave sessfully created a breach in the middle but its power was weakening by the second.
If it wasnt for the decision of utilizing the mutated cyclops giant with his thought to help before he sent out the stwave, his ending would be no better than Smulder.
Out of Kierans expectation, the mutated cyclops giants control of the seawater exceeded his best expectations.
Although Kieran fought the cyclops before and he saw how it drew the seawater into a water ball attack, he was still shocked over its performance when he sent the mutated cyclops with his thoughts into the depth of the ocean, creating a counter whirlpool to weaken the tidal waves power.
Still after stopping the tidal wave, he didnt forget his goal.
To eliminate Smulder!
So why did he save the ind instead?
It was because of Schmidt who was still at the beach, otherwise Kieran would just let the tidal wave crash down on them.
Fuuuuoooosh!
Kieran extended his wings and flew towards the unconscious Smulder, the beheader sword in his hands was ready to slice its target.
However, at that moment Kieran saw the Sanctuary members who was showing their gratitude and disying salutations to him. He frowned under that devil form of his but he had no intention to stop.
Kieran didnt mind how the others looked at him and never did.
In simple words, he would not alter his actions because of others view of him. To Kieran, those who changed themselves to please others were the most idiotic kind.
He was not a Union coin, so not everyone would like him.
The beheader sword rose up high, burning with zing mes but a momentter, it stopped in mid-air.
The life energy of the Holy Knight spreaded out in Kierans heart in an odd manner.
Kieran could clearly feel the sense of gratitude and delighted power through the Holy Knights existence in him, and the changes of [Saint Thorns] that consisted of those feelings.
Kieran had pay attention to the matters rted to [Fusion Heart].
He stopped his beheader sword from shing down and tried to feel the changes in his heart.
[Saint Thorns experience increased slightly...]
[Saint Thorn: If you choose not to activate Transform Devil II or Desire Summon II, you will gain 26% resistance against holy energy attack. When you receive damage (regardless of holy damage), of Average, Strong and Powerful level, you can activate a "Halo of Thorns" with different levels, to reflect the damage you receive by 6%, 11%, 26% respectively. You will also be healed with Light, Medium, Heavily wounded state respectively. When you choose to activate Transform Devil II or Desire Summon II, Saint Thorn effect will be temporarily halted.]
...
The 1% changes appeared on Kierans vision but it didnt disappoint him at all, because it wasnt thest of it.
[Saint Thorns experience increased slightly...]
[Saint Thorns experience increased slightly...]
It was slow but clear and eventually trigger a qualitative change.
Kieran then nced over the Sanctuary members who more and more of them expressed their gratitude to him. After a slight hesitation, the beheader sword in his hand burnt off brightly and vanished into thin air.
Compared to killing Smulder, the promotion of [Fusion Heart, Saint Thorns] was more important for him, because [Saint Thorns] will be the only skill that he could use against Sanctuary Force and powers alike.
He always bore in mind that he was not a native in his dungeon world!
As his dungeon entry kept increasing, so will the difficulty. He had no idea what kind of enemies he will face in the future but one thing was certain, should Kieran encounter any enemies that possessed powers alike to Sanctuary Force, they will definitely be stronger than Smulder.
It was an undeniable fact and he couldnt assure himself to have better ways to ovee his weakness in the future.
Hence, [Saint Thorns]s value had spiked.
A slight mutter to himselfter, Kieran made up his mind.
After all, Smulder might be a decent reward before his eyes but the other was a long term reward and would surely guarantee him huge rewards.
If Kieran hasnt burn his mind with the devil fire, he would know which to choose.
The killing intent towards Smulder vanished in his heart.
The Holy Knight energy in his body instantly became more lively than ever before.
Although the notifications were getting slower, Kieran knew it was an umtion of power.
To hasten up the process, Kieran deactivated [Transform Devil II] right away.
Fooosh!
The magma body petrified and shattered into stones and eventually dusts. It was then carried away by the wind.
While returning to his human form, Kierans body was glimmering with white.
It was faint but it was real.
"Sanctuary Force!"
Many of the higher rankings of the Sanctuary witnessed the scene, they almost bite their tongues off because of the awe, yet the real jaw dropping event was just beginning to happen.
A line of metallic dazzling white started to take form following the faint glimmering Sanctuary Force. It was sharp and keen, appearing line after line and four lines of white shine eventually appeared. The white lines formed a circle over kierans head and feet.
"Saint Thorns! Hugh!"
The words escaped the Sanctuary elders lips.
Their gaze at Kieran started to turn excited, delighted but filled with strangeness.
Everyone of them had a sense of doubt on their face, except Nicil who was showing a bitter smile.
Chapter 479: Reincarnation
Chapter 479: Reincarnation
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Inside a stone chamber, Schmidt was leaning on a rock-hard bed, staring at Kieran who was sitting on the only chair, ying around with the odd-looking gemstone.
It was narrow and as long as a grown mans index finger. It was mostly red but a dash of deep blood red line pierced its body, making it looked like a vertical pupil.
Schmidt felt unsettled the moment he saw the gemstone but he didnt asked Kieran about it.
After all, he was no longer ayman, he had gotten quite the grasp of some of the rules in the mystical realm.
Soon, his attention was caught by the door knocks.
It was Nicil who walked in.
Kieran didnt even raise his head, he could tell it was him by the footsteps.
Just when Nicil was walking towards Kieran, he examined the gemstones that dropped off from the mutated giant cyclops. His eyes were looking at it with a profound meaning.
[Name: Eye of the Wicked Waters]
[Type: Gemstones]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Attribute: 1. Water Arrow, 2. Water Vision, 3. Venom Tranquilizer]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: Spirit A]
[Remark: This is aposite magical gemstone filled with bloodthirst and ughter, the user will need to have an extremely tough mental state and unyielding will to use it!]
...
[Water Arrow: Fire an Average attack, Average impact force water arrow at a target within 15 meters of range, 3/day]
[Water Vision: When there is sufficient water source around user, Water Arrow attack and impact force +1. When user is near a river stream or on ake, Water Arrow attack and impact force +2. When user is within ocean area, Water Arrow will be upgraded to Water Blitz Arrow]
[Venom Tranquilizer: Targets hit by Water Arrow and Water Blitz Arrow will have to undergo a Constitution and Spirit authentication of -1 level with your own. Target will be tranquilized for 1 second if they fail either one. Target will suffer poison attack equal to a Heavily Wounded damage and tranquilized for 2 seconds if they fail both.]
[Note: No embedding needed]
...
"They are able to forge aposite gemstone of Legendary rank..."
Kieran unconsciously thought of General Barry.
No doubt the product of alchemic technology in his hands had far exceeded Kierans expectation.
The fact that they had the alchemy transmuting capabilities to create a Legendary rank gemstone proved it all.
Still, there was another question that bothered Kieran.
ording to the numbers and stats, [Eye of the Wicked Waters]s Legendary rank was higher than [Ghastly Sapphire] and [Sanctuary Star]s Rare rank, but ording to his own feelings, both thetter had higher values than the former.
Although [Ghastly Sapphire] was still in the process of appraisal and [Sanctuary Star] was damaged in the process, it was a solid fact that [Sanctuary Star] was able to affect [Fusion Heart].
[Fusion Heart]s rarity was above Epic!
"Is it because of some hidden trigger or agreement? Or some other reasons that I dont know yet?" Kieran muttered.
His heart had a second thought that rose up at that moment, which was to locate the escaped General Barry!
Even though he was only after the alchemyposite transmuting technology behind General Barry.
Though, when Nicil stood before him, Kieran returned to his calm expression.
"How are things? The ship to take us back to West Coast has arrived?" Kieran asked.
Nicil instantly replied with a bitter smile on his face.
"Are you mocking me now? You know that those deacons and knights-in-reserve had treated you as Hughs reincarnation. Though I know its Reis handy work but they wouldnt take my word for it. Now, well need to wait for Smulder to regain his conscious or the return of Simon and Maya, the other two Archdeacons." Nicil mocked himself with a shrug.
"Have you ever seen a Holy Knight reincarnated into a devils blood descendant?" Kieran fired back at Nicil with a question of his own.
"Then, did you ever see a devil descendant that could utilize the Sanctuary Legacy ability at will?" Nicil reflected the question with another of his own.
Kieran raised a brow and kept quiet after that.
He never thought he would be in such trouble after he decided to take advantage of the unusual movements of the Holy Knight energy inside him to enhance [Saint Thorns] yesterday.
The mystical realm in the current dungeon world believed in reincarnation, therefore when Kieran disyed the abilities that was almost identical with the deceased Holy Knight and proved it to be one-of-a-kind legacy skill, that was where the misunderstanding started.
He was treated as Hughs reincarnation.
An absurd and ridiculous notion.
Kieran never wanted to stick his nose into all these but soon after the appearance of a submission, he was forced to halt his steps.
[Sub mission discovered: The name of reincarnation]
[The name of reincarnation: A certain trait that you disyed as caused some misunderstanding, you need to sessfully dissolve his misunderstanding in a smarter way!]
...
Kieran didnt know what the system meant by "a smarter way" but he knew he shouldnt be wasting time anymore.
The first main mission waspleted before the fight and the [Special Event] that triggered after was also ended perfectly with a full stop, yet the second main mission hasnt even begun.
Even though based on the description, he has almost six months toplete the second main mission but when he thought of that stone gate, his confidence plummeted.
Even if his strength had undergo some changes from top to bottom, the impact of not being qualified to even look at the gate was huge to him and it was setting him back with lingering fear.
Before achieving the limits of his current stage, he had no intentions to venture forth.
Therefore, when he noticed Final Ind was suitable for him to practise [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art], he nned to return there after the Holy Knight trials had ended.
He was nning to spend his effort for the next six month in practicing, trying to level up [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] to new heights.
Though, after the misunderstanding that happened yesterday, he had to dy his ns for the time being.
Even if he brought out the damaged [Sanctuary Star], they wouldnt believe him because in the records within the Sanctuary, the [Sanctuary Star] left behind by a deceased Holy Knight might be valuable but it definitely didnt possess the ability to allow someone to inherit ones skill.
While Kieran couldnt revealed much about his speciality, the situation was led to a stalemate.
He didnt have the patience or the willingness to continue waiting though, so he would need toe up with a n that could round up the loose ends and create a win-win situation for all.
"When will Smulder regain his conscious? When will Simon and Maya, the two Archdeacons return? Is there a specific time frame that I can have?" Kieran asked.
"Smulder suffered quite the damage, he might need at least two to three weeks to wake up from this. Simon and Maya though were on toplete the ns for the sudden assault hence their leaving. Although Ive gotten the news everything is progressing smoothly, if they were to return, it would be also at least two weeks or so!" Nicil shook his head.
"Its too long! I might be moldy and have moss grow all over me if I stay here like this!" Kieran said with a frown.
"I can switch the environment for you but it is limited to within Sanctuary premises!"
Nicil had given the answer Kieran had been waiting for.
"Then... can I go to Final Ind? That ind is also within Sanctuary premise right? Ill wait for your contact there!" Kieran spilled out his real intentions.
Nicil however was dumbstruck at the spot after he heard Kierans words. He looked at Kieran with a weird gaze.
"What?" Kieran raised a brow over the unsettling gaze.
"Nothing! Its just that Final Ind has always been where Sir Hugh trained and lived. If I didnt believe that youve gotten some skills from Rei, I might believe you to be Sir Hughs reincarnation as well! But those fes up there will solidify their guess if so!" Nicil said.
Kieran, however, furrowed his brows hard, he realized the bubble of the problem seemed to be getting bigger.
Chapter 480: Return to Final Island
Chapter 480: Return to Final Ind
Trantor: Dess Editor: SSins
Kierans prediction waspletely verified following how things progressed.
He was back in the wide hall of the Sanctuary where he first arrived, bathing in the ardent gaze of all the higher ranking members. His scalp instantly felt numb under the gazes.
All Kieran could do was to pretend to be calm while facing such gazes and he signaled Nicil to hurry up with the long-range teleportation setup with his eyes.
Both sides didntmunicate much, even for courteous chit-chats, Kieran would avoid at all cost if possible. Still, he couldnt bear the gazes because he knew this whole thing was a huge misunderstanding.
He was not the Holy Knight that these people hoped him to be and would never change himself to fit their expectations. Therefore, the best way out of the situation was to stay away from them, preventing any contact at all.
Seconds turned into minutes, Kieran couldnt help but chose to divert his attention away from the unusual anticipations from the members.
Fortunately, he had things that he could focus his attention on.
[Saint Thorns experience increased slightly...]
[Saint Thorn II: If you choose not to activate Transform Devil II or Desire Summon II, you will gain 30% resistance against holy energy attack. When you receive damage (regardless of holy damage), of Average, Strong, Powerful and Extreme level, you can activate a "Halo of Thorns" with different levels, to reflect the damage you receive by 10%, 15%, 30%, and 50% respectively. You will also be healed with Light, Medium, Heavily and Lethally wounded state respectively. When you choose to activate Transform Devil II or Desire Summon II, Saint Thorn effect will be temporarily halted.]
...
The slight increase in experience increased the numbers of the damage resistance and reflection, however, the direct increase in experience this time around granted [Saint Thorns II] a wider range of adaptive abilities.
Extreme level damage received plus 50% damage reflection and Lethally Wounded healing could provide him with much more options in different kinds of situation.
He knew exactly what kind of situations he might be facing in the future.
Kieran even came up with more theories revolving around the skill.
If he could increase the skill level even more despite each slight increase, [Saint Thorns II] would definitely be his ace skill.
As for how he already had a grasp of the leveling pattern based on the previous demonstration.
Although part of the process might differ from his style, as long as it didnt defy his moral baseline, he wouldnt mind taking the extra step.
"2567!" Nicils voice sounded, interrupting his thoughts.
Kieran was not a bit unhappy, he took in all the gazes on him and walked towards Nicil with a smile.
"Can we leave now?" Nicil pointed at the pile of different kind of food and rations, asking Kieran and Schmidt.
"Sure!" Kieran replied eagerly, Schmidt obviously wouldnt reject either.
The blinding light appeared once more, mystical words and symbols spun and floated around them.
This time around, Schmidt was smarter, he closed his eyes quickly after his previous experience.
Kieran tried again to recognize the mystical words but still bore no results.
The stinging of his eyes forced him to shut them tight.
When everything was resolved, Kieran reappeared back in the Sanctuarys owned little wooden cottage.
"Do you two want to stay here? Or?"
"Of course we will return to our own cottage!"
Kieran and Schmidt gave the answer in unison immediately when replying to Nicils question.
Both of them exchanged a gaze and smiled before taking the food and went out of the cottage.
"Leave a note here if anything happened. I wont be around but Ill be watching over here."
Nicils words lingered behind them.
"No problem!" Schmidt nodded, saying that he understood.
Kieran never paused a step and went back to the wooden cottage that he built.
After two days of blizzard conditions, the blood stains and corpses on Final Ind had thickyers of snow over them, making it seemed like it had returned to normal, including the cottage that Kieran built.
Different from the Sanctuary cottage which had magic circles to protect it from the snow, Kieransmon cottage would be lost in the whiteness if it wasnt for his outstanding memory.
After spending some effort in cleaning the snow before his doorstep, Kieran went in first before Schmidt to light up the fire inside, producing more warmth for Schmidt.
Heat followed as the fire burnt at the firece, thin smoke rose up into the air, but Kieran and Schmidt didnt rest right away.
Since they were unable to leave the ce for quite some time, other than enough rations and food, they needed more firewood for heat.
Crunching on ice hard rations under the snowy season wasnt a pleasant experience.
"Thank God we picked a ce that is near a bunch of spruce wood!"
Schmidt said with augh while giving a hand to Kieran in carrying the firewood back and arranged them on both sides of the cottage.
"There are some animal tracks in the spruce wood forest as well!" Kieran also replied with augh.
Although the Sanctuary prepared enough rations for them, most of it was dried vegetables and bread. Both of them didnt mind hunting for some meat over the period of their stay.
"Improving our meal is a must! After all, under such weather conditions, I couldnt reallye up with things that we can anticipate other than a delicious meal!"
Schmidt said as he ced the firewood beside the cottage, testing whether they were hard enough.
The firewood was not only for heating purposes, they were also used to prevent the snow from piling up before their doorstep during the blizzard.
"Actually you dont have toe with me, I am here to train myself but you, you arepletely torturing yourself!" Kieran sighed.
"Torturing? Believe me, the real torturing is staying back at the Sanctuary! I would rather be around my silent friend than with a bunch of enthusiasm overflowing apostles!"
"Because they wanted to recruit you in the most passionate way possible!"
"Recruit me as an apostle? Forget about it! I cant take any of those!"
Schmidt shrugged with both hands opened and his bearded face presented a sly smile.
"Well,pared to you, 2567, I am much better! Im just being recruited as an apostle but you? A devil blood descendant being treated as a Holy Knight reincarnation! If the folks at the special daily get their hands on this exclusive scoop, theyd be over the moon! They have been scratching their heads for a big scoop when you werent around!"
Kieran couldnt help but roll his eyes at Schmidt when he heard the words of ridicule from him.
"Well if you dont mention those folks, we might still be friends!" Kieran said loudly.
Kieran wasnt overly fond nor dislike at the people who deal in information trading for a living, but after knowing the existence of special daily, his view towards them had changedpletely.
That newspaper that was quite popr among the mystics, other than some rigor real-time reporting of events, there were some unprofessional dressing of subjects as well.
As the hot shot a few months ago, Kieran was the victim of their unrealistic articles.
"I really dont understand why Rei didnt order a stop to this newspaper publisher!" Kieran muttered.
"Because Tiki was the newspapers biggest advocate!" Schmidtughed out loud.
...
Meanwhile in an unknown ce under the starry sky.
Achooo!
Tiki sneezed hard all of a sudden, a dark shadow that charged at it was blown to ashes instantly.
"This is so boring! BORING! Rei, whats taking you so long? Those are just some half-assed good-for-nothing bastards, you should have dealt with them long ago right? Maybe something fun happened? I miss that little bastard, 2567 nyan! I wonder if he settled the matters at the Sanctuary already."
Nyaaan!
"Damn, Im sleepy! Arhuuu!"
Tiki yawned loudly and shrunk into a ball of fur like a real cat.
Behind it was a huge gate a hundred meters in height, standing tall like a mountain peak that had a shining halo over it.
Before the gate though, were tens of thousands of dead bodies of all sorts of living beings, covering the whole in.
The wind blew over softly, carrying the soft snoring to somece far away.
Chapter 481: Advancing in the Snow
Chapter 481: Advancing in the Snow
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The blizzard befell Final Ind during sunset as promised.
Fuu!
Kieran let out a long breath and opened his eyes. His brows were slightly furrowed.
"How was it? Not very sessful?" Schmidt who was beside the fire grilling the bread asked.
He had a general idea about what Kieran was doing, after all he had seen Nikorei doing the same as well.
"Hmmm. Its even harder than I thought."
Kieran didnt conceal anything by nodding and took the bread that Schmidt passed him.
It was the third day since they returned to Final Ind.
Compared to the third day of their first arrival, he easily saved up around 90,000 Points but this time around, he had nothing.
Final Ind was still affecting his desires to a certain extent but every time he confronted his own desire, it bore no fruit at all. [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] was not reacting to anything.
Even if he hadnt once stopped the breathing methods that he had recording in his mind, all Kieran could feel was the warm energy stream flowing in his body slowly but not a single bit of surging like it did during the level up.
"Ive hit a bottleneck?" Kieran muttered.
His brows were almost stuck together, he wasnt sure whether his theory was correct but he knew that if he couldnt ovee this obstacle before him, he would gain nothing in theing days.
But how?
Kieran had asked himself more than once during the three days period but he couldnt provide himself with a reasonable answer.
Even though he had almost all the knowledge about the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] but within the knowledge, there wasnt any exnation about the situation he was facing.
In fact, even for Guntherson himself, his hands might be tied should such a situation ur.
After all, both were from different worlds, the property of strengths and the growth system were slightly different following the different environment.
The easiest example was Final Ind itself. If there was a ce simr to Final Ind back in [The Failed Great Detective] dungeon, regardless of how corrupted, withered the Church of Dawn was, they wouldnt have copsed into ruins that fast.
Aside from other aspects, the sole fact that the ce simr to Final Ind could have created a batch of more powerful Knights of Dawn was enough. Though from then onwards, it was another story whether the firearm revolution would be sessful.
"Final Ind... Final Ind..." Kieran muttered softly.
He suddenly realized something and halted his mumbling.
"Found anything?" Schmidt asked.
"Just some strange guesses... Schmidt I need to go out for awhile, I need to try it myself!" Kieran said.
"Outside? In the blizzard now? Youll..."
Schmidt wanted to dissuade Kieran out of instinct but before all the words escaped his mouth, he halted.
Amoner might really die under such weather but Kieran would not.
"Be careful out there!" Schmidts dissuasion turned into a warm reminder at the end.
"Got it!" Kieran nodded and took his backpack before opening the door.
Phoooo!
Bone piercing wind assaulted the limited space inside, the fire at the firece was dimmed to the minimal, shaking back and forth as if it would soon be extinguished under the cold wind.
Kieran waved at Schmidt again and walked out of the cottage.
After the door was closed, Keiran quickly disappeared in the blizzard.
...
The wind was like slicing knives, the snow was like cutting des.
The knives cut deep on the flesh and the des pierced through bones.
Even though with [Secondary Element Damage Resist], Kieran would still feel cold under the blizzard of Final Ind, but he was showing a delightful expression, because he could feel the surge of [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] within him.
"As expected, Ive missed out on this! The uniqueness of Final Ind was not only that it would affect ones desire but also the weather! Desires that would puzzle ones heart from time to time and the devastating weather gave it its name of Final Ind, the ce where one wouldst stand before dying! Though to me, it couldnt be better!"
Kieran took in a cold deep breath while standing in the middle of the blizzard, he nced over the area, trying to locate where the blizzard was at its strongest.
His A rank Intuition has dropped to an unbearable point under such weather but despite the blurry scene, Kieran still managed to locate a mountain peak where the cold wind and snow assaulted ceaselessly.
"Thats the ce!"
Kieran set his eyes on his destination and walked out with big steps trying to reach that point.
With each step he took, the snow would flood his legs up to his knees.
With each step he took, his face could feel the stinging pain from the wind as if he was stung by needles.
With each step he took, the snow would pile up more and more on him, making it harder for him to advance.
However, each step he took was a steadfast step moving forward.
The wind was getting more violent, the snow was getting colder.
When Kieran was halfway to his destination, the coldness had spread throughout his body. The [Secondary Elemental Damage Resist] effect was weakening by the minute. The closer he got the the core of the blizzard, the colder he felt.
After advancing for another few hundred meters, his body started to freeze and frost started to form. First it was his legs that he kept moving forward, then his torso, his arms and face.
Crack, Crack Crack!
Kieran smashed the frost with his hands, freeing himself from the ice, his legs never stopped moving.
The frost kept giving out cracking sounds as he smashed the ice over him but as he moved forward, the freezing speed was getting faster.
Even though Kierans hand never stop breaking the ice, the speed of its umtion started to overtake his smashing.
Wuuuuuuu!
Another freezing wind assaulted him, bringing a big pile of snow to his face.
After a breaths time, it drowned Kieran and the freezing ice to spread and over Kierans body.
Kieran was just raising his hand to smash the ice but his hand was quickly frozen instead. Theyer of frost on his hand was as thick as 3 to 4 cm, and following the formation, theyers of frost started to get thicker.
Kieran tried to free himself from theyers of frost with his strong arm but just as his arm moved, more snow assaulted his hand.
A secondter, Kierans body waspletely drowned by the snow.
Two secondster, more snow piled up around him, concealing his tracespletely, including the steps that he took before.
Three seconds, four seconds, five seconds...
Seconds turned into minutes.
The violent wind roared loudly, the blizzard was ying the symphony of death.
Under the harsh ice and snow coverednd, there were no longer any signs of life.
Then on the verge of despair, a round metallic halo appeared from within the thick snow.
A total of four lines of halo, burst out from the power of the blizzard.
KABOOM!
The assaulting blizzard was pushed away. A healing force started to fill Kierans frozen body, giving life once again to his hardened limbs and torso.
The warm stream of energy expelled the coldness inside, which was not only from [Saint Thorns II] but also the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art]!
The surge of power finally exploded at the verge of despair, simr to the times where Kieran leveled up the skill, the warm stream would present itself in a unique way originating from his body.
The warm stream of energy blessed his soul and he soaked himself in itpletely without a second thought.
After a while, [Saint Thorns II] appeared for the third time.
[Through harsh practicing, Grand Master level Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art acquired a substantial amount of experience, leveling cost decreased by 1 Golden Skill Point...]
The long-awaited notification finally appeared in Kierans vision.
Chapter 482: Rope In
Chapter 482: Rope In
Trantor: Dess Editor: SSins
While holding a cigarette in between his lips, Schmidt leaned back pleasantly on his backpack after throwing some firewood into the firece.
He was listening to the whistle of the cold wind outside and enjoying the heat from the fire inside.
Schmidt took a puff and blew out a ring of smoke casually.
To him, it was a rare vacation that he had sought after. Without those annoying people disturbing him, everything seemed so pleasing to him even though it was a harsh environment.
Kieran on the other hand was not part of his worries as well.
Everyday in the afternoon, Kieran woulde back to the cottage and report that he was safe. He asionally even brought back some wild hare for dinner.
Although Kieran would leave everyday during sunset, after knowing what Kieran was going after, Schmidt didnt stop him and only sent his blessing quietly.
"What is behind that stone gate?" Schmidt took another puff and his curiosity made him ask about that matter.
Schmidt knew perfectly clear what that strange stone gate was. After all, even with Kierans strength, he wasnt even qualified to take a look at the gate. That situation had branded itself into Schmidts mind forever but what followed was his curiosity as well.
Kieran also said frankly that he wanted to try opening that gate which automatically led to Schmidt thinking about it until a screech sounded at the door.
Crack Tsk Tsk!
There wasnt a door frame to begin with. It was just a crude pivot to hold the door together. The screech wasnt as melodious also. Not only was it tooth numbing but it gave him goosebumps as well.
The opened door brought in the cold wind and Nicil.
"Arent there manners like knocking before entering in the Sanctuary?"
Schmidt said with an upset tone after shivering from the sudden cold wind.
"A person who treated someone elses turf as his own backyard and started to take a vacation speaks about manners?"
Nicil refuted Schmidts question before picking up Schmidts cigarette box casually and taking one out and lighting it up before the firece. After a puff, Nicil looked like he was in cloud nine.
"It has been awhile since Ive tasted tobo!" Nicil eximed.
"Please dont make yourself look like a real apostle. Okay? It will cause misunderstandings for those who respect one!"
Schmidt flipped a white eye at Nicil who was unusually self-aware of his actions.
The return of the two Archdeacons, Simon and Maya, was dyed further than expected.
Although Smulder had awoken, he was nowhere to be found at the moment, let alone taken care of affairs in the Sanctuary.
Therefore, Kieran and Schmidts return had been seriously affected. Hence, Schmidt and Nicil were seeing each other a lot more.
Nicil was tasked to bring over food and nkets throughout the period from Sanctuary base.
With Nicils character, he was destined to never be serious and meticulous with everything.
After a few times going back and forth, Schmidt had gotten familiar with Nicil and had gotten quite the information about the Sanctuary from his mouth as well. Being an apostle was one of them.
An apostle removed entertainment and pleasure from their lives. Even the food they ate was kept at a minimal level and the clothes they wore were just enough to cover their body.
They walked among dangerous situations and trained their body and will to purify themselves in the process.
They might be considered as a unique group even within the Sanctuary but they were also the most respectful ones.
"Being at Sanctuary Ind is like being an apostle already, at least from outside eyes!" Nicil said sounding as usible as he could.
"Is that so? Then why dont you learn how to live like an outsider like 2567 did!"
Schmidt flinged the ashes of his cigarette and pointed outside the door.
"2567... He is not a normal human being!"
Nicil got goosebumps when he heard that name. His neck shuddered.
Nicil of course had witnessed Kierans self-torturing way of training himself.
If he didnt make sure Kieran was Nikoreis assistant, he might have mistaken Kieran as some apostle and maybe one of the most extreme ones.
"Ive never seen a man train his will and body as he did. Freezing himself into ice and recovering from it and then freezing himself again... The pain in the process would drive one crazy easily!" Nicil couldnt help but gasp when he recalled that scene he saw.
"That is why 2567 will grow stronger!" Schmidtughed, sounding a little proud that he could call Kieran his friend.
"That is 2567, not you!" Nicil popped Schmidts imagination bubble.
"Of course I know! But I am grateful for a friend like him!" Schmidt took another puff with a smile before he blew the smoke at the fire. The burning fire vaporized the blown smoke in an instant.
After throwing the remaining half of his cigarette into the fire, he ced a pot with icy snow over the firece.
The snow quickly melted into water since it was half-liquid. Schmidt then added more firewood into the firece.
ording to the time, Kieran was going to be back soon. Even though Schmidt couldnt provide any help to Kieran in his training, he hoped that he could be useful at other aspects such as preparing his meals.
"Are you a part time cooking maid now?"
Nicil raised a brow, sounding a little ridiculous with his words.
Before Schmidt could reply though, Nicil continued on, "Have you ever thought about fighting side by side with 2567? Or would you rather hide aside and be anxious when facing danger?"
Schmidt paused for a moment.
"What do you mean?" He squinted his eyes and asked. His sharp senses felt that Nicil had meant other intentions with his words.
"There is quite an amount of secret techniques within the Sanctuary. They can grant you power or at least the capabilities to protect yourself!" Nicil said seriously.
"Then you can officially impose that I am one of your people. By using my rtionship with 2567, you would rope him into the side of the Sanctuary, am I right?" Schmidtughed coldly.
Schmidt was no idiot. As the chief officer of the West Coast, he had experienced a lot and understood how the dark side of humans operated. He knew deeply that there wasnt a free meal anywhere in the world.
Anything that appeared to be one definitely turned out as a trap.
Schmidt was just amon human being. Even with the badge from the force, the Sanctuary fellows wouldnt take him seriously as well.
So what made Nicile to such a resolution?
2567! Other than him, Schmidt couldnt think of anything else.
Schmidt raised his head at Nicil and spoke quickly.
"Seems like you fes are getting more and more hopes in 2567 eh! Though, I cant me you! 2567 has powers that no one can neglect. Plus, he is the assistant of Rei. Given the current situation of the Sanctuary, that ambush ns of those two Archdeacons, Simon and Maya, are not going very well right? And you said Smulder vanished the moment he woke up... meaning he went as reinforcement right?"
"You people are in need of manpower and coincidentally, 2567 is here! So whether is he the reincarnation of that Hugh Holy Knight guy, you people will treat him as the real deal! However, based on 2567s attitude, its hard for you to grasp his mind. Thus, you need a buffer to get to him and I am the suitable person to do that!"
Nicil didnt refute him this time about. His silence already proved that Schmidts guesses were right.
"So you are rejecting right? I knew I am not suitable to persuade people, Ill..."
"Reject? Why would he reject?"
Nicil sighed full of helplessness. Just as his words were escaping his mouth, he was interrupted by a voice outside the wooden cottage.
Gak Tsk!
The wooden door opened and closed. It was Kieran with a smile on his face.
Chapter 483: Intervene
Chapter 483: Intervene
Trantor: Dess Editor: SSins
Schmidt was stunned for a while before bing quiet when he saw Kierane in with a smile.
Their tacit rtionship was enough to let Schmidt believed that Kieran had quite a reasonable exnation for his behavior.
Nicil was different though. He frowned and sized up Kieran with a suspicious gaze.
"What do you intend to do?" Nicil asked.
"Of course, to agree to your suggestion! I also think that Schmidt needs some self-defense capabilities of his own!" Kieran said with his ever warm smile.
Nicils brows were almost stuck together when Kieran said that because of the contrast between Kierans previous attitude towards the suggestion and now.
Did Kieran not see clearly the hidden intentions in his suggestion?
Yet the thought was discarded by Nicil the moment it came up. Even if Kieran didnt see it clearly, he must have heard what Schmidt said before and given such circumstances...
Suddenly, Nicil thought of the other only possibility.
"Do you think that you can really step into the higher rankings of the Sanctuary just because some of us mistook you as the reincarnation of Holy Knight Hugh?" Nicil shouted a question.
His manner was filled with vignce when he said that and Kieran couldnt help but smirk when he saw how Nicil reacted.
"Are you saying that I cant?" Kieran replied with his question in a ridiculing tone.
"I am telling you that it is impossible! The high council of the Sanctuary will not be made fools by you!" Nicil almost exploded with his words.
Nicil had quite the rtionship with Sanctuary for all his life. Otherwise, he wouldnt have joined in as a deacon himself. Therefore, he was blinded by his anxiety and he couldnt notice the teasing and ridiculous joking manner from Kierans tone.
On the contrary, his actions symbolized his rejection of Kierans suggestion.
Nicil stepped up to Kierans face, staring at him without a blink. His aged face was putting a heavy manner that had never been seen.
"I will not let you seed!" Nicil said with a decisive and loud voice.
"Then why are you here, trying to rope in Schmidt to your side?" Kieran replied with another question.
"Because... because..."
Nicils stern manner was forced to a halt. He opened his mouth, trying to exin but realized that he didnt have any usible exnation to give.
After all, he agreed to the decision during the council meeting to rope in Schmidt and use him as a bridge to buffer the rtionship between Kieran and the Sanctuary.
It was just that he never thought that Kieran would take this opportunity to enter the higher ranks within the Sanctuary.
But...
He couldnt stop it with what he currently had. He already could imagine the number of people who would cheer for Kieran to join the Sanctuary as a reincarnated Holy Knight Hugh.
It would be apletely different story if the Sanctuary had two Holy Knight under one roof instead of just a single one, especially in the current desperate situation.
Nicil froze for at least four to five seconds. He couldnt even utter a word from his mouth.
Then, he sat back down beside the firece, looking dejected and sighing a heavy breath. An inexplicable disappointment was all over his face.
However, Kieran looked at Nicil with an interesting gaze and so did Schmidt.
The moment Kieran replied with the question, Schmidt knew that Kieran wasnt really going to enter the high ranks of the Sanctuary. However, he was curious as to why Kieran agreed for him to learn the secret techniques from Sanctuary.
Did something unexpected happen?
Schmidt tried to ask Kieran questions with his eyes.
"I think that you should have better self-defense capabilities!" Kieran said seriously.
Schmidt was destined to always ce himself in danger because of his job and most of the time, firearms and some petty mystical tricks were enough. However, it was different this time around.
[Triggered special event: Full scale war!]
[Based on yers previous special events influence, the yer is automatically ced in the extra faction!]
[The West Coast government and Sanctuarys war isnt over yet. After the assaultst time, a full-scale war is inevitable. While being involved in the matter, youve be the target of hostility from the West Coast government and the hospitality of the Sanctuary because of your previous actions. In the uing war, your actions towards both sides and its effects will be your final rating at the end of the dungeon!]
[Note: Actions include but arent limited to destroying. The bigger your actions influence, the higher your rating will be!]
...
The special event came to Kieran after he heard Schmidt and Nicil speak.
While he was surprised at the hidden strength of the West Coast government, it was natural for Kieran to adjust his ns ordingly.
One of the important things that he had to take care of was the people around him.
Kieran never hoped that his actions would bring trouble to the people around him and among those he could call friends, Schmidt was the weakest.
Kieran could already paint the picture with Schmidts current measures of self-defense. If he was targeted by the West Coast government, he would get crushed to pieces.
Especially since his identity and position with the force were public, it was too easy for the government to ughter him alive.
Even if Kieran was beside him 24/7, the government only needed an official retreat order and it would lead him together with Schmidt into a fatal trap.
Kieran knew what Schmidts character was so he wouldnt allow such things to happen.
Coincidentally, the Sanctuary had extended their "olive branch of peace" in such a timely manner. Kieran wouldnt reject it by any means.
It would be a win-win situation for Kieran to have Schmidt learn the secret techniques in Sanctuary while he went off to settle [Special event: Full scale war].
However, some things werent appropriate to speak aloud directly. Kieran gave the speech that he had prepared early one when Schmidt was giving him a look.
"You are the special operations team captain. Youve alwayse in contact with things and people thatmoners couldnt. Given such circumstances and the chance to get stronger, what reasons do you have to reject it? Dont forget that your special operations team is not you alone. You have partners, subordinates, and others as well. You need to think of them as well!" Kieran knew how to persuade Schmidt.
"But, you..."
The persuasion was quite effective obviously. Schmidt looked like he was moved but still, he was a little hesitant.
"You are afraid that the Sanctuary will use you to force me against my will? Dont worry! The things you worry about will never happen as long as I..."
Kieran purposely paused and hid hisst words. His eyes turned to Nicil who had just reacted.
"After all, we arent enemies, right? Dear Sanctuary Deacon Nicil" Kieran emphasized each and every word before Nicil.
ckmail! Nicil understood the meaning behind Kierans words.
If they werent enemies, they would have nothing to worry about. But what if they were?
In that case, Kieran would not show any mercy.
Nicil gave a bitter smile but his reply was not slow by any means.
"Of course!" Nicil replied.
After hearing Nicils reply, Kierans eyes turned back to Schmidt.
The chief officer hesitated for one or two seconds before nodding in agreement.
"Ill make the arrangements quickly!" Nicil then wanted to head out.
Nicil felt like he was on a roller-coaster ride when he spoke to Kieran. He wished to not continue this conversation for a moment longer.
ording to the normal age, Nicil was already an elderly person but ording to the mystical way of counting age, he was still young and at most at his early prime.
He had no intentions to die an early death!
Nicil had decided to cut off contact with Kieran as much as possible in the future to ensure his own safety.
The threats in Kierans ckmailing words caused Nicil to suffer a shock in his heart. He knew that Kieran would be able to do what he said.
Nicil walked out fast. Deep down in his heart, he was starting to find some recement for himself in liaising with Kieran in the future. Yet no matter how fast his steps were, Kierans words were one step ahead.
"Hold on!" Kieran said.
"Anything else that you require of me?"
Nicil turned around with a bitter face.
Chapter 484: Mixed Up
Chapter 484: Mixed Up
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
"I want to know the progress of battle of the Sanctuary and the West Coast government," Kieran said.
Since Kieran epted [Special Event: Full-scale war], he would have to know the current situation of the war.
What else would be better than asking for information from one of the participating sides of the war?
"I cant decide that on my own, all I can do is to deliver your request to the council."
Nicil spoke officially.
Kieran didnt mind though, as long as the Sanctuary didnt want to increase the tension of the softened rtionship with him because of Schmidt, they would definitely provide the information to him, except for confidential secrets of course.
"Is there anything else? Otherwise..." Nicil signaled that he wanted to leave.
Kieran nodded with a smile.
The wooden door opened and closed in a sh, the cold wind only blew in for a fraction of a second.
Kieran then eagerly went over to the firece, the heartful scent of the meat in the pot had already filled the wooden cottage.
"Stewed rabbit, with carrots and potatoes. It would be great if we had tofu together!"
Kieran took his bowl and started to stir the pot with the wooden spat, scooping up the meat for himself. He then gobbled it down like a hungry wolf.
Schmidt didnt contend with Kieran over the stew like he always did. He kept quiet and lighted up another cigarette. When Kieran was on his third bowl, he finally spoke his mind.
"Thanks."
Schmidt then took in more puffs of his cigarette, trying to cover his embarrassment with the smoke he spat out.
"Youre right, you better thank me! Other than me, there would be no one else willing to eat what you cook!" Kieran nodded and said with a seemingly serious tone.
Schmidt was stunned, he continued watching Kieran gobbling down the food. His lips were slightly opened up, trying to say something but eventually, nothing escaped out.
After a while, the chief officer only shouted out, "Dont simplyment on the cooking skills of a man that has the ambitions to open a restaurant!"
"After retirement," Kieran emphasized.
"Then it should be even more encourageable!" Schmidt crossed his arms and grunted.
Mealtime was always fun for both of them. Although the cooking and the food were average, it could bepensable by having the meal with a friend.
At night, Kieran left for his training, as usual, going back into the blizzard to practice the [Knights of Dawn Body Tampering Art].
Compared to a month ago, Kieran could already move quite far ahead. He was less than a hundred meters away from the eye of the blizzard.
Though, he couldnt move forward an inch after that. [Saint Thorns II] was at its limit at that distance.
If he continued forward, he would lose his HP faster than his healing could recover. Hence, that spot has be Kierans base for training.
More so, that day was the crucial timing for him in his training. ording to his feelings, he calcted that thest Golden Skill Point required for leveling [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] could be removed after the current training session.
Fuuuu!
The icy wind hurled across snowballs as hard as steel about the size of a grown mans thumb at Kierans face. Pain struck him every time the snowballs smashed his face. The pain came from the impact upon his face and also the bone-piercing coldness inside the snowballs.
At that training spot, [Secondary Elemental Damage Resist] hadpletely lost its effect.
[Secondary Elemental Damage Resist] could only resist elemental damage of None to Weak range only, the blizzard before him was at least Average damage or above.
ording to his own judgment after experiencing the icy cold with his body, as the blizzard moved closer to its core, the icy attacks will surely exceed Strong attack and range somewhere between Strong and Powerful.
It will surely be Powerful once Kieran was close enough.
There wasnt such an extreme phenomenon naturally urring within nature., so Kieran spected that there must be something special at the core of the blizzard, it was just that he couldnt approach it for now.
Kieran also tried to search for it in the day but bore no results.
Since then, Kieran felt even more surprised about the uniqueness of Final Ind and grew curious about what was hiding at the core of the blizzard.
Though, all he could do for the time being was to focus the warm energy stream in his body.
The wind was cold, enough to pierce his bones each time it smashed on his face.
Each time [Saint Thorns II] healed him from the icy damage, the warmness soaked into his heart.
Being in the middle of hot and cold, he was being damaged and healed at the same time.
The energy that belonged to [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] was shuttling all over his body, being as lively as a toddler that had awakened from its sleep.
Not only was the energy stream lively, it didnt seem to be exhausting itself to any degree.
Dong Dong Dong!
The [Fusion Heart] was serving its purpose as an organ as well, pumping blood throughout Kierans body.
At that very moment, the devils power was trembling slightly and it tangled itself with the excited energy of Eye of Chimeras right after. Both distinguished energies were fighting like a boa and python, rumbling fiercely.
The energy of the Holy Knight was quiet as usual but the healing power filled Kierans body.
Mercy and protection.
Kieran felt as such from the energy when he focused. He recollected the extra vignce at the other energies and focused everything he had on practicing the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art].
At this highest moment of concentration, [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] had reached its limit after rumbling around rapidly.
Boom!
It was as if Kieran heard an explosion in his mind.
Within the darkness of his closed eyes, he saw a dazzling dash of light in the midst of the darkness, as if the sun had just risen from its slumber.
[Grand Master Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art acquired a significant amount of experience through practicing, level up prerequisite met...]
[Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art leveled up...]
[Name: Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Arts (Musou)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution, Spirit, Intuition]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effects: You know how to utilize the special stances, movements and breathing techniques, All Attributes +6 (+1 Basic, +1 Entry, +1 Master, +1 Pro, +1 Grand Master, +1 Musou)]
[Knights Focus: Everyone has their own specialty, but not everyone can persevere; Spirit +4, Knights Persistent (When you persist on something, you are willing to sacrifice yourself to seed; Ignite 200 HP to +2 level in Spirit, 1-second duration, cooldown none)]
[Consumes: Stamina]
[Prerequisites: Strength C, Agility C, Constitution C, Spirit C, Intuition C]
[Remarks: This was the Knights of Dawn entry course, but it will affect other rted skills!]
...
[Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art leveled up, rted attributes increasing...]
[Strength A- A]
[Agility A- A]
[Constitution A+ S-]
[Spirit SSS+ SSS+ (Knights Focus +3)]
[Intuition A A+]
[Spirit attribute has reached the character limit, reserved 2 points of Spirit attribute]
...
System notifications kept spamming Kierans vision.
Kieran was savoring the warm stream of leveling for [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] and soaked himself inpletely out of habit.
He didnt even notice the changes that happened to him physically. Slight glimmers of white appeared around his hands.
Although it was weak and faint, it quickly melted the snow and ice that covered his body.
After a while, Kierans figure waspletely defrosted and that glimmer of white light gathered into a ball, spreading across his body slowly.
...
The Sanctuary council hall.
While the deacons were still discussing the matters regarding Kieran, they clearly saw the scene through themunication crystal ball.
In fact, they never once let their eyes off Kieran for a single moment since thest incident, so every change that happened to Kieran was obvious to their eyes.
"Sanctuary Force!?"
One of the deacons stood up excitedly, he nced over the others in the hall and said loudly, "There is no need to consider 2567s identity anymore, he is the reincarnation of Hugh!"
"Without the baptism of the Hall of Legacy, those who can simte the Sanctuary Force must the reincarnation of a Holy Knight! There isnt any other exnation!"
"Our guardian has returned!"
Excited voices echoed throughout the hall.
The other members of the Sanctuary too heard the news, they couldnt help but revealed a smile of delight on their face. After all, it was the only good news in recent times.
Chapter 485: Shameless
Chapter 485: Shameless
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Sanctuary Ind.
It had been a long time since the foyer hall was opened up and it finally did during sunrise.
The knights-in-reserve opened up the big door to the hall and on the flight of stairs that led up to the hall. There were two knights-in-reserve on each flight of stairs at both ends, standing in an upright position.
The knights-in-reserve lined up neatly across the stairs, a total of 333 steps of stairs was filled up with twice the knights.
A group of people was walking towards it from afar.
Kieran and Schmidt walked side-by-side and before them was Nicil and another deacon that they didnt know of.
"So dazzling!"
Schmidt saw the knights-in-reserve with their shining white armor, it was as if he was looking straight at the sun, causing him to daze out for a while and had to block his eyes from the light.
Kieran too saw the knights-in-reserve in shining armor, they were looking lively and energetic, though his attention eventuallynded on the deacon before him that he didnt know of.
Although the knights-in-reserve were quite a decent view, what really concerned Kieran was the unknown deacon.
Kieran sensed the man was really old by his temperament, simr to what his age disyed, old and withered. Even ording to the mystical realm counting of age, he was really old but his movements were nimble.
It felt like he was walking on tnd when climbing up the 333 flight of stairs.
Of course, most importantly was the other members gaze at him. It was not just simple respect but more of a reverence towards the man.
It was far better than the gazes of surprised and doubtful that they ced on himself.
"Phew! Finally weve gotten up!" Schmidt gave a long breath.
Schmidt wasnt concerned about the 333 flight of stairs since he maintained a regr workout routine but the gazes from the knights-in-reserve were too much for him to bear.
In fact, so did Kieran but he did a better job in covering his expression.
"This way please!"
The unknown deacon bowed meticulously and gave a please gesture, so did Nicil.
Even more so, Nicil was disying a solemn face and presenting a never before seen holiness with his actions.
Schmidt stared at Nicil, if it wasnt for witnessing all sorts of inappropriate behaviour, he might have really believed it.
Schmidt winked at Nicil, seeing whether Nicil would respond but after Nicil took the teasing hard by swallowing into his stomach, Schmidtughed a little and quickly caught up to Kieran, entering the foyer hall.
Behind the two 10 meters tall stone door was a hall that coincided with its grandness.
Wide was not enough to describe the hall but a wide square in a big city was more appropriate.
Tons of stone made chairs spread outwards in all direction from the center of the hall. It didnt reach the end of the hall but umted to 1,111 chairs in total.
One thousand one hundred chairs spread all across the hall and only the remaining eleven were ced in the middle. Among the eleven chairs, a single one was ced in the middle and five each on its left and right side.
No doubt the arrangements of the stone chairs had their own unique pattern and meaning.
The unknown deacon went up to the center but he didnt sat down, instead he did another please gesture to Kieran.
"Want me to choose instead?" Kieran raised a brow over the eleven chairs in the middle.
Subconsciously, he treated the gesture as a test.
"I suppose that Hugh once sat in one of the eleven chairs right?"
Kieran thought but he didnt care what the unknown deacon wanted to express and directly chose a stone chair outside of the eleven. The one chair that was outside of the eleven in the center and the most sidelined position among the other thousand and a hundred.
Nicil behind the unknown deacon who also saw the scene opened his eyes wide and facepalmed helplessly.
His actions though attracted the angry gaze from the unknown deacon, which made Nicil bow apologetically.
The unknown deacon didnt say anything eventually other than a frown, he turned over to Kieran and gave him a smile.
"Praise your return, Holy Knight Sir Hugh!"
He wasnt being loud nor soft but after echoing throughout the enormous hall, his voice turned sonorous and clear, it sounded like a signal, a signal for the knights-in-reserve outside that has been waiting for a long time to cheer loudly.
"Praise your return, Holy Knight Sir Hugh!"
"Praise your return, Holy Knight Sir Hugh!"
...
One after another, the cheers were like waves, rumbling high and low all over the Sanctuary.
Those Sanctuary members who were waiting for the news quietly finally let out a breath of relief.
It wouldnt be wrong with the masters test!
Delight filled each of their hearts.
As for Kieran though, it was the worst day of his life!
When Nicils expression changed, Kieran realized something was not right and after that unknown deacon said what he said, Kieran knew he had fallen into the trap.
Hughs seat was never within the eleven but coincidentally around where he sat right now.
Still, the unknown deacon used his actions to lead Kierans assumption into the trap, altering the unknown into facts.
Kieran knew after that little act, even if he would deny his identity, it would already be useless.
The Sanctuary had acknowledged his identity. In simple words, if the Sanctuary was doubting his identity as Hughs reincarnation, now they hadpletely acknowledge it.
The voice echoed throughout the Sanctuary Ind was proof.
"So, its just like my friend, Schmits expected, the situation with the Sanctuary is that bad? Whether am I the reincarnation of that Holy Knight Hugh, you people will treat me as it right?"
Kieran squinted his eyes and asked in a ridicule way.
The unknown deacon remained silent, all he did was shake his hand and point to Kieran, or more precisely the stone chair that Kieran was sitting on.
"You are saying this chair that I am sitting? What does it..."
Kieran then started to size up the stone chair beneath him as he spoke.
It was normal, nothing out of the blue but when Nicil gave him a hint, Kieran raised his finger to touch the lower part of the handle, his face started to turn weird.
Hugh! His name was carved under the stone chair handle! Kieran was sure after touching it with his finger.
"What kind of tricks are you people ying?"
Kieran stared at the unknown deacon, raising a brow. He never believed in coincidence, the situation that unfolded was obviously some hidden tricks from the Sanctuary or the unknown deacon.
"Hugh carved his name under the handle when he was young. There was only a handful of people who knew this and even for me. Ive only gotten to know about this this morning, so..."
Nicil said in an odd manner.
"So, you people further your acknowledgement that I am that reincarnation of the Holy Knight? Even more so when I disyed powers simr to Sanctuary Force?"
Kieran raised his right hand and glimmers of white light appeared in his palm.
It was a warming power to the heart, able to calm down ones heart but it was obviously distinguishable from the Sanctuary Force. It had more energy, liveliness in it than Sanctuary Force had. It didnt have the imposing, solemn manner and definitely didnt have the ability to switch between both different energy.
"Now, please take a good look at the difference of the Dawn Force in my hand and the Sanctuary Force!" Kieran said.
"Nicil."
"Yes, sir!
"Take in record that 2567, Hughs reincarnation had produced a deviation energy from the Sanctuary Force, naming the Dawn Force. Write it down in the Hall of Legacy, providing the future generations to read up about this!"
"Yes, sir!"
"What the hell, are you people that shameless?"
Schmidt opened his mouth, sounding angry while Kieran felt heavy and still like dead water.
The unknown deacon, however, smiled, looking at Kieran and Schmidt with a warm gaze.
He wasnt even concerned of Schmidts angry loud rant, as if he was asking Schmidt with his expression, "What is shame?".
Chapter 486: The Real Objectives
Chapter 486: The Real Objectives
Trantor: Dess Editor: SSins
Shameless.
The unknown deacon before Kieran and Schmidt was the perfect representation of that word.
Kieran held Schmidt back even though Schmidt wanted to argue. He knew that there was no point to continue.
The deacon came fully prepared. Any further argument would lead them along the rhythm of his trap.
Thus, Kieran stared at the deacon with eyes as dull as dead waters.
"So they wanted to achieve their goals by any means necessary? This kind of people... we dont regret their deaths!" Kieran emphasized each and every word.
He even added killer intentions among the lines without concealing them.
"Death is not the end! I would be honored to use my death for the return of Hugh! In fact, the entire Sanctuary is willing to honor their lives to serve the purpose. It is a thorny path, to begin with. Why fear the flow of blood and sacrifice?!"
The unknown deacon said with a calm tone without the slightest change of expression and revealed his stern conviction.
Kieran frowned. He had to reevaluate the deacon before him.
It seemed like he was not afraid of death! Kieran could clearly understand the point from the calm expression and aura around him. It wasnt fake!
Kierans furrowed brows almost mashed together.
The scariest kind of people were the people who werent afraid to die. When such a person had anotheryer of shamelessness to it, it wasnt pretty.
Kieran took a deep breath andid his eyes on Nicil who was standing beside him. He was giving a bitter smile, looking helpless as ever.
The unknown deacon seemed to not notice the scene unfolding before him. He continued alone and said, "Hugh, I never thought that we would see each other again. Let me introduce myself again. I am Phandle, at your service!"
The so-called Phandle then extended his hand.
After a slight pause in mid-air, seeing that Kieran has no intentions to shake his hand, Phandle continued.
"Officer Schmidt. The training regarding the secret techniques will start very soon for you. Deacon Nicil here will escort you..."
That being said, Nicil took a step forward and stood beside Schmidt while Schmidt looked at Kieran.
After a slight nod from Keiran, Schmidt simply followed Nicil away from the hall.
Kieran had no reason to stop him because it was also one of the reasons they were there, even though some idents happened along the way.
Kieran looked at Phandle. He was curious about what he would he say after leading Schmidt and Nicil away.
"Maybe Phandle wants to remove his mask?" Kieran thought out of instinct.
A momentter, Kieran realized he was overthinking it.
Phandle sat beside Kieran with an eloquent posture. His hands were on the handle, his legs were closed, and his upper body was straight. He looked straight ahead without tilting.
With such a sitting posture, the words that came from him sounded like ravings of a fortune teller at the corner of a street. However, it sounded more sincere.
"Hugh, do you believe in fate? Its quite intriguing really. I thought that I would never see you again for as long as I lived. Yet you came back by reincarnation... just when I was about to leave this world."
Phandles words were stuttering and spoken softly. However, it made the feelings behind his words more real.
Kieran was dubious himself about him being the real reincarnation of Hugh the Holy Knight even after listening to Phandles words. Even if Phandle wast certain, Kieran didnt believe him.
The highest technique in lying was to lie to oneself. There was no doubt that Phandle before his eyes was capable of such.
After making certain of it in his heart, Kieran remained quiet.
It wasnt wise of him to discuss the fake topic with a person who could even lie to himself.
He thought that he might as well stay quiet and wait for the cunning fox to reveal its tail.
Phandle must have some other intentions! Kieran was very certain of this. Otherwise, Phandle wouldnt have stirred Schmidt and Nicil away.
However, Kieran seemed to underestimate Phandles patience.
Phandle started to tell stories about Hughs entire life. It sounded far-fetched but each word came with his own feelings, exmations, and praise. He even sounded helpless asionally.
In the end, his words could be concluded to only one sentence.
"It is the greatest thing, Hugh, that you were able to return to us through reincarnation!"
Kierans furrowed brows almost formed a dead-knot after hearing what Phandle said.
Two hours! He told stories for a full two hours just to say one sentence and he hasnt even fully expressed his intentions yet!
"What are you trying to say?" Kieran cut in before Phandle could continue.
"Hugh, do you remember when thest time the foyer hall gates opened?"
Phandle said slowly after taking an eye at Kieran.
Kieran wanted to instinctively say that he didnt know but when the urge was at his mouth, it came out differently with a lighter sense.
"Was it Rei?"
It wasnt a hard question.
There was only a handful of people within the dungeon world who was rted to him and was able to make the Sanctuary open the foyer hall gates.
Based on closest rtionships, it could only be Nikorei.
"Yes. Have you recovered your past life memories?"
"No? Nevermind. We have a lot of time to help you regain them! Be patient!"
Kieran held the urge to punch Phandle in the face when he saw Phandle trying to be considerate of his situation.
Phandle never stopped even for a second in stirring Kieran with the "You are Hughs reincarnation" trap.
"What are you really trying to say?" Kieran said with clenched teeth.
He was prepared to show Phandle the cruelty of fate if he kept talking about fate and destiny.
"I need your help, Hugh! Its about Ohara!"
Out of expectation, Phandle said sternly.
Right after that, the system notification followed.
[Discovered sub mission: Heart]
[Heart: Ohara, one of the Archdeacons of the Sanctuary, had shut herself away because of the past. You have to help her...]
...
On top of the new sub mission [Heart] was theplete notification of [The name of reincarnation]. The moment the whole Sanctuary cheered "Praise your return, Holy Knight Sir Hugh", the sub mission waspleted in a way that Kieran least wanted it to.
"Ohara?"
Kierans mind quickly recalled thedys punch which was harder than real steel and her frenzied look when the name was mentioned. He also remembered the reason behind all her craziness, Hugh! Coincidentally, he was being treated as Hugh at the moment.
"I see!" Kieran took a deep breath.
Kieran finally got a firm grip on the key factor behind all the events up until that point.
The reason why Sanctuary treated him as Hughs reincarnation, other than the unexpected disastrous situation with the war, was because of or rted to Ohara, one of the Archdeacons of the Sanctuary.
Different from the imposter who he was, Ohara was the original member of the Sanctuary and because of Hughs death, she created a gap between her and the other members.
What if Hugh was alive?
The gap would be non-existent.
If that was the case, Ohara would naturally still be one of the Archdeacons of the Sanctuary.
Maybe her fighting capabilities werent outstanding but surely, she has some ster points of her own which the Sanctuary desperately needed.
Kieran turned his head to Phandle but before he could utter a word, Phandle took out a palm-sized book from his wide sleeve and ced it directly in Kierans hand.
"This is Hughs training notes," Phandle said softly.
"I..."
"Inside the Hall of Legacy, thereys the records of the Holy Knight of past generations that had the ability, Saint Thorns!"
"But..."
"All the records of Saint Thorns! Inside the Hall of Legacy!"
"...Fine!"
Chapter 487: Another Persuasion
Chapter 487: Another Persuasion
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
A secret door from the side of the foyer hall led them out.
Kieran was following Phandle, crossing through wriggly paths and ending up before a high tower.
The white tower was built using white marble, it was covered with green vines, climbing up through the seams and gaps and mixing with many mossy spots.
There wasnt anything unusual about the high tower in Kierans eyes except its height.
Kieran raised his head and tried to spot the tip of the tower but even with his exceptional sight, he couldnt.
All he could see was that the white tower pierced the clouds and blended together with the sky.
Kieran didnt even conceal his shocked expression as he sized up the tower before him, seemingly connecting the heaven and earth.
He was certain when he arrived on the Sanctuary Ind, there wasnt a tower like this. In fact, let alone boarding the ind, one would easily spot the ridiculously tall tower from the sea.
"Covered by some kind of illusion magic?"
Kieran guessed and at the same time specting the story behind the tower and its purpose.
After all, even for the mystical realm, it was not an easy feat to cover a tower of such height and after building one like this, it must serve a purpose.
A prison? It would be a joke to ce the prisoners in such a high tower, an underground dungeon would be more effective and simple.
"What is it for then?" Kieran guessed.
He kept moving forward, following behind Phandle and reached the entrance of the tower.
The seemingly old weathered wooden door was pushed open, leading both of them inside.
The moment Kieran stepped foot into the tower, he clearly felt a that someones gaze nce over him. Although it went off like a spark, the vignce behind the gaze was very obvious.
"Guards!" Kieranid an interesting gaze at the shadowy spot inside the high tower.
Their identity was almost certain but what caught Kierans interest was the hiding technique presented.
Kieran had not seen much of the Sanctuary members but neither had he seen too little of them, yet whether Smulder the current Holy Knight or themon knights-in-reserve, every one of them presented a straightforward battle style, preferring to be in the light side and a hiding technique such as this was the first encounter within Sanctuary premises.
Subconsciously, it reminded Kieran of Guntherson, the old knight of Dawn. Sharing the same identity as knight, he was skilled in a frontal assault yet possessed the skillsets of an assassin.
Though, the guards and Guntherson were different. Guntherson was forced to change his battle style, but what about the guards?
No doubt they were purposely trained.
"The shadow under the light eh?" Kieran muttered in his heart and switched his attention back to Phandle.
If there was darkness brewing within the Sanctuary, Kieran would definitely pick Phandle as the suspected target. His shameless and basically zero baselines fit all the criteria.
Phandle received Kierans dubious gaze but still presented his kind and warm expression.
"Hugh, please head up here, Ohara is waiting for you."
Phandle said before heading towards the entrance of the tower.
It seemed like he wasnt prepared to apany Kieran from that point onwards.
Kieran squinted his eyes and went on the only flight of stairs that led up.
The stairs abruptly stopped after one single round and at the end of the stairs was a wooden door. Kieran wasnt surprised at all at the structure.
"I see now!"
If the only flight of stairs could really connect the entire high tower, Phandle wouldnt let Kieran go up alone. Though, whether it was the stairs that were covered by some illusion magic or there was another flight of stairs that connected the entire tower, Kierans attention was already ced on the wooden door before him.
Behind the wooden door was definitely Ohara.
Kieran couldnt help but take a deep breath when his mind reminded him of her frenzied face that concealed her real age. Persuading ady who was crazy over rtionship problems was not an easy task.
Kieran stood before the wooden door, his mind had prepared a couple of ns for him to proceed and after running through all his ns by himself, he knocked on the door.
Dong, Dong Dong!
The clear knocking noise sounded on the wooden door upon contact.
"Come in."
To Kierans surprise, the person inside gave a reply.
He knocked on the door out of manners and habits, hed never expected any reply from a person who shut herself away from others.
With the surprise lingering in his head, he opened the door.
A room filled with books revealed itself before Kieran. The racks and study table were the only furniture inside, other than that, the books inside were scattered everywhere, some being in a row, some being piled up high, some neatly arranged, some messy.
Ohara was sitting among the books, reading a ck leather skinned book in her hand.
When she saw Kieran entered the room, she softly said, "Did Phandle persuade you to be here?"
Her voice was calm, even as far as feeling cold; her face was showing a casual expression, seemingly not caring about Kieran at all.
The rage and frenzy from the first encounter were absent altogether, yet the calmed Ohara made Kieran frown.
Although the moment Kieran heard Oharas reply on the knock, he knew things would unfold beyond his expectation yet when he saw Oharas condition with his own eyes, he realized he was being too optimistic.
To be honest, persuading ady who was crazy over her rtionship was no easy feat but would persuading ady who was calm be any easier? It might be even more difficult.
At least going crazy because of a rtionship problem, she might be blinded by her sudden emotions and her judgment would be clouded, if that was the case, all Kieran had to do was to get a grip of a certain point in the rtionship to form a channel ofmunication. It might be hard but not impossible.
Though when such a person calmed down, the situation would drastically change.
A clear mind with decisive judgment would allow her to formyers of mental barriers, defending her own emotions and blocking all possible channels ofmunication. More importantly, after Oharas question, Kieran realized all the ns that he prepared had been rendered useless.
Kierans head was spinning fast, trying to improvise against Ohara who had no trouble, or taboo in speaking of that matter. At the same time, Kieran sted out what he could.
"Phandle? That shameless bastard reinstated the definition of shameless in my mind but from a certain aspect, his almost non-existence baseline made a deep impression on me as well. Ive promised him to talk to you so he could grant me ess to the Hall of Legacy and all the records regarding Saint Thorns. He highly imed that I am the reincarnation of that Holy Knight Hugh but at a different perspective in this bargain, it seems like the one he cared about most is you."
"You do know the Sanctuary is in big trouble right? Your coborator has really caught them off guard, Simon, and Maya, the other Archdeacons ambushing ns were forced to a stalemate, even dragging Smulder into the fight right after he woke up. At this point, a full-scale war between the Sanctuary and West Coast Government is inevitable!"
Kieran wanted to just brush her off with some stories but eventually turned into a statement of the situation. It was soon enough for Kieran to realize thedy before him was no ordinary woman.
She was Ohara, one of the three Archdeacons of the Sanctuary. Maybe her specialty wasnt ced in battle but the fact that she was able to take up the position, how could she be an idiot?
The answer was no! So, some lies and trick of words will not work at her, it might even be a burden for Kieran.
Rather than risking a negative effect, might as well spill the whole truth before her. Maybe it might still be hopeful but it seemed that Kieran might have underestimated her point of conflict.
"What does that has to do with me? If you are done, please leave! A reincarnated Holy Knight and imprisoned sinner thatmitted great mistakes being together in a room is nothing honorable!" Ohara said directly.
Kieran frowned, but soon enough, he had a grasp of the clues from her words, thus easing his furrowed brows.
Chapter 488: Coincide Coincidence
Chapter 488: Coincide Coincidence
Trantor: Dess Editor: SSins
"Yup. Its not really a good thing but I would like to reinforce one point. I am not the reincarnation of some Holy Knight. Ive never heard of him nor did I have any intention to inherit his reputation and legacy. I am myself and only one person. I think my reputation couldpare with the Holy Knight!"
Kieran seemingly nodded in agreement but switched the topic right after.
Ohara was emotionless, but Kieran noticed Oharas breath pause a little when she heard his words. Although the unusual pause returned to normal, it couldnt escape Kierans sharp senses.
"As expected. Although she looked calm on the outside or tried to look as calm as possible, once Hugh the Holy Knight was mentioned, she seemed a little shaken inside. I guess it was not that easy to let it go! Otherwise, she wouldnt have unconsciously mentioned the differences between Hugh and her current identity when she rejected me just now!"
Oharas performance made Kieran slightly relieved. She wasnt as formidable as he expected, which meant that there was a solution to her condition!
"Strike while the iron is hot!"
Kieran raised his hand and filled his palm with the glimmering power of the Dawn Force which was the extension from [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art].
During the level from Grand Master to Musou level, Kieran was able to control the energy of Dawn inside him at will and materialize it in his palm as if he knew how to do it since birth, even though the system didnt present a notification.
Kieran deeply knew that it was the changes granted by [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art]. Even more so, he already foresaw the power at the next level.
The Dawn Force! A formless aura energy that could be materialized and was simr to a stwave that collided with the waves of treasures back in the underground Church of Dawn.
After experiencing multiple dungeon runes, his sight was greatly widened and was no longer surprised by such a technique. Still, he didnt mind mastering it along the way.
Of course, it would take a long time like how Guntherson the old knight mentioned the quality changes. At the time being though, it was enough to deal with Ohara before him.
The moment the glimmering Dawn Force appeared in Kierans palm, Ohara no longer had her calm expression. Her eyes started to show more colors and emotions as if a pebble was thrown into a stillke, causing ripples that rippled throughout her heart. Theyers of ripples gathered at one point and breached the final defense line in her heart that she kept holding back.
"Hugh!" Ohara said softly. Following her voice that was filled with emotions and longed for someones love, she seemed like she came back to life at that moment. Ohara instantly broke the cold and in emotions of hers. Eventually, she looked at Kieran with a vignt gaze.
"Is this one of Phandles tricks again?" Ohara asked.
"Phandles tricks? I admit that the old geezer is really shameless but for him to force me to this extent? Its impossible! Ive said it before. I am me, myself, and I!"
Kieran went towards Ohara while he spoke.
The glimmering energy didnt dissipate from his palm but when he took his first step out, the rampant, sulfur-filled, chaotic aura erupted from his body.
On his second step, the seven wicked auras of the cardinal sins: Lust, Greed, Gluttony, Sloth, Wrath, Envy and Pride followed tightly. The auras sted out from his body like an erupting volcano.
Fuuuu!
The aura brought up a minor stream in the limited space, forming a small whirlwind and ravaging the room. The book pages were fluttering, the racks and study table were trembling, and Oharas long hair was blown.
She raised her head to the young man who had the Sanctuary Force in his palm but was erupting a devilish, chaotic wicked aura.
Her heart was confused. She knew that Phandle was not capable of doing this. Not only Phandle, even Nikorei who she hated the most couldnt pull off such feat, just like how she couldnt revive the spirit butler.
"If...If this is... Then...Then..."
Thoughts and possibilities appeared in Oharas heart. It made her confused heart even more puzzled and perplexed.
Kieran opened his mouth again when he saw how Ohara was reacting.
"You still think this is one of Phandles tricks?" Kieran asked.
Ohara shook her head awkwardly while her heart was still confused.
Just as Ohara replied, the unusual urrence in the room dissipated right away.
The rampant, sulphuric chaos aura and the wicked, sinful cardinal sins disappeared altogether. All that was left was the Dawn Force in Kierans palm.
"And this is not the Sanctuary Force that you know of. I call it the Dawn Force!"
Kieran emphasized each and every word.
Before Ohara could reply, Kieran turned around and wanted to leave.
Ohara fell into a trance when she saw Kierans unusual straightforward manner and his leaving figure.
"My power originated from the Sanctuary Force but there is something different from the one that everyone knows of."
"Huh? What do I name it?"
"I dont know... Do I really have to name it?"
"Its troublesome! I hate naming things!"
"Fine fine! Ill tell you when I think of one!"
The conversation in Oharas memories reyed itself, lingering in her ears.
In the end, all she could hear was only a single sentence.
"I call it the Dawn Force!"
"Hugh! Hold on, Hugh!"
Ohara climbed up from the floor and went after Kieran. Just as Kieran pushed open the door to leave, Ohara grabbed him by the arm.
Kieran raised a brow when a stranger suddenly grabbed him.
"Let go!" He said loudly.
"Ive let you go once before and Ive regretted it for almost forty years... This time, I wont let you go anymore! You are not used to the things now because you havent regained your memories! Its fine! Ill be by your side, helping you restore your memories!" Ohara said eagerly and anxiously.
[Sub Mission: Heart (Completed)]!
Kieran saw the notification in his vision but he wasnt one bit happy over it. Looking at the concerning, nervous Ohara, Kieran suddenly realized that it seemed like he had gone too far and too real with his acting!
"I am 2567, not Hugh!" Kieran emphasized.
"I know! You have to regain your memories! Ill help you!" Ohara nodded and even gave a slight smile by lifting the edge of her mouth.
Kieran looked at her expression with a headache.
"What the hell do you mean with this smile, thinking that you know everything now?"
Kieran thought to himself.
...
Phandle was also watching the scene with a headache.
He knew Kierans appearance would definitely change Ohara.
Even though Kieran didnt want to admit it, he was surely going to make a move.
After all, having [Saint Thorns] and Sanctuary Force together was not a mere coincidence.
In simpler words, the vague and insubstantial hope was also considered hope to a certain extent.
People would not let go of hope when it was still reachable. Phandle knew it deeply. However, the situation before him was not so delightful...
Phandle heavily grunted for a while before raising his hand.
A figure appeared from the shadow before him.
"Yes, sir!" The figure said.
"Bring the news to West Coast. Let everyone know that the assistant of God of Earth, the Bird of Death, 2567, has awakened his past life memories after meeting Ohara!"
"Right away sir!"
The figure then disappeared.
Chapter 489: Secret of the Death Shackles
Chapter 489: Secret of the Death Shackles
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
At the docks of Final Ind.
Schmidt and Nicil were there to send off Kieran and Ohara.
Though, there was an awkward feeling between the four of them.
Kieran was talking with Schmidt to the side, Ohara was focused on Kieran, not letting him out of her sight, even showing a slight smile on her face all the time.
Even if Nicil didnt ask, he was sure that Ohara only had Kieran in her eyes at that moment.
Schmidt beside him waspletely ignored, which also included Nicil as well.
In fact, from the moment they transported themselves over from the Sanctuary Ind to the docks, Ohara didnt even speak to Nicil at all, not even some friendly chit-chat.
Oharas focus was all on Kieran.
If Nicil wasnt sure before, he was after seeing Oharas reaction. He was showing an odd face throughout the journey to the docks.
Since Nicil was already at the age of amon elderly folk, he had much more experience than one could imagine, therefore he could clearly tell that what Ohara was going through right now.
"Shes in love? No, thats not right! Her fire has been reignited because 2567 has been recognized as Hughs reincarnation? Doesnt sounds right as well, the description is kind of..."
Nicil didnt realize he was stirring his mind into a hot mess, he had to switch his focus to quickly regain his senses over the puzzled thoughts.
"With Oharas aid, the matter with the West Coast government would be resolved smoothly. Even if there are any idents in the process, we have 2567 on our side! I think the West Coast Government is having a headache against reincarnated Hugh right? Sigh, everyone was thinking highly of Ohara and Hugh before this... Eh? Wait, why am I thinking about this again?"
Nicil smacked his forehead when his thoughts drove him back around the matters regarding Sanctuary, might as well not to think about it at all.
Kieran and Schmidt, on the other hand, kept talking to each other.
"Are you sure you are not that Holy Knights reincarnation?" Schmidt asked.
"Of course I am not!" Kieran couldnt hold his bitterugh when he saw his friends serious expression.
It has been just hours since theyst met and even Schmidt who he knew from top to bottom started to be dubious of him. Kieran could already imagine what would the others be like.
"That damn Phandle!" Kieran cursed in his heart.
"Fine. I never experienced all of this before but dont forget Elli back there..."
Schmidt stared at Kieran for a few seconds before sighing. He reminded Kieran as a friend.
Soon after he opened his mouth, he couldnt help but shrug.
"Nevermind, you have your own thoughts, I cant really be of a help. All the best my friend!"
Schmidt then waved his hand at Kieran, saying goodbye.
"Um!" Kieran nodded and bid farewell to Nicil as well, then he went off to the ship that was waiting for him at the docks.
The captain of the ship was someone he knew, Azinder, the first overseer that sent him to Final Ind.
A piece of nk that acted as the stairs were ced in between the dock and the ship.
Kieran and Ohara went onboard together.
"Sir Holy Knight, Madam Archdeacon!"
The knights-in-reserve and Azinder saluted with their renowned knights salutation.
When Kieran heard the greetings and salutation to him, he subconsciously paused his footsteps, even though he returned to normal in a sh, Azinder caught a glimpse of it.
Azinder was puzzled standing on the deck, looking at Kieran.
"Hughs memory hasnt recoveredpletely, he is still in a perplexed state."
Ohara beside exined, sounding very understanding of others.
Then, the sudden realization hit Azinder.
Kieran, on the other hand, a small twitch at the corner of his mouth.
"Hey, what in the hell, whats with the tone acting like a big sister apologizing for her naughty little brother here? And whats with all these dispatched knights-in-reserve and Azinder? You dont even doubt me for a single bit and epted that I am the reincarnation of the Holy Knight? What joke are you ying on me?" Kieran thought.
Phew!
Kieran took a couple deep breaths, trying to suppress his sudden surge of emotions.
After that, Kieran turned around and waved to Schmidt and Nicil again on the deck.
HOOOOOONK!
The ships horn sounded. Azinder steered the ship around and quickly departed from Final Ind. Kieran kept his sight on the figures of Schmidt and Nicil as he departed until both figured shrunk beyond his sight, he turned his eyes towards a certain direction on Final Ind.
That direction was the core of the blizzard during the night on Final Ind, the spot where he couldnt reach even after he leveled up [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] to Musou level.
To be honest, even after leveling the skill, Kieran never thought he would be able to enter the core directly but it was possible for him to close the distance a little more.
It was what Kieran had in mind at the time of training but in reality, he still couldnt move closer by more than an inch.
Even if [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] had reached Musou, one more step beyond and the damage on him would have exceeded the threshold of [Saint Thorns II].
As for [Secondary Elemental Damage Resist], it was rendered useless long before he reached that spot.
On top of that, [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art]s training had entered a difficult position. Back at the spot he was at, the surge and rumble of energy inside his body had already subsided long ago. If he took another step forward, the energy would faintly reappear but his body couldnt withstand the blizzards damage.
He would have died within ten breaths and no doubt he couldnt even finish one round of [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] practice in ten breaths. It was because of this that Kieran had to temporarily suspend training on Final Ind, at least it wouldnt cross his mind before he increased his Constitution, HP or [Saint Thorns II].
Despite the harsh condition, it didnt affect his resolution in training on Final Ind, because against the leveling cost from Musou to Transcendence, [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] required a hefty 300K Points and 30 Golden Skill Points! It was hard for him to even imagine how long he would need to save up if he solely relied on dungeon rating rewards.
Point requirements aside, Golden Skill Points were the main question with tons of problems.
Even with his VV high dungeon rating, he would need to at least save up for another 5 dungeon runs to reach the requirements.
Among the 5 required dungeon runs, his strengths and abilities would surely be greatly mped down because of he had to save up Golden Skill Points for that one skill.
Severe consequences would also follow, which was the advantages he had since the beginning of the game would be depleted throughout those possible 5 dungeon runs.
So, when a shortcut like Final Ind was ced before him, it was hard for him not to be moved. Naturally, with Kierans attitude, he would havee up with a proper n for training, yet it didnt stop his curiosity towards the ind itself.
"What will that ce hold?"
Kieran gripped the handlebar on the ship, staring directly at that spot as his heart was being filled with guesses.
Footsteps then sounded in his ears. Although Ohara tried her best to slow her steps and be as quiet as possible, it was still exposed thoroughly under Kierans A+ Intuition; Kieran didnt really care about her.
He tried to be as cold as possible, it was the only way that he could think of at the moment to deal with her.
Ohara stopped beside Kieran, she followed Kierans gaze back to Final ind.
Memories started to emerge from her eyes and felicitation filled her words that escaped her mouth.
"I never would have thought I am still able to stare at Final Ind with you like this... Your persistence for that ce never changes at all!"
Kieran was not moved at all.
Hugh the Holy Knight trained before in Final Ind was not a secret to Kieran, since he trained on Final Ind as well, he would have noticed the unusual phenomenon on the ind as well, because of that curiosity, a lot of people had their minds all over the ind, included that Holy Knight as well.
Soon enough, Kieran received surprising information regarding the ind.
"Youve always thought that that ce held the secret to break through the shackles of death."
The secrets of the shackles of death?
Kieran turned his eyes over to Ohara instantly, his interest was peaked by the words. He hoped she would reveal more, but Ohara slightly blushed over Kierans gaze, she raised her hand and did a clench of a fist, trying to say "fighting" and cheered over Kieran.
"Although everyone sees differently, I believed in you! Since you couldnt solve this secret the past life, you will do this in this life instead! And I will be here to help you..."
Kieran was dumbstruck by the gesture and when he saw Ohara was deviating further and further of the topic without revealing any information about the shackles of death, Kieran took in a deep breath and tried to suppress the sudden emotion surge back into his heart again.
"Lets discuss the matters about the West Coast Government."
Kieran interrupted Ohara and said coldly before heading into the cabin.
"Ve...Very well!"
Ohara wasnt upset at all when she was interrupted, instead, she was quite delighted. She eyed over Kierans back, clenched her fist once more. Deep within her heart, she cheered for herself.
"You can do it, Ohara!"
She then quickly followed Kieran into the cabin.
Chapter 490: Go Forth!
Chapter 490: Go Forth!
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The captains cabin.
On top of the study table, there was a map of the entire West Coast with exceptionally detailedbels.
It was not just a general map of the West Coast but it included the cities within the region, West Coast City, Bruns City, Ciaran City and a dozen more on it.
Kieran stood quietly beside the study table, watching Oharabel one city after another on the map.
The cities werebeled with three colors.
Red, the enemies.
Blue, our own side or allied forces.
White, the neutrals.
It took her almost three minutes tobel all the cities on the map and when Ohara finishedbeling thest piece of area on the map, Kieran suddenly realized the distribution of factions throughout the whole West Coast was much moreplicated than he imagined.
Bruns City, Ciaran City included were all mixed with all three colors.
Every city had hostile forces, allied forces and neutral forces waging war against other.
There was only a single area that was left empty, West Coast City.
There wasnt any drawings or color on the entire area on the map.
Why was it left empty? The answer was self-exnatory.
The God of Earth Nikorei and her reputation spoke for itself, anyone who stepped into the city knew what to expect. Even more so when they were ughtered by Kieran once back then.
It was natural that it was left nk. Kieran then turned his eyes away to the other cities.
"Where is our target?" Kieran asked.
"Ciaran City!" Ohara pointed at the point south-east of West Coast City.
"Simon and Maya were assaulting Barrys headquarters at this city but he was well-prepared! Since Barry came from the army itself, the Sanctuary side was ced at a disadvantageous position since they werent familiar with their enemies. Even when Smulder joined the fight, the situation was only forced to a stalemate!"
Ohara described the situation and the things she knew calmly to Kieran, she wasnt biased towards any side because of her Sanctuary origins or her alliance with Barry.
"Barry?" Kieran muttered the name.
Kierans impression of the general stopped at the fact where he possessed advance alchemy technologies to forge aposite gemstone [Eye of the Evil Waters], created powerful monsters specifically targeted towards the Sanctuary and of course his decisive attitude towards a difficult situation.
Kieran had heard more than once that General Barry abandoned his ship and escaped because of the ugly situation before him from Nicil.
Let alone the advance alchemy technology he possessed, the sole fact of his escape and use of the remaining time to prevent the other two Archdeacons ambush proved that he was not some useless meatbag who was good for feasting and drinking only.
Even more so, when Smulder joined the battle, the situation on the battlefield was only forced to a draw.
Anyone who underestimated General Barry would be an unfortunate bastard and Kieran had no intentions of being one. He listened carefully what Ohara described of Barry.
"Barry came from a declining mystical family. He joined the army thirty years ago and spent all his life ascending up to the position of real authority within the West Coast Government. Because of his background, not only did he have the support of the military, many other houses looked up to him as their leader, even some of the mystical houses as well. The grudge and contempt towards Sanctuary was because he thinks the Sanctuary holds the secret to change the entire world!" Ohara said.
"The secret to change the world? What does that mean?" Kieran raised a brow and asked directly.
After experiencing it once, Kieran would not stay inconclusive anymore and wait for the answer. He was afraid that Ohara before him would give him another clenched fist to cheer him up, which would suffocate his brain in some ways.
Fortunately this time around, Ohara replied clearly when Kieranid the question out.
"Um, the secret that can change the world! There is a rumour going around the mystical realm saying the Sanctuary has hidden the worlds secret and anyone who finds it will change the world!"
Ohara nodded and said, then she looked at Kieran with a slightly dubious gaze.
No doubt she felt weird that Kieran as Nikoreis assistant hadnt heard the rumour before.
"Well I apologize for joining the mystical realm as a half-ass that I am!"
Kieran thought in his heart and pouted. Though soon enough, he saw Oharas dubious gaze quickly turned into a caring one.
"Dont worry. We will figure out the after effects of reincarnation together! I will help you all the way!" Ohara said softly.
Hey, what in the hell? Do you really need to do this? You filled the gap with your own answers without even getting my exnation? Have you lost yourmon sense and judgement after you believed that I am Hughs reincarnation?
Tons of odd questions popped up in Kierans heart but none of it could escape his mouth.
He could already see the faint tender feelings of love beginning to fill her face.
In order prevent the situation progressing as he imagined, he continued quickly.
"So is there someone who spread the secret..."
"The high tower! That white high tower!"
Kieran wanted to ask whether there was someone who deliberately spread false rumours but the moment the words escaped his mouth, he suddenly thought of the high tower that seemingly connected to the sky.
"Um! The secret is hidden there but only Phandle alone knows how to approach that secret!"
Ohara spilled the highest ssified information within the Sanctuary directly.
"Phandle? Is he someone special?" Kieran frowned.
The hierarchy of Sanctuary was not thatplicated, it was only divided into three categories.
The highest ranks were the Archdeacons and Holy Knights.
The middle ranks were the deacons and knights-in-reserve and the lowest were themon members.
Phandle was only a Sanctuary deacon, how could a mere deacon get a hold of such a secret?
"Phandle was only a deacon on the outside but all the Archdeacon including me and Smulder know he is actually the lineage master within the Sanctuary. He has the authority to rule of the Sanctuary during desperate times!"
While facing Kierans question, Ohara spilled all the background details regarding the Sanctuary hierarchy and others without any hesitation. She even went as far as telling a great deal of stories only spoken among the higher ranks of the Sanctuary, revealing more hidden facts to Kieran over the following hours to help Kieran restore his Holy Knight memories.
The fact that Kieran might divulge the secret stories didnt even cross Oharas mind because in her acknowledgement, Kieran was Hughs reincarnation and Hugh was the original Holy Knight of the Sanctuary. He should know all of the secrets anyway, just that he had forgotten them because of the reincarnation.
Kieran was still curious over the secret stories at first, trying to digest all the secrets in one shot but as he went on listening, he felt something was not right.
How could Phandle make such a mistake?
Phandle should be aware that Ohara would be defenseless against Kieran if she knew he was the reincarnation of Hugh, yet Phandle still sent Ohara to apany him and only her alone for the whole trip, not even the slightest precautions were prepared for idents.
"Damn it! That old geezer wanted Ohara to tell me all these secrets so that after I knew all of it, it will be harder for me to shake off the markings of the Sanctuary!"
Kieran suddenly realized the intentions behind soon after.
"That shameless old bastard!" Kieran grunted softly.
...
Achoo!
Inside a certain room of the white high tower, Phandle sneezed all of a sudden in the midst of writing a letter.
"I suppose Hugh is thinking of me?"
He rubbed his nose. Phandle then inserted the written letter into a unique transmission spot within the high tower.
He said softly, "Im sorry, Hugh... Hope that when we meet again, you wont beat me up, after all..."
His voice gotten dimmer and dimmer, eventually couldnt be heard anymore other than himself.
Chapter 491: Enemies Ambush
Chapter 491: Enemies Ambush
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Inside his own cabin, shimmering lights glimmered in Kierans hand.
Its tranquil aura filled the whole cabin, expelling the darkness and coldness around him.
As the white glimmering light umted, itpletely surrounded Kierans hand and extended towards his elbow.
However, when the light was inches away from his elbow, it burst out with a soft "bang" and rapidly dispersed in the air.
"I still cant get it? How did Guntherson do it?"
Kieran was staring nking at the spot where the Dawn Force dispersed. His mind was reying the scene where Guntherson unleashed his technique against the treasure waves.
Kieran remembered clearly the scene back then was very agitated, he could even clearly picture the Gunthersons expression. Still none of his memories did him any good.
The root of [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] stillid inside the energy within his body!
Even Kieran remembered exactly how Guntherson moved and what his stance was, he was still unclear about how the Dawn Force within him worked.
It was hard to understand how his inside worked by relying on his movements outside, at least Kieran didnt make any progress during the whole week he spent cruising on the ship.
Though he wasnt discourage but in fact he was feeling quite fortunate!
Since he witnessed Guntherson use the Dawn Force before other than strengthening himself, it made him understand that [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] might have other abilities as well other than simply raising all his stats.
From Kierans perspective, it meant the gate to a new territory had been opened.
Maybe there wasnt any use when [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] was still in the lower levels but as its skill level was raised, the benefits started to be clearer.
The most impactful benefit was the skill saved Kieran a lot of time. It told him which step he should take to move forward and although the next step would require immense energy and focus, Kieran would dly endure the hardship.
Inside the underground game, he knew how important strength and capabilities meant for a yer. Strengths was important but it might not mean everything to the others but for Kieran, an orphan, his strength was everything he had in the game.
His future life goals had living style had to rely on his strength to acquire gains within the underground game.
While understanding that saying, Kieran had no reasons to ck off, therefore he was constantly finding ways to increase his own strengths.
Buuuuush!
The me rose high in his left hand. The mes were rumbling fiercely as Kieran tried his best to control the devil energy within.
Different from his first encounter with the sudden fire, which was jerky and full of resistance, with sufficientmunication with the devil, Kieran had grown familiar in controlling the fire with ease. Though idents still urred sometimes.
Kaboom!
After around twenty seconds, the mes in his hand shook violently and exploded on his left hand. The me waves and bursting air swept across his cabin in an instant.
The moment the high impact me waves came close to breaking a hole in the ships cabin, a translucentyer of force field barrier appeared and extinguished the fire.
Since Kieran decided to practise [Charles Fire] inside his cabin freely, he wouldnt be unprepared. Though the one who set up the barrier wasnt Kieran but Ohara instead.
The Archdeacon of the Sanctuary has attainments in magic and spells far exceeding ones imagination. At least she could easily set up the barrier and withstood the explosion from [Charles Fire] three times.
Ohara did spend her effort and delicately set up the barrier in order for Kieran to have a better control of the energy within him.
After a whole week of practicing, [Charles Fire]s explosion didnt even hurt the ship once.
"This is a really strong defense!" Kieran praised the barrier when he checked the ships cabin.
The force field barrier level shouldnt be that high but its ability to recover and tenacity was remarkable. There wasnt any unusual changes throughout the entire week.
Such a phenomenon had exceeded Kierans perception because within his mastered [Mystical Knowledge], there wasnt anything mentioning a self-regenerating force field barrier.
No doubt this was one of Oharas specialties and also one of the legacy skills from the Sanctuary.
The first time Kieran was in awe of Oharas capabilities, she exined that the power that she possessed was called the Soul Bless Force and even went into detail about what she could do.
Kieran had goosebumps and numb scalped when he recalled the affectionate look from her eyes during her exnation.
Kieran ignited his Lineage Fire in order to expel the feelings in his head.
His practice schedule was divided at noon. In the morning, Kieran focused his mind on mastering the Dawn Force and from afternoon till evening, he would be practising the Lineage Fire.
After dinner, he chose to read the manuscript that had records on Saint Thorns. Though as the Lineage Fire were getting stable day by day, in order to fully control it and add [Charles Fire] to hismon means of attacking, he altered his timetable to continue practicing his Lineage Fire even after dinner a day ago.
Fuuush!
The mes burned high.
The explosion urred again after around twenty seconds, though the time dy of the explosion was getting longer.
The afternoon sun was getting lower. When the residual light from the sunset shined through the small window into the cabin, Kieran looked at the Uncontroble Lineage Fire in his hand which was changing ording to his will and absent of any feverish feeling, he couldnt help but smirk in delight.
[Through practice, Uncontroble Lineage Fire II ascended into Controble Lineage Fire II]
[Controble Lineage Fire II (Your bloodline is suitable for fire magic, your talents allow you to control it at will. You can ignite a ball of fire with the damage of None, Low, Weak respectively. After charging 5 seconds, fire elemental damage +1, has a small chance of triggering me Burst to your enemies]
...
"I did it!"
Seeing the notificationse to his vision, he let out a long breath in his heart.
Kieran promptly stood up and headed towards the next cabin.
Master level [Charles Fire] was not what he after but Pro level!
In the cabin next door, Kieran took up the tattoo tools that he had prepared earlier. He drew a new line of tattoos from the ancient hidden knowledge circle on his left chest, extended it down to the other ancient hidden knowledge circle on the back of his hand, further connecting both circles with the additional line. The line eventually circled around Kierans left index finger.
When he was done, the system notifications came up right away.
[Name: Charless Fire (Pro)]
[Rted Attribute: None]
[Skill Type: Offense]
[Effect: Create fire with your finger, the attack is Average, burns continuously]
[Special Effect: Controble Lineage Fire II (Your bloodline is suitable for fire magic, your talents allowed you to control it at will. You can ignite a ball of fire with the damage of None, Feeble, Weak respectively. After charging 5 seconds, fire elemental damage +1, has small chances in triggering me Burst to your enemies)]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Constitution A]
[Remark: This is a spell without incantations, casting gesture, or casting time. A skill created by the alchemy master fusing ancient hidden knowledge together!]
[Note: You have acquired this skill through learning, not through a Skill Book. Therefore, you cannot upgrade it with Points and Skill Points. If you want to level it up, you will need to continue learning or acquire a Skill Book!]
...
Fuuuom!
mes appeared as Kieran raised his left hand, a small fire quickly piled up and grew to a fireball with the size of a watermelon and after charging for 5 seconds, the ball of fire grew even more, reaching 1 meter in diameter.
With the buffs from [Lineage Fire] and [Fiery Sulphur], the Average fireball had rapidly grown and broken through the Strong rank and reached Powerful rank.
The surging temperature brought upyers of heatwaves, erupting fiercely.
Pang!
The force field barrier thatsted for a whole week had broken under the fierce heat waves but the burning heat waves didnt harm the ship.
In fact, when Kieran gripped his palm, the 1-meter diameter fireball extinguished into nothing.
It was as the description described, everything was controlled by his will. This was what Kieran wanted, a controble and Powerful attacking means.
He already started to n strategies in his mind, including adding [Charles Fire] into hismon attackingbos and how he could bring out the full potential of the skill.
Though before Kieran could figure out apletebo system for his skills, he was interrupted by a sudden bang.
KABOOM!
The huge explosion brought rough waves to the ship, shaking it fiercely with Kieran on board.
A irritating siren rang and broke the peaceful cruising right after.
The ship was under enemy attack!
Chapter 492: Sealed Off
Chapter 492: Sealed Off
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Kieran quickly went up to the deck and saw three iron battleships lined up further away. The sh of their cannons was shining brightly.
BOOM BOOM BOOM!
The relentless firing was ceaseless.
Some of the iron pellet missed andnded in the sea but some struck precisely on The Corals force field barrier.
Layers of ripples spread out on the invisible barrier when the iron pellet hit it, even The Coral was shaken a bit but not as fierce as the first strike, maybe not even a tenth of the first.
Kieran subconsciously looked into the sea. He faintly spotted some round floating objects deep under the area and he frowned.
"Water mines!"
Even though [Explosive Weapons, Explosives]s knowledge didnt include water mines, it didnt stop him from knowing what water mines could do. They were cheap, had formidable explosive force, easy to deploy but hard to disengaged.
Kieran didnt just spotted the water mines, he also realized the meaning behind it.
"Theyre trying to seal off the area and prevent reinforcements?" Kieran thought in his heart.
No doubt the Sanctuary had given the West Coast Government quite the pressure, maybe Barrys forces couldnt bear the burden anymore, otherwise they wouldnt spend their efforts on sealing off the waters.
Though Kieran still felt astonished over the fact that Barry could precisely locate them in the middle of the sea. In the current dungeon world, radar technology was just being introduced, it was iparable to locking on to targets in the sea like modern warfare did.
"Is it some hidden technology? Or did he rely on the mystic arts?" Kieran guessed.
Azinder on the other hand was shouting his orders to his crew.
"Steer the ship around! Steer it away from the water mines!"
But before Azinders loud orders subsided, the scout on the outpost tower was already reporting what he saw, "Captain! They are still deploying the water mines!"
The sudden announcement shifted everyones attention towards the three enemy battleships.
Everyone saw that the sailors were pushing water mines down into the sea one after another at the side of their ship. The current of the sea then delivered the mines back to The Coral.
"Damn it! They are going to seal off the entire sea area!"
Even the slower members of Azinders crew reacted to the situation.
At the same time, they knew what the consequences would be if the whole sea area was sealed off. Azinder and his crew wouldnt reach Ciaran City in time since they were on a reinforcement mission. Given their dy, Smulder the Holy Knight, Simon, Maya the Archdeacons plus hundreds of Sanctuary elite forces would be forced into a much more difficult situation on the battlefield.
Every second or minute they waste would possibility lead to their friends andrades demise.
Captain Azinder knew how severe the consequences would be but the situation before him forced him to plot another course around the mines. Should they break through the water mine waters forcefully, even with a force field barrier around The Coral, the ship would eventually go down with her crews.
After being hesitant for two seconds, Azinder gave new orders.
"Steer the ship around, plot a new course around the area!" The words escaped Azinders clenched teeth.
"Aye, aye captain!"
The first mate took a deep breath and replied loudly with a strong nod.
The first mate was also a knight-in-reserve so he naturally knew how severe the consequences were. Although it couldnt be helped, it was the best option they coulde up for the situation.
Just as the first mate gripped the steer wheel...
"Hold on!"
A voice suddenly sounded loud, attracting all the attention on the ship. Everyone traced the voice back to where it came from and led to Kieran, standing on the deck. He ced his big backpack down and drew out [Arrogant Word] from the box.
"Sir Holy Knight? You want to destroy their battleships?" Azinder looked at Kieran with a slightly hesitant eyes.
Azinder had heard of how fierce the Sanctuarys ambush assault was but the biggest threat they were facing now was not just that three iron battleships. In fact, the three battleships were indeed troublesome but Azinder was not really afraid of them. Even though it seemed like both sides were not on equal terms by sending a merchant ship to fight battleships, his ship had advantages that the other three enemies couldntpete with.
Nimbleness and speed! Plus some mystical defensive measures were enough to keep them safe.
The three battleships only had small to medium caliber cannon on them, if the situation was fortunate enough, Azinder even had the confidence to send them back with more than what they bargained for. Given that the water mines werent in the waters, in simple words, the water mines were the real danger Azinder was concerned about.
Even though they could destroy the three enemy battleships, if the water mines werent removed, they will still be in a difficult position.
"Ill open the way for us!"
Kieran jumped off the deck before everyone could react to his words.
He jumped off the ship but he didnt fall into the sea, instead the moment when his feet touched the surface of the sea, the giant rhino mirage formed behind him.
The rhino didnt feel any difort or not used to being on the surface of the sea. The most primitive force of nature gathered around Kierans body and he swiftly charged forward to the enemy battleships.
Wuuuuuu!
As Kieran charged through the sea, the fierce airstream from the charge turned into violent strong wind after the roar, ravaging all over the sea area and causing rough waves in all directions, simr to a water dragon emerged from the depth of the ocean and overwhelmed everything in the area with its tremendous power.
The water mines in the sea was also pushed around by the rough currents, crashing into one another.
KABOOM!
The first explosion went off soon enough and simr to a line of falling dominoes, the explosions went off one after another, sting water out of the sea.
Azinder and the others back on the ship opened their eyes wide and their jaws dropped at the scene.
"He relied solely on the airstream of his charge to ignite the water mines under the sea, what tremendous power! If it was a frontal charge instead..." Azinder muttered to himself.
One couldnt just rely solely on the water mines to crash into each other to cause the explosion, it must have a certain level of impact and force to achieve it or else removing the water mines wouldnt be that difficult.
Yet, Kieran only relied on the airstream and rough waves from his charging to ignite the mines, even though Azinder knew Kieran was the Holy Knight reincarnation, he couldnt conceal his awe in his heart as well.
He dare not even imagined what would it be like if one would crash into Kieran when he was charging forth. It was a scene too terrifying for him to picture!
Those who had thought about that particr matter quivered hard, they were scared by what Kieran disyed.
Except Ohara though, seeing Kieran charged forth to the enemies, her eyes were affectionate and tender like water. Kieran within her sight was exactly the same as Hugh in her memories.
Regardless of what enemies Hugh was facing, what kind of difficulties he was in, he would always charge ahead, just for the people around him!
"Hugh..." Ohara muttered softly and sunk into her own memories.
She was quickly awoken by the sudden awe on deck, everyone stared even harder at Kieran, or more precisely Kierans left hand as he raised it up.
A zing fireball rose from the space before his hand and burnt up the air around his hand.
After a couple of breaths, the fireball in Kierans left hand grew to 1 meter in diameter and rumbling ceaselessly.
Under everyones gaze, Keiran threw the fireball towards the battleships before him.
KABOOM!
The fireball with rumbling mes exploded upon contact with the ships stem, sting a huge hole in the ships body.
Seawater poured into the breach rapidly and the battleship in the middle started to tilt with exceptional speed.
Chapter 493: Speculations
Chapter 493: Spections
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
"Seal the breach! Hurry up!?"
"The breach is too big!"
"The lower deck has been floodedpletely!"
"The second upper deck is sinking as well!"
...
Message after message came from the wireless radio, the captain of the battleship on the deck facial expression turned even uglier.
The first mate and the other crew around him had even worse expressions, panic filled their faces.
"Fret not, it is not the worst time yet! We still have our allies beside us, we still can..."
The captain wanted to motivate his crew but before he could finish, two huge explosions sounded off.
KABOOOM! KABOOOM!
Thick smoke rose up high under the sunset, the glorious sunset added ayer of red over the burning fire.
Then, the two other allied battleships that the captain ced his hopes on sunk into the sea of mes.
Crying and wailing sounded as the ships went down with their crews. The captains face turned pale instantly. He slightly opened his shivering mouth and after around three to four seconds of dazing off, he shakingly uttered, "Aaa... Abandon ship!"
After the words escaped the captains mouth, he was drained of his energy, almost falling on the floor if his first mate didnt catch him. He couldnt understand why the advantageous situation turned against them in just a moment.
His mind then unconsciously painted that figure that charged at his ship by stepping on the sea.
"The Bird of Death?" The captain muttered.
It seemed like he would never forget the name for the rest of his life but for Kieran on the other hand, he would never remember some goons like the captain.
There wasnt mystics involved in the ambush nor enemies that shared his power level, all he was facing was a bunch ofmoner elites. Even though they were fully armed, to Kieran, they were nothing more than a disorderly crowd.
It was too easy to wipe them out, especially against such a battleship, all Kieran had to do was to find the ammunition room and a small grenade could deal with most of the problem.
In fact, things unfolded even easier than Kieran had expected.
While standing on top of the sinking, burning ship, he took a nce over the area and found nothing of interest. Kieran then took up a lifeboat, threw it out at The Corals direction with all his might, followed by a leap to the lifeboat.
The lifeboats motor was spinning fiercely while Kierannded and stood at the front of the small boat. As his small lifeboat rode the waves and wind, explosions urred again behind him.
The feathers of his mantle fluttered by the sudden wind, his hair was blown forward, covering his face a little.
Everyone on The Coral gazed at the figure that was approaching rapidly. Their eyes couldnt help but stare at the crows feather on Kierans shoulder which had been dyed red in the sunsets glory.
"Shhh! He didnt even use up a minute to take out the enemies! This...This is the Bird of Death?!" Azinder on the deck gasped uncontrobly.
Azinder could count on The Coral, so he wasnt really concerned over the three battleships but he would never have thought those three battleships could be taken down so easily.
Azinder unconsciously looked at his first mate and all he saw was his first mate who was also one of the knights-in-reserve was muttering like he lost his soul.
Azinder wanted to wake his first mate up from his trance with his hand but when he heard what his first mate was muttering, his hand froze in mid-air.
"Assistant o assistant, in the form of a raven, ominous befallen. Named Bird of Death, a body of chaos, a heart of light, he will reign thend with a kingsly might."
"Assistant o assistant, in the form of a raven, ominous befallen. Named Bird of Death, a body of chaos, a heart of light, he will reign thend with a kingsly might."
His first mate was muttering the prophecy that the God of Earth left behind. It was well-spread throughout the West Coast, of course, it had been in the Sanctuarys ears but they never chose to believe it, or perhaps the Sanctuary had their own interpretation of the prophecy.
However, looking at the scene and thinking about Kierans Holy Knight reincarnation identity, even some of the members had their own interpretation of the matter, their heart also skipped a beat.
A body of chaos meant the devil bloodline, a heart of life meant the Holy Knight reincarnation.
What about the king in kingsly might?
Azinders heart was pumping fast, his mind was spinning fast at the matter. Not only him alone but the other crew members also thought the same way after they heard the first mate muttered the prophecy.
Only Ohara at a side frowned. She unconsciously wanted to refute Nikoreis prophecy but once she thought the person in the prophecy was referring to Kieran, she couldnt utter a word.
"Hugh...A king?... King... That doesnt sound all that bad!"
Ohara smirked after muttering the word twice, it seemed like she felt the title was decent.
Her eyes were even full of affectionate and tenderly love when she saw Kieran jump back up on the deck.
Kieran caught the gaze immediately and quivered hard as hended on the deck, the sudden gaze made him almost slipped and fell on the deck.
Kieran turned to Azinder right away, trying to avoid Oharas gazepletely but he noticed Azinder was looking at him with a different gaze than before. Not only Azinder but the other crew members as well.
Kieran frowned.
"What the hell happened?" He thought in his heart.
He didnt think that the simple explosion from his fireball would scare the Sanctuary members to this extent. Since Hugh the Holy Knight lived with them before, Kieran didnt think the Sanctuary members hadnt seen explosion or battles.
Still, Kieran still felt repulsed against such gazes. He wasnt a clown in the circus, standing around for others to admire him.
Fuuung!
The rampant, sulphuric chaotic aura sted out on the deck, wrecking everything around as a violent wind, pping the face of Azinder and his crew. The sudden st of wind brought them back from their trance.
Azinder who came back to his senses saw Kieran walked towards the cabin. The sulphuric scent was still lingering around his nose, causing him to quiver out of instinct.
ording to his knowledge, and what he witnessed, Kieran was not a person with mercy. The title "Bird of Death" was the best proof, and his devil bloodline solidified the fact.
If Kieran wasnt happy by any means...
Azinder shivered his body again, it was not the oue he would like to see. Azinder had no intentions of sharing the same fate as those unfortunate souls on the enemy battleships.
Even at that moment, he never felt his identity as a member of the Sanctuary could provide him with any safety.
"Resume course! Now! Hurry up!"
Azinder shouted at his crew, bringing them back to work and trying to repel the fear inside him. His gaze was alsonded at Ohara, showing his eyes full of begging but the disappointing thing was, the Archdeacon didnt even care about his begging eyes. All she did was follow Kieran back to the cabin.
Though, Azinder quickly thought of something else and ran towards the kitchen.
Since no one could give him a hand, all he could do was to save his own ass.
He was d that he has quite the observation, allowing him to know some of "his" favorites.
Just as Azinder was breaking his simple and unadorned life by preparing a great feast for Kieran, Kieran, on the other hand, was frowning over Ohara before him with her affectionate smile.
If it was possible, Kieran would prefer to fight Smulder one more time than face a smile like this.
It was too troublesome.
Chapter 494: Prophecy Strikes Again
Chapter 494: Prophecy Strikes Again
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Ohara seemed to have not noticed Kierans troubled expressions.
She put on her tender smile and walked forth to Kieran.
Just when Kierans brows were about to lock together, Ohara stopped before Kieran.
"Youve scared Azinder and the others," Ohara said in a peaceful tone.
"I just hated their eyes on me!" Kieran said and silently leaned backward a step.
"Just like the way you are in the past. Youd rather freeze and train yourself in the snow than enjoy the glory and honor from other peoples gaze. So its real, even though your body has changed, your soul still lives on." Ohara sighed.
She then looked at Kieran with more affectionate eyes.
I dislike being treated like a clown, I didnt say I dont enjoy the glory and honor!
Kieran criticized it in his heart silently but that was it.
During the time he spent with Ohara, he didnt find any effective way to deal with her but remaining cold and silent had be a habit for him. He really couldntmunicate with a person that treated him like another person, especially with thisdy before him, her affectionate love that was overflowing from her eyes numbed Kierans scalp.
Kieran never thought he would be up for something like this, being adored by someone but he knew the adoration came from a misunderstanding and being treated as a substitute. It was not a good feeling to his heart.
Those who never experienced it would never share his feeling and those who did could only sigh and do nothing.
Kieran was in an even special scenario because Ohara before him was a native, a real existence but they might not meet again in the future or at any time given by the system.
Under such circumstances, Kieran who never experienced any rtionships before chose to stay cold and remained silent. Yet, Ohara didnt mind at all.
When she kept on telling stories of the past, Kieran couldnt help but frown.
Just when the time was right, Ohara stopped and switched the topic a moment before Kieran turned restless.
"Do you know why Azinder and the others looked at you that way?" Ohara asked.
"Why?" Kieran didnt conceal his curiosity.
"It is because of that womans prophecy!"
Whenever Nikorei was mentioned, Ohara had always been filled with rage but after Kieran reminded her once, she changed her addressed to that "woman" but the rage and grudge still persisted in her words; though she did gave her best effort in not letting Kieran feel repulsed.
"Assistant o assistant, in the form of a raven, ominous befallen. Named Bird of Death, a body of chaos, a heart of light, he will reign thend with a kingsly might."
"She never changed at all, always showing off of her gifts and talents. Since she knew everything from the beginning, of course, she is able to make such a prophecy." Oharamented.
The coldness struck Kierans heart for a while.
To be honest, Kieran had already forgotten the prophecy that embarrassed Oharas reminder. Following Oharas reminder, Kieran suddenly realized something. He finally knew what was the reasons behind Azinder and the others gaze.
Didnt "a heart of light" coincidentally verify his identity as the reincarnated holy knight?
"Could it be that everything was within Reis prediction?" Kieran suddenly had such thoughts in his mind.
"Ive said it before, that woman only likes to show off her gifts, she knew from the beginning that you were Hughs reincarnation, thus the prophecy. You dont have to care much about it." Ohara couldnt help but speak her mind when she saw Kierans expression.
How could Kieran not be concerned?!
Kieran knew exactly what was going on, it was impossible for him to be Hughs reincarnation and as far as his identity was concerned, he wasnt even someone of this world to begin with, but Nikorei imed that she "saw" everything.
Kieran had once again felt astonishing and in awe of Nikoreis power, her title of God of Earth was really worthy, at the same time his heart had a sudden surge of impulse.
The stone gate! What was behind the stone gate?
Kieran wished that he could fly over to the stone gate and kick it down to see what it was inside.
"I predict good luck ahead!"
"What?"
The sudden phrase interrupted Kierans thoughts. Kieran raised his head to Ohara, looking at her with a puzzled expression.
"I predict that you shall have good luck ahead! So everything that happens to you from now onwards will be something good and it is because of my prediction!"
Ohara straightened her delicate face and said strictly.
"What? How is that possible?" Kieran refuted back directly.
"Yes, how is that possible? A prophecy or prediction is a set of unique calctions of probability. When you are within the equations and being deceived by some tricks from the mystics, you will believe it is real but when its true nature is revealed before you, you wont believe it at all! Because it is nothing more than coincidence!"
Ohara nodded and repeated what Kierans said. Then sheforted Kieran with her own words.
"Hugh, you dont even have to care about that prophecy because you will be the king and reign thends! That woman only saw your potential and deliberately made things look mysterious, boasting her guess!"
Pleasedy, where did the confidence in mee from?
Kieran rolled his eyes against Oharas tender smile but it wasnt to mock her or anything.
He could feel that Ohara meant well, even though her thoughts were only for the reincarnation that never existed.
That feeling was the worst!
"I am 2567!" Kieran restated his name.
"Um. Okay, 2567!" Ohara tilted her head a little and looked at Kierans serious face for a while, then she nodded slowly. Though inside her heart, she said silently, Okay, Hugh!
The simple reason was that she didnt want to refute Kieran but she couldnt let go of Hughs name. So she decided to call Kieran "2567" and her heart addressed him as Hugh again.
Dong, Dong Dong!
Just when Ohara was talking about all the proof of Nikorei being a big liar by her own, the cabin door was knocked on.
"Come in!" Kieran said as if he had been slightly liberated.
It was Azinder pushing in a crude dining cart before Kieran. A couple of dishes were ced on the cart, trying to look as m as possible with every effort.
Though, the effect was better than worst.
It wasnt that the food wasnt good but the cook who prepared the food wasnt good that this kind of cuisine but Kieran wouldnt waste the food since he never disliked any food.
Azinder stood up and helped Kieran ce the dishes on the table automatically.
Instantly, Azinder who was having a disturbed feeling smiled as he knew it was the right step for him.
Right after that, Azinder excitedly brought out the surprised he hid under the cart for a long time.
Candles and a candlestick.
He quickly put the candlestick down and lighted the candles.
"May both of you dear sir and madam have a good time!"
The captain of the ship mimicked a restaurant waiter, greeted his customer and bowed slightly before heading out.
Therefore, Azinder didnt see Kieran who frozepletely with a poker face at the spot and of course he didnt see Oharas shy expression.
But he knew what should he do before leaving the cabin.
He pped his hands.
Pak!
The lights went off, leaving the candle, the meal and both of them inside.
Chapter 495: Arrived
Chapter 495: Arrived
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The candlelight was soft in the darkness, shedding afortable light over the two.
The waves outside could be heard, beating on the ship.
Kieran and Ohara exchanged gazes unconsciously under the peaceful atmosphere and quickly shifted their gazes with awkwardness after a couple of seconds.
Ohara who was blushing tilted her head aside at the small window.
Kieran tilted his down at the dishes before him. He was trying to divert his attention with the food, it wasnt the best idea but it was the only thing he coulde up with.
As for the result?
Ohara promptly followed Kieran in dining. Both of them had an awkward silence between them that was mixed with a little embarrassment. Throughout the whole dinner, only the noise of forks and knives clunking could be heard and it was very soft.
Both of them were carefully in eating, trying their best in not making any noise.
Kieran could only describe his feelings at that moment with troublesome and strenuous, in a more simplified means, Kieran had never had such a torturing dinner.
"Im done!" After gobbling down his portion of the dinner quickly, he stood up and walked out of the cabin with haste. He really couldnt bear it anymore being in that room with Ohara.
He would rather Ohara tell more stories about "his" past life than keep quiet the whole dinner.
It was the worst torture!
After walking out of his cabin, sea breeze caressed his face and he looked at the stars and moon in the night sky. Finally, he let out a long sigh, he had decided to not return to his cabin until Ohara returned to her own.
Kieranid down his backpack and the box with [Arrogant Word], leaning on his tedious luggage and slightly shut his eyes, waiting.
After a few minutes, Kieran opened his eyes.
It wasnt that Ohara had left but Azinder with a sneaky smile appeared before him.
Looking at the captain of the ship before him that created that unforgettable dinner for him, Kieran raised a brow, thinking that he should create some unforgettable experience for the captain in return.
"Azinder, youve ever heard of a night swim?" Kieran asked.
"A night swim? Of course, I do! It was once a popr activity among the youngsters of the West Coast back in the days. Itsted for quite a while until the appearance of the night predator forced them to stay indoors. It was then slowly forgotten by the people.
Captain Azinder thought he did a good deed and he didnt even realize the impending punishment for him, all he did was answer Kierans question with sincerity.
"Umm, I really want to see someone night swim before me." Kieran nodded and said with a t expression.
"You want to see... Aaaaaaaah!"
Before Azinder could finish his words, he was thrown into the sea by Kieran.
His cry broke the silence of the night on the ship.
"Captain overboard!! Hurry! Captain overboard!!"
The men on duties on the deck heard the cry and yelled loudly to the others, waking those who were in their dreand.
It was after ten minutes when Azinder was rescued back on the deck.
Azinder blushed hard when he realized his crew was looking at him with astonished gaze and without knowing the inside story of why he fell into the sea.
A captain of the ship falling into the sea was not something glorious to boast about, especially when he needed rescue from his crew.
If the ship wasnt the Sanctuarys and all the crew on the ship were Sanctuary members, Azinder would have his authority of captain questioned at this point.
After all, no sailor would sail with a captain that didnt know how to swim.
Azinder dispersed his spectator crew and headed towards Kieran with an upset face. He wanted to question Kieran why he had thrown him overboard.
Though when he saw Kierans cool face, Azinders upset rage disappeared by itself and was reced by a sheer coldness from the back of his head.
"Before this... Did I do something wrong again?" Azinder finally reacted to what caused him to be thrown overboard since he wasnt an idiot. All Azinder could do when he stood before Kieran was to show a bitter smile.
"I think we should have talked over this matter rather than actions!" The captain said.
"But sometimes, actions or other methods are more effective!" Kieran didnt refute but he stood his point firmly.
The bitter smile on Azinders face turned heavier.
Just as Azinder was giving up any unhealthy conversation with the persistent Kieran, Kieran suddenly asked, "How do you see the sudden encounter in the evening?"
The bitter smile on Azinders face instantly vanished and he looked at Kieran with a strict face.
"Youve discovered something?" Azinder asked.
"Nope but at least I know it wasnt purely coincidence. In the middle of nowhere on the sea and trying to lockdown The Coral with her special defensive measures, it is nearly impossible but they did it somehow. How do you think they did it?" Kieran asked in a ridiculing way.
"There is no traitor on my ship!" Azinder emphasized.
Captain Azinders expression was even stricter than before, the beard on his face even stood up straight because he tightened his lips, simr to a curled up hedgehog.
"Maybe, maybe not, who knows?" Kieran took his backpack and box and headed back to his cabin because he clearly saw Ohara return to her cabin after evading everyone else.
Obviously, for some reason, Ohara hoped not to be noticed but Kieran still caught it with his eyes.
Kieran shrugged it off anyway and didnt seem concerned about her behavior.
He returned to his own cabin and started to explore more of the Dawn Force.
As for the potential traitor among the crews, Kieran believed Azinder would take care of it nicely.
...
After that sudden encounter with the enemy, The Coral didnt run into any enemies anymore for the next three days in the journey.
It was smooth sailing from there onwards, making the sudden encounter look like nothing but a dream. Even Kieran could hear the sound of the wind and cry of the storks under the peaceful environment even though he barely came out of his cabin.
There wasnt any progress after trying to explore more of the Dawn Force for the past three days but fortunately, thankful to that awkward dinner, Ohara had been in a quiet state and she barely appeared before Kieran. It made Kieran let out a sigh of relief.
Kieran took his luggage and went to the deck. He could already see Lons Port with his eyes and it was getting closer by the minute. It made him unconsciously smirk.
Although it wasnt West Coast City by any means, his mood was lifted when he knew he was only three hours drive away from West Coast City.
In his ns, he had intentions to return to West Coast City before heading to Ciaran City. Not only because it was his home turf but also because he had many more questions about alchemy and potionology to ask Charles and Simones.
Pro level of [Mystical Knowledge] was far from enough for Kieran.
Even though Kieran still wasnt sure which one of the four skill, Alchemy, Potionology, Astrology, and Research of Mystical Beings to level up to Master level, but in order to level from Pro to Grand Master, [Mystical Knowledge] required the other three skills to be at least Entry level, so it forced Kieran to take the skill leveling into ount.
However, idents always happened.
When The Coral sessfully docked at Lons Port, Kieran had noticed Elli, Simones, and Charles standing on the dock, waiting for him.
The youngss also noticed Kieran who wasing down from the ship. Her face was first full of delight but quickly turned into a cold reaction with a grunt.
It was because Elli saw Ohara somehow appeared and came down with Kieran and walked side-by-side with him.
Elli quickly fired out unfriendly gaze towards Ohara when they approach.
Ohara didnt back off as well when she caught Ellis gaze.
The smell of gunpowder started to fill the docks as sparks lit up when bothdies locked gazes.
Chapter 496: Morph
Chapter 496: Morph
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
"Its been a while, Elli!"
As if Kieran didnt notice the unusual gaze between Ohara and Elli, he walked forth and greeted the youngss with a smile. He also greeted the two elders behind her with respect as well.
"Master Charles, Simones."
Both of them were actually teachers to Kieran although Kieran didnt address Simones as master, it was a fact that he thought Kieran potionology in the past.
"It really has been a while 2567!" Simones replied with the pipe in his mouth.
Charles, on the other hand, was examining Kieran carefully, eventually, he noticed Kierans left hand under his glove. After a couple seconds, the elder alchemy master nodded with augh.
"I see! This is great! Better than I expected!"
No doubt Charles had extraordinary senses towards the fiery spell that he created himself, Kieran also didnt conceal his achievement before his master as well.
He took off his glove and started to discuss with his master softly. Simones was smoking his pipe and listening aside, but his eyes couldnt help but look at Elli and Ohara.
The youngss and thedy were staring at each other, refusing to give in.
"You are Elli Jones?" The Archdeacon said with her imposing tone, looking down at the youngss.
"Har? Who is this aunty here?" Elli refuted without showing any weakness.
"It doesnt matter who am I! The important thing is, you better stay away from 2567, that is the best advice I have for you!"
Oharas face went stiff for a while when her age was mentioned but quickly returned to her delicate expression and gave Elli a smile.
"Why do I think you are the one who needs to stay away from him?" Elli refuted back with a crossed arm.
"You areparing your shallow rtionship with my profound feelings for him?"
Ohara remained smiley but her voice turned cold.
"That was a few decades ago, are you sure 2567 still remembers you? Or do you think he is closer to you or closer to me now?" Elli grunted coldly directly.
"If you already knew the arrangements of fate, you shouldpromise with it!"
Ohara hide her smile, her tone became stern and even her temperament turned into something threatening.
"Compromise? I cant find that word anywhere in my dictionary! 2567 was never a person whopromises!"
Elli returned a smile to Ohara when she became threatening, Elli took a step forward without any hesitation, lifted her head up with her nose standing tall and said, "Wanna have a go at it? Ill be happy to apany! When I heard that 2567 had awakened his reincarnated soul because of some olddy, the disgusting news had been troubling me for a while, I cant wait to throw such a shameless b***h into the sea!"
Elli said while she took out the tied up carpet back in Nikoreis study room.
"Humph! A wild stray cat being so cocky, lurking around 2567 when he hasnt awakened his memories, and youve brought the thing of the person I hated the most!"
Oharas Sanctuary Force started to gather up at her fist.
Although Kieran wanted to pretend he didnt see anything when Elli and Ohara were really going to fight, his brows furrowed hard yet he didnt stop them but turned around and walked away.
Kieran knew the youngss quite well since the first encounter and even though he didnt spend too much time with Ohara, he could say he had a certain level of understanding as well.
Both of thedies werent the type of people that could be simply persuaded with words.
With their unyielding attitude and persistence, any persuasion would turn into oil being poured into a burning fire, especially when Kieran decided to step in and interfere.
So Kieran chose to leave.
Charles and Simones were stunned by Kierans move but when they saw that Elli and Ohara stopped arguing and quickly give chase to Kieran, both elders looked at each other with an astonished gaze. They gave a big thumbs up to the direction where Kieran was heading.
...
Wine ss Inn, Lons Port.
The owner of the inn was also from the mystical realm received Kieran when he walked in.
"Wee dear sir, if you have any orders or demands, please press the bell!"
The owner then quickly left Kierans sight. Panic was showing on his face, it was obvious the title Bird of Death hase into y.
Kieran wasnt concerned about those who misunderstood him, he nced over the luggage in the room and turned to Elli and the others.
"Weve been waiting for you here for three days!"
The youngss said before Kieran even asked.
"Why?" Kieran quickly noticed something was wrong.
"Something bad has happened at Ciaran City. Three days ago in the night, the whole city was shrouded with negative energy, lots of civilians died and those alchemy enforcers were roaming the streets. If it wasnt verified information, we wouldve thought the Blood Moons power deflected and shed its light on Ciaran City. Though, you can say its a reenactment as well. Those raging alchemy warriors and the Blood Moon were identical to the books, maybe even stronger than the previous version. Even that Sanctuary Holy Knight and the Archdeacons had their hands tied!" Elli then purposely threw a mocking gaze at Ohara.
Ohara wasnt agitated at all, she stayed beside Kieran calmly and acted like Kieran was in-charged. Her observations were enough to let her understand what kind of attitude she had to put up in order for Kieran to not hate her now.
Elli, however, was blind to that. The youngss seemed delighted as if she won a battle.
After another quick nce at Ohara, she continued, "The West Coast Government had sent out armies, many of the mystics headed towards Ciaran City as well but none of them bore any results. The negative energy prevented the majority from advancing. Fortunately, the negative energy field didnt expand further. While all that was happening, someone bear news that 2567 youve agreed to explore Ciaran City on behalf of the Sanctuary."
The youngss nced at Ohara once more with a fierce gaze.
"Three days ago? Shrouded by negative energy?" Kieran slightly frowned.
It was the same day that The Coral was under attack from the enemies, which allowed him to rte to it more.
The negative energy attack was within Kierans expectation as well. After all, ording to Oharas description, the best way to restraint the Sanctuary Force was to use high-density negative energy to counter the positive energy.
Maybe there will be some changes in various spots but the basics would remain the same.
However, Barry dragging the whole of Ciaran City down was certainly out of Kierans expectations.
"Has the loss driven him insane, trying to gamble without caring about the consequences? Or he has some other aplices with him, trying to wait for the Sanctuary to fall into their trap?" Kieran guessed.
Regardless of which perspective to the current situation, it certainly didnt seem Barry alone could pull out such feat.
While looking at Kieran thinking about the matter, Elli was worried, trying to persuade him.
"The danger level of that ce is beyond imagination, ording to some of those who snuck in, Ciaran City has be a living hell on earth, so no way you are allowed to go there!" The youngss strengthened her tone, emphasizing the danger.
Simones and Charles kept quiet but the fact that both of them appeared at Lons Port with Elli had said it all. However, the most surprising answer came from Ohara.
"Ill support any decision you make, 2567." She said with a soft smile.
Elli skipped a breath, she sensed danger beyond her imaginationing from thatdy.
Elli would never have thought Ohara would give up her stand in the matter and follow Kieran to such extent. It made the youngss gaze towards thedy even more unfriendly.
Ohara, on the other hand, remained smiling.
Soon enough, when a series of footsteps sounded following by a tall figureing in the room after a knock, Oharas smile suddenly turned unnatural, or in other words, she wasnt as confident as before.
Chapter 497: Scroll
Chapter 497: Scroll
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The tall figure plus with delicate facial features. Semi-long brown hair which slightly curled up at her shoulder, waving along as she moved into the room.
A pair of deep blue eyes but it was giving out pitiful sorrow.
The moment Ohara saw Tally Landsky, she quickly turned to Kieran, trying to observe his expression and when she noticed Kierans eyes were contemptuous and disgusted rather than affectionate and adoring, Ohara was slightly relieved in her heart.
Though promptly, Ohara became curious as to where the disgust originated from.
Whether was it Hugh in her memories or 2567 before her, neither of them were people who revealed their negative emotions directly but Ohara didnt take the initiative to ask. She sat quietly and observed.
Tally walked into the room and nced around the area, eventually her eyesnded on Kieran.
"This is what my grandfather wanted me to handover."
As she spoke, a cowhide package was ced in front of Kieran.
Kieran didnt check what was inside but he frowned at Tally who was standing before him.
Promptly, Tallys blue eyes were showing a self-mocking gaze.
"I know you dont want to see my face again but the whole Landsky family is being watched by some unknown parties and especially my grandfather is under heavy surveince. Since I am the one person being sidelined since the beginning, there is still space for me to escape."
"My grandfather wanted to remind you, the war between Barry and the Sanctuary has too many unknown forces involved, best you keep yourself away from it!"
Tally then walked herself to a corner of the room and leaned herself to the wall.
"Why are you still here? Shouldnt you have left by now?" Elli said directly.
Elii wasnt courteous to Tally since her first impression wasnt good by any means. In fact, if it wasnt for Kieran who exined the situation back then, Elli would have gone after Tally for revenge. After all, it was Tally who forced Elli to understand the importance of power, with a direct, miserably painful way.
"Leave? Although I am not the one under heavy surveince, my absence is enough to ring the rm for those watching us. If I return, it would be suicide! I have no intentions of ending my life this way!" Tally shook her head.
She didnt seem to be begging by any means in her manner when he spoke, more like she was just stating a fact.
The youngss pouted and eventually stayed quiet, neither did she try to send Tally away. Even though Tally was a hateful person, Elli was kind at heart, her conscience wouldnt allow her to perform vicious deeds.
As both Elli and Tallys conversation ended, the room was silent except for Kieran flipping the papers from the inside of the cowhide package.
There were only a few papers with several written pages but the contents werepact, handwritten, from Rond Landsky himself.
Kieran was sure since he had seen Ronds handwriting before.
On top of the several written pages, Rond had described in detail the abnormality of the whole West Coast Government and the things that he was dubious of. Other than the mystical organization, East Coast, the Old South country and maybe even the North might intervene.
"In order to recreate the Blood Moon in the West Coast?" Kieran saw the Ronds written conclusion.
Then he turned his attention to the pictures that came together. Compared to the few papers, there were much more pictures, a total of ten pieces and the contents could be divided into two parts.
Part of the monochrome pictures were showing ab, with huge translucent containers, holding what seemed to an unconscious grown man.
The other part was showing a city at sunset but since the pictures were monochrome, the sunset was blurry, giving a haunting and eerie look.
Without a doubt, the former were the alchemy fighters created by the alchemy enforcers and thetter was Ciaran City being corrupted by the negative energy.
Kieran didnt utter a word and passed the pictures to Charles and Simones.
Both of their expression turned heavy after they quickly went over the letter and pictures.
Listening to information and seeing it with their own eyes were two different concepts.
"This is even worse than we thought!" Charles took a deep breath and said.
"I agreed to Rond Landskys suggestion, we should start off from the West Coast City, gather more men and form a new defensive system!" Simones took a heavy puff from his pipe and expression his opinion.
In the letters, Rond didnt only described the information he had gotten but more of it were ns to deal with the current situation.
Not only were the points were neatly arranged but it was appropriate as well. Anyone who had a nce over the letters would know how much effort Rond had put intoing up with the ns.
Kieran also wouldnt try to ignore the fact and deny it, however, he wouldnt do as suggested.
After triggering [Special event: Full-scale war], Kieran had basically no options left. In order to get the best out of it and more rewards, he had to be involved. Of course, he could carry out the ns at the same time as well.
"Simones, Master Charles, I hope that you all can follow Ronds suggestions and set up the defensive system in West Coast City," Kieran said with utmost sincerity towards both his teacher.
"How about you?"
Simones and Charles werent idiots. After they heard what Kierans request was, they knew what his intentions were.
"I want to investigate Ciaran City. Dont worry, its just a simple investigation and recon, I am not that kind of person who will neglect my life. If there is any danger, I will be the first one to leave!"
Kieran said pretended to be rxed.
However, the youngss has worry filled her face.
From her perspective, Kierans emphasis sounded like the more he said the more he wanted to hide. She unconsciously wanted to say something but after she saw Ohara aside, who remained quiet and a smile, she had some dy.
Elli was no idiot as well, quite the contrary she had wisdom that none of her peers would have, therefore she had her own guess about Oharas thoughts. Still, the guesses didnt change her original intentions as well.
"Ill go with you!" The hard-willss said after slightly hesitating.
"No!" Kieran shook his head in a decisive way.
The trip to Ciaran City would be filled with tremendous dangers.
Though Kieran could ignore the high density negative energy environment because of his [Body of Evil] but it didnt mean the others could.
To be honest, Kieran was confident of his trip just because of [Body of Evil].
"But..."
"No buts!"
Kieran stopped Elli from furthering her argument. He knew he couldnt be hesitant over such things. Once hesitation took over, with Ellis attitude, it would be too tangled up to unravel.
Seeing the youngss feeling wronged by his words, Kieran silently apologized. He then stood up directly and was ready to take off.
"Wait!"
Elli stopped him again. Then under Kierans questioning gaze, she took out a scroll from her bag.
"This is a scroll left behind by teacher! I think it will be of use!" Elli said.
Chapter 498: Malicious Watch
Chapter 498: Malicious Watch
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The scroll was made out of goatskin and oak wood.
It was less than 15 cm long but its weight was slightly out of Kierans expectations.
The seemingly thin and light scroll weighted at least 500 grams but what astonished Kieran the most was the scroll itself.
[Name: Whisper of the Dead]
[Type: Scroll]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attribute: Oath of allegiance 1/1]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Remark: This is the scroll written by the God of Earth Nikorei herself. While being used at specific times, it will bring out the unimaginable effect!]
...
[Oath of allegiance: Form an alliance with all the spiritual beings before you out of willingness. Cost 2000 Points and able to summon them with the scroll]
...
"Sure enough youve seen everything that is going on now right?" Kieran muttered.
He understood the reason behind the scroll and why it appeared before him.
Therefore he turned around and told Ohara, "Well have to dy our departure time a little, I have to go out for a while."
"Well then, 2567 stay safe!" Ohara didnt object at all yet the reminder that sounded so intimate made Elli stare at her angrily again.
Ohara ignored the youngsss gaze from the start, which made Elli even angrier. After another harsh stare at Ohara, Elli went up to her own room looking upset.
From the start to end, Ohara was carrying her smile.
Simones and Charles looked at each other and returned to their own rooms after a shrug.
Tally was leaning at the left corner of the wall as she stretched her body, she wasnt concerned about Oharas eyes on her and showed off of her lithe and voluptuous body.
"Ive booked thest room in the inn, you need one? I can give it to you." Tally said.
"Its fine, Ill wait for 2567 here!" Ohara replied.
"2567 eh?" Tally didnt bother to suppress her tone and muttered before Ohara, sounding unusual. Instantly, it caught the attention and vignce of the Archdeacon.
"Dont misunderstand anything, Im just a little curious. Well then, good night your gracefulness Archdeacon." Tally said with augh.
Tally then walked away with her charming and graceful steps.
Behind her was Ohara, frowning hard as she stared at Tallys back.
"Curious? What will happen when a woman is curious about a man?"
Ohara knew exactly what would happen and she knew even more that Tally was not like Elli, a youngss who had nothing against her and was easy to deal with. Ohara needed to be more vignt from now on. She had lost Hugh once in the past and she wasnt nning on losing him twice, regardless of what way!
...
Azinder was driving a modified car and was slightly sizing up Ohara in the back seat with the corner of his eyes.
Four days ago when the bunch left Lons Port, the Archdeacon had "I am not happy, dont piss me off" written all over her face and manner.
For the remaining four days traveling, Azinder didnt even dare to breathe out loud as he had no idea what happened but he knew it would be best to not get involved.
As for Kieran?
Azinder took a peek through the back mirror at Kieran, he was lying down with his big backpack andid his legs straight on the seat, sleeping soundly.
Azinder promptly lowered his breath even more. If the Archdeacon had a bad mood and he had to be careful, then he would be trembling in fear if he identally woke Kieran from his sleep.
He knew Kieran was not a person with the best temper back from the "swimming" lesson on the ship. Therefore, Azinder drove the modified car which was modified to cruise even smoother on the road with the utmost care, trying to stay as smooth as possible.
Let alone an emergency brake, even when there was a hole in the road, Azinder would go around in rather than over,pletely burying the modified cars purpose and the benefit of a driver.
Of course, it had Azinder worried a little because, for the past four days, Kieran was mostly asleep.
Something must have happened, otherwise...
Just as Azinder was pondering on his messy thoughts, a loud yawn sounded behind him.
Kieran who had been soundly asleep had awoken, he rubbed his eyes with his middle finger and sat up straight on the seat, stretching his body.
Since he had maintained his sleeping posture for a long period of time, a clear cracking noise came following his body stretch.
"Where are we now?" Kieran asked, sounding coarse as he hadnt really spoken for the whole journey.
"We will be arriving soon at Ciaran City! How are you, 2567?"
Ohara who was in the passenger seat turned around to Kieran, looking worried.
For the past four days, Ohara was worried about Tally of course but also mostly because how sleepy Kieran was.
Compared to Azinder who knew nothing, Ohara did saw it with her own eyes that Kieran was still energetic the night he left for his business and when he came back the morning after, he looked exhausted and dispirited as if amon man had stayed upte for a whole month.
If it wasnt that Kieran didnt have any odd smell on him, Ohara would definitely suspected Kieran must have been up to something, but it made Ohara worry even more because, excluding the other possibility, she knew it must be rted to the scroll that swindler gave him.
"That damn swindler!" She cursed the youngss in her heart with the least delight.
On the contrary, Oharas eyes at Kieran became even more worrisome.
"Its nothing really, just a small ident. I feel better now." Kieran said with a smile.
He didnt go into the details about that night since he had acquired a new ace card, it would be best for fewer people to know about it.
It wasnt that Kieran didnt trust Ohara and Azinder but after that ambush back on The Coral yet they couldnt locate a traitor from the crew, it made him cautious.
No one could guarantee whether the enemies had their hands on some peculiar technology,bining mystical methods with science. If it wasnt a joke then it would be something that could go down in history and with Barrys performance, Kieran tended to lean towards thetter.
Ohara didnt press the question, she didnt really think much about the puzzling thoughts. She simply didnt want to press the question because she didnt want Kieran to hate her.
"2567, are we going to meet up with Smulder?" Ohara switched the topic without further exaggeration.
It was the question that Ohara had been thinking for quite a while with utmost consideration.
"Um!" Kieran nodded his head.
He knew that Ohara would switch course if he said no but at that moment, Kieran wouldnt mind seeing that Holy Knight again, after all both of them had amon enemy.
Phew!
Kieran took a deep breath.
Suddenly, a thick, dense ck appeared at the far end of his sight.
The typical darkness that even the suns ray couldnt pierce, it was giving out a corrupting, cold and unsettling feeling.
Even though there was still some distance between them, Keiran could already feel that Ohara and Azinder had started to feel anxious.
However, he himself was cheering in delight, whether was it the devils energy or the Eye of Chimeras, both were feeling very happy as if they saw their ownnd, their home before them.
At a further spot, countless gazes were staring at the moving car approaching.
Some were curious, some were contemting but most of them were malicious gazes, staring nakedly at the approaching target.
Kieran unconsciously frowned when he picked up on the gazes.
Chapter 499: Home Turf
Chapter 499: Home Turf
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Any unwee gaze would cause one to feel ufortable and when those gazes were mixed with malicious intent, Kieran felt that the gazes were stinging his skin like a thousand needles.
Although it was just a presentation, Kieran was never fond of it, so he quickly responded with his dissatisfaction without any hesitation.
Fuuuuum!
A violent gale burst out from the car, mixing a scent of sulfur in the chaotic aura burst, ravaging in every direction.
The aura burst revealed a giant devil head with the looks of a goat but ten times more vicious, had fangs like des as it hung itself in mid-air. When it opened its mouth, the devilish goat head gave out a heavy weird growl, simr to the echoes in the midnight mountains, echoing around and was getting louder by the moment.
As the growl got louder, it was simr to a sudden shout in ones ear.
Raaaaaaaor!
Everyone with the malicious gaze was nced at by the devilish eyes, thus scaring them back.
They were frightened by the devils aura. Amidst their quivering and panic, they felt sheer coldness at their back.
The others who were around those frightened men with the malicious intents sneered at them.
Since they were from different factions, they had different styles of handling things. None of them held back their sneering at the frightened men yet soon enough, their sneering came to an end.
Those frightened men staggered backward after the devilish nce and all of a sudden, their bodies were engulfed in mes under those sneering mens eyes.
The mes burst out from inside the frightened mens body. Sparks came out from their nostrils first, then their eyes were burnt off, tongues of mesing out from the seven apertures. It was like the men drank a whole barrel of oil and lit themselves on fire.
The mes ravaged the bodies, agonizing cries could be heard everywhere.
A moment ago the burning men harbored malicious intent but a momentter, karma struck them like thunder. None of them deserved any mercy but anyone who saw such a horrifying scene, even if one was from the mystical realm, their heart would skip a beat.
Or more precisely, they were shocked because they were from the mystical realm.
The aura alone could burn people alive! Every one of the evil mystics knew how hard would it be to achieve such power.
So who was that in the car driving towards them?
Everyone was guessing, their mind kept spinning, thinking about anyone who was rted to the devil, or the factions, family of simr powers. When all the pieces were put together, plus the recent news, everyone came up with only one conclusion.
The Bird of Death! The Fiery Devil and the assistant of the God of Earth, 2567!
All the titles led to one name, but some of them still didnt want to believe it because based on their own guesses. Kieran wouldnt have reached such power.
Kieran relied solely on his aura burst, suppressed the malicious enemies and dealt real damage. Such power level has deviated from what they knew about Kieran.
"Is it really him?" The men guessed.
Some of them started to have extra thoughts, would it be someone trying to strike fear by showing of their strength?
Although such spections were a little absurd, they wouldnt use it to cover over the fact that more than a dozen mystics were burnt alive.
Despite they themselves being mystics, some of them were willing to stay persistent in their own opinion. Such as the East Coast mystics which had a grudge against Kieran for a long time.
The East Coast mystics stood up on a small hill, sprouting a cold grunt to express their feelings one after another.
"Clowns trying to kick up a cloud of dust to mystify things!" One of them said without any courtesy.
After hearing such ament, Felly who was also with them started to draw some distance with that man. Felly knew Kieran wasnt exactly a person with a good temper.
Standing still while allowing others to beat and scold him without striking back? It was definitely not a phrase to describe Kieran.
A momentter, Felly was d that he was smart this time around.
Fuuuosh!
mes burst out from the mans body, exactly the way how the others were burned before him.
Amidst the agonizing cry, the ming man hurled himself at those around him but it was useless. All he did was drag another unfortunate bastard with him.
After a couple seconds, the ming man was burnt to crisp and the other unfortunate bastard fell to the ground, looking ugly but he wasnt dead.
Right after that, many others who were silently observing the moving car let out a cry of astonishment.
The car stopped, and its doors were opened.
The backpack, the box, and the familiar face came down from that car. Every sign pointed towards the person bring 2567, the one they hated the most.
However,pared to their earlier mocking and disdainful act, the East Coast mystics pretended to be mute and blind.
This time around Felly looked at the people around him with a disdainful thought in his heart.
Then, Felly gave a ttering smile to Kieran without showing any obvious signs or traces.
As the first person who witnessed Kierans devil form, his instinct firmly believed that Kieran was the one mystics from the West Coast whose bad side he didnt want to get on. Felly had always been the one smart enough to understand where the wind blew and followed it.
Kieran came down and saw the ttering smile. He couldntment much based on the impression he had on Felly and moreover, he waspletely astonished by his own condition.
[Arrived at high-density negative energy field, rted skills effect increased, yer gains +1 buff to all stats and skills...]
Although Kieran had been having some thoughts before he arrived that the negative energy field that it would be extremely beneficial to him, he never would have thought it would be such an obvious effect, as far as appearing in the notification list.
Even more so, Kieran hadnt really stepped into the visible negative energy field before him, he was only at the outer area! Yet drastic changes had urred to him.
The devils power and Eye of Chimeras were anxious to show their presence.
Both of the devilish verve had been increased, although it wasnt as obvious as the burning aura that the others saw but [Touch of Cardinal Sins] has be extremely useful.
Its cost has been reduced and effect has been increased.
Kieran was in his own territory!
The sudden phrase appeared in Kierans heart. The ce before him that everyone was ufortable about was his own territory! His home turf!
With the advantages and benefits of his home turf, it seemed like he could achieve even more now.
The car door opened again, Azinder and Ohra too came down from the car.
As Ohara revealed herself, those men who were staring at them widen their eyes first before they looked at each other in awe. They couldnt believe what they saw, seemingly unable to believe in the scene before them.
Ohara being one of the Archdeacons of the Sanctuary had quite the reputations among the mystical realm. Her looks had been floating around for quite a while among the mystics, there were even pictures of her. Hence, Ohara was recognized at first sight.
The rumor also followed tightly after the realization, which was "2567 has awakened his previous lifes memories because of Ohara!"
At first, none of the mystics were willing to believe the rumors but when Kieran and Ohara appeared together and Kieran even presenting his power exceeding their wildest imagination, their view on the rumors had changed quickly.
"The rumors are true?"
"Is 2567 really the reincarnation of Hugh the Holy Knight?!"
Everyone was stunned on the spot, but only after a few seconds, some of them gave out a long sigh. The sigh of relief was obvious, it even woke those who were still astonished. Those who were stunned woke up as well and let out a sigh of relief as well.
"Thats right! The reason 2567 is that powerful is because he is the reincarnation of a Holy Knight!"
"Otherwise he wouldnt have exceeded us so much?!"
Such thoughts had taken over most of their hearts and upied their mind.
Everyone seemed to have forgotten that the devil power that Kieran showed off was illogical for a reincarnated Holy Knight.
That was what most people would choose to believe when encountering something beyond their logic, any forceful reasoning was enough for them to believe it willingly.
As for the truth? None of it mattered anymore, even though it was the cold hard fact.
Kieran could also clearly feel the changes of gaze from the mystics surrounding him.
"That God damned geezer Phandle!" Kieran cursed.
Ohara beside though tiled her head down shyly.
However, a momentter, Kieran and Oharaid their eyes at the negative energy filled Ciaran City and the sudden changes that urred.
Chapter 500: Waves of Evil Spirits
Chapter 500: Waves of Evil Spirits
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
On top of the ck colored negative energy clump, waves of ripples spread out like water.
The ripples ovepped with each other, forming a big wrinkled area.
When the wrinkled negative energy umted to a certain limit, the ck color at its center started to turn pale.
KABOOM!
A huge deafening explosion went off. A white stwave burst out from within and spread out in all directions like a sharp divine de unsheathed.
Kieran raised a brow when he saw that familiar dazzle.
It was Smulder!
It was not the first time Kieran saw Smulder perform the technique but that wasnt the reason he raised a brow.
The agonizing wails of despair and fear-filled death flooded the area.
Benefiting from the negative energy around the area, Kieran clearly felt the abnormality after Smulder unleashed his Sanctuary Force.
Promptly, Kieran heightened his focus and raised his guard.
While the other mystics who had been there for a while werent concerned about the explosion at all, each of them had a dull expression hanging over their face.
When they saw Kierans cautious manner, those who freed themselves from the fear of Kieran quickly revealed a disdainful look on their face, thinking that Kieran was nothing more than this.
Their expressions were obscure but coincidentally many others noticed it.
Everyone exchanged gazes in a tacit manner as if the shock and fear that Kieran caused before was gone and there was nothing to be afraid of.
It was because when the men encountered such danger, they were much calmer than the Bird of Death.
Even more so when Ohara and Azinder were in full cautious mode, their contemptuous expressions turned heavier on their face. Every one of them raised their head high and bulged their chest as if they havepletely won over the Bird of Death and the Sanctuary Archdeacon, except Felly.
Felly had blind confidence in Kierans power, thus he quietly raised his guard and became cautious as well. He grabbed the magical tool that had followed him around and protected his life tightly.
What happened next proved that Felly had done the right thing.
Roooooooooowr!
A loud roar not of man or beast sounded from the negative energy field clump.
A couple of figures started to form clearly at the breach sted open by the Sanctuary Force before.
It was Smulder, the current Holy Knight and the other two Archdeacons, Simon and Maya plus a couple more strangers.
Behind them were a huge bunch of shadowy translucent figures, gushing at them like a tidal wave.
Evil spirits!
The mystic crowd who gathered there saw the huge wave of shadowy figures and they quickly made a decisive judgment but such judgment wasnt enough to deal with the danger they were facing.
The sudden roar from before tranquilized many of them, only several of them werent affected. The minority that were not affected instinctively chose to retreat when they saw the evil spirit tidal waveing at them.
Everyone except Kieran!
As he looked at the others stunned on the spot or retreating in panic, Kieran went the opposite way, heading directly towards the wave of evil spirits.
Every other mystic was stunned when they saw Kierans action. Those who couldnt move had a slight line of hope on their face of despair.
They stared hard at that line of hope, praying with utmost devotion for Kieran and repented for their behaviours from before.
Nothing really mattered when your life was on the line.
Those who retreated felt shame but it didnt stop them from leaving. None of them wanted to die. Again, nothing mattered when life was the only thing in mind, as life was higher than anything.
Ones own life and the life of others.
When one would risk his own life to save the others, his life would dazzle in lustrous light, being named noble.
When anothers life was traded for one owns life, life would also dazzle brightly but the brightness would cast a shadow named humility.
Ohara looked at Kieran charging forth with her dazzling eyes.
"Hugh..." She muttered.
One of the reasons she acknowledged Kieran as Hughs reincarnation was because of that forward dash, aside from the other simrities.
Whether it was against thousands upon thousands of soldiers or dangers and difficulties, Hugh would always charge forward, like a g standing tall in the battlefield.
So was Kieran.
"No, it should be 2567..."
Ohara suddenly remembered the promise she made with Kieran, addressing him by the name that he wanted to be called and silently calling out Hugh in her heart.
Azinder beside her didnt have that much thought, all he felt was his blood boiling with indignation when he saw Kierans charge forward.
The education he received from young and his own ideals made him let out a loud shout and follow Kierans steps tightly after drawing the sword from his waist.
Ohara didnt stop him, she even smirked a little...
The familiarity! Everything was so familiar to her.
The situations in her memories were exactly the same as the one before her, charging at the opposite direction, arousing everyones morale and encouraging the others to give 200% effort, turning the impossible into possible time after time!
Wuuuuum!
Oharas Sanctuary Force gathered at her fists as well before she followed behind closely. She wanted to fight side by side with Kieran. After Hughs death, she thought it was a luxury she would never have but now with Hughs reincarnation, she wanted to hold the opportunity close.
...
Kieran charged forward at maximum speed. When he saw the waves of evil spirits, nothing really came to his mind other than [Soul Shards], tons of [Soul Shards]! Which meant Points and Skill Points!
Although they were less valuable than Golden Skill and Attribute Points, from the perspective of a stingy Scrooge, it meant wealth and rewards as well, there was no reason he would give them up.
Shoosh!
Kieran dashed passed Smulders side.
Smulder looked in astonishment at Kieran who was serious and battle-aroused, yet Kieran didnt even nce at the Holy Knight.
He stood before Smulder and plunged his [Arrogant Word] into the ground. While the tidal waves of evil spirits were mming down on him, he took a deep breath and got ready to perform his technique.
HuuuHaaa!
A violent gale sted out before Kieran, tearing apart the space before him as the afterimages and shadows of his kicks filled even the sky.
Kick after kick, kicks together with kicks.
Kierans legs had turned into the down pouring waterfall or the never-ending current of the long river.
[Hundred Violent Kicks]!
Its tremendous force and continuous kick kept shing at the evil spirit waves.
KABOOOOOSH!
The formless air sted in all directions upon contact, even thend was mistakenly shaken for a while.
The others opened their eyes wide, staring at the breach in the middle of the negative energy field. They were worried, afraid that they would witness the scene that they fear most.
However, Kieran stood where he was, like the ocean-quieting needle, preventing the vicious, ferocious waves of evil spirits from advancing another inch. Even as far as pushing the waves back.
While his legs were kicking relentlessly, the fire gathered in Kierans left hand continued to grow.
After a couple of breaths, it became a huge burning fireball.
When the fireball was fully charged, Kieran suddenly changed his body posture, retracted the kick abruptly and pushed the fireball at the waves of evil spirits.
Pooooosh!
The burning fireball was like an elerating truck, grinding down the evil spirits. One after another, the evil spirits fell under the burning fire, releasing not even a haunting wail before they were turned into ashes.
The elerating fireball carved a path out in the waves as it broke through the breach in the negative energy field. The fireball instantly at stopped the breach in the middle, and hundreds of evil spirits promptly disintegrated into ashes like a moth hurling itself to the fire.
"What... what in the..."
Everyone was awestruck as they looked at the scene, none of them could utter a full sentence out without stuttering.
Kieran, on the other hand, didnt n to stop there.
Wooosh!
His left hand charged up [Charles Fire] again and with the power of the lineage fire, it was burning high.
Chapter 501: The Fallen
Chapter 501: The Fallen
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The burning mes were rumbling in his left hand, the coldness in his eyes was bold and upright.
When the fireball was charged to its maximum limit, Kieran hurled it out into the breach like he did before this.
The evil spirits in the breach that came after the initial fireball shed with the second one firing at them.
Powerful level mes burnt all the evil spirits into ashes without any resistance.
Soul Shards fell one after another yet Kierans attention didnt shift. He stared directly at the breach.
There was a dense malicious intent hiding inside. Even though the thing had given its best effort in hiding itself, Kieran still could make out a ck shadow, different from the negative energy clump, it was colder and darker. As it seemed to realize Kierans gaze, the malicious intent quickly dispersed.
Following the dispersion, the waves of evil spirits subsided soon after, like a falling tide.
The negative energy field even repaired itself,pletely sealing the breach away.
Ohara and Azinder were astonished when they sprinted over, both of them never thought the waves of evil spirits would retreat like that since both of them had the resolution for a harsh battle.
"2567?" Ohara quickly noticed the unusual sternness in Kierans expression.
"All these evil spirits... they seemed to be controlled by something else!"
The word "someone" was at the tip of his tongue but he didnt utter it out loud. More so, from what Kieran saw, the thing that could control such an enormous amount of evil spirits and seemingly able to fuse with the negative energy field couldnt strike him as a human.
At least a normal human being couldnt give out a presence even colder and darker than the negative energy clump.
"Controlled?" Ohara frowned.
As one of the Archdeacons of the Sanctuary, Ohara was definitely experienced and knowledgeable but she had never seen something like this before.
Even in the records, simr cases happened only before the Blood Moon War, however, such cases were less than a handful even during ancient times.
"The Wraith Lord?" Ohara guessed.
"I dont think thats the case." Kieran shook his head.
Kieran also knew about the spiritual being that was nearly beingbeled as myths or legends, though it was because he knew of its existence, he was certain it wasnt it.
Otherwise, let alone Kieran stopping the waves attack, even Smulder and the others with him couldnt even escape its grasp.
Thats right, Smulder and the others ran!
Even without sizing them up carefully, Kieran could see how ugly the Holy Knight had been.
Though Smulder wasnt feeling natural when he noticed Kierans gaze, or in other words, embarrassed.
Smulder felt upset in his heart when the person he treated as his rival saw him in his ugly condition, yet no matter how upset or angry he was, Smulder wouldnt defy his own will to lie.
Even if he did, it would hurt his reputation quite a bit!
"Thats right, it isnt a Wraith Lord but..."
Smulder said honestly, agreeing to his rivals guesses but he stopped all of a sudden and presented aplicated expression on his face. After pausing for a few seconds, he continued.
"Its the Fallen!"
Oharas face turned pale when the term was mentioned, even Kieran furrowed his brows together.
The Fallen was what the Sanctuary addressed those members who betrayed their conviction. Although Ohara tried to betray the Sanctuary once, she wouldnt be considered a Fallen because there was still humanity left in her heart.
As far as she was concerned, it was because of her immense love for Hugh blinded her eyes and clouded her judgment, thus leading to her betrayal.
However, a Fallen was different, they gave up what defined them as human and discarded all emotions. There would be no mercy, empathy, justice or loyaltying from a Fallen and neither would there be sincerity or courage. They would sever all hopes with death.
In simple words, the Fallen might maintain a human look but they barely had anything left in them to consider them as human, it would be more appropriate to address them as another type of living being.
Kieran read it before in Nikoreis books, the books even painted a picture of how terrifying the Fallens were.
If a Holy Knight is a positive light, then the Fallen is an opposite darkness!
Most of the time, darkness was feared by people. Pray for those unfortunate souls, hoping they could cross the path over theher realm with the light of the Holy Knight
The Holy Knights and the Fallen were mortal enemies, at the same time they were also fated arch nemeses.
It was mentioned directly in the books, only a Holy Knight could defeat a Fallen.
Though Kieran wouldnt buy what the books recorded, right now he was more curious how the Fallen appeared.
Kieran had a curious heart, so when the term Fallen was mentioned, he started to recall all the information he had read about the Fallen back in Nikoreis study room but other than that one book, there wasnt anything else mentioning the wicked being, let alone how a Fallen was formed or appear.
It made Kierans gaze at the negative energy clump and have another sense of spections.
Ohara beside furrowed her brows tightly.
"This isnt possible! Even with the density of the negative energy here, it is impossible for a Fallen to appear here, unless..."
Ohara the Archdeacon knew how hard was it for a Fallen to form and how harsh the requirements were to transform a human into one. Yet after the difficulties and harsh requirements, what the Fallen got in return was tremendous power.
Otherwise, the Sanctuary wouldnte up with the saying of the Fallen were the Holy Knights mortal enemies, arch nemeses, and sorts.
Though before Ohara could finish her words, she stopped. It seemed like she had remembered something.
"Just like what you thought. When Simon led the men into ambushing the base of operations, Barry had set a trap to immobilize them and he forced them to witness a big wicked massacre! Hundreds of thousands of men were ughtered before them... Some of the members became stronger when facing the horrifying scene but some of them suffered a breakdown andpletely lost it. Those who lost it..."
Smulder couldnt continue anymore at that point, but the answers were obvious.
Those Sanctuary members that suffered a breakdown were turned into the Fallens.
"I dont know what kind of wicked massacre happened but I am curious why would Barry know how to create a Fallen? I thought it is supposed to be some forbidden secret even among the mystical realms?" Kieranid his eyes on Ohara who had worked with Barry once.
"I didnt tell him any of these. Even though I wanted revenge but I really hoped that Barry would go down together with the Sanctuary!" Ohara said honestly.
However, it seemed like such honesty caused everyone around to feel ufortable.
What a terrifying woman! Azinder skipped a beat in his heart, feeling horrified by the confession.
Ohara too seemed to have noticed her honesty wasnt appropriate, she carefully looked at Kieran trying to spot any dissatisfaction but when she didnt notice any changes on Kierans face, only then did she relieved.
"...Its 2567s fault asking me directly, so I try to be honest here..."
Ohara felt remorse in her heart, promising she would do better in the future.
Then she quickly shifted the topic. "Regardless of how Barry found out, we must save those who are trapped inside, otherwise, more Fallen will rise and the whole West Coast will be doomed!"
"Yes, we must hurry! Ive already seen that bastard trying to prepare for the second round of wicked massacre!"
"Its just that the negative energy is suppressing our powers here..."
Simon and Maya spoke as well, looking bitter as they revealed their helplessness.
Smulder wasnt lookingfortable either, they knew they must hasten the process, otherwise things would get out of hand very fast, however, they were really feeling helpless against the restraints.
The negative energy field over Ciaran City halved their holy power, maybe even less than half of what remained in them. There were even some spots that could heavily decrease their Sanctuary Force usage.
Huuu!
"Ill go in again!" Smulder said after letting out a big sigh. His honor and glory wouldnt permit him to give up just like that.
Yet before Smulder even make a move, Kieran beside him who had been fumbling with his thoughts for half a day already headed towards to the negative energy-filled city.
Kieran didnt dere anything, nor did he say anything loud and decisive. All he did was advance silently.
Smulder and the others were stunned, so were the other mystics around looking at them.
Soon enough, the mystic spectators changed their gazes at Kieran. Their eyes had added ayer of respect to Kierans moving figure, even so for those East Coast mystics. Although they were from opposite factions, it didnt stop them from paying respect to a true brave hero.
Though when they turned their eyes to Smulder, the gazes changed once more.
It seemed like the gazes had a slight dy at the Holy Knight, it wasnt really doubtful but whenpared to Kieran who moved forward without saying anything, Smulder had obviously been through a lot in his mind and made the decision to go for it with a clench of his teeth. The difference between the both of them was like the difference between heaven and earth.
If Kieran wasnt in the mix, Smulders hard decision would deserve respect from the crowd but when Kieran silently moved out, it was hard for the other mystics not topare the both of them.
Smulder too felt the unusual gaze on him, the anger made him breathe rapidly and heavily.
He was giving his best effort to suppress himself from roaring at the spectators around him.
When all of that was happening, Ohara too gave chase to Kierans back. Both of them seemingly disappeared into the darkness side by side.
Only then Smulder suppressed his rage but he was still standing in the same spot.
The atmosphere started to be more and more subtle.
Chapter 502: Withered Path
Chapter 502: Withered Path
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Smulder felt the subtle atmosphere at the very first moment.
His breath turned heavy again.
Eventually, he was smart enough to neglect the mystics spectator crowd, he turned around to the negative energy-filled city and marched towards it.
Surprisingly...
CHANG!
When Smulder was marching forward, he suddenly knocked himself onto the ck mist of negative energy, producing a huge nking sound and was forced back a few steps.
Smulder looked at the negative energy with an odd gaze and before he could react to what happened, something happened to the field of negative energy.
A vague decaying force seeped through the ground and headed for Smulder. In fact not only the Holy Knight alone but all the mystics spectators around him as well.
"Back off!" Smulder shouted loudly, reminding everyone as he released Sanctuary Force from his body.
The dazzling white light in the darkness was unmatched but it also became the target for all the negative energy.
The scattered negative energy clump seemingly came to life and threw itself towards Smulder like a hungry jackal.
Even though it was vanquished by the Sanctuary Force within an instant, it kepting back at Smudler, ceaselessly, relentlessly. More importantly, more and more negative energy started to gather in attacking Smulder.
It turned into huge shadowy ws, hurling its sharp edge at Smulder, bringing up a fierce gale as it moved.
Even Smulders expression turned bitter when he was up against hundreds of thousands of shadow ws. He quickly took a few steps back, getting himself out of the attacking range before he stopped moving.
Smulders expression was ugly, not only did he not Ciaran City, he suddenly realized he and his group has been deliberately plotted against by someone from a while ago.
From the moment Simon fell into Barrys ambushing ns, everything had been exceeding their grasp, and everything that followed after was definitely someone trying to y and tease them by putting out bait and luring them to keep risking their lives. When they were forced to a difficult position and felt helpless, Smulder and co. would have to call for reinforcements.
Then, Kieran arrived.
"Barrys target is the Bird of Death?"
The sudden thought rose in Smulders heart but he quickly shook it off.
"No, not him! It isnt his style!"
The unknown enemy made Smulders expression be even heavier.
He raised his head at the negative energy-filled city, spinning his gears rapidly in his mind.
"Give up?" There wasnt such a phrase in Smulders dictionary.
...
While going through the ck negative energy clump, thefortable feeling spread from his body to even his soul, making him feel like he could sleep soundly.
If it wasnt for Ohara beside him, Kieran surely couldnt help but moan out offort.
Though, Oharas condition was different. Even though she wasnt really receiving any physical damage, her ugly expression told Kieran that she wasnt feeling too well.
"How are you doing?" Kieran asked.
Kieran wouldnt acknowledge the thoughts of hers trying to treat him as someones reincarnation but after tons of kind acts and tender care, Kieran wouldnt mind helping her if it was within his own capabilities.
"I..Im fine! Its just that the air here is so thick, its making me feel sick as if I walked it a ughterhouse, that bloody stench is causing me nausea."
Ohara replied to Kierans concern with a smile.
2567 has started to ept me! I must work harder!
Ohara quietly clenched her fist. Kieran didnt see that as he turned back around, otherwise, he would regret his extra concern for her.
Kieran nced over the straight path before him and he sized up the thick jungle on both side, he couldnt help but furrow his brows.
It should be a hot summer during June and the trees and nts should be luxuriance, yet under the negative energy filled Ciaran City, the ce was dark and cold. Those nts which should have flourished in brilliant green had turned yellow, some of the trees even witheredpletely.
Dead trees!
"Even nts couldnt survive the negative energy corrosion?" Kieran muttered with a frown.
Negative energy corrosion was a terrifying phenomenon, it might be less effective from the start, at most causing some nausea but as time went by, the corrosion would be fatal to humans or even nts.
Looking at all the withered nts and trees, Kieran spected that there werent any normal human beings living in Ciaran City anymore. One needed to know that nts had extremely high resistance against negative energy corrosionpared to humans, some nts could even resist a mild level of negative energy.
Fuuu!
Kieran took in a deep breath aftering up with that conclusion.
Although the previous news told him there might not be any living survivors in Ciaran City, seeing it for himself was a totally different feeling.
The wind was still blowing as it carried the dense negative energy with it. It whipped up a thinyer of sand on the withered path, turning it into a tiny whirlwind, spinning around the path.
The whole path was silent and without any presence of the living, all that was left was the low wailing of the wronged souls.
Kieran could clearly feel the existences of those souls even without activating [Tracking].
He that felt the souls were undergoing changes in the environment. They were absorbing the negative energy, transforming from amon translucent soul to a wrathful evil spirit.
Kieran could already paint the picture, a few dayster, even the spot he walked passed will be filled with evil spirits and the numbers would surpass the ones he exterminated back then by a whole lot.
But Kieran didnt strike beforehand because it wasnt necessary.
Under such a huge environment, although the evil spirits were scary, regardless of what the amount was, they couldnt harm him at all. The huge negative environment was also his home turf!
So some things would be easier in here than outside, such as locating a hidden Fallen.
With the buff from [Fiery Sulphur], a fireball with Strong attack appeared on his left hand instantly.
Fuuuosh!
Kieran hurled it out with his might and the fireball was thrown at the signboard at beside the path, bringing a scorching gale with it.
It was a metallic signboard, with the main pole as thick as an arms width and a signboard of two palms wide and a meter long.
The surface on the signboard was covered with ayer of ck paint and the word "Wee to Ciaran City" was written on top with white paint.
Although the negative energy corrosion turned the signboard into a mottled piece of metal and even half of the words were covered by blemishes, it was still sufficient for a clear read.
But soon enough, the mottled signboard melted under the burning mes, revealing a ck figure escaping behind the signboard. It moved fast like a shadow escaping the light, shing away in the blink of an eye but of course Kieran was faster, or more precisely, Kieran predicted its movement.
Kieran dashed out and blocked the ck figures path and unleashed a kick at it.
Souuuuum!
A half-moon qi energy wave scratched the darkness before his eyes.
Chapter 503: Somethings Wrong
Chapter 503: Somethings Wrong
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Kieranunched his right kick hard, the energy wave from [de Kick] was sharper than a de but was swallowed by a shadow that burst out from the ck figure.
The powerful energy de wave that could even slice a deep crack on a concrete pir was dispersed, simr to a y ox plummeting into the sea.
"Hehehe."
A low mockingugh came from the figures mouth but when Kierans right kick followed up instantly and appeared before the figure, itsugh stopped abruptly.
Transcendence level [Hand-to-hand Combat, Kick Combats] didnt just allow Kieran to attack formless ghastly beings while attacking other kinds of enemies, Strength, Agility stats had +4 buffs and each of his kicks and an extra +1 attack level buff.
While Kierans Strength and Agility base stats had reached A level, after the +4 buff, it was further increased to S+ level. The explosive power and speed from Kierans kick had exceeded themon logic of men. Although one could clearly see Kieranunch a kick, its power wasparable to an elephant or a rhino rampaging.
When all of that had another +1 buff from the environment, the elephant and rhino rampaging had elevated into a more frenzied, rampant state.
Think of it like being rammed by a frenzied elephant or rhino.
KABAAAM!
The ck figure was like a ragdoll rammed over by an elerating truck, a huge bang sounded and sent it flying away. Even though the ck figure had its crossing its hands up blocking a direct contact, its arms were like a mantis hand trying to stop a truck.
Crack! Crook!
Its defensive arms were crushed without any resistance.
Kierans right leg was kicked onto the ck figures chest without any diminishing of its force.
Crack, Gaktsk, Gaktsk!
Its chest had sunk into its body from the impact and it was still not the worse that happened.
Kieran caught up to the figure who was sent flying backward in a sh, he grabbed the figures head with his left hand which had been burning fiercely.
While burning fiercely, Kieran flipped his wrist and dunked the figures head downwards with all his might into the asphalt path on the ground.
Even without the buffs from his kicks, Kierans A-level Strength was enough to finish the job against the ck figure who had suffered immense damage. The ck figure couldnt even resist anymore.
BANG!
The ck figures head was dunked deep into the asphalt path, at the same time the Lineage Fire had been charged up to its 5 seconds limit exploded.
KABOOM!
A 4 meter tall, 1-meter wide fire pir sprouted out from the ground.
[me Burst], the additional skill that has only a small chance to be triggered.
Ohara who was beside opened her delicate eyes wide to the burning scene. Astonishment filled her eyes quickly but soon was reced by infatuation.
The kind of infatuation that expressed her lover was powerful and brave was all over her face.
Slightly different from the admiration of someone strong, it was much more genuine and sincere.
The fire pir burned for few seconds before extinguishing itself as Kieran walked out from the fiery spot.
The first thing he noticed was Oharas odd gaze at him.
"Whats wrong?" Kieran asked.
"No...Nothing...Is that a Fallen?" Ohara repeated shook her head and quickly shifted the topic.
"Different than the one I saw at the breach but simr, more of an imposter of sorts."
Kieran said.
Although both figures were very identical in terms of looks and power, Kieran had the experience of fighting both of them and he was sure this imposter was not the one that he saw before.
The dangerous sense that came from the Fallen was not something an imposter could mimic.
Even still, this imposter had rewarded Kieran with an unexpected item.
[Name: Cracked Obsidian]
[Type: Gemstone]
[Rarity: Magic]
[Attribute: Embed in your weapons or equipment to grant your weapon 1-2 negative energy damage or 1%-2% negative energy resistance!]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Remark: Under a high density negative energy environment, this obsidian is a special kind of soul shard, its value is further surpassing normal gemstones!]
...
Kieran held the tiny fingernail-sized obsidian which had an irregr shape in his palm.
He slightly smirked when he saw [Cracked Obsidian] because it gave him more anticipation of the trip to Ciaran City.
Not only the influence of the dense negative energy around him but also the potential rewards.
[High-density negative energy field, rted skills effect increased, yer gains +2 buff to all stats and skills...]
The reason why Kieran easily defeated the imposter Fallen was not just because of his own strength but also his strength that was boosted again to the next level.
He was eager to find out how high his power level would surge up to when he arrived at the core of the negative energy field.
"An imposter simr to the Fallen?" Ohara frowned from what Kieran told her.
"What is it?" Kieran asked.
Kieran never dared to underestimate the Archdeacon, especially in terms of experience and knowledgeable facts. Kieran knew where his limits were, even though he tried to cope with the vast knowledge with his best efforts, because of the time limit, he still had some gaps to fill whenpared to a real mystics who knew the histories, let alone Ohara the Archdeacon who was in-charged of the records back in the Sanctuary during her normal days.
Surprisingly her interest was also reading those records as well.
"It is very difficult for the Fallen to rise, even harder than a Holy Knight ascension. Even though theyve betrayed the Sanctuary, not all of them could rise as the Fallen. Those failed ones have been thinking about how to acquire simr powers to the Fallen since the ancient days before the Blood Moon War. Yet ording to the records, none of them seeded..." Ohara exined in a puzzled tone.
"Records? Maybe something was left out." Kieran said while touching his chin.
Rather than believing everything in the books, might as well act without one.
Kieran understood the saying since a long time ago and more so, some truths might not be the same as the records written in books.
History books were written by the victor from the past. Back in the days, Sanctuary as the victor of the war had probably hidden a part of the truth due to some ulterior motives.
It needed to be known that this was almost 200 years ago, even with the age calctions of the mystics, it was enough to eliminate at least two generations.
So it wasmon for the records being inurate in regards to certain facts. Ohara understood the reasons as well, so she didnt refute Kieran.
"What should we do now?" Ohara asked.
For Ohara, it was normal for her to treat Kieran as the leader, since back in the days, Ohara had been listening to Hughs orders as well.
"Well, of course, we are heading there!" Kieran pointed the direction with his finger.
The direction led to the center point of Ciaran City.
If the spot they were standing now was dark, then the center point was darker than ck.
The negative energy was clumping, gathering at that spot with methods unknown tomon logic.
Oharas Sanctuary Force quivered when she saw the pitch ck area but she didnt reject and nodded instead.
Not only because it was Kierans suggestion, it was also the main destination of their trip: Barrys mainir!
However, when Kieran and Ohara traveled further for less than 500 meters, trouble struck them again.
A squad of alchemy enhanced warriors appeared before them.
Kieran frowned because his instinct felt that something was wrong. Not the alchemy enhanced warriors but the current situation.
Chapter 504: Strange, Stranger, Strangest
Chapter 504: Strange, Stranger, Strangest
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Something was very wrong!
The imposter Fallen from before might be exinable if he was being sent as a scout but the sudden squad of alchemy enhanced warriors?
Were they on a suicidal mission?
Kieran squinted his eyes and examined the alchemy enhanced warriors before him with his experience and their estimated power level, his heart was even more puzzled after that.
Maybe the alchemy enhanced warriors were much stronger than amoner but iparable to Kieran himself.
Based on how cunning and sly Barry was, he wouldnt have sent his men to die after knowing how powerful Kieran was, unless...
"Barry couldntpletely control the current situation! Maybe because of the scouts death, he realized there were intruders in his turf but he doesnt know who we are... No, thats not right! If I were him and went through all the effort to build such a big stage, I would have known the ce like my palm on my hand, no way such petty mistakes would ur! But the squad of alchemy warriors appearing means..."
Kieran signaled Ohara while his heart was filled with doubts. He then drew [Arrogant Word] out of the box and charged towards the squad of enemies.
He needed more information to rify his doubts, trying to figure out what was going on before his eyes and the best source of information at the moment was the squad of alchemy enhanced warriors.
A big horizontal sweep forward, slicing the squad of alchemy enhanced warriors in half like vegetables.
After every one of them was sliced down, Kieran carefully inspected the remains of the warriors.
From the basic belongings to their gutted stomach, everything that could be inspected were inspected thoroughly.
When Kieran found something peculiar that caught his attention, he squinted his eyes.
"So this is whats going on?"
The clue that he got from the alchemy enhanced warrior caused him to remain doubtful, even though he found the clue himself with his own hands.
...
Members of the mystical realm with a body of red leather armor and sack clothes were busy with their work. Some of them were drawing magic circles and some of them were cing bottles and cans of various sizes on the drawn magic circles.
The drawn magic circle was purely a part of the bigger picture, a part of a bigger,plete magic circle yet even if it was just a part, it had taken up the whole central square of Ciaran City.
The fountain, sculptures, benches,mp posts, flower bed, and bushes were demolished five days ago. The leveled ground was filled with ayer of thick, heavy fat and the magic circle was drawn on top. When the workers hand paved through theyer of fat, it was depressed deeper, pushing the extra fat aside and coagted quickly with speed visible to the naked eye.
A faint stench came together with the coagtion and as soon as the fat coagted, obscure faces of humans start to appear from within.
The faces were struggling, praying, looking vacant and filled with despair. Each of the expressions on the faces were so real but none of it bothered the mystical realm workers from working on them.
Those who were working on the magic circle had a cold expression and a serious face, even some actions and movements were surprisingly identical with one another, plus the same tone of outfit they were wearing, it made them looked like a bunch of robots.
Only one stood out from the bunch. He was wearing the same red outfit but it was madepletely with linen, three straps of leather belt tightened the excessive spots on his outfit from the back of his waist. There was another loose belt at his waist, connecting to two more leather pockets on his left and holding a short dagger on his right.
The man was holding an iron rod in his hand as tall as any othermon grown man.
A huge scar, as wide as a finger started from his bald head and extended down towards his chin. A single look on the horrifying scar would let one think the man was chopped in half and stitched back together.
"How is our allies?" He asked.
"Same as the past few days!" He answered.
"Our guests?" He asked again.
"They are heading towards the trap!" He answered again.
As his mouth moved when he spoke, the scar twitched, as if a giant centipede was crawling over his face, wiggling its body but what more terrifying was the person himself.
He asked and answered all the question himself, using the only mouth.
It was quite shocking for one to see such scene but the workers around him pretended they didnt notice anything, as if they had already used to it.
...
In some underground room in the city center of Ciaran, Barry was carefully cutting the cigar in his hand.
He wasnt using a cigar cutter but small scissors, simr to the one thedies used to trim their brows.
Kachak, Kachak.
Barry trimmed his cigar into a cone shape with his unique way of cutting and he lit it up with a small turpentine oil fire.
He was humming the melody of an old song with his mouth and twisting the cigar in his right hand.
Because of his unique cutting, the cigar was lit quickly but he wasnt in a rush to savor the fragrance of the smoke, he ced the lit cigar in between his index and middle finger of his left hand and his right hand was holding an empty cup filled with ice.
The golden colored whiskey poured into the cup, swirling down across the seams of the ice.
Barrys eyes were glued to the flowing brandy.
Once the cup was filled to a considerable amount, he drank the whole cup and even swallowed the ice in his mouth.
Crask, Crask.
The ice was crunched to bits, melting in his mouth. The burning sensation of the whiskey intertwined with the icy cold on his tongue, numbing his mouth in a unique way, that was when he ced the lit cigar in his mouth.
After a deep puff, the thick and scentful smoke was exhaled out from his mouth.
A whileter, the whole room was filled with cigar smoke but Barry acted like it was nothing as he kept taking big puffs of his cigar.
The way he smoked the cigar didnt look like one who enjoyed it but a rash, boorish man who couldnt understand the cigar.
Even more so with the cup in his hand, he kept pouring it with high-quality tequ and brandy, mixing it together. Amon man couldnt even finish a whole cup of mixed distilled alcohol but he drank one cup after another as if it was water until he waspletely drunk.
nk!
The cup was smashed on the floor, followed by the bottles of distilled alcohol.
While Barry was cursing, mumbling gibberish in his ng and dialect, the half-burnt cigar fell of Barrys mouth to the floor. Little sparks flew out upon contact and after several bounces, the cigar stoppedpletely, lying still on the floor like Barry, who passed out.
Seconds turned into minutes, and after around two minutes, the rooms doors opened up amidst Barrys ceaseless snoring.
One was amon wooden door and the other was an iron forged bar gate, both doors werebined together, to form a prison gate!
Anyone who had a look at the entrance would think as so and naturally, the room where Barry was was indeed a prison cell, an extra delicate one.
Two buff men walked in with a dull face, dragged Barry onto his bed and turned around, leaving the cell.
There wasnt anymunications nor signs between the two throughout the whole process.
The only thing different was the man who held Barrys arms while dragging him to the bed, it seemed like both his hands exerted a different amount of strength, one side was lighter, the other side was heavier, but it was barely noticeable from the outside.
When the door was shut again, Barry continued his snoring, facing upwards on the bed with the help of the alcohol.
His snoring was getting louder as seconds passed.
Chapter 505: Tribute
Chapter 505: Tribute
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The darkness was like a ck curtain blocking the sight of amon man.
Kieran however was nomon man, with his A+ level Intuition, such total darkness was slightly blurry to his sight.
Plus the dense negative energy buff towards [Body of Evil], not only was his vision not blurred but on the contrary, it was enhanced.
At least when Kieran was standing on top of a tall building, he could clearly see all around and beneath him.
Though Ohara was a different case, a faint Sanctuary Force was circting in her body, resisting the dense negative energy from invading her body, thus keeping her alive.
In fact, the normal Sanctuary Force waspletely suppressed by the negative energy when they arrived at the Ciaran City central. If it wasnt for her unique Soul Bless Force, she would have fallen to the ground, feeling weak.
Despite all that she was going through, Ohara didnt disy any dissatisfaction. Her eyes were looking at Kieran standing at a further spot, carrying a sense of worry in her gaze.
It was because the bold ns that he had in mind would surelye with great risk.
Ohara wanted to dissuade Kieran but he was exactly the same as she remembered, strong and unyielding, never epting any dissuasion once his mind was set.
Kieran even wanted to send Ohara off, but how would it be possible?
Thest time she left him, she almost lost himpletely and this time around, she would die rather than leave his side. Ohara wouldnt make the same mistake twice in her life but some reminders had to go to Kieran.
"2567, I dont think Barry would tell the truth. Even though everything here is caused by the Old Southerns, surely they must have been coborating since the beginning. Things may have grown out of Barrys hand and resulted into the current situation because of his missteps!"
Ohara expressed her opinion based on her understanding of Barry.
"But what does it matter? From the start to end, regardless of who our enemies was, Barry or the Old Southerns, Id never believe what an enemy has to say but to take them out in a single sweep." Kieran said honestly.
Although he had gotten some clues out of the squad of alchemy enhanced warriors, he wouldnt believe the clues left behind by a single enemy. Even though the clues looked extremely real, Kieran knew the most dangerous kind were the clues that seemed almost too real. It would lead one to think they were on the right path and unconsciously tricked before realizing that it was all a trap. Most of the time it would be toote when the realization kicked in.
Therefore Kieran decided to go with the more reliable way, even though it would cost him quite a lot.
...
Kieran slowly approached his target while hiding in the shadows.
His target was the central bank of Ciaran City. It was a temple of sorts back in the ancient days but was turned into a bank after.
Even though the building had been through countless battles and decades, most of its enormous building groups were gone, however the one before Kieran was kept decently, it maintained a portion of the majestic glory of the temple from the ancient times, showing its grand styling to the current generations.
A great amount of tall stone pirs acted as the entrance, supporting the roof which was at least 50 meters in height. A flight of granite stairs leading upstairs to the gate that was supposed to be a real door of the temple but instead was reced by a smaller replica version of it. The door was formed of two free door panels, allowing at least four people to cross at a time.
The door would be a decent addition to any location but when it was ced within such a majestic structure, it was iparable like a fireflys lightpared to purified moon beams.
Especially along the granite stairs, many paintings from the mythological ages were ced on both side of the stone wall, withered but still lively, it made the small replica door seem even smaller in terms of presence.
Though behind the inconspicuous small door, there was a squad of alchemy enhanced warrior with at least 30 men guarding it.
However, soon enough, those 30 warriors fell to the floor without any sound. On their dead cold face were smiles, the smile that came with satisfaction and delight after acquiring the things they longed for their whole life.
Following the smile was death! The grim reaper came close and reaped the life force out of them. Kieran was the grim reaper, moving forward to his destination.
A quick sh of movement pushed opened the small replica door, revealing a long passageway behind it.
It was absent of any light and the darkness was like a giant mouth, ready to swallow anyone who dared venture forth into the passageway.
Kieran didnt mind the darkness at all and moved forward on the only path before him.
As he moved forth through the dark passageway, he heard a series of agonizing cries, which made him hasten his steps.
After around twenty seconds, a huge cage appeared before Kieran.
Kieran quickly examined the iron forged cage before him. The bars were as thick as a humans arm and mystical runes were carved on it. The dense negative energy along with the mystical runes were emitting an odd decaying force.
Inside the cage were the Sanctuary members, being caged up like birds. It seemed like theyd been through some intense torture based on the bloody scars on their body.
Though more importantly, their mental state seemed to have suffered a heavy damage, each of them were in an absent-minded state, only a minority of them could remain sane.
When they saw Kieran appeared before them, the sane ones werent showered with delight or anything, each of them trying to say something in panic but when they opened their mouth, half of their tongues were cut off.
Aside from that, when the sane Sanctuary members tried to signal at Kieran with movements, the iron bar carved with mystical runes fired out lines of dark arrow at them.
Sou Sou Sou!!
The little arrows were like mist, plunging into their body, causing them to roll on the floor in pain and robbing their only abilities to tell Kieran what was going on.
Truth be told, even if they could tell Kieran, it was already toote because the moment he stepped into the building, he had already fallen into the enemys trap.
"Tributes! No matter how beautiful the demonic power is, only such a tribute fits my requirement!"
"Ive been waiting for you, 2567!"
The voice sounded one after another, the former sounded a little fanatic, but thetter was cold in tone, yet both voices were from a single person.
With a red linen outfit plus his signature bald head, Braid slowly walked over.
He looked satisfyingly at Kieran and Kieran to him, with the least satisfaction.
Then, Kieran moved his palm behind his back carefully without leaving a trace but Braid instantly noticed the small movements.
Heughed and sneered at Kieran. His huge scar made his sneeringugh looked even more vicious.
"Petty tricks! Nikorei didnt give you anything else? Perhaps you didnt know using illusory tricks against a Southerner from the Loran factions will only make a fool of yourself?"
Braid shed over before Kieran and grabbed him by the neck, lifting him up in the air single-handedly.
Promptly, a ck gel-like liquid sprouted out from Braids right hand and locked Kierans head and limbs down.
Braid nced over Kieran who was struggling without sess, he then said loudly with his fanatic and cold tone together, "Dont struggle! We will begin shortly! I really wanted to see the looks on the God of Earths face when she knew her efforts fell short!"
A sickeningugh followed and Braid lifted Kieran in mid-air, heading outside to the central of Ciaran City.
The magic circle has beenpleted back in the central, not only the minor parts but as a whole magic circle. A magic circle that used Ciaran City as its base, or in other words, a sacrificial tform!
A tall stone tform was standing in the middle of the magic circle, dense negative energy was rumbling around the area like dark clouds. On top of the tform was a golden short knife, patiently waiting for its tribute to arrive.
Braid lifted Kierans neck and walked up to the tform slowly. He took up the golden knife and drove it into Kierans heart without any mercy or hesitation.
Braid turned his wrist hard, trying to mince Kierans heart into pieces, letting his hot blood spill.
But, despite his efforts, Kierans chest didnt even spill out a single drop of blood and the "Kieran" that Braid was lifted up looked at him with a faint smile on his face, spelling a word out of his mouth.
Idiot.
Chapter 506: Judgement
Chapter 506: Judgement
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Braid was stunned when he saw what "Kieran" was signaling with his mouth.
Just as Braid was caught in his own absent-minded state, "Kieran" poofed into nothing, disappearing from the ck shackles.
Maybe Braid was different from themon mystics in certain aspects but his strength was legit, otherwise, he wouldnt be there handling all the operations and ns.
Just when "Kieran" went poof, Braid didnt turn around nor look elsewhere but instead, he jumped up to the sacrificial tform
Fuuu!
The ck rubbery liquid gushed out from his back, like an underground water pipe bursting and enveloped "Kieran" who appeared behind him again.
Different from the shackles before, the ck rubbery liquid had strong corrosive elements this time around, when it was sshed on "Kieran"s body, it turned him into a ck skinned, red-eyed skull within a breath.
However, the red-eyed skull figure revealed itself as the high demon, Bloody Mary! It touched the strong corrosive rubbery goo and its skull face revealed a sneering smile.
"Demon!" Braids fanatic voice roared at it and his other cold voice dered, "You will die!"
However, Blood Mary replied with more sneering and mocking, it raised its hand and pointed at the surroundings.
The dense ck energy was rumbling and boiling. The negative energy that blocked the sunlight and corroded life energy started to swirl up.
The whirlpool started to take shape on the ground one after another and quickly gathered into a storm. A storm which consisted of purely negative energy rose up high from the ground.
The souls of the dead wailed and the demons and evil spirits roared
Death was like a shadow, trailing behind all life in that area, killing all survivors.
"A mere high demon dares to frighten me? Do you know it is I who built this stage? How would I not know what is going on around here?" Braids fanatic voice sounded, his cold side didnt say anything though, as if he was too disdainful to speak.
Though someone did speak and it was not just a single person.
"Frighten you? You Goddamn bastard, who do you think you are talking to?"
"Is it really necessary? Its tiring..."
"Doesnt seem delicious at all!"
"Too bad this baldy look hideous!"
"I like his coat, I want it!"
"Why couldnt I have such a sacrificial tform for myself?"
"Humph!"
Each line came from a different person and they started to reveal themselves amidst the negative energy storm.
As each of them revealed themselves, the negative energy around Ciaran City was weakened by a certain amount. It didnt disperse but umted again to form a denser energy clump.
The negative energy flowed like water being swallowed by a whale, all the energy within Ciaran City and the outskirts were gathered to the city center, or more precisely, gathering around the seven "people".
The storm grew violent, ck lightning shattered the sky and shook thend.
The sky was corrupted, robbing away its light, so was thend, robbing away its life energy.
The ck negative energy was in a more vicious, violent state than before, plundering any life in its path.
But...
The seven people standing in the eye of the storm feltfortable like never before. The storm that was ravaging outside was mild and tender to the people inside as if it was swirling around its masters like a ve.
The negative energy storm was tributing itself selflessly, it turned itself into the nutrients to nourish the most wicked cardinal sins that ever walked the earth.
Everything happening was an act of nature, obeying the naturalws.
The seven figures had seven identical faces, the seven of them looked like Kieran but had seven different auras respectively.
Amidst the negative energy storm, they stared at Braid.
The demonic aura plus the gazes from the cardinal sins.
A moment before this, Braid was still acting arrogantly, moring like never before but a momentter, he froze on the spot as if his body was physically frozen.
The coldness started from Braids heart as if it could seep into the deepest part of his soul and it spread throughout every inch of his body until his soul waspletely frozen.
The high demon, Bloody Maryughed.
It acted as a polite performer, bowed down and thanked the audience that saw her magnificent act. After that, it disappeared into nothing as its task haspleted.
The stage was passed to the other seven, Lust, Greed, Gluttony, Sloth, Wrath, Envy and Pride.
The seven cardinal sins were wreaking havoc over the ce with their thoughts and it was natural that the Old Southern country mystical members had be their targets.
Lust was softly smiling happily, trying to look for a handsome beautiful target.
Greed and Envy were agitating the targets deepest desires, trying to pick their obsessiveness.
Wrath struck when its targets were weak, taking advantage of the moment.
Gluttony was working with Sloth, all their targets were forced to forget everything and soon, all they knew was to eat and sleep.
Though the members of the Old Southern mystical did not notice the abnormalities that happened to their bodies, they assumed that it was the things they should go after.
The dogmas of their societies faded quickly from their mind, all they could do was give in to their instinctive desires.
They cheered, scream, wailed.
Their lives were fading fast and weed death in their own ways.
"An... Ancestors of Spirits!" Braid spilled the term out in a difficult tone, not this fanatic voice nor his cold voice but the real voice that belonged to himself.
It has been a while since he spoke with his own voice. The reason was by nature and also by the faction he followed. The path Braid had chosen caused him to lose his true self.
Although he had high chances to achieve great achievements that no one in his factions could, the scene before his eyes told him clearly that everything was finished!
Not only the ns they plotted for years but also his ambitions, his ns fell a step short following the appearance of the Ancestors of Spirits.
"Barry! That damned bastard! You will die a horrible death! And you all! Even if you are the Ancestors of Spirits, nothing will change!"
Braid spoke with his fanatic, cold and true voice together, all the voices sounded in unison when the words escaped his mouth.
Then...
Kapuush!
The scarred bald head of his exploded all of a sudden.
Two gemstones with two different unusual glimmer flew out of Braids brains.
Pak!
The gemstones that flew out exploded as well as soon as it came in contact with the air.
Braid who had just lost his brain also lost his body right after the gemstones exploded, his body vanished into nothing. Not only his body but his belongings disappeared without a trace as well.
Though, back at the walls of Ciaran Central Bank, or more precisely the wall of the once temple, the paintings of the Gods started to glimmer with light different from the mortal realm.
Each of the paintings lit up and dimmed away one after another.
In the end, the only intact painting was lit uppletely.
The divine figure inside the painting came alive!
It had the head of a man, a lion, and a snake, holding a scale on one hand and a spear on the other, it then slowly walked out of the painting.
Its body was illusory, nothing close to the real world just like the white scarf that covered the mans eye.
"Judgement!"
The phantasmal figure cried loudly.
The man, lion, and snakehead roared at the sky together, giving out a deafening roar throughout the premise.
But a momentter, the deafening roar was overpowered.
KABOOOOOOM!
A zing figure plummeted down with great speed like a fallinget.
Its fiery greatsword was swung down directly, at the heads of the phantasmal divine figure!
Chapter 507: Under The Darkness
Chapter 507: Under The Darkness
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
CHANG!
The greatsword shed with the long spear.
The unique nking sounds of iron could be heard throughout the central square, sending out a formless shockwave upon contact.
Half of the phantasmal figure even plunged into the ground like a wooden pile.
Kierans own strength plus the weight of [Arrogant Word] together with the elerating speed and the momentum of attack from a high position with great speed caused the attack power to exceed Kierans own peak performance.
More importantly, after charging up for a while at the high position, he didnt just bring one strike to the fight. The burning Lineage Fire was fired out at the phantasmal figure when Kieran did a 360 turn in mid-air by utilizing the rebounding force from the sword sh.
Fooosh!
The mes burnt hot but still couldnt overpower the afterimages and shadows from the zing kick, enough to envelope even the sky.
[Hundred Violent Kicks]!
The sky above the three-headed phantasmal figure was covered by Kierans kick.
His kick turned into kicks, ten to a hundred, each kick wasunched in session, one after another, each kick faster than the previous and stronger than thest.
[Hand-to-hand Combat, Transcendence Kick Combat]!
[Barsical Kick, Bide]!
The special effect of both skills stacked perfectly, boosting Kierans Strength and Agility beyond his body limit and turned the relentless kicks into terrifying tidal waves.
The kicks wereunched without any pause in between, drowning the burning phantasmal figure whole, as if the figure had turned into ashes from the kicks and fire.
Though it was not the end, Kieran tip-toed in mid-air and miraculously stepped on air itself.
[Modii Jump]!
[Modii Boots] shone and allowed Kieran who was like an erupting volcano a moment ago to jump up higher elegantly like a flying swallow.
Sooou!
A long spear was thrust out from thin air, aiming at Kieran but it only grazed his boots.
The phantasmal figure with the head of a man, lion, and snake burst out from the drowning kicks and appeared suddenly before Kieran in mid-air. Three different heads and three pairs of different eyes stared Kieran with a deadly gaze.
"Judgement!" The figure roared again but it disappeared again when Kieran swung [Arrogant Word] at it.
Kieran thennded on the ground. He carefully looked at the busted building, once a divine temple.
His eyes identally nced over the painting on the wall and his serious looks turned even heavier.
He was sure that three-headed figure was not some divine godly being but not totally unrted as well. Based on the mystical knowledge in his mind, anything, anyone that had rtions to divine beings were not to be messed around with.
The sh in a spark of fire had proved it all. Kieran was charging up his power for a while and caught the three-headed figure off guard, causing it to have a hurried response but they were still evenly matched given the circumstances.
"An enemy that has tainted itself with divine breath or power?" Kieran took a deep breath.
He wasnt going to back off. The moment he chose his current path, he already knew that following the increase of dungeon entry and difficulty, he would eventually face off against enemies of such caliber, not only an enemy tainted with divine breath or power but a true divine being or God!
Since Kieran was mentally prepared, he would not fear even if he faced off against a real divine being, let alone an inferior imposter.
Wuuuung!
[Arrogant Word]s bewitching red shine shone brightly following Kierans resolution in his heart.
The sword body was shaking, giving out a pleasant de chime.
The chime was pleasant in Kierans ears and acknowledged in the cardinal sins. It even sounded beyond fitting in the ck negative energy environment yet such a de chime was interpreted as sounds of sphemy in the ears of the phantasmal figure.
"Judgement!"
"Heresy! "
"Sinner!"
The phantasmal figure stepped out from thin air andnded on top of the temples roof.
The mans head said loudly, following by the lion and the snake.
When all three of the voices converged, the whole temple started to tremble.
The mottled walls started to peel off rapidly, the pirs with the marks of time even started to give out cracks of golden shine and that one painting melted at that moment, taking the whole temple with it.
After countless years through the passage of time, thest freckle of power that remained was incited. A great horn sound came from the sky, expelling the darkness of the negative energy around the melted building.
A dash of radiance shone down and shed its brilliance over the phantasmal figure.
The melted temple was moving likeva and gushed towards the phantasmal figure which was only half a body taller than amon man. The substance filled its body, causing it to expand rapidly, it even started to materialize from its phantasmal state, forming a more solid figure.
Bits of will-o-wisp appeared abruptly before its body and from the will-o-wisp came souls one after another.
The souls were tottering and kneeling down, sticking their forehead down on the ground. Each and every one of the souls was repenting the sins throughout their living days.
From the petty sins of lying to the major crimes of killing and arsons, the petty ones would be caned and the major ones would be burnt.
Then, more illusory figures walked out from the solidifying body, wearing a body of golden armor and holding all sorts of torturing tools in their hand.
They were the executioners that were responsible for executing the punishments and capturing those that fled.
One of the golden-armored figured dived into the ground and a secondter, brought out a soul from beneath.
It was the soul of Barry! The general that led forces to assault the Sanctuary Ind!
That general now was in an absent-minded state, kneeling there in a stiff manner.
Until when he was canned by the executioners, he expressed his introspection loudly.
"I shouldnt betray the alliance with Braid, luring him into a trap!"
"I shouldnt mislead Braid about the information regarding 2567, causing his failure!"
"I shouldnt tip off 2567, giving him the upper hand!"
...
One sentence after another, it was like he was repenting his sins.
It caused Kieran who was watching the scene to raise a puzzled brow.
"Now I see!" Kieran muttered in his heart.
Kieran actually didnt find anything special or valuable on the alchemy enhanced warriors that he defeated back then but he had gotten valuable clues from the tattoos on the warriors bodies.
After arranging the clues he got, Kieran didnt just know what Braids ns were but he also got Braids background as well.
Braid was one of the leaders of the Loran Faction of the Old Southern country.
Of course, the more important part was that he had gotten a good grasp of Braids n and allowed him toe up with countermeasures easily.
To know ones own strength and the enemys is the sure way to victory!
Though Kieran never expected as one of the leaders of the Loran faction, Braid possessed the ability to summon the divine power which contradicted the knowledge he had on the Loran faction who offered mostly to the wicked demonic beings.
There must be something in between he didnt know of but none of that mattered anyway.
Kieran saw mes engulf Barrys soul, causing him to wail painfully.
At the same time, it seemed to wake him up from his absent-minded state, causing him to curse loudly.
"Braid, you son of a bitch, you treacherous bastard! You will die a horrible death!" and so on.
His cursing was getting dimmer until Barrys soul vanished.
After performing all the rites, the "divine being" who had control over it all, turned its three head to Kieran, staring all six of its odd eyes at him.
"Sinner! ept your judgment!"
A sonorous voice sounded like a st of thunder in the sky, countless of the golden-armored guards charged at Kieran like a strong wave, wanting to drown Kieran with the numbers quickly.
But they were met with a force beyond their imagination blocking them.
It was Lust, Greed, Gluttony, Sloth, Wrath, Envy and Pride, the seven sins were standing in front of Kieran blocking the golden guards.
The seven wicked devilish aura dragged tons of ck negative energy around and sted it to the sky. Seven different shades of ck rumbled violently, simr to a raging tornado and almost looked like a vicious beast head.
No, more like a monster! A gigantic monster with seven heads!
ROOOOOAR!
A deafening roar sent out shockwaves, destroying the golden guards wave after wave.
Even more so, countless ck air-streams were fired at the "divine being" like arrows.
Kieran watched over the scene with a calm face, standing where he was without even moving a muscle. He then looked at the "divine being" which was obviously infuriated by Kierans defiance. Kieran then couldnt help but curl up his lips to a smirk.
"I have to thank you for appearing in my home turf, you... IMPOSTER!"
Word after word was fired at the divine being, imnting themselves into its heart.
Chapter 508: Searching For
Chapter 508: Searching For
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Kierans words were like knives and swords, thrusting their sharp edge into the divine beings inner heart.
No, more precisely, the divine being felt like its pride has been challenged.
The divine being had lost its godly wisdom a long time ago, even after the awakening of what was left of its power, all it could perform was instinctive moves but it didnt stop it from remembering the kind of being Kieran was and what proper behavior Kieran should show against itself.
All the inferior beings like Kieran should kneel and pray loudly before its majestic divine power, it should be the only proper way and not like what Kieran did, insulting its divine presence and acting disdainfully.
Disdain!
Even with the bits of divine power, the divine being could clearly feel the disdainful expression from Kieran which infuriated it more.
Its rage erupted like fierce waves, as the wind and clouds formed up a storm, all three of its head of a man, lion, and snake roared angrily at the sky.
It raised the long spear in its hand and it started to dazzle brightly.
A momentter, the divine being swung its spear downwards!
KAKROOOOM!
The dark skies andnd were broken by a sudden lightning strike.
The burning white lightning with the breath of destruction was sted at Kieran, like a fallinget from the sky.
Then, Gluttonys head of the cardinal sins beast who was blocking in front of Kieran opened its abysmal big mouth and swallowed the strike down.
KABOOOM!
An explosion urred within the beast and Gluttony was sted into pieces.
"Sinful being, you will ept punish..."
The divine being was disying its mighty prowess instinctively in a sonorous voice but before its words could finish, it was stopped abruptly.
Gluttonys head which had exploded in pieces started to regenerate and take shape once more following the other cardinal sins beasts head sucked in the negative energy around them.
The moment Gluttony returned to its form, it gave out a loud sneering roar at the divine being.
The divine being replied with its actions, raising its spear once again trying to strike down the ungrateful cardinal sins beast.
KABOOOM!
More and more white burning light formed above the sky like thunder and lightning, the breath of destruction appeared once again yet the cardinal sins beast charged towards the divine being without any fear. Despite its destructive breath, the beast charged and threw itself over like a real beast!
Each time a head was blown off, it quickly regenerated another, each time its body was damaged, sucking in a mouthful of negative energy would restore its form.
Under the highly dense negative energy environment, the cardinal sins beast was like the wild grass with prime life force, not even a prairie fire could destroy it anymore and more surprisingly, after going through the unsettling condition at first, the cardinal sins beast caused damage to the divine being.
Sloth was tangling with the divine beings snakehead, sending it off to a deep slumber.
Wrath went after the lion head, causing it to roar loudly at the sky in pain.
Lust was circting around the mans head, causing confusions and disturbance to its senses.
As for Gluttony, Greed, and Envy, the three heads went after the divine beings limbs, tangling around and kept on chewing on its colossal body.
Only Pride remained stagnant, more precisely it seemed like the long spear and the scale sparked some interest in Pride, causing it to observe it carefully.
The observation was extremely domineering and even mixed with the power of the cardinal sin.
With the vast amount of negative energy as its support, the power of the cardinal sins were like vermins, prating every possible opening and spread out in its own corrosive way.
Wuuuuuosh!
The negative energy storm was getting more and more violent. Even the negative energy barrier that enveloped around Ciaran City had copsed and was turned into the purest form of negative energy, fusing itself into the storm and the storm was offering its energy to the cardinal sins beast without reservation, making it stronger and more terrifying.
As the darkness started to fade away, it only left the area above Ciaran City Central ck. But some was maintained the way it was because when the darkness faded away, it revealed...
The God of Judgement! The divine being from the myths and legends that people revered!
However, at that very moment, the God of Judgement was suppressed! Suppressed by Kieran!
After the negative energy barrier copsed, all the mystical individuals rushed towards the city center, including Smulder as well. Everyone who came was in awe, astonished and overwhelmed by what they saw, Kieran standing calmly aside and the cardinal sins beast that extended from Kierans body.
"What...What is this!?"
Azinder the knight-in-reserve said in a stuttering manner.
"The Ancestor of Spirits!"
Smulder, Simon, and Maya replied in one voice.
The moment the term "Ancestor of Spirits" appeared, it calmed down everyone who rushed over.
They looked at each other, exchanging gaze looking puzzled, shock, fear, and reverence.
All sorts of expression were mixed into their doubting faces.
Then, their gazes to Kieran also turned extremely weird.
The blood descendant of the devil was already a terrifying lineage beyondprehension, it had far surpassed the other mystical families who had the elven or dwarven bloodlines.
But when a devil blood descendant plus the lineage of the Ancestor of Spirits...
"Assistant o assistant, in the form of a raven, ominous befallen. Named Bird of Death, a body of chaos, a heart of light, he will reign thend with a Kingsly might."
The prophecy sounded in everyones heart once more and it was the first time they looked at the prophecy without a mocking or sneering mentality.
Followed by another news that came into their mind, Kieran was also the reincarnation of a Holy Knight.
Shhhhh!
Every one of them gasped hard. It was that moment they realized how terrifying a person could be.
Having the soul of a Holy Knight who was known as the most holistic and orderly and at the same time having the lineage of the devil and the Ancestor of Spirits, two of the most wicked, evil bloodlines to exist.
Right after that thought, everyones heart was grateful. They were grateful that Kieran had the soul of a Holy Knight, allowing them to know how to restrain him, or else going against a person with two of the most wicked, evil bloodlines would cause a severe headache to anyone and everyone.
Just the look of the divine being projection!
ording to legends, it was near omnipotence, it was fair and just, the representative of power but now, all it could do was to linger on itsst breath before the devil and Ancestor of Spirits bloodline descendant.
Though lingering on itsst breath, the divine being was no doubt powerful, every one of the mystical individuals present would acknowledge that and at the same time, they also had to acknowledge that Kieran was certainly more powerful than the divine being.
Ohara finally walked down from that building slowly.
After the negative energy faded off, there was nothing else to hold her down as she regained her strength. She walked towards Kieran from the crowd and none of them would dare to stop her, because of her identity of the Archdeacon of the Sanctuary but more because of she was the rumored lover of the reincarnated Hugh.
Now, the reincarnated one was performing the act of "killing even the Gods", no one else would dare to step up to her to test out ones ill luck blindly.
None of them wanted to be dead bodies and achievements beneath the reincarnated ones feet.
Ohara went through the crowd without any obstruction and appeared beside Kieran, looking at him affectionately.
Ohara had some thoughts in her mind before she came to Ciaran City. She wouldnt allow Kieran to take the risk because she didnt want to feel heartbroken again. Therefore, she has made up her mind if any danger would happen, she would be Kierans shield.
In other words, Ohara was prepared to sacrifice herself in the trip to Ciaran City and based on the worsening condition of the city, it solidified her resolution even more.
However, it wasnt necessary at all! None of that was needed from the start at all!
Kierans powerful strength had broken everything, he didnt even need Ohara to do anything, just stand beside him quietly. There was no need for anxiety or worry.
Although Ohara was a little down because she couldnt be of help, she preferred how she was feeling right now even more.
"Its great that you are back!" Ohara said softly.
Kieran shivered from his heart and to every inch of his body.
The moment he was showered by the affectionate gazes from Ohara, Kieran felt ufortable throughout his whole body. If it wasnt that he was immobilized because of the seven cardinal sins forming their beast form, he would have run away immediately.
"Um!"
Now, all he could do was act cool and nod.
Ohara felt rxed and relieved when he saw Kierans reply, everything was seemingly under control. She smiled once more.
It made Kierans hands shiver while hiding under his sleeves.
CRACK!!
A loud cracking noise, as loud as a deafening thunder strike sounded from the battle between the beast and the divine being.
The divine beings body was tattered!
After the relentless chewing and crunching, thest bits of divine power was depleted and after losing its only power, the divine beings colossal body turned back into rocks!
The rocks from the busted temple but Kieran wasnt concerned about all of that, even though he noticed a dash of sparkling gold amidst the crumbling rock body.
His Intuition was covering grounds, spearing in all directions trying to locate, the Fallen!
Chapter 509: Ascension
Chapter 509: Ascension
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
KABOOOOM!
The rock body of the divine being copsed into pieces.
Rumbling stones brought up a big wave of dust in all directions, blocking everyones sight.
Everyone instinctively covered their mouth and nose and even their eyes, except Kieran.
When the dust and debris came within 5 meters of him, it couldnt advance anymore as the ck negative energy acted like a shield, protecting him from the dust and debris.
In fact, not only the dust, as long as he was within the negative energy shields range, nothing could escape Kierans eyes and approach him easily.
When Kieran entered Ciaran City center square, the system had provided him with the third set of notifications.
[High-density negative energy field, yer acquired temporary enhancement, all stats +2...]
[Detected yer has a special bloodline, Shadow Domain (Iplete) temporarily activated...]
[Detected yer has a skill, Touch of Cardinal Sins, level temporarily boosted by +3...]
[Detected yer has skill, Body of Evil, level temporarily boosted by +3...]
[Detected yer has a skill, Saint Thorns, skill is being suppressed, temporarily disabled...]
...
It was not rted skills and stats increasing anymore but a precise enhancement presented in numbers.
Kierans attributes and skills were all boosted and granted him an extra temporary skill, [Shadow Domain]!
[Shadow Domain (Iplete): Replenish your HP, Stamina with the negative energy around you. While within the negative energy field, you can control a small degree of negative energy (Norger than a 10-meter radius and has Average attack and defense). Acquired Instinct Intuition (Hostile beings will have to undergo two Intuition authentication of -3 and -4. If two authentication failed, hostile beings will be locked on, if one authentication fails, hostile being will be revealed). All coteral beings (includes summons that could adapt to negative energy) would acquire +1 buff, HP and Stamina +5%. Caster ownself and the coteral beings (induces summons that could adapt to negative energy) would acquire an extra Secondary HP Recovery, acquired once Secondary Shadow Armor. Consume a specific amount of negative energy to receive Secondary HP Recovery, Secondary Shadow Armor again.]
...
Although [Shadow Domain] was categorized as Iplete, it was unparalleled fitting when used together with [Touch of Cardinal Sins] which was boosted to level IV.
[Touch of Cardinal Sins IV: The original sins of desire flowed in your blood. Consume 400 HP to summon either Lust, Greed, Gluttony, Sloth, Wrath or Envy to assist you. Consume 800 HP to summon Pride to assist you. The embodiment of sins shares your looks but each of them possessed different abilities. The summonsst for 1 minute, extra duration will cost extra HP.
When all seven of the original sins are present, consume 1000 HP to fuse them into Cardinal Sins Beast.]
[Note 1: When target is in a state of panic, chaos, fear or has an extreme desire for something, they will be devoured by the respective embodiment of sins.]
[Note 2: Cardinal Sins Beast will lower the rarity of potential spoils of war.]
...
Truth be told, without [Shadow Domain (Iplete)], Kieran couldnt even control [Touch of Cardinal Sins IV].
Of course, there was also [Body of Evil] which was boosted to level V. Kieran gained an extra 400 points of HP, Stamina, and boosted the maximum HP of the fusion Cardinal Sins Beast.
Significant buffs and changes in quality of his skills skyrocketed Kierans strength in a straight line. It was the perfect trantion of the term "home field advantage"!
While under his home field advantages, nothing could escape Kierans eyes as he could capture everything with one nce.
"It escaped?" Kieran muttered to himself.
He was certain within the negative energy field, he couldnt locate the Fallen that he was looking for, which caused him to frown. He believed that the Fallen couldnt have escaped his Intuition detection under [Shadow Domain]s buffs even though it was an Iplete version.
So, there left only one possibility, the target escaped when it saw the situation going south.
It was not a good news to Kieran though, whether who would face off against it again, no one would prefer an enemy of the same caliber as a Holy Knight.
Soon enough, Kieran gathered his attention on what was before him.
The Cardinal Sins Beast whichprised of the seven cardinal sins roared loudly at the sky, the ck negative energy around it was rumbling fiercely, scaring the mystics back.
Kieran could feel the part of his heart which belonged to Eye of Chimeras had started to be anxious and feverish. Kieran quickly deactivated [Touch of Cardinal Sins] and expelled the beast without any hesitation.
Even though Kieran knew if hed continue letting it out, the temporarily boosted level IV [Touch of Cardinal Sins] would really level up to the real [Touch of Cardinal Sins IV] but it would onlypromise the bnce of the [Fusion Heart].
A bnce of power was what he sought, bncing out the different powers in his heart was the most important aspect. Kieran knew it since hisst rampant encounter.
In fact, he already could feel a slight pain stinging his heart, which was quite impossible under normal circumstances and a normal body.
The only exnation was the bnce of [Fusion Heart] would bepromised when a huge amount of negative energy sprayed its influence.
So after Kieran picked up the golden spoil of war, he directly headed outside the negative energy field and got away from its reachable range.
The mystical individual crowds were dodging left and right, opening a wide path for Kieran to walk.
He didnt even properly size up the crowd around him as he left in a hurry after feeling the changes in his heart.
Fortunately, after the previous battle, the negative energy field was shrunk to only the central city area.
Soon enough, Kieran was standing under the warm sunlight and when he was showered by the brilliant radiance, all kinds of buffs went away together. He felt weak for a while and followed by a vigorous beating from his heart.
The beats from his heart expelled the unreal weakening state, even the pain went away like nothing happened.
Though, one thing did exceed Kierans expectations.
[Absorbing substantial amount of cardinal sins energy, Touch of Cardinal Sins leveled up to Touch of Cardinal Sins II!]
"It already leveled up? Thats the reason for the sudden restlessness?"
Kieran squinted his eyes over the achievement notifications from the system, which was good news.
Although the system description of [Touch of Cardinal Sins] was very obscure and vague, as the user, Kieran knew how useful was the skill to him.
He was able to kill without taking form or being noticed!
It was how Kieranmented on the skill. If it didnt affect the spoils of war, it would definitely be Kierans favorite skill.
The level up was not only the only reward as well.
Surrounded by a golden glow, a palm-sized scale appeared in Kierans hand.
[Name: Scale of Judgement]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Attribute: Judgement 1/1]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: Heart of Ruling]
[Remark: This is thest item that the God of Judgement left behind in the mortal realm. It can be very powerful or very weak.]
...
[Judgement: The sinner will suffer the wrath of heavens!]
...
"Heart of Ruling? What is that?"
Kieran frowned over the prerequisite but he quickly put it away in his backpack and turned his attention to Ohara.
"I need to get back to West Coast City as soon as possible! I would be much faster if I travel alone!" Kieran said.
From the hidden message that Kieran had gotten from the squad of alchemy enhanced warriors, not only did Kieran know what Braids ns were but he also knew that the Loran faction had not only sent out Braid alone, there was another leader headed towards West Coast City.
Although Kieran wasnt certain whether Barry was lying, he couldnt afford to be careless in such matters.
Therefore, Kieran bid Ohara goodbye and well from a certain angle, blocking a direct contact since he was eager to leave Ohra behind.
It was torturing for Kieran when Ohara stared at him affectionately.
While to make his statement more persuasive, Kieran directly activated [Night Owl Token].
Once the scarlet-eyed ck horse appeared, it already attracted the attention of the mystic individuals from afar but Kieran didnt even bat an eye, all he saw was Ohara.
"Take care on the way there!" Oharas farewell speech made Kieran let out a sigh of relief.
Kieran raised his hand over the horse and supported himself up, after another nce at the thick ck field at afar, Kieran waved at Ohara and went off with the horse.
Kieran believed that the leftover negative energy in Ciaran City wasnt a big deal for the Sanctuary members to deal with even without him.
He had nothing left to worry about in Ciaran City, what he worried about was West Coast City.
After feeling Kierans intention, the Night Owl let out a long neigh and switched its light galloping into lightning-fast sprinting a momentter.
The ck warhorse galloped off with its robust hooves into the wind. The ck crow feathered mantle opened up, fluttering amidst the strong wind whistle.
Leaving behind the busted city, the dying breath in the air dispersed as well, as if everything had ended.
But when those mystical individuals back at the busted city saw Kierans figure disappearing from sight, a sudden thought couldnt help but bloom in their hearts.
"The bird of death brings death wherever he goes eh?"
The crowd looked around, seeing the wounded city and bodies scattered around, it seemed like everything around them was verifying their thoughts.
Only Ohara was different, she grabbed the car keys from Azinder and ran over to where the car was parked despite Smulder yelling at her.
It was correct that she didnt want to drag Kierans speed down but it didnt mean she wouldnt follow up with her own methods!
After around twenty minutes...
Vrrooooom!
The modified cars engine let out a loud roar, speeding off towards West Coast City recklessly.
Chapter 510: Docked
Chapter 510: Docked
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Hologest Port.
A cargo ship that shouldnt appear had slowly docking itself at the port.
Different from the iron ship that had started to gain poprity among the people, the cargo ship was like an antique from thest century. Not only was it made out of wood, it has masts and sails to help it move around.
When the ship docked, a squad of people came down and astonished the workers at the port with their arrival.
That kind of scarlet red outfit was very eye-catching under the sunset, it looked like real blood flowing around.
More importantly, themon workers could feel a gloomy and ufortable presence from the squad of men but as for those who had more experience, they knew what such presence represented.
Killer aura!
The kind of terrifying manner that umted over several real massacres, meaning that they were not somemon John Doe.
At least the patrol officers at the port didnt think they were anonymous. The patrol officer signaled his man after seeing the weirdly dressed bunch with overflowing killer aura.
Right away, the man ran out to the ports entrance with light steps and the patrol officers brought two other men with him and went up front.
"Where did you people sail from? Please register yourself here."
Even though it was just a simple questioning, the patrol officer had his eyes locked on the bunch of men, his hand was even holding tight to his weapon.
Obviously, the patrol officer was ready for the situation, any fishy moves from the men and he would fire his gun without hesitation.
The squad of men didnt act abnormal, instead, they didnt act or move at all, as if they had been petrified, nor did they reply to the patrol officer.
Truth be told, if it wasnt that the officer saw the mene down from the ship, he would think that he saw dead bodies.
Correct, dead bodies! The officer felt the killer aura when he had some distance with them but when he went up close to them, he could see their faces were all pale and almost turning green, simr to a dead person.
A momentter, the patrol officer felt his throat was getting dry, he couldnt help but gulp. He nced over the mens exposed neck and saw unusual spots marking around their neck, it seemed like...
Livor mortis!
"Damn it!" The patrol officer cursed in his heart as he knew he was in big trouble.
Since Hologest Port was not that far from West Coast City before the patrol officer was transferred to Hologest Port he was in charge of West Coast City as well, surely he has heard about the infamous special operation group.
He also knew a thing or two as what the special operation group was formed to deal with and the things that were unfolding before him were definitely out of his league.
Slowly, the patrol officer stepped back, even though he tried to move slow, keeping as quiet as possible, but his movement still startled the bunch of weird men.
The zombie-like men quivered a little as if they woke up from slumber, their turbid eyes were turned towards the patrol officer and two of his men.
The squad then marched out to the three men in a moderate speed, as if their weight was heavy, obstructing their movements. Some of them even staggered a little as they marched but this frightened the patrol officer even more.
"Freeze! Dont move! Another step forward and Ill fire!"
The patrol officer drew his gun and pointed at the zombie-like squad and...
Bang Bang Bang!
Shots were fired repeatedly.
The patrol officers didnt aim for the weak points but their legs and other parts of their body but after seeing his bullets only slightly paused their movement before marching forward again, the patrol officers decided to go all out.
Bang! Bang!
Two shots were fired at the chest and head of one of the men.
The shot that aimed at the mans chest plunged in deep, nothing obvious urred but the shot that was aimed at its head, the bullet was embedded on its forehead upon contact.
Everyone at the port witness the freaky scene.
Witnessing the scene beyond his understanding, the patrol officers face turned pale, he instinctively turned around and wanted to run for it, so did his other two men.
Though, the moment three of them turned around, the zombie-like men who were still marching slowly a moment before turned into the best kind of hunter.
They threw themselves precisely at the escaping trio, pounding them on the ground and bit off their necks.
Shaaou!
Blood sttered out, the bloody stench filled the air in a second and as if the weird zombie-like men were agitated by the blood, they all let out terrifying roars one after another.
Then, they started to crawl on the ground, continuously chewing and ripping the patrol officers body apart. They ripped off each chunk of flesh with their teeth and swallowed it down their stomach making it looked like a bunch of vultures devouring their prey.
Panic and fear spread across the port as fast as the gue. Countless men ran outside the port with terrified faces and after a while, the merry, flourishing port was turned into a ce of dead silence.
All that was left was the noise of chewing flesh and sucking blood.
While further out at the sea, more ships of simr appearance could be seen, the same wooden make, installed with masts and sails.
Before the sky turnedpletely dark, they approached the port like ghost ships.
...
"What?"
Simones who had been busy for the whole day received a phone call from Sphenlly.
"Living dead! The living dead! A huge amount of living dead, zombies have invaded Hologest!"
The inn owner, Sphenlly said loudly through the phone. Sphenlly who was also one of the mystical members had lost his usual calmness, his voice was filled with anxiety and disturbance.
"I need reinforcements Simones! We might be able to at least whole till first light...God damned it you bastard! Taste my power!! Get out of my inn!... If you havent arrived before then, you can prepare an extra body bag with you!" Sphenlly yelled loudly.
The phone call was cut off abruptly after that and Simones did hear the roaring from the living dead. He knew Sphenlly was in great trouble, otherwise, he wouldnt make the phone call but he knew even better, it was just the beginning of troubles.
Simones smelled conspiracy!
The living dead was not some powerful monsters among the mystical realm but it didnt mean the living dead infestation could be this many, in fact from a certain aspect, the conditions for one to manifest were quite harsh as well.
Time, environment and the dead body itself had a very strict requirement and after the calctions for all aspects, it was even harder than the ghoul which had stronger fighting capabilities.
The simplest theory was, in a cemetery that has over a hundred graves that werent properly taken care off, it would be normal if one ghoul manifested out of the ce but a living dead would be an ident, let alone in mass.
Unless they originated from... the battlefield!
Once this thought came to his mind, Simones could no longer remain calm, he quickly headed upstairs to gather the crew.
After a while, Charles, Elli, Raul and her husband Cidney plus Louver who was still in a special state of mind appeared in the study room.
"We have a big trouble!"
Simones briefly updated the crew and other than Louver, all of their face expression turned heavy.
"A diversion! Enticing us to leave our vantage ground!" Charles said in an affirmative tone.
The atmosphere turned even heavier right away.
Even they knew it was a diversion, they had to go over to assist Hologest Port because they couldnt sit back and watch Hologest Port get turned into a dead city!
One needed to know that the strongest, most terrifying point of the living dead was not their power but the gue that followed!
Chapter 511: Opinion
Chapter 511: Opinion
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Coincidence! Everything was too coincidental!
When everyone was almost finishing repairing the defensive magic circle that Nikorei set around West Coast City, arge amount of living dead appeared at Hologest Port.
Regardless of what perspective one looked at it, it seemed like someone nned beforehand but even still, they needed to move out immediately.
No one would doubt what Charles said but at the same time, no one would doubt the horrifying consequences that a living dead gue could bring.
More importantly, once the whole Hologest Port was infested, West Coast City which was only three hours drive away wouldnt be safe either.
Though, the defensive magic circle had to bepleted.
Ciaran City was the best example, everyone present hoped that West Coast City would not follow the footsteps of Ciaran City at all costs.
"Lets split up! Charles and Elli stay behind toplete the defensive magic circle. Me, Raul and Cidney plus some men will head for Hologest Port!" Simones said.
No one objected to his suggestion. Nikoreis defensive magic circle was not something any John Doe could control or repair, other than Nikoreis disciple, only Charles the alchemy master would fit the job.
Though, just as everyone was about to move out, Tally Landsky pushed open the door and blocked the exit.
"Get out of my way!"
Elli said, trying to remove Tally away since she hasnt any good impression of her.
"Remember what you said little girl, Ill be expecting an apology soon. If you people wanted to die, I wont stop you but if you all want to live, listen to the news that I just received first!"
Tally said while she nced over everyone.
"What happened?" Charles asked after exchanging gaze with Simones.
"A ship from the East Coast mystics has appeared outside the port," Tally said.
Instantly, everyone furrowed their brows.
No doubt it was a bad news for them, it was well known that the West and East had never gotten along well. From Nikoreis time to Kieranstest assault.
The faces of East Coast mystics were thrown at the ground, trampled repeatedly in the past and now they appeared at such untimely timing, even an idiot knew they harbored ill intentions.
"And..."
After capturing everyones expression, Tally opened her mouth again, purposely prolonging her tone. Everyone else was caught off guard, showing shock on their face.
"And!? What a terrible day this is!" Simones sighed.
"Spill itdy, what is it?" Elli asked directly.
"And it seems like the East coast and the Southern bastards have formed an alliance! One of the leaders of the Loran faction should be onboard one of the ships that havent dock yet!"
Tally replied with a smile when Elli pressed the question without courtesy.
"Loran faction? This is indeed a terrible day!"
The alchemy master let out a long sigh and continued with a heavy tone, "Seems like we have to slightly alter our previous ns."
Even Charles wouldnt dare to be careless when facing the Old Southerns Loran faction.
Fighting against a bunch of abnormal fanatics was certainly nothing good and when those fanatics possessed immense power, it would be even more terrible than it looked.
It was what Charles was feeling, let alone that not only he had to face the Loran faction but there were other enemies waiting for him as well.
"Elli, you..."
"Wait! If you dont mind, I hope master you can consider my opinion!" Tally interrupted Charless words. Even though everyone around her was looking at her with doubt of judgemental gaze, she kept her smile on.
"Say it." Charles wouldnt mind considering another suggestion, maybe it would turn out to be a surprise as well.
When Tally saw Charles was ready for her opinion, her smile on her face became brighter and the brightness of her smile expelled the depression in her eyes.
She knew her chance had arrived, the chance to return to the public eye and all she had to do was to capture it.
...
In one of the ships from the East Coast back at the sea, a scrawny man was squinting his eyes over the port at West Coast.
He could clearly see the ce without any aid from other tools.
When he noticed the certain figure among the mystical individuals crowd who was exceptionally shorter, Gertrude couldnt help but smile.
"Master Norm, everything is proceeding as expected, Charles has been baited! He couldnt take into ount whether to repair the defensive magic circle at West Coast City or deal with the living dead catastrophe at Hologest Port!" Gertrude spoke to the person beside him.
The person was bald, donning a scarlet red linen outfit and only his belt and dagger were the only essories on his body. Other than the vicious scar on his head and the slight difference in facial features, the person was identical to Braid, even his manner of speech."Um!"
"Very well!"
The cold tone sounded at first and followed by the fanatic one, exactly like Braids talking.
"Then shall we wait for it patiently?"
Gertrude slightly twisted his body out offort when he heard the voice but his face was still bearing the fawning smile.
"Leave the living dead alone for now."
"As for the magic circle... utilize your spy. I do not wish to see any mistakes in the n!"
"Dont forget that is the magic circle left behind by Nikorei!"
"Though she was nothing remarkable herself!"
The mix of cold and fanatic tone intertwined perfectly, but it made Gertrudes fawning smile even heavier, trying to curl up to his master.
"Very well!" Gertrude answered right away.
He then quickly contacted his spy through his secret means but after mere seconds, his fawning expression changed.
"Master Norm! The spy has reported that Charles and Nikoreis disciple are setting up the magic circle!"
"What!?" The cold and fanatic voice sounded in unison but it wasnt the end of his shock.
Momentster, Gertrude received another report from his spy, saying that Charles had appeared in the reinforcement squad at Hologest Port.
"What...What in the..." Gertrude was lost, looking at his master, Norm for answers.
"You want to confuse me?"
"How naive are you?"
"Send the men to assault the port now! At the same time, activate your spy to kill Nikoreis disciple and the couple in the reinforcement squad!"
The cold and fanatic voice gave orders after another.
Chapter 512: Accidents
Chapter 512: idents
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
After the order was sent out, the fleet from the East Coast was divided into two groups.
One group would stay behind and patrol the area and the other would sail rapidly towards the port.
Unlike West Coast Governments iron battleship and fire cannon, East Coasts ships were leaning more towards thebination of the olden wooden ship like the Old Southern and the modern ships like West Coasts.
Their ships were equipped with motors and also boosted with magical circles.
When the mystical runes on the ships started to glow, the speed was boosted at least two-fold, boosting the ships swiftly towards the port. At the same time, there was a formless barrier formed around the ship as well.
The mystical individuals from West Coast at the port could clearly see the overflowing killer intents of the invaders on the deck of their ships even under the night sky.
"Attack!"
The messenger from West Coast gave the order out without any hesitation.
The situation before them has gone beyond their control the moment the East Coast mystical fleet appeared in West Coasts waters, a fierce battle was inevitable.
Although he was just a temporary leader, it didnt mean he would shrink back from his duties, causing any dy in his decisions.
GROOM! GROOM! GROOM!
Small to medium caliber iron cannons were extended out from the garage at the port one after another and were fired at the iing invaders moments after they were revealed.
As the fire shes shone brightly from the cannon mouth, dozens of iron pellets struck the charging invaders ship.
Their formless barrier shook a little but was still holding on firmly, there wasnt even a scratch on the barrier.
The messenger frowned while Gertrude who was on the deck of his ship smiled of his enemies ineffective attacks.
"Fellow fallen West Coast mystics, you all have already forgotten the glory of the mystical realm! Now I will show you what real power is!"
As Gertrudes deration subsided, themand soldiers aside started to wave the gs in their hand.
Promptly, more mystical runes appeared and glowed on the fast sailing ships.
As they rode the waves and winds, the seawater that had been pushed away by the ships suddenly gathered after the g wave. Almost a dozen ships lined up in formation and as if they turned into a giant hand, pushing the sea water forward roughly and ceaselessly!
Foooooosh!
After a few seconds and a series of spine-chilling air whistle, the gathered sea water formed a huge tidal wave as tall as 50 meters and was crashing down at the port.
Gertrude was smiling viciously at the scene and...
KABOOOOOSH!
A huge crashing noise sounded and a translucent force field barrier formed in front of the port.
The barrier was slightly different from a real force field barrier, it was more like a huge wall than a dome shape. When the tidal wave was crashing at them, it turned into a giant wall of a dam.
Gertrudes vicious smile was frozen for a while.
"Lets see how long can you people withstand the waves!"
He grunted loudly, themand soldiers beside waved their gs again and formed another tidal wave, crashing down at the port again without any mercy.
KABOOOOSH!
The dam-like wall force field barrier started to shake. Anyone withmon sense knew the force field barrier before them couldnt hold on for a few more strikes.
Instinctively, everyone turned their attention to the messenger.
"Continue your attacks! Dont stop!" The messenger said.
While he gave his order once more, he tried his best to look as dull as possible and forbid himself to look at Charles who was drawing the magic circle.
BANG BANG BANG!
The iron cannons fired at the ships again but it was still useless against the force field barrier of the East Coast, let alone there was another tidal wave between them.
The moment the iron pellet crashed into the wave, it was washed away instantly and would never be seen again.
The ineffective cannons kept firing without pause, they continued as hard as they could which made the West Coast mystical individuals frowned. They started to look at the messenger in a dubious gaze and also Charles who was still drawing the magic circle.
What were they up to?
The crowd was confused and Gertrude on the other side also shared the same confusion.
The representative from the East Coast looked at the port from afar with a furrowed brows.
Maybe since after the Blood Moon War, West Coasts level has fallen inferior to the East Coast but it wouldnt be this bad that they couldnt even dissolve the tidal wave attack.
More so, West Coast was the home of the God of Earth. Knowing how she worked, Gertrude wouldnt believe that she didnt leave any defensive methods behind for her people.
"Is this a trap?" The sudden realization hit Gertrude and unconsciously, he looked at his master, Norm.
After all, the assault order was given by his master.
Norm only replied Gertrudes gaze with a couple of coldughs.
"So what if it is a trap?"
"I only wanted to make sure where Charles is!"
"Continue the attack!"
The cold and fanatic voice sounded steadfast.
"But Nikorei..."
"Are you doubting my orders?"
Gertrude didnt carry out the orders right away because the fleet of ships were all from the East Coast mystics and harbored none of the Old Southerners.
Now using his own men to act as pathfinders, even Gertrude as an extremely vile person would feel hesitant. But soon enough, Gertrude didnt hold his stance and epted the orders when Norm questioned him.
Then, they saw balls of fire appeared at the port one after another.
The burning fire ignored the tidal waves and the force field barrier and was thrown towards the East Coast charging fleet with unimaginable impact force.
KABOOM BOOM BOOM!
The seemingly indestructible force field barrier a moment ago was destroyed and what followed was the crew and the ship. Some of the luckier ones that were set on fire and managed to jump into the sea, the other unfortunate souls were sted to pieces during the explosion.
The stench of burning bodies started to fill the air in the sea area.
Gertrudes face turned pale when he saw the fleet burning but Norm was excited over the scene.
He looked at the huge magic circle further from the port, its scarlet glow was shedding its red light all over the port and the short figure standing in the middle of the magic circle was very eye-catching.
"Charles is indeed here!"
"Well of course,pared to West Coast City, what does Hologest Port has over him?
"Well, Nikoreis disciple is also important but now you arent with her, she will be destined to meet her maker!" Norm emphasized in a strange tone.
He turned over to Gertrude.
Gertrude was stunned for a second and quickly understood what his masters intention was.
Gertrude contacted his spy with his secretive methods right away but a reply was long overdue.
Gertrudes expression turned ugly as seconds turned into minutes because he knew what this meant for him.
The assassination of his spy has failed! But how was it possible?
All the spies were carefully hand-picked by himself, not only did they possessed far superior strength thanmon mystics, each of them had secret techniques that exceeded amon mans wildest imaginations.
Even if his spy was killed, surely the spy must have caused some substantial damage to the target and Gertrude would be the first to receive the news but now?
Nothing! Nothing at all!
Gertrude tried to contact his spy again since he couldnt believe what he realized and this time around not that single spy anymore but all the spies he had sent out, yet the results were the same.
Gertrudes body started to quiver hard after the news, he knew he will be finished soon.
Back then when the whole East Coast mystical realm agreed to his request of "attacking West Coast again" was all because of the achievements of his spies.
At the same time, they were also his biggest reliance and leverage and now everything was gone.
"Master Norm... My spies have failed!" Gertrude said as if his soul has escaped his body.
"Garbage!" Normmented in a disdainful manner and he continued, "You should be thankful that our setup at Hologest Port waspleted. Now, all we have to do is wait for the gue to spread!"
Norm then went towards his cabin.
Gertrude saw Norm off and he signaled themand soldiers beside him. After ordering a temporary retreat, Gertrude hurried over to the captains cabin.
Although the n worked, he has lost his greatest reliance, now he would have to figure out his future by himself.
One needed to know, the other people had unusually terrible table manners.
...
"We did it!"
Seeing the retreating East Coast fleet, the messenger let out a breath of relief in his heart. He couldnt help but look at Charles, but Charles seemed to be contacting others.
After a while, Charles signaled the messenger and right away, the messengers relieved state turned nervous again.
The signal meant ident! idents happened!
Chapter 513: Underground Shadow
Chapter 513: Underground Shadow
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
In the underground sewers back in West Coast City.
Elli was shuttling swiftly across the filthy sewers with her rain boots since she had already gotten used to the stench.
Though, Elli would turned around and checked on "Charles" behind her from time to time or more precisely, Tally in disguise.
Elli was hoping to see a disgusted, ufortable expression on Tallys face but it disappointed her. All the while. Tally remained calm and wasnt affected by the environment, although her face was altered by the transforming potion, still any expression would be reflected on her face, otherwise, the potion wouldnt be Simoness prized possession in his collection.
Though, Elli was really curious about how Tally knew Simones carried such a potion with him. Even for herself, she only knew of the existence of the potion in her teachers books and it was the first time she saw it with her own eyes.
Maybe there were other simr potions in other mystics collections but it was a slim chance.
After all, after the Blood Moon War, the aftermath of which was was too influential to the whole West Coast. Other than inheritance or legacy items, the biggest loss throughout the whole West Coast was the factions and societies losing their collections.
Precious potions, tools, rare equipment, and books.
All of the items of a mystical individual was enough of a reason to fight over.
While one side was raiding and plundering all the resources, the other side would surely form a grudge against them.
In fact, since the Blood Moon War, the West and the East had always carried a hostile rtionship.
Tally simply used the information she had gotten from her family to reply the curious youngss and it was only natural that Elli didnt buy it. Such excuses were only effective against little children.
Although Elli was not an adult by any means, she had been through a lot, granting her maturity beyond her peers. Not only Tally did know the secret prized potion of Simones but she even suggested the "confusion" and "dying" action n.
The youngss believed that Tally had much more behind that she was hiding but the situation at hand was not a good time to ask the question because they were not alone inside the underground sewers.
The torchlight was the only source of light underground and when the light shed over to the darker spots, rats squeaked noisily.
The rats werent scared off by the sudden light but instead, they stared at Elli and Tally with their ghastly emerald eyes. Although it was not the first encounter, being stared with a dozen pairs of eyes caused quite the unsettling feeling in Ellis heart.
A momentter, the youngss had an uncorked test tube in her hand.
The solution inside was faint and not too harsh to the nose but it has a unique scent to its smoke as it flowed out from the test tube.
Right away, the rats which were ready to throw themselves at the twodies ran off in panic as the smoke came.
Fortunately, it was the only trouble they came across throughout the sewer journey.
At the end of the road, Elli opened up the secret door after chanting the secret password and revealed a big, well-lighted room before them.
As if they had reached a room that has a small square, connecting to all sorts of tunnel passageways.
Each of the passageways were fully carved with mystical runes and inside the room as big as a small squad had ten times more carvings than the passageways.
From Ellis perspective, all she saw was a bunch of messy carvings, other than a rounded enneagram basic magic circle, she couldnt spot anything else.
It was tooplicated and messy, yet suchplicated and crowded magic circles were the work of a young Nikorei.
Back in the days when Nikorei hadnt acquired the title of God of Earth she was already a prominent rising figure in all kinds of mystical territories.
She was young, curious and overflowing with the urge to learn, causing her powers to skyrocket. As she continued her vast endeavors, some sessful experimental products and some not so sessful ones followed as well.
The defensive magic circle before Elli was only a half sessful experimental product.
As Nikoreis disciple, Elli couldnt understand what the purpose of her teacher creating this defensive magic circle was and neither did she know why couldnt she finish it.
Elli only found the magic circle in one of her teachers notes and coincidentally, when Kieran mentioned forming a point of defense, she revealed the magic circle that was hidden under West Coast City to the group.
The whole process was coincidental as if it was arranged by something but Elli wasnt Kieran, she wouldnt give so much thought about the process, especially when she had other tasks with her.
"Lets begin!" Elli said.
"Um! Elli, you get that side, Ill get this one here!" Tally said using Charless voice.
"Okay." The youngss nodded and headed towards the passageway aside.
Just when Elli stepped into the passageway, an air-breaking whistle sounded behind her.
Arrows!
Elli could precisely determine it was from a bunch of arrows based on the powerful wind. She quickly moved her body aside, dodging the arrow strike.
Souuu!
The arrow grazed her shoulder and was shot to the end of the passageway. She could clearly hear the crashing noise when the arrow plunged into the wall, it would surely destroy the magic circle!
Just as the thought bloomed in her mind, Elli didnt even have the time to check the damage as she was assaulted with more attacks.
Sou Sou Sou!
Three more arrows appeared out of thin air before her, firing straight at her.
At the same time, a figure appeared behind the arrows, wielding a dagger, aiming towards Ellis throat.
Elli barely dodged the three rapid arrows but the dagger was almost inches away from her throat but the dagger couldnt advance forth anymore.
A tremendous force appeared on the figures neck following Elli raising her hand and...
Crack!
A clear cracking noise turned the figures head upside downpletely, causing its body fell to the ground.
Elli turned her eyes angrily at Tally and shouted in rage, "TALLY LANDSKY!"
It was not something that they promised before if Elli didnt brand her spell, [Void Hand] onto her glove, she might have already bit the dust.
Elli wasnt fond of Tally from the start and after Tally broke her promise, Elli exploded right away.
However, Tally pretended she didnt hear any of those rageful words, her eyes even looked a little dispirited.
Even an idiot knew something went wrong, let alone Elli who was smarter than others.
The youngss noticed something went wrong and she waved both her hands, retreated backward quickly. A pair of formless, millstone sized huge hands appeared before her, acted as her shield but...
"Not bad, not bad at all! Interesting technique!" The voice sounded behind the youngss.
Elli wanted to turn around to the voice but a spine-chilling coldness spread from her back and went throughout her body, she could even feel that her heart was slowly freezing over.
An abysmal, wicked, freezing figure appeared out of thin air before the youngss. The figure covered its body and face with a ck outfit, leaving out only a pair of scarlet eyes.
The scarlet eyes were sizing up its prey with a gaze of interest.
"Dont worry, dear. You wont die! And you too! I will slowly torture the both of you, letting youdies know the true terror of torturing! Well, it isnt really a challenge for ady!"
"Oh, a transforming potion? This is quite the trouble!"
The ck shadowed figure walked over to Tally, it then raised its hand, spraying out a small cloud of mist and the transforming effect on Tally was instantly dissolved.
"Tsk, Tsk!".
The ck shadow figure gasped in admiration when it saw Tallys true face.
Then, it went closer to Tally and raised its hand to grab Tallys coat.
Tally was terrified when she saw the hand getting nearer, her strong unyielding attitude vanished long ago. All that was left was her truest nature.
Terrified, despair! Everything started to form on her face.
Even though she saw Elli was struggling with all her might, she knew Elli couldnt save her.
After all, the shadowy figure before Tally was a Fallen!
The mortal enemy of the Sanctuarys Holy Knight!
Such monster was definitely out of her league and even Ellis to deal with.
In fact, there were only a handful of people within the mystical realm that could fight such a monster.
"Maybe he can..."
The face that Tally hated the most appeared in her heart as the thought bloomed but it vanished right after.
The hateful bastard was still in Ciaran City, how could he appear before her?
Fate was always cruel!
When she saw the ck fingers had reached her coat, Tally was ready to resign to fate.
She smiled grimly, ready to give up since she couldnt resist or struggle, she needed to know how to give up.
She hated the phrase though, giving up.
She had always been struggling, whether was it the unyielding attitude or striving for authority and position, everything was a struggle, struggling to prove herself to those men.
Now...
What could she do when a hopeless situation stood before her?
Hope was long gone, Tally then closed her eyes.
Then...
"You really look hideous."
A sudden voice sounded in her ears.
Chapter 514: Bane
Chapter 514: Bane
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The voice was familiar and it even had a fresh memory in Tallys mind.
She opened her eyes instantly and she saw the person that she hated the most.
She saw... Kieran!
Kieran grabbed the Fallens ck palm with his own was burning withyers of fire.
His face and eyes were calm but it really struck one with a chilling, terrifying presence.
His rage was encouraging his killer intent, anyone whoid eyes on Kieran at that moment would be horrified beyond thoughts but not Tally.
Escaping from the mouth of death after seeing Kieran before her, her heart was at peace.
Suddenly, an exhaustion of mind swept over her body, she was weakened by the contrast of her state of mind between life and death. Tally identally, coincidentally moved and went behind Kieran and leaned her head slightly on Kierans wide, firm back.
Kieran raised a brow but that was it because his attention was focused on the Fallen before him.
Tss Tss!
The fire was burning the Fallens hand and it shouted in a terrified tone, "How did you find me!?"
"Your stench is awful! From the first time you ambushed me, you left behind a vile stench, making me vomit. Even if you are numerous mountains and streams away, your stench makes me sick." Kieran said slowly.
The Lineage Fire burned even fiercely as he said.
BOOM!
[me Burst] triggered despite its slim chance of activating, engulfing the Fallenpletely.
A 4 meter tall, 1-meter wide fire pir rose up from the ground, erasing the Fallens figurepletely within its burning mes as if the Fallen really was burnt to a crisp.
But after confronting the Fallen several times, Kieran knew how cunning the Fallen was.
He sent out a thought in his mind and right away, Wrath and Gluttony walked out from the shadows slowly.
Gluttony was wiping his drool and Wrath was clenching his teeth hard.
Although both of them shared the same face as Kieran, the aura around them was wicked and evil beyondpare. Both of the cardinal sins extended their hands into the void and dragged a ck figure out of thin air.
It was the Fallen!
The Fallen kept on struggling. The negative aura transformed itself into sharp ws to attack Wrath and Gluttony but its attack was useless.
Before the negative energy ws could be of any use, they were swallowed by Gluttony like fries, crunching them loudly. The noise made Wrath even angrier.
Even though theycked the required negative energy and was unable to use words to convey their thoughts since the skill [Touch of Cardinal Sins] was limited at II but their actions were not one bit slow.
Wraths palm was like a knife cutting tofu, it silently stabbed into the Fallens chest and gripped hard. The Fallens organs were instantly crushed into a pile of minced meat.
Gluttony went for a more direct way, biting on the Fallens neck and chewing it off bits by bits.
"Aaaaaa!"
"Hate! I hate all these!!"
The Fallens cried agonizingly and started to struggle even more fiercely.
It didnt even care about the hands in its chest and its neck which was bitten.
Then, evil spirits flowed out of its body one after another, from a dozen to a thousand within only a blink of an eye. The evil spirits target was clear, once they came out, they hurled themselves over to Elli.
"Humph!" Kieran grunted coldly.
He was too familiar with such a move.
Back when Kieran was on his way back to West Coast, during the first encounter with the Fallen, it used the evil spirits within its body to substitute its main body and escaped Kierans grasp.
After that, more evil spirits were sent out to disturb Kieran time after time.
As for why the Fallen sent the spirits out, Kieran had no idea but he knew in order to not let idents happen in the future, such an enemy should not be spared.
The Fallens movements were surreptitious and seemed to possess the ability to shuttle through shadows but Kieran still noticed an inkling of its presence with Musou level [Tracking].
When Kieran discovered that the Fallen was heading towards West Coast City, his killer intent was boiling in his heart.
Why would the Fallen head towards West Coast City? The answer was self-exnatory.
In West Coast City, there were natives that Kieran could consider friends which he only had a handful of in the world.
Maybe they were just natives but they werent strangers. Through contact andmunication, each interaction was imprinted in his heart.
Kieran didnt know what the other yers would do but he had certainly, unknowingly altered his initial thoughts about natives. He could no longer treat them as lifeless NPCs, piles of data or codes anymore.
Kieran had no idea whether it was a good or bad decision for him but one thing he knew for sure.
"The Fallen is dead!"
The underground room which was filled with magic circles glow suddenly dimmed out.
It was not that the glow from the magic circle was weakening but because of a gigantic monster appeared above, blocking its glow.
Hundreds of thousands of arms curled out from thin air, countless legs intertwined with the arms, forming countless eyes at the point.
The eyes were blood red and were glowing in a rainbow re.
Thousands of eyes gathered at a point and forming a giant teethyered mouth.
Fuuush!
The moment the mouth opened, it was like a whale swallowing the sea waters as the evil spirits were gone in an instant.
Not only that, the ck body of the Fallen started to look distorted as if it was disintegrating into ashes and flying away with the wind.
Kieran who was connected with the [Creature of Desire] ordered it to stop but the hunger that he felt from the creature made him frown.
Kieran hated hunger because it would remind him of his less pleasant memories. Even more so, the matter beforehand was far from being solved.
Although Kieran was tracking the Fallen, he knew what was going on at West Coast City and Hologest Port.
"I need to hurry up!" Kieran muttered to himself.
The Lineage Fire in his left hand burnt up high again. He cupped his burning palm onto the Fallens head without any mercy. The breath of death was assaulting its face relentlessly.
The Fallen was struggling with all its life, trying to resist but it was useless.
If the Holy Knight was the mortal enemy of the Fallen, then Kieran was the bane of the Fallen!
The Fallen who could control negative energy and evil spirits were just like an appetizer for Kieran. The negative energy and evil spirits that thedies feared were supplements for Kieran since he had the [Body of Evil], [Touch of Cardinal Sins] and [Creature of Desire].
If the Fallen didnt have that many strange techniques, Kieran wouldnt have let it escape after the first encounter.
Now, after having insights of what the monster was, there would be death waiting for it at the end of the road.
Tss Tsss!
The burning mes burned hot, giving out sizzling sounds on the ground.
The ck around the Fallen has faded, revealing its pale skin and young face underneath.
If it wasnt for the scarlet eyes, no one would have thought the young man was a Fallen.
"Spare...Spare me!" The Fallen said.
Kieran clenched his palm that was cupping on the Fallens head, crushing its skull to bits, following the Lineage Fire exploded like how [Charles Fire] did.
KABOOM!
This time around, the Fallen didnt escape, and couldnt.
It was burnt to crisp from the fire and explosion, revealing a dash of gold above its remains.
Kieran quickly grabbed the golden glow and before he could check what he had gotten, a loud grunting roar sounded.
"TALLY LANDSKY, WHEN DO YOU WANT TO GET YOUR STINKING HEAD OFF!"
Elli who had freed herself from the restrains dashed over in an angry manner.
Chapter 515: Bugs
Chapter 515: Bugs
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
While Elli was being aggressive and threatening, Tally replied with a smile.
The Landsky familys eldest daughter drew some distance from Kieran without batting an eye and she calmly asked Elli who was dashing towards her, "Whats wrong?"
"Whats wrong? You say whats wrong? What did you do just now!? You think Im blind?"
Elli was like an enraged lioness, if it wasnt herst bit of sanity holding her back, [Void Hand] would have twisted Tallys neck.
"Oh? But why are you so angry? Unless you are fond of 2567 here?"
While holding her chest up, Tally was looking at Elli calmly andposed while handling her rageful question.
The youngss was instantly stunned. She quickly shook her hand in panic and slightly blushed.
"Wha...How can it be?! What are you talking about!?"
"What am I talking about? Well, why do I feel like you were all serious just now?"
Tally looked at the youngss in a ridiculing manner.
"Im just reprimanding you on behalf of 2567 and from his perspective and..."
Elli was giving the excuses even she didnt believe and at the same time, her eyes quietly sized up Kieran.
When she saw Kieran expressionless face and was not paying attention to the little squabbles, she let out a breath of relief in her heart but also felt a little depressed.
Obviously, Elli didnt know how to hide her emotions before Kieran.
While Kieran only felt a stinging pain in his temple when he saw the depressed expression on the youngss eyes. He was a total amateur in such matters, not only did he not have any experience, he didnt have any examples to pull from.
Whether was it his yer friend Lawless or the Schmidt or the other natives, none of them were reliable in terms of rtionships.
So Kieran decided to go with what he assumed the best way out, drawing distances from the squabbles.
"Things are not over yet. There are still fleets from the East Coast at the port and a ton of living dead in Hologest Port. All of these are urgent matters, Ill leave this ce to you two!"
Kieran then went outside after he finished.
His eyes were squinting silently, examining the jewel in his palm, as big as only a button but pitch ck in color.
[Name: Dark Nether Stone]
[Type: Gemstones]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Attribute: ???]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: You will need a specialist to appraise this!]
...
Simr to [Ghastly Sapphire], another gemstone that required an appraisal and its rarity was even higher than the former but it was not what Kieran concerned about the most.
When he held the [Dark Nether Stone] in his palm, he could clearly feel the desires from Eye of Chimeras from his heart, or more precisely [Creature of Desire] and [Touch of Cardinal Sins] were signaling him, telling him they were hungry.
Excluding [Creature of Desire] and Gluttony of which both were fond of any kind of food and only exist to eat, the other cardinal sins had their own characteristics yet they showed signs of hunger.
Even though Kieran wascking sufficient knowledge, he knew the [Dark Nether Stone] was not amon gemstone, but to find out what its properties were, he would need to return to the game lobby and ask cksmith for help.
As for now, Kieran raised his head at the enormous Creature of Desire, he deactivated it with a thought from his mind and disappeared into the shadows of the passageway.
Dak Dak Dak...
His footsteps were moving further away and eventually went silent.
Elli was looking at Kierans back nkly and until hepletely disappeared, only then did she regain her senses. Then she looked at Tally when an angry face.
"You did that on purpose!" The youngss grunted angrily.
"Is that so?" Tally didnt deny it.
The Landsky familys eldest daughter then pointed at the broken magic circle around the ce and said calmly, "Elli my dear, you better hurry up, dont forget you are the most important part of the n. Even if 2567 has returned, you cant afford to be careless, sweety."
"Ill remember what you did today!"
Elli didnt tangle with Tally as she knew the importance of her role in the n but her heart refused to give in and sent out a threat to Tally.
Tally, on the other hand, was smiling against such a threat. She didnt care because she knew Elli was a person with a baseline and had a code of conduct to her actions.
Even if she turned bad anyhow, there will be a limit to how far she would have gone for her characteristics.
It was easier than flipping a hand dealing with herpared to all the previous opponents Tally faced before in the past.
Though, Tallys heart was blooming with a certain unknown, strange feeling, causing her to look at the passageway that Kieran disappeared into uncontrobly.
"2567 eh?" Tally muttered to herself softly.
...
Gertrude was walking towards the deck in a light mood. He felt beyond fortunate that thework that he maintained allowed him to ovee the obstacles before him.
Though a momentter, Gertrudes light mood turned awful right away.
What did he see?
The night sky in the south-east direction was dyed fiery red.
Gertrude was dumbstruck and astonished because he couldnt believe what he saw because he knew what it meant.
The fallinget or the precise name, Comet Burst!
There were many names to that secret technique and the masses knew how destructive it was.
At the same time, the one man that could use such a secret technique whose name was very well-known among the mystical realm, the alchemy master Charles!
Though shouldnt Charles be at the port not far away from them? How could he appear in the south-east direction? The direction where Hologest Port was located?
A series of rushed footsteps sounded from the cabin, it was Norm from the Old Southern who rushed up to the deck. He was looking at the fiery red sky with a vicious face.
"Master Norm, weve been tricked. The port..."
Pak!
A p on his face interrupted Gertrudes words.
"Shut up!"
"I dont need you to remind me!"
The cold and fanatic voice intertwined, and Norm turned his head to the port at afar.
"Charge! Charge to the port! Kill every one of them!"
"Ill let them know what is it like to make a fool out of me!" Norm shouted crazily.
Gertrude who was covering his face quickly sent out the orders.
Wasnt he pissed off? How could he not be pissed off after being pped by his master?
But he knew that if he couldnt present any kind of visible contributions or merits, no matter how pissed off or angry he was, he couldnt escape his demise.
Holgest Port was already dealt with, all that was left was West Coast City.
The fleetunched their charging once more.
"The enemies areing!" The West Coast mystical individuals at the port skipped a beat in their hearts.
When they saw the changes of the southeast sky, they knew the Charles who was with them was just a substitute but it didnt stop the people from turning to their leader in times of danger.
Simones returned to his original look and smiled bitterly after sensing all the gazes from the crowd.
It could still be considered as smooth progress at his side but idents urred at Elli and Charless side.
Elli was currently unreachable and Charless attack was moved up two hours in advance.
It might not be much for that two hours duration but it was crucial at such a critical moment.
Without Nikoreis defensive magic circle, they could even stand a chance in defending the invaders.
"Hold your ground! We must defend the ce until the defensive magic circle is finished, then victory shall be ours!" Simones said loudly after a deep breath.
There was no need for extra words, the grudge they had with East Coast forced them out without any path of retreat.
All they could prepare for was a fierce battle!
Every one of them started to move out.
Norm at the ship saw the scene, heughed coldly when his enemies were still stubbornly resisting in a desperate situation.
His red robe shooked and countless locusts gushed out from his wide sleeves, bringing a vile stench together with their appearance, swarming the sky above the port.
The swarm of locusts formed a ck cloud and buzzing noise sounded in session.
The West Coast mystics face turned pale when they saw the horrifying scene.
When the swarm of locusts hurled down at them like heavy rain, despair surged up in their heart.
"This is the end!"
Chapter 516: Clamor
Chapter 516: mor
Trantor: Dess Editor: SSins
Simones pulled out a couple more potions and quickly loaded them into his special crossbow that was equipped to his left arm.
Bang bang bang!
The crossbow was fired repeatedly and the couple potions flew towards the swarm of locusts. Before it came into contact with the bugs, the potions exploded and turned into giant fireballs.
Simr to the previous fireballs that devoured the ships of the East Coast, the fireballs burnt the locust swarm without mercy.
Simones didnt just rely on his transforming potion to disguise himself as Charles. He also relied on the crossbow on his left arm and the special potions that he cooked up himself.
The panicking crowd was slightly relieved when they saw that the locusts swarm were being burned. But before they couldpletely release their breath, the buzzing noise sounded once more.
The locusts have prated the fiery obstacles!
The fire was ineffective against the bug swarm!
Everyone was stunned. Despair in their heart grewrger.
This time around, Simones and the messengers face turned ugly as well.
Simones has also utilized his ace but it was still ineffective.
Although the messenger didnt activate his ace card, he knew that if Simoness fiery potions were ineffective against the swarm of locusts, then his would be even more useless.
The messenger then looked at Simones with a bitter smile.
"Im sorry!" Simones said.
Not only was he apologizing to the messenger but it was addressed to everyone present in the crowd as well, even though he knew such apologies were more than useless.
Compared to the weight of life, all kinds of words were feathers without weight.
Yet, it was the only thing he could do for now.
The apologies were notpletely overpowered by the locusts buzzing. It was dimmed down to a faint level. Some of the others heard it and some of them didnt.
The ones who heard it lost their minds in action and those who didnt act the same as well.
Against an impending doom, the mystical individual crowds were no better than themon man.
The crowd started to scatter away, trying to find cover and protect themselves to prolong their lives a little bit longer even though each of them knew it was a waste of effort.
Wuung Wuuung Wuuungs!
The locust swarm was drawing closer.
Some of them decided to stand against reality in thest moments of their lives.
Simones, the messenger, and many others halted their steps, raising their head to the death swarm that was descending upon them.
Then...
The buzzing suddenly disappeared. Countless locust swarms that covered even the sky disappeared without a trace and was reced by a gigantic monster that appeared in the sky.
Arms and legs were tangled and intertwined. It had scarlet red eyes all over and was glowing in a rainbow shine, shedding its light over the dark sky.
The most eye-catching spot was its big mouth, filled withyers of teeth and was spinning ceaselessly.
If the crowd saw such a monster during normal times, they would have been terrified beyond reason or would have shivered non-stop but now...
The West Coast mystics felt nothing but d, grateful and fortunate!
Fortunate beyond reasons!
The monster was swallowing the swarm of locusts!
The locusts were unharmed even under high-temperature fires but under the suction force of the big horrifying mouth, none of them could resist. Each and every locust was crunched, ground and swallowed without any leftover.
The West Coast mystics were shocked over such a scene.
"What happened? Is it a miracle?" The messenger muttered after escaping from the verge of death.
His muttering could be heard clearly among the silence of the crowd but none of them refuted his statement because it was what they thought as well.
Some of the younger ones even cried joyful tears. The elder ones let out a breath of relief and started to examine the monster before them with a more serious gaze.
Even though the looks of the monster were not to beplimented but after being saved by it, they didnt see the monster as vicious and terrifying anymore. Especially when they saw the figure standing on top of the monsters body, a series of gasps sounded one after another.
"The Bird of Death!"
A shocking cry broke the silence at the port.
Simones turned his head to the night sky. The monster floating in mid-air under the night sky was twisting its body. Thousands of its eyes were turning around, bringing its huge body around.
Before that biggest core eye of the monster, which was also the highest point of its body, a figure was standing against the wind.
The night breeze of the West Coast sea was blowing the feathered mantle that was darker than ck. The front hair at his forehead was blown backward, fluttering and revealing a familiar face in Simoness sight.
"2567!" Simones said softly.
His heart waspletely relieved because he knew that they were saved and they had already won the battle.
...
"The Bird of Death!"
On the deck of the East Coast ships, the shock and teeth grinding noises from the terrifying scene were very different from the delightful voice of awe at the port as most of them had escaped death.
The fear and shock came from Gertrude and the teeth grinding came from Norm.
Gertrude turned his head around and asked his master with a near questioning tone, "Master Norm, didnt you say that the Bird of Death was headed for Ciaran City and will surely be stuck there? Why...Why would he appear here instead!?"
With Gertrudes character of bullying the weak and ttering the strong, it seemed like he was totally enraged by uttering those words.
Truth be told, how could Gertrude not be enraged?
Because of Norms words, he gambled all his properties, his wealth, and everything else on the assault of West Coast.
Should the mission fail, he would have nothing left. Unlike his previous mistakes which were only small idents that urred in certain spots that caused him to lose a little, this time, he was going to lose everything! Everything!
Everything that he had operated for more than a decade was going to be gone, blown away by the wind.
The Bird of Death, the Fiery Devil and the assistant of God of Earth!
Gertrude knew Kieran with all the titles under his belt was not someone that he couldpete against.
If the assault on West Coast was victorious, it might turn out better for him. At least East Coast mystics would have protected his safety to save their faces. Even the Bird of Death couldnt touch him at all. After all, he was just the assistant of God of Earth, not Nikorei herself.
That was the reason why he dared to encourage his group to retrieve the former pride and glory of East Coast!
Yet everything hase to an end with Kierans appearance.
"What the hell is Braid doing?"
"He thinks that his little squabble with me can surpass the will of that person?"
"Fool!"
Norm was enraged and he spoke in anger.
He nced at Gertrude and the hatred in his ferocious eyes made the ever-anxious Gertrude tremble.
Gertrude quickly reacted to what happened and thought about what consequences will befall him after his questioning tone.
He has lost everything he had and since he was a weaker person himself, Gertrude has lost the qualifications to bargain with Norm after losing thest bit of leverage.
All it required was a thought from Norm to control Gertrudes life and death.
"My apologies Master Norm. Forgive me rashness! I swear..."
Gertrude quickly kneeled without a second thought and said in a quivering voice.
"Enough! Retreat for the time being!" Norm waved his hand angrily.
He really wanted to kill Gertrude right away, but he gave up that thought when he saw that there were many other mystics on board.
Although none of them were strong individuals, they were the best ingredients. At least Norm could redeem the loss this time.
Yet when the thought of losing appeared in his mind, the rage appeared again, causing him to breathe heavily and rapidly from his already calmed breath.
Norm turned around and looked at Kieran from afar as he was floating under the night sky.
He shouted loudly, "2567! Consider yourself lucky this time! The next time you see me, I will make you remember my presence!"
Norms voice could be heard in Kierans ears despite the distance and sea between them.
Kieran then looked at the ships of the East Coast, fleeing at a speed that exceeded his expectation.
No doubt it was what Norm relied on to cause a mor after he had lost the battle.
Norm assumed that Kierans speed couldnt catch up with his speeding ship.
"You think you are fast? But are you faster than light?" Kieran said.
Wuuuush!
Thousands of evil eyes on the [Creature of Desire] lighted up all at once.
Chapter 517: Reinforcements
Chapter 517: Reinforcements
Trantor: Dess Editor: SSins
Norms mouring was harboured by the night breeze and clearly reached the port.
Promptly, the mystical individuals of West Coast condemned his act, scolding him for being a coward.
From their perspective, Norm did escape in an ugly manner. Not only did he not behave like a loser, he instead fired out arrogant words and lost his demeanour.
Both sides were mortal enemies by nature and adding the shameless attitude of Norm made the crowd from the West Coast ditch their identity scruples and greet Norm and his mother with the most vicious words they had in their vocabry.
Then, the crowd witnessed a scene that they were going to remember for life.
Thousands of burning rays fired off likeser beams across the night sky, chasing the fleeing East Coast fleet and sinking them upon contact.
KABOOOOM!
The whole fleet started to break apart after the blinding explosion.
The crew on the fleets didnt even utter a word or cry before vanishing into the light.
"What...This..."
Simones, the messenger and the others raised their heads up at the gigantic monster, which was stretching its body and swallowing a mouth full of foam uncontrobly.
Terrifying!
Such thoughts bloomed in everyones hearts.
"Hahahaha! So this is all you got? Bird of Death!"
Just as the crowd on the port was astonished by the scene, Norms voice could be heard from across the sea again.
After the light dissipated, ayer of red, watery barrier built up over the remaining fleet like a castle wall.
Norm who was standing on deck was unscathed and his ship was sailing even faster.
All he needed was a few seconds topletely disappear from the sight of the crowd. Norm had nothing else to fear with the speeding ship sailing away.
"Believe me! The next time we meet, it will be..."
"Next time? There is no next time!"
Just as Norm wanted to say something, Kieran interrupted him before he could finish.
Kieran raised a brow against the Loran faction leader who kept mouring. He could feel that such mouring was not as simple as it seemed.
"Trying to misguide my emotions? Or is it some kind of secret technique?" Kieran wondered in his heart.
However, it didnt stop him from countering with a corresponding attack.
Wuuuush!
Thousands of evil eyes lighted up once more and were different from the scattered strike from before. This time, the thousands of burning rays was focused at a certain point.
Instantly, Norms expression turned very ugly and Gertrude even fell to the deck, limping weakly.
KABOOOOM!
The blinding light shed once more and the concentrated burning rays pierced the red barrier like the chopping of a twig from a death stump.
There wasnt any so called restraints nor were there were anything about disintegration. The burning rays perforated the barrier in the most direct, rampant way possible.
Quantitative change will also result in qualitative change once a certain amount was reached.
More so, [Thousand Evil Eye Strike] already possessed powerful powers that no one could overlook.
When [Fusion Heart] was leveled up to II, not only was the devil part leveled but Creature of Desire did too.
[Name: Creature of Desire II]
[Type: Summons]
[Rarity: Special]
[Attribute: 1. Desire Dominance II, 2. Thousand Evil Eye Strike II]
[Effect: Devour]
[Prerequisite: Fusion Heart]
[Remark: The shards of Eye of Chimeras fused with you flesh, blood and desire, creating this monster. Its strength and malefic nature cannot be contained by the world!]
...
[Desire Dominance II: Your deepest desires will be exposed before the Creature. It will be erged infinitely and turned into a weapon against you. When you are facing the Creature of Desire, Lust, Greed, Gluttony, Sloth, Wrath, Envy and Pride, seven types of irresistible authentication +1 will ur. Target who passed will be immune by the effect. Target who fails will be punished by the respective sins.]
[Thousand Evil Eye Strike II: The attacking ability from the thousand evil eyes. They will fire out a burningser with attack judgement. One of the core eyes has Extreme attack level. The 10 main eyes have Powerful attack level. 100 eyes have Strong attack level. The rest derivative eyes have Common attack level. Able to fire together or individually, 2 per day]
...
[Devour: When Creature of Desire devour the targets under its effect or target that it kills, the power will transfer to the user as well]
[Note: Devour is a special trait. The targets that Creature of Desire kill will not drop any loots.]
...
Not only [Desire Dominance] acquired a +1 buff. More importantly, [Thousand Evil Eye Strike] gained another firing chance.
Although it was just one time, it was a drastic improvement to Kieran.
It meant that Kieran acquired another core eye attack at the Extreme level, ten more Powerful attacks from the main eyes and hundred more attacks from themon eyes at Strong level and exactly 889 times more from the derivative eyes of Common level.
Regardless of what kind of attack, it was going to be fired out in the form of burning rays which allowed Kieran to have more confidence against any enemy, just like the case with Norm and Gertrude.
The kill notification had appeared on his vision and the Creature of Desire beneath his feet growled in satisfaction through his heart before disappearing under the night sky.
Kieran fell down from the sky and those who were concerned about him gave out a cry of shock.
It was almost a few hundred meters fall. Even for mystical individuals, it was a height that they had to be careful but amidst the cry, Kierans free falling figurended down as light as a feather.
[Crow-like Agility, Feather-like Nimbleness]!
[Crows ck Feather] fluttered with the wind and its special power made Kierans body as light as a feather.
The moment Kierannded on the ground, he tiptoed and [Boots of Modii] shone. Kieran jumped up another few meters and did a mid-air backflip beforending firmly andpletely.
While the crowd gathered around him, Kieran saw Simones.
"Head to Hologest Port! Some idents happened!" he said.
Simones heart skipped a beat and quickly recalled the attack that was two hours earlier than nned.
Without further ado, the crowd quickly cleaned up the battlefield and Simones regrouped his men. After around ten minutes, a team of men departed from West Coast City.
Since [Night Owl Token] was still in cooldown, Kieran hopped into the messengers car backseat.
Notifications began to pop in his vision.
[Special event: Full Scale War! (Completed)]
[Acquired Perfect ratings, Continuous Event triggered...]
[Requirements not met, Continuous Events unable to trigger...]
...
[Discovered sub mission: Reinforcements!]
[Reinforcements: After tracking down the Fallen, youve noticed that West Coast City and Hologest port are in big pinches. You will need to provide aid to both ces and ensure the survival of Simones, Charles, Elli Jones, Tally Landsky, Raul and Cidney.]
...
"Continuous Event? Requirements not met!?"
Kieran couldnt help but furrow his brows when he saw the notification.
He had not much information about [Special Events]. In fact, it was his first encounter during [The Queens Shield] dungeon but it made an impression in his mind.
Not only was it going to alter the main mission, the rewards that followed were going to be substantial!
Now there appeared a continuous event after the special one...
It was not up to him to turn away from it.
Even though hecked information, he came up with some guesses.
However, he was more concerned about his submission [Reinforcements] right now because no matter how he looked at it, Raul and Cidney had gotten into big trouble and things were always worse than what Kieran imagined.
Chapter 518: Suffocate
Chapter 518: Suffocate
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
An hourter.
The convoy that departed from West Coast City was forced to a stop.
A huge meteor which was a size beyond words blocked the road.
It radius alone was over a hundred meters, and sunk into the ground almost 30 plus meters, not only did it destroy the road to Hologest Port from West Coast City, the surroundings were also caught in the impact. Especially inside the crater, the lingering heat was still burning and although it wasnt as hot as to burn ones shoes off, one could still experience pain from the heat if one was barefoot.
Kieran slightly frowned. He sized up the meteor crater before him before starting to search his surroundings.
The tracks and traces on the ground were almost destroyed by the meteor impact but relying on Musou level [Tracking], Kieran still picked up some intriguing spots.
A couple of footsteps!
He didnt even need to rely on the number of prints, all he did waspared the prints with the memories in his head and he was sure that the footprints belonged to Charles, Raul, and Cidney but other than the couple footprints, Kieran could find anything else.
He then headed to a further spot to confirm his search but from the starting point to the further point of impact, all Kieran found were the footprints and no expected enemies sighted.
The most peculiar point about the footprints was, based on the direction the prints were heading, after Charles used his ace, the group went straight to Hologest Port.
"What the hell happened? There was no enemy but Master Charles uses Comet Burst?" Kieran wondered but he shook his head instantly.
"No! That doesnt sound right. Not that there is no enemy but the enemy might be formless! Not only was it strong, it even blocked their way of retreat! Only then Master Charles would take the risk by heading towards the zombie-infested Hologest Port!" Kieran thought and muttered while rubbing his chin.
"Then, who is the formless enemy?" Kieran started to recall the information that he gathered in his mind and the knowledge that he had but he couldnt find anymore clues.
Amongst the monsters he knew, there wasnt one who fit the criteria of being formless and able to withstand a strike of Comet Burst while still able to force Charles and the others into a difficult position.
Fuuu!
Kieran took in a deep breath and turned around as he waited for Simones and the others.
With such a huge meteor crater obstructing their path, the car wouldnt be a viable option anymore and the group had to travel on feet for the rest of the journey.
From the looks of the situation of Charles and the others were in, there wasnt any time for Kieran to waste.
Kieran was ready to travel alone from there onwards and Simones and the others didnt object.
The odd happening before them allowed them to know what was the best option out of the situation.
...
While having a big backpack on his back, Kierans sprinting speed was faster than amon galloping horse.
A rank Strength and Agility granted him the explosive power and speed that sent one to awe. An S- rank of Constitution allowed him to have superior perseverance and stamina.
Kieran only spent 1 hour to travel the distances that took 2 hours originally.
When Kieran arrived outside Hologest Port, he was looking at the nightfall port city and heard the roars and grunts even the waves from the sea could hardly cover. Kieran quickly took out the potion that Simones formted, drinking a portion of it and smeared the rest on his skin and equipment.
The worst part to deal with the living dead was not the monster itself but the gue that followed their presence.
Kieran had quite the confidence with his S- ranks Constitution but it didnt stop him from providing himself with an extrayer of protection.
There was only a thin line of difference between confidence and arrogance, let alone that Kieran was always leaning towards the side of vignce.
After preparing himself, Kieran hastened his steps and headed into Hologest Port.
The moment he set foot on the port, a series of roars sounded from afar.
ROAR!
A couple of figures were charging at Kieran clumsily, simr to a bunch of angry drunkards yet were ten times more dangerous than one.
The pale face with a dash of skin had its wrinkles gathered at a single spot. The blood and flesh were absent as if they had been dissolved, all that was left was its dry body but its strength was elevated, making it stronger than before. The zombies could simply break the bat as thick as an arm with its strength.
Its defense was even more shocking, smaller caliber guns couldnt even prate its wrinkled skin!
Yet it still had a weakness!
Bang Bang Bang!
Kieran took out his [Python-W2], the silver revolver, and fired in session.
The bullets with the buff from [Armor Pration Lvl 1] easily sted off the crown of their skull.
After being converted into a zombie, its vigorous survivability caused them to struggle for a long while. When their brains fell of their skull, the body followed and after a couple of twitches, the zombies finally died.
Kieran carefully approached the zombies and carefully examined the bodies after making sure they were really dead.
"Other than the wounds from my attack, there isnt really real wounds on its body, means the first zombie might have been using airborne methods to spread the gue?" Kieran muttered.
It was the first time Kieran encountered the living dead and its kind but there wasnt anycking of information in the books about these monsters.
Not only were the methods to create the living dead extremely strange, they also had the ability to spread the gue from their body, infecting a normal human being and turning them into one of their own.
Though the books clearly stated, in order for the living dead to infect a normal human being, one must be bitten. Well, most of the people would not have the chance of being converted into a living dead should they encounter a zombie attack because most of the human being will only end up as the living deads food.
The living head had an insatiable hunger. Amon living dead would have to eat up at least three to five people at once, otherwise, it wouldnt even start converting humans.
Now, the situation was obviously different from the books.
"Excessive amount of the living dead contaminated the air as well?" Kierans heart skipped a beat as he hastened his steps.
Although Simones had provided Charles and the others with enough potions to prevent conversion, they were just enough for Charles and co., and not everyone in the port who desperately need them.
Kierans destination was clear: Wine ss Inn!
The spot where all the mystics gathered in Hologest Port and also the only spot viable to set up a defense against the assault of the living dead.
As for the other ces, even if there was a police station nearby with fully loaded arsenals inside, it would be useless against airborne gue.
Unless the West Coast Government had extra precaution taken against such a specific situation, but throughout the whole journey to the inn, the scenery that Kieran saw told him that it was impossible for such precaution. There were many police zombies along the way, each of them were much harder to deal with than amon one.
The bulletproof vest, iron helmet, and mask granted the police zombies a secondyer of defense.
If it wasnt for Kierans Transcendence level [Firearm Weapon, Light Firearm], granting him extreme precisions beyond humanprehensions and special buffs, the bullets couldnt even perforate the twoyers of defense.
Bang bang bang!
Gunshots sounded from afar. It came from some dark spots further down the path which let Kieran felt relieved.
The living dead couldnt use firearms and other tools after losing their intelligence, if there were gunshots, they should be from humans.
If there was a resistance, that meat that Wine ss Inns situation wasnt beyond redemption.
Kieran strode towards the inn but the moment he took the first step, a tremendous power, enough to suffocate himnded on his body out of a sudden!
Chapter 519: Power
Chapter 519: Power
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The sudden tremendous power was formless, weird and it was far beyond Kierans imagination.
Kierans A rank Strength was suppressed down without any resistance and even his joints were giving out clear cracking noise!
Grack! Tsk Tsk!
When the clear cracks sounded, Kierans legs even plunged into the concrete ground, burying him over his ankles. Most importantly, the tremendous power was increasing by the second.
Kieran could clearly feel the power wasnt in a hurry to crush him but wanted to tease him more like a cat teasing a mouse.
The source of the power wasnt paying attention yet it wanted to crush him, not only physically but mentally as well. Even though the system didnt show any notifications of Spirit disruption, he could feel it.
He had no idea why the power wanted to do so but he knew this was his chance to escape.
"Haa!"
Kieran stuck his neck up, giving out a loud roar and mustered all his strength for an upward push. He hoped that he could find a slight window to carry out his attacks and such window came easier than he had thought.
The moment the tremendous power felt Kierans might, it stopped abruptly, as if it was waiting for Kieran to make his move.
Everything then unfolded just as Kierans expected.
The power wanted to crush him physically and mentally, so it didnt even mind Kieran resisting its power. More so, from a certain perspective, the more Kieran resisted, the more delighted the owner of the power would be.
When a person has depleted all his might and skills yet still feel helpless against the situation, despair will follow and that will be the time ideal to crush the person.
So when Kieran did a sudden side roll on the ground, firing both his legs up to his head, the strange, tremendous power appeared again. Though this time around, Kierans sudden burst of strength exceeded its expectation.
Bang!
Bang bang bang!
The seemingly empty sky gave out a series of heavy bangs. With the buffs from Transcendence [Hand-to-hand Combat, Kick Combats], Kierans Strength and Agility was boosted up to S+ rank temporarily and freed himself from the powers restraints. He even counterattacked.
Without a second of dy, after Kieran quicklyunched his dual kick, he followed up with [Barsical Kick]s attacking rhythm.
The fourth and fifth kick granted Kierans Strength and Agility another +2 and +3 buff respectively.
At the fourth kick, Kieran S rank Strength and Agility had been boosted to SS and at the fifth kick, it was boosted to SS+.
A and SS+ has a difference of heaven and earth, a total difference of 7 ranks and even its properties and qualities had beenpletely altered.
The formless strength was scattered right away following Kierans explosive kicks.
"Eh!?
An unknown, deep voice sounded suddenly in Kierans ears.
The scattered power gathered once more following the voice but this time around it didnt suppress Kieran anymore but appeared in a different form.
The dark sky before Kieran turned even darker, the moon and the stars dimmed down to the same shades of ck with the sky because a gigantic figure that was dazzling in burning brightness, simr to a midnight sun appeared!
"OBEY ME!"
The thunderous voice sounded really like thunder itself, echoing in Kierans ears non-stop.
The impact of its appearance was huge. Even if Kieran didnt pay attention to his notifications from the system, he had a hunch that the notifications spamming him were about Fear or other sorts of debuffs, however, Kieran was relieved.
Now, his strongest attribute was Spirit! His Spirit rank was at the SSS+ rank!
Reaching the limit of his character model and had always been Kierans biggest reliance, even though he was familiar with fighting using his great sword and hand-to-handbat.
The impact from the dazzling brightness that was enough to crush all of themon mystics and most of the elites mystics were only a windy breeze before Kieran.
Kieran squinted his eyes against the gigantic dazzling figure, and without any further thoughts, he could already guess what it was.
Divine being!
From the books that he read, a big portion of them described the divine being as "gigantic", "dazzling", "prestigious" and such. In summary, any praises that existed were used to describe them but they were also being described as "selfish", "dark" and "vicious" by another portion, which umted all the maliciousments about them.
One side justice, one side evil.
Perhaps it was how the people of the current world viewed them, the divine beings.
The divine being before Kieran though, it was almost certain that it didnte with good intentions.
Whether it was the previous suppression or the current appearance, everything it did until now was to crush Kieran.
As for why?
Kieran suddenly thought of the God of Judgement.
The divine being before him now was obviously something simr to the previous one at Ciaran City, the same broken kind.
Kieran didnt mind describing the divine being as a "thing". It wasnt that he didnt have any beliefs but within his range of beliefs, there wasnt one that he relied on to protect himself.
He only believed in himself, striving to be stronger than before.
Broken?
Perhaps the divine being before Kieran was in a much more better shape than the previous one or what was left in its body but still, it wasnt really a true divine being, even the shadow that it cast was a mile apart from the true one.
Otherwise, Kieran wouldnt even stand a chance of resisting.
Kieran knew in his gut because he had read some of the masterpieces that described the divine beings in details.
"OBEY ME!"
Another thunderous voice sounded, more powerful and more sonorous than before.
Though it was nothing but a windy breeze turned into a strong wind. Although Kieran felt pain, it wasnt fatal.
While feeling the pain stinging his body, Kieran raised his right hand, [Mardos Arm] was shing faintly. A crystal clear spider web was fired out and tangled at the gigantic, dazzling divine image.
It wasnt that Kieran didnt think of any other resisting methods but obviously, the divine being before him was some illusory existence that lingered in between phantasmal and reality. Most of Kierans attack would be rendered useless and left with only a handful of options. Even more so, Kieran could clearly feel the hungering out from [Mardos Arm].
It wanted to hunt its prey!
[Mardos Arm] wanted to hunt the afterimage of the divine being.
Mardos was the hatchling from the Hell Fiend Spider egg that was left in the mortal world.
Its special breeding and hatching process caused it to have congenital dyssia, not only did it lose the inheritance of the original Hell Fiend Spider abilities, its power and intellect were halved to a new low, but its instinct was kept.
The predatory instinct that hunted for divine beings!
Kieran clearly felt the Eye of Chimeras, the devil power, and the Holy Knight soul wasmunicating and to Kierans surprise, they didnt object to the little spider.
Mardos had natural defects but wasnt the divine being before him defected as well?
More so, other than [Mardos Arm], Kieran still has other means to deal with it.
So, the next moment, the spider web became tangled in the divine beings image.
Fuuuu!
The Hell Fiend Spider fire from hell started to burn fiercely on the divine being.
A sound of agonizing pain that didnt fit its divine image sounded.
The fire was only a Strong level attack and mixed with an Average level of negative energy corrosion, yet it caused the divine being to cry in pain.
Kieran was stunned.
He activated [Hell Fiend Spider Fire] out of instinct, he didnt even expect such a reaction from his opponent.
What unfoldedter exceeded Kierans expectation, even more, causing him to widen his eyes.
Chapter 520: Meow~
Chapter 520: Meow~
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
On top of the crystal clear spider web, a small spider was crawling on it.
Compared to the hair-like spider web, the small spider wasnt big by any measure, and from its shaky movements, it seemed like it couldnt cling on properly, perhaps a small breeze could blow it away like dust.
If Kieran wasnt within range and his focus wasnt heighten to his limits during battle, he himself wouldnt be sure it was the spider image that crawled out of [Mardos Arm].
Though, momentster, the small spider started to grow, inting like a balloon rapidly following its crawl forward.
The spider web was no longer than 30 meters yet within such distance, the small spiders body expanded almost a thousand times.
Its shaky, dust-like image turned rock-solid.
The smell of sulfur started to erupt from its body.
The moon and stars got even dimmer, to the point, it was barely noticeable, even the sun-like dazzling figure dimmed down a little because another source of dazzling light appeared.
It was a river, a river that pierced the sky and earth. It was as high as the vault of heaven and as low as theherworld.
The water in the river was redva, boiling fiercely as it flowed through the earth and sky.
The bloated spider dived into theva river and started to stir up its flowing current.
As theva was stirred around, some vague, unreal figures started to take shape.
A scarlet red singled horned figure, a pitch ck multiple-armed figure, and a figure with a thousand eyes but no legs.
Monsters! Powerful monsters that were unrivaled, dreaded by people appeared from theva river!
Yet, each of the monsters bowed down to the spider. They lowered their prideful heads, using their body as stairs and allowed the spider to climb up from the river, climbing towards the dazzling divine figure.
"Hell Fiend Spider!!"
The divine figure that considered itself without rival in the world cried out in panic when it saw the spider as if it saw the scene that it dreaded, feared and felt unbelievable.
"So this is..."
Crack!
The divine figure muttered to itself, seemingly understanding something but before his sentence could form, Mardos went up straight and bit on its head.
The dazzling divine figures head was crushed to bits and pieces with one bite from Mardos mouth, then Mardos started to devour its entire body.
It was fast and simple. The divine figure didnt resist, nor did it protract its tortuous struggle.
Mardos was like someone having dinner in a diner, eating the divine figure bite by bite.
The stars and moon disappeared, so did theva river.
The surreal illusory realm vanished into thin air, returning Kierans sight to the streets of Hologest Port filled with the living dead.
The only thing that was different was the small spider on Kierans palm, as big as only a penny. It wasnt an illusion or mirage anymore, nor did it float around like a spirit.
It became solid, a real spider and when Kieran used his finger to touch it, the solid feeling rose spontaneously.
"This is real?" Kieran looked at the petty spider in astonishment.
It was not the first time he encountered the spirit mirage from his equipment but he would never have thought the mirages would be real and still connected to his thoughts.
Happy!
The small spider was delivering such an emotion to him.
Then, before Kieran could give any reply, it quickly ran back into [Mardos Arm]. The returning process was like a drop of water merging with another drop, it felt so smooth without the slightest bit of abruption.
Though Kieran viewed it as a way the small spider returned to its nest.
"What...What the?"
Kieran couldnt even form words anymore after being shocked by the scene before his eyes.
His gathered knowledge and information couldnt even assist him in understanding what kind of power that was. The power that could turn an illusory being into something solid, with flesh and bones.
Soon after, his stingy, Scrooge character kicked in, causing him to check [Mardos Arm]s status out of instinct.
[Abnormal devouring, Mardos Arm leveled up...]
[Acquired Item, rarity Above Legendary: Mardos Lair]
...
[Name: Mardos Lair]
[Type: Armor (Right-hand wrist guard)]
[Rarity: Above Legendary]
[Defense: Extreme]
[Attributes: 1. Spider Webbing III, 2. Web Bind III, 3. Soul Devour III]
[Effect: 1.Hell Fiend Spider Fire II, 2. Hell Fiend Shadow]
[Prerequisite: The one who killed Mardos (Binds to yer)]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: Mardos was hatched from a Hell Fiend Spider egg that was left on earth, through a special and hastened hatching process, it had a growth disorder in nature, in addition to losing its intellect, strength, and lineage of a Hell Fiend Spider, all it had was the natural predator instinct, but your presence has started to change it!]
...
[Spider Webbing III: Fire a tensile and sticky retractable spider web not longer than 40 meters, the spider web has a Powerful defense, target would require to have B+ Strength or above to break away from the stickiness, 30-second duration, 3 times per day]
[Web Binding III: Fire an 8-meter radius sticker spider webced with poison, binding multiple targets 80 meters within sight, spider web has a Powerful and above defense, target would require to have A- Strength to break away. The poison will force the target to undergo 3 Constitution authentications of A-, B+, and B. If target fails all 3 authentications, target will receive Powerful poison attack. If target fails 2 authentications, target will receive Strong poison attack.
If target fails 1 authentication, target will receive Average poison attack, 20 seconds duration, 2 per day]
[Soul Devour III: yer will absorb the soul energy of each target killed, replenishing yers HP, Stamina, the recovery rate is based on the targets soul level. The soul can be temporarily stored in the armguard, able to replenish at will. The restore level is equal to 1 Heavily Wounded Status worth of HP and Stamina and 3 Moderate Wounded Status worth of HP and Stamina. (Avability: 0)]
...
[Hell Fiend Spider Fire II: When using Spider Webbing or Web Binding, bound target will receive Powerful fire damage and Strong negative energy corrosion. Able to activate Hell Fiend Spider Fire by your will.]
[Hell Fiend Shadow: The monsters that lived around the hell sulfur river are not as simple as they look. When using Spider Webbing, Web Binding, bound target will be forced to undergo a Spirit authentication not lower than B, Intuition authentication not lower than C+, target will also be induced with Fear and Illusions during the authentication. If target fails 1 authentication, target will receive a Strong mental impact attack. If target fails 2 authentications while receiving the mental impact attack, target will be forced to undergo another Death authentication (Special rank), target will be Doomed instantly if they fail and the soul will be devoured!]
...
"Mardos Lair?"
Looking at his new armguard, the appearance wasnt that different but its attributes had undergone a drastic improvement. All skills were enhanced and new effects were added, all the signs were pointing at [Mardos Lair] being a one-of-a-kind special item.
Especially [Hell Fiend Shadow]!
When Kieran nced over the effect, he unconsciously recalled the monsters that appeared beside the sulfur river. Though the most concerning point were the changes in the remarks.
"Started to change... Means it will repair its defects?"
Kieran pondered the question in his heart but his movements were not slow.
He hadnt forgotten what he was there for, to save his friends!
Though when he broke through the tight encirclement of the zombies with ease and rushed himself to Wine ss Inn, all he saw was some magic circles and Charles, weakened.
He was stunned.
"Youve made it! Stand inside! Exnations are waiting for you inside!"
The weakened Charles said.
Because of Charles sincere smile without hidden intent and the gratitude for his teachings, Kieran didnt object the suggestion.
After another nce at the magic circle around, Kieran could tell it was some sorts of teleportation magic. He then walked into the magic circle with a heavy heart.
The light blinded him when he stepped into the circle, causing him to close his eyes.
Amidst the blinding sensation, he could clearly hear something in his ears.
"This is really a mess!"
The phrase made Kieran raised a brow but before he could ask a question, the loss of bnce appeared. When everything returned to normal, Kieran had been teleported from the inn to an unknown ce.
A yellow and white striped plumpy cat was looking at him with a yawn.
"Meow, you are really slow, boy!"
The cat spoked.
Chapter 521: Unexpected Way
Chapter 521: Unexpected Way
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
"Tiki!?" Kieran cried out in shock.
He started to size up the ce around him.
Before him was a straight stone-made passageway and behind him was a stone gate.
Tiki was curling up right in front of him with all its paws hidden under its body, yawning ceaselessly.
Though, none of that was important.
The moment he appeared at the ce, notifications started to spam his vision.
[Sub mission: Reinforcement (Complete)]
[Main Mission: Open the unknown stone gate (Complete)!]
[yer will leave the dungeon in 5 minutes]
[Please take whatever items you wish to keep with you.]
[Note: Any items that exceed the maximum weight will be discarded!]
...
After ncing over the series of notifications, if Kieran wasnt an idiot, he would know that the stone gate behind him was the one that he couldnt even peak at thest time.
Now? As the main mission required him to push open the gate but he didnt even do anything and he was already inside and he saw someone out of his expectation as well.
Kieran couldnt really describe Tiki as a cat, so all he could do was treat it as a human being.
"Yup, yup, its me!"
Tiki nodded repeatedly, giving out a smile when it saw Kieran in shock.
The fat cats smile was charmingly naive, though Kieran wasnt even concerned at how Tiki was behaving at the moment.
"So everything is nothing but Reis arrangements?"
Following Tikis appearance, the doubts lingering in Kierans heart were almost solved in an instant.
From the prophecy that started it all, following the incident at Sunshine Marry and Mardos the Hell Fiend Spider, plus the Holy Knight trial and the appearance of the afterimages of the divine beings. Each of the incidents seemed like a standalone event but it intertwined and formed a series of clues.
As the God of Earth, why would Nikorei give out such a prophecy?
The prophecy seemed like a harmless prank but actually it was part of a bigger arrangement, even more so, such arrangements started when Kieran was epted as Nikoreis assistant.
Why would Sunshine Marry, the mystical ferry that held auctions appear at the Golden Beach of West Coast in such a timely manner after disappearing for over a century?
Coincidentally, the ferry was harboring the Hell Fiend Spider, Mardos, and it started to attract the attention of the East Coast mystics.
Followed by some monsters and demons appearance, all sorts of mystical factions, societies including the Sanctuary as well. Even more coincidental was the astonishing appearance of the divine beings afterimages, which was naturally restrained by Mardos.
Phew!
Kieran couldnt hold it back anymore and took a deep breath. He was suppressing his anger with the breath.
Anyone else would be infuriated after being deceived, controlled and yed like a puppet by the puppeteer.
"Oh, you are angry now?" Tiki asked with a smiley face.
"You bet!" Kieran didnt even want to conceal his rage.
He used to conceal his emotions before strangers but would reveal his thoughts before those he could call familiar, especially when the reason for being angry was Tiki itself.
"What if I tell you everything is really as coincidental as you think?" Tiki asked.
"Do you think Im stupid?" Kieran coldly grunted and quietly took a more cautious stance. He already had the worst case scenario ying in his head.
Fortunately, he could leave the current dungeon world with a little bit more time.
"Then do you think Rei is really omniscient? Able to foresee it all?"
Tiki seemed like didnt noticed Kierans precautionary stance and yawned once more before asking another question.
"Why not?"
Kieran frowned. He didnt really think Rei was omniscient, though many natives used such terms to describe divine beings but Kieran knew it was all bullsh*t, but it didnt mean Kieran would believe Rei didnt make any arrangements at all throughout his adventures.
"You being here... and the invitations from before, dont tell me it is also a coincidence!" Kieran said.
"Me being here was definitely arranged because I am a fail-safe, thest fail-safe. As for the invitation?"
Tiki then sized up Kieran with a very unusual gaze.
Kieran could feel his back turned cold when Tiki looked at him, even [Fusion Heart] started to beat vigorously, the devils power, Eye of Chimeras and the soul of the Holy Knight grew restless.
Just as Kieran thought Tiki was going to strike, the cat returned to its normal mode, kept looking at him with azy eyes.
"That is just how destiny works by nature. Rei did send out a lot of invitations and those who could really read it, willing to believe it ande to West Coast City were only a few of you. In fact, I never believed in destiny." Tiki said like it stating facts.
Right away as Tiki ended, the gaze that sent a chill down his back appeared again but it was just in a sh before it went away again.
"Until your arrival! A ton of absolutely coincidental events urred around you and each time, you were able to turn the dangerous situation around and increase your strength by doing so. This is far beyond the range of being lucky. So Ive asked Rei for this mission that allowed me to meet you and now from the looks of it, you did quite well." Tiki smiled again.
"Rei was not wrong and never was, but this time she made a mistake! Although its nothing big, it will make her feel uneasy. Its been awhile since Ive seen her act that way. The good old days..."
Kieran raised a brow looking at Tiki being intoxicated with its self-satisfaction.
He really wasnt fond of looking at an intoxicated cat, especially when there were doubts lingering around.
"Why? Why did Rei do this? Did she really think I couldplete everything as expected?"
Kieran interrupted Tiki straightaway.
To be honest, it was the real reason Kieran was angry.
Being yed and teased by someone he thought cared about himself but in fact, he was treated as nothing more than wild grass. It was not really the best experience, to begin with, and even more so for Kieran since he was an orphan at birth.
His coldness and unparalleled sturdiness rejected most of the people in his life but beyond the coldness, his heart was warm and soft. Leaving the coldness behind, any idental touch to the unguarded heart would hurt it, just that Kieran was too stubborn to admit it.
He stared at Tiki, waiting for an answer.
"Of course not! Rei did arrange a lot of backups, but other than Charles, none of them were used. Didnt you feel curious during the time you spent at West Coast, other than the Sanctuary, you never ran into the other societies, like Dark Star, Night Demon, Unicorn, White Deer and Pris?"
"Its all Reis handy work! Though shed still underestimated you and that is also the minor mistake she made. But dont expect her to be honest with you, some things were beyond words long ago." Tiki shook its head.
The answer was not satisfactory to Kieran, causing him to furrow his brows again.
He couldnt tell whether was Tiki telling the truth. He needed more information to verify Tikis words.
"What does Rei really want? What is that "thing" that she has to deal with?" Kieran asked.
"Though I really wanted to tell you but based on your current strength, you are still a tiny bit away, so..." Tiki prolonged its tone, trying to tease Kieran.
"So you have nothing to tell me?" Kieran looked at Tiki in its eyes, giving out a mocking gaze from his eyes. He was too familiar with such a tactic as he thought it was Tikis excuse.
"No, no! I was nning to make an exception and tell you but now you attitude pissed me off, so you have to find the answers yourself! Oh ya, one more thing before I forget, cats dont hold grudges because... cats take revenge right away!"
After Tiki finished, it appeared in a sh before Kieran, raised its paw and tapped on Kierans body but before its paw really touched Kierans body, Kieran was sent flying at the direction where Tiki was like a flying meteor.
Fuuuush!
"Safe trip, kid!"
Tiki raised its paw, waving at Kieran as he quickly disappeared in its sight.
Then, Tiki turned around and looked at the direction where Kieran first arrived.
The formidable aura that hid in its small body erupted out, almost ten times more powerful than what Tiki had presented before.
"Still following his tail eh? Such a pesky bunch of vermins, still dont want to give up, meow? Well then... you can all turn into ash then!"
Tiki raised its paw and mmed downwards.
The passageway before its eyes disappeared and all that was left was empty space.
A couple of dazzling bright figures were hiding in the empty space but following the paw m, the whole space started to crumble like the sky falling and earth cracking.
The empty space disappeared and a couple of figures gave out a relentless cry of shock.
Yet everything they did was useless, the figures didnt even have a chance to resist such an apocalyptic level destructive force.
Everything was returned to nothing.
Chapter 522: Being Noticed
Chapter 522: Being Noticed
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
While being thrown forward with top speed, it didnt hurt Kieran one bit.
Hended straight on the ground with his legs after a backflip, thending impact wasnt as strong that he imagined, nor were there any sprains of the ankle or cracks on his bones.
It felt more like he took a step up the stairs and suddenly reached the top with one step though what he saw in his new surroundings shocked him beyond words.
The ce was at night but there were two full moons hanging on the dark sky, resonating with each other. One was greenish white, the other was purplish in an odd way.
Two distinguished moonbeams shed their light over the city. The moonlight intertwined with the buildings, presenting a clear contrast between light and dark.
There was a squad of patrol guards heading over slowly with torches in their hands.
The leader of the squad had leather armor and a longsword equipped, and his other guards were donning linen clothes and long spears. Dogs barking could be heard from time to time.
A figure hiding in the shadows was holding his breath and concentrating on his movements, silently slipping past the patrol squad.
The patrol guards and the guard hound didnt notice the figure in the shadows but Kieran did.
Yet he didnt have the heart to care, not only because of the astonishment at the two moons in the sky but also the appearance of some dangerous presence that his Intuition picked up.
The dangerous presence felt like Kieran was in a room filled with malicious gazes, the sharp gazes were stinging his back.
"Where is this ce" Kieran slightly frowned, his heart was recalling what Tikist said to him.
"Find the answers myself... means this ce?"
Kieran started to size up the strange environment and buildings.
Though before he could form any practical conclusions, an unparalleled danger gushed out from his heart, simr to a dark cloud hovering over his head.
Kieran quickly turned around and ran without even thinking. He gave it all in his run and reached maximum speed with just an instant.
Fuuuush!
The strong wind followed, whistling throughout the streets as he shuttled through the paths.
Not only did the whistling wake those who were asleep it even attracted the patrol squads angry grunts.
"There!"
"Go after him!"
The patrol squads voice sounded one after another but Kieran pretended he didnt hear any of it.
It was obvious that he wasnt concerned about the patrol squad but the danger that gushed out from his heart caught his full attention.
Especially following his run, not only did the dangerous feel not go away but it became stronger, denser and closer to him.
The greenish-white moonbeam before him was suddenly distorted, a huge palm appeared out of the voice and wanted to grab Kieran.
[Crows ck Feather] shone faintly and boosted Kierans speed, even more, grazing himself past the big palm, but momentster, hands were extended out from the distorted moonbeam in session.
From a dozen of them to almost a hundred,ing out one after the other.
ROAR!
The rhino mirage formed behind Kieran, its primitive force of nature boosted Kierans maximum speed to the next level, surging beyond his limits.
All the ghastly hands missed their target but straight up head, more hands appeared from another line of distorted moon beams.
Since Kieran activated [Reckless Rush], he couldnt alter his charging course but it didnt mean he was willing to fall into enemies range.
The Lineage Fire was burning in his left hand fiercely, [Arrogant Word] was glimmering in its bewitching purple re.
KABOOOM!
The fireball was hurled out and the greatsword was swung in a flurry.
The hands were prated one after another but more hands reced the fallen ones and it was still not the worst part.
The worst part was the patrol squad had startled countless others, resulting in squad after squad appearing on Kierans trail. All of the men were strong and buff, well equipped with the best armors and weapons. Some of the armors on the men even had profound mystical runes carved on them.
Kierans Intuition picked up that the unparalleled dangerous presence was approaching him rapidly as well.
The formidable presence of the armed soldiers and the killing presence from the powerful figure were pummeling Kieran, as if a spark of fire was thrown into a barrel of fire powder, igniting an explosive battle.
Though, everything went silent and ended without results following Kierans sudden disappearance.
Beams of white light started to shine and beamed Kieran away into thin air.
At the same time, in a further part of the city, a bell was rung.
It was sonorous and rushed!
"Its a trap!"
Many of the men cried in shock.
......
[Special Dungeon: The Shamans Partner III]
[Difficulty Type: Free Mission]
[Dungeon Difficulty: Below Average]
[Main Mission 1: Clear the trial of the Holy Knight in 1 Week]
[Main Mission 2: Open the unknown stone gate in 6 months]
[Mission Completion: 100% (Initial Rating: F E)]
[Sub Mission 1: The name of reincarnation!]
[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating E D)]
[Sub Mission 2: Heart (Perfect Clear)]
[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating D B)]
[Sub Mission 3: Reinforcements]
[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating B A)]
[Special Event 1: Sanctuary War]
[Perfect Rating: A SSS]
[Special Event 2: Full-scale war]
[Perfect Rating: SSS ZZZ]
[Battle Performance: Very Active (Rating: ZZZ V)]
[Exploration Performance: Average]
[Special Rating 1: Complete main mission in advance (Rating V VV)]
[Special Rating 2: Eliminating God of Judgements afterimage (Rating VV VVV, Rep + 1)]
[Acquired Title: Bird of Death]
[Bird of Death: After acquiring most of the dungeon worlds natives acknowledgments, the title is granted automatically. It will not take up a title slot and is automatically equipped. Knowledge of the materialistic field increased by +1, be it threats, negotiation, trades, or deals. Has small chances of triggering panic and hostility]
[yer final rating: VVV!]
[Calcting yers special dungeon rewards...
[Final yer special dungeon rewards are as follows...]
[Points: 150,000; Skill Points: 45; Golden Skill Points: 7; Golden Attribute Points: 7]
[Acquired special dungeon: The Shamans Partner IV]
[Acquired special reward 1: Tikis recipe (Normal condition)]
[Acquired special reward 2: Introduction to Naveya City]
[Acquired special reward 3: Analytics of the temple developments in Naveya City]
[Acquired special reward 4: Distributions of underground factions of Naveya City]
...
The dungeon ratings appeared in Kierans vision, allowing him to let out a breath of relief.
He almost had to fight for his life during the encounter he had a moment ago.
While ncing over the dungeon ratings and the special rewards, Kieran directly ignored the recipe book and ced his attentions on the second, third and fourth reward.
"Naveya City?" Kieran frowned and unconsciously turned to the special dungeon.
The description then started to appear.
[Acquired special dungeon: The Shamans Partner IV]
[The Shamans Partner IV: Youve entered Naveya City and were caught in an unexpected whirlpool of troubles and it is only the beginning...]
[Main Mission: Starts after entering the dungeon]
...
"As expected!" Kieran squinted his eyes.
He recalled the strong one that gave out the dangerous presence back in the city and he couldnt help but mutter to himself, "So does this mean Ive left the newbie range?"
Though before Kieran could ponder on the question more, the system notified him with a knock on the door.
[yer Lawless requested to enter the room. Yes/No?]
Kieran was shocked for a bit and instantly chose Yes.
Then, Lawless entered his garage with a cigar in his mouth.
The system blur blocked Kierans direct view of Lawlesss face but he could feel that Lawless was feeling quite agitated.
"Rachel told me, but I really wanted to return a favor. Maybe the results may differ but Ive tried my best! So if you want to be angry about this or even scold me... Ill see you out of the room!"
Kieran quickly stated his stance before Lawless could even utter a word.
He wasnt a masochist that wanted a scolding after doing a good deed.
After listening to what Kieran said, Lawlesss breathing turned rapid and through a couple of deep breaths, Lawless only calmed his emotions down.
He hurled a cigar to Kieran right after.
"Ive told you before, dont get involved..." Lawless said.
"I cant control myself and I am already involved!"
Kieran pinched off the head of the cigar and lighted it up with Lineage Fire from his left hand.
Lawless was astonished.
"One of the rewards from the recent dungeons!" Kieran shook off the fire on his left hand after the cigar was lit.
"What an envious luck! I really wish that your luck could go on forever. Those guys have started to take notice of your presence!"
Lawless took a deep breath before saying.
Chapter 523: Candidate
Chapter 523: Candidate
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
"Noticed me?" Kieran squinted his eyes.
It wasnt any sort of good news to him, yet things werent at the point beyond redemption.
After all, he was still in the game and not as weak as he was in real life.
Though Kieran asked another question just in case.
"Is it in the game? Or in real life?" He asked.
"Real life? What are you joking about? Unless you blow your own cover, dont even expect anyone in real life know who you are." Lawless rolled his eyes and said seriously.
"When a death in the game happened, some fes are already anxious to find out the mystery behind the game but in the end. All of them failed without exception and even paid a great cost as consequences! Simr to when the yers didnt enter the dungeon regrly, the curse-like idents urred one after another on those fes and the curses are very urate! Every time they prepared to reveal the secrets of the game to anyone else other than the yers or try to probe the game with some special means, the curse would fall on them like promised!"
"Otherwise why do you think people like Starbeck would quietly obey the rules of the game that were set by someone else? Right, Starbeck was an exception but the other wealthy fes like him will not sit tight."
Lawless brought up the "mimosa nt" as an example, but the moment the words escaped his mouth, he seemed to have noticed it wasnt that appropriate.
Such a one-of-a-kind person was not suitable for any good examples.
Although Starbeck was not a person to meekly ept humiliation, the level of his courage was enough to prove that he was harmless.
In fact, when Starbeck provided his assistance in real life, Lawless was quite shocked.
Lawless never thought that Starbeck would provide him with such a great amount of assistance.
He felt deeply thankful for Starbeck because, with his assistance, the battle that had been extended for far too long and neither side could see a winning end ended in a sh.
Of course, Lawless was still grateful for Kierans help as well. He knew if, without Kierans help, everything might still be up in the air.
"Thanks!" Lawless said all of a sudden.
It seemed like Lawless felt awkward after saying thank you directly, he took heavy puffs from his cigar and tried to cover up the awkwardness with his actions.
Kieran shrugged. It was not a pleasant scene being thanked by a tall, robust bearded man in an awkward manner, so he didnt linger any longer on the topic.
"They are on to me in the game?" Kieran asked.
"Yup! Starbecks identity wasnt much of a secret in the game, a lot of yers knew his existence and those guys Ive been fighting arent idiots as well. After thest assault, they will quickly figure out what hit them!" Lawless nodded.
"Thest assault? In real life?
"Yeah, in real life. Ive blown their oldir to hell, except for a couple more that dodged death, most of them died in the explosion! Though we havent got any leads on that Extremus fe!" Lawless stated.
He sounded calm but the words that he spoke were enough to send chills down a normal persons spine but not Keiran, he wasnt surprised nor resistant.
Kieran was mentally prepared for such a thing after he heard what Lawless said during the first time and after he requested help from Starbeck, he knew such incidents will surelye.
"Then what now?" Kieran asked.
"Wed continue on of course! Broker and Extremus are still working together and Broker made a fool out of us both, you think we should just call it even like that?" Lawless looked at Kieran.
"Fair? I believed that one who spared me a drop of dew should be repaid with a fountain but I also believed that an eye for an eye!"
Kieran then started to arrange his equipment and items but Lawless stopped him.
Kieran paused his actions and stay quieted, waiting for Lawlesss reply.
"Now is not the time. We need to wait for the critical moment to deliver the fatal blow! When Broker and Extremus go after the Witchs Legacy, it will be our chance to strike! Broker is cunning already but he has unparalleled patience as well! So for me being here out in the light, he will definitely arrange troubles for us! He will stop us from interrupting him at all cost and this gave us the chance! The heavier the storm, the tighter we should bite onto him!"
"Then, not only Broker and even Extremus will reveal his ws. It will be time for our lethal blow to take care of both of them, once and for all!"
Lawless clenched his fist as he spoke.
"Thats that but it sounds too passive." Kieran frowned after giving it some thoughts and said slowly.
He understood what Lawless meant, using the frequent troubles that Broker caused them to get a hold of their progress of finding the legacy.
Supposedly, nothing was wrong with the n but still, there were three difficult points.
One, the precise location of Brokers position.
Two, Broker might use it against them, purposely slowing down how frequently he sent out his men for trouble to misguide Kieran and Lawless.
Third, what kind of trouble Broker might cause. If they could ovee it, so be it but if they couldnt... it would be a huge joke!
"So we will need another ally that is willing to strike aggressively!" Lawless said with augh.
Kierans heart instantly thought of a perfect candidate.
Allen! The boss of the Blood Alliance, the yer hadpletely mixed up reality with virtual.
...
The meeting with Allen went on smoothly.
Just when Kieran stated he wanted to meet up, Allen agreed without any question.
Though, the ce of the meeting, Allen said he wanted to meet at the Reeder I Bridge outside of the outskirts of the city. Other than Kieran, no one should follow and the meeting time was set two hourster.
Kieran didnt object. No one was an idiot in this, Kieran discovered some clues from Allens change of attitude but as long as Allen agreed to meet up, Kieran had the confidence to persuade him.
A mans irreconcble hatred for someone who destroyed his home and murdered his wife had no way to turn around.
"You really wanted to meet this lunatic alone?"
Lawless seemed unsatisfied with the terms Allen set.
Though Lawless was quite fond of Allen being the aggressive person it didnt mean Lawless was limited to a single candidate.
Broker was no Mr.Nice Guy by any means, there were more enemies that hated Broker than Allen alone. The other yers who were jealous that Broker dominated most of the yers benefits were also viable choices.
"Since we wanted a coboration, we must show sincerity."
Kieran said while tidying his equipment.
"This is sincerity? I think he is doing this on purpose."
Lawless took a heavy puff on the cigar lingering in his mouth.
"That is why I have to be well prepared!"
Kieran then turned to his skill tab.
Enhancing his own strength worked most of the time and always a viable choice out of a difficult position.
Chapter 524: Character Template Limits and Analytics
Chapter 524: Character Temte Limits and Analytics
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
[Points: 180,000; Skill Points: 45; Golden Skill Points: 7; Golden Attribute Points: 7]
Kieran nced over his skill tab and shifted his attention to his points tab.
He was calcting in heart how much the cost would be of leveling a couple of skills.
Though before that, he had to ask Lawless a question that has been troubling him for a long time.
"You know anything about character temte limits?" Kieran asked directly.
With his rtionship with Lawless, there was no need to further conceal anything.
"Youve finally reached this level!"
Lawless didnt answer directly but after a good look at Kieran only then did he expressed his astonishment.
Then, silence struck.
It wasnt because Lawless needed the time to think or conclude his words, it was his bad habits acting up again.
He was waiting for Kieran to press the question but Kieran, on the other hand, knew perfectly how to deal with Lawless.
Kieran waited patiently since he didnt want toplicate a simple topic.
After around three to four minutes, Lawless finally gave up.
"Hey! At least try to y along! If you keep quiet like this, I cant feel a sense of achievement!" Lawless grunted in dissatisfaction.
"y along?"
"So me finally reaching this level was shocking to you? You should know how astonishing my gifts can be and why are you shocked by it now? Do you regret letting me go thest time? Or has your heart turned weak? Bing something that doesnt fit your identity and position anymore?"
Kieran touched his chin and said it without any expression on his face.
"Hey hey my friend! I am asking you to y along, not let your imagination run wild, making me look like an antagonist, some dungeonst boss!" Lawless rolled his eyes at Kierans bullsh*t.
While feeling Kierans ridiculing manner, Lawless took another few puffs of his cigar and gave Kieran a middle finger.
"Character temte limits are something every yer will eventuallye across as their attributes grow higher. Though due to many different circumstances, some happen earlier, someter. In most of the yers eye, a yer can finally be considered as a veteran once they hit the character temte limit!"
"Of course there are also some that happen following your dungeon entry number! Many yers argued over the matter at first but soon, everyone started to lean on the former but still keeping the theory of dungeon entry number in reserve, even though it didnt have the most crucial point."
"Talent! When youve set your main attribute, secondary attribute and border attribute, talents will appear. The talents will be based on your attributes, skills and titles and provide you with corresponding benefits. For many veterans out there, talents are where their lives changed, it is also a chance for your strength to undergo another qualitative enhancement, but in order to open this talent, the process is not easy. Every yer has to go through an extra dungeon run and the difficulty of the dungeon will be rted to the yers attribute maximum limit!"
"Meaning the higher your attributes are, the harder for you to open your talents, especially during talent dungeons. There isnt the so-called failed your main mission and pay the penalty, once you fail, you will die right away! So, a lower maximum limit of your attributes is not exactly a bad thing!" Lawless exined to Kieran while looking at him seriously.
He could tell even through ayer of system blur, Kieran was giving a ridiculing smile.
"But surely it will be rted to your talents right? What exactly is talent and how strong or weak it is? Somehow it must be rted to the maximum limit of your attribute right? Otherwise, there wouldnt be a powerhouse like the Witch roaming in the game back in the days!"
Kieran wasnt affected by Lawlesss exnation but instead, his sharp senses picked up the crucial point from his words.
"I know I cant scare you off! Yes, talents are not only rted to your attribute maximum limits but also your skills. Though it was not verified most of the yers believed it, so many of the yers whopleted their talent dungeon mission will try their best to level up their skills to the maximum." Lawless added.
"Skills eh?" Kieran unconsciously thought of [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art].
If what the theory Lawless said was true, what kind of talents would Kieran have if he has [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] with him?
Or in simpler words, what kind of talents will he have when he raised ALL his attributes to the limit?
Kieran then spilled his thoughts out naturally to Lawless.
"Please dont ever try it! Other than death, youll get nothing! There are quite a number of yers who tried it, but in the end, none of them made it out alive. Some of them are even as lucky as you, notcking in strength and power and having aces that you couldnt even have imagined yet none of them escaped the cruel fate!"
Lawlesss face changed and halted Kierans thought when he heard it.
"Then... Most of the yers will only choose a single maximum limit attribute?" Kieran asked.
Lawless went quiet instantly.
Facts spoke louder than empty words and Lawless wouldnt lie to Kieran.
A single maximum limit attribute was what the most yers chose but some chose the other path: maxing out everything.
Brave souls were never in short supply at any time, anywhere. One might consider them as risk takers as well, given that the risk bore enough benefits.
In a certain aspect, Kieran could also be categorized as a risk taker but Lawless knew Kieran wasnt a truly courageous person by nature, but Kieran was not a person who would give up easily and with sufficient benefits waiting in the end...
Lawless knew he couldnt have talked Kieran out of it, so he spoke after giving it some thought.
"Fine! I know I couldnt have talked you out of this but I have to remind you, you better be prepared before opening the talent dungeon mission. It doesnt have a cooldown, to begin with, once you set your main, secondary and border attributes, it wille to you automatically! This point did trick a lot of yers back in the days." Lawless said.
Kieran nodded, expressing his understanding. He then asked out of curiosity.
"So how many maximum limit attributes does the Witch has?"
"I dont know but at least more than three. Those Supernova fes who are only second to the Witch, three to four of them has already maxed out three attributes and opened up some incredible powerful talents. Since the Witch is above them, surely she wouldnt be lower than that number, but of course it might also rted to her skills as well."
"Ahhh, that woman is too cryptic to talk about,mon sense couldnt even apply to her, were even making up theories about her now. Even until now, Im still unable to get a grasp of what kind of power system the Witch had. She seemed to be capable of anything and able to show up in anywhere, anytime! The time when she is in the game, is the time that I had the least sense of security in my life, and also the time that the yers from the same period wouldnt want to remember."
Lawless shook his head.
Kieran didnt object to Lawlesss words. Although he came in after that period of time, the rumors that passed down through word of mouth were enough for Kieran to paint a picture of what kind of person was the Witch.
Unparalleled strength, suppressing all with sheer force. Unpredictable emotions and killed at will.
Though regardless of what kind ofments the yers had about her, marks of her existence had been branded throughout the beginning of the era of the underground game. No matter when a yer entered the game, they couldnt have missed her.
"Regardless of good and evil, regardless of justice or injustice, all that matters is strength..."
Kieran muttered as if his soul as left him.
His heart has a slight feeling of admiration.
Not the admiration of how the Witch worked but the freedom that she had.
In order obtained such freedom, there was only one path that he could go.
"Power!" Kieran took in a deep breath and started to proceed with his initial ns, enhancing his skills.
Chapter 525: Level Up Part V
Chapter 525: Level Up Part V
Trantor: Dess Editor: SSins
Kierans set of skills was definitely not on the lesser side but after decided to level up [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art], which was his core skill to the skills maximum limit while excluding those skills that didnt have any leveling options, the remaining viable options were only a handful.
First was his hand-to-handbat series of skills, [Barsical Kick], [Hundred Violent Kicks] [de Kick] and [Viper Kick].
Second, the greatsword skill series, [Sword Skill, Dragon Force] and [Sword Skill, Tiger Stance].
Lastly, there was his anciry skill, [Tracking].
As for [Sword Skill, Myriad Viper]?
Although it has a Sword Skill prefix, technically, it was a Spirit attribute rted skill and among all of the different categories, Kieran leaned more towards hisbat series.
Not only was that because hisbat series could be connected with each skill and form his fightingbo, it was also becausebat skills were more well rounded, they allowed him to cope in sudden situations, and had different corresponding skills to react.
For example, starting with his [Hand-to-hand Combat, Kick Combats], he would follow up with [Hundred Violent Kicks] and [Viper Kicks], which then swiftly led into [Barsical Kick]s [Bide] effect and finally unleashed [de Kick] as the fatal blow. Enemies at the same rank would have a hard time dealing with his furiousbos.
It was also one of the important points for him as a lone wolf yer.
However, Kieran still thought highly of [Sword Skill, Myriad Viper].
His highest attribute was Spirit and [Sword Skill, Myriad Viper] was certainly the skill that could maximize his attributes potential. More importantly was the skills attack range.
It was also a fact that he couldnt neglect as a solo yer.
But Kieran at the moment only had 7 Golden Skill Points. Certainly not enough to level up hisbat series skills and [Sword Skill, Myriad Viper] at the same time.
Leveling [Sword Skill, Myriad Viper] alone from Pro to Grand Master required 3 Golden Skill Points and [Hundred Violent Kicks], [de Kick], [Viper Kick] required 2 Golden Skill Points respectively from the same rank. [Barsical Kick] required only 1 Golden Skill Point.
Would Kieran choose to level up the strongest skill and use the other skills as supportive means?
Or will he level up the skills that could form aplete system to the strongest?
Kieran, however, didnt even need to think when facing the choice because whether he chose the former ortter options, all of them had certain criteria to fulfill: the potential damage inflicted on the enemies.
After using that as an entry point, the choice became easier.
[Sword Skill, Myriad Viper] has be the first choice, followed by [Hundred Violent Kicks] which could better bring out the potential of [Barsical Kick]s effect.
After leveling [Hundred Violent Kicks], [Barsical Kick] would eventually be in line.
[Sword Skill, Myriad Viper, Pro to Grand Master, cost 30,000 Points, 3 Golden Skill Points. Yes/No?]
"Yes!"
[Name: Sword Skill, Myriad Viper (Grand Master)]
[Rted Attributes: Spirit]
[Skill Type Offense]
[Effect: Utilize your aura to pressure your opponents in a 25 meters diameter. Target will be forced to undergo a Spirit authentication. When the targets Spirit is lower than yours, the target will fall into an illusion of ten thousand snakes, allowing you to exert your will freely. Consume 100 Stamina, 3 minutes cooldown]
[Special Effect: Viper Venom (Target will have to go through another Spirit plus Intuition authentication +2 effect when the target passed the first one. Target will only be freed after passing the second authentication)]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Spirit B]
[Remark: Although it is categorized as a Sword Skill, in fact, it is really an illusory attack, no weapon limitations]
[Note: Rted attribute has reached the skills maximum limit]
...
[Hundred Violent Kicks, Pro to Grand Master, cost 20,000 Points, 2 Golden Skill Points. Yes/No?]
"Yes!"
[Name: Hundred Violent Kicks (Grand Master)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution[
[Skill Type: Offense]
[Effect: With your left or right leg, unleash an indistinguishable barrage of kicks with 55% Strength, towards a 130angle area with 225% attack speed. Consume 200 Stamina per second, cooldown 7 minutes]
[Special Effect: Phantasm Mirage (During your lightning barrage kicks, 3 mirages of yourself will form during the attack. The mirage has no attack.]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: [Hand-to-Hand Combat. Master of Kicks] (Grand Master), Strength C, Agility C, Constitution C]
[Remark: By sacrificing your attack and mobility in exchange for lightning speed kicks, the power from the continuous kicks will drown your opponent!]
...
[Hundred Violent Kicks leveled up, rted attributes increasing...]
[Strength A A+]
[Agility A A+]
[Constitution has reached the capped limit, Unable to level up any further]
...
[Barsical Kick, Pro to Grand Master, cost 20,000 Points, 1 Golden Skill Points. Yes/No?]
"Yes!"
[Name: Barsical Kick (Grand Master)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Offensive]
[Effects: Your legs are more nimble than your hands. When you attack with a kick, the second, third, fourth, and fifth hit will trigger an additional +1, +2, +3, +4 Agility effect respectively.]
[Special Effect: Bide (Your attacks will be umted and during the fourth and fifth hit, Strength and Agility will +3, +4 respectively with each kick]
[Consumes: Stamina]
[Prerequisites: Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Arts (Grand Master)]
[Remarks: Please note that the level of the Barsical Kick and other rted skills cannot be higher than the Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Arts skill!]
...
[Barsical Kick leveled up, rted attributes increasing...]
[Strength A+ S-]
[Agility A+ S-]
[Constitution has reached the capped limit, Unable to level up any further]
...
"The attributes increased as well?" Kieran was shocked at the leveled up notifications.
To be honest, when choosing a skill to level up and given that there was sufficient Golden Skill Points, Kieran would have considered more about the skills power and adaptability and very rarely, he would give up leveling a skill because of his attributes.
Using the best metal on the knifes edge!
Kieran understood that saying as he was in poverty for almost his whole life. Kieran understood it better than anyone.
Yet because of his understanding, Kieran knew how to save up and calcte to maximize his benefits while widening his channels by acquiring more benefits; it was his core motive.
The channels were his strength itself.
Therefore, Kieran clearly knew his SSS+ Spirit attributes has reached its maximum limit. Even if he leveled up [Sword Skill, Myriad Viper], the attribute wouldnt be affected anymore but he still went for it.
Of course, Kieran was also delighted by the sudden increase of his attributes.
How would a scrooge not be happy about something extra?
Yet he has some guesses about the sudden extra increase.
"Is there something different when the skill reaches Grand Master level? Is S rank rted to its attribute limits?" Kieran muttered in his heart.
But before he could delve deeper into the topic, the time for the meeting with Allen was drawing near. He shifted his avable attention to the matters regarding the meeting.
Also, the outskirts of the outer city were where Reeder I Bridge was located which was quite far from Wallway 13th as well.
He needed to depart right away. Lawless eventually followed as well.
Although they promised to meet alone, it didnt stop Lawless from appearing in other sectors outside Reeder I Bridge.
Chapter 526: Reeder Irla Bridge
Chapter 526: Reeder I Bridge
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Kieran got off the train and carefully hid in the shadows.
After signaling Lawless who was also hiding, he went over to Reeder I Bridge.
Reeder I Bridge was one of the many bridges connecting the big city.
It was around 300 meters long and had six pathways for cars to travel.
The image was iparable to the kind of long bridge that was easily a few hundred, thousand meters Kieran had in mind.
While among all the bridges, Reeder I Bridge wasnt special by any means, even if it was connected to the outskirts of the city.
The outskirts, a general term from the yers describing the ce outside the big city, but it wasnt a permanent agreement, because the big city kept changing every day.
The robots carried out their duties as if dedicated to continuing their expansion of the city in all directions, using the city center as the central point.
The expansion wasnt exactly fast but it wasnt slow either. At least their expansion operations were more efficient than human operations.
Kieran was standing at the inner city end of the bridge and gazed over to the horizon.
What he saw was an area of grayness, covered by mist.
Even with his sharp sight, he couldnt see what was hiding under the mist, all he could hear was some noise from machine operations.
ording to Lawless, the border was off limits, not only did it have the power to reject a yers presence, there were cyberw enforcers guarding the area as well. The cyberw enforcers werent just there for warnings as robots would not show mercy to stubborn yers.
Kieran had no doubt of their capabilities since he had the opportunity to see them work in the past.
There was no need to doubt the preset protocols in the cyberw enforcers system, just like there was no need to guess whether the sun would rise in the morning or not.
It was a cold hard fact.
Hiding his long gaze, Kieran turned to the memorial tablet at the head of the bridge.
Being a memorial tablet, it was nothing more than two meters tall and three meters wide. Thergest was the base and it only had a couple of words written on certain parts.
Each of the words written were as big as a human palm, allowing one to easily see the words without looking up or focusing.
The words written on the tablet were...
In the war...
No!
Warriors and heroes...
The words were iplete, a portion of the words were erased on purpose. Kieran could even see the sharp cutting marks left on the tablet.
"Carving away the words bit by bit using a dagger?"
Kieran spected based on the marks. Curiosity then bloomed in his heart.
The robot workers would repair the damage done to the city structures from time to time, unless...
"Is this ce abandoned?" Kieran sized up his surroundings again.
The ce could really be considered secluded but it wasnt really wastend. There were traces of crossing on the bridge and below the bridge was a river flowing strong, plus there was construction going on at a further spot; no signs of an actual wastnd.
At least it was over a hundred times better than Old Strea Street.
No doubt, the robot workers didnt abandon the ce, which means...
Kieran ced his attention on top of the bridge.
Allen was there ahead of Kieran. No doubt it was Allens handy work, erasing some of the traces on the tablet and dying the robot workers from repairing the ce.
Kieran wasnt fond of people waiting for him, even though there was still time before the meeting.
Kieran stepped into the area between shadow and light as he approached Allen swiftly.
The boss of the Blood Alliance, the Sharpshooter, was leaning on the bridges handrail, silently waiting for Kieran to walk over.
His emotions were hidden by the system blur but Kieran could tell by his presence, he wasnt really in a friendly mood.
The moment Allen spoke, it verified Kierans guess.
"So, youve prepared to go to war with Broker? You couldnt hold out any longer and wanted me to be a standout?"
Allen pressed his hat down and grunted coldly.
Kieran who remained in the shadows didnt deny nor would he quibble because it was the truth.
Kieran decided to respect the truth, just like he knew Allen would choose to work with him.
The hatred running in Allens blood was enough to make him follow his emotions, everything unfolded like Kieran expected.
"I dont mind at all. As long as I can kill that bastard, Im willing to sacrifice anything. But you need to show your sincerity as well. Who knows, maybe youve reached an agreement with that bastard and now youre trying to get me! Ive gotten hit before once and I will not get tricked twice!" Allen grunted loudly.
He waspletely devoured by his hatred but he didnt lose his sanity. It was what Kieranmented in his heart while he was looking at Allen.
"What kind of sincerity?" Kieran asked, at the same time sizing up the surroundings again.
"Be patient, Brokers men havent arrived yet," Allen said.
As expected! Kieran thought in his heart.
The moment Allen suggested the meeting time and location, Kieran knew he was up to something.
The time and the location were a dead giveaway, plus the secluded environment and traces around, Kieran was quite confident that Brokers men were around, or someone who had rtions with Broker would pass by this ce.
Allen nned to ambush them after getting the news but he knew his own strength wasnt enough toplete his goal. Coincidentally, Kieran contacted him.
With a round of co-op y, both of them could gain each others trusts and at the same time deliver a surprise strike to Broker. It was a win-win situation, yet Kieran still had lingering doubts.
How did Allen get a hold of such information?
Even though Kieran didnt have an in-depth understanding of Brokers organization, judging from how Broker operated, such an organization would surely be confidential.
A confidential organization and in conjunction with the contracts that he had been sending out, it was not an easy feat trying to probe information out of such organization.
Kieran believed Allen wasnt capable of that, otherwise, he wouldnt have been suppressed by Broker for so long.
So, there left only one exnation, which was using himself as bait to lure out more of Brokers affiliates and erase them by Kierans hand.
Kieran wasnt angry about it since both of them chose to work together, they must sacrifice something. Still, Kieran had to be cautious about one thing.
"Would Broker notice clues leading back to them?"
Kieran wouldnt underestimate such a foe even though he was fully prepared.
Seconds turned into minutes, around twenty minutester, beyond the outskirts area, a motorcade consist of four heavy-duty trucks and a military armored vehicle appeared.
On top of the heavy-duty trucks were thick rain cloth, blocking away all unwanted watching eyes.
There was a heavy machine gun loaded on the armored vehicle, controlled by a yer behind.
The armored vehicle had noticed Allen who was standing in the middle of the bridge the moment they arrived.
The triggered was then pulled without hesitation.
Dak Dak Dak Dak Dak!
The powerful barrage of bullets instantly rained down at Allen, but a quick side roll allowed him topletely dodge the attack.
A quick drawter, the revolver appeared in his hand.
Bang!
A shot was fired and a soul was reaped.
The yer that was controlling the heavy machine gun was shot and his head exploded just like that.
No doubt Allens bullets were all custom made because after piercing the yers head, it continued forward, flying towards the heavy-duty truck behind.
Then out of a sudden, Allens bullet froze in mid-air.
Squadrons of men came out from the rain cloth on the truck and quickly surrounded Allen.
It was a trap! A trap that was specifically targeted at Allen!
Yet when Allen realized he was surrounded, heughed.
Heughed happily like never before!
Chapter 527: Tip of the Iceberg
Chapter 527: Tip of the Iceberg
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Allensugh didnt stop even after he did a side roll into the shadow behind him.
The most satisfying moments for those who hold hatred in their heart was none other than the moment that they could get revenge.
Although the one died wasnt Broker, anyone rted to Broker, especially those who could hurt Brokers bottom line was satisfying enough for Allen.
Allensugh sounded like a delighted baby. The attackers didnt back off when they heard himugh, instead, they moved in, just like Kieran moved out of the shadows slowly.
Though the moment the attackers saw Kieran, they were stunned.
"Its 2567!" Some of them cried.
"Block your eyes quick!" Some of the quicker ones warned the others but still, they were one step slower.
Anyone who made eye contact with Kieran during [Deadmans Gaze] will fall into his [Fear Illusions] effect.
The scared and frightened attackers fell to the ground, spitting out mouthfuls of blood but some of those who covered their eyes were fine.
Was [Half-Deads Gaze] powerful?
Kierans SSS+ Spirit attribute has made it very powerful indeed but following its formidable power, its weakness was obvious as well.
All his targets needed to do was cover their eyes, no tools or equipment were required.
While facing against those who covered their eyes, Kieran has no reason to hold back. Since they were his enemies, mercy wasnt an option.
Bang Bang Bang!
[Python-W2] was fired repeatedly, its muzzle sh was like the presence of the grim reaper. Each of the attackers became puddles of blood and disintegrated into white light, a handful of them escaped.
Kierans attention wasnt ced on the ones that escaped or to be more precise, he was never concerned about those men from the start.
Firing his revolver was an act of involuntary actions, like one would close the door after going through it: a natural act.
Instead, Kierans attention was ced on that particr yer that could stop his bullets, but that yer has quite a considerable hiding technique, far superior to his own [Undercover].
Almost out of instinct, Kieran thought of the killer yers and when the sense of danger shed in his heart, he instinctively dashed forward.
Souu!
A dagger which was supposed to slice Kierans neck missed its target, slicing only the empty space and whipped up a fierce strong wind, rattling Kierans feathered mantle.
The feathers were fluttering even more when the strong wind made a sudden rotation as Kieran turned his body around swiftly with the swing of his left kick.
Bang!
A heavy bang sounded in the air, followed by a barrage of simr noises.
The kick shadows and afterimages that could fill the sky spread out like a blooming flower, drowning the yer behind Kieran like bursting from a dam.
The defensive barrier on the yer was shing, but it onlysted for a while. His barrier didnt even earn him enough time to escape.
Grand Master level of [Hundred Violent Kicks] had a boosted attack speed of 225%, far exceeding the yers imagination and with Grand Master level [Barsical Kick]s effect, [Bide], the decreased attack from the barrage of kicks waspensated to a minimal level.
Even more so when Kieranunched [de Kick] as his fifth attack.
Souuu!
The half moon qi energy de wave cut through the yers torso.
The yer stood still at the spot for a full second before his guts spilled out from the sliced body.
His body fell to the ground, turning into particles of light.
[yer Killed: Lizard]
[Treated as self-defense through authentication]
[Categorized as an Honor Kill]
[You will receive all the Points and Skill Points of the yer...]
[Total: 100,000 Points and 20 Skill Points]
[Received the yers house key]
[Granted the right to use the yers house]
[All the yers belongings are returned to their house]
[Honor Kill: 61]
...
The notification that came made Kieran frowned.
"That many points?" Kieran was in awe of the numbers.
Getting more Points and Skill Points was definitely good but Kieran couldnt overlook the peculiarity behind the acquisition.
If this was an ambush targeted specifically at Allen, why didnt the ambush attackers convert their Points and Skill Points into real strength and instead decided to keep that much of amount?
"Even if the attackers had absolute confidence in killing Allen, they wouldnt have done so, it doesnt make sense! Unless..."
Kieran nced over the heavy-duty trucks when the thoughts filled his mind, he quickly went over to the trucks.
As he lifted the rain cloth from the trucks cart, he clearly saw some rounded pallets residue marks, seemingly small pallets of some hardened minerals.
"Iron ore?" Kierans heart skipped a beat after identifying the pallets.
Brokers men were transporting his trades and the transport items were iron ores!
Iron ores were used for smelting and eventually used for forging weapons and equipment.
For reasons unknown, it reminded Kieran of that iron robot beside Broker, Jason.
"Seems like Brokers industrial property in the big city is even bigger than I expected!" Kieran eximed.
His heart felt heavy out of a sudden, even killing off 14 attackers and gaining nearly 200K points and 30 Skill Points couldnt lift his heart.
Kieran clearly knew how gigantic his opponent was.
Perhaps Kieran had quite a decent power level even among the veterans but he hadnt really reached the point that he could ignore the advantages of numbers.
Even more so, Broker didnt just own the quantities but the qualities of attackers as well. He might not even need to utilize his own forces, all he needed to do was to provide enough bounties and there would be a line of people that would serve him willingly.
Coincidentally, it was what Broker was good at as well.
If Broker really did put up a substantial amount of bounty on him, Kieran was afraid that he might not be able to advance anymore.
After all, many of those lone wolf yers were in desperate need of Points and Skill Points.
If that really happened, he couldnt trust anyone else other than Lawless.
The thoughts that came to his mind turned Kierans breath heavier.
"Hey, you scared now? What if I tell you that the transportation trading here you see here is only the tip of an iceberg of Brokers business? Will you piss your pants then? These forces are far beyond anything that you can imagine!"
Allenughed softly as he came out from the shadow.
Even though Kieran couldnt really see Allens face, he could tell that Allens smile was filled with sneering intent.
"Scared? Hmm, a little." Kieran looked at Allen, trying to reevaluate the cowboy before him.
Allens ability to grasp information was definitely far better than Kieran had imagined and also how Allen worked. It seemed like there were some differences between what Kieran remembered.
Of course, none of them affected Kierans point of view. He nodded slightly at first and before Allen could utter a word, he continued, "But even if I am scared, something needed to be done, or you can say, it is because that I am scared, things must be done!"
"I am a person who dislikes trouble, I prefer to live a carefree life! So Id never change my ns and I hope you wont regret your decisions!" Allen said coldly to Kieran after some soft grunting.
"The moment I decided to show up, there wasnt any room for regret!"
Kieran said and shifted his eyes to the river.
The flowing river was reflecting the sunlight brightly and was glittering brilliantly. It was a peaceful scenepared to what happened above the bridge.
BUT!
A sudden cloud of mist rose up in the area, bringing a chilly presence with it, simr to the freezing arctic wind or the breath of the winter God.
Crask Tsk! Crask Tsk!
A thickyer of ice started to form on top of Reeder I bridge with exponential speed, even visible to the naked eye!
Chapter 528: Strangeness Again
Chapter 528: Strangeness Again
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Just when Kieran was intentionally looking at the river, Allens heart turned cautious as well.
When the freezing mist appeared, a short staff already appeared in Allens hand and followed by its activation, a specialyer of defensive barrier appeared over his body.
The freezing mist that was forming a thickyer of ice over the bridge was halted by the barrier and couldnt move another inch.
Unlike the natives in the dungeon which only had limited methods, the yers, however, had plenty of skills, items, and all sorts of emergency measures to counter sudden situations. yers were not something that could be measured withmon sense, they might be wielding swords and knives one moment and a momentter, they might switch to guns and grenades.
Kieran didnt feel weird when Allen pulled out his short staff but instead Allen was shocked by Kierans countermeasures. Kieran did nothing as he stood where he was, without any equipment or skills activated, and when the freezing mist and theyer of frost reached him, it didnt cause any damage to his body.
"Resistance type skills eh?" Allen spected. His view of Kierans changed once again.
Even though Allen had tried to estimate Kierans strength as much as possible, at that very moment, Allen realized that he was still underestimating Kierans power.
However, Allen wasnt dissatisfied at all, instead, he was happier than ever.
The stronger Brokers enemies were, the happier he would be.
Kieran too felt the changes from Allen. He knew exactly what Allen thought of him and it was also what he wanted from Allen.
The coboration between the both of them has to be built on a strong base and to strengthen the mentioned base required none other than a disy of strength.
The stronger Kieran was, the more cooperative Allen would be. So, Kieran wouldnt let the opportunity slip by.
Although he has no idea whether the new attack was from the group of bodyguards from before or the extra insurance measures from Broker, one thing was for sure, the attacker was not there to talk.
Fuuus!
[Charles Fire] was burning the Lineage Fire in his left hand fiercely.
The zing fire was expelling the freezing air and the mist, thus revealing a figure taking form outside of the bridge.
The figure was floating in mid-air, donning a long robe over his body. The huge hoodie blocked his face without any extrayer of cover, yet it was effectively preventing Kierans [Deadmans Gaze]. The man has no need to cover his eyes with his hands anymore, all he needed was a slight tilt of his head.
He came prepared!
Kieranmented in his heart.
The ball of zing fire was hurled out straight away.
Fuuuum!
The 1-meter wide fireball was tossed out like a catapult hurling out its stone pellet, whipping up an air-breaking sound that could numb ones scalp. The fireball rapidly approached the floating figure.
Huuuuu!
It seemed like the man had no intentions of dodging, instead, he took in a deep cold breath, the mist in the surrounding area was drawn to him like rumbling clouds.
The freezing mist consisted of endless water vapour and as the fireball was approaching him, it was shrinking bits by bits at exponential speed.
When the fireball really came in contact with the man, it had shrunk into the size of amon knuckle and the man did a back p with his hand, extinguishing the fireball instantly.
More water vapors turned into freezing mist the moment the man raised his hand and was poured down at Kieran.
Space turned crystal white instantly. Allen too dodged aside quickly, moving out of range of the mist.
He was sizing up the enemy that appeared all of a sudden with an anxious mind.
The power level of the enemy has far exceeded his expectation which made his heart heavy.
How could he miss the information that Broker had roped in some powerful yer like this?
Since when?
While Allen was troubled by his thoughts, Kieran was calm and cool.
He looked at the downpouring frost mist, he raised his right hand with an opened palm, pointing towards it.
"AIO!"
A cone-shaped me burst out from his palm, instantly shing with the frosty mist.
KABOOOOSH!
The sh of two contrasting elements produced the fiercest reaction upon contact.
The explosion was echoing throughout Reeder I Bridge, violent wind ravaged the whole path.
The shockwave even shook the pirs of the bridge a little yet the mist wasnt scattered by the wind, instead, it turned even denser.
The dense mist instantly devoured the attacking figure and Kieran together within.
A colder than before atmosphere spread throughout the bridge. Allen could even feel that his breath freezing.
The notifications in his vision about his decreasing HP told him what he should do.
Allen backed off again. Other than taking revenge, he wasnt stubborn or persistent against anything else. He wouldnt get himself hurt trying to save his own face but of course, he wouldnt have given up during the situation either.
Allen then took out special sses and wore them. It allowed him to see through the mist clearly while getting ahold of what was going on inside.
However, the moment he saw what was happening inside the mist, he was dumbstruck and his face changed.
Kieran who was standing inside the mist proudly was pierced by multiple longswords like icicles. The attacker was going to stab even more icicles into Kierans body but Kieran, on the other hand, seemed like he couldnt feel pain.
He was contemting his foe with an arrogant gaze. The attacker was infuriated, thusunching his attack one after another but every strike had no effect on Kieran.
The proud attacker then surrendered his heart to the rage that was caused by the arrogant target.
"What the hell?" Allen opened his eyes big, looking frightened. He noticed something wasnt right.
Allen did in-depth research on Kierans abilities and he got to know that Kieran had some kind of avatar creating ability but he would never have thought that the avatars would have the abilities to affect peoples emotions.
"What a fearsome ability!" Allen gasped. He knew how important it was to remain calm during a battle.
Allen wasnt holding any hope for the attacker. He was sure that the attacker was doomed and then, it proved him right.
When Kieran charged up [Sword Skill, Dragon Force] with [Arrogant Word], a fierce sh brought up a violent wind in its trajectory, slicing the attackers body in half.
However, the attackers body did not disintegrate into light particles but instead, it exploded.
KABOOM!
The heavy explosion even sent Allen flying backward.
Kierans [Primus Arm, Primus Scale] was activated, his arm guard was shining ceaselessly.
The Powerful force field barrier had to be activated twice to mitigate the explosive shockwave. Kierans expression was as calm as water throughout the process.
He looked at the ball of paper that fell to his feet and squinted his eyes.
The ball of paper looked nothing in particr but the way it appeared struck a chord in Kierans memory.
He bent down, picked up the paper and opened it up.
When the scarlet smiley face appeared before his eyes again, he skipped a breath instantly.
"So it is this crazy thing again!"
After verifying his own thoughts, and before he could rte into more, the paper burst into mes.
As the paper was burning hot, a smiley face formed by the smoke from the fire appeared once again before Kieran.
Kieran had dealt with this encounter before, so he wasnt eager to strike, instead, he stared at the smokey smiley face.
"You have proved yourself! Now then... Find us and join us!"
When the heavy voice subsided, the eerie smiley face disappeared.
The scarlet red tattoo on the back of Kierans palm also changed slightly.
Chapter 529: Good News
Chapter 529: Good News
Trantor: Dess Editor: SSins
A stinging sensation came from the back of his right hand.
Kieran pulled the tip of his glove and saw clearly another unusualyer of red around the scarlet red tattoo.
A circle formed outside the strange smiley face but its irregr shape and connection made it look extremely abstract.
Kieran couldnt tell what it was. It was as if the tattoo was some messy drawing on a piece of paper that was crumpled up multiple times and eventually opened after a thrashing.
"Should I search for clues?" Kieran wondered with a furrowed brows.
Not only were the clues too abstract to begin with, it was also because he has no intention to look for the unknown. However, his logic told him that. If he wanted to im the initiative, he had to locate these people fast.
The "man" that the mysterious smiley face party sent out just now was not only powerful and possessed unusual skill sets. Kieran could also feel that the "man" had everything under control and had intimidating pressure!
If the smiley face people wanted Kieran to be nervous, Kieran had to admit that they seeded. However, to rely on such a level of threat to force him intopliance?
Kieranughed coldly in his heart.
He then crawled up from the ground and shook his head ceaselessly, trying to clear his head before heading towards Allen.
"I think we should have a talk somewhere else."
Kieran said and then headed straight back into the inner city area.
Allen followed up quickly.
Questions? Allen wouldnt want himself to hit a snub. He was considered a lunatic by others but it didnt mean he was an idiot.
...
Wallway 13th, Kierans game lobby.
Lawless was sitting on the floor, leaning back against the pir, smoking a cigar in his mouth, and spitting out clouds of smoke. Lawless cleared his ears for what Kieran had to say.
"Allen has basically agreed to our direction of cooperation! The thing that we need to do is lend our hand when we are needed. He doesnt have a lot of top-tier battle capabilities with him, even though he has a lot of veterans around him."
Kieran shrugged after he delivered the brief results of the meeting.
Not all the yers, even veterans, were like Kieran, desperately entering dungeons once the cooldown was reset and going as far as using a [Cool Down Reset Card] to hasten his progress.
Most of themon yers waited until the final deadline before they chose to enter the dungeon world.
A minority of the risk-taking yers would be more adventurous but none were definitely on par with Kieran.
Even if there was a handful of yers who were as desperate as he was, they werent as lucky as him either like Lawless!
Kieran didnt even ask for details but from the usual nagging, Kieran felt that Lawless was very unhappy every time he entered a dungeon world.
A fully equipped firearms set was forbidden by the system as well as the act of sending him to fightser-based weaponry with swords and des.
The sole thought of it could send Kieran in a state of sorrow. So, Kieran knew he had to try his best to not pick on Lawlesss wounds.
"Broker really is a genius! He went as far as creating his own industrial chain in the game for himself! No wonder that fe nevercked Points!" Lawless eximed after a smoke cloud.
What was the best way to earn Points and Skill Points?
Raise ones dungeon rating as high as possible? Or sell as many pieces of equipment and items as possible?
Wrong!
The most lucrative way to get Points and Skill Points was Brokers method, forming an industrial chain from top to bottom and operating his chain in a monopolized way to earn a substantial amount of Points.
Lawless could guess that Brokers daily earnings were astronomical figures. However, he was more concerned about another matter.
"The attack that appearedter. Was it one of Brokers?" Lawless asked.
"You remember this?" Kieran took off his glove, revealing a strange smiley face tattoo on his right hand to Lawless.
As a friend, Kieran wouldnt hide certain secret matters to Lawless anymore, especially when Lawlesss help was desperately needed.
"This is what you mentioned before?"
Kieran nodded to Lawlesss question and repeated the story all over again.
Lawless looked at the tattoo on Kierans hand. His face turned heavy as he listened to Kierans story.
Lawless indeed knew about that strange eagle and ball of paper but what happened after that was not what he expected.
"The fes I know that can create that kind of ice are only, "The Frost Force", "Subzero Ender", and "Universal Freeze". But I dont know anyone who has that kind of clone creating ability, none! Let alone the ability to invade a yers room!"
"Though maybe they did hide some aces under their sleeves and maybe its some new hidden yers! Damn it! Other than Extremus and his gang, now many hidden yers are there in the game?" Lawless cursed.
Lawless wasnt concern about the hidden yers because, in a certain aspect, he was also a hidden yer himself.
As a hitman in real life, some of his habits have been branded in his DNA. That was why he knew how terrifying those hidden yers could be.
Some hidden yers who hid in the shadows and had hidden agendas with them were like venomous snakes in hiding. A slight misstep was going to be fatal, let alone the venomous snake now presented itself with unparalleled power.
"Dont worry. Ill go take a look!" Lawless said quickly as he wanted to leave quickly.
Obviously, Kieran being in danger made him anxious as well. He didnt want to waste another moment waiting for results, but Kieran held him back.
"Are youforting me now? Come on, the things that Ive been through in the dungeon world has made me used to all kinds of threats. As long as I treat the time here like another dungeon world, I dont think I cant fit myself in! Let alone I still have an absolute safehouse here! Although they presented the abilities to invade this ce, I believe that was the best they could do. Its impossible for them to truly hurt me in here."
Kieran pointed at the room that they were in.
Lawless was stunned by Kierans words before he gave a bitter smile.
"Damn it, its all too real! I think I will mix up the game and reality soon! Bunch of motherf*ckers!"
Lawless cursed silently and sat back down.
"As long as you dont turn into Allen, I dont think theres any problem. As for that Allen guy... He is much smarter and vignt than the rumour says, even though he presented himself like a lunatic!" Kieranmented.
It was not the first time hemented on Allens character. He previously rated Allen twice before and the fact that it made himment for the third time meant that the Blood Alliances leader had made quite an impression in Kierans mind.
"He was able to outlive everyone else in resisting Broker and kept causing damage to Brokers operations. How could that guy be a lunatic? In fact, a lot of the yers think that if Allen didnt spend all his time fighting Broker, he might have already ascended to the ranks of Supernovas!"
Lawless spilled the rumors going through the veterans.
Of course, the following rumours werent just about Allen. As if Lawless has activated his natural chatbox, his nagging attribute was increased to the max, a point where even Kierans face started to turn weird.
Kieran kept quiet and Lawless would talk. Kieran talked and Lawless would talk after, ten times more even!
Wung Wung Wung!
The amount of talking from Lawless was like a fly circting in Kierans mind, allowing him to understand that it was a dangerous thing to do by inviting Lawless into his room.
So, when his message tab suddenly rung, Kieran was eager to open it up.
It was from cksmith and when Kieran saw what the PM was about, his eyes lighted up.
The grumpy and depressed feeling was all swept away in an instant.
Chapter 530: Bad News
Chapter 530: Bad News
Trantor: Dess Editor: SSins
[Name: Ghastly Sapphire]
[Type: Gemstone]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attribute: 1. Consume 2.Embedding]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: This is a magical gemstone. It is more valuable than you could imagine!]
...
[Consume: Consume the Ghastly Sapphire to acquire a fraction of Frost Bloodline.]
[Embedding: Embedded on weapon or armor to gain a special Frost effect]
[Note 1: High percentage of failure during consume and will not cause damage to the consumer!]
[Note 2: A certain percentage to fail during embedding. The gemstone and the equipment will be destroyed together!]
...
"A gemstone that can provide bloodline powers?" Kieran had shock all over his eyes.
Although he had guessed that Rare gemstones that required appraisal wouldnt be amon one, he never thought that it would provide the yer with the bloodline power.
Even though it had a high percentage of failure and was only a fraction of the original bloodline, Kieran had confidence that as long as he let the news out, the other yers with the ability to purchase this gemstone would provide him with a satisfied price.
The power of bloodline was something that came across by luck and was not searched for.
It represented the power level and growth of a yer and was also one of the biggest differences between amon yer and an adventurous yer.
Of course, Kieran was not only shocked by the gemstone. It was also because he had another Legendary rank gemstone in his hand that required an appraisal as well: the [Dark Nether Stone].
If [Ghastly Sapphire] could provide a fraction of the Frost Bloodline, then [Dark Nether Stone] was rted to dark power and negative energy and it was definitely going to be better than the "fraction" in [Ghastly Sapphire]s description.
Kieran couldnt help but grin when he recalled the Fallen that the gemstone dropped off.
Maybe the Fallen wasnt really a threat but it didnt mean that the Fallen wasnt powerful. In fact, it proved its formidable existence throughout the previous dungeon world. It was just that the unlucky bastard met him.
The Fallens power was halved to a minimal level because its abilities were restrained by Kieran.
What if the Fallen came across someone else other than Kieran?
There was no doubt that the Fallens power was quite terrifying once it really brought out its potential. Otherwise, it would bebeled as the mortal enemy of a Holy Knight.
More importantly, [Touch of Cardinal Sins] and [Creature of Desire] had an unsatisfiable hunger towards the [Dark Nether Stone].
Kieran still couldnt get a hold of what the feeling was before this but now, Kieran was quite confident that if he fed the [Dark Nether Stone] to [Touch of Cardinal Sins] or [Creature of Desire], there was a high chance that either one of them would level up again.
Kieran epted the appraised [Ghastly Sapphire] through the system.
He clipped the gemstone with his index and middle finger of his right hand and his eyes were even reflected with its unusual re by the faint glimmering glow.
Then, Kieran turned his eyes to Lawless. Lawless still had his back turned on Kieran.
In fact, Lawless had turned away once Kieran opened up his PM tab. However, from Lawlesss angle, he couldnt have seen what Kierans PM was about. Still, he turned away out of habit.
Kieran smiled when he saw Lawlesss courteous move.
With their current rtionship, even if Lawless honestly wanted to have a look, Kieran wouldnt have rejected him as well. Yet such movements made Kieran felt thefort between friends because no one would want their secret being shown to the public.
"Here take this!"
Kieran flung the gemstone over to Lawless.
He already has the devils bloodline, Eye of Chimeras, and the soul of a Holy Knight. There was no space for [Ghastly Sapphire] to be squeezed in anymore.
Kieran didnt forget the most important aspect of his [Fusion Heart]: bnce! He had to not mix with more variety of lineage power.
If he really wanted to add some more special power to his bloodline, Kieran couldnt assure himself that [Fusion Heart] would maintain the current bnce.
But Lawless was different. Even if it had a high percentage of failure, Lawlesss power would have obvious changes and would be quite beneficial to the current situation they were facing once it was sessful.
It might even be possible to take the risk to decapitate Broker if they were willing to.
Lawless caught the [Ghastly Sapphire] and after he checked its attribute, he threw it back at Kieran.
"Whats wrong?" Kieran asked out of confusion after epting the gemstone.
"I have no use for that!" Lawless then sent over a screenshot to Kieran.
[Son of Bonnar: Your bloodline has granted you extraordinary knowledge of any weaponry. Not only can you familiarize the weapons quickly but it also allows you to show off extraordinary effects with the weapons. Any weapons you use will have a +1 attack buff and +1 rted skill level buff (Unable to exceed Transcendence level). Every 7 days you will get an option to specify a certain weapon to receive +2 attack buff and +1 rted skill buff (Not affected by skill limit, refreshes every 7 days and unable to carry over. New option would have to be chosen after)]
...
"Rted skills? All kinds of rted skills? Not only limited to basic or advanced skills?"
Kieran asked out of instinct when he saw the screenshot.
After the words escaped his mouth, he noticed that he was probing into Lawlesss privacy.
"Um, every skill!" Lawless wasnt concerned at all and replied with a nod.
Kierans heart skipped a beat.
Since he wasnt a newbie anymore, he understood how powerful it would be when the skills that could form aplete offense system was put together.
When all the rted skills could go above Transcendence limit with a +1 level buff and the weapon itself got a +2 attack buff, what kind of situation would that then be?
Kieran immediately thought of Lawlesss ultimate skill: that extremely explosive skill he used during Bannings ambush.
Yet with such a bloodline power and skill buffs, how could Lawless...
Kieran looked at Lawless, seemingly dubious of how poor Lawless was.
"Do you think Im sad?" Lawless asked.
Kieran nodded.
Lawless kept quiet for a while, taking more heavy puffs from his cigar and finally exploding with his rants.
"Do you think I wanted to? Like this? How would I know my choices are wrong every single time? When I chose firearms weaponry, the system threw me into a sharp weapons only dungeon, which nullified the firearms altogether. When I finally chose sharp weapons like swords and stuff, the system threw me into some firearms battlefield! Have you ever tried using a sword against a spaceship? The kind of goddamn motherf*cking spaceship with a particle shield where one blow from its particle cannon wipes out a whole city? That kind? Its like poking an elephant with a toothpick thats made out of stic!"
"Every time! Every single goddamned time! No exceptions! That is why I decided to be a mercenary. At least with others around me, I wont have to be so goddamned unlucky!"
The more Lawless ranted, the angrier he got.
Lawless even threw his cigar on the floor and stepped on it, cursing with all his effort.
Kieran watched quietly how Lawless ranted.
After four to five seconds he tapped on Lawlesss shoulder.
"Thank you for your hard work!"
When the words went into Lawlesss ears, he froze for a while. Then, he squatted down like a deted football and asked with a bitter smile, "So what are you nning to do with that sapphire?"
"Embedding of course!" Kieran said in an affirmative tone.
Since he couldnt consume it, embedding was the only option left.
Why not sell it then?
Kieran wasnt in need of Points and Skill Points at the moment and who could assure him that the sold [Ghastly Sapphire] wouldnt end up in Brokers hand?
Kieran never dared to underestimate Brokers forces. Money maketh even the devil move.
Broker could very well prate through every possible opening with that kind of power.
Kieran then directly contacted cksmith again, asking her about the embedding process.
The appraisal of [Ghastly Sapphire] was a favour returned by cksmith but when cksmith stated the price for embedding, Kieran covered his heart with both his hands.
A moment ago, he was not in desperate need of Points and Skill Points but when the price was dered, Kierans face turned pale.
300,000 Points.
TL Note:
A little insight for Lawlesss Son of Bonnar bloodline skill.
The part where Kieran stated that Lawless would get +1 skill level and +2 weapon attack was the second part of the bloodline skill. It means that Lawless would get (1 + 1) skill level if his selected skill wasnt at Transcendence and when it does, (+1) for an entire week.
Chapter 531: Embedding
Chapter 531: Embedding
Trantor: Dess Editor: SSins
Huuhaa! Huuhaa!
Kieran panted heavily.
He finally calmed down a few secondster.
Yet he agreed to the price right away. Even though his soul of a scrooge was roaring in pain, he never even doubted that cksmith would make a false quotation.
During the battle with ck Hell Banning, cksmith stood for him without asking any questions.
It was enough for Kieran to look highly of her since then. In addition to themunication throughout the game, Kieran knew that cksmiths character wouldnt do such a thing.
...
cksmith: Bring the equipment u wanted to be embedded to Emma Street 99th.
cksmith: Ghastly Sapphire is different from other stones. The user has to be present during the embedding process.
2567: OK!
...
After replying with a clear answer, Kieran turned to his points tab.
[Points 310,000; Skill Points: 75; Golden Skill Points: 1; Golden Attribute Points: 7]
"300,000 Point needed for the embedding, what I have left... is enough!"
Kieran was calcting his expenses before he looked at Lawless.
"I need one or a pair of gloves that are at least Rare or above. It must not affect the nimbleness of my fingers and has to have great defensive stats. I can pay about 50 Skill Points and if the equipment is good enough, I can raise it to 75!" Kieran stated his request.
Kieran gave his based price to Lawless since there was no need to hide anything anymore between them.
Lawless nodded. After he knew what Kieran needed, he quickly made a move.
...
After 30 minutes, an orange glowing fingerless leather glove appeared.
[Name: Seattle Right Hand]
[Type: Glove]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attack/ Defense: Strong]
[Attribute: Hand Shield]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: Hand-to-hand Combat (Grand Master)]
[Remark: Defense is not the strongest but it will keep you alive!]
...
[Hand Shield: The glove will transform into a tower shield temporarily. It has Extreme defense level andsts for 5 seconds, 3/day]
[Note: Gather Seattle Left Hand to activate its hidden effect]
...
"Nice!" Kieranmented.
The glove that cost 70 Skill Points was worth such ament. If the Skill Points were converted to Points, it would have been around 21,000 Points, but the Extreme defense of [Hand Shield]pensated the huge amount spent.
Kieran guessed that Lawless utilized his personalwork to get the glove. Otherwise, it was impossible for him to locate the glove that fitted his requirement so perfectly.
"Together?" Kieran asked Lawless.
"Sure!" Lawless answered.
However, when Kieran and Lawless arrived at Emma Street 99th, Lawless was rejected to enter.
cksmith told Kieran clearly that only he alone was allowed.
"So cold! So heartless!" Lawless was leaning back at the entrance of the garden outside the two-story western buildings and eximing his rants.
No matter how Lawless ranted, Kieran didnt stop walking.
Kieran has his priorities straight. There were times for games and there were times for work.
He waved at Lawless before entering. Kieran even sized up the delicately decorated garden that was filled with ntations before reaching the door. He knocked.
Tssk.
The door was opened and Kieran entered the room.
He was then in awe of the clean and simple decorations inside. In fact, frankly speaking, there was nothing in the room except for a giant round table with a double strapped school bag and [Ghastly Sapphire].
The tall cksmith in her red mantle was standing beside the table with her hands on the table.
The moment Kieran walked in, her gaze didnt leave Kieran; Kieran also didnt stop looking at her.
Even though both of themmunicated for quite some time, it was their second meeting in person and the first time alone and private.
Kieran quickly kept away his gaze and took out [Seattle Right Hand].
His educational background forbade him to gaze recklessly at ady without hostility. More so, he knew that cksmith was a person of few words with a cold attitude.
Maybe it was her nature or maybe it was her way to differentiate between the real and virtual. But regardless of what the reason was, Kieran had to respect it.
"Glove? I thought it was some armor of sorts!" cksmith was stunned a little when she saw the glove but that was all she asked. Before Kieran could answer, she started the embedding procedure.
A bunch of rubies was taken out from her bag and the rubies were ignited in cksmiths hand together with [Ghastly Sapphire].
That slim and fair palm of hers turned into a furnace and even more rubies were thrown inside.
Kieran was speechless when he saw the scene. He finally knew why this round of embedding would cost 300K points. The sole fact that cksmith had to burn away almost 30 pieces of rubies before him was enough.
A single ruby cost 2000 Points or 1 Skill Points but the price increased when coupled with more rubies. 30 pieces of rubies put together were roughly 200K Points already and the procedure still wasnt finished yet.
Kieran was silently counting the number of rubies that she had to burn away. When the number rose to 40, Kierans heart started beating faster.
When the number reached 50, Kieran knew that he had owed cksmith another debt of gratitude.
Obviously, the cost of the embedding was a friendly price.
Kieran knew that a debt of gratitude was the kind that was the hardest to repay.
Fortunately, when cksmith burnt up a total of 50 rubies, the embedding process ended.
cksmith took up [Seattle Right Hand] and ced her burning palm over it.
The orangey glow unique to the equipment started to shine brilliantly and suddenly, another dash of gold was mixed into the brilliance.
The golden glow then reced the orange glow with the speed of a thunderp.
A golden glow was shining brilliantly. The gloves rarity was enhanced to Legendary.
Kieran than looked at cksmith with a strange gaze as he knew what happened.
The abilities that she showed had far surpassed Kierans range of knowledge.
Kieran wasnt a newbie anymore. Although he didnt learn any embedding skills, he had a general grasp of the process. With his knowledge, none of the others could perform what cksmith has just done.
"Raising the equipments rarity through embedding? And the methods of burning the same color gemstones... Is it some kind of skill or talent?" Kieran wondered in his heart.
He didnt forget to express his gratitude.
"Thanks!"
Kieran didnt immediately check the enhanced details of [Seattle Right Hand] but he looked at cksmith who seemed exhausted from the process and thanked her with all his heart.
"Its just mutual benefits. My talent needed such a grinding process to level up further. I hope you can help me find more gemstones of simr ranks to [Ghastly Sapphire]. Ill give you..."
cksmith was speaking softly but her calm tone was interrupted as her voice halted all of a sudden.
The system blur prevented her face from showing but her eyes were filled with astonishment. The clear eyes behind the red-framed spectacles were looking at Kieran with an unbelievable gaze. More precisely she was staring at the small button-sized ck stone in Kierans palm.
"If you dont mind... We can continue." Kieran said calmly like how cksmith was talking to him.
Chapter 532: Curse Dispeller
Chapter 532: Curse Dispeller
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Kieran, of course, hadnt forgotten about the armor he was wearing, [Armor of Excellence].
The [Dark Nether Stone] was prepared exactly for that purpose.
In fact, without a higher rarity gemstone like the [Dark Nether Stone], Kieran would definitely follow cksmiths advice: embedding the [Ghastly Sapphire] onto the [Armor of Excellence].
After all, he knew how important good armor was.
Though most of the time, there was no need for the armors effect, but once it was needed, it would be a matter of life and death.
No one could neglect the importance of life and death.
Though, as Kieran took out the [Dark Nether Stone], the atmosphere in the room turned subtle.
Before the astonishment in cksmiths eyes faded, anotheryer of doubt was added.
"Where did you get the info that I needed to appraise a Legendary gemstone to ascend?" She asked.
The moment cksmith said something like that, she might have run through all the possible candidates that were rted to this matter but she had few friends, to begin with. Kieran even knew some of them but based on the rtionship between them, she would not reveal such a private matter to others.
Of course, he might be able to form a theory based on how she consumed the gemstones through embedding but Kieran didnt fit such criteria, in fact, no one in the whole game did.
In order to achieve that, not only would the person need to have a total surveince of all cksmiths trade records but also need to know her core skills.
It was impossible for such a thing to happen so it spiked cksmiths curiosity even more.
"What if I tell you this is all just a mere coincidence? Will you believe me?" Kieran opened up his hand.
cksmith was silent, she didnt express her disbelief nor bought what Kieran said.
She took the [Dark Nether Stone] and ced it on the table.
Kieran looked at how cksmith behaved, meaning that she had acknowledged what he said.
A full minuteter.
"You can leave now, Ill need around a week to finish this." cksmith said.
A contract appeared before cksmith as her words finished.
"Okay!" Kieran nodded and after signing the contract, he parted with cksmith.
Kieran was used to the few words and coldness from her and frankly speaking, he was quite enjoying the simple way ofmunicating.
Not only did it not consume any extra time, it was efficient as well.
It was great for him to deal with this kind of person!
While exmation lingered in his heart, he went off.
Though just when the door was about to close after he left, he suddenly heard a light grunt.
He turned around, looking at the closed door in a strange manner.
"How is it?"
Just when Kieran trying to find out what happened, Lawless came over.
"Done!" Kieran turned around with a smile and showed the glove on his right hand.
[Name: Seattle Right Hand]
[Type: Glove]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Attack/ Defense: Strong]
[Attribute: Ice Hand Shield]
[Special Effect: 1. Frozen Touch, 2. Frost Breath]
[Prerequisite: Hand-to-hand Combat (Grand Master)]
[Remark: Its defense is not the strongest, but it will keep you alive!]
...
[Ice Hand Shield: The glove will transform into an ice shield with Extreme defense. Lasts 5 seconds and when the ice shield duration is up, it will fire out 1 Strong freezing air attack with a 3 meters radius range with the user as a starting point. When the defense reaches its threshold and the ice shield is broken, reflect 20% damage to the attacker, 2/day]
...
[Frozen Touch: When activated, the glove you wear has to touch the target in order to fire a Powerful freezing attack,sts 5 seconds. When you touch any other things other than yourself and your belongings, it will be deemed an attack and the freezing duration will be over after the attack. 2/day]
[Frost Breath: Create a 60 cone-shaped icy breath in a 5-meter range in front of the user, has Powerful damage and a small percentage to trigger the Freeze effect. (Freeze, the target will have to undergo a Constitution authentication, when lower than C rank, the target will be frozen on the spot for one second and receive Lethally Wounded worth of damage), 1/day]
[Note: Gather Seattle Left Hand to trigger the hidden effect]
...
"Not only did it provide a boost to its original attribute, it even has an extra special effect?"
Kieran smirked when he saw the description of the newly embedded [Seattle Right Hand].
Although [Hand Shield] was transformed to [Ice Hand Shield] and reduced its usage to 1 per day, [Ice Hand Shield] wasnt just a little stronger than the original.
[Ice Hand Shield] was perfect for Kieran since he was always an aggressive attacker by nature.
The additional [Frozen Touch] and [Frost Breath] did amplify his attacking methods and power, making him more all rounded in certain aspects, but at the same time, it made [Wilcos Grudge] look a little awkward.
The simr properties [Frozen Touch] could be activated twice a day and didnt have any drawbacks, while [Wilcos Grudge] only has a one time per day activation and would damage the user from its repulsion.
Kieran then listed [Wilcos Grudge] into his to-sell list without further ado.
Together with [Wilcos Grudge], there was also another 6 more low tier Magic rank items and the damaged [The Slicer] for sale.
Kieran believed after selling all these items, it would be enough topensate for his Points and Skill Points that would be used up soon.
Though when he handed the list of items to Lawless, Lawless was stunned when he saw [Wilcos Grudge].
"Eh? A cursed item?" Lawless voice attracted Kierans attention who was across from him back in the room.
"Its quite rare to find cursed items in the game, mostly drops from those natives that held a grudge before they die. Maybe from some monsters also, the situation may vary but one thing for sure, once the curse is removed, the cursed item will gain another chance of leveling up!"
Lawless exined to the already confused Kieran.
"How do you remove the curse?" Kieran asked.
Although [Seattle Right Hand] had reced [Wilcos Grudge], it didnt mean Keiran would sell off a potential Legendary rank item as Rare equipment.
He would explode on the spot if he really did because of his stingy personality.
"The curse dispeller! A person that dispels curses! Leave that to me!" Lawless said.
"A curse dispeller?"
"Yes, curse dispeller That guy is a strange one. The lone wolf of lone wolves, other than me and a couple more, he never really talks to people. Even his trades are done through PMs and never leave any traces behind when he moves around. If I didnt still save his name in my friend list, I might think Im talking to a ghost!" Lawless nodded.
"A peculiar person eh?" Kieranmented.
He didnt mean anything else with his words, because if it wasnt for Lawless, Kieran might go through the game like how the curse dispeller did.
So, it peaked his interest after noticing there was a yer who shared his point of view.
Though it didnt affect Kierans original n, which was to increase his strength and prepare for the next dungeon.
He would leave it to Lawless inmunicating with the curse dispeller as he believed Lawless would do a good job since he has no intentions of mingling around.
Maybe the curse dispeller had a simr character to Kieran yet he knew if he was to be involved, the end results might differ from expectation, so his option was to wait for answers.
Days passed by during the wait.
The sale that Kieran entrusted Lawless went on smoothly. Kieran had received a total of 30,000 Points when he considered the cost of summoning demons from [Fantos Manuscript], he didnt spend the points further but kept it for a rainy day.
Though contacting the curse dispeller was not that smooth, that person hadnt gone online for a couple days and it was a helpless matter.
On the other hand, at Allens ce. Things had been quite merry, or should it be noisy. Allen was caught in battles almost every day but he didnt request any help from Kieran or Lawless.
It seemed like he was waiting for a perfect chance to use both of them.
Kieran acknowledged his methods though.
During the resting period, some lone wolf yers sent invitations to Kieran, wanting to gather for a drink but were rejected by Kieran. The lone wolf yers were much more persistent than Kieran had thought.
He couldnt help butugh bitterly aftering back to his senses from his exploration of the Dawn Force.
He wasnt quite used to a crowded ce anyway.
Then, Kieran took in a couple of deep breaths, regting his body and preparing his equipment.
The dungeon cooldown was finally reset.
Chapter 533: An Unreliable Start
Chapter 533: An Unreliable Start
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
[Entering Single yer dungeon...]
[Difficulty: Sixth dungeon]
[Background: Night in the city is always filled with darkness and terror, endless sinners were born from it. A series of mysterious supernatural cases urred in Saint Brilliant High School. As a new teacher in the school, you have volunteered yourself to the night patrol...]
[Main Mission: Solve at least one special case in 1 week, case solved: 0]
[Temporarynguage pack, Disappears upon exiting the dungeon.]
[Clothing, backpack, weapons, and other items remain unchanged, Temporarily altered appearance, Returns to normal upon exiting the dungeon]
[Hint: This is your sixth official dungeon. You can fail the Main Mission, but you will have to pay 600 Points as a penalty and your highest attributes will drop by 2 level. If your points are insufficient, the system will deduct from your equipment. If your equipment is insufficient, you will fail.]
...
As the blinding light faded away, Kieran found himself in a corridor. Simple memory fragments started to form in Kierans mind.
"A teacher?" Kieranined about the unreliable upation that had been assigned to him.
Compared to this, the previous upations, a detective and a reporter, it sounded much more reliable now.
He knew clearly what his education level was. Though he was quite hard working during school days, he was at most a junior middle school level, including the dropouts and part-time jobs, Kierans precise education level might be even lower than a regr junior middle schooler.
Now assigning him to teach a bunch of high school students was definitely a joke.
Saint Brilliant was a high school and no doubt the students there were all high schoolers!
Besides that, ording to his simple memories, this high school was quite a decent one too.
Whether was it the education level or its scientific research, each aspect of the school had respectable points.
"Assigning me as a teacher in this ce, the system wants me to teach them [Mystical Knowledge]? I think the moment I opened my mouth, Ill be dubbed as a crazy person."
Kieran mocked himself with augh and started sizing up his surroundings.
On his left was a whole row off ssrooms and on his right were the windows.
The ssrooms were like what Kieran had in mind, equipped with front and back doors with a ss sign on each.
Through the windows on the right, he could clearly see a big ser field surrounded by running tracks outside.
A bunch of students were chit-chatting,ughing, and were crossing the field, heading outside the schoolpound. Even when the sunset radiance shone on them, it couldnt diminish their youthful energetic manner.
Fuuu!
Kieran sighed. If it wasnt for his illness, he might share the carefree attitudes of the students as well.
Kieran then grabbed his backpack and headed towards the teachers office that he remembered.
The description of the dungeon background was limited but it provided a specific time period.
Night.
Based on the limited information, something bad might happen during nightfall and it was already sunset by the time he arrived. Kieran wouldnt waste any more precious time since he was no longer a newbie.
Kieran was quite confident in his strength but it didnt mean he would require less information.
The disappointing thing was, the teachers office was empty. He frowned.
Even if he hadnt experienced it before, he definitely had seen or heard it before.
Kieran had the most contact with teachers during his student days and he was quite clear about the teachers habits.
Other than special cases, the majority of teachers wouldnt leave before their students, especially those ss teachers. Usually, they would leave after the students of their sses had left the schoolpound.
Right now, while the students were still leaving, the teachers were already gone.
"The night at school is much more dangerous than I expected." Kieran guessed and was ready to turn around.
Although the teachers office was empty, through the windows at the corridor, Kieran noticed a guard at the schools entrance and simr to the teachers, he must know something about the schools situation.
But the moment Kieran turned around...
Tsssk GAK!
An irritating screech sounded and shut the door tight. Not only the exit door but the curtains on the windows as well. The already dimmed teachers office instantly turned dark as the limited amount of light was blocked.
Darkness filled the office within a second. Kieran was stunned.
Kierans A+ Intuition allowed him to sense the existence of wandering souls and evil spirits easily even if he didnt activate [Tracking], yet he didnt pick up any of those, not even the slightest amount of negative energy.
The ce should be very "clean".
"What kind of tricks are we ying here?"
Kieran then activated [Tracking] with doubts in his heart but still discovered nothing.
Everything seemed normal under [Tracking]s vision.
But what he saw a momentter was definitely not normal.
Fuuuuush!
A gloomy and chilly wind was blown towards Kieran, causing his feathered mantle to flutter. The dark room grew even darker as the coldness came.
Dak Dak Dak!
The clear noise of footsteps sounded behind Kieran. He silently moved forward a step and turned around in a sh.
It went quiet! The footsteps stopped right away but the silencested no longer than one second. The footsteps sounded once more and wereing from behind.
"Illusions? No... not right, its..."
A wild guess came into Kierans heart right away, and to verify his guess, he didnt turn around this time but instead heunched a kick backward.
But he missed!
However, the footsteps didnt go away and sounded even clearer in his ears.
If Kieran had doubts before, now it was verified. He didnt care anymore about the footsteps and ran towards the exit even if it was shut tight.
He dashed out quickly and went through the door all of a sudden, arriving back at the corridor.
Kieran turned around to the teachers office and everything turned back to normal.
"It really is a phantasmal image!" Kieran thought.
Phantasmal images were not illusions and neither would Spirit authentication ur.
All the images had to do was to look and sound real enough to deceive those who see and hear, just like what Kieran did.
Though a fake was always a fake, perhaps it might deceive one for a while but it will eventually be exposed, especially when it came across Kieran as a yer.
Kieran came back to his senses after his initial astonishment.
He couldnt believe in his sixth dungeon, he woulde across some beings that could induce him in illusions without him knowing. Kierans Spirit was already at a maximum SSS+, it had far exceeded the other yers of the same level and allowed him to handle the dungeon with ease.
So, after some minor testing, Kieran noticed some inklings.
"But to create such a realistic phantasmal image..."
Kierans eyes sized up his surroundings once more, trying to locate the person responsible.
Bang!
A sudden heavy bang sounded from outside the main academic building.
Kieran quickly followed the source of the noise and saw a fallen body.
Not only bloody and mushy but broken into pieces!
Chapter 534: Number 4
Chapter 534: Number 4
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Even though Kieran was almost 10 meters away from the body and even had a window in between them, he noticed the unusual point the moment heid eyes on the body.
Based on his simple memories, Saint Brilliant High Schools main academic building wasnt that high, there were only 5 floors in total and with simr height, it wasnt hard for the body to turn bloody and mushy.
The moment of impact and scratches was enough to damage the body but it was certainly impossible for a fallen body to break apart into pieces like a doll.
5 floors of height werent capable of such force of impact, even more so...
"It was sliced off by sharp des?"
Kierans eyes nced over the cuts between the severed limbs and body. The cuts were clean and smooth, there werent any signs of tearing the flesh being torn apart.
Kieran then went towards the roof right away. His senses picked up the scent of a sub mission.
To save time, Kieran didnt go up the stairs traditionally. He tiptoed on the handle of the stairs and his hands would cling on the handle of the upper floor, he pulled himself up and leaped over a whole floor with a single motion.
Kieran was like a long-armed ape, climbing up the stairs with utmost nimbleness and swiftly arrived at the roof after a couple rounds of climbing.
Though the surprising thing was, the door that leads outside to the roof was locked! With two separate locks!
Kieran activated [Tracking] and scanned the ce. Other than his own prints, there wasnt anyone elses, not even a slight bit of tracks were left behind nor were there blood stains that he was concerned about.
"Interesting," Kieran muttered. He pulled out [Deceivers Key] and easily picked two of the lock with Musou level [Lockpicking].
Kieran then walked out the door carefully and all of a sudden, a set of footprints appeared within his sight under [Tracking].
The new set of footprints didnt originate from where Kieran came from but it appeared out of thin air in the middle of the roof. There werent signs of the prints arriving, only leaving towards the edge of the building and eventually fell off the building.
Kieran unconsciously looked up into the sky.
"It came from the sky?" He guessed.
Kieran then quickly cleared the traces he left behind and turned back down to where the body had fallen.
There was already a group of students surrounding the body.
Even if they were held back by school security, the terrified students couldnt hide their curiosity in their heart, trying to have an extra look by popping their heads.
Cries of shock sounded from the students from time to time, apanied by a boastful description of the situation. Such words instantly caused moremotion among the students and their curiosities spiked even higher following themotion.
The students became agitated with their spiked curiosity, if security didnt shout at the students, holding them back, the agitated ones might have run up to the body.
Although none of the students went up, under the atmosphere surrounded by curiosity and fear, whispers sounded between ears.
"It happened again!"
"He is that sports student from ss 1-2!"
"I heard he had just gotten selected into the regionalspetition!"
"Just like the leader of the ult Society said, dazzling lights attracted not only good luck but bad ones as well!"
"I hope the bad luck wonte to me!"
"You are just a normal guy, why would you attract bad luck?"
"Damn it, you are also a normal guy, why are you criticizing me!"
...
The way the wealthy students conversed spiked Kierans attention.
During his school days, he was as good as an invisible man, although he was envious of the small groups of students, he couldnt alter his background as an orphan. There wasnt a chance for him to join a group, to begin with. He tried a few times before, trying to blend in but failed eventually, thus leading him going his own way since then.
Now, Kieran would never want to join one of them but it didnt stop him from getting useful pieces of information from the conversation.
"It happened again? Seems like its not the first time! That ult Society they mentioned..."
Kieran mentioned the society that sounded like a club of sorts for students in his heart.
He then quickly left the scene because he already heard police sirens arriving.
While having all sorts of weapons on his back, he wouldnt want the police to list him as a suspect for murder. It will be best for him to temporary hide his personal belongings and weapons.
...
The old academic building of Saint Brilliant High School.
It was only a 2 level building made entirely out of wood. Most parts of the building were used as a storeroom of sorts and only a portion of the rooms were used as the teachers dorm.
Though, other than Kieran the newbie teacher, no one was staying there.
Firstly, the conditions there were too poor, the school couldnt even provide stable electricity and water supply, even the toilet was a public one, located outside the building in a secluded spot.
During the dead silent night and pitch ck environment, it would be a haunting scene sending chills down ones spine.
Though, Kieran was fine with all of it.
After hiding away his obvious equipment, he patiently waited for the police to pay him a visit.
In fact, he already picked up footsteps heading his way.
The screeching noises from the old and disrepair wooden flooring were very loud.
Dong, Dong Dong!
The door was knocked. Kieran opened the door and saw a slightly chubby middle-aged man with a half bald fashion greeting him.
"Mr. 2567, this is Inspector Oaker!"
The middle-aged man introduced the elderly man behind him.
The elderly man was wearing long ragged pants, underneath his brown vest was a gray shirt together with a cap on his head and a wrinkled face.
While Kieran was examining him, Inspector Oaker was also sizing up his surrounding out of upational habits and finallynded his eyes on Kieran.
"Hello, Mr.2567!" The elder inspected extended his hand.
"Hello," Kieran replied with a smile.
The handshake broke off momentster, yet Oakers fingers touched the part between Kierans index finger and thumb and the tip of his middle finger.
Oaker concealed his actions very well but it couldnt escape Kierans senses.
"Mr. 2567 here is our newly hired teacher. You know after those incidents happen, a lot of the teachers decided to leave, so we needed more teachers to maintain the teachings in the school. So, it is impossible Mr. 2567 here is rted to those incidents!" The middle-aged man said.
Based on Kierans simple memory, the half bald middle-aged man was Saint Brilliant High Schools dean of students and it was him that recruited Kieran into the school.
"Fret not, Im just following procedures."
Inspector Oaker revealed a kind smile on his loosen face, trying tofort the dean and Kieran. Though the words that came after didnt soundforting at all.
"Mr. 2567, you are really young eh? Where did you teach before this school? Didnt you hear? There has been three... No, four including thetest one just now, suicide incidents happened here in Saint Brilliant? Two of them jumped off the roof, one hanged himself and another one sliced her wrist."
The deans face was frightened when the inspector uttered the words from his mouth. It sounded threatening and was trying to probe Kierans reaction.
"Thats enough, Inspector!" The dean halted the inspector loudly.
The deans voice even echoed in Kierans room, filling every inch within the four walls.
Crack!
Suddenly, a crack appeared on the window and spread out like a spider web before breaking into pieces.
A formless force burst through the window, firing the shattered ss like arrows towards the three of them.
Chapter 535: Disgusting
Chapter 535: Disgusting
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Sou Sou Sou!
The air-breaking noise sounded rapidly.
The dean was stunned on the spot, the inspector though instinctively wanted to dodge aside but his body wasnt young anymore, it was hard for him toplete the movement.
Two of them could only stand still, watching the shattered sses as sharp as knives approaching rapidly.
Suuuuoum!
A strong wind was blown across before them, causing their hair and beard to flutter.
The dean quickly closed his eyes out of instinct but Inspector Oaker opened his eyes wide.
Two different upations made the two of them react differently during times of danger.
Inspector Oaker then saw a big area of ck before his eyes, After a sudden shake, the darkness was removed and return to Kierans hand.
Inspector Oaker was surprised to know what the big piece of ck that stood before his eyes was.
"The sheets!?" The inspector cried in shock.
His eyes towards Kieran became more astonishing after.
"Mr. 2567, what a nimble hand you have! Its beyond anything Ive seen!"
The elderly inspector said.
"I may be a cultural teacher but my favorite is physical education," Kieran replied with a smile.
The inspector was still testing him. There wasnt any hidden malicious intent behind as it was nothing more than a veteran inspectors upational habits that formed throughout his career.
Though it was not a favorable act to most people, at least Kieran had be reluctant to speak with the inspector.
Especially when Kieran remembered how the inspector touched his fingers, the disgust struck his heart hard.
So, Kieran turned his attention towards the dean. The dean was still in shock and never even noticed Kieran looking at him.
After panting heavily, the half bald middle-aged man said in a rigid tone, "Its night soon, Mr. 2567, remember your night patrol task... I have to leave now!"
The dean left in a hurry without even greeting Inspector Oaker as he dashed out the building.
"You need any help? The inspector pointed at the shattered window.
"dly! If its not too much of a trouble, can you help me get some stic cloth?"
Kieran maintained his smile even knowing what the inspector really wanted to do.
After discovering the unusual abilities of Kieran but still couldnt probe any suspicious points from him, the inspector naturally shifted his attention towards Kierans personal belongings.
Though, it wouldnt provide him with any results either.
Before the police arrived at the school, Kieran had done his concealment preparation.
After staying for almost half hour, there was only a slight dash of radiance left in the sky. Kieran politely sent the inspector to the entrance of the old school dorm.
"Be careful now, Inspector Oaker!" Kieran said.
"Be careful? Of what?" Inspector turned around, asking in confusion.
"You didnt really think the shattered window is an ident, do you? Or do you think this ce has been in disrepair for so long that a ss window could be shattered by a loud shout? The shout even fired the sses inwards at us, defying thews of physics. The night ising, you better be careful walking on the streets alone!"
The moment Kieran finished, he saw the expression change on the inspectors face.
Then, before the inspector could reply, he turned around and returned to his dorm room, shutting the door loudly.
Bang!
The door was mmed at its frame and it sent chills down the inspectors spine.
He nced over the shut dorm and its secluded area, the darkness around was nourishing his fear.
Even though Oaker never thought that he needed to be afraid, he turned around and left.
Kieran saw the inspector leave in a hurry with hastened steps through the corridor window. He couldnt help but smirk as he did that on purpose.
Kieran wasnt really a person that sought revenge for the slightest grievance but he wouldnt hold back after being pped by someone.
If he was disgusted, he would return the disgust as well.
"I feel so much better now!"
Kieran was humming an unknown melody and slowly heading back to his dorm room.
Gak Tsk, Gak Tsk!
The irritating screech from the wooden flooring as he stepped on it sounded louder than ever.
All the equipment that Kieran hid in the other rooms and along the corridor came back to him. When he grabbed the box with [Arrogant Word] in the shadow of the second-floor turning point, he quickly opened the window and leaped off the building.
Even with all the items on him, there was only a light tapping sound upon hisnding.
Kieran then quickly sprinted towards his destination
He was heading for the lead that he picked up!
The reason why Kierans mood was lifted was not only because he disgusted the inspector but he also finally found the lead that he longed for since the beginning.
Just like Kieran said before, regardless of how old and disrepair the building was, the ss wouldnt shatter because of a persons loud shout and fire the ss inwards, defying thews of physics.
There must be something that existed that normal people couldnty eyes on it to achieve such a feat but Kieran was no normal man.
The moment the window ss shattered, he already picked up a gloomy and cold energy umted at the window. He even picked up a shadow after activating [Tracking].
If it wasnt for the natives beside him who were still doubting his identity, he would have given chase but it wasnt toote now either.
Musou level [Tracking] could pick up traces not only limited tomon living beings anymore.
In his clear vision, a ck mist cloud appeared before his eyes and it was escaping and rumbling towards a single direction. The ck mist was like what a jet left behind when it soared across the sky, a line of clouds. Although it might dissipate following a prolonged duration, it was very obvious for the time being.
Kieran was chasing after the ck mist, sprinting quickly towards the direction.
Soon, he reached the back of the main academic building of Saint Brilliant, an area of scrub bushes.
The ck mist dissipatedpletely when it reached the bushes.
Kieran carefully sized up the new surroundings and saw an iron gate drawing a line between the school premises and the outer area.
Four big trash boxes were ced beside the iron gate.
At a further spot, there was a concrete sealed incineration house. No doubt it was the ce where the school dealt with their rubbish before utilizing the uniform method of disposing their rubbish.
Kieran nced over the iron gate and the trash boxes and eventuallyid his eyes on the concrete sealed incineration house.
A faint gloomy and cold presence wasing out from there.
"Is this the ce?" Kieran wasnt too sure.
Able to affect reality in its spirit form, including revealing itself and moving objects was not something a slight amount of negative energy could achieve, let alone shattering ss.
It might very well be a demon, but theck of negative energy couldnt even hold a normal wandering soul, let alone a demon.
The doubts in his heart didnt cause any dy in his movements but just when he wanted to investigate, a series of footsteps sounded.
Chapter 536: Coincidence?
Chapter 536: Coincidence?
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The footsteps wereing from outside the iron gate and approaching fast.
Then, a clumsy figure leaped over the gate followed by another two more which had more precise movements than the first one.
Kieran who was already in the shadows was sizing up the sudden trio with squinted eyes.
Their faces were young, even with their home clothes, they hardly concealed their student appeal.
Walking in the front was a tall girl and behind her was another girl with spectacles and a thick bangs. Thest one though was a little more peculiar than the other two, it was a girl but had a rounded hairstyle of a man. There were two metal nose ring on her nose and had a huge round earring on the left side of her ear, almost reaching her shoulder.
With all those unnecessary essories, the delicate face of hers became wild and untamed.
Living in her own world was definitely a phrase that best suited the weird looking girl.
Though, the thing that caught Kierans attention was not only how she dressed but her unusual presence.
A faint gloomy and cold aura lingered around her, it felt more furious simr to the negative energy flow but not entirely the same.
"What is this?" Kieran was searching the knowledge in his mind but none of them provided an answer to describe such a presence.
There was also a furious side of negative energy?
Indeed there was but it was more furious and violent than anyone could have imagined.
Once that kind of energy which had umted the negative emotions and wails of death exploded, the consequences were far beyond anyones imagination yet such a violent, furious negative energy usually were hidden from in sight, like a dark rapid current hidden under a silent river. It was not as visible as the ones around the girls.
Kieran muttered to himself thements he had on the girls.
Three of the girls who leaped over the iron gate into the schoolpound didnt even notice Kieran beside. Transcendence [Undercover] had hidden his presence beyond normal peoplesprehension, though one of them didnt look like anything normal.
"Hurry up! We need to pay tribute to our senior sister, otherwise after midnight tonight, her soul will wander the school forever!"
The tall girl said in a quick manner before cing her bag down and took out a bunch of candles, a bouquet of flower and a yellowish book.
The tall girl arranged the candles and flowers into a unique arrangement with a skilled manner.
One candle on top, two in the middle and another two at the bottom. The middle space was slightly wider apart and the bottom space was slightly narrower.
The bouquet of flowers was plucked out one after another and was ced in the middle of the candles where their directions intertwined.
"A pentagram?" Kieran was slightly shocked over the circle that she formed.
To be honest, when Kieran saw how she arranged the candles, he knew it was a basic structure of a pentagram, just that he didnt think she would connect the candles with flowers.
The more astonishing point was, following the lighted candle, the tall girl took up the yellowish book and kneeled down before reading what was inside.
Although she was a young sweet girl, the moment when Kieran saw her performing the rituals, a word formed in his mind.
A monk!
Back in the real world, Kieran did see monks before. Even though their numbers were far fewer than the priests, it was their lesser numbers that made the impression.
Kierans memories couldnt help but ovepped the girls figure with a monk and even from a certain aspect, the girl was looking more authentic.
Not because Kieran saw it with his own eyes but also because of her devoted manner.
A faint, illusory light started to appear on that beautiful face.
"Sanctuary Force?" Kieran was overwhelmed beyondprehension.
Although the force was very weak, even whenpared tomon outer Sanctuary members, it was still quite weak, let aloneparing it with Smulder the Holy Knight.
Yet Kieran was certain the light force was indeed the Sanctuary Force that he knew of.
"So, different dungeon worlds will also share the same energy system?" Kieran furrowed his brows.
He was no longer a newbie himself but he never heard of such things before.
Simr energy systems did exist, not only had he heard of it before but experienced it as well but the simr energy systems existing in different dungeon worlds was a first. It was very different from the negative energy that was formed because of a natural phenomenon.
Which mean...
The inheritance of the legacy power!
Sanctuary Force had its own legacy form and it was only restricted to Sanctuary members only yet how did the girl before him now acquire the power?
A product of coincidence? Or she created it herself?
If it was the former, luck may still be an excuse but if it was thetter, the girl before Kieran had gone beyondmon sense.
Even if she wasnt an unprecedented figure, she would also be a remarkable genius.
Out of instinct, Kieran started to pay more attention to the tall girl, though it didnt distract him from noticing the changes in the surrounding.
A thinyer of mist started to appear in the whole school, the cold and gloomy presence spread all over the schoolpound as the mist surrounded the ce.
The temperature around started to plummet. The street lights behind the back gate started to flicker and eventually went off.
The girl with the spectacles suddenly let out a terrified cry.
The oddly dressed girl was rubbing her fist, seemingly eager about something.
The thinyer of mist turned dense and the temperature had fallen below zero. White breath wasing out of Kierans mouth.
The tall girl with the yellowish book was shivering non-stop, even her chanting started to stutter and the faint light seemed like it would go out at any second, simr to a candle in the wind.
Then, dark shadows appeared in the mist one after another.
"Food, Food!"
"Delicious Food!"
"Fooood!
Heavy and cruel voices sounded from the mist.
The girl with the spectacles had curled up into a ball, the oddly dressed one was clenching her teeth, eagerly looking at the shadows. When a dark shadow came out of the mist, she leaped over like a jaguar.
Fooosh!
The air-breaking sound swept away the mist and scattered them away in an instant, revealing the real form of the shadows.
Models!
The life-size models that students used for biology sses!
That kind of model that showed half of its brain, eyeballs, and organs on one side and looked human on the other.
Gak Tsk Tsk!
The human model was slowly turning its head around, its eyeball on a side was circting under its bare muscle. Blood oozed out from its eye socket and dyed its body red in an instant.
When the blood flowed through the stic-made organs, the organs came alive!
First was the heart, starting pumping vigorously and followed by the lungs, breathing heavily.
"Hahahahaha!"
An irritatingugh broke out from the slithered mouth.
BANG!
Right after theugh, the human model was crushed!
The oddly-dressed girl crushed her foe with a single blow from her fist but she didnt look delighted at all.
She quickly turned around out of instinct and looked at her friends.
The spectacle girl who had curled up into a ball quivering a moment ago has suddenly appeared behind the tall girl. Her thick bangs were suddenlybed backward, reveal a mouth.
A mouth on her forehead!
The mouth started to open wide, almost breaking the girls crown. The girls feature was twisted beyond shape but the mouth wasnt satisfied.
Gak, Gak Tsk!
Bang!
A loud bang caused the head of the spectacle wearing girl to explode, a giant mouth sprouted out from the girls rain.
While the sharp teeth mouth was sshing its stenchful saliva, it went for a bite at the tall girl.
"Jen!" The oddly-girl shouted in shock.
At the same time, she was dashing towards her friend, trying to stop the big mouth from eating her. However, the scattered mist enshrouded her once again, throwing more shadows at her side.
"Damn it!" She clenched her teeth as she knew she was within the enemys trap.
Right of the critical moment, the shadows that were throwing themselves towards her and the dense mist stopped as if time itself has frozen.
Dak Dak Dak.
Clear footsteps sounded in her ears.
The mist then quickly dispersed as the footsteps sounded.
Chapter 537: Who The Hell Are You?
Chapter 537: Who The Hell Are You?
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The mist dispersed but the gloomy coldness underwent a sudden change.
The coldness turned even colder but the gloominess was removed, bing a more direct coldness that could chill ones spine.
The oddly-dressed girls pupils dted as she was in shock.
What did she see?
An ice statue! An ice statue that had the body and limbs of a human and a giant mouth in ce of a head.
Naked eyes could see the materialized freezing airing from the vicious ice statue, causing one to quiver uncontrobly, yet a palm was ced on the ice statue, ignoring its condition, or more precisely, the palm that created the ice statue.
The thoughts lingered in her heart, while the oddly-dressed girl quickly went up to her friend and sized up the young man who appeared suddenly with doubtful eyes.
Seemed like a young man but his face was calm and mature, even more so when the ice statue was beside him, he even looked a little mysterious.
When the girls saw the young mans big backpack and the box in his hand, their doubtful eyes turned vignt.
"Are you a fiend!? Or... a hunter!?" The girls shouted the question.
"Fiend? Is that what you call these things?"
Kieran looked at the oddly-dressed girl and pointed at the ice statue that was created by [Seattle Right Hand, Frozen Touch]. A sense of surprise shed across his eyes.
Different from the oddly-dressed and the tall girl, the spectacle girls existence was neglected. Even when she leaped over the iron gate, her precise movements were within range of amon human being but when the dense mist appeared, Kieran noticed something was off.
The spectacle girl was erupting high amounts of negative energy that was enough to hurt someone. What followed was even more shocking to Kieran: how the monster took form from her body was a first to Kieran despite all his vast encounters.
Though, after a short surprise, Kieran understood what should he do.
There wasnt any resistance from the monster, even though the way of its formation was very shocking but it didnt mean the monster was powerful.
Quite the contrary, Kieran even felt using [Seattle Right Hand, Frozen Touch] was overkill, the moment he touched her with [Frozen Touch], the oue was set.
Surprisingly, Kieran noticed that the tall girl who was chanting her yellowish book beside couldnt see or hear what happened as if she had entered a trance.
Focus! She entered a trance of focus, cing herself wholly into what she was doing.
Such a focus was even more captivating for Kieran than what kind of monster that he had just frozen.
Therefore, after a short conversation with the oddly-dressed girl, Kieranid his eyes on the tall girl once more. His move though infuriated the hot-tempered girl, she wanted to teach Kieran a lesson after a fierce re.
However, a sudden brightness shone behind her, covering the whole area in white.
The brightness was not harsh to the eyes but felt more like an illusive dimmed moonlight.
Amid the faint brightness, a calming presence made itself visible to them.
The faint gloomy and cold presence within the concrete-sealed incineration house suddenly sprouted out following the brightness.
A near transparent figure took form under the gloomy presence.
It was a girl with a school uniform.
"Jen, thank you!"
A clear, pleasant voice could be heard in everyones ears, the tall girl kneeling on the ground even cried out in agitation.
"Senior Ling!"
She struggled to stand and trying to reach the figure but her palm went right through it.
She was stunned.
The senior student named Ling smiled softly and shook her head.
The light then shone once again. The translucent figure turned faint and a light particle flowed out from her body, bringing away herst bit of presence on earth, slowly flying towards the night sky.
"Senior Ling!"
The girl named Jen wanted to grab the light particle but when she moved her arm, it became a wave instead. As her arm moved, her face was unwilling to part with her friend.
It wasnt a reunion but a farewell.
Kieran beside slightly frowned when he saw the light particle.
"Spirit?" He wasnt sure.
The girl named Ling was definitely in spirit form when she appeared. There was no question about that but when she bathed in the dimmed light, her figure turned clear and everything changed.
The spirit-like properties started to deviate and a single look at her form would present her more like an evil spirit!
If it wasnt that her figurecked the dense negative energy and the wicked aura, Kieran would take her as one.
"Sanctuary Force couldnt have achieved such a feat!"
Kieran had a deep understanding of Sanctuary Force after Ohara told him everything he needed to know.
To all kinds of souls, spirits, or even evil spirits, the only function of the Sanctuary Force was to eliminate them, or more precisely, purify!
Yet the "Sanctuary Force" before Kieran had such changes. Obviously, it had some techniques even the Sanctuary didnt possess.
Kierans curiosity at the girl was at its highest point.
Jen wiped her tears from her eyes and kept her emotions at bay. She finally noticed Kieran and the ice statue beside him.
She looked at the ice statue and her expression had nothing but shock.
She turned over to Kieran and waspletely stunned on the spot when she saw him.
The focus in her eyes was gone and her shocked expression was reced by dullness like she was simply being absent-minded or had fallen asleep with her eyes opened.
Keiran frowned and he turned to the oddly-dressed girl who stood in front him, blocking his view once more.
"Is she sick?"
"You are the one who is sick!" The oddly-dressed girl replied without any courtesy.
"Hmm, I am sick then." Kieran nodded. It wasnt an argument but a fact of sorts.
Though the oddly-dressed girl didnt see it that way, she was caught off guard by the reply and replied with an angry tone, "Are you trying to y me here!?"
Hmph!
She grunted heavily. A hot energy stream started to take form on both her hands, followed by ayer of weak fire over her fist.
Kieran who had simr powers was sizing her up with an interested gaze when he saw it. Though his methods of looking were deemed as a provocation in the girls eyes.
She shouted angrily, "Ill show you!"
Fuuu!
A ming punchunched towards Kierans chin.
Kieran raised his right hand and easily caught the punch and at the same time, his other hand also easily caught the second ming punch that was aimed at his abdomen.
"Let go!" She yelled, struggling with all her might.
Their speed was too far apart, just like their strength.
The girl who had her hands caught felt like the young mans hands were even harder than iron. The even more baffling fact was, his hands were burning by the fire yet he could remain calm and cool.
The girl then suddenly thought of the frozen fiend when she saw Kierans manner and she quivered out of a sudden like a frozen bucket of water was poured over her.
"Who the hell are you?"
She asked, sounded a little frightened after getting her senses back from her anger.
"2567, your new math teacher."
Kieran said after he saw the school uniform hidden under her coat because of her struggle.
Chapter 538: The Funeral Society
Chapter 538: The Funeral Society
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
"Teacher? What kind of sh*tty joke is that?"
The oddly-dressed girl shouted loudly, her hot-headed temper made her forget the icy cold fear and raised her right leg for a kick at Kierans weak point.
Kieran was faster.
Pak!
Before the girl could see what happened, Kierans left foot tapped on the front of the girls calf.
A clear noise sounded and the girl felt pain in her right calf. Her right leg was flung backward following the force in front. Kieran also let go of her hands and the girl flipped and fell to the ground after losing her bnce.
Bang!
A heavy smash to the ground whipped up clouds of dust. It seemed like the girl fell quite hard but Kieran already held back.
Otherwise, with Kierans power in his legs, he could easily crush the girl and not only bruise her legs.
"Snapped out of it already? If I was not the teacher of this school, you wouldnt have the chance to feel pain!" Kieran looked down at the girl and said coldly.
"You!"
The oddly-dressed girl instinctively wanted to refute but nothing more came out in the end.
She wasnt an idiot, obviously, she had also the bloodline power in her and after having contact with the other world, she knew the importance of having strength.
She took in a deep breath and swallowed down her grumpy temper forcefully.
"What do you want?" She asked.
"Thats supposed to be my question, what do you girls want? Why does Saint Brilliant High School have so many weird incidents happening back and forth? Dont tell me its a coincidence that those fiends gathered here! And there are the suicide incidents that happened recently, four of them, am I right? Two jumped off the building, one hung himself and one sliced her wrist. Is that Ling girl one of them?"
Kieran didnt say he had no idea what was going on but chose a more skillful approach.
He still remembered clearly the lesson he learned in [The Queens Shield].
Even though he had total control of the current situation, he would try not to be numbed by his carelessness.
Since he already had the advantage, might as well keep it that way. At least that was what he thought.
"We are releasing Senior Lings soul! We have no idea what happened here either, but everything started with Lings death! Ling jumped off the building about three weeks ago and two weeks ago, a teacher hung himself followed by a weekter, another girl sliced her wrist. Someone jumped off the building today also, right? More and more fiends are gathering here, the Devour Woman there is one of them!"
"Damn it, why didnt we notice that b*tch is hiding under our eyes!" The oddly-dressed girl said.
Once she mentioned her friend was possessed by a fiend, she flung her fist, seemingly upset by the fact.
Kieran was listening quietly and from her expression and manner, what she said was the truth.
A hot-tempered, reckless girl might lie but when she lied, she wouldnt be so calm.
The other point that concerned Keiran was the surprise notification that popped up when he listened to her exnation.
[Solved case 1: Devour Woman]
Kieran was looking at the ice statue with a surprised expression. He never thought he would fulfill the minimum requirement of the main mission with such ease. Though the minimal was not something Kieran was after, but more.
There would be no exception in each uing dungeon either.
"So, after solving this "fiend" case, it would be considered asplete as well?" Kieran pondered the question but surely it was more than meets the eye.
He didnt forget how he ended up at the ce. He was chasing that dark cold presence but now, it seemed like the presence was luring him to the designated spot.
"Thats not right! If it is luring me, it can use a softer way to do so, there is no need for such a direct approach!" Kieran touched his chin.
The force from the flying shattered ss was not small by any means.
If he was amon man, the three of them might really have been killed on the spot.
Using such methods to lure someone was quite over, unless...
"It has a certain understanding of my capabilities?"
Once the possibility came to his mind, he frowned. He hadnt encountered that many incidents since he entered the dungeon and the incidents that were able to probe his strength were only limited to the phantasmal image and the roof that he had been to.
Yet he was sure he wasnt watched.
The former was more like a triggered contraption, as he triggered the phantasmal image once he stepped into the office. Thetter was more like a murder plotted for quite some time, it was purely coincidental he was there.
"Perhaps it can avoid my intuition detection?" Kieran wondered more.
Compared to other attributes, Kieran has quite the confidence of his A+ Intuition that it had exceeded the other yers that shared his rank but not so much whether would it be enough to handle the whole dungeon world.
After all, there were more sub-missions that exceeded the dungeons difficulty and the main mission in every dungeon.
The best example was Nikorei, the God of Earth. He never thought he woulde across such a character back on the ind prison, so no one could assure him he wouldnte across one in the current dungeon.
"Hey! So what are you going to do? Ive told you everything I know. I dont want to stay here any longer! It will be troublesome if wee across the Funeral Society!"
The oddly-dressed girl couldnt help but utter and nag Kieran when she noticed he was quiet.
The Funeral Society?
Another new term that sparked Kierans interest.
Though simr to the girl before him, before really knowing what the organization could do, he had no intentions of having any kind of contact with them, yet a simple understanding was required.
"Whats your name?" Kieran asked.
"Kana! Can I go now?"
The oddly-dressed girl spilled her name straightforwardly and after Kieran nodded, she went over and grabbed her dumbstruck friend.
As her body was lifted up by her friend, the tall dumbstruck girl seemed to have regained her senses.
She waved at Kieran and said with a tone that didnt match her dull face one bit.
"Eh? Good day teacher! Oh, Goodbye teacher."
"Wait, is she sick?"
She mixed her sentence with surprise and statements, plus her dull face, Kieran couldnt help but raise a brow against her.
If Kieran wasnt sure before, now he was very clear that the girl was indeed sick, and it probably was rted to her focus trance, or "Sanctuary Force".
Kieran was curious to find out what it was but he wasnt in a hurry.
It wasnt too short nor too long for a week as he believed he had enough time to clear his mind.
After seeing Kana take Jen away, Kieran examined the area once more before leaving.
Kieran had no intentions of meeting the Funeral Society just yet but time and matters wouldnt change its course just because of ones thoughts.
Chapter 539: Scream
Chapter 539: Scream
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
After patrolling around Saint Brilliant and not discover anything further, Kieran finally returned back to his old dorm room.
A simple tidy upter, Kieran sat on his bed and trying to rearrange the incidents that happened since he entered the dungeon world.
Obviously, the current dungeon world had surpassed what he knew aboutmon dungeon worlds.
Fiends.
It was something that he never encountered before throughout his adventures. Though he didnt deny there were still tons of unknowns out there that he had never even heard off. After all, there wasnt a single yer that could identify every single dungeon world they had been in, especially when the difficulty increase following the number of entries and those dungeon worlds that deviated from the realistic world.
Still, some things had their own rules to follow.
"There was an obvious increase in difficulty during the fifth dungeon and now the sixth totally deviated from the realistic picture of the real world. That is why the other yers differentiate newbies and veterans after the fifth dungeon."
Kieran was recalling the conversation he had with Lawless.
Although he leaned more towards the character temte limit to be considered as a veteran, now to think of it, dungeon entry numbers would be a viable reason as well.
More so it was the most reasonable exnation in amon situation.
As for himself?
Even if he wasnt the only one, he was an exception.
Trying to risk his life by entering the underground game and identally started out with extra advantages. After getting more information from Lawless, Kierans journey into the game became smoother, easier for him to make his ns.
After learning the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art], the special core skill converted his potential into substantial advantages and allowed him to maintain the initiative in certain aspects.
"I have to keep the initiative going!"
Kierans eyes shone when he thought of his initial advantages. He had no ns in giving them up, even more so when he had gotten the sweeter end of the advantages.
Yet, he wasnt totally carefree as he still had an enemy on his tail.
Broker.
Once the thought came into mind, he couldnt help but take a deep breath, trying to filter out the useless thoughts in mind and focus on the current dungeon world. He didnt want to die at Brokers hands.
So, his only option left was to keep growing stronger, and to do so, getting higher ratings during dungeon clears and convert them into something useful.
"Fiend, a malefic existence that lived inside a human body but before they reveal themselves, their presence was hiddenpletely. Maybe because my Intuition is not high enough and I clearly sensed something different on Kana. She should be a mix of a human and fiend.
Not to mention the mysterious Funeral Society!"
Kieran felt heavy when he mentioned the mysterious organization.
Although he hadnt made contact anyone of them, from what Kana was showing, the Funeral Society should be an organization set up purposely to deal with fiends. In order to hide the truth from the public, they might have to deal with the fiends before they take form and prevent anyone from getting hurt.
Though, Kieran was more concerned about the meaning of the Funeral Societys existence.
From the limited information that Kieran gathered, the current dungeon world already had its own mystical realm and system and it seemed to be quiteplete in every aspect.
It might not be good news for him, an outsider.
Even with the system assigning the identity to him, he needed to be careful not to let the enemies get a hold of his weakness, otherwise...
Kieran had no idea how the current dungeon world dealt with a visitors from other worlds but back in [The Shamans Partner], visitors from other worlds shared the same fate as experimental materials and knowledge.
In order to get their hands on such materials, rough and cruel means couldnt be avoided.
"Trouble, trouble!"
Kieran was recalling the memories of his teachers identity, he couldnt help but mutter to himself.
Although from a certain perspective, Kieran verified that Saint Brilliant High School was indeed a ce of importance, on the other hand, his identity was restricting him.
At least he couldnt perform or act out of his identity under the public eye.
"How to lessen the restrictions of this identity..."
Kieran raised his head all of a sudden amid his thoughts.
Knocks suddenly sounded in his ears, not on his dorm door but the big entrance to the old dorm.
Dong, Dong Dong!
The knocks were rhythmic but in the middle of the night, the knocks sounded eerie. It caused goosebumps to appear on ones skin and when the person knocking on the door was wearing a body in a mourning dress, chills would go down ones back.
When Kieran saw the man with a mourning dress, he frowned. Not only because of the outfit but also the mask he was wearing.
It was a silver mask with glimmers but the old school dorm wasnt even lit up. A crying face was drawn on the mask with a reddish paint simr to blood.
"Greetings, Master Bird of Death."
A drifting voice sounded behind the glimmering mask.
Kieran was stunned! But he quickly reacted to what happened.
Reputations and title!
Two negligible aspects were making itself useful in such a situation, and it even provided an unexpected result.
Kieran was squinting his eyes as a decent idea came into his mind while he was still struggling about his identity restrictions.
However, the person before Kieran seemed to have misunderstood something.
"You didnt really hide your identity since your arrival and you are not just some random John Doe. While we, the Funeral Society is not a small organization without rules and procedures. The moment you were hired as Saint Brilliants teacher, we got the news already, just that we never thought you would make you move so fast, eliminating the Devour Woman right away! As expected of you, the huntsman that everyone is paying attention to! Please take these rewards!"
The member of the Funeral Society then took out a white linen sack with a Chinese character sewn on it, meaning "offering to the dead" and passed it over to Kieran.
Kieran nced over the linen sack and looked it over after making sure it wasnt dangerous.
The sack felt a little heavy and based on the noise that it gave out, Kieran could tell it was holding some paper currency, yet taking over the sack made him feel ufortable as if he had received money for the dead, even though he knew it was his rewards.
Though as the rewards were given to him, Kieran raised his evaluation of Funeral Society again.
"Using rewards as incentive for the huntsman to hunt fiends? They must have a powerful economic capabilities,mon non-government organizations wouldnt possess such power. Something simr to the government?" Kieran guessed in his heart.
"Although the Funeral Society wouldnt interfere and limit the freedom of the huntsmans, please be careful of Saint Brilliant High School, Master Bird of Death! Things that happened here dont seem right, Ive already made the report to the superiors, a Fiend Hunter will be sent here as soon as possible to handle the situation, please be careful until then."
"By the way, I am Lee, a member of the Funeral Society in-charge of the area around Saint Brilliant High School. Please dont hesitate to contact me if anythinges up. Please to meet you, Master Bird of Death, Ill take my leave now."
After getting another piece of paper from Lee, he bowed and slowly moved into the darkness.
Kieran calmly saw how Lee fused himself with the darkness and left. He then turned around and returned to his room without saying anymore.
He was almost certain why Lee left in the way he did, to show off his abilities and try to scare him.
Though it was almost a mile apart from the Transcendence level [Undercover], there was nothing noteworthy.
Though he was concerned about the attitude of Lee or more precisely the organization that he represented, the Funeral Society.
"Trying to show off gratitude and authority at the same time... Some political tactics?"
Kieran said with a mocking tone.
Then he returned his attention to the n that he was forming up before Lees appearance and quickly finished it up.
As the darkness faded, the sun rose up again but a loud scream broke the peace during dawn.
Chapter 540: Can’t Bear To Look Straight
Chapter 540: Cant Bear To Look Straight
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The main entrance of Saint Brilliant High School.
The half-bald middle-aged man was hung over his neck. His suffocated face made him look extremely twisted in a bad way.
The first person whoid eyes on the body was frightened into a loud scream and the screams kepting. Any othermoner whoid eyes on the body would scream as well.
People dreaded the things rted to death or even death itself but there were definitely some exceptions.
Kieran arrived at the scene one minute after the first scream and when he saw the deans body being hung up, his face turned ugly.
The "identity liberation" n that he formed included the dean as a crucial part but now given that the dean was dead, his n failed before it even began.
It was not a memorable feeling, though Kieran was not too concerned about the failed n.
More precisely, his ugly expression was definitely not about his premature n, it was the fact that he was yed!
The moment he saw the dean, he reacted to what happened.
The attack of the shattered ssst night seemed to have targeted everyone in the room but actually, its target was only the dean. Other than that, when the culprit noticed the unusual abilities that he possessed, the culprit purposely lured him away to the incineration house, using the soul of Ling to cloud his judgment.
Kieran wasnt entirely sure how the culprit was rted in what happened but he knew the culprit must be delighted after killing the dean smoothly, to the point that it was boasting its achievement.
Hanging up the body after killing it was quite a rare move, with the civilization level of the dungeon world, it would be considered barbaric.
Huuu!
Kieran took a deep breath, forcing himself to cool down. He knew being angry at this point wouldnt do him any good.
"The culprit hung the body here just to boast about its achievement to me?"
After calming himself down, doubts came into his mind the first moment, trying to figure out the culprits motive. Based on what the culprit had done before and how it worked, the culprit shouldnt be a reckless person.
So...
"Is it to scare a certain someone? Or deliver a message?" Kieran delved deeper into his thoughts.
Then, he quietly retreated from the gathering crowd, trying to look for any unusual points among the students.
Even though the possibility of the specific target that the culprit was after being in the crowd was extremely thin, it didnt stop him from sizing up the crowd carefully.
The devil is in the details. Kieran agreed a lot with the saying.
Even more so when he really noticed a certain clue from the crowd.
"The dean is dead!"
"Shhhhit!"
"Just like what the ult Society had predicted!"
"The president of the ult Society had predicted a week ago, saying that he saw the presence of death around the dean!"
"Sh*t! Thats scary!"
...
"The ult Society?" The familiar term made Kieran squint his eyes.
He had heard the term yesterday back at the scene where the student jumped off the building.
The only different thing was, this time around he paid more attention to the term.
Seemed like he owed ult Society a visit.
...
The death and how the dean died had caused quite themotion in Saint Brilliant and because of the case, the school decided to close for the day.
All the teachers and students agreed to the suggestion as well.
The continuous death incidents had made the teachers nervous, as for the students...
Nervousness and fear did exist among them but every one of them couldnt be happier for a surprise holiday, so they felt more delighted than scared.
Youth caused one to sigh, right?
Unfortunately, Kieran had passed that stage long ago. He had to be mature at an early stage of life causing him to lose the charms of the term.
Still, Kieran was delighted as well. Even if he couldnt understand youth, he knew it would be more convenient for him now to investigate the ult Society.
Kieran used his teachers identity to get the ss location that the ult Society used for its activities from the student affairs office. He then quickly shuttled across the schoolpound to make his way there.
Unlike the other societies in school, the ult Society had their activity ssroom in the old storeroom of the schools gymnasium instead of the main academic building.
Kieran chose not to enter the gymnasium from the front door and after going around the handful of surveince cameras in the school, he infiltrated the old storeroom through its window.
Surprisingly, there was someone present in the old storeroom and it even was someone he knew.
It was Kana. Yet after changing back into her school uniform, her unusual looks didnt increase her student presence, instead, it gave out a more rebellious image.
When Kana easily beat down three to four male students that threw themselves at her and walked over step by step to the other female student in the storeroom, her rebellious imagepletely transformed into a school drama of "the bad student bullying the good student".
Kieran raised a brow over her actions and wanted to stop her.
He wasnt really on the side of justice, just that he had seen the president of the ult Society back at the student affairs office.
Tanya, a third-year student from the third ss.
The picture was almost identical with her real person, a head of ck hair and a pair of odd eyes the color of red and blue. Her facial features were delicate enough, just that she had the petite body that the picture couldnt show.
A in look at her figure couldnt lead one to believe she was a high school student. That kind of body couldnt even qualify as a middle schooler, at most an elementary student.
If it wasnt for that pair of odd eyes, her petite body would cause a lot of misunderstandings but with the blue and red eyes on her, it gave her anotheryer of indescribable feeling.
Mysterious? Bewitching? A bit of both but not entirely correct.
It was a mixture of good and bad news for Kieran after he encountered so much seemingly correct but actually wrong incidents.
The good news was, he might be onto a new lead.
The bad news was, he might have to face more unknown elements.
Though just as Kieran wanted to enter with a sh, the scene before his eyes halted his movements.
"Listen to my call,ply to my will... Come back! From the kingdom of the dead!"
After a chant of an incantation of sorts, a giant figure appeared in the old storeroom under rays of light.
The figure had robust muscles and a strong body, a face of red with sharp teeth plus a head with horns of a goat, stabbing out of its crown. Giant bat-like wings on its back were pping outyers of mes.
It was a devil! A real-life devil appeared before Kierans eyes.
Though, it would be convincing enough if the devil before Kieran had a simr presence to his but the phony devil has nothing.
Although it looked very real, after the little incident back at the teachers office, he knew what was happening and at the same time, Kana was not fooled by such a phantasmal image as well.
"You f**king trickster!"
Following the loud angry shout, the hot-tempered girl punched Tanya on her head.
After the punch, the petite girl who was still looking mysterious and hard to read suddenly covered her head and squatted down. She looked at Kana with teary eyes, yelling back at her loudly, "My myriad of armies from the other world will arrive soon! Kana, how dare you..."
Bang!
Before she could finish, Tanyas head was smacked once more.
The pain shut her up but she kept ring at Kana, muttering softly, something like "you boorish peasant! My myriad of armies will ram your home" and sorts.
Kieran was frozen when he saw the scene unfolding outside the old storeroom window.
Then, he facepalmed himself. An unknown awkward feeling assaulted his heart, causing him to barely able to see straight.
Yet, at the next moment, Kieran raised his head and fired his de like gaze into the storeroom.
Chapter 541: Throw Down
Chapter 541: Throw Down
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
A darkness that was not visible tomoners appeared with a sense of gloom and coldness.
The three boys that were beaten down by Kana slowly rose up.
Yet, their movements seemed strange and unusual.
They didnt rely on their hands or body to support themselves up but instead stood straight up from the floor, like they were tied up by an invisible rope, dragging them up.
More precisely, it seemed like the three of them had been turned into puppets, being controlled by something invisible to themons.
Though, Kieran could see what it was, so did Kana and of course Tanya.
Yet, Tanya had no idea what was going onpared to the other two.
"Rise my servants! Destroy this wicked..."
Bang!
Kana punched Tanyas head strongly again, shutting her up once more.
"This is the Puppet Fiend, if you dont want to be its toys, letting it tear you up limb after limb, you better leave now!" Kana said with a serious face.
Things were more serious than she imagined. A fiend appearing under broad daylight, if this continued, it might...
The thoughts that bloomed in Kanas heart made her clench her teeth, she wouldnt allow such things to happen.
"Hehehehe...Hahahahaha!"
"A half-fiend!"
"The perfect food!"
Three of the boys gave out an eerieugh and threw themselves over to Kana.
Not only they were fast, but strong as well. Far stronger thanmon boys during their youth.
Kanaunched a barrage of punches at the trio.
Bang bang bang bang bang!
Three of the boys were sent flying by the strong punches but stood up right away.
"Holding back?"
"I see, as expected of a half-fiend, still having concern in such a critical moment..."
More sneers andughs sounded from the three boys bodies.
While they were sneering, an almost invisible line quietly headed towards Kana without leaving a trace behind.
Kana seemed to have not noticed the line approaching her.
"Gotchu!"
The Puppet Fiend said loudly.
The thin line jumped up like a venomous viper and hurled itself to Kana.
Fuuuu!
The mes on her hands were burning hot as she caught the line with her insight to the chance.
"No, Ive got you!"
She grunted heavily and pulled the line with her hands likepeting in a tug o war, dragging the Puppet Fiend out at the other end of the line.
Kabooom!
A hole burst out from the wall, dragging out a pillow size, wiggling saa in front of Tanya.
"What a hideous look you have, you should be purified..."
"Shut up! Run!" Kana warned her again. As a half-fiend, she knew the battle with the Puppet Fiend wasnt over, though her warning seemed to be a littlete.
Boooush!
The pillow sized saa exploded like a meat bum, bursting out stenchful juices in all directions.
Finger-like beige colored tentacles threw themselves at Tanya like fangs and ws.
While the unsettling, disgusting scene unfolded before her, Tanya shouted out of instinct at first before shouted loudly at the monster, "How da..dare you disrespect me! Ma...My Knight wi...will surely..."
Eighth-grade syndrome was a sickness but it wouldnt cause one to be an idiot.
As danger approached her rapidly, Tanya knew she would have to draw distance from the disgusting monster. In fact, if it wasnt for her limping legs, she wouldve ran the first moment after Kana reminded her.
Tanya closed her eyes as the tentacles were inches away from her.
Then...
A strong wind blew at her as the wind whistle sounded in her ears. Yet she didnt feel any pain.
Tanya slightly opened one of her eyes and followed by both eyes opened wide.
Her odd colored eyes dazzled brightly like gemstones under the brilliant sun.
A body of ck raven feathers stood before her, the disgusting fiend was sliced into half, giving out vile stenches that assaulted her nose.
Yet Tanya couldnt care about any of those, she raised her hands and grabbed the feathered mantle.
"My knight..."
"Hands off!"
Kieran shook his mantle off the girls hand with a cold voice and he turned his attention to Kana.
Having such an "illed" president in the ult Society who was heavily in need of medications, Kieran wouldnt get what he wanted from her but the half-fiend, Kana before him obviously knew more than the eighth-grade syndrome president.
In simple words, Kieran was deceived by Kanas rash and hot-tempered outlook.
Now, Kieran was more cautious and he already thought of how to deal with her.
Just as Kana saw Kieran, she quickly turned around and ran.
She was fast formoners, able to leave nothing behind but dust butpared to Kieran, it wasnt enough.
Before Kana could dash out of the old storeroom door, her neck was grabbed from behind and when she was ready to resist, she suffered a hard punch on her stomach.
Bang!
Kana curled up right away like a fried shrimp. Kieran had perfectly controlled his punch, it would only cause pain and not enough to knock her out, thus taking away her ability to resist.
After grabbing Kana who was immobilized, Kieran disappeared from into the storeroom before Tanya could react to what happened.
After one to two seconds, Tanya came back to her senses.
She covered her eyes and muttered to herself, "Its like a fated meeting! Destiny must guide us!"
She then took out a crystal ball and slightly touched it.
The crystal ball instantly gave out a faintyer of glimmer.
...
At the roof of the main academic building of the school.
Behind a turning corner that wasnt quite visible for the others, Kieran grabbed Kana by the back of her neck and held her over the edge of the roof.
Kana opened her eyes while angrily ring at Kieran and he replied with a smile.
"You still have one more chance. Though I think you should learn a lesson or two. Being a half-fiend, there might be a certain chance that you wont die even if I throw you down from here right?" Kieran then suddenly let go of his hand after he finished.
"Aaaaaaaa-"
Kana screamed out of instinct but her scream stopped abruptly because before she could really fall off the building, Kieran grabbed her once more.
Though, Kieran wasnt looking at her after his little trick but looking at the ground instead, which infuriated the half-fiend.
"You bastard! Youre ying me now!?" She yelled.
"y? What do you have for me to y with? Your small amount of hair?"
Kieran tilted his head up, smiled coldly, and released his hand again.
Kana told herself that she wouldnt scream anymore, telling herself that Kieran was only trying to scare her but her body wasnt as obedient as she thought as she screamed once again, she sounded even miserable than before.
Kieran didnt catch her this time, allowing her to fall freely.
He really wants to kill me!?
The thought bloomed in her head instantly. Her hands then instinctively extended towards the edge of the room, trying to hold on for dear life.
Her survival instinct urged her to save herself. Yet she slipped the first time but thanks to her strong-willed other half which belonged to a fiend, she managed to grab onto the edge of the third floor after the first slip.
But before she could catch a breath, a sharp presence appeared behind her back causing chills down her spine.
TL Note:
Eight-grade syndrome = Chuunibyou!
Chapter 542: A Direct Way
Chapter 542: A Direct Way
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Kana could see what was behind her through the reflection of the window ss on the third floor.
It was a fiend.
It was a big, tall fiend but its body was covered with de wounds. Its dirty front chest had a broken sword plunged into its head and a couple more arrows were stuck behind its back. Its face was covered by ayer of ck mist and was wielding sharp swords in its hand, floating in mid-air.
Compared to its figure, the sword it was holding was shining in an unusual way.
Its thick hilt plus the thin de body which wasnt really long gave it a bloated feeling, simr to a Chinese butcher knife erged a couple of times but its sharpness was something a person couldnt neglect, let alone a half-fiend.
"Flurry de Ghost!" Kana said in surprise.
She couldnt understand how the fiend that was supposed to appear in a butchering field with a small chance would appear in Saint Brilliant High School.
Though, she knew what must she do. She let go of her hands that were clinging on the third floors edge and her body steadily fell downwards again.
She tapped her feet on the wall and slightly altered her falling trajectory, from a straight line down to a diagonal plunge.
As a half-fiend herself, Kana knew she wouldnt stand a chance if she fought the Flurry de Ghost in mid-air, even on the ground, she barely had a chance of winning.
Compared to the Puppet Fiend and the Devour Woman previously, the Flurry de Ghost was on a whole new level.
Based on the appraisal of the Funeral Society, the level of the Flurry de Ghost would require the deployment of at least a Fiend Hunter rank personnel to deal with it.
Although she hated the Funeral Society, Kana trusted the appraisal of the organization. After all, it was the research results of countless lives.
If she wished not to put her life in the results as well...
Run!
Kana was plotting her escape course when the thought solidified itself in her heart, yet she miscalcted one thing.
The speed of the Flurry de Ghost!
The moment she tapped on the wall with both her feet, the Flurry de Ghost had already appeared before her, swinging that unusual butcher knife down at her head.
Fuuush!
Kanas fists were burning fiercely as the fire wrapped her hands, sheunched both of her punches at the body of the Flurry de Ghost. Even though the fire didnt cause any damage to its body but it allowed Kana to dodge the knife sh.
However, a second sh was iing.
Kana opened her eyes wide at the sharp knife. The fiery strike she did before was already her ace, she was too exhausted to perform it again in such a short period of time.
In simple words, she was waiting for her death.
Wuuuung!
The sharp violent wind was stinging Kanas face, causing blood to squeeze from her pores.
Though, what was a little bloodpared to impending doom?
Sorrow filled her heart, she had too many things she wanted to aplish but now she was dying under the knife of the Flurry de Ghost. A strong unwillingness struck her but there was nothing else she could do.
Right until a chilly palm appeared before her face.
The palm was long and the fingers were strong, the freezing air that came out from it was beyond her wildest imagination.
The Flurry de Ghost that Kana was helpless again was frozen into an ice statue like the Devour Woman but when she saw the owner of the palm, she was infuriated once again.
"You did that on purpose!"
Kana might be hot-tempered and rash because of her bloodline but she wasnt stupid at all and had quite an urate intuition.
Connecting all the scenes from before, Kana could easily guess what happened.
Kieran was using her as bait to lure out the Flurry de Ghost.
Kieran didnt deny it as well because it was the truth.
Just as he wanted to question Kana, he discovered some unusual presence so he had to alter his ns all of a sudden.
Or in other words, Kieran assumed that it would be a two birds, one stone move and the facts proved that it indeed was!
[Case solved 2: Puppet Fiend]
[Case solved 3: Flurry de Ghost]
...
The system notification appeared on Kierans vision without any dy, telling him that his choices were correct.
At the same time, it solidified Kierans thought that appeared as well.
He didnt reply to Kana but grabbed from behind the neck and tapped the air with his feet.
Following the shine from [Modii Boots], Kieran did a backflip mid-air while grabbing Kana andnded on the corner ground of the academic building.
The frozen Flurry de Ghost fell to the ground and shattered to pieces.
A dash of green appeared on the monster and Kieran turned to Kana after grabbing his spoils of war.
"They seem to be very interested in your blood and flesh," Kieran said softly.
Kana quivered. She realized the idea of his that was not expressed in words.
"Using you as bait was the best idea to lure out these fiends but its too troublesome. You are not some reliable coboration partner. Guess I have to get the things I want in a more direct way."
Kieran then raised his left hand as he spoke.
A crystal made ring on his middle finger was shining in an unusual way.
The moment Kana saw the ring, not only her body was quivering but her teeth followed as well.
Her instinct told her that the ring she saw was a terrifying item.
Kieran nodded in satisfaction when he saw how Kana reacted.
[Mesly Ring!]
The powerful item that had [Charm] and [Dominate]!
Although it has a Spirit authentication for the target, it wouldnt be a problem for Kieran since his highest attribute was Spirit. As long as he picked the correct target, no problem would ur.
In fact, the half-fiend before him was the perfect target.
She would be considered as hostile since she lied to him before. Her Spirit attribute wasnt too high either, otherwise, she wouldnt be affected by her own bloodline powers and there wasnt anyone else in the surrounding area.
Kieran could use [Mesly Ring] without any burden.
There were too many things for Kieran to consider in an unknown dungeon world.
The unknown always had changing variables, he wished not to be ganged up on by the enemies before he figured out what was going on around himself.
The [Mesly Ring]s effect could easily attract unwanted aggressiveness from others.
The crystal ring started to give out its unusual glimmer but before it could reach its full potential, Kieran covered his hand with his sleeve. He frowned at the corner spot not far away from himself.
A couple of figures appeared almost together.
Jen with a face of confusion.
Tanya with a face of excitement and...
Inspector Oaker with a vignt look and gun in his hands.
"You do have quite the luck, but how long would you think your luck willst?"
Kieran said slowly after lowering his voice to Kana.
The quivering Kana staggered backward out of fright.
Even there was someone else in the area, the terror within her hadnt decreased a bit.
The inspector even pointed his gun at Kieran when he saw Kana terrified.
"Freeze, put your hands where I can see them!"
Amid his voice of justice, Kieran cooperated and held his hands up.
Though, his right hand pointed at the frozen pieces of the Flurry de Ghost.
"Inspector Oaker, I think you should pay more attention to that thing!" Kieran said.
The inspector nced over that spot with the corner of his eyes and his face turned sour instantly.
Chapter 543: Talented
Chapter 543: Talented
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
After the frozen Flurry de Ghost fell and shattered, part of its remains became hard for the eyes to identify but a general look could still tell it apart, the body was not of a human.
"What is this? What does this have to do with the murders in Saint Brilliant?"
Oaker gulped heavily as he looked at Kieran, asking with a heavy voice.
The nervous expression on his face was reced by calmness at this moment.
Seemed like Inspector Oaker was indeed a qualified officer.
"This thing here is rted to the "suicide" yesterday and as for the rest?"
Kieran then turned his eyes to Kana and Jen.
What about Tanya?
Kieran decided to neglect her since she required some heavy medication to fix her eighth-grade syndrome, even if Tanya was looking at him excited, muttering something like My knight needs my guidance and stuff, the oue would be the same.
It was also because of her muttering, Kieran decided to keep his distance from her.
Although Kieran had confirmed that she was the one who set the phantasmal image back in the teachers office, based on how she presented herself, Kieran could totally guess why what caused Tanya to create that, so no further attention was ced on her.
The elder inspector also followed Kierans gaze to Kana and Jen but his gun was still pointed at Kieran.
No doubt the two students werent as dangerous as Kieran from Oakers perspective.
"What do those incidents have to do with them?" The inspector asked.
"Oh, they are indeed rted, in a big way! Even to go as far as everything supernatural that urred in this school was because of them!"
Kieran looked at Kana and said slowly.
When he saw the half-fiends terrified face was frozen for a while, he knew he was correct.
Even though he was deceived by her yesterday, Kieran didnt think what she said was all lie, at least the part where Senior Ling jumped off the building and followed by a hanging teacher, a student sliced her wrist was real.
Kana wouldnt have used such simple facts to deceive him.
Using that as a starting point, they imed that they didnt know anything but everything seemed to start from that day Senior Ling died.
What she said might be true or not at all.
A simple theory was that connecting thest part and what she said before, it must be the truth. While the first part was filled with hidden lies.
After some slight verification, Kieran had confirmed that he was correct.
He lowered his hands and slowly went over to Kana.
"Tell me what happened! I want the truth from you and not lies. I think you should know what will happen to you if you try to lie to me again!" Kieran emphasized each and every word clearly.
Oaker wanted to say something out of instinct but eventually, nothing came out of his mouth.
From themon beat cop to his current position as inspector, perhaps Oaker was not some great inspector worth telling stories about but at least he could tell from a persons actions and manner whether they were acting genuinely.
Oaker could tell from Kanas actions that she was hiding something.
Kana, on the other hand, held her friends hand tightly after Kieran pressured her, she wished to get more courage and support from Jen. Yet Jen looked at her friend, confused as ever, having the least idea of what was going on, she even still gave Kieran a smile.
"Good day teacher!"
Sigh, another one who needs medication Kieran thought in his heart but his eyes were straight.
"My time is limited, before the Funeral Society arrives if you can..."
Before she could finish, she felt more pressure from Kierans eyes.
"I...Fine! Fine! Fine!"
Kana finally decided to cooperate, she yelled loudly as if she was venting out her heart.
"Ill tell! Ill tell you everything! Three weeks ago, Senior Ling performed a divination, she discovered that some ill omen beings had appeared in Saint Brilliant High School but she was confident that she could handle it. So after simply briefing us, she went off handling the situation. It wasnt the first time Senior Ling came across such incidents either, so..."
Kana was looking regretful as she spoke.
"Continue," Kieran said coldly.
Kanas actions from before made Kieran fed up and have no time to listen to her reminiscence about someone he didnt know.
Kana red angrily at Kieran but as he raised his left hand, she continued.
"So, when we heard that Senior Ling killed herself, we started to investigate the incident, from top to bottom! Just that the fiends came all too suddenly, causing the school to turn into a ce of danger. At first, they were afraid of sunlight and it allowed us to investigate quietly on our own but as their numbers grew, we were forced to run for our lives. After all, we still needed to release Senior Lings Soul. But weve discovered some surprising leads this morning!"
Kieran kept quiet but signaled her to continue.
"This morning, after we finished releasing Senior Lings soul and let her rest in peace, we were arranging her leftover belongings. That was when we made real progress in our investigation! We discovered that thest person Senior Ling met was... The dean of students!" Kana said.
"The dean? But when you girls had the lead on him, he was already dead. Dont tell me this is just a coincidence!" Kieran pretended tough coldly but his heart was beating fast.
Coincidence! Everything was too coincidental.
Not only the coincidence when he discovered the dean was fishy yet he died right away, there was also another coincidental incident, which was after the girls released Lings soul and let her rest in peace, they had run into the fiend that might very well be Lings murderer!
The coincidence was beyondprehension!
More importantly, the suspicious dean was also the one who hired Kieran toe to Saint Brilliant.
Kieran wasnt a person who believed in coincidence. When coincidental incidents happened one after another, he would doubt the incidents as a whole, at least before he could determine whether he was dealing with allies or enemies, he had to.
"Of course it wasnt a coincidence! Its murdering the witness! The dean worked together with something that killed Senior Ling! Otherwise, with her powers, she wouldnt have killed herself!"
Kana clenched her teeth saying, and she took in a deep breath.
"That is why I went for Tanya! I hoped that her divination could find out who killed the dean to silence the witness!" She said.
Divination?
Kieran turned to Tanya with a strange gaze.
Nikorei was the one holding the title of God of Earth, it wasnt just because of her immense power but also because she had talents that no others possessed, which allowed her to be near omniscient.
However, Kieran never thought an eighth-grade syndrome little girl that seemed to require heavy medication would possess such talents as well.
Just when Kieran looked at Tanya, she walked over to Kieran.
"Oh, my dear knight! Do you need my guidance?"
The president of the ult Society said like chanting a spell.
Kieran frowned right away.
"No thank you!" He said directly.
Chapter 544: Work Together
Chapter 544: Work Together
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
After hearing Kieran reject Tanya, other than Jen who was confused all the time, the inspector and Kana were also puzzled by his actions.
From their perspective, it was a good way to get more leads.
"I dont trust divinations," Kieran said.
It wasnt wholly the truth but it wasnt entirely false either.
He was quite reserved towards divination, prophecies and such, especially the one from Tanya.
It was not because of her heavy eighth-grade syndrome but the entire situation.
All the coincident urrences were pointing at a mastermind, controlling the situation behind the scenes.
He couldnt be sure who the person was right now, nor the goal of the mastermind but he was sure about one thing. Based on the understanding of the mastermind of Saint Brilliant, he must have done his research on Tanya as well.
Or in other words, it was because of the masterminds intensive understanding of the school, his scheming would work.
So, other than Ling the dead senior, would Tanya who shared the same talents be one of the pieces of the masterminds plot?
The answer was self-exnatory. She would definitely be!
Even more so from a certain perspective, the mastermind would just have to slightly alter his n to fully utilize Tanya and her talents to lead the investigators onto a wrong path which would be a lethal trap.
But how could the mastermind affect the talents owner?
If the person was Nikorei, Kieran wouldnt even need to feel worried, with that elderlydys abilities and character, who dared to treat her as a chess piece in their plots, they better have the resolution to be turned into cats food.
Yet, Tanya was different!
A young girl with talents might very well provide her with unlimited futures but right now, the girl was not mature enough.
It was too easy for an immature diviner to be affected. Kieran himself already had more than three methods to affect her judgments, if the time allowed him to be more prepared, he would be able toe up with double the numbers.
Yet, against a bunch of uncertain natives, Kieran couldnt exin his theory thoroughly, therefore he needed an excuse.
At the same time, try to probe the mastermind behind. Coincidentally, there was a perfect pathfinder before him.
"If you guys want to use some divination to locate the murderer, please be my guest! While I..."
"Inspector Oaker, is your mind filled with doubts now? If you dont mind, please follow me. Ill tell you the things you wish to know." Kieran turned his eyes to the elder inspector.
"Fine!" The elder inspector frowned a little before nodding eventually.
Kieran then left the corner of the academic building without pausing his steps. He didnt eveny eyes on the girls from the moment he left, because he knew even without his reminder or warnings, Kana and Jen would continue their investigation and naturally walk into the course that the mastermind had initially prepared for them.
Quite the contrary, if he would intervene or even an extra reminder would cause unwanted idents.
What about Tanya then?
"Destiny is always cruel, like the raging storms on the sea!"
"Oh my knight, you words stabbed my heart like des but... I will use the blood that flowed out to dissolve the icy exterior of yours!"
While such words echoing in Kierans ears, the corner of his eyes took a peek at Tanya, who was covering her chest with both her hands, kneeling on the ground with a sad face, as if she was a girl dumped by her lover.
Kieran hastened his steps even more. The way she behaved was more than embarrassing, it was shameful!
.......
Back in the old school dorm, Kierans room.
The window was fixed with a stic cloth but it didnt stop the sunlight from shining through. Although it was blurry, the warmth didnt decrease a bit.
Though the elder inspector wasnt one bit pleased in such a warm environment that could make one sigh in satisfaction.
Even though the inspector suppressed his chaotic thoughts in his mind with the vast experience he gained throughout his career, after changing to a quieter environment, the suppression was released under the changes, the thoughts erupted out like a live volcano.
After two to three minutes, the inspector shook his head, shaking off the unwanted thoughts.
"We address those monsters as fiends, and I think I would be considered as the person who kills them. Some who know better call us huntsmen."
Kieran calmly spilled out the limited information he had to the inspector. He put up quite a show to conceal his newbie tender side in this new situation.
"Fiends?!" The inspector couldnt help but gasp when he heard what Kieran said.
He couldnt reallyprehend the appearance of such monster only spoken of in legends but his eyes wouldnt lie to him. He went quiet again but after around ten seconds, he raised his head to Keiran.
"So you are the one hired by the dean to solve the incidents in Saint Brilliant?" The inspector asked.
Kieran smiled and gave a nod. The inspector was being cooperative, Kieran didnt even need to give him more tips and he provided Kieran with the answer that he was looking for.
Though, he had to fill the inspector in with more details.
"I guess you can say that. The reason the dean came for me maybe because he was looking for a protective measure for himself. Though he would never have thought of the oue, since he had requested help, he should have been more honest. He hid a lot of important details from me, so he died!" Kieran exined in a very skillful way.
Kieran avoided the crucial points and dwelled on the trivial ones. There werent any real meanings to his words but they left enough space for people to think wildly. Hepletely misled the elderly inspector before him.
"No wonder he was acting that way yesterday. So why did you tell me all of these? You dont look like an enthusiastic person, providing free help to others."
The inspector took in a long breath and looked at Kieran with a stern face.
"Did I make it so obvious? Dont worry, if I really do have any malicious intentions, you would be dead long ago. Trust me, I dont really need a lot of efforts to deal with you and such, it wont even cause me any trouble because Im quite good at cleaning up! How many unsolved cases are there throughout the year? Though,pared to those horrifying scenes, the puzzling cases were much better right?"
Kieran said while looking at the inspector, his eyes were giving out a ridiculing meaning that one couldnt fullyprehend.
"What are you trying to say?" The inspector asked in a heavy voice.
Even though Kierans words sounded like a sneeringment at their ipetent police force but Inspector Oaker was a veteran officer, not some hot-headed youngd.
When all the impulsive actions were washed away by the sea of time, all that was left was the spiciness of deep thoughts from a veteran.
The inspector looked at Kieran quietly, trying to spot what Kierans intentions were with his eyes of wisdom that he gained throughout his years on the force.
Eventually, he was disappointed, Kieran might look young, sitting on his spot allowing the inspector to size him up as much as he wanted but he never felt rushed or unsettled, as if the inspector was looking at a puddle of silent water.
A silent surface and the reflection of himself!
Seconds turned into minutes, with the shifting of time, the inspector started to grow anxious since he couldnt get anything out of Kieran.
Just when the inspector wanted to say something, Kieran cut him to it.
"Lets work together!" he said.
The inspector was stunned right away.
Chapter 545: Opening Up New Paths
Chapter 545: Opening Up New Paths
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
"Work together?"
The inspector repeated what Kieran said in a lower voice.
The wisdom of an elderly provided him with an answer the moment he reacted to what Kieran said.
Kieran then became more direct with his intentions.
"Yes, lets work together. Against those fiends,moners like you are nothing against them but you have a natural advantage with your position, ess to first-hand news! All I want is you to deliver that first-hand news to me!"
Kieran spilled what he was after, to get the information on the fiends outside Saint Brilliant, or more precisely, to get his hands on more sub-missions.
From how the main mission was progressing, regardless of how much fiend cases Kieran solved within Saint Brilliant, everything would be counted towards the main mission.
Though, the more he solved, the higher his ratings would be, but...
Kieran hadnte across such a main mission before and there was no reference he could refer to. He wasnt able to calcte how much increments he would get after solving one case, and more importantly, how many cases there would be within Saint Brilliant High School.
The shadows in the mist yesterday might seem a lot but after removing the cover, at most there would be around three to four and within that day alone, he had solved two cases.
There wasnt much left for him.
Perhaps the unusual environment would attract more fiends to the school but who could assure him no idents would happen?
Kieran was always vignt and careful towards matters that he had no confidence in.
So, he might have to take the initiative, trying to excavate more sub-missions and get a higher rating boost.
"Why? I still stand by my point, you are not an enthusiastic person who helps others, why are you doing this? Give me a reasonable exnation, otherwise, even if you kill me, I wont help you!"
The inspector straightened his back and looked serious when he talked. He was not in the mood for joking.
Perhaps his impulsive and boiling blood attitude was way past him, all that was left was to observe the time and judge the asions but the persistence in his heart didnt decrease at all.
The moment Kieran saw Inspector Oaker, it reminded him of his native friend, Schmidt.
A weird temper plus a sharp sense, hard-working at his job but because of all sorts of reasons, Schmidt was stuck in his current position and couldnt advance anymore until the day he retired. Schmidt might even take the me for things that he shouldnt take the me for and be forced to use the achievements of old days to cover up for the wrongs.
Kieran had no idea if he didnt appear in [The Shamans Partner], would Schmidt end up like the inspector before his eyes now?
Fortunately, Kieran knew how to deal with such people.
"I think someone with better qualifications should be able to persuade you."
Kieran then looked at the door as he said.
Tssk Gak.
The door was opened. The moment the inspector saw the person who was donning a body of mourning clothes and a glimmering mask, he pulled out his gun the first instant.
It was Lee, one of the members of the Funeral Society. His weird looks plus his weird timely manner and appearance made one cautious of him.
"Pardon me, I should be more polite. Though, some idents happened, forcing me to a rash move."
Lee only nced over the inspector with his gun and he turned his attention to Kieran.
The way Lee changed his attitude concerned Keiran.
Lee was still very polite during the meetingst night but the prideful attitude from his bones was very obvious. Even when he mentioned the unusual incidents in Saint Brilliant, all he did was warn Kieran to be vignt and said that they would deploy some specialist to deal with the situation.
Kieran remembered clearly that Lees voice sounded very calm.
Now? A sense of panic was mixed in his voice.
"What happened?" Keiran was curious.
"The Fiend Hunter that was deployed to Saint Brilliant was killed. He was torn apart into a pile of minced meat by something on the way here."
Lee gave his best effort in maintaining his calm tone, trying to get rid of the trembling in his voice to make it sound clear.
"Torn into minced meat? The mysterious case of that dismembered body that happened in the suburbs this morning?"
The inspector quickly said the moment the clue struck him before Kieran could say anything.
"Yes." Lee nodded.
The inspector took in a cold breath right away.
"So this is the doings of a fiend eh?"
Recalling the gruesome crime scene, the inspector started to feel ufortable.
The long career life in the force made Inspector Oaker assume that he would never be scared by cases again but the incident that happened and the call in the morning were exceptions.
Now, both horrifying cases were categorized under one case.
"What about you?"
Kieran didnt care about the muttering from the inspector. He looked at Lee, pretending he didnt know anything but in fact in his heart, he knew why Lee was there.
To request assistance!
Obviously, it caused major panic to Lee that the reinforcement was killed before even making an appearance.
Coincidentally, in his own jurisdiction, there was a person with decent capabilities and able to rece the reinforcement fe. If he wasnt an idiot, he would know what was the best move.
"I hereby represent the Funeral Society to deliver a special investigation assist request to Master Bird of Death. You can reject but should you ept, we will reward you with two times the normal fee!"
"I personally hope that you can take up this mission. After all, you are able to easily eliminate the Puppet Fiend and Flurry de Ghost, proving that you are already a Fiend Hunter rank huntsman. You will be able toplete this investigation and regarding the rewards of Puppet Fiend and Flurry de Ghost, I will deliver them to you in ater time!"
Lee added after a slight pause.
As expected Kieran nodded andughed coldly in his heart.
It seemed like Lee had retained some of the native habits. Kieran was quite sure that, should he reject the investigation request, the rewards of Puppet Fiend and Flurry de Ghost would be a lot different than what they would be should he ept.
Still doesnt forget to make use of your authority eh...Corrupted!
Kieranmented in his heart and quietly shifted his attention to the inspector who was already looking disgusted.
No doubt, the elder inspector had found something that he hated the most throughout his career from Lee, the Funeral Society member.
"So, you see the picture now? More rewards, thats the reason I want to work together. So, do you agree now?" Kieran asked again.
"Fine!" Inspector Oaker finally nodded after a deep breath.
"Well then, let us start our first task together! I suppose the dismembered case this morning has you scratching your head right?" Kieran said with a smile.
"Please wait a moment, Master Bird of Death, I will bring over your rewards right away!"
Lee was delighted beyond words, he bowed and said.
Kieran too replied with a smile because notifications popped up in his vision.
[Discovered sub-mission: The Intercepted Supporter]
[The Intercepted Supporter: The Fiend Hunter that the Funeral Society deployed has been killed, you need to find the culprit. This will affect how the Funeral Society and the other forces in the underworld view of you.]
A simple remark but none of it looked simple at all.
More importantly, Kieran had found the crucial point to break out of his current situation.
Once the thought bloomed in his mind, his already grinning smile was added with anotheryer of brightness.
Chapter 546: Jar of Sealing Fiends
Chapter 546: Jar of Sealing Fiends
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
A patrol cruiser drove off from Saint Brilliant High School.
Inspector Oaker was the driver and Lee, the Funeral Society member was in the passenger seat after changing from his mourning uniform into casual wear.
After taking off his mask, Lee was just a normal middle-aged man, that kind of passerbys face that one would easily forget, yet the elderly inspector kept sizing up the person beside him with the corner of his eyes.
30 years with the force granted him experience and intuition to know what how scary Lee was. Though, for the most part, all of his attention was focused behind him on the man in the back seat.
Kieran was sitting slightly nted, leaning back on his big backpack.
Seemingly taking a catnap but any small movement from time to time would scare one off his seat.
If the Funeral Society member beside Oaker was considered dangerous, then Kieran at the backseat could be considered catastrophic.
A venomous viper in hidingpared to a typhoon that could ravage the ce anytime, which one was more dangerous?
To be honest, not only Oaker felt that way, even Lee shared the same feeling, and even more real from a certain aspect.
Lee who possessed abilities and intuition that surpassed amoner felt like a primordial fiend was sitting behind him, ring at him.
The feeling was terrible, if it was possible, Lee would jump out of the car right away but he had to endure it.
Kieran, on the other hand, seemed like he felt nothing wrong from the both of them.
He was emitting a faint devil aura and was checking the spoils of war from Flurry de Ghost and the rewards that Lee mentioned.
The former was a Chinese style meat cleaver, not too big but very heavy. The cleavers body was divided into two parts, amon sharp de on the front and teeth simr to a saw at the back.
[Name: Blood Cleaver of Flurry]
[Type: Knife weapon]
[Rarity: Magic]
[Attack: Strong]
[Attribute: 1. Lifesteal Lvl 1, 2. Dismember Lvl 1]
[Effect: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Prerequisite: Strength C+, Sharp Weapon, Special Arms (Master)]
[Remark: Not only do you have to possess strength but also special skills to wield it. Which means you need to pay more effort but it will not let you down!]
...
[Lifesteal Lvl 1: 5% of damage dealt will be converted into HP (target must possess a body with blood and flesh)]
[Dismember Lvl 1: While attacking with the saw part, a certain percentage to damage the drops below Magic rank]
...
No doubt it was a high tier Magic weapon. If it wasnt for the special prerequisite, the value might surge higher.
Although it was nothing to Kieran, it would definitely sell for a good price.
Kieran ced the cleaver aside and turned his eyes to the rewards from the Funeral Society.
Other than the currency notes, there was two more items.
Both of them were potions, but it wasnt filled in test tubes, instead, it was filled inside balls of wax.
[Name: Repel Potion]
[Type: Potion]
[Rarity: Great]
[Attribute: Create a scent that low tier fiends hate, repelling them in the process, 6-hour duration]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: yes]
[Remark: An ancient recipe crafted by the Funeral Society in the form of a medicinal pill, all you need to do is break the wax coating to consume]
...
[Name: Conceal Potion]
[Type: Potion]
[Rarity: Great]
[Attribute: Conceal your presence before low tier fiends, allowing you to be invisible before them, 5-minute duration]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: An ancient recipe crafted by the Funeral Society in the form of a medicinal pill, all you need to do is break the wax coating to consume]
...
"Products of a system outside Potionology?"
Kieran spected based on its remarks without twisting the pill open.
Basic [Potionology] wasnt able to provide Kieran with the exact details of the ingredients inside the wax coating, so he couldntpare it with the potionology ingredients he knew of.
Though, based on this new information, the current dungeon world seemed to have differences than the mystical knowledge system that he knew.
Still, some rules still applied, such as the application of power and the existence of firearms.
Other than the extra fiends roaming around, the current dungeon world was almost identical to the modern world.
Kieran saw the buildings on both sides of the window, the cars that sped by on the highway and the pedestrians that walked the streets.
A p of the butterfly wings would cause a typhoon in another part of the world, let alone the disruption from the ancient beings like fiends.
At least, from the moment they left Saint Brilliant and went on the highway to the suburbs, Kieran sensed the gloomy and cold presence of a piled up body more than once.
No doubt those ces had be the ughterhouse of the fiends.
After marking a couple of the spots down, He turned to Lee in front.
Lee immediately felt Kierans gaze and his body quivered a little. He turned around half of his body and asked with an eagerly attentive tone, "How may I help you, sir?"
"Why are there so many fiends attracted to Saint Brilliant High School?"
Kieran fired his answer directly since he saw how attentive was Lee.
"Well... It was because of a single item, the Jar of Sealing Fiends! Im not sure whether it was from the ancient time nearest to the present or the medieval times. The Jar of Sealing Fiends was passed down and it was identally auctioned off, bought by the principal of Saint Brilliant. The principal passed away a year ago but three weeks ago, the Jar of Sealing Fiends had loosened up and it revealed its presence, attracting many fiends in the process."
Lee spilled what he knew after slight hesitation because he felt Kierans rampaging aura pressuring him.
Kieran nodded in satisfaction. The moment he stepped into the car, he purposely gave out the devil aura, enshrouding both of them. The purpose was to dominate them with fear and everything went smoothly.
Lee might be stronger than themon man but there was a limit to how strong he could be. Under the presence of the devil aura plus the shifting of time, Lee had lost the power to resist.
After all, Kieran wouldnt expect a person who liked to utilize his authority and political tricks to have a tenacious mindset. They were best atpromising and dealing in trades.
"Jar of Sealing Fiends?" Kieran pretended to mutter the term.
He didnt know what was inside the jar and only able to put up a theory based on its name and the fiends that gathered, something that would benefit the fiends was hidden inside.
Though it was not the purpose that he muttered the term out loud. He purposely prolonged his tone, waiting for Lees follow up.
"There are too many possibilities of what is hidden in the jar, even the society couldnt give a precise guess but from how the often the fiends gathered, it should be some medicinal pills that will benefit the fiends or maybe it is some flesh of some high fiends."
Lee replied with a bitter smile.
His words were uncertain but it gave Kieran a general understanding about the jar.
A vessel that had something sealed inside.
Itspletely a treasure box! Kieranmented.
Kieran then became more interested in the Jar of Sealing Fiends.
Based on what Lee said, the thing inside the jar shouldnt only hold things that will benefit the fiends, it should also benefit humans as well.
Though, before Kieran opened his mouth, Lee beat him to it.
"Master Bird of Death, please dont ce me in a difficult position, my authorities are limited, it wouldnt allow me to gain more or even the location of the jar. To be honest, if the jar didnt appear within my jurisdiction, I might not even be involved and the result of getting involved is obvious! A Fiend Hunter died unexpectedly, and I was forced to send you a special investigation assist request. This is not any good news for me."
Kieran looked at the bitter Lee, theck of information forbid him from telling whether what Lee said was true.
Kieran was ready to pressure him more but just when the thought came in his mind, concentrated gunshots were fired from afar.
Bang Bang Bang Bang!
That direction was exactly the ce where the dismembered body case was.
Chapter 547: Intervene
Chapter 547: Intervene
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Just as Kieran wanted to jump out of the car and head towards the ce of origin, the gunshots ceased.
It only sounded within a blink of an eye.
Kieran raised a brow but he didnt stop his actions.
"Ill go first!"
Kieran then disappeared from the car leaving such words behind. Even though with the big backpack that weighed a lot, Kieran still sprint off like a bolt of lightning, vanishing before Oaker and Lees eyes.
The inspector didnt say anything but clenched his teeth and stepped on the pedal with all his might.
Lee, on the other hand, was terrified. Since Lee as a member of the hidden world was different from the inspector who was amoner, he knew exactly what such explosive speed meant, even though it was the first time he saw Kieran disy a portion of his true strength with his own eyes.
Thats right, it was only a portion of what Kieran was really capable of!
Lee recalled the remains of the Devour Woman, Puppet Fiend, and the Flurry de Ghost.
"A Fiend Hunter rank huntsman that is skilled in speed, sharp weapons, and freezing techniques?"
Lee was concluding his words about Kieran, he had already made a mock-up report to be presented to his superiors.
Kieran, on the other hand, had no idea what Lee was up to, even if he did know, he would only reply with a smile.
The more the others focused on what he presented, the more the others would neglect what he was hiding.
When critical moments arrived, the hidden side of Kieran would be a lethal spear, plunging deep into the enemies that held malicious intent against him.
Foooosh!
When Kieran was a dozen meters away from the dismembered crime scene and where the gunshots were fired, he halted his exploding sprint, bringing up a powerful violent wind with his stop.
When the wind finally stopped ravaging the area, Kieran walked forth quickly to the crime scene with the body pieces.
[Tracking] was activated the moment he stopped, forcing every detail to reveal itself before Kieran.
A faint presence of fiends shrouded the area, as the bodies were scattered across randomly, the faces on the dead were terrified by the sudden gunshots.
Judging from the spots where the bodies fell and the guns in their hands, Kierans mind naturally painted the scene of when the incident happened.
The police officer that stayed behind for garrison duty couldnt help but pulled out his gun and squeezed the trigger repeatedly at his colleagues and the other colleges from forensics.
"Puppet fiend? Or something else?"
With theck of understanding of the dungeon, Kieran couldnt determine precisely which fiend caused the incident but one thing was sure.
"Its very familiar with my movements?"
Kieran held his chin with his hand, muttering softly to himself. His voice didnt sound angry, instead, a faint smile appeared on his face.
The mastermind behind the scene was altering his ns because of Kierans movements, which meant his movements had exceeded the masterminds prediction!
On top of that, this crime scene should have some clues that would lead to more questions before this gunfire.
Though those clues were certainly erased but Kierans guesses were verified by such a move. Still, he would need to find the remaining clues by himself.
He lowered his head and used [Tracking] to examine the area.
Even though the crucial part was destroyed, Kieran wasnt a person that would give up because of a sole guess. He would onlye to an acknowledged conclusion after he really did what he could.
Bit by bit, inch by inch. Kieran started to stroll around the narrow road in the secluded suburbs.
The road was 5 to 6 meters wide, allowing one car to cruise by without problem but if there were two on each side, the drivers would have to be careful when they crossed each other.
A slight misstep would cause the car to fall off the road, into the wilderness beside, which was a small slope filled with rocks and fallen leaves.
The fallen leaves were from the jungle 5 meters away from the scene. The jungle consisted of wide leaved pittosporum trees a dozen meters in height and a robust trunk. It looked extra lively during noon time, giving out an energetic presence.
Of course, it didnt include the scene with the bodiesying down before the trees and a car that crashed into one. The car should belong to the unknown Fiend Hunter.
Kieran went pass the police line and examined the crashed car.
The car has been modified. It was crude but sturdy enough and because of that, the car didnt break into pieces and only suffered a caved in bumper in front when it went off the road with such speed, crashing into the tree.
The windshield was shattered like the shape of a spider web, forming a big, irregr hole in the middle.
Kieran circled around the car and didnt find anything noteworthy.
"The car was attacked when it was still moving, causing the car to lose control and crash into the pittosporum tree here. The attacker then jumped on the front hood, smashed the windshield and dragged the Fiend Hunter that wasnt able to react because of the crash. Then, the Fiend Hunter was killed on the road and part of his body was eaten."
Kieran then returned back to the front of the car. The engine was missing, the starter and otherponents were exposed.
"So this is the reason it returned?"
Kieran made a guess and headed towards the spot where the Fiend Hunter was eaten.
The minced meat was cleaned up by the officers but blood stains remained.
[Tracking] highlighted the blood brightly and the trail started from the car to that exact spot.
Surprisingly, Kieran didnt notice any struggling even when the Fiend Hunter was dragged over, as if he couldnt resist the monster or even died from the crash impact.
"Well, he wouldnt be dead! Judging from the amount of blood spilled over and the distance from the car, the man would be dead on that spot because of extensive bleeding, which means... He was tranquilized by some toxin or abilities?"
Kieran shifted his eyes back on the road. He followed the previous tracks from the point where the car slipped off the road. The white tracks were very clear because of the emergency brake and sudden turn.
In fact, amoners sight could easily spot the ck tire tracks on the road.
"He saw something that he must avoid, so he stopped the car! But because of the sudden stop on the elerating car, the brake was rendered useless and the Fiend Hunter was forced to make a hard turn, going off the road and crash into the trees!"
Kieran looked at the car from where it started to break, other than the tire tracks, there wasnt anything else.
"Phantasmal Image?" Kieran squinted his eyes.
The inspector finally arrived at the crime scene from afar.
The moment he got off the car and saw the bodies scattered around, his old face was filled with anger instantly.
"Bastard! Damn it! F*ck!" Curses sounded repeatedly.
Lee wasnt in good shape either, not only because of a fellow human being was killed but also because the death before his eyes will be calcted in his assessments as well.
The result would not turn out to be great after this, even hardly able to pass.
Lee mustpensate himself!
As the thought bloomed in Lees heart, he asked Kieran in an anxious voice.
"Master Bird of Death, did you find anything?"
"Before I tell you what I found, I have a question for you. Who else knows the course that the Fiend Hunter used to get to Saint Brilliant?" Kieran intercepted Lee before answering.
At the same time, Kierans fierce re was glued to Lee.
Chapter 548: Backstreet
Chapter 548: Backstreet
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
"Are you suspecting me?"
The Funeral Society member pointed at himself, crying out in shock.
Kieran didnt acknowledge nor deny, just that his eyes werent moving away from Lee.
Lee instantly showed a bitter smile.
"I swear I dont know what course this Fiend Hunter took to reach Saint Brilliant! To be honest, when I send out a request for reinforcements, HQ would deploy someone at random to ept the task. Other than some higher authorities in HQ, the others wouldnt know what kind of route the support would take, and even though the Jar of Sealing Fiends is precious to the higher authorities, they wouldnt go as far as betraying one of their own."
Lee exined quickly.
It was not the first time Lee came across hot-headed huntsman who moved before thinking, even though Kieran didnt strike him as one, he would not want to risk his chance with him.
"Humph! Because there arent enough benefits!" The elder inspector coldly grunted beside.
Oaker couldnt hold back his rage anymore after seeing his colleagues dead and such rage affected his emotions directly.
Though, neither Kieran or Lee expressed their understanding, while Kieran really understood how Oaker felt, he wasnt sure about Lee, at least Lee looked like he was sorry for the incident as well.
"Please trust me!" Lee looked at Kieran, begging him.
"I shall reserve my opinion," Kieran said before turning to the inspector.
Lee was instantly relieved, he knew that he wouldnt be in harms way for the time being, though his ears stood up right away after he heard what Kieran said next.
"How was it? Any changes to the ce when you left?" Kieran asked.
"Changes? Does flipping over my men count? When I left this ce, there were still six of my men here, including one fresh graduate from the academy, a youngd who addressed me as his mentor and the youngss from forensics who was supposed to get married next week! Now? Every one of them was killed! That bastard, Ill let him regret that he ever lived when I find him!" Inspector Oaker cried angrily.
"Trust me, I share the same feeling, wanting to let that murderer regret that he ever walked this earth. That is why we must make our move now."
Kieran then turned back to Lee, signaling him.
Lee who had just released a breath of relief went breathless again.
"Yes, sir?" Lee carefully asked what Kieran wanted of him.
"I want you to contact Funeral Society HQ again, request another backup or supporter to be deployed," Kieran said slowly.
"But, Ive sent out a special investigation assist request..."
"This is the chance to prove yourself." Kieran interrupted Lee, his calm face didnt change at all but his eyes had anotheryer of fierceness in them.
Lee quivered before the fierce eyes, he then clenched his teeth and said with a stutter, "V-Very Well! Ill try my best!"
Lee finished his sentence and went straight beside the car, using his covert methods to contact Funeral Society HQ.
"I dont believe him!" The elderly inspector said while looking at Lees back.
Kieran didntment anymore on the matter because he couldnt even trust the inspector himself.
Still, regardless of his disbelief, Kieran wouldnt mind the inspector participating in his uing ns.
...
"Why are we finding more troubles with other fiends? You think they are involved in this incident?"
Inspector Oaker was puzzled, walking out of the stations file archive room and looked at Kieran who was leaning on the wall. Still, he passed the files loaded in a bag to Kieran.
"These are the files of the mysterious murder cases and missing links that happened in the few street blocks you requested. Are you sure its useful?" The inspector was still hesitant about Kierans move.
"Of course! I can assure you, this is much more useful than you think. It will give you the results you want and the rewards that I seek." Kieran nodded in an affirmative manner.
It wasnt really lying though. Kieran indeed had a general idea of who the killer was that killed the Fiend Hunter from the Funeral Society HQ. The clues lying around were very obvious.
Yet, obvious clues always meant surprises, so Kieran went to extra lengths to minimize the possibilities of any surprises. He didnt want to involve himself in the n, all he needed to do was wait patiently but he didnt want to waste time while waiting for his n to take effect.
Therefore, the negative energy that he sensed on the way to the station had provided him with an alternative.
It would be able to confuse the others and be able to give him more rewards that he required.
"Lets hope so!" Inspector Oaker said after a deep breath while looking at Kieran going through the files as he walked down the corridor.
Compared to the odd Funeral Society member, the inspector was willing to lean more towards to Kieran in terms of trust, even though Kieran struck him as a couple more times dangerous than the former because he couldnt get any disgusting presence or aura from Kieran.
...
Themercial street block in its every merry and prosperous state.
Crowds were flowing like a rapid current, the shops were filled with a vast variety of goods. Even after the sunset, the ce was covered with colorful neon lights.
Yet after turning into a certain back alley, darkness appeared.
The prosperous and loud streets were carried by the night breeze into the back alley yet it didnt bring the liveliness with it, on the contrary, it made the back alley even more quiet with an extrayer of eeriness.
Kieran slowly made his way into the back alley.
Fuuuu!
A certain night breeze was blown over, bringing a gloomy and cold presence to his face but it scattered away before it really touched Kieran.
Even with his usual sight, A+ Intuition still picked up vague, blurry figures in the dark and those figures were exposed under the light with [Tracking] activated.
They had translucent bodies, some without heads, some without legs and many of them had their gut ripped open. All sorts of organs were oozing out from their stomach, leaving a bloody trail behind.
A faint vile stench spread across the whole back alley as they appeared.
Wandering souls! Mixed with a decent amount of evil spirits!
But the wandering souls and the evil spirits didnt even approach Kieran yet they started to back off.
Kieran who was giving out an unusual presence looked very terrifying to the souls and spirits, but to a certain other existence, it was a lethal temptation.
Kak, Kak, Ka!
The leveled ground started to tremble lightly, and the magnitude surged up within a breath like a real earthquake.
Then, a red hand burst out from the ground.
Bam!
Its palm was as big as a door nk and the hairs on its hand was sharp like barbs. It pressed down to the ground, dragging the rest of its body out of the ground. The chilly presence of the hand was enough to send shivers down ones spine butpared to the body that appearedter, the hand wasnt that terrifying anymore.
A 3-meter tall body with robust, strong limbs, yet it didnt have a head on top. Its big belly was filled with countless hairs simr to the mouth of an insect.
Gak Tss, Gak Tsk!
The disgusting hair was opening and closing relentlessly, revealing countless more small teeth underneath.
Kieran clearly saw the hidden teeth but his attention wasnt focused on the monster but most of it was ced on the rooftop on the other side.
A ck bird was standing there, ring at Kieran with its yellow eyes.
"As expected!"
Kieran smiled coldly in his heart.
The giant fiend though charged towards Kieran, eager to devour him.
Chapter 549: Probe
Chapter 549: Probe
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Its huge body naturally gave it extraordinary strength.
Fuuu!
As it threw itself at Kieran, before it even got close, a strong heavy wind was already assaulting Kierans face.
His hair was waving, the feather mantle was fluttering fiercely. It was like he was frightened beyond words, standing still at the spot without budging.
Until the disgusting hair extended out from the fiends stomach, trying to bind him down, Kieran finally jumped up high in the air.
A nimble front flipnded Kieran on the back of the fiend.
Usually, a strong, huge body provided its owner tremendous strength but the downside was sacrificing its nimbleness in its movements.
When Kierans frosty right handnded on the fiends sturdy back, it quickly turned around but around halfway...
Crack, Tsk Tsk Garkkk!
The icy coldyer of frost spread throughout the fiends body quickly.
The Powerful rank elemental attack turned the vicious fiend into a giant ice statue before it could even counter Kierans attack.
Kieran though was panting heavily as if he has exhausted most of his stamina.
[Sub mission: Backstreet Kitchen (Complete)]
[Backstreet Kitchen: Among the scene of feasting and revelry, it was easier than ever for the fiends to feed on humans. A Crimson Ghost was hiding behind sights, building its nest. Locate and eliminate it.]
...
Kieran nced over the notification in his vision. Everything was progressing as he expected.
When he took over the case files from Oaker which was about a series of mysterious murders around these blocks, two sub-missions appeared as he flipped through the files.
The first one was [Backstreet Kitchen], which wasbeled as a 15 missing person case.
The second one was [Butchers Massacre].
[Butchers Massacre: Rudd was longing for the pleasure of slicing meat, hoping to bath in blood. So he became the infamous butcher around the area, ughtering living beings until he was satisfied!]
...
Judging from the case files, the butcher known as Rudd killed almost 30 to 45 men, maybe even more because of the missing bodies werent added to the count.
More importantly, the second day he was caught, Rudd sessfully broke out of prison. He even snapped two prison guards neck with his bare hands and vanished from the high-security prison.
Then, more imposters trying to mimic Rudds modus operandi appeared.
It was what the police concluded in the files.
They didnt think it was possible for Rudd to kill three to five men at the same time. Despite his upation was a butcher, when Rudd was arrested, he seemed more like a hunter than a meat cleaver, all his targets were loners, especially those scrawny ones who were barely able to resist him, thus concluded in the files.
However, it seemed like the police had neglected the fact that Rudd snapped the neck of two prison guards who were also quite strong themselves.
"A mix up to give more convenience to the Funeral Society?"
After a slight mutter in his heart, Kieran picked up the loot that fell of the Crimson Ghost.
It was a bag simr to a double strapped traveling back, looking far older than modern ones and had some messy thread lingering around.
[Name: Crimson Ghost Stomach]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: Magic]
[Attack/Defense: None]
[Attribute: Able to hold items at least 5 times its size and wouldnt change shape but the weight inside will remain unchanged.]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Remark: Crimson Ghosts stomach is like a ck hole, dont ever think of filling it.]
...
No doubt it was a surprise bonus.
Kieran quietly ced [Crimson Ghost Stomach] into his backpack.
Although he wanted to do it the other way around, stuffing the big backpack into the [Crimson Ghost Stomach] instead, he knew it wasnt the time. Kieran turned his attention to the hole that the fiend burst out from.
The hole which was 5-meters deep and over 10-meters wide and was filled with half-eaten bodies.
Kieran jumped into the pile of bodies without hesitation, searching thoroughly. It wasnt an act whatsoever, a stingy Scrooge was always serious about his spoils of wars or loot.
Though, other than some identifications of the dead, there wasnt anything else.
When Kieran came back up from the hole, Lee was present in the back alley, looking at the iced Crimson Ghost. His face couldnt help but look terrified over the shocking scene.
Two weeks ago, Lee had posted up the mission regarding the back alley on the mission board andbeled "potential Crimson Ghost appearance", because of thebel, the mission couldnt bepleted for quite a while.
Crimson Ghost was not some random huntsmans level fiend, at least a Fiend Hunter ranked huntsman would be required to deal with the monster.
Even though because of the previous Flurry de Ghost, Lee treated Kieran as a Fiend Hunter ranked huntsman as well, when he saw the proof with his own eyes, he was still overwhelmed.
"Master Bird of Death! I shall deliver your rewardster!"
Lee said slowly, in a tone sounded even more respectful than before.
"No need to rush, you can wait after I deal with Rudd," Kieran said.
"Rudd?"
Lee gasped when he heard the name, he quickly said, "Master Bird of Death, you might need another Fiend Hunter ranked huntsman to assist you to finish this mission smoothly!"
"Oh, you dont believe me then?" Kieran turned over.
"NO! No no! Its just that..."
"Thats enough, when I am finished with Rudd, bring me all the rewards together!"
Kieran then turned away and left.
Lee wanted to say something else but he couldnt.
Meanwhile in the dark ce further away.
Wings pped as the yellow-eyed ck bird vanished in the night sky.
The Funeral Society member didnt even notice the slight fluttering.
Kieran did though, he then smiled in satisfaction.
...
The ck bird dived into Saint Brilliant High school, circting a certain strange course and entered a certain ce within the schoolpound.
Fuuu!
As itnded, bright red mes burned from the ck bird.
The mes projected the scene back at the back alley like a movie.
"A powerful icing ability but it seems to have quite a toll on your body."
A dark shadow uttered softly.
When the shadow saw Kieran jump into the hole to search for more and the conversation with Lee, itughed.
"Pushing the matter to the Funeral Society butpleted several high rewards mission before a new Fiend Hunter arrives. What a greedy man yet arrogant! Well then... It seems like your danger level has plummeted for now, still, precautions are needed."
As its word subsided, a pair of fair hands pped lightly.
Another ck bird flew out of the ce right away.
The shadow turned around and looked at the jar beside it.
It had a long neck and a bloated lower body, made entirely out of porcin and its mouth was stuffed with a cork carved withplicated markings.
A small yellowish talisman charm was posted on it, making the jar look slightly wicked.
Though the shadow held the jar in its arms without minding its look.
"Soon! Soon!" The shadow said.
A momentter, the jar was overflowing with a faint subtle aura.
The fiends that hid in Saint Brilliant too started to feel hungry, looking as vicious as ever.
Chapter 550: Creating a Scene
Chapter 550: Creating a Scene
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Kieran was standing on Dublin Street.
Behind him was the wealthy district for the rich and in front of him was the slums for the less fortunate. Not only was the light on the street dimmed, a horrible sinful feeling lurked around the dark corners as well.
Hard smashing noises could be heard from metal rods onto someones body and iron knives stabbed into flesh, bleeding the target out.
All the disturbing noises sounded like it urred beside Kierans ears with his A+ Intuition.
He carefully took in all the noises and tried to differentiate each of them.
After locking onto a single noise, he headed towards that direction.
Dublin Street was actually aplete block rather than a single street, including a couple of big factories and abandoned buildings. There were around 20,000 people who lived in this block alone, most of them unemployed or homeless, plus gang members.
All vicious and buff fes were ring at Kieran the moment he stepped into Dublin Street.
The vicious men were judging whether Kieran was a fatmb that delivered himself to the wolfs den or a formidable person.
Thats right, a fatmb that delivered himself to the wolfs den.
Although Dublin Street was connected to the beautiful wealthy district, only a few would go through the street to that ce or vice versa.
Not only because of the police cruisers that were posted almost 24/7 at the entrance of the street block but also because it would attract unwanted troubles.
Anyone who walked into the wealthy district through Dublin Street would be marked down by the police.
Those filthy cops wouldnt allow their precious taxpayers to be hurt, not even allowing a single hair to fall off their head.
As for the other way around, those who came from the wealthy district would definitely be the targets of the gang members, the passerby kept addressing them as fatmbs.
However, certain incidents that urredtely made them a little more obedient and honest. Otherwise, the moment Kieran stepped into Dublin Street, questions would be asked.
The police would only keep their jurisdiction within the wealthy district.
There was a certain peace treaty that was formed between the gang members and the police within Dublin Street, a set of rules that both parties had to follow like a chess game.
Kieran slowly moved forward, eyeing his sides from time to time.
The gang members exchanged a gaze and two of from the bunch and couldnt help but start to trail Kieran.
"This guy is mine! See that cape and that big bag? Its definitely worth a lot!" One of the taller stronger men said while trailing Kieran. The bloated one beside him thus hastened his steps.
The rest of the gang members turned their attention to the man who was sitting in the corner. The man was wearing a big leather jacket, bald and had a pentagram tattooed on his face.
"Idiots! Look at where that punk is heading, you idiots want to get turned into specimens?" The bald buff man sneered.
The gang members around him quivered instantly.
"Lets go, we have a big case to do tomorrow, that crazy f*cker..."
The bald buff man said angrily at first but dimmed down at the end uncontrobly.
He then spat heavily on the ground and turned around to one of the abandoned buildings.
A big group of gang members then followed in his footsteps.
...
Kieran stopped at a small alley.
What would a small alley look like within Dublin Street?
A filthy ce filled with trash, feces and dirty water mixed with all kinds of color.
Compared to this small alley, the backstreet in themercial street was like heaven.
The vile stench that assaulted his sense of smell was even fouler than a rotten corpse, causing Kieran to frown.
Even though Kieran wasnt a clean freak with OCD, the horrible environment before him forced him to be careful with his steps.
He could bear with dust and dirt but not a puddle of sh*t or filthy water.
To be honest, the gang members who lived nearby couldnt adapt to that alley either.
"Hey, punk! Stop right there!"
Two men who came in behind Kieran yelled loudly at Kieran.
"Hand over all your belongings!" The bloated one said straightforwardly.
Kieran turned around and saw the two men. He already noticed they were trailing him a while ago, but he wasnt concerned, instead, he was quite happy that someone was following him because they would at least serve as a means of creating a scene. Such a scene to amoner was very minimal becausemon sense would allow them to know what was going on. However, to those non-human existences, it became quite a problem.
As both gang members were approaching Kieran in an intimidating manner, the wall behind them started to distort and bloat. A figure then squeezed itself out of the wall silently.
The figure was big and fat, its appearancepletely sealed off the entrance to the small alley.
The taller, stronger one of the two seemed to have noticed something behind them. As he wanted to turn around instinctively, before he reallyid eyes on what was behind him, his head was grabbed by a huge hand.
PAK!
His head was torn right off his body! The blood gushed out like a geyser on the bloated one beside. He wanted to scream, but it stopped just as the sound escaped his mouth.
Fuuuush!
A giant butcher knife was shed down from his head, slicing the bloated one in half without any obvious reaction.
The stench of blood was mixed with the existing foul stench.
The fat body was grumbling loudly, slowly approaching Kieran.
After some light was shed on its gruesome body, it revealed the greyish white skin that looked simr to a withered dead body, its head consisted of multiple pust and was even more terrifying.
"After transforming into a fiend, its human intellect has worn down and it started to follow its natural instinct? Even its body started to change?" Kieran thought in his heart.
He had a very limited understanding of fiends, all he could do was rely on educated guesses.
Of course, Kieran was eager to put on a good performance when his "audience" was watching him.
Fuuung!
The giant butcher knife was shed right at Kieran.
Kieran moved to the right slightly and easily dodged the sh. [Python-W2] appeared in his hand and was fired repeatedly.
Bang Bang Bang!
The bullets were fired directly at Rudds fat body, yet even with [Armor Pration Lvl 1] attached, all the bullets did was scratch its skin.
Green blood oozed out from the bullets wound.
Rudd who seemed to not feel anything switched his frontal sh into a horizontal sweep.
Kieran jumped up and stepped on the wall aside, as if his feet had grown roots that stuck him on the wall, allowing him to wall run with ease.
[Python-W2] didnt cease its fire. Bullets were poured down at the hideous fiend but different from the previous normal bullets, [Bullets of Blessing] were fired this time around.
Still, [Bullets of Blessing] which were effective against negative energy beings had no outstanding effect against fiends.
When the bulletsnded on its body, all it did was make it cry in pain but none of them were fatal shots, even those fired right into its head.
"Fiends are not just simple negative energy beings!"
Kieran thought and his left hand quickly hurled out a couple of grenades.
Ding Ding!
After several bounces, a couple of [U-II] grenadesnded on the fiends feet.
KABOOOM!
A bright explosion urred.
Shrapnel was sshed in every direction, the fiendified Rudd didnt avoid the st and was engulfedpletely.
Thick green blood gushed out of its body, dying his body green. Its fat body started to wobble.
Right after the explosion, [Arrogant Word] was swung down from up high, performing a downward sh.
Puuuush!
The fat disgusting body was shed in half right away.
Kieran quickly took a few steps back, avoiding the sshing blood and panted heavily as well.
Until the ck bird flew away, Kieran then quietly clenched his fist in excitement after he felt the ps of the wings.
"Yes!"
Chapter 551: Looking For Trouble
Chapter 551: Looking For Trouble
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
At night, Saint Brilliant High School was shrouded in mist.
The dark and blurry scene obstructed the sight of amoner, even if there was light, it wasnt enough.
Three figures appeared within the schoolpound, entering the main academic building in a one-two formation.
Kana was following Tanya while holding the ever confused Jen beside her. Her nose was sniffing as if she had caught the scent of something.
At the same time, the shlight in her hand was raised up. Even the high power shlight couldnt shine past a 5-meter range in the thick mist.
The mist was thick, rumbling relentlessly at the edge of the light source as if something would jump out from the unseen any moment.
To be honest, Kana had indeed picked up an unusual scent.
"Are you sure its here?" Kana asked.
"My servant told me, this is the promisednd..."
"CAN YOU SPEAK HUMAN!?" Kana interrupted Tanya with an upset tone.
If her friend didnt fall into the dazed and confused state because of the soul releasing process, she wouldnt even need to rely on divination to find out who the killer was.
With Jens power, she could very well directly speak to the souls of the dead. Still, Kana was forced to rely on the others for the time being.
One of them was barely sane and the other was terrifying.
"Damn It!" She cursed when she thought about Kieran.
The fear of Kieran made her feel hesitant about his presence but she needed his help in the meantime. So after countless thinking, Kana decided to pay the required cost to gain Kierans help.
However, even to a half-fiend, the cost was substantial.
But...
When she arrived at the old school dorm, she realized Kieran wasnt even there.
She punched the air with all her might, seemingly frustrated. It was a terrible feeling, to the point that she was barely able to control the effect from her bloodline.
Tanyas following words sounded like gasoline poured into a burning fire.
"You peasant, you couldnt understand what I say...
Fuuuuu!
A thinyer of me appeared in Kanas hand.
"Trust me, follow me now!" Tanya finally said in a serious tone.
Tanya even took the initiative to walk faster.
The trio went straight up to the stairs on the left from the first-floor lobby. The stairs were connected to the second floor but below the stairs was an empty spot.
Most of the time, unwanted misceneous things were stored there, like broken study tables, etc.
Yet the spot was empty at the time, nothing was left there.
The three of them were stunned. They shed light over the spot and saw no broken tables or chairs, instead, they saw a door, which was shorter than amon one.
"Door!" Jen said with her absent-minded tone, pointing at the door.
"Now what?" Kana turned to Tanya.
"My talents have been temporarily sealed, I can only see up until this spot, the rest is unknown."
Tanya replied instinctively but when she saw Kanas clenched fist, her words returned to normal.
"What a half-ass! Even Senior Ling..."
Kana grunted angrily but before she finished, the movements of her mouth ceased.
Even though Tanya had limited powers, she was there because of both of them, lending her hand. Although she was given a reward, it didnt mean Kana could insult her.
Though, she wasnt able to take back the words that escaped her mouth. Her half-fiend attitude had decided how her character was at birth.
"Lets continue forth!"
Kana said while taking Tanyas ce in front.
Tssk Gak!
An irritating screechter, the short door was pushed open.
Kana looked strangely at the door. The door was much heavier than expected, even with her half-fiend strength, she had to utilize all her might.
The door wasnt made out of wood but a kind of unique metal, which she couldnt identify at the moment.
Fuuuu!
A violent wind blew out from within the door.
Kana blocked her face and looked through the gaps in her fingers, trying to see what was behind the door.
Tanya who was almost blown away because of her petite body quickly stood behind Kana, grabbing her shirt.
"My servants informed me, this ce is dreadful. Wait for my knight to arrive is the optimum choice for us." Tanya said after looking at the ck door.
"We cant wait that long!"
Kana didnt even care anymore how Tanya spoke. As her words subsided, Kana went straight in.
Her decision came into form after lots of thinking yet she didnt locate Kieran in the end. Kana had lost the courage to try once more as if her hot-headed temper had taken over her bodys control while in the times of danger, ignoring the consequences of her actions.
But when the hot blood cooled down, all that was left was fear.
Kana was in a simr situation, she chose to believe in herself this time.
After seeing Kana go through the door, Jen followed as well. Tanya hesitated for a while, but when she saw more mist gathered around her, she rushed in without further dy.
Although the eighth-grade syndrome in her mind was serious, she wasnt an idiot.
She could still tell which ce was safer for her to be, or more precisely, temporarily safer.
Tssk Gak!
Just when the trio went into the short door, the heavy metal door was shut.
Bang!
The heavy noise shook Tanya a little, while Kanas expression was heavy.
The door that she had to utilize all her might to open wouldnt be shut closed by some mere wind, there was only one exnation.
It was a trap!
"My servants informed me, danger approaches." Tanyas voice started to shiver.
"Shut up!" Kana yelled at her.
Following the shutting of the door, Kanas instinct told her something had gone south but there wasnt any chance left for her to back out or regret her decision, all she could do was move forward.
The tunnel was clear of any mist blocking their sight.
With the strong light from the high powered shlight, the darkness within was expelled, revealing the true look of the tunnel.
At the end of the tunnel, there was a small hall only 10 square metersrge filled with dust and spider webs.
As the trio moved inside, the dust flew up in every direction. The dust particles were visible under the strong light.
Opposite the entrance where they came from, there was a corridor with round stairs leading down. The flight of stairs was circting the pir, forming a spiral downwards.
The shlight could only shine through so much, the rest was still covered in darkness. Further down the stairs looked even darker under the shlights shine.
Kana took a deep breath and went on the stairs, Jen followed.
Tanya was scared but she had no other viable options.
The three of them walked down slowly, following the spiral stairs. The shlight only sheds light over the darkness before them; the darkness was eating up space behind them.
The three of them were like a glowing ss globe, being swallowed into a lengthy liver.
The corridor length had exceeded their expectation. After a full 10 minutes of walking, they finally reached the ground.
There was a room that looked identical to the small hall at the beginning of the stairs, just that there was something extra in this second small hall: a well in the middle.
Dik, Dik, Dik.
The water droplets sounded from inside the well, following by a faint chanting of a song.
"Dusk, Revive, Snow Willow, Bleeding Blood..."
"Human, Death, Rare, Breath..."
The weird lyrics caused Kanas face turned pale. She widened her eyes at the well.
Even Tanya couldnt believe what she heard.
"I...Isnt this..."
Tanyas shivering body couldnt maintain her usual manner of speech.
Though before she could finish, a figure slowly rose up from the well.
Chapter 552: Reveal
Chapter 552: Reveal
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
A girl in a school uniform slowly rose up from the well, holding a jar with a slim neck and rounded body in her arms.
The formless energy around was supporting the translucent body, allowing it to float in mid-air.
"Senior Ling!" Kana cried in shock.
Tanya, on the other hand, seemed to have realized something when she saw "Ling" with a terrified face, she was staggering backward a few steps.
The half-fiend wasnt an idiot either, after the initial shock, the rage of her realization followed.
"You were behind all of this from the start?" Kana tried to question the eerie figure before her.
"Um."
"Ling" didnt deny the usation. She nodded slightly and turned her eyes to Jen who was ever confusing. "Ling"s fair white hand called to her in a soft manner.
"Senior!" Jen, with an absent-minded smile, reacted to the calling and wanted to walk over.
"Dont move!"
"Watch her!"
Kana yelled. The first one was at Jen and the second at Tanya.
"My servant informed me, death razed this ce."
Tanya said with a sour expression while holding back Jen with all her might despite Jen moving forward in an automated manner, as if she had lost her mind.
Regardless of how different Tanya was to the others, her having talents was a true fact. She could clearly sense that death was approaching the three of them, especially when she grabbed Jen, the shadow that followed death almost devoured her alive.
"I know!" Kana replied. She clenched her teeth and turned back to "Ling"
"Whyd you lie to us!?"
Her voice was filled with rage, she ignited her hands with bright mes. Kana leaped out like a striking leopard, throwing herself at "Ling".
Fuuuush!
A zing fierce wind echoed within the confined space.
However, upon impact, Kana went straight through "Ling"s body without any resistance.
The mes in her hand didnt even cause a single bit of damage to the spirit form body.
Kana was stunned.
"Fire eh? You are still too weak!"
"Ling" said as she swung her palm out.
Pak!
A clean, powerful chopnded behind Kanas neck.
Even with the extraordinary resistance of her half-fiend properties, she still fell to the ground, limping after one strike.
"Ling" didnt even take another look at Kana who had fallen, she slowly floated towards Tanya who was holding Jen back with her life.
"Still not going to let go of my body?" "Ling" said in a calm tone.
However, the surroundings started to change drastically. The chilly, gloomy aura from Ling had turned into a violent wind and started to ravage the ce.
Tanya who was holding Jen felt like her body was frozen the moment the violent wind struck her.
"I...I...I have a myriad of servants, a plethora of followers and M...My knight will never spare you..." Tanyas mouth was shivering heavily, the words that came out from her mouth sounded broken.
"What a clown... Its really a pity that you wasted your talents. If your brain wasnt short-circuited, you could have been able to qualify as my vessel!"
"Ling" was slightly interested in Tanya, seeing her unwilling to let go of Jen despite the harsh cold wind ravaged her, still the slight spark of interest wasnt enough for Tanya to stall for long.
Fuuung!
The ravaging cold wind turned into a huge formless hand as "Ling" swung one of her arms around.
The formless arm split Tanya and Jen apart, and the seemingly mild splitting force turned violent the moment both of them were apart.
Tanya was thrown backward and crashed into the wall, embedding her body in the bricks.
Tanya was different than Kana, which her half-fiend bloodline could still provide "Ling" with some use. "Ling" wasnt nning to show any mercy to Tanya, at the same time she didnt mind the life energy slipped away from Tanyas body.
Without paying further attention to Tanya who was doomed, "Ling" slowly floated towards Jen.
Even with Jens current condition, "Ling" was still a little excited when she looked at her vessel.
She plotted the scheme for a long time and it hade down to this exact moment!
The excitement even caused her translucent body to ripple.
"Life! Reborn!" "Ling" couldnt help it anymore as she softly chanted those words.
However, just as her ghastly hand was about to touch Jen, a gunshot was fired.
BANG!
[Bullets of Blessing] grazed her fingers, causing her to retract her reach.
"Ling" turned around angrily and stared at the troublemaker.
Though, when "Ling" set her eyes on Kierans sudden appearance, grabbing Tanya by the back of her neck and pointed the gun at her with the other hand, "Ling" was shocked. More rage then burst out from the deepest part of her soul, infuriated because of the embarrassment.
"Ling" knew she was deceived.
"When did you find out?"
Still, a certain matter couldnt cross her mind, her plot seemed so wless, where did she go wrong?
"The very beginning! The moment I saw you, I started to suspect you and after you ughtered the reinforcement from the Funeral Society, the suspicion grew heavier. Any normal person with a sense of logic would guess it was you all along, let alone the surveince that youve sent out was too easily noticeable and traceable."
Kieran was firing verbal attacks at "Ling" with all the skilled talking techniques he possessed without holding back.
Actually, Kieran himself wasnt even sure at first, even though he saw the scene that Lings soul was being freed with his own eyes and sensed her presence was simr to the evil spirit. Right until the crime scene where the reinforcement support from Funeral Society was ughtered, only then did he confirm a couple of crucial leads.
If the murderer couldnt have gotten the traveling route of the Fiend Hunter from the HQ itself, then there was only another exnation left: having the ability to foresee the future!
Coincidentally, there were two of them who fit such criteria in Saint Brilliant High School.
One was "Ling" who died and the other was Tanya who had heavy eighth-grade syndrome running wild.
Another coincidence was, judging from the crime scene, Tanyas suspicion was greater.
What would cause the Fiend Hunter to suddenly stop his car and make a hard turn?
A phantasmal image that could disturb reality!
Not much was needed to fool the Fiend Hunter, all it needed was an image of amon person, disying what the mastermind behind the scheme wanted.
Tanya indeed possessed such an ability and more importantly, based on how she acted at other times, it couldnt help but lead others to think it was all a coverup.
Yet, everything was perfectly coincidental, causing the ever doubtful Kieran to plunge into deep thoughts even more.
Eventually, he proceeded with his ns, requesting another reinforcement support from Funeral Society HQ from Lee and decorated himself as an anxious huntsman that only cared about the missions given from the Funeral Society.
All that just to lure out the true mastermind behind the scheme, in simple words, Kieran also just realized who the mastermind was after he fired the bullet.
But none of those wild guesses were made known to "Ling".
Her proudful scheme was seen through with ease by others, such embarrassment made her even more furious.
However, "Ling" suddenlyughed.
"I will slowly chew on you and taste the blood from your flesh! Especially your brain! Ive always loved the brains of a smart saint! But it seems that you are a little too smart, didnt you noticed that I am stalling here?"
"Ling" spilled out each and every word clearly at Kieran.
Batak! Batak! Batak!
A series of heavy fluttering of wings sounded all of a sudden.
The ck birds were like wasps having their hive invaded, bursting out of the old well like a thundercloud, heading towards Kieran in an instant.
"Is that so? Well how coincidental, I am too!"
Kieran smiled.
Right off the bat, a clear, sonorous chant sounded from behind "Ling".
"AIO!"
Chapter 553: The Devil’s Flame
Chapter 553: The Devils me
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The cone-shaped me burst out with tremendous power and torrential force, drowning the translucent figure wholly.
"Ling" might not be affected by Kanas ming fist but against the overwhelming burst of mes from [Burning Hand] with the buff from [Fiery Sulphur], the translucent figure of hers started to distort and twist. High pitched wails that could cause the "Fear" effect escaped from her mouth.
However, such wails were useless against the Powerful level mes.
The mes were burning hot, the tongues of the mes were devouring, demolishing everything within its grasp.
As for the real Kieran who appeared behind, his SSS+ Spirit allowed him to be immune to lower tiers of "Fear" effect.
Hassh Bammm!
The cloud of ck birds took a hard turn back at "Ling" who was engulfed in mes as they almost devoured Tanya and Bloody Mary, the high demon.
The ck birds gathered before "Ling" and hundreds of them formed a strange shield around her, granting her a slight window of breathing.
"Hahuuu, hahuuuu..."
"Fire? So even your frost power is a disguise?"
"Ling" became even more furious from the embarrassment while trying to take another breath.
A never before seen rage suddenly bloomed inside her soul, causing her phantasmal body to shake violently. A dash of odd color apanied the rage from within, as the color got clearer, so did "Ling"s phantasmal body, eventually materializing from her spirit form and started to swell up like a balloon.
"Ling" turned into a 2 meter tall, green-faced sharp-fanged monster with a head of disheveled long hair.
ROAR!
The monster let out a rageful roar. The ckbird shield around it burnt up instantly, forming lines of mes wrapping around the monsters body and limbs like an ivy nt.
The mes were wriggling like a real snake, yet it didnt lose the burning sensation. Quite the opposite, the mes around the monster were burning at an abnormal temperature, scorching the whole ce together.
Even the air within started to distort, the floor panel beneath its leg even started to melt slightly.
"I am the king of the zing mes! You little pesky..."
The fiend dered its title out loud while a looking down from high manner at Kieran, trying to contempt his existence because the fiend thought it was qualified to.
With that monstrous form, any Fiend Hunter rank huntsman was no match for a single strike from it; Kieran was no exception either.
So it thought and believed firmly.
When Kieran raised his left hand with that 1-meter diameter fireball and hurled towards its face, a disdainful look appeared on its green vicious face.
No mes mortal me could hurt it!
However...
Kierans mes originated from his bloodline, even though he expressed the power through [Charless Fire], the true properties of the mes belonged to the devils power.
Dong, Dong, Dong!
Kierans heart was beating vigorously, he could feel the devil energy rumbling inside him.
It was because of the arrogance of his opponent, the ignorance of his opponent! The devils instinct wished to crush such a foolish opponent with raw power!
Such emotions filled Kierans heart. He calmly epted all the thoughts from within.
Then, a scarlet swirling within the bright red mes appeared before his eyes.
His blood was flowing into the abyss.
His voice was roaring through everyyer of hell.
His sword was conquering the heavens.
In the end, the scene before Kieran turned into mes.
The fragments of memories within his bloodline told him the name of the me that he was wielding.
The Devils me!
KABOOOM!
Asyers of memories from the bloodline faded from Kierans sight, the arrogant, disdainful fiend was still there before him, mocking, sneering at Kieran of what he was capable of.
Then, the ball of fire exploded on the fiends body upon contact, followed by an agonizing scream.
A moment ago, the fiend who was sneering and arrogant had its emotions reced by fear.
Not only because the ball of fire hurt it, the mes from the ball of fire were expelling its own fiendish fire.
The fiendish fire around its body which possessed all sorts of abnormal powers couldnt even withstand a single blow from Kieran, it was even consumed by the devils me.
"How...How is this possible!?" The fiend questioned.
Right of the bat, a greedy thought appeared in its heart.
"Consume! Consume you! As long as I can consume you, I will be a true High Fiend!"
The fiend sensed the chaotic energy within the devils me, an unknown source of greed appeared in its heart, amplifying its rampant manner, causing it to lose its mind.
It didnt even care about the devil me burning on its body, sucking away its life force, it threw itself towards Kieran.
Kieran reached out to his right hand calmly when he saw the fiending at him. Everything was as expected.
The fiend could remain in a sane condition most of the time but not so much during a real battle.
It didnt really lose all of its intellect, more like a plummet of logical thinking and it acted ording to instinct.
If that wasnt the case, the fiend wouldnt have returned to the scene and delete the evidence unnecessarily after it ughtered the Fiend Hunter, because it couldnt have done it under its battle form with lowered intellect.
For Kieran who had [Touch of Cardinal Sins], it was too easy for him to affect the fiend in such a condition.
Fuuuuu!
A ghastly blue cone breath burst out from his right hand, freezing the fiend that was jumping up in mid-air.
It was still jumping in mid-air and its expression was rageful and lively as ever, yet it didnt alter the fate of beingpletely frozen and didnt shake off the devils me which was still burning under theyer of frost.
The devils me wasnt extinguished under the frost but quite the opposite, it burned even fiercer. The fiends body which was used as abustion fuel was turned into a giant torch. Its swelled body dried up in an exponential rate, all its life force was burning away, reverting it to its translucent spirit form.
"Spare me, please! I will tell you everything! I was forced to do what I did! All I want is to live! I..."
Begging sounded relentlessly from the spirit but Kieran replied with another ball of [Charles Fire].
KABOOOOSH!
The ball exploded upon contact, creating a pir of fire with at least 4 meters tall and 1-meter radius from the floor, engulfing the frosted spirit wholly.
[me Burst]!
When the mes finally went out, all that was left on the charred floor was the long-necked bloated jar and green glowing loot.
The translucent spirit was nowhere to be found.
Kieran picked up his own spoil of war and that jar which was bigger than he expected.
"The Jar of Sealing Fiends?"
Kieran guessed, his attention was shifted to the old well and after a slight checking; he jumped into the well in haste.
As for Tanyas continuous calling for him, Kieran wouldnt care even during normal times, let alone now. More so, the system did send him notifications, informing him he was going to leave the dungeon soon.
Would he dy the search of the dungeon bossir just to talk to a native that was on his "try-to-keep-away" list?
His stingy Scrooge soul wouldnt allow him to act as such.
What about the loot within the bossir?
To be honest, Kieran wasnt really sure about other times but this time around this dungeon boss struck a lot of confidence in him.
A simple theory was, the dungeon boss did so many things in Saint Brilliant High School just to obtain Jens body as its vessel and based on what Kieran mastered in the mystical art, it wasnt an easy task for a soul or evil spirit trying to get a vessel in its spirit form, a lot of requirements and ingredients were needed.
Even if the current dungeon world was slightly different than the others, some rules of power remained, such as equivalent exchange!
Kieran couldnt answer how much the cost a soul or evil spirit had to pay to get a vessel but he knew given such chance to any soul or evil spirit, they would willing to give it all up.
Right off the bat, Kieran verified his own guesses.
Colorful dazzles shone on his face of delight as he reached the end of the well.
Chapter 554: Plunder
Chapter 554: Plunder
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Gemstones!
Hundreds of gemstones of different colors, embedded on the floor in a special way, dazzling in an odd shine.
It was a harvest! A grand harvest without a doubt!
Based on the price of a single gemstone, which was 2000 Points, 1 Skill Points, the hundreds of gemstones before Kieran would at least worth, 200,000 Points, and 100 Skill Points, let alone some colors would provide a higher price.
The total value has already exceeded the initial price assessment.
More importantly, those were just the price of gemstone fragments. The cracked and intact ones had far higher value, and a nce over the floor of gemstones, Kieran spotted at least 4 cracked and 1 intact gemstones.
Once he thought about the value of those, the stingy soul within him started to breathe heavily.
Still, the expected vignce towards the unknown was present.
Kieran examined the floor embedded with gemstones carefully.
The formation of the gemstones formed a giant circle but not a rounded one. The intact gemstone was in the center point, surrounded by 4 cracked gemstone at all four edges from the middle. The rest of the fragmented gemstones in different colors surrounded the 4 cracked gemstones, spread outwards and were embedded in a special arc.
"A magic circle... Huh?"
Kieran was certain what the formation of the gemstones represented but when he examined further, he noticed a slight presence was hidden under the magic gemstone circle.
The presence was concealed and dim, had he not paid full attention to the circle, he wouldve missed it. The gloomy and cold ruthless feelings from the presence even struck chills down his skin.
"A fiend!? Or..."
Kieran squinted his eyes, a thought shed through his mind.
He knocked on the gemstone embedded floor with his hand.
Dok, Dok Dok!
The noise of a hallowed ground proved his guesses right.
Kieran pulled out [Arrogant Word] the next moment and stabbed it into the gemstone embedded floor at one of the edges. He slightly pried up the flooring with his sword and immediately, the gemstone embedded floor panel was pried out.
It was a stone panel that fit perfectly on the floor and the edges and traces were almost invisible to the naked eyes.
Kieran grabbed the gemstone panel up and stared heavily at the stone floor underneath.
The moment heid eyes on the floor, he was astonished.
There wasnt any fiend that burst out from the opening but only a small box the size of a palm, having talisman charms pasted all over it.
"So it isnt a hidden precautious mean just in case? So... it might be one of the parts that this magic circle needed!"
Kieran picked up the wooden box right after the thought.
After he picked up the wooden box, only then he noticed the talisman charms that seemed to be many was actually a very long one that could wrap around the box a few times.
It was the first time Kieran seen such a talisman charm and it astonished him even more because he could actually read some of the words written on the talisman charm.
Pro level [Mystical Knowledge] had rted knowledge about the writings but not much, it only allowed Kieran to be able to generally distinguish what the talisman was for.
Sealing!
"To seal off fiends?"
Kieran wondered but most of his attention was ced on the talisman charm itself rather than the content of the box.
When he first entered the current dungeon world, because of different worldviews, once he guessed that the power system within this world would be different but now the writings on the talisman charm were recognized by his [Mystical Knowledge].
"Did [Mystical Knowledge] have a sufficient distinction level to recognize a part of the writings rted to its knowledge? Or... The current dungeon world has something that connects to the previous ones that I have been through, an inheritance?"
Kieran was looking at the box, puzzled.
The seriousck of information forbade him from guessing further, still, he wouldnt ce it back once it was in his hand.
Kieran stuffed the gemstone panel and the sealed box into [Crimson Ghost Stomach] and tried to examine the surroundings.
The space below the well was almost a hundred times wider than the one above it. Some of the parts were even delicately sculpted and carved, just like the pir before Kieran.
The thickness of the pir would require at least 4 grown men to surround it, there was a creature that was simr to a dragon or snake that was sculpted on the pir. Traces of handcrafts could be found all over.
However, the dragon-snake creature on the pir was extremely lively, to the extent that Kieran was daunted at the first sight; even though it was just a quick nce, it was enough to pique Kierans interest.
Kieran tried to approach and touch the pir before him but the result was disappointing.
There werent any notifications about it and obviously the pir was some decoration that looked extremely decent and not some special tools that was recognized by the system.
Though, it confirmed Kierans previous thoughts.
"A lively sculpting on such a pir is definitely from the hands of a master sculptor... but a single man couldnt have cut this wide space underground, let alone all 12 of these pirs"
Kieran counted all the pirs that were in the two rows before him.
He nced over the remaining time which was less than half and quickly headed towards a hidden door beside the pirs.
Although he was certain that he had gotten the most valuable item in the undergroundir, if he could get his hands on more, he wouldnt mind doing so.
Even more so, Kieran was sure there would be something decent behind the hidden door.
After all the ce was being used as air by the dungeon boss.
However, just as Kieran turned around, ready to step forth, the edge of his sight picked up some movements.
Kieran immediately halted his step and turned back around, trying to find out what was moving.
He was looking at the top of the pir, the spot where it was connecting to the ceiling.
It was the spot where the dragon-snake like creatures head was covering, it wasnt visible from below the pir. Only after repositioning, one could notice the abnormalities behind the back row of pirs through the middle of the first two pirs but the light was extremely poor in the undergroundir, one couldnt even see properly in the area, let alone examining carefully.
Kieran was not some random John Doe though, A+ Intuition granted him night vision, allowing him to catch all the details in the darkness.
When he saw birds nest that was built with hay and twigs in his sight, Kieran was stunned slightly before recing it with a sh of delight.
What does a birds nest in their represented?
The ck birds from before!
Kieran didnt forget about them, at first he thought those birds were some sort of spell that he didnt know off but actually those birds were reared down here.
The nests were the best proof!
"If they were reared, will there be..."
The moment the thought came into y, Kieran had moved out.
Because of the sculpting on the pirs, a slightly nimble man could climb the pir with some effort, let alone Kieran. He reached to top with a single tap off the ground.
He took the nest down, followed by the others on all the pirs. No nest was left unplucked and he was getting faster and faster.
When he felt something unusually soft within the nest on thest pir, he pulled it down together with the nest without a second thought.
Then, he tapped his right foot on the pir as he fell, pushing himself towards the hidden door aside like an arrow.
However, just as he dashed himself out, abnormal changes urred.
Chapter 555: Unusual Movements
Chapter 555: Unusual Movements
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Kakrooom!
A sudden tremble struck the ce, causing the undergroundir to shake terribly.
"EARTHQUAKE?!" Kieran was overwhelmed.
He never thought such a disaster would happen the moment before he returned to the game lobby.
At the same time, the vignce in his heart surged.
Even with his current strengths and abilities, it was still beyond his reach for him to face a natural disaster, especially facing an earthquake in an undergroundir.
Though, he didnt retreat.
Judging from the location that he was in, if he would return to the surface, the sole lengthy corridor that he came through was enough to diminish his thoughts of returning, let alone the distance between the well.
He was fast but unable to blink or teleport.
His running speed would never outrun the crumbling speed of the copsingir.
So, he hastened his steps towards the door, hurling himself through.
Since he couldnt return to the surface, might as well take another gamble, try to get more loots before leaving the dungeon, after all the time was almost up.
30 seconds were left on the clock. His Constitution would be able to keep him alive easily for another 30 seconds even if he was buried alive.
Kieran reached the door with his hand, he exerted a fair amount of strength, pushing open the heavy stone door.
The stone door revealed a small, narrow bedroom inside, other than a bed, there was a rack that seemed to hold books as well as many other things scattered around.
It was just as Kierans expected but there was also the unexpected.
Wuuung!
A vibrating whistle came from the air around.
Kieran quickly front rolled without a second thought because of his rich battle experience.
A powerful wind grazed Kierans hair. It was from a tail!
A stone tail! From the dragon-snake like creature sculptures!
Amid the crumblingir, 12 stone dragon-snake creatures came alive, wiggling their body and flexing their stone scales.
Hisss! Hisss!
Odd hisses sounded, causing Kieran to frown.
"What the hell is this?" He couldnt find an appropriate name for the creature before his eyes but he was sure the creatures were still made of stone, just their aura was different.
It wasnt the cold, gloomy negative energy anymore nor was it a fiend but something totally unknown.
One thing was for sure though, the 12 dragon-snake creatures were hostile towards Kieran.
The moment the uproar of hisses subsided, the 12 of them threw themselves at Keiran.
The undergroundir was filled with strong vibrations whilst throughout the air amidst the crumbling condition.
The terrifying force of the earthquake seemingly frozen for a moment as the creatures jumped out. The scene became more terrifying as the destructive earthquake seemingly turned into a rapidly flowing river and the creatures were the water dragons, swimming in the waters with extreme speed.
They brewed storms in river and seas, striking disaster throughout heaven and earth.
They were controlling the destructive power that could tear thend apart, directing it towards Kieran.
Baaaash!
Kieran felt extremely heavy under the iing pressure as if he had a mountain on his back.
Waaam!
His body became extremely heavy, causing his body to slow down as if he sunk into a swamp.
Pressure over pressure, power over power, all the terrorizing force was ovepping on Kierans body.
Kierans body started to wobble but it wasnt enough for him to stagger.
The 12 dragon-snake creatures enveloped Kieran in an instant, deleting his figure from the scene.
At that instant, the undergroundir was only filled with the abnormal hissing and crumbling rocks.
However, a fraction of a secondter, the hissing turned into agonizing cries.
KABOOOW!
A magma arm burst out from the group of stone creatures like an erupting volcano. The palm burning with devils me quickly grabbed one of the creatures bodies like a bolt of lightning.
The powerful hand tightened its grip on the dragon-snake creature, coping the upper jaw of the creature and the other hand burst out, reaching into the lower jaw of the creature.
BASSSAAHA!
The dragon-snake creature was torn apart with raw strength by the magma hands, sttering pebbles in all directions.
The other stone creatures were frightened by the sudden attack, they were trying to scatter away, escaping the range of the fiery devil.
However, a powerful st wave was fired out from the fiery wings, crushing the remaining creatures into pebbles like tofu.
Devilfied Kieran nced over the floor filled with crushed pebbles, he was confused.
"Able to control the power of earthquakes and had such presence but they were destroyed so easily by... Huh!?"
Kieran turned aside out of a sudden as his instinct rung. The spot was empty except for a wall.
However, at the wall, or more precisely the direction, a slight sense of presence made itself clear, even if it was just a sh.
But Kieran could feel how terrifying the presence was as if a hungry wild beast struck a pedestrian in a cold silent night. A beast that could control the power of earthquakes!
The dragon-snake creatures power was sucked away by the beast! It could very well be considered as plundering the creatures power, that was why Kieran could easily destroy the creatures.
Fuuuu!
A secondter, Devil Kieran let out a fiery breath, sparks came out from his mouth and nostrils. He was staring at the direction with concern and lingering fear. Though his actions werent hesitant.
[Triggered Special Event!]
[The unusual movement of the ground wasnt a natural phenomenon. A terrifying truth lies behind the earthquake. Do you wish to investigate the truth of the incident? Yes/No]
"Yes!" Kieran answered affirmatively.
[yer is included in Special Event, return is temporarily canceled!]
[Investigate the truth behind this incident within 6 months!]
[Note 1: Triggered Special Event, dungeon clear rating increased]
[Note 2: Once special main mission ispleted, dungeon rating will be significantly increased]
[Note 3: Should the special main mission fail, the original main mission would be considered failure as well]
...
"Unusual movements of the ground?"
Kieran squinted his eyes, at the fallen pirs. After some deep thought, he removed his devil form and turned back to the room.
He was desperately in need of information to allow him to understand what the hell just happened and there might be valuable clues in the room behind him.
However, the disappointing fact was, there was indeed a lot of things inside but none of them had any real value, other than some pills, there were more books.
Kieran quickly flipped over the books and all it recorded was some bizarre fantasy of someone, such as using the organs of a fiend to modify the writers body, hence enhancing his strength and how to use a Mermans meat to create immortality pills.
Although Kieranbeled the books as "bizarre fantasy", he knew it in his heart the records might very well be genuine.
Other than that, Kieran found a file under the rack. The file that was used to store papers.
The file was quite old from the look of it, the color even turned yellowish and its edges were already rounded.
Kieran wanted to open the file out of curiosity but the noise that echoed in his ears made him stop right away.
After gathering all the items that he found, cing them into [Crimson Ghost Stomach], he turned around and headed out with the nest that had an egg inside.
A long rope was thrown down from the well.
Lee, the Funeral Society member was climbing down and he was overwhelmed when he saw Kieran was unharmed.
However, he quickly hid his odd manners and informed Kieran using an official tone.
"Master Bird of Death, Fiend Hunter Ditko from the Funeral Society is waiting for you upstairs. He wishes to inquire you of some matters."
His voice was clear and sonorous but his hands were giving out small signs to Kieran.
Chapter 556: Theft
Chapter 556: Theft
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Danger!
Lee delivered the message nimbly with thebination of his palms and fingers to Kieran.
Then, he stepped back, posing a please gesture to Kieran, signaling him to go up the well.
If Lee didnt deliver the signs a moment ago, the current scene would be normal, yet it wasnt.
Kieran went below the well and squinted his eyes at the rope. He tilted his head up to the entrance.
He didnt climb up the well with the rope though, it struck a weird feeling in his heart.
Even though it was just an instinctive intuition, Kieran trusted his intuition a lot.
He slightly adjusted the ascending angle and jumped up through the well. As Kieran was halfway flying up the well, he tapped his feet on the wall of the well, boosting his falling body up once more, dashing towards the entrance.
Sou Sou Sou Sou!!!
The moment Kieran leaped out of the well, a series of air-breaking noises sounded around him.
Four ropes were fired from different directions at Kieran, trying to tie him down while he was tumbling in mid-air.
Kieran tapped his feet once more in mid-air, allowing him to step on air itself as [Modii Boots] shone.
Kieran who shouldnt have any spots to ry his strength did a backflip in mid-air, not only did he dodge the ropes trying totch on him, hended on the ground firmly as well.
"Eh?" A strange cry sounded from a far.
An average height man with his hair gelled straight up was looking at Kieran with an astonishing look even with the sunsses on him.
The man then nodded as if the scene was supposed to unfold like that.
"As expected of the thief that stole the portrait of Aritelgar!" The man said.
The thief that stole Artitelgars portrait?
Kieran was shocked for a while, but his movements didnt stop.
He noticed Kana and Jen was tied down on a side. Lee who went down to get him was still able to move freely but surely he was also under the mans surveince.
Plus the mans impolite actions, it seemed like he wasnt there for chit-chat, even though there wasnt a real killer intent from the man, Kieran didnt n on getting himself caught.
So, he dashed out towards the man.
Ditko, the huntsman that was deployed by the Funeral Society saw Kieraning at him. He reached out his hands with a heavy face when he saw Kierans speed.
Sou Sou Sou Sou!
The four ropes moved on their own again after missing their target for the first time.
No visible figure was controlling the ropes and they moved all by themselves, flying through the air like snakes with wings, trying to entangle Kieran.
However, the ropes missed yet again, even though Ditko was treating this seriously.
Yet it wasnt Kierans maximum speed. His S- Agility boosted his movement speed beyond anymoners imagination, four of the ropes could only catch the dust behind his steps.
Then, an area of darkness enveloped the area like a sudden burst of mist.
[Shadow Cloak]!
A 5-meter radius of supernatural darkness not only hidden Kierans figure from sight but almost covered the limited space wholly.
Ditko retreated backward when he saw the darkness descend upon him.
Another rope flew out from his sleeves and started to spin quickly above him, like a propeller of a helicopter. Its loud vibrating sounds was telling everyone present that the strength Ditko exerted into the rope was enormous.
To be honest, Ditko was quite confident of this technique himself. He had once strangled a mans limbs with his rope and broke his arms multiple times. It was not just a literal breaking of bones but the whole limb torn off by brute force.
So, when Ditko saw Kieran emerged from the darkness before him, trying to reach the spinning rope above him, his heavy expression became slightly rxed, a victorious grin had appeared on his face as well.
However, the victorious grin was frozen the very next moment. His rope had clearly tangled onto his opponents hand but the seeminglymon hand of Kieran felt more like an iron forged limb than a mans hand with flesh and bones.
Kierans S- Constitution has also allowed his body to surpass what amon man could achieve, plus the buffs from [Body of Evil], even without any extra talents, it was impossible for the rope to tear his body apart.
Quite the opposite, not only that Ditkos rope fail to tear Kierans limb but Kieran grabbed onto it tightly on the other end, like a strangling eel.
Right off the bat, a burst of me appeared in Kierans palm, burning the rope that he held on to.
It was like burning Ditko himself as he was in shock.
"Hmph!"
The Huntsman from the Funeral Society grunted heavily and staggered backward. His face was overwhelmed by the fact that his rope was burnt to ashes within seconds.
"How is this possible? Ditko yelled loudly.
His rope might seemmon but it was actually made out of a certain fiends muscles tendons. Not to mention thatmon fire couldnt have harmed it, even if the rope was ced in a furnace for a whole night, it wille out unscathed.
However...
"This is nomon fire!"
Ditko quickly reacted to the scene as he was grateful for theplete information that the society provided him on Kierans abilities.
The huntsman retreated even quicker right away as the thought struck him. Another rope flew out from his sleeve, dragging him away from Kieran quickly.
Kieran, however, didnt give chase, because it wasnt necessary.
He raised his left hand, the devils me was burning fiercely. His right hand quickly searched out for the remaining four ropes that wanted to escape through the corner edges.
Each of the ropes struggled with all their might but Kierans harder than iron hand mped them down dead, rendering their struggle useless.
"Ill count to three!"
Kieran said and moved his left hand with the burning me nearer to the ropes on his right.
The ropes acted like they were alive, being afraid of the approaching me.
After the previous battle with the unnamed fiend, the [Controble Lineage Fire II] has evolved into [Devil me].
[Name: Charles Fire (Pro)]
[Rted Attribute: None]
[Skill Type: Offense]
[Effect: Create an Average attack devil me on your left hand, able to burn continuously. Common water and sand cant extinguish the me. Has the special ability to burn souls and devour life energy.]
[Special Effect: Devil me (Your bloodline has hee element of fire. It is your gift and also the proof of your identity. You ignite the devil me with an attack from None, Feeble, Weak, Average at will. After charging for 4 seconds, attack of the me +1, has small chances to trigger me Burst effect on enemies.]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Constitution A]
[Remark: This is a spell without incantations, casting gesture and casting time. A skill created by the alchemy master fusing ancient hidden knowledge together!]
[Note: You have acquired this skill through learning, not through a Skill Book. Therefore, you cannot upgrade it with Points and Skill Points. If you want to level it up, you will need to continue learning or acquire a Skill Book!]
...
The devils me, able to burn souls and devour life.
Although Kieran wasnt sure what the rope before his eyes was, after burning one of them down, the Huntsman was shocked as if he was struck by thunder.
Kieran caught the expression in his eyes clearly.
He only burned one of the ropes, what about all four together?
Even if it wouldnt kill the Huntsman, it would steal his ability to escape as well.
Kieran knew he had the situation under control, so the counting started.
"One!"
"Two!"
Right after the second count, Ditko appeared again at the corridor without even reaching the third.
"I surrender!"
"I thought I could use the huntsman privilege from the Funeral Society to get myself the rights to enve from getting a ransom."
Ditko said loudly with his hands up in the air.
Kieran replied, however, was a hand-chop without any mercy.
Pak!
Ditko fell to the ground as the chop sounded, the ropes then ceased to struggle right after.
Kieran grabbed Ditko by the neck and dragged him beside the well.
"Come out now!" Kieran said to Lee after he saw Lee popping his head out from the well.
"Yes, Great Sir Bird of Death!" Lee altered the address to Kieran without knowing.
After witnessing the battle of Kieran with a huntsman from the society, he knew Kieran wasnt amon huntsman since he wasnt an idiot himself. Kieran might very well be a true Hunter.
Lee knew how he should behave and what he should do against a real Hunter.
"I suppose you have something to tell me?" Kieran said slowly.
Lee bitterly smiled instantly.
Chapter 557: Each Takes What He Needs
Chapter 557: Each Takes What He Needs
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
"Sir, youve been to Dublin Street before this right?" Lee asked.
Kieran frowned.
Kieran purposely went over to Dublin Street and had gotten rid of the butcher, Rudd, in order to deceive the original mastermind behind the scheme and Lee, of course, knew about it.
Now Lee asked the question once more, meaning something must have gone wrong.
Kieran didnt provide a reply and he signaled for Lee to continue.
After a deep breath, Lee provided him with more exnation.
"Unfortunately, a theft urred in the wealthy district in Dublin Street after your departure. The portrait of Artitelgar has been stolen and judging from the surveince feed, it was you who took that priceless painting. That millionaire owner was infuriated in losing the painting and he has given out a bounty of almost a million to locate you and his painting."
Lee continued to smile bitterly at this point and before Kieran could give any reply, he quickly connected his words.
"I know this is a fabricated charge against you in a clumsy way, many of the individuals in the underworld could achieve this yet to us underworld people, the things that we see in themon world... is very much beyond logic and reasons to themoners out there."
"So this huntsman here decided that he want to take me in? He wouldnt really trade me in for the bounty reward right?"
Kieran pointed at the unconscious Ditko after realizing what happened, his tone was filled with mocking.
Of course, Ditko wouldnt have traded him for the bounty reward but the decision of Ditko striking Kieran was no doubt an act that the Funeral Society wanted to show that millionaire.
Perhaps some other secret organization or other members would stand their ground, and not sumb to the wealthy, yet with that many forces and even some government rted ones behind the Funeral Society, they would definitely do what they did.
Other than that, the Funeral Society would definitely pretend to be very capable and im that they found the culprit based on the clues and leads just that the person wasnt the real thief or something like that.
Certainly, such ims would also be built on the strength that Kieran had shown, to show that the Funeral Society was the most capable organization around.
If it was just amon thief...
The result would be self-exnatory.
At the same time, the identity of that millionaire must be something since he was able to pressure the Funeral Society to deploy their huntsman right away.
"Of course not! Its just that the millionaire is too influential, we have to make a clear stance."
Lee shook his head and said. Everything was as Kieran expected, however, a certain fact bothered him.
"Judging from our rtionship, Im quite curious why would you help me like this."
Kieran stared at Lee with a ruminate manner.
After a few timesing in contact with Lee, Kieran knew that he wasnt a person that was zealous for themon weal, he couldnt even be considered as a good person in some aspects.
Why would such a person provide help to another guy that he only met a few times?
It was too ridiculous and unbelievable, there must be a reason for his actions.
Kieran was curious about that.
Lees bitter smile instantly turned heavier.
"Because helping you is helping myself!"
Another deep breathter, Lee stated out his original intentions.
"The person-in-charge of the area within the Funeral Society isnt always fixated on a single person. We have an assessment system to evaluate our performance. The ones who passed will stay or get promotions, the ones who failed will gets punished and might even get sent away to some pension department which is as good as banishment."
"One of my colleague who failed was transferred to such a department. Thest time I saw him, he looked no different from the other 60-year-old man, his body and will were so dispirited, as if he turned into a zombie! AND HE IS EVEN LESS THAN 30 YEARS OLD! I dont want to share the same fate as him!"
"Yet, the options before me are limited, the unusual incidents in Saint Brilliant cost HQ a huntsman. After Ive sent out an investigation request, a second reinforcement request was sent out again. Which cuts off all my paths of retreat. Now even that famous painting is lost! Ive been pushed down a cliff now, fortunately, Ive held onto a single straw that keeps me hanging."
Lee then looked at Kieran with sincere eyes.
"So you want me to help you find the painting?" Kieran squinted his eyes.
"Helping you is helping myself, at the same time, if you can lend me your assistance, you will be benefiting yourself as well! As long as we locate the painting, I have the confidence to persuade that person, not only will I maintain my position, you will get yourself a decent amount of rewards as well!"
Lee said with an utmost sincere tone.
Though, Kieran didnt even buy one bit of his sincerity. Lee was just being forced into a desperate situation, and this was his final struggle.
Should he seed, all would be good but should he fail?
Judging from Lees character, Kieran believed that Lee will be the first one to betray him.
Fabricating lies that he was controlled by him and sorts. Kieran didnt expose him even though he knew it in his heart because he still had a need for Lee and a quite desperate one as well.
So he wouldnt mind humoring him for the time being.
"Well said! Im quite anticipating that reward that you said!" Kieran replied.
"It will definitely exceed your expectation!, So shall we..."
"Wait! I still have to settle some things."
Kieran pointed at Kana, Jen and Tanya being tied at aside and Ditko who was knocked out cold beside the well and of course the well itself.
Lee was stunned for a second before he nodded repeatedly.
"I understand!"
Although he was eager to urge Kieran to locate the painting, he couldnt deny Kierans opinion at such timing.
"So let us find an appropriate ce."
"Please follow me!"
Lee picked up Ditko on his back and headed outside while Kieran picked up the girls and followed.
...
The earthquake only happened in a blink of an eye before it disappeared, yet the damage it caused made the firefighters and police in the city hustle everywhere.
Oaker hadnt gotten any rest for the whole night. After thest block of the suburbs that was leveled under his jurisdiction was cleaned up, he finally let out a breath of relief.
He was indeed a man of justice and was very willing in helping the poor yet his abilities were limited. His age had exceeded the boiling blood period of his life and he knew it clearly.
However, he was baffled with extra thoughts and feelings. Not only because of the fiends that he never heard of throughout his career but also because of the natural disaster.
Staring at the bodies covered in white cloth, his heart felt extremely helpless. Oaker lowered his head and turned away in a depressed state.
Then, he was stunned by what he saw. A person that he would never have expected appeared behind him.
The Funeral Society member, Lee.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Inspector Oaker had a bad impression of Lee and naturally, it caused his tone to worsen.
"Dont you want to know what caused the sudden earthquake?" Lee asked with a soft smile.
"What the hell are you going on about...The earthquake is manmade !?"
The inspector refuted Lees words out of instinct but before he finished, he reacted to what Lee was trying to convey. He grabbed Lee by the shoulder.
"Which bastard caused this!?" Oaker lowered his voice on purpose but he couldnt hide the anger within and one could hear the anger between the lines.
"Follow me!"
Lee said before turning around and headed into a small alley beside.
Chapter 558: I Don’t Believe Him
Chapter 558: I Dont Believe Him
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
After turning left and right a dozen times and walking almost for 20 minutes, Lee stopped before a two-story building.
Oaker looked around with strange eyes, he never thought that the base of operations of the Funeral Society member would be located on themercial street.
Though what followed was a sudden realization.
Only because it was located in themercial street with that much visitor traffic, when people saw someone unusual dressing on the street, no one would doubt anything, especially the exterior of the building was decorated with all sorts of weird ornaments and the signboard of a tattoo parlor.
The inspector nodded slightly.
With such decorations around the building, no one would doubt anything if someone dressed in an extreme peculiar manner. There indeed was a trend a few years back, the youngsters were so hyped about vampires that some of them really installed four sharp fangs onto their teeth.
Ding!
Lee opened the locked door and entered inside.
The wind chime hung outside to let out a pleasant sound as the door was opened, the inspector then followed quickly and tried to inspect what was inside the building.
What he saw was posters, catalogs for tattoos, nothing different than amon tattoo parlor.
Right after that, Oaker shifted his eyes to the second floor.
"The second floor is my office, the basement is the foyer," Lee said with a smile and did a please gesture, leading the inspector down to the basement.
Oaker went straight down without a second thought.
The moment Lee appeared before him, wanting to lead him somewhere, Oaker always knew who he was going to meet and at the same time predicted what was the meeting for. So, there was no need for further hesitation.
After going down along the wooden stairs, the inspector went down to the basement foyer.
It was a small living room and Kana, Tanya, and Jen who Oaker had met once before were at the tea table chit-chatting.
When the girls heard the squeaking noise from the wooden stairs, they quickly stopped their chit-chats andid their eyes on the inspector.
"Im here to see Bird of Death..."
"My knight shall see no mortals!"
"Hmph!"
"Good day inspector."
Before Inspector Oaker finished his words, three different replied were fired at him.
Even though Oaker had been through lots of storms, it still gave him a headache at the moment.
One girl was heavily stuck in her own world, acting like a mentally ill patient.
Another girl had an ice cold face as if someone owed her a couple millions of dors.
Thest one seemed quite normal if removed the absent-minded state.
The inspector came up with the wisest choice right away, search for Kieran himself.
After all, it was just a basement living room and there were only three rooms avable.
The girls would definitely take up at least one to two rooms and judging from their character, the rooms that they would choose...
Just as Oaker was trying to guess which room was Kieran in, Kieran called out to him.
"Inspector Oaker? Please, over here."
Kierans voice came from thest door in the corner.
Oaker quickly went over and pushed open the door.
Yet the moment he wanted to step into the room, he had to halt his steps.
The whole rooms carpet was filled with books!
Book after book wasid on the floor, opened up in a messy way yet seemingly arranged in an extremely orderly manner.
Not only was the floor was filled with books, even the bed and the sofa were too and judging from the papers, the books had quite the age as well.
"Pardon me."
Kieran smiled in an apologetic way while sitting down cross-legged. He then stood up from the carpet and carefully kept away all the books, opening a path for the inspector.
At the same time, he moved away from the two stacks of books from the sofa to the bed, allowing Oaker to have a proper seat.
Although Oakers experience grew as he aged, simultaneously, his vigor was fading away with his age as well. Back in the old days, staying up for a couple nights wasnt really a problem for the inspector but now, staying up one night for the rescue operation had caused quite the burden on his body.
Oaker leaned back on the sofa, slightly rxing his body before looking at Kieran.
"You want to tell me, you are not the one who stole Artitelgar portrait?" Oaker asked.
"Do you think its me?" Kieran replied to his question.
"I dont know but I will judge with my logic andmon sense. But against people like you, my logic couldntprehend sh*t, so I dont know!"
Oaker said in an honest manner and shook his head after thinking for a while.
Kieran couldnt help but smile at the honesty the inspector presented, he casually picked up a file beside him and handed it over.
The file in Oakers hand looked a bit aged. He opened it with a dubious mind.
Inside the file was a medical record.
"Ling? Her heart, liver and kidney had problems?"
The inspector frowned even harder when he read through the record.
Based on his medical understanding, any person who had such disease couldnt have survived yet Ling who had those diseases since birth survived and lived quite a healthy life.
If it wasnt for that ident...
"Hold on!"
Oaker raised his head at Kieran when the sudden realization struck him.
"Right, its what you think. Ling was the murderer behind the serial suicidal incident in Saint Brilliant High School." Kieran said in a calm tone.
"Even for survival, killing others is not right!" Oaker said as he continued to frown.
Kiera shrugged. He couldntment any further, not at Ling or Oaker.
Last night when Kieran went through the files, he already knew why Ling did what she did.
To live. It was simple yet hard.
For a person that never tasted despair, they could never understand how torturing it was but after experiencing the pain of despair, the urge to survive could cause one to disregard everything else, just like himself!
Of course, Kieran didnt regret his decision, maybe because of sharing the same experience with Ling, he could feel empathy for her but an enemy was an enemy, no mercy shall be given.
Readjusting his emotions, Kieran continued, "Well now, Ive helped you in solving the freaky cases in Saint Brilliant, now I suppose you can lend me a hand?"
"The thieving case that you are involved in is out of my reach. That millionaire is not someone a small inspector like me can meet nor persuade, not even the mayor of the city!"
It seemed like Oaker has misunderstood Kierans intention.
"No no, I dont need you to persuade him, what I need is what your abilities are capable of. Help me investigate this case of theft, from the start to end, its best if you can provide me with extreme details."
"How is it? Sound simple enough?" Kieran waved his hands and said.
"Very well then." Inspector Oaker nodded right away.
Just like what Kieran said, it wasnt a difficult task for him. When a case of theft like this happened, it was onlymon that an inspector was involved.
Oaker too moved out right away in a rigorous and effective manner, though when he arrived at the door, he suddenly asked, "It isnt hard for that fe to investigate stuff like this right?"
Who was the fellow that Oaker was referring to?
It was, of course, Lee, the member of the Funeral Society.
"I dont trust him." Kieran answered.
"Wise choice." The inspector nodded and left quickly without saying anything else.
After hearing Oakers footsteps leave the premises, Kieran closed the door and rubbed the ever-swelling temple of his.
Then his attention shifted to the spot where he hid the birds nest under the books.
Inside the nest, an egg simr to a quails egg was beating slowly.
Chapter 559: Fire Raven
Chapter 559: Fire Raven
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The egg was greyish white in color, shaking from time to time. In the center of the egg, a dim red glow was radiating.
Kieran who had pulled an all-nighter in reading had his brain swell up but his tired face was delighted when he saw that red glow.
He knew he had seeded.
Kieran still couldnt understand what the loot from yesterday was after a whole night. Though, other than the Jar of Sealing Fiends and the mysterious box with talisman charms wrapped around it, the rest was made clear to him.
One of them was a higher tier Magic rank equipment.
A bronze forged ring embedded with a special feather on top.
[Name: Float Ring]
[Type: essory]
[Rarity: Magic]
[Attack/ Defense: None]
[Attributes: Allows the wearer to float in the air for 5 minutes, able to walk on thin air as well, 1/day]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: You need to calcte your burden and sometimes include your own weight as well]
...
A Magic rank item that could be useful at specific times.
It was what Kieranmented but it also meant that it was useless most of the time.
Kieran put the ring into [Crimson Ghost Stomach] and all that remained was the Pawn Fire Raven Egg.
[Name: Pawn Fire Raven Egg]
[Type: Egg]
[Rarity: Magic]
[Attack/Defense: None]
[Attributes: None]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: You will need a special method to hatch it, transforming it into something that can aid you!]
...
There were many yers in the game who chose some fierce vicious beast as theirpanion, especially for the lone wolf yers. A reliable animalpanion was a definite choice in the long run.
Kieran too thought before of finding a strong and reliable animal to move his items but once he thought of the cost to rear one and that it might even drag him down during battles, he smartly gave up the choice.
Though the Pawn Fire Raven was different, Kieran saw it with his own eyes what those birds were capable of.
The birds might have average battle capabilities but when used for scouting or delivering messages, it would work decently. More importantly was the simple rearing method!
The books that he had gotten from the room under the well were about how to rear a Pawn Fire Raven, from hatching its egg to growing it into a mature stage and even how to train it.
It was aplete routine written down. Last but not least, at the end of the books, it stated that Pawn Fire Raven had the abilities to be infused with mes to increase their burning intensity and also share a link with their master.
Kieran immediately chose to hatch the egg.
Surprisingly, the hatching process was not hard at all, all it needed was a few drops of fresh blood.
The raven would also feed on meat, best be the meat of fiends.
Kieran had no worry for that either, after killing Crimson Ghost and Rudd, the loot was all exchanged into fiend meat and should be sufficient for feeding the raven at the current stage.
Kieran was anticipating the Pawn Fire Raven to hatch and grow quickly into a mature stage because he needed a helper!
As his dungeon entry number increased, so did the difficulty. Kieran didnt think it was a big deal at first but recently, he felt that his strength was starting to beckluster.
Since he had an excellent advantage from the beginning, it provided him with decent and maybe exponential growth, yet as a lone wolf yer, his disadvantages were getting clearer.
Each time he entered a new dungeon, he felt like he was blind.
All he could do was rely on the simple background description and the interaction from the natives to judge what was going on. It wasnt totally useless though, just less effective.
His efforts were iparable to those team yers which had multiple jobs topensate for each others shorings.
However, Kieran would never join a team because he knew perfectly the pros and cons of a team effort.
So, he was left with was a single option, boosting his strength in an all rounded way, as much as possible.
He would need to raise his strength to be able topete with a whole team!
From other yers perspective, it seemed impossible, but for Kieran who gained all the advantages throughout the dungeons, impossible had be possible, at least it was already a solid fact that he was strong.
He was all rounded, but unable to excel in all aspects, yet he still surpassed the other yers in melee, range, hand-to-hand, secret spells and even special abilities.
The only thing he was missing now was the quick understanding of new dungeon worlds.
After all, Kieran didnt know how to split himself up, two was always better than one.
As for his skill [Touch of Cardinal Sins]?
That skill might seem like it could allow him to create multiple avatars of himself but once he did, it was not probing for information of the dungeon worlds but causing a huge massacre.
Therefore, a sentry or scout helper became important to his arsenal.
If he had a scout that could grasp the information at hand in a quicker way, even if it was just a general understanding, it would be enough for Kieran to gain the upper hand and not stay on the passive side like he was now.
In fact, Kieran knew it clearly. If it wasnt for his habits, trying to excavate more sub-missions as he went, he might be cheated or scammed by the system in this current dungeon world.
His original main mission was...
[Solve at least one special case in Saint Brilliant High School in 1 week]
Yet how did it turn out?
The mastermind behind struck him on the second day and dragged down the whole high school with him.
If he was fortunate enough, he might be able to solve one or two more fiend cases to finish his main mission but a high possibility was failing the main mission itself.
He was fortunate this time but what about the next?
Would he still be able to rely solely on luck?
Kieran was not surprised by the systems cunning but he preferred to be prepared for the storms toe.
Therefore, he became more excited for the Pawn Fire Raven egg to hatch.
Though ording to the books, Pawn Fire Raven was an avian fiend with exponential growth yet its hatching process was less simple. It would require three drops of blood every day andst for a full seven days.
A week wasnt short nor long, Kieran could afford to wait.
He drew out [Arrogant Word] and ced his index finger on the sharp tip. A small cut appeared on his finger and he pressed it against his thumb, droplets of blood started to fall onto the egg.
The blood was absorbed into the egg quickly, radiating the red glow, even more, it was like a dim candle to a low powered light bulb.
Kieran checked on the egg and found nothing unusual after, he then buried himself into the pile of books again.
The books were all the collections of the Funeral Society, recording the underworld of the current dungeon world.
Even though it was just a branch office, the information there was extremely important to Kieran since he was almost blind about the lore and legends behind the world.
It was also one of the reasons that Kieran chose to work with Lee with his character.
Other than Lee, Kieran had no idea where else to find books about the dungeon world.
Kieran was extremely careful in choosing the books judging from Lees character.
Kieran imed that he noticed something unusual back in the well and wanted to study more to investigate, using that as a reason he grabbed all of Lees book collections.
While he was going through the books, Kieran only skimmed through the main points and made connections in his mind, that was why there wasnt any space for the inspector to ce his feet when he came in.
Kieran wasnt really fond of such reading methods, he would prefer finishing one book before jumping to another. It was his habit that he gained at Nikoreis ce, reading one book after another but he understood time wasnt a luxury granted to him right now.
After he had a general understanding of the value of the million dor bounty on his head, Kieran knew the time presented to him was limited.
Wealth could strike a chord in a mans heart. If he wished not to lead himself into such encirclement by those bounty hunters, the best option would be to solve the problem at hand.
Before that, he had other things to settle first.
Kieran took in a deep breath and took out the [Jar of Sealing Fiends].
He still had no idea what was in the box but the [Jar of Sealing Fiends] was different.
He had a general idea of the jars origin and after reading through the books, he had an idea on how to open it.
After chanting the incantations softly, the talisman charms on the jar started to fall off
The next moment...
BANG!
The cork flew out!
Chapter 560: Merman’s Meat
Chapter 560: Mermans Meat
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
A faint smoke flowed out from the Jar of Sealing Fiends.
Kieran carefully backed up to the wall as he witnessed the scene.
Although Lee had been evasive about the jar before, ording to the information Kieran gathered throughout the night, the jar was exactly what he had first spected: a treasure chest.
The treasure chest was passed down from an unknown era and what it held inside was anyones guess.
In simple words, the things inside might benefit fiends or humans.
Though, ording to the books, most items that benefited humans would cause damage to fiends and vice versa.
There was also the exception that the item might benefit both sides but to determine what it was, it would depend on ones luck.
However, it was not exactly Kierans assumption.
Even though the books didnt have a clear record, after that many decades and based on how special the jar was, there must be some conclusion concluded by some intelligent folks. Yet, the jar was in the hands of a certain faction and by that time and most people didnt have ess to it.
A simple example was thetest owner of the jar, Ling.
Luck wasnt really applicable to her case judging from how she held tightly to the jar. She must have understood some things about the jar and was able to verify what was inside.
That was why she held it tightly in her arms even during the battle with Kieran.
Since that Ling was a fiend, Kieran had to be extremely careful.
Not only did he avoid the smoke but he also held his breath, staring at the jar with a heavy gaze.
The unsealed [Jar of Sealing Fiends] slowly dissipated in the air but the smoke from inside didnt spread out nor disperse.
The cloud of smoke turned into a single ball, looking like cotton candy or even a real cloud in the sky.
Then, a great aroma came from within the smoke, causing Kieran to gulp down his saliva uncontrobly.
Greed and Gluttony inside him were almost going out of control, following by the others.
Other than Pride, even Sloth was staring at the cloud of smoke before his eyes.
The Eye of Chimeras energy was beating vigorously in his heart.
"What is this?"
The unusual reactions of the cardinal sins made Kieran reach out his hands into the smoke.
He maximized his own will and sanity to restrict himself from swallowing what was inside the cloud.
[Name: Mermans Meat]
[Type: Meat]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Attack/Defense: None]
[Attribute: The flesh of a high fiend, consuming it will greatly boost low fiends power and prolong the lives of natives.]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Remark: Do you really want immortality? Well, you still need a great chef the legendary cooking utensils!]
...
"Mermans Meat?" Kieran was stunned.
Then, a sudden realization hit him. The only thing that could cause such a ruckus in Lings heart who longed for life more than anyone, other than this piece of meat, there wasnt anything else.
Kieran then squinted his eyes at the [Mermans Meat].
Even though Greed and Gluttony were screaming in his heart, "Eat it! Eat it!", tempting Kieran to consume it, but Kieran didnt n to.
He saw the Pawn Fire Raven egg at a side, he clearly felt that the egg was restless when [Mermans Meat] appeared. It was a feeling of longing, an urge!
"The temptation of a high fiend to a low fiend is this lethal? Even though the low fiend raven hasnt even hatched! No wonder the other fiends were so eager to get their hands on this!"
Kieran tried to move [Mermans Meat] near the egg and the red glow radiated even brighter.
Kieran couldnt help but take in a deep breath, he was overwhelmed by the scene.
At the same time, a sudden thought bloomed in his heart.
What would happen if he fed the [Mermans Meat] to the Pawn Fire Raven?
ording to the books, Pawn Fire Raven was a low fiend and not even an outstanding one among all the others. It relied on its enormous numbers to secured a ce in the vast amount of fiends out there and Kieran only had one at the moment, he couldnt rear a whole bunch given the circumstances.
However, the thought did cross his mind but he wascking Pawn Fire Raven eggs.
Ling was able to increase the ravens amount because she had the resources and powers of three generations of her family, granting her a decent achievement.
Kieran had limited time so if there was a way to enhance the Pawn Fire Raven, Kieran wouldnt mind at all. Even more so when he had the choice of choosing between a native and a fiend, the Pawn Fire Raven that he already decided on was a natural choice.
He didnt ce the [Mermans Meat] onto the egg immediately, even though he did decide the eventual route for the piece of meat, he didnt mind using it to create more issues.
Ding Ding Ding!
Kieran pressed the bell beside the head of his bed.
After ten seconds, a knock sounded in front of his door.
"Anything that I can help you with, Master Bird of Death?" Lee asked standing outside the door.
"I need a box made out of ice!" Kieran requested.
Fortunately, the books from Lingsir did mention clearly how to perfectly preserve the [Mermans Meat].
"Very well, right away sir!"
Lee left in a hurry and returned as fast.
After Kieran granted Lee the permission to enter, Lee entered Kierans room.
Lee was instantly stunned when he saw what Kieran was holding.
"Mer...Mermans Meat!?" Lee stuttered heavily as his voice was trembling.
Right after that, his eyes were radiating in an unusual brilliance. It was the re of greed, followed by some other emotions that was brought up together with greed.
Hmph!
A cold, heavy grunt sounded like a grenade echoed in Lees ear right after that.
Lee quivered out of his bad manners and quickly recollect his senses.
"Im sorry Master Bird of Death! This is too astonishing! Anyone whoid eyes on the Mermans meat will be moved, I am no exception either ! But... since it is in your hands, I dare not have any other thoughts!"
Lee handed over the ice box and stated his stand. He did sound sincere though.
He didnt even raise his head as he spoke, but the change of tone was enough to express what he really was nning.
Kieran smiled against him, it was the effect that he wanted.
Not only from Lee, Kieran wanted more men, fiends to know he had the Mermans Meat but he needed to set a limit on how many should know about this. It shouldnt be too much or too weak in terms of strength.
Therefore, the Funeral Society member before him was the perfect medium.
With Lees character, given that he wasnt able to get his hands on [Mermans Meat] himself, he would definitely sell the information, luring even morepetitors.
Whether it was the rewards from selling the information or the chances for him to acquire profit in times of trouble, it was enough to motivate him.
"Master Bird of Death, [Mermans Meat] is too valuable! It will attract horrifying foes and even a true High Fiend! So please dont bring the meat out of this basement! Only the shielding field here can iste the [Mermans Meat]s presence!" Lee said.
"But I want to see that millionaire who lost Artitelgar portrait!"
Kieran purposely frowned in front of Lee, knowing what Lees true intentions were.
"Please believe me! Having the [Mermans Meat] with you, anyone would show up before your door despite the millionaire rejecting my request for a meeting a few hours ago! Please leave everything to me! I will make the necessary arrangements!"
Lee then quickly left after delivering what he wanted to say.
Kieran stared at Lees back, his face was filled with anticipation.
"Ill leave my potential rewards and loot to you then!"
After muttering in his heart, Kieran turned back to his books beside him and stuffed his face into reading again. There were too many things that he wanted to know, he had to make the seconds count.
Yet, some obnoxious disturber would surely appear during crucial times.
Dong, Dong Dong!
Kana was frowning, knocking at Kierans door.
Chapter 561: Rassho Temple
Chapter 561: Rassho Temple
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The knocking subsided.
"Come in." Kierans voice came from within the room.
Kana came through the door. Even though she prepared herself a lot, she couldnt hold herself back at the faint aroma.
She nced over the [Mermans Meat] in the ice box and quicked turned away.
Kieran frowned against her actions.
He originally thought Kana was there because of the [Mermans Meat] but it seemed like it was some other matter, which peaked Kierans curiosity.
Kieran did directly spill words posing threats to her life before, making her obey him for the time being. It was natural that such obedience wouldntst long.
So, what did Kana have up her sleeve to persuade him instead? With words or actual actions?
Kieran was very expectant because he knew there was substance in her words.
He still had a heavy impression of Kana though, perhaps her strength might be average to above average but she was definitely a cunning character.
The way she perfectly utilized her age, sex, and even her attitude was a feat that nomon high school girl could do, especially under the influence of her bloodline, that attitude which caused her to get angry about almost anything.
It was extremely difficult for her to achieve what she did, Kieran knew it in his gut.
While Kieran was staring at her, Kana opened her mouth.
"We need to leave this ce!"
"Me and Jen!" A slight pauseter, she emphasized once more.
"Oh." Kieran nodded withoutmenting on her decision and was waiting for a follow up.
"Jens parents were from Rassho Temple. We would contact them on a daily basis at a certain hour but from yesterday onwards, we didnt send out any message because of the incident. Jens parents would be worried!" Kana said slowly.
"Rassho Temple?" Kieran squinted his eyes.
He wasnt a stranger to that term.
During his all-nighter spent reading, Rassho Temple had appeared more than once in multiple books, even with his quick skimming readings.
The frequency of the term was even higher than the Funeral Society and onlyparable to a few more terms.
ording to the books, Rassho Temple and a couple more civil organization were the main forces in dealing with the fiends before the Funeral Society.
Even after the Funeral Societys emergence, it didnt affect Rassho Temples position in the public, quite the contrary, it lifted their position at the same time because one of the founders of the Funeral Society was from Rassho Temple.
Kieran wouldnt dare underestimate such an organization, just that he never would have imagined that ever-dazed Jen was rted to one.
"Inheritance... Rassho Temple? Could it be?" Kierans squinted eyes were shining brightly.
He rted the ce with Sanctuary Force almost instinctively.
Though, it didnt mean Kieran would take Kanas word for it.
"I have no reasons to lie to you. Such petty lies would surely be seen through within moments. If you dont believe me, I can call Rassho Temple and prove Jens identity!"
Kana saw how Kieran reacted. Her half-fiends sharp intuition caught the inconceivable thoughts from Kieran and quickly exined.
Kieran however smiled.
"So?" He asked.
Then, before Kana could continue, Kieran continued, "So you hope that I will release you girls or let you make the phone call to verify? Even though there is some misunderstanding in the process, Im afraid that you girls might either be long gone or reinforcements will storm this ce. Am I right?"
Kana was frozen by the reply.
"I am not lying!" She emphasized.
"I cant take your words for it, so I have a better way to make myself believe you!"
Kieran raised his left hand as he spoke.
[Mesly Ring] was shining brightly.
Kana was shivering as the ring shone, the unspeakable fear descended on her once more, enveloping her souls.
"I AM NOT LYING! I AM REALLY NOT LYING TO YOU!"
Her scream of panic caused her to stagger backward, which paused Kierans movements.
In a more precise way, after Kieran got what he wanted, such threats and scaring was not necessary anymore.
It wasnt a few days ago, if it was, Kieran would directly cast the ring on Kana, making her one of his puppets.
Now, however, there were more things on Kierans te waiting for him to digest. He had no intentions to further causeplications.
Kana wasnt alone after all, and where Kieran was now was someone elses premises.
Even if Kana was beingpletely obedient, some changes were enough to spark unwanted attention from others.
Kieran never dared underestimate anyone. If he treated others as fools, he would be one in the end.
"Go make the call," Kieran said.
"Huh!?" Kana was stunned when he backed up to the wall out of panic.
"Go make the call, tell Jens parents in Rassho Temple or the reinforcements of your choice. Tell them everything that youe across and happened here." Kieran said slowly
Kana was dubious against the sudden change of heart while her heart was still pumping fiercely.
Though she didnt utter another word, she knew what she needed the most at the moment.
Kana quickly turned around and walked out.
The door was shut once again, leaving Kieran alone in deep thought in the room.
He was sitting in a pile of books quietly, perfecting his own ns.
From the start till end, he never minded more people being involved in this current situation, as long as there were enough rewards and benefits.
Of course, he had toplete the [Special Event] while he was at it.
Kieran flipped the books once more, trying to search for the fiend that was rted to the earthquake.
At the same time, a map of me City was opened up before him.
He picked up the red marker and started to draw lines.
A long, thin line was quickly drawn across the map and that direction at the end was where he felt that terrifying presence.
Though he wasnt sure whether the person or fiend was on the "line".
His A+ Intuition allowed him to capture all the details within a dozen meter in radius, yet once the target left the range, his abilities would be a littleckluster.
So when Kieran sensed the terrifying presence, he already knew it was because he was fighting the dragon-snake sculptures. The fight revealed the force behind, not because of the person or thing was in range.
As for where the person or thing was, Kieran couldnt be sure.
It wasnt a good news for him since he needed to investigate [Unusual ground movements].
As far as investigating was concerned, he could only follow the traces left behind by the thing and makeparisons with the records in the books, trying to search for a connection in between and rted to more.
No doubt it was a stupid way but it was the only one he coulde up with for now.
He was certain that the thing couldnt have absorbed all the power from the earthquake from thin air, there must be some special method involved and such a method surely wasnt a simple one, to build or to utilize.
Otherwise, it wasnt necessary for the thing to only sh its presence.
What if the thing wasnt within me Citys premises?
It wasnt out of the realm of possibilities though.
Kieran did think of the possibility as well but he wasnt quite willing to give up before trying.
Therefore, Kieran spent the whole morning and afternoon staring at the map before him and flipping through the books around him.
The search was boring and dry but Kieran used his best patience and wouldnt let go of a single detail.
Until he found a hidden map inside a certain book cover.
Chapter 562: Incoming Strike
Chapter 562: Iing Strike
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The book cover was yellowish but the pictures on it were very lively.
"What is this!?"
Kieran saw the picture of the dragon-snake like creature and quickly lifted up the book.
In fact, when Kieran started his investigation through the books, he was ready to start off with the obvious pir creatures and also Saint Brilliant High School.
No doubt those lead him to a dead end.
Saint Brilliant High School was nothing but a normal high school, no valuable information was written in the books about it.
As for those sculpture creatures, it wasnt possible for Kieran to identify them if he didnt carefully read through the books but he didnt have that much time on his hands.
So, he was prepared to approach the matter in a more direct way.
Asking.
The poption in me City was definitely not at the least number within the whole dungeon world, though before he even began to ask, he gained a surprising find.
"The Great Swamp?"
Kieran raised a brow when he saw the strange name. He continued flipping through the books but what made him speechless was, other than the mention of the name itself, there was only another term describing it as one of the Grand Fiend bloodlines in recent ancient times.
Nothing more than that was found, but Kieran didnt give up.
Knowing a name was better than nothing at all.
At least he could climb the vines, in search for more leads on the name.
He took up the books and trying to find more rted records about the name.
Yet, disappointment struck him again, all the books in the room hadnt written down anything about the Great Swamp, let alone finding a detailed description.
"Are the details in some even more secretive books?" Kieran muttered softly.
The books before Kieran was all of Lees collection, which he was quite certain of it but at the same time, it also determined that the books werent too much of a value or high level.
Even though Lee was responsible for the whole branch office of the Funeral Society in the district, with his attitude and character, all he required in his books would be the needs to help him climb up higher in the ranks.
The books in the room were just tools for Lee to better grasp his current position in the society.
Using Lees perspective as a starting point, it would be natural that his book collections were limited. Though judging from Kierans limited experience in the current dungeon world, even if Lee wanted to acquire more high-level books, it wasnt really possible for him.
The more secretive the knowledge in the books, the higher the value.
The saying was applicable in almost every instance. With how Lee behaved and presented himself, he was far from able to approach such books.
The person-in-charge of the Funeral Society branch office.
The title might sound decent, but seeing how Lee treated even amon Fiend Hunter with utmost reverence and respect, it was safe to say that without the title, he was just a high-level receptionist.
Though, Lee did possess a certain level of capabilities.
Kieranmented on him a second time when he brought news that the millionaire who lost his portrait wanted to meet.
After a quick tidy up, Lee brought in a middle-aged man into Kierans room.
"This is Sir Artitelgar."
"This here is Master Bird of Death."
Lee introduced both parties and quickly left the room, leaving the meeting to Kieran.
The moment the door was shut, the well dressed middle-aged man that seemed very energetic with a small mustache was eyeing Kieran with a judging re.
His gaze wasnt sharp by any means but seemed to be hiding something.
Soon enough, the millionaires eyes were ced on the icebox with [Mermans Meat] in it and before Kieran could utter a word, he quickly said, "Name your price, I can ept any price as long as its not too absurd. I can even look past the fact that you stole Artitelgars Portrait."
Kieran couldnt hold back andughed when he heard the seemingly generous but actually harsh words.
"If you didnt appear before my room and assumed that I stole Artitelgars Portrait, its understandable. But when you appeared before me and still acted like this... Are you trying to suppress the price for [Mermans Meat]? Or some perhaps its some other agenda?"
Kieran walked to the sofa and sat down.
He leaned backfortably and said with a calm tone but he didnt invite the man to sit.
In fact, the only furniture that could be treated as a chair in the room other than the sofa was the bed.
The bed though was filled with books and Kieran had taken the sofa for himself.
It was very bad manners treating a guest during normal times but was the middle-aged man a guest to begin with?
Aside from his attitude, the sole blind usation of theft from him was enough to disgust Kieran.
Before this meeting, Kieran already had a hint about the mans rtionship with the Funeral Society and when he appeared in Kierans room, it verified Kierans theory as well.
Regarding such a rtionship, wouldnt the millionaire be ignorant about fiends and the underworld hidden from in sight?
The answer, no.
Since the man already knew the existence of the fiends yet he presented such an attitude to Kieran, then his methods were something worth pondering over.
"What are you saying? Is your tone questioning me?" The manughed coldly.
Then, the man strode towards the ice box with [Mermans Meat] inside, acting like the deal will continue after he got his hands on the goods.
It was very dangerous to take something from a stingy scrooges pocket without asking for permission.
Kieran squinted his eyes.
A cold re shed over.
A moment ago, Kieran was sitting on the sofa and the next moment, Kieran appeared before Artitelgar. Before he could react to Kieran, a kick wasunched at him.
Fuung! Bang Bang!
The air-breaking whistle sounded as Artitelgar flew away as if he was hit by a truck. He crashed through the door and smashed into the wall behind, embedding himself deep inside.
Surprisingly, after such a heavy hit, Artitelgar was not heavily wounded, all he suffered was some chafed skin.
Though Kieran wasnt at his full strength but the oue was as astonishing.
A half-fiend!
Artitelgars identity was clear but Kieran wasnt too concerned about him as he knew what his priorities were.
He ced the ice box with [Mermans Meat] into [Crimson Ghost Stomach] and took the Pawn Fire Raven egg away before walking towards Artitelgar who was struggling to get up.
"Did your parents ever teach you that you should never touch peoples things? And, listening to some one-sided statement and you still havent gone bankrupt? Your millionaire status is a big joke! Or are you actually an imposter?"
Kieran added another kick to "Artitelgar", causing him to fall to the ground again as he spoke.
Then, Kierans gaze turned towards the stairs.
A figure was slowlying down, a heavy one as well. It caused the wooden stairs to squeak sharply when its heavy weight walked over.
Tsk Gak, Tsk Gak!
When the figure stood up at the stairs, it was like a piece of wall blocked Kierans path.
"Hand over the [Mermans Meat]!"
A heavy voice sounded from the figures mouth and his actions were much faster than his words.
Fuuu!
His ferocious body leaned forward, raising his robust arms at Kieran, trying to strangle Kieran.
Though, at the next moment, his huge body was frozen on spot.
The icy frost was covering his face and plummeted the temperature in the basement living room.
However, the drop in temperature was like a signal, a signal for an explosion.
KABOOM!
mes and shockwaves ravaged the basement.
Kieran was engulfed wholly by the sudden burst of mes.
Chapter 563: Suppressed Delusion
Chapter 563: Suppressed Delusion
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The fiery mes burst out from the ground.
The seed of fire was rumbling, swirling around fiercely, as the mes were infused with tremendous power, sting the whole tattoo parlor up into the sky.
A couple of shops next to the branch office couldnt escape their destruction either.
The stwave from the explosion leveled the other structures instantly.
Debris, dust flew across the sky.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA!:
Lee who was opposite the street behind his defensive structure wasughing outrageously.
The greed within was floating upon his face as heughed, his face was twisted to a scary look.
"Lee, do you know what you are doing?" A sound of question echoed in his ear.
Ditko the huntsman from Funeral Society HQ who was in chains behind Lee was ring at him.
In fact, not only Ditko, Kana, Tanya, and Jen were tied up as well, together with Inspector Oaker.
The small crowd was ring angrily at Lee.
"I know! Of course, I know! Without enough talents and strength, no matter how much efforts I put in, nothinges my way! Ive contributed so much to the society but what do I get in return? I am still stuck in this damned corner as a receptionist!"
"And you, Huntsman? You can simply finish a mission and gain the sry equal to my entire year or maybe even more! Whenever one of you are missing in action the HQ will investigate thoroughly, but what about me? Even if I did die, a couple of dayster, some other receptionist wille in and rece me, as if I never existed..."
"I dont want to be rejected like this, I dont want this kind of life! So I will resist! I will fight, I want to control my own fate!"
Lee didnt back off when Ditko was ring at him. He grabbed Ditko by the cors and shouted at him in the face.
"This is how you control your own fate?"
Ditko who was in chains didnt stand down either, he pushed his head at Lees, questioning Lees decision.
"YES! This is my way of getting control of my own fate! That Mermans Meat in that special ice box will be enough to change my life! I can consume it or trade it for something I want! I can even be a huntsman or even a real Hunter!"
Lee nodded heavily, emphasizing every single word.
"You..."
Bamch!
Just as Ditko wanted to say more, he was punched in the face by Lee.
The punch sunk in hard at Ditkos face, causing him a lot of pain but Lees face was very delighted.
"Ive always wanted to try to punch a huntsman!" Lee said.
Then he turned his eyes to the girls.
The girls were moving their body in an unsettling way when they were stared at by such sickening gaze, even Kana the grumpy one was no exception because she knew the man before her had gone mad.
Lee was forced out of his mind under all those heavy rules yet such sighs couldnt help her to solve the problem at hand at all.
Kana nced over the zing ce with the corner of her eyes, an angry feeling rose up in her heart.
"How can you die so easily... what a pretending ass!" Kana muttered with anger.
"What are you waiting for? Waiting for Bird of Death to appear before you? Im afraid he might be a roasted bird now!"
Lee mocked Kana when he spotted her unusual reactions.
"My knight is immortal!" Tanya said with a trembling voice, shrinking behind Kana.
"Immortal?" Leeughed coldly and pointed beside the zing fire.
Two obviously strong and tall men who surpassedmon men were standing beside the fire, holding a machine gun in each of their hand.
The pitch ck body of the machine guns plus the yellowish orange bullets hanging on top were giving out a ferocious shine under the sunlight.
Anyone whoid eyes on them would surely quiver uncontrobly.
Tanya and the girls were no exception as well.
They even painted the picture of what Kieran had to face if he escaped the fire.
Three girls went quiet and it fueled Lees delights even more.
"You girls are all my merchandise, one with talents, one is a half-fiend and another with a special body. Each of you is quite favorable amongst the big names and fiends and you girls will be the first bucket of gold for me!"
Lee was stating what he will do to them and he turned towards the silent inspector.
"And you? Complete trash! Each time youy your eyes on me, that contempt in your eyes... You think you are so noble, so high up? Assuming you will never be corrupted by the filth around you? That is because you never tasted the power of authority!"
Lee was stepping on the inspector as he spoke, he vented out his anger on the poor inspector.
Ban Ban Ban!
Lees boots kept shing with the inspectors abdomen. Under the heavy relentless hits, the inspector soon limped down on the ground.
Lee, on the other hand, was breathing heavily from all the beating.
"You useless trash! Only know how to live in your own justifiable world, I will send you to where you belong now!" Lee took in a deep breath to regte his flow; he pulled out a gun and pointed it at the inspector.
"LEE!" Ditko yelled to stop him.
Lee turned his head at Ditko, presenting a malicious smile at the Huntsman.
His index finger was slowly squeezing the trigger.
BANG!
The zing explosion scene exploded once more, causing the fire to burn even hotter. A couple of big concrete panels tumbled out of the fire and fell aside.
A figure then emerged in mid-air, above from the zing me.
Amidst the fluttering noise, the ck feathered mantle was moving as the wind was moving against it.
Kieran!
"Fire! Shoot him into a sieve!"
After Kierans sudden re-emergence, Lee couldnt care less about the inspector anymore. He pointed his gun at the sky and fired his gun directly.
Bang Bang Bang!
Dak Dak Dak Dak Dak!
The handgun and machine guns fired relentlessly.
Kieran who was floating in mid-air was instantly covered with a ssh of blood.
The crowds sudden joy because of Kierans re-emergence was soon reced by terror once more, especially Tanya. She closed her eyes and kept muttering, "My knight is immortal! My knight is immortal! My knight is immortal..."
Though, her muttering was quickly suppressed by a franticugh.
"DIE! DIE! DIE! Even if you are a huntsman, you will die without a grave!"
Lee hadpletely lost it, all he had in mind was pulling the trigger of the gun in his hand, so were his half-fiend goons beside him.
Their expressions changed drastically as they were filled with delight and something to look forward to.
They didnt even see the high demon that walked out from their shadows behind them.
The three of them had fallen into the pleasant dream weaved by the high demon.
"Ive done it! Ive done it! I am the king of the world!"
Lee shouted in joy, followed by blood gushing out from his seven apertures. His body then started to dry up in an exponential rate as if he was a dried corpse in the dessert for a couple of years.
The other two goons shared a simr fate as well.
The drastic changes in the evil trio caused the crowd to feel uneasy. Their eyes were staring at the high demon with the face of Kieran but the high demon took a step back and went into the shadows, disappearingpletely.
Dak Dak Dak.
The rigorous footsteps sounded from afar.
Kierans figure slowly came out from the zing fire.
The lethal heat didnt even harm Kieran a single bit, on the contrary, a slight breeze suddenly blew over the fire, slowly extinguishing its raging fury.
A small path appeared on top of the fire all of a sudden as Kieran stepped on it.
He was like the zing king walking his ownnds and the mortal mes dimmed down as if they pledged their loyalty to their lord.
The street that was long was sealed off suddenly turned quiet.
All that was left was the burning sparks from the fire.
The gazes from the crowd were like cheers for Kierans coronation as the zing king.
Some other fiends who were around the area saw the scene as well and each of them held their breath back. Their eyes were filled with hesitation but soon enough, greed took over their sanity.
Wung! Wung!
The raging wind suddenly turned into a storm.
Under the fierce storm, dozens of figures threw themselves at Kieran.
Chapter 564: Videotape
Chapter 564: Videotape
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The obvious aroma of the meat spread throughout the street as the fire burnt.
The hunger and greed fueled the fiends bodies.
They ran faster and faster. Sharp teeth and ws extended out like ferocious beasts going out of control.
"Careful!" Ditko called out to Kieran instinctively but a dozen figures enveloped Kieran in an instant.
BANG!
An indistinguishable bangter, a dozen figures stopped in mid-air as if they were frozen.
No! It was not a metaphor, they were indeed frozen.
The ice shield on Kierans right hand formed up right before the fiends threw themselves at him and were broken upon contact.
The cracks on the shield spread like lightning, the frozen air burst out from the seam like a raging tide.
Within a 3-meter radius area, everything was frozen, including the mes.
The mortal fire was suppressed before by [Seattle Right Hand, Ice Hand Shield] and this time around, the fire couldnt even resist the frozen air.
The fiends shared the same fate. The one in front of the bunch was turned into an ice statue without the slightest resistance. Those behind the first one had their ws and heads stuck out in ice as well, only the fiends behind the frontline escaped death.
Though it wasnt any good news for the fiends. When the heavy air-breaking whistle sounded from [Arrogant Word], the surviving fiends were sliced in half at the waist together with the frozen one in front of them.
[Arrogant Word]s sharpness and length would not spare a single one of them.
Kieran wouldnt let them escape either after waiting for this exact moment.
Relying on [Secondary Elemental Damage Resistance] and [Body of Evil] Kieran wouldnt have suffered any real damage in the mes but the explosion stwave was different. If he hasnt put up [Primus Scale] as a defense, he would not be unharmed right now.
Kieran had to admit the trap that calcted his own abilities was quite effective against him, however, the enemies levels were too low, or in a more precise term, they couldnt meet his standards.
Aside from a real High Fiend, not even one from the bunch of fiends that shared the powers of Flurry de Ghost, which was only a mid-tier fiend.
In the end, his loot from this event was only two scattered green equipment plus the machine guns further away, which also would not have any real value.
As his dungeon entry number increase, so did his rewards of Points and Skill Points. He had long passed the stage of a newbie, he couldnt be excited with two machine guns.
Though, regardless of how small a mosquito was, it could still be treated as a meal by lizards.
Kieran would never give up on his spoils of war, let alone it was in a convenient way.
He picked up the two Magic equipment which were no doubt low tier items and the machine guns together with its magazine; he stuffed everything inside the [Crimson Ghost Stomach].
Chang Chang!
Kieran swung [Arrogant Word] around and broke all the chains on the crowd. As the others were freed, he went over to the inspector.
"How are you?" Kieran took out a High Bandage Gauze from his pack.
"Almost dead!" Oaker was stating in a ridiculing way.
Then he turned his eyes at the Funeral Society member who was turned into a dried corpse.
Oakers bloody face had an extrayer of thought and sunk into his own spections.
"He... Nevermind, as age grows, Ive be more sensational. Sigh."
Oaker shook his head and eventually didnt utter his mind, allowing Kieran to bandage him.
Kieran, on the other hand, didnt eveny eyes on Lee from the start to end.
Perhaps Lees words and actions were correct from a certain point of view but Kieran couldnt share the same view with him, because he didnt allow his ambitions to get the better of him.
Kieran knew what he wanted and he always reminded himself to be calm when facing the things that he longed for the most, simr to the current situation.
The inspector should have gone back to the station yet he returned and plunged his head into Lees trap, surely he must have gotten some new leads. Though Kieran wouldnt press the issue at the moment, prying information out of a wounded old man. All he cared about now was helping the inspector with his wounds.
Any native that wasnt hostile had earned Kierans kind treatment, let alone the inspector reminded him of a certain chief officer that he called a friend.
"This... This is magical!"
The inspector felt the cool sensation from [High Bandage Gauze] and after a mere ten seconds, he could already stand up by himself.
"Its only skin wounds so its easier to heal. Broken bones, however, are a different story!"
Kieran wanted the inspector to be careful.
"You should be fortunate that these copies of videotape were unharmed!"
The inspector than handed a cowhide bag which fell beside him to Kieran.
"Have a look! You might get something out of it. Though, I suggest you be quick. Many weird individuals started to emerge at the millionaires mansion." Oaker reminded Kieran.
"Thanks!"
Kieran took over the bag and turned around to a silent Ditko.
"Ill report to HQ exactly what happened here... As for the theft of Artitelgars portrait, you shouldnt worry about those whoe for the bounty but Artitelgar himself should worth more of your attention." Ditko said.
Then he left in a hurry before Kieran could ask more.
Kana who was holding Jen with her hands also wanted to leave.
"You still have the scent of [Mermans Meat] on you. If you want fewer troubles, best you find something to hide that scent."
Kana than took Jen who was still absent-minded as ever and dragged Tanya away who was crying to stay behind. The girls quickly disappeared at the end of the street.
Kieran saw them off. He was quite interested in Rassho Temple as well but he knew what was his current priority.
"Any ce to watch these videos?"
Kieran shook the bag in front of Oaker.
"Follow me."
...
Kieran followed the inspector, leaving the already sealed offmercial street.
After passing through firetrucks and police cruisers one after another, they reached the station.
Kieran was shocked when he saw the inspector walked into the station gate.
"Are you telling me to watch these at the station?" Kieran asked.
"What? You think I will bring you back to my home? A troublesome fellow as you? Im not deaf you know. What Kana said before, Ive heard everything!" Oaker said in an upset tone.
However, even though Oaker said as such, he didnt bring Kieran into the stations main building but made a detour to the back, an independent two storey building.
"This is where the forensics used to work before the new building was built. Now its nothing but an empty storeroom. Hmmm... Lets hope the video yer still works."
Oaker said as he pushed open the door and walked inside. He quickly went over and set up an old video yer and TV for Kieran.
After wiping the dust away, connecting cables and checking whether it worked, Oaker took over the bag of tapes and inserted it into the video yer.
SaaaaaSaaaaa!
The blurry fuzzy image appeared on the TV screen.
Two secondster, the surveince feed was yed. The video was taken from a high angle.
A giant iron door with the height of one and a half grown man has taken up most of the screen. Then, a figure slowly appeared on the screen and because of the angle positioning, the camera clearly captured the figures face.
Kieran frowned.
He clearly saw "himself" in the video, taking out the key naturally and opened the iron door. "He" walked in casually and after a few seconds, carrying out a portrait painting taller than himself out of the ce.
Eventually disappeared outside the screen.
"Notice anything?" Oaker asked with a probing tone.
Chapter 565: Estate, Sword, Bridge
Chapter 565: Estate, Sword, Bridge
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
"He is acting too natural and deliberate. He is quite familiar with the ce as well, to the point that he doesnt even need to search the ce and walked straight up to the vault and very naturally showed his face like he didnt even notice the big surveince camera on top."
"While he is inside the vault, it seems like he has gotten what he was after easily. That portrait painting should be covered by other stuff but from the way he went into the vault, removing other obstacles in front of the painting to taking it out of the vault, the whole process was within seconds."
"Unless the vault is very small, to the extent that it could only hold one to two treasures, but it wasnt possible. No one would build a vault just to hold one to two treasures. Even if one would really go so far as to protect the treasures, how valuable would the treasures be? If it is that priceless, why would the security be so minimal around the ce, as if the ce was almost empty of people?"
"Other than that... The key!"
Kieran took in a deep breath and pointed at the key in the hands of "himself" on the screen.
"Where does one usually keep the key of a vault?" Kieran said as he looked at Oaker who was nodding repeatedly.
"Hmmm, even more details than Id imagined. Well, whoever it is, the vaults key would be in the ce one would assume the safest. Probably be around the persons body or another small possibility is to hand it to someone he trusts, or keep it in some ce." Oaker praised Kierans sharp eyes and replied to his question.
"Correct! But, the key appeared in "his" hands!"
Kieran nodded, his tone had an unknown meaning behind.
"You are saying?" Oakers sharp senses immediately picked up what Kieran trying to convey.
Oaker didnt forget what Ditko said before he left.
"Well, this would be easy if we can go to investigation!" Kieran said with a smile.
...
Artitelgar estate.
It was situated at the entrance of Dublin Street, the suburbs was directly behind it. It was the at the tallest point in sight, the building with the white roof, yet it was just a tip of the iceberg of the whole estate.
Kieran donned a ck mantled over his body and was giving out a faint salted fish smell because of the fabric. He was following behind Oaker, en route on a straight road, heading up to the estate.
After going up for a while, the real estate was revealed to them. Judging from the steep road, Kieran could tell it was on the waist of a mountain and the white roof he saw at the end street entrance was the mountain peak building.
"This whole mountain is Artitelgar estate?" Kieran asked strangely.
"To be more precise, Artitelgar chose this mountain. The whole wealthy district, themercial street was originally built to serve Artitelgars family. Some rumors even have it that the whole me City was built because of Artitelgars family. Ive always treated it as a rumor but... after meeting you people, I think its quite reliable now," Oaker said slowly.
The terrifying fact of the authorities of rank was well rooted in Oakers mind but it was iparable to the underworlds horror.
What would happen when both of them meet?
Oaker couldnt even dare to imagine.
A whole city built up just to serve a family, it might sound absurd and outrageous but it might not a rumor after all.
At the end of the road, there was a garden with a tall gate with a squad of ten security guards patrolling the ce. Still, it was only on the light side, Kieran could feel that tons of gazes were prying on them both the moment they appeared at the foot of the hill.
Oaker quickly went up to the premises, and so did Kieran following tightly behind.
"Inspector Oaker?" The guard at the door recognized the inspector but was curious about the visit.
They never thought the inspector had the qualifications to deal with their employer, even with the theft case, Oaker was nothing but a mere formality.
In fact, even Oakers superior didnt have the rights to meet their employer at will. Therefore, after they were surprised, caution followed.
The leader among the guards even sized up Kieran who was hiding his face with the hood from the mantle. The chief security clearly sensed the ck mantled figure was much more dangerous than Oaker.
"Hey fes, dont be so nervous... Im just here for the bounty rewards!" Oaker said.
Then, he dragged the hood off Kierans head.
When Kierans face was revealed, the security around was stunned, their faces were filled with astonishment.
"Fes, I think we should talk inside and have a good talk about the bounty rewards! If you fes cant make the decision, I think I can pay a visit to Mr. Artitelgar." Oaker said with a smile.
The chief security took up his talkie, turned around and spoke through it. Soon after, the big bronze gate gave out a clear screech.
It wasnt opened up fully but just a small entrance at a side.
"Please!" The chief security said.
The inspector wasnt concerned at all and followed him in.
Kieran too followed behind quietly while sizing up his surroundings.
Paying a visit to the millionaire Artitelgar was nothing easy, especially after having spections in his mind and understood the famous millionaire possessed an identity beyond anymon human.
So, Kieran came up with this little trick. Although it seemed simple, no doubt it was effective.
At least they made it into the estate.
Following tightly behind the chief security, Kieran and Oaker walked for almost 20 meters before reaching a shuttle cart that could carry three people at once to travel further into the estate.
The chief security sat on the driver seat and Kieran and Oaker at the back seat.
The shuttle cart started up slowly and drove along the path behind the big gate, heading deeper into the big estate as sceneries at both sides passed by quickly.
Brilliant greenwns were apanied by a thick jungle at the far end.
Parterres with beautiful and fragrant flowers filled the air with a faint aroma.
The birds chirped and insect buzzed ceaselessly.
As the shuttle cart made a turn, the scenery before their eyes took a sharp turn as well, presenting a totally different scenery.
It was a bigke!
A bigke with glittering reflections, the embankment beside theke was long and continuous. There was even a stone bridge arched up on theke.
Before the stone bridge, a shabbily dressed man with a long sword behind his back stood blocked the path like a statue.
When the man saw the shuttle cart, he re-positioned his steps and made way for the cart to pass through the stone bridge.
The man moved like a robot and Kieran couldnt help but glue his gaze on him, or more precisely the longsword behind his back.
Although the longsword only revealed its hilt and a small portion of its de body, Kierans nose could already pick up a bloody stench, his eyes could already see blood bursting out and hundreds of wails and screams of the dead echoed in his ears.
It was a murderous sword!
Kieranmented in his heart as he was shocked.
He grazed over the man as he traveled on the shuttle cart.
Fuuu!
As the shuttle cart went onto the stone bridge, a slight breeze was blown at them.
The wind started to get stronger and mist started to envelop theke without being noticed.
The glittering surfaceke was turned into a gray blurry scene.
FHWAAAA!
A big ssh out of the water came from the left and Oakers cry of surprised followed right after.
Chapter 566: Resurgence
Chapter 566: Resurgence
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
"Whats that?!"
Just as Oakers cry of surprise sounded, it was suppressed by a long neigh that could shake the heavens.
A gigantic figure leaped up from theke on the left side and dived back into the right.
That wide and long figure leaped across the shuttle cart and it struck Kieran with the feeling of the sky was being enveloped.
A tenacious presence seemingly came from that gigantic figure, it even made Kieran feel tiny at times.
He was like a single grain of sand on the beach, being baffled by the raging tide.
The raging tide rose up to the sky, crashing before him like a myriad of soldiers and horses, crushing him with enormous power like pulling off a twig from a dead stump.
HMPH!
Kieran grunted coldly.
Even without a nce, he could tell that the system was spamming him with Fear notifications. If it was one of the enemys methods of attacking, it was the most useless against him.
The Fear effect that could disrupt ones mental state ranked high on top, yet Kieran already has SSS+ Spirit attribute. He had an exceptional resistance beyond amon mans imagination against any Spirit rted negative effect.
Kieran was off the Fear effect within an instant. The metaphoric raging tide before him has turned into nothing.
That figure appeared once more out of the waters before this eyes.
Although from Kierans perspective, that figure was still gigantic enough to envelop the sky, itcked the initial Fear effect and the terrorizing, breathtaking feel.
Kieran knew very well what was he at the estate for: to calmly evaluated the fiend before his eyes.
He even started to paint pictures of him confronting the fiend in his mind and quickly formed up countermeasures to deal with the fiend.
The chief security, however, saw how Kieran reacted to the scene through the back mirror.
Obviously, the chief security knew nothing about what was crossing Kierans mind but judging from how Kieran reacted to the scene as if it was nothing, it made the chief panicked beyond his mind.
Being the one who drove countless visitors to his employers, none of the other visitors could do what Kieran just did. He was the one and only who reacted to the monstrous figure as if it was nothing.
Even the other famous big figures would suffer some minor dys or be frozen for a while.
Though most of the lesser known figures or those who fish for fame and credit had gotten scared beyond reason, pissing and sh*ting their pants.
"What a person..."
The chief security nced over the inspector who was still in shock. Doubts started to fill his heart but he didnt act further.
His task was to deliver the two people behind him to the designated location.
As for the rest, there will be others who will take care of it.
Besides, the chief security was confident that neither Kieran or Oaker could cause any ruckus within Artitelgar estate, let alone bringing up a storm.
He didnt feel contempt for the visitors but it was just a confident thought from his longtime experience working there.
Kieran too caught the gaze from the chief security. He tapped on Oakers shoulder lightly, bringing him back to his senses. Kieran then closed his eyes for a catnap.
He was not afraid of any battle that lied ahead as he was born prepared.
BANG!
That wide, long figure finally went back into theke on the right side. The moment it jumped back into the waters felt like a ton of explosives went off together, bursting out sshes of water in all directions.
The water sshes poured down on the right side of the shuttle cart, making it look like it was raining outside.
Yet it didnt stop the shuttle cart from moving forward, in fact, the shuttle cart elerated even faster from a certain aspect.
Vrrroooooom!
The shuttle cart dashed through the faint water mist and reached the other end of the bridge without knowing.
The chief of security drove off the bridge and went along the wiggling route, turning left and right.
Right after the many turns, two huge red pirs stood tall before them and on top of the pirs was a green tiled roof, golden brick structure.
The structure looked like a paifang but without the name te. All it had was the delicately carved patterns on the pirs and arches.
Layer afteryer of carving patterns were all over the structure, simr to a dougong bracket interlocking point where the pir and arch beam intertwined.
Through the gaps and seams, a couple of white sparrows stuck their heads out at Kieran and Oaker who got off the cart.
"Please follow me!"
A man wearing a robe with thepel tucked from the left to the right and hair tied up into a bun walked out from behind the pirs.
He didnt even look at the chief or the inspector and talked to Kieran straight away.
Kieran signaled the inspector to hold on and followed the specially dressed man up the stairs.
Looking at the mans back, a familiar feeling struck Kieran.
The stairs before him were divided into nine sections, each section contained 108 flight of stairs and each stair was 33 millimeters tall. It was made entirely out of bricks and some pictures were carved on them, even Kieran couldnt tell what they were.
He tilted his head down, staring at the carvings. He felt like he had seen this before somewhere but his memories were blurred out.
"Where did I see this before?" Kieran thought.
However, the man in front spoke, "Follow where I step, please dont get on the wrong path."
Just as his words subsided, the mans average walking speed has hastened up into a nimble, agile dash. A quick leap from him would bring him up a dozen flights of stairs, another dozen more with another forward jump. The man was like an ape shuttling through the jungles.
Kieran?
He wasnt sure whether the man did this on purpose to make things difficult for him or whether there would really be any traps. So he approached it in a more direct way.
The feather embedded ring on his finger shone, lifting Kierans feet slightly off the ground and allowed him to float in mid-air.
He wasnt high up in the sky by any means, only around half a meter above ground but it was enough for Kieran to treat the stairs like t ground.
[Floating Ring]!
The guide in front seemingly noticed Kieran had floated, his agile leaping body couldnt help but suffer a slowdown. However, he returned to normal soon but he didnt leap forward with the energetic manner from before.
5 minutester, before [Floating Ring]s effect wore off, Kieran reached the end of the stairs which was the main building group of the Artitelgar estate or in a more appropriate manner...
A pce!
Red bricks green tiles, carved beams and painted pirs, the brilliant radiance shone all over the ce in a ceaseless way.
Kieran was standing on his spot that would only allow him to see the tip of the pce but he already could imagine how majestic the building groups would be.
"A pce of this caliber..." Kieran spected in his heart.
Even though he did read through a lot of booksst night, he never understood the history of the current dungeon world. However, an eastern style structure, more precisely a pce appearing within a modernized city, Kieran couldnt help but wonder.
At the same time, his curiosity in his heart was at an all-time high.
"Please follow me."
Another guide with the simr dressing appeared butpared to the previous guide, the new guide had some brilliant silver linings near his front garment.
"Ranks?" Kieran thought in his heart but his steps werent slowed down.
He followed behind the new guide through many long corridors and finally stopped before a courtyard.
The guide didnt utter anything other than posing a please gesture, signaling Kieran to move forward.
Kieran stepped in.
The courtyard was like a garden of sorts, with brilliant green grass parterre and an artificial fountain of a mountain, plus even a waterside pavilion.
A man who looked slim from his back was standing inside the pavilion with his hands cross at his back.
When he heard Kierans steps approaching, he didnt turn around but instead he opened his mouth and said, "You want to know what happened?"
Kieran raised a brow.
Just when he wanted to say something, thend suddenly tremble.
Earthquake!
Plus, the terrifying presence of the beast appeared once again!
TL Note
Paifang: Traditional style of Chinese architecture or a gateway structure.
Dougong bracket: A unique structural element of interlocking wooden brackets of traditional Chinese architecture.
Chapter 567: Similarities
Chapter 567: Simrities
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The terrifying presence was different this time.
It was slightly longer yet it wasnt even two seconds but enough for Kieran to precisely determine where the presence came from.
However, Kieran stood still. The tremble beneath his feet hadnt stop either.
In fact, the waves of tremble only began to erupt.
Kieran would also be helpless against the wrath of nature. All he could do was wait patiently.
At the same time, Kierans attention was locked on the mans back.
There was too much mystery surrounding the man, to the point that Kierans instinct told him that the man had a hostile nature.
As for the man himself though, he was still standing where he was, calmly looking at theke water.
Ripples rippled through the surface of theke and turned extremely muddy because of the grounds vigorous tremble. The man frowned a little as he continued to looked at the scene.
"Hmmm?" A slightly displeased sound came from the man.
The slim man didnt have any actual movements in regards to the tremble though, all he did was express his dissatisfaction with one sound.
As the sound from him came...
The earthquake stoppedpletely.
Kieran clearly sensed the surge of power beneath his feet was forced to a stop and the process of it turning calm. That tremendous power that was enough to flip the world over was suppressed down forcefully just as it was about to emerge, or in a more appropriate way, it disappeared like it never appeared before.
"WHAT KIND OF POWER IS THIS!?"
Kieran squinted his eyes, drawing out [Arrogant Word] directly. His muscles were tight like a loaded spring, ready to throw himself at his foe like a jaguar as he gazed at the man before him like he was his mortal enemy.
Even a rare nervousness appeared in his heart.
The strength that the man showed was enough to overwhelm him.
Those who could oppose even natural disaster... only the God of Earth Nikorei had such an achievement recorded.
Yet it was just recorded from books, it was the first time Kieran encountered such a fearsome existence.
Kierans brain was spinning quickly. He was thinking if the man would strike at him, what would it be, how would he react to the attack, defend, counter or even ...retreat.
Kieran wasnt a stubborn person with an old-fashioned sense.
He was respectful to those who still fought even though they knew they would be no match but it didnt hinder his thoughts of retreating.
Deep inside, he knew he wasnt the kind of martyr that would sacrifice himself valiantly.
Those who did would be known as heroes.
Kieran, was just a mere mortal.
"It seems like you are hostile against me. So, I see the previous incident has caused some misunderstanding?"
The slim man said as he faced Kieran with his back. His tone was still as calm as before and his words were direct as ever.
Kieran kept quiet because his heart didnt assume that was a misunderstanding.
"I am quite surprised by your appearance and I think we could have a good talk, but somehow some others are anxious...Well, so do I! Do as you please, regardless of how it turns out, I will pay you with rewards. Of course, a deposit will be issued first!"
The man was saying a lot of confusing words to Kieran.
Though as he spoke, he finally turned around to Kieran.
It was nothing but amon face, if he wasnt within this estate that would strike one speechless and presented such unimaginable power, he would be nothing but a passerby.
The only feature on the man was youth.
He seemed around the same age as Kieran, around 16 to 17.
He even shared a simr temperament, a youthful face yet a mature temperament.
Even more, coincidentally, Kierans pupils and his were ck!
If Kierans feature wasnt as distinguishable, Kieran would be looking into a mirror.
The young man saw Kierans astonished face, yet he smiled lightly following a reach of hand.
The Pawn Fire Raven egg plus the nest that Kieran hid under his hood flew out straightaway into the young mans hand. [Crimson Ghost Stomach] couldnt really hold living things, not even eggs.
When Kieran reacted to it, the young man already had the nest in his hand. A blurry mist came out from the young mans hand was infused into the egg within the nest.
The nest then flew back to Kieran.
Kieran caught the nest but his eyes were locked dead at the young man.
Even Kieran was within range, he couldnt even sense the power within the white mist. If it wasnt for his own eyes, he wouldnt even believe the white mist existed.
"Fearsome power!"
Hemented in his heart and was thankful to himself that he could never be too careful.
Though, the young man seemed to not notice how cautious Kieran was.
"I was nning to exin it to you but now, it seems like you have to go investigate on your own."
His words were clear but his figure started to drift away.
When thest few words of his sentence came out, the young mans figure vanished into thin air without a trace.
The wind breezed over the pavilion.
Kieran suddenly felt a cold at his back. He only realized his back was drenched because of the cold sweat that broke out without knowing when.
"Im too far apart!" Keiran thought.
Then, his initial spections started to wobble. After all, with the strength the young man presented, should he want to deal with Kieran, petty tricks wouldnt even be necessary.
The young man could very well crush Kieran with raw power.
Kieran was certain that it would be as easy as flipping a palm with the young mans power.
"Yet he didnt... Perhaps..."
While he was still pondering the question, the nest in his hand started to rumble.
Ka, Kakkakaa!
The surface of the raven egg started to break out and was soon followed by cracks all over.
When a light red beak burst out of the eggshell, the whole egg was hatched.
An almost naked Pawn Fire Raven was hatched from the egg, which could only be considered to be very ugly.
"He saved the time for me to hatch the egg... so this is the deposit?"
As Kierans words subsided, that smaller than a chick Pawn Fire Raven started to grow at an exponential rate.
Its naked body had thin hair growing out and soon turned into raven feathers. The feathers were slim and long, growing into a plentiful amount. Its body even expanded like a balloon. From only a thumb size chick into a palm-size bird, eventually growing to the length of a forearm.
[Name: Pawn Fire Raven]
[Type: Fiend]
[Rank: Low]
[Attack: Feeble]
[Defense: Feeble]
[Attribute: 1. Agility, 2. Transform Fire]
[Effect: Infuse]
[Prerequisite: The first sight]
[Remark: This is a matured Pawn Fire Raven, able to carry out scout and contact missions]
...
[Agility: Increase flying speed by +1]
[Transform Fire: Able to transform into a ball of fire with a Weak attack. Able to adhere to surface and float]
...
[Infuse: Able to infuse itself into itspanion or users fire, boosting the fire element slightly.]
...
Gark!
A clear, sonorous cry from the raven.
It quickly gobbled down the remaining shells in its nest and jumped onto Kierans left shoulder, rubbing its reddish ck head at Kierans cheek.
Witnessing the hatching process of the Pawn Fire Raven and how it rapidly grew in size, Kieran took out [Mermans Meat] without further ado.
Chapter 568: Stalker
Chapter 568: Stalker
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
From Kierans perspective, after getting the Pawn Fire Raven egg, [Mermans Meat] existence was solely a fodder to increase the ravens abilities.
The loot that he gained before were just extras that came along with it.
Although he had the heart of a Scrooge, Kieran would not want to lose a great deal trying to save a little.
One side was a helper which could gain more strength through growth.
The other was an energy-wasting n that might not even turn out to be fruitful.
It was a no-brainer for Kieran in terms of choosing.
Though it wasnt impossible for him to reap more loot from the second n if he could n better, but after meeting Artitelgar, his thoughts went down the drain.
Even Artitelgar with his power, he couldnt reign rampantly in this dungeon world, what was Kieranpared to him?
Regardless of how perfect his ns were, unforeseen variables might still ur.
It was better to utilize the resources at hand to strengthen his own power.
A bird in hand worth more than ten birds in the bush.
Kieran understood that saying a long time ago.
The moment the mysterious, misty [Mermans Meat] appeared in Kierans hand, the Pawn Fire Raven became anxious but it didnt move recklessly.
Kieran then nodded lightly.
Initially, when he chose to hatch the Pawn Fire Raven, other than it being categorized as a fiend, possessing decent scouting abilities, it was also because of the books that described its intellect.
Of course, it was iparable to humans but far better thanmon animals and lower tier fiends.
"Go have it!"
After giving the order in his heart, Kieran felt joy from the raven as it jumped towards [Mermans Meat]. The raven looked as if it was sucking in air as it gobbled down the [Mermans Meat] rapidly.
When the meat was gone, its ck feathers with lines of red started to change once more.
Its size didnt grow much bigger but the red on its body became plentiful.
If the red on its body was only lines, now it became dashes of red.
Bright red dashes among the elegant ck feathers, not only did it not it uglify its looks, quite the opposite, it gave the raven anotheryer of vigorous grandeur.
The other changes were to its beak and ws, sharper than before and reflected the sunlight into a chilling re.
[Name: Pawn Fire Raven]
[Type: Fiend]
[Rank: Medium]
[Attack: Average]
[Defense: Weak]
[Attribute: 1. Agility II, 2. Transform Fire II, 3. Spit Fire]
[Effect: Infuse II]
[Prerequisite: The first sight]
[Remark: This is a matured Pawn Fire Raven, after consuming a High Fiends meat, it underwent an evolution. Able to carry out scouting and contact missions, even able to assist in attacking missions]
...
[Agility II: Increase flying speed by +1, nimbleness +1]
[Transform Fire II: Able to transform into a ball of fire with an Average attack. Able to adhere to surface and float]
[Spit Fire: Able to fire out a fireball with a Weak attack as a long-range attack (no further than 30 meters), 3/day]
...
[Infuse II: Able to infuse itself into itspanion or users fire, boosting the fire element to a certain level.]
......
"Wait, Agility still increases the flying speed and nimbleness? Is it because of the flight problem, so it couldnt directly acquire Agility level increase effect? Or were the requirements not met?"
Kieran looked at the Pawn Fire Raven with satisfactory eyes after the changes.
At least it was able to assist in an attack like the description mentioned.
[Spit Fire] was undoubtedly weak but if it could catch the foe in surprise, it might bear miraculous effects.
As for [Infuse II]?
Kieran was confident if he could feed more High Fiend meat to the raven, [Infuse II] would surely evolve to disy a more precise enhancement, such as "fire element attack +1" and not some vague description like this.
"High Fiend meat eh?" Kieran muttered as he headed back out.
The servant that guided him there was already waiting for his departure.
No doubt, Artitelgar would not see him anymore. Even though Kieran still thought the portrait theft case was Artitelgars own doing, a thief trying to use others as thieves, but it would also be useless if he kept staying in the estate.
Might as well leave the ce and search for that terrifying presence.
Kieran wouldnt dare dy his search because it was rted to the [Special Event] and also histest main mission.
Since he already gotten the grasp of a lead, he should hold on to it tightly and head towards the direction that he picked up.
Kieran returned the way he came, Oaker was still waiting for him at the end of the stairs.
When Oaker saw Kieran came down in a hurry and the Fire Raven on his shoulder, his curiosity peaked but he didnt ask anything about it. He knew it wasnt the appropriate time.
Both of them went on the shuttle cart once more as the chief of security shuttled both of them back to the estate entrance.
"How was it?"
Oaker couldnt hold back anymore and asked after both of them returned to Oakers car.
"Well, lets talk on the road, Ill show the way," Kieran said.
Kieran didnt try to hide much, other than skipping the unexpected spections in his heart, he narrated the happenings after both of them split up in full details to Oaker.
"Shhh!"
After hearing the well-known millionaire Artitelgar could even oppose natural disaster, Oaker gasped coldly as he felt like he was in a dream.
"I kinda started to believe those rumors. It wasnt all that impossible, me City being built around such a figure!" Oaker said while sighing.
Kieran didnt refute either, the moment he saw the wide, gigantic figure in theke, he would already believe 50 to 60% of that rumor.
After the meeting though, the numbers increased to at least 70 to 80%.
Kieran would undoubtedly believe the rumor if some more evidence was provided to him.
"Rumours... it might have been greatly exaggerated through circtions but the original version of the story should have some truth behind it." Kieran said slowly.
His eyes were staring at the side mirror on the passenger seat.
Someone was following them since they left Artitelgar estate.
Though, the stalker had quite a decent concealing technique and didnt show any malicious intent, just that the stalking technique was a little shabby.
Although the whole stalking process was barely noticeable, the car the stalker was in hadnt changed.
A careless person might not notice but Kieran who was always highly aware of his surroundings noticed he was being followed within two minutes.
In fact, not only Kieran but Oaker noticed it as well.
"Damn the troubles! What should we do now?" Oaker whispered softly and looked at Kieran.
"No need to be concerned about the stalker, just follow my lead," Kieran said.
Oaker looked at Kieran with a surprised look.
Based on his own understanding of Kieran, Kieran was not exactly a good-tempered person, even if he wasnt a person who sought revenge for the slightest grievance, he was also a person who would return an eye for an eye, yet he wasnt concerned about being followed.
"The ce we are heading is that important?" Oaker thought in his heart but didnt ask the question.
His age caused his body to weaken but increased his experience by a lot. Oaker was perfectly clear what was the right time to ask questions and when to shut up.
So, he stepped on the eleration pedal. The car growled loudly as it sped up even faster.
Soon, Kieran could see his destination in his sight.
A temple that wasnt that big from the looks of it.
On top of the temple gate just below its roof, there was a mottled horizontal inscribed board.
Rassho Temple!
Chapter 569: Don’t Bully An Honest Man
Chapter 569: Dont Bully An Honest Man
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Rassho Temple?!
Kieran squinted his eyes.
He never thought the ce where the terrifying presence came from would be Rassho Temple itself.
He looked at the stalker through the back mirror and shifted his gaze in front at Rassho Temple again. Amidst the shifting of the subject, Kierans eyes lit up with an unusual brilliance.
"Well, you can stop here. I have to go on by myself from here onwards."
Kieran turned to Oaker and said.
Oaker then stopped the car without further dy. He knew some matters were beyond his qualifications.
"Here, take it as a farewell present. Well, if you dont want any, then dump it in the trash."
After Kieran gotten off the car, he hurled the mary rewards that he had gotten from Funeral Society before through the cars window.
The value of the notes was like paper to Kieran, it had absolutely no use cing it in [Crimson Ghost Stomach], other than taking up space and increasing his weight.
Though it was different for the inspector, at least the money would provide him with a better life.
During the video watching session, although Oaker did beautify his living ce, Kieran was able to confirm where the inspector lived through his sharp observations.
Even though Oaker had made the effort to conceal it, everything was revealed before Kierans [Tracking].
Kieran, of course, didnt toss in all the mary rewards though, he kept some for himself in case he needed to spend for his living expenses in the dungeon world.
The inspector saw the package hurled into his car and Kieran who turned away.
He knew what was inside the package from the seams. He frowned hard, hesitation filled his face. Three to four secondster, a heavy sigh came out from his breath.
He might not need the money but his...
The money was desperately needed!
"Thanks!"
Oaker cried out his gratitude through the rolled down window.
Kieran didnt turn around, instead, he waved his right hand.
The car engine growled once more as the inspector drove off yet another car came by right after Oaker left.
Tssssk!
The friction between the tires and the ground filled the air with a burnt smell.
Ditko, the huntsman from Funeral Society came out of the car.
He then turned back and opened the back door like a chauffeur, revealing a handsome young man yet mature looking behind the doors.
Donning a khaki colored wind coat outside and a deep color suit inside without the tie, his shoes were shining like a polished mirror, simr to his wide forehead.
His long hair which could cover his face was neatlybed behind.
A lit cigarette was held in the middle of his index and middle finger on his left hand.
The smoke flowed out from the cigarette, making the scene look dreamy to anyone who saw him.
The man saw Kierans back and he came out of the car. He slowly made his way up to Kieran and stood beside Kierans shoulder.
"Surprise?" The man spoke, his voice being rough but not too hard to hear.
"Umm..." Kieran nodded.
He wasnt lying, he was surprised because of Rassho Temple before him. Based on the books he read and how the records described Rassho Temple, the ce shouldnt be as busted and broken as it was.
Not only covered in mottled taints, the walls around the ce even had cracks from theck of maintenance and repairs.
The two gate nks were even branded by the marks of time, one of the gate nks seemed like it might fall off with a slight breeze.
Through the gate, Kieran could see a huge area of wild grass. The vigorous wild grass even covered the original stone panel on the ground.
The temple before Kierans eyes didnt match his understanding at all.
"You cant always look at things on the surface." The person beside Kieran spoke.
"Such as?" Kieran smiled and turned his head over to the Funeral Society member.
He knew the mans words had a double meaning but why?
Other than Artitelgar, there wasnt a possible exnation.
To be honest, after confirming the stalkers were members of the Funeral Society, the spections in Kierans heart grew more.
The spections didnt involve those who seemed to be rted to him and the guidance they provided though, whether was it Artitelgar or Ditko from before.
Kieran would never trust anyone in the dungeon.
All he trusted was himself and his judgment. Though if it would provide him with more information, he wouldnt mind either.
"Such as... I wanted to invite you to my ce as a guest. Not too long, around four to five weeks." Unfortunately, the person beside Kieran didnt bite the bait, instead, he replied in a joking manner.
It might sound like a joke but his tone was very serious.
"What if I say no?" Kieran replied with a smile and a question.
"2567! Do you know who you are talking to! This sir here is one of the 21 Fiend Exorcists, the great Lord Ren! You... Please answer to the lords request!" Ditko interrupted.
Ditko sounded loud at first but eventually soften his voice at the end with a begging tone.
The hints in his words were even more obvious.
"Because what I did before that coincidentally saved his life?" Kieran nced over Ditko with a surprising gaze.
He never thought such a person existed within Funeral Society.
After all, Lees impression was branded in his mind, to the extent it made him biased towards the other members.
Though, even realizing the difference between Ditko and Lee, Kieran didnt n to alter his thoughts.
He shook his head. He chose to reject in a stern manner.
"2567..."
Just as Ditko wanted to say something out of anxiety, Ren beside him interrupted this time.
The Fiend Exorcist looked at Ditko, saying after a deep breath, "Ditko, please dont put me in a difficult position."
"Pardon me, my Lord! I..."
"Fine, lets do it then!" Ren interrupted Ditko again.
"Fight me, Ill spare you a hand, the time limit is one minute. If you win, I assure you there will be no Funeral Society members to intervene in your matters in theing months! Of course, if the time limit is up, its my loss as well," Ren said.
"So, this is you trying to repay Ditkos favor?" Kieran saw Ditko who was agitated aside and turned back to Ren who was smiling always.
"I guess you can say so. After all, he is my subordinate that I picked up from the battlefield with tons of hardship. If I would strike at you directly, he would definitely stand before you and I cant strike one of my own, so this is what I can muster up." Ren shrugged.
Ditko at the side was touched without reason, Kieran could even see Ditkos eyes were tearing up.
Whether it was a real thought or an act from the Fiend Exorcist, Kieran knew Ren did it. At least, Ditko would follow his lord in a deadly obedient manner from now on.
Though, what did all that have to do with him?
That time was just less sessful nning, it wasnt rted to saving Ditkos life. Kieran had no intentions of owing the favor.
"Use both your hands then, remove the time limit as well. The so-called favor of gratitude was only his own wishful thinking. That was just some n using [Mermans Meat] in order to lure more greedy bastards. Ditko here is just a bystander caught up in the mess!"
Kieran then walked aside a few steps after he spoke.
After drawing distance from Ren the Fiend Exorcist, Kieran gestured to him.
"Come on!"
It wasnt part of Kierans etiquette in bullying an honest man, simr to his fearless attitude towards any challenge and battle.
Ren was stunned and heughed.
"Another twisted fool?" Ren said, his movements were not slow at all.
He flung out the half-burnt cigarette at Kieran.
Fuuuung!
The cigarette flew out like aet, firing straight at Kierans face.
Chapter 570: Relentlessly
Chapter 570: Relentlessly
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Sou!
The lit cigarette swept across the air with a trail of light and reached Kierans face.
Kieran repositioned his body and dodged the cigarette. [Python-W2] was already in his hand.
Bang!
Muzzle sh lit up as the bullet was fired in a straight line at Ren who followed his flying cigarette like its shadow.
Being misty like smoke, Ren easily dodged the first bullet but the follow-up shots trailed it like a shadow.
Bang Bang Bang!
Each bullet fired was precisely aimed at Rens body, capturing his movements but still, Ren dodged them with ease yet he was quite surprised.
With his special technique, there were only a handful of people who could catch up to his movements.
Bang!
Another shot was fired, forcing Ren to dodge once more. Even though it was without real damage, the bullet still grazed the shoulder part of his wind coat, tearing a small opening.
"Sharpshooter!?" Ditko cried in surprise.
Kieran had always been using fire attacks against his foe in Ditkos impression, he never would have thought Kieran would possess such a sharpshooting skill. Even more so when he saw one of the bullets graze Rens wind coat, tearing an opening. His face turned sour quickly.
Outsiders might not know but as a huntsman himself, he knew the wind coats of the Fiend Exorcists were specially made,mon attacks wouldntnd a scratch on it, let alone damaging it.
"Specialized bullets?!" Ditko spected, so did Ren.
"Amazing shooting skills! Seems like I have to be a little more serious!"
Ren said before he vanished from his spot.
A fraction of a secondter, he appeared before Kieran.
Fuuung!
A hand chop was aimed towards the back of Kierans neck.
Before the chop could strike Kierans neck, the air-breaking wind already messed up his hair and coat.
Kieran didnt turn around though, at that very moment, he couldnt anymore.
Once he turned, even if he could dodge the chop, he would fall into Rens relentless follow-up attacks! It was possible for Ren based on the speed he disyed.
Faster than a sh of lightning, a decision was made.
He leaned his torso forward, raising his right leg back up.
Pak!
The kick was like a whip struck at thin air.
Bang!
As Kieran leaned his torso forward, Rens chop missed his target. His horizontal chop quickly switched into a downward sh, the air-breaking sound had gotten even fiercer and colder as if his hand was really a de trying to sh Kieran off.
Rens hand de didnt only want to block Kierans backward kick but also chop off his leg altogether and with Kierans sudden explosive posture, it was impossible for him to dodge the hand de.
Fuuu!
A split second before Rens hand shed off Kierans calf, Kierans calf suddenly deviated from course in a strange way, followed by a hissing sound simr to a real snake. The backward lifted calf didnt only evade the sh from Ren, the tip of Kierans feet was aimed at Rens throat.
[Viper Kick]!
The Fiend Exorcist was astonished when facing off against [Viper Kick] but he didnt panic.
Ren tilted his head backward, dodging Kierans sharp kick.
However, the strange thing happened once again as Kierans leg altered its offensive course amid another hissing.
From a horizontal sweep to a downward crushing kick, it forced Ren to back away again.
Kierans kicknded hard on the ground and a small crater was formed on the asphalt road.
"What a strange kicking technique!"
Ren eximed, however his figure moved towards Kieran again like lightning, trying to catch Kieran off guard while he was trying to get a firm stand after retracting his kick.
Another blow of the hand de was shed towards the back of Kierans neck.
Bang Bang Bang!
Repeated gunshots sounded right away.
Although Kieran picked the Transcendence option of [Firearm Weapon, Light Firearm] to boost his aiming and bullets effect, it didntpromise his reloading speed.
In fact, Transcendence level [Firearm Weapon, Light Firearm]s reloading speed was enough to shame amon speed shooter.
Three shots were fired in a triangr shape, aiming at Rens forehead and two both side which was his evading trajectory.
Rens options were left with moving away from range or a leap to the sky.
Though regardless of the choice made, Kieran could continue firing and recover his firm stand.
Out of Kierans expectation though, Ren didnt dodge the bullets.
He swung his hand de up and down, knocking the bullets away like they were nothing.
The bullets Kieran fired were disarmed with just a simple swing. It was clear because Kieran was within range to witness the feat!
Kieran could even see the blurred trajectory of the knocked bullets and the sparks from the collision.
Ren could block bullets with his bare hands!
Perhaps with Kierans current stats,mon firearms would pose a minimal threat to him and his Intuition allowed him to identify the bullets trajectory, allowing him to dodge with ease.
But blocking bullets with bare hands?
Kieran couldnt do so. Maybemon firearms wouldnt cause any serious damage even if hit but Kieran couldnt escape unscathed. He would at least suffer some chafed skin or cuts.
The Fiend Exorcist before his eyes, however, didnt only ignored the threats from a gun from point nk and he came out unharmed.
[Python-W2] was no ordinary gun either, plus his Transcendence [Firearm Weapon, Light Firearm]s skill buffs, Kieran could even pierce a small tanks armor.
"So this is the true strength of a Fiend Exorcist?" Kierans heart skipped a beat.
After a slight pause from the blocking, Ren continued his sh forward.
Kieran, however, didnt n to give up just yet.
A bewitching dark red glimmer shone as [Arrogant Word] appeared in Kierans right hand. After a quick flip of the greatsword, it was moved behind Kieran.
CHANG!
The sh sounded like a big sonorous sound from an iron bell.
Kieran even staggered a little upon contact with the hand de.
The tremendous power that came from [Arrogant Word] upon contact almost caused Kieran to fall because of his unstable posture but even if he staggered, Kieran still dished out [Arrogant Word] at the second chop from Ren.
Fuuung!
Amid the heavy air-breaking sound, Ren backed off. Afternding his hand de onto [Arrogant Word]s de body, he knew he couldnt withstand the sharp edge of the greatsword.
"Nice weapon you have there!"
Ren looked at the greatsword in Kierans hand, nodded and praised it.
He then dashed out at Kieran once more.
Wuuung!
Kieran dished out another sh following the opportunity.
The sharp edge undoubtedly shed Rens body without the slightest resistance yet no blood was spilled. The body that was shed in half vanished like smoke before Kierans eyes.
At the same time, another air-breaking sound came from behind his brain.
Even without a second look, Kieran already imagined it was another hand de aiming at his the back of his neck.
"Im underestimated!"
The thought bloomed in Kierans mind instantly.
Kieran would be an idiot if he couldnt react to Rens attack relentlessly at a single spot.
Rage boiled up in Kierans heart.
He knew he should be calm during battle but it didnt affect his next move.
Ren wasnt at his full power, neither was Kieran!
The strength that made up the yer was not only limited to the yers attributes and skills.
There was also the equipment!
Rom Room Rooooar!
Beastly roars sounded as faint mirages started to take form above Kieran.
A colossal crocodile with a vicious auraid on the ground.
A giant rhino with a rampant temper stood up tall with heavy armor around its body.
A majestic lion with a golden mane and sparkling brilliance gazed at the area with its grand presence.
Plus the spider that crawled out of theva river from hell, it was covered byyers of wicked demonic entities.
A lingering radiance was still shining on Kierans body but dimmer than the mirages around him yet it moved ording to his will, fusing the radiance of his own into the crocodile, rhino, lion and spiders aura.
RAOOOOOOOR!
A powerful cyclone burst up into the sky, it cracked thend and pierced the clouds.
Ren quickly backed off, staring at Kieran with an anxious and doubtful look.
"Come on! Again!"
Kieran turned around, swinging [Arrogant Word] fiercely as his body flew out like an arrow let loose.
Chapter 571: Actions
Chapter 571: Actions
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
With each step Kieran took, thend shook.
Dust and rocks flew up together with the powerful force.
The towering armored rhino mirage appeared behind Kieran suddenly and charged his steps with thunderous force, turning it into an unstoppable rampage.
When the most primitive force of nature appeared on Kieran, Rens pupils dted. He had to dodge the iing strike without hesitation, otherwise...
However, before Ren could escape, a spider webced with fire descended from the sky.
The spider mirage was standing proud on theva river of thend of sulfur, many other demonic entities figures surrounded the spider and roared loudly at the sky.
Sou Sou Sou!
The spider web was fired out at its target ceaselessly.
Even though Ren escaped the first fire web, he was trapped once again.
It wasnt hard for Ren to escape the web but Kierans charge was already within range.
That bewitching greatsword was simr to a sharp rhino horn was aimed towards his chest.
Feeling the pressure of that ring sharpness before his face, Rens expression changed for the worse.
That casual, unconcentrated feel vanished and was reced by a swift and fierce presence.
Ren halted his wasteful struggle and took in a deep breath.
Fuuuu! Fuuu!
His inhale was loud as thunders.
A single blood red spot appeared on his fair forehead.
Tssssng!
The blood-red spot shone brightly and emitted a powerful vibration simr to shing iron des. A bright red beam as thick as a finger was fired out from Rens forehead.
The space before Ren was torn by the red beam as if it pierced through a real object.
The red beam left a visible seam through space, pitch ck particles were even left behind.
As the red beam swept across the space in an instant, a terrifying, lethal presence enveloped Kieran.
But...
Kierans charge didnt stop. After activating [Reckless Charge], he couldnt stop moving forward!
The colossal crocodile mirage raised its head and wiggled its tail before standing before the red beam.
Layers andyers of force field barriers appeared around the colossal crocodile.
Buuum! Buuum!
Twoyers of Powerful rank force field barrier was pierced through like paper.
The red beam was still flying forward with full force despite the minor resistance from the barrier.
Chiiii!
[Armor of Excellence] was shot! The red beam opened up a hole in Kierans right shoulder as it perforated his body, simr to the two barriers before him, it was torn like paper.
Blood gushed out from the wound, Kieran even felt an unusual feeling of a de slicing his body starting from the wound.
Kieran started to shake uncontrobly as he was still charging forward.
He felt like his body was being cut by a myriad of des as the cuts sliced and torn him apart
ROAR!
A deafening lion roar shook the sky and earth.
The golden lion which had been crawling, snoozing on the ground opened its eyes.
The bleeding from Kierans shoulder wound stopped immediately, following the disappearance of the slicing sensation.
[Lions Valor]!
[Lions Courage]!
As it dispelled the abnormal debuffs from Kierans body, he chose the Strength +1 buff out of the three options. His charge continued forth and seemed even fiercer than before.
The sharp de edge was inches away from Rens body and it could tear his body in half at the very next moment.
Rens face turned heavy, he raised both his hand and pped his palm before his chest.
CHANG!
A heavy metal clunk sounded upon contact. Kierans charge with [Arrogant Word] under the buffs from [Reckless Charge] was caught by Rens bare hands!
But...
Kierans charge still didnt stop. The charge pushed Ren backward, dragging him away from the spot.
Rens legs plunged deep into the asphalt road, leaving two deep trails as he was dragged away, he seemed like he was plowing through soft soil.
Though Ren wasnt a plow and Kieran wasnt the cow moving it.
The primitive force of nature gathered around Kieran as he directed all of it, plus his own into [Arrogant Word].
Ren was the person who had to withstand both tremendous forces charging at him. The raw power was shaking his hands as he was pushed backward.
Gak Tsk, Gak Tsk Tsk!
A teeth numbing screech came from Rens palms and his arms. The sharp edge of [Arrogant Word] was slowly moving inwards to his chest.
Rens face turned heavier, not only because of the tremendous power from Kieran that exceeded his imagination but also the uing wall behind him.
Ren was clear that his strength had started to fall short against Kierans charge but had he shed on to the wall, Kierans primitive force of nature will surely explode in his face and he would be injured more than he bargained for.
Ren clenched his teeth immediately as a swift decision was made in his heart.
With only [Arrogant Word] between them, both of them were within each others attack range and Kieran also saw Rens facial expression. Kieran knew what Ren was thinking in his mind.
The victor would be determined in his next move!
Kieran kept pushing Ren forward, closing into the wall behind.
Ultimately...
Kabaaam!
Ren crashed into the wall.
The wall was already old and worn down because ofck of maintenance throughout the decades and the moment both of them crashed into it, it crumbledpletely, dragging the neighboring walls down together.
Booom!
The primitive force of nature exploded upon contact, forcing out a mouth full of blood from Ren.
Ugh!
His blood gushed out like arrows, sshing towards Kierans face.
Kieran was not bothered by the blood, he kept pushing forward with all his might as if he was ready to die with Ren.
Though, as the blood arrow was about to hit Kieran, a dark red ravens head popped out from Kierans hood, spitting out a fire ball from its beak.
It was the Pawn Fire Raven!
However, upon collision of the fireball and the blood arrow, the fireball was extinguished immediately.
No doubt the Weak attack fireball was no match for the blood arrow.
If one fireball couldnt match the blood arrow, what about three?
Fuu Fuu!
Two more fireballs were spat out, neutralizing the remaining blood arrows.
It even burnt away the bloody stench in the air.
Ren smiled bitterly, everything had deviated from his expectations.
He turned his head around and saw Rassho Temples main hall.
Simr to the outer walls, the main hall shared the same image of a busted state because ofck of maintenance.
However, Ren knew should both of them crash into the busted main hall, neither Kieran nor he would in one piece, even if he was one of the 21 Fiend Exorcists.
Yet, he was helpless against the situation at hand.
Rens bitter smile turned heavier when he saw how persistent Kieran was.
Kieran too instantly knew what Ren was thinking after catching his expression and the slight movements, yet he didnt stop his charge.
Aside from the fact that he couldnt stop, even if he could, he wouldnt.
A battle was to determine who was the strongest and who would survive.
Besides, the situation has already exceeded the means of a mere battle.
Following the appearance of the Fiend Exorcists, Kieran knew he was caught up in a giant whirlpool of trouble. A slight misstep would cause him to die a horrible death.
In order to increase his chance of surviving, he knew what he must do.
Otherwise, he would be treated as a disposable pawn in other peoples ns!
It would definitely end up bad for him then.
Kieran and Ren were closing onto Rassho Temples main hall.
The moment before both of them crash, the main hall gate opened up and revealed an old monk with a saggy face.
The monks movements were slow, he could even be considered as suffering a dy, yet none of those was concerning enough.
The most concerning point was Rassho Temples main hall moved together with the monks slow but actual quickstep!
Kieran and Ren grazed over Rassho Temples main hall and crashed hard into the backyard.
Chapter 572: Perforation Sting
Chapter 572: Perforation Sting
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
KABOOM!
Dust and dirt flew all over.
Kieran quickly raised [Arrogant Word] up again.
"I yield!"
Ren raised both his hands up directly against Kierans greatsword.
Kieran frowned at his surrendered opponent. He really wanted to swing his greatsword down, but...
Kieran quickly turned his head around and saw the monk who appeared behind him suddenly.
Unlike from the nce before, Kieran could clearly see what the monk looked like now since the monk was standing before him.
The scrawny hunchback monk didnt just look saggy, his teeth fell off a long time ago and his eyes were extremely turbid.
Regardless of which angle one looked at the monk, he was nothing but a dying elder.
Yet, Kieran didnt forget the previous scene where Rassho Temples main hall moved.
Kieran was very rmed by the sudden move.
He stared deeply at the old monk with extreme vignce.
The old monk, however, replied with a smile to the vignt gaze.
It was a kind and friendly smile.
The old monk then shook his head.
Kieran followed the motion, he was baffled by the old monks actions.
Though, before Kieran could ask anything, the old monk turned around and walked away.
Tssk Gak!
The main hall gate was closed once more.
Other than the crumbled outer walls, Rassho Temple returned to its original peaceful state, yet something was different.
Kierans damaged [Armor of Excellence] repaired itself, leaving no traces behind. His lost HP was also recovered fully.
Compared to Kieran however, Ren didnt change at all, blood was still gushing out from his mouth and it even looked more serious than the initial hit.
It seemed like a great opportunity for Kieran to take the finishing blow!
Kieran turned to Ren, his killer intent was overflowing from his gaze.
Kieran never showed mercy when he was able to reap his rewards, especially when the target had an unknown agenda and never stated himself as friend or foe.
Ren smiled bitterly when he felt Kierans killer gaze.
"I can tell you everything that happened!"
Ren spilled out his thoughts before Kieran could take further action.
"Everything?" Kieran emphasized.
"Everything!" Ren repeated.
Kieran put away [Arrogant Word] after the reply and Ren finally heaved a sigh of relief.
"What a surprising junior you are. Firearm weapons, secret weapon artifacts and more than one! If I didnt verify your identity beforehand, I would assume you were the descendant of that guy!" The Fiend Exorcist said with a face full of exmation and sighs. His expression prevented Kieran from telling how old he actually was.
"That guy?" Kieran asked.
"Artitelgar!" Ren didnt try to hide the fact.
Since he agreed to tell Kieran everything in exchange for his life, he chose to be honest.
"Artitelgar is just a respectful name that we gave to that person, his real name is...Great Swamp!"
Great Swamp!?
Kieran was stunned. His mind started to recall the dragon-snake like creatures that he encountered and at the same time, more doubts filled his heart.
"What is that underground space at Saint Brilliant High?" Kieran continued with his questions.
"That is that persons fathers pce. When he chose his current way of living, that ce was abandoned, just that no one would expect it would be used by some schemeful bastard!" Ren sighed.
"Current way of living?" Kieran raised a brow.
He unconsciously recalled the rumor that he heard from the inspector.
"Just like what you thought. That person chose his current style of living and the people of thisnd chose to attach themselves to his existence. They contributed offerings, praying for protection and that person was delighted to do so as well. So as time went by, me City slowly appeared on the map."
"However, some bastards with ill-agendas wanted to take away his power! Initially, they couldnt eveny a finger on him nor have to chance to do so, but as time went by again, he was slowly merging himself with me City, which was also the bastards chance to steal his powers!"
Ren couldnt help but grunt coldly when he mentioned the bastards.
"Merge with the city?" Kieran though was concerned about other aspects.
"Yes, merging himself with the city. In simple words, that person is God within me City."
Ren uttered the most crucial word.
Kieran was mentally shaking. He never thought Artitelgar would have such an identity.
Unconsciously, it reminded him of another God of Earth, Nikorei.
Did both of them share the same situation?
Kieran wondered in his heart but his questions kepting.
"So the moment I appeared in me City, he had already noticed me? He wished for my appearance to disturb those with ill-agendas... You people are absorbing his powers?"
Kieran suddenly realized the story between the lines, he recalled the dragon-snake sculptures and the power that was absorbed by the terrifying presence.
"You people wanted to y a God?" Kieran looked at Ren in an astonished gaze.
"Not us, but another bunch. We the Funeral Society took up the responsibility to eradicate the fights, yet were unsessful." Ren shrugged.
"I can tell," Kieran added.
From the moment Ling came into y, everything had gone beyond Funeral Societys expectations, leading them into the ns of that bunch of God yers.
If it wasnt for Kierans appearance, thus disturbing their ns, those people might already take out Artitelgar altogether.
Fuuu.
Kieran took in a deep breath uncontrobly.
He rted his thoughts to the point if Artitelgar died after merging himself with the city, what would happen?
Despite all the possible oues, it will be nothing good.
"Who are those people?" Kieran asked.
"Perforation Sting. A messy organization formed by humans, fiends, and half-fiends. They appeared about thirty years ago. No one took them seriously back then until their intentions were discovered, everyone else then realized how terrifying they were!"
Ren took out a cigarette from his coats pocket and lit it up. After a deep puff, the smoke he spat out shrouded his handsome face, causing his features to be misty.
Though, Kieran wasnt concerned about those at all. His sharp senses caught the hidden meaning in Rens words.
"You are saying, its not the first time they slew a God?" Kieran asked in a heavy tone.
"Yup, its the third time to be precise! The first two times, one seeded and the other failed."
"That time they seeded in ying the God, one of them acquired the powers of that Godly being of that city. Thus, surging the growth of Perforation Sting. During that period, Perforation Sting was unstoppable! Until the second time where they failed! Not only did the Godly being that belonged to them escape in a severe state, the rest of them were eliminated. However, out of anyones expectation, they came back less than ten yearster and even fiercer than before."
Even with theyer of smoke, the bitterness on Rens face was inconceble.
"You want to hear more? The more you hear, the harder it will be to remove yourself from the situation!" Ren said. Yet his eyes at Keiran was filled with probing and anticipation.
Though, Kierans decision made Ren surprised again.
Chapter 573: Knowing One’s Limits
Chapter 573: Knowing Ones Limits
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
"Thats enough!"
Kieran said directly. He ignored the surprised gaze from Ren and focused on the notifications that popped up in his vision.
[Special eventpleted: Unusual quake]
[yer will leave the dungeon in 5 minutes]
[Please take whatever items you wish to keep with you.]
[Note: Any items that exceed the maximum weight will be discarded!]
...
Phew!
Kieran let out a heavy breath as he nced through the returning notifications.
He knew if Ren continued his story, he would trigger another special event but it was not what he wanted, at least not now.
Kieran would never belittle himself nor would he be arrogant about his strength. He knew he wasnt qualified yet to get involved in the battle of the Gods.
Through the battle with Ren, Kieran had gotten a precise standard of his power level in the current dungeon world.
During normal conditions, Kieran would be able to challenge the higher power with all his skills and with a plethora of equipment, simr to how he challenged Ren. However, the distance between the highest power within the dungeon was still quite far, simr to the old monk from Rassho Temple. He might not even stand a chance against the highest power even if he factored in both his ace cards, [Transform Devil] and [Desire Summoning].
The way the monk utilized his tremendous strength skillfully and the unknown yet terrifying technique had allowed Kieran to realize the distance between the strengths of his own and the monks, let alone Godly beings.
Even though he didnt obtain any information from the books he read, judging from how easy Artitelgar dealt with the natural disaster, Kieran knew his strength was too low.
With the gap in strength, should he be involved in the battle of the Gods, he might not even be able to protect himself properly, let alone maximizing the rewards.
So, Kieran decided to leave the dungeon world temporarily.
Just temporarily.
After making sure his dungeon clear rating would be sufficient to produce a special dungeon, a sequel to the current one, he would be truly involved the next time he re-entered.
Now, however, Kieran would turn around and leave the ce.
After crashing into Rassho Temples backyard, he still caught a glimpse of two familiars even during battle.
"Wait! Hold on! Are you not curious at all about Perforation Sting?!"
Ren stood up, gasping for air as he spoke.
Kieran, on the other hand, had no intentions in replying, instead he hasten his steps because his time was limited.
Seeing Kieran leaving his sight quicker than ever, Ren couldnt help but smile bitterly.
Ditko who was observing the battle beside rushed in and helped his lord, his face was heavier than ever.
"Dont worry, Im still not dying from these wounds... But, what a rare junior we have here! Perhaps..." Ren wanted to say something but as the thought came to his tongue, he shut his mouth instead and signaled Ditko to carry him away.
As the engine of the car growled, the Huntsman and Fiend Exorcist went off.
The broken walls of the temple started to repair itself. The whole ce acted like it was alive and had a memory of its previous state, the bricks returned to where they were and the asphalt road repaired itself to a smooth path.
A slight breeze blew over to recover the original look of the old temple, which was still as broken and busted as ever.
Simr to a rising sun, regardless of how shinning its glorious light or how it warmed the hearts of humans, it would not change.
...
Kieran noticed the self-repair but before he could be surprised, he arrived before Kana and Tanya.
"Wheres Jen?" Kieran asked in a hastened tone.
After knowing the truth from Ren, some clues that lingered in Kierans head started to be clear.
The magic circle underneath Saint Brilliant was prepared for Jen. Ling was just the pawn but Jen was the real medium.
If Ling sessfully controlled Jens body onto the magic circle, the events that would happen would be out of Lings control because she was just a pawn.
What would happen then?
Kieran had no idea but he had a hint that it would be rted to Perforation Sting and the Godly beings.
Otherwise, the terrifying presence wouldnt appear in Rassho Temple.
"Jen is in a hidden ce!" Kana eventually answered after hesitating for a bit.
The half-fiend had a clear view of the battle that just happened.
Ren, one of the 21 famous Fiend Exorcists.
If Kieran could fight Ren and emerge a victor, it already struck Kana that Kierans strength was something that she couldnt have imagined.
The nature toply with the stronger existence from her fiend side had gotten the best of her.
"What ce?" Kieran asked instinctively.
This time around, Kana stayed quiet. She had her innate nature lingering inside her but she still had something that he held on to.
Kieran raised a brow but eventually turned away.
Since he was still within Rassho Temple premises which was the territory of that old saggy monk with unpredictable power, he couldnt y coy.
Though, it didnt disappoint him because he knew Rassho Temple was not without any defenses.
It would be enough for now.
Which would be better to settle Jen down, a person who was leaving the world in minutes or Rassho Temple the powerful native faction in the dungeon world?
The answer was self-exnatory.
"My knight! My..."
Someone behind Kieran uttered something, but Kieran hastened his steps quickly and disappeared away from Rassho Temple. Kieran didnt even listen to what Tanya had to say.
"I...I just want to bid farewell."
Tanya gazed upon the vanished figure, her voice dimmed down because of the disappointment on her face.
Kana frowned. She wanted tofort Tanya.
It was true that Kana had a hot temper and was very cunning but she has a kind side as well.
However, before Kana could speak, a frantic look reced the disappointment on Tanyas face.
"Is this the test of fate? Regardless of how harsh it will be, my knight! I will be waiting for the day we meet again!"
Kana facepalmed herself and walked towards the backyard without a further care about that sickening someone.
"You must hurry back!"
...
Right after leaving Rassho Temple, Kieran was forced to a stop.
He was looking at the person with the youthful face yet had a mature temperament before him. His heart became cautious.
"Ive said it before, I mean you no harm," Artitelgar said before reaching out his hand.
The sealed box that Kieran discovered back in the underground space of Saint Brilliant flew out from his bag and went over to Artitelgars hand. Artitelgar softly touched the surface of the box when it stopped above his hand.
Trying to take things from a stingy ghosts bag? Not even a God could do so!
Kieran prepared his devil power without a second thought.
"Im just giving you your rewards. The seal on this box, if I dont open it up for you, it will be quite the trouble. Though, your lineage is quite something! What a familiar smell!"
While feeling the rampant, chaotic aura, Artitelgar nced over Kieran with a surprised gaze. When the sulphuric scent was emitted, it made the God of me City slightly happy.
"If I didnt make sure that old geezer didnt leave behind other descendants, I might think that I have a little brother! Thank you again for what you did for me! Oh yes, before I forget you can call me Great Swamp. Artitelgar is too fussy."
The moment his voice subsided, his figure vanished into thin air as the box flew back to Kierans hand.
Kieran was confused. Why would Great Swamp thank him?
Because he investigated the truth behind the earthquake? Or was it because he fought one of the Fiend Exorcist?
"No, this cant be right!" Kieran muttered.
Before he could ponder the question further, time was up!
Kieran too vanished into light particles a momentter.
Chapter 574: Contract of Sorts
Chapter 574: Contract of Sorts
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
When Kieran came back to his game lobby, the rating notifications popped.
[Sixth Official Dungeon: City of Fiends]
[Dungeon Type: Free Mission]
[Dungeon Difficulty: Average]
[Main Mission: Solve at least 1 special case in 1 week]
[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating F)]
[Case Solved 1: Devour Woman]
[Case Solved 2: Puppet Fiend]
[Case Solved 3: Flurry de Ghost]
[Rating increased: F C]
[Sub mission 1: The Intercepted Supporter]
[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating C B)]
[Sub mission 2: Backstreet Kitchen]
[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating B A)]
[Sub mission 3: Butchers Massacre
[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating A S)]
[Special event: Unusual Quake]
[Perfect rating: S ZZ]
[Battle Performance: Very Active (Rating ZZ ZZZ)]
[Exploration Performance: Average]
[Special Rating 1: Complete main mission in advance (Rating ZZZ V)]
[Special Rating 2: Defeated Ren, one of the 21 Fiend Exorcists (Rating V VV, Rep +1)]
[yer final rating: VV!]
[Calcting dungeon reward...]
[Final yer rewards as follows...]
[Points: 200,000; Skill Points: 50; Golden Skill Points: 6; Golden Attribute Points: 6]
[Acquired Special Dungeon: City of Fiends II]
[Acquired Special Reward 1: Saint Brilliant High School teacher employment letter]
[Acquired Special Reward 2: Gang distribution map of me City]
[Acquired Special Reward 3: Sewer distribution map of me City]
...
[Detected yer brought out identifiable life form from dungeon, deduct 10,000 Points...]
[Detected yer hasnt formed a contract with an identifiable life form, identifiable life form will cost extra 1000 Points per non-contracted day...]
[Note 1: Non-contracted life form will cost yer extra points during entering and exiting dungeon]
[Note 2: Non-contracted life form will not cost points in dungeon world]
...
Kieran went over his dungeon clear rating and directly ignored the [Special Reward] section.
After ncing over the points and skill points, his attention was ced at the very end.
"Contract?"
It didnte to him as a surprise though. Kieran did see how the loner Raven fought previously. Just that he needed to estimate the price for a contract.
Judging from how expensive the equipment cost for Chosen Ones, his current Points and Skill Points were not sufficient to meet ends because there was another [Dark Nether Stone] waiting to be embedded.
The embedding cost of the [Dark Nether Stone] would surely be more expensive than the previous [Ghastly Sapphire] which had already cost him 300,000 Points. After all, the [Ghastly Sapphire] was just a Rare gemstone and the [Dark Nether Stone] was a Legendary.
At the same time, Kieran still remembered [Wilcos Grudge] that he gave Lawless to dispel the curse at the curse dispeller.
Even though Lawless said he owed Kieran a debt of gratitude, based on Kierans understanding of Lawless, if the process would require any extra fees, Lawless would definitely pay with his own funds.
Kieran then took out the spoils of war from thest dungeon world from the [Crimson Ghost Stomach].
Two machine guns, two low tier Magic rank items and [Blood Cleaver of Flurry], [Floating Ring] together with some [Repel Potion], and [Conceal Potion].
Lastly, the box that was unsealed by Artitelgar.
Kieran took the box and opened it up.
His game lobby room was definitely the ce that set his mind at ease the most, so he opened it up without any hesitation.
Inside the box was a ck item the size of a palm. When Kieran took it out of the box, he was surprised that it was a piece of scale.
[Name: Great Swamp Scale]
[Type: Scale]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Attack: ?]
[Defense: ?]
[Attributes: ?]
[Effect: ?]
[Prerequisite: A Gift from Great Swamp]
[Remark: It isnt a dragon scale but it has its own magical properties!]
...
"Great Swamp Scale?" Kieran muttered softly.
Any extrayer of spection was added on what Perforation Sting wanted to achieve.
Undoubtedly, the scale didnt belong to Artitelgar, so there was only one exnation left, Artitelgars father... if what Artitelgar said was the truth...
"A plot revolving around the scale of Artitelgars father? What could it be?"
Kieran mumbled as he looked towards the description of [City of Fiends II]
[City of Fiends II: Perforation Sting is much more vicious than the rumors had it after youve identally disrupted their ns, you are treated as a thorn in their side...]
[Main mission: Begins when enters the dungeon!]
"A pursuit for my life?" Kieran wondered.
Though he shook his head quickly.
Even if Perforation Sting did want his life, it would be after [The Queens Shield II], [Primordial Invasion II], [The Shamans Partner IV] and another normal dungeon run.
Three special dungeons plus one normal dungeon would present Kieran with sufficient strength to keep himself alive. He was confident of that.
At the same time, Kieran realized the pros of a special dungeon once more. Not only would it not add to the normal dungeon count, it would also grant him extra strength to maximize his rewards in a normal dungeon with ease.
Last but not least, the window of breathing!
Without the three special dungeons buffering time, Kieran couldnt even dare imagine how he would face the Gods in [City of Fiends].
"Lucky!"
After being fortunate of the breathing window, Kieran was concerned about the problem at hand, which was theck of required points.
"I must find the contract first, otherwise the Fire Raven will definitely be an infinite abyss."
Entering and exiting a dungeon would cost Kieran 10,000 Points plus an extra 1000 Points for each day spent without a contract. Even though the Fire Raven would not cost any points inside a dungeon, but as the days umted, it would be a great sum as well.
Once the thought struck him, Kieran felt like his flesh was being sliced open.
He opened up his PM tab and contacted Raven.
...
2567: How much points to form a contract with the system identifiable life form?
2567: Have any?
After sending two messages, Kieran was ready for a long wait knowing how Ravens character behaved. Kieran then opened up his message tab to PM cksmith in order to save time.
However, out of Kierans expectations, before he could leave a message for cksmith, Raven gave him a reply.
Raven: You need apanion contract, cost around 100K Points.
Raven: I dont have it now, but someone is dealing in Harvest Inn.
...
After getting the reply he was looking for, Kieran prepped his items and dashed towards the station after saying thank you.
Chapter 575: Osiris Brew
Chapter 575: Osiris Brew
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Harvest Inn, the gathering spot for a portion of the lone wolf yers.
During dungeon intervals, many yers would gather at the ce to trade off the spoils of war from the previous dungeons. Most of the deals made were scattered but when some Rare items appeared in the inn, bigger dealing ranges would take form.
The only exception was whenever Lemour the Alchemist appeared in the inn.
Fortunately, the alcoholic alchemist wasnt in the Harvest Inn that day.
Lawless who always lingered in the inn wasnt present either.
After sending a message to Lawless, Kieran nced over the handful of customers in the inn.
Rachel, the owner was behind the bar counter, wiping her sses. Her blonde hair shone brilliantly under the lights, even her purple bib pants and white shirt were reflecting the lights, making her look very energetic and experienced with an addedyer of exotess.
Though, the usual lone wolf yers of the inn knew the true nature of the female owner. No one dared to take an extra look at her as they turned their head down, minding their own business.
Therefore, none of them saw Rachels absent-minded state when Kieran walked in.
"Crow..." Rachel mumbled like a flys buzz and stared at Kieran nkly.
The ck figure plus the new Fire Raven on his left shoulder converged with the image in her memories buried deep in her heart which she still hadnt forgotten.
"Hey, Rachel!" Kieran reached out to greet her.
"Hmm!"
Rachel replied with a cold tone and tilted her head down in silence. She looked like she was wiping the sses but the white linen cloth in her hands hadpletely stopped working.
Rachel then turned around, showing her back to Kieran. Droplets of water started to wet the white linen cloth in her hands.
Kieran was looking at the scene awkwardly as he touched his nose.
He couldnt be as reckless and carefree as when he was with Lawless though. Although Kieran acknowledged Rachel as a friend, the difference between man and woman prevented Kieran to act naturally like he did with Lawless.
Kieran knew that he wasnt skilled in handling such a situation, so he directly went over to Raven sitting in the other corner.
"A decentpanion!"
Raven said after inspecting the Fire Raven on Kierans shoulder.
It was the first thing Raven said when Kieran sat down, however, Kieran went directly to the point. "Wheres the yer selling thepanion contract?"
Since he stepped into Harvest Inn, Kieran nced over the avable yers at the ce.
Other than Raven, there were couple more lone wolf yers yet none of them were showing items to trade or screenshots of items.
"There!"
Raven pointed at the other corner of the inn without any wasteful words and continued caressing the cat in his arms with his head down.
Kieran carefully observed the cat in Ravens arms but it was just a stray cat of the big city, there was nothing special about it.
Raven then went quiet again. It also added anotheryer of understanding to Kierans impression of the title Loner.
Kieran then went over to the direction that Raven pointed without caring whether the person at the other corner saw him or not.
Harvest Inn wasnt big by any means. It would only take a few big steps to reach the other corner.
As Kieran went over to the potential seller, he pulled out the chair of his table and sat down.
"You have thepanion contract?"
"Hmm."
The yer nodded and pulled out a screenshot.
[Name: Companion Contract]
[Type: Contract]
[Rarity: Magic]
[Attribute: Form a contract with any life form that fits the regtions, to be yourpanion and fight with you. (Doesnt include natives)]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Remark: You can choose any life form within the regtions, cats, dogs, even birds. As long as you arent afraid of their death!]
....
Below the screenshot was a price tag of 100,000 Points. An optimal price on the market.
Kieran nced over the [Companion Contract] and sent out a trade request before cing his eyes on the yer himself.
A camouge bulletproof vest with a big handgun at his waist, the gun model was concealed but it should be a unique one. Under the vest was a military outfit, together with, multi-purpose military pants plus a pair of military boots.
If it wasnt for that big handgun, the person would look like a newbie yer that had just purchased a set of armor from the system shop.
"Disguise? Or something else that I dont know off?" Kieran wondered after his habitualmentating.
Surprisingly, the yer rejected the trade request.
"2567?" The yer asked.
Even though with a covered face, Kieran could pick up the disdainful tone from his words and tone.
Kieran raised a brow and kept quiet, waiting for a follow-up reaction.
"I, General will never sell things to anyone who is rted to that fricking bastard Lawless!" He said.
General? Kieran suddenly went into deep thoughts, and momentster he recalled the conversation that he had with Lawless before.
"General? That business grabbing prick hasnt died yet? That bastard is a businesspetitor in my mercenary business. Not too strong, though his reputation was guaranteed!"
As the conversation floated in Kierans mind, he knew this trade was off.
Lawless wasnt a saint, he too had friends and enemies.
Kieran and Lawless were friends and General before him wasnt really Lawlesss enemy but definitely a rival.
Even though both of them hadnt reached the fighting stages, sneering and mocking between the two was inevitable.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend.
So what would the rival of my friend be?
Enemy! Without a doubt!
Kieran stood up and walked off without a second thought.
Kieran never had the intentions of staying on and try to work on the deal either.
While enjoying the convenience that Lawless brought him, would he still wish for Lawlesss rival to have a decent conversation with him?
Kieran wasnt that naive nor did he have a thick face.
Since the deal was off, Kieran didnt n on staying in Harvest Inn for long.
He would leave the ce after he greeted Rachel again. Though before Kieran could utter a word, Rachel presented him with a ss of wine.
[Name: Orange Light Sorante]
[Type: Wine]
[Rarity: Fresh]
[Attribute: Recover 100 HP within 10 seconds, recovery rate increased by +100%]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Remark: This is a special cocktail cooked up by Rachel, the taste is nothing special but it has a special effect!]
...
Kieran took up the ss of cocktail and looked at Rachel with a confused face.
"Drink it! Its good for you!" Rachel said softly.
"Do I have a choice?" Kieran smiled and toasted his ss.
With much experience in talking with Rachel, when she spoke with such a tone, it was definitely a serious one, so it would be best for Kieran to y along.
More so, Kieran believed that Rachel wouldnt hurt him.
So, bottoms up!
The wine in the ss was a little harsh on the smell but it tasted sour and sweet and wasnt as spicy as it smelled.
"A little fruit j..."
Before the word "juice" could escape his mouth, Kieran plunged his head on to the wine bar as snores echoed the area.
Just before Kieran fell asleep, the system notification popped up before him.
[yer consumed Osiris Brew...]
...
Chapter 576: Nightfall
Chapter 576: Nightfall
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Kieran fell asleep.
It was a deep sleep that he barely experienced before in recent years.
There wasnt any stress, any goals to achieve, all he did was sleep.
When he woke up, he instinctively stretched his body and after the gesture, the sudden realization hit him.
He was looking at Rachel who was still wiping the wine sses in doubt.
Subconsciously, he opened up the system notification tab.
[yer consumed Osiris Brew...]
That was the only notification in recent time but it was sufficient at the moment.
He remembered what he drank was [Orange Light Sorante] not [Osiris Brew]
"Rachel, I..."
"My bad, I took the wrong cocktail for you. That was supposed to be Lawlesss punishment. Well, consider yourself a fish caught up in a disaster." Rachel answered Kieran directly.
She then passed Kieran a contract scroll.
"Both of you are friends, so its quite okay if you want to take the punishment for him but I dont want him haunting me after this... So, you know, consider thatpensation. Its what you wanted right? Apanion contract."
Rachel didnt care about Kieran after she spoke and concentrated on her wine mixing.
Kieran took thepanion contract though his instinct was telling him Rachel was hiding something but he couldnt gather enough proof to prove as such.
Nothing changed in his character tab and attribute tabs anyway, Rachels exnation made sense as well because every one of the veterans knew the rtionship between Rachel and Lawless. Thepensation scroll in his hand was real as well.
Why not ask other bystanders then?
Kieran turned around and saw the empty inn. The few yers that lingered had disappeared long ago.
Rachel seemed like didnt want to talk about it further either so after Kieran used the [Companion Contract] on the Fire Raven, he left Harvest Inn afterpleting the contract process.
It was already at night outside. The sky was full of stars.
The big city in the game also had a day and night reflection of the real world.
Kieran raised his head at the unknown constetion and raised a brow.
He seldom came out to the big city in the game at night.
He spent most of his time strengthening himself so he barely left his room. The other point was Lawless mentioned before the night in the big city was very dangerous, especially after the yer killers appearance.
"I slept for a whole day?" Kieran mumbled as he quickly headed towards the train station.
At the same time, he also checked his PM tab for messages.
There were two in fact. One was from cksmith and the other from Lawless.
cksmiths message told him that the appraisal of [Dark Nether Stone] had beenpleted and was avable for embedding but Kieran would need to follow her schedule.
Lawless message was about the trouble that the curse dispeller had and he had to lend his hand.
cksmiths name was grayed out at the time. Obviously, the female yer was still persistent in differentiating between virtual and reality.
Kieran then opened up Lawlesss message tab straightaway.
......
2567: Where are u?
Lawless: Almost done!
Lawless replied almost instantly yet Kieran frowned.
2567: Where are u?
...
Kieran asked once more.
Kieran understood Lawless well enough, helping the curse dispeller was part of his character but the other part was because Kieran requested the curse dispeller to help him remove the curse on [Wilcos Grudge].
With Lawless nagging attitude, a simple and quick answer like that meant the trouble was not something small.
Just like how Kieran understood Lawless, Lawless too shared the same understanding of Kieran.
When Kieran repeated his question for the second time, he knew Kieran was serious. If Lawless didnt want the situation to get out of hand, it was best he go along with Kieran.
...
Lawless: Donaville Street, Small Path Square.
2567: Ill be there in a moment!
...
After the message, Kieran dashed out frenziedly from his casual walk, however, a couple of figures blocked his way in front of the train station.
A total of four people sharing the same look of a ck cap and mantled body, meaning the four of them were from the same organization and the weapons in their hand were reeking of malicious presence. It seemed like they were not there for a friendly visit.
The four of them dashed out to Kieran the moment they saw him without even asking anything.
The group of four dashed out in a "one front, three back" formation. The yer in front reached out both his hands straight and two barrels of a Gatling gun sprung out from his palm.
Dak Dak Dak Dak Dak Dak!
Dak Dak Dak Dak Dak Dak!
The barrels rotated rapidly as bullets shells came off from his shoulder.
The bullets were like a heavy downpour of rain, almost enveloping Kieran whole.
Kieran didnt even dodge the barrage of bullets as [Primus Scale] was activated, he took the bullets head on and closed in on to the firing yer.
Ding Ding Ding Ding!
Bullets were sprayed at the Powerful force field barrier, sparks sshed all over upon contact. The translucent barrier started to shake under the relentless fire, seemingly ready to fall apart at any moment.
But before the barrier was even broken Kieran already appeared before the firing yer.
The firing yer would never have thought the scene would unfold like that. He was so used to the scene when he fired his Gatling gun, his targets would scatter in all directions so the remaining three of his teammates would clean up the battlefield easily.
So, when the bewitching greatsword was swung down at him, he didnt have any chance to evade.
Tsssing!
A red line started from the middle of his brows and extended downwards. The next moment, the body was split in half, plunging into the ground and disintegrating into light particles.
Souuuuuu!
A giant sprung up above Kierans head.
The was made out of ropes but even under the stars and moon, it was glittering in a metallic glint. Just as the was about to catch Kieran, the was sparkling with electricity.
An electric!
Yet it was not much of a use.
The already activated Powerful barrier plus [Secondary Elemental Damage Resistance] and [Body of Evil] allowed Kieran topletely neglect the numbing effect of electricity.
Wuung!
[Arrogant Word] was swept out horizontally. The other two yers pulling the were sliced in half at the waist.
Thest remaining yer though turned around and ran for his life without even showing the courage to fight back.
Bang!
[Python-W2]s bullet sted of the crown of the running yers skull. The moment his brain sttered out, his body twitched a little before it disintegrated into light particles.
Honor Kills notifications then came right after.
The group of four presented Kieran with 30,000 Points and 15 Skill Points, plus their room keys.
Yet Kieran wasnt delighted at all as he frowned even harder after the quick battle.
Something was wrong! The attacker before him was not right!
"It wasnt the familiar yer killers. They have a general understanding of my strength by now, especially after that battle with ck Hell Banning, they wouldnt put up such a rash setup to ambush me. Maybe they are just the yer killers that prey onmon yers during the night?" Kierans brow almost stuck together.
The reason that he came up with couldnt even persuade himself.
The moment Lawless required his support and just so coincidentally, a bunch of yer killers appeared at the train station and struck him without asking anything?
No matter which side Kieran looked at it, it wasnt a coincidence.
"Maybe someone sent them here to intercept me from giving support to Lawless?" Kieran guessed.
Kieran then quickly sent out a couple messages to the other acquaintances yer yet none of them replied.
Kierans heart turned heavy.
When he saw the traine around, he boarded it without further ado.
Though, the scene within the carriage caused him to squint his eyes.
The same ck cap mantled figures were all over his sight.
Chapter 577: Flying Knife
Chapter 577: Flying Knife
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The moment the door on the carriage was opened, the yers inside shifted their eyes at the door.
When they saw Kieran walk into the carriage, the yers stood up as if they had been waiting for a long time.
Their actions were in sync, causing their front garment to shake in unison.
Souu.
Malicious gazes and dense killer intents were fired at Kieran at the same time.
"Kill!"
A sudden loud shout came from one of the yers.
Right at the next moment, pitch ck gun barrels were lighted up with muzzle sh ceaselessly.
The bullets were like heavy rain, pouring down at Kieran who immediately dodged behind the seat beside.
The bullets followed Kierans movements as well, that row of seats was instantly turned into a hos nest. Even the alloy forged carriage wall started to dent because of the bullet shower.
Ding Ding Ding!
Sparks sshed everywhere as the bullets ricocheted from the carriage wall to the parts of the carriage.
Shields were held up one after another in front the firing yers, followed by long knives appearing from the seams of the shields.
The long metal knives were ring coldly under the lingering light within the carriage.
Then, the yers then moved forward in unison to the seat where Kieran was hiding, trying to surround him.
But...
There was nothing behind the seat!
The yers who attacked were shocked, yet before they could react to the disappearance, darkness enveloped the whole carriage.
[Shadow Cloak]! The supernatural darkness assaulted the sights of the yers.
However, through their longtime teamwork, the yers instinctively stuck their back to one another. The shields were held high after one another, not even sparing the space above their head.
Kang!
When the held up shields came in contact with the alloy floor of the carriage, a defensive dome formation without any dead angle was formed, simr to a tortoise shell.
Under the situation that they couldnt see anything, a zero dead angle defensive formation would be a decent choice, if formation was imprable of course.
Fuuu!
A zing fireball burnt fiercely on Kierans left hand, it expanded rapidly within a breaths time.
Inside the supernatural darkness, all light was absorbed but the heat from the fireball brought up a wave throughout the carriage. The yers inside the defensive formation felt something was wrong. Yet their longtime teamwork had made them believed out of habit that their defensive formation was unbreakable.
Therefore, when the Powerful rank Devil me exploded in their face, the yers were assaulted by [me Burst] and unbelievable screams sounded all at once.
"Aaaargg!"
"What kind of fire is this!?"
The undying Devil me was like a gue, spreading between the yers rapidly and devouring their life force. Whether was it rolling or beating the mes, none of their efforts could put out the fire.
Under the agonizing cry, the burnt stench started to fill the whole carriage.
Kieran frowned at the scene though. It wasnt that he wasnt used to the burning scene since he had trained up himself out of his own will, the horrifying burning scene could totally be ignored. He was just curious about the backgrounds of those yers.
Close teamwork between yers and precise roles divided among them, it wasnt something amon organization could achieve. Especially inside this underground game, such teamwork between yers would be even rarer.
Of course, it wasnt good news for Kieran.
If Kieran was still guessing before, now he was certain that the curse dispeller had crossed some terrible yer organization and Lawless was dragged into this mess. Most importantly, it was because of him.
Fuuuu!
Kieran spat out a heavy breath and rubbed between his brows uncontrobly.
Before solving the problem with Broker, Kierans own intentions were not to get involved with other yer factions. However, changes always surpassed ns.
The eight bodies on the floor disintegrated into light particles and presented Kieran with another 60,000 Points 20 Skill Points plus eight room keys.
At the same time, another notification popped up on his vision.
[yer involved in battle within the train!]
[The conductor authenticated your action as self-defense!]
[Categorized as Honor Kill!]
[Sanction waived...]
...
"The conductor?" Kieran raised a brow.
Then, he saw a man-sized robot walk in through the off-limits lotive direction with a train uniform followed by a bunch of smaller robots behind.
"Dear passenger, please hold on a moment!" The train attendant robot spoke through its loud speaker in a mechanical tone.
"Okay!"
Kieran replied with manners since he was used to dealing with robots in real life.
Then, he saw the smaller robots restore the whole carriage back to its original state. The seats were renewed, the floor, the wall was removed of any visible dents.
"Have a pleasant trip!" The train attendant robot said before bringing the smaller robots back to the lotive area.
Kak!
The door was slowly closed.
Kieran then picked a seat and sat down.
"The robots are much smaller than the Union announced construction robots, and their capabilities exceed them even more!" Kieranmented.
He touched the seat that he sat on but he couldnt feel any marks of repairs.
Though, he mocked himself soon after.
"This is just a game! A game! Everything that happens here is purely virtual! I dont need topare with those in the real world!" Kieran reminded himself.
But...
It wasnt really effective.
He took in a deep breath and opened his PM tab, and contacted Rachel.
He needed something to divert his attention for the time being.
"2567: Rachel, You know any yer organization that wears ck cap and mantle plus has great teamwork?"
Kieran briefly described the yers he encountered in the message, he thought with Rachels vast experience, she would know easily.
However, out of his expectation the moment he sent out the message, Rachel went offline.
Kieran was stunned.
"Did I step on her tail?" Kieran thought uncontrobly.
Kieran then continued sending messages to other acquaintances, yet got the same oue.
None of them replied, even cksmith, Hanses and Coll.
Based on Kierans understanding of them three, as long as they were online and not caught up with something, they would definitely reply.
"Is the situation that bad?" Kieran slightly frowned.
...
Was the situation that bad?
Much worse than Kieran had imagined!
At a crossroad of Donaville Street, Small Path Square, the guns, and explosions sounded together.
Bullets flew in all directions, smashing the walls into rubble.
Explosions went off loudly, creating big craters on the ground one after another.
Groups of ck cap mantled yers were in a special formation, pressing forward in unison.
Hanses and Coll, on the other hand, were hiding at one of the houses aside and were pinned down by the bullet shower.
"God F*cking Damn it! How the hell are the ck Robes getting so much firepower!"
Hanses cursed loudly while holding his shield up high. He then looked at Coll beside him who was staring at a LED monitor on his LED screen controller.
"Still havent located the others? Hurry up! Otherwise, both of us will be shot into a f*cking sieve!"
Hanses urged Coll.
"Almost there, I... F*CK! My robot dog exploded! I..."
A moment ago, Coll was still calm as water yet he cursed out loud at the next. However, before he could finish his rant, Hanses dragged him along and rolled away.
KABLOOOM!
A huge explosion sounded.
The house that both of them were hiding in together with a couple more besides were leveled to t ground.
...
"Hahahahaha! Saw that explosion cksmith? You sure you want to keep up us? With that handful of you trying to fight ck Robes with almost two hundred elites, aint you guys feeling a little delusional?"
A scrawny man was standing before a floatingdy, mocking her with a ridiculing tone.
Different from the ck cap mantled yers around, although the man was also in ck, his outfit leaned more towards casual wear. He was wearing a T-shirt and jeans, almost identical to themon folk on the street.
Except for the bloody, long flying knife in his hand.
Droplets of blood slid off that cold sharp edge, causing the ground to be wet.
As the dark and red intertwined, thedys red mantle became more eye-catching.
A series of twisted feelings from the man resonated with his flying knife.
Then...
Souu!
The flying knife was hurled out.
Chapter 578: The Unclear Face
Chapter 578: The Unclear Face
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The flying knife went forth like a bullet.
One of the gemstones from cksmiths side flew out and tried to block the flying knife. However, the flying knife distorted in a weird sense and passed through that gemstone and plunged right into cksmiths shoulder.
Pum!
Blood sshed out.
"Hahahahaha! Did all that embedding make you stupid, cksmith? After taking hits from my flying knives, you dare resist me further?"
The casually dressed manughed out loud and at the same time. He raised his hands up and threw out his knives again.
It was not one but six flying knives at once!
His right hand swung upwards, throwing three knives from his palm and his left hand swung downward, throwing another three knives.
Six flying knives intertwined as they shuttled through space and swirled around cksmith like butterflies.
Wunng!
A couple of gemstones vibrated fiercely, giving out a different color of luster.
The luster felt real as the gemstones turned into palm-sized shields.
The casually dressed manughed coldly at cksmiths resistance. He didnt hurry on with a follow up as he wanted to crush cksmith during her most confident moment.
Was it grudge that lead to man to such state?
No, both of them didnt even meet before this incident.
Yet why did the man push cksmith so far?
It was just the mans habitual action to crush his opponent during their most confident moment and watch them copse without getting back up, especially when his opponent was ady.
The moment he thought about the tender, soft crying from his prey, he couldnt hold back his excitement.
The gemstone shield took form right before the swirling flying knives were fired out.
As the man had expected, his flying knives pierced through cksmiths defenses without a single bit of dy, leaving cuts after cuts on her tall, slender body.
Her red mantle became brighter as her blood gushed out more.
After suffering continuous damage, cksmith couldnt maintain her floating state anymore. As she fell on the ground, the pain from her wounds assaulted her, causing her to frown.
Her heavy panting even stated that she was in a terrible condition.
"Hey girl, anything you havent used yet? If not..."
KABOOOM!
Before the casually dressed man finished his sentence, an explosion went off.
Two of the gemstones from cksmith had flown out towards the mans feet suddenly and exploded without a sign.
Kabang!
The st wave from the exploding gemstones sent the man flying, crashing into one of the houses close by.
Five more different color gemstones were fired into the crash site as a follow-up attack.
KABAAAAM!
An even bigger explosion went off, sting the whole house into the air!
But...
The casually dressed man didnt perish from the huge explosion. Or more precisely, the man was steps away from death.
The man was tainted ck and had blood all over his body, yet he walked out in a staggering manner.
"So this is your counterattack? It aint useful!"
Before his voice even subsided, a beam of green light was fired at him from afar, healing his visible wounds in an exponential rate.
After the green light vanished, the mans wounds werepletely healed other than his ragged T-shirt.
"See this honey? This is the power of teamwork! The heights that you lone wolves will never achieve!" The man then pped his hand as he spoke.
Dak Dak Dak Dak!
A series of footsteps marched over quickly, revealing a group of ck cap mantled yers arriving before the man. Each of the yers was holding automated weapons that shared the same color.
"Lets y a game shall we, honey? The game is... Bullet Dodge!"
Maliciousughs sounded from the casually dressed man once more.
Then, his eyes shifted towards the night sky and he heard wings fluttering.
"A birdie?" The man was surprised.
The man knew clearly the special methods that other yers in the game possessed.
In the big city, stray dogs and cats were all over the ce, birds were no exception.
Birds, however, were aviary with higher intellect, they wouldnt appear on the streets at night, especially after explosions during battles, the birds wouldnt evene near to the ce.
If any birds woulde near to the battle scene, it would definitely be under some yers instruction.
"Oh look at that, there is some bold idiot prying over the ck Robes?"
The manughed deeply.
He eagerly gave out the orders to his men to fire.
When new prey entered the scene and with much more excitement and freshness, his interest towards cksmith dimmed downpletely.
Bang bang bang bang bang bang!
Muzzle shes lighted up ceaselessly from the yers automated weapons, the bullets fired out even formed a giant of death and enveloped cksmith.
Gemstone after gemstone flew out from cksmith and turned into shields, blocking her from the bullets.
Ding!
The first bulletnded on the gemstone shield and ricocheted in another direction.
Even though the first bullet was blocked, it didnt mean the others would follow.
When the fifth and sixth bulletsnded on the gemstone shield, the lustrous shining shield started to crack. The seventh and eighthnded as well and splintered the gemstone shield into pieces, that was not the end of the gunshots.
To the firearm yers with at least twenty more bullets in their magazine, it was the time they really showed off their destructive power.
Dak Dak Dak Dak Dak Dak Dak!
Gunshots were fired relentlessly, cksmiths eyes could even clearly see the bullets trajectory yet she couldnt move her body to dodge them.
Since she operated her powers with a special power, her style of battle has already decided that she wasnt a yer that relied on her body but her gemstones!
Unfortunately, she consumed too many of her gemstone stocks during thest embedding for Kieran, it went as far as turning the situation that she could easily handle into a difficult one that exceeded her expectations.
The scent of death was already lingering around her.
Sigh!
cksmith sighed heavily in her heart.
She was unwilling, unyielding to death, yet she was helpless.
Until...
A ck figure suddenly appeared before her, blocking all the bullets trajectory. The crow feathers from his mantle were fluttering under the night breeze and were glittering in a deep glint under the stars.
The fluttering from the feathers echoed in cksmiths ears, it also overpowered the firing sounds of the guns.
"How are you holding up?
A deep but powerful question sounded like a palm reaching out to her from the void. The voice also gathered cksmiths scattered thoughts in an instant.
Bang bang bang bang bang bang!
Gunshots sounded in her ears again, at the same time the blury face before her became clearer yet not to the point that she could recognize who it was.
"Its blur... The system blur..." cksmith muttered softly.
"What?" Kieran was surprised.
Kieran has no idea why cksmith would say something like that during such a moment.
Still, she collected her thoughts right after her bbering.
"Careful, his flying knife can pierce through space!" cksmith reminded Kieran.
"Leave it to me!"
Kieran took out a [Healing Potion] and handed it to cksmith with a warm smile.
He then sized up the yers behind him and kept away his smile as he nced over them with a cold re.
Kieran slowly walked towards the yers.
An indescribable wicked aura erupted from Kierans side as he walked. Each step he took forward, the wicked aura would get denser.
Even the night couldnt overpower such wickedness.
The yers felt like they saw the devil rise up from the abyss and break free from the shackles of the material world, crawling towards them with a rampant and chaotic presence.
Chapter 579: Perforated
Chapter 579: Perforated
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
[Deadmans Gaze]!
[Fear Illusion]!
Following the thoughtless stare at Kieran, the ck cap mantled yers all fell into a whirlpool of death. Each of them felt like a giant hammer smashed through their chest, gushing mouthfuls of blood and plunging to the ground, absent of any signs of life.
All fell except one.
[Fear Illusion: Targets Spirit has failed authentication, the targets intuition has passed authentication. Target will receive an attack equal to the wearers Spirit attribute rank. Detected target has Talent "Stubborn Brain", prioritized talent, judging triggered, the target is freed from Lethal attack...]
The ck casual dressed man gushed out a mouthful of blood but he didnt fall and limp, instead, he turned and ran for his life.
The man ran even faster when the green light filled with life energy shone over him.
He was recovered to his prime form within an instant and didnt forget to hurl out three more flying knives as he sprinted away.
Sou Sou Sou!
The flying knives flew out like bullets, aiming towards Kierans face and throat.
Kieran, however, didnt even dodge as if he didnt notice the flying knives were aimed towards him.
"Careful!" cksmith warned him out loud.
After their confrontation, cksmith knew how scary the flying knives could be.
At the very next moment, cksmiths jaw dropped before she could even keep away her awe.
The three flying knives were caught by Kieran with his bare hands without missing a beat. He moved so fast that even cksmith couldnt see how he did it.
Eventually, all she could see was Kieran thrashing the knives like paper, rolling them into pieces of junk metal and flung them aside.
"Pierce through space? Its nothing but deceiving tricks to the eyes!" Kieran said calmly.
With his energy overflowing, the moment Kieran arrived the hostile Donaville Street, he didnt even turned off his [Tracking] vision and with [Tracking] activated, most things before his sight would be revealed to him in extreme detail, including the knives that he trashed.
The knives were really able to distort light and deceive ones eyes yet the hidden trajectory would not change.
Sou!
A pitch ck negative energy chain appeared out of nowhere beside the casually dressed man and bound him on the spot.
[Spectre Grip, Shadow Chain]!
Despite how the man struggled, it was useless before Kierans absolute strength.
"I..."
The man spoke as Kieran approached him.
Whether was it threats or begging, unfortunately, Kieran had no intention to listen to what he said.
He raised his leg and stepped down on the mans head.
SPLAT!
The mans head burst open like a watermelon crushed by a truck, the white and red brain fluid became mushy and even stuck to Kierans boots.
Fortunately, when the body disintegrated into light particles, the mushy brain fluid vanished as well.
[yer Killed: Terry]
[Treated as self-defense through authentication]
[Categorized as an Honor Kill]
[Detected target has limit broken character model temte!]
[You will receive 150% of the Points and Skill Points of the yer...]
[Total: 30, 000 Points and 10 Skill Points]
[Received the yers house key]
[Granted the right to use the yers house]
[All the yers belongings are returned to their house]
[Honor Kill: 84]
...
Together with the previous group of tens contribution, Kieran current points skyrocketed to 400,000 Points and Skill Points were at 115!
After mumbling "murdering, arsoning yet awarded with a golden belt" in his heart, Kierans attention was caught by the line [Detected target has limit broken character model temte!].
He quickly went over the battlelog notifications and saw the mans talent.
"Talents..."
Kieran muttered the term from his mouth but his heart had started to burn fiercely about the "Character Model Temte Limit" missions.
Judging from the current information he gathered, once a yerpleted "Character Model Temte Limit" missions, talents would be bestowed upon them and the yers strength would go through a drastic change.
But when the reminder from Lawless rung in his head, he frowned.
Right after that thought, he quickly shook his head, discarding the useless thoughts out of his mind.
"What happened?"
"Ill tell you on the way!"
Kieran asked cksmith as they were shuttling through Donaville Street.
cksmith frowned before the question though, seemingly wanting to say something else but when the words escaped her mouth, it became the answer Kieran was seeking.
...
"Plek! Plek!"
Coll was climbing out from the rubble of the ruined house, struggling to get up with his ash-covered face.
"Damn it! How was their strike so urate! I..."
"Hanses! Hanses! You dumb cow, are you fine!?"
Coll was grunting frustratedly but when he saw the broken shield and a bloody Hanses beside him, the grunts turned into a surprised cry.
After the stwave struck Coll, his head was still ringing hard yet he quickly staggered over to Hanses with wobbly steps.
"If I say I am fine, can I really be fine? You dumb cow! Im really dead, you think you still can see me eh?"
Hanses caught the crying tone within Colls voice and just as Coll was about to cry a river before his chest, Hanses pointed at the tall building ahead.
More precisely, the turret at the top of the building.
"See that?"
"Yeah!" Coll nodded.
"Ill go divert their attention, you think of a way to get rid of that turret!"
Hansas finished his words quickly and started to sprint towards one side.
Dak Dak Dak Dak Dak!
KABOOM! BOOM BOOM!
Gunshots and explosions sounded all together, trailing Hansess movements.
Coll stared nkly at Hansess figure disappearing through theplicated streets. After three to four seconds, he only came back to his senses of what he had just done.
Pak!
Coll pped himself and quickly made his move.
"I cant wait anymore! Hanses is risking..."
Pak!
Another p from himself stopping the discouraging words escaping his mouth.
The movements of his hands became faster as well.
A small remote control car simr to a kids toy dashed out towards the turret at the tall building under Colls control.
Coll had entered his special trance mode when controlling the remote control car. It felt like he was controlling his own arms, not only did he easily avoid the usual enemies sight, it even dodging stray bullets and explosions shrapnels from other ces with ease.
Soon enough, the remote control car reached below the tall building.
Ding!
Coll pressed the button on his remote control and the me booster lighted up below the remote control car.
Right off the bat, the remote control car flew up high like a rocket.
"Yes!" Coll clenched his fist in excitement.
However, another voice sounded behind Coll at that moment.
"Hmph! Childish!"
The voice wasnt high pitched but was enough to make Coll feel like he had fallen into an icy abyss, causing his body to shiver.
Coll clearly felt the presence of the person behind him was cold and humid like a snake climbed over his neck.
He instinctively reached out to the gun at his waist but before he could touch the handle, a long sword stabbed through his abdomen.
Puk!
Coll tilted down at the blood dripping long sword through his stomach.
KABOOM!
The roof of the tall building afar exploded brightly like a blooming flower.
Chapter 580: Small Path Square
Chapter 580: Small Path Square
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The mes burned fiercely yet the turret on the rooftop was unharmed.
A force field barrier formed in the nick of time and protected the turret from being sted to hell. Even though the explosion did quite the damage to the barrier which caused it to wobble, the turret was still operational.
"See that? You lone wolves have gotten so used to being alone, how would you people know what great teamwork is..."
KABOOM!
Before the sword wielders words could finish, he was interrupted by another explosion.
A figure suddenly appeared above the rooftop with dual wielding fire and ice swords.
The left ming sword shed opened the wobbling barrier and the right freezing sword was swung towards the turret, freezing it in an instant.
"Ra...Ramont!"
Colls eyes shone brightly, his words stuttered from his mouth because blood kept gushing out.
Ugh!
The longsword stabbed that through Colls abdomen was drawn out quickly. Coll was like a ragdoll that went out of control as he plunged to the ground. The sword wielder was infuriated because of the embarrassment, he wanted to slice Colls head off.
The stinging embarrassment on his face made the sword wielder abandon his game of teasing as he wanted to end this quickly.
He wanted to kill Coll before going after the other who destroyed the turret. He would not stop his relentless pursuit of thetter because the mission assigned to him was to ensure the turrets proper operation.
Souuu!
Just as the sword was inches away from taking Colls head, a strong wind struck the sword wielder from behind, forcing him to swing his sword the other way.
Bang!
The brick that was hurled at him was sliced but the powder from the brick and the coated lime powder exploded upon impact.
The dusty cloud instantly shrouded the sword wielders face.
"Argh!"
A painful cry came from the sword wielder but he didnt alter his sword stance.
After that, sprinting footsteps were approaching the sword wielder rapidly.
"You think you can win me with these petty tricks?"
The sword wielder reced his blinded sight with his hearing, the moment his words ended, he swung his long sword down in a flurry. He wanted to teach the person who ambushed him a lesson, informing him of the gap of strength between them.
But...
His swing was powerful and quick but the longsword missed its target.
The person dashing towards the sword wielder didnt attack the sword wielder as expected, instead, he threw himself over the sword wielders feet.
His target was the heavily wounded Coll on the ground.
Hanses managed to grab Coll and roll away from the sword wielder, drawing distance between them.
At the same time, he poured a tube of high quality [Healing Potion] into Colls mouth.
Gulp Gulp!
Coll finally opened his eyes after a few coughs, he had to clear the lingering blood from his throat.
"Hanses!"
Coll overjoyed when he saw hisrade saved him from the brink of dying.
Hanses, however, saw Colls wounded chest as his outfit was torn apart by the sword wielder. Without further ado, Hanses took off his coat and covered the exposed chest.
"Hold on a minute will ya!" Hanses then stood up and went over to the sword wielder.
The sword wielder had regained his sight and he saw Hanses approaching him. He also saw Coll who escaped death yet still couldnt move around.
"Hmph? Your girlfriend? Its really nothing you know, she fell on the ground bleeding out after a small stab from my sword." The sword wielder mocked Hanses with his vulgarities.
Undoubtedly, the sword wielder wanted to provoke Hanses. It was quitemon among the veterans, using verbal attacks, the moremon the method, the more effective it would be.
The sword wielderughed when he saw Hanses dash towards him.
He then thrust his sword forward at Hanses.
The sword shed brightly after the motion. It should be a long sword but it bloomed like a peacocks tail and its tip was as sharp as a vipers fang, jumping onto its prey to attack all its targets weak points.
The sword wielder mockinglyughed again when he saw Hansess arms suffer multiple bleeding wounds.
"The Shield Wielder Hanses? Take that away and what are you? You bunch of idiotic lone wolves, what are you without the hot boiling thoughts? You cant even think properly!"
The sword wielder seemed to know Hanses quite well and because of that knowledge, the sword wielder showed a disdainful gaze as his charge.
However, when the bouquet of swords was caught by Hanses despite it was being swung in a flurry, the sword wielder couldnt believe his eyes.
"Other than unable to think straight when my blood boils, I have my own nature of battle and also my ACE!" Hanses yelled loudly and punched the sword wielders face.
Amidst the bone crackings, the sword wielder was punched up in the air, he was more than a meter away from the ground and before he could fly further away, Hanses grabbed the sword wielder by the leg and dragged him back.
BANG!
Hanses dragged the sword wielders leg and mmed him down on the ground like a giant hammer.
"Apologize to my friend Coll!" Hanses shouted.
Yet no answer came from the sword wielder as the man disintegrated into light particles.
The scene went quiet for a while.
Hanses scratched the back of his head and turned around awkwardly to Coll who was struggling to stand up.
"Im sorry, I didnt hold back..."
Hanses went over and helped Coll up.
"Remember, help me keep the secret!" Coll signaled to Hanses.
"Why dont you tell the others that you are a female yer? Arent female yers quitemon? And... Okay... Fine, I get it!"
Hanses gave up immediately when Coll stared at him quietly. He quickly shifted the topic.
"This ce is filled with ck Robes men, that Lawless really thinks he is above allws, how could he even cross the ck Robes? Besides, even a sub scroll of [de of the Daybreaker] is involved... The ck Robes will never just let him go like that! We only have two options left..."
"Lets find Lawless!"
Before Hanses could finish, Coll interrupted him.
"I will not be a burden to everyone! I am not skilled in battle, after all, machines are my only forte! Bring me to the turret spot!" Coll said.
"Okay!" Hanses nodded.
Hanses carried Coll up and headed towards the tall building.
He did saw the turret was frozen by Ramonts ice sword but he knew Coll must have an idea. What he had to do was deliver Coll to the turret.
...
After freezing the turret, Ramont dashed down the tall building by sprinting on the wall.
When he was less than 10 meters off the ground, he tapped on the wall with both his legs and instantly sprang himself away horizontally from the wall and crashed onto the ground.
"Fire!"
But before Ramont couldnd properly, a loud shout came.
The ck Robes nearby fired at Ramont without a second thought.
"Tsk!"
Ramont quickly swung his swords in a flurry, forming a sword barrier around him.
The bullets couldnt even pierce through his flurry de defenses.
Dak Dak Dak Dak!
Sou Sou!
Under the heavy Gatling gunfire, two distinguished air-breaking whistles reacted to the downpour of bullets.
Then, the ck Robes gunner screamed in agony.
"Healing!"
"I need healing!"
.....
The agonizing screams were ceaseless but what they got in reply was shes from a sharp w.
Momentster, when the whole bunch of ck Robes were disintegrated into light particles, Raven the loner walked out from the shadows. Beside him was two fox-like leopard cats following him around.
"Done?"
Raven nced over Ramont andnded his sight on Small Path Squares direction.
"Ive dealt with the turret. The heal though... I have no idea but I hate that Chosen One who shut off ourmunications! Dont let me find him or Ill crush his balls!" Ramont said angrily.
"The healers should be dealt with but themunication blocker is hiding elsewhere and our reinforcements should arrive any moment now."
It was quite rare of Raven uttering a long sentence.
"Reinforcement? Whatever, lets stick to the n and head towards Small Path Square!" Ramont said.
Raven didnt object but the moment both of them moved out, a great thundering growl sounded at that very direction.
The ground even shook fiercely following the growl.
A giant 20-meter twin-headed snake rushed into the square like an ancient rampaging beast.
Chapter 581: Clashing In Every Direction
Chapter 581: shing In Every Direction
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The Fire Raven dived from the night sky with an umon tweet before itnded on Kierans shoulder.
The power from the contract allowed Kieran to share a special link with the Fire Raven, thus he immediately got what he was after.
Kieran advanced forth even faster.
To be honest, when cksmith told him what was going on, he wished he could be twice the normal speed faster or even thrice!
The Title Dungeon sub scroll was rted!
Kieran would never have thought the scroll was at stake but a sudden realization soon followed.
Only an item of such caliber would force one of the Supernovas, ck Robe to make his move.
ck Robe, Rayerwent. An unusual yer among the Supernova.
Unlike from other team yers or lone wolves, Rayerwent admired the huge organization and its power.
He attracted the struggling yers to join his side with his title, thus expanding his forces. The ck Robes, which was Rayerwents men, took over one of the corners of the big city and lurked around like a monster of the dark, waiting for the opportunity to devour its prey.
He was somewhat simr to a discounted version of Broker.
However, even though Broker did many of his malicious deeds out in the light, he would conceal his tracks and doings.
The ck Robe wouldnt. Simr to how he acquired the title of Supernova, ck Robe was a direct person.
"Whats yours is mine if I like it."
Such an ideal was shackled down in the real world byws and regtions.
But inside the underground game?
The shackles were released the moment he came into the game and the beast was unleashed.
From cksmiths brief exnation, Kieran knew ck Robe had grabbed the things he wanted more than once and this time around the target was the curse dispeller.
While using the curse dispeller as a lure, it dragged Lawless and the other lone wolves yer, plus Kieran himself, into this battle.
Undoubtedly, ck Robe had been plotting this for a long time.
Kieran, however, had no idea where the details went wrong but he knew what he must do at that moment.
Eliminate ck Robes healer! As long as the healer was a factor, the ck Robes army with more than 200 hundred men will suppress the lone wolves yer with sheer force.
Sufficient quantity would trigger a qualitative change.
Kieran didnt deny that, especially when 200 men kept being healed up and possessed a myriad of different attackings means. The qualitative changes this time would definitely send the lone wolves into the deepest part of the abyss.
Souu!
After Kieran dashed out from a small alley, the sight before him opened up brightly.
Then, an air-breaking sound headed towards him but it didnt stop his movements.
Kieran jumped up like a nimble sparrow and dodged the iing arrow together with the explosions that followed.
KABOOM!
Kieran managed to dash out of the explosion range.
It wasnt a mine but a remote bomb that has been nted early on.
Thebination of A+ Intuition and [Tracking] allowed Kieran to familiarize himself with close quartersbat. Regardless of how good the enemies hid, everything was exposed under Kierans sight.
For instance, the bomb that was buried under the debris.
It was very obvious because of the footprints and handprints around that single spot.
Simr to the that was floating in mid-air. The was ck in color mixing with a dash of grey, allowing it to perfectly merge itself with the night sky but under [Tracking]s vision, it was nothing but a bright white.
Shaa!
The was hurled down from the sky and Kieran leaped out in mid-air as well a moment before the caught him. Kieran was able to step on the formless air as it was leveled ground because of his boots.
Souuu!
Kieran dived down like an arrow let loose from mid-air, shooting himself towards the bunch of yers on the ground.
Four of the ck cap mantled yers were grouping up there.
Although there were a dozen more simr dressing yers surrounding them, the magic circle under the four yers feet plus the magic staff in their hands were enough to prove everything.
They were the healers of ck Robe.
Dak Dak Dak Dak Dak Dak!
A couple of machine guns fired at Kieran, the intertwined firing shrouded Kieranpletely amid his dive.
Then, the ck Robes saw Kieran got shot into a sieve.
The scene was very realistic as blood and flesh flew in all directions and his body turned into a mushy pile of meat. It would be the real deal if there wasnt a bubble popping in the end.
[Illusion Puppeteer Ring]!
"Guards up!"
Regardless of how stupid a person was, they would know they were tricked.
The ck Robes quickly spread out in a disciplined manner, bringing out their official formation which they had been practicing for a long time.
The healers were ced behind the dozen other ck Robes and a metal barrel formation was formed around them.
Any movement in any directions will not escape their sight.
So, when Kieran reappeared once more, he was noticed at first sight.
Guns were fired once again though none of the bullets could obstruct Kierans forward charge.
[Reckless Charge]!
When the armored rhino mirage formed behind him, thend beneath Kierans feet started to tremble and when [Arrogant Word] was treated as the horn of offense, his attack would never fail.
The metal barrel formation was crushed within an instant.
The four healers within the formation formed a lustrous light around them.
It was neither dazzling nor radiating with brilliance but it was tenacious enough, for most of the yers though.
It wasnt enough before the sharp edge of [Arrogant Word]!
Chiii!
The bewitching red edge pierced through the lustrous light but it didnt shatter as expected.
Cracks appeared lightning from the point where [Arrogant Word] was stabbed, it spread outwards like an expanding spider web.
The cracks spread bigger and further, even Kieran who was at the hilts position crashed into the lustrous light.
BANG!
As the primitive force of nature trembled, the shattered lustrous light pieces danced under the night sky.
Kieran hadnt forgotten [Reckless Rush]s attack authentication and that was why he chose [Arrogant Word] to act as the horn.
A Legendary rank weapon had not only the sturdiness but the sharpness as well.
With such a sharpness as the charging point, Kierans [Reckless Charge] would never fail.
Of course, Kieran also considered all sorts of disadvantageous situations and the worse oue before striking. He had to as the four healers before him were obviously Chosen Ones but up until now, they only disyed their healing abilities.
However, Kieran would never believe the 4 Chosen Ones came to battle with only healing abilities under their sleeves.
There were quite a number of guards around the healers but none of them really had decent abilities.
Yet they relied on such guards to protect four Chosen Ones?
It may be too careless of them.
Judging from cksmiths description, ck Robe wasnt a careless person.
So, the answer was self-exnatory.
ck Robe believed the four Chosen Ones had the ability to protect themselves.
Kieran dared not underestimate Chosen Ones when they obtained the trust of their superior.
But he wascking options and what Fire Raven saw through its sights told him that he was running out of time.
He needed to deal with this fast, so he had to take the risk.
Kieran tried to utilize his battle style to deceive his opponents, trying to make them careless. He acted like he was a reckless warrior type with a little mind behind his actions and he did it perfectly!
The moment the lustrous light shattered, the four Chosen Ones did effectively dodge the charge instantly. Kieran even heard theughs of contempt from their mouths.
However, suchughs halted the moment they were caught by a ming spider web.
The spider web tightened up immediately and gathered all four struggling Chosen Ones before Kierans charging trajectory.
Despite great danger was befalling them, the four Chosen Ones didnt give up. They were ready to risk it all with theirst ace card!
Yet, Kierans eyes were ring with an unusual light.
[Deadmans Gaze]!
It wasnt as sessful when it was used on themon yers, the four Chosen Ones relied on their skills and items and quickly freed themselves from [Fear Illusion], but it was enough for Kieran.
When Kieran realized he was facing four Chosen Ones, he never expected [Half-deads Gaze] would ring a dent, all he needed was to stall them for a second because he was still in [Reckless Charge]s effect and the Chosen Ones were within range.
Bum!
Bang!
The shing sound from the swords edge and the crashing from the brute force sounded like a melody.
The Chosen Ones died a restless death. They never thought they would die in such ame way.
In fact, everything unfolded as Kierans expected. The guards around them were less than useless because the Chosen Ones still believed in their own abilities. After all, they were the ones that were different than the other ck Robes member. The Chosen Ones did get ck Robes prioritized training though, they didnt just excel in the group itself, they also possessed outstanding knowledge.
That was the reason why they could spot Kierans weakness with the first sight: his charge could only move in a straight line.
Based on that weakness, the four of them indeed had exchanged opinions and already nned out their next setup, all they had to do was wait for Kieran to step into their trap.
But, the oue was far from what they had imagined, it turned out like they were the ones who fell into Kierans trap instead.
That fake reckless charging was used to pull off the ming spider web above their head!
They were deceived the very moment they saw Kieran!
Chapter 582: Block
Chapter 582: Block
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The four Chosen Ones were filled with unwillingness yet it didnt help their situation.
Death wasing for them.
When Kieran finally stopped his reckless charging and turned around, the four Chosen Ones already disintegrated into light particles.
Their ending wasnt any different from othermon yers yet the rewards from them were outstanding. The honor kill notifications showed that the four Chosen Ones provided Kieran with a hefty 200,000 Points and 30 Skill Points.
Kieran immediately thought of their rooms and what valuables they held.
The stingy Scrooge soul inside Kieran was growing restless.
Fortunately, his mind was still clear about his priorities.
He looked up to the silent and dark spot further ahead.
Small Path Square.
Compared to the battle raging ce he was at, Small Path Square was like a retreat from the battle ruined area.
Though in Kierans eyes, that ce looked more like a bloodthirsty beast opening its mouth and waiting for its prey to walk into its stomach. It might be even more dangerous than where he was now.
Through Fire Ravens sight, Kieran knew what was inside Small Path Square.
Fuu!
Kieran spat out a heavy breath. He had to go forward because Lawless and that curse dispeller were inside there.
However, Kieran thought he should proceed with his own methods.
Right at the next moment, the twin-headed giant snake materialized from its mirage form and ran rampant across Small Path Square.
...
Donaville Street wasnt that eye-catching among the big city but it was connected to many convenient and intertwining smaller routes, which were the yers favorite.
All the smaller paths and routes would eventually lead towards the center of Donaville Street, Small Path Square.
Small Path Square was what the yers named the ce. It was quite a decent ce initially, having a fountain in the middle and a couple big trees and benches around, it looked exactly like a typical small square.
Though, Small Path Square was quiet at night.
The mild night breeze blew and shook the leaves on the big trees under the moonlight. There was a fountain that had ceased to function and a pond around it that had ripples over its surface.
Yet such a pleasant night view was crushed when that giant twin-headed snake rammed into Small Path Square.
The whole square was boiling at that moment.
Fua, Fuaa Fuaaa!
The ground, benches, trees, fountain, and even the pond around the fountain were swelling like pellets, simr to a goosebump on humans skin during the cold season.
The swelled pellets though were much more condensed than human goosebumps.
All the swelled pellets were pushing each other, squeezing each other until there wasnt any ce left for the pellets to form; one of them flew up in the air.
Inside the pellet were wings, a sharp beak, and multiple legs of an insect.
A flying insect!
Just like the domino puzzle, the moment one of the insects flew up, the rest followed up one after another.
Wuung!
Their wings vibrated even louder than the typhoon, a big area of ck, disgusting insects swarmed the sky.
The swarm of insects covered the sky like a giant dark cloud as they flew towards the giant twin-headed snake.
What was left of Small Path Square was nothing but ruins. The pleasant scene from before was no longer visible as if everything was eaten by the insects except the rocks!
"Sh*t!"
Ramont gasped when he saw what happened to Small Path Square.
Ravens face even turned heavier and uglier than before. As one of the Chosen Ones, Raven knew how high the controllers Spirit attribute needed to be in order to control such a huge amount of insects.
The oue was beyond his imagination but he didnt back off. Just like how Lawless helped him before, Raven wanted to help Lawless back this time.
It wouldnt be considered as friendship though, Raven was just repaying his debt of gratitude.
"Help!" Raven said.
Ramont then dashed out immediately.
He was different from Raven because he treated Lawless as a real friend. The times they spent drinking and talking crap, risking their lives for each other, and going through harsh battles, their friendship was much stronger than anyone could have imagined.
So, no hesitation was needed because helping Kieran was helping Lawless in a way.
Though before Ramont and Raven could stride ahead, they halted their steps abruptly.
They saw the huge swarm of insects fly through the twin-headed snakes body as if it was a projection.
"It went through? That snake can alter between mirage and material form?"
Both veteran yers reacted to what happened after a slight pause.
Both of them knew what was running in the others mind after a quick exchange of gaze. Raven and Ramont decided to seize the opportunity to find and help Lawless while the swarm of insects was attracted to the twin-headed snake.
Although both of them didnt know how Lawless was doing, it couldnt be good.
"I really want to crush that bastards balls that cut off ourmunications channel!" Ramont cursed once more when the thought hit him.
Then he looked at Raven, "Can you locate him?" he asked.
Since they couldnt ess the convenientmunication channel, Ramont couldnt get a precise location other than knowing Lawless was around Small Path Square.
Fortunately, Raven knew. As a Chosen One, Raven was not only skilled inmunicating with animals, he has his own ace card that others could never imagine.
"Follow me!" Raven then sprinted off quickly as Ramont followed close behind.
The moment Raven sprinted off, his movement speed was considered remarkable and might even surpass most of the veterans. He might even be one of the fastest yers among the bunch.
Raven went straight towards the dried up fountain because he sensed that Lawless was underneath the fountain pond!
Wuung!
A vile wind was blown at them both as the swarm of insects that covered the night sky flew down towards them. The insects ditched the twin-headed snake since they couldnt damage it but Kieran had no intentions of letting the bugs go.
"AIO!"
"AIO!"
Kieran appeared behind Raven and Ramont in a sh. He reached out his hands with both palms opened up and aimed at the iing insect swarm as he chanted out loud.
FUUUU! FUUUUM!
Two cone-shaped mes burst out from Kierans palm together.
The two 55 cone-shaped mes were sted out in a 3-meter range in front of Kieran. The swarm of insects flew directly into the zing mes and amid the messy burning sounds, hundreds of flying insects were burnt to a crisp while a burnt scent lingered in the air.
"Ill leave this to you! Be right back with Lawless!"
Ramont saw that Kieran had him covered and he quickly jumped into the fountain pond after drawing out his ming sword.
With Ravens instruction, the ming sword was plunged right into the bottom of the pond.
Bang!
A big opening was opened up at the bottom as Raven and Ramont jumped into it.
Another portion of the insects wanted to pursue them but Kieran was a step ahead.
The giant twin-headed giant snake switched back to its material form and covered the fountainpletely.
Kieran jumped up to one of its head and fired out another cone-shaped me from his right hand.
The swarm of insects were burnt to a crisp once more.
While Kierans left hand was brewing up a zing fireball, ready to fire, he looked at the insect swarm above the night sky and nced over the gathering ck Robes yers.
Then, he stood up high and mighty and saying loudly, "This path is closed!"
Chapter 583: Soon
Chapter 583: Soon
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The vigorous voice echoed around Small Path Square.
Even the flying insects had their buzzing froze for a moment.
The ck Robes yers that gathered through all the connecting paths slowed down as well following the shout from Kieran.
They looked up to Kieran who was standing on top of the giant snakehead. Kieran was brewing a giant fireball in his left hand while a wicked aura erupted like a volcano.
Hesitations appeared on the yers face despite the blur.
They knew their healer squad had been vanquished and without certain assurance, the ck Robes werent as fearless as before when facing Kieran who they knew wasnt a person to be trifled with.
Death was real within the game, no one could afford to be careless.
If one would look lightly at the consequences, they would be really knocking on deaths door.
Fuuu!
The night wind blew across the big city and caused Kierans feathered mantle to flutter. His eyes were calm as he nced over the overwhelming enemies.
Kieran made his move!
He channeled [Devils me] with [Charles Fire] from his hand and hurled it into the bunch of ck Robes yer.
KABOOM!
me Burst was triggered upon impact, it burned two ck Robes yer into ashes before spreading out to the others.
The ck Robes yers were stunned hard as they couldnt react to the sudden strike. They never thought Kieran would be the one who fired first.
"How dare he?!"
"How dare he!?"
Such thoughts bloomed like a flower in each of the ck Robes yers heart followed by confusion and anger.
Anger was boiling among the ck Robes.
Their overwhelming numbers fused their pride together into a giant bubble, they were also infuriated by the provocations.
Even a lone lion wouldnt dare to attack a bunch of wolves, more so, the yers werent just wolves.
"KILL HIM!"
The fragile peacefulness in Small Path Square was shattered the moment the fireball was hurled out and the ck Robes yer reacted with a full assault.
The flying insects swarm in the air dived down again.
The twin-headed snake swept its thick tail around at the enemies, both of its heads were like thrusting javelins, attacking the yers in exchange and bit them from unexpected angles.
Kierans feet were firmly attached to the snakehead as if he rooted himself on it, both his hands continued to hurl out fireballs and shooting out cone-shaped mes.
The cone-shaped me was the light in the dark, shedding its brightness over the night from time to time.
The 1-meter diameter fireball was hurled over a beautiful arching trail, sting the group of yers and burning the ground.
[Devils me] was able to ignore themon rules applied to fire and it spread throughout Small Path Square at Kierans will.
The gentle night breeze started to feel hot, a burning stench even filled the air around but none of it could stop the ongoing battle. On the contrary, it fueled everyones battle intent like abustion catalyst, causing the battle to be more violent and bloody.
BANG!
A bullet grazed over Kierans cheek, leaving behind a deep cut. The bloody cut on his face was so deep that it even revealed his bones. Kierans body quivered from the shot.
Another crossbow arrow infused with some special kind of power perforated the defenses of [Armor of Excellence], plunging directly into his abdomen. As the power from the arrow hit him, Kieran couldnt hold back his cry of pain. Still, the relentless attacks from his hands didnt even pause.
Bang Bang Bang!
[Python-W2] was fired repeatedly at the few ck Robes yer charging at him.
A sudden bright light shone from a further spot as four rocket missiles were fired at Keiran with a smokey trail.
The twin-headed snake switched to its mirage form immediately and lowered Kieran to the ground right away.
Shuuuuu! KABOOM!
The missiles flew across his head and exploded behind yet the bullets kept raining down on him.
That exact moment was the very definition of quantity surpassing quality.
Kierans force field barrier held up less than a second before shattering to pieces, forcing him to block the iing bullets by holding [Arrogant Word] up as a makeshift shield.
But the ck Robes yers werent just in front of him, there were everywhere!
These yers wouldnt even stand one round if they would go head to head with Kieran alone yet at that moment, they relied on their massive amount firearms and strained Kierans abilities to the limits.
Puk Puk Puk Puk!
Blood sshed out from the twin-headed snakes body soon after as it switched back to its material form and covered Kieran in the middle of its body.
After sustaining massive amount of hits, the giant twin-headed snake started to wobble.
With only 3500 HP and Stamina, the HP gauge of the serpent spirit depleted quickly in Kierans vision.
Although the attacking ck Robes couldnt see its HP gauge, they too noticed the serpent spirit was straining itsst effort.
"KILL HIM!"
The shouts got louder and fiercer.
The ck Robes yers seemed to realized Kieran wasnt as scary as he was when he provoked their pride. Their heart even mocked themselves, how could they be threatened by a single person?
It was natural for them to feel angrier because of the embarrassment from the mockings in their heart.
Therefore, the charging ck Robes sprinted even faster and harder. Only with Kierans death, it would make them feel better after their pride was challenged.
"Soon!" Kieran muttered softly while taking as much cover as he could.
...
Under the fountain pond was a narrow passageway, one could only advance through while walking sideways.
Whether was it the ground or the walls on both side of the passageway, they were bumpy and uneven and obviously, the passageway was opened up hastily without proper grinding.
Raven and Ramont were moving through the passageway yet their speed advancing forward wasnt slow at all. Both of them didnt even cared about themselves and rammed forward with brute strength.
Ramont who was taking the lead was cut into a bloody state by the uneven rocks on the side. Ravens condition was less severe but he was in a much uglier positionpared to Ramont.
Even though Raven has his own unique ace card, it didnt change his one-sided attribute build which prioritized Spirit.
With such a character build, his Constitution attribute would be his weakness without a doubt.
"How are you doing?" Ramont asked while continued charging heads on.
"Ill be fine, its almost there!" Raven replied with a heavy gasp.
"I think I might have to find a better armor after this, smashing my own body through these rocks is an idiotic move!" Ramont ranted before elerating even faster.
Raven said they would be arriving soon so Ramont was eager to move faster, thus arriving earlier!
Although with a rough outlook, Ramont was not one without brains. He knew Kieran couldnt hold on forever, the faster they could locate Lawless, the faster Kieran would be safe and so were they.
ck Robe himself though?
Ramontughed coldly in his heart.
After another dozen meter forward dash, both sides of Ramonts arms were freed from the uneven cuttings and the scene before him cleared up.
"Were here!" Raven said.
Both of them came out of the passageway and sized up the newly found area.
Darkness covered the underground space since there wasnt any light around.
Even if it wasnt supernatural darkness, both of their sights were disrupted, Raven was no exception as well even if he was a Chosen One.
Fortunately, as a Chosen One, Raven had more unusual means up his sleevespared to other yers.
Shuu!
Raven made a sound simr to a whistle and the two fox-like leopard cats that had been following them started to move out.
At the same time, a speckle of gold appeared within the darkness.
Wuuung!
Buzzes from vibrating wings echoed in Raven and Ramonts ears.
INSECTS!
Chapter 584: The Beginning
Chapter 584: The Beginning
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Why did the insects appear in the underground space beneath Small Path Square?
Raven and Ramont knew exactly what it represented, so both of them made their move.
A faint ripple of waves spread out from where Raven was standing, it went out in all directions like water and mist, emanating a mysterious presence around him.
Ramont, on the other hand, went with a more dynamic movement.
The fire and ice powers surged from both his swords. The zing me rose up to a meter high on one side and the freezing air spread around on the other.
Both extremely contrasting powers existed in exceptional harmony at that moment, simr to a pair of prized yet unbreakable twins.
Chang!
A clear clunking sound came from his swords as both distinguishable longswords were merged together.
Then, the blue and red energy interweaved while fueling the raging stream of ice and fire to form a spiral stream around the sword. It was then sted at where Raven was pointing at.
Suddenly, the ground that they were standing on lit up.
KABOOM!
A powerful shockwave wrecked the ce all of a sudden.
Raven was sent flying away and Ramont was forced backward.
When the shockwave stopped, Ramont turned his attention to the direction where he had just fired his attack.
Both fox-like leopard cats lit up their tails like candles, shedding light over the bleak underground. It also granted a better vision of where Ramont was looking at.
A golden shield!
The golden radiance on the shield then started to dim off as the insects that formed the shield fell off to the ground, revealing the figure behind it.
It was a man with a ck cap and mantle, sharing an identical look with themon ck Robes yer.
However, both Ramont or Raven felt like they were confronted by a formidable foe.
The person before them was ck Robe himself, Rayerwent!
Further behind Rayerwent was two more person, looking weary and limping on the ground.
It was Lawless and the curse dispeller!
Both of them were unconscious and in a bad state, especially Lawless where he had a big hole through his abdomen but the blood didnt gush out and the organs were still within his body, the wound was in a jelly-like state.
Ramont wielded his merged sword and fired up his fire and ice stream again.
He quickly stood before ck Robe while Raven quickly ran over to Lawless and the curse dispeller.
"Hey, how are you guys!"
After feeding them two [Healing Potion], Raven asked as both of them slowly regained their consciousness.
"Not good!"
Lawless struggled to crawl up. The big wound on his abdomen started to wiggle as he moved his body in a troubled state.
"You better dont move! My powers are limited! After pinning down that bastard, all I can do is maintain your current state for a while, any extra strain or effort will make me lose it!"
The curse dispeller said slowly.
There wasnt any ups and downs in his tone, he sounded t and spoke even slower
The curse dispeller then crawled up as well, simr to how slow he spoke.
His blurred out face wasnt showing any expression but the look that he was giving was different. It seemed like it was filled with intense killing intent and rage.
ck Robeughed when he felt the hidden killing intents and rage from the gaze.
"Not bad." Hemented.
ck Robes tone was calm and steady, unlike the curse dispellers slow and heavy tone.
"Youpletely sacrificed one of your five main attributes to pin me down here and just to wait for these two reinforcements? These two are too lousy! All they know is minimal cooperation and didnt even scratch the surface of teamwork essence!"
ck Robes words obviously infuriated Ramont.
Wung!
The boiling fire and ice stream was shed towards ck Robe.
However, the red and blue sword halted abruptly when it was 2 cm away from its target.
Ramont slowly backed away as he paused his sh. He frowned hard because his battle instinct told him something was very wrong.
ck Robe was provoking him and was eager for him to strike.
Regardless of what the enemy wanted, Ramont would notply!
He wasnt a delicate person to begin with but he understood the basics of battle as well.
He withdrew his sword and stepped back before turning his eyes to Lawless and the curse dispeller.
He sensed something even weirder.
Raven, on the other hand, had a better sense of the situation because of his higher Spirit attribute, it allowed him to have a higher instinct.
The right kind of instinct!
Raven quickly drew his gun and fired it at "Lawless", shooting his head off.
Bang!
"Lawless" head exploded into a pile of yellowish fat.
The moment Raven fired out his gun, Ramont too swung his sword at the "curse dispeller", slicing him in half.
The fire and ice stream even caused the "curse dispeller" body to burst.
However, both bodies didnt disintegrate into light particles.
Ramont raised a puzzled brow over the freaky scene and turned to Raven out of instinct.
Raven quickly went over to "ck Robe" and he took out a lit candle simr to hispanions tail.
When Ravens candle got close to "ck Robe", the figures exterior started to melt like ice being heated, revealing Lawless in an encasement!
Behind Lawless head was a scarlet insect simr to a mping spider.
That scarlet insect seemed to be able to sense the changes of temperature around itself and started to agitate its body.
Lawless body too started to shiver.
Pain covered his face even though he was unconscious.
Raven and Ramonts face turned extremely sour when they saw Lawless. Other than finding Lawless in encasement down here, they realized they had fallen into the enemys trap.
Only Lawless was found inside the underground space.
Where was the curse dispeller?
Where was ck Robe?
Raven and Ramont exchanged gaze and uttered in unison, "2567!"
...
The twin-headed serpent spirit vanished a couple minutes ago, not because of the times up but its HP was depleted.
After losing the cover of the serpent spirit, Kieran was forced into the worst situation against the overwhelming of enemies.
Wounds covered his body and his HP has dropped to half but he reserved his true strength for the veryst moment because the target that he has been waiting for just appeared before his eyes.
His target was one of the ck Robes that was covered with ayer of grey glimmer.
The unusual glimmer was very eye-catching among the cks despite its simr shades.
"ck Robe?"
Kieran asked, trying to confirm the figures identity.
"I want the title sub scroll from you!"
ck Robe didnt acknowledge the question nor did he deny it but stated his intentions out loud.
Perhaps from ck Robes point of view, Kieran was forced to hisst straw. That was the reason why he revealed his intentions because it was unnecessary to hide anymore.
When ck Robe stated out his intentions, his men fired at Kieran again.
Unlike the previous bullets, their guns were loaded with [Bullets of Blessing] this time!
Kieran quickly rolled backward and jumped into the fountains pond behind him.
As he fell down to the opening, he looked at the deep night sky and smiled.
"Lets start the game!"
Chapter 585: Thrust
Chapter 585: Thrust
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The night sky turned darker out of a sudden.
The moon vanished and the stars were shrouded.
A nebulous darkness with a slight glint engulfed the whole Small Path Square and soon enough, the ck Robes yers realized something has gone awry.
Even ck Robe with the grey glimmer muttered to himself softly, "ck Hell Banning?"
His voice was filled with doubts though because Banning had died in front of countless others.
Yet after his death, why would the ck Hell appear again?
"Could it be..."
The sudden realization that plunged into his heart causing him to yelled loudly, "Retreat! Now!"
The loud hoarse yell echoed in the ears of the other ck Robes yer and right after that, all the yers quickly retreated from the area.
ck Hell Banning was dead but his signature wide area of effect attack hadnt been forgotten.
Following the sudden ck veil that appeared above the crowds head, it jogged their memory once more.
All the yers turned around and scattered away messily, they wished they had another pair of legs to run faster but it was already toote.
The moment the ck veil was formed, the ending had been decided.
[Reverse Scar] might take a long time to cast but once its channeling wasplete, the attack would follow in an instant.
Negative energy rumbled violently under the ck veil.
Waves and waves of spirits poured down like a storm with agonizing wails that would shake ones heart and the spirits enveloped each and every one of the ck Robes yers.
The negative energy umted rapidly around Small Path Square which was turned into a hideous battlefield. The whole ce was invaded by the energy in an instant.
The trees around withered, hard stones cracked and broke into rubble.
The life force that lingered around Small Path Square was flowing away quickly.
When the darkness ravaged the area to a certain limit, a scarlet red lightning followed from above. It was like a real lightning strike from the sky, striking down all over the square and swallowed everyone within range with its merciless st of thunder.
Without the existence of the [Creature of Desire] that disturbed its lightning flow, [Reverse Scar]s [Whisper of Evil] wrecked havoc all over.
The flying insects under the night sky were all sted to ash, the ck Robes yers disintegrated into light particles after being struck by lightning.
Only a handful of them survived the merciless strike but still suffered the heavy damage and were wobbling at the brink of dying.
The two times authentication of [Whisper of Evil] would require the targets Constitution and Spirit to reach A rank.
Constitution aside, Spirit itself was very hard to raise. It wasnt possible if the target wasnt a Chosen One but it was the oue that Kieran sought.
Before the dense negative energy dispersed, Kieran took in a deep breath, savoring the atmosphere around him and saw the notifications that followed.
[Dense negative energy field, yer acquired temporarily boost, Strength +1...]
[Dense negative energy field, yer acquired temporarily boost, Constitution +1...]
Although it wasnt as absurd as the boosts back in Ciaran City, it was still a delightful surprise to Kieran. He swung out [Arrogant Word] hard and its de edge brought up a fierce wind ahead, ravaging the target that he has been waiting for, ck Robe himself in his greyish glimmer.
Wunng!
The fierce wind tore apart the space in the surroundings as it was sted at ck Robes mantle but he didnt even flinch or budge and the fierce wind felt like it was nothing.
To be exact, he was standing still in his spot, frustrated and it caused his body to quiver.
"When did you notice? Before you even arrived at Donaville Street? Or even earlier than that? Yes, that should be it! Even after getting the news, you didnt rush here the first moment, you must have realized something was fishy..."
[Arrogant Word] was thrust through ck Robes body. The greatsword crushed almost all of his organs when it went through his body but yet ck Robe remained still as he continued his questions to Kieran.
Kieran, however, didnt have the habit of replying his enemy. He quickly rotated [Arrogant Word] and split his target in half.
But ck Robe still wasnt dead!
His head together with his shoulder plus all four of his limbs scattered around the square, twitching ceaselessly.
Fuuu!
Kieran frowned upon the freaky scene as the zing fireball burned fiercely his left hand.
"TELL ME! I DEMAND TO KNOW!"
He neglected the burning from [Devil me] and kept growling out of his dismembered body.
Until the veryst moment of his life, he shouted out in an even frenzied manner.
"Curse you! I CURSE YOU!"
After that difort shout, the gray glimmer around his body started to flicker rapidly.
Even [Devil me] which could take life away didnt inflict any damage on the gray glimmer. It floated right through the mes and trying totch on Kierans body.
Kieran quickly dodged backward but the gray flickering glimmer followed him like cancer, unwilling to let go of his tail.
Fortunately, the floating speed of the gray flickering glimmer was slow enough, simr to amon walking person. It could not have harmed Kieran with his speed, yet his instinct told him better not to get in contact with the glimmer, otherwise, the oue might be unimaginable.
Right after the gray flickering glimmer floated away from the dismembered body, ck Robe who should already be dead finally died off but...
His body didnt disintegrate like the others but instead, it withered and rot away.
"What the!?" Kieran squinted his eyes.
p p p!
A slow p sounded right after that.
Another pitch ck ck Robe emerged from the small alley aside. The remaining members quickly gathered over the person and even saluted to him.
The person ignored his mens salutations and walked towards Kieran.
He only stopped when he was less than 10 meters away from Kieran.
"Broker has always reminded me to be careful of you, telling me you are one difficult person to deal with but now from the looks of it... you are not as marvelous as the rumors, aint it?"
"The curse of the curse dispeller will not fade. Unless you return to your room right away, otherwise, IT will chase you to the end of the world. Of course, dont even think of stepping out of your room if you want to live. After all, this curse was cast with his own life, and it might be very, very difficult to dispel!" The person said with a ridiculing tone.
"ck Robe?" Kieran asked.
"Um. You..."
ck Robe admitted his identity and before he could utter more, Kieran was already dashing towards him.
[Arrogant Word] was swung down from high up, shing downwards with full force. The pressure from the de wind even shoveled the rubles beside ck Robe away from him.
ck Robes words were interrupted but it felt more like suppressed down by that full force swing.
However, just as the greatswords de was about to reach its target, ck Robe reached out his hands suddenly and sted countless insects from the sleeves of his robe. Not only the swarm of insects blocked [Arrogant Word]s sh, it enveloped Kieranpletely as well.
The full force sh was forced to a stop without any resistance.
"Im just lying. You really think I would be frightened by such petty attack? Oh right, you have quite a special body right? Broker warned me to deliver a fatal blow with items of blessing!"
ck Robe then took out a small, aged dagger from his sleeve.
The dagger looked rusted through but when it was drawn out, it expelled the negative energy around it and ayer of white shine covered the daggers body.
When ck Robe thrust out the dagger, a faint hymn even sounded from the dagger.
The rust on the dagger was thenpletely removed and leaving it with nothing but a bright shining sharpness!
Bush!
The dagger was plunged deep into Kierans heart, piercing through the defense of [Armor of Excellence].
"Ugh!... Argh!"
ck Robe wanted tough but before he could, the expression on his face changed furiously.
Chapter 586: Where Are You?
Chapter 586: Where Are You?
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
White radiance shone brightly under the night sky, blinding every pair of eyes that looked at it.
One!
Two!
Three!
Four!
Four lines of sharp as de radiance burst out from Kierans heart where he was stabbed and swirled rapidly around his body.
The sharp aura enveloped ck Robes body in an obscure way and delivered the fatal blow.
Bom! Pum!
ck Robe quivered like he was struck by lightning when the formless sharp aura sliced his body back and forth.
In the end...
Boom!
ck Robes body exploded just like that, dissolving into a big swarm of bugs.
After the bugs fell to the ground, the signs of life vanished from them after a couple twitches.
On the contrary, A vigorous life energy was poured into Kierans body and it quickly regenerated the wound at his heart that was caused by that dagger of blessing.
The sharp holy dagger which should be able to tear Kierans heart apart was forced out of his organ bit by bit.
When thest bit of the dagger was out of his heart...
Dong Dong Dong!
[Fusion Heart] started to beat healthily again as blood circted in his body once again.
Kieran felt like he had escaped death from suffocation when the dagger left him.
He took in a deep breath and grabbed the dagger of blessing.
Tsss Tsss!
A sizzling sound came from Kierans right hand when he grabbed the dagger.
The ice-cold dagger of blessing turned sizzling hot like a burning iron when Kieran touched it.
Wung!
[Saint Thorn] was activated again.
After getting the best effect from the skill, there was no need for him to hide it again.
The thorny radiance burst out again with sharp de-like aura and it healed Kierans hand and chest together with reflecting the damage back to the dagger itself.
Ding!
A clear sound like a triangle sounded as the dagger shook. Its already burning temperature surged once more.
Mirages of light started to form from the dagger of blessing itself. Even a faint hymn started to turn clear by the seconds.
A group of ten white-robed hymn singers suddenly appeared around Kieran.
Some of them were singing softly, some were praising the holy spirit with their sonorous voice. The leader among the mirage group was a girl with a white veil over her head that concealed her face. She was holding a golden holy grail in her hands and was slowly walking towards Kieran.
Her graceful walk brought out the beauty of her slender figure and curves of her body.
Kieran pretended he didnt see the girl and was giving his best effort to remove the dagger from his chest.
He had to spend every bit of his might to pull the dagger away from his chest. Every inch he pulled, he would have to suffer sizzling burn that burned through his flesh and damaged his bones. It felt like the dagger was a part of him for a long time and he had to slowly remove it from his body.
The pain was indescribable with words. Compared to the stabbing damage that the dagger caused, this one was much more severe.
Sigh.
A soft sigh came from the girls mouth as she stood in front of Kieran. She took down her white veil and revealed a holistic face underneath.
Her eyes were overflowing with pity and thepassion for all mankind, the way she was looking at Kieran was like she had seen the most pitiful, most empathic person ever.
Despite how sinful the person was, she was willing to save his soul.
Right at the next moment, the girls face has anotheryer of persistence. She dipped the crystal clear water in the grail with her hand softly.
The droplet of water was rolling over her fair and tender finger as she moved her finger towards Kierans forehead.
Before her finger even touched Kierans forehead, an extreme chilling sense of danger came from his heart.
"GET OFF ME!" Kieran yelled.
However, the girl ignored the yell and continued on with her action.
Fuuu!
Kieran quickly brought up the devils me at his left hand and hurled it towards the girls palm.
Chiiiz!
The droplet of water was burnt away by the devils me and was vaporized into steam, even the girl suffered some damage.
The me burned her from the hand onwards, followed by her body as it burned her to crisp and eventually became ashes on the ground.
Though that golden holy grail was floating in mid-air without anyone holding it.
It then shed its golden brilliance over the pile of ash and the girl was reborn.
She returned with her pity andpassion look plus the persistence on her face but was burned away once again by the devils me.
The process repeated itself at least ten times. Kieran didnt even show any mercy throughout the process.
During the eleventh time, only thest bit of dagger was lingering on Kierans chest, the girl appeared once more with her pitying andpassionate look, however, she seemed to have sensed a certain danger and switch her eyes into a killer gaze.
The naked killer gaze with the most vicious killing intent, it even sent out a cold wind simr to the winters breeze at Kieran.
The golden grail was turned into a long sword and was swung down at Kieran with its golden brilliance glimmering along its trail.
"So youve finally removed your disguise! Why the hell are you pretending to be holistic since you are just a f*cking murdering tool!"
Kieranughed coldly before hurling another devil me at the girl and also sessfully pulled out the dagger from his chest.
Lines of light still swirled around the daggers edge. Small tentacles of light even extended out in a twisted way towards Kierans wound on his chest.
However, it stopped abruptly as the freezing air enveloped the dagger.
[Seattle Right Hand, Chilling Touch]!
Not only the dagger was frozen but the realistic mirages were frozen altogether, even the vicious girl was no exception.
"Sinner! Repent!"
The mirages started to fade off but sharp screaming voice echoed in Kierans ears ceaselessly.
After ncing over the [Fear] notifications over his vision, he felt more disdain than before.
He never believed in unconditional love, even though the girl might look like a holy maiden, it was nothing but a murderous weapon in nature, let alone the disgusting feeling that bloomed in his heart.
If the dagger wasnt too close to [Fusion Heart], Kieran might have frozen the dagger long ago.
Krack!
Pak!
When thest of the mirages vanished, the frozen dagger of blessing shattered to pieces like a frozen ss in the winter.
Kieran threw away the bits and pieces of the dagger and turned his eyes to the other ck Robes yer, he eventuallynded his gaze at ck Robe, Rayerwent himself.
All of a sudden, the ck Robes yers started to shiver ceaselessly.
Bwaaaa!
Then, countless maggots crawled out from their mouths and quickly grew into shape.
The swarm of maggots grew into the ck flying insects with wings and sharp mouths from before.
It only took an instant for the swarm of flying insects to form and they quickly returned to the yers body like swallows flying back to their nest.
Right after the insectstched onto the yers body, small munching sounds could be heard.
After a breaths time, the ck Robes yers had their flesh eaten, followed by their organs and bones.
The swarm of insects ate the yers to thest bit, not even sparing their hair and consumed their marrows by knocking their bones.
Wung!
When the eating finished, the flying insects flew towards a further spot after swirling under the night sky.
The devil me fireball was hurled towards the swarm of bugs immediately as well.
Boom!
One-third of the swarm split and crashed themselves onto the fireball, igniting it.
The explosion made the fireball bloomed like a flower under the night sky and only a small portion of the bugs was burned off.
Most of the bugs were still gathered in a swarm and flew towards a single direction.
"Is it luring me over?"
Kieran squinted his eyes as his brain spun quickly.
Fire Raven quickly took off from one of the buildings roof and followed the swarm of bugs.
Kieran nced over the gray curse that was still approaching him slowly and quickly vanished into the shadows.
...
"Sir, Rayerwent has failed!"
The registrar walked over to Broker who was in the midst of writing something with his head down.
"Hmm, what about the curse dispellers curse?" Broker replied without even lifting his head.
"The curse was cast on 2567," Zorl reported.
"Hey hey hey, this will be interesting! I really wanted to see the faces of the lone wolves when they realized one of them is cursed and they couldnt ever gather together anymore because that one person is stuck."
Broker ced the pen down andughed with a ridiculing tone.
"What about Rayerwent?" Zorl asked.
"Get rid of him. Arent signed contracts suppose to be broken? He really thought I would count him in in my Paradise Project? What a joke, Supernovas! Only beneath the Witch?"
Brokerughed in contempt.
Zorl bowed before leaving the room and Broker was left alone again.
He tilted his head down to the picture that he had drawn on paper.
It was a scarlet red smiley face.
Broker reached out his hand and caressed the smiley face softly.
"Now, where would you be hiding?" Broker mumbled.
Chapter 587: Ways
Chapter 587: Ways
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Kieran was standing in an unknown street corner.
It was unrealistic for Kieran to remember all theplicated streets and routes in the big city, he would rather risk his life in the dungeon world where it would be more rewarding.
In fact, even yers who were fond of taking records found it hard to memorize the plethora of streets, especially since the city was still expanding on its own.
Kieran leaned back on the street corner and stared at the big building not far away from him.
The Fire Raven was tidying its feather on his shoulder.
Kieran was certain that ck Robe had entered the 19th-floor big building 10 minutes ago through Fire Ravens sight.
The building itself had tight security. The exterior alone had three outposts on the bright side and another five more hidden guard points. All of the outposts were ced at optimal vantage points, providing the guards with extreme advantages and allowed them to see almost everything around the buildings surrounding.
If that was the exterior, how would the interior be?
Kieran was more cautious than before.
Unlike the dungeon world, Kieran always has a general estimation of the natives strength but when facing against yers of the big city that shuttled through dungeon worlds, it was difficult for him toe up with a general estimation about what kind of weird powers he would be facing, especially ck Robe Rayerwent.
Kieran never thought it was possible for a yer to transform into swarms of bugs.
However, he was more concerned about how pretentious ck Robe was at the moment.
Through Fire Ravens sight, Kieran was certain that ck Robe lured him over on purpose, otherwise he wouldnt have paused on the way there.
"He lured me here in order for me to fight Brokers men?" Kieran wondered.
There was no need for further proof to state the working rtionship between ck Robe Rayerwent and Broker anymore because a part of ck Robes words proved as much.
However, it seemed like the oue had exceeded the Supernovas expectation. The current turn of events obviously was not within his calctions, hence luring Kieran to the ce.
ck Robe wanted to take revenge on Broker, he wanted to shift his own mistakes to others andfort himself as if to say it wasnt his fault that he failed, it was other peoples mistake that caused it.
Even though it was despicable to do so, it really would provide a hugefort to ones heart.
On top of that, ck Robes organization had suffered severe casualties and on the other hand, his coborator was not even involved, no one would feel good about that.
It was obvious that ck Robe was envious and hateful but would Broker be unprepared?
After multiple confrontations with that evil merchant, Kieran knew how cunning the man was thus the heavy doubts about the current situation.
"Hmm?" Kieran was surprised in the midst of his thoughts.
The outpost guards around the building started to retreat all of a sudden.
The weird move struck a bad feeling in Kierans heart.
"Could it be..." Kieran shifted his attention back to the building instinctively.
KABOOOM!
The moment Kieran shifted his eyes at the building, a sudden brightness shone from inside the building. The sses were shattered by the st as fire burst out from every possible window, burning upwards.
Right after the initial explosion, the whole building copsed!
KAKROOM!
The copsed building brought up a storm of dust, forcing Kieran to back away quickly.
After getting almost a thousand meters away from the ruins, Kieran squinted his eyes at the scene while hiding in the shadows, away from the debris.
He had thought of a lot of ways Broker could deal with ck Robe but he would never have thought Broker would kill him directly.
Based on Kierans spection, their working rtionship should be built around a solid contract, he could even imagine the contents of such a contract like promising to not harm each other.
However, right before his eyes, Broker killed ck Robe.
"Broker has ways to vite a contract?" Kierans heart skipped a beat.
Although he hated to admit it, it was the only reasonable exnation. Kieran also remembered during thest bigmotion that happened, there werent any cyberw enforcers in sight, simr to the current situation.
"He didnt just possess ways to vite contracts but affect and stall cyberw enforcers?"
Kieran scowled hard when the thought came into his mind.
It wasnt a good news by any means for Kieran since Broker was an enemy.
He would hate to have a bunch of cybew enforcers to arrive at the crucial moment during the battle with Broker.
Souuu!
cksmith flew down from the night sky with her mantle fluttering, causing a sharp air whistle.
"Here!"
cksmith saw the building in ruins, she then tossed [Reverse Scar] back to Kieran.
It might be overthinking but Kieran felt cksmith was acting coldly at that moment.
At the very next moment, Kieran was proved right when cksmith stated her intention to leave after returning the favor.
"Wait!"
Kieran held her back. When cksmith turned around, Kieran pointed at the [Armor of Excellence] and [Crows ck Feather] on himself.
"I need help in repairing these! And also [Dark Nether Stone] embedding!" Kieran said.
"Follow me then."
cksmith said after a deep breath as if she had made a life-changing decision.
"Sure! I have a serious problem on my tail now, lets hurry up!"
Kieran briefly exined the curse dispellers curse that was following him since.
"Youll need a door guardian for that... Lawless would be delighted!"
cksmith said as she swiftly headed towards the train station.
She wasnt rushing by any means but was traveling quickly, she acted like she was evading Kieran on purpose.
Kieran raised a puzzled brow.
"What happened?"
While he tried to recall any noteworthy events in the recent days, he didnt realize anything, hence he followed up quickly.
...
99th Emma Street.
Kieran saw Lawless outside the little garden. Other than Lawless, Hanses, Coll, Raven, and Ramont was there as well.
They were either standing or sitting on the porch and greeted Kieran and cksmith when they arrived.
"Hey, 2567!"
Hanses, Coll, and Ramont called out loudly, Raven was as silent as usual.
Lawless, on the other hand, was at a loss for words, which was rare for him.
"You are running out of time," cksmithmented.
After greeting the bunch, she returned to her room.
The rest of them looked at each other in a puzzled gaze before moving away, making space for Lawless and Kieran because they knew both of them had some important matters to discuss, simr to how they had doubts about the situation
Kieran looked at Lawless, his face was blurred out but his eyes wouldnt lie.
Kieran was certain that Lawless was extremely awkward at the moment but he wouldnt mind enjoying how the awkwardness tortured Lawless.
"Fine, fine! I admit it! I was lied to! I never thought the curse dispeller was one of ck Robes men! Even his loner character was an act! Since I am an easily provoked guy plus I like to help those loners, I fell into his trap perfectly..."
Lawless finally opened his mouth when Kieran looked at him with his ridiculing gaze.
His nagging personality also exploded when he exined.
Lawless went on for a full three minutes before ending it, he tossed a cigar to Kieran before lighting one up himself. He sat down against the wall and took heavy puffs before spitting out clouds of smoke, he smoked for quite a while before doing anything.
When the area was filled with cigar smoke, Lawless finally asked, "So whats your n now?"
Chapter 588: You Knew It All Along?
Chapter 588: You Knew It All Along?
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Kieran remained silent when Lawless asked the question.
He mimicked Lawless in smoking the cigar.
After a slight bitterness, a rich vourful sweetness exploded in his mouth before he spat out the smoke.
The unique scent of the cigar went into his nose, causing him to squint his eyes in a pleasant way.
Kieran who was a novice would never really know how to smoke a cigar but it didnt stop him from learning to enjoy one.
Cigarettes could never escape the sight of a young man or more precisely, a boy.
Whether one would ept it or reject it, it would definitely enter the sight of a boy.
Some would get choked by the stinging sensation of the smoke, causing them to tear up and sniffle, they would hate cigarettes after being choked because of not smoking it correctly.
Everyone has their own choices though, despite the choices made, cigars had a special ce in the rankings of cigarettes.
Kieran has already gotten used to the smell, at least he showed interest in the cigar house that Lawless mentioned.
Kieran didnt know how to reject the goodwill cigar, simr to how he has no reaction for Lawless who spoke again.
"I havent gotten anything on that curse but Ive tried testing it several times, it seems like it is harmless against other things and living being, and I think its only locked on to you. So you better not go near that thing! After cksmith finishes your embedding, you will go back straight to your game room! It will be the safest ce for now." Lawless said in a serious manner.
Kieran nodded silently, not because of how serious Lawless was but it was an undeniable fact.
The power of a curse. It was something not to be underestimated even among the myriad of skills of the yers.
That unusual power would cause catastrophic results with the slightest misstep.
"Dont worry! I will find another curse dispeller in the shortest time possible and give you back your freedom!" Lawless assured Kieran, his tone was as serious as ever.
"But while Im stuck behind my door..." Kieran pointed out something.
"That bastard? Ill keep an eye on him, dont you worry! That Goddamned cunning merchant, what is he up to now? He doesnt seem like the guy that will harm others without benefits!"
Lawless got the hint despite Kieran was being subtle.
With all the traces left behind, it was obvious that Broker and ck Robe were working together. Lawless wasnt an idiot, if he was tricked once and still didnt react to the situation, he would be courting death.
However, Lawless couldnt understand the motives behind Brokers decision to do so, Kieran either.
Both of them exchanged a gaze before Lawless reached out to his pocket and tossed a blue misty crystal ring to Kieran.
"Here, your ring." Lawless pointed.
[Name: Wilcos Redemption]
[Type: essory]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attack/Defense: None]
[Attributes: 1. Chilling Touch; 2. Chilling Spike]
[Effects: None]
[Prerequisites: None]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: A mission that Wilco had considered easy ended up leading to his death. Wilcos hatred and grudges are sealed in this ring!]
...
[Chilling Touch: You need to touch your target with the ring for the skill to be activated. It strikes with a Powerful Cold Attack thatsts 5 seconds (Whenbined with other equipment on your body, it stillsts the same amount of time), 2 times/day]
[Chilling Spike: Fire a long ice spear at your target, 30-meter maximum range. When the ice spear hits the target or any other obstacle, it will trigger an ice explosion of 3 meters in range. Direct hit target, will receive Powerful ice attack, other target will receive Strong to Weak ice ssh damage depending on how near they are to the st point. 2/day]
......
Not only had the name of the ring changed, the attribute was changed as well.
"This is a top tier item even within the Rare category itself!" Kieranmented.
"Still falling short a bit, if the natives that drop this item was any stronger, once the curse was dispelled, it would be a Legendary item instead!" Lawless exined.
"Well, in the end, you might not even need to dispel one of those and you will get the message that Ive died because of it!" Kieran rolled a white eye at Lawless before going into cksmiths room with the cigar in his mouth.
His time was really running out with a curse following him like a shadow.
...
cksmiths room hadnt changed a bit since thest visit.
The minimalist style made quite the impression on people.
cksmith was already prepared for the embedding beside the big roundtable.
The [Dark Nether Stone] was also ced on the obvious spot of the table.
[Name: Dark Nether Stone]
[Type: Gemstone]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Attribute: 1. Consume; 2. Embedding; 3. Tribute]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: This is a magical gemstone, its value will surely exceed your imagination!]
...
[Consume: Consume the Dark Nether Stone to acquire the Dark Lineage]
[Embedding: Embed on your weapon or armor to acquire various Dark effects]
[Tribute: Offering it as a tribute at a certain temple will give you unexpected encounters!]
[Note 1: High percentage of failure when consumed, but no damage to consumer when failed]
[Note 2: A certain percentage of failure when embedding, the gemstone and item will be destroyed at the same time if failed!]
[Note 3: When offered as a tribute, good things or bad things might happen depending on your luck!]
...
"Offer as a tribute at a certain temple?" Kieran frowned.
He never thought that the [Dark Nether Stone] would have such an attribute attached to it.
"Could it even bring out a Godly being?" Kieran spected.
Yet it didnt change his idea of having it embedded in his armor.
Aside from the luck-depending remarks which was a total opposite of Kierans style, the certain "temple" was enough for Kieran to reject it because it would also depend on his luck.
Unexpected variables would indefinitely be erged when two luck-depending matters were put together. Kieran didnt want to take the risk.
"Well then, take off your clothes! We dont have much time left!" cksmith said.
It stunned Kieran for a while before he realized that she was referring to repairing his items and not the dirty thoughts in his mind.
Kieran quickly took off [Armor of Excellence] and [Crows ck Feather] to hide his awkwardness.
cksmith ced [Crows ck Feather] on the table while contacting other yers to repair the [Armor of Excellence].
While bearing his top, Kieran saw cksmith take out needles and other sewing tools.
To his surprise, cksmith didnt start her repairing immediately.
"2567? I hope the ce is quiet while I work. Not only do I require you to be quiet but also dont your gaze interfering with me," cksmith said.
"Okay!"
Kieran nodded and turned around. He never gave it much thought since he saw how cksmith worked the other time, so he shifted his attention to his PM tab.
He opened up his tab while the sewing sounds echoed in his ears.
Rachels name was lit up and a message was sent over to his inbox.
......
2567: You knew it all along?
Chapter 589: Above Transcendence
Chapter 589: Above Transcendence
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Kieran sent the message out but Rachel hadnt replied since then.
He frowned.
He knew of the rtionship between Lawless and Rachel. Both of them were past the friend-zone since they fought back to back in real life and helped each other. Their rtionship was more than partners that went through life and death together, with a little mix of subtle love.
However, after leaving the organization and things that followed, Lawless became evasive of Rachel.
Kieran was sure Rachel wouldnt transform her love into hate which was why he was so puzzled by the methods Rachel took.
She knew it would be dangerous yet she kept quiet and didnt tell Lawless about it, in fact, she even purposely evaded the topic.
The image of Rachel was very different from how Kieran perceived of her.
His wait continued.
After almost 30 seconds, Rachel finally replied.
...
Rachel: Um...
2567: Why?
She went silent once more. It felt like she was finding words to convey the thoughts in her mind.
Rachel: Do u think Lawless is normal?
Was Lawless normal?
Kieran squinted his eyes as messy guesses started to float in his mind. Eventually, he chose to ask.
2567: In what way?
Rachel: His personality!
Rachel: Back in the organization, his personality was a big problem as well. He acted fine likemon people most of the time but when something stimted him or triggered him, he would go awry all of a sudden!
Rachel: Remember thest time how unusual he was when he knew Coll was kidnapped?
...
Kieran frowned.
He recalled that mini incident back in Harvest Inn, where Lawless killer intent almost materialized. That Lawless and the current one was totally a different person.
Normally, Lawless was a nagging, funny person who loved to help others but Lawless at that particr moment was more like a machine to Kieran, a killing machine.
Though, the most impactful scene was undoubtedly Rachel smashing a bottle of wine onto Lawless head to calm him down.
Kieran was hesitant for a while before asking more.
...
2567: Is Lawless suffering from a personality disorder?
Rachel: Simr but not entirely right. He is having some mental problems, not too severe but if this continues on, it will be. So I wanted to cure him.
2567: So you purposely let him stepped into ck Robes trap?
Rachel: Yes.
Rachel: I, of course, know how dangerous it was but only with that could some sense be knocked into him in order to make him understand his mistakes. His kindness will not always bring sincerity in return! Only then he can reflect on his actions. Although the process might be painful, it is better than his condition worsening like that! He is like a suppressed spring, the more he is pressed down, the more powerful the rebounding force will be. When the suppression went over his limits, the spring would breakpletely.
2567: Lawless is not a spring!
Rachel: Yeah, but a more terrifying existence.
...
Kieran frowned as he gazed over the conversation with Rachel.
He wanted to refute Rachel from Lawlesss perspective but he couldnt find any solid statement to back himself up, not even the slightest argument coulde to his mind.
He wasnt a psychologist and couldnt tell how severe Lawlesss condition was. All he could rely on was themunication during normal times and his sharp instinct.
This time, his instinct told him that Rachel wasnt lying but she was still hiding something.
......
2567: And why did you leave before?
2567: What about that Osiris Brew?
......
Kieran sent out his messages in a questioning manner but...
Rachel went offline again!
His furrowed brows tightened when he saw the grayed out name.
Kieran who has been sitting down with his legs crossed wanted to step out and ask Lawless in person but when he stood up, he hesitated.
Lawless was the first friend he made in the underground game.
Obviously, it meant something to him and it made Kieran value their friendship even more.
He wouldnt want any idents to happen between them.
It might be worry or scare for him but eventually, all that was left was the heart of cherishing.
Fuuu!
Kieran took in a deep breath to calm down his chaotic mind. He knew he needed the calmness more now than at any other time.
"Rachel must be hiding something but she wouldnt tell me. Other than Rachel, who else is around Lawless..."
Coll, Hanses, Raven, Ramont, and others came to his mind but he realized these few wouldnt know more than he did.
It was more of an in-gamemunication between them. They might have some contact in the real world but definitely not much, at most discussing some popr topics that werent even rted to their personal lives.
Everyone would rather be quiet about their own life, not only because of the habit of protecting ones privacy but also the uniqueness of the underground game.
Death was enough for one to be cautious, while Lawless being all honest and sincere was quite the rare case.
Now, when Kieran thought about it, it seemed like Lawless really had a problem.
Kieran rubbed his ever-swelling temple.
"Whats wrong with you?"
A pleasant voice sounded.
cksmith was already standing beside Kieran without his knowledge and was holding the prepared [Crows ck Feather].
The repaired and embedded [Armor of Excellence] was also ced on the big round table.
"Im fine." Kieran shook his head.
He took the mantle and went over to the armor.
[Armor of Excellence] was originally a lustrous upper body armor but after embedding, it became pure ck.
The dark tone interweaved across the surface and formed a unique pattern.
When Kieran first saw the armor, he noticed the difference already and he felt like he was drawn into the darkness, staring at it uncontrobly.
The unusual point didnt bother him at all, instead, he quickly picked the newly embedded [Armor of Excellence] with utmost interest.
[Name: Armor of Excellence]
[Type: te armor]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Defense: Extreme]
[Attribute: 1. Soul Summon, 2. Shadow Cover, 3. Shadow Terror]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: Spirit SS]
[Remark: This is a very special armor of excellence, different from what others know of it. It has a more mysterious power to it and the wearer will need to be iron-willed to wear it safely!]
...
[Soul Summon: You can dominate 10 unconscious souls within a 100-meter radius range, 3 times/day]
[Shadow Cover: While hiding in shadows, gain extra Undercover +1 effect. You can also shuttle through shadows in a short range without breaking cover (10-meter limit), 3 times/day]
[Shadow Terror: Targets whoy eyes on this armor will have to undergo a test of will (includes but not limited to Spirit attributes). Failure will send target into Panic debuff]
...
"Extreme defense and the new [Shadow Cover]!"
The embedding of the Legendary gemstone was not disappointing at all, the fact that it raised the defense to the next level had reached Kierans minimal baseline, let alone [Heavy], the negative attribute was removed and was reced with [Shadow Cover].
"It didnt say whether it would cap the skill at Transcendence, which means... Undercover can go above Transcendence?!"
Kieran was extremely excited.
Chapter 590: Blueprints
Chapter 590: Blueprints
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Kieran had his own guesses about whether the skills would go above Transcendence.
Following the Character Model Temte Limit, his guesses would only solidify themselves.
Transcendence was not the max limit of a skill, there should be higher skill levels above that, it was just that he wasnt there yet.
Kieran even had guesses about if he would limit break his Character Model Temte Limit, would there be more levels for his skills to upgrade?
Also, there might be other unknown prerequisites that he hadnt met but it wasnt much of a concern for Kieran at the moment because he had the chance to test out the skill level above Transcendence!
Kieran eagerly put on the new [Armor of Excellence] once the thought came to mind but he didnt go into Undercover mode because he remembered he was still in someone elses room.
"How much do I need to pay you?" Kieran asked directly.
He wasnt stingy about paying points this time around since he was very satisfied with [Armor of Excellence]s attributes. It wasnt that he had suddenly be generous but he knew cksmith wouldnt lie to him in terms of pricing and with the newly embedded [Armor of Excellence] he could earn more points with it.
"That wont be necessary. The [Reverse Scar] that you lent me has earned me enough Points for your repairs and embedding." cksmith said lightly.
[Reverse Scar] was a cursed item, after all, it wouldnt leave behind any drops after killing the targets but would provide the user with Points and Skill Points.
Kieran knew it all along but he didnt think it would be enough for even the embedding, let alone the repair fees.
The previous Rare rank embedding had cost 300K Points and this time around, Kieran didnt think it would be the same price.
Based on his limited understanding of embedding rules, each different rank would raise the cost a few times higher than the previous or even ten times in certain cases.
He didnt think that the ck Robes yers would be able to provide cksmith with a million points or so despite their overwhelming numbers.
If there were items or equipment left behind, it would be more reasonable though.
Therefore, Kieran didnt go off right away but he stood and stared at cksmith.
He didnt want to owe people debt of gratitude without any valid reason, cksmith as well.
"Consider a part of it as a thank you for saving my life." cksmith said.
It might be him over thinking but Kieran was certain that he noticed cksmiths tone went even colder when she uttered those words but it was also a reason that he could ept.
Therefore, Kieran nodded with a smile and said goodbye in a courteous way.
Lawless already told Kieran the curse was approaching via PMs.
Kieran quickly left as the door was closed.
cksmith was left alone in her own room. She switched off the system blur of her face and stood there quietly, staring at the long-closed door.
A subtle expression floated across her delicate face soon after, it looked like she was angry and relieved at the same time.
"This is not real! All of this is virtual!"
cksmith reminded herself once more before disappearing within her own room.
...
Outside cksmiths room, Lawless was calling out to Kieran.
"Huge discovery! Huge discovery!"
Lawless ran over to Kierans side with his loud yelling and the loud voice suddenly stopped.
The familiar scene relieved Kieran without any real reason after his feelings turned heavy because of what Rachel told him.
Kieran too walked over to Lawless with an exceptionally skilled poker face.
Coll and the others further away already started tough.
"You people! Little punks! Cant you guys be more cooperative? When I say huge discovery, at least you people can show some curiosity!" Lawless said out loud in a righteous tone and pointed at Coll and the others.
However, theughs became even louder, even Kieran grinned a little.
Kieran saw that Lawless was biting his cigar and kept on mumbling by himself. He then reached out his hand into Lawlesss backpack and took out a cigar, lighted it up with his left hand and took a deep puff.
The smoke came out slowly after.
Kieran tried to savor the faint fragrant from the smoke and it did make him more delighted.
All the things that Rachel told him were thrown behind him.
Who said that goodwill couldnt be repaid with sincerity?
Kieran, Coll, Hanses, Raven, Ramont and even cksmith were all dead people?
Would they stand beside when Lawless was in trouble?
"The more I worry, the messier I get... Almost fell into your pace!"
Kieran took another puff and his eyes lit up.
He has no idea why Rachel did what she did but he knew she was hiding much more than he could imagine.
ncing over at Lawless, Kieran didnt tell Lawless because it wasnt necessary.
He believed that even if he would go and question Rachel now, she woulde up with a different excuse in a reasonable way.
So, he stopped the questions but it didnt mean he didnt care. Kieran would approach the problem in a different way instead.
As the thoughts shed through his heart, his steps became firmer.
He knew what he wanted to do and what he should do.
"You little punks and pricks!"
"2567, Ive found the Secondary Medicine Crafting tform Blueprint!"
Lawless gave a middle-finger to the others and told Kieran in a mysterious tone.
"[Secondary Medicine Crafting tform Blueprint]?!"
Kieran was stunned and he repeated the whole term just to assure himself.
"Yup!" Lawless nodded and sent a screenshot to Kieran right away.
[Name: Secondary Medicine Crafting tform Blueprint]
[Type: Crafting blueprint]
[Rarity: Great]
[Prerequisite: Medicine and Medicinal Knowledge (Master), Basic Medicine Crafting tform]
[Remark: This is an upgraded version of the basic crafting tform. Able to craft bandages and also a small chance of producing healing syringes!]
...
Below the screenshot had a 250,000 Points price tag.
"Buy it!"
Kieran said without even hesitating.
[Basic Medicine Crafting tform] had its own limits, the bandages that it crafted other than the high bandages were pretty much useless to Kieran now. He would rather wait for his body to heal instead but the [Secondary Medicine Crafting tform] was a different story.
Kieran too knew about the [Healing Syringe], a medical syringe that could heal 50 HP in one injection. Although it has a 1-hour usage cooldown, it would still be a lifesaving tool for most of the yers.
Everyone would be stingy once in a while but against something that could save lives, even Kieran the stingy Scrooge would show an exception, let alone others.
Kieran wasnt a cunning merchant like Broker but he realized the huge profits that he could make from the healing items.
Even though it might seem like a huge investment in the early stages, this amount of investment wasnt much to Kieran since he had suddenly gotten rich.
Kieran turned to his points tab.
[Points: 800,000; Skill Points: 165; Golden Skill Points: 7; Golden Attribute Points 13]
He immediately gave 250K points to Lawless.
While Lawless was contacting and negotiating with the seller, Keiran went over his remaining Points and Skill Points, nning his next stage of upgrades.
The group didnt pause a step while that was happening because the gray glimmering curse was showing itself around the street corner.
Chapter 591: Upgrade Part VI (2 in 1)
Chapter 591: Upgrade Part VI (2 in 1)
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The deal went on smoothly on Lawless side. Before Kieran went back to his room, he already received the [Secondary Medicine Crafting tform Blueprint].
Without further ado, Kieran went straight to the corner of his room and upgraded the automated [Basic Medicine Crafting tform].
[Basic Medicine Crafting tform upgrade, requires Secondary Medicine Crafting tform Blueprint, 10,000 Points...]
[Prerequisite met!]
[Upgrade? Yes/No]
"Yes!"
Right after Kierans reply, three mechanical arms of different sizes came down from the ceiling of his room and started to modify the crafting tform quickly.
"It doesnt upgrade with a beam of light?"
Kieran was quite shocked at the scene before him.
The underground game shared the realism of the real world but the upgrades and modifications before him allowed him to have a deeper understanding of the so-called realism.
There were many small LED monitors and small mechanical watches working around the crafting tform.
Kieran squinted his eyes unconsciously, the scene was exceptionally familiar because he worked in a simr factory before but it was just a familiar scene, it was unrealistic for him topletely understand the theories behind the process.
But he easily understood the notification from the system.
[Name: Secondary Medicine Crafting tform]
[Type: Automated Crafting tform]
[Rarity: Great (Constant)]
[Attribute: Consume 4 Points of raw materials every hour to create a bandage and create a high-quality bandage every 4 hours. Have small chances of crafting an extra healing syringe.]
[Effect: None]
[Remark: This is an automated medicine crafting tform. All you need is to put in sufficient alcohol, gauze and medicine to create an endless supply of bandages.]
...
"Small investment, big returns!"
Kieran eximed when he saw the description of "creating a high-quality bandage every 4 hours".
Although the crafting tform was quite a heavy investment from the start and the consumption point every hour has been increased to 4 as well, one [High-Quality Bandage] was priced between 30 to 35 Points among yers and it would be an essential item for the rookies, newbie yers.
It would be very much in demand, so there wasnt any worry about sales.
One high-quality bandage every 4 hours, so that would be 6 high bandages a day which could be sold from 180 to 210 Points. Deducting the cost a day which was 96 Points, the final points a day would be 84 to 114 Points.
If you included themon bandages which cost 3 Points each, it would be an extra 72 Points a day.
Even excluding the possibility of having a [Healing Syringe], Kieran would gain a clean profit of 156 to 186 Points per day, that would be equal to 55,526 Points to 66,216 a year!
If the[Healing Syringe] price was included as well...
Once Kieran thought of the potential benefits, he would get excited because this was an extra source of points without even going through a dungeon.
The crafting tform even solidified Kierans thought of spending his Points and Skill Points in upgrading himself.
He was a bit stingy in spending that huge amount of Points and Skill Points despite knowing he would get more out of upgrading his skills and equipment, it still hurt his soul.
Regardless of the fictional pain, Kieran would not hesitate anymore because he knew what was the right move to maximize his benefits.
After the calction of the potential annual ie of points, his fictional pain was quickly relieved. At least he secured himself an infinite source of side ie, it wasnt exactlyparable to the dungeon clear rewards but at least it wouldnt run short for the foreseeable future.
On top of that, it will not remain constant because this was only the [Secondary Medicine Crafting tform], there was still a High level somewhere in the game!
"High Medicine Crafting tform Blueprint and 100,000 Points?"
Kieran nced over the upgrade requirements for a while.
He was confident about the points but the blueprint would solely depend on his luck, just like the secondary one which was a simply happy ident.
Blueprints themselves were very rare tools to drop, simr to potions, alchemy prescriptions, cards, etc. It could even be considered as the hardest among all from a certain aspect, so Kieran wouldnt be stubborn about it.
He adjusted his feelings and mental state before switching his gaze to his skill tab.
[Sword Skill, Fast Sting (Master)], [Spear Skill, Dash Lunge (Master)], [Sword Skill, Dragon Force (Master)], Kieran wanted to level all three of these skills to Musou level before the usage of Golden Skill Points.
Among the three, [Sword Skill, Fast Sting (Master)] and [Spear Skill, Dash Lunge (Master)] required 35,000 Points and 27 Skill Points each before Golden Skill Point usage.
[Sword Skill, Dragon Force (Master)] required 10,000 Points and 24 Skill Points to level it up to Pro level.
The sum of the leveling cost of the three skills would be 80,000 Points and 78 Skill Points.
[Name: Sword Skill, Fast Sting (Musou)]
[Rted Attributes: Agility, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Offense]
[Effect: Using an explosive speed to perform a stab at a target 5.5 meters in front you, +55% attack speed for that particr stab. (Consume 65 Stamina, cooldown; 2.5 minutes)]
[Special Effect: Extreme speed (+20% attack speed)]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Any of Sharp Weapon- Dagger, Knife, Long Sword skill reaches Master, Agility D+, Constitution D+]
[Remark: You can choose either dagger, knife or longswords to perform the skill but greatswords and two-handed sword are out of range!]
...
[Name: Spear Skill, Dash Lunge (Musou)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Offense]
[Effect: When using a spearnce, perform a forward lunge with the same Strength and Speed, Strength +35%, Speed +35%, consume 65 Stamina]
[Special Effect: Combined Effort (Extra +10.0% of Strength, Speed)]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Sharp Weapon, Polearm Weapon (Master), Strength D+, Agility D+, Constitution D+]
[Remark: Share the same Strength and Speed, but not having both offense and defense]
...
[Name: Sword Skill, Dragon Force (Musou)]
[Rted Attribute: Strength, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Offense]
[Effect: Whenever you attack, you can perform a 5-second charge up and unleash a sh with a 75% increase in attack, consume 125 Stamina, cooldown; 3.5 minutes]
[Special Effect: Extra Charge (decrease charge up time by 1 second]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Sharp Weapon, Heavy Arms (Master of Two-handed Sword), Strength B-]
[Remark: This is one of the secret esoteric sword skill of the Dragon Sect and the base for all Dragon Sect secret skills]
...
The knowledge transfer and synchronization process wrapped up quickly. While savoring all sorts of techniques in his mind, Kieran took in a deep breath and looked at his Golden Skill Points and Attribute Points.
[Golden Skill Points: 7; Golden Attribute Points: 13]
Different frommon skill points, the rarity of Golden Skill Points would require more cautious nning from Kieran when he decided to use it.
Fortunately, he already has his own ns for spending them.
Undoubtedly, with Spirit as his strongest attribute, Keiran would want to maximize the effect of the Spirit rted skill [Sword Skill, Myriad Viper] by prioritizing it.
Next in line would be [de Kick] and [Viper Kick].
To Kieran, his kicking abilities were already part of hisbat system that he couldnt neglect anymore because it would always be one of his ace moves that would decide the oue.
[Sword Skill, Myriad Viper, Grand Master to Musou, requires 40,000 Points and 4 Golden Skill Points. Yes/No?]
"Yes!"
[Name: Sword Skill, Myriad Viper (Musou)]
[Rted Attributes: Spirit]
[Skill Type Offense]
[Effect: Utilize your aura to pressure your opponents in a 30-meter range, the target will be forced to undergo Spirit authentication. When targets Spirit is lower than yours, the target will fall under the illusion of ten thousand snakes, allowing you to exert your will freely, consume 75 Stamina, 2.5-minute cooldown]
[Special Effect: Viper Venom (Target will have to go through another Spirit plus Intuition authentication +3 effect when the target passed the first one. Target will only be freed after passing the second authentication)]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Spirit A+]
[Remark: Although it is categorized as a Sword Skill, in fact, it is really an illusory attack, no weapon limitations]
...
[de Kick, Pro to Grand Master, cost 30,000 Points 2 Golden Skill Points. Yes/No?]
"Yes!"
[Name: de Kick (Grand Master)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Offensive]
[Effects: A shing wave attack from either one of your feet. The damaging wave from the attack authenticated as a Strong qi wave, Consumes 150 Stamina, 3-minute cooldown]
[Special Effect: Hardened Training (The attack and sharpness of de Kick will increase slowly with its level)]
[Consumes: Stamina]
[Prerequisites: Hand-to-Hand Combat (Master of Kicks), Strength C, Agility C, Constitution C]
[Remarks: This is a fierce martial art technique. You will need to seize the opportunity to use it!]
...
[Viper Kick, Pro to Grand Master, cost 20,000 Points and 1 Golden Skill Points. Yes/No?]
"Yes!"
[Name: Viper Kick (Grand Master)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Offense]
[Effect: Your leg muscles and joints could be slightly altered, slightly increasing the attack range of your kicks.]
[Special Effect: Viper Hiss (Whenever youunch a kick, your muscles will produce snake hissing sounds, targets who are struck will be forced to go through a Spirit authentication not lower than E+, Fear will be induced when failed)]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Hand-to-Hand Combat, Kick Combat (Master), Strength D+, Agility D+, Constitution D+]
[Remark: A set of kicking techniques that is infamous for its bewitching movements, catching your target off guard!]
...
The synchronization process started once more and Kieran habitually savored the moment.
He was crystal clear on how to maximize his benefits and get more out of it.
After a minute, Kieran turned to his points tab again.
[Points: 370,000; Skill Points: 87; Golden Skill Points: 0; Golden Attribute Points: 13]
A sudden loss of almost half his total points made the stingy man hold his chest.
Huuuha...Huuuha!
Kieran gasped heavily, this way spending such a huge amount of Points and Skill Points was too stimting for him and once he thought the current points wouldnt stay as it was, he gasped even harder.
Despite the heavy gasping, Kieran wouldnt change his ns in upgrading even though it was a heartache to him.
...
2567: There?
2567: I need enchantment.
...
Kieran sent over a message to Lemour in the PM tab and at the same time screenshotted [Arrogant Word] over to her.
Unlike the initial distrust, after the battle with ck Hell Banning, the alchemist had been categorized into the list of people that Kieran could trust.
Why not cksmith though?
cksmith was clear with him that she couldnt embed any Legendary rank equipment yet if he would risk it, he might lose both the gemstone and equipment. Therefore, cksmith rmended Lemour for the job.
Perhaps it wasnt possible to enchant pass Lvl 3 but the changes of Lvl 2 would be sufficient for [Arrogant Word] to have a qualitative change.
yers strengths were formed by their attributes and equipment. Kieran was quite open in that sense, as long as it wasnt a cursed item like [Reverse Scar] that could suck ones equipment, the stronger his equipment, the better.
...
Lemour: Legendary weapon? Even among the lone wolves, there are only a handful who own one!
Lemour: What a surprising young man!
...
Lemour was acting like an elder to him. When he recalled the 150cm height of hers, Kieran couldnt help but raise a brow because it really was weird.
Though after Lawless relentless reminder of not touching the taboo, Kieran wouldnt want to embarrass himself.
In order to switch his thoughts away from the twisted topic, Kieran quickly stated his reasons in the message.
...
2567: I want to maximize [Critical Rate] and [Critical Damage] enchantment.
Lemour: Each 300K.
2567: No problem.
...
A quick calctionter, Kieran immediately agreed to the price. After signing a contract, Kieran mailed over [Arrogant Word] and all he needed to do was wait.
He wouldnt want to waste the waiting time as well though. He looked at his own attribute tab, other than Spirit which had already reached the limit of his Character Model Temte, there were Strength, Agility, Constitution, and Intuition left.
With 13 more Golden Attribute Points, Kieran wouldnt mind further upgrades.
[Using Golden Attribute Points...]
[Strength S- S]
[Using Golden Attribute Points...]
[Strength S S+]
[Detected attribute has reached Character Model Temte Limit, do you want to set it as your main attribute?]
......
[Using Golden Attribute Points...]
[Agility S- S]
[Using Golden Attribute Points...]
[Agility S S+]
[Detected attribute has reached Character Model Temte Limit, do you want to set it as your main attribute?]
......
[Using Golden Attribute Points...]
[Constitution S- S]
[Using Golden Attribute Points...]
[Constitution S S+]
[Detected attribute has reached Character Model Temte Limit, do you want to set it as your main attribute?]
......
[Using Golden Attribute Points...]
[Intuition A+ S-]
[Using Golden Attribute Points...]
[Intuition S- S]
[Using Golden Attribute Points...]
[Intuition S S+]
[Using Golden Attribute Points...]
[Intuition S+ SS-]
[Using Golden Attribute Points...]
[Intuition SS- SS]
[Using Golden Attribute Points...]
[Intuition SS SS+]
[Detected attribute has reached Character Model Temte Limit, do you want to set it as your main attribute?]
...
The results were out of Kierans expectations.
Strength, Agility, and Constitution had reached their limit at S+ rank but Intuition went up another major rank instead.
"Is it because my outstanding Spirit attribute as well? Or some other special skills?"
ording to Lawless information about Character Model Temte Limits, Kieran could draw a general spection and it was natural that he thought about the [Character Model Temte Limit] mission.
Once he cleared the mission, he could enjoy another leap in his overall strength but...
Kieran turned his head at his door.
Even behind the door, he could feel the eerie presence of the curse.
Lawless already went on a search for a yer who could lift the curse with his connections but Kieran wouldnt put much hope in it.
A curse cast with the users life wasnt something that could be easily lifted.
Yet it couldnt stay as it was either!
If yers couldnt, what about natives?
Aside from Nikorei, the God of Earth, back in [The Queens Shield], Marys mother seemed to be an expert in curses as well.
Although she had passed away, Kieran was almost certain within that dungeon world, there must be someone else who was skilled in curses.
Coincidentally, the next dungeon due was [The Queens Shield II]!
Chapter 592: The Queen’s Shield II
Chapter 592: The Queens Shield II
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
[Entering Single yer Special Dungeon]
[Difficulty: Fifth Dungeon]
[Background: The Prairies men attack was not the end, they gazed at Warren like a pack of hungry wolves but the rumor of the Devil terrified them from advancing. They are preparing some special way to deal with the Devil...]
[Main Mission: Protect the capital of Warren, Riverdale, from falling.]
[Temporarynguage pack, Disappears upon exiting the dungeon.]
[Clothing, backpack, weapons, and other items remain unchanged, Temporarily altered appearance, Returns to normal upon exiting the dungeon.]
[Detected firearms and grenades, did not match the dungeon period, power decrease by 90%. When you enter the dungeon, you will bepensated with corresponding skills. (Compensated skills could not be leveled up and will disappear upon exit of the dungeon]
[Hint: This is your fifth official dungeon. You can fail the Main Mission, but you will have to pay 600 Points as a penalty and your highest attributes will drop by 2 levels. If your points are insufficient, the system will deduct from your equipment. If your equipment is insufficient, you will fail.]
...
When the blinding light faded, Kieran found himself in an unfamiliar room.
It was wooden made and utterly messy.
The chairs and tables were all over the ce, even the bed was emptied of a mattress.
Kieran walked towards the door.
The corridor, living hall, kitchen and the rooms on the second floor shared the same messy scene.
Any valuables around the house were absent in sight. All that was left was the heavy things that the owner couldnt bring along when they left.
This house wasnt an exception though.
Kieran then opened up the window and saw a fleeing group of citizens plus the mors that happened around them.
Horse wagons, mules, and carts were moving. Husbands bringing along wives, children together with parents, each family gathered around their valuables and slowly moved towards the end of the street.
How many people were fleeing though?
The whole street was ck under Kierans sight as it was filled with people and their valuables.
Each of them shared a panic, terrified face. The children would cry from time to time, the mothers would try tofort them with a soft voice but were unable to hide the sorrow on their faces.
The husbands were holding sticks in their hands, acting as a weapon and only that could assure them with a sense of security andfort.
The elderly parents were whispering with their heads down, it seemed like they were trying to ease up the burden of the current crisis with their extensive life experience but it was useless.
When countless people gathered, fear spread easily and quickly.
Everyone wished to leave the city that was once prosperous and wealthy, no other thoughts wille into their mind.
Even though the few remaining city guards were giving their best effort in keeping the order, the whole crowd moved in a very slow pace.
"The fog of war eh..." Kieran mumbled to himself and his eyes were locked on to one man within the city guards.
The man was one of the natives that he knew from thest dungeon, Bosco the private consultant of King James VIII.
A body of brown linen clothes among a bunch of armored armed guards, Bosco was very eye-catching even without the egret feathered cap to distinguish himself as a noble from themon citizens.
His face was tired and voice was rough but still writing at a fast pace on the paper in his hand.
"Hurry! Hurry! We must send off another batch of refugees before dark!" He ordered the guards around.
"Yes, sir!"
The guards replied one after another and quickly scattered into the streets of Riverdale.
Bosco and one of his followers were left behind.
Right after that, one of themoners walked over to Bosco, saluted respectfully with his hat off and bowed body.
"Good day my dear sir!"
The man was speaking in amon tone but he couldnt hide the terror on his face. The horror on his face was a few times denser and heavier than the other fleeing refugees.
Bosco too noticed the peculiarity.
"What happened?" He asked.
"Dead man! A dead man lies in that alley!" Themoner tried his best in uttering the incident.
"Curse it! Those ouws still wont stay quiet! Or was it someone else trying to reap benefits during times of trouble?" Bosco clenched his teeth.
It wasnt the first case in the recent days though, everytime Bosco and his men would retrieve a couple of dead bodies with no valuables on them.
As for the culprit?
Nowhere to be found.
After Lightning Fortress was almost destroyed, the troops of the invaders from the north were marching down to the capital. Riverdale had fallen into a state of panic, everyone was busy escaping, fleeing with their lives, including the nobles and officers.
In fact, they were the ones who fled Riverdale in the earliest batch because they received the news first hand and just because of that, it struck themoners with even more fear.
As fear lingered in humans heart, crimes were bound to happen.
"Lead the way," Bosco said to themoner.
Themoner turned around right away and headed to the other end of the stuffy street. Bosco and his follower followed tightly behind.
After going through the street and over a small alley, Bosco halted his steps when he realized he was going deeper into a secluded area.
He quickly realized something was wrong since he wasnt an idiot himself.
The ce was too secluded!
The ce had deviated from the sure path towards the city gates by a lot. No one would linger around here even during peaceful times, let alone the war was upon them.
The ones who gathered there were the gang members.
"Hold on!" Bosco halted his follower behind with a cautious sign.
Chang!
The follower quickly drew out the sword from his waist but before he could put up a stance, an arrow fired out from the shadow sending him to the ground with an agonizing cry.
The agonizing cry went dimmer as the follower died.
Bosco was shocked. He quickly picked up the sword on the ground.
He hadnt time to check or save his follower though because another man had walked out from the shadows and was gazing at him with malicious intent.
The man together with themoner wereughing coldly at Bosco.
Bosco started to step back slowly but two more men jumped behind him and blocked his retreating path.
He was surrounded!
"Who are you, people? The Daggers? Or the Broken Fingers? Who..."
Bosco was uttering the gangs that once hid in the dark corners of Riverdale as his heart was spinning quickly.
He didnt want to die silently in a small alley like this, because of his unfinished orders and also for his wife and two daughters.
The thugs didnt seem to want to waste time at all though.
Before Bosco finished his words, themoner drew out a dagger and dashed out at Bosco.
The cold re of the dagger shook Bosco and caused him to swing the sword in his hand in a messy flurry.
No doubt, the messy swings wouldnt be of use in protecting himself.
Themoner disarmed Boscos sword easily with his dagger and thrust the dagger straight into Boscos heart.
"Im finished!"
Deaths presence came to his face, suffocating Bosco at the moment.
He was stunnedpletely and all possible reaction was lost.
Bosco had fallen into despair.
Gwak!
A sudden crows call sounded and...
Buuush!
mes burned high!
Chapter 593: Instigate
Chapter 593: Instigate
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Aaaaah!
A fireball dropped from the sky onto the attacker. It struck his face and burned fiercely.
Agonizing cries quickly followed.
The other three attackers didnt expect such idents, all they saw was a ck shadow, flying before their eyes followed by their fallenrade who suffered a facial burn.
"Go!"
After a slight stun, the attacker with the crossbow reacted to the situation.
The rest didnt run away, instead, they went after Bosco.
Gawk!
Another crows call sounded, the ck shadow flew over again.
This time around, the crossbow attacker managed to catch a glimpse of the true identity of the ck shadow that attacked them.
A bird? No, its a raven!
The crossbow attacker was certain after connecting it with the sound a moment ago but it was useless now.
All he could do was watch the nimble raven shuttle along the small alley and kill both of hisrades with its sharp ws and beaks, it even spat fireballs from its beak which didnt even make sense.
The crossbow attacker heard hisrades agonizing death cry and it shook him hard butpared to the failure of his mission, the potential punishment drove him further in risking his life.
He clenched his teeth and drew the short sword from his waist.
The crossbow in his hand wasnt a continuous one, he would need to reload its arrow before firing again and obviously, he didnt have the time for it.
However, the moment he drew the short sword, a hand came from the back and grabbed his neck.
"From behind?!"
The crossbow attacker widened his eyes unbelievably.
He remembered what was behind him, it was just an area of the shadow cast down by the intersection of the buildings above, which was also where he was hiding a moment ago.
Yet he never would have thought the spot that he was hiding had someone else.
The shadowy spot wasnt that big, to begin with, after him upying the ce, there wasnt enough space to hold another person.
So how did the figure hide in the shadow with him then?
Such doubts kept baffling his mind, but he would get no answers out of it.
Broom!
The violent me burst out from the hand as it was grabbing the attackers neck, it burned the attacker from top to bottom. Different from hisrade, the crossbow attacker was burned thoroughly and he lit up like a giant torch, leaving only ashes on the ground in the end.
Kieran looked at the pile of ash and shook the mes on his hands away.
He was very satisfied with [Undercover] going above Transcendence.
The experience felt like he had interwoven himself with the shadows, fusing his body in the darkness. He dived into the shadowy spot when the attacker was still there, being one with the shadow made him undetectable even at close range.
Although he couldnt really turn his body into a shadow, the effect allowed him to ignore most of his bodys mass and merge it with the shadows. It was something that Transcendence level [Undercover] could not achieve.
Kieran was even more satisfied with Grand Master level [Charles Fire].
[Name: Charles Fire (Grand Master)]
[Rted Attribute: None]
[Skill Type: Offense]
[Effect: Create a Strong attack devil me on your left hand, able to burn continuously. Common water and sand cant extinguish the me. Has the special ability to burn souls and devour life energy.]
[Special Effect: Devil me (Your bloodline has the element of fire. It is your gift and also the proof of your identity. You can ignite the devil me with an attack from None, Feeble, Weak, Average, Strong at will. After charging for 4 seconds, attack of the me +1, has small chance to trigger me Burst effect on enemies.]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Constitution S]
[Remark: This is a spell without incantations, casting gesture and casting time. A skill created by the alchemy master fusing ancient hidden knowledge together!]
[Note: You have acquired this skill through learning, not through a Skill Book. Therefore, you cannot upgrade it with Points and Skill Points. If you want to level it up, you will need to continue learning or acquire a Skill Book!]
...
Even without charging up, [Charles Fire] could already create a Strong level devil me with the buffs from [Fiery Sulphur].
Before entering the dungeon world and having all requirements fulfilled, Kieran would never give up on the no incantations, no actions and no casting spell, [Charles Fire].
Kieran felt the devil energy within him was still operating in a peaceful manner which made him relieved for a bit.
After leveling [Charles Fire], it didnt convert [Devil me] back to the uncontroble one, which was a great relief of burden for Kieran, because not only it will affect [Charles Fire]s usage, it also proved his theory about how [Fusion Heart] worked.
Bnce andmunication!
While progressing with the n that he had set up, from the looks of things it was quite effective.
"2...2567?" Bosco stuttered with shock.
He never would have thought the person who saved him from dying would be Kieran.
From the looks of things, it seemed like the news from Lightning Fortress was fake!
A cover up!
Bosco immediately rted into more matters in his mind and quickly swallowed \his words down his throat. He quickly walked over to Kieran respectfully, greeted, and saluted him.
"Its a pleasure to have you back, Sir 2567!"
Bosco was sizing up the Fire Raven that sat on Kierans shoulder while he was talking.
The scene that happened was too fast for him to see with his naked eyes but it didnt stop him from analyzing the aftermath.
"A raven, fire...The Raven Sect?" Bosco thought in his own mind.
"Go have a look at your follower, he will survive if given the proper treatment in time."
Kieran reminded Bosco of his poor follower who fallen behind him.
Bosco then quickly went back while Kieran sized up the three bodies on the group.
"The clothes are themon clothing of Riverdale, their hands had calluses from using swords for a long time and a pale looking skin... The robber or thief organization that was hiding in Riverdale?"
Kieran recalled back their methods of attacking and formed a theory, followed by a natural thought in his mind.
"A thieving organization would give up the chance of robbing wealth instead they had their eyes on Bosco... Did someone put up a bounty on him? But a bounty in such times..."
Kieran turned back to Bosco who had brought a squad of city guards back and squinted his eyes.
A few of the city guards carried the follower away for treatment under Boscos order and the rest of them started to clean up the small alley.
Riverdale was already a big mess, Bosco has no intention to push it further.
He knew Riverdale now was like a giant barrel of oil, the slightest spark of fire would set the entire barrel aze. It was a scene that he wished not to see.
The city guards carried the bodies and headed towards a special ce.
They too saw Kieran was standing there watching them work and whenever they passed by Kieran, the city guards would be extremely careful and dare not even breathe out loud.
Kierans figure was very familiar to them because of what happened that particr night. It was a night that the city guards would never forget for the rest of their lives.
When the city guards saw the raven on Kierans shoulder, the ominous feel got even heavier, causing them to carry out Boscos orders quicker than ever.
"Pardon me, Sir 2567, they didnt really mean it..."
"These men who attacked you, do you know where they are from?"
Kieran waved and interrupted Bosco with his question but after a slight pause, Kieran rephrased his question in a more urate way.
"Or should I say, do you know who instigated them to attack you?"
Chapter 594: Broken Finger
Chapter 594: Broken Finger
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
"They should be Broken Fingers!"
Bosco said in an affirmative tone and then he started to mutter in a softer volume.
"As for who instigated them... I dont have that many enemies but also not entirely none. Those who wanted me dead are but a few but I think they should be running away to Will Prefecture. None of them would have the spare time to chase after me, so..."
Bosco then took in a deep breath.
"So, that leaves me with the invaders from the North West."
Bosco smiled bitterly right after the revtion.
"I thought the current situation was bad enough but it is actually even worse than I thought. Riverdale has been infiltrated to this extent!"
"This damn war..."
Bosco couldnt continue anymore. He was worried.
He already tried to prepare for the worst case scenario when the Prairies men appeared outside Lightning Fortress but he didnt think it would get out of hand to such an extent.
The gangs that lurked in Riverdales shadows are being instigated by the Prairies men!
The meaning behind that statement was indeed terrifying for Bosco.
He turned his eyes to the street further ahead, the packed and slow moving refugee crowd had despair all over their faces.
Kieran looked at Bosco quietly and turned away soon.
"Sir...Sir 2567?"
Bosco opened his mouth out of instinct after being slightly stunned.
"You do what you have to do, Ill do what I have to do as well."
Kieran then disappeared into the shadows of the streets after leaving his words behind.
The Fire Raven took off from Kierans shadow and soared through the sky above Riverdale. Its sharp eyes that wereparable to an eagle were scouting all the different spots ording to Kierans will.
Kieran too nced over the system notification that came after.
[Discovered sub-mission: The traitor in the city]
[The traitor in the city: The reunion with Bosco opened up new paths for the current situation. A sudden assault on him allowed you to notice how hard is it to guard Riverdale but you dont have any other choices! You need to find the Broken Fingers hideout and stop those thugs from causing more problems in the chaotic situation...]
...
Kieran wasnt surprised by the sub mission.
When Bosco was being attacked, Kierans sharp senses already sniffed out the possibility of a sub mission. In fact, after many dungeon runs, he already had a sufficient amount of knowledge about how a sub mission would appear.
Most of the sub mission would be rted to the main mission, the difference in between was only the degree of affection towards the main mission.
There was also a minor possibility of a standalone sub mission as well but afterpleting it, it will also improve the situation of the dungeon world. Of course, the standalone sub mission would also hold a higher difficultypared to the main mission and might even provide the yer with apletion rating or special rating.
As for the [Special Event] triggers, Kieran viewed it as an extra main mission.
...
The fog of war shrouded the sky above Riverdale.
The refugees made the once prosper city messy and quiet.
Messiness shuttled through the main streets of the city while quietness filled the rest of the remaining blocks.
Because of that, when someone deviated from the main street and headed elsewhere, it was very eye-catching. Perhaps the someone was careful enough and acted like a fleeing refugee but from the birds eye view of the Fire Raven, the hiding and covers were even more suspicious.
The person went through a couple street blocks and dashed out madly after he confirmed that he wasnt followed.
The dashing speed would leave amon man so far behind that one could only see the dust behind and after a full ten minutes, the person finally slowed down as he reached an area with a lower building structure group.
The ce was still within Riverdale but it was different from the other parts of the city, the building structures, and the environment as well.
It was filthy, stenchful and muddy water was flowing everywhere, it was like a giant sh*t hole.
The ce was actually the slums.
The slums too existed in Riverdale, it was formed by the early middle sses that went bankrupt after being wealthy. As time passed on, more and more different categories of people joined the slums.
There were the gluttonous andzy scoundrels, the crippled but unable to get pension mercenaries, but most of them were farmers from distantnds that wished to get another chance on life in Riverdale, though the ce wasnt as pleasant as they thought.
The scoundrels formed up factions on their own and dominated the slums.
Soon after, thieves, robbers, wanted men, and even prostitutes got into the mix and the ce was turned into a chain of crimes that breeds only business for the bad.
Broken Finger was one of the strongest among those scoundrels.
A decade ago, Broken Finger was a mercenary in the slums that had lost one of his fingers but it didnt affect his strength at all. Within a three months period, he gained a big portion of turf in the slums and was even able to oppose the once boss of the slums, the Daggers.
Besides that, Broken Fingers business was much more diverse.
Killing people was just an asion in a fortnight for the Daggers but it was the main business ie for Broken Finger.
No one knew who the man was before he became Broken Finger, his original name was slowly forgotten after the title was given to him by the people. The men under Broken Finger also addressed him as the boss.
The man who struck fear in countless peoples heart in the slums was sitting on that old broken chair at the moment, listening to the reports of his men.
His thick brows furrowed together after the report though.
"Send more men... If the ambush fails, attack with brute force! Go gather the men, Ill lead!"
After Broken Finger gave out his orders, his face full of scars was looking determined and fierce, his men dared not even breathe loudly before him, let alone refute.
Even more so, his subordinate didnt think there was anything wrong with his bosss orders. He might doubt it during peaceful times but not at this moment.
The Prairies army was already at their doorstep which turned the whole Riverdale into their treasure vault. A couple more jobs and they would have enough to retire in the south.
Broken Fingers subordinate was picturing a nice retired life and didnt even noticed his bosss steps approaching.
When he felt his neck was grabbed by his own boss and was sent flying outside the house, he only realized things have gone wrong but it was already toote.
Bang!
The mans body crashed hard at the gate causing him to scream in pain but the scream stopped abruptly.
Darkness descended outside the broken gate all of a sudden.
When Broken Finger saw the darkness outside, droplets of sweat broke out on his forehead because he remembered it was in the afternoon where the sun was shining brightly.
Broken Finger remembered the warmth of the sun and bright scene a moment ago.
"Who the hell is it?"
Broken Finger growled heavily and drew his sword at the darkness outside the gate.
Chang!
A cold re shone inside the house as a curved scimitar appeared in his right hand where his broken thumb and index finger was. Broken Finger turned around and performed a sh like a bolt of lightning.
The nervousness on his face instantly turned into a vicious one.
It was a disguise, a disguise that he put up to prepare his surprise strike!
"DIE!" Broken Fingerughed viciously.
However, right at the next moment, his viciousugh was frozen, the curved scimitar that he shed out like a lightning strike couldnt hit his target.
He saw the person behind him.
The existence that terrified him beyond words and shook even his soul was standing behind Broken Finger.
"You know me?"
Kieran squinted his eyes.
Chapter 595: Frightened
Chapter 595: Frightened
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Kieran was certain the man before him knew of him but there wasnt any memory in his mind of contacting him before this.
He had quite the confidence in his memory though.
Maybe he did see a lot of natives throughout his dungeon runs but a native with a broken thumb and index finger would make quite an impression in Kierans mind.
A person like him would be utterly useless in the dungeon world since he relied solely on sharp weapons yet the man disyed himself as a skillful swordsman even with remaining three fingers on his right hand. In addition, his strength was even stronger than the others despite his fingers.
Kieran would never forget such a native if he met one before.
"The Devil!" Broken Finger cried out loud.
The fear that felt so real shook his sanity and he crumbled instantly.
Then, Broken Finger swung the curve scimitar right across his neck.
Puk!
Kieran avoided the ssh of blood from the freaky suicide andnded his eyes on the soul that floated out of Broken Fingers dead body.
"He is one of Prairies men?"
The familiar scene made Keiran dish out a kick at the soul without hesitation.
Although it deviated from his initial n which was to dominate Broken Finger with [Mesly Ring] and pry out more information, Kieran had limited ways to deal with enemies in the spirit categories, other than killing them off.
Broken Fingers soul twitched for a while after Kierans left kick and was turned into ashes; the wind then carried it away.
However, Kieran frowned because of the ease in killing Broken Finger.
The situation at hand seemed to have exceeded his expectation. He was quite surprised that Broken Finger was able to notice him beforehand.
Kieran had quite the confidence in [Undercover] since it was above Transcendence level right now so he didnt think it was Broken Fingers intuition that allowed him to notice Kieran.
Except for one exnation!
"Broken Finger must have shared a special connection with one of his men outside this ce other than possessing the secret technique of releasing his soul. He might have even shared a connection with one of the men who fought in Lightning Fortress before and it exined why he could utter the name Devil and looked so terrified when he saw me. If this is not an exception..."
Kierans furrowed brows slightly and loosened up because it was a good news for him.
Which was easier for him to deal with, a group of fearless enemies or a group of fearless enemies mixed together with a couple of frightened scaredy cats?
The answer was self-exnatory.
Kieran started to search the ce after more thoughts bloomed in his heart, he wanted to search for more information about the Prairies men but he wouldnt put much hope into it.
He was clear that a spy like Broken Finger that could infiltrate deep into the enemys capital would never leave any viable ws behind and the fact proved as so.
Kieran found a lot of coins and jewels in the ce but not a single written record, not even the letters from pigeons delivery.
"They didnt use pigeons to makemunications... So there are other channels?"
Kieran thought in his mind until Bosco brought his men over.
Fire Ravennded on Kierans shoulder once again. Kieran touched its head to praise it and it returned an intimate rub on Kierans cheek.
Kieran smiled. Fire Raven was to be praised in locating Broken Finger smoothly.
The scouting from high up in the sky was a hard feat even for Kieran himself.
The ability to call out to others was also a plus because it solved the trifling troubles for Kieran. Without the Fire Raven, Kieran would have to run back and forth to bring Bosco and his men there.
"Sir 2567..."
There were bodies all outside the house and Bosco saw Broken Fingers body when he entered the house.
Boscos own strength was nothing ster and it might even be considered as weak but when he saw the wound on Broken Fingers neck on the ground, he mind still could simte what happened before.
The oue made him gasped.
"Shhh! He took his own life?"
Instantly, Boscos eyes at Kieran changed because he couldnt even imagine what Broken Finger who was notorious for his vicious methods had been through, leading him to a path of self-demise.
There werent any traces of interrogation either, it felt like Broken Finger was frightened to death when he saw Kieran.
Bosco could still control himself because of some understanding of Kierans person but the city guards behind, not so much.
Every one of them were terrified in an unusual way. It jogged their memory of that horrifying night a few days ago, some of the less brave ones even understood why Broken Finger took his own life.
"He killed himself to release his soul from his body, it might be an escape method or secret technique to kill enemies and his identity should be one of the Prairies men..." Kieran exined.
He exined but didnt try to remove the misunderstanding or the peculiarity because he never cared how some stranger natives view of him.
He wanted Bosco to take into concern the lead and try to find out how Broken Finger made contact with the outsiders. Other than that, the spies infiltrated Riverdale must be flushed out.
Kieran would not believe that there was only a single spy from the enemies, there must be more hidden within the city.
Right after Kierans words subsided, he realized the city guards were unable to conceal their terrified face anymore. The few cowardly ones even started to shiver.
Bosco was looking unusual as well.
"The soul was eliminated as well?" Bosco asked in a dry voice.
"Um!" Kieran nodded and walked outside without further caring about the fear on the city guards faces.
The city guards quickly opened up a path for Kieran to pass without even making a sound.
When Kieran left the room, he could clearly hear the voices of relief from the city guards.
He shook his head.
Although he didnt hold much hope on the city guards, experiencing it twice in a row made Kieran realize it was a wishful thinking to rely on the city guards to protect Riverdale.
Broken Finger might even fight to hisst resort against fear but these city guards would only beg for their lives and the enemies would ughter them effortlessly.
If they continued to behave like that, it was safe to say that they were digging their own graves.
Kieran didnt stop until he went out from the slums.
10 minutester, Bosco chased behind Kieran.
"Sir 2567, they are just..."
Bosco wanted to exin why the city guards were so unbearable out of instinct but after he started his sentence, he didnt know how to continue on.
Regardless of what perspective he looked at it, the city guards had all failed their duty.
"Her Highness is back!"
Bosco eventually switched a topic. He was d that Her Highness had returned that day with a new batch of military supplies, providing him with an ordinary yet perfect topic.
"Mary?"
Kieran was stunned. His cold face has slightly softened when he heard the news.
The young girl was the one he valued the most in the current dungeon world because of a simr background and sharing a simr fate, despite her being a native.
But, who could really differentiate between the virtual and reality within a dungeon world?
Chapter 596: What You Think
Chapter 596: What You Think
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Kieran saw another squad of soldiers around the street corner.
They looked quite different from the city guards though as they looked sharper not only in terms of arsenal but also spirit. At least when the squad of soldiers saw him, they didnt forget their duties even though they were afraid and nervous.
"The remaining troops from Lightning Fortress and the imperial guards of the pce?" Kieran wondered.
Lightning Fortress had a total of 3,000 soldiers stationed there all the time and Kieran didnt kill all of them when he first charged through the fortress. The imperial guards were obviously the soldiers that were loyal to James VIII.
Regardless of how Jeanne used her powerful forces to seize Riverdale single-handedly when she was still alive, a handful of them were still loyal to James VIII.
Still, it was a rare, good piece of news for Kieran.
If he had to rely on those city guards, Kieran really had no idea what they could do except lose their heads to their enemies at the end of the road.
The good news lightened Kierans steps.
Although the soldiers were afraid and nervous when he looked at them, Kieran easily felt the soldiers were not too friendly. He still acted calm and confident though.
When Kieran saw Mary at the end of the squad, he curled his lips into a rare smile.
Mary was wearing a pure white knight dress with her blonde hair tied to the back, just like how Kieran remembered her. Her narrow blue eyes had maturity beyond her peers and the short sword around her waist boosted her maturity and increased her valiant presence.
It was hard for a girl to have such a temperament and even though she wasnt a beautiful girl, she would shine brightly as well.
"Greetings, Mary" Kieran saluted.
Mary nodded slightly. She held her mature temperament together with her integrity but her blues eyes were looking at Kieran like a burning fire.
"Come with me!"
Mary said to Kieran while trying her best in suppressing the impulsive move in her heart.
She then went into one of the houses close by, leaving her soldiers behind. The house was beside a crossroad and the windows were reinforced with wood.
"A temporarymand center?"
Kieran was surprised after a quick nce.
Based on what he had seen around the city, even if Mary were to choose a temporarymand center, Riverdale Pce would be a much ideal location. Other than its grand decoration, it could be used as a bunker during the actual war.
It also seemed like Marys ancestors had thought about the worst case scenario when they built the pce.
Tssk Gak!
The door was closed.
The moment the door was shut, Mary turned around suddenly and ran into Kierans arms. She hugged him tightly around his waist and stuffed her face on his chest.
It was quite hard for Marys height but it would make her feel better if she could do it.
Mary gave her best effort by tip toeing.
Kieran was frozen though, his hands were wide opened in an unusual way. He was absent of any emotions, expressions, actions or words to reply to her gesture. All he did was stand there like a dummy.
That was until Kieran realized Mary was tipping her feet off the ground to the limit and wanted to jump up to shorten the distance between them.
Kierans senses came back to him right away. He didnt move his body but ced his idled hands on Marys shoulder lightly and unusually, thus calming Mary down when she tried to jump up.
Mary frowned hard that a small bulge appeared in the middle of her brows.
"You owe me a farewell... So you shouldpensate me!" She said.
"Um... So I came back." Kieran smiled.
"I want something else!" Mary emphasized.
"Something else... But we have more important matters at hand. The Prairies spies have infiltrated Riverdale. Although Bosco is already on it, I dont think he can get anything out of his search. Those spies possess the secret techniques of the Prairies men and we need some mystical individuals to deal with them." Kieran changed to topic right away but it sounded forced.
"You owe me apensation!" Mary wasnt distracted at all and emphasized her intentions.
"Fine!"
Kieran nodded once more after thinking for a while to bnce out his priorities.
He felt Marys arms around his waist was getting tighter. The power came from the gaps of [Armor of Excellence] as if she could ignore the defenses of the equipment and reached him directly.
Kieran raised a puzzled brow right after he was relieved. He noticed something unusual about Mary.
"What is it?" Kieran asked.
"He is ready to give up. He wants me to bring a portion of the people and retreat to the south and he intended to end his life here, as for how a king should be. The foolish, ridiculous pride of a king!" Mary said in a mocking tone.
Kieran who tilted his head down noticed the helplessness and unwilling sadness on the little girl.
Mary tilted her head down even more when Kieran looked at her. She hugged him tighter and stuffed her face onto the cold armor te.
It felt like the persistence of hers was trying to hold on to the slightest of hope when she had fallen into despair, like thest hope of a drowning victim.
Kieran took in a deep breath and slightly shut his eyes. He clearly felt the girl was helpless and hesitating. Her impulsive move was not just because of her feelings but also the instinct of requesting help.
She had gotten attached to Kieran after going through a life and death situation with him, and now it was like a stray puppy that had gotten a temporary shelter from the rain.
Kieran opened up his eyes and it shone slightly. He squatted down and looked at the girl at her eye level.
"I dont have any words toment about your father, I am not too familiar with him... but the only one that I am familiar with in this world is you."
"So... What are you thinking? Or what do you want to achieve?"
Kieran didnt think about others at that moment, all he wanted to do was toplete his main mission and make the girl before him happy along the way.
He knew the girl was unwilling to give up the father that she mocked as useless, it felt like she was hating her parents for dumping her and at the same time wanted to meet them badly.
It was conflicting but real.
Kierans own wish was impossible at his stage but if it was within his strength and the realm of possibility, he wouldnt mind fulfilling the girls wish that shared a simr fate with him, especially when it was along the way.
"I...I..." Mary stuttered.
She wanted to speak her mind but she shook her head right away followed by a sudden silence.
"Youre worried about me? Dont! Im good at creating miracles, turning the impossible into possible. Youve seen it before right?"
Kieran saw through the little girls worries. He tapped her head, trying tofort her.
"But its different this time! There isnt a thousand man vanguard anymore but fifty thousand troops! The looks of the fifty thousand troops from high was like the wholend was tainted by ck and you couldnt even see the end!" Mary shook her head again.
"So what? Im asking you what are you thinking, dont care about the invaders! Be it fifty thousand or five million, none of that matters! Tell me what are you thinking, Mary!"
Kieran asked once more.
"I...I want to... defeat the invaders and protect Warren!"
Marys voice shivered at the start but turned steady at the end.
Kieran smiled as the answer was within his expectations.
He gazed at the girls persistence and stood up.
"Ill lend a hand!" Kieran said.
Chapter 597: What I Wish
Chapter 597: What I Wish
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Deep in the night, Kieran and Mary arrived at Lightning Fortress.
The revered and magnificent look of the fortress was long gone. All that was left was wood piles and stones that were gathered in a short time to form a simple defense line.
All they could muster up was only a single side defense, against the direction of the main troops from the Prairies.
Should the defense line be broken through, the Prairies soldier could march directly into Riverdale without further resistance.
As for the Warren soldiers that were stationed at the fortress after thepletion of the defensive line, they were still there but not the original troops that once guarded Lightning Fortress anymore.
The three thousand stationed troops were mixed with the imperial guards of Warren royal family, some private militia and a portion of the city guards. There was less than a quarter of the original troops left in Lightning Fortress.
The information should be correct because it was from Mary herself.
Kieran couldnt help but sigh once he listened to how Mary described Lightning Fortress current situation.
Not only was the rebuilt fortress on the charrednd as weak as paper, more importantly, the troops stationed there had almost zero spirit in battle and were demoralized, the sharp imperial guards were no exception either.
When the soldier before Kieran reported in after a whole night on guard duty, Kieran could already picture the fortress being taken down with a single wave of enemies should they arrive.
Still, despite the odds, Kieran didnt regret his decision. He knew what he wanted when he made that move and simr to that moment, he knew what he must do now.
Dak Dak Dak Dak Dak!
Continuous steps from a couple of men sounded right after the report.
It was King James VIII who led a group of men with him with torches lit up high among them.
The king was looking quite different from how Kieran remembered him. It was only days apart in the dungeon world yet the king looked like he aged again, as if he was on hisst breath.
His servant beside him would have to carry him properly for each step he took.
The only difference from amon old man though was his sharp eyes, it didnt look as morbid.
"Sir 2567!"
The king tried to keep his pride and manners as one but the environment was not suitable for him to do so.
A couple of torches, a campsite in the wilderness and the nervous soldiers.
From what Kieran viewed of it, it made him feel more lonely and pitiful, still, Kieran bowed to the king because of his identity as the ruler of thend and also because of his attitude of being willing to sacrifice himself.
Kieran couldnt know how well a king James VIII was because of theck of contacts but his resolution to go down with his kingdom was already a respectful point.
"Fa...Father!"
Mary called out in an awkward voice and she continued on to tell what happened at Riverdale.
"We need to extinguish the vermins from Riverdale! The people havent beenpletely evacuated. If they seized the chance to cause chaos, more people will die."
Although the time spent together wasnt long, Mary already knew how to persuade the man before her. It wouldnt be enough for her to stake her own benefits to move him, instead, it must be rted to the people of Riverdale and their well-being.
It was indeed a contemptuous fact from the views of most other rulers. Despite how well the surface was worked on, everyone knew what was underneath the fancy talk.
On the same terms, King James VIII could be also considered as a childish ruler. He was suppressed by his elder sister for almost the whole time of his reign, causing his foundations to be almost nonexistent. One would say he had iting to him but Mary didnt dislike her father because of that.
Marys feelings for her father was only at the surface level, like how she couldnt hate a stranger for no reason.
"Rover, bring a group of men back to Riverdale and investigate this!"
The king started to be serious. His little hunched back was straightened right away and his voice was heightened as well.
"But Sire..."
"Go now! If the Prairies soldiers didnt march on us at the start, they will not for these few days either. They want to know what their vanguard troops encountered."
The king interrupted the middle-aged man beside him who was donning a wizard outfit and he turned his eyes to Kieran.
His eyes were bright andmanding with a slight sense of prying.
The wizard known as Rover looked at James VIII before looking at Kieran.
In the end, Rover bowed to Kieran and took a group of men for Riverdale after Kieran nodded slightly.
The man must have quite the resolution since he was able to follow James VIII to Lightning Fortress and held the position of a wizard.
A loyal person could easily win favors from others, Kieran was no exception.
"Sir 2567, pleasee with me... I have some details to ask of you," James VIII said.
His servant than helped him into the campsite right after.
When the group arrived inside one of the tents, James VIII sent his servants down and left Kieran and Mary with him.
Huuuha! Huuha!
The moment James VIII stepped into the tent, he started to gasp heavily.
It seemed like the kings body was even worse than it looked.
Mary was hesitant for a slight second before going over to her father, helping him to the mattress and provided him with some water in a jug.
"Thank you, Mary..." The king muttered.
After his apologetic gratitude, James VIII looked at Kieran once more and said with a never before seen stern manner, "Sir 2567, please bring Mary away from this ce!"
"Leave Warren! Find a ce that no one knows you and live your lives! I beg of you!"
The king uttered each and every word heavily.
His sincere tone even ced himself below Kieran for the first time but still, Kieran shook his head.
The kings body started to wobble and his breath turned even heavier.
Obviously, Kierans rejection was a heavy hit to him.
"Im afraid I cant do that. Ive promised Mary to protect Warren with her." Kieran said slowly.
James VIII was stunned, he turned his eyes to Mary.
The girl nodded seriously as well.
"I am not doing this for you nor for the fleeing refugees and definitely not the cowardly nobles. Its just that mother once told me, if it is my responsibility, it is my burden to bear, I cant shift it to others. This is the ideal that every generation of Swursters Castle owner had to live by," Mary said clearly.
"You sounded just like Ellen!" James VIII eximed.
The old king seemed to have sunk into his own memories for a while, Kieran could even clearly noticed the smile on his face.
It felt warm, nostalgic and helpless.
The girl saw it as well, so she grabbed Kierans mantle hard, to the point it dragged Kierans attention down to her face and her gaze.
"I will deliver what I promised," Kieran assured her.
He signaled Mary to watch over her father.
Mary tried to say something but before her words could form, the heavy gallops tore apart the peaceful night outside.
The girls face instantly turned pale.
The Prairies soldiers were here!
Chapter 598: One Man Defence
Chapter 598: One Man Defence
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
It seemed like James VIIIs prediction was wrong.
When the thunderous gallops sounded, his face turned pale as well and his body was wobbling hard.
Mary who also turned pale quickly went over and helped the king.
Even though she was still reluctant to admit the mans identity as her father, she didnt want him to fall like that on the ground.
A king who fell to the ground was an unbearable scene!
"Mary, leave now!" The king said in a hurried tone.
The girl shook her head.
"Trust 2567!" She showed her trust in Kieran.
During her most helpless times, Kieran was always with her, helping her to ovee difficulties and he also straightened and eased out her anxiety in his own unique way.
Although it might seem cold from others point of view, the girl felt like she could trust that kindness.
Trust and kindness.
Whether was it her trust that brought the kindness out from Kieran or the kindness from him strengthened her trust, Mary had no idea.
She helped the king sit back down on the mattress and waited patiently.
Though, the others didnt share the patience.
The soldiers that were stationed at the rebuilt Lightning Fortress were already scared and frightened and when the thunderous gallops echoed in their ears, it horrified them.
The reason they didnt abandon their post and flee the site was that a couple of higher rankings officer yelled at them the moment the gallops sounded. However, Kieran knew it was just a temporary measure that would not solve the problem.
Once the Prairies army broke through the weak defensive line of the fortress, every soldier would surely abandon their post. Even the higher ranking officers would follow the fleeing troops as well, regardless of their honor and duty.
All that mattered at desperate times was life itself!
Three thousand against fifty thousand, after losing Lightning Fortresss original defensive line, it would be an insensible attempt trying to hold out against the overwhelming number of enemy forces.
Death wasing for them and before it arrived, the moment felt like forever, to the point that despair loomed in their hearts.
Kieran felt the soldiers were breathing heavily and saw their struggling gaze.
He then strode over and went through the panic crowd.
His figure was very eye-catching in the sense of loneliness as his ck feathered mantle fluttered under the night breeze. The dim moonlight shed its light over the ck feathers, making it look like the surface of ake.
Gawk!
The Fire Raven then took off from his shoulder.
Despite being at night, it didnt obstruct Fire Ravens vision and Kieran saw the Prairies main troops at first sight because he shared a link with the raven.
It was as though the sky was connected to the earth.
When the Prairies soldiers reached a certain number, their figures were so many that it seemed like they connected the sky and earth. Ten times that number and it would look boundless and beyond countable numbers.
Kieran had read simr descriptions only in books, it was his first time seeing it with his own eyes.
The overwhelming feeling from the sheer numbers was enough to stop his breath.
But, it didnt stop his steps even though he noticed something different among the main troops.
Dak Dak Dak!
Kieran went along the simple stairs that led to the fortress wall after the rebuilding. Every step he took, the nk would squeak loudly.
The rebuilt fortress wall wasnt high by any means, only around 3 meters in height.
Even though the soldiers of Warren gave their best effort, it was beyond impossible topletely seal the breach within Herr Valley in a matter of days, let alone rebuilding the original height of the fortress wall. Truth be told, the 3-meter fortress wall mixed with stones and woods was already enough to impress Kieran.
Though the defensive capabilities were not something to beplimented.
The fact that the Prairies troops charged forth with their riders directly had proved as much.
Kieran reached on top of the fortress wall after thest flight of stairs.
He saw the Prairies riders were gushing down like a raging tide.
At the same time, the Prairies riders saw Kierans lonely image on the top of the wall as well, which elerated their charge even more.
Each of the Prairies riders were whipping their war horse furiously, hoping that they could gallops faster so that they could chop Kierans head off with the des in their hands.
It would be a major achievement for any of them.
After that, they would breach the defense of the weak fortress, massacre the people of Warren and plunder wealth and women. They would return with fruitful spoils of war.
Greed was like a burning booster injected into the riders heart, causing them to growl out of control, as though they were the wolves that roamed the grasnds. Before they even showed themselves, their growls would scare their prey to death.
However, Kieran was no prey by any means.
He stood tall on the wall and saw the riders quietly. The myriad of troops made it felt like a tidal wave was crushing on him, even [Fear] notifications kept spamming his vision.
Kieran was d once again that his strongest attribute was Spirit otherwise he would fall into a simr state of the soldiers behind him and whatever methods should he use to cleanse the [Fear] debuff, it would also dy his movementster.
"Quantity incites qualitative changes eh?"
Kieran mumbled that phrase once more.
He raised his left hand as sparks of fire appeared on his palm and it expanded rapidly into a giant fireball.
The sudden scene stunned the Prairies riders for a while but right after that, they kept on charging without further concerns.
The Prairies riders knew about the existence of the wizards. The reverence for the mystical powers forced them to cut ties and not to be tainted by the powers but it was a different matter on the battlefield.
No matter how powerful a wizard was, one man couldnt change the tides of war, not even Frandrall the strongest wizard of Warren, let alone others.
The charging didnt stop, quite the contrary the riders started to provoke Kieran with their words amidst the charge. All sorts of vulgarities were mixed with the gallops, echoing in Kierans ears ceaselessly yet he replied with a calm face.
Kieran, however, would not refute. It was like a dog bit him but he didnt need to bite the dog back, instead, he could just turn the dog into a pot of stew.
Fuuu!
Kieran hurled out the burning fireball. The zing wind assaulted the riders face but despite the brightness from the fire, the riders felt darkness above their head.
They raised their head instinctively and saw a scene they would never forget for the rest of their lives.
Intertwining legs and arms formed from thin air and red eyeballs glowing in rainbow shine came from the intertwining points. At the brightest part of the limbs, rings of sharp grinding teeth took form and spun like an electric saw.
The horrifying scene gave birth to a monster!
Such thoughts bloomed in the riders hearts ceaselessly and a momentter, they felt the eyeballs of the monster became brighter...
A heavy sense of danger surged in their heart, they instinctively wanted to turn their horses around but it was toote.
Thousands of burning rays of beams showered down on the troops like a fiery storm.
[Creature of Desire, Thousand Evil Eye Strike]!
Chapter 599: One Man Against Ten Thousand
Chapter 599: One Man Against Ten Thousand
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The burning beams were fired down from the sky.
The Prairies riders that charged forth like the raging tide were instantly cut off.
Each and every one of the riders under the beams were perforated by the beams including their horses. Almost a thousand of them vanished in an instant, filling the air with a heavy charred smell.
Then, it all went silent.
The battlefield was boiling a moment ago but it has turned dead silent at this moment.
The remaining Prairies riders pulled their horses back and had terrified gaze at the monster above them. Their eyes followed the monsters movements and eventuallynded on the figure standing on the fortress wall.
A single figure without any reinforcement.
Right after that sudden strike, none of the Prairies riders dared to underestimate and face him light-headedly anymore.
One strike from the monster and it wiped out almost a thousand of their men, the situation was not something to be underestimated or more precisely, it was something to be fearful of!
The Prairies soldiers were infamous for their ferocious manner but it wasnt a sure fact though.
Their vanguard troops were horrified beyond reasons when they faced Kieran in his out of control rampage and this time around, there was no exception either!
They opened their eyes wide when Kieran stepped onto [Creature of Desire], standing on the biggest eyeball and nced over them with his calm eyes.
Every one of the Prairies riders felt chills under Kierans re.
The night breeze continued to blow.
His ck feathered mantle was dancing in the wind, fluttering loudly.
All the riders felt like they saw the grim reaper himself, that gaze from Kieran was the stare of the death.
Their heart that was fired up by their greed was thrown into the coldest wind of the Arctic.
The coldness that they felt could even freeze their bones.
The presence of death was overflowing, even their horses were neighing and started to back off because of their animal instincts. The riders on the back felt even more terrified than before.
Especially when they saw [Creature of Desire] switched its parallel angle from the ground into a perpendicr one under Kierans thoughts, the smarter ones already guessed what would happen next.
They swiftly turned their horse around and ran for it but the horses thatplied to their orders like their own limbs during war times were petrified like concrete, they did not budge a single inch from the spot.
The Prairies riders then abandoned their horses without a doubt and ran with their legs instead. Horses might be an important asset to them but when their lives were at stake, what would they consider?
However, just as their feet reached the ground, skeletal hands sprung out from the ground and mped on their calves like metal mps. The skeletal hands then started to tear their flesh away and their calves turned mushy and bloody momentster.
All of the Prairies riders fell to the ground, crying in agony but what they got in reply was more hands mping to their body.
The skeletal hands acted like vultures, chipping their flesh off bits by bits.
As the Prairies riders were losing flesh, the skeletal hands gained more and regenerated into a robust arm.
The robust arms pushed themselves out of the ground, revealing their full bodies underneath. Their dirty faces were green and creepy and when the Prairies rider saw their face that sprung out, they were horrified beyond words.
"I didnt kill you!"
"No! You forced me to!"
"Die! Die!"
Different cries sounded everywhere, whether was it a begging or rageful tone, all of them eventually lost their minds. They took their weapons and attacked the dead, slicing them into pieces.
After killing the dead, the riders let out a long breath but the pain that followed right after made them realized before they could react, they weapons they swung at the dead ended up in their bodies instead.
"What...What happen?"
Every one of the riders asked themselves but none of them got any answer why would they attacked themselves.
As the life energy faded, they perished.
Tsks!
Unified gasps sounded like a melody throughout the battlefield. Compared to the thousand burning beams that wiped out a thousand riders, this scene before them was not as astonishing.
The unknown would bring fear.
After seeing the charging Prairies riders killed themselves or each other, not only the Prairies troops were terrified, even Warren soldiers were shaken beyond words.
Those soldiers that mustered up enough courage to step on the fortress wall were scared to the ground, limping helplessly.
"The...The Devil!"
The terrified chants from the Prairies even echoed in the soldiers ears. Despite both sides being enemies, they shared a tacit agreement on the subject at that very moment.
The soldiers of Warren acknowledged the form of address but following the acknowledgment, the nervousness and anxiety in the soldiers heart had somehow settled down.
When they saw the vicious Prairies riders were being ughtered likembs, Warren soldiers suddenly felt like they werent that scary anymore.
Besides, the Devil was on their side.
The soldiers morales were boosted by a little, more soldiers climbed up to the fortress wall despite their eyes were still showing nervousness and hands shivering with their weapons, they didnt let go.
Kieran saw it and was not surprised.
If after what Kieran had done and the soldiers couldnt even pick up their weapons, they were no different from the city guards in Riverdale.
He looked at the Prairies troops once more.
After [Thousand Evil Eye Strike] and [Deadmans Gaze], almost half of the Prairies troops were eliminated, [Deadmans Gaze] was super effective after being scared by [Creature of Desire].
However, Kieran had no intentions of sparing those retreating troops.
Sou!
Sou Sou Sou Sou!
A beam of burning ray fired out from the Creature of Desires eyeball in a straight line and followed by hundreds more.
Kieran controlled [Thousand Evil Eye Strike] to scatter its firing and the results he had were a few times more effective than before.
Because of the firing angle, the previously unified beams were fired perpendicrly, each beam only perforated one rider before hitting the ground, despite the powerful main eye attack.
Kieran didnt use the core eyes beam though, in fact, if there wasnt a couple of notifying presences among the riders, Kieran would not even use the main eyes to determine the tide with one strike.
This time around, the scattered beams were fired at the escaping troops. The straight line of firing allowed the beams to perforate them like a skewer.
The deviation eyes could at least take out two riders and the secondary eyes three to five.
The main eye sted its beam at the first rider to all the way back in the end and even went towards the main camp of the Prairies without signs of slowing down.
However, changes started to ur at the couple of spots that Kieran had his attention on.
A blurry shine rose up from those spots and formed a ck, robust arm.
As the palm opened up, ck mist overflowed. It acted like a giant fortress wall before the Prairies main camp.
The ever-burning beam struck directly at the palm and vanished without even causing a ripple.
The Prairies soldiers cheered up instantly!
Yet their cheers halted right away like a duck being squeezed on the neck.
Two more burning beams were fired out from the monsters eye, stronger than any beams before.
Booom!
The first burning beam pierced through the ck palm directly and the second one perforated the Prairies main camp without any resistance.
A 3 meter wide, few hundred meters long "path" was carved open in the middle of the main camp.
The battlefield went quiet once more.
Everyones eyes were looking at the person above the flying monster, seeing him pointing at the charrednd.
"Whosoever crosses this line, dies!"
Chapter 600: Assassin Again
Chapter 600: Assassin Again
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Kieran wasnt loud yet his voice echoed all over the quiet battlefield like thunder.
His rampant and chaotic sulfur aura sted the whole battlefield as well.
The horrified men gazed at the charrednd that Kieran was pointing, as though thend cracked and a zing devil climbed out from hell, roaring furiously at the sky.
"Its him! Its him!"
"Hes back!"
Scattered cries sounded from the Prairies main camp. The cries sounded like a ripple spread out when a pebble was thrown into a peacefulke, louder and louder as seconds passed.
Each of the tribal leaders had to stand out, yelling out loud to stop their men from falling apart and orders after orders were sent into the deepest part of their main camp.
All they wanted was to get rid of their dissidents and obtain more wealth, not to stake their lives on the line.
A few more secondster, the main camp of the Prairies started to back away and retreated almost a thousand meters.
"They are retreating! Retreating! The Prairies soldiers are retreating!"
Cheerful cries sounded on the fortress walls as delighted expression filled the soldiers face. Yet the cheerful atmosphere didnt affect Kieran at all, he knew the Prairies soldiers retreated not because they were bending down before him.
They retreated back to a better hiding point to avoid Creature of Desires attack and prepare for their next wave of attack.
The riders assault was just to test the waters, to test the soldiers of Warren and also Kiera, the unknown variable.
The next battle will be the beginning of the real war.
Besides that, Kieran was certain that when he summoned Creature of Desire within [Thousand Evil Eye Strike] firing range, his SS+ Intuition felt that he was locked on to and when he released the devil aura, a couple of hidden rampant and cold presences appeared.
Although it was just a sh, the presences being able to show themselves even under the devil aura was enough for Kieran to take note.
"The stronger ones of the Prairies soldiers?" Kieran muttered.
Simr to the saying of qualitative changes incite quantitative changes, Kieran could not deny when the whole nation gathered together, there must be some peculiar individuals among them.
Once the cardinal number reached a certain point, the numbers of the stronger ones would be more than one could imagine.
Of course ording to the underground game rules, the higher the dungeon entry number, the higher the possibility the yer would run into one of those strong ones. Sometimes it might even go above the cardinal number because of the dungeon world arrangements.
As for the situation at hand, it was both cases. In other words, things would be more difficult to deal with from there onwards.
Kieran went back to Mary and James VIIIs tent.
This time around when Kieran was walking across the soldiers, the soldiers still feared him but their eyes had anotheryer of reverence and they even saluted him.
Anyone that forced a retreat from an army of fifty thousand men should be treated with utmost respect.
Mary was standing outside the tent, he blue eyes didnt even bother to conceal her delight.
Unlike from the soldiers around who were delighted because of the minor victory and being alive, Marys delight was because of Kierans safe return.
"Hes asleep, lets go over to my tent!"
Mary continued to address her father in the third person. She then held Kierans hand and went into the tent beside. She wasnt shy or hesitant at all and it felt more natural and familiar to the little girl.
...
Marys tent was smaller than the kings by a little.
In fact, even the kings tent wasnt big by any means, after the mattress that he was resting on, there was only enough space for another table.
It was natural that Marys tent only had a mattress in it.
Kieren declined to sit with her on the mattress but Mary wasnt mad at all. She stared at Kieran who was standing at the exit and said, "After this round of testing the waters, the Prairies soldiers would cease battle for a few days. Hopefully, our reinforcements will reach and seize the initiative."
Although Mary wasnt an adult, she could see the reasons for the Prairies soldiers appearing before hernd. In fact, because of her mothers teaching, the girl could see even more thanmon men.
Though it was iparable to the reinforcements that she mentioned.
The kingdom of Warren didnt consist of the capital Riverdale and a Lightning Fortress only.There were widernds at the south of Riverdale and so did the north.
The said reinforcements were the lords of thends from the south and north together.
The girls heart has an extra anticipation since Kieran was able to buy time for her but she wasnt blinded by the temporary breathing window.
"Three days ago, the reinforcement request letter had been sent out to the lords of the north and south from Will Prefecture and Zilin Prefecture. If everything proceeded as nned, we should get replies in one or two days, but now... The old duke from Will Prefecture has always been a supporter of my aunt, its hard for him to send reinforcements here. On the other hand, even if Zilin Prefectures reinforcement arrived, they would have to deal with the Prairies troops that were blocking the outer circle. It would be difficult for them to directly aid us as well."
The girl frowned as her words sounded helpless.
"Well, at least its better than nothing right? Besides, I think you should write a letter to that old duke, tell him that if he doesnt send his troops, you will abandon Lightning Fortress and allow the Prairies soldiers to pass through, thus potentially ravaging his noblends," Kieran said slowly.
The girl was stunned, regardless of how mature she was, her heart was kind. She never thought of using such tactics to force the old duke to send reinforcements but Kieran was different.
All he cared about was his main mission, which was to prevent the fall of Riverdale, Warrens capital.
He didnt have the time nor the effort to care about anything else.
"But...But..." Mary wanted to refute.
"Its just a tactic to force him toply. As long as that old duke isnt really stupid, he will know what to do. Did he really think that after losing Lightning Fortress and Riverdale involved, the south could stay peaceful? Or the Prairies soldiers will show him mercy when they ravage the south?"
Kieranforted the girl.
His words were truth thus Mary nodded.
"Shall I send Bosco then?" Mary asked Kieran for advice.
"Of course!" Kieran didnt object because it was his candidate as well.
Suddenly, Kieran hugged Mary without a sign.
The girl blushed heavily after she was stunned. She wanted to say something but before her words could form, an irritating air-breaking interrupted her.
A long sword was stabbed into the tent and sliced her mattress.
The powerful longsword that should have plunged deep into the ground rebounded and jumped towards Mary in Kierans arms like a snake with sharp hiss.
Chapter 601: The Witch’s Ring
Chapter 601: The Witchs Ring
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Kieran squinted his eyes when the longsword sprung up and hissed like a snake.
Viper Sect?
Kieran was utterly surprised.
He had some knowledge about the various sects in the dungeon world from that "World of Sect" book which was one of the special rewards that he had gotten from the previous dungeon and it was one of the few that was actually useful in his opinion.
After going through the book, Kieran knew Viper Sect was eliminated 10 years ago in the dungeon world by one of their own, the crowned genius of Viper Sect, Folly. The whole viper sect was eliminated, including hundreds of disciples that couldnt escape their demise.
It was because of that achievement, Folly seeded in bing Jeannes adviser and slowly promoted to histe military officer post.
Yet now the eliminated sect has re-emerged again?
Doubts and surprises filled his heart but it didnt dy his movements. Kieran didnt back off with Mary in his arms, instead, he kicked out andnded precisely on the longswords de with the tip of his feet.
Chang!
The longsword that just sprung out like a poisonous viper hissing its tongue was struck down at the ground as though it was hit on its weak spot but the attacks didnt stop.
Hisses sounded again as a few more flying knives perforated the tent.
This time around, their target wasnt only Mary but Kieran included.
The flying knives though were ineffective against Kieran, simr to the longsword.
After mastering [Viper Kick] and [Sword Skill, Myriad Viper], he knew too well how the Viper Sect fought. Aside from the disyed techniques, the illusory techniques that tricked ones senses were the essence of the Viper Sects techniques.
With SSS+ Spirit attribute, the only thing he wasnt afraid of was, in fact, illusory techniques.
Pak Pak Pak!
Kieran raised his right leg and dished out repeated kicks.
The flying knives were knocked down altogether in one move.
The assassin that came like the wind was ready to retreat without hesitating after realizing his attacks were all ineffective against Kieran. Persistence was not the style of assassination but just as the assassin wanted to retreat, a supernatural darkness clouded the surrounding.
Surprisingly, even with his vision robbed, the assassins movement speed wasnt reduced at all.
"He relies on memories and hearing to determine the retreat route?"
Kieran noticed the scene and started to gain interest in that assassin, because of his origins and also the techniques disyed.
So when the assassin dashed out of the supernatural darkness range, Kieran dished out his right hand and grabbed the assassin from the back of his neck, dragging him back in.
The assassin instinctively tried to resist the capture and in fact, he did when he knew he would be captured. The moment the assassin was grabbed by his neck, he alreadyunched out a kick at Kieran.
[Viper Kick]!
Snake hisses sounded along with the kick and it was as freaky as ever. The kicking stance hadpletely disobeyed the human structure and was dished out at Kierans throat as the kick came from the back of the assassin.
The assassins kick was at least Master level.
Kieranmented on the iing kick since he already mastered Grand Master level [Viper Kick] and he toounched his own [Viper Kick] as a reply.
Ssssss!
A loud hiss came from Kierans [Viper Kick] causing the assassin to be astonished. Kieran didnt just counter him with a technique of his own sect but it was also because he was induced with [Fear] from [Viper Kick, Viper Hiss].
The supernatural darkness faded right after.
Kieran dragged the assassin back into the tent and sized him up carefully.
A young man in his early twenties, the face of amoner with a body in a clean ck outfit.
His hands were full of calluses and had a pair of sharp vicious eyes that could scare off other people. The young man was in a trance at that moment though.
Soldiers footsteps were approaching outside the tent.
The supernatural darkness might be able to escape others sight under the night sky but the tearing noise of the tent was very loud.
"My lord! What happened?"
The soldiers stopped outside the tent and asked in utter respect.
After witnessing Kieran battled the Prairies troops, Warren soldiers had peaked their respect and reverence for Kieran, far higher than anyone else of the same rank.
Kieran was a stranger to them but they felt like they had to obey him and carry out his order without fail.
"Nothing!"
Kierans voice sounded from inside the tent. The soldiers gathered then quickly scattered back to their post and continued their duties.
While inside the tent, Kieran let Mary down after she recovered from the fright.
The girl who was blushing hard held Kierans hand softly and recalled what had happened.
"Thank you." She said softly.
A gratitude to Kieran because he didnt allow the soldiers to barge into the tent. As the next in line to the throne, it was very inappropriate for others to see her in an ugly position, especially on the battlefield.
However, the girl was slightly disappointed in her heart at the same time as well. She was hoping that others would see how close she was with Kieran.
Her conflicted emotions caused her to be slightly grumpy and coincidentally, there was a perfect target before her to vent her emotions.
Mary drew out her short sword and stabbed it directly through the assassins palm, pinning him down on the ground.
"Aaarh!
The pain from his hand woke him up from his [Fear] effect. He wanted to retract his hand instinctively but the cold de went through his hand plus the sharpness of the edge made it extremely dangerous for him to do so.
"Aaaargh!"
Another scream of pain sounded.
"If you wish to save your palm from being crippled, best you stay still! And if you wish to stay alive, you better be honest and start talking why do you want to kill me?" Mary said in a cold tone.
"Hmph!"
The young assassin stubbornly grunted coldly, expressing his disdain to the young girl.
The girl then replied to his attitude with the most straightforward answer.
She took out another dagger from her boots and stabbed it into the assassins thigh.
Half of the dagger went into his thigh, although it avoided the main arteries, blood still gushed out and quickly soaked his pants red.
"Speak!" Mary yelled at him.
The young assassin didnt grunt anymore but he didnt say anything else either.
Mary then pulled out the dagger and stabbed it down once more.
She repeated the action for a couple a times before Kieran stepped in.
"Wait!" Kieran stopped her.
It wasnt mercy that made him do that. Kieran was very clear about the distribution of factions, those who he categorized in the enemy faction would never receive any mercy from him.
Aside from that, the assassin didnt only try to kill Mary but him as well, undoubtedly he was an enemy but this enemy might still be useful in some ways.
"He might really die if you keep stabbing him like this. I still have something to ask him."
Kieran exined to the confused mary.
She instantly blushed again. This time around, it wasnt because of her shyness but embarrassed instead. She did have the intentions to probe more information out of the assassin but it turned out to be a venting of emotions.
"Ill get the doctor then!"
Mary reacted to Kierans words and quickly left the tent after saying.
Kieran and the assassin were left in the tent.
Kieran knew the assassin was in a weakened state yet he disyed a stern manner but when Kieran raised his left hand, the stern young assassins expression turned upside down.
"The witchs ring!" He cried.
Chapter 602: Chipping Away With Persistance
Chapter 602: Chipping Away With Persistance
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Before the shocking cry subsided, the young assassin clenched his mouth all of sudden.
He was trying to kill himself by biting his tongue!
Death was fearful but some things out there were far worse than being dead.
Being robbed of ones free will was one of those things.
Having a conscious mind but being ordered to do things against ones own will, acting as a puppet with strings could drive a man crazy.
The young assassin had no intention of being one.
So when he saw [Mesly Ring], he tried to take his own life.
However, trying to take his own life in front of Kieran was much harder than he imagined.
Kieran reached out his hand and immediately dislocated the assassins lower jaw.
Even though Kieran specialized in [Kick Combat] from [Hand-to-Hand Combat], some of the techniques involving his hands were also present in his mind, it just didnt have the specialty buffs like his kicks.
"You recognize this ring? Thats even better! I think we can have a pleasant talk." Kieran said with a smile.
His intention was to dominate the assassin with [Mesly Ring] but since the assassin recognized the ring and addressed it as "the witchs ring", it dyed Kierans initial thoughts all of a sudden.
Judging from how Jeanne operated, the [Mesly Ring] was certainly her biggest secret and an average assassin with an unknown origin knew the biggest secret of Jeanne James, regardless of how one looked at it, it wasnt a coincidence.
It must be his organization! The organization behind the assassin should be the one who once investigated Jeanne. Factoring in the Viper Sect techniques from the assassin, Kieran came up with a question.
"The Viper Sect wasnt eliminatedpletely? Did some of them escape?" he asked.
The assassin didnt answer but his reaction told Kieran his guess was right.
"I suppose you can write down what you know... If you dont mind, I can use other methods as well."
Kieran waved [Mesly Ring] in the air. The young assassin shivered instantly.
Kieran then nodded in satisfaction and opened the tent.
Mary was outside with a medical officer.
"Bandage him up but dont fix his lower jaw and also get me some ink and paper!" Kieran ordered the medical officer.
There were pen and papers inside the tent but it wasnt good manners for Kieran to go over Marys belongings privately. Mary then quickly handed the pen and papers to him.
"Thanks."
Kieran took the pen and papers and ced them in front of the assassin.
The assassin endured his pain and started to write with Kieran staring at him.
After around twenty minutes when the medical officer stated the treatment was over, a full written paper was handed to Kieran.
Kieran took a nce and handed it to Mary.
The girl went over the contents carefully.
"A sect hidden in Riverdale? Folly exterminated them but they have since expanded to hundreds of members... The headquarters is within Riverdale?" Mary frowned.
She heard the mention of sects before from her mother.
There were once the two biggest sword sects within Warrennds, one was the Viper Sect and the other was the Raven sect.
However, one was eliminated long ago and the other had a mysterious way of conducting business. They totally deviated from their own authorities but still held a substantial affection towards some of the shady characters and mercenaries.
Themoners heard of the sects as well but Mary wasnt fond of it by any means because the one who killed her mother, Galeart was indeed from the Viper Sect, [Viper Kick] was the best proof.
When Maryid her eyes on the assassin again, her eyes were filled with killing intent.
Never underestimate the rage of one when their dearest was robbed from them, it was enough for them to pick up the ughter knife.
Though, Mary was still calm. The young girl had a maturity that surpassed hermon peers even beforeing of age.
After calming down, Mary walked out of the tent with Kieran behind her.
"You felt troubled because Folly and the Viper Sect appeared under Jeannesmand?" Kieran asked.
"Um! Folly was the one who eliminated Viper Sect and the remaining sect members would not be able to ignore a grudge with him. They couldnt have served Jeanne willingly unless she used [Mesly Ring] on them, but facts show that she didnt. So why did they kill my mother then... Is it because of [Thorn de]?"
Mary seemed to have rted into more.
"[Thorn de] might be alluring but I am quite sure that it is what Galeart was after because of his greed. His superior wouldnt even know about this, otherwise, Galeart wouldnt be the one that appeared." Kieran hinted.
That Legendary de had made quite an impression on Kierans heart.
A Powerful attack and strong attributes, if the Viper Sect knew about its existence, they wouldnt only send Galeart alone but other higher ranking members.
The captured young assassins writing proved as much. He and Galeart were just some borderline members of the organization and not really the core leaders of the group.
"So why are they continuously chipping away at me with such persistence? After Galears failure, another one was sent here even after Jeannes death?" The girl was baffled by the questions.
"This is a question that we need to ask them."
Kieran pointed at the addresses that were written in the paper.
...
A night has passed since the battle.
As dawn arrived, the scene at the fortress was busy because of its rebuilding process.
After the battlest night, the soldiers had recovered a lot of morale. It boosted their efficiency in strengthening the defensive line and soldiers on duty went up to the outpost to keep an eye on the enemys movements.
Bosco was moving towards the campsite on a sprinting horse wagon but before he could step into the site, he was halted.
Four soldiers on duty were scanning the wagon before them cautiously and two more guards from afar even pulled out their bow at the carriage.
Something was giving a hostile presence in the wagon.
In fact, Bosco was tied up inside the wagon and a long sword was held to his neck. The owner of the sword was a handsome young man with a pair of cold eyes. His nose was tall but at the end of the tip, it was crooked slightly, thus granting a sinister look.
The sinister look plus the cold eyes presented him as a merciless man.
"Bring Torstar to me!" He said coldly.
The soldiers remained silent but their cautious gaze was glued to the man holding Bosco hostage.
"NOW!" He yelled.
The soldiers held their stance.
It angered the young man as killing intent shed over his face. The sword that was on Boscos neck started to move towards other parts of his body.
Before the said Torstar was brought before him, the man wouldnt kill Bosco but he could do something else on his body, like cutting his fingers or open a hole at his thigh.
"Wait!"
Bosco shouted loudly when he caught the intentions of the abductor.
The man froze for a slight second and looked at Bosco with his cold eyes.
"I have two beautiful daughters and I want to stand by them as a father when they get married! Please dont cripple me in unnecessary ways!..."
The abductor frowned when he heard Boscos words.
He felt like he was being yed.
He raised his sword and thrust it down without a second thought but a voice stopped him again.
"Wait!"
It wasnt Bosco this time but it came from a further spot. The soldiers made way for the person behind them to pass and when the ck dressed figure was set in his sight, the abductor was a relief.
He did it.
Chapter 603: Mismatched
Chapter 603: Mismatched
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Dawn arrived.
The Warren campsite was just starting to get busy on the rebuilding.
Mary was sitting beside a shortened table, on the table was an oilmp which acted as the only source of light within the tent. Even though it was brightened to the max, a big portion of the tent remained dimmed, especially Marys back as her shadow was erged because of the angle from the light source.
King James VIII was still asleep on the mattress.
After Kieran defeated the first wave of the Prairies invaders, the old king fell into a slumber as though he had lost consciousness. He was exhausted beyond personal limits.
The king was already exhausted while Jeanne was alive and it drained his body, even more, when the Prairies riders arrived at hisnd.
In fact, the moment the king arrived at Lightning Fortress, he did everything by himself from initiating the rebuilding process of the fortress to gathering the remaining forces.
Even though his subjects were helping by his side, he only had two to three hours of rest in the past few days, it further drained his weak body.
Mary clearly saw the exhaustion even in his sleep, the face of her father in name was pale, as though his fire of life was burning itsst straw.
She frowned as she tightened the nket on him.
Although she still failed to look straight at her fathers face, she really felt pity for the man.
The king was supposed to be in his prime age but instead, he was old and weak. His whole life was tainted with ink, darkness filled his time and robbed the colors of his existence.
The king wasnt happy throughout his life.
Mary was certain of it. He was just forcing a smile before her and while he was alone, hed sigh endlessly.
"The duties of a king..." Mary muttered softly.
The girl instantly felt immense pressure from living example beside her.
The day before the Prairies soldiers invaded, King James VIII has already notified his officers, subjects, and consultant that Mary has been appointed as the legal heir to his throne.
When the king died, Mary will ascend as queen.
But doubts lingered in her mind.
Looking at how weak the king was, the girl wasnt delighted at all about the throne, instead, she felt worrisome. All she wanted at that moment was Swusters Castle.
She wanted to return to the ce where she was born and grew up.
Right after the thought bloomed, her heart turned heavy instantly. She remembered Swusters Castle was destroyed and her mother was buried right underneath.
Her eyes turned red.
She could remove the mature mask on her while she was alone, after all, she was still a child.
But she didnt let her tears roll down her cheeks because she knew tears wouldnt do her any good.
Tears couldnt be exchanged for what she longed for and it would only ce her in a more difficult position.
Mary reached her hand at the hilt of [Thorn de]. It was the de that her mother left her but because of its weight and length, she couldnt wield it normally. Still, Kierans reminder made her carry the de with her all the time.
"Communicate with the de? Feel the des feelings?"
Mary couldnt understand what Kieran meant but it didnt stop her from trying it.
She trusted Kieran, whenever she thought of him, her heart would grow hot.
The hot sensation would make her stronger and allow her to ignore her loneliness.
Fung!
The de inside its sheath let out a heavy chime.
It was unusually short though. When Mary wanted to check on the chime, it faded without a trace causing her to think it was her mind ying tricks on her.
Someone else thought differently though.
A sudden rushed breathing revealed a person from the shadow, he extended his one of his hand at [Thorn de] and the other, Marys throat.
Mary remained still on the spot as though she was frightened beyond actions.
The man immediatelyughed viciously.
It was too easy! The mission assigned to him was too easy!
It wasnt just easy, the reward was great!
The de must be a weapon of legacy!
"Give it to me!"
The mans heart was unusually excited, causing him to speak out in a sharp voice.
Just as he voiced his greed, it was stopped immediately and he was left with a weakened breath.
He exhaled more than inhaled and it weakened him further.
A strong palm appeared on the mans neck without his notice and following the clench of the fingers, the man was being suffocated.
His face turned purplish and even stuck his tongue out yet it couldnt conceal the fright in his eyes.
"How are you here!? Shouldnt you be distracted?!"
The man was robbed of his words but the question arose in his heart.
Mary stood up and went over to Kieran.
"If everyone in the Viper Sect is this stupid, no wonder all of you were exterminated by Folly! You people abducted Bosco publicly and brought him to Lightning Fortress. Even amon man would know something was not right! Or did you think because of the Prairies invaders, Lightning Fortress had fallen into panic and had lost basic logic to make a decision?" Mary asked in a heavy tone.
The man couldnt utter a word to reply because Kieran was grabbing his neck.
The suffocation didnt only rob the mans mobility, it also put his life at risk.
Kieran looked at the captive in his hand and doubts began to fill his heart.
"This is too easy..."
The situation at hand seemed to be much easier than he expected.
Simr to what Mary had said, even amon man could notice something wasnt right.
Being an organization that suffered destruction and wanted to reinstate their order in Riverdale by hiding their presence from the public, their actions didnt match their intentions.
In fact, it looked a lot like childs y.
"He is just a small goon, lets pay a visit to that naive curator."
Kieran grabbed the man and headed to the back of the campsite while doubts lingered in his heart; Mary followed.
...
"I did it! Warren soldiers have lost their logical judgment under the pressure from the Prairies invader!"
Fannerughed coldly in his heart when he saw Kieran appear before him.
Fanner was actually thinking about solving the situation at hand, but who knew Torstar the idiots simple assassination mission would expose the real situation behind Warrens defending soldiers.
The results were surprising in a good way!
"This time, I will..."
Fanner was nning something in his heart but before the thought could take form, his eyes opened wide in shock.
What did he see?
Kieran!
Another Kieran was walking towards him and was grabbing Bob in his hand.
Without a second thought, Fanner seized Bosco and retreated to the horses.
Their mission had failed!
All Fanner wanted to do now was to leave in one piece.
Fanner firmly held the standard techniques and actions of an assassin firm in his mind, so he carried it out without dy.
However, the "Kieran" before him showed an evil smile.
Fanner who had Bosco in his hand started to feel dizzy as the scene around him started to distort. Then, his vision suffered a ckout and he stood there nkly.
"Master!" Bloody Mary bowed to Kieran.
Following Kierans signal, the high demon vanished into nothing.
The soldiers around including Mary were astonished by the scene. Their eyes grew more respectful and revered towards Kieran.
Kieran strode over to Fanner while the gazes showered him.
"I need an extra tent!"
Kieran said after grabbing Fanner.
Chapter 604: Accidents
Chapter 604: idents
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Kieran grabbed the captives and went into a tent that Mary had prepared for him.
The tent had a thick felt around it and had decent soundproofing capabilities, it was also close to Marys tent.
Mary then summoned Bosco to her tent.
When Bosco arrived, he was still exercising his hands and legs that went numb due to being tied up for a long time.
"I think it might be hard for me to stay alive until the day where my two daughters get married. Your Highness, I request for a more reliable guard around me!"
After venting his own grievance, Bosco looked at Mary with puppy eyes.
"It is always better to rely on yourself than others. Ill write a letter to transfer you to the frontlines of Lightning Fortress. After experiencing life and death, I assumed you will be more skillful in handling such difficult situations," Mary said calmly.
"Any difficulties are nothing before my loyalty to Your Highness and His Majesty, Ill even cross the highest mountains and swim the deepest sea but my duties in Riverdale are not yetplete, I cant just give up halfway, especially when it is rted to the citizens well being!"
Bosco said in a righteous tone.
"Very well, since you bear in your heart the well being of the people, then I have an urgent task for you right now. Bring this secret letter and head towards Will Prefecture, pass it to Old Duke Will yourself."
Mary handed Bosco the wax sealed letter.
Bosco was stunned for a while, as he rted into more, sweat broke out on his forehead.
"I dont suppose Your Highnesss letter would be something like "If you dont send your troops to aid us, we will let the Prairies invaders roam south", right?" Bosco said in a shivering tone.
"Exactly." Mary nodded.
"Your Highness! I still have two unmarried daughters! The biggest wish in my little life is to stand beside them, walk them down the aisle and give them my blessings..." Bosco cried and begged, he almost kneeled down and grabbed Marys leg if it wasnt for the inappropriate action and identity difference.
"You are not willing to go? Then I wont make it difficult for you as well. Here, Ive another task for you." Mary then took out another sealed letter.
"Thank you, Your Highness! This is..."
Bosco thanked Mary repeatedly but when he took over the new sealed letter, he shook as though he was struck by lightning.
There was no receivers name on the letter, instead, a family emblem marked at the hidden corner.
Bosco was aware of the hidden corner, he borrowed the light and shed it over the letter.
When he saw the red Flying Dragon emblem, he fell to the ground limping.
The emblem was the mark of Duke Zilin, Emblem of the Flying Dragon!
The biggest lord of the north in Warren andmanded the best elite hunting squad in Warren.
However, the route to the north was cut off by the Prairies invaders for the time being.
There was only a narrow chance of surviving should Bosco bring the letter to Duke Zilin.
"Your Highness, you cant..." Boscos tears rolled down his cheeks, he looked at Mary with his wet puppy eyes.
Mary, however, was not moved at all, she too stared at Bosco with a calm expression.
After half a minute and under Marys pressuring stare, Bosco stopped crying. He stood up as though he had epted his fate, he rubbed his tears away and gave an ugly smile.
"Your Highness, is the Will Prefecture option still avable?" Bosco said while wiping his tears.
"Of course!" Mary nodded.
When Bosco retook the sealed letter to Duke Will from Mary, he saluted and turned around straightaway. He was afraid that Mary would hand him more scary assignments.
Mary smiled with she saw Bosco walk away.
Bosco wasnt a jester by any means, quite the contrary his absolute loyalty to Warrens royal family was one of the best even among the whole kingdom. That was why Mary decided to task him with that assignment.
Of course, Bosco was also extremely afraid of dying.
Afraid to die and loyalty shed in his heart, thus conflicts happened.
Sometimes, the oue might even be the enemy of life itself.
However, Mary believed Bosco would deliver a good result because he was smart.
When she recalled her first meeting with Bosco in his skillful disguise as a refugee and how he arranged things meticulously, Mary heaved a breath of relief.
Mary moved the letter for Zilin Prefecture near the candle fire. It was actually a nk paper with nothing inside and its sole purpose was to scare Bosco so that he would travel to Will Prefecture instead.
The fire quickly burned away the unwanted paper.
When she felt the heat on her fingers, Mary shook it off and flung the burning letter away.
It danced in the air for a while before reaching the ground and when it did, the fire engulfed the whole letter, burning it into crisp.
As the fire started to die off...
Fuuua!
It lit up again! The fire burned stronger than before and it immediately flew up to a persons palm.
Mary quickly raised her head and saw a figure in red through her eyes.
The person was donning a bright red robe with the same color scarf over the face. The hood and the scarf blocked the persons face and prevented Mary from identifying the persons gender.
Chang!
Mary drew out her short sword and pointed it at the uninvited guest but she didnt shout for help. She knew it was useless.
Since the red figure could appear before her without a sign, even if the patrolling soldiers rushed over, what use would they be? They might die as well.
Her only hope left was Kieran.
Mary gripped her sword tighter as the thought came.
Her sword gave out a sharp re under the candle light.
"Your Highness, Ie in peace." The person said.
The person wanted to prove the words that came out, thus the hood and scarf were removed to reveal a middle-aged man behind them. His face looked beaten by time and his hair was thin, there were wrinkles around his eyes and mouth corner as well, the features made the grey eye of his even older.
"I am Celty, its a pleasure to finally meet Your Highness." The man introduced himself.
"Celty?"
Mary looked at the mans face and started to search for information in her mind but there was nothing except the unfamiliar feeling.
The man was aplete stranger.
"You might have forgotten me, after all when I first saw you, you were still an infant in a cradle..."
"You know my mother?" Mary interrupted the mans word.
She looked at him with furrowed brows.
Whenever Mary heard something about her mother, her heart couldnt hold back the memories rippling in her heart even though her mother was dead.
"Of course. After all, we doe from the same ce... the Raven Sect!" Celty said slowly.
"What!?" Mary cried out in shock as she could not hold back her astonishment anymore.
Chapter 605: Questioning
Chapter 605: Questioning
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Mary stared at Celty with shock, her heart just couldnt calm down.
She never thought her mother would originate from the Raven Sect.
Therefore her eyes at Celty was dubious, dubious about whether was it a lie.
"Lies are like snow in the summer, they will eventually melt into revtion. You can ask your father... King James VIII about this, whether your mother is from the Raven Sect. He would definitely give you an assurance."
"Well, I couldnt stay any longer. Sir 2567 is really terrifying. If he realized it was my petty tricks, he wont be so courteous anymore. If you gain certainty of my words, meet me in the woods behind Lightning Fortress in the evening, Ill tell you more about your mother. Though, I dont mind you bringingpany along."
Celty then bowed and exited the tent.
Mary dazed out as she stared at the direction Celty left.
"Mother is from the Raven Sect? Why didnt she tell me anything?"
Such thoughts circted her mind. Then without further ado, she ran towards the kings tent.
As the girl left, Kieran emerged from the shadow beside her tent.
As he saw the girl run towards the kings tent, he nced deeply at the direction where Celty left and his eyes suddenly turned cold.
Kieran realized something wasnt right when Viper Sect abducted and seized Bosco for a distraction. His doubtful character was already thinking what caused the Viper Sect to act so naively.
Lures, lies and other guesses appeared in Kierans mind.
If his theories were correct, who gave the lure and lied to the Viper Sect?
Kieran could already picture a mastermind behind the tricks.
Right after that, when all three of the Viper Sect captives were ced before him, everything connected itself.
The mastermind wanted Kieran to interrogate the three captives, or more precisely, was using the captives to stall him.
So, who else within the whole Warren campsite had the value for the mastermind to go after?
Mary and King James VIII. Kieran couldnt think of anyone else other than the father and daughter.
The surprising factor was the man knew Marys mother was from the Raven Sect.
No doubt Marys mother was hiding her true identity all along, she didnt even utter a single word to her daughter.
"The Raven Sect and also a sorceress, she was also assassinated by the assassin from the Viper Sect..." Kieran muttered softly to himself as he couldnt help but squint his eyes.
After many dungeon runs, Kierans sharp senses picked up the scent of a sub-mission or special event.
Since the beginning, Kieran never doubted the ims about Marys mother saying that she originated from the Raven Sect.
Lies around King James VIII were really unnecessary.
Of course, Kieran was also certain that the shady character, Celty harbored malicious intent behind his mask.
It wasnt the first or second day that Mary appeared in the eyes of the public.
There were many more opportunities for him to meet Mary but why would he choose such sensitive timing after the Prairies invaders lost the battle?
The coincidental appearance made Kieran heighten his vignce in his heart.
As for the initial doubt in his heart?
Even though Celty mentioned that Marys mother was from the Raven Sect, it didnt mean he was. There was a high possibility that he could have gotten the news through some methods and used it to gain Marys trust.
Kieran always looked at a stranger from an evil perspective because of his vignce.
He knew it wasnt a good habit but it wasnt a bad habit either, it was just that his character was hard for those self-proimed nobles to ept.
The next thing that he would do would surely condemn those nobles and infuriate them.
Kieran strode back to the tent holding the captives of Viper Sect. Without further ado, he activated [Mesly Ring] and controlled the leader among the trio.
"No! You cant do this! I..."
"Yes, my master! Please order me!"
When Fanner saw the ring on Kierans left middle finger, he cried out loud and his cold manner vanished without a sign.
His intense struggling did raise his spirit authentication higher but before Kierans SSS+ Spirit, Fanner was still crushed, he couldnt do anything to alter the oue.
A moment ago, Fanner was struggling with his life but a momentter he was an obedient follower, it scared his otherrades beyond words.
Both the others shrunk their body and refused to make eye contact with Kieran.
Surprisingly it seemed to be working. Kieran didnt care about them anymore which caused them to heave a sigh of relief.
Truth was, [Mesly Ring]s [Charm] and [Dominate] could only activate once a day, otherwise, Kieran would not spare them.
"Tell me everything you know about the Viper Sect," Kieran said.
"Yes, master!"
"The leader of the Viper Sect is Madam Perry Kaner. There is around two to three hundred of us currently. Other than those few hiding in Riverdale, the rest are scattered all across Warrennds..." Fanner swiftly spilled all the details.
Kieran was listening quietly and was alsoparing the confession with his guesses.
From the sounds of it, the first captive, Torstar wasnt telling theplete truth. He mixed up the truth with his skillful technique and hid certain false information among the truth.
If Kieran trusted Torstars confession and investigated the Viper Sect, he would definitely be exposed during critical moments and his mistakes would be erged indefinitely, hence he would lose everything because of it.
Kieran nced deeply at Torstar.
The gaze made thetter avert his eyes and shiver.
Kieran never expected him to cooperate, the confession of hisrade was also just a test.
"After suffering destruction, the Viper Sect is still a disciplined organization. Even though its members are captured, theyd still tip the scale of priority towards their organization before the face of absolute threats... Madam Perry Kaner eh?"
Kieran muttered the name.
Although the person was a woman, her abilities to resurrected the entire Viper Sect from its destruction and further perfect its system was amazing.
Whosoever dared underestimate such a woman... an ominous fate will befall them.
"Youve seen Perry Kanner before? Or do you know where she is?" Kieran asked.
"Ive seen her before but every time she appeared, her face was covered and our ranks forbid us to see the true face behind the leaders mask or know about her whereabouts! There is less than two person in the entire organization who know the leaders whereabouts." Fanner answered.
Kieran nodded. Perry Kanners cautiousness was expected.
"Then... What about Jeanne James? The Viper Sect did send someone to serve her before and even went after Marys life. I am not interested in those men since they might be Follys men either but why is the Viper Sect still after Mary after Jeanne James is dead?" Kieran continued his question.
"The order that was given to us is to capture Mary alive, not kill her. As for why... I dont know."
Fanner shook his head and told the truth that he knew of.
Kieran squinted his eyes instantly and then turned his attention to Torstar.
Chapter 606: Third Party
Chapter 606: Third Party
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Kieran was certain Torstar wasnt there to capture Mary alive but to kill her.
Whether was it the burst of killing intent or the angle of his longsword, it proved as much.
It seemed like Torstar had discovered a hidden big fish when he tried to kill Mary.
Kieran squinted his eyes at Torstar.
Fear still lingered on Torstar face but he was helpless against it.
The poison that was hidden in their teeth and the items on their body were all confiscated by Kieran when they were captured.
Torstar swore that he had never met someone with such a meticulous, vignt manner.
The coldness he felt from Kieran wasnt an act like Fanner, it came directly from his heart. The coldness was something that neglected the presence of life as though Fanner, Bob and himself werent living beings and he could do whatever he wanted with them.
The feeling was terrible. It reminded Torstar of the other two people in his mind.
Fear covered him like shadow yet he didnt confess.
Torstar clenched his mouth hard because he knew he still worth something if he kept the secret but once he spilled it...
He will be killed!
The best possible oue would be sharing the same fate as Fanner, being a living puppet under Kierans control.
"You are still insisting? You recognized the Witchs ring, obviously, you know its function and limits. You know I can dominate you after a couple hours under normal circumstances and you will tell me everything I want to know. So, your struggle will be useless, unless...Something will happen within this period of time and will change your situation?"
Kieran stared at Torstar said clearly.
Regardless of how Torstar tried to control his emotions from overflowing, Kieran viewed his persistence and calmness as something unusual.
"Celty?"
Kieran uttered the name out of the blue but the disappointing thing was, Torstar didnt react to that name.
"Its not Celty? So there are others involved in targeting Mary? Perry Kanner, the current leader of the Viper Sect, Celty the self-proimed Raven Sect member, and some unknown party? What does Mary have on her?" Kieran frowned.
He didnt think there was any secret on Mary. It was true that her maturity excelled her peers but she was still very attached to Kieran because of all sorts of reasons; he knew that himself.
Given her character and attitude, she wouldnt have kept a secret from him.
Unless...
"Even Mary doesnt know?"
The moment the thought bloomed in his heart, so did the system notification on his vision.
[Discovered sub-mission: Marys Secret]
[Marys Secret: A secret lies on Mary that she doesnt know herself. As her most reliable person during her desperate times, you need to help her in investigating the secret!]
"As expected."
Kieran saw the notification and right away, he ordered Fanner, "Watch them, dont let them talk or talk to them. If anything happens, kill them if you must."
Fanner nodded.
The merciless order made the two captives feel more despair.
Kieran then walked out of the tent without paying further attention to them both.
When he walked outside, he saw Marying towards him, looking a bit absent-minded.
It seemed like the girl was lost when she got the answer from the king.
"Why did mother never tell me her background and where she came from?"
The absent-minded girl pulled Kierans mantle, asking the question that troubled her.
"I have no idea."
Kieran shook his head even though he himself had a lot of questions in his heart.
After all, all the theories inside his head were just guesses and not actual facts.
Maybe some of the guesses could turn out to be the actual facts but had a high chance that it remained a theory; spected theory was not something necessary for the girl right now.
Kieran reached his hand and tapped the girls head.
The warmth of his palm quickly calmed the agitated, lost-minded girl.
She hugged him once again, sticking her face onto the armor te.
There wasnt any obstacles around this time, the patrolling soldiers easily saw the scene.
But Kieran didnt push the girl away, instead, he nced over the busybody soldiers.
The moment the soldiers sensed Kierans eyes, they quivered and swiftly returned to their patrolling route, running faster than before.
After Kieran made sure the ce was emptied of others, he said, "There are a lot of things in the world that are more than meets the eye. Youve gotten to know your mothers identity from a stranger and it was also that stranger who provided you with necessary information, which means he wasnt lying... but it also doesnt mean you should lose yourself."
The girl raised her head at Kieran, looking confused.
"You are confused because your beloved mother deceived you, so why dont you think about why your mother did what she did? She loved you without a doubt, so try to think about why she deceived you?" Kieran said slowly.
He didnt provide further exnation though, some things were better for the girl to realize herself than to hear it from his mouth.
"A stranger and my mother... I choose to believe mother!" The girl answered.
"Um! So now, let us see what in the world does that Celty want! Besides, he did say he didnt mindpany, which means he is indirectly inviting me as well. If I dont meet him, it would be rude of me."
Kieran lowered his head and saw Mary casting off her absent-minded expression, he smiled warmly out of control.
However, his warm smile was filled with coldness soon as he turned his eyes at the woods behind Lightning Fortress where the meeting was due.
He was looking forward to Celtys performances that evening.
...
Back in Riverdale, the main streets were still filled with fleeing citizens from day till night.
Although the numbers have decreased, the crowd was still moving very slow.
Even though Rover has epted the mission that Bosco left behind, it was still an inadequate effort to evacuate the people.
Other than that, Rover still had another mission that was assigned to him which was to eliminate the spies within Riverdale.
Compared to the evacuation, the elimination had almost no progress.
The thugs that were hiding throughout the streets couldnt escape the royal wizards eyes but he didnt find any spies among them.
"My Lord, an urgent letter from Lightning Fortress!"
The wizards follower ran to him from afar and passed him a secret letter.
Rover checked the letter and opened it after making sure it was safe.
There was only a thin piece of paper within the envelope.
A ck greenish viper was drawn on the paper.
Right after Rover saw the snake drawing, the snake came alive and raised its head to hiss at him.
Rover was frightened and threw the letter away out of instinct but he was toote.
The poisonous viper sprung out from the paper and bit Rover on the hand.
Chapter 607: Messed Up
Chapter 607: Messed Up
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
As the sun set in the west, its blinding radiance dyed Herr Valley red, making Lightning Fortress look like it was set on fire in the midst of rebuilding.
The fortress cast arge area of shadow behind it, as though the ce was devoured by darkness.
The natural contrast of color awestruck everyones mind, whether it was Warren soldiers or the Prairies troops; the exmation point of both sides was entirely different though.
Warren troops were recalling the glory days of their proud fortress while the Prairies troops were fortunate for the destruction of the fortress.
"We still need to strengthen the fortress walls," said King James VIII as he stood under the crude walls of the fortress.
Then, his brows furrowed together hard.
As the rightful king of Warren, even though his sister Jeanne was holding him back his entire life, King James VIII possessed a certain level of abilities as well.
He was clear that the current situation would require more than a strengthened wall but also a group of well-rested troops. It wasnt right to turn his soldiers into builders and farmers but without a proper defensive construction work, it would not matter how rested or sharp his soldiers were unless they were the elites from the different sects.
Otherwise...
"We dont have enough men."
King James VIII couldnt help but sigh when the thought came to his mind.
He didnt me the nobles that escaped by themselves or the people who were fleeing for their lives, he knew it wasnt the nobles or the peoples fault that ced them in such a difficult position but himself who failed to be a king that his people could trust.
The king couldnt help but mock himself with a bitter smile when he remembered all the mistakes he made in the past.
"Your Majesty!"
A sudden call came from behind but just as the king wanted to turn around...
"Please remain as you are your Majesty and forgive my impoliteness. Ie in peace and only here for the current war. Compared to the Prairies invaders, I am very much on your side, your royal wizard Rovers well being proved as much," The voice said.
The king clenched his fist right after the words, he noticed the threatening intent between the lines.
"How is Rover?" The king asked as he suppressed the anger within his heart.
"Worry not Your Majesty, your royal wizard consultant is fine. We didnt harm him by any means... and to be honest, we can be considered as his saviors!" The voice answered.
"Saviors?" The king frowned.
...
The evening was a new start for the woods near Lightning Fortress.
The birds returned to their nests and nocturnal beasts loomed in the bushes, the activities in the woods were just getting started.
Celty lit a fire within the woods and stayed out by himself.
He opened up the two packets of herbal powder and evenly spread them over his surroundings. When he felt that the prying gazes of the vicious beasts had gone away, he sat back down beside the campfire and waited patiently.
There were two roasted rabbits on top of the fire and an iron kettle beside, steam wasing out from the spout with a scent of wine.
Celty took the seemingly burning hot kettle, his face was as though he couldnt feel the burning sensation from its surface as he opened the cap and gulped a mouth full.
Fuuu!
He heaved a breath of relief that reeked of alcohol and his weather-beaten face quickly blushed from the drink.
Right after the drink, two sets of clear footsteps echoed in his ears.
"Just in time!"
Celty stood up and presented his habitual smile.
"Thank you, Princess Mary and Sir 2567 for showing up at my ce as promised."
Celty smiled even brighter when he identified the both of them.
He then passionately invited Mary and Kieran to sit beside the campfire and handed over one of the roasted rabbits.
"Please dont mind the crudeness, I have no choice but to serve you with the best I could find this afternoon."
Mary saw the slightly charred rabbit and couldnt help but cramp her brows together.
It wasnt that she hadnt tasted worse before but food handed over by a stranger raised her rm and was reluctant to ept it.
Surprisingly, Kieran epted the rabbit. He didnt tear the meat off like anyone would but opened it up like cracking a coconut.
The moment Kieran opened up the rabbits body, an alluring fragrance burst out from its stomach. It was a thick and rich vor with a slight scent of spiciness.
Mary was in awe when she saw Kieran opened up the rabbit and took out meatballs from its stomach. She didnt think there was something hidden inside the roast rabbit.
Kieran took the meatball to Marys mouth and tried to feed her, she slightly blushed before epting it. The moment she chewed on the meatball, a much thicker and vourful taste appeared on her taste buds! It was the juice inside it!
The girl instinctively covered her mouth to prevent the meaty juice dripping out from the corner of her mouth but the delicious meatball made her chew loudly.
There were some crushed soft bones mixed into the meatball, enhancing its chewiness and perfectly fused itself with the meaty juice.
It was sparrows meat!
Marys eyes instantly lighted up.
She had a fresh memory about the texture of the meat because she ate it once when Kieran cooked it for her while they were on their way to Riverdalest time. The delicious taste left quite an impression in her.
The girl then took the other meatball inside the roast rabbit without further hesitation since Kierans action had assured her enough; Celty was slightly shocked at the scene though.
"Sir 2567, have you ever been to the icy Trager Mountains?" Celty asked in a slight hesitation.
"No," Kieran replied directly.
"Then how did you..." Celty pointed at the rabbit.
"Its quite a simple culinary deliberation actually. You missed the fire by two minutes, the initial fire was too strong and you switched to a dim fire after that because you wanted to make up for the mistake, yet you erged it a lot more. The meatball was made from sparrow meat but the sparrow itself wasnt fat enough and was too small. Some of the spices you used were kept for too long even though youve tried your best in keeping it. Still, some of the scent was mixed into it when you tried to cover it with wine. The final taste was a little tough, to be honest."
With the temporary Transcendence level [Cooking], Kieran could tell how Celty cooked the rabbit based on a single sniff and without even tasting it.
It wasnt the end though, while Celtys jaw dropped, Kieran continued.
"There are vicious beasts and poisonous bugs around these woods, you must have scattered some of the herbal powder to repel them. The powder, however, has an extremely stimting scent targeting the beasts and bugs but still sniffable by humans. Because of the wind direction, some of the powder was blown into the fire and it made the rabbit inedible. Or should I say, from your point of view, the rabbits have been acting as a container for the meatballs?"
"Its a shame to waste food you know. But it is a sin for one to craft food that had to be thrown away." Kieran nced at Celty deeply.
The man was already awestruck, he never would have thought Kieran was a master in the culinary arts.
No! If Kieran could say something like that, he was already beyond the level of a master and has ascended to the state of a grandmaster!"
More importantly, Kieran had foiled his arrangement!
The arrangement that he had thought for a long time in order to specifically target Kieran and Mary.
"No! I must redeem myself!" Celty thought in his heart.
However, right as the thought bloomed in his heart, Kieran, on the other hand, spoke first.
"Since we came as promised, so please tell Mary more about her mother."
There wasnt any extra chit-chats or courtesy talk, Kieran went directly to the point.
His words sounded like a de unsheathed in Celtys ears while he was still deep in thought.
Chang!
A clear and loud noise sounded.
Chapter 608: Lobbyist
Chapter 608: Lobbyist
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Celty stiffened his body out of instinct.
He wasnt going to attack Kieran but it was more like he had met his greatest foe.
Before Celty came by, he already thought about Kieran since Kieran had disyed the strength of a powerhouse that rivaled a thousand men alone.
Any underestimation would lead Celty to a bad position but after meeting Kieran in person, he realized that he still underestimated him.
"Damn it, how could amon mercenary train such a disciple? Did those scouts that gathered information on him have sh*t in their mind?"
Celty was cursing those who gathered information about Kieran in his heart but his face maintained the friendly smile.
His eyes carefully sized up Kieran again.
Since the information gathered beforehand was useless now, all Celty could do was improvise and get what he could.
Kieran wasnt handsome by any means but clean looking with a pair of sharp energetic eyes. He was sitting down with his legs crossed and was extremely calm.
There wasnt a slight sense of grumpiness or hastened urgeing from him.
Celty kept wondering Kierans identity while he scanned him.
Was he a noble? His calm manner did strike some resemnce but his presence wasnt overbearing.
Was he a warrior? Undoubtedly in terms ofbat abilities, he excelled but hecked themon recklessness.
Was he an assassin then? He did work in simr ways but didnt possess the cold and gloomy presence.
Identity over identity popped up in Celtys mind but were denied right as they bloomed.
The resemnce was uncanny but not entirely correct for each category he came up with.
Celtys anxiousness almost erupted from his heart but his words remained slow and clear. He knew he would get better results by prying with his own words; he needed to seize the opportunity right now.
"Princess Marys mother, Ellen was one of the orphans taken in by the Raven Sect. Back in the days when the war between Warren and the Prairies invader broke out, it was far worse than the current situation and it was also because of that war, Lightning Fortresss construction was hastened topletion. However, the war had already created many orphans."
"Most of them had a rough fate and only a handful of them survived. They had to stay together during the rough nights to warm each other up. Ellen, however, was the orphan groups leader! She brought a portion of them and tried to survive in Riverdale. It was hard to imagine that Ellen was even younger than Princess Mary here when she had to survive."
"But, troubles alwayse. The weak and young orphan group eventually met up with the violent and strong vagrants group. In the end, the orphan group lost in a bad way but what Ellen disyed shocked one of the members of the Raven Sect. Right before herst breath, the member saved Ellen and brought her back to the Raven Sect."
All of the stories were nothing really important as Celty was observing Kieran.
While Mary listened to stories about her mother, she tended to get nervous but she was ignored by Celty. If he would notice how nervous her expression was, Celty would know how the girl was feeling.
But his attention was on Kieran.
Kieran didnt even flinch! On top of that, when Kieran listened to the stories from Celty, he even took out a small handkerchief from Marys pocket and wiped off the oil on his fingers.
Celty thought he was being extremely clear with his words.
War, orphans, and survival.
All sorts of words, when mentioned, would definitely make a kind and empathic person worry. Even the listener couldnt help it, they would feel unbearable, and yet Kieran didnt show any expression at all, as though the matter didnt concern him at all!
As a matter of fact, it was indeed none of Kierans concern.
He didnt know Ellen in person even though she was Marys mother. All he knew was a name and the impression of a cautious, smart woman.
Kieran knew nothing more about her, not even what she looked like. The words that described her was all he could get.
"A cold person in nature? Or he only epts those he acknowledges?"
Celty knew he was in trouble. Regardless of which kind, he knew it was hard for him toplete his mission today but he wouldnt give up just yet. There were still tests hed like to try.
"How do you see this ongoing war Sir 2567?" Celty asked.
"What are you trying to say precisely? The invaders and the invaded?" Kieran replied with a question of his own without answering directly.
"No, no, something more crucial that could turn the tides of the war! Such as... why are you involved in this war? Based on what I know, you arent a Warrenian right? Your teacher Andy was a Murantian and you shoulde from there, am I right? Its quite a peaceful ce and famous for its wine." Celty said with a smile.
His weather-beaten face even looked younger with the smile.
However, Kierans raised a puzzled brow after keeping calm since the start. He was scanning Celty with a judgemental gaze.
Celty immediately felt the invisible pressure from Kierans eyes. It wasnt a suppression of aura and presence but something higher...
The suppression of the soul!
Celty felt as though he saw the devil crawl out from the deepest part of the abyss and was growling at him with the zing mes falling on him like a meteor shower.
He was in the middle of the meteor shower!
Celty couldnt stay as calm as he was anymore and started to back off but his legs were stiff as though they had been infused with lead, it wouldnt even budge with all his might.
"You are with the barbarians?"
Kieran spoke all of a sudden.
The fictional zing mes and meteor showers vanished into thin air. Celty realized he was still in the woods and beside the campfire.
Kieran was opposite him but when Celty faced the calm gaze and expression again, he felt extreme pressure.
Celty could swear to himself that what he experienced and saw wasnt fictional or illusory but something that was real!
If he couldnt answer the question precisely, he would face a catastrophic fate.
A cold sweat broke out on his forehead and soon all over his back.
The evening breeze was blowing at him, a striking chill covered his back and spread all over his body, causing him to shiver quite a bit.
"No! Of course not!"
Celty stood up right away, he ditched the idea of prying more and replied loudly.
He emphasized it once more as he worried Kieran wouldnt believe him.
"Then why are you here then? Just to see the daughter of your acquaintance?"
Kierans devil aura grew denser by the second, Celty could even smell the sulfur with his nose.
"Im asked by someone else to be a lobbyist! His Excellency only wanted Sir 2567s friendship and he assures you to never invade Riverdale. All he wanted was you to give permission to let them pass through Lightning Fortress..."
Celty spilled the beans without further concealing.
"Pass through Lightning Fortress?" Kieranughed coldly before going silent.
Luring a wolf into the house.
Kieran knew the saying when he was in the welfare home.
Celty grew even more anxious and scared when he saw Kierans coldugh. He was scared that he wouldnt be able to leave the woods alive.
"Since you do not agree, I will deliver the message honestly to his Excellency. May I?" Celty asked.
Kieran nodded after thinking for a while.
Celty swiftly turned around and left as though he was pardoned and allowed to live.
"The Vipers are assassins and the Ravens are lobbyists? Such a matching image for a talkative bird." Mary spoke after staying quiet for a while.
"Whosoever believes such a saying would really be a fool. Lets go now, someone is being anxious," Kieran said before he stood up and return to Lightning Fortress.
Mary quickly followed as well.
But after two steps ahead, Kieran returned to the campfire and took the roast rabbit.
"Its a shame for people who waste food."
Kieran said while Mary looked at him confused.
It was the psychological attack he used on Celty but it was also the truth, at least it was what Kieran thought.
Chapter 609: Wrongful Judgement
Chapter 609: Wrongful Judgement
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Two men were carrying the royal wizard into a basement somewhere in Riverdale.
They threw Rover down on the floor without courtesy once they entered the basement. His white robe was instantly covered with ayer of dust.
Still, both men didnt mind the dust and started to search Rover.
Anymoner knew the royal wizard would surely possess some valuables, let alone the two men who had other intentions.
They didnt just know how valuable the items were, they even knew how to differentiate them.
After a few minutes, every valuable spellcasting ingredients that were hidden on Rover was confiscated, including the dagger that was hidden in his boots.
Other than his robe, the royal wizard had nothing left on him.
The men then left after getting their valuables.
Bang!
The door was mmed tight as the men left and it whipped up a cloud of dust at Rovers face; the littlemotion startled him and woke him up.
His eyes were clear and energetic, there werent any signs of blurriness after waking up from unconsciousness.
Rover sized up his new surroundings.
"So this is one of the bastards base?"
He looked at his wrist as he wondered.
The spot where he was bitten by the snake on the drawing had been treated.
The poisonous blood was sucked out and bandages were wrapped around it with recovery balm inside.
Rover clearly noticed there were substances within the balm that could put one to sleep and it was the strong kind.
If he wasnt hinted beforehand, he might really end up like amb waiting to be ughtered.
"You do foretell things like a God!" Rover eximed.
He swiftly got on his feet and quietly went to the door of the basement.
He wasnt there for sightseeing after taking the risk of being abducted.
The basement door wasnt on the wall like the typical structure but was built on top of the ceiling. He would need to climb up thedder to reach the door above him.
"Its not locked?"
Rover was delighted after pushing lightly at the door.
It seemed like the abductor assumed Rover was knocked out cold, so it wasnt necessary for extra precautions.
It was a good news for him though.
Rovers palm was steady enough, he wasnt all bad evenpared to a warrior.
After all, some of the spellcasting required a matching hand gesture and it would be impossible for him to cast the spells without a steady and nimble pair of hands.
Rover quietly pushed up the door and saw what was outside through the seam.
The basement was located under the stairs. From Rovers angle, he could see the corridor, living hall, and another flight of stairs to the second floor.
The corridor was emptied of people, the two men who abducted him were sitting in the living hall and there seemed to be more people on the second floor as he could clearly hear the screeches on the floor when people walked over it.
He quietly closed the door and went back to the spot where he was lying down.
He was considering meleebat as an option for him to escape.
However, if the targets weremon folks, it wouldnt worry him as much. Rover too had been through the training of a warrior in the past, he was quite skilled in hand-to-handbat and was able to use simple weapons.
It would be enough for him to deal withmoners and soldiers but the men above?
Rover wouldnt dare strike a stone with an egg.
Those people upstairs obviously were assassins that had been through vigorous training and had mastered the art of killing people. More importantly, the snake drawing that bit him told him that there might be a spellcaster among them as well.
Given such circumstances, Rover wouldnt act recklessly.
He opened up his coat which was filled with small pockets inside, the ingredients for spell casting were confiscated though, leaving the coat useless other than providing cover.
However, his undershirt was different. He took off his seeminglymon undershirt and it had mystical wordings written all over it.
A magic circle!
Rover ced his shirt t on the ground and started to chant his incantations.
Smoke then came from his magic circle and soon after it filled the whole basement.
The smokes also seeped through the seams and went into the house.
The two people in the living hall were knocked out cold after smelling the smoke, then followed by those on the second floor.
Soon, Rover was the only conscious one within the house as the other men passed out.
Each of the unconscious men possessed the strength to easily take out Rover during head to headbat but during certain situations, Rover turned the tide to his favor and took them out in a single go.
The reason a wizard was revered by others was because of this particr aspect and not his own body strength which was inferior to others.
Rover opened up the basement door and quickly headed over to the living hall. He took back all the ingredients and cast the same spell once more to thicken the smoke that numbed people.
He finally let out a breath of relief after that.
Rover then took the initiative to check on the men. When he noticed one of the mens arm had a Viper tattoo on it, the relieved breath was sucked back into a cold gasp.
"The Viper Sect? They are not the spies?"
A cold sweat broke out instantly as he realized he was wrong. He was clear that his wrongful judgment would cost him the entire n for the situation.
"Lets hope that he will notice something is wrong."
Whenever he thought about that someone who foretold things like a God, Rover ced hisst hope on him.
Still, Rover wouldnt justy back and wait for things to happen. He quickly moved out as the thought bloomed.
...
After returning to the campsite, Kieran and Mary were summoned by the king.
The king was sitting on the only chair in his tent and he quickly stood up when he saw Kieran and Mary.
King James VIII wanted to dash over to the two but his worsening condition made him stagger to a fall. Kieran swiftly moved over and helped him up, preventing him from falling.
"Thank you!" The king nodded in gratitude.
It would be really faceless for a king to fall on the ground.
However, when the thought came into the kings mind, he knew what his priority was.
"Rover is in trouble... The spies attacked Rover but he was abducted by someone else. They are requesting an exchange of hostage, particrly for Torstar!"
"Only Torstar?" Kieran asked in surprised.
"Yes, only him." said the king in certainty.
Although his body was bad, his mind was clear as water, he knew he didnt deliver the message wrongly. It was what the masked men requested.
"What is it?" The king seemed to have noticed Kierans surprise.
"Nothing. So where will the hostage exchange take ce? Is there anyone they specifically wanted to be present during the exchange?"
A sudden thought came into Kierans mind but he remained calm on the surface.
"The connecting path between Lightning Fortress and Riverdale, they didnt mention anyone special." The king said.
"I understand." Kieran nodded and went out.
Some things had changed beyond his expectation but he didnt dislike the changes.
Changes made him see more of the situation.
Chapter 610: The Proper Moment For Action
Chapter 610: The Proper Moment For Action
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
An old jade pulling a trailer cart left the campsite.
The wagoner was an officer wearing a set of leather armor with a longsword at his waist. The trailer cart was carrying an unconscious Torstar whose hands were tied up behind his back.
The wagon was going straight along the path.
There was nothing that stood in its way while it traveled and soon it reached the designated location: the connecting point between Lightning Fortress and Riverdale.
Because of how Lightning Fortress was built, the path was not only wide but extremely leveled out as well. The woods on both sides of the path were purposely cut off and arranged, allowing the officer to take a clear look around.
"Ivee with His Majestys order!" The officer shouted.
His voice was sonorous, making him look brave but the fingers that were holding his sword were pale. It seemed like the officer wasnt as brave as he presented himself to be.
As his voice subsided, he still hadnt got any reply after a while.
The officer frowned and shouted again.
He went on for a couple of times yet no one replied.
The path was emptied of people in the middle of the night since the promised person didnt show up. Only the night breeze was blowing softly, carrying some beastly growls around from time to time.
The officer gulped out of tension, he couldnt hold back is nervousness anymore as it was smeared all over his face.
Suddenly...
Footsteps sounded behind him. As he wanted to turn around to the source of the footsteps, a dagger was quicker and it sliced open the officers throat.
The officers nervousness lingered on his face as fear started to float but the ssh of his blood and the loss of his life was quicker than his expression.
"They really sent out a nobody... His Excellencys strategy to mislead the enemies is too effective! That 2567 must be worrying this is a n to lure the tiger away from the mountain."
A ck figure was wiping off the blood of his dagger on the officers leather armor.
Another ck figure behind the first one wasughing softly, it sounded easy and casual.
"The grasnders are a bunch of hungry wolves. Given the chance, they will bite whosoever that crosses their path. That 2567 might be powerful but leading a bunch of difited troops and beaten generals, what could he achieve?"
"No, no, no! Not troops and generals, after those nobles ran away, where are the generals now? All he is left with is a bunch of soldiers. Lets bring Torstar back first. His Excellency is quite curious about this traitors background you know. The first time ever that a traitor among the Viper Sect, this is really... hehehe!"
The one who killed the officer was praising the person that he was mentioning from the Viper Sect. However, his coldughs came soon enough and his eyes towards the unconscious Torstar were overflowing with killing intent.
No one liked to be betrayed, especially those who experienced it before.
The other ck figure heard hisrades words and quickly headed over to Torstar without a second dy but his hand went through "Torstar"s body.
"Illusion!?"
Two of the Viper Sect figures reacted to what happened after being slightly stunned but the "officer" who was killed was quicker than both of them.
The illusion shrouded both of them without any obvious signs or noises.
A moment ago, both the figures wanted to resist with their lives but a momentter, all they could do was dully stare at nk space.
"Master!"
Bloody Mary removed its disguise and bowed after Kieran walked out from the shadows.
"Bring them back to the campsite and let Fanner take care of them," Kieran ordered.
"Yes, master!"
With the presence of [Fantos Manuscript], Bloody Mary didnt resist the orders at all.
Kieran too nodded in satisfaction after when he saw the high demon drive the cart wagon back to the campsite.
"A strong helper for 250 Points in 10 minutes... This is what I consider as affordable plus decent quality." Kieranmented.
Bloody Mary wasnt just able to shapeshift but it possessed powerful illusory abilities as well, it was super effective against enemies with lower Spirit and Intuition attributes.
At the same time, it was a very needed helper simr to the Fire Raven for a lone wolf yer, like him.
Right after that moment, Fire Raven which shared a connection with Kieran located Rover and his awkward situation.
"So theyve decided toe out of hiding now? They purposely leaked Torstars identity to the Viper Sect and used them to provoke me. Not only to attract my attention but the Viper Sect as well, so they could clear the obstacles in the fastest way possible. Seems like the secret Mary has is really attracting!" Kieran muttered.
He then swiftly disappeared into the shadows.
He also had to hasten his movements as new notifications came.
[Discovered sub-mission: Save Rover]
[Save Rover: Although you warned him to be careful, the surprise third party caught the royal wizard off guard. Rover is in danger right now and requires your aid! Note, should you fail the sub-mission, it will affect your reputation and authority within the Warren army!]
...
"Damn it!"
Rover was pressing the bleeding wound on his left shoulder as he recalled the previous scene with lingering fear.
Back when Rover was trying to escape the ce where he was abducted, a sudden sword ambushed him as he opened the door. If his reaction was any slower, it would be his throat that was sliced rather than his shoulder and he might already be a dead body by then.
Still, the situation wasnt any better since then though. Suffering injuries on his shoulder, it was difficult for Rover to cast his spell to form a counter attack.
In fact, even if his shoulder was intact, it was hard for him to counter the attackers relentless attack.
The strength of a wizard was based on his spells, if a wizard was robbed of his abilities to cast, he would be as good as nothing.
Fuu!
Rover took in a deep breath and started running again.
The royal wizard knew deep in his heart if he didnt want to lose his life here, he would have to run as hard as he could and at least reach any ce with city guards to ensure his own survival.
However, his running was halted soon enough because more footsteps sounded in front of him.
This time it wasnt just one but five person in total.
Their steps were messy and rushed.
Without further dy, Rover arched his back and hid into the shadows cast by the moonlight. He dished out some powder with his right hand to conceal his own bloody stench.
As for the blood stains on the floor, there wasnt enough time for a thorough clean up of his tracks. All he could hope was the darkness would slightly blur the mens sight.
After some time, a person with a red robe and a red scarf over his face appeared within Rovers sight.
The person was in bad condition though, a small crossbow arrow hung over his back and the blood around the wound had turned ck. Rover frowned when he picked up the slight scent from the person.
The arrow wasced with poison! The lethal kind!
The royal wizard was curious about the other person who was also being hunted but his own condition forced him to keep quiet. Rover couldnt spare any extra thoughts about others right now, all he could afford was to stay alive.
Huuhaa! Huuhaa!
The poison spread throughout his body, causing Celtys stamina to deplete quickly. He could already feel coldness on his hands. Yet he knew he must hurry, otherwise even if he could ditch the pursuers behind him, it would be hard for him to survive.
As the thought bloomed, Celty hastened his steps but was forced to a slowdown right after he started to run. More precisely, Celty came to aplete halt of his movement.
A man with longsword suddenly appeared before him.
The sudden situation also forced Celtys pursuer to a stop as well. Their eyes were shifting between Celty and the man with the longsword and so did the man with the longsword at them.
Suddenly, the atmosphere turned extremely strange.
Chapter 611: Crown Raven
Chapter 611: Crown Raven
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The strange atmosphere was broken when one party decided to strike first.
It wasnt the pursuers that had the advantage of numbers nor the sword wielder who looked strong but it was Celty who decided to move first.
Fuuu!
A ball of fire was hurled out at the sword wielder and Celty too clenched his teeth and dashed to him as well. If he had any other options left, he wouldnt risk such a reckless move but options were a luxury he didnt have at the moment.
If he dyed his actions any further, once the poison spread throughout his body, he would die without a proper burial. Rather than waiting for his end, might as well risk thest bit with his life.
Had he seeded?
The reason he chose to go after the sword wielder was to increase the "what if" chances.
Celty was quite familiar with the pursuers on his tail, if he wasnt poisoned or wounded, they were no match for him but to confront them with his current condition would kill him instead.
Compared to the pursuers, even though the sword wielder looked much stronger, he was only one man.
Quantity was always the standard to measure ones strength.
Facing a single strong person was much better than facing a bunch of average ones with effective teamwork.
At least it was what Celty had on his mind.
However, Celty was stunned right at the next moment after his forward dash.
The sword wielder who was supposed to be engulfed in mes twisted his body in a freaky way, He didnt just dodge the fire and prevented it from burning his body, he swiftly appeared before Celty and drove his sword towards Celtys throat with sharp hisses from the sword tip.
Viper Sect! Celty was astonished, he never thought he would run into the Viper Sect in such a ce and never did he think that the particr person was rted to the Viper Sect.
"No, it couldnt be! That person shouldnt be rted to the Viper Sect, unless... Is this all a coincidence?"
Ridiculous thoughts bloomed in Celtys heart yet he couldntugh at any of them.
The Raven Sect and the Viper Sect were mortal enemies!
The fire that he cast had revealed his identity as a member of the Raven Sect, therefore the Viper Sect person before him would not spare any exnation before killing him.
Souuu!
The de shed as it was inches away from Celtys face.
Within a spark of fire, Celty couldnt think of anything else except leaning backward with his instinct like a pole falling down.
The grudge between the Raven Sect and the Viper Sect had allowed both of them to particrly research about each others techniques.
Celty knew what he should do but so did the sword wielder.
The moment Celty fell backward, the sword wielder dished out a kick straight towards Celtys crotch.
It was a cheap yet vicious move but it was also one of the traits of the Viper Sect techniques.
Before falling to the ground, Celty twisted his body aside and supported himself with his right hand on the ground. His body went along with the momentum and spun in mid-air like a spinning top.
Pak Pak!
Celty used the advantages of his body movement to dish out two kicks with clear noise. It wasnt just fast but precise at its target as well, it struck out like a ravens w diving down at its prey.
The first kick was to prevent the sword wielders further action and the second kick wasunched towards his head.
The Viper Sect sword wielder grunted coldly in disdain. His body twisted once again in a freaky way as he dodged Celtys counterattack, he toounched another kick of his own with a snake hiss. His kick defied his joint structure when his leg went around Celtys prevention kick andnded straight at Celtys thigh.
Bang!
As the sword wielders feetnded on Celtys thigh, Celty was like a kite let loose and was sent flying diagonally upwards. Though he seemed to be flying a little bit too high, even higher than the roof of the houses around.
The sword wielder has been tricked!
The moment his kicknded on Celtys thigh, he knew it went wrong when he couldnt feel the sense of touch as he remembered. Immediately, he wanted topensate for his mistakes but someone was faster than him.
The pursuers behind threw out a big as though they had predicted Celtys movement.
The descended from high and caught Celty who was sent flying. The pursuers then pulled the and dragged Celty down from the air.
Coincidentally, Celty was falling towards the spot where Rover was hiding.
The royal wizard smiled bitterly.
He didnt have the strength to catch Celty nor have the intention to be a human cushion; he also didnt have the resolution of being caught altogether by the.
He rolled away from the shadow and swung his dagger towards the iing.
Pak!
The edge of the was cut off, granting Celty a slight breathing window but his eyes towards Rover turned sour even more because he knew the Viper Sect sword wielder was there for Rover. He was just coincidentally crossing the path of Rover and the Viper Sect.
An outrageous feeling rose in both their hearts at once but both of them didnt exim further. A quick exchange of gazeter formed a temporary alliance between them both through the tacit agreement in their mind.
Celty and Rover then ran towards the pursuers together.
The Viper Sect sword wielder had made it clear that his strength was much stronger than he looked, neither of them had the intention to fight him face to face, which left them with the pursuers.
Despite having the disadvantage of numbers, now Celty has Rover on his side.
Fuuu!
Celty raised his hand and cast the Raven Sect fiery spell at the pursuers.
This time around his fire was apanied by thick smoke.
The pursuers had predicted this long ago, each of them dragged their special made mantle to cover their nose and mouth before continue charging towards Celty.
However, as the pursuers let down their mantle when the fire went off, their feet turned light, or more precisely, they started to stagger.
The thick smoke wasnt from the fire itself because the Raven Sect had no smoking techniques.
The thick smoke was the powder in Rovers hand, a kind of powder that could knock one out cold at the same time paralyzing them.
All it required was a sufficient amount of heat to spread and it was also one of Rovers skilled potion methods, just that he didnt get the chance to use it while being chased.
With Celtys help, he could aplish it with one strike.
Celty had been covering his nose and mouth even without Rover warning him when he saw the powder was mixed into his fire.
Just when the pursuers started to stagger, both of them knew their chance had arrived.
They dashed out with speed exceeded even their peak performance despite being wounded.
When ones life was being threatened, regardless of being wounded or crippled, their performance would surpass their average strength whenever they caught a glimpse of hope.
It was the survival instinct of every living being.
But when the glimpse of hope was extinguished, the disappointment could suffocate one easily, which Celty and Rover experienced right after.
Their breath almost stopped when the Viper Sect sword wielder appeared before them without even the slightest sign.
Celtys face turned sour as he muttered to himself, "Viper Steps?"
The sword wielder drove his sword directly without any intentions of replying to that question.
This time around, his target wasnt Celty anymore but Rover.
His mission priority was to kill Rover first instead of Celty. As long as he killed Rover, everything would be easy to cover up.
Rover, however, didnt stand still and wait for his demise, despite being shrouded by despair.
Since he couldnt cast any spells, he dished out tuft after tuft of the powder at the sword wielder but they were struck down easily by the sword.
The cold and shining longsword obviously had a different luster than others which rendered the royal wizards methods useless.
Even Celty was astonished because at that very moment he knew the sword wielder wasnt even at his prime form.
"This is the end!" All hopes were thrashed in Celtys mind, he knew he would be next after the sword wielder killed Rover and he has nothing to resist him.
Gawk!
Just as both of them had given up on resisting, a sudden raven call sounded.
A sudden heat wave was sted out, forcing the sword wielder to back off right away.
Celty who had given up all hope instantly regained his delight.
"Is that you, Master Crown Raven?" Celty shouted out loud.
Dak Dak Dak...
Footsteps then echoed in everyones ears as a figure slowly emerging from the street entrance.
The ck feathered mantle was emanating a distinguished radiance as the Fire Ravennded on the figures shoulder.
Chapter 612: Secretive
Chapter 612: Secretive
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
"Sir 2567!"
Rover called out in delight after being slightly stunned.
He then fell to the ground limping, having no intention to move another muscle.
Too much has happened in one day, to the point that he couldnt take it all with his eyes, especially the running after being wounded and the battle of wits and courage just now.
Everything had exhausted the royal wizard to his limits despite being trained in the past.
The moment Kieran appeared, he finally gave in to his body. He knew with Kierans arrival, everything would be fine.
The powerhouse that rivaled a thousand men by himself, it was outrageously powerful given that it wasnt an act of deception.
Kieran was definitely someone that the Viper Sect sword wielder could not handle.
Compared to Rover who rxed his body, Celty widened his eyes instead.
The Raven Sects Celty was looking unbelievable as he shifted his eyes between Kierans face and the Fire Raven on his left shoulder.
"Impossible! How is this possible? How could such things happen?"
Celty mumbled non-stop.
His mumbling was heard by the Viper Sect sword wielder though, it felt like Celty was uttering the feelings in the heart of the sword wielder.
The strategy of misleading had failed!
The sword wielders heart skipped a beat and was followed by a sudden surge of killing intent.
"Since they failed, then I will turn the tables around!" So he thought.
As the secret weapon that was raised by that particr Excellency, the Viper Sect sword wielder had exceptional confidence in himself.
The sword wielder then made his move!
His sword was dished out faster and more vicious than before, the lustrous on the de shone brightly again.
The dazzling brightness made the longswords sharpness unrivaled. A strange aura also formed on the sword wielder himself, as though he himself had turned into a sword.
The sword-like aura together with the real sword in his hand was driven directly towards Kieran.
"Careful... Ugh!"
Celty warned Kieran out of instinct. As a Raven Sect himself, he knew how terrifying the sword wielder was right now. The sword wielder had awakened the sword in his hand and was able to fight in union using this special condition.
Under such a condition, the sword wielder could double his usualbat abilities. It even had all sorts of strange traits, catching his target off guard easily.
However, as Celty uttered his concern he was astonished beyond words, leaving his mouth open wide.
The Viper Sect sword wielders sword was disarmed and sent flying while the man himself was limping on the ground.
What happened?
Celty asked himself.
All he saw was a sh of light and as for what happened exactly, he had no idea.
Celty then turned his eyes towards the Fire Raven. When he saw the intelligence within the ravens eyes, the deepest part of his memories was triggered.
"You know Master Crown Raven?" Celty asked after struggling to get up.
"Crown Raven? No." Kieran answered directly.
Crown Raven was the leader of Raven Sect.
Kieran knew the name from "Words of Sect" but that was all he knew.
"Then the Fire Raven on your shoulder..."
"That is none of your business!"
Kieran interrupted Celty before he could finish.
Celty wanted to press the question but when he saw the coldness in Kierans eyes, he shut up
He recalled the meeting back in the woods. The young man before him wasnt someone who would kill the innocent but was definitely not a weak person.
Anyone who took his dullness for granted would be struck by cmity.
However, the gears in Celty head spun quickly, it seemed like he had realized something incredible and what happened next confirmed some of this thoughts.
A ball of zing fire burned fiercely on Kierans left hand.
The scorching heat forced Celty to back away. Still, he locked his eyes at the 1-meter wide fireball as it was hurled towards the pursuers group. Upon impact, a 4-meter tall zing pir of fire burst out from the ground, lighting not only the pursuers but also Celtys eyes.
Kieran didnt give much thought about Celtys bright gaze.
He knew something big was going to happen soon after getting a glimpse of some crucial things. He didnt have any more time to spare for Celty.
Kieran quickly picked up the two lower tier Magic rank items and the captives before getting ready to leave.
Rover, on the other hand, wouldnt require his concern. He himself had his own mission to carry out.
"Hold on! Sir 2567, dont you want to know where the Prairies spies hiding in Riverdale are?"
Celty stopped Kieran once more and Kieran looked at him with a less friendly gaze.
"What are you saying?" Rover said while getting himself in a sitting posture and was looking at Celty with bright eyes.
"I would want to repay Sir 2567 after saving my life... I am willing to reveal the information of the Prairies spies that I know to you, Sir 2567!"
Celty said slowly while staring at Kieran.
Disappointed, Kieran wasnt budged by his suggestion. His expression was absent of excitement and delight despite able to get the Prairies spies location. He was as calm as always.
"You can discuss that with Rover."
Kieran then quickly disappeared into the streets with his captive after leaving those words behind.
Watching Kierans back, the disappointment on Celtys face instantly disappeared and was reced by a slight delight.
"Same! Exactly the same!" Celty mumbled.
"What is exactly the same? Need not to remind you, your injuries are quite severe, if you dont cure the poison in your body soon, the residual effects will be tedious." Rover reminded him.
"Then, as an exchange, Ill tell you everything about the spies while you treat me! Whatd you say?" Celty returned to his normal form and asked with a smiling face.
"Of course!" Rover nodded without a second of hesitation.
...
After returning to Lightning Fortress with lightning speed, the Fire Raven flew up high and hid on one of the cliffs in Herr Valley and with Kierans order, it gazed over the whole campsite with eyes as sharp as an eagle.
Kieran, on the other hand, grabbed his captive and headed back to Fanners tent.
"Master!" Fanner bowed.
Mary who was waiting for Kierans return quickly went over to him and handed him a jug of water. The water was warm and suitable for a drinking, it was a little sweet as well when Kieran drank it, seemed like honey was added.
"How is it?" Mary asked after handing another warm towel to Kieran after he finished the drink.
"Just as expected. Folly was not the only one who caused the elimination of the entire Viper Sect..."
Kieran quietly moved Mary behind him as he spoke. His words stopped when Mary waspletely blocked out by his body but a voice sounded outside the tent, continuing where Kieran left off.
"Of course it wasnt Folly alone. How could the Viper Sect be eliminated by that arrogant fool alone?"
The voice belonged to a woman.
Instantly, a name popped up in Kierans mind as the voice sounded.
Perry Kaner.
Chapter 613: Lure
Chapter 613: Lure
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Fuuuu!
A strong wind blew. It lifted the tent shutter up andnded it on the metal hook beside.
The movement was light and precise, as though an invisible pair of hands rolled and moved it.
Then, a figure further away was advancing swiftly towards the tent in an S path. It was so fast that after a breaths time, it arrived before the tent entrance.
Mary was shocked. She reached her hand out to the hilt of her sword almost instinctively.
With her mothers teachings, Mary was not only mature but also possessed a decent level of strength and eyes surpassing her peers. She knew how terrifying the person that could dash almost a hundred meters within a breaths time was, especially when the person was an assassin, it was enough to make her tremble.
Kieran raised his hand over to the girls head, he could feel the girl was nervous even though she was prepared for this.
"Shes still a child after all..." Kieran eximed in his heart.
He didnt think about the fact that he was only a few years older than Mary.
Going through different dungeons in the game had trained his mental state, allowing him to surpass anymon person. It wasnt about getting used to dead bodies and possessing the correct state of mind whening across one, it was more like the constant lingering on the verge of death.
When Kieranid his eyes over the Viper Sect leader who decided to show up without an invitation, Perry Kaner stopped right away.
The sudden stop from extreme speed caused a strong air current around the tent.
Her mantle fluttered with the wind, revealing her voluptuous figure underneath. Even with the greenish ck leather armor, it didnt diminish her eye-catching figure.
Under such a seductive view, most people might neglect the danger that followed, such as the flying knives around her waist and daggers. But Kieran was an exception, he calmly scanned over her arsenal, trying to make out an attack pattern.
"Two daggers, pouches of flying daggers on both sides of her waist, seems like she is fond of dual wielding. The belt on her waist isnt matching with her armor... a hidden flexible sword? The bottom of her boots were thicker than usual, something must be hidden underneath!"
Kierans mind has already started a simted battle against her.
As his mind went on, his eyes somehow turned colder and even more so when he realized she was a hard opponent to fight.
Kieran still hadnt forgotten the essence of Viper Sect techniques, any fist, kicks or weapons were only facades as they excel on illusory techniques.
His extremely powerful Spirit attribute would shield him from such techniques but Mary behind him had no resistance against it.
If Perry Kaner would strike, Mary would die in one hit.
As the thought bloomed in his mind, Kierans cold gaze was overflowing with killing intent.
Simr to how he knew Perry Kaner was a difficult opponent, he knew that had he returned a littleter, a disaster would ur.
What would an assassin do with their targets?
Even if they would capture their targets alive, Kieran wouldnt count on them being merciful.
It would be too naive of him.
The moment Kieran decided to enter this underground game, he had ditched the naiveness in him.
So, he never showed any mercy towards his enemies.
Perry Kaner too noticed the killing intents overflowed in Kierans eyes. It was too obvious as it was apanied by the presence of death.
With a thought from her heart, she dished out her own killing intents from her gray eyes as well. It was her counterattack to Kieran.
However, despite the reply of killing intent, Perry Kaner had controlled herself well enough to not make an actual move. It wasnt time for that yet, she needed to wait for the opportunity to mature.
Perry Kaner looked at Kieran and started to provoke him as she had nned in her heart.
"Give me Torstar and Jyaichi!" Her voice was cold and certain.
"Why are you people after Mary?" Kieran countered with his question.
Souu!
Perry Kaner suddenly shook her hand and hurled a flying knife at Kierans face because he gave an irrelevant answer.
Kieran slightly moved his head and the flying knife grazed the edge of his ear.
The flying knife flew on and perforated the tent.
Perry Kaner suddenly appeared right in front Kieran with daggers in her respective hands and was going after his heart and throat.
Both daggers were ring coldly under the candle light, as though they were the fangs of a viper. They werent just fast, precise and vicious, they wereced with poison as well.
A sweet scent already filled in the tent when the daggers appeared.
Mary wobbled and sat on the ground, whereas Fanner who was under Kierans controlsted longer than a breaths time before falling as well.
Kieran, however, remained still and standing. The upgraded version of [Body of Evil] increased his resistance towards poison significantly. He quietly looked at the daggering at his face.
Mary opened her mouth with all her effort. Just as she wanted to utter her warning to Kieran, he turned towards her and smiled.
Booooosh!
Darkness erupted and shrouded the tent.
Everyones vision and hearing were disrupted by the supernatural darkness from above Transcendence level [Undercover, Shadow Cloak].
All they could hear was blurry noises of metal clunking together and fist and kicks hitting each other.
After a while, all the blurry noises were reced by relentless snake hisses.
Ssssss!
The snake hisses sounded continuously and endlessly, everyone felt like they had plunged into the abyss with myriads of snakes around them with their vision robbed.
...
Meanwhile, outside Warrens campsite in a shadowy spot.
A couple of men who were watching the campsite heard the relentless hisses.
Coldughs then followed.
"Our chance is finally here! Perry Kaner has been lured out and stalled there. This powerful 2567 willplete his mission perfectly! Now... all thats left is Pietro and Bicker!"
"Once they are dead, the secret of the Viper Sect will be ours!"
"Lets go!"
The group left in a hurry amidst their gloomy and cold yet delightedughs.
Since the moment they arrived, none of them realized there was another pair of eyes watching over their actions.
...
The supernatural darkness shrouded the twisted myriad of snakes but it couldnt cover Perry Kaners astonishment.
It was ineffective! [Sword Skill, Myriad Viper], the high tier secret technique of Viper Sect which was also considered to be the ultimate technique, was ineffective against Kieran.
Since Perry Kaner became the leader of the Viper Sect and cultivated the secret technique, she had never lost a battle before, until...
She already thought highly of Kieran in her heart and now, an extra dignified impression was added.
Truth be told, if her goal wasnt to eliminate those traitors, shed never want to provoke a powerful opponent that could rival a thousand men.
Now, after her ultimate skill was ineffective against Kieran, the first reaction that came into her mind was to retreat.
Since after the myriad of snake hisses sounded, the traitors would be caught up with her skill, thus her goal would beplete and she wanted to walk away alive.
Therefore when he engaged Kieran in closebat, Perry Kaner twisted her body in a strange way, allowing her to escape the fight.
However, the moment she turned around and tried to leave...
Ssssss!
Snake hisses echoed in Perry Kaners ear.
She waspletely stunned and followed by a myriad of snakes bursting out from the ground, consuming her whole.
Chapter 614: Dominate
Chapter 614: Dominate
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
"[Sword Skill, Myriad Viper]?!"
Perry Kaner cried out in shock, her indomitable spirit of victory was shaken beyond control.
How could the Viper Sects ultimate technique, [Sword Skill, Myriad Viper] appear in a strangers hand and be even stronger than her own?
Even that arrogant Folly couldnt surpass her in terms of skills.
"Hold on! Folly!"
A sudden thought came into Perry Kaners mind and her eyes towards Kieran turned cold all of a sudden. Still, she knew her priority.
A green light shone brightly from Perry Kaners body, revealing a small green snake with only a fingers size that came crawling out from her hand.
The myriad of snakes that sprung out from the ground was frightened instantly before moving away from Perry Kaner.
After a while, the myriad of snakes vanished into thin air like bubbles.
Kierans Musou level [Sword Skill, Myriad Viper] has been negated by an unknown technique but he wasnt surprised though.
Spirit rted [Sword Skill, Myriad Viper] might be victorious against others but when it was used against members of the Viper Sect, especially their leader, Kieran has prepared for the unexpected.
So right after releasing [Sword Skill, Myriad Viper], Kieran had dashed forward to Perry Kaner and dished out a kick.
Perry Kaner twisted her body strangely again but this time around, she did not escape Kierans attacking range easily because Kierans leg followed her movement as well with the hiss of a snake.
[Viper Kick]!
Grand Master [Viper Kick] didnt just significantly alter Kierans ankle and knee joints, it changed the muscles in both his legs into a more flexible manner as well.
His kick was like a real snake leaping out at its target. It swirled around in mid-air, following Perry Kaners body movements.
Perry Kaners face turned sour again.
After Kieran disyed the ultimate technique from the Viper Sect, Perry Kaner realized her ns had fallen into an unexpected turn but she didnt expect what urred would be so serious.
The level of [Sword Skill, Myriad Viper] and [Viper Kick] had surpassed even her own, reaching the level only in her memories and books, even her teacher could not achieve such power with these techniques.
When she saw the zing mes burning on Kierans left hand, she activated one of her aces without further hesitation.
The green snake that swirled around her burst out from the light veil and expanded rapidly with the wind!
Within a breaths time, the finger-sized green snake grew into the size of a water tank and extended into a dozen meters in length. The small green snake grew into a giant green python!
After Perry Kaner gave her order to her snake, she wanted to escape right away as she couldnt afford to dy anymore. The longer she tangled with Kieran, the more her efforts would go to waste.
However, the moment Perry Kanner took her first step in escaping, Kieran appeared in front of her again.
"How is this possible? My pet python..."
Perry Kaners heart was filled with inconceivable thoughts, although she knew her pet python couldnt stall Kieran for long, it would be sufficient for her to escape.
Roar!
The snake hiss was erged countless times and it turned into a loud roar fiercer than a beast, deadlier than a monster!
When Perry Kaner saw her green python being suppressed by a 20-meter twin-headed snake, she was sure it wasnt a snake anymore but a monster!
Suu! Shuu!
Perry Kaner was forced to back away once more when Kieran appeared in front of her.
While she was moving back, she whistled repeatedly.
It was rushed, sharp and could be heard from a mile away under the night sky.
The moment the whistle sounded, myriads of snakes appeared and different from [Sword Skill, Myriad Viper]s illusory snakes, this time around the snakes were all real.
Red, ck, and green snakes were flooding into Warren campsite like a rising tide.
Even under the night sky, the snakes colors were bright and those with experience knew what the bright color meant for a snake.
Poison! All of the colorful snakes were poisonous.
Cries and screams sounded in the campsite one after another.
The soldiers at the campsite were lost when they saw the strange scene. All they could do was to utilize what they have learned: using torches and sulfur to repel the snakes.
However, even though the snakes disliked fire and sulfur, they didnt have any intentions of going away since someone was controlling them.
On the contrary, their hisses sounded more vicious than normal and the solders faces turned pale when they were gazed by a myriad of poisonous snakes.
They knew they would be dead meat once they snakes rushed in.
The soldiers eyes eventually saw the figure that was standing in front of them, it was Kieran!
After a glorious victory against the Prairies invaders, the soldiers had found their pir of support, they hoped that Kieran would lead them out of this difficult situation as their survival instincts were acting up.
"I mean you no harm! Let me leave!"
Perry Kaner said after jumping into the sea of snakes.
Her tone was utterly firm and decisive. She wasnt a woman whopromised easily but Kierans presence forced her to do so and she took it as an insult to her dignity.
Of course being willing topromise to the situation was a one-sided thought from Perry Kanner, in the eyes of the others, it looked more like a desperate request.
Mary then walked up to Kierans side under the gazes of the sea of snakes while holding tight to her mothers sword, [Thorn de].
"Why do you want to kidnap me? Tell me the reason and Ill let you leave," The girl said.
Simr to Kieran, the girl was curious about Perry Kaners motives as well.
However, her questions sounded more like a bigger insult to Perry Kaner.
"Are you insulting me? Or do you think I will show you any mercy?" Perry Kaner coldly grunted.
Suu Suuu!
Perry Kanner whistled quickly again. The sea of snakes which were still calm a moment ago quickly rushed towards the campsite under the whistlesmand.
The soldiers backed off quickly one after another, each of them was horrified at the scene.
Mary too unconsciously took a step back but when he saw Kieran remained still, she halted her steps.
Even though the instinctive fear lingered in her heart, she clenched her teeth and forced herself to stand by Kierans side.
Kieran smiled as his looked down, his hand reached out to the girls head and touched her.
Then, he turned towards Perry Kaner and strode forward after he kept his smile.
Perry Kaners heart shook for a bit when she saw Kierans cold eyes but it made her whistle even faster.
The sea of snakes rushed forward a few times faster than before.
While Kieran on the other end didnt stop his march forward either, he didnt even hasten his steps as he walked straight up to the sea of snakes.
10 meter!
5 meter!
2 meter!
1 meter!
A second before the sea of snakes drowned Kieran, all of the snakes froze all of a sudden as though they were struck by some spell.
Then, the sea of snakes divided itself into two and revealed a path that led straight to Perry Kaner.
Kieran walked along the small path as the poisonous snakes on both his side were hissing towards the moon.
Suddenly, all of the snakes bowed their head down as though they saw their king!
They bowed to their king and submitted to his presence.
The sudden scene struck panic in Perry Kaners heart and when Kieran was approaching her, the panic in her heart overflowed like never before.
Chapter 615: Actions That Speak
Chapter 615: Actions That Speak
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Panic was an unfamiliar term to Perry Kaner.
She experienced it once before but was soon shut outside her door with her rapid power-ups and unique talents.
She believed that strength would earn her everything yet when she came across a stronger presence than her, the more she believed in her ideal, the more panic she felt.
Kieran was approaching her step by step. Perry Kaner could even hear her own heartbeat with her ear and her throat was getting itchy and dry.
However, she expelled those unpleasant feelings soon enough because she wanted to live.
If her strength couldnt guarantee her survival, then...
Benefits!
"The secret on Mary has something to do with the vanished Dragon Sect!"
Perry Kanner spilled it directly without any more tricks but she was speaking so soft that only Kieran who was walking towards her heard what she said.
Mary who stayed behind only heard a little of the revtion.
As for the soldiers behind, all they heard was ceaseless hissings.
Kieran didnt stop his steps though.
He wanted to know the secret because it was rted to his sub-mission but obviously the leader of the Viper Sect had much more benefits with her.
It was always been Kierans aim to maximize his benefits and if he couldnt, he wouldnt mind using a more direct way to get what he wanted, such as killing her.
It might be hard for Perry Kaner to drop Legendary rank items but there was a higher chance of dropping a Rare item.
The biggest possibility was some decent skill books which would be a great deal for Kieran.
"I can share the secret with you!"
Perry Kaner said even quicker but she couldnt sense any intention of stopping in Kieran.
The panic that she suppressed rose up again and filled her heart, this time it brought the presence of death with it.
The moment Perry Kaner first saw Kieran and noticed the coldness in his eyes, she knew he wasnt a merciful person and when killing intent was present...
As the thought came, Perry Kaner brought up her biggest ace card.
"I can lead the Viper Sect in aiding you against the Prairies invaders!"
She purposely emphasized the Viper Sect.
What was the most feared aspect of the Viper Sect?
Their techniques? Their way of handling things? Or their abilities toe and go like shadows?
Each aspect might be fearful on its own but once they werebined together, it would be an existence that the enemy couldnt neglect.
It was quite decent for Kieran to gain the aid of a bunch of skillful assassins.
Kieran finally stopped.
Compared to one or two skill books, he hoped for more insurance towards his main mission.
Otherwise, if he were to fail the main mission, it wouldnt matter regardless of how much rewards he obtained. Besides, after setting up a channel tomunicate with Perry Kaner, obtaining a skill book from her wasnt all that hard either.
"Very well then. I want you to make an oath in your Viper Sect way and form a contract with me in my way," Kieran said.
Kieran wouldnt take words without substance. "Word of Sects" were specifically mentioned how highly all the sects viewed of such oath, it was a kind of spirit ofnguage that was rted to life itself.
Kieran had no idea how the sects did it but he wouldnt mind an extrayer of insurance.
His way of forming a contract was from Pro level [Mystical Knowledge]. It wasnt as absolute as the system contract but it was much more convenient.
Seeing Kieran pulled out a goatskin contract from his bag, Perry Kaner scanned over it and after making sure it was just a "contract of credibility" without any hidden contents, she wrote down her name without any hesitation.
"So I can leave now?" Perry Kaner asked.
"Be my guest." Kieran nodded.
Kieran then used [Ring of the Serpent King]s [Dominate Reptile] to disperse the sea of snakes.
A path then opened up before Perry Kaner as the snakes dispersed and she disappeared into the darkness without further obstruction.
Kieran then turned back to Mary to signal her and then quickly went up to Lightning Fortresss wall.
Themotion that happened had caught the attention of the Prairies invaders.
A few hidden scouts were already lurking around Lighting Fortresss wall.
No doubt those scouts had crossed the line that Kieran drew and in reply, Kieran would need to show some response to their action.
After all, a man must uphold his promise.
Kieran drew out his brand new [Hunters Bow] from his bag. The purple cedar wood was gloomy and dark under the moon hanging over the night sky but as the string was pulled back, the arrow that Kieran infused his tremendous strength into was fired out with a roar, as though there was a tiger in the mountains.
Souuuu!
After the first arrow was fired, the second and third followed instantaneously.
Kierans hand which drew the arrow and pulled the strings were moving so fast that it left afterimages around.
Common eyes couldnt even tell when Kieran drew his arrow or when he loaded them onto his bow. Themon ears too couldnt catch the sounds of his actions as the air-breaking noise sounded continuously yet like a single fire at the same time.
Musou level [Sharp Weapon, Bow]s [Musou Reload] granted Kieran an extra +4 temporary buff to his S+ Agility. Even though it was only effective against the reloading of arrows, it was enough Kieran to carry at least ten men worth of work and not just tenmon archers but ten sharpshooters.
Half of the twelve arrows in his quiver were fired off. Six scouts that went over the line fell under the arrow without exception.
The agonizing cries were loud but after another six arrows were fired, the cries halted abruptly.
Their bodies fell to the ground twitching and soon absent of any signs of life.
The other scouts that hadnt gone over the line quickly back off in fear, none of them cared anymore about concealing presence and ran back to their main camp bareback.
Kieran turned around and jumped off the fortress wall after seeing those panicking figures. He did that on purpose though.
Musou level [Sharp Weapon, Bow] would never have spared anyones lives, it was just that he needed the screams from the scouts to create a cruel and vicious atmosphere.
One must use the sheeps way tomunicate with a sheep and the same goes for jackals.
The weapons in hand were always more effective than soft talks.
After exchanging gazes with Mary, Kieran went back to his tent under the soldiers revered eyes. They assumed that he was going to rest but only Mary knew what Kieran was going to do.
...
Perry Kanner spent all her effort and got back to her base in Riverdale yet she was a step toote.
The traitors were much more than she expected and some of them were even out of her expectation.
She stared at the young man before her, Bicker her left-hand man which was also one of her most trusted ones.
Perry Kaners eyes were filled with rage yet absent of necessary questions. She disliked asking questions under such circumstances as she didnt want mercy and empathy from a traitor.
"Dont want to ask why?"
Bicker a handsome young man who was standing in front of Perry Kaner with a warm smile. He was sure that she had lost her ability to resist. The daggers at his waist were not only sharp but alsoced with poison from five different kinds of snake venom and when it touched Perry Kaner, it robbed her of any remaining resistance.
Of course, she would still remain conscious and in the opposite, the poison would be much more effective that way.
"Fine then, if you dont ask, I wont tell. Ill speak with my actions!"
Bicker then took off his mantle and unbuttoned his leather armor.
"You dont mind the increase of audience right?" Bicker said.
His hands were moving faster as he was eager to strike.
Chapter 616: Ghost
Chapter 616: Ghost
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Pak!
As Bicker threw his leather belt with the daggers and flying knives aside, a clear noise followed.
Bicker pulled out a rope andshed it out at Perry Kaner.
Whuush!
As though the rope came alive, it flew across the air with air-breaking sounds and entangled Perry Kaners limbs before it tightened on her body.
The rope tied her up before one end of it returned to Bickers hand.
"Look, I have your unique talents as well!" Bickerughed.
He slightly pulled the rope and further tightened the bindings over Perry Kaners wound around her waist.
Looking at his ex-leaders furrowed brows while enduring the pain, Bickers smile turned warmer. He liked to watch Perry Kaner suffer, so he increased her suffering.
Bicker went up close to Perry Kaner and gripped the dagger on her wound. He slightly turned it around and pulled it right out of her body, causing blood to gush.
The agonizing pain and the heavy grunts from Perry Kaner caused Bicker to quiver.
He felt excited, stimted, a feeling that he hadnt felt for a long time.
"Do you know how long have I waited for this particr moment? It is wonderful having my fantasye true!"
Bicker raised his right index and middle finger to stuff them into Perry Kaners wound. He didnt mind the blood and the poison mixed in it, all he did was twisted his fingers and feel her blood and flesh.
He felt even more stimted when Perry Kaner moaned out of pain intermittently. It was the best moment for him.
The better he felt, the more he wanted to destroy her!
He stuck his tongue out and licked his dried lips before proceeding with his disgusting move.
Bicker took out his fingers reluctantly and tore Perry Kaners leather armor in a rampant way.
He then moved his face to her waist and ced his mouth over her wound.
Perry Kaner squinted his eyes as she was being ravaged. The shine of danger was glimmering in her eyes.
She didnt care about how disgusting Bicker was, all she could think about was how could she deal with the situation at hand. She did possess two more ace card which she could use to easily obliterate the disgusting bastard before her but the rest of his men...
She couldnt even muster a 50% sess rate because of her wound at her waist and the number of traitors.
However, she wasnt ready to give up just yet. A 50% chance was worth the risk but someone was faster than her.
A hand reached out from the shadows and grabbed Bickers head that was stuffing his face around Perry Kaners waist.
A clear crack soundter, Bickers neck was snapped off from his spine.
The sudden pain left the stimted expression on his handsome face but when both extreme emotions were mixed together, his face turned extremely twisted.
Bickers head was then thrown at the ground and followed by a stomp from a boot, crushing his head together with his twisted face.
Pak!
Whitish red brain fluid sttered upon impact.
A green glowing skill book then appeared on his headless body.
Kieran picked it up and nced through it.
[Discovered Living Rope Technique. Learn skill? Yes/No]
"Living Rope Technique?"
Kieran raised a brow and unconsciously looked at Perry Kaner who was tied in an embarrassing way by Bickers technique. Without further exnation, her body has told Kieran what the skill could do.
He quickly put the skill book into his bag before turning back at the ce.
The fight in the temporary base was still going on, however, the situation was one-sided.
The enemys side has an overwhelming number of people and the allied side has only a single woman.
Some of the enemies then walked over with erupting killing intent after seeing Kieran snap Bickers neck.
The situation was a terrible news for Perry Kaner but a good one for Kieran.
He could never turn a cold shoulder against the Viper Sect members who possessed decent fighting capabilities which might drop more potential items.
But Kieran didnt move out immediately.
"Need a hand?" Kieran asked Perry Kaner.
The question was a test for a potential sub-mission.
Perry Kaner didnt reply, all she did was stare at Kieran with dubious eyes. She didnt mind at all about her ravaged clothes and wasnt even concerned that she might be the only one left alone.
"What do you want?" She asked.
"Viper Sects secret techniques and ultimate skills."
Even if Kieran had acquired a sub-mission, he wouldnt tell her honestly but it didnt stop him from further prying on his benefits.
"Viper Sect techniques are only taught to Viper Sect disciples!" Perry Kaner voiced her rejection.
However, Kieran felt that there was still room to turn her rejection around, otherwise, she could have just replied "Impossible" and wouldnt say something with profound meaning.
Engaging Perry Kaner before allowed Kieran to understand she was a smart woman.
She looked highly of strength but also benefits.
Thetter might even have a higher priority than the former which meant room for negotiating.
"What about one of the two?" Kieran asked.
"One! Only one!" Perry Kaner emphasized.
"It must be something that I havent learned," Kieran added his requirements.
"Fine!" Perry Kaner nodded.
Both of them were negotiating like the owner of a fruit stall and her customer in the market but the ce they were in was full of dead bodies and filled with bloody stench, there was an indescribable strangeness to the scene.
After Perry Kaner nodded, Kieran turned over and faced the Viper Sect traitors who pointed their swords at him.
Kieran drew out [Arrogant Word] from his bag.
The moment the greatsword left [Crimson Ghost Stomach], it gave out a heavy chime.
Wuuung!
Purple bewitching re shone brightly from the de body as Kieran swung it horizontally.
The traitors were illuminated by the re and the swords in their hands were broken by a single sh together with their body.
It was like breaking a twig from a dead stump!
The clean sh made one doubt whether the scene was real.
The other traitors had their hands frozen for a while, none of them thought the oue would be so outrageous.
Even Perry Kaner who was still in bindings was shocked. She knew Kieran would surely win but she didnt think it would be so easy.
"That sword! A legacy weapon?"
Thoughts bloomed in her heart as Perry Kaner locked her eyes on that eye-catching [Arrogant Word].
The only one present in the temporary base who had foreseen the oue was Kieran.
After enchanting Lvl 2 [Critical Rate] and [Critical Damage], [Arrogant Word] had exceeded its own limits from a certain aspect.
[Critical Rate] has a certain percentage to deal two times the damage when striking the enemys weak point.
[Critical Damage] has a percentage to deal an extra higher rank of damage.
The damage increase enchantmentplemented [Arrogant Word]s high damage and boosted it to the next level.
Kieran then dashed out to the rest of the traitors without even ncing at the bodies cut in half or the glowing spoils of war.
He didnt swing the greatsword with precise techniques but relied on [Sharp Weapon, Heavy Arms] skill and his own Strength and Agility.
Still, Transcendence level of the basic skill with the support of his S+ Strength and Agility granted him a fearsome destructive power, as though he was a walking meat grinder.
He dashed into the group and brought up a storm of blood and flesh.
Regardless of the weapons, armors or the traitors themselves, every one of them were killed by the greatswords absolute suppression.
They turned into real ghosts!
Suddenly, a cold and gloomy presence was blown into the temporary base like the winters wind.
Chapter 617: Illusory Shadow
Chapter 617: Illusory Shadow
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Under Kierans [Tracking] vision, he saw souls floating out of the shed Viper Sect traitors.
The ghosts werent simr to those mindless, lost wandering souls but a stronger, more vicious form probably in the ranks of specters.
The moment they appeared, the temperature in the temporary base plummet rapidly. Their shed bodies even withered off at exponential speed and the ghosts grew stronger as though they sucked off the life essence of their body. They were starting to smell like demons
More importantly, the ghosts knew how to work together.
They didnt flood Kieran like what wandering souls did but surrounded him in all directions.
A sharp irritating wail of deathter, their sharp ws were lunging at Kierans weak points.
Sou Sou Sou!
Air-breaking sounds filled the temporary base. The ghosts were originally translucent in form but when a great number of them gathered, it started to affect the material world.
The translucent waves were rippling around Kieran and it spread out like ripples on theke, flooding Kieran within a breath.
"Damn it!"
One of the Elders who was still with Perry Kaner saw the scene as well.
He was surrounded by the traitors before but after Kieran killed all of them, he quickly retreated behind Perry Kaner and cautiously looked around.
He and Perry Kaners heart sank when they saw what happened to Kieran.
The elderly had enough life and battle experience to know something went south, Perry Kaner also rted to more matters. Still, none of that stopped the both of them from making a move.
They knew they would be next after Kieran was defeated.
In fact, from a certain perspective, the ghosts real targets were them, it was just that they didnt expect the ghosts to be this strong.
Aside from that terrifying wail of death, the fact that the ghosts could affect the material world was enough to send chills down their spine and seep into every seam of their body.
But it was still nothingpared to the mastermind hiding somewhere.
The mastermind! The elderly and Perry Kaner were certain that the ghosts were under someones control.
The Viper Sect may not have expertise in ghosts but they knew a thing or two.
Both of them knew the newly deceased couldnt have formed ghosts of such caliber unless they cultivated a certain secret technique.
Coincidentally, the elderly and Perry Kaner knew of such technique, it was a secret one from a certain sect within the Prairies people.
The technique allowed one to continue living even after the death of their bodies but the consequences were heavy.
Not only will the ghosts be controlled by someone else, but they will alsopletely lose their minds after a period of time, changing them into mindless puppets under strings. Yet it was the absolute choice for those who wanted revenge after death.
Grudges will always cause one to lose his sanity.
Perry Kaner and the elderly exchanged gaze, they wanted to find out who the mastermind was behind this because this wasnt solely about revenge anymore but their benefits were involved as well.
The mastermind must be nearby!
The surprising fact was that Kieran was taken down by a single wave of attacks, which contradicted his brave image from before by a lot.
It stunned the Elder for a while before reacting to what happened.
"Hurry!"
The Elder signaled Perry Kaner but she shook her head.
Unlike the Elder who just met Kieran, Perry Kaner didnt think Kieran would just die like that after confronting him before.
She was just stating the facts of his strength without mixing any private emotions in her judgment.
The other reason Perry Kaner was willing to wait for another while was because if Kieran was really defeated, she could easily escape the ghosts and the masterminds encirclement.
So she stayed back and witnessed the amazing scene that unfolded right after.
A sky full of kicking afterimages erupted from Kierans spot and it was different from the strangeness of [Viper Kick], it was a set of kicking techniques that went for speed.
Kieran pressed his hands on the floor as he switched left and right, spinning his body around with the repeated motion and caused his kicks to reach out in every direction.
His kicking afterimages multiplied from two, four, eight, sixteen... and eventually hundreds of kicks.
Within an instant, the kicking afterimages brought up a relentless air-breaking sound, simr to the great waves at sea, crashing down with a powerful force without pause.
A rising energy stream was formed amidst the kicks.
Kieran lifted his left hand suddenly and a spark of fire was formed with a snap.
BOOM!
[Hundred Violent Kicks]s powerful energy stream drove [Devil me] into the kicks and made the mes bloom like countless fiery lotuses.
The scorching heat waves sted the area and caused the air to distort.
None of the gathered ghosts could escape the fiery kicks as all of them were sucked into the motion. Transcendent kicks plus the zing mes rapidly turned the ghosts into ashes.
A couple of [Soul Shards] then dropped from the ghosts.
Kieran quickly jumped back up and grabbed the couple [Soul Shards], most of them were fragments and only two of them were at the cracked rank.
As hended on his feet after the jump, he dashed towards a corner of the temporary base.
Musou level [Tracking] presented all the tracks and traces clearly before his eyes, even souls.
Woom!
Kieran dished out a kick and swept over the soul figure like a battle axe. It fell out the corner, revealing its transparent body.
The zing mes burned once more in Kierans left hand and grew rapidly.
After falling down to the ground and receiving an almost fatal amount of damage, the soul figure let out a terrorizing growl before it drove itself into the ground.
Kieran was faster, as he was not affected by the terrorizing wail, he dished out another kick.
Transcendent kick stunned the soul figure in an instant and dragged its transparent body out which was already halfway into the ground. Its figure started to copse after the double attack.
The reason why spirit beings were hard to deal with was because of their ability to affect ones mental state and their ability to dive into walls and the ground without a trace.
With an extremely high Spirit attribute, Kieran was least afraid of Spirit authentications, in addition to [Tracking]s special vision, Transcendent level attacks, and fire elemental attacks that could harm spirits, Kieran was the bane of most of the spirit beings.
Perhaps some special spiritual monster could avoid Kierans arsenal but definitely not the one before him.
[Devil me] was hurled down at the soul figure, increasing the speed of its demise.
As the me burned it into crisp, a slightly bigger [Soul Shard] appeared in the mes.
[Name: Perfect Soul Shard]
[Type: Gemstone]
[Rarity: Great]
[Attribute: Slightly increase enchanting sess rate!]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: A powerful soul shard! Able to provide extra help to enchanters during enchantment. You do need a higher level of enchanting skills to perfectly utilize it as well!]
...
"An intact [Perfect Soul Shard] can increase enchanting sess rate?"
Kieran nced over the [Perfect Soul Shard] in his hand in shock before turning to the pile of ash.
A cold, gloomy aura was forming rapidly around it, with a sense of familiarity.
One of the stronger ones from the Prairies soldiers!
Kieran was certain of the origins of that aura.
Fuuu!
[Devil me] rose up high again in Kierans left hand as an illusory figure took form from the pile of ash.
The illusory figure had the body and half the face of a man but the other was the face of a spirit monster.
It looked extremely unreal under such an illusion.
"You..."
The figure uttered out a word angrily and was forced to an abrupt stop.
Kieran smashed his fiery fireball down at the figure after charging up.
The illusory figure was crushed like a bubble.
Chapter 618: Secret Technique
Chapter 618: Secret Technique
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Kieran squatted in front of the pile of ash that belonged to the illusory figure.
After a careful check to make sure there wasnt any problem left, he stood up.
Pro level [Mystical Knowledge] limited Kierans reach towards more profound knowledge about souls but after the short encounter with that figure, it allowed him to understand he could never be too safe when facing off against a soul controller, especially in this dungeon world which has curses that could be cast by souls.
Kieran turned around but he didnt walk over to Perry Kaner or the Elder. Instead, he swept the battlefield clean.
Aside from the four low-tier Magic items, Kieran was concerned about one mechanical item and two skills books.
[Name: Rapid Snake Crossbow]
[Type: Weapon]
[Rarity: Great]
[Attribute: 1. Continuous Shot, 2. Scatter Shot]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: This is a skillful crossbow, able to load a maximum of 5 arrows once. The favorite of assassins!]
...
[Continuous Shot: The crossbow was made with extensive spring mechanics, able to fire continuously until arrows are depleted without reloading.]
[Scatter Shot: Able to fire all the arrows in one shot.]
...
[Rapid Snake Crossbow] had amon crossbow size but with a knuckle-sized arrow loader.
It wasnt a Magic rank item but a purely mechanical made crossbow yet its powers were almost on par with a high-tier Magic weapon.
He opened up the arrow loader and saw the glinting arrowheads giving out a faint sweet scent before he nodded in satisfaction.
It wasnt against any rules ce poison on crossbow arrows.
In Kierans point of view, anyone against him was his enemy and it was really nothing regarding trying to kill his enemies by all means necessary.
The other two skill books were glowing in green.
One of them was named [Viper Sword] and the other, [Viper Dart]. The skill books were just as their names implied.
After putting everything into the [Crimson Ghost Stomach], Kieran finally turned to Perry Kaner.
Though, from Perry Kaner and the Elders eyes, Kieran swept and inspected the battlefield seriously.
The elderly however slightly frowned, expressing his dislike of Kierans actions.
Even though Kieran saved him and killed the traitors, the traitors were once Viper Sect members, each of them had secrets that belonged to the Viper Sect.
Perry Kaner stayed quiet though, the Elder also kept quiet out of respect for his leader.
"How is it?"
Perry Kaner looked at Kieran when he came over. She didnt even care about what Kieran had gotten out of the traitors, all she cared about was what he discovered.
The Prairies peoples secret technique being present on the Viper Sect traitors was a thing that caught her attention. The elimination of the Viper Sect back in the days was exactly the deed of Folly being affiliated with the outsiders.
With such an example imprinted in her mind, Perry Kaner wished for the Viper Sect to not repeat the same history under her leadership.
"Nothing." Kieran shook his head.
It wasnt being evasive but the true fact. He really didnt find anything worth noticing.
Kieran didnt think he cut off the lead after destroying that illusory figure.
The subordinates or even closer men were killed but the mastermind behind decided to show up in an illusory image just to scare him?
What a joke.
Unless the person behind this was aplete idiot, otherwise the reason for the illusory image to appear must have some other meaning.
Beforepletely grasping the goals of his enemy, Kieran wasnt himself if he didnt strike first to disy his strength since he knew it was one of the stronger ones from the Prairies invaders.
"Is that so?" Perry Kaner looked at Kieran with doubt.
Both of their cooperation started off one-sided, one side being forced toply.
When cooperation was built on such a base, theplete trust of opposite sides was impossible.
Kieran didnt bat an eye at her anymore.
"Dont forget our contract and your promise. I can spare you another day or two after this little incident so you can quickly clean up your own mess. Remember to bring what you promised back to Lightning Fortress. Though, I dont mind further helping you to solve problems given there are enough rewards."
Kieran then left the temporary base after finishing.
The reason he was there wasnt to save Perry Kaner but to reap some extra rewards.
Now that his goal was met and he gained more than he bargained for, there wasnt any reason for him to stay.
Although there were arrangements made in Lightning Fortress, Kieran couldnt afford to be absent for a long time.
Kieran sprinted all the way back to Lighting Fortress and when he saw Lighting Fortress within his sight, he slowed down his steps.
But he frowned quickly. Although he slowed down, it didnt mean he stopped and judging from the distance between him and Lightning Fortress, he should have reached the campsite already but instead, he was walking on the spot?!
Kieran nced over the campsite torches and shifted to the darkness around him.
He then carefully took a step forward.
There was an obvious footprint made by his feet and he himself had indeed moved forward but the distance did not shorten.
Hex Labyrinth?
Kieran was stunned but soon enough he noticed something different.
The book "Hex Labyrinth" did mention that the maze relied on sight to confuse the targets and cause a "loss of direction" effect but what he experienced was not the case.
His sight was normal and so was his hearing, he could clearly listen to the clunking noise of the soldiers armor in the campsite.
"It isnt sensory confusion! Then... Illusion? Or Illusory realm?" Kieran guessed.
He knew he did kill that illusory figure without hesitation but it seemed like he had fallen for its tricks without knowing.
"Soul secret techniques can be cast without a trace or sound... scary!"
Kieran couldnt hold back his exmation in his heart. He sized up his surroundings after seeing there were no notifications on his vision.
Despite him being extra careful, the difference in knowledge caused him to make mistakes. Still, he wasnt anxious at all because he knew the person who trapped him on the spot wouldnt just leave him as he was.
Even though Kieran had a limited amount of knowledge, Pro level [Mystical Knowledge] allowed him to know the person who cast this on him without any sound or trace must have paid quite the price for it to seed.
If the person did nothing and just trapped him there, it would be a wasteful decision.
Just as Kieran was grinding his gears, changes urred to Lightning Fortress.
A storm of arrows rained down at the patrolling soldiers, causing them to fall down on the ground without further signs of life.
With his absence, Lightning Fortress was broken through by the Prairies riders easily.
The Prairies riders gushed through the gate and left behind and of destruction.
Then, ck vultures flew down from Herr Valley and fed on the corpses.
Soon, the corpses became mushy as the vultures feed on most of the flesh.
The remaining bits of flesh withered quickly in the sands of time, giving birth to white maggots over the remainings of the soldiers.
The vile stench filled the air as the temperature began to surge and was blown toward Kieran.
The awful vomiting stench made Kieran wanted to cover his nose but as he moved his hand, he felt that he hand was held back.
It was a skeleton palm that withered through time. It was small and thin, looked nothing like an adult.
Kierans movement froze for a second as a thought suddenly came to his mind.
"Why didnt you save me?"
The rough, dry voice sounded with hate and grudge but Kieran could tell it was Mary.
Kieran slowly turned around to the eerie voice.
Chapter 619: Real Yet Unreal
Chapter 619: Real Yet Unreal
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Kieran looked at Mary.
Her withered blonde hair and bleached blue eyes were hanging over her skull.
The grudge within her was so dense that it felt real.
The scene was exactly what Kieran had pictured a moment ago.
"Why didnt you save me?" Mary asked again.
Her rough voice made her half skeleton, half-withered body shake intensely, as though she was voicing out her rage.
Kieran kept quiet.
"Are you repenting for your sins?" The dead Mary asked. Her voice was hard to listen but it couldnt cover the mocking intentions behind it.
"No. I was thinking about why do you look exactly like my thoughts now. Being grudgeful, persistent, ugly and mocking me. After a look at the campsite, all these thoughts were the first thing that came into my mind. When I thought about you, all of a sudden, you appeared before me. Then..."
Kieran was staring at the dead Mary as he spoke.
He started to alter the image of Mary in his mind. Just at the thought bloom, flesh started to fill Marys skeletons and filled her withered body once more. Her blonde hair was back to its radiating glory and her blue eyes looked energetic as ever.
A smile was hanging over her face as she floated up as though her body was filled with air.
At the same time, she pointed back at Warren defense campsite.
A big vortex formed and rapidly swept across the ce, bringing away all the dead bodies with it.
The campsite returned to its normal state and the patrolling soldiers were still doing their duties.
While at a farther spot where the Prairies invaders were located, a sharp, agonizing cry of pain sounded.
None of the soldiers heard it except for Kieran.
Mary then disintegrated into light particles as she floated higher, as though she was a wrathful specter being released from her grudge.
Kieran looked at the sparkles before looking at his system notification tab again which still remained silent. He frowned slightly.
He had limited knowledge about soul rted secret techniques but with the scene that happened, wasnt that hard for him to guess what had urred.
Given that he witnessed the fall of the Warren defense campsite, it triggered the guilt and responsibility in his heart and even though he knew it wasnt real, the first impression that went into his mind allowed him to imagine the death of Mary.
Based on his guesses, if he pictured the dead Mary attacking him, the illusion would really attack him and because it was his own imagination, he wouldnt have been able to dodge it. Once he thought of himself being hit or attacked, he would really suffer the damage in real time, it might even trigger some unknown changes as far as his imagination was concerned.
Kieran was certain about his guesses after recalling the strangeness of the soul secret techniques.
"Its because I didnt imagine myself being attacked, so there are no battlelog notifications?" Kieran pondered at the question as he resumed his walk towards the campsite.
While the questions lingered in his mind, he didnt forget to give the real Mary a smile who was waiting for him in front of his tent.
"Ive prepared some food. Although I dont have your cooking skills, I hope you will give it a try." Mary then went into the tent.
The aromatic scent flew out as she opened the tent.
It smelled like roasted biscuits, meat, and milk. All of them were pre-prepared food with extra process added but when Mary heated them up, she deliberately added in some spices.
The temporary Musou level [Cooking] painted a clear picture in Kierans mind of that particr process.
He took up one of the roasted biscuits with Mary staring at him full of anticipation but just as he wanted to take a bite, footsteps sounded outside the tent.
"Sir 2567, his Majesty wishes for a meeting!" The sonorous voice was filled with respect.
"Got it." Kieran ced the biscuit down and stood up.
Kieran didnt spend a lot of time with the king but he had quite the understanding of him. King James VIII wasnt a qualified father nor a king that had decisive judgment but he could be considered as a serious and responsible man, therefore it wouldnt be a small case if the king wanted to meet him in the middle of the night.
"Whats wrong?" Kieran thought in his mind. He turned to Mary and smiled apologetically.
Mary was upset about what the king did but he didnt stop Kieran.
"Ill wait then." Mary then sat back on the mattress after saying that.
The kings tent wasnt that far away from Marys so after the guard delivered the message, Kieran went straight into.
However, when Kieran really entered the kings tent and saw the people inside, his body froze.
There were two people in the tent: one was King James VIII who summoned him and the other was...
Mary!
Mary said she would be waiting for him in her tent but now she appeared in the kings tent?
"Whats wrong?" Mary looked at Kieran with surprise at the side.
"Nothing." Kieran shook his head and decided to observe before taking action.
Mary beside the king wasnt any different than the Many he knew and it seemed to be simr to the Mary that he just met.
Fuuu!
Kieran took in a deep breath. He knew he was in trouble.
It seemed like he didnt escape the soul secret technique that was cast on him but instead he was dragged deeper.
Or another possibility was, he escaped the first one and entered the second one.
If it was the former, everything before Kierans eyes were purely illusions but if it was thetter, which Mary was the real one?
Of course there was another possibility of which everything before his eyes was something that the mastermind wanted him to believe what he saw but actually had a different story behind.
Then, Kieran would plunge to his death step by step because of the illusory tricks.
The death of Kieran, regardless of what the mastermind had set up for him, it all led to a single oue and in order to plot the course of the masterminds desired oue, the person wouldnt even need to make a move because Kieran will be the one who led himself to his demise.
For example, if Kieran wanted to differentiate which Mary was the real one, he would make both of them confront each other or he would investigate himself but despite his choices, it would trigger a series of chain reactions.
The course had been plotted long ago targeting at him in an exceptionally reasonable way. Whether it was the second attack from the Prairies invaders or idents happening to the king or the Warren defense troops, the series of chain reactions would surely force him around the ce, draining his energy until he died.
Kieran was ever grateful that he had Pro level [Mystical Knowledge], it granted him a glimpse of knowledge of what soul secret techniques could do. Even though all he could grasp was bits and fragments, he understood that his priority at hand wasnt to verify which was the real Mary, instead, he should focus on finding the ws!
The ws of the whole plot! Where would the mastermind make ws?
Kieran went on to sit down without extra emotions on his face. He pretended to listen to the kings words but actually was contacting Fire Raven with his mind.
Soon after, he was disappointed. He couldnt make any contact with Fire Raven all but the link was still intact. He could feel it clearly but he couldnt send his thoughts to the raven, let alone using the ravens eyes to see what was going on outside.
The blockage denied Kieran to locate ws from the outside with the Fire Raven.
"So it isntpletely isted from reality?" Kieran muttered in his heart.
Then, the king continued, "I think 2567 you should marry Mary as she will ascend to be Queen and you will be the new regent King. What do you think?"
Chapter 620: Unreal Yet Real
Chapter 620: Unreal Yet Real
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
"That would be nice," Kieran said calmly.
He sounded like he was greeting the king with a "good morning" rather than giving it serious thought about his marriage.
The Mary in front of him was surprised and delighted beyond words, the excitement on her face made her run up to Kieran for a hug. The hug was different from what Kieran felt before from her, it was much more passionate.
"This is great!" King James VII muttered softly, he sounded like he aplished thest mission in his life and was released of his responsibility.
Kieran carefully observed Mary and King James VIII, both of their expressions and actions towards the exciting news was very real indeed, to the point where he could not notice anything out of the blue.
"If you didnt give out the superior feeling... all these might very be real." Kieran muttered softly.
He looked up and saw a particr existence in the void through the tent.
Mary who was hugging Kieran and King James VIII who was muttering to himself froze at that moment. Then, their bodies withered rapidly and turned back into the mummy form.
Dead Mary was hugging Kieran with the strength to strangle an ox, Dead James VIII drew out a rusty longsword and drove it towards Kieran.
However, Kieran remained motionless, as though he didnt see any of them.
...
Meanwhile in Prairies invaders main camp.
Inside one of the tents in the deepest corner, a figure was sitting inside on a delicate carpet with legs crossed.
Hector had the body of a man yet half of his face looked like a soul monster.
He was surrounded by more than a dozen idol sculptures of various sizes, some of them looked kind and warm like deities, some of them had sharp fangs and green faces like demons.
Regardless of what the idol sculptures were, they were staring at another sculpture in front of Hector with a wicked gaze.
The wooden sculpture looked very lively, it was actually a miniaturized version of Kieran.
"So you still want to resist?" Hector muttered to himself, his voice was filled with disdain.
He slightly moved his fingers and low pitched incantations came from his mouth.
He took out a greenish bronze awl in the size of a dagger and stabbed it into the wooden sculpture of Kieran fiercely.
The bronze awl plunged deep from the sculptures head and went all the way down. Fresh blood then gushed out from the wooden sculptures seven apertures, sshing all over Hectors hand.
Hector shook the blood off without being concerned and his delicate carpet was dyed red instantly.
The man then stood up from his carpet and walked outside the tent.
"Send the troops now!"
Hector said to the officer who was waiting outside the tent.
The officer bowed and quickly delivered the order.
After a while, the whole camp started to move out. One leader after another, all of them gathered their own tribes fiercest warriors who rode on the fastest horses and wielded the sharpest weapons.
Charge!
The entire troops charged out from the main camp as if they blotted out the sky and covered thend.
Hector already saw the vision of Lightning Fortress being destroyed with a single blow. He then returned to his tent in a delighted manner.
Everything had concluded! All that was left was some necessary cleanups which didnt concerned him anymore.
Hector believed the tribe leaders would do a better job.
He thenid down on that blood-stained carpet, he was exhausted, physically and mentally, from all the spell casting. It was originally a plot targeted specifically towards the Viper Sect but who would have thought 2567, the biggest obstruction for his people to take down Lightning Fortress would be caught up in the process.
Still, it was a good news for Hector.
Even though it was a little rushed, his secret technique hadpleted what it was supposed to do.
That powerful existence who could rival a thousand men that no one could neglect would die in his Mystic Soul Realm. What a joke!
Hector wanted tough out loud when he pictured the unbelievable expression on Kierans face after death.
"After going through all sorts in life and even saw his own child ascended to the throne, yet in the end, it was all imaginary... That feeling... Tsk Tsk! Too bad it was a rushed preparation, otherwise I could have gotten a stronger soul!"
Hector sounded regretful with his soft mocking whileying down.
Sighing, Hector wanted to close his eyes for a rest but at the moment he closed his eyes, he opened it up again.
His was looking at the demon, deities sculpture of various sizes. Some of the sculptures were the souls of the strong ones that he killed and some of them were the demonic idols that reigned above all beings which served as the source of his power.
There was a total of twelve of them. He wouldnt forget the numbers since he cleaned them every day.
But...
The moment Hector closed his eyes, it seemed like there was an extra one.
"1,2,3... 11?!"
After counting, Hector noticed there was actually one missing! Eleven instead of twelve!
"What in the!?"
Hector scowled hard and quickly chanted his incantations.
The energy from the eleven sculpture started to flow and was circting him at his will.
Suddenly, another energy force appeared behind Hector.
He turned around right away and saw that the missing sculpture reappeared on the short table before him.
Hector was slightly relieved after feeling the energy from it.
He carefully took the idol sculpture back to its ce.
It wasnt a rare case for things rted to the souls, that was why Hector had to add consolidation talisman charms on them from time to time but it would still cause a lot of trouble for him.
Fortunately, it was just some petty problems that wouldnt harm the essentials.
"As expected of a strong one that could rival a thousand men, after using Mystic Soul Realm, my talisman charms got loose. I have to add another tomorrow..."
Just when he was thinking to add another consolidation talisman charm tomorrow, a sudden thought reced it and forced him to turn around in a stiff manner.
The wooden sculpture of Kieran had gone missing!
When any of his original twelve sculptures went missing, Hector would know what happened but when a newborn sculpture went missing, it made him felt like he would face his greatest foe.
Hector knew the danger of souls better than anyone.
He quickly cast his secret techniques once more disregarding his exhaustion after casting Mystic Soul Realm.
Instantly, the dozen idol sculptures started to move vigorously as though they came alive, however this time around, there seemed to be an extra one mixed inside.
It was the miniature sculpture of Kieran but its aura was different from the real Kieran.
It was Pride!
Hectorid eyes over the miniature sculpture as it suddenly expanded from a palm size to a grown man and continue expanding like a bloated balloon.
Momentster, a giant figure was staring down at Hector like the great alps.
The gaze was cold and arrogant, its presence was like that of a God that had descended before him.
Hector felt like he was an ant being stared down. He knew he had to break away from what he saw quickly, otherwise, it would be toote.
However, he suddenly felt his body faltering and his eyelids shutting, he couldnt hold back his sleepiness.
"No! I cant sleep! I cant sleep!"
....Huuuu
A momentter, Hector fell asleep with snores despite the fact that he kept reminding himself to be awake a moment ago.
Sloth was yawning as it walked out from the shadow.
However, when it looked at the sculptures around him, its eyes were shining brightly and were absent of anyziness but he quickly covered them up.
Because...
Pride!
Chapter 621: Similar Presence
Chapter 621: Simr Presence
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Pride reverted to its human size quickly but still had an overpowering aura.
Its eyes scanned over the idol sculptures and its wicked gaze quickly shrouded all over them.
Sloth yawned, as though it didnt care but its real and twisted presence was too obvious.
Pride didnt care, its pride came from within its soul, it didnt care about others including one of its own, Sloth.
In Prides eyes, Sloth was nothing but an ant. In fact other than itself, every other existence was as small as an ant.
While sensing Prides rapid growth in strength, Sloth was feeling a rare anxiety as well, as though the rage inside Sloth was restless.
Eventually, it held its feelings down and looked at the half-dead Hector. Sloth devoured Hector with its wicked radiance without further hesitant. It knew the chance was hard toe by and probably only once. If it didnt seize the opportunity, it will fall back into the abyss for eternity.
The wicked aura went rampant inside the tent, some of the sharper Prairies soldiers sensed that something was wrong with Hectors tent but his orders plus his notoriety halted his men from checking.
However, the grumpy Lapierre was an exception. As the fiercest warrior and the most resourceful during battle plus serving directly under the Prairie Kingsmand, he also owned the mighty title that could rival a thousand men himself, his size was almost two heads taller than amon Prairie soldier.
His bulky muscle even made his huge body look extremely strong, his triceps were already the size of amon mans thigh.
Two strips of blue and ck lines were drawn under his eyes and extended down to his face. It made his ugly looks even more vicious, striking fear into anyone whoid eyes on him.
Lapierre strode towards Hectors tent.
The soldiers around quickly made way for him. Simr to how they didnt dare disturb Hector, they didnt dare stop Lapierre who was obviously angry at the moment. Anyone who had the courage to do so would be torn apart.
"Damn it, Hector, dont you know its way past the promised time... Its you!"
Lapierre was scolding loudly, right after he saw Sloth, his scolding turned into a cry of surprise as he mistaken Sloth for the real Kieran.
Lapierre then smiled viciously and threw himself over to Sloth with opened arms.
Blue sparks were ignited on his robust arms when he leaped over.
When Lapierre was right in front of Sloth, the sparks turned into multiple electric currents. Not only did it seal Sloths way of retreat, it directly went after Sloth in a more ferocious way.
The blueish white electric current instantly engulfed Sloth wholly.
However, from the start of the electric attack, Slothszy facial expression didnt change, even though its origin energy that it had acquired a moment ago has been half depleted.
Sloth disappeared just like that, it vanished into the thin air under the strong electric current but Lapierres animal instinct told him that Sloth wasnt dead or hurt, it just vanished.
"Arrrrgh! Damn it!"
He swung his arms around as he felt he was being yed. The gathered current on his fist burst out instantly in all directions and destroyed Hectors tent.
The Prairies soldiers around the tent were also caught up by the electric current. The soldiers fell to the ground one after another, the first one who came in contact with the electric current was even burnt to crisp, turning him into a charred corpse.
Rage was bursting out of Lapierres chest, he turned around and gazed over Lightning Fortress from afar. He then dashed towards that direction without further concern.
That bastard vanished before his eyes but he knew where the bastard really was. He wanted to tear him apart with his own hands.
While such thoughts lingered in his mind, Lapierres steps hastened swiftly and eventually turned into a full on charge.
But just as he left the premise of the main camp, a palm suddenlynded on his shoulder. The palm shook him and forced Lapierre into a fall, crashing on the ground.
Lapierre wasnt angry at all after he suffered the crashed and ate dirt from the ground, in fact, he quickly got back up and kneeled down in a respectful manner.
"My king!" Lapierre lowered his head and addressed with respect.
"Dont be agitated... Its not time yet."
The person who was addressed as the king had a surprisingly young face. There were many golden essories hanging over his body, making him extravagant in a sense but the most eye-catching aspect of the man was the wolf pelt that he was wearing over his shoulder.
The wolf head was on one side of his shoulder and as the young man spoke, it felt like it came alive.
"Yes, my king!" Lapierre lowered his head deeper without refutes.
When Lapierre sensed that his kings presence had left him, he then raised his head towards Lightning Fortress with ferocious eyes. He gulped and stomped hard on the ground before returning back to the deepest part of the Prairie main camp.
More precisely, he returned to where Hectors forces were.
Lapierre might be grumpy but he wasnt an idiot. He knew other than the demonic idols inside Hectors tent, Hectors men around him had all sorts of malicious things with them as well.
He might still be reluctant and worrisome when Hector was alive but now?
There was nothing else that could stop him.
The strong devouring the weak had always been thews of the jungle.
...
Fuuu!
The night breeze was blowing.
The rusty sword that the dead King James VIII was driving towards Kierans throat shattered into pieces just as it was about to pierce Kierans throat.
The longsword turned into fine powder and was carried away by the wind, together with its wielder, the dead King James VIII and dead Mary who was hugging him.
Everything around Kieran started to crumble and vanish into dust and without a sound, Kieran returned to the spot where he was still some distance away from the real Lightning Fortress campsite.
Kieran easily contacted his Fire Raven that had surveince over the campsite, which meant he had finally escaped the Mystic Soul Realm.
He then squinted his eyes at [Fusion Heart]s description. [Touch of Cardinal Sins] didnt change at all, whether was it the description or effects but through Pride and Sloths vision, he knew something must have happened, something that he didnt know of.
"Sloth devoured the man!"
Kieran recalled that scene that he saw and easily came up with a conclusion.
Devouring a stronger presence could strengthen the sins strengths but what else was possible? However, it seemed like the stronger presence wasnt enough to affect the skill to undergo a qualitative change. That was why the system retained its original description.
However, Kieran unconsciously thought of the [Cardinal Sins Beast] which [Touch of Cardinal Sins] transformed into under an extremely dense negative energy environment.
"Perhaps it still has other directions of growth? And the seven of them are trying their best to go that direction?"
Such a theory appeared in Kierans heart and he theorized further but he swiftly buried those spections underneath his heart.
[Eye of Chimeras], part of [Fusion Heart] forced him to be extra careful with his thoughts.
It wasnt terrifying if his desires were peeked at but if the sins could get the precise thoughts from his desires and form up a n to specifically target him, Kieran couldnt ept it.
A bnced [Fusion Heart] was the best for Kieran, he wished not to lose the bnce and trigger a civil war within his heart.
If that happened, his biggest ace would turn into his biggest burden!
As he emptied out his mind, Kieran nced over Lightning Fortress and then the Prairie main camp.
Through Sloth and Pride, he was able to make out the three presences that he had to mark down.
The dead Hector.
Lapierre who was fond of electrifying attacking methods and that wolf pelt young man with extravagant golden essories.
Kieran frowned. He felt something different from that young man and not just because of his unusual way of dress but something from a deeper level.
The obscure aura of that person! He was hiding something underneath his aura.
It felt familiar yet not entirely and Kieran had a simr feeling from someone else in the past.
"Great Swamp!"
Kieran muttered the name softly.
Chapter 622: Comparison
Chapter 622: Comparison
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
When Kieran thought about Great Swamp who wasbeled as a God, his heart turned heavier.
He knew the gap of strength between him and Great Swamp, fortunately, what he should be facing right now wasnt Great Swamp but a simr existence.
It was a good news for Kieran as long he didnt need to face a single person that felt like he was facing a whole city itself. Otherwise, he would have toe up with a worst case scenario.
"It is a parasite? Holy being? Or the projection of divine beings?"
As Kieran pondered the identity of the Prairies King, he hastened his steps.
It was almost dawn.
The Mystic Soul Realm did consume of his time but it much lesspared to the time within the dungeon. Still, it was miles away from the game system itself which only consumed an hour in reality regardless of how long the yer spent in the dungeon world. The consistency of the system was shocking.
Minutester, Kieran went back to the campsite. He sighed when he once again saw Mary in front of his tent.
"Whats wrong?" Marys sharp senses picked up the unusuality from Kierans expression.
"Nothing... Youve prepared food for me?"
Kieran couldnt tell Mary what happened in Mystical Soul Realm, especially theter part where he saw himself getting married to the girl and having their own child.
He couldnt have said it, it felt so real that to the point he felt a little awkward when he saw Mary before him now.
"Um... Ive made some milk." Mary was curious about Kierans condition but she didnt press the question.
Kieran was relieved. The thing that he worried about most didnt happen.
"Is there sugar?" Kieran asked.
When Mary brought out the sugar, Kieran started to tell her what happened after he was gone with extreme details.
Kierans voice sounded rhythmically inside the tent as Mary was listening with her full attention. She would voice her opinion out from time to time but when the story was over, the girl was sleeping soundly on the beside mattress after pulling an all-nighter.
Kieran moved her on top of the mattress and covered her with the nket.
He had experienced it more than once while spending his time in Mystic Soul Realm which allowed him to handle the job with ease.
Just as he wanted to lower his head to kiss the girl, he abruptly stopped his reckless action with a hard shiver. He quickly stood up stiffly looking awkward by himself, he knew he had escaped the Mystic Soul Realm but it seemed like he was still affected somehow.
"Im affected even with my SSS+ Spirit... If my Spirit is any lower than that, I could never have found out the ws and might have fallen into the trap for the rest of my life right? Other than that, inside the deepest part of this dungeon world, the Godly figure was getting clearer as it was being explored."
When the thought came into his mind, he realized that he was very eager to limit break his Character Model Temte Limit.
After all, since the current dungeon difficulty had introduced Hector and the other presence that was simr to Great Swamp, it would be natural, in the future dungeons, more and more powerful existences would cross his path.
"Guess Ill have to up the schedule."
Originally, Kieran has nned to umte more within the dungeon world but now he altered his ns slightly.
Kieran left the tent after he saw that Mary was sleeping soundly.
Even if he altered his ns, it wouldnt affect the situation at hand, such as increasing his helpers with [Mesly Ring].
Truth be told, when Kieran realized he was in need of extra pairs of hand, [Mesly Ring] had been categorized as the tool that could "create" more helpers.
However, with the cooldown time, reactions from other natives plus the possibility of triggering a special event was taken into consideration, the [Mesly Ring] had too much of a limitation, which was slightlycklusterpared to a real-life helper than Kieran could bring everywhere. Still, the [Mesly Ring]s strangeness and power were undoubted.
When thest captive, the sword wielder that Kieran captured before Bosco, had fallen under the [Mesly Ring]s light and kneeled before Kieran, the rest of the Viper Sect captives were even more scared, especially Torstar.
The moment Jyaichi appeared before him, Torstar knew he was in danger.
Jyaichis position in the Viper Sect traitors was much higher than him and he definitely knew more, once Kieran had gotten what he wanted from Jyaichi, Torstar would have no more value.
What would be of a captive if there wasnt any value left?
Once the thought struck Torstar, he quickly said out loud, "I am willing to pledge my allegiance to you, great sir! Please..."
Pak!
Before he could finish, Fanner, the first captive who Kieran controlled, pped the hell out of Torstar. Fanner didnt hold back at all, his strong p even smacked a couple of teeth out of Torstars mouth, causing blood to gush.
Kieran wasnt concerned at all. Since the captives were once enemies, Kieran felt he was merciful and generous enough when he didnt kill them on the spot.
Kieran brought Jyaichi to the tent next door.
"Tell me everything you know, including the Viper Sects legacy. Everything!" Kieran said.
"Yes, master!"
Jyaichi didnt even resist for a bit after being controlled.
Since it was rted to the Viper Sects legacy, Kieran repeatedly asked a lot of questions, and so it took quite a long time for him to get all the information from Jyaichi.
Kieran started from early in the morning and all the way until afternoon. After he was done, he ordered Jyaichi to return to the captive tent and help Fanner in guarding the captives and he started to mumble by himself inside the tent.
"The techniques of swords, fist, kicks, and darts that were named after viper were all the basic skills within the sect. Most of the members treated them as core skills to master. The next was the Thousand Viper prefixes which were the advance versions of the skills, Myriad Viper prefix was the highest rank in terms of skills and could be even considered the ultimates. Though Jyaichi didnt know about the true ultimate skills of the Viper Sect, he might not have even heard of it before. Seems like there are many rules restricting them to be disclosed only to the leader of the Viper Sect. Among all the techniques in the Viper Sect, Viper Steps and Dormant Viper was the special and independent ones."
Kieran rearranged his thoughts about what Jyaichi revealed to him. He was more interested in the Viper Sects legacy after the revtion, not because of the techniques effect but more about the overall techniques and thebat system.
Lineal inheritance!
It was what Kieran felt about the Viper Sect techniques after he heard what Jyaichi said.
"This kind of techniques are concluded by countless generations of members, it had far exceeded what yers could explore and match. Both of them were not even the same concept, to begin with. Natives could learn what yers knew but if yers had to learn what natives knew without the assistance from the system, Im afraid that none of us could have achieved anything!"
yers and natives were different.
Points and Skill Points has allowed yers to reach what natives called as a peerless genius from a certain aspect.
Whenever Points and Skill Points were sufficient, the yers could have easily ridden the waves and dashed full speed ahead but when Points and Skill Points were in shortage...
yers would be stepping on the spot and eventually lead to their own death.
"If I risk my life, there will be corresponding rewards!"
Kieran concluded what the other yers portrayed and also what he himself had portrayed.
His relentless effort in searching with maximum effort for sub-missions andpleting them, to raise his dungeon ratings, wasnt all that just to earn him more Points and Skill Points?
Given othermon yers, when they entered [The Queens Shield II], they would have abandoned Lightning Fortress long ago and focused their attention into defending Riverdale.
There wasnt much to do in Riverdale either, all the yer need was to defend a couple waves of attack from the Prairie invaders and they would eventually give up Riverdale and head south instead.
It wasnt hard to defend against the Prairie invaders whocked siege weapons and only relied on riders. Even more so, if the yers would be crueler and used the refugees as bait, the Prairie invaders would have skipped Riverdale and directly went after the refugees instead.
Wasnt the Prairie invaders goal to find wealth traveling to the south?
If that was the case, the main mission [Prevent Warren capital, Riverdale from falling] would be easilypleted but the final dungeon ending would be obvious enough as well.
That was the reason why Kieran went after the decision to stay passive and defensive to guard Lightning Fortress in such harsh conditions.
However, as time went by, the pros of his decision had appeared slowly.
When the soldiers brought a message for him, Kieran walked out of the tent slowly.
Chapter 623: Arrival
Chapter 623: Arrival
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Outside the camp, Perry Kaner together with the Elder who Kieran saw once before was peering angrily at Celty and another unfamiliar middle-aged man.
Both sides refused to give in and even drew out their swords and crossbows at each other.
Kieran easily sensed a grudge from their eyes as they red at each other.
Regarding the existing grudges between the Viper and the Raven, it was clearly mentioned in "Words of Sect" but it didnt specifically state what happened between the two.
Still, Kieran could draw a general guess based on pieces of words.
The fight for resources, disciples and most probably the expansion of their forces.
Regardless of what it really was, it was enough for both sects to be hostile against each other.
As Kieran arrived before the four of them, both sides grunted coldly to voice their disdain and eventually ced their attention at Kieran.
"2567, if I have to work with these dirty crows, I wont do it even if I have to break my vows!" Perry Kaner said in a decisive tone.
"You are not even the Prime Viper and yet you control the whole sect. As expected of the Viper Sect after being eliminated once eh, now all you can do is hide in the drains and act like a loach!" Celtyughed coldly.
"Celty, what rights do you have to judge us, you amateur cook that unworthily upied a spot among the crows! If you have the mood to joke, why not spend more effort in locating your Crown Raven! Perhaps he might be holding up in some rotten ce, waiting for your rescue!"
The Elder beside Perry Kaner refuted back without holding back.
"Pietro, you should be thankful that the Viper Sect was eliminated once before, otherwise how could yourst decadent among the eight branches of the Viper Sect rise to power? You should really be thankful to those traitors."
Celty looked at the Elder with a smile, as though he wasnt agitated at all. He sounded calm and voiced out his words clearly.
On the other hand, the Elder Pietro seemed to have suffered a stab at his weakness, his face turned sour and his hand even reached out to his sword.
"Wanna have a go at it?"
Celty raised his hand and a cluster of fire burned above his palm.
A fight was about to break out in front of Kieran but he had no intentions to stop it.
He nced over Celty, Pietro, andnded his attention on the middle-aged man beside Celty slightly before turning it to Perry Kaner.
She did it on purpose! She wanted to pick a fight with the Ravens and hoped that she could lower her contributions from this sudden fight.
Otherwise, based on Kierans understanding of her, she wouldnt have made such a reckless move.
She just suffered a mutiny within her own sect yet she wanted to provoke other outer enemies in times of turmoil, even amon man wouldnt have done it let alone Perry Kaner who was a smart woman.
But when it was rted to benefits...
So she wanted to snatch the spoils of war from a stingy person?
Even if she was a God, Kieran would destroy her without a doubt!
Kierans eyes turned cold, he allowed his killing intent to overflow and cover the four of them. He went along with the flow and repositioned his steps, blocking both sides from retreating.
Perry Kaners face turned sour. She made mistakes in her n again before Kieran.
Thest mistake she made was disying her strength and this time, the disy of her character.
The session should be about discussing but it turned into a fight when Kieran intervened.
"Even against the Prairies army, he wasnt that eager for the Viper Sects help? Or... is his rtionship with the Raven Sect is much deeper than I thought?"
Perry Kaner pondered in her mind as she nced over to Celty and Maxim with the corner of her eyes.
She always had a grasp about her enemys information, whether was it Celty or Maxim, none of them should be here.
Unless...
As the thought came into her mind, she raised her hands up, expressing her will to step down.
"Im willing to offer a better reward for the help youve given us. Obviously, the basics and Thousand Viper ranks are inappropriate for now and I couldnt give you any Myriad Viper ranks skills because of my vows but [Viper Steps] and [Dormant Viper] are avable."
Undoubtedly, Perry Kaner altered her initial thoughts.
Kieran was sure that she was going to give up either some basic or Thousand Viper ranks skills.
Their contract didnt specifically mention the ranks of the skills, Kieran only limited it to the skills he hadnt learn.
Celty and hisrade turned suspicious after what Perry Kaner said but their face turned following what she said.
"But even the ultimate skills of Myriad Viper ranks, you seem to have quite the attainments as well, which even I couldnt but be jealous of," Perry Kaner said slowly.
She wanted to provoke the Raven Sect into doubting Kieran.
Kieran knew but he didnt even react to her provocation.
He too waspletely surprised by the Raven Sects arrival and couldnt even get a clear idea on why were they here. It would be best when someone else tested their intentions on his behalf.
Kieran saw how Celty and Maxims face turned worried after that, he then reached out his hand without further hesitation and said: "I want [Dormant Viper]."
"Not a problem!"
Perry Kaner didnt hesitate too and handed a goatskin scroll to Kieran.
It wasnt a manuscript but a copied version, judging from the edges of the goatskin and wooden stick, it has been around for quite some time.
Surprisingly, the system recognized it as a skill book.
[Discovered skill book, Dormant Viper. Learn? Yes/No]
Kieran nced over the people in front him and put the skill learning on hold.
"I need you to bring your men forward as promised. Thetest would be two dayster, and I want them to be here in Lightning Fortress!"
"Of course!"
Perry Kaner agreed. She nced the Raven Sect members once more before leaving quickly.
The surprising appearance of the Raven Sect forced her to alter her ns but she would still reach the same goal by different paths.
As Perry Kaner left with Pietro, Celty and Maxim walked over to Kieran.
"I thank you again for saving my life... Wheres the Fire Raven?"
Celty bowed politely, he really didnt look like a person who had an arrow plunged into the back the day before.
"What now? You are still thinking that I am the Crown Raven?" Kieran asked in a raised brow.
Kieran wouldnt want to get involved in such a misunderstanding because he knew if he would fake it, the ending would be ugly.
"No, no, no!" Celty shook his hand repeatedly and looked anxious, seemingly trying to find a response to Kierans words.
"Greetings Lord 2567!"
Maxim beside then stepped up before Celty and said on behalf of him, "All thing happens for a reason. It might be out of coincidence or necessity... before we get a clear picture of things, any judgments are irresponsible words without proof."
"We hoped that you can tell us more and at the same time we will provide you with corresponding rewards. About the Prairie invasion, if it was the problem you looked to solve, then we will make this problem easier to solve! Of course, not in the ways of the Viper Sect!"
Maxim bowed again when he finished.
Kieran squinted when he saw Maxim bow.
Of course, Kieran needed assistance after he chose the hardest way to defend against the Prairies soldiers. The defending troops stationed in Lightning Fortress were not something that he could heavily rely on.
If the war goes along with the tide, they might be of some use but once the situation went south, all the defending troops would fall in one strike.
Kieran nodded when he thought about the hopeless troops.
"Follow me."
Kieran then brought the two Raven Sect members into the Warren defending campsite.
...
Meanwhile up north of Lightning Fortress, a squad of scout riders appeared at a farther spot from the Prairies main camp.
The riders had a red flying dragon seal on their left chest armor.
The emblem of the Flying Dragon!
...
Whileying down on the soft carpet and was surrounded by a couple of beautiful maidens who were feeding him with grapes, the Prairie King opened his eyes suddenly.
A sudden silver radiance shone within the tent and made the maidens all tremble in fear as they knelt down.
"You have finally arrived..." The Prairies King muttered.
Chapter 624: Battle Of The Sons
Chapter 624: Battle Of The Sons
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
"Can I have a look at your Fire Raven?"
Maxim turned even more respectful towards Kieran when Kieran ordered the Fire Raven back.
The moment Maxim saw the Fire Ravennd on Kierans shoulder, he even acted like a fanatic worshipper of sorts.
It made the intelligent Fire Raven ufortable and feel unpleasant, though it didnt attack Maxim after Kieran calmed it down.
Maxims observation at the Fire Raven was short as well, he took less than a minute throughout the process.
As he returned beside Celty, he nodded to the anxious Celty in an affirmative manner.
"Ive not mistaken! That is Master Crown Ravens Fire Raven!" Celty said in excitement.
He then turned around and weirdly saluted Kieran. He bent his back and lowered his head with both his arms extended backward, posting like a real bird.
Kieran quickly dodged the salutation without even thinking. His suspicious nature made him think that something was not right, especially when he saw Maxim turned back to him and started to smile, the feeling got heavier.
"Did you both mistake something?" Kieran asked.
"I did not! You are the disciple left behind by Master Crown Raven. Although he uses the name Andy, what he gave you was definitely not something amon mercenary can have. Your techniques, the fire and the Fire Raven that follows you everywhere are the best proof! We were too foolish to not notice this earlier, we had Ellens lead for so long but we didnt follow up... Maybe it is because of our foolishness, Master Crown Raven was disappointed in us and left us fools behind."
Celty shook his head and said affirmatively. He sounded helpless and full of mncholy.
"Celty, we have located Master Crown Ravens disciple now, send out the Ravens order and gather all the others before Lightning Fortress. We shall aid Master Crown Ravens disciple in defending against the Prairie invasion!"
Maxim interrupted Celtys exmation and said straightforwardly.
"Yes, lord recorder." Celty bowed before leaving the tent.
Kieran was left alone with Maxim right after. His eyes towards Maxim were unfriendly but he didnt say anything. He sensed the threat in Maxim words which tranted to Maxim wanting the identity of Crown Raven disciple in order to provide reinforcements from the Raven Sect and as long as Kieran acknowledged himself as the disciple, he would instantly acquire a huge amount of supporters.
A lie in exchange for decent support.
Kieran wasnt rejecting the thought but given that such lie wouldnt end badly for him.
Therefore, Kieran remained quiet as he was waiting for Maxims exnation.
Maxim should have noticed that this was all a misunderstanding and yet he kept on pushing the lie forward. His intentions were something that was worthwhile to ruminate over.
"I beg for your forgiveness, Lord 2567!" Maxim bowed to express his apologies.
"Please dont mistake my intentions, I mean no malicious intent... It is because of the current situation within the Raven Sect that forced me topromise. If the Raven Sect wouldnt change soon, we will be the next Viper Sect! Or even worse! After all, whenever the members contended for the Crown Ravens position, they will kill their opponents with all their might, despite beingrades in the past. So, a rightful leader that can settle the members heart is required .."
Maxim was smiling bitterly.
"So you wanted me to put on this fake crown of yours?" Kieran replied with his question.
"No, you are not a fake! At least you have a Fire Raven with you, which is of the same lineage with Master Crown Ravens one!"
"What?" Kieran was stunned.
He remembered clearly where his Fire Raven came from.
Could it be that [City of Fiends] and [The Queens Shield] dungeons were somehow rted?
Impossible! How could it be rted when the worldview was so different to begin with?
It must be a lie!
Kieran unconsciously thought of the possibility and his eyes at Maxim turned even colder.
Given Kierans current situation, it wasnt impossible to have a win-win situation between him and the Raven Sect which was each take what they need but if the coboration was mixed with lies, Kieran couldnt ept it.
However, Kieran soon frowned.
What good would it do Maxim if he lied about something like this? Nothing!
Was it necessary for a non-beneficial lie?
"I can make a vow in Ravens way that your Fire Raven shared the same lineage with Master Crown Raven, its just that..."
"Just what?" Kieran pressed on.
"Its just slightly weaker." Maxim thought over his words and tried his best not to stimte the young man before him. He really felt the killing intent from Kieran just now.
It felt like he had fallen into an icy abyss, which made him eximed that "As expected of the thousand men rival!".
At the same time, Maxims thirst in his heart became even more passionate.
He wanted to reorganize the whole Raven Sect and rally all of them under a singlemand, so he could ascend to a higher position.
When the thought came in his mind, Maxim quickly struck the iron while it was hot.
"My lord, back in Raven Sects secret base, there is some of Master Crown Ravens manuscripts and records of how he reared the Fire Raven left behind, I suppose it would be very useful for to you! In fact, it would be only useful to you only. Other than yourself, my lord, Im afraid there isnt anyone who owned a Fire Raven species."
Maxim revealed his sincerity just right but Kierans brows still furrowed together.
His Fire Raven was a medium rank fiend that had been fed [Mermans Meat], its strength should have easily surpassed amon Fire Raven yet from what Maxim said, that Crown Ravens Fire Raven was much more stronger than his.
Although Maxim carefully used the word "slightly", the expression on his face told Kieran what was the real deal.
A Fire Raven that appeared in a different world and was much stronger than his...
Was it a coincidence?
Kieran wouldnt buy that saying from the bottom of his heart.
"Where are the manuscript and records?" Kieran asked directly.
He wanted to go through the manuscript and records to gain more valuable information.
"If you have the need, I will send them to you right away! But I think my lord, you should be focusing more on the Prairies invaders. Based on the information that Ive gotten, that descendant of the Wolf God, the current king of the Prairies is not simr to his previous generations who only plundered the south and returned to the north."
"The current king is after the entire Warren region!"
Maxim altered his title of address to Kieran and revealed a shocking news.
"The entire Warren region? His target... is Zilin Prefectures reinforcement!"
Kieran instantly reacted to what happened.
A momentter, the system notification popped up on Kierans vision.
[Triggered special event, Battle Of The Sons!]
[Do you wish to join? Yes/No]
Chapter 625: Son of Dragon
Chapter 625: Son of Dragon
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
"Yes!"
The reason why Kieran chose the difficult path to clear the dungeon was because he wanted to explore all kinds of sub-missions and special events, he wouldnt have hesitated this time.
[Based on what you have experienced in the current dungeon world, automatically distributed into the Dragon faction!]
[Battle Of The Sons: the son of Wolf has been strengthening his body and sharpening its ws in the fertilends of the north. He is eager to go south to restore his ancestors glory and pride and now before him is the son of Dragon who has be weak and withered over time. He will feast on the flesh and drink the blood of the son of Dragon to add an incredible milestone to his conquest achievements...]
[After joining the Battle Of The Sons, you must ensure the survival of son of Dragon]
[Note: Different dungeon rating will be given based on performance during the event!]
...
"Wolf? Dragon?"
Kieran uttered the terms that he was most concerned about in his heart.
He knew the terms werent referring to animals but some kind of God!
The Wolf God, it was why the Prairie King kept addressing himself as the son of the Wolf God.
After a glimpse of his presence and it felt so simr to Great Swamp, it made an impression on Kierans mind.
What about Dragon?
Kieran barely knew Zilin Prefectures duke.
Other than knowing that his prefecture was on the north side of Warren, which was a barrennd baffled by cold weather, the duke alsomanded the best warriors and hunters within Warren.
After muttering to himself for a while, he left for his tent.
He needed a reliable person to tell him everything and Mary was the best candidate but after seeing that Mary was still asleep soundly, he hesitated.
"If my lord wished to know more about Duke Zilin, I can give you some insights. It might not be the mostplete but definitely better thanmon men."
Maxim said softly while following behind Kieran.
Maxim was the recorder of the Raven Sect. He had control over most of the Raven Sects secrets and what they wanted to reveal to the public. Obviously, he knew Mary was the rightful heir to the throne of Warren, in fact, he had started to gather info about Mary the night before, including Kieran who had broken through the fortress for Mary.
Maxim had guesses about their rtionship but after seeing how Kieran cared for her, Maxim tended to think highly of Mary and even categorized her on his "to-watch" list.
Marys strength wouldnt have made Maxim do that but her position plus Kierans attention to her was enough.
Kieran nced over Maxim who was bowing out of humility, he didnt care about the thoughts behind his words and instead he replied softly, "Lets talk outside."
Kieran too had some guesses about Maxims real thoughts but he didnt care enough.
As long as Maxim decided to y along andplete the mission, Kieran could agree to his terms.
What Maxim wanted as none other than the Raven Sect leader position, otherwise he wouldnt have chosen an outsider to interfere with their internal affairs.
Maxim did say that he was unwilling to see the Raven Sect follow the path of destruction like the Viper Sect did because of their civil war. It did have some truth to it though.
A sect suffering civil war or a united sect?
For Maxim who was about to ascend to the leaders position, he would surely prefer thetter.
Maxim too came outside the tent after Kieran and after thinking for some time, he went on with his story.
"The current generation of the dukeship of Zilin is the seventh but the first Duke of Zilin didnt appear when Warren was founded but actually twenty yearster after Warren had formed its kingdom. Back then, the king of Warren was lost in an ident and given that he didnt name his heir, his three princes fought for the throne."
"After almost six months of civil war, Warren was filled with the fog of war and the Prairie invaders seized the opportunity and rode south. The Prairies invaders sessfully reached outside the walls of Riverdale that time."
"It was at that moment, the three princes woke up from their foolish battle. They started to gather their house officers, nobles and knights to defend against the invaders. However, they quickly faced defeat because of all the lost opportunities. A month and a halfter, Riverdale was taken and the three heirs were killed one after another. None of their direct kin could escape their demises as well, that is until... The fourth heir appeared!"
"It was one of the far rtives of the king, a daughter of a duke!"
"Her father died in the war defending theirnds from the Prairie invaders so she led her house and entered the northern snowy woods and mountains. The time when the capitals orders reached her, thedy has gathered the seven strongest knights and three thousand northerners rallied behind her and started their counterattack against the Prairie invaders. I wasnt there during the war but ording to some hidden text, the seven knights are so powerful that they can rival a thousand men on their own. Especially the leader of the seven knights, he could sweep the battlefield with his might and it was him that broke through waves and waves of seals to reach the Prairie King at that time and crushed the kings head!"
Maxims face was expressing his admiration towards the knights as he spoke.
It was a pure admiration towards the powerful.
"Waves and waves of seals? Crushed the kings head?"
Kieran raised a brow.
The simple briefing allowed Kieran to imagined that the first generation duke of Zilin was unstoppable. Even without Maxims follow up, Kieran was able to guess that thedy ascended to be queen and became the second generation ruler. That strongest knight eventually became the first generation of the Duke of Zilin.
However, Maxim seemed like he read Kierans thoughts and shook his head.
"My lord, your guesses are not quite right. Though most of the stories out there are indeed told as such but based on the truth that we know, the moment thedy ascended to Queen, that powerful knight went missing and so did the other six. The queen, however, bore the child of the first knight and it was that child who became the first duke of Zilin. Other than that, the first duke of Zilin wasnt granted due to his birth but it was a title given due to his outstanding battle achievement!"
"Thats right, it is what you thought! After resting for almost twenty years, the Prairie invaders came back with a vengeance. That child was only neen years of age and he stood on the battlefield alone and ughtered the entire Prairie vanguard troops. Then, he lead the imperial army of the queen and marched straight to the new Prairie Kings main troops and just like his father before him, he crushed the Prairie Kings head. He then acquired his dukeship and was rewarded the Zilin prefecture. His house uses the red flying dragon as the house banner and was known as the son of Dragon since then."
Maxim smiled when he saw how shocked was Kieran because when Maxim first approached the matter, he was sharing the same expression or even worse than Kierans.
As the recorder of the Raven Sect, Maxim was very clear what the records of "swept the battlefield" meant. That had exceeded the range of rivaled a thousand men or a myriad but had reached the level of God of War!
Kieran didnt know the meaning behind the Raven Sect records but after many runs through dungeon world and especially after witnessing the existence of Great Swamp and simr ranks, he knew what "swept the battlefield" meant as well.
"What about the current Duke of Zilin?"
Kieran unconsciously asked as he gazed over the description of [Battle Of The Sons].
"After the first, second and the third generation of dukeship, the heir to the house of Zilin had be normal and after the fifth generation, they even became mediocre but were still considered as geniuses ifpared tomoners. Especially the current Duke of Zilin which is the seventh generation, he is exceptionally hard working and wasbeled as the leader of their n that will bring glory back to the house of Zilin," Maxim replied honestly.
After a slight pause, Maxim continued.
"My lord, do you wish to meet the current Duke of Zilin?"
"Of course!" Kieran replied in a decisive manner.
Chapter 626: First Seat
Chapter 626: First Seat
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
[Special Event: Battle Of The Sons] had made it necessary for Kieran to meet the Duke of Zilin but the timing had to depend on the movements of the Prairie King.
Kieran raised his hand and Fire Raven soared up high over Herr Valleys cliffs. It was surveying the movements of the Prairie main camp with its eyes which were sharper than an eagle.
Even Kierans Intuition had reached SS+ butpared to Fire Ravens amazing talents, he was still far fromparable. Besides, Kieran didnt have the spare time to divert his attention at the moment.
It was the pros of having a team, dividing tasks among members and each member had their own responsibility.
Despite how powerful or all rounded a lone wolf yer could be, unless the yer had a real cloning skill, otherwise it would still becklusterpared to a team. Fortunately, Kieran had acknowledged this problem a while ago and that was the reason why he acquired the Fire Raven: forming a one man, one raven team.
In fact, it wouldnt have been possible for Kieran to take care of the campsite and Riverdale at the same time if it wasnt for Fire Ravens assistance in this dungeon world.
"Its really convenient of having a Fire Raven!"
Maxim eximed when he saw Fire Raven soared over the cliffs.
As the recorder of the Raven Sect, he knew clearly what a Fire Raven was capable off, thus the exmation.
"Marys mother... That Lady Ellen, what was her position within the Raven Sect?" Kieran suddenly asked. Celty did reveal some information before this and it spiked Kierans interests again towards Marys mothers identity.
"Ellen? She was once the first seat of the Raven Sect!" Maxim sighed before continuing.
"First seat?" Kieran was slightly stunned. Obviously, Marys mothers identity had exceeded his expectations.
The book "Words of Sect" did include a description about what a first seat meant.
The first seat, it was what the sect addressed the best of the best disciples with the highest talents among themselves and was also the heir to the leader of each.
Yet such a person was assassinated by other sects assassin?
Even if it was an ambush...
Kieran then looked at Maxim unconsciously with his eyes filled with suspicion.
Maxim had quite the suspicion himself because of his wild ambitions for the Raven Sect leader position.
"Even if I wanted the Crown Raven position, I wouldnt have struck at Ellen. Back when our Crown Raven went missing, we did something terrible to her. Besides, Ellen wasnt a threat to us since she has lost her identity as the first seat."
"On top of that, even if I were to move on her, I wouldnt have waited so long."
Maxim waved his hands in denial but Kieran didnt take back his suspicion against him.
Maybe it was true that Maxim felt guilty about doing something terrible to Ellen but if that guilt drove him into killing, it would make sense as well.
Why didnt he make a move at first though?
A golden opportunity wasnt something that appeared easily, thus the long wait.
Kieran didnt press the question, he was more interested in what did do Maxim and his men to Ellen. It would be the origin of all the problems and also the key factor to determine whether Maxim involved himself in the assassination of Ellen or not.
"What did you people do to Ellen?" Kieran asked directly.
"When the Crown Raven went missing, Ellen who was already the first seat would ascend to the position naturally. However, even though Ellens strength was the top of the list,pared to a real master, it was still a bitckluster and plus her young age... So we decided to abdicate her position."
"At first all we wanted was her to give up her first seat position but Ellen resisted fiercely and gained a lot of support from the young disciples. The situation suddenly went out of control."
Maxim found it hard to continue at the point.
Kieran, however, couldnt help butugh coldly when he saw Maxims regretful face. The picture in his mind about the sequences of what happened in the Raven Sect has started to be clear.
After a bunch of people with wild ambitions lost control, theyd abdicate in order to gain authority yet it turned into a messy battle. A huge number of the disciples and masters died in the process and caused the crumbling of the whole sect.
Then, they wanted to use the name of searching for the Crown Raven and reorganized the sect, it might look harmonious in appearance but various at heart, to the point that they had topromise with Kieran, the fake Crown Raven disciple.
After getting a clear picture of the story, Kierans doubts grew heavier.
Maybe it wasnt Maxim who directly made a move against Ellen but what about the others, the others who failed in contending for the position?
"Was Ellen hurt badly in that messy fight?" Kieran started to delve deeper into the topic.
"Um, Ellen was badly hurt indeed but as the first seat of Raven Sect, Ellen was skilled in potionology, those injuries wouldnt trouble her for a long time." Maxim nodded.
Simr to Celty who was poisoned a day before yet he appeared healthy the next day as though nothing happened to him. It gave Kieran a general understanding of the Raven Sects potionology.
However, it might not be the potions themselves but because of the power of the curse.
Kieran still has a fresh memory about the [Dispel Potion] that Ellen left for Mary. It was also one of the goals of his current dungeon run which was to find a way to dispel the curse from the curse dispeller in the game.
"I know. Ive drunk Ellens [Dispel Potion] before, so what other potions are there in the Raven Sect that could dispel a curse?" Kieran asked as if he was curious.
"[Dispel Potion] is already the best within the Raven Sect against a curse. The Raven Sect are experts in fire, not potions and curses. The Ghastly Woods Sect might be skilled but..."
Maxim smiled bitterly as he spoke.
"Whats wrong?" Kieran frowned.
"The Lady Jeanne James you killed before, she was the first seat of Ghastly Woods Sect and even though she wasnt recognized by the masses, her identity was valid. So even if my lord, wanted Ghastly Woods Sect to help, its impossible. All you can find are those witches in the hiddennds, they are the ones who are skilled in curses rted matters."
Maxims answer made Kieran frown harder.
He never thought that Jeanne James had another identity behind her but recalling the fight with her, it made sense that [Karma Doll] dropped from her death.
"The kingdom of Warren houses not only the Raven and Viper but the Ghastly Woods as well?" Kieran mumbled.
"Its only natural, because of the various resources, all the sects couldnt have lingered around from the nobles and royalties as well," Maxim exined.
Kieran nodded with an unbelievable look. He then ordered Maxim to gather his men quickly and ended the long but less than satisfactory conversation.
"Ghastly Woods Sect?" Kieran muttered but he quickly swept away his thoughts.
He knew it wasnt time for him to think about those.
He took out the four skill books from [Crimson Ghost Stomach] and ced them in front of him.
Three green books and one scroll in purple. As the glow intertwined, it emitted a different radiance.
Chapter 627: It Has Begun
Chapter 627: It Has Begun
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
[Sharp Weapon, Projectile Weapon not detected, prerequisite not met!]
[Sharp Weapon, Flexible Sword not detected, prerequisite not met!]
...
When Kieran picked up the [Viper Dart] and [Viper Sword]s skill books, both notifications popped up in his vision.
Although Viper Dart and Viper Sword were just the basics in Viper Sects list of techniques, it was already an advanced skill for a yer, [Viper Kick] might even be a high-rank skill.
When yers enjoyed the conveniences that the system brought them, they needed to follow the system rules as well.
Perhaps a native could learn both techniques together but Kieran as a yer couldnt, therefore he needed to follow the steps before he could get learn the skills.
Though it was nothingpared to the convenience that the system brought him such as [Living Rope Technique] and [Dormant Viper], after the prerequisites were met, he could already master the skills even if it was just a basic rank.
[Name: Living Rope Technique (Basic)]
[Rted Attribute: None]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Attribute: Control a rope object no longer than 5 meters]
[Effect: None]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Mystical Knowledge (Basic), Spirit A]
[Remark: This is a basic technique that requires talent. Its incantation has only one note but you cannot neglect it!]
...
[Name: Dormant Viper (Basic)]
[Rted Attribute: None]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Attribute: A high ranking technique among the Viper Sect, uses a special way of breathing to send the wounded into a slumber and heal for 0.5 HP/minute]
[Effect: None]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Spirit S]
[Remark: It will consume your stamina but its roots are within the Spirit, it is the entry level technique to the real Viper Sect ultimates!]
...
The knowledge transfer and synchronization process ended quickly.
Kieran heaved a long sigh while arranging the knowledge in his mind, then he chanted "Ms!"
Right after the incantation, the [Deceivers Key] in his hand came alive and moved ording to his will.
Though its nimbleness was less than satisfactory, all it could do wasplete simple movements that Kieran imagined and couldnt go further in moreplicated movements.
Kieran wasnt displeased though, what else could he ask for in a Basic level skill?
However, Kieran has a general idea of how the skill would expand in the future, of course, he wouldnt use it for bondage or other sorts but something more useful.
As for [Dormant Viper], no one would mind an extra healing skill. It might be the crucial skill that could save his life, especially the remarks that mentioned "the entry technique to the real Viper Sect ultimates".
Kieran made more guesses but he couldnt know what was the real ultimate of the VIper Sect. Even "Words of Sects" didnt mention anything about it plus most of the Viper Sect members didnt know about it either.
In fact, Kieran had no idea about the Raven Sects ultimate either, all he saw was the control of fire and potions. It would be a joke for him to truly understand the real ultimate techniques of the Raven Sect with limited pieces of information.
Kieran was sure if he ever showed such thoughts before Maxim who had been a friendly native since his appearance, Maxim would be the first one who turned on him.
"He is just a temporary coborator," Kieran eximed and returned to his tent.
Mary was still sound asleep. It seemed like the little girl was exhausted from the recent days.
Carrying a burden that didnt match her age was an extremely exhausting task, to begin with, Kieran felt the same as he too had simr experiences.
He knew how it would wreck the little girl when the number of burdens that could even crush an adult was ced over her shoulders. Kieran couldnt even imagined what the girl would face if he hadnt arrived.
It was a high possibility that she might work to death. So Kieran didnt disturb Mary, he sat down with his legs crossed and started to carefully arrange all the information that he had gotten so far, checking whether there was something he missed.
Kieran knew he wasnt the brightest person in the room back in the orphanage, so all he could rely on was non-stop, relentless thinking topensate for his stupidity.
His thoughts went on and on...
...
Time flew.
Three dayster, the Viper Sect and the Raven Sect members gathered before Lightning Fortress.
Rover who has been tasked with flushing out the Prairies spies in Riverdale also returned together with news from Bosco who was paying a visit to the southern region.
"The Duke of Will sent ten thousand men and they are marching here right now?"
Marys mouth corner curled into a cold smile after she saw the secret letter from Bosco.
She knew the reason the Duke of Will sent out his troops was not because of loyalty or honor but worries about hisnds being invaded by the Prairie invaders.
The girl was certain that without Kierans idea, the old Duke would still be hiding in his ownnd like a tortoise and watch the Prairie invaders take down Lightning Fortress and Riverdale.
So, the girl wasnt grateful for the old Duke at all in her heart, on the contrary, she had a bold, unusual thought in her mind.
She raised her head at Kieran, trying to ask for his opinion. She trusted he would never leak the information she shared with him. After going through life and death situations and the reliance in her heart, Kieran was already the closest person to Mary in the entire world, even much closer than her father in name, the King James VIII.
"I want to..."
"Its not time yet!"
Kieran shook his head when Mary opened his mouth.
He knew what the girl wanted after ncing over her expression when she read the letter because he himself wanted the same idea as well but he couldnt mix up his priorities now.
The important thing at hand was to defend Lightning Fortress and Riverdale and stop the Prairie soldiers from invading.
As for the rest, everything would have to queue in line. He would settle the ounts after the war and would get back everything, including the interest due.
Mary quickly kept away the words and slightly squinted her eyes at Kieran. He was leaning against the tent pole as though he was dozing off.
The girl unconsciously reached out her hand to Kierans.
"Are you worried?" The girl asked.
"Not really, Im just curious what the Duke of Zilin is doing. Three days ago, Maxim got news that Zilins scout riders appeared behind the Prairie camp. Judging from the distance between the scout riders and the main troops, plus the dys in speed, Zilins main troops should have arrived behind the Prairie camp a day and a half ago!"
"But, there isnt any news since then. If I didnt make sure that Prairie King didnt leave his main camp, I might have assumed that Zilins troops were eliminated." Kieran shook his head but he didnt conceal the questions in his heart.
"That Duke of Zilin isnt a mere straw bag. A day and a half, he might have caused an unexpected threat towards the Prairie King! If thats the case, it will lessen your burdens."
Before Mary finished her words, Kieran stood up straight.
"It has begun?" The girl reacted quickly.
"Em!" Kieran nodded.
Through the eyes of the Fire Raven, Kieran saw a squad of soldiers leaving the Prairies main camp and head the opposite direction.
Two figures among the squad of soldiers were extremely eye-catching.
One was the ever hot-tempered Lapierre and the other was the ever shining Prairie King.
Chapter 628: A Forceful Growth
Chapter 628: A Forceful Growth
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The golden essories on the Prairies King were shining in a lively manner under the sun, showing off the prestigious presence of a King.
That wild wolf pelt that he wore over his shoulder even added an extrayer of impressiveness and dignified manner to him.
The Prairies King turned his head around casually as he was riding on his horse.
Roar!
A sudden roar of wolf sounded in Kierans ears.
The Prairie King who had been in his human form had suddenly transformed into a giant white wolf, bigger than a horse and stronger than an ox!
The giant white wolf threw itself at Kieran with its mouth wide open.
Fear notifications kept popping out at his vision.
Although it was just an illusion created by the Prairie Kings aura, the Fire Raven that shared a connection with Kieran and was tasked in surveying over the cliffs couldnt help but pped its wing in panic, as though it saw some fearsome mortal enemy of its kind.
The defending troops over Lightning Fortress wobbled and staggered before falling to the ground like drunkards.
The Raven and Viper Sect members were affected by that fearsome aura as well but they were much stronger thanmon soldiers. All of them shivered for a little while before returning to normal, still, from the looks on their face, they were frightened as well.
Especially Maxim, Celty and the other Raven Sect members who had seen the Prairie King before, each of them exchanged gazes of anxiety.
They had tried to think highly of the Prairie Kings strength but from the looks of the situation, theyd still underestimated him by a mile.
Some of them even exchanged gazes secretly, obviously having alternative thoughts in their mind.
Though Mary wasnt affected because Kieran stood in front of her and blocked the aura, but the surroundings allowed the girl to know how fearsome the King was.
The Prairies King didnt even need to show himself, all he needed was a st of his aura and the entire troops were utterly routed.
The scene was far beyond what the girl could imagine.
"2567..."
The girl wanted to dissuade Kieran out of worry but Kieran shook his head.
With his main mission binding him down and even triggering the special event, Kieran had no room for retreats.
He ced his hand over Marys head and his eyes were ncing over the Viper and Raven Sect members, the "allies" that already sounded a retreat before even truly fighting in the battlefield.
Perry Kaner wasnt showing any weakness from her stance and returned her own gaze at Kieran. Her mouth was grinning into a mocking smile as she was nning to see what Kieran had in mind.
Maxim, on the other hand, lowered his head without any hesitation after he caught Kierans gaze. After being sted by the Prairie Kings aura, the Raven Sect recorder instantly put away his wild ambitions.
Kieran hadnt much thought about Perry Kaners mocking nce. The contract that he formed with her was forceful will and if he wanted Perry Kaner to smile at him in times like this, it wouldnt be normal either.
Though, Maxim was a little disappointing. Having ambitions wasnt scary enough, the scary thing was that he didnt possess the ability and bearing to grasp his ambitions.
Kieran finally understood why the Raven Sect had suffered an internal splintering for so long after that.
Kieran could tell what the rest of the Raven Sect masters were like from the sole look at Maxims behavior. If only they could be a little more persistent or stubborn, they might have already given birth to a new Crown Raven a while ago.
"A bunch of lobbyists", recalling what Mary said before, Kieran somehow felt the truth of those words.
The Raven Sect was no longer the king of the skies that burned everything with the mes in their hand which was recorded in "Words of Sects". Following the disappearance of the Crown Raven, the current Raven Sect was nothing but a bald crow that couldnt be of any use other than making noise.
"If you people wished to leave, leave now! There will be a war to the death right here afterward" Kieran said slowly.
Just as Kierans words subsided, most of the Raven Sect members left in a hurry. They didnt even bother to greet Kieran, simr to when they arrived.
Kieran didnt feel like holding back those who left. He knew clearly if he were to force them to stay, those with alternatives would cause more idents during the war, might as well let them leave.
However, to Kierans surprise, Maxim who dare not even look Kieran in the eyes before, rallied Celty and a couple more members staying back.
"I have no other choice... I am afraid to die but Ive bet my life on you, my lord! All I can do is risk it!"
Maxim was the obvious leader among the remaining Raven Sect members and when the recorder saw Kierans gaze again, he didnt dodge it this time but smiled bitterly.
"Ill try my best to not let you down," Kieran replied before turning to Perry Kaner.
"If you are willing to cancel the contract, I will lead my men away immediately!"
Perry Kaner spoke her mind directly.
"Well, thank you for your help by staying back!"
Kieran didnt go along with her conversation but bowed to express his gratitude.
Perry Kaner grunted coldly at his pretending act.
"Although our numbers have decreased a lot, its more than I expect... So everyones mission will be much easier." Kieran said in a decent voice before the remaining crowd.
"Everyone in Viper Sect, I need you to show off your best assassination moves and Raven Sect will tell you which targets are you going after."
Kieran wasnt giving a motivational speech but simply assigning tasks.
"What about you, "my lord"?" Perry Kaner tried to pry more information out of him.
Kieran looked at the coborator who obviously had alternatives in her mind, he couldnt help but smile. He pointed at where the aura came from and said, "Its king versus king from here on, wanna join?"
"Hmph!"
Another cold gruntter, Perry Kaner didnt pay further attention to Kieran.
The contract with Kieran and the vows of the Viper Sect might bring severe consequences if vited but it was better than dying for it.
The st of aura from that Prairie King robbed the intention of battle from the Viper Sect leader.
Perry Kaners eyes towards Kieran suddenly had a sense of sympathy because, from her point of view, Kieran was going to die.
Why though?
Perry Kaner turned her eyes to Mary. She really couldnt understand how a little girl before even hitting puberty had such charm.
Mary too felt the gaze from Perry Kaner but she didnt care, her attention was ced at Kieran.
"We can still leave." The little girl said softly, she even purposely lowered her voice but still, it couldnt escape the ears of the others who bore intentions.
Those who stayed back werent idiots by any means, every one of them was worried that they might be the discarded pawn just to cover a retreat.
"If we do, where would we go? The Prairie Kings ambition isnt just to plunder and raid Warren, he wanted the whole region for himself and expand his territory. As Warren royalty, no matter where you go to, there will be mercenaries and bounty hunters that wille for your life like a flock of birds and exchange it for rewards with the Prairie King."
Kieran tapped the little girls head again. It seemed to turn into a habit of recent.
"2567, you can protect me!" She said out of instinct.
"En! But I prefer to be more active than passive. Rather than waiting for danger to descend upon us, why not eliminate the danger while its still in the cradle?"
Kieran nodded and before Mary could refute anymore, he waved at Fanner and Jyaichi further away who were donning a thick and tight mantle.
"My master!"
The traitors of the Viper Sect bowed at Kieran with respect under the [Mesly Ring]s effect.
"Protect Mary till my return!"
Kieran then took a step back and merged himself into the shadow.
Mary reached out to him and wanted to hold him back but all she grasp was a handful of air.
"2567..."
Mary uttered softly.
Her despondent feeling made her feel a loss of actions and words. She raised her head and saw through the men who were protecting her, she saw Perry Kaner with her arms crossed waiting for a good show.
She saw Maxim with a pale face that looked like utter despair.
The others didnt care, didnt smile nor will they support Kierans endeavor, all she saw was a bunch of living dead who acted perfunctorily.
"No! No! These people cant share 2567s burden, instead, they will drag him down!"
"I...I...I will lose 2567 like this!"
The thought appeared in Marys heart and fear spread like a gue in her, as though the despair when she lost her mother descended upon her again.
"No! I dont want to! Ive lost my mother! I cant lose 2567 again!"
She screamed in her heart, screaming at her weakness and her urge to avoid reality. Her scream forced her to properly look at the problem in front of her.
The fear of losing Kieran gave her courage. She forced herself in calming down and started to recall Kierans ns.
Soon, the despondent feeling vanished from the girls face and all that was left was a steady expression.
Perry Kaner who was staring at the girl was stunned. She didnt expect the girl would recuperate so fast.
However, neither the Viper Sect leader nor the little girl noticed that the [Thorn de] that Mary has been carrying with her since was vibrating softly even without anyone controlling it.
It shook for a second and returned to its stillness.
It might seem like nothing special but it was like a seed being nted into the soil, as long as it had enough time, it would grow into a giant tree that pierced even the sky!
Chapter 629: Never Look Down
Chapter 629: Never Look Down
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The Fire Raven soared high in the sky, its sharp eyes were fluttering, searching for the best route for Kieran to meet the Duke of Zilin whilst avoiding direct contact with the Prairie King.
Kieran knew that after [Battle Of The Sons] popped up, all the conflict had shifted from Lightning Fortress and Riverdale to the battle between the son of Wolf and son of Dragon.
Should the son of Wolf emerge victorious, everything would fall too far from redeemable, for the people of Warren or for Kieran as wellit would be a catastrophe.
So, Kieran ought to spend all his effort to assure the son of Dragon will emerge the final victor.
However, when he saw the campsite of Zilins troops through Fire Ravens eyes, his heart couldnt help but feel strange.
The campsite within sight wasnt big by any means, at most housing 30 to 50 soldiers and certainly unrtable to "reinforcements".
Any number ofmon soldiers would be useless against that Prairie King though.
However, being on the weaker end and having a day and a half to prepare, Duke of Zilin didnt set up any arrangements and it baffled Kieran greatly.
Through Fire Ravens eyes, Kieran made sure there wasnt any ambush or mystical powers surrounding the Zilin camp but it wasnt entirely without results either.
Kieran saw in the middle of the Zilin camp, a big square area was covered by a white gunny cloth.
"Is it some secret weapon?" Kieran wondered.
Since the house of Zilin had an extremely powerful knight that could sweep the entire battlefield before, Kieran dared not underestimate their strength, even though their house had been falling off since then and was getting worse with new each generation.
A dying camel is still bigger than a horse!
It was the saying that Kieran had always believed in.
Kieran came out from the shadows when he was around a hundred meters away from the Zilin camp. He saw four guards guarding the entrance as he walked near and quickly stated his identity.
"Im 2567, I mean you no harm. Im here to see the Duke of Zilin!" Kieran said loudly.
The name 2567 had be famous in all of Warren after the death of Jeanne James, plus breaking through Lightning Fortress alone and preventing the Prairies soldiers from invading south boosted his poprity, at least the guards had heard of him before.
The guards saluted. One of them quickly went into the camp and returned swiftly.
"The Duke is waiting for you inside the camp, my lord!" The guard said.
But Kierans sharp senses realized that the guards tone wasnt right, neither was his expression. Despite how hard the guard tried to cover up, Kieran saw a sense of sorrow behind his face.
A bad feeling rose up quickly in Kierans heart, a sudden guess then formed amidst the terrible feeling.
Kieran hastened his steps and entered the camp. There was no need for a guide as he easily saw the Duke of Zilin. He was young and handsome, his figure was tall and straight and was standing in the middle of the camp like a stiffen javelin.
He was wearing silver armor with a scarlet red cap. The sword at his waist even added an extrayer of valiantness in his handsome presence. He too had a head of semi-long blonde hair like Mary, his eyes were blue as well but had much more maturity and wisdom to it.
The person before Kieran would look simr to Mary if she grew up in the future without freckles and regardless of gender.
"Greetings Duke Zilin!"
Kieran moved his right hand over his chest and did a less than standard knight salutation.
Kieran was prepared to state his intentions for the visit, he did not n to tter the Duke and make detours on the topic since it was a matter of urgent. Dancing around the topic wasnt Kierans character as well but before he could utter a word, the Duke of Zilin spoke first with a smile.
"You wish to fight beside me?" He asked.
"Um." Kieran nodded without any hesitant.
Kieran still knew how to choose between facing the Prairie King alone or facing him with a powerful ally by his side.
The disy of power from the Prairie King made Kieran understand that maybe the Prairie King wasnt as powerful as Great Swamp but had the fight broke out, the win rate would still be 50-50.
Kieran didnt mind increasing his winning rate.
"I thank you for your arrival... You really lived up to your name by advancing forth before the face of danger."
The Duke retained his smile and praised Kieran without any intention of holding back yet he rejected Kierans offer.
"But, this is my fight. Forgive me that I cant allow you to interfere. Ive waited for this fight for too long. There will only be one victor in the battle between the sons of Dragon and Wolf!"
The Duke sounded serious all of a sudden and his tone was decisive.
The young duke then reached out his hand to the white gunny cloth beside and dragged it down.
Fuuu!
After the fluttering from the cloth spread in the air, Kieran finally saw what was hiding underneath the cloth and the moment heid eyes on the thing, his heart sank.
It was a coffin!
A stone coffin without any excessive decoration and had the house of Zilins emblem over the cover.
The Emblem of the Flying Dragon!
Its wings were widespread and it was roaring at the sky, even if it was a stone carving, it maintained a dragons pride and honor, just like the young duke before Kieran.
The duke didnt waste a day and a half that he had. He sent back most of his followers and soldiers and prepared the stone coffin for himself.
As the Dukes rival, the Prairie King waited patiently over the day and when the duke had finished his preparation, the king finally came out from his camp to fulfill the promised fight.
Both parties did pry on each other but most of it was tacit understanding. The details in the process were enough to strike awe in anyones mind and urge them to look into the cause.
To be honest, if Kieran read such scenes in books, he too would exim the determination and bearing of both parties but in his current situation...
"Are you out of your mind?"
"You know your opponent is a much stronger person than you and yet you y along and came for the fight? Do you know how to spell DEATH?"
Kierans heart was roaring fiercely. He wanted to question the Duke before him so hard but he knew he wouldnt get an answer because his answer was the stone coffin beside him.
The man was willing to throw his life away, if he is not willing to tell anything, nothing wille out from him.
Fuuuu!
Kieran took a deep breath and adjusted his emotions.
"Is the house honor that important?" Kieran asked.
It was just a test, he didnt expect the Duke to answer but surprisingly the Duke did.
"It is higher than my life alone! From the day I was born, I knew I had a destined rival waiting for me! The educations, training, everything Ive learned in my life is to teach me how to defeat my rival, but..."
"As the descendant of Dragons, the blood in our house has gotten thinner by the generation. I, my father, his father before him, and even the great ancestors couldnt achieve what the first generation could. On the contrary, my rival had gotten stronger by the day, he has the fertile greatnds to strengthen his body, to sharpen his ws!"
"And I... I only have the power and glory of my ancestors in books. Although I didnt inherit the powers from the great ancestors, Ive gotten their honor and glory!"
"The son of Dragon will never yield!
Wuuung!
As thest sentence came out from the Duke, a slight pressuring aura appeared on Kieran as though he felt the young dukes soul was roaring.
Kieran heard the roars of the dragons in his ears, it was loud and fierce, shattering through the clouds and heavens.
Kieran saw the shadow of a Dragon before him, the phantasmal, bubble-like mirage that would pop with a slight breeze.
Yet it stood persistently above the camps sky and gazed over the figure of its rival on the horizon.
The almost materialized aura of a giant white wolf.
Chapter 630: Dragging Fantasy Into Reality
Chapter 630: Dragging Fantasy Into Reality
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Both the Duke and the king finally came to a confrontation.
The giant white wolf stared at its long-awaited prey and howled at the sky.
It then transformed into a stream of light, dashing towards the dragons mirage as though they were real beings.
The dragon mirage too refused to show its weakness and went straight for the giant wolf as well.
Both mythical monsters from legends shed together like Mars colliding with Earth.
BOOM!
A thundering growl that sounded like an explosion echoed in Kierans ears. His mind was buzzing and even felt dizzy because of the sh.
Kieran was gazing at both the monsters mirage tearing off each other, interlocking limbs and ws. It was the first time he saw a battle at such level.
It was a battle of aura!
Kieran knew from a certain aspect, he himself was suitable for such a contending because of his powerful Spirit attribute but the scene before him had turned into a real fight!
It was no longer a matter of affecting the opponents mental state to get advantages in battle but it turned into a real, gruesome fight.
"They are dragging fantasy into reality?"
Kieran couldnt hold back his mumbles when he saw the giant white wolf scratch the dragons wing, causing blood to ssh.
The dragon countered with a punch but the wolf dodged it nimbly. The wolf charged up and bit the dragons neck, causing blood to gush out like a geyser.
Even though the blood vanished before it touched the ground, the realism was still enough to excite Kierans vision.
Fear, illusion notifications kept on spamming his vision.
Kieran shook his head unconsciously, his SSS+ Spirit managed to bring him through the authentication and not be affected.
All of a sudden, the giant wolf and dragon vanished before Kierans eyes.
All that was left was the Prairies King and the Duke of Zilin.
As the distance between them drew closer, the Prairie King who was still in heavy golden essories didnt seem like he was hurt in that mirage battle. He shook his head when he saw the Duke of Zilin suffer ws mark all over his armor and even a broken longsword.
"The distance between you and me had been decided the moment we are born. The dispute between the Wolf and the Dragon will see the end of its mark on this very day."
The Prairie King said sonorously. His tone sounded like he was stating a solid fact.
His surprisingly young face had a sense of the impressive and dignified bearing as a ruler.
The Prairie King raised his right hand filled with golden bangles and grabbed the Dukes head. The scene was exactly like what happened in the books but this time around, the victor and the loser had swapped positions.
The strong wind that came with the fierce howl was blowing the Dukes golden hair was tainted with blood.
His unyielding face looked unwilling to give in and yet felt at ease.
His pride and honor prevented him from crying like a loser or saying something that he couldnt ept himself in times of defeat.
So, he chose death. Death by battle!
It was an expected scene to the Dukes perspective. Although he was afraid of dying, he would not run from it because of his pride and honor!
"Is pride that important to you?"
A voice sounded suddenly.
The Duke of Zilin who closed his eyes waiting for his end was stunned for a second before a thunderous bang sounded followed by a violent wind, sending the Duke flying backward.
When the duke realized what happened, he saw Kieran standing in his position with his greatsword acting as a shield and was confronting the Prairie King.
"Sir 2567! This is my battle!"
The Duke struggled to stand up.
Kieran didnt turn aroundpletely, he nced over the young duke with the corner of his eyes and grunted coldly.
"So what?"
The moment Kieran uttered his mind, the Duke and the King were immediately stunned.
"What rtions do you and I have? Why do I have to listen to you? Or... What right do you have for me to obey? I will only obey my own will and do what I want!"
He took a deep breath and shifted his attention to the Prairie King while the king was taking it easy as he looked at Kieran.
"I want to fight you!" Kieran said.
The Prairies King wasnt angered nor shocked. The expression from his eyes was more like watching a farce.
"It doesnt matter whether one more or less dies in this battle." The Prairies King said.
The king then vanished from his spot.
While from Kierans sight, the King appeared in front of him in a sh andunched a punch at his face.
There wasnt a fierce wind behind the punch but Kieran knew if he was hit, his skull will be crushed and brains will stter.
Kieran countered with his own kick without holding back.
Transcendence [Hand-to-hand Combat, Kick Combats] granted Kieran a temporary +4 buff on Strength and Agility.
+4 Agility allowed Kieran to match the Prairies King speed but +4 Strength was still a littleckluster.
Bang!
Kierans body was stunned for a second, the dy that he felt from the impact was unfamiliar to him.
Although Kierans strongest attribute was Spirit, S+ Strength was enough for him to oppose most of his opponents and after choosing [Hand-to-hand Combat, Kick Combats], the temporary buffs even allowed him to suppress opponents that were evenly matched a moment ago.
It was the first time Kieran was suppressed though, while still feeling the dy, Kieran didnt stop when he saw the Prairie King sent out another punch.
Ssssss!
A strange snake hiss caused Kierans left leg turned in a strange way after colliding with the Kings punch and the tip of his kick was going after the Kings throat, which forced the king to pause his punch for a while.
It was that pausing window that gave Kieran the best opportunity for an attack.
Sss Sss Sss!
One turned into ten, ten turned into hundreds, almost a hundreds poisonous viper hissester, the Prairie King was clouded by Kieransbo attack of [Viper Kick], [Hundred Violent Kicks] and [Barsical Kick].
The clear kicking sounds went on relentlessly in the empty ground.
With [Barsical Kick]s buffs, Kierans kicks would gain Agility +1, +2, +3, +4 on the second, third, fourth and fifth kick respectively and with the original +4 buff in Agility, his kicks were buffed once more with a +4 Agility.
The monstrous kicking afterimages hadpletely covered the Prairie Kings figure, the hissing even sounded ceaseless but it wasnt the end.
Grand Master [Barsical Kick] had the special effect, [Bide] which granted his kicks at the fourth and fifth attack another +3 and +4 Strength and Agility buffs.
Another round of buffing elevated Kierans Agility to the next level and his Strength kept pouring into his relentless kicks.
His monstrous kicking afterimages had turned into a tidal wave, determined to crush his enemies without mercy.
The Prairie King was like a lone boat in the storm but his expression didnt change. He moved right and left swiftly as his hands too whipped up a bunch of images, blocking Kierans kicks one after another.
However, as Kierans kicking speed was increasing by the second, the Prairie King finally had a sense of shock on his face.
At the fourth kick, the Prairie Kings face turned sour. Especially when the kick shed with the golden bangle on his hand and his bangle gave out an unusual ripple of energy, the Prairie Kings face turned cold.
He was holding a teasing manner at his opponent all the while but the sudden turn of expression showed his killing intent for the first time.
Chang!
The sound of an unsheathed sword caused a wolf w mirage shed over his hand as he fired out a sharp energy wave from his hand at Kierans throat.
Chang!
Right after that, a simr sound came from Kierans kick as well.
The most powerful fifth kick after the [Bide] charging effect!
A sharp half-moon qi energy wave was fired out amidst the monstrous kicking afterimages, it was like a shining knife shing through the darkness as it shed hard with the iing energy wave.
KABOOM!
Chapter 631: Resonate
Chapter 631: Resonate
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Two energy waves exploded upon colliding as though a ton of explosives were being set off.
The explosion shattered both energy waves at the same time!
Hundreds and thousands of shattered energy pieces sshed in all directions.
The smallest pieces were in the size of a thumb yet it was stronger than a crossbow bolt; the slightly bigger pieces were enough to crack rocks and split hills!
The dust rose up like a storm but a momentter, the floating dust froze in mid-air and fell back to the ground.
The Prairies King who had a cold face was looking at one of the many golden bangles on his hand.
The lustrous glossy surface had a small crack on it.
"You deserve to die!"
The Prairie King said with a tone full of killing intent and he raised his hand up to fire another energy wave at Kieran who was retreating rapidly.
This time around, Kieran chose not to face the energy wave head-on. He dodged the iing energy wave by moving aside before panting heavily.
Unleashing multiple skills in session was quite a burden for Kieran even though his Stamina had reached 1300 points.
His heavy breath came out through his nose and mouth, it felt like fire was burning inside him. He had to gulp down a mouth of saliva to ease the difort in his throat.
Kieran quickly dodged again when he saw the Prairie King fired another energy wave at him.
"Viper Sects techniques plus a charging technique... not bad!"
The Prairie Kingmented as Kieran dodged away.
The killing intent on the kings face turned denser than before.
"Did you not have other ace cards? Why dont you use them? Are you exhausted now? Did the powerful charging technique consume too much of your stamina and exhausted your ace cards even? Or... Was the charging technique already your ace card?"
The Prairie King teased Kieran.
Kieran wasnt affected by his words at all. Although it was partially true, it was still quite the distance from the entire truth behind Kierans strength.
First of all, [Transform Devil] and [Desire Summoning] didnt consume Stamina but after exposing both his ace cards, it wouldnt be his first choice in fighting the Prairie King.
The king must have something up his sleeves to directly counter either of them, Kieran was utterly sure.
[Transform Devil] and [Desire Summoning] was undoubtedly strong but their weakness was also very obvious. Kieran wouldnt want his opponent to get the upper hand and deliver a fatal blow to him.
Secondly, his stamina. The Prairies King did not calcte how fast Kieran could recover his Stamina in a short period of time. S+ Constitution plus [Body of Evil] granted him exceptional recovery abilities beyond anyones imagination given that he wasnt suffering from severe injuries.
Still, Kieran pretended to be exhausted because he wanted to observe his powerful opponent. He wanted to know the attacking pattern, the pace and the story behind the kings golden bangle.
From what Kieran saw initially, the Prairie Kings golden outlook was just something to express his nobility and dignified manner or even his personal preference but after engaging him for the first time, Kieran noticed something wasnt right.
Regardless of how one favored something, they wouldnt have altered their fighting style based on that particr something.
A moment ago, the Prairies King was calm as the sea but a momentter the sea turned into a storm just because of an essory?
Excluding the fact that the Prairies King might be insane or mentally unstable, the only exnation was the golden bangle had an important meaning to him beyond anyones guess.
"What is it?" Kieran wondered.
After firing another st of energy wave, the Prairie King didnt n on keeping this up forever since Kieran might look like he was exhausted by the way he dodged the energy wave easily.
He wanted to eliminate Kieran faster.
Roar!
A stunning loud roarter, the giant white wolf emerged once more.
Its giant ws was dished out at Kieran swiftly like a p of thunder. The speed and strength of that w strike were far more powerful than the Prairie King himself.
Kang!
Kieran managed to ce [Arrogant Word] in front of him as a shield against the sudden strike. Upon impact, the collision noise sounded like a sonorous bell, sending Kieran backward with his legs dragging across the ground.
Kieran was sent back 10 meters! A full 10 meters with one strike!
Two lines of trench appeared over his course with the size of his legs, more dirt piled up behind him and even formed a mini hill.
Right after that, the mini hill burst and sent the dirt all over the sky as another w strike was hit on [Arrogant Word]. Kieran crashed hard at the mini dirt hill and was sent flying further.
Then, a third strike!
Chang!
As Kieran was flying in mid-air, he was struck down vertically and plunged deep into the ground.
The Prairies King didnt hold back at all, his fourth strike followed like a shadow.
The giant white wolf leaped up into the air and dived down at Kieran with a fiercer strike than any before, wanting to tear Kieran into pieces; the Prairie King couldnt be relieved by other means.
Just as the fierce white wolf was about the thrust its w into the ground where Kieran was, a dash of bright, bewitching re of the greatsword shone brightly.
[Sword Skill, Tiger Stance]!
Kieran gripped his greatsword with both his hands tightly, he didnt even care about the giant wolf diving down at him, the reason he stayed passive and withstood three strikes from the wolf was to numb its senses, to prepare himself for a counterattack.
Right at that moment, Kierans eyes were locked at the giant wolfs head, he wanted to behead the wolf with the greatsword in his hand.
Wung!
After acting as a shield and withstanding multiple strikes, [Arrogant Word] let out a fearsome growl with the counterattack, as though it was a suppressed butcher that regained its cleaver!
It exploded! The counterattack exploded without holding back!
Wuuuu!
Out of his defensive stance, Kieran went all out regardless of consequences and strangely he resonated with [Sword Skill, Tiger Stance] and [Arrogant Word] in that exact moment.
The greatsword growling was like thunder and swung out like explosives.
A striped tiger faintly appeared on top of the greatswords edge.
Right after the tiger appeared, it leaped out from the swords edge and threw itself at the giant white wolf, like a fierce tiger sprang down from the mountains.
The tiger went after the white wolfs neck and crunched it with its sharp fangs.
The white wolf then growled in pain and with a shake of its body, the striped tiger was shattered into nothing.
Although the white wolf beat the tiger mirage with one strike, the painful growl didnt go away.
Seizing the opportunity, Kieran leaped out and thrust [Arrogant Word] towards the white wolfs neck where the bite mark was.
Even though all the greatsword did plunge in a little into the white wolfs neck and was instantly stopped by the force that gathered within its body, the pain that the Prairie King hadnt felt for a long time infuriated him more.
A mere bug that should be crushed with a squash yet it hurt him.
"Tiger Sect! You damn worm!"
The giant wolf threw itself down at Keiran once more, the sharp re on its ws was shining brightly. Before Kieran was even struck, his exposed face could already feel the pain as though his flesh was being sliced open.
KABOOM!
The giant white wolf struck its ws into the ground and fired out a circr shockwave in all direction, destroying everything within hundreds of meters like breaking a twig from a dead stump.
But Kieran was not caught in the shockwave.
He appeared in the shadows ten meters away from the range, bringing upyers andyers of force field barriers on him to withstand the shockwaves.
Then, a blueish white ice spear formed in his hand and was hurled out silently towards the white wolf with a bone-chilling aura around it.
The ice spear plunged directly onto the white wolf which had justpleted its shockwave attack!
Chapter 632: Headless Soul
Chapter 632: Headless Soul
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Bang!
The ice spear that plunged deep into the white wolfs body exploded.
[Chilling Spike]s freezing aura has a 3-meter diameter range and it caught more than half of the white wolf in its explosion range.
The faint blueyer of frost was rapidly freezing the white fur on the wolf, forming ayer of dazzling lustrous but it still couldnt cover the fierce killing intent underneath.
[Shadow Cover]!
[Armor of Excellence] triggered the special effect, allowing Kierans figure to transform into a void the moment the wolf struck him and sent him 10 meters away, allowing him to counter with a surprise attack.
Since it was a hard toe by chance to counterattack, Kieran wouldnt just end with one strike.
He formed another ice spear in his hand and hurled it out at the white wolf just as he did before.
It once again plunged into the white wolfs body easily as it couldnt have dodged it because of the first round of frost. Upon contact, the ice spear exploded its freezing energy once again.
The freezing energy that could easily chill ones spine covered the white wolfpletely this time.
It glossyyer of frost encaged the vicious white wolf with its sharp ws and fangs underneath.
Even though the Prairie King had suffered multiple Powerful rank freezing attack, still it was nothing but a slight injury. His unique power of origin inside his body had caused him to transcend above mortal beings.
"I will show you what is worse than death!"
The Prairie King growled angrily in his white wolf form under theyer of frost.
Right after that, the harder than steelyer of ice started to shake, cracks started to appear and spread all over rapidly like a spider.
However, Kieran was not bothered. He saw the Prairie King who was about to burst out of his icy encagement and he slowly raised up his left hand.
The Devil me was burning fiercely on his hand. The scorching waves were rumbling everywhere, the pain that burned ones soul stunned the Prairie King who was breaking out of his ice encagement. He felt slightly threatened by the mes burning on Kierans hand.
Grand Master [Charles Fire] did not require charging and was able to directly fire out Powerful rank mes with only the [Fiery Sulphur]s buff. If the mes went on charging further, it would be powered up to the Extreme rank of Devil me!
The scorching temperature even made the air around Kieran distort, even his figure was turning blurry.
His ck feathered mantle was blowing under the heatwaves and was slightly expanded. The moment Kieran charged out, the mantle fluttered hard.
Roooar!
The rhinos mirage shed on him and granted him the most primitive force of nature with his charge that could cause thend to tremble with each step.
He was like a furious war sword swinging in a flurry or a man of unusual strength, trying to dampen thend with a swing of his giant hammer.
KABOOM!
The mes rumbled furiously and the burning red whipped up waves of ripples in the faint blue. It was like a tyrant dragon rushed into a small puddle of water, causing a tremendous ssh upon contact and left behind a giant crater.
The white wolf that stayed in its trajectory would be obviously caught in that explosion.
Despite the Prairie King giving all his effort in breaking free the ice cage, he was a step slower than Kieran who activated [Reckless Rush].
"Arrrrgh!!!!"
The Extreme rank Devil mended directly onto the king, causing an agonizing cry from the white wolf.
Unlike the Powerful freezing attack from before, the Extreme rank was almost at the same level of the Prairie Kings source of energy within him and more importantly, the special trait of the Devil me was able to burn soul itself.
The giant white wolf was engulfed in mes and rapidly crumbled.
At the next moment, the Prairie King reverted to his human form and was rolling over the ground, trying to dispel the Devil me with his Origin Force after being ced in an ugly position.
Still, small fires still burned relentlessly on the wolf pelt that he wore over his shoulder. Even though the Prairie King reacted quickly, he couldnt save the intact wolf pelt from being burned into many small holes.
When the Prairie King saw the burnt holes over his wolf pelt, his absurdly young face slightly expressed his heartache but soon was reced by immense amounts of anger.
The anger made his young face twisted, the way the he was looking at Kieran was filled with killing intent and cruel desire.
The Prairie King then raised up his right hand, ready to utilize his Origin Force without any more hesitation.
However, right at that very moment...
Ding!
A clear breaking sound came from the Prairies Kings right hand.
That golden bangle that suffered a little crack before was covered by cracks entirely and as he utilized his Origin Force, it shatteredpletely.
The golden bangle fell to the ground and shattered into many pieces.
The outer part of the pieces was still radiating in gold but the inner part was grayish and ck. It seemed like the bangle wasnt pure gold to begin with.
Kieran nced over the scene and frowned a little.
As the king of the Prairies, if he would to wear a golden bangle, it couldnt be a gold ted one instead, yet he did.
To cover the thing inside the bangle!
Kieran easily understood what the Prairie Kings thoughts were and in addition to the suspicions he had before, he felt the thing that was covered by theyer of ted gold was not something simple.
What happened next still struck Kieran in awe.
A cloud of misty haze sprung out from the greyish and ck part of the shattered bangle. The mist quickly fused together and formed a translucent figure over the sky.
A headless translucent figure!
"A headless soul!"
Kierans lightbulb in his mind suddenly lighted up when he saw the headless soul and it led him into a conclusion.
"The headless soul should be the Prairie King whose head was crushed by the dukes father or the first generation duke. As time passed, the lineage of Zilin has been weakening after giving birth to the next generation, the current generation didnt even possess half of the powerful traits of the first yet after so long, the Prairie Kings powers werent affected and still had the powers to suppress the Duke, no wonder!"
Kieran took in a deep breath. The smile that he showed towards the Prairies King had a sense of contempt.
In order to strengthen ones power, a lot of people would achieve it by any means necessary but to raid his own ancestors tomb was definitely one of the rarer cases.
Yet the Prairie King did what he did and even forged the bones of his ancestors into his personal essories to increase his own power. The gold ted exterior was a cover-up, allowing others to think the Prairies King was fond of gold.
"You bastard! Where is your honor! Where is your respect for your ancestors!?"
The Duke of Zilin managed to stand up after he saw that headless soul, as a native that upheld his honor and pride heavily, he reacted faster and stronger than Kieran as he shouted loudly at the Prairies King.
"We Prairies men live by the rule where the strong will devour the weak. That hypocrisy wont work with us. Its better this way, now I dont have to care so much, rather than putting the power to waste, might as well use it for my own!"
The Prairies King mocked the Duke without mercy and he opened his mouth to sucked in the misty headless soul into his body.
After absorbing the soul of his ancestors, an extremely ruthless and vicious aura erupted from the Prairies Kings body, it turned into a scarlet red aura with vile stench and burst out to the sky like a bloody great sword.
The aura whipped up a violent wind, sending the Duke flying backward. The violent wind was ineffective against Kieran but the vile scarlet red aura was something different.
The chills that Kieran felt from his soul made him rmed, he knew he couldnt afford to even touch the scarlet red aura.
Fuuuu!
Kieran hurled out another ball of Devil me at the scarlet red aura as he quickly back off, drawing distance from the danger but right behind him, the Prairie Kings voice could be heard.
"You think you can escape?"
Busssh!
The Prairie King plunged his hand through Kierans chest.
Chapter 633: Rascal
Chapter 633: Rascal
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Prairie Kings strike was not only fast and silent but also possessed unparalleled sharpness!
[Armor of Excellence] after embedding [Dark Nether Stone] had a defense of Extreme rank but all it did was dyed the sharp strike slightly before it pierced Kierans chest.
It was also because of that slight dy, Kierans heart wasnt crushed at that instant because of the deviated course.
It was millimeters away from his heart yet it felt like thousand miles apart.
Kieran who was grateful that strike didnt kill himughed softly, as though he was delighted that he escaped death.
"Isnt it too soon for you to be happy?"
The Prairies King said in a heavy tone.
Although Kieran avoided that fatal strike, all it would take was a little more effort for the Prairie King to obliterate Kieran.
However, when the thought about the worm that he could have crushed easily yet it consumed one of his Origin Force bangles, even though the Prairie King was about to win, he was not delighted at all and instead his face looked even heavier and gloomier.
"Your heart too has the Origin Force, its little and vague but Ive prepared a big weing gift for them. Although I dont need it now, I wont let it go to waste as well. I will make you open your eyes wide and witness how I tear you apart alive! I will make sure you suffer the worst pain but I wont kill you! Otherwise, how can I relieve the hatred in my heart!"
The Prairie King spoke in a gruesome, vicious tone. He then exerted more strength into his hand through Kierans chest as though he wanted to tear Kieran part.
Wung!
A sudden churr sounded. Rings after rings of sharp white light that felt like des and sword came out from Kierans heart. The rings of light then surrounded Kieran from his head to his feet and were circting around him in an irregr motion.
Buuush!
It exploded!
A big stain of blood appeared on the Prairie King body. He was fine a moment ago but now he was simmered in blood.
Kieran on the other "hand" started to recover from hisst breath back to his healthy self.
If it wasnt for that hand through his chest, Kieran might look totally intact.
The moment Kieran felt he would suffer a fatal hit, he activated [Saint Thorn] without hesitation.
"You damned worm! Still ying tricks, are you?!
With one of his hand pierced through Kierans chest, the Prairie King could clearly feel the beat of Kierans heart. He noticed Kierans heart housed the power of the devil and the Creature of Desire and he also noticed the power of [Saint Thorn] after it was activated.
Though he didnt understand the powers or should be he looked down at the holy power.
Compared to the devils power and Creature of Desire which had Origin Force, [Saint Thorn]s obscure properties were not worthy of mention from the Prairie King point of view.
He retaliated without further hesitation. He wouldnt believe how long could Kieran hold on with a hand through his chest.
The Prairies King opened his mouth and sucked in the scarlet red aura around him like a whale feasting on water.
Right after that, the hand through Kierans chest suddenly transformed.
Rough furs started to grow on the back of the hand and the palm was growing in exponential speed. The fingers and nails too transformed into a paw with sharp ws.
The hand embedded in Kierans chest even grew twice thicker than its original size but what more shocking was the transformation of the Prairie King.
His body grew up to 3 meters in an instant and was covered with white, tensile fur. His nose and mouth extended outwards and bared his sharp fangs outside. His ears were dragged upwards in a stiffened position.
He transformed into a wolf! A werewolf!
The three-meter tall werewolf king easily dragged Kieran off the ground, as though Kieran was a broken doll skewered through his chest.
In fact, the moment the hand in his chest grew, the recovering wound behind Kierans back was torn apart once more, his ribs and spines were breaking non-stop.
As Kierans organs were being crushed, he coughed out a mouth full of blood and reverted to his pale face that looked like he was living on hisst breath.
The werewolf kingughed coldly in disdain when he saw the weaken Kieran but a momentter his eyes widened.
That circr sharp light appeared once again from Kierans chest.
Circting around Kieran again and exploded after a while
It caused damage to the werewolf king when it exploded and brought Kieran back from the verge of dying.
"What power is this!? It surpasses even my Origin Force!"
Even in his werewolf form, the Prairies King looked down at the injuries he suffered from the reflective damage, his heart was terrified beyond words.
The scene before him had crushed his perception. He believed that his own Origin Force was the strongest and the stronger the Origin Force, the more powerful he would be and would be immune against other sources of energy.
He was terrified by the unknown!
The Prairies King wanted to pull out his werewolf hand but was caught tightly by Kierans hands instead like an iron mp.
"Come on! GO ON!"
Kieran said loudly as blood was still spilling from his mouth corner.
The Prairies King shook his arm fiercely after hearing the mocking words from Kieran. He fiercely gazed at Kierans back on his arm and roared angrily but none of that was of any use.
The Prairie King even smashed his arm down at the ground with Kieran on it, despite Kierans body being smashed at the ground multiple times, it was useless as well.
The baffling sharp white light appeared once again, healing Kieran and reflecting the damage onto himself. It would happen everytime he damaged Kieran and it seemed to be an infinite loop.
The Prairies King was suffering more damage as he struggled, more and more of his Origin Force were begin drained, causing him to break into a cold sweat.
His Origin Force wasnt unlimited!
If he consumed all the Origin Force that he gathered from his ancestors, he would be no different than the current Duke of Zilin and might even be weaker from a certain aspect.
The Prairie King raised his right hand up, trying to strike down Kieran who was hanging on his left hand but he hesitated.
The effect of [Saint Thorn] made him think twice, he wasnt sure how much damage would be reflected on him if he really killed Kieran.
If the light would reflect death as well...
Amidst his hesitation, [Saint Thorn]s effect urred on Kieran once again.
The Prairie King felt that his Origin Force was being drained again and this time around, he discarded his hesitation.
Without his Origin Force, he would die as well, he might as well take a gamble with it.
The Prairie King wasnt an irresolute and hesitant man, he mustered up the courage to raid his ancestors tomb and forged the bones of his ancestors with mystical crafting techniques into seeding himself.
Perhaps he was an arrogant man but once he came to a decision, he would carry it out with persistence!
Wung!
His right w swept over Kieran who was hanging on his left hand with a violent wind.
Kieran took the hit!
As blood sshed all around, Kierans body was torn into two and fell to the ground from the Prairies Kings left w.
Kierans remarkable Constitution prevented him from dying at the first moment and because of that, the Prairies King witnessed the scene that sent him into despair!
That sharp white light appeared once again, healing Kieran and damaging him.
"I dont believe you are an immortal!"
The Prairies King growled loudly, more and more Origin Force gathered between his ws as a couple more golden essories felt off his body and were turned into dust.
The Prairie King infused his absolute Origin Force in the next strike.
The energy had exceeded the levels what a mere mortal couldprehend, a dazzling light was radiating brightly between his ws.
KABOOOM!
The Prairies King swung his ws down at the ground like aet falling on earth.
Its energy was sted out 50 meters in range and left behind a giant crater with of dozen meters deep.
Inside the crater was Kierans bodypletely obliterated and without any signs of life.
The sharp white light that struck a chord in the Prairies Kings heart didnt appear this time around.
"Dead! You are dead! You are finally..."
The Prairies King panted heavily as he roared in delight, he was venting the fear caused by the unknown but a few wordster, his roared stopped abruptly.
Kierans body which waspletely obliterated and should be dead moved!
Chapter 634: A Reserving Light
Chapter 634: A Reserving Light
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The charred, obliterated body moved!
A bulge appeared on top of Kierans corpse and expanding rapidly.
From the size of a pea to the size of a knuckle, all it took was a breaths time.
Then, the bulging knuckle-sizedyer of skin burst.
Pak!
Air flowed out as the skin burst, revealing a pale palm within the Prairie Kings sight, followed by a second palm.
As two of the palms pulled open theyer of skin, a whole person was squeezed out from the charred body.
Kieran!
Kieran who was supposed to be dead appeared before the Prairie King.
"You! YOU! How is it possible?! Viper Sects highest ultimate technique!"
The Prairies King growled loudly in an unbelievable sense, his eyes widened extrarge when he saw the skin that Kieran came out from.
The Duke of Zilin on aside shared almost the same expression with the Prairies King. He might be even more astonished than the Prairie King.
A moment ago, when the Duke of Zilin saw the Prairies King spared no reserves in utilizing a huge amount of his Origin Force in that attack on Kieran, the Duke didnt think Kieran would survive that attack since he knew how powerful Origin Force was.
"The highest ultimate techniques of Viper Sect..."
The young Duke mumbled to himself as the unbelievable growl of the Prairie King echoed in his ears.
When he saw Kieran renew his skin like a snake, the young Duke suddenly thought about the secret that was recorded in his family books, "snake transforming into a dragon!"
A method that could once again grant the son of Dragon its former power.
The young Duke instantly gazed at Kieran with burning eyes without him knowing.
For the Duke of Zilin who had to carry the honor and pride of his house, if there was a way that wouldnt taint his honor and could grant him immense power, he would be d to take it.
Therefore, when the young Duke saw the Prairie King headed towards Kieran again, he too forced his body up and headed towards Kieran.
He wanted to lend his aid to Kieran at the same time it would be helping himself as well.
But the Prairie King had different intentions, after draining most of his energy, all he had was a single thought in his mind.
Death! Kieran must die!
How would he be satisfied if Kieran didnt die after the Prairie King drained a huge amount of his Origin Force?
"So what if you have the ultimate technique of Viper Sect? You should be feeling weak now! Just like a snake that renewed its skin!"
The Prairies King gazed over Kieran who stood up in the crater, his ws were gathering the keen energy st again. However, it was different than the previous strike before, after consuming most of his Origin Force, the second round of energy gathering was much slower and that keenness was weakened by a lot.
If the first keen energy st was an unrivaled famous sword, the second one was like a normal, rusty blunt sworda blunt sword which still could kill.
The Prairie King approached Kieran step by step, he wanted to make sure hed kill Kieran with a fatal blow.
Though when he saw Kieran pick up [Arrogant Word], the Prairie Kings step halted for a moment before hastening further ahead.
Anyone could tell with an eye that Kieran had not enough strength to wield that heavy greatsword, he was only barely holding on.
[Ring of the Serpent King, Snake Molt] was much more amazing that he imagined but it weakened Kieran further than he expected.
Aftering back from the dead, even though all his stats had suffered a -6 debuff, it made him feel like all his stats had been depleted. He feltzy and soft, without any intentions of moving a finger.
"Is there any extra, hidden after effects?" Kieran thought in his heart and he looked at the Prairies King who was moving towards him.
The Prairie King was in bad shape as well, Kieran was certain of that but another thing was despite how bad shape the Prairies King was, he was still much stronger than Kieran after the molting.
Even though the Prairies King couldnt fire his energy st from afar, he would still be able to do so after closing the distance.
What about Kieran himself though, he couldnt even muster enough strength to wield [Arrogant Word].
Fortunately, he wasnt robbed of all his means of resisting.
If he was a native, he would have depleted his tricks at that moment but he was a yer.
A yers attributes and skills were a crucial part of his strength but not the entire set without adding in the equipment and items.
Kieran had just used [Ring of the Serpent King], although [Snake Molt] was the highest value skill that he had, it wasnt hismon means.
But [Serpent Spirit] was!
Souuu!
When the Prairies King was 7 to 8 meters away from Kieran, he raised his ws and fired out the weakened energy st, he believed even with that caliber of energy st, it would be enough to slice Kierans throat.
As for the Viper Sect ultimate technique, Kieran would never have the chance to perform a second time in a short period of time.
"DIE!"
After his vicious cursing, the Prairies King was waiting for blood to ssh.
However, a giant twin-headed snake sprung out from the ground and blocked the energy st.
The energy st had struck the twin-headed snakes scale, causing a small spark but it didnt hurt its body a bit, instead, it infuriated the serpent spirit.
Sss!
The twin-headed snake lunged its head down at the Prairies King with a hiss but it missed.
The Prairie King mustered his remaining Origin Force and moved away further from the serpent spirit.
He ran!
Even after utilizing his Origin Force, the Prairie King didnt retaliate but chose to run away. It made the Duke of Zilin showed contempt towards his shameful act but the Prairie Kings action wasnt out of Kierans expectation.
The Prairie King might bear a kingly manner but he certainly wasnt a fearless lion but a cunning jackal that utilized schemes that gave him his current position.
Even though he unted his prowess and acted like a lion during normal times, when his true nature was exposed, he was still a jackal.
A lion might take the risk despite the odds against its favor but a jackal?
The most instinctive decision was to run away with its tail between its legs.
But how could Kieran let his prey escape?
Souuu!
A fiery spiderweb fell from the sky and caught the escaping Prairie Kingpletely.
The Prairie King struggled relentlessly and mustered his remaining Origin Force to break out from the spiderweb.
However, right at the moment where he broke free, another spiderweb flew down from the sky and this time around, a cone-shaped freezing energy followed.
The Prairies King was emptied of his energies.
"Aaarrrggg!"
"You cant kill me! Or..."
The pitiful begging cried out loud but Kieran didnt even hesitated and went up with a follow up [Frozen Touch]!
Simr to [Frost Breath], [Frozen Touch] came from [Seattle Right Hand] as well and the Powerful rank freezing attack exploded once again.
The Prairies King was frozen instantly, removing him of the remaining signs of life.
The few remaining golden essories and the wolf pelt turned into powdered bits as the king died.
A golden item fell off the Prairie Kings body.
It was slightly different than the previous dazzling brightness but it was much darker in terms of brightness.
Though it seemed like it wasnt darker, but a more reserved golden glow.
Kieran reached out his hand at the item.
Chapter 635: Wolf’s Remnant Feast
Chapter 635: Wolfs Remnant Feast
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
After the reserved golden glow, a yellowish white fang appeared on Kierans palm.
It was tied with a ck hemp string and fell down between Kierans thumb and index finger.
The fang pendant looked unusually simple and with the hemp string, it felt sophisticated and mysterious with a sense of viciousness!
Gazing over the pendant on his palm, he felt like he saw the giant white wolf on the edge of a cliff, howling sharply at the moon as myriads of other wolves knelt beneath it.
An illusion?
No, it was just a simple Fear effect because a small bit of its presence came out from that fang pendant. It didnt bear any malicious intent yet it affected Kieran.
"Im much weaker than I think!"
Kieran took in a deep breath and discarded the affection before checking the details on that pendant.
[Name: Wolfs Remnant Feast]
[Type: essory]
[Rarity: I]
[Attack: I]
[Defense: I]
[Attribute: 1. Wisdom of the White Wolf, 2. Body of the White Wolf, 3. Spirit of the White Wolf]
[Effect: Wolf Pack]
[Prerequisite: y the Prairie King.]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: It isnt aplete product as it was merged together in an ident, still it didnt diminish its power!]
...
[Wisdom of the White Wolf: Whether attack of defense, whenever a Spirit authentication urred, gained extra +3 buff]
[Body of the White Wolf: Able to transform into a werewolf, 1/day]
[Spirit of the White Wolf: Summon the white wolf spirit to aid you in battle, 1/day]
...
[Wolf Pack: All species of wolf lowered than I rank will submit to you without resistance]
...
"I? What kind of rarity is this?"
A new rarity appeared before Kieran, it wasnt Legendary, wasnt Epic nor was it above Legendary or Epic but I!
Kieran suddenly felt that he discovered key information when he saw the number or could even be considered as a symbol rarity ranking.
There wasnt much information about the underground game to begin with.
Although every yer would gather information about the game eventually whether passive or tentatively, the information with real value was limited.
Or in other words, valuable information was only in the hands of a certain portion of the yers.
For example, [Wolfs Remnant Feast], and I rarity item. Even its description of [Wolf Pack] mentioned the ranking I.
"A rarity that transcends abovemon rarity and a rank that exceedsmon rankings! So this is the true meaning of a transcendence ranking?" Kieran mumbled to himself.
Kieran then unconsciously turned his eyes towards the frozen Prairie King. The presence that struck fear in Kierans heart had vanished following his death but Kierans impression of his strength didnt diminish at all because of his demise.
In fact, it became clearer.
The ice statue before him acted as a warning to himself, reminding him that he had to stay humble at all times and try not to tear his opponent apart slowly while he had the chance to rip the head off.
If he had the chance to directly kill his opponent, he must without an excessive means.
Other than the warning, there was also notifications that caught Kierans attention.
"[Sword Skill, Tiger Stance]!"
"[Saint Thorn]!"
The formers changes made Kieran understand that he was far from understanding the skillpletely and not only that particr one but others as well.
Thetter too made Kieran rmed once more.
It was so absurdly powerful to the point that it went beyond his imagination.
Kieran had no idea what was the Origin Force but he knew the power that could harm the Prairie King was surely not a simple one.
Even [Arrogant Word] after its enchantment, all it did was graze the Prairie Kings skin yet [Saint Thorn] sted him with heavy damage, sending him into a bloodied state.
Kieran tried tomunicate with the power that belonged to [Saint Thorn] but he got nothing else other than the presence of showing empathy to all living beings.
Kieran frowned.
[Fusion Heart]s power was all distinguishable with its own uniqueness yet they were wild and untamed in nature except for [Saint Thorn].
Other than the time he faced Ohara where he faced a certain limitation, the holy power inside him had been obedient ever since. Not only did it not cause any unwanted idents, it also helped Kieran ovee multiple difficult hurdles as well.
But it was also that very reason that made Kierans heart sank further.
There was no unconditionally love in the world, nor was there ever a free meal.
Any seemingly great things held a hidden goal in the end.
Benefits!
Though it might mean something else as well.
Kieran couldnt make up his mind on that topic.
He knew his own point of view would be extremely biased from others eyes but he who had gotten used to living alone at an early age admitted the saying persistently.
"The more the initial investment, the more benefits will be reaped at the end."
He experienced it when his first friend in the orphanage cheated his snacks that were only given once a month. Since then, that saying has been branded in his heart.
"Sir 2567? We need to return to Lightning Fortress swiftly! Otherwise, his troops will still cause tremendous damage to Lightning Fortress and Riverdale!"
The Duke of Zilin had to remind Kieran when he saw Kieran stand still and get lost in his thoughts.
It seemed like the threats that the Prairie King made before his death made the Duke rted to more matters.
"Um!"
Kieran swiftly recollected his thoughts and nodded in eptance.
He already knew what was going on when the Prairie King appeared by himself without his squad that he traveled with.
Fire Ravens surveince in the sky had discovered the Prairies King long ago but after he left the Prairies main camp it became harder to track him down. It wasnt to divert Kierans attention but to cover Lapierres true destination.
Everyone knew what Lapierres goal was.
"How is your body feeling?" The young duke asked.
"Its not that bad, Ill be fine in riding back."
Kieran said which was not entirely true.
Although the young Duke presented his respectful side, the spirit to die for honor would easily create fondness for him.
Still, Kieran didnt choose to believe him despite the presentation.
Kierans vignce, or more likely suspicions, had been branded in his bones long ago.
The young Duke didnt notice that though, he sent an order to his remaining subordinates and right away, two fit horses were dragged over to them.
A couple of eagles too flew towards a certain direction.
"Well make a move first, the knights of Zilin will join uster... What about his body?"
The duke exined before his tone turned doubtful.
What will they do about the Prairie Kings body?
Judging from how the young Duke honored his pride, he would probably put the Kings body into a coffin and send it back to the Prairie main camp.
However, the Duke wasnt the victor this time, he had no right to deal with the body.
Kieran too wasnt interested in dead bodies but the Prairie Kings one was different. No doubt his body was valuable, especially towards the mystical studies field.
Even though Kieran wasnt skilled at such field, it didnt stop him from getting more benefits for himself.
"Put him in a coffin and send it over to Riverdale!"
As his words subside, Kieran had ridden away on the horse.
The duke too followed tightly behind.
A fierce war was about to break out at Lightning Fortress.
Chapter 636: Rabbles
Chapter 636: Rabbles
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The adept members of the Viper Sect had carefully infiltrated the Prairies main camp.
Although it wasnt night, the shadows cast from the tents under the sunlight provided a smooth path for the excellent assassins to advance their goals.
As the leader of the Viper Sect, Perry Kaner was the first to infiltrate the main camp.
In fact, there was arge area of emptynd between Lightning Fortress and the Prairies main camp if, without her cover, the adept members wouldnt have gotten past the sharp eyes of the Prairie sharpshooters regardless of how good they were.
While hiding inside one of the shadow spots, Perry Kaners body was giving out a dark glimmer identical to the shadows. Theyer of glimmer kept changing as she moved along like a chameleon.
She might even be better in camouge than a chameleon! Not only the color, but even her presence was also concealed frommon sight.
The legacies of the Viper Sect were as old as 400 hundred years old.
Other than the Viper Sects own techniques, there were also techniques that were gathered throughout the generations or even spoils of war. Some of the techniques were even created by a certain someone within the Viper Sect or a product of a trade.
Regardless of what it was, anything that was worth the Viper Sects attention would be quality goods that were hard toe by.
Perry Kaner was using her [Ethereal Undercover] technique, it was a special technique that mergedmon undercover with a core technique of a certain sect that vanished in the river of time.
It wasnt on the ultimate level but it was close to it.
Perry Kaner was able to easily shuttle across the Prairies main camp with the mastered technique.
She was waiting for the best opportunity to strike, not only to kill her enemies but also to search for a certain item.
The item that held the secret to the power of the Prairie King.
Every organization had their own informationwork, especially around the nobles and royalties in each region, it was natural if there was an extra pair of eyes and ears around them.
The Viper Sect was no exception and might even be on the lucky end.
One of the Viper Sects informant managed to get in contact with one of the guards around the Prairie King before the guard was sentenced to death because of a certain secret leak.
In the end, the secret was leaked to the Viper Sect informant and even though the informant waster killed, the secret had reached Perry Kaners ears.
It was also because of the secret that Perry Kaner kept her promise with Kieran, otherwise...
Given Perry Kaners choice, she would have rather suffer severe consequences than agree to this suicide mission.
She had a deep impression of how fearsome the Prairie King was but it was also because of that feeling that led her where she was now.
"Origin Force!"
When the word popped up in her head, Perry Kaners always calm heart was getting unusually excited. Though, she quickly returned to her calm state because of her vast experience in infiltrating missions.
When she spotted Lapierre walking out from his tent, she quickly snuck into the tent before the cover closed downpletely.
Perry Kaner knew exactly what Lapierre was there for but why would it concern her?
She had kept her promise with Kieran but it was also to fulfill one of her own tasks along the way.
As for the Ravens who were on support, she wished they would all die together.
...
The rude Lapierre opened up the tent cover and strode out, he didnt even notice someone snuck into his tent when the cover was opened.
Lapierres mind was all about how he would take down Lightning Fortress and exchange his achievement for rewards from the king.
"Hmph! You dare oppose the king! You people really have a death wish!"
Lapierre expressed his disdain towards Kieran and the Duke of Zilin since he knew how powerful his king was.
Once Lapierre was wild and untamed, and because of his attitude, he was taught a lesson by the king, that one-time lesson was then branded in his heart.
The power of his king that had transcended above all mortals was enough to show Lapierre what should he do.
He wouldply! Comply unconditionally because he didnt want to die under the hands of his own king.
Therefore, Lapierre was carrying out his kings order with all of his heart.
He didnt summon any of his and walked towards Lightning Fortress alone.
None of the soldiers in the main camp dared to stop the hot-tempered general, all they could do was stare nkly as Lapierre slowly approaching Lightning Fortress step by step.
When sparks of electric appeared on Lapierres arms, the Prairies soldiers were astonished beyond control. They now realized what Lapierre was going to do.
He wanted to break through the fortress!
The soldiers were stunned for a while before cheering loudly at their general.
The Prairies people were infamous for their battle enthusiasm, after being frightened by Kieran a few days ago, their hearts had been suppressed for days. Now, seeing their generals actions, they would naturally cheer for him.
They were looking forward to their fearsome general, charging towards Lightning Fortress alone and ughtering all the enemies.
Kakroom!
The electric current was sted out like thunder from Lapierres hands, zipping rapidly towards Lightning Fortress.
Two clouds of zing mes were then sted out from above Lightning Fortress as well.
As two fiery clouds of mes stood before the thunder strike, a bigger explosion sounded upon collision, canceling both fire and lightning into nothing.
"Maxim, Celty! You two bastards dare stand before me?" Lapierre shouted loud disdainfully.
Sparks of electricity gathered on his arms again. He viciously smiled at the two people who were standing in his way.
Maxim smiled bitterly. If there was another way, he surely wouldnt confront Lapierre like this but he was out of options.
Unless he was willing to give up everything he had now and find a new ce where no one knew him until the day of his death. Maxim would rather die right now than in an unknown ce.
Everyone had something that they held onto persistently regardless of the consequences.
For some it was love, for some it was family, while for others it was friendship.
For Maxim, it was authority and fame.
Celty, on the other hand, has a much simpler reason. He wanted revenge because his back was still quietly hurting him.
"You left your main camp just like that, arent you afraid something might happen to the troops back there?" Celty said in a heavy cold tone.
"Those bastards? I dont care if they die, we would get another batch of troops easily if we want to. We from the Prairies arecking everything except men who wanted to make a name for themselves. You think you can threaten me with those silly troops?"
"...F*ck!"
Lapierre was mocking Celty but before he could finish, he cursed loudly in a gruesome voice that caused one to shiver.
Maxim and Celty were shocked by the sudden shout and quickly channeled their mes through their hands.
Surprisingly though, Lapierre quickly turned around and ran fast.
Maxim and Celty exchanged a gaze in confusion.
"Seems like those from the Viper Sect had gotten onto something bad inside their camp... but what does it have to do with us?"
Both of them smiled as they looked at each other.
The Viper Sect wished the Raven Sect would perish and so did Raven Sect of Viper Sect.
...
Meanwhile back in the tent, a wooden box was opened up.
Inside was a couple piece of goatskin papers which was taken out by Perry Kaner.
She nced over the Prairies wording on top and her eyes were overflowing with delight.
It was what she was looking for.
However, her delightsted for only a second before her face turned sour.
The brutal presence of Lapierre was approaching fast.
Perry Kaner kept the goatskins in her bosom and quickly sliced opened the cowhide tent without a second thought. She couldnt even care about her promise with Kieran anymore and only wanted to retreat ording to the route nned out for her.
But when she leaped out from the tent, she was stunned by what she saw.
Not only Perry Kaner but Lapierre who had caught up with her was too.
A giant white wolf bigger than a horse and stronger than ox appeared before both of them. Lapierre even kneeled down quickly.
"Your Majesty!"
Lapierres brutal presence was like a tiger a moment ago but when he saw the white wolf, he turned tamed like a house cat.
A shiver ran through Perry Kaners body, a slight sense of fear shed over her eyes but at the next moment, the young leader sniffed her nose a little before showing a face of astonishment.
"My lord, 2567... You are really frightening." She said.
Chapter 637: Goatskin Paper
Chapter 637: Goatskin Paper
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
"2567?!"
Lapierre who knelt was shocked.
The hot-tempered general couldnt rte the giant white wolf before his eyes with anyone else except for his own king.
Therefore, when Lapierres head flew up and fell back to the ground, his dying face was filled with an unbelievable expression.
The giant white wolf nced over the dead Lapierre and the orange glow on his body before switching its attention to the Viper Sect leader.
Perry Kaner shivered again. She couldnt see how the white wolf killed Lapierre.
From her point of view, the white wolf didnt even move at all. All it took was a breeze and Lapierre who was evenly matched or even stronger than her had died just like that.
He was beheaded!
The fresh blood that gushed out from his veins flowed like a stream beside Perry Kaners feet but she dared not move a muscle.
She saw the cold and merciless eyes of the wolf and almost instantly, she made a bright decision. She quickly took out the goatskin papers.
"Lord 2567, I suppose we have a slight misunderstanding between us."
She ced the goatskin papers on the ground and pressed it down with a rock.
From the moment she took out the goatskin papers to cing it down on the ground, she had been extra careful and slow with her motions. Other than worrying about the urrence of unwanted misunderstanding, it was also because of that bone-chilling killing intent which almost froze her body.
Except for her mind!
The gears in her mind spun rapidly, trying to think of a way to escape.
Surprisingly, after Perry Kaner ced the goatskin papers on the ground, the white wolf vanished into thin air in speckles of light.
Though before she could even move, the Fire Raven dived down from the sky and grazed the ground, grabbing the goatskin papers and the orange glowing item before soaring back into the sky.
Perry Kaners face turned sour as she saw the Fire Raven vanishing from her sight.
She felt fortunate for being alive yet regretful.
However, everything was reced by unwillingness at the very next moment. Perry Kaner knew she had missed a giant opportunity that could change her path of life.
She clenched her fist hard out of control.
Give up?
The Viper Sect leaders dictionary couldnt house such a word.
...
"What a pity!"
Kieran who was still riding on the horse raised a brow.
He felt pity because the duration of [Spirit of the White Wolf] was up and unable to take out Perry Kaner along the way.
Though, his pity was reced by the description of [Spirit of the White Wolf].
[Name: Spirit of the White Wolf]
[Type: Summons]
[Rank: High]
[Attack: Extreme]
[Defense: Extreme]
[Attribute: 1. Tenacious Fur, 2. Nimble Body, 3. Razor ws & Fangs]
[Effect: Dominate Wolves]
[Prerequisite: Wolfs Remnant Feast]
[Remark: The summoned beast that was formed by the remaining power of the son of Wolf. Its powerful and reliable]
...
[Tenacious Fur: When receiving damage, an extra Powerful force field barrier will automatically form around the body.]
[Nimble Body: Its giant figure will not cause additional debuffs, instead, plus +3 Agility buff during running and evading]
[Razor ws & Fangs: Its ws and fangs are treated as a Rare rank sharp weapon, gain extra +1 Sharpness.]
...
[Dominate Wolves: Able to control wolf beings below Rare rank.]
...
When the system disyed the details of [Spirit of the White Wolf], Kieran was still shocked despite having some guesses.
Aside from the attributes and special effect buffs, the fact that its attack and defense was at Extreme and having a substantial 4500 HP and Stamina was enough to widen Kierans eyes.
On a side note, Kierans S+ Constitution plus [Body of Evil]s buff would only grant him 1300 HP and Stamina value.
The other summons such as [Serpent Spirit] would gain all sorts of HP and Stamina bonuses because of its species and type model but it wasnt as absurd as [Spirit of the White Wolf], let alone the Extreme attack and defense plus a couple of attributes that could be considered as Talents.
"So this is the power of an I rank item?"
Kieran couldnt hold back his astonishment when he saw that Lapierre was killed within a second through [Spirit of the White Wolf]s eyes.
Even though he had the advantage of catching his opponent off guard, he believed Lapierre would at mostst a few breaths in a one-on-one battle. Kieran even calcted the potential ace cards and the power of Lapierres lightning but if those were out of the equation...
Lapierre would perish in a second!
Kierans sharp insight was enough to tell the oue.
Gawk! Gawk Gaawk!
Fire Raven returned to Kieran and brought back the spoils of wars.
A couple of goatskin papers filled with Prairies writing and a Rare rank equipment.
The Rare equipment was a fingerless glove. Other than the thumb part, each finger was embedded with two bulging copper bolts on the joints.
The bolts werent sharp but sturdy enough.
Kieran looked at the glove that was reminiscent of a sports glove, his mind unconsciously painted a picture of his enemys bloody face when he punched it with the bolts.
[Name: Brutal Lightning Hand (Left Hand)]
[Type: Glove]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attack: Strong]
[Defense: Strong]
[Attribute: 1. Volt Strike, 2. Brutality]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: This is Lapierres favorite, he could punch a man to death easily with this!]
...
[Volt Strike: Additional Average electric element attack added on each sessful hit on target]
[Brutality: Each time a target is killed, +1 attack buff granted to the glove. When a total of 5 targets are killed, the next attack will have a +1 on electric element attack]
...
Even after seeing an I rank equipment, Kieran didnt think lowly of any Rare equipment.
In fact, any equipment had its value to a stingy person, let alone that the glove was a left-handed glove that he was sorelycking.
Kieran equipped [Brutal Lightning Hand] without further ado and he turned his attention to the goatskin papers.
[Name: Unknown Goatskin]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: Great]
[Attribute: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: It has recorded some extremely secretive knowledge. You will need the correspondingnguage to truly acquire the knowledge from the records!]
...
When Perry Kaner took out the seven goatskin papers with extreme unwillingness, Kieran knew they were nothing simple, though he didnt think the system would describe the papers in such a way.
"Secretive knowledge eh..."
Kieran squinted his eyes.
He thought of Origin Force.
Chapter 638: The First Cry
Chapter 638: The First Cry
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The Origin Force!
Kierans heart clenched for a while when the thought came into his mind.
He still couldnt understand what Origin Force was but it was undoubtedly powerful.
If it wasnt for the arrogance of the Prairie King, he might have kicked the bucket despite him having [Ring of the Serpent King].
After all [Snake Molt] had a cooldown timer of a week!
A weeks cooldown time was enough for the Prairie King to tear him into millions of pieces.
Kieran didnt once doubt the hatred of the Prairie King for him.
He carefully ced the [Unknown Goatskin] into [Crimson Ghost Stomach].
Although the Duke of Zilin beside him should understand the Prairienguage, he wouldnt ask for the Dukes help. Kieran hadnt gained enough to trust the Dukepletely, despite him disying a high level of honor and pride.
Aside from that, Kieran had a better candidate to aid him, Mary!
Mary was fluent in the Prairiesnguage, Kieran confirmed it before he even went back to Riverdale for the first time.
In fact, not only the Prairiesnguage, Mary knew a thing or two about all the neighboring countriesnguages as well.
It was all because of her mothers teaching. Once the first seat of Raven Sect, Ellen didnt spare any efforts in teaching her own daughter and she seeded!
Through Fire Ravens sight which had flown up, soaring over the battlefield, Kieran clearly saw what was happening outside Lightning Fortress.
An uproar urred among the Prairie soldiers!
Lapierre didnt die off silently, a lot of the Prairie soldiers saw his head fly off.
That fearsome Prairie generals bodyy straight outside the cowhide tent, his head was far away from his body and blow flowed out from his neck like a small stream of a river, soaking the ground red.
The white wolf that vanished struck fear in the guarding soldiers heart.
They called in more soldiers and checked on the situation.
Soon, many more of them realized something wasnt right during the calling.
Some of the leaders of the tribes didnt appear.
The adepts of the Viper Sect carried out their assassination mission perfectly.
Those Prairie leaders died silently inside their own tent and those soldiers who checked on them had their forehead and back drenched in cold sweat when they saw the terrifying scene.
"This is the wrath of the Wolf God! The Wolf God forbid us from warring here!"
One of the guard soldiers who saw Lapierre beheaded by the white wolf cried out loud.
He then ran back to his tent, packed his weapons and rode his horse back to the prairies.
His action was like a falling domino as it started a chain reaction.
A small change triggered a series of desertion as many more soldiers mimicked the firsts action, including some of the tribe leaders.
The Wolf God has the highest authority and power in the prairies and almost all of the Prairies soldiers believed in it.
However, greed could corrupt their beliefs easily.
Some of the tribe leaders brought their men away but the majority of the surviving tribe leaders chose to stay.
They found it hard to ditch the immense wealth beyond that fortress.
Those who stayed, those who ran, themotion drove the main camp into chaos, especially those minor tribes who lost their leaders even turned to the source of the whole mess. Their eyes were filled with rage when they saw those surviving tribe leaders.
Then, the words of provocation sounded.
"The bigger tribes want to take over our tribes!"
"Think of the attack a few days ago!"
"They sent our warriors to die and now they want to upy our wealth just like they didst time!"
It was the handy works of the Raven Sects spies.
Those Prairie soldiers who lost their leaders became infuriated. The charge at Lightning Fortress a couple days ago happened before their own eyes and they even saw that some of the other tribes benefited from the death of others.
Harvested rewards were always good but once it was lost...
It would be hard for one to bear!
Puk!
Blood sshed as one of the Prairies head flew up high.
A Prairie tribe leader had his head cut off and the macho soldier who beheaded the leader was viciously smiling at the people around him.
"Zimorde, what are you doing!" The crowd shouted.
"What am I doing? People of the Thousand Wolves Tribe, are we still waiting here for the butchers knife cleave down on our neck? Our leader was killed by these jackals! Should we stay back doing nothing and wait for the others to plunder our horses, our weapons, our cows and sheep?" The man named Zimorde yelled loudly.
His cry was like a raging wave as it spread out silencing the others in an instant.
"No!"
"No!"
Scattered voices first sounded, followed by a vigorous uproar from the others.
"Very well! We wont stay back and let them ughter us! We will protect our cows and sheep, we will return to the grass of Thousand Wolves, the fertilends that brought us up... Who dares stand before us is our enemy!"
The young and ambitious Zimorde hopped on his horse.
His mind already painted the picture of him dominating the entire tribe after leading his people back to the grasnds but an arrow flew in and crushed the young warriors dream.
"Argh!"
A poison arrow was shot on to Zimordes chest, toppling him from his horse.
The Thousand Wolves tribe was shaken.
Rage filled their hearts right after, they soon turned their attention towards the origin of the arrow.
They spotted their mortal enemy, the Moon Owl tribe which had waged war against the fertilends of Thousand Wolves more than a dozen times.
What would happen when grudges and rage were mixed together?
"CHARGE!"
A sudden shout sounded and drove the Thousand Wolvess warriors charging into Moon Owls crowd.
The Thousand Wolves wereing at them furiously, the Moon Owl too retaliated without showing weakness since Zimorde beheaded their leader a moment ago.
What else was there to say when the new grudge was added to the old ones.
The other tribe leaders around too looked at each other, spotting the malicious vignce on respective faces.
At the times of chaos, only the Prairies King could calm his men down using his reputation and also his absolute strength, but...
The king was already dead!
Chaos was inevitable as it swept across the Prairies main camp.
...
Lightning Fortress too saw the chaos breaking out.
They had prepared for this moment yet their hearts were still pounding in fear and anxiety.
Mary was riding on a white horse with a body of armor that barely fit her figure. She looked at her troops as her eyes nced over all of their faces.
She too felt the anxiety and fear of her men but it wasnt an excuse for her to give up.
Kieran had done enough for her and from there onwards, she had to advance on her own.
Mary took in a deep breath before saying out loud.
"Men! Our time is now! This is our only chance! Behind us are civilians who are still retreating, your families, neighbors, friends, or even lovers might be among them and standing in front of us is our enemies, fallen into chaos! We might strike them down with a single hit or they might destroy us all... I dont have much to tell you but I assure you, if we couldnt cheer as a victor on the battlefield, we will rise again from thend of the dead!"
"I, Mary James, heir to the Warren throne swear on my name!"
Her tender voice echoed around Lightning Fortress.
Tssk Gak!
As the capstan turned, the crude gate of Lightning Fortress was opened.
A white horse carrying a young female knight dashed out like an arrow let loose.
Followed by thunderous gallops behind her.
Chapter 639: Drowned
Chapter 639: Drowned
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Thend trembled as the Warren riders charged into the Prairies main camp like a sharp sword.
The sudden ambush of the Warren riders escted the already chaotic situation in the main camp.
Some of the setups and defensive measures in the main camp that were built specifically to defend against Warren riders were destroyed during the uproar by the Prairie soldiers themselves or the Raven and Viper sect spies.
It allowed three thousand of the Warren riders to charge in without any resistance.
Horses neighed sharply and people growled angrily.
des and swords red as they collide, creating streams and streams of a bloody river.
A fire torch suddenly lit up across the air, drawing a bright arc beforending on the main camps army supply.
The fire instantly burned fiercely on the fodders for the horses, followed by rations for the troops.
A big area of the main camp was set aze.
The fire burned furiously, causing even the well-trained horses to neigh in fear and when the ropes were cut off, the horses ran rampant everywhere, struggling as the fire was burning on them.
The zing horses galloped across the main camp, setting more ces on fire.
"Put the fire out! Put the fire out!"
Many of the Prairie soldiers were shouting in rm, but most of them couldnt escape the sticky situation themselves. A lot of them were facing their envious opponent from other tribes while beside them were enemies charging across their camp, if they would give up in resisting and extinguish the mes, they would perish as well.
The only way for them to survive was to kill the opponent before their eyes, even though their opponent was once theirrades in arms.
Only a small portion of the Prairie soldiers reached an ord in ceasing fire among themselves, yet such ord couldnt prolong their survival and instead, it drove them to their deaths faster.
Stabs came from the shadows, taking lives one after another.
res flew across the sky, setting more fire across the camp.
The Prairie soldiers were being reaped of their precious lives because the riders of Warren had marked down the targets with importance. The riders fired their crossbows sharply at their targets.
Sou Sou Sou Sou!
Arrows rained down from the sky, hundreds and thousands of Prairies soldiers fell after being hit.
While some were still crying in agony, the horses stomped over them without mercy, robbing their remaining life force and turning them into a pile of quiet minced meat.
Marys palms were sweaty. She experienced battle before but not war on the battlefield.
She saw enemies before her eyes,rades-in-arms beside her, all she could do was to charge forward, ceaselessly.
She knew she was the leader of the group, if she ever hesitated, it would quickly crumble the hard gathered troops.
That was the reason she rode the white horse to battle.
When she was 7 years old, her mother had warned her more than once that it would be better not to choose an eye-catching color horse while riding to battle because it would eventually turn her into a living target.
Though Mary didnt have a choice, she had to be eye-catching and shine like a waving g!
Ding!
Celty once again fended off an iing arrow with his sword. It wasnt the first time and definitely not thest.
From the moment they rode into the main camp, Celty has fended at least twenty arrows aimed at Mary. Even though Celty was one of the elite members of the Raven Sect, possessed outstanding skill sets, he couldnt hold it long enough before gasping heavily.
It wasnt an easy task to protect a single person with full attention on the battlefield which was forever changing.
Ding.
Another arrow was fended off, this time around it was Maxim instead of Celty.
The Raven Sect recorder wasnt in good shape either, he nced over hisrade who shared the worsened condition yet all he could do was yell, "Your Highness, ride forth!"
There wasnt a retreating path after that, all they could do was ride through the Prairies main camp and if they broke through the camp, victory will be in their hands.
However, should they be surrounded by the Prairie soldiers...
The Raven Sect recorder swiftly shook his head to discard such thoughts from his mind and return to fend off the iing arrow.
However, this iing arrow was different from the previous ones. Just as Maxims sword was about to break the arrow, the arrow moved in an arc and dodged the sh before heading towards Mary.
Maxim was shocked.
"Your Highness!"
His voice sounded in panic but another figure leaped up from the horses beside and blocked the arrow with his body.
Pum!
The arrow perforated the riders chest, bringing his body down to the ground.
Gallops then followed up in crushing the riders body.
All the while, Mary didnt even get a clear look at the rider who sacrificed his life for her.
When she realized she was saved, the riders body was drowned by the relentless gallops.
All she could hear was a young voice.
Suddenly, she sobbed hard, a strong wind blew behind her and even made her eyes teary.
Mary held the corner of her eyes with her hand, preventing the tears from falling.
"Move forth!"
"Move forth!"
Her tender voice yelled again with all her might.
Kakroooooom!
The horses galloped non-stop ahead in a fury, the riders of Warren had ridden forth without knowing how long until they felt at ease of their surroundings.
That suppressing, suffocating feeling was thrown behind them.
All they saw was an empty field before their eyes.
Did they break through?
They broke through!
The unbelievable feeling of escaping death rose up!
None of them could hide the delight that popped up on their face.
Mary was exhausted, panting heavily while lying down on the horse.
Celty and Maxim were drenched in sweat as though they came out from the sea.
Both of them didnt even want to move another finger.
However, both of them were shaking when they saw the unusual situation at the main camp behind their squad.
"Your Highness, someone is furling in the remaining troops!" Maxim warned.
Even without further exnation, Mary knew what would happen to her troops if the Prairies soldiers furled them in.
Although their charge before wouldnt be in vain, its effect will surely be halved.
The young voice calling "Your Highness" echoed in Marys ears again.
She would not ept it! She would not allow it!"
Wung! Wung! Wung!
The [Thorn de] behind her back was shaking.
Suddenly, an energetic force was imbued into the little girls body, causing the exhausted Mary to straighten her back at once.
She moved her horse through her squad and stood at the front row once again facing the Prairies soldiers.
She didnt say anything nor needed any notice.
The Warren riders saw the white horse turned around, they too followed as they switched direction, turning back at the Prairies main camp.
They held their weapons tainted with their enemys blood, before the delight on their face faded, it was reced by determination.
Even though the riders knew they had a slim chance of surviving this, they didnt hesitate nor feel fear at all. After the first round charging through their enemies, the riders underwent a transformation.
They transformed from themon soldiers to the true elites of Warren troops because they were imbued with the spirit!
"Impossible! How is this possible?"
Maxim was looking at the scene which most people would consider unbelievable. He seemed to have rted into something and caused him to call out in surprise.
Celty was looking at Maxim in confusion.
"The saying of a virtuous ruler!" Maxim reminded Celty in a bitter smile.
Celty was stunned and he turned his attention towards the white figure before him.
"With a virtuous ruler leading us, the cowards will be brave, the brave will be heroes and the heroes will be sa..."
Celty was mumbling softly but before he could finish, Maxim covered his mouth.
Celty reacted instantly and even without his friends reminder, he knew what he should do.
Both of them moved beside Mary once more.
Each of them stood on the left and right respectively, protecting Mary like before.
This time around the different thing was that both of them had a baffling sense of frantess on their faces.
Gallops sounded again.
The Prairies soldiers charged back at them.
Mary raised her right hand, she was ready to signal and lead the Warren riders to charge back into enemys camp but a series of pping sounded above.
The Fire Raven dived down andnded on Marys hand.
She was stunned.
While she was stunned, a fiery figure dived into the charging Prairies soldier like aet.
KABOOM!
The huge group of Prairie soldiers couldnt evade in time as they gathered up and instantly suffered a huge loss, the soldiers were being crushed into minced meat upon impact.
A loud roar then followed.
ROAR!
A formless strong wind was sted following the figures fiery wings pping, the wind sted out in every direction, causing the wobbling Prairie soldiers to fall and roll over the ground.
Yet none of them felt anything from the fall as they retreated instinctively. All of the retreating Prairie soldiers were staring in fear at that fiery figure that dived down from the sky.
The temperature rose up swiftly, the scene started to distort around that terrifying figure.
The rampant, chaotic aura mixing with the heavy sulphuric smell was baffling to all of the Prairie soldiers.
The suppression from the figure was on an entirely different level, simr to a rabbiting across a lion.
"The...The Devil!"
A sharp voice shouted among the Prairie soldiers as though the owner of the voice was being suffocated.
The sharp voice threw the courage out of the window after the Prairie soldiers mustered enough to retaliate.
Fear was like a rising tide, breaking through the dam and flooded every one of them.
Chapter 640: Harvest Time
Chapter 640: Harvest Time
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The Prairie soldiers ran almost instantly.
After being assaulted once, the Prairie soldiers didnt even have enough resistance against Kierans [Light of Fear] during devil form.
Kieran too didnt n to spare any of them despite them fleeing for their lives.
All Kieran saw in the fleeing Prairie soldiers were rewards not to be missed.
Perhaps quality wise, it wouldnt be ideal but the quantity would be something to look forward too.
Quantity will invoke qualitative change.
Regardless of where that saying was applied, it was reasonable.
Fuuu!
Kieran extended his fiery wings and sent a stwave sweeping across the battlefield.
A 130 degree, 40-meter range ofnd before Kieran was instantly scorched, leaving behind bits of green glow here and there.
Fire Raven dived down swiftly, collecting all the greens after it got the order.
Kieran, on the other hand, had dashed into the denser crowd.
There were almost no signs of weakness on Kieran as he leaped into the crowd like a tiger to a bunch of sheep. A swing of his zing beheader sword with his magma arm easily whipped up a bloody storm over the crowd.
The Prairies soldiers who already filled with fear ran even quicker.
Regardless of how powerful the Devil was, he was only one.
As long as they could outrun the others, they would have higher the chances of surviving.
Almost all of the fleeing Prairies soldiers shared the same thought but right at the next moment, all of them tasted true despair.
A wicked voice sounded from Kierans devil mouth, his voice alone was enough to make amon man sick.
After that slight whisper, a terrifying scene unfolded.
Those Prairie soldiers who were supposed to be dead were resurrected!
Despite being shed in half, all of the resurrected dead stood up in their own way, whether by hands or by the torso.
The other more terrifying thing was the resurrected dead were as powerful as when they were alive, their attacking pattern were identical as well. They could even be considered as stronger.
Roar!
Even without Kieransmand, the resurrected dead which naturally had a grudge against the living the moment they crawled back up from the ground rushed into the crowd after a series of eerie screams.
Although some of them wererades, friends when they were alive, after being turned, all the dead could do was kill the living.
It was either the living being killed or the dead being defeated!
Mary widened her eyes at that tall zing figure and the resurrected dead bodies.
If she didnt see it with her own eyes, shed never believe that was Kieran.
Though the unfamiliar feeling only popped up for a moment before it was reced with tranquility in her heart.
She was used to Kieran stepping up, dealing with everything.
It was no exception at that very moment either.
However, Kierans devil form was too frightening for the others.
Especially when he called back the dead, all the Warren riders gasped. The educations and how they were brought up rendered them uneptable to such a scene.
But the fact that they were on the same side with Kieran and the reverence for him made them quiet. The reverence in their eyes grew.
Maxim and Celty exchanged gaze. Their faces were expressing disappointment that they couldnt conceal.
No one knew what they had missed but almost out of instinct, both of their eyes at Kieran had a sense of hatred. Yet the moment the hatred filled them, they wisely discarded it from their minds right away.
Kieran before them was absurdly powerful, to the point that it had exceeded even their wildest imagination.
"Origin Force?" Maxim uttered in uncertainty softly. He shivered hard.
Besides the shadow cast by Marys horse, a cold gaze was staring at Maxim and soon increased in numbers surrounding him.
The cold gazes felt as though they were the winters wind, causing them to shiver.
Maxim and Celty smiled bitterly. Both of them knew their unusual expressions were discovered by the "guards" that Kieran left behind for Mary.
Maxim and Celty had doubts against those "guards" because of a sense of familiarity.
It was also because of that sense of familiarity, they knew that one of the gazes was on par with both of their strength and the rest of them were also adept in their own fields.
Maxim and Celty had no idea where Kieran found all these "guards" but they dreaded Kieran even more.
Devil Kieran was spending his effort in maximizing his battle achievements across the battlefield. Through the Fire Ravens sight from high above, it looked like he was sweeping away the entire Prairie troops.
The ck and dense crowd fled in panic, the devil was chasing them from behind.
mes, a sulphuric smell, fear, and chaos.
A sense of satisfaction rose up in Kierans devil heart. It felt familiar and nostalgic.
Then, a stronger chaotic force rose up from his heart and spread across his magma body within a breath.
GRAWWWWL!
He couldnt hold it back and growled loudly.
Kieran suddenly realized the lingering weakened effect had suddenly vanished.
It wasnt [Transform Devil]s buffs thatpensated his weakened state but it was expelled from his body directly.
"The power?" Kieran was stunned.
He then became even more furious and powerful driving his devil body and burned the Prairie soldiers with even hotter mes.
The phenomenon that urred was definitely worth researching but increasing his rewards was much more important at the moment.
Kieran imprinted that moment in his mind and continued ying the Prairie soldiers in a more vicious manner.
The Devil seemed to have powered up.
All of the Prairies soldiers that were being chased felt that way, they couldnt confirm whether it was their mind ying tricks on them but they knew they should run faster.
The chasing went on for almost 10 km in distance.
When Kieran suddenly stopped, the fleeing Prairie soldiers ran even faster because they saw the chance of survival.
The resurrected dead fell back to the ground without moving further.
The tall devil then petrified into a stone statue before Kieran broke out from it, leaving the stone statue behind as it turned into dust and was carried away by the wind.
Fire Raven cawed before stopping before Kieran.
He took back [Crimson Ghost Stomach] from its ws and an uncontroble smile appeared on his face after checking.
He had gotten a total of 50 low tier Magic rank equipment !
Despite it being low tier equipment, the value of that quantity was enough to shock other yers.
It almost equal to dungeon clear rewards!
An absolute grand harvest!
"As expected! The bigger the risk, the bigger the rewards!"
Kieran mumbled. He knew if it wasnt for his own decision of going through this path, he wouldnt have gotten such a huge number of rewards. Other than those extra rewards from bosses, he might only get rewards equal to a tenth of the current numbers!
Now, he had gotten at least 10 times of rewards of othermon yers.
Kieran clenched his fist in excitement.
Fire Raven was baffled by the excitement on Kierans face despite it having exceptional intellect.
Itnded on Kierans shoulder and looked at him in confusion.
Kieran too rewarded the Fire Raven with a piece of fiends meat by feeding it on his palm. It was what the least Fire Raven deserved. Without its help, Kieran would be rushing from one end to another at the time of harvest.
[Main missionplete: Protect the capital of Warren, Riverdale, from falling]
[yer will leave the dungeon in 5 minutes]
[Please take whatever items you wish to keep with you.]
[Note: Any items that exceed the maximum weight will be discarded!]
...
After seeing the notifications of return popping out, he finally took a deep breath.
He turned back and saw Mary running towards him.
This time around, he could say his goodbyes properly though they would meet again in the future.
Chapter 641: Next Step
Chapter 641: Next Step
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
[Special Dungeon: The Queens Shield II]
[Dungeon Type: Free mission]
[Dungeon Difficulty: Average]
[Main Mission: Protect the capital of Warren, Riverdale, from falling]
[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating F)]
[Sub Mission 1: Traitors In The City]
[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating F E)]
[Sub Mission 2: Marys Secret]
[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating E D)]
[Sub Mission 3: Rescue Rover]
[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating D C)]
[Special Event: Battle Of The Sons (Perfect Clear)]
[Perfect Clear Rating: C S]
[Battle Performance: Very Active (Rating S SS)]
[Exploration Performance: Average]
[Special Rating 1: Eliminated Witch Doctor Hector (Rating SS Z, Rep +1)]
[Special Rating 2: Eliminated Lapierre (Rating Z ZZ, Rep +1)]
[Special Rating 3: Eliminated Son of Wolf (Rating ZZ VVV, Rep +5)]
[yer Final Rating: VVV!]
[Calcting yer final special dungeon reward...]
[Final yer special dungeon reward below...]
[Points: 250,000; Skill Points: 55; Golden Skill Points: 7; Golden Attribute Points: 7]
[Acquired special dungeon: The Queens Shield III]
[Acquired special reward 1: Practice puppet]
[Acquired special reward 2: Lineage table of Warren Royalty]
[Acquired special reward 3: Riverdale underground sewer map]
[Acquired special reward 4: Broken war machine blueprint]
...
After saying his goodbyes with Mary, the familiar loss of gravity appeared once more.
When he saw the triple V clear rating, his already smiling face grinned wider.
Despite the special rewards being all trash, it didnt stop his ever brightening smile.
Even more so when he poured out his spoils of war from [Crimson Ghost Stomach], he couldugh out loud.
A total of 50 low tier Magic rank items.
Kieran went over and categorized them carefully. Even though most of them were just single enchantment items with Nimble lvl 1 or Armor Pration lvl 1, he still found a few suitable ones for himself.
[Name: Cunning Dagger]
[Type: Weapon]
[Rarity: Magic]
[Attribute: 1. Armor Pration Lvl 1, 2. Hiding Lvl 1]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: Its very versatile among robbers and assassins!]
...
[Armor Pration Lvl 1: Able to pierce light armor, Weak of Average defense]
[Hiding Lvl 1: Extra 10% hiding effect during hiding or undercover]
...
[Name: Agile Knight Lance]
[Type: Weapon]
[Rarity: Magic]
[Attributes: 1. Armor Pration lvl 1. 2. Nimble Lvl 1]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: Ance requires not only speed but technique!]
...
[Armor Pration Lvl 1: Able to pierce light armor, Weak of Average defense]
[Nimble Lvl 1: It will not drag your movement down]
...
Two of the items could be considered as decent ones among the low tiers Magic ranks.
Together with [Rapid Snake Crossbow] that he got earlier, it would bring out the further potentials of [Sharp Weapon, Dagger], [Sharp Weapon, Polearm Weapon] and [Sharp Weapon, Bow], allowing him to handle idents better.
After cing the other extra 4 low tier Magic ranks with the rest, Kieran contacted Lawless.
...
Lawless: ...
Lawless: U raided a dwarfs royal vault?
...
Lawless finally replied after being quiet for a few seconds.
Although his luck was bad, he had been through enough to know that acquiring that number of Magic ranks was surely not from a humans treasure vault.
Humans treasure vault held mostly pieces of jewelry, books, armors, or a mix of all.
While it wouldnt be a dragons vault either since dragons were only interested in shiny things.
So the only possible exnation was dwarfs, the kind of dwarfs that were big enough to form a city.
...
2567: What? No.
2567: Just being lucky.
Kieran briefly exined his dungeon run to Lawless.
Lawless: A guy that hasnt even limit break the Character Model and killed a Divine type monster... U are one scary son of a bitch!
2567: Know anything about "I"?
Kieran tried to ask Lawless about the mysterious rank, but the answer was less than pleasant.
Lawless: "I"?
Lawless: Whats that?"
2567: So did u locate the other curse dispeller?
Kieran chose to avoid the topic because Lawlesss reply had given him an answer.
Lawless: Rx my man! Ill find that guy soon enough!
Lawless: In fact, Ive some clues about where to find him but that guy isnt ur typical talkative guy. Plus the case of the previous curse dispeller, I think we should be more careful.
2567: Of course.
...
After some more chit-chat, Kieran turned off his PM tab.
He trusted Lawless but at the same time, he too knew how hard was it to dispel the curse on him.
At least judging from his Pro [Mythical Knowledge], a curse cast by an average strength person with his life or soul would at least need something with the same level of life force or soul as a cost orpensation to dispel it.
In simple words, the situation was not as bright as Lawless put it.
Even if Lawless really located the one who could dispel the curse, a cost would be inevitable and it would require a sufficient amount of Points and Skill Points or even other extra requirements.
Kieran couldnt help but rub his swollen temple when the thought came into his mind.
"Its really not as worthwhile as finding a solution in the dungeon world. But finding a solution in the dungeon world is not that easy either!"
Kieran had been through dozens of dungeon runs and those which had the potential to dispel a curse, other than the recently cleared [The Queens Shield], would be [The Shamans Partner].
Especially thetter, Kieran believed if Nikorei would lend her aid, everything would be easily solved but how would he exin that nothing happened to him despite being cursed?
Even if Kieran said he blocked it with something, it would still be useless.
Any lies would be easily exposed before the God of Earths eyes, at the same time he couldnt tell her that she was just a native.
Or more precisely, he couldnt bear the consequences if he let Nikorei know that she was just a native.
Aside from all of that, the next trip to [The Shamans Partner IV] wouldnd him in the city of Naveya and not the West Coast City that he was familiar with.
"What are Nikorei and Tiki really up to there?" Kieran wondered.
He unconsciously turned his attention towards his attributes window andnded his eyes on "Character Model Temte Limits"
Chapter 642: Repairs
Chapter 642: Repairs
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Kieran could see everything about his character in his attribute windows.
From the strongest Spirit attribute, followed by Intuition, Strength, Agility, and Constitution, all of his attributes had reached the Character Model Temte Limit.
If he wanted to further enhance them, he would need to limit break all of them.
Otherwise, even Golden Attribute Points or leveling skills wouldnt change any of those stats.
It was uneptable since Kieran had always wanted to strengthen himself.
Powerful strength didnt equal to powerful attributes, it might be a special bloodline or other items but a powerful set of attributes would surely enhance ones strength.
Kieran had understood that fact long ago.
So, after some time thinking about it, he had decided to take the extra mission to limit break his Character Model Temte Limit.
What pushed him to this decision was the Prairie King and Great Swamp, plus the giant hand that formed under the moon in Naveya City.
As his dungeon difficulty increased, the enemies he encountered would no longer be limited to mortals but even more threatening Magical species, fiends, dragons, diving beings or even God itself.
With his style of maximizing his benefits throughout the dungeons, what he had encountered would not be the least and probably wille across something even more terrifying in the future.
Kieran could also choose to clear the uing dungeons with a safer way but if he did, it would put his hard-earned advantages to waste bit by bit and eventually falling back to themon ranks.
He wished the day would nevere.
It wasnt his ego or pride by any means, it was just his habitual persistence and stubbornness.
Since he had made up a decision, he would carry it out with his full effort.
It had always been his attitude towards life.
Yet with countless warnings from Lawless, Kieran wouldnt dare to underestimate the extra missions to limit break his Character Model Temte.
All he had was one go, if he failed it would be the death of him.
Many examples before were enough to prove everything.
Kieran immediately made preparations because of his vignt attitude.
First, it would be repairing his equipment.
Back in the fight with the Prairie King, his armor [Armor of Excellence] and mantle [Crows ck Feather] had suffered severe damage, especially the mantle since it was damaged beyond the looks of a proper mantle.
Kieran then contacted cksmith.
...
2567: I might need to trouble u again.
Kieran directly sent over two screenshots over since he was familiar with cksmiths attitude.
cksmith: Mantle cost 5000 Points to repair, the armor u might need to find another guy. Hes an armor repair expert.
...
Together with the reply was a name card of another yer.
"Shu".
A single name might seem odd but it wasmon among in-game names of yers.
Just like Kieran who used four numbers as his in-game name, which probably only he himself would do that in reality.
...
2567: Hi, cksmith introduced me.
2567: I want to repair my armor.
After adding Shus yer name, Kieran directly stated his intentions.
Shu: 100K.
2567:...
...
There wasnt any extra talks and replied in a simpler manner than cksmith.
100,000 Points.
Kieran frowned. It wasnt expensive but actually quite cheap!
After embedding [Dark Nether Stone], [Armor of Excellence]s rarity had reached Legendary.
How much would a Legendary equipment be worth in the market?
Kieran knew perfectly since he graduated from his newbie rank.
In simple words, as long as the timing was right, Legendary rank items and equipment were priceless.
Kieran had the resolution to spend a great amount for his repairs but now all it would cost him was 100K?
It was quite surprising, he even wanted to question his doubts.
Still, it was rude against someone who he had just met moments ago but since it was rted to a Legendary rank armor and it was also hisst line of defense on his body, Kieran had to be careful.
...
2567: Did u see properly?
2567: Its a Legendary rank equipment.
Shu: It is not from where I see it, only the jewel embedded on it is!
Shu: It might seem to have merged with the jewel but still the jewel is the core!
...
Even through messaging, Kieran could feel the irritation from Shu after he questioned his judgment but it relieved Kieran.
After signing a contract and paying the required cost, Kieran closed his PM tab, went offline to deal with his personal problems in real life.
When Kieran came back to his game lobby room, Lawless has already presented him with the trade earnings.
A total of 250K!
Which was around Kierans expectation.
...
Lawless: If u are not in a rush, u can earn a lot more.
2567: It would waste too much time, my time is limited.
Lawless: U little fe enters dungeon every time the cooldown is reset, now u are really simr to those lunatics that been through the Age of the Witch.
Lawless: Those lunatics may be stimted by the Witch.
Lawless: But what are u doing this for?
Lawless: Dont tell me its because of Broker.
2567: Stimtions, yes but not all of what u said.
2567: I think it should be my attitude and habits from my daily life made me like this. Im used to seizing the moment and gaining more for myself. The underground is no exception since it has already affected our reality!
2567: Im very scared of dying u know.
Lawless: Who doesnt!
Lawless: Let me tell you, the first time I went on those mission with a slim chance of survival, I almost peed my pants...
...
The conversation should be a casual chat about life but with Lawless diverting the topic, itpletely turned into a ridiculous tone.
Both of them chatted for an hour plus and was forced to an end when Kieran stayed quiet for more than 10 minutes.
"Well, from a certain aspect, nagging is really scary!"
Kieran shook his head while the scare lingered in his heart.
He couldnt imagine how a person who looked like a tough guy on the outside would talk relentlessly about his bath time with his yellow duck and how he yed with it for hours.
After shaking his head hard and discarded the unpleasant picture from his mind, he turned his attention to his points tab.
[Points: 426,000; Skill Points: 55; Golden Skill Point: 7; Golden Attribute Points: 8]
Since his attributes had reached the limits, Golden Attribute Points has no use at the moment.
Kieran had already drafted out how he would utilize his 7 Golden Skill Points.
[Sword Skill, Myriad Viper] would be the priority since it was rted to his strongest attribute, it would cost 50,000 Points and 5 Golden Skill Points from Musou to Transcendence level.
The second skill down the list was [Sword Skill, Tiger Stance].
During the battle with the Prairies King, the unusual performance of [Sword Skill, Tiger Stance] had made quite an impression on Kieran.
He thought it might help him understand more about the true meaning of the skill by leveling it up.
Chapter 643: Upgrades Part VIII
Chapter 643: Upgrades Part VIII
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Since the drafts were allid out, Kieran went on to level up his skills.
[Sword Skill, Myriad Viper, Musou to Transcendence cost 50,000 Points, 5 Golden Skill Points. Yes/No?]
"Yes!"
[Sword Skill Myriad Viper has reached Transcendence, extra Transcendence option: Ouroboros]
[Name: Sword Skill, Myriad Viper (Transcendence)]
[Rted Attributes: Spirit]
[Skill Type Offense]
[Effect: Utilize your aura to pressure your opponents in a 35-meter diameter, the target will be forced to undergo a Spirit authentication. When targets Spirit is lower than yours, the target will fall into the illusion of ten thousand snakes, allowing you to exert your will freely, consume 50 Stamina, 2-minute cooldown]
[Special Effect: Viper Venom (Target will have to go through another Spirit plus Intuition authentication of +1 and +4 respectively when target passed the first one. Target will only be freed after the passing the second authentication)]
[Transcendence Option: Ouroboros (Consume 3 times Stamina to recast another Myriad Viper regardless of cooldown. When Ouroboros has been sessfully cast, Myriad Vipers cooldown will be added on to the previous existing cooldown)]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Spirit S+]
[Remark: Although it is categorized as a Sword Skill, in fact, it is really an illusory attack, no weapon limitations]
...
[Sword Skill Myriad Viper leveled up, rted attributes increased...]
[Detected attribute has reached Character Model Temte Limit, the increased attribute has been umted...]
...
Kieran looked at his Spirit attribute in surprise.
Although because of his Character Model Temte Limit, extra Spirit levels has been umted, it didnt mean it was gone but it actually existed.
Plus [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art]s umtion, the number has been increased to 3.
"Basic skills would surely level up attributes below B rank when they reach Transcendence, so does Advance, Rare and Legendary. Besides that, attribute limits kept on expanding and it seems like SSS+ is not the limit either!"
Kieran formed up a quick conclusion before moving forward with his next skill.
[Sword Skill, Tiger Stance, Pro to Grand Master, cost 20,000 Points, 2 Golden Skill Points. Yes/No?]
"Yes!"
[Name: Sword Skill, Tiger Stance (Grand Master)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Offense]
[Effect: Whenever you use a two-handed sword, battle mace, battle-ax and sessfully block an enemys attack, counterattack +40% in Strength, +40% in Agility, consume extra Stamina when attacking]
[Special Effect: Power Focus (+10% Strength in counterattack)]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Sharp Weapon, Heavy Arms (Grandmaster), Strength B+]
[Remark: This is one of the secret esoteric sword skills of the Tiger Sect, its the first step in mastering the two-handed sword.]
...
The familiar knowledge transfer and the synchronization process happened instantly, causing Kieran to soak into the feeling swiftly.
Then, he drew out [Arrogant Word] and performed a sh.
Roar!
A tiger roar echoed in the old broken garage but there was no mirage of a striped tiger.
"Stillcking a bit?" Kieran muttered.
Not only did he not perform the sh without counterattack, but the sh also didnt bear the fierce aura that could pressure his opponent either.
Despite him mimicking the situation back then, a mimic was still a mimic, he couldnt bring out the authentic battle scene during the fight with the Prairie King.
Kieran took in a deep breath and discarded the thoughts for the time being before looking towards his new skills.
[Living Rope Technique] and [Dormant Viper].
Since all his others skills were at the level where Golden Skill Points were required to level them up further, the two newly acquired skill were his only choice.
[Living Rope Technique] was a Magic rank skill, though it relied on [Mystical Knowledge] in bringing it to life, the cost was much lower than [Burning Hand].
Kieran could even directly level it up to Grand Master rank in one shot.
The total cost would be 20,000 Points and 20 Skill Points.
[Name: Living Rope Technique (Grand Master)]
[Rted Attribute: None]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Attribute: Control a rope object not longer than 25 meters]
[Effect: Nimble (The controlled rope will be as nimble as your own fingers]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Mystical Knowledge (Pro), Spirit A+]
[Remark: This is a basic technique that requires talents. Its incantation has only one note but you cannot neglect it!]
...
Though when it came to [Dormant Viper], the total cost shocked Kieran.
"Entry level would cost 100,000 Points and 10 Skill Points!?"
Kieran frowned.
Although he remembered the scroll of [Dormant Viper] didnt glow in any color but judging from what he knew, [Dormant Viper] was an independent technique from outside the Viper Sect techniques system and it should be categorized into Special rank.
Kieran knew Special rank skills would cost a lot more than Common rank, still, the cost shocked him.
Of course, when it was rted to his own benefits, he wouldnt be stingy about such a cost.
Given that the cost would be worth his while, Kieran wished that [Dormant Viper] would be much more expensive.
Aside from that, [Dormant Viper]s remark stated that it was the entry level technique to the true Viper Sect ultimates. If Kieran wasnt an idiot, he would know what he must do.
Entry level cost 100,000 Points, 10 Skill Points.
Master Level cost 200,000 Points, 20 Skill Points.
After trading in some points, Kieran leveled up [Dormant Viper] to Master level.
[Name: Dormant Viper (Master)]
[Rted Attribute: None]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Attribute: A high ranking technique among the Viper Sect, uses a special way of breathing to send the wounded into a slumber and heal for 1.5 HP/minute]
[Effect: Snake Rest (Slightly decrease the cost of Stamina and increase 0.5 HP recovery rate per minute.]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Spirit S+]
[Remark: It will consume your stamina but its roots are within Spirit, it is the entry level technique to the real Viper Sect ultimates!]
...
"With the speed of recovering 2 HP per minute, I need almost 650 minutes to fully recover my HP of 1300 with 250 from Body of Evil, which means I need to sleep for 10 hours plus... It might be useless in the ever-changing battlefield but it would be useful to recover after the battle!"
Kieran automatically analyzed the usage of [Dormant Viper].
He then took a peek at the next leveling cost which cost was a hefty 300,000 Points and 3 Golden Skill Points.
The amount was enough to suffocate Kieran.
Aside from the 3 Golden Skill Points, the fact that it cost even more than his dungeon clear rewards was shocking.
"How the hell is it different from other skills? When it reaches the level of requiring Golden Skill Points, the Points didnt even decrease but increased normally. The requirements of Golden Skill Point starts from 3 as well. So what cost would the true Viper Sect ultimates cost?"
Kieran thought of it in silence.
He felt like he saw millions of points and dozens of Golden Skill Points leaving his side.
"But if it can bring me back from the dead... Every penny would be worth it!"
Kieran recalled the rumors he gathered about the Viper Sects highest ultimates, it might be something simr to a molting snake that would grant the user eternal youth and immortality.
Kieran couldnt tell whether it was true or false at the moment but after triggering [Snake Molt] from [Ring of the Serpent King], the astonishment on the Prairie Kings face had made an impression on him.
The astonishment was not an act, there was a high chance that the rumors were true.
No one would dislike an extra life, Kieran was no exception as well.
It would be worth his effort regardless of how much he spent on that extra life.
After the upgrades, Kieran didnt initiate the mission to limit break his Character Model Temte Limits. He wanted to gather more information on the extra mission.
Despite Lawless not being able to provide him with more, Kieran wouldnt mind getting more information from others.
The more valuable information he could get his hands on, the more advantages he could get onpleting his limit break extra mission.
Another reason was that [Ring of the Serpent King]s [Snake Molt] was still on cooldown.
Chapter 644: Five Limit Breaks?
Chapter 644: Five Limit Breaks?
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Kieran had been inside his game room for the whole week and tried his best to gather info on the limit break extra mission from the couple of friends he had.
Most of their information was simr to Lawless.
The extra dungeon worlds difficulty will be set ording to how many attributes the yers wanted to limit break. On top of that, the extra dungeon world would not be the same as any other dungeon world yers had run before.
Surprisingly, Coll limit broke two attributes at once and Hanses hadnt even started to limit break any stats.
Kieran too had quite the information from Coll as well: during the extra mission, one of two attributes that she limit broke was restricted.
"I suffered a -3 debuff throughout the dungeon and it heavily affected my performance. If I wasnt lucky enough, I might have died inside!"
Even through messaging, Kieran felt the lingering fear in Colls heart.
Though it didnt alter Kierans thought of limit breaking all five of his attributes.
After knowing Character Model Temte Limits were rted to Talents, Kieran had already made up his mind.
He didnt like to take risks but with enough rewards and benefits, he would make an exception.
A powerful talent obviously would change his strengths drastically, allowing him to further explore future dungeons and gain more out of them.
Aside from all of that, how powerful was the Witch that made almost every yer feared her?
What made the Supernovas stood out from all the veterans?
Excluding the equipment and dungeon entries, the only reasonable exnation was Talents!
Kieran had no idea how many attributes the Witch limit broke but he was sure that at least three to four of the Supernovas had limit broke at least three attributes and acquired powerful talents.
Such facts allowed Kieran to be clear with his path ahead.
That Broker bastard was able to hire a Supernova followed by a second one. If he was to get an upper hand to oppose those Supernovas with powerful talents, he himself must at least limit break three attributes.
After all, not all Supernovas were discounted versions like ck Hell Banning.
Yet it was still because of Broker!
Once Kieran thought about Broker having acquired a Unique Title like the Witch, he felt that three attributes limit break wasnt safe enough.
Simr to the Witch, no one knew how many attributes Broker limit broke, but it would be more than three.
It was the controversial result after many prolonged discussions among the veterans.
Still, Kieran felt the number wasnt urate enough.
Broker would at least need more than that to be where he is now.
Four? Five?
If it was the former, it would still be reasonable but what if it was thetter?
Dungeon after dungeon, even with Brokers team strategy, he would be the one with the biggest rewards and benefits and how he grew his strength through all that would be anyones guess.
Now Kieran who was opposing him would at least need to start from the same starting line as Broker if he wished not to be in disadvantageous position.
So, Kieran decided to limit break all five of his Character Model Temte Limit.
He went offline and settled his problems in real life again.
Then, he came back to the game after adjusting himself to the best condition possible.
After ncing through the reminder messages from Lawless, Kieran couldnt hold back his smile.
The moment when he started to gather information about Character Model Temte Limits from the others, Lawless has been sending him messages almost every hour.
"Dont reach for things beyond your grasp!"
"If you die, its game over!"
"Staying alive is the most important, at least you can find another way!"
Messages of all sorts.
The friendly advice messages that Lawless kept spamming had be a relentless spam of useless messages and it came in bulk!
Though Kieran didnt dislike Lawless doings.
He slightly grinned and didnt reply as usual. He did n on replying after hepleted his extra mission though.
Right now, he had his head wrapped up in something.
Huuu!
Kieran took multiple deep breaths, he quickly put the smiles on his face away and his eyes were overflowing with determination and resolution.
[Detected Character Model Temte Limit, do you want to set Spirit as your main attribute?]
[Detected Character Model Temte Limit, do you want to set Intuition as your main attribute?]
[Detected Character Model Temte Limit, do you want to set Strength as your main attribute?]
[Detected Character Model Temte Limit, do you want to set Agility as your main attribute?]
[Detected Character Model Temte Limit, do you want to set Constitution as your main attribute?]
"Yes!"
Kieran answered to all five of the questions.
[yer "2567" has chosen to limit break 5 attributes of Character Model Temte Limits...]
KABOOM!
The moment Kieran made his choice and the system replied him with a notification, a gigantic explosion echoed in his ears.
It didnt sound like anything he had heard before, it was like hundreds of tons of explosives exploding together.
During the explosion, a thunderous presence simr to the wrath of heavens appeared.
The explosion sounded first before the presence engulfed Kieranpletely.
SSS+ Spirit didnt even provide more than a second of resistance before knocking Kieran out cold.
A momentter, the knocked out cold Kieran vanished from his game room.
...
Kieran slightly opened his eyes in an absent-minded state.
What he saw immediately made him widen his eyes and caused him to leap up.
Stars! A sky of stars!
A sky of stars appeared before his eyes.
Kieran was astonished. He couldnt find a proper word to describe what he saw.
Dazzling?
Beautiful?
Majestic?
Divine?
Reverence?
None of that was even close! All the words in his memory bank were a mile away from what he saw.
Kieran unconsciously held his breath back, worrying that his breathing might contaminate the sky of stars.
Then he saw a stone tform the size of a football field beneath his feet.
The stone tform could be considered as huge in the eyes of amon man but it was so tiny under the sky of stars, including Kieran himself who was standing on top of it.
Everything is so tiny!
A sudden realization rose in Kierans heart.
Grrroooom!
When the realization appeared in his heart, the stone tform started to move.
A total of five stone doors rose up from the tform.
The five doors werent huge by any means and looked surprisingly normal as well. There wasnt any special patterns or eye-catching words on it.
The doors lined up in a straight line after rising up from the ground.
"Five attribute limit break means five stone doors?"
Kieran wanted to push the doors open instinctively but right at that moment, the stone tform shook again.
Grroooom!
Two more stone doors rose up.
Different from the simple and unadorned stone gates, the two new doors were colorful in their own unique way with all theplicated carvings around it.
One of them was blood red in color as though a zing me, a pair of horns of a goat stiffened up high at the top like des piercing the sky.
Another one was pitch ck in color, darker than the darkest night and was surrounded by seven distinguished aurae of desires as though it wanted to devour everything.
The devil!
The cardinal sins!
Kieran knew what the doors represented with a nce.
Groooooom!
The stone tform shook the third time and sprung up two more stone doors.
The two stone doors this time around were white in color but one of them was glossy like a sharp de, causing chills to ones skin. The other was calm and gentle like the spring breeze,bining the dark and light.
Saint Thorn!
Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art!
Kieran was stunnedpletely when he saw the nine doors.
After being stunned for a while, Kieran couldnt hold back his grin, followed by an uncontrobleugh across the stone tform.
"Hahahahahahahahaha!"
"So this is what it was!"
Chapter 645: Enter
Chapter 645: Enter
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
"Strength, Agility, Constitution, Spirit, Intuition... All of them are just the basics!"
Kieran nced over the five stone doors that represented his own attributes. The simple and unadorned manner of the doors distinguished them from the other four.
At that very moment, he started to understand why the Witch was so powerful.
While all the other yers were still tangling with how many attributes they should limit break, the Witch had not only chosen all fivemon attributes but she also limit broke her skills and bloodline together.
Other than the Witch, there was Broker!
With the resources he owned, he must have noticed the secret.
At the same time, with that mountain of resources, he would surely create more yers that were different from all five attribute limit breaks.
It wasnt an easy task, even for Broker but if one in a hundred seeded or even one in a thousand seeded, it would be worth his while and effort.
All Broker needed to do was to control the cost.
Kieran believed that it was one of Brokers expertise, so he would carry it out with perfection.
As for the rest, all Broker needed to do was to ensure loyalty to himself.
It was too easy for Broker to control the yers with contracts.
"No wonder after founding the secret bazaar and owning a huge robot army, he still keeps on recruiting yers under his wing!" Kieran mumbled.
It was one of the questions that had baffled Kieran for a long time and now it was solved with the sudden realization.
Even with the existence of contracts, there surely be some who dared to vite it despite facing death.
Especially with the robot army guarding Brokers side, the other yers would be nothing but an excessive thing to deal with, same goes for the party dungeon since summons were much more loyal than party members.
As for Brokers strength, it would be too easy for him to summon powerfulpanions with his resources.
"I wonder how many yers of such caliber Broker has hidden under his wings?" Kieran questioned himself.
The answer was less than pleasant.
Judging from the difficulty, the yers that limit broke all five attributes plus skills and bloodline might not be much but those yers that differ from the five attributes limit break would be quite a lot and all those yers will be his enemy!
Fuu!
Kieran took in a deep breath again.
Obviously, the situation was much harsher than he thought but it wasnt without a solution.
[Detected Devil Force has reached Character Model Temte Limit, do you want to set it as Origin Force?]
[Detected Original Sins has reached Character Model Temte Limit, do you want to set it as Origin Force?]
[Detected Saint Thorn has reached Character Model Temte Limit, do you want to set it as Origin Force?]
[Detected Dawn Force has reached Character Model Temte Limit, do you want to set it as Origin Force?]
...
The notifications came together with the stone doors.
The mentioning of Origin Force had a more directive sense right now.
He remembered the that Prairie King said that he himself had the Origin Force but it was too thin and weak.
Now, the opportunity has presented itself!
To strengthen his Origin Force!
"Yes!"
Kieran answered yes to all four without any hesitation again.
[yer has chosen 4 Origin Forces!]
[yer has chosen 5 Basic Attributes!]
[Authentication starts...]
[yer will receive authentication results when yer enters the dungeon world!]
...
Notifications popped up one after another, the 9 stone doors then started to move.
All the stone doors oveid on each other, starting from the five basic attributes stone doors piling over each other like water droplets into a cup, followed by the devil and cardinal sins behind them which looked like the cup was dropped into a water tank.
When Saint Thorn and Dawn Forces doors piled over the bulk, it was as though a small stream merged itself into a river and the river continued on to the sea.
After every door merged together, a new big door made of half stone and half iron appeared before Kieran.
The stone part of the door felt like jade, gentle and ddening but inside the stones was blood brewing strongly. Before Kieran even went near to the door, he felt like he saw seas and mountains of corpses.
The iron part was gloomy, coldly rejecting any visitors.
Kieran reached out his hand to the part that mixed the iron and the stone, he felt nothing unusual but his instinct told him the iron part was more crucial.
Kieran memorized the feeling on the iron part in his brain and pushed the door open with his hands.
Tsssk Gak!
The door opened.
Kieran stepped in.
Tssk Gak!
The door then closed up, vanishing into nodes of lights and spreading over the sea of stars in the sky.
The huge stone tform then disappeared.
Momentster, another stone tform appeared but it was much smaller than the previous one.
The size could only allow one person to stand on it and if it wasnt for the special energy around that space that held that unconscious yer up, he might have lost himself in the sea of stars.
A whileter, the yer woke up and was scared by the stone door that appeared before him. After another while, he clenched his teeth and entered the door.
When the door closed, it turned into ashes without a speckle of light, followed by the small stone tform.
Then, another yer appeared again having a bigger tform than thest one that allowed him to properly sit on top and two stone doors appeared before him.
Though, simr to the previous yer, after the yer who had chosen to limit break two attributes had entered the door, it turned into ash without any nodes of light.
...
It felt like Kieran was entering any other dungeon world with the familiar blinding light and dizziness.
Though when Kieran got up on his feet, his face turned sour immediately.
[yers Character Model Temte Limit authentication as follows...]
[A. yers special organ Fusion Heart is sealed]
[B. All equipment have been temporarily returned to yers room, unable to bring any pieces of equipment into dungeon world.]
[C. yers contractpanion, Fire Raven has been temporarily returned to yers room, unable to bring into dungeon world.]
[D. All yers attributes decreased by 3 and all skills decreased by 1 (Attached attributes will remain), return to normal when yer leaves dungeon world.]
[E. yer needs to search for the main mission within 10 days, yer will be killed if failed within the given period.]
[F. yer will not be rewarded with extra dungeon ratings bypleting sub-missions or special events but will increase the time avable to search for the main mission.]
[Note 1: yer can acquire items simr to other dungeon worlds]
[Note 2: yer acquired temporarynguage, outfits of dungeon world, return to normal when yer leaves the dungeon.]
[Note 3: The difficulty of sub-missions, special events will determine how much time is rewarded in search of the main mission.]
...
After going through then notifications on his vision, Kieran quickly returned to his normal self.
The situation was much worse than he had imagined but wasnt entirely out of his expectation.
After all, Coll had one of two attributes limited, let alone Kieran who was limit breaking 9 in total.
However...
Kieran reached out to his chest where his heart was. He felt a vigorous beat but the feeling of weakness rose up relentlessly in his mind.
The twisted feeling of indifference made him quickly shake his head before he sized up his surroundings.
It was a dark and narrow alley.
From the trash in the trashcan to walls of the alley plus the moving cars outside the alley, this dungeon world should have quite the civilized technology.
Kieran then checked the ck wind coat that he was wearing.
Even after suffering a -3 debuff on his entire attribute list, he still had S+ intuition and such level of Intuition allowed him to notice there was something ced inside his ck wind coat.
Though nothing he found could prove who he was, all he had was some small change currency notes and a key with a rubber deco.
He had a total of $41 after adding up the currency notes he had.
One $20, two $10s and a $1 note.
The figures printed on the currency notes were people that Kieran had never seen before.
After he ced the money inside his pocket, he checked the key with the rubber deco.
"The House of Winchester wees you!"
It was written on the slightly aged rubber deco.
The whole piece of rubber had a heavy rubbery stench, the words were carved in but ck filth had almost filled the seams. When Kieran smeared his finger over, he felt an oily and sticky sensation on his finger, it almost made him threw the rubber piece away.
Kieran frowned and held back his disgust and flipped it over.
"303"
Kieran saw the number of a room.
Chapter 646: Life is a stage, men are merely players
Chapter 646: Life is a stage, men are merely yers
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The House of Winchester, just like its name suggested was a family-style hotel.
The building had three stories and an extremely awkward entrance, even for a normal person, one would need to enter sideways.
Obviously, such a ce couldnt hold an independent car park.
The space in front of its door and the sideways was the best they could afford.
After Kieran spent the 1 dor note in his pocket to get the exact location of Winchester House, he headed towards the entrance by circling around the cars parked in front.
Kieran nced over the cars out of habit.
There was a total of four cars, twomon cars, one jeep, and a Picard.
The brands though, Kierans knew nothing about the dungeon world, let alone recognizing the brands of its cars yet he spotted that one of the cars was different from the others.
The cars body was prolonged and had a deep tinted window all around. Kieran also spotted leather seats through the windshield and he knew the car was expensive.
"A rich persons car?" Kieran raised a brow.
A fancy car like that appearing in a luxurious hotel wasnt an odd scene but it was when stopped before an old broken family hotel.
The scent of a sub-mission!
Kieran squinted his eyes.
His steps automatically hastened.
He was eager to get more information to rify his current situation in addition to finding leads to his main mission.
Ten days wasnt long by any means.
Ding Dong!
The doorbell rang when Kieran pushed the door open.
When Kieran opened the door, a mixed stench of blood and gasoline assaulted Kierans nose.
Plus the smell of fire powders sulfur and potassium nitrate!
Before he took a step in the hotel, he quickly retreated without a second thought.
KABOOOM!
An explosion urred the moment Kieran backed off.
A dazzling fire rose up from the windows of the Winchester, followed by shattered ss flying all over and zing fires dancing out of the windows.
The calm street had plunged into chaos in an instant, as though hot cooking oil was poured into a pail of cold water.
People on the streets screamed and ran in panic. Everyone was terrified by the sudden explosion.
Even when the police sirens sounded, it didnt calm the panic down at all.
Kieran shook his head and tried his best to calm the concussion to his brain.
Although Kieran reacted quickly to the unusual explosion, he was caught in its st range.
The powerful explosion sent Kieran flying almost 7 to 8 meters away and crashed on themp post beside the street.
"Damn it!"
Kieran missed his items and equipment more than anything when his HP dropped by 500 instantly because of the shockwave and the crash.
He didnt even require much, all he wanted was [Primus Arm] or [Armor of Excellence] and the explosion before his eyes couldnt even scratch his hair.
Even the weakest among all, [Crows ck Feather] could decrease some damage taken unlike now as he was taking the st in his face.
Especially when [Fusion Heart] was sealed and [Body of Evil]s effect was gone, Kieran would not be better than amon man when the explosion and burns went off in his face.
If it wasnt for his A+ Constitution and the corresponding 900 HP, it would be game over for Kieran before he even truly stepped into the House of Winchester.
Still, he immediately suffered a [Moderately Wounded] status after the st.
All three Strength, Agility and Intuition had further decreased but still, it wasnt the worst yet.
The worst was the arrival of the police of the dungeon world.
He had zero information and knowledge of the current dungeon world nor did he possess a corresponding identity and now he appeared before the scene of a murder and explosion.
No matter how he looked at it, it was a terrible start.
Kieran wanted to stand up and leave the ce instinctively but reality always opposed his intentions.
When a young police officer jumped off his cruiser, he quickly spotted Kieran who fell beside the street because of the shock wave and was soaking in bloody with messy clothes.
"Sir! Theres a wounded here!"
"Hold on, the ambnce will arrive soon!"
"Hey mate! Look at me! Your injuries arent that serious but dont close your eyes..."
The young police officers were yelling beside Kierans ears, trying to give as much support as possible to him. He was worried that Kieran will fall unconscious so he kept distracting Kierans attention ceaselessly and gave himfort.
No doubt he was a just and kind young police officer but Kieran could only reply with an eye roll.
As a yer, Kieran knew his body status better than any native. He might seem heavily wounded but it was just the looks of it. It wasnt fatal by any means.
Kieran nced over the young officer who was still calling out to him and also saw a couple more officers who ran over to him with the corner of his eyes.
He decided to ditch his ns of running away, though it wasnt hard for him, he didnt want toplicate things.
"The moment I returned to Winchester House, it exploded? This is not a coincidence! Its a trap! Then... The key in my pocket?"
Kierans doubtful and vignt attitude started to cause questions to appear in his mind but his questions were interrupted right away.
"Sir! The victims eyes have turned white, hurry up with the ambnce! He cant hold on for long!"
The young officer was shouting loudly after misunderstanding Kierans expression.
Kieran was stunned, he couldnt hold back the slight twitch on the corner of his mouth against the "kind" person.
"SIR! The victim started twitching, his body is going unstable!"
The young officer went further with his misunderstanding and shouted even louder.
"FINE!"
Kieran gave up, he didnt need to argue with a "kind" person because this shouldnt even happen in the first ce.
Kieran the victim only needed to stay down honestly and wait for the ambnce.
...
St. Reid Hospital.
It wasnt the best hospital in the city but it was the closest to Winchester House.
Kieran was sent directly into the ICU after arriving at the hospital.
Though a minuteter, the ICU doctor was scolding loudly.
"Youve got to be kidding me! Its only flesh wound! All he has to do is wash the wounds and get some rest and he will be up in no time!"
The young officer who sent Kieran over exchanged gaze with another one of his older colleagues.
Five minutester, Kieran was transferred into a special care ward.
It wasnt the special care ward for patients that needed checking from time to time but the special ward for those who needed to be ced under surveince.
After cleaning up the wounds and being bandaged up, Kieran looked down and saw his left hand was cuffed to the bed, restricting his mobility.
He then turned his eyes outside the door.
Because of the angle, he couldnt see through the small window but he could hear two people breathing outside.
The officers that sent him to the hospital had be the guards outside his ward.
"Things are much worse than I expected," Kieran said softly.
The way the officers treated him had stated that he was one of the prime suspects of the case and it wasnt something that Kieran preferred to see.
He squinted his eyes and began grinding his gears on how could he escape the sticky situation.
Half an hourter...
Bang!
The ward door was pushed open hardly, a leather jacket plus jeans woman with an average height yet a voluptuous body walked in.
Under the wards lighting, her hair was a dazzling bright red, simr to her hot-tempered attitude. Her mature and sharp eyes were gazing directly at Kieran who wasying down on the bed.
"Im the chief officer, Teresa."
She stated her position and stood beside Kierans bed, looking down on him like a powerful figure staring down at her prey, creating pressure for Kieran.
Three four secondster, she continued.
"Who are you!"
"Where are you from?"
"Why were you there at Winchester House?"
"Is the explosion your handy work?"
"Is the people behind the explosion your acquaintance?"
"Why did they blow up Winchester House?"
Her questions were skillfully asked. She spoke fast and rhythmic.
When such a series of question with that tone were sted out, once the target was caught with its flow, the target might really reveal something and even if the target didnt, the face might show some unusual expressions as well.
Teresa must have gotten the technique of questioning through some special books and her experience. She was very confident in herself but what happened next made her frown.
Kieran who was sted with the questions didnt react as she would have expected but looked at her with an absent-minded face.
"Who am I?"
"Where do Ie from?"
"Why would I be at the Winchester?"
"Ugh!... My head hurts!"
Kieran sounded like he was answering but mumbling to himself and before he finished, he covered his head on the bed, moaning in pain.
Teresas heart had a bad feeling when she saw Kierans behavior.
Chapter 647: Obviously
Chapter 647: Obviously
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
"Amnesia?"
Although Teresa had some guesses, when she got the news, her pitch went up higher and her instinct couldnt allow her to ept such facts.
"Can it be an act? Teresa asked.
"My dear C.O. please believe my professional level and work etiquette!"
The doctor seemed to be unpleased by Teresas question.
Though with the persistent female chief officer, the doctor had to further exin.
"The patient has suffered a rare case of total memory loss, hes even forgotten his own name, home address, and background. In simpler words, if it was an act, he couldnt have shown no reaction to what youve just asked. The patient hasnt lost his mobile function but his brain is as nk as a newborn," The doctormented.
The female chief officer frowned.
Back when the doctor was doing his check-ups, her sudden question resulted in a dazed Kieran, even if she hated to believe it, she had to admit the doctors diagnostics.
Amnesia!
"Can he recover? In a short amount of time?" Teresa emphasized.
"Impossible! Although there is a chance that he might recover, definitely not in a short time. The patients head suffered a certain degree of concussion and after witnessing the terrifying scene, he might need a long time to recover his mental state. Also, I do not suggest C.O. you to treat the patient like a convict..."
Teresa had no intentions in listening anymore.
She waved at the doctor and went back to Kierans ward.
"This is a hospital! You should listen to the doctors advice."
The chief officers attitude infuriated the doctor.
"Its advice, not an order."
The chief officer said calmly before entering the ward.
Kieran was still being cuffed on the bed.
His Intuition eavesdropped the conversation and allowed him to know that he would be safe temporarily.
An amnesia patient was surely not something to be proud off but better than a nameless person in the world.
Though he knew the danger wasnt over. Kieran had experienced how tangling the chief officer could be.
She might not be tall but her attitude was stubborn as an ox, once she had her teeth on her target, she would never let it go. It presented quite the pressure to Kieran though.
Kieran knew she wouldnt give up just like that.
So when the chief officer came into the ward and started to take his picture with her smartphone, Kieran knew what she was going to do.
Teresa was a police offer,pared to regr natives, she had the advantage of position.
With a clear picture of his face, Teresa could easily search the persons information in the stations archive and the files would reveal her targets social rtionships, affiliation, and other information right before her eyes.
Obviously, Kieran as an outsider wouldnt be avable inside the archives.
It would still be trouble even if he had the memory loss as a cover-up since he only had 10 days to search for his main mission!"
"You nervous?"
The moment Teresa took out her smartphone, she looked at Kieran but unfortunately, Kieran was still looking dazed as ever.
She didnt want to give up just yet. Tricks, lies, and speaking techniques were nothing butmon dealings before Teresa but Kieran wouldnt fall into her trap either since he came prepared.
"No, this... is a phone?"
Kieran shook his head and looked curious over the smartphone in Teresas hand. He saw some older models before in books back in real life, bad battery life, limited memory and couldnt take high definition pictures.
"Seems like your memory loss isnt so thorough after all!"
Teresa grunted coldly and left after taking Kierans picture.
Bang!
The door was mmed tight.
"Going back to the station and searching for my files in the archives and returning to the hospital... No, she has a smartphone, she could have just told her men outside the door, even if the archive searching would take some time, it wouldnt be long before my window is gone."
Kieran couldnt calcte precisely because of theck of info about the current dungeon world but he knew what he must do.
He looked down on the handcuffs and without [Deceivers Key] with him, he would need to find a substitute.
Despite suffering a -1 debuff on all his skills, with Grand Master [Lockpicking], it would still be easy to pick cuffs.
Kieran pulled out the needle from the transfusion pack and stuck it inside the keyhole of the handcuffs.
Kark!
The cuffs opened up easily.
Kieran exercised his wrist and turned his eyes to the window.
He was on the fifth floor of the hospital and it was quite high for a seven story building but it would still be a piece of cake if he wanted to leave.
Though when Kieran was ready to open the window, he heard clear footsteps outside.
Kierans special care ward was thest one along the corridor and no doubt the steps were heading for him.
He quickly went back to his bed, re-cuffed himself and plunged the needle back into his arm.
Kieran was nning on escaping but he wouldnt want people to notice him the moment he left.
He needed more time for his escape, whether to hide or find clues, all he needed was sufficient time.
He covered himself with the nket and waited quietly.
Momentster, a doctor came in.
It wasnt the doctor who diagnosed him but a younger middle-aged man.
He was wearing a pair of spectacles, white robes, and a decent looking face, fitting all the images of middle-aged doctor fantasy.
Kieran frowned quietly though.
The doctors breath was rushed despite him regting his breathing right outside the door on purpose, it sounded faster than regr ones.
His supposedly neat hair and beard were slightly messy as well, despite the smile on his face, he was looking to be quite nervous.
"Good day, Im the doctor on duty tonight... No, Im not here to do check-ups. Im just a little curious because I never really approach a patient that suffered memory loss." The doctor said.
As though the doctor felt his words were a little inappropriate, he quickly exined, "Of course I dont mean any disrespect but I really wanted to know how do you feel right now. Youve forgotten your name, identity, and sorts but do you feel familiar about anything?"
"Nothing in particr." Kieran shook his head.
"Is that so... Such a pity!" The doctor shook his head in pity.
The doctor wanted to end the conversation as he stood up from the chair beside the bed.
"If you feel any unwell, press the bell for me. My office is at the other end of the corridor..."
The doctor said formally but before he finished, Kieran heard a loud, heavy sound of something falling down to the ground.
Something heavy.
Then...
"Ahhhh! Someone jumped off the building!"
Many noisy voices sounded but Kieran clearly picked up the doctors expression the moment he stood up.
He seemed like he was relieved of a great burden.
Chapter 648: Blindspot
Chapter 648: Blindspot
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Kieran and the doctor heard the noisymotion inside the ward, there was no way that the two officers on guard couldnt.
"Hoskin, you watch that fellow inside!"
The senior officer said before running down the floors.
The young officer Hoskin who showed extreme enthusiasm in helping Kieran before then came into the ward looking helpless.
"Officer, I need to leave now, hope that someone still needs my help."
The middle-aged doctor left swiftly after saying that.
Kieran couldnt help but raised a brow over the doctors action.
There must be something fishy about the doctor!
Kieran was utterly sure but he couldnt directly prevent the doctors leave. His righteous words had sounded glorified plus his suitable identity made his leave reasonable.
Once again, Kieran experienced the importance of an "identity".
In previous dungeons, Kieran could easily take down the doctor or directly use [Mesly Ring] on him, but now?
Kieran looked down at the handcuffs.
The lights shed realization over the shaking cuffs, reminding him of the hardship that he had to go through in that particr moment.
Of course, it wasnt Kierans style to give up when facing hardship, let alone when there was a possibility of a sub-mission!
When Kieran heard the doctor was relieved like a huge burden was lifted from his shoulders, a sub-mission appeared.
[Discover sub-mission: ident]
[ident: You havee across an ident inside the hospital and noticed something fishy behind it but you need solid proof...]
Although in this dungeon world, clearing a sub-mission would not increase the final dungeon rating, it will prolong and increase the time for Kieran to search for the main mission which was also equally important.
Kieran would never let an opportunity slip, so after the doctor left, he spoke to the young officer.
"Thank you for saving me, Officer Hoskin! Can I call you Hoskin? I heard the other officer called you that," Kieran said with a smile.
"Of course!" The young officer nodded straightforwardly.
"Although I wanted to introduce myself, forgive me for forgetting my name."
Kieran changed his smile into a bitter version as he went along with the flow.
"Its fine! Everything will turn out fine in the end."
Hoskin tried tofort Kieran but it seemed hard for the young officer. All he could say was some typical reply but it was exactly what Kieran wanted.
"To be honest... When I heard the bang from the jumping, I had some visions in my head and it might be rted to my memories. I know its overly demanding but if it is possible, can you bring me to the scene?"
Kieran said as his expression turned into a desperate begging face.
It wasnt hard to put on his acting because during his time at the welfare orphanage, most of the time he had to ensure the poor begging expression was hanging over his face, for more food, more time to rest, and the opportunity to leave.
So it was an easy job for Kieran since he had previous experience to back him up.
However, the young Hoskin seemed hesitant against Kierans request.
Different from the other officers who were trained by experience and had matured, Hoskins age had determined him to be more sympathetic to others in such incidents.
If it was the other senior officer, he might not even budge a muscle despite Kieran shouting his lungs out.
Hoskin, however, opened his mouth for an exnation.
"You see, my duty is to watch you and to bring you away from here is..."
"So you do not wish others to be impressed with you?" Kieran suddenly interrupted Hoskins words.
"What?" The young officer was stunned.
"If it was a homicide case just now and you are the one fastest to solve the case, what will you get?" Kieran emphasized.
"Ill..."
The young officer opened his mouth instinctively to reply but nothing came out from his mouth but his face seemed to be looking forward to the oue.
Sympathy would surely affect Hoskins judgment, and those who were eager to prove themselves were even more likely to be affected.
Kieran apologized to his native friend Schmidt in his heart quietly. It was because of all the chit-chat with Schmidt during their "winter break", Schmidt would always talk about the embarrassing things that happened during his youth or the friends around him who had just graduated from the academy. Otherwise, Kieran wouldnt have gotten the idea to cut into Hoskins thinking.
"Opportunitiese and go, Im afraid that murderer is eliminating thest bit of proof while you are wasting time with me but does your heart of justice allow you to do that? Allow a murder to roam free without being brought to justice?"
Kieran hastened his tone. Although it was just words to rush Hoskin, part of it was the truth.
"But you..."
"Youre worrying that I might escape? I am injured, I wont run! Besides, you can cuff me together with you! Or are you worrying that it might just a suicide instead of homicide? Is that important to you? You are a police officer, a person that serves justice! What else could you want if you waste some time and energy for the innocent victims?"
Kieran interrupted Hoskin once more and this time around he didnt even give Hoskin the time to think but rushed him with the pride and honor of his upation.
It was a lethal weakness for a young officer like him.
Kak!
The handcuff that cuffed Kieran on the bed was opened up after a clear noise.
"Im not persuaded by your words, Im just thinking about the innocent victim!"
Hoskin then cuffed Kierans hand with his after he said in an emphasizing tone.
"Thats right, you are doing the victim justice!"
Kieran nodded and eagerly went over to the door.
The young officer staggered as Kieran dragged him over and only recovered his pace after moving up two more steps.
Hoskin was shocked how powerful Kieran was but quickly reminded Kieran who was heading upstairs.
"The victim is on the lower floor!"
"Its already being attended by many others, we dont need to be there to mess around!"
Kieran said and hastened his steps.
He leaped up three flight of stairs with one step and went up from the fifth floor to the seventh floor in less than ten seconds.
If there wasnt a "burden" behind Kieran, he would be faster.
After opening the door to the roof, Kieran spotted a pair of shoes near the guardrail.
The t sole leather shoes which seemed to be well kept and a will were left under the shoe.
"Seems like its a suicide..."
Hoskin took up the shoes while breathing heavily and said in disappointment after checking.
Kieran kept quiet as he took the shoes and after he saw the soles pattern, he activated [Tracking] and checked the floor around the area.
St. Reid Hospitals roof was opened to the public.
The rooftop was surrounded by a 3-meter tall iron fence and guard rails that was higher than a grown mans hip plus a big area of nts with a lovely aroma.
The plethora of nts made the rooftop into a sky garden, many people liked to rx and rest there.
However, despite the many sets of footprints on the ground, there wasnt one set that fit the shoes in Kierans hand.
Kieran handed the shoes to Hoskin and scanned the area once more.
Then, a sudden realization hit him, causing him to turn around right away and head downstairs.
After Hoskin ced the shoes back, he felt he was dragged away by Kierans ridiculous strength once more.
This time around, Kieran literally "dragged" Hoskin downstairs.
"Wait! Hold on a second! You discovered something?"
The young officer cried loudly.
"You will know soon!"
Kieran then ran even faster.
Chapter 649: Outside the Window
Chapter 649: Outside the Window
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
As far as jumping off a building was concerned, people will immediately think of the bloody body on the ground plus the spot where the person jumped off.
What if the person didnt even go up to the rooftop?
Kieran remembered that the doctor who was still breathing heavily after even regting his breath before entering Kierans room, he said my office is at the other end of the corridor.
The seventh-floor rooftop and the fifth floor werent much of a difference for a person who fell of the building, especially under some intentional arrangement.
Death was predestined long ago.
There was only one office for the doctor on duty in the fifth floor and after passing by a nurse, Kieran had gotten the exact location of the office.
He stood in front of the office door and kicked it opened with his leg.
The doctor from before was sitting behind his desk and an extra cup of coffee on his desk.
After Kieran barged in uninvited, the doctor and Hoskin were shocked.
"What? What happened?"
"The nurse who jumped? Ive checked on her when I arrived but unfortunately, there werent any signs of life when I arrived." The doctor looked regretful when he said that.
"No...No... Nothing, its just...uhhh..." Hoskin was stuttering an exnation.
At the same time, his eyes were locked at Kieran, he hoped that Kieran was the one who was exining and not him.
To be honest, Hoskin was still confused over the situation and Kieran, on the other hand, had no intentions of exining. All he did was activate [Tracking] and scan the whole office.
"Is there anything that I can help you both? If no please leave my office, I have a lot of things to handle because of the sudden suicide!"
The doctor started to ask Kieran and Hoskin to leave since he couldnt get a satisfying answer.
"Of course there is a lot of things you need to handle. An unexpected homicide would leave too much evidence behind, if you dont clean up nicely, it will lead into more troubles," Kieran said with a smile.
"What did you say?" The doctor shouted.
"I am saying, you murdered that nurse! Right in this very office!" Kieran said.
"Me? Murder? When thatdy jumped off the building, I was in your room. Did you forget about that or other than your memory loss, you are starting to hallucinate? Even if you do, would this young officer as well?"
The doctor mocked Kieran with his disdainful face.
Hoskins face turned worrisome instantly.
The young officer knew if both of them couldnt bring up evidence that proved the doctor was the murderer, then the new rookie officer would have to kiss his long-anticipated career goodbye.
Hoskins superior was not a chatty person. He then turned to Kieran with a face of begging.
He hoped Kieran would say less or evenply to the doctors demand to satisfy him.
At least Hoskin hoped that it wouldnt turn out awful in the end.
"I see you are quite confident of your tricks which are full of ws." Kieran smiled coldly.
"Evidence! You need solid evidence to prove your words! If you dont have anything, I can sue you for defamation even if you are a patient of memory loss!"
The doctor was infuriated and became outraged, his pitch went even higher than normal.
"There is a lot of evidence around here. The nails that you havent pulled out from the door frame, the water puddle on the floor plus the bandages that youve thrown into the trash can. Other than all of that, the most crucial evidence was your words, doctor. You said out loud that you are curious about my amnesia but all you did was ask questions simply before you left the ward. Coincidentally, someone jumped off the building because of suicide?"
"Isnt it too coincidental? It was so coincidental to the point where I can think of tying a ring out of the bandages, hanging it over the nails on the frame and the other end on the victims body. The bandage rope doesnt need to be too strong and might even have been torn before, it was only connecting together because the bandage rope was frozen beforehand! As time goes by, the ice melts..."
Kieran exined and the doctors face turned right sour right away and eventually turned as pale as paper.
Hoskin too started to look at the doctor with caution.
Although Hoskin was young andcked field experience, he wasnt an idiot since he could graduate to be a police officer. As Kieran exined his theory, Hoskin too noticed something wasnt right.
"Doctor, please stand up and ce your hands where I can see them!"
Hoskin took out his gun and pointed it at the doctor.
"This is all your saying! Your theories!" The doctor tried to argue.
"If all of that was my theory, then what about this?"
Kieran picked up the air-con remote control and switched it on.
Di!
The screen on the remote control was showing 30 warm air instead of the usual chilling one.
"Even with the weather now, there is no need for switching on the warm air, isnt it? Let alone youve set it to maximum temperature, to quicken your n but once again turned into your w!"
"Of course, there is also your fingerprints over the office..."
"Thats right after you killed that nurse, you cleaned up your office in a hurry, trying to wipe away all your fingerprints but did you think about this? Your own office with your fingerprints all over or your own office but no fingerprints of yourself at all, which one is more suspicious then?"
Kieran shrugged as he said.
If it wasnt toplete his sub-mission in a better sense, Kieran wouldnt exin the way the did. Even though the doctor cleaned his office with his best efforts, the fingerprints were still exposed under [Tracking]s vision.
It wasnt hard for Kieran to draw a conclusion based on the oue that he already knew when it happened and the traces all over the ce plus the unusual actions of the doctor. It was like Kieran had seen the incident with his own eyes.
"How could you... How...You are an amnesia patient, how could you see through everything?!"
The doctor shouted loudly with rage.
"I may be suffering a memory loss but I am not an idiot. How could I not notice the other intention of the visit from you?" Kieran said.
The doctor was stunned. He then started to mumble on his own.
"Its her fault! Its her fault! I was forced to kill her! If she wasnt like a blood-sucking ghost that kept on ckmailing me, I wouldnt have..."
"Doctor, the judge will give you a verdict based on yourments!"
Hoskin quickly went over to the doctor, pulling out another pair of handcuffs from his waist and cuffed the doctor on the table before Hoskin waspletely relieved.
Hoskins young face was still looking excited after the case was solved but he didnt forget the person who did all the work.
Hoskin turned over and wanted to thank Kieran but he noticed that Kieran was staring straight out at the window.
Hoskin turned to the direction out of instinct but all he saw was a dark scenery with nothing unusual.
"Whats wrong?" Hoskin asked.
"Nothing." Kieran shook his head.
Hoskin felt weird but the expression was instantly reced by the excitement because he caught the murderer with his own hands.
He took up his walkie-talkie and called in his partner. Then he used his smartphone and reported into the station.
Throughout the whole process, Hoskin didnt notice Kieran had lifted a lighter from the doctors table.
The young officer also wouldnt notice that outside the window, there was a bloody figure with a nurse outfit, sticking its hideous face with disoriented features tightly on the window screen.
That bloody and morbid eyes were locked tightly at the doctor beneath it.
Right at the next moment, that pair of eerie eyes turned its attention to Kieran.
Chapter 650: Decision
Chapter 650: Decision
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Kieran exchanged gazes with the bloody and morbid eyes.
Grudgeful and full of enmity.
That wasnt the sole stare at the living from the dead anymore but rather a naked killing intent.
The slight chills followed the eyes into the room and temperature slightly fell.
Hoskin twisted his body out of ufort but with it being his first time in solving a case and capturing the murderer, the young officer had not noticed any of those.
Kieran was like facing his greatest enemy.
[Fusion Heart] was temporarily sealed, which also caused [Charles Fire] to be rendered useless since its fire had merged with the devil me.
With all skills -1, his Transcendence [Hand-to-Hand Combat] was no longer effective against spirit beings, plus Kieran didnt bring any of his equipment this time around.
He would have to be extra cautious and vignt when facing an evil spirit.
Not only because Kieran didnt have any better ways to deal with one, but also its appearance caused Kieran to be cautious.
Based on the level of [Mystical Knowledge] he mastered, when a normal person died, the soul would quickly dissipate and leave the mortal realm, there was only a small chance for it to turn into a wandering soul.
For a wandering soul to transform into an evil spirit, it must first go through the poltergeist level and it wasnt anything easy.
In fact, most of the wandering souls would remain as they were till the moment they vanished.
The probability for a wandering soul to fall into poltergeist level was 1/10000 and the same went for a poltergeist to an evil spirit.
While the nurse who was just killed not long ago and right after her death she turned into an evil spirit? It was nearly impossible, even for those brutally killed because it would need a lot of time.
A long period of time for a regr person.
"Is this one of the special traits of this dungeon world?"
Kieran thought of the possibility but quickly discarded it from his mind.
If that was the case, he would not have met anyone alive from the moment he stepped into the dungeon world because the whole ce would be the realm for the dead.
Which means...
"Someone is behind this? Or did something special happen?"
Kieran wondered in his heart while he lit up the kerosenemp beside with the lighter.
Fire and electricity were effective against spirit beings, even for evil spirits. At least it would prove stronger than going in barehanded.
The evil spirit stuck its face tightly on the window screen but it seemed like it was unable to enter the building.
Kieran was astonished.
The reason why people were helpless against spirit beings was the ability to go through things other than the invisible figure.
Even walls and floors were easily passed through by the spirit beings let alone a ss window.
Especially some poltergeists and evil spirits which were strong enough to even move objects and cause real damage to people while their negative energy would freeze them like falling into an ice pit.
Yet the scene before Kierans eyes...
"There is something in the office that prevent its entrance! What is it?"
Kieran started to scan the office again. Any type of item was useful enough for Kieran since he had no equipment on hand.
He wouldnt want to face an evil spirit with a lighter, would he?
Without a proper arrangement, it would be a suicidal act.
The office wasnt huge by any means, scanning it once before gave him a general image of the ce. The second time of scanning would imprint the image and cement of the office in his mind, but this time around he didnt notice anything worthwhile.
Whether was it his vision or pure intuition, he got nothing.
"Could it be that it isnt inside this office?" Kieran frowned hard.
Just when Kieran was hard at thinking, rushed footsteps approached the office.
The senior officer appeared in the office soon enough, though he looked a little dubious about why Hoskin cuffed himself with Kieran, the senior officer tapped Hoskins shoulder hard with augh.
"Well done rookie!" The senior officer wasnt stingy of hispliments.
"No... It wasnt all me, Im just..."
Hoskin was an honest man. Although he wanted the achievement for his career, hed still exined Kierans help and the work that he had done.
The senior officer nced over Kieran with a strange look, he remembered clearly that Kieran had suffered memory loss. It was natural of his suspicion since an amnesia patient could solve the case.
"Are you sure you are not a police or a detective when you didnt lose your memory?" The senior officer asked.
Maybe it was because of what Kieran did, the senior officers tone wasnt as rude as interrogating a convict anymore but sounded more courteous.
"If I could remember that, I wouldnt bebeled as an amnesia patient." Kieran shrugged.
"Dont worry young man, you will recover soon enough!"
The senior officer offered a word offort before going through the standard operating procedures.
More officers then stepped into the scene and took the doctor, who killed his mistress out of an impulsive thought and tried to make it look like a suicide.
The doctors mental defense was surprisingly weak, after being questioned by the uniformed officers, he quickly confessed to everything.
"I think the hospital will install protectives outside in the future! If only I can open apany that provides protective instation, I will earn big bucks!"
Hoskin joked on the way back to Kierans special ward. After a quick coboration, it seemed like the young officer was much closer to Kieran.
"You can open apany part-time!" Kieran joked as well.
"No, no, no! Being a police officer is my dream job! I live for the force!" Hoskin said in a strict face.
Under the reflections of the hall lights, Kieran thought he saw a faintyer of glimmer on Hoskins face.
If Kierans didnt spare his attention on the bloody ghost face on the window throughout the hallway, he would p for Hoskins words.
"Im sorry, this is the C.O.s order..."
After returning back to the special ward, Hoskin re-cuffed Kieran back to the bed with an apologetic face.
Right after that, Hoskin felt likepensating Kieran and quickly said, "Do you need anything? Something to eat, drink? Or some magazines or papers to cure your boredom?"
"Some food and magazines, papers would be nice. After all, the night is still long!"
Kieran said with a slight ridicule tone.
When Hoskin left the room, Kierans face that was still smiling a moment ago quickly turned serious.
He turned his attention to the window.
That evil spirit was still sticking its face on the window, those thirsty eyes were longing for Kierans blood and flesh but a formless energy prevented the evil spirit from entering.
"It isnt something or someone but... a barrier? A barrier that formed over the entire hospital!"
Kieran recalled how the evil spirit followed him back to his ward along the window.
He was curious as to why a barrier would form over a hospital.
At the same time, he was confident that it would provide him with a sub-mission but the more important matter was he couldnt leave the hospital anymore.
An evil spirit had locked on to him outside the hospital.
Once Kieran left the hospitals premises, it would be suicidal for him without corresponding measures but if he stayed in the hospital, once his identity without a background was exposed, it will be troublesome for him because of the explosion case from before as well.
Phew!
Kieran exhaled heavily and turned his eyes to the evil spirit.
His decision was quickly made while he was exchanging gazes with the vicious and hideous ghost face.
Chapter 651: Unnecessary Doubts
Chapter 651: Unnecessary Doubts
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Kieran would stay!
He decided while he was looking at the evil spirit.
Kieran wasnt sure when what would happen when he left the hospital. Would he face a single evil spirit or a person that could create evil spirits or even maybe an entire organization behind this plot?
If it was just a single evil spirit, it may be solvable despite the troubles but if it was the either of thetter...
Troubles would be doubled or tripled and it would lead to his demise with evening the slightest misstep.
As for his identity without a background, Kieran was prepared to go full on rascal on the C.O.
Kieran pretended to be an amnesia patient, even if the female C.O. suspected anything, she wouldnt really do anything to him.
All she would do was put him under surveince.
This was one of the restrictions of Kierans identity. It provided him with convenience but at the same time restricted many of his moves.
So, Kieran spent his uing time in afortable way.
He was having a burger from a fast food joint and was reading the papers and magazines Hoskin brought him. Despite an evil spirit gazing him non-stop at the window, Kieran read his material in detail.
He needed to know more about the dungeon world and the papers and magazines were the only viable channel for him to gain more information for the time being.
Seconds turned into minutes and minutes hours.
The first night passed just like that with him reading papers on a hospital bed.
When the sun rose the next morning, the evil spirit outside the window vanished before the sunlight shone in.
What reced that unsettling gaze was the female chief officer who barged in.
Kieran even believed the chief officer had an agreement with the evil spirit that both of them would not spare him a window to breathe.
"I heard your observations are sharp?"
Teresa had her arms crossed and still looked down at Kieran.
"Maybe, I just acted out of instinct. You know, Im an amnesia patient after all," Kieran said with uncertainty, his face, however, was expressing doubts.
Teresa carefully watched Kierans facial expression and after a while, she gave up.
She still couldnt read anything out of Kierans expressions but her instinct told her, Kieran had secrets.
Though, when the thought about identifying Kierans identity came to her mind, she couldnt confirm her instinct anymore.
"Hoskin!" Teresa called out.
"Yes, Madam!"
The young officer came in with a leather bag in his hand.
Kieran was stunned when he saw that leather bag.
Could it be...
A sudden thought bloomed in Kierans heart.
"This is the info Ive gotten about your identity from the stations archive from my men. Your name is 2567, from Silindy, Matam State. You have a shop lot and two housing estates in the city of Silindy and it seems like you relied on the rent to cover your expensive travel expenses and your adventurous career... Its written in the files but I reserved my doubts about your strange name andughable career," Teresa said with a strong attitude but she handed the leather bag to Kieran after.
Even though doubts lingered in her heart, she followed protocol.
Kieran did not dislike such a character because Teresa wouldnt be much of a danger to him.
He took over the leather bag and took out the files inside.
Although Kieran had guessed and together with Teresas statement, he was still shocked when he saw the picture of himself inside the files in addition to his "houses".
In simple words, the description hadpletely gone out of his expectations.
Since the system had arranged an identity for him, it wouldnt have kept it in a shady manner and would need someone else to provide him with the information.
"So, it seems like the difficulty has increased but not the nature of the dungeon! ording to my progress when I came in, I will get this identity naturally and at most in dy for a day but after I triggered the sub mission [ident], it replenished me with one extra day... The unnecessary move seems too weird!"
Kieran nced over the sub-mission notification, [ident (Complete), rewarded with extra 1 day)] and he shifted back to the files in his hands. He went quiet.
He thought it might not be a good thing when the system sent him through an unnecessary run of things.
"The identity has problems?" Kieran thought of it almost out of instinct.
Hoskin beside purely thought that Kieran felt unfamiliar with his own identity.
The young officer went over to Kierans side and tapped on his shoulder.
"I know its a bit hard for you, 2567 but you should learn to ept. It might be hard to adapt at first but you might recall something slowly." The young officerforted him.
"Thanks!" Kieran said.
"So you are so good atforting people eh? Do I need to transfer you to the psych department?" Teresa red at Hoskin.
Hoskin quickly put his hands up in a surrendered gesture.
Teresa then turned back to Kieran.
"Although we have gotten ahold of your identity, you are required to remain in End and you will report to me every day! Ill send my men to handle your identification card, bank cards, and stuff as soon as possible."
"Hoskin, uncuff him. You better keep an eye on him for the uing days. If he goes missing, you can directly report to the psych department instead!"
Teresa then left after leaving her message.
Almost everyone could tell the angriness in her face.
"Whats with her?"
Kieran didnt think it was him that pissed off the chief officer, even if he did, it was just a portion of that rage.
"An important person died in the explosion case yesterday, Symende Augen!"
Hoskin was anticipating the astonishment from Kierans face after uncuffing him but after seeing Kierans dazed expression, he smacked his forehead.
"Oh damn, I forgot you lost your memory! My bad, I shouldnt have said that..."
"Its fine. Lets talk about that important person."
Kieran instinctively thought about the House of Winchester and the long limousine that parked outside plus the bloody stench inside the hotel.
"Symende Augen. One of the candidates for mayor of End City. He somehow appeared in the house of Winchesterst night and the explosion sent him to his maker. Now the entire media of End City is on fire, all sorts of theories about his appearance and death, it is like a bombardment of news! Our C.O. just now had almost pulled off her remaining hair because of this case. Then, the major crime unit that Teresa leads and the officers are in for some bad luck... You and I are just the fishes that got caught in the fire."
Hoskin opened his hands helplessly.
Then, the young officer looked at Kieran with the slight anticipation.
"2567, lets work together! This is a big case, from beginning to end! If we can solve it, people will look at me differently even more and you can also wash away the suspicion on your name, plus you might even gain more reputation and..."
"Yeah! Lets do it!"
Hoskin was persuading Kieran and even prepared a long list of reasons but before he could even start, Kieran agreed which caught Hoskin off guard.
"What?" The young officer was stunned.
"I said yeah, lets do it!"
Kieran then jumped off the bed and headed outside quickly.
"Hold on! You need a new outfit! You cant wear the hospital gown everywhere!"
Hoskin chased Kieran and called out loudly.
Kieran didnt stop at all, he was really getting anxious. Of course, it wasnt because of the explosion case that killed an important person but because of the barrier that could block evil spirits.
He had already encountered one or even a person or organization that could create one.
It was time for him to get a reliable item for his self-defense.
Chapter 652: Crime Scene Investigation
Chapter 652: Crime Scene Investigation
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The item finding process was much easier than Kieran had imagined.
In fact, all he did was walk to the main hall of the hospital on the first floor and he found the item.
However, he was stunned when he realized what it was.
It was a statue of a nun in the size of a real person.
The statues hand was ced before the chest in a praying posture. The eyes and face were overflowing with a merciful and empathetic feeling that looked lively.
[Name: Sister Reid Statue]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Attribute: Protect (The statue will grant a protection barrier around the building where it is located from malevolent forces.)]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: No]
[Remark: Sister Reid is a truly respectful nun.]
After touching it with his finger, the details popped up before Kierans eyes.
Hoskin beside him did his best to exin to the amnesia patient.
"This is the statue of Sister Reid. ording to the books, the respectful sister founded and built this hospital, providing free medical services for the poor and also training a lot of famous doctors and nurses. Theter generations built this statue tomemorate her and gave her the title of Saint. Right, you came to the hospital through the ICU and directly to the special ward, so you might have missed this statue. The statue was very realistic and lively in terms of restoring the respectful sisters looks but the weird thing was, the master who sculpted this statue wasnt stated in the books."
Kieran reflected on what Hoskin said.
He seemed to have seen a lot more than other natives.
"If it isnt stated in the books but the master could sculpt a Legendary statue. Had he ascended beyond human capabilities? And this sister..."
Kieran looked at the statues merciful and emphatic facial features once more and it reminded him of a certain statue of a God without noticing.
It was very simr, not just how it was sculpted but it possessed a simr presence as well.
"Hoskin, which church is the sister from? Is that church still around?" Kieran asked and pretended to be curious.
"Sister Reid came from Marulyn Church, a small one that preached peace and had only around two hundred of them even during their prime time but unfortunately, after the war, the church vanished." The young officer sighed.
"The war?" Kieran asked once more.
With the title of amnesia patient, Kierans questions had be natural and Hoskin answered him without any doubts.
"Yes, the war!"
"A total of three wars broke out in the past hundred years across the Union. Many lives were lost and the survivors plunged further into misery. During the Third World War, it almost triggered a catastrophic tragedy. Fortunately, during thest moments, those crazy bastards rein in at the brink of a disaster. Then, the Union was born!"
"We should be d that we are born in this age!"
The young officers sigh didnt resonate with Kieran.
Why would the crazy ones rein back on the verge of seeding in what they were doing?
Kieran didnt even buy the talk one bit. There must be something that happened withoutmoners knowledge.
Just like the vanishing of the Marulyn Church, regr people might see it as amon small church but how would a church with merely two hundred believers own a Legendary statue with [Protect]?
If something like that really happened, Kieran might have to reevaluate his current dungeon difficulty.
With a small church having such a legacy left behind, what about the bigger ones?
Would they be protected by divine beings or Gods?
Information! Kieran was desperatelycking information!
Kieran said to the young officer as his heart grew anxious.
"Im quite interested in such histories. If it is not too much of a trouble, can you help me to find some rted books?"
"That wont be a problem! Ill get you some rted books when we return from the scene. Now, however, I think we need to get you to a clothing shop for a less eye-catching set of outfit."
Hoskin agreed immediately and pointed at Kierans hospital gown.
Kieran didnt reject since he didnt have any fetishes towards a certain kind of bareback outfit.
As for the Legendary statue, as long as Kieran was still sane, he wouldnt carry the statue on his back and leave with that many eyes looking.
Before heading to the clothing shop, Kieran mentioned that he would like to visit the spot where the murdered nurse fell off the building along the way.
The blood on the spot had been cleaned up.
It was a big piece of concrete flooring, other than some cracks because of the fall impact and misalignment with the other parts of the ground, there was nothing unusual, regardless of naked eyes or [Tracking].
"Since 2567 youve caught the murderer that killed the nurse, she will be able to rest in peace!"
Hoskin seems to have misunderstood when he saw Kieran remain silent before the spot.
Kieran didnt further exin when he saw Hoskins gaze acknowledging him more.
The young officer obviously had note in contact with the underworld, so sudden exnations would only trigger unwanted problems. Besides, Kieran didnt mind the extra acknowledgments from Hoskin.
Hoskin was in-charge of his surveince, more acknowledgments meant more convenience for Kieran in the future when he needed it.
"En!"
Kieran nodded and stood up after getting nothing in particr.
Then, the duo went to a discounted clothing shop and acquired a set of casual clothes for Kieran.
White T-shirt with blue jeans, plus a ck thin jacket and a pair of sneakers.
It cost Hoskin 75 bucks for all that.
"You have to return me the money when you get your bank cardpensated. You are rich and Im just a small cop that relies on thin wages to cover my everyday expenses."
The young officer stated officially before starting the police cruiser given by the station.
Kieran sized up the cruiser which obviously had been modified with extra horsepower and bulletproof ss windows.
"I guess its one of the welfare from heavy crime unit, though I got it within a week when I join the force," Hoskin exined as he stepped on the elerator pedal.
The cruiser went off like an arrow let loose.
The House of Winchester wasnt far from the hospital and with Hoskins cheers and exciting driving along the way, the duo reached the ruins which was the Winchesters within 3 minutes.
The yellow police line was still surrounding the area.
The ruins had been cleaned up that very night. Two other officers were guarding the area and blocked anyone who wanted a peek at the scene.
Hoskins badge allowed both of them to enter the scene easily after checking with the guarding officers.
However, after the explosion plus the cleanup, with all skills -1, Kierans currently Grand Master [Tracking] couldnt pick up any useful traces at all.
In fact, let alone Grand Master level, even with Kierans original Musou level, it was hard to dig up more useful leads but he wasnt entirely without findings.
Kieran didnt forget that mixture of blood and gasoline smell when he stepped into Winchester Housest night.
"If the blood stench was present, it means the people inside Winchester house might be all dead, the gasoline might be the measure to destroy all the evidence and traces! Seems like someone doesnt want the police to find out who really died in Winchester House explosion... Huh?"
While deep in his thoughts, Kieran suddenly felt a faint malicious gaze grazed over his body.
"Surveince?"
Kieran squinted his eyes.
He then quietly moved towards the young officer who was hard at wasting his effort in the ruins.
Chapter 653: Clue
Chapter 653: Clue
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
"Hoskin, listen to me."
"You continue your digging. Ive picked up a guy watching us behind the alleyway around 20 meters away. You remain your digging for now and after two to three minutes, I need you to pretend that you are frustrated that you didnt find anything and Ill ask for water. You then head towards the cruiser and Ill create a window for you to approach him."
Kieran purposely lowered his voice and exined his ns.
"Got it!"
Hoskin didnt even raise his head and continued digging the ruins.
The young officer seemed to grasp Kierans n right away.
After two to three minutes, Hoskin stood up as though he had exhausted his efforts.
"Damn it, nothing at all!" The young officer ranted.
"Take it slow, dont rush... Hoskin, can you get me a bottle of water?" Kieran said with a smile.
"Yeah."
Hoskin nodded and turned around to the street where he parked the cruiser. He made his way towards the alleyway where the spy was with the cover of his cruiser.
Kieran too went together with Hoskins pace, he picked up something and pretended to be shocked.
"Look, look what I found!"
Kieran wasnt soft at all, the two other guard officers outside plus the spy who was further away heard it and clearly saw Kierans action.
They were instantly stunned.
Hoskin picked the signal and leaped out swiftly like a jaguar to its prey. He dashed into the alleyway like a wind and took down the spy before he could react.
The spy was unwilling to be caught just like that and started to struggle non-stop.
The young officer gave a hard upper punch into the spys stomach without any hesitant and instantly robbed him of any remaining resistance.
Kieran saw Hoskins clean and precise movements and couldnt help butugh.
At least in terms ofbat, the young officer was a qualified one.
While facing against a person who potentially harmed others with their cruelty, if Hoskin would still hesitate to use force to capture him, he wouldnt be a qualified police officer because that slight hesitation would not only put himself in danger but might also harm other innocent lives.
Though, before Kierans smile faded, another cold presence enveloped him.
Killing intent!
Sniper!
Kierans reflexes made him side-roll without even thinking.
The moment where Kieran left his spot, a bullet hole was sted on the ground.
Bang Bang Bang!
A series of gunshots sounded and before the two officers who were in guard duty outside the scene could even react, they fell into their own puddle of blood.
After taking down the spy and wanting to cuff him in, Hoskin heard the gunshots and dragged the spy into the alleyway.
"2567, are you okay?" The young officer shouted in nervousness and worry.
"Im fine!"
Kieran replied loudly as well after taking cover behind a thick concrete wall. Then he couldnt help but think about the small piece of brick in his hand.
Kieran was certain the sniper fired out the shots after his pretending action and surely it wasnt because of that small brick.
It might be something with real value which was still buried under the ruins and hadnt been found by the police.
A series of footsteps sounded as Kieran pondered on his thoughts.
A squad of three appeared on the street and quickly approached the scene.
Through the seams of the crumbled concrete wall, Kieran saw the three men were marching forth in a triangr formation neatly that allowed them to excel in defense and offense.
He was sure the three men were not thugs with weapons but true elites that had been professionally trained.
"Seems like that thing is much more important to someone that I expected!"
Not only a sniper was deployed but an assault squad with fully armed arsenals were there to retrieve the item. It was proof enough how important that thing was and of course, it also proved that the person who was after the thing was not someone to fiddle with.
Still, despite who they were, Kieran wouldnt stay back and allow them to take him in.
The sniper had taken out two officers without any problem which mean they were here with a mission and not mercy. Kieran wouldnt hope for mercy on his life should he be taken in.
Bang!
The sniper fired again and attracted the assault squads attention to the point.
Kieran took the chance and leaped out the cover wall. He threw out the small brick in his hand, producing a sharp air-breaking whistle.
There wasnt any technique behind his throw but only brute strength.
The small brick that had been infused with A+ Strengthnded hard on one of the assault squad members chest.
The assault squad member flew backward and crashed into the other one behind him with noises of bones cracking, as though the man was hit by a small speeding truck.
Another bone cracking noiseter, Kieran who leaped out of his cover ran towards the dead officers and pulled out their gun.
Bang!
The shot was fired at thest standing assault squad member.
His face took the bullet and fell down to the ground, twitching.
Even with -1 debuff, Musou [Firearm Weapon, Light Firearm] was still able to pull out a headshot easily.
The moment the assault squad member fell down, Kieran already dashed towards him, taking over the assault rifle and the grenade at his waist.
Ding!
The pin was pulled and the grenade was thrown beside the two bodies further away.
Keiran didnt want further troubles. It was a different story for a person to suffer bone cracks from a flying brick versus a person being blown to pieces by a grenade.
Kaboom!
The explosion echoed around the area. The grenade triggered a chain explosion from the other grenades at the bodies waist.
The tremendous explosive force tore the bodies to pieces.
Kieran swiftly turned his assault rifle at the sniper at the opposite side of the building and fired out when the sniper show his head again.
The sniper on the rooftop didnt know what happened obviously, from his perspective their side had an absolute advantage.
Not only did they have the assault squad covering the ground but also a sniper who covered the vantage point.
Even with Kierans cautious nature, it would be a matter of time before they took out Kieranpletely.
The sniper didnt even think about the oue where Kieran would take out all three of the assault squad, just like he didnt see his own death before.
The fight ended just like how it began.
When Hoskin was still pondering how he would follow up with Kieran to escape the danger before their eyes, everything had ended.
The young officers jaw dropped when he saw Kieran holding the assault rifle in his hand.
He has no words to describe his current feeling.
Truth be told, Hoskin didnt even see Kieran threw out the brick, otherwise, his worldview will be toppled upside down.
Still what Hoskin saw would cause him to be restless for some time.
"2567, You...you..."
Hoskin wanted to say something but he couldnt find words to form a sentence.
"I dont know what happened either, but when I grabbed the gun, my body automatically knows how to use it," Kieran said with a dazed expression once again.
"Very well then! I am sure that you are a sharpshooter who is an expert in speed firing before you lost your memory! You must teach me sometimes in the future! But now... We are in big trouble!"
Hoskin took in a deep breath and saw the flickering light and heard the irritating police siren.
He turned to Kieran with a bitter smile.
Tssss!
The sharp irritating brake noise from the cruiser and an outraged chief officer came down from the car, headed towards both of them.
As more officers came down from the ever-increasing police cruisers, guns were pulled out pointing at their targets.
Kieran and Hoskin put their hands up naturally.
Chapter 654: Following
Chapter 654: Following
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
"You two bastards! You better give me a reasonable exnation of what happened here! Otherwise, Ill throw your asses into the Unions ck prison!"
Teresa went over to the two with furious words and angry steps. Hoskin quivered because of the sudden shock.
"Chief, I..."
"Chief Teresa, weve discovered a lead to the explosion case, I hope you can deploy your men to secure a perimeter here! The more the better and please equip them with enough firepower!"
Before Hoskin could even finish a sentence, Kieran interrupted.
Teresa red at Kieran, her furious eyes made Kieran believe that if she wasnt a police officer, Kieran would have to suffer a couple of ps to the face.
When Kieran pointed at the dead assault squads behind the cruiser, Teresas face quickly turned.
She saw the bulletproof vest, guns on their waist and grenades on the dead bodies. The equipment alone was enough to raise concerns.
"Seal this ce off!"
"Chief Officer Teresa calling for backup! Calling for backup!"
After giving orders to her men on site, she went over to thems in her cruiser and requested for further assistance.
Soon, more police officers arrived at the scene and it wasnt themon uniformed officers anymore but the S.W.A.T. team that shared simr arsenals with the enemys assault squad.
"Dont let anyone near this ce without my order!"
"Spill it now, what is the lead you mentioned? If it is some forged lies for you to escape responsibilities, I swear I will make you pay the cost that you couldnt even imagine!"
Teresa pulled Kieran to aside and looked down at him like a fierce cougar, her words even came with threats.
"Of course I wont. As for what happened just now... You can ask Hoskin about it, he can prove what I said was real," Kieran said.
"I will, so you better pray that youre not lying to me!"
"Watch him!"
Teresa cuffed Kieran once again without giving him any more time for exnation and ordered the officer aside to watch Kieran.
10 minutester, Teresa came back from Hoskins spot with a heavy expression.
Hoskin was beside her and two more officers were behind them carrying a stretcher with the snipers body on top.
Hoskin dared not even breath loudly while being near to Teresa and Kieran was sure he was really terrified by his chief officer, yet it was also because of that, Kieran was relieved.
As long as Hoskin told Teresa what exactly happened, she would know what to choose and just as Kieran expected, Teresa came over and uncuffed him.
She then looked at Kieran with a judgmental gaze.
"A so-called traveler and adventurer but possessing even better observational and shooting skills than a police officer. Mr. 2567, can you exin yourself?"
"If I could, I would but I really couldnt right now," Kieran pretended to smile bitterly.
To be honest, he had started to like the title of amnesia patient.
It was the perfect excuse to give when he didnt want to say or couldnt exin anything.
Teresa started to breathe heavily.
Rage had filled the chief officers chest and just when Kieran thought Teresa would really step out of her position to punch him, she said loudly, "Hoskin! Watch him tight! Believe me, if you havent caught the bastards with some use, you can already report to the psych department!"
"YES, MADAM!" Hoskin replied loudly.
When the chief officer went over to the ruins, the young officer winked and signaled Kieran.
"The C.O. Teresa really treats you differently! If you were someone else, Im afraid you would be suffering a broken nose by now!" Hoskin said with hidden intentions.
"If you continue, I assure you your nose will be broken. Quick, tell me what youve gotten from the spy?"
Kieran didnt mind petty jokes between youngsters but not before settling the things at hand.
It wasnt a great time for jokes at the moment.
"How do you know Ive gotten clues from him?"
Hoskin looked at Kieran as though he had seen a ghost.
"If you have the heart to y jokes on me instead of crying as someone died, its enough proof," Kieran said.
Given that a young man who was eager to prove himself via performance and achievements, after being scolded by his superior and still had the heart to joke, it meant things havent reached the worst part.
Even more so, it would be safe to guess that the information was greater than the scolding to result in a good mood from the young officer.
"Are you sure you werent a detective before this? I feel naked before your eyes!"
Hoskin looked at Kieran with unbelievable eyes.
Even though he knew Kieran had sharp sight, he didnt think it would be that sharp.
"Dont worry, I have no interest in admiring your naked body. Tell me now, what did you get from the spy?" Kieran rushed him.
The young officer then said with a smile.
"Before I was transferred to the heavy crime unit, I was a patrol cop and that guy is one of the little thugs that lingered around my duty area. That guy always peddled illegal drugs and ckmailed students but his boss is the person-in-charge of the street block. The boss had many men under him and maybe, the explosion case of Winchester House is their handy work!"
Hoskin had gotten excited as he spoke, his face was eager to catch the culprit.
However, Kieran was quite certain that a boss with a dozen men under him was not the culprit behind the exploded Winchester House.
Just look at the destroyed Winchester ruins!
The explosion didnt even affect the other buildings on both sides and Winchester house was blown to ruins with only its basic building structure.
The explosive technique was a professional job and Kieran didnt believe mere thugs on the street could pull off such a feat.
Besides, there was a stench of blood before the explosion, the people inside Winchester House should be all dead by that time.
Kieran didnt know how much time the culprit killed the people but he knew the culprit must have killed everyone quietly as fast as possible to prevent unexpectedplications.
There wasnt a single sound made throughout the whole process, the culprit must have used a dagger or a short knife as his weapon and must have possessed quite the skills to do that.
Such a skillful killer wouldnt be under themand of a street thug.
Kieran didnt want to reject Hoskins suggestion though.
Since a street thug would send his men to watch the scene, it might be for himself but also because someone forced him to. Regardless of which it was, it was a clue to Kieran for now.
Hoskin started his cruiser once more. The young officer didnt notice anything unusual since he was drowned by his own excitement but Kieran wouldnt.
Kieran noticed there was another cruiser following them through the back mirror and his vision allowed him to easily spot who was behind the wheel.
Teresa, the chief officer!
Chapter 655: We Need To Talk
Chapter 655: We Need To Talk
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Kieran wasnt surprised when he saw Teresa following them in her cruiser.
Teresa wasnt the young officer beside him. After the horrifying assault from the enemy, if Teresa were to let Hoskin continue his watch over Kieran alone, Kieran would have to re-evaluate how Teresa had gotten promoted to chief officer in the first ce.
"She looks furious but is actually very calm and knows that theing down on us harder will only produce a bacsh effect, instead she allowed us to move freely and followed us on her own. So the infuriated rage back there was just an act I assume?"
Kieran couldnt help butugh.
He didnt mind being followed by the chief officer, even from a certain aspect, Kieran hoped that she would follow them.
After all,pared to Hoskin beside him, Teresa seemed to grasp more information about the Winchester Houses explosion.
It was an important aspect for Kieran in search of his main mission because Kieran had sufficient reason to believe his main mission was rted to Winchester Houses explosion or at least one of the lead clues.
Otherwise, he wouldnt have gotten the room key in his pocket.
There was also a possibility that both things were totally unrted but the chances were slim.
Every dungeon world was like a real world in itself. While trying to find the main mission in a real world that would change every day because of different things, it was like searching a needle in a haystack. The difficulty level was enough to let one feel despair.
What if it really happened?
Kieran who was doubtful in nature started to look at the matter seriously unconsciously.
"If it really happens, then I will need to change my perspective of things. Every dungeon world might be as vast as the real world but there is a traceable track surrounding a theme. The main mission is closely rted to these themes, just like the newbie dungeon was "survival", the first detective one was "search" and the prison on the ind was "spirit beings" which also derived into the shaman dungeon with the mystical realm. After that was "foreign matter", "fiends", and "war"!"
"So... What is the current dungeon theme? Or what does the system want me to do?"
Kieran squinted his eyes and recalled his previous dungeon runs in detail but unfortunately, he couldnt get anything out of it.
It was just less than a day since Kieran entered the dungeon world and without any rted memories, it was difficult for him to identify the theme of the dungeon.
Ultimately, Kieran took a deep breath and put aside the useless thoughts for the time being.
He started to focus on the useful information at hand.
"Do you know anything solid about the person that we are going to find?" Kieran asked.
"That guys name is Barney, nicknamed "Jackal". He was the boss of the neighborhood where I used to patrol. A drug-addicted bastard and was suspected of a murder when he was younger but eventually was pardoned by the judge because of theck of evidence. However, the trial made his notoriety higher instead, he started to gather a group of people to sell illegal drugs. After that, he spent two years taking over that neighborhoods underground business. Every prostitute, thug, nightclub, and gamblingir was under his control, so if anything illegal happened there, chances are it is rted to him!"
Hoskin looked hateful when he stated all of these.
For a young police officer with a heart of justice, he wouldnt allow such a human trash to exist in society.
Kieran, however, was concerned about another thing.
"Even if he relied on the notoriety of a "murderer" to cheat many of his men, but without a certain level of power, he couldnt have truly taken control of a whole neighborhood. Besides, it was not any John Doe that could be nicknamed "Jackal", he might be at least cunning and vicious like one."
A persons name might be wrongly given by their parents but a nickname from others wasnt the case.
"This kind of guy wouldnt be concerned about an explosive case without a reason." Kieran was getting sure of it.
After half an hour, Kieran and Hoskin reached the entrance of a nightclub.
"Dancing Diva".
The offed neon sign spelled as such, the entrance was closed tight and the trash before the steps hadnt been cleared. For any nightclub out there, it was at night when it came alive. When the sun rose up high and before it set, it would be closed.
Of course, it was only news for those who didnt know what was going on inside.
"Here!"
Hoskin nced over the trash on the ground and quickly turned into an alleyway like he was walking on a familiar road.
At the end of the alleyway was a small short door.
"Those trash outside is actually the secret code for knocking."
Hoskin said as he knocked on the door.
The moment where Hoskins finger knocked on the door, it opened up.
The door revealed a pitch dark entrance and blood stench gushed out on their face, causing Hoskins face to turn sour.
"Careful!"
Hoskin pulled out his gun, pointed at the dark entrance and warned Kieran.
He then wanted to venture in.
The short door wasnt a leveled path but a stairway downwards. One would need to bend down to cross the short door and step on to the stairs before heading down.
It would be easier for one behind the door to walk down the stairspared to the one outside.
In other words, it was easy to hold but hard to attack location.
Kieran reached out to Hoskins shoulder and pulled him back.
"If you dont want to end up in pieces, you better dont move!"
Hoskin was puzzled. Kieran then took out the lighter from his pocket and bend down.
Pak!
When the lighter produced a small fire, it lit up the stairway before them.
Hoskin saw a thin thread on the first step of the stairs easily.
A cold sweat straightaway broke out on the young officers forehead.
Hoskin wasnt an idiot, he knew what the thin thread was for and if he stepped onto the thread, he knew what would happen to him.
Kieran raised his lighter and extended his head in the short door. He came back out after a quick nce inside.
"Call for the bomb disposal unit, the things inside arent something that we can deal with,"
Kieran said.
It wasnt a simple trap mine that was created with mere grenades but a real bomb that was connected to an electronic circuit board.
Kieran couldnt guarantee what would happen if he cut the thin thread before his eyes.
"O...Okay!"
After a brush with death, Hoskin looked at Kieran in gratitude and nodded hard.
He then took out his phone and called it in, however, the ringtone of a phone rung at the alleyway.
Hoskin was surprised when he saw Teresa walked over from the alleyway.
"Chief... you...?"
"How can a police officer not notice that you are being followed? Im curious about how you got into the heavy crime unit in the first ce!" Teresa voiced out the moment she walked out to frightened Hoskin.
Hoskin quickly showed embarrassment on his face.
The chief officer didnt care further about her young subordinates but looked at Kieran who was calm and wasnt at all surprised.
She knew Kieran had noticed her a while ago, which made her frown.
However, Teresa didnt want to linger on the topic for long.
"What did you two find?" She asked.
"Chief, its a bomb!"
Hoskin reported quickly and Kieran lit up the darkness with his lighter.
After seeing the thin thread, Teresa followed Kieran in sticking her head inside for a look.
She then quickly called it in with her phone after seeing what was inside.
Her eyes once again looked at Kieran.
"I think we need to have a talk," Teresa said.
"So do I," Kieran said with a smile.
Chapter 656: Five Bodies
Chapter 656: Five Bodies
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The morning sunlight shone down diagonally at the wall of the alleyway, it cut the casted shadows cleanly in half that was shedding over Kieran and Teresa.
The chief officer was staring at Kieran.
Kieran replied with a smile.
The strong light and shadow created a contrasting scene, as though both of them were inside a painting. However, it was just what people saw them as from afar.
Hoskin who was standing beside both of them saw that both of them refused to give in and even smelled the dense fiery gunpowder.
Subconsciously, the young officer moved aside out of instinct, cing himself in range to clearly hear the conversation but wouldnt get caught in the conflict if anything broke out between Kieran and Teresa.
Just when Hoskin was moving, Kieran and Teresa spoke at the same time.
"I want to know every detail about the explosion case!"
"I want to know every lead you found about the explosion case!"
Both of them exchanged gaze.
There was none of the awkwardness of a boy and girl whose hearts were connected, neither was there any courteous words like "you go first".
Both of them frowned simultaneously as they felt how persistence each other was.
"I think we can use the fair path. How about an exchange of what we have?" Keiran suggested.
"Who answers first then?" Teresa replied precisely.
"Since it is my suggestion, Ill go first. I suppose as a chief officer, you will keep your promise, right? Especially before your subordinates."
Kieran pretended to be generous andughed before pointing at Hoskin.
Hoskin instantly felt a killer gaze from his superior. Obviously, Teresa was nning to act shamelessly from the start but after Kieran poked her right at the spot...
"Of course not!"
Teresa clenched her teeth, even a soft grinding noise could be heard from the seams.
"Well, then here I go?"
Kieran looked at Teresa and after she nodded, Kieran started his side of the case.
"I didnt find much except for three obvious points."
"First, the person who caused the explosion behind Winchester House did it to destroy the evidence. The guy must be an expert in explosives and skilled in wielding short sharp weapons, or maybe there were two people who were each skilled in different fields respectively."
"Second, the professional assault squad that weve encountered before is also searching for something at the Winchester House. That thing wouldnt be too big, almost the size half a brick or simr in size and appearance."
"Third, the one who installed the bomb here might very well be connected to the professional assault squad from before," Kieran said after a slight pause.
Hoskin was stunned, he unconsciously recalled the professional gear on the assault squad and the bomb that looked and was installed professionally.
But with that fact alone, Hoskin didnt think it was from the same party but he didnt dare to ask. All he did was look at his superior.
Teresa was eager to ask her questions.
"How did you know the killer of the Winchester explosion case is skilled with short weapons? You were there at Winchester before the explosion? Or did you see anything?"
Teresas question was like a series of interrogation question towards a convict.
Undoubtedly, Teresa still viewed Kieran as a suspicious person and Kieran had prepared himself for this.
"When I went to the Winchester House, a picture during the explosion shed in my brain. I was supposed to be staying at that hotel but when I pushed opened the door, I smelled gasoline and blood. I think my instincts told me something was wrong and when I started to run, the explosion went off."
Kieran was grateful for his amnesia patient title once more.
He used "think" and "suppose" in his words to conceal the details that he was already was staying at the hotel.
Kieran knew it would be the beginning of a long chain of trouble when he revealed that he was one of the guests of the Winchester House and the chief officer before him would bite him like a crazy dog without letting go.
"Oh and Chief Teresa, we are exchanging information now, so we could be considered as a coborator, so please dont ask questions like you are interrogating me. It made me feel like I still have cuffs on my hands. So can you tell me the details of the explosion case?"
Kieran reinstated his identity when he asked the question. He was reminding the chief officer and also testing her at the same time, just like how she was testing Kieran.
Kieran too hadnt stopped his testing of Teresa.
Who could guarantee that Teresa wasnt the killer behind the explosion case?
Despite showing attentiveness to her duties.
Kieran wouldnt trust anyone in an unfamiliar dungeon world.
Under Kierans stare, a sense of rage shed over Teresas face but a momentter, she spoke as she had promised.
"Weve found a total of five bodies that were burnt beyond recognition inside the Winchester House. The burns and explosions even prevented the forensics from identifying any of them except for Symende Auggen. This V.I.P s car made him the first one to be found and identified but the killer is still roaming free outside."
"Only these?" Kieran blinked his eyes.
"Only these! That bastard who caused the explosion is much more cautious and vignt than we expected. There were no useable clues left behind at the scene and until now, forensics couldnt identify who the other four bodies were! All we can do is send the news out and search for any missing individuals."
Teresa felt ashamed for her helplessness when she was asked but when she looked at Keiran again, her shameful expression turned into a rage once again.
"What about the hotels owner and the workers? At least it would be easier to identify them isnt it?"
As a rookie, Hoskin truly participated in the case for the first time. He asked with a face of confusion.
"A week ago, someone bought the Winchester House with a high price. The original owner took the money and his wife and daughter, who were also the workers there, to live their life but the three of them had an ident halfway. None of them survived and the people around didnt even see the new owner... Goddamn motherf*cker!"
The hot-tempered chief officer couldnt help but kick the trash can aside at the end of her words.
Hoskin, on the other hand, looked like he was frightened and opened his eyes wide in surprise.
The young officer who hadnt encountered such case before was certainly shocked, he couldnt understand what kind of case would cost the innocent lives of eight people.
Kieran, however, squinted his eyes out of habit, he wouldnt think about who was innocent as he was drawing a conclusion from the leads of Teresas words.
The biggest suspect was the mysterious owner who bought Winchester House and the least would be the dead but identified mayor candidate Symende Augen.
The remaining four unidentified bodies reserved the same level of suspicion but Kierans attention was ced at that Symende Augen.
Not only because he was the first one to be found and only one to be identified and also because no one could guarantee whether he truly died!
After all, all the police knew was the big limo belonged to him.
What if his death was faked?
Kieran thought silently.
"Why are those bloody guys sote?"
Teresa was getting anxious aside and when her words faded, a squad of men appeared at the alleyway entrance.
Kieran, Teresa and Hoskins faces turned sour when they saw the sudden arrival.
Chapter 657: Suspect
Chapter 657: Suspect
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The fully armed squad with the overflowing killing intent was identical with the ones Kieran and Hoskin encountered at the Winchester House.
"Go in!"
Hoskin pulled out his gun to prepare himself for a fire fight with the squad when he saw them but Kieran dragged him back into the small short door just as Hoskin wanted to fire, followed by Teresa.
Kieran grabbed her by the waist and flew backward through the small short door with a strong tap of his feet.
Bang Bang bang bang!
Just as Kieran and Teresa fell on the ground inside the small short door, loud gunshots were fired outside.
The bulletsnded all around the brick wall and sshed dust and debris all around.
The dust came in through the small door before it was shut, causing Hoskin to cough a few times after falling hard on the ground.
Despite the ugly position, the young officer still pointed his gun at the door.
Kieran saw Hoskins reaction and couldnte up with ament on his action.
A hot-blooded person who wasnt afraid of death was to be respected but if it was a reckless death, it wouldnt be worth it.
"Do you have a death wish?"
Kieran pointed at the trap on the wall after climbing up and ran towards the only door deeper inside.
Despite the chaos, Kieran didnt forget to check whether the inner door was safe.
Since there was a trap mine installed at the entrance, who could guarantee there wouldnt be a second one.
"Hurry!"
Kieran rushed Hoskin and Teresa as marching footsteps approaching swiftly.
Both of them ran towards the inner door without further ado.
Unlike the short door outside which revealed only darkness inside, the second door which was much sturdier and had a light behind it.
Therefore, when Teresa and Hoskin ran inside the room that looked like a storeroom, they saw the body on the floor.
A body which had the cap of his skull opened up.
However, the three of them didnt stop to check on the body but ran further inwards.
After going through a third door...
KABOOM!
A loud explosion came from behind. The fierce explosion was so powerful that it shook the ground, forcing the running three to halt their steps.
"They are not the same party?" Kieran squinted his eyes.
Kieran thenid both his hands open when he sensed the judgmental gaze from Teresa.
"I guess my guesses were wrong but at least it did us a favor! Still, I think we are still in danger, one bomb couldnt have taken out such a number of armed men! Even though they lost a few, it will buy us some time amidst their hesitation but it wouldnt be long since there is more than one door here."
Teresa red over Kieran before striding inwards.
Hoskin quickly followed and so did Kieran without any hesitation.
If the pursuers behind him had enough benefits, Kieran wouldnt mind beating them up but they were a bunch of armed men with heavy firearms, which proved not much of a value for Kieran at the moment.
Even more so since the current dungeon world wasnt a ce that he could carry a firearm freely around, without [Crimson Ghost Stomach] and the absence of total concealment, Kieran wouldnt want to attract further troubles for himself.
Kieran followed Teresa, he sized up the ce while thinking to himself.
"These armed elite men are different from those who ughtered everyone inside Dancing Diva... that means more people or forces havee into y?" Kieran muttered in his heart.
His mind unconsciously rted the situation to the four unidentified bodies and the item that attracted so much attention.
No doubt the armed men were here for the item, perhaps the four bodies were also there for that item.
"Means someone beat them to it? If the one who beat them to it had gotten the information from one of the five dead bodies and he decided to kill the witnesses by blowing up the ce, it would make sense as well! So, what in the hell is that item?"
Kieran tried to think of the thing that was simr to half a brick and had a lot of value.
Meanwhile, Teresa strode on forward without stopping and went through the kitchen and strode past the bar in the Dancing Diva.
There were three more bodies there and simr with the one at the storeroom, their heads were blown off by a single shot.
After that, the three of them went up to the office on the second floor and saw Barney the Jackals body.
"Tsss!"
Hoskins heart of justice wished that Barney the human trash would disappear from the society but when he saw the body, he couldnt hold back and gasped coldly.
Other than the fatal sh on the neck, Barneys fingernails and toenails were all pulled off, his teeth were all knocked off as well. One side of his ear was cut off and a steel pen was stabbed in his left eye socket. There were many bloody and badly damage spots on his body, especially between his legs, all that was left was a big part of minced meat.
Kieran frowned when he saw the badly mutted body.
It wasnt that he couldnt bear the horrible scene but Barney the "Jackal" was much more important in the case that he thought, otherwise he wouldnt have suffered such an interrogation.
Barney the "Jackal" was much more stubborn than expected as well since he suffered so much through the interrogation.
"Is it something that will kill him once he reveals it?" Kieran guessed.
Then he started to scan the area in hopes of finding more clues.
Teresa acted the same with Kieran.
Hoskin was stunned for a while before reacting to the scene and joined both of them in their search.
However, Barneys office was much cleaner than expected.
The safe that was hidden under the study table was pried open with emptied contents. All of the drawers were dragged open and tons of paper files fell on the floor.
"Damn it!"
After a round of searching and got nothing, the chief officer stared at the empty safe, cursing heavily. Hoskin was in low spirit as well but Kieran smiled.
"You found something?"
Teresa had been sparing a part of her attention on Kieran and her eyes shone when she notice Kierans expression.
"A little. If you can keep a secret, I dont mind telling you." Kieran said.
"WHAT?" Teresa shouted angrily.
"Its simple, youve called in the bomb disposal unit and also contacted your men but the armed squad arrived instead of reinforcements. Can I assume that there is a mole in the station or... the one you called to was actually the enemy?" Kieran maintained his smile.
Teresa, however, was shocked.
Rage filled her face and Teresa dashed over to Kieran like an arrow. She wanted to lift Kieran by his cor, her speed was overwhelming for a person of her size.
Still, she missed.
Kieran moved aside swiftly, not only did he dodged Teresas grab but then counter grabbed Teresas arm and twisted it behind her back to pin her downpletely.
A powerful punch was thrown at her abdomen, robbing her of her ability to resist further.
Then, Kieran pulled out the smartphone from Teresas pocket and threw it to Hoskin.
"See who the hell did she called with her phone," Kieran said.
Chapter 658: Not That Simple
Chapter 658: Not That Simple
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Hoskins face looked heavier than ever before.
After bringing up Teresas call log and finding two familiar numbers, Hoskin was relieved.
The young officer was afraid of finding an unfamiliar number.
The chief officer might be hot-tempered and acted in a rigorous and resolute manner but the young officer admired her, not the kind of awkward feeling but the admiration of a senior from a junior because Teresa too had a heart of justice despite the methods of disying it being different.
"Its the stations bomb disposal unit and operation units number, both werendlines!"
Hoskin said before handed the phone back to Kieran after a slight hesitation.
He originally wanted to give the phone back to Teresa but when he saw the utmost rage from her face, he gave up instantly.
Different from the young officer who dared not get on the bad side of his chief officer, even after giving a punch to her stomach, Kieran slide back the phone into her pocket naturally.
"Your suspicion is removed. Now I can share that little secret with you. But, let us take care of some trouble first."
Kieran slid his hand into Teresas coat while he spoke.
"YOU!"
Still hadnt regained her mobility, Teresa widened her eyes at Kierans actions as though she was a cougar prying on its prey.
Hoskins jaw dropped and looked unbelievable at the scene, even though Kieran only took out the gun from Teresas waist, Hoskin couldnt cover his astonishment.
Kieran didnt even care about the two and jumped down from the second floor after getting what he wanted.
The moment Kieran leaped down, the main entrance of Dancing Diva was smashed to pieces with a loud bang.
A couple of figures nimbly rolled into the main hall with tactical movements.
Bang Bang Bang!
Shots were fired.
After the assault squad attackers had gotten into ce through their tactical movement, they limped down on the floor with a face of shock. They couldnt believe there was someone with such fast reactions and skilled shooting.
In the attackers expectations, their swift assault would surely catch everyone inside the nightclub by surprise, even if there was any counterattack, they would effectively dodge the attacks with their hard-trained tactical movements.
Even if they were shot, their bulletproof vest would provide enough protection and minimize the damage to their weak spots to the limit.
All the ns woulde to y if they didnte across Kieran.
Despite his attributes and skills being weakened, Kieran still had S+ Intuition and Musou [Firearm Weapon, Light Firearm].
It was beyond theprehension of a regr person. Using his skills to deal withmoners elites would be too easy, even more so when their numbers were limited, Kieran would get them easily.
Before really touching the floor, Kieran tapped his feet on the wall and threw himself further out. As he flew outside, he saw the rest of the attackersing in.
When the first team was wiped out, the remaining attackers were stunned.
Their death was determined within a blink of an eye.
Bang Bang Bang!
Another three shots were fired and three of the remaining attackers fell into their own blood.
The whole process didnt evenst 5 seconds.
When Kieran gathered a big pile of spoils of war and went back upstairs, he was greeted by Hoskins admiration and Teresas ever growing doubt.
"2567, you... you are awesome!" Hoskin even stuttered because of his admiration.
He upheld justice and admired the strong, which totally fit the traits of a man his age, so did the chief officer.
"What are you going to do with these weapons?"
Teresa pointed at the assault rifle, magazines, grenades and bulletproof vest that Kieran took.
"I think we might need more firepower to live through the rest of the time, though I suppose Id trained my body and shooting skills quite well before but I dont think I am well-trained in being hit by a bullet."
Kieran said as he put on a bulletproof vest and handed another to Hoskin.
Hoskin put it on instinctively and even took an assault rifle from Kieran.
Kieran then walked towards one of the corners of the office.
There was a big heavy wooden cupboard that was connecting the ceiling. It would need at least three to four men to move it but Kieran could move it alone.
Still, in order to act normal, he used both his hands and pretended to use all his effort.
Tssssk!
The wooden cupboard was pushed aside, revealing a hidden entrance behind amidst the dragging screech.
Fuuu!
The air that came through the seam was very humid and cold.
Teresa was shocked when she saw the hidden entrance behind the cupboard.
"This is what you found just now?"
Kieran didnt reply but he activated [Tracking] again to scan the ce.
He saw a set of white footprints that went inside the entrance and it was the same footprints that he found in the room.
"Yup!"
Kieran nodded after double checking the unclosed hidden entrance.
The gears in his mind spun rapidly to analyze the current situation.
"The one who interrogated Barney the "Jackal" was calm when he entered Dancing Diva with a neat manner. The person didnt forget to leave a surprise for those who cameter. Yet after interrogating Barney, the person got upset and grumpy, not only did they not clean the traces in the office, they didnt even close the hidden door. If the person was so upset to forfeit their vignce, that means..."
"The person didnt get what they wanted from Barney!"
Following the changes of the traces, Kieran painted a picture of the altered actions of the person.
Kieran was relieved. It was easier to face an opponent who was infuriated, regardless of duringbat or questioning. His opponent might spill information that they werent supposed to under the influence.
If [Fusion Heart] wasnt sealed off, he would use Wrath to easily achieve it but now all he could rely on was himself.
Since his decision was made, Kieran went through the hidden entrance without stopping.
Teresa and Hoskin followed too but Kieran stopped Teresa.
"I think we better split up, arent you curious who the hell exposed our whereabouts? I dont want to find myself being chased by a full squad of armed thugs when I am finding clues."
"Oh right, that mayoral candidate, I hope you can find out why he was at the Winchester House during the explosion. I suppose your C.O. identity would be more suitable to ask questions."
Kieran said with a smile when Teresa was ring at him.
The exnation was enough to persuade Teresa but Kieran added on when he noticed the slight relief on Teresas face.
"If its not too much of a trouble, try to cover our tracks as well, at least before the mole in the station is exposed."
"Fine!"
"Hoskin, you better watch him closely!"
Teresa nodded to an agreement but she didnt forget to order her young subordinate.
"Yes, Madam!"
After Hoskin replied loudly, Kieran closed the entrance from inside by pulling back the wooden cupboard. It wasnt all that hard since there were two handles behind the cupboard which allowed one to exert strength easily.
When everything was settled, Hoskin switched on the torchlight on his bulletproof vest and shed a straight light ahead.
"Hoskin, what else do you know about Barney the "Jackal"? Anything will do, whether theyre rumors or what not." Kieran asked as both of them advanced forth.
Chapter 659: It’s Him!
Chapter 659: Its Him!
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
If Kieran felt Barney the "Jackal" wasnt simple before, he was certain that Barney wasnt who he imed to be after seeing the hidden entrance with the wooden cupboard blocking it.
A street thug who was a drug addict could easily move a solid wood cupboard that required three to four people to move?
What a bad joke!
Was there someone else who helped him instead?
Well anyone would want his secret entrance to be kept away from other peoples reach.
It wasmon sense!
Therefore, Barney the "Jackal" was not someone to be underestimated in terms of strength.
Still, despite him purposely concealing his strength, he was taken out easily by that assant.
Based on the traces on the scene, Kieran believed that Barney was taken down before he even had the chance to resist and began that long interrogation session.
Kieran didnt sympathize Barneys encounter, instead, he grinned because he knew he would finally get his hands on the long overdue clues about the mission and the potential drops of items and equipment!
The ranks might not be high but it was crucial to Kieran at the moment.
One wouldnt cherish something before one experienced loss.
When Kieran was fully armed, never did he think he would be so greatly anticipating one Magic rank item despite him packing up even the lowest rank of items during normal times.
"I hope its a weapon that fits me!" Kieran said to himself.
After all, an evil spirit was one of the vast range of enemies that he had to face.
He was fine during the day but once night arrived...
"Without a specific weapon, it would be troublesome to fight an evil spirit." Kieran frowned slightly.
Hoskin didnt notice Kierans expression. He was thinking about the question that Kieran asked him while moving forward.
Since the young officer was able to join the heavy crime unit at a young age, despite him having the impulse of a young man, he was quite decent in other aspects.
After seeing the handle behind the wooden cupboard, Hoskin too had his own guesses.
However, after working his mind hard, he didnt recall any rumors about Barney the "Jackal".
"No, nothing. Other than being listed as a suspect for a murder in his younger days, there is nothing really worth mentioning about Barney, he wasnt like the others who boasted about themselves so much."
Hoskin shook his head but before his words could finish, he stopped.
It was at that moment, Hoskin noticed something different about Barney.
"Damn it! Why didnt I realized it earlier!" Hoskin med himself.
"Realizing it earlier might not be a good thing either," Kieranmented.
Barney the "Jackal" must have hidden some deep secrets but once anyone got close to the secrets, no mercy would be shown, even police officers were no exception.
It seemed like Hoskin understood the meaning in Kierans words.
The young officer wanted to refute out of unwillingness but in the end, nothing came out.
The sharpness and the power that Kieran disyed had brought Hoskin to submission without himself knowing, causing Hoskin to truly admire Kieran from the bottom of his heart.
Even though he didnt agree with Kierans words, he wouldnt resist it directly.
It was exactly what Kieran wanted.
He wanted a helper that could provide effective from time to time and not a watcher that reported to his superior.
Both of them moved forward for another 20 meters and saw a hole that leads straight down underground.
The hole was big enough for one person to go down using the irondder embedded on its side.
Hoskin shone his torchlight down but most of the light was swallowed by the darkness.
The remaining light too was dimming down but a ferocious face exposed under the dimming light.
It flew up under the light and its mouth tore open widely, revealing a set of bleached white teeth and gave out a cryingugh.
"Aaaarhhh!"
Hoskin was frightened beyond belief by the ferocious face that appeared in the darkness.
The young officers hand shook and he screamed in shock. His body wanted to move back out of instinct but the ferocious faces owner jumped out from the hole before Hoskin even moved.
The person grabbed the gun barrel before Hoskin had the chance to fire it.
Gask
A tooth numbing screechter, the young officers assault rifle was bent by the bare hand with brute force.
"Aaaarh!"
Hoskin screamed again in shock, one was because of the bent rifle, the other was because another force came from the back of his neck, pulled him up and sent flying into the darkness.
Dak Dak Dak!
The assault rifle was fired and muzzle sh shone repeatedly. The slight sh faintly revealed Kierans figure who was hiding in the darkness but the ferocious attacker who didnt even notice Kierans presence was forced back by the repeated fire.
A couple of shotsnded on the attackers body and blood too gushed out from the bullet wounds but the attacker didnt fall.
The bullets from the assault rifle tore the attackers coat and were shot into his skin. However, all the bullets were embedded inside his muscles and didnt cause real damage to him.
When the rounds were emptied from the magazine, the enraged attacker growled angrily and threw his left punch at Kieran with a hard whistle.
Kieran easily blocked the punch but the attacker who was enraged a moment ago grinned coldly. His right hand was driving a sharp dagger with teeth silently towards Kierans stomach.
"Youre dead meat!"
The attacker dered with a ferociousugh.
Right at the next moment, his ferociousugh was frozen as Kieranunched a kick with his face unchanged.
Fuuu!
The kick was not only powerful and heavy but also lightning fast from how the attackers point of view. Before the dagger could get near, Kierans kick hadnded on the persons chest.
Bang!
The attacker flew off as though he was being hit by a truck, crashing into the wall beside. The wall even cracked open like a spider web.
A big portion of the attackers chest caved in, causing blood to gush out from his mouth relentlessly.
A secondter, he slid off the wall like an old painting, falling down on the ground.
A green glow then appeared on the attackers body.
Kieran frowned, he was certain that he controlled his strength to capture the attacker alive but still...
"The gun wounds were more serious than they looked?"
Kieran checked the body with lingering doubts.
Soon enough, Kieran found something on the body.
Behind the attackers vest, a small but deep scar was present. If the attacker was any slower, his heart would be pierced but still, the wound caused quite the damage to his body.
"Is this a dagger?"
Kieran unconsciously rted it to the spections that he made about the killer in Winchester House who was also skilled in short weapons.
"Could it be a single person?" Kieran guessed.
Hoskin climbed up from the ground and after he saw who the attacker was, he screamed in shock again.
"Aaaah! Its him!"
Chapter 660: Wanted
Chapter 660: Wanted
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Hearing Hoskins scream, Kieran didnt even have the chance to question him and he jumped right into the hole beside him.
ording to the footprints, Kieran was sure the attacker he had just killed was the one who interrogated Barney the "Jackal" and the reason why he returned after he left was because he had run into a surprise attack.
The one who attacked the interrogator could probably be the killer behind Winchester Houses murders.
Kieran wouldnt let this killer roam free since he had caused so much trouble.
After hended on his feet, Kieran activated [Tracking] and quickly followed the footprints inside but at the end of the footprints, he found nothing again.
All there was were drops of blood along the trail.
He frowned when he saw the blood trail.
"The attackers footprints stopped before he was ambushed but other than his footprints, there werent any others. Did they cover their tracks with special techniques?"
Grandmaster [Tracking] allowed Kieran to see most of the traces but not all.
[Undercover] of Transcendence and above was hard for Grandmaster [Tracking] to trace as well as spirit beings.
Grandmaster [Tracking] only allowed Kieran to see spirit beings but it was nearly impossible to see the traces left behind by one.
"If only the skills didnt decrease one level..."
Kieran shook his head in regret when he thought about it.
Though, when he checked the Magic rank item in his hand, his regrets were washed away quite a bit.
It was a small dagger, its length was only as long as a grown mans palm to the tip of the middle finger even with the hilt included. It was ck and not a bit eye-catching but its shape would leave an impression in ones mind.
One side of the body was a sharp de and the other was a line of jagged teeth simr to a saw.
[Name: Interrogator Knife]
[Type: Dagger]
[Rarity: Magic]
[Attack: Average]
[Attribute: Ruthless Interrogator (Not only it can deal damage tomon beings but it can hurt spirits as well!)]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: Sharp Weapon, Dagger (Master)]
[Remark: This dagger was originally an antique]
...
"Able to hurt spirits?"
Kieran couldnt hold back his smile when he saw the attribute.
Although it wasnt able to cause real damage to spirits, given that it was just a high-tier Magic rank item and it possessed such an attribute, it was already satisfying enough for Kieran.
Kieran tossed the dagger up a bit and hid it behind his waist. He used the bulletproof vest as cover.
After checking the ce under the hole again, he climbed back up to the entrance.
Hoskins relief was all over his face when he saw Kierane back up.
"How is it?" Hoskin asked.
"Its a sub-tunnel down there connecting to the main sewer down there. There are quite a few daily supplies down there too, must be this guys."
"You know him, Hoskin?" Kieran pointed at the body aside.
"Yeah, he is a wanted criminal! Two months ago, this guy wanted to steal from End Museum but security guards on patrol discovered him, so he fired and killed three security guards before emptying a lot of valued treasures. Its not the kind of treasure that is on disy outside but those kept inside the museums vault."
"More importantly, this guy entered the vault using the password! Because of that, the museum director and the deputy director who had the vaults password were questioned but nothing came from them," Hoskin exined briefly.
"Emptying a vault filled with valuable treasures and now appearing in Barneysir. It seems like he has been staying here for quite a while and now all the treasures were missing and Barney was cruelly murdered by this guy. I think Barneyswork of disposing of the stolen goods must be huge, its just that the distribution of loot wasnt all fair," Kieran said slowly.
"Damn, this guy can really hide."
The young officer was unsettled by the fact that he didnt discover Barneys true nature.
"Still, weve gotten a lead. Disposing of the stolen goods required a lot of effort, it wouldnt be one persons work Hoskin, who else do you think is involved among Barneys men? Of course, dont include those bodies across Dancing Diva." Kieran asked.
"Rudal! He is Barneys right-hand man! Anytime Barney had needs, that guy would be the first toe to mind!" The young officer said.
"Well then, lets find Mr. Rudal, see whether can we get information about what role Barney yed in the Winchester explosion from him, " Kieran said.
Truth be told, Kierans heart already had a spection because Winchester Houses explosion might very well have gone off because of a single item!
Coincidentally, Barney was giving cover to Brigel here who had emptied out the museums vault.
So would that particr item be one of the stolen treasures from the museum?
The spection had a high chance of being established, so when both of them left the dark passageway, Kieran added, "Hoskin, do you remember those stolen goods from the museum? If its possible, I would know more about them in details."
"Im sorry, 2567, the stolen goods are just too much! There were almost hundreds of them stolen, I would need to go through the stations records."
The young officer said while going through the sub-tunnel which led to the underground sewer.
Kieran has no ns of returning where they came from.
After the bomb explosion, the police would have stormed Dancing Diva. Before Teresa found out who was the mole in the station, Kieran didnt want to approach any more police officers.
Kieran went up and pushed open the cover, and climbed out from the sewer before pulling Hoskin up as well.
"I swear I wont go down to the sewer again for the rest of my life!"
After being assaulted by the vile stench, the young officer swore on his life.
"Well, I think you would need to buy a gas mask beforehand," Kieran suggested.
As long as Hoskin held his job dear and never wanted to quit, he would eventually go down to the sewers again.
The sewers were where the citys filth gathered and also the best ce to dispose of a body.
Unfortunately, the path that Kieran took was taken care off by Barney and Brigal. Other than the vile stench, there were only a few rats looming around.
"Please dont happen!"
Hoskin obviously knew what Kieran meant. He opened the door to his cruiser and started it up with a bitter smile.
As the cruiser engine roared to life, the policemunication channel inside the car was started up as well.
"Attention to all officers. Attention to all officers!"
"The ex-chief officer Teresa is suspected to be the culprit behind Winchester House explosion case and the killer to mayor candidate Symende Augen plus a couple more lives. She has wounded a couple officers when she escaped and now listed as first ss wanted criminal!"
"All officers have the permission to shoot on sight, repeat..."
...
The voice that came from the radio channel made Hoskin widen his eyes.
Kieran raised a brow and turned his attention to the sub-mission that popped up.
Chapter 661: Chasing After
Chapter 661: Chasing After
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
[Discovered Sub-mission: nder!]
[nder: The well-being of chief officer Teresa has caused some parties to be anxious. The nder was just the beginning, more danger awaits her. If you want to know more, you need to locate her as soon as possible and help her clear her name.]
...
Kieran went into a deep thought after seeing the words in his vision.
The chief officer being listed as a wanted criminal was totally out of his expectations.
Although he suspected that the station had the enemys mole, he did not expect the mole to possess such authority and was able to frame Teresa.
Or was it...
"The mole is affiliated with outsiders and pressured the force from the outside?"
Kieran unconsciously thought of the fully armed members of the assault squad.
Their arsenal wasnt something regr people could deal with, let alone the people using them were elites as well, it was quite a rare scene toe across.
With elites plus a high-end arsenal, it may mean that the forces behind them had quite the authority and financial ability.
Coincidentally, one of the mayoral candidates was killed in the explosion.
"His political rival?"
Another guess popped up in Kierans heart but because of the urgency of the situation, he couldnt verify the guess at the moment.
Hoskin who heard the announcement from the radio couldnt further hold himself back.
"How is this possible?! How is the chief the killer behind the Winchester House explosion!? Did those guy stuff sh*t in their head?"
The young officer scolded loudly, his enraged expression even made the green veins on his forehead visible.
Hoskin wanted to step on the pedal, he wanted to go back to the station and find the person who gave the order so he could knock some sense into them.
Kieran, however, was a step ahead by taking away the key, causing the cruiser to shut off.
"Wait for me in the car!"
Kieran took off the bulletproof vest and left the car before Hoskin had a chance to ask.
He directly went up to Dancing Divas main entrance.
Teresa was originally following the both of them to the nightclub, her cruiser was parked not far away from theirs beside the street and based on Teresas attitude, despite being framed and ced in a dangerous situation, she wouldnt have snatched her cruiser to escape.
So, she would need to rely on her legs to escape the pursuers.
Wherever she went, tracks would be left behind.
[Tracking] -1 couldnt track spirits but it could easily track traces left behind by human beings.
More coincidentally, because of his vignt nature, Kieran would remember the prints and footprints of the people he came across out of habit.
After [Tracking] was activated, Kieran quickly went across to the alleyway opposite from Dancing Divas main entrance.
The alleyway opposite was unlike the narrow ones behind Dancing Diva. Not only was it narrow and tight but it was connected to many more streets and paths, making it look like a maze.
Under his [Tracking] vision, Teresas footprints seemed to be quite familiar with the environment, there wasnt any pause during her turns.
Those pursuers behind her obviously didnt possess the same familiarity.
Teresas running speed and familiarity towards the geography lessened the pursuers behind her by the second until shepletely ditched all of them.
Still, even without a pursuer on her tail, she didnt stop at all.
After carefully leaving behind her trail, she started to head towards a single direction.
Kieran couldnt hold back his praise to the chief officer when he noticed the misleading tracks that Teresa left behind through [Tracking].
Perhaps she couldnt have hidden her direction that she was going in the major paths but it would be enough to divert the attention of the pursuers that came for her.
While hearing faint but moving away footsteps, Kieran swiftly reached an irondder.
The spiraldder was attached to a seven-storey building which had a tform to the corridor at each floor.
Kieran went up to the third floor and quietly pushed open the corridor door.
The corridor was made up of wood and along the long corridor, every door and window was shut tight.
The connecting spot of the corridor and the tform had a green paper that acted as a notice.
More and White Mulberry Apartment 3F
However, Kieran didnt further sense any living presence. The wooden floorings were covered with thickyers of dust.
Obviously, the ce was either abandoned or shut down.
After deactivating [Tracking], Kieran reached a doorbeled 309.
Dong, Dong Dong!
A rhythmic knockter, Kieran clearly heard the rushed steps and the turning of the guns safety pin behind the door.
"Its me! Alone!"
Kieran said to prevent the chief officer from taking further unwanted actions.
A momentter, the chief officer opened the door just a crack and looked outside vigntly.
Based on how Teresa was posing, Kieran was sure behind the door where he couldnt see, her gun was pointing straight at him.
Kieran went along with the flow and put his hands up, expressing that he was unarmed.
"Come in."
Teresa said after opening the door but the gun was still pointed at Kieran.
Kieran went into the room after being called in and started to size up the new environment.
There werent any other excessive things, all the room had was the basic table and bed plus an opened up bedside drawer full of items.
Firearms, medicine, food, water, clothes and new phones and phone cards, everything suited for an individual in hiding.
"A safe house?" Kieran said in shock.
He originally thought it was just a temporary hideout for the chief officer but it turned out to be her safe house.
Building a safe house was not an easy task and at the same time, a chief officer owning a safe house drew even more questions.
Of course, Kieran still had his priorities straight and he knew it wasnt the best time to be curious about those things.
"Ill contact Hoskin with the phone, you have his number inside right? Though your deceiving trails might be decent, when they dont find anything, they will send out the police hounds!"
Kieran said while dialing the phone in his hand.
"How did you find this ce?"
Teresa didnt stop Kieran from dialing the phone because she knew it would be safe if Kieran was speaking. Yet she was doubtful about how Kieran could locate her.
"Didnt you see my files before? Im an adventurer, I guess must have picked up the tracking skills out in the wild from some old hunter of sorts. After knowing that you were being framed, I followed the traces you left behind and came here. Well, of course, thank you for your cover-up, otherwise, it would be three people on the wanted list."
Kieran spilled the script that he had nned beforehand.
"That old hunter must be the best recon scout in Matam State!"
Teresa obviously didnt buy what Kieran said but she did lower her gun a little from his chest.
However, right at the next moment, her lowered gun was pointed up again at the door!
Gak Tssss!
Bang!
The door was smashed flying inwards after a loud bang.
Chapter 662: Zaigen
Chapter 662: Zaigen
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Bang Bang Bang!
Teresa pulled the trigger instinctively and was ready to side roll away from the flying door.
However, the door flew too fast and despite her quick reaction, she couldnt dodge it in time.
Teresa clenched her teeth and held her breath as the door was flying towards her.
She was ready to take it down with her petite body.
Suddenly, a strong arm grabbed her by the waist.
Fuuu!
The door grazed Teresas back and smashed hard on the wall causing dust to fly up.
Her long red hair was waving among the gray dust as though a lively fire was dancing under the stormy clouds.
Simr to her suddenly hastened heartbeat as well.
It was because of her nervousness against danger and also the ufortable feeling of being grabbed by the arm and being held into the chest that felt like a sturdy rock.
"Get off me!" She shouted.
Kieran didnt reply nor was he bothered by her words, his eyes were locked on the entrance.
The entrance which only had a remaining door frame gave out a screech of withstanding a heavy pressure when a giant figure passed through the entrance.
His head was almost reaching the ceiling and his rock sturdy body was pushing the order-made suit to its limit.
His brown hair was gelled up straight, the ferocious gaze of a wolf on his ck face was moving between Kieran and Teresa.
His mouth which was chewing a big cigar started to mumble with mockery.
"Teresa, you lil bitch! You always get hooked on some young handsome boys eh? Last time it was that moron Bocker and now who might this be?"
"Speaking of which, you little horny bitch can really hook up a man that fast eh, Ive only killed Bocker a few months back and now..."
"SHUT UP!"
Teresa yelled at the man, she pointed her gun up and pulled the trigger repeatedly.
Although her movements were somehow restricted by Kieran and didnt purposely aimed at a certain part, still all her bulletsnded on the mans body.
However, the bullets couldnt even scratch the tall man who looked like a giant. All it did was puncture a couple bullet holes on his tight suit, revealing his ck skin underneath.
"Tsk! Teresa, you really like to y with me with your little toys. Fine then, let us really have some y time! Ill crush you and your little boys bones to bits!"
After shaking his head slightly, the giant threw himself over with a suffocating wind.
His giant palms which were enough to envelope a humans headpletely were grabbing towards Kieran and Teresa, left and right respectively.
Although his body was huge, his grab was much faster than anyone couldve imagined, it was like two bolts of ck lightning fired towards Kieran and Teresa.
However, the grab missed its target.
Kieran grabbed Teresa and easily dodged aside.
The giant man was stunned, so was Teresa. Even after Kieran released her, she was still feeling absent-minded.
"Teresa, I see youve be smarter, able to find a reliable fe, unlike Bocker that useless piece of trash, even after I broke his hands and legs, all he did was beg me to let you live."
The giant man mocked Teresa again with his words.
"Zaigen! I will kill you!"
As though the hot-tempered Teresa had her scales rubbed in a wrong way, she pointed her gun up at Zaigen again.
The mockery on Zaigens face gotten even heavier, he evenughed out loud when he saw Kieran raised his hand to stop Teresa.
"Little handsome boy, you want to y hero? Do you know what happened to thest guy who did that? Or did this lil bitch Teresa knock you up pretty hard on the bed? Did all the pleasure messed up your tiny mind? I tell you..."
Zaigen looked at Kieran in disdain, his mockery didnt stop and it sounded like he was going to say something even harsher but when he prolonged his tone, Zaigen suddenly made a move.
It was sudden and without any sort of sign.
He threw himself over again like before, using both his hands to grab Kieran. This time around Zaigen was faster and the angle of his hands was much more cunning.
His left hand headed straight for Kieran and his right hand was in an arched angle. Just as his left hand was about to touch Kieran, his right hand went straight ahead despite being slightly behind his left,pletely locking down the angle of dodging from Kieran.
Though Kieran had no intentions to dodge at all, he was ready to take it head-on.
Zaigen too instantly noticed Kierans intention.
"Hahahaha! You shall die now!" Zaigenughed viciously.
"2567, NO!" Teresa shouted out loud in shock, knowing how scary Zaigen was.
When she saw Kieranunched a kick towards Zaigens right hand, her heart instantly plummetted to despair. She had seen it with her own eyes, how terrible a couple famous martial artists that decided to fight Zaigen ended up.
The attacks that could smash rocks and cleave bricks were useless against Zaigen. On the contrary, once Zaigen had his hands on his target, he would smash his target like a rucksack until every piece of bone was crushed or he would directly squeeze the person into a pile of mincemeat.
Though Teresa didnt n on giving up just yet, she pointed her gun at Zaigens only weakness.
His eyes!
She hoped she could create a window for Kieran to survive the attack but Zaigen was much more cunning than expected, he lowered his neck slightly and raised his left shoulder higher thuspletely blocking the trajectory of Teresas gun.
Then, Zaigens right hand came in contact with Kierans right kick.
BANG!
It sounded like a huge firework going off, causing Teresa to close her eyes. She didnt want to see Kieran being crushed to bits.
Therefore, she didnt see how Zaigens ck face turned in shock and grunted heavily after his right hand and Kierans right kick shed.
Teresa also missed out on the scene where Kierans kick wasunched repeatedly, forming a vast kicking afterimage that could envelop Zaigenpletely.
At the end of the repeated kickbos, Kierans kick whipped up a sharp energy wave and shed over Zaigens neck.
Zaigens big head flew up instantly.
Zaigens huge body which could withstand small caliber handgun bullets without a problem was put up against Pro level [de Kick] which was still able to fire out an Above Average attack and Strong sharpness half moon qi energy wave despite all Kierans skills suffering a -1 debuff.
Of course, it wasnt enough against the giant Zaigen but when adding [Hand-to-hand Combat, Kick Combats], [Barsical Kick] and [Hundred Violent Kicks] before [de Kick], even that sturdy body couldntst more than apletebo.
After the big head fell on the ground, Zaigens giant body followed.
An orange glow then appeared on his body.
Kieran swiftly moved aside, avoiding the ssh of fresh blood from the dismembered neck beside his feet.
Teresa behind Kieran finally opened her eyes and when she saw the shocking scene, her eyes got even wider.
"You...You..."
Teresa wanted to utter aplete sentence but her words couldnt form properly, all she could do was look at Kieran who bent down searching the body with an absent-minded face.
Chapter 663: Too Late?
Chapter 663: Too Late?
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Ignoring the gaze from Teresa behind him, Kieran picked up the orange glowing item from Zaigens body.
It was a peculiar right-hand glove whichpletely covered the thumb but exposed the rest of the four fingers. A small buckle that could tighten the four fingers curled around the wrist section.
[Name: Power Glory]
[Type: Glove]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attack: Strong]
[Defense: Average]
[Attribute: 1.Heavy Hand, 2. Death Throw]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: Strength B+, Hand-to-hand Combat (Entry)]
[Remark: When Zaigen was still a wrestler, he entered an underground match and gained the highest glory. It was what Zaigen deemed as his most prideful moment, despite not possessing much technique and only relying on brute strength.]
...
[Heavy Hand: After striking or grabbing your target, a Strength authentication will ur. If wearers Strength is higher than the target, the target will suffer a Strong power impact and wearer will be able to choose whether to activate Death Throw.]
[Death Throw: A second authentication will happen with a +3 Strength buff for the target. When wearer authenticates sessfully, the wearer can throw target in any direction and when crashed into an object, depending on the objects sturdiness, an Average to Powerful power impact will ur.]
...
Kieran put on [Power Glory] without any hesitation.
Although it was a lower tier Rare equipment with all sorts of limitations, it was still hard toe by for Kieran who had no equipment on his body.
After the buckle was locked tight, Kieran exercised his right palm by opening and closing it. He felt no dy in movements and soon lowered his attention to check the body carefully.
Kieran still had doubts in his heart.
He was able to locate Teresa because of [Tracking] but what about Zaigen?
Even though Zaigen presented himself as a cunning man, he must have utilized other tracking methods because he seemed to have known beforehand that Teresa would be inside the safehouse. Even more so, based on the steps that Kieran heard, Zaigen came in through the main entrance, unlike how he came in through thedder.
Though, other than a meticulous lighter, a box with three cigars inside and a cigar cutter, Kieran got nothing else from Zaigen.
Kieran frowned as he stood up and turned back to Teresa who remained quiet.
"Can you exin? You both seem to know each other quite well," Kieran said.
"Zaigen was the leader of the biggest mafia group in Macken state, I once went undercover in his organization. But he should be inside Macken Prison!"
Teresa briefly exined before shifting the topic.
"But now he appeared before you. Who is the one who framed you as the killer of the Winchester House explosion?"
Kieran didnt press the question of who Bocker was which called for a beating, all he cared was his own mission.
Obvious enough, the nder towards Teresa did not start coincidentally, it must have been nned beforehand, it might even go back as far as when she was undercover.
So, naturally those who framed her would ce her safe house under surveince as well, that was the reason why Zaigen appeared in such a timely manner.
"Its my deputy chief, but that guy shouldnt have the authority to sneak a heavy criminal unnoticed out of a state prison."
Teresa immediately understood what Kieran meant.
"But dont forget that one of the mayoral candidates died in the Winchester explosion. With such a person of power involved there must be an enemy with the same authority as well," Kieran reminded her.
"Symende Augens biggest rival?" Teresa suddenly realized.
"Seems like you have a candidate at heart. Lets go, bring everything you need, Hoskin is waiting for us downstairs. We need to find more evidence before paying this person a visit."
Kieran then headed out of the room.
Teresa too brought her necessary items along and followed closely behind.
...
"2567 killed Zaigen with his bare hands?"
After Hoskin heart what Teresa said, his eyes shone brightly when he looked at Kieran while driving.
Kieran already had a general impression of this Zaigen after the brief exnation from Teresa and the remarks on [Power Glory], but the surprised young man told Kieran that there was much more he didnt understand about the giant.
"Zaigen is a legend in Macken state, the first famous wrestler, underground brawler, and in the end became the godfather of the mafia, he..."
"Hes trash!"
Teresa interrupted Hoskin.
The young officer paused his words but he dared not refute his superior, because, from many aspects, Teresas words were correct.
"Underground brawler?" Kieran was interested in that title.
"That is the beautified title of underground gambling fights. You said that Brigals vest had wounds caused by a short knife?"
Teresa was much more concerned about the case and clues at hand.
"En, it should be a dagger but the person who used the dagger seemed to be very skilled,"
Kieran said in a vague manner.
From a certain aspect, Kierans words were correct, the person was really skilled since they didnt leave any traces behind that Grandmaster level [Tracking] could pick up, though it didnt exclude the possibilities of the person not being a human at all.
"I think our coboration should be more honest and clear."
Teresas upation made her dissatisfied about the vagueness in Kierans answer.
"I really cant find a word to describe the skilled technique precisely because of my memory loss," Kieran opened his hands and expressed himself as an amnesia patient once more.
"An amnesia patient with outstandingbat techniques that exceed even a famous brawler? Ive seen a lot of famous brawlers that fought Zaigen before, none of them even had the strength to resist him but you killed that bastard in an instant!"
"Plus that tracking technique and how you handle a gun... Dont you think you owe us an exnation? Dont f***king tell me youve learned tracking techniques from an old hunter and martial arts from an old master!"
Teresa red at Kieran right in his eyes.
"Who knows, maybe it is," Kieran smiled.
To be honest, he was in love with the title of "amnesia patient".
Teresa grunted angrily after being upset at Kierans words.
After a few seconds, she said softly like a small mosquito, "Thanks."
"What?"
Kieran clearly heard the gratitude but not Hoskin. He immediately asked out of instinct.
"Shut up! Drive your car! If we havent reached in the next five minutes, I swear you wont even end up in the psych department! Ill transfer you to guard to storeroom instead!"
Teresa acted like a cat who had her tail stepped on, showing her razor fangs and ws out threatening her foe.
Hoskin was like a mice that got scared and shivered like a cicada in the winter.
Five minutester, Hoskin finally drove the group to Rudals ce within the specified time given by Teresa. Only then he was relieved.
The ce consisted of lines of independent but crude looking buildings.
After wearing a cap and a pair of sunsses to hide her attractive red hair and her face, Teresa jumped out of the cruiser the very first moment.
Teresa wasnt a stranger to Barney the Jackals right-hand man, Rudal as well but out of her expectation, Rudals room was in a mess without the slightest signs of a living being.
"Damn it, were toote!"
Hoskin said in regret after checking the second floor of the house.
"Toote? Not quite," Kieran smiled and shook his head.
Chapter 664: Worth A Try
Chapter 664: Worth A Try
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
"What did you find?"
Teresa stared at Kieran and asked.
While Hoskin was checking the house, Teresa didnt stand idly either. She also searched the whole house, outside and inside, including the underground storeroom, all was searched carefully, yet she found nothing.
Though she wasnt surprised that Kieran found something instead of her.
She even had a thought in her heart that it was reasonable for Kieran to find something, however, the thought was ufortable to Teresa as she hated losing.
She thought that she should present herself to be stronger in front of Kieran. It wasnt because of Kieran but towards all men, simr to how men would slightly hold prejudice against women of the same ranking and position. When a woman acquired a certain level achievementter, they would tend to look down on men as well.
It wasnt any despicable attitude by any means, it was just an instinctive reaction as a result of the fight between men and women.
Kieran, however, didnt know what Teresa had on her mind or even if he knew, he wouldnt care.
In Kierans point of view, his main priority was to finish his main mission.
As for the others, if the natives werent the ones who stood in his path to his main mission, he wouldnt care as much or even lend a hand.
He didnt further pay attention to Teresas gaze and activated [Tracking] before going into a bedroom on the first floor. He went inside, lifted the slightly old looking mattress up and revealed a wooden flooring underneath.
Dong, Dong Dong!
After a few slight knocks, Kieran noticed one of the wooden nks. He used [Interrogator Knife]s jagged teeth side and pried up the nails, followed by the whole wooden nk together.
The wooden nk instantly revealed the tip of a backpack before Teresa and Hoskins eyes.
Since Kieran located the exact target, he acted quicker.
Gak!
He didnt follow up with the [Interrogator Knife] anymore, he used his bare hands to pull the other nailed wooden nks away. Even if the wooden nks got stuck together with rusted nails, Kieran punched it directly and broke it.
The rough and direct movements left Hoskin speechless.
Rumors would only stay as rumors. When the young officer saw Kierans movements, he understood what Kieran relied on to defeat Zaigen.
Hoskin could only grasp as much since he would never understand what Zaigen meant in Macken state.
"Lets see what we have here."
Kieran dragged out the backpack and opened up its zipper.
Suddenly, Hoskin gasped hard. It wasnt because Hoskin had a narrow vision but the things inside the backpack were too overwhelming for him, even for Teresa beside him.
Gold bars and jewelry!
The gold bars and jewelry were dazzling brightly under the sunlight which shone through the window diagonally.
When Kieran poured all the gold bars and jewelry out of the backpack, the whole floor was instantly covered in a dazzling shine, taking ones breath away instantly.
"This...This..."
Hoskin was out of words, even Teresas eyes were a bit baffled.
A womans obsession with shiny things was simr to a dragons. Both of them were so overwhelmed that they didnt notice the little actions from Kieran.
Kieran slipped two seeminglymon but actually special rubies into his pocket without being noticed.
Cracked rank [Ruby], it was fuel delivered in the snow for Kieran at the moment.
All Kieran needed was a little more volcanic ash and he could use [Burning Hand] once again, despite its level being decreased to Entry level, it was still effective against evil spirits and other sorts.
When all the gold bars and jewelry were poured out, a box was found at the bottom of the backpack.
The box was made out of wood and there was ayer of luster that was simr to a thick resin, as though it was describing its age through time.
It wasnt locked, so Kieran opened it easily. Inside was a gray stone without a bit of luster in the size of a palm.
[Name: Unknown Mystery Object]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: ???]
[Attribute: ???]
[Effect: ???]
[Prerequisite: ???]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: You will need a professional appraisal master to appraise it.]
...
"What is this?"
The look and size of the stone reminded Kieran of that half a brick that he simply pulled out from Winchester Houses ruins.
Right off the bat, another guess bloomed in Kierans mind and when he activated [Tracking] once more and saw the traces before his eyes, his guess became solid.
"The whole house only has a set of footprints and the floor has multiple traces of an object being dragged! This person should be Rudal and judging from the dragging traces, the objects vary in sizes and seemplicated... End Museums treasures!"
"So where did Rudal take all of the treasures to?"
The answer was self-exnatory.
As the picture was getting clearer, Kieran couldnt help but take in a deep breath.
Teresa recollected her thoughts a while ago, she seemed to think of something as well as her face was looking odd.
When Kieran and Teresa exchanged gazes, both of them said almost in unison, "Winchester House!" A tacit reply and simr answer.
Hoskin beside looked at both of them in astonishment when they spoke in a continuous manner.
"Two months ago, Brigal stole all the treasures in End Museum and used Barney the "Jackal"s channel to dispose of the stolen goods. Rudal was one of the people in charge and their location of selling should be the Winchester House which was recently bought by them!"
"But, an ident happened."
As Kieran paused, Teresa followed up.
"Probably one of them decided to double cross the other or maybe the value of the treasures were much higher than expected but a high chance was Barney wanted to raise the price all of a sudden which resulted in a dy from the buyers representative, forcing the mastermind behind to act himself. Then, that mastermind who had noticed this was a great chance to eliminate his rivalpetition without paying any effort and much more coincidentally, there was a perfect candidate for a scapegoat in front of that mastermind."
Kieran nodded and continued.
"When this scapegoat reported in that he had gotten the tail of the lead, the mastermind sent out his hounds but was killed by the scapegoat. The mastermind was infuriated because of the embarrassment and directly revealed his identity, thus driving the lost scapegoat to his end without intentions of sparing him."
"However, the mastermind didnt expect that, although Barney sent his men to keep a watch on Winchester House after the explosion, Barney didnt keep the thing he wanted most and the stolen goods in his nightclub. Even when the mastermind who realized the surveint was one of Barneys men, he only realized the trader that dealt with his rival was Rudal, who had been hiding his real identity. Though, never did he think Barney would trust Rudal so much and ce everything and the precious thing in his ce."
"So this is our chance!"
Kieran looked at Teresa with a smile, Teresas eyes too shone brightly.
She suddenly got the idea behind Kierans words.
Although risky, it was worth a try!
Chapter 665: Unexpected
Chapter 665: Unexpected
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Ryan Sulfose, one of the mayoral candidates of End City.
While being different whenpared to the controversial Symende Augen, Ryan Sulfose was not only young but much more charming and influential.
Each time he gave a speech, the audience would reply to him with the loudest apuse and cheers.
The team that gathered to serve him was because of his infectious charm as well.
When the morning news delivered the message that Symende Augen died in the explosion of Winchester House, Sulfoses team hugged each other in cheers.
Without Symende Augen, the biggest rival, Ryan Sulfose would surely be elected as the new mayor of End City!
The whole End City would develop further for the better!
As for celebrating someones death news, well it wasnt their funeral yet, was it?
"Lets proceed with our n, continue to work on the script for tonights speech. Remember, we must show our grievances for our old rival Symende Augen."
Ryan Sulfose stood up in the meeting room and told his team calmly.
His team who was present in the room was instantly infected by his calmness and replied in their own voice.
When everyone left the meeting room, Sulfose sat back down. His face was expressing heavy distress.
"Mr. Sulfose, are you worried that your actions will be exposed?"
A sudden voice sounded behind the mayoral candidate.
Sulfose stood up in surprise and turned behind for a look.
A young casually dressed man who was not by all means handsome but clean looking was standing behind him. The young man with energetic eyes lifted up the chair that was toppled by Sulfoses sudden woke and looked at him with a smile.
The young man looked surprisingly at ease.
"Who are you?" Sulfose asked in a heavy tone.
"A nobody, a man of power like you will surely take no notice of me but if its possible... I wish Id never known you," Kieran said slowly.
While Kieran was speaking, he was sensing the movements around his environment. He needed to make sure that he caught any unusual movements in his ears during the confrontation.
Although Kieran had taken note of the security and bodyguards positions when he entered the office, the mayoral candidate here had no intentions of making a fuss out of the meeting.
Though, who could have confirmed whether the candidates act was on purpose to numb Kierans senses.
The fully armed assault members left quite an impression in Kierans mind. Despite the fact that he took care of them with ease, Kieran knew best about himself how much of a threat those fully armed assault squads were.
If he was surrounded by them and was forced to face countless gun barrels firing, grenades and rockets sted at him, with [Fusion Heart] sealed and none of his previous equipment, he wouldnt have any means to resist them.
So, Kieran quickly pinned Sulfose down directly preventing further unwanted actions.
He grabbed Sulfoses arm and twisted it to his back, after slightly exerting his strength, Sulfose was pinned down on the meeting table by the irresistible force.
"You are one of Augens? Even if you kill me, I wont let you live freely! Not only do you have the copy of our deals, but I also have them too! Ill make sure you lose all your reputation and standing!"
Sulfose growled fiercely while being pinned down on the table.
"Trades? Copies?"
The sudden new terms caused Kieran to frown. The words that were on the tip of his tongue was swallowed back hard, he went along with the flow and asked, "Where is the copy?"
"Do you think I will tell you? Go back and tell Mr. Symende Augen, I will finish the deal between us even if he has altered the initial n. Ill make sure that I will lose all reputation and standing without being traced and push him to the mayors position but... I hope to lose my reputations, not my life!"
"He did pay me but it isnt to buy my life!" Sulfose exined clearly.
Kierans brows furrowed even harder.
Things had gone the unexpected way and fast!
Symende Augens biggest rival andpetition was his coborator?
From what Ryan Sulfose said, Symende Augen had already gotten a certain amount of control on him as well, even though he was voicing his threats.
Kieran even picked up the weakness andpromising meaning between the words.
"Could it be a lie?" Kieran thought.
As the gears in his mind spun, Kieran reformed his words and further questioned Sulfose.
"Of course it isnt to buy your life, as long as you dont add on the unnecessary conditions..."
Kieran purposely prolonged his tone.
Sulfose honestly acknowledged that there was a copy of the "deal" between him and Symende Augen. The copy might be in voice recording form or a videotape.
Since they did it the first time, will there be a second?
One would neverin that he had too many protective measures.
There was a high chance that Sulfose would make another copy.
He altered the initial ns.
What n was that? Or in another sense, what affected the alteration of the n?
The only thing that could possibly alter the ns was the news of Symende Augens death, other than that, Kieran couldnt think of anything else.
Judging from the secret deals between Symende Augen and Ryan Sulfose, if something suddenly happened to the former, thetter would surely be anxious and would surely confirm with the former. So, in order to add anotheryer of insurance, it wasnt out of the blue if Sulfose decided to make an extra move.
"Certainly not! The recordings from this morning are in the safe at my office, I can hand it to you! I swear I dont mean anything else with my actions!" Sulfose assured Kieran.
Kieran let go of Sulfose and followed him from the meeting room to his office.
Sulfose then took out a phone from his safe.
Kieran kept Sulfose under his sight throughout the process and made sure he could take him down immediately if any unusual movements were spotted.
Though, until Sulfose handed the phone to Kieran and allowed him to make sure the recordings were inside, Sulfose seemed cooperative enough.
What happened? This isnt part of our deal!
Change of ns, I cant be in front of the public now, my representative will take my spot instead.
If you do...
Pak!
It was a short conversation but was hung up in less than three seconds.
One of the voices belonged to Ryan Sulfose and the other obviously was Symende Augen.
"Thank you for your cooperation."
Kieran slid the mobile phone into his pocket and took a step back. His body almost merged with the shadow and swiftly disappeared.
As the sound of the door closing, Sulfose limped down on his chair when he saw the shadow disappearing in front of his eyes.
Momentster, the man of power seemed to have thought of something, he stood up from his chair and crawled further away from that piece of shadow.
He wasnt as charming as he presented himself to be in front of others anymore.
Kieran who stood in the shadows saw Sulfose leave his office in a panic, calling for his bodyguard.
Kieran would never leave just like that because of his cautious attitude. He wanted to see how Sulfose behaved in his absence to allow him to judge more.
From how Sulfose was acting, it seemed like he didnt lie, which means the explosion in Winchester House was a self-conducted act by Symende Augen himself?
Why would he do that?
To avoid something or person? An organization? Is that why he faked his death?
Or...
Before the old questions were answered, new ones popped up.
Kieran became a little grumpy while being baffled by doubts in his heart.
He swiftly shook his head and forced himself to calm down.
Then, he headed towards St. Reid Hospital because the scenery outside was slowly turning dark.
Chapter 666: Gaze
Chapter 666: Gaze
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
While Kieran was still some distance away, darkness had already befallen the city.
As the sun set, thend was removed of its warm glory.
The moon was yet to rise but thend was already filled with a soft luster.
The temperature plummeted swiftly, regr people started to zip up their coats, calling their friends out with a smile to start their exciting nightlife.
Some were inviting, some were invited.
Kieran was thetter, however, the one who invited him was not a human.
He was staring at the evil spirit who once jumped off the hospital.
Although Kieran had observed the evil spirit in detail the previous night, now it looked even uglier and sickening.
Before the nurse died, she had a pretty face and a voluptuous body and yet after she died, the bloody look and sttered brains in addition to the crooked limbs upon hitting the ground reced her good looks.
The evil spirit seemed to know Kieran would appear, so it waited for him.
The moment Kieran came into its sight, it flew right towards him.
Roar!
A fierce eerie growl was emitted causing Fear debuff notifications to spam Kierans vision but even after suffering a -3 debuff, Kieran still had an SS+ Spirit attribute, none of the Fear debuffs would affect him at all.
Still, Kieran was looking odd.
"Not only has it transformed into an evil spirit in a short time but also truly mastered the skills of an evil spirit?"
Kieran thought in his mind but his actions werent slow at all.
As he swiftly moved backward, he pulled out the alcoholmp that he had prepared from his jacket, ignited it and threw it towards the evil spirit.
Fuuu!
mes rose up instantly upon contact.
The evil spirit who was flying over gave out an agonizing wail before vanishing on the spot suddenly.
While being different from the lower level wandering souls, when the deads soul transformed into a poltergeist or evil spirit, they could gain invisibility, the ability to pass through objects and all sorts of special traits.
A poltergeist could utilize the negative energy to slightly alter the temperature and when the poltergeist touched a human, the human could even suffer frostbite. Besides that, it could also move small objects as well.
One might think moving small objects might not be a problem but if the small objects were knives and saws, one would surely regret his carelessness.
An Evil spirit was higher level than a poltergeist, other than possessing all the poltergeists abilities, all the abilities were amplified as well and it gained an extra eerie wailing that could cause Fear debuffs to affect to living beings.
However, regardless of wandering souls, poltergeist or evil spirits, their natural properties made them afraid of fire and electricity wouldnt change. The only difference was the different amount of damage inflicted.
Wandering souls would suffer lethal damage.
Poltergeists would suffer heavy damage and Evil spirits will only suffer medium damage.
As for further damage reduction, other than a magical supplement that was used to create evil earth spirits, the soul of the dead itself would have to evolve to a higher level, such as a demon which could withstand elemental damage.
Unlike demons that formed out of a certain object, the demon of a human soul was much more powerful and scary, simr to what Kieran owned, Bloody Mary.
Although the weakness still remained, it also highlighted its power as well.
For those beyond the level of demons, Kierans Pro level [Mystical Knowledge] could only tell him that much. Despite suffering -1 debuff, Master level [Mystical Knowledge] didnt affect the knowledge in Kierans head.
All such knowledge was clearly stored in his mind.
Therefore, after the evil spirit vanished, he ignited another alcoholmp and dumped in below his feet.
After making sure the evil spirit has locked onto him before Kieran left St. Reid Hospital in the afternoon, he hadpleted the necessary preparations. Although he wascking effective weapons against the evil spirit, it didnt stop him from crafting some of his own.
Fuuu!
"Aaaaahh!!!!"
As the me spread out on the ground, a sharp agonizing cry was heard.
The evil spirit who sprung up from the ground was burned by the sudden mes.
The zing mes twisted the evil spirits disgusting body and even forcefully dyed its movement.
Kieran who had been waiting for the exact moment equipped his title instantly.
[Demon Buster]!
At the same time, a cold re shed over his hand.
[Interrogator Knife] which was dipped in alcohol was lit up by the fire around the floor, it swept a fiery arch over the evil spirits body.
The [Ruthless Interrogator] attribute plus the effect of the title [Demon Buster] were added on top of the burning sh.
Thebined efforts of all three elements vanquished the evil spirit who was still baring its vicious fangs and ws a moment ago just like that.
This time around, it didnt escape but truly died because of the attacks.
Ding!
A cracked [Soul Shard] dropped on the pile of ash. Kieran picked it up and put out the fire burning with his ps.
Throughout the whole battle, Kierans eyes were watching the area with extra caution.
Kieran didnt believe the evil spirit who jumped off the hospital appeared so coincidentally to block his way back to St. Reid Hospital.
Someone must have controlled it!
Kieran was certain, just that the person behind was hidden quite well, to the point that Kieran couldnt locate him for the time being.
"Able to control evil spirits from a distance?"
Guesses lingered in his heart while he hastened his steps.
Since the person behind the evil spirit could send the evil spirit out and precisely blocked Kierans way back to St. Reid Hospital, then Hoskin and Teresa who went back to the hospital for hiding, in the name of apanying the amnesia patient to visit the doctor would surely enter the persons sight as well.
Although the statue of [Sister Reid] was in the building, it wasnt almighty to begin with.
It could repel evil spirits but what about humans?
"Why would this person or organization that controls the evil spirit have their sights locked on me? Because I can see them? Or...?"
Kierans gears in his mind were spinning fast as he sprinted back to the hospital.
[Mystical Knowledge] also informed him that those who could see the dead would be the natural favorites of those necromancers who toyed with the dead.
They were the best spell casting materials and also the core materials for certain spell models but as for what spells would require a person that could see the dead, [Mystical Knowledge] didnt mention.
Among the vast knowledge in [Mystical Knowledge], it involved itself in each and every category but mastered none of them, despite Kierans [Mystical Knowledge] being at the Pro level.
After ten minutes, Kieran went into St. Reid Hospital through the side gate while undercover.
A warm and tender presence instantly repelled the cold and gloominess that the darkness and death brought.
Kieran unconsciously looked at the [Sister Reid Statue] in the first-floor main hall.
Even though the entire building was within its protection range, undoubtedly, the closer the statue, the denser the power.
The feeling that repelled the cold and gloominess from the dead was already quite simr to the baptism of some rumored churches.
Though it was just extremely simr, it was still far from a real baptism.
Those baptism rituals could even change the persons body and talents altogether.
After shifting away his gaze, Kieran wanted to return to his own "ward" but the moment he turned around, he felt another pair of eyes nce over his body.
It didnt purposely stop on him but felt more like it was searching for something.
While maintaining his [Undercover] form, Kieran carefully and vigntly moved towards the densest part of the shadow in the corridor.
After a step, he squinted his eyes and looked towards the source of the gaze that nced over him with an extremely reserved manner.
Souuu!
Right at that moment, a pitch ck dagger suddenly plunged out from the densest part of the shadow, heading towards Kierans back.
Chapter 667: Contact
Chapter 667: Contact
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The air-breaking noise from the dagger was insignificant but Kieran turned his body towards the right as though a pair of eyes grew on the back of his head.
Not only he did dodge the dagger strike, but the [Interrogator Knife] in his right hand also shed across the attackers neck as it went along with the motion.
Blood sshed out.
The attacker who wore casual clothes looked at Kieran with an unbelievable face before he fell a puddle of his own blood.
Two green glowing items came out from the dead body after that.
Until thest moment of his life, the attacker didnt understand how Kieran noticed him.
Truth be told, Kieran noticed him the moment he entered the hospital.
Kieran had tested out beyond Transcendence [Undercover] before and despite his current [Undercover] level being reduced to Musou, the feeling of beyond Transcendence has been branded in his mind.
Therefore, when Kieran saw the obviously unusual piece of shadow, he kept an eye out for anything sudden.
However, the eyes that nced over him was unexpected, simr to the owner of that gaze which was walking towards him at that moment.
Everyone within the main hall of the hospital was busy with their own matters, as though none of them noticed the elder that was walking slowly towards Kieran.
At the same time, none of them saw Kieran and the dead body beside him, it felt like the three of them had entered another dimension.
A distorted and unusual dimension.
Kieran sensed that his surroundings were different, he frowned as though he was facing his greatest enemy.
The scene before his eyes was kind of simr to [City of Fiends] where he met the old monk in Rassho temple with its main hall moving.
"I mean you no harm, hunter who lost your memory. Pardon me, I really dont want to spy on you but the Elder Council is something to be cautious of, youll never know what kind of scary things those a bunch of lunatics can do."
The elder said with a smile. His words had the power to calm hostility and malicious intent yet Kieran didnt lower the [Interrogator Knife].
In fact, he gripped it tighter, his eyes were shifting between the elder who was donning a long robe and the [Sister Reid Statue] further away.
His S+ Intuition told him both of them were connected.
"What a sharp sense! Before you lost your memory, you must have been a hunter that struck fear into those malevolent beings. If you dont mind, you can first take care of your spoils of war and maybe let me deal with the body? Although there is Madam Saint Reids statue to aid, covering all of this does consume a lot of energy," the elder said with a gentle face.
Kieran looked at the elder and slowly squatted down like a jaguar, ready to leap at its prey at any moment.
With the systems function, the elder couldnt have seen those two Magic rank items obviously, so to cover his actions and also to find clues, Kieran searched the dead body from top to bottom.
He didnt find any mobile phone, wallet or other personal belongings instead he found around $200 in the dungeon worlds currency.
Kieran then stepped back slowly and exposed the body before the elder.
"Thank you for your help."
The elder pulled out a tube of potion from his sleeve, removed the cork and poured a single drop of the transparent liquid over the body.
Suuuuuuu!
Smoke instantly rose up.
The attacker was swiftly turned into smoke including his clothes and after the elder waved his hand, the smoke quickly dissipated.
The whole process was no longer than 5 seconds and an entire dead body vanished into nothing.
It made Kieran add anotheryer of scruple in his eyes when he looked at the potion in the elders hand. His mind quickly formed a simtion about what should he do if he had to fight the elder before him.
The first thing he would do was discard the chances of a meleebat, he wouldnt want to touch that solution by any means.
"The best way would be none other than drawing a distance and firing at him with a sniper or rockets!"
Kieran thought in his heart.
The elder didnt notice the extra thoughts in Kierans mind as he maintained his smile.
"There must be doubts lingering in your heart right? If it is possible, I hope we can meet again during dawn in front of Madam Saint Reids statue, Ill exin everything then. Now, I have something urgent that I need to deal with," the elder expressed his apology.
His actions were simple but not devoid of any elegance.
It spurred more guesses into Kierans heart but he didnt stop nodding in agreement to meet upter.
"Great! Its wonderful! Then until we meet again at dawn!"
The elder nodded happily after getting Kierans reply.
He then swiftly walked away.
After the elder left, the hospital scene returned to normal once more.
People inside could notice Kieran again and some nurses and doctors even asked him if he needed any help.
Having the title of amnesia patient, it boosted Kieran into a famous person within St. Reid Hospital.
Kieran expressed his gratitude towards the enthusiastic nurses and doctorter, he looked at the direction where the elder went off.
"Elder Council?"
The strange term made Kieran frown.
He knew he had starting step into the current dungeon worlds mystical realm. That elder could very well be from Marulyn Church which Hoskin imed disappeared vanished in history.
Though, Kieran wasnt sure whether the elder was making his identity up, simr to himself which purposely equipped the title [Demon Buster], turning himself into one.
When Kieran encountered the evil spirit and was certain there was someone behind the creation, he didnt switch off the title because he wanted to meet the people that were on the same side.
Since the people of the current dungeon world could live a satisfying life and it didnt turn into a paradise for evil spirits and the people behind them, then someone or some organization must be holding that bnce behind the scenes.
If one couldnt encounter them, it was because they didnt step deep enough.
Once anyone stepped deep into that territory and disyed decent abilities, there would be someone who came knocking soon enough.
Simr to the elder that appeared before Kieran.
Of course, it was up to Kieran to determine whether was it true or false.
Holding his vignce against the elder, Kieran quickly headed towards his own ward.
Hoskin was sitting on the chair beside the bed while Teresa was standing holding her gun behind the door.
When Kieran stepped into the room, Teresa pointed her gun at Kierans back.
"Do you always greet people this way?" Kieran raised his hands up, ying along with the chief officer.
"Only to you," Teresa replied instinctively.
Right after the words escaped her mouth, Teresa realized it was somewhat prejudiced but being in front of her subordinate, she didnt exin, instead, she asked, "Howre things?"
"Not very good"
Kieran shook his head and revealed everything about Ryan Sulfose to both of them.
Sharing a simr look to when Kieran first heard of the deal between Ryan Sulfose and Symende Augen, Teresa and Hoskin were stunned as well.
Especially Hoskin.
"Ryan Sulfose is putting up an act to y along with Symende Augen? Wait, this is the election for mayor were talking about!" The young officer seemed to be devastated by the fact and shouted loudly.
"Dirty deals I see!" Teresamented coldly.
Just when Teresa was ready for furtherment...
KABOOM!
A huge explosion sounded off from far away, even the ground shook fiercely.
Hoskin and Teresa looked at each other in surprise while Kieran had already disappeared from the room.
Chapter 668: Load
Chapter 668: Load
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
At the small square outside St. Reid Hospital, a thickyer of mist appeared suddenly and spread around.
The bright streetmps turned misty and dimmed, making the ce look dark.
Even though bright lights were lit up high outside the hospitalswn, it looked like a nightmp with low energy. It couldnt shed any effective light over the area.
The people inside the hospital didnt notice themotion going on outside, everyone was minding their own business.
Even when a group of weird men with long robes equipped with swords at their waist passed by the doctors and nurses, no one seemed to notice.
Three of the men from the group walked straight out of the hospital building and the remaining two kneeled before the [Sister Reid Statue], praying softly.
The lively statue suddenly lit up with a buzz under the prayers, glimmering with an inch thick of radiance.
A power beyond regrmoners understanding was granted to the other three who walked out instantly.
Simultaneously, the auras of the three started to skyrocket.
"Tsss!"
Kieran gasped when he saw the scene from the shadows.
After he noticed the unusual explosion, he dashed out his ward and reached outside the hospital slightlyter than the five men. He was just in time to witness all the prayers and status buffs, it shook Kieran.
If those three men were slightly stronger than regrmoners before and on par with elite soldiers in the army, after the buffs, the three men had exceeded the regr persons body limit and became simr to the level of a professional fighter.
A simpler example was, a yer that had all his stats lingered around E rank and was suddenly boosted up to C rank.
It wasnt just the leap of rankings but aplete change in terms of qualitative properties.
"Did they used some secret spell to initiate the statues power?"
Kieran calmed down quickly as his gaze towards the [Sister Reid Statue] turned odd.
From the description of the [Sister Reid Statue], there wasnt an attribute about "Blessing" or anything simr yet the scene before his eyes...
Killing the hen in favor of the eggs
The sudden thought urred to Kieran. His odd gaze turned even stranger as he watched the scene.
Every special item has its own power, even the lowest tier of Magic rank item was no exception. However, such power wasnt limitless, not even Legendary items could be exempted from the rule.
That was why the skill cooldown was implemented.
[Mystical Knowledge] did introduce the methods of utilizing overload spells, causing magical items to perform far better than its original state but the cost was the destruction of the item itself.
Although there wasnt a solid introduction of the method, based on how the men absorbed the power from the statue that exceeded the statue powers limit was certainly a way on the list of overload spells.
"They ignored the statue itself... Or do they have other ways to repair it?"
Kierans doubtful character made him think about how the white-haired elder addressed Sister Reid as Saint. Yet now the men which were obviously from the same side extracted the statues power on their own.
It spurred even more doubts in Kierans heart because the way they absorbed the power couldnt be considered as respectful.
It would be more forgivable if they had a method to repair itter but what if they didnt...
Kierans sharp sense picked up another ten plus simr presences to the five men inside the hospital. His mouth corner then lifted up with a cold smile.
However, how could he tell the five men before his eyes and the ten additional presences were on the same side with the white-haired elder from before?
Simr presence couldnt prove as much but a symbol that was hidden inside their outfit could.
There was a special decorative pattern at the interior of their sleeves. It wasnt something that could be easily forged because of the faint mystical feeling from it, it was evident that it belonged to a magical origin.
Chang Chang Chang!
Swords were drawn out from their sheaths.
The three men who walked out of the hospital stood in formation and waited for the arrival of their enemy with their swords out.
The mist on the other side was rumbling restlessly as well.
Both sides were on the verge of a fierce battle, Kieran did not want to be a busybody.
He remained in the shadows and looked at the thick mist outside the hospital with deep concentration.
Even with a decreased S+ Intuition, together with [Tracking]s vision, it was enough for Kieran to easily spot the countless wandering formless souls, poltergeists and evil spirits that were hiding inside the mist.
Still, those were not the things that concerned Kieran the most.
With the [Sister Reid Statue] inside the hospital, despite its power being drawn out, as long as the statue didnt crumble, none of those dead souls could enter the perimeter.
Therefore, the thing that concerned Kieran the most was the person who was controlling the group of souls.
The reason that person gathered all the souls and evil spirits outside the hospital were definitely not for show and surely the person must have known about the effect of the [Sister Reid Statue].
They wouldnt have wasted such a great opportunity like this!
Thats right, a great opportunity!
Thinking back to the attacker that infiltrated the Elder Council and the words from the white-haired elder, an obvious fact appeared in Kierans heart.
It was a n to lure the tiger out of the mountains.
The Elder Council wanted to agitate the elder to leave St. Reid Hospital.
The attacker was one of part of the connecting ns but he wasnt of much use. Even if Kieran killed him, the elder would leave as well.
The Elder Council would have other arrangements to sufficiently stall the elder.
As for what those methods were, Kieran didnt know but he knew that such arrangement came with a high cost.
After paying the high cost, was such a group of souls just for show?
Kieran didnt buy any of that.
A momentter...
Kakrooooom!
An engine sound roared loudly and suddenly a huge figure faintly appeared from the thick mist.
Kieran saw the huge figure at first nce and he widened his eyes straightaway.
A tank!
Equipped with a machine gun, main turret, and crawler belt, advancing forward quickly with ck smoke trailing its tail.
BOOM! Dak Dak Dak Dak!
The muzzle sh of the turret shined, the machine gun was fired repeatedly.
The three long-robed men armed with swords were dumbstruck when they saw the attack.
The tanks bombing sted two of them into bits and created a giant crater in front of the hospital entrance.
The remaining one didnt evenst for another second and was fired into a sieve by the machine gun.
"Hahahahahaha! Marulyn fools! You think this is a hundred years ago? Swords? Dont make meugh! Its the age of firearms now!"
A jerky and hideousugh sounded irritatedly over the hospital gate tainted with blood.
Theugh belonged to a scrawny elder. There was only skin and bones left on the man, an eerie green light was glowing in that deep eye sockets of his, making him looked like a walking, talking skeleton that was wearing human skin.
Following the scrawny eldersugh, the true evil mockery sounded from inside the thick mist.
But momentster all theughs and mockery halted abruptly.
Even Kieran in the shadows felt a sense of dryness in his throat because...
More than a dozen rocket were raining down from the sky!
All the rockets were fired from the hidden window in the hospital. The rockets with zing trails were fired directly into the thick mist and at the spot where the scrawny elder was standing.
More than a dozen rockets sted the spot without mercy.
KABOOOM!
The enormous explosion shook the whole hospital structure but soon calmed down.
The [Sister Reid Statue] even glowed brighter. Not only was the hospital building prevented from harm, but the thick mist outside the hospital also dissipated, leaving almost a dozen iplete bodies at the scene. They looked terrifying under the moonlight.
The souls and evil spirits were sted into ashes by the rockets.
The people from Marulyn Church then came out of hiding and gathered at the hospital main hall.
Kieran saw the long-robed men with swords on their waist but were carrying rocketunchers on their shoulder, he couldnt find a word to describe them.
He felt like he saw the yers from the giant city back in the game, all of them didnt stick to a single pattern.
Kieran slowly retreated.
He didnt want to be noticed by a dozen rocketuncher wielding men that could be buffed at any minute despite him having met the leader of the group and had a promise with him.
Truth be told, when the member of the Elder Council attacking the hospital was obliterated, Kierans cautious and vignce towards the white-haired elder was raised to new heights.
Possessing mystical power yet he didnt mind mixing modern weaponry in his arsenal was enough proof that his mind wasnt old fashioned but an open-minded person.
Looking at the scene, Kieran suspected the elder had purposely stepped into the trap, to take the lure from the Elder Council and also to eliminate all those sent by the Council.
While facing such an elder, despite being on the same side, Kieran wouldnt let his guard down at all because he wouldnt know when the elder would treat him as an abandoned pawn.
Simr to the three men standing outside the hospital with their swords drawn after being buffed, without their sacrifice, how could the others from Marulyn Church easily tell the precise location of the attacker in the mist, hence luring the supposed leader of the group of souls and sting him to hell.
Kieran retreated step by step carefully but at the next moment, he was forced to a sudden halt.
He saw that scrawny elder that should have been blown to bits!
The scrawny elder entered the hospital main hall in his spirit form and ignored the [Protect] from the [Sister Reid Statue]!
Chapter 669: Blessing?
Chapter 669: Blessing?
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Kieran turned his eyes towards the [Sister Reid Statue] almost instinctively.
The statue that was glimmering with radiance a moment ago had dimmed down into a gloomy state. It even gave Kieran a feeling of a shifting mist rather and a glorious radiance.
Kieran shifted his attention back to the scrawny elders spirit and a sudden realization hit him.
The scrawny elder did it on purpose! He purposely stood in the spot where it was closest to St. Reid Hospital main building!
His purpose was to attract the entire hospital with the explosion so the Marulyn Churchs friars would draw more power from the [Sister Reid Statue]. So when [SIster Reid Statue] had suffered a certain amount of damage and its power was halved, the scrawny elder could venture forth to destroy the statue!
Kieran instantly knew what the scrawny elder wanted to achieve when he saw the spirit fly straight towards the statue.
He too leaped out from the shadows without further hesitation.
It wasnt about justice or anything, it was just that Kieran couldnt bear the consequences if the [Sister Reid Statue] was destroyed.
Even without further spection, Kieran was certain that once the spirit destroyed the statue, the entire St. Reid Hospital would be drowned by spirits.
With his current equipment and strength level, he was incapable of dealing with a huge amount of spirits, let alone the others from the Elder Council.
"Who goes there!?"
The friars were shocked when Kieran suddenly leaped out.
Fortunately, Kieran did not have to worry about being sted by dozens of rockets inside the hospital building, instead, he would only need to face a group of men who were slightly better than regr people.
Kieran twisted his steps swiftly, [Evading] was still at Grandmaster level despite the -1 debuff. Grandmaster [Evading] transformed Kieran into the nimblest fist and swam across the group of Marulyn friars easily.
The [Interrogator Knife] in his hand was then swept across the air like a bolt of lightning in front of the many eyes of the friars.
In fact, he was really shing at the scrawny elder spirits body with the knife. It wasnt a lethal blow and not even a medium one but [Interrogator Knife]s attribute, [Ruthless Interrogator] brought immense pain to the scrawny elder spirit.
Especially after equipping the title [Demon Buster], it made the scrawny elder spirit growl in pain loudly.
The irritating growl from the spirit sent the surrounding friars staggering backward, some even fell directly to the ground.
Kieran was however unaffected by the growl and gave the spirit another sh, increasing its agonizing growl.
Since it wasnt the first time the friars fought the council, they quickly understood what happened. The standing ones didnt help their fallenrades up but instead gathered around the statue, kneeled down, and started praying.
Instantly, the misty radiance gathered once more and formed the one-inch thick glorious radiance again.
The scrawny elder spirit was bathing in agonizing pain.
Ayer of ck smoke erupted from its body causing it to lose the basic spirit invisibility right away but the terrifying aura around it was multiplied.
If the scrawny elder spirit was ranked between poltergeist and evil spirit when it was invisible, now it had suddenly surged to demon rank, not just any low tier demon but a High Demon instead.
It descended from a human soul to a High Demon in just an instant!
Ayer of ck scales started to form over its body, expanding its scrawny body like a balloon.
Its withered hands grew longer and sharper at the fingers.
When it ceased its transformation, it had turned into a giant gori monster from a scrawny elder. Especially those robust long ws that touched the ground, the vibration from the ws even brought a shock to Kierans face.
He clearly knew how terrifying its power was in addition to the ck lustrous scales all over its body that seemed exceptionally sturdy.
If Kierans strength wasnt weakened and he was fully equipped, he didnt mind fight against it but now, he had already started to look for a path of retreat inside the hospital hall with his nce.
The Marulyn friars were sharing the sour look as well.
"Twenty Hounds!"
One of the friars shouted.
The other friars too had fear smeared over their face but soon enough, the fear was suppressed down by the faith in their heart.
All of them kneeled down properly and prayed with utmost sincerity.
"Oh Saint Reid, My Lord, We ask of your light to dispel the darkness!"
"Oh Saint Reid, My Lord, We ask of your light to protect the weak!"
"Oh Saint Reid, My Lord, We ask of you to bring peace upon us again, our lives will be the cost for the harmony of us all! Oh, Saint Reid!"
Following the ceaseless praying, the statues radiance dazzled even brighter, and it seemed to infuriate the High Demon.
"Saint Reid? A mortal yet enjoyed the treatment of a God? What a pity, you miserable bunch of fools! That old geezer Gat has brainwashed all of you, you think you can get protection with such petty prayers? To defeat me? With a statue of a dead woman!?"
The High Demons rage-filled voice sounded like thunder.
The loudness even turned into a powerful wind, a ck light erupted in all directions.
The friars fainted instantly when the ck light shined on them, even the innocent doctors and nurses in the real dimension started to wither rapidly under the eerie light.
Only a small area around the statue wasnt affected.
Kieran was slowly moving away but suddenly his pupils shrunk. He altered the direction of his movements without any further thoughts and stood beside the [Sister Reid Statue].
It was the first time he felt that he was truly bathing in light.
Then...
Young hunter, please help them!
A sudden voice echoed in his heart.
The unexpected voice made Kieran grip the [Interrogator Knife] tightly.
"Whos that!?" Kieran asked.
His turned his eyes towards the statue beside him and just as heid eyes on the statue, the statue too turned her head at Kieran as though it hade alive.
The face aged but was filled with mercy and kindness, the eyes were overflowing with tender affection.
Its me, young hunter! Please help them!
The statue pointed to the kneeling friars in prayer.
The darkness had started to corrupt the light around the praying friars and it was closing in on them by the second.
Soon, the darkness wouldpletely consume the friars in prayer, including Kieran who was standing beside the statue.
"How?" Kieran asked directly.
Open up your soul, ept my blessing!
The statue said slowly, the voice was getting more merciful as it spoke.
Kieran, however, squinted his eyes.
"Open up my soul? ept your blessing?"
Suddenly, a term came up in his mind, puppet of flesh and blood!
Chapter 670: Syriard’s Breath
Chapter 670: Syriards Breath
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
No free food would fall from the sky.
Kieran deeply understood the saying when he was still in the welfare home.
Even though it was a welfare home in name, it needed the orphans like him to exchangebor for food and sleeping spots.
Of course, it wasnt extremely harsh, at least it was better than the churchs welfare home. There wasnt anything about being caned if he couldnt gather enough donations, but if he failed toplete his work, all sorts of verbal abuse and disgusting expressions would still hurt him, physically and mentally.
Looking at the radiating statue, would the statue bless him fully without expecting anything in return?
Kieran didnt believe it.
The situation might seem taking a turn for the worst, one of the Twenty Hounds of the Elder Council was almost upon him and every second that passed, a Marulyn friar died.
But, among all the believers why Kieran? Because he was stronger?
So the statue would bless an outsider in order to save its own?
It didnt make any sense. Not one bit.
After all, it would be more reasonable to bless one of its own and allow the friar to cooperate with him.
Even if Sister Reid was a merciful and empathic person, she should know how to choose while also doing what was best for the Marulyn Church that she belonged to.
Of course, there was another important factor.
That white-haired elder that had left earlier!
He knew he was inside St. Red Hospital premises and yet he stepped into the Elder Councils trap resolutely.
So, did he predict the situation where [Sister Reid Statue] woulde alive in the moment of danger after the Marulyn friars kneeled?
The answer was certain. As a higher ranking person in the Marulyn Church, the white-haired elder must be a legacy holder and he must have known how the situation would turn out.
Still, despite knowing the oue, he decided to leave.
Did he turn his nose up on the blessing from the statue? Or would the blessing nt a hidden peril that was hard to ovee in the future?
Kierans vignce made the gears in his mind spin rapidly.
"ept my blessing and you will gain power beyond any mortals! You will ascend to the ranks of a divine, bathing in praises from believers!"
The statues voice echoed in Kierans ears.
It was merciful and tender but it further confirmed Kierans steadfast decision in his heart.
"I..."
Kieran prolonged his tone.
The radiance on the statue grew even more dazzling, a great aura then appeared around the statue, as though the moment Kieran finished his words, he would acquire the power for himself.
"Reject!"
The word escaped Kierans mouth.
At the same time, the [Interrogator Knife] in his had shed over the statues thinnest, weakest spot which was its neck without any mercy.
Since Kieran had chosen to decline the offer, he didnt n on getting along peacefully with the statue and rather than wait for the statue to turn hostile against him, he might as well take the initiative to gain the upper hand.
At least Kieran had the confidence to pay the cost in order to escape from the High Demon outside, but he couldnt even grasp the ins and outs of the prayer statue.
Therefore, not only did he take the initiative but he gave it his full effort as well.
After shing the [Interrogator Knife] at the statues neck, his bodys momentum didnt stop but went along with the flow and as his body turned, heunched both his kicks at the statue.
Souuu!
Pak Pak Pak Pak Pak!
The thin knife brought up an unusual air-breaking noise in the air but was quickly reced by a series of strikes simr to thrashing a thickyer of linen cloth.
Kick after kick, kicks connected to more kicks.
The kicks were like the raging roar of the fiercest beast, the loudest thunder from the heaviest storm and as it was kicking relentlessly. The statue waspletely drowned by the kicks.
The radiance was blown off and cracks appeared on the statue like a fallen porcin.
Krank!
Right after the cracks, a clear sound of broken y came from the statue and revealed something inside as it broke down into pieces.
A person! The white-haired, long robe elder!
The elders eyes were in pain and filled with disbelief as he looked at Kieran who attacked him in front. He didnt understand how his setup was seen through by Kieran at the veryst moment.
Blood gushed out from the seams of elders finger as he covered his shed neck with his hand but the lethal damage came from his body.
His muscle, bones, and organs were all crushed to bits by the storm-likebo kicks. Yet the elder was not willing to die like that. He red at Kieran furiously and was ready to drag him down to hell together.
"I will..."
"AIOPLDS!"
Kieran who has prepared for this a long time chanted the incantations loudly, he opened his palms wide and formed a triangle in the middle with his thumbs and index fingers, aiming towards the struggling elder.
BOOOM!
The cone shape me burst out and engulfed the elderpletely. The zing me became thest straw that crushed the dying elder.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Following the agonizing cry, everything around started to shatter.
The darkness, the hospital hall, the Marulyn friars, the Elder Councils Twenty Hounds, everything before Kierans eyes shattered like a broken mirror.
CRANKS!
A heavy cracking burstter, everything before Kierans eyes disappeared.
He realized he was still hiding in the hospital corridor after sneaking in through the side gate.
The attackers body from before was still beside his feet and a charred body was standing still in front of him.
The charred body was still holding the uncorked potion bottle in his hand but now the potion was glowing in gold from Kierans eyes.
"Illusion?!"
"Legendary item!?"
Kieran was stunned for a while before recollecting his senses.
He took the seemingly normal bottle from the charred body hand. A closer look at the bottle added an extra aged pattern around the tube.
It seemed like porcin but it was actually iron, less than 4 cm in height and less than a thumbs width yet unusually heavy. Based on initial feeling, it weighed at least 10 kg when Kieran held it in his hand.
[Name: Syriards Breath]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Attack/ Defense: None]
[Attribute: Incubus Wendigo, 1/5]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: Spirit S+]
[Remark: Syriard created this special item to remember his wife but its effect had gone beyond his expectations.]
...
[Incubus Wendigo: Create a hyper-realistic illusory realm as you control it at will. Its realism will surpass your wildest imagination.]
...
"So this is what he used to drag me into the illusion?"
Kieran recalled what happened back there, he couldnt spot anything unusual at all.
Even Hoskin and Teresa inside the illusion were so real, the battle between Marulyn Church and the Elder Council also felt real.
But eventually...
Kieran took in a deep breath and discarded the unpleasant experience from his mind.
After getting [Syriards Breath], he turned his attention to the other two Magic equipment from the attacker.
A dagger and a pair of shoes.
[Name: Dark Venom Dagger]
[Type: Dagger]
[Rarity: Magic]
[Attack: Average]
[Attribute: Armor Pration Lvl 1, Laced Poison Lvl 1]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: Sharp Weapon, Dagger (Master)]
[Remark: Assassins likes daggers]
...
[Armor Pration Lvl 1: Able to prate Light armor (Weak, Average defense)]
[Laced Poison Lvl 1: The iron used to forge the weapon is naturally poisonous, inflict Heavy damage to targets below E Constitution.]
...
[Name: Nimble Shoes]
[Type: Equipment]
[Rarity: Magic]
[Defense: Average]
[Attribute: Hiding Lvl 1]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: Undercover (Entry)]
[Remark: Thieves and assassins wouldnt mind a pair of these!]
...
[Hiding Lvl 1: Increase 10% Hiding effect during undercover or hiding.]
...
Whether was it real or not, the items before him were real.
After equipping them swiftly, Kieran turned his attention to the [Sister Reid Statue] in the hospital hall, or more precisely the person beside the statue.
The white-haired, long robe elder.
Chapter 671: Hiding
Chapter 671: Hiding
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
When the elder sensed Kierans gaze, he bowed before slowly walking over.
[Sister Reid Statue]s power followed his footsteps as he walked into the hospital, causing the doctors, nurses, and patients to neglect the happenings.
The scene was familiar to Kieran but slightly different.
It felt a bit more tender.
The previous one felt like a strong push away and the current one felt like politely asking one to leave.
The strong manner of the former was worth being cautious at but the silent manner of thetter was worth being cautious over even more.
Kieran understood the saying "boiling a frog with warm water".
Kieran held [Interrogator Knife] and [Dark Venom Dagger] in each of his hand, he didnt mind expressing his alertness with his stance and when the elder was 4 to 5 meters away, he said: "Hold it right there!"
"I mean you no harm, young hunter!"
The elders voice sounded exactly the same as the elder that Kieran met before, the meaning of his words were almost identical as well.
The weird feeling caused Kieran to raise a brow.
"I am Gat, the Chief Friar of Marulyn Church!"
The elder introduced himself and pointed at the charred body.
"That is one of the Twenty Hounds, Damien. He wanted your body so he took the risk of infiltrating St. Reid Hospital. After all, with your memory loss in addition to possessing an excellent body as a hunter made you a great target for this Mr. Hound here."
The elder didnt waste time with his words and told Kieran everything he wanted to know directly.
Still, it didnt put Kieran at ease.
"How did he have his eyes on me?" Kieran asked.
Kieran had quite the confidence in his own Intuition, despite a -3 debuff, it was still at S+ rank.
Although he couldnt be like a irvoyant that could see thousands of meters away to expose every detail, he would surely notice any malicious gazes towards him.
However, since he entered this dungeon world, he didnt notice any gazes from the so-called Damien of the Twenty Hounds.
"The moment when the evil spirit formed. No need to doubt, the moment that poordy turned into an evil spirit, she had be the best ears and eyes for Damien," Gat replied.
Although it made sense and sounded reasonable, Kieran was skeptical.
"So you just let Damien have it his way?"
"Young hunter without memory, if your memory was intact, you would know your doubts are unnecessary. A huge organization like the Elder Council is definitely not some small church like Marulyn canpare with. Even when Madam Saint Reid was alive, all she could rely on was the Union to oppose the Elder Council."
"I know its hard for you to believe my words. There are quite a few mystical realm gathering points around End City, you could very well head there and get an update on any relevant information."
Gat finished his words with a bitter smile and waved his hand.
One of the friars within the environment saw the scene and came over to Gat, passing him a pen and paper.
Gat quickly wrote down three addresses and gave them to Kieran.
Donna Bar, Mecathy and Borjane Books, and Ximi Candy House.
"The people in the three ces are all friendly and easy to get along with. Quite the amount of people gather over in those ces, especially Donna Bar. I couldnt have paid off everyone in the city, could I?"
"And of course young hunter, you must remember some of the gathering points are quite dangerous. Especially after youve defeated one of the Twenty Hounds. The bounty on your head will be priceless and gazes will lock tight on your head."
Gat told Kieran who was still skeptical.
"Any more advice?"
Kieran asked after checking the paper and made sure it wasnt trifled with.
"That will be all! Good night!"
Gat shook his head and headed towards the other direction of the hospital hall.
Kieran looked at Gats back and squinted his eyes.
Gat didnt tell the truth, or more precisely didnt tell him the entire truth!
It wasnt just Kierans intuition tingling but also the system notifications.
[Discovered sub-mission: Unworried Blood Debt]
[Unworried Blood Debt: The lunatics from the Elder Council dont really care about their own mens death but are quite fond of stronger individuals joining them. So, a heavy bounty has been ced on your head. You will face a total of three hunts and your opponents might be any one of the Twenty Hounds but if you survive through the three hunts, you will have the chance to join the Elder Council and be a new member of the Twenty Hounds!]
Gat didnt tell him how many times he would be hunted or what he would encounter if he avoided the hunts.
Perhaps it might be a worry, but more than that?
Kieran lowered his head and looked at the three ces on the paper.
Three hunts, three ces. Could it be a coincidence?
Kieran never believed in coincidences.
After a couple more friars cleaned up the scene, Kieran went back to his ward without batting an eye at them.
The situation inside the ward was different than what Kieran experienced in the illusion.
Hoskin was watching TV while sitting on the chair and although Teresa was hiding behind the door, she didnt point her gun at Kieran.
"Damn, its much better than just now!" Kieran muttered to himself.
"What?" Teresa was baffled.
"Nothing, just encountered something bizarre. If I have the chance Ill tell you but right now... We are in trouble." Kieran shifted the topic.
While he hadnt truly grasped the mystical realm of the current dungeon world, Kieran was not ready to drag the natives that had the potential to be his allies into his mess.
It would surely cause a lot of unpredictable changes, such as doubts of disbelief or death due to curiosity. Therefore, the final decision was to keep it a secret from both of them.
Fortunately, after Kieran exined the situation with Ryan Sulfose in detail, it caught Teresas attentionpletely.
She didnt even care about Kieran shifting the topic and mmed the cupboard beside the bed as she considered corrupt officials as deadly foes.
"Fricking bastard!" She shouted.
The young Hoskin was even filled with righteous indignation.
While both of them were being filled with emotion, an emergency news broadcast suddenly popped up on the tv.
We interrupt this program to bring you an emergency news broadcast! About ten minutes ago, our station has received the news through a reliable source, stating that Ryan Sulfose, one of the mayoral candidates, has just been shot in his own house!
This is the second assassination on a mayor candidate following the first of Symende Augen a day ago! Currently, the police have identified the shooter as End City ex-heavy crime unit leader, chief office Teresa! ording to what we understand, ex-chief officer Teresa is also closely rted to Symende Augens murder!
We...
Before the news could finish reporting, Hoskin switched it off immediately.
He turned around and looked at Kieran and Teresa in an anxious face.
"What should we do now?" Hoskin asked.
Teresa frowned hard and looked at Kieran who was smiling.
"Dont tell me you are thinking what Im thinking?"
"If you are thinking about finding Symende Augen out, then I think we are thinking of the same thing," Kieran said.
Chapter 672: Infiltration
Chapter 672: Infiltration
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Symende Augens was staying at the outskirts of End City.
The outskirts here wasnt the typical slums for the poor but a real ce for the wealthy.
From the main road of End City, another road was branched out leading towards a dense green forest.
After shuttling through the forest, the cobblestone road was connecting towards a manor a dozen acres in size.
It was surrounded by a long bronze fence and in the middle were marble gate pirs with the architectural style of the olden age.
In fact, Augens manor was once a dukes castle a hundred years ago.
After Symende Augen bought it, he changed it to Augen Manor.
He spent a huge amount to renovate the whole ce. Although adding modernized equipment, he maintained the architectural style of a hundred years ago.
The security level around the manor would cause a headache for anyone who wanted to infiltrate the ce, especial Teresa and Hoskin who knew exactly what was going on inside.
So when Kieran suggested he go alone, both of them declined intensely.
"No! Its too dangerous! Its different from the fights in the day and youve never been into Augen Manor before. You dont even know the structure inside and if you go in just like that, you will be walking straight into their trap! Ive been here before, I am more suitable to go in!"
Teresa refuted Kierans suggestion and volunteered herself.
"Thats right 2567, fighting and infiltrating is two different thing!"
Even Hoskin was refuting him.
"So, do you have the confidence to sneak in without a trace?" Kieran looked at Teresa and before she could say anything, he questioned her further. "So who do think will have it harder once getting caught infiltrating the ce? You or me?"
Teresa and Hoskin went quiet.
The chief officer was now a wanted criminal because of the serial murders of the mayoral candidates, once she was caught, her ending would be self-exnatory.
Though with Teresas temper, she wouldnt justpromise like that.
She wanted to speak with her actions so she instantly reached out to her gun with her right hand without moving her body but before she could draw her gun out, she froze.
[Interrogator Knife]s sharp edge was already on Teresas neck without her knowing.
"See, I am more persuasive now."
Kieran said with a smile and quickly put away the knife.
Same as before, Teresa didnt even see Kierans movements clearly and it made her frown unconsciously.
She disliked the feeling of being weaker than a man, but unwilling to submit was a thing and the current situation was another. She knew clearly what should she do at the moment.
In the end, Teresa chose the best way topromise.
"Fine! Bring this with you!"
Teresa opened her backpack and took out a handgun equipped with a silencer, two magazines, and a new phone.
Kieran nced over the supplies Teresa brought from her safe house and took them from her.
Since he wascking crucial weapons, Kieran wouldnt reject any type of weapon that he could use.
As for the phone, it would be useful to take a picture of evidence and recording conversations.
"Ill tell you everything I know about Augen Manor and you must remember all the important points that I am about to say!" Teresa urged him.
Kieran nodded.
Any kind of detailed information would increase the sess rate of his infiltration.
In fact, Teresa didnt only just describe theyout of Augen Manor, she also drew out a simple map.
Afterparing the map and his memory after Teresas exnation, Kieran exited the car and vanished into the darkness.
Hoskin parked the car in the shrubs at the other branched off road from the main road to End City.
Kieran would need to cross the main road to reach the other branch road.
There was two surveince camera installed on the road, one being clearly visible and the other in the dark.
The visible camera was the highway camera to snap speeding cars and the one in the dark was the one belonged to Augen Manor.
To any regr people, it would be a huge hassle to slip past these two cameras but it was useless against Kieran.
Musou level [Undercover] was not something the camera could catch a glimpse of.
Then, Kieran slipped past the visible and hidden outposts in the shrubs, shuttled through the cobblestone road and took a detour from the manors main entrance to infiltrate side garden inside the manor. The whole process was too easy for him, however, the uing route would prove more difficult.
There was a sudden increase in patrolling guards and tall watchtowers in addition to surveince cameras.
The most surprising thing was the swift and powerful presence from a person standing in front of the manors main gate entrance.
"A fighter?" Kieran guessed.
Although Teresa didnt want to speak much about these, under Kierans relentless questioning, she spilled a little.
Those were the powerhouses hidden in in sight.
Some were extremely gifted, some possessed outstanding techniques, some even had a long history of legacy inheritance.
Regardless of which, those powerful men had strength beyond what a regr person could imagine.
At the same time, their strength brought them countless opportunities.
The military, politicians, and wealthy merchants would never be stingy in hiring one of them as bodyguards.
Symende Augen was no exception, and the fighter before Kieran surprised him.
More precisely, the persons strength made Kieran feel... that he dangerous!
The unusual feeling that was as sharp as de caressing his skin made it clear that the person was a formidable enemy.
"I didnt expect Symende Augen to have such bodyguard!" Kieran eximed in his heart.
Still, it didnt stop him from carrying out his ns.
The fighter was only guarding in front of the main entrance, while Augen Manor was a dozen acres big and there was an absurd amount of ces to infiltrate for a person like Kieran.
Kieran made a big round from the garden towards the attached building on the other side and climbed up the second floor silently.
[Interrogator Knife] easily pried open the edge of the window, removing an L shapedtch.
He entered after pushing the window and turned around to close it once more.
Kieran found himself in a small hall. There were two roundtables, dozens of chairs, three sofas, and a giant wine cer.
"The small hall by the garden... it was Symende Augens banquet hall, his family would gather here!"
Kieran realized where he was after a slight recollection. He then headed towards his goal: the study room.
The study room should be the ce where Symende Augen hid most of his secrets or even a hiding ce for himself.
ording to Teresas brief exnation and simple map, Kieran sessfully arrived in front of the study room door after slipping past two patrol teams and four surveince cameras.
Though, before Kieran could approach the room, S+ Intuition allowed him to pick up a clear argument between a man and a woman going on behind the doors.
The mans voice was sharper because of the agitated mood, causing frowns to anyone who listened to it.
The womans voice was younger and more pleasant, despite facing an angry man, there wasnt any sign of stepping back or inferiority.
Kieran took out his phone to record the conversation without further hesitation.
Ive said it before, you should listen to me!
Listen to you? A mere secretary?
After Symende Augens death, his secretary should be the one that you wanted to win over most!
So, SOMEBODY became so arrogant that they wanted to seize even more from this poor widow?
I am only taking what I deserve!
Deserve?
PUK!
A lightughter, the sound of a knife stabbed into the body was heard, followed by the knife pulled out and blood gushing, heavy objects falling simultaneously.
One of them died in the conflict and it wasnt the woman on the weaker side but the angry man.
Kieran standing outside the door squinted his eyes.
"Symende Augen is dead? The explosion case wasnt a self-conducted act?"
Guesses appeared in Kierans heart one after another.
Until vigorous footsteps echoed in his ears, Kieran finally collected his thoughts.
At the next moment, the unusual skin cutting feeling came once more!
The fighter who was guarding the main entrance appeared at the other end of the corridor, his eyes were locked at the spot where Kieran was hiding!!!
Chapter 673 - Anne Aldrich Augen
Chapter 673: Anne Aldrich Augen
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The moment the unusual de-like feeling appeared, Kieran knew he was exposed.
After all, it was just Musou [Undercover] he was using andpared to his original above Transcendence level with the buff, the difference in effect was vast.
It wouldnt be a problem to fool regr natives and surveince cameras even in close range with Musou but against the fighter that Kieran deemed as a formidable opponent, it becameckluster.
Pak Pak Pak!
Kieran fired out three shots without hesitation before the man could even make a move.
He understood what the so-called fighter could achieve a while ago. Unless it was an assault rifle or machine gun, the small caliber silencer handgun could never perforate the mans muscle. Except for his weak spots, the eyes.
Therefore, Kieran aimed every shot he fired at the mans eyes.
Musou level [Firearm Weapon, Light Firearm] allowed Kierans shot to be fired precisely at the target, forcing the charging fighter to a stop and dodge the bullets.
At the same time, Kieran took a big step backward each time he fired a shot and after all three shots were fired, he had retreated from the middle part of the corridor to the other end.
He was less than 10 meters away from the window at the very end of the corridor too.
Bang Bang Bang!
Another three shots were fired.
Kieran didnt have the slightest intention to tangle with the man because the ce was his turf!
Once he tangled with the fighter, more enemies would appear.
The sole thought of hundreds of guns fired together at him made his scalp numb.
Without his original equipment and a sealed [Fusion Heart], he didnt possess any abilities to help him to deal with such a situation.
Hmph!
The fighter coldly grunted when he saw Kieran firing the second round.
He didnt continue to perform any dodging movements at the second round but he ced both his arms in front of his face, covering his head to a forward charge at Kieran.
Fuuuuu!
The moment he stepped out, a raging wind followed.
The bullets that were fired at the mans arm only embedded on the surface of his muscle, there wasnt even a drop of blood.
The fighter appeared in front Kieran almost instantly, the arms that he ced in front were fired out simultaneously at Kieran like a powerful whip.
Pak, Pak!
Two clear punching sounds at the airter, Kieran was sent flying away as if he was hit by a speeding truck, his feet left the ground instantly and flew towards the window behind him.
Hmph!
Another cold grunt came from the fighter. It seemed like he had expected Kieran to escape through the window.
Pak, Pak!
Another two clear soundster, his arms that were fired out retracted backward, defying the human body structure and mechanics. His palms became ws, grabbing towards Kierans ankle fiercely but he missed!
Sssss!
Snake hisses sounded while Kierans legs twisted in a freaky way, not only did he avoid the fighters grip, he tapped lightly on the fighters arm and boosted himself faster towards the window.
The fighters face was shocked. He did not expect Kieran to perform such a strange kicking technique.
Since the oue had gone out of his expectations, it wouldnt be possible to further chase Kieran.
The windows sses were smashed right away and Kieran leaped out of the building.
Riiiiiiiing!
The siren sounded almost instantly.
Nearly a dozen patrol squad gathered swiftly at the window area but they were justmon elites who were stronger than regrmoners, none of them could locate any traces of Kieran after that.
That fighter stared helplessly at Kieran whonded on the ground after a tumble and swiftly vanished into the night. He didnt have the slightest intention to give chase.
What happened?
Anne Aldrich Augens voice sounded from the study room.
She then came out to find out what was going on.
A blondedy with a big wavy hair to her shoulder, hanging over her fair skin. Her one-piece dress was reflecting pure whiteness. There werent any extra decorations on her face, it was young, delicate, beautiful and somewhat seductive.
Especially in the area of bright red on her one-piece white dress, Mrs. Augens temptation was very lethal.
Mayer, whats going on? The young Mrs. Augen asked.
Someone was eavesdropping.
Mayer the fighter said softly.
Eavesdropping? Why didnt you catch him? Mrs. Augen frowned.
Are youmanding me? Mayer frowned as well.
Both of them red at each other in dissatisfaction, in the end, Mrs. Augenpromised because unlike the secretarys empty threats, the person before her eyes was serious.
She quickly apologized when her ns came into her mind.
Pardon me, something bad happened, it really irritates me...
Enough with your silly act, its useless against me! I am here because of the promise with the Aldrich family and Ill only help you three times. This is the second time and the next time I lend my aid, we will no longer have any rtions!
Mayer finished and entered the study room.
Secondster, he carried out the secretarys body and headed downstairs.
Throughout the process, Mayer didnt further speak with Mrs. Augen.
Mrs.Augen looked at Mayers back and her face turned heavy.
She put away her disguise immediately because there was no need for disguise before Mayer since he already witnessed her true self.
Further disguising herself would only insult her own dignity.
However...
Naive fe!
Mrs. Augen didnt even mind whether Mayer heard what she said. She returned to the study room after uttering it softly.
She must locate the bastard who eavesdropped her, otherwise, her ns would be ruined!
Mrs. Augen quickly picked up the phone as a thought came to her mind.
...
After Kieran sessfully slipped past the road filled with surveince cameras, Hoskin already started the car and opened up the passengers seat door for him.
The moment the rm went off in Augen Manor, Hoskins heart was beating non-stop, afraid that some idents had urred.
Teresa was much calmer, she did take out her gun and was prepared for the worst but when she saw Kieran return, she was relieved.
The moment Kieran jumped into the car, Teresa shouted, STEP ON IT!
Vroooom!
The engine of the car roared loudly, causing the car to tremble hard.
The whole car then dashed off like an arrow let loose, driving straight back to the city.
Only the vast traffic in the city would force the pursuers to be helpless.
In fact, ditching the pursuers was even easier than Kieran thought. Hoskins driving skills were beyond his expectations.
After arriving at a secluded alleyway without any surveince cameras, the car stopped slowly.
The pursuers on their tail were ditched three blocks back without any further signs of them.
Nice driving! Kieran was not stingy of hispliment.
He then gave Teresa the phone that he took the recording with.
After Teresa hearing the contents of the recordings, her face turned pale.
Anne Aldrich Augen!
Teresa said with almost clenched teeth.
The sudden rage from her made Kieran surprised.
Even though the chief officer was hot-tempered, she wasnt a person that would vent her anger on someone else.
The only reason that could infuriate the chief officer was that it wasnt Anne Aldrich Augens first time doing this.
Chapter 674 - Appointment To Meet
Chapter 674: Appointment To Meet
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
I think I should know more about this Mrs. Augen.
Kieran tilted his body from the passenger seat and looked at Teresa in the back seat with a questioning gaze.
Anne Aldrich Augen, originally named Anne Rudd. 15 years ago, she was adopted by the phnthropist from Aldrich family and had her name changed to Anne Aldrich. Three monthster after she changed her name, an ident happened to that phnthropist and Anne was left with a ridiculous amount of wealth!
Then, she married to a wealthy merchant in Macken state and the same thing happened to that wealthy merchant three months after their marriage as well. After that, she married her second husband, a manor owner in Macken state, the same thing happened again... Before she made herself as Mrs. Augen, shed been married a total of five times and each husband of hers couldnt live longer than three months after the marriage, all sorts of idents would happen to them.
As she spoke, Teresas face was showing disgust and hatred.
She took in a deep breathter, suppressing her subjective thoughts and tried to voice out the situation in an objective view.
After all her husbands died in idents, Anne Aldrichs wealth increased over tenfold and she was given the title as ck Widow by the people. The police investigated this ck Widow more than once, myself included but she didnt show any ws at all. The rumors carried on until Symende Augen where it finally came to a slow stop. Their marriagested almost for a year... but now it seems like Mrs. Augen here was just dying her husbands death!
Teresa couldnt hold her anger back anymore and punched hard at the back of the driver seat.
Bang!
The strong rebounding force shook Hoskin as he was all ears to the story.
Maam, I think you can also hit the other side, Hoskin said with a bitter smile.
I think your face would be more suitable! Teresa red at the young officer before she turned back to Kieran, Find anything else?
Ivee across a formidable fighter at Mrs. Augens ce.
Sound familiar? After Kieran briefly described the fighter, he continued to ask.
No! Ive onlye across some fighters when I was undercover and because of Zaigen. Their world and ours arepletely different,mon people wouldnt have any contact with them. Teresa shook her head after thinking deeply about it.
2567, how would youpare the fighter youve encountered to Zaigen?
Hoskin was concerned about the other aspect.
Right after Hoskins question, Teresa was curious as well.
Although Zaigen was dead, his strength left a heavy impression on Teresas mind, the almost indestructible kind.
Iparable! Both of them are on a different level. That fighter I met, I guess if he wanted he could kill Zaigen in the blink of an eye.
Kieran said in an affirmative tone when he recalled the fighter who appeared in front of him like a short distance teleport and the power from both his punches.
Zaigen might be tall and huge with sturdy skin and robust muscles but against that guy, he wouldnt even stand a chance.
The body that Zaigen was so proud off would be no different than a tofu against the punches from that guy.
After listening to Kierans answer, Teresa and Hoskins face turned pale, both of them gasped uncontrobly.
For the both of them, Zaigens strength and his legends had reached a maximum and now there was a guy that allegedly could kill Zaigen in an instant. It was hard for both of them to ept the fact.
Kieran himself, however, was neglected by the both of them following the time theyd spent together. Kieran wouldnt also emphasize how powerful he was at that moment either because he wasnt ame person. Besides, his focus was not about those petty things either.
I need a copy of these recordings! Also, get a reliable deliveryman and send the copies to that Mrs. Augen!
Kieran pointed at the recordings, including the one he got from Ryan Sulfose.
You want to meet Anne Aldrich Augen? Teresa frowned, not knowing what Kieran wanted to achieve.
En. I hope to get some information from that Mrs. Augen. Dont worry, I know what Im doing.
Hoskin, anything to eat around here? We need a good meal and a good sleep now. Well leave the rest for tomorrow.
Kieran then leaned back in his seat.
Young Hoskin looked back at Teresa and after his superior nodded slightly, he started the car again.
The night passed in an instant.
When the sun rose up again and the clock was pointing sharply at 10 a.m., Carose Cafe started its business on time.
The waiter moved the signs, tables, and chairs out for outdoor dining.
Around ten minutester, customers began to arrive.
The waiter asked energetically when a young casually dressed customer with a double strapped bag on him came into the shop.
Good morning, sir. What are you having today?
The waiter handed over a menu while he was greeting Kieran.
...
Carose Cafe wees you!
Chef Rmendation: Charcoal Coffee C $15
Pure Coffee C $10
Morona Coffee C $10
C
Simple meal:
Sandwich C $5
Fries C $5
Beef Burger (with free Orange Juice on second order) C $12
C
PS: Free bread from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. every day!
...
Kieran wasnt a stranger to the simple cafe menu.
After he nced over the price tag and silently calcted the money in his pocket, he quickly made his decision.
Two burgers please, Kieran said.
Okay, please wait for a while.
The waiter quickly wrote down the order on his pad and left for the kitchen after giving Kieran a smile.
During his wait for the meal to be served, Kierans eyes were sizing up the bookstore diagonally opposite the street subtly.
Mecathy and Borjane Books.
One of the mystical gathering points of the mystics in the current dungeon world that Gat provided him. It was one of the safest locations among the given three.
Of course, Kieran held his thoughts back about Gat.
The bookstore opposite looked no different from a regr one from the outside.
The entrance was two ss door that opened both directions, on the left and right side of the entrance were disy cases 2 meters wide and 3 meters tall.
The disy cases were disying the recent bestseller and in front of the opened ss door entrance was a heap of books and a ckboard.
The heaps of books were the new arrival books and the ckboard was disying New Arrival !.
Seeing through the opened ss doors, the store was emptied of people and nothing in particr caught Kierans attention. Though it might be a cover-up and required a closer inspection.
Still, Kieran wasnt in a rush to enter the store.
The reason he came to the ce wasnt just to observe the mystical gathering point.
There was another important matter he had to attend to.
Soon enough, the waiter served Kierans food.
Kieran drank almost half of the orange juice with one gulp before eating his burger.
The burger was fine, the meat and the vegetables inside were fresh and the sauce was just smeared in a nice amount. A bite on the juicy meat felt substantial with the meat fragrance fresh from the grill.
The orange juice was ordinary. It wasnt a fresh orange juice but a mixed one.
He didnt mind since it was aplimentary one.
After devouring almost half of his breakfast, an extra long limo parked firmly in front of Carose Cafes entrance.
The driver came out and opened the backseat door, revealing a crystal heel stepping out, followed by a long fair leg. When the bright red dress was fully revealed, Anne Aldrich Augen had instantly be the center of attention.
Kieran could feel it.
Following Anne Aldrich Augens arrival, the waiter, passersby and everyone who saw her were instantly stunned, regardless of male or female, everyone was shocked by her stunning beauty and absurd wealth.
Anne Aldrich Augen was acting as she normally did, a smile was hanging over her face. After ncing over the environment, she walked towards Kierans seat under the peoples surprised and envious gaze.
Chapter 675 - Someone Else
Chapter 675: Someone Else
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Mr. 2567?
Anne Aldrich Augen asked politely but the next moment, she already pulled out the chair to sit herself down.
The whole process was soft and polite with even the absence of unnecessary rattling noises. Even the way she sat down was naturally beautiful as though she was a living painting.
Her actions and beauty stunned and bedazzled everyone around.
Kieran, however, did not pay attention to her. He stuffed thest piece of burger into his mouth and chewed hard before lifting up the ss of orange juice and finished it.
Instantly, the gazes attracted by Anne Aldrich Augen turned odd.
Even without any words, the sole look on their expression allowed Kieran to know what the people were thinking but Kieran didnt care at all.
A bunch of unfamiliar natives shared a simr existence to a toilet paper in Kierans point of view, at least a toilet paper could be used to wipe his mouth.
Yes, Kieran nodded.
He then adjusted his seating posture, leaning his back on the seat and crossed his legs. His fingers were crossed as well and ced it naturally on the top of his knee.
Lets make a deal, how about that? Kieran said.
Of course! Thats the reason why I came! Anne Aldrich Augen said with a smile.
The smile could be considered as an overflow of gorgeousness, even the waiter that passed by couldnt help but allowed his pen fell off his hand.
A clear dropping soundter, the waiter bent down and picked up his pen with a blushed face but Anne Aldrich Augen bent down first, picked up the pen and handed it over to the waiter.
Can you give me a cup of Pure Coffee? She said with a smile and utter politeness.
Yes, maam!
The waiter humbly took his pen and expressed his gratitude in his embarrassed expression.
Kieran on the opposite of the table saw the scene.
Until the waiter left, he kept quiet and allowed Anne Aldrich Augen to perform.
Thats right, a performance!
Anne Aldrich Augen was undoubtedly beautiful.
In Kierans memory, Jeanne James from [The Queens Shield] with the title of Witch was on par with Anne Aldrich Augens beauty.
One needed to know, Jeanne James empowered herself with a special power and Anne Aldrich Augen didnt. All she relied on was her own face and body.
The effort she made was beyond what a regr people could imagine as well.
Kieran spotted calluses within her palm when she bent down to pick up the pen. Although it was purposely covered, traces were left behind.
It wasnt wielding weapons through the years but probably because of the intense exercising equipment. Plus, all she ordered was ck coffee without sugar or creamer, Kieran could already guess how she maintained her body and how much she persisted through the hardship.
Though all of that couldnt conceal Anne Aldrich Augens conscious effort.
Kieran clearly spotted the disgust in her eyes when she picked up the pen, even though it was just a sh.
The coffee was served to her swiftly. After expressing her gratitude to the waiter with her false attitude, Anne Aldrich Augen turned her eyes to Kieran.
What are we making a deal out of? Or... What do you want?
Anne Aldrich Augen held up the coffee and stirred it lightly with the spoon circting its shape.
I want Teresas name on the wanted list removed and you to reinstate her position, Kieran said.
Teresa? That hot-tempered chief officer? Weve met before a few times and I do have a strong impression of her. So, Mr. 2567 are you wooing that chief officer now? Dont take my words the wrong way, because other than love, its hard for me to think of any other reasons, or... you are fond of that chief officers body?
It was shameless and teasing.
While she was talking, Anne Aldrich Augen mimicked Kieran in leaning back in the chair.
Her breath-taking breast was instantly showed off. She ovepped her long and fair legs, popping eyes from the people around.
The people around only noticed that her red dress had a slit in the side from the mellow and full calf, all the way to her well-bnced thighs end.
You want to rece her?
Kieran scanned Anne Aldrich Augen from the top to bottom and only replied calmly as though he was thinking deeply in his heart.
If you wish. Anne Aldrich Augen replied with a smile.
Too bad, Im not interested in a woman that has been married six times and jinxed her husband to death each time. Kieranid his hands open.
Anne Aldrich Augens smile froze, those shining eyes of hers shed over a sense of coldness.
The faint killing intent didnt surprise Kieran though since he did hear it with his own earsst night.
Two to three secondster, Anne Aldrich Augen returned to normal.
The smile on her face was still so alluring, her ripple-like eyes stared at Kieran for quite a while and she didnt even open her mouth.
It seemed like it was the first time she trulyid her eyes on Kieran, sizing him up.
Mr. 2567, you are really a surprise. Its been a while since I met someone like you. Very well, I promise you...
Hold on, I have a second condition.
Kieran interrupted Anne Aldrich Augen before she could finish.
The beautifuldys face froze again. Her cold re appeared again.
Please dont overextend yourself. Dont you know how much money and debt of gratitude that I have to pull in to fulfill your first request? Anne Aldrich Augen questioned Kieran.
I know but the condition to make a deal with me starts with two. Kieran wasnt stepping back at all.
Both of them red at each other for almost twenty seconds.
In the end, Anne Aldrich Augen chose to step back after confronting Kierans eyes and manner that showed unparalleled calmness, because she saw simr eyes and such a manner before.
She knew a person with those eyes and mannerisms would never alter their decisions once made.
A mistaken illusion even rose up in her heart, causing her to think it was that particr person in disguise that was ying a joke on her.
Though, it wasnt possible. If that particr person could joke, the world wouldnt have to end.
Say it then, your second condition but please dont go too far!
Anne Aldrich Augen took in a deep breath to regte her breath.
What really went down at the Winchester Houses explosion? Or should I say, why was Symende Augen is there at the scene? Kieran asked.
Kieran then witnessed the astonishment on Anne Aldrich Augens face. Obviously, the question had gone beyond her expectations.
I am very sure that you really like that hot-tempereddy chief officer. Otherwise, you wouldnt have wasted such a good opportunity. Do you know Ive prepared a million dor for you to shut up? Anne Aldrich Augen eximed.
Money isnt everything. Tell me what I want to know, Kieran rushed her.
Money isnt everything, it couldnt even buy love. I would believe it when I was 15 but now, I look at it as a gigantic joke! Do you know I...
Sorry, I dont want to know anything else.
Given Kierans truthful words, Anne Aldrich Augen had be rtively talkative but Kieran didnt have the time to chit-chat with her.
He interrupted her once more and this time, it made Anne Aldrich Augen frown.
If it was possible, she really wanted to ssh the coffee in her hand on Kierans face but her logic told her not to.
A boring man cant maintain a fulfilling marriage!
Anne Aldrich Augen said in a slightly irritated manner and before Kieran could speak further, she took the initiative and continued, Symende Augen went to the Winchester House for a trade with a mysterious person.
As for where the mysterious person came from, I have no idea but I know he bought Winchester House and seems to have big ns ahead. Otherwise, it wouldnt have attracted Symende to let down his mayor election and go for the meeting. So, in the end...
A smile of mockery was hanging over Anne Aldrich Augens face when she spoke of her dead husband.
This time around, it wasnt a false smile but a genuine one. Different from her usual disguise, the real Anne Aldrich Augen must have a unique sense of humor as well but Kieran didnt have the mood to admire her.
His brows hadpletely furrowed together as she gave the information.
A mysterious person? It wasnt Barney the Jackal?! Theres someone else?!
Chapter 676 - Attack
Chapter 676: Attack
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Regarding the explosion case of the Winchester House, Kieran performed multiple spections based on the clues in his hand.
His final conclusion was Barney the Jackal helped Brigal to dispose of the stolen goods, so he bought the entire Winchester House and to cover his traces, he killed the original owners family of three, thus killing the witnesses and eliminated the evidence.
Then, the stolen treasures from End Museum attracted Symende Augen as a buyer.
Though whether Barney the Jackal raised the price on the spot or Symende Augen wanted to double-cross him, or even some unexpected yer interrupting in the midst of the trade, idents happened and the entire Winchester House was blown sky high.
It was the general conclusion that Kieran could think of but after Anne Aldrich Augen told her side of the story, Kieran was forced to refute all of his theories.
The one who bought Winchester House wasnt Barney the Jackal? Kieran asked in an attempt to find out more.
While facing against Anne Aldrich Augen, Kierans character couldnt allow him to trust anything she had to say. No one could guarantee the things that she said werent a lie.
From how Kieran looked at her, lying had be her second nature.
Barney the Jackal? That little thug that disposed of stolen goods? Oh, you are talking about the thieving case at End Museum?
Well truth be told, that batch of treasures might be valuable treasures in your peoples eyes but after youve seen Symendes treasure room, youll notice that the stolen treasures were too ordinary. The carpet that you tore apart when you broke inst night, that piece alone was worth more than almost everything from the stolen batch of treasures. Sheughed.
It wasnt to boast but she said it like stating the facts, of course mixing in a slight sense of mockery.
Kieran was unmoved by those mockeries. He was born poor and couldnt understand how the rich thought, nor would he understand why Symende Augen treated an antique carpet as a daily item.
But, one thing was for sure, Anne Aldrich Augen wasnt lying because the manor was built right there and Kieran could simply find a person to evaluate the price of the items inside.
Anne Aldrich Augen was a smart woman, she wouldnt make up lies on such a fragile stand.
What do you know about that mysterious guy? Why did Symende Augen go to that ce? Kieran asked.
These two question is actually one question but... I dont know!
Do you have to be so surprised?
When she saw Kierans surprised face, Anne Aldrich Augens smile became brighter, that smile seemed to attract even the sunlight. It made her face even more dazzling and beautiful.
Since you can be with thatdy chief officer, then how could you not understand my goal of marrying Symende Augen? That is why I would never interfere with things that I shouldnt touch. In fact, I have to thank that mysterious guy from a certain aspect. Without him, Im afraid I have to use other methods to ditch that old geezer Symende Augen, he is much more dangerous and scary than what you people can imagine.
When she mentioned her husband, Anne Aldrich Augen didnt only call out in his full name but also utter it with immense disgust and scruple.
When Symende Augen headed to Winchester House, how many men did he bring with him? Kieran asked after thinking deeply.
A total of five bodies were found in the Winchester explosion, two of them could very well be Symende Augen and Rudal, Barneys subordinate.
The remaining three bodies were unidentified yet and after his original theory was refuted, finding leads from the bodies became the only thing he could go after.
One! Tonita, his driver and also his bodyguard. Once a famous fighter but that poor guy that had his arm broken by Mayer once.
To be honest, you are really lucky that youve escaped from Mayerst night. He is a stubborn fe, after epting my protection request he wouldnt change his motives to chase you, otherwise your neck had already been broken!
Anne Aldrich Augen looked weird when she mentioned the name, Mayer.
It was ranting, unwillingness mixed with sweetness and pride.
Kieran frowned. He wasnt a stranger to such an expression.
In [The Shamans Partner], Elle Jones had always expressed such an expression to him and in [The Queens Shield], Mary tended to do it as well.
Kieran however definitely didnt think Anne Aldrich Augen would show such an expression.
It provided Kieran a direct impression towards the name Mayer, not just about his strength anymore.
Another disguise? Kieran wondered but soon shook his head.
The pride that Anne Aldrich Augen expressed, not only in her words but on her face as well, was not an act. If that fighter named Mayer really went to such extents, which meant thedy sitting in front Kieran would be terrifying beyond his imagination, despite not possessing any powers.
Thank you for your cooperation, so can we finish our first deal now? Kieran asked.
The inspection gaze from his eyes turned denser.
The worst case scenario might not happen but once it did, it would be best for him to be prepared.
Kieran who was used to saving up for a rainy day directly increase Anne Aldrich Augens danger level in his heart, two levels to be exact.
You are really an anxious one!
Anne Aldrich Augen said but her movements didnt stop.
She raised her hand and the driver from afar quickly came over and passed her a mobile phone.
Director Gregory? Yes, its like this... No no no, I didnt say what you must do but I order you to do so! Now, instantly, immediately, I want to see you in a press conference taking back the charges on Chief Officer Teresa and say it was a mistake wanted list plus reinstate her position!
What? You need a scapegoat? What does that have to do with me? Im just helping Chief Officer Teresa here, the others dont matter. You do what you think is necessary.
Anne Aldrich Augen didnt pretend before Keiran and directly gave orders to that alleged superior that Teresa mentioned before.
Thats right, orders! It felt like she was ordering her cooking maid or gardener back in her manor.
After Anne Aldrich Augen gave the orders, that Director Gregory worked faster than expected as well. A mere 10 minutester, the tv in the cafe was showing the director himself in a press conference. Kieran saw it clearly as well and just like Hoskin described, a bald head would surely leave a heavy impression.
Will that suffice?
Anne Aldrich Augen asked after Director Gregory honestly stated that he was deceived by Teresas assistant and took back the charges on her and removed the wanted order.
That will do. Kieran nodded and passed the original recording to her.
You are more straightforward that you look. You wouldnt have made any extra copies right? Anne Aldrich Augen asked after taking over the recording.
Some self-protection measures, Kieran answered honestly.
A dishonest man will not be popr among thedies. You should be more ballsy, like...
Anne Aldrich Augen wanted to further mock Kieran but before she could finish, Kieran rose up suddenly from his chair and grabbed her into his arms.
The sudden hug bedazzled her, she instinctively raised her knee towards Kierans crotch with all her might in an absence of mercy but Kieran caught her knee with his thighs, mping it down.
Dont move if you dont want to die!
Kieran warned Anne Aldrich Augen loudly and jumped backward.
Only then she noticed a thinyer of mist had shrouded the area without her knowing and more importantly, the table and chairs where she and Kieran were sitting down started to melt like candles under the fire.
What happened?
Anne Aldrich Augen asked in shock.
Chapter 677 - Crushed To Bits
Chapter 677: Crushed To Bits
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Kieran didnt answer. His eyes were all over the thin mist in the area.
The seemingly harmless thin mist didnt only block sight, it had a certain level of toxin in it as well. Despite its main drop point being beside his dining table, the lingering toxin knocked the regr customers out cold and numbed their movements.
Anna Aldrich Augen who Kieran hugged in his arms was no exception either, although she didnt faint, her numbed body made her widen her eyes and look around in panic.
Especially when she saw the attacker appeared behind Kieran because of her viewpoint and she couldnt warn him with her silenced voice, the panic and fear in her eyes grew denser.
Anne Aldrich Augen wasnt a naive woman, she understood what her end will be should Kieran fall.
One time of that horrible experience was enough for her, she didnt want to go through it again for the rest of her life.
No! She wouldnt give up!
Once she thought about how hard and how much effort she put in order to reach her current position and goals, a never before experienced unwillingness bloomed in her heart, she would never want to suffer such fate again. She didnt want to end her life in a dim way before she could really enjoy her achievements.
She must warn Kieran!
The burning thoughts in her heart squeezed out all her effort in twisting her body despite the thin line of hope.
However, the toxin was too strong for a regr person, regardless of how hard she struggled, her numbed body didnt even budge.
Just as Anne Aldrich Augen fell into despair, Kieran made his move.
To be more precise, heunched a kick backward.
Bang!
The silently approaching attacker was sent flying by the kick with bones and tendon cracking noise.
As the attacker was kicked into the cafe, it acted as a signal for more attackers to emerge from the thin mist, like hot oil pouring into a jug of cold water.
KILL HIM!
The attackers charged towards Kieran with ferocious and cold roars.
They werent from the same organization though, some of them only met each other for the first time but all of them shared amon goal.
Kill Kieran and get the high bounty reward!
The Elder Council might be crazy but they were generous.
That value of bounty rewards was enough to strike a chord in anyones heart.
Kieran stepped to the right, grabbed the tablecloth from the table beside him and tied Anne Aldrich Augen onto his back along with the motion.
He tied a dead knot in front of his chest with the two edges of the tablecloth to stabilize the woman behind him. Kieran didnt back off though, instead, he charged head on towards the attackers.
Two giant leapster, Kieran was already in front of the fastest charging attacker.
A kick on the face!
BANG!
The tremendous power of the kick caused bones to twist with a teeth numbing screech, the attacker was sent flying backward, tumbling back into the group behind him.
The attacker brought down a couple of unlucky bastards who couldnt dodge in time and more clear bone cracking sounds could be heard.
Kieran didnt even nce at the oue and after that kick, he grabbed another guy closest to his right hand. The unique looking glove [Power Glory] shed and [Heavy Hand] was activated.
CRAG!
The attacker who Kieran grabbed by the arm had all the muscles and bones in his arm torn and it still wasnt the end.
The moment [Heavy Hand] was activated, Kieran proceeded with [Death Throw]s authentication and it passed without a doubt.
Wuuung!
Kieran dragged the attacker, whose left hand waspletely crippled, into a roundhouse toss, toppling even more attackers in front of him before throwing him upwards overhead.
The attacker was hurled towards therger group like shot put or a javelin.
Bang Bang Bang!
A series of crashing echoed in the street.
[Death Throw]s crashing was even scarier than Kierans kick because of the special effect.
This time around, it wasnt just cracked bones and torn tendons but itpletely obliterated the attackers body, as though the attackers were hit by a speeding truck into a concrete wall.
The bloody gruesome dismembered bodies was a scene harsh on the eyes.
The attackers who bore a very intimidating manner moments ago was forced to a dy, they were too scared to take another step forward.
While ncing over the bodies beside and beneath their feet, the attackers who lost their sanity to the bounty reward started to wake up.
Some of them started to retreat and those who didnt had started to hesitate.
The attackers were astonished and terrified by Kierans attacking methods, except for one person who saw the scene and had different thoughts.
Anne Aldrich Augens eyes were glistening in odd brightness.
In fact, when Kieran strapped her on his back, the ck Widows gaze towards Kieran had changedpletely.
A very subtle change at first and when Kieran was brave enough to charge back at the dozens of men alone, the subtle changes started to grow stronger. Even more so when Kieran suppressed every one of the attackers, her breaths even started to get faster.
Soon after, when she saw Kieran go after the remaining attackers, Anne Aldrich Augen really wanted to scream out loud.
Not the scream of fear but the scream of excitement!
She was excited that the attackers that attacked her were killed to the veryst one ruthlessly!
However, the toxin in her body only allowed her to produce several nasal voices, nothing else.
Kieran heard the soft grunts from Anne Aldrich Augen but he didnt care.
[Interrogator Knife] in his left hand, [Dark Venom Dagger] in his right hand, the dual-wield allowed him to dash forward ceaselessly.
The knife and daggerbo were like the sharp fangs of a viper, slicing throat after throat of the attackers.
None of the attackers could escape Kierans ughter despite strapping a woman on his back.
The attackers could only catch the dust behind Kierans attacking speed.
Panic. Disbelief. Regret.
The three expressions became the only thing the attackers could show on their faces after they died.
Please, spare me! I... Arrh!
Thest one tried to beg for his life but Kierans cold eyes were ruthless and the speed of his attacking dagger was faster than before
Blood gushed out and sshed away, thest attacker fell in a puddle of his own blood.
He wasnt really ruthless or merciless but he knew if he was in the begging position, his enemy would do the same to him and maybe be even more ruthless.
Begging for the forgiveness of the enemy was a childish thought, let alone all the attackers were the lures to stall Kieran for the spellcaster to cast his spell.
The lures might be overwhelming in numbers but none of them could withstand a single blow even with their true strength.
They were stronger than regr natives but none of them had any mystical power.
The previous scene with the mist wasnt their handy work but the work someone else.
Kieran didnt pause his steps and dashed right into the thin mist and after a few steps in, he stopped.
His target wasnt far away. The target was a pale middle-aged man standing in front of the Mecathy and Borjane Books entrance.
In front of him was a number of casting materials and his mouth was chanting incantations plus his hands were performing mysterious hand gestures.
When he saw Kieran emerged from the mist, his face turned even paler and concentrated sweat broke out on his forehead.
The middle-aged man didnt expect Kieran could deal with his pawns so fast.
Although he didnt think the pawns were worthy of any of his concern, efforts were required to kill a chicken, let alone killing a man.
The person before his eyes was a butcher without a merciful heart!
Such thoughts suddenly inserted themselves into the middle-aged mans mind causing him to be more nervous.
He gave his best effort in getting the incantation correct to prevent a repulsion but that was it.
Kieran raised his right hand and grabbed the mans crown, lifting him up from the ground.
[Heavy Hand] then activated.
CRACK!
His brains exploded!
Kieran swung his hand, ditching the excessive brain matter away and instantly tainted Mecathy and Borjane Books signboard with a stter of red and white.
Chapter 678
Chapter 678: The Magpies Nest Is upied By The Dove
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The dark green board and the silver colored words became strange after being sshed by the bloody brains.
The words which were supposed to be a lifeless object started to swirl around like fish.
A low, heavy voice then came from inside the bookstore.
Are you provoking me?
The person bore an intimidating manner and had a pressuring presence.
But soon enough, the mans face changed for the worst when Kieran grabbed his crown with lightning speed, the man also saw the headless body beside him.
Wait! Hold on! I am not...
Crack!
Kieran activated [Heavy Hand] once more without the slightest intentions of listening what the man has to say.
Simr to the previous pale middle-aged man, this man had his brains crushed as well. The only difference was no equipment fell off from this mans body.
After a second nce at the green glow at the headless body outside the bookstore, Kieran ripped off the death knot in front of his chest and lowered down Anne Aldrich Augen whose face was somehow flushed.
However, it seemed like because the aftereffect of the toxin, Anne Aldrich Augen lost her stance and fell towards Kieran.
Kieran moved his body aside swiftly. He had made sure Anne Aldrich Augen recovered a moment ago, otherwise, he wouldnt ce her down.
She staggered two steps forward before regaining her stance.
Mr. 2567, where is your gentlemans manner from a while ago?
She held her shoulders, pretending to be pitiful.
Transfer the ownership and the deed of the shop to my name, consider it as a gratitude for saving your life.
Kieran didnt further the chit-chat along with her flow, instead, he told her directly.
You just killed the owner here and now you want to upy his ce as if it is yours? Not much different way of doing things. You are really likable!
Anne Aldrich Augen expressed her thoughts before pulling out her phone to make a call.
While she was speaking with some high ranking authority, Kieran went over to that headless spellcaster.
The spellcaster was the owner of Mecathy and Borjane Books and the only descendant of Mecathy and Borjane.
After Gat told Kieran about the three mystical gathering points, Kieran went over to Hoskin and borrowed his secr knowledge to investigate the ces on a surface level.
So, the moment the owner showed himself, Kieran knew who he was and at the same time, he felt the malicious intent from Gat once more.
If Gat had something to hide about the elimination of the Twenty Hounds from the Elder Council, then the ambush from the suggested ce would be a show of true hostility.
Kieran wasnt a guy who sat back without retaliation after being punched in the face, also, he wasnt a rash person.
He wouldnt charge towards Gats face and question him because he was deceived.
Kieran would take care of Gat in his own way.
Of course, there were also lingering questions in his heart. He didnt remember doing anything over the line.
Why would Ga show such hostility towards him?
Elder Council. Twenty Hounds. Marulyn.
Term after term appeared in Kierans head and with theck of crucial information, those terms were nothing but scattered letters. It caused his temples to swell.
He quickly shook his head and inspected the body before him. After he collected all the casting materials on the ground and on the dead body, he picked up the Magic rank equipment.
It was a wooden ck wand with the width of a thumb and around 25 cm long.
[Name: Poison Mist Wand]
[Type: Spell Wand]
[Rarity: Magic]
[Attack: Weak]
[Attribute: Toxic Mist 1/3]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: Mystical Knowledge (Master)]
[Remark: You will need to find a ce that follows the wind when casting.]
...
[Toxic Mist: Use the wand to create a toxic mist of 30 meters in diameter area. Able to appoint any spot within the mist range as Toxic Corrupt Domain (Norger than 2 meters in diameter, a Constitution authentication of A+ will ur and targets who fail will receive lethal damage). After appointing a particr spot, the remaining toxin in the other part of the mist will decrease, Constitution authentication of E will ur, targets who fail will be numbed for 3 minutes]
...
Not bad! Kieranmented honestly.
He then quickly headed towards the other attackers bodies and brought every possible weapon and equipment back to the bookstore.
Despite all of the spoils of war, there were only Great and Excellent ranked weapons and equipment plus some simple potions of healing, Kieran didnt mind at all.
Before he could get his hands on a suitable equipment, he wouldnt mind finding some substitutes.
Being persistent of your own spoils of war I see? Seems like Ive noticed another simrity between us. Anne Aldrich Augen couldnt help but say with a smile when she saw Kieran carrying a big pile of weapons into the bookstore but Kieran had no intentions of replying.
Kierans attitude made Anne Aldrich Augen frown. She noticed Kieran was getting more and more simr to that particr person.
If I didnt know Mayer was a single child and you two havingpletely different faces, I would have thought you both are somehow rted by blood! The matters you asked of me have already been settled, some personnel wille and collect the bodies outside as well.
When Symende Augen was alive, he woulde here every week and I thought he was simply trying to gain knowledge through reading but now from the looks of it....
Anne Aldrich Augenughed when she spoke about her dead husband, her smile had hidden meanings to it.
When power and wealth had been umted to a certain level, one woulde in contact with the people, things, and matters that regrmoners couldnte across.
Kieran had his guesses when Anne Aldrich Augen didnt ask about the changes that urred to the bookstore signboard, still, it wasnt the right moment to continue tea time with her.
If you want to return to Augen Manor, I suggest you call in that Mayer that you spoke of. I know they areing after me but no one can guarantee they wouldnt make a move on you.
Part warning, part driving her away.
Thank you for your warning and as a return, Ill tell you another thing. The five bodies found in Winchester House, other than Symende Augen and his driver, Tonita, another one should be an archeology professor from Yuda State University.
Anne Aldrich Augen then headed out the bookstore when she finished.
She knew Mayers attitude so she knew how to get along with the person with simr attitude despite the sense of freshness. She knew when she should leave.
After Anne Aldrich Augen left, Kieran quickly closed the bookstores door and activated [Tracking]. With the special vision, he quickly located what he was looking for.
The entrance to the mystical gathering point.
Hope this wont let me down!
Kieran thought when he stood before the hidden door in the bedroom.
Chapter 679 - Reading
Chapter 679: Reading
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The bedroom before his eyes was different from the typical one.
The candlestick on the wall was out of candles but it was still there, including a ridiculous heavy closet that should be abandoned.
Even without [Tracking] vision, Kieran could notice the tricks in the rooms unusual settings.
He reached towards the candlestick and pushed it inwards slightly.
Cak!
The spring inside the wall snapped and the heavy closet moved outwards and revealed a passageway that led down to the basement.
The lights along the passageway then lit up, expelling the darkness within.
Kieran sized up the bedroom he was in before heading downwards.
After around forty steps downward, Kieran reached a well lit small hall.
A thickyer of leather pelt covered the floor, two roundtables together with eight chairs each were in the middle and a row of sofas lined up at the wall.
Opposite the wall was a wine cer and a bar. There was some food and wine on the bar table and inside the wine cer were many neatly lined up wines, opened and unopened.
Undoubtedly, the ce was the gathering point of the mystical individuals but it wasnt what Kieran was searching for.
He was looking for the bookstore owners bedroom.
The one on the surface was only a cover-up because it was impossible for a mystical individual and a spellcaster to not have any casting materials, rted books, or notes in his bedroom.
Kieran was reserving his opinion about casting material but he was eager to locate the potential books and notes in the bedroom.
He had too much information he wanted to know about the current dungeon worlds mystical realm. Getting the information from someone else would be wasting too much time and effort and Kieran didnt have the luxury of time to verify their words.
That was why he took the owners ce for himself. He needed to use a more direct way to get the information he sought, such as the real Marulyn and the Elder Council.
Activating [Tracking] once again, Kierans eyes were all over the wine cers side, there were a lot of traces around the ce.
When Kieran triggered one of the wine bottles inside the middle section of the cer, another spring contraption was activated. Simr to the previous heavy closet, the wine cer opened up like a door.
Behind the wine cer was a flight of stairs leading upstairs. It wasnt very high despite there being a lot of flights but each flight of stairs was low.
Kieran easily leaped over five to six flights with a single step and after two big steps, he reached the room behind the wine cer.
There was a big experiment table with all sorts of experiment instruments on it.
Modern ss beakers to ancient stone containers plus a variety of wooden dishes. Opposite the experiment table was a bookshelf leaning on the wall.
The shelf was one and a half men tall and all ten sections of it were stuffed with books.
Beside the shelf was a sofa chair. It wasmon looking, looking no different than the bed beside it.
The room was abination of a bedroom and an experiment room for a spellcaster.
Kieran inspected the ce and made sure there werent any sudden booby traps before swiftly heading towards the bookshelf.
After a general nce over the collection of bookster, he picked one out and began reading with intense concentration.
...
The sunlight was slightly scorching during the afternoon.
Hoskin and Teresa had reached Mecathy and Borjane Books entrance.
The bloody stench was already reced by a faint detergent smell after a meticulous cleaning.
A sign was hanging over the bookstores ss door.
Closed!
Teresa nced over the sign and pulled out her phone.
A whileter, the ss door was opened from the inside.
Good afternoon. Kieran greeted the duo with a smile.
Kieran was in a good mood. Not only did he find reliable records about the current dungeon worlds mystical realm, but it was also because when Teresa reached the bookstore, the sub-mission rted to her, [nder], had beenpleted and the system awarded him with an extra three days.
It was two days more than the previous sub-mission, [ident].
Kieran longed for more time for him to find his main mission, it was already the third day since he entered the dungeon world.
Despite during the first day, he entered the dungeon world in the evening, the system indeed notified him it was already the third day.
Ten days time to find his main mission and one-third of the time had passed. The anxious feeling lingered in Kierans heart.
Kieran moved his body aside and invited Hoskin and Teresa in.
The young Hoskin smiled and entered the store happily, Teresa was hesitant at first but eventually went in.
Kieran was clear why Teresa was hesitant.
Her attitude and character couldnt ept her clearing her name through Anne Aldrich Augen because, in Teresas point of view, Anne Aldrich Augen was a criminal. Yet she had to regain her position as a chief officer to continue the investigation.
The ambivalent feeling caused the hesitation in her heart.
Kieran pulled over two chairs and sat both of them down.
I thought you will scold the hell out of me, Kieran said while looking at Teresa.
I really wanted to and was even tempted to give you two hard punches to your face! But your deal with Anne Aldrich Augen wasnt your idea alone but the collected decision between the three of us. I couldnt push all the responsibility to you, Teresa said.
Well, at least you can walk the streets during the day now, Hoskin said.
The young Hoskin was very satisfied with the current situation.
He didnt mind achieving the oue through Anne Aldrich Augen because he had gotten what he wanted. Still, the young man wasnt fond of Anne Aldrich Augen at all, if it was possible he wouldnt mind putting her behind bars.
Kieran nced over at the young Hoskin who yed a pivotal role in the agreement between the three of them and agreed to echo in his point of view.
The Teresa who can walk the streets when the sun is out is the real Teresa and I, 2567, with whom you have been through some hardship with has new information to provide. Among the five bodies found in Winchester explosion, other than Symende Augen and Rudal, one of the other two remaining bodies was Tonita, Symende Augens driver and bodyguard. The other one was an archeology professor from Yuda State and I guess trying to find his identity wouldnt be too hard for Teresa right?
Perhaps we can find out who thest body is through this professor and also piece together the puzzle of that mysterious guy, plus the deal between him and Symende Augen, Kieran said.
As Anne Aldrich Augen provided him with more valuable information, Kieran formed a new theory.
Symende Augen knew Barney the Jackal were disposing of the stolen goods in Winchester House and the mayoral candidate was the one who purposely lured him because Symende Augen wanted Barney to cover for him.
He wanted to fool the outsiders into thinking that he went there to buy some valuable treasures from the museum.
No doubt, Symende Augens methods were wless and he definitely didnt expect there was really a peculiar item among the batch of museum treasures, neither did he think of losing his life there.
Ill go look into it immediately!
Teresa stood up right away and stormed outside when the lead rted to the case was mentioned.
Hoskin, why are you still dazing off? You really want me to transfer you to guard the storeroom?
Teresa stood at the entrance and yelled at the young Hoskin who was still sitting still on his chair.
Hoskin quickly stood up with a bitter smile and ran out after bidding goodbye to Kieran.
The two left in a hurry, Kieran also sent them off with a smile.
When the cruiser went off, Kieran put away his smile.
He turned his sight towards the direction of St. Reid Hospital.
Coldness appeared in his gaze. No one liked to be lied to, Kieran was no exception.
Chapter 680 - Other Arrangements
Chapter 680: Other Arrangements
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The afternoon sun was much warmer than the noon sun.
Its radiating and enchanting light shone over thend, causing people to feel drowsy after lunch.
St. Reid Hospital was silent.
Everyone was enjoying their afternoon nap amidst the rare peaceful day.
Kieran carefully searched around the hospital and eventually stood before the [Sister Reid Statue] with a heavy and still face.
Gat and the other friars who deceived him were nowhere to be found. Even the name Gat that he knew of was a fake.
Gat was indeed the chief friar of Marulyn Church and also a respectable one but that chief friar was thest leader of Marulyn.
Just like Hoskin said, the church was eliminated during the war a hundred years ago. All that was left was the [Sister Reid Statue] in the hospital currently protected by Saint Relic Association.
Amnesia is really a convenient title to have! Kieran slightly mocked himself with a smile.
Obviously, Kieran used his memory loss as an excuse to boldly go ahead with the ridiculous lies.
If it was someone else who understood the mystical realm, they wouldnt fall for his lies because such stories wasnt a secret among themunity.
During Kierans reading session in the bookstore, there were many articles mentioning the matter.
Of course, the main thing was the Saint Relic Associations protection of [Sister Reid Statue] and some mention of the Marulyn Church along the way.
Kieran stared eye to eye at the merciful statue. A term popped up in his mind: Saint Relic Association, the current protector of the statue.
Without the protection of Saint Relic Association, the statue might be lost in the sea of time instead of being kept in the hospital.
Saint Relic Association, as the name suggested, it was actually a union between the association of churches with the Saint prefix.
During the golden age, there were almost two hundred plus branches of churches around, they fought openly and secretly with the Elder Council throughout the hundred years war and now there were less than forty branches left.
Still, the remaining Association had established their position in the dungeon world not lower than the Elder Council, even further in some aspects because the leaders of the Saint Relic Association werent lunatics.
Did that fake Gate from the Saint Relic Association? Kieran instinctively connected the man to his spections but he had no evidence to verify it.
Even until now, Kieran had no idea what the goal was for the elderly man to approach him.
Putting on an act along with the Twenty Hounds of the Elder Council?
To make a fool out of him as an amnesia patient?
No one would be thatme. There must be some hidden benefits mixed into the situation that he hadnt heard of, but the elderly man came and left without a trace, leaving no valuable leads behind.
No, there must be something left behind! Kieran frowned.
He took out the paper from his trouser pocket again.
Donna Bar, Mecathy and Borjane Books, and Ximi Candy House were written on it.
He had already consulted Mecathy and Borjane Books mentioned in the paper and that owner of the bookstore was a fool blinded by the bounty rewards from the Elder Council.
What would the other two ces hold then?
Kieran had no idea but he knew if he wanted to know why the elderly man approached him, he would have to pay a visit to the remaining ces due to the high chance that the ces would hold some clues for him.
But if he did, he would eventually fall into the elderly mans arrangements.
The moment he received the paper with the three ces written on it, the elderly man was already plotting something in the dark without him knowing and was waiting patiently for Kieran to fall.
Plotting a scheme eh? Kieran took a deep breath.
He wasnt a fan of doing things under peoples control, so he had other arrangements made.
...
Augen Manor was much more astonishing in the daypared to the night.
Whether was it the architectural style or the scale of the buildings.
Unlike the infiltrationst night, this time Kieran paid a visit to the manor openly.
Right after Kieran stepped out of the taxi, the guards who saw him through the surveince camera beforehand had appeared at Augen Manors big entrance.
Mr. 2567?
Even though the guards had made sure his identity, the leader still asked out of caution.
Kieran nodded as he has nothing to hide.
Please follow me!
The guard moved his body and bent slightly, expressing his manners.
The big bronze fence gate slowly opened up and Kieran had once again stepped into Augen Manor.
A slightly heavy guest limo was stopped in front of Kieran and the leader of the guards acted as driver, bringing Kieran straight to the manors main building.
Please!
The guard leader opened the door with a bent posture, expressing his manners again.
Kieran who already sized up Augen Manorst night didnt further pause his steps and straightaway pushed the door to go in.
Anne Aldrich Augen who was wearing a pure white one-piece smiled happily when she saw Kieran again.
Although we just parted ways in the morning, I am still delighted to see you again, she said.
It was hard to tell whether she was telling the truth based on her expression alone but Kieran didnt waste his effort in determining the truth. He knew what the purpose of this visit was.
Likewise, Kieran was quite certain that Anne Aldrich Augen knew the purpose of his visit as well. After all, the rtionship between both of them wasnt to the point that one of them could simply drop by in the others ce.
Is it the delight of getting rewarded? Kieran asked.
It will have to depend on what you brought me today!
Anne Aldrich Augen said before heading up to the second floor.
The main hall was not a ce to discuss private matters but the study room.
While following behind Anne Aldrich Augen, Kieran felt the de like gaze once again on his skin, his eyes traced back to the source and saw Mayer the fighter.
Mayer was standing under one of the pirs of the main hall. He wasnt hiding in the shadows and yet many others neglected his existence naturally.
If it wasnt for Kieran S+ Intuition, it would be hard for him to notice Mayer as well.
A different type of undercover ability? Kieran guessed.
Mayer is quite interested in you as well, 2567. He really wished to have a friendly spar with you. I mean its just a friendly fight, right? Its really troublesome talking between you fighters, you really want to fight it out but you have to find other words to express it.
Anne Aldrich Augen said unintentionally.
You know, such a test like this is pointless, didnt you run checks on my current situation?
Kieran replied without showing obvious signs but Anne Aldrich Augen replied with a softugh.
Memory loss? Dont y that joke on me, no matter how good you conceal it, I dont believe you! Anne Aldrich Augen said solemnly.
Trust me, you will soon.
Kieran then took out that piece of paper.
Chapter 681 - Magical Zipper
Chapter 681: Magical Zipper
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Whats this?
Anne Aldrich Augen nced over the ces written on the paper, her eyes seemed to have reacted differently but her face showed confusion.
Obviously its what youve always known. When I woke up in St. Reid Hospital, unimaginable things happened, a nurse who jumped off the building became an evil spirit, one of the Twenty Hounds from the Elder Council came after my body and this is what that fake Gat told me. I couldnt even determine what was true what was false. Also, that piece of paper was also handed to me by him. Kieran pointed at the paper in her hands.
Anne Aldrich Augen didnt reply immediately, instead, she went straight towards her study room by pushing the door open. She didnt choose to sit down but leaned back on her study desk.
She then habitually disyed her perfect body curves before Kierans eyes before she continued.
So, you chose Carose Cafe to meet with me?
2567, do you know if you do that, you will waste all the debt of gratitude for you this morning!
In the end, there was a slight rage lingering on her face.
But after the slight rage, how Anne Aldrich Augen postured herself in front of Kierans eyes caused an illusory feeling in Kierans heart making him want to dominate her.
[Charm: Spirit has passed the authentication, no unusual effect will ur...]
Kieran raised a brow when he saw the Spirit authentication that popped up.
He then sized up the woman before his eyes with surprise and shock.
Right at that moment, Kieran was sure Anne Aldrich Augen didnt use any tools, spells or other possible means to achieve that but relied solely on her beauty and body to allow the system to determine a [Charm] authentication.
Kieran was awestruck by her beauty again and at the same time raised his caution against her higher.
Tools and spells might be strong but could be defended, instead, this type of natural [Charm] that appeared out of nowhere would easily catch people off guard.
No wonder after beingbeled as the ck Widow, there are still so many pursuers behind Anne Aldrich Augen! Kieran silently took in a breath and muttered to himself.
Being honest is the basis of deals, Kieran said.
His strong Spirit allowed him to recollect the messy thoughts in his mind swiftly and his tone was maintained at an optimal level. He was clear that if he didnt want to be the ck Widows next prey, he better do so.
Being a hunter was quite the experience but being the hunted?
No thanks!
Fancy words and ingratiating talk, Anne Aldrich Augenmented.
In fact, she has been observing Kieran meticulously and when he noticed Kierans face swiftly return to normal, she knew her alluring body wouldnt work on him.
Fortunately, it wasnt the only trick she had prepared, more tests were necessary.
But I really want to know what your means of cooperation? Anne Aldrich Augen asked.
You help me, I help you, Kieran said directly.
You help me? An AMNESIA PATIENT wants to help me?
Anne Aldrich Augen purposely emphasized the term amnesia patient.
I am suffering amnesia, not an idiot. You and that fighter, Mayer dont share amon employer and employee rtion, there should be some... contract or promise of sorts right? The so-called contract or promise tied your hands down so you couldnt order him around. Otherwise, I dont believe you wouldnt bring him together to meet me in the morning.
Kieran wasnt affected by Anne Aldrich Augens charm and said what he analyzed.
Human always feared death. Even if they dare disregard their lives and look death in the face, it would only be for a slight moment because their emotions were driving them towards the end.
Nothing in their nature would change, especially when they acquired a certain level of wealth and power, the fear for death would be erged infinitely.
Kieran was no exception either, and Anne Aldrich Augen who exhausted all her efforts to gain her current level of wealth was even more so.
So, Kieran didnt believe she wouldnt do it if she had the chance to order a fighter like Mayer to do her bidding.
There was only one real reason that she didnt order Mayer around: Anne Aldrich Augen allowed Mayer to protect her but she couldnt give him orders, possibly the protection range was only limited to the manor alone.
This was Kierans chance!
If he wanted to borrow Anne Aldrich Augens influence and power to investigate, he would have to pay a certain cost. He knew the principal in his heart.
While inside this current dungeon world, Kieran could only offer hisbat abilities as leverage in the negotiation with Anne Aldrich Augen, coincidentally she direly needed muscle around her.
Mayer being inside Augen Manor was the best example.
You want to sell your body?
Anne Aldrich Augen purposely added some insulting terms in her words, unfortunately, the Kieran before her was as though his emotions were lost.
Not selling my body, but a contract. Like Mayer, I can offer you help without crossing my baseline and principals, Kieran replied.
Baseline? Principals? Im sorry, you are begging me now right?
Anne Aldrich Augenughed.
Yes! But you are not the only coborator, I dont want to follow the other persons pace in his ns which will put me in a passive position. If your conditions are too harsh, I guess I have to take the risk. Kieran nodded without denying it but also presented his baseline once more.
Even though he needed help, Kieran didnt want to agree to any conditions that could suck benefits out of him wantonly.
Are you really having amnesia?
Anne Aldrich Augen stood straight and stepped forward to Kieran, sizing him up closely before his face.
Two pairs of eyes of the two people stared at each other statically, their faces were less than 10 cm away. The small distance was closing by the second as Anne Aldrich Augen leaned her body forward and closer.
What do you think? Kieran backed up a little subtly.
Of course, yes! Because... No one would like to be deceived by a fake Gat!
Anne Aldrich Augen couldnt hold back herugh when he noticed Kieran slowly backed off, as though she had gained some victory.
Well then, we can work together now. You want me to get someone to investigate Donna Bar and Ximi Candy house right?
Herughs were paused and continued on with a serious tone.
And that fake Gat. He shouldnt be alone, its easy to avoid the surveince camera and sneak into St. Reid Hospital but the streets around the hospital would surely have some traces.
Kieran added.
No problem, but now I am curious what are you before you lost your memory?
Anne Aldrich Augen had curiosity over her face as she stepped forward, closing up to Kieran again.
If I can regain my memory, Ill tell you. So, what should I do now?
Kieran backed up subtly again, drawing distance from her.
Now? Well, let me think... Anne Aldrich Augen prolonged her tone.
She then turned around instantly, lifting her hair up and revealed her fair back of her neck.
The zipper of my dress is stuck, can you help me with it?
Kieran was stunned when Anne Aldrich Augens words echoed in his ears.
He never thought she would perform such a request.
Then an even more unexpected scene unfolded before his eyes.
Eh? It seems to be fine again!
Amidst her full of surprise voice, Anne Aldrich Augen pulled down her zipper right away.
Her white one piece then slid off her fair body.
Chapter 682 - Hand-Blade!
Chapter 682: Hand-de!
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Kieran swiftly dashed out of the study room and closed the door when he was out.
Anne Aldrich Augensughs never stopped throughout the process.
Anyone who heard herughs will feel the delight in her heart, including Kieran.
In fact, as the person involved, he couldnt do anything despite he knew it was one of Anne Aldrich Augens test again. If he didnt need her help in certain ces, Kieran wouldnt mind teaching her an unforgettable lesson.
But now?
Leaving was the only choice he had.
Kieran arrived at the corridor that he dropped byst night, the shattered window and torn carpet had been reced by new ones.
Kierans knowledge was not enough for him to judge the value of these things but from the looks of Anne Aldrich Augens attitude, these things should be pricey.
That damn woman!
The moment Kieran thought about Anne Aldrich Augen, he remembered the previous scene again and instinctivelymented on her behavior.
Until he saw Mayer on the side of the corridor, only then he swiftly put away his messy thoughts.
Both of them should be on the same side now but facing against a powerful fighter, Kieran knew what he should do that would cause things to end in the best manner.
The one who lost his vignce would be the one who suffered a terrible death.
Kieran had no intentions of being one.
You are strong, Mayer said directly and outspoken.
Simr to his square facial features that looked rigid, his words sounded hard like a robot as well.
I want to have a friendly spar. Mayer didnt conceal his thoughts, or in other words, a person like Mayer didnt know how to conceal his thoughts.
Kieran frowned against the suggestion, it wasnt rejection but surprised.
[Discovered sub-mission: Friendly Spar]
[Friendly Spar: Fighter Mayer wished to spar with you to train his own technique, it is also a rare opportunity for you as well, especially when you win...]
A very surprising sub-mission, the contents even exceeded Kierans expectation but after being dazed for a while, he quickly came back to his senses.
Sure!
Kieran would not reject given the arrival of a sub-mission.
Follow me.
Seeing Kieran agreed in a straightforward manner, Mayers rigid face had softened a bit. He turned around and lead Kieran outside to an empty space within the manor.
The empty space was another garden beside the manors main building and was different from what Kieran had seen before, this new garden was much more primitive.
Most of the flowers were grown on the ground, not in the gardening pots.
It added a different livelihood to the flowers and when the afternoon breeze blew, the aroma of the flowers wound enter ones nose and cause one to squint in satisfaction.
Of course, it didnt include Kieran at that particr moment.
Following a short Shall we begin?, Mayer started to look at Kieran fiercely like a tiger.
When Kieran nodded, the de-like aura from Mayer exploded immediately, as though he was an ignited barrel of explosive filled with sharp des.
The feel of sharp des cutting ones his face made Kieran squint his eyes unconsciously.
Without even looking at the notification spamming his visions, Kieran also knew if he didnt possess a high enough Spirit attribute, he might be terrified before he even started the fight.
Spiritual battle tactics?
Kieran thought of it while he squinted his eyes.
It wasnt the first time he came in contact against the battle tactics that utilized ones own aura and battle manner to suppress his enemy. Whether it was in the chats with Lawless during their hangouts or the enemies he used to fight, everything had allowed Kieran to experience real spiritual battle tactics.
Though, it was the first time Kieran came across a furious aura like Mayers.
It wasnt even exaggerating to say that the suppression from Mayers aura and manner was already simr to [Half-Deads Gaze]s [Deadmans Gaze]s effect.
Kieran clearly could feel a simr suppression from him, but against Kierans strongest Spirit attribute, the suppression was still too weak.
Even Kieran had suffered the penalty of -3 to all his attributes, SS+ Spirit granted Kieran the power to face such suppression as though it was a slight breeze to the face.
But as seconds passed, the slight breeze grew stronger.
The slight breeze turned into a strong gale and further elevated into a rampant cyclone!
Kieran still didnt budge at all, he stood there on the spot as though he had turned into a small hill.
He stood there mightily without the slightest movements!
KABOOM!
A heavy explosionter, Mayer moved.
The first step he took, the rampant cyclone around him wreaked havoc.
The flowers on the ground around him were uprooted together with the dirt and petals. They were flying around as though an unknown furious beast was inside that rampaging cyclone, stirring everything into a mess as it threw itself at Kieran.
BANG!
Kieran raised his kick in a straight line, striking precisely on the beasts head!
Amidst the heavy blow, the petals and dirt flew off and revealed the true face of the beast: Mayers fist!
The erected veins on his iron fist were like the roots of an old tree, supporting that metallic-like skin around it.
Garks!
A tooth numbing screechter, Mayer retracted his punch and so did Kieran with his kick but right after that, both of them attacked again.
Wooosh!
The right fist was switched to the left fist and the right kick was switched to the left kick.
The fist and the foot shed once more with powerful energy and a harsh air-whistle.
Bang!
BANG BANG BANG!
A second time, third, fourth...
Each time their fist and foot collided, theyd split up right away andunched another round of attack.
Sounds of heavy shes were ceaseless and relentless. The barrage of fists and feetsted for a whole full minute.
BANG!
Another hard shter, both of them split up again but this time, neither of them moved further.
Kierans face had a sense of shock, he had already tried to overestimate Mayers strength but he didnt think Mayer would be on par with him in hand-to-handbat, even though it was just a hard brawl absent of any technique.
Compared to Kierans shock, Mayer was overwhelmed.
Mayers hands were quivering, his iron-like skin on his hand had visible bruises, it waspletely unbelievable for Mayer.
One needed to know that Mayers hands had gone through rigorous training of a secret legacy technique. Even facing against bullets, his hands would be free from any scratches, literally. It also was a part of his rigorous training.
Aches, numbness, pain, all three sensations were transferred from his hands to his heart.
It reminded Mayer of his early days to be a fighter. Back in the day, he had to endure thousands and thousands of painful sensation.
The feeling was strange yet familiar to him.
Mayer took in a deep breath. His rigid face was overflowing with the true excitement of a fanatic.
AGAIN! Mayer growled.
Then, the technique that Mayer usedst night was performed again as he appeared in front of Kieran as though he teleported. His right hand was in a chopping stance, shing down towards Kieran.
This time around, it was different than the hard shes from before.
An extremely unique power enveloped Mayers right-hand sh.
It looked formless yet was constrained to a shape, it should be invisible yet ripples rippled out of his hand.
The power made his hand sh as sharp as a real de! Even on par with some famous swords that was forged into existence!
Chapter 683 - A Real Beat
Chapter 683: A Real Beat
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
When Kieran sensed the unique power, he frowned, but when facing the shing hand de, he didnt even hesitate.
Souu!
A half-moon qi energy wave was fired along with his kick, crashing into Mayers hand de.
BANG!
After a ss-breaking sound, [de Kick]s energy wave with the -1 debuff was shattered by Mayers hand de.
Mayers hand de suffered a slight pause before going down on Kierans right leg.
Ugh!
It has been a while since Kieran felt pain and it came from the spot where his leg was struck by the hand de.
Kieran quickly retracted his kick and staggered backward.
Mayer was in hot pursuit, he raised up his right hand again and this time the aura energy around his hand got denser.
At the side of his palm, a faint image of a real long de started to take shape.
Kierans pupils shrunk, he had seen the scene before and was even quite familiar with it.
Back in [The Queens Shield] during the battle with the Prairies King, when Kieran used [Sword Skill, Tiger Stance], a simr situation urred.
Although until now, he didnt figure it out what was going on, it didnt stop him from knowing whenever such situation urred, the skill would generate power far beyond its own limits.
Kieran instinctively wanted to retreat but the pain at his right leg robbed the nimbleness from his body movements, forcing him to tumble backward.
Still, the hand de strike grazed Kierans body.
Souuu!
A hole was shed at the waist part of his shirt, revealing his abs.
The cut was clean, neat and maybe an inch deep. Blood then sshed out from the smoothly cut wound.
Kieran ripped his T-shirt off and tied it over his wound.
Although it wasnt a real bandage, -1 [Medical Treatment, Bandage] was still at Entry level, allowing him to take care of his wound while retreating backward.
Of course, it was just a simple treatment as it was impossible to reach the result of a real bandage and hemostasis balm.
Even when Kieran was stopping his own bleeding, his eyes never left Mayer.
After performing two consecutive shes with his hand de, it seemed like the consumption of energy was quite big as well.
Mayer was panting heavily butpared to Kieran who suffered significant damage, Mayer was still in a good shape.
Right after a moment, Mayer stepped forward again, heading towards Kieran.
He was ready to im his victory from this friendly spar with Kieran.
Kieran frowned when he saw Mayering close.
The situation at hand had ced him in a disadvantaged position, the injuries on his leg and waist had decreased his strength more than 50%.
Mayer however only suffered some light damage.
Kieran nced over the bruises on the back of Mayers hand, his furrowed brows got tighter.
The Goddess of Victory seemed to be on Mayers side.
Kieran felt unwilling. He wasnt a person who couldnt afford to lose but because this friendly spar represented the sub-mission and once he lost, it would mean the failure of the sub-mission as well.
From the moment he stepped into the underground game, whether was it his main mission or sub-mission, Kieran had never failed before.
He wouldplete them without any exception and despite not telling anyone about it, in his heart, he was quite proud of himself, or should it be, it had be his habit.
He was used to being sessful in clearing missions and was unable to ept failure.
Even though failure was lingering before his eyes, he wanted to risk it and try to redeem his failure back into sess!
Undoubtedly, such a habit was a scary one.
Kieran saw Mayer approaching him step by step, his brain was calcting the distance in between and his breath was trying to regte itself.
His slightly messed up breathing was once again stabilized with [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art]s technique.
The whole process wasnt that hard because it had also be a habit for Kieran.
A warm energy stream flowed out from his heart, spreading out to his four limbs and hundreds of bones. It warmed his cold body up once more after losing a big amount of blood.
His warm body was gathering energy ceaselessly all of a sudden.
Mayer instantly noticed the changes on Kieran. He wasnt mad at all but instead, he smiled.
His rigid face revealed a smile with his white teeth underneath.
You are a respectable opponent! Being able to im victory in a friendly spar with such an opponent is something worthmemorating! Mayer said, his steps didnt stop.
When he finished talking, he was in front of Kieran and shed down with his right-hand de.
Wung!
The sharp shing noise stung Kierans face once again but he pretended he didnt see it as though he ignored such a powerful attack.
Mayer didnt seem to be stopping either, or rather, he didnt think it was the time for him to stop yet.
His hand-de continued shing down.
When the hand-de was less than a finger away from Keiran, he finally moved by tilting his whole body backward, recing his feet with his palms and arching his waist.
His left kick was fired out like a loaded spring, aimed towards Mayers chin.
Fuuu!
The powerful wind from Kierans left kick even fluttered Mayers spiky hair but Mayer didnt have any intentions to dodge it. His left hand was idle from the start!
After Kieran raised his kick, Mayer too raised his left hand, pressing down at Kierans feet and his right-hand de went on shing down.
Sssss!
Snake hisses sounded suddenly and Kierans left kick twisted out of trajectory, dodging Mayers left hands blockade and went towards Mayers chin.
Mayer smiled.
He was fooled by the freaky trickst night, how would he not take precaution against it today?
Mayers left hand, which should have been avoided, twisted as well and it went after Kierans left feet again like a soft whip.
But Mayer missed again because Kierans hissing left kick suddenly elerated and even brought upyers of kicking afterimages.
A snakes hiss buzzed ceaselessly and the kicking afterimages were relentless, as if a single venomous viper turned into a group, engulfing Mayer directly.
But the truly lethal one was...
Sssss!
Another series of snake hisses sounded and it was louder and clearer than anyone before, as though a myriad of snakes was hissing at the moon.
Snakes after snakes sprung up from the ground below suddenly. Their cold reptilian eyes, lethal venomous fangs, and scarlet red tongues were all aimed at Mayer.
[Sword Skill, Myriad Viper]!
Categorized as a sword skill but actually, an illusory skill that relied on Spirit to activate. It caught Mayer off guard as it stunned him for a while.
During that minor window, Kieransbo attack, [Viper Kick] and [Hundred Violent Kicks] trulynded on Mayers body.
Bang Bang Bang!
A barrage of hitting noiseter, Mayer was sent flying after the barrage of kicks and crashed hard onto the ground further away.
Kieran too fell to the ground as though he exhausted his energy.
However, momentster, Mayer who was covered in dirt, spitting a mouthful of blood, and was breathing heavily, climbed up once more.
Kieran couldnt afford to lose but Mayer could?
No! Mayer never wanted to lose!
As the strongest fighter in End City, his pride in himself was higher than anyone could imagine. That sense of pride forced him to not admit defeat easily.
So he stood up and looked at Kieran with an even more fanatic gaze.
Funng!
A heavy buzzter, the faint image on his right hand materialized! It materialized into a true de!
Kieran, who staggered to get up, skipped a beat in his heart when he saw the materialized de.
He gave it all his effort and yet he was still going to lose?
Despair rose up swiftly in Kierans heart but was discarded them by himself in the next moment.
No! He didnt want despair, he hated it because he never really lost a battle before!
He still had a chance!
Mayer abruptly endured barrages of kicks from Kieran, his injuries werent light either. His condition was almost the same with Kieran a while ago.
Even though the materialized de was sharper than ever, its power must have been affected.
If I can dodge this strike, victory will be mine!
Kieran told himself in his heart and because of that conviction, his heart was beating fiercely.
There wasnt the devils energy nor the growls of the Creature of Desire, not even sharpness from the Saint Thorns but only the shine from Dawn.
The first light from dawn shone through the darkness of the night and shed its light of hope over despair. His heart would not give up on hope and thus, it started to beat, beating in its own way.
The first time his heart truly beat.
Dong.
Dong Dong.
Dong Dong Dong!!
Chapter 684 - Dawn Sword
Chapter 684: Dawn Sword
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Kierans heart beat like a battle drum.
A firm and indomitable aura filled Kierans chest.
The warm energy stream from his heart instantly became a raging tide, flooding into Kierans limbs and bones with the force of toppling mountains and overturning seas.
The pain in his right leg and the wounded waist were instantly recovered together with his breath. It didnt even leave a scar behind.
Not only that but the bigger changes were just getting started.
Spots of white glow shone under Kierans skin.
The spots then connected itself and gathered on Kierans hands.
As though his mind was enlightened and lit up in the nick of time, he thought of Gunthersons Dawn.
That stwave of Dawn!
Kieran too looked at Mayer, cing his palms together and pushed forward almost instinctively.
DAWN!
His voice exploded.
BOOOOM!
A dazzling light pir thrust out like a sword.
This sword would pierce the despair in the deepest darkness.
This sword could perforate the night sky like paper.
Also, it allowed Kieran to im his victory from Mayer.
The moment Mayer sensed the change of aura on Kieran, his face turned heavier than ever.
When the Dawn Force lit uppletely, Mayers face turnedpletely and looked inconceivable.
The moment the sword named Dawn was thrust out, Mayers body and movements suffered dys.
He needed to back off! He couldnt take the thrusting light sword head on!
Thoughts bloomed in his heart and his iron-will began to quiver before the light sword.
Mayer clenched his teeth, straightened his neck, and forbid himself from stepping back.
End City strongest fighter too dished out his own hand de.
CHANG!
On top of the materialized long de, ripple-like brandings dazzled along the de edge and gushed forward like a raging tide from the sea.
However, against the Dawn Sword that could perforate the night sky, the raging tide seemed to be helpless before its power.
It shattered and was defeated! The long de from Mayer was instantly broken upon contact with the thrust from Dawn Sword. It returned to its mirage form and vanished into thin air.
For Mayer, it was like being struck by lightning. A mouthful of blood gushed out from his mouth and he staggered back to a fall.
Dawn Sword grazed Mayers body after he fell to the ground and it went on forward, cutting a huge trench throughout Augen Manors garden.
The trench was straight and neatly cut as though the ground was tofu sliced by a sharp knife.
The others who came to the scene because of the loud sounds were awestruck.
At the source of the trench though...
Huuhaaa, Huuhaaa!
Vigorous panting came out from Kierans mouth, his chest was copsing and expanding rapidly. The exhaustion he felt was nothing like before, he couldnt even muster enough strength to continue standing and fell to the ground.
The stars that twinkled before his eyes told Kieran that he needed to rest but his eyes automatically went on staring at the notification that popped up on his vision.
[Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art, authenticating special activation...]
[Special activation unable to limit break, -1 Skill Debuff maintained...]
Special activation? Unable to limit break?
The sudden notifications made Kieran squint his eyes and more guesses formed in his mind.
However, before he could think in details, a sudden pain came from his head. He knew his remaining energy couldnt allow him to continue thinking.
He started to regte his breaths with [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art].
Ten secondster, the pain softened slowly and Kieran opened his eyes again, looking at Mayer who was struggling to climb up.
Mayers body was filled with small cuts and a big stain of blood was all over his chest.
Although Dawn Sword didnt really hit Mayer, grazing his body still made him suffer serious chaff damage.
Kieran knew if Mayer wasnt a fighter who trained his body to certain limits, he couldnt have survived that Dawn Sword even if it only grazed off him.
But Mayers recovering speed was obviously very surprising for Kieran.
Some kind of secret technique?
Kieran guessed as he witnessed the small cuts rapidly regenerate and stop further bleeding.
Kieran also recalled how Mayer dodged the Dawn Sword with his staggered steps, it might look like he was hurt and unable to stand straight but in fact, there was much more than meets the eyes. No doubt it was also a secret technique that he possessed.
You are the Saint Relic Association Knight?
After giving his best effort in standing straight, Mayer looked at Kieran in shock and surprise.
For a fighter like Mayer, the mystical realm that was off limits tomon folks was no longer the unknown but also because of that, Mayer was so astonished.
From what he knew, the list of knights of the Saint Relic Association definitely didnt have Kierans name, despite his aura was full of hope.
I... You know I am suffering a memory loss. Other than my name, 2567, I dont know anything else and even my name was told to me by someone else.
Kieran wanted to deny out of instinct but when the words came to his tongue, he altered it.
It wasnt an intentional lie but he chose the way that benefited him the most.
Seemed like the title of Sant Relic Association Knight had quite the value. Whether it was the title itself or the sub-mission that followed, simr to thepletion of Mayers sub-mission.
[Sub-mission: Friendly Spar (Complete)]
[Acquired extra time: 3 Days!]
It lifted Kieran mood a lot when he saw the time period was extended again.
Even more so when he found bits of traces from the system notification, his mood became even more delighted.
Is that so? Mayer didnt doubt Kierans words because the memory loss had been verified at the doctors. Even the fake Gat could verify that.
Especially thetter, the way the fake Gat deceived Kieran as though he was toying him could not have baited amon person.
As for a possible disguise?
When Mayer recalled the Dawn Sword that was filled with hope, he subconsciously shook his head.
He didnt believe the person who can utilize such power would disguise himself.
A persons expression and face were disguisable but when a person was forced to a desperate spot, the disyed of the aura from thest resort was certainly not disguisable.
Mayer then spoke again, Thank you for fighting with me! Ive really gained a lot from it!
Mayer tried his best in straightening his body and thanked Kieran meticulously.
The gratitude from the fighters face was very sincere.
Me too! Kieran thanked him as well. It wasnt any courtesy talk, because, without Mayers friendly spar invitation, he wouldnt have noticed that in the current dungeon world exist a possibility to limit break the -1 debuff limit.
Although it might be really hard to truly limit break the restrictions, at least it was better than knowing nothing at all, at least Kieran had gotten a direction.
His fondness of Mayer increased and the sharp intuition from the fighter made him realized Kierans kindness as well.
His rigid face softened once more and both of them couldnt hold back their smile as they looked at each other.
Since when did you boys became such good friends? Or did you two teamed up to tear Augen Manor apart?
A suppressed angry scolding sounded.
A mini crowd somehow gathered around the scene and the crowd opened up a path for Anne Aldrich Augen who had changed into a bodysuit of a knight.
She stood there with her icy face, ring at them both and had a document file in her hand.
Chapter 685 - Breathing
Chapter 685: Breathing
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
After Mayer took responsibility forpensating all the damage caused because he suggested the friendly spar in the first ce, Anne Aldrich Augen quickly smiled once more.
She then returned to the main building and ordered the family doctor to patch Mayer up before bringing Kieran back to the study room.
The moment the study room door was shut, Anne Aldrich Augen sized up Kieran as though she had discovered a rare treasure.
Despite recovering a little, Kieran was still exhausted. He wasnt in the mood to tangle with her at the moment.
He rubbed his temple and asked, Can you show me your investigation results?
Sure! I didnt think that you would actually defeat Mayer!
Anne Aldrich Augen nodded and passed the file to Kieran, her mouth was praising him ceaselessly.
Just being lucky.
Kieran answered after epting the file.
It wasnt an act of humility but an actual fact.
If the [Knight of Dawn Body Tempering Art] didnt suddenly correspond to his actions and open up the special activation, Kieran would have lost the battle.
Despite him giving it his best, all he could achieve was a draw and the one getting patched up by the family doctor will be him instead of Mayer.
If he lost, he wouldnt have been sitting where he was now, going through the investigation results of Donna Bar and Ximi Candy House.
Though Anne Aldrich Augen didnt share the same thought.
Being humble is a good virtue but excessive humility will be arrogance. But a person like you having such arrogance is normal too. You know, I am much more curious about your original identity now...
Anne Aldrich Augen was staring at Kieran in a very seductive manner and posture but it disappointed her when Kieran didnt bat an eye at her actions but concentrated his full attention on the investigation results.
Kierans reaction made Anne Aldrich Augen scowl. She then lightly moved behind Kieran and threw herself over to him all of a sudden.
It wasnt a malicious act, she was just trying to hug Kieran from behind.
What other extra actions would follow after the hug?
It would only be in Anne Aldrich Augens mind.
Unfortunately, Kieran didnt even give her the chance to do that.
The moment Anne Aldrich Augen threw herself over, Kieran moved aside and allowed her to move past him. He softly grabbed Anne Aldrich Augens shoulder and tapped it down, removing most of her momentum before twisting her and sitting her down on the study desk.
You like this position? Anne Aldrich Augen spoke softly after shended her bum on the table.
As she spoke, she lifted both her long fair legs on the desk, moving her fair slim finger across her white thighs. She slightly tilted her body backward, tightening her knight clothing and stretched the contour of her beautiful body line to the fullest.
However, Kieran didnt even lift his head up before turning away.
This isnt how a gentleman should behave! Anne Aldrich Augens movements paused a bit.
Her soft and tender voice from a moment ago switched to an upset tone.
Still, Kieran remained unconvinced.
After he saw the investigation results in his hand, the gears in his mind started spinning.
Donna Bar, another gathering point of the mystics in End City. Beingpletely different than Mecathy and Borjane Books seclusive traits, Donna Bar was open to all. As long as one could prove they were a mystic, they were allowed to enter.
Ximi Candy House, a shop that sold all sorts of magical potions and had been operating for a lengthy 210 years, a true antique shop.
The owner Ximi was the fourth generation of the Ximi family, he took over the shop from his father a while ago but because of his age, he couldnt achieve what his father had achieved back in the day. Though he was a highly motivated young man and friendly, a popr person among the End mystics.
Among the two locations, Ximi Candy House no doubt had a higher value of visiting. Evenparing all the three locations, the value stayed unchanged.
Could he be aiming for Ximi Candy house? He wanted me to create a diversion and rob the ce?
Kieran thought of the possibility unconsciously but quickly shook his head in denial.
If the fake Gat wanted to use him to create chaos, there must be some conflict involved.
Although the Mecathy and Borjane Books owner did make his move because of the bounty from the Elder Council, it didnt mean Ximis fourth generation owner would as well.
Especially when the files did mention the fourth generation Ximi owner was serious and friendly.
Such a person wouldnt attract unwanted conflict by nature.
As for Donna Bar, the female owner Donna herself wouldnt either.
The female owner was an expert in socializing and being resourceful, shed even part-time as an underground information broker as well.
An information broker wouldnt involve themselves in conflict easily, they were much more skilled in talking to earn money.
Kieran believed Donna Bars female owner would easily sell him out if hed been there but her making a move against him directly would have a slimmer chance.
So, what did that fake Gat want?
Kieran couldnt help but frown as he was lost in his thoughts.
Even after getting the intel on Donna Bar and Ximi Candy House, the doubts in his heart werent removed, instead, they became more and more clouded.
He felt like he was wandering through abyrinth. With every new path before him, the higher his chances of being lost within.
Then let us wait and see!
Kieran suddenly made up his mind and revealed a cold grin on his face.
He had nned to pay a visit to Donna Bar and Ximi Candy house. Regardless of what the fake Gat had nned, he would get his answers there.
But not at the moment. He needed much rest to regain his strength.
Anne Aldrich Augen didnt think as such. The manors female owner came down from the desk and went up to Kierans face.
Ive given you what you want, so is it time for you to keep your side of the deal? Anne Aldrich Augen asked.
What do you want? Kieran replied with his question. He didnt mention the zipper incident from before as it was just a joke. A lousy joke from Anne Aldrich Augen which wasnt her request at all.
Both of them knew it perfectly in their heart.
Tonight, we...
Anne Aldrich Augen purposely prolonged her tone.
You requests have been limited to a certain range! Kieran reminded her.
I finally know why you and Mayer could get along so well, both of you are so dull and block-headed... Or do you both share feelings for each other?
Anne Aldrich Augen crossed her arms over her chest, looking upset after being interrupted.
Instantly, her chest shook in a breathtaking manner.
Right after that, a heavy breathing sound echoed within the study room.
Anne Aldrich Augen was stunned instantly as the breathing did note from Kieran.
Chapter 686 - Club
Chapter 686: Club
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Sss Sss Sss!
When Anne Aldrich Augen was stunned, myriads of snakes sprung out from the floor before her eyes, hissing sharply with their heads up and drowning her like the rising tide.
Wunng!
Anne Aldrich Augens mind instantly nked, causing her to stand there absent-minded. Her eyes were out of focuspletely. She tried to resist but couldnt even find a way.
Using Kierans strongest Spirit attribute as its base, when [Sword Skill, Myriad Viper] was used against people or living beings who had a lower attribute stats than Kieran, it would grant him the power to suppress every target within range, which also included that uninvited guest.
While being torn apart by myriads of vipers fangs, the person exposed himself from the shadows and was immediately greeted by Kierans kicking, drowning himpletely.
Despite Kierans face being pale and sick, he didnt hold back at all. After a barrage of kicks that ripped the persons bones and tendons apart, he didnt even have to chance to open his mouth before he ended up dead without the slightest signs of life.
Looking at the uninvited guests distorted body, Kierans face was still ugly.
He was fearful of what came after!
After the battle with Mayer, although he remained cautious and vignt, it drained his energy a lot and it also highly affected his Intuition which led to the failure of discovering the uninvited guest.
If it wasnt for Anne Aldrich Augens words, once the uninvited guest made his move on Kieran, the oue will be unpredictable given Kierans current condition after missing out on the first strike.
Any memory that came close to death would not be beautiful, let alone facing death directly.
Kieran took in a deep breath and looked at Anne Aldrich Augen.
The female manor owner was also showing an ugly face because she also suffered the effect of [Sword Skill, Myriad Viper] and anger when her territory was simply invaded by others.
She didnt further care about Kieran but went back to her desk to press a button underneath.
Momentster, the lead security guard led a group of men into the study room.
None of the security guards had any changes of expression when they saw the distorted body. They quickly cleaned up the ce and greeted Anne Aldrich Augen before they left again.
Until the bloody stench in the study room had faded away, Anne Aldrich Augens face only started to rx.
After Symende Augens idental death, Ive be a hated woman in someones crosshairs! This is the fourth assassination attempt in the past two days! If I didnt strike first and take out Symende Augens secretary, that bastard would lead the group of well-armed mercenaries and storm the manor, upying it in no time!
These damn bastards! Anne Aldrich Augen muttered to herself, her tone had a sense of self-mockery but most of it was cold killing intent.
Kieran dare not doubt the killing conviction in the womans heart right now. No one would spare those who tended to threaten their own lives, especially when the threatened had the capabilities to take revenge.
As for the well-armed mercenary group that she spoke off, Kieran had encountered it more than once.
What are you nning to do? Kieran continued rubbing his temple.
After using [Sword Skill, Myriad Viper], his already tired body was further exhausted, he might even sleep right away once he lied down somewhere.
Given his current condition, Kierans still took the initiative to ask Anne Aldrich Augen but not because he was concerned about her.
The ck Widow needed no ones concern of her well-being, or rather, anyone who showed their concern for her would not end up happy.
Kieran was not willing to test whether he was an exception unless there was a sub-mission.
In fact, he never doubted the possibility of a sub-mission appearing on Anne Aldrich Augen, simr to how he never doubted her charm in front of other men.
I need you to help me to deal with those mercenaries and fighters who dont want toply with my orders. I suppose youve met the mercenaries before and those so-called fighters, youve just met one. That Zaigen was their leader, when Symende Augen pulled that bastard out of state prison, he did spend a lot of effort.
If Symende Augen knew that right after his death, the underground factions that he spent so much effort in building had grouped up to take over his properties, harming his widow, I guess he would open his eyes again after being upset by his own actions.
Anne Aldrich Augen didnt beat around the bush with her words as it was spoken directly to Kieran.
Her self-mocking tone from a moment ago had instantly turned into her habitual sneering at others.
Fine but Ill need at least two hours of rest. Kieran nodded straightaway.
He didnt care about who was in the race for the rights to inherit Symende Augens properties because that was purely battle for benefits and it didnt have a lot to do with him as an outsider.
Or rather, the moment he chose to work with Anne Aldrich Augen, he didnt need to choose anymore.
[Discovered sub-mission: Suppression]
[Suppression: Symende Augens idental death caused the factions underneath his sphere of influence to fall apart. Youve chosen to work with Anne Aldrich Augen and now you need to help her to clear the blockage in front of her path!]
The sub-mission arrived without any surprise. After ncing over the details, Kieran looked at Anne Aldrich Augen again.
Also, I need their specific information as well. Of course, if you can provide me with some weapons, Ill be ever grateful, Kieran said.
No problem!
Anne Aldrich Augen agreed instantly and once again approached Kieran. The ck Widow leaned over like she had returned to her old habits, wanting to throw herself into Kierans arms.
Still, the oue was simr to the previous attempts, Kieran dodged her easily again.
I need enough rest, Kieran frowned and said.
As though you are really exhausting yourself.
Anne Aldrich Augen peeked at Kierans jeans near his crotch, teasing him.
Kieran replied with a middle finger and directly closed his eyes.
He knew it would take forever to return to his prime form if he kept tangling with this woman.
...
End City, the outskirts.
Near the west side of the state bordering road, there was a big piece of privatend.
Thend was filled with brilliant green grass and trees forming a big jungle-like area.
From time to time, gunshots could be heard and wild rabbits would shuttle across the tall grass. Sometimes there were panicked musk deer and Pre Davids deer running around as well.
The gunshots fired in the area would not attract attention at all, not even explosions because the ce was a famous open country shooting club.
Groups of people from the city would spend quite the amount of money there, renting hunting rifles from the club and the coach cum guide would bring them into the jungle for a hunting session.
However, it wasnt the weekend now. Only a few were lingering in the club and a couple of fes were on duty at the main hall.
How long do we need to continue staying here?
Can our guns only kill rabbits?
Symende Augen is dead, the contract between him and us should be over, why are we still staying here?
A couple of men were ranting to each other, thus none of them noticed a shadowy figure approaching them from behind.
Until a cold re shed over, blood was sprayed all over the ce.
Chapter 687 - A Door Apart
Chapter 687: A Door Apart
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The couple of ranting mercenaries didnt think they would be ambushed at all, nor did they think about how powerful the person who ambushed them was!
Their self-righteousbat techniques and shooting skills that they relied on back in the day couldnt even withstand a single blow. The mercenaries didnt even get the chance to react to what happened and fell straight into their own puddles of blood.
After making sure the couple of mercenaries were dead, Kieran calmly sized up his surroundings.
It felt like he didnt take out a couple of disappointing mercenaries but more like he had squeezed a couple ants with his finger. In fact, it really was.
Kieran never showed mercy to his enemies nor would he have empathy for them.
Those were luxuries that might cost him his life.
As for the mercenaries strength that regr people couldnt even bear, that was just limited to regr people. It was too easy for Kieran to take out a couple of not fully armed mercenaries.
ording to the blueprint Anne Aldrich Augen provided, the big hall before his eyes was one of the main buildings of the club.
The entire main building could be divided into two stories.
The first floor waspletely open to the public, there was a huge bar with various types of outdoor equipment for selling and renting. Beside the bar was a small locked door which was the firearm room that was used as a cover.
It was indeed the firearm room for customers as it was filled with all sorts of hunting rifles but to the mercenaries there, the true firearm room was underground.
However, the underground room had to be entered from the second floor as there wasnt an entrance made on the first floor.
The second floor was the resting quarters and entertainment spots for the mercenaries.
Most of the mercenaries who gathered on the second floor were causing a mor.
Kieran raised a brow when he heard the noisy cursing above.
Symende Augen obviously had a huge n in his mind, surely it wasnt just because of a mayor title but he really wanted to control the entire End City in his hands.
Otherwise, he wouldnt spend so much effort and form a mercenary group and recruit fighters in the dark.
However, although the mercenaries Symende Augen recruited might possess quite thebat abilities and maybe even be on par with a real army, that was it.
Other than that, the mercenaries discipline and organizational thoughts were even worse than Augen Manors security guards. Especially when news of Symende Augens death news was all over the city, their discipline went directly down the drain.
At least when Kieran infiltrated Augen Manor, he would still have to avoid outposts and guards openly and secretly but here?
He marched in right away.
Kieran took another nce at the stairs leading to the second floor. He didnt go up but turned around to the corridor beside the big hall.
The corridor was connected to the other attached building of the club and it was a prohibited ce for outsiders and even the mercenaries because that ce was where Symende Augens true reliance lived.
Four fighters with Zaigen as their leader. Compared to the undisciplined mercenaries, the fighters on the other side of the corridor were what Kieran thought highly of.
Despite Zaigen died under his hands and Tonita who was Symende Augens driver cum bodyguard died in the Winchester explosion, the remaining two fighters had always been in the club.
Of course, those two remaining underground fighters didnt stay behind in the clubhouse because of some honorable code to uphold to their contract, it was just after Symende Augens death, the two of them had their ambitious intents over therge amount of wealth their employer left behind, which also included Anne Aldrich Augen.
Both of them even contacted Anne Aldrich Augen privately and that was what forced her to ask Mayer to protect her.
However, Kieran had reserved his own opinions when Anne Aldrich Augen told him all of this. He preferred to lean towards the fact that she was just asking for pity and cheating empathy out of habit. After all, she didnt get the title of ck Widow for nothing.
After Symende Augens death, it was possible that Anne Aldrich Augen, who had been suppressed for so long, had her own ambitious thoughts blooming in her mind.
As for what the dirty deeds in her ambitions were, Kieran didnt and would not interfere. He knew clearly what his purpose foring to the clubhouse.
Kak!
With the key prepared by Anne Aldrich Augen, Kieran unlocked the corridors main door and entered with a sh. The corridor was spacious and lit up properly.
When the opposite searchlight shone over to the door, it was blinding for anyone who saw the strong light. One would subconsciously close their eyes, Kieran was no exception either.
The moment Kieran closed his eyes, an air-breaking sound came.
The sharp powerful wind caused goosebumps at Kierans neck.
A pair of strong robust arms reached out from Kierans back and grabbed him by the waist.
Hey pal, you really think were simr to those idiot mercenaries, not having any precautions?
A rough voice echoed in Kierans ears.
The smell of death from the breath made Kieran frown. He was kind of regretting choosing this tactic instead.
Under Kierans S+ Intuition, while being on the other side of the corridor, even with a door in between, the two fighters indeed held their breaths but Kieran was still able to notice what was going on.
But Kieran didnt mind taking them out in a more energy-efficient and safe way, so he was ready to meet ones ruse with another as he purposely stepped into their trap.
However, when Kierans nose picked up the terrible stench, it was really hard to bear.
Kieran stretched his arms outwards, not only did he break free from the strong robust arm locking him down, Kieran even treated the fighter like a sandbag and threw him forward towards the powerful wind.
The fighter in front of Kieran who wielded a longsword twisted his steps and easily dodged the human sandbag, allowing hispetitor to crash onto the searchlight, burning him and causing him to release a painful scream.
Trash!
The sword-wielding fightermented on hispetitor. His sword instantly brought up a series of shadows and as it moved around in a flurry, changing between real and unreal, the sword edge had covered Kierans eyes and throatpletely.
The sword-wielding fighters face had a sense of delight on his face, his mind already started to picture Kieran falling down.
Even a top-tier fighter whose body could withstand bullets, the eyes and throat were still weak, especially the former as it could bebeled as unable to withstand a single blow.
Therefore, the sword-wielding fighters heart had sentenced Kieran to death a while ago. He was very confident in his quick sword, so when his sword was kicked away by Kieran, his face was filled with an unbelieving expression.
It was only when Kierannded his heavy kick on his body that the fighter reacted to what happened.
Aaarrhh!
The agonizing scream had be thest call the fighter left on earth.
Hold...Hold on! I am willing to serve you, great sir, plea...
The robust arm fighter who Kieran threw off immediately kneeled down and begged for his life and yet it didnt draw mercy from Kieran.
A powerful kick down to the fighters throat, crushing his neckpletely.
Kieran went along and picked up the two green glowing items before his eyes turned around.
There was a door apart yet the malicious intents were like having prickles on his back.
Chapter 688 - Replicant
Chapter 688: Replicant
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Kierans sight was blocked by the door and he could see beyond it but the malicious intent that he felt from his Intuition was as real as a cold sharp sword, thrusting towards him.
A momentter...
BANG!
The door was smashed to pieces and a figure dashed towards Kieran amidst the bursting door.
With the brightness of the lights around, Kieran recognized the figure was one of the mercenaries that he had killed a while ago at first sight.
A faint corpse stench entered his nose and when Kieran saw the corpse flying towards him, he couldnt help but have goosebumps all over his body.
Kieran acted instinctively, he kicked the fighters body on the ground with his leg and sent it towards the corpse throwing itself over.
Bang!
When both of the corpses shed, they burst as though a water balloon was smashed on the ground.
Thick dark green slime sshed all over, spilling over the ground and walls and upon contact it corroded the concrete ground, melting them into big holes.
The body that Kieran kicked over was also turned into a puddle of thick dye color upon contact. It reeked horribly and it assaulted Kierans nose.
He instinctively covered his nose and looked outside the door but another flying corpse blocked his sight.
Bang!
Kieran then lifted the other fighters body and threw it out following the steps of the mysterious attacker. After the second round of body exploding, Kieran picked up the searchlight beside his feet and dashed out.
No doubt it was the handy work of a mystical individual!
Other than a mystic, no one else could cause a dead body to change drastically in such a short amount of time. However, Kieran couldnt confirm whether the mystic was a spellcaster or some user of special tools.
However, one thing was for sure which was Kieran couldnt spare enough time for the mystical individual.
Facing against a mysterious mystic who trailed him in unknown ways, once Kieran gave him enough time to prepare, Kieran would be the one in peril.
So, Kieran dashed out without further ado.
Sou Sou Sou!
The moment Kieran dashed into the main hall, a couple more dead bodies were hurled at him with continuous air-breaking sounds.
Kieran was prepared for the sudden ambush, he hurled the searchlight upwards and dashed forward faster.
When the bodies shed with the searchlight, Kieran was already a few meters out of range, despite a -3 debuff that lowered his Agility to A+.
At the same time, Kieran saw the mystic attacker that trailed him.
The person was wearing a long ck robe standing at the main entrance of the clubhouse.
His robe had a hood attached, blocking most of his face and it only revealed his scrawny chin.
Simrly, the wide sleeves of his robe were covering his arms but the skull head that he held in his palm was very eye-catching.
Unlike the other bones that were ground into shape through time, the skull in the persons hand was not only white in color but had a metal-like luster and in its deep eye sockets, two floating blueish green mes were burning continuously.
Bang Bang Bang!
Kieran raised his hand immediately and shots were fired without hesitation but when the bulletsnded on the persons body, it was like y oxen that sank into the sea, vanishing without any sounds.
The mystical individual also felt nothing and he even started to change his incantations in a deep voice swiftly.
The next moment and before Kieran could even move again, a couple of skeleton ws sprung out from the ground, grabbing Kieran by his legs.
Each of the skeleton ws was like the skull in the mystical individuals hand, metallic and lustrous.
The moment the ws grabbed Kieran, he felt like his legs were shackled down, restricting most of his movements.
2567? What a weird name but I wont diminish the value of your head a bit!
The dry and rough voice was very unsettling from the bottom of ones heart but it didnt stop the mystical individual from being delighted.
Trying to use other spellcasters methods against me? You are really delusional for an amnesia patient! Ill take your head now! The mystical individual dered loudly.
Fuuu!
The blueish green mes from the skull jumped up immediately, followed by a series of footsteps.
A group of mercenaries from the second floor came down in a staggered manner.
Each of them was pale and absent of any blood in their veins. Their eyes were dull and morbid.
No doubt all the mercenaries were dead but it didnt stop the mystical individual from turning their bodies into weapons.
Especially when the dead mercenaries saw Kieran, their slow and staggered movements immediately changed into a furious dash like a mad dog, hurling themselves over to Kieran with all four of their limbs.
The ck-robed mystical individual saw the scene and hisughs sounded more and more delightful. Although he spent quite the effort, the final bounty reward belonged to him.
Besides, he could also use this chance to disy his strength before the Elder Council, perhaps he could attract some attention from a certain powerful person and thus rocket his status once and for all.
Everything was nned perfectly, to the point that it felt unreal.
Therefore when the mystical individual was forced to face reality, he was not willing to believe it.
His movements were almost stagnant as he witnessed Kieran break free from the seemingly unbreakable iron skeleton ws and grazed past him like a gale, dashing further away.
You, you! Youre trying to escape? Who do you think...
The mystical individual was stunned at first when he saw Kierans unusual movements andughed coldly. He unconsciously thought Kieran was trying to escape.
However, Kieran then turned around and interrupted him instead, Idiot.
Kieran mocked the man and pointed at this feet with his finger.
The mystical individual tilted his head down and saw five grenades beside his feet.
He had no idea when the five grenades appeared beside his feet but he knew the pins on the grenades were removed.
He could use his secret spells to ignore bullets but it didnt mean he could do to same to grenades.
The mystical individual wanted to kick the grenades away but the moment he moved his leg, the grenades went off.
KABOOM!
A total of five grenades exploding at point nk and given that the ck-robed mystical individual had almost zero cover, he was sted into bits.
An orange glowing item then appeared above the scattered body parts.
The moment the mystical individual was sted to hell, the dead mercenaries too fell down one after another, dying for real this time.
Kieran picked up the item, it was a skull with a metallic luster over it.
[Name: Edeariel Skull Replicant]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attack: Weak]
[Defense: Weak]
[Attribute: 1. Dead Shield, 2. Dominate Dead, 3. Dead Breaths]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: Spirit A]
[Remark: This isnt the real skull of Edearial but a replicate of the real skull by a descendant but you shouldnt look down on it because it is a replicant.]
...
[Dead Shield: Form a Strong shield with negative energy, 5-second duration, 2/day]
[Dominate Dead: Control dead bodies with overall attributes lower than E in a 50-meter radius range, 30-second duration, 1/day]
[Dead Breaths: When in control of a dead body, able to trigger a self-explosion of acid with a Strong attack, 3/day]
...
It was quite a decent item for Kieran at the moment but when he looked at the skull, he frowned hard.
How did the man trail him without being discovered?
With Kierans Intuition, he would have reacted to that malicious gaze whenever he was nced at but the item he had gotten wasnt a tool that covered his presence.
Could the mystical individual use his own power instead?
Or had someone tipped him off?
Kieran couldnt help but squinted his eyes because there was only a handful of people who knew that he was going to the clubhouse.
Chapter 689 - Donna? Donna!
Chapter 689: Donna? Donna!
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
As for who exposed his location, Kieran initially thought of Anne Aldrich Augen but soon he shook his head.
Anne Aldrich Augen was a benefits-first woman. Such a woman couldnt be really trusted but because of that, Kieran discarded the possibility of her tipping others off.
After the battle with Mayer and the clutched win, Kierans performance was enough to allow Anne Aldrich Augen to know how to get the most benefits out of him.
Due to the fact that she sealed off the garden in Augen Manor to repair the trench that Kieran cut with his Dawn Sword, he knew that her ns or plots were definitely not something small.
Really a perfect match for Symende Augen! Kieran eximed.
Kieran then checked thoroughly throughout the clubhouse and after making sure he didnt miss anything, he took out his phone.
Mr. 2567, do you want to have dinner with me? The aroma of roastedmb shank is quite simr to your temperament, tender and alluring yet refused to be weed.
Anne Aldrich Augenszy voice sounded at the other end of the phone.
What about dipping it in your blood? I guess itll have another distinctive taste, right? Kieran said while sounding cold.
What happened? Anne Aldrich Augens voice instantly turned serious.
After I settled the two fighters at the clubhouse, I was attacked. I dont know how he found me and it wasnt possible for him to track me throughout the journey. So, guess what Im thinking right now? Kieranughed coldly.
Give me some time, Ill get back to you with a satisfying answer! Anne Aldrich Augen was being direct and hung up the phone after that.
Kieran shrugged when he saw the notification on the phone screen.
It wasnt really a bluff to Anne Aldrich Augen, but it was just a reasonable usage of her presence, simr to how she used him.
Since Kieran couldnt be everywhere at once, he had more intriguing things on his mind right now.
What will be waiting for him at Donna Bar and Ximi Candy House?
What is the purpose of that fake Gat?
While heavy questions lingered in his heart, he quickly left the clubhouse in the outskirts.
...
Ximi Candy House, a long signboard was still hanging outside it from two hundred years ago.
The wooden signboard was filled with colorful candy icons, ced inside a container simr to arge-sized beer mug.
Although the color was a little mottled, the wooden material was extremely well preserved. It didnt peel off under the rain and sun throughout the century and remained in its original shape.
While hanging on the metal rail sticking out of the eaves, it merged with the slightly lowered two-story building and formed a unique architecture style that stood out frommon End Citys structure.
Kieran went up the stairs and pushed the door to go in after seeing that it was lit up inside.
Ding!
The wind chimes gave out a pleasant sound and entered Kierans ears but Kieran frowned hard.
His nose picked up a faint bloody stench, it was hidden among the sweetness of the candies of the ce.
Kieran activated [Tracking] out of instinct as he entered Ximi Candy House.
In fact, he didnt even need to check carefully and could already spot the feet behind the counter.
Kieran moved over from the side of the path and saw the owner Ximi.
The fourth generation young owner Ximi had panic and fear smeared all over his face as he was lying down on the floor of his own shop. His chest was pierced and blood was oozing out, soaking his body.
The wound at his chest was bulging, it seemed like Ximi was assaulted by someone from behind.
When Kieran used a piece of candy wrapper as a glove to flip the body around, he squinted his eyes as he inspected the wound on Ximis back.
The wound wasnt wide but very deep! Simr to how Brigal the thug who stole from the museum was killed!
The same dagger and the same person!
Kieran then went on to check the ce but he found no traces left behind.
He quickly listed the killer of Ximi as the person who heavily wounded Brigal and also the potential culprit of the Winchester explosion case.
Now, Kieran had to add another possibility about the person: he might be rted to the fake Gat.
If thats the case...
Kieran turned around and left the ce as thoughts bloomed in his mind.
He needed to pay Donna Bar a visit.
...
Almost a dozen fire engines had their loud sirens up but the more irritating noise were the continuous explosions inside Donna Bar.
What caused the explosion?
Hurry up and cut all the facilities including the gas pipe leading inside the bar
One of the leaders of the firefighters shouted at his men.
Kieran who was in the shadows at the side was staring at the zing Donna Bar as he arrived at the scene. His squinted eyes were shining, unable to show what was going through his mind.
The huge fire plus the explosion couldnt have spared a single soul inside the building.
Despite how fast the firefighters arrived on site, all they could do was stop the fire from spreading.
After another nce at the building engulfed in zing fire, Kieran turned around and vanished into the darkness.
...
Kieran didnt return to Augen Manor right away but went back to the Mecathy and Borjane Bookstore.
The moment he stepped into the store, his phone rang.
There was a slight error that happened on my side. Some bastard inside the manor had sold off your location at a high price! Anne Aldrich Augen reported quickly once the phone was answered.
The one who bought the intel, is it Donna Bars owner? Kieran asked.
How did you know? Anne Aldrich Augen was stunned which was soon followed by realization.
Then, Kieran heard running noises and the sound of a TV switching on from Anne Aldrich Augens side of the phone. The fire engines siren that had subsided came through the phone once again.
Dont tell me its your handy work that the TV is reporting! Anne Aldrich Augen asked in shock.
Of course not! Kieran answered in an affirmative tone.
Then...
I need to deal with my own personal stuff for now. We can work together in the future given the chance! Kieran interrupted Anne Aldrich Augen and hung up the phone without giving her the chance to speak.
He locked the door afterward but he didnt go back into the secret study room right away but pulled out a chair and sat right in the middle of the store.
Winchester House explosion.
Dancing Diva nightclub that had been rigged with a bomb.
Test from the fake Gat.
Ximi and Brigal sharing the same lethal wound.
Selling my location and blowing up Donna Bar.
Kieran muttered to himself while sitting there alone. He was arranging the intel he had gotten so far. He tried to exclude the unnecessary information and keep the useful bits.
In the end, Kieran mumbled softly, Donna? Donna!
Chapter 690 - Donation
Chapter 690: Donation
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Thats right, Donna!
The owner of Donna Bar, the information broker!
Following her appearance, most of the doubts that baffled Kieran before had been solved instantaneously.
The person that fake Gat wanted him to meet was Donna but unfortunately, this Donna seemed to be unsatisfied with the fake Gats method of doing things and thus started to move on her own ord, trying to take him out.
However, Donna seemed to have underestimated Kierans strength.
Therefore, Donna eliminated the witnesses without hesitation when she faced failure.
Using Ximis death to cover her own and misleading everyone who knew her.
After all, who would be the most suspicious when all three owners of the establishments listed in the paper the fake Gat gave him were all dead?
The answer was obvious! Kieran who had the address to all three of the locations!
Especially when the Mecathy and Borjane Books owner had died under his hand, people would be prejudiced by the first impression.
As long as Donna wasnt an idiot, she would definitely leave traces behind that pointed towards Kieran as the real killer.
Kieran could already picture the uing troubles he had to face.
On the surface, police were the ones who upheld thews and rules and within the mystical realm, there was a simr existence as well.
Only a stable enough environment could produce enough value for anything.
The Elder Council? Saint Relic Association?
Kieran muttered the two organization that he had the greatest impression of but he soon recollected his attention.
He only solved about half of the doubts regarding the fake Gat.
As for the other half, why would the fake Gat be after him? Or why did the fake Gat go through all that effort to test him?
Maybe because...
He lost his memory!
The fake Gat wanted to confirm whether or not Kieran really lost his memory!
Other than that, he couldnt think of the purpose behind the fake Gat arranging him to meet an information broker.
The most reasonable exnation was that the information broker knew something about his true identity.
Not the identity like an adventurer, or an explorer that Teresa the chief officer could find out but something more secretive, such as Kierans mystical identity.
ording to the fake Gats n, Donna would provide Kieran with leads about his true identity and as an amnesia patient, Kieran would surely cling onto the leads tightly, trying to recover his lost memories.
Throughout the process, the fake Gat would surely get a certain benefit out of him.
What will it be? Kieran wondered.
Unconsciously, his hand reached inside his bag and touched the box with the [Unknown Mystery Object] in it.
Suddenly, Kierans heart trembled a bit. He realized the one point that he had neglected throughout the process.
Kieran was also in the Winchester House from the start.
...
Meanwhile in a secret room somewhere.
Noises of quarrel carried on ceaselessly.
Damn it! Why wont you proceed ording to n? A sonorous voice scolded.
Do you want to die? This matter has already involved the Elder Council, you still want to be part of it? Another sharper female voice questioned without showing any weakness.
I am sure that 2567 is indeed that bastard! Give me a little more time, we can flush that bastard out! The sonorous voice was frustrated.
A little more time? What kind of joke are you bbering about? Being put up against those lunatics of Elder Council, you could have died a dozen times within a second! Of course, if you still want to go ahead, I wont stop you either. the sharp female voice said with a tease.
How can I go now? You little bitch, everything has gone out of control because of you. If I were to go now, can I expect you to clean up my dead body?
The sonorous voice seemed to be infuriated by the embarrassment, his words were getting less courteous as he spoke.
The sharp female voice didnt answer the sonorous voice anymore.
Without an opponent, the sonorous voice went silent as well.
The whole secret room fell into a dead silence. Both of them seemed to be given up but the real situation was only clear in each of their hearts.
...
When the sunlight shone inside Mecathy and Borjane Books, Kieran was already sitting at Carose Cafe, eating his breakfast in the outdoor section.
The bookstore opposite had weed its new owner, a bunch of children thirsty for knowledge.
At dawn, Kieran made a call to Anne Aldrich Augen and with thatdys help due to her extensivework, Mecathy and Borjane Books had be a free, charity bookstore that opened its doors to every welfare home child without further disruption.
Kieran didnt forget to bring all the things in the secret room and sealed off the entrance before he left.
Seeing the childrens pure and delightful smiles, Kierans appetite suddenly grew since he hadnt slept for the entire night.
Two beef burgers were instantly gobbled down without anything left. The only sad thing was, Carose Cafe didnt add orange juice in their set today because during the fight yesterday, the fellow that Kieran kicked into the cafe had wrecked the juicer.
Kieran declined the suggested coffee and drank only theplementary sky juice.
Until a middle-aged woman in a nuns outfit who seemed to be a clergyman of sorts walked towards him, Kieran stood up.
Good morning, sister, Kieran greeted respectfully. It wasnt only because of the woman was a clergy but also because of what she did.
The woman before his eyes was different from other clergymen who only fished for fame that he knew off but a real kind, merciful, and a loving nun.
Based on what Kieran saw just now, the woman before him was even more responsible than the rumors had it.
Kieran definitely had the rights to say so as an orphan himself when he saw the smiles on the children
Good morning, Mr. 2567, thank for you everything youve done for us. You can call me Liz or Sister Dandon, the sister said.
Dandon wasnt a surname but a general form of address given by Dandon Church. Every clergyman who joined the church would officially be granted the name.
Of course, when one could proudly add Sister or Father in their title, it would mean the person was different than amon member of the clergy.
They will be at least a senior or higher ranked clergyman and such high ranked clergyman werent easily found in End City. If there were any higher-ranking clergyman around, they would surely be rted to the Saint Relic Association, one way or another.
It was what the books in Mecathy and Borjane recorded in their collections.
Very well, Sister Dandon. Truth be told, this bookstore wasnt mine before this. I met a friend here yesterday and... well, in the end, that friend gave the bookstore to me but as you know, I am an amnesia patient and I have to recover my memory and not stay here to run a bookstore.
Kieran addressed the sister with a more respectful title and exined what happened yesterday in an obscure way.
Kieran did not worry that Sister Dandon would confront Anne Aldrich Augen and even if she did, given Anne Aldrich Augens benefits-first personality, she would know what to do.
I see... if Mr. 2567 doesnt mind, I can send the brothers and sisters of the church to aid you in some ways. Sister Dandon said right after but was rejected by Kieran.
That wont be necessary, sister. Ive gotten my identity from the chief officer. You are also calling me by name 2567, right? I just need to return to Matam State, return to Xilidi and see what Ive left behind. If I had a habit of keeping a journal, that would be great!
Its a pleasure to meet you Sister Dandon. Hope we meet again in the future given the chance.
Kieran was all optimistic when asked, he exined his situation and extended his hand for a shake.
Shaking hands to bid farewell was a kind of manners even in the dungeon world. It wasnt a standard norm but no one would reject it without a reason either, even for a clergyman.
Very well, Mr. 2567, hope... Oh, My Gracious!
Sister Dandon shook Kierans hand and wanted to bid farewell as well.
From her point of view, a kind person should get kindness in return. In fact, she had ns in her heart to help Kieran as well but everything changed following the handshake.
Sister Dandon cried in surprise as she tilted her head down at Kierans hand, looking at the faint white radiance that shed over.
When she felt the tenacity and hope inside the radiance, Sister Dandons calm and merciful face was reced by shock and surprise.
Sister Dandon, this ce is showering with sunshine, its just a mere reflection or maybe your eyes were just dazzled...
Kieran swiftly retracted his hand back, looking panicked and quickly exined.
Sister Dandon shook her head.
No, this isnt a reflection nor my eyes being dazzled. Its the proof of the love of God.
Sister Dandon ced her hands in front of her chest as she spoke.
A faint warm and peaceful radiance started to glimmer slightly and as though it called out to Kieran, the white radiance on his hands shone again.
Chapter 691 - Protection
Chapter 691: Protection
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The tenacious, unyielding and hopeful presence of the Dawn Force made the sister look at Kieran with a kinder gaze.
Sister Dandon appeared as if she was looking at one of her own.
What is this? Kieran asked, pretending to not know.
This is a type of energy, the energy thates from God! Its appearance symbolizes that you and I came from the same ce, Sister Dandon exined.
The Church? The word escaped Kierans mouth after being stunned for a while.
Sister Dandon nodded in a soft smile.
2567, you imed that youve lost your memories, so why dont you head to one of the churches in the city? The Dandon Church is the biggest one in End City! Maybe you can recover your memories there, she continued.
At Dandon Church? Kieran looked a little hesitant.
He shook his head against the anticipating gaze from Sister Dandon.
Im sorry, Sister Dandon. A lot has happened these past few days, I really couldnt tell what was real from what was fake, even more so for an amnesia patient like me. Before this, I came across a swindler who imed himself to be Gat and I almost fell into his traps. So, let me find out more about myself before I make the decision. Is that okay? Kieran looked sincerely at Sister Dandon.
Of course! Sister Dandon nodded with a smile.
Ill be staying at my friends ce for the next few days, which is Augen Manor, so if you are looking for me, please drop by the manor. Kieran then parted ways with the sister.
Sister Dandon then eximed her regrets softly as she saw Kierans figure leaving in a hurry.
But, soon enough her face was filled with anger.
How dare someone im to be the founding father! Has the Saint Relic Association hidden for too long and fueled all these disgraceful mens arrogance?
Sister Dandon muttered to herself.
...
After turning into another street corner, Kieran sat in the extra long limo parked beside the road.
Anything surprise you? I dont think you need to return to Xilidi, Matam now.
Anne Aldrich Augen was holding a wine ss, swirling it softly, her gaze at Kieran showed that she was obviously trying to probe for something.
Anne Aldrich Augen with the title of ck Widow was anything but an innocent puredy, she noticed something was out of ce through that phone call from Kieran earlier but as for what it was, she couldnt make a precise guess.
So, she was hoping that Kieran would reveal some information to her.
Mn. Something unexpected happened. Kieran nodded.
He then closed his eyes andid back on the leather seat.
The soft and tenderfort of the seat reminded him of a real sofa.
In fact, even amon sofa wouldnt feel asfortable as the leather seat.
It was quite attracting for Kieran as he hadnt slept for an entire night.
Because of his -1 debuff in all his skills, it wasnt an easy task for Kieran to truly bring Dawn Force out on his body but for his uing ns, he had to try his best to achieve it.
Therefore, Kieran spent the previous night practicing the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] and it wasnt just simply practicing like how he did back on Final Ind.
He practiced by simting his own despair that he felt during the battle with Mayer.
Undoubtedly, the self-hypnotizing method of practicing consumed a lot of Kierans energy, but fortunately, Kieran had reached his basic goal in the end.
It wasnt due to his astonishing talents but because Kieran had already reached a certain point and truly experienced how the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] operated at a higher level.
All he needed to do was to activate [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] with the special activation.
A simtion is just a simtion in the end. Regardless of how hard I imagine, it wouldnt have be real.
Despite spending all his efforts, all he did was create some dim glimmering radiance. He couldnt help but shake his head when he thought about the gap between the real Dawn Sword and his current achievements.
As for Anne Aldrich Augens testing and probing, he wouldnt care as much.
Before his n wasplete, he would never reveal it to anyone.
Anne Aldrich Augen raised a brow when she saw how Kieran was practicing. She finally noticed the difference between Kieran and Mayer.
Mayer was a straightforward person and wouldnt hide anything behind his emotions but Kieran was different!
Kieran would conceal his real thoughts to achieve his own goals.
However, whenparing both of them, Anne Aldrich Augen showed more interest in the mysterious Kieran. Still, Anne Aldrich Augen was a smart woman, regardless of how interested she was in him, she wouldnt peel off every singleyer to find out the truth.
After sipping the aromatic white wine in her ss, Anne Aldrich Augen said, I have a speech session about the mayoral election at the central square this afternoon and as a reward for helping me, I want you to be my bodyguard today.
Mn, Kieran answered with his nasal voice.
You dont seem very surprised? Are my ambitions that obvious? Anne Aldrich Augen asked.
This time around, Kieran even lost interest in replying.
Werent Anne Aldrich Augens ambitions obvious enough?
Through Ryan Sulfoses recordings and the arguments with Symende Augens secretary from before, Kieran had quite the confidence in her understanding of what she wanted to achieve.
Boooring!
Kierans reaction robbed thest bit of sense of achievement from Anne Aldrich Augen.
She drained the wine in her ss and threw the ss at her feet, crossing her arms and looked at Kieran with protruding lips.
Until the limo returned to Augen Manor, she didnt further speak to Kieran.
Kieran wished she would stay like that, he liked the peaceful feeling.
...
Just when Kieran was enjoying the peaceful environment, Sister Dandon, on the other hand, was quite busy herself.
After going through all the information gathered on Kieran, Sister Dandon gathered all the higher ranking clergymen of the Dandon Church in the prayer room of Dandon Cathedral.
The higher ranking clergymen were not many in number, in fact, there were only four of them, Sister Dandon included.
Another sister, a father, and a deacon.
After the four of them prayed at Dandon, the other three turned their gazes at Liz Dandon.
What is this summoning about? the other sister spoke first.
I found a knight! Liz Dandon said.
Of which church?
The three instantly became nervous and doubtful.
Not of any church now. Liz Dandon said.
Not of any? the other three exchanged gazes in confusion.
Look at all this information, I think he is the hope that the Great Dandon has blessed us with. Her Majesty did not wish the church to die out in our hands just like the others throughout history. So, Her Majesty sent 2567 to us, a knight without any memories! Liz Dandon said.
While flipping through the information about Kieran, the other three clergymen had their eyes light up when they heard what Liz Dandon said.
The deacon then said, This is our chance! It has been thirty years since the Dandon Church housed a knight! At this rate, we will face our extinction soon and will end up like the other churches that lost their knights in the Hundred-Years War! We must invite 2567 to join our cause!
The white hair bearded deacon said in excitement, sounding sonorous as ever.
But 2567 has lost his memory, what if he recovers them... the middle-aged father sounded hesitant.
Then we will convert him using our mercy! As long as he is without memories and enters the altar of Her Majesty, he will definitely be converted by Her Majestys grace and then, we will have our own armed force! the deacon said loudly.
When Dandon was mentioned, the other three clergies had no objections, including Liz Dandon. The other three then nodded in unison.
Now we will aid 2567 with our powers! Only then 2567 will realize how powerful Her Majesty is! The deacon then strode away from the prayer room.
A mere 20 minutester, a shocking news was spread throughout End Citys mystical realm.
The one without memories, 2567 will be under the Dandon Churchs protection. Anyone who harms 2567 will be the enemies of Dandon Church.
All the mystical individuals who got the news and were envious of the Elder Councils bounty reward were stunned before causing an uproar amongst themselves.
None of them knew what happened.
Someone even guessed that the Saint Relic Association was waging war against Elder Council again.
Kieran, on the other hand, smiled when he got the news. He was anticipating the things that would unfold next.
Chapter 692 - Draw The Snake Out Of Its Hole
Chapter 692: Draw The Snake Out Of Its Hole
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
You knew this would happen? Then... the reason you donated Mecathy and Borjane Books to them was to bait the Dandon Church?
Anne Aldrich Augen suddenly reacted to Kierans smile after rushing into the guest room and delivering the news to him.
Kieran didnt reply which meant he acknowledged it.
Anne Aldrich Augen wasnt an idiot, even if Kieran kept denying, she wouldnt buy it.
Of course, Kieran wouldnt give a clear answer either because leaving a subject for a woman like Anne Aldrich Augen to ridicule would be troublesome.
You are really a bad guy! I didnt expect you to use the fact that the Dandon Church wascking a knight to set them up. Did you get the information from the secret room in Mecathy and Borjane Books?
But why did you do it? Dont tell me it was just because of the title of knight!
As Kierans coborator, Anne Aldrich Augen realized almost half of the truth after noticing the clues. Still, some details baffled thedy and Kieran, of course, wouldnt exin clearly to her.
I am just trying to search for my memories... and I noticed my powers share a trait with the so-called knight. Kieran replied.
Anne Aldrich Augen couldnt help butugh after hearing the reply. Thedy before Kierans eyes would never believe the excuse Kieran had prepared and of course as a smart woman, she wouldnt press the subject either.
She stood up from the sofa opposite Kieran, wearing her pajamas and stretched her body without concealing anything, instantly revealing a big portion of her skin in front of Kieran.
Anne Aldrich Augen then walked over to Kieran, leaning over on the sofa that he was sitting on and lowered her head to his ear, whispering, What do you think I should wear during the speech? Gray? ck? Seems old-fashioned but pink and red seems too raffish, not too appropriate for that kind of situation.
Anne Aldrich Augen appeared as if she was asking her dearest, closest friend, but Kieran frowned when her whisper tickled his ear. No doubt Kieran was not used to such close contact and affection.
I dont know. I really dont know about coordinating outfits at all, and since youve already consulted your fashion designer, I think you should take the professional advice, Kieran said directly.
As the real owner of Augen Manor, Anne Aldrich Augen was a woman that knew how to enjoy herself. Every single piece of clothing and essory she wore was uniquely designed, let alone the personal chefs and gardeners.
Kierans S+ Intuition could easily hear how Anne Aldrich Augen ordered the fashion designer to sew her dress through the phone in the study room despite him being in the guest room.
What astonishing hearing! Which... mean... I...I... All the whispers about how I like you, you...you heard it as well?
Anne Aldrich Augen eximed at first before turning red, she raised her arms shyly trying to hug Kierans neck.
However, just when Anne Aldrich Augen tried to lift her arms, Kieran stood up from the sofa, grazing her arms subtly.
Theres less than two hours to your speech. Considering how long you need to put on makeup and do your hair plus the traffic, if you dont want to screw up your mayoral election due to beingte, you need to get ready now.
Kieran then opened the guest room door, performing an after you gesture at Anne Aldrich Augen.
What a heartless man! Anne Aldrich Augen nced at Kieran with hidden bitterness but she didnt further tangle with him.
Just like what Kieran said, if she didnt want to screw up due to beingte, she would need to get ready.
Anne Aldrich Augen left the guest room after that and Kieran shut the door tightly.
He didnt overthink the actions that Anne Aldrich Augen made moments ago as he knew clearly what her purpose was. It was just her habit of mixing things up like she was investing.
Whenever a beautifuldy smiled and winked at you, dont ever think that she is fond of you, it may just be her habits.
The unconscious habit of investing into a man, which could potentially bring her benefits.
Beauty itself was an asset, especially for a woman like Anne Aldrich Augen. Not only did she treat her beauty as her asset, but she also made it her weapon as well.
Kieran was certain had he revealed some other thoughts about her, he would definitely fall into Anne Aldrich Augens trap.
He would not have eaten the mutton but instead invite a strong smell all over his body.
The title ck Widow wasnt given to her without a reason.
Kieran returned to his sofa and discarded all thoughts regarding Anne Aldrich Augen out of his mind, even though he had to fully protect her throughout the mayoral election speech.
Things had their priorities andpared to his own matters, Anne Aldrich Augen always came in second.
Now since the Dandon Church has intervened, what will you or your people do against one of the Saint Relic Association? Take the risk or give up like this?
Kieran slight grinned, the answer had been decided a while ago.
This was the reason why Greed was listed as one of the cardinal sins, especially when some usable excuses presented themselves.
...
11.30 a.m.
End City central square, Anne Aldrich Augen, who donned a white pantsuit, was slowly walking up the temporarily built rostrum.
Her beautiful face was set off by the white and the western suit styling made look more experienced.
When Anne Aldrich Augen appeared on the giant screen in the square which was showing a real-time transmission, it attracted cheers from the audience.
Some of the cheering folks were arranged beforehand and some of them were cheering for her beauty.
If its possible, I really didnt want to stand on this stage but below, watching my husband in his rightful ce. He was a reliable person, as a man, a husband, and a mayor, but...
While Anne Aldrich Augen spoke, her eyes teared up.
Kieran who was standing in the shadows beside was nodding in high praise.
Compared to the meticulously coordinated outfit and her makeup, the script of the speech obviously was more brilliant and of course the most brilliant aspect of all that was Anne Aldrich Augens acting.
Kieran knew the real situation between Anne Aldrich Augen and Symende Augen but the audience below the stage didnt.
All they knew was Symende Augen, the original mayor candidate died in an explosion and Anne Aldrich Augen stepped up to take her husbands ce in the mayoral election to fulfill herte husbandsst wish.
The public would always sympathize with the weak and winning over hearts in that manner was a brilliant move, especially when a beautifuldy did it, the effects were outstanding.
Kieran saw the crowds expression and eyes and he knew Anne Aldrich Augen had sessfully pulled it off.
He himself was no exception either!
After sensing the asional malicious intent from the crowd, Kieran walked into the cheering crowd after signaling Mayer not far away from him.
Chapter 693 - “Me”
Chapter 693: Me
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The suspicious person was wearing a ck hoodie with the hood over his head. A pair of ck sunsses hung over his nose, covering most of his face.
When he realized Kieran was approaching him, the person turned away without even hesitating.
Despite the heavy crowd, it didnt obstruct the person from shuttling through the crowd. It appeared as though he was swimming through obstacles like fish in the water.
No doubt it must be some kind of secret technique but Kieran wasnt slow either and was even faster than the mysterious person!
Although Kieran didnt possess a simr secret technique, after the -1 debuff, Grand Master [Evading] still allowed Kieran to shuttle through the tight crowd, not losing any bit of speed.
Kieran was able to find the seams and gaps among the ever-changing crowd and slipped past them, along with his own Strength and Agility, he was drawing close to his target.
However, the moment the person left the crowded square, he elerated suddenly and dashed into a street beside the square with speed regr people couldnt have reached.
Kieran too followed behind the person dashing into the street and the moment he entered the street, his sharp eyes caught a glimpse of the edge of the persons clothes turning into another alleyway.
Kieran let out a coldugh in his heart as he knew deeply what the person wanted to achieve but his steps didnt even pause.
When Kieran entered the alleyway, he immediately saw the person standing in the middle, not one but two. A male and a female.
The guy had an average body and a regr face. He was judging righteously at Kieran who had just entered the alleyway.
Thedy was the person that lured Kieran there. She then removed her hood and sunsses, revealing a slightly aged face that was smeared with thick makeup, causing one to frown unconsciously.
Kieran, however, was calm as still water.
Donna, you are really still alive, Kieran said with an expected tone.
2567, are you still ying at memory loss? Theres no outsider here yet you who plotted the entire scheme still wants to y dumb?
Donna Bars ownerughed and sneered at him.
Plotted the entire scheme? Kieran was stunned.
It wasnt really a surprise, but he still acted like it.
Before this, when he suddenly remembered that he was also one of the guests in the Winchester House, Kierans heart had suddenly formed a bold guess about the incident: was he rted to the explosion somehow?
The guess wasnt without evidence either, on the contrary, there were many clues leading to it.
Why would the fake Gat approach him and test him, eventually leading him to Donna Bar?
It was the only thing that Kieran couldnt figure out why until now because it would seem totally unrted to the incident.
If it wasnt rted, then did the fake Gat y Kieran like he was some after meal joke?
Obviously, it was impossible.
Aside from the fake Gat not being a humorous person, after Ximi Candy Houses fourth generation owner was killed and the explosion at Donna Bar, Kieran discarded the possibility.
Therefore, there must be a reason for the fake Gat to approach him. Think about the time when he appeared!
When Kieran arranged the incidents he encountered since he entered the dungeon, the reason for the fake Gats appearance was only rted to one thing.
The Winchester House explosion case!
Kieran may seem to be the one caught in the explosion but the truth was, he was on the assants side!
Which mean he himself had participated in the Winchester House explosion.
Although it might seem impossible, other than that exnation, Kieran couldnt think of anything else.
Firstly, the fake Gat should be the one behind the Winchester Houses explosion and also knew Kieran was one of the guests inside the hotel.
Given the circumstances, the fake Gat had been approaching him carefully in a testing manner and not to kill off the sole survivor right away.
Which also meant Kieran and the fake Gat were rted!
At least they were coborators on the Winchester House explosion.
Thinking about how the system calcted the time spent in the dungeon, it was evening when Kieran entered the dungeon at first but after that night, the system calcted it as a second day instead.
Then where did the entire day before the night go?
Kieran wouldnt believe the system would be so obscure in this kind of arrangements, so he must have done something in the day under the systems arrangement.
However, the things that he did in the day, the memories of his actions did not exist because of the difficulty that he was categorized in.
Therefore, the things that happened after that had gone beyond the fake Gats expectations.
Kieran had lost his memories!
It caught the fake Gat off guard and he became doubtful of him. That was why the fake Gat would disguise himself as the real one to approach him, test him and arranged many other methods to deal with him right after the test.
However, because Kieran had killed one of the Twenty Hounds of the Elder Council, it made the other coborator anxious and have other thoughts, thus failing on the verge of sess.
Both of them were unwilling to face such failures, so they wanted to seize the final opportunity to risk it onest time.
As for what they were risking, it was the [Unknown Mystery Object] in Kierans bag!
That was the only thing that came into Kierans mind and also the only thing valuable enough to attract two mystical individuals to strike.
Of course, everything was just Kierans own theories and guesses, he would still need the two mystics in front him to verify some of the details.
For example, was either one of them skilled in using short knives or daggers? Or was an expert in explosives?
The verification process, however, was much easier than Kieran had expected.
Donna, the intel seller was delighted and started to exin ceaselessly.
Your disguise is really too authentic! From buying the Winchester House to starting the business with Barney the Jackal, nothing has ever left your grasp. You used Brigals thieving case at End Museum and purposely leaked the info of his location, turning an easy thieving job into a murder and theft case that got all the headlines of the papers. Which forced Brigal to Barney, helping him to dispose of the stolen goods.
After that, while you leaked the information that the Dien Stone was within the stolen goods to some people, you also contacted us at Mecathy and Borjane Books, discussing how to get our hands on the Dien Stone and you also bought Ximi Candy Houses heirloom treasure, the potion that could permanently change your face. So when we began our operations, you immediately used the potion to change your face and pretended to lose your memories after we dealt with the scene at Winchester House.
But didnt you think about the one big mistake that youve made? The greatest mistake that youve made was keeping the Dien Stone with you the whole time! Or did you really take me as a petty information broker. The information that I have on the Dien Stone allows me to sense Dien Stone in a certain range with my own methods!
Donnas sharp voice echoed the alleyway.
The entire sequence of events had started to be clear in Kierans mind but he continued to y coy.
What are you talking about? Kieran looked at Donna and the man beside her with a baffled face. His pretentious act infuriated the man.
Still ying dumb eh? Although during the first time disguising as Gat, you had deceived me, but now, do you think you can continue with your little pretenses?
The man vanished from his spot as his grumble loudly.
Souu!
The wind sounded behind Kieran. He quickly tilted his body aside and a cold ring dagger grazed his body.
Then, the wind sounded again behind him, followed by another dagger.
At the same time, the ground that Kieran was standing on started to tremble from further away.
The supposedly hard ground was waving like sea waters and more importantly, a powerful restraining force appeared on Kierans body, preventing him from dodging the second dagger.
Donna who was half squatting pressed her hands on the ground and mocked coldly at the immobilized Kieran.
How can we not be prepared since you killed one of the Twenty Hounds?
Puk!
As words echoed in his ears, the second dagger was plunged into Kierans back.
Chapter 694 - Main Mission, Appeared
Chapter 694: Main Mission, Appeared
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
A delighted smile emerged from Donnas face who was half squatting when she saw the dagger plunge into Kierans back.
However, her delighted smile was frozen right away because Kierans body which was supposed to be bound on the ground easily escaped the restrains and despite being stabbed by a dagger, he waspletely fine.
More importantly, Kieran turned around and grabbed herrade!
An internal armor? Donna was stunned but reacted to the situation right after that; everything was toote though.
The man who Kieran grabbed still wanted to resist but [Power Glory, Heavy Hand] had been activated. The man suffered an impactful blow, his body wasnt so robust to begin with and with that blow of pure strength, he quivered fiercely and his face turned pale as paper.
It seemed like he had suffered an internal injury but it was just the beginning.
After [Heavy Hand] had been sessfully authenticated, [Death Throw] followed swiftly.
At the next moment, Kieran raised the paled man high over his head single-handedly.
Kieran then threw the man precisely at Donna like a cannon firing its pellet.
The heavy whistle of the wind frightened Donna.
She did not witness [Death Throw] before but solely from the air-breaking sound, she could feel the terrifying power brewing inside.
At the same time, she had a more direct understanding of Kierans strength. His strength certainly surpassed any fighter who was famous for brute strength and relied on their muscles.
I cant be hit by that!
Donnas heart skipped a beat, she immediately stopped what she was doing with her hands and tried to dodge, but Kieran was faster.
Msss!
Amidst the heavy incantations, a strap of cloth from a bandage flew out from Kierans left hand, arriving before Donnas face swiftly.
Before she could react, her hands and legs were tied down ording to Kierans will.
Then, the thrown man reached his target.
BANG!
The man who has been infused with [Death Throw]s power has smashed hard into Donnas body.
Argh!
An agonizing screamter, the bones and tendons of both their bodies had been ripped apart, signs of life swiftly faded away.
Two green items then floated out from their body, Kieran went over, picked them up and didnt even change his calm expression.
Everything was within his expectations.
Aside from the ambushing factor, both of them werent that strong to begin with. Otherwise, Brigal would have died instantly instead of fleeing in a heavily wounded state.
Of course, the other reason that the fight ended so easily was that, other than Kieran familiarizing both of their fighting methods through traces left behind, it was also because of the two extra items on Kieran.
The items were from the fighters back in the clubhouse.
One was a sleeveless soft armor, or more precisely, an internal armor. Knitted by a certain animals fur that even Kieran couldnt identify and providing him with an extrayer of defense.
[Name: Tenacious Soft Mail]
[Type: Armor]
[Rarity: Magic]
[Defense: Average]
[Attribute: Tenacity Lvl 1]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Remark: Wearing it will not obstruct you from wearing other armors, it will provide you with an extrayer of protection.]
...
[Tenacity Lvl 1: Able to ignore Feeble to Weak attack]
...
The other item looked like amon roll of bandages.
[Name: Fighter Bandage]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: Magic]
[Attack: Feeble]
[Defense: Average]
[Attribute: Guard Lvl 1]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Remark: Before you learn how to attack, you need to know how to protect yourself.]
...
[Guard Lvl 1: It has a certain percentage to slightly decrease the damage you received on the body part that you wrapped it with.]
.....
Two seemingly low-tier Magic ranked items and yet they presented a surprising effect with effective usage.
It granted Kieran a more in-depth experience of using an item, especially with [Fighter Bandage], together with [Living Rope Technique], it allowed Kieran to imagine all sorts ofbat methods with its flexibility.
But it was just an initial thought, if he wanted to put it into realbat, he would need more trial and error.
So, after thinking deeply for a moment, he turned his attention to the new loot.
Another two Magic ranked items, one had fixed usage and the other was a consumable.
Both of the newly acquired Magic ranks were in ring form.
[Name: Rapid Ring]
[Type: essory]
[Rarity: Magic]
[Attack/ Defense: None]
[Attribute: Rapid Lvl 2]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Remark: It can provide you help but is limited and has a lot of restrictions]
...
[Rapid Lvl 2: When your Agility is lower than C+, it will grant you an extra 10% movement speed]
...
[Name: Binding Ring]
[Type: essory]
[Rarity: Magic]
[Attack/Defense: None]
[Attribute: Binding Force, 1/3]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Remark: This is an irreversible consumable item, please use it carefully.]
...
[Bind Force: Utilizing the strength of the earth to bind a target. The bound target will have to undergo a B+ Strength authentication. Sessful authentication will free the target and failed authentication will bind the target on the spot for 3 seconds!]
...
Not bad! Kieranmented.
To Kieran who was forbidden from bringing any of his equipment and items into the dungeon world, any kind of item or tool wouldpensate his strength, despite the levels of the newly acquired items being fairly low.
He swept the ce and after making sure he didnt miss anything, Kieran took out his phone and called Anne Aldrich Augens secretary.
Send someone down here, an alleyway beside the street of central square...
No need for a big squad... Ive dealt with the assants, Kieran informed the secretary.
Less than a minuteter, Anne Aldrich Augens secretary arrived at the scene.
It was a youngdy with an experienced look and outfit.
Sir 2567, she called.
Ill leave these to you, Chelsea. Kieran then turned around and walked away.
Secretary Chelsea didnt stop Kieran, with Anne Aldrich Augens order, she knew what her priorities were.
Therefore, when the secretary fulfilled her duty in cleaning up the fight scene, she didnt notice Kierans odd expressions.
[yer haspleted key factor of main mission...]
[yer has sessfully discovered the main mission!]
The moment Kieran left the alleyway, the notification ping echoed in his ear.
When he went over the details of his main mission, he couldnt help but frown with a heavy expression.
Chapter 695 - Coincidence At Heart?
Chapter 695: Coincidence At Heart?
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The main mission and the dungeon background appeared in Kierans vision in words.
[Background: After participating in years of reaping lives as an arbiter, you have grown tired of it. You wish to live a more peaceful life. So you had begun your risky n but idents happened and it almost caused you to fall just short of sess. Fortunately, you realized the truth at the crucial moment but the executioner that trailed you will not give up that easily, even though you can fool their sight for a while!]
[Main Mission: Make sure your new identity is not exposed in 90 days.]
[Note 1: yerpleting sub-missions and special events will not contribute to the final clear rating but will reduce the main mission time.]
[Note 2: The ongoing and unfinished sub-mission will be calcted to the current reduction of time.]
[Note 3: The difficulty of sub-missions and special events determines how much time will be decreased.]
[Note 4: The time spent searching for the main mission will not be counted towards the main mission time, but the remaining time will contribute to reducing the main mission time.]
...
Arbiter? Years of ughtering?
Kieran muttered in his heart and his facial expression became even heavier.
When he realized he was one of the participants of the Winchester House explosion, he tried to theorize what his main mission would be but he never thought that he was a deserter from a certain organization.
After causing so muchmotion, all that effort was just to flee an organization.
Although the background didnt have any further description, the term executioner made him understand that he was being searched for by an extremely secretive organization.
It wasnt a good news at all, the more secretive an organization was, the harsher the control on their members. The organization would surely form a set of effective methods to mp down on their internal members.
The easiest method was, utilizing chronic poisons or controlling their family members.
Kieran didnt know whether his organization would go that route but he knew he had to find a secluded ce to check his body.
He surely hoped there wasnt anything out of the ordinary inside his body.
Otherwise, let alone 90 days, he couldnt even live another day.
...
Inside Augen Manor, there was a medical room purposely set up to treat Symende Augen and Anne Aldrich Augen and the medical equipment inside was overwhelmingly advanced.
Not only was the equipment was veryplete, but it was also at a state-of-the-art level as well.
Compared to St. Reid Hospital, the hospital had fallen to a third tier medical facility.
Even the best hospital in End City has fallen down to a second tier facility before all this medical equipment.
After showing his wound on his back to Anne Aldrich Augens personal doctor and stating that he had gotten hurt due to protecting her, Kieran was immediately invited to the medical room.
Kieran allowed the personal doctor to patch him up and in the meantime, he was examining the medical equipment there. He would ask the doctor from time to time out of curiosity as well and the doctor too exined to him since there was nothing to hide.
However, the personal doctor didnt only notice Kierans curiosity but also the humbleness of asking for consultation, it instantly set up a good image in the doctors mind.
From the brief exnation, it further borated to be a detailed yet understandable talk of all the equipment.
The doctors exnation prolonged the simple patching process for almost half an hour.
The wound isnt very deep, no stitches will be needed. All you need to do is change the bandages on time, stay dry, and you will recover in no time. Be careful though, the wound might be itchy during the recovery. If you dont want to get infections, its best not to scratch it.
The doctor advised Kieran after Kierans question.
Thank you, doctor. I think I should watch Mrs. Augens mayoral speech, it might be able to divert my attention.
Baring his top, Kieran took his coat and went out the medical room.
Of course! the doctor didnt refute and even left the medical room after Kieran.
Anne Aldrich Augens beauty had a lethal attraction to regr people.
A minute after the doctor left, Kieran returned to the medical room.
He went straight for the most expensive CT scanner inside without any hesitation.
Anne Aldrich Augens speech wouldntst forever, in fact, it had already reached the end.
If Kieran wanted to be secretive, he would need to finish the scan in a short time.
Wung!
The CT scanner started its operation after the soft sound of starting up.
Two minutester, Kieran brought a couple of simr patterned CT scan results out of the medical room.
...
I never thought you are interested in medicine as well!
Anne Aldrich Augen entered Kierans guest room after switching out her white suit for the long red dress.
Even if it was a rustle of leaves in the wind inside the manor, nothing would slip past the female owners knowledge, even more so when Kieran decided not to hide it.
You know, Ive lost my memory... I hope these books can help me, Kieran said without lifting his head.
Fine, I admit that your usual performance struck me wrong, thinking that you are a normal person!
Anne Aldrich Augen stared at a certain body part on Kieran and left an innuendo hidden in her remark.
I am clearer than you at this point.
What do I owe the visit, Mrs. Augen? If theres nothing of importance, I hoped you could leave me alone to my readings.
While Kieran was emphasizing, he even ordered for his guest to leave.
Hey, you are the guest, I am the owner now!
... Theres a dinner tomorrow night, I want you to go with me. My rivals will attend as well, I hope there are no idents this time, Anne Aldrich Augen reminded Kieran.
Kieran nodded to express his acknowledgment.
His attitude really upstaged Anne Aldrich Augen, she grunted with her nasal voice to express her dissatisfaction before leaving swiftly.
The door was shut once again, only the flipping of books was heard after that.
The day had slowly slipped into midnight, Kieran ced the book down and heaved a long breath.
He raised his hand to rub his ever-swelling temple because of the long hours of reading.
When the swelling went away, Kieran started to think again.
ording to theparison, my heart has been swapped out! Not too long ago but around a year or more! Kieran was sure about the results in his body.
Of course, Kieran didnt spend the entire day and half a night to read himself to a doctors level. It was just that he found the CT scan results of a heart transnt patient within a year in the books.
Comparing to his own CT scan results, the process was almost the same and the simrity caused more doubts in his heart.
The method of the organization mping down on their members, it should be inserting some item inside our hearts. That is why my heart has been swapped out but... When I entered the dungeon world, my [Fusion Heart] had been sealed coincidentally as well, giving me a brand new heart. This is too much of a coincidence, doesnt it?
Sitting in the sofa, Kieran tapped the armrest lightly, his face was shifting with different expressions.
Chapter 696 - The Real Purpose
Chapter 696: The Real Purpose
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Kieran was vignt or even doubtful by nature, he would never believe in so-called coincidences.
He was more willing to believe that a coincidence was a series of events arranged beforehand.
Perhaps it might make one look stiff and inflexible but a stiff person was still alive, not a dead person.
Dok, Dok Dok!
His fingertips were tapping on the armrest relentlessly, when the rhythm reached a peak, it stopped abruptly.
Kieran shook his head with a bitter smile.
There was too little information, forbidding him from theorizing further.
Simr to how he knew there was an organization on his tail, he theorized it from the term arbiter and executioner. He didnt even know what kind of organization it was and he would not be able to know for a long period of time in the foreseeable future.
Kieran knew if he wanted to assure his identity to stay hidden, the best option would be to stop casually asking around about any organization that had arbiter and executioner titles in their ranks.
Any casual asking around would only draw attention from that organization and it would render his change of heart and change of face useless.
In fact, even if he removed the organizations hold on him and changed his face, Kierans heart was stillcking confidence because of the most simple and direct example: his habits!
Without a corresponding memory, he couldnt understand whether his arbiter identity and his current one shared any kinds of habits. If there were any simr ones, the chances of him being exposed would surge.
Therefore, Kieran was clear that not only did he need to prevent the organization from noticing him, but he would also need to normalize his new identity as well, to the point that people would treat him as a real amnesia patient trying to recover his memory.
Meanwhile during the process, if he could keep expanding his influence, it would be the better option as well. The bigger the influence of his new identity, the more suitable for him to conceal his previous identity.
Perhaps it might attract attention or even suspicions because of his new reputation but most of it will be the assurance of his new identity.
Of course, it would also need Kierans meticulous control over the events.
Therefore when Kieran left Augen Manor for St. Reid Hospital, he had been thinking about his ns.
Sir 2567, we are here.
Chelsea, the secretary in the driver seat, reminded Kieran who was in deep thought.
She paused her speaking for a moment but eventually continued. Sir, I dont think you can find further leads about your memories here. Although you woke up here, you really should head to the Winchester site instead. Chelsea said.
Thanks, Chelsea. Ill take a stroll here before heading to the Winchesters ce for a look.
While putting up his front to search for his memories, Kieran went along with his act to present a helpless smile of an amnesia patient.
Ill wait for you here. Please be careful and keep your mobile phone clear all the time, Chelsea reminded him.
No doubt, the secretary treated Kieran as a real amnesia patient.
Kieran expressed his gratitude once more for the concern and got out of the car.
St. Reid Hospital at dawn was quiet. Even the Nightwatch and the security guards were sleepy at this time.
When Kieran walked past them, all the Nightwatch and guards only took a glimpse at him before snoozing off again.
Kierans amnesia title was quite vibrant within the hospital.
All of the hospital personnel knew Kieran, so there wouldnt be any obstructions.
Kieran smoothly entered the main hall of the first hall and went straight to the [Sister Reid Statue].
Under the light, the statues mercy andpassion were more pronounced than ever, as though it was bathing in a holy radiance. Kieran didnt exim because of the scene.
He didnte to St. Reid Hospital at dawn to admire the statue or search for his memories but to remove his doubts.
That night when Kieran encountered one of the Twenty Hounds from Elder Council, he remembered that the fake Gat had utilized the statues power.
At first, Kieran thought the fake Gat was using a certain item instead but through the fight yesterday, Kieran rejected the thought.
The fake Gat definitely didnt possess such item, otherwise, he would have brought it with him during the fight to defend against Kieran from the situation.
Discarding the possibility of an item, only a secret technique was exinable.
What were the odds of a stray mystic lingering around the edge getting a hold of a long lost organizations legacy technique? Kieran asked himself.
The answer was self-exnatory, the odds were next to none!
Maybe some lucky man would discover some rare treasures and texts from ancient structures or ruins but a legacy technique from a secretive organization like Marulyn would only be protected tightly.
It might be passed on from mouth to mouth and the odds of the fake Gat getting his hands on such a secretive technique were near to nothing.
Without the so-called items and secret techniques, how did he utilize and draw out the statues power?
There was only one possibility left! Someone taught him the way!
Why not an item though? Because even though it might be a one-time consumable item, it would be extremely valuable as well and with the fake Gats value, he wouldnt have thrown it away but bring it with him all the time. However, Kieran didnt find anything on the mans dead body.
So, who was the one who taught the fake Gat the spell or technique?
After some slight thoughts, Kieran had gotten a shocking answer.
Damien of the Twenty Hounds! Other than him, Kieran couldnt think of anyone else.
Not only because of Damiens organization, the Elder Council could have gotten a part of Marulyn Churchs knowledge and legacies during the Hundred-Years War, it was also because Damien imitated the real Gat in such a skillful way in that situation.
He couldnt have skillfully imitated Gat, to the point that he was indistinguishable from the original, without knowing him in person. Even if it was in an illusory realm that was almost indistinguishable from the real, it was the same.
Therefore, that night when Damien of the Twenty Hounds appeared in St. Reid Hospital, it wasnt what happened like the fake Gat imed, saying that he was after Kierans body.
The truth was...
That night, when the fake Gat realized something went wrong, he came to the hospital, trying to test me. Coincidentally, he ran into Damien of the Twenty Hounds and got captured. Judging from the rumors of the Elder Council, all the Twenty Hounds were not kind folks, the reason why Damien didnt kill the fake Gat because he was still valuable!
The same thing, Damien wouldnt have thought the fake Gat the secret technique on how to draw out the power from the statue without a reason as well, unless... he wanted to achieve something using the secret technique!
Kieran recalled what happened that night and his thoughts were getting clearer.
He unconsciously looked at the [Sister Reid Statue], his gaze was slowly bing hot.
Chapter 697 - A Lucky Hit?
Chapter 697: A Lucky Hit?
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Looking at the [Sister Reid Statue], the gears in Kierans brain spun fast.
Why was Damien so familiar with thete Chief Friar of Marulyn?
Or, what was the reason that a notorious member of the Twenty Hounds of the Elder Council had gotten such an extensive understanding of a church that vanished throughout the river of time?
Benefits!
The simplest and truest answer!
Then, what would the benefits be?
Some powerful items? Or some chord-striking legacies?
Such thoughts almost appeared out of instinct in Kierans mind, it set his heart aze.
Because, other than those, Kieran couldnt think of a reason why would Damien risk inciting war between the Elder Council and the Saint Relic Association to touch the [Sister Reid Statue]?
Despite the fact that the Elder Council were notorious for being lunatics, Kieran believed the men who were addressed as such werent idiots.
Idiots couldnt be an existence that people feared, let alone those who feared them were mystical individuals themselves.
The [Sister Reid Statue] must have some special secret within it.
A secret that could be known only by resonating with the statue!
The fake Gat wasnt captured for long and he was still able to resonate with the statues power. The technique or spell shouldnt be thatplicated and might even be very simple, but it was restricted to Damien and his kind...
Kieran slightly frowned when he thought about it. Even though he theorized that the secret spell wasntplicated, it was still difficult for him because he had absolutely no knowledge of the special spell.
Even the incantations, the gestures, it might even be some kind of ritual...
Hold on... Rituals?!
Kieran suddenly thought of the scene he saw in the illusory realm.
When the friars were praying at the statue, the statue changed.
Although the illusions were only partially real, simr to how Damien imitated Gat, who could tell whether he hid the truth amongst the lies?
Oh Saint Reid My Lord, We ask of your light to dispel the darkness!
Oh Saint Reid My Lord, We ask of your light to protect the weak!
Oh Saint Reid My Lord, We ask of you to bring peace upon us again!
Kieran stood in front of the [Sister Reid Statue] and prayed softly.
The chants were fractions from that illusory realm that night, it wasnt theplete version.
That phrase Our lives will be the cost for the harmony of us all! Oh, Saint Reid! would nevere out from Kierans mouth no matter what.
Even though he was very excited about the possibility of an item or a legacy, the excitement didnt cause him to lose his sense.
The reason Damien chose a captive toplete the resonance couldnt only be because his powers conflicted the statues but there was also a high possibility was that it might require him to pay a certain cost.
Under such circumstances, Kieran would never be careless.
The prayers came out of Kierans mouth clearly but the [Sister Reid Statue] remained unchanged.
The statue was still staring at him with a merciful look.
No reaction? Do I need to follow the friars and kneel down?
Kieran frowned once again. He hated the salutation of kneeling before anything.
In fact, when he first learn about the saying Kneeling before your parents is the reasonable act even in the heavens, such disgust rooted deep in his heart since then.
It was because he was an orphan. When he arrived on earth, he was abandoned. If that someone didnt notice him in time, he would have died in that box.
If he was fortunate enough, he would have been buried in the ground. Less fortunate, he would have ended up being snacks for the stray dogs to fight over.
No doubt chances were higher for thetter.
He didnt know why his parents would abandon him, he didnt want to either.
He only knew that he would never kneel as long as he was alive.
Dong, Dong, Dong!
The warm Dawn Force seemed to be affected by the stubborn emotions, it hastened the flow and pumps suddenly with almost two times faster than normal speed.
Itpleted a loop throughout Kierans body swiftly and right after that, sparkles and faint radiance appeared on Kierans hands.
Wung!
Just as Dawn Force appeared on Kierans hands, the statue shuddered.
An inch thick radiance appeared on the surface of the statue, even visible to the naked eyes.
Then, the radiance dazzled, forming an illusion above the statue.
It was the figure of Sister Reid bathing in radiance, smiling at Kieran.
Her love and mercy were the same as the statue and it felt even more genuine. It wasnt the cold statues liveness but a real existence.
Kieran was stunned instantly, not because of the illusions expression and manner but because an extra image popped up in his mind.
A map!
A slight pauseter, the illusion vanished rapidly and returned the statue back to its cold and stagnant form.
Nothing changed in the system notifications either and Kieran didnt feel like he had resonated with the statue.
Though, a map really appeared in Kierans mind.
The map was not a modern one but an ancient one with the marking of a statue.
The image of the statue was clear as well, it was Sister Reids statue marked on the map.
But Kieran was sure, the marking on the map certainly wasnt St. Reid Hospital that he was in because there was another marking of the hospital in the map.
Dawn Force can draw resonance with the statue?
Kieran looked at the map in his mind in shock.
Heavy doubts floated out in his heart but he knew the hospital wasnt a ce to think.
As the sky got brighter, people would start to flood the main hall of the hospital.
Therefore, after several more attempts and still not being able to incite changes from the statue, Dawn Force was also useless after that, Kieran chose to leave.
Chelsea, I want to go have a walk on my own. Go back first on your own, Kieran said to the secretary waiting for him outside the hospital.
Very well. Please dont forget the appointment you have with boss, the secretary reminded him.
The dinner at night right? I wont!
After finishing his words with a smile, he went straight to in Winchester Houses direction.
It wasnt a cover but the marking of the statues location in the map was at the Winchester house.
Although it was an ancient map, with St. Reid Hospital as a reference, Kieran could tell the general direction of the whereabouts.
Kieran was taking a stroll down End City streets under the morning light.
He would stop from time to time, taking a look around, resuming his walk after a while.
Some of the earlier joggers saw him, they felt weird because Kieran didnt seem like he was trying to find something. Finding would eventually lower ones head but Kieran looked like he was looking at a distance.
Though, the joggers only showed their weird gazes when they passed by Kieran. Plus, each time a jogger passed by Kieran, he would return with a smile. The joggers continued their training after replying the same to him and soon enough, they discarded the weird thoughts from their mind.
But not everyone.
The female chief officer, Teresa.
After an irritating screech of a car breaking, the female chief officers car stopped beside Kieran.
She got off the car and blocked Kierans way.
Still looking for your memory? Well, why not let me jog it for you... Winchester Houses new owner, Mr. 2567!
Teresa said out loud fiercely.
Chapter 698 - Misleading
Chapter 698: Misleading
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
What are you talking about Teresa?
Kieran looked at the female chief officer with a confused and baffled face.
There wasnt the slightest dy throughout his expression nor did he reveal the slightest surprise.
When Kieran noticed Donna was up to something suspicious, he knew Donna would eventually cause him problems. Whether it was revenge or to stall him after the incident, she would definitely do something.
And, who else was more suitable than Teresa?
Firstly, Teresa wasnt a mystic, so she wouldnt cause any kind of real trouble.
Secondly, Teresa was the chief officer, she has the authority to mobilize her men to make Kieran anxious.
Thest and also the most important point was, Teresa and Kieran had a somewhat close rtionship.
Regardless of the close rtionship between them being real or not, in Donnas point of view, Kieran must have his own ns for his actions and her purpose was to mess up his ns.
Therefore, Kieran had predicted the scene before him happening, especially when he had a certain level of understanding of Teresa.
The female chief officer was not only hot-tempered but deeply knew the importance of the element of surprise. She had a heart of justice and was very experienced in allowing herself to capture her targets.
Kieran knew Teresa well and so did she him, at least it was what Teresa thought.
She looked at Kierans confused face, it looked very genuine. She slightly frowned.
Someone tipped me off, saying that you are the new owner of Winchester House, Teresa said.
Someone tipped you off? Who? Kieran presented a surprise and heavy expression.
What? Teresa asked unconsciously when she saw Kierans expression.
These few days of going after the Winchester Houses explosion case, Ive been thinking about a certain question. Why was I at the Winchester house? Based on the habits I disyed these few days and the identity youve gotten, I wouldnt be stopping at that kind of average family hotel and based on my observational skills,bat abilities, shooting skills, Im definitely not someone normal based on regr peoples standards either. Kieran responded with the answer that he had prepared.
You are saying... Teresas brows almost cramped into a single line. All sorts of guesses started to bloom in her mind.
I think I must have noticed something went wrong, that is why I was there! There is a high chance that... I was lured there! Kieran said.
Someones trying to kill you? Teresa revealed his guess.
It wouldnt be possible for just a simple murder. There were five bodies found in Winchester House and weve identified four out of five. Mayoral candidate, Symende Augen and his driver cum bodyguard, Tonita, the university professor Harondentte, and Barney the Jackals man, Rudal. So who does thest body belong to?
Or, let me say it this way, all the four victims had their own goals to achieve there, that nameless person is no exception. Lets call him that for now.
Back to my previous theory, I was lured to Winchester House and based on my travel path, myself and the other four dont seem to be connected or even know each other. So, the nameless existence was to lure me over there! The nameless existence might even badly affect me because only then would the mysterious killer have the confidence to kill me!
Based on this new route on the theory, the nameless person should be someone important to me... Though, I forgot who it might be, Kieran then smiled bitterly as he stopped.
Im sorry. Teresa might be hot-tempered but wasnt without a sense of empathy.
After hearing Kierans analysis, her face had apologies smeared all over.
Soon enough, it was reced by her seriousness.
The culprit didnt only n beforehand but killed every attendee just to kill you. including the person who is important to you. The culprit seemed quite confident in killing you but wouldnt it seem a little too much of an effort? Picking the outskirts in the middle of nowhere, an abandoned factory would even be more suitable. Dont forget theres a powerful person like Symende Augen on the victim list, Teresa muttered softly.
That is why I said it wasnt a simple murder case. Discarding the boasting element, any culprit out there would hope the case would not spread further and quickly end it. However, this mysterious culprit took the other way instead, yet they didnt present any means of boasting about their work. It doesnt make any sense, which also leaves us with a single possibility: the culprit wanted someone else to take notice of this murder case!
Including killing me, it was all the within the goals of what the mysterious culprit wanted to achieve with their means. But now, I am still alive and a w urred in their ns, they wanted topensate for their ws. So can you tell me who is the one who tipped you off?
Kieran didnt say the theory about escaping through faking his death blindly.
Truth be told, as a person who was being set up, he did quite a lot bying up with such a theory, any more than that would draw unwanted suspicion.
Humans were suspicious beings and were also responsible for their own actions.
They would rather believe the rumors of others than believe the truth. They only choose to believe what they want to believe.
What Kieran need right now was to draw out more rumors to mess up the original truth!
ording to the information he grasped, Kieran was very confident that the nameless shared heavy simrities with him in his arbiter identity, he might even be vital evidence!
For example, the exchanged heart!
That was the only way he could ditch the pursuit of the organizations executioner.
Once he died, everything would be done for.
If the real Kieran didnt appear, the ns would have seeded in a high chance. As an arbiter, he wouldnt have shown any more interest to that heart that mped him down.
Yet Kieran came into the picture. He was different than his arbiter identity.
Kieran was very concerned about the heart that got exchanged.
However, he couldnt move recklessly unless he wanted to expose himselfpletely under thew enforcers sights.
Kieran never doubted the executioners abilities.
In order for him to smoothly escape the organization, he as the arbiter would have left all kinds of confusing trails to mislead thew enforcers, pointing them towards the nameless person and make the executioner believe he was the nameless person.
Yet it wasnt a simple process.
The executioners would surely verify the body meticulously, those who went near the nameless person without a reason would be a priority in their investigations.
Therefore, Kieran needed an excuse and in order to solidify the excuse without fearing verifications from others, he had to lie to the chief officer and purposely mislead her investigation.
Kieran apologized in his heart silently while he looked at Teresa who was in deep thought.
Donna! The message that tipped me off came from Donna Bar. When I wanted to drop by to investigate, an explosion went off... All my mind could think of was killing the witness, then I guess the recklessness had gotten the best of me. So, Im sorry, I shouldnt have doubted you who helped me before.
Teresa apologized again.
Its fine. Those people are too cunning.
It added more sense of guilt to Kieran when Teresa apologized again but when he thought about the oue if his main mission was to fail, Kieran suppressed the sense of guilt and said with slight hesitant, Teresa, can I have a look at the nameless body? Although I dont remember him, I wanted to say my goodbyes.
Teresa thought for a while when she saw Kierans hesitant face.
Eventually, she nodded.
Fine.
Chapter 699 - A Better Arrangement
Chapter 699: A Better Arrangement
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Teresa brought Kieran to the End City police station.
They didnt go into the main building but instead to an independent three-story building behind the main one.
At the right side of the buildings main entrance, there was an inconspicuous sign.
Unofficial Forensic Department.
You dont have much time, at most 10 minutes... or less.
Teresa said before pushing the door open and going it. Kieran followed close behind.
Behind the door was a long hall with doors on both sides. Other than the window at the end, light could hardly prate the ce, it added an extra sense of eeriness to the already secluded building.
Though, neither Teresa nor Kieran were concerned about the eeriness. Both of them strolled in and soon reached the basement floor.
Hey, Teresa. Morning!
A middle-aged man in doctors robe waved his hand at Teresa. He didnt even bat an eye at Kieran and continued, Is it because of the Winchester Houses case?
Is there anything else other than that? Give me 10 minutes, Teresa said without the slightest courtesy.
This isnt the attitude of begging others... but whatever, I am more scared of your begging mode. 10 minutes. 10 minutes tops! Ill take a cigarette break.
The middle-aged man shrugged helplessly and stood up, heading up to the first floor.
Teresa then headed over to the morgue further back in the basement.
Judging from the tacit agreement between the man and Teresa, it was safe to say it wasnt the first time.
Teresa probably noticed the shock in Kierans eyes and she couldnt help but exin, Two years ago, he came across some big trouble, so I lent a hand. Although he cant keep his original position, at least he wasnt swept out. Hence, the rtionship.
The begging mode? Kieran was curious.
Breaking teeth or snapping fingers, Teresa said calmly.
What an unconventional way of begging, Kieranmented.
He didnt doubt the exaggerated words from Teresa because judging from her temper, it was too easy for her to go crazy like that when encountering troubles.
As for the inappropriate actions of a police officer, her undercover life had granted her a distinguishable way of doing things from the other officers, just like what she was doing now.
The moment they entered the morgue, Teresa pulled out the mortuary cabbeled Winchester House explosion.
Because of the explosion and severe burning, we still cant identify who is who from all the bodies.
Teresa pointed at the five shrunken, deformed charred corpses and said after pulling open the zipper.
Obviously, Kieran didnt possess such identification abilities.
Under the severe burning, the five charred corpses didnt only lose their faces, even their bodies had been shrunken from the size of grown men to that of children but one of the five bodies looked unusual.
The left side of its chest had a big hole, a hole that had been pierced thoroughly from front to back. The burning on the wound was natural, the wound wasnt caused after the person died.
This is the most unusual body among the five and also the most tragic one. His heart was ripped out before he died, that guy must have hated him to the bones, Teresamented.
Yeah. Kieran nodded, the gears in his mind spun rapidly.
Heart got ripped out?
The result was out of Kierans expectations.
ording to Kierans theory, he as the arbiter should have left behind the crucial evidence, unless...
There is a better arrangement? What would be better, as a direct evidence, than the executioners seeing the heart with their own eyes?
New doubts popped up in Kierans mind once again. It plunged Kieran into deep thought for quite a while as he stood beside the body, yet without any valuable information given, Kieran couldnt get anything out of it.
Although I dont want to rush you, we dont have much time left, Teresa reminded him.
That will be enough. Given such situation, I dont even know who should I show myfort to. Kieran bitterly smiled at the charred corpses.
Although he said it like that, before he left, he turned around and bowed at the dead. It was the basic respect for disturbing the dead.
Kieran, however, didnt have the apologetic means to the dead.
Based on the main mission description, he and his arbiter identity were supposed to be a single person but Kieran would never treat the other him as the real him.
Not only because of the twisted feeling of treating a person that didnt even exist as himself, but it was also because he also knew clearly that if he truly treated his arbiter identity as himself and took responsibility for everything he had done, the chances of him being exposed would skyrocket.
He, Kieran, is now an amnesia patient!
After greeting that forensic scientist again, Kieran and Teresa left the station together.
Where to? Teresa asked.
Where you bumped into me. Someone suggested I should take more walks there, maybe my memories will recover, Kieran joked and he followed with a question unintentionally, Wheres Hoskin?
He went to investigate the university professor. That Prof. Harondentte is much moreplicated that we expected. He didnt only assume the position of archeology professor at Yuda State University but also created a club at the university named Graven. I cant seem to find information about this mysterious club through paper materials so I sent Hoskin to Yuda State University. Teresa answered honestly.
Graven?
Kieran muttered in his heart. He felt like he had seen the name before in some books but couldnt exactly remember which.
But one thing was for sure, that Prof. Harondentte must be rted to the mystical realm because Kieran was certain the term Graven didnt appear in the medical books at Augen Manor.
On the way there, Kieran purposely diverted the topic to Prof.Harondentte until Teresa apanied him back to the where he entered the car.
My treat. Teresa hurled over a paper bag from the back seat of her car to Kieran before driving off swiftly.
Two sandwiches and a box of milk. It was chilled but it wasnt fromst night either.
She must have bought them before she bumped into him.
Holding the paper bag with food in his hand, Kieran recalled the scene where Teresa appeared with stern tones and severe countenance. He couldnt help but smile.
What a dishonest woman.
After a soft sigh, Kieran took out a piece of the sandwich, eating as he walked, continuing his interrupted search from before.
Different from the peaceful scene at dawn, the streets were filled with busy people.
Shops were all open for business, crowds of people flowing around like a river, cars were jamming the streets, the entire End City felt like it had woken up from its sleep.
Standing on the merry street, Kieran continued on his walk following the direction of the map in his mind.
Half an hourter, when Kieran nced over a certain building, he stopped abruptly.
Chapter 700 - How To Do It?
Chapter 700: How To Do It?
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
As Kieran halted his steps abruptly, he stared directly at the building not far away from him.
The building was quite big and had a total of four stories. The architecture style wasnt modern, each side of the exterior wall has an obvious outer column and arched beam, forming a bulging extension on the upper part of each of the windows.
Not only did it beautify the structure but it also served its purpose to block the rain waters.
The columns and arched beam on the main entrance were standing out even more than others, it was almost 5 meters long, forming an oval-shaped entrance.
Following the oval-shaped entrance, one could easily reach End City Library. The signboard on one of the sides was written as such.
But, Kierans eyes were concentrated at the other side of the pir.
In front of that pir, a 2-meter tall, 4-meter long with a width of two palms stone monument was built there.
The traces of time left obvious mottled marks all over the monument but the words carved on it were clear.
...
Thank you Marulyn Church for building this public library and donating 1192 books.
Following the merciful sister and Chief Friar, Marulyn Church had done another admirable act again. It will definitely be remembered in the generations toe.
War Era 81 Years.
...
War Era? The time before the union was even formed?
Kieran was stunned for a while before locking his gaze on sister and Chief Friar.
No doubt with Marulyn Church in front, both the terms were referring to Sister Reid and Chief Friar Gat and ording to the map in his mind, this was the ce where the other statue was located.
The Marulyn Church kept itsst hope here?
As Kieran pondered on the thought, his eyes couldnt help but start to burn of eagerness.
What would a church do when facing impending destruction?
Other than struggling at thest breath and attacking in retaliation, they would surely keep the assets to fight again another day, staging aeback.
Even the Marulyn Church, a civilian church was no exception.
Perhaps there might not be a lot of wealth spared but there would definitely be some powerful tools with intact legacies because an intact legacy was the source of restoring Marulyn and a powerful tool acted as a guarantee of their restoration.
Kierans interest in the legacies was piqued. He wouldnt mind perfecting his skills.
As for powerful tools and items, he was determined to get his hands on them.
In his current situation, he was in dire need of powerful items.
Any ns made would require a powerful force to drive it smoothly.
Kieran understood the saying back during his newbie dungeon.
Huuu!
He took in a deep breath, keeping away the gaze on the monument and slowly walked towards the already opened End City Library.
However, the moment he lifted his foot, he was forced to stop.
Something doesnt seem right! If the books, scrolls or some powerful items that recorded the legacies were ced in the library, with the monument built in front the entrance, despite how secretive it was kept, it couldnt have escaped intentional peoples searching. Aside from the Elder Council, even the internal Sant Relic Association would be d to utilize such legacies to fortify their forces, let alone other individuals and stray mystics.
Kieran understood clearly how concerned a mystic was regarding knowledge and magical tools.
One would be desperate to get their hands on one.
A powerful magical tome or a powerful item, it wasmon for one to whip up a bloody storm revolving such powers.
A set of intact legacies and a possibility of multiple powerful items would increase the temptation at least ten folds, or even more.
Under such circumstances, how could End City Library not be visited by someone else?
There might be countless men who visited the ce before him.
Despite spending all their efforts and means to search for the legacies left behind by the Marulyn Church, every one of them returned empty-handed.
Otherwise, Damien of the Twenty Hounds wouldnt appear at St. Reid Hospital
Simrly, Damiens appearance at the hospital also told Kieran the key to finding the Marulyn Churchs legacies hidden within St. Reid Hospital!
The statue! Sister Reids statue!
Kieran has been wondering why Damien would teach the fake Gat the spells to resonate with the statue and now at this very moment, Kieran realized Damien wanted to move the statue to the library!
Only by using the secret spell to resonate with the statues power could it be achieved without anyone noticing and Damien could easily shift the me of stealing the statue to the fake Gat, hence avoiding conflict between the Elder Council and the Saint Relic Association.
I see now, Kieran sighed in his heart.
He looked at the map in his head that used Sister Reids statue as the marking.
Before this, he was thinking that the marking was to show respect to Sister Reid and didnt even think about the fact that the statue was really needed.
The statue itself is one of the important factors! But trying to move the statue...
Kieran frowned. He didnt possess the secret spells inside the statue that could conceal itself frommon peoples senses.
He had only gotten the part of the hidden map inside the statue by ident. This map should be thest resort that the Marulyn Church set up as a precaution.
However, it somehow didnt show any effect that it was supposed to.
A high chance was that there was a powerful enemy that eliminated the entire Marulyn Church, leaving no survivors behind.
The three wars that happened throughout the hundred years was much more horrifying than what regr people could imagine.
Despite Kieran only briefly reading about the history, he understood that among all the three wars, each organization had spent all their effort in killing the opponent.
Once given the chance, one would eliminate their enemies down to the roots and leave nothing behind.
So, mystical realm factions beingpletely annihted in the three wars was quite amon scene, to the point that a lot of people couldnt precisely tell what organizations were annihted by who and when.
For example, the Marulyn Church.
Of course, Kieran didnt want to explore the remains of the three wars. He was thinking about how to move [Sister Reid Statue] to the library, without leaving traces.
If Kierans skills didnt suffer the -1 penalty and he had all his original equipment, he might still have some confidence by utilizing illusions and above Transcendence [Undercover] to pull the trick off.
Now, however, many difficulties stood before him. Even from a certain aspect, it was near impossible for him to do it alone.
Fortunately, it was just near impossible, notpletely!
Inside Kierans head, there was a less mature idea.
That night, he had promised Anne Aldrich Augen to apany her to the dinner. If during that particr period, Sister Reid Statue was stolen, his suspicions would be decreased to the minimum.
But...
How would he do it?
Chapter 701 - Threatening
Chapter 701: Threatening
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
During the night, a group of cars left Augen Manor
Two cars of the bodyguards took up their positions in the front and back, sandwiching the prolonged limo in the middle.
The group didnt drive into End City but went around the citys outskirts, heading towards another direction.
Kieran was sitting opposite Anne Aldrich Augen who was filing her red colored nails with a nail file. He stared at her while trying to perfect his ns for the night.
He wanted to use the guests of the dinner as witnesses and bring Sister Reids statue away from the hospital to the library.
My gosh, if this keeps on, my nails will be ruined! Anne Aldrich Augen ranted.
Kieran kept quiet.
When he returned to the manor in the afternoon, she was coloring her nails enthusiastically. Since she couldnt have forgotten about the dinner at night and yet she still painted her nails, this meant that she had iting to her.
Kieran would never respond to such a conversation in the first ce; Kieran also has ns for the night.
Despite both of them only knowing each other for a short time, Kieran knew Anne Aldrich Augen too well. Everything was proceeding ording to his expectations.
While Kieran was keeping quiet, Anne Aldrich Augen removed her in colored t heels from her right leg which was in in stockings. She extended her long leg, tip-toeing at Kierans knee.
Although the limo was extra longed, giving it space that other cars couldntpete with, when Anne Aldrich Augen extended her leg, the space between them was shortening by the second.
It was hard for Kieran to dodge in with such limited space, except for jumping out of the car.
However, as Anne Aldrich Augens temporary bodyguard, he wouldnt leave her side, simr to the fact that he would never allow her to tip-toe at his knee.
Not only because of the ns but also because of the twisted feeling in his heart, plus a slight dislike for such actions.
Therefore, when the ck barrel of the gun was pointed at Anne Aldrich Augen, she quickly changed her expression from a charming and beautiful rantingdy to a slightly paled face with embarrassment.
When she felt the temperature inside the car had plummeted, she knew that Kieran was serious.
The weapon I gave you isnt for you to point it at me! Anne Aldrich Augen emphasized.
I know, Kieran nodded before putting away the gun.
Seeing Kieran go back to his silent state after putting away the gun, Anne Aldrich Augen raised a brow, she seemingly wanted to say something but nothing escaped her mouth.
In simple words, Anne Aldrich Augen was slightly frightened by Kieran.
Was it some bad memory that she reminded him of?
Throughout the rest of the journey, Anne Aldrich Augens mind was full of that particr matter.
As for Kierans whereabouts, a smart woman like Anne Aldrich Augen would never send her men to follow and watch him. She knew a fighter stronger than Mayer possessed outstanding and sharp intuition.
Her bodyguards were not evenpetent enough to follow someone like him and once discovered, their close rtionship in working together would surely suffer a major crack.
Anne Aldrich Augen didnt wish for that to happen. It was the most crucial moment for her right now and she wouldnt allow any mistakes.
However, she would never be bored with petty things like sending a driver to drive Kieran to the ce he wanted to visit and try to deduce and guess what Kieran had done.
Her secretary reported back to her dutifully about what Kieran had done before that.
Anne Aldrich Augen didnt believe the ims saying Kieran was an amnesia patient but as time passed, she was rather convinced by his actions because no one would act like Kieran, a guy without anymon sense and logic.
Despite Kieran was a quick learner, Anne Aldrich Augen could easily tell that all the things were indeed learned in a short time, it was not a disguise.
A person like him in other people eyes was the definition of an amnesia patient!
But Anne Aldrich Augen was different.
Her acquired doubtful nature wouldnt allow her to fully trust anyone, anything, or even the truth.
However, it didnt stop Anne Aldrich Augen from continuing her little guessing game, deducing all kinds of theories and guesses.
Kieran squinted his eyes as he looked at Anne Aldrich Augens manner. He knew his actions and behavior had sessfully raised her suspicions.
After that, it would all depend on the others to y along with the n.
Kieran had quite the confidence in the others ying along.
...
The outskirts of End City didnt only house the Augen Manor but a couple more.
Obviously, Augen Manor was the biggest and the most luxurious amongst all of them.
When Symende Augen was still alive, Augen Manor lived up to its name of being the first manor of End City.
Following his death, however, the title instantly proved itself to be only aesthetics without any real worth.
Inside a gold glittered and magnificent hall, three men were sitting around a table.
These three men were powerful and influential people in End City, with every breath they blew, the city will shake.
The three of them looked at each other, no one was willing to open their mouth to speak first.
The silence in the hall suppressed the atmosphere.
In the end, the scrawny looking middle-aged man of the three spoke.
That woman ising, what are you guys going to do about it? You wouldnt really present End City to her right?
Keep dreaming!
A fairly bloated man without any visible beard beside the scrawny men coldly grunted.
When Symende Augen was alive, we had always been splitting the profits and now a single widow wants to take all? I dont mind sending her to her husbands side! The bloated man continued.
Dont rush, dont rush my friend. I can keep her for a while before the search. If it wasnt for Symende Augen, she would have been my most precious toy.
A mustached man opposite the bloated man said.
Compared to the bloated man or the scrawny middle-aged man, the mustached man wasnt that old. He maintained his energetic and youthful looks, his face looked exceptionally outstanding and could even be considered handsome. Especially with the schrly presence that would turn heads.
However, the words that escaped his mouth made one frown but none of the two men did. Both of them revealed a smile with hidden meaning.
It seemed like both of them were sharing the same thought.
The first beauty of End City, whenever the title came into my mind, I couldnt hold back my dryness! The fair bloated man said rudely.
Oh, do I need to cool you down?
Mayer! The mustached man with the schr presence uttered the name softly.
The bloated man opposite instantly changed his expression when the name was spoken.
Weldon, are you looking for trouble? Want me to clear up all your turf? The bloated man asked in a threatening tone.
You can try, Siberk, the man named Weldon said with a squinted smile but the schrly presence on him has suddenly changed into a cold and gloomy one, simr to an executioner.
Oh, then let us...
Enough!
The scrawny man shouted, he raised his head at both his coborators, looking enraged.
If it wasnt for both his coborators who kept dragging him behind, how could Symende Augen suppressed him for his entire mayoral run?
Now with Symende Augen out of the picture, his chance toe forward had arrived.
How could he tolerate the other two coborators to keep messing around?
As his shout subsided, a group of gunners rushed into the hall.
Siberk and Weldon stood up in shock.
Urtegand, what are you trying to do?
Both of them shouted back with an ugly expression.
Arent you guys worrying about Mayer? Let me introduce you both to someone. Charlie Graff of Macken. He is the strongest wrestler and fighter after Zaigen.
Urtegand acted like he didnt even notice the disgusting look on Siberk and Weldons faces and made his introduction sonorously.
Following his introduction, a huge bare top fellow who looked nothing like human came in from outside.
Dong, Dong, Dong.
With each step the huge man took, the ground would tremble. When the huge fellow reached in front of Siberk and Weldon, both of them looked tiny before the enormous and strong figure.
Dont speak of Zaigen in front of me! He is just a coward who ran away after beating me once out of luck! Now I am ten thousand times stronger than he was!
Charlie Graff grunted loudly as if he was a meaty mountain.
Of course, Mr. Graff. Do you need anything else? Food? Booze? Women? Anything you request, Ill do my best to satisfy you.
Unlike his usual attitude to his coborators, Urtegand was delighted and even a little ttering towards the meaty mountain before him.
Although Urtegand treated the meaty mountain as a fool in his heart, it didnt seem so on the outside.
Food, booze, women! Everything! I want everything! Charlie Graff said loudly.
Very well! Urtegand waved his hand and ordered his men to prepare everything listed.
However, one of the gunners that was guarding outside rushed in the hall.
Boss, the woman is here!
When the news was delivered, everyone inside the hall was awoken, Siberk and Weldon were no exception either.
Charlie Graff even grunted loudly, swollen with inordinate arrogance.
There target is here? Let me deal with her and you will deliver my payment!
Charlie Graff then wanted to head outside to settle the job.
Mr. Graff, no need to rush. We have time, why dont you take a rest and we will... Urtegand wanted to borate more but he suddenly noticed Charlie Graff beside him was shivering.
Layers of meat were shivering heavily, as though the meat were waves, moving along the shore. Tiny sweat droplets seeped out of his skin and were sshing in all directions following the motion of Charlie Graffs body.
Quite the amount of sweat was sprinkled over Urtegands face and body but the middle-aged man wasnt even bothered by that.
Urtegand noticed that Charlie Graff who could take down multiple fighters without even changing his expression was looking scared as he stared dead straight ahead at the young man behind the woman.
The young man noticed Charlie Graffs face, he looked back as well.
His eyes were absent of excessive emotions, all it had was a faint, cold killing intent.
Charlie Graffs body shivered hard after feeling the intense killing intent, forcing him to stagger backward repeatedly.
Dong Dong Dong... Bang!
Four to five steps backter, he sat his big ass down on the floor.
Chapter 702 - Protection Of The Trade?
Chapter 702: Protection Of The Trade?
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
After Charlie Graff, whose body resembled a meaty mountain, fell on the floor, his immense weight shook the hall.
However, none of the people within the hall cared about the shaking as all of their eyes were locked on Kieran who was approaching them.
Although Kieran was a step behind Anne Aldrich Augen, under everyones gaze, it felt like Kieran was the important person that everyone had been waiting for.
Anne Aldrich Augen who was in front of him was neglected instead, which was a first for her.
When she understood the destructive power of her beauty and learned how to disy it, she had never been neglected in her life regardless of the situation.
As long as she was present, she would be the focus of everyones gaze and yet now, someone had robbed her glory.
Undoubtedly, anyone who was in her shoes would feel furious but Anne Aldrich Augen wouldnt do anything about it because the scene before her was what she was aiming for.
The reason she brought Kieran to the dinner was to strike fear in all these ambitious jackals!
It was just that the effect was too effective!
The meaty mountain was obviously Urtegands reliance of sorts and just after a small moment of eye contact with Kieran, the meaty mountain was scared out of his wits. If she didnt know the meaty mountain guy didnt leave the manor after being invited to End City, Anne Aldrich Augen might think the meaty mountain guy was just ying along with Kierans entrance.
But it spiked the curiosity in Anne Aldrich Augens heart even more. She wanted to know how Kieran did it.
She turned around and sized up Kieran with her curious gaze, as though it was the first time both of them meet. Together with her blushed and shy expression which she put on purposely, it was extremely moving.
As for anyone who saw Anne Aldrich Augens expression, they would surely be moved.
Kieran was no exception either.
His vision had been spammed with Charmed notifications. Fortunately, his SS+ Spirit attribute allowed him to easily be immune to such charms, allowing him to maintain his sanity.
The others, however, werent that lucky.
Everyone was bedazzled by Anne Aldrich Augens beauty, their breaths started to rush and they almost forgot what were they doing.
Especially Charlie Graff who was panting like an enraged ox. His eyes which should be filled with fear was instantly reced by his lust.
He wanted to suppress the woman under him, ravaging her at his will. The thought made him climb back up swiftly and nimbly, as though his huge and fat body wasnt any burden to him.
Looking at Anne Aldrich Augen, who was less than 10 meters away, Charlie Graffs face somehow flushed right away.
It seemed like changes of emotions but also some kind of secret technique being cast on his body.
Hey punk, who are you to Zaigen? How did you get the glove on your hand? Charlie Graff questioned Kieran loudly.
His voice was so loud that it sounded like thunder, the others beside him even covered their ears and backed off. Everyones gaze unconsciouslynded on the glove on Kierans right hand.
Of course everyone there wasnt from the underground fighting world, other than thinking [Power Glory] had an unusual look, they wouldnt know what meaning it bore.
Even Anne Aldrich Augen who had a certain understanding of fighters and the mystical realm was no exception.
She shifted her gaze down to the glove, ncing over [Power Glory] subtly. After she made sure she hadnt seen the glove before, she moved her gaze back to Kierans face.
Anne Aldrich Augen hoped to see something valuable in Kierans face but such direct observation was destined to be fruitless.
Anne Aldrich Augen didnt catch a glimpse of emotion on Kierans face.
Whether from the beginning where Kieran scared Charlie Graff to the ground or when Charlie Graff climbed back up and questioned him loudly, Kierans expression didnt change at all and he didnt have any intention of answering.
As though regardless of what the meaty mountain did, it wasnt worth his care.
Contempt and belittling.
Charlie Graff clearly felt the attitude Kieran was showing, at least it was what he had gotten from Kieran.
Ill crush every inch of your bones and crushed your woman into meat paste before your eyes! Charlie Graff growled loudly and dashed out towards Kieran.
Kak, Kak ka!
The sturdy marble flooring suffered crack after crack as Charlie Graff stomped on it. Quite the amount of broken pieces were produced together with the cracks and they flew everywhere, thus causing the others in the hall to dodge even further away from their original spots.
Their gazes were terrified when they saw the cracks left behind by Charlie Graffs steps, they then turned their eyes to the meaty mountain himself.
This time around, everyone else was awestruck as they witness the changes on the meaty mountain.
The redness that filled Charlie Graffs face had spread throughout his body in a short period of time.
Following the spread, it didnt only expand Charlie Graffs body further, it even produced a steamy heat wave around him!
When everyone in the hall felt the temperature of the heat wave, they went further away from that meaty mountain, let alone Kieran who was the target.
These few men could only imagine what kind of high-temperature Kieran would face as he was standing right in front of him.
Then, it seemed like they suddenly realized something and turned their eyes towards Anne Aldrich Augen. Despite her being their enemy, they didnt wish for her to be caught up in the attack.
However, right after that, they noticed Anne Aldrich Augen who was within the trajectory wasnt terrified of the sudden attack.
Anne Aldrich Augen, of course, felt the changes of temperature but thedy had been through enough rough waves to keep herself calm and maintained her elegance.
She wanted to move her feet behind subtly, leaving the scene to Kieran but before she actually moved her feet, Kieran stepped up and blocked her.
Anne Aldrich Augen was stunned as Kierans figure appeared before her eyes suddenly.
Even though she could maintain her elegance in front of Charlie Graffs fierce dashing in his abnormal form, her expression looked weird when Kieran stepped up in front of her.
But soon enough, thedy let out a softugh.
We have a deal, you need to protect me ya.
Anne Aldrich Augen told Kieran in a smiling manner after regaining her elegance.
En.
Kieran didnt even look back and replied only in his nasal voice.
Then, he put his focus on Charlie Graff who was charging at him.
Chapter 703 - A Word Of Cursing
Chapter 703: A Word Of Cursing
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Kieran didnt underestimate Charlie Graff who was charging at him.
Even though Charlie Graff had lost to Zaigen before, the Zaigen that Kieran killed, nothing would change.
Kieran knew Charlie Graff. In fact, he knew everyone inside the hall with a certain identity level, excluding some bodyguards and workers.
Before Kieran reached the ce, Anne Aldrich Augen had briefed him about the people that she believed would be there and things that might happen.
If End City was divided into day and night, End City in the day would be a merry, prospering city but when night arrived, End City would be a paradise for many criminals and a ce that bred crime.
Inside such a paradise, Symende Augen was one of the best. With arge faction of power and many men under hismand, Symende Augens ambitions werent small at all, he wanted to ce all the others in power under his feet.
Most of them were eliminated within a night or two but some persisted and operated their forces with utmost persistence, thus bing a character that Symende Augen dreaded.
Urtegand, Siberk, and Weldon were among those listed.
The three of them hadbined their forces in the beginning when they noticed something wasnt right, they had maintained a precise and clear route for each of their businesses.
One of them ran military arms deals, one of them was into human trafficking, and thest one dealt in drugs.
Thebination of such forces forced Symende Augen who was supposed to be able to cover the sky with one hand to slow down his conquest of the city.
All they did was stall and slow him down though.
The cooperation between the three of them could barely keep them alive in front of Symende Augen as well.
As time passed, everything would unfold ording to Symende Augens ns, the entire End City would be his own backyard.
Well, given that Symende Augen was still alive.
Following his death, not only did the other mayoral candidates have other thoughts, those characters that dwelled in the darkness even revealed their ferocious fangs.
The so-called dinner tonight was actually a process ofying out the cards between forces.
It wasnt even a negotiation.
Kieran remembered the heavy expression and contempt when Anne Aldrich Augen spoke of the three men.
None of the three men were anything good. You can do whatever you like to them but be careful of their dirty methods. They are afraid of Mayer so that Charlie Graff who lost to Zaigen before will surely be a handful for you!
Kieran agreed, but why would Anne Aldrich Augen say that?
Other than reminding him to be careful of Charlie Graff, she wanted him to kill them without any burdens to his mental state. But it seemed like Anne Aldrich Augen was over thinking.
Kieran would never be careless against anyone, despite how weak and how harmless they were.
Being merciful to your enemy is being cruel to yourself.
Kieran wouldnt even hesitate since he had understood the saying long ago.
Therefore, when Kieran looked at Charlie Graff, killing intent has filled his heart.
The scorching heat waves from Charlie Graffs body were blowing Kierans hair, his hair was waving and fluttering, it even messed up his jacket and shirt.
Kieran used his hand to moved his bangs upwards after being messed up, allowing himself to see more clearly.
At the same time, it allowed the others to clearly see his sharp and energetic eyes.
He couldnt be considered as handsome but his eyes were something noteworthy, especially when they were filled with killing intent, they were as sharp as des!
Everyone within the hall who was watching the fight and caught the gaze from the eyes felt cold at their necks and it became hard for them to breathe.
They felt like they were in the battlefield of myriads of troops and horses, being surrounded by broken limbs and dead bodies, stepping in a river of blood and organs.
The warhorses neighed sharply, crows cawed in despair and the screams of the dead souls echoed!
Kieran was standing on top of a mountain of bodies, staring them with his cold eyes.
Dont kill me!
Cries of terror sounded. All the illusions that urred with the suppression of aura vanished with the cry but the scene that they saw was branded in their hearts, causing them to crawl backward in fear, some of them even peed their pants.
In the end, they were just some regr men who stood in the dark side of themon world. They werent elite soldiers that fought on the battlefield and were iparable to Kieran who went rampant before in the battlefield.
Charlie Graff was no exception either. He who had made his name famous in the underground fighting ring was forced to slow down against the sudden st of aura.
Fighters were much stronger than regr folks but still the same without the baptism of the battlefield.
Even though Charlie Graff relied on his experience in the ring and his own strength to swiftly recover, it was already toote.
Wung!
An irritating whistle that sounded like tearing up linen came, Kieran dashed towards Charlie Graff while ignoring the scorching heat waves.
He raised his leg andnded his kick hard on Charlie Graffs chest.
Compared to Charlie Graffs enormous body, Kieran was scrawny and petite.
The right kick that Kierannded on Charlie Graffs chest looked extremely weak like a small wooden stick smashing onto a wall.
Everyone thought the wooden stick would break.
However, the fact was that the wall crumbled!
No! Not crumbled! The wall flew!
BANG!
A heavy loud bangter, the huge Charlie Graff was sent flying backward faster than his charge, bringing down countless pirs and walls down with his body.
KABOOM!
The continuous crashing caused the entire hall to shake.
At the end of a loud bang, it started to crumble.
Dust and debris flew everywhere, agonizing cries sounded here and there.
Kieran neglected all and turned back to Anne Aldrich Augen whose eyes was glimmering in a weird glow at the scene.
Anne Aldrich Augen had her excitement peak at that moment. She never would have thought things would turn out so easy.
Charlie Graff, who she deemed as one of her biggest foes, was sent flying with one kick?
Urtegand, Siberk, and Weldon who she felt worrisome were buried in the debris just like that?
The huge amount of men that she brought with her didnt even have the chance toe out and it ended?
Happiness came all of a sudden, to the point that it felt unreal.
Anne Aldrich Augens heart was filled with weird emotions at Kieran who caused the unrealistic feelings. Her face was so excited that it blushed and smiled like a flower, she stepped forward and opened her arms, wanting to hug Kieran.
But Kieran changed his steps and Anne Aldrich Augens arms grazed his shoulder.
She was stunned but reacted to the situation immediately. Thedy wasnt embarrassed at all but instead, she pulled out a specially made phone from her handbag and dialed the number on speed dial.
Action! Anne Aldrich Augen gave her order through the phone before turning to Kieran.
Well done! We have a perfect start now but the deal between you and me is only halfpleted, I am anticipating your next performance! Of course, if you are willing...
Ill deliver the rest as promised.
Before Anne Aldrich Augen could finish, Kieran interrupted her.
Kierans figure then quickly vanished before Anne Aldrich Augens eyes.
Her breath became quick and heavy after Kieran disappearance.
She wanted to suppress her anger inside her but Kierans actions were too despicable.
At the end of the struggle, she gave up her image and ditched her elegance by stomping her leg, cursing out loud for the first time in her life.
That fcking pssy!
Chapter 704 - Messing Up Plans
Chapter 704: Messing Up ns
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Kieran clearly heard Anne Aldrich Augens cursing since he didnt really leave but he stood in the shadows of the halls ruins.
He didnt really care, his attention was all ced on the spoils of war before his eyes.
A book with a green glow. It looked like a skill book but slightly different.
[Name: Charlie Graffs Notebook]
[Type: Book]
[Rarity: Magic]
[Attribute: None]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: The notebook has recordings of many fighting skills and an idental secret technique that Charlie Graff had gotten. It is the most precious item of the meaty mountain.]
...
idental secret technique?
Kieran squinted his eyes and unconsciously recalled the abnormal state that Charlie Graff was in. The scorching heat waves were not something that regr men could produce, it was also rare among fighters.
Kieran didnt even bat an eye at the fighting skills of Charlie Graff but he was very interested in the secret technique.
He put the notebook at his back without a second thought and swiftly left the ce.
This time around, he really left.
He needed to deliver on the rest of the promise to Anne Aldrich Augen.
Killing Urtegand, Siberk, and Weldon couldnt present Anne Aldrich Augen withplete control over End City since their turfs were still in the city.
Only when all their turfs were wiped out would the first phase of Anne Aldrich Augens n bepleted.
As for the rest of her ns, it would be the mayoral election.
Anne Aldrich Augens ambitions were not just to be the queen of the night in End City but the ruler of the day would not escape her grasp either.
Kieran didnt want toment on Anne Aldrich Augens ambitions, nor would he explore the reasons behind her enormous ambitions.
He only knew that by helping her, he could fish in turbid waters and move Sister Reids statue from the hospital to the library.
That to him was already enough.
...
Wilderman was the second biggest nightclub in End City.
When Symende Augen ended his business in the nightclub line, Wilderman became the biggest one and the ce that youngsters from all over the city gathered.
The youngsters went there to release themselves under the colorful lights and deafening music.
On top of the stage, the DJ was jockeying the disk hard, producing the only rhythm in the noisy environment.
Bang!
When an empty beer bottle was hurled to the stage and smashed the DJs head, the bald DJ fell down bleeding and the music was stopped.
The partying people was instantly stunned by the abruption and before the crowd could react to what happened, gunshots were fired.
BANG BANG BANG!
Muzzle sh shone from the guns, bullets were flying everywhere.
The crowd who was still partying a moment ago had started to flee in panic.
A group of ck-suited big men was exceptionally eye-catching among the panicked crowd. What was more eye-catching were the firearms in their hands.
Despite the dimmed environment of the nightclub, people could clearly see the deadly weapons in their hands.
The fleeing crowd wisely ran away from the group of suited men and at the same time, the bouncers of the club saw the group as well.
The bouncers pulled out all their weapons without hesitating, trying to take out the group that crashed the party.
But before the bouncers could dash over, a silenced gunshot was fired.
The gun equipped with a silencer was fired repeatedly.
The first among the bouncers who was also the leader fell down after precise headshots from the gun. The other bouncers followed as well without any exceptions.
Take the ce down! Those bastards in the club, break all their legs!
The leader of the suited men shouted loudly with a ferocious smile.
He had received his orders a while ago and following their leaders order, the other ck-suited men answered in unison before they threw themselves at their targets like tigers and wolves.
Around 10 minutester, Wilderman was in ruins.
The leader of the suited men pulled out a phone and dialed it.
Boss, weve taken down Wilderman with his help!
The terrifying big fellow who was looking ferocious a moment ago became humble and respectful like a dog after the call was connected.
Good, continue. Anne Aldrich Augens voice came from the other end of the call.
Yes, boss! The fellow answered respectfully.
He then kept the phone and returned to his ferocious expression.
Off to the next location! The big fellow said. He then led his men to the next location.
Anne Aldrich Augen certainly didnt only send out a single group of men. In order to remove Urtegand, Siberk, and Weldons forces in the city as soon as possible, other than retaining the necessary security forces, she had sent out all her men in groups of three, sweeping away all the turfs that didnt belong to her in one go.
Kierans role was to minimize the damage that Anne Aldrich Augens men suffered by killing the leaders and removing the obstacles in Urtegand, Siberk, and Weldons areas of influence.
Gunshots intertwined, agonizing screams filled the air.
End City waspletely woken from its slumber.
Commoners hid inside their houses with doors and windows locked and shivered in fear.
The police officers within the city who were tasked to protect it were stationed in their posts without any further actions because they had just received orders to not interfere.
The orders enraged countless officers with hearts of justice, especially Teresa.
Cheif! Are we just going to let a bunch of thugs go rampant under our eyes?
Teresa questioned her own superior.
THIS IS AN ORDER!
Chief Gregory lifted his head up with one hand sped behind the other. The bald middle-aged director stared right into his subordinate eyes and tried to maintain his dignity and authority.
The captain clenched her fist hard, raging sparks in her eyes were radiating.
What? Do you want to disobey a direct order? Dont forget youve just gotten reinstated, do you want...
It was still okay if the chief didnt bring up the reinstatement but once it was mentioned, the police captain couldnt hold the rage in her heart anymore as she knew the truth behind the incident.
GO F*CK YOURSELF!
Teresa went around the desk quickly. Sheunched a punch into the chief of polices face and while the chief was covering his nose in pain and yet to make a sound, Teresa followed up with a kick to his chest.
The chief toppled over with his chair behind his desk.
Teresa then pressed the broadcast button on the desk after smashing her superiors nose.
CALL EVERY AVAILABLE OFFICER OUT! GET ME THOSE F*CKERS WHO IS DESTROYING EDLAND CITY!
Teresas voice echoed loudly around the station.
The officers who had been holding back quickly stood up in cheers after listening to the broadcasted order. They didnt even care whose voice it was anymore, they took their guns and dashed out the station.
Less than a minuteter, the police sirens echoed in the streets of End City.
Ill surely remove you from your position... No! This is breaking thew, Ill throw you in prison!
Chief Gregory shouted at Teresa after easing his pain.
What the f*ck ever!
Teresa presented another kick on the chiefs face.
She then stormed out of the office while the Gregory was cursing and screaming in pain.
Teresa didnt regret what she did despite it being an impulsive move, she had prepared herself to bear the consequences of her actions.
Bunch of trash!
Teresa stepped on the eleration pedal once she had gotten into her police cruiser.
The police cruisers were dashing towards the spot where the gunshots were most intense like an arrow let loose.
...
After another shot killed another foe, Kierans face turned weird when he heard the police sirens.
After Anne Aldrich Augens arrangements, the police shouldnt be on the streets of End City tonight but based on the looks of things, thedys n was messed up.
Teresa?
He might look weird but he quickly showed a smile of relief.
Although it was just a wild guess. Kieran was quite certain that the police officers dispatched were rted to the chief officer.
Other than her, Kieran couldnt think of anyone else.
After heaving a heavy breath, Kieran turned around and went into the darkness without further tangling with the ongoing war between two sides.
Since Captain Teresa hade to mess up the n, he could shift his own ns up earlier.
Chapter 705 - Fishing In Troubled Waters
Chapter 705: Fishing In Troubled Waters
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
St. Reid Hospital was overflowing with people an hour after the outbreak.
The wounded were being sent to the hospital endlessly.
The whole hospital hall was filled with the agonizing moans of the wounded, the doctors and nurses were extremely busy, running around on their feet.
Although the ferocious-looking men during normal days could easily frighten off people, at that moment, they were just regr wounded patients, no different than othermon patients.
Doctors, the ICU is all full!
The hall! Divide the hall into temporary wards! Tell those off-duty doctors and nurses toe back at once, we need all the help we can get!
The doctor on duty told the nurses as he walked quickly to the hall and started arranging the hall into temporary wards. The nurses behind him were helping as well.
Just as more nurses starting to move beds after beds to the hall, the electric switch turned off on its own.
Kak!
The bright main hall plunged into darkness instantly. The darkness was followed by a loud heavy crashing noise.
When the backup generator was activated, the darkness was dispelled.
The busy doctors and nurses in the hall saw a masked caretaker standing beside Sister Reids statue, looking panicked as ever when the light came back on.
The statue beside the caretaker was smashed into bits of different sizes.
I...I... didnt do it on purpose! The ckout was too sudden, I...I... identally crashed the bed into the statue...
The caretaker tried his best in exining, the stuttered tone was proof that he was extremely nervous. In the end, he stayed quiet as guilt filled his heart.
The main hall was left with the agonizing moans of the wounded.
Why are you people all stunned up? Go back prepping the hall for the wounded! The merciful Sister Reid will forgive any mistakes done because of saving lives, even smashing her statue!
The doctor on duty didnt even have the time to seek responsibility from the caretaker as more and more wounded were delivered to the hospital.
In fact, no one really med the caretaker.
The ckout was too sudden, especially in crucial times like this.
Soon enough, the busy doctors and nurses concentrated back on treating the wounded.
Therefore, no one really noticed the caretaker who made the mistake leave with the bits and pieces of the broken statue.
...
In the alleyway outside St. Reid Hospital, Kieran pulled off his mask and threw the sculpture that he used as a prop into the rubbish bin.
He then took out the real [Sister Reid Statue] under the moving bed.
Kieran wrapped the statue with the bed sheet carefully, adding a few moreyers of protection on it before strapping it on his back. He checked his disguise once more before going deeper in the shadowy alleyway.
Although he was in disguise, he tried his best to avoid the sights of people, including surveince cameras.
Police sirens and ambnce sirens kept echoing in his ears.
With his intentional help, the area around St. Reid Hospital eventually became a heavy distress area.
Every single hospital in End City tonight would never get to rest.
Despite the interference of the police, Anne Aldrich Augen wouldnt just give up like that. Not only because of the hard toe by opportunity but also because she wanted to erect her own dignity and powerful presence.
What else would be more effective than fresh blood flowing and mountains of bodies?
Also, what else would be better than to catch a fish in troubled waters during a chaotic night?
Kieran, with the statue on his back, swiftly and carefully headed towards End City library, like a panther stalking its prey.
When he reached the street outside the library, he decided to go in through the fourth floor. It was one of the blind spots in the surveince system that he discovered during the day.
Despite carrying a heavy statue behind him, it was easy for Kieran to climb the building barehanded up to its fourth floor. He opened the window easily and entered the fourth-floor toilet with a flip.
Just as he expected, the library personnel wouldnt have changed a single broken windowtch within hours.
Wung!
The moment Kieran stepped into the library, the statue on his back started to shake. it was light and soft but Kieran, who was close to the statue, clearly felt the shaking.
It wasnt anything glorified though as it did not react to the ce like a divine miracle.
Thest Chief Friar of the Marulyn Church had expected his churchs inevitable demise during the war and in order to leave a seed of legacy behind, the library was built with immense efforts.
Given such circumstances, why would thete Chief Friar cause an unnecessarymotion that attracted attention from the world when the seed was acquired by the heir of the church?
It would be better for it to stay as secretive as possible.
However, thete Chief Friar didnt expect that disaster woulde all of a sudden!
After preparing all the necessary steps to ensure the legacies were passed down, the only thing he wascking was to deliver the message to a reliable heir but before that, the entire Marulyn Church had been eliminated by its foe.
All of those, however, had done Kieran an immense favor!
Following the intensity of the shake, Kieran quickly reached the entrance to the basement on the first floor.
Kak!
After unlocking the door leading to the basement with a wire, Kieran entered in a sh.
A slight nce at his new surroundingster, Kieran assumed that the ce was a storeroom for the library to store old books and records.
A heavy dusty smell filled the ce and was mixed together with the smell of books. It wasnt too harsh on the nose but definitely not something nice either.
Kieran held his breath as he ventured forward.
The shaking intensity of the statue was getting more vigorous and when he reached in front a certain wall in the storeroom, the statue which was tied tightly on his back freed itself from the bindings of the bed sheet.
Kieran quickly turned around and grabbed the statue before it fell.
Although he knew it wouldnt be a problem for the statue to hit the ground since a Legendary item wouldnt have broken that easily, in order to prevent unwanted noise and vibration that could wake the night watchers outside who had fallen into sleep with the help of alcohol and didnt even cared what happened on the streets outside, Kieran still preferred to be careful.
Wuuung!
The moment the statue came in contact with the floor, it buzzed.
The statue buzzed for three to four seconds before it slowly sank into the floor.
Following the sinking of the statue, until it waspletely submerged into the floor, a passageway with stairs was revealed from the seamless flooring.
Kieran meticulously checked the stairs and walls inside the passageway out of habit, after making sure there werent any traps, he slowly walked inside.
However, when Kieran went into the passageway, the entrance behind him closed up immediately without a sound.
Kieran was shaken, he wanted to turn around to check what happened.
Fuuu!
But, fire then lit up on both side of the walls and shed light over the dark passageway.
Kieran clearly saw a stone door with two door nks that opened both ways further ahead, The Marulyn Churchs insignia was carved on the surface and he was less than 10 meters away.
The stone door was half a man taller but Kierans eyes didnt linger long at the unusual door, instead, he turned to the fire that lit up beside him.
The unusual aroma that flowed out made him cover his nose and mouth before dashing towards the door.
But when Kieran was about to push the door open, he stopped abruptly.
Something wasnt right!
Chapter 706 - Loot!
Chapter 706: Loot!
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Everything before his eyes was too strange!
From the sudden closure of the entrance, the ignited fires, the unusual aroma that came from the fire, to the door at the end of the passageway.
Everything that happened was a little too reasonable and it didnt even give time for one to think about the situation, as though one would unconsciously being rushed to the door after entering the passageway.
Especially the unusual aroma from the fire, it was very thick!
Let alone Kieran who had S+ Intuition, even a regr man could smell it. Itpletely defied the rule of being soundless, odorless and colorless during poisoning.
The poison itself wasnt instantly lethal either.
Numbing and hallucination...
Grandmaster [Medical and Medicinal Knowledge] allowed Kieran to easily differentiate theponents in the poison despite -1 debuff.
Although smelling it for a long time would incur some negative effects on people, that was to regr people. The poison could hardly cause damage to Kieran who had over A rank Constitution.
Since the poison could hardly damage people and the smell of the poison was so obvious...
Is it to lure people in the passageway to push the door at the end?
Kieran carefully stepped backward, drawing distance from the door as though he felt killing intent behind it.
It seemed like the door was the key to the trap.
Whether was it the sudden closure of the entrance or the unusual aroma from the poison, they were theponents of the trap and their existence was to lure people in the passageway to push the door at the end.
Or more precisely, it was ayer of insurance thete Chief Friar added in case the one who appeared wasnt the heir of the Marulyn Church.
Thinking about the war-ridden era, what else could have happened?
There was a possibility that the heir might be held hostage and appear before the passageway. If such situation did happen, the passageway was the heirs only escape path.
If the heir is being seized and he needed to open the door to escape, then the area of movement shouldnt be very big, it should be around the stone door. A high chance is that the people who seized the heir would want the heir himself to push open the door, which means the real door is right around the trap door!
Kierans eyes turned at the two spaces beside the trap door. The space wasnt that big yet it was enough for one to pass through by turning their body.
Then, was it the right or the left space?
Kieran frowned.
He didnt think both sides would easily lead one to the secret room that the Marulyn Church hid its legacies. Regardless of how the outside hadmended the Marulyn Church, when it came down to reviving their own church, thete chief friar would not have shown any mercy.
The trap door was the best example.
Although Kieran didnt know what was behind the trap door, he was certain it wasnt something worth anticipating.
Since there was already a trapdoor set in front of him, what were the odds of having another?
The odds were high enough.
Kierans mind was thinking about the situation that might happen during that particr moment.
The seized heir might use the seizer to open the trapdoor, or rather, during the moment he was forced to open the trapdoor, he would slip into the real entrance.
The real entrance would have been shut out instantly after entrance.
So then, what will the capturers do?
They would naturally seek another path to enter. No one would give up that easily since they made it in front of the door which behind it all of the Marulyn Churchs legacies.
The trapdoor and the spaces beside would eventually be the focal point for the capturers to search and once they investigated the spots, they would fall into another lethal trap.
Or worse, if the traps were designed to be crueler, when the real entrance was shut out, it would trigger an attack that could wipe out any life within the passageway.
Kierans brows furrowed tighter as he thought about the possible oue.
It might look like a 50% chance but he would need to face 100% death if he chose incorrectly. He would not simply take the risk, especially when he had other methods to determine the right path.
Spots of white radiance gathered on Kierans hand.
The faint Dawn Force was giving out its own unique aura, an aura of dauntless spirit.
Kieran didnt forget he triggered the changes from the statue identally.
Although the changes were one time only and no further changes appeared after that, the situation before his eyes didnt stop him from trying again.
Wung!
The moment Dawn Force gathered, Kieran clearly felt the left space of the trap door tremble.
Kieran then walked into the left side without further ado.
It didnt require much effort from Kieran because when his hand touched the wall on the left space, the wall vanished and an unknown suction force appeared, sucking him into the space.
The wall then reappeared again, concealing the real entrance.
An even denser unusual aroma followed right after that as well.
On a scale of 1 to 100, if the scent Kieran picked up in the passageway was 1, then the current density has been elevated to 100 after the wall reappeared!
The density kept climbing higher and higher.
Everything unfolded was just as Kieran had expected.
However, Kieran didnt have any spare energy to care about all of that behind him.
After being sucked into the wall, his body started to spin rapidly, as if he had been sucked into a washing machine on maximum power.
The familiar feeling reminded Kieran of the first time he entered the Brokers secret bazaar but it was much more intense.
Kieran clenched his teeth hard, preventing himself from throwing up but the dizziness grew and he didnt know how long he could hold on.
As seconds flew by and at the verge of throwing up, the spinning stopped, abruptly!
Kierans feetnded on the ground as well but the excessive spinning made him stagger.
Only after a full 20 seconds did Kieran only regain his steadiness.
He shook his head and discarded thest bit of dizziness out of his brain before sizing up the ce he was in.
An average room, less than 20 square feet.
The room was empty except for the statue of Sister Reid that Kieran brought over and a table that looked like a desk or an altar in front of the statue.
But none of it was within Kierans concern because his attention was instantly captured by therge area of intertwining golden and orange glows on the table the moment he saw it.
One golden and two orange, a total of three items.
Despite having expected the loot, his breaths still became heavy and rushed beyond his control.
After multiple heavy breathster, Kieran forced himself to calm down.
He sized up the room once more and made sure there wasnt any lingering danger before slowly going up to Sister Reids statue.
As he approached the table, he suddenly noticed there was not only three items on the table but four!
A dark cover book was ced in the middle of the table.
Chapter 707 - Marulyn Prayers
Chapter 707: Marulyn Prayers
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The dark cover of the book didnt stop Kierans dazzling gaze.
He knew the value of the book was high because of its cement, it was much higher than the three golden and orange items beside it.
Among the list of legacies of the Marulyn Church, there was only a single item that possessed such value: the Legacy itself!
The Legacy that had recorded all the Marulyn Churchs secret techniques and spells!
Even though as a yer, items that could be instantly used or skill books that provide new skills were more useful, it didnt stop Kieran from keeping the book carefully.
A churchs legacy had its own marvel despite how small it was.
After putting away the book, Kieran turned his attention to the three items.
A golden glowing scroll and two orange glowing rings.
[Name: Marulyn Prayers]
[Type: Scroll]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Attribute: Prayers, 1/1 (Think of the thing you want, it will happen inside an extremely small range)]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: It is impossible to grant you your wish, you need to be more precise and understand what you really want so that it could bring out its proper power.]
...
Marulyn Prayers?
Kieran looked weird after he checked the scroll.
He heard about prayer spells before and it echoed in his ear like thunder.
Back in Nikoreis book collections, there was indeed a book named The Miracle Spell: Prayers.
Kieran flipped open the book back then out of curiosity and read through it seriously.
Not only because the miraculous prayers were within the range of divine beings, but it was also because of the effect of the miracle spells.
Turning the impossible into the possible!
In simple words, it could alter day into night, turn desserts intokes and turn the sea intond. All sorts of impossible feats were possible with prayer spells.
That was the reason it wasbeled as the miracle spell.
Unfortunately, the book The Miracle Spell: Prayers only introduced the effects of prayers, it didnt exin how to use it, not even a single sentence of incantations!
If Nikorei didnt acknowledge it with her own mouth, Kieran would think prayer spells, which werebeled as miracles, was some tricks made up by the author.
As for further details?
Nikorei kept her mouth shut, thus Kieran couldnt know more.
But the [Maruyln Prayer] scroll in front of his eyes gave him more thoughts.
Think of the thing I want and it will happen inside an extremely small range?
What kind of range is that? Or what kind of power level? Can it affect the Advance Rank skills? Advance Rank skills are higher than Legendary ranks, but one-time consumable Legendary obviously ranked higher thanmon Legendary. Based on this theory, it seems possible to affect Advance Rank skills!
Kieran thought in his heart, his body was trembled by the thought.
He didnt need that of a high level either, all he wanted was the scroll to affect at least the battle level with the Prairie King, he would get another rare harvest.
The excitement struck his heart when he thought about the grand harvest of items. After a few more deep breaths, he calmed himself down and carefully ced [Marulyn Prayers] into the bag on his back before checking the other two items.
[Name: Ring of Protection]
[Type: essory]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attack/Defense: None]
[Attribute: Protection Field, 2/2; Protection Barrier, 1/1]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Remark: This is a non-replenishable consumable item, please use with care.]
...
[Protection Field: Create a 5-meter radius Powerful rank defensive energy field with you at the center. Able to follow your movements, 60-second duration]
[Protection Barrier: Create a 25-meter radius Powerful rank protective barrier at your will. Unable to shift or move but extremely repellent against negative energy beings, 30-second duration]
...
[Name: Ring of Blessing]
[Type: essory]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attack/ Defense: None]
[Attribute: Light of Healing, 2/2. Light of Revival, 1/1]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Remark: This is a non-replenishable consumable item, please use with care.]
...
[Light of Healing: Fire a light of healing from your hand that can bounce between three targets. Able to heal allied targets from High Damage, Medium Damage, and Light Damage based on the bounce order.]
[Light of Revival: Any allied targets inside a 3-meter radius will recover from one Lethal damage.]
...
Should I say as expected of Marulyn Church?
Kieran couldnt help but exim the attributes of [Ring of Protection] and [Ring of Blessing].
Based on the information he had gotten, Marulyn Church was a peaceful church that preached harmony across mankind and saving the poor and sick was their duty.
Many real doctors and nurses were nurtured by the hands of Sister Reid in the past and that was the reason St. Reid Hospital was built in the first ce.
Or rather, St. Reid Hospital was built tomemorate the sister.
Despite the fact that the Marulyn Church had vanished in the rivers of times, Sister Reid and St. Reid Hospital will be remembered by the future generations in their hearts.
Death will not take away your achievements because ones glory will prate the veil of death...
Kieran muttered softly in front of Sister Reids statue.
It was a phrase that Kieran had remembered unconsciously while reading the records of the Marulyn Church and he uttered it out at that moment because of his feelings, without any other special thoughts.
However, the moment his words faded.
You are willing to inherit my will?
A merciful and peaceful voice sounded, a phantom of Sister Reid appeared out of the statue.
This time around it was different than the one from before, it felt and looked extremely real!
If it wasnt for the faded part below her legs, it looked like Sister Reid hade back to life.
Kieran swiftly stepped back.
The distinguishable difference of the phantom raised an rm in Kierans heart.
He stared straight at the phantom in front and his left hand was already on the hilt of [Interrogator Knife].
The sisters phantom looked at the weapon in Kierans hand and she then sighed like a real person.
A weapon filled with grudge and cries... Arent you a friar of Marulyn? Or... Did Marulyn be corrupted? The phantom asked.
Kieran frowned.
What should he reply?
Honestly? Or more lies?
Or...
Wait!
Kieran suddenly thought of something from his sea of thoughts.
Chapter 708 - Hidden
Chapter 708: Hidden
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Kieran suddenly thought of the words Sister Reid said before in the illusory realm created by Damien of the Twenty Hounds.
Although the words were different, blessing and inheritance somehow felt familiar to Kieran.
Maybe because the illusions Damien created was too realistic, to the point that Kieran brought the thoughts back to reality despite knowing it wasnt real.
Therefore, Kieran still heightened his vignce against Sister Reids statue which was praised by many.
Kieran was originally a vignt person, he could even be considered as somewhat dubious.
Before the phantom truly earned Kierans trust, he chose to reserve his opinion regardless of time and circumstances. More so, the phantom that came out from the statue showed a high level of intellect.
Other than the first words, the questionster were proof enough.
It added extra suspicion in Kierans heart.
Was it Sister Reids soul? Or?
I am not the friars of Marulyn. The Marulyn Church vanished in the third war throughout the hundred years war era. I am just a guy who coincidentally acquired the ways toe in here.
Kierans heart was turning fast but his face didnt present the anxious thoughts from within.
Is that so? The phantoms face looked sad.
Are you Sister Reids soul? Kieran asked.
Yes. The phantom replied and showed her merciful and peaceful expression naturally.
After the reply, Kieran respectfully bowed down to the phantom.
Greetings to Saint Reid, Your Grace! Kierans tone sounded exceptionally respectful.
The Phantom from the statue chuckled softly when she saw Kieran saluted and greeted her humbly.
Please dont, I...
I would like to ask Your Grace, who is your first student? Among all your students, who do you think is the best fit to inherit Marulyn?
Just as the Phantom wanted borate, Kieran suddenly spoke.
The Phantom from the statue was stunned. It seemed like she didnt expect Kieran to ask such a question but she reacted quickly as well.
It was very long ago, to the point that Ive forgotten all their names. I have been in slumber within the statue, it contains my soul for eternity but I need time to recover my memories. The phantom exined.
It sounded very reasonable but Kieran gave out a cold smile in his heart.
If he was still suspecting the phantom before, after the exnation he was sure the phantom wasnt THE Sister Reid.
Because both themon books and the mystical realm books that recorded Sister Reids legacy mentioned that Sister Reid never took any student under her wing before.
The so-called students that she taught were the doctors and nurses that everyone knew off.
She rmendedmoners to master the medical skills to save more people and not the rarer and harder to master mystical arts.
Still, Sister Reid seeded. Not only did she teach enough doctors and nurses, she even invented multiple inventions that changed themon medical level of the world.
That was why she was so respected.
She deserved the indisputable respect and such respect could never be inherited by the monster who posed as her!
Is that so? Kieran nodded, seemingly epted the exnation.
Just as the Phantom wanted to continue and yet to open her mouth, Kieran raised both his hands.
Ms! He shouted.
The [Fighter Bandage] that Kieran wrapped around his left arm sprung up like a venomous viper from the dark, rapidly flying towards the table in front of the statue.
His right hand flung out a bunch of grenades swiftly andnded precisely beneath the statue.
It was still easy for Grandmaster [Firearm Weapon, Explosive] tond precisely on target despite the -1 and with [Living Rope Technique]s bindings, [Fighter Bandage] wrapped around the table.
Kieran pulled the bandage back with all his might.
Fooosh!
The heavy table was lifted to the air and flew towards Kieran.
When the table reached his front, Kieran jumped up and took up the table as though he was carrying a shield on his back, retreated back swiftly.
At the same time, [Ring of Protection]s [Protection Field] was activated.
KABOOOOOM!
The moment the protection field appeared and enveloped Kieran, intense explosions went off.
Huge explosions urred in session, the shrapnel of the grenades sshed in all directions within the narrow space.
Even Kieran who moved back to the edge of the room couldnt avoid the shrapnelspletely and suffered from them as well.
The thick, heavy table that he treated as a shield was sted into pieces upon contact.
Even Powerful level defense powers [Protection Field] was wobbling back and forth.
Although it didnt break, it became extremely unstable.
Kieran who was caught by the explosion already suffered such damage, let alone the statue at the center of the st radius.
The st of six grenades exploding en masse sted the statue up in the air and countless shrapnel buffeted the statues surface, leaving countless marks on the statue.
When the statue fell back on the ground, upon contact, half its body and one stone arm broke off from its body.
The statue phantom who was stunned by the series of actions from Kieran only reacted to the situation after the explosion went off.
Aaaaaaargh!
Following the breaking of the statue, the phantom let out a distorted wail. As if the statue was the fake mask the phantom put on, the merciful and peaceful face quickly turned wicked and devilish after the wail.
The holy radiance had faded away long ago, all that was left behind was thick negative energy. More eerie wails of a dead soul came from the phantoms body.
Kieran could even clearly see the hospital garment on the wretched soul. It was the memories of the soul, it was not real yet enough to prove where they were from.
St. Reid Hospital!
A demon that devours soul?
Kieran raised his left hand when he saw the demon-like phantom charge at him.
The phantoms illusive body was frozen in mid-air just like that.
Or more precisely, it was bound by [Ring of Binding, Binding Force]!
The power that came from the earth itself ignored the formless body of the phantom and mped it down firmly on the spot like a giant hand.
The phantom kept struggling to break free but it couldnt pass the authentication. All it could do was stare at Kieran raising his hands again.
Kieran crossed his thumbs and opened up the rest of his finger, pointing both his palms at the phantom, chanting AIOPLDS!
KABOOOM!
A bright, cone-shaped me burst out from his palm and engulfed the phantompletely.
The phantom struggled even harder in the zing mes.
Its dense negative energy exploded amidst its struggle yet was useless at the situation. It couldnt truly suppress the zing mes and all it did was dy its inevitable demise.
Especially when its escape path waspletely cut off!
After casting [Burning Hand], Kieran was already standing behind the phantom quietly.
He stood precisely in between the phantom and the statue.
Chapter 709 - Biggest Reward
Chapter 709: Biggest Reward
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Despair was smeared all over the phantoms face.
It didnt calcte Kierans speed beforehand, simr to how it miscalcted Kierans ability to expose it as an imposter.
Still, the phantom wouldnt just sit back and wait for its demise.
You think youve won?
The phantom screeched fiercely and charged at Kieran with its zing body after breaking free.
Kieran was able to easily dodge the charged attack. [Interrogator Knife] was shed out along the motion as well.
Sou!
The knife red like a crescent moon in the night under the brightness of the mes. It directly shed over the phantoms body and an excruciating wail of pain followed.
While the phantom was drowning in its wails, the cold re returned and shed its body again.
Kierans [Interrogator Knife] was like a sparrow diving through the storm, not only fast but agile as well.
With Grandmaster [Sharp Weapon, Dagger] and [Evading] at the same rank, it was enough for Kieran to dodge all the attacks from the phantom and alsond all his strikes precisely regardless how the phantom evaded.
The process went on for a second time, and a third, and a fourth...
Kieran was wielding [Interrogator Knife] in his right hand and was producingyers of afterimages in its movement trails. As the furious attacksnded, the phantoms body, which was weakened by the explosion and fire, swiftly disintegrated.
Soon enough, its illusive body was thin as fog.
Ill take you down with me!
The phantom stopped its attack suddenly.
A fierce energy wave then appeared on its fading body but when [Interrogator Knife] shed over its body rapidly multiple times again, the phantoms aura frozepletely.
Bak!
The phantom then exploded like a balloon, the dense negative energy quickly disperse after its body vanished.
A small spot of dazzling white radiance fell off the air. It wasnt free-falling but it was flying in its trajectory, heading towards the broken statue.
However, the broken statue couldnt bear any of the radiance anymore, just as the radiating spot touched the statue, it rapidly multiplied from one to ten thousand. The narrow secret room was instantly filled with the radiating spots.
Kieran who was in the room himself was also showered by the white radiating spots.
Before Kieran could react to what happened, the radiating spots swiftly melted when it touched him like a melting snowke
However, it didnt fall on the ground like the snowke but instead, it infused itself into Kierans body.
The unusual warmth filled Kierans body in an instant!
Kieran who kept the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] running in his body suddenly felt the eleration in his body.
Could it be?
The elerating [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] caused an impulsive thought in Kierans mind.
Then, he started to chase after the radiating spots like a madman.
Each radiating spot he touched was automatically infused into his body and the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] would run even faster.
When almost half of the radiating spots were captured and infused into his body, the system notifications arrived.
[Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art has infused a corresponding energy...]
[Infusement sessful, limit breaking the initial limits, -1 debuff has been elevated...]
[Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art has recovered to Musou level...]
Fuuu!
An explosive air burst out instantly from Kieran and swept around the room in all directions, whipping up powerful roarsparable to a cyclone.
As Kieran breathed, Dawn Force appeared on his hands and body and it was different from the previous experience where he would need to get prepared, now all he needed was a thought to bring out the Dawn Force.
The feeling felt like when water flowed, a channel was formed.
No! It felt even more natural than that!
After being sealed once and reappearing again, Dawn Force was more energetic and lively, making Kieran feel like Dawn Force itself had be his own arms.
It wasnt him over thinking but a real authentic presence.
Under [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art]s special effect, a third effect had appeared.
[Dawn Sword: When you can truly utilize the Dawn Force, it means that you are truly a Knight of Dawn, despite the way you utilize it being one-of-a-kind. Charge Dawn Force for 3 seconds, consume 600 Stamina to fire out a 15-meter, Extreme attack power light sword, doesnt have cooldown]
Following the new effect being added, the rted knowledge started to appear in Kierans mind and the warm energy representing the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] ran even faster.
The familiar knowledge transfer and synchronization process happened again.
But, this time around it was different, as the synchronization process began, Dawn Force was spinning rapidly in his body as if it formed a vortex inside.
The radiating spots that lingered in the room weres sucked in and infused into Kierans body.
[Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art has infused a corresponding energy...]
[Musou level Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art has acquired significant experience through training, level cost has been decreased by 1000 Points...]
[Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art has infused a corresponding energy...]
[Musou level Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art has acquired significant experience through training, level cost has been decreased by 1000 Points...]
...
The notifications spammed his vision relentlessly and it didnt seem to stop anytime soon.
When thest radiating spot was sucked into Kierans body, the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] which had required 300K Points and 30 Golden Skill Points to reach Transcendence level had been discounted to 250K Points and 25 Golden Skill Points.
In simple words, that wave of radiating spots was worth around 50K Points and 5 Golden Skill Points and if he counted the part where the sealed was removed, it actually worth 100K Points and 10 Golden Skill Points.
This is the biggest reward!
Kieran took in a deep breath and looked at the shattered [Sister Reid Statue] in shock.
The system had tagged the statue with a Damaged status, it has no further use anymore but a realization rose up in Kierans heart.
Damien of the Twenty Hounds must have discovered the phantom residing in the statue, that is why he risked so much to infiltrate St. Reid Hospital. Since the beginning, his goal was after the phantom inside the statue, whether it was studying the Marulyn Church or the preparation to disguise himself as Gat, it was all done to fish out the phantom within!
Damien wasnt after Marulyns legacy at all, even all the other people didnt think Marulyn would possess any legacies. There wasnt any presentable weapon or defensive armor inside the room which was an obvious move from thete Chief Friar because if the mystical individuals back then didnt find any weapon or armor inside the room, it will lead them to think that Marulyn Church had saved something up their sleeves. That was the reason why the secret room stored a scroll and consumable items.
But... Why would a Legendary item that could protect an entire building gave birth to that demon-like phantom?
Kieran squinted his eyes. More guesses emerged from his heart but he needed more evidence to support his guesses and obviously, it wasnt possible in the room.
He turned around and squinted, he jumped into the exit that appeared beneath the statue.
Kieran knew it would be another sleepless night for him.
Chapter 710 - Brilliance
Chapter 710: Brilliance
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
A sudden explosion went off in Augen Manor in the morning, raising mor again in the quieted-down End City.
10 minutester, several police cruisers drove towards the manor.
It was Chief of Police Gregory leading a dozen more officers paying a visit.
Of course, it was none of Kierans business that Police Chief Gregory wagging his tail, ttering Anne Aldrich Augen.
Kieran pulled another all-nighter while reading again, he felt his temple swell in pain again. He knew if he continued like this, it wouldnt do him any good to be in such condition so he chose to take a rest appropriately.
Both his index fingers were rubbing softly over his temples with his eyes closed. His slow and steady breath made him look like he had fallen asleep.
But when a set of footsteps clearly echoed in his ear, Kieran opened his eyes immediately.
Before Chelsea knocked on the door, Kieran went up and opened the door first.
What is it? Kieran asked.
He had given instructions before to not bother him if there werent any important matters, including his three meals which he himself would go down to the kitchen and settle himself.
So, when Chelsea the secretary appeared on his door, something must have happened.
Kieran frowned when he recalled the explosion that went off in the manor a while ago.
Mayer needs help? Kieran asked.
The longer Kieran stayed in touch, the better he understood the rtionship between Mayer and Anne Aldrich Augen and just as he had guessed, it was just a working rtionship between them, simr to his, or more precisely a promise.
The difference from his promise was that Mayer and Anne Aldrich Augens promise had certain limitations.
Mayer would only deal with the matters within Augen Manor and once the matter had left the premises, he would not interfere at all.
Therefore, during the first time Kieran came in contact with Mayer, Mayer didnt go after him when he left Augen Manor and the explosion that went off within the premise was categorized into the matters that he had to deal with.
Besides, Kieran didnt think Mayer couldnt handle the sudden urrence.
What kind ofmotions can a bunch of crying losers cause?
The secretary shook her head right away when she saw the curiosity on Kierans face.
It isnt Sir Mayer who requires help but its the boss who requires your presence... Its about Police Captain Teresa.
Chelsea respected Mayer from the bottom of her heart, likewise she didnt neglect Kieran as well. She reported to Kieran honestly after slightly bowing.
Teresa? Kieran subconsciously thought of the police sirens that shouldnt have been heardst night.
He then nodded to Chelsea.
Teresa was already considered as a familiar acquaintance. If Kieran could help her along the way and within range, he wouldnt mind.
Kieran followed Chelsea and reached the dining area like it was his own house.
The sunshine shone through the 15 meters long and 4 meters tall ss window, shedding its radiance over the white table sheets.
A sumptuous amount of food was arranged all over the table, giving out an alluring glow under the sun.
Anne Aldrich Augen who had be the highest authority in End City in one night was sitting on a tall back chair at the end, listening to the reports Chief Gregory brought her concentratedly. She didnt seem a bit interested in the table full of food.
When Kieran entered the dining area, the police chief halted his words right away.
Anne Aldrich Augen slightly turned her body around from the chair, asking Kieran with a smiley face, What kind of breakfast do you prefer?
There wasnt the slightest sign of weirdness on her face and manner but Kieran could tell, thedy before him was angry.
Otherwise based on her sticky character, she would have leaned over to Kieran by now.
Kieran turned his eyes to Police Chief Gregory beside her.
His face was swollen and the bridge of his nose was covered with bandages, plus the bruises over his face looked like an irregr shoe print.
Kieran was extremely familiar with that shoe print.
Teresa!
Kieran was absolute certain where the shoe print on the directors face came from since he did go into actions with Teresa before.
An explosive temper as usual, Kieranmented in his heart.
Then he turned to Anne Aldrich Augen.
Anne Aldrich Augen didnt dodge Kierans gaze, instead, she maintained her smiling face as if she was waiting for Kierans answer.
It made Kieran sigh heavily in his heart.
Although Kieran was quite certain when Teresa took the bold move, she would have expected consequences. However, she wouldnt have thought it would be used by Anne Aldrich Augen, turning it into one of the methods to test Kieran.
Anne Aldrich Augen was a vignt, dubious, and smart woman. Kieran never denied that fact, just like how he never thought his operationsst night were smart enough to fool everyone.
Anne Aldrich Augen who plotted the whole thing would have noticed some inklings here and there, it was within Kierans expectation as well.
Kieran too had his own corresponding excuses, whether Teresa brought a huge batch of police officers to intervene or not, nothing would have changed.
But after ncing over the dining table, Kieran gave up his original excuse because he found a more convincing fact.
Is this the wine you liked?
Kieran slowly walked over to Anne Aldrich Augens front and took the wine ss in front of her.
The white wines sourness and the sweetness were rich and its aroma was showering Kierans nose from within the ss, yet the taste and aroma were covering a slight unusual inside.
A regr person would never notice the unusual inside the wine but Kierans S+ Intuition plus his Grandmaster [Medical and Medicinal Knowledge] could easily tell it apart.
Yup. Anne Aldrich Augen replied but the expression on her face changed a little.
She was smart enough to realize Kieran had discovered something from his movements and actions but she didnt panic.
She even swiftly tidied up the process in her mind, why would the wine ss appear in front of her so righteously.
Naturally, the thought linked her to several suspects in her mind as well.
The faint dissatisfaction and tests she had prepared for Kieran were instantly discarded from her priority.
Anne Aldrich Augen knew clearly what kind of attitude she would use against Kieran who just saved her life again.
It seems like once a habit stays for too long, someone else will try to exploit the opportunity against me.
Anne Aldrich Augen sighed before standing up from her chair.
The way she stood up looked like a flower dancing in the wind, her eyes on Kieran were overflowing with deep affection as well.
But Ive gotten used to staying beside you. What do you want me to do about it? I smell the scent of death but still, I fly over like a moth darts into the mes.
Anne Aldrich Augens hands once again tried to reach for a hug at Kieran while she was sighing.
Simr to previous attempts, Kieran too dodged her hug subtly.
If you have time to put up an act, you should try to go after the guy who is still in hiding. A friendly reminder, Mayer being upied wasnt part of the coincidental guess of that person.
Kieran said slowly to Anne Aldrich Augen whose face was looking bitter as if it was weeping andining.
He then handed over the wine ss to her and throughout the little process, Kierans hand was giving out a steady radiance. It looked like the sunlight but much brighter.
Spots of ck visible to the naked eyes were exposed under the radiance.
Anne Aldrich Augen widened her eyes unconsciously and even Chief Gregory beside had his jaw dropped.
This...This is... Anne Aldrich Augen asked in a stuttered tone.
A poison detection, amon hand among the knights and friars of churches. Its quite useful to examine what kind of poison is in y.
Kieran ced the wine ss in Anne Aldrich Augens hand with a smile before turning around and heading outside.
As he walked along the ss French window, the sun shone on his body as if it covered him with ayer of brilliance.
Kieran slowly went away but his straight figure swiftly coincided with a certain figure from some epic tails in Anne Aldrich Augens mind.
Kn...Knight? she muttered softly unconsciously.
Chapter 711 - Something Happened
Chapter 711: Something Happened
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The soft but clear mutter entered Kierans ears.
He curled up his lips and revealed a smile
Despite him spending quite a lot of effort, he was satisfied with his rewardsst night.
Even though he didnt get the name of the sculptor who sculpted Sister Reids statue from all the books, he had gotten a good amount of information regarding Marulyns legacy and inheritance.
Other than the [Detect Toxin] he disyed earlier, he also swiftly mastered the remaining three basic spells, [Repel Toxin], [Heal] and [Brilliance].
When Kieran used [Detect Toxin], [Repel Toxin], [Heal] and [Brilliance], Dawn Force was exceptionally lively and the energy that operated rapidly in his body almost reached the level where it sucked it all the radiating spots back in the secret room.
Undoubtedly, the reason why he could swiftly master and utilize all the secret inheritance spells from Marulyn in such a special way was that the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] had absorbed all the radiating spots.
It wasnt just a blind guess, he had proof to back him up.
[Name: Detect Toxin (Musou)]
[Rted Attribute: None]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effect: You can utilize the energy in your body, detecting any avable toxin in a 20-meter radius range, consume 50 Stamina,st 10 seconds, no cooldown]
[Special Effect: Specialized Detection (Increase detection range by 10 meters)]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art (Musou)]
[Remark: This is a perfect infusion of the power system from a different world and different source. It simplified and eased your casting and will almost never repulse.]
[Note: The skill level itself is not rted to other limitations as it is only rted to the Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art!]
...
[Name: Repel Toxin (Musou)]
[Rted Attributes: None]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effect: You can use the energy in your body to repel toxins with Constitution B or lower, consume 50 Stamina, no cooldown]
[Special Effect: Specialized Repent (Increase removal level by 4)]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art (Musou)]
[Remark: This is a perfect infusion of the power system from a different world and different source. It simplified and eased your casting and will almost never repulse.]
[Note: The skill level itself is not rted to other limitations as it is only rted to Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art!]
...
[Name: Heal (Musou)]
[Rted Attribute: None]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effect: You can use the energy in your body to heal a Heavily Wounded status (Only heal wounds, not recover HP), consume 150 Stamina, no cooldown]
[Special Effect: Specialized Heal (Increase healing rate by 1)]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art (Musou)]
[Remark: This is a perfect infusion of the power system from a different world and different source. It simplified and eased your casting and will almost never repulse.]
[Note: The skill level itself is not rted to other limitations as it is only rted to Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art!]
...
[Name: Brilliance (Musou)]
[Rted Attribute: None]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effect: You can use the energy in your body to create a 5-meter radius range of tender brilliance (Negative energy beings will dislike the brilliance, they might not approach you or they might attack you), consume 30 Stamina, 60 seconds duration, no cooldown]
[Special Effect: Specialized Range (Increase brilliance range by 4 meters)]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art (Musou)]
[Remark: This is a perfect infusion of the power system from a different world and different source. It simplified and eased your casting and will almost never repulse.]
[Note: The skill level itself is not rted to other limitations as it is only rted to Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art!]
...
The systems remark and notes allowed Kieran to understand everything.
Though thebination like this had its pros and cons as well.
From the original records, the advanced skills of Marulyns inheritance skills, [Repel gue] and [Holy Light] would only require all four of the basic skills to hit Master level but now it was increased to Transcendence altogether.
It was what the system notified him when Kieran tried [Repel gue] and [Holy Light], as for a higher level of [Brilliance], it was even further ahead without end.
However, it was enough for Kieran at the moment.
He needed others to acknowledge his identity as a churchs knight in order to avoid the pursuit of the executioners. He has no intention to really be a knight of some church.
Still, Kieran wouldnt give up the increment of his overall strength, just like the removal of the restrictions on [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art]!
The moment Special Activation and Unable to limit break special activation appeared on his vision, he had been guessing.
What if he limit broke the restrictions and limits inside the dungeon?
The answer was a direct one: [Dawn Sword]!
A brand new, powerful special effect under the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art].
Although it still required a lot of hard work from him, it was enough to insert new thoughts into his mind.
Now, his ns had changed from purely evading the executioners pursuit to while evading the pursuit, he would try his best to limit break all of his skills.
Still, the priority was to evade the pursuers, the limit break came after that.
Kieran has already set the next skill that he wanted to limit break, [Undercover].
While being different from other skills which required more time to figure out their direction, Kieran already has the general direction of [Undercover] since he had experienced [Undercover] above Transcendence.
All he needed was some time toplete his goal, but not all matters would go ording to expectations.
Right after Kieran had his short break and was prepared to fully devote himself into limit break [Undercover]s restriction, Teresa the police captain paid a visit.
Inside the reception study room, Teresa and Anne Aldrich Augen were staring at each other.
Bothdies would not budge or give in their stand. As their eyes exchanged gaze, it felt like sparks were ignited in the middle.
Suddenly, Anne Aldrich Augen spoke casually, Its best for one to be grateful for where they are now. The fact that you still ARE the police captain and not behind bars, you have me to thank!
Right after that, Teresas imposing manner faced a pause. Her character had destined her to not argue with real facts but it didnt mean she would surrender.
You better keep your ass tucked up somewhere safe, or else Ill be the first one to arrest you if I find any evidence against you! Teresa said heavily with clenched teeth.
Anne Aldrich Augenughed. She felt like she was confronting a young sheep bleating, she looked at Teresa with a pitiful and regretful gaze.
Do you think thats possible? Anne Aldrich Augen said arrogantly.
She then turned her eyes to Kieran who walked in and right after Kierans entrance, her eyes had switched into a charming re.
Apany me for dinner tonight, will you?
Her voice sounded soft and tender with a very slight sense of begging.
Teresa, however, had an unknown rage rise up to her brain instantly.
Before Kieran could reply, Teresa quickly moved in between the two of them and blocked Anne Aldrich Augen behind her, she said to Kieran, Something happened to Hoskin!
Dess Dess
Chapter 712 - Blockade
Chapter 712: Blockade
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Teresa was driving the car, speeding through the intercontinental highway.
Kieran in the backseat was carefully checking the letter in his hand.
The envelope was white, themon type, though the paper wasnt the regr one. It was a high-quality goatskin paper with an extra white surface suitable for being kept for prolonged periods of time.
The content of the letter was as followed.
......
To Police Captain Teresa.
I apologize in greeting you with such way.
Your subordinate, Hoskin is in our hands now. If you wish for this young man to be able to continue his life, pleasee to Yuda State University.
We would also like Sir 2567 to apany you for the trip.
Please dont disclose the content of this letter. The methods we possess are far beyond your imagination and it isnt limited to simply delivering letters.
JR
Yours Sincerely
Graven sending our regards from the year of the Falling Comet.
...
The fancy calligraphy was thick yet nimble. The threats lied between the lines was very obvious as well.
Kieran was certain Teresa didnt receive this letter the usual way. Otherwise, with her temper, she would have brought enough weapons and charged into Yuda State University alone and not seek for his help at Augen Manor.
Augen Manor was Anne Aldrich Augens turf and based on Teresas hatred of the woman, unless she could arrest Anne Aldrich Augen herself, she wouldnt have appeared or even stepped near the ce.
But...
Graven eh?
Kierans attention lingered on the name.
The first time Teresa mentioned the name, Kieran already felt familiar and after the mention, he would surely investigate the name.
Things turned out just as his initial thought, Graven was a mystical organization in the dungeon world. It wasnt a secret organization like the churches but it was formed by people who shared amon goal, simr to a society of sorts.
Though Graven Society was very famous, the books from Mecathy and Borjane Bookstore had a lot of books mentioning Graven Society and most of it addressed the society as Yuda State University Secret Society.
A certain part of the books would use Themunication and coexistence between mystical and science as a title to describe the society.
Obviously, it was an organization different from the traditional mystical organizations, at least it was the first mystical organization that Kieran saw which would advertise themselves.
However, the real goal of inviting him was not so different from the othermon mystical individuals who had their eyes on him.
It was an obvious invitation, be it detaining Hoskin or delivering the letter to Teresa, every move they took was to invite Kieran to Yuda State University.
Dandon Churchs influence and forces in End City were much bigger than they imagined, Graven didnt even have the chance to make their move, or rather they werent even bold enough to do so.
The reason behind it though, Kieran could only rte to the bounty reward from Elder Council.
Even though Hoskin went there to investigate one of the victims of the Winchester explosion case, Professor Harondentte, Kieran was certain that within Graven Society, there might be only a handful of people who knew about the unknown yet valuable [Dien Stone].
Humans were all selfish. When a valuable item was ced in front of their eyes, they would try to take it for their own and not share it with others.
Simr to Donna the bar owner, not only did she blow up her own bar, she even used her own death to plot against him just to get her hands on the [Dien Stone].
In the end, Donna couldnt escape her death.
If Donna would have ditched the thought of acquiring the [Dien Stone] and directly disclosed the news to the public, Kieran would be the one who ended up dead.
Because the hidden traces within the Winchesters explosion case would emerge following the appearance of the [Dien Stone], the intentional people wouldtch on to the crucial point from there, thus going after him.
Kieran never doubted that there was a truly smart person in the world, just like he never doubted the saying knowledge is priceless. Otherwise, he wouldnt still know nothing about the [Dien Stone] after going through all sorts of mystical realm rted books and records.
It must be some hidden knowledge that was isted from the public!
Kieran was helpless against it, his current identity and position had already limited his viable methods but this trip to Yuda State University was an opportunity for him.
The leftovers from Professor Harondentte might very well hold some information rted to the [Dien Stone], despite the odds being slim, it was better than none.
Kierans mood was lifted a lot when he thought about the possible clue. He was quite anticipating the [Dien Stone] himself.
Is there really a mystical realm?
Teresa finally opened her mouth after giving the letter to Kieran and focusing on driving.
Her tone had an indescribable weight to it.
Kieran adjusted his posture and turned his gaze at the side of Teresas face from behind.
Although he couldnt see Teresas entire face, half of her face was already smeared with nervousness and anxiety towards the unknown.
En. Kieran nodded and was concluding the wordings in his mind.
As an amnesia patient, it might sound weird for me to say but I think the world is so big and been through many years of changes, some weird and bizarre things appearing here and there is a normal urrence. Just like those fighters that possessed inhuman strength, from the eyes of the regr people, they were monsters.
Teresa, if you can ept the existence of the fighters, then the mystical realm is also something that ought to happen. After all, their borderline isnt as distinct as the regr folks but only a very vague line stands between. All you need is to slightly take the effort to step forward and you can see a whole new world.
Kieran tried to deliver his thoughts in aforting way.
If there wasnt a dead body that suddenly sat up, raised its hand and plunged it into its stomach, pulling out the white letter which should have been tainted by blood, I think it would be easier for me to take the step out, Teresa said.
What an awful experience that is. It really is a delivering method that requires special marking!
Kieran sighed when he pictured the scene.
So... Teresa wanted to add on something but when a road blockade appeared in front of the road, she shut her mouth and stopped the car steadily beside the road.
Before she or Kieran went down to ask what happened, the worker who set up the blockade came over.
Im sorry, the road in front has copsed. Theres no way for you guys to move through here within these few days! The worker with the neon uniform said after knocking at the car window.
Copsed? This road was restored six months ago, wasnt it? What a bunch of maggots!
Teresa cursed a little when she clearly saw the copsed part of the road in front, she continued asking, We are heading to Yuda State University, is there any detour we can take to reach the ce?
There is another route that leads to a small town which can lead you to your destination but the road is quite narrow and hard to drive through. Youll need to be careful if you pass by there. ( )
The worker then returned to his duties after exining.
Teresa further rolled down the car window quickly and took a torchlight from the dashboard, shedding light over the route where the worker pointed.
The torchlights brightness revealed a bumpy small path in her sight.
Even though the road wasnt that smooth, what other choices did the duo have?
Teresa turned the car and went up to the small route.
Kieran in the backseat was looking into the darkness even the car light couldnt prate.
His mouth corner lifted up without control and revealed a cold smile.
Chapter 713 - Steadfast
Chapter 713: Steadfast
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The malicious gazes were too obvious!
Despite being hidden in the dark, it was as real as it could be before Kierans intuition.
It wasnt just one or two but at least... four!
Directly and indirectly.
The malicious gazes even gave Kieran goosebumps all over his arms.
Its not only the Graven Society that has the bounty rewards from Elder Council on their mind, even other mystical individuals within End City mystical realm as well? And they even nted enough men around Teresa!
Kieran was almost certain, otherwise, those mystics that came for the bounty reward from the Elder Council couldnt have copsed the road beforehand and forced both of them into the small and bumpy route.
The mystics certainly spent a lot of effort to get their rewards.
It wasnt that hard to know Teresas schedule and whereabouts, but knowing beforehand and spending the effort to prepare against her was quite difficult.
Judging from Teresas vignt character, it would need at least a familiar acquaintance plus a body. The middle-aged man in the doctors robe then instantly appeared in Kierans mind.
Teresa, I think after we return to End City, you really need to look for the guy in the unofficial forensicsb that looked after the bodies and punch his teeth out, it would also be better to break one of his fingers, Kieran said slowly.
Teresa was stunned from her focused driving to avoid the bumps on the road when she heard what Kieran said.
Somethings wrong with the copsed road just now? Teresa reacted quickly to Kierans words.
The copsed road is fine, the worker is fine too but if you keep driving on, we will be in trouble. Stop the car! Kieran said.
After fighting alongside each other several times, Kierans performance had earned enough trust from Teresa. She stepped on the brake instantly without even hesitating.
The car was stopped abruptly and because of Teresas habitual driving, she hit her head on the steering wheel. But she didnt care much about her swelling forehead, her eyes stared dead ahead of the car.
With the car light illuminating the front, the road which should have been a bumpy and harsh one vanished suddenly before a cliffside.
The car was less than a meter away from falling off the cliff.
What the hell!?
The sudden changes before her eyes stunned Teresa. / update by
She even shook her head hard to exclude the possibility of hallucinating because of the knock on her head but the cliff still didnt go away from her sight.
Teresas face then changed, from her slightly angry face to fear after the event.
No amount of fear would be shameful when facing death.
Teresa breathed heavily several times and turned her eyes to Kieran.
She needed a reasonable exnation from Kieran to fight the fear in her heart at that moment.
Not much of a brilliant illusive spell but still able to affect regr peoples vision. Especially when mixed with a certain drug.
Kieran then raised his hand, the white brilliance shone from his palm and everything within a 20-meter radius was covered by the light.
The faint ck gas was instantly revealed under the brilliance. His brilliance then became more dazzling and instantly fought off the ck gas around the area.
[Detect Toxin] and [Repel Toxin]!
What...The... Teresa couldnt help but widen her eyes.
Kieran smiled but stopped speaking, he reached his hand out to Teresas forehead, where she suffered a bump. His finger then lit up with brilliance again.
The swollen forehead swiftly subsided after the light and when Kieran retracted his finger, Teresa felt nothing but her smooth forehead.
[Heal]!
A...Knight?!
A shivering voice sounded from the darkness outside the car.
The voice clearly entered the car and even Teresa could hear it clearly.
Knight? Teresa muttered the question to herself.
Kieran, on the other hand, had walked out of the car.
There are a lot of magical things in the mystical realm but those things shouldnt strike fear in you because, from the beginning, they are following their own set of rules and order. The rules and order might seem unfamiliar andplicated, to the point that its unfamiliar and hard for regr people to believe and theplexity is hard for regr people to record and master.
So, let us change the rules a bit, a rule that applies even to themon world. The strongest bes king!
He uttered each and every word clearly standing beside the car and when thest word of his sentence subsided, the brilliance in his hand radiated again.
It was different than the previous one, it was much more dazzling and brighter this time. A 9-meter radius around him was covered by a dazzling brilliance with Kieran in the middle.
Kierans coat and pants were instantly turned white by the light, his ck hair, and ck eyes even turned slightly sliver.
The light of holiness!
Teresa who was inside the car had such a thought blooming in her heart when she saw Kieran with the brilliant light.
Even more so when several ghostly figures were exposed under the dazzling white light and quickly retreated. Kieran who was beside the car emanated a holy and invible sternness.
Kieran then dashed into the darkness under Teresas gaze.
The darkness around was swiftly ovee the dazzling light and exposed several more figures hiding in the dark.
The men looked terrified and panicked. When they saw Kieran charging at them with an indomitable spirit, they who showed their ferocious fangs in the dark started to back off in panic.
Teresa then suddenly let out a long breath. Her mind started to recall the stories of knights from her childhood.
Brave and fearless, protecting the weak, Teresa mumbled softly.
Her childhood memories became clearer with her mumbling. It even allowed her to remember her childhood goal.
Wasnt her childhood goal to protect the weak in a brave and fearless manner like Kieran?
Didnt she be a police officer in the first ce because of her goal?
The lingering fear of the mystical realms in her eyes started to disperse, the scene that made her feel like she was in a nightmare was shatteredpletely.
Teresa then opened the door. She wanted to fight!
Although she couldnt determine the fate of the battle like Kieran could, her shooting skills could at least be of some assistance Kieran.
The car door was opened up, Teresa with her gun hade out from the car but Kieran hade back.
Kieran had dealt with the situation and the battle faster than Teresas could have imagined.
He couldnt hold back his smile when he walked back with a dazzling body and saw Teresa with her gun in her hand.
It seems like your ability to ept new things is much stronger than you think, Kieran said.
Teresa felt irritation in her eyes when she saw the dazzling Kieran. It seemed like she noticed for the first time Kieran possessed a charm that exceeded regr moments with the dazzling brilliance.
Teresas heart was beating even faster after that.
Of course I can! Its just that...
Before she could finish though, Kieran grabbed her arm and pulled her behind his back with his undeniable strength.
Teresas view waspletely upied by Kierans brilliant back. Her face even started blush heavily behind Kieran but her vignce prevented her from forgetting the situation.
She tiptoed and extended her view over Kierans shoulder.
A figure was standing beside the car without her knowing.
The figure was staring at Kieran with a surprising gaze with a face disying a look of disbelief.
Chapter 714 - Observer
Chapter 714: Observer
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The sudden appearance of the figure rmed Teresa in an unusual manner.
She raised the gun in her hand almost instinctively.
Rx, I mean you no harm! I am Jorffany, an observer from Elder Council.
The man raised his hands up, signaling that he was harmless and introduced himself quickly.
An observer from Elder Council? Kieran squinted his eyes and sized the man up meticulously.
A ck grayish wind coat with the same color pants and shoes. He hadmon facial features and looked like a mixture of a buff man in his thirties and a young adult in his early twenties.
The shock was still lingering in his eyes.
Kieran was very certain he had never met the person before.
Although the mans face wasmon, Kieran had quite the confidence in his considerable memory.
The identity that he imed to be though, who could verify whether or not whether was fake.
So, Kieran had no intentions of letting his guard down.
He slowly walked towards the man, his figure was still blocking the trajectory in front Teresa in case the man tried something fishy.
Kierans obvious manner made the man raise his hands higher.
I really am an observer from Elder Council! I have proof! Bring to me to Yuda State University with you, the Gravens can prove my identity. Or we can return to End City, the mystics there can prove it as well. Dont worry, I can assure you nothing will happen to Hoskin. The man said out loud.
Kierans steps were forced to a stop.
He had limited understanding about the Elder Council to begin with.
In fact, other than the infamous Twenty Hounds, the Elder Council was a very mysterious organization even though everyone thought they were crazy.
However, a crazy organization couldnt havested so long without some normal people helping within because their craziness would very well be their own demise.
Kieran guessed there must be a logical side of the Elder Council other than the crazy one that is presented to others.
Naturally, it wouldnt becking positions such as the observer here, otherwise, how could the Elder Council collect their information on the mystical realm.
So, when Jorffany mentioned that the Graven Society or the mystics in End City could prove his identity, Kieran already believed some of his ims.
He wasnt worried that it might be a trap set up by Graven because Gravens influences should only be within Yuda State University, it couldnt have reached End City despite both locations being in the same state.
Coincidentally, Kieran knew ady who imed to be a irvoyant within End City.
He pulled out his phone and called Anne Aldrich Augen, after he mentioned Jorffanys name and described how he looked, Anne Aldrich Augen gave him a precise answer five minutester.
Jorffany wasnt lying.
See, I wasnt lying to you guys! Heid down his hands and shrugged to express his innocent.
Seems like you know more than I expected eh? Kieran asked casually but his mind spun rapidly.
Jorffanys identity was clean but what about the purpose of his presence?
Although Kieran didnt know the precise rules and orders of the observer from the Elder Council, Jorffany showed up in such a generous way seemed way too careless for him.
Which mean there was only one exnation left!
His knight identity! Kieran couldnt think of others except for that.
Seems like the identity of a knight is much more valuable than I thought. Not only a church like Dandon but even the Elder Council is attracted! Kieran thought in his heart, at the same time his eyes were locked at Jorffany.
Sir 2567, please dont stare at me like that, I am just a petty observer and you are destined to be a grand figure! If you dont mind, please allow me to follow you for the time being. Even though my observation mission has failed, I do not wish for further idents for the rest of my mission, Jorffany said.
After Jorffanys words, the system notifications came.
[Sub-mission: Unworried Blood Debt (Complete)]
[Acquired decreased time: 3 days!] / update by
Kieran nced over the notification silently and raised his brow for the next question, The rest of your mission?
You have sessfully resisted all three hunts and based on the Elder Councils rules, you are presented with a chance to join our ranks. So I need to give a warning to the Gravens, telling them what the right choice to make is.
Jorffany kept his respectful manner but his tone sounded a little proud, it felt like he wasnt facing a well-known mystical force in Yuda state but a beggar that he could simply send away.
Kieran didnt feel strange either since he knew how powerful the Elder Council was but Teresas eyes had curiosity floating all over.
Yet, Teresa didnt choose to speak at the time since she knew nothing about the mystical realm. She would leave everything for Kieran to handle and he would do his best.
After Kierans deep thoughts, he chose to let Jorffany tag along.
Why Kieran did build his image and identity as a knight?
Wasnt it to increase the acknowledgment of the people around him of his new identity so that he could cover his old one?
What would be more suitable than the acknowledgment from the Elder Council, the mysterious, powerful, and crazy organization?
Since the Elder Council was well-known, it would be a decent witness.
Of course, Kieran still remembered the Dandon Church, the church which was one of the Saint Relic Association members was also one of the witnesses that Kieran recruited.
Both witnesses had fatal ipatibilities like water and fire which would undoubtedly increase the believability of his new identity, increasing it higher.
However, Kieran would need to be more careful from here onwards since water and fire were merciless!
A slight misstep would ce him in a much more difficult situation. Be it the Elder Council or the Saint Relic Association, both sides were not to be messed with.
Sir 2567, I didnt expect you to be a real knight!
After the car was restarted, Jorffany who sat in the passenger seat started to talk non-stop, it felt like Kierans friend Lawless.
But Lawless was all nagging and bullshit, while the Elder Council observer had tons of schemes, countless words of testing were hidden between the lines.
I never thought about it either. Although during my friendly spar with Mayer, he had guessed and said that I am a knight, I dont have any bits of a knights memory in my head.
Kieran had prepared for this beforehand, he slightly frowned and said with worry.
Mayer? End Citys strongest fighter? Jorffany said in surprise.
If there isnt another fighter who share the same name, I think its him. Kieran nodded.
This is incredible... Jorfannys voice dimmed down as he continued.
Still, Kierans sharp senses picked up the excitement on Jorffanys face.
No doubt, his value had once again increased in Jorffanys heart.
Amon knight and a knight that sparred with the strongest fighter in End City were twopletely different concepts.
Kieran adjusted his seating posture and prepared himself for further test and probes from the observer.
While Kieran and Jorffany were having talks, the group had safely reached the gates of Yuda State University.
Chapter 715 - Arrogance To Humility
Chapter 715: Arrogance To Humility
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Yuda State University looked extra quiet under the streemps at night.
Brilliant green bushes were nted inside the campus in an orderly line.
Small asphalt paths had students walking alone or walking in pairs, but most of the students walked in groups.
Laughs and merry voices could be heard from time to time.
The quiet campus was instantly overflowing with a youthful presence and sounded lively as ever.
What a wonderful scene! Even Teresa couldnt help but exim.
Kieran didnt show any objections either, he was clear that the scene was a hard toe by happiness.
Once the students left the campus, the happiness would follow as well.
The outside world would teach them how scary the cruel and harsh reality was.
No human being could escape the horror as long as they were alive.
Death?
Even Kieran was still struggling as hard as he could in life despite being forced to face the scary part of life in a young age, how could the students choose the path of self-destruction when they were filled with hope?
There!
Jorffany didnt give much care about Teresas exmation.
The moment he got out of the car, he had been locating the Graven Societys people.
In fact, it was much easier than he expected.
A young man with a ck formal suit was walking towards them from the main gate.
The ck formal suit looked like a tuxedo with a morning coat, the golden buttons were his outfits only essories.
Kieran was sure the buttons were gold and not other kinds of minerals.
Using gold to forge buttons? Was he a student or a Graven?
Kieran guessed and soon the young man provided an answer.
Captain Teresa and Mr. 2567? This is...
Jorffany.
Mr. Jorffany, pleasee with me, we at Graven has been waiting for your arrival for a long time. U.p.dated by
After Jorffany uttered his name, the young man immediately walked into the campus, he didnt even care whether the group followed him or not.
Teresa and Jorffany frowned unconsciously because of theck of manners from the young man before catching up with him.
Kieran, however, maintained his countenance as he followed the young man and sized up the surroundings.
He didnt feel strange at all that Graven Society was expecting them.
Probably when Teresa went to Kieran for help, the caretaker in the morgue had already delivered the message.
The thing that piqued Kierans curiosity was the students around them.
A moment ago, the students were filled with energy but when they saw the young man, they quickly moved aside from the path looking scared, allowing the young man to pass.
The students were also using a curious, empathic and had unbearables gaze when sizing Kieran up as he moved along.
The secret society in Yuda State University eh?
Kierans heart quietly recalled the books that he read about Graven but it seemed like the books were a little inurate with their description.
The young mans actions and manners couldnt be considered as secretive
While Kieran was looking at the young man who strode in front, all the students along the way chose to move aside, including a couple of figures who obviously were the lecturers there.
The young man in front of the group revealed a delightful countenance.
His delightful countenance formed a strong contrast with the scared expressions of the students around.
Kieran even felt the fantasy that he once had about a perfect university life in his heart was destroyed within a short time, it didnt seem any different than the harsh reality that he had known since young. It felt even more direct.
There werent any chit-chats to probe or test, all the young man presented was a direct suppression. Especially when Kieran noticed among the curious, empathic and unbearable gazes, there was a sense of taking pleasure in others misfortune, he couldnt help but frown hard.
One rotten apple spoils the entire barrel, and it further spoils the other barrels as well!
It felt extremely difficult! Not only Kieran, but Teresa felt that way too.
The hot-tempered police captain kept taking deep breaths, reminding herself to not act recklessly because of Hoskin.
From Teresas point of view, the ones she hated most were those who bullied others while taking advantage of others and felt satisfaction from it. The young man was a living example.
Jorffany, however, didnt showe many scruples as an observer for theElder Council. When he noticed that Kieran was frowning, he stepped up quickly and raised his leg to the young mans back.
The young man who thought he had disyed his valiantness before his enemy never thought he would be kicked on the bum.
After an ugly pose of falling down on his head, the young man who was delightful a moment ago fell to the ground in the most disgraceful way possible.
The students around instantly gave out a cry of surprise and shock.
A couple of students even eagerly attended to the young man. They quickly ran over and helped him up. One of the students pointed at Jorffany and scolded loudly, DO YOU KNOW WHAT ARE YOU DOING? He is...
But before the student could finish, he was halted.
The young man who got up with the help of the students didnt even feel grateful, he pushed the student who helped him up and scolded Jorffany. He covered his bloody face and red at Jorffany, Kieran, and Teresa angrily.
It seemed like the young man had included Kieran and Teresa into his grudgeful targets.
You people are finished! I will let you know what will happen after you humiliate me, you will pay for this! Especially YOU being summoned by the masters of Gravens by name, you will wish you were de... The young man pointed at Kieran, shouting like a madman.
But...
Pak!
Jorffany stepped up and pped him. The clean hit pped the word dead back before it could even escape the young mans mouth.
YOU...
PAK!
The young man wanted to refute but Jorffany gave another p without even holding back.
After the second p, the young man started to behave. Despite his eyes were filled with hate, he was smart enough to shut up.
A pesky little fe who is slightly tainted by the mystical realm dare threatens me... Hehehe!
Jorffany revealed a gloomy and dark smile.
The dense killing intent filled the smile instantly, Jorffany looked like apletely different personpared to his respectful and smiling face when he faced Kieran.
More precisely, Jorffany at that moment showed his true face as an observer from the Elder Council.
The young man who didnt even experience killing intent before shivered after seeing Jorffanys killer smile. He then fell back to the ground because of his jelly-like legs.
Donte near me! Go away!
The young man crawled backward with his legs and hands, crying and moving until he hit another persons leg.
When the young man saw the owner of the leg, he looked like he had met his savior.
My lords, it is them...
However, the person, including the two behind him, didnt even care about the young man and headed straight in front Jorffany.
They then greeted him with an oddly respectful tone, Greetings to Sir Jorffany! I apologize for our student offending you, Ill punish him ordingly and I hope you wont press on the rest of Graven because of this small matter.
The three men bowed down and saluted.
At that very moment, every student around was dumbstruck. They looked at the three lords that possessed powerful and immeasurable powers with unbelievable faces.
What were those three lords doing?
Who was that person they saluted to? What happened?
Especially the young man who led the group, he waspletely nk towards what was happening but he knew if he were to be punished, he would lose his life.
In order to keep his petty life, the young man swiftly crawled back up and plead before Jorffany.
But the young man fell back to the ground right after he climbed up and even peed his pants.
The young man saw Jorffany who was just respectfully greeted by his lords had turned around to the man who he had just threaten and saluted respectfully, just like how the three from Graven did.
Jorffany bowed down and asked Kieran with utter respect, What do you say, my good sir?
Chapter 716 - Threatened
Chapter 716: Threatened
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Kieran looked at Jorffany who bowed at him, he knew what Jorffanys action wanted to achieve.
Jorffany wanted others to have the illusion that Kieran had quite a rtionship with the Elder Council.
It might even reach the point that once Jorffany mentioned that Kieran has survived three hunts, he would lead the others to believe that Kieran had joined the Elder Councils ranks.
He would go to such extents just for a knight? Impossible! Even for a knight that can fight the strongest fighter in End City, the Elder Council wouldnt need to spend so much effort. The Elder Councils initial and ultimate goal has always been the Saint Relic Association!
As Kieran figured out the points lightning fast, he had grasped the key factor of the entire picture. Kieran wouldnt belittle himself nor would he act arrogantly.
The title of knight was a valuable existence but the Elder Council, who owned the Twenty Hounds and even more hidden powerful characters within, have no absolute need for a knight.
But the Dandon Church who might lose a knight was different, Kieran knew how the Dandon Church direly needed a knight and so did the Elder Council.
So, the Elder Council wouldnt mind to mess things up and force the Dandon Church into the footsteps of the other branches of the Saint Relic Association, vanishing in the river of time, thus halving the Saint Relic Associations power!
Perhaps it was because of all that, Jorffany would appear before him and requested to tag along.
Then... Could an observer from Elder Council make such decisions?
Kieran guessed in his heart but under the gazes of so many pairs of eyes, he didnt have the time time to think about that.
Right after Jorffanys action, Kieran turned his eyes to the three Gravens.
We are here for Hoskin and Professor Harondentte, others dont matter, Kieran said.
Thank you for your generosity!
The three Gravens immediately expressed their gratitude.
Even though the three Gravens had only been guessing the rtionship between Kieran and Jorffany so far, Jorffany who represented the Elder Council was enough to let them know what should they do.
Should they face the mysterious and terrifying organization, Gravens power was too small even to be mentioned in the same sentence. Compliance would be the best choice for them if they wished not to be destroyed.
Please follow us!
Since the Gravens had chosen toply, they would not dy the group any further.
Kieran then strode forward. He didnt even bat an eye at the young man who reeked and wet his pants.
He would never sympathize with such a person just like how he would never expect sympathy from others.
The students that gathered around chose to avoid Kieran when theyid eyes on him but Kierans walking pace seemed to be quicker.
The panicking students moved faster away when Kieran was nearing them, a female student with sses even fell to the ground in the process.
Her sses fell on the ground and shattered instantly. Her palms and elbows were scathed as well because of the fall, causing her to bleed but the female student didnt even care about her own condition because Kieran was in front of her and he stopped.
I...I didnt mean it! Please forgive me!
The female student had panic smeared all over her face when her mind reminded her of the terrorizing rumors of the Graven Society. She quickly climbed up and apologized to Kieran.
Her tension reached the limit when she saw Kieran reach his hand over her.
She hoped that it would only be a p and not other terrifying things, so when Kieran ced his fingers over her wounds, the girl was already shivering.
She thought it would be the end for her but at that next moment...
A warm, bright brilliance shone from Kierans finger.
Her scathed wounds were healed! With speed visible to the naked eye!
The students around widened their eyes at the scene, all of them were utterly astonished.
Miracle! It was aplete miracle!
Everybody around couldnt hold back their awe.
The expression of the three Gravens changed abruptly amidst the students awes. Their gazes at Kieran became even more respectful after that.
If the reason they showed respect to Kieran before was because of Jorffany, now their respect hade from within their hearts.
Compared to those ignorant students, they knew better what the white brilliance meant.
A knight! A knight of the Saint Relic Association!
How would a knight be inpany with an observer from the Elder Council? Could it be?
Some impulsive guesses bloomed in the Gravens hearts, their expressions were filled with reverence and awe after that.
The three Gravens walked in front, leading the group, Kieran too followed them behind as though nothing had happened.
The crowd unconsciously opened up a path for Kieran.
When Kieran walked past the students, their faces were still terrified but now, it was mixed with extra emotions, especially the girl who was healed. She touched her recovered palms and elbows and stared nkly at Kierans back.
Thank..Thank you, she said.
However, the distance seemed a little too far away, the girls voice was too dim and Kieran didnt stop.
Soon enough, the group went away from the students sight.
After Kieran andpany left the spot, the students who lingered exchanged gazes with each other for a while before dispersing.
Almost everyone, before they left, would unconsciously turn their heads to the direction where Kieran went despite it already being empty.
As for the young man who caused so many troubles in the campus, no one further spared him a nce.
...
Inside an independent club activity room, Kieran and Teresa were looking at Hoskin.
The young officer was sleeping soundly on a bed with no visible wounds on his body.
Dont worry. Mr. Hoskin will be awake soon.
The Gravens took out a potion after that.
Kieran saw the potion and checked it carefully before passing it to Teresa.
He wouldnt mind being careful at any time.
Sir 2567, you are a very caring person. Of course, you are kind as well and to able to be amidst your presence is really my honor! ording to the rules, I shouldnt say anymore more but from my own personal wish, I hoped to remind you that the council will send a lord over for the invitation. I hope you can really consider the offer.
Jorffany said with a smile.
Then, before Kieran spoke, the observer retreated back into the shadows and vanished swiftly.
After sensing Jorffanys absence, Kieranughed coldly in his heart.
Threats? He never cared about such things, especially when the threats were full of bluffs.
Chapter 717 - Stare
Chapter 717: Stare
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Jorffany was bluffing. Kieran was utterly sure about that.
Otherwise, judging from how crazy the Elder Council sounded from the rumors, how could they mixed up the rtion between him and the council and allow the world to decide for him whether to join the council or not?
Such methods were too timid! It didnt seem or feel like the councils way of doing things.
Forcing and ordering him to join their ranks was what the council should disy and should he reject, they would kill him directly together with the people rted to him, which would only fit the image of the Elder Council in peoples hearts.
Especially facing against people or factions rted to the Saint Relic Association, no mercy should be shown.
Did something happened within Elder Council? Kieran guessed silently.
The guess didnt relieve him though. Although the fewer the lunatics like the Elder Council, the better, it was a disadvantage for Kieran.
While trying to win both sides and stall as long as he could, Kieran wished that one side wouldnt just withdraw like that and after he had presented a greater value of himself, one side was already attracted tightly.
Kieran was confident that the little healing session with the female student back on the campus gone public, the Dandon Church will surely pay him a visit very soon.
No one understood how dire it was for the Dandon Church to recruit a knight more than Kieran. Before the church even truly verified his identity, they had helped him without any hesitation and now with Kierans identity confirmed, the Dandon Church will be more impatient than ever!
The church that had been through all three major wars throughout the hundred years was not something to be underestimated.
Kieran wasnt naive enough to believe his joining was just a verbal term.
Still, he didnt regret his previous decisions because not only did Kieran just draw a line between him and the Elder Council, he was creating his new identity as well.
In order to better conceal his real self, this move was a necessary one, it was just a matter of time.
Rather than choosing a particr timing, might as well go with the flow.
What other situation was more suitable than the previous one?
Now, all Kieran needed to consider was the time. A time slot that would perfect his ns.
Kierans gears in his mind spun quickly, his face, however, didnt show any changes as he looked at the three Gravens.
Harondentte was the founder of Graven, the society was founded initially with us being under him. But Harondentte didnt take up the position as leader but instead he shared the responsibility with us. If anything would happen, we would discuss it meticulously ande to a mutual agreement.
At first, Harondentte would still participate in the discussions but a whileter, he didnt even bother to show himself. He spent most of his efforts on his research and about this research...
The Gravens were sensible enough to spill the information after picking up Kierans gaze but their expressions looked stranger than before.
What about the research? Kieran pressed the matter.
Immortal Fountain, Thend of Fallen Gods, The Fruit of Yggdrasil, and other many kinds of mythical items were all Harondenttes research project titles.
Although we part of the mystical realm, even these things were legends and myths to us. Its outrageous but Harondentte persistently assumed that all of them were real.
The Gravens said with a bitter smile.
Immortal Fountain, Thend of Fallen Gods, The Fruit of Yggdrasil... Kieran squinted his eyes.
It reminded him of the [Dien Stone] that drew Harondentte to Winchester House in the first ce.
What kind of item would it be if it could attract the attention of a professor that studied mythical legends and other such topics?
The answer was self-exnatory!
Kierans heart was burning with eagerness instantly.
Where are the rted notes and books of his research data? Kieran asked directly.
In his room.
Well bring them to you! The Gravens said.
You didnt think that the collections stolen from the End Museum would hold that kind of mythical item right? Teresa asked with a strange look while helping Hoskin up who was still a little blurry from waking up.
The existence of the mystical realm had surprised Teresa beyond logic butpared to Immortal Fountain, Thend of Fallen Gods, The Fruit of Yggdrasil, how would the mystical realm look?
Both topics were on entirely different levels.
Teresa knew as well, in fact, anyone in this dungeon world who heard bedtime stories before knew the three things mentioned.
If my childhood memories serve me right, the Immortal Fountain produces spring water that can grant immortality with one drink and thend of Fallen Gods is where the Gods treasures were hidden. The fruit of Yggdrasil will grant anyone status of a New God after eating... But arent all these stories and myths? Teresa frowned.
Police Captain Teresas worldview had suffered another heavy impact.
Who knows? The worldcks no rumors that snowballed themselves, especially through the river of time. Countless truths have lost their real face and it has be hard to tell them apart. But... They all should have a single point of origin, Kieran said.
You believe in all those? Teresa was baffled by Kierans thoughts.
Do you? Kieran then raised his palm and Dawn Force shone brightly in its rawest form.
Teresa went silent for quite a while when she saw the white spots and felt the warmth.
In the end, Teresa smiled bitterly, I really cant argue with facts like this.
She then turned to Hoskin who was astonished like never before.
Dont worry, this is not an illusion or a dream. Its just that a new door leading to a brand new world has been pushed open from our side. And trust me, this is the mildest and most timid thing you will ever experience! Teresa tried tofort Hoskin.
The door to a new world? Hoskins face was astounded as ever, he had no idea what was going on.
Teresa wanted to further exin but was interrupted by Kieran when he suddenly walked towards the door that led outside.
She didnt ask what happened as anyone else would but swiftly pulled out her gun. The young officer was not slow as well, he pulled out his gun which he had regained and stood beside his superior, shoulder to shoulder.
Kak!
Kieran opened the door and a faint stench of blood floated right in.
The corridor lights revealed a fresh blood trail heading towards the room from the corridors corner.
Kieran put up a stop gesture to the two officers behind him and carefully walked out the door.
He slowly walked towards the corner of the corridor and the blood stench was getting heavier as he approached.
Suddenly, a head fell down into the puddle of blood.
The twisted expression on the face with the wide eyes stared eerily at Kieran.
Chapter 718 - Killing Off The Witness
Chapter 718: Killing Off The Witness
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
One of the three Gravens!
Kieran wouldnt mistake the man despite his twisted facial expression.
He tilted his head down to inspect the sudden head and turned his eyes to the corner of the corridor.
Three bodies were scattered all over the corridor when Kieran saw them.
One was headless lying down on the floor, the other two were torn to pieces.
Their bloody and mushy flesh scattered all over the corridor together with their organs, the gruesome scene would easily disgust anyone who saw it.
However, Kieran sized up all three bodies with a calm face.
Right at the next moment, the dead bodies and body parts stood up.
The fallen head even flew straight towards Kieran but Kierans expression didnt change at all.
He quickly kicked the iing head and sent it back.
Bang!
The flying head was kicked into the corridors wall, after a clear skull-cracking noise, the head sttered like a watermelon.
At the same time, a grenade was hurled towards the standing bodies andnded right in between them.
KABOOM!
The explosion further sted the Gravens remains into bits.
Kieran dashed through the smoke and followed the set of footprints other than the dead Gravens with [Tracking] which was heading towards a certain room in the building.
He didnt even care about the death of the three Gravens, instead, he was extremely concerned about the books and information about the [Dien Stone].
The Gravens promised to bring him Harondenttes research data and notes but were murdered silently by someone along the way.
If the murders and data were unrted, Kieran would be the first to doubt it and the facts proved him right.
The room the extra footprints led to was already emptied out.
Other than an empty shelf and a study desk, there was nothing left behind, not even a piece of paper.
Kieran maintained his [Tracking] vision, in hopes of finding more clues but nothing came up.
Even the footprints that he tracked all the way vanished at the window.
The window was open, allowing the night breeze to flow into the room.
It lifted up the curtains and revealed a single footprint on the edge, but there werent any traces on the ground beneath the window outside through Kierans vision.
Flying? Or... Kieran wondered and his eyes turned back to the room.
He inspected the empty shelf which was taller than a grown man and around two meters wide plus the study desk that was bigger than a single bed.
The leftover traces through [Tracking] told Kieran there was at least hundreds of books and papers on the emptied furniture.
Now, someone beat him to it.
Who would be interested in these books and didnt even mind killing to take them away? Kieran frowned.
He was sure that the dead Gravens trio didnt die because they came in contact with that outsider, the traces at the scene were obvious.
The outsider had enough time, to the point that they took the entire rooms worth of book and data, leaving nothing behind.
Then, the outsider waited patiently for their chance in Harondenttes room.
When the Graven trio appeared, the outsider killed with without hesitation, using extreme suppression methods, the trio didnt even have the chance to cry and they weed their deaths.
In the end, the outsider still purposely left behind a surprise using their bodies.
If Kieran didnt make sure a normal dead body wouldnt have appeared suddenly like the head, rolling down to him, he might really be frightened by the outsider.
After double checking the room and absence of clues, Kieran returned swiftly.
Teresa and Hoskin were waiting anxiously in the room and when they saw Kieran returned safely, they heaved a sigh of relief.
Both of them had heard the explosion just now but they didnt simply move around since they remembered that Kieran asked them to stay put.
Teresa and Hoskin werent regr folks, they knew they would cause more trouble than help if they simply made a move.
Whats wrong? Teresa asked.
I think you need to call your men down here. I, however still need to investigate something!
Kieran didnt exin in details. He left the room after simply briefing them both.
This time around, Kieran directly went outside the building.
He first checked the rooftop and all the windows on each floor, followed by the ground further away from the room.
After some investigation, Kieran was sure the outsider had the ability to fly, at the same time, he was certain that the outsider was quite familiar with the Graven Society room.
The outsider didnt leave traces elsewhere and immediately headed towards Harondenttes room.
Not only was the outsider thoroughly familiar with the Graven trio and their club room, but they must also have a certain level of understanding of us as well... Jorffany?
Kieran subconsciously thought of the Elder Councils observer but soon shook his head in denial.
If it was really Jorffany, the previous efforts were too obvious, to the point that anyone would suspect him easily.
It wouldnt be possible for him to wash away his doubts after being suspected, because afterparison, Kieran could tell the footprints left behind wasnt Jorffanys but a stranger who he never met before.
Just as Kieran was thinking to himself, the campus police appeared in a group of ten.
Teresa was instructing them to swiftly seal off Gravens club room and under Hoskins supervision, they started to sweep the ce for clues.
Teresa then went over to Kieran.
What happened? You need to fill me in on the details! Even though it might sound extremely absurd, Im all ears! Ive been through the things that others couldnt have experienced in their lives, nothing will scare me now!
Teresa didnt press on the topic suddenly when she saw Kieran was in deep thought.
She only asked after Kieran raised his head up.
Kierans sharp senses noticed a slight difference in Teresas words.
Her words sounded like she wanted to share the burden with him, it contrasted the hot-tempered image in Kierans impression.
Kieranughed into a question right away, Are youforting me?
Shouldnt friends do that? Teresa emphasized the word friend.
Of course! Kieran didnt deny it but nodded. Then he told everything to Teresa about what happened before, plus the little things he found.
Another moving corpse? Damn it! Teresa couldnt hold back her whisper.
It was obvious that she had a hard time forgetting her first contact with the mystical realm but it didnt stop her from deducing
Harondentte died in the Winchesters explosion and now his research data was swept clean by someone, plus killing the three Gravens who might know something. I am suddenly very interested in the stolen collections of End Museum. Teresa said.
A thought bloomed in Kierans heart but he only nodded on the outside, Me too!
Chapter 719 - A Deal
Chapter 719: A Deal
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Later that night, Kieran and Teresa returned to End City since they couldnt find anything else at the campus.
Teresa went straight to investigate the End Museum collections while Kieran went back to Augen Manor.
He didnt leave Augen Manor for quite a while in the uing days.
Other than calling Teresa asking her about the collection investigations asionally, even for the Dandon Churchs visit, he would send Anne Aldrich Augen to step forth and palter them.
Anne Aldrich Augen, who would be the new mayor soon, did not dare underestimate the Dandon Church despite her status, especially when she had countless ties to it and wasnt as blinded as others.
However, the Dandon Church wouldnt just give up that easily.
They would send their men over to the manor every few days. It made Anne Aldrich Augen fed up in the end.
What are you nning to do?
Anne Aldrich Augen hurried to the secret spot within the manor and interrupted Kieran and Mayers friendly spar.
After Anne Aldrich Augen interrupted, Mayer nodded at Kieran and left of his own will.
Since Kieran came back from the university, he and Mayer had been sparing for quite a while, which elevated their rtionship further but they still werent friends.
Unlike Kierans vignce and carefulness towards anyone, Mayer devoted his heart in enhancing his own arts through training. He would not spare his attention on other things that didnt interest him.
In fact, if it wasnt for the spar with Kieran being able to help him enhance his skills, Mayer would not have bothered about Kieran, the same was true for Kieran in regards to Mayer.
A little more! Kieran said to himself after feeling his current [Hand-to-Hand Combat] status.
Within the period of time, after removing the limit on his most confident skill [Undercover], Kieran had a better understanding of removing the limit on his skills.
Just like what he was doing now. He was certain that he needed Mayer to remove the limit on [Hand-to-Hand Combat],mon sparring wasnt enough to do it, it would require a deathmatch instead.
As for the deathmatch with Mayer, it wasnt a good idea at all.
Both of them were on par with each other in terms of strength, should the fight to the death happen, one of them would really die and the one that survived wouldnt be too well off either.
Even though he might be the winner of the match, he had no confidence in dealing with the uing matters with that condition.
Not only would he have to deal with the executioners who hadnt even shown their faces and the Dandon Church who had their eyes on Kieran like a tiger, but there was also an unexpected outsider thrown into the mix to mess things up as well.
Although it was the arrangements that he had set up, Kieran wouldnt think the outsider would show any mercy to him when the timees.
Oi?! Can you hear me?
Kieran didnt reply for a long time and it upset Anne Aldrich Augen.
Thedy with a long ck one piece was standing in front Kieran angrily, her heels and her height allowed her beautiful eyes to stare into Kierans eye on a parallel eye level.
The questions and probes in her eyes were very obvious.
Im listening, Kieran nodded.
Good, tell me what you are up to? Otherwise, when the sister shows up to my door next time, Ill let you deal with it! I might be able to trade you away for some decent leverage as well! Anne Aldrich Augen said in a partially true, partially false manner.
To thedy in ck, any man, thing, or item were all rted to her own benefits.
Everything would be judged based on its ability to benefit her.
Although it wasnt a bad habit, she could be considered an easy person to understand, at least Kieran knew what Anne Aldrich Augen was after and knew how to handle her.
Kieran walked over to the spot where he ced his bag and took out an item.
It was the [Binding Ring] after consuming all of its usage counts.
He disyed the ring in front of Anne Aldrich Augen.
Its just a consumable item without any usages left, Anne Aldrich Augen said pretending to be disdainful. Her eyes, however, were shining in outstanding colors.
Then are you willing to continue the trade? Kieran asked with a smile.
Of course!
Anne Aldrich Augen took the ring and hugged it into her arms, her tone had be delighted as well as she put away her rage. She became a tamed cat and leaned over to Kieran, and said with a smiling face, The guy you asked me to keep an eye out for, Ive found him! But I never really thought the Winchester House explosions could result in such changes.
Me either...
Kieran nodded in agreement and at the same time moving his body aside, dodging Anne Aldrich Augen.
Thedy didnt fall down due to loss of bnce, on the contrary, she repositioned her steps and turned around as her dress danced along with her motions like a butterfly, standing in front of Kieran again.
Are you mad because of my impatience just now? You should know I really hate those unknown and unconfident things, youll forgive me right? Anne Aldrich Augen said in a delicate and touching tone.
If you swear your impatience just now wasnt just an act so that you could collect your earnings of the trade, of course, Ill forgive you. Kieran wasnt moved by her actions and words.
I swear! Anne Aldrich Augen said in all seriousness.
Kieran rolled his eyes.
He suddenly realized he had overestimated how long she could go.
Since his return from the university, their rtionship in working together had gotten closer because of certain findings.
However, Kieran didnt reveal much, but judging from how she spilled word after word without concern, she had figured it out on her own.
Kieran wasnt worried at all. It wasnt that he trusted Anne Aldrich Augens character but initially, hed hoped more people would find out about the matter.
The more people paid attention, the safer he would be.
He wanted to use that to find out which organization the arbiter and executioner came from.
Anne Aldrich Augen gave out a pleasantugh when she saw Kierans reaction but theugh stopped quickly and abruptly.
Kieran continued to take out two more items from his bag.
[Poison Mist Wand] and [Rapid Ring].
What do you want?
Anne Aldrich Augen asked solemnly after ncing over the two items.
A two-handed greatsword, I dont need it to be sharp but I want it to be extremely sturdy!
Kieran admired how Anne Aldrich Augen treated official business with her serious face, he stated his request with a delightful smile.
You are skilled in two-handed swords as well?
Anne Aldrich Augens eyes were overflowing with unusual colors as she looked at the man who got more and more mysterious.
She didnt mind the man before her eyes growing stronger.
After many instances dealing with him, she already knew the man before her was the very reliable kind from a certain aspect. Judging from that point, Anne Aldrich Augen hoped that Kieran would grow stronger. The stronger, the better!
After all, End City... was too little for her appetite!
Seems like that guy is hard to deal with, Anne Aldrich Augen said in hopes of probing for more.
How would a guy be easy to deal with when he can hide from my senses and control the dead? Fortunately, I have my own helpers. The sister from Dandon has waited for too long. Can you arrange a meeting with her while you bring me my greatsword?
Kieran kept his smile as he proceeded with his n.
Chapter 720 - Fighting Alongside You
Chapter 720: Fighting Alongside You
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
During the afternoon tea in Augen Manor, Sister Dandon who has been rejected far too many times finally met Kieran.
Good day, Sister Dandon! Kieran stood up and greeted her politely.
He didnt seem sorry at all after sending Anne Aldrich Augen to reject the sister so many times.
Its been a while, Mr.2567, Sister Dandon replied with a smile.
Likewise, the sisters face didnt seem embarrassed after being rejected so many times either.
Both of them were like old friends that hadnt met for a long time. They sat in a corner of the garden, chit-chatting softly and evenughed asionally.
That was until Anne Aldrich Augen came.
The future mayor and the manors owner was pushing a small cart into the garden.
On the cart was a long rectangle shape box made out of wood.
The leather outside the box had neat patterns sewn on it, giving the rectangle box a vintage look. Though, the important thing about the box was its contents. U.p.dated by .
Sister Dandons gaze was captivated the moment Anne Aldrich Augen entered with the cart.
She was surprised to see the box on the cart and even without checking it herself, she noticed that the thing inside the box was very heavy.
Tsk Tsk Tsk!
Each step Anne Aldrich Augen took, the wheels would give out irritating screeches because of the load.
What is this? Sister Dandon didnt ask Anne Aldrich Augen, thedy who shut her out many times. She knew how hard was it to deal with the future mayor, so she asked Kieran instead.
While being oblivious to the fact that it was Kieran who incited all the rejections, Sister Dandon felt that the amnesia Kieran was far better to deal with than Anne Aldrich Augen.
My weapon. Kieran then walked towards the cart, opened up the box and took out the item inside after saying.
It was a two-handed greatsword with a mans height.
The thinnest part of the des body was even thicker than a grown mans palm and the thickest part looked like raw metal but the luster on the de stated that it has been thoroughly tempered.
The hilt was extremely long, to the point that even with both hands gripped on, a lot of space was left.
The extra long hilt wasnt the mistake of the cksmith, on the contrary it proved that the cksmith who forged the sword wasnt an amateur. The cksmith knew how much strength the user would need to insert to swing it around.
[Name: Sturdy Heavy Greatsword]
[Type: Heavy arms]
[Rarity: Magic]
[Attack: Common]
[Attribute: Armor Pration Lvl 2, Sturdy Lvl 2]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: Sharp Weapon, Heavy Arms (Pro), Strength B for both hands and A- for single hand.]
[Remark: This is an extremely heavy greatsword. After it was forged, no one could truly swing it.]
...
[Armor Pration Lvl 2: Able to easily tear apart medium armor of Strong defense]
[Sturdy Lvl 2: Gains +2 buffs when using the weapon defensively.]
...
Kieran took up the [Sturdy Heavy Greatsword] with one hand and swung it around.
It was slightly heavier than [Arrogant Word]!
Anne Aldrich Augen and Sister Danon were forced back by the heavy wind pressure.
Both of their faces had simr surprises, they were quite shocked at the strength that Kieran disyed.
But once the thought of the stronger Kieran was, the more they would benefit, uncontroble happiness appeared on their faces.
However, a sudden realization hit Sister Dandon and changed her face right away.
Youve recovered your memory? The sister asked.
Nope! But after Ive encountered a powerful enemy, my instinct told me I should use a heavy weapon to fight. A sudden thought, maybe it is part of my lost memories but Im not sure.
Kieran pretended a bitter smile and ced the greatsword back in the box before strapping the box on his back.
Powerful enemy? You were attacked in End City?
A rare angry expression appeared on the sisters face. She was angered by the fact that someone dared to defy the orders from the Dandon Church.
Kieran was sure of that and he knew even better what kind of thoughts were running in her mind
So, he quickly added on without any guilt, Not End City but Yuda State University, Ivee across...
After briefly exining the incident, the sisters face changed once more.
Heretics that vited the dead!
Unlike the anger just now, this time around the sisters face was filled with killing intent
The Saint Relic Association was formed by multiple different churches but since they could form a union among themselves, the churches shared manymon restrictions.
The dead should not be vited. It was one of the listed restrictions and from a certain aspect, it was also a core restriction as well.
Kieran was well informed that the Elder Council wouldnt mind digging the dead out from their grave and incite them into doing something that would result in the wrath of Gods and resentment of men.
He knew after stating as such, a high chance that the Dandon Church would already agree to help him. Still, he didnt mind adding fuel to the fire.
He is powerful! So, Ive closed myself up temporarily and trained with Mr. Mayer, enhancing my skills along the way. But as I improved myself, I suddenly realized not only the man was strong, he had something that disgusted me from deep within.
I didnt feel as resentful when seeing a tiger prey on the weak but that man... he made me feel that I have to kill him at all costs.
Kieran looked down at his hands with a bedazzled expression.
Right at the moment, Dawn Force was shining on his hand.
While feeling the denser and more natural Dawn Force, Sister Dandon immediately acknowledged the closed door cultivation that Kieran mentioned and also the words Kieran said.
My child, you dont have to be confused. This isnt the habit of indiscriminate killing, its only because youve met your mortal enemy! Now I can safely tell you that you are a knight before you lost your memory and your duty is to protect the weak from the harms of darkness and the wicked!
That is why you acted like that before the darkness and wicked! Sister Dandon looked at Kieran with a merciful face.
She then pulled Kierans hands over as an elder and it made Anne Aldrich Augen beside her raise a brow ufortably. But soon enough, Anne Aldrich Augen was captivated by the changes that happened next.
Ayer of simr brilliance appeared on the sisters palm and when the unique power came in contact with Dawn Force, they resonated.
They felt simrly tender and soft, one felt tenacious and indomitable and the other one felt bright and grand.
The Dandon Church will not tolerate against evil, we will fight alongside you! Sister Dandon said solemnly.
I will be extremely grateful for that!
Kieran stepped back and bowed down, saluting the sister with an old salutation with precision and official manner like a real knight.
Chapter 721 - Back Away
Chapter 721: Back Away
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
After the evening rush hours when people had gotten off from work, the city became merry again.
It wasnt full of disorderly mors without a care in the night but more of a near-to-life situation.
In front of Newtart Bread Shop, several housewives holding groceries went into the shop after a half price sign was hung over the shop window.
Minutester, each of them returned home with bags upon bags of bread.
It was the secret discount that only the surrounding residents knew off.
Every Friday evening, Newtart Bread Shop would sell off the remaining bread of that day and possibly the day before at half price.
The housewives first choice was all the leftovers of that very day but they would also ept the ones from yesterday or even earlier.
The priorities of the housewives were to consider spending the least amount of money to buy food before they spoil. The saved up money would be enough for them to buy half a sausage more and three to four eggs plus some vegetable soup to make a scrumptious meal for their families.
The residents around the bread shop went in continuously and soon, the half-priced bread was all sold out, leaving some leftover pieces and crumbs in the baskets.
The shop owner then started to clean up the leftovers by putting the remaining pieces and crumbs into a single basket and ced a $3 sign over it.
It was also one of the shops usual means. Some residents didnt mind exchanging a basket full of leftover bread pieces for a mere $3, even though they were far from perfect.
That night was no exception either, just when the owner was cleaning the shop, a customer entered the shop.
It wasnt the housewives from around the area, neither was it a total stranger.
Even though the customer was wearing a windbreaker with lifted up cors and liked to cover his face with sses and a mask, the owner still weed him with a graceful smile.
Good evening, this is all thats left, is that okay? The owner asked.
Then, before the customer could reply, the owner started to pack the leftovers into a paper bag.
He knew what the customer wanted even without answering.
Two wrinkled notes then appeared on the counter. The owner opened it up to check its condition and passed the paper bag filled with leftover bread to the customer.
The owner also added a courteous phrase, Pleasee again next time!, but it was still without reply.
The silent customer took the paper bag and left Newtart Bread Shop but as he moved around 4 to 5 meters away, he stopped abruptly.
He saw a group of people standing on the opposite street with long friar robes and Dandons emblem in front of their chest. Their outfits were enough to tell where they were from.
The customer turned away to another direction without even thinking but the Dandon friars upied that ce as well.
Another direction change resulted in the same scene again.
The Dandon friars slowly approached the silent customer as he swiftly backed away.
The customer re-entered Newtart Bread Shop and the moment he stepped into the shop...
KABOOM!
An explosion went off.
The tremendous blow sent the entire shop lot flying up in the sky and the strange thing was, there wasnt any smoke or fire.
All the explosion caused was white flour dancing in the air and white glittering powders.
Aaarh! Aaaaaaaarh!
An excruciating growl sounded right away, as though a beast was being tortured, causing it to release a pained roar.
A figure was found rolling and struggling on the ground as the body was covered with flour and the glittering powder, it looked like the body had acid spilled on it instead of flour and powder.
Dandon with the overflowing battle spirit, banish the evil before your eyes with your holy sword!
Amidst the heavy chanting, the Dandon friars helped the struggling figure up and sshed bottles of holy water on him.
Souuuu!
White smoke erupted from the body as the holy waters were sshed.
The figure who was struggling and rolling fiercely stopped soon.
Any kinds of evil cannot exist in the world with Her Majesty Dandons gaze!
After the sonorous im, a Dandon deacon with white hair and beard walked over from the end of the street.
From the beginning, the deacon was looking at Kieran who was walking beside him and obviously, the words that he uttered was for Kieran.
You cant afford to be careless at any time, Kieran replied the deacon.
It wasnt really talking back and neither was it a rudement, plus the humble expression on Kierans face when he uttered those words, even the deacon before his eyes couldnt find any fault in his words.
The other two sisters and the middle-aged father nodded repeatedly, but the deacon thought Kieran should show morepliance, not only to Dandon but to him as well.
The deacon was the most loyal servant of Dandon and he should be respected for his position, not all were given the chance to walk side by side with him like Kieran.
He is the culprit of Winchester House explosion? Also the killer of the Gravens three in Yuda State University? The deacon asked questions after questions.
Yes. Kieran nodded.
How can you be sure? Although he is of evil roots, what is your evidence? The white-haired, white-bearded deacon continued his questioning.
His questions stunned the other sisters and the father right away, especially Sister Liz Dandon who frowned over the question.
Lord Deacon, what are you doing? Sister Dandons tone expressed the strictness of her words.
I only wanted to know the truth. The deacon answered but everyone felt the insincerity of the deacons words.
When the thought of how arrogant the deacon was during normal times struck the others, the other three high ranking clergies of Dandon frowned hard. If the deacon wasnt the only one who could activate the altar, how could he be one of the high ranking clergies with his attitude?
My evidence? Why would a man who spent all his time and effort in building his own organization give up that easily? And a bunch of books and notes recording the myths and legends that most people dont believe, why would someone kill for those books?
Kieran didnt answer directly.
After using Anne Aldrich Augen to investigate the Dandon Church, Kieran knew who the people he needed to pay attention to were.
He spent quite a bit of time and effort to research about this Dandon deacon, not only his life achievements but also his attitude.
So, Kieran knew what answers would draw the trust from the man.
Kieran needed not to exin precisely to the deacon but instead, he wanted the deacon to look for the answers himself.
As Kieran nced over the expressions on the deacon, he added more at the precise moment.
Winchester Houses explosions case... Is it really that simple? The ce was blown up just because of some treasure collections from the museum? Is it possible that there are some even more precious and rarer items hidden within?
Kieran took a second nce at the Dandon deacon whose face was slightly affected and was thinking deeply of his questions.
Not only the deacon felt as such, but the other sisters and the father also had shock over their faces as they looked at the shrunken figure on the ground.
Other than exining like this, I really cant think of a reason why would you do this... Professor Harondentte!
Kieran looked at the man on the floor who looked dead.
The man wasnt dead though, although he didnt seem to be breathing, no one else knew the miraculous traits of the heart inside him more than Kieran.
If the professor had the heart, plus some hidden aces up his sleeves, the scene where the professor was taken down easily was just an intentional act.
Why?
Kieran looked at the Dandon deacon who stepped up anxiously to inspect the body with simted emotions and shining eyes, Kieran took a step back right away quietly.
Chapter 722 - Summon
Chapter 722: Summon
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
While facing against an enemy that purposely concealed their trump cards, Kieran was more than happy to have someone else take the risks of heading in first.
Dandon deacon didnt notice Kierans retreat, neither did the other sisters and father.
After listening to what Kieran had said, their attentions were all ced on the professor lying and shaking his body on the floor, especially the Dandon deacon who was slowly approaching.
They wanted to see what they would discover on Harondenttes body.
The white-haired bearded deacon walked over to the professor, bent his back and reached out towards the professors body.
Right at that moment, Harondentte who seemed dead on the floor suddenly opened his eyes, a zing fiery light shined brightly.
The deacon was stunned and instinctively wanted to back away before ordering the friars around to gang up on the professor.
However, the deacon suddenly realized, the friars around were all crying in panic, running around the ce. Even those who were steadier stood still and shivered hard.
The two sisters and father were no exceptions and even Kieran as well.
Its over!
Despair rose up in the perplexed deacons heart.
The panicking deacon didnt notice the shivers between Kieran and the others were entirely different.
The others were shivering out of fear and scared while Kieran doing so out of excitement!
The excitement from the bottom of his heart because the presence was too familiar.
[Light of Fear]!
Maybe because of his own body and the repulsion of [Fusion Heart] in the new host, the aura had weakened a lot but Kieran was sure that aura was [Light of Fear] after his devil transformation!
If Kieran was unsure until now, with Harondenttes changes his doubts were all cleared.
The question that Kieran had about the body in the Winchester House, whose heart was ripped away was cleared as well.
Leaving the heart in the body and allowing the executioners to find it was quite a decent confusing method but what else was more convincing than killing me and ripping away my heart?
Letting myself die with a scapegoat hosting my heart!
This was my ultimate n!
Kieran finally understood the better arrangement that he prepared after feeling the sulphuric aura from Harondentte.
He stared at Harondentte, thinking, Now, its time to return the heart to its rightful owner!
He...Help!
The Dandon deacon yelled out loud with the fear of death assaulting him as Harondentte stood up again.
At that moment, the lord deacon didnt care about his own nobility anymore.
Everything was equal before death.
The self-assumed nobility and prestigious position werent better than anyone else.
His cry for helppletely changed his pitch but the deacon didnt n to stop.
Until... the deaconid his panicking eyes on Kieran.
Kieran dashed forward fearlessly, swinging his greatsword.
I will show the weak mercy!
I will face the enemies bravely!
I will punish the sinners unreservedly!
Glory be upon me, as it is my life!
The loud chanting was clear even among the panicking crowd, none of the messy noises could overpower the powerful chants.
It sounded like a victory banner, waving valiantly under the night wind and white moon.
The two sisters and the father were shocked as they saw Kieran charging forward.
Without their knowing, [Light of Fear] effect, which wasnt even the full version, started to fade away.
The friars running away even stopped their disgraceful act, they were still afraid but not helpless anymore because someone was leading the charge against the powerful enemy.
They saw the reliable figure leading them.
But the deacon himself didnt see all of that with his eyes, all he saw was his hope of surviving.
The deacon was delighted as Kieran came closer.
At that very moment, the deacons heart already had the thought of forgiving Kierans rude manners from before and thought of lessening Kierans pain when the bestowal urred.
The thoughts became more solid in the deacons heart when Kieran stood before him and facing Harondentte alone.
Move back! Kieran shouted and swung his greatsword out.
Wung!
A numbing air breaking sound was heard as the greatsword was shed down towards Harondenttes head.
Harondentte whose eyes were zing only raised one of his hands up.
His hand which supposed to be human suddenly grew huge and sharp as it was enveloped by magma.
The magma hand shed with Kierans greatsword.
CHANG!
The collision sounded like a great bell ringing, forcing Kieran and Harondentte back away one step.
Their powers were equal and on par with each other!
ARGH!!
Harondentte was dissatisfied with the results.
A heavy and messy roarter, Harondentte backed away. A pair of zing wings sprung out from his back instantly.
Vrooooom!
A 20-meter fiery stwave was fired and engulfed the area before him which included the Dandon deacon who didnt move away in time.
The scorching temperature and mes engulfed his body swiftly robbed the life force from the lord deacon. He didnt even let out a cry and was turned into a charred corpse instantly.
Lord deacon!!
The friars around called out as they slowly recovered from their fear.
Both the sisters and the father was stunned instantly. Even though they didnt acknowledge the deacons attitude, he was a necessary personnel among the Dandon Churchs high ranking clergy.
Only the lord deacon could activate and open the altar of Her Majesty Dandon!
If he died... it would mean the end of the entire Dandon Church!
The thought erupted sorrow and rage from the three of them.
They wanted to turn around and fight Harondentte with their lives but another person was quicker!
Kieran!
As though the deacons death infuriated him, Kieran ditched his defensepletely and went on engaging with Harondentte with life-risking fighting methods.
Sister Liz Dandon smiled when she saw the scene.
I was right! He is a real knight! And also the hope that the great Dandon bestowed us!
We should help him as a real knight! The younger sister said.
We should fight alongside when facing evil! The father said.
Then, the three of them exchanged gaze before kneeling down on their knees.
Oh, Great Dandon with overflowing battle spirit, a disciple under yourmand is fighting evil!
He seeks your aid! Your sword will be his sword, your armor will be his armor, your mantle will be his mantle and he will bring us to the path of victory!
To glory and honor!
The praise sounded like a hymn and also felt miraculously as one.
As the hymn ended, a certain part of End City trembled softly.
Three white light arched across the sky like aet and shot down directly at Kierans body.
Chapter 723 - Corresponding Energy
Chapter 723: Corresponding Energy
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
A sharp longsword attached itself on Kierans greatsword.
A brilliant dazzling armor appeared on Kierans body and a golden mantle hung over his shoulders, spreading out backward.
The bright and majestic aura felt like raging tides, spreading out unconsciously into the friars hearts. It made them join the praising and chanting right away.
Kieran after being bestowed by the three items looked exactly like the knights from legends and myths, he might be even more powerful!
A series of notifications then popped up in Kierans vision.
[Special energy corresponded with Dawn Force...]
[yer acquired temporary attack buff of +2]
[yer acquired temporary defense buff of +2]
[yer acquired temporary all attribute buff of +2]
A corresponding energy with Dawn Force?
Kieran was slightly shocked after looking over the notifications.
He did read through books and understood the ways of battle in the Dandon Church but he never would have thought the Holy Sword Spell, the Holy Armor Spell, and the Bestow Spell would work on a person that was not one of Dandon.
Though, the situation beforehand didnt give him the time to think more.
He quickly dodged aside, evading Harondenttes magma ws.
Kieran didnt hold back at all since Harondentte had his sanity affected by the devils energy.
He swung the greatsword in his hand out after being buffed by Holy Sword Spell
Souuuuu!
An exploding light radiated on the huge magma ws and was split in half.
The ws were chopped off from the elbow and the moment it touched the ground after falling, it turned into a ster-like material.
Pak!
The clear cracking noise shattered the ster-like material.
Kieran wasnt a stranger at the scene. Every time the duration of his [Transform Devil] was up, he felt the exact same way. The only difference was that his [Devil Form] was much moreplete.
Harondennte, however, could only transform parts of his body, perhaps it was because of the repulsion of the heart but his sanity was still consumed by the devil energy.
Of course, it didnt mean anyone could twist Harondenttes will, except for Kieran!
He was very familiar with his own power, and it wasnt just data presented on the surface but the way of battle that was embedded in his bones.
Each move Harondentte made or was going to, Kieran could see through it with clear sight.
Not only could he evade before the attack, but he could also counterattack effectively as well.
Even more so after the buffs from Dandons high ranking clergies, the Holy Sword Spell, the Holy Armor Spell and the Bestow Spell boosted him a lot.
It really was a power suppression from Kieran as he faced the abandoned pawn from himself.
Suuuu!
Another sh was dished out.
[Sturdy Heavy Greatsword] with only Average attacks was attacking with an explosive Powerful attack after the buff from Holy Sword Spell.
The magma arm that formed once more was shed off just like that.
The boiling magma was sprayed all over Kieran but his [Tenacious Softmail] which already had a Powerful defense level, rendered the magmapletely ineffective.
Roar!
Another rageful and chaotic roar.
Harondentte extended his zing wings on his back again and fired out the iplete version of [me st], again ravaging the streets of End City in the night.
The zing fire shone in nearby blocks brightly as though it was day and the scorching temperature felt like it was the hottest of summer.
But none of all those had any effect on Kieran.
The moment the zing fiery wings were extended, Kieran had dodged in the quickest and safest way possible.
Even the Dandon friars effectively evaded the attack.
The half devilized Harondentte didnt achieve the expected effect from his attack and it enraged him further.
A slight sense of wicked aura started to seep out after his enraged condition
[Touch of the Cardinal Sins]!
Kieran raised his rm to an all-time high the moment the wicked aura came out.
Even when the following multiple Spirit authentications that urred and didnt affect Kieran in any way, he didnt lower his guard.
Hes half devilized and now the iplete [Touch of the Cardinal Sins], then... Kieran raised his head up.
The dark night sky became darker than ck when a ck shadow appeared.
The moon waspletely blocked out and the night breeze was frozen.
An odd-looking monster sprung out from the darkness, many heads of men and women were connected together like siamese infants.
They opened their mouths wide, devouring each other within sight. None of the disgusting heads held back despite the gruesome scene they were causing.
Whether was it the men who devoured the womens heads or the women who devoured the mens heads, each time it happened an eyeball with a colorful glow would form.
It went up to almost a hundred of them right away!
The Creature of Desire!
Although it looked different from Kierans, the Evil Eyes were the same, including their attack pattern.
SPREAD OUT!
When the hundred Evil Eyes lit up, Kieran shouted loudly and stuck his greatsword up over his head like a shield.
It wasnt that he didnt want to dodge the attack but he knew he couldnt escape the shots after being locked on by almost half of the Evil Eyes.
[Thousand Evil Eyes Strike]s attacking pattern had granted Creature of Desire a favorable attacking condition when it floated up the sky, it was still the same with a weaker version of it.
The burning beams were fired down directly at Kieran and almost 50 of them were locked on at him.
It engulfed Kieran within an instant.
The core eye with Extreme attack was reced by the one with Powerful attack and so on with the main and derived eyes.
Kieran has suffered a Powerful attack, 3 Strong attacks, 5 Average attack, and no less than 41 Weak attacks altogether in a single attack.
Quantity incites qualitative changes.
Even the [Sturdy Heavy Greatsword] with the attribute [Sturdy Lvl 2] couldnt escape multiple cracks over its body.
Kierans legs were plunged into the ground upon contact and still, it wasnt the most lethal one!
The other lethal point was, the half devilized Harondentte was already charging at him.
He was without arms and left with a pair of legs and yet he lowered his head, sprung out a pair of devil horns, charging at Kieran like a raging bull but the devil horns were much sharp than a bulls.
Sister Liz Dandon from afar felt the stinging pain of the charge.
Be careful! She shouted.
The others too looked at the scene with a worried face. It was a little toote for them to provide any effective aid though.
When Kieran shouted before to spread out everyone in the area, he sent everyone away from him and at the same time plunged himself into a difficult position.
But it was what Kieran was after!
Not the difficult position but the opportunity. Because there were things that Kieran could never show the Dandon friars.
Huuu!
Kieran took in a deep breath, he straight away lifted his right leg against Harondentte who was approaching him fast.
At the next moment...
Vooom!
Kieran swung his leg down with heavy air breaking sound like a battle ax,nding his kick precisely on Harondenttes head.
The tremendous force forced Harondentte to cease his charging steps.
His half devilized skull was smashed at the ground hard. The heavily damaged ground suffered another powerful impact and created spider web-like cracks in all directions.
When the cracks intertwined with each other continuously...
BOOM!
The ground copsed, devouring Kieran and Harondettes figure into the giant hole.
Chapter 724 - Scarlet Red and Brilliant White
Chapter 724: Scarlet Red and Brilliant White
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
BANG!
The heavy fall came together with a bad smell and sshes of water.
Kieran practically stepped Harondenttes half devilized head into the underground sewer.
The spot they had fallen into was the water sewer of End City.
When Anne Aldrich Augens men brought back the information regarding Harondentte, it wasnt just simple whereabouts but it also included where he was, what was his surroundings, and all sorts of details were stated in that report.
Kierans character would naturally want to make the best use of the information, especially when he has an unteble secret.
Aaaaargh!!
Harondentte let out a roar mixed with unwillingness and chaos after his sanity waspletely taken over by the Fusion Heart but he couldnt move at all after losing both his arms and had Kierans feet over his head.
Harondentte furthered his devilization again almost instinctively to counter Kieran.
Boiling magma erupted from his body but stopped at the very next moment.
The cracked greatsword chopped down like a guillotine and severed Harondenttes head.
Crank!
[Sturdy Heavy Greatsword]s cracks spread out rapidly and eventually shattered to pieces after being tainted by magma-like blood.
Kieran couldnt stop shaking his head when he looked at the bald hilt.
Despite how careful he was in handling the greatsword and even with Dandons buffs, the greatsword couldnt sustain the intensity of such a fierce battle.
It made Kieran miss his own [Arrogant Word] even more.
He then turned his attention to Harondentte.
The moment Harondentte lost every sign of life, his head and body petrified rapidly like his arms did, turning into a ster-like material and dissolved into the stinking dirty waters.
A beating heart was left behind, floating in front of Kieran.
[Fusion Heart]!
While feeling the familiar aura from the heart, Kieran quickly opened his bag and took out the box that he prepared earlier.
As his biggest and strongest ace in the hole, Kieran wouldnt have ditched [Fusion Heart] but a heart transnt surgery was too dangerous.
With the executioners on his tail, Kieran would never choose such a way of overly exposing himself.
So, the best way was to store it safely for the time being.
But suddenly, a drastic change urred!
The floating [Fusion Heart] beat fiercely like war drums when Kierans finger touched it.
Dong Dong Dong Dong!
Then, the [Fusion Heart] transformed into a river of light and flowed into Kierans chest.
Sh*t! Kierans face suddenly changed.
He didnt know why the changes before his eyes were urring but he knew he already had amon heart in his body now. Regardless of how themon heart appeared in the first ce, this heart was filled energies that he umted since he entered the current dungeon world.
Kieran clearly felt the Marulyn inheritance skill that was derived from the basis of Dawn Force was glimmering with his heartbeat.
Dawn Force waspatible before, so the [Fusion Heart] didnt have a problem with it but the inheritance skills of Marulyn were different!
Once the original bnce of the [Fusion Heart] was broken, it would really be a disaster for Kieran and with his Spirit attribute lowered, what would happen?
Kieran didnt even want to think about it, he had witnessed with his own eyes what a puppet of flesh and blood looked like.
He didnt wish to share the same fate as Harondentte.
Kieran instinctively moved the box he prepared in front of his heart in the quickest way possible but even the sturdy box that Kieran purposely searched for didnt have an effect in containing the glowing light from the [Fusion Heart].
The box practically shattered upon contact but it bought Kieran a bit of time, enough for him to move the bag in his hands to his chest.
What had Kieran ced in his bag though?
A cracked [Soul Shard], [Edeariel Skull Replicant], [Syriards Breath] and [Marulyn Prayer]s scroll, plus the [Dien Stone] which was still a mystery.
The flow of light directly crashed into the bag, shattering the [Soul Shard] and reducing it to dust, together with the [Edeariel Skull Replicant].
Only the Legendary rank [Syriards Breath] was giving out its own unique glow but it only stalled the [Fusion Heart] a little before turning gloomy and dim.
The whole process didnt evenst longer than one or two seconds!
Kieran didnt have the time to calcte the time and he quickly grabbed [Marulyn Prayer]s scroll, tearing it up directly and uttered his wish quickly.
I wish that I will be fine and safe!
The scroll then lit up without fire.
Right after that...
[Fusion Heart]s light still seeped into his chest without stopping.
Kieran was stunned right away.
It failed?! The thought rose up in Kierans heart irresistibly but before he could further think about things, the excruciating pain that followed drowned him.
He fell on the ground, twitching.
As he was dazing away, he thought he saw weak glimmers from the [Dien Stone], it felt like an illusion from the pain but it looked real enough.
He couldnt tell it apart but his protective instinct made him reach his hand out.
The new special effect [Shadow Cover] was activated with the buffs from [Undercover, Shadow Cloak] after limit breaking the skill restrictions.
[Shadow Cover: Increase Shadow Cloaks range by 5 meters, increase Intuition authentication by 1, Stamina consumed decreased by 10%]
...
Arge area of darkness covered the ce, including Kieran and the elusive light.
[Came in contact with sealed organ Fusion Heart, fusion urs...]
[Simr organ detected, fusion failed, force fusion urs...]
[Force fusion failed!]
[Conversion to puppet of blood and flesh begins...]
[Detected special energy, conversion failed, reinstating the organs cycle...]
[Sess!]
...
Dong, Dong, Dong, Dong!
A powerful heartbeat appeared in Kierans chest again but the beating didnt juste from a single spot.
On the left and right side of his chest, two different hearts were beating at the same time.
Two different hearts were giving out different energy auras.
They faced off against each other but didnt disturb each others flow.
Kieran raised his hand over his chest.
When he felt the powerful beats from the left and right, his face be extremely weird.
The inhuman feeling arose from his hearts spontaneously and of course, the more familiar feeling that came with it was the power!
Huuu!
Kieran raised his left hand, the devils me burned brightly again.
At the same time, Kierans right hand was buzzing, the unparalleled white spots gathered quickly above his hand and Dawn Force was radiating beside the fire.
Scarlet Red and Brilliant White! Both contrasting powers resonated with each other.
The rampant and chaotic aura was rumbling relentlessly, the wicked and sinful aura stared across with a cold gaze.
Then, the coldest and the proudest of all had some minor changes that were hard to detect.
Chapter 725 - Unexpected Effect
Chapter 725: Unexpected Effect
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The water was murmuring inside a hole in the ground. It reeked of a vile stench.
It was the breach to the sewer!
The Dandon friars who had been terrified by the series of changes finally reacted to the situation.
Sister Liz Dandon also walked over to the edge of the hole, reaching her head down for a look.
It was dark, with her less than outstanding vision, she couldnt see what was happening down there nor could she hear any fighting down there.
The situation worried her.
Someone get down there quickly...
Im fine, sister!
Sister Liz Dandon called out loudly to the friars unconsciously but she was interrupted by Kierans voiceing from below the hole.
Then, the sister saw Kierans figure slowlying out from the darkness.
The Holy Armor Spell has vanished a while ago, now there was only [Tenacious Soft Mail] which was tagged as Damaged, some torn shirts on his body, and a bald sword hilt.
Everyone gasped hard when they saw thepletely worn out soft mail and the sword hilt.
The Dandon friars automatically filled their own imaginations about what happened after Kieran and Harondentte fell into the sewers.
Right after that, the gazes of the friars at Kieran became more respectful.
In the eyes of the Dandon friars, Kieran had be the embodiment of the term knight.
Fearless against danger and fighting valiantly against evil, plus willing to help the weak!
Although the lord deacon didnt survive in the end, everyone saw how brave Kieran was when he stood in front of the deacon before.
I think you need to send someone down there to have a check, there are some things down there which should belong to Harondentte. Im a little exhausted, to be honest, it would be great if theres a ce for me to rest for a while, Kieran said to the sister.
Of course! By the name of Her Majesty Dandon, I assure you will get the best rest youve ever had! The sister nodded and said seriously.
After that, the sister proved that her words were not jokes at all.
Kieran was driven to the cathedral of Dandon in End City by a car that was simple yet luxurious enough.
After passing through a quiet area, Kieran arrived before a two story building.
From the looks of the outside, the building maintaineded the architectural style from a hundred years ago and yet there were several ces that looked different.
It didnt look abrupt but made the building extremely delicate.
The thin white steam-like mist came from within the building, apanied by a slight scent of sulfur.
Whats this? Kieran was caught off guard.
Lord Knight, pleasee with me.
The younger sister who acted as the driver guided Kieran with a smile.
When Kieran followed the sister into the building, another wave of steam flowed towards his face.
After passing around a giant screen, arge spring with enshrouding mist appeared before Kieran.
ck rocks were surrounding the spring, preventing the clear water from overflowing.
Through the clear waters, Kieran saw there that were various sizes of rocks inside the spring as well with the faint presence of the Bestow Spell.
Other than that, the entire pool was absent of any traces of man-made fixtures.
This is the only natural spring in End City! Since the three major wars throughout the hundred years, it has be Dandon Churchs private property. With more continuous blessings, this spring fountain has be the secret ce for Dandons to heal their wounds.
Do you need someone to serve you? The younger sister asked.
No thanks! I am not that heavily wounded, Kieran said firmly.
This ce has all sorts of supplies avable but if you need anything extra, please call out for my name. The name is Grittel Dandon.
The sister left the spring fountain after leaving her name for Kieran.
Kieran walked over to the spring, seemingly wanting to enter but actually, he went ahead and carefully checked the ce to make sure there wasnt any lurking danger.
Only then did he remove his torn shirts and entered the spring.
When the water reached Kierans neck as he submerged himself within, warm energies were seeping into Kierans body from all over.
Kierans sharp senses could feel that as the energy seeped into his body, the Dawn Force within his body became very active.
He wasnt unfamiliar with the activeness though, it was the same extra effect as when he was cultivating the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art].
Kieran then quickly adjusted his breathing and posture without further ado.
Right away, arge area of warm energy was produced from his two new hearts and quickly spread throughout this body without obstructing each other.
The feeling, however, was very unfamiliar because the spreading speed was double that of before.
Kieran wouldnt have mistaken the spreading speed since he was very familiar with the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art]s operation.
Which meant...
The cultivation of the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] has doubled?! Kieran opened his eyes in surprise and delight.
He never thought he would get an extra reward after regaining the [Fusion Heart], likewise, he didnt think that both of his hearts could coexist with the help of the [Dien Stone].
One heart was deemed as a special organ by the system, the other one was a normal beating heart. Both different hearts were beating in his chest in the same rhythm in the same energetic manner.
What is the [Dien Stone] really? Kierans curiosity peaked once more but he wasnt in a hurry this time because the books that Harondentte left behind would have recorded many details about it.
All he needed to do now was wait for the Dandon friars to bring back the books.
The secret hideout of Harondentte was also within the sewer and not far away from the copsed ground.
The other me nned to use Harondentte to capture the attention of the executioners but now Harondentte has died by my hands. Which means, my arrangements were foiled by my own hands.
Although the incident tonight will surely be kept a secret by Dandons best effort, still people will find out soon. After all, Dandon is still part of the Saint Relic Association and in the process of information being delivered, the news would be less secretive and more people will find out as time goes by. Then... What should I do topensate for my ws?
Kieran submerged himself into the spring in deep thought. He didnt regret getting his own heart back and if the chance was presented to him again, he would do repeat his actions once more.
It was two entirely different concepts of him having the [Fusion Heart] and him proceeding without it.
Without the [Fusion Heart], he had to worry a lot and always had his hands tied down because of of theck of trump cards.
But with the [Fusion Heart], things were different! After regaining his ace, although there were still scruples, he wasnt without the strength to resist it anymore!
Kieran nced over his main mission, [Make sure your new identity is not exposed in 90 days, (Remaining days: 45)], he took in a deep breath.
His gaze was instantly sharp as knives.
There were a lot of ways to keep his new identity under wraps, the character that he was disguising hismelf as now was also one of those ways.
Given the assurance of the main mission sess, he wouldnt mind continuing to pretend but what if idents happen?
Killing witnesses would eventually be another way.
Right at the next moment, his gaze was locked on a side of the spring fountain.
Someone was moving!
Chapter 726 - Hooked
Chapter 726: Hooked
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
You cane out now, uninvited one!
Kieran leaned back on the rocks inside the spring fountain. He didnt have the intention to move or adjust his posture as he spoke slowly.
The slightly familiar way of hiding presence was enough for Kieran to know where the guest came from.
The Elder Council!
After maintaining contact with Jorffany the observer for over a month, the higher ranking inviter finally appeared and in a very direct way as well.
Though, the daring way of infiltrating the enemys territory really fit the style of the Elder Council.
Uninvited guest? You should have been notified beforehand!
The blurry figure slowly emerged as the cold voice uttered.
The enshrouding steam was rumbling aside as though the steam were two rows of attendants weing the figures entrance.
The figure acted like a high ranking noble, standing on the surface of the water and staring down at Kieran with a judgmental gaze. The figure was actually a woman and she didnt seem to be too concerned about the difference in gender.
The notice Ive received didnt tell me that I should be fully dressed while soaking myself in a spring. Kieran emphasized and at the same time sized up the woman before him.
A pretty face and decent body with a long tinum hair over her shoulders. She was dazzlingly uniquely amongst the steam and what drew more attention was her weapon.
A narrow and long sheathed sword.
With only a slight nce over the sword, Kieran felt like the wails of the dead echoed in his ears plus the Spirit authentication notifications appeared in his vision.
A powerful weapon! Whether was it the weapon itself or the ughter intent that brooded into such a phenomenon, it was very concerning to Kieran.
Especially when such a weapon was in the hands of the woman full of threats, Kieran seemed rxed but he was actually rmed. He prepared himself to counterattack whenever possible if anything went wrong.
Very well, finally a fairly qualified fe! The woman seemed to have noticed Kierans rm but she wasnt enraged by it, instead, she nodded with praise.
Finally? Kieran was shocked.
Based on his knowledge, there werent any one of the Twenty Hounds being reced in recent years, so how did the finally came by?
Unconsciously, Kieran thought of Jorffanys unusual performance during his observation and the time this high ranking inviter appeared before him.
Truth be told, since Kieran returned to Augen Manor from the university, he had prepared himself to wee the invitation but the speed that she appeared has greatly surpassed Kierans expectation.
In his original calctions, the inviter woulde soon but after an entire month, she didnt show up, until now.
Could it be? Multiple guesses appeared in Kierans heart but he kept his smile on looking at the woman.
Keeping a sense of rm and I am qualified? Then I must rethink thoughts of joining the Elder Councils ranks! Or was Harondentte just now a test made by you people? If it is, should I praise you, saying as expected of the Elder Council?
Kieran said slowly, the contents of his words were partially true, partially false
His eyes were staring at the inviter without a sign. He hoped to notice something on the inviters face to prove his guesses but unfortunately, the woman before him didnt have any changes on her face and kept her cool from the beginning.
If you want to know more, sign this contract and join the Elder Council. You will get to know everything! She answered.
Her tone was very cold and as she spoke. She took out a goatskin scroll.
Kieran quickly nced over the contents of the scroll, it roughly stated terms and conditions like unable to betray the council and also the duties and authorities of members of the Twenty Hounds in detail.
After reading it thoroughly, he noticed the terms were quite decent and even considered as scrumptious.
Though, despite how good the terms were, Kieran would never sign his name on it.
He didnt want topletely ce himself on the side of the Elder Council since he had his own ns.
Can I not sign it? Kieran asked.
Chang!
A crystal clear unsheathingter, the sword on her waist was drawn out at lightspeed, heading towards Kierans throat but the bandage was faster.
Ms!
Kieran shouted heavily, [Fighter Bandage] sprung out like an arrow and turned into a snake, rapidly tangling the inviter.
The bandage didnt only bind her hand wielding the sword but her body as well.
When the inviter felt where the [Fighter Bandage] was binding towards, her face became even colder. She retracted her drawn sword and sliced towards the bandage.
She was confident her sword could easily tear the rotten cloth apart and the owner controlling it but when her sword edge touched the bandage, the inviter suddenly stopped because an aura which was a few times sharper than the sword in her hand was aimed right at her!
Dawn Force was circting Kierans right hand as if it materialized, and even though Kieran didnt raise his palm, Dawn Force was charging up to strike.
The inviter believed any further movements she took would result in a destructive blow from Kieran.
So, she stopped what she was doing. Even with the Twenty Hounds title, she wasnt willing to die here like this, especially on an easy mission.
Chang!
The narrow long sword was sheathed away.
The moment the hilt touched the sheath, [Fighter Bandage] flew back to Kierans hand and the umted Dawn Force faded away as well.
It was very easy for Kieran to disperse the [Dawn Sword] since he only charged it for less than 3 seconds.
Kieran then submerged back into the spring and looked at the inviter with a smile.
Do you know the consequences of your actions? Her icy cold voice filled with unwillingness said.
I know. Thats why I stopped, otherwise do you think you can dodge my sword?
Kieran nodded with his ever smiling face.
The inviter didnt argue against the fact. She certainly couldnt dodge [Dawn Sword] since it caught her off guard.
I mean no harm to the council, even if I am not joining it, its because of the problem with my memory. I need to search for my lost memory and when Ive recovered them, Ill give you a precise reply. Kieran said.
You think the council are a bunch of merchants? Allowing you to negotiate with us? Her cold voice was mixed with mockery this time.
I think everything is negotiable, as long as the leverage is enough. How do you view the battle between me and Harondentte?
Kieran asked the inviter but before she could reply, Kieran hastened his words and continued on his own, Of course I am referring to Harondenttes power. That kind of power isnt something the Gravens can control and a more interesting fact is Harondentte formed the Gravens with every effort and he just to let it go like that? He was even willing to kill witnesses for some books recording myths and legends that everyone knows. What do you think happened there?
You are saying? The icy cold face had a sense of surprise.
She had witnessed the battle between Kieran and Harondentte with her own eyes and although she was shocked by Harondenttes power, she didnt give it much thought since her target was Kieran.
Now when Kieran brought up the question, she immediately noticed the difference.
The powers among the mystical realms varied from all sorts of strange things but everything was traceable to its roots.
zing mes, magma, and sulfur only led towards a single origin and once the thought of the possible origin came into her mind, the icy cold face of the inviter started to breathe heavily.
I didnt say anything, its all your guesses! Likewise, it is also my leverage to buy my own life. Is the council willing to give me time to search for my memories?
Kieran opened up his hands and asked her.
You better make sure that what you said is true!
When the inviter finished, she hid in the steam and vanished swiftly.
Kieran squinted his eyes as he saw the inviter off.
First step,plete! He muttered in his heart.
As footsteps echoed in his ears from the outside, he quickly got up from the spring and got dressed.
Even though [Dawn Sword] wasnt fired out, the noise it created was enough to rm the people outside, thinking something was wrong and he himself had no weird fetishes.
Exposing himself naked one time was more than enough.
He would beg to excuse himself for a second time!
Chapter 727 - Inquiries
Chapter 727: Inquiries
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
When Kieran finally got dressed properly, Sister Liz and Sister Grittel in addition to the unnamed father walked in swiftly.
Their faces were smeared with an indescribable nervousness.
Only when they saw Kieran was safe and sound did the nervousness go away.
What happened just now? Sister Liz was still worried despite Kieran being alright.
Its the Twenty Hounds. Ive killed one of them before and coincidentally I got away safe, so she came with the invitation. Of course, I didnt say yes to it. Kieran didnt conceal the truth.
In fact, it would be unrealistic for him to hide these matters from them.
With Dandons influence in End City, it would be easy for them to investigate. Rather than hiding the truth only to be exposedter, might as well be honest with them.
Kieran who knew the importance of trust was not willing to ruin the opportune situation that came with extended effort with a slight mistake.
Sister Liz and the others were relieved spontaneously after Kieran uttered thest word.
2567, your decision is the right one. The people from the Elder Council are a bunch of lunatics. Being with them will only lead you to a destructive future, said the younger Sister Grittel.
The unnamed father nodded in agreement as well.
Only Sister Liz realized something and after some deep thought, the elder sister said to the other two, Grittel, Rayman, can you both leave us for a while, I have something that I wanted to ask 2567.
Of course!
Both of them went out without rejection when the respectful Sister Liz requested them to.
When both of them had left, Sister Liz looked at Kieran again.
2567, you say you didnt agree but... you didnt reject either, right? The elder sister asked.
Yes.
Kieran chose to be honest with Sister Liz as well.
He looked at her merciful and clear eyes and slowly said, Because, until now I dont know what kind of person am I. I dont have my own memories and although you acknowledged me as a knight, I might be someone else despite my performance being simr to one.
So, I think I should go out there and find the answer with initiative and not be dragged around by other matters and factions.
Kieran bowed down to express his apologies before Sister Liz as he spoke.
It wasnt just to brush her off but a sincere bow because he was apologizing for his previous and future lies and usage to the elder sister.
Likewise, he also mildly rejected in joining the Dandon Church.
Is that so? Sister Liz looked at Kieran and couldnt hold back her long sigh.
The merciful and kind nature made the elder sister hold Kieran up and didnt utter her invitation anymore.
Everyone has their own decisions, others cant force them into something they are unwilling to do, especially when he is filled with light in his heart. If troubles descend on Dandon, may I request your aid then? The elder sister said.
Of course, Id never mind lending a helping hand to the weak and suppressed! Kieran said with determination.
The clear reply added a sense of smile on the sisters face.
Sister Dandon, can I have a look at Harondenttes belongings? You know, he did appear at the scene of the explosion at the Winchester House and I lost my memory there. So If you allow me to invite Captain Teresa over, I would be grateful for that.
That wont be a problem, the entire Dandon Church will assist you the best we can. The smiling sister didnt reject Kierans request.
Soon, Harondenttes belongings were moved to another clean room with Teresa inside waiting. Plus, there was a set of outfits for youngsters prepared as well.
It wasnt anything branded but the simple kind, simr to the set that Kieran and Hoskin bought in the shop.
Kieran didntin at all. He understood from the books, the Dandon Church was a church that upheld the ideal of hardworking and in living. The outfits of the three high clergies were proof that the ideal wasnt just mere words.
Kieran himself wasnt too concerned about any of those.
So, it is really you who created a mess in the street! And these are all your loot? I thought you would be living a retired life in Augen Manor, Teresa said directly when she saw Kierane in.
It had been a month since Kieranst met Teresa and her dazzling red hair.
Kieran didnt dislike her attitude, at least it was better than the ones who smiled at him on the surface but stabbed him in the back.
He knew exactly how to handle the likes of Teresa.
If I was in Augen Manor all the time, it would be quite impossible for all the loot you see here. Anne Aldrich Augen isnt a merciful or charitable person, if you want to get something, you have to pay the cost.
These are Harondenttes belongings and the incident that happened is also rted to him. Kieran then briefly exined the fight that happened.
Then, Kieran continued with a ridiculing tone, I hope that you werent just ming me for the entire month instead of carefully doing some research on information of the stolen collections from the museum.
What? No way! I can be considered an archaeologist now after all that research!
Teresa then headed towards the big pile of books after her words.
Though she didnt go through the books right away, she went into deep thought for a while before turning back to Kieran.
Harondentte was the final benefactor of the Winchester explosion case right? She asked.
A benefactor ended up without an intact body? I rather not, Kieran pretended to sigh and picked up the books before Teresa could further her questions.
Teresa shrugged when she saw Kieran reply and joined him in reading.
When Kieran felt Teresas attention had moved away from him, he was relieved in his heart.
Leading Teresa to a wrong answer was not an easy feat, not only because their rtionship would guilt trip Kieran but Teresa wasnt an idiot either.
On the contrary, Teresa had a bright mind.
If Kieran didnt truly understand the current dungeon worlds mystical realm, he would never choose the risky way to mislead Teresa but with her acknowledgment, a lot more people would follow as well and with more acknowledgment of his identity, part of his n would be consideredplete.
The next step in his n, however, would need him to rely on another person but that was for another time.
Now, he needed to find the answers that he sought in the books and scrolls before him.
Soon, the whole room was left with two book shuffling noises and a whileter, one of them paused insignificantly.
Chapter 728 - Ill-intended Arrival
Chapter 728: Ill-intended Arrival
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Three days.
Kieran and Teresa stayed at the Dandon Church for a full three days.
Other than the necessary food intake, they even shortened their resting time to a minimum but still, Teresa didnt find anything on her end.
You sure all these books are everything?
Teresa raised her head at Kieran in a tired manner after going through thest book in her hand.
En. Kieran nodded and rubbed his swollen temple.
He wasnt acting though, he started to read through the books carefully after he was onto something. Kieran would never be careless about his ns in the future.
Teresa, you should get some rest. Even if you want something out of all these, youll need an energetic body.
Kieran immediately presented his suggestion when he saw Teresa was about to dive into the books again.
After hesitating for a while, Teresa decided to ept Kierans suggestion.
Though, the rest couldnt have taken ce within Dandon.
Both of them said goodbye to the sister and walked outside side-by-side.
Where are you heading? Ill give you a lift.
Teresa offered a friendly ride casually after opening her car door.
The ce youll never go. Kieran gave a suiting bitter smile.
Be careful of being the next prey of the ck Widow! Teresa frowned and grunted slightly.
You dont think she would help me selflessly right? Kieranid his hands open.
Teresa then kept quiet and stared at Kieran, the gaze from her eyes made Kieran feel weird and give him goosebumps.
Fortunately, Teresa soon put away her gaze and another grunting soundter, waved at Kieran and drove off without any further words.
After seeing Teresa leave his sight, Kieran called a cab and returned to Augen Manor.
...
Once the cab entered the Augen Manor premise, it was asked to leave right away as Kieran hopped into the other car which Chelsea the secretary was driving.
Surprisingly, Anne Aldrich Augen who was already mayor was inside the car waiting for him.
Is it my pleasure to be weed by the mayor herself.
Kieran said to Anne Aldrich Augen who was sitting opposite him in her formal dress.
She said with a smile, Then you should show your gratitude by telling me what have you found out.
Anne Aldrich Augen leaned back and looked at Kieran with her gorgeous smile, crossing her fairly long legs along with the motion. Her posture and manner were exceptionally attractive.
Nothing.
Kieran was used to her provocative actions, it didnt affect him one bit.
He shook his head and said seriously, Even though I was able to locate Harondentte and found a lot of noteworthy things on him, I couldnt find anything in the books that he didnt mind killing for.
Are you sure the books youve read are all of it? You did return to Dandons base first and the books were delivered after that right? Anne Aldrich Augen asked.
Teresa asked the same questions as well, but I am sure what Ive read was everything.
Kieran wasnt surprised at all that she knew all those details.
Before Anne Aldrich Augen even became the mayor, she was already simr to a irvoyant in End City. Now after her election, any signs of movements could not escape her notice.
He wasnt surprised that the Dandon Church requested help from her to clean up the streets as well.
That Liz Dandon is a trustable one but what about the others?
Anne Aldrich Augen gave out several disdainful coldughs.
Kieran went along with her flow and frowned naturally against her but he didnt further open his mouth.
The effect that he sought has been achieved, the more he spilled, the more the smartdy before him would notice something was not right. Might as well present himself to be in deep thought.
The Dandon Church wasnt as stiff as an iron te either, dont forget it is one of the Saint Relic Association and not the entire group! The incident that happened three days ago plus Harondenttes abnormalities would have spread throughout the entire associationswork!
You know, two days ago, a very eye-catching group of people appeared in End City! They are attracted here by Harondenttes research. A bunch of insatiable greedy bastards!
Anne Aldrich Augen mocked.
But Kieran could tell the mayor wasnt solely upset because of the uncontroble variables arriving at End City, it was also because their arrival messed up her ns in searching for the Immortal Fountain, thend of Fallen Gods, the Fruit of Yggdrasil, etc. If they really existed, who wouldnt be moved by them?
If all of those werent made up stories by Kieran, he himself would be attracted as well.
Thats right, all of these were part of Kierans n.
From the moment he left Yuda State University and confirmed Harondentte was the heart transnt host, he had formed such a n.
With Harondenttes convincing movements that sank deep into peoples heart, it made Kierans arrangements extremely easy. A little guidance from himself would allow him to form a channel with the flowing water.
After brewing his ns for more than a month and the battle from three days ago, the Dandon Church and the Saint Relic Association behind it, the Elder Council and other mystics who heard the rumors of the news would ce their attention on End City.
Amongst the captured attention, it included a certain organization with the arbiter and executioner.
That particr organization would surely present itself with distinguishable feats because only they knew what changes urred to Harondentte and because of that, they would suspect and be doubtful over the rumors but would never give up their search.
They didnt just want to erase the traitor Kieran but also the affinity of the mythical and legendary items.
Of course, they would conceal themselves butpared to the others who solely had their attention on the mythical and legendary items, it would be slightly different, simr to mixing a white fish into a group of ck ones, regardless of how good it hide or concealed itself, it would still be eye-catching.
It was exactly what Kieran wanted. He hoped to know which organization he originated from and only from there, he could form specific countermeasures and not passive wait for the time to end.
Why though?
Other than Kierans character who disliked being passive, it was also because of the acquisition of a better Talent.
Judging from the rules, Kieran was certain clearing the current dungeon world earlier would bring a good effect in activating his Talent.
After experiencing his continuous increase in strength, how could Kieran give up such a wonderful opportunity?
More importantly, he was currently stuck behind his door thanks to the curse and Broker the powerful enemy was hiding in some corner of the city, nning who-knows-what.
If he didnt get stronger soon enough, it would be game over for him and death woulde knocking on his door.
His heart was spinning quickly around these thoughts, he didnt ck off on the surface either.
He looked at Anne Aldrich Augen with the indignant face, asking Those greedy bastards arent the reason for madam mayor to wee me, I suppose now you wished the situation would be messier so you can fish the fish in troubled waters right?
Are we connected somehow? Anne Aldrich Augen winked at Kieran and turned around, sitting beside Kieran and said with a begging tone, The governor of Yuda state ising for my inauguration dinner! That governor is famous for his strictness. Since I am a weakdy, I really need a reliable and strong partner beside me to calm me down.
Yuda state governor?
Kieran squinted his eyes.
With Anne Aldrich Augen the mayoral candidate beside him, even Kieran who knew nothing about the election rules before had a rough idea now.
Based on what he knew of the current dungeon world, there wasnt a governor that would participate in a mayors inauguration dinner, unless both of them were specially connected.
Anne Aldrich Augen obviously wasnt rted to that governor in any way but the timing was uncanny.
While doubts lingered in his heart, he asked directly, When did the governor send you the notice? Dont tell me it was three days ago when I fought with Harondentte.
Anne Aldrich Augen didnt reply but she gave Kieran a charming smile.
The answer was self-exnatory.
The one whoes bear ill-intentions!
Chapter 729 - Guidance
Chapter 729: Guidance
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Receiving a governor was a big deal for Augen Manor.
Especially after Anne Aldrich Augen became the mayor of End City, the rare visit was a very grand asion for the entire Augen Manor.
From the most basic reception to the decoration of the manor, preparation of the feast, and thest and the most important, guaranteed security, all of those were enough to hustle everyone around with their feet hardly touching the same spot.
Though other than thest factor, the others were not rted to Kieran but he wasnt a person that allowed himself to be free.
After giving his word to Anne Aldrich Augen that she will be safe for the entire day, Kieran immediately went to Mayers turf within the manor: the secretive training ce.
The ce was off limits to everyone except for the owner and Mayer and with Kieran staying at the manor since then, the list of people that could enter the ce had Kierans name on it eventually.
Mayer didnt express anything with Kierans entrance, he didnt even greet him.
Kieran was used to it already, he took out [Charlie Graffs Note] as he watched Mayer punching and kicking in a rhythmic pattern.
The green notebook had recorded quite a number of throwing techniques plus two secret spell level skills but unfortunately, all of them has a prerequisite of [Hand-to-Hand Combat, Master of Fist] and for Kieran who chose [Master of Kicks], he couldnt learn it like any other skills with just a click.
Still, it didnt stop Kieran from understanding the techniques through reading.
Kieran didnt wildly expect that he could learn all the techniques but he hoped that when he encountered enemies with simr techniques, he could easilye up with counterattacking means.
It was the key that determined the victory of a battle, or even life and death!
So, Kieran was very serious in reading and even moved his fist our asionally.
He was so focused on reading and didnt notice the time fly by until Mayer suddenly called out to him.
You shouldnt do that.
End City strongest fighter would never have reminded Kieran of the time, instead, he uttered out something that fit his identity more.
He stood still on the spot and said seriously, Your kicking techniques have reached a decent level, what you need to do is to further improve it and elevate it to the next level. You shouldnt be distracting yourself in learning others, or you can choose to find out about the energy within your body.
Distractions will do you no good at your current state, though theres a saying grasping a typical example to learn the entire category, but it requires an ultimate state as your foundation. Whether it is your kicking techniques or the special power in your body, none of them have reached their ultimate form.
Kieran was surprised over Mayers sudden words.
Although both of them sparred a lot, they didnt talk much other than that, such words of guidance were even the first of its kind.
Kieran would never think lightly of Mayers guidance.
Even though Mayer wasnt a mystical individual, his strength could easily suppress the majority of the mystics out there. Even some famous mystics didnt possess the ability to hit back against Mayer.
A body of iron, and speed near instant teleporting in addition to a fist that could prate inches thick of iron had forged Mayer into a walking killing machine.
Still, Kieran was more concerned about the special power Mayer had with him.
The power felt like Dawn Force but entirely different, Kieran still had a fresh memory of that since their first friendly spar.
What is the ultimate state? Kieran asked as his heart thought of a term, Transcendence.
The ultimate state is a state you achieve when you sessfully break through all the chains and bindings, like this...
As Mayer continued his exnation, to Kierans surprise Mayer started demonstrating.
Mayer punched out in a straight posture without further preparing and quickly retracted his fist.
There wasnt any powerful wind that broke the air nor any fierce aura. The whole process was simple and it felt like anyone could have achieved that level of punch, even a child could do so.
But Kierans face turned heavy because, at that very moment, he lost his senses of Mayer.
He could see Mayer with his eyes but he couldnt sense him, as if he unconsciously ignored Mayers existence.
Can you show me one more time? Kieran was stunned slightly before requesting again.
Mayer didnt reject and demonstrated his punch out and retracted his fist again.
This time, Kieran widened his eyes, trying to capture every possible detail yet once again, he ignored Mayer again but with results.
He noticed the moment Mayer dished out his punch, changes urred surrounding Mayer but the changes were too blurry and fast for Kieran to see it properly.
Kieran was sure it definitely wasnt because of hisck of Intuition.
Then, Mayer punched out again but this time it was different than the previous times because Mayer punched out towards Kierans face.
Right away, a familiar urrence happened before Kierans eyes, as he looked at Mayers fist he felt like he saw a sword, an unrivaled famous sword dazzling in its sharp re.
It wasnt the ultimate state of an illusion but a real existence.
Dragging illusions into reality?! Kieran uttered softly.
If he still thought the ultimate state that Mayer was referring was Transcendence level, after the third punch he was sure it wasnt the same thing.
Transcendence didnt possess such a level of power or in other words, the power was beyond Transcendence.
Kieran witnessed such powers before from the Prairies King and Great Swamp. He called those powers as divine powers but now Mayer before him presented such power.
It instantly astonished Kieran. Likewise, Mayer was shocked too.
Dragging illusions into reality? Not a bad description! As expected, 2567 your talents are much better than I expected. You should cherish your talents more! I am anticipating the day you achieve the ultimate state, until then we shall spar again!
Mayer looked at Kieran and gave him a rare smile before leaving the room.
Achieve the ultimate state?
Kieran looked at Mayers back, he couldnt hold back his shaking head.
He wasntcking in confidence but he knew should he reach such a level, it wasnt possible for him to spar with Mayer again.
The limit break dungeon would not present him with a continuous special dungeon.
Unable to hold back his thoughts, Kieran revealed a bitter smile but soon adjusted his emotions.
Since he had graduated from the ranks of a newbie, he knew what should he do.
Recall Mayers demonstration! Otherwise, wouldnt he let down the goodwill of giving him such guidance?
After a month long of sparring, Mayer has broken through his limits and if Kieran still couldnt break through his -1 limit, wouldnt it be embarrassing?
Kieran took in a deep breath, recalling the demonstration in his mind as he kicked out fiercely.
Air breaking sounds swiftly echoed around the room.
It was relentless and continuous as if it was a storm passing through and a particr energy was brewing inside the storm.
When the energy grew bigger and stronger...
KAKROOM!
A loud p of thunder echoed around the room!
Chapter 730 - Arrival
Chapter 730: Arrival
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
On the End City intercontinental highway, a group of cars was speeding down the road.
Inside the car in the middle sat a middle-aged man with a buff body, plucked up cheeks, tall cheekbones, and a rather dignified manner.
He took the cigar that his aide handed to him.
The meticulously roasted cigar slightly dipped in alcohol had its smoke rapidly filling up the interior of the car after a puff from the man.
The alcohol scented smoke made the man lean back to his seat in delight.
He slightly squinted his eyes and spoke in a rather casual tone, That woman still doesnt want to submit?
The recent sess and thriving made her forget herself, the aide said.
Meanwhile, he took the ashtray and half squatted before the middle-aged man, watching him shaking off the ashes before continuing, Her main reliance is that Mayer and now 2567 who appeared out of nowhere.
Weve checked Mayers background and this fighter seemed to only protect Anne Aldrich Augen within a certain range because of some promise. As long as we dont hurt him, there wont be any trouble there.
As for that 2567, he is much more interesting! He was caught in the explosion where Symende Augen was killed. 2567 is barely harmed but he lost his memory. Basically, his memory loss is authentic but when we checked 2567s background, weve noticed something interesting.
The aide held on to the ashtray with one hand and took out a briefcase from his seat. He took out the prepared documents inside and handed over to the middle-aged man.
The man took it but didnt open it up, instead, he ced it aside.
The aide wasnt concerned at all since he already knew the middle-aged mans habit.
Before this Mr. 2567 lost his memory, there is nothing particr about him, hes very much simr to the other young man with a slight asset. He considered himself as a traveler and an adventurer but basically did nothing all the time! But after he lost his memory, he disyed some powerful shooting skills,bat ability, and some powers used by a knight. The shooting andbat couldve been learned somewhere else but the power of a knightes from inheritance.
Based on 2567s age, weve searched all the missing church knights in the past 20 years and have shortened the list down to five. If we listed 2567s skilled shooting and kicking techniques, there is only one possible candidate, The Knight of Eagle, Delcobalt and more coincidentally the Knight of Eagle Delcobalt wasst seen in Xilidi, Matam, where 2567s hometown is.
I think after all the sisters, fathers and deacons of the Griffin Church died in the war, the heavily wounded Knight of Eagle knew that he had limited time left and gave up the idea to revive his own church. He turned away and lived in hiding in Xilidi, Matam waiting for his death. Then, he happened to notice 2567 who disyed outstanding talents and maybe because of his unwillingness in his heart, the Knight of Eagle trained and guided 2567 before his death.
Of course, the core legacy of Griffin Church wasnt mastered by 2567. Maybe its theck of time or maybe he didnt pass the trials of the Knight of Eagle.
The aide puckered his lips showing slight jealousy and contempt as he said.
Jealous because of a civilian like Kieran could get in touch with the admirable churchs inheritance.
Contempt was because Kieran had gotten the opportunity yet didnt know how to appreciate it, a reckless waste of good gifts.
If it was the aide instead?
With his wisdom, he would not only get the inherited secret techniques of Griffin Church and also get his hands on the legacy items.
Such thoughts were rumbling in the aides mind but his mouth didnt pause.
Weve found 2567s family grave in Xilidis graveyard. Other than his parents and grandparents, there is another unmarked gravestone. After our men opened up the coffin, it is confirmed as the Knight of Eagles body. The wounds on the corpse were identical to the records of the war, the Griffin Church emblem was also found in the funeral objects beside the corpse. Unfortunately, the armor and sword of the Knight of Eagle were missing.
The aide had a thick sense of regret all over his face.
Back in the days when the Griffin Church was still around, the armor and weapon of the famous Knight of Eagle werent anymon items, it would be at least some legacy level items.
The middle-aged man nced at his aide and continued his cigar on his own without stating further.
He didntment on the report from his aide nor did he ask anything about the mentioned Kieran as though from his point of view, Kieran was not worthy of mention even though it was rted to the once glorious Griffin Church and the famous Knight of Eagle.
Likewise, after the regrets of the aide who reported everything, he focused back on holding the ashtray before the middle-aged man.
As if holding an ashtray was his true upation.
The reports that he gave sounded like nothing but jokes before a meal.
The group of cars continued driving until they reached Augen Manors premise before slowing down.
The manors security guided the cars to the main gate after their arrival.
Affectations!
The aide nced around at the securities and surveince camera beforementing as such and since the middle-aged man didnt stop his aide, thement turned into words of mocking.
From the aides perspective, the arrangements around Augen Manor were an insult to the manor itself.
Covering up the original majestic look of the manor with all these useless things were exactly the doings of countrymen.
Though, when the aide saw Anne Aldrich Augen, his eyes lighted up. The shine in his eyes was like a hungry wolf spotting a beautiful piece of meat, yet it soon subsided.
He knew if everything went well, the woman before his eyes would not be within his reach.
He was just an aide and not the one he served, Yuda state governor, Deburo.
The aide moved his body aside and weed the middle-aged man down the car with the utmost respect.
Anne Aldrich Augen from afar had brought most of the higher ranking officers in End City with her and received the governor in the grandest way possible.
Anne Aldrich Augen herself had meticulously dressed up as well. The ck evening gown didnt diminish her identity as a widow yet it revealed her perfect and fair vicle, setting off her entranced looks, it even made the lighting around dimmed down a little.
Good evening, Governor Deburo. Wee to my inauguration dinner.
Anne Aldrich Augen pinched the corner of her dress, bowing down with another hand before her chest, saluting using the newdy salutation after the war.
The salutation discarded theplications of the old and added simplicity to it, it was perfectly on point for her to perform in since she had just been elected as mayor.
Though, everyone else saw the governor ignore Anne Aldrich Augen and size up the manor itself.
Symende Augens manor? Not bad.
Deburo then walked around Anne Aldrich Augen and headed inside the manor.
Anne Aldrich Augens body froze, even her meticulous makeup couldnt conceal her anger.
The other high rankings officer that stood beside her were lost of actions as well. They looked at each other and eventuallyid their eyes on her.
Though, their gazes were taking pleasure of her misfortune.
The aide behind Deburo nced over the gazes of the high ranking officers and turned back to his master.
A lightugh then came from his mouth, Lady Augen, I...
KAKROOOM!
Just as harsher and more vicious words escaped the aides mouth, a huge explosion sounded like a p of thunder.
The aide widened his eyes when a certain building within Augen Manor had zing light rising up the sky.
The scene before his eyes ovepped with a certain scene in records and it shed over the aides mind.
Knight of Eagle!
The aide cried out in shock after doing many conscience-guilty things, he was terrified and fell to the ground on his bum.
Deburo in his majestic gait shivered throughout his body as well. His eyes were locked on the figure bathing in holy brilliance among the fire.
His face flickered between shock and fear leading him to stop walking.
Chapter 731 - Confidential News
Chapter 731: Confidential News
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Fires were zing and the holy light was dazzling.
As the light and shadows were reflected away, Kieran slowly emerged from the fire.
Among the astonished high ranking officers of End City. Chief Gregory who met Kieran before instantly called out in shock, Sir 2567!
His loud call broke the silence in the area.
The panicked aide who fell on the ground said in a clutch, Impossible! Impossible! How could he get the core legacy technique of the Griffin Church? How could the Knight of Eagle give him that?!
The aides reaction made Deburo, who stopped on the spot, was frowning hard.
The group of bodyguards that came with Deburo sent a man out to cover the aides mouth and dragged him back into the car like a rucksack, still, the information the aide had spilled was enough.
As for the high rankings of End City, many of them knew something about the mystical realm, especially from the great incident that spread like wildfire across the mystical realm.
Either the assault on the Griffin Church from the Elder Council or the Knight of Eagle that single-handedly fought off the Twenty Hounds, both were well-known among them.
Griffin Church! The Knight of Eagle!
Everyones eyes started to shine, their gazes at Kieran became entirely different.
If the crowd shivered because of the sudden shock a moment ago, now it was entirely because of the reverence from their heart.
The reverence to a powerful individual, even Deburo was no exception!
The frowning governor looked at Kieran who was walking towards him, after his expression went through two rapid changes, his serious face showed a smile.
The governor walked up front and extended his right hand.
Mr. 2567? You are really astonishing!
However, Kieran acted like he couldnt hear and couldnt see the governor as he walked past him and went towards Anne Aldrich Augen.
Sorry, some idents happened. Am Ite? Kieran asked.
Anne Aldrich Augen lifted her mouth corner into a smile when she saw him.
After regaining her smile back, the colors and attention around the area were taken back by the female owner of the manor. The gloominess faded away and she became the woman that everyone was fawning about again.
Not toote, just in time! She shook her head and nced the surrounding.
None of the End City high ranking officers dare looked into her eyes as they lowered their heads as if the gazes of taking pleasure of her misfortunate didnte from them earlier.
Only Deburo was different.
The governor stiffly kept away his right hand and turned around, looking at Kieran and Anne Aldrich Augen with an unusual gaze.
Kieran ignored his gaze and Anne Aldrich Augen stared back without stepping down.
Anne Aldrich Augen who had the title of ck Widow wasnt a naive and kind little girl to think that the things that happened today could be solved peacefully.
She quietly sent out her signal, ordering the security around the manor to take action.
Likewise, the bodyguards that followed Deburo were prepared for a fight as well.
Both sides were ready to fight. The End high rankings all moved aside, wishing not to be caught in the crosshairs.
The Union having you as the mayor of End City is really the Unions wealth! Your arrival made the ignorant women cheered in joy, thinking this is a sign of sorts but I guess they are wrong. You are too either reckless or too full of yourself, you think you can resist me? Deburo asked in a low voice.
If I dont resist, should I give up and die? Those women cheered for me? Its because they are too weak, they dont even know how to resist you, a tyrant! Or, they still have their fantasy for the Union. They dont even know what kind of deformed product this Union is! Anne Aldrich Augen said in clenched teeth.
She looked like she was bearing something heavy that could crush her anytime.
Those End high rankings too felt like they saw some ferocious beast, faltering backward while panting heavily.
A series of Spirit authentication appeared on Kierans vision.
The moment Deburo spoke, the aura of a high-rank person that had reigned for a long time was revealed to Kieran and Anne Aldrich Augen.
With SS+ Spirit, such low-level authentications made Kieran feel like bathing in the spring breeze but to Kierans surprise, Anne Aldrich Augen could hold herself under such circumstances.
The fine sweat was all over her forehead and yet she held on bitterly. Kieran was very surprised, he never thought she would have such a look.
Kieran was much more interested in the topic that both of them were talking about.
Who were those women?
Thement about how the Union was a deformed product?
Each line of their conversation piqued Kierans interest because he could smell the scent of a sub-mission.
Of course, he understood if he were to acquire a sub-mission, he would need to clear the situation before him first.
The bodyguards that Deburo brought had surrounded him and Anne Aldrich Augen, ready to take them down any moment.
Although Augen Manor had sufficient security, Deburos bodyguards were undoubtedly much sharper and stronger.
Judging from their presence, there were at least three fighter level men among them.
The other seven were slightly weaker but also nearing the levels of a fighter.
In particr, they were obviously having the idea of taking out the leader.
Once they made their move, Anne Aldrich Augen would be the primary target.
No doubt Kieran would have to assure the safety of thedy beside him.
Under such circumstances, it wouldnt be easy even for Kieran when he still needed to fight ten more fighter level opponents.
As for Mayer, the moment Kieran thought about the stick-to-the-rules fighterr, he quietly shrugged.
He knew Mayer would nevere forth even if Anne Aldrich Augens life was concerned because the moment she ascended to mayor, the promise between them wasplete.
Why did Mayer still linger around the manor though? Perhaps it was because there were some more promises that Anne Aldrich Augen could use against him but it was hard for her to say anything at that particr moment.
In fact, Anne Aldrich Augen who held on until now without passing out was already out of Kierans expectation and it too shocked the governor as well.
But after the slight shock, all that was left were relentless mockings.
Huh? A deformed product? Then what are you? A product of a deformed product?
Deburo then looked at Kieran after that.
Ill give you another chan...
Before the governor could finish his words, he was interrupted.
Anne Aldrich Augen beside Kieran had vanished without knowing.
An area of shadow shrouded the ce.
Inside the darkness darker than the night, cold wind was blowing and killing intent was honing like sharp knives.
Chapter 732 - Absolutely No Mercy
Chapter 732: Absolutely No Mercy
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Since they were enemies, why the need for mercy?
Kieran with such in thinking decided to strike first to gain the advantage.
The moment [Shadow Cloak] with the [Shadow Cover] buff was cast, Kieran appeared before one of the three fighter level bodyguards and kicked him in the chest.
Although the bodyguard had his senses shrouded by the shadow, he wasnt entirely blinded or deafened, instead, he relied on his trained battle instincts and instantly noticed something was wrong.
Though the bodyguard didnt evade the kick, he didnt even put up a defensive stance and just opened up his hands, hugging towards Kieran as he dished out his kick.
The bodyguard had quite the confidence in his ability to take a hit.
After all, it was the technique he was famous for, he didnt think that he could not even withstand a single blow from Kieran.
As long as he blocked Kierans kick, the other tworades of his would be able to deliver the lethal blow.
He wasnt alone, there were three of them! They excelled in teambat!
Bang!
Kierans feetnded precisely on the bodyguards chest.
The victorious smile on the bodyguard instantly froze and was reced by a look of disbelief. The bodyguard who thought he could simply withstand Kierans kick had miscalcted.
He was too blinded by the confidence in his defense and he had been wrongfully underestimating Kierans kick that contained inhuman strength.
Kierans kick didnt only return to Transcendence [Hand-to-Hand Combat] which had the transcendence effect of [Outstanding Kick] after limit breaking, there was a new special effect added when he limit broke [Hand-to-Hand Combat].
[Outstanding Strength: Through seasoned tempering and countless battles, your legs have reached beyond the limits of themon man. You can infuse the power of Dawn Force or Devil me during your attack, creating an extra attack of the Strong level (After the initial attack calction, an extra attribute attack will be added). When you fight with your legs, increase Stamina consumption by 5%]
...
The shadow shrouded the lights of Dawn Force but the attack was real.
His kick that was imbued with his full power plus [Transcendence Kick Combats] Strength and Agility buffs of +4 and [Outstanding Kicks] +1 attack rank, Dawn Force was like a sharp sword plunging into the body, wrecking and destroying the bodyguard.
Though, the bodyguard had lost his senses long ago.
The moment Kierans feet came in contact with the bodyguards chest, his bones, organs, and his muscles were smashed into a pile of meat.
The defensive ability that the bodyguard was so proud of back in the day, other than keeping him from exploding upon contact and retaining his intact body, there wasnt any use left.
BANG!
Amidst the heavy sound, the bodyguard reacted as if he was hit by a speeding truck, flying back in a straight line and crashing into the group of bodyguards who were nearing the fighter level.
The group of men was caught off guard, as they were toppled over, their bones were crushed.
Such an oue made the other two fighter level bodyguards utterly astonished.
Following their old attacking habits, the two bodyguards nked Kieran from both sides as an immediate reaction when theirrade was attacked.
The left side was a punch as hard as a rock, the right side was a kick with an air-breaking sound.
The moment Kieran kicked away the first bodyguard, both attacks reached almost together but from their blurry sights, the scene made both attacks suffer an uncontroble pause.
The two bodyguards were very clear on theirrades defensive ability.
It could easily ignore the majority of normal caliber firearms, even a grenade explosion couldnt cause lethal damage.
But now, the first bodyguard couldnt even withstand a single kick from Kieran?
Then, how powerful was Kierans kick?!
Almost instinctively, the scene of Kieran walking out from the zing fire and the holy light shed in their minds.
The thoughts that followed were the Griffin Church and the famous Knight of Eagle.
They were different than other regr men who knew nothing about the mystical realm.
As fighters, the two bodyguards hade in contact with the mystical realm long ago, so they were perfectly clear how terrifying the Knight of Eagle was when he faced the Twenty Hounds alone, despite suffering heavy injuries after the fight.
Still, that kind of power wasnt something that they couldpete with.
Now, they were facing against Kieran with the legacy of Knight of Eagle.
Fear!
The slight fear made both of them wobble in shock, the changes in their heart were swiftly reflected on their bodies.
The hard as rock punch became slightly weaker, the air-breaking kick became slower.
Undesired changes urred in both his opponents stance but Kieran didnt hesitant
After Kieran entered his battle mode, he still kept his cool could even be considered as a cold-hearted.
Keiran raised his right hand towards the slowed down kick, he grabbed the ankle quickly and precisely.
The bodyguard who had his leg caught was shocked. His reaction was to instinctively struggle but it was toote.
Kierans right hand with [Power Glory] mped down on the ankle like a real iron mp.
Followed by [Heavy Hand]s powerful impact that caused the bodyguards body to shiver and was rounded out by [Death Throw] in the end!
Wung!
The bodyguard who Kieran grabbed with his right hand was swung directly from the right to the left as if he was holding a spiked club instead of a man.
To be honest, the bodyguard was better than amon spiked club.
His body that was infused with power was smashed into hisrade on the left. The bodyguard on the left retracted his fist out of shock and yet couldnt dodge the strike in time.
BANG!
The smash caused by tremendous power overpowered the sounds of bones cracking and organs rupturing.
After making sure both bodyguards were dead from the popped up notifications, Kieran dashed towards the remaining bodyguards who were still able to stand up.
...
The darkness was caused by the shadow-shrouded area with a 10-meter diameter range.
Those who were outside couldnt properly see what was going on inside.
All they heard was crashing noises one after another.
Theirck of imaginations couldnt guess what caused such noises.
All they could do was shiver after hearing the series of noises that sounded like bone cracks.
Except for two, Anne Aldrich Augen and Deburo.
Both of them stared at each other, neither of them was willing to step down.
Though, a person with good sense could tell Deburo was only struggling on hisst straw in the stare-off against Anne Aldrich Augen who had the absolute advantage.
You are still holding up? I admit that 2567 is not bad but do you think the men I brought here are canpare to a simple John Doe? Dont you think I would be prepared after I know you have Mayer and 2567 beside you?
Do you know who the three fighters in my bodyguard group are? Rundal, with the title of Castle that can ignore firearm weapons! Gars whose fists can puncture iron tes at will! And Rodney whose kicks were fast as a ghost, crushing rocks with ease!
The three of them have a long-standing reputation in Yuda, they were even on par with Mackens Zaigen! And since Ive recruited them to serve under me, theyve honed themselves inbination attacks. 2567 has gotten the legacy of Knight of Eagle, so what?
Does he stand a chance?
Deburo coldly grunted in mockery and looked at the people around him.
And you, all of you! You want to die with this woman?
Soon enough, half of the End City high ranked officials left the group and gathered behind Deburo.
They were attracted by Anne Aldrich Augens armed power before this, but now when a stronger master appeared before them, it wasnt a surprise for them to defect, neither would they feel any burden in their hearts.
The bald Chief Gregory though, wasnt within the defected group but it wasnt that loyal to Anne Aldrich Augen, it was the fear from before that had softened his legs, preventing him from moving.
After multiple deep breaths, the director wanted to move his feet and just as he was about to, the shadows dispersed.
The light was upon the crowd once more.
A young voice came along with the night breeze.
Oh, they were that famous?
Deburo instantly froze and was dumbstruck as he froze on the spot.
Chapter 733 - A Resisting Puppet
Chapter 733: A Resisting Puppet
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
You! You...!
When Deburo saw Kieran behind him moving closer, he felt like he had witnessed the most unbelievable thing that happened in his life and was thus unable to speak properly.
The governor instinctively thought it was an illusion but his brain told him everything was real.
Kieran really took out his prized bodyguard group single-handedly.
A cold sweat instinctively sprung out on Deburos forehead and slid down his cheeks.
Mr. 2567, I think...
Bang!
Deburo still tried to say something but Anne Aldrich Augen didnt give him the chance at all, she took out a small handgun and pulled the trigger at the governor.
After the gunshot, Deburo was shot in the middle of his eyes before falling down.
Till hisst breath, the governors face kept his astonished expression.
Kieran nced over Deburos body and turned to Anne Aldrich Augen who had a smirk on her face.
He didnt question why she shot a governor, simr to how he would never think about the oues of those traitorous officers.
He believed that Anne Aldrich Augen would provide him with a reasonable answer.
Was Anne Aldrich Augen out of her mind?
Well, Kieran never saw a crazy woman with such a clear gaze in her eyes.
...
Inside the meticulous grand hall, scrumptious food and wine were arranged all over the table.
They originally were intended to receive Deburo but following his death, the reception dinner became a victory dinner that Anne Aldrich Augen had for Kieran.
There was no need for more participants in the dinner, in fact, there wasnt even a waiter inside the hall.
Kieran had to help himself to the food.
He rejected the wine that Anne Aldrich Augen brought him and took the ss of fresh orange juice instead. Even though his current Constitution level could resist the majority of alcoholic beverages, any slight alcoholic influence would decrease his reaction time.
Life and death were determined in split seconds.
Kieran who kept that saying in his heart knew what was best for himself naturally.
While holding the te with a whole piece of roastedmb chop with some vegetables, Kieran sat in front of the dining table, gobbling down his meal as he looked at Anne Aldrich Augen.
You want some corn chips or cream cheese soup? Or the wine braised pear? Its not bad.
Anne Aldrich Augen pulled a chair and sat on the opposite side of the dining table, beside her leg was a mobile television.
The roastedmb chop is nice, I want another!
Kieran stuffed his mouth with a piece of mutton,menting in a muffled voice.
The muttons marbling was evenly distributed over its lean meat, it was perfectly caramelized, providing the tenderness of the meat with a slight crunch on the outside. Kieran was quite infatuated with thebination of the texture, plus thebinations of spices such as cinnamon, salt, and pepper elevated the muttons taste to its best despite the in and crude seasoning.
After finishing a te, Kieran took another without hesitating.
It was undoubtedly rude manners but neither Kieran nor Anne Aldrich Augen were concerned about such details right now.
Anne Aldrich Augen held her ss up, shaking the wine inside slightly and switched on the tv beside her legs with her hand without concerning herself over the exposure of her intimate parts.
The whole process took four to five seconds and obviously Anne Aldrich Augen had purposely prolonged her actions.
To her disappointment, Kieran was focused on the roastedmb chop on his te rather than batting an eye at her charms, it felt like even themb chop was more attractive than her.
Should I improve some of my culinary skills? Anne Aldrich Augen asked.
Kieran didnt take part in the conversation at all.
After finishing his second te ofmb chops, he was captivated by the tv screen and its contents.
Deburo!
The governor that was shot by Anne Aldrich Augen a while ago was making a speech on the tv, and it was a live telecast!
Dont tell me the one you shot and killed was just an imposter.
Kieran wiped his mouth with the napkin and ced his gaze on Anne Aldrich Augen.
Certainly not! The one that I shot just now and the one on the tv, all of them are Deburo. They arent twins but rather a defensive measure, targeted specifically at someone... including myself.
Anne Aldrich Augen shook her head and showed a ridiculing sneer on her beautiful face.
Her words were hiding more than it sounded like but Kieran realized it nevertheless.
Though, not interrupting people when speaking was Kierans habit, he kept quiet and listened to what she said.
2567, do you know about the three wars that formed the Union? Generally speaking, its the Saint Relic Association putting a stop to the Elder Councils schemes, both sides waged wars multiple times and in the end, both sides decided topromise. Thus the Union was formed.
This is what the mystical realm thought of it! In themon world, another saying stated that the hero of themoners ended the war and formed the Union, dispersing the fog of war and sessfully ascended to the position of the first leader of the Union.
From the first leader a hundred years ago, the Union has weed the tenth andtest leader. He was different from the previous ones, or should I say, because of the umtions of the previous leaders, it allowed the current leader to have more assets under hismand and they are not willing to stay as the puppet under the influence of the Saint Relic Association and the Elder Council!
A certain aide under the leadersmand suggested to pick a group of young girls, training them from youth, brainwashing them and when the timees, release them into society, sending them to necessary individuals sides, thus providing more and extra help for this leader.
At first it started out smoothly until one day, a certain girl was moved by her mission target. She started to wander around, hesitated, dying decisions as she didnt know what was the best choice. The aide who plotted everything behind noticed the unusual behavior of the girl, he sent men to take out the target without informing the girl and also punished the girl for notpleting her mission.
The continuous rtions seemed to make Anne Aldrich Augens throat dry, she took her ss of wine and finished it in one go.
The red wine spilled out from the corner of her mouth as if a scarlet red blood slid down ins of snow.
She raised her hand and wiped it off without concern about ruining her makeup before she continued.
He wanted to make an example out of the girl, so the girl ended up very badly. However, never did he think that his methods would create doubts and suspicion in the other girls heads who should have been brainwashed. Once doubts were created, they wouldnt go away that easily. More and more girls realized the problem and they were being recalled back one after another, leaving only a few outside who were involved in bigger schemes.
The recalled girls were all disposed of after that, the remaining girls outside lived in never-ending fear, worrying that misfortune would befall them one day. Thus some girl resisted, a girl that was unwilling to ept the fate started to resist, she discovered an opportunity and grabbed it with all her might!
Anne Aldrich Augens gaze locked onto Kieran again.
Now, the enemy had realized her goals, she was only a step away from seeding. She needed more help. Is there someone who is willing to help her?
Her tone was t, her face was absent of expression as if she was stating something unimportant but her eyes were less calm.
They were filled with anticipation and worry, most of it was dense sorrow and self-mockery.
Kieran didnt move away from Anne Aldrich Augens stare, he carefully looked into her eyes.
He didnt know whether was it one of her acts, but what were the reasons to give up on a special event?
So, Kieran answered directly, Sure.
Chapter 734 - Anomalies
Chapter 734: Anomalies
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Words popped up in Kierans vision.
[Triggered special event, Make Oneself A Ruler!]
[Participate? Yes/No]
[Based on the triggered circumstances, you will be automatically distributed onto Anne Aldrich Augens side!]
...
When Kieran gave a firm reply, the information had be clearer.
[Make Oneself A Ruler: No one is willing to be a puppet, even though she was being trained into it by her own will, the thirst for freedom was enough to break chains. Anne Aldrich Augen was one of the fighters, but she is isted and helpless, she doesnt only need to face the punishments from the Union but also the devouring from the Saint Relic Association and the Elder Council. Shes bogged down in crisis at this moment...]
[You have chosen to aid Anne Aldrich Augen, make sure she lives until after the End City Celebration Parade.]
[Note: Based on the special events performance, the time decrease may vary].
...
End City Celebration Parade! Theres another week left. Kieran squinted his eyes.
Although he wasnt a native of the dungeon world, he knew about the celebration parade.
The shops in the urban area were decorated joyously, and Kieran realized with his sharp senses that the parade wasing.
When Kieran saw the sign tagging one week, his heart went into deep thoughts for a while before asking the shop directly why were they decorating.
Apensation of a weeks time was enough for those who wanted Anne Aldrich Augen dead to strike countless times.
Anne Aldrich Augen also wasnt a person that would sit back and wait for her doom. With Kierans understanding of thedy, even if it was a state of despair, she would have some arrangements under her sleeves.
If she couldnt survive through the parade, she would also drag the one who killed her down with her or at least put them in a bad position.
Thank you for your help! Not just the one just now but... the ones before! Anne Aldrich Augen said sincerely.
Her vague expression didnt baffle Kieran with the meaning, instead, he quickly thought of something.
Smart and powerful men always make me lose control of myself.
Anne Aldrich Augen saw Kierans expression and couldnt hold back her softugh.
Once again, thedy returned to her old habits, leaning over to Kieran again.
Still, Kieran chose to avoid her and looked her in the eye with a serious gaze.
Tell me all your ns are, be as detailed as possible!
Kieran words sounded indisputable. He was clear on what Anne Aldrich Augen was after.
What kind of important things were going on in End City now?
In the eyes of themoners, it would eventually be the Winchester House explosion and the new mayoral election campaign.
But in the eyes of the mystical realm, there was only one noteworthy event that happened, the power that Harondentte disyed and the mythical and legendary items that the powers drew out.
Although the majority of them were still dubious about the matter, the greed that lurked in the bottom of human hearts had drawn countless people forward to End City.
All of the matters and incidents were rted to him!
Why would Anne Aldrich Augen thank him on such an unrtable matter?
Thedys goal was to stir the waters into an utterly turbid state, she wanted to drag the Union down and it was best if the Elder Council and the Saint Relic Association would fight against the Union.
Her goals certainly affected Kieran who nned to thrive from both the Elder Council and the Saint Relic Association but, was it not an opportunity?
Anne Aldrich Augen wanted to stir up the situation and it would only benefit Kieran while causing him no harm.
The more turbid the waters, the easier for him to fish in them!
As for why he didntin and rant about Anne Aldrich Augen not telling him beforehand, well Kieran wasnt that childish.
Even though both of them were in a coboration rtionship before, most of it was watching out for each other after getting what they needed. It was very unlike the current situation where both of them were on the same side.
Still, in order to increase the level of trust, some means were necessary.
Before you tell me the details of your n, sign a contract with me. It will do us both some good. Kieran added.
A very practical mean. Its you being like this that made me fall for you without being able to help myself! Anne Aldrich Augen said in a vague way that sounded neither true or false.
En. I think the first condition of the contract is, you will face me with your normal attitude.
Kieran nodded, emphasizing the word normal.
Was I not normal before? Anne Aldrich Augen approached Kieran with a smile.
She was very careful and vignt this time and when she was two steps away from Kieran, she pretended that she wanted to throw herself at Kieran but instead, she suddenly tore down her evening gown.
Kieran was utterly shocked even though he wouldnt fall for Anne Aldrich Augens fake moves.
Obviously, Kieran didnt expect the steamy scene before him.
Anne Aldrich Augen with her sessfulugh then threw herself towards Kieran but still, she was still underestimating Kierans reflexes.
Just when Anne Aldrich Augen was about to touch Kieran, Kieran moved his feet quickly, not only dodging the hug from her but also caused her to fall on the ground after catching her off guard.
Ah!
Anne Aldrich Augen covered her face instinctively as she was falling towards the ground, crying out in a hurried tone.
Though, the anticipated pain didnt ur. After spinning around rapidly, Anne Aldrich Augen realized she was sitting on the chair.
She opened her eyes,id down her hands and saw Kieran in front of her with the shocked expression absent from his facepletely.
She slightly adjusted her posture into an alluring pose, asking with a smile, You prefer me like this... on the chair? Im a bit unfamiliar, why dont you guide me?
Anne Aldrich Augen then lifted herself up by pressing against the chair handle as she spoke, half kneeling on the chair before leaning forward to kiss Kieran.
Unfortunately, Kieran turned around and left.
I think you should really consider learning some culinary skills!
Kieran walked off without stopping as his words entered Anne Aldrich Augens ears.
The alluringdy frowned in embarrassment and was upset but soon let out a softugh.
The reason for theugh was unknown but pleasant to the ears.
Anne Aldrich Augen asked loudly at Kierans furthering figure, Do I need to add learning culinary skills to the contract?
As you wish!
...
In the several uing days, Kieran followed Anne Aldrich Augen like her shadow to all sorts of events around the city, disarming danger one after another using open and secretive means.
It made the people of the city rapidly take note of the mayors personal bodyguard, at the same time it also made the people sympathize and acknowledge Anne Aldrich Augen as the new mayor as well.
Never doubt a womans acting, especially a beautiful one. They were born actresses.
Kieran silently watched Anne Aldrich Augenpleting her public opinion guide bits by bits, after making lightning-fast decisions that ced the entire city under her control, the anticipation of the grand show that would begin soon started.
End City at night was moring in a special way but the blocks around the library had quieted down a while ago.
Suddenly...
An unusual brilliant color of light was shot up to the sky.
An enormous tree with an outstanding and indomitable power sprung up abruptly under the night sky.
Chapter 735 - Chaotic Rising
Chapter 735: Chaotic Rising
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
How big was the tree?
Anyone that saw it couldnt find the words to describe its size because none of them saw the entirety of the tree.
All they could see was a small part of the trunk and the rest had pierced through the clouds, to a height wheremon eyes couldnt reach.
Just when some of the people with better eyesight started to carefully size up the tree, it vanished, just like how it sprang up.
The tree vanished suddenly but the process didnt evenst a split second. However, the people who saw the scene rushed to the End City Library like madmen.
Although the people would still be shocked when they saw the gigantic tree during normal times, they wouldnt behave so madly, especially some of the mystics that were exposed to bizarre things.
However, right at that moment, the most obsessed ones were actually them.
What was their reason for dashing towards the library?
Wasnt it because of the mythical legendary item?
Despite the majority of them not thinking the legends were real from the bottom of their hearts, which one of them that appeared in End City didnt hope for a lucky chance?
When their sense of lucky came in contact with that gigantic tree illusion...
All of them only had a single thought left in their minds: Yggdrasil!
The gigantic tree was the tree that supported the entire world, originated from the legends.
But why would the mirage of Yggdrasil appear in the city?
The fruit of Yggdrasil!
That was the only exnation!
Countless mystics swarmed the library as if they were locusts, breaking into the library, despite its main gate being shut at the time, and started to search the entire ce.
Among the group of mystics, there was nock of people with special powers and soon those people located the basement floor.
They discovered the secret passageway filled with an unusual aroma and the secret contraption within the passageway.
Each time a new discovery came in sight, it excited the people in an abnormal way.
Each time a new discovery came into sight, it filled their hearts with killing intent.
How many fruits of Yggdrasil were there?
No one knew but the biggest possibility was only one.
Given the possibility, who was willing to share the chance?
One could be God if they ate the fruit!
Who would give away the chance of bing God to others?
Stop joking!
These people were vignt and cautious against each other. When they entered the room and saw the in old box in the middle, the atmosphere instantly froze.
If they were still holding back before, they wouldnt need their reserves anymore when the box appeared.
What else could concern them when thest piece of veil was removed?
A sword re shed over, sending someones head flying upwards.
No one knew who was the first to kill among the crowd. It then started a domino effect, causing the crowd to plunge into a chaotic fight.
Punches and kicks were dished out, swords red and shadows ovepped each other.
Incantation after incantation called out zing mes and icy cold frost.
One mystic after another started falling to the ground.
Blood had filled up the average sized room, bodies piled up like mountains but even more of them charged into the room dauntlessly.
The fightsted for hours until a mystic with absurd speed and flexible agility took the box outside the passageway.
Hold it right there! Leave the fruit of Yggdrasil!
Such voices sounded one after another in session.
The crowd who was fighting each other stared at the man angrily who fished amidst troubled waters.
Then, a series of chases happened. The passageway leading outside was not long, only 40 to 50 meters and it would be a couple of breaths effort for the absurdly fast mystics.
However, the moment he came out from the passageway and was ready to step towards his secret hideout, his steps were forcefully stopped.
The mystic opened up his eyes wide.
Those who were giving chase behind him saw the stunned mystic as they dashed out the passageway, a lot of them were delighted and rejoiced at the situation.
Hand over the fruit of Ygg...
Before the words could finish, the crowd noticed something wasnt right.
They unconsciously looked around and when they saw who was standing opposite them, the words that they uttered were swallowed back just like that.
More and more pursuers appeared but each of them shared the same state as the others, stunned on the spot with a loss for words.
Despite having over a hundred men within the crowd and only twenty men standing before them.
Still, the side with overwhelming odds was looking across with eyes of fear because the twenty who stood opposite them were the Twenty Hounds!
The infamous Twenty Hounds of the Elder Council!
During normal times, one of them was enough to strike fear into peoples hearts but now...
All of the Twenty Hounds were there!
Thest time the twenty of them gathered, theirbined efforts annihted the influential Griffin Church of the Saint Relic Association.
This time...
It was the end! Everyones heart was filled with despair.
Mnie half hid in the shadows, her tinum hair was emitting senses of chilly coldness. When her gaze moved over, the coldness was like the arctic wind from the far north, blowing into everyones heart, causing them to shiver without actually feeling cold.
Hand it over, Mnie said lightly.
The mystic with the box in his arms hesitated at first but eventually clenched his teeth to run after turning away.
The temptation of being a God was too huge, to the point that it would be worth it to risk his life!
Besides, he didnt think his speed wouldnt stand a chance.
Right after he turned around, his hands were ready to open the box.
Consuming the fruit of Yggdrasil wasnt a simple process, even opening the box would require certain methods but up until that moment, the man didnt care anymore.
But...
Just as his finger tip touched the box, he felt a slight cold over his wrist. Then, he suddenly saw his palms fall off his wrist, not one but both his palms fell off!
The mystics hand were cut off without him knowing.
The box fell off from his hands but was caught by a young man.
The young man then moved to Mnie in a sh, passing the box to her.
Other than the Twenty Hounds themselves, no one could see clearly how the young man made his move, whether it was the sudden appearance or the disappearance afterward.
Only when the young man stopped, the crowd could see him properly.
This...This is the Twenty Hounds?
Its too terrifying!
Mutters sounded from the crowd, causing more and more fear in their hearts.
The young man as the new member of the Twenty Hounds smiled delightedly.
He thought his performance was good enough.
The young man with the slight delight looked at the crowd with contempt.
You people really think the fruit of Yggdrasil is still inside the box? Then why would the unusual scene happen before? Someone must have beaten you all to it, opened the box and revealed the presence of the fruit, thus causing the mirage!
Bunch of fools, youve be...
Shut up, Jarles!
Before the young man could finish his words, he was interrupted by Mnie.
The ice-cold tempered Hound stared at her newrade.
The young man lowered his head instantly in reverence.
Mnie looked down again at the box in her hand. Her finger tip caressed the boxs material, feeling the traces of time over it.
It looked normal frommon eyes but in Mnies point of view, it meant something else.
She opened the box.
A unique aura filled with vitality and vigor appeared suddenly.
Even the crowd who was further away felt a slight warmth, those closer towards the box noticed their wounds were slowly healing.
The effect was even better than [Heal] and it made them gasp.
Pak!
Mnie closed the box again.
Seal off the entire End City, allow only entrance and no exits... Flush him out for me!
As for these rats, leave none behind.
Mnie said before being the first to dash into the crowd.
The young and new Hound followed behind her closely.
The rest of the Hounds joined them with bloodthirstyughs.
A moment before dawn, a block within the city was flooded with blood flowing like a river. More blocks plunged into a strange state of silence, even the merriest nightclubs closed early that night.
...
Phone call after phone call, message after message.
All sorts ofmunications were flying in all directions within the city.
The fear for the Elder Council didnt even stop the people being frantic about the fruit of Yggdrasil.
More men, more factions and more forces swarmed the ce.
In the morning, Kieran who just sat down beside the dining table had received the notice from Chelsea the secretary.
Liz Dandon asked for a meeting.
Chapter 736 - Unite
Chapter 736: Unite
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
I dont really want to meet that sister in the morning. Ill leave it to you!
Anne Aldrich Augen referred to Kieran and left the dining table.
Kieran didnt stop her because it was what they discussed beforehand.
He nodded at Chelsea and she quickly went off.
Two minutester, Chelsea brought Sister Liz Dandon and another middle-aged man in.
The sister was still in her same old outfit, with her merciful and kind smile but the man beside her was different.
The man was dressed in ck priest clothes, looking stern and looked as if he wasnt alive.
If Sister Liz Dandon was the sunflower facing the sun, then the man would be the rock in the cave.
More importantly, the man had sized up Kieran with a judgemental gaze the moment he saw him.
Kieran purposely frowned before greeting the sister.
Morning, Sister Dandon.
Morning, 2567. The sister replied and introduced the man beside her.
Mizelle, an executive of the Saint Relic Association that once belonged to the Griffin Church.
As the sister introduced Mizelle, he stepped forth before Kieran.
Greetings.
His cold greeting was absent of any sincerity and what he did after was even out of expectation.
The moment his word faded, Mizelle dished out a kick suddenly without moving his upper body.
His movements were subtle but very fierce, it was aiming towards Kierans knee.
Wung!
A strong wind that broke the air caused an unusual noise within the dining hall as if a beast was roaring loudly.
Though, the roar was stopped abruptly momentster.
Mizelles kick at Kieran was blocked, or more precisely he was stepped on!
Mizelles straightened tip of his foot that was as sharp as a spear was stepped down together with his leg by Kieran.
A heavy bangter, the whole hall felt like it shook.
Mizelles stern and cold face had a sense of pain over it, his body even staggered.
Under Kierans step, Mizelle not only suffered broken bones throughout his feet, but even his muscles were also crushed to a pile of meat.
Then, Kieran went along with the flow and kicked Mizelle on the chest.
Mizelle was sent flying outside the dining hall with a bone breaking noise.
Kieran didnt have any intentions of holding back, even know he knew it was a test from the Saint Relic Association.
The incidentst night was a meticulous n by him and Anne Aldrich Augen. For the majority of mystics who came to End City that hoped for a fluke in their hearts, the n was wless, but for the Saint Relic Association and the Elder Council, their organization would have noticed the heavy w.
The box that held the fruit of Yggdrasil.
Although it was the box that held [Dien Stone] before, it was right in terms of age but the aura was slightly different.
Despite Kieran using Marulyns legacy to alter it a little, it was still the same.
The Saint Relic Association would be familiar with the secret legacy spells of Marulyn.
They would eventually link it to the missing [Sister Reid Statue] at St. Reid hospital and rte it to the possibility of someone plotting this whole incident up with Marulyns legacy.
Kieran the amnesia patient who stayed in St. Reid Hospital would be the biggest suspect, so tests were bound to arrive.
The executive of the Saint Relic Association who once belonged to Griffin Church bore the mission to test Kieran.
Though, Kieran wasnt worried about the test from Mizelle.
Not only because he and Anne Aldrich Augen had prepared for this, but it was also because the core of the Marulyn legacy skills that he had been using was Dawn Force and not the real power from Marulyns inheritance.
Sister Dandon?
Kieran turned to the sister, looking baffled and angered.
Chelsea beside only reacted to the situation after the kick, she pulled out her gun and pointed it to the sister.
Im sorry, 2567. If its possible, I wish to seek your coboration in a softer way but Dandon Church is part of the Saint Relic Association, what can we do against the orders from the association? The sister let out a long sigh, looking helpless.
Because of the incidentst night? Kieran asked with a frown.
Yes, but who wouldve thought it would be the fruit of Yggdrasil... It is unbelievable!
The sister nodded with a bitter smile.
Obviously, Sister Liz Dandon didnt buy anything about the existence of the fruit because of Harondentte.
But what does it have to do with me? Kieran asked pretending not knowing the situation.
Marulyn Church! Her Majesty Saint Reid once created a technique that attaches spells to certain objects. Last night, the box that held the fruit had the presence simr to the healing spell, so the association thought that it might be someone plotting something...
Sister Liz Dandon didnt continue after that but her intentions were very obvious.
They are suspecting that Ive gotten the inheritance of Marulyn? Though I must admit I couldnt tell you what was I doing when the statue went missing but please dont use me of such crimes.
If you have the time to suspect me, why dont you try suspecting the Elder Council? Damien of the Twenty Hounds has shown his greed for Sister Reids statue a while ago.
Kieran perfectly presented his false rage.
I know but the Dandon Church without a knight wasnt one of the decision makers within the association anymore. I only can provide my opinion. Im truly sorry by causing all these troubles. The sister apologized.
Sister Dandon, this isnt your fault, just that those people realized that Ie from the Griffin Church... Humph!
Kieran waved his hand and let out a mysterious cold grunt.
The sister became more guilty after hearing the cold grunt.
During the incident with the Griffin Church, the Dandon Church had done something less glorious as well, now the whole the Dandon Church has fallen into this state, isnt this the punishment for us? The sister said.
After knowing he had acquired the inheritance of the Griffin Church and understanding it was one of his arrangements as well, Kieran would have investigated it.
Then, he realized something interesting.
Before the Griffin Church was assaulted by the Elder Council, they had sent out a distress signal to the association and requested reinforcements from other members.
Unfortunately...
There wasnt any reply.
The secretive news allowed Kieran to have a new understanding and new thoughts about the Saint Relic Association.
Although it was his arrangements to create the illusion of Kieran getting the inheritance of the Griffin Church, looking at the situation before him, Kieran didnt mind borrowing the name of the Griffin Church to increase the guilt.
Kieran took in a deep breath when he saw Sister Liz Dandon fault herself with guilt.
He said, Sister, I think we need to be united right now.
Not just a simple personal one of me and you but between our churches! Dandon and Griffin!
Sister Liz Dandon suddenly felt shivers all over he body.
Chapter 737 - Mixed Up
Chapter 737: Mixed Up
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Sister Liz Dandon didnt reject nor did she give an immediate reply.
Yet Kieran knew she had silently epted the suggestion because she was ultimately a sister from Dandon.
The decision was unrted to her merciful and emphatic nature, all that mattered was her beliefs.
Beliefs wererger than most!
Seeing the sister off as she took the association executives body away, Kieran quietly picked up his loot before turning back to the dining table.
The milk, egg, and ham in addition to the toasted bread were still warm.
He picked up the soy sauce, poured a drop of it on the fried egg, he used the fork to pick up the piece of ham, breaking the egg yolk skillfully with it, and dipped the ham in yolk before putting it in his mouth.
The fresh and soft egg yolk added a unique tenderness to the ham right off the grill.
Together with the wheaty aroma of the bread and the richness of the milk, Kieran swept the food on the table clean.
Looking at your eating habits, I only noticed you and those resentful knights are exactly the same! A cold voice sounded behind Kieran.
It has nothing to do with knights, I am just not used to wasting food!
Kieran wasnt surprised at all at the sudden voice. He replied as he picked up the napkin and wiped his mouth.
Nothing to do with knights? Then... What is the meaning of you allying with the Dandon Church?
Mnie of the Twenty Hounds went around the table and stood opposite Kieran, she pressed her palms on the table and looked down on Kieran with amanding manner.
Well, its just like what youve heard. I wished to ally with the Dandon Church to get what I deserve. Kieran lifted his head up, staring back at Mnie without stepping away.
You must be out of your mind! Why would the other members of the association disperse their full strength at hand, especially when the members had tasted the benefits of being in power.
Mnie said coldly.
They wont before but its different now. The appearance of the fruit has changed the picture. Those people never really stand together, even when they are facing the council. They would rather start an internal conflict to get rid of dissidents, let alone now. If it wasnt for the fact that they couldnt verify the validity of the fruit, Im afraid they might have already started a war amongst themselves!
Kieran didnt try to conceal the disdain he had for the Saint Relic Association and his disdainfulments slowed down the coldness on Mnies face.
So, you wanted to work with us? She asked.
I dont mind working together... but how would you divide the fruit? Legend has it, anyone who eats the fruit will be a God but it didnt say anything about eating half of it. Perhaps there might some benefits to it as well.
Kieran nodded at first before looking at Mnie with an unusual seriousness.
He knew there wasnt a real Yggdrasil fruit but he couldnt show his generosity in his attitude to the point that he would give up on it.
Giving up on the chance of bing a God, anyone would be doubtful of that.
You really believe the fruit exists? Mnie replied with her question.
Please, stop pretending. I am not blind or deaf. Your handy workst night has spread all over the city. If it wasnt for the real fruit, why would you do it? Besides, at first I was baffled by the fact that Damien would be interested in Sister Reids statue but after the fruit revealed itselfst night, I finally understand!
No one wouldve thought that the Marulyn Church which was annihted by you guys could get their hands on such precious item! Or, was it because the Marulyn possessed such a precious item, thus resulting in your aggression? Kieran smiled at her.
Of course, his words had obvious means of misleading and mixing up the concepts but no one could deny the facts within his words.
At least Damien of the Twenty Hounds interest in [Sister Reids Statue] was authentic.
Even though he was only looking for the legacy of Marulyn, it didnt stop Kieran from giving his excuses.
That is war! If everyone knew the fruit really existed, why would the war simply end like that? Besides, if Marulyn really got their hands on the Yggdrasil fruit, why would that chose to reserve it and not choose someone to take it? Mnie said as if she was questioning Kieran.
Because theres only one fruit in existence! Marulyn had a decent reputation but the temptations of being a God, who could give it up honestly? Lets switch sides. If it was the Hounds who had gotten the fruit, what would you do?
I suppose you would keep it a secret among those who knew and hide the fruit in a hidden ce and discuss further what to do with it. Unfortunately, the discussion results couldnt see the day of light and everyone who knew about it died. But perhaps someone left behind rumors and they were discovered by someone else today, a hundred yearster, thus starting their new scheme and plot. Kieran said slowly.
Someone else? Mnie asked seriously.
Yup, someone else! Dont you think its interesting if you look at Winchester Houses explosion now? A bunch of victims with different identities, different ideals, yet gathered in an old family hotel, especially Symende Augen. He shouldnt be interested in the collections of the End Museum yet he was there and weed his death. Other than Professor Harondentte, everyone involved is dead, what do you think it was? Kieran asked purposely.
Because theres only one fruit of Yggdrasil! Mnie said after a deep breath.
Yes, there is only one fruit so it would be hard for them to divide it if the numbers wererge! Kieran nodded again.
Then... what about you? What role do you y in all these with your memory loss? Youve said it yourself, the Winchester Houses explosion wasnt as simple as it seemed, so why were you there in the first ce? Mnie questioned Kieran with shining eyes, emphasizing each and every word.
The fruit of course! Kieran answered with certainty.
Then, he lifted his head again, staring into Mnies tinum eyes which shared the same color with her hair.
He continued, I suppose I am also one of the someone else, maybe even an important part of that benefactors n. If I wasnt there to draw all the attention and mix up everything with my memory loss, how would he get the fruit that easily? And from the looks of it, I am certain my memory loss is that guys handy work and wasnt because of the explosion.
Judging from the previous events, that guys calctions were on point, Ivepleted his ns decently and messed up the entire city along the way. Everything is as his expectation, except...
I, one of the pawns in his n, came in contact with the other pawn in his n, Harondentte! The battle between us and some of my discovery made that guy hasten his pace, he didnt even mind exposing part of the information, because he knew the Dandon Church would surely deliver the incident that night to the Saint Relic Association and the association wasnt a force that he couldpete with, so he needed more help, like you Hounds and more mystics out there.
Kierans tone sounded a little upset, perfectly disyed the looks of someone being used.
Who is that guy? Mnie instinctively pressed the subject.
But the moment the words escaped her mouth, she realized her mistake.
If Kieran knew who he was, would he be sitting here chatting with her for so long?
If you get more news, you can find me here.
Mnie left an address for Kieran before leaving in a hurry.
After making sure that Mnie had left, Kieran stood up from the dining table.
He didnt really rejoice in sessfully deceiving the Saint Relic Association and the Elder Council, nor would he be delighted.
Kieran was clear that he only used the imbnce in information to temporary fool both sides.
If he wanted to root the lies into their beliefs, he would need to pay extra efforts.
Chapter 738 - Entrance of a Third Party
Chapter 738: Entrance of a Third Party
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Meanwhile in the study room at Augen Manor.
Anne Aldrich Augen hung up the phone while slightly sneering and saw Kierane in.
Though, her questioning eyes were instantly filled with unusual colors.
She saw Kieran take out three items from his backpack and ce them on the desk before her.
They werent any legacy items nor could they be considered as powerful items but still, they had special powers in them.
As long as she could decently utilize them, whether she would trade them for a high price or get herself some decent benefits, it would be a great choice.
It made Anne Aldrich Augensst bit of unpleasantness fly away instantly.
She kicked off one of her heels and climbed onto the table like a cat, sticking her beautiful face in front of Kieran, saying softly, Do you need anything? Your business partner is at your service!
The fragrance that entered Kierans nose made him move back quietly.
As time went by, Kieran was used to the way of doing business with Anne Aldrich Augen, especially when he had a special request.
Weapons, same asst time but I need it to be sturdier! Kieran requested.
Even sturdier? You are really in some good luck, during normal times the greatsword from before was already the best I could do, but now? Ive be the woman that everyonepetes to tter, just now a certain friend of mine from the past gave me a phone call, trying to test me. I believe that if I reveal just a tiny bit of interest in it, he will give his best effort in finding you a suitable greatsword.
Anne Aldrich Augen didnt have the slightest intention of holding back on her certain friend.
Kieran even clearly sensed some displeasure in her tone.
Dont forget your ns. Kieran still reminded her just in case.
Dont worry, I wont risk the big one for the small ones. Those men who had decided to meekly ept humiliation, wouldnt it be logical that they would be the traitors? But If I dont fully utilize these traitors, it would be such a pity!
Anne Aldrich Augen hid words within her words. Kieran shrugged.
Although both of them were already on the same side, towards Anne Aldrich Augens encounters, Kieran couldnt truly empathize with her so he thought he didnt have the right to speak.
Kieran already gave his reminder and he believed Anne Aldrich Augens wisdom and decisive means would create a solution to things.
In fact, she did. On the second morning, not only had Kieran gotten the weapon he wanted but an extra piece of good news also came from Anne Aldrich Augen.
[Name: Elmerius Sword]
[Type: Sharp Weapon, Heavy Arms]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attack: Strong]
[Attribute: Elmeriuss Persistence]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: Sharp Weapon, Heavy Arms (Pro), Strength A for two-handed, S- for single handed.]
[Remark: ording to legends, Elmerius was a hero with the blood of the giants, the sword that he wielded with one hand was a two-handed greatsword in others eyes. It is heavy, sharp and very sturdy!]
...
[Elmeriuss Persistence: Increase authentication advantages by 3 when using the greatsword in a defensive stance, and both sides will undergo Strength authentication. When wielders Strength is stronger than the target, the target will receive an Average level damage]
...
[Elmerius Sword] had the extravagant designs of a two-handed greatsword, the de was wider than a mans waist and the thickest part of the body was at least 10 cm.
When the sword was put straight up, the de body was as tall as Kieran and the additional weight at the hilt was taller than Kierans head.
[Elmerius Sword]s weight fit its extravagant design as well.
A rank Strength was required to wield it with two hands and S- to wield it with one hand.
It would be a luxurious hope for Kieran to wield it with one hand since all his attributes were decreased by 3 but it didnt affect his joyous mood.
Originally, Kieran only held the thoughts of recycling useless items, trying to fully utilize the useless items he had gotten recently in order to maximize his profits.
During the fight with the three fighter bodyguards of the governor, only one of them dropped a valuable item and the other two only dropped low tier Magic items simr to the Saint Relic Association executive.
Using three low tier Magic items with additional attributes like level 1 Tenacious, Guard and Silence in exchange for a Rare weapon waspletely out of Kierans expectations.
Regardless of how he looked at it, the deal was extremely worthwhile.
Though Kieran wasnt blinded by the joy.
Everything went well? Kieran asked.
Of course... They are inside the n now. You are worrying about the greatswords value? 2567, from a certain perspective you are really smart but in others, you are nothing but a fool. Three magic items plus priceless information in exchange for this greatsword that only few can wield, if it wasnt for old times sake, how could I finish the deal? I think the guys are rejoicing now because I still remember our old friendship.
Anne Aldrich Augen charminglyughed gloatingly.
Though, her face didnt have the slightest expressions of joy.
Her ice cold eyes were filled with killing intent.
She held the diner knife in her hand and stabbed it into the toasted bread smeared with jam as if she was stabbing those men she mentioned.
Ding!
The metal diner knife shed with the porcin te, producing a clear noise.
No doubt she gave it all her might in that stab and since she didnt control her strength the round bottom te flew off together with the toasted bread.
There wasnt any sound of the porcin te breaking nor the dirty scene of food being thrashed ur.
Kieran appeared beside Anne Aldrich Augen without her knowing and caught the flying te and food.
He ced it back before her face as if they never moved.
The food is innocent, Kieran said.
Em, they are, Ill finish them all and... My dear Mr. 2567, will there be any rewards after this?
Anne Aldrich Augen winked at Kieran in an extremely affectionate manner.
Liz Dandon sent me a message, I need to revive the Griffin Church before the peoples eyes. Ill ask Mayer to take care of your safety for the time being.
Kieran walked away after he finished without being charmed by her affections.
Anne Aldrich Augen saw Kierans back moving further away, she was upset and wanted to smash the te on the floor but when she saw the food on it, she hesitated.
Ill smash you when I finish!
Anne Aldrich Augen angrily shouted at Kierans vanishing back.
It was natural that Kieran wouldnt give her any reply but someone else saw the scene.
Then, message after message flew out from Augen Manor.
Kieran who left and Anne Aldrich Augen who was eating breakfast knew nothing about it.
Chapter 739 - Gathering
Chapter 739: Gathering
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The Dandon Church was located in a not-too-prosperous street block but was filled with residences.
The cathedral was in the middle, with all the other houses surrounding it, spreading outwards in all directions.
Kieran was walking along the street.
He could imagine what theDandon Church looked like during their prime without further research.
There were not only tens of thousands of believers around the cathedral, they even had their own farm andnd, as if it was a mini city that could supply itself.
If they continued to flourish, it would surely transform into an astonishing church city.
Unfortunately, after the three great wars and a hundred years had passed, Dandons forces couldnt avoid the decrease of power without a knights protection.
They didnt only stop developing but their forces were shrinking by the day. Eventually, they were reced and embraced by End City which had prospered, thus turning it into a block within the city.
It wasnt the biggest and the most prosperous block yet but some things were preserved from the old days.
The architecture and culture.
Kieran easily saw people immersed Dandons manners and culture as he walked along the street.
Whether it was adults or children, everyone was greeting him in front of their stone houses. None of the people were stingy in their smiles even for a stranger.
If there wasnt a hidden presence around, it would be an admirable scene.
When Kieran passed by the kind citizens, a cold re shed from the shadow beside the street.
A figure with speed thatmoners couldnt even grasp appeared behind Kieran, seizing Kieran by the neck with a dagger.
The smiling passerby who grazed Kieran moments ago revealed his vicious nature.
He took out identical daggers and thrust towards Kierans ribs.
The daggers reeked badly, followed by many lines of authentication notifications springing up in Kierans vision.
It wasnt notifying him of Toxin but Spirit and Intuition authentications!
It seemed like the two assassins were just diversions, the real killing blow was still hiding in the shadows!
Kieran followed his Intuition and turned his eyes towards a certain direction.
From the assassins perspective, Kieran waspletely terrified, how would they give up such a chance?
DIE! The passerby assassin screamed.
The dagger was thrusting even quicker.
Then...
Bang, Bang!
Two heavy bone-cracking noisester, the two assassins were kicked off simultaneously.
Themon citizens around couldnt catch the speed of the assassins, neither could they see how Kieran counterattacked.
From their point of view, Kieran didnt even move and yet the assassins were sent flying.
Those two assassins would not have survived the kick without a question.
Kieran didnt even bat an eye on the two and went chasing in the direction where he sensed something.
The moment Kieran disposed of the two pawns, the person in the shadows had retreated directly and didnt leave any traces behind.
At least it was what the person had thought.
All traces were exposed before Kierans [Tracking] but Kieran didnt immediately give chase because he already saw Dandons sistersing for him anxiously.
Ourin Church!
Sister Liz Dandon uttered in shock after she rushed over and saw the identical daggers on the floor. Though soon enough, the sister shook her head, How is this possible?
What is impossible at this time? Whether did they really made a move on me or were framed by others, it has stated their attitude towards us. Now... Do we still choose to swallow this humiliation and insult silently? Kieran asked with a grin.
No!
The one who answered wasnt Sister Liz but the younger Sister Grittel.
The younger sister looked at her own teacher and said after a deep breath, Teacher, we cannot stay like this anymore the gloomy radiance of Dandon incites the malicious intent of evil men, we need to warn them with actions that our radiance is still shining!
As long as we are with the Griffins, we will not fear anybody!
Her voice wasnt suppressed down, instead, it went louder and was filled with rage.
The friars of Dandon plus Father Rayman who listened to such words nodded in agreement automatically as well.
Dandons creed and Marulyns were different, although both had the teachings to persuade people into kindness, both sides differed when it came down to facing off idents.
Marulyn would try to persuade the people to treat others with kindness and tolerance but Dandon would retaliate with twice the rage, one punch from the enemy would result in one stab from Dandon!
In simple words, Marulyn was like a kind priest and Dandon was a hot-tempered warrior.
In fact, it was because of Marulyns creed that it could survive around Dandon in such close range.
If it was other churches, fights would have urred countless times.
It was also because of such a creed, as thest knight of Dandon died off, the whole church plummeted rapidly.
Dandon had offended too many parties, just like Griffin back in the day.
No one was a saint, surely there were gaps after the fight and despite all of them belonging under a single organizationsmand in name, nothing wouldve changed.
Sister Liz looked at her own student, the elder sister thought and hesitated more in her heart. She would need to be responsible for the entire church.
She was worried that if they would fight with other organizations at this time, unnecessary casualties were bound to happen.
So, despite it being different from Dandons creed, the elder sister chose a milder way to reply.
Even if we were to strike back, we wouldnt know where they...
You want to track them down? It really isnt that hard, I am confident that I will find them. Kieran interrupted the sisters words while saying sorry in his heart.
Of course, Kieran knew what Sister Lizs scruples were but the opportunity before him was hard toe by.
Before his and Anne Aldrich Augens ns were initiated, some parties in the Saint Relic Association already jumped out to the scene.
Kieran would never want to give up such a great chance.
After all, false was false, despite how real they were, there would always be the unreal factor that was hard to cover up.
It was far fromparable to authentic solid proof.
Kieran spoke again when he saw the elder sisters hesitating expression.
Sister, do you still want to step back? The further you retreat... Now that Dandon and Griffin have allied themselves, if you keep tolerating such actions, do you think we can survive like this? The sharpness of a de will only reveal itself after killing the enemy.
Kieran then went after the traces left behind after he finished without waiting for the sisters reply.
The elder sisters expression was shifting and in the end, she clenched her teeth.
Dandons radiance will not be doubted anymore! Send out the order, gather all the friars and believers! We will initiate... the Holy War! The merciful sister uttered each and every word loudly.
For each word she uttered, her presence would grow stronger and when she finished, her merciful and kind presence was long gone, all that was left was a fierce and frantic battle intent.
The people around her followed as well, even though they were in friars outfits, it was hard to cover their tough will.
It was the aura of a warrior that had experienced hundreds of battles.
Souuu! Bang!
A re was fired up in the day and exploded.
An illusive figure wielding a longsword with battle armor and a scarlet red cape appeared in the sky.
The figure then swung its sword down as if it was beheading its enemy.
Countlessmoners saw the scene and cried out in shock one after another.
The mystics saw it too and had changes on their faces, especially the elders who couldnt hold back the shivers and thought uncontrobly.
Who in the hell provoked these bunch of crazy men?
Chapter 740 - Descending From the Sky
Chapter 740: Descending From the Sky
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Kieran nced over the mirage of the warrior that shed over the sky while heading towards the church in front without pausing.
The church in front of Kieran was nearly on par with Dandons cathedral and before the steps of the main gate, hundreds of long-robed friars stood with their backs straight.
Three knights in armor stood in front of the crowd.
The capes behind their backs stated their identity as apprentice knights.
Stop, outsider!
One of the apprentice knights shouted loudly at Kieran who was approaching.
Kieran turned a deaf ear at the warning and continued forward as if he couldnt see them.
He wasnt surprised by the blockade before him, when the orders from Dandon appeared above the sky, as long as the enemies werent idiots, they would be prepared.
But none of it mattered.
Although an enemy caught off guard was better to deal with than an enemy that was prepared, Kieran would not regret the words he spoke to Sister Liz because without the participation of Dandon, he as the only remaining knight of Griffin who had lost its believers, friars, sisters, fathers, and deacons was almost a joke to the entire Saint Relic Association.
He wasnt qualified to regain a seat on behalf of Griffin in the association.
Truth be told, with Dandon on his side, Kieran only looked slightly better and was not acting in a one-man y alone.
Kieran raised his head at the crowd blocking his way and was also looking at the footsteps while using [Tracking] what was hidden behind the church gate.
The one who tried to assassinate him came from the church before him without a question, or more precisely, the Ourin Church.
Ourin was different than Marulyn who coexisted with Dandon, they were the ones who moved in under the associations order after the hundred-year war and it was during the time where Dandon lost theirst knight.
The means and time chosen by the association invoked dissatisfactions from Dandon but the associations order and the fact they lost their only andst knight forced them topromise.
It was at that moment, all of the mystics knew Dandon had declined, a lot of them even hoped Dandon would perish in the river of time like the other churches.
Ourin was one of them, being the one whopeted with Dandon over End City, they could not tolerate the rise of Dandon again, so they had resolved themselves in inglorious means.
However, they also gave the chance to Kieran to regain the rights to the seat.
Hand over the one who tried to kill me! Kieran said coldly.
Outsider, what are you bbering about? This is the sublime Ourin Church, leave at once!
The apprentice knight tried to expel Kieran again.
Compared to the first time, it wasnt just verbal warning anymore.
When the apprentice knights voice faded, he reached out his hand trying to push Kieran away.
Though, Kieran was faster. When the apprentice knights hand were inches away from Kierans shoulder, Kieran alreadynded a kick on his chest.
Bang!
The armor sank in with the shape of Kierans feet, the apprentice knight was sent crashing into the friars behind him.
Chang, Chang!
The other two apprentice knights drew their sword out without hesitation, swinging towards Kieran left and right.
But at the next moment, the swords that shed wind were caught by Kieran with his bare hands.
Kieran caught the swords sharp edges with his palm and fingers but to the apprentice knights dismay, Kierans palm was unscathed, instead, the sword forged in refined metal started to produce sparks of fire, screeching as it couldnt handle the weight.
Crack!
Amidst the tooth numbing screech, the two apprentice knights expression of disbelief intensified as their eyes widened and they and cried out in shock.
How is this possible?!
It was not that they had never seen enemies resist their swords with all sorts of inheritance skills but simply using their own body to resist the sword had exceeded their imaginations.
The apprentice knights sword werent justmon des, they were buffed with the rune of fire, even the fighters famous for their strong body wouldnt dare take them head on but Kieran did it before their eyes.
The feat stunned both the apprentice knights instantly. Although Kierans enemies were stunned up, he wasnt.
Relying on his own fire resistance and [Secondary Armored Skin]s defense, Kieran ignored the sharpness of the des, he exerted his strength through his arms, grabbing both the apprentice knights together with their sword and hurled them into the crowd of friars like a disc throw.
The Ourin friars who were charging up to Kieran were instantly toppled down again.
A straight path towards the churchs gate was revealed before Kieran after that.
The three apprentice knights were easily defeated beyond anyones imagination.
Other than the gap in strength, it was also because of Kierans new skill, [Secondary Armored Skin].
[Name: Secondary Armored Skin (Unable to level)]
[Rted Attribute: Constitution]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effect: You will be immune to None, Feeble and Weak levels of physical attack. When you receive Average to Strong level physical attack, the attack level will decrease to Feeble and Weak physical damage and during a Powerful level attack, you will need to undergo a Constitution authentication. If you pass, the Powerful attack level will decrease to Strong and if you fail, you will receive normal damage.]
[Consume: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Remark: You trained your body in a very special way, tempering it to never fear anymon sharp weapons, but you are not imprable!]
......
Kieran nced over the valuable skill that dropped from one of the fighter bodyguards from the governor and continued forth.
The friars who escaped the crash started to charge at Kieran again when they saw him approaching.
Unlike the opponents that Kieran faced before, these friars had strong beliefs and would not crumble before the death of theirrades.
Their beliefs made their will indomitable and unyielding.
It was an extremely troublesome matter facing against such opponents despite Kierans strength overwhelmed them.
Fortunately, Kieran was not alone.
Bang Bang Bang!
Dak Dak Dak Dak!
Consecutive explosions and relentless gun fires sounded as the Dandons arrived.
The elder sister led hundreds and thousands of Dandon friars with machine guns and grenades equipped.
The moment they arrived, they suppressed the opposite side who was charging at Kieran, annihting the Ourin friars easily.
Please move on forward, we will guard your back! Sister Grittel told Kieran.
She was one of the few equipped with sharp weapons instead of firearms.
Kieran didnt say anything but replied in a nod before dashing up the stairs in a few steps.
Though, when Kieran was about to push open the gate, the air whistle that sounded in his ears made him back away a few meters out of instinct.
A ck figure descended from the sky!
KABOOM!
Chapter 741 - Eliminate
Chapter 741: Eliminate
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
It sounded like a ton of explosives going off together, dust flew everywhere and clouded the area.
A full three to four secondster when the dust settled, the scene slowly revealed a morning star mace the size of a millstone, half of the mace had plunged into the ground.
Each sharp spike on the mace was as thick as an infants arm. While bathing under the sunlight, its re sent shivers down ones spine.
Knight Calga!
The remaining friars of Ourin cheered in joy after being beaten badly by Dandons forces with modern firearms.
Everyone on Dandons side suffered a change of expression but recovered from it soon enough because Dandon themselves had a knight now!
A knight with the inheritance skill of Griffin!
Sir 2567, please be careful...
Sister Liz Dandon wanted to warn Kieran but she was shocked by the following scene.
Kieran lifted one of his feet and stepped on the morning star mace.
The Dandons who had recovered to their normal face suffered another change of expression.
It was very well known that Ourins Knight Calgas strongest point was his strength.
Otherwise, he wouldnt have chosen a heavy morning star mace as his main weapon.
Now, Kieran wanted to have a test of strength with him?
As the thought rose in the hearts of the Dandons, it was followed by messy anxiety.
Calgas strength was too famous! To the point that even Liz, Grittel and Rayman who had decent trust in Kieran started to worry anxiously.
On the contrary, the remaining Ourins cheered even louder. They thought victory was around the corner.
Every one of the Ourins wanted to see that sinner being throw on the ground.
When Calga heard the voices of the friars, he sneered at Kierans overestimation of his own power on the roof of the church before pulling the thick iron chain curled around his arms.
After the unique clunking of the iron chain sounded, the whole chain was instantly straightened but...
The scene that the crowd anticipated didnt happen.
Kieran didnt get thrown on the ground, his body didnt even budge.
All he did was stare at the enemy above his head with a cool expression and size up the knight carefully.
On the other hand, the huge and buff Calga was in a tough spot.
His face didnt just flush, his neck swollen, veins had popped up on his forehead that was filled with sweat the size of peas. He even panted heavily after the pull like he was short of breath.
The straightened chain was producing heavy screeching sounds as well.
Anyone who saw the scene was certain that Calga was exerting his full strength and because of that, it was unbelievable.
Kierans strength suppressed Calga?
Kierans strength suppressed Calga!
Although Kierans strongest attribute was Spirit, his Strength wasnt weak, especially after he limit broke [Hand-to-hand Combat] and regained his Transcendence level, when Kieran fought with his legs and certain authentications urred, his disyed Strength was enough to change anyones look when they saw it.
Though, it wasnt the reason Kieran chose to fight the battle this way.
He possessed Agility that was on par with his Strength and against such an enemy who was obviously unskilled in speedbat, Kieran had a faster and more efficient way to deal with Calga.
But if he went that option, he couldnt disy how powerful he was.
Only with direct perceivable strength could he make the association pay attention to him.
It was necessary if he wanted to acquire a seat within the association as well.
Then, Kieran squinted his eyes and pressed his feet down further.
Gak Tsk Tsk!
The morning star mace kept sinking into the ground right away after Kierans step and Calga on the roof was pulled to a stagger, almost falling off the roof.
The Ourin friars werent willing to believe what they saw but the scene before their eyes forced them to ept the fact.
When the cheers from the Dandon friars echoed in their ears, all the remaining Ourin friars turned pale one after another as if Armageddon had arrived.
Sir 2567 is really strong! Sister Grittel said respectfully.
The others around her nodded simultaneously following her words.
For the Dandons, they admired the direct way ofpeting in strength.
So, when Calga hurled another morning star mace at Kieran, Sister Grittel started scolding Calga which was followed by simr actions from the other Dandons, stating that it was a shameless and despicable move.
The morning star mace on the other end of the chain was falling towards Kieran.
He fixed his gaze on it, calcting the distance beforeing in contact with the morning star mace, then heunched a kick at it.
Wung!
Everyone present at the scene had their jaws drop uncontrobly.
The fiercely thrown morning star mace obviously suffered a dy after Kierans kick at it and it flew back where it came from with even more speed.
BOOM!
A big part of Ourin Church was smashed away by the rebounding morning mace but that wasnt the end.
When the flying morning star mace had reached its maximum limit, because of the iron chains pulling, it started to fall backward, together with the chain.
The weight of the morning star mace pulled the special forged chain through the churchs front walls and main gate with crushing force, cutting it down.
Some others with sharper sights noticed the walls and gate had started to wobble.
You shall die!
Calga shouted loud as he jumped down from the roof andnded beside Kieran, pulling out his sword and thrust it at him.
As the Ourin Churchs knight, protecting his church from attacks was one of the most important duties and now his church had suffered such devastating damage. It infuriated the Ourin knight.
His rage made him anxious in cutting Kieran into minced meat, it also made him lose his calm and rightful judgment.
Calga swung his greatsword at Kieran with force fiercer than usual and what it weed was another bigger and heavier greatsword.
Wung!
Kieran gripped [Elmerius Sword] tightly and swung it at Calga in a circr motion.
He would never be this rash in his attack if he was facing other enemies but facing Calga with his lowered speed and enhanced strength, such an attack was very effective.
Calga didnt back off when he saw [Elmerius Sword] smashing at him.
BANG!
Calga was then sent flying into the church with his greatsword upon contact.
The already wobbling gate and walls crumbledpletely as Calga crashed through them.
Kabrooom!
The gate and walls were gone.
The crowd outside could see everything inside the church with a single nce.
They saw the sisters, fathers and deacons of Ourins. One of the fathers was still trembling as fear was evident on his face.
Especially when Kieran went forth, the fear resulted in despair.
How is this possible? How could the remains of Griffin be this strong? You cant kill me! I am Ourins...
The unsought confession was stopped abruptly.
[Elmerius Sword] whipped up a great wind, sweeping the father into another wall.
We will report your doings to the association! You people will be sanctioned! The Ourin deacon shouted with intimidating manner but actually weak at heart.
Sanction? You people wont have the chance. This is a Holy War! A Holy War waged against Ourins despicable assassination in thebined name of Dandon and Griffin!
Kill all of them! No one in Ourin lives!
Sister Dandon walked over and spilled that terrifying speech but all of Dandon thought it was natural.
A Holy War itself would only end when one side waspletely eliminated.
Kieran who knew the facts early on raised [Elmerius Sword] and swept it across the two high clergies of Ourin.
Momentster, two purple glow which only Kieran could see floated up from the two bodies.
Chapter 742 - Spoils of War
Chapter 742: Spoils of War
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Kieran picked up the two Special ranked skill books.
[Sharp Weapon, Special Heavy Arms]!
[Sharp Weapon, Dual Wield Heavy Arms]!
...
[Discovered skill book: Sharp Weapon, Special Heavy Arms]
[Detected skill Sharp Weapon, Heavy Arms, prerequisite met, learn?]
Yes!
Kieran gave a sure answer to the notification since he didnt mind making himself more well bnced in terms of strength.
[Skill learned, Sharp Weapon, Special Heavy Arms]
[Name: Sharp Weapon, Special Heavy Arms (Basic)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Offense]
[Effect: You know how to utilize specialized heavy arms such as a morning star to fight, increase damage by 10%]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Sharp Weapon, Heavy Arms]
[Remark: You only know the basic way of wielding special heavy arms.]
...
Simr to [Sharp Weapon, Special Heavy Arms], Kieran learned [Sharp Weapons, Dual Wield Heavy Arms] as well.
[Name: Sharp Weapon, Dual Wield Heavy Arms (Basic)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Offense]
[Effect: You know how to dual wield a set of heavy arms, Stamina consumption +150%, Agility -4]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Sharp Weapon, Heavy Arms]
[Remark: A fierce way of attacking will surely result in a higher consumption of stamina]
...
Not bad! Kieranmented on the two Special skills.
The former allowed him to have more choices in selecting weapons and thetter enriched his methods of fighting against his enemies.
Of course, that wasnt all of it.
The Ourin father and Calga each contributed a Rare rank equipment as well.
[Name: Ourins re]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attribute: 1.Ourins Coercion, 2. Ourins Sanction]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: Spirit A]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: This is a halfpleted legacy item but it didnt stop people from fearing it]
...
[Ourins Coercion: A single target within sight has to undergo a Spirit and Intuition authentication not lower than B. Target will suffer a Powerful mental attack when failed, 2/day]
[Ourins Sanction: After Ourcins Coercion is cast, when a second target is locked onto within 1 minute, Spirit and Intuition authentication will have to be higher than A.]
...
It was a blurry sculpture the size of a palm. Kieran then ced it into his bag.
Then, he headed towards thest Rare item at the scene.
Two giant morning star maces connected by the chain was glowing in orange.
[Name: Calgas Crush]
[Type: Weapon]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attack: Powerful]
[Attribute: 1. Calgas Strength, 2. Calgas Rage]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: Strength A+, Sharp Weapon, Special Heavy Arms (Master)]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: This is a weapon that was forged over a halfpleted legacy item. The forging was crude and only suited those with superhuman strength.
...
[Calgas Strength: Targets hit by the morning star will have to undergo a Strength authentication with the wielder. When the targets strength is lower than the wielder, the target will suffer a Strong power blow and increase Calgas Crush by 1]
[Calgas Rage: Hurl out the second morning star with raging power, the wielder will be grated +3 Strength buff during activation, 2/day]
...
The attributes revealed themselves when Kieran took up this special weapon.
Just like the description had mentioned, [Calgas Crush] was only suitable for those with immense strength and the stronger the wielder, the better it could be utilized.
Yet because of the limitations of the prerequisites, Kieran couldnt use it yet but it didnt stop him from taking it with him.
The friars of Dandon saw what Kieran did but none of them said anything.
To the Dandon Church who admired disys of strength, the rights to their respective spoils of war on the battlefield was sacred and invible, they wouldnt allow anyone else to have a hand in it. Moreover, other than Kieran, they couldnt think of a second candidate that could wield such an extravagant and heavy weapon within End City.
When Kieran hung the chain that tied the two morning stars together on his body, he felt his body sink down a little.
He still had [Elmerius Sword] on his back which was also heavy by itself.
After oveying the two weapons that required Kierans current maximum Strength value, although there wasnt any negative debuff, it consumed his Stamina quicker.
However, the others around him didnt know that. All they saw was Kieran easily pick up [Calgas Crush] and head towards Sister Liz quickly.
The cheers and praises sounded again, especially Sister Grittel who was behind Sister Liz, her eyes were emittingyers of unusual brilliance.
To the young sister who was deeply affected by Dandons creed, Kieran who disyed the grand and powerful feature of a man had an irresistible charm about him.
Sir 2567, as for the distribution of the rest of the spoils of war, Ill have the men deliver it to Augen Manor after calctions, Sister Liz said.
Sister Liz didnt notice her students changes after winning the Holy War once.
En. I hope well have a better and closer cooperation in the future!
Kieran nodded and stated a phrase with double meanings.
Of course! The elder sister nodded right away since she knew what Kieran was hinting at.
Both of them exchanged a tacit gaze before Kieran parted with them.
He wasnt worried about Dandon ying petty tricks on calcting the spoils of war.
Aside from the fact that Kieran and Dandon were on the same side now, bound together for the good and the bad, the most valuable items from Ourin were already on Kierans shoulders.
The Ourin Church didnt have the so-called legacy or inheritance skills because they were different from the other churches who existed before the three great wars. Ourin only came into the scene at the end of the war era.
The reason Ourin was established was due to the courageous acts and power of the Ourin Knight back in the day plus they were also one of the means for the Saint Relic Association to counter Elder Council.
He had to admit such means were very effective.
At least, following the rise of some new churches, the Saint Relic Association slowly repealed their disadvantages on the battlefield and gained a seemingly satisfactory result.
It was because Kieran understood that part of the history, it gave birth to the thought of rebuilding the Griffin Church and using it to enter the Saint Relic Association to get greater benefits for himself.
After all, since the association hadpromised once before, there ought to be a second time.
Especially now where all the Twenty Hounds of the Elder Council had gathered in End City.
Still, the reaction time from the association still surprised Kieran.
Chapter 743 - Burden
Chapter 743: Burden
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
That evening, when the sun had set, Sister Grittel brought the secret letter from the Saint Relic Association with her to Augen Manor for a visit.
While Chelsea led Sister Grittel in, the sister saw Kieran who was running in circles with [Elmerius Sword], [Calgas Crush] and other sorts of heavy items on him.
He was said to be running but more precisely, he was walking swiftly but each step he took, the firm ground would tremble slightly.
Bang Bang Bang!
The series of heavy steps made Sister Grittel who upheld power emanated shine in her eyes and her face was filled with respect.
As expected, all kinds of strength has hardship behind the scenes that others dont know of!
Sister Grittel gasped in admiration.
Chelsea beside her didnt refute her words. As Anne Aldrich Augens secretary, Chelsea knew more than others.
She was perfectly clear as she recalled how many times a fight had broken out inside the space, how many times she felt the hard whistle that numbed her scalp and suffocated her before this secret spot was rebuilt.
Of course, she had a deep reverence for those who could cause such whistles.
Bothdies who showed simr but different emotions at Kieran silently watched him walk over from across the room along the side of the wall.
Bang!
When Kieranid down the weight from his body to the ground, both thedies felt fiercer trembles from under their feet.
Both of their expressions changed at once, Sister Grittels admiration became denser and Chelseas reverence became thicker.
Sir 2567, this is the secret letter from the association. Actually, teacher should the be one delivering this to you personally but with the sorts and counts in addition to dealing with the aftermath of Ourins incident, she has her hands tied at the moment, please excuse her.
The young sister then handed a goatskin scroll respectfully to Kieran after she exined.
Because of the extreme consumption of his Stamina, Kieran panted ceaselessly and only nodded at her before opening the scroll straightaway.
Kieran quickly nced over the words and the six different seals with a unique presence respectively.
The letter generally had two meanings to it.
First, the association had recognized Kierans identity as the Griffin Churchs knight and weed Griffins return to the table.
Second, they hoped Dandon and Griffin would work together and locate the person responsible for the fruit of Yggdrasils theft.
Understood. Pass my greetings to Sister Liz, Kieran raised his head to the young sister and said.
Then, before waiting for Sister Grittels reply, Kieran ced the scroll aside, putting on the weight on him again and continued his circr running.
Sister Grittel didnt show any dissatisfaction.
She bent down and bowed at Kieran before Chelsea led her out of the manor.
When the two of them left, Anne Aldrich Augen with a wine ss in her hand came in.
She picked up the scroll and couldnt hold her sneeringughs after she read it.
The association really knows how to put out some good words! Anne Aldrich Augenmented but theughs she mixed with herment made itpletely unreliable.
They are only worried about this being a lie. The one I asked you to keep an eye on, anything on him?
Kieran didnt pause his steps because of the reply. He tried his best in maintaining steady breaths while asking Anne Aldrich Augen.
Nope. Within the area that I can reach for investigation, there isnt someone or some forces that fit your requirement. Although they are quite interested in the Winchester Houses explosion, most of it was because of the fruit of Yggdrasil and not other people or you, Mr. Memory Loss Knight. Anne Aldrich Augen shook her head.
After a slight pause, she spoke again, Isnt losing your memory a good thing? Forgetting what you did in the past, whether happy or sad, you have the chance to restart your life. From my point of view, its quite a decent chance.
As she spoke, Anne Aldrich Augen went beside Kierans side, walking beside him side-by-side.
Everyone has their own persistence and choices. Just like now, Im running around with weights looking ridiculous and ugly but you with the wine ss is walking elegantly, Kieran answered.
Different persistence and choices sometimes reach the same goals just with different means. You and your weights look ridiculous and ugly, however, you are disying overwhelming power and attracting me who is walking elegantly... Isnt this amazing?
Anne Aldrich Augen tilted her head and looked at Kieran seriously.
Kieran frowned, he knew thedy before him had started to return to her old habits again.
Though he had quite the experience in handling her.
But before he spoke, Anne Aldrich Augen ced her hand on his face.
It was not that Kieran didnt want to evade but the weight on him plus the extreme consumption of his Stamina forbade him from performing any effective evasion.
Although he had the intention, the oue couldnt change.
When Anne Aldrich Augen noticed Kierans awkward position, her hand became bolder.
Her fingers were slim, long and fair, as she wanted to move down along Kierans body with her chilly touches, her movements stopped abruptly.
Kieran had removed the weight on him.
What a wonderful day today is!
Anne Aldrich Augen ran outside with a series of charmingughs.
Crazy woman! Kieranmented.
He ced the half removed weight on him again, resuming his circr run. He discarded the malicious prank of Anne Aldrich Augen out of his mind almost instantaneously.
It wasnt that Kieran had any kinds of fetish in torturing himself but earlier today when he put on [Calgas Crush] on his body, the feeling of reaching his Strengths limit and consuming his Stamina in great extent struck an idea in his mind.
Could he use the weight to limit break his Strengths restriction?
As the thought popped up and after some thoughts about it, Kieran believed it was doable.
Kieran was eager to limit break his attribute, he was bogged down in a weird cycle as if he never noticed the clue despite it being so close to him and now after getting an inkling, he couldnt wait anymore.
Moreover, his time was running out if he continued on with his n.
No! The weight is not enough! My speed is still too slow!
After another round, Kieran went beside and added more weight to his body.
The disks as big as a cars tire were added onto his body one after another and when Kieran started to feel extremely strenuous plus the appearance of the Overweight debuff, he stopped adding the disks.
Kierans figure at that time had beenpletely covered as if he was a small mountain on the spot.
When Kieran resumed his course, the firm ground didnt only tremble, small cracks started to appear all over as well.
Chapter 744 - Limit Break
Chapter 744: Limit Break
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
One round!
Two rounds!
Three Rounds!
....
Sweat was pouring down and Kieran who was panting like an ox was getting slower and slower yet he didnt stop.
The stubbornness in his bones wouldnt allow him to stop, let alone give up.
Even if his Stamina was drained, he would move slowly, step by step.
Seconds turned into minutes, minutes turned into hours.
When the first light of dawn shone in through the seam of the window and struck Kierans face, he waspletely relying on his willpower to hold himself together, his eyes were almost out of focus yet he was still moving his steps one by one as if it was his bodys instinct. He was also relying on [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] to fix his breath at a steady rate.
During normal times, it would be an easy feat but at that particr moment, it wasnt so easy anymore.
The extreme consumption of Stamina and Spirit failed him thrice after the numerous attempts.
Moreover, because of his attempts, it staggered his moving body but just as he would never stop moving, he would never stop trying with the skill.
Attempts after attempts.
It wasnt until the 17th time that Kieran finally regted his breath into [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art]s method.
Dong, Dong, Dong!
The heart which was filled with Dawn Force had started to beat vigorously. Kierans withered body was like and suffering from a long drought that had weed the rain from the sky and started to recover at an unimaginable speed.
Not only did he recover his Stamina, but his Strength had also undergone a drastic change as well.
The changes hastened Kierans steps which had been moving slowly, bing faster and faster.
He started to walk fast, then it improved into a slow jog and eventually turned into a full sprint.
System notifications then popped up in Kierans vision.
[Limit break Strength and Constitution...]
[Strength and Constitution -3 debuffs removed!]
[Strength and Constitution original limit state increased by 1!]
[Strength SS- rank!]
[Constitution SS- rank!]
From the A+ rank with the limit to recovering his original maximum rank and the continued breaking of his base state, Strength and Constitution had disyed their new ranks but a more obvious effect was on Kierans body itself.
The weight that almost crushed him a moment ago became nothing worth mentioning.
His exhausted and tired state had gone away and he was brimming with energy like a lively dragon or an active tiger.
Suddenly, Kieran straightened his body and tightened all of his muscles.
A strong wind was sted out from his body and swept out around him.
Pak Pak Pak!
The ropes that strapped the weight to him were snapped by the sudden actions one after another but there wasnt a loud messy noise of the heavy-weights falling on the ground.
The moment the heavy disk weights fell off his body, Kierans hand quickly caught all the falling disks producing a series of afterimages throughout his movements.
He then ced the disks on the floor and throughout the process, not a single noise was made as his actions were very soft.
Kierans face, however, wasnt giving out any extra expressions, while he maintained his habitual calmness, a big part of him was thinking deeply.
Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art... He muttered softly.
Kieran had always thought highly of his core skill and during normal times, he would purposely train it and try to excavate more secrets from it but the scene that just happened told him that he still hadnt really understood the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] well enough.
Despite him having theplete exercise and training methods of the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] in his mind and ess to Dawn Force.
Kieran somehow thought of the old knight Guntherson.
At that instance, Kieran was very eager to go back inside [The Failed Great Detective] to ask Guntherson everything he knew about the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] but he knew it wasnt possible.
Without reaching the required ratings to activate the special dungeon, one could never return to an old dungeon.
While feeling the beats of his heart that housed Dawn Force, Kieran sighed softly before quickly putting away his negative emotions and cing his focus on limit breaking his attributes.
Theres another day left? Itll be enough!
Kieran saw the sun that rose up again and turned over to the spot where he ced the disks.
He needed more weight now!
Limit breaking Strength and Constitution wouldnt be enough to satisfy him.
Getting either Agility, Spirit, or Intuition limit broken was Kierans current goal after he had found the correct way, at least he had quite the confidence in limit breaking Agility.
...
The night descended again as promised.
End City rapidly quieted down.
Even those who were reluctant to part with their night lives went home early, including those who lingered in the streets.
The recent nights in End City were too dangerous!
Despite the newspaper and televisions not making any announcements, for those people who had their own channels, it wasnt hard for them to find out what happened.
Hundreds died in a certain city block.
A couple nightclubs including the bouncers were all killed silently.
Some ignorant fools provoked someone they couldnt handle and were dismembered on the scene.
Any one of those pieces of news was enough to strike fear in peoples heart, it had be the conversation topic of the people who knew what happened for quite some time, let alone all them urring in the span of a couple days and happening in swift session.
Even those gang members who imed to be dauntless against the heavens and earth had smartly chosen to temporarily avoid causing trouble.
It made the mystics actions even bolder.
They shuttled through the citys alleys and streets using the shadows, running across walls and flying across roofs.
They used the little bit of information they had gotten to lock down on the suspicious ones.
Most were groundless statements but who could resist the temptation of bing a God?
Any slight line of hope was still hope!
Though some of them had doubts and hesitation in their hearts, such as the Twenty Hounds.
Mnie was strolling around in the room of the mansion under the councils list of properties.
Her tinum hair waved left and right as she moved around, the slight fluttering captured the eyes of the new Hound.
Jarles, if you stare at me again, Ill dig your eyes out! Mnie said coldly.
Im just... Fine, fine, I promise!
Jarles wanted to exin himself but when he felt the cold chilly aura, he quicklypromised but he didnt stop talking.
The new Hounds eyes were spinning around, ncing over the other Hounds in the room before saying, Weve locked down the entire End City but still cant seem to locate the guy. Maybe that guy has left End City in ways that we dont know of, or... Mnie, has your informant misguided you?
The words of suspicious and jealousy attracted the attention of all the present Hounds.
The words of the new Hound immediately became ambiguous.
Ive heard news of that Mr. 2567 single-handedly taking out the entire Ourin Church, Tsk! How brave and fierce of him! Jarles emphasized on the pronunciation of brave and fierce.
Right away, the other Hounds who guessed the meaning in his words started tough in malefic ways.
Mnie, your judgment has made you unfit as the Head Hound!
Yeah, it would get out of hand once the bitch is in estrus.
I think we should elect a better Head Hound!
Vulgar words were uttered relentlessly, none of them were cautious about the killing intent that branched out from her cold aura.
Or rather, it was because they felt the killing intent, they acted recklessly and uttered such words without concern because it wont be them who would end up dead but the new Hound who didnt understand the rules.
There werent rules within the Twenty Hounds in helping out the newbie.
All of the Hounds only upheld a single rule: devouring others to strengthen themselves.
Mnies hand was on her sword hilt.
Jarles seemed to notice the situation had gone south, he started to back off step by step but his retreat was blocked by the other Hounds.
Each one of the Hounds were looking at Jarles with gazes of schadenfreude.
I...
Jarles wanted to exin again but his words stopped abruptly as it escaped his mouth.
A keen aura as if it was tearing apart the sky exploded.
Not from Mnies sword as the keen aura has far exceeded the Head Hounds level, it even felt like it shouldnt exist within the mortal realm!
At that very instant, all the Hounds inside the room changed their expression, all of them then dashed toward the ce where the keen aura came from without hesitation.
Chapter 745 - Near
Chapter 745: Near
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Inside a certain part of the abandoned sewer under End City, Mnies already cold face waspletely frozen at that moment.
It even felt like even the temperature around her had dropped quite a bit.
It made the other Hounds unconsciously draw distance from her while Mnie herself stared at the magic circle on the ground.
The base of the magic circle was a hexagram, then two circles both big and small formed the advanced cement beside the hexagram on the left and right respectively.
Some small holes were present in all six edges of the hexagram and inside the big and small circles had traces of items being ced on it.
Although the knowledge that Mnie mastered couldnt allow her topletely dissect this magic circle, based on what she saw and the power of the lingering aura, she was sure that someone had performed a conversion process here.
Converting the fruit of Yggdrasil into ones own strength!
Tell me, who is responsible for this block? Mnie asked with each and every word being enunciated.
Its Jarles! One of the Hound uttered the new Hounds name without hesitation.
Hey man, this isnt my fault. The map that I got wasnt the older version of End City! This ce has been abandoned for over 70 to 80 years, who knew that guy could find this ce! Jarles exined again and again.
However, Mnie and the other Hounds wouldnt ept his exnation.
They looked at the new guy with fierce gazes, ready to throw themselves at him, tearing him apart and split his possessions.
Jarles as the new Hound had quite a few decent items on him other than his own strength.
Many other Hounds started to approach him slowly.
The new Hound was in a tight spot.
Right at the next moment, a series of footsteps sounded.
The footsteps sounded in unison but were messy when heard together.
A team of thirty men appeared at the end of the tunnel and behind the group of men was a noisy crowd.
The Hounds instantly gave up their thoughts of ganging up on the new guy when they saw the group of thirty. They stood together in formation and looked across with heavy expressions.
As for the noisy crowd behind the thirty, the Hounds didnt even spare a nce but it didnt mean the crowd would stay back honestly.
Look, there!
Its really the Twenty Hounds!
The Twenty Hounds of the Elder Council and the knights from the Saint Relic Association, we are in for a good showdown!
Whispers of excitement and taking pleasure from the misfortunate encounter sounded from the crowd but more of them ced their eyes on the magic circle on the ground.
Then, some of them with better knowledge started to look upset, so did the Knights of the association.
Garcia, Jerad, Gryfen, Leslie, Quake, Eder, the six major churches of the Saint Relic Association, what are you people upset about? Mnies clear voice was filled with sneers.
Just some little things...pared to whats between us!
The knight standing in the front row said.
His voice was sonorous and sounded like thunder to the ears, not only did his voice suppress the mor behind him, it shook quite a number of people and made them fall on the ground as if they were drunk.
His voice also acted as a signal ofmand, the thirty knights including him then charged towards the Twenty Hounds directly.
As mortal enemies, the Saint Relic Association and the Elder Council had no need for idle chatter.
A battle would be the only interaction between them and it wouldst for eternity.
All sorts of churches inheritance skills shone amidst the group of knights and merged in unison, causing changes that astonished ones eyes.
The mystics behind the Knights opened their eyes wide at figures of illusive men descending from the sky one after another, opening their arms, staring down at their enemies or chanting loudly.
Then, ayer of dazzling brilliance clouded the entire team.
Each of the knights became stronger and fiercer, their aura was sharper and heavier under the brilliance.
Even if the mystics were quite far away from the knights, they could felt the overflowing energy from the knights.
Thats Garcia!
Thats Gryfen and thats Leslie!
And that, thats Eder!
This... This is the Gods Descent!
The voices sounded one after another and eventually, it could all be summed up into a single phrase.
The mystics had fear and anxiety all over their faces.
After all, it was very pressuring when the several founders of the churches that had God-like powers were mentioned, especially some of them who had done something guilty, they even started to back off instinctively.
In this dungeon world, there were rumors of divine beings who came down and sanctioned sinners.
However, after a mere step backing off, the mystics realized the entrance they came through had been sealed off without them knowing.
An area of ck mist blocked the tunnel as if it was it had truly materialized, not only blocking the mystics retreat but also plunging them into a puddle of mud, immobilizing them.
The more terrifying thing was, the ck mist was wriggling forward, devouring each and every mystic that stood in its way.
Each time it took on a mystic, that man would cry out in agonizing pain, followed by peeling skin and bleeding organs, turning into a pile of bones in the end.
But, the bones didnt die! It used its deep eye sockets to stare into the others who were still standing there a while ago.
Although the skeletons were without eyeballs, all of the others still quivered when being stared down. It was fear on a much deeper level.
What is this?
Damn it!
Go away!
...
Fear made those mystics who came for a possible gains curse out loud.
They were struggling hard, trying to get away from the ck mist but their efforts were futile.
On the contrary, it only hastened their deaths.
Help me!
Please, help me!
Help me!
Cries for help sounded relentless but for those charging knights, the opponents in front of them were more important than saving those avaricious men.
The ridiculing gaze in Mnies eyes was getting denser as she controlled the item in her hand.
Everything was as her expectations.
Those mystics who discovered the real thoughts of the knights cursed again, against the danger of dying, it made the men throw their reverence to the association behind them.
You bastards fishing for fame and credit!
Is that the path of a knight that you bastards uphold so dearly?
You people will die a horrible death!
...
Such cursing filled the entire sewer tunnel but at the next moment, it stopped abruptly.
Pirs of emerald fire burst out from the mystics eyes, ears, nostrils, and mouths.
The emerald fire then gathered up quickly, and charged towards the illusive figures above the knights with all the negative emotions towards the Saint Relic Association.
The illusive figures with slight holy brilliance were instantly engulfed by the special me.
The brilliance that shed its light on the knights started to dim but the more terrifying thing was the skeletons behind!
As the ck mist rumbled behind, all the skeletons merged into a giant skeleton palm.
The skeleton palm then clenched into a fist and smashed towards the knights who were entangled by the mes with a loud bang.
BANG!
As the brilliance wobbled, it grew dimmer.
The Hounds on the other side let out series of viciousughs. They were anticipating the next scene that will happen.
So, none of them saw or even noticed that the new Hound Jarles was slowly shifting his steps, quietly approaching Mnie.
Chapter 746 - Messing Up The Scene
Chapter 746: Messing Up The Scene
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
As Jarles was closing on to Mnie silently, his eyes were shining with a dangerous re.
Suddenly, Jarles drew the sword from his waist and struck Mnie brazenly.
Jarles has been regting his breath and adjusting his posture so the sudden attack had speed and power that far exceeded his normal attack but... it missed.
Mnie slightly moved her herself away when the sword almost struck her as if she had seen iting.
Jarles sword grazed Mnies body and Mnies swordnded on his neck instead.
Wung!
Wails of the dead sounded from her sword and it caused Jarles to change his expression several times before cooperatively raised his hands up.
As expected...
Buk!
Just as Mnie wanted to utter something and before the words truly came out from her mouth, a sword perforated her chest!
Mnie looked down at the sword tip tainted with her blood before turning around and saw the other Hound who ambushed her.
It was an old and withered man covered by a ck robe.
Ettergran?
Mnie was shocked as if she didnt believe the man would ambush her.
Thats right, Its Ettergran, the most experienced and the fiercest Hound! Of course, it is far more than both of us here! Jarles said.
As Jarles words subsided, two more Hound among the group dished out lethal attacks to the others beside them before swiftly approached the old Hounds side.
Soon, the three of them formed a counter-formation, preventing the other Hounds from attacking them. At the same time, Jarles jumped at Mnie.
Jarles knew clearly that his priority was to seize the item in Mnies hand, otherwise, the Knights of the Saint Relic Association would all perish.
Jarles snatched the tool from Mnies hand easily but the moment he had gotten his hands on the tool, his face changed.
The young Hound wanted to throw the item away without even thinking but it was a little toote.
KABOOM!
An explosion went off on Jarless hand, sting him to bits instantly.
*Cough* Cough* Cough*
Do you really think Id put such an important item within everyones sights?
Mnie coughed a few times, she turned to Ettergran and the two others without even ncing at Jarless remains,ughing coldly.
Id never thought it would be you! The elders had noticed an invisible spy around us a while ago. Weve suspected countless people but the spy hid deep enough and only with special means could we lure him out.
So you suggested this entire n? Not only using yourself as a lure but allowing the elders to create this thing with theirbined powers? Ettergran sighed before asking.
Its just a coincidence in timing, the appearance of the Yggdrasil fruit made me think it was a good chance, so those disgusting hypocrites would surely appear! Look, everything is just as expected!
Mnie tended to her wound as she spoke.
Her tone sounded t, there wasnt any delight in it as if everything was natural and right.
Though her righteousness would agitate others better than her delights.
One of the Hounds beside Ettergran said loudly, Mnie, you think youve won?
What else? Mnie replied with a question.
Open your eyes wide and take a good look! The traitorous Hound yelled out
I am waiting for it, Mnie said calmly.
Wung!
A sudden buzz sounded.
Formless soundwaves spread in all directions and scattered the mes formed by the negative emotions towards the Saint Relic Association away.
In particr, the giant skeleton w vanished with the soundwaves.
The six illusive figures engulfed in mes were released and revealed themselves again.
They were still hovering above the knights heads, the brilliance around them had gotten more dazzling and eye-catching.
The auras of the knights then grew stronger from the release.
See that? The power of Gods Descent is beyond what your kind canprehend, youd never understand true power while youre stuck yourself at your current level! The traitorous Hound said in delight.
Oh, so this is the reason you were bought over? Mnie nodded her head, maintaining her expression.
It made the traitorous Hound suffer a dy in his reaction, a terrible feeling rose up from his heart.
Until now, you are still pretending? The traitorous Hound shouted even louder, as though he could repel the unsettling feeling but in fact, he couldnt.
Not only that it didnt help his situation, but it also increased his anxiety instead. The traitorous Hound felt like he had missed something.
While Ettergran figured it out and suddenly turned to the association knights.
The knights were being too quiet, to the point that it wasnt normal!
The other two traitorous Hounds instantly realized something when they saw Ettergrans movement.
The three of them widened their eyes at the knights of the association and saw several of them had bloodthirsty smiles on their faces.
The bloody thirsty knights then walked towards the immobilized knights like butchers.
Its impossible! Ettergran shouted out with a look of disbelief.
Not only do I know how powerful the God Descent skill is but I know its weakness as well because someone told me everything about the so-call God Descent
Ettergran, how naive are you to think that the Saint Relic Association now is still the same as when it first formed? Power and authority is a poison that can corrupt mens hearts! The association is no exception either, in fact, it is even more thorough because they assumed they won the battle against usst time! And, youve forgotten an important thing, buying out peoples heart and plotting betrayal is our forte!
Mnie looked at the betrayed trio in pity, waving her hand at the other hounds.
The ughter had begun.
Even if Ettergran was the most experienced and fiercest Hound, the oue would be the same when he faced ten other opponents of his level.
The other two traitors wanted to surrender but they were sliced into meat paste under Mnies re.
They had a much harsher fate than those immobilized knights like sheep waiting to be ughtered.
At least, the knights only had their heads separated from their bodies.
Puk! Puk! Puk!
Head after head was chopped down, streams and streams of blood burst out from their necks, bleeding into a river.
The knights were decreasing in number. The scale of victorypletely leaned towards the Hounds.
The Hounds and the traitorous Knights thought they had this unprecedented victory in the bag, no one expected idents to happen anymore.
Therefore, when a giant morning star mace fell from the sky, crashing through the roof of the sewer tunnel, all of them were in shock.
2567!
Mnie shouted the name instinctively after being stunned.
Then, the Head Hound was overflowing with killing intent.
Chapter 747 - You Shall Not Pass!
Chapter 747: You Shall Not Pass!
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The morning star [Calgas Crush] had quite a reputation in End City, especially when the Ourin Church was just annihted.
The death of its original owner elevated its reputation even further because its new owner was Kieran.
The young man who recently shook the entire End City, iming that he had gotten the inheritance of the Griffin Church and almost wiped out the entire Ourin Church single-handedly.
So, when [Calgas Crush] appeared, the well-informed Hounds knew who came.
Though, most of the Hounds were still focusing on their old opponents, the Knights who were freed from the bindings, but not all of them.
The four traitorous knights swiftly retreated and joined the Hounds side.
They nced over at the three remaining Knights with mocking gazes before turning to the figure who jumped through the breach on the top with angry eyes. They couldnt help but lift their mouths to help form vicious grins.
For the four traitorous knights, their mission had already ended at that moment.
Despite the fact that they couldnt exterminate the entire roster of the association knights, whenpared to the previous numbers, the three surviving knights were as good as dead.
However, the true extermination and almost exterminated had a difference, not only in terms of reputation but also in their rewards.
Once the traitorous knights thought about their rewards from the elders being discounted because of Kieran barging into the scene, their hearts were filled with killing intent towards Kieran.
Though, someone elses killing intent was stronger than all four of thembined.
Mnies aura had dropped colder when she saw Kieran barging in unannounced.
2567, do you have a death wish? Or do you think I wont dare to kill you? She shouted.
Of course not! Kieran shook his head.
He would never doubt her killing intent for him, just like he would never doubt the notorious Twenty Hounds of the Elder Council.
Mnie and the so-called observer was different.
Most of the time, the observers were nobodies but Mnie?
The countless streams of blood and bodies behind her trail already informed the others on how they should behave before such a terrifying woman.
However, such a person put up a gracious face most of the time when she faced Kieran.
Kierans vignt nature had no choice but to doubt Mnies purpose.
In fact, when Mnie decided to show up in that intriguing time and ce, she had filled Kierans heart with doubts.
The Head Hound of the Elder Council would appear inside a branch church of the Sant Relic Association just to meet a person that would be invited to join the Hounds?
Coincidentally, this Head Hound had just dragged the leads of the mythical and legendary items into the situation.
Judging frommon sense, whether the leads were true or false, a brutal interrogation or ughtering would ur yet Mnie didnt do anything.
Not only did she not do anything, but she also gave up after Kieran showed a little deterring force and even tolerated Kieran time after time.
If the way Mnie acted was without an ulterior goal, Kieran would be the first to doubt it.
As for the possibility of Mnie falling for Kieran at first sight or was fond of him, Kieran wouldnt mind thinking of it if he had a handsome charming face that could woo hundreds of girls.
But without such given circumstances, Kieran could try to guess her real purpose and it wasnt all that hard.
Who were the enemies of the Elder Council?
The Saint Relic Association!
Especially when an opportunity that could attract both sides to a single ce, her goal was very obvious.
Not only did Mnie want the non-existent Yggdrasil fruit, but she also wanted to set up the association along with it as well.
Of course, the Saint Relic Association thought simrly as well.
Kieran who had been observing all along on the sides was clear about the methods both sides used.
Both sides sent spies to infiltrate each other and didnt even care about others dying.
This allowed Kieran to have a more directive perception of both organizations.
Therefore, he didnt walk over to the three remaining knights that he had just saved but stood under the breach on the roof where [Calgas Crush] had broken through.
A spot right in the middle of both parties, neither close the knights nor the Hounds.
The spot in the middle felt like it was stating Kierans n that he had all along, though right now, the n had to change.
The Knights of the Saint Relic Association had died in arge number. It was a definite urrence after Kieran had realized Mnies n and didnt put a stop to it.
Kieran did not wish to see a powerful Saint Relic Association and likewise for the Elder Council as well.
Kieran was happy to see both sides maintaining a simr level of power and if both sides could suffer an even greater loss, it would be even more in Kierans favor.
Why would the Yggdrasil fruit appear in the first ce?
Other than attracting the attention of the organization that Kieran couldnt openly investigate, wasnt it to provoke the council and the association into a fight like this,pletely messing up the situation so that it would increase the sess rate ofpleting his main mission?
Now was the chance!
While the Knights of the association had been crippled, they would have scruples to face the councils Hounds in their prime but what if the councils Hounds were crippled too?
Both sides were mortal enemies from the start, adding up the new grudges onto the old hatred, it would be almost certain that a new war would break out.
As long as Kieran could cripple the Hounds forces...
Huu!
Kieran took a deep breath as he turned to the Hounds and stuck his back to the knights.
The three of you, leave now! he said.
He wasnt loud but was enough for everyone to hear it clearly.
All the others were instantly stunned, the Hounds and the Knights, all eyes were looking at Kieran in shock and astonishment.
None of them dared to believe what Kieran had just uttered.
The Hounds started to sneer and mock him while the Knights were grateful for his courageous act.
No, we can fight together!
The female knight of the three said out loud instinctively, followed by herrades nods. They reached out to their weapons and wanted to stand with Kieran.
Stop! Kieran halted them.
He didnt turn back but slowed down his tone and said, You need to deliver the message to the higher ranks of the association of what happened here. The incident today was what your enemies had been plotted for a long time, other than the enemies before your eyes, there are still a lot of the Elder Councils men out there. So, I need you three tobine your efforts, break through the encirclement and bring the message out.
The grateful knights were instantly moved when they heard what Kieran said.
Regardless of how much more men were waiting for them outside, which one of them wasparable to the Twenty Hounds?
The Knights stared at Kierans back and felt an unknown brilliance shining on the young mans body that they had just met.
It was the brilliance that the Knights had started to forget.
Sir 2567...
Leave now! It is the time to settle the score between Griffin Church and the Twenty Hounds, none will interfere!
The female Knights words were interrupted by Kierans angry growl but none of the three knights were displeased by the loud words.
They stared at Kierans back, swiftly lined up in a row and saluted with a Knights salutation at Kieran together before turning away and running outside.
Stop right there!
A couple of Hounds growled and wanted to give chase but were forced back when [Calgas Crush] roared past them.
You. Shall. Not. Pass!
Kieran uttered each and every word clearly while wielding a morning star in each of his hands.
Chapter 748 - Wrong Estimation
Chapter 748: Wrong Estimation
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Kill him! Mnie shouted.
The four traitorous knights dashed out first, taking the lead.
Not just because of the rage at Kieran who messed up the situation, but they wanted to prove themselves as well.
Several Hounds were defeated by Kieran and now if they could take out Kieran, they would eventually gain recognition from the elders.
Perhaps they might even getpensation for the discounted rewards from before.
As for the elders not being at the scene and unable to see what they achieved, anyone from Elder Council knew the elders gaze existed everywhere.
Kieran lifted up one morning star and hurled it out like a shot put.
Wung!
Amid the numbing whistle, the morning star flew straight towards the four traitorous knights but it was easily dodged.
The sewer tunnel was built after the three wars and because of the workmanship and technology level which obviously taken references from the traditional way of building, it was narrow and suffocating, but it was still enough for several men walking through it side-by-side.
Therefore, it was very easy for the four traitorous knights to dodge a millstone-sized morning star mace.
In fact, when the four of them saw the morning star was hurled at them, they didnt only dodge it easily but also counterattacked.
They split up in two groups and headed towards both sides of the wall while the morning star flew through in a straight line. They then tapped on the walls with tacit movements, charging up their speed as they continued dashing towards Kieran.
This kind of straight line attack is no different than what that idiot Calga used to do! You shall di...
The traitor knights mored arrogantly but before the words could finish, it was stopped abruptly because other than a big swords box, they didnt see Kierans figure.
He was right there a moment ago!
Could it be?
The four of them were stunned for a while before subconsciously realizing something yet it was already toote.
Kieran who hid behind the flying morning star then dished out a series of kicks at them, engulfing thempletely.
Bang, Bang, Bang!
Layers of afterimages ovepped with each other, producing heavy kicking noises.
The four traitorous knights were sent flying away, crashing into both sides of the wall under Kierans kicks.
As their bodies were embedded on the wall, four green glows floated up on their bodies but Kieran didnt care about it now.
He slightly took a step back.
Bang!
The Hound who jumped out from the shadows to deliver a fatal strike to Kierans throat was hit on his chest by Kierans shoulder as he was raising up his dagger.
As the bone breaking noises sounded, the Hound was sent flying without any signs of life.
In all but a mere moment, five of them died!
Arrogant idiots! Mnie didnt even spare a nce at them.
The Hounds had no empathy for the losers and the rest of the Hounds didnt fall into fear but instead were stimted one after another.
However, before the Hounds could strike, Kieran quickly reached out to the fly morning stars chain, grabbing it tightly with his palm and swung it left and right fiercely with vigorous movements from his arm.
Wung! Bang Bang Bang!
Following the chains movement, the morning star became a dancing giant hammer, smashing everywhere inside the sewer tunnel.
Debris flew and dust clouded the area.
After an instant, the whole sewer tunnel was filled with a gray dust storm, blocking everyones sight.
2567, so this is the trick youvee up with? Do you really think some petty dust can block our sights? Mnie said while standing in the middle of the dust storm.
She didnt even mind exposing her position as well because, since the beginning, she didnt even move.
She hoped that Kieran would have gone after her instead because if he did, he would be dead.
However, Kieran didnt make any movements at all, aside fromunching an attack at Mnie, even his breath had disappeared as if he had vanished into thin air.
I didnt expect this 2567, you too possess such a decent hiding skill! Shouldnt a real Knight show disdain towards learning such a technique?
Mnies words didnt stop there. While she was provoking Kieran, she gavemands to the other Hounds in their secretive means.
Seal the tunnel and ambush him.
Mnie wasnt worried about the battle with Kieran, she was worried that Kieran would escape.
As for the words that Kieran uttered before, settling the score between the Griffins and Hounds, no one shall interfere or something like that, Mnie didnt buy any of that.
The modern Knights may be as strong as the war era but their moral character was something not too praiseworthy.
The modern Knights resistance against all sorts of technological advancements and temptations was not too strongpared to others and might be even less thanmon men.
After all, the Knights possessed powers thatmon men didnt.
As one of the Hounds from the council and their old rival, Mnie was very clear about the Knights changes, otherwise, she couldnt have incited defection into the four knights in joining her side.
So, from Mnies point of view, Kieran was just saying something courteous.
Especially when Kieran had gotten decent battle results, if he was able to choose to retreat in dignity, he would.
Do you think you can really escape? Mnie said as sheughed coldly in her heart.
Then, she heard a series of unusual noises.
They were soft, on and off cutting noises. Mnie wasnt a stranger to those noises. When she would slice someones throat, their neck would give out the same noises as well.
Did we get him? Mnie was stunned.
It was much easier than she had expected and things being too easy would always be an unsettling thought in peoples heart.
Mnie was ready to ask her Hounds but before she opened her mouth, Kierans voice entered her ears.
Sixth!
Souuu!
As his voice sounded, it was followed by the air breaking sound of an arrow tearing down space, then followed by another series of cutting noises.
Seventh! Kierans voice sounded again but this time, none of the Hounds attacked anymore.
After losing two Hounds in session, it was enough for the others to react to the situation.
Kieran was not only skilled in hiding techniques, but he also excelled in it, even more so than all of the Hounds!
If back in the day, when someone would say the Knights of Saint Relic Association had a more excellent [Undercover] skill than the Hounds of Elder Council, it would only attract hysteric reactions from others.
Now, however, the remaining Hounds couldnt evenugh.
None of them would joke with their own lives, themon men wouldnt and even more so for the Hounds.
The Hounds scanned their surroundings in rm, quietly waiting for the dust to settle down.
Though there was an exception, Mnie.
She didnt think she had guessed wrongly but only slightly underestimated Kierans calctions.
Now, Kieran would certainly leave the sewer along the tunnel pass!
With such a thought in her head, Mnie gave out secretmands to the other Hounds again, then...
Eighth! The calm voice sounded again.
Chapter 749 - Crippled
Chapter 749: Crippled
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The calm voice sounded like the arctic wind from the far north, causing chills amongst Hounds when they heard it.
As theirrades died off one by one without a single sound, it finally made the notorious Hounds feel a sense of fear.
When the voice sounded again and again, it increased the fear endlessly.
Ninth!
Tenth!
After two more bodies fell to the ground and were heard by the survivors, the Hounds had lost half of their members.
The Hounds started to panic.
From the moment they joined the Elder Council and became one of the Twenty Hounds, they had never encountered such a scenario before.
Every battle in the past, they would kill their targets with absolute advantages, and now it was the exact opposite.
The strangeness of the feeling made the Hounds even more anxious and doubtful.
Each of them stood still in their original locations and carefully put up their respective defenses.
From that moment onwards, anyone who approached them would be their enemy.
As for Mnies orders, the remaining Hounds chose to ignore it in the end.
Damn it! Mnie cursed at herrades in her heart.
The Head Hound finally understood Kierans n at that moment.
Kieran didnt have any intentions of escaping from the start, instead, he really wanted to fight them to the death!
Once she thought about her incorrectmand earlier, Mnie felt enraged, especially since she felt that she was tricked by Kieran into giving out such an order. Her enraged state even made her breath heavily.
However, Mnie didnt lose her cool.
She knew if she didnt wish for Kieran to hunt down herrades one by one, the dust before her eyes had to go!
Then, Mnie gave up on hesitating, she took out a thumb-sized shell-like magical item and at the next moment, a heavy wind was blown out from the shell.
Fuuuu!
The dust was quickly blown away by the heavy wind.
The figures in the sewer tunnel started to be clear again, the Hounds saw each other and also their target: Kieran!
Kieran was standing beside his sword box!
Go!
As they recovered their sight, the Hounds regained their courage. After a loud shout, four Hounds who were skilled in closebat dashed out to Kieran in a surrounding formation.
Two more Hounds raised the bows in their hand and two other Hounds started to chant incantations deeply.
Another big and strong Hound grabbed [Calgas Crush], trying to prevent Kieran from attacking in the same way again.
The teamwork among the Hounds allowed them toplete their formations quickly.
Mnie stared dead ahead at Kieran, she would not give up until the moment Kieran was killed!
Otherwise, how would she settle the grudges in her heart?
She saw Kieran opened up his box and take out a gigantic two-handed greatsword. He was not slow or fast in his motions, he even looked like he was at ease.
The four Hounds who specialized in melee attacks were a few feet away from Kieran and yet he was still acting leisurely.
Mnie had a bad feeling in her heart when she saw Kierans reaction but the four Hounds in front of Kieran couldnt think anymore. All they saw was Kieran being caught off guard.
Die!
Back off!
Two different voices sounded almost simultaneously.
The first voice was from the Hounds ready to tear Kieran apart and wash away their shame; the second voice was from Mnie who suddenly thought of something.
But it was toote!
An area of supernatural shadow clouded the area starting from Kierans position.
Kieran and the four meleebat oriented Hounds vanished from sight.
The others who held bows and chanted incantations instantly lost their target.
The one Hound who grabbed tightly onto [Calgas Crush] was astonished.
None of them had expected such a sudden change.
Whistles and agonizing cries inside the shadow were heard. The Hounds outside who had just witnessed the sudden shadow changed their facial expressions instantly, including Mnie.
The female Head Hounds face was at her ugliest.
She had received news about Kierans ability in utilizing shadow powers but she kept it to herself and didnt share it with the rest of her Hounds.
Between the Hounds, there was no such thing as friendly partners and kindrades. The core value between the Hounds was brutal infighting and the deadly devouring of others within the group.
So, Mnie didnt think hiding some news from the others would be something uneptable.
It was just that she didnt expect that hiding such news would affect the current battle of life and death.
While seeing her so-calledrades losing the target again and their faces smeared with fear Mnies heart turned cold but she uttered, Attack!
The Hounds with bows fired at the shadow without hesitation, trying to hit as many parts of the shadow as possible after they heard Mniesmand.
Sou Sou Sou Sou!
Arrows were fired into the shadows like a downpour of heavy rain.
The other Hounds who were chanting incantations didnt stop, zing fires together with poisonous mist gushed into the shadow like a rising tide.
Then...
Everything went silent.
The shadow that blocked their sight didnt produce any sounds after that.
The Hounds outside stared at the shadow, hoping for a decent oue.
Mens mentality was to always hope to be lucky and fortunate regardless of timing and situation, the Hounds were no exception.
Is he dead? the Hound holding on to [Calgas Crush] said.
However, the moment his words subsided, the Hound was dragged into the shadow together with [Calgas Crush] by the great force from the other end of the chain.
Kacha!
After the clear sound of cracking neck, the four remaining Hounds shivered.
They started to vent out their fear byunching relentless attacks into the shadow.
Arrows, mes, poison mist, the relentless attacks were enough to blot out the sky and cover the earth but the sturdy [Elmerius Sword] acted like the hardest shield, not only blocking all the attacks for Kieran but also allowing Kieran to charge out from the shadow. He rapidly shortened the distance between him and the other Hounds.
Their eyes were trembling with fear when they saw Kieran closing upon them like the grim reaper.
On the verge of death, the four Hounds dished out all their hidden aces.
The ground beneath Kierans feet was turned into a swamp-like mud after a dim shine.
Two chains the size of arms appeared from thin air, binding Kieran tightly as he wielded [Elmerius Sword] while charging forward.
With a great suction force pulling him down, Kieran who was bound on the spot kept sinking downwards. It still wasnt the end.
Boom!
Amid the big bang, a 3-meter tall iron puppet, branded with mystical runes appeared out from the air and swung a punch at Kieran.
But another smaller ck venomous snake was faster than the puppets punch. The venomous snake turned into a mirage and threw itself at Kierans neck.
The four Hounds who were forced to a desperate state had vicious gazes and ferocious expressions as they dished out the best skills they had.
Whether was it the swamp-like mud, or the iron chains, all of them were extremely powerful items, even Calga the knight who was known for his strength would not have broken free if caught.
It would be the same for Kieran since they thought his strength was on par with Calga.
The iron puppet was once used as a castle siege weapon and the ck venomous snake could kill an elephant with a drop of its venom!
Therefore, Kieran was dead for sure!
That was what they believed, but the scene that happened next frightened them beyond their senses.
Chapter 750 - Annihilated
Chapter 750: Annihted
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The swamp-like mud could not stop Kieran as he walked out easily.
The chains couldnt bind Kierans body as they were sted apart right away when Kieran shook his body.
The venomous snake didnt evennd its fangs on Kieran and was smashed into a pile of mashed meat by the flying broken chains.
The iron puppet that was used as a siege weapon?
It was sliced in half with one swing from [Elmerius Sword]!
This...This... How is this possible?
How can you possess such powerful strength!
You were in disguise all along!?
The four Hounds turned around and ran as they cried out in screams disbelief.
It was at that moment the Hounds realized Mnie had somehow disappeared.
That damn bitch!
The four of them cursed at the same time in their hearts and they ran even faster.
However, just like how they underestimated Kierans strength, his speed was also something they couldnt imagine either.
After limit breaking his Agility, it gained a +1 status like Strength and was pushed to the SS- rank.
Even if Kieran was wielding the heavy [Elmerius Sword], he coulde and go like the wind.
Unconceivable expressions were frozen on the four Hounds face.
Until theirst breath, they didnt know how Kieran was so much stronger than their intel had described, simr to how they didnt understand why what was supposed to be an easy victory end up failing so miserably.
Huu!
Kieran heaved a heavy breath when he saw the Hounds bodies falling down.
Then, he slightly shook his body and slowly rxed his tightened muscles.
Right after that, lines of fresh blood flowed down from all over his body.
Especially the two wounds on his back, even with [Tenacious Soft Mail] and [Secondary Armoured Skin] as buffers, it was deep enough to see the bones.
Any slight movements would hurt his body and the pain made him frown hard, but still, he didnt regret bearing all the attacks with his back, because of these two wounds, he had gotten two dead Hounds in exchange.
In fact, each wound on his body was exchanged for a Hounds death.
From the very beginning when he decided to cripple the Twenty Hounds, Kieran chose to go with a quick battle to force a quick result. He didnt spare a window for the Hounds to react and stunned them with a single blow.
Kieran had a very in-depth investigation of the Hounds, once he allowed the Hounds to put up defensive measures and allowed them to cast whatever they wanted, the one dead would be him instead.
Of course, summoning the Creature of Desire and transforming devil would be able to turn the tides around but once he did that, he would have to risk the possibility of failing his main mission.
Unless he was able to kill everyone who knew about his identity and erase every trace, it was near impossible.
Aside from the councils men hiding in the area ready to ambush him, the extra observer that appeared made him understand what should he choose.
Pak Pak Pak!
When Kieranid his eyes on a piece of shadow within the tunnel, slow ps sounded.
A tall and slim man walked out of the shadows while pping his hands.
Not too shabby! First, you used the Twenty Hounds arrogance against them and traded their deaths for wounds on your body, thus creating a scene for yourself acting like you cannot be rivaled. After they lost their direction, the fatal blow was delivered. You are really something! But, this also means that the Twenty Hounds are nothing but items for show, the man said with affectations.
Kieran didnt reply but only sized up the man carefully.
Oh pardon me, Ive forgotten to introduce myself. I am Charter, leader of the mobile squad directly under the Union Ministers. Will you leave with me automatically or should I take you in with force? Of course, I dont mind taking back a dead body either. His words were filled with threats and the moment his words subsided, he made a sneak attack.
He pulled out a silver-white pistol and pulled the trigger at Kieran.
Bang Bang Bang!
Ding Ding Ding!
Sparks were sshing on [Elmerius Sword] as it was used as a shield again.
The mobile squad leader didnt take it seriously when his sudden ambush failed.
Charter had been carefully inspecting Kierans wounds for a while now and he knew Kieran was heavily injured. Basically, he wasnt as dangerous as before.
Hed even spected that had the Hounds retained their senses and not been frightened beyond theirprehension, Kieran wouldnt have killed the Hounds so easily.
Though, with such a heavily wounded state and after thest explosive action, Charter believed Kieran was at his limits and couldntst any longer now.
Look at the blood that Kieran had bled, the amount was enough for amon man to pass out!
With a malicious grin, the mobile squad leader swiftly moved his steps and wanted to go around [Elmerius Sword] and deliver the final blow to Kieran.
However, when Charter went behind the sword, he was instantly stunned.
A ck gun barrel was aiming directly at him.
Bang!
Muzzle sh shone from the gun barrel in Kierans hand.
Charter, who was shot in between his eyes, staggered a few steps before falling to the ground, dead.
After finishing the idiot imposter with a single shot, Kieran quickly dodged aside from his position but the wounds on his back dyed his movements a little.
Puk!
A cold re shed as the rapier flew from the air and pierced his chest.
The sharp de edge slightly grazed both of his hearts.
Wung!
The rapier suddenly buzzed and tried to rip his hearts apart but Kieran grabbed the de quickly, he pulled it out with all his might.
His vigorous movements caused him to bleed from the corners of his lips.
The rapier flew back to its owner after breaking free from Kierans hands.
Mnie took back her de. She used her finger to fling off countless of blood droplets on her rapier edge and looked at Kieran with an ice cold gaze.
I thought you were like those idiots, thinking that I was gone. But it doesnt matter! Killing you now is as easy as turning over my palm!
Mnie said slowly as the rapier in her hand flew towards Kieran once again.
Puk!
The sword pierced Kierans body again. But Kieran angled his body posture to avoid his organs being damaged and at the same time grabbed the sword again.
As easy as turning a palm? If I am not mistaken, youve suffered quite the damage yourself as well right?
Kieran didnt care much about his left hand being sliced into a bloody mess by the rapier as he stared at the bandage on Mnies body soaking with blood.
But you will be the one who will die first! Mnie looked at Kieran with a sneering gaze.
I think you must have forgotten that I am a knight, healing wounds is one of my fortes!
Kierans right hand then shone in white light.
The warm presence caused Mnies face to change for the worse.
She then charged towards Kieran immediately while disregarding the consequences.
Although it would be extremely dangerous to engage Kieran in closebat after he disyed such power, Mnie didnt dare allow Kieran to heal up.
Once Kieran was healed and slightly recovered, she would be the one to fall into a dying state.
Engaging the heavily wounded Kieran in closebat might be dangerous but it wasnt as bad as allowing him to heal up.
It wasnt hard for Mnie to understand what choice she had to make.
A dagger appeared in her hand and was driven directly towards Kierans throat but at the next moment, Mnies arm wielding the dagger was caught by Kierans right hand at lightning speed.
The movements of his hand didnt look like he was heavily wounded and dying.
You! Mnie widened her eyes, she couldnt believe Kieran was still pretending, but why would he do so?
Doubts filled Mnies heart but she wouldnt have the chance to ask anymore.
[Power Glory, Heavy Hand] was activated directly. The power impact from the glove multiplied the wounds on her body and after the secondary skill [Death Throw], it crushed all her bones instantly.
The moment the Head Hound died, many footsteps sounded from the further part of the sewer tunnel.
That was the reason why Kieran risked his wounded state to quickly kill Mnie.
A few secondster, he would have to face a Hound leading many more men from the council.
It would be a disastrous oue for Kieran should that happen with his current condition, but now?
Kieran looked at the messy crowd flooding the sewer tunnel, his body was glimmering in white brilliance.
When the brilliance was charged to a limit...
DAWN!
Chapter 751 - Intel
Chapter 751: Intel
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The great light sword perforated the night sky.
The news of the Twenty Hounds being annihted swept thend like a tornado.
The mystics were shocked because of the revival of the Griffin Church and felt absolute reverence towards Kieran who made the revival possible.
Kieran, who faced the Twenty Hounds alone, didnt only emerge victoriously but annihted all twenty of them. The mystics had pushed Kierans status to the ranks of the elders of the Elder Council and the high ranks within the Saint Relic Association.
Countless mystics who leaned towards the Saint Relic Association cheered and danced, they were happy because a powerful aid had joined their side.
The other mystics who leaned towards the Elder Council started to grow restless and anxious, the only thing they could be fortunate of was the fact that the Knights of the Saint Relic Association were almost wiped out as well.
Though, regardless of which side the mystics were on, they seemed to smell the scent of war.
As things were brewing in the dark, everyone was preparing themselves, including Kieran.
With a body wrapped in bandages and a heavy herbal scent all over his body, Kieran was in deep thought.
He knew annihting the Twenty Hounds was not the end but just the beginning!
Judging from the style of the Elder Council, they would certainly take revenge against him and not on a small scale.
The legendary elders would make a move themselves!
Once he thought about the legends and rumors about the elders, Kieran frowned.
Based on the rumors, each of the elders would possess powers simr to the Prairie Kings level and the strongest among the elders would be on par as well.
If Kieran would go one-on-one with each of them, he had about 50% confidence in emerging the victor but if all of the elders were to gang up on him...
I must avoid this from happening! Kieran uttered in his heart.
Then, he swiftly formed up a couple countermeasure ns ordingly.
After all, he now was the Knight of the Griffin Church and the Griffin Church was part of the Saint Relic Association. While Kieran was perfecting his ns details, Anne Aldrich Augen came in.
The moment thedy pushed open the door, she said, I really started to believe you were from the Griffin Church. Going up against the Twenty Hounds alone and annihting all of them, now youve obviously achieved what the past Eagle Knight, Decobalt had achieved. Well then... the great Griffin Churchs heir and the new Eagle Knight, Sir 2567, can you tell me? Are you ready to face the wrath of the Elder Council?
Or do you really think you can protect me during the citys celebration parade and easily go up against the elders? Anne Aldrich Augen scanned Kierans bandaged body with all her concentration with her gaze eventually fixing it on his face. Though, her words were less than courteous.
Things arent that bad yet, we are not fighting alone now. Theres still...
If you want to deliver healing medicines to me, it would be best to not hide it behind your back and say something that doesnt suit your usual tone, Kieran said.
Anne Aldrich Augen who was pretending to be intimidating was jolted for a moment, Kieran clearly saw her face blush after that but she returned to normal soon enough.
She revealed the smile that Kieran was used to and didnt further conceal the healing medicine in her hands.
Then, Anne Aldrich Augen pulled the cork open and wanted to pour the medicine into her mouth but Kieran was faster.
The moment Anne Aldrich Augen pulled off the cork, he had guessed what thedy wanted to do and beat her to it by grabbing the medicine and drinking it down in a single gulp.
Thank you, Kieran said.
I think youre expressing your gratitude a little too early. Ive licked the mouth of the tube a couple of times carefully before this. It wasnt a direct kiss but still considered an indirect one right? Especially a french kiss! Kyaa, exciting!
Kieran was stunned.
Anne Aldrich Augen covered her mouth and left the room with a series of squeamishughs.
Crazy woman! Kieran gave the samement on Anne Aldrich Augen while looking at her back.
Then, Kieran unconsciously turned his attention to the spoils of war that he had gotten from the battle with the Hounds.
Twenty of the Hounds had given him exactly twenty items as well, three Rares and seventeen high tier Magic rank items.
As for the imposter Charter, his gun was decent but less than Magic rank, at most a Great ranked equipment. His drop was even lousier than the low tier Magic rank drops that the other Elder Councils men who rushed out at the end.
Kieran automatically turned his attention to the three Rare ranked items.
[Name: Dandelion Pierce]
[Type: Weapon]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attack: Strong]
[Attribute: 1. Wail of the Dead, 2. Soaring Pierce, 3. ughter umtion]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: Spirit B+]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: An ominous rapier soaked in blood that has absorbed the souls of the dead]
...
[Wail of the Dead: All targets will undergo a Spirit authentication no lesser than C+ while facing the wielder. Targets who fail will be induced into a state of Panic and Fear. When the wielder chooses a target at will, the target has to undergo a Spirit authentication no lesser than B+. A target that fails will be induced into a state of Panic and Fear together with a Powerful mental st.]
[Soaring Pierce: The wielder can control the sword to perform a ranged attack from no further than 20 meters. The sword itself will be automatically buffed with Master level Undercover and eleration effect]
[ughter umtion: Whenever 150 souls of the ughtered are absorbed into the sword, attack level +1 (Unable to exceed Extreme rank), Wail of the Dead +1, Soaring Pierce +1. Currently umted souls: 0]
...
The first item was the rapier from Mnie.
The long and thin de was ring in an unusual coldness under Kierans gaze.
An ominous rapier? Kieran muttered.
Then, he ced [Dandelion Pierce] into his bag without showing further concern.
Hed used cursed equipment before in the past without even minding, let alone [Dandelion Pierce] which didnt possess an obvious repulsion effect.
To be on the safe side, with Kierans vignt character, he ought to find himself a curse dispeller to check on the equipment.
Compared to [Dandelion Pierce], the other two Rares were much more normal.
[Name: Orinder Soft Mail]
[Type: Equipment]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Defense: Strong]
[Attribute: 1. Orinders Blessing, 2. Orinders Hope]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: The inner armor crafted by a long-standing reputable armor master for his son going to the battlefield.]
...
[Orinders Blessing: The first attack of each day will grant the wearer a +1 extra defense level]
[Orinders Hope: When the wearer receives a continuous attack three times, gain extra +1 defense level, 1/day]
...
An inner mailbining metallic materials and the pelt of some animal. It was from one of the Hounds who was skilled in meleebat and Kieran remembered clearly it was him who caused one of the two wounds on his back.
Kieran put the inner mail on without further ado as hell never reject any equipment that would provide him effective defense.
The third Rare ranked item was a scroll.
[Name: Exploding Thunder Spell]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attack/ Defense: None]
[Attribute: Exploding Thunder. Summon a thunderbolt with an Extreme attack to attack a locked on target.]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: The power of thunder will be forever powerful!]
...
The first time Kieran saw the scrolls description, he was d about the choices he made.
If he really allowed the Twenty Hounds to react to the situation, he would find himself in serious trouble.
After cing the [Exploding Thunder Spell] next to his body, Kieran started to tidy up the seventeen remaining high tier Magic ranked items.
Most of them were weapons and armor but there was also some certain equipment which was worth Kierans while to bring it along with him, [Copper Coin Puppet], [ck Snake Guard], [zing Ring] and [Poison Mist Ring].
After he picked another Strong defense upper armor from the bunch and equipped it, Kieran packed up all the leftover items including those lower tiers Magic items and went to Anne Aldrich Augen.
Not only did Kieran believe all the items were able to be traded for something even more valuable, but it was also because that he wanted to send a message to the outside world.
He was not afraid of the Elder Council, in fact, he was actively preparing himself for the battle!
Chapter 752 - Unexpected Guest
Chapter 752: Unexpected Guest
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Inside Dandon cathedrals reception room, the three knights who had been through the life and death situation were looking at each other.
Although the news of Kieran defeating the Twenty Hounds and annihting them had been spreading for quite a while, the three of them still couldnt believe it.
In fact, when they faced Kierans decision to stay back to cover them, they had already prepared for the worst possible oue.
Who wouldve thought that Kieran would emerge the victor with an unprecedented massive victory aside from not dying?
Its really unbelievable...
Rodney, the Garcia Churchs knight sighed.
Yeah...
Iona and Dan, the other two knights nodded in agreement.
Especially Iona of the Quake Church praised, As expected of the one who inherited the legacy of the Griffin Church, he is exactly on par with the Eagle Knight from back in the day.
No, Iona! Trust me, back in the day, the Eagle Knight Sir Decobalt was iparable to Sir 2567 now. After tonight, Sir 2567s name will be elevated to new heights!
Dan of the Eder Church said with utter respect.
To the young knight, he had unconsciously shown admiration towards Kieran who was strong and at the same time saved his life.
The female knight thought for a while and didnt further refute because she thought Kieran deserved to have such honor.
While looking at both his friends expressions, Rodney bitterly smiled in his heart.
He wouldnt forget the debt of Kieran saving his life but Rodney was very clear about the things that would happen soon.
The Elder Council will not let this subside as their Twenty Hounds were annihted.
Kieran who had just wiped out the Twenty Hounds may look infinitely glorious now but actually, he was in extreme danger.
Rodney wished not to get caught up in such danger with his friends.
So, after a light cough, Rodney said, Our mission this trip haspletely failed, we need to return to the headquarters of the association right now.
Of course, we will also bring Sir 2567 with us! Rodney added after pausing for a slight moment.
Thedy knight instantly got her friends meaning.
Only in the headquarters of the association can Sir 2567 really be safe and get the best treatment for his wounds. Iona expressed her agreement.
So, what are we waiting for? Lets visit Sir 2567 now, shall we? The young knight Dan was even more eager.
Though, before the three of them made a move, Sister Liz brought news to them.
Kieran was using Anne Aldrich Augens rtionshipwork to trade for better, stronger equipment and items from the spoils of war he had gotten from the Hounds.
This...is...Does Sir 2567 wish to face the elders of the Council directly? The young knight stuttered.
Iona and Rodney werepletely speechless. Both of them exchanged gazes before heading outside right away. They wanted to visit Augen Manor to talk Kieran out of it.
...
Meanwhile, Kieran was receiving an expected guest.
Charter, the spy leader who Anne Aldrich Augen imed to have perpetrated every conceivable crime and the most loyal dog of the Union Ministers was bowing at him with a face full of smiles right before his eyes.
Mr. 2567, I am truly sorry for appearing before you under such circumstances. As we are pressured by time, I have no other choice, Charter said as his face was filled with the sincerest apologetic tone.
Then, can I use the no other choice method to... kill you? Anne Aldrich Augen said with a pleasant smile.
Anne Aldrich Augen has zero fondness over Charter, if she could kill him off, she wouldnt even blink an eye over the act but it wasnt the best time right now.
Still, she didnt mind expressing her stand in front of Charters face. After all, it was also one of the ns between her and Kieran.
Of course! I have absolutely no resistance against you if you choose to do that now. Whosoever Mr. 2576 decided to back, they would have such rights over others, wouldnt they? Charter said with his very smiling face.
His eyes were ced at Kieran throughout the conversation and didnt even bat an eye at Anne Aldrich Augen as if Kieran was the owner of the manor.
You...
Anne, can you get me a cup of red tea?
Anne Aldrich Augen wanted to say something further but Kieran stopped her.
He wasnt saying it with a stern and severe voice but a tender and pampering soft tone.
Anne Aldrich Augen instantly nodded. She red at Charter before leaving.
Right after she left, the study room was left with the two of them, Kieran and Charter.
Really, only a strong person like you who could tame Anne Aldrich Augen. Yourst victorious battle was very admiring, a single battle with the Twenty Hounds and you were able to wipe them outpletely. Your name will be written down in the history books! Charter uttered words of ttery.
You came here just to tell me that? Kieran said lightly with obvious ridicule and hostility.
I think you are a little bit prejudiced. You are somehow affected by my best student, I...
Thats enough! Anne told me what did you people do to her and the other girls in the past. Such things really infuriate me! You should be grateful that my rage didnt make me lose my senses, otherwise, Id tear you and the person behind you apart right now!
Now, Ill give you another chance, tell me why you are here.
Kieran tapped on the arm of the chair hard and a cold aura suddenly erupted from his body.
It was killing intent!
Charter could tell it apart right away and he was quite familiar with such killing intent, Kieran would surely be an executioner who had killed countless people.
Only a butcher who killed hundreds and thousands could umte such intense killing intent.
Charter was surprised by how much blood Kieran had on his hands. However, he knew what he should do because he knew a person like Kieran wouldnt joke.
So, he quickly said, We wish to have priority in trading for the spoils of war in your hands. Of course, we will pay you the best price and Anne Aldrich Augen will also be recognized by the Union.
Are you threatening me? Kieran asked coldly, there was even more killing intent from his gaze.
Charter could even feel the temperature around him falling.
After a sudden shiver throughout his entire body, Charter immediately showed his sincerity: a silver hand grenade.
This is one of our research results! If you are willing to trade with us, we can provide you with another!
From the looks of the grenade, other than the color, it was barely any different from all the hand grenades that Kieran hade across in the past.
After checking it for any possible error and tricks, Kieran took the grenade and when the system notifications popped up the details for the grenade, Kierans eyes shrunk!
Chapter 753 - Act
Chapter 753: Act
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The description of the item flooded Kierans vision instantly.
[Name: Alchemy Grenade]
[Type: Hand Grenade]
[Rarity: Magic]
[Attack: Powerful]
[Attribute: 1. Armor Pration Lvl 1, 2. zing Fire, 3. Wide Range Lvl 1]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: This is a new model of grenade that has been modified by the powers of alchemy.]
...
[Armor Pration Lvl 1: Able to easily prate light armor (Average defense)]
[zing Fire Lvl 1: Inflict Average level fire damage to target]
[Wide Range Lvl 1: Increase st range by 5 meters]
...
Kieran wasnt surprised for a one-time consumable item to have a Powerful attack.
After all, he had the [Exploding Thunder Spell] with him which had an Extreme attack and was also a one-time consumable item.
The real shocking thing was the item itself!
A hand grenade wasnt rare at all but a Magic rank hand grenade was a first!
The remarks on it were also very concerning to Kieran.
Modified with alchemic powers? Which means... this can be mass produced? No, no, no... if it could be mass produced, the Union government wouldnt stay as passive as they are. So, they should be able to produce this on a smaller scale!
Kieran had some understanding from Anne Aldrich Augen about the ministers true face, he wouldnt doubt his ambitions and cold-blooded means.
If the [Alchemy Grenade] could be mass produced, the minister would definitely wage war from his side and they would send out human bombs one after another.
As Kieran was spinning these thoughts quickly in his heart, his mouth was speaking demandingly like a lion widening its mouth, I want ten of these and... its modification techniques.
Impossible! You still dont understand its value, it...
It is because I understand its value, thats why I stated such a condition.
Charter shook his head repeatedly but Kieran interrupted his words.
You are truly farsighted, but I cannot make any promises. From the research stage to the deployment, this alchemy grenade had a great cost behind it and theplete products were only a handful. Although I really want to finish the deal with you, I have to consider our benefits as well. The most we can offer is two and its really impossible to go any further than that. Charter bitterly smiled.
Kieran, however, stayed quiet. He believed what Charter said was the truth but as for thest part...
Anyone who believed him would be an idiot.
No one would ever expose their trump cards at the very beginning, especially Charter, the spy leader.
Besides, Kieran was very doubtful about the [Alchemy Grenade] that he saw, was it the newest product Charter could offer?
In other words, did Charter possess a stronger and newer version of the [Alchemy Grenade]?
Since Kieran was in the position to call the shots and spections gued his mind, he negotiated patiently with Charter for the best deal.
After half an hourter, Charter with a stiffened expression took the leftover equipment from Kieran and left Augen Manor. He also left 5 [Alchemy Grenade] and 1 [Alchemy Grenade II] behind for Kieran.
Compared to the normal [Alchemy Grenade], the [Alchemy Grenade II] was almost identical to the [Alchemy Grenade] in terms of looks but the real attributes inside were not just a slight increase.
Not only did the rarity increased to Rare, but its attack was also at the Extreme level while also having Armour Pration, zing Fire, and Wide Range at level 2.
Well done! Its been a while since Ive seen such an expression on that disgusting mans face. What a pleasant scene.
Anne Aldrich Augen ced the red tea in front of Kieran with a warm smile.
Ive added honey, so it might be on the sweeter side, just how youd like it.
As she spoke, she leaned her body close towards Kierans chest.
Kieran immediately stiffened his body but he didnt push her away because his senses had picked up that three gazes were staring at him in a vague manner.
It might be from the Union spies that had been concealing themselves within Augen Manor but it also might be from the Saint Relic Association or the Elder Council.
Either way, regardless of who they were, he had to pretend to enjoy the feeling for the sake of the n.
But...
The act was too hard for him, he had no choice but to cover his awkward look by drinking tea.
Kieran was grateful that he simply gave an excuse for Anne Aldrich Augen to leave the room just now.
The sweetness that came after the slight sourness was getting richer. As he was savoring the taste of the red tea, Kieran slightly diverted his attention but it was just for a moment.
When Anne Aldrich felt Kierans body had stiffened, her smile got even brighter and started to wriggle around Kierans arms, at the same time, she leaned her head on Kierans shoulder.
Those disgusting guys arent really as disgusting as I thought, am I right? If I can have such special treatment, I cant refrain myself from hoping that they would take a few more peeks, Anne Aldrich Augen said softly. Her flowery fragrance swiftly entered Kierans nose.
More importantly, the soft itching and numbing feeling that came from Kierans ears made his body extremely unsettled. He was actually using his tough will to prevent himself from dropping the tea on the floor.
One time will be enough! Kieran clenched his teeth and squeezed out the words from the seams of his teeth.
Then, he stood up suddenly and went back to his room swiftly. The watching that he sensed had vanished as well.
What a cruel man!
Anne Aldrich Augen who fell on the sofa stared at Kierans back like a grudgeful spirit.
Until Kierans figure hadpletely vanished and made sure her voice wouldnt be heard anymore, thedy seriously spilled out a single sentence.
Thank you.
Her voice was soft and weak, not a single soul heard what she had just uttered other than herself.
.....
After returning to his room, Kieran was taking in deep breaths quickly.
Minutester, Kieran finally calmed his emotions down and looked down at the reflection in the tea that was in the cup. He couldnt help but utter, What a scary woman!
Kieran drank the tea with a single gulp and continued perfecting his ns.
He knew that time left for him was limited and in fact less than 10 minutester, he saw the three knights.
Sir 2567!
When the three of them saw Kieran again, all of them saluted at Kieran with the most solemn salutations to greet him.
We need to leave End City and return to the Saint Relic Association headquarters! We hope that you cane with us. Your bravery of facing the Elder Council is admirable to us but having guts over wits is not the virtues of a true knight.
Rodney said without further ado after saluting and introducing himself.
Thank you, Rodney, but I cant leave, I have reasons to stay behind. Im sorry! Kieran said with utmost sincerity.
Is it because of Lady Anne Aldrich Augen? Rodney asked after being stunned for a moment.
The intimate rtionship between Kieran and Anne Aldrich Augen wasnt a secret long ago for the organizations who had channels to gather news.
Part of it! But also because of my memory!
After losing my memories in Winchester Houses explosion, Ive been searching for it since then. Now I discovered my memories might be rted to the Elder Council. In fact, Ive been suspecting everything that happened was part of the councils plot, including the Yggdrasil fruit as well. Kieran pointed at his brain and said with a heavy expression.
Part of it?
The three of the knights exchanged gazes and were unconsciously attracted by Kierans words.
Chapter 754 - Test?
Chapter 754: Test?
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Yes, part of it!
While Kieran was being looked at by the three knights, he continued, Lets just say if the n went in Elder Councils favor and all of the Knights of the Saint Relic Association were wiped out, what would they do?
It would be almost certain that they would follow up their victory with hot pursuit. So... Where would they ce their next target?
Kieran raised his head to the three Knights in deep thoughts.
Secondster, the three knights nced at each other and said in one voice, the Saint Relic Association headquarters!
The three knights knew their old rival too well. Not only did they understand their rivals organizational structure but they also knew how they worked.
Sieging the headquarters of the Saint Relic Association may be something totally unimaginable for other mystical organizations or factions but for the Elder Council, it was amon thing.
In thest decade, there had been two sieges from the council and within the hundred years of history of the Union, there were more than ten instances.
Although none of their attempts could break through the headquarters, from the looks of their actions it was enough to let people know how crazy the Elder Council was, especially when such craziness was built on top of hundreds and thousands of bodies, it was even more terrifying.
Kieran knew such incidents from books and Anne Aldrich Augens mouth, it would be natural for him to weave them into his ns, making his ns seemed more logical.
Kieran nced over the three knights surprised faces, he knew his first step had seeded but the second step was the crucial part.
So, Kieran continued talking without giving more time for the Knights to think.
Thats right, the headquarters of the Saint Relic Association. And my guess is, even with the Twenty Hounds being wiped out, the Elder Council would not give up on their original target. From preparing to initiating such a war, theyve wasted enough manpower and armed forces. Given such circumstances, it is impossible for them to give up. They would probably slightly alter their targets and include me, the unknown variable in their calctions. I wonder which elder wille to End City to erase this variable from existence? I am really looking forward to it.
Kieran then revealed a smile filled with battle intent on his face. He learned the expression from Mayer who was normally serious in speech and manner but would show such a smile when fighting an opponent on his level.
Kieran had skillfully learned Mayers smile, to the point that the three knights didnt doubt his intentions.
The three of them had been persuaded by Kierans words. After another exchange of gazester, they saw the intentions on each others face.
It was the thirst towards glory and achievements. If one of them could even kill an elder of the council...
The eyes of the three knights had started burning. Kieran saw the changes on them and couldnt hold back his smile.
He did it! The three knights before him were influenced by his words.
In doing so, at least he didnt have to worry about facing the Elder Council alone.
With the three knights present at the scene, the reinforcements from the Saint Relic Association would be a reality because neither one of them could deny the assumption Kieran had said, but of course, what he said might also be the truth.
The chances of winning by fluke that came from humans greed would always incite people to hope for the better, the three Knights before him were no exception either.
They might not spare a nce at wealth or the power of position but they would dly endure the hardship in the name of achieving eternal glory.
Sir 2567, please allow me to join you! Rodney was the first to speak.
And me!
I want to join too!
Iona and Dan followed as well.
Although Kierans heart wanted to agree right away, he didnt open his mouth. He slightly frowned.
Sir 2567, you mightve heard of how powerful the elders of the Council are but your understanding of them is quiteckingpared to us. We can provide you with detailed intel, and more importantly, with us joining your side, we can better protect the innocent! In fact, End City is too big for the three of us, we should call it in to request more men to support...
Rodney started to persuade Kieran who was looking hesitant.
More men? Dont bother unless the men are at knights level, otherwise, no matter how many men you request, it will be useless. Please dont tell me its one of the high ranking overseers of the association. That wont do it, if the overseer left headquarters, it would only create an opportunity for the council to strike! Dont forget the elder that ising for me is only doing it along the way, their real goal is still the Saint Relic Association.
Kieran shook his head and interrupted Rodney.
The Elder Council had a total of six elders that terrified people with just a look.
Likewise, the Saint Relic Association also had six respectful overseers, simr to their counterpart.
Kieran didnt mind one of the overseers appearing in End City but he knew it was impossible.
Aside from their identities, the councils elder had immense hatred for those overseers, thus preventing them from acting recklessly.
Maybe the council wouldnt give up the preparations for war because of a petty shrimp like Kieran but it would be a different scenario if an overseer was involved.
Kieran was quite certain that not only would the council give up the preparations for war, but they might also even directly mobilize all the elders and gang up on the overseer who came forth to support him.
As for the honor of the powerful, perhaps it might exist in other powerful individuals or Knights but why would one discuss honor with a bunch of lunatics? It would be a lousy joke!
Still, Rodneys words piqued Kierans attention. He believed that Rodney wasnt unaware of the current situation and yet he gave such a suggestion.
Then...
Kierans heart was seized by a sudden thought as he thought of something. It further made his heart tighten following the thought but he acted more and more natural on his face.
No, no, no, Sir 2567, you misunderstood! We arent talking about the overseers but the other secret squads. They are different than us knights but still obey the overseers orders. Dont worry, they are very strong as well, Rodney exined after looking hesitant for a while.
Secret squad? Kieran pretended to be surprised.
It is a special team of men formed by ex-sinners. We call them the arbiters and although I dont like them, I have to admit it, they are very powerful, just like Rodney said, Iona added.
The arbiters! It was really them!
Kierans heart skipped a beat.
When Kieran searched up and down through End City, even with Anne Aldrich Augens forces, he couldnt locate the traces of the so-called arbiters. So, he had a new spection.
Could the arbiters possess another identity?
An identity that could draw attention! Or more precisely, the executioners and the arbiters were from the same organization!
It was just that their existence was not known to the public as people only knew the organization on the surface level.
Everything was just as Kierans guess, but...
Did the three Knights, who revealed the arbiters unintentionally, really treat him as one of their own? Or was this a test for his identity?
Chapter 755 - Confusing The Public
Chapter 755: Confusing The Public
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Kieran nced over the three Knights before him.
Rodney from Garcia was a middle-aged man with a fit body, wearing a simple outfit and had a clean looking face with a constant solemn expression. He was very adherent to Gracias creed of restricting oneself.
Dan, the young man who had a smile on his face all the time. He presented himself as a sincere and impulsive young man who fit his age.
Iona, the only female knight of the trio and also the one who unconsciously said the word arbiter. She had a huge body structure thatmon woman didnt have and beige colored hair over her shoulders. She had a slightly rougher face but had an extra sense of wild beauty, as if she was a female leopard.
From the looks on the outside and their expressions, it was hard for Kieran to identify their purposes but he did not believe the three of them would tell him the things about the arbiter. While he still hadnt pledged his loyalty to the overseer in the association.
It didnt make sense!
So, Rodney and Iona who unconsciously mentioned the arbiters might possess another identity: the executioner!
Only then would it make sense as to why Kieran was being tested.
They were suspecting him!
They were different from those mystics who didnt know the truth, the executioner knew the existence of the [Fusion Heart] and added their restrictions on the heart.
So, the changes of Professor Harondentte was within their knowledge but the things that happened after that were a little out of their expectations.
The appearance of the fruit of Yggdrasil hadpletely messed up their ns.
Although they didnt fully believe it, the Elder Councils intervention made them slightly doubt it.
In simple words, their arrangements from before had achieved quite an effect. Otherwise, Kieran wouldnt be greeted with a test but arge scale capture of him by the executioners.
Then I shall mess things uppletely! Kieran thought in his heart.
While he had other thoughts in his heart, he pretended to be surprised and said, There is such a squad?
Yes. Iona and I arent really fond of them but Iona is right. They are very strong, the young knight shrugged.
How strong? Kieran pretended himself interested in the topic.
Each of them is even stronger than the Hounds! the young knight replied.
Do they possess any kinds of special abilities? Like searching for special items? Kieran followed up with his question.
Some of them do, some of them dont... Sir 2567, are you trying to locate the fruit of Yggdrasil? Although I dont have solid proof, from my point of view, the fruit is one the councils schemes and they nned everything just to lured us into the trap!
Dan quickly reacted to Kierans words and was very outspoken with his remarks.
The two other knights nodded at the same time, acknowledging theirrades words.
After almost experiencing annihtion and all sorts of coincidences being oveid on each other, the scene from before was quite fresh in their minds. Other than it being a trap, there were no other exnations left.
The Yggdrasil fruit was a hoax from start to end in their opinion.
Do you think the fruit is a lie? Kieran presented a serious expression, asking the three of them.
Of course! With what happened in the tunnel, Id have to really be an idiot if I believed it!
Dan nodded without hesitation.
IF, I didnt fight Professor Harondentte before, I would share the same thoughts but after that fight, Ive discovered something that made me believe the fruit really does exist. After all... I am the best example! Kieran pointed at himself.
You? the three Knights looked at Kieran with puzzled looks.
I have two hearts. One of my own and the other from Professor Hanrondentte.
Kieran said while he carefully inspected the Knights expression.
Especially when Kieran finished thest part of his words, his SS+ Spirit became utterly focused, allowing him to grasp everything around him under his eyes, no matter how small the detail, it wouldnt escape his eyes.
He could easily see the dust floating in the air and he also sensed the malicious intents that shed through Dans eyes in a split second while Rodney and Iona were being genuinely surprised.
It was Dan? Kieran was slightly surprised.
Using his young age as his biggest point and using Rodney and Iona to confuse me so he can silently observe me in the dark?
Kieran already pictured the scene where Dan unintentionally instilled the thoughts of Kieran was one of us and able to share some secrets with him because he saved our lives into Rodney and Ionas minds.
It wasnt hard for Dan to achieve that because Rodney and Iona wouldnt doubt theirrade-in-arms.
Kieran looked at the young Knight again, his face was already filled with surprise and the malicious intent that shed by felt like an illusion.
Still, Kieran branded the sharp-as-a-de feeling that caused him goosebumps in his mind.
A person who could skillfully conceal themselves was as dangerous as a venomous snake!
Kieranmented on Dan in his heart and then stood up from the sofa.
He removed his coat and revealed his bare top covered in bandages.
When I killed Professor Harondentte, a thumb-sized stone flew out from his secret hideout and clipped itself into the professors heart, then it fused itself into my body. Everything happened too fast, I didnt even have the time to react or feel any pain. When I regained my consciousness... I realized I have powers that I didnt possess before!
Kieran then raised his left hand.
Huu!
The devils me sprung up from his palm.
The three knights instinctively drew out their weapons but at the next moment, they werepletely astonished.
On Kierans right hand, a white and tender yet tenacious radiance was shining.
Even with some distance in between, the three Knights could feel the holy energy from the white radiance.
This...This...
The three of them stuttered and were lost for words, while Kieran continued.
After that encounter, my knights power had been enhanced without my knowing and I can also wield the power of the extra heart like my own arm. At that moment, I felt like my body had acquired some enhancements, my body muscles and agility had gained years or maybe a decade worth of training, maybe 10 years worth of training couldnt even reach my current level.
As the three Knights listened to Kierans words, their eyes shined brighter.
The Stone of Twin Birth!
No, No no, the Stone of Twin Birth would allow the devils heart fused itself into Sir 2567s body but it wouldnt have enhanced his power. It should be the Tear of Weiss!
Tear of Weiss? The sorrowful tear of the legendary Goddess of the Lake?
The young knight spoke first but was denied by Rodney. But Dan wasnt upset, instead, he was getting more excited because everyone knew the Tear of Weiss only came from one ce.
Thend of the Fallen Gods!
Legend had it that the sorrowful tear of the Goddess of the Lake was cried out during Ragnarok, which also means it might be the key to unlocking thend of the Fallen Gods!
But none of all that mattered, the only thing that mattered was that the legendary items were real!
Kieran saw the excited and stimted Knights and he knew he had to add more oil to the fire.
Chapter 756 - Medal of Griffin
Chapter 756: Medal of Griffin
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The sorrowful tear of the Goddess of theke, the fruit of Yggdrasil and the devils heart... Its near to impossible for a single legendary item to show itself but now there have been three at once!
Kieran said slowly and at the same time nced over the three Knights again.
When he saw that the three of them were absorbed in their thoughts, he smiled.
Seems like everyones thoughts are the same as mine. Professor Harondentte found the lost secrets, just that his eyes in choosing his coborator was really lousy. Not only did his coborator take his achievements, but he was also turned into a monster. Although he was prepared for it, nothing changed in the end and instead he gave me an advantage.
Kieran couldnt help but sigh when he mentioned the professor as if he was really feeling pity for him.
Destiny is always harsh but She will definitely favor those with honor! Sir 2567, you are such an individual! the young knight from Eder said.
Kieran nodded without a reply because he saw the young knight was looking very sincere at the moment. But at the same time, he thought about the other famous saying of Eder Church, Destiny is always changing, Her favors may be the beginning of a fate destined for failure.
Kieran couldnt help but confirm Dans identity even more.
Who would be more suitable for the role of an executioner than the knight of Eder Church who believed in fate?
Living a double life and constantly experiencing the changes of fate. Perhaps there might be a number of believers within Eder Church who were willing to take up the role because, from their point of view, it was a devout action to their religion.
Though, Kieran didnt share any slight bit of acknowledgment. Even if he was a yer and had to y all kinds of roles inside the dungeon world.
After all, both of them came from very different from backgrounds.
One was devoted to his religion while almost offering himself and the other was a persistent individual who constantly struggled on the verge of death.
The difference in their origins had decided different oues for Kieran and Dan.
Kieran looked at the young knight who was smiling and he too lifted his mouth, replying with a simr smile.
Hopefully fate will favor me again! I still hope to find my lost memories though, despite not having any direct proof, I think my memory loss might be rted to Professor Harondenttes coborator. Me and those who perished in the explosions were all pawn pieces arranged by him, but... why? And why would he convert the power of the fruit in End City? I believed with his speed and arrangements, the Elder Council would not be able to stop him at all.
As Kieran continued, his face was slightly baffled by doubt.
It would be a repeat of an old topic since it was the second time Kieran mentioned simr words but the difference was, his audience had changed.
Though the simrity was, despite the audience having changed, they believed what he said and it wasnt easy for him to establish the trust.
Truth be told, since the moment he stepped into this dungeon world, Kieran had been thinking carefully about each of his moves and repeatedly thought about the words he uttered.
Even with his SS- Constitution, he felt tired but he didnt conceal it because it was still part of the n.
Sir 2567, please take a good rest. We will request for the arbiters toe to End City as fast as possible. Rodney stood up and prepared to leave when he saw Kieran was tired.
Though, Dan, the young knight took out a potion from his pockets at that moment.
Sir 2567, this is the secret potion of Eder Church, it can elerate your recovery!
Thank you! Kieran epted the potion with a smile.
With rted medicinal knowledge and potionology, he knew the potion was a decent item and even if he didnt possess rted knowledge, he still wouldnt have to worry.
With Rodney and Iona present at the scene, if Dan didnt want to expose his identity as the executioner, he wouldnt have yed tricks with the potion and of course, he didnt really just wanted to help.
Do you need me to help apply the ointment? Eders secret potion still requires some special methods to fully bring out its effectiveness! the young knight said with a smile.
Thank you again. Kieran did not reject.
He removed the bandages and revealed his body full of wounds. Even with medicine all over his body, the wounds were severe, causing the three of them gasped coldly.
They could easily imagine what kind of battle Kieran had faced before.
I think I should apply for another medal from the association for you, Iona said.
Mmm. Kieran closed his eyes and only replied with his nasal voice.
While Dan covered his palm with the ointment and swiftly applied it on Kierans wounds.
Everything seemed normal.
...
Later at Dandon Churchs station.
The young knight, Dan was in his own room and after checking multiple times and making sure there werent any errors, he took the mobile phone and dialed a hidden number.
The dialing tone in the phone started and the wait went on for quite a while, but the young knight didnt have any impatient expressions on his face.
Although technological advancement made life extremely convenient, some people still couldnt adapt to it, like some aged and old-fashioned important person.
Hello? Is it Dan? Pardon me, I am still not used to all these technologies.
A warm and aged voice sounded very kind came from the other end of the phone.
Yes, my lord! I have discovered something special! The defector has acquired the fruit of Yggdrasil and is currently working on absorbing the powers within so he can prepare himself to retaliate at us! And...
Dan retold what happened in an extremely respectful tone.
Oh? That would be awful. How is that 2567? Can you make sure he didnt lie? the aged voice asked.
Ive discovered other than the devil and knights power in his body, theres something ancient, powerful and holy... It should be the Tear of Weiss! The young knight answered.
Is that so? the aged voice paused for a few seconds before continuing, Ive epted Rodneys request. Ill send out the arbiters! They will be under yourmand and if that someone appears, take him out at all costs! Understand? the aged voiced suddenly turned stern.
Yes, my lord! Dan answered back as if he was making a vow.
Oh, right, bring 2567 a medal of the Griffin Knight on our behalf... It is what he deserves. The aged voice returned to his warm voice and uttered something as though he had remembered suddenly before hanging up the phone.
Yes, my lord! Dan was still being as respectful as ever.
When the phone call ended, the young knight couldnt help but mutter to himself.
The medal of the Griffin Knight? Is the lord still worried about 2567s identity?
The young knights expression changed slightly and revealed his anticipation as if he was waiting for a good show.
While outside Dandon Churchs station, a car loaded with special instruments was speeding away.
Chapter 757 - Intimidate
Chapter 757: Intimidate
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The medal of the Griffin Knight? Damn it!
Chelsea had reported to Anne Aldrich Augen early on and now when she saw the invitations from Dandon, she cursed repeatedly again.
She had heard of the medal before but she never thought such a thing still existed.
Frustrated, Anne Aldrich Augen was walking in circles in front of her desk.
She wasing up with ways to react to the situation.
Meanwhile, Kieran was arranging his weapons and gears next to her, looking calm as usual. The celebration parade was tomorrow and judging from the style of the Elder Council, they would surely make a move there.
Once he thought about facing a powerful opponent nearing or even on par with the Prairie King and wouldnt suffer from any repulsion, Kieran felt very nervous.
Although he tried his best to recover to his best condition, gaps of strength would surely remain.
Aside from Spirit and Intuition which were still suffering the -3 debuff and most of his skills were still in a -1 state, his current gear and weapons still had quite a distance in strength.
Even with the [Alchemy Grenade] and the [Exploding Thunder Spell], it would still be the same.
The simplest example was the two defensive gears Kieran had on his body. One was a half body armor with Strong defense and the other was the [Orinder Soft Mail].
Despite both of them adding up, theirbined defense stat was still iparable to [Armor of Excellence]s Extreme defense.
[Wolf Remnant Feast] which had exceeded themon ranks was definitely out of the conversation.
If Kieran was able to bring his original equipment to face the elder of the council, he had quite the confidence in killing the elder, but now?
50%! Including the possibility of the elder showing contempt and arrogance during their fight.
You arent worried at all? Or do you have other ns? Please dont think that you can fool this one with your memory lost excuse again. If the medal is really as rumored, it can resonate with the heir of the Griffin Church! Even normal members of the church would easily cause it to change.
Anne Aldrich Augen stopped her circling and spoke to Kieran who seemed to be in deep thought.
Obviously, from the start to the end, Anne Aldrich Augen didnt want to believe Kieran was the knight and heir to the Griffin Church.
Believe me, if it is really from Griffin Church, then it will definitely resonate with me!
Kieran reached out his hand to hold Anne Aldrich Augens and said with a tender and stern tone.
Anne Aldrich Augen was smart enough to guess what happened immediately.
Someone was watching them!
Despite her choosing her study room to have the conversation, a ce that could easily blockmon sight, some other interested parties were different thanmon men.
Anne Aldrich Augen then quickly went along with Kierans flow without any dy.
She stood behind Kieran and leaned her whole body onto his back, slightly lowering her head and said, I believe you. What do you want to eat tonight? Ive been polishing my cooking these past few days...
Anne Aldrich Augen presented a trusting look at Kieran and had fallen into happiness. Kieran too replied with a smile.
Until Anne Aldrich Augen left, Kierans face instantly turned cold.
Come out!
Kieran shouted loudly and looked outside the window with eyes of killing intent.
Nothing happened though, as if Kieran was making a bluff.
I dont want to repeat myself! Come out! Kieran shouted again.
This time around, the air outside the window slightly distorted and within a breaths time the Union Ministers direct mobile squad leader revealed himself and came in through the window.
Captain Charter, did you misunderstand our dealst time? Do you think our rtionship is at the point where you can enter unannounced?
As Kieran spoke, his presence had gotten colder.
Of course not!
Charter shook his hands repeatedly when he felt the bone-chilling coldness.
The captains heart was filled with bitterness.
If there was another way, the captain was very unwilling to see Kieran. When he felt the executioners qualities from Kieran, Charter had been worrying about his petty life, thus he had decided to stay away from Kieran and even if there was anything important, he would send his men forward instead.
But the things that happened that day... There wasnt anyone more suitable than him.
Once Charter thought about the ministers words, he didnt know whether to cry orugh, he felt helpless against it but he must express the intention of his visit.
Sir 2567, it seems like youve run into some problems and as a coborator, I think I should offer some assistance at this particr time. Do you need the methods of activating the Griffin Medal?
Of course, I am not suspecting your identity, its just that the medal that the association sent is a little special, even if you are really from the Griffin Church, you couldnt resonate with it!
Charter rapidly spilled out his intention of the visit.
A little special? Even now, the people within the association still prefer to use such a disgraceful method?
Shocked at the intelligencework of the Union, Kieran raised a brow but he didnt budge in his heart because he already had a n to deal with the uing test.
Snatch it!
Kieran was prepared to snatch the medal when the arbiters were transporting it.
It may seem a little rash but with Elder Council on his back, Kieran had the confidence in nting the me in them and the time stated on the invitation even increased Kierans confidence.
As for the location, other than Dandon Churchs station, there wouldnt be anywhere else.
Though, Kieran didnt mind probing for more intel from Charter after he presented himself with such arge intelligencework.
Of course not! Im afraid even the people of the association didnt know how special the medal is, otherwise they wouldnt have taken it out as well. Charter looked pity on his face.
Then... can you tell me why would you, someone under the ministersmand know something the association doesnt? Dont tell me there are others from Griffin who survived the annihtion back in the day and had pledged their allegiance to your minister.
Kieran was mocking Charter with a joking tone but in his heart, he had a certain confidence that the situation was exactly like what he had said.
Someone really survived the annihtion from the Twenty Hounds back in the day and sided with the Union Government. Otherwise, it couldnt exin how someone from the Union knew such secretive matters.
Everything is exactly like what youve just said! Charter replied with a bitter smile again.
I suppose your minister wouldnt convey such a secret to me without expecting something in return, right? We dont have such a rtionship between us and I dont believe what youve just said. Show me more proof. Although I lost my memory, it doesnt mean I will allow someone to deceive me, especially like a bastard like you who will rob a house thats on fire.
Kieran shook his head in certainty and his gaze at Charter turned even colder, a chaotic aura mixing with a sulphuric smell started to appear in the room.
Proof? The proof is that special Griffin Medal! As long as you follow our way, you can make it resonate with you!
Charter obviously picked up on the smell of the sulphur as panic shed over his eyes.
He had also gotten the news regarding Kieran getting the devils power in the afternoon. It was because of this news that he was sure that his decision to stay away from Kieran was correct.
Even a kid knows that the devil is a terrifying and chaotic monster.
It would really be a disaster when such a terrifying power merged with an executioner!
Which means before I get my hands on that Griffin Medal, theres no way to verify what youve just said? You little bastard, do you think Im an idiot? Or do you think your quick-wits can fool me?
Kieran growled angrily when his sharp senses picked up the sh of panic in Charters eyes.
Huu!
The devils me burned up high on Kierans left hand suddenly and the moment the me sprung out, Charter shivered.
When Kieran grabbed Charter by the neck and moved him over to the devils me, Charter was shivering even harder.
It was not that he didnt want to dodge but he couldnt, at all!
Charter didnt know what was going on and when he realized it, the light from the devils me had filled his eyes.
Hold on! Sir 2567! I think we can change our way of making deals!
The captain cried out loud.
Chapter 758 - Arrival of the Arbiters
Chapter 758: Arrival of the Arbiters
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Charter was unable to hold back his urge to leave the study room and when he finally did, he tumbled away clumsily.
The panic and terrified expression on his face added a sense of ridicule to Anne Aldrich Augens face when she returned to the room.
Have a safe trip home!
When Anne Aldrich Augen sent her malicious goodbyes to Charter, he left even quicker as if he was chased by a ferocious beast.
Anne Aldrich Augen couldnt hold back herughs when she saw the scene. She then turned to Kieran who was baffled by it.
Are you wondering why a mobile squad captain directly under the Union Minister is such a coward?
Kieran nodded without denying it.
The conversation between him and Charter before went smoothly, to the point that it surprised him.
Kieran didnt even utilize any interrogation techniques, after a simple threat, Charter didnt only spill out the secrets of the specifics regarding the Griffin Medal in delight, he even agreed to dy the time of their trade after Kieran had verified the Griffin Medal.
Both Kieran and Charter knew what dy the trade meant.
If Kieran didnt make sure of Charters identity and confirm that he was really scared, Kieran might think it was a trap specifically targeting him but he wasnt able to discard the doubts in his heart.
Power and pleasure are the best drugs! They will corrupt an upright mans heart, let alone those bastards who chose the easy way, Anne Aldrich Augen said lightly.
Her face was absent of any expression when she said that but soon she had a dash of a smile on her face again.
Come, Ive prepared some food personally... I hope youll like it! She said.
Hope Ill like it? Kieran raised a brow.
He obviously felt Anne Aldrich Augen was changing the topic but he didnt want to press the matter further.
All he needed to know was that Anne Aldrich Augen didnt lie to him.
As for her cooking skills, Kieran didnt have much hope for it.
Ady who spent more of her time and energy in beautifying herself and makeup had good cooking skills?
Stop joking, this isnt a scene from some novel.
...
During the next day when the first light shone through the sky, the whole of End City woke up earlier than usual.
Even though the celebration parade only started at 10 in the morning, the colored strips and colorful balloons were already put up as decorations in front of shops.
The people on the streets had more smiles than usual, especially when the people knew the state government had dered the day as a public holiday, the smiles were much more genuine.
Chelsea the secretary was driving while Anne Aldrich Augen looked through the car window, seeing the smiles on the peoples face.
What a bunch of easily satisfied people, she said softly with aplicated tone, it was a mix between envy and mockery.
However, Kieran sitting opposite her was looking very ugly.
His stomach was still twitching.
Although he had expected Anne Aldrich Augens cooking wouldnt be much, he never thought it would be so bad, to the point that the food could be considered as poison! The very toxic kind!
Even his SS- Constitution couldnt take it in and if anymon man ate it, they would surely die.
What? Anne Aldrich Augen looked curiously at Kierans ugly face.
Please step away from the kitchen from now on, your talents arent there, Kieran said softly.
But you did finish the foodst night, right? Anne Aldrich Augen was stunned.
That is the basic respect I have for food. Believe me, if we dont know each other and were unrted, you would already be dead. I dont have any opinions if you mix chili and salt in roasting meat but please dont mix salt and sugar with soda and baking powder! Chili sauce and tomato sauce have a distinctive difference!
And please next time when you choose the meat to roast, pick something from themon meats like beef or mutton, I dont even mind chicken or pork but again, please keep frogs, lizards, and spiders on your special menu, Kieran said slowly with a dying tone.
Is that so? Anne Aldrich Augen looked at Kieran with a doubtful face.
She thought Kieran was lying to her.
One needed to know, Anne Aldrich Augen had meticulously prepared the food that distinguished her from at general cookst night and based on the information she researched, such foods were good for recovering stamina and wounds.
Ill give you another suggestion, every time you finish cooking, please try it yourself first.
Kieran then closed his eyes without further intentions of talking.
Anne Aldrich Augen frowned though, she was recalling the smell of the food she cookedst night.
It felt very simr to her! It must be Kieran trying to nitpick!
She was worried that Kieran wouldnt have enough to eat, thus she didnt take a bite!
Hmph!
Anne Aldrich Augen grunted coldly and turned her head away arrogantly.
Chelsea in the driver seat had her shoulders trembling.
Im sorry, I really dont want tough but I cant hold myself back!
Chelsea apologized repeatedly in her heart and in order to express her apologies, she drove the car quicker and steadier.
Over ten minutester, the car arrived at Dandon Churchs station.
The car had to stop before truly reaching the Dandon Cathedral because the weing parties from Dandon were in front of them.
A group of friars in neat friars outfit, holding horns and drums in their hands.
Wuuuu! Wuuuu!
Dong Dong Dong Dong!
The moment the car stopped, the long and boundless horns sounded, followed by sky-shaking battle drums.
The two different sounds intertwined continuously. From the fierce beats simr to an actual charge on the battlefield to the triumphant melodious rhythm, there wasnt a single bit of dy.
When Kieran came out from the car, cheers sounded.
Wee, Sir 2567 the Eagle Knight!
The cheers sounded en masse, not only did the cheerse from the friars but also the residences around the area, or more precisely, the believers.
Kieran was a little overwhelmed by the reception.
He pictured the ritual in the morning would be carried out in a quiet and solemn ce, he didnt expect the situation would turn into what he saw.
Immediately, Kieran saluted a knights salutation at Sister Liz, Sister Grittel and Father Rayman who were smiling from afar.
He knew his allies had supported him along the way.
The three high clergies of Dandon too returned a bow to Kieran together.
Then, the four of them looked towards the stairs before the Dandon Cathedral together.
Rodney, Iona, and Dan in their Knight outfits had been waiting for a while.
The three Knights had slight embarrassments and awkwardness on their faces.
Especially the young Dan with a double identity, he turned around and looked at the three figures concealing themselves in ck hoods and mantles in the crowd.
Dans face even gave out a sense of anger.
The performance is perfect!
Kieranmented in his heart and turned towards the trio who dressed mysteriously.
No doubt the trio were the so-called arbiters and when Kieran sized them up, the three arbiters let out a weirdugh that sounded heavy and sinister.
Then, a wicked aura charged at Kieran in an imposing manner.
Right away, Kieran revealed a cold smile with his mouth.
Chapter 759 - Terrorize
Chapter 759: Terrorize
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
A disy of power and severity without a doubt!
The arbiters before Kieran had shown their hostility. Whether they were incited by someone or they did it by their own will, judging from the situation where the arbiters were mped down, for now, the former would be more likely.
Who incited them though?
The answer was obvious.
Someone within the association who was once a hostile against the Griffin Church and didnt want to see one of the Griffins again.
Kieran didnt know much regarding the fight between the Griffin Church and the others within the association in the past and if it was possible, he wouldnt want to be involved. But it didnt mean he would hold back against hostile enemies.
Regardless of what the arbiters goal was, hostility was hostility.
Huuu!
The wicked aura was blowing towards Kieran like a gale but when it was a few steps away from reaching Kieran, the aura stopped as if it hit an invisible wall.
Everyone was stunned, including Rodney, Iona, and Dan who knew the means of the arbiters. Their faces were filled with surprise and right off the bat, the surprises turned into shock.
Right after the wicked aura was stopped in mid-air, it was then thrown back at where it came from ten times stronger.
If the wicked aura was a strong gale before, the wicked aura that was thrown back was like a tidal wave, bringing a tremendous power back with it.
The loud growls that echoed in ears told the bystanders how scary the wicked aura was.
As the arbiters were facing the tidal wave, they felt like their vision was ckened by a shadow, followed by a seven-headed monster roaring at them.
Their brains suffered a concussion and their thoughts were turned into a pile of hot mess.
Their bodies backed off uncontrobly until they hit the stairs behind them, tumbling down to the ground.
One of them who was holding a box even threw the box up in the air.
The box flew outwards in a perfect arch towards Kieran, he reached out and grabbed the box firmly from the air.
Everything happened in an instant.
When everyone reacted to the situation, Kieran had already ced his left hand holding the box behind his back and he was standing beside the car door with a slight bow, reaching out his right hand.
A fair white palm then tapped on Kierans right hand and Anne Aldrich Augen who was in splendid attire came down from the car dazzlingly.
Can you help me put it on? Kieran opened the box and inside it was a medal with a griffin carving.
Time had not left its mark on the medal and under the bright sunlight, the medal was emitting a dazzling shine.
Of course! Anne Aldrich Augen nodded with a smile and took the medal and ced it over Kierans chest.
Because of the blind spot from the viewing angle, no one noticed Anne Aldrich Augen had a dash of red on her fingertip.
Under the morning sun, an undeniably beautifuldy was cing a medal on a young mans chest, the scene was really beautiful to look at.
Anyone who saw the scene would unconsciously smile and give the pair their blessing, especially those with a closer rtionship with them.
However, there were always two sides of a coin, whenever one rtionship bloomed, another would surely turn sour.
The arbiter trio who made a fool of themselves before Kieran stared at him and Anne Aldrich Augen with a sinister and ruthless gaze.
When they saw that Anne Aldrich had ced the medal over Kierans chest and nothing happened to the medal, the arbiter trio let out their dark and disgustingughs.
Why didnt the medal react?
Ya, why didnt it?
Could it be...
Sir 2567 wasnt really the heir to the Griffin Church?
But the aura that you released just now made us felt very familiar!
Thats right, very familiar!
Weve lost arade before and although his looks and yours had quite the difference, your age would be quite simr!
Could you be that guy that we are looking for?
A series of questions and answers with obvious malicious intents came from the arbiters.
The people around who heard it started to change their expressions one after another.
Of course, they wouldnt believe what the arbiters said but the medal did not react to Kieran though.
Could it be that 2567 isnt the heir to Griffin Church?
Such thoughts rose up in everyones heart and the two sisters and father of Dandon were looking very nervous as well because if Kieran wasnt truly the heir to the Griffin Church, their alliance wouldpletely dissolve and it would be a destructive blow to the Dandon Church who had just started the Holy War.
The other churches under the Saint Relic Association wouldnt allow such a Dandon to exist.
What will they do?
The young sister and the father turned their eyes at the elder sister and as if she was prepared for this, the elder sister lightly coughed before walking forward.
Sir 2567, even if you arent the heir to Griffin Church, you are still a real knight and we Dandon are willing to ept you as ours! The elder sister said with a warm expression.
epting him as a knight isnt a problem.
But what if he is a sinner?
And what if he is our defecto-
ROAR!
Before the word defector could be uttered, the arbiters were interrupted by an unknown yet full of coercion animal roar.
Everyone was instantly stunned and turned to the origin of the roar, everyone couldnt help but widen their eyes.
They saw a griffin!
A mighty beast with the feathers and furs of sunlight, a strong and majestic body and tail
Under the morning sun, the head of the eagle and front limbs were emitting a magnificent gold color, it instinctively made one feel the holy presence of the beast.
Only the slightly unreal ws told everyone it was a mirage but even if it was just a mirage, the mirage of a legendary beast also possessed extraordinary powers.
When that dignified gaze from the beast red at the three arbiters, the three of them instantly trembled hard like being struck by thunder. They felt like they would be shredded to pieces by the Griffin in front of them.
The trio started to back off once again and this time they didnt tumble down. They felt more angered from the embarrassment and the Griffin mirage vanished shortly after.
Kieran and Anne Aldrich Augen then went back into the car.
Although Kieran nodded at the Dandons and the three Knights, Kieran didnt even bat an eye at the three of them from the start to the end, as if the three arbiters didnt exist.
You!
The arbiters growled heavily and ready to really make their moves but the sudden pain from their heart pulled them to the ground, twitching hard.
The Dandon trio, Rodney and Iona were overwhelmed when they saw the scene as they clearly felt the powers from the Griffin mirage.
This level of resonance has never before been seen, Rodney said after a deep breath and after his words, Kierans identity had been solidified.
No one would doubt it anymore, it wasnt even possible to have a second thought.
Didnt they see the realistic Griffin mirage?
If Kieran wasnt the heir to the Griffin Church, could he trigger such resonance?
Even Dan the young knight who temporarily seized the three arbiters couldnt deny the power from within.
So this is the power of the Griffin Church from the past? The young knight couldnt help but ponder upon the question.
While inside the car, Kieran was also surprised by the details of the Griffin Medal.
Chapter 760 - Appeared
Chapter 760: Appeared
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The details of the Griffin Medals attributes piled up in Kierans vision.
[Name: Griffin Medal]
[Type: Medal]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: Extreme]
[Attribute: Glory Insignia, 1/3]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: Secret Techniques Activations]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: This was once the origin and also the pride and glory of the Griffin Church. If it wasnt for some certain matters, it would always be the Griffin Churchs legacy item.]
...
[Glory Insignia: Summon a real griffin to aid you in battle!]
[Note: Every summon represents a new pact with the griffin. You can make the griffinplete one matter of your choosing but can notmand it for long.]
...
Summon griffin?! Kieran couldnt help but widen his eyes even more.
Although he knew the specialty of the medal from Charter, when he really looked at the attributes, he realized he had still underestimated its value.
Griffin, the legendary beast. It was sung about in songs by people together with Elder Dragons, Pegasi, incubi, behemoths, and others mythical beasts; the Griffin would alwayse up on top.
The Griffin Church really had a griffin by their side? So why didnt they summon it when they were annihted... because of some matters? Was it stolen before? Kierans gaze started to ruminate over the questions.
In order to properly y the role of heir to the Griffin Church, Kieran had gone through the records of the Griffin Church in detail and although the records were iplete, it didnt stop him from feeling how powerful Griffin was in the past from the words he read.
Its existence was even slightly greater than the current six main deciding churches inside the Saint Relic Association but it was also because of such power that Griffin drew much fierce hostility from the Elder Council.
Both sides fought multiple times, openly and secretly, and they were locked in a fierce battle until the Elder Councilpletely wiped out the Griffin Church who was isted from any reinforcements.
Most of the books only vaguely described the istion of Griffin and concealed the role the Saint Relic Association yed in the scenario.
Kierans guess was that the other churches stayed as bystanders and judging from the [Griffin Medal] in his hand, those churches even took drastic measures to the situation.
Now, Kieran was absolutely certain that other than the [Griffin Medal], the Saint Relic Association must have safeguarded a lot more of the Griffin Churchs items.
Of course, the most valuable item had fallen into his hands by mistake.
Kieran lifted his mouth into a grin as he looked at the medal in his hand.
If he had less than 50% of winning chance against the elder from the Elder Council before, the [Griffin Medal] had boosted his confidence by another 20%, and if the elder were to be careless...
Kieran might be able to strike him down with a single strike!
A cold re shed in Kierans eyes.
He never doubted how powerful a griffin was, he also believed that if it wasnt for the usage counter, the [Griffin Medal] would certainly exceed themon item ranks and reach I rank or higher.
You seemed a little excited? Does it increase your chances of winning by a lot? Anne Aldrich Augen across from Kieran had been watching him since they got back into the car.
How sinister would her eyes be to instantly notice the difference in the slightest change in Kierans expression?
Kieran didnt deny though as both of them were allies, it built a basis for their trust.
Even though some secretive things would still remain secrets, some were open up for honest discussion.
Then I shall wait and see. Anne Aldrich Augen smiled lightly and her body couldnt help but lean over to Kierans side.
Kieran, however, dodged her in a more skillful manner and naturally swapped seats with her.
You should really pay attention to adys face! Anne Aldrich Augen said with slight dissatisfaction.
Given thedy wouldnt simply trash the guys pride after everything. Kieran countered in his words.
Anne Aldrich Augen was stunned before giving out a pleasantugh.
You know what I was thinking... it seems like we are indeed connected in a special way.
Please dont simply insult the beautiful phrase connected in a special way.
So you want to do it with me...
Impossible!
You cold-hearted bastard!
You should look for a teacher and learn the precise meaning of each of the words.
How would you like to be my teacher?
No way!
Both of them kept swapping seats as they squabbled.
Anne Aldrich Augen always tried to find an opportunity to get close to Kieran and Kieran would dodge her nimbly, as if both of them were children ying around.
Chelsea saw the scene through the back mirror. Her face had a slight sense of jealousy because at that moment both of them had no extra thoughts in their mind.
They were so real and pure.
...
10 a.m.
With the continuous firecrackers sounding off, End Citys celebration parade had started.
Colorful ribbons were dancing in the air, people were walking the streets with smiles, drawing on each others face with colorful patterns.
There werent any staple patterns though, anything could be drawn on peoples faces, just like how they dressed.
There were knights in cardboard armor, wizards in broken old robes and witches with broomsticks, children and adults participated together as well.
They dressed crudely but it was hard to conceal their happiness.
Especially when floats came out one after another, the peoples cheers almost turned the sky above End City into a sea of happiness.
Even when some meticulously dressed people joined in the crowd, none of them suspected anything. On the contrary, everyone weed those people with smiles and the meticulously dressed people would disy their kindness as well.
They were no different than the people around them, they mingled around the crowd easily.
As cheers and jokes sounded, time flew.
When the day flew by and the sun had set in the west, the moon hung itself up and the entire parades cheerful environment was at its climax.
Fireworks were on disy one after another.
Large amounts of free-flowing beer were ced beside the roads.
It was one of the new benefits the new mayor provided to the people and it won a lot of hearts without question.
So, when Anne Aldrich Augen appeared standing on the float, she was weed by the people enthusiastically.
Iona saw Anne Aldrich Augen being weed by the people and inside the female knights heart, Anne Aldrich Augen wasnt that high in value because she was no different than those women who exploited their sex appeal but everything before Iona told her Anne Aldrich Augen had something different.
Surprised? Cant believe a woman like me can receive such a wee?
Anne Aldrich Augen didnt turn her head around but her voice clearly entered Ionas ears.
Thats right, but the most surprising thing is the feelings of Sir 2567 for you, Iona replied.
Anne Aldrich Augen instantly lifted her mouth corner, she clearly heard the jealousy from Ionas words and it pleased her, yet she certainly would not let the pleasant feeling get the best of her, so she purposely uttered her words in an ambiguous tone, Who really knows anything about feelings?
Iona didnt reply but a slightly aged voice echoed in both thedys ears.
I know right! Who really knows anything about feelings? Just like life and death!
A ck figure appeared behind bothdies suddenly.
Chapter 761 - BOOM!
Chapter 761: BOOM!
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Chang!
A sword was drawn out from its sheath and Iona moved over in a sh, cing Anne Aldrich Augen behind her.
Elder Juen?! Iona called out in an anxious and doubtful tone.
The female knight was always valiant and dauntless and yet her hands were shivering with her sword when she saw the ck figure. Her whole person even plunged into an unknown fear.
She wasnt really a coward or only possessed the valiant looks but the person before her was too terrifying, to the point that it could terrify any mystic with the mere mention of the persons name.
Not only because the ck figure was one of the elders of the Elder Council but also the strongest one.
The ck figure nodded without giving anyment. A hooded outfit covered his face and only revealed a chin filled with a grayish-white beard but when the elder turned his head around, all the knights and arbiters hidden in the crowd had the feeling of looking straight into his eyes.
However, what they felt was not like they were looking at a person but a demonic entity that crawled out from the abyss.
Vicious, scary and terrorizing!
The friars of Dandon started to shiver uncontrobly as if they were quails being blown by the winter breeze, every one of them lost any thoughts of taking action.
Really some old tricks eh, what else do you have? the slightly aged voice mocked them.
A gray mist followed the elders arrival and rapidly clouded the entire street.
The cheering crowd instantly became quiet and lifeless and dispersed swiftly like the walking dead.
Within a breaths time, the entire street was emptied out.
Hahahaha, Elder Juen!
We are really too lucky!
Amid the sinisterughs, the three arbiters came out from the gray mist and revealed their fierce and vicious auras. Their auras transformed into a mirage of a wicked beast under the night, it was baring fangs and ws while sending chills down ones spine.
So you are the results of those people? What a joke. The slightly aged voice was obviously disappointed as he mocked the arbiters.
Joke? Well let you know what joke is!
The three arbiters threw themselves up in the sky towards the elder on the float like clouds of smoke.
Then... they vanished!
The three arbiters vanished without a sound as if they never existed!
The Knights and Dandon high clergies were all stunned.
They knew Elder Juen was powerful but not this powerful. His powers had far exceeded the rumors of his powers.
How is this possible? Rodney couldnt help but cry out in surprise.
The young Dans expression quickly turned sour but before he could take any actions, he vanished.
Dan!? Rodney cried out again but following his cry, he too vanished.
After that, the three high clergies of Dandon followed.
The whole process was no longer than three seconds.
All that was left was the float in the middle of the road and on top of it, Anne Aldrich Augen and Iona.
The both of them were stunned into a dull state when they nced over the surroundings and couldnt believe what they had just seen.
The three arbiters, two knights and three high clergies of Dandon had vanished just like that?
If thedies were to fight to the death, they wouldnt be as terrified even if the elder before them was the strongest among the council.
But vanishing into nothingness was too strange for them toprehend!
To the point that their hearts were frozen.
Huuhaa, huuhaa!
Iona was panting heavily, the tremendous fear made her trembling palm stiffenpletely and even so, she didnt leave. She kept standing in front of Anne Aldrich Augen.
Not too bad. I think you should die in some other ways.
When Elder Juen finished, Ionas sword fell down and her hands went backward uncontrobly, strangling her own neck. Her face quickly turned purple, her tongue was sticking out and she looked like she would suffocate any seconds.
How about you? How would you like to die?
Elder Juen looked at Anne Aldrich Augen, he paused his words slightly and continued, Such a beautifuldy, it would really be a waste if you die like this. Why not allow me to turn you into a puppet? My collections are justcking the one of your beauty!
Oh? Collections? You can try! Anne Aldrich Augens face was slightly pale, she stuttered at first but became fluid as she spoke, a smile was also hanging over her face.
Hmm. You think your little lover can protect you? Or do you think such traps you people had set up would be useful against me?
Elder Juen stomped his feet on the float roof and it shook hard, little shes of lights suddenly shone over the float roof and eventually turned into countless light particles, fading away into the air.
Still unwilling toe out eh? Elder Juen looked at a certain spot of the float roof.
The figure at that spot was distorting like rumbling smoke when a giant formless hand grabbed it and dragged it to Elder Juen.
You are the one who killed all my beloved Hounds? What a disappointment!
Elder Juen looked at Kieran who was bearing a proud and cold face. The exposed beard of the elder fluttered a little and his mouth lifted up for a smile despite being covered by the shadows.
The proud and cold Kieran also showed a smile, a smile filled with sneering and mockery.
Tssk!
Amid a metal cutting noise, a giant sword pierced through the bottom of the float as therge de was driven directly at Elder Juens bottom.
Chang!
After an irritating metal clunking, the sword was stopped.
Elder Juen only lifted out a finger from his hand and pointed precisely at the sword tip.
Then, as his finger moved, the giant greatsword was dragged away from the float roof, including Kieran who was wielding it on the other end.
Kieran struggled with all his might but it was useless against the motion, all he could do was re at Elder Juen with an enraged expression.
Fuuu!
As the night breeze blew, another Kieran appeared with a heavy envious expression.
The [Interrogators Knife] and [Dark Venom Dagger] were like a venomous vipers fangs, striking at Elder Juens neck and the back of his heart but when both weapons edges were inches away from the target, the envious Kieran couldnt move anymore.
Not bad! At least one of you didnt let me down! Elder Juen gave a pleasantugh.
Following theugh, more Kierans showed themselves under the night sky but all of them were frozen in mid-air and were dragged towards the elder without exception.
The elder nced over every one of them.
The real one should be...
As his voice faded, the elder looked behind him.
The real Kieran then jumped up and grabbed Anne Aldrich Augen and Iona by the waist, retreating backward swiftly.
While the Kierans who were dragged in front of the elder showed a disdainful look, a coldugh and angered re, a momentter...
KABOOM!
zing mes rose up high as the explosion burst and cracked the night.
Five [Alchemy Grenade]s and one [Alchemy Grenade II] exploded all at once.
Chapter 762 - Dragging In
Chapter 762: Dragging In
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
What would five Powerful attacks and one Extreme attack be like when they exploded together?
Even Kieran who set it up and triggered the attack had not witnessed such power before.
After a rough estimation, he grabbed Anne Aldrich Augen and Iona and retreated swiftly but he was still caught in the shockwave.
The tremendous shockwave turned into a ss 12 hurricane, wreaking havoc throughout the street.
The zing mes became a strong source of light in the middle of the hurricane, emanating scorching heat that could easily melt iron.
The whole street was leveled within a breaths time.
At the center of the st point, there was a dozen meters deep and a hundred meters wide giant crater left behind.
The aftershock that pped itself onto Kierans body sent him tumbling away but the moment before he crashed on the ground, Kieran did a front flip in the air.
He didnt crash in an ugly way and managed to ce Anne Aldrich Augen and Iona behind him safely afternding.
Iona, bring Anne away from this ce right now!
Kieran showed his back to thedies and ordered them to leave without even turning back.
Okay!
Iona who was saved from suffocation grabbed Anne Aldrich Augen and ran further away without a second thought because her battle instinct told her the danger level just skyrocketed.
Wung!
A formless air stream rose up inside the crater, the air above it was buzzing strongly and it reeked of blood, dead bodies, and metal.
The ck figure rose up once again.
Elder Juen at the center of the st point didnt die, instead, he firmly walked out from the crater step by step.
The ck robe of his turned shabby from the explosion but there were only slight injuries on his body as if a normal man grazed himself after a fall.
Not bad! Elder Juen said as he raised his hand over his scrawny face, touching the grazed wounds and when the elder felt the pain on his body, he frowned.
His eyes were locked at Kieran, he didnt even care about Iona and Anne Aldrich Augen who left.
Are those avatars of yourself? Elder Juen asked. He sounded normal as if he was asking a friend but Kieran didnt reply.
On the contrary, when Elder Juen asked, Kieran already charged up to him and dished out a kick.
Was Elder Juen powerful?
Undoubtedly!
Whether it was the reliable rumors that Kieran gathered or from what he had just witnessed, every sign was pointing at Elder Juens power being undoubtedly absurd.
But, Kieran did not believe Elder Juen was so powerful that he only suffered a scratch after a 5 Powerful attacks and 1 Extreme attack going off simultaneously.
Besides, judging from the arrogance of the elder from the researched information, if the elder really suffered a scratch because of some matters or someone, he would have gone rampant over the person responsible for the wounds and ripped them apart.
Instead, he came out trying to suppress Kieran with his imposing manner and pretended to ask kindly.
So, he was bluffing! He was trying to stall and the fact proved Kieran right!
The moment Kieran charged up to Elder Juen, the elders scrawny face looked vicious and his eyes locked onto Kieran and were overflowing with killing intent.
BUT!
He backed off!
The Elder Juen who was feared by every mystic in the mystical realm of this dungeon world retreated against Kierans test attack.
Kieran squinted his eyes and his eyes flickered with shine.
Elder Juen was hurt! And even more seriously than he had imagined!
However, such severe injuries were possible for him to recover rapidly given that he stayed still or moved away from the battle.
Kieran could not allow Elder Juen to recover!
As the thought bloomed in his heart, Kierans legs were already dishing out barrages of kicks simr to a raging storm.
The afterimages of kicks ovepped with each other, one after another, as though they were the waves from the sea.
His kicks were not only ridiculously fierce but relentless as well and Elder Juen was like a small sailboat in the middle of the storm that might topple any moment. However, Elder Juen dodged the attacks before every crucial hit despite him looking strained out to hisst stand as if the elder hasplete insights on Kierans attack.
You think you cannd a hit on me? Just wait till I recover, then it will be your doom! No, no, no, I wont let you die so easily, I want you to suffer every conceivable pain and hope for your death! For example... your little lover is quite a decent product! Ill enjoy her fully in front of you and not only me, but Ill also prepare arge list for anyone interested in her! Until then...
Elder Juens wasughing coldly and hisughs sounded very ferocious but before he could finish, he stopped abruptly.
With the continuous umtion of [Barsical Kick]s special effect, [Bide] had been triggered at the fourth and fifth kick.
Despite Kierans skill level being lowered by one rank, the Pro level [Barsical Kick] allowed Kieran to gain Strength and Agility buffs of +3 and +4 respectively.
Especially when Kieran mixed [Viper Kick] into hisbos when Elder Juen nearly dodged the fourth kick, the fiercer and stranger fifth kick followed behind and he also made effective dodge movements again but out of his expectations, the supposedly dodged kick had twisted its trajectory.
Ssss Sss!
Amidst the snake hiss, Elder Juen couldnt help but look at the kick which should have grazed him but insteadnded on his shoulder fiercely.
Bang!
A loud hitter, Elder Juen was forced back after being kicked.
After a dozen steps backter, countless blood beads oozed out from the pores of his skin and were fired out like blood arrows.
The elder had turned into a fountain of blood!
Repulsion!
Kieran realized the scene in his heart but he wasnt slow at all charging at the elder.
He knew the elder might look miserable but such repulsion wasnt fatal, he couldnt spare the window for the elder to grasp!
With such thoughts in his head, Kieran swung his left kick upwards and a sharp energy wave was fired out at the elders neck.
[de Kick]!
The sharp energy wave rapidly approached Elder Juen but when it was centimeters away, the sharp energy wave stopped.
Not only the energy wave from [de Kick] stopped, the overflowing blood stopped as well.
Everything suddenly came to a standstill state, including Kieran!
He saw the scene before him but before he could react to it, his body suddenly sunk downwards by formless a pull and when he recollected his senses, the night before his eyes had gotten darker. It looked like supernatural darkness yet unable to truly block sights. The darkness filled his surroundings within an instant.
Wails and cries echoed in Kierans ears.
Then, a shining dagger appeared out of nowhere. The dagger was shaking slightly as if it was unting its sharpness before plunging directly into Kierans abdomen.
Pum!
As the iron edge cut through his flesh and produced the heavy sound, Kieran frowned hard since he was unable to move but he still felt pain on his stomach.
He wasnt concerned about the stab though as his gaze was locked at the figure faintly appearing from the darkness.
Chapter 763 - Kingdom
Chapter 763: Kingdom
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
As the figure wobbled forth, it became clearer.
Rodney and Dan appeared before Kierans sight and their hands were tied up behind their backs on top of a special pired prisoner wagon.
The three arbiters were around the wagon, pushing or pulling it.
Soon, the prisoner wagon reached in front Kieran.
The three arbiters gave out a couple of weirdughs when they saw that Kieran couldnt even move his finger. One of them was holding a leather whip and the other was holding a spiked bat as they walked towards Kieran with vicious expressions but thest one of the three was the fastest.
Thest arbiter ran up to Kieran barehanded and grabbed the dagger embedded in Kierans stomach.
Puk!
The dagger was pulled out and then was thrust back inside.
Compared to the automatic dagger, the arbiters action caused much more pain to Kieran.
Stop it! Rodney cried out loud and right away, a whipping from the arbiter was his reply.
Rodney, you still think you are a knight so high on top? You are just a prisoner now! Lord Juens prisoner!
One of the two arbiters was scolding Rodney as he was whipping him.
You traitors! You bastards will surely end up on fire stakes!
Even when being whipped furiously, Rodney didnt forget to curse the two arbiters despite his pain.
Fire stakes? Just who do you think is the prisoner now?
AND! What rights do you have to call us traitors? We are controlled by you bunch hypocrites with dirty means, now weve pledged our allegiance to Lord Juen who gave us our freedom, whats wrong with that? The two arbiters argued with their questions.
You are just finding excuses for your cowardice! Rodneys pitch went up higher.
So what? The arbiter who was plunging holes into Kierans stomach turned around and questioned the knight.
Then, before Rodney could answer, a fierce kicknded on his stomach, forcing him to swallow back his words before he could even utter anything.
The three arbitersughed out loud when they saw Rodney with his mouth opened and couldnt utter a single word.
Theughssted for a couple seconds before they moved again.
Kieran, who was covered in blood and still couldnt move, was thrown on top of the prisoner wagon that looked like a tcar.
The three of them acted as mules again, pushing and pulling the wagon forward.
Kieran only then noticed that the quiet young knight, Dan, hadsh marks all over his body.
Especially Dans eyes, which had turned into two bloody sockets, his half-opened mouth only housed half of his tongue and weak breathing sounded from his nose but Kieran clearly sensed that Dans life force was weakening by the second.
Obviously, the arbiters didnt hold back against the executioner who had been always mping them down and when the mp was removed, they struck a deadly blow to the young knight.
If it wasnt for Elder Juens order, Kieran could easily guess what would have happened to Dan.
Kierans gaze turned away and started to size up the surroundings.
Following the advancing of the wagon, Kieran saw the darkness around him had obvious changes.
The darkness faded without a sign as if there was mist dispersing, all that was left in front was a big corridor.
The corridors floor and ceiling werepletely made up of rocks, looking sturdy and old.
Lines of thin chains in the size of a babys finger were holding up dish-like instruments at the end as it was filled with oil and was burning brightly.
Amidst the fire, there was a lot of smoke that smelled weird and when Kieran picked up the smell, the wounds on his body hurt him more.
He held the pain in and looked at the left side of the corridor.
Cells and cages made up of a giant wood pile were locking up prisoners inside.
All the prisoners were looking terrified and nervous, any slight noises would cause them to shiver uncontrobly. Especially when they saw the three arbiters who were pushing and pulling the wagon, the prisoners all lowered their heads deeply and didnt even dare to look at the arbiters.
They were terrified beyond theirprehension!
Kieran knew it in his heart but he didnt feel a bit of contempt towards them.
These people who were dragged into this peculiar ce and were locked in cages without a slight bit of light, suffering endless torment.
Fear was natural, and those who know no fear would have been tortured to death early on.
Kieran then turned to the right side of the corridor.
Along the corridor, body after body was hung up. Some became dried corpses and some were nothing but skeletons, but most of the bodies were hung upside down, having a small candle at the bottom of their head, burning their scalp away and allowing droplets of oil fall into the bowl beneath.
The oil from the burning light came from the prisoners body without question.
Then, Kieran saw the three high clergies of Dandon being tied up on the right wall and were beaten badly by the guards there, looking dispirited and apathetic.
When the three high clergies saw Kieran, their eyes lit up but when they saw the wounds and that he was unable to move his body at all, their spirits turned gloomy again.
The guards with malicious looks noticed the changes of his prisoners. They were sizing up Kieran with increased interest.
Some of the guards slowly walked over to the wagon without pausing and obviously harbored malicious intent.
Kieran could clearly tell in their eyes as if they were waiting to see livestock being ughtered.
Though before the guards really came close to the wagon, an irritating screech came from the far end of the corridor.
The closed door was slowly opened up.
Immediately, the guards who walked over and the arbiters quickly kneeled down.
My lord! They called out loud but none of them dared to lift their heads up nor dared to show any disrespectful expressions.
The wagon that stopped then floated up in the air and flew into the dark at a steady speed, followed by the door closing up again.
Bang!
When the sound of the closed door echoed in Kierans ears, he saw Elder Juen again.
Thest time Kieran saw him, Elder Juen was in an ugly state and was oozing blood all over his body but now, he had changed into a magnificent ck long robe with his still scrawny face and was holding a golden scepter in his hand, sitting up straight on a ck throne, looking down at Kieran with a dominating manner in reply of his gaze.
Do you know the difference between us now? Some petty tricks would never have inflicted any damage on me! But still, you made quite an impression. Given your abilities, either you can be my servant or be my prisoner! What will you choose?
As Elder Juen had spoken, so could Kieran. Even though he didnt speak, he felt he could, yet he didnt reply and all he did was size up the ce.
What a ridiculous ant! You wouldnt think you are facing an illusion or inside an illusory realm right? This is my kingdom! The kingdom where I can do whatever I want! For example, you think you can turn the tides around with the power in your body but I can easily wipe it away!
Elder Juen then swung his golden scepter with a sneer.
Immediately, the Dawn Force within Kierans body had vanished into nothing.
Now, tell me what is your choice? Elder Juen asked once more.
Yet this time around, Kieran still kept quiet and his face was looking weird.
Chapter 764 - I Declare!
Chapter 764: I Dere!
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Kieran was feeling the power within his body and just as Elder Juen said, he had easily wiped away the Dawn Force in his body but it seemed like he didnt notice the Devils energy and the Creature of Desires power.
Even though the Devil and Creature of Desire had started to grow restless because the absence of Dawn Force, as though a wild horse had ditched its reins and started to galloped in his body to help Kieran break free from the formless bindings, Elder Juen was still sitting there and didnt notice anything, he continued to look down at Kieran with a despicable gaze waiting for his answer.
He can sharply sense the positive energy like Dawn force but is so dull against the negative energy like the Devil and Creature of Desire? No, no, no, this isnt being dull at the situation anymore, as if Elder Juen couldnt detect them! And it also seems like his memories had some problems as well!
Kieran looked at Elder Juen as his heart was spinning rapidly. He didnt forget he had just used the cardinal sins against Elder Juen and set him up in that explosion.
During normal times, the cardinal sins could skillfully imitate Kieran but under such powerful explosions and mes, the wicked aura of the sins shouldnt have stayed put.
So, Elder Juen should have realized there was not only Dawn Force in Kierans body, unless...
Suddenly, a new thought bloomed in Kierans heart.
Tell me your choice! Elder Juen asked once more.
I...
Kieran prolonged his tone and suddenly threw himself at Elder Juen on his ck throne like a bolt of lightning.
Hmph!
Elder Juen coldly grunted at Kierans actions and immediately, hundreds of thousands of figures appeared between Kieran and Elder Juen.
There were the three arbiters and the guards Kieran saw before.
All of them were sticking together tightly, blocking Kierans path and every one of them looked enraged as they saw Kieras charge, they then shouted out en masse, How dare you offend Lord Juen!
Amidst the furious shouts, strong and weak auras emanated from these people, they were ready to attack Kieran who was charging at them with their strongest skills but Kierans attack was faster!
Creature of Desire was stretching its giant, weird body above Kieran, the wicked aura crashed down like a waterfall, striking mercilessly at those men.
The stronger ones wobbled and the weaker ones fell down but regardless of which it was, they saw the monster above their head.
Especially thousands of evil eyes that shone brightly, every one of them skipped a beat as they looked at the monster.
Instinctively, they wanted to break free from the Creature of Desires gaze but it was toote!
Thousands of burning rays fired down like heavy rain, flooding everyone within a second.
The servants of Elder Juen didnt even grunt as they werepletely wiped out and while all this was happening, Kieran dashed up to Elder Juens face.
Without further hesitation, Kieranunched a kick at Elder Juens body.
Bang!
Elder Juen was toppled backward with his ck throne, rolling further away. He then lifted his head up in an ugly state, gazing at Kieran and his body then twisted, changing his looks.
The magnificent ck robe and the golden scepter were gone, leaving behind a bloody and ferocious looking Elder Juen.
The whole process happened within a split second, it didnt look like he was exposed of his real form but more of an exchange.
As I thought, the Elder Juen on the throne was just a puppet-like existence! Although the puppet looked no different to the real elder, a puppet is a puppet and it can only follow Elder Juens orders that he had pre-arranged, it didnt possess any ability to act on its own. The pre-arranged looked like it would require a lot of time and couldnt bepleted anything a time of his pleasing.
The guess that Kieran had before shed through his mind but his actions didnt slow down at all.
He went on andunched another kick at Elder Juen.
Wung!
The air-breaking whistle was blowing at Elder Juen, messing up his hair. He did dodge the kick in an extremely ugly manner though.
You think youve won!? He growled ragefully and raised his hand at Kieran again and right away, a sinking force appeared on Kierans body again.
Although he wasnt bound again, it made his speedy movements dull and his fierce attacking manner dyed, more importantly, the Devil and Creature of Desires power within his body had vanished as well.
While doing all that erasing, Elder Juen wasnt taking it well either.
The dried blood that turned into scabs on his skin broke again, spilling blood all over his body and it was countless times harsher than before.
Then, his scrawny face had gotten thinner, looking pale as if he had a terminal illness.
Obviously, when Elder Juen was using his powers, he had suffered quite the repulsion but still, he wasughing out loud.
The ultimate victor will be me! Me! You, you are nothing but an ant! You think you can defeat me? Ill tell you, youre simply being delusional!
Elder Juen was screaming in a slightly frenzied state.
While the screams were happening, Kieran quietly took out the [Griffin Medal], it was one of the limited items that he kept on his body at that moment.
In order to make his setups more realistic, he had distributed most of his items that he had gotten throughout this dungeon to all of the sins.
Although the cardinal sins couldnt truly utilize the power of the items, the sessful explosion was satisfying enough for Kieran.
The frenzied Elder Juen saw Kieran take out the [Griffin Medal] and was stunned at first before his expression turned worse.
Impossible! How did you get the medal? It should have been long gone! Elder Juen growled loudly in an unbelievable tone.
Kieran didnt even care about Elder Juens growls, he bit his finger and dropped a drop of blood on the medal and when the medal absorbed his blood, he dered out loud.
Heaven and earth will resonate!
Kings will converge!
Light and justice will shine!
I dere!
Glory will be revived by my hands!
I dere!
Light will never fade on my body!
I dere!
....
Stop! Stop it right now!
Elder Juen heard the familiar words that had been branded into his bones, he didnt further care about the injuries on his body and activated his special power again.
Darkness then flooded in from all directions like the rising tide, crashing at Kieran with mountain crushing force!
However, when the darkness was still some distance away, it stopped and couldnt advance further.
A spot of brightness was shining on the [Griffin Medal] followed by a resonant roar.
A giant figure that shined like the sun stood majestically in the middle of the light.
Chapter 765 - Latecomer
Chapter 765: Later
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The giant figure that emerged from the light raised its head and stepped out with slow but proud steps.
The golden feathers were lustrous as the sunlight, the strong and powerful body possessed power that made ones heart tremble.
The Griffin looked down with a judgmental gaze, sizing up Kieran.
It was different from the previous mirage version, the griffin before his eyes was not only real but had power that the mirage couldntpete with.
It was holy and dignified! Its presence was enough to subconsciously make men lower their heads in atonement.
A series of Spirit authentication even spammed Kierans vision yet Kieran acted as usual.
The Griffin gave a satisfactory cry, it sounded like a beasts roar and a birds caw mixed together but inside Kierans heart, he heard the crying in themonnguage of the dungeon world.
Summoner, say your wish!
Kieran was shocked but since he had multiple encounters worth of experience, he quickly reacted to it.
Please dispel the darkness before and release the bindings!
Kieran didnt say a request like kill the elder because he wasnt sure would he get loots if the Griffin killed the elder.
Although the griffin before Kieran was summoned by the [Griffin Medal] and based onmon rules, any item drop from the targets should be his. However, with Creature of Desire as an example, Kieran wasnt willing to risk it.
So, Kieran must kill Elder Juen with his own hands.
As you wish!
The Griffin uttered softly.
The Griffin didnt make any big movements except for a few steps yet a few steps forward from the Griffin started a ripple in the paused darkness further away.
Ripple after ripple, it eventually swelled intoyers of wave, when the movements reached its peak...
Boom!
The darkness exploded simr to a ignited explosive.
After the explosion, the darkness vanished into nothingness and the hall was also gone.
Kieran returned back to the street in End City.
Further away from him was Elder Juen on the ground, falling t on his back with his iplete body remaining as if he was dead.
But without the system notification and no drop of items from the body, Kieran would not get tricked, but some others were different.
At the end of the street came a group of three.
Standing in front of the trio was a elder with white hair and beard and behind him was a man and a woman.
Kieran didnt know the man but he was too familiar with the woman.
It was Anne Aldrich Augen, Kierans important ally.
Though Anne Aldrich Augens situation was less than pleasant, not only was her hands seized behind her back and her mouth was stuffed with a shaggy cloth, her face even had obvious wounds.
The female knight, Iona who should have protected here was nowhere to be found.
No wonder you are the heir to the Griffin Church, you actually surprised me with the marvelous spectacle of the griffin reappearing in this world within my living years! That scene back in the day really did leave an impression on me. But... Can I request you to ask the griffin to leave? As long as it is here, it really scares me.
The whited hair and beard elder said with a smile. He sounded very warm but between the lines of his words was well-hidden malicious intent.
Especially when the elders words subsided, the knight behind him drew his sword and ced it over on Anne Aldrich Augens neck.
Ughh, Mmm Mmeee!
Anne Aldrich Augen couldnt speak at will because of her stuffed mouth but from her expression and non-stop shaking of her head, she clearly expressed her thoughts to Kieran.
Stop moving!
The knight who seized Anne Aldrich Augens hands behind her shouted at her. He straightened his sword before using the middle part to hardly smack her shoulder.
As bone cracking sounds sounded, Anne Aldrich Augens shoulder instantly turned bloody and mushy but the stubborndy struggled even more fiercely.
Likewise, the knight who seized her didnt hold back either.
Stop it!
When the knight straightened his sword again, Kieran yelled.
The elder raised his hand with a smile to stop the knights action behind him, then quietly looked at Kieran who wasmunicating with the Griffin.
There were heavy dreads lurking in the deepest part of the elders eyes.
I can offer you extra help and you would only have to pay a minimal cost.
The Griffin suggested as it felt disgust at the scene before its eyes.
No thanks, thank you for your goodwill.
Though Kieran shook his head at the offer from the Griffin.
The Griffin looked at Kieran slightly surprised and a few secondster, the Griffin showed a smile.
It was hard for anyone to imagine how an eagle would smile but when Kieran saw the Griffin, his heart felt like it was smiling at him.
Interesting hybrid.
After leaving such words behind, the [Griffin Medal] which had been held tightly in Kierans hand shone brightly again. The Griffin then slowly walked into the light.
The light then swiftly dimmed down and the griffins figure started to fade away.
Until the light waspletely gone, all that was left was the medal itself on Kierans hand.
The elders dread in his eyes finally went away together with the griffins absence and it increased the smiles on his face.
Now, please return the Griffin Medal that Ive given to you! The elder said.
Sure, well trade one on one! I give you the medal, you give me Anne! Kieran said.
You ungrateful bastard! How dare you negotiate with the Lord Overseer of the Saint Relic Association! The knight scolded loudly but the overseer waved his hand, expressing he didnt mind.
Of course, he said.
The knight then released Anne Aldrich Augens hands.
Thedy then staggered towards Kieran as she pulled out the stuffed cloth in her mouth, uttering in a blurry manner, You cant give him that! It is the only thing he fears!
Though, Kieran turned a deaf ear and tossed the [Griffin Medal] towards the elder.
After using thest usage counter on [Griffin Medal], the medal was almost trash to Kieran. It would be great though if he could recycle the trash but...
The overseer caught the medal and as he looked at the medal in his hand, he muttered to himself in a delighted manner, It has always been in front of me yet I didnt notice, I really have to thank you, the heir of Griffin Church! So, after your death, Ill let the people sing songs about the battle between you and Elder Juen! If you can die a hero. I suppose you can die without regrets? Well of course, Ms. Anne Aldrich Augen here will go before you!
The moment the overseers words subsided, he appeared behind the staggering Anne Aldrich Augen and drove his hand towards the back of her heart but Kieran was faster. He grabbed Anne Aldrich Augen and pulled her back, switching her position with his.
Pum!
The overseers palm was then stabbed into Kierans chest!
Noooo! Anne Aldrich Augen cried out in sorrow.
Chapter 766 - Bite!
Chapter 766: Bite!
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Anne Aldrich Augens cry didnt stop the overseers attack.
On the contrary, the seemingly kind and merciful overseer thrust his hand into Kierans chest with an even more ferocious means, plunging his hand deeper.
The overseer had plunged half of his palm into Kierans chest, and he further thrust his remaining palm and half of his hand deeper, his wrist was twisting as well.
The opening on Kierans chest was widened by the twisting.
This heart cannot die with you!
The overseer said as his fingertip touched Kierans heart, he was ready to rip the whole heart out but while he was at it, the knight beside the overseer made his move.
The knights sword reached out in a sh.
The moment the sword was drawn, the overseer had noticed something wrong thus he performed an evasive maneuver but the sword was too fast and too strange.
Even though the overseer gave up the thoughts of ripping Kierans heart out, his back still suffered a sh from the sword.
Arge sh wound that allowed one to see the bones appeared on the overseers back, causing blood to ssh out.
Lord overseer, this isnt me! I...
The knight tried to exin himself in panic but at the next moment, he was punched by the overseer.
Bang!
The exnation was stopped abruptly and the knights body exploded like a firecracker, bursting into bits.
The overseer then looked at Elder Juen whoid on the ground further away with a gloomy expression.
As old rivals, the overseer was perfectly clear what happened just now.
Juen, you actually chose to y dead, as expected from such a bastard that grew up from in the gutters! The overseer mocked the elder.
Then what about you, bastard that grew up in the church? Why would you do things so simr, sometimes even more despicable than me! Elder Juens voice sounded.
Because...
The overseer opened his mouth and vanished from the spot right away. He then reappeared in front of Elder Juens body.
The white and sharp light shed over the overseers palm and was shed down at Elder Juen like a longsword.
Elder Juen justid there without moving a muscle, looking at the light shing down at him as if he didnt have the power to resist.
To be honest, he did not have anything to resist, also, from the moment the overseer shed the white sharp light from his palm to decapitating Elder Juens head, the elder didnt even move at all.
The overseer frowned when he saw the head of his old rival rolled beside his feet.
He clearly noticed something was wrong and he subconsciously shook his palm.
BOM!
The sharp white light exploded into countless sparkles and started spinning around rapidly like a cyclone within a 10-meter radius with the overseer in the middle.
The first of the sharp light sparkles hit Elder Juens body and it was sliced into a pile of minced meat within a breaths time.
The ground was no exception either, almost 1 meter of the ground was cut off instantly but even so, the anxiety in the overseers heart didnt go away.
Wung!
Following the overseers thoughts, the spinning white sparkles suddenly sted out an extremely high temperature simr to a zing me, yet it was still useless!
The anxious feeling grew stronger...
The situation made the overseers face change slightly, he didnt n to stay and find out what was going on.
The light sparkles then vanished as the overseer went back to Anne Aldrich Augen who was kneeling on the ground with Kieran in her arms.
He wanted to kill the woman, rip Kierans heart out and return to the association.
The dense anxiety caused the overseer to go with the safest way possible.
However, before the overseer could get close to Anne Aldrich Augen, he saw her pull out a dagger from Kierans boots.
You still havent realized the current situation? You think your petty strength can fight me? The overseerughed coldly.
Fight? Why would I fight you? Anyway, you wont get away either!
Anne Aldrich Augen looked at the overseer with a sneer, or more precisely behind the overseer.
The overseers heart skipped a beat as he quickly turned around but nothing was there!
There wasnt a soul behind him nor the presence of any spirit beings.
You petty woman, how dare you try to fool me...
The overseer turned around and was ready to deal with Anne Aldrich Augen with the cruelest means possible but before his voice even faded, Anne Aldrich Augen held the dagger in her hand and stabbed it into her stomach, dragging upwards.
She then fell onto Kierans body.
Die for love? The legend of the hero has be more perfect! The overseermented coldly.
But letting a bastard like you to write such a legend for the hero, its very disgusting!
The familiar voice sounded behind the overseer, causing him to turn around once more swiftly and yet, he still didnt notice anything.
Come out! Juen, show yourself right now! The overseer shouted angrily.
Come out? Im always beside you! Elder Juens voice entered the overseers ear.
The overseer turned his head around and he saw his old rival but when heid his eyes on Elder Juen, he shivered.
A head was stuck on his shoulder! Or more precisely, the head grew on his shoulder!
The overseers shoulder grew another head out without him noticing. It was already scary enough but the scarier thing was, the overseer knew nothing and felt nothing about Elder Juens head until the head spoke!
Look at your terrified look, you wouldnt really think the sh I used your knight to deliver was a normal sh eh? Elder Juenughed, it was the genuine delight that came from his heart.
Yet the delightfulugh caused one to quiver, especially when the head had the freaky smile on it, it opened its mouth and tried to bite the overseer.
The overseer raised his hand to stop the mouth but all he could utilize was one side of his arm.
The other arm on the heads side was out of his control. The arm didnt just allow Elder Juen to perform its bite, it even stopped the other arm which was trying to stop the bite.
Soon, not only the arm but the control of the legs and body were split into two.
YOU..... Arrrghh!
The overseer was greatly frightened and paled in fear when he saw such terrifying changes to his body but as Elder Juens mouth bit the overseers face, it ripped a piece of the overseers cheek away with an eerie tearing sound.
Elder Juen then swallowed the piece of cheek down together with the skin.
Hmmmmmm, you taste not too bad!
While his mouth was covered with blood, Elder Juen wanted to bite the overseer again.
Likewise, the overseer didnt want to give up resistance either, he too mimicked his old rival and bite Elder Juen.
Right away, an absurd scene happened. Both arms and both legs were attacking each other, even the muscles on the body of each side were twisting fiercely as the two heads were brutally biting each other.
The two fought on relentlessly and didnt even notice what happened to Kieran and Anne Aldrich Augen.
After all, in their perception, Kieran and Anne Aldrich Augen were already dead.
Chapter 767 - The Chance That Finally Came
Chapter 767: The Chance That Finally Came
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
A few hours earlier...
Are you sure you want me to swallow the two of these?
Anne Aldrich Augen looked at the [Ring of Protection] and [Ring of Blessing] in Kierans hand. Her delicate face was showing reluctance that she didnt bother to cover up at all.
Unless you are willing to believe the Saint Relic Association or willing to once again be the fish on the cutting board, allowing others to slice you at will.
Kieran put the two rings in Anne Aldrich Augens hand.
I dont want to!
Anne Aldrich Augen shook her head hard and opened her mouth, swallowed both the rings down her stomach. Then, she took a deep breath and said, This is the most special thing that I ever swallowed in my entire life! Now, tell me how should I do it so that I wont kill myself? And you are sure you can save me in time?
Dont forget, saving you is the same as saving myself and I wont joke with my little life. Just like how the people of the Saint Relic Association would stay put until the situation is clear. Their stand on this has made it exceptionally clear, they would not allow the Griffin Church to be revived and killing me will certainly be their preferred course of action. The coinciding point is, I might still be of use before I die, so why would they not use me? Besides, they will not let go of the heart in my body. So, I am very confident in our n, Kieran said with a smile.
I think you need toe up with more backup ns!
Anne Aldrich Augen presented herself in a nervous state since it was rted to her own life.
Hmm. I try to think of every possible aspect but most importantly...
Improvise! Ive learned how to do so when I was seven and made myself a master, Anne Aldrich Augen said by waving her hand and just as thedy said, she was very skilled in improvising and was a master at it.
From the point where Iona was struck down by herrade that was supposed to support her, to Anne Aldrich Augen being held captive and eventually stabbing herself with the dagger. Every step was proceeding perfectly.
The moment Anne Aldrich Augen fell on Kieran, he had woken up from his [Dormant Viper] state.
The dizziness that followed made it clear to Kieran that even if he relied on [Dormant Viper] to slow down his fading life force, his HP was still decreased to an rming rate.
Without further hesitation, Kieran moved his hand along the dagger wound on Anne Aldrich Augens stomach and went inside her abdomen, reaching into her damaged liver wall.
Then, he managed to touch the [Ring of Protection] and the [Ring of Blessing] and after taking his palm out of her body, Kieran immediately used [Ring of Blessing, Light of Revival] without even thinking twice.
The brilliance of the light shone brightly from Kierans hand, a 3-meter radius range was filled with the warm presence of healing.
The wounds on Kieran and Anne Aldrich Augen had started to heal at exponential speed, visible to the naked eye.
The sudden changes obviously startled Elder Juen and the overseer.
Damn it!
You bastard!
The two of them were fighting ceaselessly in a single body when they saw Kieran getting up on his feet.
They cursed together and dashed out together at Kieran but fell to the ground at the same time as the left leg tripped the right leg.
If you dont want to die, give me back control of my body! the overseer shouted.
Why dont you give up control of your body to me? Elder Juen argued.
Though when the elder saw Kieran wasing over, he decided to step back and returned control of the body to the overseer but the elder didnt let go of all defenses either.
He moved his head around the overseers body, wriggling around and made his way to the wound on the back, diving into the wound!
The overseers back immediately bulged up into a giant hump, looking like a hunchback monster.
When Kieran saw the scene, his heart was utterly grateful because if he didnt notice Elder Juen was still alive, it might be him carrying such a hideous form.
I will rip you apart!! the overseer said in a low voice as he was adapting to his new body. His words were filled with cold killing intent.
The overseer wasnt that naive to ask how Kieran had prepared for this and, as long as he could kill Kieran, nothing would change and everything would return to the original n.
Is that so? Then let us see who will die an iplete death!
Kieran swung his hand and used [Ring of Protection] to create [Protection Barrier] as he strode forward.
His shirt on his body was turned to shabby rags from all the attacks, he then pulled it down with his hand, throwing the destroyed clothes away but before his clothes could reach the ground, it burst into strong mes.
Fuuuu!
The clothes were instantly burnt to cinders, more mes burst out from Kierans body and following each step he took forward, the mes burned hotter and fiercer, to the point where it engulfed Kieranpletely.
The overseer was shaken when he saw the zing scene.
Especially when a certain aura appeared within the mes, the overseers bitten off face started to tremble and the bloody part of his face looked even more vicious and scary.
You want to beat me by relying on the Devils heart? You are too childish! It is the first time youre using it and you will never understand its horror! You will be devoured right away!
The overseers words sounded tough and fierce on the outside but actually, he was afraid on the inside.
Kieran in fire used the Devils energy that flowed in his blood and he clearly sensed the fear from the overseer.
He also knew that the chance before him was very hard toe by. When his n and various coincidences converged, Kieran had finally gotten the best situation possible.
This current moment was the weakest state of the overseer with Elder Juen in his body without a doubt!
Despite the overseer acting normally, the bone-deep wounds all over his body had proved it all.
First time? Youll never know! Kieran uttered the words in his heart and extended his zing wings.
Fuuuu!
The violent wind went rampant together with zing mes, swirling and pushing outwards in all directions but when the runes on the zing wings shone, all the mes that went out returned to Kierans side.
Then, an otherworldly roar was sted at the sky, zing mes followed upwards and finally, the Devils image appeared under the night sky.
It wasnt the twisted devilized form of Harondentte anymore, neither was it the blood and flesh puppet that had lost its sanity.
It was the true, authentic Devil!
The wings, the horns, and the gigantic magma body, the extremely hot temperature, zing mes, and sulphuric stench was telling everyone who saw the scene, the Devil was very real.
Anne Aldrich Augen who had woken up within [Protection Barrier] was looking at the kingly fiery image under the night sky with teary eyes.
She has been wondering where Kieran got his confidence from and now she finally saw the answer.
Transform into the Devil eh? Anne Aldrich Augen muttered softly and on the other hand, the overseer growled frenziedly with unbelievable expressions.
Impossible!
Impossible!
How can a person perfectly control the heart!? This must be an illusion! Juen, this is your handy work again, isnt it? Isnt it? Say something, you bastard!
Unable to believe the facts before his eyes, the overseer plunged into panic.
Hepletely pushed the me of the unusual urrence to his old rival.
Kieran, however, would not care about how unusual his enemies behaved, he pped his wings and fired out a 130 degree, 40-meter range of stwave to sink the overseerpletely.
Then, the second wave and the third wave!
When the third stwave swept across the area, the street which was already in ruins was further turned into a deste scene simr to purgatory but that still wasnt the end.
Sparks of lighting started to gather in Kierans devilized palm.
Chapter 768 - Prelude of the Grand Opening
Chapter 768: Prelude of the Grand Opening
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Amidst the zing mes, the overseer was still struggling on hisst breath despite his body being badly burnt and his flesh peeling.
Extreme rank mes and Extreme rank stwave!
With both Extreme attacks oveid each other, the triple [me st II] had inflicted severe damage to the overseers body and at that very moment, the overseer clearly caught the scent of death.
Run! I need to escape this ce and stage ae backter!
The thought bloomed in the overseers head and it made him activate his secret spell without a second thought.
Immediately, his severely damaged body started to turn into smoke but the process was unusual and looked slightly distorted.
Juen! How dare you! the overseers enraged growl came from the smoke.
Why am I afraid? This body is already mine! Elder Juenughed coldly.
The distortion of the smoke turned heavier by the second
When the distortion was at its limit, a face emerged from the smoke and it lookedpletely like Elder Juen then followed by the overseer.
Butpared to Elder Juen, the smokey face of the overseer was very faint as if it would scatter with the slightest of breeze.
You really want to die? the overseer continued his enraged growl.
The one who will die is you, not me!
Elder Juen nced over the lightning on Kierans devilized hand and gave a malevolent vicious smile on his smokey face.
Then, the cloud of smoke split into two.
One representing the overseer flew towards the devilized Kieran and the other representing Elder Juen flew upwards to the sky like a gale.
No! You forced me into this! Ill take you down with me!
When the overseer saw himself flying closer to Kieran, he shouted out loud and his smokey face became utterly ferocious like never before.
The overseers face turned even more blurry after that as if it would scatter away any moment but suddenly, Elder Juen who flew upwards was dragged back and fused together again with the overseers smoke.
Soul burning!? Where did you find that kind of secret spell!? Elder Juen cried out in horror.
Die! Die together!
The overseer had lost his sanity after his soul was being burnt by Kierans me. The cloud of smoke was only uttering that single phrase throughout the process.
In the end, the overseer had gotten what he wished for.
KAKROOM!
A p of thunder sounded from the sky and a lightning bolt as thick as a barrel struck down on its target.
Elder Juen cried out hisst scream before being swiftly covered by the bolt of lightning.
The thunder dazzled and lightning shed, as though it was the God of Thunders judgment!
When both of them intertwined, it formed a destructive aura that could wipe out everything.
The two, both elder and overseer, who turned into smoke werepletely drowned by the attack, especially Elder Juen.
In fact, the elder died even faster than the overseer. The elder was instantly vanquished when the bolt of lightning with Extreme attack struck it.
[Exploding Thunder Spell] was much stronger against those wicked spells and forbidden tome techniques than Kieran had imagined.
The overseer also followed the fate of Elder Juen, turning into a pile of ash and just like how Kieran called it earlier, he died without aplete body.
Other than a reserved golden item, nothing was left behind from the two.
[Name: Mark of Rival]
[Type: essory]
[Rarity: I]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: I]
[Attribute: Rival Deathmatch]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: A pair of rivals who fought against each other and died together in the end]
...
[Rival Deathmatch: You can target a specific enemy (Target is not limited to human beings), and you will gain a +1 buff to all attributes within a 1-minute duration together with +1 in all authentications. When you kill the specific rival target, you can increase any skill at will with a +1 buff within 30 seconds (Limited to Legendary rank and lower), once every 3 days]
...
Kieran picked up the coin-like item.
It was white on one side and ck on the other yet shared the same body.
Rivals eh? Kieran muttered to himself softly.
Kieran had no questions about the rarity of [Mark of Rival] since both the overseer and Elder Juen had fused into a single monster, the drop should have such a rarity.
Truth be told, based on Kierans guess, if he were to rely on his own strength and didnt summon the griffin to aid him, the drop rarity would have been higher by a rank or two but Kieran didnt regret it.
He knew how far his strength would go against those two.
Without the griffins aid in the battle against the overseer and Elder Juen, the pair of old rivals, Kieran could never achieve what he just did.
Let alone emerging the final victor, he might not even survive the onught.
He then walked forth and picked up the [Griffin Medal] had 0 uses remaining as he nned to leave after extending his wings since he didnt deactivate his devil form.
Devilized Kieran acquired a +4 buff to all his attributes and his Intuition had reached SSS- as well, allowing him to easily listen and see the crowd gathering swiftly from afar.
With his current devilish looks, it wasnt appropriate for him to be seen by those people.
Wait! Anne Aldrich Augen rushed out of the [Protection Barrier] and called out loudly.
Hmm? Devilized Kieran turned his head around.
Youre leaving just like that? Anne Aldrich Augen asked.
I suppose it isnt hard for you to handle the situation at hand right? After all, it is exactly what we expected in the first ce, he answered.
Not this! But... dont you think you should take responsibility? You are the first guy who entered my body! Anne Aldrich Augen crossed her arms before her chest and looked up to Kieran who was stunned.
Stop joking, Kieran answered. He couldnt tell whether thedy before him was lying or not.
Her expression seemed so real but when he thought about how skilled and perfect her acting was, Kieran wasnt certain what he saw before his eyes were real.
Do I looking I am joking? Anne Aldrich Augen emphasized her meaning.
Then, before Kieran could reply, she charminglyughed continuously.
After bing the devil, your expression is much cuter than your human face. Look at that surprise and disbelief that made you doubt your life... I am really amused! You little bastard, you dont n on returning after this, right? Then, I wish you all the best!
Anne Aldrich Augenughed and opened her arms at Kieran, wanting a goodbye hug.
But she was slightly burned without a question, even if Kieran had purposely held his fires down.
Tsk, this part that hurts really has no difference to your human form, it might be even more direct! You were like a porcupine when you were human and now you even burned me with fire with your Devil form!
Sigh... Now off you go! Otherwise, I cant continue putting up my act.
Anne Aldrich Augen stepped back a couple steps and waved at Kieran in his devil form.
Devilized Kieran gazed at thedy who didnt really say goodbye to him and he stomped his feet up and pped his wings, vanishing into the night sky swiftly.
Anne Aldrich Augen was left behind staring the night sky and the bright moon.
A series of messy steps sounded from afar right after that.
Police cruisers and fire engines arrived at the scene one after another.
Anne Aldrich Augen rubbed the corners of her eyes and adjusted her emotions quickly, turning herself back into the overly charmingdy that everyone knew of and walked over to the crowd.
What happened? Anne Aldrich Augen! Wheres 2567?
Teresa who came out from the car yelled at Anne Aldrich Augen angrily.
Chief Teresa, please address me as mayor. Well, of course, you can also address me as Mayor Anne 2567. Now, send your men to maintain order around here, I dont wish to see any more casualties and chaos!
Then, Anne Aldrich... Anne 2567 went over to her secretary, she still had some things to settle, it was not just for her own self but for End City and also... Kieran.
Trying to ditch me eh? You are taking it too simply! Anne 2567 muttered to herself as she caressed the scalded skin on her forearm.
While Teresa looked at Annes back nkly, it was only a few secondster that she reacted to what happened.
Damn it! That bastard! What did you say? What Anne 2567? You little bitch!
All sorts of vulgar curses exploded from Teresas mouth and she rushed towards Anne 2567 right away.
Immediately after, the reporters who came after hearing the news started to take pictures with their phones and cameras as if they were fueled by an adrenaline rush.
Camera shes shone repeatedly and intertwined with the police lights, it felt like it added a colorful dash to the dark night that was heavily tainted by ck ink.
The real story... is only beginning!
Chapter 769 - Talents!
Chapter 769: Talents!
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
[Completed special event: Make Oneself A Ruler!]
[Time decreased: 35 days]
[Main missionplete!]
[yer will leave the dungeon in 5 minutes]
[Please take whatever items you wish to keep with you.]
[Note: Any items that exceed the maximum weight will be discarded!]
...
Kieran took every spoil of war with him by stuffing it in his bag or strapping it on his body before grabbing [Calgas Crush] with his hands.
Although he knew such a special weapon couldnt have sold for a high price even if he brought it back to the game lobby, asking Kieran to give up his spoils of war was like asking him to kill himself.
Trying to take money from a scrooges pocket, it would be no different than killing him directly.
When Kieran grabbed [Calgas Crush] firmly, the timer ended.
Kieran then vanished on the spot but Kieran didnt return to his game lobby, instead, he went back to the space under the sky full of stars.
Lines of words started shining amongst the starry sky.
[yer haspleted Character Model Temte Limit Break dungeon!]
[Strength, Agility, Constitution, Spirit, and Intuition have been set as yers main attributes!]
[Note 1: Main attributes: Cost 1 Golden Attribute Point to level up each time]
[Note 2: Sub attribute: Cost 2 Golden Attribute Points to level up each time]
[Note 3: Border attribute: Cost 3 Golden Attribute Points to level up each time]
[Devils Energy has been authenticated as Origin Force]
[Cardinal Sins Energy has been authenticated as Origin Force]
[Saint Thorns Energy has been authenticated as Origin Force]
[Dawn Force has been authenticated as Origin Force]
[Note 1: yers body will be adjusted correspondingly to Origin Forces, Points, Skill Points, and Golden Skill Points consumption will be decreased by 30%]
[Note 2: Leveling up non-Origin Force will consume 100% more Points, Skill Points, and Golden Skill Points]
[Note 3: Leveling up skills that counteract Origin Force will consume 300% more Points, Skill Points, and Golden Skill Points]
[yer has acquired Talent...]
[Detected yer has limit broken Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art, Hand-to-Hand Combat, Undercovers restriction in Character Model Temte Limit Break dungeon]
[Detected yer has limit broken Strength, Agility, and Constitution in Character Model Temte Limit Break dungeon]
[yers Talent will be raised...]
...
The bright words paused for a while in the sky before further showing more words underneath.
Many terms such as [Purgatory Final Descendant], [Apocalypse Bloodline], [Silent Stigmata], and [Son of Hope] appeared but were quickly reced and at the end of the dazzling shine of words, only a single line remained stable.
[Name: The Warden]
[Type: Talent]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Attribute: 1. Weak Spots Immune; 2. Authentication Advantage; 3. Priority Timing]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Remark: You who stand in the space between light and darkness and oversee the rotation of day and night will hold on to your own beliefs.]
...
[Weak Spots Immune: The weak spots on your body will no longer be fatal points]
[Authentication Advantage: You will gain a +1 buff in any kinds of authentication (Includes but not limited to attributes)]
[Priority Timing: You can choose any skill on cooldown to rest its cooldownpletely, twice a day]
...
The Warden?
Kieran looked at the term that sounded more like a title than a talent.
Though before he could ponder more about it, his eyes turned dark and he was returned to his own lobby.
After Kierans absence, the words under the starry sky didnt disappear, they were slowly changing like an abstract old painting, panning outwards.
The sun had risen up a while ago and shed its brilliant radiance over the realm.
A full moon was hiding under the suns radiance in a leisurely manner.
In between the sun and the moon, where the radiance of the sun and brightness of the moon converged, a small ck spot simr to a seed slowly came into shape.
...
Back in the old broken garage that he was familiar with, Kieran had just regained his steps.
Ding Ding Ding!
Though right away, his PM tab was pinging rapidly and relentlessly and no doubt they were all from Lawless.
Even before Kieran could check all the messages, the room notification already appeared before his vision.
[yer Lawless request to enter your room. Allow? Yes/No]
Yes!
Kieran gave an affirmative answer.
Then he saw Lawless rush into his room in a nervous manner. The rapid rush from Lawless tall and buff structure whipped up a violent wind within the old garage and even blew away the umted dust.
When Lawless saw Kieran, his mouth started sting words like a machine gun.
Are you okay? Damn it, youve frightened the hell out of me! I thought youd directly entered the Character Model Temte Limit Break dungeon! Thank goodness! Thank goodness! Go clear one or two more dungeons and get more benefits for yourself. That is the right way to do the limit break dungeon, dont forget...
Ive cleared it! Kieran said with a smile.
Lawless was stunned, he thought he was hearing things and unconsciously asked, You said whaaa?
I said Ive cleared the Character Model Temte Limit Break Dungeon, Kieran repeated again.
This time, Lawless heard it clearly but it didnt mean he wasnt utterly surprised.
You...Youve cleared it? Lawless stuttered his question.
To be honest, Lawlesss heart at that moment wasnt only surprised but was fiercely curious as well. He really wanted to know how many limit breaks Kieran went for.
Was it three? Four? Or five?
Though, as a veteran yer, Lawless knew the rules between yers and given such secretive means, he wouldnt have asked it on his own, despite him and Kieran being best buddies.
Congrattion on being a veteran! Lawless then shifted the topic.
Thanks! Kieran answered with a smile.
The reason Kieran acknowledged Lawless as his friend was Lawless methods of not peeling the onion to its core and keeping his baseline strictly yed a big part.
Kieran didnt like spilling his secrets and hated others who probed his.
To celebrate, we really should have a drink!
Lawless suggested as he threw one cigar at Keiran.
Kieran caught it and lighted up the cigar with the sh of fire on his left hand.
Kieran had familiarized himself with the scent of cigar thanks to Lawless, he wouldnt mind taking one during his rest time.
Though he wouldnt forget to wash off the smell on his body afterward.
It wouldnt be a problem if friends picked up the smokey scent but if he was undercover in the dungeons and his enemies picked up the scent, it might be lethal.
Lingering between life and death, Kieran didnt only be more cautious and vignt but also showed more concern about all kinds of details around him.
For example, he picked up a sense of happiness from Lawless smoking posture and adding up the previous words, Kieran immediately knew where Lawless happiness came from.
Youve found a new curse dispeller? Kieran asked.
Chapter 770 - Removal
Chapter 770: Removal
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Of course! Guess who it is? Lawless looked at Kieran in a delightful manner.
Guess? So it means I know this person but out of my expectations? Then, lets discard the usual familiar one plus the ones who knew I was cursed and forced to stay in my room and it seems we are down to just a few. While this handful of people that can achieve such a feat... Its Starbeck isnt it? Kieran answered.
You little bastard, cant you at least make this process of guessing a little more surprising? Whats the fun in finding out the answer right away? Lawless spat out a mouthful of smoke and said helplessly.
At least it saves time, Kieran shrugged with a smile.
Half an hourter, Starbeck brought his new bodyguards with him and arrived at Wallway 13th.
The real-life son of a billionaire sized up the broken garage before him, especially the curse that was obviously lingering around and only stepped in until Lawless and his bodyguards went through the door.
Its been a while, Starbeck greeted Kieran.
Despite his face being blurred out, his actions and gestures were very pleasing to the eyes.
His elegance and gentlemanly manners were carved in his bones, as long as he didnt show his mimosa nt traits, it would be pleasant and praiseworthy.
Mm. I need your help and of course, Ill pay ordingly.
Kieran nodded to express his wee and went straight to the point.
Since both sides knew what was going on, there was no need for beating around the bush.
Starbeck didnt answer directly but waved his hand, sending both his bodyguards outside before continuing with a relieved manner, Im sorry, I should havee alone for such a private meeting but my character and the pressure from my family made mypromise to the decision.
As for the price? Well, there is no need for that, Lawless had made a contract with me. You know that what I need are reliable and strong yers to help me clear the dungeons.
Obviously, before Kieran and Lawless who knew his weakness, the mimosa nt didnt n to further conceal himself.
I think the contract should be changed, like changing Lawless to me. Kieran suggested but before Starbeck replied, Lawless refuted loudly, 2567, are you nning topete with me on such a good deal? You know my luck has been sh*tty all the while and only when I team up with people will my luck slightly increase, especially with Starbeck the lucky guy!
Lawless seemed to be in a joking mood but he showed his persistence from his words.
While facing such persistence, Kieran didnt have anything else to say because he knew no matter what he said, he couldnt change Lawlesss mind, on the contrary, it would only make the guy more stubborn.
As the time the spent together became longer, Kieran had slowly realized Lawlesss character and the more he understood Lawless, the more he was d to be able to call him a friend.
Kierans mind unconsciously reminded him of the words from Rachel that described Lawless wed character.
He sent a PM to Rachel secretly and nodded, Fine.
Thats right!
Lawless grabbed Kierans shoulder with a happyugh after seeing Kierans nod.
Starbeck beside was looking at the two with an envious gaze, the mimosa nt could clearly feel the friendship between Kieran and Lawless.
Both of them could sign a contract with Starbeck without any hesitation just for each others sake. Starbeck even believed if he would set the conditions of the contract harsher, both of them wouldnt hesitate as well.
I wonder when can I have such friend? Starbeck asked himself quietly.
Although he was a coward by nature, he wasnt at all an idiot or dull.
In fact, as the heir to his big family, he had received all sorts of elite education since young. Starbeck had a wider base of knowledge than anyone couldve imagined and with his constant viewing of people around him, no matter how stupid he was, he would have gotten something.
Besides, Starbeck was exceptionally smart as well.
When he was advancing to his teenage years, he had known the purpose of why people around sucked up to him. Regardless of the reason, they would eventually end up taking benefits from him.
Following Starbecks growth in age, the phenomenon had gotten worse because he was the only heir to his family; Starbeck represented greater benefits.
He sighed in his heart and took out the item that he had prepared beforehand.
[Name: Virgins Tear]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attack/Defense: None]
[Attribute: Pardon 1/1]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: The merciful virgins tear is sympathetic and forgiving.]
...
[Pardon: Effectively remove Extreme rank or lower curse or negative attributes.]
...
After taking over the tear-shaped diamond in the size of a pinky nail, the description appeared in Kierans vision.
He then chose to use it without hesitation.
Instantly, the tear-shaped diamond shined brightly like the suns rays, a young girls mirage then appeared before Kieran.
The mirage of the girl only presented a general contour of her face without showing the features clearly but the warm presence felt like it could instantly cause one to lower the guards on their heart.
Then, the mirage of the young girl went straight towards the curse energy that was blocked outside the door by the system.
There wasnt themon fear or disgust as the young girl simply touched the curse energy. Then, the energy was drawn back step by step by the girl into [Virgins Tear] like guiding back a lost child.
The brightness then slowly dimmed out. The originally crystal clear [Virgins Tear] turned dark instantly and became the likes of a roadside pebble.
Despite all sorts of mystical and bizarre scenes urring in the underground game and none would feel strange about it but Kieran, Lawless, and Starbeck were still surprised by the scene before their eyes.
Though the three of them were surprised at different points.
Lawless and Starbeck were surprised at the tender removal method of [Virgins Tear] while Kieran was surprised by the powers aura.
It was the kind of aura that only came from the likes of the Prairie King, it was even a notch higher than Elder Juen and the overseer from before.
A Rare item can hold such level of power? Or... Was it because of this level of power, that it boosted the items rarity to Rare? Kieran wondered in his heart.
His eyes then unconsciously moved towards his attribute window.
Afterpleting his limit break dungeon, the extra point in Spirit attribute that he had gotten by reaching the limits on [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] and [Sword Skill, Myriad Viper] was all added on to his tab and it presented a surprising change.
[Strength: SS-; Agility: SS-; Constitution: SS-; Spirit: Z+ (Pre I); Intuition: SS+]
Chapter 771 - Into I
Chapter 771:
Into I
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Pre I?
Such tag had appeared behind Kierans strongest attribute, Spirit.
Since it was not the first time Kieran encountered the I rank, he had some guesses based on the new information.
[Wolf Remnant Feast] and [Mark of Rival] were also I rank. The Prairie King who dropped the pendant was a real divine being during his prime. Although Elder Juen and the overseer were slightly weaker, they were also powerhouses of simr ranks without a doubt, which means I rank represents the real level of power that has transcended beyond the mortal realm?
If my guess is correct, as long as I keep increasing my Spirit attribute, it will eventually reach I rank as well! The level of I... What would it be?
The thought bloomed in his head and it resulted in immediate action.
If it was his other attributes and considering the long run, Kieran might be hesitant over it but when it involved the Spirit attribute, his strongest one yet, with enough Golden Skill Point, the Spirit attribute would be the priority for him to level up.
[Using Golden Attribute Points...]
[Spirit Z+ ZZ- (Pre I)]
[Using Golden Attribute Points...]
[Spirit ZZ- ZZ (Pre I)]
[Using Golden Attribute Points...]
[Spirit ZZ ZZ+ (New I)]
...
After using 3 Golden Attribute Points in one go, Kieran clearly saw the changes of the tag behind his Spirit but the one that experienced the biggest change was himself.
Kieran clearly felt his head getting clearer and calmer, some forgotten details had even appeared in his mind. He was even able to clearly see his own energy!
The chaotic devils energy.
The wicked cardinal sins.
The devout Saint Thorns power.
The liveliness of Dawn Force.
Four types of entirely different energies were flowing inside both his hearts in a distinct yet mixed manner. The devils energy, cardinal sins, and Saint Thorns were tangling with each other while Dawn Force was interweaving itself between them, forming a strange bnce between the three and while in the other heart, Dawn Force hadpletely upied it.
Its lively cheers flowed within the organ that belonged to it, slowly and steadily pumping the energy to Kierans body thus changing him bit by bit.
Kieran saw the changes yet he couldnt help but shake his head.
It wasnt bad but it was too slow for him. If he had enough time, he could have gotten quite powerful by solely relying on such small changes but...
He never had such luxuries to begin with.
After sighing softly in his heart, Kieran then turned his attention towards the one energy that he had neglected because of itsmon traits, [Hand-to-hand Combat, Kick Combat]!
The energy swirled around his legs, using its own unique way to form rune after rune in Kierans muscles and bones. It was those runes that made Kierans legs so powerful and extraordinary and even boosted him to the level which he could attack spirit beings.
Back when Kieran was leveling [Hand-to-Hand Combat], he saw those runes before but it was just in a sh and unlike now which allowed him to capture everything within his sight.
I see! The transcendence changes of the basic level skills changed themon body into the body of the Magic species! I guess my body really fit [Hand-to-hand Combat] a lot! Compared to [Hand-to-Hand Combat, Kick Combat], the Transcendence [Undercover]s runes on my body only appeared faintly!
Kieran has such a guess a while ago and when he managed to get his Spirit into I rank, he finally got a sure answer.
He switched his attention to other parts of his body in hopes of finding other higher than basic skill energy but he didnt get anything else.
Not fitting enough? No, I think its my Spirit attribute that too low to spot them. Kieran shook his head.
However, Kieran didnt use any Golden Attribute Points further and although he has 5 more left, he wasnt sure whether the 5 Golden Attribute Points was enough to enhance his Spirit attribute to a new rank.
With the appearance of I rank, Kieran was already clear enough that his attributes from now onwards would have a new way in rating them.
The original ranks would be more suitable to check the next stage of leveling and would no longer be absolute in the power ranking.
The ranks have gotten more details, which means the further I go on, the harder to increase the ranks?
Kieran thought in his heart but he wasnt baffled by any depressed emotions because he had prepared or his.
Quantitative changes will incite qualitative changes.
The more Kieran reached thete game, the more quantity he would require.
It was an undeniable fact and if Kieran were to be depressed or hesitant against such definite difficulties, Kieran wouldnt be Kieran anymore.
Kieran took a deep breath from the bottom of his heart and gave a smile to Lawless and Starbeck who were looking at him with doubtful and anxious gazes.
Compared to the inner changes when Kierans Spirit attributed reached I rank, the changes on the outside were much more obvious.
Although it was just a slight moment, it was enough to deeply rm Lawless and Starbeck.
A moment ago, both of them saw the fierce changes of a myriad of troops, the rumbling magma that flowed like a river, the ck enormous beast that went rampant and also a lonely figure standing silently under a small path between light and darkness, staring at the changes of day and night.
When all of the scenes merged together, the aura from Kieranpletely exceeded their expectations.
Lawless felt a tough feeling before his chest, making his breathing difficult, while Starbeck had it even harder. If it wasnt for Lawless holding him, he would have fallen on the floor.
Truth be told, Lawless was also wobbling and if the powerful aura didnt just shover, he would be in no better a state than Starbeck.
So, when Lawless saw Kieran throw a smile at him, he instinctively asked, Just now...Uhh... Do you want to celebrate it at Harvest Inn?
The moment Lawless uttered his question, he realized something was inappropriate, so he altered it to an invitation to Kieran.
Of course!
Kieran didnt reject because he had something he had to ask the female owner of the inn, face to face.
So, the two of them turned their gaze to Starbeck.
Wannae along? Kieran asked.
Mm! Starbeck nodded after hesitating for a moment.
The mimosa nt knew his actions would send him into unknown dangers.
If his parents outside the game knew about this, it would be another strict and harsh scolding waiting for him but while facing Kieran and Lawless, Starbeck automatically felt like he wanted to approach the two of them because he enjoyed how the two of them interacted and admired the mutual respect they had for each other.
Starbeck wasnt an idiot, he could clearly pick up the hard shift of topic from Lawless just now, hence the respect.
So, what are we waiting for? Lets go! Lawless cheered out loud and became the first to push the door outside. Starbeck then followed behind.
While Kieran who regained all his original equipment and items ced everything he had acquired from the limit break dungeon and the things he wanted to sell into [Crimson Ghost Stomach] before leaving his garage.
The moment he stepped out of his room, the warm sun above the big citys sky made Kieran squint his eyes in pleasure. Lawless and Starbeck beside him also shared the same expression.
Then, the three of them opened their eyes, exchanging a simple gaze beforeughing out together without helping it.
The weather is so nice! Starbeck eximed.
At that very moment, thest bit of hesitation inside his heart hadpletely vanished.
Chapter 772 - Extra Rules
Chapter 772: Extra Rules
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The Harvest Inn was as merry as usual.
Just when Kieran, Lawless, and Starbeck stepped into the establishment, cheers from the crowd sounded.
Congrattion, 2567!
Wee to the veteran line!
Yeah, wee man!
Hanses and Coll were standing side-by-side, Ramont was standing next to them both while Raven was further away. Kieran even saw the Blood Alliances boss, Allen.
Allen was sitting in the corner of the inn, toasting a cup at Kieran.
Kieran nodded to reply to him and everyone else, then he nced over the other unfamiliar yers that he had never seen before settling down at the table, neither far nor near to the bar.
Then, Kieran brought up the screenshots for the damaged [Fighters Bandage], [Interrogators Knife], [Dark Venom Dagger], [Nimble Boots] and [Calgas Crush].
[Dandelion Pierce], [Ourins re], [Orinder Soft Mail] and the two-handed greatsword [Elmerius Sword] together with the [Ring of Protection] and the [Ring of Blessing] were kept.
Keeping [Dandelion Pierce] was because Kieran was purely attracted by the word ominous, while [Ourins re] was because of the Spirit attributes authentication.
[Ourinder Soft Mail] and [Elmerius Sword] though?
The former provided Kieran extrayer of defense and thetter would provide various styles of attacking patterns inbination with [Sharp Weapon, Dual Wield Heavy Arms].
Kieran was unwilling to let go of both of them.
As for the remaining [Ring of Protection] and [Ring of Blessing], although they were purely consumables, possessing decent effects, they were enough for Kieran to use them on a rainy day.
Despite keeping most of the good stuff to himself, when Kieran brought up the screenshots, it still attracted quite a bit of attention from the lone wolf yers, especially those unfamiliar ones as they gathered around even more.
Kieran didnt stay at his seat but went over to Lawless.
Theyre the neers? Kierans words sounded a little surprised.
Although Kieran wasnt really paying attention to the neers of the underground game, asionally he would surf the forums for news and he knew the neers came in a limited number and most of them would be attracted to the guilds, only less than a handful of them would end up being lone wolves.
Mm. Theres a spike in new yers in the game in the recent two weeks. People are saying that a garage loaded with the memory cards of the underground game was raided and quickly flowed to the ck market. But from what I know, that garage has uncountable ties with that bastard Broker. Lawless said while drinking his [Margarita].
Which means, all of this is Brokers handy work? Hes not afraid of being targeted by the Union authorities? Kieran frowned.
Based on his knowledge, Broker shouldnt be so careless, unless...
There was someone within the authorities that helped Broker to cover it up!
Kierans heart skipped a beat.
It wasnt by any means good news since Broker was his enemy. It wasnt until that very moment that Kieran realized he had never thought of the influence Broker had in the real world.
Judging from the forces he ran in the underground game, it wasnt hard for Broker to pull it off and it might be even easier because of the existence of contracts and sorts.
All Broker needed was a slightly proper target.
Lawless who was staring at Kieran shook his ss andughed.
2567, you are thinking too much! Broker might have a certain level of influence but it is also very limited. I am very sure that since you entered the game, other than the necessary offline time, youve never contacted others. If you do, you will notice the underground game has its own extra rules.
First, you are not allowed to reveal the game details to people other than the yers on your own initiative!
Second, you are not allowed to force others into the game!
Third, you are not allowed to set normal conditions or contracted conditions that will affect the real worlds matters other than the currency!
Lawless put up three fingers and continued with a smile, In fact, I wished that bastard Broker would really do something that would affect the real world and not just spend some money to bribe rats to make shady deals in the dark, Lawless spat aside disdainfully as he said.
Though when he saw Racheling over, Lawless awkwardly moved his feet and wiped away the spit unnoticed.
What will happen if the rules are broken? Kieran followed up with his question after Lawless had finished his awkward actions.
Different levels of punishment will happen based on different levels of rules. The most severe punishment is direct death from idents and the lesser one would be decrement of Points and Skill Points but most of them would be dungeon difficulty increases.
Believe me, those punishments of difficulty increases are definitely not anything good, at least for the couple of guys that I knew it didnt end well. Lawless tone suddenly became serious.
Those couple of guys are the one who privately exposed the underground games content? Kieran immediately had guesses who were the few that Lawless mentioned.
Yup. That couple of them, none of themsted till the next dungeon. A bunch of naive bastards. I must say, they really thought the Union authorities could save them but in the end... The news that they leaked only circted around a small area and was treated as urban myths, it didnt turn out like what they expected.
But, so what if everyone knew? The power that fills the underground game is not something those guys we see on TV canpete with. Lawless said before he drained the ss in his hand.
Kieran noticed Lawless had gone through emotional changes because of the topic.
Oh well, these talks really dont benefit me much since I never contacted others. So, what other things that I should pay attention to? Kieran then shifted the topic.
Remember to drink less when you go offline and if you have a habit of sleep talking, better tape your mouth before you sleep. Lawless then signaled Rachel for a second drink.
Rachel looked at Lawless, slowly saying, The wine money that someone owed me is enough to sell the guy ten times and over right?
Lawless was instantly frozen.
That someone still says he will work here to pay the tab right? Lawless thenughed forcefully.
That someone didnt forget it right?
Lawless shook his head repeatedly.
Then why are you still sitting there? Get your ass up and start serving customers!
Lawless quickly took the menu on the bar table and flew over to the customers in the inn.
Kieran was staring at Lawless all the while and until he noticed Lawless didnt react strangely, he turned to Rachel.
My treat!
A faint golden [Honey Wine] was ced in front of Keiran.
Thanks.
Kieran inspected the wine carefully before taking up the ss since he had simr experience before.
Kieran and Rachel might look normal on the outside but they were actually sending private messages to each other.
...
2567: Any solutions to solve the wed character of Lawless?
Rachel: You want to help?
2567: Yes.
Rachel: Moved by the silliness that guy showed you?
Rachel: But even if you wanted to help, you must possess a certain level of strength as well.
Rachel: Your current strength is still a little bitcking.
...
Oh right, congrattions on advancing to the Advance Ranks!
The female owner suddenly spoke to Kieran after ending their private message session.
Kieran was stunned at the spot.
Advancing to the Advance Ranks? I?
Chapter 773 - Competitors
Chapter 773: Competitors
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
You know about I?
The question escaped Kierans mouth as he looked at the female owner in front of him.
Of course! You wouldnt think that among so many yers, you are the only one who reached I? Or... do you think what youve seen is everything?
Although her face was blurred out by the system, Kieran clearly felt that the female owner was smiling when she said those words.
It wasnt malicious sneering or mocking but a ridiculing one, but it didnt bother Kieran.
Above the veterans? Kieran stared at Rachel as he asked the question.
Mm. You can say that. We have a fixed date for gatherings, Ill bring you to meet them next time. Not all of them but several of whom I have quite the rtionship with.
Rachel nodded and casually picked up a high ss for wiping.
Then... Lawless? Kieran asked hesitantly.
He should have entered this circle long ago but because of the w in his character, he robbed himself of the qualifications. The longer he drags on, the farther he is from this advance circle!
Kieran clearly picked up the sigh from the female owner.
Obviously, Rachel felt pity for Lawless as well as Kierans heartfelt sense of.
He was not willing to lose a decent friend because of the gap of strength as his heart was recalling what Rachel said before.
The slightly rxed state that Kieran had because of his Spirit having reached I vanished instantly, the urgency for him to increase his strength floated in his heart again.
Not only to cure Lawless of his wed character but also because the circle that Rachel spoke off.
The circle was formed entirely of advanced yers, then it suddenly led Kieran into a new thought.
What about the Witch? Is the Witch also from this circle? Kieran asked.
The moment Kieran uttered the question, he noticed Rachels hand tremble a little and despite her quickly recovering from his, Kieran still caught a glimpse.
What is it? Kieran asked.
The Witch... Either to us or themon veterans and newbies, she is the existence that no one can surpass. You didnt go through the era where she was still here and will never feel the despair that she brings to you. Her power that grew stronger with each second that passed was really all of our shared nightmare back then.
Go check on the stuff you are selling, those guys are getting anxious.
Rachel made it obvious that she didnt want to linger on the topic regarding the Witch and soon shifted the topic.
Kierans heart muttered once more when he saw Rachel went back to the kitchen, The Witch?... The Witch!
Once again, Kieran realized how terrifying the name and title were.
Just as he thought he was nearing the Witchs level, Rachel told him without any hesitation that he was still very far away.
But the more he knew how far he was, the more impulsive he felt.
He wanted to reach the level of the Witch and even surpass her!
The thoughts that gathered in Kierans heart made him clench his fist.
He breathed in multiple times and regted his emotions swiftly.
It wasnt necessary to brag about it but when he did, the world will know.
Before that though, work harder, harder, and harder!
Selling items was also one of the things that required hard work.
After all, the basics of ones strength were Points and Skill Points.
When the yers saw Kieran walk over, they split in half and made a path for Kieran to cross, then it was a bunch of contending.
All the yers who ended up as lone wolves didnt happen to be financially strong but were still far better thanmon partying newbies and this obviously provided a satisfying result for Kieran.
[Fighter Bandage], [Interrogator Knife], [Dark Venom Dagger], and [Nimble Boots] which were all decent Magic rank equipment were sold for 30,000 Points and 5 Skill Points, with [Interrogator Knife] selling at the highest price and [Fighter Bandage], the lowest.
Though, it was a newbie yer who bought both them.
Kieran naturally paid extra attention to the guy who was wearing a vest with overalls and a brown pair of boots.
After noticing Kierans inspection, the newbie yer nodded back in a friendly manner and then went back to the crowd.
There wasnt any hostility from the nod but only the delight of getting more loot. The newbie yer wasnt a person worth paying attention to in Kierans point of view.
One needed to know when Kieran was a newbie, he was much more exaggerating than him.
After all the four Magic rank items were sold, only [Calgas Crush] was left and it was very sought after amongst the veterans, which was out of Kierans expectations.
Ramont and another familiar veteran whose name Kieran couldnt quite remember were contending for the Rare equipment belongs.
What are you doing Ramont? You are a dual sword wielder, why are you contending with me? the familiar veteran growled loudly.
Rhino, I dont mind increasing the stock in my arsenal!
Ramont who obviously had a better rtionship with the man called out his name inly.
You insatiable greedy bastard! I am determined to get this! The moment Iid eyes on this, I knew, it would be mine! Mine only! The buff man named Rhino was growling even louder, then he turned to Kieran.
I dont care how much this guy offers, Ill top him! Rhino said.
Then, he ced his backpack on the table right away.
The meaning of the action was obvious, Rhino went all in and his action made Ramontugh bitterly.
Fine! I give up! Ramont raised his hand and shrugged helplessly.
Surprisingly, the yer Rhino traded 20,000 Points and 10 Skill Points to Kieran right away and even after that, he didnt take the backpack on the table back. He carried [Calgas Crush] and left Harvest Inn happily.
Kieran was at stunned when he saw the backpack on the table. He never saw a buyer like Rhino before.
Keep it, dont feel bad about it, its what you deserve. Dont try to return it back to Rhino, if you do, he will think youre insulting him, Ramont exined.
In the end, Kieran took the backpack and counted what he had gained after the sale on the spot.
After getting another 20,000 Pointster, Kieran then stood up, ready to leave Harvest Inn.
Despite Lawless repeatedly begging Kieran to stay, when Rachel appeared behind Lawless, Kieran made his choice quickly.
Come back to visit me sometimes! The boss here is very scary! Eeh? Rachel, when did you sneak up behind me? Hey hey hey! Thats a knife there, a knife! Put it down! Lets talk over it!!!
...
Kieran couldnt help but smirk when he heard the cries behind him.
Though the good mood that followed him to the station ended there because a yer was waiting for him at the station.
The yer had his hands in his pockets and was wearing a huge and bloated coat and pants with headphones over his head.
You are 2567? Mypetitor? the yer asked without the least bit of courtesy.
Chapter 774 - Appearance
Chapter 774: Appearance
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Competitor?
Kieran looked at the yer in front him dressed in a very hip-hop fashion with surprise while his muscles tightened up, ready for a throwdown.
Although he didnt know what the yer was saying, the provocation and the malicious intent in his eyes was too obvious.
You dont know? Until now you dont know anything?
The yer was stunned for a while beforeughing out loud.
Amidst hisugh, he raised his right and removed his glove, revealing the back of his hand to Kieran.
When Kieran saw the freaky smiley face formed by red lines, his eyes shrunk.
He never thought the yer in front of him had the freaky smiley face tattoo also and the petitor the yer mentioned...
Last time the attacker from the smiley face left behind words like prove yourself, find us and join us!, the clues in Kierans mind had started to be clear.
It was an organization and they recruited members through a certain sifting method.
The recruits would need to go through many levels of tests, the clone-like attacker from before was one and now this hip-hop yer was another.
While Kierans gears in his mind spun rapidly, he sized up the yer in front him again in hopes to get more information out of him.
Unfortunately, the yer didnt spare him the chance.
The glove that the yer held in his hand after removing it was flung straight at Kieran and the glove exploded while traveling mid-air.
Boom!
The thick mist exploded out from the glove and clouded the area while the two of them were inside.
Even with Kierans SS+ Intuition, he couldnt see through the mist before his eyes, it was blurry to the point that Kieran couldnt even see the yers figure.
Souuu!
An air-breaking sound entered Kierans ears while his sight was blocked.
Kieran quickly took a step right, dodging the arrow that grazed his body with battle experience. He squinted his eyes right after.
Kierans sight was blocked but the yer on the other side could perform a ranged attack without the slightest obstruction, which wasnt good news for Kieran.
A sudden thought struck Kierans mind and right away, the supernatural darkness sted out from Kieran enveloping an area of 10 meters in diameter.
[Undercover, Shadow Cloak]!
The mist and darkness oveid on each other.
Kieran then vanished into the darkness just like that.
Above Transcendence [Undercover]? You are exactly like how the files said, you really have quite the gift in skills like [Undercover], but unfortunately... Its useless against me!
The yers voice sounded in all directions as though it was a 3D surround sound system.
It forbade Kieran from locating his enemy while at the same time, the voice around his ears had gotten sharper and more irritating. The decibel of the noise had far exceeded what a normal person could withstand in his ears, even Kieran started to feel dizzy.
Sonic Wave attack?! Kieran was astonished in his heart. The other astonishing thing was, the noise continued relentlessly and was getting louder and louder, spreading around the area like the rising tide.
Kieran who was supposedly in undercover state slowly revealed a rough contour of his face.
Souu!
The moment Kierans contour showed, the arrow was fired again, perforating the face contour directly but the yer whonded a hit didnt feel happy at all. On the contrary, he started to move again.
Illusions? You know you couldnt escape my sonic wave detection so you interfered with me using illusions in advance?
The yer kept talking non-stop and it wasnt really nagging but it was his attacks!
With each word the yer spoke, it amplified the explosion of noises in Kierans ears countless times, not only did it prevent Kieran from tracking him down using his voice, it caused dizziness in Kierans head more frequently.
It seemed like the yer was well-prepared and when he decided to confront Kieran, he had ns for this battle.
If the situation carried on, Kieran would eventually fall into the yers pace and end up failing. Based on how the yer presented himself, once Kieran failed, his oue would be self-exnatory.
So, at the next moment, a concentrated snake hisses erupted.
Myriads of venomous snakes sprung out from the ground, searching their target in the mist and darkness.
[Sword Skill, Myriad Viper]! The special sword skill thatpletely relied on the Spirit attribute for its authentication and also one of the strongest attacks of Kieran in his normal form.
However... It was ineffective!
You think the files I have on you are the generic kind? Let me tell you, I know every skill you have, every equipment you use! The yers voice sounded again.
Kieran frowned hard. Of course, he didnt believe what the yer said but one thing for sure: his details were meticulously gathered by the organization and were given to hispetitor.
Such actions were not considered as good intentions! It even brought hidden threats with it!
Wanted to tell me that you people have everything under your control?
A sense of disdain shed over Kierans eyes.
Then... the snake hisses sounded once more.
[Sword Skill, Myriad Viper]s Transcendence effect, [Ouroboros]!
The yer who was still hiding around, preparing to further probe Kierans skills was struck with panic when the illusions of the myriad viper appearing again but as he looked at the specialized item he had prepared in his hand, he let out a breath of relief.
So this is the trick youve prepared as a backup? How unfortunate! Ive prepared for this as well.... Argh!
The yer once again used his sonic wave attack to disrupt Kieran but the moment his words escaped his mouth, he was interrupted by an agonizing cry.
Sss!
The illusions of myriad vipers appeared again!
Talent, [The Warden, Priority Timing]! It instantly reset [Sword Skill, Myriad Viper]s cooldown and allowed a second continuous use.
This time around, the yer was not so lucky anymore.
The precious item in his hand was rendered useless after blocking [Sword Skill, Myriad Viper]s attack two times in a row.
The third [Sword Skill, Myriad Viper] attacknded on the yer in a more rampant and fierce manner.
After Kierans Spirit reached I rank, the myriad of vipers in his illusions were not only stronger and bigger, there were even small horns sticking out at the snakes head, making each of the snakes look extra vicious!
The venomous snake illusions had fierceness that matched its ferocious look as the yers flesh and blood were quickly ripped apart.
As the yers blood was gushing out, despite him reminding himself everything he saw was just an illusion, the excruciating pain still made him wail agonizingly.
His cries were utterly miserable, from the high pitched screams to the low heavy growls and eventually turning coarse and going mute after that.
The mist too swiftly dispersed after its control was lost.
The yer was standing opposite Kieran nkly, allowing Kieran to kick him at his neck.
Crack!
The bone-crushing noise sounded and the yer was lifted from his illusion induced state, falling down to the ground with disbelief in his eyes, eventually disintegrating into light particles.
[yer Killed: Tyler]
[Treated as self-defense through authentication]
[Categorized as an Honor Kill]
[You will receive all the Points and Skill Points of the yer...]
[Total: 10,000 Points and 0 Skill Points]
[Received the yers house key]
[Granted the right to use the yers house]
[All the yers belongings are returned to their house]
[Honor Kill: 90]
...
Kieran nced over the points he received and went on to check where Tylers room was.
Then, he quickly boarded the train and headed there right away.
He needed more intel to solve the doubts lingering in his heart and Kieran was also hoping Tylers appearance was not some trap.
Chapter 775 - Dome Clock Tower
Chapter 775: Dome Clock Tower
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Kieran always thought of things in the worst possible way habitually.
He wasnt really a pessimist but he would like to prepare for the worst case scenario just in case.
Time after time, the facts proved that his actions were correct.
Kieran who was standing in the shadows saw two yers conversing at the opposite street and azy cat leaning on a side of the roof above them.
The yers were the open watchpoint while the cat was the secret watchpoint.
After multiple times of contact and owning the Fire Raven, Kieran had quite the experience in how to differentiate the real stray animals in the big city. At least azy cat wouldnt look around as much as it did.
Silently, Kieran stepped back. He wasnt sure which side the group of people were from, the organization or Brokers men?
Thats right, it was Broker!
Kieran never dared underestimate the cunning merchants abilities. He believed with Brokers influence and power, there wasnt anything that could slip past Brokers eyes in the underground game, the organization included.
Even more so, Kieran guessed that Broker might be the one who aggravated theplicated situation at hand.
As for the few yers who guarded Tylers house, Kieran wasnt bothered about them but the people that showed upter robbed Kieran of his absolute confidence in winning.
Kieran already tasted first hand the terrifying points of human wave tactics, moreover after getting the intel about those above veterans, Kieran didnt believe there werent such yers under the cunning merchantsmand.
The numbers might be limited but it was enough to force everyone to take him seriously.
So, Kieran gave up on the thought of going to Tylers room to find more information and changed it to a more trivial method.
Judging from Tylers performance, he possessed a certain level of cautiousness but was impulsive and arrogant at the same time, so he might have spent a certain amount of time to find them but it shouldnt have been a long amount of time either. And given such circumstances, Tyler was still able to locate them. Other than certain luck, it might be not that difficult to locate them. Perhaps Ive been going about this all wrong from the beginning... Kieran pondered upon the thought.
He wouldnt just brush aside the freaky tattoo on the back of his right hand.
Truth be told, after experiencing the so-called test and the extra red line appearing around the freaky smiley face, Kieran had been wanting to find out what it was.
He even requested Lawless help but whether him or Lawless, from secret codes to mystical knowledge, both of them found nothing.
It isnt secret codes or mystical knowledge. It also has a certain level of difficulty thatmon yers wouldnt have noticed it and still have to cover up a certain location...
Hold on, location?
The sudden thought struck Kieran and he quickly sent out a message to Lawless.
...
2567: Lawless, is there a map of the big city?
Lawless: Yup, some bored guys once tried to map out the entire city.
Lawless: But it is a few months old and the new blocks that were being developed arent on the map.
2567: Old one is fine, send me a copy.
Lawless: Okay!
...
After the messaging ended, a screenshot appeared in Kierans PM tab.
While looking at the map andparing it to the red line on his hand, Kierans eyes were getting brighter and brighter.
Now I see, Kieran muttered softly after a while.
...
In between the heart of the big city and the path to the outskirts, there was a very special building frommon eyes located there.
It was a six-story tall and was divided into three parts.
The first and second floor were connected between a windowsill and the main door.
The third to fifth was made up of many straightened pirs together withrge colored ss.
The highest floor was the most eye-catching spot: it was a giant white dome that didnt match its apricot colored architecture style.
On top of the white dome was a ck clock tower. The hands of the clock were ticking, ticking, ticking non-stop, anyone from further away could hear the ticks clearly.
At the street corner stood a metal signboard stating, 009th Amilder Ail Road.
When the screenshot of the map was folded together twice, the intersections and oveying parts of the road formed the red line around the freaky smiley face and in the middle was indeed 009th Amilder Ail Road.
The ce the yers called the dome clock tower.
Based on the information Lawless provided, the ce was very surprising for the yers who just entered the game in the early stages because its pantomime structure was too eye-catching.
Though, as time flew and more yers flooded the game, more and more weird structures of the building appeared and the dome clock tower was slowly forgotten.
As for the owner of the house, well since the first owner died, the yers who shifted their attention elsewhere didnt further care about it.
Even a yer with argework like Lawless didnt know about it.
At that moment, from Kierans point of view, it was undoubtedly a method to conceal oneself.
While standing in the shadows, Kieran sized up the surroundings for a while and mapped everything in his mind before stepping out the shadows and headed straight to the main door.
His PM tab was pinging him non-stop, Kieran knew it was from Lawless without even having a look.
Kieran would reject his friends request to tag along, not just because of his habitual lone wolf attitude but also because of Lawless character ws.
He couldnt guarantee whether or not Lawless ill side would get the best of him, whether he could keep his friend safe or not.
So, Kieran knew he had to speed things up. Judging from Lawless attitude, he must being over without further ado regardless of the consequences.
Dang, Dang Dang!
While standing in front of the giant main door that connected the first and second floor, Kieran reached out to the door ring and knocked it several times.
The bronze ring gave out a clear clunking sound as it was knocked at the doors iron ting and amidst the sound, the door slowly opened up.
After going through the blurry mist that covered up the room, Kierans sight was instantly brightened up.
A total of 33 fouryer crystal chandeliers hung down from the ceiling, the grand hall of almost a thousand square feet was illuminated by the lights.
Bright ck and white tiles were used as the flooring and it was so clean that it reflected Kierans features back to him.
Opposite the main gate was a Y-shapeddder that connected to the second floor on both sides.
On the left side of the first floor of stairs, stood a marite in a suit, or more precisely a puppet. However, the puppet was much more realistic than any puppet that Kieran encountered before, not only because of its movements but also the intellect it possessed.
Greetings, Sir 2567. My master and I have been waiting for you! Pleasee with me!
The puppets jaw moved up and down and a voice came out from its mouth, at the same time he presented a guiding gesture towards Kieran.
The puppet then went beside the stairs and only then did Kieran notice there was a small door underneath the turning point of the stairs.
The puppet then pushed open the door and went inside directly.
Kieran didnt follow. He halted his steps and stood firmly on the spot, staring into the darkness in the door.
Then, he turned around and went up the stairs instead.
Chapter 776 - Mystifying
Chapter 776: Mystifying
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
After he entered the room, Kieran seemingly walked casually but actually, he had already activated [Tracking].
Although it was definitely safe inside a yers room, it was another yers room and the someone even disyed their abilities in activating a certain power in other yers room.
It was enough for Kieran to be rmed.
Musou level [Tracking] allowed Kieran to easily see the tracks and traces that existed in the room.
Other than the puppet that acted as the guide, there were many more sets of footprints present but...
None of them were from the small door underneath the stairs turning point.
All of them came from the stairs instead and every set of footprints chose the left side of the Y-shaped stairs.
Dak, Dak, Dak!
Kieran walked up to the first half of the stairs and stopped at the spot where the stairs split in two. He didnt follow the footprints and went straight to the left side, instead he looked down on the footprints.
They were all lined up neatly and filled with intentional traces. Obviously, someone did arrange the prints to look like this.
Why though?
Think about the puppet from before, it seemed like the test was still going on.
Kieran squinted his eyes and drew out the [Python-W2] from his waist and fired repeatedly at the right side of the stairs.
Bang Bang Bang!
The bullet marks were clearly left on the marble steps but nothing unexpected happened.
I see, so this is the right way to go up!
With the thoughts in his mind, Kieran jumped and stepped on the stairs where the bullets hit, going straight up to the balcony on the second floor.
The balcony was facing inside, allowing anyone who stood there to see who was walking up the stairs.
Though there was nothing there but a table. Further away, there was a closed door.
On top of the table was a folded paper simr to an invitation or a greeting card.
Kieran scanned the second floor before heading over to the table.
He double checked the area and made sure there wasnt any danger lurking, he then picked up the folded paper.
There was no special traces on the paper except for the white color and inside was some words.
...
To 2567:
If you are seeing this invitation, then we want to congratte you because you have joined us.
You might have doubts and be baffled by all of this but we will slowly exin it to you.
But first, you must reach the level of the Advance Ranks.
Dont ask us what the Advance Ranks are, it is something you must find out yourself.
When you have reached the Advance Ranks, only then you have the rights and qualifications to open that door to see us!
We wish you all the best in reaching that goal!
From,
Some people who are forced to hide.
...
Vuuum!
When Kieran finished reading the invitation, the paper instantly ignited.
Kieran lifted his mouth corner disdainfully as he looked at the paper turning into ash rapidly.
Hmph, mystifying BS! Hemented.
Other than that, he couldnt think of any other words to describe the scene.
From the moment he entered the grand room, they had been trying to create the atmosphere simr to a test. Kieran didnt know what would happen if he followed the puppet into the door or took the left side instead but he knew they didnt know everything about him, at least they didnt know he had reached the Advance Rank, I rank.
So it means that freaky smiley face can tag me, but it cant eavesdrop or anything else.
Kieran couldnt help but heave a sigh of relief when he came to the conclusion.
If the freaky smiley face could really eavesdrop him or watch him, Kieran would certainly do some special or extreme measures to prevent it. He didnt want himself to be exposedpletely under their eyes.
As for how the smiley face was able to tag him, after continuous encounters with the clone and petitor who appeared before him without any warning, it had already stated the problem clearly.
Though, Kieran couldnt do anything about it now.
He tried a lot of ways to remove the freaky smiley face but he failed eventually.
Whether it was the normal rubbing, washing or using potions to try wiping it off, nothing worked.
He even tried cutting his skin off but when his hand healed, the freaky smiley face would regrow with his skin.
It made Kieran understand that unless he chopped his hand off and chose not to heal himself, otherwise, the freaky smiley face will always be on his hand.
Fortunately, he spent most of his time in the dungeon world and even if he were to return to the game itself, hed stay in his own room out of habit.
It infinitely minimized the restriction of the tag on him.
Huuu!
Kieran released a heavy sigh.
He turned to the door further away. He wanted to know what was behind the door but his logic told him, it wasnt time yet.
Even though his Spirit has reached I rank, it was just his Spirit. Strength, Agility, Constitution, and Intuition were nowhere near the Advance Rank. Moreover, his I rank Spirit was obviously the lowest among the Advance Ranks.
With an organization like this, surely it didnt just consist of members with the lowest I rank, there must be higher ranks amongst them.
Once conflict broke out...
While recalling how thepetitor behaved previously, Kieran silently turned around and went down, leaving the dome clock tower.
He reached the street outside, Amilder Ail Road, without any further obstructions.
2567!
The familiar voice sounded from afar and Lawless was rushing towards him.
When Lawless saw Kieran was in one piece, he felt utterly relieved.
Then, it was a bombardment of questions.
Why didnt you wait for me?
Although my luck is sh*tty in dungeons, we should fight side by side in this big city!
What is that thing? Is it dangerous?
They are an organization? Why are they on to you?
...
After being fired at by a machine gun of questions, Kieran briefly exined to Lawless while they boarded the train.
There is such an organization? Lawless sounded utterly surprised from his tone.
Who knows? The big city is expanding every day, among those new yers that kept gushing into the game, it wasnt really weird for a few maniacs and guys with weird fetishes to be amongst them.
Kieran avoided the important point and dwelled on the trivial.
Just like what he said before, after knowing how wed Lawless character was, he had tried to avoid the words that would excite his friend.
Hmm, sounds legit as well. Lawless nodded unconsciously.
Then, the conversation between them soon turned into Lawless one-man show with Kierans intentional guidance.
From the secrets between veterans to the interesting things that happened in the big city and even what kind of new buildings appeared in what street, Lawless mouth didnt stop for a second before Kieran stopped at Wallway 13th.
Kierans eardrums were buzzing heavily and he even started to see stars. He was eager to dash in his room when he saw his room within his sight. He had never noticed how important the game room was for him.
Dont want to invite me in for a drink?
Lawless who was following tightly behind Kieran was shocked when he wasnt granted ess to the garage.
Nope. I think you should return to Harvest Inn to pay your debts... Oh right, Ive sent a message to Rachel, stating that youve ditched work without a reason.
The door then slowly closed after that.
Noooo! How could you, 2567!
We are friends! How can you have the heart to see that woman control me! You...
Lawless was shouting like a 5-year-old.
Ive made recordings also.
Kierans voice sounded through the seams of the door.
Lawless was instantly choked on his own words, being utterly speechless after that.
Chapter 777 - Enter. Changes
Chapter 777: Enter. Changes
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Lawless quickly left when Rachel started to question him but in the following hours, Kierans PM tab was flooded with messages non-stop.
A quick nce over the messages and noticed they were all mes from Lawless, Kieran didnt care much about it and replied a Wine on me to quiet everything down.
Kieranughed softly before turning his attention to the Points and Skill Points tab.
[Points: 101,000; Skill Points: 15; Golden Skill Points: 0; Golden Attribute Point: 5]
Through selling his equipment and his honor kills, Kierans points had swiftly returned to 100K and more together with 15 Skill Points.
Although Golden Skill Points were still at 0, the existing points would be enough for Kieran to level up some basic skills.
Naturally, Kieran turned his attention to the two new special skills.
[Sharp Weapon, Dual Wield Heavy Arms (Basic)] and [Sharp Weapon, Special Heavy Arms (Basic)]
As for what the choice would be, it was obvious.
[Sharp Weapon, Dual Wield Heavy Arms]!
Otherwise, Kieran wouldnt have sold [Calgas Crush].
[Sharp Weapon, Dual Wield Heavy Arms, Basic to Grand Master, cost 80,000 Points, 10 Skill Points. Yes/No?]
[Name: Sharp Weapon, Dual Wield Heavy Arms (Grand Master)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Offense]
[Effect: You know how to wield two heavy arms together, Stamina consumption +110%, Agility -2.0]
[Special Effect: Agility Compensation (Through relentless training over the years, youvepensated yourself with more speed and nimbleness, when dual wielding heavy arms, Agility +0.6)]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Sharp Weapon, Heavy Arms (Pro)]
[Remark: Fiercer attacks will consume more stamina]
...
After leveling up [Sharp Weapon, Dual Wield Heavy Arms] to its limit that didnt require any Golden Skill Points, Kieran was feeling the process of the knowledge transfer and synchronization.
Kieran instinctively moved his arms and when he grabbed [Arrogant Word] and [Elmerius Sword] in both hands, he swung them around fiercely.
While the two greatswords may look huge, extravagant, andpletely unusable from other peoples perspective, Kieran wielded both of them like normal longswords.
Not only fast but fierce as well!
Wung! Wung! Wung!
It sounded like the howling of the north wind during winter as two greatswords were swung around in the broken garage, whipping up a violent wind.
Dust was swirled up and the books Kieran ced aside were fluttering non-stop.
Fuuush!
After a flurry of swings, the two greatswords came to a sudden halt.
A sudden pleasant buzz came from the greatswords body, causing Kieran to nod his head in satisfaction.
Although dual wielding might seem to drag down Kierans Agility, the technique of wielding two heavy arms at once made his attack even more powerful and fierce.
Even though he wouldnt consider his technique to have the ability to double the attack power of two greatswords, at least he was confident in dealing with battles while dual wielding.
It was enough for Kieran, at least for now.
Then he turned his gaze to [Sharp Weapon, Special Heavy Arms].
After slight pondering, he decided to level it up as well.
Since he couldnt predict what kinds of situations he would encounter in the future, it was always right to pay attention in every aspect and despite doing so increasing his costs and burdens, it was better than being unable to cope with a situation, hence losing his life.
[Sharp Weapon, Special Heavy Arms, Basic to Master, cost 15,000 Points, 3 Skill Points. Yes/No?]
[Name: Sharp Weapon, Special Heavy Arms (Master)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Offence]
[Effect: You know how to use special heavy arms such as a Morningstar mace in battle, increase destructive power by 30%]
[Special Effect: Extra Enhance ( +1 Strength when wielding special heavy arms)]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Sharp Weapon, Heavy Arms (Entry)]
[Remark: You only know the basics of welding!]
...
Being different than themon [Sharp Weapon, Heavy Arms], [Sharp Weapon, Special Heavy Arms] didnt provide the Master option but instead, it increased the buff to Strength.
Going after a single attribute to its limits?
Kieran couldnt hold back hisment as he recalled the feeling with he wielded the Morningstar mace.
The methods may look simr to Mayers choices but it was destined not to be Kierans. Kieran would at most use it for emergencies.
He then turned his eyes back to his points tab.
[Points: 6000; Skill Points: 2; Golden Skill Points: 0; Golden Attribute Points: 5]
Considering the possible usage of the [Fantos Manuscript], Kieran decided to save the remaining points.
Then he finally turned his attention to the special dungeon, [Primordial Invasion II]
Compared to other special dungeons, it was a special one indeed for Kieran because thest time he left the dungeon, he hadid down some arrangements.
I hope everything is fine...
Kieran muttered to himself before arranging the information regarding [Primordial Invasion II]
Until the single yer dungeon cooldown reset, Kieran didnt step out of his game room at all.
Throughout the period, Lawless had invited Kieran for drinks countless times and even requested to pay a visit but Kieran rejected all of it.
He perfectly knew how nagging his friend could be at times, so when the cooldown was reset and everything was prepared, Kieran went in.
...
[Entering Single yer Special Dungeon!]
[Difficulty: Fifth Dungeon]
[Primordial Invasion II: Benefiting from your reminder, Herbert is currently under the surveince of the government, pretending he has amnesia. He is waiting patiently for your return! And because of your reminder, something was brewing in the darkness, enemies hiding in the deep are always watching...]
[Main Mission: Open or destroy the Emperors Legacy in 60 days, 0/60]
[Temporarynguage pack, Disappears upon exiting the dungeon.]
[Clothing, backpack, weapons, and other items remain unchanged, Temporarily altered appearance, Returns to normal upon exiting the dungeon]
[Detected firearms and grenades not matching dungeons time period, firepower decreased by 50%, handgun reloading speed +1 second, sniper reloading speed +30 seconds]
[Note: This is a special mission and because you have achieved I rank, you cannot fail the main mission. Once you fail the main mission, you will fail the game!]
...
Failing the main mission means failing the game?
Kieran frowned when he saw the note at the bottom.
Though he soon recovered from it because before he entered the dungeon, he had guesses about the changes that might ur following him advancing to the Advance Rank but he never thought the changes would be so drastic.
What does failing the game means?
Death!
There wont be spare grounds to deduct points and attributes but more directive punishment.
Huuu! Huuu!
Kieran swiftly took in multiple breaths before facing the threat of death. After cooling himself down rapidly, he started to size up where he was.
Chapter 778 - Worst Start
Chapter 778: Worst Start
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Kieran was looking at the room, which after putting in a single bed, one would have to walk sideways to get out. He couldnt help but shake his head.
He didnt want to linger in the room for a second longer.
The wooden flooring was badly rotten, despite how Kieran carefully moved around, his steps would produce irritating squeaks. The room had no window either, so the mattress on the bed was very humid to the point it has started to go moldy.
The only instrument of a light source inside the room was an oilmp extended from the wooden wall but the oil was used up long ago, leaving only a dried up fment.
Kieran took his bag from the front side of the bed and double checked the room again. He turned around and went out through the door after making sure there werent any valuable pieces of information left behind.
Inside the dark and narrow corridor, there was only an oilmp lit at the entrance.
The vile stench of overdue cleaning and feces filled the ce, a couple of drunkards were lying on the corridor, snoring loudly.
Drunk scoldings and sharp screams from shrews were rumbling in the rooms along the corridor. They were arguing about the difference in prices of the beer they drank.
The drunkards along the corridor were woken up but all they did was mockinglyugh before passing out again. None of them were bothered about the ce they fell asleep, neither did they care about the environment around them.
People destroyed by despair.
Kieranmented in his heart, he slowly, carefully moved along the drunkards legs.
He would not let his guard down because of how harmless the drunkards were, neither would he trample their pride because of the way of living they chose.
After he crossed thest drunkard and reached the entrance leading up to the surface, the slight breeze caressed his face and slightly blew over the stench in the corridor.
Kieran eagerly hastened his steps and right at that very moment, thest drunkard that Kieran crossed suddenly rose up with a dagger in his hand, giving out a cold re and drove the dagger towards the back of Kierans heart.
Not only was it sudden, but it was also extremely fast.
However, to Kieran, who never let his guard down, the sudden strike was verycking.
He didnt even have the thought of dodging, instead, he dished out a kick behind him.
When the dagger was still some distance away, Kierans kick alreadynded on the drunkards chest.
Crack!
The drunkards check caved in clearly and was flying backward but as the drunkards feet were leaving the ground, Kieran turned around and grabbed his arm, pulling him back andid him down on the floor softly.
Kieran would not show any mercy to his enemies, otherwise, he wouldnt have killed the drunkard with one kick. The reason he pulled the drunkard back because he didnt want to startle the others around him.
After a quick search on the attacker who pretended to be a drunkard, Kierans face turned heavy.
There wasnt anything extra on the attacker except for the dagger and connecting it to the timing the attacker struck... He was a professional!
Is it because of Herbert? Kierans eyes shone brightly.
It was the only reason he could think of.
Herbert who was pretending have memory loss was under government surveince and now Kieran who had just entered the dungeon world was attacked.
Although the attacker was nothing more than a goon, it was still enough to tell him the situation wasnt too good.
When the thought came into his mind, Kieran quickly went up to the surface without a second thought.
Compared to the vile stench underground, the surface was countless times better.
Although there were no extra decorations, the environment was clean and had a counter filled with keys in sight, it told Kieran that the ce he came through was a hotel, the cheapest one avable.
The attendant or the owner himself was sleeping soundly on the counter.
Kieran didnt startle the man and quietly walked out of the hotel.
However, before Kieran could size up the area to make sure where he was while standing in the shadows, a squad of ten appeared further away.
Unified uniforms and weapons, even their running was in a uniform manner at all times.
The military?
Kieran took a nce and quickly understood their identities.
Likewise, he also had a general guess about why the squad of men was there.
They were looking for him!
What happened next proved Kierans guesses right.
The squad quickly reached in front of the hotel, leaving only three on guard outside while the others rushed in.
A whileter, the soldiers who went in brought the body of the attacker out. They werent just casually carrying the body but they formed a simple stretcher with the bed sheets and covered the body with a nket.
Obviously, the attacker was one of the soldiers and thus the attackers body could enjoy such treatment.
The one who looked like the leader among the bunch waved at the three on guard and the whole squad gathered together, leaving swiftly.
There wasnt even a sound throughout the process, the soldiers had reced talking with signnguage.
They are elites! Kierans heart skipped a beat.
Although the soldiers strength was not worthy of mention, the faction that they represented did not allow Kieran to underestimate them.
What would an elite military represent?
A country!
Regardless of how powerful Kieran had be and how he would grow stronger, he wasnt that arrogant to the point that he would fight an entire country alone.
Especially against a country where firearms were already taking shape.
Thinking about the scene where thousands of cannons firing at him, Kieran brows furrowed together.
At that moment, he felt the situation was even worse than he had predicted.
The only fortunate thing was, he was still in Herl City.
Kierans ns would just drown in the river had he appeared in an unfamiliar city after entry to the dungeon world.
Hope its not the worst kind!
Kieran looked at the familiar clock tower further away and uttered in his heart. Then he went along with his n and quickly headed towards a certain direction
...
A famous person once said, When something might turn out to be good or bad, in the end, it will surely turn out to be the worst.
Now, Kieran was facing the exact situation.
Kierans steps were forced to a halt when he saw a group of armed men in uniform standing in front of Herl Citys police station.
The military has taken over the station?
Kieran squinted his eyes over the situation before him.
His initial n was to find the new chief officer, Rosher and try to find out about Herbert and the others but now given the situation, he would have to wonder whether the new chief officer was safe or not, let alone finding out more about the others.
After all, the military dide after him because of Herbert.
As long as ones intelwork wasnt outdated and stuck in some hole, they should know the rtionship between him and the new chief officer.
Judging from how the military worked, in order to secure insurance, putting the chief officer behind bars was inevitable and it was already the best case scenario.
If the leader of this contingent of troops was a cruel man, the new chief officer might not even be alive anymore.
No doubt Kierans initial ns were wasted, so he quickly made adjustments.
He hade up with contingency ns before he entered the dungeon world just in case. But before Kieran could move out, a squad of men appeared in front of the police station entrance.
When Kieran saw one of the people among the group, he was shocked.
Chapter 779 - The Raven Cries In The Night
Chapter 779: The Raven Cries In The Night
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
It was Cohen, one of Herberts three students!
Cohen was in a terrible condition, his face and body were filled with bloody whishes.
His broken leg fromst time didnt even recover but instead, it had gotten worse, to the point that he had to walk in crutches.
Cohen was on hisst breath, allowing the guard to throw him into a wagon.
Kieran frowned hard because based on his knowledge, Cohen, Joanna and Harold should have left Herl City and even the whole of Langdon.
Did some idents happen?
Kieran looked at the escort wagon and quickly followed up with hastened steps while staying hidden.
Aside from the information that Cohen might hold, their friendship alone in the past was enough for Kieran to save him.
Kieran nced over the escort squad. Other than the two who drove the wagon and another two in the carriage, there were two more on the left and right, making for a total of six men the formation; two in front, two at the back and one on each side, escorting the prisoner.
Each of them was equipped with a flintlock rifle and another flintlock pistol and sword on their waist.
Their eyes were sharp and serious, despite the wagon having traveled for quite a distance, their expression stayed the same and their breaths were still calm.
They were elite soldiers! Simr to the ones Kieran saw just now but then it struck doubts in Kierans heart.
Elite soldiers were needed to escort Cohen with such bad injuries?
Kieran looked around the area.
The darkness didnt obstruct Kierans sight at all and with SS+ level Intuition, it was enough for Kieran to see throughmon darkness and his ears even captured the slightest bits of sound.
...
Harold who brought along three bodyguards was lowering his body and arched his back like a cat behind Pierre. His palm with the flintlock pistol was drenched in a nervous sweat.
Although he had prepared himself sufficiently, while facing the real thing, the young student was still not used to the tension during the situation.
Worries and anxiety filled Harolds heart but when he thought about his friend being captured, Harold clenched his teeth hard.
He couldnt just stay back and watch his good friend stay a captive and being interrogated endlessly because he knew how ruthless his enemy was.
If he didnt seize the chance to rescue his friend, then it might really be Cohens end this time!
Harold, you bring two men and cover us! The remaining one wille with me! The butler of the schr said in a heavy and firm tone.
Pierres old mercenary life of a decades time had made him used to such situations, even though he was facing an unprecedented enemy, nothing would change.
Bang!
Bang Bang Bang!
Just when Pierres voice subsided, he fired at the escort convoy further way and it wasnt just a single shot to test the waters.
Pierres hands were like magic, not only were they fast but outstandingly nimble as well.
All Harold saw was flintlock pistols appearing in Pierres hands one after another, and after four continuous shots, the two driving the wagon and the two in front of the convoy fell to the ground after being shot.
Chang!
Pierre then charged towards the wagon swiftly after drawing his sword out and the other bodyguard who moved with Pierre acting as cover by holding up a shield, dashing upfront.
Harold and the other two bodyguards who stayed back quickly fired their guns to cover Pierre and the other bodyguard.
Thoughpared to Pierres shooting skill, Harold and the other two bodyguard couldnt hit anything.
The moment the shots were fired and the sound was heard, the escort soldiers had reacted to the situation.
The remaining soldiers quickly searched for cover and started their counterattack.
Although they didnt kill anyone, Harolds blind sudden fire has bought Pierre and the bodyguard with shield some time, allowing them to charge towards the wagon swiftly.
As the two of them approached the wagon, they were ced under heavy fire by the remaining soldiers.
Dang Dang Dang!
The iron pellets shed with the shield, igniting sparks that flew everywhere yet it didnt stop Pierre and the bodyguard with shields advancing steps.
Then, Pierre seized the chance and dashed out from behind the shield as they were close enough. He didnt just dash out in a straight line but he tumbled across.
After 10 years of mercenary life, it allowed Pierre to know what would be the right choice for him to make at that moment.
While Pierre tumbled out, he jumped up like a flying fish and stabbed the neck of the soldier in front him, at the same time he disarmed the soldier and took the pistol, firing it at the other one beside.
Bang!
Another soldier has fallen together with the shot.
Six soldiers just died like that under Pierres hand and the entire 10 men squad has lost more than half of its manpower.
Though the four remaining soldiers didnt just give up like that, especially the two soldiers who were responsible for guard duty, they caused quite the headache for Pierre after that.
Although when the soldiers locked on to Pierre, he quickly rolled away effectively, the iron pellet still grazed his shoulder nheless. What worse was the bodyguard with the shield was taken down by a lucky shot.
Pierre! Harold cried out in screams and pulled the trigger again.
Bang! Bang Bang!
As the smoke from the fire powder coiled up, the three who were responsible for cover fire fired again, shooting out muzzle sh from their gun barrels.
Harold once again missed his target but the other two bodyguards hit something this time.
One of them nabbed a sessful kill and the other wounded one of the soldiers.
Pierre then followed up with a stab of his sword, ending the wounded soldiers life.
Immediately, the soldiers outside the wagon were swept clean but Pierre and Harold werent delighted at all.
As shots were fired, soon there will be more enemies arriving because of themotion.
The two remaining soldiers inside the wagon were relying on the wooden carriage to put up a hard line of defense.
Harold and Pierre were running out of time!
Pierre clenched his teeth. He seized the opportunity while the soldiers were reloading by stabbing through somewhere near the handle of the carriage door.
Pak!
Wood chips burst out and a small hole was embedded on the carriage butpared to its solid wood structure, a small hole was nothing.
Pak Pak Pak!
Pierre then followed up with a flurry of stabs and shes like a madman, a dozen more full shes caused Pierre to pant heavily but the carriage door was also failing.
Crack!
The final strike then broke open the wooden door and when the flintlocks were extended from within the carriage, Pierre quickly rolled under the carriage.
Bang Bang Bang!
A series of shots were fired.
Harold who charged up together with the two bodyguards exchanged fire with the two remaining soldiers who had lost their cover.
The two bodyguards and the two soldiers died together. While Harold was unharmed because the bodyguards instinctively protected him.
After thanking the two dead bodyguards in his heart, Harold quickly went up to the carriage.
Cohen! How are you, my friend!?
Harold dragged and carried the unconscious Cohen out of the carriage.
Hurry, we need to leave now!
Pierre quickly said while helping Harold and Cohen up but before the three of them could walk further, they were halted.
Or more precisely, they were surrounded!
Hundreds of soldiers appeared and pointed their pistols at the three of them.
All we had to do is to leak the bait out and more fish wille willingly! After all, the world is nevercking idiots!
A middle-aged man walked out from the crowd. The stripes and badges on his shoulder represented the certain rank that he possessed.
Though, I really need to thank you, idiots. If it wasnt for you people, I still wouldnt know how to lure that 2567 out into the open!
The middle-aged man looked at Pierre and Harold with a hideous expression, he then waved his hand.
The hundreds of soldiers then instantly stepped up.
The unified steps of hundreds of soldiers sounded like battle drums. It made Pierre and Harold quiver and step back unconsciously but where else could they retreat to?
They werepletely surrounded!
Helplessness rose in their hearts.
Im sorry.
Harold apologized to Pierre since he was the one who suggested the operation.
The old butler shook his head and gripped the sword in his hand tighter.
He was ready to risk hisst breath to kill a few enemies, dragging them down with him.
As for the possibility of being captured, Pierre knew clearlysometimes death was better than staying alive.
Harold seemed to have noticed the unusual look on the old butlers face.
The smart young man instantly caught the thoughts in Pierres head.
He too lifted the pistol in his hand with slightly shivering hands. The young man was ready to risk his life as well, despite his heart being filled with the fear of death and his body trembling hard.
Harold had the experience of being captured once and he would not want to experience it again.
Still putting up a stiff resistance eh?
The middle-aged man sneered and mocked them withughs without holding back and after that, he gave the orders to his man to capture them alive.
The middle-aged man knew although it might waste some efforts, it would be worth it.
One needed to know, the three before his eyes represented his future in the military.
When he thought about the delights of his promotion, the middle-aged man couldnt help butugh louder.
But his loudughs was interrupted by the sudden caw of a raven.
Gawk! Gawk Gawk!
The ck raven with a dash of red opened up its wings under the moonlight.
Chapter 780 - Breaking a Dead Branch From a Tree
Chapter 780: Breaking a Dead Branch From a Tree
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Shoot it down!
The middle-aged man frowned as he waved his hand directly at the soldiers beside him after being interrupted by the raven.
Bang Bang Bang!
Seven to eight soldiers raised the flintlock rifles in their hands up together and fired restlessly at the flying crow but out of their expectations, the raven under the night sky was exceptionally agile, not only did it dodge the iron pellets, it closed down on the soldiers while it was dodging.
The crow dived down like a bomber ne, grazing the soldiers crown swiftly and especially the middle-aged man, he was heavily dealt with by the raven.
Argh! My eyes! My eyes!!!
An excruciating scream was heard as the middle-aged man covered his eyes, rolling on the ground.
The sudden urrence stunned the soldiers in the area.
Some of the soldiers instinctively wanted to help the middle-aged man up, while some others raised their flintlocks again, trying to take aim at the raven.
None of them noticed the figure that wasing towards them at the end of the street, including Pierre, Harold, and Cohen.
Under the night breeze, the figure was marching towards the crowd steady and strong, the mantle on his back was fluttering as the wind blew by. Two huge and exaggerating looking greatswords were slowly drawn out of their boxes.
Wung!
Bush! Wung Wung Bush!
The heavy numbing whistle from the swords sounded abruptly.
The night breeze became explosive and the mantle fluttered violently under the movements and yet unable to overpower the agonizing screams.
Kieran was like a tiger that jumped into a herd of sheep, he dashed into the group of soldiers that wasnt prepared for his sudden appearance and swept [Arrogant Word] and [Elmerius Sword] left and right, mowing down every soldier in sight.
With every swing of his sword, several soldiers would be cut in half.
With every swing of his sword, it worsened the soldiers expression.
The soldiers either tried to defend with their rifle barrel or tried to dodge the swords, but none of their actions mattered under the flurries of the two greatswords.
Within a breaths time, Kieran had swept away a part of the soldiers in the area.
Blood flowed like a river with a rapid current, corpses scattered around and piled up like mountains.
Some soldiers that clung on theirst breath were still moaning faintly.
The scene before their eyes and the dying moans that lingered in their ears made the remaining soldiers stare at Kieran who was standing in the middle of the bodies. Kierans aura was icy cold and ruthless, all the soldiers who looked at him couldnt help but add fear into their gazes, as though they were looking at purgatory destroying the mortal realm.
Though they really proved themselves as elite soldiers, they didnt crumble before such fear but instead, some of the captains in the crowd quickly reacted to the sudden attack.
Fire! Fire! The captains ordered.
Bang Bang Bang!
Gunshots were fired relentlessly, muzzle shes were going off non-stop and the smoke from fire powder quickly clouded the area.
The soldiers opened their eyes nervously, trying to see the result of their shooting.
Pierre and Harold who were helping Cohen shared the same thought as well but their nervousness was because of their worries for Kieran.
Kierans appearance was too sudden, even Harold who knew Kieran well only recognized him a moment before the soldiers fired at him. He didnt even have the time to warn Kieran before the soldiers fired.
Please, dont let anything happen to him! Harold prayed hard.
Although he knew Kieran was imprable by flintlock rifles, it was a single flintlock rifle, not dozens of them like right now!
As though Harolds prayers were heard, the cloud of fire powder smoke suddenly rumbled fiercely. Like a ferocious beast that emerged from the cloud of smoke, Kieran dashed out with his two greatswords, channeling heavy whistles that could tremble ones heart and continued to reap his enemies lives.
Hes fine?
Hes fine!
Harold and Pierres face was filled with joy while the soldiers were horrified.
Some soldiers that were unwilling to give up drew their secondary flintlock pistols from their waists and squeezed the trigger.
Bang Bang Bang!
Shots were fired repeatedly again but this time around, the soldiers who fired had lessened quite a lot.
A lot of the soldiers saw sparks from the iron pellets when they hit Kieran, but they deformed upon impact and were deflected away. The soldiers would rather not see this because they somehow realized their biggest reliance, their flintlocks, were useless against him.
As if the scene was thest straw that broke the camels back, the fear of the unwinnable started to drown the elite soldiers like the rising tide.
The middle-agedmander was still rolling around with his eyes covered, no effective orders woulde from him any time soon and so, some soldiers started to flee.
Some who were at lost for actions followed as well but there were some who were different!
They wanted to fight until theirst breath!
Though they didnt go after Kieran anymore, instead, they changed their target to Harold, Pierre, and Cohen.
There were only two to three soldiers that went after the trio but they didnt share the panic-stricken look of the others. The few soldiers looked scared, but they were calm at mind.
It was their calmness that made them understand the importance of Harold, Pierre, and Cohen.
If they could get their hands on one of them... They might be able to turn the situation around!
Such thoughts bloomed in the soldiers mind but that was it.
They seemed to have forgotten about the Fire Raven that was soaring under the night sky.
Wooosh!
Three fireballs were fired down simultaneously and preciselynded on the three soldiers that were going after Harold and the others. The soldiers were instantly engulfed in mes.
The mes rapidly devoured their hair, clothes, and turned them into human torches.
They rolled back and forth on the ground, in hopes of putting out the burning mes but the Fire Raven dived down again and didnt want to spare one bit.
It used its metallic, lustrous w, and rapidly grazed over the soldiers weak spots.
After some twitchingster, the three seemingly smarter soldiers lost all signs of life.
The fleeing soldiers who witnessed the scene ran even faster, they knew other than running away, they were out of options.
Kieran didnt pursue though, he wasnt a blood-thirsty guy when there werent any potential rewards to reap.
The soldiers might be elites tomoners but to Kieran, they were really nothing and no matter how much he killed, there wouldnt be any valuable drops from them.
Kieran then headed towards Harold and the others while grabbing his greatswords.
Sir 2567! The young man called out excitedly and delightedly in an odd manner.
Harold thought he was a goner for a moment but life presented itself before him again, how could he not be delighted?
While watching Kieran battling the soldiers, it brought up the excitement in the hot-blooded young mans heart, he eagerly hoped that he could be like Kieran, charging into enemies like a tiger.
Pierre, on the other hand, was d that he escaped death again but he was shaken nevertheless.
One man striking down a hundred... As expected and no wonder he is the legendary Lineage Owner. Pierre sighed repeatedly in his heart but his mouth wasnt slow at all. Sir 2567, we need to leave right now! Pleasee with me!
Kieran followed without even saying anything. He needed an exnation for the questions in his heart and of course, Kieran didnt forget to bring the blinded middle-aged man with him.
Chapter 781 - Pak, Pak!
Chapter 781: Pak, Pak!
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Kieran shuttled through Herl City swiftly at night behind Pierre.
He wasnt a stranger by all means butpared to Pierre, a local, his knowledge was indeedcking.
Kieran followed Pierre through the streets and alleyways, left and right, he then realized they had arrived at the wealthy district.
My father bought this ce anonymously just in case.
Harold said when they reached a two-story building with an independent garden.
He then knocked on the door with three short and one long knock.
After the knocks, the sealed wooden door opened up a small seam.
Behind the seam was Jonna with her scarred face and when the youngdy nced over the crowd and noticed Kieran, her eyes were filled with joy.
Sir 2567, youve returned?!
Amidst her call of surprise, the tough look she put on since theirst meeting had gone away, all that was left was pure joy.
However, when she saw the unconscious Cohen, Joanna knew what she had to do.
She quickly opened the door and let everyone in. After closing the door once more, she quickly ran inside the house.
Ive prepared the necessary medicine, bring Cohen over here quickly!
Mr. Pierre, you are hurt as well, pleasee over here! Sir 2567, can you please help Cohen a bit? Joanna said as she was running around.
Her arrangements were neatly organized and there wasnt a slight bit of panic.
Kieran took a nce at Joanna, his eyes were filled with admiration.
It seemed like the youngdy who stood back up after her face was destroyed was rapidly growing.
Kieran helped Harold move Cohen to the bed in the rooms living hall while Joanna was attending Cohen and Pierres wounds. Kieran then turned to Harold for questions, What happened? Werent you guys suppose to leave Langdon?
The entire border of Langdon was sealed off! All off us including my parents, Joannas parents were ced on the wanted list! We had no choices but to return to Herl City, hiding again while waiting for our chance, but... We seem to have underestimated some bastards influences and determination. A day after we came back, the whole city was taken under control by the military and there began the relentless search for us. In order to make it harder for the soldiers, we had to break up in groups but Cohen had injuries on his leg so he was caught in one of the search operations. That is why we had to risk it to save him, thank God for your timely arrival, otherwise... Up to that point, the young man gratefully let out a long sigh of relief.
The border was sealed off long ago? Which means the high ranks of Langdon Government had prepared for this but they allowed me to fight with the Night and the Mutants? Kieran frowned.
His sharp sensed picked up the peculiarity among the words.
Even if it was for the entire countrys stability, a country itself wouldnt havemitted such act, unless...
The ruler didnt even care about any of this!
Kierans eyes nced over the background description of the dungeon world again and had a deeper understanding of the word surveince.
The surveince didnt just start recently but a long time ago. The one who was in charged of the surveince nned silently and watched as Herbert fulfilled his mission: to open the Emperors legacy.
Then, the people behind woulde forth and rob it from him.
Of course, it didnt rule out the other possibility as well: the ruler of Langdon was not human to begin with.
They might be the Nights or Mutants but whatever they were, it wasnt good news to Kieran because regardless of which, it meant that he had to face the forces of an entire country and even though Langdon wasnt a big country, only a small ind one, the quality of a country wouldnt change.
A country was a gigantic existence to any single individual.
Right after the talk, Joanna who was attending Cohen and Pierres injuries spoke in a rush, Sir 2567, please take a look at Cohens injuries! I feel like something isnt right!
Kieran turned around quickly. Cohen was still unconscious but the wounds on his body were covered with balm and were wrapped with clean bandages. However, his face was turning green.
Kieran raised a brow and quickly approached Cohen for a careful sniff.
A faint scent of almond entered Kierans nose and after Kieran opened up Cohens mouth, the smell had gotten stronger. Everyone around could smell it as well.
Poison! All of them spoke in amon voice.
Of course its poison! Since we know Sir 2567 here might be a Noble or even Royalty, how could I not be prepared? The middle-aged man whose eyes was blinded by the Fire Raven spoke.
Wheres the antidote? Give it up!
Harold grabbed the mans cor and lifted him into a loud scolding, at the same time searching his body.
How could I bring something so important along with me? Let me go! I want the best treatment for my eyes unless you want your friend to die!
The middle-aged man refuted with a question and shouted at Harold back.
Harold unconsciously let go of his cor.
Right away, the mans face had a sense of delight, while it was mixed with the dirt and blood, it looked extremely odd but it didnt stop him from uttering his request.
I still want...
Pak!
Before the man could finish, his voice was halted.
Kieran gave a loud p on the mans face right away.
The others looked at Kieran in a confused manner but none of them asked why.
After all, they knew who was their ally and who was their enemy. Besides, they believed Kieran had with his own reasons.
However, when Kierans hand was shining in white brilliance, everyone else was still shocked beyond words.
Under the white brilliant shower of light, Cohens poisoned countenance was rapidly recovering and Pierre who felt an itch on his shoulder quickly tore the bandage down.
Pierre knew what the itch meant since he had quite the experience in wound recovery but when he saw his wound was healing up at a speed that was visible to his own naked eyes, despite how many years of experience he had, he couldnt hold back his cry of shock.
Joanna and Harold turned their attention to Pierres wounds after they heard the cry, then both of them were astonished and awestruck beyond words.
Th...This...This...
Harold tried to say something but couldnt find the words in his vocabry.
The middle-aged man who Kieran pped to the floor was blinded but his hearing was fine. When he heard Harolds stuttering words, it struck a bad feeling in his heart.
Right away, the middle-aged man started to make amotion, Dont think that I only have this up my sleeves, I still...
Pak!
Kieran used the most direct way to shut him up again and of course, he knew what the man wanted to say.
Mere reinforcements.
Chapter 782 - Boom With The Head!
Chapter 782: Boom With The Head!
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Thats right, reinforcements!
Kieran didnt only just notice some elite soldiers on the streets that he shuttled before, hed even located a few more hiding deeper from sight.
Although those individuals had techniques to conceal their figures, they didnt possess the techniques to conceal their malicious gazes.
Even when Kieran was in battle, he felt prickles on his back when the malicious gazes swept over him.
Kieran grabbed the unconscious middle-aged man pping him twice and headed outside the door.
Harold, Joanna, and Pierre looked at each other with confused looks before following quickly.
When Kieran pushed open the door of the main hall, the trio suddenly realized there were three more men standing in the garden without their knowledge.
The men wore the same soldier uniforms but slightly different. Their outfits were pure ck!
Not only their uniforms but the shoulder straps, buttons and etc, everything was ck.
It made one frown hard with just a look at them, plus the cool and dullish expression on the three mens faces were very unsettling.
Trash!
The leader among the three coldly grunted at the middle-aged man who Kieran was holding in his hand.
The one behind the leader quickly drew a pistol from his waist and fired a shot at the middle-aged man.
Bang!
The mans movement was sudden and exceptionally fast yet his shot missed the target.
As though Kieran had predicted this, he took a step aside a moment before the shot was fired.
The iron pellet grazed the middle-aged mans ear and sunk into the dirt beside.
The middle-aged man felt the burning sensation on his ears and his body couldnt help but shiver.
Dont kill me! I didnt spill anything! The middle-aged man cried out repeatedly.
The scene made the man who fired the shot frown hard. He drew out a second gun and fired again with no hesitation.
Bang!
This time, the man utilized a certain technique in the shot.
The trajectory of the iron pellet should have been straight but instead, it arched suddenly.
Still, he missed his target, again.
Kieran easily dodged the second gun with the middle-aged man in his hand.
It wasnt any dodging technique though, just a purebination of SS+ Intuition and SS- Agility but the scene that everyone else saw didnt perceive it as such.
Bullets Perception?! The term escaped Pierres mouth.
Harold and Joanna were further astonished beyond words.
The two youngsters didnt know what it was but the pursuers knew.
Bullets Perception? So you are one of those monsters eh?
The leader of the pursuers gave a disgusting look on his cool face, and the other two behind him wanted to attack again with the least courtesy but Kieran was faster!
Kieran certainly wasnt Mr. Nice Guy who would stay still after being provoked.
If he didnt wish to gain more information and understand the situation, Kieran wouldnt even spare the chance for the three pursuers to talk but following the relentless attacks, it changed Kierans mind of trying to capture all of them alive.
The red ruby light swirled high from [Half-deads Gaze] and [Deadmans Gaze] was activated.
The two pursuers raised their hand and wanted to fire but when their eyes saw Kierans gaze, their sight was tainted with ck.
The ck was even darker than the night they were in.
The two of them sized up the new surroundings in a daze but before both of them could react, theyd noticed ghosts springing out from the darkness one after another.
When the two of them saw the faces of the ghosts, they trembled in fear.
It was very familiar! Too familiar to be exact!
All of the ghosts that rose before them were the ones they killed with their own hands!
The cool expression on their faces was instantly smeared with fear.
Instinctively, they tried to repel the ghosts with methods they had learned before but it was useless.
The ghosts didnt feel obstructed at all and threw themselves on to the two pursuers, starting to chew on their flesh.
Aaaaaaaaaah!
A sharp cry causing goosebumps came from the two pursuers, then...
Bang Bang!
Two loud bangster, the heads of the two exploded just like that, as if they were hit by bullets.
The two headless bodies plunged to the ground, the air with the bloody stench grew stagnate right away.
The leader of the pursuers couldnt keep his cool expression anymore.
Horrified, unbelievable fear!
From the leader of the pursuers point of view, Kieran only looked at his men with a single nce and their heads exploded just like that.
He had never seen something like this before.
Other than the leader of the pursuers, Harold, Joanna, and Pierre also quivered when they saw the scene.
It was unbelievable! None of them could understand the scene before their eyes!
Harolds mouth was opened up like a fish onnd, opening, and closing, yet he couldnt utter a single word.
Joanna was stunned for a while but soon her eyes were filled with gazes of unrecognized admiration.
As for Pierre, the old schrs butler and ex-mercenary, he mumbled repeatedly.
The legendary lineage! The legendary lineage!
The three of them had different thoughts.
The leader of the pursuer didnt want to stay any longer, he turned around to make a run for it but the moment the man turned around, he was stunnedpletely.
Kieran appeared before him silently and was still holding the unconscious middle-aged man.
You...You...
The leader of the pursuers stuttered hard due to fear.
Kieran looked at his terrified face and delivered a direct punch on his stomach.
Kieran, of course, wouldnt exin the scene just now, it wasnt entirely his own power but the power of the ring [Half-Deads Gaze].
Truth be told, Kieran felt a slight astonishment too about the ring thatpletely relied on its wearers Spirit to deliver its powers.
He knew as his Spirit has entered Advance Rank, using [Deadmans Gaze] as a starter and followed by [Fear Illusions], the process would surely change but he never would have thought the mental impact delivered could directly explode ones head.
Kieran conveniently grabbed the cor of the pursuers leader who was panting hard because of the pain in his stomach and turned to Harold.
Do we still have another hiding ce? Kieran asked.
Gunshots and agonizing screams spread far in the night. A momentter, the ce would be filled with soldiers.
Yes! We have a few hideouts! Harold answered immediately.
Then, the three of them moved out right away while Kieran grabbed the cor of the pursuers leader up, raising the man up to his eye level.
At the next moment, [Mesly Ring] was giving out an unusual shine.
The struggling man was instantly tamed with a gaze.
When the [Dominate] effect was in y, the leader showed his respect andpliance to Kieran with utmost efforts.
Rayhart at your service! The leader straightened his body and gave a military salutation.
The middle-aged man who had just woken up from his unconsciousness heard the phrase first.
He unconsciously thought he was still out cold and everything he felt was a dream but following Rayharts honest answers to Kierans questions, the middle-aged man quickly made clear of his mind.
My lord! My lord! I know where Sir Herbert is! The man cried out repeatedly.
Chapter 783 - Somethings Wrong
Chapter 783: Somethings Wrong
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Talk!
Kieran looked at the middle-aged man, while his gaze had a sense of surprise.
Although it was Kierans initial n to get more information from him, he never thought the man would know Herberts location.
One needed to know, Kieran didnt even get Herberts information from the pursuers leader, Rayhart, that was under his control and its obvious that Rayhart had a higher rank than the man.
If I talk, can you spare my life? The blinded man crawled on the floor pitifully begging for his life.
Fine. Kieran nodded. He didnt mind the condition the man stated though because the greatest value from the man was the information he knew and it would be much more valuable than his petty life.
I trust your words and also please uphold your promise! Sir Herbert is in the Carlhart military camp! I identally got the news from the conversation between his lordship and the secretary. That lord is Rayharts direct superior, the captain of the special operation, Carlhart!
The man reminded Kieran a bit before spilling out everything he knew.
Then, he lowered his head without further struggling as if he had epted his fate but the expected death didnt happen.
There werent further questions from Kieran or he being locked up, neither was there the merciless fallout because of the broken promise.
When a series of footsteps sounded from the outside, the man only noticed Kieran and co. were long gone.
All of a sudden, the man crawling on the floor jumped up.
Here! Im right over here!
His voice attracted the attention of the soldiers and even attracted some extra personnel as well.
The extra personnel were wearing the same ck uniform like Rayhart and shared the cool expression as well.
If it wasnt for their different facial features, they were exactly like models printed from the same mold, especially their ruthless means.
Trash!
After an exactly samement, a gunshot was fired.
Without Kierans intentional protection, the middle-aged man was shot in between his eyes and fell to the ground.
Search the area!
The one who fired the shot didnt even nce at the dead body when he waved his hand at the others as if he hadmitted an insignificant matter of killing the man.
Right away, everyone who heard themand moved out.
The area around instantly plunged into hubbub and panicked state, yet despite all the efforts, the soldiers got nothing.
Expand the search area!
Anothermand sounded and the entire wealthy district was livened up.
The influential figures who was already awoken by the gunshots further raised their voices of discontent by the search.
Each of the soldiers who carried out the search was threatened but every one of them was unmoved by such threats and carried out their orders.
They didnt even mind resolving the matter with violence, though it wouldnt be firing a gunshot but smacking the wealthy people down with the buttstock was possible.
Influential figures were smacked to the ground one after another, it made the noise of resistance smaller and smaller and eventually vanishing without a trace.
Though the rage and grudge in the peoples eyes had gotten denser.
Kieran who saw everything from the shadows quietly turned around and headed to the slums.
...
Inside a shelter somewhere in the slums, filthy water filled the whole ce.
Pelby the bodyguard who was once dominated by Kieran was opening the door with a dark face and shabby clothes.
My lord!
Pelby instantly bowed down when Kieran entered the room.
After seeing how Pelby applied makeup to his face, Kieran had once again gained a more direct perception of [Mesly Ring]s power. Originally, he thought the phrase, After you leave the dungeon world, the target will continue living in his own way, was that after he left, the dominated targets will live their lives in a reasonable manner.
However, to Kierans surprise, the so-called living in his own way would lean towards his favor.
The easiest example was Pelby in front of him. Kieran once gave the order to protect the convoy and Pelby carried it out continuously and when he failed, he too continued to protect the people within the convoy as his priority.
While praising the power of the [Mesly Ring], Kieran nodded at Pelby and saw him walk beside the corner of the house, standing side-by-side with the new Rayhart.
Kieran then turned his eyes at Harold, Joanna, and Cohen.
Cohen was still unconscious and Pierre was on guard outside.
Harold and Joanna were looking at Rayhart with a doubtful and anxious gaze.
Both of them werent that forgetful to forget who Rayhart was after a while.
Rayhart was the leader of the pursuers from before but now he was standing on their side.
No, to be more precise, Rayhart wasplying to Kierans orders.
Is he one of the spies that you arranged beforehand? Harold asked after hesitating for a while.
Nope, its just one of my powers. Kieran shook his head and said.
He didnt go into details about the [Mesly Ring] nor further the exnations because somethings were not exinable.
So, Kieran directly shifted the topic, I know where Herbert is.
Really?! The two youngsters stood up in excitement.
Yup. He should be in Carlharts military camp. I need you both to gather up everyone else and after Ive rescued Herbert, we will leave Langdon at once. Kieran nodded and said.
Okay, Ill go contact everyone else! Harold quickly moved out.
Joanna was taking care of the unconscious Cohen while looking at Kieran who was leaning back on the wall with one side of her face.
Unconsciously, the youngdy recalled the less than pleasant conversation again.
Once she thought about the phrase If you want to die, dont burden others!, Joannas eyes couldnt help but look odd.
It was rage!
Initially, it was real rage she felt but when she truly calmed down, she realized she was being scared after the event.
It was the fear when she faced death!
While having a heart of gratitude and feeling grateful toward her savior, Joanna indeed had other feelings for Kieran too, especially how Kieran utilized his special means tomunicate with her, it allowed Joanna to discover something different about him.
Kieran seemed young but powerful in terms of strength.
He was cool and calm but never an arrogant person.
He didnt only keep his promise but also never feared danger.
As she recalled the images of Kieran in her mind, Joannas curiosity towards Kieran was unconsciously raised.
She was curious why would Kieran have such a character and power.
Though, looking at Kieran who obviously in deep thought, the youngdy didnt disturb him, instead, she quietly looked at him, seeing how Kieran frowned.
Is he thinking about how to rescue teacher? Carlhart military camp... The ce where Langdon strongest soldiers were born, even 2567 felt it was a difficult situation to handle right? Otherwise, why would he frown? The youngdy wondered.
Though, Joannas guesses and the thoughts running through Kierans mind at the moment were pr opposites.
Kieran sat down and was recalling every scene that happened since his return to the dungeon, his brows automatically furrowed together as he went on.
In his heart, a single voice was repeating the same phrase, over and over again.
Somethings wrong!
Somethings wrong!!
Somethings wrong!!!
Chapter 784 - Intentional
Chapter 784: Intentional
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Everything was more reasonable than it ought to be!
No, it was not reasonable but intentional!
Kieran took a deep breath and the gears in his mind were spinning rapidly.
Since my return to this dungeon, I was ambushed immediately and the soldiers that appeared shows that the enemies had grasped my whereabouts. Likewise, the enemies also have quite the understanding about my powers and yet given the circumstances, they still sent out a single group of soldiers. Even though the soldiers were elites tomoners but to me, they are verycking and the enemies couldnt have not known this. This is the first suspicion point.
Secondly, Cohen who was being escorted. It might seem to purposely lure out Harold and Pierre but ording to when it actually urred... the timing fits my leaving from the hotel after being ambushed and even if I didnt head to the station I would have noticed the unusual urrence, since the battle location and the hotel werent that far away.
Third, the location where someone as important as Herbert was escorted to, would it just casually slip through some random conversation? It seems like the particr someone purposely allowed the middle-aged man to know and wanted him to deliver the location Carlhart Military Camp to me.
So, only then the middle-aged man was tasked to escort Cohen. From the beginning to the end, the enemies wanted me to know about Carlhart Military Camp in a reasonable and natural way but... it is too intentional!
Kieran was recalling the scenes and reordering the sequence to everything that he had just been through.
The middle-aged man was killed off without hesitation and the soldiers didnt even care about the wealthy and famous people in Herl City, smacking them down violently.
Kieran didnt believe the soldiers had the guts to offend the wealthy people without a particr someones order.
Carlhart Military Camp? Kieran muttered the name in his heart before turning his head to Joanna.
Joanna was startled by Kierans sudden turn and she too turned away looking slightly panic, pretending to check on Cohens injuries.
Joanna, do you know anything about Carlhart Military Camp?
Kieran didnt care about the youngdys unusual behavior since his curiosity was pointed towards the military camp.
A particr someone went through so much effort just to inform him of their location, there must be something that surpassed themon there. Whether was it a trap or others.
Then, the youngdys words proved Kieran right.
The ce where Langdon strongest soldiers were born!
There were over ten thousand men who trained there annually but only a dozen to a maximum of a hundred that graduated.
A special military camp that housed the official and private militias of the country!
Kieran had gotten such information from Joanna but it wasnt sufficient.
There was still some key information that hecked.
Kieran then naturally turned to Rayhart.
Rayhart, did you graduate from Carlhart? Kieran asked.
No, sir! Ive only received eight weeks of training there but was disqualified because my results are less than ideal. Rayhart shook his head and answered honestly.
Even when Rayhart was being controlled, his face was smeared with shameful expression but he couldnt conceal them before Kieran.
[Dominate]s power was enough to make Rayhart die for Kieran, let alone a bit of shameful experience.
What kind of levels would one require to graduate there? Or should I say, what kind of level can be considered as great? Kieran continued.
Various ranks and grades existed anywhere, anytime, and Kieran believed even the alleged Carlhart Military Camps graduates were no exception.
The graduates there are chosen from the beginning! The rest including myself are the so-called participants there, even if wepleted the twenty-one weeks of training, we dont have the qualifications to graduate. There are some decent ones among the graduates but weve never seen them before. Rayhart spilled everything honestly.
The graduates are chosen from the beginning... then what is so special about those graduates? Kieran sharp senses noticed something.
Yes, sir! Those graduates arebeled as potential Nobles and Carlhart Military Camp is the ce to transform them into the real Nobles! Rayhart nodded.
Nobles? Neegor Dynasty? Kieran raised a brow.
Yes, sir! Rayhart nodded again.
This is interesting! An official training camp of Langdon was established specifically for the Mutants... How long has this training camp been established?
Kieran muttered to himself before asking again.
It existed a long time ago, but transforming graduates to Nobles started around three years back, Rayhart answered.
Three years... which means there are at least a hundred of Mutants out there? That would form a formidable force with powerful battle capabilities, Kieran muttered to himself.
There were differences in strength between the Mutants.
The stronger ones were like Morzork, Thaad, Benz, and Edgar.
Though the weaker ones were only slightly stronger than a normal human and they were no match for the slightly stronger Nights.
So, those decent graduates, what kind of level would they be?
Of course, it wasnt the main point here.
The main point was, why would the enemies want to inform Kieran about the Carlhart Military Camp in such a sneaky way?
If the enemies really wanted to use Herbert to set a trap for him, there were many other direct and simple ways to do it, it wasnt necessary for them to make such extensive effort.
Unless...
The enemies behind wanted to pick a war between Kieran and Carlhart Military Camp.
Herbert might not even be there!
Everything was a scheme that specifically targeted at him and the Carlhart Military Camp!
The enemies wanted to profit from the conflict!
If thats the case...
Kieran squinted his eyes, turning on his gaze sharp and brewed his overflowing coldness.
No one liked to be used, Kieran was no exception either.
So he nned to teach them a lesson.
...
The fire in the firece was growing more vigorous as firewood was added into it, the room was instantly filled with warmth.
A ragged nket was used to seal off the wooden walls, not only blocking the light leaking outside but also kept the warmth a little longer in the room.
Lander, Joannas parents, and several more family bodyguards who had just rushed here from other ces were relieved in a pleasant way after they entered the room.
When the few of them saw Kieran beside the firece, their expressions turned rxed.
Everyone recognized Kierans strength and with such an existence around them at desperate times, it was something to be grateful for.
Sir 2567, you are finally back! Ive never been as desperate to see you as I am right now!
Lander, Harolds father greeted Kieran with half a joking manner.
Trust me, I hoped to see you as well, especially after what just happened, Kieran replied to Lander with a smile.
Are we saving Herbert? Dont worry, Ill give it my best! Lander was being direct.
No, no! I need you to write a letter, starting from your point of view after being forced by some Langdon high rankings and described in detail how miserable your current condition is. The more miserable, the better! Best if you can write with a story of tears and blood.
Kieran shook his head and stated his request.
Lander was instantly stunned, he never thought Kieran wouldve requested such favor from him.
Chapter 785 - Mix
Chapter 785: Mix
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
In the morning, the servants were sending the doctor out.
Smithton who was leaning on the couch after finishing his treatment was still feeling the hidden pain from his shoulder.
The rage in his heart burned like a raging fire. He couldnt imagine that he could receive such treatment from the soldiers.
Some bloody soldiers dared beat me! That bastard rascal! Damn it!
When he thought about the rageful act, Smithton smacked the arm of his sofa but immediately he gasped heavily because his enraged actions seemed to have hurt his injuries.
Your bones fractured! Youll need to rest quietly to recuperate for a while and in order not to leave any seque behind, it would be best to let the servants take care of you the first few days.
The doctors reminder echoed in Smithton ears.
Immediately, Smithton gasped heavily and rushed as if fuel was added to a burning fire.
Damn it! Damn it! DAMN IT! I will make him pay for what he did! I.... eh?!
As Smithton was growling loudly, he stood up and prepared himself to do something but suddenly he noticed there was a letter on the tea table beside the sofa that appeared unknowingly.
Smithton curiously picked up the letter.
The letter wasnt named but inside the letter was familiar handwriting, filling the paper full of words.
When he read through the content of the letters, Smithton couldnt help but widen his eyes, beads of sweats even appeared on his forehead.
Then, he stared straight at the address written at the end of the letter and his face looked conflicted.
Not only Smithton though, a lot more shared the same expression as well, including Lander who wrote the letter.
Will this work? This n?
Harold was tapping his feet anxiously in the room, he then turned to Kieran and asked again.
Sure it will. Kieran gave the same answer.
We are wanted because of Professor Herbert and they know it, there are not stupid though, I think its hard for us to gain their support, Harold expressed his own opinion.
We are wanted because of Herbert, thats right but it is just what people saw on the outside. In fact, we are all wanted because someone is eyeing your fathers wealth! And, it is not only your father, everyone in Herl City who shares simr levels of wealth to your father are being watched. The act of violencest night was just a despicable attempt, any resistance would be sanctioned with the harshest of punishments, then they would nibble up their wealth step by step. If they dont want to end up like your father, they must stand united, Kieran said slowly.
What if someone uses other ways to resist? Once there isnt any reaction, our efforts will be wasted, Harold said in a worrisome tone.
Believe me, Harold, they wont. Even if they really wanted to at first but after reading your fathers letter, most of them wont. All humans fear death. Even if some of them do not fear death, they will only prove to others that what your father wrote was correct with their actions.
The guy who wanted to lure me to the Carlhart Military Camp is definitely not someone merciful. If they wanted to carry out the ns smoothly, he will surely destroy those who dare resist with lightning fast methods, Kieran exined without any changes to his tone.
After realizing someone was trying to fish for profit between him and the military camp, Kieran had thought about the idea of using the guys arrangements to gain himself some allies.
Who would be more fitting than the wealthy people who were beaten and smacked to the groundst night?
They harbored resentment and possessed abilities to take revenge.
By giving them a sense of danger, these wealthy people would spring up in unison.
Kieran understood their mental state clearly, simr to the time where he had gotten his first piece of cake, he kept it away carefully, being afraid that someone else would try to take a bite at the cake.
During that particr time, he would assume anyone he saw was there to steal his cake, he was even rmed against the kindest headmaster!
Maybe it was a little inappropriate to use the cake as an analogy but there wasnt really much of a difference
The cake of the wealthy and the poor were the same, no one would allow others to touch them.
But...
Harold wanted to add something but Lander was already beside him, tapping his sons shoulder softly as he pointed outside the window.
Harold moved his head towards the half-opened window and saw a figure outside.
Even after the disguise, Harold could tell it with a single glimpse the figure was Smithton, one of his fathers best friends.
He really came!? Harold cried out in surprise.
Lander smiled when he saw his sons surprised expression.
He understood how his son would grow after this incident. In fact, when Kieran exined his n, Lander thought it was very doable, it had a very high chance of seeding because Lander knew the others very well.
He perfectly knew how the others would react after being put through such harsh treatment.
So, after Kieran revealed his n, Lander went along with it with full cooperation, though he didnt think the oue would be effective like this.
Look there, behind Smithton, there are a few more who followed him! Seems like things are progressing smoother than we thought! Lander pointed out to his son.
Then, Lander turned to Kieran, his eyes had admiration that he couldnt conceal.
The n has seeded without a doubt!
Lander was at a loss for words on how to describe the young man who was simr of age to his son yet possessed inhuman strength together with a decent level of wisdom.
Is he a genius? Lander thought in his heart.
Its up to you now, Kieran said to Lander when he noticed the gaze.
Of course! Leave it to me! Lander smiled.
...
Sir, someone is here because of the incidentst night...
Send them away! Everything now should be about prioritizing the n first!
A soldier in uniform presented his report after entering his superiors office but before he could finish, he was interrupted by the one inside the office.
The officer sitting in the chair shared the cool face like Rayhart and his way of carrying out matters was also identical.
Remember, anyone who blocks the way, kill without mercy! The officer said coldly.
Yes, sir! The soldier saluted before running out of the office.
Then, arge group of soldiers started to move out.
The seed of chaos was growing within Herl City.
The nervous tension was spreading at exceptional speed throughout the city.
A lot more concerned parties were like scared little animals, starting to look for shelter everywhere and shelters would form ording to peoples needs.
Though, none of that mattered to Kieran for the time being.
When Lander signaled him that the first phase of the n wasplete, Kieran then headed towards the Carlhart Military Camp with Rayhart leading the way.
In order to carry out the n smoothly, Kieran would at least need to put up a show and going to Carlhart was also part of the n.
Chapter 786 - Grilled Fish and Lemon Slice
Chapter 786: Grilled Fish and Lemon Slice
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Carlhart Military Camp, it was a camp in name but actually, it had already developed into a town of quite some scale.
There were thick walls surrounding the town, amercial street that filled with shops and other than a forbidden area in the middle that granted no ess to the soldiers, the other ces really looked no different than other towns in Langdon that Kieran knew off, even some other towns werent as flourishing as Carlhart.
Why though?
Kieran saw squad after squad of patrols that looked like soldiers and police, he instantly knew what was going on.
Since Kieran stepped into the Carlhart Military Camp, he didnt see any gang members simr to other towns, let alone the local rascals.
Everything was very... peaceful.
Kieran eventually used that term to describe the Carlhart that he saw.
It seemed like the Mutants were running this town with delicate measures but...
How much of the town was real? How much of it was false?
Or was everything Kieran saw nothing but a performance?
Kieran couldnt tell since he had just arrived at the ce.
Sir, the rooms were reserved! Rayhart said as he walked out of the hotel.
Mm. Kieran nodded and went in.
The hotel was Rayharts rmendation.
It wasnt luxurious by any means but it was clean, tidy, and most importantly the cooking maiden had superb culinary skills.
Inside a small suite that was mainly white, one side of the half-round windows were opened up, allowing the sun to shine through, making the floor look radiating and enchanting.
The speckles of dust were tumbling and jumping under the light, the faint scent of lemon made the tumbling scene a little more cheerful and light-hearted.
Kieran picked up the perfectly cut lemon slice and carefully squeezed it over the grilled fish in front of him, allowing all the sour juices to simmer into the meat.
The fork in his hand skillfully moved from the fish back and as he exerted his strength, a small slice of fish meat slid off smoothly.
Kieran didnt put the meat directly in his mouth but he took the te from aside which was filled with a dipping sauce made up of honey, white vinegar, rosemary, and coarse salt.
The honey has the biggest portion in the dip followed by white vinegar, rosemary, and eventually the coarse salt as if it was just to embellish the dip.
Though, only after dipping the fish into the sauce would one realize the freshness of the rosemary and the importance of the coarse salt. Between the sweet and sour, the salt acted as the bnce and after the freshness was elevated, the lemon juice that was mixed with the fish didnt only just remove the fishiness of the meat but also brought the softness of the meat to its maximum.
Kieran was eating with the utmost pleasure, especially after the cooking maiden served some home cooked desserts, Kierans smile on his face widened.
The desserts werent something sophisticated but they didnt spare the ingredients in making it.
Milk, eggs, butter, everything was sufficient. Plus the effort spent on decorations really made it a pleasant after meal dessert.
Kieran picked up the cup of tea and slowly gulped it down his throat. After he had washed away theplex texture of the fish, only then did he start to taste the desserts.
Kierans attention felt like it was cedpletely on the desserts as his mouth was giving away clear crunches while his nasal voice spoke of satisfaction and praise.
As if he didnt even notice there was another person that appeared outside the window.
The sun was blocked out without his knowledge as the ck shadow stood outside the window of the second floor in mid-air.
In fact, the ck shadow had appeared 30 seconds ago yet he kept quiet, but after he saw Kieran picked up another piece of dessert, his patience ran out.
However, the figure didnt speak any actual words, he gave a series of coldughs before raising his left hand, revealing the unconscious Rayhart that he grabbed like a little chick.
The figures less-than-youthful face saw Kieran still wasnt moved by his action, so he immediately showed sneering and mocking expression.
Fuuu!
The wind appeared! It blew gently and slowly, caressing Kierans skin and face as it slowly circted around Kieran.
When a soft breeze caressed ones face, it should be a pleasant feeling yet this one was concealing killing intent behind it.
The malicious intent was like a rising tide, beating at Kieran with the force of strong waves.
Even the Spirit authentications appeared twice in his vision but still, Kieran looked like he didnt feel anything, he gobbled down the desserts and drank another gulp of tea before turning his eyes at the figure.
At that moment, the dining table and chairs in front Kieran had suffered thousands of cuts, especially the tablecloth which turned into threads, as though everything was sliced by knives.
2567? You...
Will obey me!
Before the figure finished his words, Kieran interrupted with his sonorous voice and directive manner.
It made Kieran look extremely savage and unreasonable.
The mans face twitched a little. Rage was brewing in his heart and just when he was prepared to show Kieran how fierce he was, he suddenly noticed Kieran was slightly different as he was sitting in his spot.
Kierans face and outfit didnt change but... he seemed a lot bigger! Even if he was just sitting there.
A mountain peak?
No, no mountain peak in the world wasparable to Kierans size in the mans eyes.
What about the sea?
The widest sea was also no equal to Kierans mighty figure!
Especially when the men looked into Kierans eyes again, he thought he saw the sun!
In its splendor, the man felt like he saw a towering pce among the summit and clouds.
He saw a man kneeling down and praying to the divine statue inside the pce
Wasnt that statue Kieran? And wasnt the man, him?
As if a bolt of lightly struck his mind, he floated in through the window andid Rayhart on the floor as he kneeled down to a kowtow.
My lord! the man struck his forehead on the floor and called out loudly.
Wung!
All the other Mutants who saw this scene backed off in session as though their minds exploded.
A Royal!?
Royal Lineage!?
The heir to Neegor Dynasty?!
.....
Countless voices sounded from a certain corner within the military camp.
Some were surprised, some were hesitant and some, felt fear!
Countless Mutants acted differently because they saw the scene.
While Kieran acted like he didnt feel anything, he ordered the Mutant named Retsu to wake Rayhart up before giving him further orders. The food here is really not bad, let the maiden make me another meal. Oh right, and change the tables, chairs and the tablecloths as well.
Yes, my lord! Retsu answered immediately.
At the same time, he gave Rayhart an apologetic gaze and Rayhart replied him with an aggrieved re.
Of course, it wasnt because Retsu knocked him out before but because Retsu had beaten him to answer Kierans order, making him feel like he neglected his duty.
It was unforgivable for Rayhart though. So, he quickly ran out of the suite room and moved in new tables and chairs and set up the new tablecloth.
The Mutants that didnt move their gaze saw the scene and every one of them gasped coldly.
The secret legend started toe afloat in their minds.
The fear in their hearts became denser, likewise, other kinds of emotions followed as well.
Chapter 787 - Pathfinding Pawn
Chapter 787: Pathfinding Pawn
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The feeling of being watched vanished from Kierans heart.
Kieran wasnt really bothered by it though.
He didnt conceal his identity when he entered Carlhart, so it was natural that the Mutants noticed him.
If the Mutant who meticulously ran Carlhart didnt even notice him in such circumstances, Kieran would have to re-evaluate the real goal of the person behind the scene who tried to provoke him into fighting the Mutants.
Fortunately, such things didnt happen and everything was unfolding ording to his expectations.
Through the sharp eyes of the Fire Raven, Kieran clearly saw the slight changes in the center of Carlhart; after many more armed men appeared, a wagon left the center and headed straight to the hotel that he was staying.
Rayhart, go wee our guest! Kieran ordered.
When Rayhart left, Kieran squinted his eyes. He knew he would have to depend on his performance to determine whether the uing ns could work.
It wasnt an easy task for Kieran though because he had never encountered such a character before, he didnt even have a figure to imitate or take reference from.
He had to act as Royalty! The Royalty of the vanished dynasty, Neegor!
Proud? Or reserved? Or should I maintain my pride?
Thoughts appeared after one another in Kierans mind but were rejected one by one.
In the end, when Kieran saw Retsu, his squinted eyes shone brightly.
Thats right! He didnt know how a Royal from a dynasty that had gotten reced would behave or pose but he knew how the Emperor who pushed the dynasty to its peak would behave and act!
With Herberts exnation and Kierans own research and readings, he was very familiar with that Emperor. The scene just now where he presented himself as an unreasonable person in order to hasten the meeting suddenly coincided naturally with the bits and pieces of that Emperor.
Kieran started to adjust his emotions as deep down inside his heart, he was making up his mind. The cardinal sins instantly became eager for action but this time around, Kieran didnt overly suppress them.
Truth be told, since he understood the meaning of better dredge than block, Kieran had sufficient experience in allowing himself to sumb to the power of Eye of Chimera and Devils Heart.
A small amount of wicked aura appeared on Kieran and instantly, his face had the most direct changes. The wickedly charming and arrogant aura turned the barely handsome face into a breathtaking sight.
Especially his eyes! They were lit up withyers of colorful brilliance and anyone would easily avoid directly staring into his eyes.
The first one who saw the changes on Kieran was Retsu who had just been dominated.
Retsu, who originally showed utmost reverence for Kieran because of [Mesly Ring, Dominate], directly kneeled down with one knee, even when Rayhart brought the guest in, Retsu didnt stand up. Rayhart even joined him in kneeling down.
When Rayhart kneeled down without any hesitation, Eander who followed Rayhart to the room felt his back sweating.
Eander, the lobbyist who had quite a high reputation within Carlhart became very unsettled as he saw Kieran sitting there. He was also a Mutant but because of his bloodline problem, he wasnt the strongest one but still enjoyed an outstanding position within the camp.
Not only because Eander could talk but also because of his ability to inspect other Mutants.
Regardless of how a Mutant concealed himself, he could not escape Eanders senses.
The reason Eander came to Kieran was that someone had objections about Kierans identity, but Eander eagerly wanted to spit on those who objected at that particr moment.
Although before he departed, Eander had his own doubts and worries, at that moment in his senses, other than the mighty majestic aura of Royalty that made him kneel, there was nothing else.
Kieran was a Royal without question, an extremely powerful one!
Thest bit of doubts was discarded from Eanders mind.
Your Highness! Eander performed an ancient salutation from the Neegor Dynasty respectfully.
Hmph! Kieran pretended to be indignant with a cold grunt.
The wicked aura from his body had grown denser more than once.
Eanders senses were very subtle but it didnt escape Kierans Intuition.
Kieran knew what Eander was trying to achieve without even thinking, so he was ready to seize his target and vent his thoughts.
Before Kieran arrived at the Carlhart Military camp, he had thought about all the possible aspects, including the matter about his identity.
Though, Kieran was quite confident, not only because of the conversation between Benz and Edgar but also because of Eye of Chimera!
The shards of the artifact that was closely rted to the Neegor Dynasty was inside his body, perfectly fused up with his heart. It was sufficient for him to mix the spurious with the genuine.
After all, from the bits and pieces of Edgars words and Herberts exnation, Kieran knew the Eye of Chimera was almost the symbol of the Emperor of Neegor Dynasty in a certain period.
If the Neegor Dynasty had just copsed, he wouldnt dare risk it, but now?
Neegor Dynasty has been gone for over 1,500 years!
All that remained of the legendary dynasty were bits and pieces, even some of the secretive forces wouldnt know as much, even the so-called bloodline inheritors as well!
Just look at Eanders reaction!
After sensing the overwhelming power of Kierans aura, Eander immediately mimicked Retsu and Rayhart, kneeling down with one knee and saying humbly, Please forgive my impoliteness, Your Highness! I do not possess any disrespect for you but because of a certain matter, we are forced to be vignt...
Enough, where is Herbert?
Kieran was looking impatient when he waved his hand, as though he didnt want to listen to Eanders exnation and only wanted to ask the things that interest him.
Helpless and unreasonable! But Eander didnt feel any displeasure because he knew from his own intel, all the Royals behaved like that.
Everything the Royals did honored the Emperor, including learning the Emperors character and temper.
Herbert? The schr who studied our history? Eander dared not hesitate as he pressed the question with more details.
Yes, where is he? Kierans tone sounded more and more impatient.
He isnt here! You... Please spare me, Your Highness! I didnt lie to you! Herbert really isnt here!
Eander replied but as he opened his mouth, he quickly noticed a ball of fire was burning on Kierans hand. The scorching mes were filled with a sulphuric smell, the signs were telling Eander the ball of fire was umon but the most horrific thing was the chaotic and rampant aura.
He felt like he saw the burning hell and Kieran was sitting on the throne in hell, judging him with the ability to determine whether he lived or died!
Those secret rumors and legends that Eander heard since he was young immediately came afloat in his heart. Without further hesitation, his switched his kneeling to both knees, Eander then crawled on the floor, crying out loud, I swear I didnt lie to you! I swear! I swear on my own bloodline!
A series of vows came out from Eanders mouth.
But someone told me that Herbert was here!
Kieran lowered his head and looked down at Eander, spilling each and every word precisely.
Who is it! Please let me know! The others and I will prove that the person is lying!
Eander lifted his head and cried out in an indignant manner.
Chapter 788 - Unusual Look
Chapter 788: Unusual Look
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Who? Well, its a middle-aged officer in Herl City. Kieran replied like that.
Please inform me of his name, I shall bring the men forth to confront him! Eander said with his ever indignant mood.
Are you sure you want to confront him? Kieran showed a ridicule smile on his face.
Right away, Eander shivered from the bottom of his heart.
No...No need then! Your Highness, please wait! Im just a pitiful messenger, not the person-in-charge of the camp... Please allow me to pass the message to the highest authority within Carlhart! Eander said with a frightened tone after he understood what Kieran meant.
One chance! Ill give you that much! If...
Kieran prolonged his tone and Eander quickly expressed his gratitude with a sob, saying, I very much appreciate the chance! Thank you for your mercy!
Kieran then killed off the ball of devils me on his hand and shooed Eander away.
Eander left instantly as though he was being pardoned.
Though he didnt stand up and leave but crawled backward slowly until he left the room. Only then did the messenger dare to stand up.
He wiped the sweat away from his forehead and swiftly boarded the wagon outside the hotel. He then ordered the wagoner to quickly return as his facial expression instantly turned heavy.
Eander knew it was that guy, who started to grow restless again.
The wagon smoothly returned to the core location of Carlhart. It was a practice field as big as a ser field with a three-story building and an independent hall.
The wagon stopped in front of the hall as Eander walked in with quick steps.
Right now, the hall that could fit five to six hundred men only had 10 Mutants sitting around, it looked extremely spacious and quiet.
Eanders footsteps then echoed in the hall and when he stopped, the 10 other Mutants threw their questioning gaze at him.
That is a real Royal! Eander said.
Instantly, the faces of the 10 Mutants underwent different changes.
Some were relieved, some were nervous. One of them asked directly, Then why is His Highness here? What is his purpose?
Herbert! That human schr that has been studying our history. Our old rivals purposely leaked the information and lured His Highness here, hoping that we... Eh!
Before Eander finished talking, the Mutants present already knew what was going on.
After all, since they took over Carlhart Military Camp, both sides had been fighting using both open and secretive means.
Damn it!
That bastard!
Rascal!
Simr words of cursing sounded repeatedly.
Enough!
A fairly low voice sounded.
Following the voice, the cursing in the hall ceased and all the other Mutants threw their gazes at the Mutant sitting right in the middle.
He was an extremely strong Mutant with a body of tightened muscles that was full of scars.
Although he was sitting, his height was even taller than amon man, especially his breathing, it sounded like a p of thunder with every breath he took.
Carlhart, what should we do? One of the Mutant asked.
Carlhart, the name that the member every generation that possessed the highest authority the camp would choose. After the Mutants took over, they preserved the traditions as well.
It wasnt any respectful means but it was only just a mere promise made in the beginning.
Prepare a feast to wee His Highness! Carlhart said.
Right away, half of the Mutants showed joy on their face, only two to three were left with worries.
The remaining one or two didnt show any expression at all as if the matter didnt even concern them.
Carlhart, dont forget the promise we made with the high ranks of Langdon before! We are different than Edgars bunch. One of the Mutants reminded.
Mm. We are different but it doesnt mean others will think so. Send our men to bring the images of His Highness from the Record Crystal to that bastard. He will know what mistakes he hasmitted. How dare he provoke a real Royal!
Carlhart nodded and didnt refute hisrades word but likewise, he didnt want to change his mind.
There were only slight alterations but not all of the Mutants present could ept it.
Carlhart, I suggest we dont proceed like this! That Highnesss temper is less than pleasant, if you do, you will only get on his bad side! Eander said.
Which Highness ever has a good temper before? Yet didnt we here at Carlhart survive until now? Temper will be suppressed by strength and now, what we need is a ce for us to live on and grow. Dont forget that the dynasty is gone, Carlhart said slowly.
His words caused changes on the other Mutants face but none of them dared to add any more because it was a fact.
They too need to live and multiply, thus the decision to reach an ord with the high ranks of Langdon: taking over the military camp to train the most elite soldiers in Langdon in order to exchange for precious resources.
Mutants might look like humans from the outside but both were entirely different.
The so-called live and multiply wasnt something simple like sufficient food and a good environment for them to live. In order to prevent and ovee their stages of exhaustion, they needed a ton of resources and it definitely wasnt something mere manpower could solve.
What about Herbert? Rumor has it the schr has grasped the location of His Majesty the Emperors Legacy. One of the Mutant suddenly spoke.
The hall plunged into silence for a while. All the Mutants present revealed the shine of greed from their eyes, including Carlhart.
But soon enough, Carlhart kept away his own greed.
In order to gain His Majesty Emperors Legacy, one must have the bloodline of a Royal and it is definitely not something that we can take part in! Carlhart then stood up and headed back after he finished.
Leaving only Eander standing on his spot with his facial expression changing non-stop.
He clearly felt the unusual looks on the high-ranked Mutants when Carlhart uttered hisst words.
Although they concealed it very well, they couldnt fool Eanders eyes and senses.
He was clear what were the high ranked Mutants were plotting and after all, it was quite rare for them to encounter a lonesome Royal but...
It was also rare to encounter such a powerful one as well!
Maybe I should do something!
As Eanders heart was turning towards a certain thought, he turned around and left the hall.
The day quickly faded and night arrived as promised.
However, it was destined that that particr night in the Carlhart Military Camp would be different.
A group of riders with waving banners and gs donning full military outfits was split up in two lines.
They arrived in front of the hotels door in an absolute organized pace.
A bright red carpet wasid down early on and a couple of decent looking maidens were following behind Eander as they walked into the hotel.
Chapter 789 - Coming Forward
Chapter 789: Coming Forward
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Your Highness!
Eander who brought a couple maidens with him bowed at Kieran respectfully before waving his hand.
Three maidens with trays then walked before Kieran.
On the trays were a long robe, a cloak, and some fresh flower petals.
The flower petals were frommon flowers, nothing special about them but the robe and cloak were different.
The robe was linen-made, ck in color and because it was folded on the tray, most of the part was blocked out. Only the front edge of the cor was clearly visible and it had a golden lining pattern on it.
Kieran was very familiar with the pattern, it was the eyes of Creature of Desire!
The cloak was white and on the edges and was embellished with ayer of golden red, simr to the glory of a setting sun or melting iron but it looked more like blood red!
It was also considered as one of the traditions of the Neegor Dynasty, which was soaking the enemys blood on gold paint and embellishing it on the edges of the cloak.
Herbert had spoken more than once to Kieran of this peculiar tradition.
About the tradition of a dynasty, Kieran obviously didnt have the qualifications to give anyments but if Eander wanted Kieran to wear the cloak, impossible!
Even more so, if Kieran were to really unequip his equipment and put on two extravagant outfits with no real purpose while facing against a bunch of Mutants with malicious intent, he would be an idiot.
So, Kieran red at the trays and walked out on his own.
Your Highness! Your Highness! You need to put on the ceremonial robes! This is a tradition! Eander spilled out his reminders behind Kieran.
Tradition? The dynasty is gone, what traditions are there to follow? Even if there is... how many still follow them? Kieran asked without even looking back.
Uh...This... Eander was speechless because it was indeed true.
Even within Carlhart, the Mutants that followed the traditions the most didnt do it because they adored the Neegor Dynasty and cherished the memories, but only because the traditions would bring them benefits.
Looking at Kierans back, Eander further felt the Royal before him was different than the others he had met before.
A Royal different than the others...
When the thought struck Eander, he hastened his steps, seemingly trying to persuade Kieran again but actually, he quietly ced a small paper into Kierans hands.
Kieran took the piece of paper and nced over it. Then, the paper was burnt into ashes by the fire.
At that moment, Kieran was exactly at the turning point of the stairs and behind him was Eander while in front of him was Rayhart and Retsu.
The formation blocked every other possible gaze at his little actions, everything happened under the radar.
Kieran spared a nce at Eander without any expression and he continued walking down.
The situation unfolded ording to his expectations. Kieran the Royals appearance had caused some other Mutants to think differently.
But, isnt this the exact situation that I sought after?
After he muttered his thoughts to himself, the wicked aura on Kieran grew denser again.
He was prepared to go rampant!
The cardinal sins were cheering lively at Kierans indulgence with his actions.
The most direct disy of this effect was his aura, it had already silently affected the Mutants around him and in a way beyond his imagination.
Those Mutant riders in front of the hotel were the first batch to notice the difference.
The tamed horses started to neigh restlessly. Their riders tried to calm them down but it was useless.
Quite the opposite, the horses started to bite their riders and tore the other horses around them apart. Their strong hind legs were stomping on everything within range.
When one of the riders was kicked down by the other horses and got injured, he pulled his sword out without hesitation and shed the horse.
The horse that kicked him down was instantly decapitated by that single sh.
Pummm!
Hot fresh blood gushed out and sprinkled the area, especially the rider of the decapitated horse, he waspletely dyed red.
Chang!
The rider who was dyed red in blood instantly lost his senses and drew his sword, charging towards the other rider.
Both of them, oncerades that rode together, pointed their swords at each other without question and it wasnt just that single pair.
All the other riders who rode to the hotel, their heads were messed up and they fought each other.
Amidst the ughter, blood and bodies were increasing and the scene startled the other Mutants.
They looked at the scene before their eyes with astonishment and confusion.
Then...
When the frenzied riders with bloodshot eyes went after the others, some of the other Mutants resisted, some ran.
The ones who resisted were all shed to the ground while those who ran didnt get far before falling down to their death.
Compared to the meticulously picked riders, themon Mutants wereckluster in terms of strength.
Kill!
Kill! Kill!
Kill! Kill! Kill!
The few remaining Mutant riders were roaring, fighting non-stop. They didnt care how many wounds were carved on their body because, in their frenzied eyes, they only see one thing: the other bastards who should die!
Even Kieran who caused this bloody scene was taken aback when he saw the scene.
The cardinal sins have such a big influence over the Mutants?
Such a thought came afloat in Kierans heart but he didnt halt his steps, his face recovered to his usual emotionless expression and continued forward.
Kieran could walk forth without feeling anything but it didnt mean the others could.
This...This...
Wha...What happened!? Eander stuttered again butpared to the maidens behind him, he really reacted to the scene well enough.
The few maidens who werent Mutants saw the bloody scene and piled up bodies in front of their eyes and their face instantly turned pale as paper, shivering heavily.
The trays they were holding fell but Rayhart and Retsu reached out at the same time and received the trays with the robe and cloak.
Both of them knew these two outfits were worth a lot.
As for the third tray with the flower petals...
Pang!
It tumbled on the floor and the petals flew up right away because of the rebounding force.
Fuuuu!
The night breeze blew in an appropriate speed, making the flower petals danced in the night.
It swirled around Kieran as he was slowly walking forth. The unusual aroma from the petals and the blood and bodies beneath Kierans steps formed a peculiar stimting smell.
Amidst the dancing petals, Kieran who had a body of wicked aura added a strange sense of beauty to his looks at that particr moment.
His eyes were emitting a colorful glow, causing the estranged beauty to turn more mystifying and dreamy.
Retsu looked at Kierans back and his heart was filled with admiration for him. He then slightly waved his hand...
Fuuu!
The wind changed! It became more energetic and the petals that the wind made dance became more spiritual.
The petals dancing in the wind danced even more gracefully and the petals that fell on the floor, tainted with blood flew up once again.
They were like the spirits of the wind, they were tainted in blood and circting around Kieran.
The riders who were partaking in the ughter were tainted by the scene as well, each of them turned slightly sluggish. Then, they started to tear each other apart in an even more ruthless and brutal manner.
As though they were disying their valiantness before their lord with all the killings. In fact, not only the riders, the other Mutants joined the fray too.
They ughtered each other like they had forgotten who they were.
While Kieran continued on without even looking at them. He lifted his mouth corner into a grin.
Chapter 790 - Halted Steps
Chapter 790: Halted Steps
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Kierans smile because of the ughter urring around him looked utterly wicked.
It was more of a direct existence than his aura, especially when Kieran slowly walked over, the ughtering Mutants automatically moved aside the red carpet but they didnt stop killing each other.
It felt like a pair of giant invisible hands controlling and arranging everything around Kieran.
The moment the high-rank Mutants rushed to the scene, that was what they saw.
It was very strange, to the point that it felt scary!
All sorts of haunting thoughts rose in the high-rank Mutants hearts.
They couldnt help but take a gulp down their throat as they watched Kieran stepping on the carpet and the petals dancing around him.
They felt the dryness in their throats, they felt it hard to breathe, especially when they noticed Kieran wasing closer and closer. The high-rank Mutants stepped back a couple steps unconsciously before realizing the situation.
They looked at each other with nk gazes and eventually turned to Carlhart.
Carlhart was the only one who didnt step back because he was the Mutant with the highest authority in the military camp.
STOP! Carlhart spoke.
It wasnt the low pitched heavy voice anymore, it was like a p of thunder.
His voice sent outyers of energy waves, blowing outwards in all directions.
Obvious rage was floating on Carlharts scarred face and the eyes looking at Kieran had ditched thest bit of concealment, leaving only pure malicious killing intent.
It seemed like Carlhart couldnt just let this slip.
How could he? After Kieran almost destroyed many years of his blood, sweat, tears?
Wush!
Carlhart charged at Kieran suddenly.
With his extraordinary height, unimaginable power, and speed bursting out, he appeared in front of Kieran within a breaths time.
His hand with the size of a cattail leaf fan went straight for Kierans skull with an electric trail behind.
Carlhart wanted to crush Kierans skull, so he would not spare the chance for Kieran to resist or evade his grab.
Lines of electric currents rapidly tangled Kierans body like a nimble snake.
Slight numbness started to spread on Kierans body and even the Constitution authentication appeared three times but he passed all of them.
The electric lines that tangled Kierans body broke in a snap and rapidly vanished into the air like snow under the hot sun.
Carlhart whose hand was about to touch Kieran was shocked.
Not only because Kieran wasnt numbed by the electric lines but he himself felt an immense danger brewing around him and if he continued to try and grab Kieran, he might suffer a destructive blow.
Carlhart retreated and stepped back without a second thought but it was already toote!
A sharp wail sounded, plummeting the temperature in the area!
Translucent figures started to appear in the area one after another, some were human figures, some were horses.
Ghost! They...Theyre...
No one knew who shouted in shock but the voice stopped abruptly because they realized they were extremely familiar with the identities of the ghosts.
It was theirrades that died amidst the ughter and their horses!
The Mutants watching from afar suffered a sluggish response. Their eyes at Kieran no longer showed reverence, but fear.
Controlling them when they were alive and they couldnt even be free after death.
The Mutants started to quiver when such a conclusion of Kieran came into their minds. All of them couldnt help but remember the rumors that circted during their fathers and grandfathers time.
Our ancestors are only the guards of His Majesty!
His Majesty allowed our ancestors to live, only then our ancestors could give birth to us!
If His Majesty wanted our ancestors to die, we would nevere into this world!
Life and death are decided with a single thought of His Majesty!
The rumors were taken as jokes by the Mutants but they never thought it turned out to be the truth!
When the Mutants saw their deadrades spirit riding their spirit horses, charging at Carlhart, something in their heart shattered.
The ghostly Mutant riders charged forth fiercely, making the wind rougher and louder.
The crow feathered mantle was fluttering slightly, revealing the [Armor of Excellence]s pure ck surface and its mystifying patterns.
[Soul Summon]!
It was one of [Armor of Excellence]s new attribute after embedding the [Dark Nether Stone]. It allowed Kieran to dominate 10 unconscious souls within a 100-meter range, starting from himself.
Kieran wasnt really reluctant in utilizing the dead beings like this though.
He activated the skill three times in session and directly summoned the maximum number that his skill could afford.
Of course, that wasnt just all of Kierans handy tricks.
A giant white wolf bigger than a horse and stronger than an ox appeared beside Kieran.
Hawoooooool!
A sharp, loud howl up in the skyter,[Spirit of the White Wolf] summoned from [Wolfs Remnant Feast] too charged at Carlhart with a violent wind behind it.
Lines of electricity burst out from Carlharts body. One after another, the ghosts were turned into ashes by the electric current but since they were unconscious souls only following Kierans will, they didnt know how to retreat, despite being vanquished.
The ghosts disyed only a part of their strength though, more precisely, it was 1/10 of what they possessed when they were alive.
Though, the formless ghosts had the abilities thatmon beings didnt possess.
Oveying and phasing!
A dozen of the ghosts oveid on each other,unching their attack from underground. They left a ck and gloomy wound on Carlharts tough body and when Carlhart counterattacked, they vanished without a trace.
After all the stalling, the white wolf spirit had sprinted up in front of Carlhart.
Carlhart tried to attack the white wolf spirit, causing some electric sparks over the fur on its body but that was it.
With overflowing HP and sufficient Stamina, its fur was automatically deemed as Powerful rank defense barrier and its ws were as sharp as a Rare rank weapon, together with a +1 buff, the white wolf spirit wasnt the same as the lousy ghosts.
Roar!
The giant white wolf opened its mouth and threw itself at Carlhart.
Carlhart immediately dodged the bite but he didntpletely evade the attack.
A palm-sized wide blood wound was left on the Carlharts strong body, fresh blood gushed out like a river.
What a powerful enemy!
Carlharts heart skipped a beat with just a mere touch from the wolf.
Immediately, his heart started to regret his impulsive decision, he realized he had wrongfully estimated Kieransbat abilities.
While fighting with the white wolf, Carlhart spared around 30% of his attention on Kieran.
Based on the information Carlhart gathered, Kierans own strength was quite powerful as well and he even possessed the Royal bloodline.
When the thought struck him, Carlharts regret grew more than once but from the start to end, Kieran didnt have the means to make a move.
As he was stalling, Kieran slowly walked past Carlhart who was fighting the white wolf and reached the high ranks Mutants of the camp.
Your Highness, please stop!
We dont mean any ill-intentions, nor do we dare offend you!
Leader Carlhart here is just impulsive at times!
Kieran had justnded his steps firmly and the high-rank Mutants mustered up courage and started to plead for Carlhart.
It was true that they were afraid and terrified but they knew once Carlhart was finished, they wouldnt end up well either.
They were bound together whether good or bad from the beginning.
Kieran nced over the Mutants faces and right away, the anxious and worried expressions on them grew stronger.
Then, Kieran smiled.
Spare Carlhart? No way!
At the next moment, a loud snake hiss sounded abruptly.
A 20-meter twin-headed giant snake sprung out from the ground.
Chapter 791 - Unexpected Guest
Chapter 791: Unexpected Guest
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The fight between Calhart and the white wolf managed to end up in a stalemate but when the [Serpent Spirit] joined the fight, the statemate waspletely broken.
The twin-headed serpent spirit shifted between its real and illusory form to neglect Carlharts attack and it tightly wrapped around his body to tie him down.
The giant white wolf jumped on Carlhart and bit him on the neck.
Tsss!
His throat was ripped off and blood gushing out like a fountain.
Carlharts unwilling rageful roar was suppressed in his chest without any ce to vent off, sparks of electricity stronger than before erupted from all parts of his body, but it was useless.
After the white wolfnded a sessful bite, it jumped away and drew distance from Carlhart. The twin-headed snake shifted back into its illusory form and dived back into the ground.
The lines of dancing electricity looked like silver serpents as thunderp booms erupted from Carlharts body.
Ayer of hot white electricity clouded his body entirely and...
KABOOM!
He exploded!
Starting from where he stood, thend within a 10-meter radius was charred.
An orange glowing item then floated on top of that spot.
The white wolf held it in its mouth and ran back to Kieran.
[Name: Thunder Fall Stone]
[Type: Gemstone]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attributes: ???]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: You need to find a specialized pro to appraise it!]
...
After passing the peculiar gemstone to Kieran, the giant white wolf vanished from the sight of the Mutants but the twin-headed snake didnt.
It sprung up from the ground again and curled up before Kieran.
Kieran took a step forth and went up to one of the snakeheads, he then red over the Mutants who had shock over their faces.
When will the feast begin? Kieran asked.
The Mutants who hadnt recovered from Carlharts death couldnt answer Kierans question.
The sudden scene has made them lose their sense of propriety but not all of them.
Eander!
The particr Mutant who looked like a dwarf ran quickly towards the twin-headed snake, bowing down in a humble manner.
Your Highness, the feast will begin right away! Please follow me!
Eander tried to speak with a calm tone but his voice was still trembling.
It wasnt nervousness but excitement! He knew he had bet on the right person. This meant that he would prosper! Especially with the death of Carlhart, it would provide him with immense advantages.
A total of ten seats now reduced by one... Why couldnt he fill that spot?
All Eander needed to do was to follow his Highness trail.
Eander unconsciously took a nce at Kieran who was emotionless and his mind couldnt help but picture the scenes that he saw.
Then he was utterly astonished by his memories because from the start to end, his Highness didnt really make a move himself but only summoned a bunch of animal spirits to fight with Carlhart.
More importantly, his Highness emerged the victor!
Not only did Eander realize the fact, the rest of the high-rank Mutants in the camp realized it too. All of them gasped coldly one after another.
While looking at the figure stepping away on the serpent spirit, the Mutants expressions changed a few more times before swiftly turning into a respectful manner.
Just like what Carlhart said before, Temper will be suppressed by strength!
Among the high-rank Mutants present at the scene, Carlhart was undoubtedly the strongest and the rest of them were much weaker than him. Otherwise, they wouldnt let him lead the military camp and havemand over all matters.
So, the rest of them perfectly knew what kind of attitude they must show to Kieran after he killed Carlhart without even moving.
Kieran too clearly felt the changes among the Mutants with the perception from the cardinal sins.
He couldnt help but smile. It was exactly what wanted.
The reason he came to the Carlhart Military Camp was not to negotiate with his identity of Royalty but to take control of the entire camp because he clearly knew the camp had many ties with a certain someone behind the scenes.
Using Carlhart Military Camp, Kieran would find that guy behind the scenes soon.
That was the first point!
As for the second, Kieran needed powers and forces that could make that guy take him seriously. It was different than the old battles that he fought without witnesses or with vague truths, this time he wanted to disy himself, a disy of how powerful he was!
If it was possible, Kieran wouldnt have chosen to do this. He was more used to hiding himself in the dark and utilizing the contempt of his opponent in exchange for an easy victory but he wouldnt have the spare time to locate and rescue Herbert.
There was a time limit on the main mission and it was only 60 days!
Right now even after considering the time he spent taking over the camp, almost 1/10 of the time had passed.
Since locating the Emperors legacy location would require time as well, he would barely be able to meet ends like this.
So, he hoped that the particr someone could realize the situation, otherwise...
He would have to teach that guy a lesson of how harsh reality was!
Eander and the other Mutants who walked beside the serpent spirit felt a chilly atmosphere all of a sudden. They unconsciously lifted their heads and looked at Kieran who was standing tall on top, their hearts couldnt help but beat faster.
It was killing intent that they felt. The Mutants were very sure of it and because of their certainty, it made them exchange looks with each other, confusion was smeared over their faces.
They didnt know who would be the unlucky bastard but they hoped it wouldnt be them.
Each and every Mutant had such thoughts in their minds.
The reception then started under such a worrisome and unsettling atmosphere.
The feast however still retained the tradition of the Neegor Dynasty, which was being luxurious!
From the meticulous decorations and dinnerware to the selection of food, everything was following that exact theme.
Although it was impossible to truly recreate the luxurious scene from the past, Kieran sitting in the main seat was very overwhelmed by the hundreds of dishes before him.
Fortunately, none of the Mutants dare to stare at Kieran whose eyes was glowing colorfully.
Putting away his overwhelmed expression, Kieran started dinner with the servings from the maidens.
He took a single bite out of every single dish amongst the hundred and every time he moved onto the next dish, he would gargle his mouth with warm water to wash away his palette, so that he could taste the vors of hundreds of dishes as much as possible.
Kieran didnt even need to do it himself, the whole process waspleted by the maidens serving him.
Whether was it the food feeding or gargling, everything was delivered to Kierans mouth.
Though the serving methods didnt make Kieran feel any pleasure, enjoyment or rxation, instead, he felt unusually troubled and impatient.
He didnt try to conceal his emotions though, so it made the maidens serving him tremble in fear, their hands holding the knives and forks were shaking non-stop.
Kieran raised a brow.
He sized up the Mutants on both sides of the dining table who would never be able to sit down at the table because the entire hall only had one chair, and it was Kieran sitting on it.
Even Rayhart and Retsu who had the closest rtionship with Kieran also stood beside him.
Though both of them were not dissatisfied a bit, instead, they felt pleasure.
Seeing the other pathetic fellow Mutants on both sides of the dining table who dare not even breath loudly, it made the two of them feel the greatness of serving their lord.
This is amazing! The dominated duo uttered in their hearts.
Though, for the other Mutants and even Kieran, it was torture.
The silent feast continued, other than the clunking of silverware and tes, there werent any noises left.
Each time the fork and knife touched the te and produced a clear clunking noise, it would shake some of the Mutants in the hall, as though they were frightened by the noises.
Time was moving utterly still and had be hard to pass at that moment, all the Mutants started to pray, hoping to end the feast sooner.
It seemed like their prayers were answered because a group of unexpected guests arrived at the hall, causing the dead silent feast to change for the brighter end.
Chapter 792 - Purpose
Chapter 792: Purpose
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
A group of people in ck uniforms walked into the hall under the gazes of the Mutants.
Among the group, three of them were very obvious, they stood like cranes among chickens, and captured Kierans attention.
Not only because of their different outfits but also because the three of them were familiar acquaintances of Kieran.
Contly, Becker and... Herbert!
HERBERT?!
The very moment Kieran saw the elderly schr, he raised one of his brows.
He really wanted to see the elderly schr again but definitely not under such circumstances.
The thoughts in Kierans mind were spinning rapidly when he saw Herberts appearance.
Was the Herbert before his eyes a fake?
Kieran knew from Eander that Carlhart passed the Record Crystal to the guy and as long as the guy wasnt an idiot, he wouldnt send a fake to test Kierans patience.
So... Was the Herbert before Kierans eyes real?
From how Eander described that guy behind the scenes, he wasnt just any John Doe, not only did he possess a high position and hold real authority, more than half of Langdons military had a close rtionship with him.
This kind of character would never sumb easily, especially when what Kieran did in Carlhart Military Camp didnt spread out as news yet but the guy sent back Herbert...
Not to Carlhart but to Kieran directly!
Kieran was reading the letter in his written personally by the guy.
...
To the respectful Sir 2567,
I think we have a little misunderstanding between us.
So, Ive spent my effort in erasing the misunderstanding.
The matters that happened are the misinterpretation of my subordinates and not from my own will and as you can see, Sir Herbert didnt receive any ill-treatment here at all, he seemed to be in good shape as well.
I am truly sorry about his loss of memory.
Since this is my own mistake, I will send my men to make it up to you and Sir Herbert, with utmost satisfaction.
If you dont mind, I want to invite you to my castle as a guest.
Its quite the scenery here during summer.
Sincerely hoping for your arrival.
From Carderweld, who wishes to be friends.
T1892.2.17
...
Strange!
Too strange!
Kierans eyes unconsciously turned to Herbert.
The elderly schr was smiling and nodding at Kieran, he didnt seem one bit unusual but instead, it made Kieran more and more unsettled.
Could it be...
A sudden thought popped up in his heart. Kieran thought of the only exnation to the scene: Herbert must have some restrictions on his body! The fatal kind!
When the thought struck him, Kieran turned his eyes to the ck uniformed men with his colorful re, emitting obvious killing intent.
Your great sir! This is Lord Carderweldspensation to you!
The one who led the group shivered and sweat started to pour out of his forehead, though he didnt forget to ce the box he brought from his master in front of Kieran.
Kieran slightly lowered his killing intent when he saw the box ced before him.
The box wasnt big by any means, it looked more like a jewelry box of ady and nothing on the outside showed what it contained.
Kieran wanted to know what tricks this Carderweld was ying up his sleeves, so he signaled Eander.
Eander came over quickly, checked the box before he opened it.
As the box was opened, the aroma from within greeted everyone.
Inside the small box was a bloomed white colored flower the size of a palm, the stamen of the flower was faint yellow in color.
[Name: Aimida Flower]
[Type: nt]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attribute: ???]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: No]
[Remark: You will need a specialized expert to appraise it!]
The details of the flower popped up when Kieran touched it.
Aimida Flower? Kieran muttered.
You know what it does? He asked Eander who was in a state of excitement.
Your Highness, Aimida Flower can effectively suppress the arrival of the failing period! Eander answered with a bow immediately.
Suppress the failing period?
Kieran knew of the failing period of the Mutants. Simr to men aging, the Mutants would undergo a simr process as well and they called it, the failing period.
Once a Mutant entered the failing period, they would rapidly grow old and their powers would plummet, followed by death.
The most terrifying thing was, the failing period didnt have a regr cycle.
Some Mutants could live a hundred years and never experienced it and some others would face death during their prime years.
Kieran nced over the excited Eander and shifted back to the [Aimida Flower] in his hand, then at Herbert and the others.
Kieran then let out coldughs in his heart. At that moment, he finally understood what this Carderweld behind the scene was after.
[Aimida Flower]!
The flower could save lives for the Mutants yet it was in Carderwelds possession and of course, he definitely didnt just send out the only flower.
Carderweld must have a lot more!
It was one of the statements he wanted to make and as for the second one...
Working together!
As long as Kieran the alleged Royalty didnt want to face the suffering of the failing period, he would have to work with Carderweld.
The content, however, will naturally be the Emperors Legacy that Herbert knew of.
Carderweld had never given up the goal but he only altered some part of his ns after realizing Kieran was Royalty.
Kieran thought of all that within a spark of time, the wicked aura on his body had be denser.
The leader of the ck-uniformed group fell to the ground after a slight wobble.
Its not enough! Tell Carderweld, this is far from enough! I want him to show more sincerity!
Kieran looked down at the leader of the ground and he lifted his hand, pointing at the man slightly.
Retsu who was behind Kieran instantly got the signal and stepped up, swinging his hand over towards the man in front of him.
Fuuu!
A violent wind sted out all of a sudden, Carderwelds men including the leader were directly thrown out of the hall.
When Retsu went back behind Kieran, Kieran passed the box of [Aimida Flower] to him for safekeeping. Kieran didnt further say anything and signaled for the feast to continue.
Undoubtedly, Eander and the other Mutants wanted to express their thoughts, but they dare not even open their mouth before Kierans pressuring dignity.
After Herbert and the others were led away by the maidens, the dead silence and suffocating feast continued on like how it started.
Almost two whole hourster, the feast truly ended.
The Mutants around were shocked at Kierans appetite as they nced over the emptied tes.
Kieran finished a hundred tes worth of dishes!
It was very unbelievable.
Kierans appetite and [Aimida Flower] became the topic of discussion for the Mutants who left after while Kieran arrived at a newly furnished room under the maidens lead.
The room was actually a suite, not only did it have its own study area and reception parlor, there was even a hot spring pool in the bathroom.
Kieran rubbed his slightly ufortable stomach and walked towards the reception parlor.
Although his Constitution had reached SS- rank and had already surpassedmon mens limit, eating a total of hundred dishes in a single meal was a little forceful, even for him.
Bring me some hawthorn!
Kieran ordered the maiden beside him and went into the parlor.
Herbert and the others had been waiting for him there for a long time.
Its been a while.
The elderly schr greeted Kieran with a smile when he saw Kieran enter.
Chapter 793 - The Fated Battle
Chapter 793: The Fated Battle
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Yeah, it is been a while! Kieran answered.
Then, he noticed Contly was looking at him with an unusual gaze.
It was a curious yet angry gaze with a slight sense of reverence.
When Contly caught Kierans gaze, the self-proimed bounty hunter but actually the new generation of guardian of Isogu City grunted before turning away.
Eat! Eat!
Becker the big guy was stuffing the desserts on the tray into his mouth, muttering in an unclear voice.
Lady Contly, can you bring Becker to find more food? This little bit will not be enough to satisfy him, The elderly schr said.
Very well, Sir Herbert. Contly nodded respectfully and led the big guy outside.
Using food as temptation, the big guy left without the slightestint.
After that, the reception parlor was left with two people.
Kieran and Herbert.
You are a Royal? That is really surprising! Herbert said.
To be honest, when I found out my own identity, it felt surprised as well.
Kieran shrugged and the wicked aura on him swiftly faded away, returning to his normal self.
The cardinal sins were not pleased by Kierans suppression but after Kierans Spirit attribute reached the Advance Ranks, they were pressed down without the slightest resistance.
Still, it felt morefortable with your old self. Your manner just now... was too scary, Contly was obviously frightened. Did I mention there are only a few things in this world that could frighten Contly and event in Carderwelds ce, she showed off quite a heroic manner, causing much trouble for the man. Herbert gave a kindugh.
Can you tell me in detail what actually happened? Kieran asked.
Of course! After your battle with Edgar and you temporary left with your injuries, everything then unfolded just as you expected, the Langdon military appeared and theyve always known of the existence of the Night and Mutant races. Other than that, they had a quite close rtionship with both races, just like this Carlhart Military Camp.
But human hearts are hardly satisfied with what they have. While the military acquired powerful soldiers, some individuals within hoped to get more assets and Carderweld was one of the representatives. He thinks he should control everything, not only the Nights and Mutants but also the Emperors Legacy!
While I am the pawn piece that sees this through and maybe the most unexpected one. Since youve joined me, not only youve taken out Bartos, but also Benz, Morzorc and Edgar, the Nights and Mutants that Carderweld felt that could hold him back. So after that, he thought this was the chance and he would not hide anymore. Up to that point, the elderly schr smiled bitterly.
No one was willing to be a pawn, Herbert was no exception. Especially when this pawn could have been controlled anytime.
As the elderly schr spoke, his finger was writing on the tea table, spelling Ive been forced to drink down some poison and my body has been imnted with a listening device.
Kieran saw the writings and nodded.
He had seen thising a mile ago, so he said, But Carderweld neglected me!
......
Neglected? I dont dare to neglect a Royal!
Carderweld who was sitting on a sofa with both his handsying on top of each other on a crutch spoke softly.
Carderweld was no longer in his youth or prime, his white hair and wrinkled eye corners plus his slightly bloated body pointed at the signs of his age.
Though everyone within the tent dared not neglect the elder, even though Carderweld was smiling all the time.
My lord, shall we initiate the contingency n? One of his aide asked.
Contingency n? Do you think a piece of Aimida Flower could move Carlhart? It will only be fiercer with 2567 and what we need to do is to watch them, let them fight while we reap the benefits from the conflict... Understand?
Carderweld said as he straightened his body to go through the information regarding Kieran.
It was thetest information that came in this afternoon, it included what Kieran was eating while he stayed in the hotel, everything was precisely recorded.
The more Carderweld flipped through the pages, the more he frowned.
A powerful opponent wasnt scary but this opponent was not only powerful but vignt as well.
Fortunately, there was still Carlhart to tangle with such a powerful existence, sparing Carderweld the direct confrontation at the moment.
Then, a series of footsteps disrupted Carderwelds thinking.
He lifted his head up in a slightly displeasing manner and saw the messenger aide who he sent forth ran in.
The aides uniform had dirt stains and most of it was ripped apart. His face had cuts as well, leaving bloody stains over his face.
The Royals temper isnt that good I see? Carderweld said with a smile.
When he sent his own aide to deliver the message to Kieran, Carderweld had expected what his aide might encounter, he even had the preparations to recruit another aide to fill the spot in the adviser group.
My lord, Carlhart is dead! The aide said with a pale face.
In fact, the aide has been bleached white the whole time when he knew the news and the details of Carlharts death.
WHAT?! Tell me everything you know, right now!
Carderweld stood up from the sofa right away, yelling.
The aide immediately spilled all the information he had gotten honestly.
Everyone within the tent suffered multiple expression changes as they listened to the story.
He didnt make a move himself! All the Royal did was summon his beast spirits to kill Carlhart!
Carderwelds face was still as water.
Following the recon soldiers who brought back affirmative news, Carderweld didnt hesitate anymore and gave a direct order, Return to the old base! Right now!
When the emphasized order was given, the groups of soldiers who were hiding around a dozen kilometers away from Carlhart Military Camp swiftly made their move.
There wasnt a single pause throughout the process and all of them started to move towards a single direction after confirmation.
Inside a specialized wagon, Carderweld took out a wooden carved ring from his hidden pocket.
He softly rubbed the markings on the ring and when he triggered the key point of the markings, the wooden ring swiftly burned up and was burnt to cinders within a breaths time.
Looking at thest piece of ash falling down, Carderwelds face was reflecting his heartache.
He thought he wouldnt have to use that power again for the rest of his life but now...
2567! 2567! Carderweld muttered heavily.
Though right of the bat, a sudden thought struck his mind and he quicklyughed by taking pleasure in the misfortune.
The fated battle would be very anticipating.
Chapter 794 - Where Did The Head Go?
Chapter 794: Where Did The Head Go?
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Kieran was chatting with Herbert in the reception parlor.
While they were talking about casual stuff that was of zero relevance, they were actuallymunicating through the words their fingers wrote.
Suddenly, Kierans writing finger stopped.
[Triggered Special Event: The Fated Battle]
[Based on your current progress and performance in the current dungeon world, you cannot reject this special event!]
[The Fated Battle: Bearing the name of the heir to the Emperor, Royalty and the Royal Bloodline, most of the Mutants have acknowledged your existence. With Carderwelds guidance, the mortal enemy of the old Emperor was lured forth and this will be a prolonged battle. You need to assure the victory of the Neegor Dynasty!]
[Based on your performance on the special event, you will acquire different dungeon clear ratings!]
Special event that I cannot reject? Kieran frowned. It was the first time he encountered such restrictions.
The changes that happened after I took up the name of the Royals? Kieran tried to guess while looking at the description.
What happened? The elderly schr wrote down with his finger after dipping inside the cup of tea.
Just thought about something unexpected. Do you know who the archenemy of the Emperor is? Kieran shook his head and continued writing
The Emperors archenemy? Back in the day, the Neegor Dynasty had taken over the world and there were almost no enemies of the Emperor, let alone an archenemy... But there is still one possibility. The Witches!
I remember some books had stated that after the witches respectfully offered the Eye of Chimeras, they disappeared. Besides that, more books stated that the witches are quite powerful as well. They used to have their own kingdom and civilization but it is also after they offered the Eye of Chimeras to the Emperor, they vanished without a trace; Then, that Emperor became more and more unscrupulous until his entire dynasty vanished.
If you are talking about an archenemy, I think a high chance the Witches might be it. But its just a possibility.
The elderly schr wrote down after thinking deeply for a while.
Looking at the words on the tea table, Kierans expression turned heavy.
An unknown enemy!
It wasnt good news by any means.
A powerful enemy wasnt scary because no matter how powerful the enemy was, there would be weak spots but it was different with an unknown enemy.
Simr to an assassin hiding in shadows, while one approached the spot without knowing, the sharp edge of the dagger would slice through the throat in a less than expected way.
The witches eh?
Kieran adjusted his sitting posture and muttered the name in his heart. His eyes then turned to the description of the special event.
Among the description, Carderwelds name and guidance were very eye-catching.
Itste, you need some good rest. Well continue the matters tomorrow morning, Kieran said to Herbert while he wrote down with his finger on the tea table.
Where is Carderweld oldsir?
Herberts body shivered for a while.
The elderly schr seemed to have known what Kieran wanted to do but he didnt try to dissuade him. He knew his own persuasion to the likes of Kieran would be anything but useful.
After locking on to something, Kieran wasnt a person that could be easily persuaded with mere words.
Sutherlin Castle.
Herbert wrote down the name and at the same time, he added another line of words, The Emperors Legacy is also there!
Kierans eyes squinted hard when he saw what Herbert wrote.
Such a coincidence?
Kierans squinted eyes were ring brightly.
...
Your Highness, our riders are trailing their tail, they will not escape us!
Eander reported with a bow after entering the study room.
Following Herbert and the others being escorted to the camp, as long as one wasnt an idiot, it was easy to know that there were many temporary outposts of Carderweld around Carlhart.
Kieran didnt need to say a lot and a mere gaze at Eander notified him what he should do.
No need to follow them anymore, just head straight to Sutherlin Castle and arrange a fast horse and necessary supplies for me! Kieran said.
Sutherlin Castle? Yes, your Highness! Eander was caught off guard. He was a little baffled by Kierans orders but it didnt stop him from carrying it out.
To Eander who just had his identity upgraded and acquired the qualifications to sit in the meeting hall, Kierans orders should not be disobeyed.
At dawn, an escort convoy together with four Mutant riders departed from the camp.
There were three wagons in the convoy and thest one on the line was a supply wagon.
Although Sutherlin castle and Carlhart Military Camp werent really far apart and it would only take one day with at full speed for the horses, Eander didnt care about the distance. He still loaded the wagon with all the necessary supplies.
Necessary as in his own understanding of the word.
All sorts of gold and silverware, carpets made out of ck goatskin to fresh cooking ingredients and fruits. In fact, if Kieran didnt stop him at the end, the convoy would grow huge with loads of supplies.
Eander wished that he could hang the entire camp on Kierans back.
He is really loyal eh? Contly said with a mix of sneering and praising tone.
Kieran didnt pick up the topic, he leaned back on a soft cushion and sunk almost half of his upper body in it. His face didnt have any sense of pleasure, only light thoughts.
Hmph!
Contily couldnt help but grunted softly when she saw Kierans manner. She turned around and jumped off the wagon.
After that, the wagon returned to its peaceful state but it didntst for long.
Aaaaagh!
An agonizing scream sounded from outside the wagon.
Kieran who was half lying down jumped out of the carriage like a bolt of lightning.
One of the four Mutant riders was decapitated.
The body below the head was still sitting straight up on the horseback but the head was nowhere to be found; blood gushed out from the neck.
Rayhart, Retsu, and the remaining riders instantly surrounded Kieran and ced him in heavy protection as they scanned the surroundings with utmost vignce.
Contly, the big guy and Herbert too jumped down from the second wagon.
Contly who was also the wagoner for the second wagon was looking at the headless body with a terrified expression.
She wouldnt be terrified because of some random dead body since she spent some time as a bounty hunter, the real reason that terrified her was from the beginning to the end, she didnt see the attack, not even its shadow.
All she saw was the riders head twisting a couple rounds before falling off the body.
Contly quickly ran up to the dead body that fell off the horse for a close up check.
The uneven muscle tissues around the neck and the torn skin, the traces of broken spine proved that Contly got it right.
The Mutant riders head suffered a rapid twist at the neck and the whole head was twisted off just like that.
But... who did it?
Contly lifted her head and scanned the people around her, hoping for an answer but everyone who received her gaze was in a dazed state as well.
It seemed like everyone else didnt see the attacker as well, except for Kieran.
Youve found something?
Contly couldnt hold back her question when she saw Kierans face pondering upon the situation.
Kieran didnt provide an answer but he lifted his right hand and pointed at his own head with his index finger.
What do you me-
Before Contly could finish asking, she realized what he was saying.
Head?
The head! Where did the head go!?
Chapter 795 - Dancing In The Wind
Chapter 795: Dancing In The Wind
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Not only did Contly realize the situation, Rayhart, Retsu, and the other three riders realized it too.
Without even the need to order, everyone started to search for the head but...
Nothing!
Starting from the Mutant riders body, after searching the entire convoy, there were still no results. Until Contly unwillingly expanded the search area, only then did she notice something unusual.
Here!
Contly waved behind a bush further away.
The group went over quickly and when they circled around the bush, everyones body shivered.
A huge crucible was ced behind the bushes and there was warm green juices leftover inside as well, emitting a pungent smell.
What...What is this? Rayhart, Retsu, and the other three riders looked at each other, confused.
In the end, everyones gazes turned to Kieran who only then walked by slowly.
Kierans eyes were sizing up the crucible and shifted back to the convoy.
Both points were at least hundreds of meters away, plus the bushes that were covering the crucible, where they stood before shouldnt have noticed the crucible but once they got near, the pungent smell was hard to conceal.
Luckily!
Kieran muttered in his heart before signaling Rayhart, Retsu to meticulously search the area and ordered the remaining riders to return protecting the convoy with a wave of his hand.
He, however, mimicked Contly in expanding the search area.
Thats weird, how is this possible? Even if the neck was twisted off by a special force, the wound on the neck would have been bloody but why not a single bit of blood trail was left behind? Contly unconsciously followed behind Kieran, muttering.
Kieran listened to her mutters but he didnt answer, thought Contly obviously had it differently.
Did you find something? Contly asked directly.
Nope. Kieran shook his head.
Really? But your expression just now... Contly looked at Kieran with a suspicious gaze.
Although she didnt spend a lot of time together with Kieran, Contly knew he was a delicate person and extremely cautious.
While such a strange murder urred around in the likes of Kieran, his performance was overly t.
No! Not t but...
Contly frowned, she tried to describe her feelings but she couldnt find the right word.
I am thinking about the purpose of what the culprit did, Kieran said.
The purpose? Contly was confused.
You can go to Herbert to ask about the other things, Kieran said and after that, he stopped answering and continued to search the area in an extremely meticulous way.
The meticulous searchsted for almost an hour but other than the crucible Contly found, nothing came up after that.
Kieran turned back and headed to the convoy with hastened steps.
While Contly had trailed Kieran for almost an hour, her gaze at Kieran became more and more confused.
I think we should return to Carlhart Camp and adjust ourselves against this enemy that we dont know of. Besides, the defense at the camp is much more reassuring. I dont wish for anyone else to die in such a freaky way.
Once Kieran returned to the convoy, Herbert who had been waiting for a while uttered his suggestion.
At the same time, Kieran passed Herbert a note, stating Sutherlin Castle is safe, nothing will happen.
Even when only both of them could see the contents, the elderly schr still carefully covered the keywords.
Believe me, sometimes more men doesnt mean its better. Our destination remains unchanged. We will ride forward to Sutherlin Castle!
Kieran then went back into his own wagon.
Herbert helplessly shrugged against Kierans arbitrary act.
The rest of them didnt object other than Contly frowning for a while.
Rayhart and Retsu would not object Kierans orders since they were the dominated ones and the Royal identity and powerful strength was enough for the three riders to know their ce in this.
The convoy continued on.
Meanwhile, at the second wagon which was trailing behind Kierans one, Contly quietly asked Herbert about her concerns.
When a piece of paper filled with words was passed to Contlys hand, she couldnt help but widen her eyes.
Contly was reading the paper that generally described the conversation between Herbert and Kieran together with many guesses from Herbert himself, her heart couldnt help but cried out in shock, The Witches!?
As the new generation of guardians of Isogu City, Contly had countless ties with the Neegor Dynasty, it was natural that she would have heard about the existence of the Witches.
Even more so, she knew some secrets regarding the Witches.
When she recalled the crucible that she discovered, she couldnt sit still anymore.
Sir Herbert, Ill be back shortly!
Contly passed the reins to Herbert and she went upwards to Kierans wagon.
Kierans body sunk in the soft cushion and his face was thinking deeply of something, just like before.
Why didnt you tell me the Witches have their eyes on you? Dont you know those old hags are very terrifying? We should listen to Sir Herberts suggestion and return to Carlhart Camp, at least it is your turf now and their arrangements wouldnt go through so easily!
Contly fired out her concerns when she stepped into the carriage.
You know the Witches well? Kieran looked at Contly with a surprised face.
Of course! Isogu City had once fought a 10-year war with a group of Witches! Those old hags are not just skilled in crafting all sorts of weird, freaky potions but also skilled in casting never before seen spells and curses! Some stronger ones could even see into the future... Damn it, why didnt I think about the witchs handy work when I saw the scene just now!
Contly cursed at herself because of her negligence and looked at Kieran with a serious manner, she said, I know you are strong and I will never deny it but no matter how strong you are, you wouldnt be able to dodge the poisonous arrows from the dark! The Witches forte is to create arrowsced with poison!
Thank you, Kieran nodded.
So youve agreed to go back? Contly looked at Kieran with slight surprise. Based on her impression of him, he wasnt such an easily persuaded character.
Nope but I will remember what you said to me. Those rats hiding in the drains will lose their hiding spots when the sun shines on them. I will let them understand how terrifying it will be to provoke me! Kieran said in a heavy tone and as he spoke, the colorful glow emitted from his eyes again.
The wicked and tyrannical force made Contly who still wanted to dissuade Kieran feel sluggish.
As Contly looked at the Kieran before her eyes, she realized the person before her had gone through drastic changes since her initial meeting with him.
With a feeling of helplessness lingering in her head, Contly left Kierans carriage and quietly went back to her own wagon, taking back the reins from Herbert.
Anything happened? Herbert asked when he saw Contlys expression.
No...Nothing. Contly concealed her own emotions and focused on driving the wagon.
The convoys speed suddenly hastened up and for the rest of the journey, no idents happened as well.
Sutherlin Castle which original required a days journey to reach had its contour presented before Kieran and co.s eyes after a day and half a nightter.
Together with the castles image, there were also... bodies!
The bodies of the Mutant riders were hung on the trees along the way.
A total of five bodies were hung up and under the night breeze, they were waving back and forth like arms weing Kieran and co.s arrival.
Chapter 796 - Penetrated
Chapter 796: Prated
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The three remaining riders saw the bodies of theirrades hanging on the trees.
Their expressions turned pale instantly.
The riders quickly went up to theirrades bodies, wanting toy them down but when they saw the rope that tied the bodies up, their faces changed again.
It was their hair!
The hair on the dead riders was separated from their body, knitted into a rope and used hang their owners to death.
Contly looked at the five bodies with a heavy expression. There werent any exterior wounds nor signs of being poisoned, they were hung to death.
Aside from how hard was it to hang five Mutant riders, the fact that using the riders own hair was shocking enough.
One needed to know, Mutant riders didnt have long hair and as a matter of fact, in order to fight more conveniently, all the Mutant riders had short hair.
It seemed like their hair was forcibly grown and was used to hang their owners.
It was also one of themon means of a witch.
Its the curse! The witches are unting their power at us! Contly said after taking in a deep breath.
Then, she stopped the three riders and said, If you three dont want to end up like this, best you burn the bodies. One of the witches fortes was toy traps with corpses.
The three riders looked at each other and eventually Kieran.
They wanted him to make the decision and Kieran nodded without objections.
The fire was burning up brightly in the night, anyone from afar could see it clearly, Sutherlin Castle was no exception. The group knew it as well.
2567, we need to leave now! Sutherlin Castle might have noticed our arrival. The ce is heavily guarded and has many cannons around it. And now with the addition of the witches... Its impossible for us to win this! Herbert came over and said.
Why not? Unless you dont believe me? Kieran replied with his question.
The colorful glow in Kierans eyes shone again.
Even the elderly schr couldnt stare directly into the glow, he turned his head away.
What are you trying to do? Not only have you lost your previous calmness but youve be arbitrary and self-willed! Your bloodline is powerful but you shouldnt get affected by it! You bastard! Wake up a little, if you continue on like this, you will only destroy yourself!
Contly scolded loudly.
She obviously noticed something through her guardians inheritance knowledge but Kieran wasnt bothered.
Keep moving, Kieran said.
Despite how many times Contly objected, the convoy followed Kieran as the leader.
After themand was given, the convoy continued on to Sutherlin Castle.
This cant go on, we have to stop him! He has been affected by his bloodline and lost his previous coolness and judgment... Damn it, who has the power to stop him? His strength ties our hands. Contly sat back on the wagon with indignation and spilled her concerns.
I know. But we still have to rely on 2567s strength. Hopefully, everything will turn out fine, Herbert said with a bitterugh.
The more we rely on him, the most arrogant he bes! Ive seen such men before butpared to 2567, the others were nothing! Contly said as she gazed in front of the wagon with worried eyes.
Though soon enough, Contly worries were reced by astonishment.
The convoy had entered the range of Sutherlin Castle for quite some time.
In addition to the fiery light created when they burned the bodies, it wasnt possible for the people in Sutherlin Castle to not notice them but until the convoy reached in front of the castle, there were no any types of greetings, let alone ambushes.
It was a smooth ride the entire way.
Even Sutherlin Castles suspension bridge was lowered down and the threeyered gates at the end were opened up as well.
Everyone from the convoy looked at the scene anxiously with doubt.
Kieran didnt care much as he signaled the group to press forward.
The dominated Rayhart and Retsu would not disobey Kierans orders, so the wagon went on. The three riders hesitated for a while before following as well.
They as Mutants from the Carlhart Camp didnt have any choice left once Kieran took over the camp.
Contly was cursing again when she saw Kierans reckless act again but she didnt hesitate at all as she straightened the reins and followed.
The wagon wheels came in contact with the wooden nks of the suspension bridge, it produced a unique noise and it was spread far away into the night.
Still, there wasnt any reaction from Sutherlin Castles side.
It was so quiet that it felt strange.
Your Highness, theres blood! One of the riders suddenly called out.
The rider sniffed repeatedly, obviously, he had an outstanding sense of smell.
Continue forward!
Kierans faint voice came out from the carriage as though everything was normal.
As the convoy continued on for some distance, everyone started to pick up the bloody stench and as the convoy approached the castle gate, the stench grew heavier, to the point that it was pungent.
The riders, Rayhart, Retsu and Contlys expressions turned ugly because they seemed to have grasped what was going on.
When the wagon passed through the two valve gates and the door opened inwards to the castle, the scene that everyone had expected appeared before their eyes.
Bodies!
Hundreds and thousands of bodies fell into a sea of blood.
There werent any signs of a brutal fight!
The people in Sutherlin Castle were like puppets under control, standing outside the outer wall area, allowing the culprit to kill them slice after slice, like livestock being killed.
That Carderweld was no exception either but unlike his men, the general tried to resist his demise
He was holding a flintlock in his hand and the sword hidden in his crutch was pulled out but...
All of that didnt change his fate for the better.
A neat cut appeared on his neck, separating the head from the body.
Carderwelds head fell into a corner of the hall. His dying face had surprise, shock, and anger all over it.
Everyone saw the scattered bodies everywhere and didnt speak for a while, they couldnt describe their feelings right now.
They thought it would be a life and death battle but now, their opponents were dead.
The huge contrast between feelings was uneptable even for the naturally gifted and battle-hardened Mutants.
While recalling what happened after leaving the military camp, the riders stared at all the dead bodies before their eyes and were being assaulted by the vile stench of blood, each of the Mutant riders felt numbness on their backs.
It was too strange! Freakily strange!
Your Highness... One of the riders looked at Kieran
Kieran didnt reply but he turned his eyes to Herbert.
A great chance isnt it? What are we waiting for? Lets begin, Herbert! I cant wait!
Kierans tone sounded excited and his expression looked a bit frantic.
The wicked aura on him became more and more eye-catching, to the point that it almost distort the space around him.
Yes! Herbert nodded and went straight ahead to the middle of the hall, he then started to chant a long andplicated incantation with a low voice.
Sir Herbert, you...? Contly was stunned.
She waspletely confused, she didnt know what was happening but before she could ask a second time, she realized her body was dashing towards Kieran without her control, driving the ck short dagger in her hand to Kierans neck.
In fact, not only her but the riders, Rayhart, and Retsu did the same as well. They were unleashing their strongest attack at Kieran within their range.
Although their faces were confused and struggling, their bodies were out of their control.
At the next moment, Kierans body was prated by swords, daggers, and bullets.
Chapter 797 - Unbelievable!
Chapter 797: Unbelievable!
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Kierans body fell to the ground.
Delightfulughs came from Herbert right away.
Hahahahaha! 2567! The idiot that was affected by his own bloodline power! It is too easy to deal with this kind of idiot!
Herberts original simple and honest voice turned sharp and his face even became twisted.
Although he still looked like Herbert, the feeling he gave others was very different, the elderly man had a vicious temperament that the original Herbert didnt have.
Contly, Rayhart, Retsu, and the other three riders looked at Herbert with unbelievable gazes.
Herbertughed even more delightedly when he noticed the gazes from the others.
Until now, dont tell me you people still think I am Herbert eh?
Herbert nced over the crowd that he controlled and showed immense contempt from his eyes.
Men in long robes started to appear from the shadowy spots in the castle one after another, staring down at the group with cold gazes but they didnt make a move on them.
Obviously, Herbert was their leader and they were waiting for his orders.
Though Herbert didnt rush it at all because he had confidence in victory!
He didnt mind to enjoy the feeling of victory for a little while longer.
How is this possible? I was the first one to wake up from when we fainted and youve never left my sight... Contlys words suffered a halt, she suddenly thought of a possible exnation for the situation at hand.
Thats right! Thats right! It is exactly what you think! After you people passed out from the fight with Edgar, Id already reced the real Herbert since then! From the moment Carderweld abducted us, Ive been ying the role of Herbert to fool that idiot and you bunch of ignorant idiots! Every one of you believed me! Originally, I thought 2567 might be a problem because the Emperors bloodline allowed his abilities to easily see through my disguise but never would I thought that idiot Carderweld would go along with my ns, forcing me to drink the poison and imnting a hearing device in my body.
Everything became perfect since then. Even 2567 couldnt notice my disguise but I was very suspicious of him after overly utilizing his bloodline power, how much of him truly remained when he saw me? Besides, when I said Sutherlin Castle was the location of the Emperors Legacy, he was bewitched even further!
Herbert couldnt hold back hisughs when he spoke of his delight.
So, the so-called witches were also the traps you set up?
Contly threw her infuriated gaze at Herbert since her body couldnt move because she recalled what he said along the way.
During the conversation, it might look like Herbert was simply worried about Kieran but now that she came to think of it, he was using her to probe for information from Kieran.
Of course! It was so hard for 2567 to ask me about the archenemy of the Neegor Dynasty, if I dont go along with the arrangement, I might feel sorry for him. Well then, since you people got to know what you wanted to know, you can die without regrets.
Herbert then raised his hand up, his fingers were moving in an agile way.
Immediately, the controlled group pointed their weapons at each other.
The group saw each others weapons in their hands with fright, they tried their best to regain control of their bodies but simr to the attack on Kieran, they couldnt resist at all.
As I said, your arrangements are full of ws.
Just as Herbert wanted toplete hisst action, a sudden voice emanated from behind him.
The familiar voice shocked Herbert but before he could react, an immense force struck at his waist.
After a series of bone cracking noises, Herbert fell beside Kieran who was lying on the ground like a corpse. Herbert watched Kieran who should be dead and before he vanished, he red Herbert with an extremely arrogant gaze.
The disdain in his eyes felt like it was real!
You...You..
Watching Kieran vanish before him, Herbert spent his effort in twisting his neck behind, trying to see what happened.
Behind him, was another Kieran, looking exactly like the Kieran that vanished.
Whether was it his looks or presence, the only difference was the Kieran behind Herbert had a more vigorous presence.
His wicked aura felt very realistic that it started to distort the space around him but it didnt stop the long-robed men charging at him.
In fact, when Herbert was kicked away by Kieran, the men already jumped on Kieran.
However, at the next moment, their dashing steps halted abruptly.
A fearsome monster started to emerge from the distorted space above Kieran. It had hundreds and thousands of arms and intertwining legs, colliding into each other violently.
Eyeballs radiating in rainbow-like colors appeared from the point of collision, mouths of ferocious teeth opened up one after another under the colorful brilliance and were spinning around rapidly like a saw.
There wasnt any resistance from the long-robed men or rather, they couldnt resist at all.
When thousands of burning rays showered down on them like a storm, the group of men that were known as elites vanished on the spot.
The Creature of Desire would never mind what was it eating.
The King Beast!?Herbert moaned in pain.
The moment Herbert saw the monster with thousands of eyes above him, he knew he was finished since he was familiar with the Neegor Dynasty as well.
It was a kind of power he could neverpete with. Yet the heavy doubts in his heart didnt fade away with the pain from his punctured organs that his shattered bones caused.
He felt extremely doubtful. How did his perfect n get seen through just like that?
Why? How? When did you realize that I was a fake?Herbert asked out of unwillingness.
He thought his disguise ability could fool everyone, not only in terms of looks but also his knowledge. The things that he studied were very identical to the real Herbert and if he had Herberts face, he could be Herbert himself.
So he believed but Kieran didnt have the habit of answering his enemies doubts.
Kieran stepped up, lifted his feet and stomped it down on Herberts temple.
Pak!
Herberts head cracked like a watermelon, bursting out red and white all over the ce.
While Contly and the others who were being controlled regained their bodies following the head burst. Lines and lines of nearly invisible thread, as thin as hair itself fell off from their bodies in an orange glow only visible to Kieran.
[Name: Puppets Cord]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attack: Strong]
[Defense: Powerful]
[Attribute: Puppet Control]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: Strength B+, Agility B+, Puppet Control (Master)]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: This is the favorite of a certain puppet master, but in order to use it, you have to possess a special set of skills]
...
[Puppet Control: Puppet control difficulty -1]
...
It seemed like it was the cord that was controlling Contly and the others.
Kieran picked it up and loaded it into his backpack.
Although he couldnt use it, he didnt mind reaping his spoils of war.
Then, Kieran ventured into the deeper parts of the castle without being concerned about Contlys gaze.
The faint aura of thirst from the Creature of Desire told Kieran there should be some decent items inside the castle but Contly caught up to him right away.
When did you realize he was a fake? Contly followed behind Kieran, pressing the question that baffled her.
Kieran replied without turning his head around, Do you believe in coincidences?
Chapter 798 - Feed
Chapter 798: Feed
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Kieran never believed in coincidences.
A person with romantic nature might treat coincidences as blessings of fate but unfortunately, the environment that Kieran grew up in made him a vignt and suspicious character.
Given his character, any coincidence in Kierans heart would only be erged infinitely and ced through repeated deliberation to make sure it wasnt a trap of some sort.
When the previous Herbert coincidentally mentioned Sutherlin Castle was also where the Emperors Legacy was buried, Kierans original thought of the Herbert before me is real but is being controlled by some despicable means started to feel suspicious again.
No doubt befriending the likes of Kieran would be tiresome, any actions taken before him would be assumed as maliciously intended unless proven otherwise.
Other than Lawless the not-so-normal kind of person, hardly anyone could truly be Kierans friend.
The only fortunate thing was, Kierans suspicious nature wasnt just worrying about self-imagined troubles.
Following the death of the first Mutant rider, Kieran knew he was right.
Perhaps the Herbert thought everything about him was wless but with [Tracking]s vision and Kierans outstanding Intuition, it was really full of ws.
Whether was it after Herbert twisted the head off the rider with [Puppets Cord] and tried so hard to cover it up after boarding the wagon yet he was still tagged with a faint scent of blood or the shallow yet recognizable footprints of a male near the big crucible that they found, each arrow was pointing at Herbert, exposing him of his schemes.
And those Mutant riders who were hung to death by their own hair, it was true that their bodies were absent of outer wounds or poisoning but they passed out before they died.
Musou level [Medical and Medicinal Knowledge] and Basic [Potionology] allowed Kieran to easily tell what happened to the Mutant riders bodies who were hung to death.
The hairs? It was simple actually.
Herberts men were not all short-haired like the Mutant riders, all they needed to do was shave the riders heads and choose hair with simr colors to pull the trick off.
That was also the reason why Kieran was certain Herbert had some device on him tomunicate with his men, so he used Pride to tangle with him.
Kieran wanted to know what Herbert was after.
Why Kieran didnt go with the High Demon [Bloody Mary] though?
Because of the presence of aura!
[Bloody Mary] could morph into anyone desired but for Kierans identity which he already imed as a Royal, the presence of aura was slightlycklusterpared to Pride.
Everything unfolded just like Kieran had expected, the face and presence of Pride that was cut from the same cloth perfectly fooled Herbert and also informed Kieran of what Herbert wanted to achieve.
Lure the tiger away from the mountain!
Herbert had disyed his abilities to ughter Sutherlin Castle with his own forces, so the point of using Kieran to fight Sutherlin Castle was invalid.
Herberts goal was to lure Kieran away from Carlhart Military Camp.
Kieran was also certain, even if he didnt send the riders after Carderweld, Herbert would still find some excuse to lure him away from the camp.
After all, he was the only one who knew where the Emperors Legacy was.
Though after a series of events, Kieran also grasped the general location of the Emperors Legacy.
It was too obvious, so he needed to make haste. He was running out of time!
Kieran strolled deeper into the castle and Contly behind him was stunned when Kieran asked her the question.
She couldnt understand why Kieran would say such things.
Thedy stood on the spot with furrowed brows and sank into deep thought for a while yet had no idea at all but not without results.
At least, when she thought of the previous scenes, Kieran seemed to be using her to numb the fake Herbert but being used by others wasnt exactly a pleasant experience.
Even though the oue was desirable, Contly couldnt ept it.
She felt she didnt get the respect she deserves, so Contly grunted angrily and walked up to Kieran.
Leaving angrily out of spite? Stop joking!
Her bounty hunter life and the identity of the new generation of Isogu guardian had already taught her to not act like a littless. Contly was much more mature.
She would directly voice her opinions and emotions and keep it to herself, ranting and venting.
...
Sutherlin Castle looked no different than amon ancient castle from the outside.
Inside however has a world of its own. Even though most parts were humid and dark, some parts of it were warm and soothing, like secret chambers housing a certain important item.
After Kieran opened up the secret door in Carderwelds study room, he was instantly blinded by the reflective shine of mountains of gold and gemstones.
The Creature of Desire even threw itself towards the only light source in the secret room but was quickly stopped by Kieran.
While neglecting the dissatisfaction of Creature of Desire that came from his heart, Kieran was shockingly looking at the faint white glowing tree with a height slightly taller than amon man and had white flowers growing all over it.
Calling it a tree was the only appropriate way because Kieran couldnt find words to properly describe it.
The nt before his eyes had the trunk of a tree but the branches had many vines wrapping around with white flowers blooming.
Kieran was not a stranger to the white flowers.
[Aimida Flower]!
Kieran wasnt surprised to find the [Aimida Flower] inside Sutherlin Castle but the really surprising fact was the amount.
Kieran originally thought a nt like [Aimida Flower] that could suppress the failing period of a Mutant would be precious, let alone rare, but the tree before his eyes held more than a hundred of them after a brief count.
With Kierans sharp sight, he easily noticed through the seams of the vines, there were many more small sprouts growing. He was sure if he allowed the sprouts to grow, they would eventually bloom into [Aimida Flower].
Though the other more concerning matter was, the Creature of Desire was craving it.
The Creature of Desire was not a picky eater, it would swallow everything that it killed but each time it actively wanted to feed, it proved that it was good stuff.
Kierans mind was picturing the rtion between the Eye of Chimeras and the Neegor Dynasty.
Then, he went on to inspect the tree full of [Aimida Flower] and after he made sure there wasnt any lurking danger, he plucked one down and threw it to the creature.
A small flower was nothing to the gigantic Creature of Desire, it already vanished when the flower got close to its mouth.
The cravings from the Creature of Desire became even stronger in Kierans heart.
Kieran then plucked another without a second thought.
When Contly entered the secret room, almost 50 of the [Aimida Flower] were fed to the creature.
After swallowing fifty to sixty flowers, Creature of Desire didnt change in an obvious way but its hunger grew even stronger.
It wasnt satisfied with Kieran feeding it, it wanted to eat by itself, even live human beings!
At the next moment, thousands of evil eyes red at Contly.
Contlys angry manner was forced to a stop right away and her whole body even stiffened up.
Chapter 799 - Return
Chapter 799: Return
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
What did it feel being stared at by thousands of eyes?
Did it make one feel like they were the star of the show? Excited? Aroused?
The answers would be too many to count.
What if the thousands of eyes came from a single body and the body was horrifying and ferocious, emanating the presence of a predator high on the food chain, what would one feel?
Fear!
Contly only felt fear!
Her mind nked out, leaving the freaky mouth closing in on her with its saw-like spinning teeth.
All the fine hair on her body stood up, she had major goosebumps as the deadly aura assaulted her face.
Her stiffened body didnt recover under the terrifying aura but the chills went further down her spine. Contly was frozen on the spot.
Then...
Her sight was covered by darkness as Kierans back blocked the colorful brilliance that she feared.
Go back!
A powerful order sounded.
Contly saw the monster she feared vanish before her eyes with utmost obedience.
Thats the King Beast? Contly muttered to herself.
It was the second time Kieran heard a different name addressing the Creature of Desire but he didnt ask right away because there was a more concerning matter before his eyes.
After feeding the [Aimida Flower] to the Creature of Desire, it became more aggressive but it obeyed Kierans orders even better.
It was not just an extra thought though. Previously, both sidesmunicated when Kieran summoned the creature.
Although the creature could only express simple thoughts, when it received orders that defied its will, the creature would show dissatisfaction.
But it didnt just now!
Following his order, Creature of Desire simply vanished.
The umon situation made Kieran gaze at the [Aimida Flower].
Its the power of the flowers! Kieran was absolutely sure but more guesses sprung up also.
Is this temporary taming or permanent? What about the after effects?
Facing against a monster that was born from his own desire and emotions, Kieran dared not be careless for even a moment, he didnt want to end up like the blood and flesh puppet.
Kieran checked his body carefully, but the system didnt show any notifications, both of his hearts were beating vigorously without any peculiarity
He was slightly relieved, but notpletely.
Whats a King Beast?
Kieran turned around to Contly who seemed to have a lingering fear in her heart.
He wished to get more information from her.
The King Beast is one of the symbols of the Emperor! Its what we Isogu Guardians know but not more than that, Contly said.
Then, she looked at Kieran with an odd gaze.
It was obvious Contly thought of Kieran as a Royalty, in addition to the scene where the Creature of Desire showed absolute obedience, it gave her more thoughts.
Will you be the Emperor? Contly asked.
At that moment, the ex-bounty hunter and Isogu Guardian already discarded her anger, she needed to confirm the matter that was very important to her first rather than throwing a tantrum.
Isogu Guardians have the duty to pledge loyalty to the Emperor? Kieran asked.
YOU KNOW?! Contly cried out in surprise.
Kieran shook his head when he saw Contlys surprised face.
Of course, he didnt know but it wasnt hard to guess either.
Connecting the dots between Isogu City and the Neegor Dynasty as well as her careful expression from before, it was basicallyying out all the clues for Kieran.
I am not the Emperor and I dont need your services. Dont worry about that.
After saying all that, Kieran called the others into the secret room. He ordered Rayhart, Retsu to dig the tree the [Aimida Flower] out together with the soil that it had rooted into.
Load it on the wagon! You guys protect it carefully!
Kieran gave his order to Rayhart, Retsu, and the three riders.
To be honest, even without Kierans orders, the three riders knew what to do when they saw the three, after all, it was something that could save their lives. How could they neglect it?
Other than the tree, the other items in the secret room didnt hold much value to Kieran.
They were nothing butmon jewels, some sword weapons with ssic elegance but actually a decoration. None of them had any special powers in them.
Kieran turned away from the secret room after a slightly disappointed sigh.
Wait! 25... Your Highness! Wait!
Contly was chasing after Kieran, she purposely changed the way she addressed Kieran.
You follow the convoy back to Carlhart, I need to leave first.
Kieran didnt even pause and the moment he went out of the hall, he activated the [Night Owl Token].
Neigh!
Amid the sharp neigh, a ck warhorse with red eyes dashed out from the shadows.
Kieran jumped up the horse and vanished from sight within an instant, leaving Contly in a nk state.
A ck red-eyed warhorse thates with the shadows?!
Contly who realized something stared nkly at the direction where Kieran went off.
Not only the Isogu Guardian but Retsu and the three Mutant riders shared the same look as well.
Cmity in the shadows! Dictator of the darkness!
Magma will be the armor and the greatsword will tear the heavens and earth!
When I return, the monster in the void shall roar once again and the warhorse from the shadows will ride again!
Despicable rebellions! Wait for me, for I have returned!
It sounded like long poetry yet a war song.
Retsu and the three riders were chanting it out loudly.
No practicing was required because they had chanted it over a million times.
From their birth, their parents had told them what kind of tone should they chant in and what kind of manner they should use to serve the verified one.
YOUR MAJESTY!
Retsu and the three riders kneeled down on the ground, chanting it loudly at the direction where Kieran vanished.
Contly hesitated but in the end, she chose to kneel as well.
Among the secrets passed down from Isogu Guardians, there were simr rumors as well.
It wasnt as detailed as the Mutants but it was enough to let Contly know what should she do.
...
A mild warmth came from within the [Armor of Excellence].
It was the warmth from the medallion, [Lionheart], that Kieran kept with him all the time.
The slightest feeling made Kieran turn back for a glimpse at the direction of Sutherlin Castle.
Then, he turned back and looked straight ahead.
It was the direction of Carlhart Military Camp.
Simr to the blurry sense of Sutherlin Castle, he too sensed the changes in Carlhart butpared to the blurriness of the castle, the camp was much clearer to him.
The walls around the camp had fallen, the prosperous streets plunged into an ugly state.
Fiery cannons roared one after another. The remaining Mutants relied on the core areas defense to put up a final struggle.
Eander who was injured was standing behind a defensive structure, firing the flintlock pistol in his hand at the assaulting enemies with a ferocious expression.
Behind him was injured personnel being sent into the sturdy hall one after another.
While inside the hall, the injured were scattered everywhere, Mutants and humans.
A Mutant with only half of his upper body wasid down unconsciously. Despite getting treated, the loss of life energy made his consciousness fade.
He started to see images of his entire life before his eyes and in the end, it stopped at the smiles of his parents, teaching him to sing the long poem and war song.
The forgotten rhyme sounded exceptionally clear at the moment of death, the dying Mutant opened his mouth uncontrobly, chanting.
Cmity in the shadows! Dictator of the darkness!
Magma will be the armor and the greatsword will tear the heavens and earth!
When I return, the monster in the void shall roar once again and the warhorse from the shadows will ride again!
Despicable rebellions! Wait for me, for I...
Before he could finish, all signs of life were gone but the rhyme didnt just stop there.
The injured Mutants in the hall then continue with a tacit agreement, chanting loudly as the rhyme sounded from the hall.
It wasnt just clear to the ears, it shook even the heavens.
Hundreds and thousands of voices gathered into a single phrase, I HAVE RETURNED
[Lionheart], with its mild warmth then boiled.
Chapter 800 - Flag of Darkness
Chapter 800: g of Darkness
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The boiling [Lionheart] was emanating a loud buzz.
The golden lions mirage leaped out suddenly.
It was very different than itszy self, waking up from its slumbering older look, now the golden lion was not only fiercely mighty but looked very real.
It shook its body, waving its golden mane and let out a heavy, mighty roar at the Carlhart Military Camps direction.
Right away, the enhanced notifications spammed Kierans vision like a reverse waterfall.
[Detected corresponding energy, Lionheart, Kings Trait temporary conversion enhanced!]
[Kings Step initiated]
[Insufficient energy, Kings Praise not yet initiated]
[Insufficient energy, Kings Dignity not yet initiated]
[Insufficient energy, Kings Fury not yet initiated]
[Insufficient energy, Kings ughter note yet initiated]
Temporary conversion enhanced?
Kings Step!
Shaken by [Lionheart]s new changes, Kieran was captivated by the new attribute that popped up in the medallion, looking through the description, Kieran activated it without a second thought.
Right away, the golden lion transformed into a ball of golden light, engulfing Kieran.
Then the ball of golden light vanished into the night together with the sprinting Night Owl.
...
Carlhart Military Camp.
The battle was still going on.
After the rhyme-like poem or a war song was chanted, the fierce onught of the attackers was beaten back once again by the Mutants using firearms and their own unique abilities.
Looking at the defeated soldiers and listening to the ever loudening chants, Naiyer who wasmanding the attack finally lost his patience.
Bring forth the panzer!
Naiyer with the extremely bloated body and meaty face ordered loudly.
Yes, sir! One of the aides bowed to Naiyersmand and ran outside.
A momentter, the ground started to tremble lightly.
Amidst the roaring of the steam engine, a panzer made up of the sturdiest wood and iron with the size of over 20 four-wheeled horse wagons lined up together and had the height of 10 meters entered the battlefield.
What is that? Eander looked with frightened eyes at the never before seen panzer.
His gaze then immediately turned sluggish.
On top of the panzer, fire cannons were extended out of the firing slot one after another, aiming down at the defensive structure of the camp in an overwhelming manner.
Then...
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!
VOOF! VOOF! VOOF! VOOF! VOOF!
The ze on the cannon tower shed non-stop, iron pelletsnded on the Mutants defensive structures one after another.
Still, it wasnt the end. After the cannons were retracted, many more thick pipes reced them in the firing slots, spraying fire at the heavily bombarded defensive structures.
The defenseless Mutants suffered severe damage within an instant by the continuous onught.
Retreat! Retreat!
Assault team! On me!
Eander yelled and lead the elite Mutants beside him, dashing out of the defensive line.
He knew if he allowed the monstrous mobile cannon tower to continue forth, they wouldntst much longer.
They must destroy that thing!
With the thoughts in their mind, Eander and the assault teamid down a fierce attack on the panzer.
There were countless flintlock pistols firing and also the zing attack from their bloodline powers but...
None of them were of any use!
The iron pellets from their pistols couldnt even scratch the armor of the panzer. The zing fire that should have burnt it to ash was quickly extinguished aftering in contact with the armor as well.
On the contrary, the panzers counterattack put Eander and his assault team into a difficult situation. Not only were the zing mes from the pipes on top was a threat, but the lower section had flintlock rifles extended out from the opening also!
Bang Bang Bang!
The concentrated iron pellets poured down on them like a storm.
One-third of the assault team was instantly shot to the ground, dying a bloody death.
Eander growled angrily but it was useless.
The second wave of attack from the panzer was ready. Eander and the rest of the assault team were forced back to the defensive line.
While feeling the trembles from the bombardment, Eander nced through all the faces of the assault team. He spotted unwillingness, depression and even despair!
Eander was panting heavily as he was surrounded by all sorts of negative emotions. He looked like a wounded beast licking its wounds, trying to store up its energy again.
The moral of the assault team around Eander were all low.
Before this onught started, the Mutants who were chosen for the assault team felt it was a recognition of their strength.
If the enemies weremon soldiers, even fully armed, each of them was confident in killing at least 10 on their own or more.
However, they were rendered useless before the mobile cannon tower.
The sturdy and strong exterior armor that obviously went through special treatment plus the tiny rifle opening robbed their ways around it.
The only visible weak point of the mobile tower was the firing slot of the cannons but the 10-meter height and the non-stop zing fiery hell was hard for them to even get near.
Dak Dak Dak Dak!
The rapidly approaching footsteps lifted Eanders head.
He saw the few remaining high-rank Mutants of the camp that shared his own rank appear before him.
They were different from the disordered Mutants, they didnt suffer a single scratch, their bodies were clean from top to bottom and their face looked like they were casually walking around their backyard.
Eander! This bullsh*t of yours should end now! Now let us take over Carlhart Camp! The leader of the Mutants said without any courtesy.
You bastards taking over? A bunch of cowards that fled to the underground defensive structure right after the fight started talking about taking over to me? You guys really speak too lightly of surrendering!
Eanders coldughs exposed their real purpose.
The assault team members were shocked for a while and their eyes at the bunch of Mutants started to turn hostile.
Surrender? No, no, no! Its another team up! Working even more closely than before when Carlhart was alive... That lord has given me a promise! Of course, you dont need to promise me anything, I am just here to notify you, The Mutant leader said.
His words ignited the raging fire in the assault teams heart. They almost died from the onught, many morerades had fallen on the battlefield and they wanted to exchange all of that for a truce?!
YOU BUNCH OF... Argh!
One of the assault team members wanted to curse angrily but the moment he opened his mouth, he fell to the ground. Not only him but the rest of the assault team including Eander fell as well.
More importantly, many more force field barriers on the defensive structure vanished at that moment too.
You bastard! Are you not afraid of being punished by his Highness when hes back? Eander stared angrily at the leader after realizing what just happened.
His Highness? How can a childish boy deserve such a title? Besides, he might have died at the castle.
The leaderughed without being concerned and picked up a flintlock rifle beside him, hung a white g on top, raised it up over his head and slowly walked out of the defensive line.
Dont shoot! Lord Naiyer, wevee forth with the sincerity of working together! The leader yelled loudly.
The bombarding cannons on the battlefield paused for a while, only the loud chants from the hall behind the leader sounded.
The few traitor Mutants who raised the white g high were very eye-catching under the loud chants.
Traitor!
Traitor!
Traitor!
The remaining Mutants and humans behind the defensive line saw the scene and each of them started to voice out their anger.
Whether was it Mutants or humans, none of them could ept the betrayal.
Though the few high-rank Mutants that betrayed them didnt feel any pain or itch from the scolding. Each of them walked forth with heads up and wide steps, bloated with pride as they walked towards where Naiyer was.
You guys are really slow! Naiyer said without courtesy when he saw the few Mutants walking towards him.
As long as we dont dy his lordships matter, all will be well, The Mutant who held the white g smiled and said.
Mmm! Naiyer nodded withoutmenting further, then his brows suddenly furrowed.
He looked in the direction where the hall was and shouted loudly, This is really annoying! What era are we in now, why are they still believing all those bullsh*t? If thats the case, Ill grant your idiotic wishes! Cannoneers, target that hall and st it to bits!
Amidst his shouts, Naiyers face turned vicious.
The several Mutants stood beside and watched as though the situation didnt matter to them at all.
The cannons on the panzer were being adjusted swiftly, targeting the hall in front of it.
All of the injured and survivors in the hall saw that scene, they started to chant the rhyme with even louder voices, as if their chants were their counterattack.
Idiots! Naiyerughed while sneering.
He raised his hand up, ready to give the firing order but a sudden blinding golden radiance exploded before their eyes.
The Mutants and humans eyes automatically turned to the blinding radiance.
They saw a ck red-eyed warhorse dash out from the shadows and saw the feather mantle of the rider on the horseback waving like a war g under the night wind.
They also saw a giant monster crawling out from the void and saw the zing Devil me burning hot on the riders hand.
Chapter 801 - Can You Walk?
Chapter 801: Can You Walk?
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The scarlet red devil me was fired through his hand, falling on the panzer like a meteor strike.
KABOOM!
The fireball filled with devil energy exploded upon contact.
The armor that could easily resistmon flintlock rifles and ignore Mutants fire was destroyed to bits with the explosion.
The soldiers inside the panzer couldnt even utter an agonizing cry before turning into ash, the entire panzer even copsed with a single blow.
Looking at the destroyed panzer, Naiyer and the few traitorous Mutants finally woke up.
Each of their faces was pale and their eyes filled with shock.
This...This...!
Impossible! How is this possible?!
The Mutant who held the white g high with his prideful manner started to utter words that didnt sound coherent.
The other Mutants around him were trembling in fear and shivering non-stop.
Since they were young, the thing that was instilled into their mind as legends and absurdity turned out to be real, the shock that followed was more than what they could imagine.
Especially when they were standing right in front of it, the fear could instantly devour them.
Naiyer was shivering also. As a hybrid of a Mutant and a human, he too knew the legends of the Emperor because he too sang the rhyme before but he didnt think it was real.
He even mocked and sneered at the other Mutants and hybrids that embraced that ridiculous thought.
But now...
When he saw the figure on the ck red-eyed warhorse, Naiyer shivered uncontrobly.
It was obvious that he felt a clear sense of killing intent but he didnt want to die.
He had many more ambitious dreams that he hadnt yet realized, how could he die just like that?
No! I will not die like this! The one who will die is you!
The thought sprung up in his mind, his face muscles were twitching as he yelled loudly Fire! Fire at that man!
His roar spread far in the battlefield but no reaction was given.
Naiyer raised his head up in shock.
He suddenly realized the monster that climbed out of the void was giving out an unusual wicked aura.
[Creature of Desire II]!
Lust, Greed, Gluttony, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, and Pride!
The wicked aura poured down like a waterfall from the sky, sshing down hard into the soldiers hearts beneath it.
No matter how strong the will of the soldiers was, they started to lose themselves under the heavy impact.
They were like puppets with strings attached or zombies without consciousness, their hearts were filled with their deepest desires as they started to scold theirrades beside them.
Why is your post higher than mine?
Why do I have to listen to yourmands?
Why did I get the least spoils of war fromst time?
Its you! You!
Its you people who blocked my path for promotion!
...
Amidst the vicious scolding, their rage and grudges umted endlessly.
Especially those hybrids who had the bloodline of the Mutants, they pulled their pistols and swords out directly and struck down one of their own.
The soldiers who were attacked didnt sit back quietly either.
Right away, the entire battlefield plunged into chaos, Naiyer could only stare nkly at the situation.
Then, he realized out of panic that he too seemed to have been affected. The most terrifying thing was, the other Mutants who were shivering a moment ago started to show malicious intent against him.
Damn it! Snap out of it you bastards!
As Naiyer scolded, he made a move first.
He knew deeply how terrifying the King Beast was and once affected, it would mean his demise.
RAWR!
Amid the roarparable to a fierce beasts, Naiyers bloated body started to expand rapidly like an expanding balloon.
He rapidly grew twice his size, sharp teeth sprung out of his mouth and sharp horns grew out of his forehead, even his skin turned bluish green.
If Naiyer was ugly before, now he was hideous. His twisted facial features were mped together on his big face, looking like an abomination but its strength multiplied a few times and was still growing.
Bang Bang Bang!
It mmed its fists on the ground, crushing those affected Mutants into meat paste.
The blood of his fellow Mutants stimted Naiyers bloodline power.
Not only did it allow it to break free from Creature of Desires influence, but it also made it stronger.
Lines of veins and muscles started to pop up under its bluish-green skin, its huge body started to grow again!
The second growth made Naiyers height as tall as the destroyed panzer on the battlefield.
10 meters!
Naiyer looked like a giant with a gigantic body, its body also had surging power from its unusual growth. When he saw Kieran charging at it, it realized how tiny Kieran was.
KILL!
It roared and Naiyer too threw himself at Kieran.
Dong, Dong, Dong, Dong!
Its gigantic body shook the ground with each step, its movement even whipped up a violent wind that roared past the Mutants and humans behind the defensive line.
However, none of the Mutants and humans were affected.
They kneeled down with one knee, maintaining their posture when Kieran appeared.
They chanted so loud that the rhyme was carved into their bones and intonations branded into their souls.
They believed Kieran was the one that they were waiting for.
His Majesty, The Emperor!
Paralyzed by the poison, Eander was the one who believed it the most.
He fell into a trance when he saw Kieran on horseback and the Creature of Desire from the void. It felt like he had returned to the era where thend was conquered by the Neegor Dynasty.
Your Majesty! Eander muttered softly.
Although he was muttering it softly, the assault team members heard what he said clearly.
None of them felt it was inappropriate or unnecessary because they too thought as so.
So right away, they followed.
Your Majesty! The assault team member called out loudly.
Their call instantly infected the other Mutants and humans around the defensive line and they too felt the needs to chant the name.
Your Majesty!
Your Majesty!
Your Majesty!
Countless voices converged into one, flooding into all direction like the tide.
At that moment, Kieran and Naiyer were closing in on each other.
Naiyer lifted his fist, as big as a millstone, for a punch.
Huuhaa! Huuhaa!
Naiyer breathed heavily, he wanted to gather all the strength of this body into his fist, smashing Kieran like how he did with a couple of Mutants before.
Wuuung!
Naiyerunched his punch after the charge up, the tremendous wind that followed blew Kierans coat and caused it to flutter loudly.
Kieran lifted his head slightly and both of them exchanged a gaze.
Bang!
A loud bangter, Naiyers head exploded directly.
The calls from the crowd paused for a moment but exploded once more in a never before heard louder voice after that.
Your Majesty!
Your Majesty!
Your Majesty!
The calls were no longer the tides that flooded all direction but a tidal wave! It almost broke the sky as they chanted the name.
...
Lets go!
A certain someone in the shadow turned away and wanted to leave when he saw the scene.
But did he?
At the very next moment, the sharp neigh of the warhorse sounded behind the mysterious figure.
Chapter 802 - Zakar Krely
Chapter 802: Zakar Krely
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
After a sharp horse neigh, what followed was a burning explosion.
The devil energy-filled me transformed into a 4 meter tall, half meter wide zing fire pir that burst out from the ground, directly engulfing several of the Mutants and humans who were watching the battlefield from the shadows.
Other than the leader, all the other Mutants and humans were turned into charred corpses by the devil me without even being able to scream in terror.
Although the leader dodged the center of the st point, he didnt end up well either as he was caught in the shockwave.
The continuous fire kept burning and grew even fiercer, burning his skin and flesh regardless of how hard he tumbled on the ground, it just wouldnt go out.
It was really one of the most painful experiences when the flesh was being burned while one was alive and certainly one of the hardest things to endure for a living being.
Aaaaaaaargh!
The leader kept rolling on the floor while his mouth was screaming in agony.
Kieran who rode the Night Owl turned a deaf ear to the scream.
Showing mercy to his enemies? Kieran didnt possess such an empathic heart. Besides, the enemy before his eyes was far more than that.
Kieran turned his attention to a shadowy spot close by.
His sharp eyes pierced through the obstructing shadow and shook the hearts of the Mutants and humans who were hiding within.
They suddenly saw a monster climbing out from the abyss!
The monster had the disguise of a human, it was getting more and more vicious.
When the monster showed its smile, its half human half beast face was as scary as a bloodthirsty demon, producing a sharp screech that sounded irritating and heart-clenching.
Then, they suddenly realized the monster appeared in front of their face, grabbing their palms and started to chew on them.
No matter how they struggled, it was useless. All they could do was watch their flesh and blood being ripped away, their bones being sucked on.
The chilling coldness was still spreading from their beating heart to every inch of their bodies.
Their bodies started to stiffen, their brains becamepletely useless under the mental impact.
The smell of death was assaulting their faces.
Amid a series of heavy noises, none of the Mutants and humans were able to escape the [Fear Illusions] from [Deadmans Gaze].
But...
These goons were not the ones Kieran was after.
He was looking for the one who plotted the battle before his eyes and the real culprit who had snatched Herbert away.
Kieran was quite certain the culprit was near.
The culprit went through that much effort to lure him away using the fake Herbert and right after Kierans absence, the culpritunched an onught on Carlhart Camp.
The urgency had proven it all.
So, where was the culprit?
Kieran scanned the entire battlefield with slightly furrowed brows.
Even with SS+ Intuition, searching for an unknown character in the messy battle was quite a difficult task even for Kieran.
Many malicious and hostile gazes kept disturbing his senses but fortunately, Kieran was not alone.
The Creature of Desire stretched its odd body once again, following Kieran in scanning the battlefield with thousands of evil eyes.
Fire Raven soared up high in the sky, locating suspicious traces on the ground.
Soon enough, Kieran relied on both of them and located his target.
Neighs!
The Night Owl gave out a long neigh, transforming into the night gale, sprinting towards the direction Kieran ordered.
...
Meanwhile inside Carlhart Military Camp central area.
Zakar Krely was helping the unconscious Herbert up and moved quickly towards the hall with the wounded.
From the looks of it, Zakar Krely was no different than the other wounded Mutants around him.
He too was chanting Your Majesty and had victorious joy on his face.
Even though many others walked past him, no one noticed anything unusual.
Only when one could sense the existence of his emotions, the rage and envy that he hid in his heart would be clear.
Everything! All of this should be his! Not the bastard that came out from nowhere in the middle of the process!
Soon, soon I will take back everything that is mine!
While the thought kept tumbling in his heart, Zakar Krely helped Herbert into the hall of the wounded and quietly went into a secret corridor.
The corridor lead to the rooms of the several Mutants in-charged of Carlhart Camp.
It was heavily guarded during normal times but after the big battle, Zakar Krely infiltrated it easily.
When he exited the sights of others, Zakar Krely started to elerate, despite carrying Herbert, he was sprinting with all his might.
After turning left and right, shuttling continuously through several secret passages and rooms, he finally stopped before a flight of spiral stairs leading underground.
The room that the stairs were located in was unsophisticated and decorous, the architectural style was obviously different than the modern ones.
In fact, the architectural style had suddenly changed after Zakar Krely went through the third secret room.
Zakar Krely then woke Herbert up, not in a gentle way but with a p to his face.
The pain made the elderly schr wake up swiftly.
The pain on his cheeks troubled him as Herbert looked at the architectural style around him. He then looked at Zakar Krely who was alone, he lifted the corner of his mouth into a mocking smile.
The smile unintentionally stabbed Zakar Krelys prideful inner ego.
The hot-tempered Zakar Krely replied with several more ps on Herberts face without a second thought.
Blood dropped off Herberts mouth and a couple of teeth fell out. Though his mocking smile didnt change, despite his face being swollen.
Youve failed, the elderly schr said like a deted balloon.
SHUT UP! Zakar Krely shouted.
Ive said it before, my friend 2567 will not fall for your petty traps, its the same even if you found Murker. He and I have the same knowledge but he is he, not me. Maybe in other peoples eyes, he might look like me, but in 2567s eyes, its full of ws! Because Murker always thought he was so smart, but actually its not enough! Just like you!
The elderly schr didnt stop, on the contrary, he had the intentions of being relentless with hisments. His tone was also loud and sturdy.
Shut up! You think I wont kill you? You are useless to me now!
Zakar Krely looked at the Herbert with his gloomy and cold manner, showing off his killing intent.
Herbertughed, augh full of ease.
Well,e on then!
Herbert opened his arms as if he wee death but Zakar Krely didnt make his move. His eyes had be colder and darker.
You dont even dare! You are not confident of yourself! You cant be certain whether the information youve gotten from me is correct or not. Because you know who you really are, a hybrid Royal, unlike 2567 who is the real one! You..
Herberts mockingments were interrupted as Zakar Krely grabbed him by the cor, yelling, Ive had it, SHUT UP!
As he yelled, Zakar Krelys right eye emanated a colorful glow but slightly less variant than the rainbow colored one.
Chapter 803 - The Strongest Bloodline
Chapter 803: The Strongest Bloodline
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The colorful radiance that came out from Zakar Krelys right eye was like a storm brewing in front of Herbert.
Veins popped up on Herberts swollen face as his features became twisted and ugly, he felt pain!
How does it feel, having your brain boil? Ive said it before, you are useless now and I wont show mercy to useless trash! he shouted continuously.
Zakar Krely covered his left eye and allowed his radiating right eye to shine on Herbert.
He had neglected the so-called n and didnt want to think about the consequences of his actions, all he wanted at that moment was Herberts death but his little desire was destined to nevere true.
Bang!
Kierannded a kick on Zakar Krelys neck.
The unreserved force sent Zakar Krely flying away with all the bones in his body cracking.
After he crashed into the wall, Zakar Krely fell off like a rubber ball with his face down,rge amounts of blood gushed out from his mouth.
Kierans unreserved kick didnt only break Zakar Krelys spine, the overflowing force even crushed all the bones in his body at the same time, causing immense damage to his internal organs.
As a matter of fact, Zakar Krely had to thank his exceptional constitution for not dying under that full-blown kick from Kieran.
The green veins on Herberts face swiftly faded but the swelling was still there, he was freed from the pain and his ugly state.
Thank you! I really thought I am going to die there! Luckily you arrived just in time!
Herbert said with a bitter smile when he saw Kieran appear before his eyes.
How are you feeling? Kieran asked Herbert.
Still manageable... Although I am a little dizzy, I still remember the incantations to open the Emperors Legacy. But I think youll have to help me up for the rest of the journey, Herbert nodded.
No problem! Kieran walked over, reaching his hand out to help Herbert up.
Herbert too reached out his arm at Kieran.
Everything looked so normal... If Herberts other arm didnt hold on to a potion tube.
Bak!
The cork on the tube fell off with a clear sound and the solutions inside the tube were sshed towards Kieran by Herbert.
However, Kieran who should have been defenseless took a step away before the solution sshed on him, dodging itpletely.
Not only that, but Kierans right hand grabbed Herberts other arm.
He swung Herberts arm like he was dragging a giant hammer, smashing him down on the ground.
Bang!
The sturdy ground suffered many cracks upon impact, then a ball of fire was pounded onto Herbert, further extending the cracks outwards.
How did you realize I wasnt Herbert?
The devil me was burning fiercely on Herberts body but he looked like he couldnt feel the burning pain and questioned Kieran.
Kieran continued with a stomp from his foot. He never had the habit of replying his enemies doubts as he preferred to strike first to secure the advantage.
Pak!
Herberts head exploded.
Kierans face turned cold as he looked at the burning body.
He trailed Zakar Krely all the way there using the cover of the shadows with his above Transcendence [Undercover].
Kieran captured every single performance by Zakar Krely.
The inferior feeling that he had for himself, the arrogance, the hot temper as he acted on impulse.
No matter how Kieran looked at him, such a character didnt strike him as the mastermind behind the scenes who would think of snatching Herbert beforehand and was able to arrange and dispatch so many men to attack the camp.
Zakar Krely looked more like a pawn that would storm and shatter the enemies formation.
The doubts in Kierans heart added an extrayer of cautiousness on him.
Even though based on all possible exnations, the Herbert before him should be the real one, who else could truly guarantee that?
Now the fact proved that being extra careful and vignt was the correct way but the matters at hand were far from over.
The charred body suddenly trembled, a pair of pure white palms burst out from the chest, extending out from the body. Then, a tall slender woman emerged into Kierans sight while the charred body shriveled quickly.
The whole process looked like a butterfly bursting out from its cocoon but the woman before Kieran was ten thousand times more dangerous than a butterfly.
The woman lifted her hand up to lift her ck purplish long hair and clearly revealed her eyes that had the same color with her hair; she had delicate beautiful facial features.
Naked, she looked at Kieran with that eerie pair of eyes, those ck eyes without any whites in them.
She didnt feel any shame, instead, her purplish ck eyes had shown interest in Kieran.
Cold, merciless and suspicious! Should I say you are really the Royal who wishes to inherit the Emperors Legacy? You behave exactly like the Emperor stated in the records, just that you are slightly dumb! Which is also the exact same trait as your ancestor!
She pointed at Kieran.
Immediately, ater ofplicated and obscure markings appeared on the walls around them.
As theyer of markings appeared, a burning, dense, and sharp white light suddenly burst into the small space.
Boom!
Countless radiating spots came in and turned into a myriad of short swords of light. Kieran was surrounded, he was seized on the spot with all the sword tips aimed at his body.
Even without truly touching the light swords, Kieran felt the radiating light sword was hurting his skin.
The familiar stinging sensation reminded him of the unpleasant scene in [The Shamans Partner] where he entered the Sanctuary.
The light before him was a simr force to the Sanctuary Force, specialized in restricting his powers.
Kieran couldnt help but frown.
How could I not prepare myself since Ive wanted to make a move against you?
This ce! Thats right, this ce is where your legendary ancestors buried the legacy, Ive already set up traps here and each of them is specifically targeted at your, your kinds of Royalty!
Unfortunately, the scene of brothers killing each other that I hoped for the most didnt show. Edgar, Zakar were all massive disappointments! But... trash can always be recycled!
The woman gave a series of charmingughs when she saw Kierans frowning expression.
She raised her hand again and Zakar Krely who was lying on the ground with his face down was flipped upwards.
His breath was weak and his conscious was getting blurry as well.
Sis...Sister...
Zakar Krely uttered softly when she saw the dark purplish hair woman.
Yes, its me your sister!
Out of Kierans expectation, the woman admitted it without a second thought and simr to Zakar Krelys right eye, her right eye too was emanating a colorful brilliance.
Obviously, it was the symbol of the Royals from the Neegor Dynasty but she was a bit different from her brother though. Her left eye that looked nothing normal felt like an abysmal darkke with a deep presence in it.
He...Help me, sister... Zakar Krelys voice grew weaker.
No can do my brother, you are also one of the keys to open the legacy!
The woman shook her head in pity and raised her hand again.
Pum!
Zakar Krelys head fell off just like that as if it was decapitated by an invisible scythe.
The cut on the neck was neat and the blood gushed out, spraying directly onto the spiral stairs leading underground.
Right after that, the ground slightly trembled.
One can only see the real entrance after drinking the descendants blood. Tsk tsk tsk, what a cruel ancestor. They wanted you all to kill each other for it long ago, the woman said in a mocking tone.
Then, what about you? Kieran who was surrounded by the light swords squinted his eyes at the woman.
Me? Of course, I am different from you all. I have inherited the Emperor and the Witchs bloodline together, the strongest descendant! Compared to you bunch of crippled trash whose sole purpose was to spill blood, the differences between you and I are deep down in the roots! I, Alinda Krely will reign over the world! she emphasized.
Chapter 804 - Break!
Chapter 804: Break!
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Reign over the world!
When those four words were uttered, Alinda Krelys eyes were shining brightly.
The colorful radiance intertwined with the dark, deep energy, forming a faint mirage over the hybrid of the Emperor and Witchs bloodline descendant.
The mirage was a five-headed snake that was bathing under the moonlight.
The moonlight was sacredly white, gloomy and cold.
Each of the snakeheads had a different color of luster yet had unparalleled viciousness, their fangs were as sharp as daggers, their dark purplish tongues were hissing nonstop.
Five pairs of narrow snake eyes were overflowing with Greed, Gluttony, Sloth, Wrath, and Envy, feeling almost identical with the cardinal sins aura but it was slightly sluggish andcked the liveliness and agility.
Though, Alinda Krely wasnt bothered by it. She raised her arms high as if she was receiving the arrival of her era.
The ground went along with her motion, trembling non-stop.
The bottomless spiral stairs that led underground swiftly crumbled under the trembles and opened up an almost thousand-meter long in diameter crater on the ground.
Because of the shifting, the spot where Kieran was standing and surrounded by the light swords became the edge of the giant crater.
Then, a gigantic shadow rose up from the beneath the huge crater and was approaching the surface with exponential speed.
Kieran who was pinned down by myriads of light swords slightly frowned when he saw that gigantic shadow.
The distance and darkness didnt block his sight and he could clearly see what the shadow belonged tothe Creature of Desire! In the gigantic size of almost a thousand meters in width!
However, the gigantic Creature of Desire didnt have any signs of life anymore, all that was left was an empty carapace without energy. In other worse, a carcass.
Though even with just a carcass, the remaining presence was enough to cause the five-headed snake mirage above Alinda Krely to be restless. It was even giving out a slight sense of fear.
Alinda Krely gave a dissatisfied grunt when she felt the changes.
Right away, the dreadfully white and gloomy cold moonlight shone brightly.
The five-headed snake mirage quieted down after that.
Your ancestor was always like this, even after death, he just wont die in peace! Its just a bit of legacy! Alinda Krely said in a mocking tone.
The Emperor sounded worthless from her words but Kieran saw the burning greed that filled her eyes. It seemed like she was not as unconcerned about the Emperors Legacy like she said and likewise, Kieran too would not neglect the legacy.
He sized up the light swords around him, spinning the gears in his mind rapidly.
Its best if you dont try anything stupid. The trapsid here are all specifically targeted towards you, your Royal bloodline, and powers. Since your powers are all sealed, you are just slightly stronger than amon man, a mere touch on the light swords and Im afraid youll die without an intact body.
Be a good boy! At least you can live longer.
Alinda Krely couldnt help butugh softly when she thought she knew what Kieran was attempting. She sounded like she was dissuading him but it sounded very firm.
Alinda Krely understood a lot about these Royals.
Not only Kieran, Edgar and her brother Zakar, but she had also even contacted other older Royals.
Maybe some of them were sneaky, some of them were hot-tempered and some of them were suspicious in terms of character but in terms of the true essence of their nature, they werent any different, all of them were selfish, arrogant, and only cared about their own lives while neglecting others.
So, when Alinda Krely saw Kieran charging out as he neglected the myriad of light swords, she waspletely astonished.
Though, she quickly showed a mockingugh at Kieran, Since you have a death wish, Ill grant... Emm?!
She was stunned again when she saw Kieran raise his arms up, covering his weak points as he immersed himself into his forward dash.
Alinda Krely was further astonished, she attacked with the light swords created from the mystical formations in the area and easily perforated [Crows ck Feather] but when it hit [Armor of Excellence] with the Extreme defense rank, it was less effective.
Pang, Pang Pang!
The light swords shattered into light spots like ss upon contact.
The light spots floated around Kieran and as he was moving forward rapidly, theynded on Kierans skin irresistibly.
They ignited like fire sparks, burning Kierans skin upon contact but that was it.
It was still far from what Alinda Krely had imagined, the excruciating pain that he wouldnt be able to endure.
Impossible!
Alinda Krely had estimated the sturdiness of Kierans armor, she expected the light swords to not pierce his defense, so it didnt really bother her because the true power of the light swords was the shattered light spots.
Every single spot was like a vial of lethal poison to the Royals.
She had tried it on a certain Royal before, all it took was two to three spots topletely crumble her subject and a few more would take away all lifeforce.
However, there were almost dozens to hundreds that had touched Kieran during his dash, why he was unharmed?
Maybe a will of steel could endure the pain and resist it but what about the damage inflicted?
No matter how strong a Royal was because of their body, they couldnt have endured such damage!
Instinctively, Alinda Krely started to regte the powers of the mystic formation. The light swords burst out and poured down on Kieran from every direction like a heavy storm but it was still ineffective against him.
Even though the light spots kept burning Kierans skin that was exposed restlessly, it didnt stop him from dashing towards Alinda Krely.
Step after step...
The distance between both of them was shortening quickly.
Alinda Krelys face changed when she saw that Kieran wasing closer.
She didnt panic or dread it, all she felt was rage. She felt her pride was being challenged.
Unforgivable! Anyone who challenged her shall be ripped to million pieces!
Wung!
The moon above Alinda Krely radiated once more. It was still dreadfully white and possessed a gloomy cold yet it had an extra sense of blinding quality.
The other thing that changed drastically was the five-headed snake!
The illusory mirage was reced by realistic texture as it slowly swam out from Alinde Krelys spot like a dancing piece of cotton that engorged as it moved against the wind.
Within a breaths time, the monster grew to a size simr to Kierans serpent spirit.
The five-headed snake looked down on Kieran from up above, then it too ignored the light swords power, throwing itself at Kieran.
No further technique was required as one of the snakeheads opened its mouth, swallowing Kieran who was surrounded by light spots with a single mouth.
After swallowing Kieran, the five-headed snake curled up into a heap, its five different heads were shining in their own distinguished radiance.
Greed, Gluttony, Sloth, Wrath, and Envy. The five different kinds of wicked auras sted out from their heads like a raging storm and assaulted Kieran who had fallen into the stomach.
How can you fight the King Beasts power since you can no longer regte the King Beast yourself? Oh right, this isnt just the King Beasts power but also the Witchs! Should I say it is the strongest King Beast since it was catalyzed by the Witchs power?
Alinda Krely said with utmost confidence as she looked at her own five-headed King Beast.
When her voice subsided, she turned around to the legacy without further concern about Kieran.
The legacy was her true concern and Kieran was certainly dead.
Alinda Krely certain but the moment she turned around...
KABOOM!
A huge explosion went off, sting out a violent wind mixing with a mild and unyielding aura as it swept across the area.
Light! Soft, white brilliance of light!
It appeared softly without being dazzling or blinding, like the first light of dawn during daybreak.
It was known as the first line of light that broke the darkest time that had ever descended on earth.
It symbolized a new beginning.
It was treated as a new hope.
Its name was...
DAWN SWORD!
Chapter 805 - Courageous Advance
Chapter 805: Courageous Advance
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Everything were just as Alinda Krely said, the traps she hadid all over the ce were specifically targeted at the Neegor Dynastys Royalty.
When the secretive runes and markings lit up and formed the mystical formation, the part with [Summon Desire] in Kierans [Fusion Heart] had turned gray and was inessible to him.
Even [Transform Devil] was lingering between a usable and unusable state.
[Saint Thorn] didnt undergo any changes but Kieran too felt the dys energy.
Within an instant, three Origin Forces in his body were suppressed down to their minimum and that wasnt the end of Alinda Krelys trap.
The summon skills of equipment like [Serpent Spirit] and [Spirit of the White Wolf] also suffered restrictions but the only one that reacted correspondingly was [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art], it was behaving extra lively.
In a breaths time, Kieran felt like Dawn Force was about to overflow from his body and it wasnt his own excessive thinking.
The notifications from the system that popped up in his vision had stated clearly.
[High density positive energy field detected, authentication starts...]
[Detected yer talent, The Warden...]
[The Warden, Weak Spots Immune has higher authentication than detected positive energy!]
[yer receives non-lethal damage!]
...
[High-density positive energy field detected, Dawn Force power +1...]
[High-density positive energy field detected, Dawn Force power +1...]
[Dawn Sword attack increased to I rank!]
[Dawn Sword charge-up duration lifted, immediate fire possible!]
[Dawn Sword Stamina consumption lowered by 150%!]
...
[Dawn Sword] which originally required a 3-second charge time, consumption of 600 Stamina, to fire out a 15 meter long, Extreme attack rank light sword went through drastic changes.
The brilliant light sword thatbined tenderness and unyielding presence yet contained one-of-a-kind sharpness broke out without a sign.
The five-headed King Beast that had Greed, Gluttony, Sloth, Wrath, and Envys wicked auras instantly got its stomach ripped apart.
There wasnt any obstruction or sluggish feeling, it felt like a hot butter knife sliced through a chunk of butter.
Even after that, the light swords sharpness didnt stop and it was pointed directly at the dreadfully white and gloomy cold crescent moon.
The crescent moon shook repeatedly as darkness clouded the area like the night was descending again, but it didnt evenst for a second before it faded away.
Or rather, the darkness shattered!
It was facing against dawn itself! The dawn that represent the light of day from the sun that would shower the earth with its shine!
The darkness was restrained, like a cat being the bane of mice.
The crescent moon shook a few times before rapidly turning gloomy and yet the brilliant light sword moved forward!
Dawn might be weaker and less dazzling but it was brilliant enough because it would advance forward courageously!
Alinda Krelys heart had a sense of danger that she had never felt before. She didnt even try to turn around anymore but instinctively activated her secret skills.
Wung!
The light swords edge shed over Alinda Krely with unrivaled and overwhelming power
However, at the next moment, Alinda Krely who should have been shed in half transformed into the five-headed snake.
Her five-headed snake which had its stomach was ripped apart earlier was sliced in half instead.
Tssss!
The five-headed snake hissed in agony, its torn body was rolling on the ground uncontrobly.
[Dawn Sword]s edge was still thrusting forward until it drove itself into the opposite wall.
The secret room was built within a mountain.
Once it was a tall mountain however as time passed, it slowly toned down into a smaller hill and yet it didnt affect the thickness of the wall and because of the passing of time, many specially-assigned personnel took care of the room over the years, causing many more rocks and mud had umted on the wall, it became even thicker than when it was still a mountain.
However, the thick mountain walls still suffered a smooth cut grimly upon contact with the light sword.
The slight breeze of the night blew in from the breach and dimmed stars were flickering lively.
It went through! The light sword perforated the wall and the mountain altogether!
Alinda Krely managed to escaped instant death, her face then turned sour when she saw the cut on the wall.
It wasnt just her pride being challenged anymore, the changes in her expression stated that her life was being threatened.
In fact, not only Alinda Krely was overwhelmed by shock, even Kieran who fired out the light sword had unparalleled astonishment in his heart as well.
[Dawn Sword], which originally had a limited firing range, exceeded the so-called firing range this time, it flew out like the fiercest sword aura and the sharpest edge.
This kind of power was...
The power of rank I? No, I think its more than that, close to the next rank right?
Kieran wondered in his heart when he faintly saw the night sky outside.
Then, he felt his body weakening rapidly, it was the after effect of the rapid consumption of Stamina.
Kieran panted heavily a few times and eased his weakened state.
It was very ufortable for him butpared to the exploding power of the light sword, the Stamina consumption was insignificant.
Kieran lifted his head up and saw Alinda Krely further away, she was looking at him with utmost rm. He raised his leg up without the slightest courtesy and stepped on the five-headed snake upper body that rolled over to him.
Bang!
Half of the five-headed snake body, which was almost 10 meters long or more, was stomped into a big crater. The powerful stomp plunged the snake further into the Creature of Desires corpse which was floating up quickly.
Blood was sshing everywhere and the snake hisses sounded relentlessly.
How? How can you channel such powers?
Alinda Krely red Kieran, her words were filled with confusion. It was not an act, she was truly baffled by the unknown.
If she didnt see it for herself, she would never think a Royal could utilize powers that contrasted his identity so much.
Of course, it was only natural that she would try to counterattack after that.
After witnessing the enhanced version of [Dawn Sword], Alinda Krely had treated Kieran as her mortal enemy. She further utilized her other secret skills.
The fingers on her palm that she hid behind her back started to wriggle.
A tiny bit of invisible, odorless powder started to float in the air and at the same time, Alinda Krelys face showed nervousness and confusion, as though she was anxiously waiting for Kieran to react.
However, at the next moment, the expression on her face and the fingers behind her back froze altogether.
What did she see?
White brilliance shone from Kierans palm, it wasnt a terrifying st of the sword but something else that she dreaded even more because under the white brilliance, the colorless, odorless toxin that she released was clear to the eyes.
Then, Kieran raised his palm again, the toxins in the air were rapidly repelled.
Another raise of palmter, the warm brilliancended on Kierans body. The small cuts that the light spots inflicted were quickly healed at exponential speed, visible even to the naked eye.
Alinda Krelys eyes widened uncontrobly, her face looked like she saw a devil climbing out from the abyss and a whileter, transform into an angel.
She was breathing rapidly and heavily, her chest was moving vigorously, groans sounded from her throat as though she had choked on something.
Two to three secondster, she said, Ho...Holy Knight!
Chapter 806 - Ritual
Chapter 806: Ritual
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Holy Knight, the existence that people treated as legends or fabricated characters in tales.
However, as one of the heirs to the Witches, Alinda Krely knew Holy Knights did exist!
Those knights werent just powerful but also excelled in virtue.
They were once praised as heroes until one of the Holy Knights left his chivalrous order and headed to a certain barrennd to establish an extremely small country.
After that, the Holy Knights numbers started to decrease and since there werent many of them to begin with, in the end, the group vanished without a trace in the long river of history.
However, that small, inconspicuous country started to prosper and grew and it truly grew into a dynasty! The Neegor Dynasty!
Thats right, the small country that the Holy Knight established was the Neegor Dynasty.
Likewise, he was also the Emperor of his empire.
The Emperor of the Neegor Dynasty came from the chivalrous order, it was one of the biggest secrets that the Witches held!
Although the Emperor never once showed his knightly powers, the secret was kept by the Witches and it was only natural that Alinda Krely went through the secret scrolls that held the secrets.
Though she treated the records as a joke when she read them. Alinda Krely who had in-depth knowledge about certain things about her own organization didnt really think the Witches kind could watch all reality.
The Witches werent those old fashion historians, how could they record every truth with zero mistakes?
So, Alinda Krely didnt believe the records, she was more willing to believe another one.
After all, the Emperors history of loving and leaving a certain Witch was much authentic than that.
Now, however, Alinda Krelys brain was reaching its boiling point as she saw Kieran bathing in holy light.
Her mind was in such disarray that she couldnt even think straight.
Ho...How is this possible?
Alinda Krely muttered gibberish from her mouth but the movements of her hands werent slow at all.
Until now, she didnt know how Kieran got the power of the Holy Knights, neither could she theorize what kind of rtionship he had with the Emperor but she knew if she didnt destroy the traps sheid down for him as soon as possible, she would die on the spot!
After witnessing how the holy sword broke through the mountain walls, Alinda Krely would be sorry to take on such a hit.
Wung, Wung Wung!
After few gestures from Alinda Krelys hand, the runes and words on the walls surrounding her started to buzz and then swiftly withered down.
The positive energy that filled the entire room was decreasing at a speed visible to the naked eyes, so did the buffs for [Dawn Sword].
But, the restricted Eyes of Chimeras and devil energy quickly came back online.
Alinda Krely clearly sensed that too but she wasnt too bothered by it.
From her point of view, It wasnt a hard choice to decide which one she wanted to face off against, the Holy Knight or the origin of evil.
Perhaps the King Beast was strong or maybe the devil transformation was powerful, but both of them would not be as terrifying as the Holy Knight!
Going through Herberts memories, Alinda Krely assumed that she had quite the understanding of Kieran but she has far underestimated the hidden trump cards that Kieran held.
Or in a more precise term, she has underestimated Kierans speed of growth.
She went through Herberts memories and understood Kieranstest power level and capabilities but that was a few dungeons back!
She could never know what Kieran had been through within such a short period of time. Likewise, she could also never know what kind of dazzling light would burst out from his desire to survive and stubborn character.
The light quickly faded off and was followed by zing mes sting through the sky.
Giant wings formed pure mes, spiral horns that could pierce the heavens grew from the devils head and the extreme temperatures from the scorching magma body distorted the space around.
A moment ago Kieran was a knight bathed in holy light and at the next moment, he transformed into a devil bathed in fire.
A deafening roar sounded and a fiery stwave was released. A second and a third wave quickly followed.
Everything within a 130 angle and 40m range in front of Devil Kieran was instantly engulfed in Extreme level mes. Not only were the mes were at the Extreme level but the stwave as well.
Alinda Krely felt something was wrong when Kieran fired out the first wave of [me st II] but all she could do against the stwave that was instantly fired to her face was defend.
As the owner of both Witch and Emperors bloodline, that alluring ck purplish hair grew frantically and formed a shield or an armor, covering herself up.
But before she truly covered herself up, the first wave of [me st II] arrived.
As the st of mes exploded, it didnt just tear her ck purplish hair shield apart, it even burned all her hair altogether.
The long hair that was strong enough to block even a cannon strike, it may be immune tomon fire either but against the fire of the devil, it was a different story.
The Devil me burned her defensive hair like its natural bane, turning everything into cinders.
Her powers were mped down once again!
The ck purplish long hair that kept growing relentlessly was burned off by the Devil me like cancer spreading in the human body, it broke into her final line of defense.
Aaaaaaaargh!
Due to the scorching temperature, the excruciating burn made Alinda Krely cry out in pain restlessly.
Upon the first impact, Kieran further pped his devil wings without giving her a window to breathe, firing a second and third [me st II].
A momentter, Alinda Krely had sunk into the sea of mes, even her excruciating screams were silent.
It seemed like Alinda Krely has been burned to cinders by the scorching mes but Devil Kieran could clearly sense that she was hurt but not fatally.
A greatsword forged entirely out of mes appeared in Kierans hand from thin air.
Although it was formed with Powerful rank mes, the Extreme rank sharpness allowed Kieran to produce a heavy whistle that tore the air apart as he swung it out.
With [Beheader ming Sword II], as long as Kieran could hit Alinda Krely, a single blow would be enough to end the battle right away. He was confident in himself not only because of the Strength buffs from his devil form but also the skill that he recently mastered, [Sharp Weapon, Heavy Arms].
But he missed!
No, more precisely, Alinda Krely vanished without a trace. She vanishedpletely from the sea of burning mes.
Devil Kieran lifted his head up instantly and his enhanced Intuition allowed him to locate her within the shortest time possible.
Alinda Krelys hair was burned and had burned wounds all over her body. The beauty that she showed during the first meeting was absent, all that was left was an ugly look.
Alinda Krely looked down at Kieran, the hatred in her eyes felt real.
Then, her left hand started to disintegrate slowly as if her hand was being chewed off by some invisible lifeform.
Followed by her right hand, and finally her legs!
When Kieran located Alinda Krely, he wanted to continue his attack but a huge, invisible force pinned his body down on the spot, immobilizing him.
Kieran didnt just get pinned down, a sense of danger rose up from his heart as well.
Following the vanishing limbs of Alinda Krely, the sense of danger grew denser and denser and in the end, the sense of danger turned into the coldness that he was familiar with.
It was... the presence of death!
His heart was almost frozen by it! It wasnt an illusion, it wasnt a metaphor but a cold, hard fact!
Chapter 807 - Judging Review
Chapter 807: Judging Review
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The coldness of death was like solid ice in the winter, stabbing into Kierans chest directly, stirring the boiling hot blood in his heart.
The cold and hot were at pr opposites and the wide gap in between made devilized Kieran grunt heavily before falling to the ground.
The magma outside his body quickly hardened and turned into a ster-like state, shattering into fine bits, revealing Kieran inside.
At that moment, Kieran was at his worst form possible.
Constitution and Spirit authentications kept popping up non-stop quicker than he had ever seen before. He still could get a glimpse of the notifications at first but they soon turned into a rapid blur.
It wasnt just that two attributes though, Strength, Agility, Intuition and even his skills and equipment disy started to blur out as if a bunch of codes piled up in front of Kierans eyes.
Soon, it turned into a slow spinning gray vortex and it spun faster as it went.
A great suction force appeared from the core of the rapid spinning, dragging Kieran inside.
He didnt know what would happen if he got dragged in but his instinct told him it would be nothing worth anticipating. However, the suction force was too strong, Kieran didnt even have the strength to resist and was swiftly dragged closer to the vortex.
Just as the whirlpool was about to consume him, Kierans talent window [The Warden] suddenly shined with a golden radiance.
[Weak Spots Immune]!
[Authentication Advantage]!
Unlike other attributes, skills, and equipment which were blurry at the moment, the two talent attributes were shining in gold, dazzling to the eyes.
It wasnt just simply clear and visible, they represented his hopes of survival!
The hot blood in his heart that was stirred by the coldness of death boiled once again.
The icy coldness was repelled, Kierans vision slowly returned to normal and more lines of notifications appeared in his vision.
[Encountered Secondary Malevolent Curse, Constitution has passed authentication...]
[Encountered Secondary Malevolent Curse, Spirit has passed authentication...]
[Encountered Malevolent Curse, Constitution has failed authentication, receive Extreme rank true damage, detected talent The Warden, Weak Spots Immune and Authentication Advantage have priority, Extreme rank true damage decreased to Powerful true damage...]
[Encountered Malevolent Curse, Spirit has passed authentication...]
[Encountered Secondary Malevolent Curse, Constitution has failed authentication, receive I rank true damage, detected talent The Warden, Weak Spots Immune and Authentication Advantage have priority, I rank true damage decreased to Powerful true damage...]
[Encountered Malevolent Curse, Spirit has failed authentication, being drag into Death Realm, detected talent The Warden, Weak Spots Immune and Authentication Advantage have priority, Death Realm difficulty decrease by 1...]
...
The words told Kieran what kind of danger he was in a moment ago.
His HP which has less than 1/10 of his original amount even made him shudder, chills went down his spine.
Without further hesitation, [Light of Healing] from [Ring of Blessing] was shining, three consecutive healing lights of High, Medium and Light damage gathered on Kierans body altogether.
After triple healing, Kierans HP recovered to a safe level.
He quickly turned and stood up, lifting his head up to Alinda Krely.
At that moment, the owner of both Witchs and Emperors bloodline was floating in mid-air, wailing in a frenzy.
She sounded frantic and in pain.
How did you get two hearts?!
How did you endure all three Malevolent Curses?!
Aaarrgh! I will not submit to this!!
While she was wailing, Alinda Krelys body started to vanish, just like her limbs before.
The speed wasnt all that fast which caused her more pain.
Her organs were being nibbled away, the pain far surpassed her limbs but the most excruciating thing was, she lost!
Her greed for the Emperors Legacy made her activate Malevolent Curse after clenching her teeth.
She thought sacrificing all four of her limbs was enough to support her activation of the highest rank of the curse that she knew of.
As for her limbs though, a Witch may have ways to regrow all her limbs, maybe she would have to pay an astounding cost but once the thought about the Emperors Legacy came to mind, Alinda Krely didnt care anymore.
However, once she activated Malevolent Curse, she realized something was wrong.
Kieran had two hearts!
The Malevolent Curse specifically targeted at Kieran was forced to increase its energy consumption twice to the original amount.
The first Secondary Malevolent Curse made Alinda Krely lose her arms!
The second Malevolent Curse of normal rank made her lose her legs!
The third High Malevolent Curse directly took her whole body!
Fourth time?
Without a sufficient amount of sacrifice, the great existence would not do anything.
No, no, no, no, no! I havent lost! I will be the one to get the Emperors Legacy!
Alinda Krely, whose head was the only thing left, didnt die yet.
She felt the great existence gaze leaving her. Unwilling, she quickly flew towards the giant Creature of Desires carcass that had almost reached the surface.
However, Kieran was faster!
An 8-meter radius spider webced with fire fell down from the sky, catching Alinda Krelys flying head inside.
The fire and toxin started to frantically corrode the remains of Alinda Krelys life energy.
[Mardos Arm]s [Hell Fiend Shadow] was then triggered.
Countless illusion mirages started to prate Alinda Krelys mind. If it was during normal times, she would be fine but after three overbearing sacrifices, she reached her limit.
The demonic entities from [Hell Fiend Shadow] became thest straw that crumbled her.
Aaaaaargh!
After a sharp, irritating scream, Alinda Krelys head exploded right away.
A gloomy golden skill book appeared on the spider web.
As if it felt the difference of this spoils of war, the spider icon on the wristband turned into the faint Hell Fiend Spiders mirage with a shake.
The little Hell Fiend Spider appeared on its spider web in a sh but right at the next moment, the Hell Fiend Spider returned to the wristband as if it was spooked, all the tiny hair on its body stood up and it gave its best effort in holding itself together, many of its eyes were showing a humane version of fright and fear of what it encountered.
Then out of Kierans expectation, the little Hell Fiend Spider turned to him.
The feeling of desire came afloat in Kierans heart as if both of them were telepathically connected.
The spider wanted to consume the skill book!
While on the other hand, the Creature of Desire which showed a stronger hunger went silent without a sign; the cardinal sins too.
Doubts and questions filled Kierans heart as he reached his hand inside the spider web and took the book out.
[Discovered skill book, Gezardrake Sacrificial Spell]
[Detected skill Mystical Knowledge, prerequisite met, learn?]
Sacrificial Spell? And the name...
Kieran unconsciously thought of the unknown, formless power as he read through the name.
He also thought of Alinda Krelys vanished limbs and body and more importantly, her limbs and body that looked like they were chewed and nibbled off, where did they ultimately go?
Alert and vignt, Kieran was happy to get more gains but he would never ce himself into the crosshairs, especially with the unusual behaviors from the Creature of Desire and the cardinal sins.
His gaze at the skill book in his hand was very judgemental and at the same time, the Emperors Legacy finally,pletely floated out of the ground.
Chapter 808 - Transformation”
Chapter 808: Transformation
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Ultimately, Kieran temporary ced [Gezardrake Sacrificial Spell] into his backpack.
Before he could clear the doubts in his heart, Kieran would never simply put himself at risk.
Then, he turned his attention to the Emperors Legacy: the Creature of Desire which was over a thousand meters in size.
Just now when he looked down from above, Kieran already felt the lifeless Creature of Desires massive size but when he truly saw it at eye-level, the pressuring sensation from the difference in sizes assaulted his face.
Its almost as big as a mountain! Kieranmented.
Truth be told, hisment was quite truthful and he wasnt even exaggerating one bit.
The derivative eye of the Creature of Desire before him had the height of two grown men stacked up together vertically, and there were exactly 889 of themying in a strange, indescribable formation, piling up on a big bunch of tentacle-like objects.
There were many forms of the Creature of Desire because each and every one of the summoners was different, what the summoner triggered in their own creature varied as it followed the summoners abilities.
Kierans creature was formed from hundreds and thousands of arms shing with the intertwining legs; Edgars one was in a mechanical gear form. The creature before him was in tentacle form.
He didnt feel perplexed by the look of the Creature of Desire but it didnt mean he would not feel odd about other matters.
The Creature of Desire before him didnt have the core eye!
The core eye was the strongest point of the Creature of Desire.
Be it firing burning rays or emanating the desire bewitchment, its power was something the other main eyes, secondary eyes, and derivative eyes couldntpete with.
While on the huge body of the Creature of Desire, the main eyes, secondary eyes, and derivative eyes were all present, except the core eye.
Could it be...
Kieran discarded the possibility of someone arriving before him and also discarded the intentional move from the someone who buried it back in the day. He then turned his attention towards the body of the creature which was covered byyers of tentacles and tendrils.
Around 20 minutester, Kieran verified his own theory because he found the core eye under theyers of tentacles and tendrils.
It was 10 times bigger than the derivative eyes! Even though it had lost its luster, the emptiness in the eye gave Kieran an unsettling feeling.
His [Fusion Heart] became restless again when he saw the huge core eye.
The cardinal sins were at their boiling point, even the devil energy was getting hotter.
This also made Kieran add anotheryer of caution towards dealing with the [Gezardrake Sacrificial Spell]. Without further hesitation, he activated his talent [The Warden, Priority Timing] to reset the cooldown on [Desire Summoning].
After a moment, Kierans Creature of Desire appeared above his head.
When it received the order from Kierans heart, the creature eagerly threw itself at the other carcass.
Kierans main mission was open or destroy the Emperors Legacy in 60 days.
Given that he didnt have the opening incantations, destroying it was his only option and if he could increase his own strength in the process, it would be the fortunate part out of the misfortunate.
Kieran had thirst for the Emperors Legacy that he didnt bother to conceal but it didnt change the fact that he couldnt open it.
As for Herbert though, Zakar Krelys body has said it all.
Even for a brother that shared the same blood, Alinda Krely killed him easily after his value was depleted, then what about a stranger that had lost his value early on? What would be of him?
The oue was self-exnatory.
Besides, based on Alinda Krelys skillful imitation of Herbert and the scene where she burst out from Herberts body, Kieran didnt think she would purposely look for another body for the disguise.
Benefiting from your reminder, Herbert was being watched under the governments surveince, patiently waiting for your return!
Kieran couldnt help but take in several deep breaths when he saw the phrase full of word traps.
It mentioned Herbert yet didnt say whether he was the real one or the fake, and benefited from your reminder is full of misleading clues, it led me to think that Herbert might be still alive...
Is it the changes that urred because of my arrangements beforehand?
Kieran was pondering the question of why such changes would happen and the conclusion he drew made him squint his eyes.
The current dungeon world was different from the limit break dungeon in which he would need to search for his own main mission.
While in [Primordial Invasion II], the main mission was fixed but it changed ordingly in response to his alterations
An extremely bad one too!
It wasnt what Kieran was after.
His squinted eyes triggered his brows furrowing together because the changes before his eyes told him it was not viable to make arrangements beforehand. He did some simple arrangements in the previous entry to get an easier start, hence reaping more gains for himself in the end.
But it wasnt as ideal as he expected.
Even more so, the changes would only make the situation worse and moreplicated.
What about the gains though?
Well, Kieran didnt assume that the difficulty of the triggered sub-mission increased because of the limit broken Character Model Temte, it might also be from the changes he made beforehand.
As for the other benefits though, Kieran couldnt draw a conclusion at the moment as he watched his Creature of Desire consume another one of its kind.
Though he was extremely careful, he didnt forget the key point of [Fusion Heart]: bnce!
Dawn Force in his body was slowly circting, it was ready to tackle any kind of unexpected events but to his surprise, nothing happened.
His Creature of Desire rapidly consumed the carcass and the process was very smooth. He could clearly feel his Creature of Desire getting more powerful as the results were reflected into his body but the changes on the [Fusion Heart] was very peaceful to the point it raised questions.
[Creature of Desire consumed another one of its kind, Fusion Heart triggered Iplete Evolution.]
[Constitution and Spirit authenticating...]
[Authentication passed, Iplete Evolution begins...]
[Fusion Heart Iplete Evolutionplete!]
[Desire Summoning usage increased by 1 per day!]
...
The devil bloodline didnt run wild, neither did it interrupt the Iplete Evolution to trigger the conversion to a blood and flesh puppet.
It was the total opposite from the situation at the Sanctuary!
Is it because it consumed one of its kind?
Such thoughts appeared in Kierans heart but immediately discarded.
After consuming its own kind and strengthening its power, the Creature of Desire would never be so obedient...
Obedient?
Hold on!
Kieran instantly thought of [Aimida Flower]. After feeding his creature with the flowers, it became more vicious to hostiles but tamer before its owner
However, before Kieran could truly figure it out, something unexpected happened to his Creature of Desire.
Thousands of eyes lit up in colorful shine, it was different from when the evil eyes fired out the burning rays, its mouth wasnt even spinning like a grinding saw, it was quite tame.
Something that surprised Kieran appeared under the colorful shine.
It was faint at first but slowly became clearer.
It was a door that appeared before Kieran.
Chapter 809 - Real Face
Chapter 809: Real Face
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The sudden door was in and simple, there was nothing noteworthy about it.
It wasnt big by all means, neither was it made of special materials.
There wasnt even any secret runes, words or mystical patterns carved on it either.
Regardless of how he looked at it, the door was a in, simple one-sided opening door that appeared in everyones house within the dungeon world.
It could really be a normal door if it didnte out from the brilliance of a thousand evil eyes.
What was the door? The Emperors Legacy?
Such thoughts appeared almost instinctively in Kierans mind but were quickly denied because he saw notifications popping out in his vision stating that he hadpleted the main mission.
[Completed special event: The Fated Battle!]
[Complete main mission: Destroy the Emperors Legacy!]
[yer will leave the dungeon in 5 minutes]
[Please take whatever items you wish to keep with you.]
[Note: Any items that exceed the maximum weight will be discarded!]
...
It isnt the Emperors Legacy? Then what is this door?
Curiosity bloomed out of control in Kierans heart.
Likewise, it also changed Kierans mind of rushing back into the battlefield to collect the few Magic rank drops because his stingy scrooge nature told him the things beyond the door were much more valuable.
Though the thoughts about potential gains didnt make him lose his mind.
Since he had the experience of entering another world through some door in [The Shamans Partner], he started to tidy up his backpack and calcte the time.
He wasnt sure what was behind the door, so he tried his best to control the timing within a safe range, around 3 to 5 seconds left on the clock.
The duration was enough to enable Kieran to catch a glimpse of the world on the other side and be safe from idental dangers from unexpected oues.
5 seconds were left on the countdown and Kieran pushed open the door.
The scene behind the door was clouded by darkness, even with Kierans vision, he couldnt see through it.
Kieran had expected this oue though. He waited for another 2 seconds, leaving only 3 seconds on the counter before he stepped through the door.
After slight dizziness, Kierans sight suddenly widened up.
The dark night turned into day, the underground roomed went back to the surface.
The wide crater was instantly reced by buildings and skyscrapers that rose up from the ground.
An airne even flew past Kierans sight when he gazed into the sky.
The modern world? Kieran raised a brow.
Though the remaining time didnt provide further chances for him to continue his inspection. The scene before his eyes shook him and he was returned to his own game lobby.
[Special Dungeon: Primordial Invasion II]
[Dungeon Type: Free Mission]
[Dungeon Difficulty: Average]
[Main Mission: Open or destroy the Emperors Legacy in 60 days!]
[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating F)]
[Special Event: The Fated Battle (Perfect Clear)]
[Perfect Rating Boost: F D]
[Battle Performance: Very Active (Rating D C)]
[Exploration Performance: Low]
[Special Rating 1: Eliminated Carlhart (Rating C B)]
[Special Rating 2: Eliminated Fake Herbert (Rating B A)]
[Special Rating 3: Eliminated Alinda Krely (Rating A SS, Rep +2)]
[yer final rating: SS!]
[Calcting yer final special dungeon reward...]
[Final yer special dungeon reward below...]
[Points: 60,000; Skill Points: 10; Golden Skill Point: 1; Golden Attribute Point: 1]
...
[Detected yer has entered a special area, special dungeon initiated: Primordial Invasion III]
[Primordial Invasion III: As time zips by, a thousand years have passed. The passing of time cause people to forget about the old history, leaving behind absurd and wild legends, including yourself...]
[Main Mission: Starts when yer enters the dungeon!]
...
Kieran had expected the low ratings a while ago and after stepping through the door, he had a hunch that it would initiate a new special dungeon.
Though the background details of [Primordial Invasion III] made him frown.
Primordial invasion...primordial invasion... Kieran muttered softly and while in his mind, he was recalling the obvious modern scenery.
Gradually, a theory popped up in his heart and soon after that Kierans face became odd but before he could verify his own theory, he was interrupted by the unusual urrence behind his backpack.
The skill book [Gezardrake Sacrificial Spell] flew out of the [Crimson Ghost Stomach], floated in front of Kieran in mid-air and shook non-stop.
The book was shaking extremely fast, to the point that it created afterimages in front of Kieran.
A gloomy golden radiance was shining from the skill book once again and it was much brighter than before. In fact, [Gezardrake Sacrificial Spell]s radiance couldnt be considered as bright anymore, it was blinding.
Kieran had to take a few steps back with squinted eyes.
His face wasnt showing any worries though, because he wasnt in the dungeon world anymore but the absolutely safe game lobby.
Even if [Gezardrake Sacrificial Spell] wanted to try anything fishy, it would be rendered useless.
Everything then unfolded within Kierans expectations.
When the blinding light reached a certain limit, Kieran clearly heard a sharp scream of a curse. He couldnt tell whether was it a male or female but the curses told him, the owner of the voice wasnt friendly.
Pang!
As if a chestnut broke, the [Gezardrake Sacrificial Spell] shattered.
It didnt turn into anything strange but transformed from a book to a palm-sized disk.
The disk was made out of gold yet didnt possess a golden luster but was heavily mottled, even the edges had some irregr cuttings.
[Name: Emerders Deal (Damaged)]
[Type: Wondrous Item]
[Rarity: I]
[Attack/Defense: None]
[Attribute: Equal Deal, 1/3]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: Mystical Knowledge (Master)]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: Emerder is willing to make a deal with any intellectual beings, as long as you satisfy it, it will also satisfy you!]
...
[Equal Deal: State your request and barter it off with of simr value]
[Note 1: Damaged items needed to be repaired before used]
[Note 2: Trade items have limits on their values]
...
When Kieran picked up the disk, the attributes of [Emerders Deal] appeared in his vision and at the same time the cost to repair the disk.
It didnt require any rare items to repair, just points but however...
The amount required had outrageously exceeded Kierans imagination.
1 MILLION POINTS?
Kieran gasped coldly.
Chapter 810 - Killer Intentions Under The Rain
Chapter 810: Killer Intentions Under The Rain
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
1 million Points!
Even for Kieran, whose worth was high at the moment, couldnt look past such a huge cost.
After all, Kierans value mostly came from his personal equipment and as long as nothing was wrong with his brain, he would never sell off all those equipment.
Though at the same time, Kieran also understood the value of [Emerders Deal] since the system stated 1 million Points as a repair fee.
But...
[Points: 66,000; Skill Points: 12; Golden Skill Points: 1; Golden Attribute Points: 1]
Looking at his Points and Skill Points tab, he frowned.
His previous dungeon reward was rtively less and the items with real values were [Emerders Deal], the [Thunder Fall Stone] and the [Puppets Cord].
Both [Emerders Deal] and the [Thunder Fall Stone] were obviously not for sale and while [Puppets Cord] might be a Rare item, it has a special prerequisite to use it.
For those who fit the requirements, it would, of course, hold a high value but for those who didnt, it would be a piece of trash.
Even if I found a yer who has the requirements to use [Puppets Cord] and sell it to them at a higher price, factoring in my Points and Skill Points and maximizing all the prices of conversion, I would only get a fifth of the repair fee!
Kierans attention automatically turned over to the corner of his room.
The corner was where he ced the items he brought out from the dungeon world but didnt sell, most of it them were books but there was something else.
[Great Swamp Scale] and the stone tablet embedded with hundreds of different gemstones which he had gotten together with the former.
If he were to sell the stone tablet, using the premium price of the same color gemstones plus the values of 4 cracked rank and 1 intact rank gemstones, it might be hard for him to get 1 million Points but it wasnt impossible.
Though Kieran shook his head the next moment.
If the hundred different kinds of gemstones embedded on the stone tablet could sell, he wouldnt wait until now. Given that he had gotten the stone tablet together with the [Great Swamp Scale], it was enough for him to treat it with utmost vignce.
For the things rted to divine beings, it could be never too safe from Kierans point of view.
It was true he hoped for bigger gains but he would never lose a great deal trying to save a little.
Kieran took in a deep breath and swiftly put away his gaze at [Great Swamp Scale] and the gemstone tablet.
He muttered to himself, So do I give it up temporarily or... choose the other riskier way?
...
The weather in the big city constantly changing.
There was no so-called weather forecast or any kind of pattern to read the weather.
A moment ago, it might be sunny for miles but a momentter, gloomy rains might pour down relentlessly; the temperature would also fluctuate.
Under the downpouring rain, ir was carrying his new weapon under his raincoat, standing beside the street, humming a small tune while he gazed at the rain.
ir was not too concerned about his mission.
He was stationed there for a week plus going into two.
From the initial nervousness to the current casual behavior, ir believed that his target would not appear to open the door into the room behind him and take the spoils of war inside.
After all, anyone could tell the ce was rigged with traps.
Almost out of instinct, ir took a glimpse at the other guy hiding in the shadows across from him.
No doubt the guy was also a veteran and it took ir a few seconds of utmost focus to notice his existence.
The guy in the shadows was also one of the yers in charge of irs group.
As for ir, he was just one of many coborators in the group.
Although his position was of the utmost importance, it wasnt that high either.
A simple look at the position he was standing proved as such. At the spot where he was standing, other than being treated as a signal to warn the others during an ambush, there was no other function.
ir was perfectly clear about his own use, he was there to allow the target to attack him but he didnt rant orin about the arrangement because of how sizable the reward was.
ir unconsciously looked at the spear on his shoulder and the leather armor under his raincoat.
The spear was a Magic rank weapon with Average attack rank together with the Lvl 1 Piercing attribute, it had more attacking power than amon gun.
His leather armors defense even reached the Strong level and with the Lvl 1 Tenacity attribute, it allowed ir to ignore most of the gunshots fired at him.
He lifted his finger and touched wooden spear pole and his leather armor.
Even if it wasnt his first time feeling his equipment, ir was still full of praise at the meticulous craftsmanship.
He wasnt a boorish fellow who knew nothing at all. He might not be an expert in leather armor but ir had quite the experience in crafting simple weapons, and other than the slightlyplicated bows and crossbows, he had some attainments in crafting also.
So, ir was clear how exquisite the skill of the yer who crafted this Magic rank spear was.
They might be at least Master rank, or... no, no, Pro rank in crafting weapons! irmented on the crafters technique.
Then, he thought of his own skill which had only reached Entry level, he couldnt help but sigh.
Especially when he knew the yer with the exquisite crafting skills was one of his employers men, ir who ranged between a rookie and a newbie felt instant depression because he didnt even have the qualifications to be an official subordinate of his employer.
Though ir clenched his fist right away.
I will surely catch up to those veterans progress! I will definitely earn enough money with this game! ir made a vow in his heart.
Then, he started to perfect his future ns.
Before the next dungeon starts, Ill need to level up [Sharp Weapon, Polearms] to Master level to bring out the potential power of this Magic rank spear. [Evading] and [Adaptive Armor] will need to be in Entry as well, and also [Weapon Crafting, Simple Weapons]!
I think the Points and Skill Points are not quite enough...
Points and Skill Points will forever be a pain in the neck for every yer, ir was no exception.
ir frowned as he went into deep thought. His attention was all focused on his own matters, so he didnt even notice the veteran in the shadows across from him being sliced open by the throat and falling to the ground, disintegrating into light particles. Neither did he notice the rest of the coborators who took up the other watchpoints vanishing without a sound.
The rain stopped finally and the sun hung up high once again.
ir took off his raincoat and stuffed it inside his backpack before he stretched his body.
Compared to the watery scene, ir liked the charming sun better.
Most of the people shared the same thought, especially after standing in the rain for two to three hours.
So, ir turned his eyes towards the other positions where the coborators were.
When he saw the first position was empty, he couldnt help but criticize the yer being irresponsible in his heart.
When he saw that the second position was empty, he frowned, feeling something wasnt right.
Then the third, the fourth and the fifth, ir shockingly realized all of the other coborators positions were empty!
Not only the coborators, but even the veteran in the shadow was also missing!
Even though the hired yers would asionally sneak off, they wouldnt be absent altogether like the current situation, let alone the veteran yer.
Something went south!
The thought appeared in irs heart.
Then, ir who was still quite calm ran towards the ce where he assumed was safe while pulling up his PM tab to message the temporary leader of the team.
It wasnt the veteran in the shadows but a higher rank yer who ran the operation.
However, when the message was sent off, the notification that ir received made him freeze on the spot.
[The yer you are messaging is dead!]
Spine freezing coldness rose up in an instant.
Even standing under the sun, ir couldnt feel a bit of warmth.
Chapter 811 - Shadow
Chapter 811: Shadow
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Meanwhile, at Harvest Inn, Lawless was in charge of taking care of business while Rachel was temporarily away.
Lawless casually took a ss of liquor that Rachel had tossed beforehand, smoking his cigar with a delightful look.
If you continue cking, you will never be able to pay off your debt with Rachel for your entire life!
Coll who was meddling with the robot on the table reminded Lawless of his duty.
About the debt that Lawless owed Rachel, all the regr customers of Harvest Inn knew and a lot of them liked to tease Lawless with it because they could tell Lawless and Rachel had an irregr rtionship.
If he cant pay off the debt in this life, guess hell have to continue in the next!
Hanses who was sitting opposite Coll said with augh.
Although he looked like he was talking Lawless, his eyes were staring at Coll.
The burning sensation in his gaze made Colls hand with the plier shiver a little.
Fortunately, everyone else around ced their focus on Lawless, none of them noticed the odd gaze.
Thats right. Lawless would have to work for Rachel even in the next life! Lets cheer on this magnificent goal!
Ramont raised the ss high in his right hand.
The majority of the yers in Harvest Inn were indeed lone wolves, only a small percentage of them became lone wolves because of their loner nature, therefore a lot of them still liked to mess around like othermon people.
Cheers!
Cheers!
The lone wolves raised their sses while roaring inughter.
Even if I have to work for Rachel in the next life, would you pesky little bastardse to patronize the inn? Lawless rolled his eyes saying with an upset tone.
Of course! Everyone else replied in amon voice, then followed with a series of loudughs.
Well, I wish you bastards live long and prosper! Even in the next life! Lawless pointed up both his middle fingers at the crowd.
Though, his reaction would only result in louderughs and made things more entertaining.
No doubt, whenever Lawless was in Harvest Inn, there was nock of fun orughter.
Not just because of Lawless character who didnt mind being made fun by the others, it was also because he himself liked to share joy andughter with his friends.
Looking at the merry crowd and joyous atmosphere, Lawless sent out an invite to Kieran almost instinctively.
Then he waited patiently for a reply and although most of the time he would get the silent treatment without any reply, this time around it was different.
Ding!
The clear ping of his PM tab instantly captured Lawless attention but when he saw the name of the sender, his look of joy instantly turned into a look of disappointment.
It was General! His rival that he hated quite a bit.
Lawless really wanted to ignore the message but ultimately he opened them.
When the contents of the message appeared before Lawless eyes, the ss from his hand fell down on the floor with a clear noise, shattering into pieces.
Whats wrong Lawless?
What happened?
Everything okay?
The crowds attention was instantly captured, voicing out their concerns at Lawless.
Anyone of you have news on 2567? Hurry up, who has it?
That damn bastard, how can he be so reckless and impulsive? Those rooms were heavily guarded and traps were ced all over, how can he plunge his head into danger like that? Damn it, damn it!
Lawless stood up shouting, his mouth was sting non-stop.
Although his words were all messed up and quick, the yers around understood what he said clearly.
Most of the yers knew Kieran went on a ughterfest when the killer yers appeared and also during the ruthless battle with ck Robe Rayerwent.
They also knew Kieran hadnt gotten all of the spoils of war after the battles because the cunning merchant Broker had sent many of his men to guard the rooms.
All of the lone wolves showed dissatisfaction against Brokers disgusting move but what could they do?
The big city in the game wasnt real life but it was more authentic, in other words, crueler!
Even though some of the special rules formed certain protections for all the yers, there would be loopholes that one could take advantage of.
Unless a yer could forever stay in his game room and never step out... but was it possible?
Humans were social animals, even the so-called lone wolves would gather in the Harvest Inn asionally, let alone others.
So, all of the lone wolf yers did talk to Kieran about acting recklessly before. Some of the more enthusiastic yers even helped Kieran in keeping an eye out for those watchers movements.
But as time went by, most of the yers thought Kieran had given up on the thought becausepared to those spoils of war, his life was more important.
Everyone didnt really think that Kieran would make a move all of a sudden.
PM after PM piled up before the lone wolf yers eyes.
The ins and outs of the matter had slowly be clear.
Never underestimate the intelligencework of the lone wolves.
Because the lone wolf yers moved and acted on their own, their intelligencework grew this big and this precise.
Looking at the information piling up, Coll couldnt help but widen her eyes and read the news out loud.
Six veterans under Brokersmand that stood guard outside the rooms of the four Chosen Ones from ck Robe were suddenly wiped out and almost thirty newly joined yers died together! Several of Brokers men outside the killer yers rooms were assaulted as well. Veterans casualties are currently more than twenty and the newly joined yers are in the hundreds! As for the ten-man assault squad that Broker just sent out... they were all eliminated 2 minutes ago!
When Coll mentioned the word eliminated, the whole Harvest Inn sunk into an awkward silence.
Most of the yers had inconceivable emotions in their hearts and on their faces.
It wasnt hard for the lone wolf yers to take out one to two veterans but taking out six veterans continuously and then another twenty more, followed by eliminating Brokers ten-man assault squad, who would surely be decently equipped, this was... too unimaginable!
One needed to know other than the basic skills, most of the skills had cooldowns and some even required Stamina together with other energy consumptions.
So, whenever a yer goes on a rampage, it would be quite scary if they were able to dish out huge amounts of damage but after that, the yer would need to rest for a while.
This was also the differences between lone wolves andmon yers.
In order to pay attention to all possible aspects, whenever a lone wolf yer moved out alone, their skills and equipment were a few times more than amon yer, so they wouldst longer in a prolonged battle.
However, in the likes of Kierans consecutive battles, even the lone wolves couldnt achieve such a feat.
Its... Its really scary! Looking at all this information, it seems to remind me of that woman!
During the awkward silence, Ramont gulped but his voice still sounded dry.
No one refuted Ramonts words though because they too acknowledged what he said and at the same time, they knew who Ramont was referring to as that woman.
The memories about her were still fresh. It was the time of their lives that was short yet always in a constant state of anxiety.
The Witch!
Every yer present in Harvest Inn suddenly pictured the cruel and harsh woman in their minds, causing them to shiver together.
They were clear after suffering such a loss, Broker would make his move and he would never stop that easily.
Chapter 812 - Cruel Kill
Chapter 812: Cruel Kill
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Broker will never stop that easily.
Kieran knew when he decided to open those yers rooms that he Honor Killed.
So, Kieran would never hold back or show mercy.
Starting from the four Chosen Ones under ck Robesmand to a few other highly valuable killer yer rooms, Kieran used above Transcendence [Undercover] to kill each and every one of the veterans under Brokersmand, those newbie yers who stood on the defensive positions didnt escape their fate either.
Kieran didnt feel sorry at all. Since both sides started off in different factions, it had decided everything long ago.
As for showing mercy and empathy to his enemies, stop joking!
If Kieran showed mercy to his enemies, would his enemies do the same to him?
After swiftly raking in all the items in the room, Kieran was overjoyed as he looked at the fully stuffed [Crimson Ghost Stomach].
The items in the four Chosen Ones room fit their identity as Chosen Ones and the few other more valuable yer rooms, which he judged based on how much their Honor Kill Points and Skill Points contributed, didnt disappoint him either, though there was one thing that surprised Kieran.
Did Broker go so far as to ce men in every room that I picked or... did he do it with all of the rooms? Or did Broker know how much these yers are worth? Kieran started to think deeply in his heart.
Whichever it was, it wasnt any good news for him.
The former was enough to tell Kieran that Broker had much more men than he thought and thetter told him Broker or one of Brokers men had some special ability that could clearly judge how much a yer was worth.
It wasnt done through controlling the market to make estimations though since not every single yer would buy or sell their items at Brokers secret bazaar.
Kieran was certain the four Chosen Ones of ck Robe were exactly those deviants because if the equipment of the four Chosen Ones would appear in the secret bazaar, it would definitely not go unheard of like this. Three Rares and one Legendary equipment that perfectly supported each other were found in the rooms and if theyd appeared together in the bazaar, it would shake the entire big city.
Though the four pieces of equipment belonged to Kieran now and of course, if Kieran were to try and sell them off safely, he would have to go through some hurdles.
Kieran saw the ten-man squad closing in from far.
Their menacing bearing and eyes filled with killer intent were enough for Kieran to strike first.
A spider descended down from the sky.
The 8-meter radius with extreme stickiness and poison spider web captured the ten-man squad underneath.
The spider web with Powerful and above defense plus the A- Strength authentication to break free from the stickiness proved too much even for the ten well-equipped elites. They should have decent power to free themselvespletely, but it did not happen.
Only two of the men who were experts in Strength tried to fight their way out. The others who prioritized Agility, Constitution, and Intuition werepletely trapped under the spider web.
The ones who prioritized Constitution were still fine but the ones who prioritized Agility and Intuition was assaulted by the heavy toxin within a breaths time.
Each of them trembled and fell to the ground, limping weakly.
Then a zing me rose up high to the sky.
A 3-meter fireball appeared on Kierans palm, it was burning violently and its heatwave was rumbling fiercely.
He raised the fireball up like a king of fire, dashing towards the assault squad members captured by [Mardos Arm]s webbing.
The assault squad members struggle became even fiercer.
One of the two Strength-prioritizing members went over to help and the other one stood in front of Kierans path blocking him in a fearless manner, trying to buy hisrades enough time but it was useless.
Even the ground trembled under Kierans dash, the most primitive force of nature from [Wild Soul] was imbued into Kierans body, changing his body slightly for the better.
He was faster, stronger, sturdier, and more violent!
BANG!
The member who put up a cross-armed defensive stance was struck by Kieran precisely on the crossing point of his arms.
Kieran lowered his shoulder forward and performed an upper lift when he hit the guy, simr to a rhino lifting its prey up during its dash but the guy wasnt lifted over but instead, he was lifted up in the air, flying away.
His Strength that he thought he excelled in became insignificant in front of Kierans dash. The yer had his feet thrown off the ground upon impact and he didnt even put up the slightest resistance before his body fell into a series of cracks.
Under the powerful impact, all of the bones in the guys body were crushed together with all the organs, and the more terrifying thing was the most primitive force of nature burst out from Kierans body and ravaged the yers body.
BANG!
Another loud bangter, the yers body exploded in mid-air.
Blood drizzled down from the sky and sounded like a fierce roar from a rhino.
Though, those assault squad members with the threatening manner didnt care about all this.
Facing against the fireball that Kieran hurled out, each of them struggled with all their might, the other Strength-prioritizing member even chose to run away.
Formless barriers, shields with different shapes and two to three weird looking puppets were ced in front to block the fireball but regardless of what they did, it was useless.
The fire had surpassed their expectations, it was a power they had nevere across before.
KABOOM!
When the fireball touched the defensive barriers, it exploded instantly.
A dozen-meter tall and over 10 meters in diameter fire pir sted out from the ground.
The defensive barriers shattered after the bang and the other two shields and puppets were burned to ashes, followed by the members, including the guy who ran away. He didnt even make a grunt and was sted to pieces by the explosion, leaving only a few meters deep crater on the spot.
[Killed a dozen more yers...]
[Detected as an initiated attack!]
[Categorized as Cruel Kill!]
[You will receive all the Points and Skill Points of the yers...]
[Total: 100,000 Points and 17 Skill Points]
[Received the yers room key]
[Granted the right to use the yers room]
[All the yers belongings are returned to their room]
[Cruel Kill Count: 177]
...
[Points: 535,000; Skill Points: 105; Golden Skill Points: 1; Golden Attribute Points: 6]
...
The system notifications piled up in Kierans vision and without him even realizing, the repair fee for [Emerders Deal] had umted to more than half.
Though Kieran only spared a nce at the points before the putting it away because an opponent that was worthy of his attention had arrived.
At the shadowed spot of the street corner not far away, a figure was slowly walking out.
The intertwining sunlight and shadow made the figures body look like it was cut in half, his upper body was bathed in sunlight while his lower body plunged into darkness.
The face was blurred out by the system but it didnt hide the fact about both his hands were sharp as ws, causing one to shudder without the cold.
Advance Rank mes eh? What fearsome power and potential! No wonder Broker would spend so much to hire me. But such power might have some limits to it right? And it might also consume a lot of Stamina.
The figure said as he moved closer.
When the figure was around 10 meters away from Kieran, he stopped and asked with a mocking tone, Now, how many times more can you use that kind of fire?
Chapter 813 - Swindle
Chapter 813: Swindle
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Mind games!
During battles, the conversation between yers wasnt pure nagging or BS but they hoped to use their words to dissolve the others motivation to battle, thus acquiring an easier victory.
If the situation allowed him to, Kieran wouldnt mind ying along but the situation beforehand though...
Kieran stared at the figure as his steps slowly moved back.
An hour ago, youve been through battles of all sizes at least ten times or more. Your skills and equipment are mostly in cooldown, am I right? And your energy is already falling short, right? Well, of course, lets not forget the backup! That Broker told me your friends from Harvest Inn areing out to find you but it would need at least another half an hour for them to reach here! Guess how many times can I kill you over within half an hour?
The man saw Kieran slightly back off. He wasughing in contempt and fired out relentless teases.
After thest word escaped his mouth, he vanished on the spot!
He didnt go into the shadows but he really vanished! As if he went invisible!
Then...
Suuuu!
Amidst an air-breaking whistle, five lines of w marks, each the size of a finger appeared where Kieran was standing and the air-breaking sound kept going on like the raging storm on the sea, appearing non-stop in a ruthless manner.
Suuu Suuu Suuuuu!
A mere ten secondster, the whole street was filled with countless slice marks.
Kieran?
Even his pitch ck [Armor of Excellence] had suffered many white scratch marks on it.
Not bad! Not bad indeed! So you can block my attacks. That armor of yours is mine, including the things in your bag and your room, everything will be mine!
The mans voice sounded from every direction.
It wasnt any kind of special ability but he purely relied on his speed.
Kieran had never seen anyone with such ridiculous speed before, it had exceeded his expectations.
The mans speed was surely in the Advance Rank without a question.
Kierans SS- Agility might be decent but if he were topete with the mans speed, it was exceptionally hard unless the man was willing to exchange hits with him.
However from the looks of the mans attacking pattern, he might be spilling out malicious words from his mouth and look contemptuous but actually, he was extremely careful.
Not only did he not kill his enemy who was drained in a rush, instead he didnt mind engaging in a prolonged battle, slowly and surely, dragging Kieran down where he would run out of resources.
If that was the case...
Kieran swung his hand and a spider web was flung out.
The other end of the web stuck on the outer wall of a building 40 meters away and rapidly retracted, pulling Kieran swiftly forwards.
At the same time, Kieran created another fireball in his hand.
It was very different than his previous 3-meter wide fireball where people would feel numb with just a look at it, this fireball that he created was much smaller.
When the fireball came into shape, Kieran threw it down beneath his feet.
Boom!
The fire was rumbling fiercely as the fire pir sprung out once again and simr to the smaller version of the fireball, the fire pir was also considerably smaller.
The scorching heat wave gushed out in all directions as Kierans body was sent up into the air and rapidly moving further forward as if he was eager to leave the battlefield.
Do you really think you can run?
The voice suddenly sounded in front of Kieran.
Somehow the man with ws for hands was already standing on the spider web, looking down at Kieran with ridicule gaze.
The spider web that required at least B+ Strength to break free was nothing to the man, he walked forth step by step on the spider web at Kieran; Kieran was closing on him fast.
Wung!
[Primus Arm] shed and a Powerful force field barrier appeared on Kieran.
[Arrogant Word] was also glimmering with a bewitching purplish re as Kieran swung it over. His eyes were emanating an usual re which caused [Deadmans Gaze] that had brewed up a great amount of mental impact to reach first before the sword strike.
The greatsword strike followed closely behind the mental impact.
Wuuuum!
The heavy sh filled with Kierans strength brought a heavy whistle along with its movement but...
He missed!
Just as [Arrogant Word]s sword body was about to touch the man, the man who obviously prepared beforehand vanished and appeared behind Kieran with his eyes closed.
Very powerful strength but too bad the ws are too obvious!
Wung!
The mans voice that was heard right behind Kierans neck was interrupted by the sudden roundhouse sh.
The roundhouse sh was very abrupt and it looked like Kieran foresaw it before the strike; the moment the man vanished, he had performed the roundhouse sh.
While the sh was going on, a ring on his right hand was brewing the icy cold power as well.
[Wilcos Redemption, Frozen Touch]!
Once it touched the enemy, it would deliver an icy attack of Powerful rank.
But Kieran still missed his target!
The man who should have lost any kind of surface to ry his strength in mid-air turned his body in a strange way and appeared behind Kieran once again.
Though the twin-headed serpent spirit sprung out from the ground this time, gushing its wide mouth at the man.
This time, the attack didnt miss. The twin-headed serpent spirit swallowed the man with a single mouth.
You really dont give up eh! But do you think you can fool me? Now, our little fight shall end!
The mans voice sounded again and it came from the spider web.
It felt like the man didnt even leave the web, it was as though he was still standing in the same spot from before.
What happened just now felt like an illusion but Kieran knew that it wasnt
It was his afterimage instead! Because of the mans absurd speed, afterimages were all over the mans trail.
In simple words, the mans speed was so fast that it fooled Kierans eyes.
End? No way! Kieran shouted loudly.
[Arrogant Word] was swung out again but this time he didnt attack the man but his own spider web.
Pak!
The spider web was cut loose with a clear noise.
Kieran fell off mid-air but before hended on the ground, his feet would step on the air itself like he had stepped onnd, changing his bodys falling direction into a horizontal forward dash with a parabolic arch, gliding further forward.
While he was gliding forward, Kieran emanated the sulphuric smell from his body with a slight sense of wicked aura and when his feet stepped on the air for the second time continuously, it boosted him further ahead with explosive speed faster than before!
[Modii Boots, Modii Jump]!
The equipment wasnt a stranger to the man named Casswell.
Before he came forth to confront Kieran, he had gotten the information about Kieran from Broker, from the possible skills to verified equipment, everything.
So, when Casswell saw Kierans ugly escaping figure, heughed again.
This time, he was sure Kieran has exhausted all his hands, so it was time for his performance.
Slow! Too slow! Ill show you what true speed looks like!
Casswell said as he intercepted Kieran in front of him again.
When Kieran saw Casswell in front once more, he roared loudly, swinging [Arrogant Word] out again.
This time, a chain formed out of shadow wastched on Casswells body before the sword strike, locking his movement down.
[Spectre Grip, Shadow Chain]!
A special chain that forced the target to undergo a Strength authentication with its user.
Although the failed targets would only be binded for 1 second, many things could be achieved within that duration.
[Arrogant Word] had arrived on Casswells face but the sharp de edge couldnt move forth another inch.
Ayer of formless barrier blocked the de. It didnt just block it, it sucked [Arrogant Word] into the surface of the barrier!.I almost forgot you have such equipment.
Casswell smiled as he lifted his right hand, the sharp ws red coldly once again and this time, he really wanted to end the fight.
As for the so-called forgetfulness?
How could Casswell forget the details of his opponent? He was just teasing Kieran out of habit.
However, out of Casswells expectation, Kieran didnt show any enraged emotion, as if the angry roar he shouted just now wasnt from himself.
A bad feeling popped up in Casswells heart and he wanted to retreat almost out of instinct but he was a little toote.
A spider web descended from the sky, capturing Casswell and Kieran together inside.
Then, Casswell shockingly realized he was grabbed and squeezed by Kierans right hand while Kierans left hand had the fireball burning up again.
This time, it was many times fiercer than before, the scorching heat waves swept across all directions when the fireball appeared.
The 3-meter fireball was swung down like a heavy hammer, crashing down at Casswell from Kierans hand.
You!
A bright, dazzling ze of fire sshed everywhere in the sky.
Several figures hiding in shadows frowned one after another and soon, all of the figures gasped heavily.
Chapter 814 - Burn
Chapter 814: Burn
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
A full body throw!
Not only did it require immense strength, but a certain set of skill was also mandatory as well.
Though trying to throw a person back and forth, thrashing him around like a ragdoll, the set of skills would at least required more than a decades practice to seed.
However, if the target of thrashing was a high-ranker that had exceeded normal humans, from amon eye it would be impossible.
So when all of the yers hidden in shadows saw Casswell being thrown around like a ragdoll, being thrashed back and forth mercilessly, their hearts were in a state of shock.
Of course, they werent shocked because of the thrashing skills Kieran showed but how powerful his devils me burned.
The yers hidden in the shadows werent idiots, in fact, each one of them had their own set of perspectives of things. They could tell the me Kieran threw out from his hand was not something normal and because of that, Casswell who took a single hit was robbed of his mobilitypletely.
Otherwise, how could Casswell be caught so easily with his speed and be thrashed back and forth?
What kind of joke was that?
If Casswell was so poorly skilled, he wouldnt be recognized as one of the ten Supernovas!
Looking at how Casswell was cruelly beaten, the yers hiding around had thoughts spinning in their mind.
Some were good, some were bad. But more towards thetter.
Malicious intents rose from their hearts, making the yers presence slightly change but before they could make any move, a scorching heat wave gushed out again.
Fuuuuu!
The burning wind assaulted their face, the blinding light made the yers squint their eyes uncontrobly but at the next moment, their squinted eyes were roundedpletely.
What did they see?
Fireball!
A fireball bigger than what Kieran had hurled out before.
The zing mes and scorching heat caused the temperature in the area to spike.
Though the high temperature didnt strike the hidden yers as hot or burning at all, instead it felt like a spine chilling coldness that rose from the depths of their souls.
He still can use that kind of me?
And its even stronger than before?
He has been hiding his strength all this time?
Such thoughts appeared in the hidden yers minds uncontrobly. Until the fireball was smashed into Casswell, only then they react to what happened.
Kaboom!
After an even bigger explosion, the me waves nearly 20 meters tall were sted out everywhere like the rising tide and within a breaths time, it turned almost half of the street into a sea of fire.
The man standing in the middle of the sea of fire was like a God of Fire looking down on the mortal realm.
When that sharp gaze swept across the area, the hidden yers hearts skipped a beat.
The mental impact!
Those who were faster immediately activated their defensive measures since they came prepared.
As for the slower ones, even if they came prepared it wouldnt be much of a use.
Bang Bang Bang!
Three consecutive bangster, red and white matter sshed out from the shadows not so far away. One of them disintegrated into light particles while the other two fell out the shadows, revealing their huge bodies.
One was covered with scales, had sharp ws and the other one was ck and red in color.
Both of the figures looked like monsters, they were huge in size as they were thepanions of a yer. Following the death of their owner, their bodies of more than a dozen meters started to break down.
Though the other yers around didnt care much about the monstrouspanions, their concern was the owner of the two beasts, or more precisely the neck of the owner because his head has exploded.
Its Dorys Sharp Fang Sarcosuchus and ck Venom Anaconda!
The two monsters that could go head to head with a Strength-based high-ranker died like that?!
So he really is a high-ranker, a Chosen One!
Shocking words sounded off softly from the yers.
Although they had received information long ago stating that Kieran was a Chosen One, before it was verified, none of them was willing to believe.
Humans always had the heart of feeling lucky, even more so for these veterans and high-rankers.
When they received Brokers bounty, they couldnt stop but hint at themselves, maybe Kieran was a high-ranker of other attributes?
That was until the facts before their eyes told them how cruel reality was.
Most of the soon-to-be-high-ranker veterans swiftly left the scene. If they were facing amon high-ranker, they might stand a chance if they relied on their skills and equipment but a Chosen One?
Stop joking!
The formless mental attack that could prate every hole possible wasnt something they could block or endure.
The few who stayed behind were either unwilling to give up or they possessed defensive items against mental attacks.
Other than these few soon-to-be-high-rankers veterans, there were only two real high-rankers that appeared.
These two were sizing up Kieran standing in the sea of fire.
Kieran didnt back off, he didnt only just return the stare but he strode towards the two of them.
At the same time, the zing me rose once more!
The fireball that made ones scalp numb appeared in his hand again.
Immediately, those two high-rankers eyes changed.
Disy of strength? Threats?
Both of them guessed in their heart but right away, they moved back and retreated because that fireball was already flying at them.
It wasnt a disy of strength, neither was it a threat, it was just battle!
Kaboom!
The fireball exploded, sending tumbling fire waves around, sweeping away everything in its path.
The two retreating high-rankers easily dodged the burning from the mes and their initial malicious intent at Kieran turned fiercer as they transform into killing intent.
The others who originally nned to just stay behind and watch had their gazes turn hostile also.
However, no matter what the two high-rankers original thought, all that was left now was astonishment.
The fireball appeared once more in Kierans hand, hurling itself towards the duo and it was just the beginning.
One!
Two!
Three!
Relentless fireballs kept sting out of Kierans hand, bombarding the area around him in a rampage.
KABOOM!
Right after that, the mes that only engulfed almost half of the street has instantly swallowed the entire block.
mes! As far as the eye could see, it was only mes!
Scorching! The ground where the bombardment urred suffered major cracks and burns.
Rampage! The lord of mes burned even the sky furiously!
Seeing Kieran who knew no exhaustion and his aura that skyrocketed following the rising mes, the two high-ranker were ready to leave.
The little bit of thought that rose in their hearts vanished without a trace following the sea of fire before their eyes and the ceaseless bombardment of fireballs.
It wasnt even a joke! Fighting a guy that reached Advance Rank with unlimited firepower, Brokers bounty wasnt that much to the point it could make them risk their lives for it.
Both high-rankers looked at Kieran once more and Kieran too sensed the gazes.
He raised his hand up, hurling another fireball and right off the bat; another one appeared on his hand.
When they saw such a scene, the two high-rankers hastened their steps, using almost unnatural means to leave to the battlefield.
Kieran didnt show any sympathy at those two since he knew what they wanted to do.
Everyone has to take responsibility for their own actions, right?
Though, the two of them blurted out ament on Kieran in their hearts: he was a monster! A fearsome monster!
Such ament was soon recognized by others.
Those other soon-to-be-high-ranker veterans too started to run like there was a fire breathing dragon chasing them from behind.
They wished they could spend every single bit of their might in running and were also eager to grow another pair of legs.
Though what would those do?
The fireballs that were hurled at them were getting faster and increasing in number, the yers who ran in panic fell into the sea of fire in the end.
Aaaaaaaargh!
The agonizing wails could be heard from high to low yet it didnt stop the zing mes from burning them down.
They feared, they begged, they cried but none of that was useful.
The zing mes that descended on the mortal realm was like the fire lotus that cleansed the world.
When they decided to show up there, their fates had been sealed.
Death was their only destination and the fire, burned even brighter!
TL Note:
High-ranker: the yers who had entered the Advance Rank, or I rank if you may.
Chapter 815 - Contrast
Chapter 815: Contrast
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Amid the zing sea of fire, line after line of Cruel Kill notifications piled up in Kierans vision.
His Cruel Kill count has increased from 177 to 185.
The number only increased by 8 but the Points and Skill Points he had gotten were almost on par with the previous gains.
[Points: 1,035,000; Skill Points: 215; Golden Skill Points: 1; Golden Attributes Point: 2]
The high-rankers and the soon-to-be high-rankers values were not somethingmon yers and veterans couldpete with.
Without him realizing, Kieran had earned enough Points to repair [Emerders Deal] with quite some extra leftover.
Though when he looked at his points tab, he didnt feel much excitement because everything was within his expectations.
Whether was it Brokers so-called bounty reward or those yers attracted by it.
If the reward offered is high enough, there will always be those brave enough to take the risk.
Human die for fortune, animals die for food.
Kieran understood those two sayings long ago, and at this moment, he had another kind of experience of it.
Since the yers in the Advance Rank were attracted here, I can only imagine how high of a price Broker has offered for my head, then why did his men not make a move? Is it to cover up something or are they held up by something?
Guesses appeared in Kierans heart.
Inside the underground game, Points and Skill Points might not be able to represent a yers entire strength but each and every powerful yer would burn through countless amounts of Points and Skill Points to level up. It was a publicly acknowledged fact.
So, having an astronomical amount of Points and Skill Points, Broker would not becking powerful men.
Otherwise, Broker might need to hide in his own game room.
Kieran wouldnt believe that every one of the high-rankers werent jealous of Brokers earnings. Since Broker was still able to walk in the big city under broad daylight without being killed, it was enough to prove everything.
What would it be? The Witchs legacy? Or the [de of the Daybreaker]s title dungeon?
Kieran theorized based on the information he had gotten but obviously what he gathered was too little. He would never have guessed what Broker was after and why.
Maybe I should talk with Allen!
Following his deeper understanding of Broker, Kieran was also more and more curious about the Blood Alliance boss.
After all, based on the strength Allen has disyed, it couldnt have made Broker nervous to this extent.
And... That high-ranker with malicious intent... Kieran squinted his eyes.
His gaze turned cold under the sea of zing mes.
His Intuition allowed him to clearly tell one of the high-rankers that left just now showed killing intent towards him and it was much stronger than the other yers around.
The other yers around had malicious intents but that high-rankers intensity was a few times higher.
If the high-ranker was solely there for the bounty, it wouldnt make sense. There must be something else that was mixed into the fray.
As for saying the high-ranker had natural heavy killing intent or other sorts of coincidence?
Well sorry, Kieran never believed in coincidences.
Kieran was standing in the middle of the mes, arranging his own thoughts until he was interrupted by a series of calls.
2567?!
2567?!
Not only calls but also the pings from messages.
When Kieran came back to his senses, it was already ringing out of control.
He walked out of the mes, waving his hand at Lawless and the others who were dashing towards him.
Here!
When Kieran uttered that word, his face had a smile on it.
Kieran believed the group of lone wolves knew what they would face given the circumstances yet they were still willing toe.
He would take this debt of gratitude to heart, including thest time when he faced ck Hell Banning.
Two times! he told himself as he scanned over the crowd.
At the very front was Lawless who he had the best rtionship with and beside him was Hanses and Coll, walking side-by-side.
Raven was also there, staying close with his cat and also Ramont with his fire and ice dual swords together with Rhino who was the new owner of [Calgas Crush].
Alchemist Lemour who looked like an elementary kid and cksmith who was floating in mid-air as she traveled also showed up.
Lawless who was at the front took a big stride forward when he saw Kieran.
Are you okay? Damn, thank God youre okay!
Lawless threw his concerns at Kieran as if he was asking and answering his own question.
Not too shabby. Did I make a little too much of amotion? Kieran said in a half joking, half serious tone.
A little too much of amotion?
Everyone present rolled their eyes when they saw the street block covered in fire.
This was a little too much? Then if he really went all the way, would he tear the entire city down?
Everyone else didnt voice theirments, only Lawless alone didnt care much about it andughed out loud.
From Lawless point of view, as long as Kieran was fine, he would be happy.
As for other matters? Whatever, it didnt matter to him anyway.
A friendly reminder to everyone, those cyberw enforcers has arrived!
Coll who was wearing a monocle, obviously was doing some inspections around the area while reminding the others.
Then what are we waiting for? Lemour opened up her hands in a questioning manner at the crowd.
RUN! Lawless was the first one to shout.
Instantly, the crowd turned around and ran.
One of the rules within the big city was that whenever a yer broke the rules and wasnt capture, it wouldnt be considered illegal.
It could be considered as the rule that people loved and hated but it was also because of that rule that the escape of the crowd turned into a joyous one.
With Colls voicemand, the crowd easily dodged the cyberw enforcers encirclement one time after another.
No one was nervous or worried, there was onlyughter and joy.
Everyone was running around, escaping the robots, like kids ying catch in the yground.
asionally, Lawless explosiveughter would break out as well.
No matter how cold a person was, they would be tainted by the atmosphere, showing off a smile or perhaps even more, especially those who werent originally cold people but pretended to be, like cksmith!
cksmith didnt keep her floating state though, the steps that she took disyed quite the speed and her soft and tenderughter didnt escape Kierans Intuition.
Unconsciously, Kieran took a glimpse at cksmith out of curiosity and what he got in reply was cksmiths vicious re.
Ding!
His PM tab rung right after that.
...
cksmith: Embedding fees increased by 50%!
2567: wth did I do?
cksmith: U r not happy with it?
cksmith: Im sure u are!
cksmith: Ive decided to increase another 50%!
2567: ...
...
Looking at the messages sent, Kieran was at a total loss whether tough or cry.
It was the most ungracious way of price increment and her way of talking and answering her own question, if Kieran didnt make sure Lawless was running in front of him, he might have thought Lawless had changed the unchangeable in-game name to y a joke on him.
Kieran was quite sensitive about pricing though, he was preparing his words, ready to argue with cksmith because he still had a special gemstone that he wanted her to appraise and embed.
Even though his Points and Skill Points were overly sufficient, he couldnt just be extravagant and waste all of them.
Though before he could find appropriate words to reply, the message from cksmith pinged him again.
...
cksmith: Just saying~
cksmith: ^.^
...
Looking at the message content and the emoji at the end that didnt match cksmiths usual cold and cool temperament, Kieran waspletely stunned.
Another softughter, cksmith ran faster forward without pausing.
2567! Hurry up! Dont get left behind! We are heading back to the inn, drinks on me today!
Lawless shouted out loud running in front.
O-Ohh, Okay!
Kieran who was blown away by cksmiths contrasting changes only knew how to nod continuously before chasing up to the crowd.
Chapter 816 - Have No Lack Of
Chapter 816: Have No Lack Of
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
How many yers existed in the big city?
Perhaps no one was able to tell the exact number but one thing that the veterans could confirm was after the initial beta stage and the Witchs Uprising, the number of yers in the game has always been in a state of increase.
Especially recently, the number of newbie yers that entered the game had skyrocketed.
Though all of the veterans were perfectly clear that among this new batch of newbie yers, a lot of them would stay nameless and quiet throughout the game. Some might evene and go like the wind.
There was no way for the newbie yers to leave their trace in the big city, only a handful of lucky ones would able to make a name for themselves and those who wanted to raise their reputation and be well known to the point where most of the existing yers were familiar with their name, it was nearly impossible because they definitely couldnt just rely on pure luck to achieve that, they would also need a special trait.
Some possessed a special trait from birth while some acquired that special trait through hardships.
Perhaps such yers may be buried under temporarily but once the opportunity presented itself, the yer would shine with their own glory and radiance, dazzling and blinding at the same time, like Kieran.
The circumstances of the previous battle quickly spread among yers.
Shock! Doubt! Some even showed looks of disbelief but ultimately, everything was reced by astonishment following the burned down street block.
The Fire Emperor! The King of mes! The zing Devil!
All sorts of titles the yers came up with spread out like wildfire.
Of course, Kieran who had just returned to Wallway 13th from Harvest Inn wasnt really concern about all those.
During the gathering just now, Lawless already used his excellent voice and charm to deliver the titles to Kieran. It even attracted a bunch of other guys to y along with Lawless, showing their astonished expressions, but from the beginning till the end, Kieran maintained his cool because he was very clear about where his strength ranked.
Kieran had just entered the Advance Ranks, all he did was reach the threshold of the underground game.
Those titles were just the product of astonishment of the other ignorant yers. For the ones truly within the core of the game, they mightugh out loud in heavy contempt.
It may not even attract the attention of those in the core, some other yers who reached Advance Rank earlier or even surpassed it altogether could already look at him with disdain.
So, Kieran rejected Lawless invitation for an all-night party to return to his own room.
He needed to increase his strength even faster!
No just only because of the trouble such titles would attract but also Broker.
Without more evidence, Kieran couldnt support his theory but his instinct told him Broker was brewing something big behind the scenes.
Likewise, Kieran was utterly sure if Broker seeded, he would never again get a day of peace.
So, after sending a message to Allen, Kieran brought up [Emerders Deal].
[Repairing Emerders Deal requires 1,000,000 Points, Yes or No?]
Yes! said Kieran.
Immediately, the round [Emerders Deal] emitted its golden reserved luster once more and even more golden brilliance filled the entire room.
The disk was like a whale sucking in water, greedily consuming all the golden brilliance in the room.
The mottled rust stains on the disk vanished with a speed visible to the naked eye.
The irregr cuts on the edge were being filled in swiftly.
The whole disk was returned to its former clean and shiny form, thus revealing the mystical words that were branded on to the disk.
However, theplicated level of these mystical words was too profound, even with Kierans Pro level [Mystical Knowledge], he couldnt make out all of it.
All he could tell was these mystical words had some special mark with them.
A simple example would be treating [Mystical Knowledge] as amonnguage while these specially marked mystical words were some hard to understand ng.
Though it didnt stop him from using [Emerders Deal].
He took out tons of spoils of war and ced them into the round disk that was only the size of a palm. It grew bigger continuously as items were being ced into it and it seemed like no matter how many spoils of war Kieran ced inside it, it would hold on to it.
When he felt it was almost enough, Kieran stated his request.
I wish to acquire [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art]s advanced mystical skill!
Thats right, [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art]s advanced mystical skill!
To be honest, after acquiring [Emerders Deal], Kieran had been thinking about how he would use this special item to increase his own strength.
To a yer, in order to increase their own strength, there were only two factors that mattered.
First, equipment.
Second, skills.
Both of those factors also shared a majormon point; most of the equipment and skills could be acquired in the dungeon world or acquired through trading with other yers.
If he wanted to truly utilize the potential of [Emerders Deal], Kieran would have to discard themon point and after that, he realized he was only left with one clear goal.
[Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art]!
What about [Fusion Heart] though?
Being different from [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art], Kieran had a certain idea about how to power up [Fusion Heart] but for the tempering art...
Although [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] had reached Musou level and only one level away from Transcendence, there was still a gap of an entire level!
For Kieran at the moment, the cost of leveling wasnt that absurdly high given that Origin Force has a 30% decrease in cost.
If everything went smoothly, after two more dungeon runs, he would be able to level up [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] to Transcendence.
What about after Transcendence?
He would remain stagnant! It was something that Kieran didnt wish to see.
As one of his core energies, once the tempering art entered a stagnant state, his strength would definitely be greatly affected.
Up to that point, it would be useless to have his other core energy, [Fusion Heart], grow stronger because he would still have to worry about the repulsion.
The repulsion from [Fusion Heart] was no joke!
A slight misstep and he would end up as a puppet of flesh and blood.
Kieran had bnce it out. He must achieve the bnce inside [Fusion Heart] or he could retain the bnce with external energy.
No one had better rights to say that than Kieran, the owner of Dawn Force and what the Origin Force brought to the table.
So, if it was possible, Kieran would seek the advanced mystical skill of [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] the most.
During his training for [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art], he had spected more than once about the next level once he reached Transcendence but it was just a spection, nothing more than a thought.
He was clear that it would be impossible.
Kieran would never improperly belittle himself, neither would he be arrogant about his strength.
[Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] was the mandatory mystical art for the knights of Church of Dawn, it had been through countless generations and numerous unsurpassed wise-men people before its creation.
In addition, there might be a higher level lifeform infused into the process, like divine beings!
A mystical art that was created through many generations and people, how simple would the advanced version be?
Even though Kieran had acquired the basic part and wasnt a blind man searching for clues anymore, the advanced part of the skill was certainly something that he could never create alone in a short period of time.
Originally, Kieran had already prepared other alternatives to meet his end but with the arrival of [Emerders Deal], it provided new hope!
Huuu!
After cing all the items, Kieran stared at [Emerders Deal] after a deep breath.
The big disk was emitting glimmers of light after Kieran stopped putting items on it.
The glimmers were like some kind of special words, radiating its special meaning in front of Kierans eyes.
Not enough! The items you offer are not enough!
Kieran was stunned when he saw the special words.
Then, he lifted his mouth with a smirk.
One needed to know, Kieran currently had an abundance of items for trading.
Chapter 817 - Gains
Chapter 817: Gains
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
When he saw the special words before his eyes, Kieran heaved a long sigh of relief in his.
Because inside [Emerders Deal]s description, it mentioned trade items have limits on their values, he was quite worried that items from two different dungeon worlds would not be useable but it seemed like he was overthinking.
The situation was simr to skills and items from different dungeon worlds being useable in either without special mention.
Trading was possible as well.
Kieran was clear there must be some other rules that he didnt know off but all he needed to know was that the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art]s advanced skill would be within his grasp.
Without further hesitation, he ced more spoils of war into [Emerders Deal].
However, the [Emerders Deal] before him felt like it has a stomach of a taotie, a giant bottomless hole.
Even though Kieran emptied his backpack, the special words in front of him didnt change at all.
Not enough! The items you offer are not enough!
Kierans forehead started to sweat.
One needed to know the items that he ced inside were no longer just the items from ck Robes four Chosen Ones and high-value yer killer rooms, it even included Casswells, Dorys and the other soon-to-be-high-ranker veterans items from their rooms.
There was nocking of Rare rank items in that stash and up until that point, Kieran had only kept the Legendary rank or above for himself.
Especially Casswells [Dorgars Tear] and the set items from the four Chosen Ones.
[Name: Dorgars Tear]
[Type: Gloves]
[Rarity: Epic]
[Attack: Extreme]
[Defense: Extreme]
[Attribute: 1. Dorgars Ambush, 2. Dorgas Extreme speed, 3. Dorgars Bloodthirst.]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: Hand-to-hand Combat, Transcendence Hand Combat]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: Dorgars ws have always been dreaded by the hunters of the Wastnd Wooded Mountains, and having a pair of gloves made out of Dorgars ws is their lifelong dream!]
.......
[Dorgars Ambush: Ignores light and shadow, enters a 1-minute Invisible state, 2/day]
[Dorgars Extreme speed: During running, gains +3 Agility buff, +4 nimbleness.]
[Dorgars Bloodthirst: After killing a target and recover ones HP by sucking the life out of the target, Dorgars Ambush extended for 15 seconds, Dorgars Extreme speed, authentication increases by 1]
...
[Name: Heart of Compassion (Main)]
[Type: Wondrous Item]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: Extreme]
[Attribute: Light of Healing]
[Effect: 1. Extra Range, 2. Extra Counter, 3. Extra Effect]
[Prerequisite: Spirit A, Mystical Knowledge (Master)]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: After being shattered, Heart of Compassion was split into four pieces, this is the main part and if you can find the remaining the three subparts, new effects will be unlocked (Each subpart has different effects)]
...
[Extra Range: Healing range increased by 200 meters]
[Extra Counter: Increase Light damage healing counter by 3; medium damage healing counter by 2; heavy damage healing counter by 1 each day]
[Extra Effect: Healing effect +1 (Applied to all kinds of healing effects, does not include potions)]
...
[Dorgars Tear] was the pair of sharp ws from Casswells hand and [Heart of Compassion] was a broken angel statue.
The biggest part was tagged as the main part and the others, two broken wings, arms, and legs were the subparts.
The sub-parts had zero healing attributes and only held a low-level effect. Only when paired up with the main part could its real effect be fully utilized but it would be enough.
Kieran who saw the effect of [Heart of Compassion] with his own eyes knew how strong the effect of this set of items could be.
As long as a sufficient amount of healing scrolls or healing spells were prepared, then it was possible to create an undying squad.
Likewise, [Heart of Compassion] for Kieran, a lone wolf without any support, had high value as well.
If it was possible, Kieran would definitely keep [Heart of Compassion].
So, when he ced the rest of the three items from his backpack into [Emerders Deal], he opened his eyes wide and looked at the words formed by the glimmer.
No changes! The offer was still not enough!
Kieran clenched his teeth and ced [Dorgars Tear] inside as well.
The words still didnt change.
Kieran started to breathe heavily and deeply as he stared at the lines of words.
The more I offer, the more I get!
The more I offer, the more I get!
The soft mutter even came out of Kierans mouth as he started to hypnotize himself.
Then, he clenched his teeth, cing [Heart of Compassion] inside as well.
But, the words remained!
Huuuhaaa, Huuuuhaaa!
This time, Kieran wasnt taking deep breathes anymore, he started to pant heavily.
Still not enough!? The value of [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] advanced mystical skills...
Kieran red at the attribute of [Emerders Deal], [Equal Deal: State your request and barter it off with simr value], he then forced himself to cool down.
My request?
My request!
Kieran squinted his eyes suddenly. Right at the next moment, he said, Change of request, I wish to acquire the methods to gain [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art]s advanced mystical skill!
Right away, the glimmering words on [Emerders Deal] started to change.
Possible! Trade?
Kieran heaved a long sigh of relief after seeing the new words appear.
Then, a sudden thought struck him and he pulled out [Heart of Compassion] but after he took out the statue, the words returned back to Not enough! The offer is not enough!.
Kieran was unwilling to give up, he ced [Heart of Compassion] back in and took out [Dorgars Tear].
The result was still the same.
The heart of a stingy ghost was triggered as Kieran spent the next dozen minutes taking out and cing back items tirelessly.
When he took everything out and ced everything back, making sure for a second time, Kieran suddenly realized if he wanted toplete the deal, he couldnt leave with anything.
Deal!
The word was squeezed out of the seams of Kierans teeth.
Seeing countless equipment and items under the light vanish from the round disk, both of Kierans hearts were beating non-stop.
He felt heartache and that it was hard to breathe.
So when a scroll appeared on the round disk, Kieran grabbed it fiercely without even giving any concern about the shattered [Emerders Deal].
He wanted to see what he got out of all those previous items.
When the system notifications popped up in his vision, Kieran couldnt help but widen his eyes.
[Acquired Extra dungeon entry scroll!]
Chapter 818 - Unusual
Chapter 818: Unusual
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
[Extra dungeon entry scroll: After use, enables yer to enter the dungeon that hasnt opened a special dungeon]
[Note 1: Because it is an extra entry, the dungeon world will not have missions and ratings]
[Note 2: yer can stay no longer than 12 weeks]
[Note 3: yer cannot acquire equipment through the orthodox way]
[Note 4: The number of equipment and items that yer can bring depends on the dungeon]
[Note 5: yerspanion has to stay back in the game room]
[Note 6: Able to enter anytime, unaffected by dungeon cooldowns and likewise will not be calcted towards dungeon entry count]
...
As Kieran grabbed the scroll, the details started to pop up.
All the restrictions didnt exceed Kierans expectation though, how could it be simr to a normal dungeon entry since it was entering through special means?
It was simr to an official entry and illegal entry of a country, both were two different concepts.
Though as long as he could return to [The Failed Great Detective], everything would be worth it.
He didnt forget in that dungeon world, there wasnt just the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] but also the Church of Dawns legacy and inheritance.
Once the thought struck him, Kierans heart was pumped and excited but the excitement didnt make him lose his cool.
Back then in the dungeon world where I learned [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] and [Barsical Kick] from Guntherson, they consumed Golden Skill Points and Skill Points, if its an advanced skill of the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] or other kinds of mystical skills, the cost will be high also, but now...
Kieran looked at his points tab as he was thinking deeply.
[Points: 35,000; Skill Points: 215; Golden Skill Points: 1; Golden Attribute Points: 2]
Because of the repair fees for [Emerders Deal], his points had returned to normal.
Skill Points were extremely sufficient though but he had to take into consideration the appraisal and embedding cost of the [Thunder Fall Stone].
The most important thing was Golden Skill Points of which he had only 1!
It wasnt good news for Kieran who wished to learn the advanced skill of the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] and while Golden Attributes Points were used to raised his Constitution to SSS rank to fit the prerequisite of leveling up [Charles Fire], he was left with 2.
Although it cost him 4 Golden Attribute Points, the benefits he reaped from it were worth his while.
[Name: Charles Fire (Transcendence)]
[Rted Attribute: None]
[Skill Type: Offense]
[Effect: Create an Extreme attack devil me on your left hand, able to burn continuously. Common water and sand are unable to extinguish the me. Has the special ability to burn souls and devour life energy.]
[Special Effect: Devil me (Your bloodline has the element of fire. It is your gift and also proof of your identity. You ignite the devil me with an attack from None, Feeble, Weak, Average, Powerful and Extreme at will. After charging for 4 seconds, attack of the me +1, has greater chance to trigger me Burst effect on enemies.]
[Transcendence option: Rapid umtion (Charging time decreased by 2 seconds)]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Constitution SSS]
[Remark: This is a spell without incantations, casting gesture and casting time. A skill created by the alchemy master fusing ancient hidden knowledge together!]
[Note: You have acquired this skill through learning, not through a Skill Book. Therefore, you cannot upgrade it with Points and Skill Points. If you want to level it up, you will need to continue learning or acquire a Skill Book!]
[Note 2: This skill has reached its limit!]
...
After the charged up Extreme rank Devil me was boosted to Advance Rank, plus his devils bloodline [Fiery Sulphur] that had the +1 extra buff on firepower, it became the determining factor that made the battle against the high-rankers so easy and allowed him to emerge the victor.
After all, with the buff from [Fiery Sulphur], the initial fireball was already at the Advance Rank and once he charged it up...
Even those high-rankers would find it hard to fight Kieran face to face and even when he encountered some higher ranked yers, Kieran had the confidence to toy around with them as well.
Unfortunately, [Charles Fire] had only 1 Transcendence option, if there was an option to increase his firepower by 1, he would definitely go with that option.
Kieran didnt think Rank I was the limit, after the Roman number of I, there would be II and III close behind.
Though, all of that was temporarily sidelined by Kieran as he focused his attention on the [Extra dungeon entry scroll].
If I want to maximize my gains, I would at least need 5 or more Golden Skill Points. Even more so, considering the requirement of the advanced skills, [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] would have to reach Transcendence as well... which means I cant go back go back with now.
Kieran muttered to himself.
Then, he sighed.
Even though he was eager to head back to [The Failed Great Detective] dungeon world right away, his logic and rationality told him what was right for him.
Regret and eagerness intertwined in Kierans heart, making him feel a little bit rash.
He knew he had to divert his attention for now.
...
2567: I need to appraise and embed a gemstone.
Kieran opened up the PM tab and sent the [Thunder Fall Stone] and [Brutal Lightning Hand] to cksmith. cksmith replied right away but when he saw the content, he couldnt help but widened his eyes.
cksmith: Appraisal fee 10K, Embedding Fee 300K, both items have simrpatibility, extra fee 200K.
2567: Simrpatibility?
2567: Whats that?
...
After acquiring the [Thunder Fall Stone] and although he didnt truly appraise it, based on Kierans previous experience, it enabled him to have a general grasp the attributes of the gemstone, so he had made the decision to embed the obvious lightning attribute gemstone into [Brutal Lightning Hand] which also had a simr one.
When simr powers were oveid together, it would definitely increase. Kieran was certain of that.
Though cksmiths extra fee told him that cing simr powers together was not just a in increment.
...
cksmith: Gemstone embedding into equipment with the same power will greatly increase the equipments rank.
cksmith: And there is also a small chance of having a special attribute.
cksmith: Of course the chances of failing will increase as well.
2567: So 200K extra points is to increase the sess rate?
cksmith: Is to make sure it doesnt fail.
...
Looking at cksmiths emphasizing on her words, Kieran started to trade Skill Points for Points without a second thought.
170 Skill Points nabbed Kieran 510K of Points and after trading it to cksmith, both of them didnt converse further and ended the conversation.
Although because of the previous message, the rtionship between both of them was a little closer, cksmiths intentional coldness swiftly dragged the distance between them back to its original state.
As for Kieran taking the initiative to shorten the distance?
Well, sorry, Kieran had no concerns over these things right now.
After the conversation with cksmith ended, the PM tab kept on ringing.
It was Allen, the boss of Blood Alliance.
...
Allen: No problem, I am near Wallway Street, Ill go to your ce?
2567: Sure.
Allen: Ill be right there!
2567: C yater!
...
Allen didnt reject the meeting with him and coincidentally, Allen was near where his game room was.
What a coincidence eh, Kieran muttered softly.
Chapter 819 - Entry
Chapter 819: Entry
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
While Kieran waited, his mind started to bring up pictures of his first meeting with Allen and the encounters that followed after that.
The more he thought, the more he realized there were a lot of suspicious points about Allen.
Broker might not be able to deal with Allen right now because of some matters but what about before?
Why didnt Broker make his move against the pesky troublemaker?
Kieran didnt believe Broker was a merciful man and there were only two reasons why he didnt do it.
First, there was someone else powerful behind Allen. The person must be someone that Broker dreaded, hence he didnt make the move.
Second, Allen was... Brokers subordinate all along.
Broker used Allen to attract attention, gathering all the others who showed dissatisfaction against him, then slowly consumed them.
After all, Allen was dubbed a lunatic avenger by the world, it was normal for him to recklessly assault Brokers base of operation or something like that and once men were lost in the process, it would be natural for them as well.
Though, it wasnt an easy feat for Broker and Allen to pull off.
The yers of the underground game werent idiots, if both of them were purely just putting up a two-man show, it would be exposed soon enough.
So...
Is there someone else that went along with Allen? A person that favored Allen publically and had quite the status in the game, making all the high-rankers think that Broker dreaded him?
Kieran was guessing the mysterious candidate in his heart.
Then, in order to verify his guesses, he sent a message to Rachel.
If such yer existed in the game, he or she would be obvious and Rachel, the high-ranker would know of his or her presence.
Unfortunately, Rachel wasnt online. After she temporarily handed Harvest Inn to Lawless, Rachel had left the game for a few days.
Kieran was used to her mysterious ways anyway and given his character, he wouldnt press the question either. He knew all he had to do was patiently wait for a precise answer.
Of course, before that, he had to deal with Allen first.
[yer Allen request to enter, Yes/No?]
Yes. Kieran gave an affirmative answer.
Allen appeared inside his room right after that.
He was still dressed in the image that Kieran had of him: a brown windbreaker with lifted cor, a wide cowboy hat, a poncho of the same color and the revolver on his left waist plus the two grenades on the right. Nothing on the looks changed, except for his tone.
2567...
After he spilled his first word, he paused.
He didnt open his mouth for a few seconds. He only sized up Kieran after that with a straight gaze.
Looking at the direct gaze, Kieran too didnt utter a word, he took it calm and easy as if there was nothing in front of him.
As expected, only a talented person like you can seed into bing something big! And me... Allen suddenly continued after a few seconds.
His words absent of grudge, stubbornness, leaving only aplicated sigh and it looked authentic, but it was iparable to the weeping.
It wasnt a loud, bitter cry but it was the soft sobs.
While Allens sobbed, Kieran who was already in a state of rm instantly had a bad feeling blooming from the bottom of his heart.
Things that could make a grown man cry were only a handful and death was undoubtedly one of them. Even more so, most of the crying was caused by death.
The other part of the crying was about love andpared to death itself, love was even crueler because love would make one live in agony, wishing they would be dead instead.
Kieran didnt want to die, neither did he want to live in agony.
So, even though he was in the absolute-safe game room, Kieran decided to strike first to seize the advantage.
Huuu!
Fire rose up from his hand, burning brightly but another ray of light was faster.
[yer Allen used 10-times Increase Cooldown Card on you!]
[yer Allens action is detected as malicious, elimination starts!]
[10-times Increase Cooldown Card will not inflict actual damage on you but its effect will apply!]
The system notifications appeared in Kierans vision and Allens body was also disintegrating into small light particles, identical to those dead yers that Kieran killed but more agonizing.
At least Kierans room was filled with Allens agonizing wails and even though the process was so short that itsted less than a second, the wails echoed in Kierans rooms for quite a while.
However, Kieran didnt show any sympathy, his gaze was cold as he looked at the system notifications that kept on popping out.
[Name: 10-times Increase Cooldown Card]
[Type: Card]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Attribute: Single and Party dungeons will go into cooldown immediately and cooldown time increased by 10]
[Remark: This isnt a prank, it is a card that bears malicious intent.]
[Note: If cooldown time reaches the limit time of character outside the dungeon, card effect will immediately subside]
...
No doubt this was the loophole that Broker found and Allens action already proved that he was one of Brokers pawns.
Likewise, it also proved to Kieran that Broker didnt wish for him to further increase his strength this fast.
For this reason alone, Broker didnt mind turning Allen, his spy that hadnt exposed himself into an expendable pawn piece.
Is it because the previous incident made you feel a sense of danger? Kieran muttered to himself.
Then, he sent a message to Lawless, briefly exining what happened.
HOLD ON!
Lawless replied with a rare two word only message and a mere 10 minutester, Lawless came into Kierans room.
When he saw the effect of [10-times Increase Cooldown Card], Lawless cursed out loud.
That f*cking son of a b*tch! I will f*ck him over! Lawless said as he wanted to leave.
Its useless. Since Broker has made Allen do such a thing, he must have arranged it early on. Unless you can break into the yers room, otherwise you cant even touch him. Believe me, if it is possible, Broker will not just order Allen to risk his life to use a [10-times Increase Cooldown Card] on me, it will be something more deadly.
And... He will deplete his manpower soon. Kieran pointed at his cooldown time which has been increased 10 fold.
So, you are just going to let him go? Lawless grunted in an upset tone.
How would I? Do I look like such a saint with so much tolerance? I hope you can gather some men and sweep clean his properties. Maybe the secret bazaar is heavily guarded but the others shouldnt be as tight as the bazaar, Kieran said with a smile.
What about you? Lawless looked at his good friend with doubts who was still wearing a smile at this kind of timing.
Kierans performance didnt look like a yer that had been restricted one bit.
I have my own solutions. Dont worry, Kieran said.
For the uing time, Kieran and Lawless discussed in detail about which properties of Broker they should make a move on.
After Lawless finally left, Kieran took in a deep breath and turned around, picking up [Extra Dungeon Entry Scroll].
Originally he nned to enter when everything was set but now...
He couldnt afford to sit back and wait anymore.
Unless he nned to stay in his game room and y solo for the rest of his life and even still, he would be affected in some way.
He didnt forget what was Brokers main upation was.
Anyone who buys from 2567, Lawless and the likes of them will receive double the price when trading in the bazaar!
Or Anyone who did not buy from 2567, Lawless and the likes of them will receive 10% discount at the bazaar!
Kieran didnt doubt one bit that Broker will go with such cheap moves, especially when his forces expanded once more, his influence would surely reach new highs.
Facing such a situation, Kieran knew what should he do.
[Do you want to use Extra Dungeon Entry Scroll? Yes/No]
Yes!
[Please choose your dungeon!]
The Failed Great Detective!
[Extra Dungeon Entry Scroll conflicts with 10-times Increase Cooldown Card...]
[Extra Dungeon Entry Scroll has priority!]
[10-times Increase Cooldown Card loses its effect!]
[Entering dungeon...]
Chapter 820 - Prayers Before The Gravestone
Chapter 820: Prayers Before The Gravestone
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
As usual, words and voices started to appear.
[Entering Single yer dungeon!]
[This Single yer dungeon is an Extra Dungeon!]
[Dungeon Difficulty: 2nd dungeon]
[The Failed Great Detective: In the eyes of the people, you as the great detective are dead because you covered your friends escape and died with the monster. Your grave stood behind the small hut of the night watcher in St. Paolo School. With your new name 2567, you have been traveling around for quite some time and now, youvee back again...]
[Main Mission: None]
[Temporarynguage pack, disappears upon exiting the dungeon.]
[Clothing, backpack, weapons, and other items remain unchanged. Temporarily altered appearance. Returns to normal upon exiting the dungeon.]
[Inspecting firearms and grenades... Weapons do not match the current year, damage reduced by 50%, handgun reloading speed +1 second, sniper reloading speed +30 seconds]
[This is an extra entry, you can only choose 3 equipment and items...]
[Detected 10-times Increase Cooldown Cards effect still remains, unable to choose any pieces of equipment and items!]
[Note 1: This is an extra entry dungeon, you can only stay for a maximum of 12 weeks]
[Note 2: Dungeon will not fail but yer can still die]
[Note 3: This is an extra entry dungeon, you will not acquire any items or trigger any events that will initiate a subsequent dungeon]
...
Second dungeon difficulty? It calcted based on the special dungeon method?
Kierans eyes had a slight sense of regret.
If it wasnt the rule that the extra dungeon would not drop any equipment, with his current power level, he would have been able to rake in a huge amount of loot.
Even though the current dungeon worlds mystical realm had deteriorated, inheritances and legacies would not be altered by time.
One needed to know, there wasnt just one Church of Dawn, the mystical faction, in [The Failed Great Detective]s dungeon world. Based on Kierans knowledge, there was another Church of Light which was ten times stronger than the Church of Dawn, and one could only imagine what inner secrets it held!
Though Kieran knew what he was after, the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] advanced skill!
As for the others, Kieran couldnt be bothered at the moment because he only had one chance.
He knew it was one of the aftereffects of using [Extra Dungeon Entry Scroll] when he saw Note 3 and when his gazended on 10-times Increase Cooldown Cards effect still remains, unable to choose any equipment and items, his eyes turned cold rapidly.
His killer intent was erupting but he knew the overflow of killer intent would only affect the uing dungeon world.
We will slowly clear our debts, Broker.
After he muttered softly, he took in a deep breath habitually and started to adjust his form again.
Soon, 3 minutes shed by, the familiar blinding light and loss of gravity appeared again.
When everything returned to normal, Kieran was standing on a street.
The gloomy sky was drizzling, the people on the streets were moving fast.
Horse wagons and antique cars roared through the wet streets.
The water puddles that were sshed up by the vehicles made the pedestrians, who didnt dodge in time, curse out loud, but the wagons and cars drove away even faster.
No one wanted to look for trouble, especially under such gloomy weather.
The pedestrians were no exceptions either, after a few more phrases of greeting the drivers mother, they continued on with hastened steps since they knew they wouldnt get any realisticpensation from the drivers andmuters.
Kieran gazed across the road, he saw the police box and St. Paolo School behind it.
Inside the police box, the police officer on duty was standing straight as a stick, fulfilling his duty of blocking wagons and cars that wanted to enter the school.
Behind the police box though, St. Paolo looked even quieter under the gloomy drizzle, when a series of reading entered Kierans ears, the quiet didnt break, instead, it added a deeperyer of tranquility.
Duke Waynes death was covered up? Or some other particr methods were used?
The normally operating school gave Kieran guesses.
Kieran didnt have the slightest sympathy for that noble who was obsessed with gold and eventually died because of it, but because the family he apart of and the control of the city that his family had, Kieran dared not underestimate his influence.
As the leader of the political family that controlled almost half of the city, once he was dead, the influence that followed would not be small, it might be appropriate to consider the aftereffect as a storm but the scene before Kierans eyes told him everything with the city was normal.
There werent any cries of the stork that came with the whistle of the wind, neither were there any bloody storms that washed the streets, as though Duke Waynes death didnt happen at all and in order to achieve something like this, it wasnt an easy task.
Rting the current situation with that elderly knights style, Kieran had guessed in his heart.
The guesses drove him into St. Paolo with hastened steps and of course, in [Undercover] mode.
It was quite different than his first time infiltrating the ce where he would still have to take notice of peoples gazes and had to move along with the light and shadow, now with Transcendence [Undercover], Kieran was almost invisible by utilizing the shadowy spots, slipping through right under the police officers sight.
St. Paolo didnt change at all, Kieran easily evaded the patrol squad that was led by the St. Paolos security captain as if it was his backyard and directly headed to the deeper part of the campus.
The wooden hut didnt change either but Guntherson wasnt there.
The wooden hut was spotlessly clean, it seemed like someone had been cleaning the ce from time to time but the cab that stored the food and rations was empty of its contents.
It also seemed like no one had been living here for a very long time.
Guntherson left?
The thought rose up in Kierans mind but the moment it came up, he rejected it.
Aside from Guntherson being Sister Monis guardian knight, the sole point of his feelings for her would be enough for him to never leave her side.
Of course, everything was brushed over by Guntherson, stating it was just a vow but who would believe that?
As long as one wasnt a blind man, they would know what was going on between the two.
Likewise, it also rified that something must have happened.
Seems like Duke Waynes death wasnt as tranquil as it looked.
It was the only reason that Kieran coulde up with exining Gunthersons absence, it also fit the elderly knights character and the worst case scenario.
However, Kieran needed to know more about the current situation.
Just as Kieran was about to seek out Sister Moni for further information, footsteps sounded.
Instinctively, Kieran stood in the shadows.
After a while, an elderly sister with a hand full of white flowers came into Kierans sight.
Her steps were slightly slow but didnt pause as she went straight behind the hut.
There was a graveyard behind there but calling it a graveyard would be exaggerating because it only had a single gravestone.
The valiant and fearless fool was carved on the gravestone.
It was very irregr carving and it didnt have a precise name, neither did it state the precise time nor the person who the gravestone was for.
A single gravestone stood behind the hut looking more like a joke than the real thing but Sister Monis stern attitude made it so one couldntugh at all.
She ced the flowers in front of the gravestone and took out a cloth, wiping the gravestone and cleaning the area.
It was conscientious and meticulous yet filled with sadness.
Bernadettes glory will lead you into the path to the future, do not fret, do not feel helpless...
Kierans expression turnedplicated when he heard the sisters prayers.
Although there was no exact name on the gravestone, seeing the background that the system provided, how could Kieran not know that gravestone was for him?
And from the way the words were carved in and the tone, the person who made it was no other than Guntherson.
This really is...
Kieran was ready toe out from the shadows since he couldnt find a precise word to describe the scene.
The single gravestone in the graveyard was already a fact, Kieran couldnt do anything to change it but at least he could dissuade Sister Moni from wasting her futile efforts.
Though, right at that moment, messy footsteps sounded, forcing Kieran to stop his own.
His eyes turned to the source of the footsteps and he saw Chief Officer John, with a heavy face.
Chapter 821 - Box
Chapter 821: Box
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Chief Officer John obviously ran indirectly from outside the school.
His forehead wasnt just filled with sweat, he was drenched in it; he was panting heavily.
He saw Sister Moni in front of the gravestone and went over to her.
Im sorry Sister Moni, for interrupting your prayers to Kieran. There was a sudden incident, so pleasee with me.
While John spoke, he habitually straightened his back and made his already buff body even stiffer, but it wasnt pressuring and instead, it added anotheryer of respect to his manner.
Whats wrong John? The elderly sister looked at the chief officer.
Hmm... I think its better youe with me. I really dont know how to exin. His rugged face showed a bitter smile.
Very well. The elderly sister nodded and with the chief officers help, they walked towards the wagon parked beside the police box outside the school.
Sister, do you need me to go with you?
Before the sister went up to the wagon, the security team captain came over to ask.
Its fine Reed, Johns here. The sister pointed at the chief officer.
Security captain Reed was being different when he treated Kieran with utmost vignce, he maintained quite the respect for the tall and buff chief officer.
Ill leave the sister in your care, chief officer! Reed said.
Mm. John nodded, assuring his promise.
...
Kieran captured the scene before his eyes.
He slightly frowned as he remained in the shadows.
Kieran didnt have much understanding about the security captain, Reed, but one thing was for sure, he admired Sister Moni and loved his job. However, no matter how much enthusiasm he showed for his upation, it wouldnt go as far as protecting the sister even outside the schools premises.
After all, Sister Moni as the principal of St. Paolo School was respected throughout the city, under normal circumstances, no one would truly disrespect the elderly sister. Even those who lurked in the shadows would be sensible enough to avoid bringing trouble to themselves.
One needed to know, the students who studied in St. Paolo school were either rich or nobles and as the principal of the students, although she wouldnt use anything against them, the influence she had was enough for those shady characters to understand how to treat the elderly sister.
The influence of Duke Wayne? Guntherson might have settled it in the light but are there still some things brewing in the dark? Kieran wondered.
It was the only thought he coulde up with at the moment and with such guesses in his mind, it made him swiftlye up with specific ns.
Kieran quickly followed up when he saw that the officer was driving it slowly away.
The rain was getting heavier.
The concentrated raindrops swiftly created puddles on the road and at the same time blocking peoples sight, even for the most skilled Wagoner, they wouldnt dare sprint with full speed under such bad weather.
Therefore, the wagon carrying the sister and chief officer wasnt fast, allowing Kieran to easily follow behind.
Though it was just for Kieran, for the others, it wasnt so easy.
A few figures were hiding their pants under the rain yet it was clear when it entered Kierans ears.
Kierans eyes soon locked on to two men with malicious intent.
The flintlocks and daggers armed in their hands and all the attention ced on the wagon were telling Kieran what the men were after.
Without further hesitation, Kieran approached the two of them silently, he first grabbed and covered the mouth of one man with his left hand and snatched the dagger with his right hand, slicing the neck of the other man who didnt even react to the situation before turning the dagger back and slicing the guys neck who he was suffocating with his hand.
Amidst the series of rapid action, the process didnt even take one second.
If Kieran wasnt afraid of startling the snake which could ruin his n, he had a simpler and faster way of making the two slightly stronger men that bore malicious intent disappear from the world.
Kieran dragged the two bodies into an alleyway, looting their daggers and flintlocks before catching up to the wagon.
This time, there werent any further idents as the wagon swiftly arrived at the three-story police station that had an average front.
John held the umbre up with one hand and helped the sister down with the other.
Both of them went into the station and headed down to the basement floor where the morgue was.
The morgue was still the same old one that upied 1/4 of the ce and it currently housed a giant box inside.
The box had a big rectangr shape, made entirely out of wood with dimensions of 1.5 meters in length, 1 meter in width, and around 70 cm in height. All four of the top edges were wrapped with copper, giving a metallic luster under the candle and oilmps light.
A delicate lock with its key inserted was hanging on the buckle of the box.
One could easily tell with a quick nce that the box and lock were not something a normal family could afford, especially the key hanging there.
Judging from the luster, Kieran was quite confident that it wasnt a copper key but a gold one!
A key made out of gold was considered extravagant and luxurious regardless of the time period but soon enough, Kierans attention waspletely ced on the box, or more precisely the contents of the box.
The faint smell of blood with a mix of thick aroma gushed into Kierans nose violently.
Although it was suppressed by the perfume, the smell of fresh blood was hard to cover.
Kieran couldnt help but squint his eyes. He was clear that in order to create the scene, there was only one possibility, which was bleeding from an excessive amount of wounds!
Only with that, even the strongest perfume couldnt cover the stench of the blood.
Plus the size of the box...
Kieran already had guessed in his heart.
The chief officer went up to the sister, reminding her, Sister Moni, I hope you are prepared for this.
Dont worry. My age has allowed me to experience much.
The elderly sister kept her calm at first but as soon as the box was opened up, she cried out in shock.
It wasnt frightened but unbelievable.
Inside of the box was filled with scarlet red blood, pieces of white petals that were soaked in it through a long period of time had lost their original color, including the body in it.
It wasnt an intact body though, but it was dismembered and arranged neatly.
In order to disy the dismembered body neatly, there was a rack that built inside, dividing the body, the limbs, and the torso into separate sections, as if the box was a lunchbox used inmon cafeterias.
Torti?!
The elderly sister bent her waist and crawled up beside the box, hoping to have a good look at the head soaked in blood.
Right at that particr moment, the eyes of the head opened up suddenly.
Its re was red and dazzling!
Chapter 822 - Further Away. Coming Closer
Chapter 822: Further Away. Coming Closer
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The moment the eyes on the head opened up, a gloomy breeze circted around the basement morgue.
Candles, oilmps, and even the only electric light bulb were put out instantly.
The whole basement was plunged into darkness within a second, except for two scarlet red dots shining ferociously.
It was... the heads eyes!
Careful!
The sudden changes shocked John but it didnt affect his mobility. John pulled out his revolver and fired at the head while dragging Sister Moni behind him.
He didnt forget he had made a promise to Reed to protect the elderly sister but things were a little out of his expectations.
Bang!
Bang! Bang!
Three continuous shots fired straight in between the eyes of the head.
Although the ce was in total darkness, the red shine from the eyes gave John the best lighting he could ask for in that situation, as if it was a beacon.
However, that head was totally unscathed, when the bullet impacted the skin, other than igniting some sparks, it didnt cause any harm.
On the contrary, a sudden chilly feeling came from Johns hand and swiftly spread throughout his body.
It wasnt the hand that John held his gun but the other than he held the elderly sister.
Could it be?!
A bad feeling erupted in his heart, making John want to release his hand out of instinct but his hand holding the elderly sisters hand was locked tight as if they were glued together, no matter how hard he pulled, he couldnt free himself.
The chilly feeling became colder and colder as it ran down his spine. What followed after the chill was a wet liquid that dripped down his neck. John didnt even have to touch it and he knew the liquid was blood based on his experience in the force and the bloody stench.
Then, the head appeared before Johns face, neck to neck, eyes to eyes, being extremely close together.
If John could choose, he would never have chosen to have such an intimate approach with the head, despite the owner of the head being young and beautiful when she was alive.
However, leaving behind a severed head that was swollen due to soaking too long in her own blood, nobody would have been able to look her in the eyes calmly.
At the same time, a question popped up in Johns mind, where did Sister Moni go?
As if the head saw through Johns question, it revealed an extremely hideous smile as it moved slightly out of sight, leaving enough space for Johns sight.
Right away, John spotted the elderly sister falling down in her own blood with her head smashed out of shape.
WHAT?! John was stunned on the spot.
Even though he was the chief officer, having experience that nomon man had and having faced countless vicious, malicious bastards before, the scene before his eyes still created a heavy impact on Johns mind.
He killed the one he promised to protect?!
How could it be possible?!
The impactful scene made Johns mental state extremely unstable, his body even started to wobble and when the elderly sister wobbly climbed up from the puddle of blood, John felt like he was struck by thunder.
John couldnt even see the head that opened its mouth, it revealed its sharp teeth and went after his neck for a bite.
Puk!
Blood sshed out. The pain from Johns neck went into his brain, it made him instinctively cover his neck.
Just as his finger touched the skin of his neck, the lights came back on!
The candles, oilmps and the electric bulb, all went back on!
The whole basement was filled with light again.
The box was still that same old box and the body inside it was still the dismembered body, its head was still in ce and although its eyes were opened, the colors were normal, not the ones with the scarlet shine.
While Sister Moni was praying softly beside John, faint white light appeared on her body.
Oh merciful Bernadette, your glory will protect your believers!
Oh merciful Bernadette, your glory will protect the innocents!
When he saw the white light, John swiftly felt peace in his heart but what happened just now in his mind had be clearer as well.
What happened just now? John asked impatiently when the elderly sister stopped her prayers.
Even though John saw Guntherson disyed inhuman power before in the sewer, the scene before him had a heavy impression in his mind.
Waves made up of gold were undoubtedly scary but a moving dead body was much scarier.
Death was basically simr in all terms but the fear that death brought was different, especially when it had something to do with dead bodies, the fear would be increased infinitely.
The cirction caused by a restless soul, but... The elderly sister wanted to exin but stopped.
But what? John pressed on the matter.
Common souls couldnt have formed such a power, and... The elderly sister stopped again.
This made John even more anxious, he said, Sister Moni, can you exin everything in one shot? I dont think teasing people is what a sister should do.
It was quite obvious that the incident that urred just now had plunged the chief officer into a disturbed state even though Sister Moni was glowing in light when she prayed, otherwise he wouldnt have pressed the question in such a manner, hoping to ease the situation.
Sure... The elderly sister stopped yet once again.
This time, it wasnt Sister Monis own will but something interrupting her.
It wasnt the body in the box whose soul hasid to rest by the sisters prayer but further away, something was happening among a few crude looking lockers.
Where was the ce again?
The morgue in the police station.
What was the leastcking thing inside the morgue?
Bodies.
The answer was very obvious but when the clunking sound echoed in his ears, John the chief officer had never felt so much disgust at the morgue than he did right now.
Sister, what should we do? John asked anxiously with his gun pointed at the shaking lockers.
He knew his gun was useless against those things but the only thing that could be considered as a weapon was the revolver in his hand.
The elderly sister didnt answer but instead, she started to pray again.
This time, the prayers she did were much more solemn. Sister Moni didnt just kneel down on the floor, she even drew a simple drawing on the floor in front of her.
Looking from the side view, John could roughly tell the drawing was half a sun that rose from the horizon, its sunlight was shining down on the fields, rivers, and mountains.
Oh merciful Bernadette, please guide the lost souls back to the righteous path...
As she prayed, Sister Moni and the drawing in front of her were covered with a faintyer of light.
However the clunking sounds from the lockers didnt stop but instead, it grew stronger!
After all, the Gods had left, how could they guide the lost souls back to the right path?
Sister Moni, we need to leave!
John saw at the iron locker which had already been heavily distorted by the force from within as if the bodies inside would jump out at the next moment. He grabbed the elderly sister without giving her a chance to exin.
The prayers stopped abruptly, the sister showed a look of suffering.
There was nothing more uneptable than the scene before her eyes.
The once great and mighty lord of Dawn couldnt even settle down a few lost souls...
Even though it wasnt the first time, she felt despair everytime it happened.
The despair added upyer afteryer, appearing one after another as if it was building a bottomless abyss.
Bang!
The iron lockers broke after another impactful clunk that overwhelmed its load.
Three bodies climbed out from the lockers with a heavy growl, charging at the chief officer and the elderly sister like wild beasts.
Without further hesitation, John ced the sister behind him again and pointed his gun at the bodies.
Even though he knew it was useless, he wouldnt just sit back and die either.
However, John didnt pull the trigger because a figure stood in front of him all of a sudden.
The figure was glimmering softly yet real and at the same time, the drawing on the floor lit up suddenly. It was 10 times, 100 times brighter than before!
The bodies that threw themselves over fell to the ground one after another and when they touched the light, the lost all signs of mobility.
Peace came back to the morgue, leaving only a blinding brilliance that covered everything.
It was tender and tenacious, unyielding and strong like the dawn of first light.
Gods Child!?
Chapter 823 - Ancient Salutation
Chapter 823: Ancient Salutation
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
A cry of shock came out from Sister Monis mouth, unconsciously though.
Her eyes had lost focus and plunged deep into her own memories.
Was it 50 years ago?
No, no, much further than that!
Back then when she wasnt the saintess but just a muddleheaded apprentice nun, she had once seen the brilliance of thest Gods Child of Dawn from far.
It was exactly same, tender and tenacious, unyielding and strong, just like the dawn of first light.
That was thest of the glorious era of the Church of Dawn.
After that, even Gods Child couldntpete with time. Aging, dying, everything was fixed like destiny itself.
During Gods Childs passing, Sister Moni became one of the candidates for the saintess position.
Then, Church of Dawn went downhill day by day and eventually became apart history itself. The history of the church only lived on in certain books and records throughout the ages and now, all that was left was a school.
As if Sister Moni had woke up from a dream, she gave a long sigh after recollecting her senses because she clearly saw the person that came to their aid.
It was Kieran, not the Gods Child that she remembered and that was also the reason why Sister Moni gave aplicated look toward Kieran.
Guntherson wouldnt have hidden the information about Kieran being a potential Gods Child but following Kierans death previously, the information has be useless and now Kieran appeared once again. He appeared in a much stronger form than before, a Gods Child appeared after the fall of the Church of Dawn? Was Lady Destiny ying a joke?
Sister Moni didnt know how to face Kieran suddenly, while John stared at Kieran with an astonished expression.
In the chief officers memory, Kieran was devoured by the colossal crocodile.
Kieran nced over the two of them and captured their expressions with his sight before revealing a smile on his face.
Its been a while! Greetings Sister Moni, Chief Officer John, 2567 send his regards. Its really the best thing toe back to familiar faces after a long journey! Kieran pretending to exim.
In the peoples eyes, the Great Detective Kieran was dead but Kieran didnt n on changing this image, not just because of the description of the background but also because he was used to moving around in 2567s identity.
Kie... 2567 what happened? Where have you been these six months? John addressed Kieran in a slightly twisted way.
The chief officer was quite doubtful about the pseudonym 2567 but he still went along with Kierans will, addressing him that way.
Kieran was his good friend and he saved his life before, so John knew what should he do.
As for Sister Moni, the elderly sister didnt utter a single word, all she did was stare at Kieran silently.
Lets change the venue, this isnt a good ce to talk. John pointed at the bodies on the floor.
Sure. Kieran didnt reject since he had gathered all useful leads.
...
The chief officer and elderly sister walked side by side to his office.
However, every few steps they walked, John couldnt help but turn back for a glimpse at Kieran.
John, I think you should be yourself.
Kierans voice sounded from the shadow beside them.
If a man sees a person fused together with the shadows and still can remain himself... I think that man is not normal at all!
No, no, no, Sister Moni, I didnt mean any disrespect. B-But... this is too shocking!
John who wasnt slow-tongued and clumsy of utterance stuttered with his words.
The elderly sister beside wasnt angry at all because she herself wasnt calm either.
Inside Sister Monis heart, a storm was already brewing, tidal waves were shing.
The dense Dawn Force and the supernatural undercover ability, Kieran had reached such heights within a short 6 months.
Sister Moni who had deep knowledge about Church of Dawns history knew even the first Gods Child who founded the church wasnt as powerful as Kieran.
Kieran who had far exceeded the first Gods Child appeared in an era where the Church of Dawn had fallen...
Oh merciful Bernadette, please inform your believer, have you returned? The elderly sister prayed in her heart.
It was natural that she didnt get any answers.
The ones who passed had gone away long ago and the ones who returned had just arrived.
It was like the rotation of the four seasons, going through cycles non-stop yet each of them was distinguishably different.
All the summers were different, despite them being scorching hot.
Sorry, I only have water here.
Inside the office, Kieran came out from the shadows and sat directly on the sofa, beside him was the elderly sister.
John picked up the cozy pot, as hot water was poured into three thick sses, faint steam rose up.
Kieran casually took his ss and started to tell his story.
When I woke up, I found myself on a boat. The sailors who rescued me didnt know what happened and neither did I. I was badly hurt and broke, so all I could do was stay on the boat at the time. Fortunately the captain was a nice man, he tried his best in gathering medicines for me and of course, maybe it is because the power within me had awakened, my wounds healed rapidly. But when the boat finally docked, I realized Ive arrived in another country. It has been a difficult 6 months for me trying to get back here. Ive always been on the road, walking, riding, following merchant convoys and going across the sea again.
Finally, Ive returned, Kieran said slowly.
Awakened power? The chief officer didnt even doubt a single word Kieran said and his attention waspletely captured by a certain phrase, so was Sister Moni.
Although she remained silent, when John asked, she too was all-ears.
This was what Kieran wanted.
En! Thats what I called it because I dont know why it would grow strong so fast. Although I learned this power with Gunthersons guidance. When I woke up, the power inside me went through drastic changes, it was powered up countless times and Ive even learned some other knowledge as well, Kieran said.
At the same time, he raised his hand up, Dawn Force then started to gather in his palm.
It sounded absolutely ridiculous but when he saw the white light on Kierans palm, John didnt even doubt it one bit.
Everything that happened before his eyes had exceeded hisprehension, the shock his heart had felt has made him forget to doubt and he never would even if he had calmed down because Sister Moni spoke.
Inheritance that can self-awaken? Other than the first Gods Child, 2567 you are the second that could achieve such feat.
The moment she finished, the elderly sister stood up and performed an ancient salutation at him.
Wung!
Just as the salutation was being performed, the Dawn Force in Kierans body was rumbling and it started to operate in an even livelier manner.
White brilliance emanated from Kierans body, making him look holy and majestic sitting there.
While being showered by the light, Kierans eyes lit up when he saw the elderly sister performing the ancient salutation.
Chapter 824 - Murder Reappear
Chapter 824: Murder Reappear
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Kieran could clearly feel the liveliness of Dawn Force.
There was also another direct hint at his changes: the system notification.
[Energy Resonance, Musou Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art acquired a decent amount of experience, cost to level up decreased by 3000 Points...]
3000 Points was like trying to put out a cartload of fire with cups of water for the 250K Points and 25 Golden Skill Points leveling cost of [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] to Transcendence.
However, one shouldnt forget that was just a simple salutation! The salutation of a person that took less than a second!
It was enough for Kieran to rte it to more things.
This was just the effect of a single person, what if there was a hundred? Or a thousand?
He might not even need a whole day to level up [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] to Transcendence should it happen.
Of course, Kieran didnt let the delight get the best of him, he was clear that it was nearly impossible to make that happen.
Aside from how hard was it to find natives of the likes of the elderly sister, the sole task of finding a hundred natives that could resonate with Dawn Force was already impossible.
He didnt forget the Church of Dawn had fallen long ago.
Even through meticulous calcting and factoring in all natives that had the slightest possibility, 5 to 10 would be the maximum or even less than that, let alone finding a hundred or a thousand that could resonate with Dawn Force.
Though Kieran didntpletely give up on the idea, instead, he temporarily buried it in the bottom of his heart and switched to an astonished tone, asking Sister Moni what is this? Ive felt my energy be more lively again.
This is the ancient salutation of the Church of Dawn, the Seal of Dawn! A method that fits the energy of Dawn Force, if Lord Gods Child desires it, I shall teach you at ater time, the elderly sister said.
Kieran was overwhelmed with delight.
Although he knew with the base he hadid down during the early dungeon and used the identity of Gods Child, it would allow him to progress smoothly ahead, he didnt expect it to be this smooth.
All he did was rely on simple conversation and he had gotten the chance to learn the supporting techniques for the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art].
All this while, although the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] was one of Kierans core powers, most of the time he used it to increase his attributes and bnce out the devil and cardinal sins energy. It was hard for him to find any active methods to use it, until [Dawn Sword] appeared, only then the awkward situation started to change slightly but it was also just a bit.
[Dawn Sword] required charging time before firing, it made Kieran extremely careful when he used it and it was impossible for him to use it as amonbat measure during battle.
Kierans tone became more respectful towards the elderly sister who had just help him solve his urgent needs.
Please continue to address me as 2567, your age and experience have far exceeded the identity that you bear. I have a lot of things that I want to learn from you, after all, Ive just awakened the power but I dont have the knowledge that goes with it, Kieran said.
Of course! Although Gods Child is extremely gifted, someone else would still have to teach the basic knowledge, Guntherson and I wouldnt mind in teaching you everything we know. The elderly sister nodded with a smile.
Perhaps the Church of Dawn hadpletely fallen but the elderly sister who held on to countless years of church traditions and extending the inheritance of the church clearly knew what must she do when a Gods Child appeared before her.
Maybe it was impossible to revive the Church of Dawn back to its glory days but it would be enough to continue to extend the churchs legacy.
Extending the legacy of the church had slowly be the elderly sistersst hope as her age increased while felt the life force slipping out of her body.
Back when St. Paolo Church was transformed into St. Paolo School, the elderly sister already had the thought to search for a reliable heir before thest moments of her life but following Kierans appearance, it changed her ns altogether.
While holding his ss, John was looking at Kieran and Sister Moni conversing but he couldnt join in at all. The topic they were discussing was no different than listening to a fairy tale but he was very interested.
After experiencing the thrilling incident, his fear faded away slowly and what followed was the rise of heavy curiosity.
John really wanted to know what kind of secrets that people didnt know of were hidden from the surface world he knew, especially when the conversation topic shifted to the incident earlier, John was all-ears.
After a human dies, his or her soul is left behind but most of the time the soul will be guided towards the divine realm that they believed in. Atheist souls will fade off quickly or fall into a sorrowful realm but some exceptions will cause the souls to go through unusual changes...
Dying of great pain will torture the soul and the soul will not go to rest peacefully, if some other special methods are used, it would be enough to change the soul, making it more violent and evil. The elderly sister said slowly.
So, that is why Torti was dismembered? John asked with a sudden realization.
Yes. The elderly sister nodded and her expression was showing an obvious sadness.
When St. Paolo Church was turned into a school, Sister Moni had given up on the idea but her love for her students was real, whether was it Altilly Hunter or the others, the sister treated all of them equally.
Dont worry Sister Moni, Ill catch that bastard!
John said instinctively when he saw the sad look on the sisters face and after the words escaped his mouth, the chief officer suddenly realized, the culprit this time was different than before.
Those bastards from before, no matter how vicious or evil they were, they were still human but this time, it was different!
Once the thought of the moving bodies entered his mind again, Johns body twitched unnaturally.
After going through that, it didnt mean he was immune to the fear, quite the opposite, only after going through the scary experience would he learn to fear the supernatural.
Although John didnt fall into a heavily frightened state, when facing against the incidents urring in the mystical realm, his hands were tied.
When he thought about the prideful words that escaped his mouth, he was embarrassed for a brief second but Kieran immediately broke the embarrassment for him.
Ill deal with the incidents in the mystical realm, all you need to do is go after themon ones. The craftsmanship on that box is quite delicate, the copper that wrapped the edges were brand new as well, Im sure it came from the hands of a popr craftsman. There was also ayer of naturaltex painted inside of the box, I do remember we have a rubber estate here right? Other than that, there are also some potions that can cause hallucinations to humans, although there is the perfume and blood covering it, I wont mistake that smell, Kieran said in a precise tone and arranged every clue in an orderly fashion.
Craftsman who made the box, rubber estate, and potions? Okay, leave it all to me!
John instantaneously recalled the scenes that happened before with Kierans reminder.
The chief officer stood up immediately, ready to move out but at the next moment, Deputy Chief Officer Leschuder ran in.
The moment the Leschuder stepped into the office, Kieran hid back into the shadows.
The deputy chief officer looked a little hesitant when he saw the elderly sister after he came in but in the end with Johns approval, he reported, Sir, theres a murder that happened at St. Paolo School!
Chapter 825 - Rainy Night, Blazing Light
Chapter 825: Rainy Night, zing Light
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The rain was getting heavier and the day was getting darker but it didnt stop the enthusiastic reporters. They widened their eyes at the fields of St. Paolo School.
There was a 3 to 4-meter tall wooden pile stuck on the field, on the top of the pile was a head and the lower part was the body that was badly pierced through. The limbs were ced on both sides of the woodpile ordingly. Anyone who saw the woodpile from afar might have thought they saw a deformed mini-giant.
Anyone who came close to the scene could feel the blood overflowing, the cruel dismembered body, and the freaky arrangement.
For normal people, it was the things they dreaded and would avoid like the gue but for the reporters, it was a hard toe by scoop.
Each of them held the umbres on their shoulder, clipping on the handle with their right wrist and holding pencils in their palms, drawing down the scene quickly on their notebook.
Some who finished earlier shifted their attention to the officers around, and their attention was captured when John came down from the wagon.
Chief! How do you see this murder case?
Chief! Is the murderer provoking the police with his work?
Chief! Chief! Do you have the confidence in catching the culprit?
...
The questions that showered down on Johns face were even more terrible than the bad weather.
John who already had a heavy heart because of another murder case didnt have the mood to entertain the reporters, his face was still as dead waters. If he didnt care about the bad reports on the polices image, he wouldnt mind sharing the taste of his fist with the senseless reporters.
But now?
Carl? Carl!? The chief officer shouted.
The young officer swiftly came out from the campus, Yes sir!
Carl who was drenched by the rain saluted to his superior upon meeting him.
Increase the police line for another 50 meters, as for anyone who trespasses the vicinity, lock them up as suspects! The chief officer ordered.
Yes, sir! Carl answered loudly.
Then, a chaotic scene happened in front of the school.
Noooo!
You cant do this! We have the right to know!
Yeah, its free journalism!
We are here for the truth!
...
The reporters voiced their objection but it was useless.
Under Carls lead, a dozen more officers who were angered under the rain were moving out like a human wall, pushing the reporters further away, step by step.
There were even a few among the officers who had a shorter tempers and didnt mind beating the reporters with their batons.
John saw the scene too, if it was during normal times, he would stop his men but now he would not.
Not just because of taking revenge on the reporters but also for a smoother operation.
The chief officer held the umbre and helped the elderly sister down the wagon, and he also said, 2567, please!
Em!
The voice sounded amid the heavy rain.
John unconsciously traced the voice to its owner but he didnt see anything at all.
Although it wasnt exactly the first time he encountered such a situation, the chief officer still felt shocked but he didnt forget his duty.
Sister Moni, do you need some rest? Ill help you back to your room, John said.
The elderly sister rejected the suggestion.
I want to have a look at the body!
Ugh... very well!
John eventuallypromised against the stern tone of Sister Moni but in his heart, he had prepared himself a while ago.
A dismembered body appeared in St. Paolo School, if someone said it wasnt rted to the school itself, John would never believe it.
Before this, Sister Moni had suffered quite the shock from the body of her student Torti and if she had to go through the process again, even a person in their prime wouldnt have epted it well, let alone an elderly woman.
Everything was as Johns expected though, the one who died on the school field was one of St. Paolos and he was also someone Kieran knew.
Reed, the security captain of the school, a middle-aged man that was loyal to the sister and faithful to his duty to the school.
Now, the middle-aged man was dismembered on the spot.
Looking at the scattered body, Kierans gaze scanned the area but he didnt find anything.
Musou level [Tracking] could already allow him to find traces left behind by a special existence but still, he didnt find any traces left by the culprit.
It wasnt the special existence but a normal human? Did the culprit use the rain to cover the murder? Kieran nced over the ground once more.
The firm ground was filled with rainwater, Kieran could still pick up some footprints but the rainwater was gushing hard, washing away the traces rapidly.
No doubt the footprints were left behind by the officers who arrivedter at the scene and as for the culprits?
It might have been lost in the rain a while ago.
Kieran looked up at the woodpile again.
A 3 to 4-meter tall wooden pile, its surface diameter is over 15 cm. There arent marks of ropes around the woodpile which means the murderer lifted the pile with his bare hands and plunged almost 50 cm deep in the ground...
Its nearly impossible for amon man to do this, other than Sister Moni and Guntherson, are there some other powerful ones in the mystical realm? Kieran wondered in his heart.
The appearance of a new era wasntpleted with one stroke.
The Church of Dawn was eliminated but there was St. Paolo School and Sister Moni, Guntherson, the remnants of the old age, so it wouldnt be strange if there were more that stayed behind.
But...
These individuals worked together with the Wayne Family? Kierans eyes had doubts all over them.
It wasnt the suspicion about the strongying their pride down and working with the normal ones, neither was it the grudges they had for Wayne Family.
No matter how strong the powerful ones were, they would need to eat and sleep, needed a ce to rest, especially as the remnants of the old age, they would understand their position even better in the new era.
The grudges with Wayne Family? Well, it was self-exnatory.
The real reason that Kieran felt doubtful was the arrangement of the murderer.
The body that appeared in the station wasnt bait to lure the sister out but a real ace card from the murderer, so it was not necessary for the ambushes along the way.
Now, with Reeds body in front of him, killing a security captain out of threatening means, his body would be enough, there was no need to arrange the body like this and even without any other special arrangements behind it.
It was very... unnecessary! Thats right, unnecessary!
If it was Wayne Family who did this, they shouldnt have held back and at least will spend their effort in a certain point, unless...
Not just a single party that has their eyes on the school? Two? No, no, I think its three! At least three parties had their desperate gaze set on St. Paolo!
Kierans squinted eyes were shining brightly.
Why? Were the treasures of the Church of Dawn not enough?
The abundant amount of gold that formed the tidal wave and could have easily squashed a person, regardless of the intentional parties that eyed the gold or the guardians of the gold.
Kieran looked up again, observing Reeds restless death and turned to the elderly sister who sunk into sorrow. He went off in the rain without saying anything else.
Any words in that particr moment were helpless and weak, and while words didnt work, it was best to take action.
Kieran always thought the saying was precise, an eye for an eye, and blood debts should be paid with blood!
The rain somehow grew bigger, the bell beside the school field was rung.
Dang! Dang! Dang!
The bell rings overpowered the rain as the security members were sending their captain off.
They meticulously tidied up their captain, tried their best to make their captain look presentable. The crowd eyes were red and many of them couldnt help but wipe off the tears from their eyes.
The sorrowful atmosphere gathered but further away, a couple of malicious watchful gaze behind the rain was sizing up the scene in a ridiculing manner.
They were like hungry wolves showing their ws, venomous snakes revealing their fangs.
They were looking at their prey, figuring out where should they strike.
Suddenly...
KABOOM!
An explosion that shook heaven and earth sounded off from the outskirts of the city.
It was where Wayne Familys manor was located.
The slumbering city in the rain waspletely awoken, people stared at that direction with astonishments.
Especially those hiding in the shadows that bore malicious intent, when they saw the zing light shine through the night sky covered in rain, each of them had a bad feeling in their heart.
It was like... a great disaster was imminent!
Chapter 826 - Straw Bag
Chapter 826: Straw Bag
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The ones who bore malicious intent and hid in the shadows felt their hearts tighten all of a sudden.
No way!
It must be just a fire at Waynes manor!
Thats right, it must be just amon fire!
They wereforting themselves with wishful thoughts.
It was not something odd or strange though, humans would naturally reject any ominous feelings out of instinct, just like the reluctance to face death.
They run from it, fear it, and dread it as much as they can. But in the end, its all useless.
What was bound to happen would eventuallye and nothing would be able to stop it.
No matter how many reasons or excuses they made up, it would end the same because from the beginning to the end, they had no idea whose tail they stepped on.
So did the newly ascended Duke Wayne.
...
Outside the manor, the winds were roaring, the rains were downpouring but inside the grand hall, it was as warm as spring and under the beautiful lighting and music, the people were dancing happily.
The new Duke Wayne had smiles on his face, raising his ss up asionally.
For the new Duke Wayne, the scene before his eyes wasnt just any dinner but it was the crucial moment where would pronounce himself as the newly ascended leader of the family.
So, the scene was extravagant, luxurious yet dignified and stern.
The fully armed guards stationed around the manor werent just for show or scaring the outsiders but they were also there to suppress the other family members who showed smiles on their face.
The new Duke Wayne knew the other family members werent convinced of him and the emotions would stay for quite some time in the future but what else could they do?
After all, he has taken the position of the new duke and the new leader of the family, the entire Wayne family now viewed him as the leader.
The moment he had beaten the other members in his family to seizemand of the family guards, everything had been decided.
Bunch of morons!
When the new duke recalled how the oncepetitors tried to rope him in after the old dukes death, his heart was filled with contempt and disdain.
He had had enough of the days of being pushed around here and there, so how could he let the chance before him slip away?
The contempt and disdain in his heart didnt stop the new Duke Wayne from raising his ss, toasting at thepetitors and losers before him.
Though his smile became extremely prideful, the losers in the eyes of the new duke were no different than disowned dogs. All the valuable properties of hispetitors were collected and all they could own now was a single penthouse in the city.
Thank me and my merciful soul that I didnt drive all of you away and eliminate every one of you!
The thought that bloomed in the new dukes heart made him more and more arrogant and it also made the other Wayne family members more and more nervous and panicked.
They didnt forget about the fact that the new duke before them wasnt a merciful person, those other members who didntply with hismands were buried in the family graveyard long ago.
The family members that were present at the dinner were the ones who pledged their loyalty to him.
Looking at the other members who werent convinced of him yet afraid, the new duke really wanted tough out loud, he was very satisfied with the scene before his eyes.
Wasnt the situation the exact thing that he so sought after?
However, soon enough the new dukes delightful mood went away.
After a certain attendant whispered in the dukes ear, the new duke left the hall with an ugly look.
Looking at the new dukes back, the Wayne family members were relieved but when they thought about the ugly look on the new dukes face, they became nervous again.
The ones who were alive and able to stand at the dining hall, each of them was frightened to death by the new duke without a doubt and even their own emotions were affected by the new dukes mood.
Such people would not have any foreseeable future to speak off.
As for the new duke?
His roaring came out from the study room.
Damn it! Didnt I tell you to find some skilled man to kill the old nun? How could it fail?
The enraged new duke smashed the ss on his personal attendants head.
Pak!
The ss was shattered and the attendants head was bleeding.
My lord, Ive searched for the two best killers in the city but who wouldve known they would die silently in an alley! Fret not my lord, I...
Before the attendant could finish, he passed out on the ground and revealed the figure behind him.
Who are you!
The new duke shouted at the figure and reached out to his drawer, trying to pull out the flintlock pistol.
Kieran looked at the new dukes action and he couldnt hold back his slightly shaking head.
Compared to the old Duke Wayne, the new one wasnt justcking one or two characteristics.
Whether was it his temper, character or the ability to judge the situation, it was on apletely different level.
Bang!
With a hood on his head, covering half of his face, Kieran kicked the duke on the groin without the slightest courtesy.
Ouch! Do you know who I am? I am... Aaaargh!
After being kicked on the floor, the childish duke didnt even forget to threaten Kieran with his identity but Kieran quickly made him realize the situation.
Pak!
One of the fingers on his right hand was snapped and the new duke was crying in pain.
Shut up! Kieran yelled at him.
The new duke, however, didnt shut up but his cry got even louder.
Pak!
Another finger was snapped by Kieran and when Kieran chose the third to snap, the new duke finally shut up.
I ask, you answer. Other than sending two killers after the sister, what else did you do to St. Paolo? Kieran asked.
I...I...Argggh!
The new duke was a little hesitant but what he got in reply was a third broken finger.
I didnt do anything! All I did was send killers! To avenge the old duke and it is a duty that I have to fulfill as the new duke, it isnt my own will!
When Kieran picked up the fourth finger, the new duke was spilling out the details while he cried his heart out.
You didnt leak the secret of the treasures of Dawn? Kieran asked.
Treasures? What treasures? The new duke was slightly stunned.
Kieran raised a brow at the new dukes reaction, he wasnt lying.
The new duke was such a useless straw bag and he definitely couldnt cover it up to this extent, which means what the old duke did in the sewers, the Wayne family members didnt know?
No, no, no, not the family members but only the new duke in front of him.
Otherwise, it couldnt exin the fact that the treasures secret was leaked.
Sister Moni and Guntherson would never have leaked it and for the other rted personnel, they knew what they should do after forming a contract.
Only the family members of Duke Wayne would rte to something from him being missing and presumed death but the new duke before Kieran...
Kieran didnt think he had such capabilities.
Dak, Dak, Dak, Dak!
A quick and messy series of footsteps approached quickly. The new duke who was crying like a baby instantly turned arrogant.
My men are here! I will make you pay for what you did! I will let you understand what will be of you when you offended me, Duke Wayne...
Bang!
Kieran lifted his leg and sent the new duke flying away.
The agonizing moan that came from the duke when he hit the study room door, themotion made the guards move even faster.
When Kieran saw the ovepping figures in the corridor, he didnt feel surprised at all.
Since Kieran didnt stop the dukes crying, he knew what wasing for him.
Huu!
A giant fireball appeared in Kierans hand.
The guards froze!
The guards who were still charging in courageously a moment ago were frozen like they were struck by a petrifying spell. They widened their eyes, looked at the fireball in Kierans hand.
The guards who were just normal humans had never witnessed such an unimaginable scene before.
How could a man control fire? It was a feature of the devil!
The fear of the unknown started to spread rapidly. Before Kieran could take any further actions, the guards started to flee, faster than they came but how could they outrun the flying fireball?
KABOOM!
The me waves that exploded in all directions devoured the running crowd as it rumbled fiercely. The whole floor was being washed by mes, followed by the whole building.
The mes ignored the rain showers, burning fiercely in the night.
Soon, the entire manor plunged into a sea of fire.
A bunch of panic-stricken Wayne family members were looking at the manor absent of actions.
Only when the guards reminded them, they reacted to the situation.
Put out the fire!
Put out the fire!
The crowd shouted.
The whole scene was chaotic and messy, none of them noticed one of their family members revealing a cold smile at them.
Likewise, none of them including the one with the cold smile noticed the hand that came out from the shadows, grabbing the smiling Wayne member and pulling them into the dark.
Chapter 827 - Actions
Chapter 827: Actions
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The Wayne member before Kierans eyes was different than the other panic-stricken ones, he was like a ck goat mixing around with a bunch of white sheep and was easily locked down by Kieran.
In fact, when Kieran covered his mouth and dragged him into the shadows, the resistance from him made Kieran believe he had caught a big fish.
The guy felt like he was confused by the sudden actions but he had actually lifted his right hand with his palms up, ready for a sudden elbow strike.
When a slight air-breaking sound came from the motion of his elbow, his the tip of his elbow hadnded on Kierans abdomen and at the moment of impact, his opened palm clenched tightly into a fist, dishing out another stronger, fiercer elbow strike.
The whole attacking process was very subtle, the man didnt even turn his head or have any signs of movements. Until his elbow strikended on his target, his eyes only slightly revealed a ferocious joy.
The man was sure after taking his elbow strike that could easily break bricks, Kieran would be finished.
Two consecutive strikes were enough to cause irreversible damage to Kierans internal organs but at the next moment, his delight was reced by astonishment.
Pain! The bone-breaking pain came from his elbow!
The man turned his head around showing a look of disbelief, trying to confirm which part of Kieran he had hit because he felt like his elbow hadnded on iron, not the body of a human being.
Though what he saw were Kierans cold eyes.
The deadly elbow strike was fatal tomon men but to Kieran, it barely scratched him.
Even without any equipment, SSS rank Constitution enabled Kieran to ignore most of the attacks from amon man.
Y-you!
Dumbfounded, The Wayne family member looked at Kieran like he was looking at a monster, and waspletely speechless.
However, his speechless state onlysted for a second or two before he swiftly recollected his senses.
Who are you!? No matter who you are, you shouldnt have done what you did! Youve set you and your organization on a path of destruction! We will not let you roam free!
After the guy finished his words, he was prepared to bite the poisonous capsule hidden in his tooth but Kieran was faster!
A fraction of a second before his teeth broke the poisonous capsule, Kierans powerful palm seized his lower jaw where his chewing muscles were. Kieran slightly used his strength through his fingers and opened the guys mouth, pulling the poisonous capsule together with his tooth out.
After a nce at the poisonous capsule with the shape of a perfect tooth, Kieran looked at the guy with a smile.
Can you tell me about this we you are referring to? Kieran asked slowly.
In your dreams! The guy answered in a rtively stern manner.
He then tried to move his mouth again, trying to kill himself by biting off his tongue.
Kieran raised a brow over his attempt and pped him in the face.
Pak!
The loud p not only stopped his motion of biting his tongue in an attempt at suicide, it even pped a couple of teeth out of him.
Pak Pak Pak!
Then, Kieran continued to p him multiple times, he only stopped when he made sure all the teeth in his mouth were pped out.
Kieran controlled his strength very well, it was able to make the guy feel enough pain yet not strong enough to cause a concussion to his brain.
Though the continuous pain from the broken teeth still made him groan heavily since he couldnt endure all of it silently.
The nerves in the teeth were quite sensitive and weak, it was quite simr to how the 10 fingers nerves were connected to the heart.
Kieran grabbed the guys hand, he didnt immediately snap his finger but he ced his own on top on the fingernail of the guys hand.
Then, he pulled!
Pak!
The guys fingernail was pulled off just like that, exposing the pink bloody flesh underneath.
This time, the pain made the guys body twitch in pain but it was just the start!
Kieran lifted the fingernail with his index finger and thumb, and he stuffed his finger into the pink bloody flesh, turning hard.
The guy couldnt hold back his voice anymore as the excruciating cry echoed in the area but the noises from the great rain and far enough distance made his cries useless.
Now, can you tell me about is this we you are referring to? If you dont say, Ill continue our little game here. Dont worry, I have tons of ways to y with you in mind... I really need to thank the books, didnt think the things that I read out of curiosity would be useful in this situation... Kieran asked again.
His voice maintained a calm and steady pace and his words were obviously part true, part false.
It was true that he learned it through the books but he didnt get enough of the torturing.
There are tons of books that was worth reading in Nikoreis study room, it was quite the achievement for Kieran who wasnt a ruthless person by nature to remember some of those techniques after a casual reading.
I-In your dreams! The guy said like a deted balloon.
Very well! Kieran wasnt pissed off but instead, he smiled.
It was the go-to reaction that was written in the books and the books stated his smile would cause a decent frightening effect.
A simple look at the Wayne family members face was able to give it all away, even though his mouth was tough, his eyes already showed fear. Especially when Kieran stabilized the guys head and pointed at his eyes with his index finger, slowly closing in on his eye, the guy tried to struggle as hard as he could.
Stop! Stop it!
He shouted loudly when Kierans finger touched his eye but it was useless, Kieran looked like he had forgotten his final goal and went on with his little game.
Puk!
Kierans fingertip went into the guys eye! An uncontroble scream of agony followed and when Kieran pointed his finger at the other eye, the screams stopped immediately.
Ill say! Ill say! But you must promise me I...
Aaaaaarggh!
Another excruciating scream came from the guy.
Death is a pardon that you dont deserve right now. A fate worse than death is what you should experience.
The guy shivered once more because Kierans finger moved towards his ear.
We are the Blood Hand Society! The guy screamed out the term right away.
Blood Hand Society?
Kieran was stunned, the term that sounded like a gangs name was unheard of but it didnt stop him from asking further.
The whole interrogation process went on for another 20 minutes.
After making sure nothing was left out, Kieran snapped the guys neck with a kick and headed back to St. Paolos school as fast as possible.
The drenched hood stuck to Kierans hairpletely, water droplets kept dripping off his hood and slipping down his neck.
It was cold, slippery, and ufortable but Kieran didnt care.
After knowing what the Blood Hand Society was doing tonight, he wasnt bothered by these petty matters.
Chapter 828 - Gunshot
Chapter 828: Gunshot
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The Blood Hand Society, a killer organization hidden in the shadows of the city.
More than one-third of the unsolved murders were rted to this organization.
As for the remaining two-thirds, they more or less were connected as well.
Still, no one was able to catch traces or clues about this mysterious organization.
Whether was it Director Patrick or the current chief officer, John, none of them apprehended any of them.
It felt like the members of the organizations were invisible, each time theymitted a murder, they woulde and go without a trace, let alone finding the leader.
Even the most detailed information about the leader didnt even state the gender of this mysterious figure. In simple words, there was nothing known about the person.
However, Herles was very pleased about that because no one would ever think the leader of such an organization would be a night watcher.
Every evening, he would push his cart loaded with oil and adder around the streets and alleys, refilling streetmp oil and reigniting themp fment and in the morning, he would go around and put them out again.
More than half of the citizens in the city knew Herles the night watcher, after all, he had been in this line of work for 20 years.
Now, this night will be hisst to walk the night because after tonight he will have enough gold for retirement. He would find a beautiful ce, settle down and live the rest of his life with an abundance of wealth.
When he thought about the great life waiting for him ahead, the downpour of rain before him looked more pleasant.
Herles was a person who liked rainy days, not only because it would affect peoples sight and hearing but also because it was able to cover up the smell of blood, allowing him as a killer to have enough time to arrange the crime scene perfectly, just like tonight!
No one would have thought St. Paolo School would be hit by a murder, just like no one would have thought St. Paolo had hidden a part of the treasures from the Church of Dawn.
Even Herles who proimed himself as the killer leader that controlled the night identally heard the news from one of his members.
After some investigation, the news was confirmed but the things he discovered together didnt make him move out recklessly, instead, he chose to deal with St. Paolo School with more secretive means. The effect was quite decent.
Although it might result in losing a part of the gold, the remains would still be enough for this murderer.
At least he didnt have to fight that scary old man that didnt look like one... no, that didnt look like a normal person!
Whenever Herles thought about that abnormal old mans strength, his proud attitude couldnt help but shiver. However, once he thought about how the old man had left the ce in order to send away a portion of the gold, Herles heaved a long sigh of relief.
However, the old man would be back! But when he did return, Herles would be long gone with the remaining gold and no matter how powerful the old man was, it would be useless at that time.
Herles couldnt hold back his smile when he thought about how smart his n was.
Right after his smile, the explosion from far away and the zing light that shined through the dark sky made Herles heart skip a beat. The unknown anxiety made him send out the signal prematurely.
Herles lit up the street oilmp beside him, he pulled the fment up and filled themp with sufficient oil, making that onemp shine brighter than the others in the rainy night.
While standing on thedder, Herles looked towards the direction of St. Paolo School, he was anticipating a perfect ambush but...
Nothing happened.
Nothing changed within St. Paolo School under the heavy rain.
The leader of the Blood Hand Society stared straight at the illuminated small chapel beside the school field, he hoped to find his mens figures but he couldnt even locate their shadows.
The nervousness and anxiety in his heart grew stronger.
At the same time, a faint bloody stench that normal people would ignore instinctively entered his nose.
Without further hesitation, Herles jumped down from thedder and ran towards the escape route that he had nned beforehand.
Herles who hadnt been caught for so many years didnt just rely on his disguise and exceptional abilities but also because he had vignce that no one else had.
No matter how high the sess rate was, Herles would definitely think about what he would do should he fail.
A wagon was waiting for him at the end of the street. Inside the wagon was a sufficient amount of rations, food, and essential currencies but before Herles could get to the wagon, he was forced to a stop with an ugly look.
The closer he got to the wagon, the heavier the bloody stench was.
It was obvious what it meant.
Who is it? Show yourself? Herles yelled, looking like he was ready to go all out.
However the moment the words escaped his mouth, the leader of the Blood Hand Society swiftly backed up, not turning around to run, but maintaining his forward posture and tip-toeing backward.
Despite his posture looking strange, he wasnt slow at all, especially when he drew out the dual guns that packed threatening firepower.
Then, a huge force appeared behind Herles! Herles who kept backing away felt like he crashed into a speeding truck and was sent flying forward a dozen meters, falling before the wagon and unable climb back up again.
Kieran who controlled his strength didnt really kick the man to death.
Kieran had gotten a clear understanding of the situation from the Wayne family members confession. Herles in front of him had more insider information than the Wayne family member and even though he was the guy who leaked the news about the treasure of the Church of Dawn to Herles, in the follow-up investigation, the Wayne family member wasnt involved.
Even the n that happened tonight, the Wayne family member only knew about it after dark.
Based on his confession, he was just an outer ring member of the Blood Hand Society initially and through some kind of coincidence, the Wayne family member had gotten the news from a certain direct heir to the dukeship. It was after that he was promoted to core member as an exception.
Kieran didnt make any decisive judgments regarding the matter he believed the Wayne family members promotion was an exception and also believed the man had gotten the news from a certain direct heir to the dukeship.
However, none of them mattered anymore. Even if the matters were intentionally concealed, it wouldnt matter to Kieran anymore.
But, Kieran didnt believe that the certain direct heir to the dukeship died in such a timely manner, which was shortly after the old Duke Wayne went missing, thus ultimately allowing a useless straw bag to inherit the position of the duke.
So, Kieran nned to get more information from Herles. He went up to Herles and picked him up.
Herles whose spine was broken was like a puppet off its strings, allowing Kieran to pick him up without the slightest struggle.
Release me! I...
BANG!
A thin gunshot interrupted Herless words and with Kierans intentional controls, the bullet only grazed Herless shoulder andnded on the carriage of the wagon beside them.
When he saw the bullet mark on the carriage, Herles who didnt have the ability to struggle anymore started to scream out of panic.
Take me! Take me away quickly! Ill tell you what you wanted to know! Ill give you what you seek as well! Everything! Just take me away!
Amid his begging, Herles didnt sound like a ruthless leader of a killer organization but a normal night watcher.
It wasnt an act but authentic emotions from the man. It might seem like a pretentious act at first but after a while it became authentic.
Human habits were exactly the same as human desire, they were all scary.
Listening to Herless begging, Kieran turned a deaf ear and his eyes turned towards the source of the gunshot.
Chapter 829 - Specifically Targeted Arrangement
Chapter 829: Specifically Targeted Arrangement
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The downpour in the night obstructedmon peoples sight and hearing but for Kieran, it was nothing at all.
SS+ Intuition didnt just allow Kieran to be extremely sensitive against killer or malicious intent, it was also enough for him to locate where the person was after the shot was fired.
However, before Kieran could even give chase, a faint sense of danger came from Herles who he grabbed.
His battle instinct that formed through countless battles made Kieran toss Herles away without a second thought.
Herles who was tossed out inted out of control immediately, then...
KABOOM!
His body exploded just like that when it reached the limit.
A wave of green me burst out in all directions as Kieran took a step back.
Bang!
Muzzle sh shined from the gun again, the iron pellet was fired at its target fiercely.
Kieran elerated his body which was moving backward, he easily dodged the gunshot and the green mes that burst everywhere.
He didnt even bat an eye at the green mes that corroded the ground and walls as he dove into the shadows, swiftly dashing towards the rooftop where the shooter was.
But when Kieran reached the scene, other than a pitch ck extended cavalry flintlock rifle, there was only a body of a person that killed himself with poison on the rooftop.
Kieran picked up the umon flintlock rifle with a cold smile and swiftly retreated.
2 to 3 secondster...
KABOOM!
A huge explosion went off and sted the rooftop into the sky.
The bright mes were spitting out dancing mes that burned even the air. The image was imprinted in Kierans mind who was in deep thought.
Compared to the leader of the Blood Hand Society, the mastermind behind the scene felt more like a real killer.
From the first shot from the prearranged shooter to the trapid down by the umon flintlock rifle, all of the masterminds ns were interconnected one after another.
Kieran was very sure if it was another person who activated in the trap, he would get more than he bargained for, even for Guntherson, he would walk away with heavy injuries!
Besides, Kieran was quite sure that the mastermind was after Guntherson
What was Guntherson strongest point?
Meleebat! Though he didnt conceal his love for weapons and all these traps were obviously specifically targeted at him.
Think about it, after Guntherson dodged the two shots from the ck rifle and went up to the rooftop, he would see that the shooter died of poison and find an umon flintlock rifle, what would he do?
He would have picked it up and inspected it. What if the rifle was enough to astonish Guntherson?
Guntherson would stay joyous for a few seconds on the spot, it wouldnt be long but...
The masterminds n would have seeded!
Huu!
Kieran took in a breath that looked hot under the zing me, Kieran looked down and inspected what he got.
[Name: Algarys Second Shot]
[Type: Firearm]
[Rarity: Magic]
[Attack: Strong]
[Attribute: Super Range Fire Lvl 1, Armor Pration Lvl 1, Extremespeed Lvl 1, Precision Fire Lvl 1]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: Firearm Weapon, Special Arms (Master)]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: This is an early craft from the firearm master, Algary. The firearm master had yed quite a role during the war with the churches.]
...
[Super Range Fire Lvl 1: 500-meter effective range]
[Armor Pration Lvl 1: Able to easily prate light armor, (Weak to Average defense)]
[Extremespeed Lvl 1: Increase 10% in speed of bullets fired]
[Precision Fire Lvl 1: The gun barrel went through special tuning, it allows the bullets to fire with more precision (Locked on target, harmful effect +5%)]
...
Although Kieran already knew that the rifle was umon, when he saw the 4 attributes, he was still in awe, especially the remark!
Combination of firearms and mystical knowledge? Kieran sighed in his heart.
He wasnt surprised by this oue though, in each world that he had been through, there were nocking of people who tried to innovate technology.
Likewise, Kieran also solidified his guesses.
Kieran who was used to seeing Rare and Legendary equipment was still shocked over the flintlock rifles attributes, let alone how Guntherson would react.
Herles let the news out, hoping there was someone that could help him in dealing with St. Paolo School. He thought he is so smart but in fact, he was used by some intentional individuals as a pawn against Guntherson! Yet...
Kierans mind was recalling the conversation with Sister Moni.
Guntherson has left the city secretly 3 weeks ago in order to protect the treasure of the Church of Dawn, he even took Altily and Jimmy with him.
Kieran believed that Sister Moni wouldnt lie to him because of her devoted character towards her religion, she wouldnt lie to a Gods Child.
So, who was the one who made up the fact that Guntherson was still in the city even though he wasnt?
Could it be that the attacker was misinformed? If that was the case, Kieran would really be relieved.
It would be really easy to deal with such a reckless opponent but what was that true?
The attackers moved secretly and did things in a strange way, no matter how he looked at it, they didnt strike Kieran as reckless.
An extra participant?
Kieran went back into the shadows with mutters in his heart.
The polices whistles already sounded from afar.
John was already busy enough and as for the wagon filled with bodies, it would be best that Kieran dealt with it himself.
...
After burying all the bodies beside his gravestone and taking care of the wagon, Kieran went back to the small chapel.
Now, the whole chapel was empty of people except for the elderly sister. The others who prayed for Reed had left.
Oh, merciful Bernadette...
Prayers were uttered ceaselessly.
Kieran didnt interrupt the elderly sister but he picked a corner, settled down, and waited for her to finish her prayers.
It wasnt short though, more than an hourter, the elderly sister finally stood up.
Kieran appeared beside the elderly sister in a sh, helping her up.
It seemed like Sister Moni had devoted her entire self into her prayers, she didnt just show a sorrowful look but tired as well.
My condolences, Kieran said.
Reed was a good man, now he will rest in peace in her Majesty Bernadettes kingdom, Sister Moni said slowly.
Her tone sounded like she was talking to Kieran and herself.
Kieran didnt utter anything further, he wasnt good atforting people.
Likewise, the elderly sister with enough of age didnt need anyforting either.
Of course, Kieran didnt mind diverting away from the sorrowful topic.
Sister Moni, just now...
Do you have anyone in mind that has simr means?
Kieran briefly told Sister Moni what happened just now and he hoped to get more information from the sisters mouth.
The elderly sister indeed didnt disappoint Kieran.
The sorcerers! Whether it was the body in the stations morgue or detonating a humans body with green mes, they were all the means of sorcerers based on what I know! The elderly sister said as she looked up at Kieran, looking at him heavily.
2567, we need your help.
Kieran looked sternly at the request though.
Of course! As the Gods Child of Church of Dawn, I am happy to offer my strength! He said sternly.
Chapter 830 - Resonating
Chapter 830: Resonating
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
At dawn, the rain started to ease up.
Many wagons had gathered in front of the police box outside the street of St. Paolo School.
Torti and Reeds death spread like wildfire across the city before the day even got bright. It made the parents who sent their children to St. Paolo worried sick.
Especially when an explosion went off near St. Paolo at night, the parents couldnt sit back anymore.
They rode their wagons to the school and hoped to take their children back home, even though Sister Moni repeatedly emphasized and guaranteed that the school was safe, it was useless.
The elderly sister couldnt dissuade the persistent parents.
Youre not helping?
Standing in front of the small chapel, John saw the parents covering their kids as they went off in a hurry and he asked Kieran who was drawing something on the muddy ground beside him.
Dont ever try to dissuade a person that has their mind set on something, and this is a lot of people that have made up their minds, not a single person. Kieran said without turning back to John.
Last night when the elderly sister voiced her request, wanting him to protect the students of the school, Kieran agreed to it without a second thought.
It was a convenient thing to do for Kieran, so there was nothing much to reject but the scene that bloomed in front of his eyes forced him to the back.
First, he didnt have a corresponding identity.
Second, he was dead.
Third, and the most important point, he hoped the attackers could treat him as Guntherson!
The imbnced information between both sides was enough to spare him quite the benefits by utilizing the element of surprise.
The thoughts that gushed out from his heart made his hand shake.
The circle that should have been round had bulged out instantly.
He failed again without question.
Before dawn, Kieran has learned the [Seal of Dawn] from Sister Moni.
However, the thing that surprised Kieran was at first when he saw the simple drawing that Sister Moni drew back at the morgue, the rising sun shining through the fields, river and mountains, it was actually part of the [Seal of Dawn], or more precisely the [Outer Seal].
Compared to the [Inner Seal] which required body control and looked like an ancient salutation, the [Outer Seal] was much harder.
Kieran mastered the former in single session but thetter, it would require him to work hard and practice.
After all, one couldnt expect a guy to be all rounded, no matter how Kieran loved to read, it was just the understanding of words and a test of memory, none of those could aid him in bing a good drawer.
You are drawing a dog? John who stood beside Kieran asked when he saw what Kieran was trying to draw with his finger on the muddy ground.
Its the rising sun! Kieran emphasized.
Why does it look like a dog opening its mouth? John was baffled.
You can shut up now since you dont know anything about art! Or I dont mind helping you!
Kieran was upset at Johns obvious ridiculing words after a dozen consecutive failed drawings.
He knew why John was here: the incident at Wayne Manor and the explosion case that happened at the street nearby.
In order to make John leave sooner, Kieran briefly told him about what happened and Johns facial expression couldnt help but turn heavy.
You are saying the new Duke Wayne sent out killers before? And factions are gathering here because of the treasure of the Church of Dawn? And what, these so-called sorcerers? What the hell? Why are all these crazy things appearing left, right, and center? The chief officer grunted angrily.
Uncontrobly, the chief officer hated what he heard yet helplessness rose from the bottom of his heart. However, he hadnt lost his cool.
What are we going to do? John asked. He wasnt stingy with his questions since he deeply knew the importance of the professionals.
Wait! Wait for another moment for the mastermind to give himself away. Trust me, it wont be long. Their greed will forever make them more anxious than us, Kieran said as he handed a silver wine pot to John.
Ive quit wine long ago, if its a cigarette I wont mind, said John as he lit up a cigarette before Kieran and start spitting out clouds of smoke.
This is not wine, its holy water! The holy water from the Church of Dawn that Sister Moni made, although it cant deal with a big scene, it will be enough to deal with the situation simr to the one yesterday.
Before Kieran finished exining, the silver wine pot was snatched away by John.
How do I use this? John asked as he held the wine pot tightly like it was a precious treasure of some sort.
Smear it on your metallic weapons,mon bullets could work too but are less effective. The best way is to ssh the holy water on the monsters. Trust me, its more useful that you can imagine, Kieran simply said.
He was not stingy in praising the holy water though because the holy water from the Church of Dawn far surpassed [Holy Water VIII].
[Name: Holy Water (Church of Dawn)]
[Type: Potion]
[Rarity: Great]
[Attribute: Able to terrorize Low, Medium level spirits and negative energy beings in 1 minute. Any Low, Medium level spirit or negative energy being that touches it will suffer Lethal damage!]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Remark: This is the holy water made personally by the saintess of the Church of Dawn]
...
ording to the traits of [Holy Water VIII], the Church of Dawns holy water would be at least V rank or higher.
More importantly, the crafting process of the Church of Dawns holy water wasnt thatplicated.
Kieran witnessed with his own eyes that Sister Moni made 3 bottlea of holy water of this level within half an hour.
Of course, the required materials were still rare and expensive.
John put away the silver wine pot carefully.
About the box craftsman, the rubber estate, and the potion leads, Ill continue the investigations on them... Maybe we might make some surprising discoveries!
Even though Kieran stated his guesses about the murders beingmitted by the known attackers with the help of the Blood Hand Society, John didnt want to give up that easily.
Kieran, however, would not stop him investigating.
Be careful, Kieran said.
Dont worry, I might have been worried before but now I am anxious to fight it out with those bastards!
John tapped on the silver wine pot and the contents inside before leaving quickly.
Following Johns leave, Kieran devoted himself back into drawing the [Seal of Dawn, Outer Seal].
From morning until evening, other than the 3 essential meals, Kieran devoted his entire mind and soul into it without sleep.
When the drizzling rain turned into a downpour again, Kieran finallypleted the [Seal of Dawn, Outer Seal] after failing almost 200 times.
Wuuung!
The moment the drawing on the ground waspleted, it resonated with the Dawn Force inside Kierans body.
The faint light that appeared on the drawing expelled the darkness around it, even the drizzling couldnt help but alter direction but what concerned Kieran most was the small chapel behind him.
Chapter 831 - Seal of Dawn
Chapter 831: Seal of Dawn
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Compared to the resonance of Dawn Force and the [Seal of Dawn, Outer Seal], the resonance from the chapel behind Kieran was much stronger.
The most direct proof was the system notification.
[Energy resonance, Musou Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art acquired a decent amount of experience, leveling cost decreased by 1000...]
[Energy resonance, Musou Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art acquired a decent amount of experience, leveling cost decreased by 10,000...]
...
The first one was from the [Seal of Dawn, Outer Seal] and the second was from inside the chapel. The moment the resonance started from the first notification, the [Seal of Dawn] waspleted.
[Name: Seal of Dawn (Unable to level)]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effect: 1. Inner Seal, 2. Outer Seal]
[Special Effect: None]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art (Master)]
[Remark: The sole existence of the seal is to support Dawn Force]
...
[Inner Seal: Steer Dawn Force to operate faster through movements, it will increase Dawn Forces recovery and increase the speed of training Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art]
[Outer Seal: Using a specific simple drawing to slightly enhance Dawn Force. Within the duration of the drawing, it is treated as an offensive magic brand with the lowest (Weak) and highest (Powerful) attack. The magic brand is effective against any being within a 10-meter radius. (Attack rank +1 automatically against negative energy beings)]
[Note: The higher the level Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art is, the better the Seal of Dawns effect]
...
Kieran already had a clear idea of the possible attributes of the [Seal of Dawn] during the lesson with Sister Moni, the really surprising thing was the chapel before his eyes.
St. Paolo School, it was transformed from St. Paolo Church 50 years ago and it is the ce where the Goddess of Dawn first had shown her godly miracles!
The description of Sister Moni unconsciously came afloat in Kierans mind.
Godly miracles? Kieran muttered softly.
He then walked into the chapel with a careful manner.
To Kieran, he could never be too careful against things that were rted to divine beings, especially when he was passing himself off as a Gods Child, who knew what would happen?
Standing in front of the door of the chapel that was already opened, Kierans eyes saw through the door and tried to inspect the interior.
There was nothing different than what he remembered, including that Bernadettes statue that was very concerning.
Her look and gaze under the moonlight was still merciful, other than the resonance feeling, nothing was unusual.
However, the more normal it looked, the more vignt Kieran was from the bottom of his heart.
Kierans mind then spun rapidly.
The resonance triggered by the [Seal of Dawn, Outer Seal] and Dawn Force... In the current Church of Dawn, Sister Moni and Guntherson can achieve this as well but they didnt tell me! This shouldnt happen! Unless... They couldnt resonate with this energy? The real believers of the Church of Dawn couldnt trigger a resonance but I can?
Kieran squinted his eyes unconsciously.
He just stood at the entrance of the chapel, looking at the system notifications that popped up one after another and until the resonance feeling faded off, he didnt step into the church.
Kieran counted all the notifications, a total of 10 to be exact.
Including the first notification that resonated with the chapel, the first 5 notifications decreased the required points by 10,000 and thest 5 notifications changed to 5000, showing a rapid plummet.
Though the benefits of the notifications were self-exnatory to Kieran.
He has acquired a hefty 75,000 Points in a short period of time and even for Kieran, it wasnt a small number.
Looking at the required leveling cost to Transcendence which still had a hefty 96,000 Points and 18.5 Golden Skill Points even after the Origin Force discount, Kieran didnt further blindly trigger the resonance anymore.
He turned around and headed towards the office building of the school. He wanted to ask the elderly sister about the chapel.
Sister Monis office was still bright. A fierce discussion came from inside without stop.
Even without further guesses, Kieran was certain the discussion was about the students who left the school.
Principal Moni, we need to bring back the students!
Otherwise, our school image will sweep the floor!
Thats right Principal Moni, our school is preparing to expand and without the students, it will be the joke of all the other schools in the city!
Please Principal Moni, please ask for the parents forgiveness as soon as possible, bring the students back!
Ya! We cant stay in a school without students!
...
Obviously, the ones who said such things werent the school security members that Kieran always saw. From their address of at Sister Moni, they should be the teachers responsible in different subjects.
St. Paolo School was huge and has almost a hundred students, it wouldnt be possible for Sister Moni to teach all of them alone, it was just natural to hire other teachers.
But...
The teachers attitude sounded a little aggressive, werent they?
They didnt bear the attitude of a hired teacher and instead spoke like the higher authority pointing people around.
Kieran who was in the shadow inspected the middle-aged male teacher in the middle of the crowd who obviously was the one who led them to this argument.
Kierans gaze turned judgemental at the teacher. The man had amon look and a long face, slightly bald and his temperament was almost identical to the others around him but his outfit was surely different.
The other teachers around him could only be considered as neatly dressed but the man in the middle was a little luxurious in terms of dressing.
Aside from the shirts that was obviously well sewn, the fact that one of his fingers had tinum rings embedded with emerald and a gold ring with a ruby told that it wasnt something a teacher could own.
Although Kieran didnt ask how much the sry of a teacher in St. Paolo was earning a month, Kieran was sure in the current dungeon world, a proper working gentleman would only earn around 30 to 40 local currency a month.
That two ringsbined would cost around 500. The young officer Carl grunted at him more than once,ining how expensive a gold ring was and it would cost him almost a year worth of sry; Carls annual ie was around 200.
Regardless how high this male teachers sry was, it was not possible for him to reach several times Carls sry.
Even more so, did the male teacher stop eating and drinking?
Did he make an unexpected profit from somewhere or something? Or did he promise someone to put the elderly sister in a difficult situation at this time, not to just earn a tidy sum but also to secure a better working opportunity?
Only that could exin his attitude towards the elderly sister.
Who else would further put the elderly sister in a difficult position?
The ones who bore ill-intentions!
It was very normal for them to bribe one or two people in St. Paolo for their purposes. Then they would use the opportunity to take action against the elderly sister, forcing Guntherson out of hiding and making him set foot into another trap.
Once the thought came into his mind, Kieran silently appeared behind these teachers and signaled the elderly sister who was going to open her mouth with his hand.
Very well, I shall take your opinions into serious consideration! I will provide you all with an answer tomorrow morning!
The elderly sister altered the words that she had prepared when she saw the signs.
Chapter 832 - Suck
Chapter 832: Suck
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The teachers went back when they got a satisfying answer from Sister Moni.
Most of them returned to the dorm the school provided, some of them returned to their homes in the city.
As the representative teacher during the conversation, Cyan was supposed to stay in the school dorms but around a week ago, he inherited the wealth of one of his cousins and moved out of the school.
After saying goodbye to a couple of familiar teachers, Cyan took a wagon and went back to his house on the border of the wealthy district.
It was a two house with an independent garden outside.
Such an expensive house would seem unattainable for Cyan around a week ago.
His initial dream was just to have his own house on the better street of themon district, so when someone traded this house for petty favor, Cyan readily agreed.
As for the possible damage that it might cause?
From Cyans point of view, it was nothingpared to what he could get.
The elderly sister did treat him well but could the sister gave him an expensive house?
Moreover...
What a nice house!
When a couple of teachers hurried to Cyans ce, each of them showed admiration on their faces.
Come in! Cyan wasnt stingy in showing his hospitality, especially when he saw his colleagues envious gazes, he felt absolutely pleasant.
Thest bit of guilt in his heart flew away.
His lordship has stated very clearly, as long as we move ording to his orders, you all can get the rewards like I did, Cyan said inside his living hall.
Rewards as in a house like this? One of the other teachers asked to confirm.
Thats right! Cyan nodded.
Right of the bat, the few of them felt excited.
So, what does his lordship want us to do?
Yeah! What do we need to do?
They asked eagerly.
When Principal Moni provides us with an answer in the morning, we will eventually know. All we need to do is go along with his lordships arrangements, said Cyan.
What kind of arrangement is that? One of them asked out of curiosity.
You will know when the timees. Itste, I need to rest early in order to better show my cooperation to his lordship.
Cyan then stood up, acting like he was sending off his guests.
The few of them walked out of Cyans house and the teacher who asked thest question took an unwilling gaze at the house behind him.
He muttered softly, That damn bastard stepping on dog sh*t luck! If it was me who gets his lordships favor, this house would be mine! I to bet Cyan doesnt even know what his lordships n is! He is just a low-level dog!
Yeah right!
How dare he act high and mighty in front of us?
Lets wait for tomorrow. When tomorrowes, all we need to do is know who that lord is and with our abilities, well surely catch up from behind!
Yes! We will!
...
The conversation between the teachers perfectly disyed the hideous side of human nature.
Likewise, they also provided more information to Kieran who was hiding in the shadows.
However,pared to the few teachers who were not evenp dogs, that low-level dog seemed to know more.
In fact, it was.
After sending off his colleagues, Cyan weed another new guest, or rather, because of this guest, Cyan brushed away his colleagues in a hurry.
It was a woman with decent looks yet dressed in a raffish way.
The low tube top and the short skirt showed off her figure and fair white thighs. Usually, these kind women were not umon in the red light district.
Though, Cyan faced the woman with a face full of respect.
Ive prepared everything, now Im just waiting for his lordships arrangements in the morning! So what is his lordships n? Cyan asked.
Just like his colleagues had spected, Cyan didnt know either.
Ask what you should ask, dont ask about those you shouldnt.
The raffish woman said in an impatient tone.
Yes, yes! Then, of what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?
Cyan nodded and bowed slightly, showing a stopping manner in reply to the womans impatient words.
Of course to make sure his lordships n to progress smoother... Then, the woman revealed a seductive smile.
Cyan was stunned when he saw the smile, he was infatuated with her from the look of his eyes.
Madam, you... Cyan asked as if he held certain anticipation in his mind but before he finished, the woman went into his arms.
The sudden scene made Cyan close his arms on the woman like he was bewitched by the loving nce.
Though at the next moment, Cyans arms froze in mid-air.
The womans long index finger poked into Cyans head between the eyebrows just like that and when she removed her finger, her neatly cut nail was tainted red and white.
The woman stuck her tongue out and licked the brains off her finger, enjoying the taste.
Then, she held Cyans head up and ced her mouth onto the hole.
Sucking sounds sounded ceaselessly after that and a whileter, Cyans head was left with bones wrapped with skin, his eyes and the meat on his cheeks were sucked into the womans stomach.
After a fulfilling burp, the woman carefully used her fingers to rip apart Cyans skin, and tore it off his bodypletely.
She then took off her clothes and wore the skin, getting dressed like amon woman going to work but when she was done, the woman that she was a moment ago vanished.
What reced her was an entirely new Cyan.
Cyan looked at Cyans body remains, she didnt n to let it go to waste. She picked up the body with ease and headed to the kitchen.
Kieran who was in the shadows slightly squinted his eyes and when he heard cutting and mincing noise from the kitchen, his heart spun swiftly and gave up the intention of interrogating the monster.
Not only because Kierans entry-level interrogation skills would bepletely useless against such a monster who sucked peoples brains and flesh like that but he also had a general idea about what these peoples ns were.
If thats the case...
Kieran silently left the room but he didnt leave the house immediatly.
He waited to make sure there wasnt anyone else showing up and also made sure the monster didnt notice him before he truly left the premises.
...
Back at St. Paolo School, the elderly sister had been waiting for quite a while.
2567, is there a problem with Cyan?
Sister Moni asked when she saw Kieran walking into her office.
The elderly sister wasnt stupid either, and it was obvious she noticed Cyans unusual behavior as well.
Yup! Cyan was a very big problem but first, Sister Moni, can you exin to me in details about St. Paolo Church? Kieran asked.
Chapter 833 - Horse Wagon
Chapter 833: Horse Wagon
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
St. Paolo Church? Well, around a thousand years ago, it was the first church that the Goddess of Dawn descended into and performed her godly miracles!
Sister Moni was caught off guard at first but she exined right away instinctively.
I know all of this, what I need is something a bit more detailed, like when the Goddess of Dawn descended to perform her miracles, whose church was it back then? Or, what kind of miracles did the Goddess of Dawn perform? Kieran changed his question.
The Goddess of Dawn descended to bestow her miracles and saved those who were tortured by sickness. While the church was previously a nameless, rtively unknown church and a God that wasnt recognized by most of the people. Pardon me, 2567, these are just what Ive gotten from the ancient codex. As for the truth... I myself dont even know. Even though I am now the saintess of Church of Dawn, back then I didnt have the authority to go through the real codex and by the time I had them, the war had destroyed many of the codexes.
Sister Moni was bearing a faint sorrowful look.
Although the Church of Dawn was past tense now, Sister Monis age also allowed her to realize the reality but human always had the nature of recalling the past, causing the elderly sister to fall into an inevitable sadness.
No, no, its enough. Its better than me knowing nothing at all. Kieran waved his hands while his heart was muttering non-stop.
The cure that wasbeled as a godly miracle? It certainly wasnt a feat one or two men could achieve! The cure should be of quite some scale! And this nameless God... Kieran couldnt help but shake his head.
History was written by the victors, it was necessary to purposely diminish certain facts.
In simple words, that nameless God might be a divine being with quite the influence back then.
The resonance that I had before was rted to this nameless God? Kieran wondered.
Though when he saw that the elderly sister was still sinking in her own memories, Kieran diverted the topic.
Sister Moni, how do you view Cyan? Kieran asked.
Cyan? His character is a little harsh but he is serious, responsible and still knowledgeable.
Kieran smiled when he heard the elderly sisters euphemistic words.
Given the elderly sisters character, if she could utter terms like a little harsh and still knowledgeable, it was enough to judge Cyans normal performance.
Of course, Kieran didnt care how Cyan behaved at other times, he was justying the groundwork for the uing topic.
Sister Moni, Cyan is a traitor. Not only did he fail to live up to your trust but he will return your kindness with ingratitude.
Kieran tried to exin what happened before with the simplest words possible.
Instantly, the elderly sisters face changed, she looked pained and helpless after being betrayed by the teacher.
There wasnt rage though, even the pain and helplessness faded soon enough.
Seeing how Sister Monis emotions went through a roller coaster ride, Kieran uttered praise from the bottom of his heart again.
Kieran once eximed at the sisters character during the first time he heard she wanted to transform St. Paolo Church into a school and was willing to open the collection of books from the Church of Dawn to the public.
This time, he had a deeper understanding of the elderly sisters generosity in her heart, it could even be considered as kind.
Kieran was sure if it was someone else who was betrayed, the person would burst out in anger, scolding and cursing from the bottom of their heart at the traitor.
Oh merciful Bernadette, please forgive the ones seduced by desires and temptations.
2567, what should we do now? Sister Moni looked at Kieran after a word of prayer.
After acknowledging Kierans identity as Gods Child and as she originally a member of the Church of Dawn, while Guntherson the guardian knight was absent and the saintess had the intentions to delegate power, the Gods Child would have to step up to maintain the situation.
Please leave it to me, Kieran said with a smile.
The elderly sister nodded with a smile too, she stood up and headed towards the small chapel.
Looking at Sister Monis back, Kierans mouth stuttered a while but he ultimately decided to keep quiet and followed behind her.
Standing in the shadows of the small chapel, Kieran stared at the statue in front of Sister Moni when she was praying, he used a delicate gaze to size up every small detail of the chapel.
Unfortunately, until the sky started to brighten up, he got nothing. Everything that happened was as normal as it could get but outside the school, the situation has gotten stranger.
A ck wagon with two horses in front was slowly approaching the school during the first light of dawn.
On the top right side of the carriage, the oilmp was burning brightly but other than shedding bits of light over its trail, there was no warmth from the vehicle at all.
When the sky got brighter, everyone would be able to see the driver-less wagon moving forward with only the horses.
Ding Dong, Ding Dong!
The bells hung over the horses neck was emanating a clear chime as they moved forward but the police officer on duty at the police box acted like he didnt see the wagon and turned a deaf ear at the chime.
Huh? Why is there a wagon here?
One of the patrolling security members of the school noticed the wagon parked in front of the school gate.
His face was baffled with questions because with the police box in front of the school, St. Paolo forbade any wagons to be parked in front of the gate, even the rich and wealthy student parents stopped their wagon at the police box and walked towards the gate to receive their children from school.
With questions lingering in his head, the security member went up to the wagon.
Sorry, but this ce is... EH?!
The security member lifted his head up while he spoke and suddenly he realized the Wagoner was not around.
Umm, Hello? He frowned but maintained his manners, knocking at the carriage door.
Then, the security member didnt move anymore as he froze in that position of knocking.
...
Wheres Ecker?
Isnt his shift due now?
Dont tell me that guy is cking off again!
Damn it, the captain just went off a while ago and he starts cking off, what a... Eh? Where did this wagone from?
Another security member was walking towards the dorm grunting, wanting to wake up hiszy colleague until he saw the wagon parked in front of the school gate with a nce.
The oilmp on the wagon was too obvious, as long as one wasnt blind, one could easily spot it.
This security member walked forward out of curiosity and when he saw that the wagon was absent of its Wagoner, he instinctively wanted to knock on the carriage door as well.
However, he was stopped just in time. A palm wasid on his shoulder.
At the same time on the street outside the school, a group of people was swarming over.
Dozens of wagons were sprinting with the Wagoners driving, yet the Wagoners wished they could sprint faster since they had ordered.
Pak, Pak Pak!
They werent stingy in swinging their whips at the horses and with the pain from the whips, the horses sprinted even faster.
It only took almost 15 seconds to reach the school gate from the street entrance.
When the wagons stopped, a bunch of intimidating people gushed down from the carriage.
Chapter 834 - Slander
Chapter 834: nder
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Each of them that came down from the wagons bore an intimidating look yet they dressed like either nobles or wealthymoners.
When they saw the ck wagon, their steps slightly paused before dashing forth even faster.
Emy!
Warlyn!
Sarlco!
...
Cries sounded from the peoples mouth and anxiety followed tightly behind.
Especially when there wasnt the slightest sound from inside the ck wagon, worries started to fill their heart, increasing their anxiety further.
Their anxiety reached an all-time high the moment before the carriage door was opened.
When the carriage door opened up, the worries, anxiety, restlessness all turned into devastating sorrow.
Four naked dead young girls appeared in the sights of the crowd.
Their face had the lingering fear of death and the countless wounds on their body told the crowd what torture they been through before they died.
My child!
One of thedies in the crowd broke out in tears.
Following the agonizing cry, the sorrowful crowd was awoken, rage flooded them like the rising tide.
How sad they were a moment ago, how enraged they were at this moment, especially when there was someone who sowed dissensions among them.
We are toote! Although Ive tried my best in contacting everyone!
Cyan walked forth from behind the crowd and when she saw the bodies in the carriage, her eyes instantly turned red and said as she choked on her own sobs, I-Im sorry everyone!
No, Mr. Cyan, it isnt your fault! Youve fulfilled your duty as a teacher. It is that devilish womans fault!
Cyans words and expressions were on point, it further increased the fondness of the crowd to her since they already appreciated her because of telling them the news in the first ce.
The crowd started tofort the responsible teacher.
No, I didnt fulfill my duty as a teacher... If it wasnt for my hesitation, the girls, my students will never face such a horrible end.
Cyan who was choking on sobs before had broken into soundless crypletely.
The couple of teachers followed behind Cyan exchanged gazes with each other after the scene, they saw shock in each others eyes.
Before they arrived, they never would have thought such a huge incident would go down.
Based on their shallow guesses, they initially thought it would be just a scheme trying to get more speaking rights within the school or evenpete for the principals position but the thing that didnte into their minds was Cyan and that lord behind the scenes wanted topletely destroy St. Paolo School and the principal.
Look at the four bodies and the enraged parents!
They could already imagine how this incident would develop but...
Were they left with any options?
Even if they spilled the truth now, what good would it do?
Aside from the fact that Cyan warned them about the lord before this, once the teachers spoke, the only possible oue was they were treated as aplices and the enraged crowd would tear them to shreds!
They had already wet themselves before this and now they wanted to quit?
Stop joking! It was impossible and toote for them to back off.
Moreover, the rewards!
Once they thought of the rewards from the lord, the teachers didnt care anymore and the struggle in their hearts swiftly vanished into nothing.
Yeah, we never thought the school wouldmit such a disgusting act in the first ce!
We didnt want to believe it at first but as more evidence was shown, we were forced to believe it!
Its so surprising that respectable principal used her students as products to provide services to those disgusting people!
The few teachers who forgot their consciouses because of benefits started to give their best effort in ying along with Cyan.
Those words were originally taught by Cyan to them but a few of them tried to disy themselves, thus exaggerating the matter.
The parent crowds faces started to change. Being prejudiced by first impressions, the crowd had started to believe what the teachers said.
When the parents thought about their own child being ced in a dangerous situation, they werepletely enraged. Even more so since they had quite the authority and wealth among themon citizens.
The rage from them was different from the parents who lost their children, they, whose children were spared for a horrible end, felt rage from provocation.
Cyan saw the looks on the parents face and her heart couldnt help but smile. She knew the situation was progressing as the lord has expected it.
However...
Cyan looked at the four bodies inside the carriage, her eyes shone a little.
How fortunate! Seems like Reeds death made the security team loosen up their guard! Otherwise, if one or two security members appeared together, it would be solid evidence! But still, even with this... it is our victory! So what if Guntherson is powerful, what can he do against this? Fight the entire city?
Cyans heartughed out coldly, she then stood aside and watched the situation quietly.
At this point, she wouldnt need to say or do anything more, someone else would take over her role in all this and in fact, it already happened.
A mere 3 to 4 secondster, a middle-aged man who lost his daughter stood up from the crowd.
He was holding a kerosenemp in his hand and took the flintlock pistol from his wagon.
Everyone, I am going to burn down this ce! Dont stop me!
The man then strode into the schoolspound.
The rest of the parents instantaneously followed up tightly but the really surprising thing wasnt the enraged parents themselves, it was those attendants that overtook them from behind.
Compared to the parents, each of the attendants had at least some intimidating aura around them, when they picked up the swords and guns, it gave them a professional look that they employer didnt possess.
Because of their own safety, the parents werent stingy in spending and the retired mercenaries and bounty hunters needed a steady job as well.
So two sides clicked together with ease but none of them would have expected a scene like this.
The attendants from the families who lost their daughters looked extra cold and bore killing intent in their eyes because they knew even if they burned down the school, their career would be over.
No one else would be willing to hire mercenaries and bounty hunters that failed to protect their employers child.
The thought of going from a sufficient life to worrying when would their next meal be made the attendants grip their weapons tighter, they wanted to retrieve their honor and names if possible.
As for the guy who stepped out suddenly and tried to stop them from moving forward, no mercy would be shown.
F*ck off!
One of the attendants shouted loudly at the hooded figure in front of them who appeared without their knowledge but the other attendants didnt care much and raised their weapons at the figure.
There were swords and flintlocks, all of themunched their attack at the figure but none of their attacksnded on the target.
The figure was like an illusion, all the swords and bullets went through his body yet no harm was done but the attack that came from the figure, sending the attendants flying backward told the crowd the figure was real.
The paradoxical sensation between real and unreal stunned the enraged crowd uncontrobly.
They instinctively halted their steps and red at the figure before them.
Merciful God, please forgive these men who are blinded by lies!
The figure said slowly.
As the figure spoke, ayer of faint white brilliance appeared on his body. His voice that sounded t at first felt holistic andpassionate under the brilliance.
Right away, everyone who saw theyer of white brilliance changed their expression differently.
Some smiled coldly, some were shocked but most of them were astonished.
Chapter 835 - As You Wish
Chapter 835: As You Wish
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
To most of the people, the mystical powers were something foreign, something fearful.
Even for the faint white brilliance that was filled withpassion and holiness, it was the same because the scene was built on top of a dozen fallen attendants.
As the employers of the attendants, the parents knew how strong the people they hired were. Each and every one of them could casually take out 3 to 5 big hunks and 1 or 2 among them could even fight 10 at once.
However, all the allegedly strong attendants fell with the blink of an eye.
The rage from the parents was real but the scene that happened before their eyes was like a cold bucket of water poured down on them, forcing them to halt their steps.
Each of them looked at Kieran with anxiety and doubt, especially the parent who led the charge at first, the rage that lingered on his face and the newly added astonishment intertwined, showing an extremely weird look.
Looking at all those doubtful parents, Cyan couldnt help butugh coldly in her heart and at the same time showed her disdain.
The situation was expected by that lord and the reason Cyan was there was to handle the situation.
Is it you who hurt my students?
Cyan walked out from the crowd, looking at hooded Kieran with a stern righteous face and before Kieran could reply, she threw himself at Kieran, looking so agitated that she lost control of herself.
Seeing how Cyan reacted, the parents who had fear and reluctance of their foe instantly felt embarrassed but before the parents would react, an explosive horse neigh sounded off.
Neighs!
The two horses that were pulling the ck wagon broke free of their ropes as if they went mad.
They dragged the wagon and the bodies inside with them, charging towards Kieran.
Aaaa!
Emy!
Warlyn!
...
The parents of the bodies couldnt hold back their cries, they wanted to stop the horses that went mad but it was impossible.
When a sprinting horse crashed into someone, the powerful force would be enough to crush bones and rip tendons and even for those attendants that consisted of mercenaries and bounty hunters, they could only try to stop it with a milder way.
Two agile attendants jumped up the wagon, trying to pull back the reins and stop the wagon but just as their feetnded on the wagon, their body froze and fell off.
The wheels of the wagon ran over their body and sounds of crushing bones could be heard.
Blood gushed out from the attendants mouths as they fell to the ground, their chests were also caved in after being run over.
Both of them will not be alive after this.
The scene changed the faces of the attendants who wanted to try and it made them swiftly move away. Their lifelong experience from their special upation made them realize something wasnt right.
Move away!
Shouts went off in the crowd.
Immediately, the crowd was split up left and right like bread sliced in half by a knife.
Cyan who was in front of the crowd moved away along also, she looked at Kieran further away with a soft coldugh.
She was anticipating what would Kieran do.
Would he dodge it? Or would he face the two horses that were fed a special potion to increase their frenzied state, allowing them to even fight a bear?
Though no matter what Kieran chose, it was just an appetizer, the real main course was...
Cyan looked at the carriage of the wagon, it was the real trump card that was arranged by that lord.
The whole carriage was soaked with poison before, anyone who went near it will be affected mentally, a simple touch will send a man to the verge of death and the poison would be activated very quickly.
As long as the horses dragged the carriage near Kieran, the oue will be determined.
As for those parents who could simply move near and touch the carriage before, they were the ones she had paid special attention to.
Although even with the antidote, it was just a temporary suppression, any longer and the effect will fadepletely.
You really are the famous Guntherson, you really wanted to go head to head with the horse? Its suicidal! If you choose to dodge it, you mightst a little longer but now?
Cyans gaze returned to Kieran soon and when she saw Kieran was standing on the spot without the slightest budge, she slightly frowned and swiftly showed a look of contempt.
Then, it quickly turned to a look of eagerness.
Her stomach was growling of hunger, her tongue couldnt help but lick her dry lips.
She was very eager to taste the blood and flesh of this powerful one before her eyes but...
STOP!
A loud shout came from the shining figure.
The two extremely violent horses took a hard break following the shout.
They were stopped by a single shout?! How was that possible?!
Everyone present looked at Kieran with a look of disbelief, hence everyone neglected that the horses were forced to a stop.
If someone was able to carefully inspect the horses, they could see the horses which were extremely violent a moment ago started to calm down. Not only did the feverish look in their eyes fade away swiftly, but their strong bodies were also trembling, as though they had met their natural enemy.
In fact, through the eyes of the horses, Kieran who was covered in brilliance was much more terrifying than the so-called natural enemy.
Under a faint sulphuric scent, the chaotic aura from the deepest part of the abyss was mixed with the most wicked and primal gaze.
The fact that the horses werent frightened to death on the spot was already remarkable enough. They had to thank their own strength and the potion but the people around didnt know that.
All they saw was the rampaging horses stop after Kieran shouted.
The crowd stared nkly at Kieran who slowly walked towards the carriage after putting away his devil energy and cardinal sins aura.
Cyan who was also overwhelmed a moment ago came back to her senses.
Even if you can terrorize the mad horses, you wouldnt be able to resist the poison of his lordship!Cyan thought in her heart but the uing scene made her widen her eyes.
Kieran stood beside the wagon and the white brilliance on his body turned brighter and denser.
He said with a tone simr from before, I cant possibly feel the pain that you have suffered but I can make sure the ones who tortured you will suffer 10 times, 100 times the pain!
May you rest in peace.
As Kieran utter those words, he carried the bodies of the 4 girls out and ced them down on the ground.
The whole process was slow and steady.
Get...Get away from my daughter! One of thedies mustered up enough courage and stopped Kieran with her shout.
Please dont go near them in the meantime... Their souls do not hope for their parents to be hurt again.
Wha.. What? Souls?! Thedy was stunned and looked at her daughters body, she was lost.
While that was happening, Kierans hand was shining in a brighter brilliance.
The crowd didnt know whether it was the illusions from the bright light or something else, they suddenly noticed the stiff and gloomy face of the dead girls turned a lot tender and charming, it almost felt like they revealed a smile on their lips.
This...This...
Lost, everyone stared nkly at Kieran.
With that many pairs of eyes staring down at him, Kieran walked towards Cyan slowly.
Stirring up trouble and fooling the people, you who defiled the bodies of the girls shall be punished! Kieran uttered each and every word loudly.
Punished? What, you want a myriad of snakes to devour me? Do you have the abilities to do so?
As Kieran wasing close, Cyans heart was utterly nervous since her secret was exposed but her mouth kept attacking Kieran without showing any weakness.
As it was known to all, the snakes were treated as holy creatures and worshipped in some secret sects. Snakes delivered knowledge and also determined sanctions but the Church of Dawn who had a milder creed didnt have such a holy creature.
When her words subsided, Cyan who was thinking about how to escape the situation lifted her head up as she felt something. It was like she felt the pondering gaze from Kieran.
As you wish!
Chapter 836 - The Beginning
Chapter 836: The Beginning
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Tsssss!
Amid a series of hiss, hundreds of thousands of fat, long venomous snakes with thin horns on their heads sprung out around Cyan and instantly flooded the ill-intended imposter.
The people around stared at the scene nkly and unconsciously, their eyes at Kieran had a heavy sense of reverence.
Since Kierans sudden appearance, each move he made looked inconceivable to the people.
Shouting to stop the rampaging horses,ying the souls to rest and when one was shamelessly boasting, he used their own words to punish them.
As for him beating the attendants back in the first ce, it became insignificantpared to the others.
Uh...Uh... Sir? If I may...
One middle-aged man mustered up enough courage to ask but Kieran didnt reply, he waved his hand and went forward to Cyan.
The imposter Cyan hadpletely sunken into the illusion of myriad snakes consuming him when [Sword Skill, Myriad Viper] was used, he couldnt even free himself.
Kieran, on the other hand, would not show courtesy towards such an enemy.
Heid his finger on Cyans neck and after a few pinches, he ripped away theyer of skin.
Right after that, the crowd who was looking at Kieran cried out in shock.
A woman?!
A woman in the skin of Mr. Cyan?
Then... What happened just now...
...
Although there were traces of makeup that lingered on the imposters face, it was easy for people to tell her gender.
Other than that, the parents werent stupid. Quite the contrary, if they could possess their current identity, position and wealth, they were the wise ones among themons.
At first, it was because of their daughters deaths and the incitement of the imposter, hence they lost their sanity for a while.
Now, however, after they calmed down, they immediately realized something was wrong and almost instantaneously, the parents looked at the few teachers who supported Cyan.
When the imposter said punish me with a myriad of snakes and it really happened, the teachers were frightened out of their minds and after the imposters true identity was exposed, they were at a loss for words.
I was lied to!
Im innocent!
I didnt know she wasnt Cyan!
The teachers started to give excuses when they were facing the hostile gazes from the parents.
However, following the parents signal, the few attendants with an intimidating manner walked over and before the attendants really closed upon the teachers, they started to spill the truth.
Its Cyan who incited us!
I didnt know Cyan was not himself that time!
Theres someone big behind him that incited him to do this and that lord gave him quite the rewards!
We have nothing to do with your daughters deaths, we only knew what was going on when we reached the school!
We are just blinded by our greed temporarily! We didnt know this matter would blow up so big!
...
The teachers gave their best in defending themselves.
Although they werent lying at some part of the incident, no one would believe them at this time.
Just when the parents who lost their daughters were about to vent their anger on them, Kieran walked over.
When they saw Kieran walk over, the few parents stopped their conversation right away.
One of them acted as a representative and talked to Kieran, Sir, you may bear goodwill but these bastards dont deserve your mercy and sympathy. Such aplices helped to fuel this fire and the subsequent tragedies, they are unforgivable!
No doubt, few of the parents worried Kieran might stop them. After all, Kieran had the white brilliance on his body and his soft and tender tone spoke of God from time to time, a simple look at him would make people think he was a member of the merciful church.
Perhaps they wouldnt mind if they were facing amon member of the church but against Kieran who was a powerful one, they didnt dare turn a cold shoulder, let alone Kieran who had presented all sorts of wonders.
Once Kieran really stopped the parents, no matter how unwilling they were, they were helpless against his decision and the teachers felt like they saw hope before them. They begged Kieran, but right away, they fell deep into the abyss.
People need to be responsible for the choices they made. When you all abandoned Sister Monis kindness, the oue had already been decided. Even God wouldnt ept betrayers, Kieran said slowly.
Then, amid the despairing looks from the teachers, Kieran turned to the parents.
Sir, you...
When the parents heard what Kieran said, they were overwhelmed with joy but when they noticed Kieras gaze at them, they felt uneasy instantly.
Especially when Kieran pointed at their palms only then they suddenly realized their palm has swollen and turned ck without their knowing.
Wha...What is this? A few of the parents asked in a nervous tone.
Poison!
The wagon just now wasced with heavy poison but a few of you hade across the antidote before yet the antidote didnt allow you topletely ignore the poison, it only dyed the spreading process.
As Kieran exined, he emanated the brilliance from his hand with a swing.
[Repel Toxin]!
Although the poison was fierce and vicious, facing against Musou level [Repel Toxin], it faded off swiftly.
Seeing how their swollen palms subsided at exponential speed and the color return to normal, the parents lifted their heads with joy, wanting to thank Kieran.
They were very sincere with their gratitude this time. One needed to know the parents originally wanted to ask Kieran to heal them and they had the preparation to fork out a huge amount of money.
Yet who wouldve guessed before they even asked, Kieran already healed them and the more surprising thing was, after Kieran healed them, he decided to leave.
Sir! Sir!
Few of the parents gave chase to Kieran, calling his name when they saw Kieran pick up the imposter and head into the school.
Anything else? Kieran stopped, turned around and asked.
The light on Kieran became brighter and softer as he turned around, it even recovered the heavy breaths of the parents who spent quite the energy to chase up to him.
As the parents felt the changes of their body and the recovering stamina, they looked at each other in confusion, they forgot what to say.
The reason they chased up to Kieran was to express their gratitude but as they felt the energy from Kieran, the suddenly realized their gratitude to the likes to Kieran was totally unnecessary.
I hope you can take charge of my daughters funeral and pray for her, I am willing to spend money to renovate the school! One of the parents said after pausing a little.
No doubt thedy was a loving mother to her daughter.
Sir, may I ask, who in the world is she? Why is she doing this?
The love of a mother was tender and the love of a father was slightly stern but against the enemy, the father would always stand in front, taking revenge was no exception either.
When the parents heard what the father asked, their eyes turned towards Kieran.
They will not just let the woman go without avenging their daughter.
Shes just a pawn, the person behind her is the mastermind and is also someone that you people cant afford to cross. Kieran tried to dissuade them.
What about you, sir? Do you have the confidence to deal with that person? The father asked.
Sure. Kieran nodded.
Great! We cant avenge our daughter because we are weak but you, you are different because you are strong, you can take revenge for us! Throughout the process, if you have anything you need at all or anything we can help with, please dont hesitate to ask, Ill do everything within my power! The father didnt even doubt Kierans words as he uttered his own quickly.
Likewise, the other parents gave their assurance too.
Us too! If you have anything need, please ask, we will do our best to aid you as well!
Not only the parents who lost their daughters but those who were incited to follow along gave their words as well.
Looking at the parents who had major influences over the city, Kieran went into deep thought for a few seconds before saying, Well then, everyone please help me to locate a person that has the traits of an outsider, has mysterious whereabouts, has a vicious look or a terrifying gaze. Find him or them but dont try to take them on your own, tell me if you do and I will deal with them properly!
Chapter 837 - Forgotten
Chapter 837: Forgotten
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The crowd dispersed soon.
Compared to the intimidating manner when they arrived, the parents left with utmost courtesies and respect.
Especially the respect they showed Kieran from the bottom of their hearts, it made Sister Moni feel like she had returned to the past for a second there.
Only during the era where the Church of Dawn thrived would the people show such expressions to the members of Dawn but when even the school security members showed simr respect to Kieran, it told the sister it wasnt an illusion.
The school security member who looked on with Sister Moni from the side were utterly overwhelmed by within a short time by the mysterious and powerful manner that Kieran disyed.
The charms of a Gods Child? Sister Moni muttered softly.
Inside the codexes of the Church of Dawn, Sister Moni did previously read the records stating the unique charms of a Gods Child would make others follow him unconsciously.
Sister Moni who wasnt a simple-minded girl anymore knew the exaggeration of the stories but now after seeing Kierans performance, her stance on the matter couldnt help but tremble.
If all the Gods Children were simr to Kieran, then... it might be possible!
The thoughts appeared in Sister Monis heart uncontrobly.
Kieran who was standing almost side by side with the sister wouldnt have missed her soft mutter.
He nodded quietly by himself after he heard what the sister muttered.
Kieran knew his own matters better than anyone, he didnt have the so-called Gods Child charms. All he did was used his own power at the right time, right ce, and fortunately, the effect was not half bad!
With a bunch of wealthy and noble parents acting as his eyes and ears, Kieran wasnt a one-man army anymore.
The enemies that were hiding in the dark corners of the city would soon be exposed.
Kieran was sure of that when he slightly knew the identities of the students parents.
The students parents were the big faction of themon people who covered the entire city and no matter how powerful the mystical realm was, they would still need supplies from themoners. Not just rare materials for experimental use but also the important food and life necessities.
In simple words, the mystical was built on themon, like a big tree where the roots were themon side and with enough nutrients and supplies, the trunk, the mystical, could grow strong and flourish.
Of course, there were also exceptions. There were some in the mystical realm who didnt need food or other kinds of supplies but Kieran was sure the two to three parties involved in this dungeon world needed themoners supplies and one of them had required quite the amount.
The one who ced the woodpile into the field of the school must be a strong man. The man would have to be tall, strong and big and in order to maintain his energy, he would need a lot of food and some special recipes as well.
Well finding the man would need some time and in the meantime, Kieran didnt n to waste time. He had a captive in his hand, didnt he?
Sister Moni, do you have a quieter room? Kieran asked.
You want to interrogate her, 2567? Sister Moni took a nce at the unconscious imposter after Kieran asked.
Although I dont put much hope into it, I still want to try, Kieran spoke his mind. He wouldnt try to hide his ipetency if he wasnt 100% sure.
If it is possible, I hope that I can carry out the interrogation!
The elderly sister uttered a request that shocked Kieran to the bones.
No matter how he looked at it, the elderly sister wasnt a person that one would rte with interrogations and torture, so why did she request it...
Something is wrong with her? Kieran asked after immediately realized what the sister meant.
Em. She said snake before this and I hope I am overthinking, otherwise, the enemies we are about to face will be much more powerful than we imagined! Sister Moni said with a worried tone.
Is it the same as the Church of Dawn? Or? Kieran continued.
I am not sure at the moment, I need to question with her to confirm my thoughts, she shook her head.
Then, the elderly sister handed a palm-sized notebook to Kieran.
This is? Kieran took it and asked.
Gunthersons training notes! I figured this might help you a little. If the legacy codex of Dawn is still around, it might provide much bigger help but... The elderly sister shook her head again.
This is enough for me! Do you need me toe along in order to question her? Kieran asked as he was overwhelmed with joy after flipping a few pages of the notes because when he flipped through it, the system notifications already popped up.
[Went through rted notes, leveling cost of Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art decreased by 10...]
When he truly finished reading the notes, he would certainly get a much bigger reward without a doubt but of course, he didnt forget the matters at hand.
Do you think my old dying body cant lift her?
The elderly sister joked as she felt the atmosphere before was too depressing.
You age is something admirable because it gave you experience and wisdom that far surpass anyone, Kieran replied with a smile.
Time is always more cunning than you think. It provides you with enough experience and wisdom but it will also silently take your youth, health, and energy away. It still will force you to drag your body to worry and be busy with much moreplicated things.
Sister Moni sighed softly.
Kieran looked at the elderly sister from the side and saw her snow-white temples and wrinkled cheeks. He didnt say anything else because he was unable to share the feeling but he caught the weight of her words.
I hoped to be more rxed at first but who would have thought things had gotten heavier. Since my youth, I always have this bad habit and a lot of people mocked me back then. Mncholic little nun and philosopher wannabe nun were some of my nicknames back then.
The elderly sister was telling the interesting stories of her youth.
Well, they would never have thought you would eventually be the saintess of Dawn. Kieran went along with her tempo.
Yes, but not only them, it even caught me by surprise! I didnt even expect myself to be the saintess! Fate is always mysterious, I guess even her Majesty Bernadette could not see through fate itself. The elderly sister nodded and showed a smile.
Yet soon enough, the smile becameplicated.
Who knows? Kieran shrugged.
Yes, who knows is right. The elderly sister sighed once more and hastened her steps.
She realized she really wasnt suitable at initiating casual chit-chat because no matter what she talked about, it would ultimately end in sighs.
Is it because of my age? The elderly sister thought in her heart.
Though when they reached the quiet room, Sister Moni quickly adjusted her emotions.
After getting a nod from Sister Moni, the imposter was woken up by Kieran, not by any tender means though.
A pail of cold water poured down on her head, causing the imposter to shiver.
When the imposter saw the elderly sister before her eyes, she screeched, The monster forgotten by time itself!
Chapter 838 - Snake Herder
Chapter 838: Snake Herder
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Monster?
Kieran had never heard someone address the sister that way.
Her kindness and merciful bearing was universally recognized and more importantly, the elderly sister didnt refute.
Could it be...
Kieran squinted his eyes at the agitated imposter, some guesses instinctively popped up in his heart but he still understood what he should do.
Dont move, Kieran said coldly. He pressed the imposter down on the chair as she wanted to throw herself at the elderly sister.
Bang!
The imposters body was pressed back into the stone chair and it produced a heavy bang, yet the heavy bang couldnt cover the sounds of the dislocated bones in her body.
Pain shed over the imposters face.
Kieran had quite the control over his own strength, he could ce the imposter in constant agonizing pain yet keep her away from the fatal pain.
This was exactly what interrogations needed, even if the elderly sister requested to leave the interrogation to her, he didnt mind giving some help.
Sister Moni slightly nodded to express her acknowledgement of the help given.
Then, she ced her full attention on the imposter.
Where are you from? Sister Moni asked.
The imposter didnt reply with words but with a coldugh. Herugh was filled with mockery and disdain.
Sister Moni didnt stop her questioning even though she poorly replied.
Youve mention snake before, using snake as punishment and you also like sucking on brains and devouring flesh... You are one of the Snake Herders?
If you are a Snake Herder, you shoulde from three major sects! Arynder, Surinder and Morarder, which are you from?
When the three extremely unfamiliar terms escaped Sister Monis mouth, she carefully inspected the imposters expression.
The imposter was not moved. Her secret was exposed yet the three unfamiliar terms felt like it didnt matter to her at all.
Sister Moni sighed a little. Seems like none of those, which means the only one... Liander!
This time, the imposters face had changed.
Monster! You think you know everything? Sheughed coldly again.
Even God cant know everything, let alone me who only know so much.
Sister Moni didnt lose her temper against the provocative words. Her tone was t and her gaze towards the imposter felt like she didnt go through any emotional changes.
You should be thest Snake Herder of Liander, am I right? You didnt cut off your left little finger and turn it into a snake whistle which means you didnt get the recognition from the previous Snake Herder. You must have learned through books of the snake and if you have the opportunity toe close with the Snake Herders books... is one of your elders a Snake Herder?
You mother? Or your father? Sister Moni continued.
Shut up! The imposter shouted.
If the imposter was slightly agitated just now, now she waspletely enraged the moment Sister Moni uttered the word father.
You father should be Lianders Snake Herder that abides by the traditions. He impregnated your mother but after your mother gave birth to you, he consumed her and trained you from young. ording to Lianders tradition, you will kill your father and get his powers when youe of age...
SHUT UP! YOU OLD MONSTER! SHUT UP!
Sister Monis words were interrupted, the imposter wasnt bothered by the pain and started to struggle fiercely even under Kierans suppression.
Unfortunately, her struggles were petty before Kierans strength.
Though at the next moment, the faint energy aura that flowed out of her body amazed Kieran.
Is this the power of the Snake Herders? Kieran wondered.
Although because of the Church of Dawns Dawn Force, Kieran had a few guesses about the other mystical organizations energies in the current dungeon world and when he truly saw one with his own eyes, he was still amazed.
The energy was simr to Dawn Force yet had an opposite aura.
The simr point was the cirction of energy inside her body and the opposite point was that the aura was vicious and grudgeful.
The feeling struck Kieran as a venomous snakes fangs in the shadows.
Her energy started to flow towards Kieran through his hand that held her down by the shoulder but just like her body, her vicious, grudgeful energy didnt even stand a chance against Kierans Dawn Force in his body, it was like a lingering ice against the hot sun.
Puk!
The imposter spat out a mouth full of blood, she turned around and saw Kierans shining hand on her shoulder.
Thest guardian knight Guntherson, you only have this much? You are worthy of being the disowned dog beside the monster!
Because of the angle and Kieran hiding his face with his hood, the imposter didnt see Kierans face clearly and she still thought it was Guntherson thest knight.
The provocative words that came out ceaselessly from her made Kieran frown though.
Of course he wouldnt be agitated by the imposters words but he was confused about her methods.
As a captive, provoking the interrogator wasnt a wise choice by any means, unless...
She wanted to die! She wanted the interrogator to kill her!
Humans were mortally afraid of death but sometimes, because of some conviction in their heart, they became willingful in risking their lives.
Most of them were known as heroes by the masses but there was an exception, such as the captive before Kieran.
Being a captive and sought death, suicide was the best option. Just like the men of sacrifice Kieran had met before but the imposter didnt, she wanted him or the elderly sister to do it.
It wasnt normal.
A curse? Kieran wondered in his heart.
With such a thought lingering, it was natural that Kieran wouldnt kill her.
Although the mystical realm in the current dungeon world had declined, Kieran would never underestimate the unknown power because of such reasons.
He yed his assessor role well and left everything to the elderly sister.
Lianders inheritance power was broken because of you, so you sought out other kinds of power... Zaimyranders powers arent that decent thoug, as it provides you with strength but it will slowly turn you into its puppet, taking away your sanitypletely.
The elderly sister lifted up the imposters eyelid with her hand and when she saw a red dot below her eyeball, she couldnt help but shake her head.
Puppet? You are calling me a puppet? What about you? What are you? The imposter returned her question.
The sister went quiet for a while, I guess I am like you.
Hahahahaha! Like me? You really know how to find excuses and reasons to back you up! You freaking monster that consumed everyonesst hope! The imposterughed out loud.
Amid theughter, the elderly sister showed a faint helplessness on her face.
Can you tell me who are you working for? Sister Moni asked.
You think Ill tell you? The imposter grunted.
Then... forgive me!
The elderly sister uttered her words in a serious tone beforeying her right index finger in between the imposters eyes. A faint brilliance flowed out from Sister Monis finger.
The imposter went nk on the spot and on top of her, an illusive figure with a horrifying aura appeared out of nowhere.
Chapter 839 - Abilities
Chapter 839: Abilities
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
The aura from the illusory figure made Kieran skip a breath but at the bottom of his heart, he didnt feel surprised at all.
On the contrary, he sized up the illusory figure before him with a judgemental gaze.
The figure had three heads, two ck snakeheads on left and right and a male head in the middle. Its body was of an aviary and it had sharp ws of an eagle but it didnt have parts that could be considered as arms. The figure then expressed its ferocity.
Tss! Tss!
After two loud hisses, the two ck snakeheads threw themselves at Sister Moni.
With the elderly sister tipping off Kieran, he appeared in front of her in a sh, blocking the two illusory ck snakeheads and dishing out his own kicks.
Transcendence [Hand to hand Combat, Kick Combats] had the ability to deal damage to formless spirit beings and after he had limit broken his Character Model Temte, Kieran acquired [Outstanding Strength].
Not only Dawn Force but even Devil me could be infused into his kicks and at that particr moment, he wouldnt have to hesitate on which to choose.
Wung!
Dawn Force shone brightly on Kierans legs. When the two ck snakeheads were struck by Dawn Force, a sizzling sound could be head from their skin and when the tip of Kierans feet touched the snakehead...
PAK!
Both the snakeheads shattered like ssware and pieces of the heads tumbled around like dust under the sunlight, vanishing into nothing.
The remaining human head though chanted a series of unknown incantations and what followed was ayer of ck mist.
The ck mist rumbled around the illusory figure and a series of agonizing wails could be heard from it.
Kierans eyes could even see something simr to souls inside the ck mist. Then, a heavy and sonorous voice came emanated from the ck mist.
Submit! Petty ants!
It seemed like the voice could terrorize souls of the living, Kieran clearly felt all the living beings within a 20-meter area being affected greatly, even the vermins that were affected died off right away.
However, to Kieran, it was nothing. A lot of Spirit authentication notifications popped up but Kieran passed all of them.
Submit? Petty ants? Kieranughed, showing a cold smile on his face.
A mere lingering illusion... what are you bluffing about? Kieran uttered each and every word clearly.
The many dungeon experiences granted Kieran knowledge beyondmon peoples imagination. Like the figure before his eyes, it was not the first time he saw it.
Back in [The Shamans Partner], he also encountered a simr existence before, the God of Judgements lingering illusion.
Now the thing before him should be the lingering illusion of that so-called Zaimyrander. Though the lingering illusion before him now was slightly stronger than the God of Judgement, that was it.
So, the oue had been decided long ago.
KABOOM!
A 15-meter long light sword thrust out from Kierans hand, piercing the ck mist and the illusory figure together.
The ck mist melted like snow under a hot sun and the illusory figure was ignited by the attack.
Ants! Ants! Ants! You will die a horrible death! A horrible death!
The illusory figure cursed out loud but instead it showed its helplessness and bluffs even more.
The ignition burned the figure fiercely and went off swiftly, leaving nothing behind.
All that was left was the imposter in a nk state. It felt like she had just woken up from her slumber.
When she saw Kieran and Sister Moni, she was frightened badly and it made her stagger backward until she fell on the floor, crying out loud.
Who are you? Where am I?
Lisa wants daddy! Lisa wants daddy! Daddy!
Kieran frowned and instinctively turned to Sister Moni.
Sister Moni sighed and walked towards the woman. She coaxed her like a child and held her in her arms,forting her softly.
The elderly sisters already slow body was a little staggered at that moment, she was no different than those with walking difficulties; she looked older than others around her age.
Kieran was sure Sister Moni got older after the figure appeared.
What happened just now? Kieran went up and asked.
2567, please head to 11th Lion Street. There is a temporary base that belonged to Lisa and two other people. One of them should be Reeds killer and the other one is a young man who covered his face. Lisa only met him once.
The elderly sister didnt answer Kieran directly, she diverted the topic.
But the contents of her words allowed Kieran to have more guesses.
Memory reading? Or?
Kieran saw Lisa peeking at him behind the elderly sister and when heid his gaze on her, Lisa shrunk behind Sister Moni.
The look of sucking brains and eating flesh from Kierans memory was absent from the woman.
As thoughts ran wild in Kierans heart, it didnt stop his movements.
Sister Moni, pleasee with me. I dont want people to lure the tiger out of the mountain and I dont know how many others know about your powers, it is also hard for me to guarantee whether this Lisa here is a bait sent out by the enemies. Kieran pointed at Lisa.
Lisa who popped her head up shrunk back behind Sister Moni again.
Mm. The elderly sister didnt reject Kierans suggestion.
Soon, an unmarked wagon left St. Paolo School.
Kieran was quiet in the carriage.
Sister Moniforted Lisa who was being anxious and when she crawled up on Sister Monis thigh and fell asleep like a child, the elderly sister only looked up to Kieran.
Do you know why I was called a monster? Its because of this ability that coincidentally granted to me during my birth. The moment I read through peoples memory... I can also erase them.
Erase a part of peoples memory? Kieran was astonished.
Isnt it terrifying? Sister Moni showed a helpless, self-mocking smile.
It is! So what she said just now, consumed everyonesst hope, what was that about?
Kieran didnt conceal his own thoughts and at the same time, he showed his curiosity.
Back then during the crucial time where the nobles and churches fought, all of the churchesid down their creeds and cooperated, disregarding their previous enmity. I participated as the representative from the Church of Dawn and everyone established the idea of infiltrating the noble allied forces. I was tasked to read and erase the memories of several leaders of the noble allied forces but at thest crucial moment, I hesitated... because of my hesitation, the church allied forces started to lose ground steadily.
In the end... we suffered aplete loss, the elderly sister said calmly as if she was stating something that didnt concern her.
Though Kieran clearly saw how Sister Moni clenched her fist and it seemed like she wasnt as calm as she looked.
Why would she hesitate though? Kieran was quite curious about that particr point but the look on Sister Monis face prevented him from asking further.
Then, the carriage went silent until the wagon stopped.
Sister, weve arrived at 11th Lion Street!
Acker who acted as the Wagoner knocked on the ss window.
Chapter 840 - Paper Note
Chapter 840: Paper Note
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Acker was one of the school security members.
After Kieran stopped him from touching the poisonous wagon, he became respectful of Kieran in an unusual way. Especially after he treated Kieran as Guntherson, Ackers respect was showing on his face rather than only words.
The elderly sister didnt exin Kierans identity to the others though, the ones who knew Kierans true identity were Sister Moni herself and Chief Officer John only.
Sir, is there anything I can do?
Acker asked when Kieran jumped off the wagon.
Help Sister Moni and follow behind me, Kieran ordered.
Yes, sir. Acker nodded and helped the elderly sister down.
Kieran started to size up the so-called 11th Lion Street.
No doubt the ce was in the wealthy district of the city, the distribution of each independent building, the clean and luxurious outlooks proved as such.
Kieran went up to the gate of 11th Lion Street.
The gate was made up of two iron coated nks where the nks themselves were made out of wood. The tall and sharp fences that pierced the sky stopped anyone who tried to climb over the gate.
Beside the gate were garden walls made up entirely by stones, they were firm and sturdy.
Looking through the iron gate gap, Kieran noticed a woodpile that was used to tie up a dog.
It seemed like the person staying here was very mindful of his safety.
However, such defenses were only useful in dealing with petty thieves, it would bepletely useless against someone with a sharp eye and thoughts, let alone the one who had countless ties to the mystical realm.
Thats right, the house was wrongfully upied by the bad guys.
As for the original owner of the house, the answer was self-exnatory.
Kieran jumped up and leaped over the wall, he then slightly opened up the iron gate.
Acker helped Sister Moni into the premises while Lisa was pinching the elderly sisters robe, going in after her.
Wait here!
Kieran then merged with the shadows and headed into the building.
Although he was prepared for anything, when he saw the messy scene in the living hall, Kieran still frowned.
There were a total of 8 bodies lying around.
3 of them were the owners of the house and the other 5 were the cooking maidens, attendants and bodyguards.
The bodies scattered across the living hall like casually thrown garbage.
Likewise, the one who threw the garbage didnt mind living like this either.
There were unfinished foods on the table but there was a contrasting scene at the dining table.
At one side of the dining table, it was neat and tidy, the knife and fork were ced on both sides of the te while the beef steak on the te was cut in half, a part of the beef was sliced into smaller chunks while the other part was intact.
Looking at the steak, Kierans mind painted a picture of a person who had adequate table manners, enjoying the steak gracefully.
On the other side, there was a pot filled with beef chunks and potatoes. The cooking was extremely crude, the beef was still uncooked and the potatoes still had their skin on.
Though it didnt stop the person gobbling down the food and judging from the soup that spilled everywhere, the person had more than just a good appetite.
The first one is the young man who covered his face and theter one is the one who killed Reed?
Kieran went around the dining table and with [Tracking] on, he saw traces that were invisible to themon eyes.
There were two pairs of footprints, big and small ones underneath the dining table and several palm prints were all over the table.
The bigger one was identical to the prints on the woodpile back in the school field.
Unfortunately, the culprit was no longer there.
Kierans Intuition didnt pick up any kinds of aura in the vicinity.
To be safe, Kieran searched the whole house from bottom to top but he still didnt get anything.
Although the two people left in a hurry, they meticulously cleaned up the leftover traces.
After they knew Lisa was held captive, they made a firm decision to leave. Which means Sister Monis abilities are not a secret to them and they were certain that Sister Moni would search for them with her abilities! But...
Kieran looked at the te with the steak once more.
Under the te there was a white color trace, it should be from a piece of paper!
He squinted his eyes and scanned the whole dining table again.
Because of the viewing angle, the piece of paper under the te was unnoticeable if one didnt squat down to look.
Or rather, if one was not the first to arrive at the scene and search the ce carefully, the paper would not be noticed.
Which mean the paper...
Is it for me?! Kieran was surprised from the bottom of his heart.
After checking the te and making sure it was fine, Kieran lifted the te up and revealed the paper underneath.
The words written on the paper wasnt much. There were only a few words.
School, wooden hut.
There was no start no end, or the time it was written but only a precise location.
The school was obviously referring to St. Paolo School and the wooden hut, other than Gunthersons wooden hut, Kieran couldnt think of any.
He stared at the paper for a few seconds before ultimately pocketing it and heading outside.
We are a step toote. They arent here. Kieran told the elderly sister outside.
So it is... After weve held Lisa captive, they must have left. Did you find anything else? Sister Moni asked.
Nope. Kieran kept quiet about the paper and shook his head directly.
Can I have a look inside? My useless ability might be of use. Sister Moni pointed at the living hall.
Sure! Kieran moved away and made way for the sister.
Sister Monis interrogation of Lisa had proved to Kieran that her age granted her excellent knowledge but of course,pared to her abilities, it was nothing.
Reading and erasing memories.
No matter how Kieran looked at it, it was a terrifying power.
If it didnt have an obvious drawback and Sister Moni having a kind heart, she would have caused many terrible deeds.
With Ackers help, Sister Moni went into the living room and Kieran unconsciously thought about the paper in his pocket.
What was their a purpose for leaving the paper behind? Kieran pondered upon the question.
After 15 minutes, Sister Moni who also got nothing stopped her search.
Pardon me, I didnt find anything useful, Sister Moni said in an apologetic tone.
Its fine, sister. If we cant find anything here, we can quietly wait for our helpers to provide us with news, I believe they wont let us down. Kieran offered hisfort to the elderly sister with a smile.
Lets hope so! Sister Moni sighed.
Then, the three of them boarded the wagon and returned to the school.
Sister, I hope to stay in the wooden hut for the uing days. Since someone is using Gunthersons identity to cause a ruckus, why dont we put up more smokescreen and go along with the n? Kieran said while traveling in the carriage.
Ill leave everything to you then.
The elderly sister didnt object Kierans suggestion and nodded in approval.
Chapter 841 - Purpose of Arrival
Chapter 841: Purpose of Arrival
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Back at Gunthersons wooden hut, Kieran thanked Acker for delivering the food.
Kieran sent Acker off before taking out the piece of paper again.
The words are tidy and had its own style. This paper isnt just a random piece either, its specially prepared, so the scene of leaving in a hurry from the living hall was an act? They purposely sent Lisa to Sister Moni, allowing me to know where they were... just to deliver this piece of paper to me? So I can wait for them here? Kieran wondered silently.
The answer was before his eyes and it wasnt that hard to know.
Though the baffling thing was, why would they do what they did? Or, what gains would they get out of this?
None!
Other than losing a subordinate, there were no benefits at all.
Compared to losing a subordinate, they would rather have a meeting with me... Interesting! Kieranmented in his heart.
He then started to tidy up the wooden hut.
After all, since School, wooden hut was written on the paper, it might be the meeting ce or something might be hidden here.
After cing the vegetables, dried meat and buns in the cab, Kieran started to tidy up the wooden hut bit by bit.
Almost an hourter, he had gone through all the spots that could possibly hide things yet he got nothing at all. Kieran sat back down on Gunthersons simple bed.
The whole bed was made out of rocks and a wooden nk on top of them. The mattress on top was a thin one and it suited Guntherons identity as the knight.
Kieran didntin, heid back and waited patiently.
Of course, he wouldnt just wait there and do nothing, Kieran still has Gunthersons notes to read. While he was reading, his eyes would nce through the window, looking at the small chapel further away from time to time.
Sister Moni was praying inside. Kierans sharp Intuition allowed him to hear the sisters prayers.
As for the paper left behind by a stranger that he never met before, Kieran will never fully believe the contents.
If they were trying to arrange a deceptive array to fool him, the time Kieran spent in the wooden hut would be the best opportunity for them to strike.
Seconds turned into minutes, minutes into hours.
The sun rose and set as the time arrived on the evening of the next day.
The prayers inside the small chapel took a pause and ording to the time, it was time for dinner. Sister Moni would move towards the dorms belonging to the teachers and admins and have dinner with the off duty school security members.
Originally, Sister Moni would have her dinner in her own room but under Kierans strong request, there were people around the elderly sister throughout most of the day.
Many of the school security members also realized that dinner time was considered as one of the few resting hours that Kieran had; it was also Kierans dinner time.
The fire ce in the wooden hut was burning fiercely, boiling the iron pot on top.
The pot with the rice soup was already boiling, Kieran used his dagger and sliced or cubed the dried meat, veggies and carrots into the pot.
He covered the lid again and allowed the soup to boil further.
Steam was erupting ceaselessly from the seams of the lid, emanating a unique sound but what came to Kieran first was the aroma of the roasted potatoes.
The potatoes that were stuffed under the burning wood softened by the heat.
Kierans hands moved as fast as lightning, ignoring the burning fire and pulled out two pieces of charred potatoes, with sparks and steam emanating, from the burning wood.
He blew off the ashes on the potatoes and peeled off the skin, allowing the hot steam to gush out in an instant, the yellowish edible flesh inside was instantly revealed.
Kieran wasnt extremely particr of the vor, he tore away the charred potato skin and sprinkled salt, cinnamon powder and chili kes on top before stuffing it into his mouth.
It was hot but thebination of the saltiness of the spice and the tenderness of the potato made the texture enjoyable, especially when the cinnamon and spicy vor were locked down by the salt and intertwined on his tongue, a variety of tastes exploded in his mouth. Kieran couldnt help but squinted his eyes pleasantly.
Two... three rounds of chewing and the potato was gobbled down.
As for the other potato, he wasnt in a hurry to taste it, he took the wooden bowl and scooped out the soup from the pot. The peeled potato was then soaked into the bowl of soup.
Instantly, the thick rice soup became more creamy because of the potato and with a slight stir of the spoon, it looked like corn stew with its stickiness but the meat, veggies, and carrot produced a mixture of aromas that was far better than a single-vored corn stew.
When the soft rice and potato were mixed together, the texture was elevated to the next level.
Since Kieran has gobbled down a roast potato just now, the thick soup he was drinking now was much more aromatic and pleasant.
Of course, if he could have his dinner in peace without any people interrupting him, it would be better.
A figure closed up on the wooden hut. The figure was dodgy along the way and soon reached the entrance of the hut.
The door wasnt closed yet the figure knocked slightly on the side, signaling his visit and swiftly washing away the suspicious manner that he arrived in.
Good evening, Sir 2567. The man said. His voice was heavy and stern, giving a good feeling to whoever listen to his voice.
Then, the man unhooded himself, revealing a young face but what concerned Kieran more was the name: the man called him 2567!
2567, not Guntherson!
Kieran carefully sized up the man and the man replied Kierans gaze with a smile.
Please to meet you, Gateli is my name. Its really hard for me to see you in person, so please forgive me in choosing the most reckless way possible but please, believe me, I was forced to do this, Gateli introduced himself and exined.
Though the simple exnation couldnt buy Kierans trust at all, he stayed quiet.
He looked at Gateli with a calm gaze. Since Gateli had appeared before him and left the hidden corner that no one could find, he believed Gateli must have came prepared.
However, Kierans senses didnt locate a second person, Gateli indeed came alone, so Kieran was much more interested about what he was going to say.
We dont have much time. The sister will return to the small chapel after dinner and without full preparation, I really dont want to meet her in person... After all, our own memories are quite important arent they? His words had a subtle meaning pointing at someone.
What do you mean? Kieran raised a brow.
Im talking about the memories! Which also means that the sister isnt as kind as you think. Do you want to know what was she doing when you and Sir Guntherson went off to protect the legacy of the Church of Dawn? Gateli asked.
Then, before Kieran could answer, She came to Wayne Manor to look for me, asking for a coboration! And it is also because of this coboration, it made me, the direct heir to Duke Wayne, choose to vanishpletely out of sight. I was threatened and I need your help, Sir 2567!
Gateli then kneeled down on one knee.
Chapter 842 - Conversation
Chapter 842: Conversation
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
Kieran was calm when he saw Gateli kneel down on one knee with a sincere look.
His words brought shocking news to Kieran but as for the authenticity?
Kieran couldnt tell whether was it true or false.
Evidence! Show me evidence that can prove your words, Kieran said.
Evidence... I dont have any. Gateli shook his head with a bitterugh.
His face then turned sour and frightened.
Do you know, until now I dont even remember what the sister wanted to coborate on. I was careful and didnt let here near me but still, a part of my memory was gone!
The sister was much more terrifying than the records in Waynes family, so I had to fake my death and escape, spreading false rumors around in hopes it would divert her attention. I guess I was lucky enough, able to meet you, a Gods Child, a real one that could possibly oppose the sister.
Gateli spat out a long breath with lingering fear in his heart.
So why would I, a Gods Child, want to oppose the saintess of the same church? Kieran asked.
You said it yourself, the same church. What if... Sister Moni is no longer the saintess of the Church of Dawn? Gateli replied with his question.
No longer the saintess of Dawn? Kieran raised a brow.
Yes, and about that, I have enough evidence to support myself. Sister Moni is no longer the kind sister that you know, she was affected by something inside the small chapel. Something is not right inside there and with your vignce, surely you will find something unusual with some investigation. Gateli said in an affirmative tone.
St. Paolo Church!
Kierans mind unconsciously recalled the scene where the [Seal of Dawn] triggered the resonance inside but his expression remained the same.
You seem to know a lot about me, about Sister Moni and the whole St. Paolo. Not many who know my alias and those who know would never tell you, so... Kieran continued.
What if I told you it is you who told me that? Gateli said.
Kieran was shocked, he didnt remember contacting Gateli at all, let alone telling him such secrets. Could it be...
A bad assumption rose up in Kierans heart, it made his aura turn a little colder.
Its a joke! Dont be nervous! The Wayne familys surveince of the Church of Dawn is definitely more than meets the eye. Weve also reserved some of our secret techniques and through it, we can faintly see and hear what is going on here. But the cost of the technique was too big, if my uncle was still in power, there would be no need to do so but now, I have to in order to stay alive.
Gateli felt the changes in Kierans aura, he immediately shook his hands and took out a palm-sized notebook from his coat.
Kieran checked the notebook and when he made sure it wasnt dangerous, he took it and flipped through it.
The notebook recorded some spells of eavesdropping and surveince, the basic spell structure wasnt thatplicated but to initiate and to convert was the one that furrowed brows.
Life! The spells needed human life to initiate!
So the people inside 11th Lion Street were used as materials for the spell? Kieran asked.
I am sorry,pared to other innocent lives, I am more careful of my own!
Gatelis face showed a sense of regret but it vanished soon enough. Sir 2567, we dont have much time and I know its hard for you to believe me after just one meeting so there will be a next time.
I believe the next time we meet, you will believe me after enough investigations. Now though, I will provide you with the names of those people who were attracted by rumors of my demise. Right before that, I have another hiding spot as well, all you need to do is to leave the note XCV there and I wille to meet you.
After that, Gateli told a couple of names and addresses to Kieran. Before he left in a hurry, he left the address of his temporary hiding spot.
A few minutes after Gateli left, the elderly sister brought Lisa to the wooden hut. Sister Moni brought a basket with her and it was filled with the scent of food.
The cooking maiden of the school made some sausages, fried eggs, and toast. Its really not bad and I bet 2567 you will like it. And theres milk! Sister Moni handed the basket to Kieran.
Of course! Kieran would never reject any kind of food.
After thanking the elderly sister, Kieran received the basket of food. The whole process was as usual but only Kieran knew that his heart was rmed at that moment.
The elderly sisters abilities, Gatelis words, all of them made Kieran, a naturally dubious character, form up quite the defense around him. He tried to size up the elderly sister again subtly, in hopes of finding something but he didnt find anything at all.
Other than the face getting older and the kindness and mercy that came with it, there were no other obvious changes.
Sister, what are you nning to do with her?
Kieran shifted the topic since he didnt get anything out of it.
She only lost the unpleasant memories, it doesnt mean shes lost her intellect. With her body, she will recover after one to two days rest. It depends on her choice then, whether to stay or leave. If she chooses to stay, St. Paolo school will have the ce for her and should she leave, I wont stop her either and I am willing to wait for her return.
The elderly sister touched Lisas head kindly as she spoke and Lisa seemed like he was enjoying the pat, not only did she giggle, she even squinted her eyes pleasantly.
Looking at the scene, Kieran felt more uneasy in his heart because Sister Monis words made him think that, if he was the one who had his memories erased, he might recover even faster, or even returned to normal within a breaths time but...
It was only viable for Kieran at his current level, it would be different for him in the past though.
So, were my memories erased before?
Such thoughts appeared uncontrobly in Kierans heart.
He started to go through the system notifications but there wasnt anything.
If my memories were erased, would the system notifications disappear too? Kieran asked himself.
The answer was... well he didnt know.
It was the first time he encountered such abilities and there were no previous examples he could take reference from, not even the incidents of recent times.
However, someone else was traceable, like his Spirit.
ording to Kierans judgment, the erase memory spell would have to go through a Spirit authentication and although Sister Moni offered her own life as cost, if Kieran increased his Spirit within a short period of time, could he break free of the restrictions?
Looking at the 2 remaining Golden Attribute Points, Kieran wanted to test it by investing into himself but right at that moment, he thought of something else suddenly...
Chapter 843 - Scheming
Chapter 843: Scheming
Trantor: Dess Editor: EbonyFrost
What if everything was part of Gatelis schemes?
When the new thought appeared in Kierans head, more thoughts popped up uncontrobly.
Kieran tried to recall the conversation he had with Gateli after the meeting.
Gateli was respectful, well-mannered and showed sincerity from time to time. His sincerity would make people fond of him at the first nce.
But was it his true face?
Kieran recalled the old Duke Wayne, the direct heir to that cunning duke was a sincere person?
Stop joking!
It must be a mask that Gateli put on. So when he removed the mask of sincerity, what would he be then? Or, what would his goals be then?
Kierans eyes unconsciously turned to Sister Moni who was ying around with Lisa.
Gateli was trying to drive Kieran and Sister Moni apart! Sowing dissension in their rtionship!
As the heir to Wayne family, Gateli would not be strangers to Sister Moni and Guntherson and he should know the elderly sisters character like the back of his palm.
He knew in order to end the dispute at hand as soon as possible, Sister Moni would use that dreaded ability of hers again.
With the abilities the elderly sister disyed, anyone would be rmed let alone Kieran the dubious, and once he noticed Sister Monis abilities, he would have his own thoughts.
Gatelis ns had started when Lisa was sent to Sister Moni.
No, that wasnt right, it should be earlier, it started during Reeds death!
When Kieran and Sister Moni were still at the station, Gateli had sent someone to infiltrate the school in hopes of locating the treasure but he didnt find any.
Then, the infiltrator was discovered by Reed the dutiful, thus his demise.
Gateli used Reeds life force to set up the secret technique that he mentioned of, eavesdropping and watching St. Paolo Schools movements, including Kierans practice of the [Seal of Dawn] and the littlemotion at the small chapel.
After Gateli noticed all of that, he changed his original n. When he saw Kieran was extremely vignt at the unusualmotion in the small chapel, he thought he had an opportunity there, hence what happened just now.
Huuu!
Kieran heaved a long breath. He then realized his back was somehow soaked by his own sweat.
What a terrifying opponent! Kieranmented on Gateli.
It wasnt his strength but Gatelis mind and the ability to improvise, plus his boldness!
In order to set Keiran up, Gateli risked his safety appearing before Kieran and put on a show that he was so confident of.
Kieran carefully recalled what Gateli had said, What if I told you it is you who told me?. When Gateli uttered those words, Kierans doubtful emotions werepletely shifted away, especially when Gateli repeatedly denied it in order to nt doubts deeper in Kierans mind.
Of course, everything was built upon Gatelis first kneel. When Gateli kneeled down with one knee and requested help from Kieran, he already set up a perfect start.
He even used his pride as his weapon? Kieran muttered in his heart while his brain was thinking of another man, Broker!
That damn cunning merchant!
Kieran saw Brokers image in Gateli, but Broker was much more experienced and his ns were much more wless.
It was far from the seemingly wless ns before Kieran but the variables were extremely unstable.
All of Gatelis ns depended on Kierans choice, in simple words, Kieran still held the initiative somehow and it wasnt like Brokers ns in which he would remove Kierans options, stringing Kieran along ording to his own will. The whole process was also silent and untraceable.
Whileparing the differences between Gateli and Broker, Kieran casually added more firewood into the firece, increasing the warmth in the room under the gloomy rainy day.
The light from the fire shone over the basket with food, the aroma of the sausages, fried eggs, buns, and milk flowed out naturally.
Thebination of food didnt feel like dinner and it would only be normal to see them during breakfast.
The elderly sister who delivered the basket was there to send him breakfast and not some dinner cooked by cooking maidens in the kitchen. It should be Sister Monis personal cooking.
Kieran didnt notice that at first though.
Thank you, Kieran said.
Sister Moni was stunned and when she saw Kieran point at the basket, she smiled.
Its what I should do. In fact, this is also one of the few things that I am capable of, I hope to help more people but my strength always falls short... I am sorry 2567, its rude of me to rant in front of you again. As I grew of age, I cant help myself but recall the past memories more often. Sister Moni shook her head helplessly.
Its nothing, if you dont mind, please share your memories with me. I think that Im quite a good listener, Kieran said.
Though before she spoke, Kieran went out to patrol the school. He was trying to find the traces of the eavesdrop and surveince spell marks.
Although ording to the note that he just flipped through, the spells should be the kind that wouldst from the start to finish. Though the note with the spell was given by Gateli, Kieran didnt believe he wouldnt do something to the note.
Kieran used Dawn Force to sweep across the spots he deemed suspicious. Maybe simr secret spells could fool his Intuition but Pro [Mystical Knowledge] allowed him to know the way to simply defend against such spells.
After he was done with the scanning, Kieran returned to the wooden hut.
Then, the sister started on her story and it went on non-stop.
There were funny stories and secretive tales, all of the stories she told were about the Church of Dawn.
Like how to differentiate the fake Knights of Dawn training camps from the real one, how a guardian knight took a vow to never marry and how the Church of Dawn was originally a subsidiary of the Church of Light etc.
...
Just when Kieran was listening to Sister Monis stories, Gateli returned to his secret lodging spot. After he signaled to his men to be alertand continue to patrol, he went straight to a secret room.
Inside the secret room, a person was waiting for him quietly.
How was it? the coarse voice asked Gateli.
Its progressing smoothly! With the dubious character that he has shown, once the seed of doubt is nted, all we need to do is to wait for it to sprout! Gateli smiled.
How long? The coarse voice sounded anxious.
Soon! Gateli replied softly.
...
A few hundred kilometers outside the city, a group of men were sprinting forward.
Golden armored riders were riding their war horses and even in the night, their armor was radiating a faint glow around like how the sun brought its light to thend, shining over the darkness around the group.
It was exactly like the name of their church, Light.
Chapter 844 - Meanwhile in another side…
Chapter 844: Meanwhile in another side...
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
At dawn, before the day truly turned bright and the hustle really began, a wagon drove off swiftly and steadily through the empty streets.
Carls skilled driving and whipping could be heard while John was moving his body in an awkward way.
To the big and buff John, squeezing himself in a tiny carriage was already a terrible thing to do, moreover, the carriage was carrying four people including him.
John looked at Kieran who sat together with him and looked at Sister Moni and Lisa on the opposite. He has started to regret why he didnt sit outside in the driver spot with Carl.
Stuffing himself inside the carriage, John felt like he was going to suffocate at any moment but still, John didnt try to open the carriage window.
As a police officer, he had enough experience dealing with danger and it made John understand what should he do at this particr moment. Even though what he was facing now couldnt be exined bymon sense.
Kieran looked at the anxious chief officer and he couldnt hold back his smile.
Its fine if you want to open the window, Kieran said.
He knew that the chief officer was so nervous not just because of the tight space in the carriage but also because the uing battle.
Its better to be careful! John shook his head and said in a heavy tone.
His vignce increased Kierans smile though.
No one wished for their own teammate to be a clumsy fool, even though the teammate wasnt an in an offensive role but a backup support.
Who was the main offense?
It was clear with a nce over the carriage.
The elderly and weak Sister Moni would never be; Lisa who was still nk and dazing off because of her erased memories wouldnt do either. Even though John was big and buff, he was nothing but an amateur against the mystical forces.
So, Kieran was the only candidate.
In his mind, Kieran was properly recalling the target details that Gateli provided.
Gateli gave him 3 names.
These 3 uninvited guests more or less had ties to the mystical realm and one of them was certain to be of sorcerer origins.
Likewise, the sorcerer also became the first target for Kieran to strike, not just because of the things they did in the station but also the potential big reward from them.
Yes, entering the dungeon world through a special ticket couldnt acquire spoils of war the traditional way but the drops from the opponents and enemies werent included in that rule.
No doubt the likes of a sorcerer had valuable drops, Kieran didnt mind reaping some gains for himself while trying to fool Gateli at the same time.
As for the fake intel Gateli had given, Kieran wasnt worried at all about that.
As long as Gateli believed he had gotten Kierans trust, he would definitely provide him with the real thing and not just this time, the next meeting as well.
To be honest, Kieran was already anticipating their next meeting, what kind of surprise Gateli would bring forth?
So, Kieran had to y his part and make a move, making Gateli believe his ns were effective. Therefore, getting rid of the names Gateli provided would be the best move to make.
The thought shed through Kierans mind, he maintained his smile and said to John, Keep up the vignce.
John nodded. After a slight pause, he looked at Kieran again.
2567, you sure you dont need me to call in more men?
It wasnt the first time John asked, the moment they met up, John asked before but was rejected by Kieran and this time, it was no exception either.
We dont need that much manpower. Sometimes, more doesnt equal good, quite the opposite, it will cause unnecessary panic, Kieran answered.
I know but... against such enemies, I really dont have any confidence in my heart!
John smiled bitterly as he took out his flintlock, checking it up and down again.
All men has their own habitual actions when they encountered nerve racking situations.
Some would shake their legs, some would walk back and forth and some would gobble down as much food as they could.
Johns was checking his weapon. The flintlock in his hand was no different than themon flintlock, it also relied on fire powder to fire the iron pellet but the iron pellet he used was different. It wasnt themon led or iron-made pellets but a silver one! And it was soaked in the holy water from the Church of Dawn!
Believe me, as long as you hit those guys with your bullets, they will get more than theyve bargain for! Kieran provided some confidence to John with his assurance.
It wasnt a lie or empty encouraging words, but the truth.
Silver pellets offered astounding effect against the mystical beings, in addition to the effect of the Church of Dawns holy water, it was like adding wings to a tiger, it could even one shot some high level demons or negative beings, given that John could hit them with his shooting though. It was nearly impossible to effectively guard against the ambushes and illusions of a high demon.
Kieran didnt tell John anything about the high demon.
First, it wasnt necessary.
Second, given how nervous John was now, knowing too much wouldnt do him any good.
The wagon traveled on forth.
A few minutester, Carls voice sounded.
Chief, Sir 2567, were here!
Kieran threw a gaze at John before jumping off the wagon, sprinting away to the other street.
Facing off against a mystic, even if it was declining, the necessary precautions were essential. Kieran would never allow the wagon to appear on the street where the mystic was located because it would be too eye-catching. Aside from mystics, evenmoners with higher levels of awareness would notice.
The facts proved that Kierans precaution was very necessary.
The moment Kieran entered the street where the mystic was, he saw a spirit simr to the wandering souls standing high on top of the roof of the building.
Commoners couldnt see it but under [Tracking]s vision, Kieran could even see the nk expression of the spirit.
Using the covers from the shadows, Kieran easily avoided the watch of the spirit.
Transcendence [Undercover] might not be able to fool the senses of powerful spirit beings but fooling such low levels wandering souls was more than enough.
Kieran picked the lock on the entrance with a steel wire and moved in with a sh.
There was no light in the area but the corridor, the living room, and the kitchen were still clear under Kierans sight.
Then, conversation sounded from the study room.
Ive said it before, I want more materials! I dont care whether you are being watched or not!
...
Yes, my lord! Everything in the Church of Dawn is progressing smoothly. I am sure Guntherson is not here, its the tricks they yed on us before this. Ill deal with these matters as soon as possible and get my hands on that thing.
...
The two conversations came from the same person.
The former was swollen with arrogance; Thetter sounded obsequious and even ttering.
Kierans curiosity was piqued instantly.
As a sorcerer yet he address someone else as lord? So who is this lord that you are referring to? And the thing that you want to get?
A couple of thoughts came up in Kiernas mind and at the same time, the door to the study room opened up.
A scrawny, tiny man walked out of the room.
Kieran dashed up to the man without a second thought.
Chapter 845 - Revival Society
Chapter 845: Revival Society
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The scrawny man widened his eyes as big as a golf ball when Kieran dashed out from the shadows.
He didnt understand how Kieran slipped past the spirit sentry and entered the building. He also didnt understand how Kieran moved so fast.
Among all 5 attributes, Kierans Strength and Agility were ranked at the bottom but that was only to himself.
To others, especially for the natives in this dungeon world, SS- Agility was beyond logic.
Therefore, the final oue was no surprise at all.
Pak!
A single chop down the mans neck and he was knocked out with his eyes rolling into the back of their sockets.
Kieran grabbed the man by the neck and headed towards the study room while searching for the mans belongings.
Kieran was already skilled in how to get valuable spoils of war from his enemies, and when he reached the door to the study room, he had already gotten a few items out of the man.
Though only two out of the few were recognized by the system.
One was a metallic ring with ck luster.
[Name: Soul Sentry Ring]
[Type: essory]
[Type: Magic]
[Attribute: Spirit Sentry]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Remark: Its craftsmanship isnt overlyplicated but the craft was inherited from generation to generation]
...
[Spirit Sentry: Summon a wandering spirit being as your guard. It canplete a simple order and exist for a long time. When the spirit sentry dies, you will need to find a suitable soul to take its ce, isnt limited to a human soul.]
...
The other one was a scroll.
[Name: Evil Spirit Scroll]
[Type: Scroll]
[Rarity: Magic]
[Attribute: Summon 2 evil spirits at your service, 1/1]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Remark: It is not liked but useful]
...
Kieran took the two items and ced them in his bag without being courteous, he didnt even miss out the material-like items.
Although the system didnt provide rted details, it didnt mean they were worthless, at least they still worth something in the current dungeon world.
Kieran grabbed the unconscious man and sized up the study room after he opened the door.
It was not exactly a study room, it should be abination of the study room and ab.
There was indeed a book rack and a study desk at one side but on the other side, it was much bloodier.
Dissected human bodies and internal organs of animals were mixed into an iron bucket and around it were the original materials that was dismembered.
Beside the iron bucket was a rack and on the rack was an oil painting.
The frame was made out of wood and on the canvas was the painting of a luxurious chair and nothing else.
Right away, guesses popped up in Kierans mind.
He lifted his foot up and crossed one of the tiles beside the door. The piece of tile might look identical to the others but Pro [Mystical Knowledge] confirmed that on top of that particr tile was a magic trap. The magic trap that would sound an rm.
Even though the owner of the house was in his hand, it didnt mean he wanted to attract unwanted troubles.
After slightly going through the book rack and the books on the study desk, he was certain it was some basic [Mystical Knowledge] andmon books, so he turned his attention to the oil painting.
When Kieran took a good look at the painting, he only then realized in surprise that the painting had two sides.
The same frame but two paintings on the front and back side.
Just now because of the viewing angle, Kieran saw the front painting of the chair and the behind it was just a yellowish canvas.
Kieran looked at the two-sided painting and he checked the surroundings again.
It was troublesome no doubt but it was countless times better than losing his life.
No matter how careful he was, he could never be too careful against people from the mystical realm.
Then, Kieran realized the necessity of his vignce around dangerous environments.
A faint scent of a nt came out from the painting frame and entered his nose.
In an environment filled with organs, corpses and bloody stench, if one didnt inspect the painting carefully, the scent would be neglected undoubtedly. Had it been neglected and one was to touch the frame with their bare hands...
Kieran tore a piece of pelt on theb table and started to rub the frame.
After a few rubs, the pelt started to wither with exponential speed visible to the eyes and it turned into something simr to burnt paper, disintegrating into ashes with a touch.
He purposely arranged it this way? Kieran nced over the iron bucket and then he picked the painting up.
[Name: Communication Painting]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: Magic]
[Attribute: Communicate]
[Prerequisite: Mystical Knowledge (Entry), Communication Magic Circle]
[Remark: The canvas of the painting was cut from the same piece, they have a subtle and weird rtion]
...
[Communication: Activate using the magic circle to converse and see the target on the other end]
...
Communication magic circle? Kieran raised a brow.
The prerequisite instantly dropped the value of [Communication Painting].
Of course, Kieran wouldnt simply throw it away either. He grabbed the painting in one hand and the captive on the other, searching the entire room, top to bottom and when he didnt discover anything further, only then did he leave.
John who was standing by on the next street finally heaved a long breath when he saw Kieran came back.
He signaled Carl to help Kieran before asking, Jobs done?
Isnt it obvious enough? Kieran shook the captive.
Its obvious alright. So we are heading back to the school?
Nope, we are going to the next location. Kieran shook his head.
Kieran didnt want to drag things out too long against the three misfit enemies,
The wagon started off again.
With the addition of a captive, John and Carl were on the outside, driving the wagon.
Just like how Kieranmented on the enemies, misfits, the two other enemies had nothing worth mentioning at all, whether it was the enemies themselves or the spoils of war.
Though, in order to get more information Kieran kept all of them alive.
Therefore, John had to call in another wagon.
The two wagons went back to the school in session, the captives were seized by the school security members and ced on watch.
Do you want toe along? Kieran asked before he wanted to interrogate the sorcerer.
Sure. The elderly sister hesitated a little before nodding.
She didnt want to face a bloody scene but sometimes, it was required of her.
People would be helpless in front of life.
The elderly sister had a deep understanding of the saying a long time ago, especially as her age increased, her understanding of things grew as well.
The elderly sister followed into the interrogation room.
Though to everyones surprise, after a pail of cold water, the sorcerer stated where he was from.
Remnants of the Church of Dawn, release me! Otherwise, we, the Revival Society, will not spare you! The sorcerer groaned in an arrogant way the moment he woke up.
Revival Society?
Kieran muttered the unknown organizations name. Though it didnt stop Kieran from pping some sense into the man, making him realize what situation he was in.
Chapter 846 - Codex
Chapter 846: Codex
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Bang!
Kieran raised his feet and touched the sorcerers face lightly but the man was sent flying with his chair, crashing into the wall.
The chair was broken upon impact and the rope tying the man down couldnt stop the crash either. The man spat out a couple of teeth and blood before crawling on the ground.
The crash just now didnt just broke the chair, it broke his bones as well.
Remnants of the Church of Dawn, you people will regret... Aaaargh!
His body suffered many fractured bones yet he was still arrogant but before he could finish, he interrupted himself with a scream.
Kierans feet were pressing on top of his finger, moving it left and right.
I think you should address us with a much more appropriate term, not remnants! What do you think?
Kieran spoke as he pressed down with his feet.
Soon enough, blood starting to spill under his feet, followed by bone cracking sounds.
When Kieran lifted his feet, the finger was pressed into a pile of meat.
Then, Kieran moved on to the other finger with his feet.
Tell me what is this Revival Society of yours, and what is that thing you people are after?
Remnants of the Church of Dawn... Aaaargh!
The sorcerer was surprisingly unyielding, the way he called Kieran and Sister Moni didnt change, so the pain arrived as promised.
Kieran then cut the crap after that, after the second finger was stepped on, he went straight for the next.
When all of the fingers on the mans left hand were destroyed, Kieran went on to the right hand and it was at that moment, Sister Moni couldnt continue watching.
2567, I think we can go with an easier way, Sister Moni said.
Sister Moni, your abilities will make this simple process much moreplicated and my methods might be cruel but they are direct. Can you wait for me outside for a while? I promise it will end soon. Kieran shook his head at Sister Moni and replied with a stern answer.
The easier way that Sister Moni was referring to was known to Kieran obviously, it was nothing more than reading the mans memory but given the elderly sisters body condition, it couldnt allow her to do this as freely as she once did.
ording to Kierans estimation, if Sister Moni kept using her abilities two to three more times, her body might crumble because of the mental load.
It wasnt something that Kieran hoped to see.
Very well.
The elderly sister chose to step back against Kierans serious look but she didnt truly leave. She remained outside the door and prayed quietly.
Oh merciful Bernadette, I am willing to share the sins of 2567...
The agonizing cry sounded off relentlessly, together with the sincere praying, thebination of sounds echoed through the dark corridor.
Thepassionate and merciful sister prayed and tried to redeem the sins of Kieran.
The simple drawing with the mark of Dawn appeared on the ground again and following the sisters prayers, it was shining softly but it didnt evenst two seconds...
Before the light turned dark and vanished, like a candle blown out, darkness filled the corridor again, the elderly sister closed her eyes in pain.
Even yourst light has faded away? The elderly sister choked on her sobs, muttering to herself.
With the door in between, Kierans senses still allowed him to clearly hear the sisters prayers and sobs, the Dawn Force in his body even sensed the brilliance that faded in a sh.
Kieran could only shake his head helplessly against this matter. He couldntfort the sister and neither did he have the appropriate position to.
After all, he was only an imposter Gods Child.
Though the captive that called himself Revival Society gave a coldugh.
Bunch of hypocrites, it is because of the people like this we lost thest war! But this time, this time it will be different! Your False God has fallen and our New God will rise, bringing us to the new era... You filthy remnants, you sinners will suffer the sanction of the New God!
The sorcerers voice sounded from low to high, from shouting his lungs out to chanting it fanatically.
New God? Kieran looked down at the frantic face of the sorcerer and his heart started to ponder upon the question.
Revival Society, New God, plus the frantic look of a hardcore believer.
When all of those things added up, it gave Kieran the thought of something.
Following the appearance of the Church of Dawns treasures, everyone else has shown their face? Noble factions, new churches, independent mercenaries, and bounty hunters... its like demons and monsters dancing in a riotous river! Kieranmented.
Now, he had an even deeper understanding of the word Greed.
Likewise, he also had guesses about what Gateli would say to him during their next meeting.
The Revival Society and their so-called New God, or even the thing that he sought.
Gateli must be sure that Kieran would have gotten the answer that he was looking for from this seemingly frantic believer sorcerers mouth.
Put it in a simple way, the sorcerer who looked like a fanatic had only the looks of one.
Kieran knew what he would do against the likes of the sorcerer.
You like roast meat? Dont worry, Ill feed you piece by piece!
After the abrupt words, Kieran grabbed the sorcerer by the ankle and moved towards the brazier beside.
The man seemed like he knew what Kieran was about to do in an instant, his face instantly turned ugly.
You damn remnants of Dawn!
You will die a horrible death!
I curse you!
...
Loud cursing sounded off but it was useless, just like his struggle.
He saw his body was closing on the brazier, sweat piled up on his forehead.
Oh mighty God, I believe in you! Please save your believer, punish this butcher before me! Please.... WAIT!
The sorcerer prayed ceaselessly, the beliefs in his heart failed to calm his heart, it also started to shake his stand, especially when he felt the burns on his calf, his beliefs werepletely suppressed by fear.
Perhaps death was not as threatening to a real believer but the sorcerer here wasnt truly a believer, no matter how frantic he presented himself, it was all front.
When he was put up against a greater fear, his mask broke off with a simple poke.
Kieran turned around and saw the man who was drenched in his own sweat. He couldnt help but shake his head.
I was quite anticipating the uing scene you know, and Ive even prepared a Liander Snake Herder just for you. Shes fonder of the meat on your body than you yourself, especially after being roasted.
The sorcerer shivered uncontrobly when he heard Kierans regretful words.
He knew about the Liander snake herder and it was because of that, he felt more scared.
Getting killed and getting eaten were two different concepts, once he thought about the hobby of the Snake Herders, he finally spoke.
Ill tell you, Ill tell you everything you want to know! Spare my life!
Well, it depends on how you perform!
...
Half an hourter, Kieran left the interrogation room with furrowed brows.
When he saw the elderly sister waiting for him outside, he asked her to follow him.
When they went out of the corridor and reached a small living room without anyone else, Kieran asked Sister Moni, Sister, do you know Aco Codex?
The sisters face instantly changed.
Chapter 847 - Notebook
Chapter 847: Notebook
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Sister Moni went silent after the changes of expression.
Kieran looked at the sister in shock. Her expression told him she knew something about the Aco Codex but her silence...
You are worried about something, sister? Kieran asked.
Sister Moni shook her head with a hesitant look before walking away.
Kieran didnt stop her, he furrowed his brows instead. He knew something was hidden behind the term and at the same time, he knew Gateli knew the story.
However, it was different than other matters, Gateli would surely add hisments in a spective and groundless manner, in order to deepen the misunderstanding of Kieran to Sister Moni.
In fact, if Kieran didnt see through what tricks he was ying, Kieran would be heavily suspicious right now and not think about the matter calmly.
The sister went silent after I mentioned the Aco Codex... Which means she could not tell me the story regarding this codex by herself! Or she couldnt answer the ones who asked about the codex. If she does, certain circumstances will befall not just one person but two, the one asking and the one that answers!
Factoring the elderly sisters character, Kieran soon came to a conclusion.
If she was the only one who will be hurt, she wouldnt worry that much but if someone else was involved, it was a different story then.
Aco Codex eh?
As Kieran muttered to himself, he pushed open the door to the rest of the captives in the other interrogation room. He hoped to get more information about this Revival Society from their mouth.
However, the oue was disappointing. None of them even knew the so-called Revival Society, even from the sorcerers mouth, the information Kieran had gotten wasnt that detailed.
To sum it up, he only got 3 points.
One, the Revival Society was a secret organization formed 20 years ago.
Two, the Revival Society was hostile to any other churches that existed, they deemed the churches worthless, useless and it was the reason they ended up in such a poor position.
Three, the Revival Society would absorb the scattered mystics around the realm, providing them with necessary aid but the contacting method was one-sided or even unknown.
Just like that sorcerer, all he could do was to wait for his superiors orders through the [Communication Painting].
As for the Communication Magic Circle, the sorcerer didnt know about it either.
A secretive organization with a strict structure! Kieranmented on Revival Society.
He was very curious about the way the society addressed the so-called New Gods but he didnt contact Gateli immediately because it was too much of a rush.
With the vignce that he disyed, Kieran had to at least go through the process of testing the elderly sister and not getting satisfying results, hence leading him into another option.
So before that, he has to wait and Kieran didnt n on waiting around while wasting time.
Carefully reading through Gunthersons notes was the best option to kill time.
...
[Carefully read through rted notes, Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art leveling cost decreased by 100 Points...]
[Carefully read through rted notes, Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art leveling cost decreased by 100 Points...]
[Precisely read through rted notes, Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art leveling cost decreased by 1000 Points...]
...
Compared to the Points gained during the resonance with the small chapel, such reading methods to decrease the leveling cost were no doubt tiresome and time-consuming but Kieran didnt mind, he even enjoyed the bitter process as a pleasant one.
Through the bits and pieces of Gunthersons notes, he realized the skills rted to [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] werent just limited to [Barsical Kick] or [Seal of Dawn], there was also [Dark Movement Technique], [(Smeared out) Sword Skill], [(Smeared out) Throwing Technique], [(Smeared out) Strangling Technique], [(Smeared out) Mindsight] and more surprisingly, the Church of Dawn even had [Tamer Skills]!
Although all the secret techniques had scribbles over them, especially the that prefixes were smeared out ck, Kieran even widened his eyes yet he still couldnt see what was smeared out. Based on the bits that he saw, he already knew how powerful and well-rounded the Church of Dawn was back in the days.
Though, the note only mentioned the techniques and skills, not the ways to train them. It made Kieran sigh uncontrobly.
Of course, the other more concerning point was that the notes didnt mention anything about [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art]s advanced skill, not even a name.
Is it passed through word of mouth? Or trials? Kieran wondered.
Then, Kieran swiftly adjusted his emotions and went through the notes again.
Although the Point cost decreases would go down gradually through repeated readings, it was better than doing nothing at all and with the reminders from the notes, Kieran tried his best in practicing Dawn Force while reading.
Make it your instinct!
The phrase was mentioned more than once in the notes and Gunthersons teaching had nock of such reminders as well but it was not easy for Kieran, even though he had Musou [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art].
If he wasnt doing anything else, Kieran could form a fully automatic operation of Dawn Force like it was second nature but if he were to be distracted or spare extra attention to other matters, the process would fall short.
Dawn Force might get too fast or too slow. To sum it up, it messed up his body tempo, interrupting its perfect operation.
For the next two days, other than asking Sister Moni for more information, Kieran spent his time trying to split his attention up.
When the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] was discounted down to 80,000 Points and 18.5 Golden Skill Points, Kieran temporarily gave up.
Going through the notes no longer provide him with Point decreases, more importantly, he hadpletely imprinted the entirety of the notes into his mind, he could even recite it backwards fluently and Dawn Force was operating normally but he knew it wasnt what he sought after.
In simple words, if he changed another book to read while practicing, the tempo would be messed up again.
I need more time? Kieran took a long breath and walked out of the wooden hut.
Time for themoners was not really a matter but for Kieran, it was a luxury he didnt have.
If it was possible, he didnt mind spending more Points and Skill Points in exchange for the time to stay longer in this dungeon world. Unfortunately, he didnt have a second [Emerders Deal].
Kieran temporarily put aside the thoughts of splitting his attention in training the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art], he walked through the fields and headed outside the school.
It was time for him to seek answers from Gateli and of course, he wanted Gateli to pay the overdue cost.
Provoked and weakness exploited, would Kieran allow Gateli to roam free after this?
Well, Kieran wasnt a guy with such generosity.
Though when he reached the schools entrance, he raised a brow at what he saw.
A big group of people gathered in front of the school holding stretchers with them.
They didnt harbor any malicious intents, quite the opposite each of their faces looked fluttered.
Some of them donned ck outfits with crow masks, carrying medicine boxes, shuttling through the crowd.
Among them was the elderly sister. She was different than the others, she didnt have a crow mask on her but her own nun outfit, looking at the people on the stretchers with a merciful look.
Acker and the other school security members were beside her and when Acker saw Kieran came out, he went up with a heavy face.
Sir 2567, a gue has broke out in the city!
Before Keiran could ask any question, Acker bowed and continued...
Chapter 848 - Unexpected Surprise
Chapter 848: Unexpected Surprise
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
A gue?!
Kieran was shocked, he immediately looked towards the people on the stretchers.
All of their faces were flushed without exception, some of them were muttering in a nk state while some passed out directly.
Kierans face turned heavy uncontrobly. He wasnt worried about the gue.
His SSS Constitution allowed him to be fine against even worse gue, he was worried about the timing of the gue.
In this sensitive timing where darkness was brewing out of sight, the arrival of the gue could not be just a coincidence, moreover, Kieran never believed in coincidences.
What caused the gue? When was it discovered? Kieran asked.
It should be rats or blood-sucking insects that caused it. Around three days ago, there had only been one to two cases, so it didnt really bother anyone. Until this morning when the outbreak finally happened. Fortunately, the outbreak was contained within a small area and the situation is under controlled, Acker replied.
Then, the kind Acker continued, Dont worry, Sir 2567. This isnt the first outbreak of a gue. Sister Moni and the doctors will have enough medicine to cover this and they have quite the experience as well. Of course, just to be safe, it is best for you to have this.
Acker then passed a vial of potion with around 20 milliliters of liquid to Kieran.
[Name: Resistance Potion]
[Type: Potion]
[Rarity: Great]
[Attribute: Able to effectively treat all kinds of fevers and illnesses and help the bodys immune system to defend against the gue that was caused by this illness.]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: No]
[Remark: This isnt the passed down knowledge of Church of Dawn but the product of Sister Monis self-learning through her long life.]
...
The information about the potion popped up when Kieran took the potion over.
Thank you.
Although he didnt need it, he wasnt stingy with his gratitude.
You should thank Sister Moni, we really did nothing here. The potion was formted by her and the doctors also gathered here because of her, we are just here to maintain order.
Acker shook his hands instantly and looked at the elderly sister who was busy amongst the crowd with a respectful gaze.
Grazing pass death and yet you can stand here, fulfilling your duty is enough to state your contribution. A simple thank you is reasonably eptable I think, Kieran said.
Acker looked at Kieran with a surprise face.
Obviously, Acker never thought the superior Gods Child would have such an easy-going side. He felt different when Keiran saved his life, the words that Kieran just said made Acker feel the utmost respect for him.
Hope everything is as what youve said...
Greetings Lord Gods Child!
Acker softly muttered to himself before saluting reverently and respectfully at Kieran.
It wasnt the salute of gratitude for saving his life but the ancient salutation because of a heartfelt admiration, with the [Seal of Dawn] together of course.
[Energy resonance, Musou level Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art acquired a certain amount of experience, leveling cost decreased by 100...]
Ackers salutation didnt have the outgoing shine like when the elderly sister did it and the Point decrease was many times smaller, still, Kieran opened his eyes wide.
He was very clear that Acker, the school security member didnt really systematically learn [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] before.
All he got was bits and pieces from Guntherson, guiding him through his training days.
Anyone whos slightly touched the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] can use the [Seal of Dawn] to create resonance?
Hmmm, No, thats not right! If thats the case, the Church of Dawn would have a batch of decent knights within a short period, they never would have to go through their fall in the first ce, which means... Respect?!
Kieran tried to recall the scene a moment ago and soon he locked onto the key factor.
Likewise, the thought of a thousand salutation will lead him into Transcendence in a day popped up in his mind again.
Though unlike the first time, this time Kieran thought about it more but it wasnt his current priority.
Now, he had something more important to attend to.
Kieran parted with Acker, he didnt go up to interrupt the elderly sister during her work, instead, he went to the temporary lodging spot that Gateli mentioned before and left an XCV message as he promised.
He then stood aside in the shadows, waiting patiently.
Although the passersby were in a hurry, they didnt have the panic like those before the school gate.
Of course, not everyone was like that, at least Gatelis eye who acted like a passerby was locked onto by Kieran the moment he appeared.
The mans gaze had spent too much time confirming the message that Kieran left at the spot but Kieran didnt make his move, he continued to wait patiently.
Soon enough, around several minutester, Gateli came forth and Kieran too came out from the shadow.
Sir 2567, pleasee with me.
Gateli was looking a little panicked, he hurried into a small alley after he ushered Kieran to follow him.
Was it an act? Or the real deal?
Kieran was ruminating over the look behind Gateli. He would never underestimate this enemy who was skilled at exploiting the weaknesses of others.
Kieran followed Gateli and they soon arrived inside a small room.
The room was located below ground and to enter, one would have to go down the building through five flights of stairs.
On top of the entrance to the underground room, there were wooden stairs without handrails and it was the second entrance to the building.
Fresh Tongue
The sign was hung over the entrance and a big wine ss was drawn beside it.
What a weird name, Kieranmented before bending his back going through the underground entrance.
The racks of wines and barrels told Kieran where he was right now, it was a wine cer.
At one side of the wine cer, there was a carpetid down with half a lit candle.
Pardon me, I have to settle down here in order to hide from those people. The information that I gave you previously had exposed mepletely. The crazy bastards from the revival Society are really terrifying.
Gateli showed sincerity and apologies on his face again but in between his words, he was hinting that the reason why he was in such a bad situation was all because of Kieran.
Kieran obviously knew the reason why Gateli did what he did: to continue to mess him up, to deceive him further.
Well, in order to get more information, Kieran didnt mind ying along with Gateli before the fallout.
You need me to help deal with them? Kieran said with a frown.
Thank you for your suggestion but I think its best we dont go confront them face to face.
No, no, no, I am not doubting your powers, your powers are undoubted as a Gods Child but I really dont want to have too much to do with that particr individual. At least before we destroy Aco Codex. Gateli smiled bitterly.
Seems like you know something about Aco Codex eh? Kieran asked.
If I have a choice, I choose not to know any of these. You already know what the miracle that descended upon St. Paolo Church is, right?
Thats right, it is exactly what youve thought but it wasnt really some nameless God as that the sister puts it. Around a thousand years ago, Aco was a God worshipped by many, though His reputation was not that good... because He was the one who controls gues, Gateli said after he saw Kierans nod.
The gue again? Kieran squinted his eyes.
Almost instinctively, Kieran thought about the scene in front of the school.
You are saying... Kieran tried to test Gateli by asking.
Its exactly what you thought, the gue outbreak was affected by the Aco Codex and likewise, that sister is also affected by the codex. Maybe she was kind before but it is in the past now.
Now, that sister has be the puppet of the Aco Codex and joined forces with the leader of the Revival Society. We are nothing but the prey of that codex now. Gatelis bitter smile grew heavier.
Prey? Keiran looked at the man.
Yes, prey! You wouldnt think the gue this time can be contained likest time right? I am confident that in less than a weeks time, this city will turn into a dead one. Aco will then revive using the grudgeful souls of the people who died in a foul way, He will be the New God that the Revival Society is worshipping, and... we cant escape it! We are all marked by the codex! The closer one is to that sister, the deeper the mark is.
Gateli was almost in tears at the end of his words.
Looking at Gatelis expression, even though Kieran knew he was acting, he had to admit that there were some award-worthy performances.
If Kierans dubious character did not prevent him from falling into Gatelis trap, Kieran would be extremely convinced of his words.
So what should we do? Kieran showed a slightly nervous look on his face to y along.
Destroy St. Paolo Church! Kill that sister! Gateli said without the slightest hesitation.
Then, before Kieran could reply, Gateli continued, I know it will be a hard task for you but please think about the people of this city! They need saving! Including me!
Gateli kneeled down on the floor once again.
Ill give my best effort to save who I can save
Kieran replied in a way that fit his character the most. It was nothing more than trying to get more information out of Gateli.
But out of Kierans expectation, at the next moment, Gateli pulled out a tightly wrapped box under his carpet.
No doubt that sister is powerful. In order to allow you to save more people, I am willing to spend every bit of my effort to help you. This is the remains of one of the Church of Dawn treasure that my ancestors acquired through sweeping the battlefield long ago. It should be able to help you as a Gods Child!
As he spoke, Gateli opened up the box.
The moment the box was opened, a never before felt liveliness erupted out from the Dawn Force in Kierans body.
Chapter 849 - Remains
Chapter 849: Remains
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The Dawn Force in Kierans body had always been mild, like the water from a clear spring.
Even though sometimes resonance urred, it was nothing much except for elerating the operation a little bit. When Gateli opened up the box, Dawn Force felt like it hade alive.
A clear spring turned into a geyser!
The slow flowing water turned into a waterfall!
The light that represented Dawn Force shined uncontrobly from Kierans body.
At the same time, the hilt-like thing inside the box that was 20 cm long also shined with a simr light.
Both lights were calling out to each other in a vigorous way.
Line after line of notifications popped up in Kierans sight afterward.
[Energy resonance, Musou level Knight of Dawn Body Tempering Art acquired a significant amount of experience, leveling cost decreased by 10,000 Points, 0.5 Golden Skill Points...]
[Energy resonance, Musou level Knight of Dawn Body Tempering Art acquired a significant amount of experience, leveling cost decreased by 10,000 Points, 0.5 Golden Skill Points...]
[Energy resonance, Musou level Knight of Dawn Body Tempering Art acquired a significant amount of experience, leveling cost decreased by 10,000 Points, 0.5 Golden Skill Points...]
...
If anything was to be considered as direct, the data before Kierans eyes would be as such.
It didnt only significantly decrease the Points, even the Golden Skill Points were decreasing!
Even for Kieran, his eyes were widened at the moment.
It was a surprise! A very big surprise that went way out of his expectations!
He never saw this sceneing, apletely unexpected surprise.
Wayne family eh? Kieran muttered in his heart.
When the item appeared before his eyes, it made Kieran reevaluate the family again.
He realized that he seemed to have forgotten the most important point.
As the victor through the change of era, how would they not possess any spoils of war?
Maybe such a spoil of war was worthless to them but to Kieran?
It was a priceless treasure!
The shinested for a few seconds before gradually dimming down.
Gateli who maintained his kneeling pose while holding the box up high with his hand saw the scene and was utterly astonished.
Obviously, the scene had also gone out of expectations for Gateli.
Gateli was hoping for more leverage using his speech, only then did he take out the item from the Wayne Manors treasure vault.
Although it was passed down through word of mouth within the family, the news was that the item was utterly precious. Gateli, however, treated it as a piece of junk.
Thats right, a broken item. The item inside the box was iplete and should be a part of something bigger.
What item though? Gateli didnt know himself because it was the end part of something.
Based on the shape of the item, it could be a staff, a spear, a polearm, or even the hilt of some sword.
What is this? How did it have such an effect? Damn it! Gateli was cursing in his heart but Kieran was not being courteous with him, he grabbed the item out of the box right away.
[Name: Unknown Remains]
[Type: Unknown]
[Rarity: Unknown]
[Attribute: ???]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: This is a broken piece from a certain item of the Church of Dawn, you need the rted person to appraise it.]
...
Kieran grabbed the hilt-like thing in his hand and the information popped up in his vision.
I need to find Sister Moni to appraise this!
The thought rose up in Kierans mind almost instantaneously but he didnt leave right away.
He still needed to deal with Gateli before him, not by killing him but by continuing to use him.
While feeling the benefits of [Unknown Remains] in his hand, Kierans gaze at Gateli had a profound meaning.
A wise man fooled by his own cleverness?
No, no, no, it was not close enough, it should be going for wool anding home shorn! Or charging forth with rations on his back!
This thing is really benefiting to me! Where did you get this? Kieran asked in a friendly tone.
Although they were enemies, Kieran didnt mind showing a more friendly side of him before killing an enemy that could provide him with benefits
This was originally an item rted to the Church of Dawn ced inside Wayne Manors treasure vault and like I said, it came from the battlefield, I know nothing more other than that! Gateli said honestly but the deeper parts of his eyes were blinking out of unwillingness.
But, he couldnt do anything about it.
The thing was in Kierans hands right now and to take it back, it didnt seem like a realistic move. Moreover, the item was present to Kieran out of Gatelis own will, how could he ask for it back?
Enduring the uneasiness of cutting his own flesh, Gateli shifted the topic.
Sir 2567, we need to move soon! We cant let the gue spread! Gateli said with a righteous tone.
Soon? How about midnight tonight? Kieran suggested.
Very good! I will be waiting for you then! To provide you with as much support as possible!
Hearing Kierans suggestion, Gateli was overwhelmed by joy, the hard emotions of losing an unknown precious item had instantly weakened by a lot.
Then, both of them discussed the possible idents and the corresponding responses. During the discussion, Kieran asked more about the Revival Society as well.
About an hourter, Kieran left the ce in a hurry.
After making sure Kieran left, Gateli also left the wine cer of the hotel. He headed towards a secluded spot and entered the room there.
How is it? The coarse voice asked eagerly.
The fish has taken the bait! Tonight at midnight will be our time to strike! Gateli said with a casual look.
Though he didnt state the fact that he brushed against a precious treasure, the person before him was his coborator indeed but definitely not a suitable one for telling stories.
In fact, if Gateli wasnt short of manpower, he would never have worked with the hoarse voice.
The Revival Society had quite an infamous reputation after all.
I need sufficient manpower. Dont forget we are about to face a Gods Child! Gateli reminded the coarse voice.
Gods Child? In this kind of era, a Gods Child is a joke! When our New God arrives, what can a Gods Child do then? The coarse voice uttered his contempt at Kieran.
Gateli shrugged and didnt say anything else, he was just casually reminding the man.
He who knew how powerful the Revival Society was didnt think they would need too much vignce against a Gods Child of a fallen era. If it wasnt for that monster holding ground in the school, he wouldnt have gone through that much trouble but instead, call a bunch of hitmen and trampled across the school.
...
Gateli should have connections with the Revival Society!
When he got the intel from that captive sorcerer which was only limited to the higher ranks of the Revival Society, Kieran was certain of it.
Likewise, Kieran also had guesses about who woulde to support him at midnight.
Kieran was simting the possible battle that might go down during midnight in his head while adjusting his condition.
Although all of them looked down upon Kieran, even a lion gave its fullest in catching a rabbit!
Kieran wished not to see any unwanted idents.
However, when Kieran returned to St. Paolo School, he was greeted with bad news.
Sister Moni fainted.
Chapter 850 - Chance!
Chapter 850: Chance!
Kieran rushed to Sister Monis room.
A room that only had the basic living supplies and furniture, simr to an apostles room.
On top of the single mattress wooden bed, the elderly sister wasying down with her eyes closed. A doctor without his crow outfit was checking on her.
Dont have to worry everyone, shes just a little bit overworked, exhausted, not infected by the gue.
When the doctor provided the result, Acker and the other two school security members in the room felt relieved instantly.
As the main hand in treating the gue, if the elderly sister was infected, it would be a terrible thing to happen.
But I hope everyone here will remember how old Sister Moni is, she cant be running around and dealing with things like a young energetic person anymore. So, we should really share her burden more, the doctor said.
Everyone around nodded as. Basically, those who were in the room were the ones who had a deeper rtionship with Sister Moni, be it saving their lives before or previously receiving her teachings.
Just like the doctor who treated her, although they were not teacher and student by name, he did learn the art of healing under Sister Moni for almost 3 years.
Kieran slightly frowned after getting the detailed information from Acker.
Sister Moni passing out from exhausted at this particr time wasnt a good thing but from a certain aspect, it might not be all that bad as well.
Things were like a coin with two sides, the good might turn bad and the bad might turn good.
After some thought, Kieran signaled Acker with a wave of his hand.
Acker, I need you to spread the news this evening...
Kieran whispered in Ackers ear, while Ackers face changed repeatedly following Kierans words but he didnt reject it, because other than the fact Acker trusted Kieran, it was also because of his Gods Child identity.
While the elderly sister was in bed because of exhaustion and Guntherson was away from the school, it was natural that Kieran gained the acknowledgement of the St. Paolo security team.
The security team was different from the hired teachers, from a certain aspect, the security members was a sort of extension of the Church of Dawn, lingering in between believer and knight.
Of course, in terms of strength, Acker still had a wide gap to fillpared to a real knight yet his heart was devoted enough.
Something happened? Acker asked Kieran.
Mmm. Nothing really important, Ill deal with it myself, dont forget about the things Ive told you.
Kieran then went outside after delivering his orders at the same time reminding Acker.
Acker nodded to express his acknowledgment as well.
Kieran walked non-stop towards the small chapels entrance, he went into it carefully and double the vignce.
After the previous resonance, this was the first time Kieran entered the small chapel.
He was much more serious than he had ever been in scanning the entire church, he didnt even spare the smallest corner and his mind was recalling the knowledge from Pro [Mystical Knowledge], hoping to find some leftover traces.
At the same time, Kieran didnt forget to connect all the dots as well.
The conversation with Gateli before this had given him some important clues.
The baffling questions that he had for a while were all answered in an instant.
Compared to the whole St. Paolo School, the small chapel was the final goal of Gateli and the Revival Society, because the ce was where the New God would be born.
Around a thousand years ago, the Goddess of Dawn produced her miracles here and saved the people who were tortured by Aco, at the same time destroying him. But Aco would have left something behind including the Aco Codex as his back up n, hoping to be revived one day.
Time zips by in the blink of an eye, when the Church of Dawn had fallen, Acos chance had finally arrived but He didnt expect the codex would fall into Sister Monis hand, thus she had be the obstacle that was preventing his revival. This obstacle should also have some restrictions like, unable to make the move himself or the rted factions were unable to move, something like that but, the dead were not restricted!
No, no, something doesnt add up! If it was just reviving Aco, they would have just called it a revival, why would they call Aco a New God? Could it be?
Kieran suddenly thought of something since he had quite the understanding of the mystical realm, he squinted his eyes unconsciously at the statue of the Goddess of Dawn.
His guesses werepletely absurd but he couldnt think of any other possibilities and in order to verify his guesses, Kieran stepped out of the small chapel temporarily and drew the [Seal of Dawn] on the ground outside again.
A faint light shined over the simple drawing.
Kierans Dawn Force in his body also elerated and the small chapel behind him resonated with him once again.
[Energy resonance, Musou Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art acquired a certain amount of experience, leveling cost decreased by 10,000...]
[Energy resonance, Musou Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art acquired a certain amount of experience, leveling cost decreased by 10,000...]
[Energy resonance, Musou Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art acquired a certain amount of experience, leveling cost decreased by 10,000...]
...
10 more notifications popped up again and it was very much simr to the first time he resonated.
The first 5 notifications decreased by 10,000 Points and thest 5 decreased by 5000 Points.
The only thing different was, Kierans [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art]s Points requirement already hit 0 and Golden Skill Points required another 17 more after the reduction from the [Unknown Remains].
When the required Points hit 0, the system even gave Kieran a new notification;
[Energy resonance, Musou Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art acquired a certain amount of experience, Points calcted into Golden Skill Points, fallen short of minimal value, umtion begins...]
It seemed like, under the effect of resonance, there was hope for Points to convert into Golden Skill Points but the value required would be immensely huge, yet it was still good news to Kieran because no matter how much was required, he was getting all of it effortlessly.
As long as Aco didnt change his ns!
When the resonance effect faded awaypletely, Kieran drew the [Seal of Dawn] again, initiating the resonance process again.
[Energy resonance, Musou Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art acquired a certain amount of experience, level cost decreased by 0.1 Golden Skill Points]
[Energy resonance, Musou Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art acquired a certain amount of experience, Points calcted into Golden Skill Points, fallen short of minimal value, umtion begins...]
[Energy resonance, Musou Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art acquired a certain amount of experience, Points calcted into Golden Skill Points, fallen short of minimal value, umtion begins...]
...
Looking at the notifications, Kieran smirked, his finger was drawing non-stop after that, the [Seal of Dawn] was drawn on the ground one after another.
Countless white shines gathered around and it was extremely bright even under the day.
If the ce wasnt the deepest part of St. Paolo School, Kieran might have attracted a crowd.
Kieran was bathing himself under the white radiance, he almost burst into delightfulughter when he saw that the required Golden Skill Points to level [the Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] to Transcendence were decreasing gradually.
Everything was just like he had expected, Aco had stolen a part of the Goddess of Dawns abilities.
How did he do it? Kieran has no idea, perhaps St. Paolo Church was originally his turf to begin with, or maybe some ident happened throughout the thousand years, resulting in this oue but none of that mattered to Kieran.
All Kieran knew was this Aco who was posing as the Goddess of Dawn and had tried to bring Kieran, the Gods Child under his control had given him a chance.
As for the chance presented to him, Kieran made up his mind that he would never give up!
Looking at the small chapel which was gradually showing a will of its own through the resonance process, Kieran quickly drew two more [Seal of Dawn] without a second thought.
Instantly, the required Golden Skill Points to Transcendence [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] was decreasing even faster.
Chapter 851 - Plague
Chapter 851: gue
While bathing in the white light, the notifications in Kierans vision were spamming him like a geyser, gushing up non-stop.
[Energy resonance, Musou Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art acquired a certain amount of experience, level cost decreased by 0.1 Golden Skill Points]
[Energy resonance, Musou Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art acquired a certain amount of experience, level cost decreased by 0.2 Golden Skill Points]
[Energy resonance, Musou Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art acquired a certain amount of experience, level cost decreased by 0.3 Golden Skill Points]
...
When more [Seal of Dawn]s were drawn, Kieran was showered with more gains than ever during the resonance process.
Especially when Kieran drew a total of 10 seals in one go without even thinking, the required Golden Skill Points to Transcendence in the notifications had pumped up to 0.5 and 0.6 each line.
Kieran was not too skilled in drawing, except for the [Seal of Dawn].
His hundreds of thousands of times practicing drawing the symbol had branded the picture into his soul. He could even draw it out with his eyes closed and when there was a bigger gain waiting for him, Kieran would definitely go over his usual level.
Each seal was drawn with a single motion, there was no pause or dy in the process as if a master of art was exploding his talents on a piece of canvas.
One after another, the [Seal of Dawn] filled the ground in front of the small chapel and until the ground in the area was filled with the drawing without any more space to spare, Kieran finally stopped.
He looked up to the small chapel. The chapel now was filled with a wild tenderness.
Come forth, my child!
The voice with endless kindness echoed in Kierans ears.
Under the white radiance and Dawn Force resonance, that phrase sounded utterly sincere, Kieran could even feel his soul throbbing a little.
A natural warm feeling made Kieran step forward uncontrobly, going into the small chapel.
Fortunately, Kieran was prepared for this. The moment his foot moved, he clenched his teeth to force himself back on the spot.
There is no free lunch in the world!
Kieran understood the saying a long time ago.
Aco was the God whomanded the gue back then, he would not simply help the Gods Child of the Goddess of Dawn to raise his strength without a reason, even though he stole part of the Goddesss abilities.
What was Aco after then?
The answer was obvious, a body!
Aco had his eyes on Kierans body. Or more precisely, a vessel!
A brand new vessel that could house his will, his conscience.
ording to legends, Gods came in all shapes and sizes because of the vessel they had chosen.
Kieran wasnt sure about that but one thing was for sure: A God is trying toe back to life in a Gods Childs body.
Inside the current dungeon world, Kieran never came across simr intel before but in [The Shamans Partner], he saw rted records more than once in the God of Earths book collection.
Although both dungeon worlds had differences, some parts shared simrities.
More importantly, wherever he was, Kieran didnt want to be a vessel for some divine existence.
Kieran is Kieran, no one could change that, not even... GOD!
So, Kieran stood his ground, clenching his teeth hard and saw the small chapel shining brightly, his face had a look of confusion and as if deep in thought.
He didnt want to be a vessel for Aco but it didnt mean he didnt want the benefits from him!
While facing against a cannonball coated with sugar, he would eat the sugar coating but the cannonball? He would return it back to its owner.
My child, you dont need to feel lost. Return to my kingdom and you will be granted eternal life.
The warm and tender voice kept echoing in his ears.
Those words should be some shallow bewitching words but amidst the energy resonance, it sounded like a golden melody that shook Kierans soul.
Spirit authentications then followed one after another and piled up even faster than the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art]s notification, spamming his vision non-stop.
It seemed like Aco was anxious but Kieran felt like he didnt hear any of those, he stood still.
My child, I will clear up all your confusion.
Aco started to change his strategy when Kieran put up a sturdy monolith in his mind.
Perplexed, Kieran stared at the small chapel in a nk gaze, his eyes were out of focus and his mouth was like uttering sleep talks.
What is the advanced skill of the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art]?
What is the [Dark Movement Technique]?
What is the inherited sword skill that was lost?
What is the throwing technique?
What is the strangling technique, the mindsight?
Question after question, the warm presence of conscience suffered a dy in reaction.
If Aco had a real face and body, he would feel disgusted, as if e had just eaten a fly. He never thought that a mortal that could resonate with his power would be this difficult to deal with, even though he did steal the powers from the prayers of the believers of Dawn.
However, things had extended to this stage, after spending around 70% of the Dawn Force that he gathered throughout the years. Aco would not allow himself to walk away fruitless.
More so, the body in front him was magnificent.
His Strength, Agility, Constitution, Intuition, each one of them was perfect, just that his Spirit was too hard to break, but speaking from another aspect, didnt it prove how great this body was?
With this body, even in this era where beliefs have almostpletely disappeared... I can still rise again!
Such thoughts rose from the bottom of Acos heart, he didnt hesitate anymore after that.
WUNG!
The light radiated strongly.
The brilliance formed human figures that seemed like it came to life before Kierans eyes.
Each of them had their own unique rhythm and power, however, the rhythm and powers had disgusting, daunting, and dreaded energy with them even though they were formed under Dawn Forces brilliance.
It was true that Aco had stolen the Goddess of Dawns Power of Faith, he could now use Dawn Force at his will but Aco didnt know the legacy of the Church of Dawn.
So, at this particr moment, what Aco showed Kieran wasnt the lost legacy of Church of Dawn, neither was it the advanced skill of the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art], but the gue!
To Aco who hadmanded the gue in the past, it was the only thing that he could create to fool Kieran and if it was just for show, Aco believed it would work.
Besides that, to spice up the authenticity, what Aco showed Kieran wasnt themon gue but the core of the gue itself!
If Aco knew how Kieran had gotten his title of Gods Child, he would not have done that but unfortunately, the devoted elderly sister only prayed in the small chapel, she didnt utter anything of importance before.
Guntherson?
After the Church of Dawn had fallen, if it was not necessary, he wouldnt have entered St. Paolo Church and would only spend most of his time in his own wooden hut.
So, Aco knew Kieran was a Gods Child but he had no idea how Kieran was acknowledged and the origin of his title, neither did he know how drastic the differences were between Kieran and the Gods Child of his knowledge.
Likewise, Kieran didnt know all of that either. When he asked Aco the questions, he was acting on instinct, trying his best to see how many more benefits he could get.
He didnt hold any hope with him at first since he nned to stall but who knew...
[Aco disyed Knights of gue Body Tempering Art to you, detected it is not your Origin Force, consumption +100%, spend 2 Golden Skill Points to learn?]
[Detected insufficient Golden Skill Points...]
[Converting to auto-learning mode!]
...
The notifications that popped up made Kieran widened his eyes big as a gold ball.
He swore he will imprint all the shapes of the human figures in front of him in his mind.
Chapter 852 - Ignite the Core
Chapter 852: Ignite the Core
[Knights of gue Body Tempering Art]
Kieran didnt know the precise effect of this body tempering technique but he knew it was a chance, a chance to acquire the core skill simr to the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art].
For a lone wolf like Kieran, such a chance was not to be missed, so he was conscientious and meticulous in remembering all the shapes of the human figures.
Aco was very pleased with Kierans seriousness because he knew he had seeded in fooling Kieran.
My child, do you want more? Come,e forth! Enter my kingdom, not only will you gain unexpected knowledge, you will be granted eternal life as well!
Aco tried to bewitch Kieran again.
This time, he was quite confident that Kieran would step into the small chapel but as his voice faded, the scene that surprised Aco happened.
Kieran was still standing on the spot, not even budging an inch.
Though Kierans hands were making poses left and right, not in a messy way but with certain rhythm and tempo.
The rhythm and tempo was very family to Aco, it was the [Knights of gue Body Tempering Art]!
He is remembering Knights of gue Body Tempering Art?!
The thought appeared instantaneously in Acos heart and right away, he wanted to stop showing it.
However, once he thought that stopping it would mean that he had wasted all the efforts already made, Aco hated the thought of giving up just like that.
Time flew as Aco was soaking in his own hesitation.
Gradually, the stolen Dawn Force was slipping away quickly and up to a point where Aco had reached his enduring limits, so did his patience.
Come my child! Come to me!
The gue tried to bewitch Kieran again with his words.
As he spoke, a faint gray color started toe afloat in the warm white light.
The gray color was like the venomous snakes in the bush, slowly approaching Kieran without a sign.
3 meters!
2 meters!
1 meter!
Just when the gray light almost shone over Kierans body, Kieran who was posing with his hands with a nk stare suddenly stopped his motions.
His hands fell back down to a casual state, his eyes were ring in a pressuring light even though there was still a sense of dullness to it.
Kierans body backed off quickly with the push from the tip of his feet and even when he was backing off, his eyes never left the disy of the [Knights of gue Body Tempering Art].
YOU LIED TO ME?!
Aco growled angrily after being stunned for a while.
The small chapel shook, sshing countless clouds of dust around it following the angry growl but Kieran didnt care about all of that.
His eyes were scanning the disy of the [Knights of gue Body Tempering Art], whileparing it with the memories in his brain.
Kierans vignt character had determined that his work would be meticulous and mindful, especially when it was rted to the body tempering techniques which could be a core skill, it required even more precision.
He was very clear what kind of damage it would cause if he was even slightly wrong in even a single part.
When Guntherson thought him the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art], he mentioned it more than once about the saddening oue should he go wrong, be it being crippled or paralyzed.
Enraged, Aco saw Kieran was still remembering the [Knights of gue Body Tempering] even when he was retreating, his rage grew even stronger.
Simr to an earthquake during a volcano eruption, everything within a 100-meter radius started to shake fiercely starting from the small chapel as the center point.
You repulsive liar! I will kill you! Aco shouted furiously.
But... it was just that.
After the grand earthquake, there wasnt a follow-up attack of the same caliber. The enraged Aco just disappeared like that, with his remaining Dawn Force, vanishing without a trace.
The small chapel returned to its peaceful state as if everything that happened was an unreal illusion.
Huuu!
After a while, Kieran was still trying to rey all the techniques rted to the [Knights of gue Body Tempering Art] again and after making sure there were no mistakes, he finally let out a long breath and opened his eyes.
He looked at the small chapel with a calm expression.
From the very first moment, Kieran was sure Aco was being restricted otherwise he wouldnt have lured him with such a mild way. Besides, Acos mind seemed a bit slow.
Is it due to reviving after death? Or the long period of imprisonment? Kieran wondered.
Though he didnt know what the final oue reason was.
The secrets rted to life and death, however, were not for Kieran to touch yet since he wasnt qualified now, let alone the revival of a God.
Based on the knowledge he mastered and the rumors he grasped, there was not a single explicit exnation about any such thing.
On the contrary, Transcendence [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art]s details were disyed before his eyes with utmost details.
[Name: Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Arts (Transcendence)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution, Spirit, Intuition]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effects: You know how to utilize the special stances, movements and breathing techniques, All Attributes +7 (Basic +1, Entry +1, Master +1, Pro +1, Grand Master +1, Musou +1, Transcendence +1)]
[Special Effect: 1. Knights Focus II; 2. Knights Persistence II, Dawn Sword II]
[Transcendence Option: Baptism (All special effect levels +1)]
[Consumes: Stamina]
[Prerequisites: Strength B, Agility B, Constitution B, Spirit B, Intuition B]
[Remarks: This was the Knights of Dawn entry course, but it will affect other rted skills!]
...
[Knights Focus II: Everyone has their own specialty, but not everyone can persevere; Spirit +6] [Knights Persistence II: When you persist on something, you are willing to sacrifice yourself to seed; Ignite 300 HP to increase Spirit by +3, 1-second duration, cooldown none, un-stackable)]
[Dawn Sword II: When you can truly utilize the Dawn Force, it means that you are truly a Knight of Dawn, despite the way you utilize it being one-of-a-kind. Charge Dawn Force for 3 seconds, consume 600 Stamina to fire out a 20-meter, Extreme attack and above power light sword, cooldown: none]
...
[Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art leveled up, rted attributes increasing...]
[Strength SS- SS]
[Agility SS- SS]
[Constitution SSS SSS+]
[Spirit ZZ+ ZZZ+ (Knights Focus +2)]
[Intuition SS+ SSS-]
[Note: Transcendence is the limit of this skill]
...
The increase of all attributes started the familiar warm stream in Kierans body.
A full 20 secondster when the warm stream faded away, Kieran finally got used to his powered up body.
The powerful Spirit allowed him to nce over his body, the muscles, blood, and the secret runes branded in the deeper parts were all revealed to Kieran.
Originally with the systems help, Kieran could instantly master his powerful body and with the empowerment of such a powerful Spirit attribute, he mastered his body even more thoroughly.
He saw that Transcendence [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] had left a secret rune branding on one of his hearts. Then, the blood sifted by the rune flowed across his body, nourishing each and every inch of his muscles and bones as if it was igniting a core that brought the whole body together, changing it entirely.
Although the process was quite slow, the changes were undoubtedly there.
When the blood flowed through the parts of his body with the hidden rune, the brands lit up with natural light.
[Sharp Weapon, Dagger] and [Sharp Weapon, Polearm] from his wrists, palms, and fingers.
[Sharp Weapon, Heavy Arms] on his shoulders and arms.
[Firearm Weapon, Light Firearm] on his eyes.
[Hand-to-hand Combat, Kick Combats] at his legs and [Undercover] at his feet.
The brands lit up spot after spot, likemps illuminating the darkness.
Kierans body was lit up part by part, expelling the original darkness and chaos that resided in him.
Chapter 853 - Those who come can’t leave
Chapter 853: Those whoe cant leave
Under the shining light, darkness and chaos were dispelled but it didnt truly vanish.
The darkness and chaos lingered behind the spots where the light couldnt shine through.
Kierans powerful Spirit attribute allowed him to clearly see it happening, likewise, he also saw the glimmering blood that flowed out of his heart.
Dong, Dong Dong!
Each time his heart beat, the rune on his heart would glimmer a little, and the glimmering blood buffed by the rune branding would flow through every part of his body.
In this process, the darkness and chaos that lingered in subtle spots of his body would dim down a little but that was it.
Compared to the bigger darkness, it was really nothing.
No doubt if Kieran wanted to rely on each heartbeat from his heart to truly dispel the darkness and chaos, it would be a process that wouldst a long time, it might even be unachievable because he noticed in the deeper part of his body, there was darkness and chaos that even the glimmering blood couldnt budge.
So, its still too far away.
Having an insight of his body, Kieran sighed while shaking head.
Although he didnt know what the darkness and chaos represented, Kieran still had a hunch that once they were dispelled from his body, a great enhancement or benefit would be waiting for him.
His hunch was not aplete groundless one though.
Kierans eyes then turned to the Transcendence option of [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art], [Baptism].
The Transcendence option [Baptism] is a mere coincidence with the rumored baptism ritual? Or they were rted at the first ce?
Kieran couldnt help but think about the knight baptism that he knew off.
ording to the books that described the process, anyone who goes through the knight baptism will be reborn.
Some had their strength enhanced, some had their speed increased and some were immune to all disease.
There were also some who would get special abilities and the rune branding on his heart appeared exactly after [Baptism], the Transcendence option of the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art]. It was hard for Kieran to not connect both of them together and imagine what kind of direct changes it would cause.
Of course, in the end, when he was able to dispel the darkness and chaos in his body, he had no idea what would happen to his body because the unknown wasnt like [Baptism] where the system would list out all the changes it incurred.
[Baptism] increases its own special effect! Knights Focus +2 directly increased from 4 to 6 and with the base +1 from [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art], it boosted the Spirit attribute to a Strong I rating!
Although Knights Persistence increased consumption, it also gives an instant +3 Spirit effect, quite useful to me I must say. The most direct changes are to Dawn Sword, its length went up to 20m and the attack went above Extreme, too bad the charging time didnt change.
Kierans eyes were going down along with the notifications in his vision, then his gaze halted at the character attribute tab.
Inside his character attribute tab, the I rank Spirit which was originally tagged with New I had changed to Strong I when it went up to ZZZ+ rank.
After achieving the Advance Rank, the tag behind would change as well, it was no surprise to Kieran at all but he never thought it would be split within a major rank.
Which means, as the attribute grows stronger, the difference will growrger?
Kieran frowned slightly and muttered to himself. It wasnt good news to him though.
Kieran who had experienced the strength of an I rank Agility user before could totally imagine what would happen when a Strong I or an II rank appeared.
It definitely wasnt a situation to look forward to without a doubt but more importantly, he would surelye across such enemies in the future, and not just one!
After all, Kieran was facing against Broker who concealed all of his trump cards, no one knew what kind of cards he would y when he flipped one of them up.
So...
I need to get stronger even faster?
While pushing himself as much as he could, Kierans face looked heavier than before.
Unconsciously, he looked at his strongest attribute, Spirit and the other 4 of his attributes.
This was perhaps the only thing he felt fortunate about, all 5 of his attributes were his main attributes, no secondary or border attributes either which would require him to spend any more Golden Attribute Points but the cost to enhance all 5 together would be quite hefty as well.
It was not very possible for him to do that within a short period of time.
I have to progress selectively?
Kieran reexamined his stats again and his gaze ultimatelynded on Agility.
Although his Constitution was already close to the Advance Rank, the battle with Ghost w, Casswell was still a fresh memory in Kierans mind.
The ghostly speed that Casswell showed would have caused someone to nurse their grievances on the spot other than Kieran himself. More so, Kieran was clear where his advantages stood against the high-rankers.
[Charles Fire]!
If he wanted to maximize [Charles Fire] potential to the max, he must be charged before firing and although the charging time was not that long, Kieran might still suffer a threatening attack in that short period of time.
If he was surrounded by several high-rankers of simr rank, it would be the worst situation he could get into and to break through such a difficult situation, he must move!
He needed to move around with speed exceeding imagination and at the same time charging his fireball, so he could deliver the fatal blow.
While considering all sorts of possible situations, the thoughts were getting clearer in Kierans mind but he knew it was a n forter.
Now, what he needed to care about wasnt all that but sweeping away those who were eyeing the Church of Dawns treasure and legacy.
...
That evening, more citizens infected with the gue arrived at St. Paolo School.
It seemed like the gue wasnt as controlled as Acker imed it to be and the other terrible thing was that, Sister Moni, who was crucial to the treatment process of the gue had fallen sick, the very severe kind even.
The crowd who got the news felt even more panicked than before.
Although the doctors and school security members tried their best inforting the crowd, the effect was less than pleasant.
Some families of the infected had even started to sob softly but those with ulterior motives who were hiding in the crowds looked happy.
They started to send out message after message, including the unusual quake that happened within St. Paolo School a while ago.
...
Our Lord Gods Child is anxious! He didnt only just make his move against the sister, he didnt spare the small chapel either.
Gateli who received the news couldnt help but smile at it.
I need more precise information. Someone would at least need to pay a visit to the elderly sisters room and the surroundings of the small chapel, just to be safe...
You want to alert the snake in the bush? The situation now has provided us with the advantage and you want to give up?
The leader of the Revival Society was interrupted by Gateli before he could finish.
Gateli who had absolute confidence in his ns continued to emphasize, Now all we need is to follow the order and let our men surround the whole St. Paolo School. Then we will wait for the more exciting moment to arrive. Even if nothing happens in the end, we can retreat immediately and what harm can it possibly do? Who do you think can stop us then?
Thest part of Gatelis words convinced the leader of the Revival Society.
The leader thought deeply for a while before nodding.
It seemed like they were too confident in themselves, they didnt understand what are they going to face neither did they understand the saying, those whoe cant leave.
Chapter 854 - Start of the Night
Chapter 854: Start of the Night
The night was like ink, painting the sky as it covered the stars and moon.
Outside the St. Paolo School gate, torches shed light as the doctors were still busy, the heavy crow outfits were making them sweat and pant heavily.
Though none of them would take off the effective protection against the gue, especially when the elderly sister had fallen severely ill, the doctors had reevaluated the severity of the gue.
We need more potions! And... this street block must be quarantined!
One of the doctors told the head doctor. His tone was heavy because he knew what they would have to face should the quarantine happen.
People could onlye in and not leave, alive or dead!
If the gue couldnt get effectively controlled and continued to spread... soon the ce would turn into a dead zone and in the end, a huge fire would burn everything to crisp, despite having the living in the area.
From a certain aspect, the living were the fires target!
Only when all the infected were burned to death could the gue be removed.
Quarantine? The doctor who practiced under Sister Moni before muttered softly.
He knew some secrets regarding the quarantine but it was also a fact that the gue was getting harder to control.
Comparing the two oues, the lead doctor called out to his colleagues around the area.
Everyone! We are facing a situation that is much harder and more dangerous than what we expected! We... need to quarantine this street block! The lead doctor said after a slight pause.
The others kept quiet as a reply.
In fact, when the doctors answered the call of duty and appeared in the infected area, they already prepared themselves for the worst.
A couple of doctors exchanged gazes before turning to the lead doctor, nodding.
Thank you, everyone. I swear to stand with you all, whether in the kingdom of Dawn or the fall to hell!
The lead doctor then lit up the re aside. Shuuu!
The sharp air-breaking sound broke the silent night, everyone saw the red re that shone under the night sky, the Snake of Phuthuman!
The people who knew the meaning of the re felt their hearts sink.
Chief Officer John who has been monitoring the area pressed the tip of his hand down and told his aide in a heavy tone, Seal off at least 5 blocks of streets in the area, including St. Paolo school. Strengthen the security on all street blocks and anyone who crosses the line without permission, shoot on sight!
Yes, sir!
Deputy Chief Officer Leschuder pouted his mouth and replied in a heavy tone as well, his voice wasnt as sonorous as before. Even after Leschuder gave his affirmative answer, he looked at John with an unyielding look, hoping that his superior might have a change of mind.
GO! You want more people to die inside? A street block and a city, dont you know how to choose?
I know! But its not fair!
But this aint the f*cking time we talk about fairness!
Unfortunately, John didnt change his mind, not only did he not change his mind but he scolded his men as well. His scolding was like a beastly roar that sounded off at the street.
The deputy chief officer and the other officers were frightened.
Yes, it might seem unfair to the people of the street block but if they let it go unchecked, would it be fair to the others around in the city?
The officers started to move out after that.
The chief officer stood at the entrance of the street, staring at the ck night sky as he moved his hand over to his chest where he kept the silver wine pot with the holy water from the Church of Dawn.
I hate to rely on this vague and insubstantial existence, I thought this is a joke before but now I really hope that Youre real! If You really exist, open Your eyes and see! This is the ce where You descended with Your miracles before! This is the ce where Your believers first gathered! Are You going to abandon them and leave like this? John muttered to himself.
Actually, not only John, many more self-muttering sounded across the corners of the city, especially the aged elderly.
During their youth where the elderly had gone through the fallen age, they might have adapted themselves in this new age but when during a life and death situation, the marks that were branded in their survival instinct automatically came into effect, let alone the people who gathered in front of the St. Paolo Schools gate.
They were praying and concentrated on the situation.
So when a certain part of the school was burning, everyone saw it clearly.
Fire! Fire!
The call sounded off right away and the people were in a rush to extinguish the fire yet they were stopped by the lead doctor.
Dont panic everyone! The school security members will deal with that, now what you should do is watch over your families who are infected, dont increase the burden of the school anymore.
The reasonable exnations and the doctors dignity calmed the people swiftly but some of them hiding in the dark showed a totally opposite reaction.
Each of them dashed out from the shadows, swiftly heading towards the direction of the small chapel.
We did it!
Gateli and the Revival Society leader who dashed out from the crowd were delighted from the bottom of their hearts.
Although they knew they would seed eventually, when sess was ced before them, it was hard for them to conceal their excitement.
Prepare the things, we are going to wee the arrival of our New God! The Revival Society leader said.
Um!
Gateli nodded and took out a palm-sized box from his pocket and like Gateli, the Revival Society leader also took out a simr box.
Each of them had half of the key item rted to the New Gods descent, which was the key factor of their coboration.
Dont forget your promise! Gateli said.
I could say the same to you as well, dont forget what you said before! The Revival Society leader said.
Then, both of them smiled with a tacit understanding but soon enough, the smiles froze on their faces.
They saw the ce that was on fire wasnt the small chapel but just a couple haystacks.
Kieran who was holding the torch beside the haystacks smiled as if he was the host weing his guests to his home, greeting them pleasantly.
Good evening gentlemen!
His tone was calm and t but when Gateli heard the greetings, his face turned almost purplish.
You...You...
Gateli wanted to say something but the anger was stuffed in his throat, preventing him from talking properly.
You are trying to say why am I not fooled by your tricks? Sadly, I am a dubious person. You used my dubious character, misleading me to doubt Sister Moni, but... did you ever think aboutpared to Sister Moni, you as a stranger to me, is more doubtful?
Well, of course, I have to thank you as well, luring all these rats hiding in drains. It really saved me a lot of time, now I can kill them all in one go!
Kierans words with the burning sizzling sounds of the haystacks beside him sounded like p after p hitting on Gatelis face, causing his face to change again and again.
You garbage!
The Revival Society leader who was still exchanging smiles with Gateli a moment ago scolded him without the slightest courtesy.
You!
Gateli too red at his coborator but he couldnt form any words to refute because facts speak louder than words.
Kieran, on the other hand,nded his gaze on this Revival Society leader. His gaze was different from the calm gaze when he looked at Gateli when Kieran red at the leader, his eyes had a sense of cold killing intent.
Its been a while! What should I call you? Lord leader of the Revival Society? Or St. Paolo School security captain, Reed?
Chapter 855 - Brilliance of the Night
Chapter 855: Brilliance of the Night
The killing intent in Kierans words were explicit.
A traitor was someone that could never be forgiven, especially when the traitor even received heroic treatment after his death.
Everyone from St. Paolo thought that Reed identally bumped into the killer while he was on patrol alone and was killed after that. It was an extremely saddening incident to all including the elderly sister.
Initially, Kieran was tricked as well but as things unfolded before him, more and more clues pointed at Reeds death, stating that it wasnt as simple as it seemed.
Reeds death was too coincidental.
When Herles led many of his men tounch an assault on St. Paolo School, the school security captain Reed died and it wasnt at the hands of the Blood Hand Society.
Then, Gateli who appeared before Kieran acted like he had an utmost understanding of St. Paolo School. Despite the fact that he exined that he achieved it through mystical means, it would require enough blood and bodies to activate.
Based on how much understanding of the school Gateli showed, if he didnt kill at least a hundred person, he wouldnt have known that much.
If a huge massacre like that did were to happen, why would it be unheard off throughout the city?
Chief Officer John wasnt there for disy!
Of course, the biggest giveaway was the bodies that Kieran discovered in 11th Lion Street.
The bodies looked like they were being discarded randomly but viewing the situation as a whole, the bodies were intact.
Every human has their own habits, a killer was no exception either.
So how could a killer that has cruelly dismembered peoples body a few days ago, presenting himself as a frantic maniac, suddenly treat others with care?
Kieran did meticulously go through the book stating the surveince spell, it only stated it required blood and bodies but none of the words mentioned it needed an intact one.
So given the circumstances, if the killer didnt kill ording to his M.O., there were only two possible exnation.
Firstly, he was stopped, like being stopped by Gateli, but even if he was, traces would have been left behind and it would be more obvious.
The killer who was stopped would certainly have some rage in his heart and he would definitely vent his anger on the house of innocents, even though he might not dismember them all again, there should be unbearable wounds on the bodies but the 8 bodies had none.
Even when the innocent family was killed, they were killed in a clean way, no terrifying wounds, no traces of being tortured, nothing.
As for the killer epting Gatelis orders without a murmur and daring not to even have the slightest resist?
If it really was the case, there would not be any traces left on the dining table.
Kieran was absolutely sure Gateli would never dine together at the same table with the person who obeyed his ordered, simr to a man of sacrifice.
After discarding this possibility, there was only one left.
The killer was someone else! A man that could order Gateli and the strong man who moved the woodpile around. Aside from that, why would the killer dismember Reeds body in the first ce?
It was definitely not to mimic the modus operandi of the killer who killed the female student found in the station because although the female student was dismembered, the magic circle formed by her body was much more meticulous and precise, it could even be considered to have had a strange sense of beauty.
It was the unique fetish of that the Revival Societys sorcerer and it was two entirely different conceptspared with the crude arrangement of Reeds scene.
So, with that point out of the equation, Kieran could onlye up with boasting, pressuring and hiding other facts but it was really boasting and pressuring, killing off the entire security team would be a better choice. Judging from how strong the man was from the moviement of the woodpile, it was very easy for him to do it, yet he didnt.
Which mean there was only a single point left for spection: to hide something!
To hide the identity of the victim!
The killer used the dismembering method to keep the parts that shared a resemnce to Reed and removed the ones that didnt. A simple example was, it might be hard to find another person that looked exactly like Reed but if finding a person that share simrities with him, like heights and body figure, the difficulty would plummet right away.
After all the clues were lined up together, the answer was already showing itself.
It is because of my stubborn, stick-to-the-rules character that broke the rule of other than the outpost position, all patrols have to be in pairs, and died, so it caught your attention? At first, I really hoped you would ignore that point because of the sadness and respect for the dead but really, you and I are the same kind of people! The cold merciless kind!
Exmations came out of the leaders mouth, then he removed his hood and showed that familiar face.
Right after that...
BANG!
Reed was sent flying backward following the bang caused by the collision of a boot and a face.
It was as if he had been hit by a truck, tumbling and bouncing off the ground a couple of times before he settled on the ground farther away.
My mind right now is picturing the sad expressions of those who participated in your funeral and when you said all of that with your face shown, you were asking for it with an extra kick! So, I decided to help you change the hideous face of yours. No need to thank me now.
Kieran waved at Reed whose teeth has all fallen off with a deformed face full of blood and a boot print on it.
Aarh, aaaaargh.... Hahahahahahaha! So this is the spirit of a Gods Child? Even when you had the chance to kill me, you chose to insult me first? You know what? Youve missed the only chance to do that! Kill him!
Reed who was covering his faceughed softly before bursting in a loud, disdainfulugh.
He was used to giving out the orders from a high position.
Gods Child? So what?
Against the squad that he meticulously created, even if the legendary Gods Child were toe forth, he would get more than he bargained for, let alone a Gods Child of a fallen age!
He was using the gue! The very power of the gue that could truly snatch life away!
Even Dawn Force couldnt cancel out the gue Force!
Reedsmand sounded but he was replied to with silence.
With his face covered, Reed was stunned immediately but soon enough he continuedughing.
You are much weaker than I thought...
Reed wiped off the blood on his face and red at Kieran.
When heid eyes on Kieran, he was totally stunned, as if he was struck by lightning.
His men! All his subordinates were lying down on the ground!
Only Gateli who was thest one standing with his hands up, emanating a faint gray luster but he was also had a hard time holding on. The sweat on his forehead and dreaded expression exined it all.
Kieran?
He didnt move an inch from his original spot as a faint white brilliance covered him entirely.
The brilliance was filled with tenderness, unyielding will and full of hope but to Reed, it was represented inconceivable despair.
How is this possible? Dawn Force could never cancel out gue Force! Reed roared out loud.
At the same time, he fired out a gray luster from his hand that was a few times stronger than Gatelis one, gushing towards Kieran as it materialized.
When the gray luster touched the white brilliance, it dissolved instantaneously like snow under a hot sun. Not only that, the white brilliance evenunched a lethal counterattack.
Aaaaaargh!
An agonizing cryter, Reed was shot to the ground by the brilliance.
A box fell off his body and ended up beside Kierans feet.
Chapter 856 - Talk about it
Chapter 856: Talk about it
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Dawn Force could never cancel out gue Force.
It was true. In this current dungeon world, it could be considered as one of the absolute truths but what Kieran used wasnt Dawn Force!
It was an inheritance skill that came from a certain era, powered up using Dawn Force as it disyed its strength willfully.
Its name was, Marulyn!
The Marulyn Church was originally skilled at healing and dispelling gues. While facing off against gue Force, it was like it had met its bane.
If it was a while back, Kieran might still face some trouble going up against gue Force but now?
With the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] reaching Transcendence, the advanced skills from Marulyns inheritance, [Expel gue] and [Holy Light] were instantly mastered by Kieran and [Detect Poison], [Repel Toxin], [Heal] and [Brilliance] reached Transcendence as well.
[Name: Expel gue (Transcendence)]
[Rted Attribute: None]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effect: You can use the energy in your body to expel the power of the gue within a 20-meter radius, consume 100 Stamina,sts 10 seconds; cooldown: none.]
[Special Effect: Expert Expel (Expel range +5 meters)]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art (Transcendence)]
[Remark: This is a perfectbination of two energy systems from different worlds, it allows your casting to be simpler, easier, and will almost never cause a repulsion]
...
[Name: Holy Light (Transcendence)]
[Rted Attribute: None]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effect: You can use the energy in your body to create a soft brilliance in a 5-meter radius, Low and Medium negative energy beings will suffer lethal damage within the area. Target that is not contaminated by negative energy will receive High continuous healing effect (Heals Medium to Heavily wounded status, recovers 1 HP per second), consume 200 Stamina,sts 10 seconds; cooldown: none]
[Special Effect: Expert Restriction (Damage to negative energy beings increased by 1)]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art (Transcendence)]
[Remark: This is a perfectbination of two energy system from different worlds, it allows your casting to be simpler, easier, and will almost never cause a repulsion]
...
With Transcendence level [Expel gue], it would be the most ridiculous idea for Reed and his men trying to fight Kieran with gue Force.
Although within the list of high-level inheritance skills, Kieran still hadnt touch [Divine Protection] and with [Expel gue] and [Holy Light] as a reference, he knew when he mastered the advanced skill of [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art], changes would happen ordingly.
Kieran didnt care about Reed whose presence was growing weaker or Gateli who was still struggling, he looked down at the box beside his feet.
The box was as big as a palm, standing beside his feed with edges at all corners, ted with copper garnishing, there was not much of a difference to a regr wooden box, except for the secretive markings on it.
It was like carvings patterns, the designss looped over one another, as if a whirlpool was carved on the wooden box cover.
Lines of golden thread extended out of the whirlpool and gathered at the bottom of the box, squeezing together at one end, forming pus.
It shaped was like pus, the building yellowish lump on humans when they were having abscesses.
The boxes originally looked dignified and elegant with the gold threads but when it formed the pus, it instantly gave people a disgusting feeling.
Kieran raised a brow and his eyes automatically turned to the small chapel.
The box with edges and corners yet it rolled towards his feet, even in other ces, he would feel suspicious against such coincidence, let alone near the small chapel. Plus the pus on the bottom of the box, it really made him consider to a lot of things.
Give...it back!
Reed who was weakening by the second struggled hard to climb up from the ground, his face was ferocious as his frantic gaze stared at the box, his body even start to distort.
A gray light suddenly appeared from within Reed, running rapidly throughout his body. It bloated his head a while, bloated his stomach and even all four of his limbs.
When the light stopped its movement, the ex-security captain looked nothing like a human being anymore.
He was transformed into a 3-meter tall, strong and buff monster with four limbs on the ground. Its face was green and had red hair apanied by sharp fangs.
The gray aura circted around his body as he breathed, the grass that was tainted by the aura withered away rapidly.
Even the nts and the ground which was nourishing the nts were having their life force destroyed as well. It wasnt taking the life away but truly destroying it!
Wasnt the power of the gue exactly this? Like locusts flying across a field, destroying every crop in their path.
Sir 2567! That is a monster that used the gue force to transform! Dont go near it!
Gateli who was inside the white brilliance of [Expel gue] shouted out loud.
He knew if this continued on, he would be exactly like Reed and his men, suffering the repulsion of gue Force.
Gateli who knew how terrifying gue Force was certainly didnt want to suffer from that kind of power, so he had been figuring out how to escape the impending repulsion.
So, escaping this damn white brilliance became his priority for now but no matter how his gears spun, Gateli couldnt figure a way out of this.
However, following Reeds transformation, he knew his chance had arrived but of course, before he was grateful for this chance, his heart was cursing out loud.
God Damn it, Reed! You bastard! You are really as sh*t as I thought, how could you hide the extremely important thing from the inheritance! Not just only the way to increase power but also the transformation before my eyes? You Goddamn bastard!
His heart was cursing out loud but it didnt affect him from showing his utmost sincerity.
Gateli called out to Kieran with great affection and deep voice, Sir 2567, I know its weakness, as long as you are willing to...
Before he could finish, he stopped abruptly.
Gateli opened his eyes big as he saw a 20-meter light sword being shed out from Kierans hand.
The gue monster was shed down from its head onwards as if it was made out of tofu. The stinking blood and organs fell out of its body as it was split in half, producing corrosive sizzles as it touched the ground.
Amid the corrosive sizzles, Kieran turned back to Gateli who was dumbstruck.
The coldness from Kierans gaze made Gateli swiftly collect his senses.
Sir! My dear Sir 2567, I was forced to do what I did before! It was Reeds fault!
Wait, I know everything about the Revival Society! I even know the secrets to the Aco Codex! The New God! Yes, the New God! I can tell you everything about the New God! Please...
Gateli spoke with his silver tongue,ying all his chips on the table but the oue that weed him didnt change.
Arrrggh!
An agonizing screamter, Gateli fell to the ground because of the repulsion from gue Force.
Likewise, a box fell off his body and rolled up beside Kierans feet as well.
When Kieran saw the two palm-sized boxes beside his feet, he didnt just pick it up but instead he looked towards the small chapel.
The presence of will that was hiding inside had grown restless at the scene.
We should have a talk about it!
The voice echoed in Kierans ears.
Chapter 857 - Come over
Chapter 857: Come over
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Talk?
Kieranughed. It was the reaction that came from the bottom of his heart, theugh of a stingy Scrooge who saw an unupied gold mine.
What do you have, to talk with me? Kieran asked slowly.
I will give you unexpected benefits! My knowledge, my collections, everything can be yours! The voice said anxiously but Kieran still shook his head.
Dont fill me with these empty words and dont tempt me with things that I cant even see. What I want is real, authentic, in-front-of-my-eyes benefits! You hear me? Think about it first, I hope the next time I appear in front you, you have something real enough to move me.
As he spoke, Kieran ripped a piece of cloth off a dead body, wrapped the two boxes together before he turned around and left.
Kieran didnt even care about the calls and shouts that echoed in his ears because he knew the longer he dragged this out, the more advantages he had.
What was the most painful thing for a prisoner who was imprisoned for a long time?
It wasnt the endless life imprisonment without day and light but knowing that when he had the chance to leave yet still had to stay in that cell that light couldnt shine through.
That kind of feeling was undoubtedly more torturing than anything.
Kieran was confident that all he needed was a few more days and Aco would show his genuine sincerity.
Likewise, he also needed a few days to arrange the ns to deal with Aco.
Kieran wasnt that naive to think that after that much conflict with a God, they could still get a peaceful ending, even for a God after revival.
The fact that Aco was a God wouldnt change and once he was freed, an inevitable battle would start.
So Kieran would have to prepare somethings, he at least needed to create enough advantages for himself.
Other than these two factors, it was also because those who were infected by the gue couldnt hold out any longer.
For the innocent people who were involved in this dispute, Kieran was sorry from the bottom of his heart and if it was within what he was capable of, Kieran didnt mind helping them.
...
Doctor! Doctor!
A little girls call was filled with anxiety, panic, and fear.
Beside her was her mother who has fallen unconscious. Greenish ck spots even started to appear on the mothers hands and face and the little girls father had just fallen as well, leaving her alone on the spot.
Orph who was shuttling across the crowd saw the little girls terrible situation.
Even among the sea of infected patients, the little girls situation was quite rare.
Orph quickly ran over.
Child, dont worry, Ill take care of them.
Orph, the lead doctor who practiced art of healing under the elderly sister before tried tofort the girl with a soft voice and a kind face, sharing the traits of the elderly sister.
Are they going to be fine? The little girl asked.
They will. I promise! Orph nodded energetically, trying to make himself looked more reliable but in his eyes, all it shown was substantial worries.
The worries for the future, the worries for the loss of life.
He didnt know whether someones n would work or not but he knew in a while more, death on a big scale would happen in the area.
The spreading speed of the gue was much faster than he imagined and the lethality had exceeded his thoughts as well.
Even though he had grinded all his ideas from his mind, all he did was slightly slow down the speed of the gue.
It was impossible to heal the patients at this stage!
Child,e,e with me! You need enough sleep and I promise, when you wake up, your daddy and mommy will be the first thing you see, Orphforted the girl
Though as his voice subsided...
Puk!
The greenish ck spots on the mothers hand burst out just like that, the stinking liquid inside burst out in all directions.
Orph immediately hugged the little girl and blocked the gues liquid with his back.
Tssss!
The corrosion started upon touching Orphs back, the crows outfit was absolutely useless against the stenchful liquid.
The liquid seeped through the cloth and touched the skin on his back within an instant.
Orph immediately pushed the girl away.
Child, leave me! Stay away from me! Someone, take care of this little girl here!
Orph shouted loudly, notifying his colleagues in the area.
Another doctor in the crow outfit came over and hugged the crying little girl.
Orph, what did you...
Stay away! Ive been infected!
Orph shook away the doctors hand trying to help him up and he directly took off his gue doctor outfit.
The outfit was useless now, as the mask was taken off, a windy breeze caressed his face.
Orph took a deep breath.
We need to use that now. He said and pointed at the oil barrels that were prepared.
Orph! Things arent that... A female voice came out from the gue mask.
Things are much worse that we expected! Our methods now can not even hold the gue anymore, we are left with this option... Gather the patients here, I as the executioner will have to make a move with them first. At least it will allow you all to hold up a little longer and hope that teacher will be awaken by then, only she can cure the gue now.
Orph interrupted the female doctors words and walked towards the oil barrels. The patients were then gathered at the spot soon after that.
He uncorked the oil barrels, pouring it around the area and showered himself from head to toe with the oil inside. Orph took up the unignited torch, preparing himself for thest moment of his life.
The little girl in the female doctors arms cried when she saw what Orph was going to do.
Goddess of Dawn, did You witness all these? Please have pity on Orph, he shouldnt have bear all this sufferring! The female doctor said while sobbing.
The little girl in her arms suddenly broke free from her arms, charging through the oil drenched ground and went up beside her father and mother.
As a child, what was more important than her parents?
Life and death were less important to the little girl, far lesser than her precious parents.
Orphs motion of igniting the torch froze suddenly when he saw the little girl crawl up to her unconscious parents, crying her heart out.
Oh God, how cruel can you be?
The doctors and the families of the infected around were crying in shock non-stop either.
Oh dear God! Please return everything back to normal!
We dont wish to see hell descend on earth!
Save the innocent soul with Your glory!
Prayers sounded one after another, they sounded messy yet so together.
They prayers gathered together and transformed into the very first thought that came in everyones mind, kindness.
Kindness was the first thought that gathered mercy andpassion, gathering the virtues of the earth; It also made the scene before everyones eyes more and more cruel and unbearable.
The frozen Orph ultimately chose to ignite the torch because as a doctor, he knew it was the right choice to make.
I am sorry! If we meet again in the afterlife, I am willing to atone my sins before you!
Orph looked at the little girl and sad with a heavy heart.
Then, he took thest nce of the world that he knew off, imprinting the final image in his mind and... the torch was thrown down.
However, the anticipated fire didnte but a calm voice instead.
Hell shouldnt be on earth in the first ce. The mes belonged to hell, whereas lightes from peoples heart.
As the voice subsided, a beam of blinding light pierced the night sky, shining across the entire St. Paolo School.
Kieran then stepped out of the beam of light.
Chapter 858 - The Gathering
Chapter 858: The Gathering
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran who walked out from the light waved his hand up and filled the ce with more light.
The lethal gue quickly dispersed under the showering light, the unconscious people started to wake up.
They looked around with empty gazes, they saw their families after a while and also Kieran who was shining.
At the same time, they also remembered everything that happened.
It was the gue, the gue that knocked them out cold but now?
They felt a lot better and refreshed. The dizziness in their heads were gone and they felt a lot more energetic.
Was he the one who saved them?
The people who were healed looked at Kieran under the light, feeling utterly grateful from the bottom of their heart, especially a white-haired elder who was lingering on the verge of death.
The elder who had gone through the old era saw Kieran in a ck robe yet felt absolutely divine, the memories of his youth started toe afloat in his mind.
Back then, a lot of great men stood high before any catastrophic events, saving the likes of him like how Kieran did. However, unconsciously as time flew, the great men swiftly vanished.
The elders said the Gods had abandoned the ce.
The wise men said Gods were unreal.
The nobles said the people should be ruled by them.
All sorts of words andments filled that era.
Each of them crowned themselves as the wise and thought they could represent all.
In the end, however, it was the victors who wrote histories.
The Dawn has fallen, vanished.
Leaving behind nothing but reconstruction after the war.
Blood flowed like rivers and bodies piled up like mountains.
Those days were unbearable for everyone.
The elder recalled how he longed for the light to shine on him when he was young and now, the light appeared once again.
The elderly looked at Kieran under the light, his eyes couldnt help but teared up badly.
A divine miracle! This is a divine miracle! The Goddess of Dawn didnt abandon us! Even if we have forgotten the blessing of the Goddess, at the veryst moment, the Goddess still sent her emissary here to save us! The elder cheered.
God, has returned!
No, God had never left!
Looking at Gods emissary bathing in light, the light from him was much more dazzling and powerful yet more tender from what he remembered.
Unconsciously, the elder kneeled down with one knee.
Oh respectful and merciful Bernadette, please forgive your lost child! He now understoodd his fault, he has now returned to you! You are watching your children on earth from your divine kingdom. He will fulfill your wish with all his abilities! Oh God loves us all!
The elder cheered up loud and it echoed around.
Orph was the first to join the elderly with his utterly devoted look.
Wasnt this the divine miracle that he had been anticipating for all this while?
Healing the gue-infected and return them to their healthy state, now all things had been fulfilled.
What else did he doubt?
Oh, merciful Bernadette...
Orph too started to pray.
Compared to the elder who relied on his memories to utter prayers, Orph who had been around the elderly sister was much more skilled, theplete prayers and the standard motions, it had a kind of solemn ritualistic feeling.
When the others, who had just woke up, heard the elders cheers, their hearts were filled with respect and when they saw Orphs actions, they too unconsciously followed him in praying.
Orph as a doctor had an outstanding reputation among the crowd but what really made them follow the praying was Kieran in the light.
The people who grew up in the new era of the nobles didnt know the so-called mystical realm, neither did they understand what all of these represented.
When the mysterious and life-saving debt crossed, the mixed feeling produced reverence in everyones heart but there was an exception as well.
That little girl stopped crying when her parents woke up, she looked at Kieran with her crystal clear eyes.
Can you help my mommy? The little girl asked suddenly.
The sudden request amidst the prayers was very ear-catching.
Instantly, it captured everyones attention and the prayers were forced to a pause.
It was then the people noticed on the mothers face and hands, there were scars left behind by the puss. It wasnt lethal but it made her look hideous and scary.
Then, the people turned to Kieran and Kieran too walk forth under everyones gaze.
My...My great lord, my daughter is just...
The little girls parents sounded afraid as they spoke, especially the mother who didnt care about the pain on her scars and tried her best in begging Kieran.
The light then shone again.
The milder light that had more healing power shined on the mothers face and hands, the hideous scars quickly healed up with exponential speed.
Not only the mother of the girl but others who were under the light felt the changes on their bodies as well.
They felt even more energetic and their spirits felt more refreshed than ever.
[Holy Light]!
It was different than [Heal] which only healed the wounded status, [Holy Light] had the effect to gradually recover HP.
Although the effect wasnt instant, the scene before the peoples eyes was enough to do the trick.
Those who had lingering doubts of Kieran discarded every bit of them when they saw this scene.
The prayers sounded even louder after the pause.
Are you Gods emissary? The little girl asked Kieran with a cheerful tone after seeing her mother returned to normal.
Yup, Kieran nodded.
A white lie was necessary at times.
Then can I find you sometimes? I will share my biscuit with you!
The little girls innocent words had the sincerity that adultscked, neither would she go after the so-called material gains.
If a child is willing to share her biscuit with you, it means you are her friend.
It was a simple and direct rule yet it would beplicated and twisted because of the passing of time.
Once additional factors were added in, it would even turn out fake.
Kieran looked down into the little girls clear and straight eyes, he nodded again.
Sure!
Right away, the little girl cheered happily.
While the little girl was cheering, Kieran looked to Orph.
Is every one of the infected patients gathered here? Kieran asked.
Since he decided to make a move, Kieran didnt n to leave anything behind.
The patients here are allmon households, thats why they came to us for help, there are some others...
Orph hasnt finished but his meaning was obvious enough.
The ones who came to the school weremon citizens, those wealthy families had their own personal doctors to treat them.
Doctor Orph, can you help me to spread the news? Get everyone infected with the gue to gather here in the school, Kieran said.
My pleasure, Orph bowed respectfully.
My lord, we are willing to help as well!
Yes! Us too!
Please let us help as well!
The people around started to voice our their willingness to help after they heard what Kieran requested.
Then, I thank you in advance. I will be here treating everyone I see that is infected with the gue.
Kieran didnt reject the peoples request and likewise, he didnt break his promise either.
He waited patiently in front of St. Paolo School, healing one after another patient infected with the gue that was brought to him.
Some of the infected parents were doubtful at first and even suspected it was a trap to trick them into the quarantine but as time passed, more and more people had gotten healed, they were convinced eventually.
So, more and more people gathered at St. Paolo Schools entrance.
They saw Kieran was covered in light, they heard the non-stop prayers sounded everywhere.
More and more joined the prayers as well, from a hundred at first to two hundred, three hundred... one thousand, two thousand, three thousand...
People gathered non-stop and when dawn finally arrived, there were more than ten thousand people gathered in front.
Chapter 859 - Effect
Chapter 859: Effect
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
More than ten thousand people gathered in front of St. Paolo Schools entrance.
More precisely, they filled the streets that were near the schools gate.
People were moving around, rubbing shoulders with one another.
It was crowded, extremely crowded but none of that could stop the passion from the people.
Passion!
Quite a number of the crowd werent the ones infected by the gue, they were just here to see the divine miracle with their own eyes.
Each time the white brilliance shone at the end of the crowd, the crowd would go along with it, uttering their admiration. Then, the prayers toward Goddess of Dawn started once more.
The infected who arrived the earliest at St. Paolo School had already automatically joined the school security team, helping them to maintain the order around.
To be honest, it wasnt any kind of difficult task. Under Gods name, everything seemed exceptionally easy and no matter how hot-tempered a person was, he or she would be extremely obedient at this time. Even the higher positioned nobles chose to lower their heads at the moment.
As for the worries at the gue? Stop joking!
Hundreds and thousands of people were healed and they imed that after bathing in the Holy Light, they were much healthy than before, more energetic than ever.
All of them hoped to bathe under the Holy Light, thus more and more people gathered here.
When the first light from the sun shone down on the city, the whole area was paralyzed by the traffic.
Chief Officer John also brought his men together in maintaining the order.
Is this really a divine miracle? Leschuder mumbled.
Well, its better than dying people right? John shrugged.
Aftering in contact with some mystical incidents, John wasnt the man who firmly believed in his world view anymore like how he started to be but he knew the things that happened before his eyes were good.
Hmm. Leschuder didnt deny it and nodded, then he suddenly squinted his eyes.
He saw a couple of familiar faces among the crowd, sneaking their hands into other peoples pockets.
Goddamnit! Even a divine miracle cant stop all these bastards! This time Ill really break their hands! Leschuder angry words escaped from the seams as he clenched his teeth hard.
That is why we are here, John said and moved up to the few pickpockets among the crowd.
Leschuder was a step faster, helping John in blocking the escape path for the pickpockets.
The littlemotion among the crowds ended soon enough.
In this special moment, the kindness in everyone was erged infinitely, the usual evading and panic was absent as well.
After the few pickpockets were exposed, John and Leschuder didnt even have to cuff them up and they were caught by the surrounding people.
Well, at least its not all bad now.
Leschuder said with a smile after tying up all the pickpockets in a group with a rope.
He didnt experience any of the divine miracles but being able to apprehend a few pickpockets, he was truly happy.
John looked at his aide in a delightful manner and he couldnt help but shake his head.
Some things were destined to be unshareable, John could only keep the mystical stuff deep in his heart.
John then unconsciously looked towards the gate of the school, the brilliance there shone once again.
Gods Child huh? What a pleasant surprise!
John pressed the tip of his hat down, mumbling softly to himself.
...
During her long dream, Sister Moni felt like she has returned to the time that she missed so much.
Every day when dawn arrived, the morning prayers would echo in her ears.
It would make one feel unknowingly pleasant and at peace and it would make one feel happy to start a brand new day, but everything was in the past now.
Even in her dreams, Sister Moni understood that very well.
Not really a beautiful dream... Sister Moni opened her eyes, sighing hard.
Then, she woke up quickly because she knew there was still a lot of patients that awaited her treatment.
Hope there arent too many people suffering from the unfortunate gue during my time on the bed.
The praying in her heart made Sister Moni move even quicker.
However, when she picked up the med box beside her bed, the neat and sonorous prayers that should have been forgotten by the people entered her ears.
Oh merciful Bernadette, may Your name be always with the light of dawn!
Oh merciful Bernadette, may Your sight watch over our fields, our rivers, woods, and city under the light of dawn!
Oh merciful Bernadette, may Your light shine over our face, body, and heart!
...
The elderly sister who picked up the med box froze when she heard that, she staggered herself to the window and opened up the curtains to find out what was going on.
When she saw the scene behind the window curtains, she was ovee with tears.
She saw countless people gathered around, praying loudly with a devoted look on their faces.
It was the biggest wish that she buried in her heart since she became the saintess and without knowing, her wish came true.
Sister Moni didnt even need to doubt and she found the person that realized her wish.
It was too obvious, the light of dawn intertwined with the brilliance on his body, making the young mans figure look a lot like the one in her memories.
No, not like the one but even stronger than the one that she remembered.
Sister Moni stood in front of the window for quite a while and the moment she came back to her senses, she took the med box and headed towards the school entrance.
Although she knew very well it wasnt needed, she still hoped she could be of help.
Kieran didnt feel surprised at all when Sister Moni rushed over, wishing to help.
His sharp sense picked up Sister Monis gaze when shended a nce on his back.
Morning sister, it seems like you rested up quite well, you look more energetic already, Kieran said with a smile.
Morning, Your Highness Gods Child.
Sister Moni still saluted Kieran with the [Seal of Dawn]s method and her address of him had unconsciously changed.
When she was done with her salutation, the elderly sister straightened her back and said, When I was unconscious, something big must have happened but now it seems like it turned out quite well.
Yup, quite well indeed! Kieran nodded. He wasnt trying to brush her off but it really was quite well, at least for him.
When he was treating the gue-infected patients, the [Knights of gue] that he memorized in his mind and suddenlypleted itself to Basic level and it was enhancing itself with speed that surprised Kieran.
[Name: Knights of gue Body Tempering Art (Basic)]
[Rted Attribute: Constitution]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effect: After going through a dangerous start, you have learned the body tempering art that people dreaded, Constitution +1]
[Special Effect: 1. Absorb gue; 2. Release gue]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Constitution C]
[Remark: This is the origin of the gue, it has limited benefits to you but it bears a destructive power.]
...
[Absorb gue: Absorb the gue energy in a slow manner]
[Release gue: Release the gue energy in a slow manner]
...
[Knights of gue Body Tempering Art] wasnt disappointing at all, but Kieran was much more concerned about the speed of its growth at the moment.
Unconsciously, Kieran looked towards the crowd.
When the crowd caught Kierans gaze, one of them started to kneel down and it started a domino effect, the crowd started to kneel down one after another.
They all cheered together, Your Highness Gods Child!
Thebined voice shook the clouds and trembled peoples heart.
The few watchers hidden in the citys corner swiftly retreated as their faces changed for the worse.
After a while, the rider squad from before had stopped at the citys outskirt.
The lead rider frowned while he was looking at the city.
Gods Child? This could be troublesome.
Chapter 860 - A visit
Chapter 860: A visit
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Meanwhile, inside a certain wagon, Kieran and John were sitting opposite each other.
Kieran was thinking with his eyes closed while John sized up Kieran with a curious gaze from top to bottom.
Do I look so weird to you? Kieran took a deep breath and opened his eyes helplessly.
Even with his eyes closed, when he was being sized up back and forth within such a short distance, it was no different than waving a burning hot rod in front of his eyes as it was hot and obvious.
If it was someone else, Kieran could still use other means to teach some manners to the person but John?
As one of his friends in the native circle, Kieran couldnt do as he wished.
Kieran was always very tolerant of his friends since he had only a handful that he considered one.
Um. Its the first time Ive seen a Gods Child... sorry.
John nodded at first before giving an apologetic smile.
Even though he had touched the mystical realm unknown tomons, when he saw how Kieran expelled the gue with a wave of his hand, it was still very overwhelming.
Johns broken worldview further crumbled to pieces.
If it wasnt his upation that made him a strong man with a strong heart, he might have suffered a meltdown a while ago. But even though he avoided the meltdown, his curiosity was inevitable.
How did you do it? John couldnt hold back his question.
Itsplicated, Kieran said. He couldnt spare any more details to John, even if he was a friend.
John also respected Kierans decision to not tell, he shrugged before he switched the topic.
So why are we heading to Wayne Manor now? John looked at Kieran with shining eyes.
John was willing to respect Kierans decision before, so he wished Kieran would respect his upation as well and not put him in a difficult situation.
He knew everything about the grudge between Kieran and the Wayne family.
Rx, I dont like killing innocents. This trip to Wayne Manor is because one of the Wayne family members is rted to the gue outbreak. And, if I really wanted to do anything at all, why would I bring you along? Kieran showed a smile to John.
It wasnt a lie yet wasnt the whole truth but John didnt know that.
When Kieran mentioned the gue was rted, Johns attention waspletely captured and he asked out of instinct, Is it that bastard who created the gue?
Not much of a difference, since he is involved, and... including that time in the station and all kinds of traps that specifically targeted the school, it should all be his handy work, just for that thing.
As Kieran spoke, he intentionally diluted Reeds role in all this. It was a request from the elderly sister.
Kieran didnt want toment on the request though, he had expected the elderly sisters kindness at first.
Reeds death didnt even matter anymore, now Kieran wanted to know everything about Aco, therefore Wayne Manor had be the important factor in all this.
Of course, not only Wayne Manor but other suspicious spots in the city as well, Kieran had sent people there to investigate as he headed to Wayne Manor with John.
However, the main point was still within Wayne Manor.
What ce was the safest?
The most dangerous ce was the safest ce!
Given that Gatelis character liked to exploit the weakness of others, he should know all of this since he considered himself smart enough.
Kieran suspected there might be a high possibility that Gateli hid within the huge Wayne Manor, including his ally of the Revival Society as well.
Who is it? Who is that bastard? John asked after being captivated by Kierans words.
John who experienced the horror of the gue knew it was a critical momentst night. If it wasnt for Kieran who lent a hand, the city at this time might be in a horrible state, like purgatory on earth.
For someone who might be responsible for creating such a horrible scene, John really hoped that he could kill the culprit with his gun.
Gateli, Kieran answered.
Gateli? The heir that I know of? John asked with a surprised look.
Yes, Kieran nodded.
But he... faked his death?! John quickly reacted to Kierans words.
The chief officer became angrier after that.
In Johns point of view, Gateli who faked his death to escape and created the gue had be an extremely cunning and wicked beyond redemption.
So when they arrived at Wayne Manor, John was very cooperative with Kieran.
Wee, Chief Officer John!
In front of the manors gate which has been rebuilt, a middle-aged man lead a couple of young ones in weing John.
After going through multiple changes, Wayne familys reputation was not as nice as before.
Last time when John visited, the servants and attendants were there to wee him, not the direct kin of the family but still, the necessary manners and etiquette still remained.
At least they still respectfully greeted John and Kieran who stood beside the chief officer.
Who may this good sir be? The middle-aged man asked.
The young men behind him found it hard to conceal their curiosity.
After all, Kierans outfit under the daylight was quite eye-catching. Aside from the other aspect, his hooded mantle would 100% turn heads if he walked around the street.
Sir 2567, or you can call him His Majesty Gods Child.
John stepped aside and purposely maintained humility to his words.
Go... Gods Child, his Majesty?
The middle-aged man stuttered and sweat started to seep out of his forehead.
The few young men behind him that was using a curious gaze to size up Kieran werepletely frightened after knowing his identity.
Wayne Manor was right beside the city, anything that happened would not slip through their eyes and ears.
The appearance of the gue and the expelling of the gue, the appearance of the Church of Dawns Gods Child, tens of thousands of people gathered in front of the school, etc.
Each of the incidents alone would frighten them to their bones.
How did Wayne family rise into power in the first ce?
They broke the restraints of the Church of Dawn.
Now as the familys power has weakened and a Gods Child appeared in the Church of Dawn, what would the Waynes face next?
In fact, the family members had called an emergency meeting since dawn, discussing how would they deal with this Gods Child.
However, without the real leader leading them, everyone was just arguing back and forth without forming any real measures but Kieran had taken the initiative to pay them a visit.
Greetings, Your Highness!
The middle-aged man kept his emotions at bay forcing himself to calm down.
One of the young men behind him even ran back into the manor.
Kieran saw it but he didnt stop it because...
It wasnt necessary!
Now, Kieran wasnt the newbie in his first dungeon anymore, he wasnt the petty yer that was pressured by the hugely influential Wayne family and made him run out of breath.
The hugely influential family currently looked extremely petty, they didnt deserve any of Kierans concern anymore.
If there was trouble, Kieran would just brush it off.
Chapter 861 - A necessary fall
Chapter 861: A necessary fall
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
A few minutester, a big group of people came out from the manor.
Most of them were frightened, anxious and a few of them had gazes that would be considered hostile.
Though, after that few hostiles caught Kierans gaze, they lowered their head down in panic and never lifted their heads up again.
The scene before his eyes told Kieran that Wayne family is going through an inevitable fall and it was the truth.
When John said he wanted to search the manor, no one from the crowd dared to object despite their numbers. They allowed Kieran and John to walk in an imposing manner.
Once both of them entered the secondary grand hall, the middle-aged man pushed over a cart.
The cart looked like a dining cart, the things loaded on it, however, werent food, it was gold bricks and gold coins!
After the man lifted the cloth, brick after brick of gold and sack after sack of coins entered Kieran and Johns sight.
The chief officer was stunned but Kieran was still Kieran, keeping his cool.
When the golden stash was brought into the hall and the others were sent away, leaving only the three of them, Kieran already knew what the man wanted to do.
The Church of Dawn did it before as well when they faced off against the Wayne family alliance that outnumbered the believers, a cart filled with gold and gemstones were pushed into the enemys camp by the elderly sister herself.
The cart of gold and gemstones were traded for peace.
Now, it was that exact reenactment but with roles exchanged.
It should be an interesting scene but Kieran couldnt find the slightest interest in it, especially when he couldnt actually use the gold and the currency for himself.
So, he shook his head and it seemed like the middle-aged man misunderstood Kierans meaning.
Yo-Your Highness, please give us more time, we will gather an amount that will satisfy you!
The man said after clenching his teeth.
What I want is not all these gold and coins but the books and scrolls, the records that the Waynes had plundered from Church of Dawn before. They originally belonged to the church and now I am taking back what belongs to us, Kieran emphasized.
The middle-aged man was stunned, obviously, he didnt think Kieran would want any of those.
Please hold on! The middle-aged man said, then he quickly pushed the cart away, faster than he came.
Huu! Damn its really tempting!
John heaved a long breath after the man went off, he then looked at Kieran with admiration.
He swore that he didnt see any changes on Kierans face when he saw the gold and coins, not even a quick breath!
Does all the Gods Child have no desires like you? John asked in a curious manner.
Its because I didnt see what I want, Kieran said.
Then, he looked at towards the end of the corridor. Footsteps already sounded in Kierans ears, not just one but a lot of them.
At the next moment, a group with 30 plus men and women appeared, each holding a thick stack of books in their hands. After they ced the books in front of Kieran, they backed away one after another.
Kieran saw all of them before just now, they were still looking frightened but the hostility in a few of their eyes was gone.
Undoubtedly,pared to the gold and coins, the books held no value at all in their point of view but for Kieran, they were not to be exchanged even for real gold.
Kieran bent over and carefully checked the books.
After a while, he stood back up with satisfaction. The papers in the books dated back a very long time ago, Kieran slightly flipped through the books and saw the prayers praising the Goddess of Dawn and also records of some mystical news.
Commoners might think the contents were ridiculous but it was exactly what Kieran wanted.
Of course, what Kieran truly wanted was more than just books.
These are all the books about the Church of Dawn in our collection, The middle-aged man said.
Very good! Please ask your men to load them up the wagon... and can you lend me another one? Kieran said with a nod.
Ill arrange it for you right away!
The middle-aged man dared not and would not reject Kierans request, thus the immediate answer.
The situation before them was countless times better than what they had imagined.
All they did was offer some books in return for peace. They didn even dare think about it before Kierans arrival.
And! Please find someone to guide me to Gatelis base of operations.
Kieran held the man wanting to leave. The mans heart skipped a beat at first but when he heard Kierans request, he was relieved instantly.
Gateli was indeed the previous heir to the dukeship but he was already dead.
A dead heir to the remaining Wayne family was utterly insignificant.
The man went on the arrange the wagons for Kieran before he himself led Kieran down to Gatelis base, or more precisely the Wayne family grave.
It was not far away from the manor and was located under a small hill.
The grave was guarded by two elders and when they saw the middle-aged man, they quickly opened the gate to the grave as they were ordered.
Kieran then followed the man into the grave right after.
Your Highness, its here! The middle-aged man pointed at a gravestone.
It was different than the othermon family members graves and the other deeper underground grave chamber.
Gatelis grave chamber was behind the gravestone, the one that was on the surface of the ground and in the entire family grave, there were 3 simr grave chambers.
Among the three, Gatelis one was the smallest, it was approximately 5 meters long, 3 meters wide and 2 meters tall, each side of the wall in the grave chamber was carved with the Waynes emblem and patterns.
The first two chambers belonged to the previous family leaders.
The man exined when he saw Kieran sized up all the chambers.
Kieran didnt answer because the moment he entered the grave, he has activated [Tracking] and trying to find the traces left behind by Gateli.
Gateli was a dead man and he would never be in the manor. Even if the manor had some secret rooms, bringing the Revival Society members in and out the manor would be extremely eye-catching too.
So throughout the entire Wayne Manor, where else would be more inconspicuous than the grave?
The gravekeeper? Anyone who saw their age would not hold any hope.
Soon enough, Kieran found something but it wasnt near Gatelis grave chamber but near the chamber of the first Duke Wayne.
He didnt choose his own and neither did he choose the useless duke one but the first Duke Wayne? Kieran was astonished by the fact.
Two spections popped up in his heart. He believed there must be a reason for Gateli to choose that particr spot.
As for why?
The answerid beyond the grave chamber but first, Kieran needed to solve some problems beforehand.
Kieran turned around noticed a sharp gaze simr to a cutting deing from a corner of the grave.
Chapter 862 - Empty
Chapter 862: Empty
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Sou Sou!
Two flying daggers broke the air as they flew through the grave, a cold ring trail was drawn in mid-air.
Careful!
John shouted out and instinctively blocked the middle-aged man behind him.
As for Kieran, since John had seen what Kieran was capable off, he wasnt worried about Kieran at all and on the contrary he was more worried about the one who threw the daggers.
In fact, things were exactly as he thought. Kierans figure vanished on the spot along with the two flying daggers.
John widened his eyes yet he didnt catch a glimpse of Kierans movement. All he saw was Kieran reappear with the two daggers in one hand and an unfamiliar man in the other.
If John couldnt even catch a glimpse, the middle-aged Wayne was not to be mentioned.
What? What happened? The man cried out in panic.
Nothing, just a little ident, Johnforted the man before going up to Kieran and checking the man he grabbed.
The attacker was in a lightweight ck outfit, his wrists and ankles were tightly tied with some thin rope. There were two more daggers on his waist and a sheated short sword.
On the other side of his belt was a satchel, inside it was a hand crossbow, a flintlock plus some liquids in test tubesanother dagger was hidden in his boot.
When John saw the weapons on the attacker, he frowned hard.
Amon man wouldnt bring such an arsenal with him in the night and of course, the ones who appeared in the grave wouldnt bemoner either.
Who is this guy? He followed us? John asked.
We still need to ask who he really is but he might have been here before us.
Kieran threw the captive on the floor and said with an affirmative tone.
First, Kieran had absolute confidence that the attacker had been waiting inside the grave before this, otherwise with his Intuition, he wouldnt have not noticed they were being followed.
Second, this attacker should have nothing to do with Wayne family, whether it was his outfit or his actions, he looked more like some man from a more hidden faction.
Some shady men had interest in the Wayne family who was facing a decline?
Kieran quickly went up to the spot where the attacker hid himself.
With [Tracking] activated, the traces the attacker left behind were clear, which means the attacker only arrived a little earlier than them.
The Revival Society was just eliminated and someone else appeared... interesting!
Kieran with one of his hands under his chin was looking back and forth between the captive and the first Duke Waynes grave chamber.
How is it? John asked.
If he is not just here to raid tombs, then I guess we might have identally caught ourselves a big fish, Kieran replied.
Kieran then went up to the first Duke Waynes grave chamber, it wasnt hard for him to locate the switch to open it though.
Gak!
After the loaded spring was turned around, the door to the chamber slowly opened up.
When Kieran opened the chamber door, the middle-aged man opened his mouth, trying to say something but when he saw the jaw-dropping scene inside the chamber, he was rendered speechless.
It was a simple living space yet fully furnished. The coffin inside the chamber was absent, let alone the first Duke Waynes body.
There was a bed, a desk, chair set, and a carpet made out of animal skin.
Judging from the messy tes and bowls on the floor, there was at least 7 to 8 people who lived inside before.
Th-This...This... The man stuttered hard and couldnt utter anything properly.
This is that bastard Gatelis hideout! John grunted coldly.
Although Gateli died for real this time, John still couldnt find anything likable about Gateli since he participated in the spread of the gue.
Bu-But, the remains... The middle-aged man was having a hard time trying to convey his thoughts.
They might have been cleared out as well.
John said with an uncertain tone when he saw Kieran walking back and forth inside the chamber.
He didnt forget what Kieran said just now though, Big Fish?
John looked down at the unconscious captive and the gears in his mind spun fast.
The chief officer was trying to connect the things he heard and saw, but ultimately got nothing.
So what is going on here? What do you mean by big fish? John went into the chamber and asked Kieran who was also in deep thought.
Look at this grave chamber. Kieran gave an irrelevant answer.
Its normal, except for the missing remains, John replied.
Then where do you think the coffin and the remains that are supposed to be here went? Kieran asked again.
Shouldnt they be dealt with or like cleared out? After all, Gateli had whole bunch of his men is here, its not reallyfortable for them to stay here with a dead mans remains! John stated his guess from before.
Yup, Kieran nodded.
He didnt deny Johns guess because it was the most reasonable exnation, given that there really were traces left behind, but there was none!
ording to the grave stones carving, the coffin with the body inside should have stayed inside the chamber for at least 40 years, so even if the ground was made up of rocks, marks or traces would have stayed behind, let alone the humid and gloomy chamber.
If there really was a coffin ced inside the chamber, aside from the marks from the coffin, the moss that grew around it wouldnt have been so easily cleaned up by Gateli and gang. There would be at least some washing marks left behind but the chamber was absolutely clean like the coffin never existed within.
A grave chamber without a coffin and body?
Kieran was muttering in his heart, he didnt further discuss it with John but went over to the middle-aged man.
How did the first generation Duke Wayne die? He asked.
He died of a sudden illness, someone said it was the gue so his body and coffin were rushed into the chamber after he died, to prevent further infection. The man answered.
Did you see it with your own eyes? Kieran asked.
Thats 40 years ago, how can I seen it with me own eyes? Our elders told us the stories since young. Those who really saw the burying would have survived but after that bastard caused an internal conflict, a lot of them died a wrongful death, the man smiled bitterly.
Is that so? Kieran muttered.
He seemed to have discovered more unusual things in the Wayne family.
Following the second generation Duke Waynes death...
No, it seemed like someone intentionally pushed second generation Duke Wayne to his death.
It shouldnt be Gateli since he was just a pawn but someone who was hiding deeper frommon sight.
A person or a party that targeted the Wayne family and the Church of Dawn together.
Who would that be?
Kieran sat back in the wagon and was thinking about the question during their journey back.
His eyes unconsciously looked at the captive who had already woke up.
When the captive caught Kierans gaze, he turned his head down right away but at the next moment, the captive lifted his head up to Kieran.
Forgive me for having to meet you in such ways, 2567.
The captive looked at Kieran with a turbid gaze and said as though he was sleep talking.
Chapter 863 - They are here
Chapter 863: They are here
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The unusual voice and changes in the captives face shook John.
He directly pulled out his flintlock and pointed it at the man.
Kieran halted John, keeping him from doing anything reckless.
He then sized up the captive carefully for a few seconds before asking, Who are you?
Who am I doesnt really matter.
The captives voice sounded just like before but John widened his eyes because the moment the man opened his mouth, Kieran quickly grabbed his finger and broke it.
Grak!
Despite his finger being broken, the captive didnt even pause his words at all, the expression on his face didnt even change.
Just as rumored, 2567 you are a vignt man.
The captive raised his hand and looked at the crooked finger of his.
The rope that was tying him down was torn apart the moment he raised his hand.
Kieran squinted when he saw the scene.
Although breaking free from the ropes, or even iron chain, was very easy for Kieran, it would still bind him down for a longer time, for a native who was just slightly stronger than othermoners a second ago, it was absolutely outrageous.
Is it some kind of buff? Or is this it? Kieran wondered in his heart.
Kierans eyes gradually became concentrated as he witnessed the changes.
The ones who understood Kieran knew, he was the most dangerous in this state, despite him looking extremely calm on the outside.
Seems like youve heard a lot about me, Kieran said slowly.
Yes, even more than you think, the captive didnt deny.
Then why are you here?
Of course for a coboration! I wish for us to work together and oppose...
Thest word wasnt uttered but he mouthed it with his lips.
Kieran was certain the word that the captive mouthed was Light!
The term had different meanings at different times but in this current dungeon world, most of the time, the term Light only represented one thing.
Church of Light.
Is that the organization that I think it is? Kieran asked.
Likewise, Kieran didnt utter the term Church of Light either, not because of John sitting beside him but he decided to go with the safest way.
Yes, that organization. The captive nodded.
Why am I supposed to oppose that organization? At least in terms of standing, we are on the same side.
Kieranid his hands open and leaned back to the soft carriage cushion, providing him afortable support.
The same side? Are you sure? Believe me, from the very start, you were not on the same side. Although they have the divine outer coating, their hearts have changed into the likes of a jackal. They are eyeing the treasures of Dawn and by all means necessary, they will get their hands on it, the captive smiled coldly.
Then? Kieran asked casually as he leanedfortably behind.
Should I say as expected of a Gods Child? Not only confident but prideful! I think you shoulde here and make some contact with them, then we can talk!
After the captive uttered thest phrase, he fainted within the carriage.
Kieran stood up and checked on him, the captive looked like he passed out because of exhaustion.
But before John could ask, Kieran added another chop on the captives neck to make sure.
Wha-What happened just now? Him? And those ropes? John was baffled by the scene.
Divine possession, Kieran answered.
Obviously, his answer attracted the surprise from John.
Divine possession? Which means...
Before John could finish, Kieran stopped him with a wave of his hand.
At the same time, the wagon stopped.
What are you people doing? Blocking off the road like that, its dangerous you know! Make way!? The wagoner scolded.
I apologized for my reckless action but I wish to see His Highness 2567.
A bright and tender voice of a man sounded.
Through the small window behind the wagoner, Kieran easily spotted the one who blocked the road.
A body of golden armor plus a scarlet red mantle with golden linings. It was very dazzling under the sun to the extent thatmon men couldnt even make out the face behind the armor.
Of course, Kieran wasnt amon man. He sized up the persons rigid and sturdy face before getting off the carriage.
You guys go back ahead to the school, Ill be right behind you.
Kieran said to John before he walked up to the man in front.
Greetings, Your Highness.
After a respectful knight salutation, the golden armored knight continued, Your Highness, please follow me.
The knight then went beside the street. The way he acted at his own pace formed a contrast with his respectful gesture a moment ago which could easily catch one off guard.
Though Kieran didnt mind at all as he followed behind the knight.
When the knight stopped their wagon, Kieran already knew what his purpose was.
The emblem of the Church of Light on his armor and mantle were too obvious and just like what the mysterious person had just said, the people from the Church of Light had arrived.
Why?
Kieran had quite the confidence it was exactly like what the mysterious person said just now but who in the hell was that mysterious person?
There arent really many people that can use divine possession in this world anymore and the man appeared in Wayne family grave plus the first generation Duke Waynes chamber was empty... if things are really as I think, the original history would be much more intriguing than what is written. Kieran pondered upon the question as he walked.
Soon, Kieran followed the knight into a secluded street and at the end of that street, there was another knight with simr armor with the one who guided Kieran, just that the mans age was slightly older.
The knight who led Kieran to the street quickly stepped aside but he didnt leave the street at all.
The whole street was left with Kieran and the knight on the other end.
The morning wind slightly caressed Kierans hood and the knights mantle, causing both their outfits to flutter.
The knight on the other end showed a smile, before...
Chang!
He drew his sword and charged towards Kieran.
Both of them should have been a dozen meters apart but when the knight drew his sword and stepped out, it was like the distance between them didnt exist at all as he lunged himself as Kieran with extreme speed.
The de that he wielded even had a brilliant white brilliance on it, radiating sharply even under the sun.
It felt holy and stern, causing one to admire it from their bottom of their heart with a single nce.
Even more so, ones heart couldnt find any strength to resist it as if they were willing to allow the sword to sh and kill them in order to atone for their sins.
Purification sh! Not only would it sh ones body but the heart as well.
SLASH!
An explosive shout came from the lunging knight, Kieran seemed to be terrorized by the holistic nature of the attack.
Amidst his explosive shout, the already quick sword thrust forward even faster, as if a ray of light was shed down at Kierans head.
But...
It missed.
Chapter 864 - Leverage
Chapter 864: Leverage
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The sword that missed its target plunged into the ground beside Kierans feet, the sword tip and almost half of the de went into the ground.
The knight who missed his sh gave another explosive shout, HYAK!
He turned this waist a little and tried to ram into Kieran with the pauldron on his shoulder.
Wuush!
Before the shoulder hit evennded, a violent wind assaulted Kierans face and made his hood flutter.
At the same time, a horn call sounded in Kierans ears as well.
Wuu, Wuuu Wuuu!
The primitive and bleak horn sound changed the look of the street before Kieran. He felt like he saw a plethora of shining armoured knights with bright coloured gs behind them, raising theirnces and was charging towards him from the horizon.
Their warhorses were rampaging forward, causing the earth to shake as they galloped.
The myriad ofnces formed a nce forest, ring in a daunting brightness, especially when all of thences were aimed towards a single person, they looked like a cyclone with destructive power, wanting to drown Kieranpletely.
Then, Kieran raised his leg and dished out his kicks.
Bang!
Right away, the cyclone before his eyes were stomped to bits and not only the cyclone, the plethora of knights that were charging at him together with the illusory realm were shattered together as well.
Kierans footnded on the knights pauldron.
The knight who tried to ram into Kieran suffered a stop from his attack and after being stopped for less than a second, the knight was sent flying like he was hit by an elerating truckhe flew uncontrobly like a loose kite and crashed into a house beside the street.
Kaboom!
The house made up of bricks crumbled down like paper and that wasnt the only house!
A total of three houses were knocked down by the knight in a single blow and even after that, the momentum on the knights body didnt diminish at all, he continued to fly for another dozen meters and bounced off the ground a couple of times before stoppingpletly.
Crack!
After a clear cracking clunk, awork of cracks simr to a spider web spread from his pauldron. The cracks spread throughout his body armour, interwrinted and ovepped before it ultimately failed to sustain the pressure and broke.
Pak!
It sounded like a ss fell on the ground and upon the breaking noise, the golden armour shattered to bits, covering the injured knight underneath.
After a while, the heavily wounded knight wobbled hard as he struggled to get on his feet. He looked at Kieran with utmost astonishment but Kieran as calm as ever.
The knights attack was decent, it could affect ones mental state while inflicting physical damage.
If it was someone else who had to endure the attack, it would be effective with a single blow, but Kieran? It was still not enough.
Whether was it Spirit rted or other physical attacking means, all of them wereckluster.
The knight didnt stand a chance before Kieran and Kieran didnt mind leaving an impression that he would never forget for the rest of his life.
Kieran knew this as nothing but a test but for someone who attacked him, he wouldnt show them any generosity.
Even more so, the knights attack didnt seem to be holding back either despite it just being a test.
If it was others, the first sh from the knights sword would split the target in half without a doubt and the second ram would crush every bone and tendon of the target.
If Kieran didnt want to get more information he would have killed the knight with one strike.
The heavily wounded knight saw Kierans calm gaze, he felt like he understood something and immediately saluted at Kieran.
Your highness, please forgive my recklessness! It is really to surprising to have a Gods Child appearing in the current era. We must, by all means necessary, confirm your identity as a Gods Child and not just an empty swindler that cheats respect, the knight said.
So did you get the result you are looking for? Kieran asked slowly.
Yes, You are indeed a true Gods Child. Please forgive my rudeness!
The wounded knight saluted again but this time it was different than his knight salutation.
He kneeled down with one knee, ced his right clenched knuckle on his chest to knock himself hard before lowering his head down.
Kieran clearly saw when the knight knocked himself on the chest, his face was twitching.
He knew how powerful his previous kick was, even though he tried his best at holding back, controlling his strength, the bones on the knight broke in more than just one or two ces and the muscles all over his body must have been torn.
Still, Kieran didnt show anypassion for the man.
State your purpose, Kieran said coldly.
Your Highness, Ie forth with the bishops goodwill! The bishop hoped that we can work together again, bringing the world back under Gods brilliance! The knight replied.
Work together? Kieran raised a brow and his heart instantly knew what the knight was referring.
After the conversation with the captive before, it wasnt hard for Kieran to understand the situation.
The knight or the organization behind him came for the treasure for Dawn and in fact, it really was.
The bishop hopes the Church of Dawn will aid Church of Light to initiate the Holy War. We failed once 50 years ago but we didnt give up. We have been preparing in the dark ever since then. Those corrupted nobles could never understand how important the existence of a God is in this world. The God of Light and the Goddess of Dawn will have their light fill the world as the Holy War arrives.
The knights tone was exceptionally sincere and looked at Kieran with frantic gaze.
Kieran replied the knight with his own calm gaze. His eyes and expression didnt even budge because he was waiting for the knights leverage in all this. He believed the knight was not that stupid to try to capture the wolf with bare hands.
Both of them stared at each other for a few seconds before the knight realized what was going on.
The Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art from Church of Dawn has lost the possibility of advancing higher because of the missing Daybreak Dawn Art. Lord bishop is willing to present you the Light of Holy Index and Holy Spirit Transfuse Spell copies to aid you in advancing Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art, the knight said after a deep breath.
Kierans calm eyes finally shook.
So thats really the case! Kieran uttered in his heart.
The guesses about losing or missing the advanced skill of the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] bloomed in Kierans heart when he went through Gunthersons notes but after it was verified, he still couldnt hide his disappointment.
Though soon enough, Kieran ced his attention on the [Daybreak Dawn Art].
Judging from what the knight said, it wasnt hard to induce [Daybreak Dawn Art] was the key to the advanced [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art], likewise, the [Light of Holy Index] and [Holy Spirit Transfuse Spell] that he mentioned should have simr effects as well.
However, whether it was the [Daybreak Dawn Art] or the [Light of Holy Index] and [Holy Spirit Transfuse Spell], Kieran knew nothing about them and couldnt form a precise judgement at the moment.
I need time to think this over.
Kieran then turned around, going back where he came from after he finished.
The knight looked at Kierans back, wanting to say something with his mouth open but it triggered his wounds instantly. The pain forced the knight to break out of his posture,nding him on the ground.
More knights then appeared and when they saw their fallen captain, especially the wounds on the captains body, all of the others gasped hard.
Help me up! The captain knight said.
When a knight was held up by another, an immediate healing effect would ur and when with the help of a dozen knights, the captains wound got better swiftly but his brows furrowed hard.
After a while, the captain said, Send a reinforcement letter to the bishop!
Chapter 865 - Mystical News
Chapter 865: Mystical News
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran went back to the school without stopping.
However, he didnt go through the main gate.
Right now, St. Paolos main gate was flooded with all kinds of people that were attracted by the divine miracles.
Some were really grateful from the bottom of their heart, some were there just for show and of course there were the ones who had doubts in their hearts.
When the three parties gathered together at a single point, a simple thought would allow one to know what would happen.
Fortunately, the school security team patrolled back and forth around the gate, thus preventing any real conflict amongst the crowd.
Kieran deeply knew that, so he wouldnt show himself there.
After leaping over the fence, Kieran went through the field and reached the teaching and administrative dorm building. The wagon from Wayne Manor had already been parked there for quite a while and Sister Moni was going through the books with a delightful look.
2567, I really dont know what to say! This is great!
The elderly sister was a little lost for words but Kieran understood the sisters feelings very well.
After all, the inheritance of a whole faction couldnt just rely on a single person or a group of people, written records were essential to keep the traditions, including all sorts of spells and arts together with thebination all sorts of trivial and mandatory things to form a trulyplete inheritance, or in this case, the legacy.
While the Church of Dawn which had lost its historic records could be considered dead even with Sister Moni and Guntherson around, if the records were rediscovered, the Church of Dawns name would continue on secretly even if it had limits to where its reputation could go and even if the crucial spells and arts were gone for good.
Its what Im suppose to do but on the way back, I bumped into the Church of Light.
Kieran didnt hide his encounter because it was impossible for him to, all Sister Moni needed to do was simply ask John to know what happened.
The outfits and armor of the knights of Light were very conspicuous, besides that, Kieran had more matters to inquire about with the sister.
Them? Did they propose to use the [Light of Holy Index] and [Holy Spirit Transfuse Spell] toplete the advance skill of the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art]? The elderly sister said with a sigh.
Seems like its not the first time they made such proposition, Kieran smiled.
This was why it was necessary for Kieran to discuss thing with Sister Moni.
Even the secretive matters couldnt fool this elderly sister.
Yes, after the [Daybreak Dawn Art] was lost, each time a big incident ured, the Church of Light would use such methods to tie the Church of Dawn to their war wagon but each time, the matters were rted to the survival of the church, so we would never change our original decision just to advance in the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art]. After all, the Church of Dawn werent just knights but the people as well. The only time both sides reached an ord was 50 years ago but it was also because I went back on the promise at thest moment, the coboration failed to bear fruit the elderly sister nodded.
Which means, the [Light of Holy Index] and [Holy Spirit Transfuse Spell] can really reach the effects of the [Daybreak Dawn Art]? Kieran asked.
Although there must be a reason for the knight of Light to state such conditions, Kieran trusted his own allies more.
Its almost the same because originally, the Church of Dawn separated out from the Church of Light and for quite a long period of time we were still a subsidiary of the Church of Light. The [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] and [Knights of Light Body Tempering Art] does have their differences but it wasnt that drastic and if one were to use the [Light of Holy Index] and [Holy Spirit Transfuse Spell] to advance, it wouldnt be much of a problem, Sister Moni exined.
Then... how about the [Daybreak Dawn Art]? How did it get lost? Kieran asked after sinking in his thoughts for a while.
The [Daybreak Dawn Art] had no written records, it was passed down by word of mouth among a few knights within the church. But when all these rted personnel died in a sudden ambush, the art was naturally lost, Sister Moni exined slowly.
She sounded casual but Kierans heart was raging with tidal waves.
It wasnt just a simple incident since it wiped out all of the knights of Dawn who mastered the [Daybreak Dawn Art] in one go, especially in the era where the church still had authority. If such an incident really happened, it must be a severe change.
What really happened? Kieran pressed the question.
During a joint operation with the Church of Light to expel the Demon God, all of the knights of Dawn perished, the elderly sister sighed again.
Is the Church of Light behind that incident? Kieran asked out of instinct.
No! The knights of Light were annihted as well, both the knights of Light and Dawn perished together with the Demon God! I suppose you want to ask why did the Church of Lights arts and inheritance werent lost in that operation?
Kieran nodded immediately.
A divine miracle! The God of Light descended his miracle and branded the [Light of Holy Index] and [Holy Spirit Transfuse Spell] onto his own statue. Back then, my teacher didnt believe it to be real so, I was sent together with a few my otherpanions to have a look. We confirmed the divine miracle because of the divine presence in the statue. Its not possible for me to sense wrongly so even if teacher was extremely unwilling, nothing could be done. After the annihtion of the knights of Dawn, the Church of Dawn started to fall down the slopes and it foreshadowed the changes that woulde in the followingdecades.
As the elderly sister exined, her eyes were looking sad again.
I see. Kieran nodded again but in his heart, he still couldnt believe it was just a mere coincidence.
It might seem like a coincidence but it had it also had its necessity. Back then the Church of Dawn has reached its prime and it would eventually go down hill, just like how you, 2567 appeared now. This matter revolves around the Church of Light. Guntherson and I will support you unconditionally, whether you choose to work with them or reject them, its all up to you. We will share the burden and take responsibility for what happens next.
Sister Moni put away her sorrow and said to Kieran with a smile.
Thank you for your support, Ill think about it carefully.
Kieran assured Sister Moni with a serious look.
He wouldnt just simply believe others, neither would he simply let people down.
It sounded conflicting right? Well, Kieran was a conflicted person to begin with.
The natural kindness in him and the traits that formed by surviving in his living environment created such a paradox in his heart. Fortunately, the pros were bigger than cons.
Sister Moni felt the seriousness in Kieran, she smiled and turned around, wanting to continue tidying the books but Kieran stopped her.
Oh right! Do you still know anyone who can perform abilities simr to a divine possession?
Simr to a divine possession? Based on what I know, the Church of Light and the Church of Shadows bishops can achieve it but the others... I dont know. After all, this world is huge, no one can guarantee whether or not there is someone with special gifts since birth, the elderly sister replied after some thought.
Can you describe these two bishops in detail for me? Especially this, Church of Shadows? Its quite a rare terming from you. Kierans interest and curiosity were piqued in an instant.
The Church of Shadows?
When the term was mentioned, Sister Monis face looked a little weird but when Kieran heard her reply, his face turned weird also.
The Church of Shadow was a separation from the Church of Dawn!
Chapter 866 - Enemies has arrive!
Chapter 866: Enemies has arrive!
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran was showing an expression of disbelief.
The Church of Shadows, although it was rarely mentioned by Sister Moni, it didnt mean Kieran didnt know of their existence or the influence they had in the current dungeon world.
Back when the churches ruled, the reason why the Church of Light couldnt reign over all was because of the existence of the Church of Shadows.
Both sides were arch enemies because of certain creeds they upheld, plus both Light and Shadows had nock of frantic believers, the open and secretive battles were endless.
But the fact that the Church of Shadows separated from the Church of Dawn still made Kieran feel it unbelievable.
This is really shocking! Kieran was stunned for 2 seconds before giving such ament.
Believe me, you are not the first and will not be thest. The Church of Shadows was originally a concept, an ideal of a certain knight of Dawn, protect the believers from the shadows but as time went by, such an ideal was getting more recognition and expanded further, especially after multiple Holy Wars, a lot of knights of Dawn couldnt ept their helplessness against the death of the innocent believers, so they went the more extreme way.
The sister said tirelessly with a smile on her face.
That is why Guntherson has such an outstanding undercover technique? Kieran remembered the old guardian knights performance when they first met.
Yes, but Guntherson was not really skilled, at leastpared to a real knight of Shadows, he is just on the average level. Did you read through Gunthersons notes? Did the term [Dark Movement Technique]e up?
Kieran nodded immediately at the question. How would he not know of the onlyplete skill name in the notes?
When the [Dark Movement Technique] is trained to its highest state, it allows the user to shuttle across shadows.
Kieran widened his eyes right away at Sister Monis description.
Shuttle across shadows? With Transcendence [Undercover] and having experienced the skill above Transcendence level, Kieran knew perfectly well how scary this Basic skill [Undercover] was when it reached Transcendence, let alone shuttling across shadows.
Once such an undercover skill was used together with assassination techniques, what would happen?
Could you imagine passing by an empty corner, you made sure there was no one there but after you walked by, suddenly a poisoned dagger came out from the spot and thursted itself towards your back? Imagine how terrifying it would be!
Even if a person was rmed when they walked by, it would still be useless.
Kieran was very certain that the Church of Shadows had simr means as well, the smeared out name of the skills was enough to prove everything.
With thebination of all the smeared out skills, the target might not even know what happened after death.
So the smeared out names of the skills in Gunthersons note are all from the Church of Shadows?
Kieran asked again, trying to confirm his thoughts.
A part of it, yes and the other part, no. I cant be frank to you about certain things, its best for Guntherson to tell you himself when he returns. Sister Moni looked at Kieran with an apologetic look.
Its fine, sister. Youve told me enough.
Kieran waved his hands right away and asked with a confused look, So if the Church of Shadows has their own Shadow Knights, what about the war 50 years ago?
You are curious about why they didnt make a move back then?
Yes. With a bunch of top-tiered assassins that could shuttle across shadows, its hard to imagine how did the nobles could win back then. Kieran was beingpletely frank.
It was the point that baffled him the most because he really couldnt not imagine how did the nobles secured their own safety against such formidable foes. Or in other words, how did the nobles oppose the Church of Shadows?
If the Church of Shadows really participated in the 50 years ago, it might have really change the oue. However, six months before the war broke out, the Church of Shadows sent out an secret notice to every other church, iming that they have to leave the scene because of Gods will, and the date of their return is uncertain. The elderly sister sighed with a bitter look.
No one else knew how powerful the Church of Shadows was than other than Sister Moni herself and because of that, the bitterness on her face looked even more helpless.
Gods will? Kieran frowned.
As always, Kieran never believed in such coincidences from the bottom of his heart.
After they separated from the Goddess of Dawn, they worship someone named the Lord of Shadows, a neutral God. The Lord of Shadow had quite the tacit rtionship with the Goddess of Dawn and also because of that, when the Church of Shadows formed, it received the Church of Dawns full support and not another Holy War. Sister Moni revealed more secrets to Kieran.
So are you sure that the bishop of the Church of Shadows and the shadow knights are still...
Kieran didnt utter the word alive but his meaning was explicit enough.
I am not sure but I cant think of anything that can cost them their lives. Although we called him the bishop, as a matter of fact, the bishop was the pope, a powerful existence that could even oppose a myriad of modern soldiers. Plus his twenty Shadow Knights, each of them were frightening powerhouses, when they band together, I dont think anyone couldve threatened them, more so, that will did have the divine presence to it.
Is that so... Kieran didnt object anymore but his brows furrowed harder.
...
Meanwhile in a pce garnished with gold and gemstones, a middle-aged man with a bright red bishop outfit was kneeling down, praying softly before a gigantic divine statue that the pce needed to build an extra dome on top just to cover.
Only the soft prayers were echoing throughout the pce.
The guards on duty around the pce were strictly quietly, none of them dared to utter disturbances and even their breathing was controlled.
After a full half an hour, the middle-aged bishop stood up when he finished praying.
The messenger knight who has been waiting for a while finally delivered the letter.
Oh, Gods Child? Theres still a Gods Child in this era?
The middle-aged bishop couldnt help but show interest when he read through the letter.
Though mockery was mixed in his exmation but as he read through the letter, his brows slightly furrowed.
The contents in the letter mentioned something the bishop was familiar with but he wasnt sure of it. Yet it didnt stop him from making decisions.
That bastard!
The bishop coldly grunted before tearing the letter apart.
He didnt squash it or tear it with his fingers but when he clenched his fist, the special made letter were torn to shreds just like that.
When he opened his palm again, the paper shreds flew away like dust.
I need to pay a visit to the Church of Dawn, the bishop said as he walked.
Yes, lord bishop! The knight beside him bowed and executed the order.
Over ten minutester, an airship that fused blooming technologies and alchemy together rose up above the pce sky.
It then flew towards where the Church of Dawn was with speed faster than a sprinting horse.
Meanwhile at a certain spot outside the outer rim of the pce, an elder saw the flying airship and couldnt help but squint his eyes.
Then, the elder quickly merged with the shadows, vanishing into nothing.
Chapter 867 - The Thing
Chapter 867: The Thing
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Inside the newly built book collection room, Kieran was sitting in front of a table, carefully reading the book in his hands.
On top of the table, there was a kerosenemp lit up and it was the only light source in the room. Still the only light source was enough to illuminate the whole room, since it was just a book collection room and not a real library.
The room was around 15 square meters and it housed the books that were reimed from Wayne Manor plus some notes that Sister Moni wrote down based on her memories.
The book collection room only had 5 book racks and around 500 books but Sister Moni was quite anxious about the rooms security.
Not only did she arrange people to look after it, she even picked three school security team members to be on duty by shifts at the room.
Fortunately, as time passed by the people that gathered in front of the school gate because of the divine miracle diminshed.
It freed some of the school security members from their trivial duty of maintaining order; most of the civilians who stayed were devoted believers.
It was quite easy tomunicate with them so there wouldnt be much trouble, only two to three security team members were needed at the gate.
Though most of the security team members were concerned about those amongst the crowd with ulterior motives.
Those people were really despicable, the school security team had caught no less than 10 pickpockets and perpetrators trying to incite conflict amongst the crowd in less than 3 days.
With Johns cooperation, these despicable men had gotten their necessary punishments but they were like grass that grew in the fields, no matter how many they removed, it will grow back endlessly.
Because of that, the date for St. Paolo School to resume sses had been dyed for another week.
Kieran knew all this from talking with Acker during dinner.
As for Sister Moni, although most of the time she would be in the book collection room, after Kieran entered his reading mode, it was hard to have a conversation with him.
During dinner time, the sister would perform devoted prayers without missing a beat, so it wouldnt be a good time to converse either.
Huuu!
Kieran heaved a long breath when he closed the book before him. He reached out to his ever swelling temple to ease the tension.
For Kieran at his current state, it was easy for him to not rest and sleep for days but reading while in the process was not that easy.
Fortunately, Kieran was skimming contents selectively and not going through all the books.
If it was thetter, let alone three days, even thirty days in a row would would leave him hard pressed to finish all of them.
As Kieran was feeling the tiredness from his brain, he couldnt hold back anymore and closed his eyes but his mouth was smirking.
Kieran was in a good mood because this time, the rewards had far exceeded his expectations.
Not only did he find the answer that he was seeking all this while, he even found clue to advance the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art].
Just like the Light Knight had said, the [Daybreak Dawn Art] was lost but, the ce to awaken or realize the art wasnt.
That ce existed in perfect condition and it was closer than expected.
Since I havent gotten anything through the realization of the [Daybreak Dawn Art], I decided to go with the earliest method: entering thend of divine miracles!
The phrase was found within a book that seemed to be a diary of an unknown Dawn Knight.
Where was the earliestnd of divine miracles of the Church of Dawn?
It would be St. Paolo Church without a question and now it was holding a God of gue that sought revival inside.
Kieran never thought the ce would be rted to the [Daybreak Dawn Art] and although the hope was slim, he didnt mind testing it out.
Even more so, he was due to have a conversation with that God of gue.
If Aco really knew something...
It would be a heavenly reward for him!
Of course, Kieran didnt dash into the small chapel because of that, he still had one or two things he had to verify.
...
The captive that Kieran caught back in the Waynes family grave was held in the dungeons.
The man didnt receive any interrogations though because when he woke up from the divine possession he became a retarded person.
It wasnt an act, other than eating and sleeping, all the man knew wasughing in an idiotic way, mumbling some words that no one could understand and spacing out for long periods of time.
However, when Kieran entered the dungeon cell, the eyes of the retarded captive instantly turned turbid and the gibberish that he mumbled turned into understandable words as well.
Its been days, 2567! Seems like you are not in good shape, the captive greeted Kieran.
Yup, you know. A lot has happenedtely, Kieran replied in a vague manner.
Did you feel how pressuring the Church of Light is already? But I can tell you, you are still underestimating them! That current lord bishop is making his way over here already and judging from the time, he will soon appear before you. When that happens, you will understand how polite and humble the previous Light Knight was. The possessed captiveughed lightly before he slowly spoke.
Ill be looking forward to it, Kieran pretended to be prideful.
When the Light Knight from before didnt show anymore, Kieran had guesses about what the Church of Light was nning.
It was either rearranging their strategies or waiting for orders from the higher ranks. Judging from how Kieran taught the captain knight a lesson, thetters possibility skyrocketed.
Since the matters were rted to a chance of revival, it wasnt a decision that a single knight could make, it would be only natural that people from the higher ranks woulde forth.
Your pride as a Gods Child has blinded you, making you arrogant! 2567, you should be more aware of the current situation and judge ordingly, we have amon enemy! I wish to help you and you to me, we are sharing a mutual benefit here.
The possessed captive shook his head and sighed.
Mutual benefits? I cant see any, all I see is a little prick that hides here and there, who dares not even show his own face, Kieranughed sneerfully.
I will tell you my real identity at a better time, but not now. But even if I didnt reveal my identity, it wouldnt affect our cooperation. When you need help, I will provide you with necessary help.
Please put away your sneerful expression, I am not making empty bluffs here. You can head towards Back Cross Streets graveyard and search for a tomb named Kent, I have something for you there.
The possession went away after thatst phrase.
The captive returned to his retarded look.
Kieran took a nce at the captive before going back out.
When he left the dungeon, even the area, Kieran was putting up an expressionless face but in his heart, he was coldlyughing.
He was getting more and more certain of what this mysterious person was after, but at the same time was curious about the thing that he left behind which allegedly could help him deal with the bishop, which was the pope.
Kieran sprinted to the crossroad graveyard after that.
Chapter 868 - LEVEL UP!
Chapter 868: LEVEL UP!
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Back Cross Streets graveyard, most of the dead that were buried here weremoners in addition to some nameless wanderers.
So one wouldnt expect it to be any kind of good. The broken wooden fence, gate, and the messy distribution of the tombstones looked like wild grass grew in disorder and was scattered all over the ce.
The gravekeeper who was taking sry from his job even passed out drunk in the hut beside the graveyard but it also saved Kieran some trouble.
He shuttled across the tombstones and searched for the one named Kent.
Searching for a specific tombstone in a big messy yard was not an easy task, even Kieran had to spend more than an hour to do so but the rewards were satisfying enough.
Kieran found a greenish blue gemstone the size of a tiny finger tip.
[Name: Curse of Aikhar]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attribute: Restraint 1/1]
[Prerequisite: Knows the corresponding incantations]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: No]
[Remark: Aikhar created this curse with an ill intention]
...
[Restraint: A curse specifically targeted towards the Church of Light, suppress all targets attributes by 25% and will affect the targets Origin Force, power decreased by 25% and consumption increased by 300%, 2-second duration]
...
Kieran smiled coldly when he saw [Curse of Aikhar]s description.
He then quickly left the ce.
This time, Kieran didnt want to dy anymore. He returned to St. Paolo School and headed straight for the dungeon.
He knocked out the retarded captive and dragged him into St. Paolo Church.
When Kieran stepped into the church, Acos voice already heard with an anxious tone.
Let me out! I will agree to all your terms! The voice echoed in Kierans ears.
Very well! Seems like youve thought it over. We can have a good talk now, Kieran said with a smile.
What do you want, speak! Aco asked restlessly.
I want the [Daybreak Dawn Art], Kieran said slowly.
[Daybreak Dawn Art]? Aco sounded like he didnt know anything about the question.
Seems like you dont have enough sincerity yet. Kieran shook his head and dragged the captive away.
Wait! I really dont know what the [Daybreak Dawn Art] you are referring to is! Aco shouted.
You dont know? Then, does that mean the books from the church that stated this ce is where the knights of Dawn came to realize or awaken the [Daybreak Dawn Art] is all false? Kieran coldly grunted.
The knights of Dawn realized that here? They are here because I was... Aco uttered out of instinct.
But the moment the words sounded, Aco kept quiet but it was still enough for Kieran.
Everything was exactly what he thought.
The [Daybreak Dawn Art] was indeed [Knights of gue Body Tempering Art]!
When Aco borrowed Dawn Force for his usage, Kieran already had a question in his heart, how could a God of gue borrow the opposite energy?
After Kieran got the Basic level of the [Knights of gue Body Tempering Art], it stated that it wasnt an Origin Force, neither was it energy that could restrict one, so it propelled Kierans guesses further but the point that truly verified Kierans guesses was the unknown Dawn Knights hint of entering the firstnd of divine miracles
After the encounter with Aco previously, Kieran had a question in his heart.
Why would a God that wished to be revived brush him off with the [Knights of gue Body Tempering Art]?
This God might either be anxious to be revived or the long imprisonment made him somehow lose his sanity, he shouldnt have made such mistakes, yet he did.
So Aco must have his own reasons and it was the thing that Kieran couldnt figure out for a long time.
Until Kieran saw the hint from the unknown Dawn Knight. At that point, the question was solved.
The reason Aco did what he did was because there were simr cases before in the past, misleading him to think that the [Knights of gue Body Tempering Art] was effective enough to destroy Kieran.
Therefore, Aco disyed the [Knights of gue Body Tempering Art] to Kieran and used euphemistic words to describe it.
The truth was, the [Knights of gue Body Tempering Art] was really effective against the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art]. In fact, it was super effective!
It would advance the skill to the next level!
Thinking about the divine miracle that happened back then, more clues began to reveal themselves.
The Goddess of Dawn was able to easily heal the gue that went rampant around the city but she didnt thoroughly eliminate Aco, the God of gue. She might have realized this point as well which was, the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] and [Knights of gue Body Tempering Art] had an interpromoting rtionship and would incite qualitative changes.
The people who suffered from the gue, how much of a joy would it be to be healed?
Despair often gave birth to seeds of hope.
gue Force hastened Dawn Force to its advance stage.
Kieran had the deepest thoughts and feelings since he did heal a lot of people infected with the gue. He branded the smiles of those who were healed and regained life in his heart.
Simr to how he would never give up and didnt mind to getting more benefits for himself.
It was one of his life goals.
Bastard! You sneaky little bastard! You are really as cunning and evil as that damn woman! Ill kill you! Ill crucify your soul on a wall without believers, letting it wither as time passes!
The roaring caused buzzes in Kierans eardrums but Kieran replied with a smile.
With enough benefits, he didnt mind Aco causing an uproar but of course, it didnt mean he was willing to y along with Him.
Do you still want to get out? Kieran asked.
Right away, the roaring stopped but a heavy pant that lingered, which mean Aco was still angry.
I can continue to wait! Aco spoke insincerely.
You can continue to wait? So, you dont want the vessel that I brought?
Kieran took out a dagger, pretending to drive it into the captive in his hand.
Wait! Aco halted Kieran with a shout.
See, can you continue waiting like this? We should be taking what we need from each other. I hope that you can show me the [Knights of gue Body Tempering Art] again and this time, dont show the basic version but the one with your own experience in it. Likewise, if youplete my wish, I will let you out and form a contract with you, stating to not harm each other.
What do you say? Kieran smiled.
Aco didnt reply but the human figures made of light that Kieran were familiar with appeared once again.
When the figures appeared, system notifications spammed Kierans vision like a waterfall.
[Carefully read through disy of origins, Knights of gue Body Tempering Art level +1]
[Carefully read through disy of origins, Knights of gue Body Tempering Art level +1]
...
Line after line of notifications piled up, the [Knights of gue Body Tempering Art] leveled up at rocket speed and within a breaths time, it had reached Master level.
Meanwhile, in the citys sky, an airship wasing closer.
Chapter 869 - The Finger
Chapter 869: The Finger
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The [Knights of gue Body Tempering Art] finally stopped when it reached Grandmaster level.
First, Aco purposely stopped it there.
Second, an uninvited guest had appeared.
Kieran had expected the first before they even began.
He wasnt sure how much it would exhaust Aco to disy the technique but he was utterly sure it wouldnt be by no means a small amount.
The books from the collection room did mention that there were many cases in which the God of a certain church would descend and provide a divine blessing on the churchs knights but it didnt mean a lot.
After all, the term many was considered within the range of a thousand years, so Kieran had reason to believe disying a so-called divine blessing had quite the burden on the God who did it.
Otherwise, having a big bunch of outstanding skilled knights was not totally unimaginable. If that really happened, let alone ending the old era, even the new era might not bloom, despite people causing trouble in the process.
To be honest, if Aco really helped Kieran to level the [Knights of gue Body Tempering Art] all the way to Transcendence, given how doubtful Kierans character was, he would be more suspicious than grateful, thinking that it might be a trap.
He wouldnt be as calm as he was now, epting what he got.
[Name: Knights of gue Body Tempering Art (Grand Master)]
[Rted Attribute: Constitution]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effect: After going through a dangerous start, you have learned the body tempering art that people dreaded, Constitution +5 (Basic +1, Entry +1, Master +1, Pro +1, Grand Master +1)]
[Special Effect: 1. Absorb gue; 2. Release gue; 3. Tenacious Body]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Constitution B+]
[Remark: This is the origin of the gue, it has limited benefits to you but it bears a destructive power.]
...
[Absorb gue: Absorb gue energy at a certain speed]
[Release gue: Release gue energy at a certain speed]
[Tenacious Body: Gains +3 buff on any Constitution authentication]
...
From Basic to Grand Master in one shot, although [Knights of gue Body Tempering Art] did not provide Kieran an all-rounded increase like the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] did, it still changed his Constitution in a qualitative way.
After his Constitution increased by 4 ranks in one shot, it had officially entered the Advance Rank.
Simr to Spirit back then, Kieran could clearly feel the changes in his body.
It was a lively feeling, his blood seemed to have cheered as it flowed, as it pumped through the rune branded heart, the glimmer from the brand was even brighter.
This was not his own thoughts but his real feeling, the rune brandings all over Kierans body had slight changes to them. They were brighter, more dazzling, and were interconnected!
Such a feeling bloomed in Kierans heart and of course, Grand Master [Knights of gue Body Tempering Art] wasnt limited to that only.
[Absorb gue] and [Release gue] had an obvious increase in speed and [Tenacious Body] that automatically appeared after Master level and continuing to level up following the main level was also a reward that Kieran could not neglect.
With [Secondary Elemental Damage Resist] and [Secondary Armoured Skin], Kieran knew how precious [Tenacious Body] was.
Following the leveling of [Tenacious Body], it was enough to strengthen and provide more practical use to both [Secondary Elemental Damage Resist] and [Secondary Armored Skin] which he was unable to level.
Huu!
While feeling the changes in his body, Kieran took in a deep breath. He didnt care about Acos uproar anymore and walked out of the chapel but he left the captive inside.
Kieran came out and looked up to the uninvited guest.
Although Kieran had a heads up from that mysterious person, the speed of the Church of Lights arrival was still shocking enough, especially the transportation they arrived in, it was even more overwhelming for Kieran who knew what kind of era the current dungeon world was.
An airship created with alchemy and technology... as expected of the Church of Light which was once the biggest church there ever was! Kieran looked up at the airship, he couldnt hold back his exmation.
With his sight, Kieran easily saw through everything inside the airship and Pro level [Mystical Knowledge] made him understand how much manpower and resources it would take to create such an airship.
The arrival of the airship shook the entire school, even the people in the city.
Especially when the airship was shining with a luster simr to the sun, some people even called it another divine miracle and as though the airship was there to reach out to peoples calling, a loud, sonorous voice emanated from it.
Light is everywhere!
Light is all mighty!
Light is eternal!
...
Following the chants from the airship, a middle-aged man with a red bishop outfit walked out from the cabin and stood on air itself. His unclear face added a sense of mystery to his presence, just like how his hands were raised up, weing the shock and astonishment from the people.
In this new era where technology has only sprouted into a bud, flying was a faraway dream for mankind and when someone realized that particr dream, one could imagine how much of amotion it would cause, even some of the mystics were shocked by what they saw.
Flying?!
How is that possible?!
Cries of astonishment sounded in session from the start to the end of the street, from the corners and from the shadows as well.
Though Sister Moni looked at the airship and the person standing outside the airship with a calm face. Her age was enough to enroot herself firmly against any surprises or terrifying things while allowing her to know more secrets. It was because of the secrets she knew, it allowed her to know what she should do at the moment.
Right away, personnel of St. Paolo School had started to evacuate.
Now, get out of the city right now! No, it still wont be enough, we must at least be 30 kilometers away from here! Tell everyone you can to move out quickly! The elderly sister was speaking to the people around her in a rare stern manner, which made the people know how severe the current situation was, causing them to carry out the orders meticulously.
Sister Monis prestige during normal days was enough to inform the school security members of their duties at this critical time.
Those devoted believers that camped outside the school were evacuated as well but as for those who insisted on staying behind?
Sister Moni shook her head and sigh. She then walked outside towards the field where Kieran was already standing.
This is one of the weapons of the Church of Light, the sun! Its a terrifying one! Not only does it grant its user the ability of flight, it still possesses remarkable defense and destructive attacks. Other than itcking agility, it doesnt really have any weaknesses. I thought it had vanished as the old era ended but who wouldve thought it was still around. I wonder, was it a rebuilt or perhaps repaired? Sister Moni told Kieran in a heavy look.
Its repaired!
Kieran clearly saw some repair marks on the airship, thus making him absolutely sure about it. But soon enough, Kieran told Sister Moni quickly, Sister, please follow the others and leave this ce.
He then dragged the sister in front of Acker without allowing her to speak.
Bring the sister away from this ce! The farther the better! Protect her! Kieran said.
With my life! Acker said before dragging Sister Moni to the horses aside.
After a whip of the reins, the horses sprinted out of the campus.
When Acker and Sister Monis figure vanished from sight, Kieran turned back to the floating man and airship with a cold look.
He knew what the bishop wanted but he wouldnt allow it to happen.
Likewise, the middle-aged bishop looked down at Kieran on the field who looked tiny.
Petty remnants You do look so tiny from up here!
Since there was a real height distance in between them, the bishops tone sounded more and more superior and the golden sunlight made him look nobler, as if he was some divine being.
Many of those who stayed behind had started to kneel down before the bishop.
They insisted on not believing the so-called divine miracles yet they were now more devoted than ever, and even felt frightened and awed.
The prayers and begging voices slowly entered the bishops ears. He smiled.
Still dont understand the distance between us?
The bishop pointed at the kneeling crowd, looking exceptionally satisfied but right away, his face changed because when the bishop pointed at the kneeling crowd, Kieran too pointed at him.
With his middle finger up high!
Chapter 870 - Revelation
Chapter 870: Revtion
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Although there was some distance between them, Kierans hand gesture was very clear to the bishop in the sky.
Right away, the bishops face turned extremely ugly but after a slight second, it returned to normal.
Just a fallen Gods Child! Without a real God, what waves can a single Gods Child call upon? More so... the ocean dried out long ago, leaving behind nothing but a swamp! Did you think I came for you? Hmph, seems like you think too highly of yourself! The bishop said slowly before lifting his hand.
The golden radiance around the airship became denser instantly. It was dazzling and blinding with a sense of heat, even those kneeling below were sweating all of a sudden.
Wh-What is this? Another sun?
The mystics thatid eyes on the airship that radiated heat and light were frightened beyond belief. Despite the mystics knowing more thanmoners but once they faced against the unknown, they were just slightly better than themoners.
Though it was exactly that point that gave them more chances, chances to survive!
When the mystics around saw the unusual urrence in the sky, all of them started to retreat.
Although they looked frightened and moved in disorder, they were still better than thosemoners who kneeled and prayed continuously on the spot because, at the very next moment, all of them died.
KABOOM!
A fat golden beam was sted down from the airship, the shockwave from the huge explosion that it caused tore themoners bodies apart.
The ground trembled hard and a dust storm was blown up into the air.
When the dust settled, those mystics who ran further away instinctively turned around for a look.
Then, all of them saw a scene that they would not forget for the rest of their lives.
St. Paolo School which upied arge plot ofnd was demolished, leaving behind a huge crater a dozen meters deep and few hundred meters in diameter.
However, the strange thing was inside the crater, a small chapel was floating up in the air.
There was nothing beneath it, neither was there anything above it pulling it up, it just floated up in the air.
The mystics who saw the scene didnt cry out in shock anymore because everything they saw today had exceeded their wildest imaginations.
In simple words, their senses were numbed yet right after that scene, their numbness was shatteredpletely again.
The small chapel vanished without a sign from everyones eyes.
No, not vanish but it disintegrated into powder by a powerful crushing force that none of them could imagine.
The presence of despair from the crushing force swept the field like a raging tornado. Despite the mystics having escaped quite a distance, the wind caught up to them, sending them tumbling to the ground with agonizing cries.
Not a bad body.
Amidst the selfpliment, the captive that Kieran left inside the chapel slowly walked towards the ground and was feeling the texture of the ground beneath his feet. He then took in a long breath.
What a nostalgic feeling.
Following the exmation, the captive looked up to the airship and the bishop from the Church of Light in the sky, his brows slightly furrowed.
The sun? Seems like a bit of trouble, the captive mumbled to himself again.
Yes, you are the one in trouble!
The bishop replied to the captive without being bothered by the distance between them.
Do you know who you are talking to? And, I dont like talking to people above me, get down here!
The captive looked up, staring at the bishop viciously.
A beam of greenish gray light was fired up at the bishop in the sky when the captives words subsided. Before the beam of light could really touch the bishop, it was smashed by the golden light, or rather, burned down into nothingness!
While feeling the temperature that exploded from the golden light, the captive started to gather more gue Force around him.
Though the bishop who saw the scene slightly shook his head in a sympathetic manner.
What a pity Aco! You have been imprisoned for a thousand years, you have no idea what you have missed out on and neither do you understand how ridiculous and... foolish your actions are now! The bishop purposely emphasized the word foolish.
You know my name yet you insult me? Who gave you the courage to do so, mortal?
Aco squinted his eyes, he swiftly toned down his rage and started to carefully size up the floating bishop.
If it was 50 years ago... no, no need for it to be that long. If it was a minute ago, I really wouldnt dare but now? In order to enter this seemingly fitting vessel, not only did you exhaust your best effort, you didnt even mind withstanding the suns power, suffering damage to break your cage. Without your divine position and your divinity destroyed, your remaining divine me should be flickering, isnt it? The bishop sighed.
Even if it is, you think you can insult me so rudely? Or do you think you can rely on your little toy to defeat me?
Aco did feel something was off but he couldnt tell what.
He had checked the body multiple times, there was no mark from that cunning kid, neither was there the slightest presence of Dawn Force, because of that he gave his full effort and took the risk despite suffering damage from the sunbeam.
When you chose that body to revive yourself, you must have checked multiple times. You didnt find anything on the body that rmed you, like the presence of that pitiful Gods Child power?
Thats right! How could you have detected anything? After all, the one who did something to that body wasnt that pitiful kid but... someone else!
The bishop seemed to have seen through Acos thoughts and he said the answer directly.
Acos face suddenly changed for the worse. The God of gues wanted to do something right away but, it was toote.
An unusual energy spread out from the deepest part of his body and devoured the flickering divine me with thunderous speed.
Huuuu!
A satisfying sigh came from the captives mouth and at the same time, clear bone-cracking noises could be heard from all over the body, it sounded like popcorn being fried or firecrackers going off.
Pak Pak Pak!
After the continuous cracks stopped, the captives body had undergone a drastic change.
His young face turned old, his body too grew bigger and stronger. His hair and beard that mixed gray and white together were emanating an unusual charm, together with thepassionate eyes, one would think the man was a merciful elder, just like Sister Moni.
However, only the meticulous could realize how fake thepassion in his eyes was, how dense the cunning and vicious thoughts that were hiding behind those eyes.
Its been quite a long time Wallen.
The newly formed elder looked at the bishop in the sky, greeting him with a smile.
Yes, my teacher!
Thest pope of the Church of Light, the archbishop, the Master Knight of Light. It sounds a little stranger calling you all those names right? Then... Shall we change it back to the name that plotted the rebellion against the noble alliances, the first generation Duke Wayne?
The bishop smiled with a nod.
Chapter 871 - The fact behind the story
Chapter 871: The fact behind the story
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
As you please.
The elder nodded casually at the bishops question as though he was answering somthing trivial.
Then I shall call you Duke Wayne. After all, since you plotted to set up the Knights of Dawn and the Church of Shadows, it would be a little awkward if I still addressed you as Your Excellency, the bishop said.
Then he sighed as if he suddenly realized something.
Before I saw you, I was angry, confused. I was angry because of your betrayal, I was confused because of your failure. But who wouldve thought that I would be so delighted after seeing you now? Although it was you who lead the priests from our church to ambush the Church of Shadows, they must have left an unheble wound on you, am I right?
Your wounds didnt just foil your ns to take over the world with a change of identity, it even forced you to fake your death, lingering on earth with such pathetic existence and not getting anything for all your efforts. To be honest, seeing you like this now, all I can feel is pity.
As he spoke, the bishop showedpassion in his eyes.
I know, idents will always happen. The Gods n that I devised seeded but I was not the ultimate benefactor. All these years, whenever I thought about it I would feel very stupid, so stupid that I would choose to trust someone else. Am I right, my student? The first generation Duke Wayne said.
Yes. Its all because of your skillful teaching and guidance, the bishop nodded.
Then, everything went silent.
Both of them stared at each other as one was floated up high in the sky and the other lower in mid-air. Under the scorching sunlight and dazzling brightness, it made those who observed the battle further away squint their eyes at the scene.
Right at that moment, Duke Wayne vanished from his spot.
Instinctively, all the observers looked up high at the sky, a figure appeared behind the bishop instantaneously.
Silently, a long sword of light consisting of white, gray, and green was stabbed towards the bishop but before it couldnd, it was fended off by another golden long sword.
Chang!
Both light swords shed and clunked like iron swords but it wasnt sparks that came out from the sh but line after line of unusual energy streams. The energy streams fell fell down from the sky like fireworks, exploding repeatedly as they touched the ground, bombarding the ce.
Gak Tsssss Tsssss!
Two light swords shed, pushing back with all their might and obviously, the golden light sword had the upper hand as the one wielding it only relied on one hand to push back the other who wielded it with both.
Teacher, you are old. How could you make such a shallow attack? Let me, your precious student to send you on your journey to hell!
The moment the bishops words subsided, the other idle hand of his unleashed another light sword as the golden light overflowed from his palm and it thrust directly at Duke Wayne.
Puk!
The de of the light sword pierced through the body but...
It was not Duke Wayne but the bishop instead! A light de was thrust through the bishops chest, the white, gray, and green light de tainted with the bishops blood was exceptionally eye-catching.
While the golden sword from the bishop was still a finger away from Duke Wayne.
The bishop looked down at the bulging light sword in his chest in astonishment.
Back then you stabbed me in the back, now I am returning the favor. Surprised how I did it? Dont worry, I wont tell you! Duke Wayneughed.
The light sword that pierced through the bishops chest from the back started to burst but...
Nothing happened to the bishop, his chest was indeed pierced thoroughly from the back to front but the bishop was unharmed, not even a drop of blood came out from the hole. Only sparks of electricity and gears sticking inside.
A magical puppet?
A machine?
Many thoughts appeared in Duke Waynes head, the thoughts didnt stop blooming despite his body being stabbed by the golden light sword, the scorching heat was burning him.
When the white, gray, and green light sword exploded, the golden light sword exploded at an unimaginable speed, perforating Duke Waynes chest.
As expected of the sun. Duke Wayne eximed.
This certainly wasnt the bishops power. The bishop was Duke Waynes student, he was very clear on what his student was capable of and what kinds of abilities he possessed.
Even though many decades had passed, he wouldnt grow towards such outrageous extent.
One needed to know, the true core mystical skills were still in the grasp of Duke Wayne.
Yes! Without the sun, I dont even dare appear before you, teacher. You are really too scary! In order to oppose you, I left my mortal body and now it seems like the effect is quite decent! I will fulfill your wish in my own way. So now, please DIE!
As the bishop spoke, a stronger presence came out from the nearby airship.
Apanying the presence was a high temperature.
It distorted the sky, dried thend, and even evaporated the sea!
The unparalleled high temperature turned into a light spot, gathering in the bishops hand.
Duke Waynes perforated body was dried up like a withered corpse under the high temperature but he didnt die.
A few improvements, seems like I need to praise you for real, Duke Wayne said.
The bishop who was extremely familiar with his teachers manner felt his heart skip a beat. He instinctively wanted to hasten his action...
BUT!
Another darkness was even faster!
The bright sky was darkened within a breath, the sun was covered by a ck veil and the clouds were blown away by the gloomy wind.
Duke Wayne who had a hole in his chest suddenly exploded, bursting into pieces of shattered blueish green gemstones in all directions, hitting the bishop and the airship together.
As the pieces of shattered gemstones hit the golden light with the extreme temperature that possessed devastating attacking capabilities, the golden light instantly disintegrated, forcing it out of form.
What followed after the disintegrated energy stream was the fall of the airship!
It fell out of the sky and crashed into the ground below it like a meteor. The giant crater was expanded even more by the crash but the shocking thing was, the airship was much sturdier than expected.
The airship didnt break into pieces, only the edge was destroyed. Most parts of the airship remained intact except for it having lost its flying capabilities.
Compared to the airship, the bishop was not in good shape.
He was choked on the neck by Duke Wayne, lifting him up in mid-air.
I once taught you that humans must always rely on themselves! Seems like youve forgotten all about it. Relying on external powers... How long can itst? More so, I am familiar with all these external things, do you think that I wont save a card up my sleeves just in case? Duke Wayneughed.
Then, you think that I wouldnt know? The bishop smiled even more delightedly.
The bishop suddenly grabbed Duke Waynes arm and shouted, Got you!
KABOOM!
The second his word subsided, a brilliant white light enveloped both of them.
Lines of electricity the thickness of an arm went rampant around the bursting light. Within a 10-meter radius, everything was buffeted by electricity as though an electric monster climbed out from the ground.
Duke Wayne slowly walked out from the shadows as he looked at the electric field before his eyes, heughed and said, Its a magnificent view isnt it, Sir 2567?
As the electric field flickered, Duke Wayne was looking impressed at the scene. He was spotlessly clean as heid his eyes on another shadowy spot.
The next moment, Kieran with an arrogant face slowly walked out, in reply to Duke Waynes gaze.
Chapter 872 - One after another
Chapter 872: One after another
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
When he saw the arrogant Kieran walking out slowly, Duke Wayne smiled.
As expected of the Gods Child of the Church of Dawn, if you didnt have something of mine on you, Im afraid I might not even notice that you didnt die from that explosion and were hiding in the area! Duke Wayne eximed.
Then, his topic of conversation changed, I told you before, when the time arrives, I will tell you everything. But judging from your suspicious character, Sir 2567, I think its better for someone else to tell it to you. So, I think we can really continue to work together, Duke Wayne said.
Work together? Allowing someone else to tell me everything? Then... What about Aco Codex? Kieran smiled coldly.
Aco Codex? Until now youre still concerned about such petty unrted things? I figured you might be smarter. If you made your move at me just now, you might still have 20% to win but now?
Duke Wayne shook his head, his smiling face showed pity for Kieran before he pointed his hand up in the sky.
The darkness that appeared didnt fade away, on the contrary, the darkness appeared above the giant crater, closing it up like a giant cover.
Wuuuu!
The gloomy wind from the darkness blew everything in its path. Each time the wind blew, negative energy followed.
When it blew across the ground, the ground was instantly corroded as though acid was sprayed on it.
The bishop who was emitting the white electric field was among the first who was engulfed by the gloomy wind.
Aaaaaaargh!
An agonizing scream was heard.
The first generation Duke Wayne looked and listened to his student, he pretended to find the scene unbearable, saying, My student, although youve retrofitted your body, your head and brain havent changed, you still have weaknesses, no matter how powerful your body is, its useless. Too bad you couldnt get more core spell arts, you might be in a different form but... this world only has space for one GOD!
That God will be me and not you!
Of course, it wouldnt be you either, Sir 2567. Dont you think? Duke Wayne smiled.
Hmph!
Arrogant Kieran coldly grunted without even replying with a proper sentence.
Duke Waynes smile has gotten more delightful when he was greeted by the cold grunt.
You body is indeed powerful, to the point that even Aco was drooling over you, despite him being just a God without a divine position, shattered divinity, and even his divine me beginning to flicker, it was enough to see how magnificent your body is. Even I was moved, but Sir 2567, what use does it have? Arent you still being restrained here helplessly? An opponent like you is better off dead.
Duke Wayne looked at Kieran as he spoke, or more precisely he was inspecting the Kieran before him.
Although Duke Wayne was hiding in that captives body before this and couldnt observe his surroundings all the time, the two times that he conversed with Kieran, Duke Wayne felt something was wrong.
The Kieran before his eyes was too arrogant. Although when they spoke before this, Kieran did show arrogance, he wasnt as pressuring as he was now.
Being inside an environment filled with negative energy, Duke Waynes senses were obviously affected. Otherwise, the cunning first generation duke would have noticed some inkling to Kierans unusual behavior.
But now?
Duke Waynes heart was feeling more and more secure as he savored the swift recovery of his body under the negative energy environment.
Truth be told, the reason why Duke Wayne talked so much to Kieran, other than the feeling in his heart, it was also because he hadnt fully recovered.
During the previous battle with his own student, it might seem like Duke Wayne had achieved an easy win but in fact, he fought with quite the effort.
Huu!
The gloomy wind filled with negative energy left the bishops corpse and was swirling towards Kieran.
The gloomy wind was everywhere, there was no space for Kieran to dodge but Kieran didnt even budge, allowing the gloomy wind to ravage him.
When he saw the gloomy windpletely envelope Kieran, Duke Wayne finally heaved a long breath.
Right after that moment, a figure dashed towards Duke Wayne, driving a dagger straight into Duke Waynes back.
Tsk!
However, Duke Waynes expression did not change at all.
I knew Sir 2567, that you would not allow yourself to be caught without a fight.
Duke Wayne who was stabbed spoke with a smile.
Then his body exploded again into the blueish green gemstones.
Fuuuu!
The gloomy wind assaulted again after the stab, Kieran with an envious look was enveloped inside while Duke Wayne walked out from the side, smiling with full assurance of victory.
But right at the next moment, his smile frozen because another Kieran appeared again.
HOW DARE YOU?!
Enraged Kieran roared at Duke Wayne as he dashed towards the man.
Duke Wayne quickly controlled his gloomy wind to surround the enraged Kieranpletely but right after Duke Wayne caught him, another Kieran appeared again!
This Kieran waszy, casual, and he appeared out of nowhere behind the first generation Duke Wayne.
Azy and tired energy stream gushed into Duke Waynes body following Kierans appearance.
Where did you get the Church of Shadows inheritance?!
Which Gods Child are you? The Church of Dawn or the Church of Shadow?
Duke Wayne endured the desire of yawning and he called upon the gloomy wind again with his hand, engulfing the Kieran behind himpletely.
Then, Duke Wayne suddenly felt hungry and a voice even echoed in his ears.
You still have the Church of Shadows inheritance? Mine! Mine! All mine!
Kieran with a greedy look was crawling behind Duke Waynes back like some animal and bit his neck suddenly, but before greedy Kierans teeth touched Duke Wayne, Duke Wayne performed a shoulder throw, throwing the greedy Kieran into the other Kieran who was nibbling on the mechanical bishops body.
Fuuu!
The gloomy wind struck again, devouring the greedy and hungry Kieran.
But Duke Waynes face suddenly blushed in an unusual way.
DIE!
The lustful thoughts that appeared in his mind couldnt allow Duke Wayne to maintain his smile anymore. After an explosive roar, the gloomy wind was enhanced a few times, not only did it devour the newly appeared Kieran but it wanted to tear the other Kierans to shreds!
Even if you are the Church of Shadows Gods Child, I will crush you to bits!
Duke Wayne squeezed out those words from his clenched teeth, the anxiety in his heart grew stronger.
He quickly recalled his arrangements and everything rted to it.
There wont be a problem! My n is ingenious, its wless! Its not possible for me to miss anything!
Duke Wayne emphasized his confidence to repel the anxiety in his heart.
In fact, from a certain aspect, Duke Waynes n was indeed ingenious but he had wrongly estimated Kierans strength or more precisely, the many types of power that Kieran possessed.
Roar!
A loud heavy roarter, a ck monster with seven heads crawled out from the gloomy wind.
The gloomy wind that could corrode thend and carried substantial negative energy with it was absolutely useless against this monster, it didnt even scratch the monsters skin.
Even more so, the monster was sucking all the dense negative energy with its seven heads like a whale sucking in seawater.
Instantaneously, the size of the monster grew bigger.
Duke Waynes eyelids were twitching when he saw the gigantic, ck monster with seven heads.
Diabolic Demon!
The term was squeezed out from the seams of his teeth.
Chapter 873 - A lie
Chapter 873: A lie
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The gigantic, vicious ck monster before his eyes fit all the criteria of the Diabolic Demon that Duke Wayne knew but his sanity told him, it wasnt real.
The Gods had left a long time ago, the abyss had crumbled, even the sulfur river had dried up, turning into a low-lying in.
Every fact that Duke Wayne could find stated that the age of Gods was over.
An illusion? A remain? Or something else?
Messy thoughts bloomed and rumbled around Duke Waynes head but it didnt even slow down this elder who had multiple identities that were each famous on their own, at all.
He was fast as lightning as he shed out a golden light from his hand, seemingly identical to the one the bishop wielded, but it was bigger and more materialized.
However, the golden light was mixed with spots of white, gray, and green, it made the grand and magnificent golden light sword looked a little weird but it didnt hurt its strength at all.
Ssssss!
One of the cardinal sins beasts head was chopped off just like that.
I dont care if youre real or not, I will...
Duke Wayne smiled coldly as he was looking at the falling head but he stopped abruptly halfway because the head that had fallen on the ground withered away at an exponential speed visible to his eyes and on top of the bald neck of the beast, a new head was taking form.
Duke Waynes heart skipped a beat.
If he was still suspecting whether the monster before his eyes was a real Diabolic Demon, after seeing how the head regenerated itself, his doubts were not needed anymore.
The monster was Diabolic Demon!
Why the hell is there a Diabolic Demon in this era? And how does it even appear in a Gods Childs image?
The plethora of questions made Duke Wayne retreated swiftly.
His identity of the former pope of the Church of Light made him know perfectly how he should deal with the monster before him but if he did, he would suffer a repulsion in his current state...
ROAR!
A deafening roarter, when the even more ferocious cardinal sins beast threw itself at Duke Wayne, he didnt hesitate any more.
I might suffer damage but its better than dying here.
Duke Wayne knew he had to change the situation before his eyes, otherwise, under the current situation where negative energy was more than sufficient, he would never triumph over a Diabolic Demon.
He could chop off its head one by one but it would grow another one even faster than before. The more terrifying thing was, once the Diabolic Demon absorbed enough negative energy, it would give birth to an even more terrifying monster, a monster that would be on par with the Devil Overlord or the Grand Monarch Demon.
Wuung!
A dazzling golden brilliance burst out from the golden light sword. Its exploding golden brilliance was like a small sun, burning all the negative energy around and the ck veil above the sky swiftly dissipated as well.
Aaaaaargh!Rooooar!
Two distinguished screams of agony were heard almost simultaneously.
One was from the cardinal sins beast that was being restrained by the light energy and the other was from Duke Wayne himself.
From a certain aspect, Duke Waynes scream was much more agonizing than the cardinal sins beast.
Following the painful roar, the cardinal sins beast only shrunk in size but Duke Wayne was burnt ck from top to bottom, the kind of charred ck that was caused by a zing me or a lightning strike.
A charred stench floated in the area after that.
The pain made Duke Wayne quiver throughout his body, it was even hard for him to draw his sword.
When all 7 heads of the cardinal sins beast were chopped off, Duke Wayne became severely wounded as well, cuts were all over his charred body, blood was gushing out from every wound there was. Especially his right hand together with the entire upper arm that wielded his sword, it was swallowed by the head of Gluttony before it was chopped off.
Damn Diabolic Demon!
Duke Wayne coldly grunted but right after that, he kneeled down on the ground in pain.
Inside the deepest part of his body, an energy of despair was spreading outwards.
The gue!
ANCILANCO! Duke Wayne shouted.
Foolish mortals! You think you can consume me that easily?
Aco who shouldve been consumed and disappeared appeared once again.
He was more vicious and furious than before as He was trying topete for the right to use this body.
Soon enough, the victor to the rights of the body was determined.
Aco has gotten the final victory, not just because of a sudden ambush inside but also because of the Aco Codex!
The elderly sister who should have left long ago somehow appeared inside the crater. Above her head was a book the size of a small tea table with extreme thickness. The pages of the book were flipping through rapidly, fluttering as loud as it could while Sister Moni was standing there with a pained expression, unable to even budge.
Get out! This body is mine! Aco dered.
Aaaaaargh!
After an eerie wail of a soul sounded, the first generation Duke Waynes image was expelled from the body, turning into a gale and vanishing into nothing.
Aco smiled coldly when he saw the scene.
Youre trying to fool me with such petty tricks? Aco then lifted his hand.
A grayish-green energy stream was fired towards the bishops remains.
The head that was on top of a bunch of gears, springs, and scrapped metal suddenly opened its eyes.
The head quickly rolled away, dodging the energy stream attack.
Aco!
Duke Wayne who possessed his own student looked at Aco with clenched teeth.
A feeling of rage that he haDnt feel for a long time filled his brain because Duke Wayne was used.
Aco Codex!
Duke Wayne had read the codex before and learned from it before. It was also the very reason that made Duke Wayne decide to execute his Gods n in the first ce.
He knew the rtionship between Sister Moni and Aco Codex, even more so from a certain aspect, Duke Wayne himself caused it with his own hands for his own ns and also to restrict the elderly sister.
Compared to a stronger power, Duke Wayne was more worried that Sister Monis long life would allow her to spot something in the process, so he needed something to distract the elderly sister.
However, Duke Wayne didnt know Aco who had lost his divine position, a broken divinity with a flickering divine me could still borrow the powers from the codex.
Not only was itn ot stated in the codex, the Light, Shadow and Dawn churches records didnt mention anything either.
All Duke Wayne could find was the contempt for Aco and the description stating Aco couldnt utilize Aco Codexs power.
It was a lie! A lie to escape imprisonment and be revived on the spot!
Then, all those records mean...
The first generation Duke Waynes expression changed drastically, his eyes were like the gaze from a hungry wolf or a venomous snake, staring at Aco.
The God who has just been revived slowly and casually raised his hand.
Pak!
A clear sound echoed inside the crater.
After that, the contract between the elderly sister and the codex was broken instantly.
Aco Codex flew back to the revived God like sparrows returning to their nest while the elderly sister spat out a mouth full of blood, limping on the ground.
But she didnt fall to the ground because her guardian knight caught her.
Neither the revived God nor the first generation Duke Wayne were bothered by the intruder that suddenly entered the scene because another hand grabbed the flying Aco Codex in mid-air.
Chapter 874 - Burn!
Chapter 874: Burn!
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
You cunning bastard! 2567!
Aco and Duke Wayne stared at the figure who grabbed Aco Codex and were screaming furiously.
Kieran nced over the two of them before turning back to Guntherson and Sister Moni.
Hows the sister? Kieran asked.
Without that damned book, shell be on her feet soon, Guntherson replied.
He then held Sister Moni in one hand and drew the sword from his waist with another.
Dawn Force that should have been mild suddenly swirled around the guardian knights body in a rapid manner.
Aikhar! Aco! Both of you damn bastards finally show up! Ive been waiting for this day a very, very long time!
While bathing in the faint white light, the old guardian knight stared at the two opponents before him with utmost killing intent. His killing intent was at an all-time, so high that it felt like it had materialized and turned into a knife slicing Aco and Duke Waynes skin.
Though both of them were not that concerned, or rather, the points that concerned them were different.
You knew I confused Aikhar?
Shouldnt you be at the training camp of the Knights of Dawn?
The former came from Aco and thetter came from Duke Wayne.
Despite the unusual tacit agreement between them, neither Kieran nor Guntherson gave a reply.
The old guardian knight coldly grunted and his killing intent grew even fiercer; Kieran, on the other hand, lifted the Aco Codex with his palm.
His fair palm and his long, powerful fingers squeezed hard on that thick codex. His action immediately produced a metallic screech.
Gak Tsssssss!
While the screeching sounded, Aco and Duke Wayne shouted in unison, STOP!
Both of them threw themselves at Kieran.
The different goals in both their hearts would not allow Kieran to destroy the Aco Codex, not even a bit.
The mirages of a gray snake and a gray toad appeared above Aco.
A mottled sunrise slowly appeared above Duke Wayne as he prayed softly.
The gue!
The Light!
The grayish-green gue Force brought despair, countless men died with agonizing wails under its cold stare.
The brilliant white Light Force brought grandness, countless men kneeled on the ground, praying for forgiveness from that prideful existence.
Aco and Duke Wayne were disying their own strength.
BUT!
On the other side, two tender and unyielding Dawn Force was not stepping down as well, it even felt stronger! Because of Guntherson and Kieran originated from Dawn!
DAWN!
Both of them yelled, a 20 meter giant light sword plus another energy st appeared instantaneously, and since both attacks were from the same origin, they resonated the moment they appeared.
Wuuuuung!
Amid the powerful buzz, the energy st was swiftly fused into the giant light sword.
Immediately, the light from the sword surged as the sword grew!
25 meters!
30 meters!
35 meters!
The brilliant light was radiating, the light swords sharpness was ring.
Dak Dak Dak Dak!
Neighs!
Images of soldiers in heavy armors and riders riding charging warhorses appeared within the light sword.
Wuuu!
An unsophisticated and bleak growl sounded as the images appeared.
The war drums sounded like thunder, the war banners waved like gales.
The heavy armored soldiers raised their shields high, the ridersid theirnces straight.
Then, the order came!
CHARGE! CHARGE! CHARGE!
Charging forward fearlessly, shing down every obstacle in its path!
It charged through the cold stare and shed through the prideful existence!
The despair gave birth to hope; Hope constantly thrived to be stronger!
Dawn Sword with the will of Kieran and buffed by Gunthersons power perforated everything before their eyes.
Tssssss!
KABOOM!
After the sharp cutting sounds, a huge explosion followed.
The ground was cut off a dozen meters deep once again as dust stormed the area.
Kieran and Guntherson stood side by side in front of Sister Moni, blocking her from harm.
Kierans expression didnt even change but Guntherson the old guardian knight was slightly panting.
Age was a cunning thing, while it provided one with a certain wisdom, it would take away ones healthy body and the abundant amount of energy, even the old guardian knight couldnt stop it from happening on him.
But, did it matter?
Moni was finally free, free from that goddamned curse.
2567...
Bring the sister away from here, those two are trying to throw their dying kicks. Kieran waved at Guntherson.
Careful!
Guntherson didnt hesitate at all, he knew what he had to do right now. He carried Sister Moni and started to run out of the crater.
Run? I dont think so!
The voice belonged to first generation Duke Wayne and a golden beam of light was fired out from the dust cloud towards Guntherson.
Another huge monster that was a dozen meters tall with a buff body and all four limbs on the ground rose from the dust cloud. Its green face, sharp fangs, and red hair looked extra ferocious as it threw itself towards Kieran.
However, both attacks missed!
Guntherson elerated all of a sudden, dodging the golden beam easily.
While Kieran vanished from the spot as the monsternded, whipping up another dust cloud upon impact.
Though this time, the dust cloud faded quicker than before and everything was clear after that.
Other than the gue-beast which Aco transformed into, something happened to Duke Wayne also.
The remains of his mechanical bodypletely vanished from the Dawn Sword attack, all that was left was half of his head sticking on that fallen airship.
The airship which had its light extinguished earlier lit up in golden brilliance again when the half a head stuck on to it but it was less bright than before.
Likewise, the gue-beast that looked huge may seem utterly vicious but the rapid pants from its mouth stated that Aco wasnt fine at all.
Kieran and Gunthersonsbined attack was not something they could withstand and walk away from unharmed, even if the energy would cancel each other out. Aco and Duke Wayne still suffered irreversible damage, but neither of them gave up just yet.
Now, you are the only one left! After we kill you and Gunthersonter, my n can still seed! Duke Wayne said coldly.
Then we will settle our debts! Acos voice came from the gue beasts mouth.
Lets get this over quickly! Duke Wayne said.
Before this, both of them were still trying to kill each other but right now, they swiftly sided with each other to form a temporary alliance.
Both of them viciously stared at Kieran.
Both of them didnt conceal their utmost killing intent because it wasnt necessary and they couldnt.
It was the young man before their eyes that forced them into such an ugly position.
Their smooth sailing ns that were supposed to work had turned into ruble and debris, it wasnt something they could tolerate.
While being stared down at by the two of them, Kieran didnt change his expression, it was still calm as always.
He threw Aco Codex beside his feet. He looked at the two of them who were charging up their attack and spoke slowly, So both of you have used up all your trump cards? Then... I guess its my turn!
Kierans tone was like stating a fact and sometimes, the fact were hard for some to ept.
Aco didnt ept it, neither did Duke Wayne.
Maybe you have one or two more trump cards but can your cards fight both of us at the same time? A revived God and a supreme mortal? No, not even the resonated Dawn Sword can! You are too arrogant! If Guntherson stays, you might have a huge chance to win but now? Do you think you really are a God from the legendary era? Other than a real God, who dares im they can fight both of us at the same time?
Duke Wayne whose long-time plot failed as everything went south for him mocked Kieran with his words.
In the past, he refused to conduct such petty tricks to provoke his enemies but at this very moment, he was using it to anger Kieran and also make himself feel better.
Though his intentions leaned more towards the second reason.
A real God? Of course, I am not! But... what if I am the Devil? Kieran smiled.
Aco and Duke Wayne were stunned.
At the very next moment, the chaotic aura with a sulfuric stench pressured them like the weight from Mount. Taishan, smashing down on them from up above.
Endless mes started to burn across the huge crater, as though the abyss had returned to earth.
Chapter 875 - Stave through
Chapter 875: Stave through
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Under Aco and Duke Waynes gazes of disbelief, a gigantic figure rose up in the zing me.
It had magma as armor and zing fire as wings.
Its horns pierced the sky and its body was the embodiment of sphemy.
The Devil!
Uncontroble cries of shock came out from Aco and Duke Waynes mouth.
With both of their knowledge and experience in addition to their vast understanding of the mystical realm, they were sure the figure that appeared before them was the devil.
Their brains couldnt evenprehend why Kieran could transform into the devil, so at that moment, all their mind could think of was, run!
Run with their lives!
Although Duke Wayne was still boasting about himself as a supreme mortal and praised Aco as a revived God a moment ago, what was the real situation actually?
A supreme mortal. A supreme mortal in the age of fallen mystics.
A revived God. A revived God without his divine position, divinity, and even his divine me was flickering to die out.
Of course, despite their current state, it wasnt hard for them to face the devil during their prime but now, they were no match for Kieran at all.
When the thought struck their minds, Duke Wayne and Aco couldnt help but exchange gazes. Both of them spotted the shock in each others eyes.
This was nned beforehand! Everything was nned beforehand!
While both of them were plotting their evil schemes, Kieran was also nning his own! And both of them were included in Kierans n.
Think about the captive that Kieran left behind in the small chapel.
From the very start, Duke Wayne could stillfort himself by telling himself Kierans vignce and meticulous means let him realize something was fishy or Kierans unyielding attitude, trying to find out more about to truth or even using his disguise as the captive to bargain with Aco for more leverage, but now?
Duke Wayne realized from that moment onwards, he somehow stepped inside Kierans n.
The process of fighting over the body with Aco and the self-destructing battle with the Diabolic Demon, wasnt all of that the reason behind Duke Waynes current situation?
Aco, on the other hand, didnt figure out as much as Duke Wayne because he could always see the shadow of that damned woman in Kieran.
As cunning withas many faces as that woman, she had always used her mask to confuse everyone before her but now, nothing else mattered anymore.
The most important thing now in Acos mind was how to escape, alive!
Aco in his gue beast form pushed back with all four of his limbs, he quickly propelled his huge body backward, he didnt even care about Duke Wayne who attached himself on the airship.
Though Duke Wayne was not slow either, the airship glimmering in faint golden light slowly rose up to the air the moment Aco made his move.
However, it was obvious he was still slower than Aco in his gue beast form, so Duke Wayne decided to elerate!
The faint golden light formed a set of chains and quietly cuffed itself onto the gue-beast, but...
The moment the chains cuffed its target, the burst open like a bubble under the sun, vanishing into nothing with a pop sound.
It was an illusion!
Duke Waynes expression sank deeper but swiftly after that, his expression changed drastically.
A sudden huge suction force appeared beneath the airship, not only turning his flight into an extravagant hope, it even changed his steering direction. The airship was steered into the zing mes.
Nooooo!
Duke Wayne cried out in astonishment but it was toote.
In the middle of the zing sea, that tall figure extended its fiery wings.
Fuuuuu!
A scorching rampant wind ravaged thend.
The mystic runes on the fiery wings shined ceaselessly, the feeling of extreme danger turned into a shadow of death, pressuring Duke Waynes mind.
Duke Wayne spent his greatest effort in building up his defense but the airship was damaged in the first ce, so what if Duke Wayne spent all his effort?
Facing off against the sudden st wave from the fiery wings, his defenses were nothing but thin paper.
KABOOM!
The zing me engulfed the airship in a devastating manner.
The weapon of inheritance of the Church of Light, The Sun, swiftly broke down under the devils me and it turned into fuel for the mes. Duke Wayne who attached himself to the airship was the first to bear the brunt.
That half a head was instantly charred and withered, a little whileter all of the remains of Duke Wayne turned into ashes without any possibility of recovering.
Idiot!
Acoughed coldly when he saw the scene.
This revived God didnt mind when people set up others at all. Likewise, he himself liked to set up others as well and if any of his targets fell for the traps, all he could say was his targets were too stupid, just like those idiots that believed his words back then and thought they could ascend to the heavens with a single step.
If it was possible, how could he be sealed off by that women for over a thousand years?
All of you are idiots!
The revived God held his stand in this debate, his eyes were locked tightly on the horrifying devil figure and his brain was calcting the angles of the st waves from the fiery wings.
Aco wanted to have enough space to dodge the attack. As long as he could dodge another two more times, he couldpletely escape the devils attack range.
Although the devil could fly, he wouldnt have caught up in terms of speed.
As for the other types of abilities of the devil?
Aco wasnt worried about that. After all the devil wasnt a daemon, based on the looks, the devil must be skilled in meleebat.
Will he fire out another st wave to prevent my escape? Then chase up to me using the advantages of the terrains? Or will he resurrect some dead souls to drag me down?
Guesses popped up in Acos mind but right after that...
Aco realized darkness shrouded above his head.
He looked upwards out of instinct and he realized he was locking gazes with another thousand more eyes! Eyes that were glowing in rainbow light!
An enormous monster formed out of a myriad of intertwining hands and legs with a vicious look, appeared above Acos head, covering himpletely.
The gue-beast form that should have been huge instantly looked petty in front of the enormous monster.
What the f...
The revived God was stunnedpletely, he didnt even finish the words that he wanted to express and he was drowned by thousands of scorching beams firing down from the eyes above him.
Simr to Duke Wayne, Aco in his beast form died without an intact body. Not only that, the remaining scorching beams didnt seem to stop after obliterating the gue-beast, it continued ravaging the ground inside the crater.
The huge crater was deepened yet again and it reached the underground water vein.
Water started to gush out from the bottom of the crater, filling it up rapidly.
A mere few hourster, what was left of St. Paolo School was a hugeke.
The sunlight was shining on the surface, producing a warm glistening scene.
However, the mystics beside theke had no mood to enjoy the beautiful scene before their eyes, all of them were searching for leftover traces.
They hoped to find out about the result of the final battle but their searches were fruitless.
None of them could locate anyone rted to the incident at all.
Kieran, Guntherson and Sister Moni were all gone.
Three dayster, a wedding was held.
Chapter 876 - Song under the starry sky
Chapter 876: Song under the starry sky
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The morning sun shined diagonally through the window into the room.
Dust was floating around following the sunshines path and eventuallynded on the faint body.
The body seemed to be in a translucent state, if one didnt open up their eyes to take a careful look, the body wouldnt look like a human being.
Huu!
After a heavy breath, Kieran revealed himself with satisfaction.
He knew from Gunthersons notes, the [Dark Movement Technique] was powerful and got the idea from Sister Moni that when the [Dark Movement Technique] reached its peak, it allowed the user to shuttle through shadows but Kieran didnt know that with only the Basic level of the skill, it would provide him with such a boost to his undercover techniques, it could even slightly distort light!
[Name: Dark Movement Technique (Basic)]
[Rted Attribute: None]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effect: Not only does this skill utilize the shadows, but it also utilizes light as well, +20% hiding on the original undercover basics]
[Special Effect: None]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Undercover (Grand Master)]
[Remark: The reason why the Church of Shadows was feared by many, mostly because of how magical the Dark Movement Technique is.]
[Note: You have acquired this skill through learning, not through a Skill Book. Therefore, you cannot upgrade it with Points and Skill Points. If you want to level it up, you will need to continue learning or acquire a Skill Book!]
...
Just like it described itself, not only did the skill utilize shadows but also light to form a stronger hiding effect and this effect was built on top of the basics of [Undercover].
For Kieran who had already achieved Transcendence of [Undercover], [Dark Movement Technique] was like adding wings to a tiger.
The only regrettable thing was, it was an entirely self-learning process.
Without the usage of Golden Skill Points, Kieran could only rely on Gunthersons repeated lectures to quickly master the basics of the [Dark Movement Techniques], simr to how he mastered the [Knights of gue Body Tempering Art].
But of course, he would not have to be wary at all when he learned from Guntherson.
However, the disappointing fact was other than the [Dark Movement Technique], Guntherson himself didnt master any other skills mentioned in the notebook either, he didnt even reveal the names to Kieran.
Kieran didnt press the topic though, anyone had their secrets that they didnt want to reveal, Kieran had someand so did Guntherson.
Since he would prefer others to not probe his secrets, Kieran would not probe others secrets either. More so, in this dungeon run, not only did heplete his biggest goal, which was to find the advance skill for the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art], he gained a lot of unexpected rewards as well, including the [Seal of Dawn] and the [Dark Movement Technique] and that was not all of it.
Kieran nced over the table beside him.
[Algarys Second Shot], [Holy Water (Church of Dawn)], [Soul Sentry Ring], [Evil Spirit Scroll], [Communication Painting], [Curse of Aikhar], [Resistance Potion], [Unknown Remains] and [Aco Codex].
Among the list, the [Resistance Potion] and the [Curse of Aikhar] were unable to be brought out of the dungeon.
As for the [Unknown Remains], even Guntherson and Sister Moni couldnt tell what it was but could only tell it indeed originated from the Church of Dawn but not when or where.
[Aco Codex]?
[Name: Aco Codex]
[Type: Unknown]
[Rarity: Unknown]
[Attribute: ???]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: This is an extremely precious treasure!]
...
The simple remark stated its value but other than that, nothing was known.
Best you destroy it, that thing is extremely wicked!
Its dangerous, I dont suggest you keep it!
Both pieces of advice came from Guntherson and Sister Moni.
Though Kieran who had his own thoughts would not ept such advice, despite both of them being respectable elders and whose advice originated from goodwill.
He took out his backpack and started to tidy his loot.
A few minutester, the specially tailored extrarge backpack that he requested from John was stuffed to its maximum and when Kieran carried it on his back, the door was knocked.
Dok, Dok, Dok.
After a rhythmic knock on the door, Guntherson donning a body of formal wear came in. The straight suit that was worn on the big and buff guardian knight made him look extra powerful and valiant.
What? You want to leave without saying goodbye?
Guntherson crossed his arms, questioning Kieran with the raise of a brow.
I am really not used to these kind of asions. So Ive left a farewell letter for everyone, and if I show myself, Im afraid it might cause troubles.
Kieran took out his farewell letter with a bitter smile.
But the letter that Kieran spent an hour thinking of what to write was torn to shreds by Guntherson when he snatched it over.
A letter? What can it represent? Today is an important day, I really hope you can show up yourself! Not as my student, or Gods Child, but as a friend!
Get it? Friend?
Guntherson locked his eyes on Kieran, saying with a stern face.
What else could Kieran reply with against Guntherson using this kind of expression?
He nodded helplessly.
Guntherson tapped Kierans shoulder happily after the agreement. His delight had reached an all-time high when he walked up to the stage, standing in between Altily Hunter and Jimmy.
As the witness for his own student, Gunthersons face was full of smiles and joy,pared to the sour face of Merchant Hunter who he deemed his daughter as being taken away.
The other who shared a face full of joy was John the chief officer. He, on the other hand, was also a witness of the wedding for his subordinate, Carl and he defeated many of his rivals like Deputy Chief Officer Leschuder and Director Patrick to stand on the stage.
While from another perspective, it proved that Carl had a good rtionship with people. Although Carls wife was just amon girl and not too outstanding looking to begin with, not everyone was a judgemental person, all of them were giving their blessing to the couple.
Of course, Altily and Jimmy received the same blessings too, despite Leschuders eyes at Jimmy still remaining vignt, nothing would change because today was the wedding of both couples at the same time, all grudges would have to take a rain check.
Sister Moni then went up to the stage and the merry ce turned quiet instantly.
Between light and darkness, there is always a kind of power that never changes.
It will elevate a single power among purity and decadence.
War, famine, and poverty will turn the power into eternity.
Peace, harvest, and abundance will change the power into something precious.
That power is love!
By the witness of the Goddess of Dawn, may these two newlyweds have the power of love forever!
Without further speeches, when the sisters words subsided, the crowd started to cheer, both couples too shared a kiss with their respective partners and beside the hall in a shadowy spot, Kieran was there smiling as well. He too pped softly and sent his blessings to the two newlyweds.
No one heard Kierans ps, just like no one heard his blessing to the couples.
The cheering in the hall had overpowered everything.
Kieran took another nce at Guntherson and Sister Moni before he picked up the backpack beside him and left.
Everyone seemed to wee a decent ending for this dungeon.
St. Paolo School had been scheduled for reconstruction and Sister Moni would continue as principal. She nned to teach every new student with her own ways and this time, the school would not just ept the rich upper society anymore, with the thousand years of umtion from the Church of Dawn, Sister Moni was ready to lower the standard for entry, opening more chances to the less fortunate children.
It might not be a lot at the start but it would eventually be better.
With Guntherson, John, Altily and Jimmy, as well as Carl and his wife in addition to the school security team, it wouldnt take long.
But, Kieran would not be around to see it, his goal wasnt here. He still needed to move forward.
Goodbye, everyone!
Kieran stood in front of the main gate and waved his right hand in a clean manner after pulling up his hood over his head. He didnt even turn around for another nce.
Kieran then strolled away and soon, his figure vanished from sight.
On the stage, Guntherson only turned towards the main gate when Kierans figure vanished.The old guardian knight quietly looked in the direction where Kieran vanished, looking extremely unwilling at the parting.
What a heartless little bastard! He didnt even turn around! And he didnt really address me as teacher... What a bastard!
As Guntherson muttered to himself, his eyes teared up but then he widened his teary eyes in the direction Kieran went off, shouting, Be safe all the way!
His shout overpowered the cheers in the wedding hall and spread out far.
The crowd looked at Guntherson in astonishment.
Someone of them swiftly reacted to what happened and also looked at the direction but they saw nothing already.
After a little while, a faint voice sounded from afar.
Live longer! Wait for me toe back!
When my name is sung under the starry skies, it is the time of my return!
Chapter 877 - Freedom Alliance
Chapter 877: Freedom Alliance
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
[Staying period is up, yer will return to game lobby!]
Without further notifications, when the duration of 12 weeks was up, Kieran who was searching in some base of a certain mystical faction vanished from the dungeon world.
After the blinding light, Kieran couldnt help but sigh when he saw his familiar game room.
Even before Kieran left the wedding, he knew his rewards that wouldnt be as big but he didnt think what he foundter would be so little that it was negligible
All the ces that could be categorized as a mystic gathering spot, including the Church of Light, Kieran had paid all of them a visit but the Church of Light was already an empty shell, it had a lot of gold and jewels but not even one valuable item.
As for the other mystic factions, they had less gold and jewels with only a bit of vague mystical knowledge. Not only was it crude, but all of them were at basic levels. Kieran couldnt even bear to take a second look at them.
A fallen mystical realm!
Going through all the experiences he had for thest few days, Kieran gave a heartfelt sigh.
Then, he recalled the old guardian knight and the elderly sister that lived in that world. His emotions sank deeply right after.
Despite him having promised to return, he knew how hard was it for him to keep that promise.
Kieran didnt n to give up just yet. The unyielding attitude in his heart had determined that Kieran would never easily give up on a certain goal.
Huu!
Kieran took in a deep breath, the gloomy expressions on his face faded swiftly.
He knew he wasnt used to saying goodbye, just like how he didnt fit in with the merry and cheerful situation but he knew what he had to do.
Simr to how he knew he had to be ruthless against his enemies but not merciless for everyone else because he knew how precious friends were.
When he thought about friends, he smiled.
He opened his PM tab andid his backpack down.
When the tab was opened up, the pinging sounded relentlessly, Lawlesss messages were spamming his face.
...
Lawless: Just like you said, that coward bastard Broker dares note out of his room anymore.
Lawless: But me and the others in the Blood Alliance did sweep a lot of his peripheral turfs.
Lawless: Some guilds even started to join our crusade! That guy really pissed off a lot of people.
...
Kieran smirked as he read through Lawlesss nagging.
He nced over each and everyone of the messages without missing any.
Kieran wasnt surprised that Lawless teamed up with the rest of the Blood Alliance.
It was a fact that Allen was Brokers spy but not all of the Blood Alliance was.
Quite the contrary, all those that remained in the Blood Alliances were the ones that really held a grudge against Broker, it would be more than ideal to ask for their help in this.
As for the guilds?
Kieran reserved his opinions on that matter. Perhaps Broker might not be a likeable person but the majority of the factions revolved around profits.
If there werent any profits to talk about, why would the guilds, the organizations with sufficient manpower, attach themselves to all these lone wolf yers?
Kierans eyes continued down his PM tab. He frowned when he saw a message sent by a stranger.
J.Pearlman: Hi, Mr. 2567. I am from Freedom Alliance, I saw your battle with Ghost w Casswell before and I want to invite you to our alliance. If you are interested, please contact me.
Freedom Alliance?
Kieran never heard of the organization before but it didnt stop his interest in this yer, J.Pearlman.
He didnt forget during the battle with Ghost w Casswell, there were two other obvious high-rankers back then observing and one of them even disyed killing intent toward Kieran.
Is that you?
Kieran pondered upon the name and sent a message to Rachel.
...
2567: Heard of Freedom Alliance before?
Rachel: Freedom Alliance? That alliance of high-rankers?
Rachel: Its different from the lone wolf high-rankers that I want to introduce you to but its an organization formed by casual high-rankers. Not too shabby, has a certain level of trust amongst each other and they trade equipment and items of values as well.
Rachel: One of them invited you?
Rachel: Try to consider it.
...
While Kieran was reading the messages, Rachel gave an immediate reply and she also described Freedom Alliance with more details.
After Kieran saw Rachels reply, he continued to press the topic.
...
2567: What about J.Pearlman?
Rachel: The Fisherman is quite a nice person, skilled in fishing and cooking.
2567: Got it.
...
After finishing the conversation with Rachel, Kieran didnt unlock his furrowed brows.
He believed Rachel without a doubt but it would depend on the situation.
Maybe J.Pearlman might look decent on the outside but who could guarantee he didnt possess another dark side?
After experiencing Allens incident, Kierans vignce towards strangers was elevated once again.
But he wouldnt just give up like that because of some slight risk.
He thought for it for some time before replying to J.Pearlman.
...
2567: Can we meet up and discuss?
J.Pearlman: Of course.
J.Pearlman: Harvest Inn?
2567: See you in an hour.
...
Kieran didnt oppose the location suggested for meeting. At the same time, Kieran could tell this J.Pearlman was quite familiar with Rachel as well but he didnt discard the possibility of J.Pearlman being the high-ranker than showed killing intent.
As the thought lingered in his mind, Kieran started to tidy up his equipment and items.
An hourter, Kieran entered Harvest Inn.
He greeted some of the familiar lone wolves before heading straight to the bar.
There, a stranger was chatting happily with Rachel.
When the stranger noticed Kieran walk over, he stood up from the chair right away.
Its nice to see you again, Mr. 2567.
The man was an elder, his voice was deep but it couldnt conceal his age. He had an average height with a set of casual outdoor clothing together with a fishermans hat on top. Beside him was a bag loaded with fishing instruments and a box that was supposed to store fish.
The mans look was quitemon in the real world.
Some retired elders always dressed like that, fishing alongside the river but in the underground game, it rmed Kieran.
However, this elderly fisherman wasnt the high-ranker that showed killing intents toward him, otherwise Kieran would have felt extremely alert right now.
Hi, Mr. J.Pearlman.
You can call me J, or Pearlman. To be fair, I wasnt therest time because of Brokers bounty. I was just there to watch the fun but who wouldve thought I was able to see Mr. 2567 in action, not only did you kill Ghost w, you made me and Hilton run in panic!
There are quite a number of yers who keep asking me about your recently. me Emperor, The Fiery Tyrant, ming Devil, all sorts of titles from the rumours scared them away for good!
J.Pearlman smiled bitterly and said with a self-mocking tone.
But his bitter smile and self-mocking words quietly exined what happened back then and at the same time ttered Kierans power.
However, Kieran did not care about the ttery at all, he was captivated by the other name J.Pearlman mentioned.
Hilton? Can you tell me more about him?
Chapter 878 - Coincidental Encounter
Chapter 878: Coincidental Encounter
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Hilton? He is a high-ranker thats skilled in Strength. He has his own faction as well but not a big one. Around five to sixmon veterans, nothing to worry about. You noticed him because of the battle with Ghost w before? Dont worry, he and I are the same type of people, we love to watch things happen, J. Pearlman said.
Kieran nodded withoutmenting further.
It was the truth that the high-ranker named Hilton only managed a small faction but it was also highly possible that he showed killing intent to KIeran.
Kieran hac absolute confidence in his own Intuition, he would never be wrong about his hunches.
Whats Hiltons faction called? Kieran asked.
The Burning Bottle, J.Pearlman answered.
Then, the topic switched and he started to rope in Kieran in a obvious manner.
Hilton has quite the name among the veterans but for a high-ranker like you, they are not enough, let alone for us Freedom Alliance.
Each of the members of Freedom Alliance is a high-ranker and our casual system doesnt set too many rules on members. All of us like to help out each other, not just trading equipment and items, we even party up to clear dungeons...
While J.Pearlman was promoting his organization relentlessly, Rachel took up her wine ss and was looking at Fisherman with a spurious smile behind her blurred face.
The female inn owner knew what exactly Fisherman was going after. In fact, when Kieran asked her about Fisherman, she knew what the elder wanted to achieve.
me Emperor, Fiery Tyrant, ming Devil!
Even though J.Pearlmans words were a little extravagant, those three titles had started to spread among the high-rankers.
A couple of small groups of high-rankers showed interest at Kieran right away.
After all, a Chosen One high-ranker was not always easy toe by.
More so, Kieran has disyed substantial fighting capabilities, he was not like the other Chosen Ones who were still growing and needed a bigger investment.
Once Kieran joined a certain group, the group would have a sudden jump in battle power, as long as the leaders of the group werent idiots, they would know what to do.
However, Rachel knew it wasnt that easy to persuade Kieran.
The female inn owner had a rather deep experience with Kierans vignt and somewhat doubtful character. Under such circumstances, unless Kieran were toe across another idiot like Lawless, all the other high-rankers were wasting their efforts trying to rope him in.
Rachel didnt care about the conversation after that.
Until J.Pearlman went off, she brought Kieran a low alcohol honeymead.
On the house. So how was the talk?
She ced the honeymead in front of Kieran and picked up another empty wine ss, wiping it before she asked.
So so. Kieran replied as he took the honeymead.
Fisherman is quite a nice person, Rachel said.
Kieran didnt disagree on that point.
Perhaps it was his age or maybe it was his character that drove his motives, J.Pearlman maintained his manners and kind appearnce despite Kieran rejecting his offer.
While he left, J.Pearlman even invited Kieran to fish sometimes but it didnt mean Kieran would join Freedom Alliance.
True, like J.Pearlman said, after Kieran joined an organization, he would have ess to all kinds of conveniences but at the same time he would be bound by a certain level of duties.
Kieran who chose the path of a lone-wolf in the first ce would never tie himself down, even though J.Pearlman was being explicite that Freedom Alliance was a casual organization without too many of rules, nothing would change.
Not too many didnt mean no and as for the convenience he mentioned?
Kieran never had to worry about equipment and items.
The female inn owner in front him was a high-ranker as well and Kieran believed each gathering they held in the inn wasnt just for food and drinks.
Compared to a stranger, Kieran was more willing to trust someone he was familiar with, especially this particr someone that had an unusual rtionship with Lawless.
The help in a party dungeon?
Kieran would beg to be excused for that particr point. It was enough for Kieran since he had partied with strangers once before.
Can you talk to me about the Burning Bottle and this Hilton? Kieran asked while lifting his ss.
Even though he had gotten quite a lot of information from J.Pearlman, he didnt mind knowing more.
A high-ranker that he came across for the first time yet held killing intent toward him wasnt something normal.
One needed to know even Ghost w Casswell who came after Kieran for the bounty only had slightly denser malicious intent.
Theres nothing to talk about with Burning Bottle, everyone would hug and help each other but Hilton, Hilton is not that simple. You can consider him to be apart of the earlier batch that entered the game. That being said, while he was acting quite normal in front of everyone, whether it was benefits, buying equipment and items, he was just like any othermon yer.
Then soon enough, those yers who performed better than him or had more talents than him went missing but this Hilton grew from a newbie to an experienced yer, to a veteran and eventually entered the Advanced Ranks
And after he joined the Advanced Ranks, he had gotten more mysterious. We didnt see him anymore within our small groups but he established his own and roped in some decent newbies. If the number of yers in his group werent too little, Id really think that guy was up to something bad.
Rachel said slowly as she cleaned the wine sses.
While listening to Rachels story, Kieran sipped a mouth of honeymead, savouring the sweetness of his drinkhe smirked slightly.
Sweetness always made a man feel happy, even Kieran.
After another bigger gulp, Kieran squinted his eyes in a pleasant way.
Its a first for me to see someone enjoying honey water to this extent! Are you sure you dont want to try the cocktail that I mixed myself? Or you should really try the real honeymead. When alcohol and honey arebined together, you cant help but want more, Rachel said with a smile when she saw Kierans expression.
This will be enough. At least drinking this lesser version allowed me to clearly analyzed Hiltons secrets and motives. If I was drinking what you rmend, I might have passed out right away.
Kieran didnt conceal his weakness to alcohol.
You little bastard really, you look a lot like someone I knew! Rachel eximed.
Then, she looked behind Kieran, waving and said cksmith, here.
Give me a ss of Ice Lake!
cksmith who was wearing a red mantle greeted Rachel before sitting beside Kieran.
Hi, didnt think Id bump into you here. This rounds on me, Kieran turned around and looked at cksmith in surprise.
Thanks but no thanks, I prefer to pay my own wine, cksmith said without even shaking her head.
Then, before Kieran said anything, she ced [Brutal Lightning Hand] that was embedded with the [Thunder Fall Stone] on the bar.
Kierans attention was instantly captured by the newly embedded [Brutal Lightning Hand].
Chapter 879 - Bounty Reward
Chapter 879: Bounty Reward
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The newly embedded [Brutal Lightning Hand] with its new attributes was presented to Kieran.
[Name: Brutal Lightning Hand (Left Hand)]
[Type: Glove]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Attack: Powerful]
[Defense: Powerful]
[Attribute: 1. Thunder Strike; 2. Chain Lightning; 3. Brutality]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: This is entirely new equipment that has been embedded with the Thunder Fall Stone]
...
[Thunder Strike: Additional Strong rank electric strike following each sessful attack on a target]
[Chain Lightning: Each time you hit the target, there is a certain chance to trigger a Strong rank chain lightning that jumps 3 times (Jumping targets cant be more than 5 meters apart and when all the chain lightning strikes the same target, lightning attack +1)]
[Brutality: After killing a target, glove attack +1 for the next attack; after killing 2 targets in session, Thunder Strike level +1 for the next attack; after killing 3 targets in session, Chain Lighting will trigger for the next attack]
...
Attack and Defense both reached Powerful level, each of the attributes got a bump as well, especially [Brutality] which changed from killing five targets in session to a lowered number of two to three for the buffs. Its more practical now. Plus the new [Chain Lightning], it allows me to fight better in a group battle! Should I say its expected of Legendary equipment? Kieran eximed.
Undoubtedly, the [Thunder Fall Stone] embedded into [Brutal Lightning Hand]s effect had far exceeded his initial expectations.
The increase of rarity, the power-up of original attributes and the new additional attributes were all delightful news to Kieran.
While he was feeling delighted, he rted to more matters with the embedding process.
At the next moment, Kieran turned to cksmith.
If I find another simr attribute gemstones, can you boost a Legendary rank item higher? Kieran asked without holding back.
This time it was a native Legendary rank item. Few of Kierans main equipment were at the native Legendary rank, if he could find simr attributes gemstone and perform embedding, it would be a good increment without a doubt.
After all,pared to the stability of embedding, it was harder to hope for a suitable item to drop in the dungeon world.
You want to embed your greatsword?
cksmith looked at [Arrogant Word] behind Kieran.
Yes. Kieran nodded.
He had the thought for a while now, so there was nothing to hide.
You need to wait a little bit more, my skill levels are still a bit short. Ive some matters to take care off. Ill take my leave now.
Then, cksmith drained the Ice Lake before leaving.
Kieran had got used to cksmiths loner attitude, he didnt feel surprised at all. He too finished the remaining honeymead and entrusted some unwanted equipment for Rachel to sell before making his move.
While tidying the equipment and items Kieran left behind, the female inn owner sighed and shook her head.
What a dumb guy.
...
After leaving Harvest Inn, Kieran hopped on the train in the big city and headed straight to Uruhal Street.
It was closer to Harvest Inn and only took around an hour to get there.
When Kieran disembarked from the train, the scenery before his eyes had drastically changed.
It changed from a small street that had a mixture of medieval architectures to a concrete jungle filled with skyscrapers that pierced the clouds. The tall buildings on both sides of the street cast a shadow over it and only during noon, the sun would hang up high, dispelling the dark shadows in the street.
But for Kieran, he didnt dislike the scenery. Transcendence [Undercover] made him exceptionally fond of shadows.
While standing in the shadows, Kieran was sizing up where his target was: the fourth building on his left.
It was the headquarters of Burning Bottle.
As for the fact that they upied an entire skyscraper despite being a group of less than 10?
It wasnt that much of a surprise in the underground game.
Someone like Kieran didnt mind his game room at all as long as he has a ce to settle down; someone else would be extremely mindful of their own room, whether it wasfortable enough or not while some were even concerned about the grandness or luxuriousness of the premise, especially some yer organizations like the guilds.
The members of the guild would treat locating a grand and magnificent building as their headquarters like main missions in dungeons because it was directly rted to the recruitment of members.
Even though it was wrong to judge a book by its cover, most of the time people did exactly that.
The yers who joined the underground game came from the real world, what made them any different than they were in real life?
That was why the underground game would have so many castles, skyscrapers and even a city within a city.
However, the Burning Bottles headquarters was a little weird.
Quiet! Its surroundings were too quiet!
Kieran stood there for over ten minutes and he didnt even see a yer pass by. The only living beings that entered his sight were a couple of stray animals from the city.
No ones home? Kieran frowned
Though he didnt walk out recklessly but continued waiting patiently.
To Kieran who had a tenacious attitude, waiting wasnt a hard thing for him but the result of the wait was less than pleasant.
Two days!
Kieran waited for two damned days! He was sure Hilton was already gone in the wind.
Not only is he forbearing but extremely cautious. Even if there is the slightest possibility that I will pay him a visit, he chose to leave... I have to mark him down!
Hiltons escape didnt cause Kieran to underestimate his strength; on the contrary, he was more rmed than ever.
He was clear how hard it would be to tangle with such an opponent.
The lion might be strong but it was always on the outside; it was far less dangerous than a venomous viper hiding in the bushes. Once the viper struck, it would be lethal.
So, in order to deal with such a venomous viper, Kieran couldnt afford to let Hiltony low.
He must startle the viper by hitting the bush!
Kieran opened up the message tab to Rachel.
...
2567: Rachel, can I set up a bounty at your ce?
Rachel: What bounty?
2567: I can give the equipment and items that I entrust you as rewards. The bounty is to locate Hilton, any precise details will do.
Rachel: Not a problem.
Rachel: Ill set up the bounty right away.
...
The female inn owner didnt ask much; she agreed to it directly.
It was not rare to see such bounties in Harvest Inn though. The reason why the inn attracted the lone-wolves, other than Lawless, was because the inn must have had something attractive other than the beautiful wine and delicious food from Rachel.
In fact, a lot of mercenary-type yers initially headed to Harvest Inn for bounties.
Of course, the list of bounties didnt include the assassination kind and it was also because of Lawless.
After another nce at Burning Bottles headquarters, Kieran turned away. He believed he would get the information he sought after soon enough.
Even though the big city was huge and never stop expanding, unless Hilton really hid in his room and never came out, otherwise, someone would spot him in the near future.
When a high reward is offered, brave fellows were bound toe forward.
Never doubt the attractiveness of a high bounty reward to yers.
Even more so, the bounty did not require any battle, just a tip would be enough.
Basically, it was open to all yers and Kieran dared not doubt how fast news would spread in Harvest Inn.
Kieran returned to his room and went offline to eat and settle his natures calling before returning to the game.
The moment he logged on the game, his message tab was pining.
It was Lawless.
Chapter 880 - Messy
Chapter 880: Messy
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Massacre!
A massacre between yers was happening in front of Kieran.
Swords and knives shed, guns and cannons were fired.
Screams of agony flooded everywhere as white light shed.
Within a mere minutes, over 20 yers died.
The trigger that incited the massacre was a garden. A garden filled with many kinds of herbs and it was keeping a lot of halfpleted potions.
The herb garden originally belonged to Broker but as he went into hiding in his own room, the garden lost its owner. Even more so, when Lawless brought his group to approach the garden carefully, only then did he realize that the heavy guards that were usually around the garden were all gone, all rted personnel were gone.
What they left behind was a messy herb garden and many halfpleted potions and it was those things that triggered the massacre.
When one of the yers bagged the herbs and potion, the fight broke out.
The battle started off on a small scale between a few yers and in less than 2 minutes, the battle escted to guild battle.
Damn it! I have a feeling that all of these unnecessary battles were all set up by that bastard Broker! Not only these two guilds, but there are also many other fights that broke out on his other properties!
Lawless cursed Broker when he received the newest update on the situation. He took a puff on his cigar and asked, What now?
That bastard is much more ruthless than I thought. Believe me, Broker isnt a guy that is willing to give up his benefits out without a fight. Soon, he will retrieve everything hes lost, plus interest! Kieran said in a heavy tone as he watched the fight further away.
He knew after this kind of massacre, the guilds formed by the yers would have suffered huge losses and when Broker decided to counterattack, they would only be able to do so much then.
If the guilds didnt fall with a single blow from Broker by then, they really had some strong support behind them.
Obviously, Lawless knew about this.
Ill transmit the situation here to those guys, hoping that it will calm them down a bit.
Lawless then started to contact those guildmaster that he was familiar with.
Looking at his friend, Kieran secretly shook his head.
The situation at hand wasnt something that could stop with some persuasive words anymore.
Stopping these bloodthirsty yers from killing each other?
Unless Kieran were to intervene with his own hands, it wasnt possible.
However, Kieran believed even if he intervened, the situation would not turn for the better but will instead go downhill faster.
Besides, judging from Brokers character, hed really hope Kieran and Lawless along with the others were involved.
People die for wealth; birds die for food.
Kieran could already picture what kind of rumors would be waiting for him if he went and stopped the yers from killing each other and imed the ce for himself.
2567 found Legendary weapons in Brokers secret base!
2567 found Legendary skill books in Brokers secret base!
Such rumours would definitely spread like wildfire among yers and Kieran believed if Broker could give up all these existing properties just like that, then he must have prepared for everything.
He might really ce one or two Legendary items in some of the ces.
However, it didnt mean Kieran would stay away and do nothing either.
Tell those guildmasters to be wary of those yers or factions who looting the things in the locations or inciting further conflict. They might be the spies Broker left behind, Kieran said.
Lawless was stunned for a fraction of a second before reacting to the situation.
He quickly turned Kierans advise into written message and sent them off to the guildmasters but the few replies he got in return were enough to exin the situation.
These good-for-nothing bastards!
Lawless was so upset by the replies he punched the wall beside him.
Huuha, huuha!
His heavy breaths made him look like a raging ox; it went on for almost 20 seconds before he calmed down.
What is Broker going after? Lawless thought about the question the moment he returned to his usual self.
I dont know. Do you know any of those yers who worked together with Broker in the bazaar? Kieran asked.
Kieran really had no idea what Broker was trying to do right now, despite him having guesses but that was it.
Compared to wild guesses, he was more willing to take things upon himself in order to gather more information about the situation.
I dont know but I know someone who does! Lawless replied.
Starbeck? Kieran reacted immediately.
Yup! Follow me, we shall have a chat with him. Lawless then turned around to the train station.
Kieran followed.
...
The meeting with Starbeck went smoothly.
Kieran and Lawless saw Starbeck in an extremelymon vi equipped with a garden.
Though the term mon was only valid when it was used with Starbecks identity.
Kieran originally thought Starbeck would be inside a pce, living like a prince, not wearing casual clothings with an apron, tending to his small garden.
Looking at Starbeck with his scissors and sprinkling can, meticulously taking care of his bonsai nts, Kieran was slightly stunned. The mimosa under the back light had an extremely tranquil presence, just like a small white flower under the first light.
Kieran raised a brow and turned to his friend beside him.
Lawless however pretended like nothing happened and went straight in.
Sup, Starbeck. Can you introduce us to those wealthy yers that worked with Broker in his little bazaar?
Lawless cut straight to the point after greeting Starbeck.
What happened? Starbeck lowered his gardening tools and looked at Lawless in a confused look.
Lawless then turned to Kieran and after Kieran nodded, he immediately exined what happened.
I see. Starbeck gave a long sigh.
You know any of them? Faster, tell me what happend!
Lawless was stunned by the long sigh before being overwhelmed with joy.
Im sorry. I have a contract with Broker. I cant reveal the details to a third person. Who wouldve known Broker would have scruples against you, 2567. Theres a high chance that you might be the few of them, Starbeck said in an apologetic tone before sizing up Kieran with an unusual gaze.
The unusual gaze reminded Kieran of the gaze from someone who had discovered some precious treasure.
Uncontrobly, Kieran frowned but he didnt pressure Starbeck anymore.
As a yer, he knew the power of the contract.
That piece of no good sh*t! Cunning bastard merchant! Lawless said with gnashing teeth before throwing his fist in the air.
Even though Lawless didnt mean anything by it, Starbecks character was still frightened by the sudden fist throw, he almost fell to the ground.
Fortunately, Kieran was there to prevent that from happening.
Thanks. My character always gets me in trouble...
Before he could finish, Starbecks body was trembling hard all of a sudden as though he saw something terrifying.
At the same time, Kieran that felt his chest was getting hot.
The [de of the Daybreaker (Sub Scroll)] flew out on its own.
Chapter 881 - Missed Something
Chapter 881: Missed Something
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The scroll flew out and ced itself before Kieran.
Then, on the cooldown column, [5/10] quickly blurred out and it increased to [6/10]!
That was still not the end though, looking at the quickly changing cooldown counter, Kieran squinted his eyes and turned to Starbeck.
The mimosa at that moment was more terrified than ever, his body was shivering non-stop.
In front of Starbeck, there was also another scroll that flew out, it wasid open and the cooldown counter also changed as well.
Huuu!
Kieran took in a deep breath saying, If you dont want to die, bring every piece of equipment and item that can save your life, we will start the dungeon right now!
B-But...But...
T-This...is...
Starbeck who was in a state of stupefaction stuttered intensely.
Now! Kieran said in a heavy tone.
A sudden terrifying aura erupted from Kieran, the pungent sulfuric smell even filled noses.
Starbeck dared not object at all and quickly moved as he was ordered.
What is going on?
The astonishment in Lawlesss eyes was hard to conceal. He knew Kieran had the [de of the Daybreaker (Sub Scroll)] and Starbeck had the [de of the Daybreaker (Main Scroll)] but he never thought it would change this way: the unique title mission main scroll didnt even require its owner to experience a dungeon run yet the cooldown number changed.
Must be Brokers nasty work! Is Starbecks sixth dungeon limit almost up?
Kieran didnt answer Lawless, he asked himself instead.
Yes, a few more days, we are already preparing for it... YOUE SAYING?!
Lawless answered out of habit but the moment the words escaped his mouth, he suddenly realized something. He couldnt help but widen his eyes in Kierans direction.
Yes, thats what that bastard is nning to do.
Starbecks dungeon limit is almost up after a few days and I dont think that bastard picked this time out of coincidence. He was not satisfied with the title Broker, he wanted another, de of the Daybreaker! More so, he can kill two birds with one stone by removing me, the thorn in his side! That is why he and his men disappeared without a trace recently because they are using some special method to hasten the opening of de of the Daybreaker and maybe even... change the dungeon itself!
Kieran took a deep breath and replied to his good friends confused gaze.
But, how? Lawless was still unwilling to believe.
What how? The underground game has items that we cant even imagine that allow you to enter a dungeon via special means, even though the dungeon is a Unique Title dungeon, its not impossible.
Kieran was quite confident in his understanding ofwhat was going on since he used [Emerders Deal] before.
Based on [Emerders Deal], as long as one paid the appropriate cost, it wasnt that hard to enter any dungeon they desired.
What were the things that Broker had an abundance of?
Points! Skill Points! Equipment, items!
These were the things thatmon yers sought after like a flock of ducks; although Broker couldnt get as much as he wanted, it would still be enough for him to do something, more so...
Kieran suddenly realized something and he looked at his friend again.
Have you ever thought of the effect of a Unique Title?
Themon titles that we have would give us some benefits, but what about the Unique Title?
The title of Witch made people tremble with fear because she represented absolute power and ughter that people dreaded.
The title Broker, on the other hand, was always neglected by people because he hid himself very well, or was it his title effect that made others instinctively neglect him. What he had built was all business connected, most of the time yers dealt with him in trades of items but other than that, what do people think of him? Kieran asked.
Cunning but always has the good stuff? Lawless answered in an uncertain tone.
Thats right! Cunning, but always has the good stuff! This is the first impression from most people. Even though it was expensive, he does have all the good stuff. But does anyone think about where he got all the good stuff? Or did anyone reach out to the yers that sold him the good stuff? Kieran continued.
Having one or two good equipment and selling them to Broker wasnt anything weird. If Kieran didnt have Lawlesss help, he would do so as well but were there yers that sold their top tier items to Broker every time they acquired them? It wasnt realistic.
As yers dungeon entry numbers increased, so would their knowledge and experience. Especially during the auction in the secret bazaar, it was all public to the veterans and all of them would get their items appraised for their value, so there would be no cheap selling anymore.
So, if Broker wanted to buy things at a cheaper price than the market, it was quite impossible.
Still, under these circumstances, why did Broker look like he was earning an astronomical amount of Points and Skill Points?
Other than a heavy disguise, there was only one route left for him: Broker had a channel that allowed him to acquire arge amount of equipment and items in a fairer price.
Where did this channele from then?
The meaning of the title Broker itself was self-exnatory enough.
You are saying? Lawless looked at Kieran with a look full of disbelief.
It should be what you are thinking right now. Broker, a Unique Title rted to reselling to earn profit but everyone was paying attention to his reselling but neglected his source of getting all those items. In addition tothat cunning bastards arrangements, even if someone did a background check on him, they would be mislead to believe he had a steady flow of yers channel and naturally forgot about the most impossible answer: buying all his items from the systems Shop!
As the holder of a Unique Title, its reasonable for him to buy something from the Shop thatmon yers cant see and cant buy since it is a one-of-a-kind existence!
Kieran smiled coldly when he saw the cooldown number on his sub scroll increased from [6/10] to [7/10].
That is why he wanted to get another Unique Title! An anciry type title Broker has benefited him in every way possible and if he has another, obviously an offensive type title, de of the Daybreaker, its like adding wings to a tiger! Then, it will be easy for him to be the next Witch!
This Goddamn bastard, having such a big ambition! Lawless cursed.
Ill gather the manpower and go in the dungeon with you guys!
Lawless said right after he finished cursing but at the next moment, Lawless cursed in a more furious manner, Why cant we party up?
It must be that bastards nasty work again! They must have foreseen the changes at hand, so he knew how we would react to this: using our own average dungeon entry number to prevent his alteration. But he will not allow us to easily change that, a bunch of people carrying the coward Starbeck through the dungeon, despite how hard it will be, it wasnt dangerous. What if I alone had to carry Starbeck?
Truth be told, if it wasnt impossible, I believe he might have isted Starbeckpletely but he missed one thing, Kieran said calmly.
What thing? Lawless was stunned.
Kieran pointed at Starbeck who came back.
TL Note:
The dungeon limit mentioned for Starbeck is the one yer needs to enter a dungeon at least once in 3 months. Now Kieran wanted to help Starbeck to clear the dungeon because of the previous agreement and also the pressing matter of the title dungeon.
Chapter 882 - Seize Every Moment
Chapter 882: Seize Every Moment
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Starbeck who was pointed at by Kieran stood there nkly, he waspletely lost.
Lawless, on the other hand, opened his mouth.
Are you sure, 2567? Starbecks balls are...
Before Lawless even finished, the meaning was made clear and as one of the veterans, Lawless knew how troublesome would it be to carry a coward through a dungeon run; any slight misstep and they would end up in a million pieces.
Starbecks gaze was dimmed but he couldnt refute thement about him because it was the truth, there was no space for him to refute at all.
He is a coward alright but it didnt mean he has no strength at all. Just like how we are all attracted by Brokers business capabilities but neglected his true nature. The Starbeck we see now is indeed a coward but we havent seen any of the resources he controlled!
Kieran pointed at Starbeck again.
If I ce you and Starbeck in a deathmatch coliseum, I would bet for Starbecks victory... because when you really damage him it will be your end!
Just look at Starbecks equipment! Six rings engraved with defensive and healing runes. A ne that seems to be covered up by amon outer coat yet it gives out extreme negative energy. The belt has simr to Agile and Nimble rune engraving as well and his pants should be made out of some kind of beast hide because it gives me the chills, plus these boots... If I am not wrong, it should have some teleportation runes engraved on it right?
Most importantly, this isnt his whole arsenal. You want to know what he keeps in his potion satchel at his waist?
Kieran looked at his friend that was dumbstruck by his words, he added a sense of teasing in his words.
Then, Kieran looked at Starbeck with unconceble surprise.
Kieran had a hunch that with Starbecks wealth, he would surely fully equip himself and yet the equipment on him was too shocking.
Every equipment and item were at least Rare rank and above; most of his arsenal was at Legendary rank and he also had two Advanced Rank equipment, which was I rank and above.
With extraordinary Intuition and Pro level [Mystical Knowledge], plus a whole lot of simr ranked items and equipment as a reference, Kieran would not be wrong about this.
The seemingly normal outer coat on Starbeck was actually a piece of Advanced Rank equipment. Likewise, the other equipment that could emanate its own aura under the presence of Advanced Rank equipment would not be any lower either, let alone the things inside the waist satchel.
Even with Kierans current Intuition and Pro [Mystical Knowledge] he couldnt seem to grasp a clue about the contents of the satchel.
So, there was only two exnation for this: One, the contents in the satchel were toomon; Two, the contents were far from what he could imagine.
With a whole bunch of Rare, Legendary, and Advanced Rank items and equipment as an example, Kieran leaned towards thetter.
What rank were the items inside Starbecks satchel? Or rather, what kind of items could the Advanced Rank satchel hold?
Kieran was wondering in his heart while his eyes were glued to Starbeck.
Starbeck panicked when he was being sized up by Kieran and almost out of instinct, he moved his steps slightly towards Lawless, trying to hide behind his big body to block Kierans gaze.
However, when Starbeck saw Lawlesss even more ferocious eyes, he immediately changed his mind and moved behind Kieran quickly. He stuck his head out and stared at Lawless with caution.
Starbeck would hide behind Kieran whenever Lawless acted against him, but now?
It seemed like because of Kierans words, Starbeck had gotten some courage to stick his head out.
I-Ill try my best to support 2567, Starbeck said.
Wipe your tears and snot and you might be a little more convincing, Lawless grunted coldly.
Starbeck shrunk behind Kieran like a quail bird right away; Lawless didnt bother with him anymore.
Lawless then turned to Kieran, Feel any confidence?
Yup, at least my next dungeon is a special one, not an entirely new world, Kieran answered.
Hmmm. Lawless nodded before he headed outside.
When Lawless opened the door and Starbeck saw the situation outside, he shrunk back behind Kieran as he trembled.
Robots! Hundreds of robots were emanating a cold luster under the bright sunlight!
So its that bastards nasty work!
Looking at all the robots in their sight, Kieran and Lawless exchanged a nce.
Lawless then smirked, the scene was within his expectations.
Since Broker decided to go after his biggest employer after their rtionship went south, it would be natural that Broker showed no mercy and trying to prevent Kieran from bringing Starbeck back to his room was also a must for him.
2567, Ill give you a boost.
Lets hope Lady Luck is on my side today!
Then, Lawless took out a die that had all sorts of weapon icons printed on each side.
He hurled it up to the sky and when it fell back down on the ground, itnded on the side of a Gatling gun icon.
Lucky!
As the die vanished, Lawless took out another cigar from his pocket.
Can you spare a light mate?
Sure.
Kieran lifted his left hand and started a small me in front of the cigar.
Lawless took a deep breath, igniting the cigar and the smoke swirled around his face right away.
As Lawless was bathing himself in the aromatic scent of the seemingly alcoholic cigar, he took two Gatling guns out of his backpack. He lifted the Gatling guns up and aimed straight at the robot crowd.
A faint brilliance flowed out of Lawlesss hands and was infused into his Gatling guns and bullets through a ribbon that he ced around his finger near the trigger.
The brilliance slightly changed the gun body and the bullets as if it was infused and when Lawless pulled the trigger...
Dak Dak Dak Dak Dak Dak Dak!
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
The shooting and explosions sounded off together. The mighty stream of bullets instantly tore apart the defense line of the robots.
Kieran grabbed Starbeck and disappeared in a sh.
The robots were not a problem for Kieran but he didnt have time to tangle with them right now.
The cooldown counter on [de of the Daybreaker (Sub Scroll)] was increasing gradually, it was slower than previously when it turned from [6/10] to [7/10] but it didnt exactly stop.
Kieran needed to seize every moment he had and fortunately, he had Lawless moving with him.
Lawless turned around at looked at the direction where Kieran disappeared, he took a deep puff from his cigar once more before turning back to the robots that were swarming at him.
Heughed viciously, Hey you punk ass metal heads,e to daddy! Daddy will serve you boiling hot soup with bullets!
Triggers were squeezed, muzzle shes were flickering.
Bullets were dancing and shells were sshing everywhere.
No one noticed tht the bullet shells sshed on the ground were rolling backward, silently forming the face of an elder.
Lawless who was holding the robots back didnt notice it; the robots who were executing their orders didnt notice it.
The elderly face that was formed by the bullet shells just quietly looked at Lawless.
A secondter, the elderly face revealed a satisfied smile.
Somehow after that smile, the firepower from the Gatling guns had gotten stronger suddenly and the brilliance on Lawless hand started to spread out to his arms.
Chapter 883 - The Distant Naveya City.
Chapter 883: The Distant Naveya City.
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Words started to pile up before Kierans eyes as he traveled through the blinding light and gravity was lost.
[Entering Party Dungeon!]
[Special Dungeon: Party]
[Party Members: 2]
[Party leader 2567 that initiated the special dungeon has 5 dungeon entry count; Party member Starbeck has 6 dungeon entry count]
[Calcting Special Dungeon difficulty...]
[Party member has dungeon entry count that surpass the Special Dungeon...]
[Difficulty confirmed: 5th dungeon]
[Background: You have entered Naveya City and are involved in huge unexpected trouble but this is just the start...]
[Main Mission: You need to be in Naveya City for 4 weeks and make sure you and your party members identities arent exposed; remaining time: 0/28]
[Acquired temporarynguage pack, Disappears upon exiting the dungeon.]
[Clothing, backpack, weapons, and other items remain unchanged, Temporarily altered appearance, Returns to normal upon exiting the dungeon]
[Detected firearms and grenade do not match the dungeon period, power decrease 90%. When you entered the dungeon, you will bepensated with corresponding skills. (Compensated skills cant be leveled up and will disappear upon exit of the dungeon]
[Note 1: This is a special dungeon and because you have reach I rank, you can not fail the main mission. Once you fail, its game over!]
[Note 2: Party members main mission and punishment (if fail) will be determined by their own dungeon entry count.]
...
As the blinding light faded, Kieran appeared in a broken small house.
There was a big hole on top of the roof, allowing a direct view of the two full moons hanging in the sky.
One was greenish white and the other was eerily purple.
The drastically contrasting moonlight shined through the hole into the house. Starbeck who Kieran advised to use some items to suppress his presence quickly did so while Kieran himself stepped into the shadows like water returning to the sea.
Transcendence and above [Undercover] with the addition of [Dark Movement Technique] allowed Kierans hiding techniques to go through drastic changes despite thetter only being at the Basic level.
Kieran was sensing his surroundings.
When he noticed that the dangerous presence that pressured himst time wasnt here, he was relieved from the bottom of his heart; he then waved at Starbeck.
Kieran did carefully read through Introduction to Naveya City, Analytics of the temples developments in Naveya City, and Distributions of underground factions of Naveya City, so he was very clear on where the dangerous presence originated from.
The temples!
One of the 25 temples of various sizes that was scattered throughout Naveya City.
But of course, for Kieran at his current power level, that dangerous presence back then was really nothing, still, Kieran had to be careful because the Gods that were worshiped in the temples did not go into slumber nor go away but...
They really existed!
Divine miracles woulde from the Gods asionally as well.
Kieran knew what it mean: real Gods!
After the battle with Aco, Kieran had a deeper understanding of the so-called Gods, the divine beings.
A God without its divine position, a broken divinity and a flickering divine me in addition to suffering consecutively from repulsion still possessed powers simr to a high-ranker.
So what would a God with its divine position,plete divinity, and a zing divine me be like?
The simple of thought of it caused Kieran to frown. That was why Kieran brought Starbeck together into this dungeon and not the Fire Raven, despite the Fire Raven having quite the supportive abilities.
The reason was the Fire Ravens outlook and its praiseworthy abilities were all too eye-catching.
Kieran knew what was the biggest disadvantage he has in the current dungeon world: identity!
His identity could not afford being searched or investigated, any simple investigation would expose him as an outsider.
Kieran had no need to doubt the priest in the temples and their means; anyone rted to Gods could no longer be exined bymon sense.
Look at the main mission: [You need to be in Naveya City for 4 weeks and make sure you and your party members identities are not exposed].
It might seem extremely easy but the fact that it was a 5th dungeon difficulty, it was enough for Kieran to be more careful than ever.
Follow me!
Kieran then carefully pushed open the broken houses door.
There was nothing noteworthy inside the broken house though; no furniture, no decorations, and not only was the roof broken, the floor was as well.
The humid and tough ground beneath the wooden flooring notified Kieran that there was no underground basement in there.
Starbeck carefully followed behind Kieran, keeping as quiet as possible.
Truth be told, after Starbeck learned from Kieran that there were Gods in this dungeon world, the mimosa was frightened to his core. He even tried to suggest finding other ways to prevent his uing death because of the limit but when he realized Kierans aura had changed and he picked up the sulfuric stench, he was smart enough to obey.
He didnt know Kierans n, not even what he wanted to do next. All he could do was shiver and follow behind Kieran.
Fortunately, although they ran into two groups of fully armed patrolling soldiers, suchmon patrolling soldiers even with their torch raised couldnt see through the hiding effect from Starbecks item.
After moving forward for another ten plus minutes, Starbeck realized the terrain had switched from dirt to pebbles. The surface of the pebbled ground even became clean, not filled with mud, puddles, or garbage anymore.
When a small house made entirely out of stone appeared, Kieran finally halted.
This is where we are heading? 2567, you seem to be very familiar with this ce.
Starbeck thought in his mind while he kept Kierans back within his sight.
As for asking him directly, the mimosa didnt have the guts to do so.
Just like that, when Kieran signaled him to walk over, despite Starbecks heart being scared, he still followed his orders and went over as his body shivered.
Kieran took a nce at him; his heart was at aplete loss formenting on Starbeck.
Kieran even noticed when his gazended directly at Starbeck, Starbeck trembled even harder.
If I say he is as cowardly as a mouse, I might be insulting the mouse instead... Kieran couldnt help but shake his head.
If there was any other possible option, he definitely wouldnt party up with this coward but reality would not bend based on a single persons will.
Others couldnt alter the eventsthat had already happened, neither could Kieran.
All he did was take a deep breath to regte his own emotions.
Then, Kieran knocked on the stone door.
Dok Dok, Dok.
It wasnt a casual knock but a rhythmic one.
The stone-made door produced heavy thuds following the knocks, even though it was a quiet night, the sound couldnt reach far.
It seemed like the stone door was specially treated. Even though the look of the door has no difference from any other, its specialized material allowed it to absorb sound. Unless one were to be very close when the knocking happened, it was as good as silent.
After knocking, Kieran stood before the stone door, waiting patiently and after a while, a door was opened up.
It wasnt the stone door before him though but the door from the other two-storey civilian house behind him.
A hunchback, one-eyed old man with a hood over his head that covered most of his face appeared behind the door and waved at Kieran and Starbeck.
Come in! You know the rules, dont cause any trouble! Otherwise, you will regret that you came into this world!
After the seemingly violent threat, the old man moved aside and revealed the path inside his house.
Kieran dragged Starbeck who was frozen by the threat along and went inside.
When the door closed, the passage to the underground was opened up right after; mors came from below.
Chapter 884 - Oak Hand
Chapter 884: Oak Hand
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
After the secret passage was opened up and the torch shined light into it, a flight of stairs was revealed.
The hunchback, one-eyed old man stepped aside and didnt even bat an eye at Kieran and Starbeck anymore, as if he fell asleep.
However, in Kierans eyes, the old man had tightened his muscles, ready to strike.
Kieran was clear if they really stepped into the passage down the stairs, they would be weed by furious attacks from the old man and the vicious traps underneath the passageway.
Inside Distributions of underground factions of Naveya City, Kieran had precisely read lots about the organization before his eyes now: Oak Hand.
Perhaps they might not be the strongest among the gangs in Naveya City but they were definitely one of the most, if not the most, cautious.
That was why they were able to develop over the past 20 years quietly under the deeply rooted temple factions.
Compared to a real faction of traditional roots, the years that Oak Hand had been around would only allow them to be considered as a young bud, but that was extremely difficult in Naveya City.
One needed to know the biggest gang faction inside Naveya City, the Emerald Rock, had only been established for less than 5 years.
In fact, the book mentioned that most of the people thought that if Oak Hand had no intentions of bing the biggest faction in Naveya, the so-called Emerald Rock will not be around.
As though Kieran was insulted, he stepped up to the old man, looked down at his hunchback, one-eyed figure and asked with a cold tone, Since when did Oak Hand be so impolite?
Kieran slightly showed off his killing intent as he spoke; no devil, no cardinal sins, only the one originating from himself.
Still, it made the old man stagger backwards. In the old mans eyes, Kierans figure was long gone and what he saw was the charging of a myriad of soldiers and horses.
Iron flowed like the rapid current; blood stained the battlefield like the setting sun.
The aura of a true warrior that had fought in the battlefield caused the old mans only eye to widen.
He managed to get a hold of the wooden wall beside him, thus saving himself from an ugly fall but he was still rendered speechless under Kierans pressuring aura.
Until Kieran put away his killing intent, the old man panted heavily as though he was a drowning victim being rescued.
P-Please forgive me dear sir! We dont mean any disrespect! But that thing happened recently forced us to take extra precautions! As you may have know, the reason why Oak Hand has always been around is because of our vignce.
The hunchback, one-eyed old man panted hard before standing properly in front of Kieran in a respectful manner.
A gatekeeper like the old man might only possessmon battle capabilities but had sharp eyesight that surpassed others. Surely he knew what kind of people he could afford to provoke and what kind he couldnt. Kieran, the warrior that came from the battlefield was definitely one of the people the old man couldnt handle.
That thing? What thing?
Starbeck who was silent for a quite a while suddenly opened his mouth.
The mimosa tried to maintain a steady tone, suppressing his trembling voice and purposely spoke slowly; he sounded like someone that was trying to fake some kind of ent.
However when Kieran took a step back and whispered to the mimosas ear, his fake ent became thought-provoking. At least the Oak Hand gatekeeper saw the scene and his remaining eyes was glimmering.
My dear lord, are you curious about it? I guess you must have stayed in your familys manor for quite a while, otherwise, you must have heard about some reckless fools that stole the Holy Thorn Grail two weeks ago. Because of this incident, we have to be more careful than ever. After all, the folks at Thorn Temple have been crazy about finding the ones who stole it and the likes of us are the ones they showed extra care. The Oak Hand gatekeeper said with half ttery, half exning but his words didnt sound like he was trying to probe for information.
Although the gatekeeper was curious about where Kieran and Starbeck came from, he knew how to guarantee his own safety.
As for the news of the stolen Holy Thorn Grail?
It was the news that was two weeks old, it didnt hold much value anymore. Most of the slightly capable people would know what happened.
Dear sir, dear lord, please, follow me!
The gatekeeper then stepped into the passage.
The Holy Thorn Grail was stolen two weeks ago? Is it the time where I disappeared? Or earlier than that?
Kieran was pondering upon the matter as he looked at the hunchbacked figure.
Although because of the dungeon clear special rewards, Kieran wasntpletely in the dark about Naveya City, yet he still couldnt be certain of the timing.
Last time with Tikis help, he entered this ce in a hurry and didnt get to know more. This was also the reason why Kieran chose Oak Hand as the target to approach; he wanted to know more.
Kieran went down along the stairs and arrived at one end of a corridor that was almost10 meters long.
Despite the poor lighting, the whole corridor seemed very dark but Kieran still clearly spotted holes hidden in the wall seams; sharp presences wereing from behind the holes.
What were the empty holes for?
The answer was self-exnatory. The arrows that were hidden inside could turn anyone who crossed the corridor into a hedgehog.
Starbeck too spotted the holes; his body shivered.
Out of instinct, Starbeck turned to Kieran and what he got in reply was a cold gaze that intensified his pressure.
Starbeck always felt like he was looking at a lifeless body or a pebble beside the road when he caught Kierans cold gaze. Whichever it was, it frightened him.
I cant make 2567 angry! I need him to ovee the obstacle! If I leave him, I will be dead!
The sane part of his mind mustered up enough effort to suppress the panic from the scares.
We are disguising as a young master and attendant from a big family in this trip. The attendant has to fulfill the young masters curiosity and with the young masters begging, the attendant brought the young master on a road trip to Naveya City, allowing him to have some experience. While I as the young master has to act stupid, trying to get as much information as possible...
Starbeck slightly breathed and repeated the n that Kieran told him before in his mind.
When the mimosa lifted his head up, the group had arrived at the other end of the corridor.
The hunchbacked gatekeeper knocked on the door a few times in a way that only hisrade would know.
Tssk Ga!
One of the two tightly shut wooden doors was opened up from the inside.
Instantly the moring noises multiplied, the hall inside was well-lit.
A small hall crowded with people appeared before Starbecks sight. He would have thought he arrived at a morning market if it wasnt for the vicious looking people with swords and knives around them.
The scene before him and how he pictured a gangs base waspletely different.
The mimosa looked left and right, up and down out of curiosity.
Compared to the curious mimosa, Kieran stood beside him calmly and exined softly to his young master.
From Distributions of underground factions of Naveya City, Kieran knew that Oak Hand as the longest running gang in Naveya City didnt just go around collecting protection fee that simple; its main source of operation was running the ck market.
No doubt the scene before him was a ck market gathering.
So this is the ck market! So will that stolen Holy Thorn Grail be here somehow?
The mimosa went along with the n, asking naively.
Chapter 885 - “Hero” Algor
Chapter 885: Hero Algor
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Starbecks voice wasnt loud or soft but it was audible enough for the people around him to hear him clearly.
Right away, the people around himughed.
Hey, young master! Come, I have the Holy Thorn Grail!
Dont listen to him! The real Holy Thorn Grail is with me!
Simr words of mocking sounded from a few of the men at the same time.
Shut it!
Kieran shouted just at the right moment and stepped up in front Starbeck, blocking him from the others. His aura that once terrified the gatekeeper appeared and enveloped the ce again.
Compared to the gatekeeper, these men before him were even worse.
Each of them was frightened as if they were rabbits being hunted by a tiger; no one dared to even move a muscle.
Until Kieran brought Starbeck away, only then did men fall to the ground with sweat erupting from their bodies.
Terrifying aura!
How many has he killed before?
A butcher down to the bones!
The discussion about Kierans presence didnt stop even after Kieran brought Starbeck away; quite the contrary, the discussion became fiercer and it was only natural that more and more people noticed Kieran and Starbeck.
After all, it wasnt the first time a young master or young missy from a big family appeared in Oak Hands turf, nothing was out of the blue.
Sometimes, these men presented themselves as ferocious thugs but most of the time, they knew who they should bare fangs in front of.
While feeling the gazes moving away from him, Kieran looked at Starbeck and nodded silently.
The mimosa performed better than he had expected. Not only were the people who participated in the ck market gathering fooled, but even the organizer was also fooled.
Oak Hands supervising personnel werent just limited to that hunchbacked gatekeeper, there were a few more guard-like men mingling in the crowd.
The moment Kieran entered the small hall, he instantly sensed the rmed gazes that were focused on him and until Starbeck pretended to be naive ording to n, the gazes only faded away.
Young master, as you see, there is really nothing here. If you may, lets get away from this ce as fast as possible. If the master realizes you are gone, you are not just being grounded!
Kieran yed his role of attendant, butler, and bodyguard very well but it also acted as the secret code between them, meaning: the first step was clear, proceed to the next step.
Lets wait for a little while, I want to have another look. Dont worry, Ill time our trip, we will get back in time. Starbeck pretended like there were too many things for him to see and didnt want to leave.
Then before his loyal attendant said anything, the young master ran to a booth and picked something up, starting to chat with the owner.
The owner of the booth didnt reject the chat though, despite Starbecks questions being childish and most of the things he would ask being general knowledge for the people who dealt in the ck market.
But didnt it perfectly suite Starbecks identity as an ignorant young master?
Besides, swindling an ignorant rich young master was easier than negotiating with some experienced veterans.
At the end, when the booth owner received a golden pearl as big as his pinky, his grinned from ear to ear.
When the people around saw the golden pearl in the booth owners hand, they started to believe Starbecks identity as some rich young master; likewise, their eyes at him started to turn hot as well.
With Kieran, a powerful attendant beside Starbeck, they couldnt really utilize any special means but they could trade fairly as well.
Therefore, whenever Starbeck stopped in front of a booth, the booth owner would treat him with the utmost hospitality.
Basically, the booth owner would answer anything that the young master asked.
Soon enough, Kieran finally understood the incident of the stolen Holy Thorn Grail that he was so concerned about from the many conversations between Starbeck and the booth owners.
The incident had big ties to Kieran to the point that if without Kieran, the thief might not have been able to steal the Holy Thorn Grail.
Last time when I arrived in Naveya City, those patrolling guards with all those deliberate nning were obviously waiting for the thief but they ran into me! And after I attracted their attention, the real thief sessfully stole the Holy Thorn Grail and I was assumed as his aplice, but...
Was it pure coincidence that I appeared at that timing or is this Tikis poor taste in pranking me?
Kierans gears in his mind were spinning fast. He who never believed in coincidences tended to lean towards thetter.
If it was thetter option, its natural that the thief might have unsevered ties with Tiki.
Who is it? And what is this ce to Tiki? Or Nikorei?
Countless thoughts entered Kierans mind but guessing blindly without enough evidence would bear him no fruit.
After a slight gasp, Kieran suppressed the messy guess, for the time being, his gaze returned to the surroundings, focusing on the things at hand.
He already had a general understanding of the incident, so the next step would be locating temporary lodging, nning his next step.
As for living through 28 days peacefully, it wasnt what Kieran wanted, even if he had to carry Starbeck.
Kieran knew how important the special dungeon was, so he wouldnt just simply give up on any dungeon, let alone this special dungeon that was the fourth sequel of [The Shamans Partner] where its rewards would only get better and better.
Before entering this dungeon world, Kieran had briefly exined it to Starbeck.
Starbeck, on the other hand, had no objections to Kierans motives but of course, even if he did, his level of courage wouldnt allow him to voice them, just like how he was trying his best to obey Kierans orders, putting the performance of his life.
Young master, do you need a sculpture of the Hero Algor? It only cost a single gold pearl!
As the words echoed in their ears, a booth owner went over to Kieran and Starbeck with a sculpture.
It was a sculpture of a head; without a body or arms.
However, even with only a head, anyone who saw it could already feel the stern unyielding manner of this Hero Algor and together with the contour of the face structure, it granted the sculpture an extra sense of valiant.
No doubt the sculpture was the craft from a master, otherwise, it wouldnt look so lively.
Starbeck didnt give a second thought and took the head sculpture in his hands; he signaled Kieran to pay up but Kieran didnt follow his orders like before.
Young master, we already have a lot of Hero Algors sculptures in the manor, why add another to the bulk? Please return the sculpture to this sir here.
Although it was just in asking, Kierans tone sounded stern.
Starbeck instinctively pushed the sculpture back to the man but the man didnt take it back, he turned around and ran without even asking for the gold pearl.
Chapter 886 - Slot
Chapter 886: Slot
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran lifted his foot.
The sculpture in Starbecks hand instantly flew towards the running man like an arrow let loose, smashing his head.
Bang!
The man plunged to the floor, so did the sculpture.
Pak!
The head sculpture of Hero Algor was smashed to pieces, revealing something inside: a grail.
More precisely, a grail made out of gold, shorter than amon tall ss but the rim of the cup was twice the size and one would need to use two hands to hold it up.
However, the most attracting point wasnt the golden grail but the two diamonds the size of a quail egg embedded in the exterior of the grail.
Countless profound patterns started off from the diamond spot and spread out towards the whole grail like vines curling.
Inside the ck market gathering spot, Kieran and Starbeck were already an attractive point but when the scene urred, it captured everyones attention instantly, especially when the grail was glowing in faint light.
Shocking cries sounded everywhere after that.
The Holy Grail! The Holy Thorn Grail!
As shouts sounded, the people around the hall started to throw themselves at the item.
Kieran on the other hand dragged Starbeck towards the direction where they came from.
In fact, not only Kieran but a few from the crowd also ran straight to the entrance when the holy grail revealed itself.
The heavy door was blocked by the others who got through first, as for the trap arrows along the corridor, they were all destroyed by all sorts of methods.
Looking at the corrosive marks and explosion traces on the wall, Starbeck shrunk behind Kieran cowardly.
Starbeck the mimosa was coward alright but he wasnt an idiot by any means.
The scene that happened back there was enough to terrify him beyond logic.
Why was the Holy Thorn Grail hidden inside Hero Algors sculpture?
Why did the seller who seemed to know everything purposely chose him?
More importantly, the seller who didnt even stand a blow was obviously a pawn by someone else hiding behind the scenes!
Once Starbeck thought about the real person who stole the Holy Thorn Grail having him under their crosshairs, his body couldnt help but shiver violently.
Stop shivering! Things arent that bad yet. That thief doesnt possess such destructive capabilities. All he wanted as an eye-catching target and it was natural that we fell into his sight.
Kieran swiftly analyzed the situation in his head and easily determined the real purpose of all themotions.
Kieran didnt believe the thief who stole Holy Thorn Grail would simply target him and Starbeck.
If the thief had such capabilities, the dungeon difficulty would not be just a 5th one, but 15th or even 20th and above.
Likewise, if the thief really had such outstanding power, he wouldnt have to steal the Holy Thorn Grail, he might seize it by force.
Even more so, suppressing Thorn Temple with force wasnt all that hard.
After all, within the list of 25 temples in Naveya, Thorn Temple was ranked below average.
Really? Starbeck asked with trembling voice.
Of course! Otherwise the thief wouldnt use a fake holy grail to attract attention, Kieran said in an affirmative tone.
A fake holy grail? But the holy grail back there... he wants it?!
Starbeck was stunned before quickly reacting to the situation but before he could say anything, Kieran leapt up the flight of stairs and reached the surface.
The hunchbacked gatekeeper was nowhere to be found and further away, two squads of fully armed soldiers were marching towards them.
Starbeck quickly shut up when he saw those two intimidating groups.
He knew he was a burden so he understood what should he do at times like this: shut up and stop drawing attention.
Looking at the swiftly approaching soldiers, Kieran activated [Tracking] without a second thought, he quickly identified the traces left behind and headed straight for that direction.
The seller back there was just a deceived pawn. The real mastermind might also be in the ck market gathering, but who?
The person who ran first during themotion was the most suspicious.
There werent that many people who could maintain their sanity under the temptation of the Holy Thorn Grail, even fewer could analyze calmly and know what to do.
Of course, Kieran didnt deny the possibility of a really smart person being there but when a person ran when the sculpture fell but hadnt broken into pieces, smart was an understatement.
......
Mizelle swiftly shuttered across the shadows.
The technique that he trained since young allowed him to easily move around swiftly and stay hidden but the sweat on his forehead stated that Mizelle wasnt at ease.
Damn it! How can they be so cautious! Mizelle cursed.
Initially, when he saw the young master wandering around the ck market gathering, he thought his mission was on the verge of sess. Who knew the servant of the young master was as sharp as a winter wolf.
He even suggested the young master to return the sculpture and ultimately smashed it to pieces!
When the sculpture broke into pieces, so did Mizelles chances of sess because as one of the participants of this n, he knew very well what kind of consequences the fake holy grail would bring.
The folks at Thorn Temple must have made a move.
Once he thought about the strength of the folks at Thorn Temple and the consequences of being caught, Mizelle ran even faster, leaving more sweat on his forehead.
His tiring state continued until he reached his own hiding spot.
After closing the door carefully, he wiped the sweats off his forehead and heaved a long sigh.
Phew, dangerous...
But Mizelles words stop abruptly because a palm grabbed his neck from behind, squeezing his throat.
You think you can escape? How dare you... Speak, whos orders was it?
A heavy shoutter, Mizelle was smashed to the floor.
While feeling the excruciating pain spread all over his body as though all his bones were crushed, he looked up and tried to make out who one assaulted him was.
When he clearly saw the face behind the hood and mantle, Mizelle gasped heavily.
It was the young masters servant!
Mizelle didnt know how he was followed to his own hiding spot but he knew if he didnt provide a reasonable exnation, he would end up no better than if he was in the hands of Thorn Temple.
My lord! What are you saying? I ran first because I realized something isnt right! Please... Argggh!
Mizelle tried to swindle his way out but when he was half-way at it, he was interrupted by the pain from his wrist.
Kieran was stepping on his wrist slightly and at the same time spoke with killing intent in his eyes, Ran first? Before that sculpture even broke, you ran? What now, you have some kind of prophet bloodline?
Stop ying tricks! I have more than a hundred ways to make you regret that you were born! And as for your soul, I guess Thorn Temple would be much more interested in you. I do remember they are quite the fanatic when ites to whipping souls.
Mizelle quivered as Kieran posed his threats.
Mizelle wasnt a unyielding person to begin with, so he wouldntst that long in front of Kieran with his overflowing killing intent and the pain from his body.
A few secondster, Mizelle started to beg, My lord, spare my life! I am just trying to secure a slot in the baptism!
Chapter 887 - Identity
Chapter 887: Identity
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
A slot for baptism?
Kieran was stunned. He wasnt a stranger regarding baptism matters.
Back in Nikoreis book collection, there was an abundance of introductions to such rituals. However, Kieran didnt know that stealing the Holy Thorn Grail was just to get a slot in the baptism.
More importantly, the people that could hold a baptism ritual...
The gears in Kierans mind spun fast as he looked down at Mizelle with colder eyes.
Baptism? What kind of joke is this? Baptism for a bunch of thieves? You think your childish tricks can deceive me? Or did me keeping you alive give you a wrong impression of me? Kieran stepped harder on the palm.
My lord! My lord! I dare not deceive you! That person can really hold a baptism ritual! I saw it with my own eyes! That is why I decided to be a part of this! Mizelle exined quickly.
The baptism ritual has been held? Kieran squinted his eyes.
Y-Yes! The two core members had held a baptism the second day the Holy Thorn Grail was stolen. Me and a few others stood aside and witnessed the process with our own eyes! And he promised us that if we carried out the mission as ordered, he will perform a baptism on us as well!
Mizelle nodded repeatedly.
How many of you? Kieran continued.
Six! Including the four outer rim members. Other than me, the remaining three are carrying out other missions, Mizelle answered honestly.
What missions?
This time, Mizelle was a little hesitant but when the pain in his wrist increased, he chose topromise.
Their mission is to intercept and kill a itinerant merchant and take his disguise to enter Naveya City! After meeting up with us, we will leave Naveya using that merchants identity!
Mizelle spilled all he knew.
Kieran then continued questioning Mizelle. On top of what he got from Mizelle, he added more information from what he had gotten just to make sure.
After making sure everything, Kieran knocked the man out.
You cane out now, Kieran said.
Starbeck carefully walked out of the shadows.
Although Starbeck was extremely short of Golden Skill Points, he still could rely on his Points and Skill Points to increase his [Undercover] to Musou level, together with some other techniques, Starbecks [Undercover] currently wasnt all that weakpared tomon Transcendence.
Unfortunately, it felt outrageously wrong for a cowardly person to have such good techniques.
Starbeck was in [Undercover] mode a moment ago, the silence of his presence should feel like a great thief hiding in shadows but instead he looked like a quail freezing in the wind.
Shivering and trembling non-stop.
Looking at Starbeck, Kieran quietly shook his head before telling him, This is our lodging spot for the next two days. This guy has some stored food and water, you can even use his bed if you like.
T-Thanks.
Starbeck stuttered his gratitude before climbing up to the bed but he didnt go to sleep right away. He shrunk at a corner of the bed like a little chicken that had just left its nest. He was looking at Kieran carefully.
Dont worry. We are both on the same boat, we are bound together for good or bad. I wont give up on your if there is no absolute threat to my own life. So you better listen to what I say and dont go making your own decisions, understand?
Kieran gave his promise to Starbeck.
I understand. Starbeck spoke clearly when the matters were rted to his life.
Can you tell me more about Broker? You can skip the parts where you are restricted by the contract. Kieran pulled over a chair and sat in front of Starbeck.
Kieran always treated every enemy with caution, let alone Broker who had the utmost cunning and was always in hiding. So, Kieran wouldnt give up any chances he had to ask more about the guy.
I dont know much about Broker. Most of what I know are my own guesses during our trades. Only during our first few deals, he disyed some of his abilities in a certain area just to get close to me and quickly gain my trust. When you paid a certain cost, you can get the systems help, including buying the things that are usually not for sale and dy the time of the cyberw enforcers appearance in the big city, Starbeck answered.
Kieran had his own guesses about what Starbeck said, so he wasnt really surprised but he was still very concerned.
These abilities came from his Unique Title? Then when did he find out that you had the [de of the Daybreaker (Main Scroll)]? Kieran asked.
I dont know! I got the [de of the Daybreaker (Main Scroll)] during the trial dungeon and before knowing that you had the sub scroll, I never told anyone before! But...
I feel that Broker already knew all of these from the start, Starbeck said with a bitter smile.
Is it also because of his Unique Title? Kieran frowned.
I dont know! After Ipleted the trial dungeon and was feeling lost, Broker took the initiative and approach me and we started our first deal. And I am not the only one Broker approached, back then he would purposely find other yers to trade with them. Now those yers that he once traded have be quite well-known. So my own guess is, Broker must have been able to see other yers ratings or rewards after the first trial dungeon by paying a certain cost.
Starbeck shook in uncertainty when he stated his theory.
Kieran however didnt want toment on Starbecks uncertainty. Hed never deny Broker had a unique eye to things, whether was it relying on his own abilities or his Unique Title to locate all these yers that were worth his investment, Kieran was not surprised at all but he didnt care about all that.
Kieran had branched out to other aspects from Starbecks statement.
Those yers that Broker approached, did anyone of them die of idents? Kieran asked.
Yes! Ive paid attention to those yers before, a lot of them disappeared in the underground game and a part of the disappearances were rted to Broker but most of them died off in their own single yer dungeon!
Starbeck replied before even filtering his thoughts.
When Kieran heard his reply, he was slightly relieved.
Thank God! Otherwise I would have to consider whether it would be better for me to surrender willingly. Trying to win against an opponent that has full preparation beforehand is hard but its much better than facing an opponent that can see the future! Kieran said with augh.
Then what should we do?
Starbeck was much more open when he saw Kieranughed.
Rest, and wait.
Kieran then looked at the unconscious Mizelle.
In order to move around Naveya City freely, getting a new and reliable identity was crucial and being an itinerant merchant was quite a decent option.
Chapter 888 - Mark
Chapter 888: Mark
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The sun rose again and all 25 temples in Naveya rang their bells in proper sequence.
Dang, Dang Dang!
The sonorous and rhythmic bells started the day for the people in the city.
The officials entered the council meeting rooms; merchants headed to the markets and stores.
Themon civilians though headed to their respective workce to start their jobs.
However, many people gathered outside the city, some were farmers and hunters but most of them were merchants.
Naveya City was liberated by the hero, Algor, 300 years ago from the grasp of the Wicked Demonic God and was transformed into the biggest hub for trading and political operations. It became the most important city in the south.
Every day, there were hundreds of merchants with their fully loaded carts and wagons arriving at Naveya and they would bring the same amount of goods, traveling to all the viges and towns all over the region.
When Naveya opened her doors, the merchants with proof of identity would line up automatically in one line. Beside them was another line consisting of farmers and hunters from all around the city.
One different thing from the other cities was: the farmers and hunters from around Naveya all looked arrogant from the expressions on their faces. Although they didnt live inside the city, they were still citizens of Naveya and were slightly different from the outsiders.
The merchants who stopped by Naveya a lot had gotten used to the farmers and hunters attitudes. Even for those first-timer merchants, they would have heard of the rules hereall of them would stay as humble as possible.
The merchants didnt want to dy their entry to the city because of some small squabbles.
Every head cost two copper coins, horses and mules cost another five and wagons an additional five! The taxing officer beside the city gate spoke loudly.
Beside the officers feet was a wooden box about half a mans height; beside the wooden box were iron chains and on top of the wooden box were small thin slots for people to put their copper coins in.
Every merchant who wished to enter the city would have to pay tax ording to their numbers and amount of goods. At the same time, their goods must be checked by the guards.
The line was moving forward in an orderly manner without any ident.
However, when Mizelle found the other three of hisrades, it was already noon.
The sun was hanging above ones head and was shining viciously.
After Mizelle signaled hisrades, the three of them drove their wagons and followed him.
The group of four finally met up in Charging Stable Inn.
How are things, Mizelle?
One of the three asked after they entered the room.
Mizelle didnt answer but took a step aside and Starbeck swiftly came out from the inner room.
Mizelle! You!
The person who asked the question instantly felt something was wrong when he saw Starbeck but before he could say anything else, he and his other tworades passed out on the floor.
My lord.
Mizelle who was dominated by the [Mesly Ring] then greeted Kieran who walked out from the shadows.
So he is the leader, Pelker? Kieran pointed at the one who spoke just now.
Yes, my lord, Mizelle answered honestly.
Without further ado, Kieran woke the man up and dominated him with the [Mesly Ring].
With Kierans high Spirit attribute, Pelker was taken under control without any resistance.
My lord! Pelker turned around and climbed up from the floor, greeting Kieran with a respectful salute.
Tell me everything you know about this operation, Kieran said.
Yes my lord! I am one of the outer rim sentries and wasnt involved in the stealing of the Holy Thorn Grail. In fact, I didnt even know how many of them stole the grail before this but the two men told us to address them as sir and lord. After I realized it, Id already witnessed their baptism process. The two sirs and the Lord promised me a slot in the baptism so, I was willing to take the risk by following their orders to kill his itinerant merchant and take his disguise. We then mixed into the group of merchants and return to Naveya. Pelker spilled the beans.
Did those two men give you any special markings? Did you see their faces when they spoke to you? Kieran asked.
Yes, there is a marking but I never saw their face before. They said when we return to Naveya, we would just have to hang a red cloth outside the inn window that we are staying at.
A red cloth? Kieranughed in disdain.
He was almost 90% sure when the red cloth was hung up, the one who arrived at the doors would be the city guards and the temple knights.
These two men who stole the Holy Thorn Grail were unquestionably vignt and cunning.
The moment they chose Mizelle, Pelker and the other two as theirckeys, they had already decided to turn them into scapegoats, therefore Mizelle didnt really know the rest of the group.
Other than that, besides Mizelle, the three of them were all outsiders.
From the start to end, those two men didnt show their faces at all; they relied on paper notes to guide the four of them around and even during the baptism ritual, their faces were covered up.
Is there anything that caught your attention? Kieran continued.
No my lord. Pelker shook his head.
Kieran then asked a few more questions andbined with what he got from the answers Mizelle provided two days ago. Right away, a clearer connection of all the matters appeared in Kierans mind.
The men needed the holy grail to perform the baptism, which means they werent strong enough or they are in dire need of power. Given the circumstances, they were able to steal the Holy Thorn Grail and find themselves a group of scapegoats... Which means one of them must be rted to Thorn Temple! A not so powerful person yet able to get near to the Holy Grail? Kieran pondered upon his theories.
As he was in deep thoughts, sub-mission notifications rung in his ears.
Not one but two sub-missions!
[Discovered sub-mission: Itinerant Merchant]
[Itinerant Merchant: A decent disguise but you have to act like one!]
...
[Discovered sub-mission: Bold and Reckless]
[Bold and Reckless: Stealing the Holy Grail from a temple isnt something just anyone can do, find these two thieves!]
...
Kieran nced over the two sub-missions with a slightly surprised gaze.
He had expected the sub-missions but what he expected was the one rted to the stolen holy grail, not the itinerant merchant one.
Is it because it is rted to the main mission, so it came up?
Kieran looked at the two sub-missions and went into deep thought for a while before turning to Starbeck.
I have sub-mission notifications here, did you receive any? Kieran asked.
No. Starbeck shook his head right away.
As expected, even sub-missions have to fulfill a certain condition to trigger, it doesnt juste along for a party member.
Kieran theorized since he had limited experience regarding party dungeons.
It was an act of habit though, just like his vignce.
Kieran called Mizelle and Pelker over and quickly gave them orders before standing up.
Get up, we shall have a road trip today! The market this afternoon should be very lively! If we are lucky enough, we might get some unexpected rewards, Kieran said to Starbeck.
Chapter 889 - Assassination
Chapter 889: Assassination
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
After the entire morning, the afternoon market finally quieted down a little.
Though the quietness waspared to its earlier state, in fact, the afternoon market was still crowded with an endless flow of people.
Those merchants who entered the city today and didnt make it to the best selling period in the morning had gathered in the afternoon. They were gathering information and trying to find a suitable spot to set up a stall.
Kieran and Starbeck mixed into the crowd after changing their outfits.
Kieran was smiling always and would asionally stop at stalls to ask something; Starbeck would follow behind Kieran without missing a beat, as though he was a professional follower.
Both of them walked and stopped for more than half an hour before they reached a stall selling essories.
On top of a piece of 1 square-meter grayish white cloth, a few scattered rings, bracelets, earrings, and nes were put up for sale and most of them were made from bronze.
Never expect seeing goldware or silverware in these kinds of stalls, if one wanted to find expensive essories, a shop would be more suitable, not a roadside stall.
Of course, Kierans objective was not all those but the inn beside the stall.
On the second floor window of the inn, a red cloth was hanging up high, catching attention as it waved along with the wind.
After a nce at the red cloth, Kieran simply picked up a ring.
How much is this? Kieran asked.
Eight copper coins! The stall owner offered the price after a nce.
It wasnt expensive, neither was it cheap. The stroll through the market just now was mostly an act but it was enough for Kieran to understand the pricing general pricing of things.
In other essories stall, simr rings would only cost 6 to 7 copper coins.
So expensive! 5 copper coins!
Impossible! This at least cost 9 copper coins!
9!? I can buy two of these rings!
Kieran shook his head as if he was really a local merchant as he negotiated with the stall owner.
Starbeck behind him showed an inconceivable look as he watched Kieran negotiate.
The scene before Starbecks eyes had exceeded his imagination.
As Kierans party member, Starbeck knew why they were at the market.
Truth be told, after signing a contract to keep secrets, Starbeck already had the general idea of what Kieran was thinking. He didnt object to it because he could knew Mizelle, Pelker, and the other two were the smokescreens thrown out by the real thieves who stole the Holy Thorn Grail.
Should they fail, the four would be the best scapegoats to cover their retreat.
Should they seed, the four would be the best evidence to remove suspicion.
Based on Starbecks guess, the two thieves who stole the holy grail would surely nt it in the inn with the red cloth marking. They would then contact the city guards and Thorn Temple toplete their n of framing the four of them.
It was only natural that Kieran would make his move before that happened because he would never give up the Holy Thorn Grail that could perform a baptism ritual.
If it happened, the fight with the city guards and Thorn Temple was inevitable.
So when Starbeck arrived at the market, he was quite nervous, to be honest.
However, when he saw how calctive Kieran was to amon stall owner, Starbeck couldnt help but doubt whether or not his guesses were correct or if he misheard something during the conversation with Kieran.
Though, soon enough a ck figure captured the mimosas attention.
The ck figure was faintly showing itself as it moved through the shadows, it was swiftly approaching the inn with the red cloth marking.
Starbeck wanted to notify Kieran out of instinct but before he spoke, Kieran threw 10 copper coins to the stall owner and stood up with two copper rings.
Lets go to that stall next!
Kieran then walked towards another stall.
Starbeck wanted to say something but his courage prevented him, all he did was follow Kieran cowardly to a stall that sold pelts.
The stall was from a hunter around Naveya; there were thawed and dried rabbit pelts on sale and most of them were a grayish white color.
One pelt 10 copper coins, non-negotiable!
The hunter obviously noticed Kieran before he came and before Kieran made his offer, the hunter beat him to it.
Kieran touched the tip of his nose looking upset and went straight to the other stall; Starbeck followed quickly.
Starbeck couldnt help but turn around for another nce at the inn.
However, when he clearly saw the situation at the hidden alley beside the inn, he was awe-struck.
He saw that the ck figure was seized in the alley by three other figures that somehow appeared before him.
Due to the angle, Starbeck couldnt clearly see the face of the three figures but he clearly saw the three figures were armed and the ck figure was already hurt!
Theres someone else!?
The unexpected urence forced Starbeck to a stop but the grip on his arm pulled him forward.
Dont look back. Follow me.
Kierans voice sounded in his ears and it immediately pulled him back from his nk state.
Just as both of them were a hundred meters away from the inn...
KABOOM!
A huge explosion went off.
zing fire rose up to the sky, everything within a 7 to 8-meter radius was leveled to the ground; even half the inn had copsed.
The moring market a moment ago has turned into a scene of crying in agony.
The crowd was running everywhere in a panic, even the city guards who were informed beforehand couldnt do anything despite getting here as quickly as possible.
The number of people made a huge difference.
The whole market consisted of a thousand people and the two groups of city guards were only around 50 people; plus the guards on duty at the market, the numbers were still less than a hundred.
The city guards were overpowered and run over by the fleeing crowd which was 10 times their number.
Fall in! Fall in! The leader of the city guards shouted but his voice was suppressed by the chaotic crowd.
Then, the angered leader drew the sword of his waist, trying to frighten the panicked crowd but it weed an opposite effect; it made the crowd even more panicked and created more chaos.
Kieran pulled Starbeck into a corner, evading the messy crowd as he shook his head.
If the city guard leader did that in the beginning, he might still be able to suppress the crowd with the sharpness of his de but now?
It was adding oil to the fire!
The chaos continued for a few more minutes.
Then a middle-aged man in a long robe with a thorn pattern sewn to his sleeves appeared and started a hymn.
The path of thorn is your trial.
My the pain on on your body bring forth the higher soul in you.
When you descend, everything will...
The hymn seemed to have the power to calm the crowd as the chaotic situation quickly quiet down. If the hymn continued, the messy scene would quickly subside but...
Souu!
A crossbow arrow was fired out from the crowd and it plunged into the chest of the clergyman who was singing his hymn.
Immediately, the slightly calm crowd fell into chaos again.
The people were even more terrified and didnt know what to do, so was Starbeck.
Wh-What happened!?
Starbeck was dumbstruck when he saw the clergyman fell into his own puddle of blood.
When he regained his senses, he realized Kieran beside him had gone off without him noticing.
Chapter 890 - Visitor
Chapter 890: Visitor
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
If Starbeck was lost before, when he realized Kieran wasnt by his side, his entire mind was in a state of utter stupefaction.
Especially when he saw the city guards really waving their swords around to suppress the panicking crowd after the temple priest was assassinated, Starbeck leaned back on the wall and quivered violently.
Fortunately, Kieran came back to him soon enough.
Follow me!
Kieran slightly frowned when he saw how scared Starbeck was, he was holding the captive with his other hand and headed towards the shadowy spot beside them; Starbeck quickly followed.
Although it was just a few seconds apart, it felt like it had been a century for Starbeck. He didnt want to be away from Kieran at this particr moment.
They two of them went back to Charging Stable Inn without further hindrance. Kieran handed the captive to Mizelle and Pelker who arrived before them and gave his order. Bring him and the other two of yourrades back to Mizelles hideout. Unless I call, dont show your face to the public!
Yes, my lord!
Mizelle and Pelker had doubts in their hearts but they would not refute Kierans orders, all they did was carry out the orders given to them.
Is it that guy?
After returning to the inn, Starbeck finally calmed himself down from the stupefied state, he pointed at the captive who was taken away and asked Kieran.
Yup, Kieran nodded.
Starbecks words were iplete but Kieran already knew what he wanted to express.
The captive was the one within the crowd that assassinated the Thorn Temple priest before.
He had quite the technique and skill set,parable to amon veteran yer butpared to Kieran, it wasnt enough.
The moment the assassin met Kieran, he was subdued without any resistance. If Kieran didnt want more useful information from the assassin, he would not even spare the chance for him to strike.
What really happened back there? Shouldnt the assassin frame Mizelle and the others? Why was there an explosion? And that priest... all of thismotion was just to lure that priest out to a public setting?!
Starbeck was like a curious kid asking questions non-stop and voicing his spections at the same time.
It seems its like not only us who are looking for the thieves that stole the Holy Thorn Grail, another party had their eyes on them as well. And one of them might already know, thus the explosion today, Kieran replied.
If one of them knew, then why still...
Starbeck didnt finish his words; he stopped suddenly because he knew what caused the scene to go down.
Killing the witness!
T-The priest that was assassinated? Starbeck stuttered as he looked at Kieran.
It must be a pleasure for that thief to conveniently kill the priest that was blocking his way and rece him in the process. In fact, from the very beginning, this was the thiefs real goal; His partner and Mizelle in addition to the others were just pawns. In the end, he must be the only one who would benefit from all this, Kieran said with squinted eyes.
T-Then, what about the party that came to the scene just now? Starbeck was still confused about something.
Those men should be the ones who discovered the secrets of that thief, or maybe they were the other hired guns from that thief himself. But as for which it really was, how would I know? I am not God almighty, I only make up theories based on what I know and try to specte as hard as I can! Kieran rolled his eyes at Starbeck.
Starbeck felt awkward since he was so used to relying on people but he wasnt upset at all.
In simple words, given how much courage Starbeck had, getting upset or angry was almost a luxury for him but Kieran didnt let the awkwardness continue.
Put away all those things that didnt fit your identity and put up your servant look, go to the inns kitchen and cook some food up, Kieran ordered Starbeck.
O-Okay!
Starbeck nodded and his instinct of following orders pushed him to his errand.
He was confused about Kierans order but he tried his best to fulfill Kierans request.
Charging Stable wasnt a famous inn, the lodging price was cheap, so one could imagine what kind of food they served to their customers.
Though Starbecks objectives werent the ready-made food but the original ingredients.
After paying 3 copper coins, the cooking maiden was more than pleased to lend the kitchen to him. Then the cooking maiden was awestruck at Starbecks performance.
Performance! Starbeck who leveled his [Cooking] to Musou had an aura around him when he gripped the kitchen knife.
The cooking maiden felt like she saw a white flower image around Starbeck. She couldnt help but rub her eyes, what she saw was Starbeck concentrating at cooking, nothing else.
Did I see something? The cooking maiden muttered before going out of the kitchen.
After getting an extra 3 copper coins for the day and finishing all her duties in the kitchen, the cooking maiden didnt want to stay for any longer, she needed a good rest.
Therefore, the cooking maiden didnt witness the magical scene of Starbeck turning the crude andmon cooking ingredients into delicious cuisine, the alluring vor filled the kitchen as he was cooking.
If the kitchen wasnt independently separated from the inn, Starbeck might have attracted all the customers in the inn.
What Starbeck did was definitely not something Musou level [Cooking] could achieve.
Kieran who stood in the shadow witnessed the whole process. He then went into deep thought for a while before heading back to the room.
When Starbeck served the meal back at the room, Kieran was sitting on the sofa without moving a muscle.
Not bad.
Even though Kieran had a sniff of what Starbeck was cooking before, he still twitched his nose and praised him.
I am only good at all these things.
Starbeck seemed uneasy at the praise for his cooking and said in a shy manner.
While he was acting all shy, he lifted the cover on the tes.
Grill steak, oxtail soup, vegetable sd, and corn buns.
It might seem normal but there wasnt a whole steak in the kitchen at all, all it had was some bits and few chunks of beef.
I couldnt find an entire piece of beef so I took a mashed potato and the bits of beef to make one myself, Starbeck exined.
Kieran eagerly shoved up the whole piece of steak into his mouth.
You fried the potatoes first to alter its soft nature and filled it with the bits of beef to form the shape. Then you applied butter over the steak to imitate the vor of a real steak, really not bad.
Huh? Theres still some oxtail soup mixed in this?
As Kieran was chewing, he soon realized something was different.
Yes, because it needs to be fried two times, more juice on the steak would make the steak look fresher and more tender, Starbeck nodded immediately and showed a smile.
He really felt happy from the bottom of his heart that Kieran could taste the difference of the steak. Likewise, Kieran was happy as well since he was able to taste such a steak.
Kieran swiftly gobbled down all the food.
After Starbeck cleaned the table and was moving back to the kitchen, Kieran looked at the inner room.
Mister, if you dont want to fail on the verge of sess, I suggest you show yourself and have a good talk with me, Kieran said in a calm tone.
Chapter 891 - Delivering It Up To Your Doorstep
Chapter 891: Delivering It Up To Your Doorstep
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kierans words faded but no one appeared, as though Kierans Intuition was wrong for the first time.
Kieran who was sitting on the sofa showed a smile.
You see, I said that I was willing to have a talk but you yourself gave up on the chance. I think some others that want to know the location of Holy Thorn Grail might pay me a decent price, Kieran said slowly.
This time, before he finished, a figure sprung out from the inner room.
The figure was fast and a cold re shed over their hand.
A small dagger was pushed up to Kierans neck in an instant.
The sharp iron aura from the de caused goosebumps on Kierans neck while he went along with the figures intimidating manner and raised his hands up.
See, we still can talk face to face, Kieran said without changing his smile.
I dont think you have enough leverage! Speak your goals!
The figure lowered their pitch and growled at Kieran.
It seemed like the figure didnt want to use their original voice, just like how they covered their real face when they showed themselves but Kieran didnt mind.
Or rather, when the figure decided to show up, regardless of whatever the process, Kieran would eventually emerge the victor.
My goals? Shouldnt it be yours? My men were targeted by a powerful person from the temples without a reason. Of course I have toe here and find out for myself what the hell made an important person strike at amon merchant, Kieran said.
What Kieran said was all false, everything was uttered based on spections to deceive the figure but it seemed like his lies were working effectively.
Damn it! Damn it! I knew it wouldnt be this easy! The ones who stopped my man outside the inn back at the market, are they yours? The figure cursed before asking.
You dont know either? Kieran pretended to be surprised.
Should I? Stop ying tricks! Now...
The figure wanted to teach Kieran a lesson by pressing the dagger down on his neck but the next moment, the figure was surprise to learn that his dagger was stopped by Kieran with two fingers.
Let go! The figure shouted and pulled as hard as they could but the two fingers that pinched their dagger was like an iron mp.
So, you are also just a pawn. Kieran shook his head and sighed.
About the stolen Holy Thorn Grail, there was one thing that bothered Kieran: why would the thief target a specific traveling merchant?
ording to the thiefs n, picking a merchant out at random was the best option.
The methods of specifically targeting some merchant waspletely superfluous.
Unless... the thief had ulterior motives!
So when Kieran, who had taken the identity of the traveling merchant and hade back from the market, he had been waiting for the person to show up and as expected, they did.
However, the oue was sort of unexpected.
The person before Kieran seemed to be unaware of the choice to target this specific merchant as well, he didnt even know the shadowy attacker who appeared at the inn.
Plus, judging from the words they spoke, it was obvious that this person was nothing but another pawn being used by the mastermind.
Is there someone else? Or is this person ying coy?
When the thought came to his mind, Kieran decided to dig out more information from the figure, hence he let go of his fingers.
The person who was pulling with all their might staggered backwards but their decent bnce prevented them from falling to the floor.
However, when the person looked at Kieran again, their gaze changed quite a bit.
As the thief who stole the Holy Thorn Grail, other than being bold and reckless, they must have some brains. Hence after that slight test of strength, the person knew they was no match for Kieran.
So, they subtly looked at the window behind them.
They wanted to run!
I would suggest that you dont even try. If you dont want to die that is... Dont take me wrongly, I mean you no harm, I was just attracted because of my curiosity, but others... I am not so sure about them. The incident that happened in the market was enough to make the others restless.
Kieran sat at the sofa without moving and continued to bluff.
In his vision, the sub-mission notification popped up again.
[Sub-Mission: Bold and Reckless (Complete)!]
[Discovered sub-mission: Hidden]
[Hidden: The one who stole the Holy Grail was just another pawn of the mastermind behind the scenes. You need to find out what the mastermind wanted to achieve and stop him!]
...
Kieran nced over the new sub-mission [Hidden]. Obviously it was the extension of [Bold and Reckless] and was triggered by the thief before him.
Other than that, the thief didnt just provide a single sub-mission, htey still had the Holy Thorn Grail!
Dont be nervous. I mean you no harm, really, so please rx. Of course if we can converse frankly and honestly, it would be much better.
Kieran waved his hand and suggested that the rmed thief sit down so that they could talk face to face without the disguise.
The thief sat down but they didnt do as suggested and removed the disguise on his face.
Who are you? The thief asked.
Who am I is not important. The important thing is do you want to live or die?
Kieran smiled, pretending to be mysterious and leaned back on the sofa. He then looked that the thief with a more pleasant expression.
The thief instantly went quiet after that.
As more unknowns appeared in the thiefs n, in addtion to Kieran purposely misleading them, the thief had obviously began to think in the wrong direction.
What do you want? The thief asked after a few seconds.
Why ask when you already know the answer? I suppose the only thing you can offer is that grail, am I right? Kieran smiled.
Im not so sure about that! What about me?
As the thief spoke, they removed their disguise.
Chestnut colored hair fell off down to the shoulder, slightly reflecting the color on the skin. The slightly long eyes with jade coloured pupils rippled ones heart like water; beneath the tall nose were thin lips with the delight of a young girl, especially under the intentional movement, the lips looked extremely attractive.
The thief was a she.
Not bad! Kieran nodded.
The thief smiled even brighter.
She stood up right away, removing her oversized robe and revealed her body in a tight suit. As she walked, it drew out the contour of her nice body, bringing out her inner feminine fatale.
Her looks and body would definitely attract attention, especially mens but Kieran looked at her in a clear gaze.
Not only because Kieran had experienced Anne Aldrich Augen who was far more attractive than her but also because Kieran was used to keeping calm and being vignt.
So, when thedy almost sat on hisps, Kieran was ready to move away from her but at that particr moment, the door opened up.
It was Starbeck who came into the room, delivering the cleaned up dining utensils.
When he saw Kieran sitting on the sofa and the unusually dresseddy standing in front him, Starbeck was stunned before blushing.
I-Im sorry! I...
Come in, close the door.
Kieran interrupted Starbeck and ordered him toe in but when he realized Starbeck was frozen on the spot, he couldnt help but frown as he stood up and dragged him in.
Chapter 892 - Contract
Chapter 892: Contract
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Bang!
After the door was mmed, Starbeck came back to his senses.
He saw thedy looking at him and was at a loss for what to do next. Then, out of habit, he quickly followed his survival instincts and hid behind a ce where he thought was the safest: Kierans back.
You are really kind to your servant!
Starbecks interruption stopped the thief from continuing what she intending to do.
Maybe she didnt mind trading her body for some help but it didnt mean she didnt mind being watched while she did it, especially by a lower ranked servant.
In her eyes, Starbeck was that kind of low rank servant.
However, after being interrupted by this kind of servant, Kierans face didnt even change which caused the thief to had a sense of doubt in her heart.
Kieran who was paying attention to the thief sharply picked up the new doubts she had and he immediatelyughed it out.
Of course! Because he is worth my kindness, his cooking is the best that Ive ever tasted, second to none!
Kieran didnt even hesitate to admit it and directly stated why he was so kind to Starbeck.
The thief though didnt refute Kierans reason because as a normal person with amon sense of smell, when she picked up the vourful cooking just now, she already acknowledged Starbecks cooking.
It was also at that time the thief started to suspect Kierans identity.
Amon traveling merchant staying in an inconspicuous inn yet how could he have a servant with such extraordinary cooking skills?
Even some of the cooks that served the couple of archpriests in the temples didnt possess such skills.
While pondering Kierans identity, the thief said without showing extra expressions, You are really a utilitarian.
Yup, I am a merchant that upholds utilitarianism, so I hope that you have some things that are worth my kindness as well. Kieran then looked at the thief again.
Am I not enough?
The thief showed an alluring smile and together with her jaded eyes, it was really tempting.
Not enough! You are not too shabby but still a littleckluster. In fact, even if you offered the Holy Thorn Grail, its still not enough. Im debating whether I should take you out to save myself the trouble.
As Kieran spoke, his eyes turned cold and when the thief caught Kierans gaze, her body couldnt help but shiver.
Killing intent!
She knew Kieran wasnt kidding since it wasnt the first time she came across such a gaze.
Kieran didnt only have the heart to kill her but the strength as well.
Y-You didnt do it which means there is still grounds to turn around, am I right? The thief asked with a smile but it seemed forced.
Yes, because your appearance can fool my opponents and to me, its quite a bargain. After all, all I have to do is pay a slight cost and... the prize that I might get would be greater than I can imagine. Kieran nodded.
Kierans words were obviously lies but for the thief, Atrina, his lies were extremely believable.
The mysteriousness, power, and the ability to devise strategies at will that Kieran disyed already made Atrina treat him as the great schemer with a grand plot.
If it was possible, she would definitely not want to have any rtionship with the person before her eyes because she knew if she stuck her foot in too deep, any further misstep would end in dire consequences. It was something she couldnt ept.
After all, her initial n was just to secure the position of a priest but now...
She felt that things had gotten more and more out of hand. Atrina couldnt help but start to regret her actions.
If she wasnt greedy, she might have been a deacon with a certain level of authority and not moving forward towards a priests position in a nerve-wrecking manner.
But what use would it be to have regrets now?
Atrina took a deep breath and returned to her normal self.
My dear lord, what do you need of me then? Atrina asked.
Sign this. Kieran waved his hand and Starbeck behind him answered the signal by producing a contract in his hand.
No, no! You cant do this! If I sign the contract, Lady Vanessa will burn me with divine mes!
Atrina shook her head repeatedly when she saw the contents of the contract.
I am not asking you to betray your beliefs and it wont restrict your soul either. The reason for the contract is only to increase the trust between us.
Kieran smiled as he took the contract to Atrinas face.
Pro level [Mystical Knowledge] was enough to inform Kieran that when facing against a person with beliefs while the God they believed in hadnt gone into slumber or disspearedpletely, it would be best for him to not touch matters rted to the soul unless he wanted to attract the attention of a God. Especially those believers with severe beliefs, anything that happened to them would surely attract their Gods attention.
And if one directly struck down a Gods Child or the descendant of a God?
Well congrattions, a divine war has been sessfully initiated.
If that wasnt the case, [Mesly Ring] would be the best option, not the contract but Atrina had no idea what was Kieran plotting.
When she saw the contract in front of her, the regrets she suppressed a while ago started toe afloat again.
She knew it was a devils contract and once she signed, she would never be free but if she didnt...
She would not be suffering forever but she would die on the spot.
Although Kieran had put on a smile, his look with his killing intent earlier had branded itself into Atrinas mind, how could she forget about that?
After thinking for almost a full minute, Atrina clenched her teeth.
Ill sign!
Believe me, Ms... Atrina, you will never regret your decision today but will only feel grateful because you signed this contract.
Kieran nced over her name on the contract and smirked even brighter.
Compared to Kierans bright smile, Atrina was looking sour and troubled.
She felt like she was a puppet bound by all sorts of different powers, forcing her forward against her will.
Now what should I do?
A signed contract could not be changed but Atrina wanted to lighten the power that was binding her now.
We wait! You can proceed with your n and after that, wait patiently. As for the other matters, Ill settle it for you! Just like the contract stated, whether is it the mastermind who plotted all of this or the sudden attackers, I will settle all of it on your behalf.
But of course, just like you agreed, you need to give me the Holy Thorn Grail. Kieran said.
Please follow me then. Atrina said.
Chapter 893 - Dock
Chapter 893: Dock
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
As the evening sun began to set, Naveya City which had a curfew swiftly quieted down.
Only patrolling city guards were left on the streets.
The situation that night was different from before, all the city guards were armed and opened their eyes wide, searching for suspicious characters in the corners and shadows.
The assassination of the Thorn Temple priest in the afternoon market had startled the higher ranks of Naveya City and orders were given to the guards to arrest the culprit in one week.
However, the city guardmander was clueless, so ultimately he could only vent the pressure from his superiors on his subordinates.
As for what the final oue would be, only the Gods knew.
Delinkt is really a douchebag. If he didnt rely on Lightning Temples gold offering, how could he end up as city guardmander?
Atrina was full of disdain when she mentioned the city guardmander but she was careful enough to not get spotted under the city guards sight.
Atrina led Kieran and Starbeck through the alley outside Charging Stable Inn. Slipping past four outposts and three patrolster, they had entered Nevayas dock area.
After shuttling through a huge area of garages, Kierans eyes suddenly opened up.
Six straight stone bridges extended towards the sea; huge sail ship after sail ship were parked there in the middle of the waving sea.
Loud waves clearly entered Kierans ears and the sea breeze that blew against his face had a unique scent to it as well.
Its in front there! I hid the Holy Thorn Grail under one of the stone bridges. Only the monstrous presence of the sea can fool the priests senses, Atrina spoke softly.
Kieran nodded nkly.
He knew after reading Analytics of the temples developments in Naveya City that although Naveya housed 25 temples, other than the highest temple, the Lightning Temple, themonly known Gods like Sun and Moon, Day, Night or Sea didnt exist.
Quite the contrary, all sorts of terrifying monsters lived in the sea.
Each year, the people of Naveya will hold an ocean festival to calm the monster down in order to assure smooth sailing for the ships. Besides, most of the citizens of Naveya thought that the sea had its own magical power, the bad kind.
Other than that, there were customs that forbid people from approaching the sea during the night but it was also because of such customs that it was a lot easier for Kieran and co. to proceed.
Most of the city guards patrolled around the garage area, hence none of them were near the sea.
The only outpost among the six stone bridges felt unreal. Starbeck followed Kieran and noticed the lit but empty outpost, he couldnt help but feel curious about it.
A year and a half ago, thest night watcher vanished inside the outpost, so no one dared to take up the position there after that. Including the night watcher, ten more went missing in less than six months and even the priest from the Sin Temple has no measures for this ce, Atrina exined softly.
However, her eyes were not looking at Starbeck but at Kieran from the start to end and obviously, the exnations were meant for Kieran.
Starbeck? In the eyes of an arrogant temple deacon, Starbeck was just a cowardly servant and didnt possess anything good except for his cooking.
My lord, you shouldnt have brought this servant with you. He is useless, Atrina said as they moved forward.
Suchments struck panic in Starbecks heart, he unconsciously grabbed Kierans mantle because he was afraid that he would be abandoned.
Knowing how to cook is enough, Kieran replied vaguely.
After realizing Atrina was also a pawn piece that didnt know why the mastermind would specifically target a traveling merchant, if Kieran really left Starbeck at the inn, he would be really out of his mind.
Even Atrina could reach the inn, why couldnt the mastermind? More so, the mastermind had made their move.
Kieran quietly stood up while inside the shadows and shifted to the stone bridge further ahead. He then slightly moved his steps and blocked Starbeck behind him.
Atrina, however, didnt notice Kierans action but it didnt mean she didnt realize something unusual.
One needed to know that Atrina has been through the baptism once and she had already triumphed overmon men in many aspects, therefore when they were closing in on the stone bridge, her heightened cautious gaze spotted something and it halted her steps. She even signaled Kieran to step back.
However the moment Atrina halted her steps, seven to eight figures jumped out from the shadows behind them; each of them was armed with des and knives, looking ferociously at their targets.
While on the stone bridge, two men wearing leather armor and dressed like mercenaries were walking towards them.
One of them wielded dual des, he had a fit physique with and was wearing a sneer. The two des were swung around as the man twirled his wrist, cold res were shining off the de as it spun.
The other one was bare-handed but his body physique was much bigger thanmon men. His face had a huge scar over it and would cause one to gasp hard with just a nce.
Dual de Xeriche and Wild Beast Anderson!
Atrina cried out in shock when she clearly saw their faces under the dim moonlight.
Doomed! When Atrina saw the two men, her heart was filled with despair.
Both of them were infamous mercenaries of Naveya, not just among mercenaries but the temples as well.
The two of them caused quite amotion in Naveya a year ago after intercepting and killing one of the priests from the Wealth Temple.
Everyone was astonished by their bold move. Even during the pursuit after the killing, the two of them performed outstandingly by dodging all three pursuing strikes from the Sin Temple and fled to the north.
Atrina has no idea why the two of them snuck back into Naveya at this particr time or maybe the two of them didnt even leave the city but went in hiding instead?
But none of those mattered anymore, the most important thing was that she needed to figure out how to escape, otherwise, she would die at the dock.
Sigh.
Just as Atrina was grinding her gears in how to escape alive, she heard a sigh.
It was Kieran.
Kieran was sighing as he shook his head, Much more cautious than I thought eh...
Then, he went straight towards Dual de Xeriche and Wild Beast Anderson.
Wait, they are...
Atrina wanted to stop Kieran but her words stopped abruptly.
Xeriche who imed that his dual des were as fast as the wind itself had both of his wrists crushed by Kieran with his bare hands when he started to wield his des.
Anderson who could ignore des and arrows had his neck snapped by Kieran.
Everything happened within the blink of an eye.
Atrina didnt even see the process, what she saw was the oue.
She was dumbstruck and her thinking froze until she heard the de shing flesh noise behind her, she was knocked out of her nk state and when she finally turned around, she saw the scene that she would never forget for the rest of her life.
A tenacious thin long rapier shuttled through the shadows and human bodies.
Each time the rapier went through, a person would fall to the ground.
Each time the rapier killed one, their dying soul would wail.
The thin long rapier was like the scythe of a grim reaper, reaping target after target.
The group that surrounded her were all dead on the ground within a couple of breaths time.
The thin long rapier buzzed in delight as it flew back to Kieran like a sparrow returning to its nest.
Under the night breeze and moonlight, the long rapier and crow-feathered mantle danced along with the wind.
The long sword red brightly; the mantle fluttered loudly.
Chapter 894 - Pressure
Chapter 894: Pressure
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Atrina witnessed everything with gazes of disbelief.
Xeriche who had the title of Dual de shared the same gaze as well but he was different from Atrina; he knew he was in deep trouble.
The pain from his wrist kept stimting his brain, warning him that if he didnt want to end up like Anderson, he had to run.
Fortunately, his wrists were hurt, not his legs.
As for the possibility of never wielding a sword anymore for the rest of his life?
Xeriche couldnt even spare his thought about that, all he wished for was to stay alive.
So, Xeriche the Dual de who was infamous for being bold and reckless in Naveya turned and ran, but the moment he turned, he stopped.
He didnt even finish his first step out because a long rapier pierced the air and its sharp tip was pointed at his neck.
The sharp tip instantly pushed up to Xeriches neck, cutting his skin.
My lord, I didnt mean to offend you, its just that...
Puk!
Before he even finished, the rapier before Xeriches eyes red and his legs were chopped off.
[Dandelions Pierce] with Strong rank attack sliced his legs like cutting tofu.
Aaaaaaaaargh! Xeriche screamed in agony.
You know, I dont want to listen to any of your bullsh*t, and you should know what I want to ask you.
Kierans voice entered Xeriches ears together with the night breeze and as he spoke, [Dandelions Pierce] didnt stop.
It continued cutting Xeriches chest at Kierans will and it wasnt cutting at random, the wounds formed a perfect square on his chest.
When [Dandelions Pierce] cut thest line of the square, it poked into his chest and pried the skin.
Tsss!
A big area of human skin was pried out together with a tearing noise, blood gushed out from the wound and instantly dyed Xeriche red.
Ugh!
Atrina covered her mouth, she sounded like he was going to throw up; Starbeck dared not even look as he covered his eyes.
Kieran however controlled [Dandelions Pierce] with a calm manner as he waited for his answer.
I dont know who that man is! I am now one of Emerald Rock, Im just following orders!
Xeriche wasnt a tough person like those in the temples and he didnt want to suffer another part of his skin being pried away. So when he saw the rapier approaching his abdomen, he spilled the beans without a second thought.
Emerald Rock? Kieran waved his hand as he seemed to have thought of something.
Xeriches head was chopped off right away after the signal.
After conveniently picking up the equipment from Xeriche and Anderson the Wild Beast, Kieran ced them into his backpack and reached his hand out.
Souuu!
[Dandelions Pierce]nded directly on his palm.
Although the answer is clear now, I think you should go have a look as to whether the Holy Thorn Grail still there, Kieran said.
O-Okay!
After witnessing how vicious Kieran was, Atrina started to stutter.
Although she knew Kieran was by no means a good person, she didnt know Kieran would be so ruthless.
Interrogation by skinning, even the Sin Temple didnt always resort such methodsthey would only use it against an extremely sinful criminal.
Despite Xeriche indeed being a sinful criminal, skinning him alive was too cruel.
The temple deacon Atrina couldnt stop such thoughts from entering her mind.
Human beings always paid attention to others and not one self.
At that particr moment, Atrina didnt even think about whether it was cruel that she sent her servant to die. Perhaps in the temple deacons eye, the life of a servant wasnt worth much at all.
While standing on top of the stone bridge, Atrina carefully went prone and started to search the inside the pir beneath the bridge.
When she pulled out an empty rope, her face changed.
Its gone! Dont let me know who is it! Or else...
Just as Atrina wanted to voice her threats, she instantly thought of her actions being monitored by the mastermind. Her face changed once more before going silent for good.
She then turned her eyes to Kieran. Unquestionably, Atrina was a smartdy, she knew how the situation was totally disadvantageous to her, so at this particr time, other than relying on Kieran the outsider for help, there was no other choice for her.
Rather than acting smart on her own, she might as well wait for Kierans orders for the next step.
You should return to the Thorn Temple first. Under Lady Venessas divine light, you are safe. As for the rest of the matters, Ill deal with them one by one. But dont forget you havent aplished your end of the deal. ording to the contracts terms, you must offer more topensate my losses, Kieran said frankly when he saw how the temple deacon was acting up.
Very well, my lord. Can you escort me to the temples premise? Atrina nodded before asking a favor.
Sure! I dont want you to get ambushed half way either, Kieran said.
...
After going through the wealthy district and council district, they arrived before the entrance to the temple district.
Kieran halted his steps as he saw Atrina off into the temple district of which even the night could hardly cover its brilliance.
The colorful brilliance carried different auras, some grand, some hidden, some rampant and some peaceful; all of them descended from the sky and were bathing over the entire district.
Anyone with nefarious deeds would be exposed whenever they stepped in there.
Kieran for one of course wouldnt enter. He was looking at the colorful brilliance almost a dozen meters away from the temple district.
His SSS- Intuition allowed him to faintly catch glimpses of some terrifying existence within the brilliance, just like seeing a tidal wave at the beach or facing a tornado up close.
Tiny!
Helpless!
Compliance!
Worship!
All kinds of feelings started to affect Kieran without him knowing and when his sharp senses realized that, he grabbed Starbeck and left quickly.
They retreated more than a hundred meters before those feelings went away.
Just the unconscious aura from the light and made me feel like this... so this is the power of the so-called Gods?
Kieran was recalling the pressure that the terrifying presence brought him while he turned away.
He knew he didnt have the qualifications to approach all of that yet.
Trying to break through head on would be striking a stone with an egg.
But, it was a measure of his current strength.
With enough time, he would trample in without any fear.
Before he truly left the temple district, Kieran turned around and took another nce at the colorful brilliance descending from the sky.
His eyes glimmered and his retreating steps hastenedhis heart was more eager than ever.
However, his eagerness didnt mess up the steps in his n.
Kieran started to adjust his ns step by step ording to the situation and he got a conclusion.
Emerald Rock.
The organization was originally in the pay-a-visitter list and now, it was elevated to a top priority.
...
Meanwhile inside a certain spot of Thorn Temple.
A figure clenched his fist when he saw Atrinae back unharmed but he returned to his normal self after a slight second.
The figure walked out with a kind smile on his face.
Good evening, Chief Knight Reppu.
Atrina was respectfully greeting one of the five important figures that had actual strength and authority within Thorn Temple.
Hi, Deacon Atrina. The chief knight responded in courtesy.
He nodded and slowly walked away under the deacons sight.
Everything was normal.
Chapter 895 - Lenient
Chapter 895: Lenient
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Inside Distributions of underground factions of Naveya City, Emerald Rock was a gang faction whose main operation was assassination, their main base of operations was in a mill in themon district.
Kieran and Starbeck left the temple district and returned to the wealthy district. They passed through the market and finally reached themon district.
Just like how Atrinamented, that city guardmander Delinkt was really not much of a formidable character.
Although there were outposts set up at the two ends of the market which connected themon and wealthy district, there were too many blind spots in between.
One didnt even need professional skills, even amoners= with quick feet would easily slip through unnoticed, let alone Kieran with above Transcendence [Undercover] and Starbeck with Musou level.
However, when they entered themon district, Starbeck trembled in fear again.
Kieran didnt hold back his ns from Starbeck, so he knew what they were going to do next.
Trying to negotiate with a bunch of native killers.
Of course, with Kierans style, such negotiation would be anything but a pleasant process.
When Starbeck thought of the potential danger ahead, he couldnt help but feel extremely anxious.
However, when they entered the mill, his heart was relieved because there was no one!
Though Starbeck immediately realized something and he quietly took a nce at Kieran.
When he noticed Kieran wasnt angry at all, he then truly heaved a long sigh.
Kieran, on the other hand, didnt care about Starbecks petty movements, he went ahead and checked the entire mill.
Things are messy and other than the necessities, most of the living supplies are still here. This means the killers of Emerald Rock evacuated the ce without a second thought after getting the news.
Seems like that person didnt only have constant surveince on Atrina but has quite the influence on Emerald Rock as well. If thats the case... Kieran touched his chin and a new theory formed in his head.
Then, he went for a second check around the mill and made sure he didnt miss anything before signaling Starbeck.
Starbeck who was eager to leave didnt question further; he followed behind Kieran closely and returned to Charging Stable Inn.
After they entered their room, Starbeck uncharacteristically went straight to their goods.
He took out each and every one of the goods, checking them meticulously.
Kieran nced over Starbecks behavior but didnt say anything.
He knew Starbeck would assume they could find some useful information in the goods but when Kieran had decided to disguise as the itinerant merchant, he has already carefully checked the goods yet none of them were noteworthy.
In addition, when Kieran rted the matters to the specifically targeted order that Mizelle received, the more he assumed the identity of this traveling merchant that he posed was the key to the problem.
Who is this merchant exactly? Kieran frowned as he pondered upon the question.
Although Pelker did mention the itinerant merchant was amon one and even his two followers were imposters, Kieran didnt think of it that way.
Why was someone so eager to kill amon merchant?
In addition, that someone wasnt any John Doe either but a person affiliated to the temple factions and has connections to a killer organization.
Starting from that point, the traveling merchant became unusual but it was an undeniable fact that the merchant was indeed weak.
Of course, there were possibilities that the merchant escaped like a cicada sloughing its skin and the one that Pelker killed was just an imposter.
If thats the case... Things will get much more interesting!
The stolen Holy Thorn Grail, a temple deacon that has ties to a killer organization and a traveling merchant from the north...
Kiera sat on the sofa, his fingers were knocking on the sofas arm lightly.
As he thought over the matters, his fingers suddenly stopped. He realized that he has been missing a single party.
The unknown attackers! The ones who intercepted Atrina to prevent her from sending her servant out!
Judging from the situation, these unknown attackers should be an extra faction.
An extra faction eh?
Kieran squinted his eyes.
...
The night flew quickly.
A moment before dawn, Starbeck finally went to sleep with a heavy heart after getting no results from his search but soon enough, he woke up.
Starbeck saw Kieran who was sitting on the sofa as though he hadnt changed his posture sincest night. He then directly ran to the kitchen.
It was true Starbeck was a coward but he knew how to observe the situation.
He realized other than spoils of war, Kieran had quite the interest for food.
Coincidentally, Starbeck had quite the cooking skill.
In fact, not only cooking but gardening, nting, raring animals were all his forte but they were all kind of useless for this current dungeon.
Still, it didnt stop him from trying to use food to exchange more fondness from Kieran.
Half an hourter, Starbeck returned to the room with tes.
Sausages, vegetable sd, and freshly baked cornbread with hot milk.
The sausages were crunchy on the outside and chewy in the inside, Starbeck must have applied butter on it while grilling with a strong fire. Together with the vegetable sd, not only did the greens remove the oiliness of the butter, it enhanced the freshness of the vegetables as well but what intrigued Kieran the most was the freshly baked cornbread and its crust.
It was more than it met the eyes. The seemingly whole cornbread had something going on inside the bread itself.
Its stuffed with cheese and butter? Kieran asked.
I bought extra milk and cheese from the cooking maiden, Starbeck answered.
I see. Kieran nodded. He took out the two spoils of war fromst night and ced them on the table.
Ive used one of your contracts on Atrina, so ording to market price, these two items canpensate the difference nicely. Dont refuse if I tell you to take it! Spoils of war should be distributed ording to contributions but it doesnt mean I can simply take from you without conditions.
Kieran enjoyed the cornbread while he told Starbeck in a serious manner.
O-Okay,
Starbeck nkly took the equipment on the table.
The two equipment were not high leveled by any means, both were at Magic rank with nothing really special about them.
One was a pair of des that could enhance attack speed and the other was a leather armor with decent defense.
If he were topare the two items with the ones he was wearing, the difference would be heaven and earth.
But...
It was the first time Starbeck acquired items in a dungeon.
In all his previous dungeon, he had to give up on all the items because of the contract terms, this time was no exception either. So Starbeck had no hopes in getting any rewards but he never thought Kieran wouldpensate his contract with his spoils of war.
Thinking about how Kierans style was cool and a bit of overbearing all the time, Starbeck shifted his gaze between the equipment in his hands and Kieran.
His gaze started to change but at the next moment, he returned to his normal self.
Ive found some honey in the kitchen just now. If you dont mind, we can have honey roasted meat for lunch, Starbeck said.
Sure, Kieran nodded without objecting.
He was always passionate about food, so he tended to be more lenient to someone who could cook good food. He decided to let Starbecks disgusting gaze at him just now pass.
Then, he patiently waited for lunch and also the visitor that would be arriving soon.
Chapter 896 - Anxico
Chapter 896: Anxico
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The visitor that Kieran was expecting waste but before that, an uninvited guest arrived first.
Dok, Dok Dok.
Come in.
After the knock and Kierans permission, a man dressed up in a merchant outfit came in.
He was smiling and was slightly bloated, perfectly fitting the image of a merchant.
Good day sir, I am Eddy.
After a simple introduction, Eddy started to rant.
What a sh*tty situation! That damn assassination forced the market to shut down for a week! I cant wait that long, so I brought some of my goods here and perhaps you may find something you need?
Believe me, all my goods are top quality perfection, now you can get all of them with only half the price!
Eddy pitched as he took out his personal sack and ced some items on the tea table.
It was some small wooden and root sculpture.
Kieran really couldnt spot anything in terms of craftsmanship but he knew Eddys purpose was not there to trade. At least amon merchant wouldnt have a dagger, three flying knives and vials of poison on him.
Aside from that, when he entered the room, the way he sized up Kieran wasnt something a merchant would do, instead he felt more like a inspector.
Kieran had came across a lot of police inspectors in the dungeons and he was very familiar with the expressions and habits of one, which shared simrities with Eddy here.
However, he was different than the inspector that Kieran knew; Eddys sizing habit was filled with invasive manner and slightly malicious.
Kieran had a hunch about who Eddy was right away.
A secret agent?
As the thought lingered in his heart, Kieran started to socialize with the man.
I know right, its really not a good news for us merchants. Can we barter this? Kieran replied with a merchants tone.
Of course, no problem at all! Eddy nodded repeatedly.
Just when Kieran was taking out his goods for the trade, Eddy voiced his question subtly, Dear sir, how do you view the assassination yesterday?
That priest is really a poor thing, dying by the hands of an assassin but I am also very pitiful. Im worried that if this continued, I would suffer a total loss here, Kieran answered.
Then what else do you see? Like... in front of that inn? Eddy continued, his words were filled with misleading guide.
You are saying the stall selling essories? Other than buying two copper rings, I didnt get anything else. Too bad, the pelt stall beside that really does sell some good pelt. I hope he is fine after the explosion, Kieran pretended to be sympathetic.
Explosion? You saw the explosion as well? How terrifying! Eddy said in shock.
Yes, its really terrifying! I am still grateful that I left that spot earlier, otherwise...
Kieran shook his head as though there was lingering fear in his heart.
You are really lucky. Eddy was sobbing and gasping.
After that, in the next half an hour, both of them bartered off a lot of goods.
Kieran was being particr in every single item and turned the deal stif a few times but eventually, both of them ended up satisfied.
Good luck to you! Eddy left after leaving his blessing behind.
You too! Kieran said his blessing with a smile as well.
After the door was closed, the merchant imed to be Eddy left the corridor with swift steps and speed that didnt suit his body shape.
Kieran sat back at the sofa and he clearly heard Eddys leaving footsteps.
Is he a secret agent from Naveyas higher ranks? Or is he from the temples? Kieran wondered.
Could it be from the city guardmander?
After witnessing how themander distributed his menst night, Kieran didnt believe he would have such a talent like Eddy beside him.
More so, Eddy found him within a day and had detailed understanding of what Kieran did during the explosion; it wasnt what the city guards were capable of.
At least from what Kieran remembered, the essory merchant should be severely wounded even if he didnt die from the explosion.
Under such circumstances and Eddy could still get his hands on detailed information, meaning his methods were outstanding and definitely not some John Doe.
Dok, Dok Dok.
Just when Kieran was pondering upon Eddys identity, the door was knocked on again but before the person even talked, the door was opened.
A man with a coarse hood over his head walked in; the reason why he was obviously a man was because of the thick beard underneath the hood.
His beard was fairly grayish, meaning he wasnt young anymore, the voice that followed proved it as well.
Mr. Ryan? Pardon me, we were only able to get your pseudonym, not your truth name. You wouldnt mind me addressing you that way right?
The man ced his right hand before his chest and saluted in a knights manner.
Kieran shrugged, he sized up the man without being too bothered by it.
You can address me as Anxico or the Follower. I am different from Eddy just now, who ims to be a noble in the city but actually a secret agent from Thorn Temple. I tend to be more honest in front of friends, the man continued.
He then removed his hood and revealed his square and aged face before Kieran.
The shocking thing was, Anxicos eyes were grayed out, his pupils were lost long ago.
A blind man?
Kieran frowned. However, the way Anxico behaved didnt look like a blind person, whether it was it his walking or sitting, they seemed no different than a normal man.
Mr. Ryan, you are surprised? With your abilities, it isnt hard for you to act like I do with your eyes closed as well right? Anxicoughed.
You seem to know a lot about me? Kieran raised a brow.
No! Other than specting from the traces you left behind at the dock, I dont know much but I know you are not too fond of the temples and hold contempt towards the ruler of this ce. You see, without my sight, Ive gotten some other unusual abilities.
Anxico shook his head and showed a smile.
Then, with Kierans permission, Anxico continued. A very cunning enemy stands in your way, coincidentally, he is also our enemy. So I think we can work together.
Anxico stated the purpose of his visit.
Work together... how? Kieran seemed to be intrigued by the suggestion.
I can give you the most detailed information on that person, of course, if you help me in dealing with another person. Im not asking you to move alone, we will also send corresponding manpower to aid you. Please believe me, I am not lying or holding any malicious intents. After all, having an ally in Naveya City is really hard toe by. Anxico said.
Hmm. I believe you dont have any allies in Naveya right? Otherwise, you wouldnt have not noticed someone was following you all this time, Kieran said with a smile.
W-What?! Anxico was stunned.
A figure appeared behind Anxico out of thin air and the dagger in the figures hand was drive towards his back.
Chapter 897 - Identity II
Chapter 897: Identity II
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The attackers appearance was too sudden.
The dagger was already at Anxicos back within an instant but Kieran was faster.
Before the dagger even touched Anxico, Kierannded a kick on Anxicos neck!
Grawk!
After the neck was broken, Anxico limped back on the sofa and a small dagger fell out of his sleeve; the attacker was stunned.
This wasnt part of their n.
Shouldnt Kieran move forth and stop the attacker, therefore saving Anxico so he could counterattack at that moment?
Why would Kieran kick Anxico instead?
Confusion was erupting in the attackers mind. However, no matter how confused the attacker was, it didnt stop Kieran fromnding another kick on him.
Bang!
The kicknded on the attackers head and with Kierans intentional control, there wasnt any noises that followed before the attacker fell softly on the ground, absent of any signs of life.
When Starbeck came out from the inner room, he looked at the scene with puzzled thoughts.
Even though Anxicos body swiftly changed back into the merchant Eddy, he was still confused.
How did you notice? Starbeck asked.
Too many ws. This guy should be ying as some secret agent from a secret organization, but I never once saw a secret agent so straight and open to topics like he was. Even if he purposely imitated the standards of a knight, he needs to learn how to change the poison vial on him. I dont think its purely coincidence that the scent of the poison vial on this Anxico was the same the one from Eddy.
Kieran wouldnt have kept such things from his teammates.
As he exined to Starbeck, he took out a vial of poison that had a faint pungent smell from the inner pocket of Eddys coat.
Then, an orange glowing item appeared on Eddys body in addition to a vial of potion.
[Name: Disguise Potion]
[Type: Potion]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attribute: Drink it and take up the disguise of the person of your thoughts for 3 hours!]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: This is a product from the middle to higher tiers of potionology]
[Note: You will transform into the persons appearance only, you will not possess the persons abilities and your voice remains the same.]
...
Not a bad potion! Kieranmented on the potion on his palm.
Even if it had its ws, it would still be able to be effective during crucial moments.
Pack your things. Wee leaving, Kieran said when he picked up horse gallops outside.
They are the visitors that you are waiting for? Starbeck asked.
They werent before but they are now. That person is very vignt. He didnt show his face up until now and he has been using others to test us. But that person didnt understand that the more test he tried, the more ws they would be expose. It should only be a handful of people within Thorn Temple that canmand such a secret agent, Kieran answered.
He was being vague with his answer. Starbeck was a curious person but he wasnt the kind that would get to the bottom of matters by any means necessary.
He didnt press the question anymore since Kieran answered him, he quickly packed up their things.
Two minutester, when Kieran and Starbeck left Charging Stable Inn, a big group of city guard riders arrived and heavily surrounded the inn.
Kieran took a nce at the riders and signaled Starbeck to move faster.
He didnt have the time to tangle with these unrted natives anymore because no matter how many Kieran killed, the mastermind behind the scenes wouldnt care.
He would need to make a move directly on the mastermind himself.
...
Atrina was a little surprised when she received a letter from Mizelle requesting a meeting.
She didnt even think Mizell would appear before her.
After all, after Mizelle had failed the previous mission, going off the grid was the best choice for him.
What the hell?
Questions lingered in Atrinas heart as she left her room and headed out of the temple.
As for the potential danger?
The temple deacon wasnt worried about that. The reason she chose Mizelle in the first ce was because she knew he wouldnt have caused a threat to her.
After quickly leaving the temple district, Atrina saw Mizelle under a tree in the council district.
Mizelle had traded his hood and mantle for clean and decent clothes, at least he wasnt eye-catching while standing in the council district.
How dare you still appear before me?!
Atrina walked over with an intimidating manner, ring at Mizelle with a furious gaze.
Obviously, Atrina med Mizelle for her own misfortunes and ending up in such an ugly position.
However, out of Atrinas expectation, Mizelle didnt show fear on his face which she thought he should. Quite the contrary, Mizelle asked Atrina with a calm tone.
My lordmanded me to ask you who you ssaw after you returned to the templest night? Supposingly a higher rank personnel and at least able tomand the secret agents of Thorn Temple.
My lord? Y-You... Atrina was stunned.
She looked at Mizelle with astonishment. She wasnt stupid at all and immediately knew what was going on.
It was Kieran! Only Kierans identity fit but it was hard for Atrina to ept.
If Mizelle was Kierans man, that meant... Kieran had Atrina and all of her men under his control a long time ago?!
Once she thought about her cunning ns all being under Kierans surveince, a deep helplessness rose in her heart and it even turned into heavy wave of despair, drowning her.
How...How is this possible?
Atrina started to mumble as she rted into a lot of things herself.
My lord is almighty, Mizelle replied with utmost certainty.
Mizelle who was under Kierans control really treated his lord as God, so such a reply wouldnt be of problem.
However, the conversation and manner between the both of them has entered someones sight, which caused a big problem.
Yesterday...
Atrina forced herself to calm down and recalled what happened yesterday but when her words just escaped her mouth, wind blew over.
Atrina and Mizelle were knocked out cold without resisting.
Reppu the chief knight looked down at the unconscious duo.
Just as I thought! It really is that way! How could you be someone normal if you can provide me with such aid? Reppu muttered.
Then, he picked up the unconscious duo and headed towards themon district.
The whole process was done in less than a second; the people around didnt even notice his existence and no would notice him as he made his way to themon district.
As the chief knight of Thorn Temple, Reppu might be young but his strength was outstanding, not only closebat but also his unimaginable [Undercover] technique.
The more surprising thing was his secret identity.
When he arrived at a secret underground hideout in themon district, the killers from Emerald Rock that had been waiting stood up and bowed.
Leader!
Chapter 898 - Wind
Chapter 898: Wind
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Inside Emerald Rocks underground hideout, four to five braziers were burning, producing sparks and noise.
Dozens of sparks rose up from the braziers but were devoured by the fire.
The fire that burned brightly didnt only shed light in the underground hideout but made the respectful eyes of the dozen killers clearer.
For an organization that was established for less than 5 years, it was a miracle that Emerald Rock was able to be the boss of the underground gangs in Naveya and the one who created the miracle was the man before the killers: their leader.
Although rumours outside were saying Oak Hands modest decline allowed Emerald Rock to be the boss in the city, only they themselves knew what was going on.
If it wasnt for Emerald Rocks continuous victories over the few crucial battles, why would Oak Hand modestly decline in order for them to rise to power?
The ones who believed a gang would modestly decline were either children or idiots.
The man that stood before them was the key to the multiple victories.
Each time the Emerald Rock members thought about how their leader led the charge valiantly on the battlefield, all of them showed more and more admiration.
Reppu nced over his men that he spent effort in training, each of them were respectful and showed utmostpliance. He couldnt hold back his nods.
He was enjoying the respectful gazes from his men.
Reppu was also like that when he was in Thorn Temple but the different thing was, he didnt have to put on his mask in his hideout and was able to fully enjoy the worship from his men.
Therefore, he was more fond of the identity of the leader of Emerald Rock.
As for the chief knight of Thorn Temple?
To Reppu, what was abandoned was abandoned.
Since what Reppu gained with the help of the folks in the temple had too many ws and evidence against him, it wasnt that reliable.
But, he definitely would not abandon the identity of Emerald Rocks leader.
As his mind was thinking all of that, he threw Mizelle and Atrina on the ground.
Theyve discovered my identity but they are nothing but pawns. The real enemy still hides behind the curtains, I need you all to find someone to send a message to that enemy, informing him of the situation, Reppu said slowly.
The killers around the hideout instantly showed ferocious smiles.
They had used the hostages to set up traps countless times now and they were really skilled at it, to the point that they could capture their enemies easily with this trick.
Another thing. Oak Hand seems to have suffered severe losses during the battle with the city guards before this, half of their core members are dead and Ive heard their leader was injured as well. We can finally wipe them out! Reppu continued.
The killing gazes around him were aroused by why he said.
Many years of fighting and countless blood and bodies had formed an incurable grudge between Emerald Rock and Oak Hand.
If there was a chance present, Emerald Rock would surely take out Oak Hand once and for all, so woulf Oak hand to Emerald Rock.
Now a decent opportunity was presented to them.
Leader, everyone that we called in using the emergency order are all here! We will finally turn Oak Hand into history this time! One of the killers said.
Hmm... very good...
Everyone is here? This is great!
Just as Reppu was about to give his order, a voice interrupted him.
The owner of the voice had a familiar face, it was one of Reppus man, Maize but his voice was unheard of.
[Disguise Potion]!
Right away, Reppu thought of the special potion that originated from temple and at the same time, the person that could use such special potion.
A secret agent from the temples?
The assassination mission yesterday seeded but my men were captured by you. Then, perhaps through interrogation, youve gained the disguise and infiltrated my secret hideout? I bet the priests from Sin Temple poured in quite an effort right?
Reppu coldly stared at the person who spoke.
As the chief knight of Thorn Temple, he had contact with too many of the mystical matters between temples.
He knew his men would never betray him.
Those folks from Sin Temple raised Reppus cautiousness to its peak but the aid they provided him was exceptionally skillful. If it wasnt for their overly frantic means, Reppu didnt mind continuing working with them, nor did he have to waste so much effort to ditch them.
However, it was because of that, he was clear that his men that he trained with special methods didnt only possess decent strength but also unrivaled loyalty, except if they were forced by some special means like the interrogations from Sin Temple.
Sin Temples interrogation directly tortured ones soul, even for Reppus loyal men, they wouldnt have endured the process, neither would Reppu himself.
That was also one of the important reasons he decided to stop the coboration between himself and Sin Temple.
It was true he liked to enjoy benefits but he must stay alive to enjoy life.
Sin Temple? Seems like you are much more confident than I thought. Dont you think that I can realized something from that Eddy? Or you never thought that these two were the bait to force you out?
Kieran removed his disguise and pointed at the unconscious Mizelle and Atrina with a smile.
You are one of them! Reppu said heavy tone.
Them? Seems like you have quite the secrets on you, Kieran squinted.
But you will never have the chance to know! Do you think that I will continue bullsh*t with you here? Fool! The potions effect should fade off soon! KILL HIM!
Reppuughed coldly and raised his hand.
Instantly, a dozen of the killers threw themselves at Kieran.
Yup, the potion effect is almost gone.
Kieran nodded with a smile when he saw the killers charging at him.
Then, as for what happened next... All the killers started to stagger and eventually fell to the floor one after another.
Impossible! I know you people gave me the original potion but Ive modified it! Even developed an antidote specifically countering your potions! Reppu roared inconceivably.
The scene before him was all too familiar.
It was one of the potions Reppu got from them; able to silently paralyze opponents and was also one of the methods he was so fond of.
However, he knew others were not reliable, so Reppu has silently altered the form to the first potion with his own temples influence and developed a special antidote specifically curing the first version of the potion. As long as one carried the antidote with them, they would never be affected by the original version.
It was one of Reppus fortes and he thought it would cause them to suffer a great loss but never did he expect...
Did you people reserve the first version of the potion? But did you ever think of me receiving Lady Venessas blessing? I will not be affected by the potions effects.
Speaking of which, I really have to give it up to you people! Now, I shall inform you with my sword, no kind of dark scheme can ever rival true power!
Reppu seemed to have realized something as he looked at Kieran with a more ferocious eyes.
The chief knight with two identities drew his sword and the moment his sword came out from its sheath, violent winds formed by countless energy streams appeared in the secret hideout, circting Reppu.
It fit Reppu as though he was the Son of Wind and when he raised his hand again...
FUU!
A powerful wind was blown towards Kieran.
Kierans hair danced as he was buffeted by the wind, the feathered mantle on him fluttered hard.
The sharpness of the de that was hidden in the wind revealed itself in its sharpest manner, even the others around felt pain on their skin.
Careful!
Atrina woke up from the stinging sensation and she shouted when she saw the scene.
She knew how powerful Reppu was; he certainly was iparable to Dual de Xeriche and Wild Beast Anderson. If one imed that Xeriches de could catch the wind, then...
Reppu was the wind itself!
The wind that could slice even iron and reap ones life!
However, at the very next moment, the temple deacon widened her eyes at what she saw.
Atrina saw a giant white wolf appeared silently behind Reppu. The giant white wolf was able to neglect the iron cutting wind as it opened its ferocious mouth, chomping off half of Reppus body.
When the wind reached Kierans face, it vanished into nothing with a pop.
Chapter 899 - Traces
Chapter 899: Traces
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Reppu whose half upper body was chomped off died on the spot.
However, the way he died didnt stop the system rules from applying.
An item floated on top of the remaining half of his body.
Gold!
Its radiance was shiner thanmon gold items from how Kieran saw it.
The giant white wolf picked it up and obediently delivered it to Kierans hand, it didnt have the ferocity and terrifying look from before.
It was a simple and unsophisticated ne. Its body was made out of metal and had a pendant the size of a thumb.
The pendant had mystical runes carved all over it and formed a perfect ring together with its metal body. Even Kierans Pro [Mystical Knowledge] couldnt decipher it.
[Name: Thorns Deceit]
[Type: essory]
[Rarity: Epic]
[Attribute: Fake Beliefs]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: This is a special item created by the God of Earth, Nikorei, to specifically target Lady Vanessa.]
...
[Fake Beliefs: When detected, it will present the wearer as a devoted follower of the Lady of Thorn.]
...
NIKOREI?!
When he saw the remark on [Thorns Deceit], even with Kierans calmness, he couldnt hold back his surprise.
He never would have thought Reppu the dual identitied chief knight would have ties to Nikorei.
At the same time, he sort of understood how Reppu could possess dual identities.
A person that didnt look exactly devoted to his beliefs yet able to ascend to the position of chief knight of a temple, this point baffled Kieran for quite a while.
Now, it seemed like Reppu relied on [Thorns Deceit] entirely and when he looked at the ne, he rted to more matters.
The ones Reppu was referring as them was Nikorei andpany? The ultimate foe that NIkorei was off to deal with was this Vanessa?
When thoughts popped up in Kierans mind, system notifications followed.
[Sub-Mission: Hidden (Complete)]
[Acquired key item: Thorns Deceit!]
[Triggered special event: Obstruction of Fate]
[Obstruction of Fate: Fate loves to y jokes! Your influence towards Thorn Temple will be your final rating!]
[Note: Influence includes but is not limited to reputation; the more influence you have with Thorn Temple, the higher your rating will be!]
...
Influence Thorn Temple Kieran spun the gears in his mind but on the outside, he was as calm as ever, putting away [Thorns Deceit].
My lord.
Mizelle who woke up quickly stood beside Kieran.
Tie them all up and ask Pelker to transfer the others here. Remember, dont leave any traces while you move, Kieran ordered.
Yes, my lord!
Mizelle bowed as a reply before running outside.
Following Mizelles absence, Kieran turned to Atrina.
Before he even opened his mouth, Atrina beat him to it, saying, I am willing to do anything for you!
As she dered her stance, she couldnt help but looked at [Spirit of the White Wolf], showing an unconceble terror on her face.
It seemed like [Spirit of the White Wolf] quietly chomping off half of Reppus body had terrified the temple deacon to the core.
Anything? Kieran emphasized.
Yes anything! Atrina nodded.
Including abandoning Thorn Temple? Kieran squinted his eyes.
As long as you guarantee my safety, I can turn on Thorn Temple! Atrina replied after hesitating for a few seconds.
You really are a realistic person! Maybe because of that, Lady Vanessa didnt favor you at all. But I am fortunate to call you my coborator, Kieran said.
He then turned around and headed to the living hall.
There was a pot filled with mystical runes on the exterior and when Kieran got close, a heavy fishy smell sted his face and despite the pot being sealed tightly, it didnt conceal the heavy stench.
What was inside the pot? The answer was self-exnatory.
The Holy Thorn Grail! There was no other possible item except for that.
Of course, in order to get a firm answer, Kieran would still check it thoroughly but not here.
Kieran raised his hand over [Spirit of White Wolf] and it disappeared silently just like how it appeared, though it didnt vanish abruptly on the spot but ran towards the shadow aside and slowly faded away, as though it fused with the shadows.
It was also an intentional act by Kieran, in order to mislead Atrina.
Having a coborator like Atrina, allowing her to know too much will not be a good thing and everything was just as Kieran predicted.
When Atrina saw the white wolf fuse into the shadows and vanish, she couldnt hold back her shivers.
T-This is... Hunter Temple? No, not it cant be! Even the animalpanion of Hunter Temples Archpriest wasnt as scary as that white wolf! Not only did it appear without a sign, its imprable... Atrina thought of that in her heart while being unable to hold back her gaze toward the shadow beside her.
She felt like the white wolf didnt vanishpletely but it hid inside the shadow, watching her.
Once she did anything that crossed the line, it woulde out and bite her neck off.
Kieran quietly nodded in satisfaction when he saw how terrified Atrina was.
Then, he went on checking the hideout without saying anything else.
Instantly, the whole living hall was plunged into silence. Atrina felt extremely uneasy under the quietness.
Fortunately, Mizelle returned soon enough and he brought Starbeck, Pelker and the others.
The Emerald Rock killer, Maize who Kieran dominated was among the bunch as well.
The few of them entered the living hall and saluted Kieran.
This will be your temporary hideout for now. Ive checked the ce, the supplies here will suffice for you all to live for a month or so. Kieran said before he looked at Starbeck.
You stay here too.
A simple order was enough for Starbeck to know that Kieran would not be able to take care of him in the uing events.
Although he was away from Kieran, the fear in his heart already made him panic, he still tried his best in pretending he was fine.
He didnt wish to distract Kieran because of his well being.
Ill try my best to not be a burden Starbeck reminded himself in his heart while he remained silent on the outside.
Though from how Kieran viewed it, Starbecks normal was the biggest abnormal.
He took another nce at Starbeck, he knew what his priority was now, so after giving further orders to his dominated men, Kieran went up to Reppus remains.
The body was still useful; he needed to take care of it.
But more importantly, there was the pot that held the Holy Thorn grail.
Whether or not the uing n could seed, it will all depend on the grail.
Of course, it would also require the cooperation from the other party.
In fact, the other party was much more cooperative than Kieran had expected.
Chapter 900 - Wealth
Chapter 900: Wealth
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Meanwhile, in Naveyas wealthy district, a bunch of shady people were gathering in an independent building equipped with a garden.
It was a wealthy merchants house. The merchant was well-known by all because he donated tons of offerings to Wealth Temple.
Everyone pictured him as a devoted believer but at this moment inside his study room, the wealthy merchant was standing in front of a crowd with a heavy expression.
Even more so when all the disguises in the crowd were removed, showing their injured conditions to the merchant, his heavy expression worsened.
Unconsciously, the merchant looked at a middle-aged man in the crowd.
The middle-aged man was simr to the others, his arm was bandaged; his face looked normal but his eyes were as sharp as knives.
It was because of those sharp eyes, it made the middle-aged man stand out from the crowd.
Despite being injured, he still possessed a presence that others couldnt neglect.
In fact, as the leader of Oak Hand, the middle-aged man possessed strength on par with his sharp eyes. Otherwise, he wouldnt lead Oak Hand to be the longest surviving gang in Naveya and because of that, it granted him an outstandingly prestigious position among his peers.
Following the wealthy merchants gaze, the crowd too turned to the middle-aged man, seemingly awaiting his orders.
Activate it, the middle-aged man said as he was looked upon.
It?
Those who didnt know felt confused; those who knew trembled with shock.
Especially the wealthy merchant. As the person in-charged of it, he knew what consequences would follow, or more precisely, what cost they would have to pay.
Leader, do we really have to do this? The wealthy merchant asked with hesitance and unwillingness.
We have to! Those bastards from Emerald Rock will never let this chance slip! They will surelyunch a full assault on us using this opportunity and only it can help us ovee our problems at hand!
The middle-aged man took in a deep breath and showed unwillingness on his face as well but his words were strict and decisive.
Although it would cost him his savings for many years, it would be better than losing his life right?
I understand! The wealthy merchant nodded and left the room afterward.
10 minutester, a wagon arrived before the buildings entrance.
The wealthy merchant led his servants to wee the person inside.
The two-wheeled wagon was pulled by an old horse; the wagoner was dressed very shabbily and had patches on his shirt but no one dared to look down on the wagon itself because of the temples insignia on it.
The insignia that represented Wealth Temple was a golden shining coin the size of a palm.
Likewise, the elderly priest that came down from the carriage had the same insignia on his chest and sleeves also.
Compared to hismon priest outfit, the insignia was looking lively with its shine under the sun.
Priest Schmocker, I thank you for your arrival. The merchant greeted as he took a bag of coins and gave it to the priest.
The priest smiled when he received the bag of coins.
May Lady Carricanton bless you. The priest tapped the merchants shoulder lightly.
The merchant was overwhelmed by the unexpected favor. He then weed the priest into his mansion respectfully.
Anyone who saw the scene at any time, anywhere else, would feel surprised but not here.
Not only the servants but even the watching crowd showed an understanding smile.
Among the 25 temples in Naveya, the most easy-going temple was surely not Mercy Temple, it was Wealth Temple.
Inside Wealth Temple, money was absolute.
Whether one sinned or not, if they could provide enough money offering, they could acquire a Sin Atonement Scroll or a chance to be pardoned.
No money?
Please turn to the left and head to Mercy Temple instead; the sinner could borate on their sins and receive atonement for their sins by caning.
Therefore, Wealth Temple was popr among the wealthy people, it even pushed Thorn Temple down from the list, bing one of the Four Great Temples and only second to Lightning Temple.
So it was necessary for the people to show respect to the priest himself.
The injured middle-aged man was already inside the living hall, weing Priest Schmocker.
Its a pleasure to meet you, Priest Schmocker. The moment I saw you, it felt like my wounds were getting better. The middle-aged man bowed before uttering ttering words.
That is also Lady Carricantons glorious light. I am just her messenger and as for what you want to do, you better pray to the Goddess herself.
Priest Schmocker was implying something else with his words, his face had the cunningness from time and age.
The priest knew who the middle-aged man was, his upation and what he wanted to achieve but he didnt care.
As long as the middle-aged man was willing to offer a great deal of money, pleasuring the Lady of Wealth, it would be sufficient.
Wasnt this what a devoted believer should do?
As for the others? He didnt care!
They were the prayers towards Lady Wealth, how could a mortal question so much?!
The middle-aged man understood the meaning instantly.
Promptly, the Oak Hand leader kneeled with one knee, Oh respectful Lady Carricanton, the revered Lady of Wealth, please hear my prayers! I am willing to exchange my gold coins for your blessings and protections!
As the middle-aged man spoke, two other men carried out a box full of gold coins.
Then, the gold coins in the box swiftly vanished before their naked eyes, as though an invisible hand grabbed the gold coins and filled them into an invisible sack.
Soon, the gold coins were emptied out; two more boxes of gold coins were carried out then after that.
I am willing to wash my sins with more gold coins! The middle-aged man continued.
This time, the two new boxes of gold coins flew up in mid-air and the gold coins were poured out but none of the coins touched the floor.
The gold coins vanished the moment they were poured down into the air itself.
At the same time, the middle-aged man had a faintyer of golden brilliance over his body.
When the golden brilliance appeared, Priest Schmocker started to pray softly.
This is a little care from Lady Carricanton and you can only get such an effect by offering a huge amount of gold coins, at least ten thousand and above. Lady Carricanton is watching you and blessing you Priest Schmocker said softly.
Thank you Lady Wealth for your generosity, The middle-aged man replied with respect and reverence.
Then, another bag of coins was ced in the priests palm;pared to the one given to him in the entrance, this bag of coins was bigger and more bloated.
The priest kept the coins in his sleeves; both of them exchanged smiles but their smiles were frozen right away.
Ive always wondered why Oak Hand had so much nerve to do things and it seems like they are affiliated with Wealth Temple?
A voice entered the hall and...
KABOOM!
The main door of the building was sted to the sky and a figure marched in with a stride.
Everyone within the hall widened their eyes one after another when they saw the approaching figure because despite being under the sun, the figure was faint and translucent.
What was more terrifying, following the figures appearance, a killing aura that covered the sky and flooded the earth smashed down on everyone inside the hall like a tidal wave, causing them to tremble.
They heard the wails of agony from the struggling souls, as life faded away, a dense bloody stench assaulted their nose.
A killer! No, not just any killer but an executioner, a butcher that has ughtered countless souls!
Now, only one person in Naveya City fit the criteria of the figure: the mysterious and never seen before King of Killers!
The leader of Emerald Rock!
Chapter 901 - Strike
Chapter 901: Strike
It was well-known within Naveya that Emerald Rocks leader was mysterious.
Most people didnt even know the gender or age of the mysterious killer.
Some even suspected that the person was a secret agent trained by a certain temple.
However, Oak Hands leader was different.
Oak Hands leader had fought Emerald Rock more than once and even though he hadnt seen the true face of his opponent before, he knew the leader was a young man. That was the reason why Oak Hands leader dreaded goi g against Emerald Rocks leader.
Each time Oak Hands leader thought of how the opposite made him fall short of his ambitious, he started to imagine what would happen in another five... maybe ten years. The troubling thoughts in his mind made him lose a lot of sleep.
Therefore, Oak Hands leader started his own backup n, which was to join forces with Wealth Temple and ce all his bets on Priest Schmocker.
Oak Hands leader hoped that he could have a sturdy shield supporting him during desperate times so that he could escape unharmed but he never would have thought the day would arrive so suddenly.
From the start to end, Oak Hands leader didnt even doubt Kierans identity.
That killing aura that rose to the sky and the young face were super effective in confusing the man.
Looking at the young man walking in slowly as though he was an asura from hell, Oak Hands leader subconsciously stepped back and quietly hid behind the Wealth Temple priest, Schmocker.
Dear sir, what did you say just now?
Priest Schmocker didnt care about Oak Hands leader stepping back as all his attention was ced on Kieran.
The priest noticed something unusual from the words Kieran spoke.
What I said? The man beside you should know more!
Kieran showed a killer smile to the retreatingOak Hand leader.
The man instantly quivered when he was greeted with the smile
In the eyes of the leader, Kieran who was in human form suddenly tore his skin apart with his bare hands, revealing who he was underneath: a snake-like wolf monster that was chewing on human flesh and devouring life force!
It had the head of a snake but the body, limbs and the tail of a wolf.
Its size even grew 10 timesrger. The Oak Hand leader was like a little chick standing before an ox as he stood before Kieran.
From the leaders perspective, Kierans body had gotten bigger.
MONSTER!
The thought popped up in the leaders heart.
Then, the leader that was once feared by many turned around and ran. He might be fearless against humans but against a monster?
That was amatters for the temples, he wouldnt want to get himself involved.
However, his efforts in escaping were futile.
The monster extended its w and grabbed the leader in its palm before delivering him to the snake mouth.
Nooooooo!
The leader screamed in agony as the huge snake mouth wasing closer.
Suddenly, a faint golden brilliance shined.
Everything before the leaders eye shattered to pieces.
The leader finally recollected his senses and only then did he noticed he was still in the hall; Kieran was still Kieran, not the monster that he saw.
But...
Pain invaded his body like a sh flood, his muscles and bones felt like they were all crushed to bits.
Puk!
After he spat out a mouthful of blood, the leader fell to the ground, limping on hisst breath. It seemed like he was not too far from his demise.
With [Half-deads Gaze], [Deadmans Gaze, Fear Illusion] dragging all the gang members into their deepest fears and while facing against Kierans Strong I rank Spirit st, none of them stood a chance, all of their heads exploded and their brains sttered.
The Oak Hand leader not ending up like his men wasnt because he had stronger Spirit than his men.
Truth be told, the leaders Spirit was nowhere near strong, the real reason he escaped his head exploding fate was because of the care from Lady Wealth.
However, after withstanding Kierans Strong I rank Spirit st, that little bit of care vanished into nothing.
Looking at the fallen Oak Hand leader and his men with exploding heads, the Wealth temple priest who was covered in a faint golden brilliance showed a heavy expression.
Priest Schmocker was immune to the [Fear Illusions] of [Deadmans Gaze] because of the blessing of Lady Wealth, but it didnt stop him from getting a clear idea how powerful and terrifying Kieran was at that moment.
He only felt that kind of feeling before in front of the Archpriest of Wealth Temple.
What a terrifying person! Priest Schmockermented but he didnt fall back.
He was a priest, a priest from the Temple of Wealth!
How dare you! You dare oppose the Temple of Wealth? Even if you are the leader of Emerald Rock, you should have a clear idea that standing against Wealth Temple with your so-called Emerald Rock killer organization is nothing but throwing an egg against a rock!
Priest Schmocker shouted.
The enraged priest brightened the faint golden brilliance on him, making him look more holistic and dignified.
Lines of notifications about Spirit authentication popped up in Kierans vision, hed passed all of them without pause.
Strong I rank Spirit allowed Kieran to stand tall against such Fear effects, making it feel like a breeze to his face.
So, when Priest Schmocker saw Kieran stepping closer to him, he was astonished.
The priest didnt expect Kieran to neglect a Godly dignity but he soon came back to his senses.
He didnt panic nor was he scared, Priest Schmocker never thought he would be in danger he if faced off against Kieran.
Just like what Priest Schmocker said, Emerald Rock might have quite the reputation in Naveya butpared to Wealth Temple, it was nothing.
Kieran would know what to choose if he was still a sane person.
Let alone striking the priest down, Kieran shouldnt even voice his disrespect!
Even after what had happened, Kieran should have offered more gold coins to calm Priest Schmocker down.
How much gold coins should I ask for? 1000 coins...No, no, no, it wont fit the identity! Emerald Rock might not be as wealthy as Oak Hand but still came out on top of other organizations, I guess 3000 coins would be a reasonable amount. Priest Schmocker started to calcte how much offering should he get.
Just when the thought popped up, Kieran struck!
The thin long sword silently pierced through the priests neck!
Priest Schmocker opened his eyes wide, looking in disbelief as he fell to his death.
Until hisst breath, the priest didnt believe that Kieran had really struck him down.
Kieran said softly as he looked upon the restless death of the priest, Its true, Emerald Rock dares not make their move against Wealth Temple but I dont represent the killers but Thorn Temple!
Kierans voice echoed in the hall for quite some time before it faded away.
Meanwhile further down the street, Atrina was leading a few priests from Thorn Temple towards the said building.
Chapter 902 - Assault
Chapter 902: Assault
Atrina and co. broke through the shattered door and saw Kieran standing in the hall.
What came into their sights was a floor of dead bodies.
Although she was prepared beforehand, Atrina found it hard to conceal the terror in her heart after seeing the scene before her eyes.
However, the ruthless scene reminded the temple deacon even more of Kierans orders.
Ryan, how are you? Are you hurt? Atrina asked as though she cared.
Nope, Im good. Kieran nodded with a smile before looking at the other three Thorn Priests who couldnt conceal their shock.
After catching Kierans gaze, the three Thorn priests felt like they were facing their greatest enemy despite his gaze being absent of killing intent and looking extremely polite.
After all, there was a priest lying down on the floor; the three of them were quite familiar with Priest Schmocker.
Not only did they know how shameless Priest Schmocker was with his words, they knew how powerful he was as well.
A priest with that much strength dying at the hands of Kieran was enough to rm the three Thorn priests, their first impression of Kieran had changed drastically.
Even though they had gotten an introduction from Atrina before they came and got to know who Kieran was, the scene was too much for them.
Looking at the floor filled with bodies! Look at Priest Schmockers body!
So this is the leader of Emerald Rock of Naveya?
So this is the strength of the mysterious king of killers?
Such thoughts lingered in the three priests minds.
Dear sirs, please dont be afraid. I know who my enemies are and my de will only point at my enemies, not my friends. Especially a friend like Atrina.
Kieran then exchanged a nce with the temple deacon.
Both of them showed a smile at the same time, Atrinas smile even had some sweetness and shyness to it.
The three priests realized the situation before them when the noticed how both of them interact.
If they were still suspecting why the leader of Emerald Rock stood by Thorn Temple, after that slight interaction, all suspicions wereid to rest; their eyes had told them everything.
Ahem!
Mr. Ryan, where is the Holy Thorn Grail? One of the elderly priests asked.
While the elderly priest had a question solved, he was more concerned about the holy relic of Thorn Temple, so were the other two.
In fact, if Atrina didnt mention the Holy Thorn Grail, why would Thorn Temple send three priests in a single outing?
It should be around this building. When I stepped into the hall, I realized this guy was affiliated with Wealth Temple, so I couldnt hold myself back, hence I didnt have the time to search the ce, Kieran said.
The elderly priest nodded and waved his hand at the other two behind him.
The two other younger priests and Atrina swiftly moved out.
As for the possibility of Kieran lying, none of them thought so.
Aside from the floor of bodies, Kieran himself didnt have the reason to lie, otherwise, he wouldnt need Atrina to contact the priests.
Soon when they found the pot containing the Holy Thorn Grail, the three priests believed Kieran without a doubt.
These filths dare to insult Lady Vanessa?!
They should be burned to death!
The two young priests were infuriated when they saw the mystical runes carved on the pot and picked up a stench simr to seawater.
Though the elderly priest didnt say anything, the rage on his expression was obvious.
It was well-known throughout the dungeon world that how filthy their sea was and if Holy Thorn Grail attracted any kind of giant monsters from the sea, the consequences would be unimaginable.
When the three priests thought of the fact that the Holy Thorn Grail was almost taken away, they were grateful and at the same time furious.
At that particr moment, a big bunch of people appeared outside the door.
The palm-sized golden shining coin insignia had made clear of their identities.
Wealth Temple!
Priest Schmocker!
The deacons and priests from Wealth Temple cried out in shock one after another when they saw Priest Schmockers body on the floor.
They then red at the three priests from Thorn Temple.
Although the folks from Wealth Temple had received news of what was going on, they never thought things would go south.
Until they saw the light representing Priest Schmocker in their temple went dark, they realized something was wrong. Some of the deacons and priests in the temples hoped it wasnt true.
The moment the cold body appeared in their sight, their luck finally went off.
Damn you bastards, how dare you murder Priest Schmocker!
You will pay for Priest Schmockers life with yours! One of the priests shouted.
Pay with our lives? Thieving and insulting a holy relic is a heavy sin, he had iting!
The elderly Thorn priestughed coldly.
What? What are you bbering about Einderson? You shall not insult Priest Schmocker when he is not here! The Wealth Temple priests were stunned before arguing back.
The elderly Thorn priest didnt say anything else, instead, he smashed the pot filled with seawater and carefully took the Holy Thorn Grail out.
When the seawater gushed out from the smashed pot, the Wealth Temple priests who were infuriated by their colleagues death finally calmed down a little and when the Holy Thorn Grail showed itself, their face suffered a drastic change.
The whole of Naveya knew that the Holy Thorn Grail was stolen but when the stolen relic appeared here...
Could it be...
A bad feeling rose in the Wealth Temple priests heart.
This is nder! Priest Schmocker was only here to collect an offering!
The Wealth Temple priest, of course, wouldnt voice out his true thoughts, instead, he tried to defend their stand.
An offering?
Priest Einderson nced over the big box at the corner of the hall and was ready to say something, that was before he saw Atrina ran back into the hall in a panic.
Priest Einderson! This is bad! Bad I say! The temple deacon said with a pale face.
Whats wrong Deacon Atrina? Dont be afraid, speak slowly.
Although Priest Einderson was interrupted, because Atrina had contributions in retrieving the Holy Thorn Grail, he didnt mind at all and he spoke to her in a pleasant way.
However, the other Wealth Temple priest saw it differently.
So this is the manners of Thorn Temple? How dare a petty deacon be so rude? If she is one of Wealth Temple, a deacon like her is only suitable in the servants room, doing the filthiest work!
The Wealth Temple priest voiced out his mockery.
His words instantly attracted the res from the other two younger Thorn Temple priests. The two of them knew after this incident, Atrina will surely don a priest robe and ascend to their ranks.
However, when she was insulted by Wealth Temple, it was reflected upon them!
If Atrina was insulted like this, what would they be? Would they end up in the servants room as well?
The hot-blooded and impulses of youth hastened their breaths; they wanted to teach Wealth Temple a lesson but someone was faster!
Pak!
A loud pter, the Wealth Temple priest that mocked so much was sent flying backward and it wasnt the end!
A cold re shed and the Wealth Temple priest who was still in mid-air was stabbed by a longsword, pinning him on the wall.
His blood flowed along the line, slowly dripping off the wobbling de.
Chapter 903 - Fanning the Flames
Chapter 903: Fanning the mes
Dik Dak.
Blood fell off the de. It became more eye-catching after falling on the gray moset floor.
The crowd was stunned by the sudden scene and only came back to their senses after the blood touched the floor.
How dare you...
One of the Wealth Temple priest pointed at Kieran but before he could even finish, Kieran interrupted him.
Why wouldnt I? He insulted my Atrina, so he must be prepared to pay with his life! Of course... thiat includes you all as well!
Kieran nced over the Wealth Temple priest and the ones behind him.
Each of them felt like they were struck by thunder whenever they caught Kierans gaze.
[Dead-mans Gaze]!
[Fear Illusion]!
The faint golden brilliance of Lady Wealth were casted over the two Wealth Temple Priest, protecting them from the mental impact but the othermon deacons werent so lucky.
Puk! Puk! Puk!
Even though they too had the golden brilliance of Lady Wealth cast on them, they fell to the floor with mouthful of blood spat out.
Deacons were deacons, they would never receive the same care like the priests but it wasnt what they dreaded the most.
What they dreaded was the rapier that sprung out from the shadow.
The long and tenacious rapier was like the eyes of the grim reaper, cold, ruthless and overflowing with killing intent.
Within a breath, three of the Wealth Temple deacons were stabbed, before three more followed shortly.
When the two Wealth Temple priests realized the situation, the deacons that followed them had all perished.
As for themon followers and servants, their heads exploded even earlier during the [Dead-mans Gaze, Fear Illusion] attack.
The deacons, followers, and servants were all wiped out in an instant, causing the two priests to re with utmost anger.
Rage!
Hatred!
Killing Intent!
Three kinds of emotions intertwined, the two priests kneeled down without a second though, praying loudly.
Sinner! You havemitted atrocities!
Oh brilliant Lady Carricanton, descend with your divine sanction to this sinner, destroy his body and his soul!
Amidst their prayers, a enormous divine presence started to show itself.
The bright and sunny sky turned dark in an instant dark clouds gathered but absent of lightnings.
The tremendous aura simr to the weight of Mt. Tai caused them to lose their breaths.
Another horrifying thing was, that enormous divine presence brought despair upon the people, it could easily cause ones mind to crumble.
Lady Thorns divine light was casted over the three Thorn priests but Atrina who was only a deacon started to shake.
Kieran stepped out and moved his body in front of Atrina who was terrified by the enormous divine presence.
He raised his hand and [Dandelions Pierce] flew back to his palm.
Kieran looked up to the sky, as fearless as a lion; his eyes were stern.
Dont be afraid, Im here with you, Kieran said.
The shivering Atrina was stupefied.
Although she knew it was part of the n, when Kieran really stood before her, protecting her from harm, the temple deacon was still moved.
But soon enough, she was astonished by the tremendous killing aura that gushed out of Kierans body.
What a tremendous killing aura! Even the air started to ripple like the surface of theke.
Everyone caught in the ripple was terrorized by the aura.
Even the three Thorn priests couldnt help but take a few steps back and look at Kieran with utmost astonishment, especially the elderly priest Einderson, his face had disbelief smeared all over it.
His aura has started to affect reality?
H-How is this possible?! How can a mortal achieve this!?
The muttering words from the priest entered Kierans ears without miss.
As expected, a yer can only truly free themselves from the shackles of mortality after entering the Advanced Rank!
Kieran squinted his eyes as he unexpectedly acquired a piece of vital information.
As his Spirit has entered Strong I rank, even the faint and vague aura started to be real.
When more killing intent sprung out from his mind, the people around him would feel the chills as though they had fallen into an abyss of ice. When he gave his best effort to heighten his killing intent and picture countless bodies in his mind, his killing aura would be as sharp as real des, cutting peoples skin.
So this is Strong I rank... What will happen if I reach a higher rank?
Kieran couldnt help but wonder in his heart.
However, he promptly putaway his extra thoughts. He knew what his priorities were.
The situation beforehand might look smooth but he wascking a crucial step.
Kieran waited silently, he believed Thorn Temple would not just sit back and watch him.
Aside from locating the Holy Thorn Grail in the premises, Thorn Temple realized the thieving incident was connected to the priest from Wealth Temple, the fact that Wealth Temple existed in this mess was enough for Thorn Temple to show hostility.
Thorn Temple was originally one of the four great temples beneath Lightning Temple before Wealth Temple snatched their position.
What happened between the two temples?
Kieran didnt read about it in Analytics of the temples developments in Naveya City but he was sure there were grievances between the two temples.
That was why he formed the n that he was executing now: using the grudges between the Thorn and Wealth temple to join Thorn Temples forces, hence acquiring a bigger influence over them.
That was also the reason why Kieran was so ruthless against the folks from Wealth Temple.
He understood that was the only way to gain favor from Thorn Temple and it would also prove that his love for Atrina was the reason for him to forsake darkness for light.
Of course, acquiring more spoils of war was one of the major reasons.
When Kieran saw the 5 green glowing items and 1 orange glowing item on the floor, his killing aura got denser; it became a sharp sword that perforated the sky.
It seemed like he wasnt afraid of the pressuring from Lady Wealth and such a scene caused Priest Eindersons eyes to glimmer.
However, he didnt say anything, instead he kneeled down and prayed loudly like the opposite.
Oh the wise Lady Vanessa, your believer has chosen to face the path of thorns frankly!
You wisdom will be the sharpest sword, carving a way through the path of thorns for us!
As Eidersons prayers sounded, another enormous divine presence appeared within Kierans Intuition but this divine presence was different from the one before, it was more tender, like a spring breeze.
The divine presence swiftly freed Atrina and the three priests from the terrorized state. At the same time, the two enormous divine presence shed.
Kierans Intuition allowed him to feel the heaven and earth was trembling fiercely but within a controble range, it didnt spread to further ces.
Its battling under restrictions? Kieran quietly frowned.
It wasnt a good news for him though, what he wanted wasnt a situation under control, causing the scene to go out of control was what he hoped for.
So, he quickly turned around to Atrina with an affectionate look.
Are you okay Atri? What happened just now? Kieran asked softly.
I...I discovered Chief Knight Reppus body!
Atrina said with a stutter.
As her words sounded, the scene fell into silence.
Chapter 904 - CONTACT!
Chapter 904: CONTACT!
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The two enormous divine presence stopped shing. The crowd was looking at Atrina.
Atrina, what did you say? The elderly priest Einderson asked swiftly.
I found half a body in that room. It doesnt have a face but based on some personal belongings, it should be Chief Knight Reppu...
Before Atrina even finished, Priest Einderson ran towards the room that she mentioned.
The other two younger priests followed close behind, both of their faces were showing unusual nervousness.
Reppu was different from other people, he was the chief knight of Thorn Temple and although his position couldnt rival the archpriest and officiants, he was definitely one of the higher ranks.
Not only did Reppumand the Knights of Thorns, the other important duty of protecting the temple from outside threats was also his responsibility.
Reppus death was an uneptable loss for Thorn Temple.
Imagine what would happen if a military minister of a certain country was assassinated.
Soon enough, the Priest Einderson returned with a heavy expression and the two other younger priests were carrying the half body out.
Kieran had already took care of the body, there were no bite marks left on the wound, neither was it a clean cut like cutting tofu, he skillfully created irregr wounds over the body.
People would automatically think the body was torn apart with a single nce!
What about the other part of the body?
If a grown man was torn apart like this, it must be the doings of a giant monster and it wouldnt be a surprise if a monster ate it.
CARRICANTON!
A heavy, enraged voice of a woman sounded in the clouds like thunder, causing buzzing in peoples ears.
Kieran quickly grabbed Atrina who was terrorized and staggered because of the sudden shout while the elderly priest looked up to the sky.
Although the clouds had concealed the true situation, the elderly priest felt like he really saw what was happening.
Lady Vanessa is enraged! He emphasized.
Priest Einderson took in a deep breath to regte his breaths before continuing, The people from Wealth Temple are starting a war! No, not just starting but it has already begun!
From the Holy Thorn Grail, to the unfortunate death of Chief Knight Reppu, everything is a scheme against us with malicious nning. They used the Holy Thorn Grail to lure Chief Knight Reppu into their trap step by step before they caught him off guard.
This is only the start, their goals arent just Chief Knight Reppu alone but a lot more of us. The archpriest, lord officiant, anyone could be their next target! Because they knew how important the Holy Thorn Grail is to us.
Fortunately, Atrina here has unraveled their malicious schemes by Lady Vennessas guidance, and of course, Ryan. Thank you for everything you two have done for the temple. Now... leave this to us!
His voice started off calm but eventually turned frantic.
Priest Einderson red sharply at the remaining Wealth Temple priests, showing of his killing intent without conceal.
Since the situation had escted to this stage, should he hold back?
Even Mercy Temple wouldnt do so, let alone Thorn Temple!
Thorn Temple viewed fate as tests and tests as way of life, the harder the tests for their lives, the stronger and more unyielding Thorn Temple was.
All the obstacles before Thorn Temple now was nothing but a big test. Only when all of them ovee the obstacles, would they truly be free, therefore no matter how hard the process would be, the Thorn Temple priests would not step back.
Kieran took a nce at Priest Einderson whose aura had gotten stronger as he spoke in addition to the other two young priests. Kieran sighed at the things going through Priest Eindersons mind.
Even if it was what Kieran wanted, he couldnt afford to allow Priest Einderson to strike.
If he did, what would happen to his loots?
Priest Einderson, please do not be deceived by the battle before your eyes. Your sight should extend further ahead. This is just a small battlefield, the real battlefield is at Wealth Temple. We need more to know about everything that happened here, we need more to understand the truth about Wealth Temple, Kieran said.
When Priest Einderson heard Kierans words, he couldnt hold back his nods.
The battle before eyes was nothing but a small one, the real battle wasnt here but at Wealth Temple! Or it might be at Thorn Temple!
Priest Einderson was anxious when he thought about how long Wealth Temple had been scheming against them and once they made their move, it would be a thunderous one.
Ryan, I will remember what you did today!
Priest Einderson left the words for Kieran before leaving in a hurry with the other two young priest.
The two Wealth Temple priests wanted to stop them but they couldnt do anything against [Dandelions Pierce] in Kierans hand.
Puk Puk!
Two thudster, two of the Wealth Temple priests fell to the ground while two more green glowing equipment popped up.
Kieran looked up to the sky after grabbing the the 5 Magic and 1 Rare ranked equipment.
Kakroom!
Kakroom!
Thunder sounded relentlessly but there was no lightning in sight.
All of Naveya citizens saw the thick dark clouds above the sky with trembling fear but they couldnt really see anything happening.
However, the scene didnt stop them from praying.
When a big area ofnd nearby Thorn Temple in the temple district were struck by a golden light, a giant crater was left behind. Kieran knew Vannessa and Carricanton would not hold back against each other.
Carricanton, the mortal that had ascended to God and imed the title of Lady Wealth had truly dered war, it was impossible for Vanessa, the older God, to step back now.
New hatred and old grudges were mixed together, only one will emerge victor and survive this.
Everything was unfolding exactly as Kieran had expected.
Ryan, I need to go back to Thorn Temple! The temple needs me! Atrina said.
Ill go with you. My sword will protect you and the enemies will understand the fear of death! Kieran nodded.
It naturally was part of the n but at the particr timing, it was very suiting to the atmosphere.
Wuuuuung!
An exploding buzz came from the sky, it was the scream from that furious Lady Wealth.
Lady Wealth didnt hesitate to throw down a bolt of her energy to punish Kieran but it was intercepted by Lady Thorn halfway, not only once but a total of three times.
WUNG!
An even louder buzz sounded.
Two Goddess who were already locked in a fierce fight felt more hatred for each other.
More power from both sides was being poured into the fight, especially Lady Thorn, Vanessa.
Vanessa always held the ideology of bncing fate and predict and prevent catastrophe.
She had to stay absolutely focus against a frantic foe. Therefore she didnt notice a different, hidden energy had entered the ring.
The Lady of Thorn didnt even notice that the energy had targeted Kieran and was about to make contact with him.
Chapter 905 - Powerful Support
Chapter 905: Powerful Support
While Kieran was moving side by side with Atrina, the scene before his eyes suddenly changed.
The street that he knew was suddenly reced by a cat bed floating in an empty and chaotic environment.
A fat cat with yellow and white stripes wasying on the soft cat bedzily, leaning itself back on thefortable cushion while greeting Kieran.
Hey, little brat! Nicely done! You are much better than I expected! Tiki raised its paw for a wave.
Rei is after Vanessas and Carricantons divine position?
Kieran asked his question directly without any kind of chit-chat.
A war waged against Gods by the natives?
It might seem unbelievable but based on the information Kieran gathered, such an impossible oue turned out to be the actual fact.
Not entirely true! Vanessas and Carricantons divine position are quite nice but Rei doesnt have them in her sight.
Tiki shook its head and yawned before it continued, What Rei wanted to do is prevent the troublesome fellow here from noticing anything strange and enter the battlefield which we have a natural disadvantage in.
A troublesome fellow? Vanessa? Kieran wondered.
In order to have a better understanding of the unknown dungeon world, Kieran had carefully read through Analytics of the temples developments in Naveya City, he knew the divine position of Vanessa the Lady of Thorn was always responsible for bncing fate and predict and prevent catastrophe since the beginning.
Although she was pushed down by theter from Wealth Temple, her divine position didnt vanish and that Lady of Wealth didnt acquire Vanessas divine position after she took her ce either.
Something that was not known to the masses must have happened but Kieran was pondering upon Tikis words at the moment.
The battlefield which we have a natural disadvantage in? Kieran asked.
Yup. Things are bad. Many clowns joined the fray and there is even one self-proimed the great that joined the scene. This bloody bastard is the one that causes Rei headaches.
Tiki nodded without the intentions of hiding anymore.
The one that causes Rei headaches... Kieran muttered softly to himself.
How powerful was Nikorei who held the title of God of Earth?
Kieran didnt know, nor could he even guess. From what Kieran had seen, Nikorei could settle any problems that went her way with a casual wave of the hand, not much could be a problem for her.
However, Nikorei with her almighty presence was facing disadvantages in the battlefield...
So how powerful was this great one?
Kierans face turned extremely heavy as he muttered to himself.
You are worrying about Rei?
Little brat, you better worry about yourself first! Although I dont know how you got a grasp of Vanessa and Carricontons background so fast, these two women arent someone that you want to mess with. Of course, both of them are fighting fiercely now but when they calm down, do you know what will happen? Did you really think your lousy arrangements can really fool two Gods? Though Reis little tool might be decent, it wont be enough for you to truly escape unharmed.
Tiki yawned again when it saw Kierans heavy expression. It wiggled its fat body in its cat bed, changing to a morefortable position.
Kieran was quiet when he saw Tikis action; he knew why would Tiki say that.
More importantly, Tiki will not just leave Kieran like this and the best proof was [Thorns Deceit].
If Reppu could earn Tikis investment, what about Kieran?
He would be a hundred times more worth it than Reppu!
Little brat, you really dont know how to y along, dont you? You just can ask me in a respectful and courteous way. Ive slightly changed and deducted some things in the Reis reward to you! But I guess she would never have thought that you are able to break free of your mortal shackles this soon, so the rewards she prepared might not even be that important anymore.
Stop worrying you stingy brat, I wont go after the remaining rewards.
Tiki obviously caught the erged pupils and hastened breaths when it mentioned rewards; it couldnt help but roll its eyes at Kieran.
After Tikis words subsided, a warm energy stream gushed into Kierans body and started to fuse with his body quickly.
The obvious changes turned Kierans attention to the system notifications.
[Fusing unknown energy, authentication start...]
[Authentication cleared!]
[Effect: Strength, Agility, Intuition +1]
...
This is the remaining rewards? If its the whole thing, it should be +1 to all my attributes right?
No, no, no, based on what Tiki said, it should directly enhance my attributes to the Advanced Rank, not just a simple +1 to all.
The thought in Kierans mind made him look at Tiki in suspicion.
You little brat, what eyes are those? Do you really think that Ive hidden your remaining reward? What? You think fooling Vanessa and Carricanton is a piece of cake?
The fat cat was kind of pissed as it showed its teeth.
What did you do? Kieran asked.
Hmph! Why do I have to tell you? Tiki grunted and turned its head away but soon enough, Tikis cat brows slightly furrowed together.
Little brat, I have to leave now. If I stay any longer, that bastard will notice me. Remember, try to keep Vanessa busy, distract her at all times. Theres a hidden squad of mine in the north, Ill tell them all about you. And one more thing, if your performance is good enough, Ill help you get Vanessas divine position, treat it as a little promise between you and me.
Tiki then vanished after thest word escaped its mouth.
The street before Kierans eyes returned to normal right away but Tikis words echoed in his ears.
Divine position!
Kieran squinted his eyes. He knew Tiki wouldnt lie to him.
If Tiki was able to make such a promise, it meant Tiki really had the confidence in getting the divine position of Lady Thorn. Maybe not all of it but even if it was just a portion of it, it would be an irresistible temptation for Kieran because it meant more power for him.
Of course, Kieran didnt get too anxious because of Tikis promise.
He knew even with Tikis promise, the process of acquiring the divine position was quite difficult.
Aside from that, he knew what must he do now.
Kieran started to arrange the information about the squad in the north that he got from Tiki, he squinted his eyes as it started to shine.
An organization of a thousand men that has been operating for over 10 years? Seems like Rei was paying attention to this world a long time ago! Or should I say, Rei has quite the caution against Vanessa!
Fate eh?
Kieran muttered in his heart while hastening his steps.
With Tikis assurance, thest bit of worry in his heart had vanished.
Now, he would go all out!
Chapter 906 - Cutting Tofu
Chapter 906: Cutting Tofu
The thunderous battle in the clouds was still urring.
Meanwhile, on the ground, Thorn Temple and Wealth Temples battle started fiercely as well.
The temple district was big but after housing the 25 temples grandness andrge buildings that people would feel reverence for, the ce looked extremely packed.
On the packed main street, the temple knights from the Thorn and Wealth temples were fighting each other, it wasnt a messy gruesome fight but with many tactical troop formations.
It was natural that Thorn Temple suffered a disadvantage since they lost their chief knight, despite there being a few priests who stood in as support, it wasnt much help.
Quite the contrary, the situation had gotten even messier.
The Thorn Temple priests were all believers of Lady Thorn, each of them had wills of iron and view the harshness of fate as a way of life.
Unfortunately, Lady Thorns divine position didnt include anything that was rted to military battles.
Therefore, the priests didnt know how tomand the knights against their enemy, and no matter how strong they were, it was useless if they didnt possess the corresponding abilities, the messy situation might even hasten their defeat.
Hundreds of Thorn Knights had fallen, blood was flowing like a river across the temple district street, leaving less than 20 remaining knights with their shields up high, standing fast at the path towards their temple.
They stood strong and gazed at their enemy with unyielding eyes, so did the three priests behind them.
Fellow believers! Behind us is the temple of Lady Vanessa! The archpriest and the officiant are giving their best in supporting Lady Vanessa! We cannot allow their efforts to fall short! If the enemies wish to step into our temple, they will have to cross our dead bodies! The elderly priest chanted loudly.
The elderly priest was holding a longsword in his hand and based on the looks of it, he wasnt at all skilled in swords but he didnt care anymore at that moment.
He knew he had to take down more enemies, so did the two younger priests beside him.
Compared to Priest Einderson, the two younger ones seemed to have received morebat training but also because of that, their injuries were much more severe to the elder.
One of them even suffered a stab in his ribs, causing him to falter.
However, he didnt seem to be affected by the pain, after some rough treatment to stop the bleeding, he stood tall with his sword, replying the elderly priests chanting.
Guard with our lives!
Guard with our lives!
...
It started from the young priest and soon spread towards the temple knights, all of their chants united to a single voice.
They had prepared themselves for the worst oue.
Likewise, the Wealth Temple Knights had also prepared themselves for the impending victory.
As long as they could ovee the blockade in front of them and enter Thorn Temple to deliver a devastating blow to Lady Thorn, victory will belong to Lady Wealth!
Victory will be ours! The believers of Wealth! Wealth!
The chief knight from Wealth Temple shouted loudly, the knights around him followed.
The Knights then marched forward in unison.
Their golden armors together with the issuedbat des and pikes gave out neat clunking sounds as they marched.
The res from their armors and des easily struck fear in peoples hearts.
The nobles guards who were observing from far looked ugly.
The guards knew the temple knights armors and weapons were instruments of destruction formoners.
Common arrows couldnt even pierce their armor,mon leather armors were no better than cardboard under their golden swords and pikes.
Scary bunch of temple knights eh! Fortunately, they are not that much!
One of the guard leaders voiced out his fortunate thinking.
If I had enough resources and unlimited funding, I could make a group of a hundred men with simr destructive power! No, it would be stronger than this! The other nobles guard leader said without giving in.
If you really can do it, so what? The reason they were not blessed by the officiant with their Goddess power is because Lady Thorn and Lady Wealth are fighting. If they could utilize their Goddesss power, it will be useless even if you could train a thousand or even ten thousand more men. You wont even stand a chance!
Another guard leader joined the conversation.
His words were filled with mockery but everyone who heard what he say didnt voice their objections.
Everyone was silent, even though the guard leader was unwilling to submit, all he could do was show it on his face, not take actual actions.
Inside Naveya City, divine authority was the highest power around.
The fact that the council district was ced below the temple district had proven it all.
Why though?
It was because the powerful Gods were unchallenged and also because people felt reverence towards them despite having impure thoughts.
The dust will settle soon! Wealth Temple will surely be victorious! said the first guard leader.
His words sounded fortunate from where he stood.
As the leader of the nobles guards, he wasnt a poor man by any means, even though Wealth Temple had always been worshipped by merchants, nobles too worshipped the same Goddess.
In fact, the reason why Wealth Temple could expand their influence so rapidly was because of the worshiping from the nobles.
Therefore when the leader spoke, everyone else nodded. Only one or two sighed.
Too bad, the Thorn Temple folks arent too shabby but after this battle, they might vanish from the history of Naveya once and for all, right? The person who sighed said.
Mm. Since they had fallen once, no matter how ancient their Goddess was, maintaining her current state was the best she could do. If she fails again... there will not be another second chance. Another one who seemed to have insights replied.
I guess its still some kind of honor witnessing the fall of an ancient Goddess?
The crowd looked at each other and smiled, taking pleasure out of the misfortune.
Not only the nobles guards alone, everyone else who had the qualifications to observe the battle thought so as well.
They widened their eyes to watch the scene unfold before them.
Then, they witnessed the scene that they would never forget for the rest of their lives.
Roar!
A heavy loud roarter, a rhino mirage appeared in a sh at one end of the street.
The roar sounded like it was a battle horn and when it truly charged forward, the ground started to tremble with each step it took.
The temple district street was shaking left and right, it was simr to an earthquake!
Earthquake!
Earthquake!
Many panicked people cried out loud but many more of them paid attention to that charging figure.
On top of the overly huge de, a purplish bewitching glimmer was shining ceaselessly.
Wild!
Untamed!
The aura that was sted out from the de struck fear in peoples heart.
Anyone who caught the auras presence could feel the terror of the greatsword but what even more terrifying was the person who wielded it!
Wung!
Violent wind assaulted the area, the feathered mantle was dancing along with the wind while the hood over the figures head was unveiled.
The young face of the figure was branded in everyones eyes.
Just when everyone was astonished by that young greatsword wielder, the Wealth Temple Knights were all crushed!
Everyone in the path of that charging figure was sliced in half, it was as neat as cutting tofu!
Chapter 907 - Protagonist of the world
Chapter 907: Protagonist of the world
Scarlet red blood and meat chunks of different sizes were all over the path after a portion of the knights were cut in half, it dyed the greenish gray marble road red.
Everything went silent.
Wealth Temple, Thorn Temple, and even the nobles guards further away, all of them were stunned as they stared at the figure who charged through the knights.
They saw the figure turn around and draw out a second outrageous greatsword, they saw the figure charging towards the group of Wealth Temple Knights again.
T-This? Does he have a deathwish?
One of the guard leaders uttered in shock.
To be honest, everyone was in utter disbelief as they witnessed at the scene.
From their point of view, the young man that came out from nowhere should have rendezvous with Thorn Temple, riding on the element of surprise to gain greater advantages.
Hmph! Arrogant! He really thought that a sudden attack that caught the Wealth Temple Knights off guard would allow him to triumph over the knights formation, he would be dead meat if he charged in like that!
The guard leader voiced his mocking again at the figure who dived into the group of Wealth Temple Knight swiftly, the other guards leader around him couldnt help but nod in agreement.
They wouldnt argue though. Other than viewing Kierans action as a suicidal act, they showed jealousy towards him as well.
Why Kieran could trample the battlefield and ughter his enemies at such a young age while they had to suffer?
Even with the most experience, all they did was escort their employers during hunting activities.
It wasnt fair.
Being lucky for once and he forgot who he was!
Maybe he really thinks he can overpower a hundred by himself.
Yeah right, maybe he really did!
...
The malicious discussion about Kieran went on, their face were showing disdain against the bold move.
It was almost instinct that they avoided the fact that Kieran disyed powers that they could only dream of.
After all, from their point of view, Kieran was already a dead person after turning back into his enemies.
What use would his outrageous power have if he was a dead person?
However, at the very next moment, their mocking expression were frozen on their face.
Kierans figure who was drowned by the arrays of knights appeared on the battlefield again.
The Wealth Temple Knights who threw themselves at Kieran, trying to overpower him in terms of sheer manpower were all shed in half!
Under the sharp de of [Arrogant Word] and [Elmerius Sword], the armors,bat des, and pikes together with their owners that seemed nearly indestructible in the eyes of the guards were shed in half by absolute force.
Kieran on the other hand was still charging forward.
The two outrageously huge greatswords in his hands felt likemon longswords, he wielded both of them in a flurry, whipping out heavy whistles that struck fear in peoples heart.
Wails sounded all over, broken limbs were flying everywhere.
Wealth Temple Knights who had their bodies shed in half were all over the ce.
Blood flowed like river and despite all that, none of them was able to stop Kierans advance.
The street that Kieran was on seemed narrow but it was perfect for Kieran to wield both his greatswords. Kieran transformed into a meat grinder and swept across the street, starting from the end where Thorn Temple was to the spot where he arrived just now.
Kieran then turned around again, he wanted to fight a second time.
However, the difference this time was, the guard leaders further away didnt utter anything at all.
They covered their mouths and clenched their teeth hard, trying to hold back the vomiting sensation from their throat while looking as pale as paper but when they saw the guts that came out from the knights body and picked up the bloody stench despite the distance, they threw up.
Ough!
The first one who mocked was the first to throw up, followed by a second and soon everyone threw up like falling dominoes.
The stench of vomit filled the air, the unusual movements and smell seemed to have caught Kierans attention who had returned to the front of Thorn Temple.
When Kieran turned his eyes at the spot, the guard leaders who were limping because of the vomiting were frightened to their core, all of them started to retreat and some even fell on the ground because of their fear.
They were not cowards by any means but Kieran in their eyes was too scary.
Hundreds of Wealth Temple Knights plus the chief knight who hadnt even spoke his name were all ughtered within a short period of time.
It was a massacre! Anyone who saw the battle wouldnt take it as a battle, a massacre would be a more appropriate word to describe the situation.
The one responsible for the scene, Kieran, wasnt a butcher in their eyes, a butcher kill livestock.
A character like Kieran who ughtered people without even changing his expression wasnt a butcher but an asura!
An asura bathing in the blood of the ughtered!
His des was dripping blood from the ughtered, his mantle was drenched wet by the blood and while his body was covered in blood, Kieran was not bothered at all.
His young face instantly became horrifying in the eyes of the nobles guards, especially when Kieran was walking towards them, fear spread throughout their hearts.
The leader of the bunch was stepping back unconsciously, the others who fell crawled back using their hands.
Fortunately, when the nobles guards retreated far enough, the horrifying asura didnt chase them, he turned back to Thorn Temple instead.
One of the nobles guard leaders was relieved, he didnt bother to conceal his fear nor did he hide his weakness after escaping from death because everyone else shared the same feeling and expression.
Their ugly and shameful manner made them unwilling to linger any longer and they dared notment wildly on a small character who appeared out of nowhere anymore.
I-I need to report back to my master!
As one of the nobles guard leader went off, the bunch then swiftly left the temple district.
However, not all who saw the massacre left. The other priests, deacons and knights who were within the temple district were present. They were not involved in the battle between Thorn Temple and Wealth Temple but everyone of them were looking at Kieran with utmost interest.
Some praised, some admired, some were calm but most of it was gazes of coldness and of course there was nock of hostile gazes either.
Not only these mortals but the Gods who shed their light over their respective temples were silently paying attention at Kieran who shined in the battlefield.
Very nice! This is a true warrior!
The God of War, Moranghorughed loudly.
Mm. His valiant manner is worthy of praise. The God of Valiance raised his hand and shed a beam of light over Kieran, washing away the blood on his body and at the same time he felt the conviction towards Lady Thorn.
It wasnt a frantic one but stern and unyielding.
What a pity! The God of Valiant didnt conceal his sigh.
Why is this person a believer of Vanessa? Judging from the way he fought in the battlefield, he should be my believer! The God of War growled in an upset manner.
The Gods around him were looking at the scene as well and then, they saw Atrina.
She walked towards Kieran and stood beside him with smiles, her eyes showed worry for the one she loved.
Very nice! This is good! The God of Love, Nillusuo chuckled in a pleasant and tender female voice.
The God of Valiance sighed again and this time the God of War wasnt upset anymore, all he did was look at Kieran with utmost unwillingness.
The other Gods who were not concernedughed.
Then, they turned their attention to Lightning Temple, The reason why the Gods paid attention to the battlefield was not because of Kieran but because the battle was caused by Lady Thorn and Lady Wealths fierce fight.
As for Kieran, he was just an unexpected shine in the scene.
In the end, regardless of how good a mortal performed, he was just a mortal.
The Gods were the protagonists of this world, not mortals!
KAKROOM!
A loud thunder sounded and a bolt of lightning shed over the sky.
Then, the two enormous divine presence stopped shing.
The clouds started to disperse and the sun shined through.
Chapter 908 - Target
Chapter 908: Target
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The Gods were watching with casual hearts.
Kieran, however, felt the gazes from the Gods clearly with his SSS Intuition.
Pressure! Immense pressure! Pressure that he never felt before!
He felt like he was a helpless and feeble person being surrounded by a pack of wolves.
It was the worst feeling that he could possibly feel.
Kieran was certain that if he didnt have a Strong I rank Spirit, he would have knelt on the ground, trembling non-stop.
Terrifying Gods! Kieranmented in his heart again.
Compared to the blurry image from before, thement he made at the situation before him was much more precise and appropriate.
When that bolt of lightning appeared, hisment became even more precise.
The difference was like heaven and earth!
A formidable force that was unchallenged by mortals!
Such thoughts appeared in his mind instantly.
If the Gods just now were a pack of wolves, the bolt of lightning from the God of Lightning was a fierce tiger, a giant striped tiger!
Even though it was just showing off its towering presence, it made Kieran unconsciously clench his fists.
He slightly looked up, watching blue sky after the dark clouds dispersed, he was feeling the warmth of the sun bathing on his body.
However, his clenched fist didnt loosen up but instead, it clenched even tighter.
Kieran suddenly realized, he had a new goal. It might seem outrageous but it was very grounded and real as well, which also fit his thinking.
He wished that he could stand tall at the sky, he wouldnt look down on living beings but he hoped that he will not be the one who was looked down on by others.
Even if the one who looked down on him was a God! He wouldnt allow it!
Huu!
Kieran took in a deep breath, he then quickly dismissed his thoughts.
Having ambition wasnt a bad thing but without sufficient strength, spoiling his own ambitions would be the greatest mistake he could evermit.
He smirked again before looking down at Atrina.
Atrina was a little evasive of Kierans gaze, her face was still looking panicked somehow but after it shed over, she returned to normal.
Then, Kieran noticed Atrinas gaze at him turned hot.
Is this Tikis handy work? Kieran thought while raising a brow but he decided to y along as well.
Both of them stared at each other, Atrinas heart was beating even faster, her face was not only blushing, but it was also hot as well.
She stared at Kieran and it automatically reminded her of how valiant Kieran was a moment ago.
Atrina knew how powerful Kieran was already but she never thought he would be this powerful!
One versus one hundred, all the Wealth Temple Knights were annihted!
Atrina never even dreamt about this situation before but it happened before her eyes.
Shock!
The immense shock to her worldview caused her to breathe rapidly and cast another gaze at Kieran who caused all of this.
The more she looked, the most she wanted to look. Atrina realized that something was wrong with her but the slight changes in her body made her unconsciously neglect the unusual feelings, despite a few hours ago, she kept reminding herself not be deceived by Kieran.
Now, all she wanted to do was look at Kieran and if she could, she would prolong the minutes into hours, and days into years.
Both of them stared at each other for a while and ultimately ended with a shy turn away from Atrina.
When Atrina noticed the Thorn Temple priests and knights were looking at them, she felt even more embarrassed but Atrina wasnt Starbeck, she didnt have abilities to hide. All she did was drag Kieran by the hand and headed towards Thorn Temple.
Sir Ryan.
As Kieran came near, the three priests and other knights saluted at him.
The priests bent down and saluted like a real priest and the knights ced their fist before their chest like a traditional knight salutation.
A powerful man would earn the fondness of the opposite gender and also the admiration of the same gender, especially when the powerful man was on the same side and had saved everyones lives, the admiration spread like wildfire.
The frantic look on the young knights had said it all, if it wasnt because their identity didnt allow them to, they might have already asked Kieran to take them as followers.
Still, it didnt stop them from expressing their enthusiasm.
More than a dozen young knights had asked Kieran out for a hunting trip and even elder knights expressed that they wanted to have a friendly spar to test their strength.
Of course, all of them didnt mean it in a provocative way but a real sincere manner, asking for guidance.
However, Kieran agreed to all of the invites for a friendly spar but rejected those for huntings.
The young knights werent disappointed by the rejection, instead, they invited Kieran again for simr sparring sessions.
This time, Kieran epted all of their requests without any more rejections.
When the elderly priest went up to Kieran, Kieran had almost epted all the invitations for spars.
Ryan, trust me, this will only eliminate your free time even more. Priest Eindersonughed.
Being busy means living fully. Compared to doing nothing, I am more than happy to grind my skills and I dont mind discussing it with others, Kieran answered.
A truly powerful person really has something that differs him from the others, Priest Einderson eximed.
Then, his face turned stern.
Ryan,e with me. The archpriest and officiant wanted to see you, he said.
Of course. Kieran nodded.
While Atrina and the knights saw Kieran off, Kieran followed the priest closely and went up the stairs to the temple.
The flight of stairs has a total of 212 steps, they were made of gold and were embedded with ck gravel which was Lady Thorns favorite.
ck gravel stone was deemed as the stone of fate.
Legend had it that anyone who touched ck gravel stone would see his own fate in his mind.
As Thorn Temples deacon, their main responsibility was to polish the gravel stones every day, not with cloth or other things but with their own palms.
Every time something happened or appeared, it will be recorded into the Book of Fate in front of the Thorn Temple entrance.
It was 3 meters tall and a few thousand pages thick, it was half written now and whenever the Book of Fate was fully written, Lady Thorn will collect it back to her divine kingdom and grant her believers another new book.
Whenever that happened, it would be Thorn Temples greatest festival.
Thest time the festival happened was 50 years ago and for the next time, it would also need another 50 years judging from the progress.
Kieran followed Priest Einderson around the Book of Fate in front of the entrance and suddenly, he felt his sight widened up.
A front hall that was 3 times bigger than a football field appeared before him.
There were no extra decorations around but the space alone was astonishing enough because it was just the front hall, it was like the porch in amon house.
A wagon was parked in front of Kieran where he entered.
After the elder priest signaled him, Kieran boarded the wagon.
One of the priests filled in as the Wagoner and the wagon traveled for almost 30 minutes inside the temple before reaching the core area of the whole building: the prayer room.
Two elders were already waiting inside.
Archpriest, Lord Officiant.
Priest Einderson bowed the moment he came down from the wagon.
The archpriest was an elder with white hair and beard, his body was a little hunched and it was hard for his face to conceal his tiredness.
The lord officiant was a tall middle-aged man with a refined temperament but simr to the archpriest, his stern face looked tired as well.
Seemed like both of them paid quite the cost in supporting Lady Thorn.
With questions lingering in his heart, Kieran bowed in a knight salutation before the two elders.
The moment Kieran bowed, ayer of brilliance shed over his body, it was the light of Lady Thorn!
Chapter 909 - River
Chapter 909: River
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The brilliance was like a glowing mist yet it had power that Kieran couldnt neglect.
Compared to the divine light of the Gods outside the temple district and the gazes from all of them prior, Kieran had another kind of feeling while he was bathing under the brilliance of Lady Thorn.
He seemed to have seen a river.
The river had branched out into countless streams, flowing ceaselessly but he couldnt see the origin or the end of said river.
He was standing in the river, not in the main stream but the many smaller branches below. The spot where he stood was just slightly better than the rivers edge.
While Kieran was standing there, he instinctively wanted to take a step but the moment he moved, a wave crashed down at him, dragging him back to the spot.
Kieran didnt have any kind of abilities to resist throughout the process, despite him trying his best.
Shaaaa!
The gushing river was echoing in his ears, he felt like he could literally feel the river itself but at the very next moment, he returned to the grand hall of Thorn Temple while a voice was talking beside his ears.
Are you willing to be my knight?
The voice was soft but the mysterious and dignified feeling that was hidden in the voice made the archpriest, lord officiant, and the elderly priest kneel down on the ground.
Kieran quickly put away the uneasy feeling that he had because of the illusions he felt and quickly saluted respectfully in a knightly manner.
Of course, Kieran replied seriously.
I will grant you honor that matches your strength and rewards that you deserves.
The voice from the light sounded again.
The voice and the light then faded away after thatst sentence but Kierans sight had new notifications notifying him of what happened.
[Acquired Vanessas Favor!]
[Vanessas Favor: While facing your fate, Lady Thorns favor will provide you with unexpected benefits. Of course, it wont secure your victory but it will make you luckier than usual.]
[Note 1: Vanessas Favor is only effective in this dungeon world, its effect will go off when you leave the dungeon world.]
[Note 2: When you return to this dungeon world, Vanessas Favor will be in effect again.]
...
Luckier than usual? Kieran sized up the title in a strange way.
He never thought Vanessas reward would be a buff like this and he didnt expect Vanessa was able to affect a persons luck.
A deviant product of fate? Then... what I saw before was the River of Fate? But why wasnt therea start and end? And those branches of streams, what are those? Kieran was pondering upon the question.
The River of Fate flowed through a persons life and left traces behind.
There was a start and there was an end.
Nikoreis book, Astrology and traces of Destiny had precisely stated that point but it was different from what he saw, which baffled him.
However, Kieran didnt express his confusion.
He smiled at the archpriest, the officiant, and Priest Einderson.
Chief Knight Ryan.
Priest Einderson saluted first.
Although he was older than Kieran, his priest rank was a rank lower than a chief knight.
Chief Knight Ryan.
The archpriest and officiant addressed Kieran with smiles as well, their expressions had a sense of passion that they didnt show before.
No doubt after epting Lady Thorns blessing and honorary title, they had treated Kieran as one of their own.
Therefore, the topics that they discussed after that were no longer secrets to Kieran.
After that divine lords intervention, the battle between Lady Vanessa and Carricanton have temporarily ceased but it is far from over. We still need to be cautious of them all the time.
The archpriest spoke first.
No one objected what the archpriest said. Everyone understood after the previous battle, new hatred and old grudges were mixed togetherThorn Temple and Wealth Temple did not get along well a long time ago anyways.
If a new war broke out at any time, it wouldnt be a surprise.
I think we should seize the initiative! We should take the chance toy a full assault on their temple since their knights were annihted!
The middle-aged officiants suggestions were obviously much more extreme than the archpriest who was older.
Barrion, is this from you? Or? The archpriest asked.
He didnt finish his words but everyone knew what he meant.
If it was Lady Vanessas idea, there was nothing else to discuss, the war must go on.
Lady Vanessa didnt show any further of intentions to me, but I can feel her rage from the battle and towards that divine lord! That divine lord seems to have been biased towards the Wealth Temple. It was Carriconton who started the war but after failing, there were no follow up punishments. It isnt right!
As a temple officiant, Barrions responsibility was tomunicate with the God they served, so it was natural that he understood Lady Thorns real thoughts more than others.
I know. The archpriest sighed and nodded, he then turned his gaze to Priest Einderson and Kieran.
Ryan, Einderson, what do you think? You can speak freely here. We, Thorn Temple, are not as harsh as Sin Temple, the archpriest smiled.
Kieran and Priest Einderson exchanged gazes before Kieran made an after you gesture.
The education received since his youth forbid Kieran from taking the speaking rights from an elder, moreover, both of them had no conflict of interests.
Archpriest, lord officiant, and chief knight, my level of knowledge doesnt allow me to provide any constructive suggestions in terms of decision making, I only can speak from my own perspective and what I think we need to do isfort andpensate! The knights, deacons, and priests who lost their lives should be granted respective honors and return to their rightful ce, Priest Einderson said after bowing again.
Just like how he stated it, it was a suggestion from a priests perspective.
Hmmm, Ryan, what is your opinion on this?
The archpriest and officiant nodded and threw their gazes at Kieran.
It was quite different from the previous gazes because this time, the words that followed had a sense of testing.
The appointment of Lady Vanessa was absolute and divine but as Lady Vanessas archpriest and officiant, they had the duties to make sure the appointment was not wrongly made.
In simple words, Kieran needed to prove himself.
If he couldnt, he would still remain as chief knight but the one who managed and controlled the knights would be another elected candidate.
My opinion is to refill the temple knights. We can select some potential candidates from the reliable ones and refill the numbers of the temple knights, Kieran said slowly.
When Kieran voiced out his opinion, the other three instantly showed a disappointed look.
The answer was the standard of standards, there was nothing special at all, even amon knight could figure out that point.
Kieran caught a glimpse of their expression and continued, Then...
He purposely prolonged his tone, which instantaneously attracted their attention.
I can do what I do best!
When the three gazesnded on Kieran, he uttered out word by word.
What he did best?
The three of them were stunned but right after that, their eyes glimmered.
Chapter 910 - Changes
Chapter 910: Changes
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
What was Ryan good at?
Killing!
That was an undeniable answer.
As the leader of Naveyas biggest killer organization, Emerald Rock, Ryan was known as the king of killers by all since the beginning.
Especially after the previous battle with Wealth Temple, the title of king of killers would only be more solid than ever.
Those who had doubts about him would be quiet from now on unless they wanted to have a taste of the power that rivaled a hundred men at once.
Any sane man with a functioning brain wouldnt dare to even try.
With his strength, if he really made a move against the Wealth Temple priests and deacons...
None of them would survive!
And if Kierans follow up assault on Wealth Temple lured out the archpriest and officiant, it would be even better. With Thorn Temples cooperation, it would be enough to kill all of the Wealth Temple bastards!
The archpriest and officiant seemed to have understood the meaning almost instantaneously, they smiled.
The younger officiant slightly went out of his identity and pat Kierans shoulder, he didnt care if the action didnt fit his identity.
In the officiants perspective, nothing was more exciting than halving Wealth Temples strength.
Even if it meant killing their priests and deacons, it would be worth it.
As for being criticized for his despicable and ruthless means?
It didnt really matter to him.
No matter what means he took to destroy Wealth Temple, as long as his goals were met, it will be good enough and praiseworthy.
Ryan, you can strike down Wealth Temple but dont harm themon believers of Lady Wealth.
The archpriest seemed to have more thoughts about the n as he voiced out his reminder for Kieran.
I cant strike down themon believers? I was going to wipe out all of Lady Wealth believers in Naveya though. Kieran raised a brow and spoke like he was joking.
The elderly Priest Einderson felt cold in his heart when he saw Kieran in that manner.
Since Priest Einderson hadnt spent enough time with Kieran, he took Kieran seriously when he seemingly joked about wiping out all of the believers. Such a joke would seem harmless by others but when it came from Kieran, it really brought him chills because others might take it as a joke but when it was uttered by the king of killers, it meant the loss of countless lives.
The archpriest admired Kierans attitude.
You cant touch themon believers, that is an unspoken rule between temples but the others...
Kill away! Kieran finished the officiants sentence for him.
Fuuu!
The moment Kierans words escaped his mouth, a cold wind blew across the grand hall.
The whistle from the cold wind sounded like the wails of a vengeful spirit, striking chills without the actual cold.
Priest Einderson couldnt help but shiver while the officiant smiled.
Kieran looked more favorable than ever in the officiants eyes at the moment.
Very good! Ryan, go do what you have to do! I will stand behind you! The officiant said loudly.
The officiant expressed his stand in the situation without holding back. It made the archpriest frown, he wanted to say something but ultimately chose to keep quiet.
After a more borate discussion, Kieran boarded the wagon that he came in and left Thorn Temple.
Looking at the wagon, the officiant was full of smiles while the archpriest frowned.
Barrion, we shouldnt...
Shouldnt what? What we shouldnt do is being done by the other temples and we are deemed as a deviant by them because we abide the ancient rules! The fall of Lady Vanessas divinity allowed a clown-like woman to rise over her head! Besides, they are being forceful in everything and still trying to take more from us!
I cant stand it anymore. I can endure my own sufferings but I cant stand Lady Vanessa being insulted. Anyone who insulted Lady Vanessa in the past, the present and the future, I will make them pay with blood and with their blood, I shall wash the insults away! Even if the foe is a God, I will drag them down from their altar!
Officiant Barrion interrupted the archpriest and said with a sonorous tone.
The words sounded loud and powerful as it echoed in the archpriests ears. While standing under the grand halls lighting, the lively glimmering face of his old friend made the archpriest feel like it was the first time he truly came to know Barrion.
The archpriest stared at the officiant.
Officiant Barrion didnt want to move, hence both of them stared at each others eyes for over ten seconds.
Then, the archpriest smiled.
Old friend, you became the officiant ten years ago. Throughout these ten years, youve abided by the rules obediently and maintained a sturdy manner while you helped me settle matters in a neat manner. But now, it seems like the reason why you are ying along with me is due to this old geezers face!
The archpriest said as he turned around and looked at the statue of Lady Vanessa.
Not only you, but Lady Vanessa as well!
Oh mercifuldy, you couldnt bear the embarrassment of this poor old man? How can my poor old pride be more important than Lady Vanessas?
The archpriest sighed.
His aged face started to look stern and unyielding like never before.
Sirontu, you... Officiant Barrion was stunned.
Its time we change too! We who have abided the rules obediently have paid the cost with blood. Now, change is imminent! It mighte with many difficulties but what are difficulties to us who see hardships as the tests of fate? Its only now that I realized I had forgotten themandment of Thorn!
Archpriest Sirontu paused as he looked at Officiant Barrion.
Both who were friends for a long time spoke almost together, The hardship of fate is like the brambles spread over our lives, but we shall slice down the brambles in our way!
Their voices were sonorous and sounded they were moving forward with an indomitable will.
There was not much of a frantic look on their face but there was persistence that one could not neglect!
The persistence was the only one they had after giving up other things!
Such persistence might be scary because with that motivating them, they would achieve their goals by any means necessary!
Such men were known as heroes amongmoners but for the churches and temples, people addressed them in a more respectful term.
Martyrs!
...
As the archpriest and officiant of Thorn Temple, their beliefs in Lady Thorn were unquestionable.
Therefore, Lady Thorn was willing to ce her leisurely gaze on the two of them, she witnessed everything.
She saw how her believers had changed and unbeknownst to her, such changes were affecting her as well. Even though it might be a slow process, it was already happening.
...
Inside a space of emptiness and chaos, Tiki who was lying down before a big door slowly opened its eyes.
Damn Im tired... That little brat suspected me of pocketing his stuff? What in the hell...
Tiki gave a long breath while uttering its rants.
But suddenly, Tikiughed as though it realized something.
A cunning and nefarious smile was hanging over its fat cat face.
Ive told you before, this cat doesnt hold grudges, because I take my revenge right away!
Itsugh sounded extra terrifying inside the chaotic space that was filled with countless bodies.
Tikipletely lost its self-control when it thought about the happy times, it couldnt hold back its urge to roll back and forth on the floor and even revealed its wiggling stomach.
However, the happy times were always short. When Tiki noticed themotion further away, it flipped itself up and put its fat tummy away.
Again? Its even faster than I predicted! You really think I am the easiest one for you to break through?
Tiki frowned but the furrowed brows were soon reced by a vicious look.
It raised its paw and extended its sharp ws from its meaty fingers.
sh!
KABOOM!
A thousand-meter energy wave, enough to even tear apart the sky, sliced the empty chaotic space before it in half.
The empty and chaotic space was originally unstable and with the sh, it instantly stirred up a violent and rampant energy stream.
Further away, an army in the millions was turned into dust under the rampant energy stream the moment they appeared.
After it sensed themotion was gone, Tiki yawnedzily; itid back down on the floor and closed it eyes while wagging its tail.
This floor is so hard.
I really miss my cat bed.
Damn it, I want dried fish snacks! And fried silver wine skewers!
Motherf*cker, how long do I have to be here?
I want to head back to East Coast!
Did anyone find my recipe book? I thought I left it in a reachable ce?
Mutters that sounded like sleep talks appeared in the wilderness.
Chapter 911 - Puppet
Chapter 911: Puppet
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Inside Naveya City, most of the shops were located around the market.
asionally, there were one to two special jewelry stores opened in the wealthy and noble district.
Old Vennies stop was a special one but it wasnt located in the wealthy and noble district but at the edge of themoner district: the graveyard area.
As a coffin shop, it was very appropriate for Old Vennie to set up shop there and as for the business, Old Vennie would never have to worry about it.
No one else in the whole of Naveya would try topete with him in the coffin selling business but it didnt mean Old Vennie could rx.
In fact, Old Vennie was also the gravekeeper at the graveyard and he had around eight disciples under him.
He had reached retirement age long ago but he still preferred to do everything himself.
Just like today, Old Vennie had put on his cleanest and best clothes while bringing all of his disciples to stand outside of his shop, weing the arriving VIP.
Old Vennie had heard about the battle that went down at the temple district despite him being at the graveyard.
Other than that, the VIP had sent servants to inform him as well.
Old Vennie wasnt surprised at the battle though because, during his younger days, a big battle would happen once a month at the temple district.
Back then, which were also his busiest days, Old Vennies stingy teacher even hoped that whipping his disciples would make them worked 24 hours a day non-stop, but Old Vennie wasnt his teacher, he wasnt as ruthless.
As long as Old Vennies disciples were able toplete their duties and patrol the graveyards in shifts, Old Vennie would reward them with a half day of rest each week.
However, he still had to provide a meal a day and pay his disciples 10 copper coins each per month and when the thought hit him, Old Vennie thought he was being too generous.
No, no, no! I cant do this anymore! A gold mountain is built by pieces of copper coins! I am old enough, this ce is too frigid. I need to settle down in a warmer and quieter ce, like the wealthy district! I can buy a house there and live out the rest of my life. I guess Ill have to decrease the monthly payment to 8...no, no, no, 5 copper coins! Ill also have to increase their workload!
Old Vennie was looking at the end of the street while he was calcting in his mind.
He was on quite excited.
After all, a huge deal of 110 coffins was quite rare even in his younger days.
It wasnt the thin coffins of the poor but the coffins that would truly earn him profits. If he could secure a few more deals like this, his dream of moving to the wealthy district would arrive sooner thanter.
Of course, Old Vennie didnt show his excitement on his face; his face was still looking slightly sorrowful.
His age and experience allowed Old Vennie to understand what kind of expression he should use in dealing with his customer as a coffin maker.
However, a while had gone by and even the sorrowful face on Old Vennie had started to freeze but still, he didnt see the VIP that he was waiting for.
Go have a look at what happened.
Wait, nevermind. Ill go myself, you guys wait here.
Old Vennie was speaking to one of his disciples but the moment the words escaped his mouth, he suddenly realized that given the VIPs identity, if he really sent a disciple to wee them, it will do nothing but dy the process. Old Vennie needed to do this himself so he could show his sincerity in the deal and maybe if the VIP is in a good mood, he could get an extra tip.
Old Vennie quickly changed his orders and even walked as fast as he could along the street.
After a while, Old Vennie spotted the VIPs wagon and... the bodies of the Wagoner, servants, and guards around it!
Old Vennies upation saved him frommon cries when one saw a dead body but when he saw the killer, his reaction was no different than amon man.
He opened his mouth and wanted to scream but a sword was faster as it grazed Old Vennies throat.
Old Vennie who was havingplicated calctions in his mind didnt know what in the hell happened until hisst breath.
Mizelle who wielded the sword wouldnt provide an exnation either.
KILL!
Mizelle pointed his bloody sword at the wagon and the hidden Emerald Rock killers sprung out from the surroundings, they threw themselves at the wagon.
Each of the killers shared a dull expression as though they were puppets but their speed was a few times faster than usual; the swords in their hand were ring brightly and coldly like a venomous viper, showing off its viciousness.
So these are the killers from Emerald Rock!
A voice sounded from within the wagon.
There was no panic in the voice but admiration.
At the same time, the light from a divine spell was sted out from the carriage, it directly pinned down Mizelle and the other killers on the spot.
Then, the carriage door was slowly opened.
A middle-aged man in a priest outfit walked out.
The man was sizing up the killers from Emerald Rock with a curious gaze.
Given his knowledge, the man instantly noticed something was wrong with the Emerald Rock killers.
Men of sacrifice trained in special methods? It didnt only wipe out theirmon thinking abilities but their strength was enhanced by paying the cost of life... That king of killers is really a cruel one!
The man said as he walked towards Mizelle.
Mizelle who had a normal expression was eye-catching among the dull killers.
You have your own thoughts, so are you their leader? Then, you shall tell me where your secret hideout is.
The man raised his hand. Right away, the light from a divine spell shone brightly in his hand.
The shining palm was closing on Mizelle slowly.
Mizelle tried his best in breaking free but before the divine bindings, his struggles were futile. It caused the opposite effect.
The more Mizelle struggled, the smoother the next spell casting.
It was the most skilled forte of Sin Temple and the man also purposely slowed down his spell casting so that Mizelle could struggle more.
The man spent over a second in reaching Mizelles head.
Just as the face with a smile was going to ce his shining palm on Mizelles forehead, the shining palm suddenly flew into the sky.
The middle-aged man was stunned and immediately, the immense pain struck his mind.
Aaaaaaa-
An excruciating pain sounded but it stopped abruptly.
[Dandelions Pierce] perforated the mans throat and decapitated the head after a quick swing.
Kieran slowly walked out from the shadows.
He slightly squinted his eyes at the fallen Sin Temple priest.
Theyve sent a request for aid to other temples? As expected with the wealth of the Wealth Temple! But... I dont mind having too many enemies! The ones like you? The more the better!
Kieran muttered softly and he picked up the Magic rank loot on the headless priest.
After revealing his n to the Thorn Temple archpriest and officiant, Kieran already knew Wealth Temple would make this move.
The leaders of Wealth Temple werent idiots by any means and after witnessing what Kieran could do plus the annihtion of their entire knight squad, they would definitely request for foreign aid.
The speed caught Kieran by surprise, but as he said, he didnt care.
He even wished the enemies like this dead priest would pile up as much as possible.
Who would say no to abundant of spoils of war?
Kieran went into thought for a few seconds before giving out orders to the Emerald Rock killers who were ced under control through some mystical spell to quickly clean up the battlefield, Mizelle included.
Kieran couldnt hold back his nod when he saw the clean and quick movements of the killers.
Tikis mystical spell was great but the killers who were meticulously trained by Reppu had better basics.
After finishing the final steps of activation of Tikis mystical spell, all the killers that were trained by Reppu immediately fell under Kieransmand.
Compared to the loyalty to Reppu, the killers didnt only follow all of Kieransmands but their strength was enhanced greatly as well.
The strongest one among them had reached the levels of a veteran yer and even the weakest were a few times stronger thanmon men.
Although they were without sanity and without Kierans precisemand, they could only follow their basic human instincts. Once the order was given, they would act precisely like robots.
Maybe I can further improve these puppets.
Kieran thought quietly while trying to recall the mystical spell from Tiki but it was a matter for another time.
Now, it was time toplete his mission.
Wealth Temple didnt just order coffins, they needed enough candles, food and daily supplies as well, so all of them were his targets!
Kieran was trying to iste Wealth Temple!
Chapter 912 - Reputation
Chapter 912: Reputation
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Naveya City had been plunged into a weird state for a total of five days.
Should any one of the Wealth Temple priests, deacons, or servants dare to leave the temple district, every single one of them would meet their demise in a violent way.
The ways they died were extremely weird and eerie: sliced throats, stabbed on the back, poisoned, and many others.
Not only the Wealth Temple but the Sin Temple which had unsevered ties to the former suffered a simr fate also.
Most surprisingly, the killers whomitted the murders didnt have any intentions of concealing themselves because the emeralds left on the dead bodies were very eye-catching.
Emerald Rock was already an organization that people feared in Naveya and within a short few days, its reputation had reached new heights, so high that others could only dream of catching up but the people were interested in the organizations origins.
A rumor within Naveya stating that Emerald Rock was actually a subsidiary force of a certain temple and within the recent days, a lot of people strongly believed that Emerald Rock secretly belonged to Thorn Temple.
It was too obvious!
Each time theymitted a murder, the victim was either directly rted to the Wealth Temple or those rted to them.
As for the possibility of Thorn Temple hiring the Emerald Rocks killers?
It was not possible because no one believed that Lady Thorn wouldmit such atrocities.
In fact, it was already shocking enough when people knew Emerald Rock was a subsidiary force of Thorn Temple.
If there wasnt another rumor that overshadowed this one, a lot of Thorn Temple believers would have their beliefs shaken.
Compared to the former rumor, this rumor was the one people felt the most interesting.
This second rumor also came out from the temple district and it sounded like this:
A certain female deacon from Thorn Temple met the leader of Emerald Rock during the investigation of the stolen Holy Thorn Grail. A spark of love was ignited during the short period of time and this time around, the leader of Emerald Rockmitted all these murders to protect the one he loved from being harmed.
A powerful person that hid in the shadows, a weak and soft girl that needed protection.
Their fated meeting ced their paths onto that of a single enemy.
When all of those rumors were put together, no matter how old-school it sounded, it would attract attention, especially those richsses from noble families who didnt know the truth and had nothing better to do.
The rumors fulfilled their fantasies and at the same time became the hot topic during teatime.
From the nobles dining table to the drinking gatherings of the merchants and to themon chit-chat of themoners, everyone was discussing this particr rumor.
The majority of Naveya citizens were discussing the love life of the King of Killers and it was natural that the widespread rumor would overshadow the previous rumor.
Men couldnt help but wonder what kind of beauty could tame the King of Killers; women were curious about what the King of Killers looked like, a part of them even hoped that they could rece the female deacon in her position.
These group of frantic women had expressed their love to the King of Killers in public more than once.
Although all of them were scolded by their families and were grounded after that, none of them changed for the better, at least not for the foreseeable future.
Blossoming young women were like moths to a me, disregarding every consequence that came after that.
The drinking party today was no exception either. When the organizers eldest and second daughter voiced the topic at the same time, the old dukes face turned green, he ordered the servants to send his daughters back to their rooms.
Despite him saving the situation in time, it still ruined the meticulously prepared drinking party, a lot of guesses wereughing secretly.
However, the old duke couldnt care much, instead, he quickly headed to a corner of the hall.
The old duke didnt care about the other guests except for the group that he dreaded and had to pay full attention to because these particr guests had a very special identity.
The stepson of Sin Temples archpriest, Bocard.
The most favored heir to the archpriest of Love Temple, Lilith.
The well-known young hunter from Hunter Temple, Pudd.
The first priest that yed the divine melody with the long flute from Melody Temple, Livezel.
A total of four people, three men one woman.
Although they were all young in age, their identities had destined their lives to be extraordinary.
If there werent any unexpected idents, within 30 years or less, they will be the archpriests or officiants of their respective temples.
Therefore, the old dukes heart was in awe and reverence.
I am so sorry, young sirs and madam! My daughters had one too many drinks and voiced inappropriate words. It is very regrettable. The old duke bowed.
Its fine. Quickly order the cooking maidens to prepare some sober soup for the two sisters.
Lilith who had blonde hair, sapphire eyes and a charming smile said with a tender voice.
Pudd, who was buff and powerful and Livezel who was tall and elegant ced their attention on Lilith and werent bothered by the old duke.
Bocard with a sinister look coldly grunted..
Drunk words voiced out their thoughts normal thoughts, as Sin Temples interrogator... Fine, Ill spare them this time since Lilith has spoken. But just this once!
Bocard spoke coldly toward the old duke, he sounded fierce but when Lilith looked at him, his attitude softened right away.
Thank you for your generous mercy! The old duke wasnt unpleased, instead, he thanked Bocard repeatedly.
Lilith, you are forcing me into a difficult position. If my father and the lord officiant know about this... Ill be grounded in the prayer room for a month or longer!
When the old duke went off, Bocard said to Lilith with a bitter smile.
If you are really grounded, Ill deliver my handmade meals to you, Lilith smiled softly and at the same time fondling her hair near her ear.
Her golden hair was emanating a dash of bright glimmer under the candlelight, the lighting brought out her perfectly contoured body and busty chest.
The three other men were instantly captivated.
I suddenly realize I really wanted to be grounded! Im already considering how I should tell my father about what happened today! Bocard gazed at the ringdy before his eyes and sighed softly.
If you do, you will never taste what I made for you for the rest of your life., Lilith said in a serious tone.
Her serious look added on her unparalleled beauty instantly melted Bocards heart.
No, no, no way! I sure wont! How could I do something that you are not happy with?
Bocard said quickly as though he was making a vicious vow.
His funny looks instantly weed Liliths soft chuckles.
Listening to the funny conversation between Bocard and Lilith, Pudd and Livezel showed gnashing teeth.
Obviously, these three young men were amongst Lady Liliths many pursuers but most of the time, Bocard had the upper hand.
It was very ufortable for Pudd from Hunter Temple, his straight forward personality made him voice his thoughts without holding back.
Bocard, dont you have to deal with the matters about that King of Killers? I guess you guys are really scratching your heads after taking Wealth Temples gold coins eh? Pudd fired his questions.
King of Killers? Its just some abandoned pawn pieces that Thorn Temple pushed out to the scene. Thorn Temple is struggling on itsst breath, thats why they presented this cunning bastard that only targets low ranking priests andmon deacons. Believe me, he will ultimately end up being executed by burning! Bocard too voiced his disdain for the King of Killers.
Pudd raised a brow and wanted to refute out of instinct but he couldnt find any reason to because he too didnt believe that the King of Killers could achieve anything; Livezel also thought the same.
Thebined power of the Wealth and Sin Temples was so huge thatmon people couldnt even imagine.
Is that so? Lilith, however, showed a sense of worry on her face.
Her changes were instantly spotted by the three young men.
Lilith, dont tell me you are feeling the same as the other girls about the King of Killers...
Pudd voiced his question but before he could finish, he saw the blush on Liliths face.
Her sweet and charming manner instantly widened their eyes.
They had never seen Lilith behaving like this before and the answer obviously struck the three young mens hearts.
Hmph! Lilith, you shouldnt have shown interest to a cunning coward! If he appears before me, I will show him what a real powerhouse can do! Then...
Bocard grunted coldly before voicing out his thoughts but his words were forced to an abrupt stop.
Then? You want to have a duel with him by showing your valiantness? Puddughed.
Although Pudd didnt take the King of Killers seriously, he didnt think that Bocard will fight the King of Killers one on one because he knew how sinister and dirty Bocard was.
Livezel too showed a smile, he didnt mind both of his love rivals hurting each other in thispetition but soon enough, the two of them realized something was wrong.
Bocard didnt just stop there, he stood there dull and lifeless without budging.
Bocard, what happened to you? Pudd slightly pushed Bocard on the shoulder.
Suddenly, a red line appeared on Bocards neck.
Puk!
The blood from Bocards neck gushed out higher than 3 meters, his head flew even higher.
The headless body fell down in its own blood after the sound but not the head!
A vague figure appeared under the candlelight jumped up high and grabbed the head. The figure jumped a second time by stepping on air, thrusting himself out of the window.
Everything happened in a sh, no one at the drinking party realized what happened.
Even Lilith, Pudd, and Livezel didnt react fast enough, let alone themoners in the hall.
The three of them were stunned before Bocards headless body.
While all of that was happening...
DING!
A clear chime sounded off and an emerald was flung in through the window andnded precisely in the blood puddle.
The dash of green was extremely eye-catching amongst the bright red.
The ones who saw the emerald shivered without exception; their shivering voices uttered the title of that person.
I-Its the King of Killers!
Chapter 913 - Stir Up
Chapter 913: Stir Up
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
KABOOM!
As the title King of Killers was uttered out loud, the crowd in the hall was plunged into chaos as though a bomb was found amongst them.
All hell broke loose in the hall as the crowd who was dull and lifeless a moment ago ran around in panic and fear, trying to find a ce to hide.
Some, however, didnt follow the masses, including Lilith and the other young women.
At that particr moment, thedies eyes were glimmering brightly.
All of them looked at that window; some bolder ones even ran out, trying to chase that mysterious figure, Lilith was one of them.
However, when theydies stormed out of the hall, all they saw was shadows from the moonlight and not a real figure of any sort. None of them saw who they were hoping for but after a slight disappointment, they showed more and more anticipation.
The wind blows your temples, it was his hand that caressed your neck.
The shadows follows your feet, it was his steps that follows your trail.
He is like the wind and shadow, he is the King of Killers!
One of thess couldnt help but muttere her poem.
Like wind and shadow?
Lilith heard the poem, she couldnt help but stare nkly.
Then, she turned around and saw Pudd and Livezel who were still frozen in ce, their lips were still shivering after being sshed by Bocards blood.
The two young men who imed themselves as bold and courageous couldnt suppress the chills from the bottom of their heart after witnessing Bocards death.
Bocard was an evenly matched rival and was not much different in age either, yet he died without a sound before their eyes. No doubt it had caused quite the impact on their mental states.
They were frightened, they were scared and while at loss for what to do next, they didnt conceal their expressions.
Lilith looked disappointed when she saw the pale faces on the two young men.
The priest from Love Temple didnt call out to the other two young men anymore, instead she walked away and boarded her own wagon.
After a whip from the Wagoner, Liliths wagon swiftly vanished into the dark.
Comparison was scary regardless of time. No matter how perfect and wless an item or a person was, once aparison was made, it would be a littleckluster, especially under the condition of being prejudiced by first impressions.
Tonight was destined to be a sleepless night.
Thedies were excited because of that blurry figure; the people who voiced their disdain before were frightened, they were afraid that they would be the second Bocard.
Bocards death was like a pail of icy cold water being sshed onto a boiling pot.
Everyone knew Sin Temple would be furious about his death and countless people were anticipating the actions from Sin Temple.
Of course, amidst the anticipation, malicious intents were slipped in here and there.
One needed to know, Sin Temple was one of the four great temples beneath Lightning Temple and was the least favorite one from the people but none of that had anything to do with Kieran for the time being.
Kieran returned to the hideout a while ago and he was taking the head that he had took care of with him to the secret room beside.
Inside the secret room, a dozen Emerald Rock killers that he had under control over were standing by beside the magic circle.
The magic circle wasid across the entire floor, it was a basic structure of a circle enveloping a square within and the square was divided into 9 boxes.
Each box held different items: heart, liver, kidney in jars, a full thumb and pinky, and a pelvic bone that had all flesh scrapped off of it.
The only empty box was the middle one.
Kieran then ced Bocards head in the middle and stepped outside of the magic circle. He then signaled the dozen of Emerald Rock killers, Mizelle, Maize and Pelker to enter the outer rim of the magic circle.
All four of the empty spots between the square and the circle were filled before the incantations were chanted.
The magic circle then slowly lit up.
mes started to burn on the items in the boxes and as the casting materials were being burned, the people who stood within the circle had a slight increase in their aura.
It was slim but enough to satisfy Kieran because he knew his casting was sessful.
Of course, increasing strength wasnt the main point, keeping the secret was.
Among the mystical spells Tiki gave Kieran, there were some methods that confused beliefs and prevent one from being watched, simr to a weaker version of [Thorns Deceive].
Now Kieran had anotheryer of protection on the soul level.
Anyone who wanted to peek into his mens soul would have something interesting happen to them. He knew he had to do so after encountering the Sin Temple priest otherwise his secrets might leak at anytime.
It certainly was not an oue Kieran wished for and of course, killing all of the killers would have secured his secrets to a certain extent but it wasnt entirely safe.
Despite how people say it, the best at keeping secrets were the dead, it was only during normal times.
It was not applicable in this current dungeon world because Gods existed.
In this dungeon world, souls stayed after death and the beliefs for certain Gods would guide the dead souls directly into their divine kingdom. The Gods could even track down the dead and their souls.
The God from Sin Temple was well known for this.
More importantly, Kieran had taken up the identity of Emerald Rocks leader, he needed his men to go along with his cover.
Kieran stood outside the magic circle and watched the casting materials burn out. He then waved at his men that he could fully trust now.
Split up into three groups. Mizelle, Pelker and Maize, you three take a group with you and rotate shifts for the night, Kieran ordered.
Yes, my lord!
The three of them bowed and quickly moved out.
Although the secret hideout was secluded enough, certain levels of vignce were still a must.
After arranging everything, Kieran returned to his own room.
The room originally belonged to Reppu.
It was originally a rough ce filled with gold and jewels in a messy way but after Starbeck took over, the ce became different.
Kieran couldnt tell what was the difference exactly because he wasnt an expert in appraising all these but it didnt stop him from praising Starbeck. Especially when looking at the golden roasted meat on the table.
The honey roast meat that I promised you before, and my own crafted juice. I thought of brewing wine but I dont have enough time, Starbeck said while donning a ck and white apron and a pair of mittens.
This will be enough and I dont drink.
Kieran tore the thick roast meet with his bare hands and stuffed it into his mouth.
The crispy and sweet vour made him squint his eyes pleasantly.
The meat selected for the honey roasting should be a pork trotter. After deboning the meat, it was simmered with sauce and was beaten more than once so that the meat would taste chewier. Aftering into contact with the charcoal, the chewiness will transform into crispiness and together with the honey smeared on it, the sweetness didnt only just go into the meat, it expelled the porky stench as well.
However, the most surprising fact was the freshness that lingered on the tip of his tongue.
Mint? Kieran was stunned.
Yes. Before I roast, I use mint to rub the meat. It can lessen the oiliness and cloy, too bad I dont have basil otherwise it would taste even better.
Starbeck couldnt hold back his smile after Kieran noticed the slight difference in the meal.
What was more delightful for a cook than the one enjoying the mealknowing how to taste?
Well, the taster didnt only just protect the cook with all his effort, the enjoying the meal even tasted the uniqueness of the cooking.
I am really looking forward to the basil treatment in the future, Kieran said while chewing off big chunks of the meat.
After gobbling down all the roast meat, Kieran finished the juice beside his te.
Huuu!
Kieran leaned back and sighed in satisfaction but the following system notifications caused him to sit up immediately.
He couldnt hold back the surprise on his face.
Chapter 914 - Overflowing Aroma of Tea
Chapter 914: Overflowing Aroma of Tea
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Lines of notifications came up on Kierans vision.
[Consumed Golden Roaster, has a small chance in triggering attribute: Excitement]
[Consumed Jaded Apple Juice, has a small chance in triggering attribute: Valiant]
...
[Excitement: Your words can stimte the will of the people around you (natives only), effectst till the end of the dungeon]
[Valiant: Your actions have a unique charm, people (natives only) will be willing toply, effectst till the end of the dungeon]
...
Kieran knew he could acquire some effects by eating specially cooked dishes since the tasting in Harvest Inn but he didnt know it would grant him attributes.
The food just now? Kieran looked at Starbeck unconsciously.
It triggered your attributes? I really wanted to help you with all I have so I used the best ingredients that I could gather. Still, it has a very small chance of triggering... never thought it wouldve worked!
Starbeck was stunned, he rejoiced with excitement and it caught Kieran off guard.
Kieran didnt understand the excitement though, he didnt know where originated from.
Starbeck didnt say it was the first time someone had attributes triggered after eating the special meal he cooked either because the first time was always special.
The chances are small?
Kieran unconsciously looked at [Vanessas Favour] and obviously, it was the effect of this temporary attribute.
This is much useful than I thought, Kieranmented.
Kieran didnt exin the existence of [Vanessas Favour], not just for the sake of keeping it a secret but Kieran thought it was unnecessary to exin it to a nonbatant like Starbeck.
Therefore, a beautiful coincidence urred.
Different things would have different effects on different people.
For Kieran, the coincidence was pre-nned, it was something that he had to take cautious of.
For Starbeck, coincidence had a different meaning and uncontrobly, an unusual feeling rose in his heart.
Starbecks gaze at Kieran changed again on a deeper level.
Kieran didnt care about the gaze; he was used to Starbecks asionally weird behavior.
What else was more surprising than Starbecks cowardice?
So, Kieran didnt care. He took out equipment after equipment from his backpack.
1 Rare and 11 Magic ranked equipment were neatly arranged on the table.
All of these were the spoils of war from the past few days.
Pick the Rare one or 3 to 5 Magic ones. Consider it as payment for the meal just now. Dont say no.
Having 2 extra attributes like this out of nowhere is enough for me to know how expensive the meal Ive just had was and I dont like putting things on a tab. Likewise, I dont need you to contribute unconditionally and this is the rule of partying with me.
The moment Kieran voiced his stance, Starbeck wanted to reject but after listening to his irrefutable words, the declines somehow couldnt escape his mouth.
When time spent with Kieran got longer, Starbeck knew how decisive Kieran was with his words and he knew it would be better for him to ept it; it was also best not to just brush him off.
Therefore, Starbeck started to take a careful look at the equipment on the table.
He might be worse than a newbie in battle but picking equipment was his forte and soon he ced his attention on the Rare piece and one of the Magic equipment but he didnt forget Kieran asked him to pick 1 Rare or 3 to 5 Magic only.
So, after some thought, Starbeck decided to go with the Rare equipment.
Nice choice.
Kieran then transferred the Rare equipment that looked like a gold coin to him.
[Name: Wealth Protection]
[Type: essory]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attribute: Wealth Defense]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: This is a defensive item that Lady Wealth created for anyone who is willing to pay enough.]
....
[Wealth Defense: Consume 1000 gold coins (2000 Points) to form a single defensive barrier of Powerful rank,sts 2 seconds (or until destroyed), 2 times per day]
...
And this! I dont think you will use it but if you need, I can sell it to you.
Kieran then passed on the Magic equipment that Starbeck was looking at a while ago.
It was a piece of equipment in the shape of a silver coin.
[Name: Wealth Counterattack]
[Type: essory]
[Type: Magic]
[Attribute: Wealth Strike]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: This is a defensive item that Lady Wealth created for anyone who is willing to pay enough.]
...
[Wealth Counterattack: Consume 500 gold coins (1000 Points) to fire a beam of burning rays with Strong attack, attacking a single enemy (no further than 50 meters away), 2 times per day]
...
Thanks!
Starbeck took [Wealth Counterattack] and transferred 10,000 Points to Kieran.
A somewhat reasonable price.
Although it had a Strong attack and ranged attacking capabilities, the downside of consuming 1000 Points per use would scare most yers away.
Except for Starbeck who had no problem with Points, there might not be another yer interested in this equipment.
After Starbeck picked what he wanted, Kieran put away all the equipment again.
Starbeck also put away the tableware while Kieran was at it.
So, when Atrina came into the room, the table had two cups of tea ready.
One was red tea which Kieran was quite fond off after Starbeck added a couple drops of honey into it; the other was a in tea, it was also a request from the temple deacon.
Do you know Bocard is the Sin Temple archpriests stepson?
Atrina held the cup and looked at Kieran with aplicated gaze.
She knew Kieran was bold enough but she didnt think he would be that bold to strike directly at the Sin Temple archpriests stepson.
Although Sin Temple was one of the great four beneath Lightning Temple, because of that Gods divine position, the abilities granted to the Sin Temple priests were the strongest other than Lightning Temple.
Therefore, a lot of people acknowledged that Sin Temple was the second only to Lightning Temple.
After Kieran had struck down Bocard, the folks at Thorn Temple were shocked, including the archpriest and officiant who supported him.
Killing the priests that aided Wealth Temple and killing Bocard was twopletely different concepts.
The former was a counterattack from self-defense; thetter was an initiative strike.
It might incite another war with Sin Temple directly!
When the thought struck her, Atrina could no longer sit quietly.
She rushed here and wanted to deliver the severity of the situation to Kieran.
If it was possible, she wanted Kieran to leave instead.
Although before Atrina saw Kieran, she was still hesitating over whether she should voice it to Kieran but when she saw him and heard what he said, her made her decision.
Leave this ce at once! Escape to the north! There you will be safe! Atrina spoke swiftly.
Compared to the anxiety of the temple deacon, Kieran took a sip off his tea in a casual manner. He allowed the thick sweetness of the tea topletely spread out on his taste buds before standing up.
Starbeck, cover the tea for me will ya, it wont taste as good when its cold.
Kieran didnt speak with Atrina but he ordered Starbeck instead.
Okay. Starbeck nodded.
After listening to both their conversations, Atrina was even more anxious, she wanted to say something else but before she spoke, she saw Kieran smile at her.
Atrina instantly skipped a breath, she felt like she saw a light in his smile.
Wait for me here.
O-Okay.
Atrina couldnt help but nod against Kierans words.
She only came back to her senses after Kieran had left for a while.
What happened? Why would I?
Confusion baffled her but when he realized what was going on, her face changed.
Was I followed?!
A bad feeling came up and a tremble on the ground followed.
Atrina wanted to dash outside the hideout instinctively but when she took a step out, she stopped.
Night breeze entered the secret hideout through the door, it carried the windy sensation and also a heavy smell of blood.
As the door opened up, Kieran came back in the same manner as when he left, heid down his backpack and sat back in his seat.
Atrina looked at Kieran who returned with a nk stare, she didnt know what was going on and as she turned around unconsciously, she nced over the opened window and saw what was outside.
Bodies over bodies and a broken g entered her sight right away.
When she took a good look at the broken g, she couldnt hold back her awe anymore and despite her covering her mouth, the cry of shock still came out.
S-Sin Knights?!
Her cry echoed around the room.
Kieran took his cup of tea and lifted the cover, the steam rose up right away, bringing the aroma of the tea to his nose as it was overflowing around him.
Chapter 915 - Glaring At Each Other
Chapter 915: ring At Each Other
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Atrina was walking along the bodies.
She carefully made out the identities of the deceased and whenever she saw a well-known figure amongst the pile, she couldnt hold back her cries of shock.
The chief and the deputy chief of the Sin Knights.
The four great priests of Sin Temple, Mako, Longarl, Jerad and Cecil.
Every one of them appeared within her sight; they were no different than themon dead knights, all of them were shed in half by a huge weapon.
When she returned to the secret hideout, Atrinas gaze at Kieran became hotter and was filled with disbelief.
The Sin Knights were all wiped out! Together with the four great priests of Sin Temple!
This time, it was different than wiping out all of the Wealth Knights.
Sin Knights were much stronger than Wealth Knights and other than that, the Sin Knights had their priests together!
The group of knights supported by the priests and knights riding solo were two entirely different concepts.
Therefore, even if Kieran had the great achievement of wiping out the Wealth Temple Knights single-handedly, it might seem praiseworthy in the eyes of everyone in the temple district but it wasnt something outrageous.
This time, however, was different!
Kieran wiped out the entire group of knights with priests backing them up.
Atrina could only imagine how the people of the temple district would react when the news got out.
Surprise? Disbelief? Perhaps, most of it would be fear and horror.
She knew some of the people had treacherous minds and for the past few days, she had heard more than once about the rumors and gossip that came from the other temples.
Atrina understood those rumors came because of her special identity, those bastards purposely spoiled the news to her, hoping that she would do something irrational to affect Kierans ns.
Despicable? She had seen worse.
In order to secure believers and resources, the rtionship between temples was definitely not a harmonious one, battles in both opened strife and veiled struggles were ceaseless.
Its just that this time... youve all miscalcted! Atrina couldnt hold back the pleasant feeling in her heart.
She then slowly and nimbly sat beside Kieran, looking like a good girl. Together with her beautiful face, she had a temperament that one would love.
Obviously, after witnessing Kieran wipe out the Sin Knights and the apanied priests, the temple deacon had made some important life decisions.
Kieran who was holding to his cup of tea threw a gaze at Atrina; he knew what was she thinking but he didnt care.
He was thinking about how Sin Temple would react after this.
Bocard was bait, the Sin Knights and the four great priests were also a bait.
All those were used to lure out the archpriest or the officiant of Sin Temple.
Or more precisely, in Kierans ns, his true target had always been the archpriest and officiant of Sin Temple.
Inside this dungeon world where the Gods were the protagonists. If one wanted to acquire a decent amount of rewards, ying the Gods would be the optimal choice.
However, without sufficient strength, it would be suicidal.
So, Kieran improvised, he took a step back and went after some other important supporting character: the servants of the Gods.
Aside from the normal deacons, priests, and knights, the archpriest and officiant automatically became his priority.
In simpler words, Kierans targets had always been the archpriest, officiant and other characters alike regardless of the affiliated temple. The reason he chose Sin Temple was only because of Wealth Temples situation.
From a certain aspect, Kieran was very grateful for Wealth Temple.
If it wasnt for them, how would he get such a bold and bright excuse?
Kieran would never share that with Atrina, despite them being coborators, and now it seemed like this coborator wanted to elevate her status.
Kieran looked down on her hands ced on his shoulder and noticed her body was closing on him subtly.
Atrina, you need some rest, Ill send you back to the temple first thing tomorrow, he said.
Okay. Her body froze but she nodded right away.
Atrina didnt dare to oppose Kieran even from the beginning and after realized Kieran was much stronger than she anticipated, shepletely removed such thoughts from her mind.
Atrina stood up obediently and went to her room.
However, when Atrina passed by Starbeck, she red at him. It seemed like she med Starbeck for something that happened.
Starbeck was caught off guard, he didnt know what Atrina was trying to convey.
He instinctively shrunk in his neck and took two steps back.
Atrina felt even more frustrated when she saw how scared Starbeck was because she realized his cowardly personality attracted protection from others, it further verified some thoughts in her mind.
However, while being beside Kieran, she dared not do anything beyond her identity. All she did was curse Starbeck in her heart multiple times before leaving in a hurry.
After seeing Atrina off, Starbeck who was bedazzled by her frustration heaved a long sigh.
He didnt know what was going on but he knew she didnt mean well.
Fortunately, he had Kieran on his side.
Starbeck was relieved when he saw Kieran sitting on the sofa.
Just like how his sharp senses noticed the malicious thoughts from Atrina, he too knew what she was afraid of.
So, Starbeck felt like he had to do more for Kieran, he ought to further express his gratitude.
You want to have some dessert? Having some sweets to go with the red tea will give quite the vor but if you are going for savory snacks, I am also good with those. Starbeck asked Kieran.
The only way Starbeck knew how to repay Kieran was to cook more delicious food for him.
Sweet ones thank you, Kieran thought for a while before answering.
Hold on. Starbeck then went straight to the kitchen.
When Kieran heard the mixing of flour and eggs in the kitchen, he felt delighted and took out the loot from the battle just now for a check.
A total of 5 Magic rank equipment: 4 from the great priest, one from the Sin Temple Chief Knight.
Obviously, it was not unreasonable for the Sin Knights to be stronger than other temple knights but there was nothing noteworthy among the 5 pieces of equipment but he didnt ditch them, he put them in his backpack.
For a stingy soul like Kieran, any kind of loot would never be abandoned if he could reach it, especially some loot that might have a high price, potentially.
Therefore, Kieran waited patiently for more than 5 minutes before he tidied up his backpack and headed outside.
Under the greenish white and purplish moonlight, the bodies of the Sin Knights were looking more vicious than ever but Kieran looked as if he was like taking a stroll in his backyard, ignoring the pungent smell of the blood and walked towards the center of the pile of bodies.
It was there he broke through the Sin Knights heavy defense formation and killed the four great priests, leading to his victory.
But now, the bodies of the four great priests that were shed by [Arrogant Word] were missing; not only the priests but the chief knight, deputy chief knight and a lot more of the Sin Knights bodies were missing.
Kieran looked down at the traces, he squinted his eyes and turned around.
A scrawny face somehowid over his shoulder and was ring at him with that morbid eyes.
Chapter 916 - Coming Up To Your Doorstep
Chapter 916: Coming Up To Your Doorstep
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Ga, ga, ga!
The scrawny face slightly opened its mouth and a sharp irritating voice sounded, followed by disgusting and sticky saliva dripping out.
Kieran frowned and wanted to step back to evade the disgusting saliva but a couple of withered palms sprung out from the ground and caught his feet.
Kieran was not just pinned down, he was pulled into the ground!
More importantly, the ground with pebbles somehow turned into an area of mud.
The bloody red mud behaved like a real swamp as it devoured the bodies around the area.
A couple of breaths of timeter, over a dozen bodies were devoured.
Likewise, the lower part of Kierans calf was dragged into the mud and it didnt stop there.
Bubbles after bubbles rose up from the mud and vile stench burst out when it popped. When each of the bubbles popped, a body that it has devoured was spat out.
The body that was bathing in a bloody red liquid was brought back to life. They were like wild animals, growling non-stop at their target.
Then, they threw themselves at Kieran in a frenzied manner.
A momentter, dozens of bodies piled up on top of Kieran like a pyramid, drowning him inside. The blood-like mud around swirled rapidly, it seemingly formed a gigantic mouth and swallowed the entire pile of bodies, including Kieran, into the ground.
After everything was swallowed, the blood-like mud started to fade and returned the ground back to its original state, including the other bodies.
A thumb-sized blood pearl formed out of the bloody mud after it gathered and flew towards the shadow with a trail of red light,nding on an elderlys palm.
Arrogant fool! I wont kill you but you will wish that you are dead!
As the elderly figure spoke with his aged voice, he turned around and wanted to leave.
However, the moment he turned around, the elder with the priest robe was stunned on the spot.
Before him was Kieran whose face was bathing under the moonlight; his mantle was fluttering with the night breeze, the reflection on the crow feathers looked like metallic luster.
You!?
The elderly priest unconsciously looked at the blood pearl in his hand and it was thest action that he took before his life ended.
[Arrogant Word] with its bewitching glimmer sliced the person in half.
That blood pearl flew up high with an orange glow before falling into Kierans hand.
[Name: Temptation of Bottomless Hell]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attribute: Death Imprisonment, ?]
[Prerequisite: Spirit A+]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: This is a high-rank item forged by Sin Temple.]
...
[Death Imprisonment: Present at a tribute of at least 10 intact and tenacious souls to create an illusory realm that can affect reality itself (the more souls given as tribute, the more powerful the trap will be). Target locked onto will have to go through an S rank Spirit authentication (No higher than SSS+). Should the Target pass, they will not be affected; Should the Target fail, the target will have their soul imprisoned inside and the body will quickly die.]
...
This item is so Sin Temple. Am I right?
Kierans index finger and thumb were rolling the pearl as he sighed softly.
At a shadowy spot further away, the shadows started to wiggle and formed a figure. The figure slowly walked out from the shadow.
It was a thick-bearded middle-aged man with brown hair who only showed his eyes and nose. He was donned leather armor, had a bow on his back and short knives around his waist.
Beside him was a hunting hound. The hunting hound wasrge and ck. When it stood up with all four of its limbs, its height could reach amon grown mans upper thigh.
Its head was wide and it bared its sharp white fangs, showing off an extraordinary potential crushing force and agility.
Despite all of those features, the hunting hound was nothing but a decent one, it wouldnt have caught Kierans attention.
The thing that concerned Kieran was the shadow beneath the hunting hounds legs, it looked like mist and was rumbling around ceaselessly.
The man also relied on the hunting hounds abilities to hide in the shadows.
Magical being? Or an altered divine being? Kieran wondered.
As for the mans identity? It was too obvious.
Anyone who dressed like a hunter, possessed a certain strength, and had an outstanding hunting hound around him could only be from Hunter Temple.
Hunterox was a God that countless hunters believed in. Still, it didnt mean Kieran would ept the man for hiding in the shadows and appearing all of a sudden.
Sir Ryan, I bear no ill intentions. I am Herasu from Hunter Temple and I bear goodwill!
Herasus sharp senses picked up the changes in Kierans aura, so he spoke quickly.
The hunting hound beside Herasu was baring its teeth at Kieran at first but when it caught Kierans gaze, it hid behind its master after being frightened.
In fact, not only the hunting hound but the master also shared the same feeling.
After seeing the bodies of the Sin Knights all over the ce and Kieran not even suffering a scratch from the trapid by Sin Temple, Herasu knew what kind of attitude he had to use with Kieran and because of that he really wished he could scold Puddhis studentas loud as he could.
If it wasnt for his ignorant student, how could he have ended up in this awkward position as if he was being questioned?
Bear goodwill? Yours alone or from Hunter Temple altogether?
Kieran casually asked Herasu after looking at him with a ridiculing gaze.
Herasu wanted to say it was his own goodwill but when he caught Kierans gaze, the words were altered when it reached his mouth.
I bear goodwill from Hunter Temple. The Partner Festival is upon us and we hoped to invite Sir Ryan here to join this celebration of the hunters. Herasu was being all serious, he didnt seem like he changed his statement at the veryst moment.
Mm. Okay, Ill participate on behalf of Thorn Temple. Kieran nodded.
Then, he quietly turned his eyes at a certain spot. He felt slightly surprised.
Kieran senses picked up a presence rapidly approaching them.
After killing the elderly priest, Kieran thought other Sin Temple rted personnel wouldnt appear again.
What an unusual act!
Kieran instantly heightened his guard.
As the presence came closer and closer, Herasu and his hunting hound would have sensed it but after the words from Kieran, Herasus thoughts were chaotic.
Even the hunting hound hadnte back to its sense after being red at by Kieran.
So, Herasu was destined to be the one who suffered but despite the bad timing, Herasu was still thinking and hesitating.
Inviting Kieran as a single individual and inviting him representing Thorn Temple were twopletely different concepts for Hunter Temple.
The former might still provide space for them to turn things around but thetter would send Hunter Temple theplete opposite way of Wealth Temple and Sin Temple.
It wasnt a good thing for Hunter Temple which had remained in a neutral state but when Herasu caught Kierans gaze that seemed calm yet pressured him from top to bottom, he quickly nodded.
No problem! No problem at all! I just hope that you can spare Pudd for his disrespectful words towards you, all of those were because he is deeply revered you and also because of Bocard, thats why he didnt choose his words properly.
Herasu clenched his teeth and defended his student.
At that particr moment, Herasu didnt care anymore. It might bring more trouble but all he could do now was topensate for it at ater time.
Now, the best thing for him to do was to clear the potential troubles that might spring up in the near future.
However, as Herasus words subsided, a furious growl sounded from afar.
HERASU!
Herasus face instantly turned ugly and he never thought that particr person would really appear before his eyes, he thought the incident would haveid to rest for a while after seeing [Temptation of Bottomless Hell] in action.
Who knew...
A-Archpriest Burwell!
Herasu was squeezing the words out of his mouth with a shivering voice.
Chapter 917 - Jump Slash
Chapter 917: Jump sh
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Herasu was shivering ceaselessly when he saw that elder in the priest outfit from Sin Temple approaching fast.
The outfit was different than themon priest outfit, there was a gold line embedded across the robe.
In most of the temples, the gold line meant only one thing: the archpriest!
The archpriest of Sin Temple, Burwell!
Burwell yed a heavy role within Naveya City or even the entire Southern region and it wasnt just because he was the archpriest of Sin Temple but he himself was a legend!
A living legend!
Burwell killed two gang members when he was 13 and was severely wounded in the process. He was then adopted by a nameless Sin Temple deacon, thus started his astonishing life.
When he was 14 and after recovering from past wounds, he relied on some techniques that he learned from the Sin Knights and wiped out that gang with a total of 20 members single-handedly, he then fell back into a heavily wounded state.
Everyone else thought he would be done for but after passing out for three full days, Burwell woke up again.
Everyone was shocked by Burwells willpower and they thought he would quietly and honestly inherit his adopted fathers position since then.
He did just that for the next two years until the poor nameless deacon was killed by robbers on the way to the south.
That year, Burwell was 16 and after he heard the news, he vanished from the temple that night.
Burwell didnt know who killed his adopted father but it didnt matter. All he needed to do was kill every single robber along the way to the south.
Ten, a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand.
One day, ten days, a hundred days, a thousand days.
A year, two years, three years and ultimately ten years!
Burwell transformed from a 16-year-old teenager to a 26-year-old young adult and his name became the nightmare for the robbers of the southern road.
Every robber was horrified by mention the name alone and therefore, the numbers decreased gradually.
From the most dangerous era where hundreds of thousands of robbers lurked the southern road to only a handful of them left and ultimately none at all.
After that, 26-year-old Burwell returned to Naveya City.
He returned with broken and ragged shirts with a rusty sword in his hand but he was received in a heroic manner. However, he didnt care about any of those, instead he returned back to Sin Temple immediately, sessfully challenged the chief knight and reced him as the new one.
20 years after that, he sessfully ascended to officiant and eventually archpriest.
Burwell reached the status of archpriest in the age of 46, a number that would be remembered by the people toe but in Burwells case, it wasnt that all surprising.
He had too many achievements, too many merits in battle, it convinced everyone easily and people felt a heartfelt admiration for the man, even though he had aged, the admiration hadnt changed.
At least, Herasu from Hunter Temple was dumbstruckpletely by Burwells arrival.
Looking at the Sin Temple archpriest that appeared before him, Herasu was left shivering and a messy state of mind, he never thought it would be so coincidental.
Just as Herasu was about to pick a side, Burwell appeared!
It was too coincidental! To the point that even Herasu who was dumbstruck realized something wasnt right.
Herasu unconsciously turned his eyes to Kieran beside him.
Ill forgive Pudd, just like how you are willing to stand with Thorn Temple.
Kieran said in a in and slow tone as though he was stating an undeniable fact.
However, from the start of his speech to the end, Kieran didnt eveny an eye on Herasu.
His attention waspletely captivated by the arrival of Sin Temples archpriest.
Likewise, the archpriest, Burwell didnt care about Herasu either, instead, he went straight to Kieran.
Burwell stopped when he was almost 20 meters away from Kieran.
Both of them gazed at each other.
Burwells eyes were sharp and shining while Kierans eyes were different from the calm ones from before, his eyes too became sharp as a sword, unrivaled by any other.
Huuu!
The night breeze was whistling but when it approached Kieran and Burwell, it sank instantly as though it was blown into a bottomless abyss without any echo.
Silent.
Extremely silent.
The silence made one feel uneasy, the silence made one feel cold and terrified.
Herasu who was ignored by the two of them felt his chest cramping as if he was hammered on the chest. It was so difficult for him that he almost spat out blood.
Without further thoughts, Herasu took his pet hound and retreated dozens of meters away from them but right after that, his face turned uglier.
GO!
Herasu ordered his pet hound as he was riding on his hounds back
He wasying over the back of his hound and was feeling the calming heart within him as he ran further away. Unconsciously, Herasu turned and nced at what was happening behind him.
His eyes instantly erged as his pupils dted. His mouth hung open as he disyed an expression of disbelief.
What did he see?
A mountain of bodies and sea of blood!
Thrones that were built by countless bones and skulls!
Hundreds and millions of souls were wailing in agony at the moon!
Two asura-like kings were wielding des in their hands as blood covered their body!
Kill!
Kill! Kill!
Kill! Kill! Kill!
...
A series of thunderous chants were echoing in Herasus heart, his already calm heart was instantly struck by the thunderous chants!
Puk!
A mouth full of blood was spat out, he couldnt endure it anymore.
M-Monsters! T-Two monsters!
Herasu growled as blood rolled down his chin.
He then passed out on the back of his pet hound as it carried him away. Herasu had left the battlefield but more people sprang up from the dark instead.
They were looking at Kieran and Burwell with interested gazes.
King of Killers versus King of ughter?
This will be interesting! Interesting indeed!
Both executioners are going to destroy each other!
Wait, executioners? No, no, the strong should be respected, they are like asuras!
Damn am I lucky to witness such a battle!
...
Countless voices were conversing in the shadows and corners, softly and loudly.
Some expressed admiration, some were just purely interested in the oue and some were contemptuous at the battle but none of them bothered to hide their intentions because they were either archpriests or officiants themselves, there was no need for hiding.
There was no need and it wasnt necessary.
After all, Kieran and Burwell having a life and death battle wasnt rted to them, they were just observers.
Kieran and Burwell didnt care either, both of their attentions were ced on each other.
Other than their opponent, they couldnt see and hear others.
Fuuuu!
The night breeze was getting more intense.
Kierans crow feathered mantle was fluttering loudly, his hair was being blown up high in a messy way, it revealed his unforgettable eyes, they were clear as water yet filled with overflowing killing intent.
The reflection in Kierans eyes showed Burwell drawing his sword from his sheath.
The sword looked normal and filled with rust, red rust to be exact. It made the sword look like scrap iron but as the sword was drawn, eerie and irritating wails of the dead were getting louder to the point that it overpowered the night wind.
A mirage of millions of ughtered souls started to appear in everyones sight, including Kierans.
He directly felt the power from the sword but he was also not affected by the power.
The night wind was roaring.
The wails were echoing around the ears.
Kieran suddenly vanished on the spot as he jumped up high in the sky.
The huge, bewitching purplish red greatsword was raised over his head.
Promptly, the purplish moonlight shone on the de, causing its bewitching glimmer to be the center of attention as it was shed down at its target.
Chapter 918 - Stare
Chapter 918: Stare
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The de was reflecting the purplish moonlight, making the bewitching glimmer on it brighter than ever.
When Kieran swung down [Arrogant Word] with his both his hands, it didnt just rip the air but it roared fiercely as though it was a violent typhoon, shattering the illusion of the ughtered millions.
BOOM!
The illusion popped like a bubble under the sun but a deafening explosion echoed in the ears upon bursting.
[Arrogant Word]s giant de was pressed down hard against the rusty longsword, even Burwell who was wielding the sword had his legs plunged deeper into the ground.
SS+ Strength hadnt reached the Advanced Rank but it had far exceeded themon limits of a man. More so, Kieran swung it down from up high which secured him the advantage.
Burwell was ced in a disadvantageous position without a question, not only did the great force bury his legs into the ground, even his internals suffered a huge impact.
Burwell, however, wasnt bothered at all, he showed a wide smile at Kieran.
Blood gushed out from his mouth and tainted his white teeth red, it dripped out from the corner of his mouth.
However, the blood didnt fall on the ground, instead, it defied logic and flew towards the rusty sword.
Burwells blood fused into the rusty sword without any dy.
Wung!
The rusty sword then buzzed loudly.
Those red rusty stains vibrated all of a sudden and it was fired at Kieran like an arrow fired out from a strong bow.
It was fast and caught Kieran off guard but it wasnt Burwells final move.
Sou Sou Sou!
After the red rust was fired outwards at air-shattering speeds, a cold re appeared.
The longsword which was rusty a moment ago transformed into a brand new de shining brightly. After the red rust was removed, it added a shivering cold re to the de.
Most importantly, that longsword was actually a soft de!
A swirlter, the sword that was soft as a snake wrapped around [Arrogant Word] and its tip was like the fang of a venomous viper, lunging towards Kierans neck following the red rust projectile.
Two Powerful rank forcefield barriers shed.
[Primus Scale] appeared and blocked the red rust before it shattered and although it didnt have enough to block the second sword tip, it gave Kieran enough time to lift his right hand.
An ice shield formed before the soft de.
Ding!
When the soft de tip stabbed the ice shield, it sank in a few inches deep, shaking the ice shield.
PAK!
A clear shattering soundter, [Seattle Right Hand, Ice Hand Shield] with Extreme defense shattered and the thrusting sword tip shuddered hard.
The strongest point of [Seattle Right Hand, Ice Hand Shield] was not the powerful defensive capabilities which were only weaker than Kierans Advanced Rank attribute but the cold counterattack after a sessful parry and the burst damage when the shield shattered.
More blood gushed out from Burwells mouth.
However, after a slight pause, the sword tip went on again, Burwell didnt stop even if he saw another ice shield forming before his sword.
He was fearless, he pressed on with an indomitable will.
The observers around who saw the scene looked ugly.
He really doesnt care about his body! What a madman!
Even if he is old, he is an old madman!
The archpriest from Valiant Temple was mumbling with his mouth but his eyes were glued to the battlefield, he wanted to witness the final oue of the battle.
So was everyone else.
I know right!
Ryan might be decent but how can hepete with Burwell?
Young Ryan, you dont know what it means to risk your life for it!
The archpriest from Love Temple sighed and it seemed like she felt pity for a young man with a bright future to die like that but promptly, the Love Temple archpriest widened her eyes.
Not only her but everyone else as well, Valiant Temple archpriests jaw even fell to the ground.
Madman! Another madman!
Suchment was uttered by the archpriest but no one objected because they saw Burwells sword shatter the ice shield again.
They saw the sword tip was lunging towards Kieran.
Kieran didnt dodge or anything, instead, he dished out a kick with his calm face.
Wung!
A wild and violent wind came from Kierans kick as it was aimed towards Burwells abdomen.
The sword tip was closing in; the kick was closing in.
Both of them were risking their lives!
Kieran didnt know how to risk his life?
What a joke!
The moment he stepped into this game a long time ago, he possessed the thoughts of risking his life for the lives of others.
Kieran really cherished his life but he knew if he stepped back, he would die anyway.
It was like that before and it would be like that in the future!
He could have dealt with Burwell with a more rxing method but he couldnt afford the dy.
He was running out of time!
The fight should have ended after he killed the Sin Knights yet Burwell appeared right after that, Why?
The answer was not that hard to figure out.
A person like Burwell would not simply change his original decision, so there was only a single reason that might change Burwell mind.
The God that he served, the God of Sin, Embal!
Rumour has it that divine interrogator was harsh and ruthless and if he gave an order to Burwell, it must have been targeted at something.
However, it wasnt Kieran that Embal was targeting but Thorn Temple!
Kieran knew it very well.
If the God really went after him, it wouldnt just be the archpriest who came forth and confronted Kieran, the lord officiant would follow as well.
Where was the officiant though?
It was natural that he joined forces with Wealth Temple and was nning an assault on Thorn Temple.
Although Thorn Temples Archpriest Sirontu and Officiant Barrion were at the temple, the situation was three against two and it will be a deathmatch.
In order for the assault to go smoothly, Burwell came to confront Kieran and stall him since he was the only one who could provide support to Thorn Temple.
Of course, all those arrangements were not just for the temple or Kieran, the ultimate goal was Lady Thorn herself.
Kieran didnt know what the God of Sin and Lady Wealth had nned for Lady Thorn, the secrets among the divines were still unreachable to him but he knew he must stop them.
Otherwise, he would lose his only base in Naveya.
If he didnt want Sin Temple and Wealth Temple to chase him everywhere he went after this, or even the respective Godsing out themselves to deal with him, the loose end, he would have to deal with the battle with Burwell as fast as possible.
Backing down before the threat of death?
It wasnt Kierans style.
Looking at the sword tip that was approaching fast and the vicious smile on his opponents face, Kieran took in a deep breath.
[Arrogant Word] allowed him to sweep the battlefield like a rampaging force, anyone who fell behind him in strength would end up separated by the sharp de.
His kickingbo that fused multiple skills together even allowed him to have moreplete and powerful closebat capabilities, anyone who underestimated him would be in form more than they bargained for.
However, none of all those were his strongest, they could only be considered as his backups.
More so, Kieran didnt n to use his strongest power next because it wasnt necessary.
You know, in some ces, a lot of people call me the Chosen One?
Kierans voice was soft, to the point that only Burwell could hear it.
But right after that, the image that appeared in Kierans eyes were visible to everyone else.
Chapter 919 - Long awaited
Chapter 919: Long awaited
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The cry of the dead caused the sky and earth to wail.
The gaze of the dead shook the hearts of the living.
Without any defensive measures, Burwell was dragged into [Fear Illusion] by [Dead-mans Gaze], his body started to wobble under Kierans Strong I rank mental impact.
The interrogator God protected his believer from an exploding head before Kierans mental impact but the sword that Burwell threw out was forced to a pause because Kieran didnt only just activated [Dead-mans Gaze] but also [Sword Skill, Myriad Viper]!
Sssssss!
Tens of thousands of snake hissed.
The horned venomous vipers were hissing at the moon.
Burwells body froze when he was forced to go through another Spirit authentication.
The sharp re of the sword tip stopped in front of Kierans neck and didnt move anymore, Kierans kick sessfullynded on Burwells abdomen.
Bang!
A heavy and loud bangter, Burwell didnt fly away, instead, an unknown, powerful defensive force field barrier protected the archpriest.
It didnt surprise Kieran though, in fact, if there wasnt a force field of sorts, he would be surprised.
The second kick arrived like a shadow,nding on the same spot.
After the second kick, the powerful defensive field was shattered.
Pak!
Amidst the shattering noise that sounded like broken ss, Kieran dished out kick after kick.
Each kick was faster than before.
Each kick was heavier than before.
Every single one of themnded on Burwells body.
Afterimage after afterimage, kicking shadows were ovepping each other as they enveloped Burwells body.
Crack!
Bone cracking noises were ceaseless but Kieran didnt n on stopping.
When all the afterimages of his kicks were retracted, a sharp qi energy wave was sted out.
The half-moon qi energy wave was like a scythe sweeping past Burwells body.
Puk!
Burwells head flew up high, a golden glow appeared on his body.
Kieran picked up his spoils of war and left in a hurry, he didnt even nce at the archpriests and officiants in the shadows.
After Kieran had left for quite a while, the archpriests only came back to their senses as they looked at each other.
What a terrifying kicking technique and...
Horrifying skills!
After being silent for a while, the archpriest of Valiant Temple finally spoke after a deep breath.
The others nodded too.
Thebo of [Barsical Kick], [Hundred Violent Kicks], and [de Kick] shook the archpriests hearts since they had never witnessed something like that before butpared to [Half-deads gaze] and [Sword Skill Myriad Viper], it was nothing.
He can decide peoples life and death without any trace or sign! Wealth Temple and Sin Temple are in trouble now! Hope theyre having the best time of their lives!
The archpriest from Love Temple said softly at the direction where Kieran went off before vanishing on the spot.
The others were stunned, they were pondering upon the meaning of Love Temples archpriests words.
Some even had more thoughts about it but no one stayed behind because the battle there was finished, none of them wanted to stay behind.
Of course, they also wanted to have a look at the battle at Thorn Temple, in another way.
Everyone else vanished after a while and all of their attention was ced on Thorn Temple.
They were looking forward to what would happen next.
As Sin Temples officiant, Farles was the first to acknowledge the situation.
He lowered his head and prayed, his body shook as it was shone by the light of the interrogator God, the light started to ripple shortly after that.
The waves of ripples instantly captured Barrions attention across from him.
Your ns failed? Our chief knight isnt that easy for you to deal with!
Barrion looked up and said with a smile.
You better worry about yourself! Once Sirontu fails, it will mean your demise! And he will notst any longer! Farles said with a cold smile.
Just like what Officiant Farles said, Archpriest Sirontu couldnt hold it much longer.
While facing the siege from Wealth Temples archpriest and officiant, Sirontu was ced at aplete disadvantage, his clean priest robe was torn badly in the process.
Blood and injuries were showing on all over his body. His aged face had tiredness that he couldnt conceal but he clenched his teeth and held his ground.
He knew if he stepped down, Thorn Temple would be finished!
So Sirontu couldnt, he dared not step down!
He couldnt imagine that terrifying consequences if he did.
Gods mercy was only limited to their own respective believers.
It was cold as ice and harsh as a knife for the believers of other Gods, despite all the Gods originating from the southern city Naveya.
When Wealth and Sin Temple appeared together, Sirontu knew what they wanted: to destroy Thorn Temple!
To strip Lady Thorn of her divine position, destroy her divinity and drag her down from her divine altar.
In fact, not only Sirontu, Barrion knew it as well, therefore they both risked their lives in protecting their temple.
They didnt utilize the powers from their Goddess for they had started to burn their own life force.
They knew if they still siphoned energy from Lady Thorn, it will only increase her burden in this difficult situation.
Their duty was not to increase the trouble for Lady Thorn but allow her to concentrate on dealing with the Interrogator and Lady Wealth.
However...
Judging from the situation at hand, it wasnt progressing too well.
Whether was it Lady Wealth or the Interrogator, each of them had extra believers that lent them their life energy, allowing the Gods to pin down these two from Thorn as they burned their life force.
Before this, Sirontu and Barrion already faced despair, they knew where Burwell went since he wasnt apart of the siege assault.
Although they were confident in Ryans strength, they didnt think Ryan could really win against Burwell. It was not an issue of trust but Burwell was too infamous himself.
The young Ryan may stand a chance in the future against Burwell but not now!
However, no one would have thought the situation would face such a turn of events!
Ryan won! He won against Burwell!
Laughter came from Sirontu who was injured.
He nced over the declining situation before him. A scarlet red mist-like energy stream rapidly swirled around the archpriest, boosting his power and speed a few times.
The sword in his hand was as fast and sharp as wind, countering Wealth Temples archpriest and officiant.
Getting here from there... I think it will only take our chief knight around 5 minutes based on his speed! And for 5 minutes... we will hold!
Barrions voice was heavy and powerful, the scarlet red mist-like energy stream started to swirl around him like Sirontu too, he was using his own life force to buff his old friend for onest time.
The consequences of his action were death, which he epted with an open heart.
Old friend, may we meet again in the divine kingdom!
Barrion uttered thest words before bursting into light.
The burst of light gushed towards Sirontu like a waterfall.
While feeling the empowerment on his body, Thorn Archpriest Sirontu didnt turn around at his old friend, instead, he concentrated his mind at the two foes before him.
His eyes were teary, he shouted, WAIT FOR ME!
Wung!
The scarlet red energy sted up into the sky like a typhoon, Sirontu waspletely tainted red. The sword in his hand split and formed a of swords, trapping Wealth Temple archpriest, officiant, and Sin Temples officiant firmly.
Take him down together! If that guy arrives, we might failpletely! Officiant Farles shouted.
However, he couldnt further buff the other two beside him.
Although he had the light from the Interrogator, he was perfectly clear of their n in this trip, he didnt dare to borrow more power from the one he served.
Likewise, for the Wealth Temple archpriest and officiant, they dared not simply borrow the power of the God they believed in.
The Interrogator and Lady Wealth against Lady Thorn, given the odds, the oue was in the bag but in order to further solidify the n, it was best for them, the servants, to not further borrow the power from their Gods.
As for risking their lives, since they were on the verge of victory, why would they take the risk?
Even more so since they knew what kind of changes woulde after their victory, they were even more unwilling to sacrifice themselves for the cause.
Time passed by seconds by seconds.
One minute, two minutes, three minutes...
Sirontus de force was not weakening by any means.
Four minutes, five minutes.
Sirontus de force was slightly slowing down.
Although he was still pressuring and pinning down the three archpriest and officiants, he knew he couldnt hold it for long.
Why hasnt Ryan show up?
Could it be?
A bad feeling started to fill Sirontus heart.
Seems like that chief knight that you put so much hope in only clenched a victory against Burwell despite the fact! Farles said with squinted eyes.
Clenched a victory? They might have both perished together or he might already be dead halfway here! The Wealth Temple archpriest and officiant were even harsher on their words.
The three of them were messing with and dissolving Sirontus focus and willpower.
Since Sirontu was able to take up the position as archpriest of Thorn Temple, it was unquestionable that he had an iron will but at this particr time with such despicable means, as seconds passed by, it seemed like the harsh words were working.
Sirontus de force was slowing down more.
Three of Sirontus foes showed glimmers in their eyes, they knew it was time to reap their harvest.
But right at that moment...
Bzzzz!
The light that belonged to Lady Wealth vibrated rapidly and suddenly vanished from the archpriest and officiants body, both of them were instantly stunned.
They didnt know what happened and before they knew it, a de re shed over their body.
After losing the buffs from Lady Wealth, both of them suffered a great decrease in strength and speed, causing them to not dodge the sh in time.
Two heads flew up high in the air.
When Farles saw that both of his teammates died, he didnt have any thought of avenging them but instead he quickly drew distance from Sirontu.
What happened?
The burning question rose in Farles heart.
However, not only the Sin Temple officiant but the other observers, the archpriests, and officiants of other temples were filled with questions as well.
All were confused except for Sirontu.
He actually didnt know what happen but he knew it was the rare chance that was presented to him to kill Farles!
With such a conviction in his mind, Sirontu lunged at Farles.
The battle was still going on but the observes had lost the interest to continue watching.
They knew the scale of victory was tipping to one side but which side?
They didnt know. Fortunately, all their respective knights brought precise news to their ears.
Wealth Temple was on fire!
...
Wealth Temple is on fire? Could it be...
The archpriest of Valiant Temple was stunned when he received the news. He then quickly stood up from his seat as though he realized something as his expression changed a few times.
What a surprise! This guy is really bold! The archpriest of Valiant sighed.
...
Since mortals can ascend to Godhood, there will be mortals that can y a God. Not bad, not bad at all. The archpriest of Love Temple was kneeling before a crystal ball, muttering softly.
...
Hahahahaha! This is the trait of a true warrior! Fearless against everything!
The archpriest of War Templeughed in a gant voice.
...
All the archpriests that received the news were shocked and showed different expressions.
Only the archpriest of Hunter Temple reacted in a unique way.
The tall and buff middle-aged man took a nce at Herasu who was slightly pale but clear at mind before he gave out the order, Send out support to Thorn Temple now!
...
The unusual movements in Hunter Temple immediately attracted attention from the other temples around it.
They saw that Hunter Knights were marching towards Thorn Temple and also had a nce at Wealth Temple that was still burning.
Some continued to keep quiet.
Some followed Hunter Temple and took action together.
However, all of these were not concerns for Kieran at the time being.
After killing Burwell, he went ording to his n and sprinted towards the temple district.
Kieran was nning to besiege Wei to rescue Zhao, or in a more precise way, he wanted to apply a permanent solution to the situation.
Thus, he chose Wealth Temple.
The reason, however, was not just because most of the priests and deacons were led away by the archpriest and officiant to the siege on Thorn Temple and since the knights were wiped out by him, the remaining priests and deacons would not be much, thus leaving only a tiny bit of strength, it was also because Wealth Temples location was located at the edge of the temple district, which was very close to Kierans position.
All he needed to do was charge in with full force!
Kieran dashed into the core of Wealth Temple like lightning and stood before the statue of Lady Wealth.
He jumped.
Wung!
[Arrogant Word] caused a numbing whistle as it decapitated Lady Wealths statue.
As the head was chopped off, the buzz on [Arrogant Word] was growing restless, its bewitching purplish glimmer was rumbling ceaselessly as it grew denser.
However, Kieran didnt even notice all of that.
His eyes were captivated by a figure that suddenly appeared before him.
The light was bright, thus the figures face was blurred out but the aura that the person brought made Kieran wobble and stagger backward.
A clone!
Although Kieran was stepping backward, his eyes were locked on the figure and his sharp senses kept telling him how powerful the person was.
However, it wasnt a dire situation like he was facing a real God.
Everything was exactly within his expectations.
Even with the help from the Interrogator himself, Lady Wealth wouldnt have ced all her attention on Kieran the ant-like being while facing off against Lady Thorn at the same time.
A clone of herself would be her limit and this particr clone was what Kieran has been waiting for.
TL Note:
Besiege Wei to rescue Zhao.
The second stratagem of thirty-six. (look up Sun Tzu Art of War) which means to distract a powerful force that is threatening you by causing greater problems for it elsewhere, particrly by attacking those ces it holds most dear.
Chapter 920 - Fury Slash
Chapter 920: Fury sh
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Every single dungeon world was a risk; every single risk must have enough rewards at the end.
It was the unspoken rule that Kieran had formed in his heart long ago and it was also the crucial condition to maintain his advantages.
Therefore, Kieran was perfectly clear on what should he do and despite him having to team up with Starbeck the mimosa nt, his goals never changed, but when taking Starbecks safety into considerations, he had to make alterations to his ns.
His previous method of triggering sub-missions and special events continuously was changed to a more direct approach: killing off a powerful enemy and getting the rewards there instead.
While in this current dungeon world, what was more suitable as a foe than a God that was forced to clone herself because of the distraction?
Lady Wealths body was shining brilliantly.
It was so blinding that Kieran slightly squinted his eyes but his staggering body stood firmly.
Strong I rank didnt just allow him to slowly amodate himself under her terrorizing aura, it also allowed him to maintain his calm.
Looking at notification after notification showing that his Spirit has passed the authentication, Kieran tightly gripped [Arrogant Word].
Wung!
As though the greatsword felt the battle intent of its master, the purplish bewitching de buzzed instantly.
The buzz from the de sounded like a war song, the wild and untamed aura of rampancy was brewing together with the dense purplish energy.
Keiran took a step forward.
Dong!
A loud drum sounded from the void.
Second step.
Dong Dong!
The drums were beaten furiously, sounding off in session.
Dong Dong Dong!
While the war drums sounded ceaseless, the aura around Kieran was agitated.
The rampant and wild energy slowly flowed out from [Arrogant Word].
It was just a slight sense of energy but it had formed a vision in front of Kierans eyes.
Where monsters and barbarians reigned, humans were treated as food, any slight resistance from them would result in the annihtion of the entire vige or tribe.
Ten years, a hundred yearster, the people living as livestock were used to the cruel fate.
Ten more years, a hundred more yearster, the resisting people were already dead.
The people that lived in barns were like livestock, waiting to be eaten.
Outside the city wall, skulls were hung over ropes as marks, it waved along with the wind.
However, the fire in peoples heart had never been extinguished.
Inside the mountains, a human tribe was popting and living the best they could while forging weapons and swords.
They were gathering their power slowly but before theypleted their goals, they were discovered by the barbarians.
This human tribe was ughtered instantly.
A heavy, huge two-handed greatsword was dragged out of the furnace and was plunged into the tribesmens chest; they wailed in agony while being burned alive but never did they once plead for their lives.
Then, more bodies with the giant sword stabbed through their chest were hung up on the city walls.
As the wind blew, rain showered and the sun shone, the giant sword rusted while the bodies turned into skeletons.
Another resistance was annihted but...
A little spark may kindle a great fire.
The resistance would never be stopped; more would join its cause.
Soon, the war broke out.
Among the monsters and barbarians, the weak human tribesmen were donning armor and wielding swords on the battlefield, charging wave after wave at the city.
Bodies were everywhere but none of them were afraid of death.
Blood had tainted thend red but the unyielding will was still growling on thend.
Listen! The war drums were still beating!
Look! The warriors were still charging!
As the skeleton stopped dancing in the wind, the souls of the dead were awoken.
The dead pulled the giant sword out of their chest and followed the rhythm of the war drums as they climbed up the towering city walls.
They wielded the rusty sword, shing enemy after enemy on top of them.
However, they eventually failed because the God of the barbarians appeared.
All the dead were crushed to nothing.
Their rusty swords sank to the bottom of the river.
Then, the vision stopped but the burning sensation was all over [Arrogant Word]s hilt.
Are you trying to tell me what you want to do? Dont worry, I am thinking exactly the same thing.
Kieran was feeling the burning sensation as he marched forward with non-stop muttering.
Wung!
[Arrogant Word] buzzed again.
A tacit feeling never before seen was felt in Kierans heart.
He wanted to y the God; it wanted to y the God.
The heart was raging; the sword was raging!
When both of their wills fused into one, a violent wind swept over where the greatsword was pointed.
The bewitching purple shed over Wealth Temple.
The shining figure was forced to a pause and followed by the light dimming down, eventually shattering.
The figure vanished like a mirage.
A golden shining item fell on the floor but the gold was not as fierce as the changes on [Arrogant Word]. On top of the bewitching purple de, a dazzling gold was shining rapidly, followed by a darker gold luster.
[Name: Arrogant Word]
[Type: Sharp Weapon, Heavy Arms]
[Rarity: Above Epic]
[Attack: Powerful]
[Attributes: 1. Arrogance II, 2. Untamed II, 3. Fury sh]
[Effects: 1. Critical Damage, 2. Critical Rate]
[Prerequisite: Strength B- Two-handed (B+ single handed) Sharp weapon, Heavy Arms (Grand Master), tied to wielder]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: The arrogant will only speak in arrogance and work in arrogance!]
...
[Arrogance II: When the sword shes an enemy, +1 to either Strength and Agility for the next attack]
[Untamed II: Facing against enemy twice your size, Stamina consumed -30%. Facing against enemy five times your size, Stamina consumed -60%. Facing against enemy ten times your size, Stamina -90%, attack power +1, has a higher chance in triggering effect]
[Fury sh: Consume all your Stamina in exchange for attack level +2 for a single strike, 1/ week]
...
[Critical Damage: Has a certain chance to deal double damage when striking a targets weak point.]
[Critical Rate; Has a certain chance in dealing a higher rank attack damage]
...
It leveled up? Kieran was surprised.
The de itself didnt change in terms of looks but its strength was enhanced multiple times over.
He never knew equipment could level up without being embedded.
Resonance?
Kieran recalled the scene before while he looked at the spot where the shining figure vanished.
The brilliance appeared once more at the spot and Lady Wealth appeared again.
This time, it wasnt her clone but Lady Wealth herself.
Her grand aura filled the entire Wealth Temple as though it could crush the sky and earth.
Kneel! Sinner!
Her figure screamed.
Her scream sounded like an explosion, it shook Kieran and made him stagger; he had to rely on [Arrogant Word] to prevent himself from falling down.
Spirit authentications were like a reverse waterfall, flooding his vision.
Kieran activated [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art, Knights Conviction II] without further hesitation.
An instant +3 buff on Spirit attribute allowed Kieran to pass all the authentications but his situation didnt change for the better.
KNEEL!
Another scream came from her.
It seemed like Kierans persistence was agitating Lady Wealths figure, causing her to explode her grand aura, even more, it felt like a real mountain was thrown on top of Kieran.
This time, it wasnt just Spirit authentication!
Kierans bones, muscles started to groan.
Tsk Tsk Tsk!
Kieran clenched his teeth and grabbed [Arrogant Word]s hilt, trying his best to not fall.
He straightened his neck and red at the shining figure, saying word by word, If you appear before me, it means victory will be ours!
Chapter 921 - Furious Crash
Chapter 921: Furious Crash
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Lady Wealthughed when she heard Kierans words.
She mocked Kierans ignorance and arrogance.
She teamed up with the Interrogator to jump on that wretched hag and her absence in the battle would have put the Interrogator into a difficult position but it wouldnt be a problem for him to hold it for a while.
In fact, if she wasnt worried about the intervention from Lightning Temple had the fight gone on for too long, the Interrogator alone would be enough to deal with Lady Thorn whose divinity degraded.
What do you think you are? How long do you think you can hold me here? One second? Two seconds? Lady Wealth mocked and she wasnt worried about the situation.
She didnt have to worry about wasting time nor worrying about Kierans resistance.
With her brilliant eyes, she was looking at how Kieran was enduring her presence and with an interesting gaze, as though she was looking at an ant putting up resistance against an elephant stomp.
Interesting! Its been a very long while since I saw a mortal like you, Lady Wealth said slowly.
Thest time you saw one was that Hero? Kieran coldly grunted.
Kieran knew exactly what happened between Lady Wealth and Hero Algor 300 years ago through the records of Analytics of the temples developments in Naveya City.
Lady Wealth was once Hero Algors lover.
In fact, other than the original Lightning, Harvest, Sin, Mercy, and Thorn, the other 20 New Gods were somehow rted to that Hero.
Surprisingly, a lot of those rted to Hero Algor had ascended into the New Gods, including his lover, his wife, his swordmaster, his hunting master, his general, guards, and even two other servants; except Hero Algor himself!
There were very few records about Hero Algor. It may seem unusual because Hero Algor once triumphed over the Demon God who upied Naveya City in the past.
Kieran noticed something was fishy when he first read through Analytics of the temples developments in Naveya City and when he entered the dungeon world, thus gaining ess to more information, he had more guesses in his heart.
If that Hero is still alive, he must hate himself for having a lover like you. Not only for losing the chance to be a God but for being forgotten by time itself! How can a vicious woman like you acquired divine position, I really dont...
ENOUGH!
Lady Wealth growled. The obvious rage started to shake the brilliance that showered her.
At first I thought I would kill you off quickly after stalling for some time but your bloody mouth is disgusting! Ill use the time to torture you instead! Cry as you will, my light is all over the ce, no one will notice what is happening here.
Lady Wealth raised her hand, the brilliance of her divine power fell onto Kieran right away.
BANG!
Kieran was struck away without any resistance and crashed into the wall of the grand hall.
The immense impact didnt just shatter the granite wall, it even embedded Kieran deep into it.
That was not the end!
Kieran was thrown around like a ragdoll by Lady Wealth for almost half a minute.
[Armour of Excellence] which has reached Legendary rank had helped Kieran endure the physical impact and the beating from the divine power before it shatteredpletely.
ck iron pieces fell of Kierans body and turned into ash, it seemed like the armor was a goner.
On the contrary, the mantle [Crows ck Feather], [Modii Boots] and [Rudenmoren Skin] were not destroyed in the process, especially [Rudenmoren Skin] which didnt even suffer a scratch from Lady Wealths divine power.
Bang!
Another throw and it crashed Kieran onto a pir. The pir was destroyed upon impact while Kieran fell to the floor with blood gushing out his mouth before being buried by the debris. Especially the robust pir which crashed down on Kierans body, causing him to spit out more blood after many bone crushing noises.
Four of your limb bones were broken and many more broken ribs. Even your spine ispletely crushed.
Feeling bad now? You may have been able to kneel in front me just now but now, you cant even kneel, all you can do is limp around and die!
Lady Wealths rage slowly faded after venting her anger on Kieran. She sounded like she was taking pity on Kieran before shaking her head.
Then, she ced her foot on Kierans head, slowing crushing his skull.
I said it before, I will torture you painfully! I mean what I say!
Dont worry, even if your skull is crushed, you dont die just yet, Ill make sure your brain is intact so that I can infuse mercury in your brain! The most unforgettable scene throughout my life was the one witnessing how a man turned crazy after his brain was infused with mercury. The old me was frightened beyond words and I couldnt sleep for a very long time. It was really a nightmare for me back then.
But as time passed by, I slowly realized that I am addicted to that scene, how a man can go crazy with a little fun! Especially when I do it myself, that feeling is intoxicating!
The light showering Lady Wealth shook again.
It was different from her anger before, this time around it was utter excitement.
While wrapped in excitement, Lady Wealth was ceaseless with her exnation until...
Crack!
A crack sounded on Kierans skull.
Kierans eyes, ears, nose, and mouth were gushing blood.
Aye, Im so sorry, I just cant seem to control my own strength.
Lady Wealth showed an apologetic expression like a cat teasing a mice before continuing but to her surprise, Kieran who should have been crippled spoke.
The harder, the better!
Lady Wealth was stunned.
She saw light as sharp as des came out from Kierans heart and circte over Kierans head and feet.
Ring after ring came out until there was four all over Kierans body.
The four rings of light were sharp yet round, they were circting around Kieran in an irregr pattern.
Then, the four lights of thorn exploded into bits.
The counter force fell on Lady Wealth while the healing power spread over Kierans body.
The brilliance that was showering Lady Wealth started to ripple rapidly.
The mild healing power was regenerating Kierans body bit by bit.
Lady Wealth looked at Kieran beneath her foot, her face covered in brilliance was slightly surprised but that was it, the power was unique and strange but it wasnt something that concerned her.
Quite the opposite, Kieran who had healed up piqued her interested more.
What a magical power! I never expect you to possess something like this! I thought I would have to spend more of the divine power that I earned so hard to cover but I didnt think you would go along with my show so well...
Before the words could be finished, it stopped abruptly.
A scorching air swept the entire grand hall and Lady Wealth who was stepping on Kieran was sent flying.
A thick magma arm reached out from below and grabbed her in mid-air, mming her down on the floor!
Chapter 922 - Bird of Thorn
Chapter 922: Bird of Thorn
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
KABOOM!
The floor of the grand hall trembled as mes sshed like water.
Lady Wealth waspletely dumbstruck by the sudden scene.
Whenever his enemy was dumbstruck, Kieran wasnt.
Kieran in his devil form turned around and grabbed Lady Wealths arm, mming her down on the floor again.
Kaboom!
Lady Wealth was mmed on the floor again, followed by a third, fourth, fifth...
Bang Bang Bang Bang!
The smashing sounded almost in session, simr to how Kieran was thrown around by Lady Wealth.
However, she was different from Kieran when he was smashed around like a ragdoll, all Kierans smashing did was shake the brilliance that showered her body.
Not even a scratch!
Even in his devil form with all attributes +4 and extra +2 in Strength, Kierans Strength had entered I rank yet it couldnt breakthrough Lady Wealths defense.
If she didnt have sufficientbat experience, Kieran couldnt even catch her but he didnt give up.
His robust magma arm flinged her up to the air.
The bloodline of evil! You should be punished by the heaven!
Lady Wealth cursed Kieran loudly after temporarily breaking free from Devil Kieran.
Then, she was drowned by a thousand beams of burning rays that fell on top of her.
On top of the grand hall, Creature of Desire was stretching its body and showing its vicious look, thousands of Evil Eyes were greedily looking at Lady Wealth.
It followed Kierans will and fired [Thousand Evil Eye Strike] at her without a second of dy.
Lady Wealth who was struck by the thousand beams of burning ray was shot towards the ground.
However, before shended, Kieran who was beneath her stretched his devil wings, me burned hot and runes across his wings shone.
Even under the brilliance of the divine presence, the devil wings were shining with their own unique light.
KABOOM!
A stwave was fired upwards to the sky and it directly hit Lady Wealth from beneath as she was being shot down by the burning rays.
Two powerful energy st sandwiched her in mid-air.
After the first round of [Thousand Evil Eye Strike], Creature of Desire started another round of firing without any dy, the devil also fired its me st continuously.
KABOOM!
Explosions echoed around Wealth Temple ceaselessly.
The devil mes were rumbling and sshing like waves in every direction, it burned everything on its path and instantly set Wealth Temple aze.
As the master of the temple, Lady Wealth knew what was going on. After her brilliance slightly thinned down, she red at Kieran with a grudgeful gaze.
Bloodline of evil, I will break you! Before that, I will show you what is worse than death itself! Dont worry, I wont give you up to others! I will feast on your blood and flesh everyday and at the end of the day heal you up with the best healing spells. I want you to witness yourself being eaten by me bit by bit, day by day!
As her words subsided, Lady Wealths thinned brilliance exploded.
It transformed her from a real figure with shape to a shapeless, shadowless existence.
Wung!
A cyclone happened in Wealth Temple.
The devil mes were extinguished in a second, Creature of Desire that was on top of the grand hall was disintegrated by the formless power without even growling.
As the powerful wind blew, Devil Kieran was smashed to the ground again.
Then, Lady Wealth revealed her true face as she floated in mid-air, she slowly walked down as if she was walking on an invisible flight of stairs.
Her exquisite beauty had arrogance that was out of this world.
Her eyes that were as dazzling as jewels or stars in the sky were emanating coldness that freeze a persons soul.
Devil Kieran was struggling with all his might but it was useless.
He couldnt break free from the tremendous invisible force, all he could do was watch Lady Wealth closing on him step by step.
You eyes are really disgusting! They look exactly like that wretched one! Especially when you look like this, I really hate this!
Lady Wealth spoke coldly before she raised her hand.
The brilliance of her divine power swept across Kieran.
Before he knew it, Kieran was released from his devil form, he was then bound by a formless energy before Lady Wealth, he couldnt do anything except stare at her helplessly.
Your eyes really do resemnce that one, I hate this!
She then drove her fingers towards Kierans eyes but before her nails touched his eyeballs, it stopped.
No, no, no. Ive said it before, I want you to witness with your own eyes how I eat you bit by bit. Ill take one!
TSK!
Lady Wealth retracted her middle finger and plunged her index finger into Kierans right eye socket.
She didnt pierce the eyeball but she dug the eyeball out with the tip of her finger.
Kieran shivered, the pain struck him like a tidal wave and drowned him before he could react.
Sweat burst out all over his body, his body was soaked wet with just a few seconds.
Lady Wealthughed in a squeamish manner when she saw how Kieran suffered.
The eyeball in her mouth was rolling around her teeth and... POP!
Not too bad! The taste is just as expected and I bet this side taste just as nice.
As Lady Wealth spoke, she healed Kieran while she bit Kierans shoulder.
Tsk!
Lady Wealth ripped a piece of flesh from Kierans shoulder and it turned bloody.
A 10 cm long strip of flesh was bitten off by Lady Wealth, she then chewed it in her mouth.
Lines of blood tainted the corner of her lips
Her exquisite face turned ugly and vicious, an unusual satisfaction burst out from the deeper part of her body, causing her to quiver.
After a while, Lady Wealth moaned in pleasure.
She said as though she was sleep talking, You know, I really wanted to do this a long time ago! Three hundred years and I finally have the chance! Three hundred years ago, you treated me as a venting tool, now three hundred yearster, we are even...
This is marvelous!
Lady Wealth crawled over Kierans chest, she spoke as she was licking the wounds on Kierans shoulder.
Of course, the person she was referring was not Kieran but the Hero Algor.
However, Lady Wealth couldnt even tell Kieran or Algor apart at that moment. She crawled over Kierans body and sucked on him, thus she didnt notice the slight changes around her.
Bramble came out of Kierans feet and slowly curled up. The sharp thorns expanded with the wind.
Within a breaths time, it became as sharp as a dagger.
Lady Wealth went on sucking on Kierans body as though she didnt notice the thorns behind her, thus allowing the thorns to pierce her body like a thorn bird.
As bright as fire, as scorching as ga.
It sounded like a song and at the same time a grunt.
The song sounded sorrowful, the grunt causes tears to drop.
Lady Wealth was muttering before everything froze.
Then, she woke up as though she was dreaming through a long slumber.
She felt pain, she felt hot.
She looked up and saw the devils horns.
It felt like it was piercing through her body and tearing down the heavens.
NOOOOO!
An anxious cry came from Lady Wealth, she wanted to break free of the devils hug but after being pierced by the thorn, her powers were robbed of her.
Quite the opposite, the devils magma arms were strong and powerful.
Kieran stared coldly at thedy in his arms, he tightened his hug.
Instantly, Lady Wealth, Carricantons cry was silenced.
Chapter 923 - Thrown In
Chapter 923: Thrown In
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran snapped Lady Wealths waist.
Before both parts of her body could fall on the floor, they were burned to ashes by Kierans devil me on his body.
Then...
Ding!
A gold coin in the size of a childs palm fell out from the ash andnded on the floor, it went on rolling on the floor but before it could get far, Kieran picked it up.
The gold coin was somehow struggling when Kieran touched. Then as it devil me burned in his hand, it quieted down.
[Name: Unknown]
[Type: Unknown]
[Rarity: ?]
[Attribute: ?]
[Prerequisite: ?]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: Its value will far exceed your wildest imagination.]
...
There was no luster on the coin nor was there anything on the description except question marks but it didnt stop Kieran from focusing on the remark.
Moreover, how bad would an item be if it fell from a God?
Kieran put away the coin swiftly, he hurled the me from his hand at the grand hall before dashing outside.
That person kept held their promise, now it was his turn to do so.
Kaboom!
The devil me rumbled everywhere, the Temple of Wealth was instantly set aze since it lost the light from Lady Wealth.
Everyone in temple district was staring at the zing fire, they saw Kieran dashed out from the sea of fire.
The moment they saw Kieran, all of those whoid eyes on him were stunned because they who had the utmost belief in Lady Wealth heard her wail of death at herst breath on Kieran.
H-How is this possible?
I know right! How?
How is this even happening?
A God, a God was in by a mortal?
A... A Godyer!
Godyer!
Inconceivable voices sounded in session but none of them dared to stop Kieran.
They were scared as they saw Kieran off.
When they realized where Kieran was heading, their suppressed cries of surprise sounded again.
Thats... Sin Temple!
He is heading to Sin Temple!
The people exchanged gazes at one another.
All of them saw the shock on each others faces because they knew what Kieran was going to do at Sin Temple.
Wasnt it enough after ughtering the Lady of Wealth? Did he want to strike down the Interrogator as well?
Fear lingered in the peoples hearts, none of them dared to stop his action, especially when their beliefs were not ced in the temple that Kieran was heading to, courage wouldnt exist within them.
All the people did was watch Kieran sprint off towards Sin Temple.
The people then saw a giant fireball form on Kierans hand before being hurled towards Sin Temple.
Sin Temples front hall was sted to the sky, followed by the corridors, front square, and the grand hall!
Kaboom!
KABOOM! BOOOM!
Kieran was like a moving cannon tower, the devil me that used [Charles Fire] as a base was flying in every direction, burning everything that he could see.
The Advanced Rank mes were tormenting and burning down the whole Sin Temple, including the statue of that Interrogator.
However, when the devil me was halfway burning off the status, the status shined brightly.
Then, the devil me was dispelled off the statue, the mes around the temple were extinguished swiftly as well.
Kieran squinted his eyes and raised his hand. A swirling fireball appeared as he breathed and was expanding with exponential speed.
4 secondster, a 3-meter diameter fireball was floating on top of Kierans hand.
It was different from the ones before, this one was hotter and more ruthless!
After the 4-second charging time, with [Fiery Sulphur]s buff, the devil me on Kierans hand has passed I rank and reached II rank.
II rank of devil me was burning fiercely, the air around the fire was being distorted.
The shine on the Interrogators statue had gotten even brighter, to the point that it made the statue look like a real person.
Mortal, dont overstep your boundaries. Vanessa and I have called a ceasefire and I have paid a high enough price!
A cold and gloomy voice came from the statues mouth.
The y statues mouth was opening and closing while its eyes were looking down at Kieran.
His words sounded fierce but what Kieran heard was the timidity behind the intimidation.
If the Interrogator was really not afraid, he wouldnt have spoken with a mortal like Kieran, striking him down directly would be the best choice, just like how Lady Wealth did before.
Ceasefire? I suggest for Lady Vanessa to start the fight again. After all, this is a really hard toe by chance!
Kieran said straightforwardly.
The expression on the statue turned even more gloomy but it didnt speak anymore.
In front of Kieran, a figure appeared with a dazzling light.
It was the Lady of Thorn, Vanessa.
While feeling the familiar aura, Kieran dispersed the devil me, he was her knight-in-name so he must show respect worthy of the title to her.
My Lady. Kieran saluted in his knightly way.
Follow me.
Amidst her faint tender voice, Lady Thorn Reach out her arm towards Kieran.
Kieran was stunned and was looking at Lady Thorn in surprise but he didnt show the anxiety and fear that amoner would show, he grabbed her hand.
Then, Lady Thorn vanished together with Kieran.
Throughout the process, Lady Thorn didnt even bat an eye at the Interrogator.
When both of them vanished, the Interrogator on that status voiced out his heavy growls that resembled the sorrowful cry from a lost dog.
...
The river appeared again.
This time, Kieran wasnt standing in the river but on top of it, floating above while he grabbed Lady Thorns hand.
At the river, Lady Thorns divine light was removed and what remained was a coarse dress and shoes, a normal face with chestnut colored hair with a gunny cloth over her head.
At first sight, she looked extremely normal, just like any passerby.
At second look, she started to turn elusive as if she was a rainbow after the rain with extraordinary charm.
Kieran nced over her face and eventuallynded his attention on her thin, fair palm.
He was holding her hand, it was soft and warm but what caught Kierans attention was her wrist.
There was a greenish ck bramble around her wrist, forming an exquisite bracelet.
Curious are you? Lady Thorn asked.
Mm. Kieran nodded without trying to hide anything.
If Kieran wasnt curious over the bramble bracelet that suppressed Lady Thorns true power and weakened almost 90% of her strength, he wasnt Kieran.
This is the power of fate, Lady Thorn said slowly.
Fate? So this is the River of fate? Kieran was shocked and asked out of instinct.
River of Fate? You can say it like that as well but...
Lady Thorn slightly nodded but before she finished and without waiting for Kierans question, she flung her hand.
Instantly, Kieran was thrown into the thickest, longest and most unpredictable main stream of the river without any resistance.
Ssh!
Water sshed hard, Kierans body was floating around helplessly.
In the end, Kieran was moved forward swiftly together with the rapid river current.
Chapter 924 - Archpriest
Chapter 924: Archpriest
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The sunsets glory was vanishing as the night soon arrived.
Chopped bramble sticks wereid in the grand hall of Thorn Temple, forming a bed of thorns and Archpriest Sirontu was lying on top of them with a peaceful look on his face.
Priest Einderson led the others and knelt before the elder.
They appeared sad yet respectful.
If it wasnt for the elderly archpriests decisive move by sending them into the secret passage, the seeds of Thorn Temple would have been wiped out and the fire of Thorn Temple would bepletely extinguished.
Oh respectful archpriest, you have fulfilled your vows in this life, with your life!
May you be at peace after returning to Lady Vanessas arms!
Priest Einderson prayed.
It was a simple prayer and ritual without the slightest bit ofplications.
Simple and unsophisticated for Thorn Temple was the tradition, they were willing to spend more time pursuing other meaningful things in life and not spend their efforts on other kinds of things, including funerals.
The brambles were lit up not withmon fire but the divine fire that Lady Thorns statue released.
With the divine me burning away at Archpriest Sirontu, his body quickly disintegrated and turned into a faint green smoke, floating towards the tall statue.
A faint light gathered around the statue and when the green smoke touched the light, it transformed into Sirontus face.
Despite its faintness and illusory feel, it was really Archpriest Sirontu without question.
Beside the archpriest, the officiant, Barrion who died without an intact body appeared as well.
The souls of the two good friends smiled at each other before waving at the crowd in the grand hall and vanished into the air.
Though the faint light didnt go away, Lady Thorns voice sounded.
Ryan will be my next archpriest and Einderson will be my officiant.
Her voice echoed in the grand hall, everyone could hear it clearly, including Kieran standing in the corner.
Kieran was not good at handling rituals or gatherings with many people, he wasnt good at weddings as well as funerals.
So, Kieran hid in an inconspicuous corner from the start, seeing the respectful archpriest off as he returned to Lady Thorns arms.
Kierans Pro [Mystical Knowledge] couldnt even tell how did the whole process happened but he was sure that was Sirontus soul.
Where did it go though? Lady Thorns divine kingdom? Or somewhere else?
Kieran really did not know, he never even saw what the divine kingdom looked like.
Still, he wished the archpriest had gotten what he wished for because he was perfectly clear that without Sirontus help in stalling the enemies, his ns wouldnt have seeded.
In a certain aspect, Sirontu was also one of his coborators butpared to this one, the other coborator was causing more of a headache for Kieran.
After being thrown into the main stream of the River of Fate by Lady Thorn, he didnt only choke on the river water, he almost drowned. It was when he was floating in the river that Kieran realized Lady Thorn had been watching him from the start where he was still ying hide and seek and when Kieran slightly noticed her presence a few times, Lady Thorn bared it all out and came under the spotlight.
For almost half a day, Kieran was being watched by her, as if he was a monkey in the zoo or some experimental sample that required close surveince.
Whether it was the former ortter, Kieran was unsatisfied but he couldnt resist at all.
He didnt forget what Tiki asked of him.
Am I doing extra for this mission now?
Based on how close Lady Thorn was watching him, Kieran was sure that Lady Thorn had no time to observe other things.
Kieran criticized everything silently before stepping out, saluting in his knightly way and epting his appointment as the new archpriest.
Yes, my Lady.
The crowd in the grand hall bowed down respectfully when they saw Kieran came out from the shadows. One of the young knights was being extra frantic about it.
Godyer!
The title had shaken all of Naveya City, the fall of Wealth Temple and Lady Wealth was something unconceble.
Just like how Sin Temple had withered from the battle.
In contrast, Thorn Temple grewrger and stronger.
There was not only an increase in believers but the ranking of temples as well, Thorn Temple had returned to the top by recing Wealth Temple as the second to Lightning Temple.
Therefore, everyone thought it was reasonable and didnt object the appointment of Kieran being the archpriest since he did most of the heavy lifting and yed an important role.
However, the next scene shocked the crowd.
A figure walked out from the faint light.
Lady Vanessa!
Everyone in the grand hall knelt down, touching their foreheads on the floor as a grand salutation before they straightened their backs.
Therefore, none of the others saw her showing her true face while they were kowtowing.
She frowned and looked confused at Kieran, Kieran looked at her the same way as well.
He didnt understand why Lady Thorn did what she did.
A mortal and a God stared at each other.
When the crowd lifted their heads up, everything returned to normal.
Receive my blessings.
Amidst her face voice, her shining figure raised her hand and touched Kieran in between his brows.
The light then faded off and the grand hall returned to normal.
Everyone else looked at Kieran with envious gazes.
After a series of events, everyone knew Lady Thorn would show extra favor to Kieran but they never thought it would be to this extent: he received her blessing while he was being appointed as archpriest!
The event was unprecedented since the creation of Thorn Temple.
Surprising and admirable.
Einderson who was promoted to officiant walked towards Kieran without hiding his admiration.
From how Einderson viewed it, being able to receive blessings from Lady Thorn was much better than being appointed as archpriest or officiant.
I didnt expect it either, Kieran said in a partially true, partially false manner.
He had received Lady Thorns blessing once before, she wouldnt need to go through all this trouble again, let alone showing her real self before Kieran again.
Kieran wouldnt believe it if Lady Thorn was just purely here to deliver her blessings.
No matter how Kieran viewed her, Lady Thorn wasnt a God that would perform an unnecessary move.
What will it be? Kieran wondered in his heart while his face was unchanged as he conversed with Einderson.
Archpriest, we need to replenish our knights, gather more servants, and train more deacons!
The Lady told me just now that ourmandment has changed as well.
The Lady has changed the decision of fate to a more casual way but I dont know how to use it... wouldnt it be too cheap to buy decisions with a gold coin?
Einderson said as he took out a gold coin with a troubled face.
Obviously, it was hard for the elderly officiant to add in something new to the originalmandment but not Kieran.
Looking at the gold coin that was glistening under the candlelight, Kieran instantly understood Lady Thorns thoughts.
The gold coin was no longer a currency that represented value, it would also represent the dictation of fate.
So...
An example that fit the situation at hand popped up in Kierans mind.
After hinting towards Einderson, Kieran took the gold coin and ced it on his index finger, his thumb them flung the coin up high.
Ding!
A clear pingter, the coin was tumbling high in the air, emanating a dazzling shine.
Chapter 925 - Spoils of War
Chapter 925: Spoils of War
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The gold coin tumbled down with a dazzling shine andnded on Kierans palm.
He clenched his fist and raised it towards Einderson.
Heads or tails?
Heads means your choice can work, tails means no but whatever it is, this coin should be offered to Lady Vanessa who makes the judgment.
Kieran smiled and gave the coin back to Einderson.
Heads or tails? I see!
Einderson wasnt stupid, after being taken aback, he quickly understood the meaning behind it.
It was also because of the realization, Eindersons gaze at Kieran had an extra sense of admiration.
I have thought about this for a long time and couldnt find any answers, who wouldve thought it would be so simple! My, my, my... Lady Vanessa really does favors you.
Einderson tried to find a suitable term topliment Kieran but after some thoughts, he couldnt find any. In the end, he credited it to Lady Thorn.
One couldnt fault his reasoning for it was natural of a devoted believer.
As a devoted believer, after the matter was solved, it was time to execute it and promote it.
I was being torn apart at first worrying that money would taint Lady Vanessa but after a simple exnation from lord archpriest, everything has be simpler and all we need to do is give our best in cooperating, the effects will soon be obvious!
I myself am eager to see that daye and I believe so does Lady Vanessa!
Einderson said while his eyes were glimmering, he even looked a little overjoyed.
Kieran, on the other hand, looked at the officiant with a calm expression.
As a fake believer, Kieran couldnt understand how Einderson felt but it didnt stop him from understanding his role in everything.
I understand. Then Ill leave everything to you Einderson. Ill have to attend the Festival of Partners in Hunter Temple on behalf of the temple after this, so Ill be in my room preparing for the trip.
After feeling that Lady Thorns gaze was captivated by the gold coin in Eindersons hand, Kieran walked outside and soon vanished from peoples sight.
Dumbstruck, Einderson was left behind.
Wait, what? Arent we supposed to work on this together? What about cooperation and other things? Why am I being left alone? Arent you the archpriest? Shouldnt you officiate everything while I assist you?
Kieran didnt hear what Einderson was mumbling in his heart but even if he did, he would pretend that he didnt.
He very much knew what he was skilled in and what he wasnt.
He was fearless and bold in battle, regardless of how powerful the enemy, he had the courage to draw his sword but when he had to team up with someone and promote some policies, his confidence toplete the task was at zero.
Whether in reality or in the game, dungeon world, he had nevere across simr knowledge.
So, the best way for Kieran to handle the situation was to leave it to the pro and not blindlymand people around without knowing what to do.
The other point was, Lady Thorns attention was temporarily distracted and if he didnt take the chance and inspect his rewards from his continuous battles, it would be regrettable.
Kieran eagerly returned to his new room and swiftly took out the two Legendary items for a good look.
The loot from Burwell was a sword-like weapon.
[Name: Burwells ughter]
[Type: Sword Weapon]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Attack: Extreme]
[Attribute: 1. Aura of ughter, 2. Arrow of ughter, 3. ughter Thrust]
[Prerequisite: Strength B, Agility A+, Sharp Weapon, Special Sword Weapon (Grand Master)]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: The first sword of Burwell and after his decade of massacre, it became one of a kind. Able to hide around the belt.]
...
[Aura of ughter: The wielder can Terrorize any being in a 25-meter radius range with Spirit rank no higher than B rank,sts 1 second, able to use twice per day]
[Arrow of ughter: Fire the arrows which are the rust on the de. Able to cover 30, 15-meter range in front of the wielder. Each arrow has Strong rank pration attack and when multiple arrow strike a single target, damage inflicted will not be higher than Extreme, able to use once per day]
[ughter Thrust: The curvy and soft nature of the de allows the wielder to thrust rapidly and in a strange way, able to use once per day]
......
A soft de? Able to hide around the belt?
Kieran went into deep thought for a while beforeing to a decision.
Although he didnt have [Sharp Weapon, Special Sword Weapon], he could very well buy a skill book just for that and turn [Burwells ughter] into his other ace in the hole.
Kieran never minded having another trump card and given [Burwells ughter]s attribute, the moment it appeared, it will definitely catch his foe off guard.
Kieran put away the soft de and turned to the item that fell off Lady Wealths clone.
The item was a coin sack.
[Name: Wealths Keep]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: I ]
[Attribute: 1. Keep, 2. Greed, 3. Tax Collection]
[Prerequisite: Spirit S]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: The vessel of Wealth, any gold, silver, copper, or gem that are kept inside will be as good as new]
...
[Keep: Has 6 independent extendable spaces, able to hold any kind of single item (Does not include living beings or itemsrger than 9 m3, halves the weight]
[Greed: When item stored is of any kind of currency or gemstones, extendable space will automatically expand 3 times and weight will not be calcted]
[Tax Collection: Each time Keep is triggered, a tax amount of 10 Points will apply, Each time Greed is triggered, a tax amount of 10 times higher the initial will apply.]
...
Storage item! Kieran was overjoyed at first.
Storage items were quite umon in the game, [Crimson Ghost Stomach] behind him was a Magic rank item but was able to rack up the price of Rare ranked equipment.
More so for a Legendary sack like this and as for the attribute [Tax Collection], Kieran wasnt too concerned.
10 Points were really nothing to him and even if the amount is 10 times higher, it was still nothing.
However, he didnt immediately put [Wealths Keep] to use.
He knew what situation he was in now.
While Kieran was under Lady Thorns surveince, despite his heart itching to do so, he didnt take out his spoils of war for a single nce and now, he wouldnt suddenly equip one either. It might attract unwanted suspicion from Lady Thorn.
When Kieran encountered the clone of Lady Thorn, the term work together was spoken in his mind and it allowed Kieran to realize that she wasnt as quiet and unstudied of the matters around her as rumored.
Lady Thorn ced herself in a more hidden position and observed everything while waiting for the perfect chance to strike, simr to a great hunter.
While he had to face against such a God, Kieran could never be too safe.
So Kieran was ruminating over his recent actions, trying to figure out if there was something that he did that seemed out of ce.
His thinking processsted for almost 20 minutes before it was forced to an end.
A temple servant knocked on his door, the servant entered after being given the permission to.
Priest Lilith of Love Temple requests a meeting my lord.
Chapter 926 - Lilith
Chapter 926: Lilith
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Lilith, the priest from Love Temple was led into Kierans room by the servants.
Her golden hair was long and rested over her shoulders. Despite the priest robe, it didnt affect her beautiful features and instead, it added a unique temperament to her presence.
Obviously, Lilith meticulously dressed up for the meeting.
Why?
Liliths gaze was glued to Kieran who was sitting in his chair.
For the past few days, her mind was reying that scene where they first met.
In fact, from that moment onwards, Lilith had been figuring out how she could meet Kieran again but before she could think of anything, the horrifying events befell Naveya City.
Wealth Temple was annihted.
The Lady of Wealth had fallen and...
The rise of a Godyer!
Whenever the title came into her mind, Liliths gaze towards Kieran was not just hot anymore, even the blush on her cheeks had spread down to her neck.
Compared to the king of killers, Lilith thought the title of Godyer would be more fitting for the man before her.
Likewise, a man like Kieran would be fitting in herpany.
Of course, she knew about the stories of him and that Deacon Atrina, in fact, she had heard more than five versions of the story but did it matter?
Lilith could disregard every consequence in the name of love, her smile had gotten more charming as she pondered upon the matter.
Ive brought a mystical potion from Love Temple, I hoped that it would provide you with some help... but it seems like my worries were unnecessary. You are much more powerful than rumor has it but please ept it anyways as a present from me.
Lilith then passed a small box to Kieran.
After a nce and making sure there werent any unusual things that shouldnt be on the box, Kieran took the box and opened it in front of her.
There was a potion in the box, it wasnt the usual tube vial but a rounded bottom sk with a shorter neck. It was only the size of a grown mans thumb,
[Name: Secondary Water of Life]
[Type: Potion]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attribute: Restore 1000 HP in 10 seconds]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: This is not just a product of potionology but is imbued with divine power.]
...
A decent potion!
Kieran praised honestly before storing it away.
Restoring 100 HP in 1 second was something very precious for any kind of yer.
In simpler words, it would be a lifesaver during crucial times.
As for his other injuries, Kieran didnt really speak much.
When Lady Thorn threw him into the River of Fate, it also healed his injuries at the same time.
His right eye that he had lost to Lady Wealth was also regrown and the vision was simr to before.
If Kieran didnt mention anything, Lilith wouldnt press the matter too.
Lilith was more concerned about the Kieran epting the potion she delivered and the praise that came after.
Ive heard from Officiant Einderson that youll be attending in the Festival of Partners at Hunter Temple? May I be ofpany on this trip? And, I know a little secret and if you allow me to follow you, Ill share it with you. I guarantee your trip will not be wasted!
Lilith winked at Kieran in a naughty manner.
Einderson said? Kieran was criticizing Eindersons loose mouth in his heart.
When Kieran said he was attending the Festival of Partners at Hunter Temple, it was only partially true, most of it was because he had a reason to leave, he didnt really want to attend.
Besides, Kieran already had the idea of simply sending a priest on behalf of him to settle the matter but now since Lilith opened her mouth, Kieran found it hard to reject.
Somehow, Kierans senses felt Lady Thorns attention was locked on him again.
What kind of secret?
Kieran showed an interested look in order to not raise any suspicions.
Does that mean you agree? Lilith pped in joy.
Right away, her youthful presence overflowed. The grace of a youngdy elevated her unique charms a few times higher without her noticing.
However, Kieran looked as calm as ever and his eyes were dull, as though he wasnt affected by the youthful presence.
His powerful Spirit attribute and with the presence of Eye of Chimeras, it made him subconsciously control himself all the time but Lilith didnt know about that.
All she knew was Kieran didnt react differently because of her joyful charms.
If it was someone else, even an elder would lose their mind over her cute looks, let alone the younger ones of which most of them would suck up to her like an obedient dog.
Some of them even had gazes that disgusted her but not Kieran.
A fresh feeling rose up in Liliths heart, so did a sense of reliableness.
Kierans reliableness. Only a man like him was reliable, a man that would not be baffled by looks.
When the thought popped into her mind, Lilith sank even deeper into her idealized fantasy.
An idealized fantasy was a scary thing, not only because it tended to be perfect and wless, even if it had ws, one would look past them and turn them into something good.
Lilith was in such a state of mind right now.
So when she saw Kieran nodding, her smile was at her brightest and happiest.
Do you have any pets? Lilith asked with her dazzling smile.
Pet?
Kieran unconsciously thought of Starbeck but he quickly shook his head, Pardon me, I dont have the chance or the time to take care one.
It wasnt entirely a lie.
Back in real life, Kierans financial condition was at the brink of starving to death, how could he have the extra funds to take care of a pet?
More so, most of the pets in Kierans eyes were livestock for food and that perspective was in his mind for quite a while.
Although he had the Fire Raven in the game, he didnt treat it as his pet but hisrade-in-arms. The Fire Raven was much closer thanmon yers to him.
I guess so. Given your lifestyle, raising a pet is difficult but not from today onwards. Now you are Thorn Temples archpriest and it really isnt too much for you to own a pet. So do you like cats or dogs? Lilith asked.
Cats and dogs? Kieran shook his head.
He didnt really hate cats and dogs but they were too weak. Even with buffs, they wouldnt be of any help at all.
As the conversation with Lilith progressed longer, Kieran had a hunch of what the secret was.
The Hunter, the God of Hunter Temple could grant people other than his own temple personnel a chance to acquire an animal partner.
It was actually a secretive matter but when Kieran thought about the young hunter that always followed Lilith around, it wasnt that all surprising for her to know some secrets.
You dont like cats and dogs? Hmmm, we are in a bit of trouble!
Hold on! Follow me, maybe we can get what you want there.
Lilith frowned in a cute way but when she realized something else, she ran out of the temple.
Kieran squinted his eyes at Liliths overjoyed manner.
He kept his countenance and followed her.
Chapter 927 - House of Zacky
Chapter 927: House of Zacky
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Inside Love Temples wagon, Lilith acted as guide and Kieran was in a casual outfit.
Soon, they arrived at a shop in the wealthy district.
It was a shop, but it didnt have a signboard or windows on the outside.
From the outside, it looked more like a wealthy familys house but when the door was opened, servers with neat outfits walked out to receive their customers, which stated that it was indeed a shop at its core but it wasnt a business that was open to the public.
This shop only served a handful of people.
Kieran saw Lilith hand over a token to the server before they could enter the house and into the room.
At the same time, the gazes that were watching them the moment he entered the street swiftly scattered.
Kieran smiled quietly.
Things had gotten interesting.
He knew about the hidden shops in the wealthy and noble district but he didnt know which other shop dared to watch him in such a frank and straightforward manner.
After the night Wealth Temple vanished, Kieran believed his reputation had spread throughout Naveya City.
Whether it be the forces on the light side or the factions in the dark side, everyone would have increased their caution towards him.
So, there must be a portrait of him somewhere. Kieran was wearing a casual outfit now but he didnt cover up his face, so the intentional parties would have noticed him a while ago.
Despite the notice of his arrival, the intentional parties still dared to watch him openly.
Other than them doing it on purpose to pique his interest, it might also mean the organization behind them had strict discipline, which prevented the members from backing down even facing against a Godyer.
Or...
Could it be both?
Whether which it was, it wasnt some capability that a random shop possessed!
Spections lingered in his heart while he sized up the surroundings as Lilith was introducing him to the ce.
Kieran wasnt sure whether Lilith was being used by the watchers or she herself was one of them but he had the confidence to take her down should anything happen.
As for the decision to protect her or kill her, it would depend on what her goal was.
This is the House of Zacky. There are all kinds of small animals here, I bet youll find something you want!
After noticing Kieran was getting closer to her unconsciously, Lilith didnt feel repulsive at all. Quite the contrary, she too took the initiative to approach Kieran and introduced him to everything in the shop.
From the parrot located along the corridor to the deepest room that housed a ferocious leopard, Lilith had introduced more than 20 kinds of animals to Kieran.
Each of the introduced animals were the umon kind or extremely rare but no matter which it was, it didnt catch Kierans attention.
Too weak!
Even for the ferocious leopard that Lilith spoke about, it was only at the level of being reserved as meat rations in Kierans view, dont think about how it could help Kieran.
All no? Lilith looked at Kieran like a deted balloon.
Kieran smiled as he shook his head before he turned his attention to the other side of the corridor.
After a while, a decently dressed middle-aged man walked in, he had a neatly trimmed mustache and brown hair while having a monocle on one of his eyes.
Based on the luster from the monocle, it must be made from gold.
The moment the man appeared, he bowed respectfully to Lilith.
Lady Lilith. Is there anything that I can help you with? If you keep sighing like that, I might suffer a beating soon by the lords from Hunter Temple. After all, their dissatisfaction towards me has a long-standing history.
Who may this good sir be?
The man spoke with a smile while smoothly dragging Kieran into the topic.
Master Zacky, what kinds of unique pets do you have here? The very strong kind!
Lilith didnt introduce Kieran but asked her question directly.
Kieransment on the pets along the way was enough for Lilith to know what kinds of standards he had when choosing pets.
The strong kind? Well, we do have something like that but...
Price is not a problem! Lilith said.
As a priest from Love Temple and also the heir to the archpriest, Lilith had enough power to say something like that.
Its not about price, the fact that you paid a visit to my humble ce has proved that any kind of price will be worth it. Its just a certain rule, you know. All of the animals here are provided by all kinds of forces and factions and a lot of them are being sold on behalf of their master. If you really wanted to buy it, you must contact the real owner of the animal, of which most of them are quite reluctant towards Love Temple... Please forgive me.
Zacky bowed again at Lilith.
I understand. Lilith nodded.
Love Temple was not as unpopr as Sin Templehaving that many enemiesbut they racked up quite a number also.
In fact, none of the temples existed without enemies, not even Mercy Temple.
Themandments, the Gods they believed had decided that Naveya could never be in harmony.
Ill wait for you here. Master Zacky will guide you to choose a pet of your liking and I believe youll be in good hands? Lilith told Kieran.
Thest part of her sentence already had a sense of threat towards the master.
Obviously, Lilith hoped Kieran would not be disappointed in this trip and if he was, she would cause pain to the one responsible.
Love was like fire, not only did it burn hot, it was domineering as well.
It wasnt too much from her because it was also one of themandments of Love Temple.
Very well, please follow me, dear sir!
Zacky smiled bitterly and bowed to Kieran before leading him to the second floor.
On the second floor, Kieran followed Zacky into a ce that looked like a study room before going through a secret passage which led thempletely off Zackys houses premises.
Until Kieran left the premises, only then did he dare to loosen his guard on Lilith.
Kieran sensed that the moment he followed Zacky away, Lilith had been walking around anxiously. That kind of anxiety was certainly not something one could fake.
Which means a trap wasid for Lilith? No, not only Lilith but also that young hunter from Hunter Temple had also fallen into the trap! Kieran was utterly sure.
Even more so, Kieran could picture the young hunter who was so infatuated by Lilith ttering her when someone beside him fanned the mes.
The young hunter even spilled the secrets of Hunter Temple in exchange for a smile from Lilith.
However, this wasnt the most concerning point for Kieran. What concerned him the most was why the person behind the scene spent so much effort in luring him to this ce?
Revenge from Sin Temple?
Kieran thought of the possibility almost out of instinct but he shook it off the moment it came to his mind.
Given Lady Thorns character, if that Interrogator still dared to appear out on the light like this, Lady Wealth would not be the only God that fell in Naveya City.
Kieran never doubted Lady Thorn with her methods.
Then... what will it be?
With lingering thoughts, Kieran followed Zacky into a secret room.
When he saw the person inside the room, Kieran raised a brow uncontrobly.
Chapter 928 - Descendant
Chapter 928: Descendant
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
There was only one person in the secret room.
Having a coarse hood and mantle was themon point but the square and aged face looked extremely familiar to Kieran, especially the persons gray eyes which Kieran still had a fresh memory of.
Anxico!
A few days ago, the secret agent from Thorn Temple, Eddy, disguised as Anxico to test Kieran; Eddy was then killed.
However, it was because of the test that Kieran knew a thing or two about the person before him.
Through the secret channels left behind from Emerald Rock, Kieran got a general understanding of the man.
Anxico, the leader of the organization, Follower.
A man wanted by a few temples, especially thete Wealth Temple which had put up a bounty reward of 10,000 gold coins for gangs like Emerald Rock and Oak Hand but the results were fruitless.
The man was not only as cunning as a fox, but he was also more ferocious than a wolf.
Emerald Rock and Oak Hand had hunted him more than once because of the bounty reward but all of the attempts ended in failure and both organizations suffered retribution from him.
Not only had both of them suffered, but even Wealth Temple also couldnt escape their ill-fated retribution.
Three Wealth Temple priests disappeared without a sign and the me was ced on this seemingly harmless man but he was actually very dangerous.
Sir Ryan, you seem to know me?
Anxico signaled Kieran to sit as he asked in a curious look.
Zacky who led the way had gone away from the secret room but Kierans senses picked up his presence outside the door, a few more people appeared in front of the door also.
Kieran wasnt surprised nor panicked.
Based on the understanding he had on Anxico, it was unnecessary for him.
Panic?
Even if the people outside the door were increased tenfold, Kieran had the confidence to take out the man in front him before the men outside barged in if anything went south.
Kieran would then take out everyone who walked through the door after that.
So, Kieran sat down calmly.
Mm. Theres a guy who disguised himself as you to approach me before. Kieran nodded.
The secret agent from the temples? They are always cheap and despicable! A bunch of hypocrite believers! So what happened to the guy in the end? Anxico grunted in disdain before asking.
I killed him, Kieran replied.
His reply was responded by Anxicosughter, a very happy kind.
Nicely done! I knew you, Sir Ryan, are different from other people! Which is also a coborator that I have been waiting on for a long time! Anxico spilled the beans whileughing.
Coborator? Mr. Anxico, did you forget who am I now?
Kieran too smiled and asked in a calm tone.
He didnt believe Anxico did not know his current identity as Thorn Temples archpriest.
If he really knew, then why would he still invite Kieran for the meeting?
Kieran was quite curious about his intentions.
Archpriest of Thorn Temple... Lady Thorn is a respectable God but your identity will not affect our coboration. Of course, the Gods will not notice your words and actions here. Believe me, there are tons of Gods that want my head and if I can sit here to converse with you, it means I have my own ways.
Anxico praised Lady Thorn at first before continuing but his words werecking of content, seemingly trying to beat the bush.
Though Kieran wasnt at all impatient, he replied with a smile.
Kieran was not a natural negotiator but after going through many dungeon worlds, he had gotten quite the grasp of negotiating techniques, he knew he shouldnt be anxious and had to be patient while waiting for the right moment.
Therefore, the conversation plunged into silence for almost 20 seconds, the atmosphere was getting awkward but both of them were putting on their best smiles.
Kieran even leaned back and rxed his body on the chair, acting like he would not speak unless Anxico spoke first.
In the end, Anxico broke the silence.
Ahem... How do you see Follower? He asked.
I am not too sure about Follower but based on the news that I received, the ratings for your organization arent all that nice. But, I shall reserve my opinion for now because, before this, I had no contact with you or any of your men before, Kieran said honestly.
Thank you for your objective view of us.
Anxico said his thanks before continuing, I assume that you are familiar with the name Algor?
The Algor that I know off? Kieran asked.
Yes, THAT Algor, the Hero Algor! We are the Followers of the Heros Descendant!
Anxico gave a piece of shocking news to Kieran.
Based on Kierans understanding, there was only a handful of news about Hero Algor; his followers had ascended to divine status and became the New 20 Gods of Naveya City.
But what about Hero Algors descendants followers?
Kieran never heard of their existence.
Inside Analytics of the temples developments in Naveya City and Distributions of underground factions of Naveya City, the two books didnt even mention Hero Algor having any descendants at all.
However, Kieran did not suspect Anxico was lying to him because the lie would seem too nd.
Perhaps others might not be able to tell it apart but it was too easy for Kieran.
All he needed to do was ask Lady Thorn and he would be presented with the truth.
But if that was the case, Anxico as a wanted man was something that was worth ruminating over.
The list of temples that ced Anxico under the wanted list, other than Sin Temple, all the others were the New Gods temples, which meant they were once Hero Algors followers.
Trying to uproot the problem?
The thought instinctively popped up in Kierans mind.
After Hero Algors followers had ascended to divine status, the New Gods weakened him a lot and even tried to erase his existence, so it wasnt really weird if they were trying to uproot his descendant.
While his gears were spinning fast, Kieran showed a shocking expression.
I never thought that Follower had such a history! So... What is this coboration that you speak of? Reveal your identity to the temples that hunt you to dissolve the misunderstanding?
Kieran said while he looked at the man who seemed to be blind because of his grayed out pupils.
Dissolve misunderstanding? There was no misunderstanding, to begin with, what is there to dissolve? What we need is... revenge!
Thest word was squeezed out of Anxicos clenched teeth. The hate on his face was unconceble.
While he as basking himself in his grudgeful emotions, an unknown aura started to appear on him.
It seemed like a priest praying to a God but it somehow felt different.
The aura appeared and faded away in a sh, Anxico returned to his blinded old man look.
After a few deep breaths to calm himself down, he said, We hoped to work with Sir Ryan! So please do not worry, we will bring out sufficient leverage to satisfy you!
Anxico pped his hands.
The door of the secret room was opened; Zacky carried a square cage in.
The cage was not big, around 1 cubic meter and it was covered by ayer of cloth.
People couldnt see what was inside the cage but the low pitched growling signaled that it wasnt some tamed animal.
Zacky ced the cage in front of Kieran and unveiled the contents.
Chapter 929 - True or False
Chapter 929: True or False
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Wu, Wug Wug!
As the cloth was removed, the growling of the wild animal became much louder and it also allowed Kieran to have a clear view of what kind of animal the cage held.
It had grayish-white fur, ice cold eyes together with upright ears and a rtively small size. Despite it still being young, its teeth that it bare was white and sharp.
The most intriguing point for Kieran was when the beast that looked like a hybrid of a hound and a wolf saw the light again, it spat out a breath of ice at Keiran.
It was feeble and not even Weak ranked attack. After the beast spat out the icy cold breath, it somehow looked dispirited but it didnt change the fact it was one of a kind.
A natural mystical beast? Or a product of alchemy? Kieran asked.
Its father was a purebred Northern Frost Wolf while its mother was an excellent hunting hound. My men spent quite the effort to get him here. It has the bloodline of a Frost Wolf, which granted it abilities to control ice and was favored by shadows since birth. As long as it is well raised and fed, when it matures in the future, it will be an exceptional partner in battle, Anxico said.
Nice, but still not enough as leverage. Kieran shook his head with a smile.
Of course, this is just a greeting gift from me. It has nothing to do with our real deal and whether you agree to our cooperation or not, this beast here belongs to you. Otherwise, if Priest Lilith gets angry, our little base here that we built with so much effort will have to be destroyed, Anxico said in a partially joking tone.
Kieran did not believe Anxico had no other protection other than Love Temple; simr to how he did not believe Anxico would present him with a rare beast like this willingly during their first real meeting.
The reason Anxico presented the beast to Kieran was to invest in him from the early stage.
When it was time for them to work together, Anxico would surely take back a hundred times of what he had invested in Kieran.
Kieran was clear on this but he still epted the hybrid Frost Wolf pup.
Firstly, the young pup was really decent, it was much stronger than other animals and he might be able to turn it into a secondpanion.
Secondly, Kieran wasnt worried about the tricks Anxico might y, he had the confidence to deal with it. Despite Anxico disying some outstanding feats, when it came down to a real brawl, Kieran had the confidence to take him out with a single blow.
Thank you for this meeting gift then.
Kieran then opened the cage.
After the cage was opened, the dispirited pup became as fast as a nimble cat as it leaped out of the cage but before it could move further, it was picked up by Kieran by the neck.
The Frost Wolf pup was struggling when it was picked up but it was futile before Kieran.
Awuu!
The Frost Wolf pup growled, trying to be fierce; as a beast of the north, even a pup has its pride.
Soon enough when it met Kierans gaze, the Frost Wolf pup that possessed outstanding wisdom and instinct which far surpassed other beasts turned quiet and tamed, allowing Kieran to hold it.
Even a king in the mortal realm had to maintain his respect when he facing a God.
Even a king would shiver when he heard the wails and growls of a God.
Let alone a single pup.
Zacky who was trying to remind Kieran to be careful shut his mouth when he saw the scene, Anxicoughed.
As expected of Sir Ryan, only a person like you can easily tame this little Frost Wolf. So, should we proceed with the discussion of our coboration?
After a nod from Kieran, Anxico continued, Youve in a God and became a Godyer in Naveya City but... did you ever have interest in bing a New God yourself?
Anxico who was actually blind slowed down as he spoke.
After his words, he turned to Kieran and gave an appropriate smile.
Kieran, on the other hand, maintained his silence.
Inside this current dungeon world, some topics could be discussed frankly without scruples while some were taboo to even mention.
Anxico was just another stranger that Kieran had just met, despite the decent meeting gift, it was not worth it for Kieran to voice out his true intentions but his silence somehow stated his stand in the topic.
Yes, yes, you should remain silent, theres nothing wrong about that but, these chances are hard toe by. The highest among the Gods are facing some problems, this is a reliable insider tip that my informant gave me. Dont you want to be closer to Lady Thorn? Anxico continued with a smile.
Details? Kieran asked with a straight face.
He couldnt determine whether Anxico was telling the truth.
If it was indeed the truth, Kieran had to reevaluate the forces behind Anxico since he was able to nt a mole in the strongest of the temples, Lightning Temple.
It was amon tactic throughout all sorts of organizations to nt moles in other factions but it was different when it involved the temples.
Temples had their own God and the Gods would sift through their believers one by one.
A simple example was dead Reppu. The reason why he could infiltrate Thorn Temple so smoothly was because he had the ne made by Nikorei, the God of Earth.
In simpler words, if what Anxico said was the truth, there must be someone that possessed alchemy capabilities on par with Nikorei herself and they really exist behind Anxico.
Kierans face hadnt changed but the threat level in his heart skyrocketed.
We can only share the details after we proceed with the cooperation, please forgive us. Im taking a huge risk for revealing this much to you, Anxico said in an apologetic tone.
I need to think about it.
Kieran said after pretending to be in deep thought.
Of course. This is not just some random matter.
Anxico wasnt upset but he expressed his agreement too.
Both of them didnt chit chat futher after that but left together.
...
Kieran who was carrying the Frost Wolf pup in one hand returned to the shop, House of Zacky.
That anxious Love Temple priest came up swiftly to wee him back.
This is great! Youve found a pet that suits you, Ryan! Now we can participate Festival of Partners at Hunter Temple together! Lilith said with excitement.
Only after that did she turned her attention to the Frost Wolf pup in Kierans hand.
This is... a Frost Wolf? Lilith said with uncertainty.
A hybrid Frost Wolf pup, Kieran said without hiding the fact.
A hybrid? It looks so tamed! Can I have a look? Lilith asked.
Kieran handed the pup to Lilith.
He was extra lenient to Lilith since she was harmless and even brought him apanion.
Both of them boarded the wagon from Love Temple side by side before heading towards Hunter Temple.
Lilith was chatting with Kieran in the carriage while fondling the Frost Wolf pup.
The topic was about the seller of the pup.
The seller is really someone! How did he find a Frost Wolf pup? Lilith eximed.
I know right, I am surprised myself. Kieran nodded along with the answer while his heartughed coldly at the leader of Follower.
The seller is not only someone with vast connections but bold enough and cunning also.
Kieran thought in his heart.
He knew that the choices Anxico provided him were actually illusions of free will, he didnt really have an option.
As long as he wanted to be a New God, he would have to go with Anxico as his coborator and be the pawn or cannon fodder for opposing Lightning Temple.
If I was a native here, of course I wont give up the chance, but I am a yer! So, I guess Anxico has wrongly calcted my decision. Anyhow, let me see what are you really up to.
The followers of Hero Algors descendants and Lightning Temple? If there is only grudge between them... it seems too fake!
Kierans eyes were glimmering as new ns were forming in his mind.
Chapter 930 - Obstacle
Chapter 930: Obstacle
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Love Temples wagon slowly went back to the temple district and stopped outside Hunter Temple.
Pudd who had been waiting for a while had a glimmer in his eyes when he saw the wagon from Love Temple. He sprinted towards the wagon as Livezel waspletely neglected amidst their conversation.
When he saw Lilithe down from the wagon, Pudd smiled but when he saw Kieran behind her, his smile froze.
Lilith! Why did you bring him along? the young hunter questioned angrily.
Lilith frowned and showed her displeasure when she was questioned in that manner, Kieran maintained his calm face.
He was observing Pudds expression from the start to the end.
Pudds admiration for Lilith was no secret. In fact, many from the temple district knew Bocard, Pudd, and Livezel had been trying to court Lilith for a long time.
So Kieran could not expect much from a young man who was blinded by love, at least he wouldnt really care about Pudd unless he stepped on his tail.
Moreover, Kieran was thinking about how to perfect his n at the moment.
Compared to Anxico who bore unknown intentions, Pudd did not even qualify for a nce from Kieran.
While carrying the hybrid Frost Wolf, Kieran also walked towards Hunter Temple.
Archpriest Ryan.
The tall Livezel from Melody Temple was behaving well as he greeted Kieran respectfully.
Mm. Kieran nodded as a reply before heading inside.
Given the identity of an archpriest, such small nod was enough.
Livezel lifted his head up and saw Kieran walk passed him. His kind and respectful look suddenly had an extra sense of nkness.
He remembered clearly when they were discussing this person before his eyes, despite his reputation rising, he couldnt step up to the bigger picture but now, Livezel had to look up to him.
Amongst those who shared the discussion: one was dead, one was terrified to his core and became more grumpy, and thest one waspletely infatuated with this archpriest.
Livezel saw Lilith and Pudd arguing further away and he instantly understood the girl that he was trying to court had someone else in her heart.
Although Livezel was not from Love Temple, his sharp instinct told him the truth.
Livezel felt helpless against it. He turned around and looked at the figure who was walking up the stairs, Livezel smiled bitterly.
King of Killers!
Godyer!
The most powerful archpriest that Thorn Temple had ever appointed!
If the person only had the first title under his belt, Livezel might still have some confidence inpeting but following the other two titles, even if all the young men in the temple district came together, they might not be a match for this person, let alone him alone.
Maybe even all the elders together were no match for this person, let alone all the young men.
Livezel instantly felt dispirited in his heart. Even the anticipation for the Festival of Partners started to fade.
Sighing, Livezel was preparing to take his leave and it was at that moment, he saw Pudd marching towards the person with an upset look.
Pudd, wait!
Livezel was shocked, he tried to stop Pudd.
Livezel, Bocard, and Pudd were around the same age but because of Lilith, they werent friends to begin with. Still, because of Lilith, the three of them had spent quite an amount of time together, much longer thanmon friends and the rtionship that bloomed during that period was much deeper thanmon strangers.
If Kieran wasnt added to the fray, as time passed, the three of them would havepeted for Lilith like a battle of life and death but Kieran was here.
Bocard was death, Livezel was ready to step away.
The situation was different.
The priest from Melody Temple who had a kind heart treated Pudd as a friend who shared the same ill-fate, he didnt want Pudd to lose his life over this.
However, Pudd didnt even care about Livezels calling, he dashed forward like an arrow and stopped in front Kieran.
Youre here to participate in the Festival of Partners? Pudd asked.
Mm. Kieran nodded. He couldnt really deny it since he was holding a hybrid Frost Wolf in his hand.
Very well!
After seeing the nod of acknowledgment from Kieran, Puddughed.
He raised his and called out loud, The archpriest of Thorn Temple has arrived for the Festival of Partners! I, Pudd, priest of Hunter Temple question whether Archpriest Ryan has what it takes to participate, I hereby challenge you!
The loud and sonorous voice was heard all around.
It instantly attracted gazes from people who were kind of looking at the situation.
The attracted gazes were shifting between Pudd and Kieran, each of them was looking intrigued.
Especially when they saw Kieran, the judgemental gazes with a sense of reverence were never ending.
After a while, a crowd gathered in front of Hunter Temple.
Some were there to participate in the festival, some were there after they heard the news.
Other than Lightning and Sin Temple, people from every temple were present, including Thorn.
Is Hunter Temple insulting Thorn Temple now?
Einderson who was also at the scene said coldly with a gloomy face.
The few priests and knights behind him were even filled with killing intent.
Kieran ascended to the archpriest position with his own powerful strength and courageous act, not only he did get promoted without argument, he was loved and respected by the whole temple.
The title strongest archpriest of Thorn Temple didnte from outside but it started within Thorn Temple.
It proved how much of a reputation Kieran had in the temple and with that kind of reputation, he was challenged by a priest from Hunter Temple, it was an unforgivable act from how they saw it.
If Hunter Temple didnt send their assistance to aid Thorn Temple during thest fight, Einderson would have initiated another war.
After Thorn Temple emerged victorious from the battle with Wealth and Sin Temple, their conservative viewpoints had changed without them even noticing.
Of course not! Officiant Einderson, Pudd did not mean what he said!
Herasu who ran out from the temple waved his hands and exined.
He then turned around and scolded his disciple, Pudd, apologize to Archpriest Ryan now!
As he was being scolded by his teacher, Pudd who was enrage with jealousy filling his mind did not care.
No!
Pudd answered loudly while looking arrogant. His response was decisive and firm.
So this is what youve got? Trying toy pressure on me with your people? Or is it because you think you cant best me in all three Hunter Challenges? Of course, you wont be able topete in working with yourpanion and the solo fight which are the two out of the three challenges since you only just got a pup there but what about archery?
Are you up for the archery challenge?
The young hunter seemed to be a fearless diator, he didnt just stare at Kieran, he stepped forward to his face, trying to push him down.
Pudds attitude enraged the others from Thorn Temple, all of them voiced their dissatisfaction but it stopped right away because Kieran spoke.
Archery? Where?
Kieran looked directly at Herasu without even batting an eye at Pudd.
Chapter 931 - Unusual Intervention
Chapter 931: Unusual Intervention
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The young priest was agitated when he caught Kierans nce. His face blushed and his fists clenched.
The elder priest was slightly at a loss when he caught Kierans nce. His face looked a little pale.
Please follow me!
Herasu said as he led Kieran inside after a few seconds of pause.
Pudd strode into the temple ahead of them.
The crowd, however, was discussing the young hunters rudeness against Kieran.
An arrogant hunter!
He is more unlikeable than rumor has it!
He really has balls to challenge the Godyer himself!
I know right!
That young hunter is really something!
...
The weird discussions that were going on made Herasu even more nervous.
Please forgive his ignorance, Pudd doesnt really mean to offend you.
Herasu exined while walking.
Kieran didnt reply. He only nodded without reallymenting on the matter, he followed Herasu into Hunter Temples front hall.
Dirt, jungle and a real river!
The moment Kieran entered Hunter Temple, he felt like he had entered a forest.
However, he wasnt that surprised.
Analytics of the temples developments in Naveya City had already introduced Kieran to the uniqueness of Hunter Temple.
It was different from the standard building of other temples. The whole Hunter Temple was a jungle constructed by the Hunter himself using his divine power, including the core of the temple.
The believers of the Hunter learned to hunt, cooperate, and honed their skills here. It was safe to say each priest from Hunter Temple was an amazing hunter on their own and for a hunter of the temple, the hunting hound and archery were their pride and honor.
Pudd who was already there had a full grown hawk on his shoulder.
The hawk was silver in color, had a pair of keen eyes and anyone who went up close to it would be greeted with a screech. Pudd was holding a hunting bow that was longer than the usual one.
The longbow was as tall as a grown man, its design was simple and in while the string was tied in an old fashioned way on the bows body.
What bow do you need? Pudd asked.
Kieran didnt answer. He looked to Herasu instead.
Herasu immediately lent his bow to Kieran and his action agitated Pudd even more.
Pudd thought his teacher was too soft and weak and had lost the pride of a hunter, while he would defend thest pride.
As the thought came into his mind, Pudd stepped up and said loudly, People recognize your strength but your strength doesnt make you an excellent hunter! Archery is my strongest skill and I have confidence in beating you in my own game!
His words sounded very confident but at the same time also utterly arrogant.
The crowd showed disdain toward his ims.
Lilith had an obvious disgust in her gaze toward Pudd. Livezel, however, was confused.
This shouldnt have happened! Given the tenacity of Pudds character, even if he was frightened to his core, he would have been better after a few days of buffering and readjusting. Why is he much more serious than before?
The Melody Temple priest frowned uncontrobly.
As Pudds longtime rival, Livesel knew him very well, despite the tremendous shock and agitation, he shouldnt have behaved like this.
Something isnt right!
Livezel wanted to stop his rival out of instinct but when he saw the crowd surrounding them, he sighed quietly.
The crowd was made up of archpriests, officiants, and chief knights, let alone the one who stood in front of them epting the challenge.
A small person like Livezel wouldnt have made any difference even if he said something.
While all that was going through Livezels head, Herasu was already reading the rules of the challenge.
As you begin, the servants will release 10 rabbits in a certain area of the forest. Whoever gets the most rabbits within 30 minutes shall be the winner. Do you understand Archpriest Ryan?
Herasu looked at Kieran and after Kieran nodded again, he signaled the servants further away.
The servants then quickly carried out their task in releasing the rabbits.
After 15 minutes, the servants returned from the forest area and in order to prevent any cheating, the challenge would only start 10 minutes after thest servant has returned.
Begin!
Herasu dered loudly.
Pudd dashed into the forest right away. He was overflowing with confidence at the moment.
He felt like he had already caught the scent of victory, he could already picture Liliths new appraisal of him after the victory.
Even if the servants returned to the crowd after releasing the rabbits to prevent cheating, what use would it have?
Pudd lived here since he was young!
He knew every inch of grass and wood of the forest. He knew exactly what the frightened rabbit would do. He even knew where those rabbits would hide after being released!
Victory is mine! Pudd made a im in his heart.
His sprinting got even faster, he raised his bow as he saw his target.
The bow was loaded with an arrow and...
Sou!
However before Pudd released the arrow, another arrow grazed his body and struck the target instead.
An arrow with a red marking was swiftly shot into the air. Whose arrow got the prey? whose arrow was shot up in the sky? It was themon way of announcing the result.
He followed me and beat me to it?!
The thought came to Pudds mind, it made him turn around in a furious manner as he wanted to me Kieran but...
There was no one behind him!
He didnt follow me?! Then...
Pudd was dumbstruck. The young hunter didnt know what was going on, just like he didnt know what kind of opponent was he facing.
Sou Sou Sou!
His ears heard more air-breaking whistles of arrows being fired up in the sky; his eyes saw arrows with red markings flying across the sky one after another.
A total of nine whistles were heard and a total of nine markings were shot to the sky.
As Pudd looked up at the markings in the sky, he was stunned frozen in ce.
After a while, he shouted, LIES! ALL LIES! ITS NOT REAL!
Pudd sprinted back even faster to where he began but when he arrived, Kieran was not there.
The observers that were still around were pointing fingers at him.
Overconfident prick!
How dare him to challenge his lordship!
Ya right! He still imed his strongest skill was archery but his lordship defeated him without even moving!
....
Pudd didnt listen to anything else after that.
He couldnt take in the defeat, he pushed away Livezel who was trying to calm him down. Pudd dashed out to the front hall of Hunter Temple.
His head was repeating that same phrase over and over again.
He didnt even move!
He didnt even move?
He didnt even move and...
Pudd knew very well how hard was it to achieve that feat since he himself originated from Hunter Temple. Aside from bow techniques, one would need an extreme understanding of the forest before his eyes and any movements in the air could not escape ones sight.
Damn it! The young hunter grunted. His voice was filled with unwillingness.
His unwillingness was followed by the original rage and envy, hence forming something unusual in his mind.
What took form together with the unusuality was a dagger.
Puk!
The young hunters throat was slit!
He widened his eyes at the attacker before him. His eyes were filled with disbelief yet it faded quickly.
The attacker didnt even care about Pudds gaze. All the attacker did was take out a cowhide bag and filled it with Pudds fresh blood.
A few minutester, Livezel caught up with Pudd but he was toote.
All Livezel discovered was a body with his throat cut open.
Livezels face was bleached right away.
If the unusuality on Pudd was just Livezels guesses before, now with his body lying down on the floor, it told Livezel something definitely happened.
What happened!? Who is the killer?
Livezel pondered the question in his head. He did not notice a shadow was slowly approaching him.
Chapter 932 - Ceremony
Chapter 932: Ceremony
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran and Lilith were walking side by side behind Herasu as they entered the core of Hunter Temple.
The ce was a small hill that worshiped the statue of the Hunter.
The hill wasnt big or tall but was filled with greenery. The most attractive point was the hunting hounds that filled the ce.
To be honest, Kieran never saw that many dogs in his life.
There were ck, white, yellow, spotted, small ones, big ones, long fur, short fur, all kinds of dogs.
With a single nce, the whole hill was surrounded by all sorts of hunting hounds that varied in color and species.
Fortunately, the hunting hounds were well-trained and had a higher intellect than others.
Without their masters order, they wouldntmit anything dangerous, all they did was stare at Kieran and Lilith.
Especially the Frost Wolf pup that Kieran was carrying with him, it piqued the interest of the hound pack.
The Frost Wolf pup, however, didnt want to look weak, even if it was on its own, it straightened its ear and bore its teeth.
It is really a decent animalpanion! Of course, Liliths choice of an Angrenar cat was perfect for ady.
Herasu said with a smile while he raised his hand to scatter the hound pack.
Thanks! I was nning to get a hunting hound in the beginning but Archpriest Fanny suggested to get a cat instead, saying that Lady Nillusuo is fond of cats.
Lilith said while fondling her cats chin. Her cat had long fur, was small in size and had an unusual triple color of white, ck and yellow.
Its well known! Herasu nodded with a smile.
The God of Love being overly fond of cats was not a secret. That was why the youngdies in Naveya wanted to get a cat for themselves, hoping that the God of Love will bless them with a beautiful lover.
The three of them continued forward and soon they saw the person under the Hunters statue.
The person was Hunter Temples archpriest, Krecko. He was tall and buff while donning a body of leather armor, he looked more like a cksmith than a member of the clergy, to be honest.
He was holding a skinning dagger and was skinning a wild boar.
Wee, Archpriest Ryan, Priest Lilith! I was just wondering who the special guest for this Festival of Partners was.
Krecko quickly went over to the stream beside to wash his face and hands in order to remove all the blood stains on him before going up to Kieran to formally greet him.
Its a pleasure to finally meet you, Archpriest Ryan. Krecko saluted in the way of a priest.
The pleasure is mine. Kieran, however, replied in a knightly salutation.
Lilith, on the other hand, took a step back before saluting in the same priest salutation.
It was the difference in identity.
Even if she was the heir to the next Love Temple archpriest, before she really ascended to the position, rules and manners still applied, the same went for Herasu.
After the official greetings, the group entered the main point of their visit: transforming their pets into real animalpanions.
Archpriest Ryan, Lilith, please bring your selected animalpanion forth.
No, no, just your pets, your person is not required in the ceremony. Since you both are not believers of the Hunter, you cannot ept the blessings from the Hunter. We dont want to have war with Thorn and Love Temple together. Itll be quite scary if Lady Vanessa and Lady Nillusuo gets angry, Krecko said in a joking manner.
The process after that went on smoothly.
When the hybrid Frost Wolf pup and the Angrenar cat were ced in front of the Hunters statue, the ceremony of transformation officially began.
A pir of lightnded on the two pets, itsted for 2 seconds before it faded away.
Kierans sharp senses noticed something was different about the Frost Wolf pup after the pir of light, its aura was slightly stronger and more importantly, its eyes became more human.
Then, Kieran saw the Frost Wolf pup run back to him and circle his legs. It would bite Kierans pants from asionally.
When Kieran bend down and reached out his hands, the Frost Wolf pup eagerly jumped into Kierans hands, allowing Kieran to easily pet it.
At the same time, the information regarding the Frost Wolf pup appeared before Kieran for the first time.
[Name: Frost Wolf (Hybrid)]
[Type: Mystical Beast]
[Rank: Lower Medium]
[Attack: Weak]
[Defense: Weak]
[Attribute: 1. Anguish; 2. Frost Breath]
[Special Effect: Intellect]
[Prerequisite: The person that it recognized]
[Remark: This is an early stage Frost Wolf pup that has been blessed. It is much stronger, smarter than other Frost Wolf pups but still requires delicate care and raising to be a reliable helper andpanion.]
...
[Anguish: When attacks with ws or teeth, Strength +1]
[Frost Breath: Fire a Weak level Frost Breath to attack a single target within 2-meter range, 1 per day]
...
[Intellect: Increase a certain level of intellect.]
...
Not bad! Kieranmented.
Thement was given to the Hunters blessing and also to the Frost Wolf pup itself.
At the early stage, the pup already had the ranking of Lower Medium plus a decent intellect. If he were to raise it meticulously, when it reached the mature stage, it would definitely be a reliable helper.
Though Kieran would not thank Anxico for thepanion.
Although he hadnt really guessed what Anxico was after, it was almost certain that Anxico bore malicious intent.
What he was after however was the million dor question.
Kieran believed Anxico will not just wait it out like this, he would surely make a move soon.
Until then, Kieran would be waiting for it.
As for now?
Thank you for everything, Kieran expressed his gratitude toward Hunter Temples archpriest, Lilith beside bowed also.
This is not my doing but the respectful Hunter! You two received the favors from the Hunter himself and surely you will be blessed as well! Archpriest Ryan, Lilith, care to stay to watch the ceremony? Archpriest Krecko asked.
Of course! Kieran did not reject.
Firstly, he promised Herasu he would participate in Hunter Temples Festival of Partners.
Secondly, the animalpanion that had been extra blessed by the Hunter himself had the duty to witness the birth of new hunters.
Kieran and Lilith stood side by side. They saw a group of ten with mature and young facese up to the small hill.
The rituals that the new hunters went through was different from Kierans simple one.
The ritual for the new hunters was quiteplicated, to be honest. Not only they were required to drink a green mixture of crushed herbs, but they also needed to feed theirpanions the mixture via mouth to mouth andplete their vows before the Hunters statue.
Most of the animalpanions were hunting hounds but there were some exceptions as well. The eagle was the mostmon other than hounds but there was nock of bears, wolves, and also wild boar.
When the new hunter fed the mixture to the young boar with his mouth, Lilith turned around as she couldnt bear the scene, it was too shocking for her.
Kieran, on the other hand, watched the whole process without blinking.
I swear to treat mypanion as my own brother and sister!
I vow to connect my life and mypanion together until the very end!
I guarantee to care for it more than I care for myself!
...
Solemn vows echoed around the small hill as the light from the Hunter descended on each of them, making the scene more divine than ever.
Each of the new hunters brought their ownpanion together in receiving the blessing from their God.
They would also receive blessings from their elders, families, and friendster, a feast was bound to happen tonight also.
However, disastrous news stopped everything at hand.
Pudd was murdered?!
Lilith covered her mouth, widened her eyes when she heard the news.
Kierans eyes, however, were quietly looking at Herasu further away.
Chapter 933 - The Weak and Easily Bullied Mimosa
Chapter 933: The Weak and Easily Bullied Mimosa
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Herasu looked shocked, sad, and was filled with disbelief after hearing the news.
Until he saw Pudds body, he reacted exactly like everyone else but it didnt remove Kierans suspicions.
Pudd was a young man who allowed love to get the better side of him but his teacher was not.
The first time Pudd got himself in trouble, Herasu came before Kieran and asked for forgiveness on behalf of his student.
Then, based onmon sense, what would Herasu do after that?
Surely he would tie his student down and try not to let his student cross Kierans path.
But the result?
Pudd not only appeared again during the Festival of Partners and he provoked Kieran yet once again.
It was quite unreasonable for such a thing to happen, let alone the so-called challenge.
If the provocation from before was barely reasonable, the challenge that came after that was too intentional. It almost seemed like someone purposely wanted Pudd to lose the challenge so he would leave Hunter Temple and sprint off, thus meeting his demise outside.
The ce where Pudd was killed was an alleyway near the council district. It was closely connected to the temple district yet one thing was different.
The light from the Gods could not reach there.
On the ground, the traces around the crime scene were intentionally cleaned up by the killer.
Other than Pudds restless dead body, there was nothing valuable left behind.
The killer followed Pudd tightly and since he was dispirited from failure, he didnt notice the killer until his throat was slit! Pudds eyes were wide open, the shock still lingered on his face yet he doesnt show the fear of death. Which means this cut was extremely fast, to the point that his body failed to react to it right away. But when the throat was slit, there was no big ssh of blood in the area and there is no excessive blood left behind at the crime scene ... the killer is collecting Pudds blood?!
Kieran nced over the scene and his mind immediately painted the picture of the murder urring.
This intrigued Kieran even more.
A killer that collect the victims blood. Other than some kind of disgusting fetish, the killer must have a use for the blood and judging from the fact that Pudd was drained dry, it must be thetter.
What can Pudds blood do? And... this ce might be a secluded alleyway but this is the council district! The noble guards and city guards were patrolling the area non-stop and in order for Pudd to be bled dry like that, it would take quite some time yet no one noticed? Some kind of illusion was involved? Or some kind of special instrument that can drain blood within a second?
Kieran was touching his chin out of habit while he was trying to figure out the clues.
Just when he wanted to inspect the body, he was stopped by Hunter Temples Archpriest Krecko.
I am so sorry, Archpriest Ryan! How can this kind of horrendous act happen at an important festival?! I am truly sorry! When the killer is apprehended, I will host a feast for everyone again to express our apologies. Now please leave with Lilith and leave the rest to us. We are all excellent hunters, the killer that murdered Pudd will not escape our pursuit!
Archpriest Krecko said in a solemn manner.
Despite his tone sounding courteous, anyone could tell the archpriest was enraged.
A homicide happened during the Festival of Partners which was only hosted once every three years. It was something unforgivable for everyone in Hunter Temple.
It was as severe as defiling their God and such a horrendous act was unforgivable for every devoted believer.
Besides, Kieran was certain that Hunter himself would also make a move after the murder.
Suddenly, Kierans heart skipped a beat.
Could this be... part of a n that is specifically targeted at the Hunter himself?
Kieran instinctively thought of Anxico and his gang.
All of this seemed to have begun from Anxico and his Follower group but soon enough, Kieran quickly denied the spection himself.
Anxico might disy decent strength but was definitely not on a Godyer level.
Despite Anxicos im that he wanted to oppose Lightning Temple directly, Kieran still had some guesses of what methods they would resort to.
It was nothing more than using another temples power to fight Lightning Temple. It was impossible for Anxico to form a team to y a God.
As far as God ying was concerned, from a certain aspect, no mortal from this dungeon world could ever y a God, theoretically speaking.
As for Kieran himself, if it wasnt for Lady Thorns help, the one dead would be him, not Lady Wealth.
Kierans mind was racing while he was trying to console Krecko.
My condolences, Kieran said.
Lilith beside him was sobbing softly.
She declined Pudds affection but it didnt mean she wanted to see him dead. The same age and long period of time spent together had made Lilith treat Pudd as a good friend.
Now, a good friend was killed and it was hard for her to ept.
Both of them bowed again before parting ways.
It was really not a good ce for talks. Kieran sent Lilith on her wagon but didnt join.
Archpriest Ryan, what about you? Lilith asked as she looked at Kieran with red teary eyes.
I need to return to my secret hideout for a while. The murder that happened bothers me a little and I hope my men can get some news on it, Kieran said honestly.
Since he became Thorn Temples archpriest, the original members of Emerald Rock automatically changed their identities, they had be Thorn Temples secret agents.
The original secret hideout was not demolished but kept operating under his instructions.
It only changed from a secretive nature to a half-opened nature but to Thorn Temple only.
Please notify me if you get any news! Lilith said.
Kieran nodded and saw her wagon back to the temple district before he returned to Emerald Rocks secret hideout.
...
Wee back. Do you need a bath? Ive prepared food!
Starbeck who was stationed in the hideout spoke delightedly when he saw Kieran.
He was living without Kieran for quite a while now and despite him prepared a lot of defensive measures, he couldnt find peace in his heart and would always wake up in the night due to nightmares.
Now, even when he saw Kieran, the anxiousness in his heart didnt lessen any.
Didnt lessen? He was still anxious?
A feeling that felt different from before made Starbeck a little dull.
He looked up at Kieran before him and so did Kieran to him.
Kierans eyes didnt have the familiar feeling that Starbeck knew, all it has was a coldness and malicious intent.
You are that guys weakness?
Kieran said before he reached out to grab Starbeck.
The grab was absent of technique and was not too strong as it went for Starbeck.
From the viewpoint of Kieran, Starbeck before him was not worthy enough to even mention.
Starbeck was able to team up with a powerhouse yet he himself was this weak.
What a joke!
Kierannded his palm on Starbecks shoulder as the arrogant thoughts flooded his mind.
He didnt want to kill Starbeck of course. Starbeck alive had much more value than a dead one.
Then...
Kieran experienced something that he would never forget for the rest of his life.
Six defensive fields were activated at the same time and enveloped Starbeck. Their defensive power was so powerful that it would even make a God frown. The irresistible binding force pinned Kieran down on the spot, ck negative energy then flooded the malicious imposter like a tidal wave that could wipe out the earth.
Kierans body was instantly robbed of his mobility, followed by his soul being shredded. Even the one bit of light in the deepest part of his soul was swallowed by a formless mouth without any resistance.
On Starbecks waist, a small, inconspicuous sack wiggled slightly as though something inside was chewing.
Then, as everything happened in an instant, everything ended in an instant as well.
Before the dust settled, Starbecks boots shone and he vanished from the room and reappeared in front of the real Kieran.
When he saw the real Kieran before him and felt the familiar safe feeling, Starbeck broke down and cried out loud.
Chapter 934 - Chewing
Chapter 934: Chewing
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran raised a brow at Starbeck who was crying out loud.
He first stopped Starbeck from throwing himself over with a stern gaze before he grabbed Starbecks cor as he headed towards the secret hideout.
Kieran didnt even have to ask. Based on Starbecks ugly cry, he already knew what happened but one thing was out of his expectation though.
The attackers identity!
When Kieran saw the unconscious Maize, Mizelle, Pelker, plus the empty hideout, thoughts came into his mind. Based on the lingering negative energy in the air, it allowed Kieran to know that the attacker was dead, otherwise, Starbeck wouldnt have appeared before him that smoothly.
The attacker was dead but the body vanished.
Plus, the attacker was able to silently knock out Maize, Mizelle, Pelker and a dozen more of his men, it added more depth into the identity of the attacker.
It was a clone! A clone of a God!
In this dungeon world, other than the clone of a God who was able to easily achieve this feat, Kieran couldnt think of anyone else. Coincidentally, Kieran had quite the grudge with a certain God too.
However, Kieran didnt act recklessly. In order to verify his spections, Kieran still questioned Starbeck about what happened.
When you left, are you sure that attacker is really dead? Kieran asked.
Mm, mm, dead, Starbeck answered as he sobbed.
His answer made Kieran squint his eyes, coldness too started to shine in Kierans gaze.
Follow me! Kieran said to Starbeck.
Starbeck nodded as he continued sobbing while following Kieran quietly.
Kieran did not circle around the ce or make any stops, instead, he headed directly to Sin Temple.
What are you trying to do?
Lady Thorn who was watching Kieran spoke to Kieran through telepathy after Kieran stepped into the temple district.
What do you think I am trying to do? Kieran replied with his question.
Because of a servant?
Lady Thorn nced at Starbeck. She didnt notice what so special about him, he was a coward, weak, and almost useless, other than being able to stand beside Kieran, Starbeck was utterly useless.
In simple words, from how Lady Thorn viewed Starbeck, he was just there to adorn Kieran, the extremely inconspicuous kind.
He is not a servant, Kieran emphasized.
Starbeck had a special identity, despite him being cowardly and almost useless, Kieran would not treat him as a servant. Besides, from how Kieran viewed him, Starbeck wasnt all that useless, at least his cooking was good, just that he couldnt be honest with Lady Thorn on this matter.
Therefore, Kieran brushed it off with a vague answer.
He is someone special to me, Kieran said.
It wasnt a lie though. Starbeck was his employer practically speaking and regarding the uing dungeon, it was not too much to acknowledge Starbeck as a special person.
A special one? Every human has that one irreceable special existence and when someone dares to harm this special existence... you will kill without mercy? Lady Thorn sounded curious with her words.
Not just every human, even Gods are the same, Kieran said slowly.
What a scary state of mind! But to this weakling, it is the most reliable protection right?
Lady Thorn gazed at Starbeck again.
Starbeck was still sobbing without noticing Lady Thorns presence. He wanted to reach out to Kierans coat with his fingers but as Kieran moved forward and purposely adjusted his steps to avoid Starbeck, he was not able to get a hold of Kieran.
Each time his fingers would graze over Kierans coat, no matter how hard he tried, he couldnt catch it.
What a stupid servant. Lady Thornmented on Starbeck in her heart.
In the end, Lady Thorn still couldnt tell what was so special about Starbeck.
She gave up her attention to the stupid servant and focused her attention on Kieran.
I hope that one day you can protect me like how you protect this little servant. I sense that when that dayes, I will need your help. It might seem weird to ask for help from a weaker existence like you but I still hope for a promise, Lady Thorn said to Kieran.
Is this the condition of helping me this time? Kieran asked.
No! Its the condition of how many times I will help you before that dayes! Lady Thorn answered.
Condition of each time youll help me? Seems like you are really in big trouble! But... I promise you, I will give my best to help you without defying my own principles, Kieran did not make a full promise.
A promise with a God was not some bbering gibberish, even without the so-called contract, if he were to break the promise, the consequences would be much worse than a broken contract.
The book Gods Words and The stories of mortals and Gods that Kieran read in Nikoreis collection mentioned a lot of mortals who broke promises with Gods, all of them ended up worse than you could even imagine.
You are really a stingy and vignt person. If I didnt double check to make sure you really worship me, I might think that Ive run into a fake believer.
Lady Thorn sighed. She did not know of the existence of Nikorei, the God of Earth.
If her attention were notpletely ced on Kieran, she would have noticed some inklings here and there. Lady Thorn would also realize from those inklings what kind of dangerous, horrifying power that was hiding in Kieran, those seemingly vicious, terrifying fake believers were nothing whenpared.
It was not Kierans strength though but the kind of affinity that was forcefully added on Kieran which Lady Thorn didnt even notice. It was all Nikoreis handy work.
While under the influence of such affinity, Lady Thorn did not realize how different she treated Kieranpared to others. She would even think it was reasonable for her to do so.
As for Kieran, he still had his own habitual vignce and calmness against any matter but since he hadnt reallye in contact with a real God, he didnt understand a Gods pride.
From how Kieran viewed it, he was just finishing a deal with Lady Thorn, simr to how the natives made deals with their Gods.
Both of the involved did not realize anything unusual, let alone Starbeck who was just an observer.
A fake believer? I am not that kind of person, Kieran said in a natural tone.
Mm. Lady Thorn felt the authenticity in Kierans words.
She then gave Kieran onest reminder, That God is different from Carricanton who ascended from mortal status. The Interrogator was already a God when this city was formed. You need to be extra careful.
Got it.
Sin Temple was within sight, Kieran did not even pause as he barged into the temple.
However, when he stepped into the temple, his ears picked up an unusual sound.
Gak Cha, Gak Cha.
It sounded like something chewing on bones yet many times louder and clearer, as though thunder was echoing in the temple ceaselessly.
The sound came from the core area of Sin Temple.
Chapter 935 - Unparalleled Devour
Chapter 935: Unparalleled Devour
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran who was careful as he entered the temple heightened his guard more when he heard the unusual chewing.
He signaled Starbeck to step back before he merged himself into the shadows, [Arrogant Word] was also drawn out in his hand but when he truly arrived in the core area of Sin Temple and saw the Interrogators statue, he was still shocked nevertheless.
A mouth full of sharp teeth was chewing at the statue!
A mouth! Without any other visible organs!
There was no throat or any other part of the head. As the mouth opened and closed, the statues head was bitten offpletely as though it fell into a different dimension.
Gak Cha, Gak Cha!
The bone-crunching noise sounded again as the mouth was chewing on the statue.
Pak!
Another crack appeared on the already damaged statue. The crack kept spreading throughout the statues body and when it connected itself with other cracks, it became thest straw that broke the camels back.
Kaboom!
The Interrogators statue crumbled into pieces. Different pieces of the statue fell to the floor, whipping up a mini dust storm but that mouth didnt go away
The big mouth opened up again after its chewing, its stenchful saliva fell on the floor and swiftly corroded arge area underneath.
The t flooring was instantly turned into a swamp reeking of horrible stenches.
A skeleton was then spat out by the giant mouth. It fell into the swamp and was swiftly devoured into nothing.
More importantly, it seemed to have noticed Kieran, even with above Transcendence [Undercover] together with the [Dark Movement Technique], he was spotted.
The formless energy assaulted Kieran.
Hunger!
Devour!
Such sensations came from the giant mouth ceaselessly and an even more intense malicious intent rampaged toward Kieran like aet falling from the sky.
After an invisible blow and a heavy bang, Kieran fell out from the shadows, he managed to get on his feet after staggering forward a few steps.
Line after line of Spirit authentications piled up against one another, spamming Kieran like a rapid waterfall.
With all sorts of buffs and authentication priorities, his I rank spirit attribute started to wobble as the authentication was getting harsher.
The mental impact transformed into small iron needles, stinging Kierans body relentlessly.
The iron needles became bigger and bigger, to the point that it almost materialized into a real iron needle and that wasnt the end of it!
The iron needle soon transformed into a small dagger; the small dagger soon transformed into a short knife and eventually a longsword.
Puk!
Puk! Puk!
Within a breaths time, hundreds of wounds were carved into Kierans body.
There were long ones and short ones; deep ones and shallow ones.
The longer, deeper wounds revealed his bones; the shorter, shallower ones were only half a finger long but still damaged his flesh.
Blood gushed out all over his body, robbing Kieran of his mobility in an instant.
[Secondary Armor Skin] was renderedpletely useless but it was not the only skill Kieran had.
[Saint Thorn] started to shine with its own unique light, white light as sharp as a real de appeared as rings around Kierans body.
When the sharp light ring reached its threshold and crumbled, Kierans wounds were slowly healing.
The giant mouth seemed to have felt the pain from [Saint Thorn].
However, the pain didnt scare it away, instead, it was agitated it even more.
Tremendous amounts of spirit energy flowed out from the giant mouth, the energy transformed into a cyclone, ravaging the grand hall as though it was tearing the whole building apart, Kieran included.
When he felt the rampant spirit energy, Kieran raised his left hand in a calm way.
Huuu!
The devil me burned hot on his palm.
At the same time, Kieran was enduring the rampaging spirit energy around him. If he had a choice, surely he would never want to endure it. Kieran as a Chosen One knew that formless and invisible spirit energy like this was different from the lethal weakness of [Deadmans Gaze], it was not something that he could avoid by closing his eyes. Other than using his Spirit to withstand the tremendous mental pressure, there was no other way.
Kakroom!
The devil fireball was hurled towards the giant mouth. It was a direct hit and the special effect from the fireball engulfed the giant mouth in a sea of mes.
Kieran, on the other hand, staggered to the floor as if he was drunk; huge amounts of blood were gushing out his mouth and nose.
The giant mouth was screeching sharply as it was being incinerated by the sea of fire but it did not give up the idea of devouring Kieran. Despite it being engulfed in mes, it charged towards Kieran madly.
Then...
Bang!
A robust magma arm was pressed towards the giant lips.
The tremendous force from the arm smashed the mouth on the ground, creating a giant crater on impact.
The mes sshed everywhere like water as it filled the deep craterpletely. It became like a pond filled with fire and once again soaked the giant mouth in it.
The one of a kind screeching came from the mouth again.
This time, however, was different from the purely screeching, it fired out a sound wave attack at Kieran.
Devil Kieran was stunned for a second. Despite having regained his senses almost right away, the giant mouth freed itself from being mped down by Kieran. Not only did it free itself, it even bit Kieran on the arm.
The boiling magma was dripping all over its teeth, it burned the giant mouth fiercely, causing it to wail even louder but Kierans devil arm was almost ripped away by the bite, leaving only threads of magma connecting his arm to his body.
The excruciating pain gushed into Kierans heart.
The unknown powerful energy plus the sudden pain from his arm enraged Devil Kieran, making him more rampant than ever.
The situation was different from usual.
During normal times, Kieran could control himself in devil form with maximum effort but now his control was greatly weakened.
Kieran in his devil form was already emanating an explosive chaotic aura as if it was a walking volcano.
Devil Kierans zing eyes shone viciously. He didnt even care about his arm which was going to fall off at any time, instead, he hugged the giant mouth with the other arm.
He opened his mouth and bit the giant mouth on the lip.
Ill eat you!
Tsssk!
Devil Kieran bit of a chunk of flesh and blood off the giant lip, he chewed and swallowed before another bite at the lip.
The giant mouth did want to be on the weak side. Not only did it swallowed Kierans fallen arm, but it also started to chew on Kierans body.
Two monstrous existences were tangled together, biting off each other bit by bit.
Blood sshed everywhere, flesh was badly mutted and fire engulfed the ce.
After a mere 4 to 5 seconds, half of Devil Kierans stomach was eaten, more boiling magma gushed out from the huge opening.
The giant mouth was not in good shape either. It didnt just lose its upper lip, the sharp teeth that looked like hooks were bitten off and crunched to bits by Devil Kieran too.
Devil Kieran was about to go after the lower lip after that.
Both sides were evenly matched to this point but actually, the giant mouth still had the advantage over Kieran because of the duration of his devil form.
If Kieran was alone in this fight, he would surely plunge into a disadvantageous position but... he wasnt alone in this fight!
As the devil ate the lip, pieces of special flesh and blood went into his body and were transformed into a special energy.
The external energy was like the light in the darkness, stimting the cardinal sins.
Then, the slumbering cardinal sins in Kieran woke up.
Eat! Eat! Eat!
Gluttony appeared beside Devil Kieran and took a huge bite on that giant mouth uncontrobly.
Me too! Everything is mine! Greed followed tightly behind.
Why only you guys? Wheres mine? Envy was showing an envious expression yet he threw himself over faster than the other two.
How dare you bite me! I will devour you! Wrath growled.
Wait for me! Sloth said but his actions were slow as usual.
Disgusting! Lustmented on the mouth before taking a bite.
Only Pride stood indifferently. He was looking arrogant and full of disdain but the Origin Force energy was gushing into his body ceaselessly and quietly.
Pride did not even notice the changes but as the energy gushed into his body, he seemed a little different, let alone the other 6 were busy chewing on the mouth.
All of the cardinal sins did not realize something was changing in their body because there was only one thing left in their mind.
Eat!
They would eat this monster!
Chapter 936 - Beginning of the divine war
Chapter 936: Beginning of the divine war
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The monstrous mouth was being devoured.
With Devil Kieran and the cardinal sins ripping it apart, there was nothing left behind of the giant mouth.
The cardinal sins then vanished on the spot, returning to Kierans heart after having a satisfying meal.
Kieran clearly felt the external energy he got from the mouth. It did not belong to the Dawn, the devil, or even the cardinal sins yet it did not sh with either of them.
It even had an unknown benefit to the cardinal sins.
As he felt the overjoyed, cardinal sins caused a more rigorous beating of his heart, Kieran reverted to his human form after the duration was over. He frowned.
He did not know whether this consumption was a good thing or a bad thing but he didnt have the time to ponder the matter.
Kieran sized up the surroundings.
Sin Temple was emptied of people and after the ugly battle, it was filled with craters and looked dested. Especially the divine light from the Interrogator, it started to fade away!
It was definitely not a normal thing.
When the divine light of a God started to fade, it mean it was falling! Simr to Lady Wealth!
But how did the Interrogator die?
He did not really fight the giant mouth and the mouth only ate the statue. The giant mouth was far from reaching the level of a God in terms of strength.
Could it be...
Kieran instinctively thought of Lady Thorn.
Its not what you think. Return to Thorn Temple, Ill exin everything to you. Hurry!
Lady Thorn urged Kieran in a never before seen anxiousness.
Keiran frowned.
Although he didnt know what was going on, Lady Thorns anxious tone told him things were getting severe.
Without dy, Kieran grabbed Starbeck by the cor from behind the pirs shadow like a cat and sprinted out.
However, the moment he stepped out of Sin Temple, Kierans face turned heavy.
All the divine lights of the Gods in the temple district that he couldy eyes on were rippling. It was very small to the point thatmon people couldnt even tell but it was very obvious in his sight.
What is going on? Kieran asked himself. He ran even faster but when he was still some distance away from Thorn Temple, he was stopped by someone.
Anxico.
He looked exactly like how Kieran met him for the first time: a gunny mantle and hood over his head, his face was smiling and was staring at Kieran with his gray eyes without pupils.
Archpriest Ryan, can you see what is going on? Anxico asked slowly.
This is all your handy work? Kieran asked directly.
You can say that. So how is it? How is your consideration? Anxico asked.
Isnt it a little bit rushed? We only met a couple hours ago. I need to carefully think over such a huge decision. Kieran trying to brush him off with his words while the gears in his mind spun as fast as he could.
This is all Anxicos handy work? If he really can do something like this, why would he want to see me before? With this kind of power, even without me he could easily achieve his so called ns for revenge. He didnt even need me in the first ce... wait!
What if he didnt need me for my powers?
Kieran suddenly thought of something as he pondered upon the matter. He quickly expanded developed the particr thought.
Anxico didnt need my powers, he needed me as a person! Wait, no, no, no! More precisely, he gave my the Frost Wolf pup so I could participate in the Festival of Partners at Hunter Temple and at the festival...
Kieran immediately thought of Pudd who was murdered and Herasu who behaved in an unusual manner.
His target was Pudd all along?! Whats so special about Pudd? What made him drain all his blood?
More questions popped up one after another in Kierans heart.
Likewise, what popped up in his heart was also the reason why Anxico came forward to him.
It was none other than the death of that monstrous mouth.
Or, to stall him from seeing Lady Thorn back at Thorn Temple.
When the thought came into his mind, Kierans eyes at Anxico became cold, he silently dished out a kick at him.
You are really smart, Anxicoughed.
Just as Anxico spoke, his body turned translucent. Kierans left kick went through his body without any resistance.
However, Anxico who was smiling suddenly changed his expression. An irresistible pain started to cover his face. The pain came from his soul and it made him growl heavily.
Impossible! You can hurt my soul? The Interrogator should have fallen!
As Anxico soul growled inconceivably, it swiftly dispersed followed by a [Cracked Soul Shard] falling down to the ground. At the same time a vague aura quickly dashed off.
Kieran nced in the direction where the vague aura dashed. He didnt give chase though.
He knew what was his priority currently was.
He grabbed Starbeck by the cor and sprinted towards Thorn Temple again.
...
Officiant Einderson was already kneeling in front of Lady Thorns statue, quietly waiting for her instructions. Despite the statue shining brightly, other than the initial summon, there was not a single word from the God.
Einderson knew Lady Thorn was waiting for her archpriest.
Compared to him, an old, unqualified officiant, the archpriest was the truly trustworthy one.
Einderson didnt feel any jealousy though. His devoted beliefs and experience through age allowed him to know what he should do at the moment. He waited patiently, quietly for the archpriests arrival.
Dak Dak Dak!
Rapid footsteps approached.
Kieran strode in the grand hall like the wind.
Ryan, its good to see you again before the battle of life and death. You have proved yourself again and didnt let me down.
The statue of Lady Thorn opened her eyes like a real person as he looked at Kieran beneath her feet. Her words had an obvious signs offort.
Save your questions, time is running out. Listen to me. The Devourer has awoken again. It is our arch nemesis. We have been battling it ceaselessly over many centuries and 300 years ago, Hero Algors assistance allowed us to triumph over it but 300 yearster, we have to face it ourselves. This time, its hard for us to escape alive...
Ryan, head north! There is another hidden temple of mine there and I will be waiting for you to awaken me again! The statue uttered words after words.
Inches of light on the statue started to gather and formed a figure. Lady Thorn then appeared before Kieran.
She didnt appear in her coarse long dress and straw shoes anymore but was donning her own unique armor while wielding a sword and a shield.
Lady Thorn then slowly walked outside the temple.
In fact, not only Lady Thorn, Harvest, Mercy, War, Valiant, Love, Hunter, Melody and others took up their battle ready form in their own respective temple; each of their godly figures was shining as they flew up to the sky.
All except for Lightning!
As the strongest within Naveya, Lightning Temple wentpletely silent at this particr moment. There was not a single movement from that temple but the Gods did not wait any longer.
All of them gathered in the sky, all sorts of colorful divine lights shined brightly across the sky yet the usualfortable feeling was absent.
What reced thefortable feeling was endless depression, as though tons of weight was being ced on their bodies.
Prayers sounded of from their respective temples. It turned into the purest of energy and was enchanted on the Gods, making their shine every more dazzling.
The believers of the Gods were also leaving swiftly. The officiants and archpriests of their respective temple led their believers and evacuated temple district quickly.
Thorn Temple was no exception either but it wasnt Kieran who led the group. It was Einderson.
Everyone who was evacuated were astonished beyond words. They knew the ones being evacuated were the seeds of fire, the seeds that could reignite the fire of their respective temples.
Kieran was much more suitable than Einderson to prolong the legacy of the temple regardless of aspects but he didnt leave.
All the astonished ones saw Kieran standing in the empty square in the middle of the temple district, wielding his greatsword as he looked up to the sky.
The burning battle intent transformed into a powerful tornado, rumbling around Kieran.
The bewitching greatsword was emanating a pleasant buzz.
He... What does he...
Someone guessed correctly what Kieran wanted to do and it was because of that, they couldnt suppress the shock in their heart.
Suddenly, the sky turned dark.
A long yet gigantic body slowly emerged from the dark clouds, its curling and twisting body was covering the sky itself.
It was...
Chapter 937 - ULTIMATE THROW
Chapter 937: ULTIMATE THROW
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
It was a serpent!
A gigantic serpent that seemed to cover the sky itself.
The serpent head was as big as a temple, the tongue was as wide as a street; the saliva that dripped from its mouth could easily form a pond.
Its fangs were long, sharp, and appeared to be like small mountains yet with all those monstrous features, it didnt have eyes.
It wasnt born without a pair but they were dug away by something, two obvious wounds were left at its eye sockets.
However, the most terrifying point about the monstrous serpent wasnt its gigantic body but its scales!
The scales of the gigantic serpent were different than themon ones, the scales on this monstrosity were alive!
Each of the scales had a giant mouth on it. Its sharp teeth were giving out irritating screeches as it opened and closed.
Gak Cha, Gak Cha!
The condensed crunching noises wereing from the serpents body ceaselessly, making it extra terrifying and vicious.
Kieran nced over the hundreds and thousands of mouths on its scales, he squinted his eyes.
So the gigantic mouth just now was part of this serpents scales?
Kieran took a deep breath. He gripped [Arrogant Word] even tighter.
He knew how powerful the gigantic monstrous mouth was since he fought it just now yet that single mouth was just a single scale!
So, how powerful would the master of the scalebe?
Just look at the Gods rallying up against this monstrosity!
Despite all 22 of them rallying together, none of them dared to let their guard down.
On the contrary, Kieran felt the depression in from the light in the sky. He knew the Gods were facing their arch nemesis.
If it was possible, he definitely wished not to be a part of this monstrous battle but because of his main mission, he had no way to escape.
Be it the original one or the updated one.
His original mission was to ensure his identity not be exposed while staying in Naveya City for 4 weeks.
He was halfway through the main mission already but the sudden notification told him that the old main mission waspleted early and a new one would rece it.
[Triggered key event, main missionpleted earlier...]
[Special main mission appeared...]
[Special main mission: The terrifying Devourer has appeared. It is infamous for devouring Gods and it was awoken prematurely by the newly joined Follower. You need to inflict Light damage to the Devourer. (Any kind of damage is allowed, damage will be umted)]
...
Kieran nced over the words in his vision.
The term newly joined Follower allowed him to have more guesses of the situation.
The Followers? The self-proimed followers of the Heros descendants yet it was really the followers of the Devourer... still, its nature of toppling the temple is the same... What a confusing name! If Anxico was the original Follower, so who is this newly joined Follower?
Kieran suddenly thought of Herasu out of the blue but he swiftly shook his head in denial.
He didnt remove the suspicion on him but Herasu alone wouldnt be qualified to participate in such an apocalyptic event.
Lady Thorn didnt mention the Devourer was in slumber or where it was sealed but Kieran was sure the location was somece off-limits to a mere priest. So there must be some higher ranking individual involved in this.
Who had a higher ranking than Herasu in Hunter Temple?
Archpriest Krecko!
Yet why would a real archpriest betray his own God, his own beliefs?
Other than being simr to Kierans situation there was only one other possibility.
The Hunter himself was also a follower of the Devourer!
It was really bizarre! Beyond any logic and reason. Yet it was the spection Kieran had.
However, he wasnt at all delighted despite getting the spection.
Kieran felt chills on his back because if his spections were correct, the other 21 Gods that seemed to be of aid to Lady Thorn werent even reliable!
Who could guarantee that the newly joined Follower was just the Hunter himself?
What if the other Gods were also part of the diabolic n?
Lady Vanessa, be careful of the Hunter and the other Gods! Kieran gave a warning to Lady Thorn through telepathy.
He then turned to Starbeck who was hiding beside him.
Did yours change? Kieran spoke in a secret code that only the both of them knew.
Mm, mm! Starbeck nodded while trembling hard.
The moment the Devourer appeared, Starbecks mind went nk, he was stupefied.
A moment ago, everything was still looking normal. All he needed to do was survive a few more days toplete the dungeon world yet a momentter, the sky changed and a monster that was never before seen appeared before his eyes.
Starbeck would never understand how stubborn and frantic Kieran was in his bones since he cleared every dungeon without even doing anything.
Even though within this dungeon world where the Gods were the protagonists of the world, Kieran tried his best to trigger andplete all sorts of sub-missions, special events, and gave his fullest in triumphing and killing every enemy in his path.
Quantity will incite a qualitative change.
A bunch of small events will eventually alter the direction of how the world progresses.
Just like the Devourer which was supposed to be in slumber being awakened prematurely.
It was the result of those small changes.
Starbeck didnt know all of that but even if he knew, he couldnt do anything.
He was just an innocent observer who was there at the wrong time, or victim of the disaster of anothers doing.
Kieran, however, knew. He was different from Starbeck, even if he knew how catastrophic the event might turn out, he would do it again if he was given another chance and definitely be more frantic than this time.
Kieran knew what he must do since he knew his goal and what he wanted out of all this, this time was no exception.
However, Kieran also knew this was his choice, not Starbecks.
Once Kieran engaged the monstrosity, he wouldnt have time to take care of Starbeck anymore.
So, his priority now was to let Starbeck leave.
Do you have anything on you that can damage this monster lightly? Kieran asked.
Y-Yes. B-but it requires contact or for it to touch me, Starbeck stuttered.
Contact? After that do you have the confidence to hold on for 10 seconds? Kieran raised a brow as he looked at Starbecks waist bag.
When Starbeck saw Kierans raised brow, a bad feeling struck him.
The instincts of a coward were usually sharper than others.
It was simr to how a small animal developed natural instincts against danger, Starbeck was one of the best in the category.
However, Starbeck nodded honestly against Kierans question.
Y-Yes, I-I can!
The moment his words subsided, the bad feeling became real.
Starbeck was grabbed and raised over Kierans head while Kieran was ready to run.
W-What t-the hell y-you.... AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!
Before Starbeck could even finish, Kieran sprinted forward with Starbeck over his head. As he ran forward, he threw Starbeck into the sky towards the Devourer.
Starbecks body flew up with extreme speed, the cowardice in him made him scream his lungs out.
His sharp scream echoed through the clouds for a long while without signs of stopping.
Chapter 938 - The Voice That Expelled the Sun and Moon
Chapter 938: The Voice That Expelled the Sun and Moon
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Starbecks loud and sharp scream instantly attracted the attention of the Gods in the sky.
The Gods frowned in confusion when they saw Starbeck flying up to the sky but they didnt divert more attention to care about him.
The Gods knew who their real enemy was, so did the Devourer.
The Devourer was more arrogant and disdainful against the petty flying human. At least the Gods took a nce but the Devourer didnt care.
From how the Devourer perceived Starbeck, a mortal like him couldnt even be considered as food, he was nothing but a bug.
Such petty bug was only worthy of being rations for its scales.
So, the Devourer didnt move away, instead, it went ording to its original n: extending its body.
The gigantic body was trapped in that narrow space for too long, a good stretch and rxing was necessary for it to move.
Then, the Devourer would proceed to consume the Gods!
The killer intent from its heart caused it to hiss.
Sssss!
As though a wide street was spat out from its mouth, its tongue brought up a series of violent wind.
The violent wind was blowing towards the Gods. It was freezing and would send chills down ones spine, causing one to shiver uncontrobly.
The God of Valiant who was famous for being courageous and aggressive during battle had his divine light shook by the wind, his body was obviously shivering at that instance.
Likewise, the God of War who was always triumphant andpetitive didnt even dare to breathe loudly. He ced all his attention on the Devourer.
Despite the unusual behavior from the two, none of the other Gods dared to mock andugh at them because they were sharing the same expression.
As Gods, they were clear what kind of existence the Devourer represent and how ridiculously powerful it was. Especially, Thorn, Mercy, and Harvest.
The three of them existed when Naveya was first built, they fully acknowledged how powerful the Devourer was.
In their hearts, the strength of the Devourer was no longer just powerful but it became something horrifying.
If anyone from the three had encountered the Devourer in other ces, they might very well turn around and run but in Naveya, they had no ce to escape to.
Some of the Gods were different from those mortal turned Gods, they could never leave Naveya City as they shared the same existence with the city itself.
Thorn, Mercy, and Harvest exchanged gaze, all of them saw the resolute bearing in each others eyes.
Ill take the charge! the God of Mercy said.
The vanguard position originally belonged to the God of Lightning. Not just because the God of Lighting was powerful, it was also because his divine position partially restrained the Devourer.
Now?
Following the appearance of the Devourer, Lightning Temple remained quiet, not even a single priest or deacon came out to have a look.
If the God of Lightning hadnt fallen without notice, he must be ying his overconfident tricks again, just like 300 years ago.
But no matter what the God of Lightning was doing, the others could wait no longer.
The Devourer would not spare such luxuries to its food.
Ill take care of support! The God of Harvest said.
Ill takemand then! The God of Thorn said.
The other Gods nodded in unison, they readied their battle stance, charging up their battle spirits as they waited for God of Thornsmand.
At the same time, the Devourer was hissing non-stop. It couldnt really see but its senses allowed him to understand everything in its heart.
Sss, Sss!
It hissed again. Each time it hissed, violent wind followed yet it was absent of the previous killing intent, it sounded more like a heavy mocking smile.
Fools!
As the violent wind blew, an exploding voice entered the Gods ears.
The Gods divine light shook again but the heavy battle intent gathered among the Gods, their light was not as dazzling and colorful as before but it was substantial and heavy enough like the earth itself.
The violent wind stopped, the clouds halted.
Both sides were all set for a fierce battle and it could break out any seconds now.
The flying mimosa nt, Starbeck?
Who would care about a mortal at a crucial time like this?
He had been long forgotten, despite the fact that he was crashing onto the Devourers scale.
Right at that moment, an image of a vision shed over Lady Thorns sight. She was baffled by the face covered in light in the vision at first but soon turned into delight.
Attack!
Lady Thorn gave themand without a second thought after that.
The God of Mercyid the spear straight and charged towards the Devourer.
Light gathered on the spear, its charging speed was out of this world as if it was really aet flying over the sky.
The ferocious light spear precisely hit the Devourers head but...
Ding!
Sparks flew off upon contact.
The spear strike with otherworldly speed only left a shallow white mark on the Devourers head.
God of Mercy then lunged with a second strike.
Compared to the first one, the second spear strike was even faster.
If the first spear strike was aet flying over the sky, the second strike was light itself.
The second strike appeared almost instantaneously and was driving precisely at its target.
However, the spear moving at the speed of light was blocked!
Thousands and thousands of giant monstrous mouth oveid each other and appeared also instantaneously before the Devourer like a shield, blocking the spear of light from the God of Mercy.
BANG BANG BANG BANG!
Upon contact from the spear, thousands of monstrous mouth exploded together. A visible energy ripple sted off from the point of contact, sshing in every direction possible.
Wung!
After a deafening vibration went throughout the sky, the clouds above Naveya City vanished instantly.
Under the blue sky, the God of Mercy was panting heavily while new scales grew on the Devourer like mushrooms springing up after the rain.
The first strike represents mercy and sympathy, the second strike represent annihtion. After all these years, you are still so reckless, arrogant! Did it ever ur to you that your second strike might miss? What a.... Aaaaaargh!
The Devourer turned a blind eye at the attack from the rest of the Gods. It spilled its mockery only at the God of Mercy but before its mockery could finish, it was interrupted by the sudden pain from its body.
However promptly after that, its cry of pain was overpowered by...
Grrrrr... Woof!
It was obviously growls and barks from a dog!
The Devourers body shivered slightly while the attacking Gods were all frozen mid-air by the sudden urrence.
The sun set at a speed that defied logic but the moon that should have reced it didnte.
The sky turned dark in an instant.
The darkness enveloped the Gods divine light; the gigantic body of the Devourer was enveloped by the darkness.
All that was left was tearing noises, chewing noises, and... crying!
S-So scared!
The snake is so b-big!
A-afu, bite it!
The Gods who were frozen in mid-air clenched their teeth, trying to turn their neck to find out what was going on but none of them could achieve the movement that seemed easy during normal times.
The Gods couldnt, neither could the Devourer.
The almighty senses that benefited it in every possible way didnt let it see what was going on.
Its gigantic, tenacious and magical body that it took pride in could only wiggle slightly while it was bitten by the thing, more bite wounds appeared on its body as it wriggled.
Only Kieran who was on the ground saw what came out of Starbecks waist bag.
A dog head!
Chapter 939 - A Few Feet Away
Chapter 939: A Few Feet Away
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
A dogs head?!
Kieran was bewildered as he stared at the sky.
Whether was it the shape in the darkness or the mouth that popped out, it was telling Kieran it was indeed a dogs head but it was gigantic.
Aside from other trivial details, the fact that the dog could bite and cling to the Devourers body stated how gigantic it was.
Although the Devourers gigantic size came from its body length, its body width wasnt small either. Its body was as wide as a city district, it was enough to strike fear in peoples heart with a single nce.
However, even with such a ridiculous body size, it was helpless against the dog bite, allowing the dog head to tear it apart.
Under Kierans watch, the gigantic Devourer suffered at least hundreds of bite wounds on its body. The most severe bite almost tore it in half, leaving only a little bit of flesh and skin to hold it together.
What is this? How can a part of an animal be this powerful? What if it came out as a whole...
Kieran with furrowed brows mocked himself with augh.
He recalled thement that he gave Starbeck in front of Lawless.
Anyone who underestimates Starbeck will get more than they bargained for.
Now, it seemed like Kieran still underestimated Starbecks abilities.
Or should it be anyone with malicious intent that dared to even touch Starbeck would die without a grave.
Suddenly, Kieran thought about the possible ns that Broker had for the title dungeon, [de of the Daybreaker].
What kind of ns do you have, Broker? What makes you so daring inmitting such a diabolical act? Or does this overpowered yer before me have some weakness that no one knows of? Touch... Touch!
Kieran suddenly thought of what Starbeck said before.
If thats the case... Kierans eyes glimmered.
He then swiftly thought of another possible oue of the current situation.
However, if it was possible, Kieran really wanted to move and seize the opportunity toplete his main mission while the dog head was mping the Devourer down.
Unfortunately, he couldnt even move a muscle.
[Terrorize: Spirit has passed the authentication, Fear and Chaos debuff will not ur...]
[Bind: Strength hasnt passed the authentication, temporarily immobilized...]
Despite the fact that the real battle was happening in the sky, Kieran on the ground was somehow affected.
Kieran wasnt really frustrated over the matter though, instead, he felt grateful.
He knew that if he was in the sky where the battle was urring, he would have to endure a Spirit load beyond his imagination and once his Spirit failed any authentication, he would fall into the [Fear and Chaos] state. The consequences would be unbearable for him.
He had ways to fly up to the sky but it didnt mean he would be able to fly freely under such a heavy debuff state.
Kieran looked up into the sky and quietly waited for Starbeck and Afus performance to finish, the gears in his mind didnt stop as he watched.
Starbeck said he had the confidence tost for 10 seconds after that but this Afu didnt seem to be going away anytime, which means Afu might be able tost longer than 10 seconds. The way Afu attacked was messy and random. It seemed more like an instinctive attack and not an effective one. Which also meant Starbeck couldnt really give Afu precise orders. Hmmm, hold on, given how this Mimosa behaved, he might have the right to give the orders but he might have been frightened out of his mind or even forgot tomand Afu...
Listening to Starbecks non-stop sobbing in the sky and seeing how the Devourer was bitten by Afu, Kieran somehow had an unusual movement in his heart, making him wanted tough out loud.
In the end, he held it in and only had the corners of his lips twitch a few times.
Compared to Kierans mouth twitching, the Gods were all astonished beyond words.
Their arch nemesis, the Devourer was suppressed like this?
No, suppression was no longer an appropriate word.
It was crushed! Thats right, the Devourer was crushed without any kind of resistance!
What was that gigantic dog head? How could it be so powerful?
Who was that inconspicuous mortal? How could hemand such a powerful and weird existence?
Question after question rose in the Gods hearts.
Especially Lady Thorn who did some observation on Starbeck the mimosa nt before, her heart was rumbling with confusion as though a tidal wave struck her.
Although she did see a slim advantage for them in the vision just now, she never thought the advantage would turn out to be so huge.
We can win! This time, we can really win!
For the first time, hope rose up in Lady Thorns heart, so did the other Gods and despite them being immobilized, their morale was lifted.
The Devourer, on the other hand, was quite different. It was growling in pain and wiggling its body, trying to free itself from the dogs bite but its body that could easily crush a mountain with a slight movement was feeble and weak at this time.
The force behind the dogs bite was beyond its imagination, it even had an aura that caused the Devourers soul to tremble. The more the Devourer was bitten, the more fear it felt.
What is this thing? Why am I so instinctively scared of it?
The Devourer was pondering upon the question non-stop.
At the same time, the weak and feeble feeling that it hadnt even felt when it was born into this world started to spread throughout its body.
As the weakness spread, the Devourer stopped its wiggling.
It didnt give up in struggling but it was ready for an all-out attack!
The Devourer knew if this continued, it would be his demise, it must quickly get away from this freaky dog head.
However, when it wanted to make a move, the existence that frightened the Devourer vanished together with Starbeck.
The Devourer didnt know why the frightening existence would vanish now but it knew it was saved.
Other than that, the Devourer easily gained the upper hand on the battlefield again.
The sun slowly rose up, expelling the darkness that enveloped everything, it felt like a new day in Naveya City.
The Devourer stretched its heavily wounded body. The Gods didnt hesitate, the moment they regained their mobility, theyunched their attacks at the Devourer.
The Devourer, however, ignored all the attacks from the Gods. Its attention was ced on the ground.
There was another inconspicuous mortal on the ground yet it was much more horrifying than the previous mortal.
A ray of ck light shone, the battle continued in the sky.
A clone simr to a human suddenly stood before Kieran.
Its head was abination of a snake and a man. It had the features of a man yet was covered with thin scales; it had limbs but no tail and was wearing a ck robe.
The Devourers clone was sizing up Kieran carefully.
No, you are much stronger than the previous one and even stronger than any other mortal in this world! Since youve reached transcendence, did you came here to get merits to Ascend to Godhood?
300 years ago, there is another mortal simr to you but he failed and had a miserable ending. So, why dont we switch it up... Tell me where did the mortal with the dog head came from and I will help you Ascend to Godhood. What do you say?
Voices of bewitchment came from the clone as it was hissing with its snake tongue.
The Devourer had absolute confidence in bewitching the transcendent mortal before it.
It knew no mortal could resist the temptation of ascending to Godhood, the best example was Hero Algor.
Look at him! Family broken, friends turned on him and betrayed by his own subordinates.
Why? It was for no other reason than the chance to contend for Godhood.
But sometimes, such perception always leads to idents.
Just like how the Devourer took Starbeck lightly, it was repeating its mistake again before its own eyes.
It took lightly of the most persistent trait in Kierans character: friendship.
Likewise, the Devourer also underestimated Kierans boldness and recklessness.
Ascend to Godhood? Okay, I promise you. But I cant tell you his background in public, I might suffer terrifying retribution so I can only tell you alone. Kieran looked hesitant but eventually, the words escaped his clenched teeth.
Of course!
The Devourer didnt even suspect anything. It walked over to Kieran, created a sound isting barrier with the wave of a hand. It made sure the conversation wouldnt get out of the barrier before it leaned its ear to Kierans face.
Kieran gripped his greatsword even harder and squinted his eyes as he saw the Devourer clones heading closer to him.
Chapter 940 - Will
Chapter 940: Will
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
When the Devourers clone was less than 10 cm away from his face, Kierans [Arrogant Word] was swung down at it.
The bewitching purplish glimmer together with the rampant roar left a mythical trail in the air and shed the Devourers clone at the waist. The Devourers clone was defenseless since it thought it had everything under control.
Puk!
After the sound of shing real flesh and sshing blood, the Devourers clone was split in half.
Its clone opened its eyes wide at Kieran.
It didnt think Kieran would ignore the temptation to Ascend to Godhood.
It never thought Kieran would dare to strike its clone after seeing its real body in the sky.
It didnt even think that Kierans greatsword would be so powerful to the point it didnt have a window to defend against it.
[Fury sh]!
The strike that consumed all his Stamina in exchange for a +2 attack buff in rank.
Not only did it break through [Arrogant Word]s Extreme rank attack limit, it even went above the higher rank and reached rank II.
Of course, it still wasnt [Arrogant Word]s limit.
One shouldnt forget Kieran enchanted [Critical Rate] and [Critical Damage] on [Arrogant Word] before.
[Critical Damage: Has a certain chance to deal double damage when striking a targets weak point.]
[Critical Rate: Has a certain chance in dealing a higher rank attack damage]
The two effects no doubt relied heavily on luck.
Kierans luck wasnt the worst but it was nowhere near the best either. Most of the time, he relied on his courage, calm, and vignce to maximize his benefits.
However, things were slightly different in the current dungeon world.
[Vanessas Favour]!
Kieran was blessed more than once by Lady Thorn and he was definitely a lucky person in this dungeon world, it wouldnt be too over the top to consider himself as the Son of Luck.
Therefore, the [Fury sh] wasnt just amon heavy strike but was buffed with [Critical Rate] and [Critical Damage].
How far would a rank II attack reach after being doubled?
Kieran didnt know but he knew how much a rank II attack with a +1 buff would reach.
Rank III!
Not just any rank III attack but rank III with a [Critical Rate] buff!
That single [Fury sh] alone had exceeded Kierans strongest blow during usual times.
Likewise, the effect was also obvious.
The Devourers clone was split in half and was turned into specks of light.
A dark golden glowing item was floating where the clone stood.
While Kieran was panting heavily because of the depleted Stamina for that strike, he wasnt affected by the exhaustion when he came face to face with the loot, he grabbed it and stuffed it into his bag.
After securing his loot, Kieran only looked up to the sky.
He knew the real battle was just beginning, despite the system notification having already popped up.
[Special main missionplete, yer will leave the dungeon in 10 seconds...]
[Please take whatever items you wish to keep with you.]
[Note: Any items that exceed the maximum weight will be discarded!]
...
Killing the Devourers clone obviously inflicted some damage on its real body butpared to being deceived by a puny mortal, it was nothing.
Kieran could only imagine how pissed off the gigantic existence in the sky would be.
Even for he himself was deceived by someone that he could squeeze like a bug and even received damage in the process, Kieran would be extremely pissed off.
10 seconds.
It was short but trying to hold on for 10 seconds from the grasp of the Devourer, it wasnt entirely an easy task, despite the Godsholding it down.
So, when Kieran looked up again, two Stamina recovery potion were consumed right away, he even held the [Secondary Water of Life] in his mouth like a cigarette.
Promptly, Kieran was grateful for the choices he made.
Despicable bug! How dare you deceive me!
A titanic roar came from the sky.
The sound waves and violent wind caused by the titanic roar was like an explosive mortar dropping on Kieran.
KABOOM!
Amidst the explosion, debris and dust flew everywhere in the small square of the temple district.
When the dust settled, the little square waspletely obliterated, leaving only a thousand-meter wide crater with dozens of meters deep.
Inside the middle of the crater, Kieran was holding on to [Arrogant Word], his body was wobbling but he clenched his teeth to prevent himself from falling.
He tried his best in overestimating the Devourers power but until that explosive roar, Kieran realized he was far from a correct estimation.
Even with [Primus Arm, Primus Scale] and [Seattle Right Hand, Ice Hand Shield], a dual defensive stance and even with an effective blocking stance from [Arrogant Word], that one single roar caused severe damage to Kieran after shattering all his defensive measures.
If he didnt have the [Secondary Water of Life] at his mouth, he might have to rely on [Ring of the Serpent King, Snake Molt] to escape death.
After all, it was just a single roar from the Devourer and more importantly, the Devourer was still fighting with the Gods, it wasnt even a concentrated strike toward Kieran.
The gigantic body in the sky easily neglected the attacks from the Gods, a simple counterattack from the body would cause the Gods to dodge in panic. Kierans gears were spinning as fast as it could while he was watching the battle.
The Devourers power had far exceeded Kierans estimation, plus that ridiculously gigantic body of a serpent, whether he would fight it or try to escape, it was no longer possible.
What about hiding or creating clones?
Just looking at that blinded serpent eyes, from the start to the end, the Devourer couldnt see, all it relied on was its senses to battle the Gods. Not even the Gods were able to fool its senses, let alone a mortal.
Idea after idea came to his mind but were rejected one after another.
It was rare for Kieran to be stuck in a helpless and dire situation.
While the the Devourer who was still tangling with the Gods was growling non-stop.
Despicable bug, I wont let you die so easily! I will torture you and you will wish you were dead! KNEEL!
This growl didnt have the explosive power from the previous one but it had the mental impact that Kieran couldnt even withstand.
Kierans strongest Spirit attribute was like a joke before the Devourer, it was like paper, a piece of weak and fragile paper.
Kieran widened his eyes and instantly cked out upon impact, he became like a puppet, trying to carry out the order from the Devourer.
Wung!
The greatsword was buzzing and vibrating non-stop.
[Arrogant Word] was shining in purple and its sudden sh of light enveloped Kierans body wholly. The rampant arrogant aura was buffing Kierans body following the dazzling light.
Kierans scattered consciousness slowly gathered again and his body that wasmanded to kneel kept moving.
Roar!
A lion roar sounded. The golden lion took form beside Kieran and beside the golden lion, the armored colossal crocodile and rhino appeared.
Meanwhile, a faint and weak wave was showering Kierans surrounding. A giant sea serpent faintly showed itself.
A small yet strange golden snakes image shed over.
All of the beast souls were staring at Kieran.
Suddenly, the willpower of the Origin was imbued into Kierans own will and consciousness.
A king never kneels!
Chapter 941 - BURNING HEART!
Chapter 941: BURNING HEART!
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Two different willpowers shed and resonated.
The huge resonance came from the deepest part of the soul like a volcanic eruption, Kierans body started to tremble uncontrobly.
Kieran felt like he just woke up from a long slumber.
His eyes regained their sight. He nced over the other mirages around him that were fading away before heid his hand on [Arrogant Word]s hilt again.
Wung!
As the de chimed and buzzed, it was raised up in the air. The sharpest point of the greatsword was pointed at the Devourer.
Following Kierans movement, the whole battlefield fell into silence.
The Gods looked at Kieran in an inconceivable gaze. They didnt understand why would Kieran raise his sword against the Devourer.
It was obvious that Kieran fully relied on the souls of his equipment to help him escape his demise yet now he was provoking the Devourer again.
Unwise!
Many of the Godsmented on Kierans stupid move, except for Lady Thorn, Vanessa, and Lady Love, Nillusuo.
The former had her eyes glimmering brightly and saw another situation in the future through her vision; thetter merged with the figure before her sight with the one that she should have forgotten.
Especially when Kierans body was flowing around the rampant, chaotic, and devilish aura, if it wasnt for Kierans looks, he would be exactly like the man in her memories.
That man was also as strong, unyielding and also... heedless of consequences.
As though some thoughts struck the God of Love, Nillusuos divine light started to ripple.
The changes also happened to the other mortals that ascended to Godhood, the New Gods.
Some of them were recalling the past.
Some of them were unhappy.
Some of them felt rage.
Regardless of what it was, they couldnt change the fact that Kieran was standing on the ground, looking strong and unyielding as he pointed his greatsword at the Devourer.
What already happened could not be changed and what hadnt happened yet, who knew how it would turn out?
KNEEL!
The Devourer growled again.
After being opposed by a mere transcended mortal who wasnt even a demigod, the Devourer was infuriated to a point never before seen.
An even stronger, bigger mental impact crashed down at Kieran like a waterfall butpared to the wobbling defeat from before, Kieran did not budge this time.
Dong!
Dong Dong!
Dong Dong Dong!
Strong, vigorous heartbeats filled Kierans ears but louder was the roar of the devil from his heart!
KILL! KILL! KILL!
The incoherent words sounded with no logic at all, nothing except insults.
The moment Kierans body was manded, the devil felt endless wave of insults.
The king of the abyss has no generosity.
The king of the abyss has no virtue or morality.
The king of the abyss has no nobility or mercy.
All it had was killing! ughter! Massacre!
Who dares to offend me, KILL!
Who dares to show me contempt, KILL!
Who dares to stop me, KILL!
The word kill was exploding in Kierans mind yet it did not affect him at all.
His mind was clear and calm, he saw the cardinal sins wake up one after another due to the chaotic devils influence. Even the Eye of Chimeras was slowly waking up.
Lust, Greed, Gluttony, Sloth, Wrath, and Envy stood behind Pride.
They were crying,ughing, messing around and looking cold, all of them then looked up into the sky.
Who gave you the balls to talk to me like that!? Who gave you the balls to even be above my head?! Pride uttered each and every word out loud.
Pride then walked towards the devil together with the other cardinal sins.
The chaotic Devil Force epted the power from the cardinal sins with pleasure while Kieran was watching.
Suddenly and quietly, both diabolical existences somehow stood on the same side this time.
Kieran was also with them, he raised his right hand over his chest.
You guys feel unwilling as well?
Yeah!
Whos willing to obey that big piece of sh*t?
Who wants to worship it?
Not me, I am not obeying that thing!
Since all of you are not willing to, then... let us fight together on the same side!
We shall topple the heavens and rip the earth apart!
KABOOM!
As if the explosion was a reply to receive Kierans will, the Devil Force and the Cardinal Sins Force burst out but it didnt hurt Kieran.
However, thebined energy ignited the power of the gue, the gue Force!
Inside the heart holding Dawn Force and gue Force, gue Force was burning fiercely under the influence of Devil Force and Cardinal Sins Force.
Then, all of them became the fuel for Dawn Force.
Instantly, Dawn Force operated 10 times, 100 times faster than ever!
Wung!
With Kieran in the center, a cyclone made up of pure Dawn Force appeared around him.
The small cyclone was spinning around Kieran. The white light was filled with tenderness and tenacity but within a breaths time, the little cyclone turned into a typhoon.
The 100-meter Dawn Force typhoon was blowing across the temple district yet it didnt whip up any dust or pebbles at all.
Then, the typhoon suddenly stopped and everything around Kieran settled down as if the energy typhoon didnt even happen but the Gods and the Devourer were staring at Kieran.
There was light on Kieran simr to the divine light of a God yet a little bit different.
The white light covered Kierans face.
The white light was like the first light from the sun during dawn, bringing brightness to thend.
The white light was so divine and tender, anyone who saw it would feel unbelievably shocked.
Godly Ascension?
No, this isnt Godly Ascension! There is no divinity in him, no ignited divine mes and no divine position!
Then what is it?
The Gods discussed for a while before falling into silence.
Even Lady Thorn didnt know what form or state Kieran was in at that moment because none of them could imagine what state Kieran had already achieved.
[Dawn Sword]!
All the Origin Force inside Kieran gathered and formed a special version of [Dawn Sword].
It was special and rare because the formation of energy only had a very small chance tobine perfectly.
While under such a perfectbination of energy, it wouldnt just form [Dawn Sword II] but... [Dawn Sword VII]!
[Fusion energy converting...]
[Dawn Sword temporarily empowered!]
[Dawn Sword temporarily reached rank VII!]
[Dawn Sword VII: When you can truly utilize the Dawn Force, it means that you are truly a Knight of Dawn, despite the way you utilize it being one-of-a-kind. Charge Dawn Force for 2 seconds, consume ALL Stamina to fire out a 100-meter, rank V attack power light sword, doesnt have cooldown]
...
The system notifications piled up before Kierans vision but his attention was cedpletely on the Devourer as he was calcting the distance.
He wanted to dish out the light sword on the Devourer!
Kieran didnt know what oue would follow after the sword strike but he would not allow himself to leave just like that, even if it would cost him his own life.
He wanted to attack with his energy sword!
With determined eyes, Kieran stepped on the Creature of Desire and they flew up into the sky.
The Devourer somehow felt danger when it saw Kieraning closer.
The sense of danger felt ridiculus but when the Devourer thought of how that petty mortal damaged its body before, it couldnt help but wiggle its body, trying to draw distance from Kieran.
The Creature of Desire was fast but the Devourer wasnt slow either.
Plus the original distance between them, the distance between the both of them didnt shorten but instead, it became longer.
Kieran felt more anxious in his heart when he saw that the Devourer was flying further away.
His time was running out.
3 seconds!
After that, he would return to his game lobby!
Hurry up! Hurry up!
Kieran urged the Creature of Desire to give its best effort in catching up but it seemed useless.
It made the Creature of Desire growl non-stop and also made Kieran more anxious.
So I must leave like this?
No! Absolutely NOT!
Kieran shouted as the unwillingness filled his heart.
The roaring from his heart burned his persistence away, it was rare for him to ditch his calmness, leaving only the most instinctive persistent in his mind.
His persistence was burning hot, it was boiling like magma.
Coincidentally, burning and boiling was also the favorite thing of the Hell Fiend Spider.
Wung!
[Mardos Lair] shook, a small spider climbed out.
Its multiple eyes were gazing at the prey flying away, it then spat out its spider web.
The mirage-turned-real spider web flew across the sky, the sulfur river flowed down and formed across the sky for the little spider.
Inside the boiling magma of the sulfur river, the demonic entities mirage roared up in the sky.
2 seconds!
Suddenly, the Devourer was caught by the Hell Fiend Spiders web.
The instinctive fear and terror rose in the Devourers mind again.
Last time it was because of Starbecks Afu.
This time, it was because of Kierans Hell Fiend Spider.
Its gigantic body kept wiggling and struggling but it was pulled closer to Kieran despite the efforts.
The distance between them was originally a few thousand meters but it was instantly shortened to within 100 meters.
1 second!
Now within range, the bright dazzling 100-meter energy sword shed out at its target,
Naveyas sky turned dark in an instant and when it shone brightly again.
The Devourer was shed in half!
Chapter 942 - Muttering and snoring
Chapter 942: Muttering and snoring
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The Devourer was shed in half, splitting its head and body into two, but it didnt die.
The front of its body cried in agony. It was rolling and struggling in the sky while the other half of its body was being eaten.
The small spider took a big gulp. The Devourers lower body that was as big as a dozen Naveya Cities was instantly shrunken to the size of a few centimeters long and as thin as a strand of hair.
The Hell Fiend Spider then chomped down on the shrunken serpent body.
Joy and satisfaction filled Kierans heart; the Hell Fiend Spider then vanished on the wristband.
Then, a dimmed golden glow was circting the [Mardos Arm].
Bloody worm!
Devourer with half of its body left growled furiously.
The Devourer had no idea how Kieran dished out an energy sword like that and neither did it know why the things that frightened it would appear one after another.
However, it knew half of its body was devoured.
The Devourers body was devoured!
It was not just themest joke but it was also rted to its strength.
Despite the fright in its heart, it wouldnt allow such things to happen.
Enduring its pain, what was left of the Devourer turned around and threw itself at Kieran.
Kieran who was exhausted leaned on top of the Creature of Desire. His eyes ignored the Devourer which was flying towards him; he looked at Lady Thorn instead.
Kieran waved at the God of Thorn as if he was saying his goodbyes.
Next moment, Kieran vanished from thin air together with the Creature of Desire.
The Devourer roared angrily as it missed its target.
DESPICABLE WORMS!
...
The roar was still buzzing in Kierans ears after he returned to his game room.
He shook his dizzy head and unconsciously wanted to rub his temples to ease his dizziness but he felt powerless and weak, he couldnt even move his fingers properly.
Having his Stamina depleted twice in a short period of time was exhausting, especially the second time whichbined a couple of the Origin Forces in his body to ignite the never before seen [Dawn Sword] that was ridiculously powerful. Even for his New, I rank Constitution, he couldnt really take it all at once.
Are you okay, 2567?
Starbeck who was already back in the room looked at Kieran with a worried look.
Manageable. Consumed too much Stamina, Kieran replied honestly.
You need some Stamina recovery potions? Starbeck asked.
Kieran nodded right away.
He had no reason to reject potions to quickly recover his Stamina at that point.
Although in theory, the game room was absolutely safe, Kieran hated himself being in a weak and powerless state.
A quick nodter, Starbeck took out two Stamina recovery potions from his bag.
They were different than themon potions though, with Kierans [Potionology] level, a single nce at the potions allowed him to know those were high tier goods.
Kieran wanted to reach out to the potions but his weak body prevented him from the casual movement.
I-Ill feed you.
Starbeck said in stutter when he saw how weak Kieran was.
Then before Kieran even replied, he held Kieran up into his arms; he unplugged the cork on the tube and carefully feed Kieran the potion.
After two Stamina recovery potions were poured into Kierans mouth, a warm feeling came from his stomach and spread throughout his body, as if he was soaking himself in a hot spring; Kieran closed his eyes uncontrobly.
Then... he fell asleep.
Because of the system blur, Starbeck couldnt really see Kierans real face but the loud snoring told him Kieran waspletely worn out.
Starbeck didnt doubt anything though. He was behind Kieran the whole dungeon and he knew how Kieran lived throughout the dungeon run. Other than the inevitable fights and necessary rest, Kieran would never even rest throughout the day. If he wasnt searching for valuable clues of the dungeon, he would be theorizing and perfecting his ns.
Starbeck never saw such a life-risking person before.
Kieran could already be considered to be risking his life on a daily basis.
Starbeck saw hardworking people before butpared to Kieran, the others felt a littleckluster.
Why are you putting your life on the line so much? Well, I guess its only you, who risks your life this hard so that you can reach such levels in such a short period of time... You are really... amazing!
Starbeck muttered softly as he watched Kieran sleep but as he spoke, he suddenly realized something; his system blurred face suddenly showed an upset face because of the embarrassment.
Next time, if you have any ns, tell me beforehand... I-Im afraid of heights! But if you discuss it with me beforehand, I-Ill try to ovee it.
Starbeck was upset by the embarrassment but he didnt m Kierans head on the floor.
Given his character, he would nevermit such atrocities, besides his mood faded away quickly.
His emotions came quick but went away quicker.
All that was left was Starbecks mutter to himself.
And that snake... it was huge! Its my first time seeing such a huge snake! So scary!
Its even more ugly than the worm that frightened and made me cryst time!
You know, at times I was nning a garden cosmos, so I had to dig the soil myself, who knew there is a worm underneath the soil...
...
His soft mutters continued on and off; the snoring was getting louder and louder.
While listening to the loud snoring, Starbeck felt more like himself.
Not only did the feeling of restraint slowly wear off, but even Starbecks words also sounded more energetic which he never showed during other times.
Although no one could hear his voice.
Really no one?
Maybe...
...
Outside Wallway 13th, Lawless was waiting anxiously with a cigar in his mouth.
As a veteran, he knew how dangerous was it to enter a dungeon without sufficient preparation.
In fact, aside from sufficient preparation, even if a yer was fully prepared, as the dungeon entry number umted, so would the increase in difficulty; no matter how prepared a yer was, the danger was imminent.
Otherwise, there wont be yers who failed their dungeon runs.
That Goddamn cunning merchant!
Lawless squeezed out the word through his clenched teeth.
He hated Broker from the first nce; he felt like the cunning merchant was always putting up an act, like a venomous snake with a smile.
Still, he never would have thought he underestimated Broker.
Broker was nning to acquire a second Unique Title! Hed even went so far to alter to the course of the title dungeon!
He didnt know how Broker changed the progression but he knew it would require Broker to pay an unimaginable cost; even with his financial status, it wouldnt be easy.
Do or die situation? Or have absolute confidence in victory?
Lawless took a deep puff off his cigar. His eyes looked a little troubled.
Suddenly, a Gatling gun appeared in his hand and was pointed at the shadow beside him.
Hey mate, this is private property, no trespassers allow!
Chapter 943 - Invitation
Chapter 943: Invitation
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Wung!
The generator of the Gatling gun buzzed in its unique sound; six gun barrels were slowly spinning.
In less than a second, the bullet storm from the six-barrelled Gatling gun could rip the figure in the shadows to shreds.
While the six gun barrels were pointed at him, the figure in the shadows made a wise choice to walk out.
Pardon me, it seems like my appearance has caused you to misunderstand but I mean no harm. The person raised his hand up.
Meaning no harm isnt just something you say with your mouth, Lawlessughed coldly.
A single nce from his sharp eyes allowed Lawless to see through the fakeness in the person.
After all,pared to what he experienced from Broker, it was far from decent.
It was like a lvl 1 and lvl 99parison but still hateful and disgusting regardless of the levels.
You see, I am just a messenger. Please dont put a petty figure like me in a difficult position.
Ill ce the invitation here, can you pass it to Lord me Emperor? This is quite a rare gathering, we hope that you can participate as well.
Then, the person stepped back as he ced an invitation with a burning bottle image on the ground.
Lawless originally didnt n to let the person go but when he saw the invitation, he changed his mind right away.
Burning Bottle! Hilton!
Lawless knew his good friend was searching for this bastard!
Since the guy acted as a messenger for Hilton, even if he wasnt one of Hiltons, he would know more about the mysterious high-ranker.
When the thought came to mind, Lawless took a step forward quietly but the messenger was much more vignt than Lawless imagined.
The moment Lawless took a step forward, the person pulled out a scroll from his sleeve.
The scroll was ripped apart as it was emanating a magical presence; the messenger than vanished in front of Lawless.
Teleportation scroll? Lawless was surprised.
As a veteran, Lawless knew a lot more about the underground game than themon yers; he knew how much a teleportation scroll was worth.
Even if it was the short distance kind, it would be equal to the price of a Rare rank item.
Being able to give such items to just a messenger, even if it was to handle his good friend Kieran, it was enough to let Lawless know Burning Bottle was much more than it meets the eye.
A group with less than 10 yers that was almost unheard of yet had so much under its sleeve?
Lawless didnt buy it.
A quick checkter, Lawless picked the invitation up.
What is Burning Bottle hiding?
Lawless plunged into deep thought when he saw the image on the invitation.
Then, he started to probe for more information regarding Burning Bottle from the familiar people around him.
While he was waiting for a reply, Lawless saw Kierans name light up again.
Without further hesitation, Lawless delightfully requested to enter Kierans room but he didnt receive a reply for quite a while.
Something went wrong?!
The thought made Lawless anxious.
Lawless then requested at least a dozen times in the next half hour to enter Kierans room.
Finally when he was given the permission to enter, Lawless barged in in an anxious manner.
However, when he saw his friend with a calm aura and looking great in general, Lawless was stunned.
It was totally different from what he had imagined.
Lawless then saw Starbeck who was standing beside Kieran; he was looking a little different from what Lawless remembered but couldnt tell exactly what the difference was.
What? Whats wrong? Lawless asked.
Ive been sleeping until just now. What are you holding in your hand? Kieran shifted the topic in a slick way.
An invitation from Burning Bottle! That group is not simple.
Lawless passed the invitation to Kieran before he stated what happened just now in a serious tone.
Teleportation scroll?
Kieran slightly muttered as he ced his attention on the invitation.
He was hesitating whether he should tell Lawless about the Advance Ranks.
Rachel was obviously one but given her rtionship with Lawless, she didnt tell Lawless either which mean she must be holding something back.
While Kieran thought about Lawlesss illness, he chose to contact Rachel instead.
Two secondster, Rachel replied, Sure.
...
You know about the high-rankers?
Of course! After the Character Model Temte Limit Break dungeon, a high-ranker can get some special title and some peoples attributes will also reach new heights with an extra something behind.
After Rachels reply, Kieran was brewing his words, trying to exin to Lawless but before he could, Lawless already uttered what he wanted to say.
Hey, hey, hey, my friend, do you guys see me as a stupid cow? Ive many more contacts other than you and Rachel! Im mixing around with other yers as well!
Lawless grunted in dissatisfaction when he saw how dull Kierans expression was.
No, you are just being a stupidly good person. Kieran shook his head and said seriously.
Right away, Lawless rolled his eyes at Kieran but he threw over a cigar to Kieran at the next moment.
The devil me on Kierans left hand lit up the cigar. He allowed the faint sulfuric scent to fill his mouth; he carefully tasted the tobo mixed with sulfur in his mouth before spitting out a mouth of smoke.
Then, he took another puff.
Quite nice right? It feels like it is baked and lit uppletely with firewood. Ive tasted one just now and I think you will get hooked by the sensation.
Lawless took out another new cigar as he spoke; he told Kieran what he felt about the taste and Kieran did not reject.
Huuu!
When the cigar was ignited, Lawless took a big puff, looking satisfied but before he spat out the smokepletely, Kieran asked.
Does Rachel know?
*Cough! Cough!*
She didnt before but she does now... You dont have to hide it for me. Just answer what she asked you. Dont worry, she might just chop me up a few times, I wont die so easily.
Lawless coughed a few times before he smiled bitterly.
Kieran quietly nodded.
He felt the rtionship between Lawless and Rachel was weird before and now the feeling was getting stronger.
However, he knew the two of them cared for each other genuinely.
That would be enough.
As for other matters, Kieran would leave it to the two of them.
How is the progression of the title dungeon? Lawless asked out of curiosity.
Its a little better than the absolute worst.
[Dungeon cooldown, 10/10]
That f*cking merchant!
Lawless cursed out loud when he saw the disy from Kieran.
He knew even if his good friend messed up Brokers ns, that f*cker would still get the upper hand in that dungeon world.
Whether was it directly altering the dungeon cooldown, or sending his men to infiltrate the dungeon world to alter the events, Broker was ready.
His good friend?
Not only did Kieran have no advantages at all, he still has to carry a goddamned baby!
Lawless then looked at the Mimosa angrily.
Starbeck hid behind Kieran without even thinking, he said without even showing his head, I-Ill try my best in helping 2567!
When you say youll try your best, its best you stand before me and show your courage rather than hide behind 2567, Lawless grunted coldly.
I-I...
Starbeck wanted to refute Lawless but his words couldnt escape his mouth.
While that was happening, Kieran received a request to enter the room.
When he saw the requesters name, he raised a brow.
Chapter 944 - Rumours
Chapter 944: Rumours
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
J.Pearlman.
The man just invited Kieran to join his Freedom Alliance, a group consisting of only high-rankers not so long ago; he seemed like a kind man.
Rachel even had quite thementary on him.
After some thought, Kieran allowed J.Pearlman to enter.
Good day, Mr. 2567, Mr. Lawless, Mr. Starbeck.
J.Pearlman walked in with his casual outdoor clothes, a fishermans hat, and a box on his shoulder before greeting everyone.
It wasnt weird for him to know Lawless and Starbeck though.
Lawless himself was the type of guy who mixed around with almost everyone and knew almost everyone in the game.
Although Starbeck lived in seclusion and rarely came out, his exceptional financial power made him a spotlight in some yers eyes, especially those belonged to an organization.
After all, Starbeck wouldnt buy all his equipment from just Broker, he must have other sellers as well. The high-ranker organization, Freedom Alliance was the first choice.
At the very next moment, J.Pearlman verified Kierans thoughts.
I never thought I would meet you here, Mr. Starbeck, its an honor!
J.Pearlman said with a surprised but not enthusiastic tone.
2567 and I are friends, Starbeck briefly exined.
Somehow, Starbeck sounded different when he was speaking with J.Pearlman. Unlike Kieran and Lawless who knew what he was capable off, Starbecks tone was slightly deranged and arrogant when he spoke to the Fisherman; it felt like the first time Kieran met him.
However, Kieran and Lawless didnt expose Starbeck.
They allowed Starbeck and J.Pearlman to chat for a while before Kieran asked, So, Mr. J.Pearlman, are you here for?
The Fisherman instantly became stern.
Mr. 2567, there are some rumors about youtely that intrigued me. So, since we met before, I was chosen toe forth for some inquiries. Of course, its just simple inquiries, not to make sure of anything. We dont mean to sound pushy either, you can choose to answer my questions or not, J.Pearlman said sincerely.
He somehow even lowered his own status which caused Kieran to be intrigued.
Starbeck and Lawless looked at the man.
What rumors? Kieran asked.
Rumor has it that you have acquired a part of the Witchs Legacy. So I represent my group to find out whether is it true? J.Pearlman said.
The words from the Fisherman made Kieran frowned. He automatically turned to Lawless and Starbeck and coincidentally, they were looking at him as well.
The three of them knew what each other was thinking through simple gazes.
Broker!
It was Brokers handy work again!
J.Pearlman saw Kieran, Lawless and Starbecks reaction; he didnt rush them but waited patiently for Kierans answer.
Mr. J.Pearlman, do you know the conflict between me and Broker? Kieran didnt reply directly but with his own question instead.
Ive heard about it. Frankly speaking, Broker is not likable even among us. He is too cunning and schemed a lot, who knows when he would turn around and bite us from behind?
Oh, I did mention before you can just call me J or Pearlman, or even Fisherman is fine. J.Pearlman lifted his fishermans hat with a smile.
Very well, Pearlman. The conflict between me and Broker has escted to the point where only one of us will walk away alive. Lawless brought men to trample his properties before and of course, he would release fake rumors to cause me more headaches.
Kieran addressed J.Pearlman the way he asked and also briefly exined the situation.
Of course, some other secretive crucial points were taken away from the exnation.
As for the title dungeon?
It wasnt a secret anymore that Kieran had the [de of the Daybreaker (Sub Scroll)] but he still chose to avoid discussing the matter.
I see, J.Pearlman nodded.
Then, both of them talked for a while more before the Fisherman parted ways with the three of them politely.
J is not an idiot. Its for him to figure out if you can contend with Broker in [de of the Daybreaker], Lawless said after J.Pearlman left.
Its already an obvious factid bare on the table. If people still dont know why Brokers forces shrunk at first, as time goes by someone will definitely notice something. I am certain that many of the yers are smart, just like how I am certain that Broker is targeting something else by releasing the fake rumors, Kieran said slowly with squinted eyes.
Targeting something else? What does that bastard want to do now? Lawless frowned.
He couldnt figure out what good it would do by releasing fake Rumours; neither could Kieran.
The reason why Broker did what he did was to pull more attention to Kieran, causing more trouble for him, and that was it.
But the attention and trouble was almost nothing for Kieran. Without solid proof, only those petty goons would fall for the fake rumors; Kieran could easily dispatch them single-handedly.
Worst came to worst, even if Broker created some fake evidence to frame Kieran, it still will not affect him directly since he and Starbeck were about to enter the title dungeon, [de of the Daybreaker].
Unless...
The other three sub scrolls of the title dungeon werent with Broker!
There were other people who possessed the sub scroll and these few people had the ability to threaten Broker!
But that didnt make sense either.
ording to Kierans understanding of Broker, since Broker dared to elerate the cooldown of [de of the Daybreaker], he must have absolute confidence in taking out both him and Starbeck.
Which means, the remaining 3 sub scrolls became a key factor. Broker would only feel absolute confidence by possessing the other 3 sub scrolls.
Moreover, when Broker first used one of the sub scrolls to lure Kieran into this big mess, it meant he wasntcking sub scrolls to give out.
Just when Kieran was in deep thought, his PM tab pinged him.
......
Rachel: I got news. Extremus got [de of the Daybreaker (Sub Scroll)] from Broker!
Rachel: and one of the Supernovas, the extremely powerful Darde the Titan was given one as well!
...
Kieran breathed heavily when he saw the messages from Rachel.
As expected!
Extremus was the leader of the yer killers and from how Rachel described him, he was extremely terrifying. Not only in the underground game but in real life as well.
Kieran carved Extremus name into his heart when they first discussed him since he knew what Rachel and Lawless upation was in real life.
On the other hand, the Titan, Darde, was heard off multiple times as well since Kieran wasnt a newbie anymore.
Darde had the lineage of the Titan, possessed superhuman strength and was almost imprable. He once ughtered an entire city in a high difficulty dungeon.
The two of them were people that Kieran had to be extremely careful of but...
The one deserved the most attention was Broker!
You generously gave out two sub scrolls to others just like this? If the snipe and the m are locked in a fight, it is only to the advantage of the fisherman, which is you, Broker. Its so obvious that it doesnt seem like you at all... Where are the rest of your men hiding?
Kieran squinted his eyes as they glimmered.
He wouldnt believe Broker had only one reliable man to bring into the fray.
That bastard must be plotting something.
What will it be?
Almost out of instinct, Kieran thought of the Witchs Legacy.
Chapter 945 - Overthinking your life
Chapter 945: Overthinking your life
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
To be honest, other than the Witchs Legacy, Kieran couldnt think of anything else that could drive Broker into doing what he did.
Or perhaps it was his original n all along?
The title dungeon and the Witchs Legacy, Broker had no intention to give up on either one.
As for how Broker could get his hands on information regarding the [de of the Daybreaker (Sub Scroll)] and the Witchs Legacy at the same time?
Kieran never doubted the capabilities of a Unique Title yer.
Moreover, the existence of the secret bazaar and the other properties had stated how influential Broker was.
Kieran rearranged his thoughts; he told every single one of his spections to Lawless and Starbeck without further concealing anything.
Lawless was his best friend in the game, so there was no need to hide it.
Starbeck was a literal coward but he wasnt totally useless during crucial times. Besides, the uing dungeon was closely rted to him as well, it was necessary to reel him in regarding the details.
This bastard is really greedy as hell! Does he not worry about ending up taking a total loss like drawing water with a sieve? Lawless grunted after he heard what Kieran said.
That is why I worry so much. Broker must have something to rely on since he dared to do something like this, Kieran said slowly
Kieran never dared to underestimate anyone, especially the likes of Broker.
From others point of view, the way Broker initiated this kind of dual front line battlefield was reckless and bold but from Kierans own point of view, Broker had absolute confidence; it wasnt good news for him.
What are you nning to do? Or should we make a move on Extremus and Darde the Titan now instead? Since none of these two are known for being Mr. Nice Guy, Lawless suggested.
Believe it or not, Broker would really prefer for us to do that... whether is it Extremus or Darde the Titan, they are not easy opponents. Without certain advantages, we cant deliver a lethal blow and once both of them escape, the real endless nightmare will begin after that.
Kieran shook his head with a smile before continuing.
Besides, we dont have enough time! [de of the Daybreaker] cooldown timer has reached [10/10] but we cant be certain whether or not Brokers men are inside the dungeon. If Broker himself is still inside, the longer we drag this out, the more disadvantages it will ce on us. It might even render the 1 dungeon clear advantage of Starbeck and myself useless, causing our efforts to fall short.
Brokers men might not be able to do anymore after the cooldown reaches 10/10 but that is just a high possibility, definitely not a certainty. Things that are uncertain have too many dangerous and unknown elements! So, Starbeck and I will start the [de of the Daybreaker] dungeon right away, Kieran exined his reasoning.
Lawless was convinced by Kierans exnations because he himself couldnt guarantee what Broker would do.
If it was Kierans second spection, everything would be still fine but if it was the first, the longer they dragged on, the oue will definitely be deadly.
Therefore, it was self-exnatory of which choice should they go with.
That damn merchant always left people hanging in the air! Lawless cursed.
This is how he does things, Kieran said as he looked at Starbeck.
Starbeck, any suggestions?
As his teammate for another dungeon run, Kieran will not take Starbecks suggestion for granted and he too hoped that Starbeck could voice out something that he missed.
I...I-I have nothing... Ill just follow you.
Starbeck obviously wanted to say something but when Lawless looked at him, his nervousness got the best of him; it made him shake his head right away.
Kieran who already knew Starbecks character knew it was his true words but with Lawless around, Starbeck dared not say anything. He would have to ask Starbeck again when Lawless is away.
Then lets get ready.
Kieran then started to calcte his rewards from the previous dungeon and also checked the dungeon rating.
[Special Dungeon: The Shamans Partner IV]
[Dungeon Type: Free Mission]
[Dungeon Difficulty: Medium High]
[Main Mission: You need to stay in Naveya City for 4 weeks and make sure you and your participants identities are not exposed.]
[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating F)]
[Sub Mission 1: Itinerant Merchant]
[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating F E)]
[Sub Mission 2: Bold and Reckless]
[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating E D)]
[Sub Mission 3: Hidden]
[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating D C)]
[Special Event: Prevention of Fate (Perfect Rating)]
[Perfect Rating: C S]
[Special Main Mission: Damage the Devourer]
[Mission Completion: 300% (Rating S ZZ)]
[Battle Performance: Extremely Active (Rating ZZ ZZZ)]
[Exploration Performance: Average]
[Special Rating 1: Eliminated Lady Wealths clone (Rating ZZZ V, Rep +2)]
[Special Rating 2: Assist kill on Lady Wealths true body (Rating V VVV, Rep +3)]
[Special Rating: Eliminated Devourers clone (Rating VVV GGG, Rep +5)]
[yer final rating: GGG!]
[Calcting yer final special dungeon reward...]
[Final yer special dungeon reward below...]
[Points: 500,000; Skill Points: 80; Golden Skill Points: 10; Golden Attribute Points: 10]
[Acquired special dungeon: The Shamans Partner V]
[The Shamans Partner V: The battle between the Gods and Devourer ended differently because of you but the effect of this fierce battle is only beginning...]
[Main Mission: Starts when entering the dungeon]
[yer final rating: GGG...]
[Acquired special reward: Randomly draw an item from the dungeon world]
[Note 1: yer must draw the item himself, no recement allowed]
[Note 2: The draw chance cannot be reserved, yer has to draw before the new dungeon starts, otherwise deemed forfeit.]
...
After the ratings reach a certain height, I can receive real special rewards?
Kieran nced over the ratings and was feeling a little anticipated in his heart.
What will it be? Will it be a high tier item? My luck isnt that bad, maybe I can get some special items!
While Kieran was pondering the matter in his heart, he chose to draw the item right away.
The drawing process was simple. There was no spinning wheel or stuffs like that; the prize directly appeared on Kierans hand.
Next moment, Kieran felt the weight on his palm and he eagerly looked at the item in his hand.
It was a palm-sized, grayish white, irregr edged stone-made item which still had explosive and tremendous pressured marks on it.
After a slight gaze, Kieran threw it at a corner of his garage.
2567, why are you throwing stones now?
Lawless looked at his friend as he was contacting his contacts for more informations=; Starbeck was also looking at the scene curiously.
Nothing.
Kieran didnt change his expression and said with a calm tone. Then, he quickly walked towards another corner of the garage, walking further away from the spot that he threw that stone.
After making sure Lawless and Starbeck couldnt see him, he covered his chest.
Suddenly, Kieran realized having two hearts was not a good thing because once heartache urred, it would be double the pain.
Huu, Huuuha!
Kierans stingy scrooge soul was erupting because of being trolled of the system again. In order to divert his attention, he breathed heavily repeatedly before shifting his attention to the loot that fell off from the Devourers clone and the newly improved [Mardos Lair]
Chapter 946 - Resonance. Choice (2 in 1)
Chapter 946: Resonance. Choice (2 in 1)
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The loot from killing the Devourers clone was an Advance Rank, sleeveless leather mail.
On top of its pitch ck surface, the re on the chest part was slightly dimmed down while around the edge of the shoulder, there were meticulously carved patterns forming two lines, wrapping across the armpit area, as if two profound looking straps were attached on the left and right side.
[Name: Devourer Shadow Mail]
[Type: Equipment]
[Rarity: II]
[Defense: II]
[Attribute: 1. Devouring Force; 2. Devouring Strike; 3. Devourers Wrath]
[Special Effect: Huge Appetite]
[Prerequisite: killer of the Devourers clone]
[Remark: It is as powerful as its name despite it being just a shadow.]
...
[Devouring Force: When interacting with any attack lower than rank II, the mail will absorb them (Includes but not limited to shing, blunt attacks, piercing attacks); Any attack higher than rank II will grant 20% damage mitigation to its wearer]
[Devouring Strike: When the same target triggers Devouring Force twice in a row, the wearer can counterattack with damage received on the second strike with a +1 attack buff on the target]
[Devourers Wrath: When the wearer is attacked more than 10 times within 1 second (can be from different targets), targets within a 25-meter radius will receive a Powerful shockwave attack that ignores defense, 2 times per day]
...
[Huge Appetite: Able to consume a lot more food than usual and acquire better effect from food. Has high chance to trigger special attributes from consuming food]
......
Rank II? The glow of a rank I and a rank II item were the same? Which means rank I and II might be different but... it is still within the same major rank?
Kieran touched his chin as he pondered upon the matter.
If rank I and II belonged to the same major rank, this means attributes representing rank I and II should be simr as well. Maybe not only rank I and II but even rank III also belonged to the same category.
As for higher than rank III?
Kieran didnt know but it would be an entirely new rank.
Shaking his head, Kieran kept away the scattered thoughts and started to carefully check the attributes of [Devourer Shadow Mail]
Not too shabby!
Those were Kieransments regarding the item. Whether was it the rank II defensive power or all of the different attributes, they lived up to its rank; even the special effect was decent.
After [Armor of Excellence] shattered to pieces, having acquired a stronger [Devourer Shadow Mail] was like sending coal to him during the harsh snow.
Kieran equipped [Devourer Shadow Mail] without any second thoughts.
He then looked at [Mardos Lair].
[Name: Mardos Lair]
[Type: Armor (Right-hand wrist guard)]
[Rarity: III]
[Defense: III]
[Attributes: 1. Mardos Web, 2. Mardos Net, 3. Mardos Devour]
[Effect: 1. Mardos Fire II, 2. Mardos Terror]
[Prerequisite: The one who killed Mardos (Binds to yer)]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: Mardos was hatched from a Hell Fiend Spider egg that was left on earth, through a special and hastened hatching process, it had a growth disorder in nature, in addition to losing its intellect, strength, and lineage of a Hell Fiend Spider, all it has is the natural predatory instinct, but your presence has started to change it!]
...
[Mardos Web: Fire a tensile and sticky retractable spider web no longer than 100 meters, the spider web has a rank l defense, the target will be required to have rank I Strength to break away from the stickiness, 10-second duration, 2 times per day]
[Mardos Net: Fire a 20-meter radius sticker spider webced with poison, binding multiple targets 150 meters within sight, spider web has a rank I and above defense, the target will be required to have rank I Strength to break away. The poison will force the target to undergo 3 Constitution authentications of rank II, Strong rank I, and New rank I. If the target fails all 3 authentications, the target will receive rank II poison attack. If the target fails 2 authentications, the target will receive Strong rank I poison attack. If the target fails 1 authentication, the target will receive New rank I poison attack, 5-second duration, onceday]
[Mardos Devour: yer will absorb the soul energy of each target killed, replenishing yers HP, Stamina, the recovery rate is based on the targets soul level. The soul can be temporarily stored in the armguard, able to replenish at will. The restoration level is equal to 1 Lethally Wounded Status worth of HP and Stamina, 2 Heavily Wounded Status worth of HP and Stamina, 3 Moderately Wounded Status worth of HP and Stamina. (Current stored Lethally Wounded Restoration: 0; Heavily Wounded Restoration: 0; Moderate Wounded Restoration: 0)]
(Note: This is pure soul energy and has no specific harmful elements, suitable for all Origin Forces.)
...
[Mardos Fire: When using Mardos Web or Mardos Net, the bound target will receive rank I fire damage and rank I negative energy corrosion. Able to activate Hell Fiend Spider Fire at your will. ( Mardos Fire is not mortal fire, water and sand cannot extinguish it.]
[Mardos Terror: The monsters that lived around the hell sulfur river were not as simple as they look but they chose to bow down to Mardos. When using Mardos Web, Mardos Net, the bound target will be forced to undergo a Spirit authentication not lower your own and Intuition authentication not lower than your own Fear and Illusion level. If the target fails 1 authentication, the target will receive a mental impact attack equivalent to your Spirit rank. If the target fails 2 authentications while receiving the mental impact attack, the target will be forced to undergo another Death authentication (Judged based on the special life energy belonging to you and Mardos), the target will die instantly if failed and the soul will be devoured!]
......
After seeing the small spider eat half of the Devourers body, Kieran knew [Mardos Lair] would undergo tremendous changes but he never thought it would be this drastic.
It leveled up from Above Legendary to rank III!
This kind of jump in power almost changed its core and it made [Mardos Lair] looked like entirely new equipment, especially the new [Mardos Terror]!
As a Chosen One, the attribute fit Kierans situation perfectly.
Kieran touched the spider icon on his arm guard with his other finger; he couldnt help but smirk.
Youve lost the original inheritance, wisdom, and power of a Hell Fiend Spider, leaving behind pure predatory instinct. My appearance, however, is slowly changing that fact, making the changes deeper and deeper.
Kieran repeated the remarks on his own; his tone indicated that he was filled with anticipation.
Ripper of stars and catcher of Gods... I really want to see you be the real Hell Fiend Spider.
Wung!
A slight buzz came from the spider icon as if it was replying Kieran.
However, it was not just [Mardos Lair], [Lionheart], [Primus Arm], [Wild Soul], [Rudenmoren Skin], [Ring of the Serpent King], [Wolf Remnant Feast] and also [Arrogant Word]!
All of his equipment was faintly sending their thoughts to Kieran; it was thin and blurry, even Kieran couldnt clearly catch the meaning within.
Yet he instinctively reached out his hand and touched each and every one of his equipment.
He didnt forget the scene when he was facing the Devourer and he would not forget for the rest of his life.
Compared to others, these pieces of equipment which seemed to be nothing more than inanimate objects felt more like his partners that fought with him side by side in many battles.
Partners? Kieran muttered to himself.
Wing!
All eight of his equipment buzzed and replied to him.
Then, Kieran saw a vision of green fields.
The golden lion wasying down there,manding the special pack.
The white giant wolf was running around the outskirts, howling ceaselessly.
The armored rhino and colossal crocodile were charging forward.
The golden snake and the sea serpent that caused a tidal wave were hiding under the ground.
Meanwhile further below ground where the magma boiled, the small spider was floating pleasantly.
Then, Kieran saw himself wielding [Arrogant Word].
His figure was blurry under the starry sky and soon after, his vision turned blurry as well.
He saw himself trying to say something to him but before he could hear it, the vision went away.
The green fields vanished within a breaths time and everything was back to normal.
Kieran returned to his old broken garage.
Nothing had changed on his equipment but Kieran had a different view in his heart, or more urately, an entirely new perception.
Partners! Kieran said it again.
This time, it sounded firmer and stronger, unlike the hesitant one from before.
Whats wrong?
Startled by Kierans utterance, Lawless and Starbeck turned around.
Nothing. Lawless, do you know anyone that can fix soft mail?
Kieran took out [Orinder Soft Mail]. It was damaged together with [Armor of Excellence]
Although [Orinder Soft Mail]s defense might not be enough for Kieran to face enemies in the future, it was actually an extra piece of armor which could be worn underneath [Devourer Shadow Mail].
During critical moments, it could very well be a life-saving tool; just like how [Burwells ughter] was a soft de that could hide in [Wild Soul].
Oh right, can you get me a [Sharp Weapon, Special Sword Weapon] skill book? As long as the price is not too high, I am fine with it. Best if you can barter for it.
Kieran continued and at the same time, he passed dozens of Magic rank equipment to Lawless for sale.
Soft mail repair, you should find Shu. He is the best mail restoration master that I know of. Well, of course, he might be a little cold and not a talkative person since a man having the name Shu could cause a lot of awkward embarrassment, but he is quite a nice guy.
Didnt cksmith introduce him to you?
...
After that, Lawlesss nagging temperant was awoken and Kieran wisely kept quiet and contacted the yer, Shu, directly.
......
2567: I need to repair a soft mail.
Shu: 10k
...
After the screenshot was sent over, Shu gave an immediate reply; it was simple and clean as always without any intentions of dragging things out.
Kieran sent the fees and soft mail to him. Meanwhile, Kieran didnt sit back and rx either, he turned his attention to his points tab.
[Points: 535,000; Skill Points 92: Golden Skill Point: 11: Golden Attribute Point: 12]
The danger that Kieran faced in thest dungeon had reached never before seen heights. Even now when Kieran thought of the Devourer, his heart had a lingering fear but the rewards were rtively huge as well.
Aside from normal Points and Skill Points, the Golden Skill Points, Golden Attribute Points could level up Kierans strength to the next level.
Soon, Kieran listed the skills avable for enhancing.
Musou [Sharp Weapon, Dagger].
Musou [Sharp Weapon, Bow].
Musou [Evading].
Musou [Greatsword Blocking].
Musou [Explosive Weapon, Explosive].
Grand Master [Sharp Weapon, Dual Wield Heavy Arms].
Master [Sharp Weapon, Special Heavy Arms].
Pro [Sword Skill, Dragon Force].
Grand Master [Sword Skill, Tiger Stance].
Grand Master [Barsical Kick].
Grand Master [Hundred Violent Kicks].
Grand Master [de Kick].
Grand Master [Viper Kick].
Master [Dormant Viper].
Musou [Tracking].
The first seven on the list belonged to Basic skills and the rest were an extension of the greatsword branch, hand-to-handbat branch, and special skills.
Obviously, 11 Golden Skill Points was impossible to level up all of them.
All Kieran could afford was a few selective ones or to pump everything into a single skill.
If it was thetter, Kieran leaned towards [Tracking].
No one knew how practical [Tracking] would be other than Kieran himself, so [Tracking] was listed as a priority but after that, Kieran had second thoughts.
He knew what his forte was: an all rounded build!
It would allow him to handle all sorts of situations easily.
Whether it be the multiple Basic skills or the extension of the greatsword branch, or the hand-to-handbat branch, they were all built towards that single purpose; [Dormant Viper] was no exception either.
The effect of [Dormant Viper] at Master level was enough for Kieran to look forward to the next stage but the cost was too high.
Unless he were to give up on leveling others, it was hard to level [Dormant Viper] to really practical usage.
Should I focus on [Dormant Viper] or choose other Basic skills, greatswords, or hand-to-hand?
Kieran slightly frowned.
He went into deep thought for a long time but no decisions were made. In the end, he tried to get more suggestions from Lawless and Starbeck.
Attack! Attack is the best defense! Choosing attacking skills is always the right thing to do!
Lawless said straightforwardly.
Kieran nodded; he didnt deny his friends point.
Then he turned to Starbeck; Lawless too.
Starbeck was no doubt nervous under Lawlesss gaze but when he saw Kierans anticipation in his eyes and thought about how embarrassed he was before, he clenched his teeth and said, I-I think you should go with Basic skills.
Ive encounter instances m-multiple times that because my Basic skill levels were too low, I couldnt learn advanced and high tier skills. E-Everything starts from the basics, even a skyscraper needs a steady base to support its height, Starbeck stuttered but his point was made.
Kierans eyes glimmered when he heard what Starbeck said.
Given his current power level, it wasnt hard for Kieran to acquire other types of Basic skills; the hard point was the advance, high tier, and even the special skills because yers werent idiots, they too knew the value of those skill books.
Most of them would choose to learn it themselves. Even if the requirements were not met, they would wait for the right price to sell it, not abruptly selling it off.
If you only have the basics andck attack, how can you clear a dungeon run?
Lawless thought Starbeck made his point but he still refuted his argument.
Starbeck shrunk behind Kieran immediately when Lawless argued.
Kieran smiled when he saw the cowardly Starbeck evading like a deer and at the same time he has decisions made in his heart.
Chapter 947 - Enhance. Beginning (2 in 1)
Chapter 947: Enhance. Beginning (2 in 1)
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran decided to go with the Basic skills.
Just like what Starbeck had said, everything starts from the Basics, even a skyscraper needed a firm base to support its height.
Basic skills might seem normal but they were the prerequisites for advanced and high tier skills in addition to being the limitations of some items and equipment as well.
Of course, the important reason that drove Kieran to his decision was that he was notcking offensive methods.
He acknowledged Starbecks ideology but he couldnt deny Lawlesss suggestion either.
Attack is the best defense!
Dawn Force, gue Force, Devil Force, Cardinal Sins Force, Saint Thorn Force that was core to his two hearts together with multiple offensive methods were already sufficient for him to deal with most problems.
After the decision was made, Kieran started a new round of enhancement.
[Detected Tracking as special rank skill....]
[Requirements remain unchanged!]
[Tracking, Musou to Transcendence, costs 60,000 Points, 2 Golden Skill Points. Yes/No?]
Yes.
[Name: Tracking (Transcendence)]
[Rted Attribute: Intuition]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effect: You can use all kinds of tracks and traces to track down the target you are chasing!]
[Special Effect: Transcendence Trace Checking (As long as the trace exist, it will not escape your eyes)]
[Transcendence Option: Eye of Insight (While tracking targets within your sight, there is a small chance to locate the targets weakness)]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Intuition A]
[Remark: Not only you can clearly sense special existences, but you can also even find the traces left behind by them!]
...
[Skill Tracking leveled up, rted attribute increasing...]
[Intuition SSS SSS+]
...
Eye of Insight? Kieran looked surprised.
He never thought a skill like [Tracking] would have a slightly offensive Transcendence Option; he originally thought it should be some anciry option to boost his tracking even more.
But the offensive Transcendence Option was to Kierans liking even more, let alone Transcendence [Tracking] increasing his Intuition by 1.
Surprised, Kieran started to enhance other Basic skills.
He leveled Musou [Sharp Weapon, Dagger], [Sharp Weapon, Bow], [Evading], [Greatsword Blocking], [Explosive Weapon, Explosion] to Transcendence and it costs 200,000 Points and 5 Golden Skill Points altogether.
[Sharp Weapon, Dagger] and [Sharp Weapon, Bow] costs 35,000 Points and 1 Golden Skill Points respectively.
[Evading] costs 40,000 Points, 1 Golden Skill Points.
[Greatsword Blocking] costs 60,000 Points, 1 Golden Skill Points.
[Explosive Weapon, Explosion] costs 30,000 Points, 1 Golden Skill Points.
After Transcendence, all the skill effects were enhanced significantly.
[Name: Sharp Weapon, Dagger (Transcendence)]
[Rted Attribute: Strength, Agility, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Offense]
[Effect: When you wield a dagger, targets will feel chills. Increases damage by 80%]
[Special Effect: Transcendent Slicing (Has 30% chance to trigger Tendon Rip effect)]
[Transcendence Option: Silent Attack (When you attack with a dagger, the noise will be lowered to its minimal)]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Strength C, Agility C+, Constitution C+]
[Remark: You dagger is not only sharp but deadly!]
...
[Name: Sharp Weapon, Bow (Transcendence)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Agility, Intuition]
[Skill Type: Offensive]
[Effects: Your arrow is the grim reapers scythe, Increases damage by 50%]
[Special Effects: Transcendent Reload (When you reload an arrow, +5 Agility temporarily)]
[Transcendence Option: Arrow of Will (Your Strong I rank Spirit allows you to have extra +1 attack buff upon firing)]
[Consumes: Stamina]
[Prerequisites: Strength C+, Agility C+, Intuition B-]
[Remarks: You are the grand master of sharpshooters!]
...
[Name: Evading (Transcendence)]
[Rted Attribute: Agility]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effects: You will never fail to evade an attack during battle, Increases Evading by 80%]
[Special Effects: Transcendent Swift Steps (Your steps make you even nimbler, Increases Evading by 60%)]
[Transcendence Option: Ignore Weight (When your weight is less than 1/3 than your own, you can choose to ignore 1/2 of it. It wont affect your evading effect and despite your weight reaching its maximum, you still have the usual 80% dodge]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Agility B-]
[Remark: Your attack is so slow, you cant even hit my shadow!]
...
[Name: Greatsword Blocking (Transcendence)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Defense]
[Effect: Your sword is sturdier than your shield, increase defense by 80%]
[Special Effect: Transcendent Extra Block (After familiarizing yourself with the structure of a greatsword, whenever a block is sessful, increase defense by an extra 60%]
[Transcendence Option: Iron Wall (Each sessful block increases your defense level by 1 (Only self, excludes equipment but can be stacked)]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Strength C+, Agility C+, Constitution B-]
[Remark: You are an iron wall when wielding a greatsword!]
...
[Name: Explosive Weapon, Explosion (Transcendence)]
[Rted Attribute: Strength, Agility]
[Skill Type: Offense]
[Effect: You know how to use homemade explosives, dynamite, grenades, and mines. Increase damage by 80%]
[Special Effect: Transcendent Throw (Astounding throwing technique that will shock your target, able tond explosives on your enemy in a smarter way)]
[Transcendence Option: Lock-On (Thrown explosives easilynd on your enemies without making a sound in a 30-meter radius)]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Agility C-, Intuition C-]
[Remark: Explosion is art!]
...
Compared to the special skill [Tracking], the Basic skills obviously couldnt raise Kierans attributes any more but enhancements in the skill itself and the respective Transcendence Options allowed Kieran to increase his power again,
When the transfer and synchronization process faded away, Kieran continued on to the remaining two skills.
Grand Master [Sharp Weapon, Dual Wield Heavy Arms] to Transcendence costs 80,000 Points, 2 Golden Skill Points.
Master [Sharp Weapon, Special Heavy Arms] to Transcendence costs 90,000 Points, 15 Skill Points, and 1 Golden Skill Points.
[Name: Sharp Weapon Dual Wield Heavy Arms (Transcendence)]
[Rted Attribute: Strength, Agility, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Offense]
[Effect: When you wield two heavy arms, you are the butcher of the battlefield. Stamina consumption +90%]
[Special Effect: Agility Compensation (Extensive training allows you topensate your speed and nimbleness more. When you wield two heavy arms, Agility +2.0)]
[Transcendence Option: Ovey (When you attack a target with two heavy arms, Strength +3)]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Sharp Weapon, Heavy Arms (Grand Master)]
[Remark: Fierce attack costs more Stamina consumption so you have to take out your enemies faster than before.]
...
[Name: Sharp Weapon, Special Heavy Arms (Transcendence)]
[Rted Attribute: Strength, Agility, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Offense]
[Effect: No matter how weird the special heavy arms is, you can wield it like your own arm. Increase damage by 80%]
[Special Effect: Extra Boost (When using special heavy arms, Strength +4)]
[Transcendence Option: Suppression (Whenever hard contact with a target urs, the target will have to undergo an authentication to your Strength. If the target fails, the target will receive Suppression damage worth the difference in Strength and induce extra Wounded status)]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Sharp Weapon, Heavy Arms (Grand Master)]
[Remark: This is only the basic usage!]
...
After the transfer and synchronization process, Kieran turned to his points tab.
[Points: 105,000; Skill Points: 77; Golden Skill Points: 1; Golden Attribute Points: 12]
The remaining Points, Skill Points, and Golden Skill Points would be enough for him to level up the yet to be obtained [Sharp Weapon, Special Sword Weapon] to Transcendence as well.
As for the remaining Golden Attribute Points, Kieran didnt want to save it up anymore since there was a title dungeoning right up.
He wanted to convert all of them into real strength to prepare him to face off against a strong foe.
The choice of attribute?
Spirit! It was a no brainer.
Not only because Kierans strongest attribute was Spirit, but as the dungeon entry number increased, Kieran realized the enemies he came across were more skilled in mental or spiritual attacks, like the Gods. If he didnt have a strong enough Spirit attribute, a simple suppression from his foe wouldpletely rob him of his battle capabilities.
Unless he gave up his way of excavating dungeon worlds, he would need his strong Spirit attribute as support.
[Using Golden Attribute Points...]
[Spirit ZZZ+ V- (Pre-rank II)]
[Using Golden Attribute Points...]
[Spirit V- V (Pre-rank II)]
[Using Golden Attribute Points...]
[Spirit V V+ (Pre-rank II)]
[Using Golden Attribute Points...]
[Spirit V+ VV- (Pre-rank II)]
[Using Golden Attribute Points...]
[Spirit VV- VV (Pre-rank II)]
[Using Golden Attribute Points...]
[Spirit VV VV+ (New rank II)
...
After spending 6 Golden Attribute Points continuously, Kierans Spirit sessfully ranked up to rank II.
His mind instantly became clearer and calmer.
He could see the Origin Force in his body clearer now. He saw how his blood flowed out from the heart with Dawn Force as it slowly altered his organs, muscles, and bones. As Dawn Force was flowing in his body, the branding of the Transcendence level Basic skills on his bones were glowing lively as well.
More spots on his palm and feet were lit up.
Although before that great darkness and chaos, the light was still blurry and dim, Kieran believed as time went by, he could surely expel the darkness and chaos from his body.
After a deep breath, Kieran continued.
[Using Golden Attribute Points...]
[Spirit VV+ VVV- (New rank II]
[Using Golden Attribute Points...]
[Spirit VVV- VVV (New rank II)]
[Using Golden Attribute Points...]
[Spirit VVV VVV+ (Strong rank II)]
[Using Golden Attribute Points...]
[Spirit VVV+ G- (Pre-rank III)]
[Using Golden Attribute Points...]
[Spirit G- G (Pre-rank III)]
[Using Golden Attribute Points...]
[Spirit G G+ (Pre-rank III)]
......
Another 6 more Golden Attribute Points were pumped into Spirit. Although his Spirit hadnt really entered rank III, Kieran knew together with his talent, skills, and equipment, it was enough to reach rank III.
This time as his Spirit skyrocketed, it allowed Kieran to see his body clearer, especially the darkness and chaos in his brain.
Other than the original dangerous feeling, there was another sense of hatred and heaviness to it, like a mountain was pressed against his head or like shackles locking his body down.
Kieran twisted his neck in an unsettling way and exited that state.
Meanwhile, Starbeck beside him served him a cup of tea that he had prepared for a while.
Kieran thanked him before drinking it all.
[Drank Concise Tea, triggered attribute with a certain rate: Tranquility]
[Tranquility: It is easier for you to recover from exhaustion and messy thoughts,sts 12 hours.]
...
[Tranquility] appeared as he drank the tea and it swiftly released Kieran from the unsettling state.
The tea is nice, Kieran praised.
It wasnt a hypocriticalment but the one from the bottom of his heart.
His sincerity was captured by Starbecks sharp perception; he couldnt help but smile shyly.
Why I didnt get any?
When Lawless came over with the [Sharp Weapon, Special Sword Weapon]s skill book, he saw the tea in Kierans hand and he turned to Starbeck.
Starbeck immediately hid behind Kieran and obviously Lawless was not going to get any.
I bartered this for you. There are some points left.
Lawless grunted before trading Kieran his items.
A [Sharp Weapon, Special Sword Weapon] and 15,000 Points.
After getting the skill book, Kieran directly learned it and leveled it up to Transcendence directly, which cost him 90,000 Points, 26 Skill Points, and 1 Golden Skill Point.
[Name: Sharp Weapon, Special Sword Weapon (Transcendence)]
[Rted Attribute: Strength, Agility, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Offense]
[Effect: You are not only skilled in using a soft de, double edge de, and other special sword weapons, you have an outstanding understanding of the weapons as well. Increases damage by 80%]
[Special Effect: Soft de Pro (When using a soft de, increase damage by an extra 60%)]
[Transcendence Option: Finger Twist (You can control the soft de that you wield with your will, able to deliver a surprise hit and have Lvl 2 Armor Pration)]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Strength E, Agility C+]
[Remark: Soft de is like a venomous snake and you are the best snake charmer.]
...
Sou!
Almost silently, [Burwells ughter] appeared before Kieran and carved out a de in the space in front Kieran. It was different than themon longsword intertwining, the de was much more unpredictable and stranger; it not only had horizontal shing abilities, it could stab target at different angles as well.
The most astonishing part was, the stabbing didnt even require Kieran to move his arm, all he needed to move was his wrist.
More than I bargained for!
Kieranmented after putting away the soft de.
Then, he turned back to his points tab.
Golden Skill Points and Golden Attribute Points were depleted but he still had 30,000 Points and 51 Skill Points.
Other than keeping a part of it, Kieran traded the rest for all sorts of healing, restoration, and specific use potions.
After arranging his equipment and items again, he turned to Starbeck.
Are you ready? Kieran asked.
Mm. Starbeck nodded.
The next moment, the two of them vanished from the room.
Title dungeon, [de of the Daybreaker] has begun!
Chapter 948 - New Identity
Chapter 948: New Identity
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
After the familiar blinding light, lines of words piled up in Kierans vision.
[Entering title dungeon!]
[Multiple participant special dungeon...]
[Number of participants: 5!]
[Detected yer 2567 possesses the sub scroll, matching identity...]
[Identity: You are the eldest son of the marquis. Your talents are outstanding; skilled in swordsmanship, medicinal knowledge plus a little bit of astrology. You are the most discussed topic of Dawn City but since your mother came from a peasant background, it gave you tremendous troubles. Coincidentally, youve heard of the Burning Dawn incident. You utilized your familys name to exchange for a letter of appointment for the sheriff of Shatterstone Town...]
[Background: The Burning Dawn, who was stationed at the Supreme Road, was assaulted by an unknown enemy and was heavily wounded. He was desperate to find someone that can inherit the spirit and will of the de of the Daybreaker!]
[Main Mission: None, stay duration: 90 days]
[Temporarynguage pack, Disappears upon exiting the dungeon.]
[Clothing, backpack, weapons, and other items remain unchanged, Temporarily altered appearance, Returns to normal upon exiting the dungeon]
[Detected firearms and grenades did not match the dungeon period, power decreased by 90%. This is a title dungeon so after you enter the dungeon, you will not bepensated.]
[Note 1: The title dungeon allows killing between participating yers. All the value of the items acquired from the potential kill will be increased by 50% and Points increased by 100%]
[Note 2: The title dungeon has no main mission]
[Note 3: The title dungeon does not allow yers to acquire any kinds of equipment or items by killing a target]
[Note 4: The title dungeon does not grant yer dungeon clear rewards like Points, Skill Points, Golden Skill Points, and Golden Attribute Points but yers final rating will affect the acquirement of the title Daybreakers de]
[Note 5: When the yerpletes sub-missions or special events in the title dungeon, no ratings will be given, instead it will prolong the stay duration.]
...
There is no main mission and no corresponding points or skills points at the end of the dungeon clear... The ending will only affect the acquirement of Daybreakers de and yers can get more advantages by fighting against each other... this means the dungeon encourages killing and finding sub-missions and special events?
Kieran frowned after he went through the dungeons note.
He knew given the conditions, Starbeck would bepletely excluded from the equation.
His cowardice wouldnt even allow him to kill a rabbit, let alone a real person.
However, Kieran wasnt really frustrated since he was prepared for the worst.
He only hoped that Starbeck could properly protect himself before they met up.
Before entering the title dungeon, Kieran and Starbeck had some spections about this special dungeon and formed some special countermeasures specifically.
The situation before Kieran which ced him in a different identity and a different side was also within Kierans calctions.
After all, the main scroll and sub scroll had different properties.
What will Starbecks identity be? And those other three guys... Kieran muttered to himself.
As the light and words faded away, Kieran found himself in a wagon.
The wagon was spacious and steadily moving.
The carriage theme was red and ck; there was nock of gold and silver decorations either. Especially the door handle beside Kierans hand, there was a grown mans thumb-sized emerald embedded on it.
However, the decorations and theme didnt make the carriage looked filthy rich, instead, it presented an elegant style that words couldnt describe properly but the well dressed middle-aged man opposite Kieran didnt give him the chance to continue enjoying the ride.
Young master, this is probably thest time I can address you. You exchanged your surname just for a chance. I cant reallyment on whether is it bold or reckless of you but I think you should think it over, be wiser. Lord Marquis does have a sense of humanity, you should have better choices.
The middle-aged mans voice sounded heavy but his pronunciation was clear as if he spat out each and every word with might. It made his square face looked more strict and old fashioned.
While he spoke, a delicate and bulging coin sack was passed to Kieran.
This is thest bit of help Lord Marquis can provide you.
The middle-aged man was scrupulous with his words as if he was a speaking robot.
Thanks. Kieran took the sack and thanked him in a more courteous way.
Do you need anything else? I can give you help as long as my abilities allow me to, the middle-aged man continued with a fair tone.
The meaning of his words sounded caring yet the tone from the man sounded estranged and courteous.
No need. Kieran shook his head.
Then, the carriage fell into silence.
Neither Kieran nor the middle-aged man had the intention of breaking the silence.
Guluum, Guluum.
The wagon slowed down during sunset and eventually stopped.
Through the carriage window, there was a small area of light shining in the darkness.
2567, that is your destination, Shatterstone Town. Bring your appointment letter and backpack... I hope we can meet again in Dawn City.
The middle-aged man paused for a while before finishing his sentence.
Kieran nodded. He took his belongings and got off the wagon.
He sized up the tall and muscr horses in front of the wagon. Then he walked towards the area of light without stopping.
After drawing some distance from the wagon, Kieran opened his backpack.
Fire Raven and Frost Wolf sprung out of his pack.
With a p of its wings, Fire Raven flew up into the night sky, transforming into Kierans best detectionpanion.
The hybrid Frost Wolf was still in its youth yet it was not scared of the darkness around it at all. It jumped around Kieran and sniffed its surrounding from time to time.
Perhaps during its youth, the Frost Wolf couldnt be a decent helper to Kieran in battle but it had the sense of smell that far exceededmon hunting hounds; it will more than enough as the assistant detectionpanion.
Besides, it still had some special effects on it.
Grrr, Grrrrrrr!
A soft growl woulde out of its mouth from time to time.
Its growl would scare off the other hungry beasts in the area and with Kierans exceptional sight, he saw the hungry beasts tuck their tails and run.
Seemed like its youth and hybrid state did not affect the original pride of a Frost Wolf, simr to Kierans current identity.
A nobles son that abandoned his family name might seem like a gambler in other peoples eyes but the appointment letter of the sheriff was an authentic and effective one.
HOLD UP!
Walk out to the light and ce your hands where I can see them!
Dont do something youll regret!
When Kieran arrived at the outer area of Shatterstone Town, a loud yell sounded from the wooden outpost tower beside the town.
I am the new sheriff! This is my appointment letter! Kieran replied to the guard and threw the letter upwards.
Around 10 secondster, the wooden fences blocking the path were opened up by a couple of young and strong townspeople.
A young man with a bow and quiver behind his back walked over with Kierans appointment letter.
The sheriff? Are you sure you want to be the towns sheriff?
The young man looked at Kieran with a weird look.
Chapter 949 - The curse of the sheriff
Chapter 949: The curse of the sheriff
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Not only the young man, but even the other townspeople also reacted weirdly to Kierans answer. Some even drew distance from Kieran as if they saw a snake or scorpion.
The reaction of the natives made Kieran slightly grin.
He picked up the scent of a sub-mission but he pretended to be confused on the outside.
What? Why? Any problem with that? Something happened here?
Kieran pretended knowing nothing as he pointed at the appointment letter in the young mans hand.
The letter has no issues. I can still understand the appointment letters from those big lords in Dawn City.
Nice to meet you, Sir 2567. I am Shatterstones civilian troop captain, Volgen. Its a pleasure to finally meet a newly appointed sheriff. You know, Ive been waiting for you for quite a while. Us civilian troops cant really maintain the safety of Shatterstone Town.
The young man diverted the topic and extended his hand.
The pleasure is all mine.
Kieran shook Volgens hand. Volgen then led Kieran into the security office.
While they traveled the short distance, Volgen was sizing up the Frost Wolf pup beside Kierans feet from time to time.
This is really some hunting hound! Its limbs are strong, its loyal to its owner and very meek towards people its owner recognized... It really reminds me of my old partner! The young man praised.
It must be a goodpanion hound, Kieran said with a smile.
Of course! Unfortunately two months ago... those filthy, disgusting robbers... Dont let me get my hands on them, otherwise, Ill teach them hell, Volgen said furiously but his angry expression was absent of any killing intent or aura.
Obviously, the young mans words might be scary but the most he could do was beat the robbers up and send them to jail.
A young man that grew up in a town that possessed decent strength and with a heart of justice?
Kieranmented on Volgen right away, but as for whether hisments were true, it was still to be verified.
Volgen, why did you react like that when I said I was the new sheriff? Kieran asked.
The sheriff of Shatterstone is cursed! Since Sheriff Peters was killed on duty while fighting those robbers, Shatterstone Town has reced a total of three sheriffs!
The first one fell down from the stairs and broke his neck.
The second one had his heart pierced by an arrow from the shadows.
The third one died in his dreams two months ago and you are the fourth one.
This time, the young man didnt divert the topic.
He lowered his voice at first before he started to lift his fingers up for exnation.
When the fourth finger was lifted, Volgen was looking at Kieran.
So, are you still willing to be the towns sheriff after hearing these stories? The young mans words were obviously trying to test Kieran; it wasnt malicious by any means.
It sounded more like how kids used to test each others courage, like Oh since youre so brave, then why not go somewhere, do something to prove it?.
Just that the game that he was ying would not just scare him or result in some other small matters but it would really take his life.
Still, Kieran enjoyed the bitterness like malt sugar because the system notification had arrived.
[Discovered sub-mission: The Sheriffs First Step]
[The Sheriffs First Step: As Shatterstone Towns sheriff, you need to break the curse and reinstate the prestige of a sheriff!]
...
Of course! Kieran nodded.
Even without the sub-mission, he would agree as well; more so with the sub-mission.
However, the name of the sub-mission subconsciously reminded Kieran of the [Identity] that he just saw.
A sub-mission based on my [Identity]?
Kieran squinted his eyes and thoughts shed through his mind.
Until now, he couldnt tell what difficulty the title dungeon was and based on the sub-mission that came from his [Identity], it was no doubt a good chance to probe for more information.
But...
Starbeck.
Since he had a sub-mission that was derived from his [Identity], the other four yers must have simr encounters as well.
This mission was not just the chance given by the system for the yers to find out the title dungeons difficulty, it was also a test.
The ones who seed will stay; the ones who fail will be discarded.
The title dungeon might not have a main mission but the danger still lurks. Especially Starbeck, his danger level was far higher than Kieran.
Kieran didnt forget Starbeck was the owner of the main scroll. He would have more difficulty clearing conditionspared to the other sub scroll owners. Despite many more conveniences being granted to the main scroll owner, given how cowardly Starbeck was, the conveniences was as good as gone.
As the thought lingered in Kierans mind, he spoke to the young man leading the way.
Volgen, can we hurry up? My dog and I here need some dinner to fill our stomachs and if we can get a soft bed, that would be even better.
Rx, dinner, bed, and hot shower, we have it all!
Even after telling Kieran about the sheriffs curse, he still agreed to take up the position. Volgens fondness towards Kieran increased greatly.
Soon, Kieran was led to the security office by the young man.
It was a two-story building with sturdy outer walls; there was also iron fences surrounding the structure.
The first floor is where the sheriff, that would be you, works. There are two cells on the first floor to lock up some baddies also. The upper floor is your private space, there is a bedroom equipped with study capabilities and two other guest rooms.
29 of our civilian troops including me are yours tomand. I am also your assistant. Ill report the happenings of the town to you every morning and evening on time. There are 10 civilian troops on patrol duty in the morning and 15 at night. The other 4 are on reserve in case of anything.
The young captain introduced the civilian troops before opening the door to the security office.
There should be two men on guard duty at night here but because of the curse, no one dares toe anymore. Well, I myself stayed on guard here for three days straight, but nothing happened. Other than that, the gate is important, so I have to keep an eye there.
The young man spoke as he sized up his surroundings, seemingly hoping to find something unusual but the oue was disappointing.
Other than the furniture inside the office, there was nothing else.
After lighting up the candles in the office with the torch he brought, the young captain said, Ill bring you something to eat and some nkets and I guess youll have to wait a little longer for that hot bath.
Sure. Kieran nodded.
The young man then left quickly.
The average sized security office was left with Kieran and his Frost Wolf pup.
The empty room fell into silence in an instant.
Kieran sized up his surroundings. He took a chair and sat in the middle of the hall on the first floor before taking out a card.
[Name: Communication Card (Main Card)]
[Type: Card]
[Rarity: Magic]
[Attribute: Allows the yer to contact other yers who possess the sub card, 3/3]
[Remark: It allows you to contact at will but cant bypass certain limits.]
...
This was one of the countermeasures that Kieran and Starbeck came up with but before he used it, an eerie wind was blown over.
Huuu!
The candle on the table went out right away. The moonlight shined through the window seam, providing the dark room with a little brightness. However, the only brightness in the room vanished right immediately.
A shadow was blocking the window seam on the outside.
A pair of scarlet glowing eyes appeared like mist in the shadows and was staring at Kieran through the seam.
Then...
The pair of scarlet eyes was blinded by a sudden poke.
Chapter 950 - Something unusual
Chapter 950: Something unusual
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran poked his left finger into the scarlet eyes.
The gooey blood instantly gushed out from the shadows eye socket but was instantly evaporated by the sudden lightning.
Aaaaargh!
A figure fell to the ground twitching while screaming in agony.
The ck figure was soon out of breath while bathing under the moonlight.
[Brutal Lightning Hand, Thunder Strike]!
Despite it being just a Strong electric attack, stabbing the eyeballs and going directly for the weak spot in the figures brain turned the single strike into a lethal blow.
Kieran pushed the window open and looked outside the window; the body was lying on the ground.
Even without the light from the moon, with Kierans SSS+ Intuition, everything about the body was exposed to Kieran.
Dark leather mail, soft sole boots, the dagger in his hand and also the pack on his waist told Kieran the figure was indeed a robber.
However, the calluses on the robbers hand were not caused by using a dagger for many years; it should be from a sword with a thicker hilt.
Besides that, the figures physique was slightly buff even with the leather mail covering up.
Of course, the most important thing was, every qualified robber should know how to avoid light, especially moonlight.
Kieran leaped out of the window and squatted down before the body to have a look.
When he saw the two brand new potion vials in the waist pack, the identity of the so-called robber was clear.
A warrior disguised as a robber? This person failed his disguise! Who would find someone like this tomit murder... Was this guy selected because he is the right-hand man of someone? Or someone is eager and anxious to prevent me from seeing the sun on the second day? Seems like my sheriff position has a lot of beef with people.
Kieran muttered to himself as he showed a smile while ruminating over the issue.
Further away, the startled civilian troops rushed over.
The young captain was leading the group with a basket in his hand.
When they saw the body before Kieran, the troops expressions changed to a nervous one as they ced their attention on the new sheriff.
The young captain on the other hand quickly checked the body. After a while, he stood up with a sour expression.
A mercenary from Edi Merchant Group! These goddamn mercenaries! They really have guts!
The civilian troops captain was young but with enough experience, he knew what happened after a brief check of the body and because of that, it made the young captain even more furious.
Shatterstone Town was the young mans home.
The young man liked his home without a doubt. He weed any guest who would bring prosperity to his home but for those who dared to harm his home, he would not show any mercy.
My lord, I hereby request a search warrant for Edi Merchant Group! The young man said with an official manner.
Request granted. Kieran nodded.
However, Kieran didnt think Volgen would get any results in his search.
Even though someone was eagerly trying to get rid of him, as long as they werent stupid, they would be prepared since they used someone with an obvious identity.
As for the possibility of the mercenary taking his own actions at thest minute?
Come on! The curse of the sheriff spread like wildfire in the town.
A normal person wouldnt even dare toe near the security office at night.
Volgen took a few men with him and left in a hurry. Two more civilian soldiers guarded the body while Kieran took the basket and Frost Wolf pup back into the office.
Kieran reignited the candle and the hall was brightened up instantly.
There were wheat cornbread and sausages ced in a box after reheating; the bowl beside contained mushroom soup. There was another jar with a faint alcoholic scent which actually was low alcoholic malt wine. It seemed like it was homemade.
Ka!
Kieran snapped the cornbread. The reheated cornbread became crispy and the wheat waspletely infused in the bites. Especially after it was eaten, the roughness of the wheat and the fine corn formed a drastic contrast, giving Kieran a fresh unique taste.
He never thought he could taste food like this here.
Filled with anticipation, Kieran took a bite of the sausages.
As his teeth chewed, the thick fat immediately filled his mouth and was mixed with the fine corn. After another gulp of mushroom soup, Kieran squinted his eyes in satisfaction.
Of course, Kieran didnt forget about his pup.
He took a piece of cornbread and threw it to the pup.
The pup caught the cornbread with its mouth but it was still staring at Kieran with its crystal eyes; it was wagging its tail non-stop.
Obviously, the wolf part of the pup was showing off its traits. The pup ditched the bread instead.
Kieran took another sausage and threw it to the pup.
The pup caught the sausage precisely off and gobbled it down quickly; it continued to wag its tail at Kieran.
The bread is nice also, Kieran told the pup but it was not very effective.
The pup sniffed the bread on the floor and ignored itpletely before it turned to Kieran, wagging its tail again.
Fine. Ill share half. Half for you, half for me.
Kieran smiled and shared half of the sausages with his pup. He wasnt stingy at all when it came to hispanions.
Kieran also wouldnt touch the malt wine, despite it having a low alcohol level.
Dinner ended quickly. The young captain who left in a hurry before came back and walked up to Kieran.
Compared to the furious look when he left, Volgen looked sourer when he came back.
My lord, the Edi Merchant Group was gone! Ive asked the owner of the hotel, he said he delivered food and wine to the merchant group before dark, so they must have left after that. I apologize for my failure.
The young captain hated to admit his failure but he wasnt a person that would neglect his duty before facts.
Can you bring me to the hotel? Kieran asked.
Kieran wouldnt me the young captain at a time like this because it wasnt even his fault.
Quite the contrary, Volgen was able to honestly admit his shorings which added more points to Kierans impression of him.
Of course. Volgen nodded.
Soon, Kieran arrived at the biggest hotel in Shatterstone Town with Volgen leading.
Dwarf Wine and Rice Basin.
The security building and the hotel werent that far apart; both of them were located beside the square of the town.
The hotel owner was already standing in front of the entrance looking uneasy.
When he saw Kieran and Volgen, he quickly weed them.
Captain Volgen. Lord sheriff.
Despite Kierans recent arrival, it seemed like the news of him taking up the sheriff position couldnt stay a secret any longer, especially from Old Peeker.
Young Volgen angrily red at the civilian soldier on guard at the site; the soldier immediately lowered his head and dared not to even look at his captain.
The scene, however, was self-exnatory from how Kieran viewed it but he didnt care.
Being able to open the biggest hotel in Shatterstone, if Old Peeker didnt possess that level finesse to escape the soldier on duty, it would be weird instead.
As for the civilian soldiers negligence of duty?
Civilian troops were not real militias and not real warriors. Despite being paid sry, it was little; it wouldnt be too over to try to earn more.
However, there was something unusual amidst everything.
Kieran looked at the other side of the Shatterstone Town square, the building opposite the security office: the mayors office.
Because of the incident at the sheriffs office, the whole town was awoken. While the whole town was lit up slowly, the dark mayors office looked exceptionally eye-catching.
Especially when the mayor should be inside the office at that time.
Chapter 951 - Dead Body
Chapter 951: Dead Body
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The young captain followed Kierans gaze to the dark mayors office.
Right away, Volgen drew the sword from his waist.
Chang!
When his sword was unsheathed, everyone around was shocked but soon realized something was wrong.
My lord, Ill bring some troops over to have a check, Volgen said to Kieran.
Sure. Meanwhile, Ill go to the Edi Merchant Groups room. Kieran allowed the request with a nod.
Kierans senses told him although the mayor offices building was dark, it wasnt dangerous nor did it have any malicious gazesing from it, let alone any powerful presences.
Quite the contrary, inside Dwarf Wind and Rice Basin, a faint bloody stench lingered; not the pig ormb from the kitchen but from a human!
Understand. You two, follow the sheriff!
My lord, Ill be back soon!
Volgen arranged and dispatched his men properly before leading some away.
When the young captain and many more of the civilian troops left for the mayors office, the hotel owner, Old Peeker finally let out a sigh of relief.
Volgen is all good and nice but he is too serious and stubborn. Ive known him since he was a kid and watched him grow up yet he didnt spare any face for the sake of our rtionship.
Old Peeker said while he shrugged and mocked himself.
A serious young man is not that hateful, am I right? Kieran smiled.
Of course, of course. My lord, please follow me, Ill bring you to the rooms where those fes stayed, Old Peeker nodded and led Kieran inside in a slick yet respectful way.
As they traveled to the hotel room, Kieran didnt even have to ask and Old Peeker was already telling him everything about the Edi Merchant Group.
The Edi Merchant Group is just a small group and the core is no doubt Edis family. There are around a dozen of them but a small merchant group has their own way of surviving. Most of the members will band up together and it is actually Edis family member who really deals in everything most of the time.
So, people thought the Edi Merchant Group was just Edis family but instead, it was formed by many smaller merchant groups and the core family group will only acquire part of the profits.
Oh, I see. So the Edi Merchant Group is actually a group name? Kieran asked.
Yes, its their group name alright and all of them are actually real family members and rtives.
Its weird, right? Its not weird for a family tomand a merchant group but for all the family members and rtives to be within the same group? That is the point that intrigues most people. Still, despite how curious I am at heart, I dared not ask them, Old Peekerughed as he spoke.
Why? Are they fierce? Kieran asked as the origin of the bloody stench was getting closer.
Which of the merchant groups that dare to travel around the Supreme Road arent fierce? The robbers, bandits that lurk around the Supreme Road are not a joke. Even with the Burning Dawn stationed there, assaults on merchant convoys always happen. Besides, now that Burning Dawn has...
Old Peeker suddenly stopped when he mentioned Burning Dawn.
What about Burning Dawn? Kieran asked, pretending to be curious.
Nothing much, but Burning Dawn was assaulted! The grand duke is still missing...
My lord, with your identity, the official letters that you receive should be more specific than stories I hear. You can also ask Mayor Holler, try not to put a small citizen like me in a difficult position. Im just trying to make my living here.
Old Peeker was begging ceaselessly and at the same time, a coin sack appeared in his hand and was quietly passed to Kieran.
Kieran took the coin sack without expressing anything.
When Old Peeker saw Kieran take the coin sack, his face was overjoyed and he walked even faster in leading Kieran to the room.
Old Peeker stopped at the end of the hotel corridor where there was only a single door around that spot.
This is the room of the Edis and also my biggest room in the hotel. They stayed here every time they dropped by. Old Peeker opened the door before stepping aside.
One of the civilian soldiers walked in first with an oilmp before lighting the candles in the room.
Light filled the room in an instant; it shed light over a row of neatly tidied beds with luggage underneath each bed.
The sheets were tidy and folded; the luggage was also tidy and didnt seem to have moved at all.
Kieran nced over the beds and luggage. Ultimately hended his attention at the big long table in the middle of the room.
The bloody stench came from the table, or more precisely the wooden flooring underneath the table.
Everything was clear under Kierans [Tracking] vision.
Countless drag marks led towards below the table.
You two, move the table.
Kieran ordered the soldiers and at the same time looked at Old Peeker.
The hotel owner looked normal and didnt seem to behave differently.
Of course, it was that particr moment.
After the table was moved away, Kieran pried open a seemingly sturdy piece of the nk but it was actually a hollow cover-up; a heavy bloody stench burst out from the opening and assaulted everyones face.
The candlelight revealed the ovepping bodies before everyones eyes.
OH MY GOD! Old Peeker staggered backward as his face looked shocked while crying out in surprise.
The other two civilian soldiers were horrified as well. One of thempletely lost it, while the other who still remained calm drew the sword on his waist and pointed it at Old Peeker.
Stop right there! The soldier said.
M-My lord, I-I didnt kill all these people! Old Peeker raised his hands up while he spoke in a stutter.
Mm. Kieran nodded without really agreeing. He then scanned the secret room that was hiding in the hotel room.
When he saw an L shapedtched inside the secret room, Kieran squinted his eyes.
A secret room that is opened from the inside?
Kieran had spection in his heart; he then gave an order to the soldier, Get all the bodies out.
Yes, sir!
The two civilian soldiers exchanged gaze before nodding at the same time.
The one who was at lost looked unwilling to follow orders as he slowly and hesitantly walked closer to the secret room. The other who drew his sword was unwilling as well but he didnt ck off in carrying out his orders.
The thing that surprised Kieran the most was Old Peeker.
My lord, let me help as well! I am willing to prove my own innocence! I am willing to help you in your investigation as well and I only hope that you can give me fair treatment! Old Peeker took the initiative and said first.
Sure, Kieran promised.
Old Peeker was obviously not the killer. He had no bloody smell or wash marks on his body.
Besides, an old man without any kind of training that was as short as a real dwarf couldnt really kill everyone in a short time without setting off an rm other than poisoning them.
Quite the opposite, the bodies didnt die of poison but their throats were perforated and the murder wasmitted within a short amount of time.
The killer is not only fast in his movement but caught them off guard as well...
Kieran stood above the secret room as he watched the bodies being carried out one by one. His mind automatically painted the scene that might have happened during the murder.
The Edis must have been discussing something with the killer in this secret room. Then, the killer suddenly made his move and the Edis were caught off guard, thus falling into the underground secret room one after another.
Perhaps there might be some screaming but because of the secret rooms hatch and the hotel room door, no one on the outside heard it.
Or, the killer purposely arranged some other of his aplices to create a diversion.
Aaaah!
Just as Kieran was pondering upon the scene, the cry of shock from Old Peeker and the two soldiers came from beneath his feet.
M-My lord, the m-mayor is dead!
The soldier reported in before Kieran even asked.
Chapter 952 - Son of Moon (2 in 1)
Chapter 952: Son of Moon (2 in 1)
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Holler, mayor of Shatterstone Town.
He wasnt of noble background and had no dukeship but his life in the military made his style of action strict and fierce. The mayor who settled things in a fair manner was loved by the citizens of Shatterstone.
However, right at the moment, the mayors body was being carried out from the secret room in Dwarf Wine and Rice Basin.
Being different from the bunch of Edis who just died not long ago, the mayor didnt just die for quite some time, his body was meticulously looked after and was presented in a mummified state.
H-How is this possible? I saw and greeted the mayor this morning!
Old Peeker was looking on with disbelief at the body on the floor.
Kieran frowned as he fell deep into thought.
It wasnt because of what Old Peeker said though. There was no doubt that the mayor Old Peeker saw this morning was a fake but what baffled Kieran was; since someone killed the original mayor and took his identity and position for quite some time without being discovered, it meant the murder was nned beforehand for quite awhile. Definitely not something done impulsively or without careful nning.
Given the circumstances, why would the killer keep the mayors body here?
The body was even looked after in a certain area, preventing it from rotting and maggots from eating the flesh.
From how Kieran viewed it, it waspletely unnecessary, an extra move.
Kieran unconsciously squatted down and carefully inspected the body before him.
The body had no visible wounds and the bones were intact as well.
Killed by poison? Kieran wondered.
Kieran then discovered a tattoo behind the mayors neck: half a sun rising up from the horizon while engulfed in mes.
Kieran was not a stranger to the tattoo. When he received his simple memories during the start of the dungeon, it educated him of the tattoos origin: Burning Dawn!
Only the soldiers of Burning Dawn had tattoos like this.
Holleres from Burning Dawn?
Kieran asked the soldiers beside him.
Yes, Mayor Holler was a soldier in Burning Dawn 10 years ago. He retired because of some heavy wounds and then he came to Shatterstone to take up the position as mayor.
So was thete Sheriff Peters. Both of them are good friends, brothers in arms.
Marco, the calm civilian soldier who drew his sword replied Kieran.
I see.
Kieran turned his attention to the other things in the secret room other than the bodies. Metalware, bronzeware and some tied cowhide; Kieran nodded as if he thought of something.
...
Volgen led a group of four and was approaching the mayors office.
The young captain gave the signal with a wave of the hand and one of the four soldiers went up to inspect the main door. He then turned around and signaled his team.
Door. Not locked.
Volgen understood the hand signal. He immediately led the other three forward and opened the door as lightly as possible.
The hinges were well oiled throughout the years, so it didnt screech when it was pushed open.
Volgen sized up the dark room before him.
He wasnt a stranger to darkness since he was originally a hunter himself. His eyes were able to adapt to darkness faster, thus he saw the mayor lying on the floor.
The mayor was facing down, blocking a clear view of his face but the physique and outfit pointed out that the body should be the mayor Volgen knew off.
The young captain immediately signaled his men to stay alert before slowly and carefully approaching the fallen mayor.
The closer Volgen went, the more his heart sank.
From the moment he stepped into the mayors office until now, he didnt hear the mayor breathing, not even once.
When his palm finally touched the mayors calf, his heart sank to the abyss.
The stiff and cold body told the young captain that it was indeed a dead one.
Damn it! Volgen cursed in his heart.
The young captain was very respectful towards Holler. His swordsmanship and ability to read and write were taught by Mayor Holler and the deceased Sheriff Peters.
Two of the deceased were like teachers, perhaps even family to Volgen.
A year ago when Sheriff Peters died, Volgen reacted to it furiously and it almost drove him mad but with Hollers persuasion, the young Volgen was still able to remain sane.
Now, Holler was dead and without the father figure holding back Volgen, he was soon consumed by his own rage but he didnt forget about the body on the floor.
I will avenge you!
Volgen made a silent vow. He grabbed Hollers body and was ready to carry the body out.
However, when Volgens hands touched the body, the door that the young captain came in from suddenly shut with a bang.
The four civilian soldiers that stayed on guard outside the office had their necks twisted a few rounds before snapping sounds emanated from their neck. A heavy gruntter, all four of them were dead.
The moment things went south, Volgen was holding to his sword tightly but it was useless.
A formless energy bound his body and lifted him up in mid-air.
Then... the body moved!
It moved in a way that defied human body structure. Its torso turned around and its waist was twisted 180 degrees and formed an eerie spiral.
However,pared to the morbid eyes, the twisted waist was not much of a scare.
What kind of eyes were those?!
Its eyeball was like a ss ball filled with cracks; it was not just morbid but the cracks were showing off red luster. Despite the dark environment, it was very clear.
Volgen, Volgen, Volgen. Why you? Why would you appear here? I originally didnt n for you to die this early. The body spoke in Hollers voice.
Who are you? Volgens body was restrained but his voice wasnt.
Who am I? I am Holler, the mayor of Shatterstone Town! Dont you remember, I taught you how to use a sword, how to write and read, how could you forget about all that? The eerie bodyughed.
Mayor Holler that I knew wasnt a freaking monster like you! Volgen said furiously.
Provoking your opponent and search for openings? Mmmm, this is what I thought you during our first lesson, but... it seems like you did not master it well.
I remember I told you that in order to perform this particr act, you must have sufficient understanding of your opponent. Do you think you understand me? Or you thought you understood me. BUT! Now, you cant even imagine what I am! I have surpassed the mortal state and I will show you what I can do! The eerie body mocked Volgen for being ignorant.
The body slowly raised its arms; the furniture in the room was slowly lifted up in mid-air following its movement.
See? This power is something that you cant even imagine, its...
As it spoke in a frantic manner, its voice suddenly stopped.
A hand extended out from the shadow and grabbed its neck; me then burst out from the palm.
A moment ago, it was still boasting to Volgen and a momentter it was wailing in agony.
It then swiftly turned to ash but things were far from over.
...
Outside Shatterstone Town, a buff man on top of his war horse was looking up to the moon.
He then took out a scroll from his pouch, ripped it in half and threw it up to the sky.
Fuuu!
A ck wind was blown out from the scroll, forming a dark cloud over the moon.
The bright moon was instantly blocked out, causing the sky andnd to fall into darkness.
After the series of actions, the muscr man lifted his arm up without hesitating and gave the order by swinging it down.
Promptly, hundreds of men appeared behind the buff man; each of them looked vicious and was filled with killing intent. They were wielding swords, knives, and bows.
With the muscr man leading the group, they quickly rode towards Shatterstone Town.
No matter how wild and arrogant they were during normal times, all of them followed orders obediently because all of them knew they were running out of time.
Within a limited time, the group of men must charge into Shatterstone Town.
As Shatterstone Town was getting closer in sight, the group of men didnt even need instructions to remind them to adjust their condition.
When the group of hundreds reached an ideal distance, all of them formed a tacit agreement and elerated faster.
Groom Groom Groom Groom!
Hundreds of war horses were charging towards their target in the silent night; it sounded like the rumbling thunder running on the ground.
The civilian soldiers that were on guard duty at the town gate couldnt even react to the situation before being knocked away and trampled by the hundreds of horse hooves, turning them into a pile of meat.
Meanwhile, the men were prepared for this for a long time; many of them lit up torches and started to throw them around.
Huuu!
Shatterstone town gate and the houses near it were engulfed in a sea of fire.
Creating chaos and ughtering were these mens forte; coincidentally, the robbers around Supreme Road were also good at all these.
Thats right, these men were robbers!
However, they were different from anymon robbers because they were more organized and packed more firepower. Likewise, they were more ruthless thanmon robbers as well.
Kill!
Kill every one of them!
Hahahahahahahaha!
With many franticughs, the robbers swiftly broke through the town gate and were ready to expand their raid.
Wealth, women, none would escape them.
They had been waiting for a whole year for this one.
No one could stop them; no one would want to stop them.
However, as seconds passed by, the robbers realized something wasnt right.
Quiet! Too quiet!
There was no familiar crying or shouting that they had experienced from their previous raids.
To a certain extent, there wasnt even anyone around!
Other than the civilian soldiers at the town gate, they hadnt met anyone.
Being one of the most notorious robbers around Supreme Road, other than being more ruthless than others, the robbers were also very vignt.
Each and every one of them started to pull their horse to a stop; they were sizing up the town.
Especially the muscr leader, he retreated quite a distance and hid in the crowd but it was also useless.
They didnt discover anything.
The quiet town was in absolute silence and they couldnt even spot any living being in the shadows.
No!
If they really wanted to be particr about sounds, they did hear something.
The sound of fire burning fiercely!
It sounded like a fire was burning a wooden house and the beams were giving out sparkling sounds.
Then, a faint aroma of roasted meat filled the area. A few of the robbers sniffed it up.
Roasting meat? One of the robbers muttered to himself.
Then, he realized hisrades around him were looking at him with terrified expressions.
The robber unconsciously turned around for a look and he was instantly shocked.
The fire was burning his body without his knowledge and it swiftly engulfed himpletely.
Aaaaargh!
The dying wail startled all the other robbers.
Then, the robbers turned around and looked at the burning town gate.
The fire at the gate seemed to havee alive; it kept absorbing fire from its surroundings and after a while, a dozen-meter tall fire giant appeared before the robbers.
Roar!
A loud roarter, a fireball as big as a millstone appeared on the fire giants palm.
The muscr leader didnt know what happened. He didnt know why such things would happen in Shatterstone Town which they should have been able to ughter likembs but he knew what he must do at the moment.
Retreat!
The order from the leader sent all the robbers fleeing in panic.
As for the promise made with someone? The leader couldnt less at this moment.
Moreover, from how the leader viewed it, promises were meant to be broken.
Pak! Pak Pak!
The robbers whipped their horses hard, hoping that it would carry them away faster but the fire giant was getting closer.
Despair started to spread in the robbers heart. Especially when a millstone-sized fireball was hurled at them and exploded non-stop, the robbers and their horses were sted to bits. The vicious robbers hadpletely lost it.
Bang, Bang Bang!
Their heads were like watermelons being run over by a truck, bursting one after another.
Even the buff leader was no exception. At most, he realized something more than his men before he died: this is an illusion!
Of course, it was.
It came from [Half-deads Gaze]s skill, [Deadman Gaze] and [Fear Illusion]. It was as effective as it was lethal.
Actually, the robbers didnt even break through the town gate nor did they hurl any torches at the civilians houses.
In fact, when they were a few dozen meters away from Shatterstone Town, their heads exploded.
Meanwhile outside Shatterstone Town, the young captain and his men were staring at the scene in shock. All of them were awestruck.
The guards and mercenaries of the merchant group that gathered further away were also horrified.
It was too unbelievable.
As people who lived around Supreme Road, they did see powerful people that could rival ten or a hundred men at once but as for this person who wiped out the entire robber group with a gaze?
It was a first.
Unconsciously, everyone started to ce their attention at the figure outside Shatterstone Towns gate.
The dark cloud that was blocking the moon slowly dispersed along with the night breeze.
The soft moonlight shed its light over the crow feathers and made it look lustrous. It made that figure look like he was born from moonlight.
Especially those calm eyes and expression, it looked extra elegant and leisurely under the moonlight, simr to the legendary nobleman under the moonlight.
Son of Moon?
A trembling voice sounded off.
The surprised voice instantly attracted discussion.
Everyones eyes at Kieran started to change.
Surprised, frantic, revered, feared, and so on.
However, Kieran didnt care about the discussions of him and the gazes he received.
He lifted his hand and threw Hollers dried body beside his feet while waiting patiently.
Ten secondster, something unusual happened.
Chapter 953 - Inkling
Chapter 953: Inkling
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Hollers dried up body inted like a balloon under Kierans gaze.
It swiftly turned from a dried up body to a normal person; a live person with real breaths and blushed cheeks.
Damn it, the Burning Family, I will..
As Holler was opening his eyes, he was muttering non-stop but when he saw Kieran was standing in front of him, looking down on him with a domineering manner, his threats stopped abruptly.
Kieran was calm as he was looking at Holler who reincarnated using someone elses body.
Everything that unfolded up to this point was within his expectations.
When Kieran saw the robbers approaching through the Fire Ravens eyes, things became obvious.
The secret room in Dwarf Wine and Rice Basin was the supplying station for the robbers while the merchants from Edi Merchant Group weremitting dark deals with them.
Besides that, Mayor Holler was also one of them. The seemingly fair mayor was the one whomanded the Edi Merchant Group tomit those dark deals with the robbers.
Throughout the course, Sheriff Peters might have noticed some inkling leading to the illegal deals and was killed off by Holler to eliminate all witnesses; Holler then forged the scene, portraying Sheriff Peters dying in the battle with the robbers.
Afraid that someone would discover his nefarious deeds, Holler dealt with the other sheriffs in the same way.
Until Kieran took up the position. Or maybe because Kieran coincidentally appeared in Shatterstone Town while the robbers were nning to raid it, thus resulting in the anxious decision from the mayor by sending someone over to kill Kieran on the first night.
As for why Holler killed the hen in favor of the eggs by affiliating himself with the robbers to raid Shatterstone Town?
It wasnt that hard to understand.
A warrior in the military for all his life had no chance to learn the powers like the reincarnated Holler.
If one were to wish to learn such powers, they were bound to pay some cost.
In simpler words, Holler was nothing but a chess piece, simr to how he used the Edi Merchant Group.
Could Holler possess telekinesis from birth? Impossible.
Because of the power of lineage and bloodline, some were born different but definitely not Holler. Otherwise, he wouldnt have left Burning Dawn and returned to Shatterstone Town.
Who is the mastermind behind you? Kieran asked softly.
How do you know...
Hmph! I wont tell you! Not even a single word! We will retaliate and you will taste fear and despair!
Holler was shocked. It seemed like, after reincarnation in someone elses body, his brain suffered some damage, causing him to be less sane. He instinctively replied to a stupid question but as his answer came out of his mouth, he realized he was wrong. It caused him to growl angrily because of the embarrassment.
Kieran, on the other hand, was staring straight into Hollers eyes as he growled.
The angry Holler quickly settled down as well; his eyes turned from resisting the question toplying with all his effort.
Yes, my lord. I will tell you everything I know.
Holler got up and kneeled on one knee. After that, he crawled on the floor and kissed Kierans boots.
Kieran didnt feel strange at all since he knew what [Mesly Ring] could do; he turned around and went back to Shatterstone Town.
The tightly shut gate was opened up right away.
Everyone gathered at the gate opened up a path for Kieran and they stared at Kieran with a dull gaze; they also saw Holler walking behind Kieran with the utmost respect.
What happened? Everyone was asking the same question.
From what happened just now, Mayor Holler must have something to do with everything but what the mayor did after that baffled everyones thoughts.
Son of Moon! The Son of Moon can control peoples minds!
Messy mumbling sounded from the townspeople. The im caused fear to appear on their faces.
Son of Moon, it was not a good term for those who made living near Supreme Road.
Although the moon always represented romance, the Son of Moon didnt.
Other than having a death wish, no one wished to encounter a terrifying being like the Son of Moon.
Among the crowd, a few people dressed simrly to the other citizens yet their temperaments were slightly different from others; their faces were heavy as well.
However, they didnt look heavy because of the messy mumbles but because of what Holler said before.
Burning Familys men? His hair and eyes are not red... that Burning Marquis peasant elder son! Should we say as expected of the most discussed person in Dawn City?
The few hidden ones exchanged gazes before swiftly fading away in the crowd.
...
Inside a certain shadowy spot outside Shatterstone Town, a wide wagon was hiding from sight.
Wright who was standing beside the wagon witnessed the incident from start to end.
From the exploding heads of hundreds of robbers to how Holler turnedpletely obedient. The butler of Burning Marquis witnessed it all. His strict and old-fashioned face suddenly had a faint smile on it.
It is exactly as Lord Marquis expected...You are ready now.
The burning fire is fearless of darkness.
The burning will is fearless of horror.
The burning soul is fearless of despair.
Please take care of yourself.
The butler bowed at Shatterstone Town before he went off.
The wide wagon sprinted out from the shadows and rode towards Dawn City with exceptional speed. The fire emblem beside the wagon shone brightly like a real me under the moonlight.
It didnt only just rumble around, it was burning fiercely as well; inside the burning me, a head with horns was faintly visible.
...
The gazes on him were slowly getting reducing and when Kieran returned to his security office, thest gaze from the citizens was gone.
Kieran wasnt too bothered about it. He always spared no attention to gazes without malicious or killing intent.
Otherwise, with his Intuition boosted by his Chosen Ones Spirit attribute, he would be a paranoid crazy person in less than a few days.
However, he still marked down a couple of the intentional gazes among the crowd because they were slightly stronger than themoners.
The powerful ones were always obvious.
Kieran sat in his chair and looked at Holler in front of him.
Without furthermand, Holler started to spill what he knew.
My lord, a person named Modi was my only contact and he would contact me only from his side. He would assign some missions to me and then teach me some mystical arts as pay. At first, the missions were harmless but it somehow turned into some uneptable request. However, I was at the point of no return. The moment when I used the mystical arts taught by him to heal my old wounds, I was far beyond return.
Kieran nodded, signaling for Holler to continue.
The person named Modi wasnt really a genius with his methods. His methods were not that innovative as simr means were always used in gray area territories.
Benefits would be given each time a victimpleted their task, including but not limited to money or women. When the victim was in too deep, they would be sliced open and left behind to bleed to death.
This time, Modi required a sufficient amount of fresh lives, so he wanted me to work with the robbers to raid the town! That bastard was nning this from the beginning but I was too slow to notice it.
Holler being controlled by [Mesly Ring] confessed his crime as he was freed from the shackles that held him down before; his face was looking extremely shameful and guilty.
About this Modi guy, do you know anything else? Kieran asked.
He is very mysterious. Only he contacts me each time and we never really met in person. Ive tried to trail him but Ive failed many times. After being warned, I gave up on that thought. However, it seems like he is very unfamiliar with Supreme Road since he would makemon mistakes, Holler answered.
Unfamiliar? Common mistakes? Kieran squinted his eyes as spections formed in his mind.
Chapter 954 - Speculations
Chapter 954: Spections
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For natives, anyone unfamiliar to a certain location or alwaysmittingmon mistakes would be thought of as an idiot.
Some slightly vignt ones would think it might be a trap of some sorts but as a yer, Kieran viewed it from a different perspective.
When he heard Hollers answer, he automatically pondered the identity of this Modi.
A yer!
Based on how Holler described him, there was a high chance that Modi was a yer.
Unlike how Kieran entered the dungeon world the official way and acquired simple memories and an identity, the others didnt have all these. That was the reason why they were unfamiliar with the area around Supreme Road and always mademon mistakes.
But...
Maybe it is Broker putting up an act? Kieran muttered.
Kieran could never be too safe against Broker because before the veryst moment, no one knew how much Broker was hiding under his sleeves.
This time was no exception either.
He threw out this Modi let us focus on him? No, no, no, it shouldnt be this simple. He would definitely go with a moreplicated n.
Our attention wouldnt just focus on Modi but also the people around him as well! This is what Broker wanted!
He wanted to attract our attention onto those rted to Modi, fooling us to think that those rted ones are his real men. Those men must be a horrifying trap, waiting for us to fall into. Meanwhile, his other real subordinate would hide in the dark, waiting for a chance to strike.
Or... Broker is toying with us again, those rted ones are really his men while the ones hiding in the dark are the trap?
Kieran was rubbing his temple while he was deep in thought.
The reason why he hated Broker was because of his vague and obscure means. His real might turn unreal and his unreal might turn real at any time.
Each time Kieran faced off with Broker, he would scold him with Lawless, calling Broker a cunning merchant but in Kierans heart, the title Deceiver is more fitting than Broker.
Huu!
Kieran released a breath and temporarily gave up on figuring out Brokers n.
The leads at hand were too little, he couldnt rte into more like this and thinking without a direction would only mess him up.
[Communication Card] was taken out again. Kieran was ready to contact Starbeck but the notification that followed made him frown.
[Target is in a special environment, unable to establishmunication...
Kieran changed his method a few times yet the oue was the same.
Obviously, it was the worst part of their prediction.
What was worse was that Starbeck didnt move ording to the n, which was to give up on the mission to protect himself whenever his life was at stake.
[de of the Daybreaker] had no main mission.
Giving up on his own ord would only lose him the title [Daybreakers de] and nothing else.
For anyone else, the Unique Title was something they would contend with their lives for but for Starbeck, the title was not necessary.
Something happened? Kieran thought as he began to worry.
After clearing [The Sheriffs First Step], Kieran had acquired an extra 3 days to stay in the dungeon.
It seemed like he cleared the sub-mission fairly easily but it was actually based off his special powerful strengths.
As Kieran explored each dungeon world by risking his life and acquiring rewards far exceeding everyone else, he wasnt a yer that could be measured with mere dungeon entry numbers anymore.
If anyone were to rate him with dungeon entry numbers, Kieran would make sure that particr someone paid for their mistakes.
Likewise, any other yer with a 6 dungeon clear would have to pay a hefty cost to clear the sub-mission just now.
Being surrounded by hundreds of armed robbers while firearms were restricted, it was already exhausting to mention let alone there was Holler, a half mystic warrior.
As Kieran was judging Starbecks danger based off on his own experience, he couldnt help but frown yet it didnt stop him from making his move.
He couldnt contact Starbeck nor did he know how he was doing but he knew all of the participating yers, including the three other malicious opponents revolved around Burning Dawn; even the special opponent Broker was no exception.
So, Starbeck must be around Supreme Road.
Holler, bring me all the files and letters you have on Burning Dawn and try to gather information about unusual urrences around Supreme Road, Kieran ordered.
Yes, my lord! Holler bowed and left in a hurry.
As Mayor Holler went off, Volgen the civilian troop captain who was standing guard outside all this while walked in.
What happened?
His young age made him a straightforward person, he hated unclear answers so he asked Kieran directly when he stood before him.
Holler was bewitched and he lost his own conscience. I freed him from the bewitchment, he found his own conscience back and returned to his old self, Kieran said in a partially true way.
He concealed why Holler was bewitched but stated the fact Holler had fallen for something.
Kieran didnt hope the young man that he has a good impression off go through unnecessary pain, the kind that he wouldnt be able to recover from.
If he was able to recover, it would be best for Volgen to properly cherish it.
Family, friendship, love, everything was the same.
Despite there being some white lies included in Kierans method, the young man before him didnt mind, did he?
After listening to what Kieran said, the young captain let out a long sigh of relief. His anxious feeling went awaypletely together with his long sigh.
He was really worried about Kieran telling him something he didnt want to hear or face.
Thank God!
A smile appeared on Volgens face.
Thank you for everything youve done for Mayor Holler, Volgen said.
No need for thanks. Holler is Shatterstones mayor and I am Shatterstones sheriff, its what I should do, Kieran answered.
Kierans answer brought more fondness from Volgen.
I am also Shatterstones civilian troop captain, helping you is also part of my duty. My lord, anything that I can help you with? Volgen said with a smile.
His words were actually a joke that Volgen used to be closer with Kieran, he never thought Kieran would nod seriously.
Of course. Gather whatever men you can. We will carry out a big spot check. Shatterstone has too many unstable elements, I think we should clean it up entirely.
Young Volgen was still caught off guard at first but as Kieran spoke his intention, Volgens face became serious as well.
Yes, my lord! Volgen answered loudly and went off gathering his men.
Kieran, on the other hand, didnt put much care towards the young captain but he turned his attention to the follow-up sub-mission after [The Sheriffs First Step], [The Sheriffs Second Step].
[The Sheriffs Second Step: After breaking the curse, you have established the initial trust around you but this is just the start. Shatterstone Town still has a lot of danger that requires its sheriff to deal with it.]
...
An automatic chain mission? Will the end lead to Burning Dawn? Or...
Kieran looked at his [Identity] as his eyes glimmered.
Chapter 955 - The Stick and Carrot Policy
Chapter 955: The Stick and Carrot Policy
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Kieran was not the newbie he once was anymore.
However, he still wouldnt dare to underestimate the new information he got in the underground game, especially when two of them came up together in a special dungeon world.
Kieran was in his chair recalling what happened after he entered the dungeon world and soon, he noticed something.
The sub-mission chain [Sheriff] would appear as long as I am in Shatterstone Town! Given that the mission is automatically chained and based on how the mission content was structured, in the end, I might truly have control over Shatterstone Town! After having control over the town, I would surely acquire some of the natives help...
Kieran frowned slightly.
If his theory was correct, gaining the help from the natives was not something worth being happy about or anticipating, because it would mean he had to face more difficult and peculiar situations, like a battlefield on two fronts.
Coincidentally, he had information that he was very intrigued about before his eyes: his [Identity] and Burning Dawn.
Burning Family and Burning Dawn.
Both terms having the same prefixes allowed Kieran to rte to more things, especially when he was a skilled fire user, more thoughts appeared in Kierans mind.
As Kieran was deep in thought, seconds turned into minutes.
The young captain had already gathered all the men he could; a total of 25 men appeared in front of the security office.
Kieran then walked out after being notified.
My lord, everyone we have here. There are four others who...
Volgen was looking dark and heavy when he mentioned the 4 deceased soldiers; he couldnt continue properly.
Lay them to rest ording to proper procedures and send the pensions to their respective family. You better take good care of them as well, Kieran ordered.
Despite the four deceased soldiers being strangers to him, nor was he familiar with the system that the civilian troops followed in a burial, he knew what he should do at the moment.
At least he noticed when he gave the order, a lot of the civilian soldiers eyes were glimmering; the reverence in their expressions was less anxious now.
It was what he wanted.
After having the spections, Kieran knew he didnt only need a bunch of civilian soldiers that wouldply and obey his instructions, he wanted them to obey wholeheartedly.
Only then would he get certain aid from the civilian soldiers in the uing events.
Of course, a certain few of the civilian soldiers had to go.
Kieran didnt wish to see a few soldiers hating their steps due to hesitancy when the whole group was charging at their enemy, thus affecting the morale of the whole group or perhaps even worse.
He walked up to the group; the group was poorly equipped, varied in different heights and sizes and its number was so few that one would feel pity for them.
I am 2567, the new sheriff of Shatterstone Town. I cant tell you about my past but I want you to witness my future. We will share victory together and ovee death together.
Now... anyone who wishes to stay away from the danger that this path will lead us to, please stand out! I swear on the honor of sheriff that I will not hold you responsible for what you did today.
Kieran said loudly.
Skimming an already small group at its initial stage might seem unwise in other peoples eyes but it would be better to adjust and adapt when things happen.
As for adjusting the group while he cleared [Sheriff], the series of chain quest?
If he had the time, he would certainly do so but he knew time was not on his side.
Kieran didnt only need toplete the [Sheriff]s chain mission in the shortest time possible so that he could take control of the whole town, he would also need to quickly expand Shatterstone Towns arsenal.
He was already falling behind a particr someone. He didnt wish to keep it that way.
The soldiers were looking at each other with hesitation but none of them moved away.
I promise no one will know about your actions here tonight and if people ask, I will say that you left because of injuries from tonights operation, Kieran continued.
His tone was t but he purposely put emphasis on the operation tonight.
A few of the hesitating soldiers couldnt help but quiver when they heard what Kieran said.
In the end, the soldier that stayed on guard at Dwarf Wine and Rice Basin and also the one who tried to evade his duty during the moving of the bodies out of the secret room stood out.
Mm. Leave your sword and you can leave. Kieran nodded.
Im sorry my lord!
His face was hesitant and apologetic as he spoke but his actions were not slow at all. He ced his sword down and ran towards the dark beside.
When there was a first, there would be a second, a third...
Sorry could be heard repeatedly; the group of civilian soldiers was quickly decreasing in number.
After a minute had passed and no one left anymore, the number of troops was down by half, leaving only 13 of them behind.
Not bad. Better than I expected. From now on, you all will be the real soldiers of Shatterstone Town. You will not be responsible for farming and herding anymore. I want all of you to train every day, fight every day and I will be responsible for your daily expenses from now on.
Volgen, you will take charge of the distribution of needs.
Kieran said as he took out a delicate and bloated coin sack. He tossed it to the young captain.
Volgen caught the coin sack but the opening was not tightly sealed.
Faaaaaa!
The gold coins in the sack fell out and fell to the ground.
As the moonlight shed its pure radiance over the golden coins, it was emanating a dazzling shine.
The civilian soldiers that stayed had their eyes glued on the coins and were glimmering.
Gold coins obtained through shady means would cause an honest man to hesitate but when it was obtained through legitimate means, even an honest man wouldnt reject it.
Kieran captured the expressions of all the remaining soldiers in his sight before he said loudly.
This is just a part of it. From now on, follow me and I will assure you that you will have fame, wealth and things that you cant even imagine in the future.
You might be sons of farmers, cksmiths, or carpenters but your sons in the future will not be farmers, cksmiths, and carpenters anymore because they have you as fathers! You, who are willing to risk your life for your future generations well being!
The encouraging words excited the soldiers one after another; all of them were breathing heavily, as if what Kieran said already happened.
The situation motivated them, boosted their morale.
The situation made them obedient and carry out Kierans orders without scruple.
Promptly, the town which has just quieted down became merry and loud again.
At the same time, something is brewing in the dark.
Chapter 956 - Simple Plan
Chapter 956: Simple n
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Sayer returned to his room while fear lingered in his heart. He then started to wield his pen swiftly and energetically.
He tried to summarized what happened in Shatterstone Town in a simple and precise way.
Then, he went out through the window and ced the written note in an alley behind his house.
A carrier pigeon around Supreme Road was too obvious.
A trained hawk was not something a group of robbers would invest in.
Therefore, they had to go with the most primitive way. Fortunately, the most primitive way was also the most effective one around the ce.
However, before Sayer could sigh after he returned to his room, he heardmotions going on on the streets.
des clunking, people falling and screaming in agony.
When Sayer opened his window slightly, he saw a familiar person run past his eyes; behind the running figure was a group of civilian troops with torches and swords.
That guy was discovered?
Sayer was stunned as he realized who the running figure was. He was responsible in Shatterstone Town not just for keeping an eye on the previous merchant group but he was also tasked with gathering talents.
Shatterstone Town was located at the starting point of Supreme Road, its strategic location attracted a lot of merchant groups and talents from all around.
The person that ran past Sayer was one of his targets.
The target was actually a killer with over a dozen kills and hadmitted multiple robberies in South Saint Cyanda. The moment the target entered Shatterstone Town, Sayer marked him down.
If it wasnt for other bothersome people trailing the target, Sayer would have made contact long ago.
But now?
The person lying before Sayer was indeed that bothersome someone who tried to rope in his target in the first ce. He nced over the fe while his heartughed coldly.
Sayer had no mercy against otherpetitors in the same line of work; he hoped all hispetitors would drop dead quickly and die in a gruesome way.
I guess its Volgens handy work. Other than Volgen, there is no one in the civilian troops capable of killing that bastard.
Despite the fe being apetitor in the same line of work and holding malicious intent against Sayer, he never dared underestimate hispetitors strength.
It was quite simr to how Sayer looked down on the civilian troops capabilities.
Most of the civilian soldiers were a bunch of good for nothing guys, muddling along day after day.
Although they were crowned as civilian soldiers, they were actually nothing more than clowns with swords.
Sayer alone had enough confidence to take out 4 of them at once... No, 5! At least 5 of them!
Sayer had set an example pole in his heart. He then started to figure out how he would rope in that target, the talent that he marked down from the beginning.
This might be a good chance! As long as I can avoid Volgens sight and... that terrifying bastard! Why would a terrifying bastard like him be the sheriff of Shatterstone?
Shouldnt he head directly to Burning Dawn instead?
As Sayer recalled the terrifying scene that went down, his body felt extremely unsettled. The tremble that came from the deepest part of his body caused him to breathe heavily. He had to take in several deep breaths to calm himself down.
However, at the next moment...
Sou!
An irritating air-breaking sound appeared, followed by a scalp numbing wail from someone.
The talent that Sayer had marked down was shot by an arrow from the sky. The arrow shot through his thigh and pinned him down on the ground.
Anyone who saw the scene could tell the arrow wasnt a lethal shot; the person who fired the arrow wasnt going after for the talents life.
The fired arrow was too fast! The talent couldnt even react to what happened!
Regardless of which part of the talent was shot, he would be dead if the person that fired the arrow really wanted him to be.
Who fired the arrow?!
Sayers face turned white as he stared at the guy being pinned down on the ground, screaming in agony. Before this, this so-called talent still attracted Sayers attention but now, he waspletely uninterested in him anymore.
Sayer only wanted to know who fired the arrow.
The arrow was too scary!
Aside from the guy on the ground, Sayer himself and everyone that he knew off would not have dodged that arrow.
Soon, Sayer located the person responsible for all these. The person didnt n to hide either.
He was standing on top of a roof under the night sky.
The pure white moon shed its light on the earth; his crow feathered mantle was rattling softly along with the night breeze.
The young face was emanating a different kind of luster under the moonlight, making it extremely captivating.
However, all the captivated gazes were extremely terrified.
Its that bastard!
Sayer saw the persons face under the moonlight. He took a few steps back in fright as if he was struck by lightning; his mind waspletely empty at the moment.
Sayer was frightened beyond logic.
He never thought he would witness such terrifying archery with his own eyes.
The scene was different from the one Sayer saw previously because Sayer himself had quite the attainments in archery as well. It was because of his attainments that it terrorized Sayer beyond words.
He knew he was discovered!
No one should underestimate a sharpshooters sight and perception.
It might be a split second for anymoner but that split second could determine life and death for a sharpshooter.
Sayer was trembling as he shrunk to the corner of a wall. He hoped to find a hiding spot but he knew even his room couldnt protect him from that kind of arrow.
If he wanted to block the arrow from hitting him, he must utilize a stone walls formidable defense.
I-I...need... to...
Sayer forced himself to calm down with all his effort but when it revolved around his life and death, he couldnt.
After leaving the robbers and merging himself into this slightlyfortable environment, Sayer was no longer the robber that people feared with a mention of his name.
Sayer was used to carving some artistic sculpture with the knife in his hand, not slicing someones neck with it.
However, the others were different. Those who hid in the shadowy corners swiftly ran towards the hiding spots they assumed were safe.
These people were fast but not faster than Kierans bow and arrow.
Transcendence [Sharp Weapon, Bow]s special effect [Transcendence Reload] and Transcendence Option [Arrow of Will] didnt just buff Kierans arrow speed but gave it outstanding power as well.
Sou, Sou, Sou, Sou, Sou!
A total of 5 arrows were fired in session.
Five agonizing screams then followed.
It didnt matter if they were hiding behind sturdy wooden doors or inside a dark room, none would protect them.
The most terrifying thing to Sayer was, the five of them didnt die from the arrow. Simr to the first guy, they were pinned down on the ground with an arrow through their thigh.
So, when Kieran turned his gaze at Sayers spot, he made the wise choice to walk out with his hands up.
My lord, I yield! Sayer said out loud.
...
My lord, we did it! Volgen said with excitement.
At first, Volgen didnt really voice out any opinion when Kieran decided to cut down the numbers of the civilian troops but his heart was slightly disagreeing.
Volgen knew some of the men were intolerable but he knew they would need as much manpower as they could muster to clean up Shatterstone Town.
ording to the young captains calction, the number of the remaining soldiers were far from enough. They would need to recruit more temporary substitutes to make it work.
However, to keep it a secret was the thing that caused the most headache to Volgen.
So, the young captain hoped Kirean would provide an effective n.
To Volgens surprise, Kierans n of attack was that simple!
In fact, if the previous incident with the robbers didnt happen, he would definitely disagree with the n, but now?
Volgens gaze at Kieran has nothing but respect.
Respect for his strength and respect for his confidence.
No one can make this n work other than you! The n is a sess
The young captain spoke his mind since he knew the key factor of the n.
Sess? Not quite.
Kieran slightly shook his head as replied to Volgens praise.
Then, he disappeared from where he stood in a sh.
Chapter 957 - Baited
Chapter 957: Baited
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran knew who his biggest enemy was at the moment.
So, he didnt only need toplete his sub-mission [The Sheriffs Second Step] and clean up Shatterstone town, he still had to dig out Modis men that were hiding in the dark.
Kieran was certain, Modi must have nted a mole in Shatterstone Town.
Otherwise, he wouldnt have been able to grasp Hollers whereabouts so precisely.
Anyone else other than Modi would take extra care while using Holler as well.
Despite Hollers identity as a mayor of a small town, the town he was in charge of, Shatterstone Town, was not just any town.
Shatterstone Town was located at the starting point of Supreme Road and was very close to one of Burning Dawns military camps.
The strategic location of the town had already determined Hollers identity to be exceptional.
In fact, Kieran doubted Holler. Without his identity as a wounded soldier from Burning Dawn, would he be able to smoothly ascend to Shatterstones mayor?
It might seem like a fair election but actually, it has been decided by the higher authorities.
Simr to Modis mole, he might seem smart and hid quite well but the mole was already blinded by his own greed.
Relying on his dwarf-like body, Old Peeker easily hid in a shadowy spot as he watched the mayors office further away.
Old Peekers eyes were struggling because, in order to truly get rewarded, he had to head to the office. However, he had quite the fear of Hollers abilities.
Old Peeker knew where his advantages lied, it was none other than his identity as a hotel owner and his dwarf-like height. As for battle and hiding, it wasnt his forte at all.
He didnt even have any fight capabilities.
Still, Old Peeker decided to risk it despite the realization.
The newly arrived sheriff was a terrifying person. Old Peeker didnt want to stay around to mingle with that bastard.
He worried that he might expose himself identally in the future.
Its all or nothing!
Old Peeker was taking baby steps as the thought came into his mind but after a single step forward, he froze on the spot.
What did he see?
KIERAN!
Kieran appeared before him somehow without his notice.
L-Lord sheriff, good evening! I am here to visit Mayor Holler! I heard that he was bewitched, how scary is that!
Old Peeker was slightly stunned but quickly reacted to the situation; he then said with a sigh.
I know right. Its really scary, so... can you tell me about this scary person in details?
Kieran nodded and took a nce at Old Peeker.
If it wasnt for his powerful Intuition attribute, allowing Kieran to notice Old Peeker was hiding in that spot for a while, others might really think they bumped into Old Peeker here.
What did you say? I dont understand. Old Peeker looked confused.
He is just bait. Bait to lure out the one who controlled him from the dark. I suppose that mastermind would be curious about what methods I used to wake Holler up so quickly. The mastermind might not appear in person because of his vignce but his mole or spy in the town would definitely show up. Kieran pointed at the mayors office.
Old Peekers face changed but he nned to deny it with all his effort.
I really dont know what you are talking about. If there is nothing else, I will be taking my leave. Old Peeker turned around, trying to leave.
Kieran, of course, wouldnt let him escape. A chop at Old Peekers neck knocked him out cold.
He grabbed Old Peeker by the cor and turned his attention to a further shadowy spot.
Kierans eyes were as calm and cool as usual. Still, such gazes gave immense pressure to the person hiding in the shadow.
2 to 3 secondster, the person walked out.
Dont get it the wrong way, I am not the person you are looking for or one of his men. I am just following the dwarf in your hand here because I was curious.
It was a young man but slightly older than Volgen, still, there were fine mustache hairs over his lips.
He had a normal looked with short hair; his gray eyes were not umon either, even the dark brown leather armor on him was standard.
However, each side of his waist was equipped with a longsword respectively. Seemed like he was a dual wielder.
Kieran took back his gaze at the man, and...
A sh! A chop!
Kieran was not interested in listening to the mans exnation, nor did he want to test the mans words validity with his own.
He had a more simple way to deal with him.
Wa...
Snackers face turned sour when he saw Kieran disappear before him. He never thought Kieran was such a reckless person.
There was an obvious difference in what he saw and what he heard but Kierans strength was stronger than rumored.
Despite Snacker dodged with all his might, he still felt the wind behind himing closer.
A bitter smile appeared on Snackers face.
He knew he was about to be mocked by the other guys but what caused the bitterness in his expression was, he couldnt even withstand a single blow from Kieran.
Soon, however, Snackers bitterness went away.
Souuu!
An arrow grazed the air and was fired at Kierans arm delivering the blow to Snacker.
Based on the arrows trajectory, if Kieran continued his chop forward at Snacker, his hand would be perforated.
Blu, who fired the arrow grinned before he took out another arrow from his quiver.
He already predicted what would happen next: Kieran will definitely dodge and he will fall into the relentless arrow rain from Blu.
You are really a sharpshooter but I am not that bad either!
Blu thought arrogantly in his heart.
Before this, Kieran was using his bow and arrow to take out the bad guys in Shatterstone. The scene caused exchanges of praise from the people but it made Blu, a well-known sharpshooter in Dawn City unwilling to submit.
He didnt think he was lousier than Kieran; he could even performer better!
Despite the confidence, he was not weed by the honor he deserved; the same thing happened when he was in Dawn City.
People said it was because of hispetitor disappeared, only then Blu and his friends got the name for themselves. It wasnt the result of their hard work.
Blu was extremely unwilling to submit to thements. He was helpless against it since hispetitor disappeared on his own.
Now, hispetitor appeared in Shatterstone Town. He would not let this chance slip again.
He couldnt ept the fact that he was always below hispetitor.
Blu quickly adjusted his breath, boosting himself to his prime state.
He wanted to prove his own worth. The string on the bow was pulled back again.
His fingers on the string and the arrow were steady and strong but he hadnt let go.
Kierans hand didnt even dodge the arrow, instead...
Ding!
The arrow fired hit Kierans palm precisely. His fair palm didnt bleed at all, it didnt even leave a scratch!
Quite the opposite, the arrow was reflected.
Pak!
Kierans chopnded on the back of Snackers neck. He then reached out for the reflected arrow and grabbed it.
As he grabbed the arrow, he threw the arrow back where it came from.
Blu was shocked. He immediately let loose of his finger on the string.
Souu!
Another arrow was fired from his bow and it precisely hit the returning arrow but Blus arrow was knocked away by the arrow Kieran threw.
The arrow Kieran threw went straight for Blu without any dys.
Blu did a side roll but he didnt dodge itpletely. His shoulder was chaffed.
When he saw his leather armor and skin on his shoulder break, Blu stood up with a dumbstruck face, trying to say something.
However, before Blu spoke, another chop from Kierannded on his back.
Then...
Kieranunched another kick behind him!
Chapter 958 - Sweet Wind
Chapter 958: Sweet Wind
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Behind Kieran was a figure approaching without any movement in the wind; the dagger in the figures hand was driving towards Kierans back.
However, the figure purposely avoided Kierans weak spot, instead, the dagger was aimed at Kierans shoulder.
Riley didnt want to kill Kieran. The attack wasnt personal.
From a certain aspect, Riley admired the peasant elder son of the Burning Family quite a bit, how he ditched his own name and honor ande to a small town near Supreme Road to be its sheriff.
It would seem illogical in many peoples perspective.
One needed to know, despite the peasant elder son of the Burning Family not being able to inherit the Burning Marquis position, it was still possible for him to acquire lordship or dukeship.
Even though it wasnt hereditary, a lot of people would kill for those titles.
So, Riley chose to strike in a considerable way but at the next moment, he was d he made that choice.
Ssss!
Venomous snake hisses echoed in Rileys ear. His body quivered; his eyes opened wide as he was terrorized by that kick that defied human body structure.
Bang!
Kieran tiptoed on Rileys neck. He controlled his kick properly so that Riley didnt receive any actual damage; all he suffered was being knocked unconcious.
Kieran slightly frowned as he looked at the trio on the ground.
Snacker, Blu and Riley. The three of them didnt bear any killing intent toward him.
His Intuition told him so. However, it wasnt possible for Modi to arrange people without killing intent to attack him, especially when Kieran captured Old Peeker.
Another faction?
Kieran nced at the trio again. He grabbed them by the cors with one hand and Old Peeker on the other while he returned to his security office.
Inside the security office, Volgen was already questioning the captive.
When he saw Kieran bring in Old Peeker, the young captain was dumbstruck.
Even Old Peeker? Volgen had aplicated look over his face.
For the young captain who treated Shatterstone as his home, everyone on the town was family to him to a certain extent, but the ones he just caught were mostly his family.
Volgen found it hard to ept emotionally but his logic told him what was right.
Do you need me to question him? Volgen asked.
No, leave him to me. Split them up in different cells. Send two men to watch them and dont provide any food to them other than water. After that, bring the rest of the group and search their houses for valuables, Kieran ordered with a wave of a hand.
Yes, my lord. Young Volgen carried out the order quickly.
All of the captives, including Snacker, Blu, and Riley were searched before they were locked in the cell of the security office.
The cell was actually a narrow jail cell that even a grown man would find it hard to lie down in.
The security office had 15 of those cells. It was remodeled from two normal bedrooms by adding metal bars and stone walls built in the middle; despite its crudeness, it was enough to handle most of the criminals in the town.
Two civilian soldiers were patrolling along the corridor by taking shifts.
They would check each and every cell every 10 minutes; one of them led the way with an oilmp and a sword while the other held a crossbow behind for support.
Kieran gave the order to both of them to kill without mercy if the captives dared to cause trouble.
Kieran purposely didnt lower his voice when he gave the kill order, so most of the captives in the cells heard what he said.
The captives were unusually cooperative after that. None of them dared to question Kierans decision to kill, especially when they heard how Kieran interrogated the other captive. They felt more fearful of Kieran after that.
Aaaaa! Aaaargh!
My finger!
My eyes! Im blind!
Please spare me! Have mercy!
Ive told you everything I know!
...
Fingers being broken, eyes being stabbed, teeth and bones being cracked; on top of all of that, the sizzling noise of the branding of skin and the charred smell was obvious as well.
Old Peeker and Sayer couldnt see any of that but they heard it and smelled it; it was enough for them to tremble in fear.
Snacker, Blu, and Rileys face turned pale. Until that moment, they remembered the Burning Family was known for their ruthless and merciless acts other than their special gifts and powers.
Bring these men outside the town and hang them to death.
The calm and t voice sounded without any emotions attached, anyone who heard that would shiver without feeling cold, including the two civilian soldiers.
Though, Kieran didnt even have to rush them to move quickly as they automatically carried out their orders.
There were few notorious wanted men, a ruthless killer that had been on the wanted list oin the past was dragged outside by the two soldiers like a dead dog and was hung over the town gate.
There was not even the slightest resistance in the process.
These notorious, vicious bastards werent ready to die but all of their bones were almost crushed; they didnt even want to resist anymore.
Death was the only exit for them.
Then... what about you guys?
Kieran stood in front of the cells and asked slowly.
No to a single person but to all of the captives.
My lord, I hereby pledge my allegiance to you and will tell you everything I know! I can even bring you a great sum of fortune! Sayer said without a second thought since he was the one who surrendered on his own will.
My lord, please spare me, I know that bastards secret hideout!
Old Peeker was speaking louder than Sayer. It was very suspicious of him though, how could a dwarf-like body like his speak so loudly?
The confession from both of them granted them a chance to live another day.
However, Snacker, Blue, and Riley were different.
The pride in their hearts forbid them from being like Sayer and Old Peeker: giving up their pride in exchange for their lives.
The three of them looked at each other through the metal bars; they saw the bitterness in each others eyes.
They never would have thought after leaving Dawn City, before they even caught a glimpse of Burning Dawns military camp, they were going to be hung to death on the town gate by Burning Familys peasant elder son.
If this spread down to Dawn City, it might be the joke of the century! Everyone would beughing at them for decades toe.
Usually, the trio wouldugh at jokes but when the jokes were on them, they really couldnt find the leisure to do so.
My lord, we really didnt mean any ill intentions. I was just curious back there and myrades here attacked you to save me. If you really want to hang us to death, please hang me alone. Spare myrades, Snacker said.
He hoped hisrades would live to see another day but Snacker wrongly estimated hisrades thoughts.
Death is not scary, especially under the hands of another sharpshooter. I wish to die under your bow not a rope over my neck! Blue said loudly.
What technique did you use before? The secret inheritance from Burning Family? Can you show me again? Otherwise, Ill die a restless death! Riley said loudly.
When he heard hisrades speak those words out loud, if he was not behind bars, Snacker would really want to go up to hisrades, grab them by the neck and scold them, Are you out of your mind?
Just when Snacker face-palmed himself, regretting teaming up with two ridiculous guys to venture around Supreme Road, a night breeze was blown into the security office.
It carried a sweet scent with it and what was more concerning was the owner of the sweet scent.
A girl with a reddish brown hood.
Despite her face being covered by the hood, everyone in the cell was infatuated by her graceful body as if they saw a beauty that was out of this world.
Except for Kieran. The moment the girl appeared, Kieranunched a kick at her face.
Chapter 959 - Delivering a message
Chapter 959: Delivering a message
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Wuung!
Kierans kick was like a hammer swung in a flurry.
Not only did it caused an air-breaking sound that people would fear, but the strong wind also lifted up the girls hood as well.
The face under the hood didnt disappoint the men who were infatuated by her body.
Fair skin, delicate features, especially those pale blue eyes, it was enough to attract any mans eyes in an instant; even women would be unconsciously drawn towards her gaze as well.
That grayish blonde hair of hers was tied into a gand shape over her head while the rest of her hair was let down over her shoulders.
Still, it didnt alter Kierans course of attack.
For Kieran, it didnt matter whether his target was a man or a woman, as long as he could not verify his targets identity, or possibly an unknown native or even a hostile assant, he would not show any mercy.
Aisphany was shocked when she was attacked. She never thought a young man would strike her down.
The words that were hanging in her mouth was swallowed back just like that but what more infuriating was... her ns were messed up.
Aisphany looked at Kieran in dissatisfaction.
With her delicate features and pale blue eyes, her dissatisfaction didnt exactly annoy others but instead, others would chuckle over her expression.
However...
Roses had thorns on them, just like how beauty was lethal to men.
Anyone who chuckled over her dissatisfaction would never live to see the sun on the second day.
A half transparent defensive barrier formed around Aisphanny; a more powerful formless energy was gathering in her hands.
The defensive barrier shattered upon contact with Kierans powerful kick. Her formless energy was then gushed out from her hands like a geyser, trying to reduce Kierans impactful kick and at the same time trying to overpower him.
However, Aisphanny soon discovered, her intentions were but flights of fancy.
She found it difficult to even block Kierans kick let alone overpower him.
The seemingly casual kick from Kieran was like a sharp de, slicing and dicing the torrential energy stream and went straight to Aisphanys face.
Though, the formless energy saved Aisphany from her demise. A split second before the kick touched her, the energy dragged her aside, causing the kick to miss its target.
Pak!
Kierans kick grazed Aisphany. The powerful wind from the substantial force broke Aisphany meticulous prepared hairstyle.
You bastard!
A loud growl came from outside. A huge figure then charged in from outside the building while wielding a broadsword.
The figure was charging like a knight. He was fierce and mighty with his valiant stance but...
The figure was kicked away faster than his charging speed.
BOOM!
The figure was sent smashing through the security office door and crashed into the mayors office; whether he was dead or alive was unknown.
Aisphany saw herrade being kicked away. She immediately wanted to gather the formless energy to attack Kieran again but when she lifted her hands up, a sharp and long sword was pointing at her while floating in mid-air.
The tip of the sword was at her throat.
It was the presence of death! It was the first time Aisphany felt despair from the presence.
Her mind went nk, forcing her to tremble uncontrobly.
D-Dont kill me, Aisphany said out of instinct.
Then, she saw a pair of cold to lifeless eyes looking at her.
What kind of gaze was that!?
The gaze didnt show any feelings, didnt show any delight for victory, didnt show rage because of the untimely intervention and didnt show fear of the unknown but Aisphany felt the spine chilling coldness from the gaze.
He wants to kill me!
The thought suddenly came into her mind.
Mixing with the presence of death, Aisphany suddenly saw illusions before her eyes because of the shocking impact.
She saw a wolf running alone on the broad fields, howling at the moon sharply.
T-This is the person youre looking for?!
How is this possible? How will this person help you?!
As the thoughts flooded her mind, Aisphany was almost out of breath under the illusion but her frozen thoughts didnt cause her to make the wrong decision.
STARBECK!
She screamed the name out loud with her all breath.
[Dandelions Pierce]s sword tip already poked through her skin on her throat, causing blood to flow down the de.
The narrow long de was shaking non-stop as if it was eager to taste the blood of its target yet it didnt pierce through Aisphanys neck because Kieran didnt allow it.
With Kierans absolute willpower, [Dandelions Pierce] circted around Kieran about two rounds with a mild vibration before vanishing in the shadows.
Aisphany just escaped the grasp of death but before she could catch a breath, Kieran grabbed her up.
Y-You...
Where is he?
Kieran interrupted Aisphany meaningless words.
What?
She was stunned and didnt react properly to the situation.
I said, where is Starbeck? Kieran repeated himself.
Oh my God! That guy really knows you! Gosh! You both are really as good as he ims...
Aisphany was overwhelmed by the fact, she started to express her shock but soon, she started to regret her instinctive reply.
The palm that was grabbing her by the neck was quickly squeezed to a maximum limit.
Any further squeezing from the guy before her and Aisphanys neck would be snap in two; she truly believed that.
Likewise, she doubted that the guy before her would show her any mercy.
Pak Pak Pak!
Aisphany was beating Kierans arm and looked at him with a suffocating expression.
Cough* Cough*
... I dont know where he is now, I am only here to deliver the message to you by his request...
Cough* Cough*
The palm was slightly loosened. Aisphany then coughed repeatedly, trying to grasp some air.
Still, even she was coughing, she kept revealing details about Starbeck.
Wheres this message? Kieran asked.
In my bag!
As Aisphany revealed the point, she was thrown on the floor while her bag was taken.
Kieran found a stamp sealed letter from her bag but he didnt return the bag to her because Kieran still found some belongings of Starbeck.
He raised a brow before opening the letter.
Everything had its priority. Kieran knew what he must do now.
After checking the letter itself, he opened the envelope.
...
2567.
I am fine but things are a little special now.
Do what you must, I will always support you.
Starbeck.
Saint Anne Calender: 1182 Summer.
...
A few words and lousy writing but it had the secret code they both knew of.
Fine means he is not in danger at the moment and special means... things havent gone ording to n? He knows I am in Shatterstone Town but he cant move around freely...
After deciphering the secret codes, Kieran folded the letter and ced it in his own bag.
Then, he squinted his eyes at Aisphany.
Ill give you one chance to exin why Starbecks things are inside your bag.
Kieran emphasized each and every word.
Chapter 960 - Special Envoy (2 in 1)
Chapter 960: Special Envoy (2 in 1)
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
T-This is p-payment.
Aisphany said in a stutter.
She then quickly reacted to the situation and emphasized, I didnt force him, he gave it to me of his own will.
Though, it seemed like her emphasis caused a countereffect.
The coldness in Kierans eyes was getting colder.
When she felt the changes in Kierans eyes, Aisphany almost cried. She never thought that little sheep would have a lone wolf as a friend.
A sheep and a wolf were two different species, how could theye together?
She even thought she was lucky enough to encounter a fat sheep, allowing her to earn something out of it.
Aisphany was scolding her greed loudly in her heart while she said loudly, I swear on my familys name everything that I just said is real!
Her voice turned out to be decisive and sonorous but...
Kieran didnt buy any of that because he knew Starbecks character well.
Given Starbecks character in such a forceful situation, Kieran knew exactly what kind of deal Starbeck has with this girl and how it went down.
BLACKMAIL!
More precisely, it was a one-sided, easy ROBBERY!
Other than arguing a little, Starbeck couldnt do anything else. He might not even voice his argument, at most he opened his mouth but no words woulde out.
Kieran never doubted how cowardly Starbeck was and he never doubted how greedy this woman was under her beautiful looks.
The moment she appeared, her presence had triggered Greed, the cardinal sins to resonate with her in praise. It was enough for Kieran to know how deep her greed was.
Huuu!
Scorching mes burned fiercely on Kierans left hand.
Everyone in the security office changed their looks into different expressions when they saw the me on Kierans hand.
Old Peeker and Sayer were purely thinking about rumors, their gazes were looking more and more reverent toward Kieran.
Snacker, Blu, and Riley, however, recalled a lot of memories since they kind of understand who Kieran was.
Aisphany, on the other hand, was much more simple. Fear.
Every rumor about Burning Family came afloat in her mind.
Then, her smart mind started to spin at a speed far exceed her usual thinking speed.
As she recalled scene after scene in her mind, Aisphany quickly caught onto the key point.
My lord, please spare me! I will help you to locate Sir Starbeck! After all, I am the only one who met him before! Aisphany fired out her words like chained pearls.
She swore she never spoke this fast in her life before.
When she spoke, Aisphany closed her eyes as though she didnt dare to find out the reply to her request.
3 to 4 secondster when she didnt feel any burns or pain on her body, Aisphany slowly opened her eyes; not two at once but only a small seam from her left eye.
When she saw the fire go out from Kierans hand, she finally dared to open her eyes and let out a long breath.
She lived!
However, before she could truly be fortunate, fatigue filled her body and spread all over her muscle, causing her to fall on the floor.
Up until that moment, Aisphany realized she didnt just feel fatigued and weak, her sweat had soaked her meticulously prepared dress as well.
Fuuu!
The night breeze was blown over.
Aisphany shivered hard butpared to the coldness in Kierans eyes, it was pale inparison.
When Aisphany realized Kieran was staring at her, she forced her shiver away and tried to say in a mild and slow manner, I met Starbeck in a small alley in Dawn City. He was in trouble back then but someone was protecting him from the dark.
That guy is powerful but I dont know who he is. Starbeck noticed that guy as well and was also quite resistance towards his protection. He even used a certain tool to divert that guys attention when he made a deal with me. That guy realized he was deceived but he didnt feel angry. All he did was warn me not to speak of Starbeck to anyone. Starbeck wasnt resisting when he was taken away either.
I think that guy is Starbecks bodyguard and Starbeck shoulde from a big family, but... something felt wrong in the encounter, something weird.
Aisphany spilled out the encounter with Starbeck before Kieran even rushed her.
She already knew that if she valued her life, she would have to use Starbecks name as an umbre to protect her from the rain of death.
My lord, dont worry. I remember how that guy looked and with my forces and influence in Dawn City, I can easily find that guy along with Sir Starbeck.
Aisphany was peeking at Kierans expression carefully as she spoke.
When she saw the coldness go away from Kierans eyes, her worried heart finally felt relieved.
My lord, I shall depart right away and locate Sir Starbeck for you!
After that, Aisphany slowly moved towards the security office door.
Kieran didnt say anything nor did he do anything to stop her; he just looked at her wobbling away.
Sweat was seeping out her forehead and soon covered her entire face.
Then, Aisphany came back.
My lord, on second thought, I think its better for me to listen to your orders in locating Sir Starbeck! she said.
Kieran took a nce at Aisphany who was looking to please him. He then went straight out the door and grabbed her unconsciousrade.
Kierans kick knocked the man out but it didnt kill him. He threw the man in front of Aisphany and turned his attention to Snacker, Blu, and Riley.
He didnt speak but his eyes turned the slightly rxed atmosphere heavy again.
Snacker was grinding his gears, trying to figure out words to persuade Kieran but before the dual sword user figured anything out, his tworades spoke before him.
Being able to die under the arrow of a sharpshooter, I have no regrets! Fight me again!
Being able to die under your mystical spells, I have no regrets as well! I too want to fight you again!
Blu and Riley shouted almost in unison.
The simr words stunned both of them right away. They looked at each other and saw a familiar expression on each others face.
Both of them were like first friends who had just met as they showed a smile to each other without any prearranged talks.
Snacker, on the other hand, covered his face; his head was mming at the wall as he groaned in pain.
Why in the hell you both ying tacitly with each other in this kind of time? You will die! DIE you know? Humans only can live once, if you die thats it!
The angry roar exploded from Snacker.
Then what gave you the right to die for us? Blue countered Snacker.
Yeah right, if you are willing to die for us, why cant we do the same and try to let you live? Riley sighed.
Snacker was stunned.
Y-You, guys... this is on me, I have to take responsibility, Snacker stuttered.
Blu and Riley, however, didnt care. Both of them looked at Kieran again.
Being able to die under the arrows of a sharpshooter is my pleasure!
Being able to die under unknown mystical techniques is also my pleasure!
GODDAMNIT! CAN YOU BOTH LISTEN TO WHAT I SAY?!
Snacker who was slightly touched by hisrades words couldnt hold back anymore and yelled his lungs out.
His yell sounded like a real roar this time, even ayer of dust on top of the offices beam was shaken away.
The dust fell on the nose of Aisphanys unconsciousrade. The big and tall men sneezed.
Achooo!
You! You bastard! I tell you, I wont let you hurt the envoy as long as I am here!
The man woke up with his sneeze. When he saw Kieran with his first sight, he climbed up and moved Aisphany behind him while voicing his statement.
Envoy?!
Everyone was instantly captivated by the word.
Kieran even squinted his eyes at Aisphany, sizing her up again.
Thats right. Lady Aisphany here is an envoy from the royal family. She is specially assigned to investigate the unusual incidents of Burning Dawn!
The man said with a delighted tone.
Then, the man suddenly realized something and he added with a serious tone, This is a secret, you people better not tell others.
WTF? Oi! Oi!
If it was a secret, you shouldnt have told everyone yourself!
Everyone was looking at the man like they were looking at a retard, Kieran too.
Kieran even suspected his kick caused some concussion in the big fes brain, making him stupid but his thought was soon denied.
Okay then, Ill tell you my name in exchange for keeping the envoy thingy a secret! My name is Raulee, I am Lady Aisphanys most loyal servant! Okay okay, now you know my name, you promised to keep everything a secret.
Raulee said.
Who the hell promised him to keep a secret?
The guy was talking to himself!
Old Peeker, Sayer and the other trio rolled their eyes at the big dumb fe.
Kieran, on the other hand, walked towards Aisphany.
Royal envoy? Kieran asked.
Its... Its a misunderstanding! I simply find an identity for myself thats convenient, I really didnte here to try to scoop a bunch of benefits from the Burning Dawn incident...
OKAY fine! Im a liar! I am here to scoop whatever benefits I can! But I dont mean any ill intentions, spare me please!
Aisphany instinctively wanted to im her made identity but when she caught Kierans gaze, she became honest.
She even purposely lowered her voice, hoping that others in the room didnt hear what she said but she failed.
Everyone heard.
Her servant Raulee even turned over while he was chatting with the others behind bars.
Oh Lady Aisphany! Are you trying to hide your cover? You are so bold and wise to call yourself a liar in front of the enemy! As expected of you Lady Aisphany! You are the one that I will follow for the rest of my life!
Raulee covered his mouth; his tears and snot were falling off his face.
How the hell did he just filled in the gaps with his own imagination?
Was this big fe really an idiot? A retard?
Old Peeker, Sayer and the trio were rendered speechless.
How much do you know about Burning Dawn?
Kieran did not spare his attention to the idiot. Heid his question out instead.
Not much but Dawn City really did send a royal envoy to the areas around Supreme Road to investigate the assault on Burning Dawn.
Aisphany also ignored her servant since she already knew what kind of idiot Raulee was.
In fact, if it wasnt for Raulees simple mind but decent strength, why would Aisphany bring him around Supreme Road?
Burning Dawns assault has captured the attention of Dawn City... which means Starbeck is in Dawn City! So it is really a battle on two fronts? Then... which is the most important part? Around Supreme Road or Dawn City?
Kieran sat on the chair as his finger kept knocking against the arm.
The information before him was not enough for Kieran to form a full picture but the puzzle pieces he had now coincided with the guesses he had before.
Since Starbeck was the main scroll owner, the ce he might be in, Dawn City might be very important but with Broker messing the situation up, his theory might no longer be correct.
Other than that, Kieran also suspected it was because of Brokers handy work, the sub-missions turned out like this.
After another nce at Starbecks letter, Kieran made up his mind.
He looked at Aisphany again.
My lord, any orders? Aisphany asked.
Bring your servant and continue on to Burning Dawns campsite. Search for whatever information you can get. Ill give you 3 days, no matter what your results are, 3 dayster you have toe back here to report to me.
And you three! Ill give you another chance to challenge me. Win and Ill let you go. Lose and youll have to serve me for 3 months. After 3 months, Ill return you your freedom and will not restrict you by any means.
Kieran nced over the everyone in the room and said with a firm tone; his words, however, didnt free Old Peeker and Sayer.
Sure!
Snacker, Blu, and Riley nodded in unison.
Aisphany?
From how Kieran viewed it, Aisphany didnt even have the right to reject.
Contracts were signed one after another.
Aisphany left in a hurry with her servant, Raulee.
Snacker, Blu, and Riley, on the other hand, stood behind Kieran as they saw the duo off. The three of them were suffering a swollen face.
A chance to challenge Kieran? More like an insult to the three of them.
The so-called challenge was over in a few seconds following the signing of the trios contract.
The three of them actually ended up even worse than their first encounter with Kieran since this time, Kieran was serious; they didnt even stand a chance before being struck to the ground.
My lord, I am willing to pledge my allegiance to you!
Old Peeker and Sayer said in unison after they witnessed the other trio escape death.
The chance for them to live had appeared and the likes of Old Peeker and Sayer wouldnt just let the chance slip like that. On top of that, the two of them ought to be faster than the others.
No one wanted to be the passive one in negotiating for their survival.
I know not only that bastards secret hideout, I know another person who has an unusual rtionship with him! Old Peeker said first.
My lord, I can bring you more than a considerable amount of wealth, I can gather at least 50 superior warhorses as well! Sayer too didnt want to be on the weaker side.
Old Peeker and Sayer were beating each other in presenting their own worth.
Kieran, however, was sitting there, as though he didnt hear anything.
He knew his silence would definitely maximize his benefits.
Chapter 961 - Respective Operation
Chapter 961: Respective Operation
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Volgen was taking the lead.
asionally, he would turn around and look at the cart the other two civilian soldiers were pushing.
As he saw the spoils of war on the cart, the young captain couldnt conceal his excitement anymore. Especially the two leather armors among the pile which caught his eye, Volgen couldnt help but slow down and touch the leather armor again.
The leather armor was made with aposite material of cow mixed with boar hide; it was tied with a special kind hemp rope which was made from mixing up Cnthe grass and cows tendon.
Not only sturdy and firm, but the rope also has quite a strong defense against shing as well, let alone the whole armor itself.
When Volgen discovered the leather armor, he took the effort to test it out himself.
Of course, he didnt really test it out with real swords and pikes but a more skillful way. It was actually the feeling from a hunter towards leather.
He was sure that the leather armor could do more than defend against a forward sh from a sword, its defense against arrows would be remarkable as well.
At leastmon arrows within 20 meters range would never be able to pierce its defense.
The young captain couldnt help but imagine himself in that leather armor.
However, Volgens character had determined that he would never keep the leather armors for himself. He would pass it all to Kieran, simr to the other spoils of war.
There were a lot of bronze utensils with a little mix of silverware. There were also a lot of copper coins, a sack of silver coins and exactly 6 gold coins.
That was all of the so-called spoils of war.
It wasnt as valuable as Kieran had imagined but it was still not too shabby.
Keep the coins. Distribute the bronze and silverware to everyone based on their performance tonight. As for the two leather armors... Volgen, you can take one. Dont say no, your performance has earned you that much. Keep the other one in the office and whosoever has exceptional performance during the uing missions and operations, he will be able to own it. Of course, dont forget to show off your knowledge on maintaining a piece of leather armor.
Kieran said loudly in front of the civilian troops.
The generous and fair distribution of loot earned the support of the soldiers.
The slightly humorous speech also made the soldiers giggled.
Therefore, no one objected Kierans uing orders despite them having to stay up all night.
I know everyone is tired but we have to protect Shatterstone. Volgen will split you guys in two, try to find a bnce between rest and patrols.
Other than that, we need more men to expand our troops here. Volgen,e to me when you finished assigning the tasks, Kieran ordered.
Yes, my lord! The young captain said loudly with excitement since he was eager to equip the leather armor.
All the tasks were assigned in a quick and effective manner. After a mere 10 minutes, Volgen returned to the security office.
When Volgen saw Kieran sitting on the chair and Mayor Holler standing beside him, he greeted them politely.
My lord, sir mayor.
Kieran nodded as a reply and signaled Volgen to sit down.
I need the troops to expand to around 50 men. They also need to be fully armed and equipped, some of them must have a certain level of basicbat skills.
My lord, its impossible! There are only around 300 regr citizens in Shatterstone. We cant even gather the number you requested, let alone fully armed and have a certain level of basicbat abilities.
The young captain shook his head and expressed his idea to Kierans suggestion.
If we cant gather the numbers from Shatterstones citizen, we can go after the merchant groups guards and mercenaries. Some of them are still drifting from town to town but some of them are tired of such life and want to settle down. These are all viable candidates that we can go after. Volgen, I hope you can find some reliable and trustworthy men around them within a few days.
After you locate them, Ill go talk to them myself. As for the weapons and equipment, they wouldnt be too shabby since they are guards and mercenaries right?
It wasnt Kieran who answered Volgen but Holler beside him.
Holler who had fallen under [Mesly Ring]s control had prioritized Kierans will over everything. The moment Kieran wanted to speak, he already knew what his master wanted to express.
Compared to reading official documents and not get any results in his search for peculiar incidents around the town, Holler didnt wish to see this task end up in failure as well.
Alright, Ill try my best.
The young captain soundedcking in confidence but his actions were still efficient.
When Volgen left, Holler turned to Kieran while waiting for his next order.
Kieran too gave his order without pausing.
Other than the expansion of troops, you need to bring back a fortune for the town and at least 50 superior warhorses.
Sayer, heres a chance for you and I hope you wont disappoint me.
Snacker, Blu, and Riley. Two of you will stay and help Volgen in guarding the town and one of you help Holler to bring back what is ours.
Yes, my lord!
Each of them was called out and were assigned to their respective task; they bowed and epted their tasks.
Then everyone moved out in unison except Old Peeker who was anxiously standing there.
My lord, you wish to visit that persons secret hideout alone? Old Peeker tried to probe for more information with his question.
Of course not, itll be you and me.
The first half of Kierans sentence made Old Peeker relieved but the second half that followed frightened him, making him almost fall to the floor.
M-My lord, if this is a joke, its not funny at all!
I never doubted your strength, my lord, that secret hideout is not only heavily guarded, but it is also very strange as well! A lot of others had their eyes on that ce when it appeared but eventually vanished without a sign. The living would be wiped out of existence and the dead do not even leave behind a body.
My lord, please, I beg of you, I dont want to die so early! We can wait for the trade day and go in when it opens! There is no reason for us to take such a big risk now!
Old Peeker was begging for his life.
The trade day is only once a month and thest one ended three days ago. Its too long to wait for the next. I dont have that much time. You can choose to stay and Ill hang you outside the town, Kieran said calmly but his tone was strict and decisive.
Old Peeker looked at Kieran with a bitter look and went quiet.
Several of the bastards were hung to death on the town gate and Old Peeker knew Kieran was a man of his words.
Dying here right away or dyingter in the secret hideout...
Old Peeker suddenly knew how to choose.
My lord, when do we leave? He asked.
Now. Kieran gave a decisive answer.
Can you wait for me a bit? I need to prepare some stuff and we might be able to use it on the way there. Dont worry, everything is harmless.
A chicken, a female cat and a bundle of fresh grass.
Old Peeker spoke three items and immediately, he exined, This information cost me quite a fortune, I was going to... Lets hope they would be useful.
Old Peeker was being vague here but even without asking, Kieran knew what he wanted to do in the first ce.
It was nothing more than ck eat ck.
Despite the short contact, it was enough for Kieran to understand what kind of character and thoughts this dwarf-like hotel owner had.
However, Kieran was not interested to probe a dark cunning old mans heart.
His attention was captured by the name of the secret hideout that Old Peeker mentioned.
The secret hideout was known as the secret bazaar!
Chapter 962 - In My Hands
Chapter 962: In My Hands
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Secret bazaar.
Open only once a month.
No matter which it was, it allowed Kieran to think of Broker.
A year ago, the secret bazaar appeared around Shatterstone Town. It regrly sells potions and equipment thats umon to themon market so it attracts a lot of merchants, mercenaries, bandits, and robbers around Supreme Road. Sometimes, it will have one or two precious treasures on sale as well!
No matter how I look that it, this secret bazaar is exactly like the one back in the game. Broker ced an obvious ndmark near Shatterstone Town and sent this Modi to destroy the town... The level of coincidence...
Kieran muttered in his heart while his eyes squinted.
He picked up the smell of a conspiracy since he never believed in coincidences.
Therefore, he needed more precise and detailed information regarding this secret bazaar.
He wanted to know what Broker was up to.
Of course, it might be also a trap specifically targeted at theters. That was the reason why Kieran wanted Old Peeker with him on the trip.
...
With two baskets and a bundle of fresh grass, Old Peeker was having a hard time traveling on the bands. The reddish, sturdy and irregr road caused endless pain to his feet.
However, the hotel owner dared not voice his dissatisfaction.
Not only because Kieran was behind him, but also because it was a custom the locals had to follow.
All the locals knew Supreme Road formed by the Celestial, Fenrir, by walking through the path of the iron bramble because Fenrir took pity of the people suffering from sickness, gue, and famine.
As the Celestial Fenrir walked, his blood was flowing along the iron bramble. The iron bramble that swords and knives couldnt cut, a fire that couldnt burn started to melt away and eventually melted into nothing.
What vanished along with the iron bramble was the sickness, gue, and famine that terrorized the mortal realm and of course, Celestial Fenrir himself.
Legend had it, Celestial Fenrir exhausted thest bit of his divine power and his body turned into the reddish bands. The bands were barren and had nothing but sturdy rocks.
Still, the people thanked Celestial Fenrir by naming the barren bands Supreme Road and honored Celestial Fenrir as the Supreme God.
However, there were also those who showed disdain and mocked Fenrir. Whenever they would go through Supreme Road, they would be cursed.
Old Peeker who was born in a town near Supreme Road knew the power of the curse deeply, he dared not even show the least disrespect or insult to Fenrir.
Kieran too knew the legend from his simple memories but he was different from Old Peeker who showed fear and reverence.
He only maintained the simplest respect for the Celestial Fenrir because of his power.
Kieran saw a real God before and not all of them were fair.
The Gods even fell shortpared to righteous human beings in a certain aspect, at least a righteous man wouldnt betray his friends.
Kieran didnt really know how righteous the legendary Fenrir was but he was quite reluctant to believe the acts of sacrificing himself to protect others.
Therefore, Kieran was showing respect purely for Fenrirs strength.
The strong should be respected.
Kieran was behind Old Peeker the whole journey. The two of them finally stopped in the afternoon.
My lord, its just ahead of us.
Old Peeker pointed at a hill farther away.
From the looks of it, the mentioned hill was no different from those along the way but Kierans senses picked up something deeper in the hills.
More precisely, there was something deep underground there, a very ufortable presence as if he was standing beside a cliff at night without any support and leaned down for a look.
Other than the darkness, it was the infinite abyss that had taken him aback.
Kieran was sizing up the ce with squinted eyes.
Old Peeker beside him then took out the water bottle and rations. They were necessities for travelers.
The water bottle was big as it contained enough water; the rations were mixed with some wheat skin to make it drier for easier keeping.
My lord, do you want some? Old Peeker asked with the rations and water in his hands.
Kieran shook his head.
Just when Old Peeker thought Kieran was not eating, he saw Kieran took out his own water bottle and rations.
The water bottle looked delicate and when the cap was twisted open, a faint aroma followed. It seemed like Kierans water was added with honey.
The ration was actually white bread mixed with raisins.
However, the most shocking thing for Old Peeker was the ham that Kieran took out from his bag.
Seeing how Kieran sliced the ham with his knife and made a sandwich with the white bread, Old Peeker couldnt help but gulp from time to time.
He suddenly felt that his rations which he still considered to be okay a moment ago became hard to swallow, especially the wheat skin that even got stuck in his throat.
His water became tasteless and even had a fishy smell to it.
Old Peeker dared not ask for food from Kieran because when he had the thought in his mind, he was greeted by Kierans re.
Kierans re was pressuring and it almost suffocated Old Peeker.
The hotel owner even started to see things like an ancient beast slowly chewing its lunch.
He couldnt ask for it! Or else he would be killed!
No, no, he would be eaten!
The information from the illusion was clearly received by Old Peeker.
For the next half an hour, Old Peeker didnt just shiver non-stop, he dared not even breath loudly because he was afraid to disturb Kierans eating.
Old Peeker had never seen a person so protective of his food like Kieran, only some wild animals would do that.
Of course, Old Peeker dared not even utter a single sliver of his thoughts and his lunch was destined to be torturous.
When he saw Kieran put away his water bottle, Old Peeker was finally relieved. He anxiously ced all the necessities on his back and continued the journey faster than before.
Soon, the duo reached the hill.
Old Peeker was searching with his head down and when he found a palm-sized stone, his face showed delight.
Ive found it, my lord!
Old Peeker pushed the stone hard.
Kak!
The spring contraption opened up a secret door in front of the hill.
The secret door wasnt closed, it was already opened when it appeared.
A thick ck mist that could even cover sunlight was sprayed out of the secret door and Old Peeker was enshrouded right away while standing in front.
Kieran, however, dodged the ck mist the moment it was sprayed out but the ck mist didnt give up on its target. It chased after Kieran like cancer.
My lord, dont resist it! It is the necessary procedure of entering the secret bazaar! Only when the ck mist enshrouds us will the roosters crow disperse the darkness and dawn will be upon us!
Old Peeker reminded Kieran loudly while he was inside the ck mist.
It wasnt the first reminder though, Old Peeker had reminded Kieran multiple times along the way here.
However, simr to the first time, Kieran didnt want to end up being inside the ck mist.
Stepping into Brokers procedure without a proper n was not wise and as long as Kieran was still sane, he would never do it.
Moreover... the dawn that Old Peeker mention, wasnt it already in his hands?
Chapter 963 - Destructive Forward
Chapter 963: Destructive Forward
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The mild and tenacious light appeared in Kierans hands.
The hurling ck mist paused before it retract itself back to the secret door as if it met its bane.
Still, it was too slow.
20 meters of light sword was sh towards the retracting ck mist.
Huuu!
The ck mist shed by the light sword dispersed instantly.
Small rice-like ck spots fell all over the ground after contact with the light sword. The ck spots were stretching its legs before dying off.
The ck spots were actually bugs!
Old Peeker was panic-stricken as he looked at the bugs on the ground.
He never thought the true face behind the ck mist was bugs!
Or more precisely, he never thought the ck mist would be alive!
Almost instantaneously, Old Peeker was beating the bugs off his body as he turned to Kieran.
The suns glory appeared again after the ck bugs were dispersed.
It was bright and warm.
The sunlight showered its glory over the panic-stricken Old Peeker and the rooster he was carrying tightly; it also showered its light on Kieran who was moving forward without pause.
Old Peeker widened his eyes, trying to get a good look at Kierans figure but the sunlight was too strong, to the point where it made Kierans figure blinding.
T-This...
Old Peeker wanted to say something but he couldnt find suitable words to describe the scene but he knew what he must do.
Old Peeker looked down at the rooster in his arms and then the figure moving away from him. He threw the rooster aside and give chase.
My lord, wait for me! Its dangerous inside the door, youll need a female cat to lure away the...
KABOOM!
Before he could finish, Old Peeker was interrupted by a explosion.
Kieran raised his hand into the shadow and dragged out a big stone lion from behind the secret door. He grabbed the stone lion by its mane and smashed it hard on the ground beside him.
A step followed after the smash and the motion whipped up a dust storm from inside the secret door.
When Old Peeker regained his sight from the dust clouds, the stone lion that allegedly killed hundreds of intruders blindly trespassing was smashed to a million pieces. Especially its head which was turned to powder with Kierans step.
Old Peeker looked at the stone lions body and couldnt help but swallow his saliva. Still he couldnt keep his reminder to himself.
My lord, try not to destroy the secret door, thest guard is different from the previous two, its scariness is beyond imagina...
BANG!
Before Old Peeker finished, Kieran stepped on the ground inside the secret door.
The ground started to shake and visible cracks started to spread out in all directions from Kierans feet.
Then...
The ground beneath Kierans feet shattered! Even the secret door as well!
Kakroom!
As if the whole hill was crumbling, big chunks of stones were falling into the ground.
Im so dead! Im so dead!
Old Peeker was crying out loud as he climbed and rolled away, trying to find a safe spot.
Fortunately, the safe spot was not too hard to locate but the ground beneath his feet which was still considerably steady didnt calm his heart down.
Quite the opposite, Old Peeker was more worried and scared than before. He was quietly rubbing the grass in his hands and opened his eyes wide in hopes to locate that monster that countless mercenaries, bandits and robbers called the devil.
Old Peeker didnt know whether his bundle of grass would work anymore but it was better than doing nothing right?
A momentter, Old Peeker saw the monster.
It was so obvious that Old Peeker would have to be literally blind to not see it because it was in Kierans hand!
More precisely, Kieran was grabbing a goat head the size of a wagon!
Although Old Peeker didnt see its buff and imprable body that rumor had it, he was sure the head Kieran was holding was the devil monster.
Other than that, Old Peeker has no idea where the huge goat head came from. Even its ck, sharp as a spear horn was exactly the same as the rumors said.
M-My lord.
Old Peeker reacted unusually fast this time as he ran to Kieran with a face full of ttery.
He wanted to sing songs for Kieran.
Up until this moment, Old Peeker finally realized those monsters that he was so scared of were nothing to this lord in front of him because this lord was more of a terrifying monster than any of those.
The monster of monsters!
As he looked at the giant goat head in Kierans hand, his thoughts rose up uncontrobly and his words sounded more and more shameless.
Your power is like the ancient Supreme Road which ever to be revered!
Your future reputation will be as bright as the sun, shedding your glory over the mortal realm!
Your future name will be as bright as the stars under the night sky, songs will be sung by generations toe.
...
Old Peeker was boasting and ttering Kieran non-stop.
In less than 20 seconds time, he had boasted Kieran to the ranks of Celestial Fenrir.
Just when Old Peeker was thinking whether to boast Kieran to the next level where the ancient legend of genesis and the father level of Fenrir, he was interrupted by a series of footsteps.
His face instantly changed for the worse and only then did he regain his senses from all the ttery in his mind.
What they had broken through was just the outer defense of the secret bazaar, they hadnt really touched the core, let alone those defending figures at the core.
It should be a quiet infiltration, why would it end up like crashing the party?
Old Peeker was asking himself in his heart with a frustrated tone but his actions were not slow at all.
My lord, they outnumber us. We need toy low for now!
Old Peeker was reminding Kieran while he ran aside, in hopes of finding some ce to hide but where would he find it in the middle of a wide rocky field without trees and rivers?
Old Peeker was anxious like ants in a hot pot.
Just when he was hesitating on whether he should hide under a rock, Kieran who was standing in front of the hill made his move.
The giant goat head in his hand was thrown inside the dark secret passage like a baseball.
Promptly, he was replied to with bones cracking sounds and agonizing cries all over the passage.
Before the guards of the secret bazaar even met Kieran, they already suffered tremendous damages.
The loss infuriated the secret bazaars person in-charged, Gregori.
While he was scolding his useless men, Gregori who was tall and donned a dark golden scale armor with a mantle realized he would be punished by his lord because of this.
Uncontrobly, he quivered.
He must recover his loss quickly!
Gregori decided to move out himself. He drew his longsword and merged himself into the rocks.
While he was like a fish swimming in rocks, Gregori soon located that bastard that caused so much damage to the secret bazaar.
Gregori silently appeared behind his target and just like the million times he practiced assassination, his sword was driven towards his target.
However, the moment his sword was thrusting out, his target turned around and looked at him with a deep, majestic eyes as though Gregori was looking at the starry sky.
Chapter 964 - Appearance
Chapter 964: Appearance
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The eyes were like a reflection of the milky way.
Under such majestic gaze, Gregori felt tiny and insignificant.
Even the mystical spell that was nted in his body felt insignificant at the moment.
From Gregoris point of view, the mystical spell in his heart that was as grand as a sky pir shattered instantly under the majestic gaze.
BANG!
After a heavy bang sounded from inside Gregori, his body wobbled and eventually he spat out a mouth full of blood.
However, after the mouth of blood, Gregori didnt feel any pain. Instead he feltfortable and rxed like never before.
Thank you my lord!
Gregori then kneeled down with one knee and pledged his allegiance to Kieran.
His slight resistance waspletely dominated by Kieran with his [Mesly Ring].
The resistance was small and weak but it was enough to capture Kierans attention.
Using spells to control people? Kieran guessed.
He wasnt all that surprise though because it was just like how he controlled the natives with [Mesly Ring]. The surprising point was the resistance in Gregoris body was too weak, to the point that it didnt seem like Brokers M.O..
Based on Kierans understanding of Broker, even if his target was unable to resist, Broker would definitely create a pain-in-the-ass situation for Kieran and might even kill the target in the end.
But now?
Kieran was looking back and forth at the secret bazaar passage and Gregori.
The thoughts about this secret bazaar and Brokers ns with Shatterstone Town appeared in Kierans mind again.
As expected of you... the biggest trap must be in here!
Kieran looked into the dark secret passageway.
SSS+ Intuition allowed him to easily see through the darkness. He saw the neatly built buildings underneath and the guards inside who were at loss for what to do.
However, the ufortable deep dark abysmal feeling vanished without his knowing, or more precisely, it concealed itself.
Trying to bluff me?
Kieran muttered in his heart before asking Gregori, Whats inside?
Inside? Its the secret bazaar Modi formed and aboratory. I am in-charge of the secret bazaar and theb is only open to Modi alone. I dont know what he holds inside, Gregori was being honest.
Obviously, Gregori was spared from the details of theb as well.
Kieran went silent for a while before he pointed at the guards circting the secret passage, he asked, So those men obey yourmands and not Modis?
They are all my recruits and they are loyal to me. I was taking orders from Modi before this, so even if they want to serve Modi, he wouldnt spare them a nce. Modi once said, he doesnt wish his men to be useless, Gregori answered.
Very well. Order your men to bring up all the valuables from the secret bazaar.
Kieran ordered.
Gregori nodded before carrying out the order given quickly.
Just like Gregori imed, the guards obeyed to hismand. Despite the slight hesitation from them, after some scoldings from Gregori, the guards showedpliance as well.
My lord, my lord! Dont you want to go down to take a look yourself? Theb that only opens to Modi must have something good inside.
Old Peeker who climbed down from the rock seams beside suggested to Kieran with a smile while disregarding his dusty and muddy face.
You want to go? Then you can go and have a look on my behalf. Kieran didnt even bat an eye at Old Peeker.
Really?
Delighted, Old Peekers body almost went out of control and ventured into the secret bazaar after the sudden surprise.
However, the hotel owner who had quite the experience in judging people and situations didnt truly allow the joy to take over his logic. After a mere two steps forward, he stopped abruptly.
Old Peeker turned around and sized up Kieran with a suspicious gaze.
Other than calmness and dullness, there was nothing on Kierans face.
Old Peeker started to recall everything that happened after he met Kieran. As though Kieran didnt care about anything since he never really showed a lot of expression on his face.
No, that wasnt right!
Kieran cared about his spoils of war! Otherwise he wouldnt order Volgen to gather all the spoils of war from the dead robbers.
The current situation was the same as well!
Gregori and his men were carrying out the spoils of war but why did Kieran show no interest in theb which was supposed to hold the most value?
Old Peeker was deep in thoughts.
He wasnt really a narcist to think that he was Kierans right hand man, hence the important mission given to him.
If one were to consider Kierans right hand man, Gregori who was busy moving items felt more like it.
It wasnt the first time Old Peeker saw such loyalty in a person, he saw it on Mayor Holler as well.
Old Peeker had no idea how Kieran captured their hearts but he knew his position in Kierans heart wasnt that high.
The reason why Kieran brought Old Peeker along, other than needing a guide to the secret bazaar, it was no more than treating the hotel owner as a path finding pebble during crucial moments.
Such a thought appeared in Old Peekers mind. His forward steps were as heavy as a sac of bricks and his backward steps were as fast as a sh fire.
A quick jumpter, he returned to Kieran almost instantaneously.
My lord, I dont think I am eligible to carry out such a task. You can rely on Sir Gregori here. His powers are much better than me since there might be danger inside.
Old Peeker bowed and showed his shameless side, trying to be as humble as possible.
Fortunately, Kieran didnt force him to go in, he just stood there silently.
My lord, you must be tired from all this standing, do you need a shady spot to rest?
In order to make himself more useful, Old Peeker didnt even wait for Kierans reply and brought over a small wooden box from the supplies further away. At the same time, he stuck up a tarpaulin sheet with a few wooden rods, forming a mini shade.
After Kieran sat down on the box, Old Peeker took a thin wooden nk and used it as to fan Kieran.
His little actions made the guards of the secret bazaar frown hard as they were moving the valuables. Their faces had unconceble disgust of the dwarf but Old Peeker was enjoying it like malt sugar.
For a man like Old Peeker, surviving was more important than anything.
Even more so when he was in front of a powerhouse like Kieran, he knew perfectly what he would get if he made himself useful in front of Kieran.
Therefore, Old Peeker ignored the surrounding gazes. He smiled and worked hard in fanning Kieran, until Kieran turned his head towards a further away spot.
My lord, whats wrong? What do you need? Please tell me your request and Ill do my best to help you.
The enemy that I have been waiting for is here. You want to help me to deal with him?
Old Peeker was showing the traits of a loyal servant but as soon as Kieran spoke, the hotel owner crawled aside in panic and fright.
M-My lord, fighting isnt my best forte! Ill cheer for you and wave gs as hard as I can!
Old Peeker shrunk behind the rocks and said. He dared not even show his head.
Gregori however led some of his men to express the will to assist in battle but Kieran stopped them.
Continue what you are doing, Kieran said.
Gregori who showedpliance 100% immediately returned to what he was doing.
Gregoris men were more hesitant and confused now though.
Didnt Kieran say the enemy has arrived?
Why was he still sitting there without moving?
Was he waiting for the enemys assault?
Confusions rose up in everyones heart but soon, the doubtful men widened their eyes at the scene.
They too looked at a further spot and showed inconceivable expressions.
Hundreds of thousands of wolf were charging towards them in packs, as if they were a tidal wave from the sea.
Wolves! Wolf packs!
One of the guards couldnt help but shout out loud.
Many more of the guards started to tremble and wanted to find a ce to hide.
No one knew how terrifying wolf packs were than them since they made a living around Supreme Road, let alone the terrifying number.
Even Gregoris face turned bitter.
Meanwhile, cries and prayers sounded of from the spot Old Peeker was hiding.
The wolves were getting closer.
Gregori drew his sword and stood in front of Kieran.
He was scared but he prioritized Kierans safety more than himself since he was being controlled.
The others already went into hiding behind rocks and trees. Even the braver ones hid behind rocks and gripped their weapons hard as they peeked through the seems, looking at the arriving wolves.
As the guards saw Gregori stood in front with his sword drawn, their respect for him were shown through their gaze. Their confusion grew even bigger at Kieran who was sitting beside since he didnt even move up until now.
However, soon enough, their confusions were turned into astonishment.
They saw a scene that they will never forget for the rest of their lives.
Chapter 965 - An Extra
Chapter 965: An Extra
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Hundreds of thousands of wolves arrived within an instant.
Gregori who stood in front of Kieran didnt only pick up the stenchful smell of the wolves, he also saw the sharp fangs and keen ws on the big wolves whose sizes were two times bigger than a normal one; those wolves were as big as a cow or a donkey.
With the abnormal size, those wolves would have increased strength and faster speeds than normal wolves, plus the already outrageous numbers...
Gregoris sweat broke out all over his forehead. He hoped for a solution to the situation but none came to his mind.
If he was alone, hed still have the confidence to dodge the pursuit with his special talents but with his master behind him...
He couldnt afford to run away!
Go big or go home!
Gregori clenched his teeth and gripped his sword tightly; he locked on to the fastest wolf of the pack.
He was trying to gain the advantage over his opponent but his conscience in his mind told him to create a better condition for his master behind him, whether to escape or to fight.
The guards of the secret bazaar who were hiding around held their breaths and concentrated on the scene. They could already picture the scene where Gregori was torn to shreds in the next moment.
Some of them couldnt bear to watch, so they turned around.
Some of them expanded their thoughts and sized up their surroundings, trying to look for an escape route.
Some of them prayed softly, hoping for the blessing from the Gods.
However, everything that was going on at the moment stopped at the next.
A giant white wolf mirage suddenly appeared beside Kieran.
It looked up to the sky and shook its illusory fur. A nce at Kieranter, it howled at the sky.
Awoooooooo!
The deste howling brought along the will of the king of wolves and echoed around the wilderness.
Comply!
Comply!
Comply!
The rampant, tyrannical king of wolves didnt beat around the bush, it went with the most straightforward way to tell the wolves who they should submit to and who they were obeying now.
It was wed.
It was imperfect.
It shouldnt be here but when it was, somethings were destined to never change.
The wolf packs that was charging at Keiran suddenly stopped. Each of the wolves sat down and lowered their heads on the ground with their ears up.
Submission!
They followed the will of their bloodline and chose to submit to the higher power.
The guards who were hiding looked at the scene with inconceivable gazes.
They widened their eyes and their jaws dropped to the ground yet no words were uttered.
Gregori was also stunned for a while before he turned around and kneeled down with one knee.
My lord, your will made all submit to you!
His sonorous voice had an unconceble frantic tone to it.
Gregori who was controlled by [Mesly Ring] knew Kieran relied on [Wolf Remnant Feast] to achieve the effect before his eyes, still, nothing would change because he would only think [Wolf Remnant Feast] appeared because of Kieran and not the other way around.
Of course, his thoughts in his mind wasnt entirely wrong, in fact, it was the closest to the truth.
However, everyone present at the scene knew nothing about the existence of [Wolf Remnant Feast].
All they saw was the wolves submitting to Kierans sheer will.
Obviously with Gregori as an example and prejudiced by his impression, the white wolfs mirage was neglected by the guards.
Each of them came out from hiding and kneeled down toward Kieran with one knee.
It wasnt to pledge their allegiance to Kieran because they too already submitted to Kieran when they witnessed the scene just now. Now it was purely out of reverence.
Among them, Old Peeker was the most outrageous and the fastest one.
My lord, I know your strength can achieve wonders! It is the honor of these useless little dogs to be able to submit to you.
Old Peeker was crawling in front of Kieran, saying his ttery while kissing Kierans boots.
Kieran, however, didnt mind the outrageous ttery though. His attention was ced at the Frost Wolf pup beside him who was tumbling around.
The pup was different from its usual tamed manner. When the giant white wolf mirage appeared in a sh, the little pup kept sobbing.
It sounded like it was calling out to the giant wolf and at the same time behaved like a spoiled pup as though it was a child behaving in front of its elders.
When the white wolf mirage vanishedpletely, the pup became anxious.
Kieran reached out to the pup and carried it in his arms,forting it.
The sobbing sounded again.
Sorry, Kieran said.
Although the pups fate was decided the moment it was born, it didnt mean Kieran would be able to live with it.
If the pup wasnt presented to him, it will be presented to someone else.
Without its parents at birth, how scary would the Goddamned loneliness be?
No one knew better than Kieran himself. He couldnt offer more to the Frost Wolf pup but he would give it his best.
Carrying the Frost Wolf pup, Kierans eyes became soft without his knowing. The pup too felt the warmth in his palm and couldnt stop licking one of his palms and pushing his other with its head.
Unknowingly, Old Peekers ttery words stopped as well.
Everyones eyes were on Kieran with the soft smile on his face when he caressed the Frost Wolf pup in his arms.
When Kieran caught the gazes, he turned cold and dull again, as if the smile was just an illusion.
No one dared to even ask Kieran what happened, just like no one dared to question Kierans uing orders. Kieran then left the ce after things were settled.
...
Meanwhile at an earlier time...
Inside a secret hideout 10km away from the secret bazaar, a scrawny man with a smile hanging over his face was raising a toast to an elder who was covered in wolf pelts.
Urlzakman, heres to our coboration. It is my honor to witness your power tomand the wolves.
The scrawny man then took out a box.
This is the mystical spell that I promised you. With this, I believe your wolves will be stronger than ever and our coboration will prosper further. The scrawny man pushed the box in front of the elder in the wolf pelt.
Coboration? You do know you need to present something that is worth my time right?
The elder took a nce at the box and received it with his hand before saying it arrogantly.
Of course. Im a businessman, Im always honest in my dealings.
The scrawny man didnt mind the arrogant attitude at all, instead, he treated the elder with more hospitality.
Delicious food, aromatic wine were carried in by the servants like the ceaseless flow of a river.
The elder in the wolf pelt didnt reject any of those and gobbled down like a tornado.
As he was eating, the scrawny man would say some funny and fitting things, causing the elder tough ceaselessly.
Modi, you are really a decent guy. If you have need of anything in the future,e to me and Ill give you my best aid. Of course, youll need to pay up an appropriate price as well, the elder in the wolf pelt said.
Of course, let us toast to the smooth sailing of our coboration. Modi raised his cup again.
Heres to smooth sailing.
The elder raised his cup and finished his wine. Just when he wanted to say something, his face suddenly changed.
Puk!
A mouth full of blood was spat out.
My wolves! My wolves! Damn it! Who the hell did you put me up against? How the hell did I lose contact with my wolves in an instant? The elder looked at Modi in a vicious look.
Modi kept his smile and muttered slowly.
Lost contact with the wolves, which means that bastard used his Chosen One abilities? Then... The thing that I ced there should have worked by now. This calls for a celebration.
Thank you for everything you did for me, Ill quickly forget your rude and barbaric manners.
Bang!
As Modis words subsided, the elder in the wolf pelt exploded.
Try not to eat from a stranger, youll bloat yourself to death.
Modi picked up the box on the table andughed softly at the gruesome body.
However, Modis smile was frozen right away because there was an extra shadow on the floor.
Chapter 966 - Unusual
Chapter 966: Unusual
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Modi whose smile was frozen wanted to say something but when his mouth opened up, a tremendous force knocked him at his waist.
Despite several fields of defensive barriers, they were useless as they shattered upon contact.
Modi could hear his spine cracking, muscles and tendons tearing, and organs being crushed.
The smile on his face couldnt hold up anymore.
2567!
Modi shouted heavily. His voice was filled with anger and confusion.
He was angry because of his useless men, allowing Kieran to infiltrate his base.
He was confused because the traps heid down didnt work.
Based on the information Modi got, Kieran should be an extremely greedy fellow, but why did theb which obviously held precious items not work against him?
Other than that, the wolf packs that he arranged against him to trigger the trap didnt work either.
However, the mentioned facts werent what infuriated Modi the most; the thing that infuriated him the most was Kierans gaze toward him. It was cold and lifeless as if Modi didnt exist in Kierans gaze.
The eyes made Modi feel like an idiot.
To be honest, he was indeed an idiot.
After discovering all kinds of inklings, with Kierans carefulness and vignce, why would he go into the secret bazaar without any support?
Kieran indeed liked loot and benefits but he wouldnt get dizzy because of the spoils of war; he still had the calmness required to ovee all obstacles.
Just like when he saw the wolf packs appear before him, his heart realized something: why wolves?
Although the wolves were indeed strong againstmoners, it was nothing to Kieran.
With his Chosen One abilities and items, it wasnt really a difficult time for him to facearge number of enemies.
Kieran knew that point clearly and he believed his opponent knew it too.
Hence, given the circumstances, his opponent still did so, which meant it might be a trap.
His opponent prepared a trap specifically targeted at Chosen Ones and also specifically targeted at the greedy traits in his character.
The specific measure would be extremely effective against Kieran but it would be extremely easy to break through as well.
Kieran felt fortunate for owning so many hands in dealing with the danger a moment ago.
Of course, dealing with Modi in front of him wouldnt require much either.
The most direct one would be the most effective one.
I..
Pak!
Modi wanted to say something but his head was squash when the first word escaped his mouth.
Modis brain and body plunged deep into the ground but no notifications popped up in Kierans sight, Instead, the body withered away at exponential speed visible to the eyes.
With Holler as an example, Kieran was not too surprised.
If he would kill Modi with a single blow, that would shock and baffle him instead.
Still, it didnt stop Kieran from searching the ce from top to bottom, despite him not having hopes in finding anything.
Sometimes though, surprises appeared without a sign.
After discovering manymon supplies and equipment, Kierans eyes automaticallynded on the box on the floor.
A simple checkter, he opened the box and an orange glowing blueprint presented itself before Kieran.
[Name: Brand. Strengthen Fur (Wolf and Dog)]
[Type: Skill]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attack/ Defense: None]
[Attribute: Strengthen Fur lvl 1 C lvl 3 (Based on the brand attribute, the wolf and dog type being will have to go through a Constitution authentication; Lvl 1 will automatically grant a Weak rank force field barrier to the target; Lvl 2 will automatically grant an Average rank force field barrier to the target; Lvl 3 will automatically grant a Strong force field barrier to the target; The formation of the barrier will consume the branded wolf or dogs Stamina)]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: Mystical Knowledge (Master), Research of Mythical Beings (Basic)]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: This is a special magic scroll that holds a very crooked and special enchantment knowledge. If you have the hands to tattoo, you will get twice the result with half the effort; Of course, you need to prepare the corresponding magic ingredients, including deback Blue, diamond, and ck oil mineral.]
...
Tattoo, branding? Kieran looked at the introduction of the blueprint in astonishment.
Then, he learned it directly.
Different from the usual way of describing skills, the skill [Brand. Strengthen Fur (Wolf and Dog)] didnt just exined its use through ingredients but it couldnt be level up either.
Strengthen Fur lvl 3 seemed to be its maximum limit.
A Strong defensive barrier for Kieran at his current power level would feel like chipboard but he didnt feel frustrated over it.
Not just because this was aplete surprise, he also thought of the wolf pack from before.
If the wolves who always submitted to him were branded with the skill, it would be a good thing for him since he was fighting alone now.
At least he wouldnt have to worry about the trivial things anymore.
Now, the only thing he had to confirm was the price of deback Blue and ck oil mineral.
As for diamond, no matter which era or dungeon he was in, it was destined to never be cheap.
...
In another deep and dark cave, a vile stench filled every inch of it.
Animal and human carcasses were everywhere.
A man was chewing a goat within. Despite the fact that he was squatting down, his body size was extremely huge.
The goat was not cooked and was eaten alive with blood and fur. The man ate it fast as well.
A whole goat was turned into a pile of clean bones within minutes.
The skin and organs did not escape the mans mouth as well.
It was natural that his face was tainted with blood but the man didnt care as he wiped his face with his hand; he ced his palms in front of his mouth and licked them clean.
After all that, another man in long robes beside him only then dared to speak.
My lord, there is a new sheriff in Shattertown Town. Our eye was removed and... the secret bazaar outside town has unusual wolf activity.
The man in the robe reported what he had gathered.
Got it. The huge man waved his hand.
The reporter quickly left the cave.
After his men left, Darde the Titan only showed interest and spected.
New sheriff? 2567? Or...
Then, Darde turned his eyes to the dried corpse beside him.
His not too strong Intuition picked up the changes in the corpse. After a while, the dried corpse inted with blood and flesh.
2567!
A furious roar sounded.
Modis face was twisted and growling like a wounded beast.
Darde leaned back and watched Modis performance.
He didnt know whether Modi was really angry or whether was he faking it but regardless of which it was, he wouldnt believe it.
Broker was untrustworthy, so was Modi.
Likewise, Modi didnt really care about Darde either. After a series of loud shouts, he left the cave without saying anything.
Both sides didnt seem to work together properly.
After Modi left, a voice echoed in Dardes ears.
Found it?
No.
Darde grinned. His huge eyes were glimmering like a wild beast looking at its prey.
Then, the chewing continued in the cave.
TL Note:
deback Blue C a made up item. Sounds like herb but actually a mineral.
Chapter 967 - Assault (2 in 1)
Chapter 967: Assault (2 in 1)
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The sun rose and set.
After a whole night and day of moring, Shatterstone Town became merry again during the evening.
The townspeople were deep in discussion when they saw the 50 warhorses and the loot on the carts.
Although thetter was covered with cloth, as long as one wasnt an idiot, they would know what was underneath the cloth.
Volgen was standing on the main road of the town, receiving Hollers triumphant return. His vignt gaze was sizing up his surroundings uncontrobly.
Dont worry Volgen. We have enough time, at least a day! Holler said.
A day... We have too little manpower. Even though Ive handpicked some trustable mercenaries, they are no more than 10. Plus our original number, we barely increased our numbers back to the original civilian troop amount.
The young captain was looking worried about the situation.
Since the young man that grew up in Shatterstone Town, Volgen knew how bold and ruthless those bastards that lingered around Supreme Road were.
As long as they had enough benefits, raiding a town wouldnt be out of the question to those ruthless bastards.
In fact, Shatterstone Town was raided almost every year but thankfully, the reinforcements from Burning Dawn prevented the worst from happening.
This time, however, it was different!
The news of Burning Dawn being assaulted was covered up with the best effort but as time passed, bits and pieces of news would slip and spread like wildfire.
This made the civilians around Supreme Road anxious and terrified and also made those robbers and bandits excited.
The young captain dared not imagine what kind of scary situation Shatterstone Town would have to face when the news of 50 warhorses and arge amount of wealth was spread out.
You must show faith in our Lord. No matter the numbers, it will be useless against our Lord! His Lordships strength is far from what we can imagine!
Holler, on the other hand, showed quite the confidence since he was controlled.
Inside the mayors subconscious, Kieran was almighty, everything he did was correct and he would carry out Kierans orders regardless of the cost.
Mm. The young captain nodded.
Volgen thought about the scenest night, the scene where hundreds of robbers had their heads blown off with a single gaze.
The scene slightly calmed down Volgens anxious heart but he was still a little bit worried.
The young captain cared too much about Shatterstone Town, therefore he didnt realize that the title Holler addressed Kieran was inappropriate.
Volgen didnt realize but Snacker, Blu, and Riley did because they only had a 3-month contract with Kieran.
However, the trio knew who Kieran really was, they exchanged a gaze and chose to keep quiet.
Exposing Kierans identity would do them no good so might as well stay quiet.
Moreover, it was not too over for Hollers position to address Kieran as lord but in their hearts, the three of them started to suspect why Kieran came to Shatterstone Town, especially at this particr time.
One needed to know the Burning Dawn militia wasnt a single entity. It was thebination of the Burning Family and the Dawn Family.
Likewise, not only the trio was discussing the matter, the robbers and bandits that hid around Shatterstone Towns shadowy spots who were well-informed were discussing this too.
The peasant elder song of the Burning Family appeared in this town...
Surprising eh.
Will it be rted to the assault on Burning Dawn?
Who knows? But the wealth gathered in Shatterstone Town is really tempting!
I heard that Sayer bastard emptied out the Sand Bandits treasure vault just to stay alive!
Hehehe, not only the Sand Bandits, the Cranium Crusher, and the Bearman were emptied out as well. Especially the Cranium Crusher, that guy must be jumping around furiously. Dont forget those warhorses were purposely trained for him to trade them off in the Golden City.
Who wouldnt be piss like that?
Sayer as the contact of the underground market in the Golden City will meet his maker soon.
He will soon alright!
But now, Shatterstone Town is about to get merrier.
I wonder if the peasant elder son of the Burning Family stronger or are the other guys better?
No matter which it is, it is an opportunity for us!
Thats right! Thats right!
Our opportunity is here!
...
The topic of conversation sounded one after another.
In the end, many more robbers and bandits started to gather at Shatterstone Town, especially those whose vaults were emptied by someone.
Sand Bandit was a one-eyed middle-aged man. His scar that pierced and ruined his left face blinded him but it made his right eye even sharper.
A scarlet red shine was emanating from the only eye.
Sayer! That peasant son of the Burning Family!
Sand Banditughed coldly.
When his men heard their leaders coldugh, they couldnt help but shiver and unconsciously draw distance from him but their riding speed was even faster.
...
Cranium Crushers eyes were round, his furious emotions were overflowing.
A dozen of his mens heads were crushed just like that including the messenger.
Red and white brain fluid was sttered all over his face and body.
He didnt care though. He rode his horse and went straight to Shatterstone Town, his remaining men exchanged gazes of confusion before following their leader.
...
Bearman was just like his title, he looked like a huge ck bear as he stood there.
He was so buff that he wasnt even human anymore. He was wielding two spiked clubs the size of a grown mans waist and growled at the sky; his muscr body expanded a few times again, to the point that it dumbstruck others. His growl even trembled the ground.
Die! I want you all to die!
...
The night was getting darker.
The moon was emanating a soft light over the night sky.
However, some merchant groups who should be resting decided to travel at night.
They didnt go forward but they retreated to where they came from.
None of the merchants who made a living around Supreme road were idiots.
They knew a fierce fight was inevitable.
Some citizens of Shatterstone Town arrived at the security office in a terrified face, hoping to get more precise information but they didnt get what they sought after from the civilian troop captain that received them.
The citizens left in disappointment.
Some went back to their house and hid, hoping everything would pass.
Some joined the merchant groups and were ready to leave the town altogether.
Thetter was definitely not the minority.
Volgen wanted to stop the leaving convoys but he had no reason to hold them down.
They were just merchants and civilians.
The only fortunate thing was that his men and the ones he just recruited did not desert them despite the anxiousness on their faces.
Dont worry everyone. With our lord here, we will be fine, just likest night.
Volgen knew what he had to say to calm everyones anxiety, otherwise, it would really turn into a mess. The young captain didnt know any encouraging words, all he said was the thing that calmed him the most.
Fortunately, the scenest night was quite astonishing. When the troops and mercenaries heard what their captain said, their anxiety calmed down slightly.
However, Volgen didnt feel relieved when he saw his men calming down, instead, he was more restless than ever because he knew Kieran wasnt in Shatterstone Town right now.
What should we do?
Damn it! If a fight breaks out and Lord 2567 is not here...
Volgen couldnt help but rub his temple when he thought about the potential oue.
He was at aplete loss of what to do, all he was capable of was utilizing his own strength to protect the town.
Now, listen to my orders...
Volgen start to assign missions.
The bramble from a Chinese fir was tied into a special abatis and was ced at the entrance of the town.
Behind the town gate, there was a giant pot with boiling feces and some herbs. Arrows were soaked inside for around 15 seconds before taken out.
It was the most simple way of applying poison on an arrow. The method originated from parts of Hollers hunting and military background.
When the best of both werebined together, it was enough to increase the arrows power to the next level.
Armor and swords raided from the robbers and banditsirs were distributed to the civilian troops. The soldiers were equipped with new leather armor and longswords before they loaded their quivers with arrows.
As for the bow, they had to prepare themselves.
The mercenaries rejected the armor and longswords since they were more used to their own weapon and gear but they didnt reject the arrows.
Who knew whether the enemies would outnumber them or not.
While having the advantage of the terrain, the arrows yed an important part in the uing battle.
Seconds turned into minutes.
Other than the young captain and the mayor who stood guard in front of the town, everyone was seizing every second to prepare themselves.
Snacker, Blu, and Riley, however, were discussing softly in a shady spot.
What should we do now?
That f*cking Sayer kept the details to himself, he didnt tell us the loot was from Sand Bandit, Cranium Crusher, and Bearmans trading goods!
Snacker said in a heavy tone.
He knew Kieran wasnt in town, so he was exceptionally nervous at the moment.
He knew the three groups very well, Sand Bandit, Cranium Crusher and Bearman, or more precisely, he knew how scary the leaders of the respective group were.
The most obvious proof was that Burning Dawn once set up a bounty on the three of them and anyone who could kill either one of them would be granted the title of knight, the kind that could receive a city.
If anyone killed two out of three, they will be granted the title of lord; if all three of them were killed, the lordship will be elevated to a hereditary lordship and Burning Dawn would provide a corresponding military rank.
From amoner to a noble, a noble to a hereditary noble and from that, a hereditary noble with actual authority.
Each reward was so tempting as it sounds.
However, Sand Bandit, Cranium Crusher and Bearman, the three groups didnt really suffer a lot other than the ugly position they were in when they were first chased down by Burning Dawn.
After that, they lived an unusually prosperous life and got even more notorious.
Dont forget why we came to Supreme Road, Riley smiled and pretended to be funny.
Thats right, we came here back then to prove ourselves by killing one or two of the three. Aside from getting us the corresponding identity and position, it doesnt mean that we can take on the three groups together at the same time.
Snacker gave a long sigh before looking at Blu.
The vow of a sharpshooter will never be regretted until death.
A simple and direct answer from Blu.
A promise is a mans romance, how can a guy break it? Riley nodded as well.
Snacker rolled his eyes at the words his friends said.
I didnt say Im breaking the promise! Im saying what should we do? How should we fight? Snacker asked.
Shoot them!
Ambush them!
Blu and Riley voiced out their suggestions in unison.
Snacker face palmed at his friends reply.
Details? Snacker kept pressing the topic without giving up.
Shoot them with the bow! Blu took his bow.
Stab them with the dagger! Riley took his dagger.
Snacker looked at his friends nkly, he felt he was going to cry for some reason.
I knew it was a damn mistake traveling to Supreme Road with you two dimwits! I shouldnt have left Dawn City! If I didnt leave, I wouldnt have had to sign some forceful contract and if I wasnt forced to sign it, I wouldnt have to die with these two dimwits here! Snacker muttered to himself.
However, at the next moment, Snacker who was mumbling to himself while squatting down stood up right away. He turned his gaze to the town entrance as fast as lightning.
Dak, Dak Dak Dak!
Weak gallops came into the town together with the night breeze.
Chang!
Snacker drew his dual des and sprinted towards the town gate.
His mouth was ranting and mumbling but his actions would not defy his principles.
If he made a promise, he tended to keep it even if there wasnt a contract involved.
Blu and Riley smiled at each other when they saw their friends figure sprinting out.
Only the friends of the dual der knew how reliable he was during crucial moments.
Go! I will cover you!
Blu jumped up to the roof and taut his bow
Go! Ill take care of the ambushers! Riley took a step back and merged himself into the shadows.
The trio from Dawn City was disying utmost teamwork with their tacit understanding but not many saw that scene.
Volgens face changed when he heard the gallops.
We are doomed! Lord 2567 hasnt returned!
Volgen wasnt a young man that was good at concealing his emotions.
The changes on his face made the soldiers and mercenaries hearts skip a beat.
Then, they turned their eyes to the security office.
It was dark and quiet.
On the other hand, the gallops were getting louder and louder.
The soldiers and mercenaries emotions plummeted as they heard the gallopsing closer.
One of the mercenaries couldnt hold it back and asked, Has that lord...
Tss gak!
Before he finished, the door of the security office was open from the inside.
The slightly irritating screech from the door pivot was overpowered by the gallops, making it soft to the ear but everyone heard it clearly as though it was a hymn that made people cheer.
Everyone was overjoyed as they looked at the arrogant looking person stepping out of the office.
They were looking at his slow steps forward and they were listening to his disdainfulments.
Petty ants.
Chapter 968 - The Black Flame Under the Moon (2 in 1)
Chapter 968: The ck me Under the Moon (2 in 1)
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The disdain and contemptments sounded but it didnt attract dislikes from the crowd.
Quite the contrary, when those words sounded as the figure slowly walked out, Volgen and the soldiers quickly calmed down.
Everyone, attention! Stand in your positions now! We will show them what we are made of!
The young captain whose heart settled down started tomand his men in an orderly manner.
The soldiers and the mercenaries stood in their positions. The arrow tower and the rooftops were the defensive lines they were stationed in.
Volgen was standing on a rooftop near the gate. He raised his arm up high when he saw the robbers and banditsing closer.
First round ready...
Fire!
He swung his arm down and 23 arrows were fired in an arching line as they vanished into the night sky.
Aaaarg! Aaaaa!
Agonizing cries were heard from the robbers and bandits further away.
Maybe the arrows fired werent concentrated enough but it was still lethal for the charging robbers and bandits.
Not only because a lot of Shatterstone Town civilian soldiers came from hunter backgrounds which granted them decent archery skills, but it was also because the robbers and bandits didnt expect the town to retaliate.
It was not how they were informed but soon, the robbers and bandits didnt care about the particrs anymore because the second round of arrows was before them.
Sou Sou Sou!
The concentrated vanguard riders were like live targets for the arrow rain.
A dozen of robbers and bandits were shot off their horses and trampled to meat paste by the following riders.
Several arrows missed the rider but instead shot the horse.
Neigh!
The horses neighed loudly and stood up with their hind legs; the riders were thrown off the horses.
Not only were the riders thrown to the ground, but it also caused a lot more robbers and bandits behind to crash into each other when they trying to avoid the wounded horses.
Crak! Crak!
Bone cracking sounds filled the night sky; they were of men and horses.
The robbers and bandits fierce charge were forced to a halt.
Nicely done!
Volgen praised loudly at the mercenaries who fired the arrows.
Despiteing from hunter backgrounds,pared to a real professional, the civilian soldiers were quite far behind, whether it was the usual training or realbat.
After two rounds of arrows, the civilian soldiers were already slightly panting.
The soldiers taut their bow with all their might to fire the two rounds of arrows and they even aimed urately at their target. No doubt it cost them their stamina.
While the mercenaries were looking fine and breathing normally. It wouldnt be a problem for them to fire another two rounds of arrows.
Civilian soldiers skip the next round, mercenaries, in position! Volgenmanded.
13 civilian soldiers regted their breaths during the break and the 10 mercenaries taut their bow again.
Sou Sou Sou!
Arrows flew into the night sky again but this time around, the firing was less effective.
The robbers and bandits who lurked in the shady spots of Supreme Road werent idiots. After they realized grouping up would make them living targets, they scattered around.
Of course, there were one or two unlucky bastards who got shot as well.
Volgen was looking heavily at the scattered robbers and bandits.
These nefarious bastards reacted much quicker than he expected. At first, he thought they would be fine for at least the third round of arrows but now, the enemies reacted in only two rounds.
Everyone scatter your shots, find your targets! Dont forget to save your stamina!
Volgen reminded the civilian soldiers and mercenaries while he took on a bow and arrow himself.
Sou!
Aaaah!
As the arrow flew, the fastest robber was shot off his horse.
Sou, Sou Sou!
Three more arrows were fired and none of the missed their target.
Each arrow that was let loose took the life of a robber.
No one was really surprised over Volgens archery. In fact, one of the reasons why he was appointed as captain of the civilian troop was because of his excellent archery.
Likewise, it was also why he didnt join the firing at first since he wasmanding his men.
Everyone knew when Volgens archery would y its biggest part.
A shadow was silently, swiftly approaching Volgen.
The previousmand and the arrows he fired were telling the robbers and bandits this young man should be one of the leaders who was responsible for the defense.
If he was taken out, the robbers and bandits would be able to take out the defenses of the townpletely. The whole town might even crumble without a fight.
With the thought in his head, the shadow pulled out his dagger but two more longswords were faster.
The first sword chopped of the shadows hand holding his dagger.
The second sword decapitated the shadow altogether.
When he saw the fallen shadowy figure, Volgen was stunned before he quickly threw a gaze of appreciation to Snacker.
Although the moment the shadowy figure struck, Volgen was confident enough in being able to avoid a lethal blow. Still, he would certainly get hurt in the process and getting hurt was not something worth being happy about, even more so in the current situation.
The dual der nodded to the young captain before dashing off to his next target.
Shatterstone Towns defenses were still too weak.
Whether it was the numbers of defensive personnel or the defensive arrangements, all were still too weak.
It presented an opportunity for the enemies who were skilled in infiltrating and hiding their presence as if they entered an empty house.
Another sword strike taking out an infiltratorter, the dual der couldnt help but sigh.
Just when Snacker sighed, a crossbow arrow was fired from the shadows.
Sou!
Ding!
The crossbow arrow from the shadows was fast but Blus arrow wasnt slow either.
Blus arrow deflected the crossbow arrow and a ssh of red was drawn at that shadowy spot.
Riley then walked out with a crossbow.
These robbers and bandits are not your usual John Does, they still have good stuff like this.
Riley eximed while he fired the crossbow to another shadowy spot and pinned the guy on the ground.
Ill feel even stranger if some John Doe were to work along Sand Bandit, Cranium Crusher, and Bearmans group.
Snacker then dashed towards his next target.
You are not wrong either! Riley shrugged before he concealed himself again.
Blu loaded his bow with arrows again.
The trio from Dawn City was clearing out the robbers and bandits infiltrating the town with utmost teamwork and tacit understanding. However, from the start till the end, the three of the ced a part of their attention on Kieran.
The abilities Kieran showedst night were too astonishing for the three of them. They wanted to see again what kind of abilities he possessed but the oue was sort of confusing.
The robbers and bandits had arrived at Shatterstone Town gate and the modified abatis was moved away from the main path by the enemies.
A clear path was presented before the robbers and bandits while Kieran stood in front of the gate and stared down at them with an arrogant gaze, seemingly having no intention to make a move.
The robbers and bandits were shocked when they saw Kieran in his arrogant manner.
A lot of them saw what happenedst night so it wasnt possible to hide it anymore and of the robbers and bandits who were able to arrive in front of the town, which one of them werent well-informed of Kierans abilities?
Therefore, when they saw Kieran looking down at them with an arrogant look, the cunning robbers and bandits that roamed freely around Supreme Road started to hesitate.
So, a strange scene formed in front of Shatterstone Town.
On one side was a single man with no reinforcements, standing alone.
The other side was huge in numbers yet none of them dared to step forward to im the town.
When both sides looked at each other, the former showed contempt to the group with his arrogant face while thetter was avoiding his gaze, looking more hesitant than ever.
The strange scene went on until a loud shout came from the crowd.
DIE!
A figure so muscr that it wasnt human anymore dashed out from the crowd while wielding a robust spiked club; he smashed his spiked club at Kieran with all his force.
Wung!
The tremendous force created a heavy air-breaking noise.
The strong wind blew away the dirt around the gate; some smaller pebbles were thrown into the air as the wind stung peoples face.
Everyone saw the figure wielding the spiked club in shock. Even if they werent the target themselves, they felt how terrifying the blow would be.
Bearman! Its Bearman!
The robbers and bandits chanted in shock; the townspeople gasped.
Bearmans infamous name was notorious around Supreme Road. Him, Sand Bandit, and Cranium Crusher had almost be the synonym of the robbers and bandits in the area.
Everyone who walked Supreme Road would fear and revere the three of them, except for Kieran standing there.
While facing against Bearmans furious blow, Kieran was still as arrogant as ever and didnt spare a nce at the huge figure, he didnt even want to look as if the spiked club didnt exist or an opponent like Bearman was an insult to him.
Kieran closed his eyes right away.
Lord 2567, be careful!
Everyone was stunned when they saw Kieran close his eyes, The young captain couldnt help but warn him but he turned a deaf ear to the warning while going his way.
The spiked club was getting closer; the heavy whistle was getting heavier.
The stolen trading goods infuriated Bearman and the contempt... no, negligence from his opponent enraged him to the max.
The rage made Bearmans body expanded even more.
The rage made Bearmans strength increase even more powerful.
The rage made Bearman feel like he was burning.
Then...
Bearman was really engulfed in fire!
Huuu!
ck smoke came out from his apertures.
Bearmans brain and organs were instantly burned to ash, followed by his muscles, bone, skin, and hair.
A moment ago, Bearman was lively and angry but within a breaths time, he was turned into a giant torch.
Dang!
The heavy spiked clubnded on the ground.
The huge clunk shook everyones hearts; they unconsciously turned to Kieran after that.
Kieran was still standing there with closed eyes, looking arrogant as ever and it seemed like he turned his expression into words of mocking, insulting the offenders.
However, the freaky scene of Bearman bursting up in mes was impactful, none of the robbers and bandits dared to step up from the bottom of their heart.
But sometimes, humans acted against their own will.
My body?!
Whats wrong with my body?!
Dozens of robbers and bandits realized their bodies went out of control. They widened their eyes and charged towards Kieran with their swords and knives.
Its Sand Bandit!
Different from the time when Bearman appeared, when Sand Bandits name was mentioned, even the robbers and bandits showed fear.
As for why?
The answer was obvious when dozens of them charged towards Kieran with their uncontroble bodies.
Sand Bandit could control peoples bodies!
If it wasnt for the controlled persons clear consciousness, everyone would assume Sand Bandit was the legendary Son of Moon but rumor had it Sand Bandit had the lineage of Son of Moon as well.
The robbers and bandits looked at each other in fear.
When they saw the one-eyed middle-aged man with his men, they automatically split in half like the tides shed in half.
Sand Bandit appeared among the crowd.
Not only him but Cranium Crusher was eye-catching too.
Despite his physique and appearance being normal, Cranium Crushers presence still made the other robbers and bandits avoid him like the gue.
The reason why Sand Bandit, Cranium Crusher, and Bearman were able to be the figureheads of the robbers and bandits around Supreme Road was not only because of their strength but because of their ruthless and cruel characters.
However, following Sand Bandit and Cranium Crushers appearance, the invaders who stopped their march because of Bearmans death had their morale boosted again.
It was a cold hard fact that Bearman was dead but it was also a fact Sand Bandit and Cranium Crusher were much stronger.
The robbers and bandits believed with the two of them here, the bastard that blocked the gate would be dead in no time.
Then, it would be the happiest part of their n!
They were originally here to raid Shatterstone Town.
Of course, based on their own rules, they had to acquire the qualifications to raid by making an effort.
Therefore, the eyes of the robbers and bandits turned red.
Killing intent! But more of it were greed!
The dozens of robbers and bandits who were controlled by Sand Bandit were no exception either.
They were being controlled, there was no doubt about that but it was also a fact they were part of the raid.
It was enough for them.
Kill!
The controlled robbers and bandits yelled loudly at Kieran with his closed eyes.
Many more robbers and bandits behind them shouted together as well and were ready to charge.
They wanted to take down this town in one fell swoop; they wanted to party in the town after that.
They wanted tough in the mes and drink amidst the cries.
Each and every one of the attackers were breathing heavily and killing intent was overflowing when the thoughts filled their minds.
However, when the me really came, they didntugh; the cries were heard but it was from themselves.
The ck colored me lit up more than two hundreds robbers and bandits like how it did to Bearman, turning them into zing human torches.
Under the bright moonlight, the ck me was rumbling in front of Shatterstone Town gate like tides.
Sand Bandit and Cranium Crushers cunning allowed them to escape the ignition.
Both of them widened their eyes and clenched their teeth at Kieran who was still closing his eyes.
Who are you? These mes arent the mes of the Burning Family!
Both of them shouted their question loudly.
When they shouted, Kieran frowned. He felt like it was getting too noisy.
Dogs barking.
Amidst his soft words, Kieran turned around and walked back into the town; he didnt even bat an eye at the two.
Sand Bandit and Cranium Crusher looked at the figure going away further with grudgeful eyes but they didnt give chase.
It wasnt that they didnt want to, they couldnt, they dared not.
Six figures that moved around freely in the ck mes appeared in front both of them like an iron wall, blocking them from giving chase.
They saw the face on the six figures: Lust, Greed, Gluttony, Sloth, Wrath, and Envy.
The two of them felt the evil that came from the human heart itself.
Sand Bandit and Cranium Crusher shivered in unison.
...
Meanwhile, in a ce further away from Shatterstone Town, Bankers was secretly preparing after he was informed of what happened.
With Sand Bandit, Cranium Crusher, and Bearman there, even if that guy is the Burning Familys peasant elder son, he would be dead if he returned! Useless move! But Modis price is not too shabby, guess its my lucky day! Bankers smiled softly.
After feeling the slight jump of the gemstone in his hand, he quickly hid in the darkness next to him.
Further away, Kieran was approaching at lightning speed.
Chapter 969 - Trap
Chapter 969: Trap
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran with an anxious face didnt realize the unusualness in front him until he stepped into the trap.
When he felt the surroundings change, his face followed as well. He wanted to retreat but the trap activation was faster than he imagined.
A circle of white, blue, and ck rose up from the ground and encaged Kieran inside together with a 10-meter radius.
Fuaa!
Continuous clear clunking was heard when chains of the same tri-color fired out from the void and wrapped Kierans body like a venomous viper.
After he was tied down, a scimitar slowly appeared above his head like a grim reapers scythe together with Bankers.
So you are the eldest peasant sun of the Burning Family?
The gemstone in his hand was shining while he walked out from the shadow and sized up Kieran with a suspicious gaze.
There was no mocking or disdain to his gaze, just puzzled.
Bankers who was in a long robe and had a pair of sses on his face with messy hair felt it a little too easy. However, as the gemstone in his hand jumped, he quickly retreated.
Illusion?! Just like what Modi said! Shouldnt the folks from the Burning Family specialize in fire magic and only minor in illusions? Bankers asked himself.
Then, he shook his head as he didnt n to press the question.
After all, he was tasked to capture Kieran, the rest was up to Modi.
It was their basic principle of dealing with each other: he would not participate in Modis matters and Modi would not question his research.
The deal seemed to happen in a weird way but it was the foundation of their agreement.
Bankers and Modi knew it clearly.
Please dont struggle too much, otherwise youll taste the pain.
Bankers pointed at the scimitar in the air while he contacted his employer. He didnt really avoid Kierans presence, thus Bankers conversation was heard clearly.
Ive got the target, Bankers said directly.
Good, take away his personal belongings and cut off all of his limbs.
Modis voice sounded from the gemstone.
The extra criteria wasnt included in the first mission briefing. Bankers frowned.
Now you know. Ill raise the price three times over. Hurry and do what I said!
Modis voice sounded anxious and restless.
Even if you raise the price, you cant change... Are you out of your mind?
Bankers was being stubborn on this but before he finished, he cried out in shock.
Kieran who was bound by the chains started to struggle fiercely, despite the scimitar chopping down, he didnt stop.
Puk!
Kieran dodged the lethal strike to his head from the scimitar in an extremely twisted way but he didntpletely dodge the chop.
His legs were severedpletely!
Blood gushed out in an instant but Kieran escaped the bindings in an unusual manner.
What made Bankers felt it to be more inconceivable was that Kierans legs grew out once more.
Wha...What the...
Bankers were stunned but Kieran wasnt.
Kieran whose legs had regrown twisted his body and escape the light circle as though he dived into the void. However, when he appeared again, he was pinned down on the ground by a light arrow.
It wasnt Bankers this time but Modi!
Modi who supposed to be hiding in some secret spot appeared out of thin air before Kieran and looked down on him with a haughty manner.
2567, you never would have thought it would you? Modi said with delight.
Modi?! You did this on purpose?!
Bankers too saw Modi appear in front him, he then looked at the gemstone in his hand and he immediately realized what was going on: Modi had nned everything.
As for why he nned it?
The answer was Kieran being pinned down on the ground.
From the start of Modis n to the end, it was all for that particr moment to capture Kieran.
No, no, no! These are necessary tests because you dont fully understand this 2567, but I do, hence my actions.
Modi replied courteously to Bankers who had contributed quite a lot in his n.
Of course, when Modi replied to Bankers, he didnt forget to strike Kieran.
Sou Sou Sou Sou!
Four more light arrows which were smaller than the first one was shot at Kierans limbs,pletely robbing him of his resistance.
Then, a vial of holy water was poured over Kierans face.
Tsss, Tsssssss!
As though his face was being sprayed by acid.
Kierans face swiftly folded and was corroded by the holy water as it emanated the sizzling sound.
Painful and continuous growls were heard from Kierans mouth ceaselessly and when Modi heard them, he felt happier.
The reaction between the devils bloodline and holy water allowed Modi to be certain that Kieran had no resistance left and has truly stepped into his trap.
What else was more entertaining than Kierans suffering?
More suffering!
Two more vials of holy water were poured on Kierans body. Seeing how Kieran was twitching and couldnt struggle because he was pinned down by the light arrows, Modi couldnt hold hisughter back.
Using Arrow of Brilliance and Water of Brilliance on a Burning Family member, you want to incite a civil war between the Burning Dawn? And since youve already captured him, you can just kill him, theres no reason to torture him, Bankers frowned.
Obviously, Bankers couldnt ept torture and interrogation and the civil war between Burning Dawn wasnt really a concern, it was more like amon question.
Do I still need to create internal affairs for the Burning Dawn now? They can hardly look after themselves with the enemies they are facing now.
Take this, three times your pay!
Modi replied while avoiding the important points.
However, the triple pay was enough to release Bankers of his persistence and made him leave.
Kieran wasnt someone to him, he didnt have to fall out with his longtime employer because of a stranger.
Bankers left with his pay, leaving only Modi and Kieran behind.
Tss, Tssssss!
Modi poured another vial holy water on Kierans body without a second thought.
While seeing Kieran corroding under the holy water and suffering from the pain, Modi couldnt help but say, Dont worry, I wont let you die so fast! At least before this dungeon ends, you have to be alive... who are you?
The delighted Modi suddenly changed his face.
The eye that he ced in Bankerspay was destroyed and Bankers certainly didnt possess the abilities to do that.
Modi was very clear of that, otherwise, he wouldnt have realized it until now.
More importantly, Bankers wouldnt allow anyone else to touch his pay, unless...
Bankers was dead!
In this barren wilderness, who else could kill Bankers without him even reacting?
Kieran!
It was the only person Modi could think of but then...
Who was the Kieran before his eyes?
Modi widened his eyes at Kieran whose face was burned off by the holy water.
Then, Kieran looked up as he yed along with Modi. He looked at Modi with a pair of scarlet eyes, replying his question. At the same time, the aura that could not be concealed anymore slowly revealed itself.
Demon!
The word escape Modis mouth when he felt the aura.
Chapter 970 - Palpitation
Chapter 970: Palpitation
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
A trap!
It was a trap specifically targeted at Modi!
After realizing Kieran was a demon, the sudden realization struck Modis heart but most of it was confusion and puzzled thoughts.
Why Kieran did do what he did?
Could it be... Kieran knew his ns beforehand?
Impossible! This is impossible! Ive never made contact with Sayer! All I did was push him to the position of the Golden City trades along with the tide, he couldnt have guessed it was my nning all along! Besides, Sayer has a contract that forbids him from telling his identity and everything about him!
Modi was mumbling to himself.
Bloody Mary looked at Modi in front of it, a sense of mocking shed over its scarlet eyes.
Kieran, of course, couldnt know the details of all the matters, trivial or not, not even a God could achieve such feat but Kieran was vignt enough.
When Sayer mentioned the wealth and warhorses, Kieran didnt get blinded by the sudden rewards.
The bigger the rewards, the more careful Kieran would be. Therefore, despite Sayer not leaking the information, Kieran was fully prepared for this and made up spections of the uing events, of which all signs connected to Modi.
When the spection was made, the uing events became reasonable and the n that Modi took pride it became obvious as well.
The secret bazaarsb was just a part of the n and if it seeded, Modi would be happy but if it failed, he wouldnt really care because the real n wasid after that.
Shatterstone Town and Kieran himself.
However, Modi didnt just wrongly estimate Kierans vignce but he also seriously underestimated Kierans strength.
Likewise, Modi also revealed more valuable information to Kieran and it was what Kieran sought after at the moment.
Kieran appeared before Modi with the unconscious Bankers in his hand.
Bloody Mary turned into a red-eyed skull image and vanished on the spot.
Dont think youve won, this is just the beginning! I...
Modi gave his threats but it was useless against Kieran.
Bang!
Modis head exploded again.
Different from thest time where Modi escaped, he was really dead this time but there was still no notifications popped up.
You are just an abandoned chess piece. Broker had sent his men to infiltrate the ce, so you didnt get to know how my strength has changed, which leads you to send out a target to test me.
Kieran looked at Modis body and nced over the unconscious Bankers in his hand; he couldnt help but breathe deeply.
It wasnt hard for him toe up with the conclusion because Bankers was the best proof.
If Modi really knew how strong Kieran was, he would at least send a foe who was at least two levels higher than Bankers and not some guy fooled by Bloody Mary.
Hmph!
Kieran let out a heavy sigh.
The situation before him was the worst he could expect. His opponent was much more careful than he expected.
No one knew better than Kieran how troublesome it was to deal with a vignt opponent, and more importantly...
Broker wasnt here!
If Broker was in the current dungeon world, such tests werepletely useless. Broker should be very clear of Kierans strength.
Broker isnt here? Then where would he be? The Witchs Legacy?
No doubt, that was the only answer.
But to say Broker gave up on the title dungeon [de of the Daybreaker], Kieran was reluctant to believe it, unless Broker had absolute confidence in his men.
Or...
Broker could interfere whenever he wanted!
Regardless of which it was, it wasnt good news to Kieran.
Although I have a hunch Broker might y his sh*tty tricks in the title dungeon... Huh?
Just when Kieran was forming a n to deal with Broker, Modis body suddenly changed which was out of Kierans expectations.
The body disintegrated into light particles and flew further away on the ground, or more precisely, [Modiis Boots] which he hid underground.
Kieran wouldnt be himself if he wasnt rmed when he had to fight Brokers men and coincidentally the guys name was Modi.
There were only two ways for a yer to get equipment in a dungeon.
First, the most direct way was dropping the equipment after the kill.
Second, from a native, missions, etc.
Regardless of which it was, it would be closely rted to the native of that dungeon world.
His own equipment coincidentally met the original owner in another dungeon world?
It might seem impossible to other yers but it was just to other yers.
If it was Broker, and from how Kieran viewed it, it was very viable and he didnt forget the Unique Title Broker in effect as well.
Who could have guaranteed the Unique Title Broker didnt have other effects?
Therefore, Kieran was quite cautious of [Modiis Boots] and at the next moment, it proved that his caution was very correct.
Wung!
The hateful presence of the curse appeared again before Kieran.
I curse you!
I curse you!
I curse you!
Modis image was floating above the ground where the boots were buried. It was growling loudly and the power of the curse was overflowing in all directions, however, a momentter, it realized Kieran wasnt there but further away.
Modis image saw Kieran standing further away with a calm expression.
Modi growled loudly in unwillingness as his body was rumbling with the power of the curse.
It wanted to throw itself to Kieran for his life.
However, it couldnt achieve it since it wasnt a simple soul anymore. As seconds turned into minutes, the power of the curse was getting out of control.
Nooo!
Kaboom!
Modi growled loudly and exploded after that.
Under Kierans gaze, Modis image vanished without a sign and the power of the curse that threatened him dissipated as well.
He stood still for almost a few minutes before he made sure there wasnt any lingering danger.
Kieran then ordered Bloody Mary to dig up [Modiis Boots].
When dug up, the boots were shining in a lively gold.
[Name: Modi Boots]
[Type: Equipment]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Attack: Strong]
[Defense: Powerful]
[Attribute: 1. Modi Dash, 2. Modi Jump, 3. Modi Conceal]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: Modi didnt run the fastest but the longest! Modi didnt jump the highest but he would have a second and third chance! Other than that, Modi had an extra dodge!]
...
[Modi Dash: When equipped, whether walking, running or jumping, saves 45% Stamina]
[Modi Jump: When activated, after a single jump, consume more Stamina to perform a second and third jump. 3/day]
[Modi Conceal: When wearer stays still in shadow, Undercover +1]
......
Kieran looked at [Modi Boots] in surprise as its name and attributes adjusted itself.
He wasnt really surprised over the Rare to Legendary rarity jump and the two enhanced attribute plus a new one.
He was surprised why it would happen.
Killing the original owner to perfect the equipment? Or was it because of the power of the curse...
Kieran spected out of instinct but before more came to his mind, his heart palpitated.
Chapter 971 - Welcome to Shatterstone Town (2 in 1)
Chapter 971: Wee to Shatterstone Town (2 in 1)
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
As though a shadow covered his heart, the ufortable feeling turned Kierans attention further away, the direction where Supreme Road was.
However, he didnt spot anything within his sight, the palpitation vanished afterward as well as if the minor urrence was an illusion but Kieran knew the frightening fact within.
Even if it was just an illusion!
His Spirit attribute had already reached G+ rank and the tag was at Strong rank II, Pre-rank III.
The illusion that could make him feel ufortable with that ridiculous Spirit rank, it would be deadly for others.
More so... Was it really an illusion?
Kieran ced his hand over his chest, feeling the vigorous beating of his two hearts. He felt the Dawn Force circting his body, the gue Force was lyingtent, the Devil Forces arrogance, the rampancy of the Cardinal Sins and the reserve presence of Saint Thorn Force.
He also felt the palpitation that seemed to have disappeared but was actually lingering around.
As though it was a small, cunning thief, the palpitation hid in his heart without a sign and if he didnt realize it, it would definitely turn into a time bomb in the future.
But now?
The arrogant Devil Force made its move first by destroying it boldly and resolutely.
The rampant Cardinal Sins Force then swallowed it without caring.
Dawn Force then wash away the lingering bits until it waspletely cleared away from Kierans heart.
Huu!
Kieran let out a long sigh. He opened his eyes as an unusual shine glimmered in his pupils.
Without pause, Kieran squatted down and used his finger to draw on the ground.
The sunrise of Dawn, the light that broke the darknesss shackle.
The dawn shed light over the fields, rivers, and forest.
Faintly and mild, the white light started to shine on [Seal of Dawn] and naturally resonated with the Dawn Force in Kierans body.
Then, the white light enshrouded a 10-meter radius area.
While being covered in the light, Kieran grabbed a pinch of dirt and carefully felt the changes within.
A slight sense of hidden dark energy quickly faded away.
The dirt that was already in draught became drier as the slight energy faded away; it was scattered when the wind blew.
Scary power of the curse! Kieranmented.
Then, he frowned.
Despite his understanding of the power of the curse not being too deep, he knew the energy that he felt in the dirt was different than the power of the curse that came from Modi just now.
Modis curse was slightly obvious but the energy in the dirt was moretent, hard to notice.
So this power is also that bastards handy work? Or... did ite from Supreme Road?!
Kieran was specting wildly but one thing was for sure, the person bore malicious intent!
Ill be looking forward to your next appearance.
Kieran said softly before he grabbed Bankers and vanished.
He didnt kill Bankers though because it wouldnt do him any good and mostly because he was short on manpower.
His enemy had entered [de of the Daybreaker] for longer than Kieran expected.
Not only did they build up their forces, from what Modi said, but the forces had also grown to a decent strength.
Kieran wasnt really afraid of such forces, just like he didnt mind getting another loyal man under his wing, especially when it was an elite that his enemies chose after multiple screenings.
...
Inside that deep dark cave, the bloody stench was getting stronger.
The animal and human carcasses had increased even morepared to the night before.
Much more food was being delivered into the cave to the huge man despite his hunching body.
Compared to the first meeting, the man had gotten more hungry, despite the fact that he had eaten quite a lot of food.
Weak! Weak! Too Weak! This kind of low-level blood and meat doesnt have nutrition value at all!
The mans stomach was growling like thunder.
The hunger dissatisfied him.
The hunger made him restless.
The hunger made him bloodthirsty!
However, everything went away the next moment.
As Modis curse exploded, the dissatisfaction, restless, and bloodthirst went away, leaving only delight on the mans face.
Ahahahahaha! Unexpected discovery!
The manughed out loud and wanted step outside the cave.
If you dont want to be the prey of that guy, you can try going out.
A voice of reminder sounded behind the man, freezing his movements.
Damn it, still nothing? The man cursed before asking the voice.
No. We must find the real chess piece, an abandoned one gave us too little info! The voice of reminder replied.
Where is that chess piece? The man asked.
East, the voice replied.
East? Dawn City?! The man was stunned.
Yes, Dawn City.
Are you sure? The man with some insider info felt hesitant.
Ive never been wrong. The voice sounded calm and it was the calmness fueled the mans final decision.
Lets go! To Dawn City! But... Before we move, we must leave some trouble for this 2567, hes progressing too smoothly and eventually might be my biggestpetitor, besides...
The mans mumbles sounded softer and softer to the point that it was too soft to hear.
...
Gregori led his men and a lot more supplies to Shatterstone Town. It was already morning when they arrived.
The sunshine was showering them, the warmth didnt only expel the coldness of an all-night journey, even their tiredness was alleviated a little.
For the Frost Wolf pup that Gregori was carrying, it could finally dance happily because it picked up Kierans presence.
After it freed itself from Gregoris arms, it dashed and shuttled through obstacles and rows of people, jumping and crawling across the gate and sprinted towards the security office.
With the Frost Wolf pup leading the way, Gregori and his men were exempted from the long queue and as for others, they would have to remain in the queue.
Even those who used to be Shatterstone Town residents had to line up to get into the town because their leavingst night had removed their identities as the towns residents.
Other than a familiar face, they enjoy no privileges but none of them voiced their dissatisfaction.
It was not only because the whole of Supreme Road had to go through the simr process to enter the town, but it was also because Sand Bandit, Cranium Crusher, and many more robbers and bandits head were hanging outside.
The heads that moved along with the warm wind was the best warning sign; better than any words and actions.
A short middle-aged man with a not too fitting uniform plus a hat appeared in front of the gate of Shatterstone.
Good day everyone! You may know me as Old Peeker, the owner of Dwarf Wine and Rice Basin? Also the newly appointed tax officer of Shatterstone Town. I am here to announce an order, not mine but from that Lord himself. I guess everyone knew who that Lord is so Ill skip the chit-chat.
The residents who left Shatterstone Townst night, you people have betrayed the least amount of faith the town had in you. So you will not have the identity of Shatterstone Town residents anymore. Your properties you ask? His lordship is merciful enough to not confiscate it all but will provide an equal exchange for it. You pesky bastards, you better thank his lordships mercy! If I was in charge, Id hang you all to death!
Old Peeker announced as he pointed at those shameful people who used to be residents. He bared his teeth like a fierce dog.
Then, the fierce dog turned his eyes to the returning merchant groups.
His malicious gaze caused a series of anxiety in the members of the merchant groups hearts and soon, their anxiety was proven to be valid.
The new merchant groups that arrived together will follow the old rules, a copper for a head, three copper for a horse and three copper for a wagon. Dwarf Wine and Rice Basin wees your new arrival as well, you will get Old Peekers homemade wine for free! And as for the merchant groups who leftst night...
Very sorry, the town does not wee you anymore! In short, as long as you people appear around Shatterstone Town from now onwards, you will be treated as robbers and bandits and our valiant civilian troop will attack you, kill you, and hang your body in front town for it to dry off!
Old Peekers words caused a hugemotion among the merchant groups.
Every one of the merchants shouted in dissatisfaction.
No!
You cant do this!
This isnt fair!
You are forcing us to death!
...
Old Peeker smiled coldly when he was greeted with the voices of dissatisfaction.
Of course I can! Because this is his lordships order! It also fits all thews of Saint Cyanda and even if the king arrives himself, he will not be exempted!
You people cry for fairness? When you people leftst night, the fairness went to hell together with your courage, you can find your so-called fairness in hell! I dont mind sending you there myself!
As Old Peekers words subsided, a civilian soldier armed with a longsword appeared behind him and on top of the archer tower, multiple new recruits taut their bows as the arrows were pointed at the merchants causing a ruckus.
The scene instantly quieted down.
The merchant groups that were forced to leave felt resentful but when they saw the sharp sword and cold re from the arrows, they wisely left.
Even if they had more guards, it was useless because Shatterstone Town didnt rely on the civilian soldiers, it relied on the peasant eldest son of Burning Family.
When they thought about how scary he was, the scene where heads exploded and the ck mes that consumed people from the inside, none of them dared to act recklessly.
When Old Peeker saw the merchant groups leaving, he continued.
Oh right, you say that we are forcing you to death? Then did you ever think that your leavingst night was forcing us to death?
Beat it as*holes! Bunch of pricks only here for the convenience and benefits! Dont think that I didnt know why the hell you bastards came back so fast! His lordship is still too merciful, from how I see it, you people are the ones should be hung to death!
Old Peeker scolded the merchant group with all his words.
The merchant groups who still felt resentful quickly run when they were scolded.
Their deepest, darkest thoughts were exposed by Old Peekers words.
Seeing how the group ran with their tails between their legs, Old Peeker spat on the ground before he turned around to the newly arriving merchants and travelers.
Everyone, please follow our troops orders to enter the town. And... Shatterstone Town wees you!
It seemed like Old Peeker changed his angry face to a happy one as he greeted the newly arrived visitors with a bow.
Volgen who was standing in a hidden spot looked the scene; he couldnt hold back his sighs.
Before this, he was the one with the most rejection of Old Peeker being the tax officer but from what he saw, it seemed like Old Peeker was the most suitable candidate.
But... was he loyal?
With lingering doubts, the young captain returned to the security office and told Kieran everything he saw, as well as his doubts.
Kieran didnt say anything as he was fondling the Frost Wolf pups chin with his finger.
Gregori who joined the group replied on behalf of Kieran, Dont worry Captain Volgen. As long as Old Peeker values his life, he will show more loyalty to his lordship than anyone else.
Gregori was uttering a phrase with double meaning.
The young captain pondered upon the meaning with furrowed brows. He felt like the words had more meaning but Kieran didnt give him the luxury to think further.
Volgen, I need you to rearrange the troops. We originally had 13 of us and youve recruited 10 mercenaries. Now Gregori has brought in 25 more which boosts our numbers to 46. I dont need you to train them hard but I hope the men will be worthy of the armor they put on and the swords they wield. They should also be able to use the bow on their back and horses they ride. Kieran said.
Yes, my lord. Thank you Sir Gregori for your generosity.
The young captain replied loudly before he expressed gratitude to Gregori. His tone and manner were very sincere.
No doubt it was very likable, especially his actions, they were praisable.
What a good helper.
Gregori couldnt help but praise when he saw Volgens orderly arrangements of the troops.
Kieran didnt deny nor did he pay further attention.
Following the acquirement of [Brand. Strengthen Fur], the temporary pieced together civilian troops were destined to never be the first line of offense under Kieransmand; the strong and exceptionally decent wolves were.
When he thought about the wolves that could expand his forces rapidly and the fact that they were truly fearless and loyal, he stood up.
Holler, Gregori, I need you to purchase a huge amount of meat, the more the better. Also, pay attention to the surroundings of the town. Sand Bandit, Cranium Crusher, and Bearman are dead but it doesnt mean the robbers and bandits are extinct.
Kieran said as he walked outside.
Therge wolf packs would never be within Shatterstone Town or near its proximity.
They were stationed in a valley 15 km away from town. The ce was actually where the robbers and bandits trained and reared their horses but after the ce was emptied out by Sayer, it became the spot where Kieran reared his wolves instead.
My lord!
Bankers bowed respectfully when he saw Kieran.
As the new recruit of [Mesly Ring], Bankers swiftly disyed his abilities that exceed Kierans expectation.
He had quite the level of Mystical Knowledge and knew alchemy, enchantment, and potionology as well.
More importantly, in Bankersb, there were sufficient amounts of deback Blue, diamonds, and ck oil minerals which were the ingredients toplete [Brand. Strengthen Fur].
Are the ingredients prepared? Kieran asked.
Everything is ready to go. Bankers replied.
Then let us begin!
Kieran then walked into the valley while Bankers followed behind.
Chapter 972 - The Rules To Attract Wolves
Chapter 972: The Rules To Attract Wolves
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
deback Blue sounded like some herb but it was actually a type of mineral. It looked like metal on the outside but its inner part was blue; the darker its color, the better its quality.
ck oil mineral was just like its name suggested, a type of ck oily mineral.
Kieran skillfully crushed the two minerals and mixed them together ording to the ratio. He then started to draw the required magic circle on the ground: a triangle enveloping a square in the middle.
The triangle was the base and the square inside was the advance plus conversion. Then, Kieran used the diamonds to draw a simr magic circle on the wolves as well.
Finally, the wolves with the magic circle drawn on them would walk into the magic circle on the ground.
As the spell was activated, two magic circles would resonate and [Brand. Strengthen Fur] would beplete.
The whole process wasnt thatplicated, especially for Kieran who had the systems knowledge and body synchronization, he was able to handle it with ease but the branding on the wolves wasnt that smoothly done.
About 500 wolves went through the process and those that could pass the initial Constitution authentication, thus gaining the lowest Lvl 1 Strengthen Fur were only 30 out of the bunch.
Of those that reached Lvl 2 of Strengthen Fur, there was only 1 out of the 30 which was the original alpha wolf of the pack.
As for Lvl 3? None.
Even the original alpha wolf of the pack couldnt pass the required Constitution authentication.
The oue fell short of Kierans expectation by a lot and it also shortened his branding process from the original 2 days schedule to a morning and an afternoon.
My lord, what are you going to do with the rest of the wolves? The meat they consume per day isnt a small amount. I suggest we keep those sessful ones and release the others back to their habitat. This way, we ensure the strongest elite in our team and it will be enough for us to deal with most situations. Should we need more help in the future, we can call them back as well, Bankers suggested.
After [Mesly Ring] took control, Bankers automatically ced himself in Kierans point of view.
Not only did heplete everything Kieran ordered, but he would also take the initiative to solve potential troubles as well.
Kieran didnt reject Bankers suggestion though.
As for how the original owner of the wolves fed them, Kieran didnt really know the process but he had a general guess. It was none other than providing the basic security while relying others on the wolves themselves.
Supreme Road was barren but not all of it was a wastnd. On both sides of Supreme road, there were areas that deviated from the iron bramble and nts, water was present, providing the ce with a sufficient amount of food sources.
Otherwise, with such a huge number of wolves, even if Burning Dawn would adopt them, they would fall short in rearing them, let alone amon man.
When the decision was made, everything became simple.
Dividing a pack of wolves wasnt an easy task, especially keeping the alpha wolf behind, it would instantly crumble the whole pack.
It was an impossible feat for other people but for Kieran, it was all too easy.
All he relied on was his bodynguage and thoughts, everything was easily done.
Among the wolves that were ordered to leave, Bankers chose the strongest among them and hung a ne over it.
It was a magical item without a question and when it activated, it will y Kierans voice and order the wolves to return in a timely manner.
My lord, if its possible, I want to continue my experiments. I know it might be worthless to your lordship but if I seed somehow, I will surely be of more help to you. Bankers asked Kieran after seeing the wolves away.
Sure. They will stay here as well. Ill send someone with the meat overter.
Kieran pointed at the remaining wolves and ordered.
As for Bankers experiment?
After a simple briefing from him, Kieran wasnt overly anticipated by it.
Let alone the experimental subject was void itself, which was something even Gods werent willing to touch, the fact that it was a magic experiment made Kieran beg himself to be excused.
Kieran who wasnt entirely a newbie in magical experiments knew how terribly difficult it was to trulyplete research, experiment, and present aplete product.
Not only would it require a huge amount of manpower and resources, but it would also take up an extremely long period of time as well.
Even if Bankers was somehow a lucky bastard that seeded in his experiment, Kieran wouldnt think he would be around for that long.
Therefore, from Kierans view, Bankers was just a qualified wolf herder.
Another reminderter, Kieran left the valley for Shatterstone Town.
15 km distance was quite close for Kieran, if he wanted, he could return to Shatterstone Town within a few breaths time but he didnt.
He looked up at the side of the valley. The Frost Wolf pup beside his leg was emanating soft tender growls from its throat.
Seems like you really have something that attracts wolves.
A slightly rough voice sounded before a figure came out from the shadow.
It was a woman but she was taller than amon grown man; she was wearing leather armor, long pants and dressed like a mercenary.
Golden wavy hair, slightly squinted eyes with shallow grayish pupils; a tall nose along with her robust arms with wheat color skin made her look wild like a barbarian.
However, she wasnt in good condition.
From Kierans viewing angle, there was an arrow stuck on her waist and blood was dripping down on the ground.
The concerning point was, that arrow was made out of silver and was enchanted!
Can I ask for your help? She asked.
No. We dont wee strangers and some stranger tribes here.
Kieran replied after another nce at the silver arrow.
I just need to rest for a night. She didnt seem to give up on herst bit of hope.
Anyone or anything was unwilling to give up against death. They might have tons of persistence they couldnt just let go of their lives but before death, if so, everything was worthless.
No. Kieran rejected in a clean manner.
Then, he looked at the woman in a dull manner; his cold gaze was full of repellence.
Kieran wasnt scared of trouble but...
She didnt provide him with the payment that he truly sought.
No sub-missions, no special events, no sufficient rewards.
Kieran wouldnt alter his principles just because it was a woman.
Her face showed slight hesitancy against Kierans cold gaze.
She then clenched her teeth and words escaped her mouth.
I can give you the rights to mate with me.
Chapter 973 - Make
Chapter 973: Make
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
BOOM!
Following the womans words, Lust of the cardinal sins exploded from Kierans heart and swept over everything.
However, the fierce Lust was useless against Kieran who was already used to being in contact with Devil Force and the other Cardinal Sins Force.
As if a pail of hot water was poured into an ice hole. The hot water was instantly robbed of its temperature and formed a newyer of ice.
Therefore, despite Lust rumbling around Kierans heart restlessly, it was not doing much.
Soon, Lust faded away but it triggered the chain reaction of Wrath, Greed, and Envy.
While feeling his emotions tainting his mind and the hidden dissatisfaction, Kieran wasnt moved.
It was like adding a few more pails of hot water into that bottomless ice hole, other than creating moreyers of ice, there was no other oue.
Moreover, Kieran took the opportunity to carefully feel the different traits of the cardinal sins.
As they faced off against a host like Kieran, Wrath, Envy, and Green growled in unwillingness continuously before they were defeated like Lust.
Sloth and Gluttony didnt cause any ruckus since it wasnt the thing they favored.
Pride didnt show any interest at all, as if it was an observer sitting high up top, looking down at everything with an imposing gaze.
Then...
It raised its head to Kieran.
Two identical faced looked at each other.
One calm and dull; one arrogant and proud.
Kieran had a stare off with Pride for quite a while before everything returned to normal.
Though it wasnt even a second on the outside.
Kieran looked at the woman before him and shook his head.
I dont need it. Kieran rejected her again in a clear manner.
Thest bit of patience in Kierans heart started to fade away. Quite the opposite, he was more rmed than before at the woman.
The woman looked extraordinary but she didnt hold any kind of sub-mission or special event, which made Kieran suspect that everything from there onwards was a new plot specifically targeted at him by his enemies.
Leave. This is yourst warning. Kierans tone turned cold.
His warnings didnt conceal his killing intent.
I... Fine.
She wanted to say something but when she caught Kierans gaze, she couldnt utter a word.
She had seen simr gazes more than once and every person that shared that simr gaze were the same kind of person, men of their word.
The woman slowly stepped back, trying her best to not touch her wound while at the same time looking at Kieran with caution.
From the 10 meters distance to 15 meters, 20 meters.
Just when the woman finally felt relieved, turning around and wanting to leave in a hurry, an arrow came out of nowhere without any signs and struck her from the back.
Puk!
Blood was sshed as the woman fell to the ground.
She didnt die from the arrow though, she was still hanging on by herst breath.
That sturdy armor of hers saved her once again by decreasing the impact of the arrow, preventing the arrow from perforating herpletely.
The silver enchanted arrow and her blood were extra dazzling under the afternoon sun but Kieran was more concern about the person who fired the arrow.
Firing an arrow without a sound or sign wasnt a feat anyone could achieve, not even the best hunter out there.
Everyone knew in order to maximize the destructive power of an arrow, the archer would need to taut the bow to its fullest and the arrow that was fired with full force was impossible to be absent of any air-breaking noise.
Except with the application of some magical items.
However, the person that appeared in Kierans sight didnt use any.
The bow in the persons hand wasnt anything special. It was just amon hunter bow with a slight tenacity to it and the enchantment on the arrow wasnt to silence its air-breaking noise but to make the arrow more focused to its target, just like its original trait.
Special archery techniques?
Kieran sized up the person in surprise.
A body of ck with a felt hat; face covered by a cloth that only revealed a pair of blue eyes.
Despite the outfit blocking the persons physique, it was hard to conceal the persons petite figure.
The person should be a she.
Why not a short man though?
Amon man wouldnt have that irregr busty chest with slim palms and fingers.
Of course, if it was some other species, it wouldnt a surprise either.
After all, most Kierans knowledge of the current dungeon world came from the simple memories and info from Holler, Gregori, and Bankers.
Just when Kieran was sizing up the person, the archer did to Kieran as well.
When she saw the Frost Wolf pup beside Kierans feet, she couldnt help but grip her bow harder yet released it soon enough.
Shes my prey.
The female voice proved Kieran correct.
As for what she said, Kieran didnt mean to argue, instead, he did an off you go, signaling the archer to bring her prey away.
The hunting hound beside you, it has the blood of a wolf, be wary of it! Wolves are the most cunning animals, it might bite you in the back!
The archer approached the wild looking woman on the floor and grabbed her by the cor. She then ced an iron cuff over her preys neck.
While she was at it, the archer was looking at Kieran with caution.
Until the end, when the archer didnt notice any extreme movements from Kieran, she seemed relieved and gave a friendly reminder to Kieran about his Frost Wolf pup.
I know who my partner is and who my enemies are. Of course, strangers as well, Kieran replied calmly.
There were too many self-righteous people in the world and Kieran had seen countless of them struggling to survive. After multiple attempts of so-called calm negotiation that bore no results, Kieran gave up on the useless attempt to talk.
Kieran chose a more straightforward way to reject the self-righteous peoples goodwill.
He did so because he didnt want to pick up coins or food beside peoples feet anymore.
Kieran reply had a sting to it and it made the archer ufortable. However, she didnt say anything further as she prepared to bring her prey away.
A sudden air-breaking noise fell rapidly in front of the archer and forced her to halt her steps.
Four buff and hairy figures blocked her path.
Damn hunter, release Sharly!
The buff figures who dressed in human outfits but had zero human presence growled.
The hunter who grabbed her prey, however, replied with an arrow from her bow.
This time, it was different from the silent arrow from before. It was fast and precise like aet and one of the buff figures didnt even react to it before falling to the ground.
But it didnt alter the situation of her being surrounded by three muscr figures and soon, the hunter suffered multiple wounds on her body and each of them was bloody.
The weapon that caused the wounds were the muscr figures hands... no, no it shouldnt be called hands anymore but ws!
Sharp ws were grown on a human figures arm!
Kieran was intrigued while looking at the scene.
Despite him having some guesses before, when he saw it with his own eyes, he felt his curiosity being piqued.
Other than books, it was the first time he encountered such living beings.
As for the battle?
Kieran had no intention to get involved, he just wanted to observe.
In fact, if it wasnt for the wolf pack in the valley behind him which he was concerned about, he would have left earlier.
However, most of the time, a lot of things usually unfolded against ones will.
The buff figure who was shot by theet-like arrow stood up wobbly again and when he saw Kieran was watching, he threw himself over to Kieran and shouted, You guys get the hunter, Ill deal with this little pesky bastard!
Kieran frowned.
Chapter 974 - Wolf Plague
Chapter 974: Wolf gue
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Amidst the buff figures reckless shouting, Kieran who nned to retreat to the valley for a show stopped his steps. He squinted his eyes at the muscr figure throwing himself at him.
A fire at the city gate brings disaster to the fish in the moat.
The fish was innocent yet helpless while being boiled by the water.
However, Kieran was no fish. Even if he was some being under water, it would be a primordial colossal crocodile!
The crocodile would just reveal its head on the surface of the river like a floating log, patiently waiting for its prey. When enraged, it would show its ferocious teeth and anyone responsible would not escape from its wrath.
Kieran would devour them with a single bite!
Bang!
He raised his leg and a kicknded on the buff figure that was charging at him.
The persons teeth and bones were crushed; his head was deformed so badly even the naked eyes couldnt tell what it was supposed to be before.
The buff figure was then sent flying backward as if he were being hit by a truck but before he evennded, he was absent of any signs of life.
His body was changing in surprising ways: his head and torso were still human but his limbs transformed into wolf-like limbs.
Not only him but the other three as well.
Bang bang bang!
One kick for each of them and Kieran sent the muscr figures flying away with theirrade.
The bodies of the other three also changed in a simr manner.
Showing mercy?
Mercy was non-existent to Kieran.
The ckdy with the felt hat widened her blue eyes uncontrobly at the scene.
When she saw Kieran walking over, her face that was recovering from the disbelief was even more rmed than before, despite the fact that Kieran was just checking the four strange bodies.
Not a werewolf?
Kieran was slightly shocked after checking the bodies.
His results were a lot different than his guesses from before.
Originally, Kieran thought he encountered the famous being that the books wrote about but he didnt think it was some other being instead.
Based on his knowledge, werewolves could be distinguished into three forms: human, wolf, and hybrid.
Human and wolf form were as their names suggested.
Hybrid, however, was a wolf main body performing action patterns of humans.
In simple words, it was a wolf that could walk with two legs. Its strength was not just enhanced from itsmon from by 3 to 5 times, it had quite the intellect and would not be taken over by its impulsive natural instinct as well.
Nikoreis library even had a book titled Nightwalker Werewolf and it mentioned a type of special werewolf-vampire hybrid.
Of course, that was a very special kind and could easily be excluded in most situations.
Regardless of which it was, Kieran never came across these kinds of half-man half-wolf weird beings.
After checking the bodies carefully and getting no results, Kieran stood up and turned to the injureddy.
They are not your orthodox werewolves. Other than this woman here, they are justmoners infected by the wolf gue but they think they are fine and well. I can give you my prey but you must let me leave, thedy said.
Obviously, after witnessing what Kieran did, thedy knew what correct decisions she should make since she wasnt that naive.
Kieran shook his head.
What price do I need to pay to leave? I am just chasing Sharly, I dont mean any hostility or disrespect to you. She exined but her palm was gripping her bow hard.
Looking at her reaction, Kieran could guarantee if he requested any kind of outrageous things, thedy would definitely have the resolution to risk her life over it, but...
It was useless.
Kieran appeared behind her in a sh and a clean chop knocked her unconscious on the ground.
Looking at the werewolf, Sharly beside thedy in ck who was also unconscious, Kierans eyes were glimmering as he was deep in thought.
Supreme Road was so big, why would they appear here instead?
Coincidence?
Sorry, Kieran never believed in that.
He grabbed the two of them and returned to the valley.
He had decided to properly interrogate the twodies.
...
Sharly felt pain on her body but after the pain, she clearly felt her strength recovering.
That suppressed energy of wildness swiftly exploded from the deepest part of her body, causing her wounds to rapidly heal and dispel the weakness from her body.
Then, Sharly opened her eyes.
She saw Kieran sitting in front of her.
You saved me? Sharly was asking the obvious.
Then, she looked down at her body after being treated with and carefully felt the difference.
Youve mated with me?
Sharly asked again since she couldnt confirm and didnt know what the difference was.
No. I bandaged your wounds.
Kieran pointed on the broken armor on her body.
Sharlys armor was cut in half; the upper part was enough to cover her chest and with the bottom part removed, Kieran could easily treat her wounds.
Why didnt you mate with me? Sharly looked at Kieran confused.
Why would I mate with you? And, shouldnt you say a thank you at least? Kieran raised a brow.
T-Thanks, Sharly stuttered.
Obviously, the werewolfdy didnt adapt to how humans get along. Kieran also didnt want to correct her on that, he only wanted to know the things he sought and it would be enough.
Why did youe here? Or should I ask, why is she hunting you? Kieran pointed at the unconscious hunter.
I left my tribe to investigate the wolf gue. Then, I ran into her around Burning Dawns camp and she thought I was the cause of this gue. Ive tried my best in exining and that didnt really work. Especially those who were infected by the wolf gue, they too assumed me as the cause, my exnation became useless.
I dont want to fight her because it will only help the real mastermind behind everything. So, I left the ce and the reason I ended up here is because... I discovered arge number of wolf tracks and had been tracking them down for days, in the end, it led me here. I hoped to borrow the strength of the same kind to aid me, Sharly replied.
The same kind, a werewolf would treat wolves as its bretheren.
Because of their simr looks and some blood kin of werewolves were actually wolves themselves.
Kieran didnt have any question on that but there were two other points in her words that concerned Kieran.
First, the wolf packs traces.
Second, Burning Dawn.
The former was because Kieran got the wolves less than 2 days ago and the one who controlled the wolves was Modis partner in crime.
Kieran couldnt help but rte to more.
As for thetter, Kieran took in a deep breath.
Despite he had smoothly taken control of Shatterstone Town, he never had any official documents from the city that clearly stated what happened to the Burning Dawn militia, it wasnt even better than his dungeon world background description.
Now, however, Kieran seemed to have identally run into a key factor.
You are saying you ran into her near Burning Dawns camp? So, the so-called wolf gue went viral around the camp or... the camp itself was infected with the wolf gue?
Chapter 975 - Envoy
Chapter 975: Envoy
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
I dont know! In fact, I only got near to Burning Dawn and I fell under her arrow! I dont really know the details there, Sharly replied.
Kieran went into deep thought by nodding and didnt press the question further.
He wasnt sure whether Sharly was telling the truth or not.
Fortunately, he had another candidate viable for questioning.
Grabbing the female hunter, Kieran walked into the room next door. He signaled Bankers to create a soundproof barrier before waking the hunter up.
It wasnt exactly a warm morning call though but repeated ps on her face.
Pak Pak Pak!
After a series of ps, the female hunter seemed to have regained consciousness; she moved slightly between the second and third p.
Kieran saw her eyeball movement under her eyelids and her hand was slowly reaching to her waist. However, she was actually pretending to be unconscious and it made Kieran frown.
Then...
A cup of water was sshed on her face through her cloth mask.
Kieran didnt want to y games with the hunter, time was not on his side. He hoped to get this over with quickly and find out what he wanted to know.
Compared to his opponent, he was falling behind by a lot.
The water hit her face through her mask and made her body feel like it was about to freeze.
Obviously, she didnt think Kieran would ssh water at her when he noticed that she had woken up.
Woken up? If not, I can add ice to the water and give you another ssh to hasten the process.
Kieran said.
The female hunter remained quiet as she opened her eyes. She red at Kieran with an angry gaze.
Her palm was at her waist already but she couldnt find the medicine powder on her belt.
Not only her medicine powder, but the dagger in her boots was also gone as well.
Where did it go? The answer was self-exnatory.
More importantly, the cement.
If one wanted to take her medicine powder, one would have to remove her belt and if her belt was removed...
Right away, her gaze at Kieran turned from anger to hatred and disgust, as if she saw the most despicable person before her.
Who are you?
Where did youe from?
Why are you investigating the wolf gue?
Kieran, however, spilled his questions without caring about the detestable gaze.
He wouldnt be careless in searching his captives body, even though her strength was really nothing to him, he would still be careful.
Three consecutive questionster, the female hunter replied with silence, it seemed like she didnt want to give in like that.
Kieran raised a brow at her silence.
I dont wish to repeat my question and I dont want silence as an answer.
Kieran grabbed her palm as he warned her.
Her seemingly slim palm was actually full of calluses, especially the thumb, index, and middle fingers; the center of her palm was covered as well.
Not only skilled in archery but the sword as well? Seems like you are quite used to a dagger also, thats why the calluses on your pinky finger to the edge of your palm are thicker, Kieran said.
The female hunter looked at Kieran with a confused gaze. She didnt understand why Kieran would say something like that but she would soon.
Kierans right index finger was pressed on the base of her left pinky finger while his thumb was at the tip of the pinky.
Then...
Crack!
A clear noiseter, the hunters pinky was broken.
Kieran stayed quiet and went on to grab her left ring finger. The same happened.
Crack!
The ring finger was broken as well.
Going with the flow, Kieran pinched her left middle finger.
You have one chance. Ill break them and youll have time to think. But if you stay quiet, Ill cut them off instead. You still can recover from a broken finger but when the finger is cut off, it wont be that easy to recover from, Kieran said.
His tone was as cool as usual and because of his coolness, the female hunter felt chills.
He meant it!
If I dont do what he says, he will cut off my fingers!
The thoughts appeared in her mind right away.
As she felt the warmth from Kierans palm, she shivered instead.
She had never met someone like Kieran before.
Cold, straightforward, he struck her as an emotionless person.
More importantly, he was very powerful.
While facing off against such a scary person, the female hunters mind was spinning quickly. The education she received and the environment she grew up wouldnt allow her to give up in resisting but it also prevented her from striking a rock with an egg.
Im Evie Dan, a hunter, she shouted.
Mm. Go on. Kieran nodded.
Im from the center of Saint Cyanda and because of my travels, I ended up around Supreme Road. Then, I discovered Sharly who was responsible for the wolf gue, she answered.
Did you see Sharly cause the wolf gue with your own eyes? Kieran asked.
A werewolf never leaves its tribe without a reason. If she did, there must be something going on. Anyone who takes the words of a werewolf for granted will eventually end up badly because they dont know how ferocious and cunning werewolves are. Sheughed coldly and her words had obvious means to sow dissension.
Kieran didnt care, he only asked about the things that concerned him the most.
What do you know about Burning Dawn? What happened there?
An outpost of Burning Dawn waspletely taken out. They were assaulted by the people infected with the wolf gue or should I say they were caught by the gue.
What about the militia camp of Burning Dawn?
I dont know. Im just a wandering hunter, not a mission hunter. My employer wouldnt tell me everything but I believe the incident at Burning Dawn wont stay dark for long and more powerful hunters wille forth.
Both of them asked and answered.
Soon, Kieran had gotten what he wanted to know.
Then, with Evie Dans suspicious gaze, Kieran reconnected her broken fingers but his actions didnt get forgiveness from Evie Dan.
In fact, from how she viewed it, there must be some unspeakable scheme behind Kierans action to fix her fingers.
Kieran, however, didnt mind her views. His goal was met as he knew what he wanted to.
As for the fixing?
A decent subordinate must be in a healthy condition.
Dak, Dak Dak!
Volgens hurried steps clearly entered Kierans ears.
Kieran was very clear about Volgens character, something must have happened, otherwise, he wouldnt be in a rush.
Therefore, Kieran quickly fixed Evie Dan and tied her at the front of the bed before going out.
My lord, the envoy from Burning Dawn is here!
Volgen delivered the message when he saw Kieran step out of the room.
Chapter 976 - Walloon
Chapter 976: Walloon
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Envoy from Burning Dawn? Kieran was surprised.
He knew about the bounty that Burning Dawn had on Sand Bandit, Cranium Crusher, and Bearman but it didnt mean the envoy should be here.
Whether it was the background introduction of [de of the Daybreaker] or the information he got after entering the dungeon world, all signs were telling Kieran that Burning Dawn was in much more severe trouble than previously imagined. Given such circumstances, would Burning Dawn still care about giving out bounty rewards?
More so, the incident of Kieran wiping out Sand Bandit, Cranium Crusher, and Bearman happenedst night and the news was widespread in the morning.
Now it was just after noon, so it was definitely inconceivable for Burning Dawn to receive such news within a few short hours despite them having suffered from an assault as severe as described.
If there was nothing fishy amongst all that, Kieran would never believe it but it didnt stop him from seeing this envoy.
Is it really an envoy from Burning Dawn? Or more handiwork of that cunning merchant?
Kieran then strode out without pause.
...
Walloon in in clothes was standing in the small square of Shatterstone Town with his aide and six more soldiers. When he saw the patrolling civilian troops, his face showed surprise.
These are civilian soldiers? Walloon asked in an unsure tone.
Yes, sir major, they... should be Shatterstone Towns civilian soldiers.
The aide who dressed like amon merchant nodded and answered his superior but his tone was not too certain as well.
Look at the so-called civilian soldiers equipment!
In Walloons mind, civilian soldiers were usually equipped with a short sword and at most, a bow or two but the civilian soldiers before his eyes had leather boots, leather armor, a longsword, and a longbow, not one thing was missing.
They were considered fully armed and such equipment shouldnt have appeared on so-called civilian soldiers!
Even for the proper military, a lot of soldiers wouldnt be arm with such equipment. Moreover, all the mentioned equipment were not justmon goods.
The sturdy leather armor was emanating a unique luster under the sun. Walloon couldnt help but rub his eyes.
If he was seeing things correctly, even the soldiers of Burning Dawn would be required to be elites in order to be qualified to equip all that equipment.
Being able to get a longsword, leather boots, longbows and such was definitely not somemon soldiers.
One of the civilian soldiers walked passed Walloon in an orderly manner; his steps were light since the leather boots effectively canceled out a lot of noise.
All that was left was the clunking of the longsword with its sheath.
Chang, Chang Chang.
The clear clunking told Walloon the steel that the longsword was made of was surely an excellent kind.
However, before Walloon could further make sure of his spections, a faint herby smell entered his nose. He turned his sight to the longbows on the civilian soldiers.
The bows body was made out of Phoebe Nanmu; the string was made out of cow tendon and the herby smell came from the string.
Walloon easily identified a couple of familiar herbs from the smell alone. All the herbs that he spotted were applied on the string to make it more tenacious, more stic.
It made Walloon more and more doubtful of whether the soldier was a civilian soldier or not but what came after shocked him more!
Dak, Dak Dak!
Amidst the galloping, a group of riders rode past Walloon.
Rider?! Walloon couldnt hold back his cry of shock.
The Burning Dawn soldiers in in clothes behind Walloon were causing a ruckus as well.
Warhorses weremon around Supreme Road because they were the favorites of robbers and bandits. It was also because of the horses that the robbers and bandits who caused so much headache to Burning Dawne and go like the wind.
However,mon didnt mean cheap.
If it was cheap, the robbers and bandits wouldnt cause that much of a headache.
In fact, the price of a decent warhorse around Supreme Road would cost around a hundred gold, let alone the feeding and maintaining that followed.
Burning Dawn also had a rider group of a thousand men and they were the absolute power, the ace of the whole militia.
Sir major, there are around 50 of them, the very decent kind! The aide reported softly.
50 decent warhorses... Walloon couldnt help but mutter to himself.
There werent any malicious thoughts, just pure shocked but his face was easily misunderstood by others.
Suddenly, Walloon felt cold at his back as he was mumbling and he knew exactly what it was since he had participated in war throughout the years: a warning with slight killing intent!
Walloon used his gaze to signal his aide and men before he raised his hands up slowly and turned around.
Then, he saw a young man.
The young man had short hair, amon face, gray eyes, andmon leather armor but the dual swords at his waist were exceptionally eye-catching.
A decent fighter!
Walloon swiftly concluded based on his vast experience but what shocked him further was the young man wasnt the one who warned him.
It was...
Walloon subconsciously wanted to look for the one who gave him the warning but the dual der reached out to his swords with a not so friendly gaze.
Since he made a promise and signed a contract with Kieran, Snacker didnt n on breaking either of them.
He and his other two less-than-reliable friends gave their best effort in serving Kieran, therefore Shatterstone Town naturally ended up as the turf they had to patrol.
Just like how Walloon and his men looked at Shatterstone civilian soldiers with their ufortable gazes, Snacker trio had their eyes on them the moment they stepped into town.
Despite the fact that Walloon and his men were in in clothes, their temperament was different from others. Their military life made them looked skilled, tenacious with a slight sense of intimidating manner.
Plus how they looked around as if searching for something, it was hard for one not to suspect their identities.
Who are you? Snacker asked.
Unlike his less-than-reliable friends, Snacker took himself as both intelligent and courageous. He also had an extremely calm side during tense situations, even if he had to face someone suspicious, he would ask out of routine.
Right, that Volgen guy might seem reliable but he actually isnt! How can he let these bunch of people into town when he was tasked to guard the gates! Seems like I am the most trustworthy and reliable one among these bunch! Snacker thought in his heart.
Then, his gaze became more judgemental as he scanned Walloon and his men.
The more he looked, the more suspicious he felt.
I am... Walloon wanted to state his identity but before he could even finish, one of his men behind him took out a dagger and drove it towards his back.
The sudden turn of events stunned the reliable dual der, he never thought such a scene would unfold, but not Blu.
Souu!
An arrow pierced the soldiers arm.
At the same time, a dagger was ced at the soldiers neck.
Dont move! Unless you want your throat to be sliced open like a fruit!
Riley appeared behind the soldier and seized him by his neck.
When the crowd saw that the soldier was being apprehended, everyone was relieved but just when everyone thought it was over, something else happened.
TL Note:
Phoebe Nanmu: a type of wood that was frequently used for boat building architectural woodworking and wood art in China.
Chapter 977 - Being envoyed
Chapter 977: Being envoyed
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The soldier who was apprehended didnt even care about the sharp dagger at his neck, allowing it to slice the neck open before throwing himself to Walloon.
Be careful sir!
The sudden changes astonished everyone; Walloons aide cried out in shock.
Riley gave chase again, the dagger in his hand was swung in a flurry, shing wound after wound on the soldiers back.
But, it waspletely useless.
The soldier kept on throwing himself at Walloon as if he had lost his sense of pain.
Everyone was anxious as they looked at the vicious soldier with a cut on his neck and multiple wounds on his back getting closer and closer to Walloon.
Sou!
Another arrow was fired with air-breaking sound.
Blus arrow was precisely shot at the soldiers chest and pierced through it.
However, simr to the cut on his neck, the lethal shot on his chest didnt kill the soldier.
Instead, it made him growl loudly as the pain struck him.
Thick fur started to grow at his limbs and his human finger started to transform into wolf ws.
The ws were exceptionally sharp and keen.
Wolf gue?!
Walloons heart sank when he saw the changes.
As a major of Burning Dawn, he knew what happened to his militia recently. In fact, he was involved in some of the operations as well.
Therefore, Walloon knew he couldnt rely on others anymore at this particr moment.
All he had was himself.
Huu!
Walloon took a deep breath. His bloated tummy was slightly sucked in as his fist was clenched tightly; the muscles on his strong arms were tightened. It made the middle-aged man full of facial hair look full of power and energy.
However, before Walloonunched his punch, Snacker cut in front of him.
The dual der looked at the half-man half-wolf monster before him with a cold arrogant look. He pretended to draw his swords slowly but was actually a quick draw.
The cold re shone from the dual ders two swords as the cold arrogant look on his face presented him with an extra imposing manner.
Even Snackers friends, Blu, and Riley were slightly stunned. They had never seen the dual der in this mode before, let alone the others around them.
At that moment, everyone was looking at the dual der with eyes of anticipation. They want to see how the dual der killed the monster.
Heh, frightened by my serious mode? Ive said it before, only I am reliable around here!
The dual der thought as he felt the gazes of anticipation from the people.
Despite the thought, his movements were not slow at all as he nned to kill off the monster with a clear cut.
However, just as Snacker wanted to dish out a cross sh, a shadow cut in before him.
The crow mantle fluttered under the sunlight and air-breaking sounds followed the figures movements.
Then...
The monster was kicked away.
After a series of bone crackings and muscles tearing, the infected soldier had no more signs of life when he was still flying in mid-air.
Perhaps the infected ones didnt have the lethal weak spots thatmon people had and they lost most of their senses of pain as well. Despite the great increase in strength and speed, the half-man half-wolf monster still had a limit on their body.
Just like the single blow from Kieran which had the force ofpletely destroying their body, the monsters would never be able to endure it and live.
Everyone In the crowd fell into silence as they looked at the fallen monster.
Then, loud cheers happened.
Long live Lord 2567!
Long live Lord 2567!
...
The cheers were deafening to a certain extent but the dual der, Snacker stood in his spot with an absent mind, as if he had lost his soul.
Wait! Shouldnt it be me who makes the killing move? Shouldnt it be me who kills the monster in the coolest way possible?
Snacker mumbled to himself.
Blu who jumped down from the roof frowned when he saw hisrade in that lost state. He felt he was obliged tofort Snacker, so did Riley.
A warriors honor is not just the cheers before you but also the steadiness in your heart.
A warriors merit is not just the scars on your body but also the tenacity in your heart.
Both of them voiced out words offort in unison but Snacker who heard them felt even more depressed.
I dont want scars! I dont was steadiness! I dont want tenacity! I want cheers!
I knew it, I shouldnt have left Dawn City! If I didnt leave, I wouldnt end up with you two dimwits and if I didnt team up with the both of you, I would still that well-known, well-received swordsman from Dawn City...
Depressed Snacker dragged his swords into a corner, squatted down and mumbled to himself non-stop.
Blu and Riley who were used to their friends behavior didnt feel surprised, they continued tofort him with their own way.
Dont fret it, Snacker!
Just now, everyone was paying attention to Lord 2567, not you. So you dont need to worry anyone saw you in this lousy form.
Yeah. Ugly or embarrassed, no one saw! You are still you, you are still that famous Dual der, Snacker.
Relentless words offort echoed in Snackers eyes.
Hahahaha. I am a mushroom. I am a mushroom. I am a mushroom...
Snacker smirked and he released himself habitually.
Just like Blu said, no one was watching, when Kieran appeared, he caught all the attention.
Despite a short three days, he had be a legend in Shatterstone Town.
Everyone was curious about the legend and of course, everyone kept their curiosity at hold about the legends battle records since everyone knew the people from the Burning Family were not Mr. Nice Guys.
Thank you for your help. Walloon looked at Kieran with gratitude.
Although he had made up his mind, Walloon knew that the odds were against him if he fought the monster barehanded and without armor. Even if he won in the end, it would be a clutch victory.
Therefore, his gratitude was from the bottom of his heart.
Youre wee. You are the envoy from Burning Dawn?
Kieran shook his head and asked. He didnt care about the gratitude since he wanted to know more about the situation.
Yes. Its my pleasure to finally meet you, Lord Sheriff 2567.
As long as one wasnt deaf, one would easily know Kierans position from the cheers just now, Walloon was no exception either.
The major from Burning Dawn performed a military salutation before he continued with an eximed tone, When Envoy Aisphany guaranteed us that Sir 2567 can help us to cure the wolf gue, we were still having second thoughts but after the scene just now, it tells us that what Envoy Aisphany told us was true.
This is great! The guys will be saved!
Walloons eyes turned red as he spoke.
Kieran was sure if there wasnt a lot of people around them, the bearded man with a bloated tummy would really cry out loud.
However, Kieran would notfort him, instead, he was more concerned about the content of his words.
What did you say? Cure the wolf gue? Kieran asked again in order to confirm what he heard.
Yes.
Walloon nodded before he lowered his voice to the point only both of them could hear, Envoy Aisphany said, the royal family knew everything that happened on Supreme Road, that is why she and you, sir, were sent here to investigate both openly and secretly respectively while curing those who were infected with the wolf gue.
She was on the open side to attract enemies attention while you are the secret one, investigating and curing the wolf gue!
Chapter 978 - Internal Conflict
Chapter 978: Internal Conflict
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran didnt show any expression has he was listening to Walloons statement.
While in his heart, his gears were spinning fast.
Aisphany has signed a contract with me, she wouldnt deliberately do something that hurts me. Which means she had encounter problems that she couldnt solve in Burning Dawns camp, then... came up with this solution to ask for my help? Or did she discovered something that forced her hand? Something that she was afraid of?
As spections formed in his heart, Kieran sized up the body infected with the wolf gue.
As expected, the wolf gue has spread into Burning Dawn! Other than that, the infected soldiers were clearly organized, allowing them to oppose themon soldiers. Is Aisphanys discovery rted to any of this?
As Kieran was in deep thought, words popped up in his vision.
Rted system notifications piled up one after another.
[Triggered special event: Wolf gue Havoc]
[Based on yers experience in dungeon world, yer has been automatically grouped to Burning Dawns faction]
[Wolf gue Havoc: the sudden wolf gue didnt just worsen the already wounded Burning Dawn, an internal conflict will ur soon. As the peasant son of the Burning Family, you cant allow such things to happen. You must solve this internal conflict.]
[Note: Ratings will be based off your performance throughout the event]
.....
The wolf gue and the soon toe internal conflict?
Kieran briefly read through the description of [Wolf gue Havoc] before thinking for a while. Then, he told Walloon, Follow me.
Kieran then headed towards the security office. At the same time, he quietly signaled Volgen with a hand gesture.
The young captain caught the signal and swiftly vanished among the crowd.
As the group moved, the office area of the first floor in the security office was stuffed with people.
Kieran pulled a chair and sat down; he signaled for Walloon to sit as well.
He kept quiet after that and Walloon looked at Kieran in a nk state.
However, he didnt say anything else and followed Kierans signal to sit down.
Walloon didnt really know what Kieran was doing but he believed as one of the imperial envoys, Kieran would do something about the situation.
That was the trust which Kieran needed the most at the moment.
After Aisphany gave him such an identity, he must prove his own worth.
With Aisphanys skill in impressions, it saved Kieran a lot of early troubles but he still had to deal with some important parts himself.
The investigation on the wolf gue and the cure!
If Kieran really did investigate the wolf gue and was able to cure it, everything would flow smoothly like water to the sea, but he didnt.
After entering the dungeon world, Kieran took actions around Shatterstone Town that fit his identity.
He too identally heard about the wolf gue from Sharly and Evie Dan and even for now, he still felt suspicious about the two womens appearance.
However, it didnt stop him from utilizing the information he got from the two to help him ovee the obstacles before his eyes.
His mind was perfecting this rushed n and suddenly, he felt a malicious gaze.
The malicious gaze went away in a sh but Kieran managed to capture it.
After ncing at the person who concealed the malicious gaze, Kieran was relieved in his heart.
He knew his wed and rushed n might actually work!
Now?
All he needed was to patiently wait for the next move.
Since their superior didnt utter a word, the aide and soldiers wouldnt either. They stood beside Walloon and waited quietly.
Right away, the first floor of the security office was exceptionally quitte, to the point even the breathing sounded loud.
Some were long, some were energetic; some were rushed and anxious.
The former was Kieran, Walloon and the soldiers behind him; thetter however was the aide beside Walloon.
Kieran turned his eyes at the aide.
You sound anxious, Kieran said.
Of course. Myrades have been infected by the wolf gue. Despite them being jailed out of their own willingness, I dont want to see them caged up in a cell, Walloons aide nodded.
The words sounded reasonable and could even be considered as wless.
If he could conceal the malicious intent in his gaze, it would be perfect.
Perhaps the aide thought he concealed it good enough but for Kieran who had natural sharp senses and was a Chosen One, it was still very obvious as though it was a lighthouse in the dark.
Not only bright but huge as well.
Mm. Dont worry, they will be saved soon enough. As for those monsters hiding in Burning Dawn, they will be executed one after another as well. Does Aisphanys investigation progress worry you? Otherwise, there shouldnt be two infected soldiers in a single group, Kieran said calmly.
Right away, Walloons face turned pale as he looked at his aide.
The aide was still looking serious at thements at him.
Sir 2567, you are using me! I dont know what are you talking about! The aide shouted.
Dont know? Fine, you will soon. You wouldnt think that only Aisphany had made discovery and I havent? Kieran said before a small giggle.
Even though Kieran really had made no discovery at all, the perfectly timed giggle on his face made others think differently. Especially the aide, his serious face slowly changed.
Kieran spotted the changes, so he decided to strike the iron while it was hot.
Do you know why I didnt make my move? Because keeping one alive is too hard. The few infected ones who chased Sharly before are indeed good targets, but they were killed by Evie Dan, the hunter! I am deeply regretful of that but I guess I am quite lucky. You see, you appeared before me now and I suppose your position among the infected wouldnt be too low either? You must be able to provide me with sufficient information, am I right?
Kieran didnt lower his smile while he spoke in leisure.
The absolute tone made everyone think that what he said was all true, including the aide himself.
In fact, when Sharly and Evie Dans name were mentioned, the aides face turned drastic and the seriousness in his face was absent.
He was looking at Kieran with a gloomy gaze filled with killing intent.
You and that damn woman are the same, you people are too smart! You are too self-righteous!
The aide said coldly.
His body engorged rapidly as he spoke and after a while, his body was twice bigger the size of amon man.
Unlike the previous infected, not only his limbs but even his face was transforming to that of a wolf.
His ears were turning sharper, his mouth was bulging outwards but it was iplete, making him looked like a hideous abomination.
Why do you think I dared show up here?
Power! Its because of real power! You people have absolutely no idea what real power is!
Walloons aide raised his ws and clenched tightly. He was feeling the strength that filled his body and was growling at Kieran.
Let me correct you there. Its not that we are too smart, its you monsters who are too stupid. But I kinda agree on your saying that we have no idea what real power is,
Kieran said calmly.
A longsword flew out from the shadow beside the monsters feet and pierced its neck. It neglected the monsters struggle and pinned it down on the floor beside Kierans feet with absolute force.
Chapter 979 - Going Forth
Chapter 979: Going Forth
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Being infected by the wolf gue granted the aide powerful life force. After it was pinned down on the floor, it didnt die and instead, it struggled fiercely
It even growled and howled relentlessly.
Damn it! Release me! I...
Kieran raised his foot and stepped on the monsters head as it growled.
The perfectly controlled power from his feet knocked the monster out cold.
If [Mesly Ring] wasnt on cooldown, Kieran wouldnt even waste time with the aide and would control it directly, asking the things he wanted to know.
Now?
Kieran raised his hand. Gregori, who had been waiting close by for a while now, grabbed the unconscious monster and ced it in the jail cell beside.
Walloon watched his aide being taken away. He opened his mouth wanted to say something but in the end, he failed.
No exnations, no sighs.
None of those was needed. In front of cold hard facts, everything would sound unnecessary.
Kieran, on the other hand, was more direct. He didnt even bat an eye at the aide being taken away, instead, he fired his request at Walloon directly, I want to know what happened in Burning Dawn!
Although I am still investigating, its better if someone can exin it to me so I can have a broader view of things. The more details, the better, Kieran emphasized.
Walloon didnt reject Kierans enquiries.
Kierans identity as the imperial envoy and the powers he just disyed allowed the major topromise his position and willinglyply.
Walloon took a deep breath and arranged his words.
Burning Dawn was assaulted. No signs were noticed and darkness suddenly covered the whole camp! Then... I heard agonizing wails in my ears. I took my weapon and wanted to fight but I couldnt even see my enemies. When the darkness faded, all I saw was bodies. Bodies that died a gruesome death, as though they were cruelly ughtered. Its an unbearable scene.
As he spoke, the major had obvious terror on his face.
Obviously, the incident had terrorized this professional military man.
Darkness? ughter?
Kieran was searching for the terms in Walloons statement that concerned him.
Yes! The darkness came during the day and it covered the sun, enveloping the mes in the camp. There were torches that were prepared for a smoke signal around camp but none of them shed any light in the darkness. Myrades suddenly had multiple wounds on their bodies and most of them werent even lethal. The only lethal blow was the one that pierced the heart. It seems like the attacker enjoyed the process.
As he continued, the terror on Walloons face faded away, being reced by anger.
He clenched his fist and teeth to express his emotions.
Then why are you fine? Kieran pressed the question.
His question sounded offensive and helpless but Walloon didnt refute it at all. He said with a bitter smile, Id rather die in the darkness than live in fear like I am right now.
A while after the darkness faded, the wolf gue appeared on the survivors. The tremendous power and wildness turned men into animals. They started to strike their oldrades and brothers-in-arms and when they woke up, the animal in them were awoken. A lot of them couldnt ept the fact, so many of themmitted suicide over the incident and a portion of the soldiers vanished from camp.
As for the remaining ones, once the symptoms of the wolf gue were obvious, they would imprison themselves while they still remained sane. Even if they recovered from the transformation, they werent willing toe out, afraid that they mightmit something they found unforgivable.
Some, however, were different... Youve seen it with your own eyes, even my aide thinks it was an opportunity. I understand his point of view because if I was infected, I would be at a loss. So please, save them!
Walloon stood up and kneeled on one knee.
He reached his right hand over his chest and struck it hard.
Pang!
His fist struck his chest hard and produced a heavy noise. He looked at Kieran with eyes of hope and pleading.
You are our only hope! Walloon said with utmost sincerity. The soldiers behind him mimicked his pose as well.
Please save ourrades and colleagues! They chanted.
Kieran looked down at the person kneeling before him, he saw the request that came from the bottom of their hearts, the anxiety that came with their worried emotions.
In the end, Kieran nodded slightly.
Weird things always happened in the world.
Inside a world, where everyone was out for themselves, being greedy and selfish about fortune, there would be a group of deviants among them.
They never thought of themselves but always ced others in first.
They might seem like fools, idiots even, but were still respectable.
Before Kieran was a group of respectable men.
Within what he was capable of, Kieran would not reject the request from these bunch of respectable folks. More so, he had to because of the triggered special event.
Youve agreed? Walloon asked in joy.
Mm. But I have a condition, you guys have to listen to me at all time and will not be allowed to question my orders! I guarantee you, Ill do my best to save yourrades and colleagues but I cant guarantee sess in the end, Kieran added.
Since he promised, he would give his best effort.
Although he had some vague guesses about this wolf gues appearance, no one could assure safe progress without idents. So it would be best for him to set things straight before they started.
Not a problem! When do we leave? Walloon agreed right away.
Everyone from Burning Dawn felt like someone who was drowning, they wouldnt give up on any hope before their eyes even if they saw a floating straw, they would reach out and grab it with all their effort.
Now. Gregori, bring our captives and gather 5 men toe with us. Well move once you are ready.
Kieran then walked outside after that.
He was falling behind hispetitors a lot wished not to dy any further.
The earlier he got to the Burning Dawn camp, the earlier he could find out what in the world happened there, only then he could regain some advantages topensate for his current state.
Yes, my lord! Gregori bowed.
Soon, the group left Shatterstone Town with Sharly, Evie Dan, and the transformed aide.
It will take a day for us to travel from Shatterstone Town to Burning Dawns north camp. There is also a Burning Dawn outpost six hours from our departure point. A hundred elite soldiers were stationed at the outpost and are decently equipped, so we should be safe on the journey. We dont have to worry about supplies either.
Walloon rode side by side Kieran as they traveled through Supreme Road.
The major was exining the general situation on the road to Kieran.
When he mentioned the Burning Dawn outpost, the majors face looked proud of his affiliation but soon, his prideful looks were reced by shock and embarrassment.
Chapter 980 - Outpost
Chapter 980: Outpost
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Further away, dust was flying and moring sounds were heard in session.
Under the sunlight, res from swords and knives were rushing back and forth.
A group of robbers, around 30 men, were charging towards Kieran andpany.
Why robbers though?
Around Supreme Road, other than the elites from Burning Dawn, only robbers thate and go like the wind would appear as riders.
The merchant groups and travelers were all on foot, even if they had horses, it would be for the wagons.
This...This...
Walloon wanted to say something when he saw the robbers further away.
The major wanted to redeem Burning Dawns image but he didnt know how to exin what they were witnessing.
They should be the robbers who received Sand Bandit, Cranium Crusher, and Bearmans raiding news a little toote.
Kieran nced over the robbers and soon had his conclusion. He then gave his orders.
Gregori, bring some men and kill them, Kieran said coldly.
Mercy and soft-heartedness were not needed when facing the robbers and bandits of Supreme Road.
The memories in his mind and the intel he had gotten over the past few days was enough to allow Kieran to make a precise judgment.
Yes, my lord.
Gregori slightly bowed on his horse before he looked at the approaching robbers with a killer gaze and a straightened body.
Gregori was originally a mercenary, mercenaries werent overly fond of the robbers and bandits either. Moreover, it was also Kierans order.
Leave none alive!
A loud shoutter, Gregori shook his horse rein before charging forward.
The other five followers trailed behind him without a second thought.
The group of 6 were charging towards a group of 30.
When they saw the scene, the charging robbersughed out loud. They wereughing at Gregoris failure to acknowledge his limitations.
Based on themon situation, since the robbers outnumbered Gregori by 6 times, they thought they had already won.
However, unlike the situation before them, their thoughts were based on themon situation.
Gregori swung his sword forward like an arrow let loose, easily breaking through the robbers formation.
Especially the leader of the group who thought himself so valiant and brave, he was sliced in half by Gregoris sword.
Blood sshed; cries of agony echoed everywhere.
The robbers were mocking with theirughs a moment ago but now, they were terror-stricken.
They wanted to flee but suddenly, their galloping horses had their hooves stuck on the ground as though they stepped on glue. The sudden stop created a force so huge that their organs had suffered an unimaginable impact.
A lot of the robbers fell off their horses with mouths full of blood.
The bigger sized robbers were decapitated when Gregori and his men caught up with them.
The whole battlested for around a minute.
Just when Walloon wanted to send his men to help, the battle was over. Gregori was already ordering his men to clean up the battlefield.
Sir 2567, your man... is really extraordinary.
As Walloon was looking at Gregori who was bringing back the other horses, hemented after a bit of thinking.
Kieran nodded without many expressions. He wasnt at all surprised at the scene.
Of course Gregori was extraordinary, otherwise, he wouldnt be one of the pawns of Modi before this.
In fact, if Gregori didnt meet Kieran, his abilities were enough to cause headaches to anyone else.
Being able to control soil and rocks, Gregori was like a tiger with wings in this wide barrennd.
Kieran who knew everything about Gregori wasnt at all surprised but Walloon who didnt know looked at Kieran in his expressionless face; he started to reevaluate Kieran again.
Walloon knew perfectly what kind of people Shatterstone Town housed. Other than Volgen, there were no decent men anymore.
Now, Kieran had more decent men than just Volgen alone around him, like Gregori.
Blu and Riley back at the town were also decent fighters.
The formers archery and the hiding techniques of thetter made a heavy impression in Walloons mind.
Oh right! There was also the dual der!
Despite forgetting his name, Walloon was sure he must be quite strong as well.
Plus the civilian soldiers who were stronger than themon citizens, Walloon uncontrobly thought of more.
The peasant eldest son of Burning Family? But these kinds of resources and aids... another conflict of open and secret means has begun? These big families sure are scary!
Walloon couldnt help but shake his head as he thought of something more.
The lingering fearful expression on his face naturally fell into Kierans line of sight but he didnt care.
Even if he knew what Walloon was thinking, he wouldnt care. He was just borrowing the identity.
Whether the peasant eldest son of Burning Family or the conflict of open and secret means that followed with his identity, they were not really rted to him.
We need to make haste! Lets hope the soldiers at the outpost are as elite as you imed, Walloon! Kieran said.
Walloon was stunned, followed by a drastic change in expression.
The major wasnt an idiot by any means, he quickly understood Kierans meaning.
A lot of robbers and bandits didnt know about the death of Sand Bandit, Cranium Crusher, and Bearman as their news coverage was stuck at the initial stage.
Therefore, they would eventually gather at Shatterstone Town and naturally, the robbers and bandits would travel past the outpost near the town.
A small scale of robbers and bandits wouldnt dare to have second thoughts about an outpost with Burning Dawn stationed there but what if the numbers increase?
Never underestimate the greed of humans, just like one shouldnt underestimate the foolishness of a greedy fox.
The resources in Burning Dawns outpost were enough for the robbers and bandits to risk their attempt with the advantage of numbers.
Make haste! Make haste! Walloon ordered loudly.
Immediately, the traveling group entered a full sprinting mode.
Fortunately, the horses they got from the random robbers and bandits allowed the men of the group to ride multiple horses at once.
Kieran and co. traveled the journey that originally took 6 hours in a mere 4 hours.
However, when the group saw the outpost before them, everyone was stunned except for Kieran.
The sturdy walls that they remembered had crumbled; the tall watchtower was broken in half.
An ugly situation befell the camp and the field as bodies were scattered all over the ce.
The soldiers of Burning Dawn each died a gruesome death as though they were interrogated and tortured; a lot of them were dismembered as well.
The limbs were cut off before the soldiers were decapitated or they were left to die with agonizing wails after their limbs were cut off.
However,pared to the ones who were skinned alive and had brains eaten through their crushed skulls, the former was considered merciful enough.
These soldiers were still alive when their skulls were crushed and brains were taken out.
Kieran saw after the soldiers lost their skin and flesh, how their eyes in their sockets were jerking out of pain. He could very well imagine what kind of pain they been through when they were alive.
He was inspecting the bodies one after another as he shuttled through the ce.
As for the ones who followed him, other than Gregori who was close, the others were vomiting non-stop after their faces changed for the worse.
Major Walloon didnt throw up but he wasnt in good shape..
Its that! That thing is here again!
Walloon was mumbling gibberish to himself as if he had lost his soul.
As he mumbled to himself in fear, some unusual energy started to spread from the deeper parts of the outpost.
Chapter 981 - Reveal
Chapter 981: Reveal
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The slight sense of unusual energy was formless yet ferocious as it hurled itself towards Walloon who was dispirited as if the energy was a cat jumping on its prey.
None of the men around him noticed, except for Kieran who was searching among the bodies.
The moment the slight unusual energy appeared, Kierans eyes had trailed it to the deeper parts of the outpost and when the energy hurled itself towards Walloon, he was already blocking in front of the dispirited major.
Fuu!
The devil me was burning high in his left hand and engulfed the hurling energy whole.
Tss, Tss Tsss!
As if a piece of meat being fried on a sizzling hot pan, the wails of the dead echoed throughout the whole outpost.
Darkness fell before everyones sight after the wails but everyone could see through it.
They saw the soldiers being cruelly murdered one after another.
The saw the souls of the soldiers being drawn out one by one and dragged into darkness.
They were tortured until they werepletely senseless!
Then, everything vanished.
An extremely tall and huge man that couldnt be called human anymore appeared within everyones sight.
The gigantic man was sitting on the ground with his legs crossed, chomping at the goat before his hands; blood was dripping from his mouth and tainted his chest and clothes.
Hahahahaha! 2567, I see youve received my present. Best you enjoy it! A friendly reminder, dont use your devils power anymore because its too obvious!
The gigantic manughed out loud. The blood stains on his teeth made his rough looks even more ferocious.
Even if the man was just an illusory image, it was terrorizing.
Pak!
The mans image vanished like a soap bubble being popped.
The groups sight was returned to the outpost they were in.
Suddenly...
Aaaaaa!
A Burning Dawn soldier cried out in shock.
He looked at the scene before his eyes with disbeliefs; he raised his trembling hand as fear appeared on his face uncontrobly.
No one wouldugh at him though because most of those present also shared the same terrified looks.
They saw the scene which they hoped they would never see in their lives: dead bodiesing back to life!
The dead Burning Dawn soldiers were crawling up one after another; intact or not, they were standing up in their own way.
Their dead eyes were glowing green like a hungry wild beast.
Their bodies were mixed with a kind of strange energy, making them scarier and more deadly than amon wild beast.
What more terrifying was, as the bodies came back to live, Kieran, Walloon, and Gregori were drowned by the sea of bodies.
It made the Burning Dawn soldiers and the followers feel a loss for what to do next.
Fortunately, not all of them were stunned, at least the two conscious captives didnt.
Spirits of the dead?!
The female hunter, Evie Dan looked at the scene with utmost caution.
Her special profession didnt turn her legs to jelly like the other Burning Dawn soldiers that traveled with her but it didnt mean she wasnt afraid.
Quite the opposite, Evie Dan felt mostly fear in her heart but the fear didnt rob her of her reaction.
Hurry! Light up all the torches! Everyone, on me! Evie Dan shouted.
In times of panic and confusion it was the best reaction with someone voicing out orders.
A couple of Burning Dawn soldiers reacted right away as though they found their spines, they quickly gathered on Evie Dan as they held torches in their hands.
Of course, not all followed the female hunters orders though, Sharly felt a natural disgust toward her.
Sharly stood in ce and didnt even n to move. Her nose was sniffing.
Spirits of the dead?
The werewolfdys excellent sense of smell and the training in her mind made her voice out her doubts.
The dead bodies that came back to life before them might be simr to dead spirits but the smell was slightly different.
It strengthened the werewolfdys intention even more.
She grabbed a spear beside her feet, wielding it left and right to test its grip before she dashed off towards the dead spirits.
Come on!
The heavy growl sounded off from the werewolfdys throat but her voice was forced to a sudden stop.
The spear that she prepared to lunge off even froze in mid-air.
The other soldiers who were in panic widened their eyes at what happened.
Only Evie Dan reacted to the sudden changes after being stunned slightly.
Damn it! How did I forget that guy from the Burning Family!
The female hunter muttered softly.
Everyone around her heard her mutters but their eyes were locked at the sudden tender white brilliance that appeared from the sea of the dead.
The rumbling sea of the dead was like the snow during June, melting away swiftly.
The revived dead bodies fell to the ground one after another. Simr to harvesting wheat, as the bodies fell to the ground, Kieran walked out along with the motion while his body was glimmering in white.
He nced over the female hunter, the werewolfdy, and the other Burning Dawn soldiers plus the followers. Then he gave an order to Gregori and Walloon, Retreat 2 kilometers, wait for me there.
Then, Kierans figure slide passed the brilliance and went straight to the deeper part of the outpost.
Seeing Kierans figure moving deeper, Evie Dan frowned. She wanted to remind him how dangerous the deeper parts were but when he thought about their shallow rtionship, she shut her mouth.
Sharly who put away her spear showed a smile instead and said loudly, Moving forward bravely!
In the perspective of the werewolfdy, being held captive by a powerful male wasnt captivity at all. Especially when Kieran presented the manners that her tribesmen were heavily absent of, her fondness of Kieran had skyrocketed.
If the situation allowed, she wouldnt mind fighting side by side with Kieran but soon, she rted to more.
She turned around and red at the female hunter with a judgemental and cautious gaze.
I have my eyes on you! You little witch with ulterior motives! Sharly said.
Hmph!
Evie Dan felt strange in her heart but her attitude wasnt courteous at all by replying with a cold grunt.
The sharp argument between the twodies didnt affect the Burning Dawn soldiers and the other followers showing their admiration for Kieran.
Pure admiration!
The soldiers of Burning Dawn saw that familiar brilliance, felt that warm energy and as they looked at the figure, all that was left in their minds was admiration.
The admiration came from their instinct, deep in their bones.
It was the crucial element they had to remember when they joined Burning Dawn.
Walloon, on the other hand, was trembling fiercely. The major glued his eyes on Kierans figure as he started to mutter gibberish.
Amidst the burning fields and the shining dawn, Saint Cyanda will never be dark!
The eldest peasant son of Burning Family... is actually...
Is this a gift from God?
Gift from God? The appearance of his lordship is far more precious than a gift from God!
Gregori replied to Walloons gibberish with a certain and proud tone.
No matter how strong or much of a surprise Kieran presented, it was a certain thing for Gregori who was Kierans under control.
However, to someone else...
It was a total disaster!
Chapter 982 - Meal Together
Chapter 982: Meal Together
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The deeper part of the outpost was supposed to be a storeroom for supplies but since when did it turned into a giant pit?
The huge pit didnt just swallow the original storeroom, it broke thend of the outpost camp into pieces.
Esiko who was donning a long robe was climbing down the rope with ease.
Despite his body no longer being young, such a simple task would not wear him down, let alone that he was climbing down an extremely safe ce.
How did his lordship did this? What was the darkness back there? And this giant pit...
Esiko was filled with doubts as he recalled what Darde, the Titan ordered him to do.
However, it was because of the doubts and confusion that he was fueled to further carry out the mission assigned to him by Darde.
Other than fulfilling his curiosity, he would be rewarded greatly as well.
Once he thought about him owning the energetic body of his youth once more, Esikos actions became faster.
When his feetnded, the oilmp that he prepared was ignited.
Under the dim light from themp, the weird stones and humid ground entered his sight.
At the same time, a faint vile stench was entering Esikos nose as well.
He raised his hand and covered his nose. Then, he followed Dardes orders and trailed the stench to its origin.
The stench became heavy very fast as he moved.
Even covering his nose and mouth, Esiko couldnt help but cough.
The smell was too much for him.
He swore that even a rotting body in an underground cave wasnt as bad but soon, the vile stench started to fade away rapidly.
As he was trailing the stench and moved almost 30 meters ahead, the stench faded awaypletely.
Before his eyes was an intricate magic circle that would cause dizziness to amon man with a single nce.
The most captivating point about the intricate magic circle was the core position.
A pitch ck can was ced there.
Under the light from themp, the ck can was reflecting a ck metallic luster.
Found it! This is it!
Esiko held his excitement and took out a scroll from his pockets. He first tore the scroll apart, allowing the brilliance that flowed out from the scroll to envelope his body wholly before he walked on the magic circle.
It was the defensive measure that Darde provided him.
It was because of the defensive energy, he was not harmed by the magic circle.
Protected, Esiko slowly approached the ck can. His eyes were glued to his target, therefore he didnt notice the delicate changes that happened to the magic circle.
In fact, when he tore his scroll, the changes had started but after he stepped into the magic circle, the changes were hastened.
When Esiko was in front of the ck can and picked it up, the changes werepleted.
The darkness on the can which was darker than the deepest ck rose up like a raging mist when it was picked up, the mist promptly transformed into a shadow monster that had ws, a head, and a torso with its size being twice as big as amon man.
The monster opened its mouth and wretchedughs came out from its bottomless mouth.
It was irritating and lethal. The moment Esiko heard theugh, his eyeballs burst like a water balloon, blood was gushing out of his ears and signs of life swiftly faded away.
Till his death, he didnt understand why the protective measure Darde provided him didnt work.
It was because what was in the scroll wasnt a protective measure at all, but...
FUUU!
Following Esikos death, the brilliance that emanated from the scroll swiftly fused with his body.
Esikos body then inted like a balloon; he grew from the size of amon elderly to a three-meter tall figure before he stopped.
Then, the titan-morphed Esiko climbed up.
He used destroyed eyes, or more precisely, his sockets to re at the shadow monster.
Although the titan-morphed Esiko was a size smaller than the shadow monster, the aura that he emanated wasnt weak at all.
The rampant and ruthless aura was ravaging the entire underground pit like a typhoon.
Smaller pebbles were blown away; the weird stones that were less sturdy were broken by the aura typhoon.
However, the misty shadow monster didnt even flinch, with its own strange and cold aura, it was like a sturdy thousand-year cier stuck on the ground.
Itsughs were heard once more; it was more irritating and lethal than the previous one.
Ripples of energy waves followed itsugh like the ripples on a quietke and it wasunched at the titan-morphed Esiko.
Puk, Puk Puk!
Blood and flesh exploded off titan-morphed Esiko as the energy waves hit him. Blood gushed out non-stop and the wounds on his body were so deep that it revealed his bones.
However, despite suffering such terrible wounds, titan-morphed Esiko didnt even care, he even...ughed loudly.
Hahahahaha! I knew you would leave something down here. They will be the clues for me to find you!
His voice was rough and powerful; it wasnt Esikos original voice but Darde instead.
Darde, known as the Titan, was using Esikos body to send outughs simr to his own.
The shadow monster turned a deaf ear to the words, instead, it replied with a bigger energy wave attack.
I know this is just a useless shell, but if you damage it so badly, I wont be happy! I bet the shadow you left behind is tasty as well. I cant wait to get a bite out of you!
Darde wasughing with Esikos body before he threw himself towards the shadow monster.
The shadow monster, however, didnt even know how to dodge the attack. It stood there and allowed Darde with Esikos body to bite its body. The shadow monster was like some fluid based food as Darden was sucking its body, swallowing it relentlessly.
The shadow monsters body was shrinking at an exponential speed.
At the same time, a gloomier, colder energy started to rise in the shadow monsters body.
Still trying to retaliate? Come on! Come on! I dont mind tasting stronger food!
Darde words were unclear as his mouth didnt let go of the shadow monsters body.
Food? You never know who the real food is here!
Suddenly, a voice came from the shadow monster.
Then, the shadow monster exploded just like that and returned to its misty form.
The thin rumbling mist then enveloped Darde in Esikos bodypletely.
Hahahaha! Dining together seems to be a fine idea! Lets see who will eat who!
Darde continued his greatugh.
The shadow monster in its misty form kept rumbling around Darde until a voice interrupted the duo.
Dining together? Sounds fun, how about an extra pair of chopsticks?
As the voice sounded, the de arrived.
The 20-meter light sword tore the darkness apart and shed light on the entire underground cave.
With its indomitable force, the light sword shed over the two monsters tangled together.
Chapter 983 - Nail
Chapter 983: Nail
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
2567?!
How did you get here so quickly?
The underground cave was echoing with Dardes voice of shock.
The body he borrowed was shed into two, including that shadow monster, both of them did not escape [Dawn Sword]s strike.
Kierans appearance was too sudden and too much of surprise, to the point that both monsters couldnt believe what they saw.
In their original n, this meeting was just to test each other out, Kieran was never included.
Hahahaha! What a surprising fe! Ive lost a dispensable body but that bastard left a part of his soul in the shadow. Now after he was killed, I bet he must be suffering excruciating pain!
Darde wasughing out loud in his wagon. He was traveling swiftly in his specially modified, extra erged wagon with his group of men.
Hisugh had obvious means of taking pleasure of the unfortunate ones but the most concerning part was the killing intents in Dardes eyes.
2567, oh 2567... I thought you are just some dispensable chicken ribs but now, you seem to a worthy, decent appetizer! No, no, the main course is ahead of me, an appetizer is no longer appropriate, but you can still be an after meal dessert! Give your best effort in fighting around Supreme Road! The more you fight, the easier I can deal with that bastard!
Darde muttered to himself.
...
Meanwhile, in another underground cave where light couldnt reach, the shadows were rumbling rapidly.
Then, the shadow formed a human figure with scarlet red eyes.
The dark cave then lit up in red. The shadowy figure then coldly grunted.
So this is what you mean by only average potential 2567? Broker, you cunning bastard, youre really untrustworthy. I guess I am fortunate enough that my ns didnt follow yourspletely, otherwise I might end up on Dardes te, am I right?
Darde, you must be moving forward quicker than before, am I right? Come one now, I am anticipating your arrival! Ill be sure to give you a surprise!
The shadowy human figureughed coldly.
...
Kieran was in deep thoughts as his eyes were watching the two bodies melting away.
Darde can use someone elses body? Is this the ace that hes been hiding?
No, it shouldnt be. If it really was, based onmon sense, he would save it for thest moment, even if it was just an item and not showing it off like this. Unless... this ability doesnt belong to him!
When he knew Extremus and Darde the Titan had entered [de of the Daybreaker] together, Kieran had carefully researched the two of them.
The former was very mysterious, he barely got anything on him but thetter was different.
As one of the Supernova only second to the Witch, precise information on what he could do, especially his titan-morph which increased his body strength and defense to an outrageously dangerous level. Some people had guessed that after the higher order, Darde would be able to at least boost his own stats by a major rank.
However, no one ever mentioned Darde had the ability to possess other people.
What Kieran just saw wasnt an illusion either, therefore there was only one exnation left.
Who gave Darde such powers? Or should it be, who was working with Darde?
Extremus!
Kierans mind automatically thought of the possibility and only with that, would it fit how yers concealed themselves while exposing others.
About the underground yers, most of them were the lone wolves that Lawless introduced him since he barely had any contact anyone other than them but Kieran wasnt naive enough to think every other yer was friendly toward Lawless.
Moreover, if it wasnt for Lawlesss introduction, the lone wolves might treat him differently.
The alliance between Darde ad Extremus should be a mutually benefiting one, and it is to... deal with Brokers arrangements! Which means Brokers pawn caused everything here! He is mimicking the dark energy that assaulted Burning Dawn? Or the darkness itself was his handy work?
Kieran was inspecting the magic circle underneath his feet as he was pondering upon the question.
The intricate magic circle had surpassed Kierans level of [Mystical Knowledge] but based on some knowledge he had, it wasnt too much of a trouble to find the real core.
The core shouldnt be the ck can in the middle.
The real core should be on the left edge of the magic circle: a blurry exterior crystal bottle with turbid liquid inside.
After making sure it was safe, he picked the bottle up and carefully inspected the liquid inside.
Soon, he found something inside.
A piece of a nail.
Based on the shape, it should from a thumb. It was not intact and didnt fall offpletely, the nail was only half of its original size and it was showing a weird yellowish brown; there were some extremely small moldy spots in the yellowish brown part as well.
[Name: Unknown Nail]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: ???]
[Attack: ???]
[Defense: ???]
[Attribute: ???]
[Effect: ???]
[Prerequisite: ???]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: You may be lucky or unlucky to be able to find it. Remember, if you do not have absolute confidence, do not open this vessel.]
...
When Kieran spotted the moldy spots, the items information started piling up in his vision.
The series of question marks was astonishing and would cause a man to be curious but the remark at the end made Kieran maintain his cool.
Another nce at the nail in the bottleter, he ced it in his backpack and went on searching the whole underground cave.
However, other than some scattered, damaged supplies from Burning Dawn, he didnt find any valuable leads or items.
It was as if the whole cave was there just to house the magic circle.
Kieran went back to the magic circle and carefully memorized the magic circle.
It wasnt just because he noticed some magical spots about the magic circle, it was also a habit that he had been building for a long time.
Any unknown mystical knowledge calls for recording, through time, it will allow you to slowly discover its magic.
It was what the God of Earth, Nikorei, said to him before.
Perhaps Kieran didnt have the time to decipher the secrets within, but he still had the time to record it.
When he made sure his memorization was correct, he returned to the surface and quickly rendezvous with the others.
Youre finally back!
Walloon was relieved when he saw Kieran came back in one piece.
Kieran clearly felt the subtle changes in Walloons attitude though.
If Walloon had revered him before because of his strength and identity as the envoy, now Walloon was showing the extra closeness of arade, a partner.
Why the sudden change though?
Kieran knew it in his gut.
Burning Dawn...
Kieran muttered in his heart. A n that he rejected before appeared in his mind again and now it was perfecting itself.
Chapter 984 - “Burning” “Dawn”
Chapter 984: Burning Dawn
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran was not a person that wouldpromise easily.
Even if he knew Brokers men had entered [de of the Daybreaker] earlier than him and gained a huge advantage ahead, he didnt think of giving up.
Every second that went by, he was thinking about how would he regain the advantage.
Now before him, he seemed to have noticed some hope!
Therefore, he didnt mind trying.
As he nced over at Walloon and the few Burning Dawn soldiers, Kieran emanated another white light in his hand, enveloping the few around him.
Unlike the tenacity of Dawn Force, [Holy Light] was more tender and it had the effect of slowly recovering HP.
The effect was obvious though.
Everyone that was bathed in [Holy Light] was more refreshed, energetic, and their tiredness faded away. Especially some of the small wounds they suffered during thest panicked situation, they were recovering with exponential speed that was visible to the naked eyes.
Brilliance protection?!
Walloon who fought side by side before with the Grand Duke of Dawn felt the familiar presence. When he saw the familiar scene before him, he almost broke down in tears.
He felt like he had returned to his youth where he could see the great figure in light before his eyes, just like what he saw before his eyes now... it was exactly the same!
M-My lord!
As he muttered out of instinct, Walloon quickly regained his senses. He stared at Kieran as no one understood what this meant more than him.
My lord, please follow me back to base. They should know of this!
As the zing me shines, dawn has arrived! Burning Dawn needs the zing me to expel darkness, it needs the dawn that brings forth light and not some outrageous man!
Walloon said in excitement.
The other Burning Dawn soldiers even knelt on one knee.
They expressed their resolution with their actions and just like what Walloon said, Burning Dawn needed the guidance of the Burning Family and the Dawn Family, not some general sent by the Imperials.
They wanted to charge forth amidst the zing me, fight dauntlessly under the guidance of light and not some panjandrum who only knew how to fight for power and wealth.
Burning Dawn, the biggest stationed militia around Supreme Road.
Its name originated from the ancestors of the Marquis of the Burning Family and the Grand Duke of Dawn Family.
Burning Dawn didnt just open up Supreme Road, they also expelled countless robbers and bandits, built military outposts around, developed new living areas for the people and also took Golden City, which was originally an independent city, under theirmand.
The achievements of the two great figures were enough for theter generations to write two thick books about them.
On the other hand, the royal family of Saint Cyanda was nameless and unheard of.
People only knew of the Burning Marquis and the Grand Duke of Dawn.
The former was addressed as Lord and thetter was addressed as his Excellency by the people.
As for his Majesty? Not a lot knew about him.
Back then, Saint Cyanda V didnt care about the name and was quite happy with his status. However, not all shared the same vision as the king, when the Saint Cyanda V passed away, Saint Cyanda VI ascended to the throne.
While the Burning Marquis and Grand Duke of Dawn were in their old age, the Saint Cyanda VI started his majestic n.
He seeded, causing the Burning Marquis and the Grand Duke of Dawn return to Dawn City.
He seeded, causing the disappeared robbers and bandits to roam Supreme Road again.
He seeded, causing Golden City toply in appearance but oppose him at heart.
He seeded, causing Burning Dawn to be filled with a filthy and foul atmosphere.
He seeded and in the end, he was assassinated by an assassin from Golden City during a royal ball.
Then, Saint Cyanda VII took the throne yet he maintained caution and vignce towards Burning Dawn like his predecessor.
The VII was kinder than the VI but he was not as generous and open-minded as the V, he was not willing to let Burning Dawn go out of control.
Then, the VII ordered an assault on Golden City.
Three times! Three assaults on Golden City ended up in failure and it took a severe toll on Burning Dawn. The branding of Burning and Dawn within the militia had started to vanish, at least it was how it looked like back then.
However, deep in their bones, as long as Burning Dawn continued to use the brands of Burning and Dawn, it would never vanish.
Every soldier that joined Burning Dawn asked about the meaning about Burning and Dawn and every veteran soldier would tell the newbies the greatness of Burning and Dawn.
Even if a hundred years had passed...
As long as the soul didnt change, the legacy would prevail.
They were waiting quietly; they were protecting quietly.
They were waiting for the return of those who left, strongly believing that the glory they lost would shine on them again.
Now, the time had arrived.
Kieran nced over Walloon and the few soldiers.
The result was much better than he expected.
Starting from that point, he could imagine what the atmosphere in Burning Dawn was after this.
Kieran never thought for the past hundred years, the roots of Burning Dawn didnt vanish and the soldiers still remembered their vows and promise they had back in the day.
A hundred years, it was enough for seas to turn into mulberry fields and vice versa; it was enough for a human to live several lives even.
It was hard for him to imagine how these soldiers held it in for so long.
Burning Dawn eh? The Burning Marquis and the Grand Duke of Dawn...
Kieran muttered softly.
For the first time, he had the slightest of interest of the ancestor of his identity and the friend, but he didnt make the soldiers wait.
I was actually nning to pay a visit to the Burning Dawn base with you guys, I want to see what is it like but I think before that, we need toy them to rest.
Kieran pointed at the scattered bodies as he spoke.
Being tortured when alive, the soldiers werentid to rest even after death.
They deserved at least a proper burial.
Gregoris ability to control earth and rocks was perfect for a mass burial.
The ground was moved slightly before pits appeared one after another, allowing the others toy the bodies inside neatly.
However, a lot of the soldiers were dismembered, all they could do was try their best in patching the dead up.
Kieran carefully ced the broken limbs beside their respective bodies one after another before he tidied up the dead for burial.
His actions were conscientious and meticulous, there wasnt the slightest disgust on his face.
It wasnt just for show though, Kieran really thought the native soldiers who were stationed on Supreme Road when they were alive helped themoners in defending against robbers and bandits, they should be well respected even after they died.
What was real and unreal, it was hard for one to tell apart yet the roots were different altogether.
Walloon and the soldiers saw Kierans manner and actions, their respect from their eyes got heavier.
Even the female hunter, Evie Dan looked at Kieran in a different way but promptly, she felt something was stinging her back.
She turned around and noticed that Sharly was ring at her.
Evie Dan frowned without giving much thought to the werewolfdy.
Given the rtionship, both of them had no need to converse whatsoever.
If they really did converse somehow, it would be with swords and ws, not words.
I said it, I have my eyes on you! And... stay away from 2567, you ****! Sharly said.
Thest part of her sentence was mixed with some tribal ng but even without asking, Evie Dan knew it wasnt a pleasant word.
Evie Dan wanted to refute sarcastically but before the words escaped her mouth, a thought came to her mind and she showed a smile instead.
Stay away from 2567? Why the hell should I listen to you?
Chapter 985 - Blood Stained Medal
Chapter 985: Blood Stained Medal
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Rage was obvious in Sharlys shallow gray eyes.
The power of the wild was circting in her body, making her re sharper and scarier but it wasnt enough to scare off Evie Dan.
Quite the opposite, it caused Evie Dan to sneer even more.
You want to rip my chest open? Or bite off my throat? Dont hesitate anymore, just do as you will.
Evie Dan who came from a hunter family knew all too well about the werewolf habits, she understood how a female werewolf had to survive in her tribe and what kind of position they had.
Other than the real alpha wolf, the werewolves also followed thews of nature which dictated that the female would follow the male.
Evie Dan didnt know why a female werewolf would have such emotions towards a human but she knew how to deal with it, or more precisely, counter her.
Sharly was getting angrier when Evie Dans disdainfulments hit her.
Rage shook the werewolfdys body hard but she didnt make a second move.
The werewolfdy looked at Kieran who was burying the bodies further away and took a deep breath.
Dont think this is over! She said before turning away to help Kieran.
However, Evie Dan didnt want to just let Sharly off just like that.
Are you worried that 2567 will see the ferocious side of you and kill you? Among the Burning Family and the Dawn Familysbat merits, killing a creature like you is too normal, too casual! To the point that its like drinking water! The thought of seeing your head being hung over the Shatterstone Town gate excites me! Evie Dan followed Sharly and spoke softly behind her.
From Evie Dans perspective, such hateful words were like poison to Sharly, she would be enraged and strike her but out of her expectations, Sharly did not. Instead, sheughed.
What do you know? You think you know everything about 2567? Little clown!
Sharly was moving a body as she walked past Evie Dan. She didnt even look at her as her words sounded quickly.
The female hunter was stunned right away. The disbelief towards Kieran appeared in her heart again.
Even though Kieran showed the traits of the Dawn Family, it was still a fact that he grouped up with a werewolf, thus causing doubts in Evie Dans heart.
She walked closer to Kieran, trying to inspect him with a more meticulous gaze.
His face was young, not exactly handsome but clean, especially the focus in his eyes during his work, it was very attracting.
Looking at his eyes, it automatically reminded her the stars of the night sky.
No, no!
The stars might be dazzling but they were not as bright as those eyes!
As the eyes were getting closer to her, Evie Dan seemed to have discovered the things that she had been finding in Supreme Road yet neglected over time.
Unconsciously, she reached out her hand, trying to grab it but the moment her arm moved, she regained her senses.
Looking at Kieran in front of her, she blushed.
I...
As a captive, you should do whats expected of you, not standing here and doing nothing.
Evie Dan wanted to exin but Kieran interrupted her.
His voice was without emotion yet it instantly broke Evie Dans fantasy and dragged her back to reality.
Fantasy was always great while reality was always harsh.
At that particr moment, Evie Dan was experiencing the harsh side of reality.
I...
Hurry up. I dont want to repeat myself!
Evie Dan tried her best to voice out her thoughts but was once again interrupted by Kieran.
Staring at the coldness in his eyes, Evie Dan felt like the winters wind was blowing over her; it didnt just freeze her body, it froze her heart as well.
Evie Dan was slightly absent-minded as she started to help move the bodies.
Sharly however somehow appeared behind her.
I got it, your clown looks. Not bad I must say, Ill share a piece of biscuit with youter during mealtime.
The werewolfdy was never the kind who stayed put when people scolded or beat her, she seized the opportunity and countered Evie Dan.
Put away your tail! Its wagging non-stop! Are you trying to expose yourself?
Evie Dan replied coldly before sheid her eyes on Kieran again.
She saw how Kieran was meticulously moving the bodies, burying them with utmost care.
Slowly, Evie Dan thought of thest scene again and somehow, she realized she wasnt angry anymore. She was even a little excited.
She was never treated that way before by a young man.
The excitement and freshness that she never felt before filled her frozen heart.
Promptly, her heart melted.
Put away your disgusting gaze! Im warning you...
Before Sharly even finished, Evie Dan carried a body and quietly moved beside Kieran, trying to get in sync with his motions before they buried the bodies.
Gak Tss!
A piece of metal armor on the werewolfdy was twisted by seethingrage but she didnt dash up with her ws and teeth to fight with Evie Dn. Instead, she mimicked Evie Dan and started to get in sync with Kierans movements.
The synchronized movements of the three of them were seen by the others but no one said anything.
Everyone thought it was natural.
Young, powerful, and extraordinary. Anyone with such characteristics would naturally attract pursuers, it was also normal if a girl was chasing a guy.
Back in Dawn City, the peasant eldest son of Burning Family was once the most admirable amongst all.
Kieran did not care about the eyes of others nor did he care about the vexing captives beside him. He concentrated on finishing his work at hand.
It was only after thest body was buried properly that he straightened his back and took a deep breath.
He then went towards a watchtower of which the upper half of the structure had fallen on the ground.
Under the crowds unbelieving to shocked expressions, Kieran lifted up the half watchtower that was made of wood and stone.
Dong! Dong Dong!
With the watchtower on his shoulder, with each step he took, the ground would tremble; each time the ground trembled, he would be closer to the grave.
In the end...
Boom!
Kieran plunged the watchtower in front of the grave.
This...This is a gravestone? Everyone was shocked.
Kieran, however, replied with a stern expression.
Death is terrifying. It brings forth darkness and the unknown. It will torture your sanity, making you crumble before it.
When that happens, please remember who you are, you were once the soldiers of Burning Dawn! Climb up to this watchtower and watch over thend that you once swore an oath to protect!
Theughter of travelers are your merits; the safe return of the merchants is your conviction!
Your merits will never fade and your conviction will never scatter! I will tell everyone that shares the same rank as you your merits and convictions!
Souls that once protected thisnd.. May you rest in peace.
Standing in front of the grave, Kieran straightened his body and ced his right fist before his chest, bowing down slightly.
The setting sun elongated his shadow and also shed its glorious ray on the grave.
The bloody golden sun ray was pierced by the shadow as if a giant blood stained medal was hung on thend.
Chapter 986 - Flattering Oneself
Chapter 986: ttering Oneself
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
After around 20 minutes, when Kieran and co. continued their journey, it was already dark.
Thest bit of sun vanished on the horizon.
The moon and stars became the protagonists of the night.
With Walloon and Gregori, the veterans who knew the road well enough, the group didnt need to worry about getting lost.
Supreme Road at night wasnt as scorching hot as it was during the day. The breezy night wind even made one feel extremely pleasant, especially when one didnt need to worry about safety.
Everyone in the group was quite rxed.
Around half an hour ago, they met another gang of robbers that was gathering around Supreme Road.
The robbers that showed up this time were much more than the previous one, almost a hundred of them and even on Supreme Road, those numbers were considered as big scale.
But what happened to them?
Before the hundreds of robbers even got close to Kieran and co., their heads exploded with a single nce from Kieran.
Walloon and his men who hadnt witness the scene before were shocked and overjoyed.
They were shocked and overjoyed at Kierans strength.
It is really fortunate that we can follow a lord like him! Walloon eximed.
When Dawn energy appeared on Kierans hand, Walloon had treated him as one of their own and hoped that Kieran would be as strong as possible.
After all, the enemies that Kieran had to face in the future would not be mere robbers and bandits.
Other than the imperial general at Burning Dawn Base, the assault of the darkness and wolf gue alone would require them to have a powerful leader.
Whenever he thought about the hardship that Kieran had to face in the future, Walloons rxed face turned heavy right away.
Dont worry. With his lordship with us, everything will turn out just fine, Gregori said with utmost confidence.
Mm. Walloon nodded.
Then, he turned around and saw Kieran on his horse. Walloons mind was reying the scene where a hundred robbers had their heads blown up again and again.
His tremendous power... will be able to help Burning Dawn ovee its hardship!
Walloon clenched his fist as the conviction in his heart grew stronger.
Likewise, the other two who shared a strong conviction in their hearts were Evie Dan and Sharly.
Both of them found their target.
If one were to ask the twodies what kind of man or male was the most attractive, they would surely answer the powerful kind, in unison despite their rivalry.
It wasnt just because both their backgrounds decided their perception, it was also because strong was the best clearing pass anywhere, anytime.
The definition of strong however varies among different people.
Some focused on personal strengths, some focused on wealth.
Meanwhile, Kieran who showed that he could fight a hundred men single-handedly was fatally attractive to the female hunter and werewolfdy.
As if they noticed the gaze from the person beside them, both Evie Dan and Sharly red at each other.
Compared to the previous opposing stand and hostility, their gazes at each other had a lot more fire that forbid them from stepping down.
What will a mix between human and wolf be called? It will get nothing but hate from both sides, Evie Dan said while purposely lowering her voice as her words were vicious.
Even more so when she emphasized the term it.
A bunch of wandering hunters are no different than monsters in peoples eyes, right? I suppose you hunters are scarier than monsters in a certain area, am I right? The werewolfdy replied coldly.
The relentless war of words allowed the werewolfdy to know that getting angry from the provocations would not do her any good since she wasnt an idiot. Instead, it would presented a chance for her rival to get the upper hand and pursue victory while she was struck down.
If she wanted to defeat her rival, she had to sharpen her fangs and teeth, havingto keep calm at all times.
The elders in the tribe always told to her that the calm wildness was the path to true power.
She didnt understand it before, she was still confused about the saying now but since she knew it would allow her to beat Evie Dan, she would give her best.
Who are you calling a monster?!
Evie Dan red at the werewolfdy.
It was the first time she got agitated by Sharlys words. She red angrily at Sharly like a cat with straightened fur.
Sharly, on the other hand, didnt feel scared at all against the ring, she lifted her right thumb and moved it across her neck.
A death deration!
The provocative action made the female hunter pant heavily.
I swear I will cut your head off and decorate my wall with it! She said with her clenched teeth.
Dont worry! Your head will be a toy for my first child! Sharly countered without stepping down.
The fire between the two of them was getting fierce but neither of them crossed the line and lost their sanity.
Both of them were holding onto their baselines to not to get ugly in front of Kieran.
Other than that, each time they argued, they would check Kierans reaction and when they didnt notice any reaction from him, both of thedies continued insulting each other.
Whenever Kieran was noticing them, both of them would turn away from each other and pretend to carry on.
Therefore, when they saw Kieran signal the group to stop and was walking towards them, both of them instantly turned nervous.
Did I overdo it?
Is he going to exile me?
If he does, what should I do?
Will he let me stay if I beg?
...
Countless thoughts appeared in thedies mind in that instance.
Then...
Kieran walk passed them and headed towards Walloons aide who was tied up. He grabbed the aide and went aside.
From the start till end, Kieran didnt even bat an eye at the twodies because the captive, the aide in his hand had much more value than Evie Dan and Sharly, despite the three of them all being captives.
Puk!
Kieran simply threw the aide on the ground.
The aide was awakened by the throw and swiftly regained his consciousness.
After being slightly stunned, the aide reacted to the situation and red angrily at Kieran.
I will break every bone in your body, skin you alive and...
My lord! Please forgive my offending manner and disrespect! I never thought I wouldmit such an outrageous act!
The aide was viciously cursing but before he could finish, he became extremely obedient and respectful. Even thouggh he was tied down by iron chains, he climbed up struggling and knelt before Kieran.
I want to know the people who are infected with the wolf gue inside Burning Dawn base and tell me everything about the wolf gue and your organization.
Kieran had been waiting for [Mesly Ring]s cooldown didnt chit-chat anymore with the newly controlled aide and asked what he wanted.
Yes, my lord.
The controlled aide wouldnt say no under the rings influence, he immediately spilled the beans.
While listening to what the aide had to say, Kierans brows unconsciously furrowed hard.
Things were much worse than he had expected.
Chapter 987 - Betray
Chapter 987: Betray
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
There were four generals from Saint Cyanda imperial household in Burning Dawn, in name.
They were in-charge of Burning Dawns North and South camps respectively.
However, a hundred years ago when Saint Cyanda VII ordered the siege on Golden City, the South camp was lost since it was close to the city under siege. All that was left was the North camp near Shatterstone Town and 11 outpost stations around the region.
There were around 3000 men stationed in the Burning Dawn North camp all the time and each outpost has 50 to 100 soldiers respectively.
There was another group of riders of a thousand men which was known as the ace of Burning Dawn as well, and together, Burning Dawn had around 5000 men, 10,000 if you included the other transport soldiers and extra militias.
However, among the 10,000 men, 2000 of them were infected with the wolf gue. Most of them consisted of lower and medium-rank officers.
What more concerning thing to Kieran was that 3 out of 4 of the generals from Saint Cyanda from the Imperials was infected with the wolf gue, including the deputy general of the North camp and the general and deputy general, in name, of the South camp.
Only one general left...
Kieran squinted his eyes as he pondered the issue.
He was more curious than ever about the requirements of getting infected, or should it be, he was more curious about what was the goal of Brokers men.
ording to irefolk, the infected aide, the ones infected with the wolf gue had a certain position or a respectable reputation within Burning Dawn.
It was obvious that it wasnt a natural disease but the dirty work of Brokers men.
Why did you do it? Your main mission of your identity? Or some other hidden events that I dont know of? Kieran wondered.
However, one thing was for sure and that was Kieran could never afford to let them seed!
As for how he would destroy his enemys n?
Kieran was perfecting his own n in his mind while he continued questioning irefolk for more information.
irefolk, who gave you the order to assassinate Walloon?
Its General Dilder! Before I left the camp, the general gave me a direct order, requesting me to find a chance to take out Walloon and... and you, my lord! He is guilty of his crimes and should die over ten thousand times! Dont worry my lord, I will twist his head off of his body and present it to you!
irefolk who was under Kierans control showed panic and rage when he remembered the order given by the deputy general. He knelt on the ground and made a vicious vow.
Why do you still follow his orders after you are infected? Kieran raised a brow.
He promised us real identities. Even if we are infected, he would allow us to live under the son and not executed or jailed, irefolk replied.
Is that so?
Kieran went into deep thought for a while before continuing his questions, Among those infected, how many important people are there? Or who do you think is important in the camp, tell me their names and their traits.
Yes, my lord. irefolk then spilled everything he was ordered to.
...
Further away from Kieran and co., a mountain peak that was quite a rare scene in Supreme Road appeared in sight.
The peak wasnt that absurdly high but extremely steep; some ces on the mountain was almost 90-degree walls.
The North camp of Burning Dawn was located right there.
The walls of the camp were built with sturdy rocks and every 10 meters of the wall, there was an archer tower on top. Other than that, the soldiers that had been through tedious training made the militia base camp look more like a fortified fortress.
Deeper inside the camp, a secret meeting was being held.
Three people attended the meeting and the host was none other than the second inmand, Deputy General Dilder.
He was quite tall but extremely slim. Despite his beard, leather mail, and the treasured sword on his waist, he didnt seem too valiant in presence.
Quite the opposite, his image looked more like a worthless person with an imposing attire, easily making oneugh but he himself didnt think do.
Dilder thought he had the valiantness and indomitable will that otherscked.
Using his seemingly steady gaze, Dilder sized up his two otherrades before slowly saying, Hows the n?
Still going smoothly! Most of them are willing to join us!
The deputy general in name of the South camp said with a smile but the general looked a little hesitant.
Isnt it too risky? He asked.
Risky? Everything has risks! If you dont take the risk, how can you seed? Dilderughed as he waved his hand.
But the risks are too big and there are not enough benefits to get us through. Did it ever cross your mind what would happen if the soldiers didnt get what they wanted? An uproar would be inevitable! The South camp general reminded Dilder.
When he heard the stern reminder, Dilder wasnt angry at all, instead heughed pleasantly.
In fact, he had been waiting for someone to ask him that particr question, after all, it was the part of the n where he was most fond of.
I need them to cause an uproar! If they dont, how can we escape unscathed? The slots his lordship promised arent that many, other than ourselves, we can at most heal a couple more, thats it. Dilder purposely lowered his voice but his delighted look was unconceble by any means. His thin face was expressing his disregard of the soldiers.
From the perspective of this noble old master, let alone the infected soldiers, even the whole of Burning Dawn was dead, it didnt really matter to him.
Although he was the soldiers superior, in name.
Are you sure we can join Golden City smoothly and still maintain our identity and positions?
The South camp general asked the one thing that he was most concerned about.
Of course, this is the promise between nobles! The most trustworthy promise you can find!
Dilder said with assurance.
Then, what about the envoy? What are you going to do with her? The South camp general asked again but this time, his face showed a wretched expression.
She is also one of the important trading goods! His lordship showed a great interest in her. Dilder then went towards the wine cer beside.
The South camp general swiftly put away his disgusting expression and sat properly again.
He knew what the mentioned lord represented. If his lordship showed interest in the envoy, he couldnt further show any weird thoughts about the subject, otherwise he would die without a proper burial.
Rx, we are partners in crime! Dont act like this!
Here, have a drink!
When we join Golden City, we can enjoy endless wealth and women, why would you care about a single one?
Dilder took a bottle of wine and sses from the cer. He poured a sweet wine for his two coborators before raising his wine ss.
Tomorrow at sunrise, it will be our moment of sess! Here is to our early sess! Cheers!
Ding!
After the clear noise from the wine sses, Dilder and his coborators drank the wine in a single breath.
The three of them showed a smile at each other and neither one of them noticed a ck figure went away in a sh outside the window.
Chapter 988 - Arrival at Camp
Chapter 988: Arrival at Camp
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Aisphany and Orderfell were sitting face to face.
As the general of Burning Dawns North camp, Orderfell wasnt young any more but likewise, as a noble, Orderfell nourished himself quite well. His skin were tight and shining, making him look younger than his actual age by quite a bit, in addition to his considerably fit body, it made Orderfell looked like a man in his prime.
I once killed a wolf the size of a mule, it left some scars on my body but its head is hanging above my wall now and is now one of my most precious spoils!
Orderfell started to boast his courageous act in front of Aisphany again.
It was the third time he told the story since both of them met.
Even if Aisphany was a excellent swindler and had shrewdness above others, the smile on her face was already frozen at the moment.
No one could ept a person telling the same old story repetitively, especially if the person was a man, a supposedly mature man!
If she didnt have further reliance on the general, she would definitely show him how she hated a fussy man.
Now?
The moment Ms. Swindler lifted her long golden hair and turned her eyes, her actions instantly captivated Orderfells attention.
Stupid piece of meat!
Aisphanymented on the general in her heart as she looked at him.
She showed another smile before saying, General Orderfell, we should pay more attention to Dilder and the others. It isnt the first time theyve held a secret meeting! They seem to be nning something from the day I arrived and now Im afraid they are at thest stage of preparing! Aisphany tried her best in reminding the general.
However, Orderfell didnt even care about the reminder.
Dont worry, Lady Envoy. I am fully prepared! As long as Dilder makes a move, I will give him more than he bargained for! Orderfell said with utmost assurance.
Seeing how Orderfell reacted, Aisphany gave up on thest hope of persuading him and started to think of a way out.
In fact, if it wasnt for the contract with Kieran, Aisphany would have left the moment she noticed something was wrong.
The first rule of Ms. Swindler, never ce herself in danger!
As for Kieran?
It was an ident, an ident because of the mimosa, Starbeck.
Whenever she thought about the harmless fe, Ms. Swindler really hoped that she could go back in time and steer herself away from Starbeck who seemed like a big fat sheep but instead, had a bunch of hungry wolves standing behind him. Aisphany originally wanted to earn something from Starbeck but as she stepped deeper, she realized her current situation was the worst that could happen.
The nobles inside Burning Dawn fighting for wealth and power, wolf gue wrecking havoc, the secret agent from Golden City...
Being sandwiched inbetween so much factions, a slight misstep would crush her to bits.
Oh right! And the idiot before her eyes!
Unconsciously, Aisphany took a nce ar Orderfell again.
When the general noticed Aisphany was looking at him, he stuck his chest up and made himself look stronger. However, from how Aisphany looked at him, Orderfell was nothing but a clown.
He thought he had everything under control but he didnt know everything he knew was what people wanted him to know.
Until now, Aisphany sort of understand why Orderfell wasnt infected with the wolf gue.
Given how low his intellect was, infected or not, he would not be a problem to the mastermind behind the scenes.
Or perhaps the wolf gue couldnt infect an idiot?
Aisphany was talking to herself in her mind and at the same time quivered because of the masterminds n.
The wolf gue had a specific targeting criteria and it already caused suspicion in Aisphanys heart a while ago. After a few test, the quick-witted Ms. Swindler had realized something was not right but what she couldnt understand was, the mastermind didnt even care about the consequences.
A bunch of infected Burning Dawn soldiers would of course destroy Burning Dawn from inside out but without the restrictions from Burning Dawn, the infected soldiers would roam freely and wreck havoc around Supreme Road like wild horses.
More so, it would even affect the whole Saint Cyanda region.
It wasnt just an rmist talk. Aisphany had closely observed the infecteds frenzied state before, the infected hadpletely lost their sanity and transformed into a bloodthirsty monster who only knew how to kill.
No, I must leave this ce! Even if it means viting the contract, there might still ways to make it up to him but staying here will get me killed soon! I will die a graveless death!
Aisphany started to brush Orderfell off since she had her own thoughts already.
General Orderfell, you suggested huntingst time right? I think its a great activity, why not we go for a hunt tomorrow? I wish to have an early rest for the hunt tomorrow as well, Aisphany said.
Very good! You take a good rest, Ill wait for you tomorrow!
Orderfell stood up with face of excitement before parting with Aisphany. The general of noble background really thought he moved Aisphany with his charms.
From the start till end, he didnt notice the contempt Aisphany was showing to him.
Likewise, he was so confident in his own arrangements and didnt even notice the big w inside.
When Orderfell left, Aisphany stood up and started to pack her things.
Despite getting less spoils than expected, at least she didnt have to leave empty-handed, especially since Orderfell did present her with a few decent essories, the kind that would rake in a high price in Dawn City.
Soon, she held a bulging pack in her hand.
However, until the veryst moment, Aisphany only realized her slightly retarded assistant, follower, Raulee was not in the room.
That damn piece of meat, where the hell did he get to at a time like this? She scolded her man softly and angrily but she didnt leave him behind.
She knew if she did, Raulee would die a graveless death.
The nobles might be retarded in some other aspects but they had a lot of inventions for interrogation that would numb ones skull and cause one to shiver without the cold.
Aisphany searched her ce for Raulee and eventually expanded her search area wider.
Seconds turned into minutes, minutes to hours.
Soon, the sunrays appeared on the east horizon.
Dawn was here, the sun would rise soon.
An unusual atmosphere started to appear around Burning Dawns base camp.
The sharp sensed swindler noticed something wasnt right and she quickly hid into a shadowy spot amidst her search.
Then, she saw Orderfell whose limbs were all tied up. The general was enraged and shouting non-stop.
His deputy, Dilder on the other hand was holding a longsword with a smile, standing in front of his superior.
I can kill you whenever I want but do you know why you could stay alive until now? Because I want those bastards to see your death, only by killing the general in name will I rob them of their path of retreat! Dilder lowered his voice at Orderfell.
You... Wuugggg...Uggggh!
Orderfell wanted to curse out loud but the moment he opened his mouth, Dilder stuffed his mouth with a cloth he prepared beforehand.
The broken piece of cloth was obviously some soldiers sock. It didnt just shut Orderfell up, it made him wanted to throw up endlessly.
Unfortunately, with his mouth stuffed, Orderfell couldnt really vomit, the vomit was forced back down his throat.
Bring him to the field, all the soldiers that pledge their allegiance to me can deliver a cut on his body. Those who did not follow me, bring them...
Walloon is back! He is back with the imperial envoy, 2567!
Dildersmand was interrupted by a scout.
He was stunned at first but soon he waved his hand, seemingly not concerned about Kierans arrival.
A couple moreing here to die, great, I can deal with them all together.
Come on! Let us wee the lord envoy, after all, we must show respect and a warm wee for someone who is about to die!
Dilder smiled as he ordered his men; he then led his men outside the camp gate.
Chapter 989 - Top of the Camp
Chapter 989: Top of the Camp
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Dilder arrived at the gate of the camp while being clustered by a crowd. He stood on top of the camp walls and looked down.
He recognized Walloon, however, he wasnt overly fond of the stubborn old bastard that shamed him multiple times.
Therefore, when Dilder was presented with the chance, he ordered the kill on Walloon using his own aide.
However...
A bunch of useless trash!
Dilder wasmenting on the aide, irefolk while the smile on his face got more natural.
Although Walloon escaped his death once, this time he would be dead for sure and it woulde from the hand of Dilder himself.
Once he thought about he could kill Walloon himself, Dilder couldnt help but feel joy in his heart. With the lingering joy, Dilder looked down at Walloon and Kieran who stood beside him.
Dilder frowned.
He heard countless rumors about the Burning Familys eldest peasant son.
Although Dilder was situated in the North camp which was around Supreme Road, he showed exceptional care regarding news from Dawn City since he was just another typical noble lord.
Even more so since Kieran was a well-known figure in Dawn City.
Outstanding physique, skilled in swordy, has mastery in medicine and knew a thing or two about astrology. Despite all his knowledge, the Burning Familys eldest peasant son had such amon appearance? Dilder couldnt help but shake his head.
Kieran whose face was normal and not overly handsome wouldnt fit the criteria of the beauty of a noble lord.
While Dilder who was exceptionally skilled in judging a person based on his looks had lost hisst bit of interest in Kieran.
Whatever, he is a dead man anyway. I wondered since you know a thing or two about astrology, do you know when youll die? His lordship is really looking forward to hanging your head on his wall! Dilders malicious thoughts filled his mind.
Then, with his pretentious manner, he said, Wee Envoy 2567!
Wee Envoy 2567!
Themand soldier repeated.
Voice after voice, they sounded like waves ovepping each other and spread down the mountain peak.
A group of soldiers raised their shields and hit them with their swords rhythmically.
Bang!
Bang Bang!
Bang Bang Bang!
As if it was a war song ying rhythmically on the walls.
Then, a group of twenty soldiers with crossbows silently appeared behind the soldiers with shields and with extremely hidden movements, they aimed the crossbows at the cradle beneath the wall.
No doubt when Kieran entered the lift, he would be greeted with a rain of arrows.
Not really an appropriate way to die but enough for a son from a peasant mother!
Dilder looked at Kieran who was getting closer to the lift, his mind was already picturing the image of Kierans horrible death.
Then within a blink of his eye, Kieran who was walking towards the lift vanished from his sight.
Huh? Where is he? Dilder was stunned but soon enough, he located Kieran again as... he turned around.
Crack!
As neck-snapping noises sounded, two more agonizing cries followed.
Aaaaaaah!
Aaaaaaah!
The South camp general and his deputy were kicked off the battlements by Kieran and as they crashed on the ground, their cries stopped abruptly.
The infected bodies would undergo huge property changes, their speed, power, and body would surpassmon soldiers by a lot but it didnt mean they couldnt die.
Once the impact went over a certain threshold, they were no different thanmon humans.
The sudden scene struck silence over the camp battlements.
The soldiers hitting their shields with swords stared at Kieran nkly; the soldiers with crossbows were at loss of what to do.
Werent they supposed to ambush Kieran?
How did the three generals die so easily?
Automatically, the swords and bows were aimed at Kieran on top of the wall.
As the des and arrows were pointed at him, Kieran stayed calm. He nced over the infected soldiers and said each and every word loudly, Warrior Kenda, you once faced a group of twenty robbers alone and by suffering severe wounds, the robbers were killed and the merchant group being robbed was saved.
Scout Edmond, you once faced the enver army of a ve trafficker from Golden City. He was calm, and decisive, not only did he sent the message back, he bought enough time for the main troops to fight off the enemies.
Lieutenant Reese, you are the most talked about because you are not afraid of the higher authorities. You are willing to stand up with yourrades when they are being unreasonably scolded by the noble generals.
And...
Kierans tone was almost t and not too loud but each and every word he uttered was clearly heard by the soldiers on the battlements. The mentioned soldiers were stunned, they looked at Kieran with an astonished gaze because they never thought the things they themselves had forgotten a long time ago would be mentioned by a stranger.
Your merits, your honor, will not be forgotten! The one who forgets is you! Time is a scary thing, it makes you forget about the vows you made when you joined Burning Dawn! It makes you forget the very first time your blood boiled! It will also make you run in the opposite direction of the convictions in your heart!
But some, will not be affected! At the outpost further away from here, the soldiers there were not like this. Even in death, they stood their position firmly, they upheld their responsibility, they fought the robbers with the weapons in their hand, they shielded the merchants and travelers with their shields, why? Because they knew they were bearing the honor, the duty of... Burning Dawn!
Amidst the zing me, the light of dawn wille and Saint Cyanda will never be dark!
Did you all forget about this? Look at the emblem on your armor, touch the tattoos on the back of your necks! The sun that rises up from the zing fire! It is branded on your neck to tell you, BURNING DAWN WILL NOT BOW!
He started off slow and steady and eventually turned sonorous and powerful. Kierans words struck the soldiers heart like rocks, making them unconsciously look down at the emblem on their armor, shields, and weapons.
They also unconsciously touched the tattoos on the back of their necks.
Their eyes felt heavy.
B-But... the wolf gue...
One soldier muttered almost instinctively.
His voice wasnt loud at all but the others heard him. Kieran turned his eyes at these particr soldiers and the soldier got nervous right away.
You are Perdal of Shatterstone? Kieran asked in a mild tone.
Yes, sir! The soldier answered.
I am now the sheriff of Shatterstone, a pitiful guy who gave up his family name in exchange for some chances that the noble lords think nothing of. They think that I am crazy, they made me out as an idiot but I did it! Because I wish to see where my ancestors fought! I wish to use my own strength to regain the glory of my ancestors! Are you willing to stand by me?
Kieran raised both his hands up as he talked; his left hand was burning with me while his right hand was shining with a white brilliance.
Burning!
Dawn!
The soldiers instantly replied with their cry of shock which sounded in session after one another.
However, the real shocking thin came after that.
They saw Kierans body turned bigger, his hands turned into ws and mouth bulging out; the ck crow mantle behind him turned into white fur.
A werewolf with me and light on his left and right hand respectively stood tall in front of the crowd.
You all are infected with the wolf gue! So am I but I am not willing to be the sacrifice of these noble lords in their game of fighting over wealth and power! I will save myself!
Now, soldiers, are you willing to stand by me?
Kieran in his werewolf form shouted loudly.
The soldiers looked at each other in hesitance and a whileter, Perdal stood out.
I am!
The soldier from Shatterstone Town replied loudly.
I am!
I am!
I am!
More and more soldiers stood out, voicing their willingness.
As they looked up to werewolf Kieran who didnt conceal his true form, each of them started to release the infected wildness and rage in their body.
Then, one after another, half-man half-wolf monsters filled the battlements of the camp.
Theyid down their weapons, surrounded Kieran as if he was their king and howled towards the sky.
Chapter 990 - Special
Chapter 990: Special
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Wolf howls were heard all around the battlements, it shook the wilderness around the entire camp.
Beneath the battlements, everyone else was dumbstruck at the white werewolf standing tall on top of them, including Walloon and Evie Dan.
Sharly was an exception though.
As I thought! My smell and instinct are correct, only a true...
Sharly muttered softly as she gazed the werewolf figure on top of the wall. Her eyes were glimmering with joy that she couldnt hold back.
Then...
Awhooooo!
A sharp howl sounded from beneath the battlements as well.
Sharly couldnt hold herself and transformed into her werewolf form as well.
Her reddish golden fur was shining brightly under the sun as if she was a royal ruby.
Without a second thought, Sharly in her werewolf form wanted to dash up the walls and stand side by side with Kieran but she was stopped by Evie Dan.
Move!
Sharlys graze eyes were also showing an extremely dangerous gaze at her rival.
She had never been so hateful of the female hunter like she was now.
Likewise, Evie Dan felt the same towards Sharly as well at that moment.
Didnt you hear? 2567 is infected with the wolf gue! He is not a real werewolf! Dont overthink your little wolf brain!
Evie Dan emphasized each and every word, especially thest part, it felt like a personal attack to Sharly.
Is that so? At least we both look more alike now! Sharly said without denying.
Its just temporary! I will heal 2567, and I will crucify that bastard that turned him into his hideous look and burn them alive! I am a woman of my word!
Evie Dans deration sounded powerful as if she was making a vow.
That is the matter for ater time, now MOVE!
Sharly didnt even care, she said with a restless tone while revealing her sharp ws.
It seemed like if Evie Dan held her back her any longer, Sharly would really strike her down.
The current situation was like a golden opportunity for Sharly and she would disregard all consequences to have her way.
Bring it on then!
A dagger appeared in Evie Dans hand. The sharp edge of her weapon represented her attitude towards her rival.
A fierce female fight would break out any moment but eventually, it didnt happen, because of Walloon.
Ladies, you do understand the consequences of brawling here right? Or do you not care about how his lordship feels about this? This is Burning Dawns base camp! Today is the day where his lordship truly takes over Burning Dawn, it is a special, important time for all of us and you two decided to fight at this day?
Maybe rage has crumbled your minds but I dont want to see any regrets after this. Think about it, if either of you can really stand beside his lordship together in the future, you will regret what you did here today! Trust me, that regret will be for life!
Walloon then headed towards the lift after saying.
He too didnt want to miss this important day.
As for the infected soldiers?
They were still the soldiers of Burning Dawn! He must treat all of them equally!
Evie Dan and Sharly unconsciously exchanged gazes after Walloon exined the situation.
Together? No way! You bitch!
Both of them red at each other before turning away with disgusted looks but thest part of Walloons words made them fantasize even more.
Standing beside him!
The beautiful imaginary scene made both of them jealous. They then quickly ran towards the lift as well.
It was natural that the run toward the lift wasnt courteous and peaceful.
Sharly pushed Evie Dan, Evie Dan overtook Sharly; both of them even knocked Walloons out of the way somehow.
Littlesses, how naive! Back in the day, I could at least get eight times thesses in a single night... Ouch!
Just when he was eximing about his past, he never thought he would be pushed away, plunging into the ground.
As he lifted his head up from the ground, he saw the twosses already in the lift and the lift was slowly climbing up the mountain.
Wait for me! Walloon yelled.
However, what he got in reply was the lift climbing higher, faster.
Gregori came over and looked at Walloon with an odd gaze.
Whats wrong? Walloon asked in confusion with his dirty face.
Next time, when you exim about the past, remember to keep it in your heart, no need to voice it out... and, those two arent just somesses.
Gregori showed a pitiful gaze at Walloon before he climbed up the walls himself.
I said it out loud? My old habits betrayed me again!?
Walloon was dumbstruck, he was at a loss of what to do next.
Meanwhile, on top of the battlements, General Orderfell was also at a loss of what to do when he saw Kieraning closer to him.
I am the imperial general! Sir 2567, you are also the imperial envoy so we are from the same side!
Orderfell who imed to be a valiant leader could only beg at this time but it was useless.
Kieran didnt pause his steps at all and what terrified Orderfell more was the gaze from the infected soldiers surrounding him.
Vicious and scary.
The soldiers of Burning Dawn were not too fond of Orderfell either, simr to Dilder, they hated him as well.
They hated the extravagant measures of the nobles and hated the filthy, disgusting treacherous fight over power and wealth.
If they could take out Orderfell, as long as Kieran gave the order, they would tear him apart without a second thought.
Thousands of killer gazes were fired at Orderfell. He wasnt Kieran, he didnt have a powerful Spirit attribute to sustain himself under such pressure. Despite his tenacious will, the general cried out loud.
Ill give you my position as general! Ill personally resign my post given to me by the king, his Majesty! Please, let me go! Spare me!
As he cried, he peed his pants.
Kieran suddenly paused his steps. Things were not as expected though.
He is just amon noble?
Kieran raised his hand as doubts lingered in his heart.
Souu!
[Dandelion Pierce] that flew out from the shadow grazed Orderfells neck. It only slightly cut his skin without inflicting any real wounds but he passed out right away, the genuine kind.
Kieran checked Orderfells condition before he frowned hard.
Brokers men easily infected Dilder and the two other South camp generals but they spared Orderfell alone? He should be someone special but now from the looks of it, he is really nothing.
Or... is there something special about him that he doesnt even know himself?
He needed more information to further specte.
While pondering upon the question, Kieran turned around and stared at the shadow close by.
Under his gaze, Aisphany walked out.
Ms. Swindler seemed to have delicately prepared her entrance, the slight breeze was blowing her dress and hair; her already beautiful features had an addedyer of purity under the sun.
Its been a while 2567.
Aisphany walked up to Kieran, pretending to be close with him.
It was really nothing to put up such an act for Ms. Swindler. Aside from any real contact with Kieran, even if she had to, with enough benefits from him, she would ept it as well.
Kieran in front her has fit all the criteria.
He took out the imperial general, gathered the hearts of the Burning Dawn soldiers and he himself was extremely powerful as well.
When all the criteria were put into an equation, Ms. Swindler was drooling over him as her eyes were glimmering, as if she was looking at a shining gold mine.
However, she felt two other killing intents behind Kieran.
Evie Dan and Sharly who jumped out the lift were staring at Aisphany who was standing in front of Kieran.
Evie Dans dagger was getting closer; Sharlys ws were all extended.
Aisphany was slightly stunned before she smiled.
Ms. Swindler was never worried about getting more parties involved.
The messier the situation, the more she would get out of it.
Therefore, Ms. Swindler didnt step back, instead, she walked up front, trying to stick herself beside Kieran without him noticing but after the first step, Kieran dodged aside.
Aisphany staggered right away with Kierans absence, she had to rely on her own strength to prevent herself from falling down on the ground. Still, it was enough to piss off Ms. Swindler who thought herself as thebination of beauty and brains.
Rage would make one forgetful of some facts, as it did to Aisphany.
She threw her scare and scruples towards Kieran away and red at him angrily.
However, up until that moment, she only noticed Kieran didnt even pay attention to her, not even a glimpse.
His was so concentrated at Orderfell who was unconscious on the floor with wet pants.
Chapter 991 - Head (2 in 1)
Chapter 991: Head (2 in 1)
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Dong, Dong Dong!
Kierans heart suddenly beat rapidly.
The gue Force that had been sleeping suddenly came alive because of the special power inside Orderfell.
The kind of power was disgusting and dreaded by others but for Kieran, it was a kind of hard toe by supplemental energy.
Now I see!
After realization struck his heart, Kieran raised his hand and ordered Gregori who came up to the walls.
Wash him clean, Kieran said.
Yes, my lord. Gregori carried out his task meticulously.
Two big pails of water were poured over Orderfell just like that.
Then, the general in name was woken up but the chills.
M-My lord, spare my life!
Orderfell cried the moment he saw Kieran in his werewolf form; Kieran frowned.
Kieran sensed that as the unconscious Orderfell woke up, the special energy inside his body vanished.
Not originating from his body but transmitted through?
Kieran thought for a while before continuing, Did you get in contact with any kind of wolf matters recently?
Wolf?
Orderfell was stunned. He unconsciously looked at Kieran and the infected soldiers around him.
His answer was more than obvious but his contemptuous gaze at the soldiers attracted angry replies and hostile res.
Im sorry! Im sorry! I didnt mean it! Orderfell crawled on the ground, apologizing repeatedly.
Aisphany beside him immediately rted to more.
2567, Orderfell said he killed a wolf before and he hung the head on his wall as spoils from the hunt. He kinda treated it is as his courageous achievement, Aisphany said.
Bring me to it, Kieran said.
Of course! My pleasure! Aisphany smiled before she turned around to Orderfells ce.
At the same time, Aisphany quietly took a nce at Evie Dan and Sharly, her eyes were showing an indescribable delight.
B***H!
Evie Dan and Sharly red at Ms. Swindler who was taking Kieran further away from them. A danger never before felt rose in their hearts.
Both of them exchanged gazes in tacit agreement.
Together?
Together!
After that shortmunication, the two of them who were trying to tear each other apart and found it impossible to get along had gotten together on the same side because of Aisphanys appearance.
We need a n!
A n specifically targeted at that b***h!
Evie Dan was like a ferocious feline hunting its prey; her eyes were glimmering with danger.
Mm. That b***h reeks of a fox! A cunning opponent! Sharly nodded and for the first time, she agreed with Evie Dans suggestion.
Both of them continued to talk softly.
Aisphany, on the other hand, brought Kieran to the biggest building in the North base camp.
The building was originally themand center of the North base camp but after the modifications from a few generations of imperial generals, especially by Orderfells hand, it was almost turned into a vacation vi.
It didnt just look bright and beautiful on the outside, it was luxurious on the inside as well; it was extremely eye-catching situated in the middle of a military camp.
Kieran couldnt help but frown when he nced over the vacation vi
My lord, its not me! Most of the modifications came from my predecessors! I just took it as s!
Orderfell saw Kierans furrowed brows, he quickly gave an exnation to clear his doubts however, his move of clearing his own doubts made him look extremely childish.
The soldiers behind Kieran couldnt help butugh at him one after another.
The waves ofughter told Kieran what the real situation was here.
I dont know how much military funds your people utilized to modify themand center into this outrageous form but I hope you can fill this hole and make use of it elsewhere.
Walloon, you are in charge. A penny less, Sir Orderfell here will have to take a p on the face; a silver coin less, he will have to lose a finger and if a golden coin less, I want one of his eyes, Kieran said slowly.
His tone was calm and cool as usual but decisive.
Orderfell didnt even have the courage to defend himself, he was afraid that once Kieran was unhappy with him, he would suffer a terrible end.
Yes, my lord, Walloon replied loudly before he looked at Orderfell with excitement.
He swore he would dig out all the military funds that Orderfell had taken from Burning Dawn over all these years. The soldiers around were delighted as well because they were the most direct benefactors.
Long live my lord!
Long live my lord!
...
Perdal of Shatterstone was the first to chant.
This soldier had an extra fondness for Kieran because he was the sheriff of Shatterstone and also infected with the wolf gue.
The other soldiers shared the same admiration and fondness as well. Aside from the infected soldiers, when themon soldiers saw the zing me and dazzling light, the conviction that was carved in their bones when they joined Burning Dawn allowed them to ept Kierans guidance easily. Even more so since Kieran showed an exceptional level of fairness towards everyone.
Roar!
[Lionheart] shook.
The heavy lion roar echoed in Kierans ears.
After a slight pause, it slowly faded off.
The roar from the pendant allowed Kieran to know how simple the soldiers were. All they got was their own things back, which they deserved from the very beginning and yet they were so excited over it and willing to pledge their loyalty to him.
Huu.
A deep breathter, Kieran thought he should do more for the soldiers.
Orderfell, write down the names of your predecessors. Its time for them to return the military funds they owe Burning Dawn, Kieran said.
Yes, yes, my lord! But some of them have passed away already. Orderfell nodded repeatedly without the slightest rejection.
To Orderfell, since he lucked out, he didnt want his predecessors to live a good life either, the more he could drag down with him, the better but somethings couldnt be altered, like death.
They died? How about their families? Even if their family ware all gone, what about their graves? Kieran asked back.
Understood. Orderfell wiped away the sweat on his forehead.
What a scary fe! Exactly the same as that other infamous stingy scrooge! Orderfell muttered in his heart.
But soon, Orderfell had to overturn the stingy scroogement about Kieran.
Remember, count the interest properly, the highest kind!
Yours included!
Kieran then walked into themand center as his voice entered Orderfells ears.
Looking at Kierans figure, Orderfell who thought he overestimated Kierans cruelness realized how naive and childish he was.
What stingy Scrooge? He was a vampire!
Orderfell almost cried out loud as he followed behind Kieran. He knew if the interest was added, he would be bankrupt in no time but he dared not refuse.
Death and wealth, which should he choose?
He was still smart enough to make the best decision but losing a big portion of his wealth hurt his heart badly. He felt more hatred for his predecessors now than ever.
A bunch of damn old fools! Im being ckmailed by this scary fe, you rats, dont think you can escape! Orderfell cursed viciously in his heart.
Then, he felt Kierans gaze in front.
Without Orderfells knowing, Kieran who was walking in front suddenly stopped and looked at him.
My lord, I didnt curse you! Orderfell said loudly when he caught Kierans gaze.
Then who are you cursing? Kieran asked.
Im cursing the other bastards, the previous generals... I really didnt curse you! Please dont look at me like that, I feel like I am being eaten alive!
This time, Orderfell really cried.
It was hard to imagine a grown man like him crying out loud in public. Orderfell who thought himself as a valiant person didnt think he would cry before either but somehow when he looked at Kieran, he felt like he was looking at a scary monster.
It wasnt Kieran in his werewolf form but even before his monstrous appearance. Following Kierans appearance at the walls, he felt like he saw a pitch ck monster with seven heads.
The monster did not roar, did not attack, all it did was stare at Orderfell silently.
It was because of the silent stare that Orderfell felt the pressure was breaking him slowly.
Kierans gaze was exactly like that monster he imagined.
Scary! Too scary!
Aisphany frowned as she nced over Orderfell, her gaze had a heavy sense of disdain.
She knew Orderfell was just an outwardly strong but inwardly weak straw bag, but she didnt know he would be this pathetic, he cried and got snot all over himself in front of Kieran!
How could a grown man be scared by a single gaze, what a d...
As she mocked Orderfell in her heart, she turned her eyes to Kieran.
Then, her mocking thoughts halted, she once again saw that pair of eyes that she thought she had forgotten; she once again felt the presence of death.
Unconsciously, Ms. Swindler also screamed out loud.
Aaaa! Donte near me!
Amidst her screaming, Aisphany ran outside themand center but before she even touched the gate of the building, drastic changes urred before her eyes.
The inner luxuriousness was gone in a sh, what reced the magnificent scene was wilderness.
Among the iron bramble filled wilderness, a giant emanating dazzling light was walking barefooted across the barrennds.
Its gigantic and thick feet stepped on the ground of the wilderness and the ground would shake and tremble. However, the sharp iron bramble then poked the giants feet.
Blood gushed out from the giants feet. The blood watered the iron bramble along the way and it swiftly softened it, withering it.
The giant continued forward with its pair of gigantic, thick feet which were already heavily damaged by the iron brambles.
The iron bramble on the road was getting lesser as it died off but it was also getting more dangerous.
A ck wild beast was watching from the dark. It breathed gue and witnessed famine; it brought diseases and caused death non-stop. Its target was the giant and likewise, the giants target was the ck beast as well.
A great fight broke out between the two in the wilderness.
The giant used its gigantic punch, crushing the ck beast bones one after another.
The ck beast used its sharp fangs and ws, tearing and ripping the giants skin.
But in the end, the giant came out on top, it decapitated the ck beast!
It was a wolf head!
The giant raised the wolf head high up, growling to the sky.
The giant was happy, excited after the close victory.
However, the giant did not notice thend that was bathed in the blood of the ck beast was subtly changing, nor did it notice its own shadow was starting to wiggle and distort.
Ms. Swindler noticed it though. She wanted to warn the giant out of instinct but she realized she couldnt utter a word. Despite yelling with all her might, not a single sound came out from her mouth.
On the hand, the wiggling, distorting shadow noticed her with its scarlet eyes.
Then...
A huge shadow threw itself over to Aisphany.
Nooooo!
The huge shadow then dissipated into nothing as the scenery before Aisphany changed again; she returned to themand center once again.
What happened? Illusion? What I saw just now was the Supreme God walking on the Supreme Road?
Her vast experience and knowledge plus the fact that she wasnt really an idiot allowed her to know what the illusion that she just saw was but it didnt make her feel any relief.
Especially when she saw Kieran going over to the wolf head hanging over the firece, Aisphany unconsciously thought of the ck beast in her illusion.
Nervousness filled her heart, it made her heart race a few times faster.
Dont touch that wolf head! She warned Kieran loudly.
But it was useless.
Kieran didnt care about the warning from Aisphany and took the wolf head down. He then carefully inspected it in his hand.
Aisphanys racing heart suddenly went silent when she saw Kierans actions.
She widened her eyes and covered her mouth as if a terrifying disaster was about to happen but...
Nothing.
Seconds turned into minutes as they flew by, Kieran was still carefully inspecting the wolf head while Ordefell was standing aside, shivering.
Just like before, nothing changed.
Am I just overthinking?
The scene before her eyes made her doubt herself but if it was really her overthinking, she would not believe it.
Damn it, what the hell happened? Aisphany asked herself repeatedly in her heart.
The curiosity grew heavier as seconds passed.
With the urge of curiosity, Aisphany wanted to get closer to Kieran, she also wanted to have a closer look at the wolf head and if it was possible, she had questions for Kieran.
But before she really moved, a voice came from behind her.
Dont move.
The voice was cold, calm yet it caused Aisphanys pupils to dte because it belonged to Kieran.
2567 is behind me? Then...Then who hell am I looking at? Another illusion?
A plethora of questions confused Aisphany mind, making her thoughts messy but she didnt take the risk to step out.
What should I do? Aisphany lowered her voice and asked.
Stay here, dont move. Kierans voice from behind replied.
On the other hand, the Kieran who was in front Aisphany, inspecting the wolf head seemed to have heard the little conversation. He turned around to Aisphany.
You think Im a fake? You do know whats behind you, right?
The Kieran opposite of her nced over her situation before he looked down at the wolf head, continuing his inspection.
Whats behind me?
WHAT IS BEHIND ME?
Aisphanys heart skipped a beat.
She wanted to turn around for a look but her neck was frozen, her muscles couldnt move.
The unknown was always feared and dreaded. Anyone who faced the unknown would be perplexed, lost, and wouldnt know how to react.
However, some were destined to be different, like Ms. Swindler, Aisphany here.
When her sanity was being invaded by fear, she still managed to find a solution to save her own ass.
Chapter 992 - Setups
Chapter 992: Setups
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
A dagger the the size of a finger was drawn out from Aisphanys sleeve.
It was one of the few weapons she hid on her, therefore it was meticulously crafted and very sharp.
Especially the narrow de body, it was as reflective as a mirror and it allowed her to take a clear look behind her without turning around.
However, when she finally got a look at what was going behind her, she was dumbstruck.
Grayish golden hair, shallow blue eyes, and those familiar features...
It was her! But not entirely her because the face she saw had aged a lot and would probably be a version of her a couple of decades in the future.
Under Aisphanys gaze, she was still aging by the second.
Gradually, the grayish golden hair lost its luster, the shallow blue eyes turned turbid and teeth fell out one after another. The awe-inspiring face of hers even wrinkled badly like a crushed citrus skin.
No!
A sharp screamter, she felt like he saw the most terrifying scene of her life. She then ran towards Kieran and Orderfell but the moment she lifted her feet, Kieran who was inspecting the wolf head turned to her in a smile.
The smile was cold, strange and eerie, causing Aisphany to shiver without actually being cold.
Even Orderfell beside him was growling like a beast suddenly but his growling was not as dreaded as the eerie smile in Aisphanys eyes.
Through the smile, she once again saw the past that she didnt want others to know about.
The days where hunger was constant and non-stop torturing from others was unbearable for Ms. Swindler.
Stupid girl, cant even steal a wallet!
Idiot, why the hell would you return the things you stole? If you pity them, why not pity yourself? You will know what real pity is for the uing week.
Useless trash, I should sell you to Old Derry instead of keeping you here.
...
The parents in her memories were flooding her mind like the rising tide.
When her memories started to y, her sight was already filled with blood.
The parents who scolded, tortured and threatened to sell her away died before her very own eyes.
Their bodies were tortured to death and left with only the skeletons.
Then, the two wobbling skeletons stood up.
Why did you kill me?
Why did you kill me?
The skeletons growled while Aisphany shrunk into the corner as her body trembled in fear.
Continuous changes before her eyes had dug up the biggest secrets in her heart. She was lost in between the limbo of reality and illusion.
Im sorry, Im sorry! I dont know whats going on! I really dont know! Sorry, sorry!
Aisphany buried her face in herp, crying and muttering ceaselessly while the skeletons of her parents got closer.
Then...
Pak!
Aisphany suddenly felt pain on her left cheek, the burning kind. She felt like she was pped by someone.
Dumbstruck, Aisphany looked up. The skeletons were nowhere to be found within her sight and all she saw was Kieran standing in front of her while the wolf head was still in his hand.
I was pped? He pped me? What was that all about?
Aisphanys mind was like a pile of messy goo, so confused that she couldntprehend what happened.
Then...
Pak!
Another clear noise sounded.
This time, Aisphany saw the process of Kieran pping her on the cheek with her own eyes.
However, seeing it didnt mean she could escape the p, so following her stinging left cheek, her right cheek was swollen as well.
Touching both her swollen cheeks, Aisphany who loved her beautiful face red at Kieran angrily.
You...
Youre awake? Stay quiet then.
Before Aisphany even finished, Kieran interrupted her with his cold and decisive tone.
Aisphanys intimidating re was forced to a stop, the words that she prepared to scold Kieran with were swallowed back just like that.
It wasnt just because of the hidden fear of Kieran in her heart, Aisphany also noticed the wolf head in Kierans head at that particr moment.
Ms. Swindler here had seen the wolf head more than once but what she saw was a sample, the decoration that was hung up on the firece but the one before her eyes right now was a live one.
Its eyes were cunning and ferocious; in its mouth was still lingered that red, barbed tongue, trying to consume Kieran but more importantly, the wolfs neck was tainted with fresh blood, as if it was snapped a moment ago.
Snapped?
Unconsciously, Aisphany remembered the scene in her illusion, the scene where the Supreme God defeated the Beast of gue and Famine.
Then, naturally, Aisphany went on recalling the changes of thend after bathing in the blood of the Supreme God and the Beast of gue and Famine; also, the twitching and distortion of the Supreme Gods shadow.
Aisphany looked at Kierans shadow and she realized Kierans shadow was twitching and distorting as well.
Careful!
Unlike the helplessness she faced in the illusory realm, this time, Aisphany was able to warn him loudly. However, Kieran turned a deaf ear to the warning, he waspletely focused on inspecting the wolf head in his hand as if he found some precious treasure.
The twitching and distorting of the shadow was getting fierce.
Aisphany knew, once the scarlet eyes opened, things would be too far gone for redemption. She clenched her teeth and the small dagger appeared in her hand again.
Its not that I want to save you but if you die, I will suffer a heavy loss!
Aisphany dashed towards Kieran while finding an excuse for herself but again, the moment she took a step out, she noticed something different again.
She was dashing in the opposite direction of the door and window and based on the sunlight that shone through, she would have a shadow of herself on the ground right now but instead, there was nothing.
What the hell?!
A bad feeling appeared in her heart and right away, her bad feeling came true.
An irresistible force of restraint appeared on her, immobilizing herpletely.
Then, Aisphanys shadow rose from the ground and took form before her. Its scarlet eyes had endless killer intent and ferocity but surprisingly, the Shadow Aisphany didnt strike its own body but looked at Kieran who was duly looking at the wolf head.
Hehehe, as expected of the one being watched, until this very moment, he still can be so calm. But do you think you can suppress my shadow bying here?
The heavyughter of a man came from Shadow Aisphany instead.
Suppress? Did you think I didnt notice the difference when Aisphany coincidentally delivered the message on behalf of Starbeck? Or did you think I would neglect the coincidence of Sharly and Evie Dans appearance? Or perhaps, you think your trap is... smart?
Kieranughed as well.
He swung his hand up and down and following the movement, the wolf head in his hand swiftly withered.
Chapter 993 - Dangerous Malicious Intents
Chapter 993: Dangerous Malicious Intents
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Har? What did you do?
As the wolf head withered, Shadow Aisphany screamed in agony.
The force of restraint on the real Aisphany vanished in an instant; she then ran towards Kieran right away.
It was easy for her to tell which ce was safer and which ce was more dangerous.
Simrly, she also realized someone had done something to her body.
Damn it! That mimosa sheep really has some terrifying bastards around him! Other than this wolf-like dangerous bastard, there is still someone that can control shadows!?
Aisphany kept thinking her vast experience waspletely ineffective against Starbeck the mimosa nt.
That guy is really a freak in a special case! Aisphany cursed Starbeck in her heart.
Then, her mind spun rapidly while trying to solve the situation before her sight.
I was used! Evie Dan and Sharly were also purposely arranged by this shadowy bastard? So that he could lure 2567 here? So that means... that wolf head is the final piece of the trap... Huh?!
As Aisphany was guessing in her mind, she looked at the wolf head in Kierans hand but when she did, she was stunned.
Before this, the slightly withered wolf head was still quite fresh but now, it was withering faster than before and within a breaths time, it turned into a piece of rotten wood.
On top of the wood were a few long fangs; maggots as big as a thumb were falling to the ground.
Each time a maggot fell, Shadow Aisphany would scream in agony.
When thest one fell off, Shadow Aisphany was limping on the ground, the materialistic shadowy body even started to fade.
How is this possible? Why is the gue not working on you!? I bred this from the blood of the Beast of gue and Famine, even for a rank III yer, they would be weakened!
Why!? Why are you fine?!
Shadow Aisphany shouted loudly in unwillingness.
Beast of gue and Famine eh?
Kieran got his hand on a piece of valuable information from the shadow.
His attitude however further infuriated Shadow Aisphany.
You think youve won? This is just a beginning! Ill...
While Shadow Aisphany was still moring, Kieran had lost his interest in the being because it wasnt really the target he was prepared to deal with.
This is just a trigger to activate the trap. Its intellect and thoughts are greatly decreased because of its shadow form. Other than activating the maggots bred from the Beast of gue and Famine, its totally useless.
Kieran shook his head and raised his hand.
Gluttony who was restless for a while turned into a gale and threw itself towards the shadow. Shadow Aisphany was then devoured into eternal darkness.
Kieran didnt care about the agonizing screams and tearing noises in the shadow, instead, he turned his attention to the [Knights of gue Body Tempering Art].
In that little moment before, his body automatically absorbed the gue Force from the blood of Beast of gue and famine and rapidly grew. Hence, the [Knights of gue Body Tempering Art] was leveled up from Grand Master to the Musou level in an instant.
[Name: Knights of gue Body Tempering Art (Musou)]
[Rted Attribute: Constitution]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effect: After going through a dangerous start, you have learned the body tempering art that people dreaded, Constitution +6 (Basic +1, Entry +1, Master +1, Pro +1, Grand Master +1, Musou +1)]
[Special Effect: 1. Absorb gue; 2. Release gue; 3. Tenacious Body]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Constitution A]
[Remark: This is the origin of the gue, it has limited benefits to you but it bears a destructive power.]
[Note: You have acquired this skill through learning, not through a Skill Book. Therefore, you cannot upgrade it with Points and Skill Points. If you want to level it up, you will need to continue learning or acquire a Skill Book!]
...
[Absorb gue: Absorb gue energy at a decent speed]
[Release gue: Release gue energy at a decent speed]
[Tenacious Body: Gains +4 buff on any Constitution authentication]
...
The leveling up of the [Knights of gue Body Tempering Art] didnt just strengthen gue Force, all the effects and attributes were enhanced to the next level and the most direct one was the Constitution enhancement.
From ZZ rank to ZZ+ rank Constitution, it allowed Kieran to clearly feel his body getting stronger.
Eh?
Suddenly, Kieran lowered his gaze of shock at his feet.
The changes of the [Knights of gue Body Tempering Art] werent enough to shock Kieran because it was all expected. What shocked him was the power of the curse that he dreaded appearing again.
This time, it was much more fierce, more hidden than the previous encounter.
If it wasnt for his powerful Spirit attribute, Kieran wouldnt have noticed the changes.
Of course, once noticed, the power of the curse would not seed, simr to the previous time.
The arrogant Devil Force tore it apart directly.
The rampant Cardinal Sins Force devoured it again while Dawn Force washed away the residue in his body.
The power of the curse was removed without anything left behind but he wasnt really happy in his heart.
This was because he clearly felt this removal of the curse was much tiring than the first time and the difficulty even was multiplied a few times.
At the same time, Kieran too felt a sense of malicious danger that came from right underneath the ground where he stood. It stung his back like needles and made him very ufortable.
As expected, there is really something wrong with this ce!
If during the first encounter with the power of the curse, Kieran was still wondering whether it was Brokers mens handy work or if it came from Supreme Road, after this second encounter, he was assured. Kieran was certain the power of the curse came from Supreme Road itself.
Following the confirmation, some doubts that had been troubling him were solved right away.
No wonder the other yers kept using their men, clones, and shadows to fight in an extremely restraint manner! Other than testing each other out, it is also because of the anomaly around Supreme Road! Anyone who utilized power above a certain threshold would be targeted by the curse!
A series of malicious gaze gushed towards Kieran like the rising tide, it made him frown in difort as his sharp Spirit sensed it all.
Fortunately, soon enough the malicious intents ceased. The ground beneath his feet returned to its normal form but from how Kieran looked at it, it was the calm before the storm.
Besides, Kieran wasnt a person who was used to staying in the passive site, he called out, Orderfell.
M-My lord, Im here!
Orderfell strode over to Kieran without even reacting to what happened.
Bring me all the information you can get on Supreme Road! Kieran ordered.
Yes, my lord. Orderfell nodded before running towards his study room.
Perhaps not all nobles would be knowledgeable people but they would certainly have a sufficient amount of book collections, Orderfell was no exception either.
He moved pile after pile of books that contained information, drawings, or the slightest mention of Supreme Road to Kieran.
He made atst 10 trips back and forth from his study room and when all the moving was over, Orderfell was panting, limping on the floor.
Meanwhile, in the room, Kieran and Aisphany didnt even bat an eye at the useless Orderfell.
Kieran started to go through the books while Aisphany looked at him in confusion.
What? What is going on? Aisphany asked in a puzzled expression.
Kieran didnt reply, all he did was nce at her in dissatisfaction.
The meaning of his nce was obvious and it sort of angered Aisphany.
Kieran was the second man who was immune to her beauty.
The first one was rted to Kieran, the sheep-like mimosa was also immune to her charms.
What is wrong with these two? Are they actually blind?
Angered, Aisphany thumped her feet and went out of themand center but before she opened the door, it was opened from the outside.
Her servant, the assistant who has been missing for almost the whole trip, went in.
Raulee! Where have you been? Did you know... Huh? Who are you?
Aisphany was scolding her stupid servant as usual but before she finished, she noticed something wrong about Raulee.
Chapter 994 - Raulee
Chapter 994: Raulee
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
After a heavy growl, Aisphany stepped away from Raulee.
The big fellow before her had the same face and physique as the Raulee that Aisphany remembered but his temperament was something entirely different.
In Aisphanys memory, Raulee was more bullish and simple but the Raulee before her wasnt just smart, he acted like a gentleman as well.
It struck her as a husky that had evolved into an alpha wolf.
Aisphany wasnt blind or an idiot. Since young, she had been through many things and it allowed her to have multiple guesses in her mind right away.
A slight sense of formless energy even started to gather on her hands.
I am Raulee. I am sorry that I have been keeping it a secret from you but I had no other choice back then. While I was under someones gaze, other than acting like a fool, I couldnt even leave Dawn City.
Raulee bowed at Aisphany with an apologetic face.
Leave Dawn City? You used me!?
Aisphany recalled the process of running into Raulee, indeed there were coincidental points but she was fooled by the dumb act back then. Besides, a fatmb, Starbeck was before her eyes, therefore she didnt even notice anything unusual.
Nowe to think of it, it was all Raulees n!
When the thought came into her mind, her beautiful, delicate features showed a sense of anger from embarrassment. The anger came from the lies from a trusted person and also anger towards herself.
However, her anger out of embarrassment turned into taking pleasure from anothers misfortune.
Well, I dont need your apologies. The one you need to apologize to is 2567 over there. The harmless and innocent guy that you used to approach me is 2567s good friend.
Aisphany said in a vague manner but the shine in her eyes showed that thisdy will not let Raulee off just like that.
She wanted to teach Raulee a lesson through Kierans hand but her thoughts ought to disappoint her soon.
Kieran was still going through the books he got from Orderfell, he didnt even listen to what the two of them had said.
He used your good friend to get here! Aisphany purposely heightened her voice.
Kieran, however, wasnt moved at all.
You bastard, are you purposely on to me now? Why the hell did you act like you wanted to kill me when I tried to get some benefits from that littlemb but Raulee did all this and you didnt even care? Aisphany said in a very angry tone.
Amidst the infuriated mood, the nickname Aisphany gave Starbeck even slipped out from her mouth.
Mimosa, not a littlemb, Kieranid his book down as he looked at Aisphany, saying in a serious manner.
Yes, yes, mimosa whatever. Tell me, why? Aisphany asked in dissatisfaction.
Because, I know the mimosa, so I know he wont reallymit acts that will actually hurt him but you, on the other hand, are different. The way you do things is enough to greatly put Starbeck in harms way.
Kieran took a nce at Raulee before he looked at Aisphany.
He wontmit acts that will actually hurt him? He JUST admitted lied to me, used me! Dont tell me liarse in different forms! Aisphany was getting more and more upset.
She felt like she was being discriminated against.
Come on, she also had her own code and honor okay?
She always helped the poor and upheld justice for the wrongfully used.
What she did could be considered at the golden standards of the protagonist of some novels.
Why the hell was she described as an evil stepmother in front of this rude bastard?
Because she imed some fee from that littlemb?
Damn it! Bastard!
Aisphany was cursing non-stop and she swore that if Kieran didnt provide her with a reasonable exnation, she would really show him what she was capable of.
Although Kieran was powerful and his attitude was extremely poor, it didnt mean everyone around him share the same power level.
She also dared not touch the littlemb but she couldy her hands on the other two women that fought like cats and dogs behind Kieran all the time. She had the confidence to incite a brutal fight between those two stupid women, hence causing trouble to Kieran.
Of course liars had different forms. You lie for benefits but he lied for his duty.
Am I right, sir imperial envoy? Kieran then looked at Raulee again.
Raulee who maintained his noble-like presence from the moment he appeared was stunned and astonished by Kierans words. He never thought Kieran would know his true identity.
Aisphany, on the other hand, widened her eyes and looked up and down at Raulee with her inconceivable gaze.
Youve seen me before?
No, it shouldnt be. Even in the imperial household, my presence is well hidden. Even the Grand Duke of Dawn and the Burning Marquis have never seen me before, let alone you, the peasant eldest son of Burning Family!
I apologize if I said it in a rude manner, I didnt mean any offense, but may I ask where I showed my ws?
Raulee first questioned Kieran out of curiosity but the moment he asked, he shook his head and he stared at Kieran with a confused look.
Her.
Kieran pointed at Aisphany.
M-Me?
Aisphany also pointed at herself. The sudden news caused her already widened eyes to be filled with disbelief.
Yes. You swindling normal people is fine but its almost impossible for you to infiltrate a military camp like Burning Dawn, despite its messy state. Besides, your words just now proved the point as well. It is Raulee who tempted you to pose as the imperial envoy and thanks to him, you used the identity quite smoothly. At first, I thought you had some other channels but...
Kieran stared at Aisphany. He didnt continue but the meaning from his gaze was self-exnatory.
His self-exnatory gaze, however, made Aisphany even angrier.
Every official document, letter and family seal that I forged is the most authentic there is!
Aisphany couldnt help but defend herself.
Of course, so authentic that Raulee had to carefully switch it with his and try not to let you realize, Kieran said.
He then didnt further pay attention to Aisphany and her expression of trying to bite Kieran, instead, he turned to Raulee.
So then... sir imperial envoy, can you tell me what are you doing here? Dont tell me you came for Burning Dawn. Based on what I know, the Saint Cyanda imperial household and Burning Dawn dont exactly get along well.
Kierans gaze didnt just nce over Raulee this time, he really focused his gaze on the imperial envoy. On top of that, Kieran didnt n to reserve his presence either.
It was natural that the rampant, chaotic, and wicked presence formed over the imperial envoy like a formless energy field.
Instantaneously, Raulees body shivered and sweat covered his forehead.
However, he clenched his teeth and managed to say, I am here to save you, to save the Burning Family!
Chapter 995 - Little Brother
Chapter 995: Little Brother
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran had seen a lot of negotiation tactics.
The fight over the smallest trifles during deals in real life; natives trying to outwit each other in the dungeon world and yers trying to plot against each other in the big city. All of them had negotiation tactics in y.
Amongst all of those, Kieran was most familiar with the one the imperial envoy, Raulee, was using: overwhelm opponents by showing his advantages, or more precisely, bluffing or frightening.
As long as one has a big title to overwhelm their opponent, everything would turn out smoothly after that but for that to really work, there was a single condition: the title had to be real or have backing, not pure lies!
Therefore, what Raulee imed should be true, but how true?
It really depended on Kierans judgment.
So, Kieran presented a cold reaction and didnt really care about what Raulee said.
He even tried to push Raulee with his words, in an attempt to find ws in Raulees ims.
Save me? Save the Burning Family? This isnt our first meeting, right? Thest time you saw me in Shatterstone Town, you were still in your dumb escort disguise and didnt even state your true intentions. Now, you are telling me you are here to save me? Based on what I see, there is only one exnation, you need Burning Dawn yourself!
Kieran stared at Raulee as he spoke and thetter smiled bitterly with a nod.
Thats right, I need Burning Dawn but saving you and your family is also the truth.
Raulee tried to speak in the most sincere manner possible.
What happened in Dawn City? The imperial household of Saint Cyanda cant even protect Dawn City now? Kieran didnt really buy what Raulee said.
Just like what he said before, Burning Dawn and the Saint Cyanda imperial household did not exactly get along well.
Even from a certain point of view, both sides could be considered each other enemies as well, it was just that none of them would drop all pretenses in their shallow rtionship.
Under such a rtionship, an imperial envoy from the Saint Cyanda imperial household imed that he wanted to borrow Burning Dawn to save the Burning Family?
Not even an idiot will believe him.
Therefore, saving the Burning Family should be a facade and Raulees real intention was to save Saint Cyanda instead, while the former was just a step along the way.
Mm. Something happened in Dawn City and we need to rely on outer forces to solve it and Burning Dawn is the only reinforcements we can think of.
Raulees face looked bitter while being questioned by Kieran but he had to admit the facts.
I see. Kieran nodded before he took a hard turn on the topic.
But... what does that have to do with me? What does the well-being of Saint Cyanda and the Burning Family have to do with me? Ive used my family name to exchange for what I want, as far as my name is concerned, I am no longer the peasant eldest son of Burning Family. Now, I am just amoner.
Kieranughed coldly as he spoke, as if everything didnt matter to him.
If anyone was familiar with Kieran was around, they would realize Kieran was demanding a lot more from the bargain but as far as he was concerned, there was no one around Kieran who was familiar with his style.
All the others saw was how cruel Kieran was to his enemies and how cold he was to the people around him, even for the closest ones, he would just show an extra smile out of courtesy.
When all of those were surrounding the fact of how powerful Kieran was, it instantly formed an extremely alluring outlook.
In fact, it was exactly what Kieran needed.
A kind and enthusiastic person in an unfamiliar environment with strangers was always weed, including by those bad people.
When Kierans third working sry was cheated from by someone with a great smile, he had learned to maintain a certain level of coldness in him.
The same went for in the big city of the game and the dungeon worlds, at most he would add some extra actions to his character out of the necessity to y his role.
Sir 2567! I am sorry that you left your family but you are still a citizen of Saint Cyanda and when the countrys well-being is at risk, you should stand bravely as her shield!
Raulee said with a loud voice and a serious face.
Yes, of course, we need to be Saint Cyandas shield, blocking the country from harms way. Then, why didnt you ask Saint Cyanda the VI, why he ordered the transfer of the Grand Duke of Dawn and the Burning Marquis away from this base camp, causing them to die of depression in Dawn City?
Why didnt you ask the VII, why he ordered the siege on Golden City with Burning Dawn soldiers? Each attempt of the siege was suicidal for them and the eventual wounds even killed off the soldiers that had been through many wars!
Why didnt you ask the current king, his Majesty, why he would send some imperial generals to screw up Burning Dawn into this foul state!
DID YOU?
Kieran voiced his questions loudly and was getting louder as he spoke. Thest sentence even became a loud growl without holding back, it shook the roof and walls of the building.
The growl shook Raulees face, causing him to step back a few steps; the growl also shook Orderfell who was crawling on the ground with his shivering body.
It also shook Aisphany and caused her eyes to shine. It was the first time she heard someone question the kings statement, the fresh new feeling made her stiffen her ears.
Kieran shifted his gaze between Raulee and Orderfell, his voice then returned to normal, saying, Raulee, you are no different than Orderfell in my eyes, you know?
Both of you used your identities and positions to suck benefits out of others. Do you dare swear that the reason you took up the envoys position is just purely for Saint Cyandas sake and there wasnt a bit of thought about getting rewards after you seeded?
No answer.
Raulee opened his mouth a few times but not a word came out because what Kieran said was the truth.
The reason why Raulee took the risk to venture around Supreme Road was mostly because after this crisis was over, he would be rewarded. He didnt trulye here out ofpassion and so-called justice.
Did Raulee consider bluffing Kieran?
He did but whenever he saw the gaze Kieran used to stare at him, the thoughts vanished.
Coldness filled Kierans gaze and if Raulee bluffed whatsoever, the coldness would materialize and decapitate him without a second thought.
Although it might be just a possible oue, he dared not take the risk.
Raulee kept taking in deep breaths when he was stared at by the cold gaze.
It wasnt just because the killer gaze pressured him immensely, he also wanted to adjust his thinking, trying to find more reasons to persuade Kieran.
However, after some deep thought, he didnt find any effective way to do so, except for...
Raulee, however, didnt want to resort to that particr matter because he knew if he were to use it against Kieran, the rtionship between them would definitely fall below freezing point; he will not have the chance to redeem it anymore.
But...
After many thoughts, Raulee eventually clenched his teeth as he decided to take the final risk.
Raulee himself was actually an adventurous person, otherwise, he wouldnt have left Dawn City which seemed to be at peace on the outside.
So you dont even care about your younger brother now? Sir Starbeck is still in Dawn City! Once Dawn City undergoes drastic changes, as Burning Dawns second son, Sir Starbeck will surely be caught in it. However, you dont have to worry, my men are always around Sir Starbeck, protecting him from harm all the time, you...
BANG!
Before Raulee even finished, Kierans bootsnded on his face.
The imperial envoys teeth were all broken and he was sent flying outwards, crashing onto the fields outside.
Gregori, interrogate him for me! I want to know everything that is in his brain!
Kierans voice sounded from themand center when the imperial envoynded on the field.
Pain and dizziness filled Raulees body, he couldnt believe Kieran would strike him immediately.
He knew it would be dangerous but not to this extent.
Starbeck is much important than we thought he was!
Raulees heart had such a guess after he suffered the kick but right away, he couldnt care about that anymore.
Gregori who got Kierans order was striding over to him with a vicious smile.
Chapter 996 - Info
Chapter 996: Info
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
When Gregori started his interrogation on Raulee, Burning Dawn camp swiftly returned to normal.
Most of the infected ones were extremely well-known or they themselves were originally the low, medium-rank officers. It wasnt really hard for them to take over Burning Dawn camp.
Especially when Walloon dered that what happened was all part of Dilders scheme, the soldiers held no grudges against each other.
In the eyes of the normal soldiers, Dilder and his men who pocketed their pay were the vampires, the viins. The ones opposed the viins were obviously the good ones, let alone the good ones were once brother-in-arms that fought side by side with the normal soldiers.
The wolf gue was fearful but the brotherhood from the past still remained strong.
Unlike the calctive nobles, the simple soldiers didnt have qualms against each other. A simple greeting and a hug corrected the course back to normal.
Walloon who was carrying a big pile of official documents was shuttling through camp. When he felt the liveliness that he had never seen before in the camp, he even hastened his steps.
The major knew what changes Burning Dawn had been through.
Kieran.
Therefore, no matter whatever Kieran ordered him to do, the major would give his best effort to fulfill it.
My lord, this is what you requested, all the official documents about Burning Dawn for the past year! The documents of the darkness incident 12 weeks ago are on the top of the pile. Ive questioned more men about that and did an analysis about the losses, everything is written inside.
Walloon was reporting like a responsible subordinate.
Although there still wasnt an official deration from Dawn City stating Kierans position, Walloon had already assumed Kieran had taken over Burning Dawn. Even without an official deration and another general being sent here, so what?
Walloon unconsciously looked at Orderfell at the corner of the hall, writing swiftly like a real secretary.
After all these years, Burning Dawn would change as well.
Mm. Orderfell, hurry up. I need you to calcte the military funds and give it to Walloon.
Kieran nodded before he told Orderfell.
Right away, my lord, right away!
Ordefell looked up to Kieran with a ttering smile while his hand was still writing non-stop.
Being able to survive was more important than anything for Orderfell.
Let alone Kierans secretary, he could do anything for Kieran without any dissatisfaction as long as he could breathe.
Just when Orderfell hastened his calction of the military funds that he owed, Gregori fully tainted with blood walked into themand center.
The stenchful blood from Gregori shook Orderfell, he buried his head deeper and calcted even faster.
He didnt want to suffer a beating from the bloody man since the interrogation room was just beside themand center.
Raulees agonizing cry was still echoing in Orderfells ears and it made him curse his predecessors even more, for what reason did they build an interrogation room right beside themand center.
Bunch of sick psychos! Ill make sure you bastards pay the price!
Orderfell then doubled the debt of his predecessors, he didnt believe anyone would be able to tell the difference and even if he was exposed of performing such lousy act, he had excuses for himself.
Or in other words, even if someone exposed him, would anyone around the camp me him for that?
The soldiers wished his predecessors would drop dead, Orderfell included.
So the noble general tried to be as careful as possible while keeping an ear out of what was going on.
My lord, that guy is a spineless coward. He told me everything after a simple workout.
12 weeks ago on a dark night, Saint Cyanda the XI went missing and the eldest price who got the news first hand tried to cover it up. However, following several royal officers, including a chief maiden that sided with the second price, the news got out and they couldnt cover it up anymore. Still, the news only leaked within the imperial household. Raulee is one of the second princes men, he nned to use his name to transfer Burning Dawn soldiers back to Dawn City to force the eldest price to back down.
Gregoris words made everyone furrowed their brows except Kieran.
They never thought such an imperial affair was going on in Dawn City.
Saint Cyanda XI was missing!
Compared to his valiant and wise ancestors, Saint Cyanda XI might not stand out like others but he still had quite a good reputation among the people.
At least, there was no tyranny or sudden increase in taxes.
Kieran tapped the handle of his chair and frowned slightly.
He wasnt surprised by what was going on in Dawn City or the affairs in the imperial household. All was within his expectations since Raulees appearance allowed him to rte to more.
What surprised Keiran was the time period where Saint Cyanda XI went missing and where Burning Dawn was assaulted were extremely close. It made Kieran doubtful of the two incidents since he never believed in coincidences.
Kieran then pressed the topic.
What else?
Other than that, the bastard also hid the affiliation between Dilder and Golden City. He thought he could escape my eyes, so I let him experienced the pain of a broken rib. He then honestly revealed that Didler and the others didnt just want to cause a mess in Burning Dawn, they also nned to aid Golden City in a military take over of Burning Dawn.
The envoy bastard didnt want to care about this since he imed that he prioritized Dawn City. Since he is being a lousy captive, I couldnt help but broke another of his ribs, Gregori answered honestly.
Meanwhile, Walloon who was standing beside was enraged as his face blushed. If he didnt straighten his priorities, he would rush over to the interrogation room and broke few more of Raulees ribs.
Nicely done. Dont forget to break a few more rib bones on behalf of me and Walloon here. I also need more detailed information on Dawn City from him as well.
Kieran gave his order to Gregori after a quick nce at Walloon.
Understood, my lord!
Nothing was more delightful and pride-inducing than being able to help Kieran.
Especially when Kieran praised him, Gregori was overjoyed and he almost sprinted out themand center at full speed.
Everyone knew Raulee would suffer a lot but no sympathy was spared.
A traitor was despicable.
If that was the case, how much would Raulee who was selfish and disregarded others life and death allow others to suffer for his benefit?
Even Orderfell showed contempt for Raulee in his heart.
The three otherdies who were eavesdropping on themand center shared the same thought as well.
Evie Dan and Sharly verbally attacked Aisphany together.
So this is your assistant cum servant?
Having such treacherous servant, no wonder 2567 looked down on you!
He never thought what consequences would be waiting for him right?
No, no, no, he should have thought of it but he didnt care!
What a selfish and treacherous bastard!
The cat and dog started to attack the fox.
I was lied to as well! I didnt know Raulee was such a bastard!
Aisphany looked bitter and started to put up her act. The gears in her heart were spinning fast though as she tried to shift the topic.
Naturally, Aisphany sighed right after that.
I really want to help 2567 in dealing with Golden City but Im too weak and Im alone...
Before she finished, Aisphany noticed the shine in the cat and dogs eyes.
Then, the cat and dog left with lousy excuses.
A bunch of hunters along with werewolves and a group of Burning Dawn soldiers...
Aisphany looked at Evie Dan and Sharlys backs, somehow she started to feel sorry for the enemies from Golden City.
However, right away, Aisphany remembered what she must do: im the credit!
She was the one who helped Kieran solve the big problem, how could she not be rewarded?
It didnt matter even if she didnt move a finger in the process because the oue would not change.
Adjusting her mood and body, as if she was really a fox wagging its tail, Aisphany then walked into themand center.
Chapter 997 - The So-called “Battle Tactics”
Chapter 997: The So-called Battle Tactics
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
A moment before Aisphany came in, Walloon was still suggesting to Kieran.
My lord, I think we should retract our line of defense. Call back all the soldiers from the outpost since this base camp is the best strategic location to stop the enemies from Golden City!
Of course, we cant let them ride here smoothly either, I also suggest we send a group of riders and disturb them along the way! We dont need to kill or wound, just exhaust them to reduce their speed so that we can have more time. Although the possible reinforcements wont be much, one more is better than one less!
Fortunately, our resources are quite sufficient. Even if our numbers were doubled, we can survive for another month without any outer supplies.
Walloon exined in detail while pointing at the borate map.
It wasnt that he didnt trust Kieran but quite the opposite, he hoped he could execute the strategies wlessly.
Only a victorious and powerful general was loved by his men.
Mm. You proceed with your suggestions. Then, send two groups of men out, one to Dawn City with a request of reinforcement in my name. The other group will search the area around the camp, I need them to locate a guyrger than amon man. Remember, send someone with decent strength and vignce, Kieran said.
He didnt object nor agree to Walloons suggestion since he had his own thoughts.
After knowing the changes in Dawn City, Kieran didnt n on lingering around Supreme Road for long.
Not only because of Starbeck, but it was also because Brokers men should be standing by in Dawn City. The series of changes in Dawn City in recent weeks should all be rted to that particr one.
However, it was just some wild guesses, Kieran needed to verify them.
So, he must send a letter to Dawn City, requesting reinforcements.
He hoped to find out whether Brokers men were really there by the response.
Also, Darde the Titan!
Kieran also dared not underestimate this opponent.
From the information he got fromwless, it allowed Kieran to know Darde was a grumpy, bloodthirsty fellow, but this time, he had been quiet for quite some time.
At first, Kieran thought the moment he showed himself, Darde woulde up to him for a duel, disregarding the consequences but now, Darde was unusually quiet.
The unusualness made Kieran heighten his vignce.
A man suppressing his killer nature was like a spring, the more he suppressed himself, the stronger the rebounding force.
Kieran didnt want to be the one suffering from the rebound at thest moment.
The good news was, Dardes physique was extremely eye-catching, even if he were to purposely go into hiding, it would be hard to escape from intentional gazes.
Kieran could locate him with some effort spent but it would be different with the yer killer leader, Extremus.
Extremus didnt reveal his traces, abilities, habits, and attitude even in the big city, let alone in the dungeon world. Kieran knew nothing about him.
Up until this moment, Kieran hadnt the slightest idea of what or where he was.
However, Kieran was certain the killer leader would be watching silently in the dark, waiting for the perfect chance to strike.
With a patient, powerful foe watching him from the dark, Kieran who was already vignt could not afford to let his guard down.
Therefore, everything that was going on in themand center was within Kierans senses.
Naturally, it included the conversation between the threedies, cat, dog, and fox; he also caught how delighted the fox was after the conversation.
Even though he couldnt see it, he had guesses about what happened, let alone the delight hanging on Aisphanys face when she came in.
My lord, Ill go make preparations!
Walloon automatically stopped the conversation when he saw Aisphany walk in. Because of the incident with Raulee, Walloon marked down Aisphany on his to-watch list and it was obvious that some important matters couldnt go through her ears.
Walloon then left themand center.
What a cowardly man!
Aisphanymented on Walloon as he left with her slightly disdainful look.
Her expertise in observing peoples expressions allowed her to see through a lot of people in the past. She didnt need much, just a single nce was enough to let her know what Walloon was thinking.
Nothings wrong with being a coward. At least he doesnt have the boldness and recklessness that will cause unwanted trouble, Kieran replied.
He wasnt really defending Walloon but just spoke his mind.
As expected of Lord 2567, your words are always so philosophical.
Aisphany seemed to have switched her face, smiling and ttering Kieran. She was also looking at Kieran with admiration as if she found her prince charming.
Kieran frowned. Aisphanys acting was, of course, good but the problem was when she was putting up her ttering act, her gaze was shifting between his arm guard, ring, leather mail, and other equipment.
It felt like her gaze had hands, wanting to peel his equipment off one by one. Especially when she looked at the backpack beside Kierans feet, her lively gaze almost materialized.
However, no matter how real her lively gaze was, it was impossible for her to take things away from a stingy scrooge.
Kierans eyes turned cold all of a sudden and right away, Aisphany regained her senses as if a cold bucket of water was sshed over her.
What just happened? Why would I daze off when I saw you? It must be me being too ti...
Shut up!
Aisphany continued into her own role without dy. She wasnt even embarrassed when Kieran realized her act and she continued staring at him with a shy look.
Her shallow blue eyes were affectionate but Kieran stopped her ttering act right away.
Even if it was real, Kieran wouldnt ept it, let alone such a lousy act.
Kieran has zero interest in all these.
I dont have time to meddle with you anymore and... If I need help, I will figure it out myself, not asking some unrted people. You will only mess up the situation even more like this, Kieran said.
Kieran really had no particr thoughts about the forces behind Evie Dan and Sharly. He could tell how troublesome it would be if he wanted to utilize the forces behind the twodies.
Not just because of different survival habits butbat habits as well.
A group of hunters on the battlefield was less useful than a group of riders despite the former being a few times stronger but thetter wouldply withmands.
If the hunters had their own way, even more so for the werewolves.
Once they transformed, the stimtion of blood and bodies would drive their rampant and wild power out of control and they might not be able to distinguish between allies or foes.
It would be disastrous on the battlefield if that happened.
However, Aisphany wasnt ready to give in.
Help from an unrted person? Messing up the situation? If I didnt help you, do you think you can get the upper hand in this uing battle? You are strong alright, you can fight ten or a hundred men alone but what about a thousand? Ten thousand? What are you going to do then? Kill them all?
Aisphanys voice was getting louder as she spoke and obviously had rage she couldnt suppress.
Kieran didnt reply though. He stood up and took his backpack with him heading going out.
The moment Kieran stood up, Aisphany was shocked. She stepped back instinctively but when she saw what Kieran did, she was stunned.
Where the hell do you think you are going?! Aisphany asked.
One against ten thousand.
Kieran left as his voice echoed back in her ears.
Chapter 998 - Prelude of War
Chapter 998: Prelude of War
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Orders were given out one after another, all the soldiers in Burning Dawn were preparing for the fight in an organized manner.
The soldiers werent worried about the war, nor did they fear it.
When they joined Burning Dawn, they already had sufficient preparation, mentally and physically. They even had slight anticipation towards the war.
It also included the newbie soldiers who had only been on the battlefield once or twice.
While the true veterans seized the moment and rested up the best they could because they knew once the war began, tiredness would be the factor that would torture them the most and may also cost them their lives.
Continuous battles and several days of sleepless nights was enough to crumble an iron-willed, nimble veteran, causing him to suffer a dy in reaction.
When that happened, a simple arrow fired at him would be fatal.
However, the riders that were tasked with investigating and disturbing enemies from Golden City werent included in the resting and preparation, they were more concerned about their partner, the war horses.
Bean cakes mixed with egg whites were fed to the horses one after another by their respective riders.
The mumbles from the riders even made their respective horses pumped up as they shoved their hooves.
Each rider had their own horse taming technique and unlike farmers and hunters, their own technique was much more excellent yet bore the same result.
All horse taming techniques were aimed to expel the fear in the horses, making them more obedient.
However, a loud shout wasted half of the riders efforts in taming their horses.
NO! I shall not agree to this preposterous suggestion!
Walloon was voicing his disagreement loudly when Kieran requested to join the battle.
The major shook his head repeatedly, his beard even waved along with his motion and he stood in front of Kieran, blocking him from moving.
The stern gaze from Walloons eyes was telling Kieran, you shall not pass!
This is an order.
Kieran said right away. He knew exactly how to convince a person like Walloon.
It was a soldiers duty to follow orders, Walloon was no exception either.
But...
Follow your orders, soldier!
Yes, my lord!
Walloon who still wanted to say something saluted right away after Kierans sonorous order at him. Meanwhile, Kieran already turned away and headed towards the camp gate.
He didnt take the normal path to the gate but jumped off the cliff just like that.
Kierans figure swiftly vanished from the crowds line of sight.
It was natural that his actions attracted the heated discussion among soldiers.
While worrying about any negativements on Kierans actions, Walloon immediately told his men what Kieran wanted to achieve and in response, Burning Dawn based camp fell into mors.
What?
One man against Golden City?!
Is his lordship out of his mind?
I dont know whether is he out of his mind but... he is the one I should be following, not a bunch of spineless bastards like before!
Yeah!
Wait, what are you doing?
I said his lordship is who I wanted to follow and since he has taken the charge to the enemies, how can a follower like me stay behind and watch?
...
Not just the normal soldiers, even the officers were astonished.
A middle-aged man in leather mail with a longsword on his waist and wielding a spear walked out from the crowd withughter.
Riders, ready! Three minutester, we will ride and follow his lordships trail!
When the order was given out, the riders who were still discussing quickly returned to their positions, performing a final check on their horses.
Luzarc, what the hell are you doing? Stop going on a rampage here! Lord 2567s decision has made me scratch my head, dont you dare mess up the situation further! We are now in the dark against our enemies, we should retract our troops and strengthen our defenses!
Walloon shouted angrily at his colleagues arbitrary decision.
I share the same rank as you, what gives you the rights tomand me? Besides, did you ever hear about riders staying behind defense line? As for the current situation, even if we are in the dark, if we wait until we get the news here in camp, everything will be toote! Ill improvise, those bastards will surely get more than they can handle!
Luzarc rolled his eyes at Walloon and didnt care about his shouts anymore.
What use of a loud shout? Luzarcs voice was louder!
He jumped up to his horse and said with his loud voice which sounded more like a roar, Ill leave the defense to you guys! We riders will take the charge ahead!
Riders, we shall charge forward with an indomitable will! Charge, charge, charge!
Ever-victorious!
Ever-victorious! Ever-victorious! Ever-victorious!
...
A single ever-victorious from Luzarc attracted the chants of his riders in unison; the other soldiers chanted as well.
It was their goal and at the same time a blessing to the riders as well.
The chants and cheers sounded from the mountain, as it was carried by the wind, the sonorous chants pierced the clouds.
The riders went down the mountains in groups and gathered on the wilderness beneath before they sprinted away.
Dust clouds were flying high following the horses gallops.
Walloon who was ranting on the walls did what he could. He was arranging the defensive measures around camp while seeing the riders off from his line of sight.
Until the riders almost disappearedpletely, he muttered softly, Damn it you stubborn fes, be careful. Those Golden City aint that easy to deal with.
Feelings from a direct sh with others were the sturdiest kind and the feelings, the rtionship between brothers-in-arms was exactly that kind.
This bloody Luzarc, did he just yell at me again? He really thinks I wont get back at him?
Walloon who kept on ranting turned around and headed to Luzarcs room.
He knew that bloody colleague of his had a bunch of good collections and now, he would im all of them.
Yell, yell all you can! Ill get something back!
Walloon continued his ranting.
...
As the ever-victorious sounded off, Aisphany finally woke up from her absent-minded state.
When she realized what was going on, she was stunned up again.
He really went? Alone? No way, he must be hiding somewhere, waiting for the riders to back him up...
Aisphany mumbled to herself and even tried to analyze what Kieran was trying to achieve but as she continued, she found it harder to think because she knew Kieran wasnt a coward.
If he took off, he must be going into battle.
One man against ten thousand... did he really lose his mind?
Aisphany clenched her teeth as she quickly packed her things.
Right after that, she also left the base and followed closely behind the riders.
At the same time, Evie Dan and Sharly who left the base for a while now returned.
Both of them were smiling, in hopes of getting praise from Kieran.
Whenever they thought about the potential praise and kind words from Kieran, they couldnt help but hasten their steps.
Then...
What? He left?!
He wants to fight Golden Citys enemies by himself?!
When Evie Dan and Sharly heard what was going on from Walloon, they looked at each other and instinctively wanted to locate Aisphany.
However, they realized she was gone as well and from the defending soldiers, they knew she went after Kieran as well.
Evie Dan waspletely pissed while Sharly extended her ws out of instinct again.
That damn fox! This is all her plot against us!
A single voice sounded from two different mouths, then Evie Dan and Sharly dashed towards the camp gate.
Chapter 999 - Decapitation
Chapter 999: Decapitation
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
With Fire Raven in the sky, Kieran had no worries about getting lost and not finding his target in the wilderness.
Frost Wolf pup was stuffed in the pocket of his leather mail, exposing only its head outside. Kieran was moving in maximum speed towards where the troops of Golden City were.
The ce was actually very close to where Burning Dawn South camp used to be.
The war from a hundred years ago didnt just allow Golden City to be independent, it also cost Burning Dawn its South camp.
The 11 outpost stations in between the North and South camp slowly altered their objectives of sweeping robbers and bandits, maintaining safety around the area as a front line against Golden City.
Other than the outpost station near Shatterstone Town, the 10 other stations were renovated multiple times, making all of them stronger and bigger, as if each station was an independent small castle.
However, given the renovation of the outpost stations, Kieran saw how Burning Dawn, or more precisely, Saint Cyanda imperial household viewed Golden City.
Defense?
As Kieran passed by an outpost station, he saw the de marks and arrows on the walls. He didnt pause his steps to investigate, let alone enter the station.
He knew what his priority was: exterminate the troops from Golden City.
After securing the safety around Supreme Road, only then would he have the energy to move on to Dawn City.
It was his promise towards Shatterstone Town and Burning Dawn, it was also what he must do because...
[Triggered special event: Golden City Invasion]
[Based on yers experience in dungeon world, yer will be automatically ced in Burning Dawns faction]
[Golden City Invasion: Independence was not Golden Citys goal, they wanted to devour more with their hungry ambitions and Burning Dawn is a thorn in their side and as Burning Dawns legitimate leader, you must stop Golden Citys ambitions.]
[Note: Ratings will depend on your performance]
...
After [Wolf gue Havoc] had ended and when the conversation with Aisphany was over, a new [Special Event] had popped up in Kierans vision.
He wasnt surprised at all, instead, he epted it wholeheartedly.
Although there were the restrictions of the curse on thisnd, the restrictions had their own pattern as well and Kieran could already confirm around three points.
First, the deviated Cardinal Sins Force would not affect his body.
Second, utilizing Dawn Force on its own would not be restricted by the curse either.
Third, the power of the curse hidden in thisnd would be triggered by simr curse power or other wicked sources of energy.
With the given circumstances, no doubt it would be catastrophic to other yers but for Kieran, it was not a problem.
After all, didnt he go the all-rounded path just to adapt himself to all kinds of possible restrictions on his powers?
With the three points as a base, Kieran soon drew a conclusion that the suitablebat measures he had were, Dawn Force, [Arrogant Word], kickingbos and his Spirit rted attacks.
Each of the mentioned was a perfect skill to use on the battlefield.
If he were to mix and match, Kieran will be able to sweep the battlefield with ease.
After all, the battlefield only consisted of troops formed bymoners, not Magic species, some legendary being, or Gods.
It had a certain level of difficulty for Kieran but it wasnt that hard. Besides, what worried him most was not the face to face shing on the battlefield but the dagger from the shadows.
You shifted your focus to Dawn City? Or... here?
Kieran thought in his heart while he hastened his steps.
The outpost station soldiers didnt even notice Kieran, they thought it was just the wind.
In fact, every outpost station that Kieran passed by felt the same since Kieran moved across the stations like the wind.
Right until in front of the camp of Golden City troops, the wind finally stopped as Kieran changed his way of approaching the camp.
Shadow, the shadowy kind.
...
In the middle of the Golden City main military camp, a giant tent was built and three core generals were sitting around a map with a casual look.
The map also included Supreme Road and Dawn City, especially around Dawn City, there were many detailedbels.
This is our bridgehead!
One of the generals pointed at Burning Dawn North camp.
Mmm. Once we get the ce, we can ride directly towards the heart of Saint Cyanda, Dawn City! Another general nodded in agreement.
But we shouldnt underestimate Dawn Citys defense either. The walls are high and sturdy, the soldiers were elites as well. If we want to take Dawn City, it will not be easy.
The first general who spoke added more.
Therefore, it is necessary for us to attack Burning Dawn camp and at the same time send elite riders near Dawn City fast and undetected. The riders will then rendezvous with the spies weve nted and take out the city gates, followed by the city itself. This chance is very hard toe by for us!
Burning Dawn is heavily wounded by his lordship and Saint Cyanda XI is missing because of his arrangements as well. The whole imperial household is a mess. The Burning and Dawn family, on the other hand, kept hiding behind their doors. No enemies will oppose us this time... and if we fail, I really dont know if well ever get another chance like this.
The second general voiced his suggestion.
The first didnt refute but he looked at the third who hadnt even spoken; the second general did the same as well.
Not only because the third was the main general, but he was also the one that could contact the lord.
How about it? Whats his lordships answer? Two other deputy general asked.
His lordship thinks it might work, The general answered.
Right away, the two deputies were overjoyed. They knew the war merits they gained through this war would be the most colorful ones in this gray life, aside from the rewards in the end.
Golden City never held back its rewards towards those who served her with great merits, otherwise, Dilder and his men wouldnt have surrendered so easily.
Then, shall I arrange the riders right away?
One of the deputies asked.
Yes! The riders shall ride first, followed by the sentries. Dilder and the others are still in the camp, it wont take us too long...
The general nodded.
However, before he finished, he was interrupted by a longsword that flew out from the shadows.
The long and sharp [Dandelions Pierce] was like the scythe of the grim reaper as it shed the necks of the three generals.
Puk!
Puk Puk!
Three heads flew up high. The blood gushed out from their necks and their headless body slowly fell to the ground.
Themotion in the tent startled the aide and guards outside.
My lord, what happe...
Puk!
The aide asked but [Dandelions Pierce] that flew out perforated the aides mouth and went through his neck.
It was silent for a second outside the tent before...
Assassin! Assassin!
Cries of shock sounded in session outside.
Kieran who walked out from the shadows grabbed the generals heads and walked further away.
Lets the ughter-fest begin!
Chapter 1000 - Concerto
Chapter 1000: Concerto
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Its lord general! And lord deputy generals!
Kieran who walked out from the tent with the heads made the soldiers that gathered cry out in shock.
However, the cries of shock were suppressed by an air breaking whistle when Kieran threw the heads at them.
Ug!
Ugh!
As if a giant swung its giant hammer, three heads were hurled towards the crowd with a loud bang, crashing into a few of the Golden City soldiers.
The crowd was instantly toppled over, bone-cracking noises were heard in session.
The direct high-value target was absent of any signs of life upon impact and the ones behind that were caught moaned in pain.
Colonel!
Lieutenant!
Sir!
...
Different titles of address were heard but what they were weed with was death nheless.
Obviously, Kieran did it on purpose. When he decided to go one man against ten thousand, the ns came to mind.
Compared to crashing into the camp with an intent to massacre, Kieran didnt mind killing of the enemies generals and middle-level officers first.
No one knew how important themanding officer and the middle-ranking officers were in a cold weapon war, or more precisely a war without firearms than Kieran since he been through it before.
Even for an elite squad, without themanding officer and the middle-ranking officers, they were nothing but scattered soldiers.
Therefore, after hurling the heads out, Kieran dashed into the crowd, searching for the officers.
Sou Sou Sou!
Bang Bang Bang!
Within a sh of his movements, kicking shadows erupted and almost covered the sky, it looked like a blooming jimsonweed, cool yet extremely lethal.
Soldier after soldier was kicked to the sky from the crowd.
Each of them felt like they were being struck by a truck, not only did they suffer severe bone-crushing damage from the tremendous impact, it even cause further danger to others suffering the impact of their fall.
The soldiers werent stupid, after the initial panic, some smart ones noticed Kierans attacking pattern.
The smarter ones quietly moved away from the officers.
When the smarter ones moved, the stupid ones saw it too, hence they followed.
The reaction from themon soldiers gave Kieran enough convenience to iste his targets since the scattering of the soldiers revealed the officers to Kieran one after another.
The officers were horrified when they saw Kieraning after them.
Some scolded their men loudly; some were panicking and some clenched their teeth and put up a fight.
However, regardless of what the process was, the oue was still death.
One after another, the officers were killed; body after body, they all fell.
The bodies kept on piling up, kept on growing into a small hill.
It was piling up the fear and growing despair in the soldiers hearts.
The crow feathered mantle on Kierans shoulders fluttered and shined with its unique reflection following his dashing and evading, it was emanating an... ominous light.
He transformed into the ck God of death, his name was the Bird of Death.
He extended his wings under the bright sun, covering the suns glory from its target.
He moved around onnd yet growled at the sky, it shook thend to its deepest abyss.
The Golden City soldiers who saw Kieran had their hearts upied by fear.
Troop morale plummeted.
Run!
Someone amongst them shouted and the crowd that gathered together scattered following that single phrase.
Kieran, however, didnt give chase.
He was standing on the ground mixed with blood, gazing over this with stern eyes.
Beside him was the fallenmanding tent that used to look grand and incredibly huge and the middle of the heavily guarded Golden City military camp had fallen into disorder and an ugly state.
Suddenly...
Sou, sou sou!
A concentrated arrow rain fell down from the sky.
The arrow rain didnt just cover Kieran, they were aiming at those fleeing soldiers as well.
Agonizing cries sounded and ceased abruptly one after another.
Bodies were pinned down on the ground, twitching and shaking before dying.
A lot more blood flowed out like a river, soaking the shaking ground.
Dak, Dak, Dak Dak!
Concentrated horse gallops sounded like war drums. A group of ck riders rode out beside the camp and swarmed towards their enemy on the reserved running tracks.
The horses and riders were covered in golden armor.
The riders had cold eyes as they looked at Kieran who was unscathed by the rain of arrows.
However, they were not startled by the scene before them.
They were the top elite soldiers of Golden City! They were once known as the strongest riders, only second to Burning Dawn!
They could easily win a battle without even fighting on thisnd against any kind of enemy, regardless of the numbers. Twice or even thrice the numbers, the riders would never back away, let alone now, against a single person.
Although the person was a little special, as the elites of Golden City, they had enough experience and knew what they should do against a foe like this; they were also confident in triumphing over him.
After all, since the very beginning, the rider group was formed specifically to deal with such special foes, despite their current actions having deviated from their original motives.
However, their battle techniques had already be second nature.
Golden Horn is invincible and forever victorious!
The lead rider shouted loudly and his men echoed in unison behind him.
Their echoes rumbled hard and within their weird tempo, their voices formed lines and lines of mystical runes over the horses iron hooves, shining brightly.
As if it was a switch, the moment the horse hooves were shining, a special kind of aura enveloped the riders.
They became as tall as the mountain peaks and as heavy as the muddy swamp.
When the riders sprinted faster, the mountain peaks fell from the sky, crashing down on Kieran, trying to crush him to bits; the heavy muddy swamp even quietly appeared beneath Kierans feet, dragging his body down and trying to sink him to the bottom.
Line after line of notifications about Strength and Constitution authentications appeared in Kierans vision.
The forces were enough to restraint most of their foes and crush the bones of those who had less decent constitutions; they didnt even need the charging from the riders behind for the follow-up attack.
Most importantly, it was their mental shock attack.
Even if one had outstanding Strength and Constitution, without sufficient Spirit, they could only watch the riders as they got closer and trampled them into meat paste. I see they possess strengths on par with the Magic species, as expected of the elites of Golden City.
Kieran nced through the pile of notifications and the charging riders. He reached out to [Wealths Keep] and drew out [Arrogant Word].
Just like how Kieran analyzed, one wouldnt just need outstanding Strength and Constitution but also powerful Spirit. Otherwise, any person or a smaller squadron who dared challenge the Golden Horn wouldnt have a good ending.
But, Kieran was an exception.
He had outstanding Strength, decent Constitution, and an extremely powerful Spirit, plus... sufficient techniques to allow him to deal with the situation at hand.
Wung!
[Arrogant Word]s broad edge buzzed.
Amidst the loud chime, the most primal force of nature was flowing into Kierans body rapidly in the same fashion as all rivers flowing into the sea.
When the primal force of nature reached its limits, the giant rhino mirage formed behind Kieran.
The ground trembled even more fiercely because Kieran too was charging towards the Golden Horn riders.
Both sides were like some primordial beast running into each other, shing with unimaginable power.
A momentter...
Riders were thrown and horses were toppled.
Chapter 1001 - Difference
Chapter 1001: Difference
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Golden Horn, the most elite riders of Golden City were destined to lose the moment they shed with Kieran.
Both sides were not on the same power level.
Suppression! A total suppression from top to bottom!
The most primal force of nature was infused into Kierans charge, allowing him to pry open the group of riders within two breaths time as if he was a knife cutting through tofu.
Then...
The battle deration ended and the ughter deration was issued.
[Elmerius Sword] which was slightly bigger than [Arrogant Word] appeared in Kierans left hand.
With a greatsword in each of his hand, Kieran exerted strength through his wrist andid both greatswords horizontally; he stepped out with his left foot, followed by his right and he instantly turned into a spinning top.
[Arrogant Word] and [Elmerius Sword] followed along with the spinning motion as well. As both greatswords spun, they cut through everything in Kierans path, be it horses or men, everything was cut in two or more pieces.
While Kieran was spinning around with [Arrogant Word] and [Elmerius Sword], he was the meat grinder on the battlefield that did not know exhaustion.
From left to right; from right to left.
Before the elite riders of Golden City could react, they were torn to shreds.
More blood spilled on the ground, soaking the mud wet and tainting it red.
Bodies piled up one after another as a small hill of bodies has formed.
Kieran then stopped his ughter-fest.
He stood on top of the hill of bodies and the sea of blood, staring coldly at his remaining enemies.
Dong, Dong Dong!
The heart housing the devil was beating vigorously.
The Devil Force was extremely excited and delighted.
It loved ughtering souls, itd soak itself in ughter day and night.
Its ughter would seize everything, proving its existence.
Its...
Its...
Its...
The explosive roar that should have shaken heaven and earth turned into a mumble.
Not only soft but blurry as well.
Kieran couldnt hear its name and it made the devil angry and restless.
The enraged devil was rumbling in Kierans body at never before seen speed.
The runes of Basic to Transcendence skills that were branded in Kierans body shined again.
However, unlike Dawn Force, the Devil Force was much more rampant and arrogant.
It lit up the runes in the most rampant way possible and at the same time devouring the darkness in Kierans body.
It wasnt the soft expelling of Dawn Force but it had its own bold and resolute devouring, as if the Devil Force was a hungry wolf, tearing its prey apart.
The darkness in Kierans body faded away like the tides, leaving only the darkness near his head which was still as strong as iron.
The Devil Force charged towards the darkness again but Kieran stopped it.
Unlike the other parts of his body, his head housed his brain and he knew how important it was to not meddle with his brain. A slight misstep would and he end up dead and with how rampant the Devil Force was, how could it be careful?
The enraged Devil Force was disregarding the consequences against Kierans intervention though.
Stop! Kieran emphasized.
Dawn Force, Saint Thorn Force, and gue Force moved together with his voice.
Cardinal Sins Force also watched the situation with hostility.
The charging Devil Force halted and roared in unwillingness before it shrank backpletely.
The Devil Force went silent but following its roar, it messed up the situation outside the body.
The blood that soaked thend floated up above Kierans head and it swiftly formed a giant head of the devil with its mouth opening loud for a roar.
The dead bodies around slowly climbed up because of [spheme Whisper] from the devils word.
The revived dead automatically dashed towards the living.
Instantly, the already messy Golden City military camp suffered further damage and every soldier scattered.
A gaze of despair mixed with fear appeared in the eyes of the Golden City soldiers; their faces had looks of disbelief.
Even though it was a fact before their eyes, they were unwilling to believe that their strongest group of riders could die under the hands of a single person.
But what more horrifying was... the devil!
The devils head that was roaring!
The devil! The devil of Burning Dawn is back!
One of the panicking soldiers yelled in horror.
The ancient tales were treated as jokes by the soldiers but now, it was appearing in every soldiers heart.
He charged forward like a storm, shattering enemy formations.
He was the unchallenged, undefeated.
He looked down on everything that ever lived.
He was born from purgatory yet was rampaging on earth.
He had chaos in his blood yet was protecting the order of man.
Look at the devils horn, listen to the devils roar.
Ones nose will sting of sulfur; Ones mouth will be filled with luscious blood.
When the zing wings opened, it was the time for the Burning to charge and enemies to wail; everything will be burned down by the scorching mes.
No one could resist, no one could hide.
Death will not help and all people can do is toply.
...
Lines of words appeared in their minds, voices of warning echoed in their ears.
The already panicked Golden City soldiers copsed from fear.
Some of them ran, some of them knelt to beg but the hatred from the dead towards the living killed the begging ones first and the fleeing onester.
There was no resistance at all throughout the process though.
The frightened beyond logic soldiers only wanted to escape from this ce.
Kieran, on the other hand, didnt give chase because his goal was achieved.
The siege from Golden City had sessfully been dissolved and without further benefits, Kieran wouldnt do the unnecessary.
More so, he still had to be on guard of the special energy around Supreme Road.
Devil Force wasnt within the list of powers that he nned to use throughout his original n.
Based on how the special energy around Supreme Road could target other powers and how it restricted him, Kieran could already imagine what kind of situation he would have to face next.
In fact, this round of power surge waspletely out of Kierans expectation.
It was 10 times stronger than the previous and almost 100 times fiercer than the first.
The hidden and strange energy was like a bomb, exploding inside Kierans body without a sign.
BOOM!
A faint explosion echoed in Kierans ears and his eyes were seeing stars and smoke.
The power simr to the curse was like a flood breaking through a dam, trying to drown Kieran whole.
Until now, Kieran didnt have to hold back anymore.
His two hearts were more vigorous than ever.
The warm and tenacious Dawn Force.
The hidden and lethal gue Force.
The silent sharpness of Saint Thorn Force.
The crazily arrogant Devil Force.
The unlimited desire of Cardinal Sins Force.
All his powersbined into one and formed a brand new giant dam, blocking the sudden external energy.
However, that was not all. After a slight pause, the Devil Force sounded the horns of counterattack.
Cardinal Sins Force, Saint Thorn Force, and gue Force followed its lead behind while Dawn Force once again washing away the hidden danger in Kierans body.
Although the curse-like power was almost 10 times stronger than thest, it didnt end up better or any different than the previous one.
Except...
The nail.
The broken nail inside the crystal bottle with a blurry exterior which was kept in Kierans pack started to shake slightly.
Chapter 1002 - Notice
Chapter 1002: Notice
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The changes happening on the broken nail was very minimal and hidden but Kieran still caught it.
Kierans SSS+ Intuition plus the attention he had on his own belongings in his bag made him notice the unusual point at the very first moment it ured.
He then went on checking his backpack and easily noticed the changes in the [Unknown Nail].
The yellowish color didnt change, the moldy spots were still there but its shape changed a little.
Originally it looked like a nail peels off of a thumb,ying down straight but now it curled up and formed a vertical C shape.
However, the shocking thing was when he took out the bottle with the nail, the curse-like energy from thend that infiltrated his body suddenly stopped its resistance.
Although if the situation went on, the curse-like energy would be crushed by the Devil Force as well, it didnt mean it didnt have any resistance capabilities.
On the contrary, the curse-like power had quite the resistance against Devil Force. It was very ferocious and had an indomitable power, the curse-like power had the grudge of a mortal enemy towards Devil Force.
But now, everything stopped.
The curse-like energy allowed the Devil Force and Cardinal Sins Force shred it to pieces, devouring it and strengthening their own power.
Thats right, Devil Force and Cardinal Sins Force were strengthening their own power by devouring!
Kieran clearly felt the slight increment in the two mentioned Origin Forces but whenpared to an overall scale, it was only around 1/1000th.
It seemed like it was a result of the sudden enhancement of the curse-like power and the low level of curse-like power from before wouldnt show any effect even if Devil Force and Cardinal Sins Force devoured it.
The changes naturally caught Kierans attention.
Unlike Dawn Force and gue Force which had aplete system, Devil Force and Cardinal Sins Force relied more on his discoveries and coincidental triggers or devours to increase in strength.
While the opportunity of the continuous devouring of energy before Kieran was umon, Kieran couldnt neglect the changes of the nail inside the crystal bottle either.
Kieran looked down at the bottle, his mind was deep in thought.
Soon, Kieran made up his mind, he wanted to test it out.
Kieran knew how to bnce out his pros and cons but he was never a hesitant person, neither was he a person that would give up in trying because of potential danger.
Several [Seal of Dawn]s were drawn on the ground.
The warm tenacious brilliance enveloped the area right away.
Even if he made up his mind, Kieran would not go with the reckless route, instead, he performed the necessary protective measures.
Fire Raven was scouting in the sky; Frost Wolf pup couldnt really battle for now but it stiffened its ears and watched the surroundings in rm on the ground.
Huu!
Kieran ced the crystal bottle on the ground with his right hand while his left hand was charging up the devils me. It started to burn fiercely and grow rapidly.
The curse-like power gushed towards Kieran and simr to previous encounters, it exploded in his body when the Devil Force was burning but that was it.
As Kieran picked up the crystal bottle beside his feet again, the swarming curse-like power turned calm and gave up resisting.
Devil Force and Cardinal Sins Force started to devour the curse-like power again.
While feeling the second incremental increase of the Origin Forces in his body, Kieran showed joy on his face.
This might work!
Kieran, however, didnt forget to check the nail inside the crystal bottle.
The nail curled up a bit more and other than that, there wasnt really any further changes.
Again!
After carefully checking the nail, Kieran repeated the steps again.
Attracting the curse-like power, forcing it to be quiet, and allowing his Origin Forces to devour it.
The process was repeated countless times after that.
Kieran felt like he was soaking himself in the rapid increase of Devil Force and Cardinal Sins Force.
The chaotic sulfuric aura had filled his surroundings throughout the process. Anyone who got near to the aura would hear demonic mutters that could drive one crazy or terrify ones soul.
The devils mirage faintly showed itself, its mes were shining in the void.
Lust, Greed, Gluttony, Sloth, Wrath, and Envy released themselves and went on a rampage; only Pride was different.
Pride appeared before Kieran, staring straight into his eyes.
Kieran was standing face to face with Pride.
The same face, simr temperament, and expression made the scene look like both of them were looking into a mirror, however, there was still some minor differences.
After a few seconds of quiet observation at his reflection, Pride frowned slightly. Pride raised his hand, trying to do something but the moment he did, the six other rampaging cardinal sins threw themselves over and surrounded Pride.
You think you can do it? Sloth asked.
Scram, Pride said coldly.
Sloth shrugged but he didntply. So did the other cardinal sins, they were closing in on Pride with an intimidating manner.
Your appearance is a mistake!
Now, we have the chance to right our wrongs!
Guys!
Why dont webine our strength and do this just once?
Envy red at Pride, the jealousy on his face twisted his face even more. He was jealous of Pride.
He was jealous of Prides strength, abilities and how he looked so simr to Kieran; Envy was jealous of Pride in everything.
He wanted to tear everything apart, however...
A light sword was shed down on Envys head.
The white shining brilliance with tender and tenacious presence, the Dawn Sword was being wielded by Pride in his hand.
He was ignoring the energy repulsion in his hand as if he was neglecting the rules.
He was acting exactly like his arrogant gaze.
Everyone beneath me are all ants, except...
Pride looked at Kieran again.
This time, the other cardinal sins didnt stop him again.
Envy whose head has regrown yet shrunk a lot was looking at Pride with even more envious gaze but he moved the furthest away.
Lust, Greed, Gluttony, Sloth, and Wrath, on the other hand, were anxious and doubtful.
The cardinal sins were frightened.
How is this possible? How did you...
Lust, Greed, Gluttony, and Wrath stuttered; Sloth seemingly had thoughts in his mind.
Without caring about the questions from the others, Pride moved towards Kieran again.
After that little fiasco, Kieran hadpleted another round of devouring the curse-like energy.
Devil Force and Cardinal Sins Force acquired further growth.
While the nail inside the crystal bottle has curled up together, forming a yellowish brown nail that looked like a talon with a sharper point at one end and a wider one at the other.
Wung!
A slight buzz came from the talon. The turbid liquid around it was rippling from the buzzing.
When the waves of ripples intertwined, a tremendous force struck the crystal bottle.
Kak!
A clear noiseter, crack marks appeared on the crystal bottle body before the bottle shattered.
The turbid liquid together with the talon was sshed out by the impact and fell on the muddy ground.
Then, the talon was growing at an exponential speed visible to even the naked eyes.
I, the son of the delicate moon and fresh blood will again... Ugh!
A light sword shed over.
Before the freed Son of Moon could finish its descending speech, its head was decapitated by the light sword.
Pride took a disgusting nce at the withering, shrinking body before he turned further away.
Kieran who already opened his eyes also turned to that same direction.
The direction was... Dawn City!
The moment the Son of Moon appeared, a simr aura that was countless times stronger appeared in that direction.
Even if it was just a sh, it was enough to catch everyones attention.
Chapter 1003 - Uprising
Chapter 1003: Uprising
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
A convoy of three wagons was traveling on the road to Dawn City quietly.
When the aura appeared in a sh in Dawn Citys direction, a figure suddenly sprung out from the biggest wagon of the three which had 6 special warhorses pulling it.
The gigantic figure jumped off the wagon and his hand was pressed down on the wagon carriage. Regardless of how the horses neighed or galloped, the wagon couldnt move an inch further.
Hahahaha! I knew you are there! Move forward! Move forward faster! Darde said withughter.
Be careful of that person and if you dont want to get noticed by the other guy,e in quickly.
A cold voice sounded from the carriage and it stunned Darde.
That damn bastard.
Darde ranted to express his dissatisfaction before he went back into the carriage.
...
Pak!
A figure was shaking a wine ss in his hand.
The figure wasnt at all panicked because of the sudden sh of aura because everything was going exactly as he had anticipated. It might be even smoother than he had expected.
The devils power, the devils power... how envious.
Amidst the heavy voice, the figure ced the wine ss down and slowly walked towards a secret room beside him.
He needed to arrange his next steps as the stage had been set.
But in order for the real show to happen, a few more warm-ups would be required.
...
Wung, Wung!
The tools arranged in the room were receiving rm signals one after another.
Starbeck didnt sense that sh of aura but the items and tools that he brought and Afu in his pocket did.
Is it the one?
Starbeck spoke softly to his soul mate.
His already scared face became more anxious as message after message spoke to him.
Calm down! Calm down! I need to calm down!
Starbeck muttered to himself. He ced one hand on his chest and another on the sack on his waist, breathing slowly and deeply.
Amidst his breathing exercise, his heart was still beating vigorously.
The surge of the soul in his sack didnt slow down the vigorous heartbeat at all.
Starbeck was naturally a coward yet smart but in a certain aspect, it was because of his intelligence that he was even more cowardly.
Even with Afusforting, it only maintained Starbeck at his usual calmness.
Must... stop...them! If this keeps going, even if 2567 gets here in time, everything will too far gone, toote to redeem! I must create a chance for 2567, just once!
2567, 2567...
Starbeck kept muttering with his head down. His eyes started to rey the memories of when he traveled with Kieran.
Kierans calmness, boldness, and how he made his moves was like a movie reying in Starbecks mind non-stop.
After some time, the vigorously beating heart finally settled down.
Starbeck went outside the door.
Young master.
The once personal attendant of the Burning Marquis and now the chief butler of Burning Family, Wright, who was also the one who sent Kieran to Shatterstone Town appeared before Starbeck.
Do you need anything? If its nothing of importance, please dont leave the mansion. Dawn City has be less safe nowadays, Wright said seriously.
In fact, it was already the lighter version of the situation.
If Wright had to describe the situation through an objective view, the whole Dawn City was a huge mess.
The peace on the surface couldnt hold for long. The time for a war to breakout was right around the corner.
As for those in the dark?
The factions that held turf were seizing the opportunity to create more chaos without a doubt.
Some with more ambitions even saw this as a heaven granted opportunity as they prepared for a huge job.
But what people dreaded were some characters that popped up quite recently.
Whenever one thought about how strange those characters were, even Wright couldnt help but frown.
Therefore, he would not allow Starbeck to leave the Burning Familys premises.
At the same time, the butler thought of the other young master he used to serve.
Compared to the soft and weak legitimate son, the peasant son was more suitable for dealing with the situation.
At least, he wouldnt put the Burning Family to shame but now...
Wright quietly shook his head as thoughts came into his mind.
I want to see father, Starbeck said slowly in a respectful tone.
His tone was calm, no one would be able to tell something was going on through Starbecks expression. In addition to his handsome enough looks, anydy would favor him over any of Starbecks peers.
You want to see Lord Marquis? Okay, then pleasee with me.
Wright was stunned for a while. He didnt know why the legitimate son who was afraid of his own father would want to see the Marquis now but as a servant, Wright knew what his duties were.
With Wright behind him, Starbeck entered the deepest part of the Burning Familys mansion for the first time.
It was actually a red building with sulfuric scent all over it. Just the vicious look of the building alone which had thorns all over it struck fear in Starbecks heart; he shivered without feeling cold.
For 2567! For 2567!
Starbeck was muttering non-stop in his heart.
He kept relying on this self-hypnosis method to keep himself as calm as possible.
Then, he walked inside the vicious looking building.
...
Saint Cyanda Pce.
Following the dissappearance of the XI king, two princes hadpletely upied the premise.
Each side brought their right-hand man and guards while facing their opponents.
When the aura shed, some of the right-hand men of the two princes sensed the tremendous changes.
After all, they were recruited to investigate that specific existence.
Where is it?
Did you find it?
In their respective rooms, the two princes were asking their men in an anxious tone but they got a disappointing answer.
Being able to sense the aura didnt mean the men could precisely locate the thing.
Trash!
The two princes were scolding their men in their hearts at almost the same time. While on the outside, they looked peaceful and keptforting their anxious men.
The education they received from young and the environment they grew up in had destined trained them to use this approach to win their mens hearts. Their background even decided their choices in certain situations.
The two princes arrived at the kings sleeping chamber almost in unison as well.
It was the only ce they hadnt searched in the entire pce and obviously, the most suspicious ce.
Move.
The two brothers who ran into each other without prior agreement urged the other to leave at the same time without the slightest courtesy.
After that, swords were drawn at each other.
Chaos had fallen on Dawn City and was destined to sweep over everything from the moment the swords were drawn. The impending war would soon arrive.
However, none of this had anything to do with Kieran at the moment.
Back to Kierans side, he looked down at the cracked talon, frowning slightly.
[Name: Deed of Seal]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Attack/ Defense: None]
[Attribute: Seal (Specific Species)]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: The sealed Son of Moon, not theplete one and not the first one.]
...
Notplete? Not the first?
As he read the information to himself, Kieran turned his eyes to Pride who was standing in front of him.
Chapter 1004 - Descending From the Sky
Chapter 1004: Descending From the Sky
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran looked at Pride with questioning eyes.
Devil Force and Cardinal Sins force increasing in strength was a hard-toe-by chance for Kieran but he would never forget about how terrifying both forces were.
Therefore, from the start till the end, Kieran maintained a certain level of vignce and calmness; he would never lose himself in the process.
Therefore, it was natural that Kieran saw the scene that happened previously.
He was quite shocked by Pride being able to borrow [Dawn Sword] but what shocked him more was the intellect that the cardinal sins disyed. Especially Pride, his intellect was nearly human.
During his normal encounters, Kieran had slight discoveries along the way but they wasnt as real as the scene before this. Perhaps devouring the curse-like power increased the cardinal sins intellect, perhaps it was something else.
However, none of that had anything to do with Kieran for now. He only wanted to know what Pride wanted.
Prides eyes caught Kierans gaze.
Without asking, he already knew what Kieran wanted to ask but he didnt answer.
It wasnt disdain that he was showing Kieran, nor the arrogance but his own pride forbid him to open his mouth to answer.
While being watched by the other cardinal sins with eyes taking pleasure of Prides misfortune, Kieran and Pride were exchanging a gaze.
Then, out of every sins expectation, Pride vanished, with Kierans permission.
Although most of the time, they acted on their own ord yet appearing and disappearing needed Kierans permission.
Without Kierans permission, they wouldnt be able toe and go like the wind.
What you did will cost you your position in this, you will fall into Prides grasp and be his captive. Even though you think you look alike, you are not entirely the same.
Envy said with a hateful expression.
Then...
Kieran also performed a sh on Envy.
Unlike how Pride wielded the smaller one, Kierans [Dawn Sword] was a more straightforward version.
The 20-meter light sword appeared in a sh. Envy didnt even grunt when he was ripped apart, he turned into the purest form of energy and went back into Kierans body.
The other cardinal sins disappeared shortly after and no others dared to be rude like Envy was. Even if they were enraged, the cardinal sins showed peaceful expressions.
Then, it was the devils mirage.
Unlike the boost of intellect like the cardinal sins, the devil mirage was purely constructed by its power and aura. It was richly endowed by nature as long as it remained on thisnd.
With the natural gifts, the devil could use 10% of its energy to deliver 100% of its power.
A natural battlefield?
Kieran couldnt help but utter when he was looking at the lingering devils mirage even without his own strength.
The devils mirage will definitely fade away, but very slowly.
Wuu Wuuu!
The Frost Wolf pup ran over and showed curiosity and kindness towards the devils mirage in the wilderness.
Kierans presence was mixed with the devils aura and it was enough for the Frost Wolf pup to feel close to it.
Just like when the cardinal sins were around, the Frost Wolf pups beastly instinct made it unconsciously drew distance from them.
What a smart fe.
Kieran carried the pup and rubbed its head, neck, and back.
Right away, the maternal bloodline of the Frost Wolf pup made it wag its tail ceaselessly while its paternal bloodlines strength and wisdom allowed it to warn its master how dangerous the cardinal sins were.
I know. Thats why I did it, Kieran smiled.
Of course he knew how dangerous the cardinal sins were.
The birth of those seven sins was a product of all sorts of coincidences but their wicked nature was enough for Kieran to be extremely cautious against them.
Therefore, Kieran would not believe anyone of them, he would only use them like his skill.
Why did Kieran allow Pride to leave though?
Kieran actually knew everything about Pride so he knew if he continued on, it would even up in a stalemated situation.
When that happens, it would only consume his energy. Kieran might as well slowly observe the changes from another perspective.
Kieran was notcking patience nor determination.
Should anything go wrong, he wouldnt mind losing a heart. Of course, that would be the veryst resort, only when he is totally out of options would he discard the wicked existence.
After all, thest resort would greatly affect his strength.
Suddenly, the Fire Ravens call could be heard from the sky.
Through Fire Ravens sight, Kieran saw a group of riders.
Burning Dawn!
There werent many, only around 50 of them but the speed of the riders had exceeded Kierans expectation. The riders riding speed had far surpassed themon warhorses galloping speed, and it could even be considered flying, as if they were flying or gliding above ground.
One of the aces of Burning Dawn? Kieran wasnt really surprised.
Even the elite riders of Golden City had their own aces, how could Burning Dawn, who once reigned Supreme Road not have one of their own?
Perhaps because of the nitpicking and hardship from the Saint Cyanda imperial household, Burning Dawns strength was not as formidable as before but some roots still remained.
Such as the riders before Kieran.
They didnt only just inherit the soul of Burning Dawn, they possessed the true strength of the banner as well.
Kieran smiled as he stood in his spot, waiting for the group of riders.
The appearance of the riders had disyed their stand in this and it was enough for Kieran to show them kindness.
Whenever a group of men can discard their life and death for you, please do not criticize them. Perhaps they are very, very far behind you, their appearance however is the best reward.
The riders were getting close, their anxiety was soon reced by shock.
The chief rider of Burning Dawn, Luzarc fell in shock as he saw the Golden City camp in utmost disorder. His gaze of disbelief was looking at the devils mirage standing tall in the middle of the enemys camp.
Burning Mirage!
A term that has been buried in Luzarcs heart for a very long time was uttered, he thought he wouldnt have the chance to utter it again for the rest of his life.
Uncontrobly, Luzarcs eyes were filled with warm tears and it blurred his line of sight.
The blurry figure in Luzarcs eyes slowly turned into a different image.
It felt like the figure was donning a heavy armor with a scarlet red cape fluttering behind.
The Devils banner was waving along with the wind, fluttering with the motion.
Countless Burning Vanguards gathered under the banner.
They charged and crush enemies.
They were ever victorious.
They cheered loudly on their victory.
The tears got heavier, to the point that Luzarc was sobbing but he still managed to bring out the horn to his mouth, blowing it with all his might.
Wuuu!
Wuuuu Wuuuu!
The rhythmic horn of Burning Dawn was echoing in the wilderness; it had been a long time.
The horn sounds spread further away.
The vultures in the sky flew away because of the horn.
The jackals on the ground ran because of the horn.
The blood memory from their animal ancestors allowed them to know how they should react to the horn, but not some humans.
The South camp that once belonged to Burning Dawn a hundred years ago was now the frontline sentry camp of Golden City. Therefore the defeated Golden City soldiers were gathering there.
After being defeated in a single fight, the soldiers unconsciously wandered to the sentry camp and were gathered by the camps officer.
The officers were unwilling to face defeat, neither did they believed what the survivors said.
So, they wanted tounch a counterattack.
You cowards! Now, Ill give you a chance to redeem your wrongs...
The highest ranking officer in the camp was scolding the survivors from the tform but before he could finish, he was interrupted by an irritating air-breaking sound from above his head.
Unconsciously, the officer looked up.
He saw a fireball falling from the sky!
BOOM!
Chapter 1005 - BURNING (2 in 1)
Chapter 1005: BURNING (2 in 1)
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The zing me sprung up almost a dozen meters high.
Heat waves rumbled around and the scorching streams felt like a ss 10 typhoon, blowing away the Golden City soldiers around the tform.
As for the officers above the tform?
They were burnt to ashes by the mes.
A shadow then covered the sky above the sentry camp.
All the surviving soldiers in the sentry camp saw the muscr magma body, the zing wings that were carved with intricate mystical runes and that devil horn that could pierce the sky.
D-Devil!
If the devils mirage struck fear and made people shiver, when the real devil descended, what followed would be despair.
The soldiers in the sentry camp crumbled when they saw the devil floating above the sky.
Those surviving soldiers that escaped from the frontline made the situation even worse as they started the defeating crumble.
Some iron-willed soldiers wanted to resist but when they saw theirrades running away, they hesitated.
In the end... they chose to escape as well.
When a lion was leading a group ofmbs, themps would be as brave as the lion; when amb was leading the lions, the lions would be as weak as their prey.
Of course, given that the lions didnt eat thembs.
But, even for a group of lions led bymbs, what would it do?
Devil Kieran opened his wings.
A single blow from his me st swept across the sentry camp and divided it into two.
Then, another me st was fired.
The Golden City sentry camp was like a cake, after a vertical cut, another horizontal cut was added on; the whole ce was divided into four sections by the me st.
The unlucky soldiers that were caught in the dividing lines died a graveless death. The surviving soldiers no doubt ran even faster.
Devil Kieran dived down and went up to the fleeing soldiers in a sh. He had no intentions of sparing them because of their position as opposing factions and also because of the n after this.
Every deserter that saw Kieran was already filled with fear and when Kieran dived in front of them, they were terrorized by [Fear of Light].
Scenes of illusory visions appeared before the soldiers eyes.
They saw a throne constructed of mountains of bodies and a sea of blood in the endless darkness.
They saw the devil overlord that was sitting on the throne.
The magma was its armor, the mes were its robe.
Its horn was the crown and the beheader greatsword was its scepter.
It had the manner, the bearing, and the power of a king.
OBEY!
KAKROOM!
As if a loud thunder broke out, the st of thunder echoed between realms.
It shook the soldiers heart, their bodies, and crushed their organs.
Puk, Puk, Puk!
One after another, the Golden City deserters fell to the ground with mouths filled with blood.
They were the ones with the weakest wills and the ones that Kieran needed the most.
After a single nce from the zing eyes, the situation had turned into a chaotic, indistinguishable ughter between the soldiers.
The soldiers that had stronger wills heard [spheme Whisper] from Devil Kierans mouth.
The dead soldiers were revived one by one.
They were transformed from humans to demonic ves.
The revived were as petty as ves as they gathered beneath Kierans feet; they listened to Kierans voice as if they were listening to the holy words.
Charge!
Devil Kieran pointed to Golden City.
Roar!
Roar Roar!
The undead roared at the sky one after another.
Theynded all four of their limbs on the ground like a beast, sprinting towards the direction of Golden City.
Under Supreme Roads special environment, Devil Force which was strengthened by devouring the curse-like power had been increased multiple times over.
Not only Devil Kieran was a few times stronger, but even the skills of the devil form were also greatly increased.
[Chaotic territory, yers devil form acquired temporary enhancement, all attributes +3, transformation duration extended...]
[Devil Lord Constitution +3]
[me st +3]
[Beheader ming Sword +3]
[spheme Whisper +3]
[Fiery Sulfur +3]
[Light of Fear +3]
[Devil Libra +3]
[Initiate temporary special attribute: Enve]
...
[Enve: Based on your own devil level, you are able to control other low-level demonic beings around you.]
......
Attributes and skill boosts were the most direct presentation of strength.
Just like how powerful the [me st], [Light of Fear], and [spheme Whisper] that Kieran had used.
[me st V: By pping your me wings, form a 140, 80-meter st range before you thatsts for 1 second. Rank III mes, rank III st wave, 3 times per transformation]
[Light of Fear V: Any living target that sees you will have to undergo 2 Spirit Authentications not lower than S- and A+ respectively (Extra authentication includes test of will), if failed twice, target will be face instant death (immune to instant death if test of will is passed); if failed once induce Fear and Chaos debuff]
[spheme Whisper V: Any target you kill will resurrect temporarily and fight for you. Targeted beings will receive enhancement (+10% of yers higher rank stats + extra Spirit authentication and so on) 10+ minute duration (+1 minute of yers higher rank stats + extra Spirit authentication), 1 time per transformation]
...
Because of all the enhancements, Kieran immediately came to a decision: push directly into Golden City.
He knew if he left for Dawn City and should Golden City counterattack, Burning Dawn would face an unimaginable situation.
Therefore, might as well heavily cripple Golden City, especially when he had favorable geographical and character conditions.
The horns from far away sounded again.
The dead on the ground were gushing towards Golden City like the tides.
Mid-air, Devil Kieran extended his wings and looked down at his targets on the horizon.
Behind him was Burning Dawns chief rider, Luzarc who was looking at the scene excitedly.
He called out to the aide beside him, Send the signal! Call our brother-in-arms here as fast as possible! Our counterattack is starting!
Counterattack! Counterattack! Counterattack!
The riders behind their chief were knocking on the small round shields on their arms.
A signal re was shot to the sky with a beautiful trail.
Shuuuuuu! Bang!
The signal re exploded after a loud bang, igniting a burning me in the sky.
The me rumbled in the sky and eventually formed a head with two horns.
The straight horns were as sharp as swords and looked as if it pierced the sky.
The magma face was ferocious and scary.
Yet the sign had a different meaning for Burning Dawn!
Burning Cavalry!
The storming riders under the devil, the Burning Cavalry!
The indomitable, undefeated and ever-victorious Burning Cavalry!
Throughout the past one hundred years, not once had they appeared on the battlefield... the Burning Cavalry!
Sunlight couldnt even overpower the reddish burning me.
The devil head roared again. They were dering their return and it was dering to the world...
It had returned!
...
Look! The Burning Cavalry!
Its the charging order of the Burning Cavalry!
Charge!
Charge!
We must join our lord!
The burning fire fears no darkness.
The burning will fear no horror.
The burning soul is fearless in the face of despair.
The riders from Burning Dawn traveling on Supreme Road saw that roaring devil head; it shook their spirits.
The riders knew what the devil head represented since they heard of the secrets that were passed down by word of mouth. Every one of them was filled with vigor and rode faster than before as if they had adrenaline shots.
When they rode, their mouths were muttering chants that sounded like an incantation.
The messy self-muttering turned into an exciting and arousing chant. Despite no prior rehearsal before this, all of their chants sounded in unison and after three rounds of chantingter, it had reached an astonishing level.
It wasnt just because the legends they admired in their hearts as be their mental support and beliefs, it was also because the true formless energy that had awakened.
The energy imbued the riders, strengthening them as if they really had godly aids.
...
Walloon who stayed behind defending the North camp did what he could to protect the base.
Arbalest, stones, boiling water and other kinds of siege-defending contraptions were checked more than once but the anxiety in Walloons heart pushed him to do something to distract his own thoughts.
Therefore, Walloon went on checking the defensive line again.
My lord, you should take some rest. If the war breaks out, your condition will only worsen the situation.
Perdal from Shatterstone reminded Walloon of his health.
Of course I know that but...
Walloon shook his head and sighed.
What could he say?
Could he be honest to his men that he had finally seen the rising hope of Burning Dawn through many hardships yet when he decided to finallymit to a great cause, that rising hope, that lord acted on his own decision to fight ten thousand men alone?
Although he wouldnt doubt his lordships power, how could a war of ten thousand men be easy?
The worries tortured Walloon inside out.
The feeling felt like when a hungry man was thrown in front of a fridge and he realized the fridge was locked.
Walloon took a deep breath again, trying to adjust his mood, despite him knowing it was useless.
My lord! My lord! Look! There, isnt that the Burning Cavalrys charging order?
Perdals uncertainty caught Walloons attention.
When Walloon saw the roaring devils dead, his body shook and was stunned, unable to move an inch.
It is the Burning Calvary! It is the charging order!
How dare that Luzarc...
No, no! Luzarc isnt that kind of man who doesnt get his priorities straight, there must be a reason he fired out the signal and based on the situation... Could it be? Lord 2567 really fought against ten thousand men alone?
If thats the case...
Thought after thought appeared in Walloons mind. It cluttered his messy mind even further and he even felt dizziness because of theck of oxygen but immediately, he was excited.
He believed in his own judgment just like how he believed his good friend, Luzarc.
Raise the banner of Burning and Dawn! Walloon said loudly.
The ordering officer carried out themand to the other soldiers.
The soldiers were ordered to raise the banner of Burning and Dawn, not Burning Dawn.
Burning, the devils roar will charge forward.
Dawn, the light will cover and protect the rear.
The two banners were carefully brought to Walloon.
The soldiers of Burning Dawn automatically straightened their bodies, so did Walloon.
However,pared to themon soldiers, Walloon was much more careful and meticulous as he moved towards the gpole with respect; his hand was touching the gpole.
Then...
Raise the banner!
The scarlet red devil head and the sun during dawn that shined down on thend.
Two banners with distinguished colors and styles were raised up once again, just like how they were a hundred years ago.
When both banners were raised up in the sky, the wind blew.
Fuaaaa!
Two banners were fluttering along with the wind.
...
Shatterstone Town, Burning Dawn outpost station and all the people, living beings on Supreme Road saw the Burning Cavalrys charging order.
When that roaring devil head entered peoples sights, some were dumbstruck, some recalled past memories and some felt fear, but a lot more felt it unbelievable, especially for some people or living beings who knew the harsh history of the Burning Cavalry.
With a mantle and a greatsword, Ran Dan was leading his family members along the smaller paths on Supreme Road.
In order to chase back his youngest daughter, Evie Dan, the old hunter was forced to take up his weapon again. Although he was quite delighted to do so, he still had to maintain the strictness of a parent.
Therefore, along the way, Ran Dan showed a heavy face. It made his brother, sister-inw, eldest son, and daughter and second son reverant, none of them dared to even breathe out loud.
The dignity from the past had granted the old hunter absolute rights and authority to his family.
However, the Dans suddenly realized the old hunter was looking at something with his eyes wide open.
How is this possible? It is almost certain that Burning Dawn will fall, how can the charging order from Burning Cavalry appear in the sky? It doesnt seem like an empty shell either but a real resonance... an heir has appeared? The heir to the devil... do you uphold the rebellious kindness or the traditional evil?
The old hunter unconsciously gripped his greatsword tightly.
...
An olddy wearing animal skin and using leaves and vines as decoration was leading a group behind her traveling through the wild of some mountain.
The members of the group shared many simr traits: tall, strong, and furry.
The olddys age had taken away her ability to walk the steep cliffs like leveled grounds but the long life and vast experience allowed her to learn some peculiar techniques.
The leaves and vines that the olddy wore as decorations were like the nimblest and sturdiest arm and feet. It didnt just allow her to swiftly shuttle through the steep cliffs, she was moving steadily as well.
However, when the charging order of the Burning Cavalry rose to the sky, the leaves and vines that acted as her arms and feet shook as if she met her bane that caused her tremendous fear.
Burning Calvary!?
The olddy looked up. Her turbid gaze was overflowing with a sparkle at that moment.
She took three oak tree fruit shells and threw them on the ground and when she saw the broken shells stand up vertically, the olddy furrowed her brows tightly.
An heir that acts on his own ord?
Seemed like the olddy knew more but...
Fuuuu!
The devils me sudden burned from thin air, not only did it instantly engulfed the oak tree fruit shells, it was extending its ming tongue at the olddy.
It wasnt a warning but a direct attack.
The olddy had to ditch an entire piece of vine on her arm to free herself from the mes.
As rampant as ever but it makes me more curious. Lets see what this heir looks like now!
The olddy said before waving her hand.
She and her group then traveled faster than before.
...
Kieran looked up at the familiar sign which was an emblem on the Burning Family wagon; he wasnt surprised.
Burning Dawn was originally thebination of the Burning and the Dawn family.
It was only normal that the emblem of the Burning Family being used as a signal but what Kieran didnt expect was...
[Chaotic territory energy explosion...]
[Detected yer has devils bloodline...]
[yer acquires further temporary enhancement, all attributes +3, all skill levels +3, acquired temporary skill: Devil Gate, transformation duration extended...]
[Devil Gate: Use the blood and flesh of a thousand enemies to form a temporary gate. Able to summon even more devil ves into this world through the gate. Gate has a 1-minute duration and the devil ves thates through the gate will be forcefully returned to the abyss following the gates duration.]
...
More lively energy gathered on Kierans body.
Now, Kieran felt like he could even kill a God if one was before him but unfortunately, Kierans foe this time around wasnt the fated nemesis, God, but a bunch ofmoners.
More precisely, the elites ofmoners. There might be at least one or two special existences within the bunch.
Lets hope you still have the guts to fight me.
Devil Kieran was anticipating it in his heart.
He was quite anticipating the fight with Extremus.
Although he didnt know Extremus identity, based on the fact that Saint Cyanda the VII was killed by an assassin from Golden City, Extremus might very well be rted to Golden City.
Just like how Kieran was put in Burning Dawns faction because of his bloodline.
Starbeck?
Perhaps he had no special traits but since he was the owner of the main scroll, he was destined to be different.
As for the other two?
Darde the Titan should have an identity that perfectly suited himself as well but Kieran still couldnt know at the moment because of the restriction of information.
As for the Brokers other subordinate or his pawn, he should be hiding in the dark, watching over everything.
It made Kieran more and more careful because of the pawns existence.
A breath of fire was spat out from Devil Kierans mouth.
He was using his outrageously powerful Intuition to search the area while his eyes were locked on to the city that gettinging closer in his sight.
Golden City.
It was already within grasp.
Chapter 1006 - Resistance
Chapter 1006: Resistance
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Dang!
Dang! Dang!
On the walls of Golden City, rming smokes rose up to the sky, while the giant bell in the central square was rung repeatedly.
The ve traffickers, smugglers, robbers, and bandits that gathered in the city raised their heads in shock.
They couldnt understand what kind of danger could send Golden City into such an rmed state as if the city had met its greatest enemy.
One needed to know, on thisnd, even Burning Dawn couldnt shake the sturdy position of Golden City.
For a hundred years, Golden City relied on force to build its prestigious name. It had far overtaken the Burning Dawn from a hundred years ago, or should it be...
With some intentional individuals arrangement, those who came to Golden City now had forgotten a hundred years ago, Golden City was just a sentry camp for Burning Dawn.
Is it rted to the fireworks just now?
That devil head?
Is it the Burning Family?
Can the Burning Family still leave Dawn City? Dont be ridiculous!
The king wished that he can tie both the Burning and the Dawn Family beside his feet like dogs.
....
The discussion ended inughter but theughter was halted abruptly at the very next moment.
They saw Kieran in the sky.
Devil Kieran was flying in the sky. As his zing eyes nced over the whole Golden City, [me st] that was boosted again was smashed down like a zing pir that pierced the heaven.
Golden Citys walls were known as the most sturdy and tallest of all yet they were smashed like tofu by the fiery attack. Together with the walls, the archer tower behind it and the soldiers were turned to ash upon impact.
Then, the people inside the city finally saw what caused the smoke signals and the rm bell.
The dead! An army of the dead without boundaries!
When the people saw the soul me in the eyes of the dead, quiet yet burning strongly, they shuddered.
Guards! Guards!
Some couldnt help but called out to the guards while a lot more of them drew their swords.
Those who did business in Golden City werent any morally sound people, whether it was the ve traffickers, the smugglers, or the robbers and bandits, all of them had quite the fighting capabilities.
Unfortunately, the dead they encountered werent the normal dead but were originally the soldiers of Golden City and more importantly, after being revived into devil ves, the dead had many different kinds of enhancements.
Bang!
A big buff bandit shed his sword at the one of the devil ves neck.
Since the bandit made a living around Supreme Road, he was aware that the dead might look scary but in fact, they had a lot of weaknesses, other than fire and lightning attacks, the most effective thing to do was was to cut their heads off.
Therefore, the bandit did it but the oue was out of his expectations.
His sword preciselynded on the deads neck but he felt like he struck tough leather.
The neck was supposed to be the weak spot of the dead but now, it was as tensile as a cowhide.
After the shing sword sunk almost half a finger deep into the deads neck, it couldnt move anymore.
Perhaps for anymoner, having a half a finger deep sh wound on their neck would be fatal but for the dead, it was barely a scratch as it didnt hurt or itch.
Under the shocking gaze of the bandit, the sword that the dead wielded was driven through his chest.
Hot blood was sshed on the devil ves face. The unfamiliar scent together with the familiar feeling made the soul fire in the devil ves eyes burn brighter.
Roar!
A heavy and loud beastly roar came from the deads chest.
The devil ve got stronger. While its strength was mixed with the hatred towards the living, the strengthening was no doubt catastrophic to the living.
Just when the people inside Golden City realized the dead before their eyes were umon, they suddenly realized again, the dead grew stronger through killing!
What kind of ghost is this?
How the hell did this happen?
That damn devil!
Is this the Lord of the Dead?
The messy voices didnt change the current situation at all.
The army of the dead easily crushed the first line of defense of the hastily put together army with a destructive force.
On top of that, the second defense line waspletely destroyed without having much use.
The people in the city then realized, when they were holding off the army of the dead from invading the city, the guards that were supposed to guard the city were nowhere to be found.
The realization caused the people to crumble instantly. These evil-doers werent people with strong wills and convictions.
On the contrary, they were more skilled in fishing in troubled waters and other simr evil deeds.
Now, the ruler of Golden City wanted to use them as a shield to block the arrows; none of them wanted to.
The group that might still have been able to hold on for a while longer crumbled after the realization hit them.
All of them used their own ways to escape from the city.
Some of the bolder ones ran towards the deeper part of Golden City.
As for why? The answer was self-exnatory.
The ve-traffickers, smugglers, robbers, and bandits escaped, but their goods stayed.
The ves, on the other hand, looked at each other as the dead beings moved away from them in a hurry; they were at loss of what to do.
In the end, the ves looked at Kieran floating in the sky.
You are all free now! Whether you want it or not, dare to or not, youre all free! If you miss your despicable days, you can wait here for your master in panic but if you want to wee a new life, pick up the swords, follow my army and grasp the life you wanted with the sword in your hand!
Kierans voice sounded like a st of thunder, echoing in the ves ears heavily.
Some were in a trance, some were lost.
Some stood up and went up before the goods the smugglers left behind and pick something they could carry.
When there was a leader, others will follow.
Who was willing to be sold off like goods?
Who was willing to be treated even lower than animals?
Who was willing to live under the whims of others with their lives not being their own?
Now, they had hope to leave their ve lives behind, no one will be willing to stay!
Rebellion!
Rebellion!
Rebellion!
All for the sake of freedom!
The call of rebellion sounded from the ves, a strong young man then took the sword beside him and followed the army of the dead, charging towards his previous master.
Behind him was a bunch of other ves, following him into battle with loud roars.
The army of dead was already unstoppable and now with the living behind them, it was like granting a tiger a pair of wings.
The indomitable force pushed directly into the deeper parts of Golden City.
Inside there was a temple that looked more like a pce.
The reason why it was a temple because there was a divine statue, an iron divine statue that was blurry, weird and unable to fully describe with words.
The divine statue could be considered as a single entity or a group of entities, it didnt even have a fixed form but it was terrifying enough.
There was a sea of bodies in front of the divine statue.
The guards of Golden City and those who tried to fish in troubled waters died before the statue, in a very gruesome way.
Some had their all their limbs twisted off.
Some had their guts ripped out.
Some were skinned alive.
However, a lot of the bodies had their skulls cracked open and died because their brain was sucked out.
The extremely familiar scene made Kieran frowned.
Then, the statue moved!
Chapter 1007 - The Fallen Nobility
Chapter 1007: The Fallen Nobility
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Gak Tss Tss!
Amidst a tooth-numbing screech, the statue made entirely out of iron and as tall as three grown menbined started to twist.
From its original weird look to a formless state.
As if the metal was a living liquid, the statue twisted and swirled and eventually turned into a whirlpool.
The sea of bodies on the floor was being absorbed by the statue. Blood, broken limbs, and skulls were swallowed, including the army of the dead that was brought back to life.
The army of the dead that was charging in front was sucked into the whirlpool with a slight misstep.
The ve army behind still had the chance to grab onto the structures beside them or hide behind some buildings to resist the tremendous suction force.
In the sky, Devil Kieran slightly extended his wings and the suction force instantly couldnt get hold of him as it was insignificant to his power.
His zing eyes were watching the changes of the statue whirlpool and when he noticed something inside, Kieran took a deep dive into the whirlpool without a second thought.
Huuu!
After Kieran dived into the whirlpool, the raging wind swept across thend.
A dozen secondster, the raging wind stopped. The ves and the Burning Dawn soldiers that finally caught up were looking at each other; they didnt know what happened.
However, someone knew.
Hahahaha!
Greed, as expected of the cardinal sins! So what if you are the heir to the Burning Family? Didnt you just drop dead in front of an irresistible temptation!?
An elegantly dressed middle-aged man with a crown on his head walked out from the pce.
Behind him was around a hundred fully armed warriors.
Unlikemon soldiers, the warriors were better equipped, bigger in size and stronger by countless times, especially their aura, that cold aura could easily strike chills in amoners heart.
Nordin!
The name escaped Luzarcs clenched teeth.
The hatred he had for that name came directly from his bones.
Luzarc, its been a while! Never thought we would meet again in a situation like this. I rememberst was like what... when I executed two of your men in public? At first, I thought you might be impulsive enough to interrupt the execution but who would have thought you were so calm and cowardly like a tortoise! Your cowardly behavior has followed you until now I see.
Oh right, you can address me as your Majesty, King Nordin! I became the ruler of Golden City ten years ago! Although you seem like you havent changed, still just a broken military brute I see... relying on others to give you courage so that you can appear before me? Hahahahaha!
Now, KNEEL BEFORE ME!
Nordinughed as he handled the situation with ease.
His arrogant eyes were looking down at Luzarc and thest elites of Burning Dawn.
Then, he said loudly.
His voice was extremely terrorizing, to the point that one of the ves wielding a sword fell on the ground because his hands were shaking.
Chang!
Amidst the metal clunking noise, the ve was horrified.
Especially when Nordin looked down at the ve, the ve trembled non-stop.
What do we have here? A bunch of self-conscious goods? Dont worry, Ill let you ves carry out yourst wishes. Then, Ill chop each of your heads off and make them into wine cups, presenting them to the guests of Golden City!
Nordins words werent just empty threats.
The moment his words subsided, the elite warriors behind him dashed towards the ves.
On one side was the elite warriors who were well equipped and well trained.
On the other side were the ves that were just liberated and moved ording to their boiling impulses.
Who would win?
The answer was self-exnatory.
It would be a one-sided massacre.
Luzarc who perfectly knew what would happen and tried to order his men to prevent that but Nordin somehow appeared in front him and the riders of Burning Dawn.
Luzarc, did you know? Ten years ago, I already had the idea of crushing thest hope of Burning Dawn by myself. It made my heart suffer day by day and I thought of how to kill every one of you whenever I slept and woke! Now the chance that I have been waiting for is here! Even if I had to pay a small price, what else matters?
Nordin emphasized each and every word. When he spoke, he sounded soft as if he was greeting his friend but eventually ended up with a frenzied face.
What was more surprising were lines of ck streams flowing out from Nordins body and swiftly enveloping him whole, revealing only his pair of scarlet red eyes; he looked like a pitch ck monster.
Now, I am not who I used to be! My power is the strongest! Since I am the strongest, I will not be restricted to only Golden City! Those who once held contempt toward this power, those who once insulted me and those who looked down on me, they all will pay the heaviest price!
Luzarc, when you expelled me from Burning Dawn, did you ever see this daying? Did you ever think of the ending?
The ck monster was standing in front of Luzarc as it roared in a frenzied state.
Even on the warhorse, Luzarc was just as tall as the monster.
When the monster roared, Luzarc even felt dizzy. A faint wicked muttering sounded in Luzarcs ears and it didnt just test his will but his life as well!
A faint withering aura appeared like cancer on Luzarc and the Burning Dawn riders.
It was slowly and strangely absorbing the life force of its prey.
A few secondster, Luzarc and the riders looked like they were in their old age but it didnt affect their will.
Their will was as strong as iron, their reply was sharper than the iron-forged sword!
I am d that I expelled your spineless ass our of Burning Dawn back then because your existence alone is an insult to us! I regret that my soft heart allowed you to run freely and fall beyond redemption! Now, I shall right my wrong!
Luzarc was breathing heavily. The blood carried the oxygen throughout his body, allowing him to tightened his muscles.
The longsword in Luzarcs hand suddenly burned fiercely, the scorching heat even distorted the air around it. However, the scene attracted more chidingments from Nordin.
Right your wrong? Who do you think you are? Relying on a bit of the Burning Dawn legacy and thinking you have it all?
Let me tell you! The biggest secret of Burning Dawn is in Golden City! Not within Burning Dawn! Otherwise, why did you think that bastard that you relied on so much dived into that whirlpool? A lot of men tried to get it but once they do, they would nevere out! That bastard is no exception!
Besides, speaking about falling, when did the devils bloodline be so noble? If we are talking about fallen souls, he is the most fallen one! Hahahahahahaha..... UGH!
Nordinughed loudly but hisughs halted abruptly at the next moment.
A zing palm tore apart the void and appeared in front of Nordin, grabbing his pitch ck monster body.
Then...
KABOOM!
The pitch ck monster burned up like a giant torch.
Sparks and excruciating wails that seemed endless were heard but none of that could cover the thunderous voice of Devil Kieran.
The fallen arent really noble but at least its better than bing such a disgusting thing.
Chapter 1008: Wait for my return!
Chapter 1008: Wait for my return!
Trantor:EndlessFantasy Trantion
Editor:EndlessFantasy Trantion
"Y-You! How is this possible?!" No one can escape from the graves!"
Nordin cried out in disbelief under the zing mes.
Kieran, as always, didnt have the habit of answering his enemies questions.
When Nordin was wailing in excruciating pain, the [Beheader ming Sword] appeared in his hand.
The ming butchers weapon was enhanced two ranks and it had reached new heights.
The moment it appeared, even the void rippled.
It wasnt the distortion because of heat anymore but... a kind of tremble! As if the void met its bane, thus trembling ceaselessly.
Devil Kierans sharp senses caught the changes but it didnt stop him from shing his enemy.
Wung!
The giant, burning beheader sword shed across Nordins zing body.
There was no resistance and he was shed in half.
The powerful life force was instantly devoured by the ming sword.
The persistent and crazy will were destroyed and all that was left was a w.
A w with its legs attached yet missing a talon.
A familiar presence came from the w as Kieran picked it up.
[Name: Key of Grave]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: III]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: V]
[Attribute: Open (Open the grave with simr, reacting energy, or a blood tribute of a thousand strong living beings)]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: Corresponding Energy]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: No]
[Remark: Ites from a certain living being yet it was used in other ways.]
...
"Open?"
Without further hints, Kieran thought of the special whirlpool.
Just when Kieran was thinking about the whirlpool, the scorching devil me started to gather on the w.
Wung!
A weird resonance started following the mes.
A violent wind appeared before Kieran, swirling and sweeping everything but it disappeared the next second.
It was Kieran who stopped the transfer of devil me to the w because he knew what woulde if the wind took form: the whirlpool!
The whirlpool that appeared before and vanished along with the violent wind; it incited an unparalleled longing in Kierans heart, causing him to dive in, disregarding consequences.
He didnt know what was inside but the logic and calm that he cultivated through experience allowed him to know what the right thing to do was.
Kieran chose to deceive his foe.
It may seem like Kieran had dived into the whirlpool but actually, he hid before he even got in.
He wanted to lure out the mastermind behind the scenes.
The strange statue, the blood sacrifice of the guards, Kieran would never believe that it was all a natural phenomenon.
Then, everything unfolded exactly as Kieran had anticipated.
Although the one who took the bait wasnt the one he was anticipating, he still got a lot out of it.
Other than the [Key of Grave], it was the hidden information.
"The biggest secret of Burning Dawn. The Grave..."
Kieran muttered softly, his mind was reying the scene where he caught a glimpse of inside the whirlpool.
Pitch ck with a dash of dark red, decaying with a vile stench but...
One should feel disgusted at the scene but Kieran didnt, all he felt it was a delicious sensation.
For a second back there, he felt hunger, the kind of extreme hunger after starving for a few days, even his body started to slim down and right at the veryst moment, he saw a delicious meal ced in front of him.
However, a huge and blurry figure was hiding inside and it has a natural terrorizing presence.
Despite the figure being restrained by something and only being able to struggle, Kieran still felt a scary terrorizing presence from the figure. Even with his enhanced devil force, the sense of terrorizing danger was like a dark cloud floating above his mind, causing him difort.
"What is that?" Kieran pondered upon the question.
Meanwhile, Luzarc strode over to Kieran.
The chief rider of Burning Dawn knew that Golden City had lost itsst chance following Nordins death.
They won. A victory they had been longing for and it was the most unbelievable one yet.
A single man sieging a whole city.
This kind of victory was only heard of during the mythical, legendary times, and Luzarc was awestruck by it, causing his body to tremble with excitement.
What else was more powerful in dering Burning Dawns return than this victory?
What else was better than showing people how strong the heir of Burning Dawn was other than this victory?
None! The victory they had now was the best they could ask for!
Look at that tall, burning figure!
While feeling the heat from the scorching heat and rumbling magma, Luzarc knelt on the ground on one knee.
"My lord! This is from the first generation Burning Marquis and Grand Duke of Dawn, it has been kept a secret in Burning Dawn for a hundred years! Only the true heir can own the rights to blow it."
A ck horn simr to a cows was handed to Kieran by Luzarc.
[Name: Burning Horn]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: I]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: III]
[Attribute: 1. Charge; 2. Radiance; 3. Burning]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: The heir of Burning Dawn]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: The Grand Duke of Dawn provided the materials while the Burning Marquis crafted it. Possesses unthinkable effects.]
...
[Charge: When the Charging Horn is blown, allies (within a 100-meter radius of the blower) will receive Strength, Agility and Constitution +1 buff for 30-second duration, 2/ day]
[Radiance: When the Radiance Horn is blown, allies (within a 100-meter radius of the blower) will receive a Secondary Healing effect, 1/day]
[Burning: This is the special horn that can only be blown by the one with Devils lineage and in devil form. When blown, the Devil form will receive an enhancement of chaotic energy. Level of enhancement is determined by the environment. Once every 5 days]
...
"A special equipment for the devil form?" Kieran was shocked.
He took the horn with his hand. The rampant devil me didnt even burn the horn a bit, quite the opposite, it turned thoroughly red when Kieran had it in his devil hand as if he was holding a piece of burning metal.
"Please blow it."
Luzarc said solemnly when he saw Kieran take the horn.
"Please blow it!"
The elite riders behind the chief said in unison as well.
Kieran didnt reject.
Wuuu, wuuuuu!
The thoroughly red horn was blown.
The sound of the horn wasnt as bleak as themon one, instead, it had an unexinable excitement and even the environment underwent a huge change.
Supreme road was normal on itself for being a barrennd, nothing else was special about it at all times but when [Burning Horn] was blown...
Grooom!
Thend shook slightly and fiery clouds started to gather in the sky.
Then, 11 pirs of fire sprung out from the ground, bursting to the sky from the starting point of Supreme Road until its ending point.
The pirs of fire actually represented the outpost stations of Burning Dawn throughout Supreme Road.
The zing mes sprung up to the sky yet it didnt harm the soldiers in the outpost stations at all.
The soldiers looked up in awe, watching the zing mes flying and exploding like fireworks.
They didnt know what was going on; some were slightly stunned before hot tears filled their eyes.
"Wee back, my lord."
Amidst the loud calling, all the soldiers turned towards the direction of Golden City.
"Wait for my return, with the glory that belonged to us."
"Wait for my return, with the radiance that belonged to us."
"When I return, it is time to destroy our enemies."
"When I return, the sky will be covered in mes."
"When I return, the Burning Dawn will radiate once more."
"We will rebuild our pride and glory in Golden City."
"We will patrol Supreme Road and we willnd in Saint Cyanda... as IMMORTALS!"
Chapter 1009 - Breaking
Chapter 1009: Breaking
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Nothing could hide the zing pirs of fire bursting up to the sky.
Everyone around Supreme Road saw it, including the old hunter, Ran Dan.
Looking at the zing sky, Ran Dan suddenly halted his steps. His face was showing aplicated expression seemingly nostalgic yet disgusted.
After a while...
Lets move on, we must reach Golden City before daybreak! The old hunter said.
Yes, brother.
Yes, father.
His family members replied with solemn faces.
The hunters obviously cherished their rtionship with each of their members, otherwise, they wouldnt have made the trip to Golden City in a hurry after receiving Evie Dans request.
However, the hunters kept their emotions and feelings to themselves rather than showing them. Maybe they would show more in front of their own family members but in the wilderness, even if they were around family, they would still follow the basic ruled of the hunters.
Compared to the hunters, the werewolf tribe, on the other hand, was more straightforward.
The younger werewolves behind the olddy looked at the zing sky. Each of them expressed their shock and difort in the most direct way.
Werewolves were not scared of fire, they could even warm themselves up with fire but they would never get close to one, simr to their other blood kin.
Thats enough, let us continue our journey.
The olddys word calmed the pack down right away and ushered them to move on.
The younger werewolves were very obedient to their elder, so as they continued the journey, none of the younger ones realized the heavy expression on their elders face which was never before seen.
Immortals? Is this real? Or...
There was only a handful of things that could move the olddy who lived long enough and had remarkable experience in life and immortality was definitely one of that handful of things.
Especially when immortality was connected with that one, it captivated the olddys attention.
What are you trying to do? Did you see this scene today from a hundred years ago? Are you so confident in your heir? Immortals... you really didnt know what your actions would force your heir to face in the future eh? Or is this another test from you to your heir?
Question after question popped up in the olddys heart but none were answered clearly.
It made her helpless since she dubbed herself as wise enough with her vast experience.
This is really like you! If you were still alive, I bet you wouldugh out loud and watch how ugly and shameful I am now right, the olddy sighed.
The messy thoughts were then discarded from her mind.
Her pack was moving forward even faster.
Everything would be exined when she met the heir.
...
Just as people around Supreme Road were shocked or eximed at the overwhelming scene in the sky, message after message was being sent throughout Saint Cyanda via all sorts of hidden channels, especially the capital of Saint Cyanda, Dawn City.
For a moment there, all the important figures were attracted by this particr message.
The two princes that were fighting fiercely even ceased their battle because of this message.
Both of them stared at each other and after parting ways, they restricted their men and ceased their battle for now.
They knew if they didnt solve this sudden incident, even if they got their hands on that thing, they would eventually fail.
After all, Burning Dawn was the biggest thorn in the imperial households heart.
Working together to fight off external threats had always been the tradition of Saint Cyanda, especially against Burning Dawn.
Both princes sat back at the negotiating table and started to discuss with discretion.
As for what they were discussing, no one knew.
However, Saint Cyanda Pce which now apprehended every danger in every sound didnt feel rxed because of the secret discussion, instead, more and more guards appeared.
...
Pang!
A ss full of wine was smashed at the wall furiously.
The red wine left a bright red trail on the white wall.
The figure who maintained an elegant demeanor was fuming in rage when he got the news.
Damn it! How can the devils bloodline ignore the graves temptation?
Damn it! Why that horn is still there? Ive sent men to destroy it...
The figures heavy growling stopped abruptly.
The figure didnt know what kind of ace Kieran used to block the temptation from the grave but he got solid information from his men that the horn was destroyed, yet the [Burning Horn] appeared again.
Which meant... betrayal!
His men had betrayed him! His men betrayed him under near-impossible circumstances.
Is it part of Brokers contingency? The figure thought instinctively.
Then, heughed coldly.
If so, then what? After entering the dungeon, I am no longer under your control. My arrangements areplete, even if there are a few idents along the way, what harm could it do? The final victor will be me! I will get that thing, get the Unique Title, and drag you down from your throne, dooming you eternally!
The figure growled loudly. His roaring was echoing throughout the secret room ceaselessly.
...
Starbeck left the Burning Marquis room in heavy steps as he didnt get the support he sought.
Or should it be, the Burning Marquis coldly rejected his request.
2567 is no longer a part of the Burning Family, nor is he your brother anymore.
Simple and straightforward.
Those decisive words caused Starbeck to be at loss for words.
He knew it would be difficult but he never thought it would be this difficult.
The Burning Marquis didnt even give him a chance to speak and sent him out of the room.
After that, Starbeck was grounded but he didnt n on giving up just yet.
When he was clearly rejected, he activated one of his aces and now he turned his attention to his butler.
Starbeck was trying to fight this chance a little more.
Wright...
Young master, please dont put me in a difficult position as well and please refrain from doing anything illogical. Lord Marquis order is very clear. I can onlyply with the Lords order, Wright said with a helpless expression.
As the butler of Burning Family, Wright didnt mind lending his strength to the eldest young master that has=d left the house, despite the eldest young master giving up his name, Wright still treated him as his eldest young master, not some 2567.
Likewise, as the butler of Burning Family, Wright could not disobey the Burning Marquis order.
I understand. Starbeck took a deep breath.
He was prepared to use another one of his aces.
Just as his hand reached the sack on his waist, a servant of the house dashed in from outside with an anxious look.
Sir butler, the Minister of Military requests a meeting
After the servant reported his urgency, two more servants ran in.
Sir butler, the Minister of Finance requests a meeting.
The city guardmander as well.
Three consecutive reports made Wright frown.
The three requesting a meeting werent just some John Does, they were considered to be big figures in Dawn City. Among the three, the Minister of Military and the Minister of Finance were of simr ranks with the Burning Marquis as well.
The Burning Family, however, had a poor rtionship with all the ministers. In fact, because of Burning Dawn, the Burning Family was not on good terms with most of the nobles in Dawn City.
The nobles would only treat Burning Family with utmost coldness and hostility which nothing new either.
What happened though?
Worries and doubts appeared in the old butlers heart but he wasnt slow.
Open the doors to the lords, the old butler said.
The moment his words subsided, another servant ran in.
Sir butler, the officer of his Majesty requests a meeting and... and...
And what?
The old butler was not happy with the servant stuttering in his report, this is the Burning Family and its servant should act ordingly, not stuttering during work.
And the two princes and the few other princesses as well.
The old butler who was showing dissatisfaction of his servant was stunned right away.
The princes, princesses, and his Majestys officer? What in the world is happening?
Old butlers furrowed brows almost mashed up together.
Soon enough, his doubts were cleared.
A secret letter was brought to the old butler by another servant from the Burning Marquis room.
One man against ten thousand! One man sieging a city! The heir of Burning Dawn!
Hahahahahahaha! The Burning Family will rise again! Shut the doors, tell those who are waiting that Lord Marquis will not see any of them, none!
The old butlers hand shook when he read through the letter.
Amidst his series ofughs, the old butler gave his orders to the servants.
Starbeck beside who saw the scene smiled as well.
When Wright was reading the letter, he didnt conceal it from Starbeck, thus granting a clear view of the contents.
Starbeck didnt voice hisughter but the smiles from his heart had sincerity and happiness to it because he knew Kieran had seized the chance.
The chance that shouldnt have appeared yet did appear in the end.
Although as a cost, Starbeck used a wishing card, he treated it as malt sugar instead.
2567 is great at creating miracles.
Starbeck was praising Kieran in his heart, he didnt even care about what the old butler had to say.
Likewise, the old butler didnt spare any more attention on Starbeck either since he was rushing towards the Burning Marquis room.
The whole mansion fell into a busy state because of the sudden message, no one else had the spare time to care about Starbeck anymore.
Therefore, no one noticed Starbeck was moving closer to the walls with smiles.
Chapter 1010 - Approaching the Truth
Chapter 1010: Approaching the Truth
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The rebuilding of Golden City was much easier than expected.
Under Luzarcsmand, not only were the original ves added to the rebuilding but the citys original citizens and captives joined the process as well.
After the ves and citizens were promised freedom, they joined the rebuilding voluntarily.
While the robbers, bandits, smugglers, ve traffickers formed a new group of ves under the might of the sword.
Perhaps Burning Dawns elite riders werent that many, but deep inside the Golden City pce was an existence that people would fear and felt despair for.
One man against ten thousand, one man taking a city.
Such a legendary, mythical person was there in the pce. No matter how cunning a person was, one wouldnt dare to act recklessly. Therefore the rebuilding of Golden City was quick.
A mere few hourster, the initial effects were visible already.
The biggest construction was centered around rebuilding the walls and archer towers that Kieran destroyed using his fiery st.
Big pieces of shattered stone and mud were used to repair the seams on the walls and for the rest of the parts, including the rebuilding of the archer tower, they would need the help of some real construction workers and cksmiths; it wasnt possible within a short period of time.
So, the repair work consisted of the ves and citizens focusing their attention within Golden City.
The parts of Golden City that required repairs werent that many yet not too few either.
Soon enough, the reconstruction group split up into smaller groups and started to get busy.
Luzarc who was standing on the walls was checking the seams.
After some simple repairs, Golden City walls was still far from what it used to be, an iron fortress, but it was able to withstand against a certain amount of sieging.
However, Luzarc wasnt relieved at all. He was inspecting the repairs on the walls and at the same time arranging for his aide to send messages to Walloon and the main rider group that had fallen behind.
Bring them to Golden City as soon as possible. I know that since we have his lordship here with us, those bastards dare not do anything but his lordship is not our nanny, he cant just clean up the mess for us every time. Also, tell Walloon to rearrange the defense of the North base camp and the eleventh outpost station ording to the defensive procedures. Remember, tell him not to be careless, we have only this chance. If we fail, Burning Dawn will be finished.
Luzarc gave his order in a serious tone.
Yes, my lord. The aide saluted before he rushed out of Golden City with his horse.
The message Luzarc was sending was too important. It wasnt a task for amon messenger and in the current group, other than Luzarc, only his aide was suitable for the task.
Seeing his aide off, Luzarc looked down beneath his feet toward the walls.
There were rows of pebbles of different sizes surrounding the area from the perspective of others may look like some childs y but for one who knew Supreme Road and had a decent military background, the rows of pebbles were simple lines of defense.
Starting from Golden City, Burning Dawns North and South camp were acting as supports while being connected through the 11 outpost stations; it was almost a perfect defense line without any dead angles.
This line of defense was purposely set up against the direction of... Dawn City.
Luzarc was very clear about the imperial household of Saint Cyanda; he knew even more about the nobles of the capital.
The chief rider of Burning Dawn knew how Saint Cyanda imperial household would react when the news at Golden City arrived; he also knew how the nobles would react.
After all, the imperial household targeting Burning Dawn wasnt anything new butsted for a hundred years.
Those nobles that were eyeing the wealth of Burning Dawn were like cruel, greedy wolves and vultures, plundering again and again.
Now, with Golden Citys appearance, how would they stay put?
It was certain that they would send out some reward or transfer orders through official means.
Then...
The nobles and imperial household would divide the loot, enjoying the spoils of their dirty political tactics.
It happened every time but not this time because the true heir of Burning Dawn had arrived.
They had been waiting for their lord to return!
They had to change their ways in order to react to the situation. Therefore, war was going to break out.
The alliance army of the imperials and nobles would soon be marching on Supreme Road towards Golden City!
Come on,e on you bastards! Its time for you to pay the price!
Luzarc muttered softly to himself. He then gave an order to the soldier beside him before he walked off the walls and headed towards the pce.
Inside the pce, all books or written notes that one could find were ced in the grand hall.
Kieran was sitting in the middle, going through book after book with extreme speed.
Such reading speed wasnt a meticulous reading, it wasnt even considered as going through the books; he was skimming for clues.
Grave, Treasure, Secrets, Legacy.
These few words became the keywords that Kieran was searching for.
If he had a choice, he wouldnt want to go with this particr method because he would miss out on a lot of useful information.
However, there were no other ways better than this for him right now.
Fortunately, among the book collection of Golden City, he found some extremely secretive recordings regarding grave and Burning Dawns secret.
The book that had the recording of the grave was an ancient, unsophisticated book that was made out of some animal skin; not goat, not cow, but something more tensile, something like... wolf skin.
Pro level [Mystical Knowledge] and Basic level [Research on Mythical Beings] gave Kieran some initial guesses but that was it. However, it was enough for him.
What he needed was the books to verify his own guesses and based on a special wolfskin book and the recordings in it, it might very well be true despite some of the recordings sounding a bit unbelievable.
...
Fenrir took down his crown and threw it away.
His eyes were merciful.
His expression was pained.
The sickness and famine that gued the earth cost him his sleep.
He needed to eliminate all the sickness and pain.
He walked the path of iron bramble.
His blood flowed across thend.
His will carried out his very first wish, even if...
At the end of the road, it would be his grave.
...
The recordings sounded like a poem with casual writing but the crown and grave mentioned caught Kierans attention.
The Supreme God and Supreme Road.
These two were well-known legends in the current dungeon world and Kieran wasnt a stranger to either but it was the first time he came across the crown and the grave.
If it was just a simple mention, Kieran would just spare some attention and not be captivated by it.
However, the other book that had the secret Burning Dawn also mentioned a crown.
He knew he was getting close to a certain truth.
...
My army, Burning Dawn was victorious.
Every obstacle on Supreme Road must be swept away.
I have my crown but my lineage forbids me from ever getting close to it.
It saddens me.
Forced, I bring my crown to Dawn City, asking my good friend for help, hoping that he can tell me how I should use it.
1081. Late Winter.
...
This was from a piece of paper mixed in the pile of books.
Kieran wouldnt have noticed it if he wasnt paying attention and because he did, it made him more anxious.
Chapter 1011 - Going To
Chapter 1011: Going To
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The current calendar of the dungeon world read 1182, Summer.
It was a hundred years after the date mentioned in the piece of paper.
Plus the mention of my army, Burning Dawn, the one who wrote the little note should be the first generation Burning Marquis or Grand Duke of Dawn.
A crown that the first Burning Marquis and Grand Duke of Dawn were searching for was definitely not somemon item and coincidentally, the wolfskin book also mentioned a crown.
What was more coincidental was that all of Kierans rivals had left Supreme Road, especially Extremus who should have shown up in Golden City; Extremus didnt even show his presence.
If there wasnt anything urgent, Kieran wouldnt believe Extremus would leave Golden City which had a series of mission and might affect the final acquisition of the Unique Title.
Unless, the ce Extremus was heading to could directly gain him the Unique Title, or...
There was something else even more important than the Unique Title.
The crown? Kieran muttered.
It was joyous when one finally uncovered a mystifying secret but some doubts remained unsolved.
For example the arrangements of Brokers men in Supreme Road.
Based on Kierans thinking, the arrangement might very well checkmate him and not like the current one which had a strong opening and a weak ending.
Kieran didnt believe Brokers men would be so careless.
The only exnation was some unpredictable changes happened to said arrangements, thus affecting the entire n.
Then...
What happened?
Kieran was in deep thought. He then noticed Luzarc was waiting for him.
Whats wrong Luzarc? Kieran asked.
My lord, we need to hasten our preparations here. Dawn City knows and those men will not just stay put. Ive contacted Walloon to redistribute the defense line with Golden City in the middle. The eleven outpost stations will be reinstated as the frontline outposts as well.
Scouts from the Burning Dawn riders will split up into groups and watch every direction from Dawn City. Once those greedy bastards appear, I assure you will we know immediately.
The chief rider meticulously reported his arrangements to Kieran.
Mm. How long can you withstand the alliance army of the imperials and nobles?
Kieran nodded before asking a surprising question.
From Luzarcs point of view, the impending war wasnt about how long they could hold but when they could counterattack.
After all, they had a leader that could rival ten thousand men and siege an entire city.
Luzarc even believed Kieran alone could take out the entire alliance army but when he was asked, the loyal chief didnt avoid the question.
If we have a continuous supply, I can drain the alliance army out along Supreme Road! They are the elites of Saint Cyanda but we, Burning Dawn are the best of the best. Even if we face changes, it will not change ourbat abilities! All we need is a sudden ambush, I will show them the gap in strength between us!
Luzarc said with an absolute tone, voicing his strong determination.
The pride on his face and the unwavering determination in his eyes caused Kieran to nod in satisfaction.
Very well. Proceed with your n, meanwhile, you are hereby named the acting leader of Burning Dawn temporarily and Ill tell Walloon to assist you as much as possible.
Kieran stood up from the books.
My lord, what are you trying to do? Please do tell, Ill give my best effort to help you achieve it! So please stay in Burning Dawn! With you with us, Burning Dawn is at its truest and with your guidance, we can truly be ever victorious!
Luzarc looked at Kieran in shock, he didnt understand why Kieran would name him the leader but it didnt stop him from dissuading Kieran.
With a firm decision, Kieran will not alter it just because of some dissuasion.
The Frost Wolf pup who was sleeping on a book quickly jumped to Kieran and went into the seam of his leather mail, revealing only its head.
Compared to Luzarc, Frost Wolf pup which had a contract, a special link with Kieran understood his will more.
After slightly touching the groaning pup, Kieran took the crow feathered mantle from the pile of books and wore it; he also took his backpack.
Luzarc was even more anxious seeing Kierans actions.
My lord, what are you trying to do? He pressed the question.
Im going to Dawn City, Kieran answered softly.
What?!
Luzarc widened his eyes, looking at Kieran with an inconceivable gaze.
He knew that Dawn City was like a dragons pond and a tigers cave for Kieran, a dangerous ce.
If they remained on Supreme Road, they might still have the upper hand but if the battle was moved to Dawn City, the tides would turn.
Despite Luzarc showing heavy disdain in attitude towards the imperials and nobles, deep in his heart, he wasnt that arrogant to ignore his foes.
Regardless of the imperials or the nobles, each of them had their own fortes and it was an undeniable fact.
So, Luzarc quickly knelt down before Kieran.
My lord, please rethink this! Dawn City isnt as simple as it looks! Luzarc said loudly in an agitated mood.
Yes, I know. If its possible, I really want to move the battlefield to Supreme Road since I have the upper hand here but... my foes will not allow that. Besides, after getting the news about Golden City, he will definitely hasten his steps.
My time is running out, moreover... someone is waiting for me there. If I still dont show up, he will be very lost.
Kieran then strode outside.
My lord, you cant go alone, youll at least need a group to escort you!
Since he couldnt stop Kieran, Luzarc quickly altered his words.
However, Kieran waved his hand and walked away from Luzarc; his figure slowly moved away from the line of sight until he vanishedpletely.
No answer was the best answer.
Who else could keep up with Kieran?
Or in a more straightforward view, why would Kieran need escorts since he was able to rival ten thousand men and siege a city?
My lord...
Luzarc stared nkly at the direction where Kieran vanished, trying to utter something but nothing came out of his mouth.
Things happened and it was toote for him to prevent it.
All that was left was to do his best, trying to not disappoint Kieran.
Luzarc walked outside with a baffled mind.
He just said Burning Dawn was the best of the best, all they needed was a sudden ambush and he could teach the imperial and nobles the gap in strength.
Luzarc would make sure what he said just now wasnt just empty words.
...
As Kieran departed for Dawn City, Burning Dawns war drums sounded in concert.
Meanwhile, Starbeck who had left the mansion yet hadnt left Dawn City entirely ran into someone totally unexpected.
Chapter 1012 - Investigate
Chapter 1012: Investigate
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The news about Supreme Road and Burning Dawn spread like wildfire in Dawn City.
The important figures that gathered in front of the Burning Familys mansion were too obvious, nothing could conceal them from the intentional gazes.
More so, the Burning Family had no intention of hiding the news either.
Therefore, soon enough, the legends about Kieran were floating around Dawn City.
Legends, not rumors.
Whether it was the one man rivaling ten thousand or one man sieging a city, it was unbelievable for these people who had lived in peace for most of their lives.
Other than hearing the extraordinary feats from myths and legends, no one had really seen or heard it in person.
Plus Kierans previous identity as the Burning Familys peasant son added many more veils of mystery to the topic.
The bloodline of the Burning Family was no secret among the higher ranks of Dawn City.
The reincarnated Devil, the son of devil...
The names were spread around on a small scale at first but soon, following the more detailed intel from Supreme Road, a lot more people acknowledged the titles.
After all, if Kieran wasnt the devil, why would he be so ruthless against his enemies?
All of the high ranks in Golden City were dead and the captives that survived his onught were no more than a tenth of the original number.
As for the civilian casualties?
Sorry, in the hearts of these important figures, the civilian casualties werent something included in their calctions. They only cared about themselves or someone that shared their ranks.
2567 has gone the opposite way of noble etiquette.
Such a saying soon got gained acknowledgment from the high ranks in Dawn City.
On top of that, the high ranks were perfecting the saying, in hopes to borrow the words to gain themselves more visible benefits.
It was true that 2567s influence was in Supreme Road and Burning Dawns camp but the Burning Family itself was situated in Dawn City.
Soon, a respectable old noble was elected from the bunch. He was holding a pile of book of responsibility and crimes as he was heading towards the Burning Family.
He was prepared to seek responsibility from 2567 and the Burning Marquis.
But...
The old noble and the ones that followed him into the mansion didnte out anymore, only a series of agonizing cries could be heard in the ears of the observers.
Everyone was dumbstruck by the scene.
They couldnt imagine even the Burning Marquis neglecting noble etiquette.
The nobles looked at the mansion in fear and when they picked up the faint sulfuric smell, their bodies couldnt help but shiver.
However, a lot more of them were enraged.
They started to team up against the Burning Marquis. Some did it voluntarily, some added fuel to the fire from the dark.
The nobles that volunteered were filled with righteous indignation while those who stirred the situation furtherughed in the dark, waiting for a good show.
Even themon citizens and businessmen that lived in Dawn City knew that the Burning Marquis was in trouble but just as the crowd was paying attention to the Burning Marquis mansion, a fierce battle broke out somewhere else.
The battle broke out inside the mansion of the Grand Duke of Dawn.
The sudden battle destroyed half of the Grand Dukes mansion but regarding what happened, no one knew.
The battle urred suddenly but it ended even faster; it ended within a few breaths time.
If it wasnt for the Grand Dukes mansion being destroyed and left in a deste state, no one would believe the mansion was under attack.
The unusual behavior of the Burning Marquis.
The Grand Duke of Dawn being under attack.
Dawn City which was already brewing something in the dark became more and more unpredictable, strange.
The Grand Dukes mansion was under attack?
Kieran arrived in Dawn City a couple of hours ago and was muttering softly to himself in the shadows.
A few hours obviously wasnt enough for Kieran to get a clear picture of the whole Dawn City but it wasnt hard for him to probe for some useful information, especially when he wasnt short of gold coins.
Aside from his own stories, Kieran paid most attention to the attack on the Grand Dukes mansion.
Just when the Burning Family was about to turn into a target for all, Dawn Family was under attack.
Other than Kieran who originally didnt believe in coincidences, even those who believed would notice something wasnt right.
Unlike the Burning Family, although the Dawn Family was also one of the founders of Burning Dawn, their bloodline was destined to be easier for the public to ept.
Plus Grand Duke of Dawn did reach an ord with the imperial household back in the day, Saint Cyanda didnt further ce them in a hard spot.
Of course, it also turned the rtionship between two families colder than ice.
It was a scene that Saint Cyanda imperial household was delighted to see.
Throughout the hundred years, the Imperials would aid the Dawn Family to pressure Burning Family.
Even though Dawn Familyid low most of the time, they would also appear during appropriate times and the imperial household would push them to the stage, performing one act after another.
Therefore, although the Dawn Family might not have enough forces or children, they were the ones with the most honorable position in Dawn City.
When such a family was attacked, it bore an unusual meaning.
Who attacked Dawn Family?
Or... why?
Kieran pondered upon the question while his eyes were looking at an inn further away.
When he saw the city guards swiftly gather in front of the inn, he frowned.
He wasnt angry about the innkeeper snitching on him though, he knew the innkeeper would before he even asked.
What surprised Kieran was the speed of the city guards arrival: it was faster than he expected.
What this scene revealed to Kieran was the news he didnt want to see.
One needed to know, such quick response time shouldnt be a trait of the city guards.
Much more frightening and scarier than I imagined? Any movements will attract the attention from all sides?
Kieran merged into the shadowspletely with furrowed brows as he headed towards his destination.
Despite the situation being much worse than anticipated, he didnt n on altering his ns.
...
Hundreds of city guards were guarding the surroundings of the ruins, which was the mansion of Dawn.
The city guards were in groups, patrolling the premises or standing guard, performing their duties to shoo away curious citizens.
Meanwhile, inside the mansion ruins, a couple of figures were shuttling back and forth.
The figures were the members of Dawn Family.
They had white leather armor, white longswords with white sheaths at their waist and the rising sun emblem on their chest; it was very easy for others to tell them apart.
These figures had exnatory rage on their face, they didnt spare the slightest details or traces.
Likewise, it was because of their presence that the imperial and nobles secret agents bore no results on the attack.
However, the secret agents would not just give up like that.
Many pairs of eyes were watching the ruins in the dark, sizing up the actions of the Dawn Family members.
As time went along, the watchful eyes didnt decrease at all, instead, a lot more had joined them; Kieran included.
However, unlike the hiding secret agents, with above Transcendence [Undercover] and [Dark Movement Technique]s effect, Kieran used the spots where light and shadow intertwined and walked into the ruins.
He then found something unexpected.
Chapter 1013 - Infiltrate
Chapter 1013: Infiltrate
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Explosive traces!
Explosive traces that went off from the inside!
Under Kierans Transcendence [Tracking] sight, few traces would be able to escape his eyes, let alone the explosive kind which were too obvious.
However, what concerned Kieran was the traces underneath the explosive ones.
Kieran evaded the Dawn Family members and carefully approached the explosion area.
When he was close enough, Kieran clearly saw traces of rippling unlike the explosive ones; it was a point that sunk in.
Obviously, the point wasntplete on its own and it must have been destroyed because of the explosion but it didnt stop Kieran from using the point to identify the intact traces; the point was too familiar to him.
Whenever Kieran charged forward, he relied on the tip of his foot to push himself and gain momentum, it would leave behind half a footprint on the ground; the half footprint would include the point as well.
While the half a footprint before Kieran was left during the explosion, which meant the person who left the print exerted a tremendous amount of force through the foot and the concentration of force from the foot was unimaginable.
The tremendous force would no doubt grant the person corresponding explosive speed and the concentration of force would not just boost the persons speed but also reduce the sound.
The [Dark Movement Technique] had some simr skills as well.
Despite Kieran having not truly mastered it, it was enough for him to paint the picture in his mind.
A figure silently infiltrated the Grand Dukes mansion and hid in the shadows, patiently waiting for the target to appear.
The moment the target appeared, the culprit leaped out; fast and vicious along with their concealed presence.
However, even if the culprit did as such, when real danger fell upon the target, the target reacted correspondingly as well.
The target counterattacked in the fiercest way possible, hence the explosion.
So is the target the Grand Duke of Dawn or the heir?
Kieran wondered as he felt the positive energy that lingered in the explosion site.
Unlike the Burning Family which had a peasant eldest son and a legitimate second son, Dawn Family had always maintained passing down the legacy through a single heir; each generation Grand Duke would only have a single heir.
It might be a son or a daughter but regardless of which, once born, the Dawn Family would not have another heir during that generation, despite the Grand Duke of Dawn trying his best to alter it before.
It was like a curse and it also formed a special situation in the family: a female Grand Duke would have to find a male that was willing to marry into the family as an adopted son-inw.
Fortunately, the current generation and the previous heir was male, hence it didnt result in an embarrassing situation.
However, the situation beforehand was much worse than that.
When he saw the servants, attendants, and guards of the family getting more and more anxious, Kieran silently left.
Until now, the Grand Duke and his heir didnt show themselves to control the situation... something bad happened to them? It might very well be that bastards handy work! Other than that, there were no remains at the scene... which means that bastard needed the body of the Grand Duke and the heir!
Kieran spected in the shadows.
Who was the bastard he was referring to?
Extremus!
Other than him, Kieran couldnt think of anyone with such a high level of [Undercover] and assassination skills in this current dungeon world.
Perhaps the current dungeon world had some hidden individuals that Kieran didnt know of, but those people wouldnt have struck without a reason; Extremus was different!
The yer that Kieran dreaded had a reason to make this particr move: the crown!
The writings on that piece of paper were pointing at either the first generation Burning Marquis ofrGrand Duke of Dawn or even both of them together.
One of those two might have gotten the crown but unable to use it, thus resulting in seeking help from the other.
However, the problem didnt solve itself, or, some mistakes urred in the process.
So the crown must be hidden in some ce and this particr ce...
Would need the bloodline of the Grand Duke to ess or enter!
Kieran squinted his eyes.
He tried his best to be fast but still a stepte.
A frustrating feeling appeared naturally but was soon discarded by Kieran. He entered [Tracking]s vision once more, hoping to find the traces left behind by Extremus; it was useless though.
Other than the explosion trace, the king of killers among yers didnt leave anything behind.
It was like Extremus appeared and disappeared out of the void.
It might be inconceivable to natives but for yers, it wasnt that hard, especially for some extremely powerful yers.
Kieran was ready to leave since he got nothing.
Staying behind was a waste time. He wanted more help to locate Extremus and coincidentally, he had a helper in Dawn City.
However, just as Kieran was about to leave, a figure appeared and stopped his steps.
The figure was able to ignore the gazes from the surroundings, not just because the figure had an extremely high level undercover techniques but also because of the figures natural gifts.
The figure was like a shadow, jumping from one ce of darkness to another. His movements were as light as feather and looked like a talented ballet dancer dancing in the shadows.
Other than Kieran, no one noticed the shadowy dancing.
However, Kieran was thinking more about the one behind the shadowy figure and not the figures undercover techniques.
You were attracted here as well?
Kieran squinted his eyes in deep concentration, trying to control his line of sight to not directly look at the shadowy figure but relied on his superhuman senses to lock the figure down.
The shadowy figure finished his search quickly and just like how he came, he was leaving by jumping from shadow to shadow.
After a few seconds after the shadowy figure Kieran strode and give chase.
Transcendence [Tracking] was enough for Kieran to capture the bits of traces the shadowy figure left behind, thus allowing him to follow the trail without being too close, risking exposure.
The shadowy figure shuttled through a few street blocks; he was stopping and going as if he was waiting for orders.
Around 20 secondster, the shadowy figure stopped in front of a building.
It was a two story building with a balcony and garden. The building had bricks and wood as fences while the main gate was made of iron bars.
The gate which was freshly painted looked very neat.
The grass and flowers in the garden were well trimmed and bloomed brilliantly.
On top of the cobblestone path leading inside, there were many sets of footprints; from men and women.
Kieran sized up the building carefully. He didnt rush inside recklessly because he knew if it was really Extremus, the ce would be more dangerous than it looked.
After some deep thoughts, Kieran dived into the shadowspletely.
A few momentster, Kierans arrogant face faintly appeared from the shadow.
Chapter 1014 - Attack
Chapter 1014: Attack
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The arrogant looking Kieran infiltrated the building.
With that kind of arrogant presence, even for infiltrating the ce, it didnt strike one as shady. Instead the process felt more like a righteous arrival yet didnt decrease the undercover effect at all.
Pride walked through the door, shuttled through the corridors, and entered the building.
His contemptuous gaze nced over a group of fully armed guards before heading towards the second floor where the shadowy figure headed.
The group of guards were just slightly stronger thanmon soldiers, Pride didnt need to care about them.
Even for the shadowy figure, if it wasnt for Kierans order, Pride wouldnt take the figure seriously either.
In fact, the shadowy figure and the others on the second floor didnt even notice Prides arrival.
I understand. Ill inform my lord in time.
The person in the room said to the shadowy figure with reverence.
The person was a middle-aged man. His body physique was out of shape and the big robe on his body made him looked even bigger and bloated. The excessive flesh even covered his neck and made his eyes look like a line, despite being opened to its widest, people would think the man was squinting.
However, at that particr moment, the mans movement wasnt slow at all.
A letter with a simple summary was written quickly, he was ready to send it to the lord he mentioned ording to procedures but just as the man took the envelope on the table, a palm took it away first.
You?!
The bloated man looked at Pride with an astonished face.
Before the man said anything out, the shadowy figure beside him was engulfed in ck me; the shadow was burned to ashes silently.
A cold sweat broke out on the bloated mans forehead and cheeks.
As one of the earliest leaders under that lordsmand, Otto knew how powerful the shadows were.
Not only were the shadow immune to des and knives, they possessed extreme speed as well, some of them even had abilities to go through walls and the ground whichmoners didnt possess.
The shadows had meritorious deeds that could never be obliterated for the lords rise to power swiftly in Dawn City.
However, one of the shadows was extinguished just like that before Otto.
Ottos heart was horrified as it felt like a tidal wave crashing down on him.
One needed to know the shadow beside him wasnt a shadow withmon weak spots but was an truly the elite of the lord.
I-It was extinguished within an instant?!
This person didnt even move!?
What is that ck me?
Many thoughts shed over Ottos mind.
The bloated fatty then crawled on the floor right away.
My merciful lord, I dont have anything to do with this ce! Im just a puny pawn. Ill answer your every question, please spare me.
The straightforward begging caused Prides gaze at the fatty to be more disgusted.
The little thoughts in the fattys heart was nothing in front of Pride. If it wasnt for Kierans orders, Pride would show the fatty excruciating pain that would make him wish he was dead instead.
Now?
Pride nced over Kieran in the shadows before vanishing on the spot.
Kieran clearly felt the dissatisfaction from Pride since he used him as a scout. However, Kieran didnt care at all, if a simr situation were to present itself again, Kieran would still choose Pride.
From Kierans point of view, there was no wasting talents on a petty job, only suitable or not.
If it was suitable, everything would work.
Kieran strode over to Otto. The obese fatty looked at Kieran with a horrified expression as he walked over.
Up until now, Otto still hadnt react to the situation.
Why would the powerful enemy vanished on the spot yete out from beside him?
However, soon enough, Otto was released from his troubled thoughts.
Look into my eyes. Kieran said.
Otto looked up instinctively.
An unusual shine shed from the [Mesly Ring], causing fright in Ottos heart.
Then, Otto crawled on the floor in an even more respectful manner.
My lord, please forgive my mistake, I dont mean to deceive you.
Amidst his self-me and apologetic words, Otto tried to stick his forehead on the floor to express his sincerity but the huge belly made it hard for him toplete the movement and at the end, Otto switched to kissing Kierans boots.
Even still, after kissing Kierans boots, Otto panted heavily.
I want to know everything you know, especially regarding the shadow.
Kieran asked his question directly since he knew [Mesly Ring]s effect.
I was the lords subordinate. He only tells me to address him as lord and didnt give me a name. He disyed his strength to me and gave me some money for me to grow my forces here. The shadow just now was the bodyguard granted to me and would also deliver messages from the lord.
These few days, the lord met some extremely troublesome matters and asked me to observe the movements throughout Dawn City. He purposely told me to pay attention to the mansions of the Burning Marquis and the Grand Duke of Dawn. However, I am sure the lords enemy wasnt either of them at all but another more terrifying guy. Based on the information revealed to me by abat group member, the lords forces had engaged his enemy at least five times. The lords men were fully prepared each time yet ended up failing without exception and it cost the lord his men.
Although the lord was angry, he seemed to be having scruples about something and didnt make a move himself.
Otto rearranged his mind and said in a neat manner.
Watching the mansion of the Burning Marquis and the Grand Duke of Dawn? Engagement? Scruples?
Kierans sharp senses caught the information in Ottos words.
Watching the mansions was surely about the location of the crown and the engagements and scruples must have all kinds of connections to the crown as well.
As for engaging who? Having a scruple at who?
The answer was very obvious.
The engaged must be Darde the Titan who had left Supreme Road and the scruples must be at Extremus, the leader of the yer killers.
With the answer provided, Kierans previous guesses were verified as well.
As expected, they are facing a fallout! The pawn that you smuggled into this dungeon world didnt act ordingly to n, thus causing changes to the general n and also giving me chances... So, you gave up on the pawn and utilized special ways to correct it. By doing so, it would decrease the difficulty for you to locate the Witchs Legacy in the big city and also remove the disobedient pawn and me, the thorn in your side.
Striking three birds with one stone, seems like you. But... what else did you arrange to allow you to be so confident in securing the biggest benefit in this dungeon?
Kieran was in deep thought.
He never dared underestimate Broker and the likes of him.
Broker didnt enter the title dungeon but Kieran didnt think he would give up the benefits of this Unique Title despite him having created two powerful opponents.
Therefore, Broker must have something up his sleeves.
What could it be?
KABOOM!
Just as Kieran was pondering upon the question, a loud explosion went off.
The ground trembled fiercely, a ferocious, terrifying presence swept across the entire Dawn City like a ss 12 typhoon.
The people of Dawn City were shivering as they looked beyond the wall of the city.
On the fields outside, they saw... a Titan.
Chapter 1015 - Extremely Easy
Chapter 1015: Extremely Easy
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The 25-meter body was even taller than Dawn Citys walls.
When everyone in Dawn City saw the outrageously huge upper body, especially the bloodthirsty face, it sent chills down their spines.
Dang!
Dang! Dang!
The rm bell that hadnt been rung for a very long time echoed throughout the city once again.
The people that fell into panic only reacted to the situation after the bell was rung; they started to scatter and flee.
Some of the city guards fled their duties as well, only less than 1/3 of the guards stayed back and carried out their responsibilities reluctantly.
Sou Sou Sou!
Arrow rain from the archers rained down at the Titan from the walls but the arrow rain attack was useless. The seemingly indomitable arrow rainnded on the Titan yet it was reflected away without causing a single bit of damage.
Inside, it infuriated the Titan even more.
Roar!
A loud roarter, the Titan rampantly rammed itself onto the walls of Dawn City.
BANG!
The sturdy city wall of a dozen meters tall suffered a loud, heavy bang.
The fierce tremble even shook the soldiers on the walls off their feet, causing them to fall to the ground. Visible cracks spread out rapidly following the tremble.
The Dawn City walls that were known as the never fall was trembling to a fall after a single blow from the Titan but the Titan wasnt satisfied just yet.
He shook his head, took two steps back and readied himself in a charging stance. The Titan wanted to ram through the walls with a single charge.
Meanwhile in the archer towers around the walls, the ballistae that were considered the war machines of the age were entering their final adjustment stage.
Bang!
Kak Tssk!
After stepping down the loading mechanism on the ballistae, was followed was a series of tooth-numbing screeches from the spring movement.
Then...
A series of air-whistle sounded!
Each arrow fired was as thick as a grown mans calf, as long as 1.5 meters, and would need at least two strong men to load on to the ballistae plus three men to operate the firing mechanism; the giant arrows were fired and rapidly approached the Titan.
Inside the archer tower, each of the soldiers operating the ballistae was looking at their target with anticipated gazes but reality was always cruel.
A formless energy barrier enveloped the Titan as the giant arrows were fired at him.
The giant arrows that could pierce the roof of a house crashed onto the formless barrier and were turned into bits of wood under the crushing impact.
The Titan who was enveloped by the energy barrier once again rammed himself on the walls of Dawn City.
KABOOM!
The ground trembled again, a violent and tall dust storm was whipped up along with the impact.
The walls of Dawn City... had fallen!
Following the crumbling of the sturdy wall, those city guards who barely held onto their defensive duties with limited amounts of courage crumbled as well.
Without the protection from the walls, no one among the city guards had the courage to face the Titan before them.
So, another round of routing started again.
Despite the imperial royal guards and the nobles private militias grouping up further away, the city guards werent motivated to stay behind.
The city guards rout even messed up the formation of the other troops behind them.
Hahahahaha!
The Titan gave out an ear-deafeningugh as he grabbed a fallen archer tower on the ground and hurled it to the gathering troops.
Kaboom!
The ground of private militias of the nobles was squashed into meat paste and that wasnt the end.
The remaining archer towers were pulled out by the Titan who was throwing them at the spots where the troops were gathered.
The imperial royal guards and the private militias of the nobles who had just gathered had their formation smashed to bits, forcing them to retreat.
It wasnt because they werent decently trained, neither were they poorly equipped, it was just that the enemy they were facing was unimaginably strong.
The two princes of Saint Cyanda imperial household stood at a safe distance, witnessing the rampage of the Titan. Both of them exchanged gazes before making the same decision at the same time.
Tell the Burning Marquis.
Both of them ordered their men.
The officer then quickly ran towards the Burning Marquis mansion after the order was given.
After the order was given, the imperial household and the nobles finally calmed down.
The Titan before them was terrifying but he wasnt invincible.
Everyone knew how powerful the Burning Marquis was.
Therefore, a monster would require another monster to deal with it.
The gathered troops started to retreat as everyone was waiting for the Burning Marquis to arrive.
However, the Titan didnt n to let the troops leave just like that.
Come out! You cowardly bastard, show yourself!
Youve been keeping me away from Dawn City but how can you really stop my steps, me, Darde the Titans steps? Now! Come out, show yourself! Otherwise, Ill destroy the whole city andy your ns to waste!
Darde the Titans voice echoed throughout Dawn City.
His palm, as big as amon house was mmed at the ground.
Ayer of ripples visible to the eye emanated from the Titans palm and spread out in all directions like waves of ripples on ake.
Anything that came in contact with the ripple, human or building, everything was shredded to pieces.
The wave of ripples was like a meat grinder, whipping up a bloody wind as it danced through certain areas, swallowing a whole street block within an instant.
The imperials and nobles who retreated farther away were dumbstruck by the scene before their eyes.
While looking at the ruins in front of their eyes, their minds were still recalling the intact street from a moment ago. Amidst their panic, they couldnt maintain their s- called noble etiquette anymore.
Each of them was trembling intensely as their faces turned extremely ugly.
Retreat! Retreat!
One of the nobles couldnt stand it anymore and shouted out loud; followed by a second, a third and so on.
The nobles retreated one after another, searching for a safer ce to hide.
The two princes from the imperial household really wanted to show off their valiantness and courage during this desperate time but with their lives threatened, it made them run faster than the nobles.
The imperial royal guards and private militias of the nobles that spent a full 10 minutes gathering into formation retreated at a speed, 10 times, no, 100 times faster than before.
A few breaths of timeter, every one of them vanished.
Dawn City was like a city with empty defenses in front of Darde the Titan.
Darde, however, wasnt surprised at all as it wasnt his first time.
He knew perfectly well how to destroy the defense line in the natives heart.
However, Dardes opponent was a little different.
Sharing the same identity as a yer, his opponent was iparable to natives.
If Darde didnt get a hold of his opponents weak point, it would be hard for him to force his opponent into submission.
Fortunately, he has!
Still now showing yourself eh? Maybe you think you still can hide in front of me?
Darde purposely prolonged his tone.
Those giant eyes of his were staring at his own shadow.
Under Dardes gaze, the shadow that belonged to his opponent started to boil like water.
Another simrly huge figure inted like a balloon from Dardes shadow. Under the shadows scarlet red eyes, it had a bloodthirst simr to the Titan.
Finally you dare to show yourself! So this is your Cutting Shadow Spell? Not too shabby but it has too many ws!
Amidst the thundering words, Dardes body emitted in blinding light.
The simrly huge shadow that seemed to be evenly matched was destroyed by the blinding light just like that.
Darde the Titan gained victory in an extremely easy manner.
[yer Ansecord died...]
Standing in front of a window, Kieran squinted his eyes as he watched over the scene.
He frowned.
Something wasnt right!
Chapter 1016 - Burning Marquis
Chapter 1016: Burning Marquis
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Something wasnt right!
It was too easy for Darde the Titan to be victorious in this battle!
Other than that, Ansecord was too reckless as well!
It didnt fit the image in Kierans mind of him at all.
Thats right!
ording to Ottos previous confession, because of engaging Darde and preventing him from reaching Dawn City, Ancecord has suffered a great loss. Due to this loss, Ancecord should have gone with the bait and distract method, simr to a lizard cutting off its tail to distract enemies simr to his previous arrangements in Supreme Road and now taking great risk in diving into Dardes shadow.
Even more so when Darde had a precise understanding of Ancecords skill. It wasnt taking a risk anymore but beingsuicidal!
On top of that...
The lord seemed to be angry yet had scruples about something, he didnt make a move himself
Kieran didnt forget this particr phrase from Otto.
He had scruples before but not now? Is it just because Darde the Titan haf stepped onto his turf? That shouldnt be it. Ancecord had lost a great deal of manpower, what else would he lose if he continued to bait and distract? Besides, what loss was greater than his own life? Unless...
Just as Kieran was deep in thought, a ball of zing fire was charging towards Darde the Titan.
The sulfuric smell filled the entire Dawn City almost instantaneously, making the people feel like they were beside a volcano.
The familiar smell, the familiar feeling of bloodline...
Dong, Dong Dong!
Kierans heartbeat increased uncontrobly.
The Devil Force rose up in Kierans body in reaction to the smell and feel.
Huuu!
The furniture and the walls of the room were engulfed by the devil me.
Amidst the zing room, the devils mirage quietly appeared behind Kieran.
It looked up with an arrogant gaze at the flying ball of fire. In the deepest part of the devils soul, a terrifying battle roar exploded.
For the devil, the same kind didnt mean friendly and close bloodline didnt mean kinship.
Most of the time, when the same kind with close bloodlines appeared, it only meant... battle!
Fight! Fight! Fight!
Whispers sounded in Kierans ears.
It was alluring yet zing around as if whenever one heard the whisper, they could own everything.
But, Kieran was not moved.
Compared to the cardinal sins, the devils temptation was iparable.
Kieran stood there with a calm face as he watched the ball of zing fire crashing onto Dardes head.
The ball of me exploded upon contact and revealed a figure from within.
The figure pressed Darde on the ground hard before lifting him up high in the air.
Then...
BOOM!
A zing me pir sprung up to the sky.
Dardes defensive energy field was shattered upon contact, even his powerful body was burned heavily by the slightest touch of the fire.
The power from the fiery st didnt just burn Dardes skin, it even tore the flesh apart, crushed his bones and damaging his organs but Darde didnt die from that.
The Titans bloodline granted Darde outrageous lifeforce, thus keeping him alive and maintaining his consciousness.
Therefore, Darde saw the mes that gathering on the Burning Marquis hand, the mes looked as if they could absorb and devour light like a ck hole as it took form.
Instantaneously, Darde who was lifted up in the sky felt threat to his life.
How is this possible?! Darde shouted.
Then when the ck hole-like me was hurled towards Darde, his body shrunk rapidly.
The shrinking of his body allowed Darde to avoid damaging his weak spots but the ck hole me still grazed him.
It was just a graze passing by his body yet a small portion of his body vanished without a sign.
Vapourized?
No!
It was consumed!
The ck mes then emanated a frenziedugh, entering Dardes ears. It sent Darde directly into a Fear state and the ck me just consumed his body without resistance.
The burning went on until Darde was burned to ashes.
Everyone in Dawn City was overwhelmed by the scene; everyones jaw dropped.
They couldnt believe the Titan that seemed invincible before was killed that easily yet the smell of burnt flesh told them it was really happening.
H-How is this possible?!
The Imperials nobles were all terrorized, scared, and felt reverence towards the zing figure in the sky.
They never thought the Burning Marquis would this powerful.
Whenever they thought about the despicable deeds they did in the past, the two princes and the nobles couldnt help but feel even more frightened.
Kieran, however, didnt even flinch as he watched the scene.
Burning Marquis outrageous power did not exceed his expectations, or in other words, it was because of the Burning Marquis power that his guesses were proven correct.
Ancecord?
Kieran muttered the name of the dead yer hed never met before. He curled up the corner of his mouth and showed a mysterious smirk.
Even more so when he didnt receive the notification of Darde the Titans death, his smile felt more at ease.
Everything is starting to make sense. Now then... lets see who is faster!
With mutters in his heart, Kieran jumped out of the window and merged into the shadows before leaving the ce swiftly.
Although when the Devil Force in his body was triggered by the Burning Marquis appearance, he knew he wouldnt have fooled the Burning Marquis senses.
However, it didnt mean he would appear out in the public just like that.
Kieran sprinted all the way to the premises of Burning Marquis mansion before he stopped.
The moment Kieran stopped, a figure appeared before him instantaneously.
Even without the zing mes aspany, the scorching heat didnt decrease one bit.
The red eyes of the figure were hotter than a real burning me, a simple gaze from the figure would cause unrivaled pressure to descend on his target. The ck long hair was over his shoulder, seemingly merged with the ck colored mantle behind him.
When the wind blew, the ck mantle revealed a dark red armor underneath with the devil family emblem faintly showing.
It was the Burning Marquis.
The sheer pressure from his aura would cause others to instinctively neglect his face and real age, one would even fall into a trance by looking at him.
Kieran nced over the rapidly appearing Spirit authentication notifications and eventuallynded his gaze on the Burning Marquis face which had wrinkles at the corner of his eyes.
Although the background stated both of them were father and son, they looked nothing alike.
The Burning Marquis face looked more handsome with a sense of strengthg and coldness; Kieran leaned more towards having amon face.
However, both their presence was strikingly simr, especially when their Devil Force was peaking, a sulfuric smell was spreading out between them both.
You sensed that thing as well? Burning Marquis asked coldly.
The cold tone didnt treat Kieran as one of his blood kin.
Kieran, however, was relieved.
Before he arrived at Dawn City, he was afraid that he might run into a messy, dramatic situation but the attitude of Burning Marquis before him told Kieran that he was overthinking.
Not just me, Kieran answered.
Relieved, Kieran used his habitual calm tone to reply and it sounded simr to the Burning Marquis cold tone.
Inheriting Burning Dawn... made you a little bolder.
Burning Marquis squinted his eyes. His red eyes were shining in blinding brilliance as his devil power surged.
Wung!
An aura ten times more powerful was sted at Kieran.
Roar!
The Devil Force in Kieran roared in dissatisfaction when it faced a provocation from a simr source.
This time though, Kieran did not hold it back anymore.
Kieran released the restrictions on his Devil Force.
Chapter 1017 - Battle of the Devils
Chapter 1017: Battle of the Devils
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Roar!
The Devils roar echoed in his ears.
The devils mirage slowly appeared behind Kieran after that.
The strong and powerful body of magma, the zing wings with shining mystical runes and the dual horns that were as sharp as a sword appearing to pierce the heavens.
An arrogant and chaotic aura erupted like a volcano from Kierans body, tearing apart the pressuring aura from the Burning Marquis.
Wung!
The air trembled for a while.
Simr to the distortion caused by high temperature, ck started to spawn in between the two of them.
The ck was as deep as the abyss.
Mm?
Burning Marquis was surprised. He looked at his eldest son with a very astonished look.
Based on what he knew from his men, he knew the arrogance in his eldest sons bloodline had a bigger breakthrough through all kinds of unjust treatment; his strength would surely be enhanced.
However, he never thought that his eldest son would be able to hold on even when he released half of his aura.
The inheritance of Burning Dawn?
Oh ancestors, you really like to joke!
With such lingering thoughts in his heart, the Burning Marquis had no further scruples and released the limit of his own aura.
BOOM!
KAKROOM!
The ground around the Burning Family mansion started to tremble.
Ear-deafening thundering growls sounded one after another, each sessive louder than the before it.
The darkness that appeared was like the rising tide as it enveloped everything in the area.
What happened?
Why is the sky dark?
Continuous tter came from the mansion and the civilian residences around it.
Those imperials and nobles that came to the mansion to rope in the Burning Marquis were panic-stricken as well.
They had been through a lot today, to the point that it had exceeded what they could imagine for their whole life and what they could handle.
Damn it!
Im leaving this ce!
Leave!
Ill go crazy if I keep staying here!
...
Kill! Killing all of them is my only goal!
Damn it, why the hell are you people not dead yet?
Die! Die
...
Voice after voice came from the darkness.
At first, it still sounded sane but it gradually turned into a frenzied growling.
Darkness brought fear.
Fear gave birth to despair.
Some bowed down before despair while some gained nutrients from it, learned from it, and grew stronger.
Kieran was thetter.
He looked straight into despair, resisting it, oveing it.
Therefore, he was quite used to looking despair in the eye.
He even enjoyed the process and the oue of rising above despair.
However, it didnt include the devil mirage.
Under the stimtion of despair, the devil mirage was further infuriated.
It growled repeatedly, it felt insulted.
Insults that struck its bones and was carved into its soul!
Then, thest bit of its memories gushed into Kierans head.
There was a boundless ck colored field in sight.
No nts, no stones, and the entirend was made up of dead bodies; poisonous miasma filled the area.
A gigantic figure as tall as a mountain was standing in the middle of the ck field.
He breathed mes, his gaze brought fear and his figure struck despair into the hearts of others.
He was the rightful owner of the title: Lord of Despair.
Within his line of sight, any living being would kneel before him, even the heaven and earth would obey his will.
He was the king that dominated everything in the Field of Despair.
He was sitting on his throne, looking at everything under his rule.
How could he be insulted by a half-blood?
How could he take contempt from a half-blood?
Huu!
A zing brilliance that looked like real fire was shining on the devil mirage behind Kieran.
Its rage was nowhere to be found.
It became cool and calm just like its host, Kieran.
It lifted its chest and looked up with a more contemptuous gaze at the Burning Marquis who altered reality with his aura alone.
No doubt the Burning Marquis was powerful, he might even have a ce in the deepest of the abyss but...
He dared not provoke the real Devil King!
appeared in the darkness.
Stars of zing brilliance turned into an upside down gxy within a breath, pouring downwards.
The darkness was shattered instantly.
Those people that were enveloped by the darkness saw light once more but the light they saw wasnt the redemption from the darkness. Instead, it was the devils grasp from the deeper part of the abyss, dragging them deeper below.
Submit, or die.
The choices were clear.
No time to think, no chance to regret.
Those who submitted were spared from death yet shivered non-stop.
Those who defied died without an intact body.
Bang! Bang Bang!
Amidst a series of heavy bangs, some of the nobles thought what was happening before them were mere illusions, they led their family and made their decision on whether to submit or defy. They were looking at this fiasco with disdainful gazes, waiting for it to return to normal, however, they would not live to see such a thing.
After the exploding heads and bodies, what was left was blood, flesh, and bone shards.
All the other survivors witnessed the horrifying scene and it robbed them of the ability to choose the opposite.
In fact, if they really had a choice, they would rather be slowly tortured a hundred times over in the darkness from before than being interrogated by this kind of destructive power.
The Imperials and nobles were crawling on the ground.
They wanted to live and they didnt have a choice.
While feeling the pressure from the despair and seing the crowd crawling on the ground, the Burning Marquisughed, he was convulsed withughter.
Hahahaha! Very well! As the ancestors heir and my bloodline extension... youve passed.
It wasnt clear whether was it praising or self-boasting, the devils presence on Burning Marquis then became heavier.
Different from the devil mirage behind Kieran, some devil features started to show themselves on the Marquis body.
His ck hair turned burning red like his eyes, his skin was emanating scorching streams and his forehead had horns growing.
A zing me once again engulfed the Burning Marquis body.
He once again transformed into the form that defeated Darde the Titan and a giant fireball was hurled at Kieran like a fallinget.
Kieran, however, was looking at the fireball closing upon him with a calm face; the devil mirage behind himughed ferociously.
It had waited for too long.
It was restless.
It wanted to teach this half-blood a lesson.
It was time for the devil to strike!
A giant ming sword was drawn out from the void and shed towards the hurling fireball.
When the giant ming sword was being wielded, air-breaking sounds followed and it shook the souls of the living around it. The high temperature from the ming sword evaporated the steam and even thend would dry up and crack at exponential speed.
Bang!
The giant ming sword was shed at the fireball.
The indomitable fireball appeared as if it was crashing into an indestructible wall.
Both sides froze and tangled simr to two raging bulls, trying to wrestle their opponent.
That would really be the case if... no one was there to intervene.
Lord Marquis!
Young master 2567!
Young master Starbeck is missing!
Wright the butlers voice sounded from further away with unconceble anxiety.
Everything went silent.
Kieran and Burning Marquis who were in a fierce fight plummeted into silence in unison.
Then, two distinguishable Devil Forces that struck fear and despair in peoples hearts with never before seen killing intent burst up into the sky.
The entire Dawn City felt like it was being watched by two devils that crawled out from the abyss.
The city was on the brink of copsing.
Chapter 1018 - Following
Chapter 1018: Following
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Burning Marquisughed again.
Unlike the previous franticugh, hisughter this time sounded heavier and hisughter would cause one to feel depressed.
There are people who dare to touch the Burning Family? I guess you people stopped caring for your lives but what about your friends and family?
Dont worry! I dont care how you treat my son, Ill return the favor ten times, no, a hundred times more to you and your friends and family!
After a heavyugh, Burning Marquis voice echoed around the sky of Dawn City like thunder.
Everyone who heard what he said shuddered butpared to the aura that followed, it was insignificant.
Amidst the arrogant and chaotic devilish aura, a sense of wickedness appeared.
Wrath who had his restraints lifted by Kieran wouldnt let the chance slip to present himself fully.
You have one chance. You know what am I saying, so you better make sure of his well-being.
Wraths growl exploded in a civilians heart, then it was spread to a second, third, fourth, and so on.
Under the cardinal sins special energy, the voice of Wrath spread like the gue in Dawn City.
The people didnt even know what happened, neither did they understand the meaning of the words. However, everyone who heard the voice would stagger with their hands pressing on their chest.
They would look pale and breathe rapidly, especially the imperials and nobles that were closest to Kieran; they staggered and fell to the ground.
Even those who managed to stand couldnt help but crawl on the ground when they saw Kieran walking over.
Those who were affected by the Devil Force acted like mice who had seen a cat when they saw Kieran.
I want every piece of news about Starbecks location before tomorrows sunrise, Kieran said.
Then, he headed straight to the Burning Marquis mansion.
His voice didnt hold any threat yet was more horrifying than one.
While looking at Kierans back, the imperials and nobles crawled up from the ground out of panic and started to give orders to their men.
Find Starbeck!
Search with all your efforts!
Cant find him?
If I die, none of you bloody fools will survive either!
Voices giving simr content exploded from the crowd.
Dawn Citys Imperials and nobles started their search.
While the other smaller factions that relied on those two acted upon the call as well.
The streets and alleys were filled with secret agents and search groups from all factions.
Any suspicious character would be pressed to the ground without further exnation and would be interrogated on the spot.
For a time, Dawn City fell into a chaotic situation but none of that has anything to do with Kieran.
Inside the Burning Marquis mansion, Kieran was led by Wright the butler to where the butlerst saw Starbeck.
Its here! That day when we received news about the eldest young master, I hurried to lord Marquis ce and after I carried out the Lords order, I realized young master was missing. This is all my fault. The old butler was ming himself for Starbeck going missing.
Kieran didnt care nor would he question the butler why didnt arrange more men to watch Starbeck because he knew at that particr time, there was no extra manpower in the mansion at all.
The whole mansion was quite empty at that time which allowed Starbeck to easily leave the supposedly heavily guardedpound.
With his Transcendence [Tracking], Kieran could clearly see the traces left behind by Starbeck from a few days ago.
Starbeck wasnt forced by anyone, he crossed the walls by himself.
He is much bolder than I thought... he leaped over the walls?
Kieran saw the prints on the walls as he was standing in front. He then stamped his foot and jumped over the walls.
The ground outside the walls had more tracks that Starbeck left behind.
Even more so, based on therge area of friction on the wall and the ground, Kieran could clearly paint the picture of how Starbeck fell down from the top of the walls and ended up on the ground with an ugly roll; he even sprained his ankle and hurt his wrist.
What a clumsy fe!
Kieran nced over the shallow and deep footprints from the staggering and noticed some blood stains. He raised a brow before he continued on the trail.
Soon, he reached the ce that connected the mansion to the rest of the street blocks of the city.
Starbecks traces went cold abruptly; two abrupt footprints were thest of the trail.
The tip of his feet were rushing forward and his heel didnt have excessive signs of twisting. Which means someone appeared in front of Starbeck at that time and purposely waited for him at this spot. This particr someone had enough time to clean up his tracks and abduct Starbeck silently without triggering Afu? How?
Kieran squinted his eyes.
Afu was no doubt Starbecks biggest ace.
Only a handful of people knew of Afus existence, especially in this dungeon world.
Natives wouldnt have known, so it could only a yer.
Still, even if a yer knew of Afus existence, dealing with it wasnt easy, at least Kieran didnt have the confidence to deal with Starbecks pet.
So, Kieran believed the someone must have used some sort of maniption that he didnt know of, simr to how the mansion of the Grand Duke of Dawn was turned into ruins within an instant.
Kieran stood up and took ast nce at the Burning Marquis mansion which was not far behind him and proceeded forward.
He didnt n on returning to the mansion to have a detailed discussion with that Burning Marquis despite knowing that there must be secrets that werent disclosed to the masses behind the attack on both the mansions of the Burning Marquis and Grand Duke of Dawn.
Kieran did not intend to question his father.
The rtionship between both of them wasnt at conversational closeness and although they were father and son in name, whoever treated this rtionship genuinely would be an idiot.
Kieran would not treat the Burning Marquis as his father and the Burning Marquis would not look at Kieran as he would a son.
However, Kieran and Starbeck were different in the eyes of the Burning Marquis.
After the dungeon world was altered by Broker, the main scroll holder had extraordinary advantages?
Kieran muttered in his heart before turning into a street alley swiftly and standing there, waiting patiently.
Ten secondster, a figure appeared at the entrance of the alleyway.
When the figure saw Kieran in the alleyway, the figure was stunned and acted like nothing happened while trying to leave.
However, the moment the figure turned away without even taking a step, Kieran appeared before him.
Im just looking for Starbeck, not purposely following you! The figure said cunningly.
The expression on the figures face was very real as well.
If Kieran didnt make sure through Fire Ravens sight that before he reached the mansion and confronted the Burning Marquis, the figure had been following him, Kieran would really believe him.
Now?
Huuu!
Devil me burned hot in his left hand.
Chapter 1019 - Initiative
Chapter 1019: Initiative
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The Devil mes scorching hot temperature burned the air and distorted the space around it.
The stalkers face changed when he saw the fire and rapidly retreated.
As for engaging in a battle with Kieran?
After witnessing the battle between Kieran and the Burning Marquis, the stalker had removed the thought from his mind.
Still, he had quite the confidence in escaping the scene since he wasnt alone.
Sou Sou Sou!
A series of air-breaking sounds came as almost a dozen of arrows flew over.
Each arrow was sharp and its whistle could numb ones scalp. On top of that, they had a mysterious, constantly changing trajectory, confusing their target and preventing them from being able to truly predict where they wouldnd, as though the arrows were alive.
Though, what use would it have?
A live chick was still a chick, it would have zero resistance against a ferocious tiger.
Boom!
The devil me on Kierans left hand suddenly grewrger.
It didnt just consume the flying arrows, it was hurled at the stalker with an unrelenting force.
While feeling the high temperature behind him, the stalkers eyes shrunk.
The threat of death kept appearing in his mind. Under this desperate moment, the stalker couldnt care about any posture or manners anymore, the most skilled evading techniques from his usual training were put to the test along with the motions.
Side rolls! Front rolls! Every kind of roll!
The stalker was like a mudfish diving into the mud puddle as he dodged the hurling devil me.
However...
The stalker didnt dodge Kierans kick.
As the stalker did his evading rolls, he saw the boots in front of his eyes.
Then he felt an irresistible torrential force appear on his back.
Since the stalker didnt want to risk breaking his spine due to the force, heplied and halted his dodging movements.
Sir 2567, I mean no ill intent! I have Sir Starbecks information! The stalker shouted.
Though it didnt move Kieran at all.
Crack!
The cracking of bones was heard and the spine of the stalker was stomped by Kierans kick, together with the organs in his chest, crushed.
Blood spilled out from the stalkers mouth, his eyes swiftly turned dark and were reflecting the second wave of attackers diving at Kieran.
The ck colored leather mail was sewn and tawed with threeyers of cowhide, enough to withstand shes frommon knives and swords.
On the edge of the ck hooded mantles, there were intricately sewn patterns of a simr color, emanating an unusual presence.
The ck bow and sword had a pressuring keenness to it, before it even approached others, they would feel the coldness of the weapon.
No doubt the group of attackers was an elite group no weaker than Burning Dawn.
Other than the small numbers, the group of attackers didnt possess any weaknesses.
The would be a group of miraculous fighters at any time and could even turn the tides on the battlefield.
Unfortunately... they picked the wrong target to mess with.
Or more precisely, the one who arranged the ambush wrongly estimated Kierans reaction and judgment.
Kieran stepped into the group of attackers and grazed each and every one of them.
The attackers though turned a blind eye to Kieran because wicked mumbles already filled their ears.
They may be the veterans on the battlefield that had survived through countless battles. Compared to amon man, they had a steadier mind but when they were facing against Kieran who released the restraints of the cardinal sins, the group of attackers was not enough.
ck mes were ignited from within the attackers bodies.
The ck me used the organs and blood as fuel, swiftly consumed each and every one of them.
They burned fiercely like human torches.
No wails of agony, no cries of begging because the moment the ck mes appeared, their souls were consumed.
Unlike the disdainful attitude of Pride, other than Sloth, the rest of the cardinal sins were hooked on the delicious taste of souls.
More souls!
We want more!
Give us more and we will provide you with unimaginable strength!
They rushed at Kieran in hopes of bargaining for more.
However, the restraints were ced on them again by Kieran at the very next moment, thus shutting them up.
The reason Kieran released the cardinal sins restraints was to fulfill his goal, it didnt mean he would get lost because of it and definitely would not believe what the sins had to say.
No one knew better than Kieran how unreliable the cardinal sins were.
It was like abination of a cunning merchant and an ever-shifting despicable assh*le; every single one of them.
Are they the only group? Or the first of many? You should show yourself soon right?
Kieran nced over the ashes on the ground before turning away to Dawn City.
Regardless of whether it was the only group or the first of many, Kieran didnt want to stay around and wait for it.
Following the ns of his opponent step by step, watching his opponents performance, none of those matched Kierans style; he preferred to take the initiative to strike.
A while after Kieran left, a group of men appeared in the alleyway one after another.
They were sizing up the surroundings.
The leader of the group, Dan Ran reached the ashes with his hand and touched it.
Wung!
The leftover wicked energy rose up from the ashes and tried to enter the old hunters hand but the moment the energy touched his palm, it was pushed away by another formless energy.
Amidst the flying ashes, a dash of unusually high temperature appeared in a sh before it faded away but it was enough to catch the attention of the old hunter.
2567s bloodline is from the devil, its normal for him.
Evie Dan who had joined her family exined.
She knew the traditions and rules of the hunters, so she must defend Kieran from her point of view, otherwise, it would get out of hand, despite the fact that she disliked the old fashioned traditions.
He did all this for others as well! He brought peace to Supreme Road! I know he is arrogant and disdainful towards others, his arrogance proved that he is not a threat! Evie Dan emphasized.
Not a threat? A man who brings catastrophe to Dawn City?
Evie, you shouldnt lie with your eyes open, youll deviate from the hunters honor even further like this. A young man who pretended to be mature said.
Aly, you are the one who lies without blinking! Didnt you see everything that has happened? It was they who provoked 2567 first, not the other way around! Evie Dan was infuriated when her brother denounced her.
The reason why she left her family in the first ce was because of this particr brother; he yed a big part in her leaving.
Her brother learned everything from their father yet was far from her fathers ability and just; a very repulsive person.
Standing beside was the youngest son, Rick Dan. He helplessly shrugged when his elder brother and sister argued before he turned to his father.
As the youngest child, he knew even if his elder siblings would fight over this matter, the final decision resided in his fathers hand.
The uncle, Jack Dan, and his wife were waiting for their brother to make the call as well.
Surprisingly, Ran Dan who was always decisive hesitated this time, he couldnt afford not to.
It wasnt just because of Kierans identity but also the powers Kieran disyed; it fueled his hesitation.
The power had far surpassed his expectation of an heir and at this particr moment, Ran Dan had started to regret bringing his whole family in this outing.
So, he nned to right his wrong.
All of your, leave Dawn City and return home, wait for me...
Awhooooooo!
Ran Dan was interrupted by a loud howl before he finished.
When he felt the power contained in the howl, Ran Dans face drastically changed.
Chapter 1020 - Searching
Chapter 1020: Searching
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The giant white wolf was roaming across the ins outside Dawn City.
As it ran, it howled at the sky.
Each howl sounded like war drums, it even acted like a banner waving on the battlefield.
Awhooooo!
The howls were heard throughout the ins outside Dawn City.
Countless wolves then came out of hiding and reacted to the summons of [Spirit of the White Wolf] in their own way.
Thousands of wolves gathered in packs andid down before Kieran.
The Frost Wolf pup jumped out from Kierans chest as it was very excited to see so many of its kind, especially the [Spirit of the White Wolf], the pup was very fond of its senior, despite it being illusive and having only a 1-minute duration.
As the [Spirit of the White Wolf] duration ended, the wolf pack did not leave, neither did they turned on each other.
[Wolf Remnant Feast, Wolf Pack] effect made the wolves submit to Kieran when they saw him regardless of the absence of the giant white wolf.
The scent that was left over there, I want you all to locate the person based on the scent!
Kieran pointed at the spot where Darde the Titan stood when he appeared.
All of the wolves went over and picked up the scent before they scattered; the wolves started their search outside of Dawn City.
Wolves had a better sense of smell than dogs, Kieran believed he would have results soon.
As for the possibility of Darde being inside Dawn City?
As long as one wasnt an idiot, they would have heard Kierans intimidating order to the Imperials and nobles of the city and would have also known Dawn City wasnt safe.
Especially when hurt and the one responsible for the damage also being within Dawn City, Darde the Titans movement was obvious since then.
The Frost Wolf pup was a little unwilling to part with the wolf pack though. After a little groaning, it ran back to Kierans feet; it knew who its master was and where its home was.
Kieran carried the pup and softly caressed the back of its neck. The maternal side of its bloodline made it wag its tail and groan happily.
However, the groaning turned into an rmed growl soon enough.
The pup looked at the huge shadow beside Kieran which was formed by the sunset shedding its glory over Dawn City.
Kieran didnt look back; his aura didnt even change.
Despite Kierans stance, the group from the shadow walked out quickly.
From the intel they heard along the way to the scene they witnessed in Dawn City with their own eyes, it was enough to tell them what the right thing to do was, let alone among them was one elderly who was considered as a Wiseman.
Good evening. Although we traveled day and night, we were still a step slower than you, 2567. I guess its my old body that was dragging everyone down.
The olddy with an animal pelt over her shoulder and used leaves and vines as essories walked out from the crowd with Sharlys aid.
My name is Ca. Others call me Granny Ca or Nanny Ca, but, 2567 you can just call me by name. Since based on our rtionship, we are considered peers. The first generation Burning Marquis once looked after me before and as his heir, of course, we are of the generation.
The olddy, Ca introduced herself with a kind smile.
While Ca was exining in a nagging sense, Sharly who was helping her anxiously passed the responsibility to her kin before running to Kieran.
I heard you want to deal with the people in Golden City, so I called everyone here to help, who knew you were so strong! One man rivaled ten thousand single-handedly took down Golden City! And the wolves just now, did you call them to search for your little brother? Let us help too!
Out of the admiration for the strong and the closeness felt from the summoning of the wolves, Sharlys eyes were shining brightly as she looked at Kieran; the darkness couldnt even conceal their shine.
No need.
Kieran rejected in a straightforward manner.
It was because of Sharly that Kieran didnt show hostility to their arrival but it didnt mean he would ept their help.
If it was Sharly alone, perhaps Kieran might consider it but looking at the number of werewolves behind her...
The bunch of strong and energetic males were looking at him with faint hostility.
The hostility wasnt new though.
The admirers around a beautiful young girl would show simr hostility towards other simrly aged males.
However, for Kieran, it was unnecessary and pathetic.
Without the olddy, Ca, Kieran would not even give a damn about these werewolves; the appearance of Ca altered the situation.
Even if Ca did not show any ill intent, Kierans senses picked up her strength that she faintly disyed, plus Kieran never trusted strangers, it was enough for him to be vignt.
As if Ca sensed the distrust from Kieran, the olddy shook her head with augh.
You are really the heir of that particr one. Your character, attitude, and temper are exactly the same. Dont worry, I am here to propose a coboration, Ca said.
Coboration? Kieran raised a brow.
He didnt think both sides had a basis to work together.
Yes, coboration.
You see, I am weak and old now, soon I might fall into eternal slumber in the ancestorsnd. So I need to work with you to gain more time, the olddy nodded before saying seriously.
You want to achieve immortality?
Kieran swiftly thought about after blowing [Burning Horn], what changes it brought to Supreme Road and the rumors about the changes.
After the meticulous arrangement of the previous God of Earth, Kieran never believed in the so-called prophecies or warnings anymore.
From how he viewed it, it was something previously arranged.
However, it was also that which allowed Kieran to believe there would be some corresponding measures within.
Actions cause reactions.
Who doesnt wants immortality? Even if it had a limit, I longed for it desperately. So we can work together! As the heir, surely you will get in contact with that thing and as a follower, I can provide you with necessary help, maybe even solve the problem at hand for you. The olddy was being honest.
What is that thing?
Kieran had guesses about what Ca was referring to but he had to confirm it; it was also a test.
The crown.
It wasnt said through her mouth butmunicated using her lips.
I knew it!
Kieran stared at the olddy. When he made sure the olddy wasnt lying, he took a deep breath.
Everything went back to revolving around the crown.
Although up until now, Kieran wasnt sure what the use of the Supreme Gods Crown was, it seemed to be much more valuable than the Unique Title in the yers hearts.
As for the rumored immortality?
It might very well be true as well.
As for what it really was?
Kieran shifted his gaze farther away.
There would be someone with answers there.
Of course, the process of getting the answers will not be a friendly one.
Chapter 1021 - Repulsion
Chapter 1021: Repulsion
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Inside an underground cave that was dug before the incident, Darde the Titan was leaning on one side, panting heavily.
Darde was pouring potion after potion into his mouth but for his current injuries, it was like putting out a burning cart with cups of water.
How could this happen?
I calcted everything!
Both the Grand Duke of Dawn and Burning Marquis should have suffered severe injuries!
Why?
Why the Burning Marquis is fine?!
Amidst the question, Darde was looking at the figure opposite him.
He hoped for the figures answer.
However, the answers that were supposed toe didnt appear, even the figure started to be illusive and faint, simr to a soap bubble on the brink of bursting.
No!
Darde growled loudly.
He knew what it represented if the figure vanished.
Suffering a great loss of strength was just the beginning, even being weakened for a long period of time was just a side effect but in the end, he would bepletely eliminated from this rivalry.
It was an uneptable oue for Darde since he put everything on the line, so he chose the most dangerous way: merging with the figure.
Both of them were one before but were separated because of some mystical spell.
Now, they would be one again!
Perhaps Darde might face the repulsion from the spell but it would still be better than losing everything.
Darde threw himself over to the figure with his remaining strength.
The figure was being torn apart by Dardes bite.
It was already on the brink of bursting and with the additional fierce tearing, it was torn to shreds without further resistance.
The shreds and bits of the figure then turned into mist form and were sucked through Dardes nose and mouth, into his body.
Then...
Shhhh!
A great amount of blood gushed out from Dardes pores and formed a cloud of blood mist, enveloping him inside. Dardes normal form was already unimaginably huge and buff but now with the blood mist, it was shrinking at an exponential speed visible to the naked eyes.
After a while, his body shrunk down to the size of a dwarf.
BURNING MARQUIS!
ANSECORD!
EXTREMUS!
2567!
STARBECK!
YOU ALL WILL NOT DIE A PEACEFUL DEATH!
The repulsion from the spell was stronger than Darde thought. He clenched his teeth and growled loudly as he felt his body and soul weakening.
Darde was recalling the moment where he fought the Burning Marquis, the grudge in his heart instantly flooded his sanity.
It made Darde hate everything and everyone rted to this incident!
Ansecord whoid the trap!
Extremus who put up the smokescreen!
Kieran and Starbeck who watched from the sides!
From Dardes point of view, all of them must die! Die under a thousand, million slices!
Without your f**cking bastards, how would I fail?
The grudgeful voice could numb ones back and cause goosebumps.
Obviously, even after his defeat, Darde couldnt ept the fact.
He would not acknowledge his own failures nor would he admit he had fallen into a trap.
Therefore, Darde wanted to alter the situation before his eyes to prove that he was right.
He wanted to strike back!
I still have a chance! Another chance...
Dardes almost distorted face had a sense of gloominess on it.
However, the rattling noise that entered his ear changed his expression for the worse.
Without a second thought, Darde crawled and ran with all four of his limbs towards the escape passage that he left when building the underground cave but just as he went near to the passage, he had to halt his steps.
Darde saw that a couple of wolves were blocking the escape passage; his facial expression became extremely ugly.
He knew he was surrounded.
When he was suffering the repulsion and neglected his surroundings, he was surrounded by a pack of wolves.
The rattling noise grew clearer by the minute.
Seeing more and more wolves appearing before him, Darde leaned back to the wall, trying not to have enemies at the front and rear. While in his heart, he was thinking about how to handle the situation before his eyes, especially when he saw the figure that followed the wolves without the slightest intention of hiding, Darde cried out loud without any hesitation.
2567! We can work together! Ill tell you everything I know and pay a significant price by exiting this rivalry, thispetition! Believe me please, you wont have anything to lose and will gain unimaginable benefits!
Dardes voice was echoing in the underground cave.
Kieran, on the other hand, turned a deaf ear as he walked over.
The wolves that were blocking the cave divided themselves apart like water being split, allowing Kieran to walk through.
The distance between Kieran and Darde was closing by the second.
The aura on him was getting fiercer, sharper.
The killing aura was so dense that it almost materialized like a mountain peak pressing down on Dardes body which had suffered the repulsion.
Kieran would not believe what Darde had to say, or, Kieran didnt think Darde had any valuable things to share.
What Darde knew, Kieran knew.
From the attack on the Grand Duke of Dawns mansion to Dardes grand entrance to Dawn City, it was all Ansecords trap.
The dead Ansecord wanted to mislead Darde to think that the Grand Duke of Dawn and the Burning Marquis were badly injured, thus allowing him to believe that Dawn City was absent of any powerhouse that could stop him.
But the real case?
It was certain that the Grand Duke of Dawn had suffered severe injuries from the attack at his mansion.
After all, with Extremus and Burning Marquis simultaneous sudden strike, the oue would hardly change.
However, the Burning Marquis was unscathed and it became the fatal point for Darde.
As Ansecord expanded his ns as he went along and even dying himself, Darde did not see thating, thus resulting in his ugliest form.
Are you sure you want us to destroy each other now? Our enemies are Ansecord and Extremus! Theyve teamed up! Its hopeless for you alone!
Darde growled repeatedly as he saw Kieran stepping closer in an intimidating manner.
However, why would his words stop Kieran?
Ansecord and Extremus were enemies, what about Darde?
If he wasnt injured, would he negotiate in such a calm manner?
More so, the remark in the dungeon background clearly stated The title dungeon allows killing between participating yers. All the value of the items acquired from the potential kill will be increased by 50% and Points increased by 100%. A yer that was considered as extremely powerful even among the Supernovas, his value was very tempting to Kieran, let alone the increase in value.
While feeling the stern killing intent from Kieran, Dardes breaths turned rapid.
When ughtering others, Darde could have a heart of stone but when he was themb up for ughter, he wasnt stronger than amon man.
Of course, there was also the repulsion from the spell that affected his current condition but most of it was how the spell influenced him in the beginning.
Lines of Spirit authentication popped up on Dardes vision.
His current state of mind which was simr to a split personality couldnt even allow him to resist the authentications.
Darde was terrorized, then his mind entered a state of chaos.
Then, he spoke without filtering his words.
Spare me! Ill tell you the secrets of the crown! IT CAN ALLOW YOU TO LEAVE THE GAME!
Chapter 1022 - Discovery
Chapter 1022: Discovery
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Leave the game?!
Kieran stopped when he heard the words that came out from Dardes mouth.
No doubt it had exceeded Kierans wildest imaginations.
He did wonder what the crown was used for but he didnt think it would allow yers to leave the game.
Kieran was staring at Darde who was in a chaotic state with his judgemental gaze.
He needed to find out whether was Darde telling the truth.
Looking at Dardes dted pupils and the astonishment, the perplexed expression left on his face told Kieran that if Darde wasnt mumbling gibberish, it must be the truth.
Broker used this to hook Darde and Extremus into the dungeon, then... a Unique Title and the possibility of leaving the dungeon, why did Broker give up on it? What ns did he prepare as contingencies?
Kierans heart uncontrobly skipped a beat when he formed theories based on these circumstances.
If the value of the Unique Title dungeon and the Witchs Legacy were substantial before, now with the chance of leaving the game in the dungeon, the dungeons value would outweigh the legacy yet Broker didnt show himself at all, as if he hadpletely given up on the benefits of this title dungeon.
However, Kieran believed all this was just an illusion that Broker created.
The cunning merchant must have arrangements in some unexpected ce that could allow him to turn the tides of the situation.
Of course, another possibility was that the Witchs Legacy has more value than the Unique Title and game leaving chancebined.
Witchs Legacy?
Kieran muttered it in his heart before turning his eyes to Darde.
Darde had activated his defensive energy shield and released himself from the terrorizing aura from Kieran; he was looking up at Kieran as well.
See! I know a lot of things! All you need to do is sign a contract with me in this dungeon, stating that both of us will not harm each other and Ill tell you everything I know!
Including the reason why Broker didnt appear in this title dungeon himself! I bet you are quite baffled about that right? You even had many theories in your mind but I can tell you, no matter what theories you have in your mind, they are all wrong! Only I know the truth! Not even Ansecord and Extremus know!
After escaping from the Fear state, Darde didnt look sorry at all as he stood inside the defensive energy field that made him feel safe. Right after that, he used the keywords that escaped his mouth as bargaining chips to negotiate with Kieran.
Darde had quite the confidence in his little act, he didnt think any yer had the guts to resist the temptation to leave the game.
It was indeed true.
If there was a chance to leave the game, Kieran would do his best to contend for it but...
Not under conditions set up but others!
As Darde felt the aura change on Kieran, his face turned bad.
You want to break this defensive energy shield and threaten me directly? You can try though, it doesnt just block physical attacks, it has quite the effect in resisting Spirit type skills as well. Whether its your illusion attacks or the lethal mental impacts, it can resist and block everything!
Of course, another way is you can wait for the duration to run out, but... in the meantime, I bet Ansecord and Extremus will be doing their best to eliminate another rival! This is a specialized signal re and it will transmit everything here to the night sky.
As he spoke, a ck round ball appeared in Dardes hand but it didnt stop Kieran.
Bang!
Without holding back, Kieran kicked on the defensive energy shield heavily.
The translucent shield did not even budge from the impact though.
Dardes face showed a sneerful expression at the kick but the sneers froze on his face right away.
A greatsword glimmering in bewitching purplish light appeared in Kierans hand.
The aura from [Arrogant Word] made Darde feel uneasy and when Kieran activated [Sword Skill, Dragon Force], the uneasy feeling was turned into a rising tide, drowning Dardes mind.
Darde was very confused about Kierans action.
It should have been a win-win situation but why had Kieran to forced it to a destructive end?
Could Kieran oppose Ansecord and Extremus both at the same time?
Darde did not believe it because not even he could do what.
However, looking at the determination from Kierans action, Darde has no viable options left.
He certainly did not want to get killed in a ce like this, even if he really did...
He would drag one down with him to ease the anguish!
You forced my hand!
Darde clenched his teeth as he was trying to crush the ck ball but when he tried to exert strength through his fingers, he realized that his body had be weak and powerless without him knowing.
It didnt feel like the helplessness of the spell repulsion, more like... sickness?
What kind of joke is this?
How is this possible?
How the hell can I fall sick?
A chain of confusion popped up in Dardes mind.
He then felt his body temperature rising and his sight starting to be blurry.
However, even if his sight went blurry, he could see Kieran putting away his outstanding greatsword after pretending to sh his shield.
Its you?!
While the high temperature was assaulting his brain, Dardes mind allowed him to only utter simple and obvious words before he passed out on the ground.
Pak!
As he fell back onto the ground, the extremely sturdy energy shield copsed without being attacked.
Kieran didnt pause whatsoever, he quickly took everything that seemed like equipment on Darde.
Musou [Knights of gue Body Tempering Art] started to operate again but was changed from [Release gue] to [Absorb gue].
Although Kieran thought that Darde must have suffered some serious injuries from the battle with Burning Marquis, his vignt attitude had decided that he would give his best effort and use the utmost carefulness even if he was hunting a wounded rabbit.
Therefore, the moment he came into the underground cave, [Knights of gue Body Tempering Art, Release gue] had been triggered.
Darde could have easily neglected the odorless, colorless gue infection during his prime condition with his powerful Constitution but his current condition did not grant him any resistance against it.
Perhaps in his condition, Darde was still slightly stronger than amon man, but it was just slightly and Kieran had to spend a little bit more time agitating his emotions to allow the gue to kick in faster.
[Absorb gue] woke up Darde.
Darde opened his eyes and saw Kieran standing in front of him, looking down in an intimidating manner. In the end, he roared heavily, I wont tell you...
Pak!
KaChak!
Before he could finish, Dardes right hand was crushed by Kierans stomp, followed by the left.
Losing both his hands in session changed his roaring into an agonizing cry but Kieran didnt want to stop.
He moved his feet over to Dardes left ankle.
...
Just as Kieran was interrogating Darde, the secret agents from all sorts of forces and factions in Dawn City were searching for Starbecks location.
However, none of the searches bore fruit.
Time was running out as it was almost dawn.
The secret agents were getting more anxious. Driven by their anxiety, it made them more reckless and disregard consequences.
They discarded the rules and codes of searching and started to ram over any ces they felt suspicious.
Dawn City fell into a mess again thanks to them.
Just as the civiliansints were everywhere, the secret agents got a huge discovery.
It wasnt Starbeck but... the son of the missing Grand Duke of Dawn.
Chapter 1023 - Reinholt (2 in 1)
Chapter 1023: Reinholt (2 in 1)
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Inside an underground storeroom of a civilian house at the edge of the city, the son of the Grand Duke of Son, the only heir, Reinholt was found.
The heir was in very bad shape when found.
He didnt just suffer multiple wounds on his body because of severe interrogations, the interrogator still used some spells to attack Reinholt mentally more than once.
However, the astonishing point was that when Reinholt was found, he was in a conscious condition.
He may look dispirited and withered but his mind was very clear.
Im sorry everyone but can you help me call the servants of my house?
Reinholt looked up to the secret agents with torches with his bloody, messy face and said.
Without further hesitation, the secret agents contacted the Dawn mansion servants and even performed simple treatments for Reinholt.
Of course, many of the secret agents tried to ask what happened.
I cant tell you all what happened and I may seem like a dishonest man in front of my lifesavers but the situation that I am faced with forced me to do so, please forgive me.
Reinholt said with a bitter smile.
Despite suffering heavy injuries and weakened breaths, Reinholt presented himself with astonishing manners together with his peaceful tone; the secret agents did not press the matter anymore.
None of them were idiots since they were selected as secret agents by various factions.
They knew what should they probe and what they shouldnt.
All of them waited for help to arrive after that.
The servants from the mansion then arrived in a hurry and carried Reinholt away in a hurry as well.
It wasnt until Reinholt was returned to the mansion and ced under heavy protection that the servants finally felt relief for a bit.
Still, the servants stood behind the middle-aged butler as they stared at the best doctor in the family.
Lord Reinholt has a good body. Despite suffering multiple injuries that nearly killed him, given his good constitution and my potions, he will be fully healed after a month or so.
The doctors report made the butler and the servants release a sigh of relief.
Then, everything returned to normal under Reinholtsmand.
Despite the butler wanting to ask where the Grand Duke was, he was forced to give up the thought for now because Reinholt kept his mouth tightly shut.
You have some rest first.
The butler then left the room after giving his reminder.
Reinholt was then left alone in his room.
After making sure there wasnt anyone around watching him, the only heir and son to the Grand Duke finally revealed a delighted smile.
He did it!
Although idents happened and forced him to alter his original ns, he seeded nevertheless!
Not only did he remove a powerful rival, but he also gained a perfect body in the process as well.
All that was left in his n was... the crown!
It was actually Ansecord! He had taken over Reinholts body after the fake death!
Once the thought of the crown came into his mind, he couldnt hold back his excitement.
Still, he didnt forget his original n.
Two tubes of high-level healing potions appeared in Reinholts palms and after drinking it down, the wounds that the doctor said required a month to healpletely were already healing at an exponential speed visible to his eyes.
Once again filled with energy, Reinholt clenched his fists out of habit.
Although this body is far from my previous prime form, as long as I can acquire the crown, everything will be worth it! Moreover... this body has more potential that my original body could never reach!
A dash of dazzling brilliance shone in Reinholts hand.
While feeling the power from the Dawn Familys bloodline, Reinholt smile again.
Perhaps the power was weak at the moment, no one knew better than himself how far his body could grow given enough time.
Until then... Ill have everything!
Reinholt raised both his arms high as if he had won thepetition.
Almost 4 to 5 secondster, Reinholt finally woke up from his fantasy.
The newly ascended heir to the Dawn Family picked up the dumbbell at the front of his bed and worked out without a second thought.
My lord, you have... My lord! Why are you up? The doctor says you need to rest... the wounds...?
The middle-aged butler returned to the room and was astonished by Reinholts action.
Im sorry that I didnt tell you but I need to do something without anyones notice. I hope you understand.
Reinholt bowed at his butler with the same face, same temperament, plus the same humility and kind gesture, the butler did not doubt him for one second.
On the contrary, the butler who devoted his to the Dawn Family asked right away, My lord, did you called for me to discuss anything of importance?
Please leave it to me, I assure you with my life that I will carry it out with my utmost effort! The butler said as if he was making a vow.
I knew you would say that, thats why I want to ask this of you. Listen carefully.
After some whispering, the butler left the room with a heavy expression.
Reinholt, however, smiled again as he saw the butler off. He touched his new face and felt the difference from his previous one.
As expected, this identity has unspeakable benefits!
Reinholt silently left the Dawn Mansion and headed straight to the imperial pce.
WIth Kierans threats ringing in everyones ears, the imperial household mobilized every avable man for the search, thus the whole defense of the imperial pce was next to nothing and to Reinholt, it was like entering an unmanned pce; Extremus and the Burning Marquis as well.
Even if the defense of the pce were ten times the normal numbers, no one could stop those two from marching in.
The Burning Marquis was standing on the stairs out in the public, he didnt seem to worry about getting noticed by others.
While Extremus merged himself with the shadows.
Both of them were in different positions yet their auras kept opposing each other.
Even after Reinholt joined the meeting, the opposing auras didnt soften one bit.
We are partners that work together, no need for such tension between us.
Reinholt said with a smile when he caught the gazes from the two of them.
You are my coborator, he is not.
The Burning Marquis took a disdainful nce at Extremus in the dark before saying.
He was never fond of snakes hiding in the dark waiting for their prey, even if Extremus disyed extremely powerful assassination skills during the attack on the Grand Duke.
Snakes were snakes, at most slightly being bigger than others.
Size made no difference from the Burning Marquis point of view, of course, it included Reinholt as well.
If he was still Ansecord with his previous abilities, the Burning Marquis might still be cautious against him but now?
The strength the new Reinholt disyed wasnt worth the Burning Marquis time to take him seriously.
You are my coborator. He is my coborator, so in a way, we are all coborators. I assure you that he and I are the same, we are not after the crown.
I need a body so I ditched my original powers while he needed the real secret key to open the grave in Golden City. We all take what we need, isnt it great?
Reinholt was showing his sincerity.
The Burning Marquis coldly grunted and didnt say anything after that.
If he didnt have other thoughts for the grave in Golden City, he would have killed the disgusting snake.
Reinholt smiled again when he saw the Burning Marquis reaction.
He knew his words were working: Burning Marquis had taken the baitpletely.
Without the restraints from the Grand Duke of Dawn, the Burning Marquis ambitions and desires had expanded to an unimaginable level.
But, wasnt this Reinholts goal?
An arrogant, blinded opponent was better than a careful schemer hiding in the dark right?
In this current title dungeon, there were two opponents that really concerned Reinholt: the Grand Duke of Dawn and the Burning Marquis.
If it wasnt for both of them, Reinholt would havepleted his n and gotten the crown.
Yet in another sense, without the both of them, it would not be Reinholt or Ansecord, a small pawns turn to enter the title dungeon.
Who knew how many of Brokers men were eyeing this title dungeon?
But you wouldnt have thought that I was capable of inciting the Burning Marquis to attack the Grand Duke of Dawn right? You thought you were the smartest right? How could an arrogant person like you understand how a small character like me thinks? Youll never know the rage and despair of a suppressed soul like me and the joy of being reborn once the restraints are lifted!
Your mistake, Broker! Wait for me! Ill get back to you, Ill take everything from you and you will feel the despair that I felt from the very beginning!
Reinholts heart was thinking of all the ns he had for Broker yet the smile on his face was getting more sincere.
He even joked around with the Burning Marquis.
Lord Marquis, please follow me. I have to thank your eldest son though, for letting us walk in the pce like this out in the public. Otherwise, we would have to spend more effort to reach the old kings chamber.
My son is Starbeck. 2567 has been exiled from the family, Burning Marquis emphasized.
Of course. Exiled it is. Even if he acquired the acknowledgment from Burning Dawn and be the heir, what is it to you? Insignificant! Not worth a bit of your time!
Reinholt was half respectful, half serious as he spoke to the Marquis.
From Reinholts point of view, Kieran was really nothing.
He might possess decent strength or be extremely lucky which while causing some trouble in the process but in the end, he would surely chase after the most obvious bait that Reinholt had arranged for him.
A bait like Darde the Titan, a powerhouse among the Supernovas, no one would have doubted his value, plus the rule of the killing bonus of the title dungeon, not a single yer would give up on that kind of reward without knowing the truth, let alone the greedy 2567.
Reinholt got more detailed information from Extremus, thus heid this trap specifically targeted at Kieran which would divert his attention.
Now, Reinholts only rival was... Extremus only.
He didnt look at his rival, he didnt even show killing intent in his heart.
Reinholt knew perfectly well where Extremus came from, so he had to maintain his harmless manner by leading the way seriously.
The three of them smoothly arrived at the chamber of Saint Cyanda the XI or one could say, outside the chamber pce.
From thete V king to the current XI, throughout a hundred years, the chamber pce of Saint Cyanda never changed.
Neither was it moved or renovated, even if the building was damaged, it was minimally repaired.
It was the royal decree from thete V king: any extravagant and wasteful spending was useless and would be condemned.
Any descendants of the Saint Cyanda Imperial household would have to follow the simple and in tradition. Houses werent allowed to be rebuilt or repaired unless they copsed, anyone who did not follow the tradition, even if it was the current king, would lose their rightful position and be reced by other.
The royal decree left Saint Cyanda pce in a very vintage and unsophisticated state.
Technically speaking, the pce was old and broken but of course, it was the pce only.
From the VII king, the other pces had been acknowledged as the new tradition of Saint Cyanda.
I guess the V would not have seen this a hundred years ago. After his death, his heir didnt just disobey his will, even Burning Dawn was broken to pieces.
Reinholt looked at the mottled doors of the chamber pce. He sighed in a simr sense as he pushed the door opened.
Simr to the mottled doors, the in and minimalistic features were passed down from a hundred years ago as well.
Especially the bed that the king slept every day, there were countless marks of repairs and because of that, it hadpletely lost the grand and magnificent look of the past; evenmoner bedrooms might look better.
Hurry up!
The Burning Marquis rushed Reinholt who was sizing up the new surroundings.
Right away.
He went up to the bed and lifted it up, hence revealing a stone flooring.
Reinholt then looked at Extremus.
Without making a sound, Extremus threw out a body: the Grand Duke of Dawn.
Behind the body has an obvious dagger wound but the fatal one was on the chest.
The Grand Dukes heart was crushed and the blood in his body was vaporized but surprisingly, the Grand Dukes skin, flesh, and bone did not receive any damage.
The Grand Dukes eyes were rounded and widened, his face enraged together with inconceivable expression. Reinholt ignored the horrible expression of his father, he moved the body over to the stone flooring and took out a dagger to cut his palm open.
Blood fell off his palm along with the cut, it was dripped all over the Grand Dukes body and the floor.
As the blood flowed, it didnt follow thews of gravity and flowed away but an invisible energy restrained the blood and drew a perfect circle on the floor.
The same bloodline has no heart ofpassion.
Once an ally yet the betrayal cuts deep into the bones.
Dagger that hides in the shadow, zing mes that burn the blood.
The body will die and the soul will roar but...
Everything is useless.
The heir will not return! Never return!
A vicious chant came from Reinholt.
Inside the blood circle, mystical runes started to appear one after another following the vicious chants.
At the same time, someone else followed as well.
[yer Darde has been eliminated by yer 2567!]
[yer Darde has died!]
Everything was just like how he expected.
The precise notifications made Reinholts voice more lively.
More and more runes appeared on the floor after that and when the Grand Dukes body started to melt, a quake came from underground.
Done!
Reinholt said.
Extremus, on the other hand, had already jumped onto the Burning Marquis while Reinholt followed.
The Burning Marquisughed coldly at the two of them.
Then...
A dagger pierced Extremus heart!
Chapter 1024 - Grand Entrance
Chapter 1024: Grand Entrance
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The dagger came from the ground and was constructed by the bones and flesh from the Grand Dukes body.
It contained the remaining power from the Grand Dukes body and also the power from the blood magic circle.
The power of the former was just the lingering bits, it wasnt fatal to Extremus but thetter?
Throughout the past hundred years, the fortification that Saint Cyanda Imperials performed each year had increased the magic circles power to an unimaginable level.
It wasnt just extremely powerful but contained all sorts of mystical energy.
Even for the king of yer killers, he couldnt dodge the strike.
Bang!
Extremus body exploded just like that after a loud bang came from his pierced heart.
Blood and flesh were sshed in every direction but Reinholt easily dodged the disgusting remains.
Of course he dodged it because everything was his handy work!
From the very beginning, Reinholt was very vignt against Extremus and his peculiar undercover technique and outrageous speed, therefore, Reinholt had no intention of allowing Extremus to enter the treasure vault that housed the crown with him.
Therefore, he suggested the n that he just executed: when the vault was opened, both him and Extremus would jump onto Burning Marquis and divide the loot inside the vault.
Extremus had no qualms against the suggested n.
Given the restraints of the contract, the king of the yer killers wasnt worried at all and that was the illusion that Reinholt created.
A contract could not be defied but it was not entirely impossible to avoid it, especially when he became Reinholt, it was easy for the new identity to avoid the restrains of the contract.
Moron!
Reinholtmented on Extremus who was now a pile of minced meat and blood after exploding. Then he turned towards Burning Marquis who didnt suffer a scratch as he engulfed himself in his devil me.
See? As I guaranteed my sincerity, my ally is only you, my dear lord! The others are nothing more than abandoned pawns, Reinholt said with augh.
Lets hope that I wont be your next abandoned pawn.
The Burning Marquis face was faintly showing under the light from the me, his tone was as arrogant as ever.
How is that possible? Your indomitable strength allowed me to decide to treat you as my only ally! Reinholt said in an attempt to tter the Marquis.
After that, the trembling of the ground hadpletely ceased.
The blood stain that the Grand Duke body had fused together with had started to disperse.
The stone flooring slowly sunk downwards and revealed a flight of stairs before the two of them.
Seeing the revtion of the stairs, Reinholts breathing quickened.
FINALLY!
Countless schemes, countless setbacks, but... in the end, the victor will be me!
The emotions in his heart made him wish he could dance for joy but the faint killing intent from the Burning Marquis beside reminded him that he was still in a dangerous position.
Both of them had a contract that restrained their free will as well but Extremus who died at Reinholts hand was the best proof that contracts werent almighty.
Reinholt didnt want to die without knowing why.
The closer he got to sess, the more danger he would be in.
He quite agreed with the saying. So, he stepped aside right away and made a please gesture to Burning Marquis.
After you, Reinholt said.
No, after you, Burning Marquis said with a shake.
Very well.
The Burning Marquis reaction waspletely within Reinholts expectations. Without a second thought, he wanted to head down the stairs but the moment the first step was made, the Burning Marquis grazed him and walked down first.
Reinholt smiled. It didnt exceed his expectations either.
The more restless you are, the more benefits for me.
As thoughts lingered in his mind, Reinholt quietly released the signal that he had been preparing for the asion.
No matter how capable he was, he could not have done tricks in the secret treasure vault of the Saint Cyanda Imperial household but in other ces, he could.
This identity is too convenient. If I had this body from the start, I would havepleted everything by now. But... its not too shabby now either.
After sensing the butler of his house activating something based on his orders, Reinholt couldnt help but feel proud of his new identity; he was very delighted in said pride.
Reinholt then walked down the stairs with the proud feeling in mind.
The stairs werent that long, only around 30 plus steps from top to bottom. The vault wasnt that big either, only around 20 plus square feet. One could easily see everything from the entrance and because of that, Reinholt was dumbstruck by the entrance.
The vault was empty!
No crown, no secret key, no treasures that the imperials had been keeping for centuries, nothing! Nothing other than dust!
Reinholts delighted and joyous manner vanished when he saw the scene before his eyes.
T-This...This... how is this possible?
I know! This must be a secret room, there must be a secret room somewhere!
Reinholt screamed loudly as if he had lost his mind, searching around for the secret room but he got nothing at all.
How could something appear again if it wasnt there in the first ce?
What happened?
What happened?!
WHAT HAPPENED?!!
The victory that was just an arms length away popped like a bobble without reason. Reinholt could not ept the oue but then, he suddenly calmed down from his frenzied searching.
He forced himself to calm down, he needed to figure out what went wrong.
Beside him was the Burning Marquis revealing his sharp killing intent.
Do you know what happened to thest guy that lied to me like this?
Devil me was burning hot in the Marquis hand.
The killing intent and rampant aura contained in the me made Reinholt shudder immediately.
ording to the contract, if the marquis didnt get what he asked for, he would not have any scruples to kill Reinholt right now.
I didnt mean to deceive you! I didnt even have such a thought! I swear I dont even know how it turned out like this! Arent you curious as well how did it turn out like this? The Burning Family has passed down the legend of the crown, that is an undeniable fact but now, the crown isnt here... So where did the crown go?
Reinholt straightened his body, trying his best to exin himself.
He was using his best manners in an attempt to win back the trust of the Burning Marquis.
Of course, Reinholt had prepared for the worst case scenario as well but what surprised him was, as his words subsided, a reply came from upstairs.
The crown of course is in the hands of Saint Cyanda Imperial household.
As the reply was heard, an elder walked down.
When they saw who the elder was, Reinholt and the Burning Marquis were stunned; Reinholt even cried out in shock.
Saint Cyanda the XI?!
Chapter 1025 - Drown
Chapter 1025: Drown
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
It was reasonable for Reinholt to cry out in shock because he didnt even take the king who disappeared during the attack on Burning Dawn seriously.
Compared to the previous kings throughout the history of Saint Cyanda, the XI king was too normal, to the point that people would forget him easily.
Although there wasnt a truly any fabrications about his prestige, it was already at the lowest point for a king throughout the past hundred years.
However, a king like this ruined his n. A heavy sense of humiliation appeared in Reinholts heart.
Ill kill you!
Enraged by the embarrassment, he dashed towards the king but was stopped by the Burning Marquis.
Reinholt looked at Burning Marquis with a confused gaze.
The moment the king appeared, the Burning Marquis was showing a cold expression. He didnt even care about the confused gaze from his coborator, instead, he locked gazes with the king.
Are you rted to Starbecks disappearance? Burning Marquis asked.
Mm. Im quite lucky, to be honest. I met the Wiseman in the beginning and identally noticed Starbeck... I can tell he is a good child but I didnt expect that his father was a hungry wolf that requires one to be cautious at all times. I didnt hurt him, I just sent him away to a safe ce.
Saint Cyanda XI nodded.
His cotton robe made him look like anymon elder but anyone who took him as one would be the biggest idiot.
Reinholt did, so he lost his final spoils.
Burning Marquis did, so he lost Starbeck.
More importantly... it wasnt the end.
You want to see Starbeck again? Kill him.
The king turned his eyes at Reinholt.
Reinholt who swiftly woke up from his enraged embarrassment turned his attention to Burning Marquis.
Lord Marquis, this is a trap! Stay awake, dont fall into it! Even if you kill me, he wont release Starbeck back to you, instead he will use this to threaten you and force to you do all sorts of things. He will treat you like a dog!
Reinholt said loudly and added some wordy in his statement.
He knew how prideful the Burning Marquis was and the Marquis would never withstand being ordered around.
Therefore, Reinholt shed light on that particr point and made a despicable description as well, however, there was another point that Reinholt did not consider.
Burning Marquis cherished his family, or one could say, he valued his only heir over anything.
Therefore, when the devil me burned in the Marquis hand, Reinholt dodged the fire in an ugly manner but he didnt give up just yet.
You have more than one son! You can have another in the future and a new heir will be next in line!
Reinholts tone was very normal, as persuasion, it was very suitable but the moment his persuasion subsided, the devil me in the Marquis hand didnt just burn hot, it has a sense of terrifying killing intent as well.
Killing intent rumbled across the vault like boiling water.
The Burning Marquis didnt hold back anymore since hisndmine was triggered by those words. He engulfed himself in his devil me and the unique frenzied state appeared again.
Saint Cyanda XI smiled, a smile that came from his heart, the smile that he was most delighted of.
How could the old king not be delighted?
It was one of the merits throughout the hundred years of the Imperial household was most proud of yet was forced to conceal it.
The Burning and Dawn Family started off with many children. The thriving and prosperous state was gradually reduced to a deste state and was even left with a single heir. This matter had unsevered ties to the secret spell that Saint Cyanda Imperials performed back in the day.
I thank the two female ancestors of our household.
Saint Cyanda XI thought in his mind before watching Burning Marquis ughter Reinholt leisurely.
Other than ughter, the king couldnt think of any words to describe it.
He knew how powerful the Grand Duke of Dawn and the Burning Marquis were, otherwise he wouldnt have pretended to be a normal king.
Now, however, the situation had no need for facades anymore.
The Grand Duke was killed.
Burning Marquis weak point was in the kings hand, eventually, the Marquis would be the most loyal hound to the Imperial household.
Just like Reinholt said, the king would never give Starbeck back to the Marquis.
The leverage was too good to be given up, how would it be enough for him to use it just once?
The smile on the king grew brighter.
He watched Burning Marquis tear Reinholts arms down and rip his legs apart.
The old king very very happy.
The old king never felt so happy in his entire life before.
The old king had tolerated everything for far too long, he must vent his anger.
What was better for venting anger than ughtering?
The frantic blood that passed down to him from the VI King was awakened in his body again.
The strange aura was faintly appearing as well.
Go on! Go on!
The old king couldnt stop cheering, he didnt notice the changes happening to his body.
The Burning Marquis and Reinholt who were engaging in a fierce battle didnt notice the changes either; they were captivated by each other.
YOU FORCED ME!
Reinholt after losing many parts of his body growled loudly and activated the contingency that he had prepared.
Above the sky of Dawn City, faint clouds had suddenly blocked out the moon without anyone knowing, the bright moonlight started to turn blurry.
The time was a quarter before dawn and it should be the darkest time in the sky but when a certain change urred in the sky, countless wickedness and fear were was given birth to by the darkness.
Shadows! Wicked Shadows!
All the shadows within Dawn City started to distort, transform, and umte.
The shadows silently sucked away the life force of the people within range.
The shadows bared their fangs and ws and drove the innocent souls away.
They then gushed into the ground like countless streams of a river returning to the sea, gathering to where Reinholt was.
This was what Reinholt had prepared.
After he arrived in Dawn City, he had already set up this killer move. It was originally nned for his employer but as time went along, the target of his killer move kept shifting non-stop.
From Darde the Titan to Extremus, then to the Grand Duke of Dawn andstly, the Burning Marquis.
Each time his target changed, Reinholt would feel delighted about it because the change of target represented the smooth progression, despite some obstructions in the process, it wasnt too concerning.
However, if it was possible, he really hoped to deal with the Burning Marquis like how he had nned, not like this.
Huuu!
The breath felt like it came from an elder dragon, the densest shadow energy was blown out.
Shadowspletely enveloped Reinholt as they gushed into the vault. His body grew bigger and taller by a few times and he had to bend down to remain standing in the side vault; the shadows that looked so real made him imprable as well.
However, the imprable form was a littleckluster against the Burning Marquis devil me that had a frenzied aura.
Each time the me was hurled at the shadow, Reinholt would cry in agony but it didnt stop him from doing what he had nned.
DIE!
Reinholt screamed.
His already huge shadow body engorged right away and...
BOOOM!
Chapter 1026 - Revive
Chapter 1026: Revive
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The shadow energy that was gathered from the entire city grew into a substantial size; it was frenzied and ruthless.
After drowning the whole treasure vault, it started to gush outside to the surface.
Krooom!
Karoooom!!
Another thunderous growl.
The Saint Cyanda Imperial pce then vanished from Dawn City.
Not just the Imperial pce though, the guards in front of the pce, the square for banquets, and the imperial guards military camp that was stationed in the surrounding area as well as the buildings in the inner city and 24 archer towers, all vanished into darkness as if a ck hole had consumed everything.
On the ground was a hundred-meter deep and thousand-meter wide crater.
The lingering shadow energy was still wreaking havoc and whipped up a freezing wind that caused one to shudder.
The ck mantle waspletely gone, the dark red armor was terribly damaged and only half of the devil family emblem was left.
Blood fell from the Marquis mouth.
His hand was grabbing Reinholt by the neck and the lingering heat from the devil me suffocated Reinholt; Reinholt felt the presence of death.
Despite the scene, Burning Marquis hand could not squeeze another inch further, because...
A shadow longsword pierced the Marquis chest.
Going through multiple changes of target and finally getting a clear one, how could Reinholt not prepare some countermeasures to specifically target the Marquis?
Especially after he became Reinholt and got his new body, it was necessary for him to set up those countermeasures.
However, Reinholt was not in a rxed state either, even with his new body, the powerful and endless potential from his bloodline still brought him close to death.
Reinholt knew his body condition, he knew he had to rest and drink potions but he dared not let go of his hand holding the shadow longsword. If he did, he would die.
Didnt see thising eh?
Reinhold had a hard time uttering those words because his neck was being seized.
Hmph!
The Burning Marquis coldly grunted without giving a reply.
It was disdain and at the same time, being unable to utter a response.
From the looks of both their injuries on the outside, Reinholt suffered a more severe injury because of his broken limbs and body but in fact, a special kind of energy was destroying the Burning Marquis body.
His organs, muscles, and bones had received various levels of damage and it was already the optimal result after he utilized all of his bloodline power to resist the energy inside him.
Butpared to his own injuries, the Burning Marquis was more concerned about Saint Cyanda XI.
From the moment the shadow energy exploded, the kings presence had be weak in the Burning Marquis sense, as if a person vanished from sight yet the shadow was still around; it was strange.
However, what concerned him more than any of that was... the present danger!
A heavy dangerous presence was spreading in the Marquis heart, causing him to feel bad about what would happen next.
Reinholt, however, did not possess such senses. After gaining a new body that reduced his original strength plus the explosion that just happened, his strength had fallen to a new low; Reinholt only saw a single enemy in his eye, the Burning Marquis.
As for Saint Cyanda XI?
In Reinholts point of view, the king must be dead. He didnt believe that the king could still be alive even if the king activated the Imperial secret treasure vault beforehand.
There was certainly no items or equipment in the treasure vault that could resist the shadow explosion.
The crown could though but if Saint Cyanda XI could use the crown, he wouldnt have hidden for so many years.
Or it should be that, in the current dungeon world, if any of the three, Burning, Dawn or Saint Cyanda could use the crown in the first ce, none of all the previous incidents would happen.
As for the secret key?
It was even more impossible.
As its name suggested, its function was to open the grave, not open a protective field.
Anyone who dared venture into the grave would not leave in one piece.
Lets see which of us has a stronger life... UGH!
Reinholt was looking at the Burning Marquis viciously but before his words could finish, he was decapitated.
A sharp sword shed over Reinholts neck with a cold sh; it chopped off a few fingers of the Burning Marquis as well.
Aiyaiya, Im sorry I hurt you.
The sly and insincere voice sounded as Saint Cyanda XI appeared before the Burning Marquis with a sword. He was looking at the Burning Marquis like he was sizing up cargo.
The feeling was very unsettling for the Burning Marquis but what more unsettling was the aura, presence from the current Saint Cyanda XI.
The original Saint Cyanda XI was an old man, perhaps he had plotted and calcted meticulously, but his age was no doubt very high. However, the Saint Cyanda XI before the Marquis made him feel like a young man, the presence of a lively young man.
The strange thing was, the feeling that should have conflicted itself felt very suitable as if the Burning Marquis was looking at an elder with a young heart but the more he felt as such, the more he felt ufortable.
As if... he saw some monster in human skin.
Ah, its nostalgic being back here again. Despite the vault being rebuilt, I knew it would be destroyed in the end but to see it myself really made me feel sad.
Saint Cyanda XI sized up the disordered surroundings before he said.
Who are you?! The Burning Marquis asked in a heavy tone.
Who am I? Well...
You can call me Saint Cyanda the VI, or the Son of Moon, or even... Broker!
Amidst the disgusting voice of Broker, he grabbed the longsword made out of shadows and pushed it up further without caring about the corrosion from the shadow energy.
Puk!
Half of the Burning Marquis body was sliced open as blood sshed out.
Broker grabbed some of the fresh blood with his hand and lightly sniffed it; he sighed as if he was intoxicated.
The most praised devils blood, one of the filthiest bloodlines there is.
This is also the essential ingredients in reviving a sinner.
Broker sounded like he talking to himself and exining everything at the same time.
A pile of meat paste appeared out of thin air in front of Broker.
You want to revive him?
Relying on his powerful bloodline, Burning Marquis was lingering on hisst breath as he watched the scene with a small portion of his body sliced open.
Based on the lingering energy on the pile of meat, the Burning Marquis was certain it was the flesh and blood of the dead assassin but why the person before him did all this was baffling to him.
Yup. Of course I want to revive him. After all, all the arrangements I made was just to revive him. For my paradise, we have to hurry up, otherwise, that troublesome fe will appear again.
Broker answered without being too concerned.
Just like Brokers foresight in arranging the revival process, everything was very casual yet effective.
As the blood was dropped on the meat, a dark, gloomy light appeared; it could easily disgust a person.
Extremus flesh and blood started to wriggle.
The pile of flesh acted like as if it came alive and jumped towards the Burning Marquis.
His torso was enveloped first, followed by this limbs and eventually his head.
When almost half of his head was covered by the flesh, Broker lightly grunted while full of anticipation.
A light grunt should carry a tune of joy, simr to Brokers current mood.
However, immediately, Brokers joyous mood was destroyed.
A huge light sword broke the darkness before dawn and fell down from the sky with the utmost keenness and indomitable force.
Chapter 1027 - Disaster
Chapter 1027: Disaster
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
An energy field instantly covered Broker but it was activated abruptly, so it waspletelyckluster in front of the light sword that fell from the sky.
The energy field was crushed upon contact!
The rippling shards of the energy field and the light from the light sword were reflected on Brokers face. It made Broker who was using Saint Cyanda XIs body look extremely confused and filled with uncertainty.
2567! Why is 2567 here!
He should have gone to save Starbeck! I did send someone to draw his attention!
For a moment there, many thoughts popped up in Brokers mind but the thoughts couldnt change his current situation.
He did appear in the dungeon but it wasnt without a cost.
The cost that he paid could even leave those millionaire yers speechless.
More importantly, it was just himself that arrived in the dungeon.
No skill.
No items.
No men.
Given such a harsh condition, Broker clenched his teeth.
He would not give up, he could not afford to give up.
Once he did, he would fall short of his tremendous efforts.
While seizing the minimal window that his energy shield provided him, Broker grabbed Extremus flesh who had covered most of the Burning Marquis body and released the aura that he had been suppressing. He used the secret spell of the Saint Cyanda Imperials and it allowed him to dodged [Dawn Sword]s sh within a fraction of a second.
Broker was ready to leave the ce with his special ways but he seemed to have underestimated Kieran.
Kieran who had been preparing for a long time would bring thunder and lightning once he struck, how could it be just a single light sword?
A spider appeared above Brokers head and surrounded both him and the Burning Marquis who was in that special form.
The fire and demonic energy of Mardos on the were beating its prey like the rising tide.
Broker who was just borrowing Saint Cyanda XIs body was engulfed by the fire upon contact but the more terrifying thing was, the demonic energy from Mardos crushed the bodys organs, muscles and bones, grinding both of them into a pile of minced meat.
However, it was still just the beginning.
Under the night sky, the Creature of Desire was stretching its horrifying, viscous body. Thousand of wicked eyes were locked on to their target following Kierans will.
Then...
A thousand beams of burning rays were fired directly at Broker and the Burning Marquis under the.
The already declining body of Saint Cyanda XI was crushedpletely under the thousand burning rays from the evil eyes.
Two items fell out in the same spot after that.
A crown forged from ck metal.
A key also forged from ck metal.
When both items that seemed light fell to the ground, they brought up a serious dust cloud.
The dust was mixed with the crushed bits from Saint Cyanda XI and fell onto the Burning Marquis who was charred and twitching from time to time.
Then, Broker appeared once again, as a translucent spirit form.
Broker saw the charred and twitching Burning Marquis and he threw himself over without a thought.
But Kieran was faster!
Kieran jumped out from the shadows and his astounding kicknded on Brokers soul.
The moment his kick turned Brokers soul into powder, [Sword Skill, Dragon Force] was charging up, [Arrogant Word] then heavily shed down on the Burning Marquis body.
Puk!
The Burning Marquis body was split in half. The blood of the devil descendant sshed in every direction.
Extremus flesh copsed once again while Saint Cyanda XIs ashes flew with the wind.
The presence of Brokers soul was also swiftly dispersed.
If everything were to unfold normally, death woulde gradually, however, the existence that followed Brokers presence altered the course of death for him.
The ck iron key floated up and spun rapidly.
A whirlpool!
The whirlpool back in Golden City and what Nordin called the grave appeared again!
However, unlike its previous appearance, this time the grave wasnt a trap that attracted the greed of the devil but a monster with a will of its own.
The grave continued to grow to the size of a gigantic pir that could pierce the sky.
As Kieran looked at it again, the grave was shaking violently under his gaze.
Inside the whirlpool, thend, and mountain shook as if the sky had fallen inside.
Outside the whirlpool, the whole Dawn City was trembling along with the movement.
When both shaking and trembling frequencies synchronized, an aura of the dead with unwillingness, grudge, vengefulness, and rage erupted like a volcano.
KABOOM!
Dawn City that was weing the first light fell into darknesspletely.
Under the darkness, summoning voices that could be heard around the city.
The dead were revived; from both the deeply buried and the recently deceased.
And...
Those who were half dead.
Burning Marquis stood up again. The part of his body that was sliced open was filled with Extremus flesh; His dying consciousness was infused with the persistence of Saint Cyanda XI and the cunningness of Broker.
Of course, the most important part of that abomination was Extremus own consciousness.
All of them seemed to awaken at the same time.
They refused to be called.
They fell into a panic state.
They fought each other, the consumed each other.
Their conflict caused the body that had repaired itself explode again. However, the aura of the dead swiftly repaired the body again, yet exploded again.
Repaired, exploded, repaired, exploded...
The cycle would repeat itself over and over again.
The aura of the dead was rapidly drawn by the process, the revived body fell into eternal slumber again.
All that was left was the endless cycle of explosions and Extremus who was being revived non-stop.
A furious growl sounded from the grave inside the whirlpool.
The faint presence of Brokers soul that lingered in Extremus body made the monster inside the grave feel it was being fooled again.
Under its uncontroble rage, the monster hadpletely lost its remaining sanity.
It went rampant, disregarding the consequences of its action; the whirlpool then expanded further like a balloon and soon turned into a tornado hovering above Dawn Citys sky.
Then...
KAKROOOM!
The heavens were torn asunder and the earth cracked open.
A pale white arm crawled out from the grave above the sky. Its enormous palm alone could cover the whole of Dawn City. It came out from the tornado and was pressing down on the city.
Huuuuuu!
The speed of a pressing palm was very slow but the city felt like it was being assaulted by a ss 12 typhoon.
Everymoner native was pinned to the ground.
Some with a little more capabilities also looked at the enormous palm that looked too surreal to believe as it was crashing down on them in panic and fear.
A lot more felt despair! Every single native could feel their life force leaking away at an exponential speed.
That wasnt the end either.
Fighters that could wield two-handed greatswords were pressed down on the ground by the weight of their own weapon after around two breaths.
Powerhouses that could control a certain range of spells had to face their own spells going out of control, causing them to be left limping on the ground.
The descendants that possessed special bloodlines suffered repulsion from their bloodlines, explosions went off inside their bodies multiple times.
Kieran was no exception either.
His two hearts and organs went out of control and were violent at that moment. He was forced to hold on to [Arrogant Word] to maintain his standing posture.
Then, a sonorous, deep voice echoed above the sky of Dawn City, as if it was a mutter from the primordial age.
ANNIHILATION!
Chapter 1028 - Ultimate Again
Chapter 1028: Ultimate Again
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Annihtion?
Kieran tried his best in leaning on [Arrogant Word]s hilt. He curled his lip corner and showed an extremely sneerful smile.
Kieran didnt know what kind of existence the voice was but he knew that this existence was nothing but a chess piece in Broker n, at most... it was the biggest piece.
When he reached Dawn City and realized the Grand Duke was attacked, Kieran had doubts in his heart but he didnt have more direct evidence to verify the doubts in his heart.
However, as Darde the Titan stomped through the walls and the Burning Marquis reacted to the Titans siege and defeated him, a lot more information presented itself to Kieran, especially regarding Ansecord who died way too easily.
When the Burning Marquis did not ruthlessly chase after and deliver the killing blow to Darde, Kieran had a guess in his heart: Ansecord and the Burning Marquis had teamed up.
The guess might seem inconceivable but other than that, Kieran couldnt think of any other because everything was too perfect at that point.
Darde easily killed Ansecord and didnt cause any severe damage to Dawn City before he was defeated by the Burning Marquis.
The easy death of Ansecord did not match the image that he gave Kieran since the beginning, let alone the Burning Marquis.
Despite the short contact with the Burning Marquis, his insufferable arrogance made quite an impact on Kierans mind.
Aside from the fact that such an arrogant character easily answer peoples request to fight, whenever the Burning Marquis struck, it would be a merciless fatal blow without leaving any target alive.
Kieran deeply knew how it felt.
When he confronted the Burning Marquis, the killing intent on the marquis was very distinct, if it wasnt for Wright the butlers intervention by bringing news of the missing Starbeck, both of them would have gone through an inevitably violent battle.
The Burning Marquis would go as far as killing his own slightly rebellious son disregarding consequences and rtionship yet he spared the stranger, Dare the Titan who offended him.
Kieran would never believe that there was nothing fishy about it.
Amongst all these, the thing that concerned Kieran the most was Starbeck who had gone missing.
Aside from how Starbeck went missing, the fact that Wright the butler appeared at that timely manner to stop both of them from the fierce fight was enough to raise suspicion in Kierans heart.
Too coincidental, to the point that it felt like it was arranged by someone and in fact, it was.
Everything was arranged by a particr someone.
Wright the butler was clean, his loyalty towards the Burning Family was undoubted but it was because of his loyalty that he was the best candidate to be used.
All it needed was some faint hints and Wright would act ording to the masterminds n.
After all, this particr act was a serious one since it stopped the Burning Marquis from fighting with his own peasant son.
Kieran couldnt tell who gave the hints to Wright. The mansion was too big, the servants were too many, and to locate one or two ill-intending people among those would consume a lot of time; Kieran didnt have that kind of time.
Still, it didnt stop him from ying along with the act.
He acted naturally by ordering the Imperials and nobles to search for Starbecks location.
As expected, those secret agents ran into an idental find: the son of the Grand Duke of Dawn, Reinholt.
Up until this point, it was all Ansecords n and in most peoples point of view, it seemed very reasonable, if it wasnt for Starbeck who went missing.
When Kieran searched for Starbeck, he ran into a stalker, with a group of well-trained soldiers as well and if it wasnt for that, Kieran might really believe everything was apart of Ansecords n.
Starbeck the mimosa nt, weak and the most bullied.
Calling him as cowardly as a mice was insulting the mice yet despite the fact, no one could deny Starbeck was actually very powerful.
With the equipment and items that he umted through his wealth in addition to the guardian in his sack, he had the leverage to say no to anyone.
In simple words, if someone really wanted to abduct Starbeck, Starbeck must have followed them on his own, otherwise, it wasnt possible.
Based on Kierans knowledge, in the current dungeon world, the people who could achieve that particr feat was no more than two.
One was he himself.
The second... Broker!
The contract between Starbeck and Broker prevented Kieran from knowing everything but some educated guesses were made, simr to how he believed Broker must have saved some contingency for this dungeon world.
The stalker with the elite armed squad was even more obvious.
An elite armed squad like that was basically impossible to be independent in Dawn City with the Imperial royal guards, nobles, Dawn family, and Burning family around.
Dawn City was a city, not some unmanned wilderness.
The people that filled the streets would flush strangers out within an instant unless the master behind the armed squad already merged himself with the city and people in the city were familiar with them. That in addition to their well-trained background and decent equipment, it was obvious where the armed squad came from.
The Saint Cyanda Imperial household!
Only the Imperials had the ability to breed a secret elite squad without anyone knowing.
On top of that, the master shouldnt be amongst the Imperial members that were outwardly strong but inwardly weak, it should be someone hiding behind the scenes.
Coincidentally, Saint Cyanda XI went missing when Burning Dawn was under attack.
Of course, the Burning and Dawn families might have simr squads as well but they wouldnt have followed Kieran when he was searching for Starbeck.
Kieran was at first confused about that because from how he looked at it, it was totally unnecessary.
However, following the revtion of Brokers identity, Kieran somehow understood XIs purpose: a vessel, a vessel with independent thought but that could be switched out during crucial moments.
But such a vessel did not fit Brokers movement habits.
Will Broker take the risk himself?
He would!
Kieran agreed with that point since the time they faced off against the yer killers back in the big city. The other thing that he agreed with was that whenever Broker took the risk, he must have absolute insurance in receiving tremendous rewards.
Simr to the giant hand that was descending down from the sky, if it had nothing to do with Broker, Kieran would rather die than to believe it.
Other than that, Kieran was very certain that his next move was all within Brokers expectations but there was one thing that Broker never thought of.
It wasnt the w in his calctions but a real ident.
So, Kieran acted ordingly and shouted at a farther spot.
MIMOSA!
After the shout, the sky turned darker.
Woof!
Woof Woof!
Repeated barks echoed in the sky.
The descending gigantic palm was suddenly bitten by a dog head of the same size.
An excruciating cry that shook the heavens and rocked the earth was heard.
Amidst the loud cry, thebined body of the Burning Marquis, Extremus, Saint Cyanda XI, and a dash of Brokers soul had spots of lights in its dull eyes.
Kieran wielded [Arrogant Word] and shed the monster.
Puk!
The body was shed in half without any resistance but the gaze that belonged to Broker was as sneerful as ever.
Kieran replied to the gaze with his own calm one.
Further away from both of them, the ck iron-forged crown did not have a speckle of dust on it, even the darkness couldnt cover its unique shine.
A translucent figure was rapidly approaching it but...
The Frost Wolf pup was faster.
Chapter 1029 - Arrival of Dawn
Chapter 1029: Arrival of Dawn
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Before the soul could reach the crown, the Frost Wolf pup picked it up with its mouth and sprinted away.
Roar!
The soul roared as it chased after the pup fiercely but Kieran had more than onepanion.
The Fire Raven!
The moment the giant hand appeared, the Frost Wolf pup and the Fire Raven fell into a weakened state but [Lionheart]s [Kings Trait] and [Lions Courage] buffed the two of them, allowing them and Kieran to be lively and energetic again.
Although the duration was only for 10 seconds, it was enough.
Hu!
Fuu! Fuuuu!
Three fireballs fell from the sky and struck the soul.
The restraints from the fire caused the soul to stagger backward, it didnt disperse but it wasnt able to chase the pup anymore either.
The Frost Wolf pup wagged its tail and ced the crown in Kierans hand before it turned to Broker whose body was shed in half; it bore its fangs and growled heavily.
The Fire Raven shook its wings andnded on Kierans shoulder. After a curious nce at the crown, the raven also red at Broker with its sharp hawk-like eyes.
Broker dully nced at the pup and the raven, his face then showed an uncontroble bitter smile.
Ive lost this time but I think we can...
Puk!
Kieran stomped the head of the half-body and it exploded like a watermelon hit by a baseball bat.
Kieran didnt have the intentions or time to even hear what Broker had to say, or rather, no matter what Broker had to say, Kieran would not believe it.
The soul further away vanished as well following the crushing.
After beating his opponent, Kieran didnt even rest, instead, he started to draw the [Seal of Dawn] on the ground around him one after another.
When the light of Dawn Force was shining brilliantly, Kieran finally released a breath of relief and limped on the ground at the bottom of the pit.
Before his eyes, lines of words appeared from the crown, [Fenrirs Crown].
[Name: Fenrirs Crown]
[Type: essory]
[Rarity: ???]
[Attack: ???]
[Defense: ???]
[Attribute: 1. ???; 2. ???]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: Owner of the opposing power]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: This is Fenrirs beloved crown, it doesnt just represent his authority, but his symbol and honor as well.]
...
The question marks on the crown meant even more questions to answer but Kieran didnt have the heart to care about that at the moment.
The damage from the rampant bloodline, a day and night worth of continuous thinking, all of that had drained Kieran.
Now, all Kieran wanted was to have a good rest on the spot but just as he limped on the ground, he stood up again and dashed out from the pit.
The giant hand and Afu were still fighting in the sky and it may continue for a while.
Afu obviously was at a disadvantageous position during the fight. It wasnt that Afu wasnt strong enough, its owner was too weak. Therefore, because of the weakness, the damage Afu took would be reflected on the owners body as well; it might even kill him!
When the thought came, Kieran moved even faster and [Lions Courage] had less than 5 seconds of its duration left.
Afus giant head was tearing at the giant palm but the ck energy from the palm was also surrounding Afu.
Anyone could tell it was just a matter of time before Afu lost.
Once Afu lost, what would happen to Dawn City?
Annihtion.
Everyone who looked up at the fight in the sky hoped they could do something to alter the situation but their bodies were restrained, their life force was being sucked out and they couldnt even move a muscle, what could they do other than watch their slow and horrible demise.
The feeling was definitely not the best. They would not give up on the slightest glimmer of hope if there was but unfortunately, there was none at all.
All they saw was the giant palm descending from the sky and destroying all of Dawn City.
Despair spread out like cancer and right at that moment...
Wuuuuu! Wuuuuuu Wuu!
An arousing horn echoed throughout Dawn City and naturally captured everyones attention.
The people turned to the figure who blew the horn on top of the bell tower.
They saw the burning red horn amidst the darkness, they heard the figures loud and arousing call as well.
I have returned, with the glory that belonged to us.
I have returned, with the radiance that belonged to us.
Golden City is now being rebuilt as I have returned!
Supreme Road will be patrolled as I have returned!
Do you dare stand by me and fight to the end?
I know your bodies are broken and weak.
I know you cant pick up your sword, you cant wear your armor but your will still stands strong!
Your will decides where you belong!
Are you willing to stand by me to destroy the enemies before us?
Are you willing to see the sky burn brightly again?
Are you willing to... JOIN BURNING DAWN?
Kieran shouted with all his might and it sounded like explosions, echoing above the sky of Dawn City.
[Lions Courage] effect was ending very soon, he felt the signs of his bloodline going rampant again but he stood even firmer like a javelin that was plunged into the bell tower.
No, not a javelin, but a banner!
Under the violent air stream, the crow feathered mantle was fluttering loudly along with the wind as it was blown.
ck was deemed as ominous but the ck that was imprinted in the darkness had a different meaning.
Everyone looked at the scene with a dull expression.
They saw Kieran who could move freely.
They saw Kieran stand up high on the bell tower.
They also saw how different Kieran waspared to them who were restrained and had life force sucked away.
The people felt like they saw hope.
When people in despair saw hope, whether it was an illusion before death or an unwillingness fantasy, it would not stop them from clinging on with their lives; it didnt stop them from answering.
I am!
I am!
I am!
...
From scattered voices to loud and strong chants in session and to a single voice in unison, it all happened within an instant.
I am!
There were civilians, soldiers, nobles, and Imperials among the crowd yet all of them were the same at this moment.
Everyone shouted with all their might, their faces blushed and necks stiffened as they reacted to the call.
What they shouted was the wish from the deepest part of their heart.
They wanted to live!
Tens of thousands of voices converged into one.
Their unwillingness.
Their rage.
They were longing for survival.
They voiced out their will.
Each and every one of their loud chants converged into one single voice.
The sky andnd then trembled.
ROAR!
A roar from the majestic king of beasts converged thebined voice onto Kieran, buffing him further.
[Detected corresponding energy, Lionheart, Kings Trait acquired temporarily converted ascension!]
[Kings Step activated]
[Kings Praise activated]
[Kings Prestige activated]
[Insufficient energy, Kings Shattering Rage unable to activate]
[Insufficient energy, Kings ughter unable to activate]
...
Gold!
Pure gold was radiating, swirling around Kierans body.
Tender and bright radiance made him felt like the first light from the rising sun; he expelled the darkness of the realm.
Dawn, arrived earlier today.
Chapter 1030 - Return
Chapter 1030: Return
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Under the golden radiance, [Kings Step] was activated as Kieran took his first.
The scene before his eyes changed repeatedly as he stepped out as if the world was fast-forwarding on itself and when hended, he was already beside Starbeck.
Starbeck was exhausted on the ground as he was surrounded by a group of werewolves, guarding him. Despite that, Starbeck held tightly to his sack, providing the least amount of energy to Afu.
Starbeck obviously felt Kierans arrival, he tried his best to look up but his weak body forbade him from performing a simple act.
Kieran bent down and picked him up.
Youve done enough, leave the rest... to me.
After his soft words, Kieran left Starbeck at a sturdier building, allowing him to stand while leaning on the wall; Starbeck looked at the sky.
Mm.
Starbeck nodded with a smile on his face as he saw Kieran turn away.
Grandma Ca was also gazing at this golden radiating figure.
Her bloodline went rampant and out of control, thus causing her to lose all her powers but the elder still had her memories with her.
A prelude to immortality?
Grandma Ca muttered to herself softly before showing a bitter smile. He really does go with your style, the heir you picked is like your mirror image.
The werewolf elders words were not heard by anyone else other than herself; everyones attention was ced on Kieran.
They saw Kieran look up to the battle in the sky and heard his praise to the giant dog head fighting tirelessly.
Afu, youve done well.
And whoever you are, whatever you are, you will pay! I mean what I say!
His voice wasnt exactly loud but was not to be taken lightly.
The whole Dawn City could hear it.
Then, everyone too felt the giant dog, Afu did a good job despite not knowing where it came from.
Gratitude rose up in everyones heart, it transformed into the most basic of powers and buffed the giant dog.
While the hatred towards the giant palm reached an all new height, likewise the grudge as sharp as des were stabbed at the palm.
[Kings Praise: Praise a target to recover all its injuries and stamina, gains a temporary buff that varies ording to the power level of the king and the number of followers.]
[Kings Prestige: Any target that offends the king will be punished. Increase stamina consumption and injuries will be more severe and the target will fall into a restrained state. Level of restraint varies ording to the power level of the king and the numbers of followers.]
...
Woof! Woof Woof!
Amidst the loud barks, the exhausted giant dog was aroused once more, hungering for battle.
Afu which was just a dog head that appeared from the void started to reveal its neck under the [Kings Praise]s buff, making its giant head more energetic and lively.
Butsiiiii!
The giant dog headnded another bite on the giant hand.
However, the overflowing dark energy was no longer a problem to Afu.
It wasnt just because of Afu gaining the temporary buffs and growing stronger, the gigantic palm was also weakening; it was weakening rapidly as if it was being restrained and suppressed.
The kings praise is delightful and joyous.
The kings prestige is not to be offended.
Kakroom!
The battle between Afu and the giant palm continued on.
Just like how everyone could tell the giant palm had the upper hand before, now everyone could tell Afu was the one gaining the advantage.
When the scene happened, everyone was overjoyed and the joy in peoples heart made them more respectful as they gazed at the golden glowing spot.
The respect born from joy was once again transformed into lively energy and infused into Kierans body.
The suppressed feeling of his bloodline going out of control waspletely removed this time.
On the contrary, there were some unknown changes urring as well.
The remaining will in the Devil Force roared as loudly as it could as if it reigned thend again.
Pride of the Cardinal Sins Force raised its head up proudly, despising everything with his gaze.
Both of them loved the feeling.
Under a myriad of pairs of eyes, every being submitted to them as they suppressed the powerful foe.
This was what they were used to.
This was what they deserved.
Of course, the one who insulted them, they would never forget. That despicable bastard who tried to overwhelm them with sheer numbers, trying to destroy them... must die!
KILL IT!
The devil mirage roared sonorously.
Pride coldly grunted and stood side by side with the devil.
Dawn Force didnt stop it, the persistence that floated around despair was Kierans will. The persistence, the will was the focal point during the birth of Dawn Force, thus the oue.
gue Force didnt stop it either, hope that floated around despair was the reason it existed. Under Dawn Forces guidance, gue Force too fused into the most fitting point of energy.
Saint Thorn Force didnt stop it either, because the sharpness hidden inside made it as keen as a de, it wished that it could draw its sword and kill the bastard that almost made it destroy itself.
Still, the most important point was Kieran himself!
No one liked to be suppressed like an ant and killed, Kieran was no exception either.
More so, his persistence towards life made him even more hateful of the existence that showed hostility and threatened his life.
So, if it was possible, Kieran will not allow the existence with the gigantic palm to continue existing, neither would he spare the bastard a chance to catch its breath.
Huuu!
Kieran took a deep breath.
[Arrogant Word] appeared in his hand and the battle intention in Kierans eyes climbed up rapidly as the Origin Forces inside him screamed.
During normal days, the energy in Kierans body all went their separate ways, operating independently but following Kierans boiling battle intent, all of them stood together, causing Kierans aura to skyrocket.
One time!
Two times!
Three times!
Seemingly limitless energy was poured into [Arrogant Word] like the rising tide, its broad sword de was buzzing continuously, the bewitching re was shining brightly.
Arrogance, dauntless towards any challenge.
Untamed, fearless towards restraints.
While facing against a myriad of troops and warhorses, the greatsword would sh all.
While facing against destructive existences, the greatsword would also sh all.
At the next moment...
Kieran stepped out and vanished.
When Kieran appeared again in the sky, the greatsword that had been charged up with all his energy and consumed all his stamina was violently shed at the giant palm.
[Arrogant Word] looked huge for amoner, yet it was barely even a fork in front of the giant palm, to the point that it was too insignificant to see.
However, with the power the greatsword contained, its terrifying level was unrivaled.
Chaaaaaaa!
A giant wound of the size of a trench appeared on the giant palm. It didnt just perforate the whole palm, even the bones inside were severed.
The enhanced version of [Fury sh] dered its unrivaled power in a way that exceeded anyones imagination, it dered how powerful [Arrogant Word]s master was, but...
That single sh wasnt the end.
ck bloody energy scattered across the sky, it was expelled by the golden radiance and also being absorbed at the same time.
The burning red horn was absorbing the energy like a whale devouring water.
Then, it was blown.
Wuuuuuuuuuu!
The sonorous and arousing horn sound spread across the sky and what followed was ceaseless galloping.
Everyone looked up at the sky following the sound.
The group of riders appeared in the sky, riding air itself.
There was over a thousand of them, the riders armors were bright and warhorses were in high spirits.
Although they were only a mirage, they bore the keep form like the tip of the de, tearing everything on its path apart.
The symbolic victorious banner waved along with the wind and everyone saw the sun rising from the zing me on the banner.
Burning Dawn?!
It wasnt the current Burning Dawn but the one that swept thend and sky from a hundred years ago, which supposed to be dead and destroyed.
How could they appear?
Why did they appear?
Everyone was baffled by the question but soon enough, the questions were discarded from their mind because they saw the Burning Dawn riders enter their charging formation and facing the gargantuan palm.
Charge!
Charge!
Charge!
The riders that rode the sky cheered loudly in unison.
Then, they charged forward at their foe. Their charging became an iron-like mighty torrent, gushing towards the gigantic palm.
With indomitable, unstoppable form, it cut, minced, and ground the gigantic palm to dust.
After the gigantic palm was disintegrated, the riders gathered around a single figure.
They stood up straight,id their swords horizontally in front of their shield and saluted to Kieran who was holding the burning horn.
Lord marshal!
Chapter 1031 - The Item That Shouldn’t Appear
Chapter 1031: The Item That Shouldnt Appear
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The returned Burning Dawn greeted their marshal loudly.
The sky shook and thend trembled.
From the start to the end of Supreme Road, 11 pirs of fire rose up to the sky again.
However, this time around it didnt explode like fireworks, instead, the fire pirs fired up to the tornado above Dawn City.
When the gigantic palm disintegrated, the tornado did not.
The grave within even shook repeatedly, the owner of the palm was unwilling to suffer the excruciating pain of losing its palm, it wanted to take revenge on the people who made it lose its palm.
However, the owner of the gigantic palm could only cry in agony repeatedly before the 11 fire pirs. It even had to move deeper into the grave to dodge the fire.
When he saw the scene, a sudden realization hit Kieran.
That wasnt a grave! Neither was it a cage!
It was a castle!
A castle that withstood Burning Dawns attack.
Which means it is...
Kieran spected in his heart as he looked deeper into the tornado but before he could locate the key point, system notifications popped up on his vision.
[yer haspleted a decisive incident!]
[Acknowledged aspleting the main mission earlier!]
[Unique Title dungeon, immediately returns!]
...
[Unique Title Dungeon: de of the Daybreaker]
[Dungeon Type: Background Mission]
[Dungeon Difficulty: High]
[Main Mission: None]
[Sub Mission 1: The Sheriffs First Step]
[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating F E)]
[Sub Mission 2: The Sheriffs Second Step]
[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating E D)]
[Sub Mission 3: The Sheriffs Third Step]
[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating D C)]
[Special Event: Wolf gue Havoc (Perfect Rating)]
[Perfect Rating: 100% (Rating C S)]
[Special Event: Golden City Invasion]
[Perfect Rating: 100% (Rating S SSS)]
[Battle Performance: Very Active (Rating SSS Z)]
[Exploration Performance: Average]
[Special Rating 1: Inherited Burning Dawn (Rating Z ZZ)]
[Special Rating 2: Acquired the Crown (Rating ZZ ZZZ)]
[Special Rating 3: Defeated the Great Being below (Rating ZZZ V)]
[yer Final Rating: V]
[Comparing yers rating to other yers rating...]
[yer acquired Unique Title: de of the Daybreaker]
...
[Acquired Unique Title: de of the Daybreaker]
[Detected yer has key item, Burning Horn...]
[Burning Horn will be fused into Unique Title, de of the Daybreaker!]
...
A series of notifications rapidly spammed Kierans vision but when everything was finished, Kieran hadnt returned to his game lobby.
He appeared once again in the majestic Milky Way.
A bright star left the Milky Way and flew towards Kieran. The star floated above his head, a momentter, it radiated brightly and enveloped Kieranpletely.
[Name: de of the Daybreaker]
[Type: Title]
[Rarity: Unique]
[Attribute: 1. Sword Type Enhance; 2. Sword Skill Increase; 3. Dawn Amplification; 4. Dawn Sword Veil.]
[Special Effect: Dawn Summon]
[Prerequisite: Bind to yer]
[Remark: Whenever your de points, you will be invincible.]
...
[Sword Type Enhance: When using any type of sword-type weapon, weapon attack level +1]
[Sword Skill Increase: Increase any kind of sword skill by 1 level (Is not limited to Transcendence), 2 per day]
[Dawn Amplification: During Dawn, yer gains a special effect of +3 to all attributes. Additionally, yer is able to assign a certain attribute with an extra +1 buff]
[Dawn Sword Veil: yer can activate this skill during dawn. It will not be restrained by any other existence. This skill can make a copy of the sword type weapon that yer currently has equipped, the copy of the weapon will have the all the original attributes, effects, and will have attack and defense based on yers sword type skill. The copies of the weapon can be umted when the skill isnt activated during dawn, the number of copies will umte to the next day (max 3 times), once per day]
...
[Dawn Summon: During Dawn, yer can summon the soldiers of Burning Dawn based on yers own will. They will answer the yers call and fight for them, once per week]
...
Amidst the littering starlight, Kieran saw the substantial changes from the Unique Title.
Really worthy of a Unique Title! Kieran praised softly.
Aside from [Sword Type Enhance] and [Sword Skill Increase], [Dawn Amplification] alone was enough to put Kieran in a surprised and joyous mood.
More so, there was also [Dawn Sword Veil]. When he painted the picture of making three copies of [Arrogant Word] and performing triple [Fury sh], even with Kierans vignt character, he couldnt help but breathe rapidly.
Since [Dawn Summon]pensated the loss of [Burning Horn], Kieran had noints about that anymore.
Trading the [Burning Horn] for a group of powerful flying riders, Kieran thought it was a bargain on his side, despite the skill having a very long cooldown and limitations.
During dawn only?
Kieran looked at the only limitation, his furrowed brows were then released.
Simr to that bastard Brokers title, it has its pros and surely it has its cons, as well as limitations, de of the Dawnbreaker, was no exception.
As for the Witch?
It must be the same as well, just that the Witchpensated for it with her own strengths, minimizing it to the lowest point.
That is why you kept chasing after the Witchs Legacy tirelessly and engaged in an awful fight with the legacy guardians?
Kieran recalled the secrets he got from Darde.
He declined toment on that matter though, Broker was too cunning.
No one could tell what was true or false with him.
While recalling Dardes words, Kieran nced over the Points and Skill Points that he contributed.
Points: 50,000, Skill Points: 10.
Not too much.
It was even on the low side considering his identity as Supernova, still, it didnt stop Kieran from showing anticipation towards opening Dardes room.
He knew the room was where the loot truly lied.
Meanwhile in the Title Dungeon, other than the Unique Title de of the Daybreaker and the potential loot from Darde, [Fenrirs Crown] was the biggest reward.
However, simr to previous encounters, all its attributes were question marks.
Seemed like he would need to appraise it to reveal its potential.
Kieran went into deep thought as he took the ck iron crown.
Among the acquaintances he knew, there was not a single one of them could truly appraise items. Even cksmith who was one of the closest he could get in his area and possessed a decent level of [Mystical Knowledge], or even the Alchemist, Lemour, they were both experts in their respective area.
As for other yers?
Maybe, but Kierans vignt character left him destined to rely on his own efforts rather than finding unfamiliar yers.
Trusting strangers without insurance was like joking with his own life, the previous curse dispeller was the best example of a joke well yed.
Huuu.
Kieran sighed heavily. He was ready to put away [Fenrirs Crown] in the deepest part of his backpack temporarily and would appraise it when the time was right but when he opened [Crimson Ghost Stomach], he saw an item that shouldnt be with him now.
He was stunned when heid eyes on the... key.
Chapter 1032 - Obvious Trap
Chapter 1032: Obvious Trap
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran found a broken w with a missing talon yet had the upper foot attached in his bag.
It was the [Key of Grave], the mystical item from the [de of the Daybreaker] that possessed the powers to open the grave.
Kieran knew the item from the bottom of his heart but he remembered clearly that the [Key of Grave] was marked unable to bring out of dungeon when he first got it.
Is it because I hurt that great being from below so it triggered the unusual change? Or...
Kieran suddenly squinted his eyes as he thought of something, still, it didnt stop him from picking up the [Key of Grave].
[Name: Changed Key of Grave]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: ???]
[Attack: ???]
[Defense: ???]
[Attribute: Initiate (Reopen de of the Daybreaker dungeon with corresponding energy)]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: Corresponding energy]
[Remark: It is buffed by a certain energy, granting it a more magical effect]
...
Looking at the remarks, Kierans eyes squinted and then they shined.
Then, he tried using devil me and touched the [Changed Key of Grave].
Right away, a new notification popped up in Kierans vision.
[Detected special dungeon, enter? Yes/No]
NO!
Kieran immediately rejected without any further thought on the matter.
He never believed in coincidences, and also never believed free biscuits falling out from the sky.
How much would it cost to re-enter a dungeon without continuous means? No one knew it better than Kieran since he used [Emerders Deal] before.
Now, what was supposed to be a one-time event, the [de of the Daybreaker] dungeon, suddenly presented a continuous method and even used the [Key of Grave] as the initiation, almost out of instinct, Kieran thought about that giant hand.
Other than that being, Kieran thought of nothing else.
Even Broker did not possess such powers.
Why though?
Kieran looked down at the other item in his hand: [Fenrirs Crown].
Unwilling eh? That is why this obvious trap appeared?
Kieran muttered to himself softly.
Whenever there was a trap, there would be temptations.
The [Fenrirs Crown] in his hand was exactly that bait.
The crown didnt just attract the great being below, it was also attracted to him at the same time.
If it was possible, Kieran wished he could immediately find out what the questions marks were on [Fenrirs Crown], more so, there were still many matters worthwhile to be excavated in [de of the Daybreaker].
The continuous dungeon might even increase de of the Daybreaker further.
There were many obvious benefits if he did so but Kieran wasnt moved.
Before his strength reached a considerable level, Kieran would never open [de of the Daybreaker] again.
He knew exactly what would happen if he re-entered the dungeon without Afus help and had to face the great being underneath.
Regardless of how substantial the reward may be, once he died, everything would be useless.
His clear mind allowed him to block out Greeds moring. He ced the w and the crown into his bag before waiting for everything to return to normal.
The wait wasnt long, two secondster, the starry sky vanished and Kieran returned to his own game lobby in the big city.
At the same time, Starbeck appeared beside him as well.
The changing of worlds was something the coward Starbeck could never get used to.
Almost out of Starbecks little animal instinct, he grabbed Kierans feathered mantle and swiftly shrunk behind him.
After a few seconds, he popped his head over Kierans shoulder and looked around.
When he realized it was 13th Wallway, he let out a breath of relief but his hand did not release Kierans mantle.
It seemed like Starbeck still had a lingering fear in his heart as he was still immersing himself in the previous scene.
Whenever Starbeck thought about that gigantic palm pressing down on him, he couldnt help but tremble.
Kieran raised a brow at Starbecks trembling body.
He knew Starbeck was easily scarred but the scene before him refreshed his knowledge towards Starbecks cowardice.
A guy was frightened to the brink of crying by his own memories...
Ifpared Starbeck to a mouse, it would be insulting to the mouse instead.
Kieran sighed and tapped Starbeck on the shoulder.
Pak!
The noise and the tap brought Starbeck back to reality and when he saw the palm on his shoulder, feeling the warmth that spread from the palm, Starbecks anxious heart quickly calmed down.
The indescribable calmness made Starbeck move his steps towards Kieran, quietly closing the distance between them.
Starbeck looked up to the face blurred out by the system, his heart was painting the features by its own. Unconsciously, a face was painted in Starbecks heart.
Then...
Hahahahaha! Superbly done, 2567!
Amidst the roughughter, Lawless came in through the door and gave Kieran a big hug and tapped his back hard.
After almost breaking Kierans bones, he took out a cigar from his shirt pocket.
Good stuff, I used the low alcohol level wine Rachel brewed to make this, dont tell her!
Lawless reminded Kieran.
Sure.
Kieran smiled and nodded. He took the cigar and a small fire appeared on his left hand.
As the cigar got close to the fire, it was lit up right away.
The heavy tobo smell was mixed with a faint aroma of fruit wine.
Kieran took a deep puff and the sweetness filled this mouth and throat, making him unwilling to spit it out.
Lawlessughed again when he saw Kieran enjoying the cigar.
Compared to the previous roughughter, this one was happier.
Come, lets go to the inn! Those guys have been waiting for a while!
Lawless grabbed Kieran by the shoulder and wanted to head outside.
Kieran didnt reject. He knew it was Lawless own way in weing back his triumphant return.
Starbeck felt it too, so he was very envious of it.
Throughout his entire life, Starbeck didnt have a friend like this.
Kieran?
Kieran in Starbecks heart was more than just a friend now, despite the self-proimed rtionship, Starbeck asked after a slight struggle, Can I go?
If I say no, will you let go of 2567s mantle?
Come one, mimosa, you are now 2567s friends and my previous employer, how can I reject you?
Lawless took a nce over Starbeck and said with slightly little frustrated tone; Starbeck was still holding the edge of the mantle as he followed Kieran tightly.
T-Thank you, Starbeck stuttered.
The look on Starbeck forced all the words out of Lawlesss mind, he didnt know what to say anymore other than sighing with a little frustration; he then changed the topic.
Ready for this?
A moment before stepping out of the room, Lawless asked.
Kieran didnt answer but smiled as a reply.
He knew what his friend meant.
The conflict between him and Broker, him possessing the sub scroll of a Title Dungeon, none of it was a secret amongst the veterans.
Those who watched him and camped in front of his room were naturally too many to count.
However, what did all that have to do with him?
They were just a bunch of strangers that he had no obligations to care about.
Kieran stepped out frankly and weed those gaze of surprise, fear, and... admiration.
Chapter 1033 - Gathering
Chapter 1033: Gathering
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran wasnt scared of the gazes as he walked out.
Lawless who was puffing his cigar didnt care either; clouds of smoke kepting out of his mouth.
Starbeck though was frightened at the very first moment and shrunk Kierans back as if Kierans back was the safest ce.
As a matter of fact, it was.
From Starbecks perspective, Kierans back was the safest ce there was.
Behind Kieran, Starbeck could ignore everything around him, gazes or malicious traps.
The broad shoulders in front of his eyes was a safe harbor for him
While staring at Kierans back, Starbeck had forgotten all the gazes from his surroundings, he boarded the train behind Kieran with light steps as well.
The other yers hiding or out in the open around 13th Wallway saw Kieran and co. off before every one of them lost it.
The moment the mor happened, some daring yers sent messages to Extremus and Darde the Titan but what they got in return was the system notification: yer contacted is dead.
2567 is the victor! Another Unique Title yer!
...
The news was like a giant rock hurled into theke, spreading waves in every direction.
Soon, the whole city knew about it.
Meanwhile, inside a small and short room, a yer dressed like an ascetic monk was sitting cross-legged in front of a portrait of Ac the Enlightenment King.
The yers eyes were closed and his breaths were long and slow.
Each time he exhaled, it wouldst up to a dozen seconds or more; each time he breathed, the portrait of the Enlightenment King would slightly shake, as if the portrait was alive.
Ding!
Amidst his breathing, the ping from the message tab opened the yers eyes but after a nce over the message that his friend sent over, he closed his eyes again as if the message didnt arrive.
Everything was exactly like before.
As he inhaled and exhaled, his body was steady like a monolith.
As he inhaled and exhaled, the portrait would shake.
Another breathter, the yer and the portrait had swapped ce.
The person in the portrait wasnt the Enlightenment King anymore but the ascetic monk, while the one sitting cross-legged wasnt the monk but the Enlightenment King.
...
At the outskirts of the big city, the blurry border, a man wielding a giant hammer was hammering the metal in his hand ceaselessly.
Dang Dang Dang!
The noise echoed in the area like an ironsmith working hard but there were no tools around nor the most important thing for an ironsmith, the furnace.
None of those at all, yet the metal in his hand was changing shape swiftly and getting faster.
After a while, a ring longsword appeared in the ironsmiths hand but he didnt even bat an eye at the sword, instead, he was paying attention to his giant hammer.
As for the newly forged sword, it was already thrown outside the big citys border into the blurry area.
Souu!
With a loud air-breaking noise, when the sword was thrown into the blurry area and touched it, it vanished without a sign.
The ironsmith who got used to the scene took out another metal ore, ready to continue his hammering.
Before the second round began, notifications pinged in.
de of the Daybreaker eh? Looking forward to it.
He was muttering as such but didnt really care.
All he cared about was hammering the iron ore.
Each time his hammer struck, it would temper the ore into shape.
Each time the ore got more into shape, he would get closer to his target, his goal.
Other than that one target, he would not care about anyone else.
......
Inside a dark room, a few people were discussing around a table.
2567 won?
He didnt just get the de of the Daybreaker, he heavily wounded Broker as well?
This is great!
This is our chance!
No need to rush, we still dont know whether its true.
Spread the news of Broker, tell people he is heavily wounded and there will be people who will test the water for us, finding out whether is it true or false.
And 2567 also!
I dont believe he can emerge a victor in thispetition without paying a cost.
Um, well send someone to find out, hope there is surprise ahead for us.
...
Following Kierans appearance, the yers hiding in the big city reacted differently.
Some were unmoved, unconcerned, only minding their own business.
Someughed coldly with malicious intent filling their hearts.
Some started another round of plotting, scheming.
However, none of that had anything to do with Kieran right now.
While the celebration in Harvest Inn was going merrily, Lawless and the other acquaintances were almost drunk. Kieran, however, dragged the passed out Starbeck to the bar front.
You are the star today, you shouldnt be this sober, Rachel said with a smile.
I am used having a clear mind, and a single drink is really more than enough.
Kieran grabbed Starbeck by the neck like grabbed a cat, he shook the unconscious mimosa in front of Rachel, emphasizing what he meant.
Throughout the whole teasing, Starbeck didnt even wake up, instead, he leaned his head backward and knocked Kierans hand while he mumbled. He then fell into a deeper sleep.
Kieran was sure it was Starbecks first time attending this kind of asion.
He was scared but filled with surprise and joy as well, therefore, he didnt even reject all the wine from Lemour.
Lemur the Alchemist, other than her magnificent alchemy skills, the aspect most talked about her was her height and her love for liquor.
Lemour was less than 150cm, yet she loved [ming Ice Lake], a little that could even frighten Lawless and despite her infamous character, Starbeck still drank with andsted for almost 10 rounds; Kieran was shocked.
So, after 10 rounds of shots with Lemour, Kieran wasnt surprised that Starbeck passed out like a dead man.
After all, Lawless once did a friendly match with Lemour as well and he got knocked out on the fourth. Before this, Lawless was the best drinker in Harvest Inn.
He is an honest young man, not like you who is too cunning.
Here, on the house, clears the dizziness faster. You can choose to drink it yourself or feed him. Let me say this first, this is the only one I will make today.
Rachel pushed over a ss of her own concoction: honey, lemon, and ice.
Thanks.
Kieran took it and drank it all down within a breath.
You are really straightforward.
Rachel said as she looked further away at cksmith with a smile. cksmith seemed to be watching the bar counter quietly.
Right away, cksmith noticed the inn owners gaze and she turned around; her temperament became colder.
Whats wrong?
Lawless who got a shiver from the coldness looked at cksmith.
Drink.
cksmith then took the whole bottle of [ming Ice Lake] and poured it into the blurry Lawless mouth.
Gulp, Gulp!
After two gulps, Lawless passed out andid down on the table.
Rachel the inn owner who noticed the little scene smiled even brighter and happier.
She then pulled open a short door beside the bar counter, signaling to Kieran, Come on, Ill bring you to another gathering. Those guys are eager to meet you.
Chapter 1034 - Divination (2 in 1)
Chapter 1034: Divination (2 in 1)
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran visited Harvest Inn more than once.
One could even consider, from a certain aspect, that Harvest Inn was the ce he was most familiar with in the big city other than his own room.
However, Kieran never entered the bar counter before, let alone the hidden room behind the secret door.
Following Rachel, Kieran went past a small door and the new environment isted the merry atmosphere back in the inn.
Kieran sized up the border of the door, there were patterns carved all over it; a sudden realization hit him.
Mystical runes to iste noise and cause others to overlook any peculiarities?
Pro level [Mystical Knowledge] allowed him to easily recognized these runes before him. It wasnt that hard for him to set up also if he had the required ingredients but Kieran didnt want to modify 13th Wallway to such aplicated extent.
First of all, his room, the game lobby was just a temporary lodging point, there was no point for him to decorate or modify it.
Secondly, anything rted to the mystical realm would cost a great sum and if he got his hands on the required ingredients, he would use it to make something more valuable instead.
Kieran had a simple habit of spending money on the knife.
Of course, Kieran didnt have the notorious habit of exercising his own habits on others.
He followed Rachel and tantly sized up his surroundings.
Behind the door was a corridor not that long, there was a stroll of dark red carpet and walls of the same color. Other than amp, there werent any extra decorations.
Simple and minimalist.
Ill bring you to meet three of them, not all but the ones that appear in public the most. Oh right, if they disturbed you or ce you in an awkward position, just teach them a lesson, no need to be concerned about me. Those guys are quite proud at heart, if you dont show your strength, they wont allow you to join the circle.
Under themp, Rachel reminded Kieran as a friend.
Um.
Kieran didnt say anything much other than a nod as he followed Rachel.
He wasnt really surprised about what Rachel said though, in fact, if every high-ranker was as easy-going as J.Pearlman the Fisherman, something would be wrong.
After all, those yers were able to emerge from the groups ofmon and veteran yers, how many of them didnt have a sense of pride in their own skills?
Both of them soon reached the end of the corridor since it wasnt long.
The small living room at the end was also minimalistic in decoration.
A firece on the wall, two round tables; each of the round table had 5 chairs around them respectively.
One of the round tables was empty while at the other one, 3 of the 5 sofas were upied by three men.
Mark.
Rachel pointed at a man in a camo suit, despite sitting down at the table, the mans body was straight.
Rachel then moved towards the one beside Mark, a man in T-shirt and jeans; he was shuffling on the chair in a rxed state.
This is Karles, Rachel said.
Then, Rachel pointed at thest man in a big mantle, covering his whole body and a bva masking his face despite the system blur, saying, Wu, my real life friend.
2567, the me Emperor, the Fiery Tyrant, the ming Devil that you guys have been moring to meet. Well, of course, you can now add another, the de of the Daybreaker.
Rachel introduced Kieran to the bunch.
Right away, Marks gaze was fired at Kieran directly with a heavy sense of pressure, as if a mountain had fallen from the sky.
Karles slightly twisted his neck and immediately presented a sharp aura that lingered in front of Kieran, as if a longsword was drawn from its sheath, drawn yet it didnt attack; there was no hostility from the two yet it has a sense of testing.
Obviously, just as Rachel mentioned, anyone who wanted to join their little group would have to show their own strength other than being rmended by someone.
Kieran did not dislike such a test though because he didnt want to join a gathering just to fill the numbers; it would only disappoint him.
As the thought came into his mind, Kieran nced over the two and slightly released his sulfuric aura.
Mark and Karles had outstanding auras and their auras alone would be enough to sendmon yers into a panic, they could even terrorize a certain number of veterans as well butpared to Kieran, it felt small inparison.
Chosen Ones naturally had high Spirit attributes, in addition to the rampant, domineering devil bloodline, even if Kieran ran into the same level high-ranker, as long as the opposite wasnt a Spirit-focused yer, Kieran would gain the upper hand.
Rawr!
The heavy and powerful devil roared in Mark and Karles ears.
The mountain-like aura was punched to pieces by the devil, even Marks straightened body wobbled a little.
The sharp aura was torn apart by the devil, Karles who was shuffling on the sofa got even softer as if he was about to sink deep into the cushion.
The devils aura vanished in a sh.
Under the frightened gaze of Mark and Karles, Kieran slightly nodded to express his acknowledgment before sitting down on the chair closest to him.
Kieran then ignored the surprised and probing gazes from the two of them and ced his own gaze on Wu who was wrapped in his big mantle.
Real life friend?
Chosen One?
Kieran squinted his eyes.
He knew what Rachels upation back in real life, so those who could be friends with her, such as Wu, must have some forte of sorts. This is besides the fact that Wu didnt even budge under the disy of strength from the devil aura.
Adding up both of the criteria, it was worth a second nce from Kieran.
However, that was it. If the person wasnt an enemy and was rmended by Rachel, Kierans character and manners wouldnt allow him to pry into other peoples private matters.
Likewise, one shouldnt expect Kieran to heat up the atmosphere or conversation; it was impossible.
Especially in front of strangers, Kierans M.O. was to stay vignt and careful, even if those people were introduced to Kieran.
Instantly, the small living rooms atmosphere grown a little awkward.
As the host, Rachel didnt have the slightest intention of breaking the ice. She crossed her arms and sat down, waiting for a good show.
Ahm... wee.
Mark, the man who acted like a soldier coughed a little to ease the awkwardness.
Wee. Can we start now?
Karles who was limping downzily on the sofa said something simr as well. His prolonged tone and trills twisting back and forth made him sound like he was yawning.
However, Kierans sharp senses picked up an unusual restlessness underneath hiszy looks; Karles would look at Wu from time to time.
Very well.
This time around, Wu didnt stay still anymore, he replied with a low rough voice.
The moment Wus voice subsided, Karles who waszy a moment ago sprung up from the sofa and ced an item screenshot on the table.
[Name: Nightmare Lasso]
[Type: essory]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Attack: Extreme]
[Attribute: 1. Nightmare Invasion; 2. Nightmare Imprisonment; Nightmare Demon]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: Spirit A+]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: Those disturbed by nightmare will never find peace]
...
[Nightmare Invasion: Choose a target and put it into a deep sleep. A Spirit authentication will ur; when higher than the target, the target will be assaulted by nightmares. Able to inflict a Light to Medium mental impact to target, able to activate Nightmare Imprisonment as well, able to use once every 3 days]
[Nightmare Imprisonment: Spirit authentication of target +3, while the user receives one of -3. When sessful, the target will be imprisoned as Nightmare Demon]
[Nightmare Demon: Summon the Nightmare Demon to carry out the users deeds, once per day (Able to store up to 3 Nightmare Demon at once, once a Nightmare Demon dies, the user will lose it forever and will suffer a Medium mental impact]
...
How is it, Wu? Enough for your divination? Karles asked restlessly.
Divination?
Kieran looked at the man wrapped in his mantle with an astonished gaze, he never thought the man was an expert in divination and possessed quite a high level.
The Legendary equipment as payment said it all.
Kieran who was no longer a newbie and had Pro level [Mystical Knowledge] and Basic [Astrology], he knew how hard it was to level up divination skills. Even with skill books, it might require a substantial amount of Golden Skill Points.
Not enough! Wu carefully sized up [Nightmare Lasso] and said.
Plus this one!
Karles seemed to be prepared, he brought up another screenshot.
Simrly, another Legendary equipment yet Wu answered the same.
Not enough!
Plus this one!
A third piece of Legendary equipment was pulled out.
Kieran was left speechless and breathless when he saw the three Legendary equipment.
Although he knew the deals in the gatherings of high-rankers would have exceeded the veteran levels, seeing one Legendary equipment being put up for trade one after another still shocked him nheless.
This deal wasnt a barter but just a payment for one divination.
What kind of divination requires such high payment? Even if his skill were at the Transcendent level, it shouldnt be this high!
Divination and prophecy results were all blurry.
Even for those who were experts in the field, they could only see a blurry scene; those who could see fractions of a certain scene was already truly masters.
Those words came from Nikorei, the God of Earth herself.
Kieran took it to heart.
It was the first time meeting Karles and Mark but none of them were rash people, let alone Rachel who was simply watching with a natural and sure look, all signs pointed at Wus divination being extraordinary.
Unconsciously, Kieran looked at Wu.
This time, Wu didnt give the same reply but he took out a stack of cards slightly bigger than a poker deck. After shuffling, he arranged each card on the table.
The cards were arranged in 3 rows: 5 in the first row, 4 in the second, and 3 in the third, a total of 12 cards.
Pick one card, Wu said.
Karles quickly picked the middle card of the first row.
While under Kierans astonished gaze, Mark and Rachel each picked one as well.
Mark picked the one right beside Karles and Rachel took the one on the far right in the second row.
Everyone has to choose? Kieran asked Rachel.
Pick one card.
Before Rachel reply, Wu urged Kieran but Kieran wasnt moved; he kept staring at Rachel.
Wu was just a stranger and Kieran didnt trust strangers. After Rachel nodded, only then did Kieran pick the card closest to him: the far left in the third row.
Open your cards and tell me what is on it, Wu continued.
Garden, Karles said before eagerly trying to see the others card.
Mining cave, Mark opened his card and shrugged at Karles, showing his apologies.
Butcher knife, Rachel shrugged as well.
Then, three of them looked at Kierans card under his hand.
Before I open, can you tell me some rules? At least let me know what kind of role Im ying in this divination session? Kieran said slowly.
There were millions of ways to perform divination, some used images, some burned bones, some used crystal balls. Cards were the most orthodox kind but the card before Kieran wasnt the kind that he knew off.
At least, his Pro [Mystical Knowledge] didnt mention any kind of card divination that had mining cave and butcher knife.
Garden had was quitemon in other types but it wasnt the garden Kieran knew either. Plus the expensive payment, Kieran was more curious than before about what kind of divination Wu used.
Wu gave me the things, locations, and items that will benefit me. Like this garden here, this is something that I have to pay attention in the near future. While 2567, you are ying the role of whether or not you can help me, please let your card be rted to the garden, like nts, rain, fertilizer, sunshine, whatever.
When we face difficult obstacles and seek reliable help, we will choose Wus divination. His divination isnt those mystifying tricks but the kind that will give a direct result. My new dungeon is about to start soon but I dont have enough confidence, so I hope to find a helper, Karles exined.
Rachel beside nodded, meaning Karles didnt lie.
Directly provide a result?
Kieran frowned silently.
Such divination power, even the God of Earth, Nikorei couldnt perform such an extraordinary feat.
Although Wu wasnt anyone weak, he still had quite the gap to fill whenpared to Nikorei, the God of Earth that fought divine beings and Gods.
Given such a gap in abilities, Kieran couldnt help but doubt Wus divination abilities yet with Karles rock solid statement, Kieran automatically ced his attention on the cardsid on the table.
The effect of the cards?
Kieran muttered in his heart while his face didnt show any expression; he moved his hand and opened his card.
The card was revealed to the others right away: Crow!
Crows in packs circling around a graveyard and in the dark space in between, a blurry figure faintly showing itself.
Anxious, strange, dead silence.
When Karles saw this never before seen card, he sat back down, disappointed.
With multiple experiences, even without Wus exnation, Karles knew Kieran wasnt the one he was looking for.
My luck really sucks! Karles muttered to himself.
Mark quickly tried tofort him.
Rachel, on the other hand, was a little absent-minded as she looked at the flying crows, so was Wu.
A secondter, Wu suddenly put away the cards, shuffled again and rearranged it on the table.
Draw again, Wu told Kieran.
Huh? Kieran raised a brow.
I dont mean anything, just want to confirm something and I can pay you. Wus low pitched rough voice sounded.
Payment? Kieran slightly leaned back on the sofa, making himself morefortable before continuing slowly, So have you ever heard about the guardians of the Witchs Legacy?
The moment Kierans question escaped his mouth, the living room fell into silence.
Chapter 1035 - Intel
Chapter 1035: Intel
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Karles who was depressed, Mark who wasforting him, and even Rachel who was in a small trance turned to Kieran when the question came out.
Everyones expression made Kieran relieved since he had been worrying in his heart.
When he got the information from Darde the Titan, stating that Broker was engaging the guardians of the Witchs Legacy openly and secretly, Kieran had been paying utmost attention to these guardians.
However, simrly, Kieran knew the yers that coulde in contact with the guardians of the Witchs Legacy were very little, just like Darde the Titan.
As one of the Supernovas only second to the Witch, because of his surveince over Broker and his affairs, Darde knew of the existence of the guardians. Before the title dungeon, Darde hadnt even heard about the guardians of the Witchs Legacy.
Kieran was very sure of it.
It wasnt that Kieran was very confident in his interrogation techniques but he understood how much Darde could tolerate.
Darde the Titan was exactly like the rumors said, ruthless and bloodthirsty but all that was for the outside, when Darde was facing only himself, he was not as strong as he looked.
Perhaps it was the repulsion that he suffered, or maybe some other aspects, nevertheless, the end result was that Kieran couldnt get further information about the guardians of the Witchs Legacy.
Fortunately, based on the reaction of the group before him, Kieran would have his answers soon.
However, out of expectation, what he got in reply was Karles and Marks hostility.
It wasnt the testing like before but real killing intent.
Both of them didnt seem to budge but their muscles were tightened underneath their clothes like jaguars ready to strike.
Kieran raised a brow and turned to Rachel beside him.
Karles and Marks tension was a little out of expectations but Kieran didnt really care.
Or one could say, the only one that Kieran would care about in the room was Rachel.
As for the rest, who dared to make a move, whose neck would be snapped would soon be determined.
In fact, if it wasnt because of Rachel, the moment Karles and Mark showed hostility, Kieran would have taken them out but despite his urge to do so, he waited for Rachels exnation.
Hey, guys, rx! Everyone here is a friend of mine, no spies, no secret agents, no snitches or assassins, got it?
Rachel stood up and held Karles and Mark back with her words before turning to Kieran, saying in a sincere tone, There seems to be a misunderstanding here.
I know, thats why I am listening to your exnation, Kieran said.
However, the more Kieran behaved that way, the more headache he caused Rachel.
Multiple meetings andmunications with Kieran was enough to let Rachel know his dangerous attitude and conflicting personality.
Without conflict, Kieran was a peaceful person with sufficient kindness but when others showed hostility, Kierans coldness and fierceness would cause the others to doubt their very existence.
Rachel understood Kieran was waiting for her answer.
If she couldnte up with a reasonable one, a huge fight might go down in her inn.
More importantly, there was another time bomb outside the secret living room.
If that bastard Lawless knew Kieran encountered danger here, he would certainly, absolutely lose it and she would have to prepare body bags for Karles and Mark.
The friend of a bastard was always a bastard!
While feeling the faint sulfur aura emanating from Kieran, Rachel cursed in her heart but was forced to take in a deep breath for her exnation.
Weve run into some conflict with the guardians of the Witchs Legacy.
The things that women left behind are too tempting. At first, everyone was still at a low level, so we kept our emotions in check but as we grew stronger, ambitions followed. However, without precise information, everyone was still holding back, that is until one of us discovered a lead regarding the legacy.
The moment that guy knew about the existence of that woman, he was frantic about her, his enthusiasm drove him into gathering everything about her and slowly, that guy became infatuated with everything regarding that woman. It was also because of that guy, the tip of the iceberg of the Witchs Legacy was revealed. A lot of us joined the fray and eventually ran into the guardians.
We fought a couple of times in the dark before, exchanging wins. That is why Karles and Mark here is nervous about it, Rachel exined in detail.
Kieran nodded without saying anything. He acknowledged the statement.
Anyone of the yers in the big city would be moved by the Witchs Legacy, Kieran included.
Simr to what Rachel said, as strength grew, ambitions would eventually follow.
Of course, a lot more of the matters were rted to Broker.
You all know about Broker engaging the guardians as well? Kieran asked directly.
A little, but not in detail. That bastard Broker noticed the fights between us, and it was natural that he wouldnt let it slip just like that. When we engaged the guardians, that bastard had many times reaped benefits from the conflict. In the end, us and the guardians fought that bastard a few times and it cost him quite a few trusted men.
Whenever Broker was mentioned, Rachel would gnash her teeth in hatred. Even if they managed to take out a couple of Brokers trusted men, it didnt ease the hatred in her heart.
Is that so? Kieran muttered and thought deeply.
It wasnt that he didnt believe Rachel but it was never too safe when facing an enemy like Broker because one could never guarantee what his move was, whether was it real or it just an act?
With a lesson learned, Kieran didnt want to fall into Brokers trap and schemes again.
Therefore, even if what Rachel said was true, he ought to gather more intel about the matter.
Then, Kieran changed to the topic of the guardians.
What kind of organization are these guardians?
I dont know. Other than knowing they are yers as well, we couldnt confirm anything else. The strangeness overpowered their strength. If 2567 you want to search for the Witchs Legacy as well, we can team up.
Rachel shook her head, her tone sounded heavy but right after that, she invited Kieran to join them.
No thanks. Im used to being alone, Kieran said.
He then turned to Wu again who was being silent throughout the conversation.
Redraw? Like how I casually draw the card before? Kieran asked.
Um, Wu nodded.
You didnt even try to give an excuse but shifted the topic right away? You are really are as despicable as a certain bastard outside.
Rachel ranted but her eyes were locked at the card that Kieran picked, the same card on the far left in the third row.
When the card was opened, Rachel skipped a breath.
Crow!
It was still the crow!
But this time, it wasnt a ck one but...
A golden crow!
A golden, arrogant crow lifting its head up while bathing in mes!
Chapter 1036 - Tiger & Cannibal Plant
Chapter 1036: Tiger & Cannibal nt
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Karles and Mark also skipped a breath like Rachel did when they saw the never before seen card.
However, before both of them asked anything, Wu spoke, Karles, Mark, can you give us a moment?
I want to speak alone with 2567, Wu said.
Okay.
No problem.
Karles and Mark stood up without a second thought. They parted with Rachel and Wu before heading outside and throughout the process, they didnt even speak to Kieran.
Kieran didnt express anything about their absence either.
In Kierans point of view, Karles and Mark were strangers, strangers with names attached.
Besides, Kieran was quite curious about what Wu wanted to talk to him about.
Further away, the sound of door shutting sounded.
Rachel sat back on the sofa chair with her crossed arms, sizing up Kieran quietly.
Despite the system blur, Kieran felt like he was sitting on needles.
I think you can speak your mind, Rachel, Kieran shrugged at Rachel.
I...
Roar!
Just when Rachel was about to say something, a fierce, loud tiger roar pierced the sound istion magic circle.
That damn bastard, causing troubles again! Stay here.
Wu, Ill leave this to you.
Rachels face changed when she heard the roar, she urged Kieran to stay and left Wu behind before vanishing on the spot.
Kieran, however, didnt n to listen to Rachel because he knew where the tiger roar originated from, Lawless!
Lawless was the first and one of the two friends that could let Kieran lower his guards.
Kieran too stood up and wanted to walk outside but Wu mysteriously appeared before him in mist form, blocking him.
Move! Kieran said coldly.
Harvest Inn was Rachels room and it should be the safest ce in the game but not entirely. With multiple encounters, Kieran knew the yers had tricks to bypass the restrictions.
I am not here to stop you, I just hope you can bring it.
Wu then took out a card.
The crow! It was the card of the crow but this time around, it wasnt ck, it wasnt golden but bloody red!
The blood crow was standing on top ofyers of bodies, a hill of corpses! It was slowlybing its feathers on the peak.
The golden eyes of the blood crow were arrogantly looking down on all life with haughtiness.
Kieran exchanged gazes with the golden eyes, he could clearly feel the arrogance and haughtiness from the card but it didnt mean he would ept the card.
Or in other words, Kieran will never suddenly ept gifts from strangers, especially in this big city where all sorts of powers and abilities were present.
No one could guarantee what a simple, normal looking card would bring.
No need, Kieran rejected and walked around Wu.
Wu didnt stop him, instead, he saw Kieran off.
The blood crow card slightly shook when Kieran walked passed Wu and when Kieranpletely disappeared from sight, the card burst into mes.
Fuu!
The mes were burning high on the card.
Then, the ck crow, golden crows card appeared together and went into the burning mes.
In the end... the cards were burned to nothing.
No ashes left behind, no residue at all.
Crow...crow...
Wu muttered softly as he watched the scene before him, he then sobbed softly.
He was crying with joy.
...
Karles and Mark left the small living room side by side, they exited from the entrance and when the door was closed, Mark suddenly asked, What do you think?
What what do I think?
Karles looked at Mark, confused.
That neer, dont you think Rachel and Wus attitude are different regarding him?
Mark took in a breath before reminding Karles.
Wu is quite tolerant to anyone, but Rachel? If you can understand her character, you can try to challenge the urban myths of the big city, Karles said without showing too much concern.
Lets put Rachel aside, we talk about Wu first. Do you think Wu was just being tolerant to that neer? Mark emphasized.
What else then?
Karles shrugged and walked towards the bar counter like he didnt care.
Mark paused for a while before quickly catching up.
After ncing a house full of drunkards, Mark lowered his voice when he stood beside Karles.
So you are okay with this?
Karles didnt answer. His movement paused for a while and was ready to continue forward as if he didnt hear the question.
However, the moment Karles stepped out, his body froze on the spot suddenly; Mark too.
Both of them looked as if they were struck by petrifying magic as they were stunned on the spot because a pair of huge hands were silently tapping on their shoulders.
A strong muscr body then squeezed in between them.
I think I heard someone discussing my friend behind his back, eh? Didnt your parents teach you to not talk badly about others? You want your tongues to rot? Or... do I have to pull those rotten tongues out?
A drunk yet powerful voice entered Karles and Marks ears.
Both of their stiff bodies got even stiffer because they saw a giant stripe tiger walking towards them slowly. Its limbs were strong and ws were sharp, each time the tiger moved, its ws would tear the floor. Its big and strong body was like the city walls and the stripes that resembled the Chinese character king on the tigers head looked even more fearsome following the killing intent in the tigers eyes; both of them couldnt even breathe properly.
However, what was more terrifying was the roar that came after that.
Roar!
A loud roar challenged heaven and earth, as if a ss 10 typhoon assaulted Karles and Marks face, causing them to squint their eyes.
Then, both of them felt numbness on their tongues.
When both of them were freed from the shock, they only realized, without knowing when that their tongues were pulled out by Lawless and the pressure exerted through his thumb was increasing by the second.
Seemed like Lawless wasnt joking.
Lawless!
Mark shouted in a muddled tone.
Get your hands off, we dont mean anything! Karles said.
You dont mean anything? The jealousy of 2567 in your heart almost set Afu off!
And you! You bastard hiding a sense of betrayal deep in your heart, you should die! Afu said it picked up Brokers smell on you... that goddamn bastard! He thinks he controls everything?
Amidst the cold voice, Starbeck who was obviously drunk stood in front of the two.
Unlike the usually scared Starbeck, now in his drunken state, Starbeck had unconceble confidence and power! He even looked fierce!
Fuuu!
Amidst the first light of dawn, the morning breeze shook the small white flower and caused the petals the dance. As the petal danced, it revealed the sharp, saw-like teeth underneath.
The teeth were sharp and were ring coldly.
The teeth were ruthless and would devour as it chose its target.
The mimosa nt was actually a hidden cannibal nt!
TL Note:
The Chinese character means King. It is the pattern on the tigers head.
Ancient Chinese culture said the stripes on the tigers head represent its king status in the jungle but it was just a myth.
Chapter 1037 - Hidden
Chapter 1037: Hidden
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Karles and Mark whose body were frozen were frightened beyondprehension by the continuous changes before their eyes.
They knew Lawless, but ording to their knowledge, Lawless was harmless, small-minded, loved to smoke and drink, and was like an attendant of Rachel, however all that was before this.
Now?
Lawless was like the most formidable enemy they had ever confronted.
An attendant like character shouldnt have the abilities to frighten two high-rankers.
As for Starbeck?
The cowardly mimosa was quite famous in a certain aspect as well, so Karles and Mark had heard of him but they never would have thought the rumoured harmless and cowardly Starbeck would be this scary.
Seeing Starbecking closer, Karles and Marks frozen body started to shiver.
It was both because of fear and also their instincts.
They felt like they were being eyed by a monster on top of the food chain and what terrorized them more was... the monster was a cannibal!
This is Rachels room, you guys know what will happen if you attack others here? Mark shouted loudly.
His tongue however was seized by Lawless, thus his words were muddled and hard to understand, all he relied on how shouting to express his thoughts.
So what? Lawless grunted.
Starbeck on the other handughed softly.
Lawless hand kept squeezing tighter. Just like what he said just now, Lawless was going to rip their tongues out.
Starbeck was still getting closer to both of them, he wanted to feed the two of them to Afu.
As for the threats Karles and Mark gave?
The punishment from the system that followed?
Well, it wasnt something that would concern Lawless and Starbeck in their drunken state.
Lawless under the influence of alcohol had released his daily suppression and resistance of his true nature, the suppressed killing intent and aura were released all at once.
Starbeck was even worse, his whole character drastically changed from top of bottom.
Simrly, the changes of Lawless and Starbeck was triggered by extreme suppression of their true nature, likewise it was also the ws in their characters.
In addition, both of them were also very powerful, to the point that their targets would question their own existence.
Amidst Lawless and Starbecks aura, both high-rankers affected were like a little sampans that had run into a storm at the sea. They might face destruction at any second.
Then...
Pak!
A wine bottle was smashed at Lawless head from behind.
CALM DOWN!
And you!
Rachel appeared in the middle of the four of them.
Lawless who was already drunk and got smashed with a bottle was grabbed away by Rachel, she then took another bottle of liquor and stuffed it into Starbecks mouth.
Gulp, Gulp!
Starbeck finished another bottle of liquor that was no weaker than [ming Ice Lake].
After that, Starbeck who a moment ago was as fierce as a raging beast was wobbling he next moment before he fell and passed out on the floor, snoring soundly.
Each of you bastards are really troublemakers! Especially you, big stupid bastard, always attracting these weird fes and everytime I have to wipe your a**! I tell you what, the debt you owe me isdoubled!
Rachel grabbed Lawless by the cor and yelled to his drunk face.
Hey, hey, R-Rachel!
Lawless who was heavily drunk called out to Rachel despite the yelling, still Rachel didnt choose to forgive Lawless. She picked up the ice bucket that was used for mixing cocktails and dunked it on Lawless head.
Keep your head straight you bastard!
After a cold grunt, Rachel turned around to Karles and Mark who stood in their spots.
When both of the caught Rachels gaze, they shuddered.
As one of the members of this scattered little group, Karles and Mark knew how powerful the women before them was. It was also the reason why the gathering of the scattered group was held in Harvest Inn and not other ces.
In fact, the moment Rachel appeared, the two high-rankers were released from their frozen state, they really wanted to run for it though, if the ce wasnt Harvest Inn, wasnt Rachels room.
The system was always fair as it would provide yers with limitations and at the same time authority over something.
Whenever Karles and Mark entered Harvest Inn, Rachel would have to give them permission and at the same time, she couldnt hurt anyone of them when they stepped into the room. Likewise, when anyone wanted to leave, they would require Rachels permission as well.
I did not betray you or anyone else! I am just jealous of 2567!
Karles was being honest when he caught Rachels eyes and as he confessed, he pushed Mark in front of him.
Mark threw a hateful re at Karles before raising his hands up high.
Fine, I confess. I did betray everyone, but my betrayal didnt cause anyones actual loss! I am willing to use actions topensate my wrong doings, Mark said with intentions of quibbling.
No actual loss? You colluded with Broker, sending messages to him and trying to take us all out, isnt all that considered as actual loss? Or what about leaking information about our mission to those guardians, helping them in exchange for goods, can I consider that actual loss?
When Rachel spilled the beans, Marks blurred face suffered a drastic change.
Mark never would have thought what he did was known as he believed that he had concealed everything quite well but it was all exposed before Rachels eyes.
As for why Rachel didnt expose him...
Youre using me?! Mark growled angrily.
Rachel didnt answer but she waved her hand.
Mark instantly vanished from her sight.
He didnt die, but was expelled, Mark was expelled from Rachels own room.
Then, she turned around to Karles.
Being jealous is wrong? This is amon emotion, anyone in my position would feel the same.
Karles exined again.
Rachel nodded as if she agreed but what she said after that rendered Karles speechless.
Being jealous is not wrong, anyone would. I would, but I know how to control my own jealousy and I wont allow my jealousy to get the best of me andmit some unforgivable deeds.
Or, did you join us with hidden agendas in the first ce, Mr. Karles, guardian of the Witchs Legacy.
Rachels words were like thunder that struck Karles ears.
When did you realize? Karles was bbergasted as he looked at Rachel.
From the very beginning, Rachel answered.
Because of Wu? It can only be Wu... her abilities can be imprable from a certain aspect. No matter how careful I am, she would have seen through me with a nce.
Karles smiled bitterly without waiting on Rachels reply.
He then fell into silence. He knew he was exposed from the very beginning, so all words from him would be useless. The more he tried to exin, the more he would eventually expose, thus losing more leverage.
Rachel didnt speak further either. She crossed her arms and leaned back on the bar counter, standing quietly as if she was waiting for something.
The wait wasnt that long, at most 2 to 3 secondster, a notification pinged her.
She smiled and gave permission to the notification.
The door of Harvest Inn was opened again and Kieran who still had his killing intent walked in.
Chapter 1038 - Conceal
Chapter 1038: Conceal
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Why did Kierane in from outside?
Why was the killing intent on Kieran was so tense?
Almost instantaneously, Karles knew what happened.
His face got even more bitter after that.
This was all a trap, from the start to the end, it was a trap targeting him and Mark.
Karles had doubts at first when the others didnt show up at the gathering but when Wu showed up, his doubts were cleared up because everyone in this scattered little group knew Wu had no battle capabilities.
Perhaps from a certain aspect, Wus strength had exceeded everyones imagination but in exchange for her strength, what she got in return was a fatal weakness.
Therefore, Wu would not appear in ces in which a potential conflict or fight might ur.
Even more so when the news went around stating that a yer room wasnt absolutely safe anymore, Wus appearance assured everyone in the group of its safety; Karles was no exception.
Therefore, Karles continued his n on testing Wu, not just because the guardians wanted to know the limits of Wus capabilities, he himself wanted to know as well.
After all, her abilities simr to an urate prophecy were too rare, to the point that it might be the only one in this big city.
Otherwise, the guardians organization wouldnt have taken the initiative to expose their own ws and sent Karles to infiltrate this scattered little group.
However, none of that mattered anymore. The important thing was, how could he survive this confrontation.
Karles never doubted Rachels merciless attitude and ruthless methods.
Simrly, he never doubted Kierans decisiveness to kill, anyone who gathered information on Kieran would know about that.
Karles didnt n to wait any longer, he didnt want to test Kierans patience with his own life.
I can give you a piece of intel in exchange for my life! I assure you that this intel is worth every bit of your time! Trust me, when you get this particr intel, you will see my sincerity! 2567, Rachel, as long as you sign a contract with me, promising not to hurt me, I will share it with you.
Karles spilled his thoughts directly to Kieran and Rachel.
No one wanted to face death, not even Karles, a high-ranker.
One could even say, it was because of Karles being a high-ranker that he had reached the positionmon yers could not thus he valued his life even more.
One? Not enough, Rachel said with a smile.
Kieran, on the other hand, left the negotiation to the pro.
Simrly, Rachel also believed Kieran would deal with Mark properly, thus opening a secret passage for him to intercept Mark.
Kieran bent down and carried the passed out Starbeck to the chair close by. He then grabbed Lawless who has an ice pail over his head and was still in a dizzy state.
He sighed in his heart when he saw his friends ugly states.
Kieran wasnt an idiot. When the secret passage was opened up, he understood Lawless and Starbecks sudden uproar interrupted Rachels ns.
Kieran didnt know what Rachel wanted to achieve in the end but he knew another name would be added on the list of needs healing from dysfunctional personality.
A cannibal nt that hides its killing intent?
Kieran muttered softly as he nced over Starbeck who was snoring loudly; he turned to Rachel after that.
Rachels steps were light, signifying her light mood and with such a mood, her rewards must have been good.
Here, on the house. Honey-water plus some mint I nted myself.
Rachel pushed a ss with her special drink to Kieran.
If you need me to y along next time, please tell me beforehand, Kieran reminded Rachel as he took the ss and puckered his lips.
The rich sweetness of the honey filled his mouth yet it didnt taste like pure sugar. It had the aroma of the honey added with the freshness of the mint; Kieran couldnt help but take another gulp.
As he felt the sweetness and freshness converge on his tongue, he squinted his eyes pleasantly.
I assure you that this was an ident! I really didnt mean to drag you into this mess. In my original n, your contact with both of them would have been limited to the living room only, after that, you would meet the others... who knew that these two bastards would go crazy all of a sudden.
Rachel looked at her best friend Lawless and Starbeck, in the end, sheid down her butcher knife.
She didnt n to let them go just like that though, but the punishment towards the drunkards was too soft, she would at least wait for them to wake up.
Yes, this is an ident. Thats why I am sitting here, drinking this ss of honey.
Kieran nodded and said.
It was a reminder and a warning.
He was willing to trust Rachel because of Lawless and also because of the kindness Rachel had shown all along, despite all that, it didnt mean Kieran would sit back and ignore this incident.
Sorry.
Rachel expressed her apologies and swiftly gave actualpensation.
[yer Rachel wants to trade Nightmare Lasso. Yes/No?]
Yes.
Kieran answered in assurance.
Legendary equipment or an item was more powerful than any excuse.
I have rights to that equipment and the rest is Wus necessary expenses, Rachel said.
Necessary expenses?
Using the cards for divination would consume Legendary equipment?
Kieran wondered but he didnt ask. He kept the rules between yers in his heart.
No one liked their secrets being pried open by others, especially the yers in the big city.
Therefore, after a certain matter or a certain asion, yers tend to use private messages more.
Kieran and Rachel were no exception.
...
Rachel: Karles traded his life for two useful pieces of intel.
Rachel: Both are rted to us.
2567: Us?
Rachel: Yes, us.
Rachel: Burning Bottle, Hilton.
...
Rachel replied the oue of the negotiation and instantly, Kierans eyes squinted with a bright glimmer.
...
In a certain secret hideout in the big city, Broker was rubbing his temples.
A part of his separated soul was defeated, even for Broker, it was quite severe damage. Plus it might bring intolerable after effects as well.
Cutting the soul was ten times or perhaps a hundred times more painful than cutting the flesh.
But as Broker was enduring the pain, he was smiling.
Although it failed, I guess part of it was a sess as well?
Well then... the real show starts now!
2567 is really a surprising opponent. Those guardians... I really want to see their expressions when they face him! Too bad, I cant see it for a while now.
Broker stood up as he muttered to himself.
Beside him was the attendant, Zorl, and he brought over a ss of wine.
[Osiris Brew], oh I cant wait to taste it again.
Broker then took the ss and drank it all.
He then fell on the chair, limping as he fell into the deepest slumber.
While Broker fell into his slumber, in an alley in the big city, a person suddenly woke up.
Chapter 1039 - Re-enactment
Chapter 1039: Re-enactment
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
While traveling on the train, Kieran opened the invitation from Burning Bottle.
Simr to the sole marking on the envelope, the inside of the invitation was simple as well.
19th Cyron Path.
There was just an address in the invitation but it was enough for Kieran.
It was exactly where he needed to go, get the information from the people there and kill them.
As for resolving everything with a peaceful retreat?
What a joke. With the malicious intent mixed with killer aura, Kieran didnt think it was possible for him to walk out peacefully from Hiltons ce.
However, there was a single point Kieran didnt expect.
Burning Bottles leader, Hilton was rted to the guardians of the Witchs Legacy.
ording to Karles, Hilton wasnt just a guardian, he was a leader of sorts with a certain position and authority.
Then... does Burning Bottle exist just to conceal the real organization or is it an outer organization of the guardians?
Kieran lightly tapped on the handle of his seat with his fingers.
Judging from the current information, Kieran leaned towards thetter and because of that, Kieran was more curious about this guardians organization than before.
Floating around like a dandelion, scattered around thend and eventually sprouting where they may but... where was the origin? Kieran wondered.
The origin wasnt referring to the Witch though, it would be too obvious.
The origin Kieran was searching for was the first guardian of the Witchs Legacy or the one who founded the guardians organization.
Why would the person found the organization?
What was the rtionship between the person and the Witch?
Or had the persone into contact with the actual legacy?
Countless spections formed in Kierans mind.
He kept pondering upon the questions until the conductor of the train urged him to disembark.
Only then did he stand up from his seat and get off the train.
The train stopped opposite across from a small alley and when the train departed, Kieran nced over the street sign opposite him. The street sign was showing 19th Cyron Path.
The words were a little blurry and the other thing that was blurry was the person standing under the sign.
The ck hooded mantle of the person seemed to have some special effect. It didnt just enhance the persons hiding abilities, it reduced the persons presence to a minimal level, making him barely noticeable.
However, the moment Kierans nce caught the person, he took the initiative to stand out.
2567? The person asked.
The person seemed to be certain of Kierans identity and before waiting for Kierans answer, he said, Follow me.
The person then turned around to the alley with quick steps and when Kieran crossed the road and entered the alley, the persons figure was nowhere to be found.
Yet the scene caused Kieran tough coldly.
Everything was exactly like as he had expected.
The reason why Burning Bottle invited him wasnt to make amends.
Kierans senses clearly detected that three more people were hiding in the alley, including the one who led him here; three of them were emanating obvious malicious intent.
At the end of the alley, a stronger, denser nefarious intent was being emanated and it was identical to the feeling in Kierans memories.
Burning Bottles Hilton!
After slightly calcting the distance, Kieran walked into the alley without a second thought.
Pak!
Pak Pak!
His boots stepped in the water puddles on the ground, giving out a clear tapping noise. The noise was echoing throughout the small alley that was filled with colorless, odorless poisonous smoke.
With the blocked out sunlight, a couple of scorpions and spiders merged themselves into the surrounding shadows like chameleons, waiting quietly for Kieran to approach.
The guide who was also standing in the shadow was gazing at Kieran, he was calcting the time it would take for the poison in Kierans body to trigger and how many steps he took.
The colorless, odorless poisonous smoke was one from Hiltons collection, it was a high-value consumable item.
Even with SSS rank Constitution, he will be affected by the poisonous smoke, let alone the venomous insect they were controlling! You will grow weak under the smoke and the insects will grow stronger! You are nothing but a lucky bastard that entered the higher order, how dare you look down on us, Burning Bottle! We will teach you a lesson!
The nefarious thoughts were blooming in the guides heart as he gripped the dagger in his hand tighter.
At that moment, Kieran was five steps away from the optimal striking point for the guide and was less than two steps away from the venomous insects, yet right before that happened, Kieran who was moving forward slowly suddenly halted his steps.
Kierans figure then vanished just like that.
The guide opened his eyes wide, his battle instinct drove him to activate a defensive barrier but as the thought came into his mind, the guide had lost all his ability to react.
Ssss, sssss!
The mirage of the horned vipers enveloped the guide together with the two more hiding in the alleypletely, even the leader Hilton was caught.
It was all within Kierans calctions.
He didnt have time to tangle with all these veterans who couldnt even ascend to the higher order.
Likewise, Kieran who got the intel about Hilton from Karles didnt have time to fool around with him either.
Myriads of vipers hisses echoed throughout the alley; zing mes were burning fiercely in the alley.
Devil me which had reached the higher rank was hurled out ceaselessly from Kierans left hand. Within a breath, the whole alley was turned into a sea of fire.
The guide, the other two hiding in the alley, and the insects were all turned to ash instantaneously; Hilton was growling ferociously while being engulfed in the mes.
Fire resistance magic runes shone on Hilton and it saved him from the burning of the devil me for the first few seconds. These runes, however,sted for a while before they failed.
Hilton expected Kierans powerful me but he didnt expect it to be this ridiculously powerful, even the fire resistance equipment that he purposely prepared couldnt oppose it.
I cant wait anymore!
A loud shout came from Hiltons mouth as his heart made a crucial decision to activate his ace.
2567!
As he shouted, Hilton drew a javelin from his back and hurled it straight out.
Souuu!
Following the air-breaking sound, the javelin then vanished from sight and when the javelin appeared again, it multiplied into ten more!
The javelins were like a storm assaulting Kieran from every direction, brewing a formidable force thatpletely exceeded the legendary, Epic level equipment.
High-rankers arent as simple as you think! Not just our attributes but one would need certain higher order equipment and tools to be considered as a true high-ranker! Some say thetter is even more important!
A higher-order equipment is enough to change the tides of a battle! A half-assed yer like you would never know!
Hilton shouted out his pride and glory as he watched Kieran surrounded by the javelins.
His tone even amplified his proud move even further.
Higher order equipment or tools were quite precious for the high-rankers and it was because of this javelin that Hilton qualified as a small leader in the guardians, hence gaining resources thatmon yers couldnt even imagine.
Now die! Whats yours is now mine!
Hilton lifted his right hand and removed his glove.
Right away, a red round line surrounding an eerie smiley face appeared in the mes.
Chapter 1040 - Accidents
Chapter 1040: idents
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The eagle!
The ball of paper!
The eerie smiley face!
Hilton!
The guardians of the Witchs Legacy!
The dome clocktower!
The moment when Hilton revealed the shining red smiley face in the sea of me, every single clue pieced itself together and formed aplete picture.
I see! Selection, test, and eptance... Kieran muttered.
Now he was quite sure that if he had entered the door back in the dome clocktower, he might have be a guardian of the Witchs Legacy.
But...
Was the selected timing really done at random?
Kieran thought of the eagle and swiftly discarded the thought from his mind.
The eagle was obviously well-trained, how could a well-trained eagle pick candidates at random?
It might very well be the eagle trainers choice, so who was the trainer?
A fairly impossible thought appeared in Kierans heart.
Now you get it? Its toote! You will pay for Tylers life!
Hiltonughed coldly when he saw Kieran in deep thought.
The ten javelins that surrounded Kieran instantly lunged towards his body.
Hilton locked his gaze on Kieran, he wanted to see his target fall into his own puddle of blood, dying in agony.
However, the scene that followed rendered Hilton speechless.
Ten javelins sessfully struck their target but none bore any results.
The javelins that could easily pierce Extreme level defense couldnt even touch Kierans skin as they were stopped in front of that inconspicuous ck leather mail.
H-How...How is this possible?!
Hilton stuttered and looked at Kieran with a gaze of disbelief.
Fear then filled his heart because he felt a strange energy brewing in his body.
Wa-
Bang!
Just as Hilton wanted to say something more, [Devourer Shadow Mail, Devouring Strike]s rebounding force detonated his body.
A big hole emptying his entire chest appeared out of nowhere and followed by [Devourers Wrath] that could ignore defense, an irresistible impact smashed into Hiltons body.
Crack! Crack!
Bones were crushed, muscles were torn, and organs were destroyed in Hiltons body which had no considerable defense; the crushing noise sounded excruciatingly painful.
When everything was finished, Hilton had no more signs of life.
[yer Killed: Hilton]
[Treated as self-defense through authentication]
[Categorized as an Honor Kill]
[You will receive all the Points and Skill Points of the yer...]
[Total: 200,000 Points and 30 Skill Points]
[Received the yers house key]
[Granted the right to use the yers house]
[All the yers belongings are returned to their house]
[Honor Kill: 94]
...
As always, Hiltons body disintegrated into white light and faded away but the difference this time was, the round smiley face from Hiltons hand didnt disappear. Instead, it moved itself to Kierans right hand as fast as a lightning strike.
Then, pure energy started to fuse into Kierans body.
Dawn Force, gue Force, Devil Force, Cardinal Sins Force, Saint Thorn Force.
All five distinguished Origin Forces elerated their operation at that moment.
Kieran clearly saw and felt five different lustrous energy auras running freely in his body with their respective ways.
The runes of the Transcendence level Basic skills that were branded into his body were lit up with incredible never before seen speed. The tiny bits of darkness and chaos in his body swiftly faded away.
Deeper in his body, that darkness and chaos which he couldnt expel in the past slowly dispersed but after being slightly dispersed, the pure energy ran out and the five different forces returned to normal.
Although there werent any further changes, he was stunned when he saw the changes happening to his body because this was an increase that he hadnte across since he entered the higher order.
This?! What did I just absorb just now? The energy from the smiley face?
No, it shouldnt be! The previous contender, Tyler the music bastard had a smiley face as well but he didnt provide simr energy absorption... is the smiley face different then?
It must be! The smiley faces are different! Tyler is just a contender, he didnt really get epted by the guardians but Hilton was different! He wasnt just an official member, he was a leader of sorts!
Kieran who found the difference quickly didnt get excited because of his findings, instead, he fell into deeper thought.
He didnt believe he was the only one who identally discovered the smiley face markings use. Someone else must have noticed it as well.
The most obvious one would be the person who founded the guardians of the Witchs Legacy.
If he found out the use of the smiley face, yet he founded the organization, which meant the founders plot was not simple.
Other than that...
How did this smiley face marking do what it just did?
Kieran brows almost locked together as he stared at the red markings on the back of his right hand that looked like a real tattoo.
Pro [Mystical Knowledge] and the messy knowledge he got from various dungeon worlds had lost all their functions before this smiley face.
In Kierans eyes, it was just an eerie smiley face surrounded by a red line, nothing else.
Not a high enough skill level? Or is it specifically targeted at some special skills? Kieran muttered to himself.
If up to this moment Kieran still persistently believed it was nothing but amon tattoo, he would be running away from reality.
Whether was it Hiltons appearance or the scene of absorption, everything was pointing at the unusual smiley face being something else but without any information and clues, Kieran would end up at a dead end if he continued wondering.
Kieran wouldnt spend his efforts on such obvious fruitless oue.
He opened his PM tab and messaged Rachel.
...
2567: idents happen.
Rachel: Hilton got away?
2567: No, I killed him before he spoke.
Rachel: ...
Rachel: You boasting right now?
Rachel: You 2 really share the same rotten taste, even boasting in such a simr fashion!
Rachel: If this bastard Lawless wasnt suffering a hangover beside me, I would think that his ount was stolen!
Rachel: Well too bad, a lead ended up being a dead end.
Rachel: Nevermind, I believe Karles can share more about the guardians.
...
Before Kieran exined, Rachel replied relentlessly.
Judging from Rachels reply, Kieran was sure Karles would have gotten all his value squeezed out of him before Rachel would let him go.
Of course, Kieran would be very happy to see that.
Just as Kieran was about to reply to Rachel with more guardians information, Wu suddenly send him a message.
When Kieran opened it up and saw the content, he waspletely captivated by the message.
Chapter 1041 - Living Room Auction
Chapter 1041: Living Room Auction
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Wus message was simple, it was a screenshot.
[Name: Lucky Card]
[Type: Card]
[Rarity: Epic]
[Attribute: Use it and the next dungeon will grant the yer more luck than usual. Even if it is trivial, it will be enough to alter ones destiny.]
[Remark: Creating this card requires extremely skilled techniques, expensive ingredients and a little bit of luck]
[Note 1: Usable in normal, single yer dungeon]
[Note 2: After usage, the effect willst till the end of the dungeon]
...
The moment he saw the screenshot, Kieran who once experienced [Vanessas Favour] knew what it meant, he replied to the message without a second thought.
2567: How much? Or trade with other items?
Wu: Auction, Points or item, the living room in Harvest Inn.
2567: Got it.
Kieran ended the conversation but he didnt head to the Harvest Inn right away. Instead, he headed to the respective rooms of Darde the Titan, Mark, and Hilton to get his loot.
He knew without enough loot, it was basically impossible for him to participate in this uing auction, despite his Points and Skill Points surging after killing Mark and Hilton.
[Points: 300,000; Skill Point: 90; Golden Skill Point: 0; Golden Attribute Point: 0]
300K points, 90 Skill Points for amon yer was a ridiculous number but for a high-ranker, it wasnt anything much.
Any equipment or items from a high-ranker would have exceeded the number easily; Kieran needed more.
He needed more leverage to bid for that [Lucky Card].
Fortunately, neither Darde, Mark or Hilton let Kieran down with their loot.
After getting most of the loot, Kieran picked the 3 most valuable items from the bunch and put them separately.
One was a pear-shaped crystal containing a pinky-sized volume of blood.
[Name: Titans Blood]
[Type: Blood]
[Rarity: II]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: None]
[Attribute: 1. Consume; 2. ???]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: As Dardes unique item, it gains enhancement to not just one but all sides]
...
[Consume: Has a great chance to acquire the Titans Bloodline if one consumes it]
[???:???]
...
The second item was from Mark.
It was an old fashioned flintlock pistol and at the bottom of the handle dartag.... was carved on to it. The carving was iplete because thest part was smeared because of the passing of time but it didnt affect the flintlock pistols firepower.
[Name: Danians Grip]
[Type: Firearm]
[Rarity: Epic]
[Attack: Extreme]
[Attribute: 1. First Fire; 2. Second Fire; 3. Scatter Fire]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: Firearm Weapon, Special Arms (Grand Master)]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: This is Danians beloved pistol, it is also Danians everything and it represents the honor of a shooter.]
...
[First Fire: The first shot is a charged shot, attack +1, extra 1-second charging; usable twice per day]
[Second Fire: After First Fire, able to fire at will to perform a follow-up attack.]
[Scatter Fire: When Second Fire strikes a target, user can perform another Powerful scattershot of 45 angle, 15 meters to all targets within range.]
...
The third one was Hiltons javelin.
The long javelin could be wielded and thrown but undoubtedly, the former andtter would require special techniques.
[Name: Phantom Stinger]
[Type: Sharp Weapon]
[Rarity: I]
[Attack: I]
[Attribute: 1. Pierce; 2. Extreme Shot; 3. Phantom Strike]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: Sharp Weapon, Polearm Weapon (Grand Master), Sharp Weapon, Hurl (Grand Master)]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: Enemy will never see iting as it strikes like a phantom.
...
[Pierce: Grants Extreme piercing effect against any defensive gears lower than rank I.]
[Extreme Shot: When thrown, Phantom Stinger will acquire one-time eleration speed of the higher order]
[Phantom Strike: Create phantom images of the javelin to attack targets in an area. The real javelin will possess its rank I attack while the images have Powerful attack, usable twice per day]
...
Among the three items, [Titans Blood] no doubt had the highest value.
Even though it had an unknown attribute, the sole fact that it could grant one the Titans Bloodline was enough for others to go after it like a flock of birds.
However, if it was possible, Kieran hoped he wouldnt need to use it as the leverage for this uing auction, instead, he wanted to use it in a more appropriate ce in exchange for what he needed.
As for consuming [Titans Blood]?
If Kieran could control the conflict of his existing bloodline properly, he wouldnt mind drinking it but the fact was that once he consumed the vial of blood, the Devil Force and Cardinal Sins Force will surely go out of control; Saint Thorn Force might join the rampage as well and relying solely on Dawn Force and gue force was not enough to keep the bnce.
What would happen if the bnce was disrupted?
Kieran didnt even want to think about it.
Hope this is enough.
Kieran took a nce at [Danians Grip] and [Phantom Stinger] before running towards the train station.
Although there wasnt dy on the way here, when Kieran walked into Harvest Inn through the side door and reached the small living room, it was already crowded.
Not only were the round tables filled, but a few more also had to stand aside as well.
Rachel was standing at a side and in front of her was another new table with red cloth over it.
Since the crowd already knew what was underneath the cloth, no one was affected by the fake veil of mystery act at all, every single one of them was calm and leisurely; some were chatting with others.
Kieran who knew he waste wouldnt ask for a seat from Rachel, instead, he wisely stood together with the standing crowd, waiting for the auction to start.
However, Wu who was sitting on one of the sofa chairs stood up.
2567, here, Wu said.
Instantly, when 2567 was uttered, everyone in the room shifted their gaze from the red cloth to Kieran.
de of the Daybreaker!
Unique Title!
Everyone rted the nickname into those matters. The gazes sized up Kieran right away, trying to find out what was so special about this 2567 but that was all that happened.
Everyone knew where they were at and what rules applied in the premises.
Kieran, however, took a nce at Wu while ignoring the others.
He wasnt afraid of being called out because, following his participation in the auction, his name would soon be revealed. What he felt weird was Wus attitude.
The friendly and close attitude shouldnt apply on a stranger which Wu only met once.
Is it because of those crow cards?
Kieran wondered in his heart while he declined the offer with his mouth.
Thanks but no thanks. Im fine here.
Their rtionship was slightly better than random strangers, it was destined that Kieran would not ept the kindness fro Wu. After his well-mannered rejection, Kieran stood at his spot without further movements.
However, Wu didnt sit back down on the sofa, instead, she walked to Kieran and stood beside him.
The gazes at Kieran from the room instantly turned weird.
Amidst the probing, the gazes were added with a heavy sense of surprise, it seemed like these high-rankers saw something inconceivable.
While from the start to end, no one took Wus sofa after she stood up, despite it being just in front of the crowd.
Ahem... Ready your Points, Skill Points, and equipment?
Rachel softly coughed to gather the crowds attention before removing the red cloth.
When the cloth was removed, every heart in the room skipped a beat as the item under the table was finally revealed.
Despite already knowing what was underneath, seeing it with their own eyes still overwhelmed them: it was a deck of cards arranged in a line.
However, Kieran frowned hard because he didnt find the [Lucky Card] he was looking for.
Subconsciously, Kieran turned to Wu.
Wu: Follow me
Wu didnt reply with her voice but a message.
She walked outside after that; Kieran fell into deep thought for a second as he saw Wu walking away.
He quickly followed Wu outside as well.
Chapter 1042 - Brushing Someone Off
Chapter 1042: Brushing Someone Off
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Following Wu, Kieran reached the corridor connecting the inn and the living room behind it.
Wu stood under the onlymp. The dark red carpet was emanating a soft tender feeling under the dim light.
Your cape is nice. The crow feathers are very dazzling, Wu said slow.y
Its a mantle.
Kieran frowned as he corrected Wu.
Mantle? A mantle without a hood? Its really something special, just like how I met you here... 2567, do you believe in destiny?
Wus rough and low voice sounded got even slower, it seemed like she was reminiscing.
Kierans furrowed brows got tighter.
He clearly felt Wu purposely said that to draw out the word destiny.
Destiny?
Kieran didnt believe in it, just like he never believed life was fair for everyone.
It may be cruel but it was reality.
However, Kieran didnt like to discuss these matters with a stranger, nor did he want to fall into Wus tempo.
So is that [Lucky Card] real? Or just a joke?
Kieran deliberately considered his words as he changed trap into joke.
Of course, if it was really a joke, even with Rachel acting as the mediator, Wu would have been cklisted by Kieran.
Fortunately, it wasnt. Wu stared at Kieran for 2 seconds, her stare was tense, it as if she was going to go through the system blur and see Kierans true face.
Its not a joke. I just want to talk more with you.
As she spoke, Wu started a trade.
[Lucky Card] appeared in the trading column and Wu had already epted the trade.
All Kieran needed to do was to confirm the trade at the moment and [Lucky Card] would be his for free.
It would be a gift instead of a trade!
Yet Kieran didnt take it for granted.
After a nce at Wu, Kieran ced all the Points, Skill Points, [Danians Grip], and [Phantom Stinger] into the trading column; he then pressed ept.
The vignce Kieran built up all after this time was suppressing his rash and stingy heart.
He didnt know why Wu would offer the card for free but he knew how much it was worth.
He also knew both of them were just strangers with very few meetings.
However, the two points were enough for Kieran to behave properly. No matter how big the value or benefits, Kieran still knew how to behave in front of a stranger.
He could not ept a strangers gift without any reason, after all, it had exceeded the range of sympathy and giving.
More so, even if it was sympathy and giving, Kieran would reject it as well.
Why though?
His pride, his ego perhaps.
His pitiful,ughable pride and ego, it was the only thing Kieran had left and he tried not to lose it.
The value might differ, but it wont be much. If you are still not satisfied, I canpensate with more, Kieran said.
No need, its enough. Wu shook her head.
Um, see you. Kieran nodded, turned around and walked to the door.
Wu gazed at Kierans back and saw him through the door before she muttered to herself, Exactly the same, the same... is this the gift of destiny?
Cards then flew out of Wus pocket when she muttered to herself.
12 cards surrounded Wu like dancing butterflies from the forest, the images on the cards kept changing as they circled her.
In the end, the 12 cards stopping moving and the images stopped shifting.
12 cards were separated in half and arranged themselves on the left and right respectively before Wu.
Starting from the left: cloud, river, forest, wilderness, peaks, dawn.
Starting from the right: famine, war, catastrophe, gue, darkness, chaos.
All of the cards were distinguishable from each other yet it wasnt the end.
The 12 cards then swiftly oveid on each other, shifting back and forth as their images changed again.
Amidst the new round of shifting images, there were; knight, devil, beast.
Other than that, there were; pce, scepter, crown.
When the shifting finally ended, the final image that was shown was...
...
As the door was shut, Kieran didnt care about Wu anymore.
From Kierans viewpoint, Wu was just a yer that he finished a trade with, nothing else.
After moving around the bar counter, Starbeck immediately jumped up from the floor.
2567!
I...I...
He wanted to exin the incident when he was drunk but as the words gushed up to his mouth, his awkwardness and shyness prevented him from uttering a sound.
Starbeck even shrunk aside after that, returning to his old harmless, cowardly look.
Starbeck during normal times was exactly like this, cowardly and shy, even describing him as small animals was an insult to the animals themselves.
However, Starbeck in his cowardly form was the Starbeck that Kieran was most familiar with, the same went for Lawless.
Lawless who was still wet from the ice pail on his head was sitting on the round bar stool, leaning on the counter with his arms on it as well. His mouth was chewing a cigar but it didnt affect his speaking.
How was it? How was it inside? That mean old Rachel didnt want to let me in! Screw her rules!
Lawless ranted.
So so, not as good as this ce.
Kieran said while greeting the other few acquaintances around before he passed Lawless the bag of loot he got from his previous adventures.
As usual, Kieran said.
Aye mate. Lawless signaled an OK sign before contacting the buyers.
Starbeck, on the other hand, was looking at Kieran with a restless heart. He didnt know what happened after he got drunk but he knew it was nothing good.
Whether it was his family or those hypocrite friends he had in real life, after that one time Starbeck got drunk, none of them allowed him to touch alcohol anymore, though his alcohol tolerance was very good...
Lets go, Kieran said.
Huh? Starbeck looked up to Kieran, confused.
Lets go, Ill send you home. The city may have the cyberw enforcers but its ws are too big, Kieran said as he walked towards the exit.
Starbeck looked at Kieran walking further away and got stunned for 2 to 3 seconds.
When Kieran touched the handle of the exit, it was only then that Starbeck came to his senses.
Wait for me, 2567!
Starbeck caught up quickly and both of them vanished beyond the exit.
...
Humming an unknown melody, a figure was walking in the streets with light steps as he was heading towards Harvest Inn.
It was a ce he didnt like but didnt hate either.
It would be great if I can go in and have a drink.
The person muttered and the melody he was humming got happier, faster.
Even when the person saw Kieran and Starbecke out from the inn, his mood didnt change as if both of them were people of insignificance.
Both parties brushed off each other.
The person walked into Harvest Inn without pausing but Kieran paused his steps for a while.
Whats wrong? Starbeck asked.
Nothing.
Kieran frowned but he didnt say anything else, he didnt even look back and instead continue his walk.
Starbeck again followed tightly behind Kieran as they truly left.
Chapter 1043 - 7th Dungeon
Chapter 1043: 7th Dungeon
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Days and weeks flew by like an arrow.
de of the Daybreaker, the Unique Title did cause a hugemotion in the big city but as Kieran refused to show himself, the matter quickly was quickly forgotten.
Some rumors even said that Kieran didnt actually acquire the Unique Title, while some others spread the rumors of Broker having two Unique Titles as if it was the fact.
However, simr to Kieran, after the title dungeon [de of the Daybreaker], Broker didnt show himself in the city anymore, as if he vanished from the game but those who really understood Broker knew it was just a temporary calm before the storm.
When Broker returned, his appearance would definitely shake the heavens and earth.
Every organization and faction was taking precautions carefully against that potential oue, therefore the big city entered an unprecedented peaceful period.
Other than small squabbles between individuals, organizations and factions agreed to restrain their men without prior discussion, including Rachels and the guardians.
Both sides were holding back at the moment but all the veterans and high-rankers felt the anxiety of the calm before the storm.
Fisherman, J.Pearlman once again sent multiple invitations to Kieran, asking him to join Freedom Alliance.
In fact, not just Freedom Alliance, several more high-ranker organizations sent their invitations to Kieran, wanting him to join them, including the two groups that Rachel mentioned during their previous chat: Scorching City and Oath Calvary.
But all were rejected by Kieran without exception.
Strangers meant distrust.
Kieran didnt want to spend more time and effort to get in contact with those useless organizations and people.
What he had now was enough for him.
Entrusting Lawless to sell the normal goods, he was able to set up a small selling session in Harvest Inn and for those high-value items, the small living room was also an ideal ce, though there was a strange Wu around, it was still better than random strangers.
More so, after the trade with Wu, Kieran emptied his pockets. So for the rest of the time, Kieran didnt step out of his room anymore as he trained his skills and familiarized himself with his equipment while waiting for the dungeon cooldown.
When Kieran received the notification telling him the cooldown was reset, he started his final check on his bag again.
After buying enough potions, munitions, and consumables, Kieran was left with 20K Points and 15 Skill Points after getting the profits from Lawless sales.
With theck of Golden Skill Points, the few skills that Kieran had in mind to upgrade were put on hold for now and it somehow fueled his anticipation for the uing new dungeon.
Under the familiar light, words appeared in his vision again.
[Entering single yer dungeon!]
[Dungeon difficulty: 7th dungeon]
[Background: This is a strange world, heroes and viins that exceedmoners exist and both sides were always at conflict for their respective ideals. You are an inexperienced young man who stepped into this world with an unrealistic fantasy, so you have paid the price...]
[Main Mission: Get minimal recognition within 6 weeks. (The higher the recognition, the higher the rating)]
[Temporarynguage pack, Disappears upon exiting the dungeon.]
[Clothing, backpack, weapons, and other items remain unchanged, Temporarily altered appearance, returns to normal upon exiting the dungeon]
[Note: This is your seventh official dungeon. You can fail the Main Mission, but you will have to pay 700 Points as a penalty and your highest attributes will drop by 2 ranks. If your points are insufficient, the system will deduct from your equipment. If your equipment is insufficient, you will fail.]
...
The blinding light dispersed and when Kieran felt his feet on the ground, he was standing in a slightly broken alley.
The alley was very long and arrow, only two people could pass at a time and the garbage bin ced at the exitpletely blocked it.
Simrly, it also blocked out peoples view of the alley.
At the deepest part of the alley where shadow enshrouded all, a body was lying down in a puddle of blood.
The body was facing down but the outfit and the physique caused Kieran to raise a brow.
The outfit was extremely simr to his temporarily altered looks and items.
The physique also closely resembled his as well.
Huuu!
After a deep breath, as he ignored the bloody stench that filled his nostrils, Kieran flipped the body over.
Despite the crown of the head being sted off with a single shot, the remaining face was enough for Kieran to tell the body in front him shared almost 80% of his looks.
So this is the price I paid? Realistic and cruel I see...
Kieran eximed as he quickly searched the body.
He got a leather case, a cigar case with four cigars inside and the set equipment from the search and nothing else.
Kieran then touched the fatal wound on the body, inspecting the killing blow carefully.
The hair, the skin at the back of his head have scald marks, means he was shot to death with a gun pointing at the back of his head. The sttered blood and brains mean he was shot right here but there are no footprints around...from the body or the killer...
Heroes and viins, that exceedmon humans?
Kieran muttered as he took another nce at the new dungeon background.
It seemed like extraordinary powers in this world were quitemon to the peoples eye.
The body in front of Kieran was someone that exceededmon humans, so was the killer.
So if Kieran who had almost the same face as the dead person appeared in public, what would happen?
The answer was self-exnatory.
Potential ceaseless attacks one after another would frighten one off easily, but not Kieran.
He didnt have an identity nor any memories in this dungeon world unless he nned to cover his face throughout this dungeon, otherwise the identity of the body in front him would be the best for him to adapt.
If it was another dungeon world, Kieran didnt mind going the nomad way by choosing the former option but this dungeon world obviously had extraordinary powers existing inmon public, if he were to cover his face throughout the dungeon, it might attract more attention and caused a bunch of unwanted troubles.
Kieran wasnt a superhero who could wear a tight suit underneath his shirt, change his hairstyle and take away his spectacles to fool people.
Choosing to inherit the identity of the body in front of him would cause a series of predictable troubles while catching unwanted attention would cause a series of unknown ones.
Kieran chose the former option based on his habits.
He opened the leather case and found 3 hundred dor bills and some coins together with a key and dozens of name cards of the same name.
The front side of the name card has 2567 written on it with bold fonts.
There was only the name on the card and it made it looked extremely clean. If it wasnt for the poor quality name card and the printing error that made 2567s 7 looked like 1 instead, it would definitely catch ones attention.
Obviously, the printers of the name card worked roughly on this yet tried to imitate a really delicate look.
Fortunately, the back of the name card had an address written on it: 99th Smorewill Street.
After getting the intel he was searching for, Kieran raised the devil me on his left hand.
Fooosh!
The devil me then burned everything at the scene, including the body and the bloodstains around the walls, nothing was left behind.
After double checking for any other leftovers, Kieran strode out of the alley but before he walked around the garbage bin, it was toppled over.
A person that followed the toppled garbage bin, staggering to a fall in front of Kieran.
Chapter 1044 - Wishing To Be Discovered
Chapter 1044: Wishing To Be Discovered
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The person fell to the ground after staggering for a bit.
The jacket and T-shirt were cut a while ago and the wound on the back had blood gushing out ceaselessly. As the person fell to the ground, the light from the streetmp shone on the face for a fraction of a second, revealing slightly stout features with very short hair. Even with a nose ring on, it did very little to conceal the persons gender.
Whether was it the bulging part at the chest or the petite physique, all signs were telling Kieran the person who had just passed out on the ground was ady.
However, as long as the target was a stranger to Kieran, regardless of man or woman, he or she would not get any kindness from him.
A gentleman would give appropriate care once the fallen person was identified as ady, Kieran admired those gentlemen quite a bit but would never be one of them.
Just like the so called heroes, they were praised by people because they became famous after their death.
Therefore, Kieran was cautious about the situation, he didnt want to die without knowing why and more so, the little incident happened too coincidentally.
He just found a body in the alley and at the next moment, someone barged in uninvited.
Kierans SSS+ Intuition clearly told him thedy was running towards the alley from a dozen meters away.
Aside from the alley being a special ce that could provide sanctuary for thedy, what else could drive a heavily woundeddy here?
The answers were a hand full and Kieran chose the worst of all choices: discovering his body.
Of course Kieran wouldnt spare checking the surroundings when he was searching the body but nothing of interest was around.
Therefore, there was a high chance thedy came for his body but it didnt discard the possibility that it wasnt her own intentions but a skillful arrangement.
So who arranged thedy toe here and discover his body?
It should be the killer who killed him.
However, as the spection formed, more doubts and question popped up in Kierans heart.
The killer wished for someone to find the body?
Why?
It doesnt make sense.
Is the killer showing off? An egocentric person?
In normal situation, after killing a person, the killer would not want others to discover the body out of self-protection and if the situation permits, the killer might very well destroy the evidence and the body altogether.
Only a minority of twisted people would act the exact opposite but these minority couldnt havemitted such a crude act.
The sick-minded killer had their own persistence and sought after specific things, their act should be meticulous and wless. They also wouldnt have chosen a careless and useless assistant.
After a nce at the fainted woman, Kieran looked towards the direction of the street, there stood a man with a dagger without the slightest intention of concealing it as he chased after her in the bright day.
When the man saw Kieran, he smirked viciously and shouted, I knew it, this bitch has an aplice! You are also a dead meat!
The threats subsided and the man jumped towards Kieran.
The mans physique was tall and big and his jump was quite ferocious for amon man, but for Kieran it was filled with ws.
The man didnt onlyck technique, he didnt even utilize the advantage of his strength; he was like a raging bull crashing around blindly.
So, how could an extraordinary human that could kill him pick an assistant as reckless as this man?
No, no, perhaps the reckless man was the most suitable to lead the attention to the body; he was reckless and stupid.
When a reckless stupid person killed the unconsciousdy and discovered a body in the deeper part of the alley, what would he do?
He might simply deal with it, leaving behind more ws to lead more people to discover the body.
Thoughts were spinning rapidly in Kierans mind and while he was in deep thought, his look struck the man as he was astonished by the sudden strike.
The man grew bold and raised the dagger higher up, readying to deliver a fatal blow to Kieran.
However, it was natural the dagger missed its target.
Kieran moved his steps to the left and swung his hand towards the jumping man.
Pak!
A clear soundter, the man fell to the ground after suffering a chop to the back of his neck.
Even though Kieran knew the value of the information he might get from this man would be extremely slim, it didnt stop him from trying.
After another nce at the two unconscious people before him, Kieran went over to thedy and simply patched her up, making sure she wouldnt die because of excessive bleeding before grabbing the two of them, vanishing into the shadows.
...
99th Smorewill Street.
A small building located at the edge of the wealthy district andpared to the big houses in the central wealthy district, the building wasnt just old to the point that its exterior has bricks falling off, its garden was messy and dirty as well. It couldnt evenpare to the civilian apartments that were connected to the wealthy district.
Thanks to the many road signs and map boards around the street, Kieran returned to his aodation after a mere 15 minutes.
Simr to the broken exterior, the two storey interior was just as broken.
Wooden floorings that would produce squeaks when one stepped on it, stair handles that would shake after one slightly gripping it, the loose and torn carpet, the chairs and tables that were missing arms and legs respectively plus the sofa which had its springs poking out of the leather.
Fortunately, the only thing worth celebrating was the refrigerator being filled with food and the medical box in the bathroom having sufficient necessary medicinal supplies as well.
After using bandages and alcohol to properly treat thedys wound, Kieran took out some instant oats, milk, and bread in addition to throwing a few pieces of ham into the microwave oven.
He didnt really do anyplicated cooking with the ingredients though, the milk was poured into the bowl with the instant oats while the bread and ham formed the most simple sandwich ever without cheese and vegetables.
Simple cooking meant faster speed.
Two minutester, Kieran brought the instant food to the living room.
The woundeddy was lying on the sofa because of Kierans generosity, while the reckless man was thrown on the floor.
Kieran was slowly eating his bowl of oats as he stirred it with a spoon and took bite after bite of the crude sandwich.
The oats that was soaked in the milk became very soft, Kieran took a big scoop of the oats and milk, the richness of the milk and the earthiness of the oat instantly filled his taste buds. Seizing the moment, he quickly took a bite of the crude sandwich and even without the freshness of lettuce or tomatoes, the savoury taste of the ham was enough to make Kieran satisfy.
Amongst the meal, the most surprising one was the bread which he didnt re-toast.
The soft bread absorbed the milk in his mouth and instantly turned into a substantial texture, allowing Kieran to have a perfect chewing sensation.
After gobbling down his self-made dinner with speed that would render one speechless, Kieran looked at both his captives.
The reckless pursuer was still unconscious while the injureddys breath suddenly turned fast.
Finally, thedy opened her eyes and supported herself up to have a proper look at Kieran in the chair.
Did you save me?
Ill repay you for this! If you can help me once more, I can repay you with an even more luxurious reward!
After asking the obvious, thedy started to tempt Kieran by giving effort in sticking her huge chest up but her attempt to tempt Kieran didnt do any good except hurting her wound even more.
When she saw Kierans calm to cold eyes, thedy slightly leaned back to the sofa; she didnt give up.
I dont have money now but I will soon! I will get a huge amount of money soon, as long as you promise to help me, half of it will be yours...
Question. Why did you go there? The alley.
Thedy who leaned back still wanted to bargain with her offers but was interrupted by Kieran before she finished.
That is a private matter! Thedy emphasized.
Kieran however didnt buy it and just as he wanted to teach her a lesson about how cruel reality was, his face suddenly changed.
Chapter 1045 - One Thing After Another
Chapter 1045: One Thing After Another
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
A sharp whistle sounded from afar and was approaching by the second; it was getting clearer as it approached.
Kieran quickly grabbed the injureddy and the unconscious pursuer and dashed outside with maximum speed.
What do you think you are doing? Yo-...
KABOOM!
Kierans actions astonished the injured woman, she instinctively thought Kieran wanted to do something to her while she was weak, thus was angered out of embarrassment.
But the moment her shocking cry escaped her mouth, it was overpowered by the huge explosion.
99th Smorewill Street was destroyed by the shockwave from the explosion under the womans gaze. The roof flew up a dozen meters in the air and the fire after the explosion was swallowing what was left of the building.
Secondster, 99th Smorewill Street had sunk into the sea of fire.
The injureddy was dumbstruck when she saw the fiery scene, her mouth was even muttering to herself.
A rocket missile?!
Impossible! Impossible! I only went to eavesdrop on some worthless information, how did it exaggerate itself like this?
Thedy was obviously frightened.
Though Kieran didnt want tofort her, he knew it was a good chance to test the waters and he was always smart enough to seize the chance.
Eavesdropping on some worthless information? I think thats your own assumption, not theirs. First, a man chasing after you, now a killer with heavy artillery. I am starting to regret my kind decision to save you! Now, please leave, Ill wait for the police here and tell them everything that happened, Dont you worry aboutpensating me also, Ill find my own ways to save myself.
Kieran purposely stepped back, pretending to draw distance from thedy.
NO! You cant do that! You have the abilities to help me!
She panicked but he didnt forget how Kieran moved her out of harms way like a prophet seeing through the future, plus Kieran was able to easily defeat the strong man that was chasing her, thedy had treated Kieran as her life-saving straw; she tried to grab Kierans coat but he easily shook her off.
Of course I can and having abilities seems to be my own matters. Who are you to me? Why do I have to help you?
Kieran looked down at the beggingdy with his emotionless face and replied with a dull done.
They knew you were with me and even if you tell the police, what difference will it make? Trouble will still knock on your door! Thedy tried to persuade Kieran with a cheap excuse.
You dont know if you dont try, right? Kieran replied with his own question.
Kierans question though seemed to send her into a difficult position and what was more pressuring was, the police sirens could already be heard from further away.
99th Smorewill Street was located at the edge of the wealthy district, so it was still considered within the polices jurisdiction, thus the security around the area was much stronger than themon slums, especially such an obvious explosion went off.
Hey, you know what, you won! Dont you wanna know why I head to the alley? Help me and Ill tell you everything!
Thedy chose topromise with Kieran since she had no intention of meeting the police.
However, Kieran pretended to turn a deaf ear to her suggestion, he even walked aside a few steps, trying to draw the line between them.
Damn you cold-blooded bastard! I, Emma Eddie wont let you off just like that!
Sigh!
I went there to deliver the intel I got for Hell Breath to a receiver! I dont know who it is, I got his contact through Scorch Fire Bars Baryl! Now you know everything that I know, I will tell those bastards that are hunting me down! I will die and so will you! Emma Eddie shouted.
Hell Breath? Scorching Fire Bars Baryl? And... the receiver?
After getting the intel, Kieran walked towards Emma Eddie as thoughts lingered in his mind and when Kieran grabbed her, Emma Eddie was stunned.
Emma Eddie wasnt stupid since she started as a street-level goon from a young age, instead, she had sharp sensesmon people didnt possess, hence she reacted quickly to the situation.
You bluffed me?! Emma Eddie questioned Kieran.
Kieran, however, didnt reply to her question since it was the truth.
Release me! You liar! Emma Eddie struggled to break free disregarding the injuries on her back.
Kieran then gave her another hand chop at the back of her neck to stop her from struggling.
He too grabbed the unconscious pursuer before swiftly hiding into darkness.
Emma Eddie didnt want to meet the police and Kieran shared the same intentions for now as well.
After giving Fire Raven which was soaring in the sky an order to track the attacker with his mind, Kieran hastened his steps as he headed towards the signaled direction.
Scorching Fire Bar, Kieran did catch a glimpse of that sign when he was heading to 99th Smorewill Street.
Soon enough, Kieran found his destination based on his memory.
It has a neon light sign that formed a fire shape, it was very recognizable during the night, even more so when a person was hung to death in front of the sign, it was undoubtedly eye-catching.
Even without asking, based on the cries of shock from the surrounding crowd, Kieran was sure the person hung to death was Baryl.
Killing the witness now are we?
Using his SSS+ Intuition to quickly size up the surroundingster, Kieran looked down at the two captives at hand and quickly formed a decision but before he moved, he took out [Lucky Card] from his bag.
Lets hope this brings me good luck!
Kieran said as he saw [Lucky Card] disintegrated into nothing after quietly activating it; he woke Emma Eddieter, with less than tender means.
What is this Hell Breath? Kieran asked.
Why do I have to tell you?
Covering her painful cheek, Emma Eddie was ring furiously at Kieran.
If it was possible, she would have hung Kieran up and viciously beat him up.
However, when Kieran pointed at the direction of the bar, Emma Eddie followed the direction and saw the person hung to death in front of the sign, her eyes widened and the grudgeful thoughts in her mind flew away, leaving behind fear.
Despite living in the streets, Emma Eddie at mostmitted some petty theft to keep her alive. She did hear about matters regarding dead people before but when she saw it with her own eyes and the dead person was rted to her, it was the first in her life.
This is why you have to tell me, Kieran said.
Emma Eddie kept quiet as she squatted down on the ground, trembling in fear.
Believe me, keeping quiet does you no good now. Tell me what Hell Breath is and I will be more than happy to help you from this situation for the time you saved me. I already got some hints from what you said before and it wont take me too long to find out by following the clues and hints.
Come on, your situation is pretty bad now.
Kieran then picked her up as he spoke.
At the next moment, the concrete floor where she squatted down before was shot to ruins by bullet rain.
If Emma Eddie was still squatting there, she would be shot in half by a high caliber rifle gun; Emma Eddie wasnt an idiot, she knew that.
Ill tell you! But you need to protect me!
Hell Breath is a sculpture!
Chapter 1046 - Assist
Chapter 1046: Assist
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Hell Breath is a sculpture from the papal era six hundred years ago! Master Sculptor Mordins final masterpiece before he died, its priceless! But as the papal era came to an end, the ancient art sculpture vanished as well.
Recently it re-appeared in the underground market and was found by those folks Bloody Ridge! They didnt just want to sell it off for a huge amount of money, they wanted to double-cross their buyers as well. The receiver that Baryl introduced me was one of them, he did offer quite a high price, seems like they are determined to get it done!
After Emma Eddie exined, she couldnt even pause and continued asking, Now what should we do? I know a decent hiding spot, if we get there, we should be safe from the killers now!
Are you sure your hiding spot is really safe?
Emma Eddie couldnt help but hesitate when Kieran questioned her about the safety.
Her hiding spot should be safe most of the time but now? In a desperate time like this?
Emma Eddie took another nce at Baryl who was hung to death further away, she eventually shook her head.
So...
We should take the initiative to strike first! Besides, I dont like being chased around like rats by others.
Right, can you tell me more about Bloody Ridges?
Kieran said as he saw police cruisers rushing to the scene, he also walked towards the police.
...
Pudder took the files in his hand and knocked on the desk with one of the folders edges.
2567, four months ago he stopped a robbery when the robbers tried to harm the public, disregarding the peoples safety. After luckily apprehended three of the robbers, he joined the voluntary police force. Based on the witnesses at many of the scene of incidents, at least five cases of violence happened around Smorewill Street block are rted to you.
Pudder said to Kieran who was sitting in the chair in front of him with a cold tone.
Pudder didnt really dislike Kieran but he hated those voluntary police who thought they were so high above thew.
If it was possible, Pudder didnt mind arresting the voluntary police instead.
After all, in the chief officers point of view, all voluntary police acted recklessly on their own will and were barely any different than those dangerous criminals.
Chief, I am here to report a case. My house was bombed by someone.
Kieran restated the reason he was at the station.
I know right, your house was blown up! But can you tell me, under what circumstances that while your house was being blown to hell, yet you still appear around Scorching Fire Bar? What do you have to do with Baryls death?
Pudder was speaking fast but his intonation was clear and precise.
His way of questioning unconsciously added a pressuring manner on him and amon man would be frightened instinctively, but not Kieran as he looked at the chief officer with a calm gaze.
He had worked with too many chief officers before, so he knew how to handle the situation before his eyes.
I was there chasing down the culprit that blown up my house! I have nothing to do with Baryls death! And dont forget, I am a citizen seeking aid from the police, not some criminal being interrogated.
Kieran was emphasizing with a very slow tone and heightened pitch.
His voice instantly attracted gazes from the people around and based on the camera in front of their chest and notepads in their hands, taking down notes rapidly, their identity was obvious: reporters.
In this city which often had extraordinary powers showing off, a piece of explosive news was enough to attract the reporters attention, especially when casualties were involved.
The reporters were like sharks picking up the scent of blood, they didnt just swarm over, but with an aggressive manner as well.
Even with the officers blocking them off with a wall of men, it didnt really stop the uncrowned kings of their industry from showing off their enthusiasm and forcefulness.
Damn it! You guys didnt have dinner? Or you do think this is a game?
People died! I am trying to find the clue to the murder here, so can you guys get these annoying bastards out for the sake of your uniform and the badge?
One of the reporters somehow able to pass a portable recorder to Kieran but before it truly reached him, Pudder pped the recorder off the reporters hand and pushed him away.
He then shouted at his men, urging them to do their job properly while ignoring the camera shes on his face, capturing the mean move of pushing away the reporter.
Pudder then looked at Kieran.
You think your little tricks will work? You pesky little bastards, you like the limelight so much huh? I tell you what, if I am really scared of these annoying reporters, I wont purposely order my men to take you back to the station, instead Ill ask a beat cop to brush you off with some written testimonial!
Come here, you pesky bastard! The big wide hall doesnt seem to suit you enough, but I know another ce that fits you perfectly!
Pudder bent his body and lowered his head down before Kieran, warning right in front of his face.
The rage and sneers in Pudders face were obvious but Kieran, on the other hand, didnt feel angry when he was treated like that, instead, he felt a little nostalgic.
Pudders image unconsciously was ovepped with the other few natives in Kierans memory that he could call friends.
Simr upations and persistence forged the same character? Though... I dont hate it.
Some would flow along with the current, some would stand their unique ground.
Thetter would seem abnormal, antisocial and a deviant in most peoples eyes but wasnt it because of the stubbornly persistent deviants that the world was given something to look forward to and yearn for?
Kieran stood up. He nced over the few officers that moved quickly after being scolded by their superior yet a lot of them showed an unwilling expression; he then followed Pudder to the so-called suitable ce.
Interrogation room.
The moment the door was opened, Kieran knew what the room was built for; he strode in right away.
Pudder who wanted to push Kieran inside was stunned by the little action but what shocked him more was when Kieran turned around, showing his back to the surveince camera and signaled him with lip movements.
Are you sure this ce is safe? If not, we better change locations.
Pudder though quickly came back to his senses. Many years of experience allowed him to know why Kieran did that.
Pesky little bastard trying to mystify the facts!
Puddermented on Kierans action as a cheap move in his heart but his actions were not slow.
He shut the surveince camera and closed the shutter on the wall.
What tricks are you trying to y? Agitate me so you can have a tour of the interrogation room? If its true, Ill bring you to visit more ces! With bars!
Pudder sat in front of Kieran after making sure no one would watch them and said with an angry tone.
Im sorry. Something happened and I am forced to do this. Know anything about Bloody Ridges and Hell Breath? Kieran asked.
A voluntary police like you joined this matter as well? Fret not, you are not the first and certainly wont be thest! We real police will settle everything! We are prepared for his!
It seemed like Pudder knew Bloody Ridges got their hands on Hell Breath as well and Kieran wasnt all that surprised about it.
He nodded and continued slowly, Um, preparation is good. After all, this is a really good borated hoax.
Chapter 1047 - Passing
Chapter 1047: Passing
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Pudder too wasnt surprised when he heard what Kieran said.
On the contrary, he crossed his arms and leaned back on the chair.
Only these? If you really want to discuss the fact that Bloody Ridges was trying to double cross their buyers, youre wasting my time!
This is why I hate you voluntary police! Discover some small matters and you guys will be all over it like some big news. Even worse, you people pretend to be mysterious yet attract everyones attention!
Why dont you go to the circus? They need more people like you to join their show! And why the hell dont you people believe in us, the real police? We have sufficient capabilities to deal with the bad things that are going to happen!
Pudder raised a brow and replied with his own question. His words had indescribable ranting, restlessness, and disgust.
However, he didnt leave the room, instead, he was patiently waiting for Kierans answer.
I am willing to believe you, thats why I am here. I will even tell you something you dont know.
Like... those folks from Bloody Ridges are just puppets ced at the forefront to attract all the attention by some important person, Kieran said in a leisurely manner.
Who is this big important person?!
Pudderid his hands down and straightened his body, his eyes were staring at Kieran with a heavy gaze.
I dont know, Kieran answered directly.
Bang!
Pudder mmed the table after he got such a ridiculous answer and shouted at Kieran, What kind of bloody joke is this?!
I am not joking, I really dont know. You cant expect me to know who the mastermind behind all this is after I identally saved ady who so coincidentally got the secrets of Bloody Ridges right? Come on, I am not those guys who need a rival or mortal enemy to be a superhero.
Kieran maintained his slow manner of speaking even when Pudder was shouting at him.
Pudder took in some deep breaths to calm his rage but it didnt mean hepletely believed what Kieran said.
Tell me what you know and dont even try to think about lying! Otherwise, Ill put you behind bars for good! Pudder voiced out his threats.
If I may, Ill walk you through it while you ask your men where did they brought Ms. Emma Eddie. She is the one who heard the secrets of Bloody Ridges. And please arrange enough men to protect her, I worry for thedys safety.
Kieran stood up and wanted to leave the interrogation room but Pudder beat him to it.
You really are an ass! Why didnt you tell me early? Its important!
The chief officer scolded Kieran while dashing into the office area, picking up the nearest phone he could get.
If I said it earlier, would you believe me? Or do you now believe what I say?
Kieran shrugged when he saw Pudder getting worked up.
Deeply trust a person at the first meeting?
What a joke!
Everyone was an adult there, it was best for such joke to remain as such.
Without a long period of contact and multiple interactions with each other, could a person trust without having second thoughts of another persons words and actions?
Even if one had a long period of contact and multiple interactions, whenever a conflict of interest urred, both sides would suspect and envy each other as well; it was the reality of human interaction.
Of course, the sick person Lawless was certainly an exception.
Maybe there would be someone simr that shared the same thoughts with Lawless, thus Kieran might respect him as well but he himself wasnt that kind of person.
Kieran wasnt, Pudder wasnt.
While watching Pudder yelling at the phone, Kieran leaned on the wall and muttered to himself in a soft tone that only he could hear, Should have gotten the news right?
...
While Pudder was yelling at Kieran, Emma Eddie was also cursing Kieran.
Damn that f*cking bastard! Why the hell did I trust him! Wanted to lodge a report with the police?
Emma Eddie felt like she was a prey fallen into Kierans trap as she watched the patrolling officers on duty outside the tightly locked cell.
The feeling was utterly terrible and it made her stomp her feet but her way of venting her anger triggered the injuries on her back, she couldnt help but grimace in pain.
Damn it! Emma Eddie cursed once more.
However soon enough, the footstepsing from afar captured her attention.
When she saw the big man who chased her and wounded her, she forgot the pain on her back as her heart tightened while she saw the man being locked up properly in the cell next to her own.
He injured me and you people locked him up beside me? What kind of joke is this?
Emma Eddie leaned on the bars and shouted relentlessly.
This is not a real prison, its just a temporary lockup. You still want us to divide it into male and female? Shut up! One more word from you Ill lock you up together with him!
The patrolling officer waved his baton and shunned her off the bars.
When the officer saw Emma Eddie dodge the baton in an ugly way, heughed coldly.
The officer then turned around and left with a delightful whistle from his mouth.
Hahaha, b*tch, do you know whose tail you stepped on? Its Bloody Ridges! Do you know what the name means?
The man woke up andughed viciously at his original target.
Shut up you f**king retard!
With the cells separating them, Emma Eddie wasnt afraid of the man, vulgarities even escaped her mouth to insult the man who attacked her.
As forpromising for the general interest and sought a peaceful oue?
Emma Eddie knew how Bloody Ridges worked, so she didnt hold any hopes for that.
Unless she wanted to end up in the dark street corners doing something she didnt want to or bing a vessel for some drugs, harboring them from city to city every day and whenever her luck was used up, she would bepletely drained of her life.
Even with death, Emma Eddie knew her body would be put into good use by those bastards.
Whenever she thought about her organs being in other peoples body, she shivered and at the same time, her cursing toward Kieran continued.
You better start praying now! I will let you know what is worse than death, you b*tch! Ill ramp you face together with your ****, crushing them to bits!
The angered man was shaking the bars of his cell, growling relentlessly at Emma Eddie.
His growls echoed throughout the jail and were heard by the patrolling officers, but all of them walked outside as they turned a blind eye and turned a deaf ear at the mocking words.
When the patrolling officers left...
Tsssk
A small buzzing noise sounded at the ceiling followed by sparks igniting through the bricks.
When the man saw that, heughed out loud, voicing more of his threats to his target.
Hahahaha! My men are here! You f*cking b*tch.... UGH!
Though his voice halted abruptly as a red line appeared at his neck.
Puk!
At the next moment, blood gushed out from his neck as his head flew up.
Chapter 1048 - Someone Came
Chapter 1048: Someone Came
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The mans head was smashed on the bars by a formless force.
Crack!
The head shook the bars for a bit upon impact and was rebounded back on the floor. His already vicious face be mushy and bloody, making him look even scarier.
However, Emma Eddie didnt even nce at the head, because a face formed by the blood filled her sight.
The blood was drawn out from the decapitated mans neck and it was so close that Emma Eddie could feel the warmth from it yet she felt like she had fallen into an ice cave.
Blood....Bloodman!
Emma Eddie stuttered the term out; it was also a name.
Growing up in the streets, Emma Eddie knew what kind of people she could afford to cross and what kind of person she couldnt. The Bloodman before her was thetter.
Bloodman was the top of his kind and extremely dangerous.
Based on what she heard, there were more than 20 cases of confirmed murders rted to this monster and more than 50 cases of unconfirmed deaths or even more.
Dealing with this kind of being, even if one was a super-powered being, would still dangerous, so Emma Eddie knew what she had to do.
She tried her best to straighten her body and gave her best effort to speak clearly.
What do you what? What do you want to know from me? Is it about Bloody Ridges?
Emma Eddie tried to get more information from Bloodman.
After forcing herself to calm down, her brain was spinning rapidly, generating ideas to free herself from the situation since she was never an idiot towards such situations.
She knew her own value just like she knew she had nothing in her pockets and while she herself didnt possess any value, the only possible thing she could offer was the information that she identally eavesdropped.
I like smart girls, so much better than that stupid a idiot who yells too much. I am willing to give you a chance. Well then, tell me everything you know about Bloody Ridges, NOW!
The face of blood muttered in buzzes as though a bunch of flies was flying around, it was disgusting and repulsive.
Emma Eddie had goosebumps when she had to face the bloody face with the disgusting voice.
Living in the streets for a long time, Emma Eddie was granted with an unusual upbringing and she had almost built up a second instinct to identify danger.
The moment Bloodman opened his mouth, she felt malicious intent assaulting her face, causing her to suffocate.
She knew Bloodman was lying!
If she revealed everything to Bloodman, she wouldnt get away unharmed.
I got this job from Baryl...
Emma Eddie tried her best to slow down her speech, stalling while she could think of ideas to escape.
Engage Bloodman in a fight?
It was the first discarded option.
Aside from this scary Bloodman, Emma Eddie couldnt even fight a slightly strongermon man.
Running away?
She was inside a cell, iron bars surrounded her in every direction, where could she run to?
That damn bastard!
Emma Eddie cursed Kieran again.
Then...
A bright idea suddenly came into her mind.
At the beginning, everything was going smoothly, we had distinguished roles and tasks to carry out. I was tasked with distracting the folks from Bloody Ridges, while he stole the Hell Breath.
But when I finished my mission, he told me that he had failed his mission and his house was blown up! Baryl was hung to death and now he asked the police for help but I noticed when he went to the police, his backpack was different. He tried to cover it up but I discovered it somehow!
Pail after pail of nder was poured over Kieran, twisted facts even escaped her mouth instinctively; her words were partially true, partially false.
On the verge of being kill, she performed the skills she learned on the streets with exceptional level and as the conversation went on, Emma Eddie was able to grab hold the initiative of the conversation.
The buzzing from the bloody face got softer as she went on.
When she felt the malicious intent moving away from her, Emma Eddie continued before Bloodman even asked, He is hiding something from me, I am also curious what is he hiding in that backpack.
Emma Eddie tried to shift the me to the backpack that didnt exist. Only then she could still be useful after this and not get herself killed after being interrogated.
I am also very curious what the backpack holds.
A cold voice could be heard from further away.
Layers of frost started to form and spread with exceptional speed, visible even to the eyes. The bloody face was frozen swiftly frozen as well, or could say, the blood face was the main target that the frost was after.
Pak!
The frozen blood face fell to the floor, shattering into pieces like an icicle falling off the roof.
A man with a thick winter coat, hood over his head, and a mask over his face walked in after that.
The outfit was exactly as the rumors said and with the extremely obvious freezing abilities, it immediately reminded Emma Eddie of a single person.
The Freezer!
Emma Eddie muttered the name out of despair.
If Bloodman was of the extremely dangerous kind, the Freezer was the kind of person that was equal to death itself.
Within Alkender City, every single icy murder was rted to the Freezer and each year, more than 10 icy murders happened throughout the city.
People had forgotten how the Freezer first appeared 10 years ago and up until this day, all people remembered was that the Freezer was an elite executioner.
While facing against the notorious executioner, Emma Eddie who was just a street-level goon waspletely lost, she didnt know how to react.
Gak Tss Tss!
As the Freezer slowly walked over,yers of frost covered the ground wherever his feet touched.
When he finally arrived in front of Emma Eddie, he left behind a small path of frost over the ces he walked by.
The bright light from themp was shed over the glittering frost, reflecting its dazzling glimmer, causing Emma Eddie to shut her eyes.
When Emma Eddie opened her eyes again, the door of the cell was already opened up and the Freezer was standing in front of the cell, looking at her with an icy gaze.
Never had Emma Eddie wished that she was behind bars more than at this particr moment and never before did she wish for those superheroes that she despises to appear before her.
However, all hopes were nothing but illusions, like flowers in a mirror and the moons reflection in the water.
Damn it! Even this kind of superviin appeared, where the hell are those superheroes? On vacation?
While criticizing them in her heart, Emma Eddie showed a forceful smile when the Freezer stared at her.
I know where the backpack is! I can bring you to it, my dear sir! She said.
No hesitation, no extra requests, bargaining with the Freezer would only result in her death even faster. She might as well stall and look for a chance to escape.
Backpack? No rush for that, I am more interested in the owner of the backpack, can you tell me more about him? The Freezer shook his head.
My partner, he...
Emma Eddie was stunned by the question, she instinctively wanted to forge more lies to cover for herself but at the next moment, her eyes widened in shock.
Her gaze of disbelief was looking at Kieran walking out of the shadows, grabbing the Freezer and easily seizing the super viin from behind.
Chapter 1049 - A Kick
Chapter 1049: A Kick
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The Freezer whose neck was grabbed from behind instinctively struggled after a shock.
The icy energy that caused fear in the people of Alkenders hearts was poured into the palm that was grabbing his neck like the rising tide, the Freezer wanted the person to understand what would happen to him after grabbing him by the neck.
Turning him into an ice statue?
No, that was just the first step! The shattering part was the main part of the show!
Just as the Freezer had his mind filled with malicious thoughts, fantasizing about how would he deal with Kieran, scorching, rampant energy appeared in that palm at the back of his neck.
Fuuu!
The zing me danced.
Not only was the icy energy like the rising tide evaporated, but the Freezer was also engulfed in fire as well.
It wasnt that the Freezer wasnt strong enough, it was just that he was very unfamiliar to being burned by fire.
Since the day the Freezer was born, he never once felt mes quite like this because any kind of fire that got near him would be extinguished without exception, but the fire now...
Once the fire burned his neck, devil roars were heard in his ears and it caused the Freezer to shudder uncontrobly.
When he felt that the palm grabbing his neck didnt have the slightest intention of letting go, the Freezer clenched his teeth and a stronger icy cold energy umted in both his hands.
The Freezer was ready to go all out in this strike but soon, his courage that drove his actions was reduced to nothing because he saw the eyes of Kieran behind him.
With the buffs from [Mesly Ring], the pair of eyes became profound and deeply unpredictable, it was attracting, captivating all beings that looked into those eyes, including the Freezer himself.
A naturally extraordinary gift didnt mean he was an exception, especially in front of Kierans most powerful Spirit attribute, the Freezer could only choose toply and be dominated by the ring.
The struggling of his body stopped, all that was left was reverence and fear.
Find a hidden ce and wait for me, no need to leave special markings, Ill find youter.
Kieran signaled the Freezer with his lip movement while he was showing his back to Emma Eddie in the cell.
The Freezer who wasnt an idiot immediately nodded to express his understanding before swiftly leaving.
Kieran entered [Tracking] mode as he saw the Freezer off, he took a nce at the tracks he left behind, branded it in his mind and started to recall the scene of encounter a moment ago.
Powerful, much more powerful thanmon veterans and he even has continuous traits that veterans didnt possess but his body is weak, at most stronger than amon man. And the Spirit attribute, he is basically no different than amon man... its simply because of the different bloodline
Kieran couldnt help but smirk when he thought about it, it wasnt the worst answer he coulde up with.
At least he didnt have to face a bunch of extraordinary humans with increased constitutions and powerful Spirit attributes that also possessed special abilities.
Maybe such extraordinary humans existed but it wouldnt be many.
Huu.
After being slightly relieved, yet maintaining the necessary vignce, Kieran turned around and saw Emma Eddie with her rounded eyes and inconceivable looks.
Y-You... you defeated the Freezer?!
Emma Eddie cried out loud in shock. Her voice was sharp, so sharp that it almost shook the ceiling.
Its just some small techniques, Kieran said withoutmenting on the main point.
Small techniques? I also want such small techniques, at least if I had some of those, I wouldnt be ced here as bait by SOMEONE.
Emma Eddie obviously didnt buy Kierans words and following his appearance, her keen mind instantly reacted to what was going on.
Of course, the reason why Emma Eddie spoke her mind so directly because she hadnt felt any malicious intent from Kieran.
Since the beginning, Kieran struck Emma Eddie as a person that lingered between good and evil, it was a very subtle feeling.
It wasnt the first time she came across such a feeling though, she had felt it more than once on those who were naturally cold and had heavy vignce to everything around them.
So, she knew how to deal with these kinds of people quite well.
These people were dangerous undoubtedly but they had clear limits as well.
As long as one didnt cross their limits, these people would be absolutely safe.
Kieran, on the other hand, didnt deny nor give any excuse in reply to Emma Eddies words because it was the fact.
From the moment he saw Baryls dead body, Kieran had the thought to use her and the pursuer to fish for more fish and it seemed like the result was considerable.
The Bloodman who was attracted by the Hell Breath wasnt on Kierans watchlist, instead, the Freezer who asked for his information and location were what concerned him.
Since his entrance to this dungeon world, who else would be interested in him?
The answer was self-exnatory, the one who killed him.
After killing him, the killer suddenly realized he reappeared with another pawn in the n and it obviously caught him off guard, thus resorting in the most direct and most stupid way to deal with it, killing the witness and hunting down the other one.
Kieran also hoped the killer wouldnt be overly calm in the matter, instead, hed even used a series of reaction to y along, giving the killer less time to think.
Of course, the Freezer wasnt the killer who killed him, because with the Freezers abilities, if he really did appear in the alley, there would be traces that Kieran wouldnt neglect.
The real killer was someone else and should be someone rted to the Freezer.
Kieran could get the information he sought from the Freezer but that would be a matter for ater time. Now, he has to deal with the chief officer.
Following the police siren, the chief officer dashed in and when he saw the dead pursuer, he was infuriated.
GOD DAMMIT! This is why I hate you freaking voluntary police! Never freaking follow orders! This is how you promise to work with me?
Pudder pointed at the headless body while scolding Kieran.
Well, at least I guaranteed her safety, which is something that I promised her, Kieran replied.
What about the one you promised me? Pudder replied with his own question.
I assure you that you will get the mastermind eventually but... I cant say the same for the safety of trash like this guy.
Kieran replied with his calm tone, it really made Pudder want to choke Kierans neck, and swing a hard, vicious punch at Kierans face; Pudder didnt act ording to his thoughts.
Despite being infuriated, he didnt lose his sanity, more so, unexpected things happened.
Aaaarh!
After a scalp-numbing scream, the patrolling officer who locked the pursuer next to Emma Eddie held his crotch and fell to the ground, twitching.
Emma Eddie was twisting her overused ankle after appearing behind the patrolling officer without him knowing, she even kicked off her shoes in a disgusted manner.
If you cant tell between a man and a woman, there is no point to you keeping your d*ck!
Emma Eddie said with a casual, joyous tone, even when Pudder turned around to her, she didnt even change her expression, instead, she was whistling pleasantly.
Damn it! Lock her up!
Pudder growled angrily and a few more officers ran over, trying to execute the order.
Kieran, however, blocked the officers, saying, Chief, I think you should take care of your man who neglected his duty and messed up the information about Bloody Ridges, not apprehending Emma Eddie.
Chapter 1050 - Messing Up Badly
Chapter 1050: Messing Up Badly
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Pudders rugged face was boiling red.
There was rage but most of it was embarrassment.
No interrogations needed, the patrolling officer spilled the beans after a mere question.
After throwing a few hard punches, making sure the officer would require stretchers to get to the hospital, Pudder mmed the door and walked out.
Pudder disliked the voluntary police but he hated these bastards who forgot their duty.
Bang!
The door was mmed hard on the frame and everyone was shaking like a cicada in winter when they saw Pudder. All of them lowered their heads and moved away from the furious chief officer.
You people can leave now!
Pudder was breathing heavily as he spoke to Kieran and Emma Eddie.
Leave? Dont forget I just now... Hold on! Wait for me 2567!
Emma Eddie red at Pudder, wanting to reason with him but Kieran stood up and left.
Emma Eddie quickly chased up to Kieran but she didnt forget to turn around, warning Pudder.
I got that bastards number and yours! Mywyer will find you guys forpensation!
Such a warning only made Pudder breathe even heavier.
If it wasnt for his duty and ideals that prevented him from hitting a woman, Pudder would have thrown a chair at Emma Eddie.
After a few more deep breaths, calming himself down a little and ignoring Emma Eddies provocation, Pudder called out to Kieran from the behind, Remember, you promised me!
Kieran didnt turn around, instead, he waved his right hand, signaling that he got the message.
After going down the stairs, Kierans steps hastened.
Wait for me!
Emma Eddie said in a rush.
Go back to Pudder, at least you are safe there. Stop following me!
Kieran said as he continued to walk faster, he didnt have the slightest intention to pause.
As his voice subsided, Kieran walked even faster and eventually vanished into the night.
After chasing for a dozen meters yet not being able to catch up to Kieran, Emma Eddie frowned and was forced to give up the chase.
That narcissistic bastard! Who wants to follow you? Tsk!
Emma Eddie gave the finger in the direction where Kieran disappeared before turning around to another direction.
Although she knew staying around Pudder would be the safest for now since those bastards from Bloody Ridges might still have scruples against a chief officer, offending the chief officer and wanting to go back to him for safety?
She would be asking to be insulted.
Once she thought about the potential words that Pudder might scold her with, Emma Eddiepletely gave up the safest option and chose the other less safe route since she was out of choices.
Of course, the reason that drove her into the decision was that the ce she was heading to could provide her with information regarding Kieran as well.
A guy who could easily defeat the Freezer was definitely no John Doe and given his abilities...
It would mean big money!
As long as she spread the news around, the whole circle will be shocked and whenever she thought about the shocked expression on the peoples faces and the money that would follow, Emma Eddie unconsciously hastened her steps.
Her nose piercing even emanating a different glitter under the roadmps light following her hastened steps.
2567? What a weird code name, another moron wanting to be a hero! With your cold attitude, you will definitely be the least popr hero out there!
...
As the night turned darker, Kieran silently approached a garage in front of him.
From the view of the Fire Raven, the culprits that blew up 99th Smorewill Street or the one who killed Baryl and even the one who tried to shoot Emma Eddie back at the bar, all of them eventually ended up here.
Coincidentally, the garage was one of the Bloody Ridges bases.
Kieran had the least interest in organizations like Bloody Ridges but if he could wipe out a certain base of the Bloody Ridges and cause the mastermind behind them to further mess up their ns, he would be more than happy to oblige.
Kieran knew once the news of Freezers failure got into the air, the mastermind would react ordingly and the biggest natural reaction was altering the coboration with Bloody Ridges.
The mastermind must have an unusual rtionship with Bloody Ridges.
Otherwise, how could amon organization with barely any means get their hands on a priceless missing sculpture that was 600 years old?
Even if their luck defied logic, a small organization like this shouldnt have nned all these and triggered the following incidents.
Selling it as soon as possible and converting the sculpture into cash was the best option for a small organization like this.
Kieran even suspect the so-called Hell Breath didnt even exist, it might have been one of the ns or bluffs of the mastermind from start and all of it was targeted at some particr person.
The other spection was, starting with Hell Breath, the following n might be bigger than anyone could imagine.
Kieran wasnt sure what it was at the moment, he was also quite confident even the Freezer didnt know any of this. He already knew what kind of person was the Freezer from Emma Eddie.
Killing people without blinking, given that he was paid enoughmission.
As long as he was paid enough, the Freezer could kill anyone and do anything for the employer.
In simple words, the Freezer was a professional hitman for hire, although he would spill everything about his employer since he was being controlled now, as long as the employer wasnt an idiot, he would know how to clean up his tracks.
Judging from the masterminds performance, he was much more vignt than Kieran expected.
At least until this moment, Kieran hadnt even caught a glimpse of his figure or anyone that had a direct rtion to him.
Therefore, Kieran chose to make his move on Bloody Ridges.
The night was getting darker, the few guards on duty outside were ranting.
Why the hell are we stationed here?
I feel like an idiot standing guard outside here!
I miss my bed.
Shut up!
Ive been on guard duty for two days, and you havent even put up two hours!
How long do we have to stay on guard here?
I dont think the guys inside need us as guards.
This is the boss order!
And I said it already, shut up!
...
Continuous night shifts made the leader of the guards grumpier and angrier, he couldnt stop scolding his men who had tons of question.
It was natural that Bloody Ridges had these guards on duty, there was no discipline, no vignce, all they relied on was numbers to suppress their enemies; there were no elites in the ranks either.
The best they had was probably the one who tried to shoot Emma Eddie.
However, things were a little different in the garage.
There were six men sitting down quietly with full armed arsenals.
The six of them were all grown men, they had serious faces and were not to be trifled with, even their sitting posture was very neat, as though the six of them were sculptures carved from the same mold.
No! They would soon be real sculptures!
Ayer of rocky gray color was spreading underneath their clothes.
Chapter 1051 - Sculptures
Chapter 1051: Sculptures
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Dak, Dak, Dak, Dak!
Messy and staggered footsteps were heard in the garage, a dirty man suddenly appeared under the lights, wobbling as though he was drunk.
Here! Here!
He was panting heavily, his mouth was screaming ceaselessly as if he was roaring like a lion.
Each time he shouted, a person that was petrified into a statue would explode.
Bang!
Bang Bang!
The garage was filled with a bloody mist within an instant.
Those who seemed to be petrified inside out was actually only petrified on the outside, underneath the outeryer of stone, there were still flesh and blood.
The explosions that urred made the six petrified men look like overstuffed sausages, after bursting the stone casing, their flesh, blood, and organs sttered out like fireworks.
The dirty man who kept screaming threw himself on to the floor covered with blood and organs, disregarding the consequences. He grabbed the flesh and organs on the floor and stuffed it into his mouth.
He didnt even chew but swallowed each and every piece.
Half of the flesh and organs of the six petrified people were swallowed by the man in less than a minute.
In order for the man to achieve such terrible eating speed, he stuffed his cheeks to the max and even tore his lips wide. Sharper teeth were revealed as his lips were torn wide, the disfigured mouth looked like a sharks mouth crunching its food.
The devouring of flesh and organs kept on going, the blood gradually covered the mans hands, face, and shirt. When the man waspletely dyed red, another statue the size of the forearm of a grown man slowly floated up behind his back.
The statue didnt have limbs and didnt even have a proper torso, all the weird statue had was a long and narrow face.
Although the long face looked extremely dull and emotionless, the sharp teeth that spread outwards from its mouth were showing an indescribable viciousness, especially when the statue merged itself with the mans back, small lines of muscle-tendon sprung out from the mans back, connecting to the statues face.
As the mans heart continued to beat as if a portion of nutrients were transferred to the statue from the man through the muscle tendons.
That wasnt the end yet, the statue even started to shake.
The man who was captivated by the flesh and organs on the scene lost his sanity over the bloody explosion. Now, after forgetting what his initial intentions were, he was controlled like a puppet by the statue, carrying out its will and dashing out of the garage like a fearsome beast.
Damn it!
What the hell is that thing?
Fire! Fire now!
Bang!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The few guards of the Bloody Ridges on duty were screaming in shock, the leader of the bunch pointed his gun at the monster, squeezing the trigger non-stop.
As the leader fired the first shot, the sound pulled the shocked guards back to reality, all of them started to fire a rain of bullets at the beastly man.
Unfortunately, all the guards of the Bloody Ridges were just normal men, regardless of their will, reactions, or offensive abilities, all of them were too far awaypared to the beastly man.
When the guards pointed their guns at the man, he already ran towards the other side, taking cover from the bullets.
No matter how powerful their bullets were, they were useless if they couldnt hit their target. Therefore, even with heavy firearms on the guards side, the situation was totally one-sided.
Rawr!
After another fearsome roar, the guards who had emptied their bullets long ago yet kept squeezing the triggers, they were then thrown on the ground as the beastly man jumped on them and their throats were bitten off.
Tsssk!
The flesh on their necks was bitten off by the beastly man together with their throats, the blood gushed up as high as 2 meters or more.
When the leader fell, the blood that was gushing like a fountain had easily crumbled the minds of the other guards around him.
These men from the Bloody Ridges had unrivaled bravery and ruthlessness that shunned away gazes when they were facing others who were weaker than them.
However, when they faced a foe that was countless times stronger than them, they were even more inferior and useless than those they once held in contempt and looked down on, let alone a monster of the unknown.
They were considered decent already when they could fire the weapons in their hands for a few rounds in spite of the gruesome scene, but that was it.
Monster!
Monster!
Run for your lives!
When the first one started to run, the remaining guards gave up resistingpletely and followed their peers but such fleeing would only increase their rate of death.
The red beastly man growled heavily and pleasantly at his prey who turned their backs on him, it was like a tiger jumping onto multiple preys, taking them down in session. Each time a prey was caught, it would use its hand and mouth to kill it before jumping off the dead ones on to the next target.
Within a couple of breaths, the fleeing guards were all dead.
Roar!
The beastly man stood among the bodies, roaring at the sky with a sense of boasting about his results.
The weird statue behind its back was emanating a profound aura after the massacre and under the stimtion of the aura, translucent souls started to pop out from the dead bodies.
All the souls exchanged gazes, zing over each other.
Then, a half illusive, half real red arm burst out from the statue with a heavy wicked and cunning aura, it grabbed the few souls with a single grip and dragged them all inside the statue.
Gak Tss, Gak Tss.
After a clear crunching noise, the aura on the weird statue grew denser.
The temperature around the monster had obviously increased following the aura.
The man who devoured the flesh and organs started to grow restless with his gibberish-like mumbles. More screams came from his chest and right after that, beams of light that petrified anything it shined on burst out like a shbang grenade.
The whole garage was enshrouded by the petrifying light.
The structure was originally made out of bricks but now was covered with ayer of gray rocks.
Metal, ss, stic, rubber, even the bodies on the floor, all were turned into rocks without exception; except Kieran!
The beams of light that petrified everything they shined on was nothing but a light breeze when they were shined on Kieran, it didnt change him one bit. However, Kieran in the shadows was looking shocked at the scene.
The situation before him obviously exceeded his expectations, he never thought such a situation would ur.
He saw the statue possess the man, felt the temperature in the surroundings rise, heard the wicked gibberish from the mumbles and when he saw the statue control the man to throw itself at Kieran after being discovered by the petrifying light, Kieran squinted his eyes.
Although things were out of his expectations, it didnt stop him from solving the problem with his own hands.
But just as Kieran was about to make his move, dealing with this troublesome being, a never before felt disgust came from the Devil Force in his heart.
Kieran even heard the devils roar echoing in his ears.
Kill!
Kill!
Kill!
Raging roars one after one another was enough to change the sky yet it couldnt budge Kierans heart. He was used to dealing with the wickedness and ruthlessness in his body, just like how he was used to dealing with his enemies.
Bang!
The man charging at Kieran was pressed to the ground with a single kick. His body was struggling ceaselessly but eventually turned weak and limp. The statue behind the mans back extended its red arm again, trying to probe the target.
The illusory yet real red arm with a dense wicked and cunning aura was extended towards Kieran, trying to grab him.
The temperature in the area got even higher, the devilish mumbles got even louder and the red arm was getting closer.
Right after that...
Another mirage of a magma arm that was a few times more robust than the red arm sprung out from Kierans back, grabbing the red arm tightly.
The rising temperature was forced to a pause and the devilish mumbles were halted abruptly.
Right at the next moment, after another sound of realistic bone crushing, the temperature surged as if the ce was in the sea of fire; the devilish mumbles got louder as if it was praising the darkness.
A devil mirage that looked utterly real stood behind Kieran, looking down at the shaking statue like it was some delicious appetizer.
Chapter 1052 - “Mordin”
Chapter 1052: Mordin
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran, however, stopped the Devil Force from crushing and devouring the statue in front of his eyes.
Ignoring the devils unwilling roars, Kieran took the statue off the man.
The statue that was shaking under the terrorizing Devil Force once again emanated a wicked aura when it reached Kierans hand, more devilish mumbles even filled Kierans ears.
Line after line of Spirit authentications appeared in Kierans vision and undoubtedly, he passed all of them.
For Kieran, a Chosen One, there was no need for extra buffs or anything else, his Spirit nearing rank III was his strongest point and facing against the statue that was trying to attack his strongest point, of course, Kieran wouldnt be moved.
Dawn Force was then poured into the statue following a simple thought from Kieran.
Agonizing wails were heard the moment Dawn Force touched it and within a breaths time, the statue returned to normal, rted information regarding the item followed as well.
[Name: Mordins Third Statue]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: Powerful]
[Attribute: 1. Petrifying Light; 2. Petrifying Glory]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: It originates from Master Sculptor Mordin and it was his third masterpiece but Mordins will caused it to mutate in a weird way.
...
[Petrifying Light: Using beams of light, force every living being within a 25-meter range to undergo a Petrification authentication (Living beings with Constitutions lower than C+ will be petrified), twice per day]
[Petrifying Glory: After sessful activation of Petrifying Light, you can follow up with Petrifying Glory with a 20-meter radius range, causing another round of Petrification authentications (Living beings Constitution lower than C+ will be petrified)]
...
Mordin? The Mordin who sculpted Hell Breath? So this is his third sculpture? Could it be...
While looking at [Mordins Third Sculpture], Kieran was recalling the information he got from Emma Eddie before this and as the information came to his mind, he instinctively rted to more matters.
He then closely sized up the surroundings with a keen gaze before making his move.
Although he knew the chances were slim, he still searched around the bloody garage for potentials loot or information and when he made sure no valuables were left behind, he quickly left the scene.
The gunshots fired by the guards werent exactly quiet, surely it would attract the police to the scene.
I guess Pudder will be very pissed when he sees this.
Kieran thought in his mind yet didnt have the slightest intention to share the burden with the chief officer.
His attention was captivated by the name Mordin the moment it appeared. He needed more information to understand this and verify his own spections
...
Early in the morning, Ferris hadnt rested after pulling an all-nighter.
He was carrying the books regarding Mordin that he got from all sorts of channels and was heading towards his own house swiftly.
He didnt know why the master he served required these books but he knew that when his master gave him orders, all he had to do was follow.
Ferris was walking swiftly, his heart only wanted to return to his ce faster but it didnt mean he didnt notice the men who were following him.
Bunch of pesky bugs. Ferris frowned.
He knew the pesky bugs marked him because of his purchasing without considering the cost.
If it was other times, Ferris didnt mind turning the pesky bugs into ice statues and disying them on the streets of Alkender City but not today!
He couldnt afford to dy his masters business because of these pesky bugs. Unconsciously, Ferries hastened his steps even more.
After a few crossroads and hard turn into alleys, shuttling across paths and small routes, Ferris managed to shake off those who were following him but there was one who had clung onto him with utmost perseverance.
Multiple attempts to shake off thest pesky bugter, Ferris noticed the person was still following him tightly; he finally halted his steps.
Although he didnt want waste time to freeze the person, allowing him to follow without consequences would only waste more time, might as well be straightforward and deal with it once and for all.
Hey mate, I heard you are looking for books on Mordin? I dont have books but I have a piece of special news and I think you might want it!
After the words were heard, the cold icy energy that Ferris was going to fire out vanished without a trace. Ferris then turned around and looked at the person who was talking.
Ady with crew cut hair and strong facial features amongst women, her nose stud was exceptionally eye-catching.
Ferris had seen thedy before, it yesterday at the station where he met the master he pledged to serve.
This woman seemed to know master?
Ferris heart wasnt sure, so he turned to his softer side to talk with the boy-likedy.
What news do you have? If its reliable, I can offer a great price. I sure youd believe me since you followed me for so long.
Ferris switched from both hands carrying the books to one hand, he treated the dozen of books as if it has no weight at all; he looked at Emma Eddie and asked seriously.
Emma Eddie was greatly relieved in her heart when he saw Ferris with his attitude, her instinct once again saved her.
I dont want money, I only want you to promise me one thing, Emma Eddie said.
Promise?
Ferris frowned, he didnt like these kinds of trades but since it was regarding the special news about that Mordin, Ferris chose topromise.
His masters order was higher than anything!
Very well, I can make you a promise which is not too over the top but... if I find out you are lying to me, Ill make you regret being alive, Ferris nodded and said in a conscientious tone.
The strictness on his face and seriousness of his tone removed all doubt of his willingness to follow through on his threat but Emma Eddie couldnt care anymore.
Even if she would die, she would rather dieter.
Living in the streets since young, it had built up her habit of taking care of the present and disregarding the future, whatever happens in the future is a matter for future her.
If she couldnt even deal with the present, what future would she have?
Of course, for the bastards that set her on this ugly path, if she had the chance, she would never let those bastards walk freely.
Bloody bastards, trying to scam me for nothing?
Emma Eddie was grinding her teeth out of anger whenever she thought about the scene back then. She wasnt really angry about those informants selling information with their disgusting faces but was angry and embarrassed by herself for almost falling into the trap.
After another warning to herself from her heart, Emma Eddie looked at Ferris.
So we have a deal now? Emma Eddie asked.
Um. You can tell me what you know now, Ferris nodded.
Okay...I...
You better stop now little girl! What you know will be mine, mine I tell you! Tell me everything and you will suffer a bit less.
And you, Freezer, trying to mess things up eh? You are dead now!
A strange voice was heard suddenly and a ball of blood was shot out from the corner of the wall, forming a human figure in front of Emma Eddie and Ferris.
The blood umted on that figure and waved around like tentacles, dancing viciously.
Bloodman!
Emma Eddie cried out in shock before staggering backward, sticking herself to the wall.
Ferris, on the other hand, got gloomy and infuriated.
Mess things up? Dead now? Who do you think you are talking to?
Chapter 1053 - Special Information
Chapter 1053: Special Information
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Ferris held contempt for Bloodman from the bottom of his heart.
Since the short encounterst night, Ferris understood Bloodman was bluffing and didnt have any real powers, he was just a paper tiger in front ofmon people.
Now, such a bluffing annoying bug stood in Ferris way again and more importantly...
You dumb garbage, how dare you dy from of masters matters?!
Following his icy shout, Ferris emptied his hand of books and plunged it into Bloodmans body.
The freezing spread right away and within a breaths time, Bloodman was turned into a pile of ice.
F-Freezer!
Bloodmans fearful stutters came from underneath theyer of ice before getting quieter, eventually going silent.
Bang!
Kak!
Ferris withdrew his hand from the ice pile, clenched it into a fist and smashed it on the frozen Bloodman, shattering him into pieces.
After shattering the annoying bug, Ferris shook the lingering ice of his hands and turned around to Emma Eddie.
Emma Eddie was stunned on the spot, dumbstruck by what just happened.
She originally intended to find a protective umbre to deter wolves on her tail, who knew she would run into a fierce tiger!
What more frightening was, the fierce tiger before her eyes now wasnt the strongest, he was still serving a master behind him!
Who is that master? Death Knell? Mr. Ghost? Grudge Dragon? Or some monster even more terrifying?
When the thought of those terrifying viins crossed her mind, even when Ferris didnt show any malicious intent, her mind was frozen because of the potential danger.
Ferris took a nce at the stunned Emma Eddie and another nce further away. Without a second thought, Ferris grabbed thedy and headed towards his own hiding spot.
Around 20 seconds after Ferris left the scene, a few more figures appeared on the scene.
Each of them had a different reaction toward the pieces of ice and the frozen body underneath.
The Freezer?
He is in this too?
Which means... the rumor is true!
Some showed doubts, some showed shock but many more of them shifted from partially believing the rumor to taking it as a matter of fact.
After exchanging gazes out of vignce, the few figures returned to the shadows and used their respective ways to track down their target.
Regardless of what it was, it would set the somewhat peaceful Alkender City onto a bustling path.
Many more police cruisers appeared at the street entrance.
The sirens warned the citizens to be careful and at the same time warning some individuals to heighten their attention, but a lot more of the sirens were telling someone... the crazy party had begun!
Standing behind a window blocked by its curtain, Kieran lifted one side and saw the police cruisers dashing away; he nodded in satisfaction.
Nicely done, Ferris, Kieran said.
Master, its my pleasure! Ferris the Freezer bowed.
Even though Ferris didnt know what the purpose of Kieran asking him to collect information about Mordin on arge scale was, it didnt stop him from epting the praise from Kieran.
Just like what he said, it was his pleasure.
However, the scene looked a little different in Emma Eddies eyes.
Before she arrived in the hideout, she had been guessing which outrageously powerful monster was behind the Freezer, her mind even started to picture some legendary or terrifying existence but what she saw was Kieran who had some contact with her yesterday.
Emma Eddie felt the scene to be inconceivable as if she was dreaming but the Freezers actions told her everything was very real.
Looking at Kieran who didnt strike her as dangerous now, Emma Eddie once again doubted her instincts that she took pride in.
Who are you? What do you want? Emma Eddie asked out of instinct, her expressions were filled with visible vignce.
Although Kieran wasnt one of those legendary terrifying monsters, he was able to bring the Freezer under his control and it was enough for Emma Eddie to understand how she should y along with him.
It was the wisdom that she gained from the streets and also the instinctive reaction against the powerful.
Me?
2567. Im not doing anything special, just investigating a case.
Kierans reply was partially true though, after that he sat back in the chair.
He was flipping through the books Ferris brought him and asking Emma Eddie, Ferris said you have some special information regarding Mordin for me?
Throughout the whole process, Kieran didnt even look at Emma Eddie yet she felt a sense of pressure.
Not just her though, even... Bloodman!
He dissolved himself into a small blood ball andtched himself onto Emma Eddies boots.
Bloodman had taken severe injuries from thest battle with Ferris, hence he was just carefully observing Kieran but the more he observed, the more scared he was.
Bloodmans sensitivity came from the blood he wielded, and with that, when he saw Kieran sitting in the chair, he felt like he was looking at the devil sitting on his throne.
Submit or die!
The growls were ringing in his ears, forcing him to cower.
At the same time, what terrified Bloodman, even more, were the wicked mumbles that echoed in his ears. Each time he heard the mumbles, his willpower would grow weaker.
No! I cant wait any longer!
Despite being curious about what the special news regarding Mordin was, Bloodman valued his life even more.
When Kieran concentrated on listening to the special news from Emma Eddie, Bloodman silently moved away.
The door was getting closer. His liquid state body allowed him to leave without even opening the door but just as he was going through the door seam, a boot came from above him.
Special energy was rocking Bloodmans body and it instantly reverted him to his human form.
Spare me, I...
Look into my eyes!
Bloodman just wanted to start begging but he was halted abruptly by Kierans shout and almost subconsciously, Bloodman looked into Kierans eyes.
That was the end.
[Mesly Ring] was shining the moment both of their gazes were locked.
Bloodman who was severely injured struggled to crawl up and instead crawled back down on the floor, submitting himself to the man before him.
Take care of him. Kieran waved to Ferris.
A living Bloodman was more useful than a dead one.
Simr to the Freezer, in this extraordinary being-filled dungeon world, Kieran didnt mind gathering more subordinates to work for him, given that it wouldntpromise his rewards.
After all, extraordinary beings like Bloodman were far from the normal standards of rewards that Kieran had in mind.
Ferris helped Bloodman up and headed towards the room next door; Kieran sat back down in the chair, looking at Emma Eddie who was getting more terrified by his calm looks.
You know, what you said just now, I can find it all in here. I want something very exclusive, Kieran said calmly.
Yet the calmer he was, the more afraid Emma Eddie felt. She knew how scary it would be once Kieran got mad.
Damn it! All I want was to handle the pinch back there! Why the hell would I have special information about Mordin...
Eh? Hold on a moment!
Emma Eddie suddenly thought of something.
Chapter 1054 - Change of target
Chapter 1054: Change of target
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Mordin is a woman!
Emma Eddie said while under Kierans gaze.
A woman?!
Kieran was stunned.
He didnt have any prejudice against woman but whenever a sculptor was mentioned, Kieran unconsciously thought of Mordin as a man.
Of course, maybe Kieran had a shallow educational background that wouldnt allow him to remember or know any famous female sculptors but he wouldnt deny that Emma Eddie did give him a piece of special news.
Can you guarantee this isnt a lie? Kieran was trying to make sure for thest time.
I am sure! I swear on my name and my honor, what I, Emma Eddie said is all true! I may lie but I wont use my name and honor as guarantees! Emma Eddie said in a slightly proud manner.
Mm. Ok then, based on the deal you have with Ferris, you get a promise from him that is not too over the top.
What do you want?
Kieran nodded first before asking on behalf of his servant.
If its possible, I require protection for a while. I hate to admit it but Ive now suddenly be a tasty piece of meat in someones eyes.
Emma Eddie wasnt stupid enough to share everything about the matter, all she did was simply brush it off.
Kieran noticed some inkling in her words but he didnt press the question.
It wasnt that he didnt care but he hoped that Emma Eddie really had problems because only then would he be able to figure out what the mastermind behind the scenes was after.
Based on the series of leads he got yesterday, he had a general idea of the masterminds scheme: using Hell Breath as bait for more of Mordins sculptures.
However, there was one thing among the leads that baffled him.
He, or more precisely the dead him, what kind of role was he ying in all this?
Regardless of what angle Kieran thought or look at this matter, he discovered that his death in this cascading series of incidents waspletely unnecessary, an extra act.
So, Kieran had to rethink the reason why Emma Eddie appeared in that alley.
She wasnt there to discover my body, so what was it then?
Kieran saw Emma Eddie choose a guest room under Ferris arrangements and he fell into deep thought until he was interrupted by the doorbell.
Ding Dong!
Open the door!
After the doorbell came the angry voice of the chief officer.
Ferris, get the door please.
Kieran who got interrupted didnt n to stand up to wee the chief officer, instead, he ordered his servant.
Yes, master.
Ferris signaled Emma Eddie to stay quiet before striding towards the door.
The door had threeyers of locks altogether and when two of them were opened up, leaving only a single lock chain, a small seam was opened up.
Ferris saw Pudder standing in front of the door with a few more officers behind him.
Wheres 2567? Pudder asked without the slightest courtesy.
Please maintain your respect for my master. This is the first and thest time Ill warn you about that, you people as well, Ferris said coldly.
His icy cold words didnt frighten Pudder but the officers behind him shuddered and shrunk their necks back in fear.
The killer aura that Ferris cultivated through many years of killing wasnt something a bunch ofmon cops could resist.
Open the door! This is also my first andst warning! If you dont, Ill make you open the door! Pudder said in a grumpy tone.
You can try.
Ferris grinned and revealed a ferocious smile overflowing with killing intent.
The killing intent from Ferris caused all the officers to quiver, even Pudder reached towards the gun at his waist.
2567, so this is the coboration youve promised me? Or are you afraid to see me? Are you scared now, guilty of something? Pudder raised his voice and it clearly entered Kierans ears.
Kieran couldnt help but frown because Pudder got one thing right.
In fact, Kieran indeed didnt want to see Pudder now, not because he was afraid or guilty, but if he entered Pudders line of sight, it would surely affect his ns.
Following [Mordins Third Sculpture]s appearance, some things had already changed without others knowledge.
Based on the information he gathered, Mordin sculpted a total of eight sculptures throughout her life and other than thest one, Hell Breath that was urately recorded, the other seven sculptures had only been described in vague and blurry ways yet they certainly existed in the rted books. Each of the authors who wrote the books was sure of the other seven sculptures yet none of them knew what any of the other seven were.
If it wasnt for [Mordins Third Sculpture]s appearance, Kieran might even think all these were nothing but some made up stories, or some lousy jokes; everything changed following the appearance of the third sculpture.
Maybe it wasnt that the authors didnt want to record the seven other sculptures but that they couldnt!
Why though?
It might be some curse or... some man-made reason!
The Mordin sculptures had some kind of mysterious powers and whenever one of them was discovered, surely it would attract greedy people to swarm over like carps moving down a stream.
While these greedy people sealed off all the matters regarding Mordins sculptures to the masses.
Never underestimate the greed caused by selfishness, it was the scariest kind and had the power to destroy bother others or oneself.
Simr to the owner of [Mordins Third Sculpture] previously and how people used the news of Hell Breath to lure those with the sculptures into the light; Kieran was attracted as well.
Kieran couldnt deny that fact.
When he went through [Mordins Third Sculpture]s attributes and knew there were seven other simr items out there, Kierans interest was piqued.
He really wanted to know what the other sculptures could do.
Therefore, he might need to slightly y along with the mastermind, allowing the mastermind to smoothly lure out the other sculpture owners.
That was the reason why Kieran asked Ferris to gather all the information on Mordin publicly and on arge scale. However, out of Kierans expectation, Pudder paid him a visit and obviously, the chief officer had much more urate intel channels than Kieran would expect.
Ferris, let Chief Pudder in, Kieran said.
Yes, master.
Ferris opened thest chain lock and opened the door, bowed and said, Inside please.
His actions were both official and standard as if he was really a qualified butler.
However, the person who walked into the room didnt notice that. Pudder was blinded by his boiling rage and wasnt have the mood to notice all those small details; the other officers were shrinking in fear.
Without further dy, Pudder strode over to Kieran and disyed an official warrant in front of his face.
2567, ording to reliable information, you are hereby suspected to be rted to a case of murder.
Now, I need you toe with me!
Chapter 1055 - Framed
Chapter 1055: Framed
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Murder case?
Kieran was stunned and automatically thought about what happened in the garagest night but he shook his head quietly right away.
Before entering the garage, he didnt justpletely conceal his figure, he even cleaned all his tracks and traces at the scene before he left.
Unless someone could turn back time, it was impossible for them to locate the so-called clues.
He raised his hand and stopped Ferris who wanted to intervene, Kieran continued to sit in the chair while looking at Pudder.
Chief Pudder, do you really believe I am rted to that murder? Kieran asked.
Pudder was slightly hesitant and ultimately shook his head.
I dont. Based on your performance yesterday, you arent that stupid to appear out in the bright and walk under surveince camera, leaving behind such perfect evidence for us, but... the others trusted their own eyes, especially those self-righteous bastards.
Pudder twitched his mouth, obviously hinting at something.
So, I still have a chance to redeem this? Kieran asked with a smile.
You do but not now. Now you must follow me back to the station. Pudder emphasized.
Very well then.
Ferris, stay here and take care of things, Ill be right back.
Kieran stood up and followed Pudder out of the room. Before he left, he purposely left an order to Ferris.
Yes, master. Ferris nodded.
He knew what Kieran wanted him to do, just like how he understood he must make a stand to those officers that followed the chief here, allowing them to understand what should they do.
Under Ferris gaze, the officers trembled as they followed Kieran into the cruiser.
ording to protocol, Kieran must be apanied by two other officers while he was seated in the middle and whenever necessary, he must be cuffed.
But no one followed the darn protocols at this moment, no one reminded the group and no officer was willing to sit in the same car as Kieran.
Ultimately, two unlucky bastards were picked from the group.
Ferris cold gaze was ced on the two unlucky ones right after they were selected. His emotionless face had even more coldness to it as if his expression was saying, Hey, Ill remember you!
The killer gaze from Ferris made the two unlucky officers shudder non-stop when they went into the car.
Pudder who was in the passenger seat frowned and tried to say something about the scene, but eventually, nothing came out of his mouth.
The group traveled back to the station safely and smoothly.
While the officers were anxious to report in, Pudder brought Kieran into the familiar interrogation room.
Pudder didnt even have to say anything and Kieran pulled the chair behind the table and sat down.
Seems like this ce is really safe, Kieran said with a smile.
Safer than you can imagine! Likewise, you are in more danger than you think you are! Only in this ce, can I make sure that the bastard who can impersonate others dares not barge in recklessly and deliver a killing shot to your head.
Pudder sat across from Kieran and passed the documents to him.
Kieran opened the documents. It wasnt thorough by any means but very detailed.
Other than words, there were pictures of some camera shots.
The most eye-catching one was Kieran holding a gun and behind him was a person lying in a puddle of blood.
Meanwhile, for the person lying on the puddle of blood, there was another file that had extreme details regarding the mans background: Elponder, one of the core members of Bloody Ridges, tasked with selling pills around street blocks, including but not limited to the blue ones.
Bloody Ridges member? He is even a core member? Was he attracted by Mordins sculptures as well? Kieran was taking down notes in his heart while his face was looking calm in front of Pudder.
The bastard that can impersonate others? Seems like you already have a suspect then, Kieran said with a smile.
The Thousand-faced Man! Other than this bastard, I cant think of any other bastard that can impersonate others to this authenticity! This guy is a natural viin, reckless and bold. He once impersonated some millionaires and got a huge amount of money and also impersonated some senate councilman, suggesting some frustrating suggestions to the government. Other than that, the most disgusting act is that he likes to impersonate husbands and targets their wives, I really want to slice him into a million pieces because of what he did to those women!
Pudder mmed the table hard when the frustrating point hit him.
The sturdy table even screeched upon contact with the chiefs m, it was enough to state how angry he was at the viin.
However, what happened next infuriated the chief even more.
When one officer knocked on the door and walked in carefully to whisper to the chief, the chief was enraged after hearing the news.
What in the hell? Do those people have sh*t in their brains? Or did they eat sh*t for breakfast?
How can they prosecute based on a single video recording without any further solid evidence? Have they never heard of the Thousand-faced Man? Or did they thought the f*cker was dead?
...
In the uing minute, the interrogation room was filled with Pudders furious roars.
When he vented almost all of his anger out, he turned to Kieran.
2567, wait for me. I will go reason with those bastards! Dont worry, I wont let them turn you into Thousand-faced Mans scapegoat!
The chief then stormed out of the interrogation room but Kieran, on the other hand, wouldnt just sit back and wait passively for the result.
He knew Pudder would return without results and if that happened, Kieran would have to suffer some unwanted troubles.
Even if the time permitted, he didnt wish to suffer unwanted punishments for things he never did. More so when he didnt have much time left.
A single thought flew across his mind and tiny ripples appeared in the shadow behind Kieran.
Bloody Mary appeared in her illusory form before Kieran, waiting for orders.
Kill a Bloody Ridges member with my face in the public eye.
Kieran sent the order to the high demon from his mind.
Yes, my master!
The high demonughed eerily before swiftly vanishing from the interrogation room.
Now, it was natural for him to wait for results.
Kieran had sufficient patience to wait for it but it didnt mean he would stop doing things that he could.
Can you bring me breakfast? Kieran looked at the officer on guard duty.
The officer was the one whom Ferris frightened before. After Pudder left, he was standing at the further corner in the room with Kieran.
Okay, what do you want?
The officer immediately nodded to Kierans request and acted like a waiter in a restaurant.
A quick and convenient one... some meat perhaps, Kieran said after slight thought.
Okay.
The officer then picked up the phone, saying Send me two sets of beef burgers and drinks together.
After a while, footsteps could be heard throughout the corridor.
The officer then opened the interrogation room door when he heard it, assuming it was the delivery but out of his expectation, it wasnt the delivery man but three suited men.
The officer was astonished when he saw the three suited men.
Kieran who was still sitting squinting his eyes on one of the three, locking his gaze onto the one that caught his attention.
An extraordinary individual! Far stronger than Ferris!
Chapter 1056 - Contact
Chapter 1056: Contact
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Under Kierans SSS+ Intuition,mon men and extraordinary individuals had qualitative differences.
While between extraordinary individuals, there were distinguishing features as well, the most direct example was Ferris.
Having the title the Freezer, Ferris was like an ice cube emanating cold air at all times, anywhere under Kierans Intuition; the extraordinary individual in front of him was like a mountain.
The moment they came into the room, it was like a mountain peak suddenly rose up from the ground; one would feel mighty and tall from the presence.
Kieran restrained the explosive barrel inside his body, which was the Devil Force which ought to explode when it was being provoked. He also calmed down each of the cardinal sins while only maintaining Dawn Forces tenacity.
The tenacious Dawn Force transformed Kieran into a hiker, climbing up the mountain peak fearlessly.
Step after step and as time went by, no matter how tall the peak was, Kieran would eventually conquer the mountain by reaching its highest point.
The extraordinary individual showed shock on his face when he noticed that Kieran picked up his presence but right after that, his shock was reced by smiles.
The man extended his thick palm.
Nice to meet you, I am Drexton, representing the Hero Alliance. These two are mywyers and the matters regarding the Thousand-faced Man, they will report to the director, the judge, andmunicate with the few juries.
All you need to do is remain silent and I assure you, we will be out of here by noon. The man said in a steady and strong manner.
2567. If you dont mind, can you tell me what are you doing here?
Kieran extended his hand for a shake as well.
It was the friendly kind of handshake, no testing, no tussling over power and both of them stepped back after a mere shake.
Of course, pardon my rudeness of not stating it first.
Four months ago when you valiantly stopped three robbers, we have been noticing you since then and as time went by, your presence only increased within our sights. Yesterday, you saved another innocent life. It may sound cheesy but the people youve saved have reached the Hero Alliances standard, so I am here to official give you an invitation.
Drextons neat mustache curled up following his lips, showing a friendlier smile.
Do I really have to join?
Kieran wasnt confused by the friendly smile, instead, he tested the man with a sharper question.
He knew after going through the initial troubles, he had started to get in touch with the dungeon worlds true factions and organizations.
Bloody Ridges?
In Kierans view from the start to finish, Bloody Ridges was just a pawn that was used and it never could reach the main stage.
Of course not! Its not mandatory. We have always upheld justice and freedom, we wont go against an individuals will to force them into something they didnt wish to do, except for criminals. On top of that, we are also willing to provide necessary help for those outside our organization, like thewyers here to help you, they are just a part of how we can assist you. Join us, and you will get even more.
Drexton kept on smiling but didnt further borate on the details.
Obviously, the details were only open to those who joined.
Although Kieran was curious about what kind of assistance Drexton was referring to, he wouldnt join a native organization just because of his curiosity.
He had his own ns already, so he shook his head.
Sorry, I like to have a lot of freedom, Kieran said.
Em, everyone does. Believe me, its not the first time I met a young man like you and that is the reason why I am willing to lend a hand. You young men will receive less damage like this.
Here take this. Dont feel embarrassed to take it. I am not hoping that you will use it one day but I hope that you will be benefited by the heroic acts when you are in times of need.
Drexton then ced a name card in front of Kieran.
Thanks. Kieran took the name card.
The name card only had Drextons name on it and his phone number, it was the exact design as his name card yet the quality was far apart as heaven and earth.
Drextons card was made up of some kind of metal, it didnt just make it feel substantial, it elevated its status to the next level as well.
After a slight check and making sure there wasnt something that shouldnt be on the name card, Kieran ced it inside his shirt pocket.
Drextons smile grew friendlier when he saw Kieran take the name card. He then spent the uing time guiding Kieran, the newbie who just stepped into the society and told interesting stories of Alkender City.
The stories should sound uninteresting yet when they came out of his mouth, everything became intriguing.
Drexton didnt just chat in a decent manner, he still had the attentiveness to take care of others: each time he would tell Kieran how to solve his current situation in a subtle way without giving a direct answer.
Undoubtedly, Drexton with his character was hard for one to hate yet Kieran still wouldnt lower his guard, despite Drexton showing such kindness.
Kieran knew the saying hiding knives in smiles, so he maintained his bad habits.
Both sides chatted until Kieran got his breakfast.
Ill leave you be then. Thewyers and I will be outside, just call loudly for me if anything happens.
Drexton said in a gentlemanly manner when he saw Kieran anxiously take the burgers and orange juice.
Em. Kieran nodded and munched on the burger in his hand.
The beef patty was grilled to its most tender state, a bite of the patty filled Kierans mouth and the orange juice was mixed with the savory taste of the beef.
After munching a few times, before he even swallowed the first bite, he stuffed the remaining burger into his mouth and took a big gulp off the remaining orange juice.
The officer on guard duty was dumbstruck when he saw Kierans way of gobbling down the food.
Unconsciously, the officer swallowed his saliva as well, he had a thought in his mind, reminding him to have burgers for dinner after todays shift.
While Willis who was also watching the room shared the same thought.
Is he a refugee? Willis asked himself.
He then contacted Drexton from a distance and told him what he saw.
He is really as poor as the record says yet maintained a heart of justice... this is the kind of person we need! Raise 2567s surveince level, list him as an important Surveince target. Drexton smiled as he replied to his partner.
Okay, I will...
Damn it! Drexton, the Thousand-faced Man struck again, another guy from Bloody Ridges was taken out!
Huh?! Wait, did Bloody Ridges get on the bad side of Lady Luck? Slither Bone, Predator, and Ironjaw Croc are all there! Willis cried out in shock.
Drextons expression sunk to rock bottom.
Bloody Ridges wasnt an organization that stood outside themon area, instead most of the time they upied a corner of the civilian city blocks.
While Slither Bone, Predator, and Ironjaw Croc were all notorious superviins, these evildoers wouldnt care what about happened to their surroundings and once war breaks out in the civilian area, innocents will be caught in the crossfire.
Most importantly, all the aforementioned superviins werent everyday goons thatmon heroes could handle.
Call the others and try to stop stall the three of them. Im on my way!
Drexton was ready to leave aftermunicating with his partner through his earpiece.
Meanwhile, the door of the interrogation room opened up and Kieran walked out wiping his mouth.
I heard exercising after a meal is good for your health.
Chapter 1057 - Superhero Entrance
Chapter 1057: Superhero Entrance
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Meanwhile, inside an office, Sphinx was looking at the body at his feet, his face was gloomy and depressed, to the point that he looked scary.
Sphinx didnt just lose a temporary hideoutst night, even Elponder, one of the men who was quite useful was killed after that and now, another core member of the organization had his throat slit in public.
Damn it!
Sphinx fiercely threw the cigarette into the ashtray, his face was showing a sense of regret.
He really did regret it now!
He thought this was a hard toe by chance for him and for Bloody Ridges, who knew things would unfold like this...
The grand n that he had in mind hadnt even been realized and his left and right-hand men were killed.
Who will be next then?
Such a question popped up in Sphinxs mind, it caused the boss of Bloody Ridges to be more restless and anxious. He waved his hand and signaled his men to take care of the body.
He then pulled out the drawer at the bottom of his desk, taking out a mobile phone.
The mobile phone was left for him by that person and he was also warned not to make the call unless absolutely necessary.
No doubt now was the perfect time. Sphinx dialed the only unknown number in the phone and waited patiently for it to get through.
Then he heard the voice saying the line was currently busy; that person had hung up on him.
Sphinx was stunned. He dialed the unknown number again right away but this time what he got was more direct: the number youve called is not avable.
F*CK!
Sphinx threw the phone at the wall in front of him.
Pak!
The phone shattered to pieces.
Sphinx was panting heavily as he nced over the sttered parts of the phone.
He knew he was abandoned by that person, or in other words, that person nned to do so from the very beginning: using him then abandoning him to attract the attention of the public.
Sphinx who wasnt stupid and woke up from his greed and figured out the grand n behind this but it seemed to be toote.
Sphinx already had a hunch of what he would soon have to face, but he didnt n to give up just yet.
Growing up in the streets and now gaining an independent foundation, Sphinx definitely had the persistence that was required to get to where he was today. Although for others, the persistence he had was just some obnoxious act, Sphinx relied on his persistence to get through all the hurdles in his life.
I wont fail this time as well! I will...
So you are Sphinx?
Sphinx clenched his fist fiercely, his mind was thinking about how would he conduct his counterattack but before he could think of any, a sharp voice entered his ear.
No!
Sphinx denied it without a second thought. He then reached towards the handle of his gun in the drawer.
Gak Cha!
However, just as Sphinxs finger touched the handle of his gun, the bones in his palm burst in session.
Pak Pak Pak Pak!
It sounded like firecrackers popping continuously.
After a series of popping noises, Sphinxs right arm waspletely torn apart from his palm to his elbow.
Aaaaaaargh!
Amidst the excruciating pain, Sphinx fell out of his chair, his blood was sttering all over the ce from his elbow and the desk was instantly painted red.
A figure then walked towards the blood tainted desk and sat on it. The figure then looked down on Sphinx from his towering position.
Are you Sphinx? The figure asked again.
Y-Yes! Yes, I am! Save me! Sphinx didnt deny it this time.
The pain and great amount of blood loss were sufficient for him to make the right decision and following his answer, the blood gushing out from his elbow were getting smaller, the pain faded away swiftly as well.
After the slight relief, Sphinx only saw the figure before his eyes.
The figure had a ck mantle that was tainted with Sphinxs blood, the white skull mask was reflecting the sunlight, delivering coldness into ones heart despite the warmth of the sun.
Slither Bone!
The utterly familiar outfit made Sphinx cry out in fear and shock.
Im ttered that you know me. Believe me, it will help you even more in the conversation that we are going to have.
Where is the Hell Breath? Slither Bone asked with augh.
Hisugh was sharp and irritating, simr to a w scratching across the ckboard, causing numbness on Sphinxs scalp.
I am just a pitiful bastard who someone used, I dont know... Aaaaargh!
Before Sphinx even finished giving his excuses, his left hand burst open like his right hand.
I dont want to hear any of that, you know that! Of course, you are just a pawn, I am asking about the person behind you, who is he? Slither Bone asked in a heavy tone.
I dont know! He always covered his face and I sent men to follow him before yet every time they would return without results or didnt return at all! After that, he gave me a warning and forced me to give up on this thought of trying to figure out his true identity!
I am just amon man, he is an extraordinary individual He contacted me each time, not the other way around, other than leaving me with some emergency contacting methods, he gave me nothing!
I swear, everything Ive said is the truth!
Losing both his hands, Sphinx lied down like a fish out of water, trying to struggle yet helplessly, couldnt do anything except look pitiful.
Had someone else confronted him, theyd show mercy to Sphinx in his current state but not Slither Bone.
As Alkender Citys notorious superviin, Slither Bone was infamous for torturing others for pure pleasure. Therefore, as Sphinxs words ended, the bones on his feet started to burst as well.
Bang!
Bang!
After two more bursting noises, Sphinxs excruciating cry followed.
His excruciating cry would never sound pleasant, except Slither Bone listened to it as if he was listening to a concert, not only infatuated, he even danced to it.
10 secondster, when Sphinxs voice turned hoarse, only then did Slither Bone stop his ridiculous dancing.
Where is the phone that he left you? Slither Bone continued his question.
There! Sphinx spoke in a faint and lifeless tone.
Slither Bone turned around and saw the mobile phone smashed to pieces and after ncing over the parts, he grunted coldly.
Useless trash!
Bang!
Following his viciousment, another bursting sounded on Sphinx but this time, he had no more limbs to be executed, instead, it was his head that burst open like a flower.
His brains flew in all directions, Slither Bone didnt even want to avoid the sttering, allowing the brain matter to cover his body.
Slither Bone started to hum his little tune as he felt the little warmth from the blood and brains through his outfit and mask; he walked towards the shattered phone.
Although the phone was smashed to pieces, it wasnt unrepairable.
However, just as Slither Bone bent down, he abruptly rolled aside.
A bullet grazed Slither Bones body and embedded itself onto the wall.
A man with a big hat covering his face, holding a pistol and a double-barreled rifle on his back walked out from the shadow.
Predator? You want a piece of this as well?
Slither Bone stared at the new arrival.
As the super viins of the same city, both of them had met before and even confronted each other before, so Slither Bone knew how troublesome it would be to tangle with the Predator.
Not just me, even that knucklehead Ironjaw Croc is here. I really have no intention to cross that bastards path, so can you just give me the phone pieces here?
Predator was shaking the pistol in his hand, talking in a very yful manner yet Slither Bones heart sank.
Predator didnt want to cross Ironjaw Crocs path, neither did Slither Bone.
In fact, within Alkender City, those who wished to fight Ironjaw Croc, the ex-wrestler and current superviin were only a handful, whether it was the superheroes that upheld justice or the superviins who acted recklessly for their own gains; Ironjaw Croc was too much trouble to deal with.
Aside from being imprable, Ironjaw Croc had outrageous strength as well. In his first heist job, in order to stop the pursuers, Ironjaw Croc lifted a 3-ton truck, blocked the pursuers path and strode away boldly.
Countless people remembered that scene clearly,mon men were overwhelmed when they saw the 3-ton truck being lifted into the air, the extraordinary individuals shared the same feeling as well.
One needed to know, Ironjaw Croc was not the best in lifting trucks but wrestling.
With that outrageous strengthbined with his wrestling techniques, after that heist job, Ironjaw Croc was known as the criminal that possessed the most authority to rule over Alkender City after Death Knell, Mr. Ghost, and Grudge Dragon.
Give it to you? Do you have what it takes? Slither Boneughed.
Of course! Its a cold hard fact! Predator took the double-barreled rifle from his back.
Both sides were at the brink of a fierce fight but despite the tension, a series of footsteps could be heard without any effort made to conceal them.
Dak, Dak, Dak, Dak.
The footsteps were heading towards the office and it walked in through the door without pausing.
Slither Bone and Predator ced their attention at the entrance without being too concerned because, in both of their point of view, the man who walked through the door was already a dead man!
As super criminals, both of them didnt care about harming innocents but when they saw the figure that walked through the entrance with his crow feathered mantle, their breaths were forced to a stop because...
The figure was holding a crocodile head!
Chapter 1058 - Unexpected Surprise
Chapter 1058: Unexpected Surprise
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Neither Slither Bone nor Predator were strangers to Ironjaw Croc.
Even from a certain aspect, both of them were very familiar with Ironjaw Croc and therefore, both of them were certain the head that the young man was holding was indeed the Ironjaw Croc!
Ironjaw Croc was killed?
Who is this guy?
How did he kill the croc?
Questions and doubts popped up in Slither Bone and Predators minds uncontrobly, especially Predator, his gaze towards Kieran was utterly dreadful.
Around 5 minutes ago, Predator saw the Ironjaw Croc and he was alive and kicking, as ferocious as ever!
Now?
His head was twisted off of his body and more importantly, within the 5 minute period, Predator didnt even hear any fighting noises!
Which mean the fight ended in an instant!
Ironjaw Croc was killed within an instant!
A guy that could kill Ironjaw Croc instantly...
Once the thought came into his mind, the Predator turned his torso and his whole body then swiftly moved towards the window behind him, ready to escape; Slither Bone was even faster.
As though Slither Bones legs were loaded with spring, he jumped towards the window like an arrow let loose.
The reason why Slither Bone and Predator were notorious and able to roam freely in the city, other than own strength and never revealing their face in public, the most important point was their instinct and abilities to escape when they noticed the situation going south. Together with their respective special abilities, even the two most famous superheroes in the city couldnt do anything about them despite hating them to their guts; the two superheroes werent famous for their speed.
However, this time, things were different, both of the criminals were facing Kieran.
As a lone wolf yer, Kieran had decided to expand his strength in an all-rounded way. Attributes, skills, and even his equipment were all built towards that purpose.
So when the two criminals were inches away from the window, Kieran who was holding Ironjaw Crocs head was already standing in front of them.
Slither Bone and Predator were horrified when they saw Kieran pop up in front of them, they wanted to alter their escape route without a second thought but then, they realized they were sinking into a swamp.
The ck and stenchful swamp was like a ck hole with infinite suction force, dragging both of them down.
Damn it!
What is this? Illusions?
Spections popped up in their minds but their actions were not slow.
The Predator pointed his hunting rifle at where Kieran originally stood; Slither Bones blood tainted mantle had bone-rattling noisesing from beneath.
Bang!
The rifle was fired, a muzzle sh shined in front of the Predators gun.
A shining bullet with the whistling of a cannon was fired straight at the targeted point but it was blocked!
A pitch-ck giant palm rose up from the muddy swamp. It stood in the middle of the path of the shining bullet yet with the cannon-like whistling, it struck the palm fiercely.
Bang!
The ck palm was crushed upon contact. The pieces fell back in the swamp and the Predatorughed coldly, readying his second shot.
He was certain the point where he targeted was where Kieran really was, just like how he believed his shooting and abilities would definitely threaten Kieran.
You can block once, but can you block twi...UGH!
The Predator saw the pieces of that palm grow with the wind after falling back. Within a breaths time, the pieces turned into a new giant ck palm, surrounding his sight; the Predator was stunned.
He then squinted his eyes and shouted, STILL NOT MAKING A MOVE?
No actions were taken, no answers were given.
Predator instinctively turned his head, he suddenly noticed Slither Bone who was just beside him a moment ago vanished without him knowing.
Slither Bone didnt just vanish, a big vortex reced him at his spot as well.
The ck muddy vortex spun rapidly and a suction force 10 times stronger than the first exploded with the motion. Predator didnt even get to resist before being dragged into the vortex.
The stenchful mud then started to enter the Predators body through the nose and mouth.
At first, the Predator struggled and rejected as if he was being invaded but as the hunger in his body rose, he couldnt help but unconsciously swallow the stenchful mud.
After a slightly full stomach, his hunger grew worse. His hunger drove him to eat more, swallow more, gobbling down the mud mouth after mouth.
In order to hasten his devouring, the Predators mouth was slithered and its flesh turned mushy but his hunger overpowered his pain.
Predator kept gobbling down the mud without being tired yet the more he ate and swallowed, the more hungry he felt.
Then, Predator saw Slither Bone.
Slither Bone was also like Predator, gobbling down the ck mud and was also being tortured by the hunger.
Slither Bone had it worse than Predator, his bones somehow sprung out of his body, making him look like a weird hedgehog with white spikes.
The moment Predator saw Slither Bone, Slither Bone saw Predator as well.
Almost instantaneously, both of them saw a pale greenish re in each other eyes, as though both of them were beasts in the wilderness and suddenly spotted a piece of meat.
Both of them jumped on each other, both of them tore each other apart.
Blood and flesh sttered everywhere, hands and legs were broken.
In the end, both of them entangled themselves together, bones mixed with flesh, organs mixed with brains.
Of course, all of that was just an illusion from [Deadmans Gaze, Fear Illusion]. Back in the office, both of their heads exploded when they caught Kierans gaze.
Two orange glowing items appeared on their headless bodies.
The double-barrelled rifle from the Predator and a small little finger bone from Slither Bone.
[Name: Winchester Hunting Rifle]
[Type: Firearm]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attack: Strong]
[Attribute: 1. Heavy Firepower Strike; 2. Ammunition Favor]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: This is a hunting rifle from a certain family and it is a verymon kind in the familys collection, nothing worth bragging about.]
...
[Heavy Firepower Strike: Brings out the full potential of a bullet]
[Ammunition Favor: All kinds of bullets gains +1 attack buff (Cannot exceed Extreme rank)]
...
[Name: Strange Little Finger]
[Type: Bone]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attack/ Defense: None]
[Attribute: Swap]
[Effect: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: It has a certain special use]
...
[Swap: You can swap it with one section of your little finger bone and acquire strange powers]
...
Kieran nced over [Winchester Hunting Rifle] and slightly paused his attention on [Strange Little Finger]; hended his attention on the crocodile head in his head again.
Compared to the two spoils of war he had just gotten, the true unexpected surprise was the crocodile head.
Chapter 1059 - Second Resonance
Chapter 1059: Second Resonance
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The crocodile head that Kieran was holding didnt have a single drop of blood on it because all the blood from the head was absorbed by [Primus Arm] on Keirans left hand
The ck leather armguards concentrated andyered crocodile scale opened uppletely and an extremely small crocodile mirage was shaking its body in the middle of the profound patterns; it opened its greedy mouth as if it was eating.
Soon, the big crocodile head withered like a dried husk in the desert and the crocodile mirage on the armguard grew bigger. It even temporarily left the armguard and climbed to Kierans palm, widened its big mouth filled with sharp teeth, and gobbling down the withered crocodile head.
It wasnt until the head waspletely eaten that the crocodile mirage went back to the armguard in satisfaction.
The gloomy shine shed several times on [Primus Arm] before it slowly calmed down yet the attributes that were disyed in Kierans vision had changed without him noticing.
[Name: Primus Arm]
[Type: Protective Gear (Left Armguard)]
[Rarity: Above Legendary]
[Defense: Extreme]
[Attributes: 1. Primus Scale II; 2. Primus Crunch II; 3. Primus Greed II]
[Special Effects: None]
[Prerequisites: None]
[Remarks: The Pope of the Church of Dawn wished to keep the millennium treasure safe, so he bred a special breed of giant crocodile called Primus. Primus was reinforced with alchemy, which made it even stronger, but it was robbed of its senses in the process, making it impossible for anyone to control it. As a result, it became thest straw that crushed the Church of Dawn. That was a thing of the past but now, it is in your possession, it helped you ovee hurdles multiple times because you trusted it! So now, it chose to trust you!]
...
[Primus Scale II: When the skill is active, a force field barrier with Extreme defense will appear, Lasts 5 seconds, 2/day]
[Primus Crunch II: When the skill is active, it grants the user the strength and sharpness of Primus itself. Your left hand will be transformed into a sword with Powerful attack and defense Lasts 10 seconds, 2/day]
[Primus Greed II: When using Primus Crunch, the Lifesteal Effect is activated, recovers 20% of Damage dealt as HP]
......
Unexpected enhancement!
The same surprise happened when Kieran used [Half-dead Gaze] to kill Ironjaw Croc, he didnt think it was his body that exploded, not his head, nor did he think the head that was left behind would enhance [Primus Arm].
Is it because he possessed simr crocodile blood that was mutated? Kieran wondered in his heart and he couldnt help but curl his lips into a smirk.
[Primus Arm] had a special ce in his heart and was special to him.
It was not just his first Legendary equipment, just like the remarks said, [Primus Arm] helped him ovee hurdles countless times.
Without [Primus Arm], something unfortunate might have urred to Kieran in the few earliest dungeons; Kieran trusted [Primus Arm] from the bottom of his heart.
However...
Following the increased dungeon entries, the difficulty would increase and the enemies he faced would be stronger, especially with his way of excavating dungeons, his enemies would be a few times stronger than normal dungeon levels. Given such circumstances, the time for [Primus Arm] to shine will undoubtedlye to an end.
If new equipment that could rece [Primus Arm] in terms of defensive capabilities appeared...
Kieran didnt know what kind of choice he would make.
Keep it?
Rece it?
It would be no doubt a hard choice to make, or even a painful choice.
For a person like Kieran, the equipment that fought by his side for so long was one of his partners as well.
Two sides of a coin: one was his partner, one was the dungeon world that would only get harder and more dangerous.
Simr to walking on a high-wire hanging off a cliff, once he stepped on the wire, Kieran could only advance or step down.
Beneath him was the deep dark abyss, a slight misstep and he would be crushed.
In front of him were cold mountain winds, sharp enough to slice his flesh.
While behind him...
Did he ever have a path of retreat?
This whole thing was a path of no return, but wasnt it exactly this that made the partners who walked the path with him more important?
Kieran lifted his right hand and softly touched the leather surface of [Primus Arm].
Nice, Kieran muttered to himself.
All matters were easily solved after thatst scene from the absorption.
Despite [Primus Arm] not being able to face off against enemies of the higher order, Kieran had found a way to upgrade his equipment.
Maybe this way had all sorts of limitations, had all sorts of difficulty which he had to ovee but...
As long as there was a way, there would be hope and it would be good enough.
All he had to do now was to work harder.
His truest feelings emanated his own unique wave of ripples; [Primus Arm] shook.
The crocodile mirage that was hiding in the leather armguard raised its head, opened its mouth wide and silently roared as if it reacted to Kierans feelings.
[Lionheart] felt the feeling as well.
The golden lion slightly opened its eyes for a while. Although it shut its eyes and slumbered again, the golden lion delivered the feeling to every other existence that it could reach.
Wait!
Hold on!
Soon!
It wille soon!
Following the delivered feelings, the voice was getting clearer; the other equipment shook together as well.
[Mardos Lair], magma was boiling, the spider was jumping around, ready to devour Gods.
[Wild Soul], in the borderless wilnds, the rhino charged, conquering one fortress after another.
[Ring of the Serpent King], underneath the thick ground, the golden snakes danced as life came to a cycle.
[Rudenmoren Skin], waves towered over mountains, the sea serpent was wreaking havoc, toppling ships and causing tsunamis.
[Wolf Remnant Feast], at the end of a cliff, the lone white wolf howled at the moon,manding everything beneath its ranks.
One after another, wave after wave, call after call.
Some were obvious, some were dark and shy, some were distorted and hard to understand.
All of the equipment used their own ways to react to his feelings, including [Arrogant Word] which was still in a nk, ignorant state, following only its basic instinct.
The de vibrated, the will of the greatsword was unyielding.
The drums were like thunder, the horns were like swords.
Cold res shined in every direction, blood burst and sttered everywhere.
The decayed body stood up again.
Even with only the hilt, the broken greatsword still wanted to press forward with an indomitable will!
Kill!
Kill! Kill!
Kill! Kill! Kill!
Killing intent and a sense of unwillingness made the de vibrated fiercely.
Unlike the slumbering lion, a seed of another kind was slowly sprouting.
Slow but sure to grow into a towering tree that would pierce the sky.
Kieran raised a confused brow as he felt something, he looked around with vignce yet nothing came into sight.
What happened?
Kieran wondered in suspicion but soon enough, his attention was caught by the system notification.
[Eliminated Ironjaw Croc, Slither Bone, Predator, acquired Below Average recognition...]
[Main mission ispleted, leave the dungeon?Yes/No]
Chapter 1060 - Spicy Hot Kitchen
Chapter 1060: Spicy Hot Kitchen
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran chose No without any thought.
Completing the main mission now would defy Kierans motive of excavating the potential of all dungeon worlds that he had since day one. Besides, after getting the hint of the potential benefit of this dungeon world, why would he give up on the chance of acquiring a continuous dungeon?
Although he got Below Average recognition which had already passed the minimal recognition level, based on his previous experience, he knew there was still a distance to reach the SSS rating which would grant him the continuous dungeon of this dungeon world.
After the decision was made, footsteps were heard.
Drextons big and tall body came into Kierans sight.
If its possible, I wish to invite you again, 2567. You are much stronger than we imagined. To be honest, before this when you agreed toe with us, I was still thinking of how we should protect you...
This is too astonishing! Seems like you have been hiding your true talents before this!
Drextons face had praise that he didnt bother to conceal.
My abilities are just slightly stronger than them, Kieran revealed the partial truth.
It had be Kierans habit to never expose any one of his aces.
But you did take out Slither Bone, Predator, and Ironjaw Croc, three super criminals! Your heroic acts must bemended! Drexton didnt press the topic about Kierans abilities.
It had be a rule among the extraordinary individuals to not ask about each other abilities unless they took the initiative to reveal it.
As one of the extremely active extraordinary individuals in Alkender City, Drexton would not go all the way to ruin the unspoken rules himself. At the same time, he was also revealing some things extraordinary individuals should know without being too obvious while he was conversing with Kieran.
Therefore, the conversation entered the topic that had Kieran very interested.
Although he had a general idea of how Alkender Citys extraordinary individual ecosystem worked from Ferris the Freezer, Kieran got more detailed and a more precise version from Drexton.
Most of the extraordinary individuals that leaned towards justice were solo yers but there were a good amount of groups as well.
These individuals formed groups of all sizes, big or small, helping each other out and unconsciously, it had grown into a great faction within Alkender City.
Its reaches were extended to all kinds of industries in Alkender City, one could consider it as being everywhere but what more surprising was, the great faction of extraordinary individuals formed a tacit agreement with the city government.
Looking at all the destruction caused to the city by the battles and the weird noises from the process, yet no sirens were heard anywhere. Kieran couldnt help but start to evaluate how powerful this interconnected extraordinary individual group was; the enemies they had to face as well.
Whenever those selfish people who only worked for their own gains had their powers awaken, they would be reckless and not care about anyone. Even though I kept raising the benefits for the extraordinary individuals to join us, we couldnt stop them from stepping on a path of evil. On top of that, they appeared and disappeared like ghosts, despite sufficient preparation, all we can do was minimize the damage. We still cant end all of this. Drexton sighed about his problems.
Obviously, those extraordinary individuals that leaned towards evil should not be taken for granted either.
They didnt just possess the strong trait of being random in their actions, they would act in groups asionally as well and it caused the justice-siding superheroes that Drexton led more trouble than ever.
Kieran didntment further on this particr matter but in his mind, his n was perfecting itself, moving towardspletion.
Desire is an unfible abyss. Whenever one falls into the swamp of not knowing satisfaction, they themselves will be devoured in the end. Kieran expressed his feelings.
The fortunate thing is, there are still individuals like you 2567, who know your own goals and have strong moral character. Otherwise, Alkender City will follow the path of destruction of Printon City.
Do you want to have lunch together? I know a restaurant that has quite a unique style. Drexton exined out of frustration but the moment the matter about the citys destruction escaped his mouth, he stopped; he invited Kieran to lunch.
Id be happy too.
Kieran nodded as he nced over those workers from Hero Alliance cleaning up the office.
In order to usher his ns to perfection, he required more information.
Conversing over a meal was a decent chance for him, especially since Kieran never rejected an invitation to eat.
The unique-styled restaurant Drexton mentioned was in a small street block of the city. The surroundings werent prospering skyscrapers but low buildings without any signs of being broken or old.
On the contrary, the ce felt casual and peaceful.
Kieran saw many elders talking on the benches and on the side of the streets, young men pushing fast food carts over the road and many more teenagers skateboarding.
The morning sun shining on them didnt go to waste, it brought out the most energetic side of the young ones and the elders were no exception either. Judging from their speed of conversation and fierce topics of discussion, no one could treat them as regr elders.
There.
Drexton pointed at a store with a wooden sign.
The store didnt have any windows, just a small door that allowed one person to pass at a time; the sign of a red hot chili pepper was hanging on the door.
Spicy Hot Kitchen.
Compared to the aged signage, the words on it were very clear, simr to the eye-catching red chili.
Before Kieran truly approached the store, his nose picked up a spicy smell.
The smell was pungent and stinging but not enough to make Kieran feel disgusted because the unique aroma was mixed together with the spiciness.
Perhaps the spiciness would cause tears and snot on the first encounter, but the mouth would also secrete saliva, causing an increase of appetite; one would not easily feel satisfied with one meal.
Kieran paused slightly before quickly adapting to the smell. He then took a deep breath.
He felt the spiciness run through his nasal passaged and he slightly curled up his lips.
Very nice, Kieranmented.
I knew you would like it, 2567! Other than Willis, no one would dislike this ce! Drexton who was paying attention to Kierans face smiled as well when he saw the delight on Kierans face.
Boss, even if 2567 acknowledges your taste, it will not change my mind about Spicy Hot Kitchen! It is a kitchen that brings you to hell! The food that it serves is boiling magma!
2567, I suggest you leave right away, burgers on me!
Willis voice could be clearly heard in their ears and this time, he didnt iste Kieran.
After taking out Ironjaw Croc, Slither Bone, and Predator altogether, some things would not be the same anymore.
The beauty of food is that it will allow you to have endless imagination! These imaginations might be good, might be worse but eventually, it would make your trip worthwhile.
More so... exploring unknown food is an unparalleled experience. Of course, you now owe me a set of burgers.
Kieran said while pushing the wooden door open as if he was eager to go in.
Drextonughed before following Kieran inside the restaurant.
The restaurant behind the door was not big.
There were two scattered tables around and chairs apanying them, but many would choose to have a nce at the bar.
A scrawny man in an apron was behind the bar and when he saw Kieran walk over, he stood up saying, There are only a few choices on the menu but if you have something in mind and I can make it, I will do my best.
So what will you be having today dear sir?
Chapter 1061 - Troubles Involved The…
Chapter 1061: Troubles Involved The...
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
A cup filled with water was ced in front of Kieran.
The owner who was scrawny from his face down to his physique was waiting for Kierans reply patiently.
While Drexton who was supposedly following Kieran into Spicy Hot Kitchen vanished without him knowing.
After sizing up the new surroundings, Kieran raised a puzzled brow.
SSS+ Intuition plus [Tracking]s sight allowed him to determine the truth from the false.
The restaurant including the cooking utensils were all authentic, even the cooking ingredients inside the kitchen were emanating a unique aroma. All was real except for... the owner.
The scrawny owner who looked like a lively being struck Kieran as something light, floating around.
More importantly, Drexton who was supposed to follow and stayed behind Kieran did not appear; the owners target should be Drexton.
Kieran didnt know how the schemer who plotted the trap achieved it but he knew something more terrifying and more dangerous would be waiting for Drexton ahead.
While Kieran should be a fish in the moat when the castle caught fire, an innocent bystander got caught in the disturbance, otherwise, the enemies wouldnt have utilized such simple formations to deal with him.
Huu!
Kieran let out a heavy sigh and looked at the owner in front of him again.
If it was possible, Kieran who already had his own n and didnt want to get too involved in Drextons own incident at the moment but since it already happened, Kieran wouldnt just run away either.
Dear sir, what are you having today?
The owner asked again following Kierans reaction and gaze; he spoke like a normal human. One could even consider his acting as much better than manymon humans. Despite his words sounding rush, his tone was still as peaceful.
Kieran didnt answer, instead, he leaned back at the chair, ced his right hand on the table and tapped his fingers.
Dok, Dok, Dok.
When the tip of his finger knocked the wooden table, a rhythmic knocking sounded echoed throughout the restaurant.
I want to try everything that you can cook. If it can satisfy me, I turn a deaf ear about what you said just now. If you cant satisfy me, I will make you into his dessert. Kieran spoke slowly.
At the same time, Kieran slightly loosened the restraint on the cardinal sins.
Immediately, the most primitive wicked aura filled the restaurant as if they were chains from theher realm, shackling the owner tightly.
The aura caused fear to rise up in the owners heart instinctively, his body started to shake uncontrobly.
However, a powerful palm was tapped on the owners shoulder, causing his body to go out of controlpletely.
His body was frozen and numb, his throat was gulping down saliva non-stop.
Drexton then stepped out of the void and the scene before their eyes changed immediately.
The familiar restaurant vanished and was revealed to be a cold ck cell.
It wasnt metamorphic saying of the new environment but the scene literally changed to a prison cell.
The floor and walls were forged with iron, only a palm-sized window was on the wall behind Drexton.
Drextonsugh stopped abruptly after the scene changed, he quickly discarded his delight and reced it with a heavy expression.
Come out Mr. Ghost! You know your tricks cant fool me! Drexton growled loudly.
He sounded absolutely sure about the culprit though, or perhaps it was because of his old rival that he was so familiar with the changes.
However, it was also because of the familiarity that Drexton was getting more restless and anxious; Drexton was worrying about Kieran.
Kieran was able to take out all the super criminals like Slither Bone, Predator, and Ironjaw Croc but it didnt mean Kieran was able to oppose Mr. Ghost.
One needed to know whenpared, the former trio had an immeasurable gap of power with Mr. Ghost; It wasnt too over the top to say they were as far apart as heaven and earth in Drextons view.
Only those who truly fought Mr. Ghost understood how scary this super viin was that almost towered above all extraordinary individuals in Alkender City.
Despite Mr. Ghosts attention being on Drexton, the slightest deviation of attention might cause the unpredictable...
When the thought struck Drexton, his breath almost came to a stop.
Huuu!
A violent wind was blowing in the narrow iron-forged cell.
Drexton then punched the ground beneath his feet as fiercely as possible, his senses told him the iron te on the ground was breakable.
As for the four walls, all were impregnable!
Under his normal form, Drexton could not break the impregnable walls.
KABOOM!
When his fist touched the ground, it sounded like a ton of dynamite exploded together at once.
The iron-ted ground shook first before distorting, it was then punched away, revealing the strange sturdy purplish ground underneath.
A pungent smell assaulted Drextons nose right away, causing him to raise his guard.
Without further sensing, a single nce over the purplish ground and the pungent smell that came from it were enough to tell Drexton the ground beneath the iron forged te was poisonous.
Second thoughts? Feeling lost? On one side is your little life, on the other side is the so0called friend of justice, the fledgling who is better than a stranger, waiting to be rescued. How will you choose?
A sharp irritating voice came from the palm-sized window on one of the walls, the owner of the voice was like a theatre actor, singing the words with different tones and pitches.
Before the voice truly subsided, Drexton already stepped on the poisonous ground though.
Right after that, the aura on Drexton surged and at the same time, the strange purple was spreading across Drextons face.
As expected of the Fist of Justice, Drexton eh! This is so touching! Look at your ugly state, Im starting to feel like I dont have the heart to carry out the next step in my n.
The irritating voice paused for a while.
I lied! My n had already begun the moment you stepped in! Thank you for your performance! Now then... let the first act begin!
The sharp irritating voice echoed in the narrow room but was quickly overpowered by a huge explosion.
KABOOM!
Drextonunched another punch!
This second punch didnt just puncture the wall in front of Drexton, the three other around him were shattered to pieces as well but the owner of the irritating voice was nowhere to be found.
Drexton quickly sized up at his new surroundings: his heart sank as a bad feeling entered his heart.
Willis! Willis!
Drexton called out to his assistant multiple times yet he didnt get any responses; Drextons heart sank to rock bottom.
He was no longer in Alkender City and was transported to some other ce.
So... what would happen to Alkender City?
All sorts of worst-case scenarios appeared in his mind, causing Drexton to be more anxious than ever. He started to search formunication tools, trying to contact his assistant and potentially avoid great casualties ahead.
...
Meanwhile, inside Spicy Hot Kitchen, Kieran was holding the knife and fork, softly cutting the piece of themb shank.
Chapter 1062 - Audience
Chapter 1062: Audience
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The ck pepper and cinnamon powder were evenly spread across themb shank but the initial roasting fire was too great, causing the outeryer to be charred yet the inner meat was still a little bit raw.
Especially the essential part of themb shank, the tip of the bone where the fat and leaner meat converged, it was reeking with the smell of undercooked meat and hard for one to eat.
Kieran held on and finished the food in the te and waved at Gluttony.
Gluttony who was already restless jumped on the spirit-like owner, pressing him down and tearing him apart.
It was respectful to finish the food despite how terrible it was.
It waspassion to scold the chef when the food was terribly prepared.
Gluttony of the cardinal sins simply chose a more direct way.
Dok, Dok, Dok.
After crossing the fork and knife on the te, Kierans finger was tapping on the table again.
Seconds turned into minutes.
Kieran couldnt help but frown in worry.
Drexton still hasnt shown up, seems like the situation is much moreplicated... could it be...
2567?! 2567?!
Just as Kieran was figuring out what kind of trouble Drexton ran into, Willis voice entered his ears.
Whats wrong Willis?
Kieran didnt have second thoughts and asked since he had a general idea of what Willis abilities were.
Yes! I finally reached you! We have some serious problems!
Willis was relieved at first but his tone sounded serious right away.
Drexton was transported to Printon City by Mr. Ghosts trap! We dont know what that bastard wanted to achieve but it is nothing good for Alkender City!
2567, we need your help! Willis said quickly.
Sure. I am happy to help wherever I can.
Kieran would never reject an obvious sub-mission or special event and as expected, after his agreement, the system notification popped up in front of his eyes.
[Triggered Special Event: Alkender City Revolt]
[Based on yers choice, yer will be distributed to Hero Alliances side]
[Mr. Ghost has activated the n that he has been toiling away on for a very long. He sessfully deceived Drextons eyes and ears, transporting him out of Alkender City. Now, Mr. Ghost will go out of control and act recklessly. yer must stop Mr. Ghost]
[Note: The faster the yer stops Mr. Ghost, the higher the rating]
...
Great! Stay where you are 2567, Ill send someone to pick you and bring you to Olinde Street Block! Willis said.
That wont be necessary, Willis. I have some private matters to take care of. Dont worry, it wont take long, Ill head to Olinde Street after that. Kieran rejected the offer.
Very well, Ill wait for your arrival then.
Willis then went silent after that.
Kieran wasnt surprised about that though, he wasnt arrogant enough to think that Willis would only contact him. After temporarily losing their leader, Drexton, he must be contacting more extraordinary individuals of justice to fight those super criminals.
Though...
Kieran who suddenly thought of something squinted his eyes and quickly left Spicy Hot Kitchen.
Without pause, Kieran returned to 17th Randletine Street, where Ferris the Freezer was.
Master, wee back.
The moment Kieran stepped into the room, Ferris bowed in a scrupulous and proper manner.
Ferris, have you ever worked with Mr. Ghost before? Kieran asked directly.
No, I havent. I dont qualified to work with Mr. Ghost. Within Alkender City, other than Death Knell and Grudge Dragon, no one is qualified to work with him. However, Death Knell and Grudge Dragon would never work with Mr. Ghost.
Death Knell has his own organization and doesnt get along with Mr. Ghost. Grudge Dragon, on the other hand, is in a peculiar situation, they would never work together. Ferris answered honestly.
Which means, whatever ns he has, Mr. Ghost, is working alone? Kieran asked again to double confirm.
Yes. Since the very beginning, Mr. Ghost has always worked alone! Ferris nodded.
So how many men does he have in Alkender City? Kieran continued.
A lot! Mr. Ghosts powerful abilities alone were enough for him to gather a lot of men. In fact, his name alone would be enough to attract a group of evil extraordinary individuals. After all, a lot of them like using overwhelming numbers and bullying the weak while fearing the strong. Ferris was showing a slight sense of disdain in his words.
Is that so? Kieran said as his words grew quieter.
...
Meanwhile, in a certain cinema theatre in Alkender City, the auditorium was showing a ck and white movie from a long time ago.
Though in the big hall, there was only one person in the audience watching the movie.
The only audience member wasnt just there to waste time, instead, he was watching the movie very meticulously as though he was experiencing a cinematic spectacle that was famous throughout the world.
However, the movie was just mediocre, to the point that even in its release year, its box office reception was so poor that it was taken down after two weeks.
As for the present day, no one would know about this particr ck and white movie.
Even the title, the cast, and the director, all were unfamiliar names.
Minutes flew by, the credits started to roll on the ck and white screen and the only audience member sighed in satisfaction.
A ssic is timeless!
He stood up as he said, trying to walk out of the hall but when he was around 10 meters away from the exit, the only audience member halted his steps.
Do you have a death wish? A sharp voice sounded.
No, no, no. I am just here to remind you most of the good extraordinary individuals have gathered on Olinde Street Block. If you want to make a move, you better be fast, or else...
Drexton will be back soon.
The obviously altered voice came from outside the exit door.
I will show him a wastnd by that time! The audience memberughed coldly.
Turning a city into a wastnd, I dont have that kind of disgusting interest! A prospering city has much more value to it! More so, I really dont want to face the Fist of Justice, when he is pissed.
The voice from outside the exit disagreed with the audiences members point of view.
Means you want to face a pissed off Mr. Ghost?
The audiences members voice started to fill with killer intents.
The exit door exploded into pieces when the only audiences members voice subsided.
KABOOM!
Wood pieces flew everywhere but there was no one outside.
Mystifying the facts with bluffs eh!
The audience member, no, Mr. Ghost coldly grunted in disdain before walking out to the corridor.
He instantly merged himself with the darkness.
Chapter 1063 - Arrangements
Chapter 1063: Arrangements
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Olinde Street Block which was merry and moring quickly quieted down as the citizens scattered back home.
Citizens left for home, shops closed down, all that was left were groups of police officers loaded with real bullets and a bunch of extraordinary individuals with their weird outfits.
The officers were patrolling ceaselessly while in each patrol group was an extraordinary individual dressed weirdly.
Everyone was serious and had a heavy expression, it further made Olinde Street Block more scary and anxious; the routed officers were in fright and they would treat every bush as an enemy.
Drexton falling into Mr. Ghosts trap identally wasnt concealed by Willis, neither would he conceal it because he knew what kind of enemy they were facing.
Mr. Ghost!
A notorious, infamous super viin in Alkender City that everyone knew!
A terrifying criminal who ughtered hundreds and thousands just for his own pleasure and fun.
If their enemy was this ruthless, concealing the idental mistake for the sake of saving face would be suicidal for them all.
Therefore, before Kieran and the other extraordinary individuals entered the meeting hall of the office on the block, Willis had briefed everyone about the severity of the matter.
The situation is not too good for us! Mr. Ghost was prepared for this long ago and we were careless about this. Spicy Hot Kitchen was supposed to be one of my important surveince areas, but the mess that happened in Alkender City recently distracted me, this is my mistake.
Fortunately... 2567 here is willing to join us!
Willis who was there in person, he had curly brown hair and freckles on his face, making him look like a student in high school. He was sitting at the meeting table where Drexton used to sit and was speaking to the other five extraordinary individuals at the table.
Unlike those who followed the officers in patrolling, the few extraordinary individuals at the table were the true pirs in the mainstream who upheld justice in Alkender City.
Each of them possessed decent strength and excelled at their own techniques, therefore when Kieran was mentioned, the rest of the fournded their gazes on him.
The news about Slither Bone, Predator, and Ironjaw Croc being taken out had reached their ears with Willis mutual sharing of information. Due to that, each and every single one of the four extraordinary individual looked at Kieran with quite a curious and judgemental gaze.
They were curious about Kierans abilities, judgemental about his appearance.
They knew about the matters regarding Hell Breath as well and might have even gotten a hold of some intel thatmon men couldnt get their hands on.
Meow, you smell weird, but you look like a good guy. Can I lick you, meow?
The female amongst the four stood right up, circling Kieran while her mouth was teasing him.
Her movements were soft and light, her manners showed nothing but curiosity and although her face was covered, everyone could see the eagerness on her face, especially her restless gaze at Kieran.
Her pupils were straight lines like a cat under the sun, her actions were showing interest like a cat discovering the unknown. The only unfortunate thing was, she had no tail behind her, or else she might look like an oversized cat.
Kieran moved his gaze from her backside, shaking his head with a smile.
Without a second thought, he sternly rejected the weird request.
Ms. Kat Lady, please sit back down, we are discussing a very important matter here... Ah!
Please get off the table!
Not themp!
Your chair is right here!
Willis was preventing the woman named Kat Lady from running wild but he was less than sessful.
Kat Lady was as nimble and as agile as a real cat, jumping and dodging her cat ve who tried to clean her up after toilet session.
The rest of the extraordinary individuals though greeted Kieran one by one.
Vine Whip, nice to meet you, 2567.
A man dressed normally, looked normal with his normal physique extended a friendly handshake to Kieran.
After a small shake, he sat back down in his chair with a smile.
Machinist.
Another slightly thinner middle-aged man with a pair of frameless spectacles stood up and introduced himself. He was wearing a striped T-shirt and worker pants and, no matter which piece of clothing it was, they were tainted by oil and grease; Kieran saw a toolbox beside his feet.
Thest extraordinary individual stood up, nodded but he didnt say anything.
Unlike the others, this man wore a wind coat and a military hat. The lifted cors of his coat and the edge of his hat covered his facepletely.
This is the Silencer, as his title suggests, hes silent and doesnt talk much. He is a nice guy.
Willis got back to his seat after finally persuading Kat Lady to behave and introduced the Silencer.
Now everyone has met, I hope that everyone can work together for the next 5 hours. Boss just gave me a call just now, he said he will be back in the city within 5 hours as well, so all we have to do is hold ourselves until then, Willis continued.
It wont be that hard to hold on for 5 hours with the reinforcement here right? What worries me more is Mr. Ghosts target, what if he isnt targeting this ce? Vine Whip pointed outside the window.
Rx, Vine Whip. If its another super criminal, I cant say for sure but if its Mr. Ghost, I can assure you this final target will be here, or should I say, his target has always been... everyone!
Willis said with utmost confidence despite his young face.
His confidence didnt originate from an empty source though, but engagement after engagement with Mr. Ghost, Willis has engaged Mr. Ghost more than a hundred times, he already knew what the super criminals motive was.
His target is us? Sounds exactly like that director who had lost his limelight! Vine Whip nodded after some thought.
Mr. Ghost being a director in the past wasnt a secret, a lot of the extraordinary individuals knew about it and of course, there were some who purposely went to watch that ck and white movie that he directed in the past, but...
It was too boring! To the point that no one could finish the movie!
Therefore, Mr. Ghosts identity as a director only piqued peoples interest at first and slowly, it had be something people used to ridicule him instead.
Ill go strengthen the machines in the perimeter. Machinist said and walked out by himself.
Silencer also left his seat without uttering anything.
Willis couldnt help but shrug at Kieran when the other two left on their own.
I am not boss, I had to thank God for them even listening to me and being here.
Willis told Kieran with a sense of self-ridicule.
If they are not willing to participate, we are! Vine Whip stood up smiling, acting like he was ready to receive his mission any time.
On the other hand, Kat Lady didnt buy what Vine Whip said and got close to Kieran. She kept sniffing as if she was ready to jump on Kieran, licking him without caring whether Kieran allowed it or not.
Kieran too seemed interested in Kat Lady, he didnt even bat an eye at Willis.
All Willis could do was smile bitterly under the circumstances.
Assign the missions, we will carry it out with our best effort.
Vine Whip said as he went up to Kieran and Kat Lady.
Just ask Vine Whip took the first step, Kat Lady who was circting Kieran, looking for a spot tond her tongue was frightened and jumped aside abruptly.
Bang!
A heavy explosionter, the upper half of Kierans body exploded.
Blood and flesh sttered everywhere, a brilliant green nt grew out of Kierans body, tainted with his blood and was growing rapidly.
Chapter 1064 - Actor
Chapter 1064: Actor
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
As the blood sttered, Willis was astonished as he looked dully at Vine Whip painted red by Kierans blood.
Willis couldnt connect this Vine Whip who showed ferocity underneath the blood and the Vine Whip who was passionate in front of others together.
One needed to know, the reason why Vine Whip was well-known by the people, other than his own powers, was because he was an exceptional approachable characterpared to the other independent superhero characteristics.
However, the scene before his eyes made Willis shift his gaze between Kierans body and Vine Whip, his face was filled with inconceivable looks.
This wasnt a disguise!
His own senses and Kat Ladys exceptional sniffing proved as such.
If the Vine Whip before them was the real person, which mean...
Y-You...
I am a spy! From the very first moment I appeared in front of everyone, I have been waiting for this day! The charms of theatree from the surprise of the ordinary. I cant deny his saying but I myself acknowledged the other saying, the strongest fortress can be destroyed from within!
Willis stuttered, trying to reason with Vine Whip but he was interrupted.
Vine Whip wiped the blood off his face and spoke slowly; he suddenly dodged aside.
Sou!
A sharp w strike grazed Vine Whips body and left a distinct mark on the ground.
Kat Lady jumped out from the shadow and dished out another keen strike.
It was faster and fiercer than the first yet still missed its target.
Decent attack, silently ambushing prey with the sharpness of a de. Too bad... Ive seen it too many times! Ive simted this in my heart countless times, how to dodge your w and... counterattack! Vine Whip praised with a click of his tongue.
The brilliant green nt that came out from Kierans body grew rapidly and filled the entire meeting room following the click of his tongue. Hundreds of vines sprouted out and were striking Kat Lady with heavy air-whistle.
Instantaneously, every dodgeable spot waspletely blocked, regardless of how nimble or how fast Kat Lady was, all she could do was withstand the whipping.
Willis wanted to help but a single vine struck him, sending the nonbatant extraordinary individual flying away; that vine then tightly entangled Willis, tying him down.
I suggest you stay put. You are more valuable when you are alive. The finale that he has set up requires you to be the protagonist.
As for the other part, it will obviously be our Fist of Justice!
Choices! Choices between life and death are the most anticipated thing and a tragic ending is the most unforgettable!
This isnt really from my own thoughts but Mr. Ghost wants me to deliver it to you and seeing that scrumptious y, I said yes, Vine Whip said hypocritically.
Willis struggled even harder, causing the tough and thorny vines to restrict his body tighter, cutting his flesh and spilling his blood.
However, as if Willis couldnt feel pain, he twisted his body even harder because he knew what Vine Whip said was the truth. He would eventually be a burden to Drexton.
Willis knew it since the beginning, so he had the worst case scenario nned in his head.
As he was struggling, Willis gave his best effort to reach towards his waist with his hand.
You think you are wless eh? Willis tried to capture Vine Whips attention with his words.
Arent I? Stop ying tricks, its useless! The moment I made my move, the oue had been sealed. Even if Silencer and Machinist get back here now, it will not change anything!
Vine Whip pointed at Kierans body and Kat Lady who was stuck in a tough situation before looking at Willis with a ridiculing gaze, bantering him.
Nope, no need for the other two to get back here! The moment you made your move, you were destined to fail! You really think Drexton needs 5 hours to get back here? Or do you really think I was distracted and never noticed Mr. Ghost?
This is all a setup, a bluff to lure the rat like you out of the bunch! Willis screamed withughter.
Amidst hisugh, Willis saw a slight dy on Vine Whips face, it shed away in a fraction of a second but Willis caught it properly.
Just like how you got familiar with Kat Lady and thought about how to lock her down, you must think the same about Drexton as well. However, Drextons strength will make you helpless against him! His strength is absolute suppression, no matter what kind of despicable means you use, you will not end up good! Other than death, it is still death for you! No one can be careless in front of death, even for a spy like you!
Willis mind was spinning rapidly, thinking Come closer!, trying to lure Vine Whip into range. His face showed more confidence and hisughter got louder.
Stop exaggerating with your bullsh*t! Vine Whipughed coldly yet he was walking closer to Willis.
Come on! Come on closer! Willis thought in his heart.
However, just a step before effective range, Vine Whip stopped; a big grin appeared on his face.
Hahahahahaha! What a lousy joke! An amateur like you dares to y actor, acting in front of a pro? You are too naive, too childish, boy!
A sharp irritating voice suddenly came out of Vine Whips mouth.
Willis was frightened when he heard the sharp irritatingughs.
Mr. Ghost?! Willis cried out in shock.
Vine Whip was Mr. Ghost? Impossible!
Willis who never thought about this possible oue was stunned, his eyes were zed over.
Even Kat Lady who was focusing her efforts on dodging the vine whip strikes couldnt help but pause her movements a little.
As the situation unfolded, Vine Whip...no! Mr. Ghostsugh sounded more delightful.
Surprised?
Both of their surprised and dull expressions were an extreme pleasure to Mr. Ghost.
Mr. Ghost was filled with self-satisfaction as if he returned to the peak of his stage that he once lost.
He raised his arms, imagining himself under the shining spotlights, bathing in the shes of cameras.
He lifted his head, listening to the praise that didnt exist.
No! The praising did exist! The spotlights and shes too!
Mr. Ghost was intoxicated with his own pleasure. He was so carried away to the point that only the pain that struck his core could wake him up.
Puk!
Mr. Ghost looked down following the excruciating pain, he saw a palm go through his chest, he felt his heart being squeezed and saw that sneer, a face filled with ridicule.
Surprised? Kieran signaled with his lips.
YOU THINK YOUVE WON? Mr. Ghost then roared like thunder.
...
At the same time, on top of the roof of a skyscraper on Olinder Street Block, another Mr. Ghost was also yelling at Kieran.
YOU THINK YOUVE WON?
Didnt I?
Kieran who was also on the roofunched a kick at Mr. Ghost head, crushing it like watermelon after the question filled with mockery.
Bang!
Blood and brains were sttered everywhere.
Chapter 1065 - Again and Again
Chapter 1065: Again and Again
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
On top of the roof, Fire Ravennded on Kierans shoulder like a hawk.
Its keen eyes were sizing up its surroundings while it caressed Kierans cheeks with its head.
Kieran also touched the Fire Ravens wings in return. He didnt even bat an eye at the rapidly withering body of Mr. Ghost.
When he got the details from Ferris, he understood that Mr. Ghosts most talked about abilities were his ability to appear like a ghost everywhere and his attainments in mystical illusions, plus the one time Mr. Ghost appeared in two ces at once with the exact same look; Kieran was prepared for this.
Therefore, Kieran sent high demon Bloody Mary in his ce to participate in the meeting Willis held.
At first, Kieran didnt expect Vine Whip to be one of Mr. Ghosts clones, the reason why he sent Bloody Mary there was just to allow himself to have a better viewing angle as an observer while using what he obtained to search for Mr. Ghost.
It was all a meticulously nned trap.
Based on his little understanding of Mr. Ghosts character, Mr. Ghost wouldnt have let that slip through his attention and just as expected, Mr. Ghost appeared before Kieran.
With the Fire Ravens sight, Mr. Ghosts figure was exposed with a single nce.
Kieran hid his presence and after a simple ambush, Mr. Ghost was taken out easily.
Of course, Kieran wouldnt think the battle was over.
He heard off Mr. Ghosts ability to appear in two ces at once with the exact same look, but it didnt mean Mr. Ghost could only create a single clone.
Judging from the withered body, it was safe to say Mr. Ghost could at least create two or more clones at once.
Out of natural habit, everyone loved to hide one or more aces under their sleeves, Mr. Ghost was no exception; Kieran as well.
Competing in the number of clones are we now?
Kieran muttered softly to himself as he walked to the edge of the skyscrapers roof.
The strong wind of the high altitude caused his ck feather mantle to flutter loudly, his eyes were gazing over the entire Olinde Street Block.
Gawk!
Kieran raised his arm and Fire Raven soared again.
The ominous voice caved gold and pierced rocks; the ominous name flew and circled the skyline.
...
Aaaaaaargh!
Arrogant fool! How dare he ruin my y!
Amidst the loud and sharp yelling, Mr. Ghosts figureid over a body and woke up; he started to recall thest scene.
Right away, endless insults and shame gued Mr. Ghost, one of the top super criminal in Alkender City.
You think youve won? Dont you know I am everywhere?! Dont you know...
Mr. Ghost was mumbling to himself but his voice stopped abruptly when a figure walked out from the shadows behind him.
Impossible!!
Mr. Ghosts eyes widened as he saw Kieran who looked proud and arrogant with a puppy in his hand.
Then... there was no finishing his sentence.
Pride triggered the Cardinal Sins Force and the dark mes from theher realm burned Mr. Ghosts body. Even Mr. Ghost chose to escape via his body shifting almost instantaneously after Pride appeared, the dark mes followed him like his shadow, until his veryst breath!
However, Pride coldly grunted when he saw the mes burn the body.
Pitiful little tricks.
Prides tone was disdainful. When he was prepared to pursue victory while it was hot, Kierans order came through his heart and ordered Pride to stop.
What Pride thought, Kieran could see and feel, it was one of the promises for Pride to appear again, sharing thoughts and vision. Likewise, Pride would not and could not defy Kierans order but it didnt mean he would not vent his dissatisfaction.
So, the other cardinal sins suffered from the dissatisfaction.
Lust covered his abdomen as his body was twitching.
Greed covered his eyes as tears rolled down his cheeks.
Gluttony covered his stomach, kneeling down on the floor.
Wrath became dull and still like calm water, unmoved by waves and ripples.
Envy though acted like a saint or even Buddha, transcending over every materialistic gain.
Sloth who should be sleeping all the time woke up meddling, wandering around in excitement as if he had unlimited energy.
The exact opposite energy was running wild in their body like a giant hammer smashing their head.
It didnt just cause them pain, it shook their brains, causing a terrible buzz in their ears and made them doubt their existence.
Their doubt of existence even triggered a chain reaction and almost led them to self-destruct, if Pride didnt stop his torture in time.
The other cardinal sins felt terrified and bbergasted at Pride. They couldnt understand how Pride did that to them despite being the same existence as all of them.
However, their nature of bullying the weak and fearing the strong drove them into silence.
Though being bullied by Pride made their silence more insufferable, they found a channel to vent their anger.
They carried out Kierans order to track down the presence of the soul.
Each of the cardinal sins located many of the Mr. Ghosts copies hiding throughout the city.
...
You think youve won? I...
Puk!
Before Mr. Ghost finished his deration, Lust twisted his head off.
...
You think youve wo...
Puk!
Mr. Ghost was out of breath when Greed ripped his chest apart.
...
You think yo...
Crack!
Gluttonys immense strength snapped Mr. Ghosts body when he hugged him.
...
You think youve...
Bang Bang Bang!
Wraths furious punchesnded on Mr. Ghosts body like the rain. Within a breaths time, Mr. Ghost was turned into a pile of meat.
...
Mr. Ghost woke up from another body of his and this time, he didnt speak anymore but what would it change?
Its you! Its all your fault!
You must die! Die!
Envys grudgeful voice sounded as he jumped on Mr. Ghost like a furious beast, biting piece after piece of Mr. Ghosts body.
Mr. Ghost wanted to resist but the abilities that he took pride in back in the day werepletely useless now.
If he were to escape via body shifting, Kieran had the ability to chase him like a shadow as if Kieran didnt need to move with his body.
If he were to utilize his illusory means, Kieran would swallow all the illusions like a ck hole.
As for cloning himself?
Wasnt it obvious already?
Mr. Ghost died once more after Envy bit his throat off.
When Mr. Ghost woke up again, the once notorious super criminal that struck fear in the citizens heart started to be careful.
His cloning wasnt unlimited as he would need enough suitable bodies to create.
All these years, all he could save up was a total of 8 bodies, which meant this body was hisst and real one.
Therefore, thest body was ced at the most secluded ce by himself. He was confident that he would not be located easily.
Then...
Mr. Ghost heard someone yawned, the kind of yawn that would infect whosoever heard it and incite them to sleepiness.
After that yawn, Mr. Ghost lost his consciousness.
Sloth walked out from the shadow yawning, looking tired as ever, or he was even more tired than before.
However, Sloth was quickly energized when he sensed the presence of something interesting.
Chapter 1066 - 7th Sculpture
Chapter 1066: 7th Sculpture
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The ever tempting presence lured Sloth to take a step out but Sloth clenched his teeth, holding it together.
No! I cant! If I continue on like this, I will fall into eternal darkness!
Sloth clenched his teeth as hard as he could, he opened his eyes and even triggered some of the core energy in his body to counter his instinct, still, his efforts were like putting out a cartload of fire with cups of water.
At this particr moment, Sloth eximed about how powerful Pride was again because fighting against his own instinct was too difficult. It was like asking a tiger or a wolf to give up meat, turning them into vegetarians.
The fight would not just torture the body, it will torture the mental state as well.
Bang!
Bang! Bang!
Bursting sounds could be hearding from Sloth.
Each sound of bursting represented the slight Origin Force in his body being ignited and following each burst, Sloth grew weaker.
Sloth kept on fighting his instinct until his body turned faint, a bitter smile was hung over his face.
I still cannot see? Why the hell did I resist it? Isnt it just better to follow ones instinct? At least... still... alive...
Doubts once against appeared in Sloths heart, together with the temptation outside, he was moved.
When Sloth finally lost it and took steps towards the origin of the temptation...
Dak, Dak, Dak, Dak.
Strong and powerful steps sounded in his ears; it was very familiar.
Kieran himself then appeared within Sloths line of sight.
Is Mr. Ghosts real body that powerful?
Kieran raised a puzzled brow at Sloth who was fading away.
Kieran didnt feel any breathtaking battle through Sloths view but as one of the Cardinal Sins Force, Kieran would not just give up on Sloth.
With a thought from his mind, Sloth vanished and returned to his special heart.
Vigorous Cardinal Sins Force was poured into Sloths core after his return.
The core energy that he lost before didnt just get refilled in an instant, even his cells started to change in a subtle way.
While feeling the subtle changes, Sloths will was overfilled with joy. He even started to dance defying his own instinct and character, celebrating his new reborn self.
At the same time, he again defied his own character and sent feelings of gratitude to Kieran.
Hmph!
Pride coldly grunted in disdain. Lust, Greed, Gluttony, Wrath, and Envy were still sinking in depression.
Huh?
Kieran was slightly stunned when he sensed the feelings but when he wanted to continue getting a grasp on these feelings, what he felt was the wicked and sinful Cardinal Sins Force.
Kieran, however, didnt think it was his own overthinking.
His near rank III Spirit would never cause him to have some extra delusional thought under normal circumstances; Kieran rted it to the unusual behavior of Sloth.
Did something I didnt notice happened?
Kieran thought silently and unconsciously raised his guard and attention towards Cardinal Sins Force.
Before thinking about the good, first, think about the bad.
It was Kierans habit that he developed after countless lessons. Despite reaching his current level, it was hard for him to change, or rather, he would never change.
Simr to how Kieran would be overjoyed when he saw a piece of unexpected loot.
A sculpture with a big face and two legs slowly floated out of Mr. Ghosts body.
When he saw the weird looking statue and felt the familiar aura, Kieran had guessed in his mind already.
He woke up and picked the sculpture up; the information was disyed before him right away.
[Name: Mordins Seventh Sculpture]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: Epic]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: I]
[Attribute: 1: Shadow Trailing Steps; 2. Shadow Trailing Strike]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: It originates from Master Sculptor Mordin and it was his seventh masterpiece but Mordins will caused it to mutate in a weird way.]
...
[Shadow Trailing Steps: Able to perform short-range teleportation with shuttling through shadows. Able to teleport yourself or others but user would need Shadow Counter to pinpoint the location beforehand; Gains 2 Shadow Counter every day, able to store up to a maximum of 10. When the teleportation is used, consume 1 Shadow Counter. (Each teleportation of more than 30 kilometers distance consumes 1 Shadow Counter), Shadow Counter: 0]
[Shadow Trailing Strike: Consume 2 Shadow Counter to perform a Strong shadow attack on enemies within sight. Following the increase of Shadow Counter, attack level will increase as well (Highest attack rank is I and would consume 10 Shadow Counter). When Shadow Trailing Strike kills an enemy, replenish Shadow Counter based on targets HP.]
......
Although he had guesses about it, Kieran was still stunned when he truly saw [Mordins Seventh Sculpture].
First, he never thought Mr. Ghost would possess one of the sculptures.
Second, he never though Mordins sculpture would reach Epic Rarity.
More importantly, this was just the seventh sculpture and based on his information, Mordin has a total of 8 sculptures altogether.
The third is Rare and the seventh is Epic. Based on the rarity ranking of the numbers, the first and the second should be the weakest, probably at Magic rank. The four, fifth and sixth, at least one of them is at Legendary and the eighth would be a higher rank item... what will happen if I collect all eight of the sculptures?
Kieran couldnt help but rte into more when he felt the distinguished ranking between the seventh and the third sculpture.
He was already interested in the sculptures and now, his interest was piqued to its highest.
However, Kieran didnt forget what he should do at the moment.
After stuffing the seventh sculpture into his bag, Kieran started to search inch-by-inch in this secret base of Mr. Ghost.
How could a super criminal like Mr. Ghost have no collections in his base?
...
Just as Kieran was looting his spoils of wars, the news of Mr. Ghosts defeat spread across Alkender City like the wind.
Some were shocked, some were skeptical, some were angry.
A gloomy sinister voice could be heard from a certain spot.
Arrogant stupid idiot! Bringing his own demise on himself! The worst thing is that your death affected my n! Your death will not be regretted, Mr. Ghost!
The sinister voice sounded full of grudges and hate but right after that, the hatred turned into suspicion
You are really shocking eh, 2567... How did you do it?
The sinister voice got quieter and eventually was reduced down to nothing.
...
Meanwhile, in another spot, another raging voice got even louder.
I warned him before! Asking him to be careful! Really an arrogant stupid idiot!
Simr to the sinister voice, this raging voice was alsomenting on Mr. Ghost.
Then, the raging voice was overflowing with killing intent.
2567 eh? You are dead meat!
Chapter 1067 - Printon
Chapter 1067: Printon
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Four hours after the incident, Kieran walked back into Spicy Hot Kitchen under Willis respectful gaze.
Spicy Hot Kitchen was renewed and refurbished, returning it to a brand new state. Drexton who rushed back to the city was sitting at the bar, looking at Kieran with a face full of smiles.
Sometimes, I doubt myself as well. I keep asking myself, why would I keep doing these arduous and fruitlessbors. They are not the same asmon men, each of them were extraordinary individuals, each of them moved in unique ways, and each of them would not just change their initial motifs because of your help.
In fact, even without any help, they would be fine as well.
So is this all just to satisfy ones heart of justice? Fulfilling the vanity of someone or just to disy how extraordinary one is? These doubts would fill my mind from time to time and then, there will always someone who gives me a very clear answer. Thest time, it was Herzer, and now its you, 2567.
Your appearance made me reaffirm my own conviction: whenever you need help, please help someone else first, Drexton said with praise and sigh.
He then signaled for Kieran to sit down.
Im sorry that the lunch I owe you became dinner but trust me, this dinner will not disappoint.
Hoss, youre up!
With apologetic tone, Drexton gave a thumbs up to the real owner of Spicy Hot Kitchen, Hoss.
Leave it to me!
A slightly chubby middle-aged man with a round face quickly got to cooking.
After a while, a pungent and aromatic spiciness filled Kierans nose.
Kieran took a deep breath and savored the smell. He had an unrequited love for all food, especially when a decent chef handled the cooking, the anticipation in his heart would climb up by the minute. Once it reached the highest point, a te of delicious cuisine would be served in front of him.
That feeling... was the best!
However, being drunk on his own little anticipation didnt lower Kierans vignce and perception; Kieran noticed Drexton was breathing irregrly.
Youre hurt? Kieran asked.
The first time Kieran met Drexton, he was like a mountain peak in Kierans senses, not only towering above all but tenacious as well.
Now, the mountain peak felt like it has suffered a violent typhoon or a destructive earthquake, wobbling off and about to fall.
Em. Its not that easy to travel quickly from Printon back to Alkender. Im quite lucky though since I didnt run into those troublesome bastards, otherwise...
Drexton didnt hide the fact and nodded, his expression was thankfulness due to him being lucky.
Printon?
Kieran raised a puzzled brow when he heard the city name from Drexton again.
It is a city that has been through destruction. The city itself is a haven for criminals, no order, no mercy, no kindness, nothing! All it houses are lies, killing, and hatred!
Following their budding rtionship, Drexton didnt shift the topic this time, instead, he exined to Kieran in details.
At first, Printon and Alkender were very much alike. There were superheroes, and also super criminals. Until one day, all the superheroes of Printon vanished without a sign!
Vanished! Not murdered, not ughtered, and they definitely didnt leave the city but they just vanished, out of thin air!
No one knew what happened but those super viins seized the opportunity to roam freely without caring and with the absence of the superheroes, the higher ranking officials of the government didnt evenst three days before it went down. Everything was shuffled, some were killed, some were enved and some even pledged loyalty to evil.
Printon was turned into a living hell, for themoners and for us extraordinary individuals.
Drexton said with a heavy tone.
So until this day, that ce still has a bad influence towards the extraordinary individuals that serve justice?
Kieran easily picked up a clue from Drextons expression and words.
It wasnt that hard though, given Drextons character, if Printon wasnt in an unredeemable situation, he would have gathered extreme manpower to reim Printon.
Yes. That ce was turned into a harsh ce towards us extraordinary individuals that serve justice. We dont only lose a big portion of our powers, our bodies will be weakened as well. On the contrary, those who serve evil were are like fish returning to the water, their abilities and bodies were enhanced in various ways. That is why that ce was known as a haven by those criminals. Drexton nodded.
We haveunched more than one investigation into Printons situation but each and every time, we would return empty-handed and lose quite a number of men. Willis beside added.
The assistant was looking at Kieran with very sincere eyes.
Thanks. When I got the news Drexton was set up by Mr. Ghost in the afternoon, I almost suffered a meltdown! I worried that Alkender would be a second Printon. Thankfully, you defeated him, thank you. Willis paused for a while before expressing his gratitude again.
Defeated?
Kieran shook his head and took out a package from his backpack; he passed it to Willis.
Willis was stunned.
T-This...This is? He asked in a stuttering voice.
Mr. Ghosts head, Kieran answered calmly.
Mr. Ghosts head?!
Willis cried out in shock first before anxiously opening up the package. When he had a good look at the contents of the package, he screamed out in shock again.
Even Drexton beside him who had guessed was bbergasted when he saw the head.
After a few seconds, only then did Drextone to his senses.
2567, you are more powerful than I imagined! How did you do it? This guy has too many clones... Oh, pardon me, I shouldnt have asked, I am just very excited!
2567, so are you willing to join the Hero Alliance?
Excited, Drexton once again offered the invitation to Kieran again.
Kieran however answered with the same reply.
Nope. I am used to my own ways of dealing with problems.
Kieran said while heid eyes on the new system notifications.
[Special Event: Alkender City Revolt (Complete)]
[Eliminated Mr. Ghost, acquired High ratings, do you wish to continue? Yes/No]
Yes.
Simr to before, his answer hadnt changed, just like his ns.
Therefore, when Drexton signaled Willis, the assistant passed Kieran a cheque.
Kieran caught a glimpse of the 300K currency of the dungeon world and he directly rejected it.
Dont reject it, you deserve it. Besides, if you reject it, some other guys who had a harsh life yet huge egos will copy you in rejecting. Once they reject the rewards, they wont even be able to afford a meal.
Please, take it. This isnt just about you alone.
Drexton was still very persistent, or rather stubborn about certain matters. He quickly told Kieran the serious matter after he saw Kieran reject it.
No, no, Drexton, youve misunderstood my intentions. Its not that I dont want to take the money, but I want to use it to trade for a reward regarding Mordins sculpture. Kieran smiled and waved his hands.
Mordins sculptures?
Drextons face instantly changed when he heard the term.
Chapter 1068 - Spicy Hell
Chapter 1068: Spicy Hell
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
You know about Mordins sculptures?
Kieran maintained his smile as he looked at the sudden changes on Drextons face.
As one of the citys top extraordinary individuals, it wasnt strange for Drexton to know about the peculiar item, Mordins sculptures; it would be strange if he didnt know.
Of course!
Drextons face changed to a never before seen seriousness.
Then, he spat out each and every word seriously, Mordins sculpture is magical, but its more terrifying.
It will not just bewitch peoples heart, causing one to lose their personality, it will convert one into the sculptures puppet. Ive seen a few bewitched guys fall into the grasp of the sculpture and all of them ended...badly.
Dont even think that being an extraordinary individual will make you immune to the bewitchment. Extraordinary individuals indeed can resist the bewitchment at first but the influence of the sculpture will eventually get to you, like water piercing a rock over time.
If its possible, I hope that you stay away from Mordins sculptures! Drexton tried to dissuade Kieran.
However, such dissuasion wasnt effective on Kieran. He knew the threats of the sculptures but he also knew their value.
Aside from the potential changes after gathering all eight sculptures, each of the sculpture rarity was enough for Kieran to never give up on them.
Out of the eight, one would at least be Legendary, one would at least be in the higher order or perhaps even higher; no yers would give up on them, Kieran was no exception.
I know, but I have my own reasons, Kieran said.
Fine then, I understand. Ill try my best to assist you.
Drexton eventually nodded his head when he saw how stern Kieran was with his decision.
After that, both of them didnt linger on the topic anymore, instead, they shifted to other things.
Naturally, Drexton was speaking most of the time and Kieran was listening. It wasnt until Hoss served them dinner that the conversation between them finally ended.
Have a taste of my specialty, Spicy Hell! Hoss smiled as he removed the lid on the te.
When the lid was removed, steam rose up instantly and the spiciness 10 times stronger than before rushed into Kierans nose but the aroma that came with the spiciness was at least 20 times stronger.
Kierans mouth unconsciously secreted saliva, his eyes were locked at the food on the te: a big piece of steak filled with gravy.
The steak was garnished with some broli, tomato, and corn.
Kieran instinctively extended his fork and knife, quickly cutting a piece of the steak and delivered it into his mouth.
BOOM!
When his tongue touched the steak, it felt like an explosion went off in Kierans mind.
Spicy!
Spicy! Spicy!
The burning spiciness made Kieran feel like he was eating a piece of burning coal yet he had no intention to spit it out.
The aroma and the juicy beef made him chew the piece uncontrobly, then...
Kieran was stunned!
He was able to distinguish a dash of bean texture amidst the spiciness on his tongue.
Is this tofu?
Staring at the piece of steak that looked and felt like real beef, Kieran munched even faster.
More and more of the tofu taste started to appear but it didnt wash away the spiciness, instead, it set off the spiciness, making it more obvious and independent.
However, if that was really the case, it would be nothing but spiciness. It might cause one to be stimted and excited but it wouldnt cause one to indulge in pleasure without stop.
Is it the gravy? The gravy has real beef juice mixed with it! And... the vegetables!
Kieran quickly stuffed the broli, tomato, and corn into his mouth.
The broli was actually steamed with cabbage juice and fish broth.
The tomato was actually chicken meat cooked with tomato juice and served in that particr shape.
The most interesting part was the corn...
Crack Crack!
Crack Crack!
Crunchy noise came out from his mouth.
Deep fried cartge! Kierans eyes shone.
His eating speed got even faster, especially when a bowl of rice was served, he ate 10 times faster.
Even though he was drenched with sweat, he never stopped for a moment.
Bowl after bowl of rice was gobbled down, it wasnt until the rice cooker was empty that Kieran was forced to stop.
Thank you!
Kieran thanked Drexton with a sincere tone. He thanked Drexton for bringing him to taste such a special, meticulously prepared meal.
He then looked at Hoss, the chef. His calm eyes carrying the frantic passion behind made Hoss shudder uncontrobly.
I want three more servings of the exact standard!
Kieran said while feeling the burning sensation circting his body and the joyous scream of Gluttony.
Why do I feel like what I did for you before was even more useless than bringing you to a meal? Drexton talked to himself with a bitter smile.
Because food is always special..
Kieran said as he nced over the newly added attribute on his vision.
[Consumed Spicy Hell, triggered attribute in a small chance: Fiery Hot]
[Fiery Hot: You are closer to fire, every authentication regarding the Fire element will be increased by 1,sts for 1 hour.]
...
Kieran didnt feel any clear effects of [Lucky Card] in other aspects but after the meal, he clearly felt it.
Fiery Hot eh? This point alone was worth it! Kieran thought quietly.
Fire was special to Kieran. It was so special that any kind of changes in the element would change the tides of war.
Thats right, the war! Not battle!
When the scorching heat in his hand reached a higher level, Kieran was fearless against any kind of enemy, quantitative qualitatively speaking.
All his enemies would be burned to ashes under his fiery rage.
Roar!
The devils roar echoed in his ears.
The burning blood flowed across his body from his heart. The branded runes of the basic skills were lit up instantly one after another.
The chaos and darkness in his body were dispersed faster than before.
Although it was just a little faster, it was enough for Kieran to make changes to his decision.
Hoss, I want 10 servings! Kieran said.
Gluttony cheered in joy, he kept urging Kieran but Kieran wasnt moved.
Power! I can give you more power! So eat! Let me eat! Gluttony promised.
His promise, however, wasnt an empty one because Gluttony made his move.
He brought his own persistence, his own conviction and transformed into a unique Cardinal Sins Force, circting around Kierans body behind Devil Force.
Scram! Get off! Get the hell away! I want to eat! Whoever dares stand in my way, Ill eat them!
Gluttony was roaring at the chaos and darkness in Kierans body and was fighting them with unprecedented power.
The chaos and darkness dispersed even faster after that.
Kieran took it all in with a calm face but his heart had even more anticipation towards the scene.
There shouldnt be just a single spot like Spicy Hot Kitchen in Alkender City right?
There must be more simr ces.
Well, of course, if Kieran wanted to taste all kinds of simr foods, he would have to spend a fortune, but was Kierancking the current dungeon worlds currency after cleaning up Mr. Ghostsir?
Gluttony clearly caught on Kierans line of thinking at this particr moment.
Gluttony was boiling! He was in a frenzy, he had forgotten himself!
All he had left was a single thought: EAT!
EAT! EAT! EAT
Chapter 1069 - Glutton Emperor
Chapter 1069: Glutton Emperor
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Under Drexton and Willis dullish gaze, Kieran finished 10 servings of Spicy Hell, without leaving anything behind; the tes were licked to a squeaky clean state.
Uh... This...
Willis looked at Kieran who wasnt that tall or that muscr yet finished all the food; Willis was rendered speechless.
He couldnt imagine how Kieran managed to finish all that.
Was his stomach a bottomless pit?
Hold on!
Stomach, bottomless pit!
Herzer the Wine Barrel!
Almost instantaneously, Willis thought about another extraordinary individual.
Herzer was also a superhero that saved Alkender City before and simrly had a big stomach that others couldntprehend.
The only difference was, Kieran could eat while Herzer could drink.
Can drink and eat...
Willis muttered softly, his eyes at Kieran and Drexton started to look weird.
Drexton, on the other hand,ughed bitterly. Of course, he knew why his assistant looked at him in a strange way. Drexton himself had extreme love towards food as well, and there were always other extraordinary individuals with a passion for eating and drinking around him as well.
Herzer the Wine Barrel who could drink half a truckload.
Kat Lady who could easily consume a box of sardines.
Silencer who loved sweets and owned two bakeries himself.
Machinist, the one who required 10 kilograms of meat since he loved roasted meat.
Now, Kieran who ate 10 servings of Spicy Hell and still wasnt satisfied.
All simr things and people will be attracted by a single point. When that single point was food, the people who liked food would automatically gather around and when meeting people who shared the same passion, the pleasant feeling would surpass all.
Drexton exined to his assistant.
So is it the reason for you to order two more servings of Spicy Hell? Boss, if you keep eating and drinking without consequence, the Fist of Justice will be the Fist of Eating and the Hero Alliance will be the Big Eater Alliance.
Willis rolled his eyes at his boss; he took out his own beef burger and munched away.
Big Eater? No, no, its food lover, Drexton emphasized.
Is there a difference? Willis asked with the burger in his mouth. His words were unclear since he was chewing the patty.
Yup! A big eater only eats a certain food, a food lover eats everything! Drexton replied seriously.
Shouldnt it be a big eater eats everything and a food lover eats after having a taste? Willis asked in a puzzled tone.
Eat after having a taste? If its bad, he will leave it? That is sphemy! An insult to food! That guy shouldnt be called a food lover, Drexton pouted in a disdainful way.
I agree!
Kieran wiped his mouth and stood up. He saw that Hoss was exhausted after making a dozen servings of Spicy Hell continuously.
Ill preorder 30 servings of Spicy Hell for tomorrow, Kieran said.
Okay!
Hoss didnt show any dissatisfaction against Kierans ridiculous order since he was considered as Hosss lifesaver and Kieran showed extreme appreciation for his cooking; Hoss smiled and nodded.
Drexton, you know any more restaurants in Alkender City that I must visit?
Kieran expressed his gratitude to Hoss before turning to Drexton.
Not too many but not too few either. You want a list? Drexton asked.
That would be great! Kieran smiled.
When Kieran took the list and walked out of Spicy Hot Kitchen, he couldnt help but take in a long breath as he was heading towards his temporary lodging spot.
This is better than I expected! Kieran muttered to himself.
The battle capabilities that Gluttony showed when delicious food was around had far exceeded Kierans expectation.
The chaos and darkness that hid deeply in his body were dispersed away 3 times faster than before.
No! They were devoured!
Gluttony was like a hungry tiger tearing its prey apart, munching and swallowing the chaos and darkness.
Although whenpared to the all the chaos and darkness in his body, the devoured part was only a hair off of a bulls back, he believed as long as he could maintain it, he would be able to pierce the rock with drops of water.
Now?
The only thing Kieran had to think of was to give more motivation to Gluttony.
Looking down at the restaurants on the list and ncing over the addresses, Kieran hastened his steps.
...
Following Mr. Ghosts defeat and death, Alkender City weed a hard toe by period of peace.
Other than Chief Officer Pudder getting even more hardworking in clearing the leftover forces of Mr. Ghost, nothing exciting happened in Alkender City for a while.
Of course, the most eye-catching point was still Kieran.
Whether was it the fact that Kieran took out Mr. Ghost or the few days after, Kieran was visiting many restaurants in Alkender City, both were topics of discussion of the people.
Especially Kierans appetite!
More than one person had witnessed Kieran consume 10, 20, or even 30 servings of food at once.
The most astonishing point was, after consuming that much food, Kieran could walk towards the next restaurant without a problem and continued the eating spree.
The Gluttonizer!
The Greedy Eater!
The new titles spread like wildfire in the city but that was what themoners called Kieran.
The extraordinary individuals addressed him as Glutton Emperor!
Unlike themoners, the extraordinary individuals favored towards strength more.
The strong would be respected; the strong would be crowned.
Even those extraordinary individuals who adored freedom would not deny such a concept.
Being able to take out Mr. Ghost who stood on top of the criminal list and roamed Alkender City for years, Kierans strength was undoubted.
Despite his love for food, it wouldnt hurt the essentials.
The title of emperor followed his merits.
Kieran, however, didnt care about the titles. Although he knew if the people continued with the titles, the titles would eventually be a second Bird of Death, the title that was recognized by the system and would grant him decent effects; Kieran had no time to care about those now.
He picked up the pizza and stuffed it into his mouth.
The pepperoni and shrimp, the cheese and the crust filled his mouth in an instant.
The pepperoni had the substantial filling of meat and the shrimp enhanced it with its seafood taste. With the cheese acting as a harmonizer, all the vors were fused into the pizza.
Plus the tiny bits of spices, green pepper, white pepper, sliced tomato, sliced carrots, and cashew nut, with each bite that Kieran took, he was left with an endless aftertaste.
It was as delicious as yesterday but Gluttony didnt react to it anymore.
All Gluttony did was take a taste before going silent.
He didnt even leave the heart since then, let alone devouring the chaos and darkness like a hungry tiger.
Simr food effects will decrease Gluttonys interest? I must try something fresh and never seen before. So this is Gluttonys true sin eh? Kieran thought to himself.
His heart even had the intention to leave everything behind and venture to another city to search for more delicacies.
Kieran had a hard time controlling that urge and desire, he knew what the consequences would be if he acted that way.
If the out of control devil bloodline would turn him into a puppet of flesh and blood, what would the out of control Cardinal Sins Force turn him into?
Kieran didnt want to find out, nor did he wish to try it himself.
Huu!
A deep breathter, Kieran looked at the door.
Dok, Dok, Dok.
Knocking was heard from the other side of the door.
Kieran straightened his body as the guest he had been waiting for finally arrived.
Chapter 1070 - Location
Chapter 1070: Location
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Ferris was like apetent butler. The moment the knocking was heard, he moved towards the door and opened it.
Meow, meow, is 2567 here, meow? His friend is here for a visit, meow!
Kat Lady was standing outside, waving the shopping bag in her hand.
Pleasee in.
Ferris clearly saw 3 sardine cans inside the shopping bag. It didnt stop him from bowing meticulously, inviting Kat Lady in with a please gesture.
Meow, why do you smell like a fridge? Meow hates cold!
2567 meow, I still like your smell the most, meow! You are even better than thest time meow!
Shemented on Ferris first and when she saw Kieran, she jumped into the room.
Kat Lady was like a real cat filled with curiosity, looking both left and right after she entered the room.
Kat Lady went to Kierans desk, sniffing the scent of Kieran; she wanted to lick Kierans cheeks.
Kieran who already saw her weird habits through Bloody Mary easily dodged her licking.
Meow, present meow!
Kat Lady didnt get mad after her lick attack was dodged by Kieran, instead, she raised the shopping bag high and poured the contents out.
Three cans of sardines fell on the desk.
Thanks. Kieran thanked her sincerely after receiving the cans.
Kieran didnt dislike cheap food either, or one should say, as long as it was edible, Kieran would never dislike them.
From how he looked at it, people giving him food were much better than those extravagant decorations that had no actual use.
Ferris, heat it up and serve it as an appetizer for lunch, Kieran ordered.
Yes, boss. Ferris took the three cans of sardines and headed to the kitchen.
Is he a butler, meow? A cook, meow? Kat Lady saw Ferris off with her curious eyes.
A bit of both, Kieran answered.
What about the maiden, meow? Servants, meow? Kat Lady continued her cat-like questions.
They are out to collect information about Mordins sculptures. Kieran didnt hide the facts from Kat Lady.
Mordins sculpture, meow? Scary things meow, but worth a lot meow.
Kat Lady was licking the back of her hand when she spoke.
So 300K as rewards are still not enough? Kieran smiled.
He knew why Kat Lady visited him, in fact, it was a very easy guess as well.
Following his title Glutton Emperor spreading like wildfire within Alkender City, every move he took was under the radar of those intentional parties.
Whether it was requesting for Drexton to set up a bounty for Mordins sculpture or sending Emma Eddie and Bloodman to collect information, each move Kieran made was dering to the outside world that he was interested in the sculptures.
So, given the circumstances, those extraordinary individuals that visited him would naturally be rted to Mordins sculpture.
Of course, there was another possible oue as well, but it couldnt apply to Kat Lady before him. The cat-likedy didnt show any malicious intent.
Not enough meow! At least... Meow? Meow? MEOW?!!
Just when Kat Lady was about to utter a number of her choosing, Kieran stood up and walked towards the bookshelf. He pulled a book from the bunch and following the tick of the spring behind it, the shelf opened up like a gate, revealing the secret room inside that Ferris purposely crafted and the spoils of war that Kieran looted from Mr. Ghosts base.
Golden radiance!
Shining golden radiance plus the light from themp made the scene very dazzling.
Kat Lady covered her eyes and moaned repeatedly.
She then jumped over to Kierans feet, crawling around him like a real cat and wanted to grab Kierans bottom of part of his pants.
Kieran quickly moved aside, dodging the cat grab but Kat Lady didnt give up.
Meow is a pitiful stray, meow! Meow needs a kind-hearted soul to adopt her, meow! You must be a kind-hearted man, meow!
Take meow in! Take meow in!
Kat Lady put on her kitty eyes, looking as pitiful as possible at Kieran.
Take you in?
Let me guess, after taking you in, Ill be your toy and what is yours, you will keep. My sofa, carpet, furniture, all nothing but spots for you to grind your ws. My hands and legs are for you to grind your teeth. You will then look at my face, thinking from the bottom of your heart, what a stupid ve, right?
Kieran crossed his armed, looking at Kat Lady while his face was showing ridiculing expression.
How did you know, meow? No, no, dont misunderstand, meow! Meow is different from others meow, meow is...
Tell me everything you know about Mordins sculpture. As long as it is something I dont know and is verified, you can take one-tenth of the gold here. Kieran directly interrupted Kat Lady who was ying coy.
As for offering one-tenth of the gold as payment and not more?
Although all this gold was from Mr. Ghosts stash, it had almost no value in Kierans eyes, even if he spent it all at once, he wouldnt feel any heartache.
However, he knew if he wanted to get more secretive information regarding Mordins sculpture, he must spend the gold wisely.
To be honest, he would offer even less if he didnt need Kat Lady to promote for him; 10% will be more than enough.
The way he spent the gold wasnt stingy by any means but strategic nning.
Meow knows the location of one of the sculpture! Its in that collectors ce meow!
Meow definitely is not there to infiltrate the collection room! Meow is only here asking for your help after they identally noticed me! Meow is a straight and good meow!
After knowing how much she would get paid, Kat Lady straightened her body and said with a serious tone but her weird ent made her words less serious than she intended them to be.
More so...
Lets wait until after your information is verified, only then you can take the gold, Kieran said calmly.
At the same time, he grabbed Kat Lady by the cor behind her neck and shook up and down.
Kachank!
Arge amount of gold fell off Kat Lady instantly.
Meow meow meow!!
Kat Lady moaned in shock repeatedly after she was shaken from the back of her neck. She wanted to resist but her cat-like nature and instinct wouldnt allow her to.
All the gold she somehow pocketed fell off of her right away.
Dont do that again meow! Meow is angry! Meow!
Kat Lady bared her ws and viciously threatened Kieran when her gold fell off.
Kieran didnt even care about the cat threats, instead, he touched his chin, thinking deeply about this collector.
A collector under Kat Ladys watch list... didnt just possess Mordins sculpture and can even notice an extraordinary individual like her... so coincidental.
Youve finally run out of patience?
Kieran squinted his eyes and curled his lips to a cold grin.
Chapter 1071 - Spread The Bait
Chapter 1071: Spread The Bait
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran and Kat Lady had their lunch at 17th Randletine Street.
Bloodman and Emma Eddie who went out to collect information returned on time with many results as well.
Emma Eddie had the same old look, a leather jacket, a T-shirt, and jeans with a military haircut. Her nose stud though was changed from pure silver to a tinum one.
It was the only item with value that Kieran got from Mr. Ghostsir and in order for his ns to progress smoothly, Kieran lent it to Emma Eddie.
Bloodman, real name Ordork. A street-level thug that relied on stealing and pickpocketing to survive before his abilities were awoken. He was originally the lowest kind of street thug, not only bullying the weak and fearing the strong, his second nature was bluffing and boasting as well.
However, all that was in the past, now?
After falling under Kierans control, Odork the Bloodman worked together with Ferris the Freezer, serving te after te on the table neatly and respectfully.
For the appetizer, we have sardine and egg sd. Ive added some lemon to remove the fishy stench. For the main course, we have tomahawk pork legs with pickled cucumbers and sweet carrots. The side is cornbread and the soup is vegetable tofu soup as you ordered. The vegetables are also the spinach and bok choy you had requested.
Ferris was opening the lids and introducing the dishes like a real chef.
Of course, one shouldnt expect Ferris cooking to be par with a real chef, but it was not bad.
Look at how fast and messy Kat Lady and Emma Eddie gobbled down their meals.
Simr to one not expecting Ferris to have the cooking level of a real chef, one shouldnt expect a cat and a street-level goon to have table manners.
Lunch started and ended with flying forks and spoons as well as tes jumping around the tables.
Kieran didnt have anything to rant about though, he didnt mind not having table manners as long as no one truly wasted food.
After all, no matter how great ones table manners were, when a single person consumed the servings of 3, 5 or even 10 people, table manners would be long gone, might as well maintain ones true nature from the start.
Kat Lady and Emma Eddie perfectly exercised the mentioned acts.
Perhaps out of the habits of a cat, Kat Ladys tes were licked clean after the meal, while Emma Eddie also understood how precious food was.
In the environment she grew up in, everyone would deceive and scheme for a piece of bread, a piece of meat would incite a war. Therefore, Emma Eddie showed exceptional gratitude to her meal and eating environment but it didnt mean she will thank Kieran for it.
The awful bastard once again used her as bait!
Even if he gave her a set of protection, it didnt mean she could be worry-free.
On the contrary, because of her new protective item, Emma Eddie felt even more danger judging from her experience and her exceptionally urate instincts; she couldnt resist though.
Emma Eddie knew she was aboard the pirate ship by now, even if she were to get away from Kieran right now, no one would believe that she had nothing to do with the Glutton Emperor.
Glutton Emperor...
Emma Eddie was muttering the title as she touched her new tinum nose stud.
A few days ago, she would never believe Mr. Ghost was killed that easily, even until now, she felt extremely unreal whenever she looked at Kieran who was responsible for the super viins death.
Emma Eddie knew Kieran was absurdly strong, she even spected Kieran was actually one of the three, Death Knell, Mr. Ghost, or Grudge Dragon in disguise yet she never thought he would kill one of them.
No one understood what Mr. Ghost represented more than Emma Eddie who grew up in the streets.
The superviin was like an underground king of sorts but now the old king was dead.
Alkender City was in a seemingly peaceful period now but it was just the calm before the storm; a new underground king will surely emerge from the bunch.
Despite Chief Officer Pudder running around the streets, arresting the lingering factions one after another, it wouldnt do any good.
Money!
Authority!
Those two things were enough for people to swarm to like a flock of ducks.
Huu!
Emma Eddie couldnt help but take in a deep breath when she thought of the potential happening. Then she looked at Kieran who was drinking his soup peacefully in front of her, she couldnt hold back her urge and asked, Do you know the situation out there? This is the best time for you to give up!
The vegetable soup is quite in, most people dont like it. People would add egg, shrimp or meat inside the soup if they were to drink it. It would definitely make the soup taste better but... it wouldnt be vegetable soup anymore, Kieran said slowly.
I am talking about the streets, the underground world that is rted to the entire Alkender City, not your vegetable soup! Emma Eddie emphasized.
I am referring to my vegetable soup indeed. From how I see it, Alkender Citys underground world is not as important as my vegetable soup. Or should I say, how can Alkender Citys underground worldpare to my vegetable soup? On what basis? Kieran replied inly.
There was no room for doubt in his words and it made Emma Eddie choke, causing her jaw to drop. In the end, she swallowed back her words, she now somehow understood why people addressed him as Glutton Emperor.
While Ferris who made the vegetable soup somehow felt proud of his achievement, he straightened his back uncontrobly. Bloodman Odork didnt think much though, from his point of view, whatever Kieran said was righteous, regardless of how outrageous and ridiculous it sounded, it would undoubtedly be correct.
Kat Lady didnt even care about the little argument, she was in her own world biting the sardine in her mouth.
Meow~ Meow Meow~
Her low cat moans kept on repeating as she sat on the chair like a real cat; she shook her body like a sunflower under the sunshine.
Kat Lady sat like that until lunch was over; she left 17th Randletine Streetter.
2567, you are really a good meow!
Kat Lady then leaped around, vanishing on the streets with baggage on her back a few times bigger than herself.
What a naivedy! Emma Eddie sighed softly.
Emma Eddie was already preparing herself before she headed to Bunder, the collectors house to purchase Mordins sculpture at a high price after she got the order from Kieran. Since she collected the news on his behalf, she knew exactly what Kieran had in mind.
Bait! Another round of spreading the bait!
Emma Eddie who was tasked with going to Bunders house and Kat Lady who left with the bag of gold were nothing but tools used to verify the existence of the sculptures.
As for the end goal?
Emma Eddie took a nce at the secret room housing the gold and Kieran who returned to his study room reading books; she quickly headed towards the car and drove off.
Odork, follow her quietly, protect her as much as you can.
Kieran ordered Bloodman when he heard the car drive off.
Yes, master. Bloodman Odork replied before vanishing in his blood form.
Instantly, only Kieran and Ferris were left in the room.
No!
There were some other unexpected visitors closing in and watching them with intentional gazes.
Chapter 1072 - Unpredictable
Chapter 1072: Unpredictable
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Ferris, take care of it will you?
Kieran said without lifting his head.
He knew these visitors were nothing but pawns used to test the waters that were incited by someone else and blinded by their own greed; they were not the ones he was waiting for.
Kieran would not show mercy to these kinds of people though. He didnt want the mastermind to figure out what was real and what wasnt, simr to how the mastermind kept hiding behind the scene.
After discovering meing back from the dead and being apletely different man than you remember, you must be very perplexed. So in order to clear your mind, you will make a move. Whether the collector, Bunder, is your work or not, you will surely pay attention to him.
Lets hope that you wont get frightened by my subtle means.
Kieran curled his lips to a smirk as if he thought of something funny while reading.
...
Add more men at the doors, corridors, and the stairs. Tell everyone to fire on sight if they spot any intruders, no warnings needed! Bunder ordered his own security chief.
Noted. Dont worry boss, Ive never let you down and I wont this time either! As long as I am here, not even a fly will go through me!
The security chief who was full of energy and power nodded and gave his assurance to his boss.
Although a lot of things didnt make sense, after experiencing an attempted theft, they didnt care anymore.
The value of the collection was enough for the security chief to know what to do.
All he had to do was avoid the fatal parts while shooting and as for others?
The security chief was not fond of theft.
I believe you! Get it done, after this danger, I will give you what you deserve.
Bunder who was already in his old age with his white hair and scrawny face promised.
The security chief felt excited right away when his boss gave him his promise.
Everyone knew Bunder wasnt truly a big boss and he was only slightly well-known among the collectors but he was truly generous.
Especially his generosity, it was what made others so willing to work for him. Plus his good reputation of never breaking thew and disrupting order, some extraordinary individuals who had certain limits didnt mind working for him either; the security chief was one of them.
The security chief held the title of Colossal Arms, he started working for Bunder 2 years ago.
His sry was raised 4 times throughout the 2 years and all sorts of rewards even exceeded his usual sry by a lot; Colossal Arms was delighted to work for Bunder.
Colossal Arms, do we need to contact Drexton?
Dont worry, I am not doubting your professionals but... dont you think this theft is a little weird? I am not some old man who knows nothing! The thief silently broke through four defense lines you personally set up and on top of that, the thief predicted your arrival and vanished! I dont think he is some random John Doe.
More so... will the thief be alone next time? Even if we have the manpower and theyre fully armed, they are not quite enough against extra...
Before Bunder even finished Colossal Arms already understood his intention.
Ill try to contact the Fist of Justice.
Colossal Arms replied after thinking for a few minutes.
Bunder hired him at a high price, so Colossal Arms didnt wish for others to step in on his job.
However, because of his position as the security chief, Colossal Arms had to think about his employers safety.
He didnt engage the thief in thest encounter but based on the tracks the thief left behind, the thief was someone not to mess around with.
Not only vignt but extremely smart!
The four defense lines that he set up was the best proof. Even he himself who was familiar with the changes in his defense couldnt break through silently.
Those who could achieve this feat were only a handful in Alkender City.
Death Knell, Mr. Ghost, and Kat Lady!
The others couldnt achieve the silent breakthrough because of the restrictions of their abilities or they were not capable at all.
Among the said three, Mr. Ghost has the highest suspect, followed by Death Knell andstly Kat Lady.
In fact, as a member of the alliance who served justice, if it wasnt for the responsibility of his job, Colossal Arms didnt even want to list Kat Lady. She might have a notorious record but she had turned over a new leaf since then.
Therefore, the biggest suspects were Death Knell and Mr. Ghost.
Mr. Ghost, however, was killed by Glutton Emperor when the break-in urred, so only Death Knell was left on the list!
When the thought of facing Death Knell came into his mind, Colossal Arms couldnt remain calm anymore. He greeted Bunder before he quickly left the office.
Bunder sat back into his chair and saw his security chief off.
Until his ears could no longer hear the footsteps of his security chief, Bunderughed softly.
A dog can never change its instinct of eating its own sh*t.
A cat... will only remember what it ate and never remember who beat it! How could a cat change its own bad habits? Kat Lady must be eager to seek help from her ally, the Glutton Emperor! The Glutton Emperor that shows extreme interest in Mordins sculptures! I am really looking forward to you fighting the Fist of Justice!
Bunder spoke to himself and leaned back on the chair.
His mind was already fantasizing the things that were about to happen ceaselessly.
Rumor has it that Fist of Justice and Glutton Emperor had a decent rtionship but regardless of how decent it was, Fist of Justice would never show favoritism!
That was why people admired the Fist of Justice but at the same time, it was also his weakness. Bunder has grasped this particr weakness and used in his favors, the feeling was toofortable for him to watch two tigers to fight for a mountain.
Bunder couldnt hold his delight back as he hummed an unknown melody when he thought about the fantastic part.
His fingers were rhythmically knocking on the handle of the chair.
Until he heard Colossal Arms footsteps again, Bunder returned to normal.
Boss, Ive contacted Fist of Justice, he will be here soon. And...
Colossal Arms looked weird as he was trying to report to his employer.
And? Anticipated, Bunder questioned eagerly.
There a woman named Emma Eddie, saying that she is here to purchase Mordins sculpture on behalf of Glutton Emperor. Colossal Arms face looked even weirder as he replied.
Purchase? Not...
Bunder spent quite the effort and willpower to swallow back the word snatch into his guts and without a question the process was extremely hard, even though he swallowed the word back, he was not feeling well.
How is it possible? Why he didnte here and snatch the sculpture but instead offer to purchase it?
Questions were popping up Bunders mind ceaselessly. He then felt hot in his chest.
Cough Cough Cough!
The elderly collector started to cough fiercely.
Chapter 1073 - Killing In The Parlor
Chapter 1073: Killing In The Parlor
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Emma Eddie was sitting on the sofa, waiting patiently.
Her eyes were sizing up the extremely simple parlor while her heart was astonished.
Aside from other decorations, the vase on her right when she walked in should be a relic from thete papal era based on its style.
The story of God giving his blessing to the believers was carved on it.
After slight observation, Emma Eddie could tell the vase was authentic.
Other than the vase, there was another oil painting from war era hanging in the parlor. It had obviously been through restoration but its value was not diminished.
The vase cost around 150K, the painting is at least 100K... If I can find some interested buyers, they might even pay an extra 20K to 30K!
Seems like this Bunder is richer than expected but running into that despicable bastard, you are also an unlucky one, Emma Eddie sighed.
All she did was release a sigh, shed never show any sympathy though. Emma Eddie had dealt with these so-called collectors more than once and she was very clear on how these people truly were.
They were no different than the thieves and robbers on the street, at most their title would sound more gracious and noble.
Some of them even snatched collections with force or trickery; one would shudder when thinking about their despicable means.
Maybe there were some true collectors out there but Emma Eddie hadnt met one before and she didnt hold out any hope for this Bunder.
Her instincts told her the ce was filled with malicious intent and danger the moment she stepped into the house, even more so when Bunder came into the parlor.
The slightly well-known collector in Alkender City was in his old age. His hair was as white as snow and his scrawny face had the marks of time. Although he could walk just fine without servants helping him, it wasnt fast by any means. He spent around 3 to 4 seconds just to walk from the entrance to Emma Eddie, much slower than amon man.
Good day, Mr. Bunder. I am here on behalf of Sir 2567, I heard that you have a Mordin sculpture in your collection, am I right? I hope to purchase it at a high price.
Before Bunder spoke, Emma Eddie took the initiative to stand up, greet him and stated the purpose of the visit. While Emma Eddies back was filled with sweat, drenching her T-shirt,
Bunder who looked old and clumsy in Emma Eddies eyes actually felt like a beast circling its territory and would jump at its prey that invaded its premises with a big bloody mouth.
Terrifying old man!
Emma Eddie never doubted her own instincts, her instincts had saved her more times than she could count and this time was no exception; she got even more careful.
Sir 2567? Well, how did he know I have a Mordin sculpture here? I dont mean to boast but I dont think my men here would leak my collections. Bunder asked a seemingly casual question.
Someone sold that information to Sir 2567, but I never met said person before.
Emma Eddie also replied without hesitation against Bunders question. Even if it was a lie, given the circumstance and potential danger, it sounded real; Bunder didnt notice any ws in the exnation.
Is that so? Im sorry, I do have a Mordin sculpture here but I dont intend to sell it. A real collector will never sell his own precious collections.
After a word to himself, Bunder shook his head, rejecting Emma Eddies proposition.
That is unfortunate then. Ill deliver your answer to Sir 2567 directly. You dont have to worry though, Sir 2567 isnt the kind of person who acts recklessly, I am sure he will understand your reasons.
Emma Eddie then stood up and wanted to leave.
Her heart told her the malicious intent was getting stronger and the danger was increasing; she didnt want to spend another second in the house.
I do hope so.
Seeing Emma Eddie walking away, Bunder lowered his eyelids, covering the viciousness and grudge that almost burst out uncontrobly. After the initial shock, Bunder quickly reacted to what the Glutton Emperor wanted to achieve.
He is trying to use others greed towards Mordins sculpture to mess up the situation, thus fish in troubled waters? You are too naive Glutton Emperor! You dont know who you are messing with! Starting with this woman, I will make you regret teasing me!
The killer intent in Bunders heart grew stronger by the second.
Emma Eddie who was walking away couldnt help but shiver. Her exceptional senses felt the unpleasant feeling from the collector behind her but she knew she was still safe for the time being. The collector wouldnt strike her down within his own house, at least not before Emma Eddie left the premises; Emma Eddie wasnt worried yet.
However, the feeling that something catastrophic was about to happen was like the shadow of death, enshrouding her surroundings and having no intentions of dispersing.
What now? What will happen?
Questions kept gushing into her mind which troubled her and caused her to walk even faster. Her hand unconsciously reached out to her new nose stud, touching it.
It might seem like a casual habit but it gave her a sense of safety.
Then...
A slight breeze grazed her ears. The slight breeze felt like it was blowing from ake during a summer night; not justfortable, it was pleasant and delightful as well.
However, Emma Eddie felt like she fell into an icy abyss as she was frozen on the spot.
The breeze in her senses felt like the north wind that stung her bones. It wasnt just freezing cold, it was dark as well, like the breath of the grim reaper from mythical times.
The breeze surrounded her, causing the formless barrier around her to ripple. Her tinum nose stud then started to crack and it spread out like a spider web.
Pak!
Her nose stud broke into pieces but Emma Eddie survived.
When her formless barrier appeared and blocked the breeze, she seized the window and dashed towards the corner, going after the longer sofa outside parlor; it was the best thing she could find as a temporary shield.
Ayer of fresh blood appeared from Emma Eddies feet and it made her ran even faster. A moment before her formless shield barrier shattered, Emma Eddie ducked behind to sofa.
How do we leave?
Emma Eddie lowered her voice and asked Bloodman Odork who appeared beside her quietly.
She didnt ask why Bloodman was here, nor did she ask what happened because all the little details were not as important as her own life.
Bloodman Odork signaled her to be quiet with his finger and used his powers to corrode the wall behind the sofa.
Meanwhile back inside the parlor, Bunder who covering his own arm had shrunk to a corner. A figure was engaged in battle with Colossal Arms who was enraged because his employer was hurt.
Both of them were engaged in a fierce fight, no one had time for Emma Eddie and Bloodman Odork, nor did anyone hear the weird sound that apanied the police sirens outside.
No!
Bunder caught the weird sound!
Terrified, he tried to open his mouth to call for help but it was toote.
A dagger came out from the shadows and went through his mouth, stabbing through not only his neck but his slicing his voice box as well.
Chapter 1074 - Taking A Walk
Chapter 1074: Taking A Walk
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Bunders body fell to the floor. His zed over and dumbstruck eyes perfectly met Emma Eddies who was hiding behind the sofa causing her scalp to go numb.
It wasnt that she had never seen a dead body before in the streets but it was her first time locking gazes with a dead body like this. Especially when she saw the bloody mouth, Emma Eddie felt her breath turning cold.
Fear rose up from her heart uncontrobly.
She clenched her teeth hard, forcing herself to calm down and not scream in shock.
However, things never progressed towards a better end.
A pair of boots appeared within her line of sight and when she looked up to the owner, she saw the killer with a vicious smile over the face.
The killer looked rugged and had a tattoo on the left side of his cheek.
When she saw the tattoos pattern, Emma Eddie was stunned on the spot.
She knew that tattoo! Or more urately, most people in Alkender City knew the tattoo because it represented Death Knells men!
Death Knell had control of numerous shady organizations and had arge underground force under hismand within Alkender City!
All of the core members of the organizations had the tattoo on their left cheeks
Death Knell!
Emma Eddies eyes shrunk in fear. She couldnt help but take out the small knife she had on her. It was the only thing she has that could be considered a self-defense tool but it was used to peel fruits most of the time.
Damn it! Damn it! Why the hell did I cross Death Knells mens path! Emma Eddie cursed loudly in her heart.
A few days ago, she was running around the streets, trying to escape from the small organization Bloody Ridges and now, she had crossed Death Knells path.
One needed to know, a small organization like Bloody Ridges was less than an ant in Death Knells eyes.
It was like pushing a newbie from the novice vige to fight a 100 Lvl boss! How could she survive this?
Looking down at the dagger in her trembling hands, she then looked up to the Death Knell member who was getting closer. She turned around and saw that Bloodman Odork was concentrating on corroding the wall; he didnt even move.
Emma Eddie wanted to cry but her tears dried up, her heart once again cursed the one who brought all the mess into her life, Kieran.
Another prey! I...
BOOM!
Before the vicious killing words escaped from the killers mouth, he was overpowered by an explosion.
The walls were sted away, bricks were flying around following the impact.
Then, a punch with the power of a mountainnded on the Death Knell members body.
BANG!
The Death Knell member who was smiling viciously moments ago was punched into a cloud of blood mist, dispersing with the dust and debris.
A tall and straight figure walked out from the dust cloud.
Fist of Justice! Drexton!
Without pausing, Drexton went up to Colossal Arms who was engaged with another figure.
Hehehehe...
A weirdugh could be heard in the area but Emma Eddie had no idea what happened after that; Bloodman Odork had sessfully corroded an escape path from the wall.
After Bloodman, Emma Eddie followed him into the path but the moment she crawled in, she noticed it was a corridor with a t and sturdy floor; Emma Eddie noticed something was wrong.
Where does this pathway lead? Emma Eddie asked out of instinct while looking at the end of the corridor.
Bunders collection room, Bloodman said without pausing a step.
What?! What the f*ck? What the hell are you doing?! Emma Eddie was shocked.
What? I am easing the bosss burden, Bloodman said in a righteous manner before going into the dark area in front of him.
DAMN IT! The boss is a f*cker! The subordinate is also a f*cker!
Emma Eddie cursed heavily while looking at where Bloodman disappeared to.
She didnt go back where she came from though, instead, she chased after Bloodman and ran towards the collection room.
Her instinct told her the situation back there was much more dangerous than the darkness in front despite Fist of Justice having entered the arena.
She didnt know where the danger originated from but she knew how to make the right decision.
...
Dong, Dong, Dong!
The hurried door knocks sounded at the entrance of 17th Randletine Street.
After Ferris opened the door, Pudder who was exasperated and fluttered yelled, I want to see 2567 now!
Boss is resting, and... we have a doorbell here.
Ferris wasnt moving a step, he was staring down at the chief officer, showing off his coldness.
Ferris hated the chief officer from his guts. Not just because the rudeness, recklessness, and disregard for the procedures, Pudder would always bring trouble to his boss.
If it was possible, Ferris would like to turn Pudder into an ice statue.
I want to see 2567 now!
Pudder reinstated the purpose of his visit with a louder voice.
I said the boss is resting!
Ferriss emphasized in an angry tone this time. He deemed the chief officers act as a provocation.
Just as Ferris was about to contact his boss, trying to ask permission to take out the troublemaker before him, Kieran came out of his study room rubbing his temples.
Ferris, a cup of tea, please. Prepare one for Chief Pudder here as well, Kieran said.
Yes, boss, Ferris strode towards the kitchen.
Without the obstacle before him, Pudder too strode into the house.
So this is your working together attitude? Pudder asked with a sneering tone.
Pudder, trust me, I never changed my attitude from before. Otherwise, you wouldnt be able to step into this house.
Kieran invited Pudder to a corner of the living room which had a tea table and sofas.
After telling Pudder to make himself at home, Kieran sat down on a leather sofa.
The soft cushion wrapped his body instantly, giving him a sense of unexpectedfort after the long reading session.
Thefort was raised to its peak when Ferris brought the tea over.
What happened?
A sip of the teater, Kieran asked slowly while the vor lingered on his tongue.
What happened? You ask me what happened? Dont you dare tell me those ice statue outside this house formed by snowing! Pudder raised his voice again.
Of course not! But its an act of self-defense, those people approached me with ill intentions. Cant my man defend himself? Kieranid his hands out, questioning the chief officer.
You can defend yourself! But your man here is the Freezer! Pudders voice grew heavy as his eyes were locked on Kierans.
The Freezer? You are talking about that superviin, right? If I run into him by any means, I dont mind arresting him for you. That is the Freezer, not Ferris. Maybe both of them share a simr skill set, but both are different people.
Kieran was lying without blinking in front of Pudders face despite his deadly re.
He then turned to Ferris, saying Ferris, go take care of those eavesdroppers outside.
Seems like your visit made them interested in this ce again. Kieran looked at Pudder with a smile.
Suddenly, Kierans face changed.
He slowly woke up from the sofa and his smile vanished without a trace.
What are you trying to do? Pudder asked in an rmed state.
To take a walk.
Kieran then vanished on the spot.
Chapter 1075 - True and False
Chapter 1075: True and False
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Drexton never showed mercy towards the superviins.
After he strode up to the figure, he dished out his explosive punch.
His punch was like Mt. Tai crashing onto the figure. Before the punch even touched the target, the wind would suffocate the target fist.
Colossal Arms took a turn to the other side, cooperating with the explosive punch by blocking the attackers retreat. His hands which looked normal a moment ago bloated up like a balloon within a breaths time.
When it stopped expanding, his hands were as big as two door nks with a metallic luster glimmering all over. Following the expansion of his arms, Colossal Arms strength wasnt the only attribute that surged, his defense followed suit as well.
Huuu!
The giant punch from Colossal Arms crashed down from behind.
The motion brought up a loud whistle. Although it wasnt as explosive and powerful like Drextons which could suffocate the target, Colossal Arms was enough to numb the targets scalp as well.
However, it seemed like the attacker had only Drexton in his eyes, he didnt care about Colossal Arms attack.
As a matter of fact... the attacker really didnt care.
The attacker didnt dodge or move at all, he just stood there, looking straight into Drextons punch and ignoring Colossal Arms punch from behind.
DANG!
Colossal Arms dual punch was like two giant war hammers crashing on the attackers body.
Upon impact, a sonorous metallic clunk sounded like a giant bell was being rung.
The attacker, however, didnt suffer a scratch at all!
On top of that, the dual giant punch rebounded after the clunking, sting Colossal Arms backward uncontrobly. He staggered back and crashed into the wall behind him; his arms collided with the beam and ceiling, destroying both.
Kakroom!
Without the beam as support, the wall of the parlor crumbled without any resistance after being wrecked.
Dust flew up from the crash site but before it truly formed into a dust cloud, the dust was dispersed by the wind from Drextons punch.
With tremendous force, Drextons punchnded on the attacker.
Dang!
Another metallic clunking explosion. It was 10 times louder than before, and the force of the impact was also 10 times more powerful.
A formless energy stream spread out from the point of contact of the knuckle and the body.
The wood and stones that constructed the entire house were blown away as if a typhoon had struck the ce. Besides that, everything was ground to shreds by the wind as well.
The attacker staggered backward but was unscathed.
Hehehehe... Fist of Justice? Not so impressive I see... UGH!
The strangeugh came from the attackers mouth but before his wordspletely subsided, a mouth full of blood gushed out from his throat.
At the same time, the mask that the attacker was wearing to conceal his identity shattered as well.
Behind the mask was a face that shattered Drextons thoughts, stunning him on the spot.
2567?! Why?
After being stunned, Drexton looked at Kieran with a puzzled and unbelievable gaze.
Why? For myself of course!Kieranughed softly.
His temperament, tone and small actions, even the aura was exactly the same as the image Drexton had in his mind of Kieran; the more he felt simr, the more confused he was.
Since thest time the two of them interacted, Drexton thought he understood Kieran quite well.
Kieran should be the same with his other friend, Herzer the Wine Barrel, the kind of human being who only minded their own businesses yet held tight to their own convictions and nevermitted acts that might harm the city.
Drexton trusted himself in this, there was no way he was wrong about Kieran.
Then, there was only one exnation left!
You were bewitched by Mordins sculpture?
Dont worry my friend, Ill beat the crap out of you, bringing you back to sanity! After this, you will have to pay for the sin youmitted today! Fret not, I will be there with you as your friend! How stupid was I to give up on the idea of stopping you from pursuing such a dangerous path after some simple persuasion... this is my mistake as well!
Now, I shall correct it! Drexton took in a deep breath and clenched his fist.
Bang!
The air exploded the moment Drexton clenched his fist. The Fist of Justice was extremely serious with this uing punch! He had to be!
A person that could escape unscathed under his punch despite the first punch having some aspect of testing the target was enough for him to be absolutely serious. Even more so, the person in front of him was the one that he deemed a friend.
BANG!
Drextons explosive punch wasunched at its target.
This single punch had resonance with the earth
This single punch contained Drextons conviction towards what he believed.
Yet, this single punch... missed!
Kieran who didnt dodge or move since the moment he was exposed backed off.
He was retreating at a speed that Drexton couldnt catch up to. He was like the wind, blowing further away but a fraction of a secondter, Kieran was thrown back in front of Drexton like a ragdoll being mmed by a truck.
Drexton saw Kieran with a shoe print on his face struggling to climb up, he also saw another Kieraning towards him from further away; Drexton was once again stunned.
What happened?
The clone is fighting with the host? Drexton suspected.
It wasnt a secret that the Glutton Emperor had cloning abilities after the battle with Mr. Ghost because, without the restraints for all his clones, Mr. Ghost wouldnt have gone down that fast.
It shouldnt be, right? But both of them shared the same temperament... What the hell is going on? Willis who was monitoring the fight scene shared the same confusion as well.
However, it didnt stop him from giving Drexton some constructive advice.
Boss, I suggest you stay on the sidelines, Willis said.
Roger that. Drexton nodded. His body, however, didnt budge at all and his eyes were locked on the two Kierans.
Drexton was ready to strike if something went wrong.
You finally showed up?
My host! Too bad, after being influenced by Mordins sculpture, you cant even control your own conscience!
What can you do be appearing here? Stop me? Or perhaps youll drag me down to the abyss together? After all, we are one! Two bodies, one...
Kieran managed to crawl up. He didnt mind the kick on his face, instead, he gave a frenziedugh and the words he uttered felt like exnations to Drexton and Willis who was observing the conflict.
Kieran dished out another kick at the bulls*ht speaker.
Bang!
Simr to the first kick, the second was aimed at the face as well.
Kieran tried to dodge this time but he couldnt, Kierans kick was like a shadow trailing his face.
Despite the face not being real, Kieran didnt want others using his face tomit something he was not happy about.
Or rather, it was frustrating enough when a person with the same face appeared before him yet the frustration in his heart didnt cause him to lose his judgment.
It was a trap!
Everything before him was a trap specifically targeted at him! A seemingly smart trap that was yet full of ws.
Of course, the reason the imposter set the traps were not just to frame him, the trap had a purpose of testing as well.
Got noticed eh?
Kieran muttered to himself softly when he looked up to the sky, spotting the Fire Raven flying over.
However, this was still not the imposters true goal.
Chapter 1076 - Promised Protection
Chapter 1076: Promised Protection
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Layers of thin blood veil were moving forward rapidly under Bloodman Odorks control.
Odork was moving forward quickly and Emma Eddie who was following behind had to slightly run in order to keep up with Odorks steps; Emma Eddie was not one bit worried though.
She had just realized how good the moving blood veil was, it would expose every single trap along the way and disable them by corrosion.
It wasnt arge area of corrosion though, it just destroyed the one or two key parts of the contraption, rendering the whole trap useless, like a machine gun losing its trigger.
A firearm that couldnt fire was far less than a torch.
Seeing how the thin blood veil easily achieved something a lot ofmon men dreamt of, Emma Eddies eyes couldnt hold back her admiration and jealousy.
Who didnt want to be different from themoners?
Who didnt want to transcend over the shackles of mortals?
However, reality was always cruel, no fantasy would be able to stand a single blow in front of the harshness of the real world.
Huu!
Emma Eddie took in several deep breaths, she discarded the impractical fantasy from her mind and focused on the situation at hand.
Death Knells appearance was a grave situation for her, she even started to worry about her fate and future deeply.
As for Kieran?
Emma Eddie had no good impression of this bastard that simply treated her as bait, she hoped that the cold gloomy bastard would just drop dead.
Damn it! First Mr. Ghost, now Death Knell, are you going to provoke Grudge Dragon next? Although you are quite close with Fist of Justice, do you really think you are justice itself? Trying to cleanse the city of its poisonous tumors?
No, no way! How would a cold bastard like you be so generous?! There must be some benefits driving your actions! I bet you didnt know staying alive is the most important part! Death Knell and Mr. Ghost are twopletely different people!
Emma Eddie worried even more as she cursed in her heart.
Mr. Ghost was scary because of his capricious mood and the fact that he was powerful by himself.
While Death Knell was scary because of the mystery behind his organization and the discipline they had.
10 years ago, Death Knell introduced himself in Alkender City and no one could precisely state the background of his organization up until today.
All people knew was how powerful the organization was and the tattoo on the faces of his men but...
The scariest thing was the members without the tattoo!
They were spies hiding around ones surroundings in in sight. One could never spot the spies of Death Knell and they would deliver the fatal blow to their targets during critical moments.
Emma Eddie had heard about such rumors in the streets more than once, like some gang leader being killed by their right-hand man.
Each time she heard such news, her back will turn cold and shed have goosebumps all over her skin.
There was nothing worse than one not being able to trust the ones they held closest.
Once she thought about the potential happenings and the possibility of her being the next target, more rage exploded from her heart uncontrobly; the rage didnt agitate her or trigger her bad temper though.
A cold, dark feeling descended from above her head suddenly, Emma Eddie shivered before she could even get angry.
Stop!
Emma Eddie called out to Odork under her breath.
Odork was stunned when he turned around and looked at Emma Eddie with a puzzled gaze.
Back off now!
Emma Eddie then ran back to where she came from without further exnation.
A cold sweat broke out on Emma Eddies forehead and drenched her back wet.
Scary! It was too scary!
She felt an existence ahead of the corridor they were traveling through that frightened her like never before.
The scary existence was like a monsters wide open mouth, waiting there silently, waiting for her toe closer and then... swallow her.
What is that? Death Knells men? Or...
Panicked, Emma Eddies mind was spinning quickly, trying to find a solution.
It was one of her special skills, calming herself down quickly with more spections.
However, this time it was a little different, the more she spected, the more panicked she was.
In the end, she realized her running was getting slower and slower, her body getting weaker and weaker, even Odork behind here was nowhere to be found.
Illusions? Emma Eddie asked herself after realizing the situation.
There was no answer.
A pale white hand suddenly came out from the dark, seized her by the neck and lifted her up in mid-air.
The suffocation instantly caused Emma Eddies brain and body to go out of control. She tried her best in breaking free from the palm but she realized she couldnt even move a finger.
Am I going to die? Am I going to die here? Fine... I lived like a dog anyway, nothing worse could happen after I die...
Lack of oxygen to her brain plus the illusions effect were decreasing her will to live rapidly.
The girl from the streets looked up with her blurry sight, looking at the ceiling above her helplessly.
The ceiling that she was looking at felt like a screen, ying back her entire life.
Her tragic youth started when she was abandoned on the streets, she had to fight with the stray cats and dogs for leftover meals.
Up until her rebellious teenage days, she lived like an idiot while trying to show off her achievements.
During her young adult days when she had to fight almost every day, she took risks regardless of the consequences just to feed herself better, dress with better clothes, and have a roof over her head.
Yet in the end, all she weed wasnt a fruitful future but death.
Despair, you b*tch...I give up... You...Win.
Emma Eddie squeezed the words out from her mouth despite the suffocation, it sounded like herst words as her voice was so dim it was hard to hear.
Even the person who was taking away her life couldnt hear it.
But, Kieran could.
So he came.
BANG!
The ceiling of the corridor was smashed to bits, together with the yback projection of Emma Eddies life.
Under the dazzling sunlight, Kieran came from the sky andnded on his feet on the head of the owner of the hand.
Bang!
The head was squashed like a watermelon run over by a truck; the brains sttered.
The red and white were extremely dazzling under the warm sunlight, what was more blinding was that figure though.
Emma Eddie saw the figure under the backlight. The dazzling sunlight blurred out the figures face and expression, showing only the quiet shadow and dark profound figure, plus the calm voice.
As promised, you are under my protection.
It was that hateful bastard!
Climbing back from the precipice of dying, Emma Eddiemented on the figure when she heard the voice after the entrance; the bastards voice didnt sound as disgusting this time.
Then, Emma Eddies sight slowly cleared up.
Under the dazzling sunlight, she saw the faintly smiling face and another thought popped up in her mind: not too bad looking.
Emma Eddies gaze at Kieran slightly changed after that but Kieran didnt care about any of that.
Kieran waspletely captivated by someone elses action.
That ce is also your target as well? What do you really want?
Kieran muttered to himself softly before merging himself into the shadows close by; he vanished at the next moment.
Chapter 1077 - Key Point
Chapter 1077: Key Point
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
17th Randletine Street, the secret room housing the gold was opened.
Two members of Death Knell were moving the gold away.
The gold was dazzling and tempting under the sunlight, it blinded them from seeing Kieran walking out from the shadows.
So this is the ability to shuttle through shadows? A very convenient power!
Kieran used [Mordins Seventh Sculpture] to instantly reach his destination. When he recalled the scene during the shuttling, he couldnt hold his praise back.
It wasnt the first time he teleported though, once [Lionheart] was activated to its full potential, he could as well with [Kings Step].
However,pared to the mysterious [Lionheart, Kings Step], [Mordins Seventh Sculpture] was easier to understand.
The theory was like finding the shortest straight line between two distinct points and connected them with the sculptures energy. Then, as if Kieran opened a door that connected both the origin and destination point, the shuttling passageway was presented in front of him; it was magical.
Despite Kieran witnessing all sorts of magical things, he didnt deny that it surprised him.
Likewise, he was more curious about Mordins sculpture that possessed such abilities, but regardless of how curious he was, he knew what he should do.
He quietly snuck up to the two Death Knell members, a hand chopnded on the back of their necks.
Pak! Pak!
Two clear soundster, the two men were knocked out on the ground.
Meanwhile, the Frost Wolf pup ran out wagging its tail from the shadow in the corner, circling Kierans feet.
Kieran carried the pup and caressed its head and back; Kieran automatically smiled.
How could he leave his temporary lodging spot without setting a fail safe?
Though...
Kieran looked down at the two unconscious men and recalled the scene that happened in Bunders house. He scowled.
They started a war on two fronts, provoking me and Drexton at the same time. This doesnt seem like Death Knells M.O. Plus that guy who impersonated me, he obviously wanted to incite some misunderstanding between me and Drexton, causing us to turn on each other. These methods...
Kieran muttered to himself softly, his mind suddenly thought about the Bloody Ridges, the organization that was eliminated a while ago.
Both organizations seemingly distinguished themselves but it struck Kieran as having a familiar style: they used others as puppets in the forefront while the real mastermind hid behind without revealing their true self.
So is this person in the same group with the mastermind that I killed? Kieran wondered.
He also didnt miss out on the key point that happened throughout this period of time. Although it was covered by a series of connected events likeyers of mystifying mist, one of Kierans fortes was searching for clues in a puzzling situation.
This should be interesting.
Kieran smiled lightly before heading back to the study room in order to wait.
He was waiting for Drexton to deliver the imposter in his custody.
Of course, Kieran really did hope the process would be more twisted and more confusing. The best possible oue was the mastermind himself making a move, thus leaving ws and clues behind. Unfortunately, to Kierans disappointment, the mastermind didnt.
Drexton arrived at the house without any hindrance.
Death Knell again!
Drexton was enraged, growling loudly when he saw the two Death Knell members.
He has zero fondness towards all kinds of superviins, let alone those criminals thatmitted despicable acts under his eyes.
The dead Bunder, the emptied out collection room, it made the Fist of Justice eager to lock up all the Death Knell members in jail but he couldnt locate any of them.
One of the important reasons why Mr. Ghost, Death Knell, and Grudge Dragon were so hard to deal with because of their uncertain whereabouts; they moved around like real ghosts.
Huu, huuu!
Drexton was breathing heavily, calming himself down with deep breaths; it was effective though.
Of course, the cup of tea in his hand yed a big part in the calming process.
Thanks.
Calmed, Drexton thanked Ferris.
Youre wee, Ferris replied.
His cold and slightly calm tone was almost identical to Kieran, his icy aura though was colder.
Drexton took an extra nce at Ferris but he didnt further question him.
Everyone had their secrets, the rules were around to protect these secrets, secrets like the abilities of an extraordinary individual.
Therefore, although curious, Drexton knew what he must do.
Still, the feeling he got from Ferris reminded him of the superviin Freezer.
Drexton, however, never rted both of them together, both of their characters and styles were too distinguished from each other.
He didnt believe an arrogant criminal like the Freezer would lower his head and serve someone willingly, acting as their butler, cook, and servant.
Naturally, the feeling applied to Bloodman as well.
How could a bluffing bastard that bullied the weak and feared the strong be loyal?
I really admire you, 2567. You really got yourself some goodrades within such a short time, Drexton praised.
The Fist of Justice didnt take Ferris and Odork as Kierans servants though, despite them really acting and looking the part, in fact, they should be more likerades or friends.
It must be that Kieran saved both of them during critical times but both of them couldnt repay his debt of gratitude, so they decided to follow him for life, acting as his servants. As a friend to both of them, Kieran must have stopped them several times and eventuallypromised on the decision.
Hahahahahaha!
The romance of men! The friendship! It was the purest thing ever!
Didnt Drexton act like that back in the days?
That was the beauty of youth!
Drexton couldnt help but get excited when his head painted the picture of Kieran meeting the two of them. His blood started to boil and his eyes at Kieran be kinder and hotter as well.
Its great to be able to call you a friend, 2567! Drexton said all of a sudden.
Huh?
Kieran was lifting his teacup while looking at Drexton with a puzzled look. He didnt know why Drexton said such things all of a sudden but it didnt stop him from starting the conversation.
Drexton, did you realize any strange thingstely? Kieran asked.
Strange things? You mean Death Knell provoking me and you at once? Drexton was slightly stunned before quickly reacting to the situation.
That is one of the points. The other is Bunder! Why did Death Knells men want to kill amon collector? Are they after his collection? Since they could silently steal what they wanted, why did they still chose to openly challenge you to a fight? It doesnt really fit the M.O. of Death Knell in my mind, Kieran said slowly.
It wasnt the entire spection and theory that Kieran came up with but it was enough for Drexton to make a move.
Just like Kieran expected, after hearing what he has to say, Drexton immediately parted ways with him.
After making sure Drexton was really gone, Kieran stood up slowly and looked at the captive that impersonated him.
Mr. Mastermind, you didnt show yourself which means you have absolute confidence in this imposter right? Hmmm, no, I dont think so. Since you are so good at inciting others to serve you, how could you trust others?
Then... does it mean you have absolute confidence in your abilities? Coincidentally, I have quite the confidence in my Spirit as well!
Kieran said while he woke the captive up, looking straight into his eyes.
The [Mesly Ring] shined.
Chapter 1078 - Old Grudges
Chapter 1078: Old Grudges
Trantor: Dess Editor: Dess, EbonyFrost
The ring emitted a sh.
[Charm] and [Dominate] were in effect.
However, unlike previous attempts, after the captive chose toply, he was still struggling within himself.
A spirit energy that did not belong to the captive suddenly sprung out from his body, it was also slightly affecting reality!
A chair covered by shadows and emanating heavy sulphuric aura was slowly appearing out of thin air. The being that was sitting in the chair seemed to have noticed Kieran as it stuck its body out.
Immediately, the air rumbled and the shadows were dispersed.
The being revealed its bright red, muscr body with its indescribable facial features before Kierans eyes; its facial features were indescribable whether it was handsome or ugly.
The most concerning part was the two small horns on the beings head.
They were ck, crooked. and had ends that looked like hooks facing inwards. They were like two small daggers made from goat horns, yet sharper and scarier. Anymon man thatid eyes on the being would feel a burning sensation over their body.
A demon! A demon in its ever ssical form and the name that everybody knew.
Gagagaga, look at what have we here? Another lost sheep? What do you need?
Sign this contract with me and I will make your wishe true, all you have to do is pay a tiny cost... believe me,pared to what you will get in return, the cost is insignificant.
The demons voice entered Kierans ears, it sounded like some messy chatters filled with temptation.
Spirit authentications popped up one after another in his vision. In fact, the moment Kieranid eyes on the demon, the authentications had been bombarding him endlessly.
Each action the demon took, each expression that it showed, and each word that escaped his mouth carried the wicked aura of hell itself, causing one to feel extremely ufortable.
It also caused one to... approach the demon uncontrobly.
Kieran too walked closer to the demon. The demon who was sitting there showed a delightful smile.
Stupid and greedy human
The demon quietlymented in its heart, just like how itmented on countless ones before.
The demon was happy to maintain suchments towards humans though because it represented its strength.
Seeing its targeting closer, the demon was restless, it was eager to devour the soul of its target. The pure and persistent soul!
The taste of the soul was unforgettable for the demon after a single lick.
Come! Come! Come faster! Come closer!
Muttering in its heart, the demon raised its hand when Kieran came close enough.
An ancient ck goat skin scroll appeared in mid-air, floating in front of Kieran.
Write down your name.
The demons smile grew brighter when he saw Kieran raise his hand.
But when Kieran grabbed the scroll, it was burned to ashes by the devils me.
A huge devil mirage appeared behind Kieran after that. Its huge magma hand grabbed the demons body and dragged it to Kierans face.
I ask, you answer. Got it?
Kieran said in a calm tone.
The demon was at a loss and confused as to what was urring. It looked up and stared at the devils mirage in a dumbstruck state. The disgust that came from its instinct made it scream in an inconceivable manner.
Impossible! Impossible!
How is this possible?!
Why is there a devil?! Why?!
The scream was sharp and deafening.
Kieran slightly raised his brow.
Gak! Tss... Tss.
The devil tightened its palm and the demons body was giving out clear squeaking noises as if its body was about to be crushed any moment.
Wait! What do you want to know! Ill tell you! Stop!
Stop you bastard! Stop!!
The demons scream was unbearable but Kieran didnt n to do as suggested.
He calmly looked at the struggling demon before he slightly released the control on the Devil Force.
ROAR!
BLOOD WAR!
The soul that resided deep in the bloodline was roaring loudly.
Then, the scene before Kierans eyes changed.
The sky was dyed red, thend was tainted ck.
One after another, red zingets crashed on thend.
Two different armies were engaging each other in a brutal war, killing each other like giant meat grinders, disregarding consequences as the situation continued.
The morales on both sides were high and stimting; both sides were evenly matched.
After some time, both sides were exhausted.
The one as tall as mountains, its breath could breathe fire and its figure could send people running in fear was among the troops as well yet it shared the same fate, exhausted.
It tore apart a white elder dragon that had white feathers as wings.
It was walking in a staggering manner yet the steps it took towards its own destination were ever steady.
It wanted to go there badly yet it eventually fell on the ground.
A dagger came from the back and plunged into its body. The strike tore its zing wings away and ripped its magma body apart.
Its head was severed and treated as a spoil of war, hanging above the holynd.
Its limbs were buried in the bottomless swamp, encaged within endless darkness.
Its torso was thrown into the furnace, it was repeatedly used for forging.
Its wings were dragged into the night by the Pegasus, shrouding the day and night together with the blizzard in the sky.
All that was left of the towering figure was its heart.
Its heart was sealed withyers of seals and locks under the bronze coffin and was thrown into the bottom of the ocean.
Its name and its title turned into dust, being swept into the corners of the history.
No one knew, no one understood.
It was unwilling, it was roaring in rage.
It wanted the one who betrayed it to pay the price!
Thousands of years then passed.
Its memories shattered by time.
Its power was weakening.
It was dying.
But!
It did not forget the one thought that it held onto for so long: revenge!
Revenge! Revenge! Revenge!
Kill! Kill! Kill!
The roaring sounded like war drums in Kierans ears and it woke him up by clearing the scene; Kieran returned to 17th Randletine Street once again.
He saw the devils mirage starting to tear the demons mirage apart.
He saw the devils mirage biting away at the demons mirage.
He heard the devils mirage roar, he heard the demons mirage plead.
Kieran was unmoved. He was still intoxicated in the previous scene.
He reached out to his chest, touching where his heart was.
Dong, Dong, Dong!
The devils heart was beating exactly like the vision he saw; it was strong and vigorous.
He was like the audience that sat through the credits during the end of a movie yet with the same heart, he felt a closeness with the figure.
He felt like he was on the battlefield, charging and killing his enemies.
He felt like he was the one betrayed when the dagger plunged through the figures back.
Where is that ce though?
Kieran muttered softly and he looked at the demon.
Spare me! I will tell you everything I know! For real this time! I swear on my real name!
The demon quickly pleaded with itsst breath when it caught Kierans judgemental gaze but Kieran shook his head.
What I know, what I saw and what my heart told me is to never trust a demon. Each word a demon says is a lie. Even if it has truth to it, it might end up in a tragedy through a demons mouth. Other than that... I already got what I wanted.
Kieran then turned around after he finished talking.
The fire danced and the demons ashes flew along with the wind behind him.
Chapter 1079 - Cherish The Present
Chapter 1079: Cherish The Present
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Chank!
A heavy object fell on the floor.
Kieran who had expected the drop didnt pause his steps to the study room.
While Ferris went over and picked up the fallen sculpture and followed Kieran into the study room.
Bloodman Odork was already waiting in the study room with a bag in his hand.
Boss.
Odork opened up the bag and revealed two more sculptures to Kieran when he walked in.
Two secondster, three distinguished sculpture with simr sculpting styles were ced on the desk neatly.
Starting from the left, the first sculpture was a giant head with two big eyes on its face; there were no limbs or other body parts.
The second one was another head but with a big ear instead of the previous eyes; it was also absent of limbs and other body parts.
The third one looked much more normal, it had eyes, ears and other features but the mouth was distorted as it took up half of the face. The big mouth made the eyes, the ears, and the limbs looked extremely tiny.
What was more concerning was the crack that perforated the third sculpture.
The three sculptures presented their details in Kierans vision.
[Name: Mordins First Sculpture]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: Magic]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: Strong]
[Attribute: Watchful Eye]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: It originates from Master Sculptor Mordin and it was his first masterpiece but Mordins will caused it to mutate in a weird way.]
...
[Watchful Eye: ce a magical ward at will, watch range is within a 50-meter radius of the ward. 2-hour duration, 4 times per day]
...
[Name: Mordins Second Sculpture]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: Magic]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: Strong]
[Attribute: Eavesdrop Ear]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: It originates from Master Sculptor Mordin and it was his second masterpiece but Mordins will caused it to mutate in a weird way.]
...
[Eavesdrop Ear: Collect any voices regarding the user within a 200-meter radius. 2-hour duration, 4 times per day]
...
[Name: Mordins Sixth Sculpture]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: Extreme]
[Attribute: 1. Adamantine Body; 2. Attack Shift]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: It originates from Master Sculptor Mordin and it was his sixth masterpiece but Mordins will caused it to mutate in a weird way.]
...
[Adamantine Body: Acquire an Extreme level defense boost for an instant on your body (included but not limited to your skin). 3 times per day]
[Attack Shift: After Adamantine Bodys sessful defense, able to shift an enemys attack to another spot (limited to physical damage only)]
...
So it is damaged eh?
Kieran looked at [Mordins Sixth Sculpture] yet his face didnt show any sour feelings over the loss.
Compared to the loot he got, the minor loss was nothing.
He felt that the Devil Force was getting more lively and united; he couldnt hold back his smile.
Although there were no precise notifications about the Devil Force, the energy that flowed in his body expelled the darkness and chaos faster and it told him that Devil Force was indeed strengthened.
Unlike Dawn Force and gue Force which he could cultivate step by step, Devil Force, Cardinal Sins Force, and Saint Thorn Forces increases had always been the problem that Kieran was thinking about.
The unexpected gourmet journey before this skyrocketed Gluttonys power, it gave Kieran a slight idea of how to further increase Cardinal Sins Force.
Now with the changes urring to Devil Force, Kieran had an inkling of how to increase it as well.
All that was left in his mind was the unmoved Saint Thorn Force; Kieran had some thoughts about it as well but it wasnt a matter that he should solve right away.
Quite the opposite, he was eager to smash all the sculptures, release the demons inside, and feed his own Devil Force.
After all, the first and the second sculpture with only Magic rank were not really important for Kieran now since he wasntcking any detection support and waspensatable with his strong Intuition attribute.
If he could feed the two sculptures to Devil Force, the energy might undergo another qualitative change, but what if he collected all the sculptures before he fed it?
Despite [Mordins Sixth Sculpture] being damaged, it might provide him with a better effect after collecting all of them, right?
Kieran was hesitating.
Dok, Dok, Dok.
His fingers were knocking the handle of the sofa and ultimately...
He chose to feed it now!
The major reason was that he wasnt sure what will happen if he collected all the sculptures.
Despite him reading over and over again, trying to find out every single detail about Mordins sculptures, there was not a single phrase or record that exined what would happen when all the sculptures were collected, it didnt even borate on the abilities of the respective sculptures.
The future held an unknown oue.
The present was the known benefits.
Kieran who knew he wasnt omniscient understood what he must do: secure the present so that he could deal with the future.
Kak!
After a clear breaking noise, [Mordins First Sculpture] which only had a Strong defense was nothing to Kieran, he broke it with the raising of a hand.
The demons aura started to cover the whole house again.
The pretentious pattern of the demon was very identical to the demon from [Mordins Sixth Sculpture].
The demon was shaded by the shadows while it was apanied by the sulfuric scent from hell, one would grow apprehensive whenying eyes on it.
Unfortunately...
Roar!
A rageful roarter, the devils mirage tore the shadow apart with its magma ws, breaking through the sulfuric scent with its own. It grabbed the demons mirage and munched on it, swallowing itpletely.
Kieran again felt the clear changes to Devil Force.
The slight increase, the slight liveliness, the slight unison, but it was far from enough.
Kak!
[Mordins Second Sculpture] was broken after the first one.
This time, the devil didnt even wait for the demon to put up its pretentious act and it grabbed the demon with its magma ws, stuffing it into its mouth wholly.
Crack! Munch Munch!
Amidst the munching of the bones, Devil Force was again enhanced, it grew more lively, more united, but it still wasnt enough.
Kieran could feel that he was only one step away from a true qualitative increase.
Without any second thoughts, [Mordins Third Sculpture], the one that petrified the Bloody Ridges members, was broken as well.
Kak!
Kroom!
The cracking of the sculpture couldnt even be heard properly and was overpowered by the loud bang from Kierans body.
Kierans eyes turned fiery red! His body was burning like the sun! The zing me was burning fiercely on his left hand!
In his heart, messy energy streams appeared one after another!
Rampage!
Chaos!
ughter!
The negative emotions that gushed out like a geyser were like the endless sea, causing a tremendous uproar.
While bathing in the white light, Kieran was staring at the tidal waves of negative emotions with his calm and cold expression.
The Dawn Force that flowed in his body wasnt just tender and tenacious, it was also dauntless! It was like a gigantic dam that connected the earth and the sky, blocking every single rampaging, chaotic, ughtering energy stream.
The waves crashed into the white dam over and over again and after numerous assaults, the negative emotion waves finally subsided.
Kieran didnt get toppled, nor did he get drown by the waves.
He stood there, reaping the energy he got.
Chapter 1080 - Package
Chapter 1080: Package
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Line after line of system notifications came up, urately disying the rewards that Kieran reaped.
[Consumed special energy, Charles Fire enhanced!]
[Detected that Charles Fire has reached Transcendence level, authenticating...]
[Bloodline priority passed...]
[Constitution passed...]
[Charles Fire leveled up to Devil Burning (Grand Master)]
[Name: Devil Burning (Grand Master)]
[Rted Attribute: None]
[Skill Type: Offense]
[Effect: Create a rank I attack Devil me from your left hand. Able to burn continuously and cannot be extinguished by water, sand, or other elements. Has the ability to burn souls and consume life energy.]
[Effect: Devil me (Your bloodline contains fire, it is your natural gift and also the proof of your identity. You can trigger Devil me at will with attack ranks that vary from None, Feeble, Weak, Average, Strong, Powerful, Extreme, and rank I. When charged for 4 seconds, +1 fire elemental damage, has Great chance to trigger me Burst effect)]
[Transcendence Option (Charles Fire): Rapid umtion (Shorten charge time to 2 seconds)]
[Devil Mastery: You can create 2 fireballs at once or alter the original shape of the fireball based on your will. (You can only create 1 fireball when charging and can not alter the original shape)]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Constitution Z+]
[Remark: This was originally a special spell that didnt require incantation and casting movement. It was created by the alchemy master fusing ancient hidden techniques and his knowledge! However, it showed extra unison with your bloodline and it called out to the shattered soul in your bloodline. The shattered soul also triggered the spells original potential in the same way and caused both to be inseparable,plimenting each other perfectly.]
[Note: You relied on learning and mastery of your bloodline to acquire this skill. Unable to rely on Points and/or Skill Points to level up.]
...
Fuu!
A fireball then appeared on Kierans left hand and it was changing its shape ording to his will.
It was long then straight, it was a bird, then a beast, then from one to two.
The scorching heat wave was rumbling in the study room but was controlled perfectly by Kierans will. It didnt go out of control for even a moment, even the books beside him werent affected by the fire; Ferris and Odork who were watching the scene stepped back though.
Rampage!
Chaos!
ughter!
The negative emotions from the fire were too overbearing for both of them. Despite leaving the study room, they couldnt free themselves from the effects, as if as long as they saw it, they were affected already.
Just as both of them were about to copse, Kieran extinguished the fire; he looked at his left hand in utmost satisfaction.
Although he didnt test out the most powerful charging part, the existing effect was enough to send him over the moon.
With the buff from [Fiery Sulfur], a casual fireball had the attack of rank II and would be increased to rank III after charging.
If he were to include the calction of the trigger effect me Burst, [Devil Burning] could be considered as one of his best attacks right now.
On top of that, the other thing that delighted Kieran was that the consumption of Stamina wasnt too overwhelming despite Devil me being increased, it was still within an eptable range for Kieran to bear.
Most importantly, Kieran still had Mordins sculptures in his possession.
Other than the consumed first, second, third and sixth, there is still the fourth, fifth and seventh, plus the ultimate prize, Hell Breath! ording to the sculptures rarity sequence, the rest of the sculpture could very well increase Devil Force again. Kieran calcted in his head.
Ferris, spread the news that anyone with news of Mordins sculptures will get one-tenth of the gold here. The faster they provide the news, the more gold they will get, Kieran said.
Yes, boss. Ferris bowed and walked outside.
Odork, contact Drexton and increase the reward from the original one, Kieran continued.
Yes, boss. Odork also moved right away.
While listening to the steps of his men moving away, Kieran sat back in the chair.
He was determined to get Mordins sculptures before this anyway and now, his determination was only strengthened.
Likewise, he was also eager to flush out the mastermind that possessed Hell Breath.
In fact, Kieran believed the mastermind also eagerly wanted him dead.
Kieran had foiled the masterminds ns more than once and if wills could kill, Kieran might be dead ten times over.
Huh?
Just as Kieran was about to move, a person appeared within his senses and paused his movements.
Dong, Dong, Dong!
Good day, package delivery. Please receive it.
After a series of knocks on the door, a young and familiar voice sounded.
Kieran opened the door and saw Emma Eddie outside and shifted his gaze to the package in her hands.
From the looks of it, the package was nothing special but how could a package be normal if it appeared in 17th Randletine Street at this particr timing?
This is?
Kieran pointed at the package.
A stranger gave it to me. No bad intentions and it struck me as a good luck package! You must believe my instincts!
Emma Eddie exined the package. Then she seemed to have noticed her talking didnt really fit her style, so she pushed the package into Kierans hands and entered the room.
Its fine if you dont believe me. You can throw it away if you like. I didnt open it but I assure you the package is clean, Emma Eddie borated as she quickly walked away.
Though before she entered the room, Emma Eddie took a nce at Kieran.
However, she noticed Kieran didnt even care about her presence, instead, his attention was captivated at the package at hand; Emma Eddie mmed the room door when he walked in.
Bang!
The m echoed throughout the house but didnt interrupt Kieran at all.
With Emma Eddies emphasis, Kieran carefully opened the package.
After tearing away the tape and opening the box, the contents inside were revealed to be a mobile phone.
A brand new phone with sim card inserted and fully charged.
Rinnnnng!
Rinnnnng!
The phone rung with vibration.
Kieran squinted his eyes and answered the phone; he also walked outside the study room.
Since the phone call came in such a timely manner, Emma Eddie must be under the persons radar.
Greetings 2567. We meet again. I know its a little odd for us to meet like this but its because of your vignce. I think we can be more honest with each other. A sinister voice came from the other side of the phone.
Honest? Since when did a rat that ys hide and seek decide toe out to the light?
Kieran sized up the street block and didnt get anything; he replied to the voice with a mockingment.
I too want to live under the sun but too bad, I am Death Knell. Of course, as someone about to join Death Knell, you should cherish the sunlight as well. The sinister voiceughed.
Theugh sounded like a the neighs of the Night Owl.
Kieran was stunned.
Join Death Knell?
This guy is one of Death Knell?
Chapter 1081 - Collaborator
Chapter 1081: Coborator
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy
If the person was really one of Death Knells, yetmitted to serving justice...
Meaning the things that happened before could turn out to be an interesting show.
Kieran squinted his eyes and said without a second thought, What are you saying? I dont understand.
The vague reply didnt bring any agreement to it, all it had was words to test the person.
Kierans character had determined that he would never trust the words of a stranger, even if said stranger spent the effort to deliver the phone to him.
A liar was investing while lying to others.
Of course, of course. You can deny everything, I cant argue about that. We dont have contracts that bind us, nor do I have any solid proof to prove that you are Death Knells man but... You must warn your coborator! If he continues to be this reckless, I will not sit back and do nothing. The sinister voiceughed coldly.
Including barging into 17th Randletine Street?
Kieran tooughed coldly and his face was showing obvious mocking expressions.
You wouldnt think those are Death Knells men right? Seems like your coborator has be a little scared because of your changes. Do you need me to clean him up for you? The market price of course. The sinister voiceughed again.
Unlike the coldugh like before, this time he was taking pleasure in the unfortunate.
Ill deal with my matters myself. If you really have news about Mordins sculptures, we can trade, Kieran emphasized but didnt reject the so-called working together.
For Kieran, anyone who could provide news about Mordins sculpture was a viable candidate to trade with.
Rewards never discriminate against their receivers, right?
Mordins sculptures? I wont touch those kinds of strange things. Its like ying with fire. I think our conversation muste to an end. I have to pay a lot in order for us to talk and its not easy to divert other peoples attention. So, if you want to talk next time, you will have to look for me yourself. You know where, so long. The voice hung up the phone.
Kieran looked down at the phone, a coldughter, he burned it to ashes.
Was that a friendly reminder?
Unless Kieran was an idiot, he would never believe it.
Or should it be, even an idiot would never believe that Death Knell would show friendliness,
It was a warning!
This phone call was a warning and a test!
Just like how Kieran was testing Death Knell, Death Knell was doing the same to him.
Why though?
The changes in Kierans strength didnt just cause scruples with hiscoborator, it also confused Death Knell a lot.
Kieran never cared about thetter but for the former, himself?
Kieran looked up to the study room where Emma Eddie was.
Come out. Next time you eavesdrop, remember to not stop your breathpletely, at least maintain it at a certain frequency, dont change it too much, Kieran said.
Emma Eddie in the room didnt respond, Kieran didnt rush her either; he stood there and stared at the door.
He knew Emma Eddies perception was stronger than others, a single re from him would cause her to be restless.
In fact, Emma Eddie was indeed restless, but the reason was not what Kieran thought.
Death Knell!? That phone call was from Death Knells men?
This bastard is one of Death Knells? No, it couldnt be! Given his arrogance, how could he join an organization like Death Knell?
Thought after thoughts popped up in Emma Eddies head, confusing her mind greatly, thus she didnt even notice Kierans stare but still she walked out of the room eventually.
She didnt sense Kierans stare but she heard what he said.
Im sorry, I dont mean to eavesdrop but, just... curious.
Emma Eddie was apologizing after she came out. It was very rare of her, despite her way of saying it not seeming like a real apology in others eyes.
Curiosity kills the cat, Kieran said.
A cat has nine lives! Emma Eddie argued.
Kieran shook his head after a nce at the tough girl.
He obviously didnt want to argue with her on that topic.
Now I have a task for you to do and it will have risk but I will reward you considerably after you...
Okay!
Before Kieran even finished, Emma Eddie epted the suggestion.
It made Kieran look at her with a surprised gaze.
He even prepared a lot of excuses to persuade her since he had a grasp of how Emma Eddies personality was.
This is to repay you for saving my life back then, Emma Eddie exined.
That is a promise, no debt of gratitude needed, Kieran said straightforwardly after a slight frown of realization.
You take it as a promise, I take it as a debt of gratitude. You wont change your view, neither will I. So tell me, what is this task you want me to do? Emma Eddie waved her hand, pretending to be irritated.
I need you...
Consider this as your temporary bodyguard.
After Kieran whispered the task to Emma Eddie, he called the Frost Wolf pup and carried it into her hands.
Are you sure about this? A husky? And a puppy?
Emma Eddie thought Kieran was joking when she saw the wagging puppy in her hands.
Trust me, its more useful than you think.
Kierans praise made the pup wagged its tail even faster.
Its maternal bloodline made the Frost Wolf pup behave more like a hunting hound, it was exceptionally excited and sensitive towards its owners praise, despite it having exceptional intellect.
Fine then.
Emma Eddie scowled for a while before heading outside.
Kieran also vanished on the spot as he saw her off.
...
In the morgue at the police station.
Drexton was checking on Bunders body.
He hoped to locate inklings of sorts but unfortunately, he got nothing at all.
All signs he have pointed out that Bunder was no one except amon old man.
His body was normal, hiswork was normal, other than his collection hobby, there was really nothing special about him.
My employer has nothing to hide.
Colossal Arms said with a gloomy expression.
As Bunders security chief, his employers death was no doubt left a huge impact in Colossal Arms confidence and his career.
Colossal Arms could already hear whatments the outside world had of himter on.
An unqualified bodyguard!
A useless bodyguard!
No matter which, he couldnt ept it.
Ill defend you. Drexton seemed to have noticed Colossal Arms though as heforted him.
Thanks but Ill deal with it myself.
Colossal Arms hesitated for a while and eventually rejected Drextons suggestion because in his point of view, if he epted the aid, he would be escaping from his responsibility.
Colossal Arms never escaped like a coward!
Willis, double check Bunders socialwork again. Drexton contacted his assistant.
Roger that.
While Willis replied, a series of footsteps sounded outside the morgue.
Chief Officer Pudder strode in.
My men canty beds for your people to sleepover here, can you leave now?
Drexton, this is a document that needs your signature from the director.
Pudder then passed a file to Drexton.
Noted.
After getting the files, Drexton read through the contents carefully. He was flipping page after page that was stating the details about the case and when he reached thest page, his eyes uncontrobly widened.
There was a note.
Something is wrong with Willis.
Chapter 1082 - Just Right
Chapter 1082: Just Right
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Something is wrong with Willis?!
Drexton wouldnt believe it from his gut as he widened his eyes.
But after a second, he started to hesitate because there was more to the note.
Bunder is one of Death Knells, many can prove it.
Bunder was one of Death Knells?
Given that many others could prove it yet Willis didnt discover that?
This was not normal, unless...
Doubt was without a doubt the strongest seed in the world.
Once nted, it will grow in a firm and unwavering manner and ultimately fill the persons heart, causing the person to be terribly suspicious and doubt everything. Even more so when someone was pushing it.
Drexton, can I know why you arrived at the sce? I contacted you through Willis but you were 10 minutester than expected.
Colossal Arms suddenly asked after slight hesitancy.
I was following the stipted time that Willis provided me...
Drexton halted his words abruptly.
Willis?
Willis!
It was rted to Willis again!
Was something really wrong with Willis?
Drexton took a deep breath and looked at Colossal Arms saying, I will get verifications from Willis and give you a satisfying answer.
His words werent just spoken to Colossal Arms but to Pudder as well.
Um. Colossal Arms nodded.
Pudder didnt reject either.
When the trio was about to leave the morgue, the door was pushed open from the outside.
2567? Why are you here?
Drexton was stunned when he saw Kieran appear silently outside the morgue.
Colossal Arms scowled a bit but he didnt say anything.
Even though it was the infamous Glutton Emperor that got popr recently, it didnt spike any interest in Colossal Arms who had just suffered from the impact to his career and loss of confidence.
Pudder, on the other hand, waved his hand out of courtesy.
Greetings, 2567.
It was nothing but pure courtesy and good manners. Pudder seemed to be still angry at Kieran who argued with him with the lousy logic.
Kieran nced over the three of them and curled his lips into a smile.
Since everyone is here, how about afternoon tea? My treat, so dont try to push me away. I think you guys should know something.
Kieran then headed outside after stating his purpose.
Drexton saw how Kieran was trying to be mysterious about something but out of trust, he didnt question him and followed right away; Colossal Arms hesitated for a second before giving chase as well, Pudder too.
The chief officer, however, asked questions as he walked.
What is this about?
No one answered him.
Kieran pretended to turn a deaf ear and strolled outside.
Soon, they left the station and left the busy city block and reached Smorewill Street.
Smorewill Street was quite well-known within Alkender City, in a bad way.
Most of the theft, robbery, rapes, and murders were somehow rted to this street because a lot of fugitives and criminals hid throughout the block.
There weremon criminals and also superviins, it was a ce that normal people, the police, and even the superheroes couldnt enter freely.
2567, stop. If you really want to eradicate the bastards here, we need to discuss this, we cant act recklessly! This is not as bad as Printon but traps still exist!
Drextons face changed for the worse when he saw the street that seemed to iste itself from the rest of the city.
He had always wanted to eradicate Smorewill Street but having the will was not enough!
The alliance formed by many other criminals made the street into a city within the city. It wasnt just self-sustainable, it had firepower beyond ones imagination as well.
Especially since Mr. Ghost, Death Knell, and Grudge Dragon had publicly endorsed the ce more than once, Smorewill Street became a gray area without jurisdiction.
Although Mr. Ghost was dead, Death Knell and Grudge Dragon were still alive. The superviins hiding in the streets were not to be underestimated.
A mountain of ants could kill an elephant!
Quantity could rece quality!
Such a saying was applicable in any situation.
Eradicate the bastards here? No, no! I just want to eradicate a single bastard amongst us.
Kieran shook his head with a smile andid his gaze on Pudder the chief officer.
Pudder raised a puzzled brow and pointed at himself, Are you referring me as that bastard?
Yup, you. Kieran nodded seriously.
What a joke! Why the hell would I do so?
Pudder was infuriated, shouting at Kieran when he noticed the serious expression on his face.
Why did you do it? Maybe being affected by Mordins sculpture? Maybe because of your own ambitions, or maybe you are just happy with it, Kieran answered with a calm face.
Happy? Do I look like that kind of lunatic? Or should I say, you 2567, you are the one out of your mind! I think you are the one being affected by Mordins sculpture! Pudder angrily rebuked.
The sculptures being in Kierans possession wasnt a secret, those who paid attention to the ongoing news in Alkender City would know Kieran was searching for the sculptures.
Right away, Drexton and Colossal Arms looked at Kieran with a worried gaze.
Remember the first time we met, how you showed your disgust towards voluntary police? But after that, you acted like a different person. You didnt just agree to work with me and appeared beside me from time to time. Its correct if you say you had to because of your job and the justice your serve, but... Your job and justice wouldnt have urged you to order your men to steal the owners gold when they are not around right?
Kieran ignored the gaze from Drexton and Colossal Arms and stared straight into Pudders eyes.
Those are Death Knells men, what does it have to do with me? Pudder continued to argue without changing his furious expression.
I know right! The men that appeared in Bunders house are Death Knells men, the men who appeared in 17th Randletine were also Death Knell men. Why? Because of the obvious tattoo on their face but that was it. Kieran said.
You are saying someone impersonates Death Knells men?
Drexton asked with a slight change of expression.
You said it yourself 2567, its just the tattoos! It may be real, it may be false. You cant be sure whether was it Death Knells men or someone impersonating them!
Pudder interrupted before Kieran could answer Drextons question.
Yup, I cant just simply base it on the tattoos alone but the timing can! The only one who knew Ferris and I had left the house was you. If Death Knell really wanted the gold, he wouldnt have just sent over two men.
You can say those two are just there to test the waters but based on the tracks I saw, they came in through the door. To be honest, you can try to be more meticulous about this but some other things affected you am I right? Does it take a lot of energy to fool Willis? Or was it that busy for you to buy off Mr. Ghosts men? Or perhaps the two Mordins sculptures in Bunders collection triggered your attention?
But of course, I have more direct proof.
After heaving a sigh, Kieran vanished on the spot.
When he reappeared, he was already behind Pudder,unching a kick with a violent wind.
However, Pudder dodged the kick easily.
Drexton and Colossal Arms face changed to a sour expression.
Obviously, the kick from Kieran wasnt some attack that a normal human could dodge.
After a sh of movement, Pudder appeared a dozen meters away.
Seeing how Drexton and Colossal Arms expressions changed and Kieran who was calm as ever, Pudder couldnt hold back his heartyughs.
Hahahahaha!
Idiots! All idiots! I had you all on within my grasp!
Pudder took another nce at Drexton and Colossal Arms before staring Kieran in his eyes.
You are a little smarter than them but not enough! You talk too much bullsh*t! Thus giving me time to set up a response!
Now, the timing is just nice! Feel the fear of death!
Pudder raised his hand as he voiced his deration but...
Nothing happened.
The chief officer was shocked for before giving it another try.
Feel the fear of death!
Again with the thunderous growl but still nothing happened.
Unwilling to submit, Pudder tried again and again.
Kieran stood there calmly, watching Pudder and his monkey show, his mouth softly uttered, Yeah, the timing is just nice.
Chapter 1083 - One Step Ahead
Chapter 1083: One Step Ahead
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy
What the hell did you do? Why my setup is not working?
Pudder was panting heavily, his eyes were red as he questioned Kieran with a furious tone.
I am not alone you know.
Kieran was circling Pudder slowly, shaking his head as he spoke.
Impossible! Impossible! Every single one of your men, including that woman Emma Eddie, is under my watch! Its impossible for you to get close to the ce where I store Hell Breath! NO! You shouldnt have found where I store Hell Breath!
Pudder was growling furiously. Obviously, he couldnt ept the fact and even his words became messy.
I really cant but why do I have to do all the guessing? Wherever one walks, traces and scents will be left behind. The scent, however, was vague for most people, even the extraordinary individuals but for a certain animal, it was as obvious as a drawing. Kieran chuckled.
YOUR DOG?! IT FOUND WHERE I STORE HELL BREATH?! It snuck in and destroyed my setup? Pudder was stunned for a while before quickly reacting to what happened.
He started to grind his teeth out of the embarrassment and rage because he couldnt believe he would fail because of a dog; he saw that dog before.
It seemed like a dumb husky, other than tearing the house apart, it would destroy furniture and decorations. There was nothing noticeable around the husky, on top of that, Pudder even saw Kieran scold the husky when it tore a pillow.
Those are all acts for me? Pudder asked in a low grudgeful voice.
Nope. It is like that sometimes. Nature I guess.
Kieran shook his head again after some deep thought.
The hybrid Frost Wolf pups maternal bloodline was really strong sometimes, even stronger than its paternal bloodline as it almost overpowered its instinct, thus making it look like a dog rather than a Frost Wolf with a prestigious feeling; Kieran didnt care though.
Both of them then entered a strange, awkward silence.
2 to 3 secondster, Pudderughed again.
Very well! I admit I lost this round but I will win the next!
As he spoke, he pulled out a dagger and stabbed it into his abdomen.
The seemingly suicidal act out of defeat shook Drexton and Colossal Arms but what was more shocking was the wicked and cunning aura that started to appear on Pudders body. It assaulted Drextons and Colossal Arms face, causing a gloomy coldness in their bones.
It felt like a venomous snake crawling around their spine, not just cold but slippery.
Ufortable! Unusually ufortable!
What is this?
Drexton and Colossal Arms twisted their bodies in difort, their gaze at Pudder was anxious and doubtful.
If Pudder was considered to have an excellent physique because of dodging Kierans kick before, the current aura that came from him was already at a dangerous level.
Everyone had different means to counter the danger.
Some chose to run, some chose to solve the danger at hand.
After a deep breath, Drexton clenched his fist hard.
Hold on, Fist of Justice. If you dont want anything happening to your little assistant, best you put away your fist. And you, Mr. Big Arms, your men are also under my control as well!
As for you? Well in order to calm you down, I didnt really do anything to your men, just like how you numbed me by using your men to search for Mordins sculpture around the city. However, you will face the ultimate defeat, I bet it is toote for you to feel regret, right?
Fortunately, I always prepare a backup n for myself every time. Whenever the first one fails, the backup will always redeem everything. So long my enemy! Your lucky is really something but it ends here! DIE!
Pudder allowed his abdomen to bleed freely as his body was enshrouded by the wicked aura. His gaze at Kieran was hateful and full of resentment, his voice was dark and cold as if it was from the deepest part of hell.
This time around, not just Drexton and Colossal Arms but the entire Smorewill Street felt it; it was denser than before.
The criminals panted heavily.
Ruthless thoughts of ughter flooded their mind. Their eyes turned red as they picked up their weapons and walked out the street. They were heading towards Kieran, Drexton, and Colossal Arms.
Kill them! Use their blood to wash away my insult! Use their souls to start a second Printon! This ce will be a second heaven for us!
Pudder roared loudly.
Themon criminals and superviins that loomed the street walked out, shouting loudly at the trio andunched a charge at them.
Drexton and Colossal Arms were in a battle ready stance but Kieranughed instead.
So this is your backup n? Frankly speaking... its quite disappointing.
Kieran shook his head. The contempt in his expression agitated Pudder.
Kill him! The first one who kills him will be rewarded with the highest reward, I will... UGH!
Before Pudders encouraging words finished, it stopped and he couldnt continue anymore.
Ayer of white, tender and tenacious light shone across Smorewill Street, enveloping everything in its brightness.
[Seal of Dawn]!
A huge [Seal of Dawn] that covered the entire Smorewill Street appeared before everyone.
All was showered by the white tenacious light.
Rage!
Irascible!
Ruthless!
ughter!
Such presences were washed away one after another and were reced by never before felt, or more urately, forgotten feelings; it started to fill every inch of the street.
Warmth!
Happiness!
Family!
Friends!
And... Lovers!
No matter how dark the person was, slight memories started toe afloat in their minds at the moment, they started to get a hold of the warmth they felt.
The charging criminals unconsciously slowed down to an eventual stop.
They looked at each other and were at a loss.
Another person who was at loss for what was urring was Pudder. He was looking at Kieran with a gaze of disbelief.
How? How did you set this up beforehand? How did you know I had my own setup? How!? HOW!?
After his backup n failed, Pudder seemed to have lost it and questioned Kieran loudly.
This time, however, Kieran didnt answer because of his habits. He had said enough for the sake of probing for information.
Now?
It was time to deal with Pudder once and for all.
LIGHT SWORD!
A 20-meter light sword shone brightly in Kierans hands.
A single sh of the sword and all evil will copse.
Chapter 1084 - Lucky
Chapter 1084: Lucky
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy
Under the bright light, Pudders body was disintegrated, leaving only a long and deep sword mark on the ground.
The criminals further away swiftly retreated after they saw the sword mark on the ground.
They returned to their own hiding ces throughout the street again.
Drexton and Colossal Arms didnt give chase though, not just because the criminals retreated in an orderly manner, but because had they chose to chase after them, they would be heavily surrounded. Other than that, both their hearts were filled with astonishment and were absent of any other thoughts.
What happened? Drexton muttered his question.
Colossal Arms was puzzled.
Everything happened too fast, to the point that their brains didnt even have the time to process the scene.
The honorable chief officer suddenly became a superviin that hid in the darkest of corners and even set up a series of schemes. However, before the schemes even started... no, it did start yet Kieran restrained Pudder step after step as if he had predicted his every move. Pudder was defeated after that and he fell without any kind of resistance.
How did you do it?
Drexton couldnt hold back his question despite knowing the question it was redundant.
He thought he was smart enough but he revealed too many ws, Kieran answered.
Correct! Too many ws!
After the first meeting, when Kieran used Emma Eddie as bait, the owner of the Mordins sculpture had caught Kierans attention.
The peculiar and wicked aura was too obvious for Kieran since he had Dawn Force and Saint Thorn Force.
Pudder was presumptuous enough by trying to force Kieran into despair, thus he allowed the Fire Raven to witness everything that happened within Bunders mansion and it allowed Kieran to bring back the imposter.
Unfortunately, Pudder didnt expect Kieran to take out the imposter that easily, nor did he think about Kieran could rte into more from the appearance of the imposter.
It wasnt that hard actually.
A being like a demon would always cause ones mind filled with thoughts.
Drexton also previously mentioned the peculiar situation in Printon City where superheroes couldnt understand why it would weaken them.
Both the demons and the city were automatically grouped together by Kieran.
Simrly, Kieran also spected before on whether Pudder and Mr. Ghost were partners in crime.
His spections didnte from his instinct though but with solid proof: it was too easy for Pudder to recruit Mr. Ghosts men after he died.
Extraordinary individuals had quite the pride themselves, even for the superheroes that served justice, let alone the superviins that were used to destroying things as their daily routine.
Will these criminals stay quiet when they were arrested?
Even though their leader, Mr. Ghost, had died, it didnt make sense.
Pudder thought everything as a matter of course, therefore more ws were exposed before Kierans sight.
Of course, there were idents throughout the course and also mistakes from Pudder.
Although Pudder tried his best at being careful throughout the events, no matter how careful or vignt he was in pretending to be someone else, there would be ws and mistakes.
Or rather, the role that Pudder was ying contradicted his character that held contempt for others, which made him instinctively neglect a lot of details as though he had a split personality.
That was the true reason why Pudder failed.
Lucky. Kieran thought in his mind silently.
He didnt know how much of a role [Lucky Card] was ying but since he knew the effects, he wouldnt minding across such foes in future dungeons.
But whenever he thought about Wu, he scowled. Wu felt weird to him and he would try to avoid excessive contact with Wu if possible.
Whats wrong? Drexton saw Kierans scowling face.
Fist of Justice seemed to have misunderstood the situation as he clenched his fist hard and sized up his surroundings in vignce; Colossal Arms followed as well.
After the scene back there, Kieran was like a Wiseman that saw through all facades.
Nothing. That guy is much more vignt than I thought.
Kieran was holding back the entire truth.
As for which guy he was referring to?
Kieran didnt say it out loud, so Drexton and Colossal Arms didnt question him.
As extraordinary individuals, both of them were used to abiding by the hidden rules amongst them, whether one of their own or someone elses.
Huu!
Drexton took in a deep breath and heaved a sigh of relief, Too bad, I always thought Pudder as a decent friend.
If he really is who he tried to be, then that would be true. Too bad, everything was an act, Colossal Arms grunted coldly.
Colossal Arms had no good impressions of such a hypocrite, especially when the scheme involved himself.
Kieran, however, looked at both of them with an odd gaze.
Whats wrong again? Drextonfelt slightly uneasy when Kieran stared at him; he touched the back of his neck and asked.
Who said that I was referring to Pudder? Its not hard for a person to impersonate another for a time but what about over a decade? I guess in the end, the disguise would eventually take over the persons true nature. Justice would be tainted with evil and evil would give birth to light... Human nature is the most terrifying thing, Kieran said slowly.
He sounded very serious and at the same time, he tried to warn himself in his heart to not make the same mistakes as the fake chief officer.
Not Pudder? Then who is this guy...
Drexton and Colossal Arms were waiting for an answer.
Who else in Alkender City that can impersonate others skillfully and never get exposed?
Kieran didnt utter the obvious answer but he gave enough hints.
Thousand-faced Man!
Drexton and Colossal Arms cried in shock in unison.
Kieran nodded and walked away.
The big problem was solved for now but there were many trivial problems as well.
More importantly, the loot was waiting for him.
Of course, Chief Officer Pudder... or rather, Thousand-faced Man, also left behind an orange glowing item on the spot where he was disintegrated.
Kieran didnt miss it and he slipped it into his bag when he passed by.
...
As the three of them left, Smorewill Street returned to its normal state.
Other than the long narrow sword mark, nothing changed, or more urately, there was no change that the naked eyes could see.
A figure was hiding in the shadows, he carefully checked the sky and the roofs of the buildings in the surrounding area, making sure the red raven wasnt around before he walked out from the shadows and got closer to the sword mark.
The figure squatted down and touched the sword mark.
So this is also one of your abilities? What are you...
The voice got gradually quieter and eventually went silent.
The figure then vanished into the shadows just as he appeared.
However, the whole scene fell into the sight of an eye.
[Evil Eye]! The [Evil Eye] from Eye of Chimeras!
It concealed its lingering wicked presence and delivered the footage to Kieran who was in another part of the city.
Chapter 1085 - Chance!
Chapter 1085: Chance!
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Through the footage shown through [Evil Eye], Kieran saw the scene as if he was still back on the street.
The [Evil Eye] from [Fusion Heart] didnt possess powerful attacks and also had an extremely distinguished aura, thus it couldnt escape from sharp sensed individuals but back on the street with that environment, it was like a tiger that had been granted wings. Not only did its attack get enhanced, its aura perfectly blended with the surroundings as well.
However, Kieran didnt further go after the figure that appeared.
First, the figures appearance was also within Kierans expectations.
Second, the loot in front of him captured his attention more.
The pup looked extra tiny beside the three sculptures but it wasnt slow and was actually quite nimble in its movements.
After jumping mid-air, the pupnded in front of Kieran from the roof.
It stuck its tongue out ceaselessly and was pushing its head against Kierans boots.
Kieran bent down and caressed its head.
Nicely done, Frost Wolf, Kieran praised.
The pup got even more excited after the praise. It wagged its little tail even faster, its odd colored eyes of brown and blue were glimmering with sparkles. The three white scars on its forehead were waving back and forth following its wagging tail, making it look like three dancing fire tongues.
Frost Wolf? I heard that huskies are a breed of wolf but it looks more like a dog right?
Colossal Arms was puzzled when a name like Frost Wolf was ced on a husky, he leaned towards Drexton and asked softly.
Dont ask me, I never had a pet before. I really did want an orange cat back then though...
Drexton shrugged when questioned by Colossal Arms.
Both of them didnt even discuss Mordins sculptures and didnt even take an extra nce at them.
The justice serving extraordinary individuals had their own rules, simr to the mystics back in the old dungeon and the yers in the game: the rewards belonged to the one who worked the hardest.
As for who carried the previous battle with Thousand-faced Man?
The answer was obvious.
Both of them stood beside quietly, waiting for Kieran to count his spoils of war.
Kieran took out a sausage from his backpack and fed it to the pup beforeying eyes on the three sculptures.
Two out of the three were the abstract styled sculptures that fit Mordins sculpting style.
One was a mouth engulfed in mes and the other one was a nose spraying out a mist.
[Name: Mordins Fourth Sculpture]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: Powerful]
[Attributes: 1. Fire Breath; 2. Fire Burning]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: It originates from Master Sculptor Mordin and it was his fourth masterpiece but Mordins will caused it to mutate in a weird way.]
...
[Fire Breath: Fire a Strong level fire element attack in a 70 cone that has a 3-meter range, twice per day]
[Fire Burning: When the target has been attacked by Fire Breath, +1 fire attack to the next Fire Breath on the same target]
...
[Name: Mordins Fifth Sculpture]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: Powerful[
[Attribute: 1. Poisonous Mist Breath; 2. Poisonous Mist Enshroud]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Remark: It originates from Master Sculptor Mordin and it was his fifth masterpiece but Mordins will caused it to mutate in a weird way.]
...
[Poisonous Mist Breath: Your breath has Extreme level toxin. All living beings within a 15-meter radius will have to undergo 3 Constitution authentication of A+, B+, C+ respectively. If the target passes all three they will not be damaged; if target passes two, they will suffer a Strong level poison damage; if target passes one, they will suffer a Powerful level poison damage; if all are failed, target will suffer an Extreme level of poison damage.]
[Poisonous Mist Enshroud: When the target is within range for 5 minutes, a second round of 3 Constitution authentications will ur with +1 to respective authentication rank.]
...
After a nce at the fourth and fifth sculptures, Kieran shifted his attention to the distinguished Hell Breath.
Had Mordins sculptures been all in an abstract form before, Hell Breath followed a more realism focused approach.
A warrior in full body armor with a damaged face. One of his hands wielded a sword and the other was holding a demons head while he triumphed over a bunch of demon corpses.
[Name: Hell Breath]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: ???]
[Attack: ???]
[Defense: ???]
[Attribute: ???]
[Effect: ???]
[Prerequisite: ???]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: This is Master Sculptor Mordins final masterpiece yet it was damaged somehow, maybe you can find some professional to repair it.]
...
Damaged?
Kieran rubbed the damaged part with his thumb.
The damaged surface wasnt that big but it destroyed the sculptures facepletely. Based on the marks, Kieran couldnt tell what caused it to lose its face.
It didnt seem like a direct impact nor stabbing from a sharp object; there were no signs of burning and corrosion either.
The sculpture felt like it was already damaged the moment it was sculpted.
Ultimately, Kieran shook his head and chose to give up the meaningless conjectures. He wasnt a professional at sculpting and knew nothing about sculptures.
Given the nearly non-existent foundation, he would simply be looking for trouble had he tried to figure out the story behind the sculpture.
Simr to the remark of the item, he needed a professional to help him, but not now.
[Exposed Thousand-faced Mans scheme, recognition from Alkender City greatly increased. Continue? Yes/No]
[Eliminated Thousand-faced Man, recognition from Alkender City greatly increased. Continue? Yes/No]
Kieran nced over the new system notifications but he didnt reply immediately. Instead, he went ahead and packed all the sculptures into his bag and using his bag as cover, he continued to check the other spoils of war he got from Thousand-faced Man.
It was a white mask without any decoration, only the hole for the eyes, nostrils, and mouth.
[Name: Thousand Face]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attack/Defense: None]
[Attribute: Perfect Transformation 2/2]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: The biggest difference between humans isnt the physical appearance but the heart. Those who are addicted to transforming into someone else will fall into eternal hell.]
...
[Perfect Transformation: Able to transform user to another personpletely. Not just the looks but the temperament as well. The transformation will be removed if deactivated or received damaged on the mask.]
......
A nice tool, Kieranplimented honestly.
Although without attack and defense, changing ones face and temperament was very practical for Kieran, a yer that ventured into different dungeon worlds.
If he were to put it to good use, it will definitely bring him unimaginable benefits.
While thinking about how to put [Thousand Face] into good use, Kieran looked at Drexton and Colossal Arms.
I think this is a chance, Kieran said.
Em. It is a chance, Drexton nodded.
Im in, Colossal Arms added.
The three of them exchanged a tacit gaze before making a move together.
Chapter 1086 - Crow of Death
Chapter 1086: Crow of Death
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
While holding a paper bag and a box, Willis ran out of the car and knocked on the door of 17th Randletine.
Dok, Dok, Dok!
Amidst the rhythmic knocking, Ferris opened the door and unlike how Ferris treated the fake chief officer, cold and rude, Ferris showed a polite smile when he saw Willis.
Good afternoon Ferris.
Willis also replied with the same smile.
Come in, the boss is waiting for you in the study room.
Ferris moved aside and revealed the corridor behind him leading to the room.
After the corridor and the round living room, Willis entered the study room and saw Kieran who was waiting for him.
Sorry for the wait.
Willis stepped up and passed the paper bag to Kieran.
Not really, it was faster than I expected.
Kieran said while opening the paper bag.
Speed is the soldiers asset.
Boss has started his preparations and will be able to gather everyone by this evening. Colossal Arms is also ready and able to join our operation at any time, Willis said with a smile.
This evening? Okay then.
Kieran took a nce at the sun which was slowly setting in the west.
He then shifted his attention to the files and information in his hand.
The files werent that many, at most 30 plus pages but the contents of each page were substantial. One could consider the contents to have been traded for blood because all the contents of the files were about Smorewill Street.
Correct!
The chance Kieran was referring to earlier was to take down the entire Smorewill Street Block.
Kierans main mission was to acquire minimal recognition from the city within 6 weeks.
Although up to this point, his progress was decent, had he ended the main mission, he would be granted extremely high mission ratings as well.
However, Kieran wouldnt just give up the chance to acquire even higher ratings.
Try his best to excavate every single possible benefit in each dungeon!
It has be Kierans M.O. by now, not just his target in each dungeon world.
Especially when the situation allowed him to, he would never give up the chance since he already tasted the sweeter end of his motto, simr to his collection of Mordins sculptures.
Smorewill Street before Kierans eyes was like a big fat steak on top of a sizzling pan, its savory fat was simply oozing, giving out an aromatic scent as it sizzled. Add a little cinnamon also with some chili powder and it would have the best of vors when Kieran put it in his mouth.
Kieran didnt look down on his opponent because of the thought though, his vignt personality had determined that he would never act recklessly.
That was why Kieran chose to work with Drexton and Colossal Arms.
Of course, when he saw the contents on the files, he was grateful for his own vignce.
Registered superviins are over 30, precise numbers are still unknown. Common criminals are over 200 hundred, precise numbers also unknown. Other than these notorious bastards, there are also certain armed forces looming in the street with heavy firepower...
Quantity can incite a qualitative change.
No one knew what would happen if 30 extraordinary individuals got together. On top of that, other than the super criminals, he still had to face the criminals with heavy firepower.
An RPG might not be too much of a problem to Kieran at his current level but what about 10? 20? Or 100 together? Maybe there is some other kind of heavy artillery?
Huuu!
Kieran took a deep breath and continued reading.
The reading session went on for another 10 plus minutes until Kieran memorized the locations and distribution of forces throughout the street; only then did Kieran look up to Willis.
Is the intel in these files urate?
Kieran had to make sure of the validity of the information
I cant guarantee it but this is the information we gathered with our best efforts. Who knows what else Smorewill Street is hiding in its dark corners. Willis shook his head with a bitter smile.
If the information on Smorewill Street was so easy toe by, its denizens wouldnt have roamed freely for all these years, forming a city within the city.
Dok, Dok, Dok.
Kieran was tapping the handle of his chair as he frowned. He disliked uncertainty but he didnt like to force others into something beyond their abilities.
I understand. Ill do my best to help Drexton when the timees.
Kieran nodded and said in a serious tone.
Thank you for everything youve done for Alkender and... thank you.
Willis expressed is gratitude again.
He stood up and bowed to Kieran in a very official manner.
Without Kieran, Willis might still be deceived by the scheme of Thousand-faced Man and he might do something that he would regret deeply, like the real chief officer.
Although the real Pudder was fine, the incident caused quite the impact on him.
Those who were shocked that the real Pudder was still alive felt chills on their back because of the incident. Whenever they thought about someone else wearing their face andmitting acts they could never ept, it caused them to shiver.
They had a deeper understanding of Thousand-faced Mans operating style as well.
Thousand-faced Man was able to simply kill off the real Pudder but he didnt, because he wanted the chief officer to know the truth and live with the horrible fact!
Once he thought about grazing past these horrible experience, Willis was terrified, thus he was more than grateful at Kieran.
Willis then ced the box he brought with him on Kierans desk.
No need for this, Drexton has paid me well enough. Kieran pointed on the cheque on the desk.
That is from the boss, this is mine. Besides, its nothing valuable, just some of my usual collection. The first generation Old Pappy Soft Drink, orange juice vored, the second, and the third, Willis opened the box as he exined.
Despite saying it was nothing valuable, Willis was quite careful when opened it.
Three vastly different styled soft drink bottles with different colors appeared before Kieran.
Kieran was stunned.
[Name: Old Pappy the First]
[Type: Beverage]
[Rarity: Above Legendary]
[Attribute: Old Pappy Raging Roar]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: This is a legendary beverage that Willis collected. It has a special meaning among collectors and it doesnt have an expiry date. You need to have an extremely high Constitution to drink it, or else prepare yourself to stay on the toilet overnight.]
...
[Old Pappy Raging Roar: Able to increase the critical effect, attack rank by 1 on any skill within the 30-minute duration.]
...
[Name: Old Pappy the Second]
[Type: Beverage]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attribute: Old Pappy Shouting]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: This is a legendary beverage that Willis collected. It has a special meaning among collectors and it doesnt have an expiry date. You need to have an extremely high Constitution to drink it, or else prepare yourself to stay on the toilet overnight.]
...
[Old Pappy Shouting: Able to increase critical damage by 50% on any attack within the 30-minute duration.]
...
[Name: Old Pappy the Third]
[Type: Beverage]
[Rarity: Magic]
[Attribute Old Pappy Growling]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: This is a legendary beverage that Willis collected. It has a special meaning among collectors and it doesnt have an expiry date. You need to have an extremely high Constitution to drink it, or else prepare yourself to stay on the toilet overnight.]
...
[Old Pappy Growling: Able to increase critical damage by 25% on any attack within the 30-minute duration.]
...
When the attributes of the three soft drinks appeared on Kierans vision, he couldnt have said no now in addition to him never saying no to food and drinks.
These are more valuable than the cheque and the gold here.
Kieran epted the box and said solemnly.
He was looking very serious and sincere because it was indeed more valuable than dungeon world currency but Willis took it as special recognition.
Im d you like it. After this battle is over, Ill treat you to a beef burger and I promise the burger is the best!
Willis said with a smile and after Kieran agreed to the suggestion, he left the house.
There were still many things Willis had to attend to, being able to stay at Kierans for this long period of time was already special treatment.
After Willis left, Ferris and Odork came over.
Master, please allow us to fight as well. We will be your sword and shield and charge through the battlefield with you. Ferris acted as the representative and voiced out their will.
Mm.
Kieran nodded, stood up and grabbed the crow mantle from the rack beside him. He put it on after a slight shake.
The setting sun shined its fiery glory through the window and shed light over the ck feathered mantle with an ominous presence, tainting it red.
It was as red as blood.
Gawk!
The crows crow was ominous.
The blood ravens crow was... dering death!
Chapter 1087 - Outpost Battle
Chapter 1087: Outpost Battle
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Smorewill Street block that was moring ceaselessly regardless of night and day suddenly fell into a never before seen silence after the previous battle that happened there.
The silence pressured the criminals there.
Some who seemed to be vignt enough chose to leave the street.
Their leaving was greeted by those who thought they themselves were the vignt ones and those bold and reckless ones with coldughs.
The former mocked them, thetter showed disdain.
They were mocked and considered fools, they were shown disdain because of theirck of courage.
However, these men fell to the ground one after another after the mocking and disdain.
A thinyer of mist that was almost invisible to the naked eye flowed into the street block along with the wind.
The Silencer!
A few of the rmed ones shouted loudly but it didnt help.
They too fell to the ground one after another, falling soundly asleep.
Then, the ground started to tremble.
Dozens of tractors and excavators were driving into the street. They were like hungry beasts in the form of machines that jumped onto the street, removing and tearing down the houses on the outer street that acted as a blockade.
House after house was torn down and soon, a straight path towards the inner street was paved open.
Advance!
The armed forces consisted of police and voluntary police that were waiting outside for a while now charged into the street after the call.
The armed forces advanced in groups, they looked extremely serious with the weapons in their hands and didnt seem a bit rxed because of the initial sess.
They knew the real battley ahead.
Out of expectations, the real battle befell them faster than they could realize.
KABOOM!
A loud explosionter, the armed group that was taking the lead was blown to bits.
MINES! HALT!
As themand was abruptly given, the armed forces that had already entered the street stopped and the move turned them into live targets, exposing them under enemys fire.
Bang Bang Bang!
Dak! Dak Dak Dak Dak Dak!
The guns and machine guns that were hiding in the buildings further along the street fired away, spraying countless bullets at the armed forces, pouring down lethal shots like a heavy rain but...
It was useless!
A short and plump man dashed out from the group, squatted down in front of the others andid his hands up.
Following his movements, a translucent force field barrier appeared around the armed forces, protecting them from the bullets like a sturdy fortress.
After the short plump man sessfully put up a defensive barrier for the group, Machinist who was still scrawny and wearing a pair of frameless spectacles dashed out from his own group and headed towards the mine area; he pressed his hands down on the group.
Upon contact, the mines installed in the area jumped out of the ground as if they hade alive.
Bang!
A shot was fired from further away.
A specially enhanced bullet was fired directly at the Machinist but just when the bullet was about to perforate Machinists body, his body twisted in an unimaginable way. He was nimble and agile, the bullet didnt even touch him, instead, itnded on the ground next to him, creating a big hole.
Machinist then dashed out like an arrow let loose towards the point where the bullet was fired; he also cleaned up the firing points of the criminals along the way.
Venom Snake, one of the superviins in the area quickly retreated without a second thought when he saw that Machinist wasing after him.
He knew very well what his abilities were at and also understood he had fallen into a trap.
Machinist who was supposed to be the main target wasnt actually the Machinist himself, but was another superhero in disguise, thus the nimbleness and agility.
Damn it! I need back up! Venom Snake yelled into the walkie-talkie.
Right away. Azy female voice was heard from the other end of the talkie and Venom Snake heaved a sigh of relief. But right after that, he felt serious goosebumps all over his back.
Years of battle instincts allowed Venom Snake to dodge to the side with a roll but it was too slow.
Tssng!
The battle outfit that Venom Snake wore which had quite the defensive capabilities was torn apart like paper. A big portion of his back together with bones and organs were ripped out by that strike.
Venom Snake who fell to the ground with blurry vision heard a cats meow before he took hisst breath.
Kat Lady?!
A sudden realizationter, Venom Snake entered eternal darkness.
A little worm meow!
Kat Lady who disguised at Machinistughed in delight as she was looking down at Venom Snakes body.
However, her eyes were serious like never before at the very next moment.
Another big wild cat meow?
Kat Lady stared into the darkness beside her.
A figure simr to Kat Lady yet a few times bigger walked out.
A big wild cat? Oh, youve said it, little stray cat!
The figure that walked out and stretched her body like a feline, the leopard-like skin on the figure was shining brightly under the sunsets glory.
She lifted her palm and extended her ws; she licked her ws and looked at Kat Lady with an extremely dangerous gaze.
Kat Lady refused to show weakness as she also extended her ws.
Both felines stared at each other as they moved around the walls in the tight spaces as though they were in a diator arena.
Then...
MEOW!
ROAR!
A cats meow and a leopards roarter, both felines were tangled together, engaging in a cat fight.
...
Kat Ladys entrance started the prologue of the battle for both sides.
A whole house was pulled out from the ground together with its base and was thrown towards the side of the armed forces, aiming towards the short plump man among the crowd.
WELCOME, FORTRESS!
The superviin who threw the house out was as big as a giant and as strong as Hercules grinned evilly.
Heavy Lifter!
Fortress, the short plump man who set up the force field barrier for the armed forces sessfully blocked the flying house.
BANG!
The house crashed hard into the barrier and was crushed into pieces; of course, there was no one inside the house.
Chang!
Suddenly, a sword re shed over.
Fortress shield was sliced open right away, even his body suffered a wide long cut.
Blood kept gushing out from the wound but Fortress body didnt fall apart.
As expected of you Fortress! Not only the barriers you construct, but even your body is also sturdy! I cant even cut you in half with a single sh with my sword! Guess well have to do another!
Another superviin wielding a long katana with a mask over his face and a body donning clean ck martial artist clothesughed coldly.
The man meant what he said.
He wielded his katana in a flurry and went straight for Fortress neck.
Just as the de was about to slice through Fortress neck, a metal rod suddenly cut in and blocked the katana.
CHANG!
A metallic buzz emanated throughout the area after the katana and metal rod shed.
Its been a while, my teacher, no... Weapon Master!
The man with the katana saw a white-haired elder in clean white martial artist clothes before him; heughed coldly.
Dark Arms...
Weapon Master wanted to say something but his ex-disciple, Dark Arms raised his katana and attacked him.
Chang Chang Chang!
The metallic clunking was ceaseless as the white and ck shed fiercely.
Heavy Lifter didnt stop there either as he walked towards Fortress with a vicious smile.
Bang Bang Bang Bang!
The police armed forces fired their guns at Heavy Lifter, covering Fortress in the process.
After Heavy Lifter took a few bullets heads on, he growled angrily and hid behind a house as he was being suppressed by the hail of bullets.
...
Deeper inside Smorewill Street, a thin young man was sitting in front of countless screens, watching what was happening in Smorewill Street.
The man then leaned back in his chair and sighed in disappointment.
Drexton is still asme as he ever, where is all the creativity? Wasted my few hours of anticipation.
Which means... Glutton Emperor is also nothing.
Tell the men to attack the obviousndmarks throughout the city. We need to make things more interesting out of this deadly battle.
Chapter 1088 - Food Changes Fate
Chapter 1088: Food Changes Fate
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Alkender Public Charity Hospital was the biggest hospital in the city. It also epted all kinds of patients into its doors.
Of course, given the title, the hospitals equipment, and hardware were far from the average level. The doctors and nurses pay were the lowest of all the hospitals.
Frankly speaking, the doctors and nurses that worked in this hospital didnt work for the pay.
The hospitals name had said it all.
Charity? Its nothing but the hypocritical capitalists way to boast of their fortune! These things shouldnt exist! Destroy it!
Bomber Maniac who was dressed in some shabby clothes and acting like a homeless manughed softly.
He was approaching the hospital step by step, just like the other homeless people seeking refuge in the hospital.
His eyes already spotted the bastards that were captivated by the title of those hypocrites.
Then...
A giant handnded on Bomber Maniacs shoulder without a sign.
When he reacted to the palm on his shoulder, his body was mped away.
You people really daree here eh? Ballsy!
Reeking of alcohol, the voice sounded with indescribable rage, the bloated body of the palm owner was like the city walls as he put Bomber Maniac into the shadows close by.
W-Wine Barrel!?
Bomber Maniac shouted out of panic. He wasnt a coward by any means but the man before him was too frightening.
Everyone knew Alkender City was the home to two famous superheroes, Fist of Justice, Drexton and Wine Barrel, Herzer.
Themoners respected both of them and praised their brave acts.
The criminals and super criminals feared and hated them, especially Wine Barrel!
If the criminals could choose, they would rather Fist of Justice arrest them 10 times before Wine Barrel apprehended them once.
Becausepared to thew-abiding Fist of Justice, Wine Barrel didnt care about all of that; Herzer would take out any criminal that heid eyes on.
Once he thought about the ending of the others, Bomber Maniac shivered uncontrobly.
He felt the killing intent from Wine Barrel already.
However, just as he thought he was done for, a stiff voice was heard from further away, Mark, are you bullying others again? How many times have I told you not to bully others! Ill expel you if you continue like this! And as a caretaker, you should be taking out the garbage right now!
As the voice sounded, a middle-aged woman with the doctors robe walked over.
Her face was as stiff as her voice, making her extremely unfriendly looking, plus the pressuring manner, one would very much dislike her at first sight but Wine Barrel, Herzer... No, caretaker, Mark acted like a mouse before a cat in front her; he was frightened on the spot.
It was hard to imagine that a rugged man taller than 2 meters with a bloated waist and a face with a rough beard would be a yes-man in front of a thin woman who was less than 1.6 meters talls.
However, it was amon scene within the hospital and a lot of people responded to the scene with a smile.
Ellen, you know... a lot of them dont have good habits, I am just telling them the dos and donts before entering the hospital... Right, kid?
As he spoke, the giant palm squeezed tighter and the frightened Bomber Maniac passed out before he even reacted to what happened.
Ellen! This kid fainted! Seems to be suffering from malnutrition! Where should I take him?
The caretaker Mark grabbed the unconscious Bomber Maniac and asked.
Body is scrawny but doesnt seem to be malnourished, the temperature is normal... Hurry, to ward 3-102! I need the scanner to do a full body check up!
The doctor named Ellen ran up to Bomber Maniac and performed a quick check up but the results made the doctor anxious.
The duty of a medic softened the doctors stiff face, the feeling of irritation flew away under the sunsets glory and it added ayer of holistic color to her expression.
Although it wasnt the first time, Mark was still infatuated by that look, until the doctor had to rush him.
Mark! Hurry up!
Okay! Okay!
Carry the patient with both hands, dont grab him like some package!
Oh, okay!
...
As the voice subsided, Willis who was on Olinde Street, the headquarters of the Hero Alliance heard and saw every scene. He couldnt help but facepalme.
He really didnt want to admit that the tall guy who acted like a chicken in front of Doctor Ellen was the superhero Wine Barrel that shared the same fame as his boss, but it was an undeniable fact.
Each time I see him, I cant help but doubt my life... Wait, no, its my judgement and aesthetic perception, everything! Fortunately, this time around, he isnt included in the n.
Willis took a few deep breaths to adjust his condition.
Then he continued his duty.
As the eyes and ears of Hero Alliance, he was naturally tasked with overseeing the situation, making sure everyone was alive. After he did so, he reported back to Drexton.
Boss, all done.
Roger that.
Ill try to work with others in the downtown area. Ill leave Smorewill Street to you and the Glutton Emperor.
After ending the conversation, Willis took the burger beside him.
His abilities consumed his stamina, especially using it overt a long period of time, the stamina consumption was quite shocking.
While the best choice to replenish stamina was to rest or eat and given the circumstance, eating became his only option.
A big bite of the beef burger that he liked so much and a big sip of the sparkling orange juice.
Williseyes kept changing scenes as he had to watch each and every area.
When he switched to the police station, he saw the real Chief Officer Pudder grabbing a big backpack and a box into the car, trying to drive to Smorewill Street. Willis was stunned right away.
Chief, hold up! You need to rest! The battle there is not something amoner can participate in!
Using his own abilities, Willis voice clearly entered Pudders ears.
Rest? Ive rested enough!
That is not a battle that I can participate in? Since I am heading there, I dont expect toe back alive! Those reckless bastards that ignore thew, someone needs to teach them a lesson about abiding it!
And you, voluntary police, dont simply talk to my mind!
After Pudder was freed from Thousand-faced Mans imprisonment, the chief officer drove his car and sprinted towards his destination. His voice was very angry, simr to his actions right now; he didnt even listen to advice.
Willis then contacted his boss after Pudder ignored his advice a few times.
Pudder might not be likable but Willis couldnt let him die like this.
Boss, the C.O. is heading towards Smorewill Street.
How can I make him listen to my advice?
Fine, Ill contact the Knight.
Willis then contacted the Knight who was responsible for the frontal assault on Smorewill Street. He continued contacting the other superheroes who were defending various location throughout the city; he was as busy as a worker bee.
Therefore, he didnt notice a shadow that was slowly floating around the offices corner.
Hehehehe, Willis the Eye. Kill you and Drextons n will fall apart! Hehehe, you people are too careless! How can you not guard the key piece in your ns? You people really thought Machinists defensive mechanism was that safe?
Shadow Freak, another superviin was slowly approaching Willis. He reached Willis side and raised his palm, transforming it into a shadow longsword; the shadow sword was swung down hard and there was no sound made or widn generated from its movements.
Willis body would be shed in half since he was not skilled in closebat.
However, just as the shadow sword was swung down, the patty from Willis burget fell off the bun.
To Willis, the patty was the essence of the burger, how could he simply let it slip away?
Willis bent his body down without a second thought and grabbed the patty before it touched the floor.
10 points!
As his finger felt the warmth of the patty, Willis smiled andmented on his own action.
Then...
Bang!
The desk was shed in half.
The burgers on the table were scattered on the floor and some were destroyed by the shadow sword.
Willis bit the patty and did a quick side roll after the initial shock. He turned around with a slightly frightened look.
Lucky bastard! But can you dodge the next? DIE useless trash! Call your boss to save you, but I assure you before they even reach here, Ill slice and dice...
Shadow Freak missed his first strike, so he revealed himself directly,menting on Willis luck in disdain but before his mocking even finished, Shadow Freak was frozen on the spot because an aura locked him down.
The feeling was like prey being locked onto by a beast in the forest.
No! Not a beast! A vicious monster!
A monster that woke up from the primordialnd and was extremely hungry now!
YOU! How dare you! How dare you destroy my food! My food!!
Kill you! Ill kill you!
Stuttering, Gluttony suddenly appeared behind Shadow Freak, grabbing his head single-handedly and squeezed his head like a ball.
Bang!
The head was crushed and its brain was sttered everywhere.
Chapter 1089 - Sonata of Salvo
Chapter 1089: Sonata of Salvo
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The battle?
The killing ended within a split second.
When Willis reacted to what happened, he saw Shadow Freaks crushed head all over the floor and Gluttonys hand tainted with blood.
What the...
Glutton Emperor? Shouldnt you be...
Willis couldnt tell apart Gluttony and the real Kieran.
He asked out of instinct but before he finished, he was forced to a halt by Gluttonys gaze.
The vicious and hungry gaze caused Willis back to go numb.
Willis felt what Shadow Freak felt before he died, the primordial beast didnt just wake up, it woke up in a famished state.
T-There is food over there! Have it if you like!
After a gulp of saliva, Willis tried his best in speaking in a clear manner.
The moment his words subsided, Gluttony who was already restless charged towards the intact burgers, stuffing them into his mouth one by one; he swallowed the burgers without chewing.
Willis jaw dropped when he saw the scene, he was looking at Gluttony with a look of disbelief.
So this is how the name Glutton Emperor came by? This is... too shocking!
Willis uttered a term which he thought was appropriate to describe Gluttony after some thought.
He then quickly picked up the phone and dialed it.
Hello, I want to make an order for 30 packs! No, no, 50 packs! We are not having a party, no need for ribbons and balloons!
When Willis put down the phone, Gluttony was finished with the burgers and was looking at him with a fairly peaceful gaze.
Willis heaved a sigh of relief, at least Gluttony didnt treat him as food.
Do you need anything else? Is there anything you dont eat? Or what do you want to eat the most?
Willis asked Gluttony.
More! Gluttony asked.
More? You mean 50 pack isnt enough? Or the varieties isnt enough?
Okay,cking both, Ill make more orders!
Without further conversation, Willis found the answer from Gluttonys facial expression and change in aura.
Another round of orders was being made and with extra delivery fees, the delivery reached the Hero Alliances headquarters faster than usual.
None of the delivery boys were surprised by the amount of food Willis ordered though, they were used to the big appetites.
As its name implied, the Food Lover Alliance.
The delivered food was piled up like a mountain and Gluttony jumped inside like a Scrooge swimming in a mountain of gold.
Without Gluttonys threatening gaze, Willis quickly contacted Drexton, he needed to deliver the news to his boss.
However, as Willis switched scenes with his eyes trying to locate his boss, he was stunned on the spot when he saw the scenes at the various locations.
17th Randletine Street, Spicy Hot Kitchen, Chelsea Hot Dogs, etc.
Willis saw Kierans figure fighting with the superviins throughout said locations.
Clones? Could it be...
Willis came back to his senses after being stunned for a while.
His face then changed drastically as he thought of something else.
...
Hahahahaha!
Wine Barrel, Herzer? Glutton Emperor, 2567?
Too many obvious weaknesses! What a bunch of useless gluttonous trash!
The thin young man in the deeper parts of Smorewill Street got wind of the situation. Heughed wholeheartedly and his words were full of disdain and contempt.
Cold killing intent was shing across his eyes.
Clones eh, not too shabby! But there must be many restrictions for you to create clones! Either weakening the strength of the host or increased stamina consumption, there might be some other negative effects as well... So which one are you, Glutton Emperor?
The thin young man muttered softly to himself.
He then raised his hand, giving an order to the man beside him, Tell them to move out right now. Fist of Justice is alone now. If they still cant win, Ill feed them to the dogs.
Yes, boss.
The man quickly ran out to deliver the orders.
10 secondster, all the superviins hiding in Smorewill Street started to move out.
...
They areing!
Knight who was standing on the edge of a roof in Smorewill Street took in a deep breath.
As themanding officer of this frontal assault, Knight wasnt young anymore given his experience. Despite donning his trusty armor and wielding his greatsword, it couldnt conceal the signs of aging.
His strength and stamina were slipping away with his age as well but the experience alone was enough for him to achieve something the younger ones couldnt.
As the oldest superhero in Alkender City, Knight knew what his role was and where his duty lied.
Everyone, please charge with me! For the peace and glory of Alkender!
Knight chanted out loud without even turning around.
That was all he said before he jumped off the roof and dashed towards the crowd of superviins further away, but it was enough.
The other extraordinary individuals behind Knight followed him off the roof and charged towards their enemies as well.
They might be weird and entric during normal days or even wild and untamed, but each of them had their own principles and convictions that were considered as precious treasures.
They didnt hesitate as they charged forward.
There were no battle drums and horns of the ancient times in the battlefield, nor did they have a banner waving in the sky and horses carrying them to their enemies.
What these stubborn and persistent folks had was the resolution to fight for what they believed in.
They raised their fists and opposed injustice.
They wielded swords to cut off cruelty and ruthlessness.
They didnt need any glory or praise for their actions.
All they wished for was peace!
FOR ALKENDER!
The Knight shouted loudly as he swung the greatsword down.
FOR ALKENDER!
The other extraordinary individuals shouted loudly as well.
Fire, frost, poisons, blinding lights, etc.
All sorts of energies burst out in the small narrow area and despite their enemies being twice as many, they were not afraid.
...
Grooom Grooom!
The tremble from the ground told Colossal Arms the battle had entered its climax, he needed to hurry up, otherwise, the others wouldntst for long.
Hurry up!
Colossal Arms said loudly to his men.
The men were the bodyguards from Colossal Arms securitypany. Each of them was fully armed with the most advanced weaponry and instruments and were shuttling quickly through the underground of Smorewill Street.
Boss, located the electric generator!
Boss, found the supply storeroom!
Boss, got the water purification machine!
Each of them reported to Colossal Arms of their findings.
Okay, proceed ording to n!
Move out!
Colossal Arms signaled with a wave of his hand before he grabbed a backpack loaded with C4 explosives.
Boss, you?
The bodyguards who should have moved out ording to the n were shocked when they saw their boss actions.
You guys wouldnt assume that I have the same mission right? Colossal Arms grinned.
But boss, our mission is to destroy the...
That is your missions, not mine! My mission is right there!
Colossal Arms pointed at the deeper parts of the underground of Smorewill Street.
He then pointed above his head, saying, They are fighting up there. I didnt join them side by side because we have our own way of fighting this war! But our goal is the same!
So... I want the 21-gun salute to send me off!
After a nce at every one of his men, Colossal Arms turned around and left, disappearing from his mens line of sight and into the darkness.
The men saw their boss off until Colossal Arms figure disappearedpletely, only then did they move out quickly. They were twice as fast as before in setting up everything.
If the boss wanted a 21-gun salute, then...
Herees the salute!
Chapter 1090 - A Sincere Greeting
Chapter 1090: A Sincere Greeting
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Karoom!
The ground trembled fiercely.
A few spots in Smorewill Street started to copse and sink into the ground.
The copses that urred throughout the street caused a slight pause in the fierce battle. The good extraordinary individuals who were at a disadvantage because of the numbers then showed smiles on their faces one after another and the superviins felt anxious and doubtful.
The superviins knew what the copsing meant.
Food!
Water!
Electricity!
The extraordinary individuals were strong without a doubt but they would be weak without food and water. Even more so since they had to consume even more food to maintain their powers.
Now, the source that their survival relied on was destroyed!
Unless they were confident enough to destroy the opponents before them, they would have no hope in winning this conflict.
However, whenever the superviins remembered that Fist of Justice, Wine Barrel, and Glutton Emperor hadnt shown up, they didnt hold high hopes.
They knew what the difference between their own strength and the strength of the three were.
Bullying the weak had always been a cherished excellent tradition of the superviins.
As for challenging the strong?
Stop joking! Such a valiant act didnt exist in their hearts.
If these superviins were some decent soldiers that understood discipline or somemoners that understood fighting for the good fo the majority, they might be able to unite their wills and advance in a bold manner and create miracles with their own hands.
Unfortunately, they were not. The super criminals had no discipline and no thoughts towards anyone but themselves. They were actually forced to gather in the street and fight this battle; some even came here to vent their stress.
The superviins were selfish, bloodthirsty, and theyd rather trust themselves than friends.
Everything was destined, wasnt it?
Its time for our counterattack!
Knight yelled loudly.
In fact, even without the reminder, the good extraordinary individuals had started to turn the tides around.
The superviins which had the advantage of numbers but were filled with doubts and anxiety had started to fail and fall back.
...
BANG!
Deeper inside Smorewill Street, after the electricity was cut off and the backup generator kicked in, the thin young man was shocked when he saw the superviins failing back on his screens. He couldnt hold back his anger and punched the control panel in front of him.
The tremendous force immediately bent the metallic control panel, sparks flew around as the wires sprung out.
TRASH! BUNCH OF TRASH!
The thin young man cursed heavily but soon enough, the cursing became a sinister muttering to himself.
Drexton!
Drexton!
Drexton!
...
Each time he uttered the name to himself, his pitch would get higher and in the end, it turned into a heavy soundwave, echoing across the room and shattering the still intact screens.
He knew how the clowns out there achieved this.
Other than Drexton, no one else could fool his senses and he also knew Drexton have strained himself in order to achieve this.
It was an opportunity!
Huu!
The thin young man took in a deep breath, swiftly regting his condition.
You think youve won? You have no idea what mistake you just made! Is it that new Glutton Emperor gave you the confidence to do this? Ill show you how ridiculous your thoughts are!
The thin young man walked outside as he muttered to himself.
He knew even if he spread the news to the superviins outside, it was useless. That useless garbage would only doubt is words, thinking that it was just a trick that he threw out.
The superviins would only believe him when the facts were right before them.
HMPH!
Once he thought he had to prove something to those pieces of trash that he disdained, the thin young man couldnt hold back his cold grunts.
However, the cold grunts brought out a figure from the shadows in the corner of the room.
A figure with a masked face and concealed physique appeared before the thin young man.
Long time no see, Krelin!
The person greeted the thin young man with a sinister voice but the young man didnt buy it and raised a punch towards the person.
Fuuu!
The wind from the punch whistled hard and it rattled the mask and the hood of the person. However, the person was concerned about something else hidden in the wind from the punch.
Without a second thought, the person took a step back and retreated.
I dont mean anything, Krelin. I am just here to give you a reminder.
Be careful of Glutton Emperor. He is different.
The punch stopped, so did the wind that followed.
The thin young man seemed to be interested regarding the difference in Kieran.
The person was slightly relieved when the attack stopped and tried to continue with his words but the moment his mouth opened, the paused punch continued its attack.
You!
The person widened their eyes suddenly.
He knew the thin young man was frantic and crazy but he didnt know it was beyond the stage of propermunication.
The person had to put his hands up in a cross defensive posture to withstand the punch.
BANG!
The person was sent flying by the punch after an explosion simr to that of dynamite.
The tremendous force caused cracking in the persons bones and tore away a lot of his flesh. More importantly, corrosive energy started to invade his organs.
After falling to the ground the person pressed his hand on the ground as grimaced from the pain of his organs being assaulted.
The moment his hand touched the ground, the ground cracked and crumbled, debris was sent flying everywhere. Each of the smaller debris had a different level of corrosion on it as well.
The person who should have suffered a fatal blow stood up just like that and red at the thin young man with utmost viciousness.
Grudge Dragon! The person shouted the title.
Whats wrong, Death Knell? The thin young man crossed his arms andughed coldly.
The confrontation between the two notorious superviins caused the imposing manner on both sides to increase rapidly.
Their formless auras then turned into cyclones, ravaging the area.
However, just as the imposing aura reached its peak, Death Knell suddenly stepped into the darkness.
Grudge Dragon was stunned for a while before his disdainfulughs came.
You really be as cowardly as a rat after you went to that ce! Or do you think he poses a treat to me?
Grudge Dragon lifted his hand and dished out another punch.
Wung!
The whistle from the punching wind sounded again but unlike the previous destructive one, this time the punching wind turned into a formless hand and grabbed Colossal Arms who was quietly approaching.
Colossal Arms arms expanded quickly but his bloated arms didnt do him any good.
The strength that Colossal Arms took pride in back in the day was nothing before the punching wind. He wasnt just caught in the wind, the toxin hiding in the punching wind rapidly entered his body as well.
The toxin was the most poisonous kind!
When Colossal Arms was pulled in front of Grudge Dragon, he was already on hisst breath.
Grudge Dragon grinned viciously when Colossal Arms was in front of him. The white teeth shined in an unusual way under the dark underground space.
Grudge Dragon, Ive brought you the most sincere greeting from everyone! You m**f*cker!
Colossal Arms said weakly.
Then, a weird noise went off in his backpack.
Tik!
Chapter 1091 - My True Power…
Chapter 1091: My True Power...
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Grudge Dragons face slightly changed but he wasnt at all panicked.
Hmph!
A cold gruntter, the punching wind that was grabbing Colossal Arms divided into two.
One half of the wind turned into a poisonous shield in front of Grudge Dragon which shielding him from the damage and the other half grabbed the backpack on Colossal Arms and threw it far away like an arrow let loose.
In order to throw the bag of explosives away in the shortest time possible, Grudge Dragon purposely cut the straps away from Colossal Arms. Though, he didnt spare Colossal Arms.
KABOOM!
zing light burst up to the sky.
Amidst the huge explosion, the whole underground area shook and dust clouds filled the narrow space.
The poison wind around Grudge Dragon was dispersing the dust around him, allowing him to extend his hand towards the already unconscious Colossal Arms.
Dak, Dak, Dak.
Just as his palm was about to grab Colossal Arms, a series of footsteps were heard.
A figure walked through the mystifying dust clouds and slowly approached Grudge Dragon.
2567?!
Hahahahah! How dare you appear before me? Seems like the smooth progresstely made you quite ballsy!
When he saw Kieraning closer, Grudge Dragon was stunned for a moment before heughed wholeheartedly.
Hisughter had joy but most of it was contempt.
His habit of looking down on everyone and everything distorted his personality, thus giving birth to his contempt for all.
As the minority that stood on the top of Alkender City, Grudge Dragon indeed had the right to do so.
After all, from how he viewed it, Kieran was no one before this, despite showing off some strange abilities, what could he really achieve?
All Kieran did was coincidentally restrain Mr. Ghost with his strange abilities.
Other than that, what else did he achieve?
Slither Bone, Predator, and Ironjaw Croc?
What a joke!
Ironjaw Croc who others boasted so much about was nothing but an ant that he could pinch to death any moment.
DIE!
Grudge Dragon stoppedughing and dished out his punch with a cold re.
Fuu!
The poisonous punching wind instantly enshrouded Kieran, and... that was it.
The punching wind that could bind Colossal Arms was useless against Kieran as he continued to slowly walk forward.
The toxin that could corrode organs were ignored by Kieran.
Line after line of Constitution authentications appeared and Kieran passed all of them without exception.
Kierans Constitution has reached New I rank, if the toxin wasnt in the higher order, it wouldnt inflict any damage to him.
As if a strong breeze was blowing on his face, Kieran slowly walked forward to the unconscious Colossal Arms.
When Kieran was less than 3 meters away from Colossal Arms, he took another step out that whipped up a strong wind.
There was no whistle, no raging roar, and the strong wind was almost silent.
Kierans face was calm as usual but the strong wind was like knives tearing down the poisonous wind shielding Grudge Dragon.
Bang!
A loud bangter, the poisonous wind dispersed into nothing. Kieran stepped up and stood in front of Colossal Arms.
Kieran tilted his head down at Colossal Arms. His eyes had a faint sense of admiration and respect instead of mockery.
No matter what reason Colossal Arms had to be here, he still came despite knowing he would be dead and it was enough to earn respect from anyone.
You may cherish life and not want to be a hero but whening across one, please give the hero the respect he deserves.
The heroes did somethingmoners never would have done; they were known as the great ones.
A white light shined from Kierans hand.
[Expel Toxin]!
[Healing]!
The transformed divine energy was driven by Dawn Force and was washing away the toxin in Colossal Arms body, healing his injuries.
But, Grudge Dragons attack didnt stop.
Wung!
The heavy air-whistle sounded once more from the punch.
This time, it wasnt the poisonous punching wind anymore but a real authentic punch towards Kieran.
Under the numbing air whistle, the punch which was smaller than amon adult felt like a giant hammer being swung down. The punch didnt just try to break Kierans bones, it wanted to crush him to bits.
BANG!
The punchnded on Kierans chest, right in the middle of [Devourer Shadow Mail]!
Grudge Dragon was delighted at first before he froze.
The previous scene told him that his poisonous punching wind was useless against Kieran but he was quite confident in his own strength as well.
He had the confidence to kill Kieran with one punch.
As for the armor on Kierans body?
Even the steel exterior of a tank couldnt withstand a single blow from his punch, let alone the soft mail.
However, the Devourers energy from the dark mail shook Grudge Dragon.
He clearly felt that his powers were being absorbed!
Grudge Dragon retracted his fist to a retreat and looked at Kieran with a doubtful and anxious gaze.
You from that ce as well? So what if you are? Im from that ce as well!
Grudge Dragon answered his own question.
His expression was vicious and twisted in a bad way, his body even started to bloat up like a balloon.
Within a single breaths time, the thin young man transformed into a monster with a human face. All four of its limbs were crawling on the ground and had a body with scales and a tail like a crocodile.
Know why people called me the Grudge Dragon?
Because of my current looks? Or the lousy toxins?
No! No! All wrong! My power, my true power, is the gue! The gue that can ravage hundreds of thousands of lives, destroy the prosperity of a city, and turn it into a dead ce in a single night!
A special energy gushed out from the seams of the crocodile scales.
The energy was outrageously so strong that it started to distort the space around Grudge Dragon.
Layers of visions started to appear out of the void!
Lives were lost!
Dead bodies across a destednd!
Agony!
Cries!
Despair!
A series of agonizing cries, and excruciating wails.
Prayers could be heard after the horrifying sounds but there was no hope!
Death ravaged thend ceaselessly, relentlessly!
A dragon-like monster started a rampage on thend, the Gods turned a blind eye and turned around.
The mortals were in despair, the gate to eternal hell was opened and it would never close.
The father died.
The mother died.
The wife died.
The daughter died.
The son died.
Terrifying shocks happened one after another, causing the knight in the past to struggle in despair.
He was looking at the dested farm, looking at the graves of his kin.
He picked up the sword that he hasid down, he wore the armor that he had put away.
He started a journey of istion.
The weird visions then stopped. It didnt mean anything, didnt cause any changes, and didnt continue on about what happened.
It was nothing but fillers! The fillers were trying to stall Kieran.
However, when the visions stopped, Grudge Dragon did not.
While the attack was still going, Death Knell who was still hiding in the shadows appeared as well.
It was a hard toe by chance!
Death Knells eyes were shining with an unknown re as he reached out to the dagger and drove it towards Kierans neck; the two notorious viins attacked from the front and rear!
DIE!
Grudge Dragon roared once again.
Kieran, however, turned a deaf ear to the monster and even turned a blind eye.
He turned around and faced Death Knell saying, Finally you showed up.
Chapter 1092 - Masterpiece
Chapter 1092: Masterpiece
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kierans cold words and his unchanged expression struck fear in Death Knells heart.
But when he saw Grudge Dragon dishing out his attack behind Kieran, Death Knell made the same decision as well.
Kieran was indeed strange but Death Knell knew how powerful Grudge Dragon was.
Especially after that ce, Death Knell understood Grudge Dragons power even more. After all, he was the descendant of...
The sixth generation descendant!
Wung!
Death Knell drove his dagger towards Kieran even faster, creating a unique buzz.
It didnt tear the air but it vibrated!
The small dagger vibrated ceaselessly and the vibration shook the air, trying to shatter its target: Kierans neck.
Death Knell didnt stop even when he saw Kieran raise his left hand, it was because Grudge Dragons attack alreadynded.
BANG!
A loud bangter, Grudge Dragons body expanded a few times more, erging himself to the size of a truck. Had his truck-like body crashed onto Kierans back, the force created by the momentum would have caused a great impact upon contact, it was basic physics that would never change but yet it did here!
The tremendous force and the kic energy fueled Grudge Dragons bloodline power and at the moment of impact, the force assaulted Kieran like the rising tide.
It was the gue! The gue that would reap the lives of millions!
Although Death Knell knew Grudge Dragons powers from that ce, he was still shaken when he saw it with his own eyes for the first time.
Unlike the filler illusions from before, Death Knell truly felt a sense of despair in his heart.
I think even my abilities couldnt have diverted such power!
The thought that appeared in Death Knells mind dying his attack.
Then, his selfish nature quickly took control of his body, transforming Death Knells vicious attack into nothing as he quickly stepped away.
Death Knell didnt want to be caught in that destructive power of despair.
Death Knell was fast when he attacked but he was faster when he retreated; Kieran was faster than him though.
Fuuu!
A line of fire rose up in Kierans left hand and it was turned into a ming whip, entangling Death Knell before he truly escaped.
Youre being reckless here!
Death Knell who was caught by the ming whip didnt panic, instead, he shouted in disdain.
From Death Knells point of view, being hit by Grudge Dragons attack and still tangling with him was a suicidal act. One should be reasonable by drawing distance from Grudge Dragon upon impact and cutting losses as quickly as possible.
Which meant, Kieran should cut off his body parts that had contact with Grudge Dragon.
It might be insufferable and cause excruciating pain, it might even cripple him for life but anything was better than death.
But soon enough, Death Knells face changed for the worse.
He felt something different from the ming whip, it felt like...
You are also from that ce?! Too bad...
As for what Death Knell was trying to say, he couldnt finish before he was interrupted by Grudge Dragons agonizing cry.
Simr to glue, Grudge Dragon got stuck to Kierans back after the impact. He cried in agony ceaselessly and struggled to get away from Kieran but the powerful suction force from Kieran forbid Grudge Dragon from doing so.
The bloodline Grudge Dragon had was indeed powerful and given the level of power, his bloodline had reached a certain level of purity.
Everything from Grudge Dragon was the gue and the power of the gue was the best supplement for the [Knights of gue Body Tempering Art]!
The gue Force that was slowly flowing in Kierans body was suddenly excited after the impact as if the energy transformed from running with both legs to elerating with a supercar.
When the special effect [Absorb gue] was activated, the elerating gue Force further transformed into a giant vortex, absorbing the supplements outside.
Ultimately, when Kierans gue Force reached a certain maximum operating speed, the bloodline power in Grudge Dragon was ripped out of him!
Bit by bit!
In the end, the energy was sucked away like a broken damn.
Grudge Dragon cried out in agony even louder, he tried to stop it but he couldnt at all.
His giant body started to shrink rapidly, his agonizing cry turned into a dying wail. It was getting quieter and eventually... silence!
[Absorbed special bloodline power, Knights of gue Body Tempering Art level +1]
[Knights of gue Body Tempering Art reached Transcendence]
[Acquired Transcendence Option: gue Arrow]
[Name: Knights of gue Body Tempering Art (Transcendence)]
[Rted Attribute: Constitution]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effect: After going through a dangerous start, you have learned the body tempering art that people dreaded, Constitution +7 (Basic +1, Entry +1, Master +1, Pro +1, Grand Master +1, Musou +1, Transcendence +1)]
[Special Effect: 1. Absorb gue; 2. Release gue; 3. Tenacious Body]
[Transcendence Option: gue Arrow]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Constitution S]
[Remark: This is the origin of the gue, it has limited benefits to you but it bears a destructive power.]
[Note: You have acquired this skill through learning, not through a Skill Book. Therefore, you cannot upgrade it with Points and Skill Points. If you want to level it up, you will need to continue learning or acquire a Skill Book!]
...
[Absorb gue: Absorb gue energy at a considerable speed and has a 10-meter radius range]
[Release gue: Release gue energy in an extreme speed]
[Tenacious Body: Gains +5 buff on any Constitution authentication]
...
[gue Arrow: Gather the gue Force in your body and form a gue arrow with Extreme attack. Requires 3 hours to create 1 arrow, able to create at most 3 arrows at a time. The arrow has a firing range of 50 meters, able to fire 1 arrow at locked-on target or all 3 at once. No bow required when firing gue Arrow].
...
[Eliminated key character: Grudge Dragon, Krelin, treated as earlypletion of main mission...]
[Main missionpleted, yer will leave the dungeon in 10 seconds...]
[Please take whatever items you wish to keep with you.]
[Note: Any items that exceed the maximum weight will be discarded!]
...
The moment Grudge Dragon Died, a series of notifications popped up on Kierans vision but he didnt shift his gaze away from Death Knell.
Therefore, Kieran clearly caught the drastic changes on Death Knells face, it was horror!
Death Knell was trembling in fear before Kieran.
Third generation?
No! NO!
At least second generation! But how is this possible? Why would a second-generation descendant of him would appear?!
After he felt the presence simr to the gue sh over Kierans body, it didnt just strike horror in Death Knell, it caused more questions as well.
Countless questions flooded Death Knells mind but he didnt linger on the unsolved questions because he knew he would be able to figure it out if he stayed alive.
If he died, everything will be finished.
Death Knell activated his own powers when the thought bloomed.
He didnt have to conceal his ace anymore in the face of death.
The ming whip that bound Death Knell was shifted to the ground when he himself transformed into a ghastly shadow and flew towards the shadow at the corner at extreme speed.
The speed in which he flew off was unimaginable but what more unimaginable was Death Knell himself!
He was in ghost form!
Under all thatyers of concealment, Death Knell was a ghost!
Although he didnt emanate the negative aura of a ghost, it struck Kieran with the same presence as one.
Naturally, Death Knell would also share the same weakness as a ghost.
When [Seal of Dawn] appeared, its white light shined through the darkness of the underground room, Death Knells ghastly body was burned in the process and fell to the ground with ck smokeing out.
Impossible! How can such contrasting energies coexist?!
They seeded? Impossible! How could those crazy bastards seed?
Death Knell was ranting loudly as he fell on the floor after being badly burned.
Seems like you know more than I expected.
Kieran strolled over to Death Knell.
10 seconds was too short, he didnt n to waste time with the ghost.
Yeah! I know more than you!
Spare me, I will tell you ever...
BANG!
Before he finished, Death Knells body exploded from inside out.
Death Knell was reverted to his human form before he exploded into pieces.
A rampant will and energy appeared from the leftover pieces.
Instantly, a tremendous pressure fell on Kierans body as if a mountain toppled over him.
The sudden pressure didnt press Kieran down but his legs plunged deep into the floor.
Then under Kierans gaze, the broken body of Death Knell started to regroup again and formed a new Death Knell a momentter.
He looked at Kieran, his mouth was muttering ceaselessly.
Masterpiece! The perfect artisan masterpiece!
Now... You are mine!
As he spoke, Death Knell reached his hands towards Kierans cheeks, trying to touch him like a lifeless object.
Chapter 1093 - Pitch Black Slash
Chapter 1093: Pitch ck sh
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Before the new Death Knells hand reached Kieran, Kierannded a kick on his face.
Kieran didnt hold back with his kick though. The moment the new Death Knell appeared, the presence already told Kieran how powerful this new being was and had he held back before an enemy of such caliber, it would be suicidal.
Bang!
Death Knells face was twitching and twisting under Kierans boots.
Then... his head exploded.
The headless body staggered for a few steps shook a little but didnt fall. The sttered blood, flesh, brain matter, and bones gathered once more.
What was more shocking was his voice that was heard once more.
Not bad! Not bad! You will take up an important ce on my disy shelf!
He didnt seem to need a mouth or voicebox to speak yet the voice held obvious delight.
However, the delight would only cause one to shiver, as if a venomous snake was hanging around ones neck, crawling all over their back.
Kieran frowned. He felt ufortable but the difort didnt stop him from executing his next attack.
Fuu!
Devil me burned bright on his left hand and the fireball engulfed the body in an instant.
The remaining body was swiftly burned to ashes under the Devil me but...
When the Devil me was extinguished, the ashes engorged again and transformed itself back to flesh and blood.
The regeneration happened again but this time, it didnt form Death Knells face anymore but a vortex, a vortex made up of blood and flesh!
Crying, wailing, and agonizing screams were heard constantly from the vortex.
At first, the voices were faint but soon were loud and clear, as if countless tortured soul appeared before Kieran in an instant.
Some of them were crawling on the ground, some of them were hanging in mid-air, some were dismembered a few times over.
The tortured souls were in different postures yet all were staring at Kieran.
Their stares were grudgeful.
They were showing unwillingness and hostility, they were bathing in hatred.
Why are you fine?
Why do we have to suffer these kinds of tortures?
Why?
Why?
Questioning voices filled Kierans ears, each time a question was asked, a Spirit authentication would appear.
One after another, the Spirit authentications increased from C rank to S rank almost instantaneously.
The authentication difficulty was still climbing after that, it only slowed down when it reached the higher ranks.
Without further contemtion, Kieran activated [Knights Conviction II]
[Wolfs Remnant Feast] was shining.
[Mark of Rival] gave out a chime.
Transcendent level [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] allowed [Knights Conviction II] to boost Kierans Spirit up to 3 levels temporarily.
[Wolfs Remnant Feast, Wisdom of the White Wolf] granted Kieran +3 level of authentication advantages.
[Mark of Rival, Rival Deathmatch] buffed Kieran with an extra level in all attributes and one level in authentication advantages.
In that instant, Kierans Spirit attribute jumped 8 minor ranks in total, from Pre III G+ rank to P rank which far exceeded Strong III rank.
The Spirit authentication was stuck at Strong III rank and unable to climb higher.
Regardless of how those tortured souls expressed their unwillingness, hatred, and loathing, even materializing them, it was useless.
Eh? As expected of a masterpiece! You should have this kind of power! Now you are worthy to be ced in my disy shelf... Huh?!
The voice sounded once again and was shocked before it became filled with even more delight.
However, it soon sounded anxious and doubtful because Kieran wielded his sword and performed a hard sh.
The bewitching purplish re was shining on [Arrogant Word].
Kieran who was advancing courageously against an unknown enemy made [Arrogant Word]s de body chime.
It longed to fight a powerful foe!
It would never bow before despair!
Fight! Fight! Fight!
Slice away death with its sharp edge!
Pave open life with its sharp edge!
All the tortured souls around the ce started to growl loudly, they couldnt allow someone with a different expression to stand before them.
They couldnt face Kieran who was unyielding against all circumstances.
Destroy him!
The tortured souls growled angrily.
They were infuriated by the differences of expression but what could they do?
[Arrogant Word]s sharpness sliced one body after another.
There was no dy, no jittering in the shing! There was no mercy shown towards these tortured souls.
It was simr to the scene where the greatsword was forged.
Back then, the Mutants reigned high and humans were treated like ants, however...
Enve me?
DIE!
If I cant kill you, I will drag you down to hell with me!
I will never bow!
That was the greatswords will.
FURY SLASH!
The sh that was infused with all Kierans strength made [Arrogant Word]s bewitching purple shine with a never before seen brightness, it was like a small sun rising up from the ground and that getting more dazzling by the moment!
[Critical Damage] was triggered!
On top of that, from the buffs of the three special beverages, [Old Pappy the First], [Old Pappy the Second] and [Old Pappy the Third], a never before seen explosive power was infused in that sh.
[Fury sh] boosted the sharp edge with Extreme attack into rank II, [Critical Damage] boosted it to rank III and with the simr effect from [Old Pappy Raging Roar], it was boosted to rank IV.
In addition, [Old Pappy Shouting] and [Old Pappy Growling] added a hefty 50% and 25% attack boost respectively on the already boosted rank IV attack.
The attack boost wasnt enough to boost it to rank V attack though, but there was still [Critical Rate]!
When striking the enemys weak spot, there was a certain percentage to deal twice the damage.
The effect was triggered when [Arrogant Word] shed down on the bloody vortex.
This single strike of [Fury sh] from Kieran was boosted from rank II to rank V directly in an unimaginable way.
Correct, unimaginable!
This single strike had far exceeded the limits of this dungeon world.
The power infused in the greatsword was enough to tear open the fabric of space, or rather, it was already torn!
In front of the bewitching purple re was an area of abysmal darkness. The darkness wrapped the de, making it sharper and unrivaled; it also caught the tortured souls in the bloody vortex off guard.
BAAM!
When the dark de edge struck the bloody vortex, the being hidden in the vortex gave out an excruciating frenzied roar.
The being was hurt!
The separated will in the vortex was reduced to nothing!
sh!
The bloody vortex exploded and tainted the area red.
A gloomy yet extremely sturdy gold appeared in the middle of the explosion.
Kieran who should have exhausted all his stamina grabbed the dash of gold with an explosive speed that would render one speechless.
The gold was actually a broken piece.
It wasnt big by any means, nor was it small and when Kieran grabbed the broken piece, [Hell Breath] floated out from Kierans back.
The broken piece then merged with [Hell Breath],pleting the warriors broken face.
The shocking thing was...
The warrior had Kierans face!
At the bottom of the sculpture, two lines of words appeared after the merging.
When Kieran saw the phrases that appeared, his eyes twitched.
Chapter 1094 - Until Next Time…
Chapter 1094: Until Next Time...
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Father, save me!
Its dark here, I am scared of Mordin!
...
There wasnt an opening but the name, in the end, made Kieran raise a puzzled brow.
Mordin?
Mordin!
There were a lot of people with the name Mordin in the dungeon world but there was only one Mordin that could be involved in such a high-level battle in Kierans mind.
The master sculptor from the papal age 600 hundred years ago, the Mordin!
Kieran never believed in coincidences.
The moment he stepped into this dungeon world, he was faintly connected to Mordins sculptures.
Kieran was suspecting, other than the visible opponents, was there another maniptor behind the scenes?
Even with the effects of [Lucky Card], the dungeon before him progressed a little too smoothly.
If a single [Lucky Card] was able to achieve this effect, Kieran believed the prayer technique would have changed it all. But the fact was, even prayers had limits, a lot of limits, any slight misstep would cause one to fall short and fail miserably.
So this is all your set up? Just for a single rescue? Or... you are being used as well?
Kieran scowled hard as he read through the two lines of words at the bottom of [Hell Breath]. He couldnt verify the validity of it, especially when [Hell Breath] itself didnt undergo any changes.
Though he knew one thing in his heart: never blindly believe what the eyes see.
The eyes will deceive the mind, especially under anothers meticulous arrangements.
The setups and arrangements from 600 years ago?
Next time... Ill be looking forward to it next time.
Kieran muttered to himself softly.
His figure vanished amongst his mutters because the duration was up.
...
[Single yer Dungeon: Hero and Viin]
[Dungeon Type: Free Mission]
[Dungeon Difficulty: Average]
[Main Mission: Acquire the least amount of recognition in 6 weeks. (The higher the recognition, the higher the rating)]
[Missionpletion: 500% (Rating: A)]
[Earlypletion of mission: Rating A S]]
[Special event: Alkender City Revolt (Perfect Rating)]
[Perfect Rating: S SS]
[Battle Performance: Very active (Rating SS SSS)]
[Exploration performance: Average]
[Special Rating 1: Eliminated Ironjaw Croc, Slither Bone, Predator, and Thousand-faced Man (Rating SSS Z, Rep + 1)]
[Special Rating 2: Eliminated Mr. Ghost and Death Knell (Rating Z ZZ, Rep +2)]
[Special Rating 3: Eliminated Grudge Dragon (Rating ZZ ZZZ, Rep +2)]
[yer final rating: ZZZ!]
[Calcting seventh single yer dungeon reward...]
[Final yer rewards as follows...]
[Points: 200,000; Skill Points: 40; Golden Skill Points: 4; Golden Attribute Points: 4]
[Acquired special dungeon: Hero and Viin II]
[Acquired special item: Old Pappy the Third]
...
The ratings appeared line after line when Kieran returned to 13th Wallway in the big city.
Kieran wasnt surprised by the low rating of ZZZ.
ording to his n, he would have acquired the ideal rating that he was after but he did not expect that Grudge Dragon Krelin was a key character, thus expediting the dungeon main mission.
Kieran shrugged and couldnt do anything about it.
He understood he was just a yer with transcendent power in dungeon worlds, not an omniscient God.
However, the lower rating reward didnt mean he didnt have others topensate.
[Winchester Hunting Rifle], [Strange Little Finger], [Thousand Face], plus the fourth, fifth, seventh Mordins sculpture andst but not least, [Hell Breath], was the most obvious reward of all.
As for the least obvious ones, it was more than he could count.
At least Kieran wasnt a blind man in the background of [Hero and Viin] anymore.
Hero and Viin? What a confusing name.
Kieran was recalling the demonic energy that was hiding under the normal city, recalling the energy that Grudge Dragon possessed and the filler illusions that he saw. Finally, the insanely strong willpower within that bloody vortex, plus the few words about that ce that Grudge Dragon and Death Knell spoke off, Kieran already has some guesses.
A terrifying world hiding in the dark!
Kieran took a deep breath and shook his head rapidly to adjust his emotions.
The world that hid under the normal world was no doubt scary but that was a matter for future him; he still had enough time to prepare.
However, something else before him couldnt wait anymore.
[City of Fiends II: Perforation Sting is more vicious than rumored. You who identally messed up their ns have been viewed as a hostile and an obstacle...]
[Main mission: Starts when enters the dungeon]
Perforation Sting!
Kieran nced over the organization name that somehow sounded weird; he squinted his eyes.
Following his increase of power, he had a deeper understanding of how powerful Gods were, thus he also understood the strengths of a Godyer.
Even if the organization was formed by a bunch of humans, fiends, half-fiends, and other various beings, it was not to be underestimated, more so...
They had a God among them!
A God that was heavily injured!
Kieran remembered what the Fiend Hunter, Ren, said to him before.
Perforation Sting seeded once and failed once.
When seeded, they created a God.
When failed, they were almost wiped out.
A heavily injured God...
Kierans squinted eyes glimmered. A thought came into his mind.
After that, he had more thoughts about the Gods in that world. Other than the God of Perforation Sting that he had to face eventually, there was Great Swamp which seemed to be a friend at this point plus many more Gods with their ambiguous standings.
Fiends, mortals, Gods, all staying in the same world.
Fiends move at night.
Mortals walk the day
While Gods reside in the mountains.
Kieran muttered to himself.
After the thought appeared, more rted ones started to appear as well.
Kieran understood if his thoughts and ns were somehow be realized, the kinds of luxurious rewards will be waiting for him would be beyond measure.
However, before that even began, he had to tread carefully by getting more information.
Luckily, he had someone around him who could provide some help.
Rachel!
Rachel obviously hadnt been into [City of Fiends] but it was hard to say that she never experienced simr dungeon worlds before or seen simr Gods.
Even if she had not, the high-rankers in the small living room would have some useful intel.
Opening the PM tab, Kieran sent out a message.
2567: Rachel, do you know what urs when a God merges with a city?
2567: Or should I say how powerful it would be?
Kieran added after cooking up his words.
But before Rachel replied, he got an unexpected PM from someone.
Chapter 1095 - Trade
Chapter 1095: Trade
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
In an unknown area on the outskirts of the big city, Kieran saw Karles.
The spy from the guardians who infiltrated Rachels inn.
Unlike thest meeting where Karles showed azy manner, this time, even though Kieran couldnt see his face, he could feel the nervousness under the system blur.
Karles T-shirt and jeans outfit were long gone, he was currently wearing a robe-like outfit.
Increased undercover effect eh.
Kieran got a general idea of the robe after a quick nce.
Obviously, Karles had seen better days, or in other words, no one would show mercy to a traitor, including the guardians of the Witchs Legacy.
Thank you foring. Ive sent a lot of messages requesting for help but only you showed up in the end.
Karlesughed bitterly when he saw Kieraning over.
Help? I am just here to get more information about the Guardians. If the information you provide me is valid, then as an exchange, I can provide you with some help. This is a trade-off, not a voluntary act, Kieran emphasized.
Even if it is a trade, your appearance still overwhelmed me with joy. Karles seemed to not care.
Seems like youre in a much worse situation than I expected. Actually staying in your room is much better than stepping out like this, Kieran said.
His words had a slight sense of testing though.
Before showing up to the meeting, Kieran carefully checked the surroundings and didnt find any ambushes. However, he was still treating Karles as a stranger, a stranger with a hostile past, so how could Kieran be carefree about this meeting?
If I could I would stay in my room but now, I cant go back. Otherwise, I wouldnt linger here in the outskirts, Karles pointed at the robots farther away.
The Guardians sent three men to guard three of my lodging spots. As long as I go near them, Ill be killed by the ambush. I never doubted their ruthlessness towards a traitor, just like I dont need to doubt their resolution as the Guardians. So, 2567, I hope you can help me get back to my room.
Karles took a deep breath and looked at Kieran with anticipation.
Then?
Ill be the Guardians target instead by stepping in to rece you?
Kieran didnt give a direct reply, instead, heughed coldly.
It was Kierans real thought and also a way for him to negotiate his terms. When both converged, it would make securing more benefits from the negotiation easier.
Kieran wasnt a cunning merchant like Broker but whenever he was fighting for his own good, he would never show a soft heart.
When one gave up on the benefits they deserved in exchange for gratitude and praise, it would more often than not cause others to show disdain, spill insults, and consider malicious intent behind the decision.
The human heart was the mostplicated thing in existence.
Kieran never hoped to be a saint or a hero, therefore, he ced his priorities on the real and rightful benefits that he could get.
Looking back at Karles, Kieran was waiting for his answer.
Ill tell you everything I know about the Guardians, Karles said without a second thought.
Not even enough, Kieran shook his head directly.
Plus two Legendary items! Karles added.
Not enough!
It looks like the situation you are in isnt that severe, I dont think we need to continue this conversation anymore.
Kieran shook his head again and pretended that he wanted to leave.
After experiencing Rachels inn and the little auction room behind it, Kieran had a new understanding of a high-rankers, he would not be moved anymore by the two Legendary rank items that Karles offered.
More precisely, as Kieran grew stronger,mon Legendary items werent anything much to care about anymore.
The reason why Kieran still carried a few low tier items on him was for the sake of remembrance and acting as a reminder for himself.
He kept the items around to tell himself how many hardships hed been through and how lucky he was to reach his current stage.
He had needed to be both careful and vignt in order to own what he had now, regardless of how lucky he was at times.
Of course, deep down, Kieran kept them around for old times sake, for the items, and for his friends.
Unfortunately, Karles wasnt a friend to Kieran, therefore the oue had been decided from the start.
Epic! An Epic rank item!
Karles said in a hurry when he saw Kieran wanting to leave.
Kieran paused his steps but he didnt turn around; he shook his head instead.
Plus a secret! A secret about the Witch! Karles added more.
Kieran had quite the interest in the Witch, the woman who once stood on the top of the big city and even now after she left the game, her history was deeply affecting every veteran and high-ranker in the game.
As time went by, his interest didnt get weaker, instead, it grew stronger. Especially after the guardian organization showed themselves, Kierans interest at the Witch was piqued to a new high.
He really wanted to know the secrets of the woman, even for just a bit.
Hope its not something trivial.
Kieran took out the contract scroll that he had been preparing and threw it to Karles.
I assure you it will not be trivial!
Karles said as he checked the contact; he wrote his name and returned it to Kieran.
Kieran checked the contract for a second time. He wrote his name and the contract was in effect right away.
Following the contract being activated, Kieran obviously saw Karles heave a sigh of relief.
Not just physically, but mentally as well; Karles didnt hide it either.
You will never know how helpless and anxious a man can be a man when going against a powerful organization. No matter how strong you are, there are times that you will be troubled by exhaustion. Those people will appear one after another like a swarm of locusts, tearing away at thest bits of your energy! They will continue until you arepletely exhausted, thus allowing them to exercise their free will on you, Karles sat down and said in a tired tone.
However, Karles words didnt earn Kireans sympathy, even if Kieran really felt the same about what Karles said.
Kieran was clear about his own goal. He wasnt a caring big brother, he was at the meeting for a deal.
As for the others, Kieran didnt want to get involved and he didnt want to even care.
You want to rest here? Or do you want me to carry out the contracted terms? Kieran asked directly.
Contracted terms please.
Karles said directly before sending a trade request to Kieran.
An Epic item appeared in the trading slot.
[Name: Ceremonial Silence]
[Type: Defensive Gear]
[Rarity: Epic]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: Extreme]
[Attribute: Silence]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: Spirit A]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: This is one of the holy relics of Holy Eyes Church. Although Holy Eyes Church wasnt recognized by the people, one must admit how magical their relics were]
...
[Silence: Any Chanting, Singing spells or divine techniques lower than rank I will be silenced; +50% casting time of any Chanting, Singing spells or divine techniques that are below rank I; +20% casting time of any Chanting, Singing spells or divine techniques that reached rank I or above. Unable to target Chanting, Singing spells or divine techniques over rank III. Able to use twice per day.]
...
A hat?
Kieran confirmed the trade when he saw the hat which could hang over a mantle or a cape.
However, Kieran raised his hand and stopped Karles from talking further after the trade; his eyes turned to a side.
A few figures were already faintly showing themselves.
Chapter 1096 - Reputation
Chapter 1096: Reputation
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The few figures didnt n to conceal their presence as the walked towards Kieran righteously.
Dont worry, just some excavators, Karles said.
Excavator, as the name suggested, they were the yers that explored the unknown regions around the big city.
For the ever expanding big city, a map on the edge of the city could onlyst around 20 days before it had to be redrawn.
Therefore, a lot of yer organizations would send groups of rookie yers to map the newnds every 20 days.
Of course, there were also passionate explorers that would move around the outskirts from time to time to map thends; they were known as the excavators.
Naturally, they wouldnt have lived up to their name if they werent dangerous but they wouldnt possess any kind of significant rewards either. Most of the yer organizations would use such small missions to train the newly joined rookies to make them feel at home while also using it as a test of strength.
Kieran got to know about the excavators from Lawless. A quick nceter, after Kieran made sure they were the excavators; he signaled Karles to change locations.
It wasnt hard for him to tell who the yers were though. His SSS+ Intuition was enough for him to distinguished the yers auras.
Pro [Mystical Knowledge] allowed Kieran to know that the equipment on the excavators was rtively low; even the leader of the bunch was ranked in between amon veteran and a skilled yer.
Karles didnt say anything about Kierans suggestion. Since he was the one wanted by the guardians, he was rather anxious to avoid unwanted attention.
Follow me, Karles said before he headed towards the north-east direction.
The direction he was going would take them away from the outskirts of the city but was still a barrennd.
...
This game is more real than reality!
In this ce, you can chase after the wealth you longed for but you will lose your life in an instant if you are careless. If you want to stay alive and be rich, all you need is a reliable organization.
Fortunately, you guys have made the right choice by joining Iron Chariots.
As its name suggested, it is as sturdy as iron and when you ride it, it will protect you throughout your journey.
Of course, in order for your ride to be even smoother, you need to give your best in changing the tires or adding fuel etc. etc.
Its not mandatory, but as long as you guys are able to maintain your own, give it your best to contribute to the group.
Rowl was skillfully uttering the pep talk that he had been telling the rookie yers more than a hundred times. He couldnt hold back his sigh when he felt the excitement in the rookie yers after the talk.
This game is more real than reality because it is countless times harsher than reality. You dont know when you will lose your little life. Maybe the second dungeon, or the third? If youve got bad luck, you might wee your death in the first dungeon. Rowl thought in his heart.
He wouldnt utter these cruel words to the rookies.
He hadnt lost his mind, he knew the kind of consequences he would suffer should he spill the truth to the rookies.
His boss was infamous for his short-temper.
In order to receive protection, one must naturally pay the price.
As for the not mandatory line?
Hehe.
This game is more real than reality andpared to your little life... how much do the other things weigh? Rowl sighed once more.
Then, Rowl, the leader of the excavator team of Iron Chariots realized he had to adjust his condition. He was unwilling to show his negative thoughts in front of the rookies due to his pride as an experienced yer and also due to the rules of Iron Chariots.
No!
He would ascend to the ranks of the veterans soon!
Once he thought about the actual rewards from mapping this area, his depressed condition changed for the better.
This mission was a co-op mission with the raiding party and given their efficiency, a clear was almost certain; they might even get a higher rating based on their effort.
Whenever he thought about the rewards from the high ratings, Rowl couldnt hold back his urge to hum his favorite melody.
Oh right, heres a gentle reminder! The big city isnt absolutely safe either. During the earlier days where your strengths are less independent, if you want to head outside for any reason at all, try to inform the guild and the guild will send an experienced yer, like me, to lead you guys.
Rowl returned to his professional mannerism again after the initial delight. He started to promote the strength in numbers logic to the rookies.
Captain Rowl, then when can we walk alone in the streets of the big city? someone asked.
When youre at least like me, an experienced yer! The big city houses a lot of scary people. Some kill without blinking, some kills for fortune. Whenever a rookie runs into one of them, the chances of survival are very slim. Rowl purposely strengthened his tone to make it sound serious.
The rookies following Rowl suffered a pause in their breaths, it seemed like the scare worked.
So who are these scary people?
Curiosity followed along with fear as one more rookie joined the questioning.
Around our base, there is Blood Hand Lancole, ck Gun Cloud, Rampant Beast Dutz...
Well, as long as you mention you from Iron Chariots, they would have scruples in strike you down.
Rowl spilled at least 7 to 8 names without even thinking before he started another round of promotion.
Unlike the previous time, Rowl really felt proud for being a member of Iron Chariots.
No one knew better than himself, an experienced yer, of how terrifying Iron Chariots was among the hearts ofmon yers.
Real emotions were more effective than false ones.
The rookies behind Rowl unconsciously stuck their chests up, straightened their waists and walked around with prideful steps.
Correct! They had a powerful organization backing them!
Even if the game was dangerous, with the support of an organization like Iron Chariots behind them, so what if the game got more dangerous?
The feeling of being above others made the rookies a little light-headed, their gazes towards Rowl started to show admiration as well.
Rowl too clearly felt the admiration. He couldnt hold back his smile.
Wasnt this particr moment the reason why he could endure these kinds of boring and time wasting missions?
Let me tell you guys, in the big city, personal strength is a part of your progress but most of it is the power of numbers! As long as everyone stays together, there is nothing...
Rowl wanted to start another round of promotion but this time, he was stopped abruptly before he could finish his idealistic speech.
A couple of rookies looked at their leader in confusion.
They saw their leader trembling in fear as he stepped aside, giving the way respectfully and nervously to a person that walk passed him; he bowed to the person as well.
From the start till end, the guy with the crow-feathered mantle didnt even bat an eye at Rowl or any of the rookies.
He was extremely cold yet pressuring.
It wasnt until the guy and another person that looked like his attendant left, that the pressure finally went away.
Huuu!
Someone heaved a long breath, followed by a series of relief.
Captain, who is that guy just now? Someone asked.
The Bird of Death, 2567. A guy who brings death with his mere breath! You can call him the me Emperor, Fiery Tyrant, or ming Devil.
Rowl spilled everything he knew with his respectful tone. His over respectful manner puzzled the rookies but Rowl didnt further exin.
There is a difference between people.
That was all he said.
Then can Iron Chariots...
One of the rookies automatically asked but before the question was finished, Rowl covered the rookies mouth.
Rowl who was usually kind in person scolded the rookie fiercely, SHUT UP! SHUT UP IF YOU DONT WANT TO DIE! If you have a death wish, go kill yourself, dont drag us all down together!
The rookies were shaken when Rowl scolded the one who spoke out fiercely.
They unconsciously looked to the figure that walked passed them but the figure was long gone from sight.
However, the crow-feathered mantle and the steps that came together were branded in the rookies mind.
Chapter 1097 - The Secret of the Guardians
Chapter 1097: The Secret of the Guardians
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Despite being further away, the voices still entered Kierans ears but he never took it to heart at all, nor would he exin himself to those rookies.
Kieran knew people would only believe what they wanted to believe.
As for the others?
It was all nothing but lies, some might even choose to turn a blind eye.
One couldnt wake a person who was pretending to be asleep, likewise, one couldnt tell the truth to a prejudiced mind.
Kieran knew exactly what he should do since he had a deep understanding about it: discard them from his mind and concentrate on what he should be doing, never simply waste time and energy on something worthless.
You are saying that eagle is the Witchs servant?
Shaken, Kieran questioned Karles beside him.
The eagle that threw that crumb of paper in front of Kierans door back then was obviously well-trained; Kieran didnt doubt that fact.
However, Kieran never thought that the owner of the eagle was the Witch who had left the game.
Yup. The Guardians were founded around that eagle. Even the Guardians that were chosen to enter were handpicked by that eagle. Karles nodded.
Based on what criteria? Kieran continued to question the things that he had interest in.
I dont know, Karles shook his head.
Kieran slightly frowned and wasnt satisfied with the answer.
The Witch left, an eagle was left behind and the eagle started to choose yers?
The ever suspicious Kieran believed there must be something behind this.
To be honest, I identally get a hold of this secret. Until now, most of the Guardians thought the eagle was the leaders servant instead. I can use a contract to prove the secret that I shared with you is very real.
Karles also seemed to understand the answer was not satisfying enough for Kieran, thus he added.
Kieran didnt stop him. He watched Karles signed another contract before he continued his question about the Guardians; Karles answered one by one.
The whole question and answer sessionsted for around 20 minutes.
When the session wasing to an end, Kieran suddenly raised his right hand and pointed at the freaky smiley face behind his glove, What do you know about this?
Karles was stunned before heughed bitterly.
That is the Witchs Gift! After killing Hilton, you must have experienced an increase in your attributes, skills leveling up, right? Its tempting isnt it?
So now you know why the other Guardians were on to me.
Karles couldnt help but shake his head amidst his bitterughter as if he still couldnt ept the fact that he was being hunted.
Not Origin Force but attributes and skill levels?
Guesses flooded Kierans heart but his face remained calm and he continued listening to what Karles had to say.
The Guardians are really something else. They didnt just allow members to form groups or create factions of their own, they also allowed internal disputes as well, the kinds that led to deathmatches. However, unlike being hunted down, the witnessed deathmatches provided the winner with far fewer benefits than the former. This is where I realized the eagles secret.
Ive told you everything I know. I can prove the validity with a contract.
After a deep breath, Karles looked at Kieran.
Lets go then. Choose the closest ce you want to return to, Kieran said.
It was correct that Karles had three rooms but given that he was being hunted, all three of the exposed rooms would be heavily guarded.
In simple, it was the same regardless of the choice.
...
Williamson Path, it was located at the east side of the big city and was the exchange point of the inner city and the once outer city.
A month ago, the ce was still a barrennd but following the surge of new yers recently, the ce swiftly prospered.
Both sides of the path were filled with shops operated by yers and many more yers were shuttling across.
However, all the yers had the same mark on their chest.
It was a vertical I symbol with a pair of white wings on both sides and green olive branches surrounding the outside.
They are the people from the Holy Mercy Association. Their motives are helping each other and their leader is an old high-ranker, quite a nice man, Karles exined it to Kieran but his eyes were vigntly checking his surroundings.
Obviously, the closer he got to 122th Williamson Path, the more nervous he got.
He was like a rubber band stretched to its limit, any more pressure would snap him easily.
Kieran quietly shook his head at Karles.
He couldnt imagine how Karles spent thest few days but he knew had he return to his ce alone, even with slim chances of seeding, he would fail because of his nervousness.
Kieran also started to suspect Karles who acted as a spy for the Guardians in the first ce.
Vignt, good at maintaining covers, fitting criteria for a spy but his will is less than satisfactory. Given his nervousness in critical situations, he would have ruined both sides. Maybe, this is the reason why Karles was chosen as a spy... no, not a spy, an abandoned piece!
A safe chance to raise his strength rigorously unlike going through dungeon worlds and spending Points and Skill Points.
A sudden thought rose up in Kierans mind.
Then, a question that had been troubling Kieran for a long time solved itself.
How did the first guardian appear?
Or, why did he appear?
If one could acquire another extremely safe chance to raise his strength, who would give it up?
The first, or the one who founded the Guardians in the first ce must have started his endeavors when he noticed the Witch had some special traits to choose her Guardians.
The first guardian must have made some changes as well.
Thinking about the differences between Hilton and the rival, the difference between the deathmatch and the hunting of others, Kieran quietly added another thought.
If he really had the chance to safely raise his strength, why would he be willing to give the chance to others? Unless...
Kieran squinted his eyes again.
He couldnt believe a person that utilized the chances would sacrifice himself for others.
Then, there must be only one exnation behind all these: the first guardian must be thest one that reaps the benefits after all was said and done.
Simr to rearing a pig. First, the pigs were fed with chosen fodder, allowing the pigs to grow fat and big. Then, the pigs would be killed by the butcher.
It seemed like the first guardian might even use these fodder to control the pigs, making them obedient and tame.
Who is this first guardian then?
Kieran was deep in thought.
Chapter 1098 - Death Came Unannounced
Chapter 1098: Death Came Unannounced
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Without new information, Kierans spections ended with a question mark.
He shook his head slightly and discarded the unsolved questions from his mind before turning his eyes further away.
Following the advancing steps, the duo was closing in on 122th Williamson Path. Likewise, the Guardians members were alsoing into sight as the distance closed.
There were two people standing at the left and right respectively.
Both of them were in simr outfits as well: full body mantles.
Their looks might seem suspicious and mysterious in other ces but it was amon sight in the big city.
The first thing the yers that walked the big city learned to do was conceal themselves, despite the system blurring out their faces.
When Kieran saw the two Guardian members, the two saw him and Karles as well.
The two of the Guardians turned around in unison as if they were one. They stared at Kieran and Karles; Karles was shaken as he cried out in shock softly.
Sh*t! Its the Prifen Brothers! Both of them are Agility high-rankers and very skilled inbination attacks! They joined the Guardians very early on and are one of the strongest!
Damn it! How the hell did I attract these two on my tail!?
Karles words had unconceble shock but his actions were not slow at all.
He drew his sword out and entered his battle stance, heightening his focus to the impending battle.
Although he had a contract with Kieran, it didnt mean he would stay and do nothing.
Or in other words, how could Karles stay behind and do nothing when the matter involved his own life?
However, the scene that happened next shook Karles and stunned him on the spot.
Bird of Death?
The Prifen on the left, the elder brother spoke first.
Um. Bird of Death.
The younger brother on the right answered.
After a second of silence, the brothers turned around and left quickly.
They exited using extreme speed! Both of them seemed to disy the maximum potential of an Agility high-rankers speed; they vanished from sight within a breaths time.
This...this...
Karles looked at the direction the Prifen Brothers went off and was having a difficult time finding words.
The Prifen Brothers that Karles regarded as a formidable enemy escaped in front of Kieran?!
After a few seconds, Karles regained his senses and looked at Kieran. His eyes had unconceble astonishment.
Not only themon yers but even the high-rankers also dare not sh face to face with you?
The Bird of Death eh? Sounds scarier than rumor has it, Karles sighed.
Without further pausing, he quickly ran back to his room.
Never had Karles missed his room more than at this particr moment since he was being hunted down. Still, he didnt forget the person, the partner that made all this possible.
Nice working with you! Ill be looking forward to the next time in the future!
Karles said before he vanished on the spot, leaving Kieran with a scowling face.
Prifen Brothers leaving in a hurry made Kieran feel that something wasnt right.
He didnt really think that his title would have scared away ghost and gods.
Two high-rankers against the Bird of Death and they left without even a test?
They even gave up on getting the extremely huge benefits right before their eyes?
This wasnt really the style of the yers.
Most of the yers would try despite knowing the danger unless the strength gap was too huge to the point it struck despair in them.
However, Prifen Brothers were different from the rookie yers.
Both of them were high-rankers, Kieran was a high-ranker.
As far as the public was concerned, Kieran just entered the higher order not too long ago and under normal circumstances, even if the Prifen Brothers knew some of his achievements, they still wouldnt leave him like this.
Something is wrong! There must be something that I dont know of or missed!
Kieran frowned.
He scanned the surroundings but found nothing.
Other than the Holy Mercy members that passed by from time to time, there were no other yers around; there was also nothing noteworthy around.
It seemed like the Guardians didnt send any others ory more traps other than the Prifen Brothers but Kierans worries grew stronger as seconds turned into minutes.
As if an invisible enemy was hiding around him, wielding an icy cold dagger and lightly slicing his skin. The dagger wouldnt harm him nor make him bleed him the sensation was very real.
The icy feeling would have easily pushed a weak-willed man to the brink.
Kieran had an unyielding will but still extremely uneasy with the feeling.
He twisted his neck a little and adjusted his breath to calm himself down.
Kieran wanted to double check the surroundings but before he could do so, the PM tab was lit up.
It was Karles!
After three rushed pings, Karles message window appeared before Kieran.
Karles: HELP! HELP!
Karles: CAREFUL!
Karles: Be careful of...
Despite only looking at the messages, Kieran felt the sense of urgency from Karles.
2567: Whats wrong!?
[yer inmunication is dead.]
...
Kieran was bbergasted!
IMPOSSIBLE!
It was the first reaction that he had in his mind.
yers cannot be harmed in their rooms.
It had almost be the irond rules that all yers knew yet someone went against it!
Matters of breaking the rules made Kieran scowled, he even felt cold at his back.
Kieran couldnt imagine what the big city would be if the safe house that yers deemed absolutely safe wasnt that safe anymore.
More importantly... how did they do it?
bbergasted, Kieran swiftly double checked the surroundings again yet was fruitless once more.
After another nce at 122th Williamson, Kieran turned around and left.
He couldnt do anything since he wasnt granted entrance to the room and even if he could, it was already useless.
Since Karles was dead, everything would be refreshed and the traces would be gone.
...
During any time of the day, Harvest Inn would always have some lone wolves lingering around.
Some were drinking.
Some were chatting.
Some a bit of both.
There were also some who watched others drink and chat.
In simple, even if the inn was full, all were wee, especially frequent visitors.
So, when Kieran walked in, the lone wolves raised their cup at him as a sign of respect.
Kieran nodded slightly before walking towards the bar counter.
Seems like youre in a rush? Kind of rare of you. How about an ice cold lemon tea?
Rachel asked with a smile.
Kieran didnt respond, instead, he messaged her.
2567: Is there any way to kill a yer in their room?
...
Rachels hand which was wiping the sses shook.
Chapter 1099 - Ways
Chapter 1099: Ways
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Rachel ced the cup down, turned around and looked at Kieran with a never before seen gaze.
It was serious and as sharp as a knife.
Kieran looked back at her with a calm gaze and briefly exined what happened just now through messages.
After that, Kieran clearly felt that Rachel was a bit more relieved.
It seemed like Rachel wasnt surprised about how to kill a yer in their room but the topic itself, killing a yer in their room.
......
2567: Did something happen?
......
Kieran asked through messages.
He didnt hold any hope for an answer though.
Although he was a frequent visitor of Harvest Inn, the reason why he was there was to sell his equipment conveniently other than Lawless relentless invitations to drink.
The realmunication done with Rachel was also because of Lawless.
Other than that, he didnt have any further private conversations with Rachel.
Therefore, Kieran was surprised when Rachel actually answered him.
......
Rachel: Back then someone tried to hire me to remove a threat through exterior means, it failed.
...
It was a short and simple reply yet it held substantial information.
Exterior means? Threat?
Kieran muttered in his heart, his squinted eyes suddenly erged.
Exterior means, as its name suggested, illegal methods which deviated from themon means before them.
What was before them?
The game!
Which meant illegal methods outside the game!
What kind of threat was severe enough to hire Rachel to get rid of said threat outside the game?
The Witch!
Other than the infamous one, Kieran couldnt think of anything else.
Kieran replied immediately.
......
Rachel: Yes, the Witch.
Rachel: And I failed.
2567: Failed?
...
Kieran couldnt hold back his curiosity nor his questions.
Rachel, however, seemed to fall into some less than decent memories as she entered a small trance.
Two to three secondster, she finally came back to her senses.
......
Rachel: Yes, failed.
Rachel: It should have been an easy mission yet somehow idents happened one after another as if the whole world was against you.
Rachel: What was scarier is that it only happened when I was going after the Witch!
...
As if the whole world is against you?
Only happens when going after the Witch?
The Child of Destiny?
Kieran couldnt help but think about the book titled Child of Destiny that he read back in Nikoreis study room.
The whole book was thick and had around 200 pages yet the contents were very simr and repetitive.
Most of the book was short stories about the main character facing unimaginable difficulties yet being able to smoothly ovee them in a surprising way.
One part of the story that left the most impression in Kierans mind was: no matter how powerful the enemy was, they would always be the stepping stone for the main character.
Each time the main character escaped the clutches of death, he would be stronger and in the end ovee the powerful enemy that he couldnt defeat before.
The whole book had a lot of illogical ces but no doubt it was a good read to kill time. Besides, the book genre also leaned towards entertainment.
The reason why Kieran finished that book was that the author was Nikorei herself.
He wanted to find more hidden knowledge in her work but ended up disappointed.
However, there was a phrase that he remembered from the book, dont ever go against the Child of Destiny, because the whole world will turn against you!
What would it be like if a person had the whole world against them, would they be hated by all?
Choked to death from drinking water?
Getting into a car ident every time the person went out?
Or being struck by lightning?
Kieran would shiver with the slightest thought about the possible oue.
The Witch is really scary...
Kieran muttered before he continued sending messages to Rachel.
...
Rachel: Then?
Rachel: Of course the Witch took revenge.
Rachel: The one who hired me is the Witchs old friend but her bloodthirsty and merciless character didnt spare him. Anyone who was rted to him were all killed, even a few lucky ones that managed to return to their room couldnt escape death.
Rachel: Dont worry, the Witch didnt hire us to do the job. The few lucky ones were severely injured during the battle with the Witch, so they couldnt escape their demise when a new dungeon came.
Rachel: Wondering how I managed to survive?
...
Kieran nodded without concealing his curiosity.
Rachel took a sip of sweet wine from her ss before continuing.
...
Rachel: Because I paid the price, the equivalent of a life.
2567: The price equivalent of a life?
...
Rachel didnt answer this time.
Both of them entered an awkward silence.
Kieran believed Rachel must have paid a substantial amount.
Simrly, he also believed Karles wasnt so stupid as to leak his own address to the Guardians and likewise, Karles wouldnt sign some contract that would threaten his own safety.
Excluding the two possibilities, what else could it be?
Puzzled, Kieran went into deep thought.
Coincidentally, more lone wolves came to the inn and Kierans eyes suddenly shone when he saw the other yers enter.
The game lobby can prevent danger from outside the room. But what if the danger is already inside the room from the start? Im afraid as long as a high enough price is paid, the impossible murder might very well be possible.
Kieran suddenly thought of Allen, the ex-boss of Blood Alliance and also the abandoned pawn of Broker.
Under Brokers pressure, Allen used a [10-times Increase Cooldown Card] on Kieran and the whole process took ce in his room. If the [10-times Increase Cooldown Card] was some other kind of lethal weapon, the murder would be sessful even without someone to activate it.
The only thing that needed further verification was...
Did such items exist and could someone conceal the real item with a mysterious veil?
Right away, Kieran sent a question to Rachel through their messages.
...
Rachel: Who knows?
Rachel: The big city is changing every day, even for us of the earliest batch, all we did is take a peek at the tip of the iceberg of the whole underground game.
Rachel: No one can guarantee what kind of skills or items might pop up in the game.
Rachel: Simr to the fact that if I didnt see it with my own eyes, how would I believe that you, 2567, have reached the level to oppose Gods within such short period of time.
...
Rachel obviously didnt want to linger on the Witch anymore, she switched the topic back to what Kieran asked before Karles little incident.
...
2567: You knew?
...
Of course! But the price required is not cheap!
This time around, Rachel didnt continue messaging anymore; she spoke instead.
Looking at how Rachel was holding her ss in a light-hearted and leisurely way, Kieran somehow felt pain all over his body. He was just looking for information regarding the Gods in the dungeon world yet he didnt think it woulde at a price.
Huuu, haaa!
Kieran repeatedly took in deep breaths and when he thought he was prepared for it, he asked, How much?
However, when the price was revealed, Kieran felt both his hearts stop for a while.
Chapter 1100 - Tales of Gods
Chapter 1100: Tales of Gods
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
How much?
Kieran covered his chest. He asked again as if he didnt hear what Rachel said.
300K Points, friendly price, Rachel emphasized.
Huuhaa! Huuhaa!
Kierans breath was hurried by the given price.
Although before this, Kieran already expected that information regarding Gods wouldnt be cheap, he never thought it would be this expensive.
300K Points.
Kieran did spend that amount and even higher before in the past, but he never thought a single piece of information could cost that much.
Cant it be a little cheaper?
Kieran tried to negotiate since his heart was really hurting.
I said its already a friendly price. If you dont have that many Points, you can keep a tab here or...
Or what?
Kieran tried to y along and ask since Rachel purposely prolonged her sentence.
Or you can consider having dinner with Wu, she...
210K points plus 30 Skill Points, please ept.
Before Rachel even finish, Kieran initiated a trade right away.
He wasnt against the idea of having dinner. From a certain angle, the one thing that he liked most was eating but... The problem was with whom.
If he was having dinner with friends, a rough meal would taste delicious as well but dinner with the likes of Wu, Kieran had a hunch the dinner would taste like candle wax instead.
From Kierans point of view, if he couldnt properly taste the food that he was eating, it was an insult to the food itself.
On top of that, Kieran had a strange feeling about Wu.
Based on the rtionship of Rachel and Wu, Kieran couldnt handle Wu withmon means, so Kieran had made up his mind to avoid her if possible.
Wu doesnt mean any harm, Rachel exined.
Kieran didnt answer.
Even if Wu didnt mean any harm, Kieran didnt n to alter his decision.
Rachel sighed in her heart before signaling Kieran.
Follow me.
Rachel then headed towards the small living room behind the bar counter.
Once again, Kieran went through the familiar corridor and after that, Kieran picked a sofa at the rounded table and sat down as if it was his own ce.
Rachel sat across from him and served him a lemon ice tea before speaking.
Gods that merged with a city arent technically real Gods but considering the prosperity that the God granted to the city, that particr God might be stronger than a real one.
Since now you have entered the higher order, have you encountered rank I?
Well, it is exactly what you think. When you reached rank I, it doesnt just mean transcending over the normal mortals, it also means that you are getting closer to Gods.
Rachel continued before Kieran even gave an answer.
Getting closer to Gods? How far away exactly? Kieran asked the one thing that he wanted to know most.
Like heaven and earth apart I guess. Based on the data that others umted, a high-ranker is approximately equal to a fifth generation divine descendant, slightly higher than the sixth generation andter descendants. Other than that, divine descendants vary depending on their own bloodline. Later descendants after the sixth generation of a True God can also achieve transcendence and the descendants of the same generation of a False God are only slightly stronger than amon man.
So if you somehow came across divine descendants in the dungeon world, make sure you know whos descendant they are and dont be concerned about whether his grandfather or ancestors were once human, Rachel reminded Kieran.
True Gods and False Gods? Kieran continued his questions.
True Gods are able to ignite divine mes, possess divinity, and have the authority to build divine kingdoms.
False Gods have no divine mes yet possess divinity. They live off of the beliefs of most of the intelligent beings on thend.
The formers strength is unimaginable, at least based on what I know, no one has trulye in contact with a True God, except... the Witch!
Rachel was a bit stunned whenever the name was mentioned.
Almost out of instinct, she shifted the topic. Based on what you mentioned, the Gods you came across are all False Gods and should be very low in ranks. They shouldnt exceed the first generation divine descendants or might be even lower.
Why?
Kieran was quite curious about Rachels certainty of the matter.
Because you dont have the aura that exceeds a first generation divine descendant! Starting from the fifth generation, it is the beginning of the higher order. Each time the rank increased, it is very obvious and when one reaches the level of the second generation, it is equal to rank IV in game terms.
Rachel took another sip of her ss before emphasizing each and every word.
Not the first generation, rank V?
Kieran asked out loud but his heart had other spections.
Right after the question, Rachel verified his spections.
You really think you can achieve rank V smoothly? You wouldnt think the Character Temte Limit is just a one-time-thing right? Besides, unlike the first Character Temte Limit, where the system will provide you with a Limit Break dungeon, each time you reach the limit after that, you can only rely on your Golden Skill Points and Attribute Points. Especially when you want to reach rank V, you really have to do all the work yourself, because Golden Attribute Points and Skill Points are all useless then.
Rachel was sighing with a little distress after she spoke.
Seemed like Rachel was stressing over this matter.
Kieran, however, didnt voice his opinions nor will he ask whether Rachel was stuck before rank V.
He wasnt a newbie anymore, thus theck of recklessness. Even if he still was, given his character and personality, he would remain quiet.
He knew everyone had their own secrets. Such secrets might not be divulged in front of their closest of kin, let alone a half-familiar friend.
Therefore, Kieran chose to respect the secret but Rachel somehow looked a little bit dissatisfied.
I thought were friends, Rachel red at Kieran.
I guess so, Kieran nodded.
Well, shouldnt you show somefort at this kind of timing? Rachel asked.
A powerhouse that seeksfort from someone weaker?
Come on. Stop joking, its not funny, Kieran shrugged.
Kieran had been guessing Rachels power level for a long time but he missed it by a mile every time he made an educated guess.
Each time, Rachel would disy her strength in a suitable way, where she handled everything skillfully and with ease but one thing was for sure.
Considering all attributes, skill levels and equipment, Rachels battle power must be higher than Kieran.
As for how much? Kieran couldnt specte further.
It was a meaningless thought and aplete waste of time.
If he had the time to specte about useless things, might as well spend it in increasing his strength to chase up to Rachel.
You really dont have any humor at all.
Based on your description of that native, I guess he should be around rank IV, which mean a second generation divine descendant but if a real battle breaks out, the changing variables are all up in the air, its very hard to tell but I can tell you one thing, dont ever engage him in his own city, you will die a graveless death!
After all, you...
Rachel said in an upset tone at first before getting serious all of a sudden.
She wanted to continue her sentence but whether out of habit or necessity, thest part was held at the veryst moment.
Under Kierans probing gaze, Rachel stood up as if nothing happened and turned back to the bar counter.
Kieran frowned as he saw Rachel off.
Chapter 1101 - Changes
Chapter 1101: Changes
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Rachel was hiding something!
It was almost certain. Based on the words she just said and how quickly she left; all signs were telling Kieran exactly that.
However, Kieran couldnt force an answer out of her and the reason was simple: Lawless.
This is why I prefer to be alone.
Kieran muttered to himself. He too stood up and went back to the inn.
Back the inn, Lawless was already there with his signature cigar in his mouth whilst he showed off the one man drinking challenge.
22 bottles of different alcohols lined up under the light. The various kinds of bottles were surprisingly emanating a beautiful shine.
Under the crowds loud cheers, Lawless started his drinking challenge from the one on the most left.
It was the special entertainment of Harvest Inn.
Anyone who sessfully challenged the one man drinking game would not have to pay for the alcohol they drank and could even win a prize of 1000 Points.
However, since the challenge started, no one had ever seeded, even the Alchemist, Lemour who was an expert in drinking could onlyst till the 19th bottle before passing out.
As for Lawless?
He was already crawling under the table at the 11th bottle.
N-Next time, I will seed!
Heavily drunk, Lawless stuttered his deration before he passed out.
Yeah, yeah!
Lawless, you sure will!
But you have to pay for this round first!
Hahahahahaha!
The crowdughed merrily. Everyone was cheering in joy.
None of them were ill-intended though, they were only using this kind of method to vent their stress and nervousness before entering the dungeon world or discard the uneasy feeling after returning from one.
Kieran could tell from their faces despite them being blurred out by the system.
Lawless could as well, and because of that, he challenged the one man drinking time after time.
He was using his own way to make his friends around him a little bit happier.
Although it looked stupid to Kieran, he wouldnt allow his friend to pass out under the table.
Kieran grabbed the back of Lawless neck and threw him onto a chair.
He couldnt help but frown at Lawless who waspletely drunk and couldnt even maintain consciousness.
Are you dumb? Kieran said softly.
Lawless act in Kierans view was like a child trying to make fun of himself in order to blend into the bigger crowd.
The child wouldugh together with the crowd and eventually be epted as one of them.
Children were pure, it was hard to tell which part of their viewpoint was wrong, therefore it was easier to deal with children.
Correct was correct, wrong was wrong.
However, adults were different. Adults had too many conflicts of interest whether in the open or secretly.
So, adults tended to not determine the right or wrong of a matter, instead, they would view it from their own perspective, to determine whether the matter would benefit them or not.
If the matter benefited them, it would be right; if the matter couldnt, it would be wrong.
If it was right, they would continue; if it was wrong, they would correct it with their own means.
Those who mored about right and wrong were nothing but some big children in their own world who didnt possess the strength to correct the things.
Kieran didnt want to be a big child, nor he was willing to see Lawless bing one.
...
2567: When will Lawless treatment start?
Rachel: A little bit more.
2567: Tell me if you need help.
Rachel: K.
...
Kieran pointed at Lawless and signaled to Rachel further away.
After she nodded, Kieran turned away and walked out of the inn.
Behind him, Lawless who could barely maintain his consciousness seemed to have spotted Kieran, he muttered, 2-2567? A-Anything I can help you with?
It was soft but heard by Kierans sharp ears.
Kieran stopped. He turned around and muttered in a serious tone, Not now, take a good rest.
He then turned away once more and left.
Lawless then went on snoring as Kieran left Harvest Inn.
...
Back at 13th Wallway Street, Kieran was back after taking care of his problems in real life.
[Points: 10,000; Skill Points 25; Golden Skill Points: 4; Golden Attribute Points: 4]
Looking at his points tab, Kieran slightly changed the original n of leveling the few skills that required Golden Skill Points.
First, he didnt think the news about divine beings would cost him so much.
Second, he never thought the news was somehow rted to the Character Temte Limit again.
So Golden Skill Points and Golden Attribute Points have be the key to the higher order before rank V?
Although Kieran knew a while ago how precious those two currencies were, Rachels words just now made him understand even more how precious they were.
The only fortunate thing was, Kieran, didnt need to hesitate on whether to level up his skills or keep the points for rainy days.
For the potential changes in his Talents and Origin Forces, Kieran tended to take them seriously more than the skills in his arsenal.
Wonder where my second Character Temte Limit is?
Kieran then turned to his attribute tab.
Strength: SS+
Agility: SS+
Constitution: ZZZ- (New I)
Spirit: G+ (Pre III)
Intuition: SSS+
His highest stat was Spirit which was approaching rank III, his Strength and Agility were the lowest but still far exceededmon yers.
Without further hesitation, Kieran poured his points into leveling his Spirit attribute again.
Whether was it the original n or the altered one, Spirit attribute became the priority attribute that Kieran had to level up.
Kieran was never stingy in forging his best sword.
[Using Golden Attribute Points...]
[Spirit G+ GG- (Pre III)]
[Using Golden Attribute Points...]
[Spirit GG- GG (New III)]
[Using Golden Attribute Points...]
[Spirit GG GG+ (New III)]
[Using Golden Attribute Points...]
[Spirit GG+ GGG- (New III)]
...
New III eh?
Based on Rachels estimate, Great Swamps usual form is ranked around IV, considering the ace he might use during battle, there might be a 1 to 2 rank jump. Meanwhile Perforation Stabs God nned so far ahead to target Great Swamp, obviously, they didnt have the power to face Great Swamp in person. Judging from that, that God must be around rank III to rank IV, its quite unlikely they would be over rank V...
If I can get myself into a battlefield that benefits me...
Kieran calcted quietly as he squinted his eyes.
Meticulous calctions were urring in his mind.
At the very same time, outside the clock tower dome, a figure was slowing approaching.
Chapter 1102 - Similarity and City of Fiends II
Chapter 1102: Simrity and City of Fiends II
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This figure was moving very carefully.
Each time he moved, his movements merged perfectly with the light and shadows, even the footsteps converged with the sounds wind blowing.
Dik, Dik, Dik, Dak.
The second hand of the clock tower on top of the dome was ticking second after second. After a full rotation, the minute hand moved.
Dik, Dak.
The ticks of the minute hand werent that much different than the second hand but the approaching figure staggered backward uglily as if he was struck by thunder.
The figure covered his right hand and suppressed the agonizing cry in his throat. It wasnt until he entered an empty alleyway that the loud growls exploded.
Youve won again! But I dont believe you will win every time!
The figure took another nce at the dome clock tower before sprinting off towards Harvest Inn.
When the figure got close to Harvest Inn, he returned to his normal condition.
He was humming a joyous melody as he moved forward and when he walked into the inn, there were already familiar acquaintances greeting him.
Hey Borl, want a drink?
No thanks, my points are not enough to allow me to drink freely here.
The yer named Borl walked towards the bar counter.
Coincidentally, when Borl walked passed the drunk Lawless, Lawless almost fell off the chair he was in; Borl caught Lawless.
Are you an idiot?
Borl who had lingered in the inn for a few days obviously knew who Lawless was and what condition he was in. He shook his head andmented on the drunk state before he settled Lawless down in the chair again.
Then, Borl spoke to Rachel behind the bar, I want the cheapest honey water, thank you! If the cheapest is in water, I dont mind that either.
Lemon ice tea, on the house. Rachel served the beverage in front of Borl.
Borl held the ss in his hand as if he was holding an heirloom while expressing his gratitude repeatedly, Thanks!
Looking at how Borl behaved, Rachel frowned a little but ultimately shook her head.
She muttered softly to herself, The simrity is uncanny... How is this possible?
After that, Rachel continued cleaning her ssware.
The lone wolf yer, Borl held the ss, taking sip after sip off the sweet and sour drink. He was enjoying the ss of lemon ice tea with utmost pleasure as if the drink was the best part of his life.
When thest drop was finished, Borl politely passed the ss back to Rachel. He then squinted his eyes and fell into deep thought silently.
The looks and the actions Borl disyed made Lawless who was still groggy after waking up mutter, 2-2567?
...
Kieran spent the next few days in istion inside of his own room.
He isted himself from everything rted to the big city, includingmunications.
Other than the necessary time off to take care of his matters in real life, he spent every day in the game room, seizing every moment to practice with all of his Origin Forces. He utilized all of his Origin Forces to light up the secret runes carved in his body and expel the darkness and chaos.
Under normal circumstances, the five Origin Forces, Dawn Force, gue Force, Devil Force, Cardinal Sins Force, and Saint Thorn Force really worked at a slow and infuriating speed.
Fortunately, Kieran was patient.
Bit by bit, little by little, the Origin Forces expelled the irregrities in his body.
He was looking forward to the day that he couldpletely cleanse himself of the darkness and chaos and hoped it would arrive sooner rather thanter.
A week flew by just like that.
When the dungeon cooldown was reset, Kieran entered the special dungeon after the necessary preparations were made and double checking everything.
[Entering Special Dungeon!]
[Dungeon Difficulty: 7th dungeon]
[Background: Perforation Sting is ever more vicious than the rumors had it. After you identally disrupted their ns, you were treated as a thorn in their side. A hunt specifically targeted at you has begun...]
[Main Mission: Survive for 28 days under Perforation Stings hunt; 0/28]
[Temporarynguage pack, Disappears upon exiting the dungeon.]
[Clothing, backpack, weapons, and other items remain unchanged, Temporarily altered appearance, Returns to normal upon exiting the dungeon]
[Note: This is a special dungeon. You can fail the Main Mission, but you will have to pay 700 Points as a penalty and your highest attributes will drop by 2 ranks. If your points are insufficient, the system will deduct from your equipment. If your equipment is insufficient, you will fail.]
...
The familiar words appeared before his eyes again.
When everything went away and returned to normal, he was in a room.
[Crimson Ghost Stomach] was beside his feet. He picked it up and strapped it onto his back before sizing up his new environment.
Bed, bedside drawer, carpet... everything inside the room was old.
The sheets on the bed were lifted while warmth lingered on it.
On top of the bedside drawer was a map and there were two scattered sandals on the carpet.
The room wasnt that big as Kieran could grasp everything within his sight.
After checking under the bed, the carpet, and the drawer, he took the map.
It was a map of No.12 Highway.
One side of the highway was still connected to the me City that Kieran knew of and the other was an unfamiliar city named Forest City.
Looking up, Kieran saw a sign beside the road through the only window in the room.
The big 12 written on the sign was telling him his actual location.
Am I on the run? Kieranughed lightly.
He then carefully checked the map, however, he wasnt checking the way towards Forest City but he wanted to return to me City.
Correct! Return to me City!
As his strength grew, his attitude towards Perforation Sting had drastically changed. From the initial shock to the current calm.
Kieran even had some unusual ideas about the organization.
Of course, the necessary vignce and caution were still in his mind. Kieran understood what drove him to his current power level.
Therefore, Kieran didnt send out the Fire Raven at the very first moment.
In other dungeon worlds, Fire Raven was a verypetent scout, acting as his eyes in the sky but that was because the natives in the other dungeon worlds didnt understand Fire Raven.
However, [City of Fiends II] was different. Fire Raven originated from this world.
Anyone with better knowledge knew what a Fire Raven was and what it could achieve; Frost Wolf pup shared a simr fate as well.
Even though the pup wasnt really from this world, the understanding of the dungeons natives towards fiends and half-fiends would cause an rm if they saw the pup running around.
Therefore, Kieran kept both hispanions near him.
Fire Raven stood on his right shoulder, looking left and right while it savored the familiar presence of home. It also excitingly shook its ck-red feathers.
The hybrid Frost Wolf pup was tumbling around Kierans feet, sniffing here and there and would wag its tail in front of Kieran.
However, at the very next moment, the shaking Fire Raven paused its excited actions as its sharper-than-eagle eyes were locked on to the direction of the door.
The Frost Wolf pup bent down on its limbs as it entered its attacking stance while baring its sharp teeth.
Dok, Dok, Dok.
Hello, room servi...
After the knocks, a sweet voice was heard before the voice could finish its words, Kieran pointed the [Winchester Hunting Rifle] at the spyhole and pulled the trigger.
KABOOM!
Chapter 1103 - Journey
Chapter 1103: Journey
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The st from the hunting rifle caused the door in front of Kieran to explode.
As the wood bits flew outwards, a body without its upper torso was sent flying backward as it crashed into the opposite wall. Despite losing its upper body, the vicious looking lower body still had scales and thick hair around it, when the light was shed over, it was giving out a luster simr to a metallic substance.
Still, the scales were not enough to protect it from [Winchester Hunting Rifle]s Powerful attack, let alone the attribute [Heavy Firepower Strike] that would maximize the damage potential of the bullet; [Ammunition Favour] from the rifle also granted it an extra +1 attack buff.
The bullets with Extreme attack were transformed into pellets instead.
It would have dented a real metal te, let alone metal-like scales.
Kieran didnt even care about why the owner of the sweet voice behind the door would produce this much contrast. Other than this dungeon world lurking with fiends and half-fiends, the malicious intent behind the door alone was enough to let Kieran know what he should do.
After picking up the Magic rank item that came afloat from the remaining half of the body, Kieran didnt straighten up his body but he went along with the motion and rammed past the wall in front of him.
At the next moment...
Dak, Dak, Dak, Dak, Dak Dak!
Under the sonata of machine guns fire, the room that Kieran was in before was shot into a sieve and the shooter didnt n to just stop there.
After more than a hundred bullets poured down like a storm, a missile followed right behind.
KABOOM!
The unknown motel beside the highway was blown up to the sky.
Hahahahaha! The bounty is mine!
There was a muscr and robust person who was obviously a half-fiend was standing in front of the motel ruins,ughing out presumptuously with a heavy machine gun and a rocketuncher in both his hands respectively.
Then a longsword flew out from the shadows beside him.
Puk!
The half-fiendughing with his wide-open mouth had his throat pierced and half of his head cut off by a sh from [Dandelion Pierce].
Blood gushed up to the sky.
Kieran slowly walked out from the shadows. He picked up another Magic rank item from the half-fiend before checking the traces on the ground.
Even without [Tracking], Kieran could tell both the attackers who decided to strike almost in unison came from... Forest City!
The discovery made Kieran smile as he ruminated over his thoughts.
My whereabouts arepletely exposed? My path of return is also blocked. Which means, most people know that I am heading towards Forest City to avoid Perforation Stings pursuit. Which also means, there is someone or something hostile to Perforation Sting in Forest City, the extremely dreaded kind!
There is only one existence that fits these criteria: the second divine target that Perforation Sting failed to y!!
Kieran quickly came up with a conclusion based on the information at hand.
However, the conclusion didnt alter his n of returning to me City.
Compared to Forest City which was rather unfamiliar, Kieran was already used to me City. Other than that, Kieran didnt believe Perforation Sting would give up their n to target Great Swamp.
Although Kieran identally ruined the first n, it was just the first of many.
Perforation Sting did have the painful experience in failing to y a God, they wouldnt have missed out on a backup n this time; it was what a mature organization would do.
Of course, Kieran had more evidence on his hand: the two attackers that he just killed.
These two half-fiends werent affiliated with Perforation Sting, they were just bounty hunters.
As for who set the bounty on him?
Other than Perforation Sting, Kieran couldnt think of any others.
However, why didnt Perforation Sting send one of their own and instead decided to go with the bounty route?
The only exnation: they couldnt spare any manpower at the moment!.
Perforation Sting must have diverted all their attention to targeting Great Swamp and couldnt care less about Kieran, dispensable person.
Kieran disyed extraordinary strength when he evenly barely eked out a victory against Ren, one of the 21 Fiend Exorcists, what did it symbolize?
Fiend Exorcist was two ranks higher than Fiend Hunter, but they were still under Funeral Societys jurisdiction.
So, what was Funeral Societys role in his divine war?
Mediator.
They dared not offend Great Swamp personally, nor would they truly offend Perforation Sting.
Likewise, either Great Swamp or Perforation Sting, both of them had a sense of contempt towards Funeral Society.
Therefore, in Perforation Stings point of view, they could simply just dismiss Kieran, a small character.
Of course, the simple dismissal wasnt limited to the bounty rewards like this. Kieran was confident that when Perforation Sting was finished with Great Swamp, they woulde back for him.
After all, Perforation Sting must have hated the God in Forest City to their core as well.
In simple words, if a small character like Kieran avoided the bounty hunters attack, he would have died in the crossfire between Perforation Sting and the God in Forest City as well.
The thorn in their side that the main mission described wasnt just for fun, so Kieran knew exactly what he must do.
Kieran strode over to the cars that the attackers drove here and picked the one with more gas; he opened the door right after that.
After Fire Raven and Frost Wolf pup went into the car, he started the engine.
As the engine roared, the car drove onto No. 12 Highway and headed towards me City.
Kieran didnt clean up the battlefield behind him though.
The moment he entered the dungeon, all the people in the motel were killed by the scaley half-fiend. The heavy stench of blood in the ce couldnt have escaped Kierans nose.
Now, the first and the second half-fiends were dead.
Under the dazzling sunshine, the blood on the ground was shining brightly.
The heavy bloody stench flew away with the dusty wind, carrying the stench miles away.
The humans, fiends, and half-fiends noticed that something unusual happened at the motel.
The pursuers that arrived at the motel ruins shortly after Kieran left slightly checked the ce before driving their respective vehicles towards me City.
As time went by, the pursuers that ought to turn around didnt decrease, instead, the numbers grewrger.
Because of the tension of the timing, the pursuers didnt n to conceal their presence either.
So, it was natural that the unusual situation entered Funeral Societys radar.
Sir Fiend Hunter, some wanted men and half-fiends are making an unusual move.
One of the Funeral Society members ran into the office with a report in his hand.
Ditko, with straight spikey hair and a pair of aviator sses, threw the files about Perforation Sting that he went through countless times on the desk before he jumped over the desk with one hand and grabbed the newest report from the member.
Fire Brothers, Bearman, and Hair Fiend...
Bunch of troubling bastards!
Pay close attention to their movements, I want to know every step they take! Ditko said.
Yes, sir!
The member bowed before he ran out of the office.
Ditko sat back into his seat and waited.
What are these bastards doing by gathering up? Could it be... 2567?!
Ditko suddenly jumped out of the seat again when a sudden thought came to his mind.
He dashed outside as he was eager to know thetest news but when he got it, he was stunned on the spot.
Chapter 1104 - Return
Chapter 1104: Return
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Missing? What do you mean by missing?
Ditko looked at the report in his hand as he questioned the member in front of him.
Sir, as the report suggests, all the surveince targets, Fire Brothers, Bearman, Hair Fiend, and others went missing on No.12 Highway. I know it sounds ridiculous and unbelievable but it is the facts, the member reported in a heavy tone and expression.
As one of the handlers in the intelligence department of Funeral Society, Fucos vignce and instinct in the past didnt vanish despite being transferred to the me City branch.
He had a hunch that something big was about to happen.
Didnt our men find anything? Ditko asked out of unwillingness.
You know, even a real Fiend Hunter has to be careful while facing those targets, let alone themon members that rely on normal items. Its already a difficult task for them to deliver the message, Fuco couldnt hold back his bitter smile.
Ditko too fell into silence, he didnt refute anymore because it was already the truth.
Even Ditko dared not be careless against those fiends and half-fiends, let alone themon members with the least training and normal items.
What happened there? Is it rted to 2567? What is Perforation Sting up to again this time?
Thoughts flooded his mind, Ditko couldnt stay passive and continue waiting.
Ill go investigate myself. Report the situation here exactly to Lord Ren. Ditko then went out.
Noted, Fuco nodded.
He saw Ditko off before rearranging the files and documents in order to present it to the Fiend Exorcist, Ren.
Just when Funeral Society made their move, some other factions in me City made their move as well.
Inside a dark alleyway, Albunai didnt mind the dirty walls and leaned on it while waiting for someone with a paper bag in his hand.
10 minutester, a figure carefully approached the alleyway.
The figure first looked around outside the alleyway and when Albunai was noticed, the figure heaved a sigh of relief before entering quickly.
You arete, Albunai said.
His dark and pugnacious face twitched as he spoke, it looked like a shark had opened its bloody jaws.
Albunai was patient enough but it didnt mean he was willing to wait for ater unconditionally.
The figure who waste stepped back in terror before he muttered, Oaker is on the case too close recently, I had to spend more time to shake him off.
That is your problem, not a reason for me to wait. Albunai waved his hand to brush the person off.
The person was then sent flying backward, crashing into the wall while his bones cracked; his body then slid down the wall.
This is just a reminder! If there is next time...
Albunai didnt even finish his words but the hints between lines were enough to state his intentions.
I wont! I wont! No next time! I swear!
The person who suffered many broken bones didnt die, he didnt even feel pain but because of that, it made him more fearful of Albunai as he crawled on the ground without moving.
Very well.
Albunai nodded and threw the paper bag in front of the persons face. Then he grabbed two bundles of money from the persons pocket before he left without turning back.
As for what would happen to the person?
Albunai didnt even care, all he wanted was to achieve his goal.
After leaving the alleyway and walking two more blocks, Albunai entered an underground bar.
There were no signs outside, no visiblendmarks, other than frequent visitors, no one would know the bars location. Or in other words, the bar will only open to familiar visitors.
Albunai walked over to the counter and sat beside Zackary.
Zackary, a handsome man with a brilliant suit didnt seem to fit the little dirty bars aesthetic and its environment but he was still leisurely drinking on his own. Even when Albunai was staring at him, he didnt react immediately, instead, he only turned around after he finished his drink.
You need to change your habits, otherwise people will be onto you very fast. This isnt our turf you know.
Zackary said as such but he wasnt nervous at all; he poured another ss for himself.
Ive settled my business. What about you?
Albunai grabbed the ss before it was filled and stared at Zackary with a gloomy face.
If it was possible, Albunai definitely wouldnt team up with Zackary toplete this kind of life and death rted mission.
It wasnt that Zackary wasnt strong enough, in fact among the whole Perforation Sting, Zackary was one of the handful of powerhouses, like Albunai.
However, it was Zackarys attitude that Albunai disliked: pretentious andzy, plus... Not reliable enough!
Thats right, Zackary was not reliable!
From the first meeting until now, Albunai never took Zackary as a reliable person that he could trust his back to. Therefore, Albunai didnt wish to have excessive contact with this person.
Like this exact moment, Albunai was anxious to know Zackarys progress with his mission so that he could leave earlier; he even had the thought of not seeing Zackary anymore before the real mission starts.
My mission? Done of course! But I found something even more interesting... Zackary replied but he also tried to tempt Albunai into listening further.
Hey, arent you curious about what Im going to say?
Before Zackary even finished, Albunai turned around and wanted to leave.
Not interested.
Albunai acted on his own ord entirely, he didnt stop at all and even hastened his steps to leave.
Zackary shook his head as he raised his ss, sighing softly, What a pity! If you knew those pursuers going after the Bird of Death all went missing, you would be interested. But... that Bird of Death is really a concerning figure!
Another sip of his sweet wer, Zackary muttered to himself softly.
His handsome features looked a little bit weird following his self-utterance but soon, he returned to normal and went on drinking on his own at the bar.
...
Meanwhile, on the second floor of the independent building at the police station, Inspector Oaker entered the home with furrowed brows.
Things were quite messy in me City recently.
Those gangsters who should be active in their respective turfs suddenly became eager to step out of line.
Fighting, causing problems, invading other factions turf, etc.
These activities were the main goals in the gangsters life but some did it routinely as well.
Unless something happened to a certain underground boss suddenly, it would only be some small squabbles on and off. The situation shouldnt have escted to frequent shes.
Judging from his past experience, the inspector was sure if the situation continued to escte, it would evolve into a grander scale of conflict.
What in the world happened?
Confused, the inspector continued into his home but then, he saw someone in the room before him.
Instinctively, the inspector pulled out his gun from his waist.
However, the inspector showed joy on his face when he caught a clear glimpse of the persons face but a sudden realization followed and drove the inspector to close the door quickly.
He looked around through the spyhole, making sure that no one was following or noticing his unusual behavior before he turned around and walked up to the person in his home.
How dare youe back to the city?
Chapter 1105 - Questioning
Chapter 1105: Questioning
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Why not? Am I some wanted criminal?
Kieran smiled when he saw the tension on Oakers face.
You are not a criminal but you are wanted all right... So how are things?
Oakers face was showing an apologetic expression as he paused his words for a while.
The inspector showed only gratitude to Kieran ever since he helped himst time but because of the gratitude, it made him more ashamed.
The worse feeling for a normal person was none other than being helpless when help was required of him.
The profound helplessness made the inspector felt uneasy.
He was worried that Kieran might share some bad news but he still asked. If he didnt, he might look down on himself.
Better than expected.
Kierans answer had a double meaning to it but his smile got brighter on his face. He sized up the surroundings and said, Is there anything to eat here?
Although he was forced to break in to Oakers home, Kieran certainly would not touch the things around him before he got permission from the owner.
Of course.
Oaker nodded before heading towards the refrigerator.
One shouldnt naturally expect an old man who was temporarily sleeping in a garage to have any kind of scrumptious meal in his refrigerator, thus a lot of the food found was instant meals.
The most appetizing meal inside the refrigerator was, in fact, a set of fast food, one could enjoy it with slight heating but... it was a day past its expiry date.
Oaker wanted to throw it into the garbage can but Kieran picked it up before he could and walked towards the oven microwave.
This is good enough, Kieran said.
As you like then, Oaker shrugged.
For a single man like Oaker, the definition of expiry date was the visible mold on bread or milk that smelled sour, otherwise, it was non-existent.
The te inside the microwave was rotating slowly and its blurry warm light was shed on Oakers face through the kitchen window.
The warm light added an extrayer of hesitance on Oakers calm face.
Ding!
The timer on the microwave was up and Oaker reacted to it by lifting his head up.
Is there anything that I can do to help? He asked.
It seemed like the old inspector couldnt lie to himself anymore.
In his own honest viewpoint, Kieran once helped him before, so he should help Kieran in return, especially during desperate times.
Even if his help was limited, it wasnt an excuse for him to stay away.
With the decision made in his heart, Oakers eyes turned steady and firm, it was the kind of gaze a warrior had before facing a battle of life and death.
Undoubtedly Oaker was resolute in his decision as he had prepared himself mentally.
Its not as exaggerated as you think! I did find you for help but its not on the level of life and death. I want to know after you and I parted waysst time, what happened in me City? You can tell me anything that you believe is noteworthy.
Kieran was uttering his intentions while holding the fast food box and opened up the steam lid.
His words werent uttered tofort Oaker, nor was it a lie.
Kieran didnt pay a visit to Oaker without a reason after he returned to me City.
He was here to probe for more information and as for why Inspector Oaker of all people?
Wasnt Oakers performance from before obvious enough?
He was a straightforward man and didnt like to owe debts of gratitude.
More importantly, among the acquaintances in this dungeon world, Oaker was the only one who was viable to stand on the neutral side. He wouldnt have any close rtions to fiends yet knew of their existence.
Although the Fiend Hunter Ditko was also a straightforward man, his identity as Funeral Societys Fiend Hunter determined that his preferences were somehow biased towards one side.
Jen and Kana shared simr fates as well.
Whenpared to Funeral Society which Kieran had multiple contacts with, he was more on guard towards the strange Rassho Temple.
As for Tanya?
The thought of her unique personality made Kieran think that Tanya staying quiet was a blessing for the people around her.
Anything that I find noteworthy? Well, there are some gangs starting to get restless around the city recently though, but... these gangsters shouldnt match with the things you want to know.
Oaker instinctively thought about the abnormal activeness of a couple of gangs throughout me City but after the words came out, he shook his head.
He knew what kind of noteworthy things Kieran wanted to know, it was definitely not the turfpeting squabbles or arguing over protection fees. Kieran wanted to know more about the fiends and half-fiends lurking around.
The leaders of the gangs might be rted to some fiends but surely it doesnt require your attention at all, Oaker added.
Kieran was chewing the food with his mouth, thus he didnt reply to the inspector right away. He chewed and munched quickly as he moved the chopsticks in his hand like the wind, delivering pieces of food into his mouth.
As if a tornado ravaged the fast food box, the whole box of cinnamon roast pork rice was emptied out by Kieran in less than 2 minutes.
The gobbling speed left Oaker awestruck as he was waiting for a reply. He couldnt hold back his gulp of saliva and his body instinctively reached out to the kettle and a box of fast food.
Anyone who saw how fast Kieran ate would surely be intrigued and feel their appetite grow.
Some even would question how theyve been eating their food for their entire life up to this point.
As Oaker poured hot water into the fast food, Kieran continued after a slight hesitation. Tell me about those guys, and can I have another set of fast food?
Okay. Oaker nodded before grabbing another box.
After he poured hot water into the box, he started to organize his words.
The conflicts started from Dublin Street, the street that connects the wealthy district and the slums/ At first, we didnt particrly care about the ce because every year, there will be someone inciting conflicts in order to seize control of the street but this time, it was different.
One of the originalmanding fes of the street was expelled but he came back very quickly. His men didnt just increase overnight, he himself started actively seeking battles as well. Footer is his name, you might not have heard of him but he was one of the infamous gangsters on Dublin Street before, and now? His notoriety has grown to an unimaginable level, he has almost be thew on Dublin Street!
After that, the gang factions of me City became weirdly active as well. Although small conflicts between them were endless, they restrained themselves from going too far. Despite the number of times their conflicts almost escted into a full-scale war, their rashness behavior suddenly became very... cautious.
Cautious?
Kieran couldnt hold back his soft smiles and shake his head when he heard Oakers words.
He then quickly reached out to Oaker and dragged him behind his back.
Then...
BANG!
A faint gunshot entered Oakers ears and the sofa that he was sitting on a moment ago had a big hole sted through it.
Chapter 1106 - Footer
Chapter 1106: Footer
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Careful! Sniper!
Oakers reaction was quick as he warned Kieran loudly. At the same time, he instinctively did a standard backroll and hid behind the dead angle of the window.
Oaker then saw Kieran stand still without moving an inch.
2567...
BANG!
Fuaa!
Just as Oaker wanted to warn Kieran, he was interrupted by the shattered window.
Amidst the shattered ss, a person was thrown into the room.
Oaker didnt have a clear look at how the person got in, the reason why he thought the person was thrown because the personnded in a terrible state.
The persons face had ss all over and blood tainted most of his body, even all four of his limbs were twisted to various angles.
It was Kieran who sessfully apprehended the sniper and threw him back in.
However, Oaker didnt care about all those because his attention was captured when he saw a certain tattoo behind the persons neck.
You know this tattoo?
Kieran nced over the pentagram tattoo and asked.
The pentagram tattoo wasnt a magic circle, it was just a in shape without any additional magical runes or activation incantations.
Um. Remember Footer that I mentioned earlier? This is his unique mark, only the core members of his men were granted the right to bear the tattoo. Oaker nodded in a heavy expression.
Dublin Street is where the conflict began? Kieran muttered softly.
Kierans memory wasnt weak to the point that he would forget what Oaker said just now, it was just that he didnt expect the sniper to have originated from Dublin Street.
At first he thought the sniper was just somemon revenge seeker troubling Oaker during chaotic times but obviously, the sniper had some other more straightforward goals.
The sudden ambush, however, was good news to Kieran who already had an inkling to start his ns.
Seems like the situation is more severe than you mentioned, perhaps... Your actions ofte pissed off the VIP that gained control of Dublin Street recently, this is a protest towards you! Kieran said.
Hmph! This is not the first time anyway! If I was cowardly enough to submit to such violence, I would have retired a long time ago! Oaker voiced out his displeasure while he walked towards the phone but he was stopped by Kieran.
Can you leave this to me? Kieran asked.
Leave this to you? Oaker was stunned.
Based on Oakers knowledge of Kieran, Kieran wasnt a passionate person that would help others unconditionally, although Kieran treated the inspector fairly well, he had no reason to intervene.
The unusual question caused the inspector to be more serious than before.
Whats going on? Are you preparing to do something? Oaker looked at Kieran with a heavy gaze.
A person like Oaker would never forget the debt of gratitude he owed, likewise he would never forget his duties either. During most cases, duty transcended debts of gratitude.
It may sound cold and less humane but it was the reason Kieran chose tomunicate with Oaker because the inspector knew what should be done and what shouldnt.
Oaker would not be moved by some petty benefits nor would he be blinded by vengeance.
The inspector held his beliefs strictly against everyone else and in other peoples eye, it might have a ridiculous baseline but Kieran was particrly fond of such a baseline.
Rx! I am just curious as to why that fe you mentioned would do something like this. I assure you no other innocent or unrted personnel will get involved, Kieran said with a smile.
Ill oversee the whole process, Oaker emphasized.
No problem. Kieran nodded without diminishing his smile.
...
Footers body was heavily bandaged and had splints over his joints. He was crawling in pain on the sofa.
Gawk!, Gark! Gark!
Clear cracking noises were heard from Footers body.
He was biting onto a towel and trying his best to not scream in pain but heavy grunts reced the screams as he moaned in pain uncontrobly.
Veins were popping up on his bald head, sweat as big as peas kept oozing out of his body and dripping down on the floor. Even the pentagram tattoo on his face was blurry because of the sweat.
This time around the excruciating processsted around 10 minutes.
Footers body was drenched by his own sweat after the process began. A moment before the cracking stopped, Footer spat the towel out of his mouth, turned around and stood up from the sofa.
He was exercising his whole body in a special form granted by the process.
Pak! Pak Pak!
More cracking noises came from Footers body but unlike the ones from before, the cracking this time around sounded like peas on a hot pan, not only continuous but concentrated as well.
Under the ceaseless cracking, Footers body grew stronger at an exponential speed. His already fit body grew muscr and bigger within a few breaths time, he was even taller by 1 to 2 cms.
While feeling the energy bursting from his inner body, Footer clenched his fist in satisfaction.
Power! This is real power! I want more power!
Footer growled heavily as his face looked slightly vicious after the process.
Once he thought about the reminder his trader gave him, he turned around and walked outside without a second thought.
However, after the first step, a dangerous feeling rose in his heart.
It was the instinct that he gained through killings in the streets throughout his life.
Without a second thought, Footer took a side roll and went behind the desk beside him. His hand even reached out to the heavy caliber handgun at his waist and pointed at the direction that made him uneasy the moment he got into position.
The whole series of actions was as smooth as water in a stream and clouds flowing in the sky with his body physique that surpassedmon human, but...
The direction he pointed his gun was devoid of any targets.
There was nothing there except for a ball of ck, dense long hair.
Fiend!
The stories that he heard in the past and the knowledge he gained recently taught Footer about the targets he was facing. His finger squeezed the trigger repeatedly before dashing towards the door.
If he had more time to develop himself, Footer wouldnt even take the fiends seriously but now?
He was still too far away!
Footer turned and ran for it as his self-realization hit him but still, he underestimated the powers of the fiend.
The bullets Footer fired hit the ball of hair with its scorching heat but that was all that happened and it didnt stop the hair from advancing.
Sou, Sou Sou!
Under the air-breaking sounds of an arrow, the ball of hair fired locks of hair at Footer, entangling him from further movements and silencing him by filling his mouth with hair. The hair suppressed all the screams down Footers throat and the ball of hair dragged him out of the window like a string puppet.
When Footers men arrived at the scene in reaction to the gunshots, other than a broken window, nothing was found.
The disappearance of their leader instantly caused the men to panic, they started their search like a swarm of busy bees.
Meanwhile, on a car less than 1km away from Footers base, Oaker was greeted with an angry re after Hair Fiend captured the gang leader.
However, his mouth was shut by the hair and only unclear grunts were heard amidst his struggling.
Right after that, when Footer saw Kieran walking towards him, the anger on his face was reced by horror.
The surprise horrified expression startled Kieran.
Kieran sized up Footers expression and went into deep thought.
You know me and it seems like you and I are enemies.
And the enemies that I am facing here are only... Perforation Sting am I right?
Chapter 1107 - Seed
Chapter 1107: Seed
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Footer looked more terrified than ever when he heard what Kieran said.
Obviously, everything was exactly how Kieran described it and Kieran himself wasnt surprised that it turned out like that.
It was almost certain that Perforation Sting had other preparations but regardless of what ns or schemes they had, it revolved around Great Swamp who had merged with me City.
Perforation Sting couldnt face Great Swamp head on, so their methods reduced to affecting Great Swamps powers while avoiding attention from the masses.
Given such circumstances, it was easy for Kieran to theorize the sequence of what was happening.
Perforation Sting wanted to destroy me City!
Once their methods seed, Great Swamp would surely be caught off guard because of the dyed actions.
As for creating conflict without attracting attention, what else was more effective than hiring a bunch of locals who always caused mors because of their gangster activities?
Therefore, the likes of Footer became the best candidates and he was one of many candidates.
The reason why Perforation Sting needed many candidates for this, other than the likes of Footer being easy toe by, it was also because they needed manpower to transform a spark into a great fire.
Therefore, even without Footer, Perforation Stings n would not be severely affected.
Judging frommon sense, Perforation Sting wouldnt pay extra attention to Footer either but Kieran wasnt a person who would give up without trying.
Oaker, Ill leave him to you. If its possible, squeeze everything he knows out of him and after that, he is all yours.
Hair Fiend here will assist you.
Kieran was direct since he knew the inspectors personality.
What about you? Oaker asked.
Ill try my luck. Ill find you by tomorrow morning at thetest, Kieran gave Oaker a precise time for their next meeting.
Good luck then.
Oaker clearly got what Kieran said. As for the matters regarding the fiends, Oaker wasnt a superhuman like Kieran, he couldnt even settle a small organization by himself, let alone Perforation Sting.
So without further hesitation, Oaker started the car and drove off swiftly into the night.
Kieran saw the inspector off before returning to the street. He wanted to oversee everything that happened with Footers disappearance.
The night fell into mor following the disappearance of Footer, peace was far away from Dublin Street.
Gunshots sounded relentlessly around the slums.
The police set up a perimeter before the wealthy district and sent a group of officers to form a temporary outpost to control the situation but that was it.
The police didnt allow any gang members near the wealthy district, likewise, they themselves didnt want to be a part of the conflict of the gangs.
As for the other civilians in the slums?
In the eyes of the police, they were gang members as well.
The station turned a deaf ear and blind eye at all those reports and help requests they got from the slums.
With countless reference before this, the police learned their lesson to not suddenly participate in the gang conflicts, it will only cost them a heavy price.
The right way for the police to deal with the situation was to wait for everything to subside, at least it was the way they assumed was correct.
Seconds turned into minutes.
Ultimately after the night, the sun rose again and with the light of dawn, all mors went away.
Gunshots, cries, screams, and all sorts of horrifying noises fell together with the darkness of the night but under the first light, the bloody bodies scattered over the street became more obvious.
Squads of police officers then entered the street and began their clean-up operation.
Kieran who has been hiding in the corner for the whole night sighed in disappointment.
He didnt get any fruitful information throughout the night, Perforation Sting didnt appear because of Footers disappearance, even the fiend rted things didnt appear.
From the start to the end, it was all the conflicts between gang members.
Neglecting the seed after nting it? What if the seed itself is problematic? What will you guys do then?
Kieran took a deep breath to discard the disappointing thoughts from his mind before he swiftly merged into the shadows.
Without pause, Kieran directly went back to Oakers temporary lodging, the garage.
When Kieran entered the garage, Oaker who obviously went through an all-nighter passed him the interrogation records.
This guy is more cunning than I expected. All he did was confess to some trivial crimes. He might only stay behind bars for a couple of months or even less... Damn it! Oaker cursed out of dissatisfaction.
Can I have a meeting with him? Of course, you cane along and everything will be under your supervision. I think I need to change my looks a little also, Kieran asked, trying to test the inspector.
Deep down in Kierans heart, he had already made up his mind to see Footer with or without Oakers permission. Or in other words, the reason why Kieran allowed Oaker to bring Footer back because he knew Footer wouldnt just confess with such little pressure.
If Footer was such a straight criminal, he wouldnt be in control of Dublin Street and be the leader of the gangs.
As for the sniper Kieran apprehended earlier?
Even Kieran, a yer, had more than 3 ways to hire a native hitman without showing his face, let alone a gang leader like Footer.
Very well then.
Oaker nodded in agreement after some slight hesitation.
An hourter, Kieran covered his face and wore a pair of sunsses and saw Footer following standard procedures.
Footer started to struggle fiercely when he saw Kieran but the cuffs on his hands rendered his struggles useless.
The other thing that made Footer shiver was the Hair Fiend that hid in his shirt pocket, a strand of hair was poked into his chest!
Pain!
Fear!
The pain came from his nerves and the fear came from the thought that his heart might be pierced by a strand of hair!
Look at me, Kieran said ndly.
The pain in his chest made Footer cooperatively lift his head.
Very good.
Kieran smiled in satisfaction before a shine shed over [Mesly Ring] on his left middle finger.
...
Dublin Street, Footers office.
Footers two right-hand men were confronting each other.
Hey Kray, stop kidding, are you sure you want to oppose me?
Whilebing his hair back, Kairi with a cigarette in his mouth was looking askance at the muscr opponent with a knife scar on his face.
You are still not the boss, why cant I go against you? Krayughed coldly.
I am not now but I will be soon! Kairi took a puff off his cigarette and shot a ring of smoke out.
I dont think so, Krays coldugh continued.
You need some proof? Listen! Listen to the voices! The voices are cheering for me to take up the position! Kairi raised his voice.
Ill be looking forward to it then.
Kray did a please gesture but he didnt really believe in Kairis arrogant words.
Just as Kairi wanted to open the door, Kray beat him to it and Kairi grabbed Kray instead as if he knew it will happen.
Both of them squeezed through the door almost together but the scene before them left them stunned.
Chapter 1108 - Cousin
Chapter 1108: Cousin
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
There was a man standing in the corridor with a ck jacket and a hood over his head. He was also carrying a bag behind him.
The man looked normal though, 4 out of 10 people on the streets dressed simrly.
Kairi and Kray wouldnt be surprised over such amonly dressed person, what surprised and stunned then was the mans face!
The man looked like their boss, Footer!
If it wasnt for the shape of his head, Kairi and Kray might think their boss had just returned.
Who are you? Kairi raised a puzzled brow after a cloud of smoke was spat out.
Kairi?
Kray?
The man didnt answer the question, instead, he asked his own.
Such question, however, agitated the short-tempered Kray who was originally Footers trusted brawler. He wanted to go over and teach the man a lesson, showing him who was the boss around here.
However, before Kairi took the first step, a never before felt presence assaulted his face.
It was a faint gloomy and cold presence together with a strong rampant and chaotic feeling!
A loud roar echoed in Krays ear and his sight was tainted with red simr to an erupting volcano.
Despite the stinging sensation and burning heat, what terrified him more was a monster faintly showing itself in the volcano and was staring down at him.
The contempt and killing intent turned the burning sensation icy cold in an instant.
Aaaarh!
Kray cried out of shock before stepping back.
Compared to Kray, Kairi was in an uglier state. Kairi was originally the person responsible for most of Footers business dealings, therefore when he felt the presence assaulting him, he fell on the ground, limping and crawling. The cigarette in his mouth fell out as well and he himself was panting heavily, his eyes were looking at the man like he saw a monster before him.
The feeling wasnt new to Kairi though because he recently felt a simr feeling from his boss.
But...
The young man that looked like his boss in front of him struck Kairi with a denser, fiercer feeling.
Kairi?
Kray?
The names were called out once more and this time, Kray and Kairi nodded.
Nice! My name is Ethan Hunt, Footers cousin! Something happened to him and he has to leave the city for a while. So before hees back, Dublin Street is under mymand.
Any questions?
As Ethan Hunt spoke, a stronger burning sensation was ravaging the two of them.
Even the air was scorching at the moment. Each time they took a breath, it felt like they were swallowing burning charcoal that would burn their throats and cause excruciating pain.
The pain caused their body to tremble, their faces were even twisted uglily.
N-No! Kray spat the word out despite the pain.
Kairi didnt even speak, all he did was nod along with Kray.
Very nice. Now call all the men, gather them up.
As the burning and terrifying presence went away, the man iming to be Ethan Hunt casually walked into Footers office.
Kray and Kairi exchanged gazes when they saw Ethan Hunt sat in their boss chair.
They crawled up and quickly carried out the orders given to them.
Kray and Kairi were also from the streets, their baseline was wiped away a long time ago, so when Kieran disyed his powers, the tremendous pressure they felt allowed them to know what must they do; they didnt even question what happened to their original boss, Footer.
Kieran who expected this wasnt surprised at all.
After taking control of Footer with [Mesly Ring], Kieran knew everything in Footers mind.
The information he gave Kieran included but was not limited to the trades his gang had with Perforation Sting.
However, Kieran expected the news regarding Perforation Sting to be limited. It proved him right.
Footer didnt know who was he dealing with, nor could he remember the persons face, all he knew was the person he traded with gave him some powerful drugs.
If he wanted to stay powerful, Footer needed more money for the trade.
As for the said drugs?
Kieran followed what Footer told him and opened the second drawer on the left of his desk, which was unlocked beforehand, and poured the contents out.
Kieran found a hole carved by Footer with a dagger under the drawer and the hole was holding a pill sealed with wax.
After digging it out, details of the item popped up in Kierans vision.
[Name: Slither Secret Pill]
[Type: Medication]
[Rarity: Magic]
[Attribute: Trigger the hidden potential of weak living beings, empowering them (human or animal), only effective against beings with attributes of D rank or lower]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: It might look good but is extremely addictive while having a lot of side effects. Dont expect to live up to your optimum age.]
...
Overdraw ones potential to grant power? Plus the addictive attribute... Controlling people through drugs? If this is used as the base to destroy me City...
Kieran looked at the remark as his mind swiftly provided him with a thought.
Following the new thought, he rted to more possible scenarios.
A bunch of gang leaders tortured by drugs and in order to ease their suffering, they had to increase their purchase of the [Slither Secret Pill], but the drug was somehow in short supply and the price would skyrocket beyond anyones imagination.
Once that happened, what could the gang leaders do about Perforation Sting?
So, it would be a natural move for them to shift their target to themoners, just like how they treated the civilians as walking ATMs.
However, unlike little squabbles during normal times, the gang leaders would be a bunch of hungry beasts plundering the civilians wealth.
me City would surely plunge into chaos should it happen.
There will be some other intentional bastards who will fish in troubled waters and ultimately, Great Swamp will be the one who suffers the most damage.
So this is your n eh? Kieran muttered to himself.
Despite getting a slightly reliable conclusion from the news he got, Kieran didnt think he had a grasp of the entire plot.
Perforation Sting might share a simr habit with himself, which was saving their own trump cards for the veryst moment before revealing them for maximum effect.
In fact, a lot of individuals or factions preferred to do it this way.
Kieran wasnt an arrogant person who looked down on his opponent and treated them as idiots because that would be exactly the act of an idiot, any slight misstep would cost him his life.
Still, Kieran knew what he had to do right now.
Dak, Dak Dak Dak.
After a series of messy footsteps, a group of forty to fifty men arrived before the office.
Majority of them were outside while only a few others plus Kairi and Kray came in.
Kieran took a nce at every one of them.
Every one of them who caught Kierans gaze would avert their own nervously.
The slight emission of the Devil aura already triggered the deepest fear in the mens hearts. Should Kieran go further, all he needed was a little more posture and acting topletely crush these men who thought themselves as tough, arrogant gangsters.
To be frank, these men were nothing but low-level goons that bullied the weak and feared the strong.
After Kierans gaze circted over them, the atmosphere quieted down.
Each of them looked at Kieran without overreacting, they dared not even breathe out loud.
The men were waiting for Kierans orders just like how they were waiting for Footers previously.
While enjoying thefort of his seat, Kieran finally opened his mouth.
Kairi and Kray here should inform you of who am I. Now, let me tell you what I want. Dublin Street is too small, I want a bigger, grander, morefortable office. I want the new office to be filled with beds of money, I want everything in the office to be made out of gold!
What about you guys? Do you all want more money? If you guys promise to follow me unconditionally, right here, right now, I guarantee everyone will have unimaginable wealth. But, that is a matter that we will get toter.
Now, I want to know only one thing, who are those bastards that came into Dublin Street yesterday?
Chapter 1109 - Demonstration of Power
Chapter 1109: Demonstration of Power
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
After a quiet day, Dublin Street started to mor up again as the gang members moved out.
The police officers who were still cleaning up the scene set up a perimeter and formed a blockade at the entrance to the wealthy district again but when they saw that the gang members were heading towards the slums, they heaved a sigh of relief.
Are these people seeking revenge?
Who cares?
The best scenario is for all of these bastards and trash die killing themselves.
Oh!
My gosh!
What is that guy holding?
Disgusting words kepting out of the officers mouths, that was until they saw Kierane with a high caliber machine gun, their words of disgust became cries of shock right away.
The officers werent surprised because they seldom saw high-powered firearms, it was because they never thought that a person could carry and operate the weapon without any support!
That was a carrier machine gun! Or to be exact, it was a turret!
The officers faces changed for the worse after they saw Kieran operate the turret single-handedly. Their straight formation shook right away and some of them even moved away to find cover.
The group leader of the bunch reacted the most direct way.
I need backup!
Backup I said! The biggest reinforcement you can give me!
Not some cruisers, I want a goddamned army!
Otherwise build a fortress here for me or I quit!
The group leader yelled into the walkie talkie.
His face grew uglier when he saw the muzzle shing out from the turret, Kieran instantly leveled a few houses to the ground.
The group leader knew where he was shooting though, the leveled houses were all theirs of those bastards that went on a rampage on Dublin Streetst night. The conflicts yesterday and many other previous conflicts were all somehow rted to these bastards.
He would be extremely happy if these notorious criminals were eliminated during other times, he might even pop a bottle of champagne in celebration but at the moment, he couldnt find the least bit of happiness from the scene because the one who killed all the criminals was an even worse individual.
The police blockade further away was looking at the scene in shock, trembling in fear as the houses were leveled.
Meanwhile, the gang members who followed Kieran entered a frantic state after the initial shock.
The men grew up in the streets, they never received any proper education and their moral edges were ground away a long time ago. Now, all they believed in was thews of the jungle: survival of the fittest!
Simr to animals in the jungle, whoever had the strength was the one who called the shots and the weaker animals would find glory in following a powerful leader.
Nothing excited the men more than a powerful leader bringing them to victory.
When the men saw Kieran handle the turret without any problems, they cheered loudly.
When the men saw Kieran level the houses of their rivals and foes, the cheers grew thunderous.
From this moment onwards, Dublin Street is my turf! I, Ethan Hunt, owns this ce!
Kieran turned around and spilled the words to the officers guarding the wealthy district entrance. He swung the turret in his hand and a heavy air whistle followed his motion.
The officers at the blockade grew more anxious and scared when they saw Kierans demonstration. Their scalps felt numb when they saw the heavy machine gun being swung around like a feather, all of them were imagining what would be of them if they had to face the firepower from that monstrosity?
All the possible oues they painted in their minds disappointed them thoroughly.
Regardless of the firing or the throwing of the turret at them, both were equally lethal.
Where did this monstrositye from?!
The officers started to curse loudly in their heart, scolding their jobs which they never thought highly off and tried to ease their tension by venting their frustrations.
Unlike the patrolling officers in the other area, the officers that were transferred to Dublin Street were special because of the countless conflicts that gued Dublin Street all year long.
By special, it meant unlucky. All the officers who got stationed in Dublin Street were nothing but unlucky bastards on a rainy day.
Either they made mistakes in the past and ended up being stationed on the street or they were forced into difficult positions for some other reason.
The patrolling officers of Dublin Street were paid with the same thin sry as the others but they had to bear a risk far greater.
Given the harsh and gloomy circumstances, who else dared to step up and stop Kierans demonstration?
It was nearly impossible!
The courage and responsibility in their heart were already filled by grudgeful rants long ago, all that was left in the officers mind was trying to get through the day safely.
Dak, Dak, Dak, Dak, Dak, Dak!
The turret was fired again, small sparks of fire even came together with the bullets but this time around, there was no specific target. Instead, Kieran fired it up to the sky and it was still enough to scare off the muddling officers as their necks shrunk.
The gang members clearly saw the scene. They saw the officers that troubled them in the past step back in fear against Kierans provocation, it fueled the gang members tension, causing them to growl and roar weirdly.
Some even mimicked Kieran in firing their guns in the sky.
Gunshots and growls escted the scene, causing more chaos than before but it wasnt out of order.
When Kieran turned back around, all the gunshots and roarings stopped.
All the gang members were looking at him.
Charge!
Kieran yelled.
The anxious gang members then jumped towards their targets like hungry wolves and tigers.
Kieran was watching the excited gang members as he charged with them but deep down, he was meticulously observing the surroundings, trying to spot noteworthy gazes.
The reason why he caused such amotion was to attract attention other than trying to eliminate potential rivals.
The rivals included but were not limited to Perforation Sting.
Unfortunately, there were many eyes watching the scene but none of them had special powers as they were allmoners.
Kieran wasnt in a hurry though, he knew the situation before him needed time to take shape.
So before he could reap the fruits of hisbor, all he had to do was follow along with the n.
In the uing days, Dublin Street and a couple of neighboring street blocks, even the whole of me City, were shaken.
Many saw Kieran eliminate rival gangs one after another with an unstoppable force.
When the night arrived, there was only one gang left in the slums of Dublin Street.
The gang members who had been excited for the whole day finally got to enjoy the fruits they reaped.
Kieran was sitting in the office while the turret that performed countless deeds of valor throughout the days operation was ced beside him.
Kairi and Kray were also in the office, they were looking at him with utmost admiration which they never showed to Footer in the past.
Perhaps even if Footer reappeared now, both of them would choose Kieran over their previous leader.
It wasnt a matter of loyalty but a matter of strength.
Boss, are we going there next?!
Kray pointed at the wealthy district in Dublin Street but before Kieran replied, Kairi replied in a disdainfulment.
Is your brain full of sh*t? The reason why no one cares about the killings and conflicts here is because this ce is out of anyones jurisdiction. If you dare step your foot out of this ce, I believe the militarys cannons will be waiting for you and st your ass into a million pieces!
Am I right boss?
As he spoke, Kairi was looking at Kieran and unlike the disdain he showed to Kray, Kairi was full of ttery when he faced Kieran.
Um.
Kieran nodded and didnt deny the statement.
Kieran got a general idea of the situation here from Inspector Oaker, he knew he had to continue to eliminate the rival gangs but he couldnt afford to do this in broad daylight.
In addition to that, he needed to be fast and conceal his movements, no traces should be left behind.
It might be a headache for others to achieve that but for Kieran, it was easy.
Chapter 1110 - Mountain Foot Street
Chapter 1110: Mountain Foot Street
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Mountain Foot Street, as its name suggested, it was a street block at the foot of a mountain.
If it was in another ce, a street with a name like this wouldnt catch as much attention but not in me City.
Great Swamp lived ON that mountain!
The closer the streets to the mountain, the wealthier and more prosperous it became.
When one arrived at Mountain Foot Street, the wealth and prosperity of the street would surpass ones wildest imagination, especially its security, one would easily be awestruck by it.
The obvious outposts and the hidden guardsbined with modern technology transformed every building in the city into an indestructible castle and because of that, somethings could be done in a bolder way.
A ck extra long limousine drove through a certain buildings gate. It went past the front fountain, and through three checkpoints before stopping in front of the lounge of the main building.
There was no need for servants and attendants as the driver and the bodyguard in the passenger seat got down and opened the door for their master.
A short, fat man walked down from the car.
The man was in his prime but his skin had already loosened up. The two bs of meat under his eye extended over his cheeks, making him look like a bulldog. He was not as cute as a bulldog though.
His gloomy expression plus the triangr eyes made him a difficult person to look at but despite his appearance, he was considered a pleasant scenepared to the one that followed.
Another ck extra long limousine arrived, another pair of driver and bodyguard opened the door for their master but this time around, it was a bald muscr man instead of the previous short and fat one.
The bald man had a face full of scars and didnt have a right arm but the more concerning part on him was his outfit and essories.
He was wearing a ck coat that was emanating an unusual luster that normal cloth didnt have yet it wasnt as hard as a leather coat. It was soft and smooth plus it was closely woven.
When the bleach white buttons were added on as garnish, the outstanding presence of the coat was brought to its peak.
However, anyone with extra knowledge wasnt willing to spare an extra nce at the coat.
The short fatty then spilled out his mocking words when he saw the bald man.
Kanbecker, wearing a coat woven out of womens hair doesnt make you more elegant.
As his sharp voice mocked the bald man, he received a cigar handed to him by his men.
At least its stronger than a bulldog barking crazily.
The bald scarface manughed coldly before he strode over to the short fatty.
The short fatty was still spitting the smoke from his cigar without the slightest change of expression, his bodyguard quickly stepped up and blocked the bald scarface man.
Move! The bald scarface man grunted coldly.
The bodyguard in front of him didnt even flinch, he didnt answer nor did he move an inch.
The atmosphere became tense in an instant.
The bodyguard of the bald scar-faced man pulled out his gun as the atmosphere continue to worsen.
When the bald scar-faced mans bodyguard pointed the gun at the short fatty, the short fattys bodyguard didnt submit and replied with his own gun at the bald scar-faced man.
However, the core character of both sides, the bald scar-faced man and short fatty didnt react to the situation as if the guns pointed at them didnt exist.
Gentlemen, the reason why you are here is to discuss important matters, not demonstrate your bravado.
The voice came from inside the building and was quite far away yet it was clearly heard by everyone in the lounge.
The short fatty raised a disdainful brow at the bald scar-faced man while thetter smirked a little.
Both of them waved their hands and the bodyguards stepped down with their guns holstered.
As the two men walked into the building side by side, they kept signaling each other with eye contact despite the short journey.
It seemed like both of them werent as hostile and tense towards each other as they disyed.
Or perhaps it was because both of them had to work together in front of a stronger enemy.
After going through the meticulously decorated corridor, the two met the owner of the building in a study room.
The owner was an aged elder with white hair and a kind smile.
However, both of them wouldnt be fooled by the kindness on the surface, they knew exactly who this elder in front of them was.
All of the illegal businesses regarding firearms, drugs, and human trafficking in me City were all in the hands of this elder.
In simple words,pared to the elder who never showed his true identity, the two fearsome bosses were nothing but babies learning how to walk.
In fact, in Pisker, the elders eye, the two of them were really ying a childs game.
Whether it was the attitude towards business or the rivalry they had in front of him, they were all childish and ridiculous.
The reason why the Pisker kept the two of them around, despite the fact that they were dispensable, was because he still had use for them, like todays meeting.
Did you both hear about Dublin Street?
Pisker asked slowly as he leaned back in his chair like a real old man.
Ive heard about it. Never thought Footer had a much straightforward cousin like this, the bald scar-faced man said.
Is he really Footers cousin? Pisker asked.
Yes, Ive told my men to confirm it with Footer and he himself acknowledged it. That guy is really an idiot, how could he fall into Oakers trap and put himself in such a sticky situation?
The short fatty said and showed his sneering smile out of habit.
I know right, I thought Footer is the one that I needed to raise after you two but...
How is his cousin? Did your men approach him yet? Pisker asked after eximing.
Not yet but I dont think there is the need to. He is just a reckless boy, there is no point for us to approach him.
Correct! This reckless bastard will only cause us more trouble! What we need now is a stable progression, not fights and conflict!
The two of them shook their heads one after another as they rarely reached an agreement like this.
If thats the case... one of you take them out, please. Take him out and take control of Dublin Street, Pisker thought for a while before telling the two of them.
Dublin Street!
Both their eyes shined brightly when the street was mentioned. The rivalry they showed a moment ago crumbled in an instant in front of potential benefits.
Leave it to me! Both of them said in unison.
Huh? Why you? I have more men!
My men are morepetent than yours!
Arguments followed right after their answers.
Pisker the elder smiled as he watched the bald scar-faced man and the short fatty argue, he didnt have the intention to stop them. It was the scene that he wanted to see most, why would he stop it?
As for the newly emerged cousin of Footer?
Maybe it was a little wasteful to discard a potential pawn butpared to the grand n of that lord, it wasnt that much.
Just as Pisker was thinking about how to reap more benefits for himself as he watched the argument grow fiercer, his window was knocked on.
Ding, Ding, Ding!
After the knocks, the window was opened up and a ck object was hurled inside andnded in front of the three of them.
Chapter 1111 - One Voice
Chapter 1111: One Voice
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Grenade!
All three of them were panicked after the initial astonishment when theyid eyes on the object beside their feet.
They didnt know why a grenade wouldnd beside their feet but they knew what they had to do.
Kanbecker, the bald scar-faced man flipped backward and hid behind the sofa.
Swrei, the short fatty mimicked the action by moving his fat body towards to sofa as well but before he could really move, a powerful forcended on his back and dragged his body towards the grenade.
As Swrei nketed the grenade, Kanbecker who sessfully hid behind the sofa was dragged out from mid-air andnded on Swrei. Both of them were stacked up like cards above the grenade and it still wasnt the end.
The sofa and the wooden furniture around the room were elevated by an unknown force and fell on top of the two of them like andslide.
Nooo!
As his body was withstanding the pressure from above and the hard object poking him from below, Swreis sweat broke out like a waterfall, it drenched his nervespletely and it caused the two bs of meat around his cheeks to twitch ceaselessly.
Kanbecker was no exception either, the scars on his face were twitching and amidst his struggles, his muscles tightened up like a brick but it was useless.
Naturally, despite all the struggling efforts, the final oue remained the same.
BOOM!
The loud bang from the grenade was suppressed to a heavy gloomy one.
When the grenade exploded, its shrapnel burst out in every direction, tearing Swrei and Kanbecker into shreds. The small hill of furniture that was piled up on top of them even shook.
After being weakened byyers of resistance, the shrapnel was rendered harmless, Pisker who was still in his seat didnt suffer any damage but he was infuriated.
Who!? Who is it!? Pisker shouted loudly.
No one liked their house being invaded by a stranger and no one liked their ns being ruined.
Now both hateful matters happened on Pisker, he had sufficient reason to be angry and also the power to support his rage, at least it was what he thought.
His sonorous shout didnt match his identity as an elder at all.
Following his shout, a formless energy field wreaked havoc across the study room, the carpet, destroyed furniture, and even the remains of Swrei and Kanbecker were squashed as if a road roller had run over them.
Gak! Tsssssssk!
A tooth-numbing screechter, other than the seat Pisker was sitting on, the whole study room was squashed like a pancake, including the wall where the window was.
Without the wall blocking, everything outside the window was revealed before Piskers eyes.
The dark night full of stars, the lights across the street, andyers of trees and bushes that filled the scenery.
Anyone would be delighted as the pleasant scene wasfortable to look at but in Piskers infuriated eyes, everything was an obstacle.
Wung!
The formless energy field was sted out again, squashing all the greenery to the ground followed by themp poles along the street.
When the obstacles were all removed, only darkness was left behind. Pisker widened his eyes and tried to locate his target in the darkness but there was no one.
Where are you! Come out! I will...
Pisker was roaring in anger but before he could finish, he halted abruptly.
A cold, ck gun was pointed at the back of Piskers head.
When did you...
The shock from his heart froze his body.
A moment ago, Pisker was infuriated beyond logic but now, he was forced to calm down as he cooperated and put his hands up.
Friend, I think we can have a nice talk. You see...
BANG!
The [Winchester Hunting Rifle] was fired, the hot bullet was shot into Piskers brain and sted his skull away.
As his brains sttered outwards, his body fell to the ground.
An orange glowing item came afloat on his headless body.
Kieran picked it up and quickly disappeared into the shadows.
Around 20 seconds after Kieran went off, a group of bodyguards rushed to the scene.
They were astonished when they saw the messy study room and the scattered bodies, especially the servants outside the house, they cried in horror when they saw their masters body.
Then, the inevitable chaos urred, not only in Piskers house but it started off a chain reaction, spreading chaos throughout Mountain Foot Street. Simr to a set of falling dominoes, chaos urred in location after location and when the whole area plunged into chaos, me City which had been asleep for the night was awoken again.
Police cruisers drove off from their respective branches one after another.
Squad after squad of fully armed soldiers walked the streets but none of that had anything to do with Kieran.
He left Kairi and Kray in charge of the situation.
I dont want to know how you guys do it, I just want the result. All the turfs and men of those three dead bastards will be under me now.
Law and order are present in the day but there will be only one mans voice in the night and it will be mine.
Kieran sat back in his office, emphasizing each and every word while crossing his fingers beneath his chin.
Understood boss!
Yes, boss!
Kairi and Kray nodded in excitement before heading out in a hurry.
They didnt know how their boss did it but they knew what they must do right now.
Take over the enemies turf and rope in the enemies men!
As for theck of manpower?
Stop joking! The one thing that the slums of Dublin Street didntck was manpower!
Group after group of poorly dressed men that had weapons hidden underneath their clothing sprinted out of Dublin Street.
They didnt go through the main streets, instead, they shuttled through the small paths and alleyways, reaching their destinations with their unique traveling method.
Then, a huge fight broke out.
One side was filled with motivation, the other side had lost its will to battle.
One side has its leader charging in front, the other had no one to lead them.
Before the fight even begun, the oue had already been decided.
When the sun rose again and shed its warm light over thend, me City which had been moring for the whole night didnt quiet down.
There were still the asionally scattered gunshots on the streets from the gang members and the police officers pursuing them.
Both sides started the fight from midnight and itsted till dawn.
The inspector though hated all these armed gang members, he wished that he could pull out his gun and kill them but since he had a moral code to follow, all he did was send the gang members into the police wagon.
The gang members were still acting arrogant and prideful despite being arrested as if they were not going to jail but instead headed on vacation.
These bastards! Ill sit your asses in jail until they rot! I...
The inspector was voicing his anger viciously but he couldnt finish his words because he knew he was helpless against it.
Inspector Oaker knew what would happen after this since he had already gotten the order from the director of the station.
They willpromise! Again!
Oaker clenched his fist hard to the point that his body was shaking. Ultimately, all he gave was a sigh.
Soon enough, Oaker adjusted his emotions. Despite his heart being tired and helpless, he followed his own ways to ensure his best efforts in the uing matter.
Come, lets pay Dublin Street a visit.
Oaker told his temporary aide.
Chapter 1112 - Discuss
Chapter 1112: Discuss
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The green peas were being fried in the boiling oil together with the egg white.
White tofu was being steamed in a bowl.
When the lid was lifted and the steam came out, the boiling hot oil together with the egg and green peas were poured over the tofu.
Tsssss!
The aroma of the peas immediately suppressed the steam. The sizzling continued for almost two minutes after the dish was done.
Kieran held a long spoon and scooped a spoon of tofu into his mouth regardless of the burning heat.
Gassssss!
The first bite was apanied with the crunchiness of the peas and the second brought out the softness of the tofu. Whatbined the two together was the fried egg.
If there were just peas, it will be too dry for the mouth and it there was just the tofu, it will be too moist but with the addition of the fried egg, everything was different.
The soft bit was apanied with a pinch of crunchiness, the egg was like a bridge, connecting both contrasting textures together.
Not bad.
Despite it being his fifth dish, Kieran ate spoon after spoon. With his ridiculous eating speed, he gobbled down the dish in an instant andmented on the tofu after wiping his mouth with the napkin beside him.
Thement wasnt off-handed but a genuine one, but...
Amidst his words, there was an obvious disappointment because Gluttony wasnt moved at all.
After realizing how to elevate Gluttonys powers, Kieran had his own n before he even entered [City of Fiends II].
As he progressed with his main mission, he would try all kinds of delicacies around the dungeon world and Kieran was looking forward to his n toe to fruition.
The food that he ate didnt disappoint, instead, it was Gluttonys greediness that did.
Really a cardinal sin! Kieran eximed once more.
Fortunately, Kieran was prepared for this since he had simr experience in thest dungeon.
Likewise, Kieran also made spections about the likes of Pisker.
The current dungeon world had fiends lurking in the dark, in a certain aspect, it was a world where fiends reigned supreme.
Given such circumstances, Kieran wouldnt believe a mere person could take control of me Citys underworld and became one of its masters.
Pisker should be a fiend himself or atst half-fiend and after a series of battle, Kieran was proven right.
At the same time, the spoils of war from the battles were a scrumptious reward for him as well.
A total of 6 spoils of war: 5 Magic ranked and 1 Rare rank from Pisker.
The Rare rank item was an item that looked like an eyeball and was the size of a coin.
[Name: Vast Remnant Eye]
[Type: essory]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attribute: 1: Telekinesis; 2. Crush]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: It was once an organ from a Grand Fiend but was identally damaged during harvest. Despite the craftsman giving their best during the repair, its power was weakened.]
...
[Telekinesis: Pull or push a single object within a 25-meter radius, viable with object or target with A- Strength or lower.]
[Crush: Deliver a Strong crushing attacking during the activation of Telekinesis.]
...
Kieran was tossing around the special eyeball while he went on to check the other Magic rank items. After making sure there was nothing noteworthy, he put them away in his bag before looking outside the room.
Arguments wereing from outside the door. Even without catching the ent, Kieran knew who was knocking at his door based on the footsteps alone.
Invited the inspector in, Kieran told Kray.
Yes, boss. Kray ran outside.
After a while, Kray came back with two other people behind him.
One was the familiar Inspector Oaker and the other was an unfamiliar young man.
Compared to the calm inspector, the young man was a little reserved, or more precisely, scared.
Ethan Hunt, so youve started abducting people now?
Oakers face turned heavy when he saw the cook that Kairi invited.
Hey, old geezer, whom do you think youre talking to?
Kray stood in front of Kierans dining table with a ferocious smile, blocking Oakers gaze at Kieran while his own vicious gaze was sizing up the inspector and the young man.
Oaker stared back without showing fear while the young mans face turned pale under the pressure of the gaze.
Of course I am speaking to a bunch of as*holes! Oakerughed coldly.
Old geezer! You...
Hehehe! Do you think Ill fall for your trap and beat you? Im not one of those idiots! Though I have to warn you, if you continue to address us like that, Ill sue you for nder.
Kray growled angrily at first but he switched to a joyous smileter.
He was delighted that he saw through the inspectors old tricks, he then turned to the cook.
Tell him, did we abduct you?
N-No...
Do you have any other specialty?
The cook replied in a stutter but was interrupted by Kieran.
No... No more sir!
The cook was still stuttering. His gaze toward Kieran was filled with anxiety and fear.
Kieran frowned, he understood his current identity frightened the cook but for the sake of his uing n, he couldnt exin himself.
Any further or extra exnation would put his ns to waste.
So, Kieran waved his hand and signaled the cook to leave.
The cook felt like he was granted a second life, despite being nervous and shivering, he turned around and ran, leaving behind his cooking utensils.
Return these to him will ya, and pay him for the meal. Pay him with real money for the food, not what you guys do best, understand? Kieran emphasized.
Despite the fact that he was ying Footers cousin brother, it didnt mean he could eat a free meal without paying.
Got it, boss.
Kray who was behaving arrogantly in front of the inspector turned into a tamed rabbit and nodded his head in front of Kieran. He quickly collected the utensils and ran after the cook.
The whole restaurant was left with Kieran and Oaker plus his temporary aide.
The inspector was judging Kieran with his gaze because before today, he never heard of the person before his eyes at all but after a single day, his name spread like wildfire across me City.
His infamous name was built upon battle after battle, bodies upon bodies, it didnt just sound like thunder in peoples ears, it struck fear in peoples hearts as well.
Such a person... Would pay for his meal honestly?
Oaker couldnt believe it.
I like the rules. They protect the weak and allow me to move freely, so I wont disrupt it.
Kieran uttered the phrase that he had been preparing.
Since you dont like to break the rules, then this will be an easy conversation! Now, pull back your men from the other streets!
Oaker didnt spare the time for chit-chat, he didnt want to spend another moment in the ce because he was scared that he couldnt hold his urge to st a hole in Kierans head.
Therefore, he went straight to the point.
Pull back my men? No problem of course but that is a matter for me and him to speak of.
Kieran smiled as he replied.
He then pointed his finger at the inspectors temporary aide, the young man who was frightened.
Chapter 1113 - Meanwhile…
Chapter 1113: Meanwhile...
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The inspector was stunned up for a while before the realization hit him. He turned around and stared at his temporary aide.
As for the aide?
He was still pale and frightened but when the inspector looked at him, the paleness remained but the fright vanished without a sign and was reced by a mannerly smile.
Inspector Oaker, please leave us for a while, I need to speak with Mr. Ethan Hunt alone.
The temporary aide said in an official tone.
The inspector didnt reply or further express himself though, he gave a dissatisfied grunt before leaving the room.
Bang!
The door was mmed hard. The bang that echoed throughout the room sounded like the inspectors raging roar, it was furious and helpless.
Kierans sharp senses still heard the inspectors furious punch on the wall outside the corridor.
He couldnt do anything but shake his head silently.
It was hard for those who endured lifes trials and those who didnt fall into despair when they were suddenly faced with the harshness of reality. If they didnt waver, they would emerge as true warriors.
These kinds of people should be admired and deserved respect from everyone but most of the time, no one understood them.
Kieran showed understanding of the inspectors position but his understanding didnt make him forget who he was at the moment.
He was Ethan Hunt, a special agent... No, a viinous gangster who sought to rapidly expand his influence. He was no longer the 2567 that held the title of Bird of Death.
So, when he looked at the aide, his eyes were bold and rash, vicious and hostile.
Speak? What right do you have to speak to me? Kieranughed coldly.
I have the right to speak to you if I am able to be here, so dont worry about that. The reason why I am here is to confirm some matters, not to point fingers in your business but you must also show sufficient cooperation.
The aide was fairly calm before Kierans vicious gaze or rather, he was a little arrogant.
He was concealing his arrogance with formality and courteous words, he was acting like a prideful king who was suddenly turned into a beggar, bowing without the slightest sincerity of begging, all he showed was a facade.
Not just hateful but disgusting, to the point that one would throw up upon witnessing it.
Kieran looked at him, he took a pen that was used for decoration and repeatedly tapped on the table.
Tak, Tak, Tak, Tak, Tak!
Each time the pen tapped on the table, its sound matched perfectly with the aides heartbeat.
Dak, Dak Dak!
Dak, Dak Dak!
The tapping grew louder.
The aides breathing was hurried and it started to get messy but the way Kieran affected him wasnt new to the aide. Soon, the aide adjusted his breath and looked at Kieran in his calm and casual manner.
I think... PUK!
The aide tried to take things easy as he spoke but a chaotic aura filled with a sulphuric scent was sted into his face, simr to a heavy hit from a baseball bat.
A mouth full of blood was spat out and that still wasnt the end.
The gaze that followed the aura was what caused the aide to crumble.
What kind of gaze?
A gaze that could prate ones heart! As if every deep and dark secret would be exposed under the sharp gaze!
The aide felt naked before Kierans powerful eyes!
No! Naked was an understatement!
He felt like his skin was ripped open and his blood was dripping out of his bloody body!
The aide saw a bright, sharp knife slicing his skin open from his scalp. The knife slid down his forehead and nose and continued down his lips before reaching his chin.
His weak skin was pried open together with bits of flesh and blood by a pair of nimble and agile hands. The fingers pinched and pry opened the skin and...
PULL!
His skin was torn away with his flesh!
Big chunks of flesh were torn away like a piece of beef jerky, leaving behind a clear and clean mark!
Pain!
Agony!
Excruciating cries came out from his mouth uncontrobly.
Aaaaaargh!
The aide cried out of agony but before he could prolong his suffering, the cries stopped abruptly because his head exploded!
SPLAT!
Brains flew all over the room, other than where Kieran was, the whole ce was painted red with a dash of white.
BANG!
The gang members guarding outside the room rammed through the door after the scream. Each of them was armed and when they entered the room, they ignored the headless body on the floor and nervously looked at Kieran.
My lord, are you fine? Kray asked with a nervous expression.
Addressing him as lord was Kierans order, he didnt like his men addressed him as boss or leader.
The other thing he didnt like was the temporary aide whose head exploded.
He was nothing but a disposable scout yet he acted so confidently as if he knew everything, he even faintly showed signs of wanting to threaten Kieran.
It was suicidal for him to act like that in front of Kieran.
Im fine.
Kieran waved his hand and saw the inspector who followed the crowd.
I didnt do this, I was sitting here the whole time and didnt even budge. If you dont believe me, I have the surveince camera here to prove my words. Kieran signaled Kray as he spoke.
Kray then quickly extracted the surveince feed from the recorder and passed the tape to the inspector.
Oaker didnt say anything or react badly, he took the tape and left.
He wasnt holding in his anger or acting though, obviously, he wanted to stay out of whatever that was going on.
The realization hit Kieran as he saw Oaker off.
As expected! The high ranking officers of me City must be very familiar with fiends! They didnt justpletely hand the responsibility to a professional organization like the Funeral Society, they even provided some convenience for the fiends. As long as there was no severe oue, the authority would choose to ignore it. Kieran took a deep breath.
He already had spections in his mind when he took out the half-fiends or the fiend leaders that controlled the underworld of me City.
Following the appearance of the aide, the spections were made clear and it was natural that Kieran got more information out of his verified spections.
The most direct information he got out of this incident was the attitude Great Swamp used to control the city.
He wasnt a dictator nor a tyrant, instead, he leaned towards the idea of granting the people the freedom to do whatever they wanted, thus forming an invisible control over the city.
But...
Didnt you know how scary peoples hearts are? Or do you have other ns?
Kieran was deep in thought in his seat, he was waiting for the higher ranking officers of me City to provide him with a reply.
However, someone beat the officers to it and paid Kieran a visit.
Chapter 1114 - Test, test, test.
Chapter 1114: Test, test, test.
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
When the handsome Zackary with his perfect suit walked into the cleaned office, Kieran was holding a cup of tea in his hand.
Unlike the other dungeon worlds where their tea has tons of things added inside, the current one remained as in as possible and it tasted more like the tea Kieran knew.
Too bad, there are no tea time snacks.
Kieran sighed in his heart before looking at the elder man, Zackary, across his desk.
He was quite shocked about how he dressed and the temperament he showed.
Within Kierans limited acquaintances, other than Starbeck, there were very few gentlemen that could rival his temperament. In addition, Zackary still had the splendor that Starbeck didnt possess, it was extra pronounced under the bright suit. The splendor added an extrayer of charisma to the man.
Hi, Mr. Ethan Hunt, my name is Zackary, pleased to meet you for the first time. Dont worry, I dont mean any harm, I am here to express goodwill, Zackary smiled.
His smilepared to the previous aide, which was full of arrogance, was very sincere, as if he was a good friend sending his best regards.
However, the sincere smile raised an rm in Kierans mind and made him more vignt than when he was facing the aide.
In Kierans eye, the aide was a little ferocious animal that bared its teeth outwards. It had sharp teeth and ws but it wasnt strong enough, it would have to boost its ferocity most of the time to cover the weakness underneath but Zackary before him was different, his calmness and natural movements originated from his true strength.
Kierans senses told him as much. He sensed the half-fiend energy within Zackarys body but it was somewhat different from the usual.
More importantly, Kieran didnt forget why he caused such amotion: to lure Perforation Sting into the light!
The half-fiend before him, could it be one of Perforation Stings men?
With doubts lingering in his heart, Kieranughed coldly outside.
Thest guy that said simr things in front of me was thrown out to the garbage can in the alleyway by my men, I hope you wont be the next, Kieran said.
Of course, he and I are different. He represented a big group of people while I only represent myself, I can call the shots, Zackary smiled.
Alone?
Kieran wasnt moved by what Zackary said. As he maintained his cold smile, he asked, Then what are you doing here?
For an auction! A win-win auction for you and I! Zackary said.
An auction? I dont think this will benefit me in any way or do you all think that I am just a qualified security guard?
Kieran showed a perfectly timed doubtful expression before turning it into disdain.
Of course not. I think this is a chance for us to work together in a perfect way. It will grant you considerable benefits while providing me with a decent reputation...
Zackary then started his long speech.
At first, Kieran was still paying attention to decipher the hidden message in the long and windy speech but as seconds turned into minutes, Kieran slowly realized Zackary was flipping his words back and forth, there was no actual content nor obvious benefits.
The speech he gave didnt sound like he came for an auction, it sounded more like a test.
This is a test? Kieran frowned.
If this was a test, it would be too obvious to the point that it didnt fit how Zackary presented himself at the beginning, it was very childish.
Kieran didnt know why he did that but he knew he couldnt afford to follow Zackarys pace anymore.
After sending an order to the High Demon, Bloody Mary, Kieran mmed the desk.
Bang!
Enough! If you want to waste my time by spouting bullsh*t, you can join the other guy momentarily, Kieran said loudly.
After the m on the desk, Kray barged into the office with a couple more men and pointed dozens of guns at Zackarys head.
Now, now, lets not get too excited. Maybe its my manner of speech, I really came with sincerity.
Sir, yes you dear sir, can you do me a favor by taking out the present in my coat pocket that Ive prepared for Mr. Ethan Hunt?
Kray who got called out looked at Kieran to receive permission. After a nod from his boss, he reached his hand into Zackarys pocket and took out the present.
When Kray saw what he took out, his breath became fast.
The present wasnt that big and could even be considered light but the numbers written on it made it substantial in meaning.
100,000!
Kray really wished to pocket the cheque himself when the numbers were made clear but he didnt lose his logical sense. He took the cheque and ced it on Kierans desk respectfully.
What is the meaning of this?
Kieran took a nce at the cheque andughed coldly again, he was acting like he wasnt moved by the cheque but his eyes were looking at it frequently.
Sincerity! Ive said it before, I...
Bang!
A gunshot interrupted Zackarys words as the bullet flew through the window and went straight for Zackary.
Zackary made his move when the gunshot sounded and reacted to it by performing evasive maneuver but...
Another shot was fired!
BANG!
A big ssh of blood burst out from Zackarys body as he fell to the ground.
A figure appeared outside the window.
The ck feather mantled was fluttering, dancing along with the wind.
Bird of Death!
Zackary who fell to the ground was stunned by the sight.
He never thought he would run into Kieran at this particr moment.
However, Kierans next move confused everyone.
His gun was pointed at Zackary but something invisible was stopping him from firing.
After Kieran frowned, he dumped the gun and left.
Kray and the other gang members only reacted to the scene after that, they raised the guns in their hands and pointed it at Kierans back.
Wait.
The real Kieran stopped his men from shooting as his eyes went gloomy at Zackary on the floor.
He said coldly, We will not be someone elses tool.
Kieran grabbed Krays gun and stuck it right up to Zackarys head, questioning him with a pronounced tone, Zackary, can you exin why the Bird of Death showed up here?
What is it between you and him? Or are you one of Perforation Stings men?
Zackary who suffered a shot from Kieran was wounded heavily but when he saw the gun pointed at his head, he smiled bitterly saying, I assure you I have nothing to do with the Bird of Death!
I am not from Perforation Sting either! He denied.
However, another voice was heard from outside.
Is that so?
Chapter 1115 - Start
Chapter 1115: Start
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
A cold looking man with a stiff body walked into the room with his straight and proper movements.
The man walked straight towards Kieran and neglected the guns from the gang members.
Sir Ethan Hunt, I can clearly tell you, Zackary here is an enemy of the Birth of Death and he has messy, unsevered ties with Perforation Sting.
Proof! All the ims you made need proof. Lies made without weight are nderous and unforgivable!
Zackary who was half lying down on the floor with a body of blood was questioning the man with an exaggerating expression as if the gunshot wound on his body was fake and he was participating in a theatrical y.
Proof? You dare speak of proof with me? Do you really think the actions that you peoplemitted in me City recently were that wless? Or... are you ignorant about His Majesty Artitelgar?
The man refuted with a coldugh.
His Majesty Artitelgar is, of course, the one who transcends above all, the almighty supreme in me City but regardless of how high and supreme he was, he couldnt have seen through the hearts of otherspletely. Otherwise, the ck ominous bird just now wouldnt have been here and you are nothing but the man seizing the opportunity to be here, providing all the support you can. So mind your own business, will you? Sir Ethan Hunt and I are none of your concern, Zackary said after a sigh.
It was obvious that Zackary was trying to learn something that others didnt know of, so was the man who came.
Kieran, on the other hand, was standing aside, watching the two of them put on a show.
Correct, a show! Zackary was the lead actor and man who came after was the supporting cast.
Kieran would never believe what both of them said, just like how he believed both of them harbored malicious intent deep down.
Zackary visited with ill intent to begin with, as for the other man, he was not much different from Zackary.
After all, the man was the one Kieran had been waiting for, he should be the one behind Oakers temporary aide or more urately his direct superior.
Although the man here showed a different presencepared to the aide who tried to pressure everyone with his arrogance, the man here was endlessly confusing others with his words.
The moment he showed up, he had been hoisting the g of a tigers skin to intimidate others as he used Zackary by using Great Swamps name.
However, it didnt mean the man was lying and Kieran was certain he indeed had some rtions with Great Swamp.
BUT!
He could never represent Great Swamp, otherwise, he wouldnt be this courteous with his entrance.
The master of me City wasnt some weakling.
Kieran had gathered information out of some half-fiends mouth and it proved him right a while ago. It was because of this that Kieran was sure that Great Swamp was preparing something behind the scenes.
He believed that Great Swamp didnt anyone to inform him regarding howplicated the human heart was.
As for what Great Swamp was preparing? Kieran had no idea at the moment but he knew what he should do to solve the situation before him.
Bang!
A gunshot was fired upwards to stop the arguing.
You people really think that I have that good of a temper? Kieran asked coldly.
Pardon me, Sir Ethan Hunt, I didnt really intend to argue with this mister here but something must be made clear, Zackary remained as gentlemanly as ever.
I feel the same as him. Its just some necessary arguments and of course, I bring good news for you as well. Everything you own now will all be yours to keep. As for that ominous figure just now, please forget about him together with my rudeness. The name is Becky, pleased to meet you, Sir Ethan Hunt. From now on, Ill be your contact in me City.
The man bowed before Kieran before stepping aside.
Everything? Kieran raised a puzzled brow.
Yes, everything including the manor on Mountain Foot Street. Before arriving, Ive sent some men to make the necessary procedures for transfer, I believe your men will inform you soon of the results. I hope you are happy with this and if not, please do tell me now and Ill see what I can do.
Beck swept away his coldness and said in a humble tone.
What about him?
Kieran pointed at Zackary as if he was listening to hismand.
Him? Well just like I said, he is not only opposing the Bird of Death, he hasplicated ties with Perforation Sting as well. I suggest you leave him to me and I assure you a satisfying answer.
Becky took another nce at Zackary and thetter replied anxiously, Sir Ethan Hunt, I can prove...
Enough. I dont need further proof and I dont care what answers you have. Now, I just want to have a stroll in my new manor.
Kieran waved his hand at Zackary and said in an impatient tone.
Becky was overjoyed while Zackary bitterly smiled.
He knew what would be of him should Becky get his hands on him.
Out of instinct, Zackary was ready to activate his backup and although it would cost him and his efforts would fall short, it would be better than losing his life.
However, just as Zackary moved his hand, Kieran spoke again.
The auction you mentioned before, Im interested. Provide me with a specific proposal and I think I can join.
Now he is my guest and needs help, can I take care of him? Kieran asked Becky.
Uh... Sure!
Becks heart had just been through a roller coaster ride, his face was still humble but his heart was scolding Kierans greediness.
Likewise, Zackary was surprised at Kierans level of greed as well but he didnt curse him in his heart, he was utterly thankful and delighted instead.
Looking at the greedy face that hid behind the viciousness and boldness, Zackary couldnt hold back his sigh.
A greedy man... may not be a perfect candidate to work with but its not entirely impossible.
As his heart spun ceaselessly, Zackary was finally relieved as he allowed Kray and the gang members carry him to the other room.
Kieran, on the other hand,ughed coldly in his heart when he saw Zackary being brought away by his men.
Was Kieran greedy?
In a certain aspect, he was very greedy but in some other aspects, he knew how to restrain himself.
He couldnt be as desireless and selfless as a saint but he would try to achieve it with his calm mind.
From the start to the end, he didnt forget what his goal was: to find out what Perforation Sting was trying to achieve!
Although he couldnt verify what the rtionship between Zackary and Perforation Sting was, since he showed up, Kieran would be stupid if he let him go.
Otherwise, he wouldnt have put up a smokescreen with Bloody Mary.
Now though, he was waiting for the reaction from the people, fiends, and half-fiends.
The show has just begun!
Chapter 1116 - Poke
Chapter 1116: Poke
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Beck sat back into his car. As the engine roared, he leaned back with squinted eyes, trying to recall the impression of Ethan Hunt that he just met.
Arrogant, ignorant, greedy.
Other than his strength, he had nothing.
How the hell did he screw this up... Goddammit.
Beck couldnt hold back his puzzled brow when he thought about his previous aide.
Heughed coldly.
Fine with me, by killing one man, I can clean out a whole group. Those bastards ws really do extend to extreme lengths.
As the thought flooded his mind, Beck pushed the driver from the back of the seat with his feet.
Hurry up, Becky said.
The drive immediately elerated, driving the car at top speed. He didnt care about the traffic lights and headed towards the underground parking lot of an office building.
Beck got off and rode the personal elevator to the meeting room on the top floor.
There were a few people who had been waiting in the meeting room for a while now, as Beck stepped in, all their gaze were captivated.
These men were high ranking individuals of the city, they had increased their strength and position throughout the years, umting power and influence over the city, hence the imposing manner they honed through their experience pressured Beck instantly after their gaze.
Becky reacted by showing a partially true, partially false nervousness, cold sweat even filled his forehead.
These powerful men were satisfied by the reaction, they looked at each other before one of them spoke.
How is it?
The voice was heavy and extremely powerful, it struck ones ear like an iron weapon slicing its target.
Reporting to my lords, as my lords expected, Ethan Hunt is not a normal man but a half-fiend.
Becky bowed and ced his crossed hands above his forehead. He reported to his lords quickly but his intonation was clear.
Half-fiend?
A sharp, dissatisfied voice sounded.
So what about a half-fiend?
Another frantic voice appeared, what followed was a violent wind blowing across the meeting room and the temperature in the room started to rise as well.
Nothing much!
A fourth cold voice replied and it caused a cold wind to ravage the space. The rising temperature of the meeting room plummeted right away and it kept decreasing with no end in sight.
Huu, Huuu.
Becks breath even turned white but he wasnt surprised at all since it was amon scene for him. He stood there like an immobile w sculpture as if he was frozen by the cold wind.
Hmph! A soft grunted sounded.
The bloody stench filled the meeting room this time, the cold wind that was ravaging the ce a moment ago was engulfed by the bloody tidal waves.
It didnt just attack the cold wind, the one responsible for creating them was assaulted as well.
At the same time, three other distinguished energies surged in the room.
Thebined power was tremendous, powerful and destructive, the meeting room that was enhanced by mythical means started to wobble.
Enough! Dont forget who you are! You people are no longer acting on your own, you now represent High Majesty Artitelgar.
The first heavy and powerful voice scolded the others angrily.
The meeting room quieted down immediately but it wasnt because someone scolded them, it was because His Majesty Artitelgar was mentioned, or more precisely, Great Swamp.
What about Perforation Sting? How is the investigation going?
The heavy and powerful voice asked again.
Everything is under control, Becky continued to bow and report his results.
Very well, keep an eye on them! I want to know every move they make! Ill let them know what is worse than death!
The heavy and powerful voice raised pitch like a wild beast roaring to protect its territory.
The others who fought a moment ago echoed the heavy and powerful voice as well by showing coldughs.
From their point of view, Perforation Sting wasnt even worth a single nce, they were nothing but enemy they could crush with a pinch.
Beck maintained his respectful posture until all five of the lords calmed down, he then continued his report.
My lords, there is still another thing. I saw the Bird of Death at Ethan Hunts ce. He seemed to be countering Perforation Stings hunting. One of the surveince targets was attacked as well.
Becks report might sound clear but he was blurring it with vague descriptions. He didnt just hide the whole process, he purposely concealed Zackarys name as well.
Um. Got it.
The heavy and powerful voice nodded before he waved at Becky.
Becky maintained his respectful posture as he slowly stepped out of the meeting room. He only straightened his body when he entered the elevator.
Great.
Beck uttered in his heart. His face was still cold, other than greeting his colleagues with a nod, his face was absent of unnecessary expressions.
...
Ethan Hunt rising into power in me City didnt cause any torrential waves because themoners didnt know about him while the fiend rted ones were captivated by the Bird of Deaths return.
Under some intentional promotions, Kieran became a wild and arrogant provocateur,unching a dying charge at the gargantuan Perforation Sting.
Someughed coldly at him, some showed disdain, some were worried.
Those whoughed mocked his ignorance.
Those who showed disdain were looking at him arrogantly.
Those who worried were anxious and nervous.
Tanya was thest one.
She hadpleted the documents to drop out of school and was temporarily staying in Rassho Temple for the sake of her safety.
When she heard that Kana had returned with news of Kieran, Tanya stood up from before her crystal ball.
As expected of my knight!
Glory is your armor!
Praise is your sword!
Your sacrifice will be rewarded with the ultimate victory.
I, however, shall not allow any harm to befall my knight! Oh my dearest knight in ck, ept my blessing and you... Ouch! It hurts!
With her hands covering her head, Tanya squatted down and cried.
She then looked at Kana with teary eyes and a pouty mouth.
How dare amon peasant to strike your queen! My myriads of soldiers will trample over your house... Ouch! Stop! Okay! Fine! Ill stop!
When Kana raised her fist, Tanya begged loudly to be spared. While she was begging loudly, her fingers were drawing circles on the ground.
What are you doing? Kana asked with furrowed brows.
If Tanya wasnt her school buddy, plus the matters rted to the Bird of Death, Tanya would definitely stay away from this crazy familiar acquaintance and cut all contacts with her.
Nothing, this is my blessing.
Are we going to help 2567? Tanya shifted the topic.
Help? Are you sure you are going to help and not escte the situation into a hot pile of mess? Kana nced over Tanya.
Of course! Tanya said confidently and took out an item.
It was a small, broken doll made out of straw. It looked like it had seen better days as the marks of aging were serious on the straw doll, even the string that tied it together was barely holding on.
By poking a voodoo doll?
Kana who still had a little bit of hope in Tanya lost her patiencepletely when she saw the doll. She shook her head before she went outside.
As one of the protectors of Rassho Temple, she knew how ridiculous and funny the doll sounded.
Tanya wanted to call Kana as she walked away but ultimately, she clenched her teeth instead.
This is my family heirloom! Mother said it is to be used to help the one most important to me! Mother will not lie to Tanya!
Tanya was mumbling in a never before seen serious tone.
Then...
A silver needle appeared in Tanyas hand and was poked towards the straw doll with the name Perforation Sting written on it.
Chapter 1117 - The Bitterness and Sorrow of Zackary
Chapter 1117: The Bitterness and Sorrow of Zackary
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Two dayster, a group of men was gathering on the streets of me City at night.
When the number increased to a hundred, the leader, Kray, jumped on a car. His hand was holding a medicinal pill sealed with wax and was shouting loudly at his men.
See this? His lordship is looking for this! Bring all your men to find this thing in every ce you can get to! Find anything or anyone that you think is rted to this pill!
Yes, boss!
Understood!
Roger that, Leader Kray!
The leaders of different gangs, be it a small gang or big one, nodded in acknowledgment.
Although the voices werent in unison, the intimidating manner would shun doubtful gazes away, let alone the series of firearm battles that followed.
Many of the nightclubbing spots in me City were assaulted in a typhoon-like manner, the men barged in like monsters, tearing the ce apart in search of the said item.
In fact, two days ago, the alias Ethan Hunt that Kieran took on had another monster title added his persona.
He was unreasonable, greedy, and ferocious.
It was the image of Ethan Hunt from the public.
A day before this, when Kieran killed off all the opposing faction leaders one by one, the title monster rooted itself to the alias because Kieran tore the goons apart.
Kieran didnt have any burden on his conscience when he utilized ruthless methods to punish the notorious goons. It was simr to the ruthless methods they used on others.
This time around, the hunted and the hunter swapped positions.
It was normal, wasnt it?
However, Kieran certainly didnt wish to be the hunted, unless he did it on purpose.
Kairi was reporting the incidents that happened in the past few days to Kieran at his desk.
The series of incidents wereplicated but Kairi managed to arranged it all in a neat, orderly sequence and more importantly, all of the reported incidents were real.
My lord, I think thats about it. Weve taken control of 70% of the turfs in me City and it is only a matter of time before we settle the rest. Without Pisker and the other bosses, you are truly the underground king of me City.
Kairi was looking at Kieran with utmost ttery and admiration.
Once one of Footers men, Kairi indeed experienced a lot of things with his previous boss and because of that and the things he saw, it made him understand how scary the man before his eyes was despite he himself having been a little well-known in Dublin Street.
His name!
Whenever the name Ethan Hunt was mentioned, one could get all ess to the underground world of me City. It was something Kairi never felt before.
Those big shots with high positions in the past had to bow before Kairi.
Those ces that Kairi didnt dare step into in the past had to wee him with utmost warmness now and it was all made possible because of the man before his eyes.
There isw and order in the day and only one voice in the night. It will be mine and mine alone.
As his mind strolled down memoryne, he remembered the words Kieran once said.
At first, he thought they were just some encouraging words but now?
Those words wereing true one step at a time.
Those words were slowly shaping itself into undeniable facts.
Therefore, Kairi who was a smart person knew exactly what he had to do.
He must give his best effort in serving his lord and work diligently and conscientiously.
He would not hide any details from Kieran from now on because it would do him no good.
As long as he followed Kieran down this path, he would get everything that he longed for.
As for the timely death of Pisker and the other bosses?
People were questioning the timing at first but now, all the questions were forgotten, especially when Kray caught the several bastards who spread rumors about Kieran and sent them to hell, everyone else knew where they stood and what they should do.
The only thing Kairi felt was a pity was that the muscle-headed bastard Kray decided to follow him in showingpliance to Kieran. Kray was no longer the arrogant and wild boorish fe that he used to be.
What a clever as*hole!
Kairis heart was cursing his former rival, his smile showed even more ttery after that.
Since he decided to follow his lord down this path, Kairi would not allow Kray to outperform him and garner all the praise for himself, he stepped up to Kieran and reported softly, My lord, the task you assigned me to investigate has shown results.
The Bird of Death and his men assaulted a few locations which seem to be Perforation Stings points of operation. However, Perforation Sting didnt seem to care too much about it. Kairi furrowed his brows in confusion.
To Kairi who came from a gangster background, turfs were the gangs utmost priority and importance, nothing woulde before their turf. Whenever a turf of a gang was attacked or was simply being approached with ill-intent, it would be a fight to the death between both sides.
Kieran nced over Kairi but he didnt borate further.
He would not inform Kairi about the fiends and what his real n was.
Continue your task, gather more information on the Bird of Death and... prepare lunch for me, Kieran said.
Yes, my lord. I assure you this time I will get the best cook in me City!
Kairi stated his promise in an official tone.
The people of Dublin Street already knew Kieran love to eat after spending the past few days under his rule. His appetite wasnt just ridiculously huge, he was quite picky with the food as well.
Although he wouldnt throw away the less decent food, the dissatisfaction Kieran showed allowed Kairi to know that if he wished to keep his current position and solidify it, hed better show some results. Otherwise, many other bastards were eyeing his position.
Ive found the best cook! All you bastards are delusional in thinking you can have my position!
Kairi smiled delightedly in his heart before bowing toward Kieran and walking out of the room.
While waiting for his lunch, Kieran didnt waste any time as he signaled the men on guard at his door.
Bring our guest in please.
Yes, my lord.
The men quickly went off to receive the guest.
Two minutester, Zackary was carried inside with a few more obvious bullet wounds and deep wounds that exposed his bones.
Its great to see you again! I thought I was going to die in that dark dungeon!
Despite suffering from multiple serious injuries, Zackary maintained his gentlemanly behavior, he didnt show any expressions due to the pain he was enduring due to the wounds on his body and didnt voice his unhappiness with Kieran at all.
The feeling was quite weird for everyone, even the two men who carried Zackary in couldnt help but look at him in a dubious gaze. Their eyes were somehow shocked and surprised by the words.
This guy is scary right? Do you think I should kill him right away?
Kieran asked the two of them.
Yes, my lord. Both of them nodded without holding back.
Zackary was a really ufortable presence for them.
All right then, kill away. Remember to aim for his head, Kieran nodded.
The two men nodded and took action right away.
This time around, Zackary finally failed to hold his calmness together as he looked at Kieran with an unbelievable gaze.
When he was certain Kieran wasnt joking, his face changed for the worse.
Chapter 1118 - Play Along
Chapter 1118: y Along
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Wait! You cant do this! Zackary screamed loudly all of a sudden and started to struggle.
Kieran quietly watched his men punish Zackary with punches and kicks for talking back.
After that, he looked at Zackary who was crawling on the floor because of the pain and suffocation and said with a smile, Of course I can! I didnt kill you the moment you tried to escape and only broke your legs. Since then I could do whatever I want to you and you should be thankful for my mercy.
After all... Ive allowed a man to live this long after lying to my face, Kieran said coldly.
He grabbed the gun from his men, squatted down and slowly pushed the gun onto Zackarys forehead.
I can exin! I had no intentions to lie! Everything I said is the truth!
Zackarys tone sounded rushed this time because he felt killing intent from Kieran.
The cold, bone stinging killing intent caused Zackary to shudder from the bottom of his heart.
No one wished to die, Zackary was no exception either.
In fact, from a certain aspect, he pushed his limits to this extent in order to survive, hence the situation before him.
Truth? Lets hear what truth you have to say.
Kieranughed coldly before pushing the gun further, the pressure from the gun pushed Zackarys head backward.
At the same time, the aura from the devil slipped out again.
The chaotic, scorching, sulfuric scent was rumbling before Zackarys eyes, causing him to breathe even faster.
Kieran, however, further increased the pressure he applied on Zackary.
If he had a choice, he would not want to use this kind of stupid method but when the matter was rted to divine beings, the [Mesly Ring] had a lot of limitations.
Since he witnessed what divine beings or Gods did to their believers, Kieran knew the exact consequences should he use the [Mesly Ring] on Zackary.
Perhaps Perforation Stings God wasnt that powerful yet or maybe different dungeon worlds had other possible oues but regardless of which, Kieran didnt want to risk it.
Kieran would not allow the advantages he gathered through hard work slip into someone elses hand.
So, Zackary was in for another round of suffering.
Kieran put away the gun and waved at his men.
Zackary was dragged up from the floor right away.
Ill give you another chance.
Kieran sat back to his chair while the gun he was holding was waved around, seemingly aiming towards Zackarys weak spots.
Zackary smiled bitterly since Kierans killing intent hadnt faded away.
He knew he must fight for his own survival but he couldnt utter any kind of truth.
However... He still had other ways.
Zackary thanked himself for having the habit of forming a perfect n.
The auction that I mentioned wille and about those secret pills...
Both of you can leave now.
Kieran interrupted Zackary and signaled his men to walk away.
Zackary was thrown back on the floor again and the pain was inevitable, yet he replied with a smile.
He knew he could live for a little longer and it was enough for him.
He believed the other bastard would surely make his move, despite both of them not getting along.
But wasnt it because both of them didnt get along that the bastard would certainly make his move?
Everything fell back into his n again and again.
Zackary saw that Kieran was anxious but he tried his best in concealing it.
Those secret pills are known as Slither Pills. They are effective against normal human beings but for you, Sir Ethan Hunt, these secret pills are useless, it will be the same no matter how many you gather. Youll need others!
Zackary tried to keep his manner of speech as clear as possible after a deep breath because Kieran grabbed his neck and held him up.
It seems like you and my men have be familiar eh? But, I dont care, all I want to know is where the pills are!
Kieran tightened his grip over Zackarys neck.
The suffocation troubled Zackary again but he wasnt anxious this time because he felt like he had the situation under control.
I need a phone call.
Despite the difficulties from the suffocation, Zackary mustered up enough strength to say it in a casual manner.
...
Albunai frowned when he saw the note in his hand.
The words on the paper caused his mind to go into overdrive in order toe up with a corresponding n.
As one of Perforation Sting, he felt angry because he never thought his ns would be ruined by some scoundrels from out of nowhere.
You really think you can act recklessly and roam freely after that garbage from me City allowed you to? I will show you the rules around here!
Albunai was muttering softly to himself.
He opened his palm after crushing the piece of paper and a formless energy lifted the paper up.
As he moved forward, the paper floated up in mid-air and was turned into a pile of ash.
Riiiing!
Before Albunai could walk out of the room, the telephone rang.
He came back without a second thought and answered the phone.
The number was known only to a few and they wouldnt call him under normal circumstances unless something serious happened.
Unlike ruining his own n which he formed for the sake of covering up, a serious incident might very well affect the entire situation.
As for his own n, it was nothing serious even if it was ruined, his n being destroyed was nothing but a small ident.
Hello?
Albunai answered the phone with heavy doubts in his heart.
Its me, Zackary.
Albunai raised a puzzled brow and surprise as well as anger appeared on his face when he heard Zackarys voice.
How did you know this number? Albunai asked.
That is a question for ater time, now I have something important to tell you. Ive found a better coborator, a person that can make your ns smoother and usher in a better change. All you have to offer is the advanced version of the Slither pills.
Zackarys voice from the other side of the phone sounded rxed but Albunai was getting angrier.
Tell me, how did you get this number? Albunai asked once more.
I saidter, Zackary replied in his casual tone.
Then, the conversation went silent for almost 30 seconds.
In the end, Albunai spoke, Okay, I agree, where are you now?
He was replying in a calm tone yet his face was filled with killing intent.
Zackary...
Damn it!
That coborator was also another bastard!
Damn it!
...
Its done but we need to do some preparations. His temper is not to be messed with.
Zackary turned around to Kieran with a smile after hanging up the phone.
Hot temper eh? Ill calm him down.
Kieran yed along and smiled coldly while he gave another order to Bloody Mary, the high demon.
Chapter 1119 - A Fixed-Target
Chapter 1119: A Fixed-Target
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Albunai strode into Dublin Street.
Heughed coldly in his heart when he felt the malicious gazes around him as he entered the street.
A n formed in his head as he advanced forward.
Not a single soul on the street would escape his wrath, including Zackary and Ethan Hunt.
Although Zackary was arade, he hadmitted the biggest taboo of Perforation Sting, hence there was no reason to keep him alive.
As for said coborator?
He would go to hell together with Zackary.
This was Perforation Stings operating style and it was also what Albunai insisted on carrying out.
Hold it right there!
One of the gang members that was tasked with guarding in front of the house shouted at the approaching Albunai.
I am Albunai, your boss, Ethan Hunt, has a meeting with me.
Albunais heart was overflowing with killing intent as he was eager but he remained calm on the surface.
Hold on a moment.
One of them picked up the phone behind them and made a call.
A few secondster, the man turned around and signaled Albunai with his head, telling him to go in.
The door was opened up immediately.
Albunai walked in as instructed but two other gang members were following behind him with guns in their hands, they didnt even try to conceal it.
The guns were pointed at Albunais back.
Move, dont look back or else...
Albunai tried to take a quick nce behind but was threatened by one of them.
Albunai nodded andplied.
His obedient actions were responded to with a series of sneeringughs from the two gang members.
Albunai didnt care, who would be angry at a dead man? More precisely, how could one be angry at a man who would die soon?
Albunai wouldnt and Kieran wouldnt either.
Kieran who was inside his of office lit up a cigar. He was casually looking at Albunai who was walking in from the window while clouds of smoke were spat out. The smoke didnt just cover his face, it filled the office and spread outside as well.
Kieran had grown to ept cigars under his friend Lawless relentless persuasion. Not only did he ept it, he learned to savor them as well.
Like the one he was smoking, the tobo smell was almost overpowered by the cocoa vor. If Kierans tongue wasnt sensitive enough, he might have missed out the slight bits of tobo.
He was grateful that his tongue was so sensitive, he treated it as a stroke of luck.
The heavy vor of cocoa was mixed with the faint tobo smell and it was astonishing. Simr to its dark brown body, it would leave an impression at first sight.
No doubt it was a good cigar and also a perfect tool.
As he smoked, Kieran saw Zackary going outside and weing hisrade.
After a change of clothes and receiving adequate treatment for his wounds, Zackary was recovering rapidly despite still walking with a limp.
The half-fiend was originally different frommon humans.
Despite sharing the same looks and speaking the samenguage, their roots were extremely different.
In simple words, a lot of the half-fiends never acknowledged the so-called dominant human race. Humans were nothing but toys and food in their eyes.
Those were also the exact thoughts running through Albunais mind.
When he saw Zackarye over, Albunai sensed the bloody stench mixed with antiseptic and medicine on him.
Albunais mouth then cracked open, his ck and pugnacious face ovepped and formedyers of skin on his body, as if a python was shedding multipleyers of skin. When his long red tongue was shown, Albunai looked like a snake-man.
Hisssss!
Hissing could be heard from the deeper part of his throat.
Lines of fire even formed around him and were fired towards the two gang members behind him like arrows. The two of them plunged to the floor without uttering a word and the signs of life were gone.
Albunai?
He dashed towards Zackary the moment the fire appeared around him.
Zackary quickly rolled backward despite his limping and managed to get back into the office.
He quickly mmed the door and locked it.
Foolish Zackary, you think...
Bang!
Bang Bang!
Albunai wasughing coldly but before he could finish mocking Zackary, heavy bangs were heard beneath his feet.
A chilling air that could freeze ones spine then spread across the corridor the snake-man was in.
Liquid nitrogen?
Albunai was shocked, followed by a drastic change in facial expression.
He turned around and tried to ram through the walls beside him in order to escape the liquid nitrogen filled ice prison, but the moment he rammed onto the wall...
KABOOM!
An explosion went off and he was sent flying away.
A certain herbal mixture together with the sulfuric scent was sshed on Albunai amidst the explosion.
Aaaargh!
Albunai was rolling on the ground in pain while he cried in agony.
Despite the effort, it didnt stop the herbal mixture from corroding his body and the lingering liquid nitrogen was weakening the energy in Albunais body as well.
He wanted to resist but the cold made him extremely sleepy.
Damn it! How did Zackary know my weakness!?
He kept questioning himself before he passed out.
Zackary is abnormal... Could it be...
Sudden spection formed in his mind but a secondter, he passed out before he could understand the situation.
A few minutester, gang members with cryo suits came in and took care of the steel cylinder holding the liquid nitrogen. They moved the cylinders into a pool of cement together with Albunai in it. More liquid nitrogen cylinders were being ced in the cement pool and it removed thest bit of struggle from Albunai who was already frozen solid.
Tssk... Gak!
The office door was SWUNG opened.
Zackary came out with a smile. His smile grew brighter when he saw Albunai in the cement pool.
Youre too careless Albunai, you are still so used to your own strength, did you ever consider that this isnt the dark and chaotic age anymore?
Zackary was acting out his emotions by shaking his head and sighing.
He then turned to Kieran and said, See, as long as the strategy is suitable, its this easy to deal with a powerful half-fiend.
Are you reminding me? Or you are hinting about other things?
Kieran replied with his own questions coldly while smoking his cigar.
Although there was no need to cover the herbal smell in the ce with the cigars scent anymore, Kieran didnt want to throw the cigar away because he thought it would be a waste; Kieran wasnt used to wasting things.
Of course not, I just speak my mind. Besides, you reached your goal. Albunai is considered as one of the people in charge of the operation in me City. He has the secret pills you seek and some other unexpected things as well. I assure you his value is more than you can imagine.
Zackary said with a smile.
You are suggesting that I sell him to Funeral Society? Kieran asked for the sake of testing him.
He is now yours, its up to you to deal with him. Its all in your hands anyway, even if you want to kill him right away, its...
BANG!
Before Zackarys jokes were finished, he was interrupted by a gunshot.
After the gunshot, the frozen, unconscious Albunai was shot to pieces.
A figure appeared in a sh and left after killing Albunai.
The gang members and Zackary were stunned by the scene.
Bird of Death!
A moment ago, Zackary was still full of smiles but when he saw the Bird of Death, he was frozen like an ice sculpture.
Chapter 1120 - Item of Concern
Chapter 1120: Item of Concern
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Why is the Bird of Death here?
Questions filled Zackary thoughts but a gun was pointed at his forehead again, preventing him from thinking about the baffling questions.
Sir Ethan Hunt! This is an ident! I dont know!
You want to say you dont know why the Bird of Death appears? Then can you tell me why after two encounters, you as someone belonging to Perforation Sting wasnt harmed by his attacks? Based on what I know, the Bird of Death is merciless against Perforation Stings men but are you really that lucky? Or does this hint towards the two of you having an unusual rtionship?
Kieran rudely interrupted Zackary before he finished by smashing the handle of the gun on to his face.
Zackary didnt just lose a tooth, his brain suffered a concussion from the hit as well.
Kieran grabbed him Zackary by the neck and said in a cold, gloomy tone, You piece of sh*t, you said you were just using him! I yed along with you because you said its safe but now you f*cked up everything!
I think I should hand you over to Perforation Sting and tell them the things you did, at least you can help repair my rtionship with Perforation Sting! I bet they will be interested in you as well, Bird of Deaths friend!
Kieran righteously pulled Zackary to his side, simr to how he righteously framed Zackary for killing Albunai.
Kieran never showed mercy to his enemies but he would treat them differently, like Zackary!
The way Zackary moved and spoke had shown that he was not just some John Doe, there were some other extraordinary points about him.
Perhaps Albunais worth far surpassed Zackarys, but Kieran wouldnt just let go of his grip on Zackary because of that.
Compared to getting more benefits in the future, might as well get some in the present.
Kieran understood the saying a lot and that was why he killed Albunai and forced Zackary into a difficult position.
He really wanted to know what secrets Zackary was hiding, to the point that he dared to ignore some of Perforation Stings rules.
Was it Great Swamp? Or... Other Gods?
Kieran wondered in his heart.
As for others?
It was impossible in the view of the natives because only Gods could rival Gods and it was indeed so.
Zackary bitterly smiled under Kierans pressure.
I am from Forest City. The Bird of Death must have noticed something unusual on me, that is why he spared me twice in a row. He has provoked the God of Perforation Sting and it would be natural that he didnt want another on his tail.
Please believe me this time, its the truth!
Zackary tried to free himself from Kierans hand but Kieran gave another hit from the gun handle with a swift backhand.
Youre saying that you are from the God of Forest City? Proof? Kieran asked coldly.
I was sent by His Majesty to infiltrate Perforation Sting as a spy. For the sake of my safety, all information regarding my identity has been deleted. Otherwise, I cant fool God in Perforation Sting. Despite being severely wounded in the past and unable to face any other Gods alone now,pared to us mortals, He remained a high existence that we couldnt reach. Zackary continued with a bitter smile.
Which means nothing? Kieran said as his face turned slightly unfriendly.
I dont possess the things that can prove my identity but I can tell you what Perforation Sting wanted to achieve, thus using it to prove myself...
Enough!
Zackary tried his best in exining but Kieran had no intention to continue the useless conversation. He gave another hit on Zackarys face using the gun handle before the conversation could end.
I dont want to know what Perforation Sting wants to achieve! I want to keep myself alive! Got it?
As he shouted, it was like Kieran was venting his anger on Zackary, hitting him repeatedly with the gun handle.
After a while, Zackarys face was swollen but one things for sure, if he wasnt a half-fiend, he would be dead already.
Still, a half-fiend could still feel pain.
Zackary bared his teeth, gasping for air but he continued with an extremely calm tone, Following Albunais death, no matter what you do now, Perforation Sting will not let you walk away from this that easily. Since it is inevitable... why dont we take the risk and take a gamble! Coincidentally, I have a n that suits the situation.
Zackary was looking at Kieran with his swollen eyes, he was ready to reveal his n.
If Zackary was hesitant before, after the brutal beating from Kieran, Zackary tended to trust Kieran even more now because he clearly felt Kierans rage!
It wasnt his experience that told him that but Zackarys bloodline provided him with such senses, allowing him to make sure that Kieran before him was showing his real feelings.
He was really angry that Bird of Death killed Albunai.
He was also infuriated because he had fallen to the bottom of the abyss from his peak.
The rage was beautiful, at least Zackary could temporarily add a true ally to his side.
What n? Tell me first, Ill choose if its doable! Otherwise... I would rather run from it! That damn Footer, leaving all the sh*t to me when he leaves.
Kieran was panting heavily, he was staring at Zackary like an injured beast.
Of course! We are now in the same boat! Remember the auction that I mentioned?
Zackary mentioned the auction again.
The auction? I dont think a damn auction can change my current situation! Besides, are you certain the auction you mentioned now is the same as the one you mentioned before?
Kieran frowned at Zackary.
Of course! It is the same! From the start till now, its the same! Im not lying!
Zackary said seriously and when he saw the hesitance on Kierans face, he threw out the ace that he was holding in his sleeves.
An auction, of course, wont change your current situation but it will provide you with a chance to change, especially since the item that Great Swamp is concerned about will be in the auction, what do you think it will be then?
Kieran squinted his eyes.
The item that Great Swamp was concerned about!
When Zackary said that, the baffling, burning questions in his mind were all solved in an instant.
Why did Great Swamp allow all these bastards to run wild in his own territory?
The answer should be the item that Zackary mentioned.
So...
What is this item?
Kieran asked.
This item...
Zackary instinctively prolonged his tone.
Chapter 1121 - Respective Plans
Chapter 1121: Respective ns
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
A map!
The moment Kieran raised the gun to his hand, Zackary gave the answer immediately to prevent another beating.
A map?
Kieran was stunned.
What map? He asked.
However, this time around he didnt get the answer he was looking for.
Even though he pointed the gun to Zackarys forehead, Zackary shut his mouth.
So this is the attitude of a coborator? Kieran asked coldly.
And I suppose yours is? This is the first time we truly work together, so both of us need the process to get familiar with each other. While in my humble opinion, for starters, I think we can abandon these kinds of violent acts against me.
Zackary smiled looking at the gun.
Kieran frowned and ultimately lowered the gun.
See, its a great start for us! Now, I need to cover up Albunais death and bring every necessary preparation for the auction to you. While I do that, all you need to do is continue to expand your influence, Zackary said with a smile.
I dont need orders from you. What I want is the details of the n, I dont think the auction will proceed smoothly when an item of Great Swamps concern is rted, Kieran pretended to be stupid and replied.
Not only because Kieran was currently pretending to be a reckless, hot-tempered person, he still wanted Zackary to lower his guardpletely.
Obviously, Kierans previous acting was award-worthy, Zackary didnt even doubt it for one second, instead, he borated in further detail.
We wont disclose the ns to them beforehand. What we need is a big stage, a stage that can hold every performer at once, then... we can sit back and enjoy the show. The whole show has nothing to do with us, after all, that item will be acquired identally.
Zackary was limping out of the room as he borated.
Kieran, on the other hand, shouted his orders to his men, telling them to move out before Zackary even left the room.
When the messy hustling noises were heard from behind him, Zackary who was limping away smiled even brighter.
This is really... an unexpected surprise! He muttered to himself softly.
After he left Dublin Street and made sure he wasnt followed, Zackary walked into a secluded street and dialed the public phone in the only telephone booth.
The secluded ce shouldnt have had a public phone booth to begin with but it appeared out of nowhere a fear months ago despite its usage being almost zero.
Our n can start now, Zackary spoke through the phone.
Mm.
A cold voice on the other end replied.
Zackary hung up the phone after that and headed to his temporary lodging point.
He needed to settle Albunais matters and although it wasnt easy while also requiring quite a hefty cost from him,pared to the ultimate oue, the cost paid was iparable.
Great Swamp, Perforation Sting, God of Forest City...
Zackary mumbled the names repeatedly.
HIs limping leg was recovering by the second and his pace quickly increased.
After a while, he vanished from the street.
When Zackary left the street, another figure also vanished from the shadows.
...
Back in Footers original office in Dublin Street, Kieran was there in his seat holding a red crystal sphere.
The crystal wasnt big and only half the size of a thumb yet it had a dazzlingyer of glint on it. It wasnt a reflection of light but it came from the crystal itself.
[Name: Fire Lineage Essence]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attribute: 1. Consume; 2. Embedding]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: It is the crystallized essence of a half-fiend bloodline, it looks like a dazzling gem but it is actually coagtion of the blood. It is quite the supplement for a fire elemental fiend.
...
[Consume: Consume it to acquire some Burning me Bloodline]
[Embedding: Embed it on weapons or defensive items to acquire Fire effect]
[Note 1: There is a certain percentage of failure when consuming and will cause harm if the consumption fails]
[Note 2: There is a certain percentage of failure when embedding, the essence crystal and equipment will be destroyed together!]
......
Without further ado, Kieran tossed the fire essence to Fire Raven who was hiding at the top of the roof beams.
Fire Raven caught [Fire Lineage Essence] with its beak excitedly, it lifted its head upwards and swallowed the crystal essence without a second thought.
Then, the Fire Raven was shining in a scarlet red brilliance. It seemed like it was transformed into a ball of fire, burning ceaselessly while increasing in temperature.
After a few minutes, the scarlet red brilliance faded from Fire Raven, revealing its new form before Kierans eyes.
The raven grew bigger in size and its body was painted red thoroughly, the only area with ck left was a spot in the middle of its forehead. Its round dark eyes had res sharper than a falcon.
When the sharp re and its sharp raven beaks and ws were put together, people wouldnt see it as a raven, instead, they might mistake it for a valiant falcon.
But in fact, the Fire Raven was countless times stronger and better than a falcon.
[Name: Fire Raven General]
[Type: Fiend]
[Rank: Above Average]
[Attack: Strong]
[Defense: Average]
[Attribute: 1. Agility III, 2. Transform Fire III, 3. Spitfire II]
[Effect: Infuse III]
[Prerequisite: The first sight]
[Remark: After consuming a High Fiends meat, the matured Fire Raven leveled up. It can carry out scouting missions, contact people and is a definite choice for an anciry attack]
...
[Agility III: Increase flying speed by +2, nimbleness +2]
[Transform Fire III: Able to transform into a ball of fire with Strong attack. Able to adhere to a surface and float]
[Spit Fire II: Able to emit a fireball with Average attack as a long-range attack (no further than 35 meters), 3 times per day]
...
[Infuse II: Able to infuse itself into itspanion or users fire, boosting the fire to a decent level.]
...
Not bad!
Kieranmented as he caressed the feathers on the Fire Ravens neck.
Although [Infuse II] still had not shown a precise description like increasing fire attack by 1 or another simr effect, the effect itself had an obvious enhancement and Fire Ravens enhancement was visible as well.
As one of Kierans indispensable aides, Kieran was very delighted to see Fire Ravens enhancement, it was some solid extra power for him.
More importantly, the enhancement would not just stop there.
Kieran believed [Mermans Meat] and [Fire Lineage Essence] were rare but there must be many others in the current dungeon world.
He might even encounter extra surprises, like a supplement for Frost Wolf pup.
However, that was a matter for the future.
Now, Kieran had to read through the notifications before his eyes.
Chapter 1122 - Happy Cooperation
Chapter 1122: Happy Cooperation
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
[Triggered special event: A Hurried Auction]
[A Hurried Auction: You and Zackary have agreed to a joint auction and it will start soon. This auction will attract many other factions intentional gazes both inside and outside of me City...]
[yer is distributed to personal faction based on performance.]
[Note 1: Triggered special event, the better the yer performs, the higher the rating]
[Note 2: yers performance includes but is not limited to battle.]
.......
A hurried auction?
Kieran muttered before slightly shaking his head.
In terms of time, it might be a hurried one but not in terms of preparation.
In fact, the moment he entered the dungeon world, his ns were always in motion.
Working with Zackary for the auction was just a perfectly timed opportunity.
In simple words, even without Zackary, Kieran had his own ns to target Perforation Sting.
Now?
The n was made more direct and more participants were invited
Kieran wasnt surprised by the participants from the God of Forest City.
The Gods within the same city would always have conflicts via open or secretive means before due to different standings, let alone different cities.
A conflict was inevitable, despite everyone seeming to be at peace on the surface.
The God of Forest City...
Kieran was tapping the handle of his chair lightly while pondering upon this participant.
He didnt know a lot about the God of Forest City but it didnt stop him from probing more to gather information.
Besides, Kieran had a suitable candidate.
...
Mountain Foot Street, Kieran, who changed back to his original appearance was sitting with Inspector Oaker on a ck bench in a secluded corner of a public park.
They were waiting patiently.
Unlike the other street blocks in me City which were crowded with people, Mountain Foot Street which was mostly upied by wealthy people had fewer people outside. The wealthy folks were used to staying in their own homes and enjoy their privacy in their own gardens, not visiting a public park and exposing themselves to others. In fact, other than the patrolling officers, the park was almost devoid of people.
Two squads of patrolling officers walked passed the public park in a row and they looked at Kieran with a dubious gaze but with the inspector beside him, none of them dared to step up and ask.
As the most experienced inspector in me City, Oaker might not have too much authority but he had an unimaginable reputation among the officers, at least the younger officers knew the special position the inspector held.
Its already been an hour. Are you sure you want to wait for it? Oaker asked with furrowed brows.
Did you sent him my letter? Kieran asked.
I did but...
Believe me, Great Swamp is much more easy-going than youd think, he might neglect the whole city but he wouldnt ignore his visitors.
Kieran interrupted Oakers exnation with a smile.
While looking at Kierans smile, Oaker really wanted to tell him how pressuring and intimidating the gatekeeper of the estate was but ultimately, Oaker frowned again and stayed quiet.
He knew he had an insignificant understanding of the other world and given such circumstances, Oaker dare not make any recklessments, despite having doubts that baffled him.
Therefore, when a sudden voice came from behind him, Oaker was shocked.
2567, you seem to know a great deal about me, even more than I expected.
Huh?!
Oaker instinctively reached for his gun but when he realized Kieran was not moving, he couldnt hold back his bitterugh.
You bunch of weirdos really like to scare people eh? Before this, 2567 silently snuck into my office and ask me to deliver the message, now Sir Artitelgar you...
Come on guys, I am not at the age to be ys jokes anymore.
Despite saying as such, Oaker was sizing up Great Swamp with shock as he walked out from the corner of the park.
Obviously, Oaker was astonished by Great Swamps age and more importantly, he was in shock as to how Kieran and Great Swamp shared such simr temperaments.
They had the same eyes, which were ck.
Mysterious and deep!
When the elements were ced on Kieran and Great Swamp, it had an extraordinary feeling, as if... their eyes could suck out the souls of men.
Oaker spent quite the effort to avert his gaze from their eyes.
Im sorry. I didnt mean it.
Following his courteous words, Great Swamp instantly switched his temperament to a normalmoner, as if he was a passerby on the street whom Oaker would walk past and never remember.
This time, it didnt shock Oaker as much. He seemed to be getting used to the sudden surprises as ofte since he had been witnessing many astonishing events recently.
Therefore, he was qualified to take part in some of the events, but not all of them.
Ill wait for you guys over there.
Even without Kieran asking, Oaker already went over to the other corner of the park, following a cigarette in his mouth. As he lit up his cigarette, he didnt care about what happened between the two.
A decent man.
Great Swamp praised the inspector who knew how to read the atmosphere.
That is because you havent gotten under his nerves and cross his bottom line. Otherwise, he has the courage to point a gun at your face even if you are Great Swamp, the God of me City.
Kieran too wasnt stingy in praising the inspector.
He is protecting me City isnt he? Great Swampughed.
Yes, he is but... What about you? Kieran asked.
me City has merged with me a long time ago, of course Ill protect it, Great Swamp replied.
I know you merged yourself with the city but I dont seem to feel the protection that you mention. You have the power to right all wrongs yet you allow them to exist as they wish. I am sorry, I am no God, I dont know how a God thinks but this... its a lot different than what I expected, Kieran continued.
That is why you didnt pay me a visit yourself, instead you sent the inspector to test me?
Did I mention before that you and I are frighteningly simr? If I didnt know better, I might have thought of you as a long lost brother of mine. Vignt, dubious yet willing to trust the right people. Your personality and your bloodline are simr to mine but ultimately, we are both different. My ways may seem inconceivable in your eyes but in mine, it is the most suitable for the city.
After all, I am not alone, Great Swamp said slowly after a deep breath.
Kieran looked at him for a few seconds before shaking his head.
He didnt see anything off about Great Swamp but he knew he was hiding something.
However, Kieran didnt feel angry about it and just as Great Swamp said, they were vignt and dubious. They would always reserve a portion of their own thoughts from others regardless of the time but their reservations would not affect them from doing other things together.
So, lets work together? Kieran asked.
Isnt it obvious enough from me being here? Great Swamp replied with his question.
Both of them exchanged augh before saying in unison, Happy cooperation!
Chapter 1123 - At Night, the Wind Blows (2 in 1)
Chapter 1123: At Night, the Wind Blows (2 in 1)
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Two days had passed since thest meeting.
Ethan Hunts name had garnered more attention and had be more well-known in thest 48 hours.
Following the expansion of his territory, the horrifying rumors about this monster started to spread amongst themoners. Despite his looks not being scary, he slowly became a synonym of viciousness in me City.
Kieran didnt care at all, or rather, it was what he wanted.
My lord, the invitations were sent out ording to your orders. Dont worry my lord, everyone invited wille.
Kairi and Kray bowed respectfully in front of Kieran and reported the tasks Kieran had given them.
Although a task such as sending invitations was a first for both of them, forcing others into submission was their expertise.
As for their actions ruining their reputations?
The two from Dublin Street didnt care about being notorious and quite the contrary, the notoriety in their eyes was a disy of strengths of sorts.
If it was possible, they wished they could demonstrate their strengths from time to time.
Of course, both of them behaved like kittens in front of Kieran because they knew everything they had right now came from the man before their eyes.
If he could grant them what they wanted, he could take away what they had and he would not show any mercy should the time arrive.
The two of them understood how vicious Kieran could be since they witnessed it first hand, especially over thest day or two, the pressuring aura on Kieran was getting stronger.
He was as arrogant as a mountain and as cold as a de.
They would feel an immense pressure with any slight gaze toward Kieran.
Kairi and Kray worked meticulously in front Kieran and they tried their best at not making mistakes.
What about the venue? Kieran asked.
We have chosen a big theatre on Dublin Street. The men are working hard to finish up the arrangements, everything should be ready before dark, Kairi answered.
Before Kieran asked further questions, Kray stepped in and presented himself, Our men are all over the venue and are equipped with heavy firepower. Anyone who dares to step out of ce, Ill tear them to shreds.
Kieran nodded and went silent as if he sank in his deep thought.
The atmosphere in the office instantly went silent.
Kairi and Kray dared not even breath loudly in front of Kieran.
Both of them had thoughts of their own, thinking about whether or not they made any mistakes but no matter how they pondered the matter, they couldnt find any.
They didnt produce any sighs of relief though, on the contrary, they were more frightened and anxious than before.
They were worried that their actions or carelessness might have unintentionally offended the lord before them but fortunately, after a few seconds, Kieran broke the silence.
Kairi, go wee the guest at the entrance of the street.
Kray, escort all the items to the venue.
Both of them gave a nod and quickly moved out.
Kieran continued pondering his thoughts in his seat after the two of them left.
At the same time in the shadows, an eye was transmitting the scene without missing a beat to Zackarys coborator.
Seems like Sir Ethan hunt is considering something out of your expectations.
The coborator mumbled softly while he sat on a sofa.
Greed is always the biggest cardinal sin but it will always make for the best coborator and that applies on many levels.
Zackary who once again dressed in a handsome suit was leaning on the wall, shaking and sniffing the sourish puckery wine in his hand as he couldnt hold back hisughter.
So you are really going to take the risk? The coborator asked.
This is a chance! For me and for you! I dont think we should let it slip, said Zackary.
He finished the wine in the ss with one gulp, he raised his hand and the ss flew to the table beside him.
Zackary then walked outside with the box beside his feet without saying anything else.
He didnt need to ask questions, everything was made clear when his coborator showed up.
I know right, we shouldnt let the chance slip. Who is willing to be enved forever?
The coborator saw Zackary off and nodded behind his back, he mumbled to himself as he turned to the sunset outside the window.
The sunset was red like burning blood.
Blood was boiling and souls were screaming.
Leave everything in the hands of fate!
Oh, darn fate! Be merciful on the persistent man!
Please have mercy on us!
We are praying with our hearts!
Please have mercy on us!
We will give you everything we possess.
The song echoed in the coborators ears again, it had been a long time since he heard it.
Heughed heartily, to the point that tears of joy rolled down his cheeks.
Fate?
Bullsh*t!
Every man for himself!
Great Swamp!
Come!
Were in the end game now!
The coborator roared.
...
The night breeze was blowing smoothly.
When thest bit of sun vanished, grand limousines one after another entered Dublin Street.
The usual folks that lingered around the streets were all gone, only a group of a hundred men in ck suits walked the streets.
The ck-suited men were 5 meters apart from each other, forming a long line to escort the limousines through the street.
The guests in the limousines were looking at the tall and muscr guards with sharp eyes as well, especially the bulges near their waists, it captivated all the attention instantly.
However, the guests attention was captivated by the two small buildings at the end of the street.
It was a little inappropriate to call it a building because it couldnt house people.
These temporarily built structures were made out of solid wood and iron and they only served a single purpose: housing the heavy turrets.
Under the searchlight, the ck, cold bodies of the heavy turrets were getting colder and scarier.
Gasps were heard in the limousines whenever the guests saw the turrets, even their bulletproof windows couldnt hide their astonishments, simr to how the bulletproof ss couldnt stop the bullets of a heavy turret.
Kairi who was also in a handsome, clean suit listened to the astonishments like music to his ears. His face was showing an evesting smile as he weed the guests.
His lord specifically ordered him to wee the guests and he would do his best to not shame himself and his lord.
As for whether the guests would act inappropriately further in?
It wasnt his matter to deal with, he was just a greeter at the moment.
Most of the guests from the limousines were couples.
Thedies saw the yellowish golden chains of bullets around the turrets and their legs were turned to jelly, their malepanions had to help them up to the stairs.
The gentlemen were slightly stronger than thedies but not by too much.
All of them looked pale and one could easily tell they were barely holding up.
However, after they followed Kairi into the big theatre of Dublin Street, the men couldnt hold it anymore.
The ce was stenchful! It reeked of blood!
Even paint and aromatic perfume couldnt cover it up!
From a certain aspect, the bloody stench was stinging their noses even more as they ventured forward.
What is this ce? Arent we heading to the auction venue?
One of the male guests asked.
This is the big theatre of Dublin Street, it is also the auction venue for tonight, said Kairi.
Ive never seen such a venue before! The male guest covered his nose and scowled.
Sir, please, believe me, if you do not wish to be part of the smell, you will learn to get used to the ce and the rules here. His lordships words are everything.
No questions!
No arguments!
Dont ask me questions or argue with me as I have told you the consequences.
While continuing forward, Kairi kept his smile and exined the rules to the guests in a clearer, louder voice.
The group had arrived at the main hall of the big theatre after the briefing.
One of the gang members opened up the door without Kairi even asking.
Right away, dazzling spotlights were blinding the eyes of the guests in the corridors.
When the dazzling spotlights went off and returned their sight to them, cries of shock were heard one after another.
What did they see?
A golden stage! And golden seats!
Even the scarlet red carpet on the floor was emanating the unique radiance of gold under the dazzling lights.
Kairi was utterly satisfied with he nced at the bbergasted guests.
He knew his efforts were not wasted, hence he straightened his back proudly.
Everyone, please have your invitations with you. The invitations have the numbers to your respective seats so please be seated ordingly. Ive already reminded everyone of the rules here, so please dont ce me in a difficult situation, said Kairi.
He imitated a noble by bowing at the guests and walked towards the side of the main hall.
His task wasnt just receiving guests, he had to be the emcee of the auctionter as well.
Now, he had to seize the time to memorize the auction list despite the fact that he had memorized it more than a dozen times before this. He realized as the auction drew near, he had to go through the list a couple more times, otherwise, when the auction started, he would be tortured by the anxiety in his heart.
Kray who had just escorted all the auction items to the auction venue walked in as he ignored Kairi. He lit up a cigarette and started to smoke leisurely.
Damn it! Dont smoke in here! Do you know what are these things around you? If a piece of ash from your cigarette falls on the items, you will cause irredeemable damage to his lord!
Anxious, Kairi seized the chance to vent his emotions at his old rival Kray.
You moron! Didnt you see each of the items are inside the lockbox? Have you ever seen cigarette ash prating 3-inch thick steel of a lockbox?
Kray rolled his eyes at his rival in an irritated manner
Shut up! Those lockboxes will be opened sooner orter! Kairi scolded him.
Kray jolted.
Annoyed, he dumped the cigarette on the floor and stepped on it with his foot.
Both of them stared at each other after the little fiasco and didnt say anything else.
A minuteter, Kairi opened up his cor and heaved a long breath. He raised his hand towards Kray.
What do you want? Kray was startled.
Give me a cigarette, said Kairi in a muffled voice.
Kray immediatelyughed out loud when he heard what Kairi said.
Hahahahaha!
Hisughs werent mocking Kairi, instead, it showed his own rxed state.
He passed Kairi a cigarette after theughter and even lit it up which was rare for him to do.
A few minutester, both of them were basking themselves in smoke, spitting out clouds from their mouths.
After two cigarettes on a row, Kray suddenly asked, Did someone contact you?
Yup, Kairi nodded after two seconds of silence.
You agreed? Kray followed up.
Did you? Kairi asked him back.
No one gave a clear answer but they knew it in their gut.
Benefits were tempting to everyone, who didnt want more?
Butpared to benefits, their lives were more important.
Without it, all the benefits were nothing but false promises.
Dak, Dak, Dak.
Familiar footsteps came and both of them jumped up immediately.
They dumped the cigarettes on the floor and put it out quickly with their feet before turning around and bowing.
My lord.
Lets begin.
Kieran said quietly after a nce at both of them.
Yes, my lord. Both of them answered in one voice.
Kairi quickly tidied up his shirt while Kray took the keys to the lock boxes from Kieran.
Kak!
The first lockbox was opened.
Dong!
The first knock of the hammer went off in the main hall of the theatre.
The auction had begun.
Chapter 1124 - Very Nice Timing
Chapter 1124: Very Nice Timing
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The guests in the golden seats quickly straightened their bodies when the little hammer struck, their eyes were glued to the center of the stage where the lights were shining on the item.
After the appearance of the golden seats and stage, the frightened and dissatisfied guests had their interest piqued the moment the hammer struck.
Since they were familiar with the rules and procedures, they really wanted to know what the item under the red cloth was.
In order to have an auspicious start, the first item of all the auctions they had been to would definitely be the most exquisite item of all. It might be second only to thest and most precious item.
As the guests raised their heads up for a good look, Kairi unveiled the red cloth.
Oh my!
What is that?
Look at that! What is it?
A series of heavy gaspster, shocks were heard in waves.
A golden dragon crown with jewels embedded on it was shining brilliantly under the spotlight.
If it was just gold and jewels, it wouldnt astonish the guests who themselves were high authority individuals. What shocked them was the crown itself.
Is that Artitelgars crown?
Seems so, but...
Impossible!
How could it be Artitelgars crown?
...
Discussions sounded in session. Kairi on the stage knocked the hammer before the crowd went out of control.
Bang Bang Bang!
The unique sound of the wooden hammer silenced the whole venue immediately.
Kairi who was under the spotlight looked around and saw the doubts and disbelief on the faces of the guests; however, there was a slight sense of anticipation behind those questionable expressions and it made Kairi smile.
An unknown excitement rose in his heart when he saw the crowds expressions.
Unlike him showing off his strength in the streets, the excitement now was denser and had more substance to it.
It was simr to waves of trembling aura that assaulted his nerves like a rampaging storm.
Kairis face quickly blushed and thest bit of anxiety in his heart vanished at that very moment.
He became perfectly calm and collected, NO! More precisely, he became passionate.
Silence everyone.
I am sure everyone is quite familiar with this crown as it is the legendary crown of Artitelgar. Thats right, it really exists! I believe I dont have to tell you the legends of this crown right? After all, everyone here should have heard about the stories of His Majesty.
I myself show utter respect for His Majesty so you need not worry about its origins or being chased after. It ispletely logical and legal for the crown to be here and of course, in order to fit an item of this caliber, the price shouldnt insult His Majesty as well...
10 million! We will start with 10 million and every bid will be no less than 1 million!
The speech was written by a pro whom Kairi sought out to aid him.
Unlike his usual dry and stuttering reading, his words were infectious as his heart was pumping with excitement at that particr moment.
Simr to cold water being poured into a boiling pot of oil, the venue exploded in an instant.
20 million!
30 million!
40 million!
...
In the eyes of amon man, the bids were unimaginable astronomical figures and yet it came out of the guests mouth like water.
Soon, the bidding wars grew fierce.
Kray who was backstage was overwhelmed by the scene.
Coming from the streets, Kray did see a lot of money earning businesses but the businesses that he thought was a lot of money in the past was a far cry from the numbers the guests uttered.
What was a few thousand to tens of millions?
These people really... They are really crazy! Krays jaw dropped for a while before he uttered the only term he could think of to describe the guests.
Kray, you think they are crazy? No, they are calmer than ever before. They are willing to bid at such a high price is because they understand that by getting their hands on the crown, they can get a lot more in return, returns that will exceed their imaginations, said Kieran with augh.
This crown, is it that valuable? Kray asked out of instinct.
The moment the question escaped his mouth, the muscle of the gang felt embarrassed.
Of course, the crown was valuable! If it wasnt, how could it produce such an effect on the guests?
But...
Why is it so valuable? Even if it is gold embedded with gemstones, it shouldnt be worth that much, Krays heart was flooded with questions.
Unlike Kairi who had been following Kieran at his side and witnessed many special things, Kray had been busy the past two days expanding their territory so he wasnt clear on everything.
Because it is Artitelgars crown, Kieran replied quietly.
Kieran didnt borate, instead, he turned his eyes to the person beside him and said, Am I right Zackary?
Of course! Artitelgar represents everything in me City, wealth, power, and even life!
Zackary slowly walked out from the corner in his handsome suit while answering Krays question but Kray didnt even listen because the moment Zackary spoke, Kray pointed his gun at him.
Hey Kray, its not the first meeting anymore, lower the tension will you? said Zackary with his smug smile.
His unique temperament was very likable but it wasnt a reason for Kray to lower his gun.
On the contrary, Kray held his gun tighter. Many years of life and death battles on the streets honed Krays instinct to its sharpest.
The man was dangerous!
Zackary didnt reveal his danger to Kray during thest meeting but this time, it was overflowing.
Krays simple mind determined that he would never understand what caused the change but he knew what to do to erase the danger.
Sir Ethan Hunt, shouldnt you exin the working rtionship between us to your men? If we have to meet under such circumstances every time, Im afraid that he might gun me down mistakenly one day. I would die a restless death should it happen.
Zackary shrugged with his hands open.
Rx, you wont be killed mistakenly.
Kray, put the gun away and bring Zackary a chair. Oh, and bring me a cigar.
Kieran told Kray.
Yes, my lord.
Kray quickly moved to carry out Kierans orders but before he left, he red at Zackary, it was the threatening and warning kind.
A decent subordinate, but a little weak.
Zackarymented on Kray after his absence.
Weakness will grow into power one day. The most important thing is loyalty. Krays simple thinking made him understand what must he do, that is why I keep him around me, said Kieran.
What about the other one? Zackary continued asking.
Kairi? From a certain aspect, he is even more simple-minded. He might look smart but deep down, he is a straightforward man, unlike the big shots that received higher education, they learned to show reverence.
Kieran nced deeply at Zackary as he spoke.
Do you understand reverence?
I did before but... I dont want to in the future.
Zackary shrugged again before passing the box over.
What time is it arranged at?
Of course, the most crucial time C dawn.
Kieran casually mentioned the timing.
Dawn? No sun, no moon, nothing except gloomy darkness... Very nice timing.
Zackary nodded in satisfaction.
I know, it is a very nice timing, Kieran nodded as well.
Chapter 1125 - Illusory Image
Chapter 1125: Illusory Image
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Seconds turned into minutes and minutes to hours.
The atmosphere in the main hall of the big theatre was getting hot and tense as the auction progressed. Despite therge air conditioners installed in the venue, it didnt cool the guests down, quite the contrary, all of them were sweating intensely.
If it was during another time, the high position guests would certainly feel ufortable but now?
None of the guests cared about the difort.
Precious treasures of Artitelgar were brought in front of them one by one.
Prices that could move the hearts of Gods were echoing in everyones ears.
Everyones adrenaline was boosted to its peak by the tense auction session and Kairi was one of them.
The gang member that once served as Footers right-hand man had been through the initial difort on the stage and now he was like a fish in water.
He felt like he was born for the stage, not killing in the streets.
Huu Haaa Huu Haa!
Kairi was taking multiple deep breaths.
The auction had continued for hours now, the non-stop heightened atmosphere was enough to exhaust a strong man. Kairi was extremely exhausted as well but the enthusiasm on the mental level held him together as if he never knew fatigue.
He was holding a speaker in one hand and swinging the wooden hammer with the other as he stood on center stage again.
This time, Kairi didnt even have to speak and a round of apuse woulde from the crowd.
The guests were conquered by Kairis words a few hours ago, all the unpleasant memories swiftly faded away, leaving only anticipation in its ce.
They were looking forward to the precious treasures that Kairi brought out one after another; Kairi was looking at the guests with smiles.
After the round of apuse stopped, Kairi said, Thank you, everyone, for your passionate participation but all that was nothing but a prelude to this moment! It has finally arrived, thest item of the auction will soon appear! Believe me, you will not be disappointed!
Absent of further boration, Kairi turned to the backstage and pushed a cart to the stage together with Kray.
It was covered by the same red cloth, illuminated by the same spotlight but the guests still couldnt help but hold their breaths.
What would thest item be?
Will it still be a precious treasure rted to His Majesty Artitelgar?
Or... something more valuable?
Guesses in their hearts widened the guests eyes uncontrobly.
Bang!
Just as the anticipation was overflowing in the guests heart, a loud bang came from the door of the main hall behind them.
The shut door was kicked flying by someone from the outside andnded heavily in the hall.
The sudden change of atmosphere shook and infuriated everyone in the hall, especially Kray.
He arranged a lot of men outside the hall to guard the auction and he gave Kieran his promise of the security of the venue but someone barged in and caused trouble.
Kray instinctively reached out to the gun at his waist but he was stopped by Kairi; he shook his head.
Hesitating, Kray didnt pull out his gun but his hands were holding the handle tightly.
Kairi, on the other hand, was smiling at the group of men that barged in, especially at the one in the middle, the familiar-faced Beck.
Kairi knew a great deal about Beck because, without his cooperation, they wouldnt have expanded their territory so rapidly and gain the qualifications to hold the auction.
If Beck appeared in the theatre at normal times, even without an invitation Kairi would wee him but now?
Although there was a smile hanging on Kairis face, his eyes were cold.
The reason he stopped Kray wasnt that he allowed the rude neer to barge in uninvited, it was just that he didnt understand the situation.
Guys, guys, what is all this? Do you have an invitation? Kairi asked the obvious.
At the same time, Kairi signaled Kray quietly to reach Kieran behind the stage.
Kray quietly moved behind but the moment he made the first step, a man beside Beck appeared before Kray, stopping him from continuing.
Now, I will take over this ce. No one and nothing will get out of this hall, said Beck in a cold expression.
What do you mean Beck? Kairis gloomy voice asked while his mind was spinning quickly.
So all the coboration and working together before this were all traps?
In order to capture all with one haul?
Such guesses for the worse appeared in Kairis heart one after another and it sank his heart uncontrobly.
If it was really Becks trap, then...
He believed such a bigmotion in the hall shouldnt have escaped Kierans notice yet he didnte out...
Something was wrong!
A sense of panic appeared on Kairis gaze but he covered it up right away because he knew he shouldnt fall into panic at times like this. Therefore, Kairi was looking straight into Becks eyes, waiting for an answer.
What do you mean? Cant you see?
Beck said softly which only the people on the stage could hear while he pointed the squad of men behind him; he was replying with a cold gaze as well.
Or are you still fantasizing about Ethan Hunt stepping out to stop this inevitable scene? He can hardly save himself now! I gave you a chance but you wasted it... So now you will join him in death, Beck showed a malicious smile as he spoke.
The coldness shifted to malicious intent within an instant but when the malicious smile was shown, only Beck felt real.
You really think that I will work with you pieces of trash? TOO NAIVE!
Beck raised his hand and swung it down hard.
The men behind Beck immediately rushed up to the stage and jumped onto Kairi and Kray.
Kray, of course, would not go down without a fight, he pulled his tightly held gun and fired multiple times.
Bang Bang Bang!
Bullets flew but most of the shots grazed its target, it didnt really harm the men.
You people dont know what true power is! Beckughed coldly.
Ya, we dont but you think you do? Piece of sh*t!
Kairi who stood still from the beginning jumped away and grabbed Kray together.
Kak!
A sound of a spring contraption came from the stage, followed by the stage crumbling into debris; Kairi and Kray vanished together with the stage.
A secret passage!
The auction stage had a secret passage installed!
The scene was out of everyones expectation, Becks men were all stunned.
What are you people standing there for? Leave a few behind to guard the ce and the rest go after them! Beck was shouting at his men as he was infuriated by the embarrassment.
His men quickly acted on the orders but when he got near to the secret passage entrance, a digital tick was heard and everyones face grew pale.
BOMB!
KABOOM!
The term escaped the mouth of one of the men and the explosion went off.
Everything happened in a sh.
When the explosion sent the whole stage flying, the men on the stage were sted to pieces; however, thest item wasnt harmed at all.
The red cloth over it was turned to ash, thus revealing its real appearance.
It was a thin, long whisker that coiled up like a snake.
Its color was dull because of its age.
Its strength was weakened due to the course of time.
However, this wasnt the reason for it to be destroyed.
Roar!
After a dragon-like roar resounded in the air, a hundred-meter long illusory image of a dragon-snake like creature rose up to the sky.
There was light in the darkness and it came from the long body.
The darkness was purified following the dragon-snake like images appearance.
Hymns, praises were heard in the air.
All of themoners in the venue couldnt help but kneel on the ground when the illusory image appeared, simr to how their ancestors knelt in the past.
They were seeking protection and chose to submit to the higher existence.
The creatures image looked down at all, it slightly opened its mouth to speak but before the word was form...
PUK!
Its head was cut off!
Chapter 1126 - Gray “Person”
Chapter 1126: Gray Person
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Before the illusory images giant head fell on the ground, it faded away into the wind together with its headless body.
The illusory image vanished but the wind that blew it away didnt!
Quite the opposite, the wind was blowing faster as if it was venting its emotions wholeheartedly and delightfully.
When it took form before the eyes of the kneeling guests in the main hall, it became gray!
A gray colored wind that was tumbling around vigorously.
A moment ago, it was a slight breeze but now it was as sharp as a de and it further transformed into a rampaging wind.
It was ever changing! Its form was changing ceaselessly despite it ultimately settling in the form of a human, the gray wind energy around the figure was still rumbling.
The gray wind energy covered the figures face and body, making it look like the umtion of gray wind in the form of a man.
Everyone in the main hall was shaken from the bottom of their hearts when they saw the man.
A tremendous aura far more powerful than the dragon-snake like image assaulted the guests in an even fiercer, more violent way.
Each of their souls was trembling before the powerful existence.
When the man walked past them, no one dared to look up as they crawled on the ground with their heads down.
It wasnt submission but absolute obedience!
A simple example was how a beast at the top of the food chain walked past the little animals at the bottom of the food chain, thetter would showplete submission by giving up everything.
Dak, Dak, Dak.
Step after step.
Each step the gray man took, the guests hearts would skip a beat.
Each time their hearts skipped a beat, it weakened their remaining will.
When the gray man reached the destroyed stage, everyone else in the main hall had lost their consciousness, their eyes were out of focus as they crawled there nkly like statues.
Their breathing slowed down and eventually vanished.
Among all the affected ones, anyone would be eye-catching enough if they could act normally under such circumstances, hence Beck stood out from the rest.
Although he wasnt fine by any means, he still hadnt died.
His face was pale, his mouth was spitting blood as he fell out from the shadow that he was hiding in. His body was twitching non-stop as if he would die at any second and yet he straightened his back and red at the gray man.
Perforation Sting! You are starting a war here! Beck yelled with his best effort and clenched teeth.
Despite him standing out among the others and shouting with all his might at the gray man, the moment his shout went silent, he copsed without any further signs of life.
The gray man didnt even care about Becks shouting.
When a dog was tough on the outside yet weak in the inside barked, most wouldnt care about it, let alone the said dog was already dead.
The gray man only had the thin, long whisker in his eyes.
The whisker was thin when it waspared to its own length but actually, it was as thick as a grown mans arm, the very robust kind.
Hmph!
The gray man heaved a cold grunt when he nced over the whisker.
Following his grunt, the whisker shook.
The lingering life force that survived through the corrosion of time vanished just like that, all that was left was a in whisker and its original power.
The power of the whisker was exactly what the gray man wanted, so he raised his hand.
However, his hand suddenly froze in mid-air.
I wouldnt touch other peoples thing if I were you!
Amidst the youthful voice, a youthful face appeared out of thin air before the gray man.
Great Swamp!
The gray man spoke for the first time when he saw the familiar face and the outstandingly mature temperament.
His voice sounded like a roaring wind and it really did cause a violent wind throughout the hall.
However, Great Swamp waved his hand and the wind that came faded away quickly.
Not only did the wind fade from the hall, but even the guests who lost all signs of life also returned to normal, Beck included.
Your Majesty!
Beck knelt down with one knee when he saw Great Swamp the moment he regained his consciousness.
Your Majesty!
The others followed in kneeling after they jolted.
Unlike the forceful one from before, this time around, the guests knelt out of respect.
As their wealth increased and positions changed, these guests had gotten in touch with the unknowns in me City.
Such as fiends, me City in its early days, and the realmander of me City.
If they knew nothing, why would they chase after the precious treasures rted to Artitelgar so crazily?
Artitelgar was Great Swamp, it wasnt really a secret among the city though.
Hmph! Compassion from a hypocrite. All these years and you still havent changed.
The gray man grunted coldly again andmented in a disdainful manner.
So are you right? From the first day I met you, you were always this ruthless, and ambitious.
Great Swamp shook his head.
Are you saying we are the same? Ive been growing stronger all these years! And you? You/re still relying on your natural advantage and resting on yoururels, benefiting from past achievements! I was a mortal whom you could easily squash back in the day but now Ive transcended to a God that is on par with you! What do you think now?
The gray man was questioned Great Swamp with his delighted and boastful tone.
Great Swamp shook his head.
You talk too much.
He then vanished from the spot together with the gray man.
However, unlike Great Swamp who vanished on his own will, the gray man was sent flying by a powerful blow.
Bang!
The air froze for a second before the ceiling was broken by a huge bang.
The gray man was sent flying into the air, the gray energy that rumbled around him even faced a short dy and yet he didnt panic; despite taking a blow, the gray manughed wholeheartedly.
You left the ground and came up to the sky? Do you know... this will be your end!?
Amidst his delighted killer words, the gray manughed even louder and happier.
I said you talk too much.
When Great Swamps voice was heard, his finger softlynded on the gray mans body.
Bak!
The gray energy was broken with a crack.
As if it was an eggshell being peeled off, the gray energy fell off the mans body, thus finally revealing his true identity.
However, when Great Swamp caught a glimpse of the true identity of the man, he couldnt help but be jolted.
The one under the gray energy shell wasnt the one he was expecting which was Perforation Stings leader, Jin, instead, he was... the God of Forest City!
...
It has begun!
Zackary said after a deep breath.
Yes, it is, Kieran nodded and saw Zackary stand up from his chair.
Beneath their feet, a lotus-like nt was slowly withering and when it diedpletely, their shielded presence would be exposed under Great Swamp and God of Forest Citys perception.
So, Zackary knew he had to hurry.
Sir Ethan Hunt, it has been a pleasure working with you. So... You can die now!
The de that he was hiding in his hand was thrust towards Kierans chest.
Chapter 1127 - Slash!
Chapter 1127: sh!
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Blood flowed.
After some slight struggles, Kieran fell to the sofa and his body quickly hardened while his face turned ck.
The bloodline of the half-fiend is powerful but unfortunately... You are not immortal!
Im so sorry.
Zackary said quietly and after an apology, he slowly pulled out the knife from Kierans heart which was drenched in his blood.
He took out a seed that he hid on himself and ced the bloody knife over it, watering it with drops of blood.
The seed was thrown on the ground and soon, it sprouted at exponential speed.
A flower bud sprung out from the ground and it was looking exceptionally bright in color.
Puk!
Zackary suddenly stabbed himself on the chest with the knife!
Blood flowed along the de and watered the flower bud.
Zackary didnt seem to feel the pain from the stab, instead of pulling it out, he twisted the knife in his chest.
The wound was widened in an instant and his blood was gushing ceaselessly as it watered the flower bud.
Zackary staggered and fell on the ground, his face was as pale as paper but he was filled with excitement, anticipation, and soon... relief.
It will be here soon.
A little longer...
A little longer...
He muttered non-stop.
His sight was starting to grow blurry when he saw the flower bud bloom.
He felt like he had returned to that time again.
He watched her being carried into the temple.
He watched her being carried out of the temple.
It was just an instant between life and death but unlike that time, he was helpless, weak, and a coward.
Now, he was still weakpared to that time but... he could throw his life away.
The old Zackary thought that staying alive was everything but after he had been through the excruciating experience of being worse than dead, he finally understood sometimes staying alive was more painful than death.
That day, that moment, it still haunted his mind every single day of his life. It was the worst possible torture.
Whenever he shut his eyes, he saw her eyes.
From the struggling hope to the numbing despair, it ultimately bes the gloomy ashes after death.
She hated him, and he knew it.
So, he would dress neatly and clean since then, he hoped that he could portray the image that she wished to see of him. He hoped that her soul could feel some sense offort when she saw him.
His stubborn persistence kept thinking it might really give her a sense offort by dressing neatly.
Sounds funny?
It did.
A few days after her death, Zackary pped himself hard and a crazy n appeared in his mind.
He kept the ridiculous looks to himself.
He used the ridiculous looks to face everything since then.
He was waiting for the chance to appear.
He didnt mind dying together and now...
His wait has finallye to an end.
He waited all these years with guilt in his heart.
Zackary felt his energy slipping away rapidly, he felt like his body was suffering from million slices and his soul burning fiercely under hot oil and yet, he smiled.
The pain of his body.
The pain of his soul.
It was nothing to him since he experienced worse in the past.
Did it hurt?
Not anymore.
His body was numb.
Quite the opposite, his body felt relief, relief that he hadnt felt for a long time.
Im sorry. Im sorry that I cant say it to you personally but I will drag that bastard into purgatory together. Ill ask for your forgiveness when I get there.
His blurry sight turned darkpletely.
Zackary fell on the blooming flower, allowing the nt to devour his body.
3!
2!
1!
The flower bloomed.
It was delicate and charming, its aroma was striking to the nose and yet what came after was a sigh.
...
Surprised?
The God of Forest City looked deeply at Great Swamp. His cold face showed a smile while his tongue circled around his lips. His eyes were overflowing with malicious intent.
Do I need to tell you another surprising fact? Jin and I have joined hands! While I am fighting you right here, right now, hes already starting to destroy the nodes throughout me Citys earth veins!
Soon enough, all of me City will crumble and copse! You as me Citys God will be weakened like never before! The God of Forest City sounded more evil than his malicious gaze.
However, to his surprise, Great Swamp didnt show any panic, he wasnt even moved.
Still pretending to be calm eh? Or you dont think Jin can find the nodes of me Citys earth veins?
Seems like you arent just underestimating Jin, you also overestimated your men as well! Didnt it ur to you that they might betray you?
How naive!
The God of Forest Cityughed coldly but his eyes had a sense of doubt.
Something wasnt right!
The matter was rted to the life and death of me City, Great Swamp shouldnt be this calm.
Even for the God of Forest City, if the same thing happened to his city, he couldnt be as calm despite the fact that he treated his citizens like pigs and dogs.
Great Swamp was different, he loved his citizens.
God of Forest City looked deeply at the Great Swamp before his eyes.
He looked exactly the same and his temperament was very identical to what the God of Forest City remembered.
If someone was posing as Great Swamp using his face, it might still be possible but how could one copy his temperament to this extent? More importantly, his strength!
The strength that easily broke the God of Forest Citys disguise was definitely not of a mortals hand!
Does he still have tricks under his sleeves?
The thought uncontrobly appeared in the God of Forest Citys heart.
The thought caused him to squint his eyes and his killing intent skyrocketed.
I dont know what tricks you still have under your sleeves but do you really think you can defeat me after you leave thend? The God of Forest City said with an easy tone, the energy in his body was gathering and rumbling like the rising tide.
Well didnt you leave Forest City as well?Great Swamp, said calmly.
Its not the same! How is this same?
Ive made arrangements beforehand! And you?
You are just a moron who is blinded by some fake reality.
Remember Great Swamp, remember to find some truly loyal subordinate in your next life!
The God of Forest Cityughed wholeheartedly as if some delightful thought urred to him but before he finished hisughter, it was stopped abruptly.
The rising tide of energy in his body suddenly faced some dys.
The dys felt like an iron binding the God of Forest City tightly.
It didnt just bind him, it was consuming his own energy also.
The sudden unusual changes shocked the God of Forest City and right after the initial shock, it was reced by disbelief.
He saw Great Swamp draw out a purplish greatsword with a bewitching luster.
It wasnt Great Swamps weapon and the one who used this weapon wasnt Great Swamp!
If it wasnt Great Swamp, who was it?
Who are you?!
There was no answer but a sh from the greatsword.
There was only kill!
Chapter 1128 - Earth Vein Node
Chapter 1128: Earth Vein Node
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The bike Beck rode on was elerating to its maximum speed.
It was originally a modified motorcycle, hence it sped off like an arrow let loose and easily reached lightning speed.
However, Beck felt it was still too slow for him.
He wished he could fly over to his destination right away but he didnt possess the ability to do so.
Soon, I will have the abilities too!
Becks heart was burning whenever he thought about his future.
Who was willing to be appendage?
Who was willing to be enved?
Who didnt want to be God, standing above all humans?
So was it wrong for him to take a little risk to make his wishe true?
As for the betrayal?
Beck never served Great Swamp willingly from the start, how was it considered betrayal?
Other than that, soon he would be an existence that was on equal footing with Great Swamp.
Why he has to be apologetic now?
It wasnt necessary!
What he needed to do was wee his own glory!
Of course, before that could happen, he still needed a little bit of cover-up.
Tsss!
Amidst the sharp breaking noise from the bike, it was stopped abruptly and a burning rubber stench filled the air. From the elerated sprint to a sudden hard break, the momentum threw Beck off the bike.
Beck did a full flip in mid-air andnded in front of the gray mans figure. He didnt even care about his bike that flew off the road, crashing into a wall and exploding.
Although a short while before this, he imed that the bike was his favorite.
Your Majesty.
Beck saluted to Jin respectfully as though he was saluting to Great Swamp.
Ill lead the way.
Beck took the initiative to walk in front even without Jins reply.
The ce hended was the edge of the outskirts of me City.
There were many citizens who lived here and there were many shops around as well. Although it wasnt as prosperous and as busy as the city center, crowds still shuttled the streets during the day.
But now?
It was the darkest moment before dawn where most people were still asleep or pretending to be asleep.
Everyone knew how to protect themselves from the explosion in the middle of the night.
It was natural that some bold, curious men didnt hold back their curiosity but a lot more of them chose to call the police.
To their surprise, the phone call to the station couldnt get through.
In fact, not only the phone, even the electricity around the city seemed to have disappeared.
The streetmps were going off one by one, darkness descended on the area.
Amidst the deep darkness, the walking gray man figure incited the most primitive fear in the peoples hearts in an unusual way.
Those bold, curious citizens were shaken right away. Each of them returned to their own room and shivered under the nket and yet it only increased their fear.
A heavy gloomy smile suddenly came out from the gray mans mouth as though a gloomy wind blew.
He was feeling the fear around him; He was also enjoying the fear to the fullest, to the point that he couldnt help but halted his steps for a deep breath.
Huu!
A violent wind rose.
As the wind roared loudly, the citizens shivering under their nkets started to freeze and were eventually devoid of breath. Translucent figures were dragged out of their bodies and were sucked into the gray mans nose.
The whole process happened within a second.
When the wind stopped, the gray man heaved a sigh of satisfaction.
Delicious.
After thement, he signaled Beck to continue on and Beck ventured forward again.
Beck didnt mind nor was he unhappy about the actions of the person behind him, he maintained his smile throughout the process.
It wasnt an act though, the smile came from the bottom of his heart.
In Becks eyes, the scene was nothing but normal.
The weak shall serve the strong.
The weak shall contribute to the strong.
It was thew of the jungle and was unquestioned.
If one didnt wish to be enved and raided, be strong!
Never stop bing stronger, by any means necessary!
Being weak, was worse than the cardinal sins.
Soon, I will be free of this sin!
With the thoughts in his heart, Beck led the gray man down a street and into an alleyway beside it. He pushed open the rusty abandoned door.
There were multiple bodies with various poses behind the door, some were sitting, some were lying down.
Those who guarded the rusty door were obviously the elites among the elites in me City. Among them were many half-fiend powerhouses and yet all of them died silently under that one breath from the gray man. Until the veryst moment, the guards didnt know what happened to them.
Power!
It was power!
Becks breath couldnt help but slow down.
The burning gaze shed over his eyes for an instant as he maintained his pace into the door.
There was a long and narrow corridor leading down with thousands of flights of stairs.
The duo ventured forward without a doubt.
When they reached the very end, a stone gate with the carvings of the dragon-snake like creature blocked them.
Your Majesty, the biggest node of the earth veins is behind this door. All you need to do is push the gate open and you will find it, Beck turned around and reported in a respectful tone.
Without an answer, the gray man strode forward to the stone gate. After sizing it up and down, he raised his hand to push the door open.
Beck couldnt hold back his smile.
He did it!
The node of the earth veins was indeed here!
But it wasnt behind the door... It was the door!
In simple words, whosoever pushed open the door would be destroyed by the node of the earth veins.
Under normal situation, destroying the node will cause an unimaginably catastrophic effect on me City but the one who broke the node would be spared of any influence.
That was under normal situation though. If a certain secret mystical technique was used to turn a certain point in the process, the destructive, catastrophic effect would be diverted to the person who pushed the door open.
So, even if the person was a God, he would be more suffering than he could handle.
Beck couldnt have destroyed the node around alone, but he could give his advice to the one who could.
Great Swamp has always been open towards suggestion from his men.
Thank you for your mercy! Beck mocked in his heart.
In his point of view, the strong never needed to listen to the weak for any advice, simr to how the strong should be ruthless against the weak and rule them with absolute power.
The palm was getting near, it was almost at the stone gate.
However, before the palm truly touched the stone gate, it stopped.
Do you really think Im an idiot?
Cold words entered Becks ears.
Beck was stunned, he was lifted up in the air without even reacting and was mmed into the stone gate.
NOOO!
Becka shouted in horror.
He knew what would befall him had he crashed into the stone gate.
He would be obliterated! Destroyed beyond ashes!
However, his shout didnt change the oue.
BANG!
He crashed onto the stone gate as expected and was turned into a pile of meat paste by the tremendous force.
Yet the stone gate didnt budge.
No matter how strong a turtle shell is, it is just a turtle shell!
Amidst the cold, disdainfulughter, Jin, Perforation Stings leader, raised his hand and smashed the gate without minding the blood and flesh.
KABOOM!
The explosion that sounded like 10 tons of explosives destroyed the stone gate.
However, Jin was sent flying backward by the force andnded hard on the ground.
His gray wind shell broke and revealed his gaze of disbelief.
He saw Great Swamp behind the destroyed gate and there was another stone gate behind Great Swamp.
What the hell happened?
Questions rose in Jins heart rapidly.
Chapter 1129 - Respond
Chapter 1129: Respond
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
While looking at the dubious, shocked and confused expression on Jin, the leader of Perforation Sting, Great Swamp couldnt hold back his smile.
When Kieran approached him to propose a coboration, Great Swamp knew he would gain something out of the deal.
After all, with a coborator like Zackary, Kieran, and Great Swamp werent just predicting their opponents moves anymore, instead, they had absolute control over all the details in their nthe duo knew every step their enemy would take.
The God of Forest City disguised himself as Jin whilst Great Swamp helped Kieran by transforming into him in order to engage the God of Forest City.
Great Swamp could already picture the astonishment on his old friends face when Kieran revealed his true identitythe astonishment must be simr to Jins current state before Great Swamps eyes right now.
Jin thought he had destroyed the earth vein node of me City but actually, the stone gate he destroyed was nothing but a trap; the real earth vein node was still intact behind Great Swamp.
In simpler words, Great Swamp created a false node in front of the real one.
For anyone else, the feat was near impossible but it was a piece of cake for Great Swamp.
me City was like his own house, so how difficult was it for Great Swamp, the owner of the house, to rearrange everything?
More so, the opponent he faced was Jin who never had a house.
Huu! Haaaa!
Jin was panting heavily, his breath was like a violent wind that was blown across thend.
He stared deeply at Great Swamp and asked with a heavy tone This a trap?
Yup. Specifically targeted at you. If its the God of Forest City, he might have realized some inkling in the process but you..
Great Swamp shook his head with a smile and purposely didnt finish his words.
His words and actions actually had zero contempt but in Jins eyes, they were overflowing with it.
To be frank, what Great Swamp said was just facts.
Unlike any other God in the current realm, Jin who ascended into his divine status by ying one had a natural disadvantage to begin with.
You think youve won?
You think youve know everything?
Jin was wobbling as he gave his best effort to stand up.
The unexpected trap damaged him severely but it wasnt fatal yet.
After bing a God, as long as the damage wasnt fatal, Jin wouldnt care.
Perhaps he had a natural disadvantagepared to other Gods but in another aspect, he also had the advantage that was iparable to other Godslike healing!
Jin could easily make aeback after some good rest, there was no need like the others who had to move resources around onrge scale or hold some sacrificial ceremony.
Of course, it wasnt an easy feat to slip away under Great Swamps eyes like this but fortunately, he was prepared.
I know right, its hard to tell the results before reaching thest moment but your arrangements, starting from Perforation Sting infiltrating me City to the family members of me City high positioned individuals being kidnapped, and the explosives that your group installed in a couple of important departments in the city, Ive known almost all of it, said Great Swamp with his amiable smile.
However, Jinughed out loud.
Youve only seen all this? What about the God of Forest City? What about others other than me? You are too shallow! Jinsughs were as frantic as ever because he thought he found the way for him to counterattack.
Your me City will be destroyed soon and you? You will fall right here together with your city! Jin said loudly as if it was a deration.
Great Swamp was still smiling at him though.
Did you forgot about my ally? Great Swamp reminded Jin.
Ally? Stop joking! How did you get an ally that can stall the God of Forest City? You must have used some way that I didnt know off to prevent him from appearing temporarily, or that guy perhaps really wants you and I to be badly injured in our fight!
Jin was jolted for a second and instinctively chose not to believe Great Swamp.
It was well-known that Great Swamp had no allies or close friends of the same power level.
If he had, Perforation Sting wouldnt have targeted him in the first ce.
I know right, I am shocked as well. But you should thank him, otherwise, why do you think youd still be alive? Its him that wants you alive.
And me, my task is to try to deliver you to him in one piece.
Great Swamp moved.
RAWR!
Amidst a dragon roar, the dragon-snake like creature showed its appearance again.
However, unlike the illusory image at the auction venue, this image was more real and possessed the nobility that the old image didnt.
Correct, it was the nobility, the nobility that came from the deepest part of his bloodline and spread from his bone; any mortal would feel ashamed before this nobility because of their unworthiness.
The temperament from the image obviously affected Jin the moment it appeared.
He was stupefied for a moment before he waspletely drowned by the dragon-snake like image.
...
PUK!
[Arrogant Word]s giant de shed the cold and sinister looking God of Forest City in half.
Blood flew into the air and organs sttered everywhere.
But...
God of Forest City didnt die!
Although the godly presence was rapidly weakening, it didnt stop him from ring furiously at Kieran.
Ill make sure you pay the price! The God of Forest City roared angrily.
His split body rapidly liquefied and threw itself towards Kieran, trying to envelop him.
The liquid reeked of a vile stench and it was also boiling.
Relentless gue authentication that spammed his vision told him how dangerous the God of Forest City was in his liquid form.
However, after a single [Fury sh] which depleted his stamina, Kieran heaved a sigh of relief in his heart.
A liquefied enemy, or to be more exact, any liquid that could boil or evaporate, even if it carried the lethal gue, Kieran was dauntless in the face of it because he had [Devil Burning] and the [Knight of gue Body Tempering Art]!
Huuu!
The fire rose from Kierans left hand.
The devil me that burned bodies and extinguished souls shed with the liquefied God of Forest City and upon contact, more than half of the liquid was evaporated.
The gue Force that devoured despair and gave birth to hope was activated to absorb the energy.
Soon enough, the liquefied God of Forest City vanished from thin air but Kieran scowled.
He turned his head towards the west side of the city through the broken theatre wall.
The God of Forest City who had just vanished appeared again in that direction. He appeared in the middle of his men and was ring at Kieran with a heavy, gloomy gaze.
It was obvious that God of Forest City had suffered severe damage, he clenched his teeth at Kieran and said, Ill crush you to nothing!
The words he uttered were clear. The God of Forest City then swung his hand down and right away, almost one hundred of his followers split into two groups before they charged towards Kieran.
Each and every single one of them were the elite of the elites.
All of them had special bloodline powers; All of them could rival ten men at once respectively.
Some even had the ability to rival a hundred at once, with the addition of the mystical items from the temple, they were like tigers with wings.
They were proud, proud of their identity as the aces of the elite troops of Forest City.
They were willing to sacrifice themselves without a second thought to carry out the God of Forest Citys orders.
Swiftly, the men surrounded Kieranpletely but despite facing elite troops that red at him like a tiger, Kieran looked up to the dark sky.
The sky was the darkest at that time because it was before sunrisedawn.
The time is just right, he muttered quietly.
A drop of brilliance shined across the dark sky.
It was as dazzling as the stars, as brilliant as a swords re!
Dak, Dak Dak Dak Dak Dak!
Ceaseless gallops tore the air apart.
Wuuuuu, wuuuuuur!
The sound of the horn tore the silence apart.
At the very next moment
A squad of riders arrived by riding across the sky.
A fiery g was waving along with the wind and the devils head was roaring fiercely under the dark veil.
The loyal knights responded to the summon and rode fiercely.
BURNING
DAWN!
Chapter 1130 - Radiance
Chapter 1130: Radiance
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Amidst the roar in unison, the knights that rode the wind came down like an iron river and charged towards the Forest City elites around Kieran.
The Forest City elites were jolted. They never thought there would be this many enemies but their pride didnt turn them away from the fight.
More so, they were facing a group of riders!
They might be terrifying in the sharp weapon era but now?
Firearms rose to the mainstream and had already be the dirge for the riders.
Under the pressure of firearms and cannons, riders had retreated from the forefront of history.
Fire!
The leader of the elites ordered with a vicious smile.
Right after the order, the guns in the elites hand were pointed at the riders and muzzle shes shined brightly.
Dak Dak Dak Dak Dak Dak Dak dak!
Bullets poured down like the storm and clouded the Burning Dawn riders but the scene that followed shook the Forest City elites thoroughly.
The bullets indeednded on the armor of the Burning Dawn riders but other than causing a little spark, they were totally ineffectiveit didnt even stop the riders from charging forward.
Grenades!
The leader of the elites reacted quickly and gave another order.
Dozens of grenades were hurled towards the charging riders right away.
Boom!
Kaboom! Boom!
Amidst the ground trembling explosion, shrapnel burst into the air but simr to the previous scene, other than a few sparks, the grenades also were ineffective.
While the smoke from the explosion lingered in the air, the Burning Dawn riders charged into the heart of the elite troops.
Closebat!
The leader shouted and drew the sword from his waist. The unsheathing motion caused a few sparks and the sword was thrust towards the Burning Dawn rider at the front.
The Burning Dawn rider responded with his own sword sh.
There was no extravagant technique or another shy aura to the sh, it was just a in heavy sh with great force.
The rider borrowed the strength from the horse while the horse gathered its strength from thend.
Chang!
Puk!
The riders long sword easily broke the leaders sword and followed the motion to cut the head off as well.
The head flew up high in the air and until the moment of death, shock lingered on his widened eyes.
He couldnt believe the techniques he cultivated through relentless training and tempering didnt even withstand a single hit.
Puk! Puk! Puk!
The death of the leader was like a signal, the sounds of iron swords shing bodies came in session and the Forest City elite troops that could rival ten or even a hundred were cut down like wheat.
The Forest City elite troops were not strong enough?
The fact that God of Forest City brought them to me City had proven their strength.
The only mistake was they had to face the riders from Burning Dawn.
Burning Dawn once conquered the ancient battlefield all year long, they were true elites tempered from blood and fire.
Those skillfulbat techniques that the Forest City elite troops were so proud of were like childs y in front of the Burning Dawn ridersthey looked more like some performance skills than killing techniques.
As for the mythical items the Forest City elite troops possessed?
Sorry.
Each and every weapon and piece of equipment the Burning Dawn riders wore were Magic rank level items, including the war horses they rode and the battle armor the horses wore.
Therefore, the process was so destructive that it was like breaking a twig from a dead stump, like a hot knife cutting through a block of butter.
In less than a few breaths of time, the Forest City elite troops that surrounded Kieran were wiped clean.
Burning Dawn riders ced theirmander in their protection after stepping into formation.
They raised the longswords in their right hands and hit their shield on the left in unison.
Dang Dang Dang Dang!
The clunking from the swords and shields swiftly blended together to form a thunderous rumble.
Then...
Following Kierans order from his heart, the Burning Dawn rode forth!
Krakrooom!
Simr to a continuous heavy thunder, Burning Dawn charged forward at the remaining elite troops and the God of Forest City.
The rest of the Forest City elite troops showed panic after they saw how quickly theirrades were wiped out and how fierce the Burning Dawn riders were charging at them; even the God of Forest Citys malicious gaze showed astonishment.
He was astonished at Burning Dawns fierce force and was shocked by their appearance.
How did this bastard do it?
Arge scale summoning?
But there was no casting material involved...
A special bloodline then?
No, that cant be right. It doesnt feel as such.
The God of Forest City was genuinely shocked by Burning Dawns appearance but he didnt show any of that on his face; he knew how he had to react to the situation and what he must do.
The way the God of Forest City reacted rewarded him with immediate effectthe Forest City elite troops who panicked a moment ago swiftly calmed down after they saw the calm as water expression of their God.
Right!
Should they be worried?
Should they be scared?
No! Absolutely not!
The one standing behind him was God!
A real divine being!
Although I dont know how you did it, youve missed the window!
Now, Ill show you the difference between a mortal and a God!
Kill them! said God of Forest City coldly as he stared deeply at Kieran who was further away.
Charge!
The elite troops shouted loudly and dashed towards their enemy.
The frantic emotions would only appear on the most devoted believer without a doubt, normal people would be scared thoroughly whenever they saw it.
The even more frightening thing was, a faint radiance appeared on the charging elite troops together with the unique aura of the God of Forest City.
Blessed by the unique radiance, the Forest City elite troops strength grew at an exponential rate.
Watch! Numbers dont define the oue! Real power is...
Before the God of Forest City could finish, he was stunned and froze on the spot.
Kieran raised his hand up and a white, dazzling radiance was cast on the Burning Dawn riders.
The radiance was much brighter than the one cast on the Forest City elite troops.
The radiance also empowered the Burning Dawn riders a lot more than the Forest City elite troops.
Finally, the God of Forest City couldnt remain calm anymore.
The reason why he upied a certain spot among the Hundred Gods was because of his abilities to bless and empower his subordinates.
Now, simr abilities appeared on a stranger, how could it not astonish the God of Forest City?
WHO ARE YOU?! He shouted.
Kieran didnt answer.
After a nce at him, Kieran turned around and walked towards a certain spot in the city.
The God of Forest City was finished!
The moment Kierans sudden assault seeded, the God of Forest City was destined to lose.
Everything after that was nothing but worthless struggles.
Gawk!
A dash of scarlet red flew down from the dark sky swiftly and when itnded on Kierans shoulder, inconceivable expression was smeared all over the God of Forest Citys face.
BIRD OF DEATH!!
His sonorous cry of shock was quickly drowned by the horse gallops.
The Burning Dawn riders saluted at Kieran by raising their banner high up after they trampled over the God of Forest City; they then vanished at first light.
Kieran saw the riders off and allowed the sunlight to shower his ck feathered mantle.
Golden glimmers came along with the sunlight.
The lively golden glimmers soon materialized into an item and it was...
The golden radiance after the God of Forest Citys death.
Chapter 1131 - True Child of Destiny
Chapter 1131: True Child of Destiny
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
y a God to be a God.
Inside [City of Fiends], the rule was made known to the public following Perforation Stings name but no one knew the exact details to ascend to divine status were.
Kieran didnt know either but it didnt stop him from specting and experimenting.
The radiance transformed into the purest and unique energy, it entered Kierans body and lit up the mystical runes hidden all over his body. It was consuming the relentless, boundless chaos and darkness like snow melting under the sun.
That wasnt the end! The radiance even transformed into a rapid light and was fired towards the chaos and darkness in Kierans brain, but...
Unlike the rapidly vanishing chaos and darkness all over his body, those inside his brain were deeper and denser. The moment the rapid light reached the brain, it disappeared without a sign as though it never existed.
Despite being prepared, when he saw the scene himself, he still frowned.
Its harder than I expected.
Huh?!
While muttering to himself, Kieran realized the radiance from the God of Forest City after his death started to vanish as well.
It wasnt depleted by any means but the remaining radiance turned into a stream of light energy and fused with the sunlight before flowing farther away.
Kieran instinctively followed the flowing light energy when he saw where it was headed.
...
Rassho Temple.
Tanya was looking at the crystal ball in front of her with a serious face.
Her eyes which were enhanced by contact lenses looked extra big and round through the crystal balls cover.
She started to move her gaze up and down and her eyes together with her face started to distort because of the reflection of light.
Her features were twisted, rounded as she moved and even her serious face turned into a smile.
Kana who was beside her with her arms crossed saw Tanya and her little movements, she couldnt help but cover her forehead in frustration.
She really didnt know how naive and stupid Tanyas brain was for her to be a human being and how could a person like her catch the attention of the elder.
The elder must be getting old, his eyes are getting blurry and his mind is getting useless!
Kana couldnt help but criticize in her heart when she remembered the elder telling her to take good care of Tanya.
If it was possible, she would rather stay beside Jen.
Although her other good friend was also dull and in a daze almost every second of the day, she was much eptable than Tanya.
Ignorant peasant!
Kneel before your queen!
My myriad of armies will soon arrive from the M78 Neb!
Ohhahahahahaha!
Seeing how sincere you are, I guess Ill lend you a head!
Knight?
Where is my knight?
Where are you?
The wait for you is torturing.
...
Tanya was ying multiple characters alone while submerged in her own world.
Her heavy eighth-grade syndrome caused Kanas mouth to twitch.
Kana instinctively wanted to walk away from Tanya but her little move obviously captured the fantasizing princess attention.
Target found: the evildy from Bald!
Ready the First ss Human Rail Cannons firing sequence...
Bang!
The hot-tempered half-fiend presented a chop on Tanyas forehead and instantly, the half-assed
Crystal gazer held her forehead while squatting down in pain.
The chop quickly knocked Tanya out of her fantasy and brought her back to reality.
Sorry! Pardon me! I didnt mean it!
Since she knew she couldnt challenge Kana, Tanya quickly apologized but simr to the previous times, she was apologizing while drawing circles on the floor.
You are praying for 2567 again?
If you have the time to do that, I suggest you should spend more time in practicing thebat techniques I thought youat least you wont be a burden to everyone else, Kana frowned.
I am not a burden! I am helping 2567 with my best efforts! Tanya looked up and argued.
By poking voodoo dolls? Kanaughed coldly.
That is my heirloom treasure! Mother said it is to be used to help the one most important to me! Mother would never lie to Tanya! Tanya said in a serious tone.
When she mentioned her mother, Tanyas youthful face shown a never before seen expression and when Kana noticed it, she opened her mouth slightly but in the end, she didnt argue further.
As you wish then.
Kana was about to leave after leaving the word behind but before she moved her leg, a jade colored bird flew into the room andnded on her shoulder. The bird was chirping beside Kana as if it was speaking to her.
Kana was quickly taken aback by the chirps followed by an unbelievable cry of shock.
What did you say?
2567 sessfully slew the God of Forest City despite being ambushed?
How is this possible?
Even if the God of Forest City left his city and couldnt bring out his full power, he shouldnt be struck down by a mortal...
The cry of shock from Kana didnt enter Tanyas ears anymore, all she heard was that 2567 had in a God.
A joyful cheerter, the half-assed crystal gazer jumped up.
As expected of my knight!
A knight who slew a God is a true knight!
The God of Forest City indeed had a rtion with Perforation Sting, my methods were correct all along!
They are all evil bastards!
Tanya took out the broken, beaten straw doll from her pocket.
The piece of paper that had Perforation Sting written on it was poked into the straw doll with a silver needle and following her actions, a corner of the paper was lifted up.
The God of Forest City was written on it as well! Two names were written on the paper!
Aside from the voodoo doll not seeming to be a form of curse which was widely known by the public, even if the curse was real, how could two Gods fall to the curse?
More so, 2567 had seeded in ying a God, he will surely be a new God himself!
Kana couldnt help but breathe deeply when she thought about Kieran.
She looked at Tanya who was presenting the straw doll in front of her like her valued treasure with a heavy heart.
Some words couldnt escape her mouth because it will be too cruel but she had too, it was rted to the stupid Tanyas life.
Tanya!
Remember! From now on, you cant address 2567 as your knight anymore or other types of bullsh*t! He has in a God and will eventually be a new God!
Gods are not to be insulted or diminish, despite not being aplete one.
Kana was looking at Tanya seriously. The crystal gazer jolted for a while and showed sadness on her face under Kanas gaze but soon, it vanished without a sign.
As long as 2567 won, it will be all good! He will surely be a great God! She cheered again.
Kana couldnt hold back her sigh when she saw Tanya jumping around in the room.
What the hell am I being nervous for? You naive, stupid girl, how can you feel sadness? I must be blind! Kana swiftly shook her head and continued her serious reminder.
And you cant call 2567 by his name anymore, you must address him as Majesty.
Tanya who was jumping froze.
Not even the name? I must call him His Majesty? Tanya looked at Kana when she asked.
At that moment, Kana realized Tanyas eyes were already filled with tears.
Kana was stunned by the sudden tears.
Well... You must call him His Majesty in public but you still can address him in his original name in private, Kana said quickly.
In Kanas point of view, Tanya had always been a cheerful girl and she would turn tears into a smile when she heard the answer. However, to her surprise, drops of tears rolled down Tanyas cheeks and fell to the floor.
I want to call him by his name, 2567...
How can I do that? asked Tanya in her tears.
Unless... You be a God yourself, otherwise, its not possible, Kana shook her head.
Kana was showing sadness on her face because she didnt think it was possible.
Be a God, be a God...
Tanya didnt care that much, she mumbled the term repeatedly as if she found her life goal before she suddenly clenched her fist.
I want to be a God!
I want to call 2567 by his name!
The girl said like she was making a vow.
Then...
A pir of light fell from the sky and entered her body.
She became a God.
Chapter 1132 - Death Luck Absorber
Chapter 1132: Death Luck Absorber
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Light gushed out from Tanyas skin, a pir of holy light surrounded her and brightened the whole room; Kana, on the other hand, was looking at the scene nkly.
Kana didnt know what happened but the presence from Tanya made her step back.
What is this?
This presence...
A Grand Fiend?
No, no!
A little weaker than a Grand Fiend but from a certain aspect, its much more... Revered!
Kanas face changed again and again when she felt the presence that almost made her bow in worship, she shouted Tanya? Tanya? Are you okay?
Im fine!
I...
2567! Tanya replied.
However, as her words came out, the energy in her body vibrated all of a sudden and showed her a certain vision. When she saw the vision, Tanya cheered in surprise and dashed out from the room like a strong gale.
The astounding speed frightened Kana and caused her pupils to shrink in shock.
Shes fast!
Kana quickly went after Tanya while shock lingered in her heart.
Then, she saw the man she dreaded most.
He was still in ck and hadnt changed one bit, his face was still showing the cold and calm expression that shook her heart. The Fire Raven on his shoulder, however, got fiercer and sharper.
While her idiot friend was standing in front of him, looking up at his face with extreme joy smeared all over her face. The excitement was simr to her longtime wishing true.
However, whenever Kana thought about Kierans behavior in the past and his current status, her heart skipped a beat.
Your Majesty! Please forgive Tanyas ignorance! Kana said after bowing.
Kieran, however, turned a deaf ear at her words, he looked down at Tanya whose eyes were overjoyed and excited.
Kieran saw everything that happened to the crystal gazer though, She transcended from normal to extraordinary within an instant.
Even for Kieran, he couldnt hide the surprise in his heart when he saw the changes, especially when Tanyas transcendent status seemed to be a little different.
It wasnt the simple advancement to the higher order, despite her current strength having reached the level of one. Other than that, there was a certain kind of power inside her bloodline that would cause ones heart to race.
The heart racing feeling was like a smaller existence facing off against a greater being, it was unstable and faint but it definitely existed.
Kieran couldnt hold back his strange gaze at Tanya.
A forgotten divine descendant? Her mortal body constrained her own specialty and when she reached the limits of her mortal shackles, the power finally revealed itself!
Kieran eximed when he recalled the exnation Rachel gave him.
Tanya was very lucky. To the point that it might sound ridiculous and unimaginable.
ording to Rachels own words: divine descendants were powerful but following the thinning of their bloodline, no matter how strong the bloodline was, it would be something ordinary. Unless one could transcend again and awaken the slumbering bloodline in their body, the ordinary properties of their body would determine their whole life.
In simple words, if there were no idents, a thin bloodline divine descendant would live a normal life.
And now... idents happened!
Kieran became the ident!
He took a deep breath and saw the straw doll in Tanyas hand.
With his current eyes, Kieran easily noticed the extraordinary spots of the straw doll. They might seem normal but they werent.
Can I have a look at it? Kieran asked.
Okay!
Tanya gave the straw doll to Kieran without a second thought.
It was a small, broken straw doll that had many marks of time on it, even the string tying the doll up was broken.
But after Kieran took the doll, he squinted his eyes.
[Name: Death Luck Absorber]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: ???]
[Attribute: Luck Absorb 0/2]
[Prerequisite: ???]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: No]
[Remark: At the roots of Yggdrasil, where the ck Matter loomed, thin grass were growing vigorously. They were absorbing the nutrients from the ground and were watered by the saliva of the ck Matter, thus turning the grass into something indescribable. Only some Gods knew of their existence and even fewer knew how to use them]
...
[Luck Absorb: Consume the targets luck and feed it to its user with special energy in a unique way.]
...
Yggdrasil?
ck Matter?
The ground and saliva?
It will absorb the targets luck and feed it to its user!
Despite having spections of how extraordinary the straw doll was when he saw all the terms in the Remarks, Kieran felt his heart grow cold.
He didnt know what the ck Matter mentioned was but he did read about Yggdrasil in some books.
ording to legend, it was a massive tree that supported the world and the fruit from the tree was the first God of the world.
Given the circumstances, the ck Matter under Yggdrasil will not be some low-level existence.
Simrly, the grass that grew from the nutrients and saliva would not be weak either.
Luck eh? Kieran muttered.
He couldnt help but shake his head when he recalled how the God of Forest City and Jin, Perforation Stings leader performed before, especially when Zackary came into y.
Not just luck anymore, there must be something else involved.
Especially emotions... No! Not just emotions but everything was changed without any obvious signs.
Luck, luck, luck... What a scary thing!
Kieran squinted his eyes as he pondered the thought, after a heavy sigh, he returned [Death Luck Absorber] to Tanya.
Aside from [Death Luck Absorber] having consumed all of its usages, it couldnt be brought out of the dungeon either as there was a special prerequisite which was unknown to him. Even without all the conditions, Kieran wouldnt lie to a girl that showed him goodwill and fondness just to take the doll away from her.
Following Tanyas transcendent status, the godly presence on her was getting clearer, especially her good and malicious intent.
The feeling was so clear that it was almost describable with words.
Tanya who didnt know anything took the doll back and looked at Kieran with anticipation.
I...I...Did I help you, 2567?
She was slightly stuttering and her voice was as soft as a mosquito, she didnt talk in a weird way like she usually does.
Yes. Thank you, Kieran nodded.
Kieran wouldnt argue the fact, despite the help not being what he requested, help was help.
Kieran couldnt turn his back on someone who helped him.
But a momentter, he started to regret his gratitude.
After getting Kierans assured answer, Tanya cheered out loud.
Cheer for the blessing your queen gave you!
You ignorant peasants!
You queen will...
Tanya was cheering loudly when she sank into her own theatre y again but when she saw Kieran frown, she stopped immediately.
2567, are you mad? asked Tanya.
Kieran shook his head and didnt say anything.
His eyes, however, turned towards the pebble path beside him and a figure slowly walked into his sight.
Chapter 1133 - Vegetarian
Chapter 1133: Vegetarian
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The old monk with a saggy face didnt have the slightest intention to mask his presence.
He walked across the pebble path and stopped before Kieran.
The monk looked up at Kieran with his morbid eyes before turning his attention to Tanya and Kana.
Master.
Kana put away her arrogance and saluted respectfully, so did Tanya.
Tanya even saluted better than Kana but the old monk quickly dodged her salutation by moving aside.
Gods shouldnt bow to mortals even if it is a thank you, the old monk spoke slowly.
But mother told me I must remember everyone who helped me and never forget my manners, Tanya said seriously.
Your mother... the old monk opened his mouth but he failed to continue because Tanya seized the opportunity and saluted to the old monk.
You are as persistent as your mother, the old monkughed bitterly.
Tanya stuck her naughtily stuck her tongue out at the old monk and introduced Kieran with a joyful tone.
Master, this is 2567! My best friend!
Tanya immediately gave a position to Kieran which caused him to frown for a bit, but he didnt refute.
Tanyas goodwill prevented Kieran from arguing, but to be honest, the time both of them spent together was only a handful.
Its a pleasure to see you again.
The old monk smiled. His saggy cheeks ovepped along with the motion, making him look older yet kinder.
Im sorry for barging in without informing you, Kieran bowed slightly to express his apologies.
It wasnt an act though. If the previous scene wasnt too surprising, Kieran would have followed the standard procedures to enter the temple.
After all, Rassho Temple wasnt a hostile existence and given the circumstances, it was easy for both of them to talk.
Some simple chatter, the old monk invited Kieran for breakfast.
I have some breakfast prepared here, join us if you dont mind, 2567. Of course, its just a in vegetarian meal, the old monk said.
Vegetarian?
Okay.
Kieran was jolted for a moment before epting the invitation.
Breakfast at Rassho Temple was held at the side hall.
Those who had breakfast were only Kieran, the old monk, and the two girls.
Kana somehow took up the role of serving everyone, while Tanya also wanted to help, she was stopped by the old monk.
However, Tanya wasnt an obedient girl, she seemingly agreed but quickly slipped out of the hall, simr to how she saluted to the old monk before this.
The old monk beside the tea table shook his head with a bitter smile.
You seem to know a great deal of the changes in Tanya? Kieran asked.
Kieran wasnt blind, from the moment the old monk appeared to the conversation he had with her, Kieran wasnt just sure that the old monk had some sort of unusual rtionship with Tanya, he was also sure the old monk knew exactly what happened to her.
The older you get, the more things you experience. Those things that look strange to amoner arent that strange anymore to me, more so... it is rted to you and His Majesty Great Swamp. This is me City, His Majestys me City.
The old monk replied with a smile.
So you and Great Swap are...
Kieran stared deeply at the old monk, hoping for an answer.
Although the old monk didnt say anything factual, thest phrase obviously had some hidden meaning behind it.
You can say I am simr to you, 2567.
The old monk gave such a reply and before Kieran could ask again, he continued Tanyas mother was one of my friends, she asked me to take care of her daughter and also told me about the bloodline inside of Tanya.
A divine descendant, the pitiful abandoned child. Tanyas father didnt acknowledge her bloodline, so her mother took her away. They came to me City where His Majesty protects all within his control. The matter should have reached a conclusion but Tanyas mother...
The old monk didnt finish because Tanya and Kana came back with the dishes.
Rassho Temples breakfast was exactly how the old monk described it: a in vegetarian meal.
Tanya ced a big bowl and three small tes on the tea table.
There were two steaming hot mantou, pickled carrot, and fried groundnuts on the three tes respectively; the big bowl had a lid over it but steaming hot air still seeped out from the corner together with a unique clear fragrance.
Impatient, Kieran didnt care how hot the lid was and opened it with his hand.
Huuu!
The steam inside the bowl burst out after the lid was opened.
The fragrance of tofu, eggs, and mushroom converged into a unique smell and filled Kierans nose.
The tofu was at the bottom of the bowl and was soaked with clear soup. On top of it were the contrasting golden yolk and silver egg white while the minced mushrooms were mixed within the soup.
Kieran tasted a spoonful right after that.
The faint saltiness of the salt and the taste from the cabbage oil produced a clear taste just like he expected but when he tasted a second spoon with extra tofu, the taste was enhanced to the next level.
When the egg was added on top of the soup, the vor was thickened immediately, especially the minced mushrooms inside, it produced a juicy sound when Kieran chewed it and it made him think that he was having meat.
Very nice, Kieran wasnt stingy ofments.
Tanya was delighted by the praise, even more so when Kieran picked up the bowl plus a piece of mantou and gobbled down the food like a typhoon. She couldnt hold her delight back and started to hum a certain melody.
What are you so happy about? I cooked most of the dishes! said Kana.
After going through the initial shock and Tanyas naive and stupid behavior, the rtionship between the two girls returned to what it was in the old days.
But I served it! Tanya said righteously.
So how is it that the one serving deserves more credit than the one cooking? Kana rolled her eyes.
But the one eating is 2567!
Tanya gave an irrelevant answer before she jumped back to her own tea table and mimicked how Kieran ate.
Perhaps after transcending, her body changed thoroughly causing her to eat like a rude boorish man despite her petite body which was simr to an elementary school student.
Her bowl and chopsticks moved in unison and her chewing was loud.
Tanya, how many times Ive told you, keep quiet when you chew... hey, damn it! Thats my soup! Put it down! I said put it down!
PUT IT DOWN!
Kana originally wanted to lecture Tanya but after the Tanya took the big bowl off Kanas table, she scolded angrily instead.
Tanya, on the other hand, didnt care at all, she kept pouring the soup into her mouth while running outside.
Kana quickly went after her to save her soup and both of them quickly disappeared in the corridor while ying a game of cat and mice.
Kieran didnt lift his head at the little drama and he too grabbed the remaining food on Kanas table for himself. The old monks face twitched a little when he saw how hungry Kieran was.
There is still some in the kitchen...
Three more servings please.
Kieran interrupted the old monk the moment he spoke.
There are only two more servings left... But if you dont mind mine...
Thank you.
Interrupted again, the old monk woke up and walked towards the kitchen with a bitter smile after his breakfast was looted by Kieran.
Kieran continued eating, even when Great Swamp appeared beside him, he didnt turn around because he waspletely captivated by Gluttonys condition.
Chapter 1134 - A Different Collaborator
Chapter 1134: A Different Coborator
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Gluttony started to rampage again like a wild horse let loose under the stimtion of food. It was running up and down recklessly inside Kierans body.
It utilized the Cardinal Sins Force to light up the mythical runes in Kierans body, washing away the chaos and darkness which had just been consumed and hadnt regenerated.
Under Kierans watch, the chaos and darkness inside his body decreased again.
Little by little, bit by bit, and soon enough, after two consecutive attacks on the chaos and darkness in his body, they vanishedpletely under the light of the mythical runes.
Right at the moment
Wung!
A heavy buzz sounded in his ears!
His vision was suddenly filled with stars and his body even staggered, he fell from his straight sitting posture and had to support himself with an arm on the floor.
Then, the realistic chaos and darkness that lingered in Kierans brain split up and sent a portion throughout his body.
The darkness and chaos were like a monster that grew with the wind.
After a single breath, the chaos and darkness which should have been cleared from his body came back again!
Kieran was watching the changes in his body in a dizzy state, he couldnt help but scowl.
However, when he realized the chaos and darkness in his head got weaker, his furrowed brows eased up.
Although the weakened part was very insignificant, like a drop of water in the ocean, the changes informed Kieran regarding the next step he should take.
Grind it away bit by bit with perseverance?
Kieran thought in his heart while his mouth curled up to a smile.
Such matters would be extremely troublesome to most of the people, Kieran was no exception either but unlike the other people, he had exceptional patience and determination plus... Persistence!
Since he already saw hope, why wouldnt he keep it up?
Kieran was baptized by despair before, so he would cherish hope more than anyone else.
When hope arrives, go after it with maximum effort!
Otherwise, Kieran would not forgive himself.
Huu!
After heaving a sigh and quickly regting his condition, Kieran turned towards Great Swamp.
You are doing something dangerous.
Great Swamp was sitting opposite Kieran and spoke slowly. His youthful face was speaking in an experienced tone that echoed around the room.
As though his voice was a barrier, it separated the room from Rassho Templepletely, it was like the room never existed in Rassho Temple at all.
Most of the time, dangeres like a shadow. Its just that some know about it and some choose to turn a blind eye. I simply dont want to be thetter.
Kieran nced around the surroundings before he spoke.
He didnt feel any malicious intent but he was very rmed with Great Swamps method in separating the room.
Once an ally didnt mean an ally for life.
If Kieran had to fight Great Swamp if some conflict came between them...
My suggestion is to never fight a God that has merged with a city inside his own city!
Unknowingly, Kieran thought about Rachels reminder.
Great Swamp, on the other hand, shook his head at Kieran.
Are you always this rmed and cautious? We are allies now, Ive made a contract with youits based on my fathers name and it has quite the power, said Great Swamp.
Quite, not absolute. Its simr to how you are cautious about your other ally as well. Kieran was hinting at Rassho Temple.
Based on the conversation Kieran had with Mu, the old monk, he didnt think it would be a lie.
Mu? Its not the same. Me and him and you and I, both the rtionships are entirely different.
Great Swamp shook his head as his expression towards Kieran showed a sense of smile.
He said, Dont you think we are very the same?
Um. Thats why we seeded, despite some idents, Kieran nodded.
These idents are what determined the difference between you and Mu, Great Swamp said softly.
You didnt know beforehand? Kieran jolted.
From how Kieran viewed it, the matters regarding [Death Luck Absorber] should be in Great Swamps knowledge, after all this was... me City!
If I knew, I would have told you. Given that I have to face two Gods at once, had I concealed it from you... I dont want it to turn into a 3 versus 1 situation.
You are right, this is me City and I am also me Citys God but you cant really expect me to be truly omniscient. No Gods from other cities can do it, neither can I.
Great Swamp exined as though he saw through what Kieran was thinking.
So, what are you nning to do? Kieran asked.
Just let it be, a city shouldnt have two Gods at once but coincidentally, a city that needs a God is just besideRassho Temple. It would only cost a little for it to leave, Great Swamp said with a smile.
However, Kieran didnt sense any delight from Great Swamps eyes or expression, even his smile felt cold.
Like what? Kieran tried to pry for more.
Dont worry, it wont hurt your familiar friends. Well, if I refer it as for old times sake, you would be contemptuous, so let me change it up a bityour strength is worth it for me to do so, my uncrowned friend, Great Swamp gave his assurance with a wave of the hand.
Great Swamp then continued, Maybe I should give you a suggestion as well.
What suggestion? Kieran raised a puzzled brow.
Lower your vignce. Cant you see, I am showing my goodwill for the sake of our next coboration, Great Swampid open his hands and looked at Kieran helplessly.
Im sorry, Im used to it, Kieran shrugged.
Thats a bad habit you have there, Great Swamp said.
Better than dying I assume, Kieran answered.
Great Swampughed out loud at the answer.
It would be great if you were really my brother! Too bad that old geezer cant have any more descendants. But your bloodline is still a special one! Remember to utilize your bloodline when you reach here.
Great Swamp raised his right hand and pointed at his temple with his index finger.
What else? Kieran asked.
What else? Then let us discuss the next step in our coboration. Of course, before that, Ive brought the rewards for your previous efforts. On top of the unexpected sess, I will pay you even more! Great Swamp said in a mysterious tone.
The next moment, the unconscious Perforation Sting leader, Jin appeared beside Kieran.
The [Great Swamp Scale] and the stone panel with hundreds of jewels embedded on it flew out from Kierans backpack after that.
Both items floated in front of Great Swamp and were shining in dazzling colors.
Chapter 1135 - Envious
Chapter 1135: Envious
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Five different brilliant colors emanated from the jewels and the light instantly enveloped the [Great Swamp Scale].
Then...
The colorful light disappeared!
No!
It didnt disappear but it was absorbed by the [Great Swamp Scale].
The scale was originally ck the size of a palm but after absorbing the colorful light, it instantly inted like a balloon.
Within a breath of time, the palm-sized scale grew as big as a car tire but soon enough the ck scale reached its limit and quickly shrunk in size.
The scale returned to its original size and it became red in color instead of its original ck.
When Kieran held it in his hand, it looked like he was holding a piece of fire.
[Name: Great Swamp Scale]
[Type: Scale]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Attack: Extreme]
[Defense: Extreme]
[Attribute: 1. Great Swamps Might; 2. Great Swamps Strength]
[Special Effect: Blessing of me City]
[Prerequisite: Great Swamps gift]
[Remark: After its seal is removed, the Great Swamp Scale started to show its magic. This is a gift from Great Swamp, evidence to symbolize your coboration]
...
[Great Swamps Might: Any malicious targets that look at you will have to go through a Spirit authentication not lower than B+. If a target fails, the target will be induced with Panic and Fear effect]
[Great Swamps Strength: Utilize the scale to acquire the power of fire, able to form a fireball with attack no stronger than Extreme. The fire will not hurt you when you have the Great Swamp Scale but when the fire leaves your palm, it might inflict the same damage to you as well.]
...
[Blessing of me City: With the Great Swamp Scale, you are in the favor of fate while being in me City.]
...
Blessing of me City?
Kieran raised a brow at the special effect but he soon shook his head.
It wasnt that the [Great Swamp Scale] wasnt good, but for his current power level, it wasnt as good as he expected it to be.
Other than the [Blessing of me City], the other two attributes were like chicken ribs to him.
To be honest, even the [Blessing of me City] wasnt of that much use, after all, he wouldnt be staying in me City or the current dungeon world forever.
Thanks.
Despite not meeting his expectations, it didnt stop Kieran from thanking Great Swamp; it was the manners he had been taught at a young age.
However, it wasnt the manners that Great Swamp knew of.
Look at you, I feel like you are more human now. Youre obviously disappointed but you still acted so courteously, Great Swamp smiled at Kieran.
You have obviously surpassed the shackles of mortals since you are able to beautify hypocrisy so easily, Kieran said softly.
It wasnt a verbal counterattack, simply acknowledgment of what Great Swamp had said.
From a certain aspect, Kierans persistence had transcended the level ofmon imagination and because of his persistence, it granted him an extraordinary personality.
I myself was a fiend from the beginning. Although I am addressed as a God and wear the face of man, deep inside... I am still a fiend. At least I am still friendly enough and also a vegetarian.
Great Swamp wasnt concerned about his own truths.
He didnt mind his true identity nor did he conceal it.
The way he expressed himself made Kieran think highly of him once more.
Dont look at me like that, I dont want to hear any praises from you. After all these years, Ive heard countless praising wordsthey dont have any encouraging effects anymore, all thats left is ttery.
I dont want to hear any of that from you, Great Swamp said before Kieran could speak.
Dont think too much. Maybe because youve been a God for so long youre starting to think so highly of yourself? said Kieran as he turned to Jin who was unconscious beside him.
Dont be so anxious. I havent finished giving you your rewards. Where is your Fire Ravenpanion? said Great Swamp with a wave of his hand.
Outside, Kieran replied.
When he entered Rassho Temple, he had to choose between bringing Fire Raven along or moving alone and despite the ce having very few people, he still chose thetter.
Although Fire Raven leveled up twice and reached the level of an above-average fiend, it didnt mean it could conceal its presence.
The reason why targets didnt notice Fire Raven most of the time was because of the distance.
Gawk!
The raven called after being summoned.
After Great Swamp opened up a breach in the barrier, Fire Raven flew in ording to Kierans will andnded on his shoulder while it sent a probing gaze at Great Swamp.
It wasnt afraid or anxious, as though when itnded on Kierans shoulder, it was fearless in the face of anything.
Great Swamp nodded in satisfaction.
Youve taken good care of it, better than I expected. Seems like you really view it as your irreceable assistant. Before this, I was still worrying that you might not want to part with the scale but now, it seems like I am overthinking2567, are you willing to give yourpanion another chance? Great Swamp suddenly sounded serious.
What do you mean? Kieran furrowed his brows.
Fire Raven itself was a low-level fiend, most of the time it had to rely on numbers to win. Even if it was lucky and got some chances, it is still hard to force a change on its own. This is rted to their own limits, nothing else.
And now, you have a chance to allow it to break through its own limits but in exchange, you will lose the scale. Are you willing...
Here!
Kieran quickly tossed the [Great Swamp Scale] back before Great Swamp even finished.
How would Kieran choose between a chicken rib Legendary item and apanion that would apany him throughout his long tedious adventures?
It was a no-brainer but Great Swamp was stunned.
It may still prove useful to you though, maybe its power its iparable to your own but when you have it on you, it will bring you...
Good luck? I know that just like how I know what Im doing when I make a decision.
Can you hurry up? I dont believe that you want to continue chatting with me like this right?
Kieran once again interrupted Great Swamp and Great Swamp didnt mind at all as always.
I am really enjoying dealing with you, said Great Swamp.
Then, a drop of blood came out from his index finger andnded on the scale. The red [Great Swamp Scale] immediately emanated a dazzling radiance.
The small scale was shaking ceaselessly and dragon roars along with snake hisses could be heard.
The urgency from Fire Raven quickly reached Kierans heart and despite its urgency and anxiety, Fire Raven stood still on Kierans shoulder.
It wasnt just because of thepanion contracts power, it was also a tacit rtionship.
Go have it.
It wasnt until Kieran gave the order that Fire Raven dived into the light.
Another round of evolution has begun for the Fire Raven and Kieran was waiting for it patiently, anticipating his new enhancedpanion.
Then...
He noticed a sense of envy in Great Swamps eyes.
Chapter 1136 - Different
Chapter 1136: Different
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Envy?
Kieran was surprised.
A God like Great Swamp was envious of Fire Raven?
Even if Fire Raven was hispanion, Kieran didnt neglect the heaven and earth difference between the two of them.
Surprised? asked Great Swamp.
He turned around and saw Kieran nod, the God of me City didnt hide it though.
Fire Raven is a fiend, so am I.
Maybe my level is high, to the point that Fire Raven could never catch up but I have my own limits as well.
As he spoke, Great Swamp took a deep breath, a helpless expression was smeared over his matured youthful face.
So, breaking through your own limits is the direction of our future coboration? Kieran wondered.
Although it was a guess, he was pretty sure of it in his heart.
Given the identity of the God of me City, if Great Swamp had no obvious goals, why would he be chatting with Kieran so leisurely?
Or in simpler words, with his identity, the contents of conversation would not be an arrow without a target.
If Great Swamp was really that free, Kieran had to re-evaluate his true goal again.
After all, based on their multiple contacts, Great Swamp wasnt a free, mindless person.
This is why I like to talk with you, youll get the answer even without further exnation. Especially since you helped me solve the biggest external problems. Great Swamps words were hinting at a particr someone.
It was almost instinct that Kieran thought of the God of Forest City and Perforation Stings leader.
Other than these two Gods, Kieran couldnt think of anything else that Great Swamp considered as external problems.
Besides, through that one point, Kieran was sure that Great Swamp must have some inkling on how to break his own limits, he didnt go after it earlier because the God of Forest City and Perforation Sting were in the way before.
Naturally, Kieran didnt look past the word external.
If there were external troubles, there would be internal ones as well.
However, within me City itself, Kieran didnt think there was something that could trouble Great Swamp.
A spy like Beck?
It might seem troublesome but if Great Swamp could make up his mind and perform a merciless internal cleanup, it would be enough to solve a lot of the problems.
So, the internal problems shouldnt refer to me City internal affairs, it should mean the ce that he could break through his own limits.
The ce to break his limits must be filled with danger! Otherwise, if Great Swamp could solve it himself, there would be no need for coboration.
What are the internal troubles then? Kieran asked directly.
Since both of them decided to work together, Kieran didnt need to be subtle in asking general details regarding particr matters, likewise, Great Swamp didnt hide them either.
I need to enter a very special ce, there holds the thing that my father left for me. Based on fragments of records and my own memories, that ce should be the key for me to break through my own limits but... my father is a contemptible person, he wont give me that thing easily, Great Swamp said with a bitter smile.
Kieran nodded but he didnt ask where the ce was.
Even if both of them were on working terms, there was no need to be frank with every single detail.
As the saying went, everyone has their own little secrets.
Kieran raised his left hand and the burning Devil me fell on unconscious Jin beside him.
Severely injured and unconscious, the burning sensation woke up him up immediately but he couldnt do anything to oppose the current situation.
Spare me! Ill be your servant!
Being engulfed in Devil me, Jin looked at Great Swamp and begged repeatedly and obviously, he really didnt know what was going on.
Great Swampid his hands out helplessly and immediately, Jin reacted to the situation before he turned to Kieran.
But before he spoke, another ball of Devil me fell on Jins body.
This time, the Devil me engulfed himpletely and even drowned him.
I CURSE YOU! YOU WILL DIE A GRAVELESS DEATH! YOU WILL DIE... ARRRGH!
The grudgeful curses were soon reced by agonizing screams.
Regardless of the grudgeful curses or agonizing cries, Kieran was not moved.
Who would be sympathetic to an enemy that cursed and screamed?
The best kind of enemy was the death kind!
It was always the simplest means of doing things in Kierans mind. Even though the enemy might beg him to spare their lives, Kieran never even considered it before just like how he would never bet his life on his enemies mercy.
Those naive thoughts were discarded from his mind the moment he entered the game and encountered his first dead body.
[Eliminated Perforation Sting leader, main missionpleted in advance.]
[Triggered special event: Bloodline Limits]
[Special event will automatically be special main mission!]
[Bloodline Limits: A perfect coboration increased Great Swamps fondness of you and he even invited you to help himplete his long-time wish.]
[Note 1: The better the yer performs in the special event, the higher the rating]
[Note 2: yers performance includes but is not limited to battles]
...
[Triggered special event: Forest City Change of Ownership]
[Forest City Change of Ownership: After killing the God of Forest City, you are automatically deemed as Forest Citys new owner but in order to be the true owner, there are still many difficulties you must ovee]
[Based on the yers performance, the yer will be categorized in own faction]
[Note 1: The better the yer performs in the special event, the higher the rating]
[Note 2: yers performance includes but is not limited to battles]
...
After killing Jin, multiple notifications popped up in Kierans vision. He wasnt surprised at the first half of the notifications but the second half [Forest City Change of Ownership] surprised him quite a bit.
Of course, the most shocking thing was that after killing Jin, his power didnt flow into Kierans body like how it happened with the God of Forest City.
Instead, it followed the basic system rule and turned into an item: a dark golden light was quietly flowing around.
Kierans mind spun relentlessly when he saw the light.
Is it because Perforation Sting isnt a God traditionally speaking, so it didnt follow the rules of ying a God? Or is it because he didnt own a city thus he wasnt considered a real God?
The guesses in his heart didnt stop him from taking his own spoils of war.
Kieran quietly picked up the item.
At the same time, a loud crows calling came and Fire Ravennded on Kierans shoulder again like a moving light. Its body was emanating a scorching presence.
Chapter 1137 - Devoted Miraculous Light
Chapter 1137: Devoted Miraculous Light
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Gawk!
A loud ravens cawter, the all-red Fire Raven was pushing its head onto Kierans cheeks.
Compared to its previous size, Fire Raven grew even bigger and was as big as a real hawk when it stood on Kierans shoulder.
Especially its beak and ws, it was ring like a sharp de, anyone whoid eyes on them would shiver.
However, Kieran was most concerned about the original ck spot on the Fire Ravens forehead, now it had a faint dash of gold.
Kieran touched the Fire Ravens goldish forehead slightly and the description came up in his vision.
[Name: General Fire Raven (Xenotype)]
[Type: Fiend]
[Rank: High]
[Attack: Powerful]
[Defense: Strong]
[Attribute: 1. Agility IV, 2. Transform Fire IV, 3. Spit Fire III]
[Effect: 1. Infuse IV; 2. Hide]
[Prerequisite: First sight]
[Remark: After consuming a high fiends meat and getting a scale from Great Swamp, Fire Raven which was already a xenotype has broken through its limits. Now it can carry out scouting missions, contact targets and the be one of the best options for an anciry attack]
...
[Agility III: Increase flying Agility +3]
[Transform Fire III: Able to transform into a ball of fire with Powerful attack. Able to adhere to surfaces and float]
[Spit Fire II: Able to release out a fireball with Powerful attack as a long-range attack (no further than 45 meters), four times per day]
...
[Infuse II: Able to infuse itself into itspanion or owners fire, Fire elemental attack +1 (Cannot exceed rank V)]
[Hide: Hide its own presence using the presence of the earth, hiding effect is halved when flying]
...
ncing through the description, Kieran couldnt hold back his smile.
Fire Ravens enhancement was delightful, especially its [Hide] effect which made it like a fish swimming through water during scouting missions; however, the most delightful effect was [Infuse]!
After reaching a new rank, it had finally gotten a clear description of [Fire elemental attack +1], even if it had a limit, it was enough for Kieran at his current level; it was another trump card that could turn the tides of a fierce battle!
Delighted, Kieran checked the item dropped from Jin, the leader of Perforation Sting.
It was a greenish-gold button withplicated patterns etched on it. At first nce, the patterns looked like a face and with a closer look, it looked like a strong gale.
[Name: Jins Remains]
[Type: essory]
[Rarity: I]
[Attribute: 1. Breeze; 2. Gale; 3. Storm]
[Prerequisite: ]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: It isntplete. When it was first acquired by Jin, it had already been consumed to an irreversible state. Now only its basic powers remain but that doesnt mean it is useless.]
...
[Breeze: With the help of the wind, youre able to reduce your weight by a certain level (Including equipment, items but doesnt include backpacks and the items inside)]
[Gale: Acquire a Powerful attack Wind Arrow every 6 hours, able to store a maximum of 6 arrows at once. User can fire them separately or all at once (It doesnt need a bow and is able to lock onto the targets within a 100-meter range at your will)]
[Storm: Create a violent wind 100 meters in diameter which the user can fire straight ahead for 1000 meters before fading away. The violent wind has an attack level of Extreme, Powerful and Strong from outside, middle and inside respectively. Usable once every 3 days]
...
Not bad!
Kieran gave his honest opinion.
Although its attack didnt reach the higher-order, its number of attacks and range were the reason for its rarity to reach rank I, even more so when it was just a button, a button that one could easily sew onto ones clothes.
Kieran didnt equip it right away, instead, he kept it away in his bag and looked at Great Swamp who somehow had a cup of tea in his hand, drinking it with a pleasant look.
Have a sip, its very good.
Great Swamp raised his hand and a cup of hot tea appeared before Kieran.
Kieran received the tea, he sniffed it first before taking a sip.
He didnt have a lot of knowledge about tea though so he couldnt give anyments on it.
As for the sniffing, it was just the habitual act from his usual vignce.
How is it?
Great Swamp didnt seem to notice that Kieran didnt know how to enjoy tea and asked with a smile.
What do you think? Kieran replied with his own question.
Kieran was absolutely sure that Great Swamp knew a long time ago that he didnt know how to enjoy tea and despite that, Great Swamp still asked. He was obviously trying to tease Kieran.
Without a doubt, the God of me City wasnt as serious as he looked but, of course, he didnt show any malicious intent.
I think this is where you tell me how your tea tastes, Great Swamp said smilingly.
I think that if you have the time to y around, why dont we leave this ce? The master of Rassho Temple should have been waiting for a while now, Kieran suggested.
Let him wait then, he should! He didnt even move a muscle in thest battle! If the cost of breaking the contract isnt that substantial, I would never follow the conditions on it, Great Swamp was slightly grunted.
Rassho Temple exists to distract your enemies attention. Your rtionship with them shouldnt have changed because of my appearance.
If Kieran wascking information and couldnt make sure why a city with a God like Great Swamp allowed the existence of an organization like Rassho Temple, now everything was made clear to him.
Rassho Temples existence was Great Swamps own doing, a banner that he set up to oppose the external enemies, but...
Obviously, it didnt work as well as expected.
You seem to care quite a lot about Rassho Temple, is it because of that little girl?
Great Swamps interest was piqued and it was showing on his face. His look was exactly identical to those housewives listening to gossip, the only difference was the identity.
It is also because Forest City now is also considered as my territory and I am quite interested in a citys wealth. Especially the precious collections of a God, Kieran said before he gave a heartfelt smile.
The smile came from the bottom of his heart, it was true and pleasant.
When greeted by the smile, Great Swamp couldnt argue at all, he didnt have any thoughts of arguing because he saw the true traits of a stingy ghost.
It was so real and true that it was... shining!
Holy cow! He is so devoted to his stinginess? How greedy he is?
Looking at the faint miraculous light that came out from Kierans body, Great Swamp had no intention to step on the stingy ghosts tail.
It would be exactly the same as infuriating those fanatic believers, so he wisely changed his words into a reminder.
Dont forget our deal.
As his words subsided, the room returned to Rassho Temple and Great Swamp was nowhere to be found.
However, the old monk, Mu seemed to know what happened, or more precisely, he had gotten the precise information from Great Swamp personally.
The old monk slowly walked into the room and Kierans eyes were looking at the only backpack he brought in.
Chapter 1138 - Stay True To Your Heart
Chapter 1138: Stay True To Your Heart
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kana and Tanya still have to tidy up their personal belongings, they will be here soon.
The old monk exined about the backpack when Kierannded his gaze on it.
But Kieran wasnt really concerned about that.
Only this?
Kieran pointed at the backpack behind the old monk.
This is already mercy from His Majesty, the old monk replied with a smile.
There wasnt any dissatisfaction on his face when he said that and it made Keiran raised a puzzled brow.
Although there werent many people in Rassho Temple, the structures were few as well, it didnt mean Rassho Temple wasnt wealthy, or more precisely, Rassho Temple should have sufficient precious treasures.
These said treasures shouldnt be something that a small backpack that could only carry at most a few pieces of clothing.
Even if the treasures were added to Tanya and Kanas baggage, they shouldnt be able to bring all away. On top of that, the old monk did mention the two girls were just keeping their personal belongings.
What a stingy fe, Kieran couldnt hold back his soft mumble.
The old monk heard it but he still maintained his smile, there was no agreement or disagreement.
Soon, Tanya and Kana with their backpacks and luggage appeared before Kieran.
Without saying anything, the two girls seemed to know they would leave the ce soon and they automatically stood behind Kieran and the old monk, ready to depart.
Kana who was behind the old monk was restless, she was filled with tension and urge to venture ahead.
Tanya, on the other hand, had a nk face, but when she saw Kierans back, she quickly smiled delightedly.
Obviously, the crystal gazer didnt have the resolution to be a God, she was still behaving like a restless little girl.
Kieran nced over Tanya, he wanted to say something but when he saw the dumb smiles Tanya showed him, he instinctively changed his words.
You guys head to Forest City first. Ill departter and meet you guys there, said Kieran.
2567, you arent going with us?
Tanya who was smiling dumbly just now jolted for a second before she looked at Kieran with teary eyes, like an abandoned puppy.
Kieran wasnt moved by the puppy eyes though.
After he left the words behind, he nodded at the old monk and Kana before vanishing into the wind.
Tanya, however, started to search for Kierans figure and by utilizing her newly gained powers, the girl really got something but before the girl made her move, the old monk spoke.
Tanya, do you still remember the butterfly in the cocoon?
You tore open its cocoon in order for it toe out easier but the help you thought you are giving didnt give the butterfly strong enough wings, thus its wings were snapped when a stronger wind came.
Maybe my example is a little inappropriate but the story that I want to convey is the same.
The thing that you assumed the best isnt exactly so for others. Same goes for the butterfly and Sir 2567, the old monk said.
Then what should I do? Tanya asked restlessly.
For a girl at her age, the fondness towards the opposite gender was the youngest experience in her life and was the most beautiful moment of all.
It was so beautiful to the point that it was restless.
It was so beautiful to the point that it was inscribed into her bones.
It was so beautiful that... she would disregard herself.
Looking at his good friends daughter, the old monk sighed softly. He raised his hand and pointed at his own heart saying, this, you should ask yourself.
Myself?
The girl frowned and muttered on her own.
Kana beside her frowned as well. She didnt understand how her friend felt but she was willing to lend a hand.
Well figure it out on the way to Forest City, he will be there eventually.
As she spoke, Kana grabbed Tanyas hand and walked out the gate of Rassho Temple.
They then got into the car that had been waiting for them.
The car wasnt Rassho Temples property but it was borrowed in the name of Inspector Oaker.
Tanya was in the passenger seat and surprisingly, Kana was in the driver seat.
The old monk didnt get into the car right away though, instead, he stood beside the car and turned around to Rassho Temple.
His turbid eyes had too many memories of the temple, to the point that it got muddier like a stirred water with ripples on the surface and caused the wind to blow.
The wind was talking about bits and pieces of the ce and ultimately...
The old monk put his palms together and bowed at the old temple before entering the backseat.
As the engine growled, clouds of dust were left behind the cars trail.
When the dust settled, the car was long gone.
...
Fuco, the Funeral Societys intelligence was reading the reports gathered by his men. Sweat covered his forehead because of nervousness, excitement, and joy.
God of Forest City!
Perforation Sting leader, Jin!
Both of them were killed! And the Bird of Death who killed the God of Forest City will surely...
When the thoughts came, Fuco couldnt remain in his seat anymore.
He jumped out and ran towards the inner part of the Funeral Society branch office.
Ditko and the other lord were waiting for news there.
However, just as Fuco reached the offices door and tried to push it open, the door was opened from inside.
Huntsman Ditko came out with a heavy face.
Fuco was shaken when he saw Ditko walk out and he instinctively shifted his gaze inside.
Immediately through the seam between the door and Ditko, Fuco saw a ck figure.
The ck crow feathers were shining in an ominous luster.
Bird of Death!
Fuco couldnt hold back his cry of shock but right after that, he reacted to the situation.
He straightened his body and bowed respectfully to express his respect for His Majesty.
The other one who bowed was Ditko.
Ditko then straightened his back and shut the door to the office gently. He then told Fuco with a serious tone never before seen, Lockdown everything around the building, without my orders, no one is allowed toe near.
Understood!
Although Fuco was wondering in his heart why the Bird of Death appeared in the branch office, it didnt stop him from carrying out Ditkos orders.
A few secondster, the whole Funeral Society branch office entered a Level 1 alert state.
Do you need to be this serious about this? I am only here to propose a coboration.
Kieran stated the purpose of his visit to the high ranking officer of Funeral Society before him.
Your presence here alone is sufficient for us to act as such. It is our manners and also respect for you. Also, it is also protection towards the ignorant mortals.
Ren, one of the 21 Fiend Exorcist replied in a serious tone.
As the high ranking officer of Funeral Society, Ren had quite the experience in dealing with Gods.
Regardless who the God was, respect was always first in line, there would be no exception for the Bird of Death who had in the God of Forest City.
So what is this coboration about?
Ren asked in a testing tone after a deep breath since he couldnt see any expression on Kierans face after sizing him up.
Chapter 1139 - Fight
Chapter 1139: Fight
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Forest City.
Kieran was speaking calmly but Ren was shaken.
Since he had some understanding of Kieran before, he instantly came up with a thought.
Ren started to look at Kieran with anxious and doubtful gaze, he tried to open his mouth to ask multiple times but when the words arrived at his mouth, they couldnte out.
Just like what youre thinking, Ill go take over Forest City but I wont manage it. Although I have a manager for that, I still need a representativeno matter individual or organization.
Kieran was still as calm as always but Rens breath was hurried countless times over.
A representative of a city!
Even if they wouldnt be the sole party, it was enough for him and the entire Funeral Society to fight for it with their best effort.
One needed to know such a representative wasnt like the branch offices Funeral Society had in over a hundred cities, those were simr to renting a room to stay where they had to be careful in observing the owners emotion. Other than that, they had to be anxious about some secretive matters as well because it will directly affect the owner.
Why was Rassho Temple so special?
Wasnt it because Rassho Temple was independent and acted on its own ord?
If Funeral Society had the same...
The possible situation appeared in Rens heart, it made him restless but he didnt lose his head over it.
Is it what I think it is? The representative you mentioned, like Rassho Temple? Ren asked again to confirm.
Mhmm. Like Rassho Temple, on top of that, I can give you all more freedom than Rassho Temple. As long as you dont cross my bottom line, I wont ask too much, Kieran nodded and added more details.
What do you need us to do? Ren couldnt hold it anymore after Kieran exined slightly.
However, he knew there was no free lunch in any part of the world.
If Kieran could offer such a scrumptious condition, it was natural that Ren and Funeral Society had to pay a sufficient amount of cost, or in order words, present themselves with sufficient value.
I want everything regarding Forest City! I want everything to be in ce, being where they should be before I arrive!
Even the grasses and the trees, all will be mine. Anyone who dares touch my things, Ill let them know what the price to pay is! Kieran emphasized each and every word.
Despite before Kieran even stated his condition, Ren knew the things Kieran wanted wouldnt be easy. However, after Kieran made it clear, Ren realized it was much harder than he expected.
But whenever he thought about having his own turf, Ren clenched his teeth hard.
Very well, I promise you! Ill make the necessary arrangements!
Ren then quickly picked up the office phone and dialed non-stop.
Kieran sat on the sofa and watched Ren get busy. His right fingers were tapping on the handle, producing a rhythmic sound.
Tak, Tak Tak.
Kieran shut his eyes in deep thought. He knew his journey to Forest City wouldnt be easy.
Destruction was always easy.
, however, was always harder, simr to how he was now.
During battles, Kieran was very good at deceiving his foes and fighting them to death, but he knew deeply he couldnt manage a whole city.
In fact, let alone a city, he didnt even have the confidence to manage a hundred-man organization.
He knew what his expertise was and he was never an idiot who tried to hit other specialties with a brick.
Therefore a real manager was needed, Funeral Society!
The organization naturally entered Kierans sight since he had contact with them before and knew it quite well.
Funeral Society was running on a half private, half government basis, its influence spread over a hundred cities, thus stating how suitable such an organization was to be his representative.
Of course, the conditions Kieran offered were real as well.
He wasnt an idler that would ask someone to put in the effort before he knew how to appreciate the hard work.
Kieran always chose to ignore those who would appreciate after hard work was poured in.
He didnt have the time to waste on such people.
Since the beginning, Kieran was hoping that Funeral Society could stop his bleeding.
He knew what would happen to the city when the news about the God of Forest City falling returned.
It was an understatement to say it would fall into chaos.
Kieran never dared be careless about special events.
Even more so when he thought about the precious treasures of the God of Forest City. Amidst such massive chaos, the treasures would surely suffer great losses from plundering and despite it has not yet happened, the thought of it made Kieran encounter difficulties breathing.
If it really happened, it would be like the end of the world for Kieran.
So, despite Kieran really wanting to be in Forest City this instant, he was still patiently waiting for Rens answer.
Seconds turned into minutes.
When Ren hung up the office phone, his face was filled with sweat.
Half of it was exhaustion, half of it was excitement.
The Fiend Exorcist knew after today, Funeral Society would not be the same anymore.
Everything has been arranged. You do not have to worry!
Do you need us to prepare a car for you to Forest City? Ren asked.
No need, I travel faster alone. Kieran shook his head.
Ren didnt argue with Kieran in terms of traveling.
Although technology was on the rise, the mystical realm hadnt reached its end.
The existence of Gods had far surpassed themon knowledge of men, the same went for those who could y a God.
Anything absurd that happened regarding Kieran was normal in Rens eyes.
Godspeed, Ren bowed respectfully.
When Ren straightened his body, Kieran was no longer on the sofa, leaving only a phrase that was carried in by the wind.
Im looking forward to your performance.
Please do not worry, I wont let you down!
Even though Kieran was already away, Ren still replied with a bow.
When he straightened his back again, Ditko pushed open the office door and came in without a second thought.
My lord.
As Ditko spoke, he was sizing up the office.
Obviously, he was looking for whether Kieran was still around but Ren didnt spare him the window to do so.
Ditko, gather all the men. We are heading to Forest City.
3 minutes! 3 minutester, I want to see a fully prepared fleet downstairs! Ren spoke quickly.
Yes, my lord!
Ditko didnt know what happened but he knew he had orders to carry out and whom to listen to.
After replying loudly, Ditko moved out swiftly and Ren also moved downstairs.
When he reached the entrance of the stairs, the sun was already up but the scene was like the rosy dawn.
It was red, like rumbling blood.
But it looked more like... zing mes.
Huu!
Ren took in a breath uncontrobly as he looked at the rosy dawn on the horizon.
He mumbled, Even if it will be strewn with dead and filled with corpses, we have to fight!
For... Freedom!
Chapter 1140 - New Owner
Chapter 1140: New Owner
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
After dawn, the sun rose high into the sky.
However, a rare rosy haze flew across the sky and blocked the sun.
Soon, the clouds got thicker and ovepped each other, causing thend to turn dark.
The darkened atmosphere made Forest City extra gloomy and depressing.
Forest City was considered a lively city but from this moment onwards starting from the temple in the middle of the city to the outskirts area, the peoples faces had an indescribable heaviness and worry.
Even the silly children were affected by the adults emotions causing them to be careful.
Especially those high standing big shots of the society, they were going into the temple with anxiety and were waiting for news.
Unlike Great Swamp who avoided the public eyes andid low, the God of Forest City was much more high-profile.
He didnt just build the temple in the middle of the city in order to receive peoples worship, the whole city was filled with mysterious power as well.
If the majority of the citizens in me City didnt know the existence of fiends, then the majority of Forest City had somewhat heard of simr incidents.
But of course, believing it or not was a personal matter.
Huu!
Morden who came out from the car couldnt help but take in a deep breath when he saw the ever dazzling temple and the bright lights around it.
He would do that each time he visited the temple because it didnt just help him to ease his nervousness, it quickly calmed him down as well but today, it was different.
The news that he got through some secret channels couldnt calm Morden down at all, whenever he thought about the contents, Mordens anxiety grew heavier.
Tsk, Tsk Tsk!
Just as Morden was about to take his first step, a series of car tires screeching was heard behind him followed by car doors being opened.
A group of anxious and nervous people came out of the cars as well.
When Morden saw them, they saw Morden as well.
These people who usually had quite a decent rtionship with Morden or the opposite didnt have the mood for idle chat or arguments.
After a quick exchange of gazes, the group entered the temple.
These men who held unconventional status in Forest City entered the temple without further hindrance.
Inside, they saw many others who shared their status and obviously they werent the first to arrive.
The situation caused Mordens anxiety to grow further.
He reached out to his tie and loosened it. The tie wasnt that tight in the first ce and following his pull, it was dragged open directly but Morden, despite being extremely cautious with his image during normal times, couldnt care about that now.
He took a deep breath first before heading towards the center and forefront of the crowd.
An elder wearing a clean, handsome suit with a gentleman staff was standing there.
Despite the chair behind him, the elder stood straight with slightly squinted eyes. The elder also had an entirely different manner than the others around him, to the point that he was very eye-catching when he stood in front of the crowd.
So, when Morden went over to the elder, the crowd noticed it at first sight.
Then...
Everyones attention was captivated, they knew what Morden was trying to do because it was the exact thing they wanted to do but dared not to.
The difference in the status ranking had determined that the crowd had to be lower than the elder even though they could enter the inner temple.
Mordens status, however, was different. Although his status was still quite far away from the elder, he was much higher than those in the crowd around him.
In simple words, the elder was of the first echelon and Morden was the second followed by the rest.
Mr. Hermair, did you get any news? Morden carefully asked with a softened voice.
Despite a soft voice, Morden was speaking in front of the temples hall and under the crowds attention, thus everyone heard it clearly.
New? What news?
Hermair asked without even widening his eyes. His speech was blurred as if he was sleep talking.
The news from me City, Morden continued in a soft voice.
What news from me City? Hermair continued asking.
Morden didnt reply right away, instead, after an obvious jolt, he followed with a careful tone, saying Its about His Majestys defeat...
PAK!
Before Morden could finish, he was interrupted by the gentleman staff in Hermairs hand with a beating on his face.
Mordens face was instantly swollen, even his teeth felt loose after the strike.
He covered his face and looked at Hermair with a puzzled gaze.
What kind of joke is this?! How can His Majesty lose?!
Hermair was shouting loudly as he widened his eyes, his face was infuriated and was utterly vicious.
Furthermore, he wasnt done yet, he continued shouting each and every word out loud.
His Majesty is a true God!
How can a mortal triumph over a God!
Some groundless rumors made you people lose your way!
You people are truly a disappointment to His Majesty!
Think about it, when His Majesty returns and see the faces of you people, how disappointed will he be?!
Or have you people forgotten His Majestys grace?
Or... have you people forgotten His Majestys might!?
His strong and sonorous speech turned gloomy at the end.
Following his gloomy statement, everyone in the hall couldnt help but shiver.
The God of Forest City wasnt a kind God, he was feared by the people, not respected. Especially those who disappointed, they would suffer punishment from head to toe and once the punishment entered their minds, the crowd grew even more fearful.
How could we forget His Majestys grace!?
His Majestys grace is branded in our hearts!
We will wait for His Majestys triumphant return!
Yeah!
His Majestys triumph is certain!
We have absolute confidence in His Majesty, unlike someone!
After enjoying the grace of His Majesty, yet his heart feels another way!
...
After a series of praises, the words suddenly took a sharp turn.
The hostility that specifically targeted Morden was obvious.
The crowd in the hall were never united to begin with, most of the time they would set each other up, frame each other and celebrate anothers death.
Hermair was the veteran in all this and because of that, he was standing in the leaders position amongst the crowd.
Hemair quite valued his current position, so anyone who dared threaten his position would be viciously exterminated, like Morden.
Hermair, of course, knew about the God of Forest City failing in battle, simr to his knowledge of how powerful a God was.
Therefore, he believed the God of Forest City would be fine and under such circumstances, Hermair didnt mind doing something extra.
While watching the crowd attack Morden, Hermairughed coldly in his heart.
Lord Priest, please punish Morden!
Hermair said loudly after he assumed the timing was right.
Lord Priest, please punish Morden!
Lord Priest, please punish Morden!
Lord Priest, please punish Morden!
...
Call after call came from the crowd but... no one answered.
The calls started from a sonorous, excited tone. They then gradually turned into doubts and the calls got weaker and weaker.
Hermair frowned. Ultimately, he mustered up enough courage and walked into the corridor of the front hallit was the deepest part of the temple these men were allowed to reach.
The front hall allowed one to have a slight glimpse of the inner hall of the temple.
Hemairs eyes squinted to see as far as he could into the inner call but he got nothing.
The inner hall was as brilliant and dazzling as usual and just as Hermair was at a loss for what to do next, a figure appeared.
The figure was in a priest robe and the moment it appeared, Hermair quickly bowed and saluted.
Lord Priest, Hermair said in a respectful tone.
However, the figure didnt even care and walked past Hermair, running towards the outer main hall.
Lord Priest, hold on! What happened? Hermair was questioning loudly behind but the Lord Priest didnt have the slightest intention to reply and he ran even faster.
Bang!
A gunshot sounded.
The priest that stepped out of the outer hall fell to the ground after being shot.
Gunshot, blood and a dead priest caused a mor in the outer main hall, especially when a squadron of men rushed inside, Hermair dashed out and questioned the visitors.
What are you people doing here?
Do you know what ce is this?
You...
Pak!
A loud pnded on Hermairs face, it didnt just stop his words, it even sent him falling to the ground.
This is the temple and we are here to take over it because it will soon wee its new masterHis Majesty the Bird of Death.
The leader of the squadron nced over the fallen Hermair before looking at the crowd.
His tone was exnatory yet it sounded like a deration of sorts.
Chapter 1141 - Like None
Chapter 1141: Like None
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
New owner?
New owner!
Then what about the original owner...
The fallen Hermair wanted to question the person before his eyes but the body further away, the dead priest, told him what he should do at the moment.
However, someone was faster than him.
Morden is hereby weing the new owner of this temple.
I am willing to pledge my loyalty, my wealth, and everything I know to wee and to serve the new owner.
After the gunshot, Morden who had been neglected dashed out to the leader of the squadron, kneeling down before him and said with the utmost respect.
Those who were attacking Morden a moment ago quickly mimicked Morden in crawling on the ground.
We are willing to wee the new owner of the temple, the crowd shouted with all their might.
There was not a bit of shame or shyness in their actions, or perhaps, theyd already learned how to discard their shame a long time ago, otherwise, they wouldnt be here.
Hayden Ow, the leader of the squadron, was perfectly clear about this.
He quite disliked these men during normal times but now, he needed these men to help him stabilize the situation throughout Forest City.
Ill leave these men here to you.
I hope before His Majesty Bird of Death arrives, you can maintain Forest City as it is right now.
Remember, every de of grass and tree here belongs to His Majesty! No one is allowed to ruin anything or bring anything away from here!
Understand?
Hayden Ow was emphasizing his orders to Morden.
Morden was stunned before he was overjoyed.
UNDERSTOOD!
Morden lowered his head and stuck his forehead on the ground, replying loudly.
Hmph. Hayden Ow nodded in satisfaction before he waved his hand.
The squad of men that followed him immediately scattered around and stood guard around the temple.
The rest then followed Hayden Ow into the inner temple.
After seeing Hayden Ow go in, Morden stood up and turned to Hermair who was still on the ground with a vicious gaze.
What are you trying to do? I tell you, I... Aargh!
A bad feeling rose in Hermairs heart when he saw Mordens gaze, he tried to shout at Morden and hoped to stop him.
Unfortunately, the moment the words escaped his mouth, Mordennded his foot on Hermairs face.
The crowd around turned a blind eye at this as they had forgotten the hostility they showed a moment ago.
One of them even picked up Hermairs gentleman staff and passed it to Morden.
Without further hesitation, Morden picked the staff and smashed it into Hermairs skull.
...
Beating, begging, all the mors out there entered Hayden Ows ears but at the moment, he couldnt care less.
After receiving Rens orders, he had already moved out as fast as he could but the priest that ran out from the temple told him that he was still a step too slow.
Once he thought about the condition His Majesty offered, Hayden Ows heart was burning with anxiety.
No one understood how greedy these high ranking members of Forest City were better than the branch manager of Funeral Society in Forest City, Hayden Ow.
They would not leave empty-handed and they would certainly empty out the treasure vault of the God of Forest City.
Hope we still can make it!
Hayden Ows heart was praying hard as he shuttled through the corridors of the temple before arriving at the true main hall.
However, before he stepped into the main hall, he halted his steps abruptly.
Blood!
The air reeked of blood!
Hayden Ows nose was assaulted by the heavy bloody stench before he even entered the main hall.
The Funeral Society members behind him quickly moved in pairs and formed a battle formation even without orders from the branch manager and when a muscr member smashed the door open with a kick, more than 20 guns were pointed into the main hall.
However, the scene that weed them shook everyone.
The hall was strewn with bodies and blood flowed like a river.
It was expected though but the person who murdered everyone wasnt.
The person was in a light-colored priest robe soaked in blood, his hand was holding a blunt de which was caused by hundreds and thousands of shes yet despite all the killing, he was standing straight in front of the God of Forest Citys statue blocking the way.
Behind him was a small door that led into the deeper parts of the temple.
What was behind the small door?
The answer was self-exnatory.
Unfortunately, no one was able to cross the sword wielders side.
The nearest one fell three steps away from the sword wielder.
Hayden Ow looked at the person with shocking eyes and unconsciously called out the name.
Neil!?!
No one was a stranger to that name in Forest City. In fact, as the archpriest of God of Forest City, he was a very well known person in the city.
But...
Hayden Ow never thought the archpriest would kill with a sword.
Or in other words, anyone who met Neil would never take him as a killer, especially in times like this!
Firstly, he was scrawny and didnt know how to wield a sword.
Secondly, Neil had always been a small character that ttered others for favors, he never once showed the valiant side of him
Thest and most important point, if the God of Forest City fell, the first one to turn around and run should be Neil.
However, the reality was that Neill stood in front of the treasure vault of his God and forbid anyone from entering, even in... death!
Correct, Neil was dead!
Hayden Ow was very sure of it.
Despite his standing position, Neil was long dead before they arrived and until thest breath, the archpriest rounded his furious eyes, as though he would guard his God until the end of his life.
Neil, you...
Hayden Ow wanted to say something but nothing came out from his mouth.
Lay him to rest! Hayden Ow ordered his men.
Hayden Ow always looked down on Neil but in a moment like this, Neil won his respect, even if both of them were from opposing factions.
A few of the Funeral Society members went over to Neil and carefully took the sword off him but they realized the sword seemed to have merged with his hand, they couldnt take it off.
Not only that, even Neils body was hardened like a rock.
In the end, all the members did wasy him down on the ground.
When they saw the scattered bodies and the people around, their eyes unconsciously showed respect to the archpriest as well.
They could easily picture how fierce the battle was to cause such changes to a human body.
Two members moved Neils hardened body aside and the others also went on taking care of the other bodies.
For the rest of the bodies, the Funeral Society members werent that courteous.
After double-checking the bodies for valuables, they threw the bodies beside the sacrificial tform outside the temple.
The tform was a ce to please the God of Forest City and now, the dead bodies became the materials.
Barrels of gas were poured on it and a lit match stick flew out from Hayden Ows hand.
Fuuu!
The zing me burned high as ck smoke rose to the sky.
The thick ck smoke was visible throughout the entirety of Forest City.
Meanwhile, in a small alleyway of a certain street in Forest City, a figure wasughing softly when he saw the ck rumbling smoke.
Yes!
Chapter 1142 - Welcome
Chapter 1142: Wee
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kakroom!
When it was almost afternoon, the dark heavy clouds turned into a downpouring rain after a loud thunder.
The rain poured down relentlessly, each drop was as big as pearls as they smashed onto thend loudly.
The people of the city quickly took shelter but despite escaping the rain, the peoples curious gazes were glued to a group of men on the main street of Forest City.
The group contained quite a number of men, starting from the core of the temple, each of them would stand opposite another man and the pair would be 3 meters apart from the next pair. The line of men was extended towards the entrance of Forest City but the most concerning part was their outfits.
Each of the men was wearing bright and ring armor, a longsword was attached to their waist and despite it being sheathed, it didnt conceal the res of the de.
Every one of them had a big kite shield in front of them, it was ck overall and had a blood raven icon on top, extending its wings.
The people who saw the shield felt like ravens caw was echoing in their ears.
What happened? the people wondered.
However, as the citizens of Forest City, they knew what was the right move for them.
All the people stood beside and watched, no questions were asked and no one was going to step up and cause trouble or stop them.
The unlucky bastards from the past told them what the consequences were for doing so.
Under the curious gazes of the people, Hayden Ow was nervously waiting.
He shouldnt be this nervous but when he thought about what Ren told him about that lord, the branch manager of Forest City couldnt hold back his shivers.
He had longed for the independence of Funeral Society for a while now and he had enough of living under anothers thumb.
Even though serving under a new Majesty still had some rules and limitations, the removed shackles were enough for his hard work to show its best effect, hence guaranteeingpletion of what the new Majesty ordered.
Fuaaaa! Huaaaa!
The rain got bigger.
The heavy rain even disrupted Hayden Ows vision.
Fortunately, technology being on the rise allowed the branch manager to not suffer dys in his operation.
His Majesty has arrived!
The voice from his earpiece ushered Hayden Ow to give his orders.
Chang!
The big kite shield that stood in front of the guards on both sides of the street were picked up by their respective owners, the longswords together with their sheaths wereid horizontally in front of the kite shield.
The iron surfaced kite shields were knocked with the sheathed swords in a rhythmic manner as though they were war drums.
Dang, Dang Dang!
Even the rain was overpowered by the unified clunks, the downpouring rain felt like nothing to the guards as they were concentrating in knocking their shields.
Gawk!
Under the rainy veil, a scarlet red aviary figure soared across the raindrops and flew towards the sky.
It was very fast, to the point that no one at the scene could catch a glimpse of what it was, even Hayden Ow with the best eyesight could barely make out the aviary figure.
But!
It was enough!
Wee, Your Majesty!
Hayden Ow knelt down on one knee.
Wee, Your Majesty!
The guards standing on both sides of the street knelt down together on one knee as well.
The clunking from their swords and shield stopped but the rain was still overpowered by the sonorous greeting.
The sonorous greeting even rolled up the raindrops like waves and it still wasnt the end; the raindrops were being blown away by the sound.
Wee, Your Majesty!
Wee, Your Majesty!
Three sonorous greetings caused the wind to blow.
At the end of the street entrance, a car broke through the rainy veil and appeared in peoples sight.
It was just an extremelymon car but under the situation, the normal car wasnt that normal anymore.
Likewise, the person inside the car wouldnt be normal as well.
The driver, Inspector Oaker had sweats all over his forehead and his hands gripping the steering wheel was slightly shivering.
He was overwhelmed by the scene and after he gulped down a mouth full of saliva, he turned around to the old monk at the passenger seat and Kana and Tanya at the backseat.
Did they get something wrong? Oaker asked.
Um, His Majesty Bird of Death didnt travel with us.
He told us to rendezvous with him here, the old monk replied without showing any extra expression.
His apostolic living throughout the years allowed the old monk to never change his expression even if the sky crumbled or the earth cracked.
However, it didnt mean he could deal with the problems at hand.
Kana?
Although she was quite arrogant and untamed during other times, when she was greeted with such a heavy scene, she sat back and was at a loss for words. All she did was stared nkly at the weing group.
H-He, is that strong? Kana muttered to herself in a very soft voice.
It seemed like the grand scene before her eyes had exceeded her wildest imagination, even though she knew Kieran sessfully defeated the God of Forest City.
Yeah!
2567 is very powerful!
Very, very, very powerful!
Tanya replied right away when she heard Kanas mutters.
The half-assed crystal gazer obviously tried to use some more appropriate words but her weird mind didnt hold such terms in the first ce, hence powerful.
However, the use of a single term was enough to represent Tanyas joy.
As for the absent Kieran?
Tanya didnt even care. All he knew the stronger Kieran was, the happier she would be.
Tanya...
Looking at her friend who was humming an out of tune melody, Kana tried to speak with her mouth opened but in the end, it was a helpless sigh; the old monk and inspector shook their head with bitter smiles together as well.
They knew what kind of personality Tanya had, so...
Shall we continue? The inspector asked the old monk.
Oaker thought that the old monk was the only reliable person in the car.
As for the two little girls behind him, he wouldnt even think about it.
However, to Oakers surprise, before the old monk even spoke, Tanya jumped up from the back seat, bending over her petite body in the middle and said loudly Advance! Advance!
Oaker looked at Tanya who suddenly got hyped for no reason with a puzzled gaze before he unconsciously turned back to the old monk.
Well follow Tanya.
Advance.
The old monk said as such because he knew the changes that urred to Tanya.
Fine.
Oaker clenched his teeth and stepped on the peddle.
However, he didnt fully step on it, not even half but only a slight touch on the peddle and naturally, the car wouldnt go any faster.
Tanya though wasnt happy about the tortoise advancing speed since she was restless.
We are going to miss it!
We are going to miss it!
Tanya mumbled anxiously. She didnt care about Kana asking questions beside her as she opened the car door and jumped out, trying to move forward on her own.
Huuu!
The moment the door was opened, a violent wind struck.
The downpouring rain was suddenly stopped and the dark clouds in the sky were blown away.
Dashes of gold were scattered down through the dispersing clouds, shedding sunlight over thend. Soon, the golden lightbined and revealed the sun behind the clouds.
Gold! The scene was filled with golden glory!
Gawk!
A ravens caw sounded in the sky.
The scarlet-red figure dived down from the sky rapidly andnded on a persons shoulder firmly.
The crow feathered mantle which was bathing under the sunlight was like a golden banner, waving along with the wind.
The light from the sun had concealed Kierans face the moment it came down, hence what the people around saw was a golden figure instead.
It was elegant, grand, and holistic.
Everyone couldnt hold back their reverence to the golden figure, they really wanted to crawl on the grown before this holistic figure, except for Tanya.
Tanya didnt see the gold with her eyes but only Kieran.
So, she ran faster towards Kieran and grabbed him by the feathered mantle, she smiled brightly as if a great burden had been lifted.
I made it! She said softly.
Woof, Woof Woof!
A dogs bark came from the Frost Wolf pup as it popped its head out from Kierans leather mail, it was barking at Tanya in confusion.
Although the Frost Wolf had intellect like a child, it still didnt know what Tanya was doing, Kieran too.
Kieran looked at Tanya with a questioning gaze.
Tanya smiled first before tiptoeing before touching the Frost Wolf pup on its forehead.
Youve made it too.
The moment her words subsided, the sunlight grew denser.
The gold grew brighter and more dazzling.
However, the gold wasnt from the sun itself anymore but...
From Tanya.
Chapter 1143 - Difference
Chapter 1143: Difference
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Golden radiance gushed out from Tanya while it enveloped and dyed its surroundings including Kieran, Fire Raven, and Frost Wolf.
Warmth!
It felt like Kieran was soaking himself in a hot spring.
Tranquility from the deepest part of his soul was spreading in Kierans heart.
Fire Raven slightly squinted its sharp eyes as if it was falling asleep while Frost Wolf was already snoring softly.
Kieran really wanted to take off his mantle, armor, and throw away his weapons in his backpack, he just wanted to lie down on the floor and didnt want to think about anything else.
But his extreme rationality told him it wasnt time to rx.
Huu!
After a deep breath, Dawn Force, gue Force, Cardinal Sins Force, Devil Force, and Saint Thorn Force in his body operated in unison.
Kieran was instantly woken up from the rxed state but the system notifications that followed widened his eyes like never before.
[Absorbed special ruled energy, insufficient amount, unable to convert...]
[Absorbed special ruled energy, insufficient amount, unable to convert...]
[Absorbed special ruled energy, insufficient amount, unable to convert...]
[Absorbed special ruled energy, converting into 1 Golden Attribute Point...]
...
Golden Attribute Point!?
Kieran was stunned on the spot.
Almost out of instinct, Kieran turned his eyes to Tanya who was already intoxicated in her ownpletely rxed state.
Tanya fell into a weird state simr to a deep slumber or trance.
She would smile or sleep talk from time to time but her rxed, joyous expression didnt change.
Obviously, the thing that happened before her wasnt her own doing despite having reached a transcendent state.
It wasnt actively triggered but passively instead? How is this triggered then? Kieran wondered.
His Intuition was spreading outwards trying to sense something.
It was the second instinct that he trained through countless long battles.
His second instinct became exceptionally powerful through countless grinding and perhaps it wasnt stated clearly in his character tab but it was useful enough.
Soon, Kieran realized something different.
The ground!
The underground of Forest City!
An energy which should be a stranger to him yet he felt extremely familiar at this moment was gathered by Tanya and entered his body through her, hence converting into Golden Attribute Points.
Earth veins nodes? The city and its God supported each other but I am a yer, I shouldnt have such a buff. More so, this isnt just purely buff anymore and Tanya who got a share of the power from me should react the same as me also but this?
Kieran drew a conclusion after slightly differentiating the energy.
The conclusion however confused Kieran even more but the special conversion didnt stop because of his puzzled thoughts.
After two more bonus Golden Attribute Points, the golden brilliance slightly dimmed down.
Following the dimming golden brilliance, Fire Raven opened its sharp eyes again and Frost Wolf pup woke up from its nap.
Both of them were enlivened, their presence became sharper as they moved.
They gained benefits as well?
Kieran looked at Tanya after another guess.
Tanya too slowly woke up under Kierans gaze.
Her face changed from her curled up a smile to a full face of blushes in less than a second.
M-my, knight, even if you look... look at me like this, I wont give you further rewards.
I-I...Have... a myriad of... Knights...
Tanya was stuttering hard but before she finished, Kieran put his hand over her hand.
Instantaneously, Tanya was lost for words and was robbed of the ability to speak.
Her mind was empty as she stood there, dumbstruck.
You kept saying those weird things because you are nervous and shy?
You dont need to be, you dont need to feel nervous anymore now with your current status.
Instead, they should be nervous when they see you, Kieran said softly.
Tanya heard it but she couldnt react.
She couldnt see the guards eyes overflowing with frantic gaze outside the golden radiance.
She couldnt see the peoples unconceivable eyes outside the sunlight which was less than 2 square meters.
She couldnt see her peers awestruck expression back at the car further away also.
Of course, even if she could, she didnt miss anything.
She couldnt help but tiptoe, pushing her head against the hand and feel the warmth.
The warmth was something that she longed for...
Family, or...
Something higher than family.
Hold my hand tight, Kieran said.
Ah? Oh, oh!
Tanya jolted for a while before reacting to what Kieran said.
As the warmth of Kierans palm left her head, she was lost at first but soon, the warmth reached her palm instead and it made her feel a warm feeling again.
Its great!
Its great to have this moment!
I want to always remember this moment!
Forever!
For eternity!
Tanyas ears were echoing with the winds whistles, she felt her body moving forward rapidly.
However, she didnt care where she would end up, all she did was look at Kieran.
Kieran, on the other hand, looked forward in a steadfast and dauntless manner.
...
The golden radiance was shot directly into the temple.
The people stationed around the ce didnt reach the scene even after a while, including the old monk, the inspector, and the half-fiend in the car.
What the hell happened?
After a long while, Kana finally reacted to the situation and asked.
I dont know but I feel like Ive seen God, the inspector said with a bitter smile.
Correct!
He saw God!
The golden radiance plus the holistic, invible presence and the almighty power that triumphed overall, it would create a confusion making people believe that they saw God.
As a matter of fact, everyone in Forest City shared the same thought.
Back in the day, the rumors that spread in the city together with the scene that happened was enough to cause an effect of qualitative change.
Divine miracle!
Its a divine miracle!
The people were chanting loudly as the knelt on the ground, praying in a devoted manner.
They were never as devoted as they were now.
They repented of their sins, they prayed for their well-being.
They... were willing to follow the footsteps of God.
Yes!
This is God!
The old monk looked up and gazed the direction of the temple with his turbid eyes, his thoughts were wandering away.
The old monk obviously thought about a lot, to the point that he couldnt handle it and couldnt stay calm.
Hayden Ow felt the same way as well but unlike the old monk, he knew what he must do as his mind was clear.
I must deliver the news to His Majesty!
As the thought lingered in his mind, Hayden Ow strode into the temple.
Further away in a shadowy spot, a figure was anxious and restless at the scene.
How is this possible?
Howe?
This cant wait any longer!
The figure clenched his teeth and merged into the shadowpletely.
Chapter 1144 - Unexpected
Chapter 1144: Unexpected
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The temple of Forest City, Divine Garden.
As its name suggested, it was a courtyard where God lived.
The courtyard had flowers that would never wither throughout the four seasons and a tree that was always green.
At the end of the path carved by white jade, there was a simple golden chair.
If it wasnt for the white jade path and the golden chair, the courtyard would be mistaken as some garden in a rural area but when the white jade and gold were added, everything was different.
Anymon man who saw the courtyard would exim uncontrobly, especially the top of the courtyard, one would be easily astonished at first sight.
It was very magnificent!
The top of the courtyard wasnt themon open-air style but it had a roof. From the outside, the structure looked like a dome but from the inside, it was a t starry sky!
Correct, it was the starry sky!
The dark sky filled with shining stars was on top of the courtyard.
The dazzling stars were actually diamonds embedded on the roof and anyone who walked into the courtyard would be captivated by the stars glimmer.
However, that was only for themon man.
For Kieran, this kind of simple decoration without any power was purely decoration.
Kieran was sitting in the golden chair and ncing over Tanya and Hayden Ow.
Tanya was indeed captivated by the starry sky as she was looking up in awe.
Hayden Ow was no exception either.
Even if it wasnt his first time there, he slightly drifted away when he saw the starry sky above him.
In fact, the Divine Garden allowed only a handful of temple personnel to enter, including the archpriest of the God of Forest City. When Hayden Ow first entered the ce, he was stunned for half a minute before reacting to the scene.
Never underestimate a ce that required the whole city to build, the ce would only exceed ones wildest imagination in terms of extravagance.
Hayden Ow had a new understanding of that phrase when he entered the Divine Garden.
However, as the branch manager of Funeral Society, he possessed quite outstanding abilities, when Kierans gazended on him, Hayden Ow quickly regained his senses and put away all the unwanted expressions.
Your Majesty.
Thank you for your effort in killing the God of Forest City. We took over Forest City smoothly and just as you ordered, no one took anything from this city, not even a de grass or a tree.
Hayden Ow reported in detail after bowing respectfully.
The branch manager reported every single detail without missing a beat, from the start of his operation to the end of the whole process, everything came out honestly.
Hmm. Nicely done, Kieran nodded.
It wasnt to brush him off but true praise.
Kieran knew clearly how hard was it to achieve the things he ordered yet Hayden Ow did it.
Despite there being some unexpected idents, Hayde Ows capabilities were not to be questioned.
Likewise, Funeral Societys forces in Forest City had exceeded Kierans initial estimation as well but he didnt really care about all of that.
On the contrary, Kieran felt the sincerity from Funeral Society once more.
You showed all the forces youve hidden... just for the sake of freedom? You guys are so anxious? Kieran thought deeply.
Kieran responded, You all did what I ordered, so Ill carry out the promise I gave you.
Thank you, Your Majesty, for your generosity.
Oh, and this thing, I need your attention for a while.
Hayden Ow then took out a scroll from his pocket.
The scroll looked quite old and its craftsmanship was very rough as well, it had the rugged feel that was different from modern crafts, especially its weight that surpassed modern replicas of a scroll.
Kieran held it in his hand, feeling the texture on the scroll which should be made up of cowhide and gunny grass before he looked at Hayden Ow.
He knew there must be a reason for Hayden Ow to bring out the scroll to him.
I found this in Neil, the archpriests room. It is made by the ancient crafts back in the fiend era and the words inside will only show once before vanishingpletely. Since its creation, this kind of scroll was used by the fiends during the war and hasnt changed until now, Hayden Ow exined.
War?
Is there anything unusual around the city? Kieran raised a puzzled brow.
Other than the treasure of the God of Forest City, Kieran didnt really care about the whole Forest City but it didnt mean any John Doe could extend their malicious ws into the city.
Kieran was such a stingy ghost that even if it was the things he didnt care about yet were his, anyone who tried to take it from him would have to pay the price!
Ive sent men to search the whole city and the outskirts of the city for suspicious activities. If someone is trying to y tricks, Ill find them! Hayden Ow said in a serious and cold tone.
His killing intent was obvious.
It seemed like the branch manager certainly would not allow others to disrupt order in Forest City.
It was the territory that they fought for through hardship after all.
Their own territory!
Anyone who tried to y coy in the city better be prepared to die.
Your Majesty, please leave this matter to me, Hayden Ow bowed.
Kieran nodded and stood up from the golden chair, he spoke as he walked, Where is the treasury of the God of Forest City?
Please follow me.
Hayden Ow bowed before going into the corridor beside the courtyard.
When they returned to the temples main hall, the blood was cleaned and a sufficient amount of fragrance was scattered to mask the bloody stench.
The God of Forest Citys statue had been moved away as well.
So, Kieran could see the small door that led into the deeper part of the temple at first sight.
The door was locked though and the lock had shing marks, freshly left behind.
Only the archpriest had the key to this lock and when those priests tried to break it with force, themotion startled Neil.
Then a fierce fight broke out and after Neil killed all the greedy priests, he too died because of the heavy injuries, Hayden Ow exined when Kieran saw the lock.
When Archpriest Neil was mentioned, Hayden Ow showed an extremelyplicated expression.
The opponent that he once held contempt for and looked down on did something glorious that earned his respect before death. Anyone would show such an expression if they were in Hayden Ows shoes.
Kieran slightly nodded without saying anything. He nced over the surroundings before signaling for Hayden Ow to open the door.
Kak!
No matter how sturdy the lock, it will be easily open when the right key was inserted.
Hayden Ow moved aside when he removed the lock.
The door, on the other hand, opened up automatically and instantaneously, colorful brilliance shone through the seams.
Gold, jewels nketed the endless corridor behind the door.
Even Hayden Ow as the branch manager of Funeral Society, his experience didnt show him such a scene before. He skipped a breath but quickly enough, he looked down at the ground.
He knew what kind of person Kieran was through the brief orders from Ren, hence he didnt want Kieran to take it wrongly.
But to his utter surprise, Kieran turned around and left the next moment.
He strode off without even pausing.
Chapter 1145 - Breath
Chapter 1145: Breath
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Your Majesty?
Hayden Ow was stunned but he quickly gave chase.
The archpriests body, where did you bury it? Kieran asked.
Body?
Could it be?
Hayden Ows face turned sour as he rted to something, then he said, Pleasee with me.
Canmore Public Cemetery, the biggest public cemetery in Forest City.
Most of the civilians would choose to be buried here.
Neil as the archpriest of God of Forest City shouldnt have been buried here after he died under normal circumstances, he should have been sent to a higher ss priest cemetery but after the fall of the God of Forest City, everything changed.
In fact, if it wasnt for Hayden Owsst moment of respect for what Neil did, he didnt even have the rights to be buried here, dying without an intact body was what he deserved.
The notorious acts that hemitted in the past made him well deserving of such an ending, therefore Hayden Ow didnt give Neil a gravestone because he was afraid something bad might happen.
Still, Hayden Ow remembered clearly where Neil was buried.
Here, Your Majesty, said Hayden Ow with a bow while pointing at a nameless gravestone at the edge of the cemetery.
Hmm.
Kieran nodded and ced his attention on the gravestone for a while before sizing up the surroundings.
Hayden Ow was looking at Kieran in confusion but he dared not question him.
Based on how Kieran expressed himself, it was enough for the branch manager to know something went wrong with Neils body but judging from how Kieran reacted now, the nervousness from before was gone.
What happened?
Was something left out? Or...
Just when Hayden Ow was pondering the question, Kieran beside him vanished from the spot and quietly entered the shadows.
Hayden Ows reaction wasnt slow at all. The moment he saw Kieran enter the shadows, he leaped aside and took cover behind a gravestone with quick steps.
Around 20 secondster, a sneaky figure appeared in Hayden Ows sight and when he caught a glimpse of the face, Hayden Ows pupils dted.
Neil!
Neil should be dead yet he appeared before Hayden Ow!
Which meant the Neil they buried was a fake! An imposter in disguise!
Instantaneously, Hayden Ow had precise spection about what happened in his heart.
It was very easy for Neil to pull off such a trick.
After a brutal, bloody battle, it was very normal for Neil to have cuts and shes on his faces and body, to the point that Hayden Owpletely neglected the details, or in other words...
This bastard used the respect from my heart to mislead me, causing me to instinctively neglect the idea of thoroughly searching his body! Bloody bastard!
Enraged, Hayden Ow wanted to jump out and kill the man, making him a real dead body but when Hayden Ow thought about Kieran who was still in hiding, he quickly suppressed the rage in his heart.
He knew in this ce, at this time, he wasnt the one calling the shots.
Everything had to follow Kierans will.
...
Neil was breathing heavily after a rapid sprint.
The body which hadnt been through real training was not used to such a vigorous exercise but Neil dared not even pause for a second.
He knew his time was running out and following those bastards move, he will be exposed soon.
Bunch of reckless fools! They never understood the meaning of strategy!
Neil was mumbling as he traveled to his grave.
He smiled when he saw the wordless gravestone.
As I expected of Hayden Ow and that Bird of Death!
The former shows respect for my death and thetter is infatuated by the treasure of the God of Forest City. But... the real treasure is with me!
When he felt the fluttering waves a few feet away from him, Neils smile was bright and delightful. He took a deep breath and dug with the iron shovel.
The ground was quickly shoveled away.
After the clouds and rain went away, Forest City returned to its tropical hot weather again, Neil who was already panting from the sprint was drenched in sweat from the shoveling.
However, the archpriest that faked his death kept on moving the shovel as though he couldnt feel tired.
Dang!
When the shovel hit something hard in the ground, the sweaty Neil showed delight on his face, even a brighter smile appeared on his face.
However, a momentter his smile froze hard because...
A shadow silently approached him and appeared beside him.
The firearm from the shadows hand was even showing the most primitive killer intent.
Dont kill me! I didnt break the promise! Im just...
Bang!
Before Neil finished, the firearm in the gun wielders hand was fired.
The bullet was shot into Neils body and blood gushed out before he fell to the ground.
The gun wielder didnt seem to care about killing a person as he added a few more shots to Neils body.
Thest shot fired even sted Neils crown off of his head, causing his brains to stter.
Without a doubt, Neil would surely be dead 10 times over after being shot into such a hideous state.
The gun wielder then put away his gun and picked up the shovel to continue digging in front of the gravestone.
Compared to Neils feeble body, the gun wielder wasnt just energetic, he was strong as well.
Less than 5 minutes into digging, the dirt on top and around the coffin was cleared.
The gun wielder stuck the shovel into the seam of the coffin, trying to pry it open with brute force.
Gak Tsk!
Gak Tsk!
Bang!
After a series of tooth-numbing screeches, the coffin lid was pried open and fell off. The gun wielder anxiously looked into the coffin, trying to see its contents but then...
A pair of hands came out from the coffin and grabbed the gun wielder by the neck.
The gun wielder didnt even scream or breathe and he was dragged into the coffin.
Then, a series of meat chewing noises came from inside the coffin, numbing Hayden Ows scalp as he was listening behind a gravestone.
Although he did see a lot of remains of humans after the fiends devoured them, it was a first for Hayden Ow to witness it live, especially when the body that was eating people was the body that he buried himself.
What happened?
Hayden Ow questioned himself while his gaze instinctively flew towards Neils body.
He was wondering whether the scene was rted to Neil but under his vignt gaze, Neils body didnt even budge.
It seemed like after faking his death once, Neil was really dead this time, even his brains spilled out, not even a fiend could survive that.
The chewing stopped.
That bleached white pair of hands appeared again, its fingers were tainted with bright red blood.
Hayden Ow squinted his eyes, his palm instinctively reached his weapon at his waist.
Even though he knew he would be fine when Kieran was around, his battle instinct allowed him to make the right choice.
However, the moment Hayden Ows fingers touched his gun
Huu!
Huu!
Heavy breaths came from behind him.
The icy cold presence struck chills down his spine and caused goosebumps on his neck and back.
Chapter 1146 - Where Did He Go?
Chapter 1146: Where Did He Go?
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
As the branch manager of Funeral Society in Forest City, Hayden Ow wasnt a person that lived afortable life that enjoyed luxurious treatments.
The moment he joined Funeral Society, Hayden Ow spent his life training and in battle.
More than a decade of battle experience caused him to not turn around and check what it was, instead he leaped in front while at the same time reaching out to his gun with his hand.
Bang, Bang Bang!
He reached out to the gun that he holstered beneath his armpit, he fired it repeatedly without even aiming.
The bullets were shot through his coat as muzzle shes lit up relentlessly.
The figure that appeared behind Hayden Ow fell to the ground after the gunshots but...
After the figure fell, it struggled and climbed up again.
Its grayish face was rotten, its eyes were dried out and were filled with puss.
Its body neglected the bullets fired and kept staggering forward.
All the signs were telling Hayden Ow what he just encountered.
Corpse Puppet!
Hayden Ow squinted his eyes before raising his gun for another shot.
Bang!
The figure fell to the ground after the gunshot.
Half of its brain was crushed and after twitching for two seconds, it went silent.
Corpse Puppets werent any rare fiends though.
In fact, in certain aged cemeteries, these kind of low-level fiends weremon, as long as one was fully prepared and able to ovee the internal scare, even amon man could kill one.
After all, themon Corpse Puppets weakness was its head, like every other corpse monster. They also hated the light and feared fire but, the Corpse Puppet in front of him was different.
Not only did it ept the light, it even silently snuck behind Hayden Ow.
There was only one exnation for this!
Corpse Ghoul!
A Corpse Ghoul that could control Corpse Puppets!
It was only a word different yet thetters danger level was almost a thousand times, no, a myriad of times higher than the former.
One or two well-trained men were enough to deal with a Corpse Puppet.
But what about the Corpse Ghoul which had a body of iron filled with toxins and was able to control Corpse Puppets freely?
Even a hundred fully armed men with firearms and explosives would fall short against it.
During the ancient fiend era, the required men to deal with a single Corpse Ghoul would be a few times higher than the modern era.
Therefore, whenever a Corpse Ghoul appeared, tremendous trouble would follow but the recorded history had only a handful of simr cases.
If a Corpse Puppet wasmon in any old cemeteries, a Corpse Ghoul would require harsher environments to form or to be frank, Corpse Ghouls couldnt form under natural circumstances because thest step of forming a Corpse Ghoul was...
Blood sacrifice!
A blood sacrifice of a hundred people rted to the Corpse Ghoul bloodline!
Sacrificing a whole family would only give birth to one Corpse Ghoul.
Back then during in the fiend era, the poption of human was not that dense and the families that could form a Corpse Ghoul would be a small force itself, hence it more or less possessed awork of rtions to other people.
Once something went wrong, the people rted in thework would notice right away.
As for the modern era?
The poption had gotten denser but the rise of technology and the existence of Gods made it almost impossible to form a Corpse Ghoul.
Even Hayden Ow as the branch manager never encountered a Corpse Ghoul before, it didnt even cross his mind before!
Huu! Huu!
Hayden Ow was exhaling angrily, he looked at the exposed coffin with an enraged and frightened gaze while his gun was still pointed up. His other hand quickly reached out to his inner pocket, where the grenade was.
Back in the fiend era, a Corpse Ghoul formation was forbidden and hated, let alone the modern era.
It had already crossed the baseline of humanity.
The blood-stained hands were still on the coffin, its fingers slightly crooked in a twisted way as if it was trying to pull its body up yetcked the strength to do so.
Huh?
The unusual scene with the Corpse Ghoul made Hayden Ow dubious but his movements werent slow at all.
Kak!
After the pin was pulled, the grenade was hurled directly into the coffin.
Kaboom!
The moment the grenadended in the coffin, it exploded.
Shrapnels flew everywhere followed by raging growls.
The wooden coffin was broken the moment the explosion happened but...
The Corpse Ghoul still didnt appear, only its roar proved its existence.
Iplete? Or?
Questioning, Hayden Ow pulled out another grenade.
However, before he pulled the pin, the ground started to tremble, it was so fierce that it felt like an earthquake befell the whole Canmore Public Cemetery.
Gravestone fell down one by one.
Sharp and withered or tough and robust arms burst out from the deepest parts of the graves.
As the biggest public cemetery, Canemore Cemetery housed a myriad of body, the number was doubled if the unnamed gravestones were counted.
During the quake, more than one-third of the graves changed for the worst.
This many Corpse Puppets?!
How is this possible?!
Hayden Ow felt his scalp go numb as he stood there witnessing the trembling scene, he took out another grenade and hurled it into the hole of the Corpse Ghoul before he instinctively called for backup.
It would not work without backup, this many Corpse Puppets wasnt something that he could deal with alone, especially with Canmore Cemetery being not too far from the city center of Forest City. If the Corpse Ghoul rushed in...
The whole Forest City would suffer catastrophic destruction!
Hayden Ow clenched his teeth when the thought came into his mind.
During such a critical moment, Hayden Ow had alreadypletely forgotten Kieran, he only knew Funeral Society had just gotten their hands on their own turf! He would not allow the turf to be wiped out by the waves of Corpse Puppets before it was truly built up.
A white candle appeared in Hayden Ows hand.
He carefully lit it up and a pea-sized me appeared on the candle under the sun.
It was slightly gloomy but when the light from the candle came, the Corpse Puppets that crawled out from their graves were like insects attracted to light, all of them threw themselves to Hayden Ow but when the waves of Corpse Puppet got within 5 meters from Hayden Ow, they were engulfed in mes.
At the same time, the pea-sized me on the candle grew fiercer in an instant, the candle burned quicker as well.
Within a breaths time, the first wave of Corpse Ghouls was burned to ashes, followed by the second, the third...
Consecutive waves of Corpse Puppet were burned to ashes mercilessly.
But!
The numbers were overwhelming!
Compared to the overall number which was still swarming towards Hayden Ow, the incinerated ones didnt even reach one-tenth of the total number yet the candle was halfway to its end.
It even burned faster than before as the waves got fiercer.
Bang Bang Bang!
Gunshots sounded again as muzzle sh lit up, Hayden Ow was squeezing the trigger repeatedly.
Although he knew his efforts were insignificant, it was better than doing nothing at all, right?
Soon, his bullets were emptied and only an inch was left on his burning candle.
Hayden Ow saw the dense waves of Corpse Puppet around him, his face filled with despair.
After the despair shed over, he pulled out the dagger from his thigh holster.
It was impossible for him to die without struggling, should he die from this, he would take out as many as he could.
Kaboom!
Just as Hayden Ow wanted to charge forward with his life, explosion and fierce firing happened behind the Corpse Puppet waves.
Reinforcement has arrived!
They were faster than he expected!
Made it!
Hayden Ow heaved a long sigh of relief when he saw that the candle was still burning.
Who would want to die if they could live?
After moving around on the verge of death, Hayden Ow swiftly loosen up his tense manner and it was at that moment, he thought about something.
Where was Kieran?
Chapter 1147 - Hidden Danger
Chapter 1147: Hidden Danger
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Where did Kieran go?
Soon, Hayden Ow saw Kierans figure shing over the waves of Corpse Puppet.
Each time he appeared, several Corpse Puppets would be cut in half, andpletely robbing their mobility.
It was like Kieran was taking a stroll in his garden as he moved around the corpse wave.
Afterimages of himself were left behind in the spots he appeared, one couldnt precisely pinpoint where the real Kieran was based on the confusing scene.
Hayden Ow eyes were glued to Kierans hands because he saw Kieran tear apart a Corpse Puppet as if he was tearing a piece of paper, he couldnt help but gasp.
Hayden Ow knew how much power was required to tear a human body apart with a pair of bare hands.
Even if a sharp weapon was included, it was an extremely hard feat for someone without any training, let alone tearing apart a Corpse Puppet.
After the rigor mortis process, Corpse Puppets had surpassed the normal range of dead bodies, other than their heads, their bodies were reinforced and hardened.
Any well-trained member of the Funeral Society with a sharp weapon could easily take down the head of a Corpse Puppet but to tear apart its body, it was impossible.
He himself couldnt do it either, let alone being as easy as Kieran did.
This is a God?
Hayden Ow muttered to himself before shaking his head hard.
What a joke, strength like this was the God that he knew of?
The enemies were just too weak!
They were so weak that they werent worthy enough for Kieran to show his true strength!
Hayden Ow eximed in his heart and soon it was reced by joy.
So what if the enemies were weak?
Who didnt like weak enemies?
Nothing else in the world was more delightful than facing off against weak enemies!
Besides...
Forest City will be safe!
A deep breathter, Hayden Ow drew out the dagger.
Since victory wasing, he didnt want to wee it by standing there and doing nothing.
With Kieran and other reinforcements joining the fray, despite the numbers of Corpse Puppets in Canmore Cemetery being overwhelming, they didnt stand a chance in resisting at all. Even more so when two of the reinforcements lit up the white candle like Hayden Ow, it was just a matter of time before the sea of Corpse Puppets were eliminated.
And when Kieran plunged his hand into the Corpse Ghouls head, the time was hastened by a lot.
Your Majesty.
Hayden Ow strode over to Kierans back as he was sizing up the Corpse Ghoul, the leader of the reinforcements joined them too.
Its strange, Kieran said softly.
Are you referring to this Corpse Ghoul?
It is strange indeed!
It might be powerful but it couldnt move. On top of that, the Corpse Puppets that it controlled had surpassedmon level... It could be some kind of mutation I suppose? Or it might be some changes that we didnt know of, Hayden Ow replied.
Changes? Kieran turned around.
Yes, changes. Some changes were impossible for us but for Your Majesty and the Godlike beings...
Hayden Ow didnt finish his sentence but the meaning was obvious.
In this fiend lurking world, the impossible thatmoners assumed was just something they assumed.
As for the facts?
It would be something that never crossed their minds.
Your Majesty! I have urgent news to report!
The other Funeral Society member that came after Hayden Ow suddenly spoke.
Whats wrong, Fergus?
Hayden Ow looked at his assistant with a serious look.
He knew what kind of person his assistant was: reliable, loyal and a man of few words.
If it wasnt something urgent, Fergus would never speak under the situation.
Weve noticed a lot of unknown individuals in Forest City. Each of them is armed and are gathering at a spot rapidly. And... Fergus paused.
And what? Hayden Ow asked.
But the moment his question escaped, he realized something was wrong.
The loyal and reliable assistant was emanating killing intent.
Care-
Sou!
Before the word even formed, an arrow was fired at Kieran.
The arrow was very fast! To the point that Kieran didnt even react to it as it plunged into his chest.
Hahahahahaha!
I did it!
The infamous Bird of Death was nothing more than this!
Overjoyed, franticughs came from Fergus.
Fergus, do you know what youve done?
Hayden Ow pointed the gun at his ex-assistant, asking.
Of course I know!
ying a God!
Just like Perforation Stings leader, Jin, and what 2567, Bird of Death didif they could do it, so could I. As long as... it goes ording to n! Fergus exined word after word and neglected the gun pointing at him.
When the God of Forest City was killed, Neil the idiot approached me and he wanted to borrow my power to divide the treasure in the vault.
Of course I wouldnt agree!
The risk is too huge! To the point that I dared not even touch.
But who knew this idiot here still had two hidden ace cards.
One of them was this!
The crossbow forsaken by the Godsits a treasure that is imed to never exist but Neil had it!
That idiot is really a coward!
He had a tool like this yet he didnt even know how to use it! All he did was use it as leverage to trade for this and that, all useless things!
I am different! I know precisely how this thing works!
Fergus was swinging the little crossbow in his hand while he exined.
So thats why you wanted to kill His Majesty?! Hayden Ows breathing became hurried.
He was sizing up the assistant who he should be familiar with yet felt was a stranger at the moment, he never thought his assistant was hiding so much.
Or in a more proper sense... He never truly knew his assistant, just like he never saw the inhuman eyes that were simr to a jackal.
Half-fiend? Hayden Ow took in a deep breath.
Pak!
A p, as fast as lightning,nded on Hayden Ows face.
Address me as Your Majesty!
Call me like how you call the others Majestiesarent you all like this?
Begging and wagging your tails in front of Gods?
Showing your hypocrisy and fake mercy in front of weak fiends?
Yet what is truly inside of you people? Its nothing less than brutal suppression!
What is the difference between you people and the dead God of Forest City?
There is none! You are all the same!
Thats why I will be your new God, whats wrong with that?
However... Before that, I shall take back the interest thats owed to me from you people bit by bit.
Fergus looked down at Hayden Ow who fell to the ground because of the powerful p, his tone was getting colder and more vicious.
I thought youd forgotten.
Hayden Ow said in a blurry way since half of his face was buried in the ground.
Forgotten? Would you forget after youve endured all of that?
You people really think a word or two and some damn food can save the world?
How naive are you, Hayden Ow?
Ferguss considerably young face showed a mocking smile.
Hayden Ow kept quiet, he didnt reply anymore.
Speechless I see? Fergus continued.
This time, Hayden Ow closed his eyes.
Cant bear to witness your death?
Fine, Ill grant your wish! Ill erase you with my divine power...
...Divine power?
Fergus finally noticed something was wrong.
Chapter 1148 - Shoe
Chapter 1148: Shoe
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Divine Power!
Rumor had it that after one slew a God, one would acquire the power of a God!
The rumor was even verified by Perforation Stings leader, Jin, and 2567, the Bird of Death!
However, Fergus didnt acquire the divine power of the Bird of Death.
Instinctively, he turned around to the Bird of Death.
He saw Kieran pull out the arrow of The crossbow forsaken by the Gods from his chest and size it up in detail.
Impossible!
You were shot! How can you be fine?
This is impossible! Fergus shouted.
Kieran showed a disdainful smile before appearing in front of Fergus in a sh. Before he even reacted, Kierannded his finger on Fergus forehead.
Fergus was instantly dragged into the illusion realm and he started to spill out secrets hidden deep in his heart which he himself werent even aware of.
Kieran maintained his smile when he heard the secrets but Hayden Ow was different.
The branch managers face changed multiple times for the worse, he even cried out in shock at the end of the revtion.
How is this happening...
Your Majesty, we need to seize the moment and make our move! Otherwise, the whole of Forest City will be doomed! Hayden Ow said quickly.
Doomed? How? Some other people have already made their move.
Kieran shook his head before he muttered to himself softly, That guy sleeps with one eye open and you people are trying to y scheming tricks on him? You people dont seem to be afraid of death!
Kieran then sighed out of regret.
...
At the end of the road along Rosser Park, there was a smaller wriggly cobblestone street and a variety of shops were located on both sides of the street that led further down.
Starting from the entrance was a bakery, a dairy shop, and a sausage seller followed by a clothing store and a shoemaker.
All of the shops were rted to the daily lives of the citizens. The reason for their existence was to serve the citizens of the south block of Forest City plus several others.
Other than on specific holidays, the people hardly had a chance to leave their living area for the more prosperous, merrier streets.
They didnt have the time nor sufficient money, hence a small street filled with shops like this became the favorite of the locals.
It was also natural that there would be a popr shop and a popr owner amongst the small street.
Other street blocks might not know but within the small street itself, Scotdery was the most popr owner. His humor and reasonable pricing of his goods plus his old age were enough for him to be the most respected one as well.
The wooden sign in front of his shop was repainted after the frozen ice of the winter melted, Scotdery Shoemaker was clearly written on an image of a boot on the sign.
The ss door entrance that allowed only one to pass at a time was divided into small squares by green wood, adding up the squares from the top and bottom, there were a total of 12.
The shop had no disy window but in front of the door was a doormat and a rack to house umbres.
After entering the ss door, another soft doormat greeted the visitor and the price list was written on the hanging ckboard beside the wall.
...
Repair shoe
Leather shoe: $2
Canvas shoe: $1
(PS: Same for high and low boots)
Shoes for sale
First row: $25
Second row: $35
Third row: $45
(PS: Just the shoe rack, doesnt include the cupboard.)
Special made
Men shoe: $100
Lady shoe: $200
(PS: Price may change per special request)
...
Simple and easy to understand, the price list was clean to the eyes, just like Scotdery himself.
A clean apron was tied around his waist, his hair was white and he was wearing a pair of stic spectacles, his face hadyers of wrinkles but his hands were still steady as the needle was meticulously stitching through the leather. Each stitch appeared as if it was machine sewn as the distance in between was the same.
What do you need?
Please wait for a moment.
His old and kind voice was weing the customer but he didnt lift his head as he was concentrating on stitching his shoe topletion.
I need a pair of shoes!
The deep voice belonged to the customer with a big body and the shadow it cast was like a small mountain falling over Scotdery.
His stitching hands was forced to a stop.
My my, excuse me, dear customer, youve blocked the light.
Although Scotdery said as such, his hand continued stitching and quicker than before. After a quickpletion of his shoe, the shoemaker heaved a long sigh and looked up at the customer, sizing him up carefully.
My my, dear customer, you sure are big and muscr. Your feet quite thick and very strong, it seems like you need a special thickness sole to fit your walking motion and the strength that follows. If a small heel is added, it will be great!
Fortunately for you, I have a pair of shoes here that fits your criteria perfectly.
The shoemaker walked over to the shoe rack as he promoted his shoe, the big and strong customer, however, grew impatient and reached his hand out to grab Scotdery.
His hand was fast and powerful butcked uracy. The shoemaker slightly repositioned his steps and moved him should hence dodging the hand easily, he even went along with his body motion and took out a pair of shoes from the rack.
Comee, let me help to put them on.
The shoemaker said with a smile as he walked back to the big and strong customer.
Aaaaaargh!
The customer was like a frenzied grizzly bear, he didnt just growl loudly, his body even inted and he threw himself at the old shoemaker.
The wind pressure from the motion was enough to stun amon man but the old shoemaker was still smiling. He easily dodged the customer as though he was ying catch with a child.
The shoemakers shoulder then lightly leaned towards the big customer and the customer was pushed down right away.
Fortunately, the big fe fell on the chair which the old shoemaker was sitting.
Then...
The old shoemaker moved his hands to the customers feet and ced the shoes on him.
What a perfect fit. As I said, this is the perfect shoe for your feet.
Stand up, go take a walk, said the shoemaker.
The customer who was angry and frenzied suddenly stood up honestly just as the shoemaker told him to, he even walked around the little shop.
But...
His face was still enraged and now had an added sense of terror.
Momentster, the terror was increased further.
What did you do to me?
Why I cant control my body? The customer shouted.
A good shoe can change a mans life, my dear customer, you are no exception.
Of course, that includes the few of you as well.
The old shoemaker moved his body aside as he spoke, then a lock of hair grazed his shoulder.
He simply took a roller and stabbed it into the lock of hair.
Aaargh!
The cry of pain came from the corner of the room, at the same time the zing me outside the room was extinguished as well.
Bearman, Hair Fiend and the Fire Brothers...
Seems like Ive discovered all of you.
However, His Majesty cant be everywhere at once, thus sending you bunch of useless garbage here. Dont worry, I wont kill you.
If you fiends die, it will surely startle His Majesty. Thank my greedy coborator then, he did attract sufficient attention away from me.
Now, I think, I should leave.
The shoemaker then started to tidy up his shoes, tools and loaded them into a big sack.
He then turned around and looked at Hair Fiend, Bearman, and the Fire Brothers.
Since we are parting ways, how about a farewell dance?
Dense malicious intent overflowed on the shoemakers face, together with his smiling face, it would cause one to shiver.
Then, footsteps were heard outside the street.
Almost a thousand men were outside.
Each and every one of them was horrified as they looked at their uncontroble bodies and the weapons in their hands. Eventually, they looked at the... shoes on their feet.
Chapter 1149 - Layers
Chapter 1149: Layers
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
These men who couldnt control their bodies saw the shoemaker.
They tried to greet him butpared to Bearman, Hair Fiend and Fire Brothers, they were justmon men and they couldnt even open their mouths.
All of them had fallen under the old shoemakers control.
The dance will start soon.
Go! Go!
Go look for your dance partners!
The shoemaker then waved his hand and the controlled civilians dashing out of the street, going out of control as they destroyed everything theyid eyes on.
Fires were burning high on buildings and the smoke tainted the bright and beautiful afternoon ck.
The rumbling ck smoke rose up fast and flew up to the white clouds.
The shoemaker was watching the smoke fly.
Suddenly, he jolted. The ck smoke was gathering ceaselessly in the sky and the bright sunny afternoon was swiftly turned into darkness overhead, an enormous hand that merged with the sky andnd then mmed down on him as if... The sky copsed!
The shoemakers proud nimble hands were useless.
The secret technique that he was so confident in was useless.
When the sky copsed, mortal men were nothing but ants.
The old shoemaker was just a slightly stronger one.
Kaboom!
The enormous handnded on him and enveloped everyone that he controlled together.
No one escaped the attack though, all of them were crushed into powder.
Pain!
Pain!
The pain from his bones and soul was invading the shoemakers body wave after wave, it made him tremble and shake uncontrobly, ultimately
Puk!
A mouth full of blood was spat out andnded on the pair of shoes in his hand, the shoe which he should have finished yet didnt.
The blood was dazzling and could even be considered as horrifying.
The old shoemaker lifted his head while trembles and looked at the customer opposite the chair.
The ck colored crow feathered mantle, the youthful yet mature face, the calmness in the eyes added an extrayer of wisdom with the matured temperament, causing its normal face to extraordinary.
When?
When did I fall into your illusion?
How are your illusions so real?
How did you do it?
Perforation Stings leader and the God of Forest City shouldnt have given you this kind of power!
The shoemaker coughed repeatedly but he didnt hold back his questions toward Kieran.
Kieran didnt answer.
He was not obliged to answer the enemys question, especially the malicious ones.
Tsk!
After an air-breaking sound, blood gushed out from the old shoemakers arm and the roller fell on to the floor.
A strand of hair silently strangled the shoemakers neck.
Thest resort attack didnt work.
While feeling the icy cold presence of the strand of hair on his neck, the shoemaker couldnt hold back hisughter.
I underestimated you.
But do you think this is the end?
I tell you, this is just the beginning!
The shoemakerughed heavily before it stopped abruptly. His face swiftly turned purple and gradually ran out of breath.
Dead?
The big, strong Bearman mumbled, even the Fire Brothers at a side scowled.
Regardless of what kind of enemy, they were all hateful but the most hated amongst all kinds of enemies were the sacrificial kindmen of sacrifice.
Burn it.
Kieran said before he stood up and walked outside.
Behind him, the shop together with the shoemakers body were turned into zing fire by the Fire Brothers.
Fire!
Fire!
The neighbors shouts were heard one after another, pails of water then followed but their efforts were inadequate. It didnt help a bit in extinguishing the zing fire.
In the end, the neighbors were left with no choice but to iste the shoe shop to prevent the fire from spreading.
Throughout the process, no one noticed Kieran and co. leave, except for...
Scotdery the shoemaker!
He was indeed dead but his soul hadnt vanished, he ignored the zing fire and hid aside, watching Kieran and co. leave the ce.
Although youve be a God but a God like you without a solid foundation could neverpete with the true Majesty!
You, are still too far away!
Scotdery in his soul form was emanating a unique brilliance invisible to the naked eye.
The brilliance didnt just shield his soul from the fire, it even granted him some special abilities not avable to normal souls.
As the brilliance shined, Scotdery vanished without a trace instantly, as if the wind blew and send him away far.
It was very fast and quick, no matter how vignt a person was, they would never care about some harmless breeze.
The wind blew until a reached certain penthouse in Forest City before it stopped.
Scotdery appeared in his soul form again as he went towards the penthouse but, he didnt go in.
What he entered was the alleyway beside. He then carved a symbol beneath the one and a half man tall window which almost reaching the second floor of the penthouse.
After that, he vanished into the wind again.
Over the next hour, Scotdery was shuttling across the city, leaving symbol after symbol in specific locations.
When thest symbol was left, the old shoemaker went into the hideout which he prepared beforehand.
The hideout had not only sufficient food and water, but there was also a man there who looked dumb.
Without further ado, Scotdery possessed the mans body.
Two minutester, the dumb looking person became normal and was speaking in a low gloomy voice.
What you did to me, Ill return in kind!
Ten times!
A Hundred Times!
Believe me, that day wont be long from now!
Is that so?
After the vicious words, a dull question broke his streak and shocked Scotdery.
The shoemaker instinctively turned around.
Based on his experience, he shouldnt have done that but the shock in his heart didnt allow him to maintain a calm state.
A long, powerful palm seized him by the throat, his body together with his neck which was halfway turned was frozen on the spot.
Unable to speak, Scotdery widened his eyes and saw Kieran appear before him, his face was filled with a look of disbelief, followed by sorrowful begging.
However, in the end, it turned into fierceness and was even threatening.
Kieranughed at the threats because he got what he wanted.
Seems like one of the ces that you left your symbol holds quite some value. Or should I say, a few other ces?
Hope they arent as stubborn as you!
Otherwise, your people will lose everything.
After hearing what Kieran said, the vicious, fierce shoemaker reced his threatening expression with a dash of fear.
It wasnt until this moment that the shoemaker finally realized Kieran had a much bigger scheme than what he imagined.
Kieran didnt only want Scotdery, he wanted all the contacts around the shoemaker.
And...
The Majesty behind the scenes.
Chapter 1150 - Farce
Chapter 1150: Farce
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Correct!
Kierans target had always been the God behind Scotdery.
From the moment of his early arrival in Forest City to observe the situation from the dark, his target had been set since the very beginning.
Using the differences in time and borrowing the vision of Fire Raven, Kieran might not be able to capture every meticulous detail in Forest City under his eyes but he still managed to pay attention to a certain important point.
First: Hayden Ows assistant Fergus.
Second: Scotdery whom Fergus met before.
Third: Neil, the archpriest who connected everything together.
Searching for truth amidst chaos was undoubtedly difficult but once an inkling was held onto, everything would eventually be easier.
Now?
All Kieran had to do was wait.
Of course, before that
Pak!
A chop from his hand knocked out the shoemaker.
Kieran didnt kill him because the shoemaker still had his uses.
You are just a traitor who forsook principles for the sake of benefits. Now, Ill need to give you enough benefits to make you turnwhat else is more tempting than bing a God?
Didnt you peoplee for this?
Kieran said softly.
...
Forest City, the temple.
The evening feast started.
This weing feast gathered all the big shots of Forest City.
There was no need for an invitation though, they knew what they should do and how they should act before the new God of the city.
Morden whose face was still suffering a bruise was wearing a festive suit while standing at the entrance of the temple, acting as an attendant in weing the guests.
He would wee every one of the guests with a smile and despite the bruises making his smile look funny, no one dared tough at him.
The guests heard of Hermairs ending and no one wanted to be next.
After weing another guest into the temple, Morden strode over to Hayden Ow who was also weing the guests.
He said, My lord, all of the guests from my side are here.
Unlike the surface level humble and polite that he showed the guests, Morden was truly humble before Hayden Ow.
Morden even considered himself as inferior before the branch manager because he knew how far their identities differed. Even though Morden was finally under the New Godsmand, his status was still quite far away from Hayden Ow.
It wasnt determined by strength or time but destined from the start and if Morden wanted to shorten the distance, he didnt just need to show his capabilities, he would need the push of luck as well.
As for before this, wagging his tail in front of the powerful was the true path for him.
Hayden Ow saw the humble-looking Morden, his eyes were showing a sense of disgust.
The branch manager knew exactly what Morden was scheming.
If it was possible, he didnt mind kicking the clown away, unfortunately...
It wasnt his decision to make.
Whenever he thought about the order the owner of the city gave him, Hayden Ow couldnt help but take in a deep breath. He tried his best in being patient and said, I still have two more guests who havent arrive.
Do you need any help? Morden quickly asked.
No need, just do whatever His Majesty asks of you.
Hayden Ows disgust in his eyes got more obvious as he shook his head, rejecting the offer.
Very well.
Morden didnt seem to notice the disgust, he was still being humble and polite and didnt forget to bow before leaving.
Honey-mouthed and dagger-hearted bastard, he never stops changing like a weathercock. Hayden Ow said softly.
But you have to admit these kinds of people usually do pretty well mixing around, with people or with fiends, a sudden voice was heard beside him.
Lord Ren?!
Hayden Ow turned around and was surprised by the arrival of the Fiend Exorcist and Huntsman Ditko.
Youve finally arrived! His Majesty has been waiting for you! Hayden Ow said with excitement.
Of course, he has reasons to be excited.
Under His Majestys persistence, the new representative sent by Funeral Society was kicked out of the temple, so all they could do was wait for Rens arrival.
I made the deal with Ren, so let Rene here and continue the work.
As for others?
I dont know them.
Funeral Society was rendered speechless by Kierans words and it was natural that the majority were angered but dared not say anything.
However, some of the old-fashioned, stubborn minority agreed to Kierans words exceptionally, they thought his words were very correct.
Is Mou all right? Ren asked with a bitter smile.
As one of the Fiend Exorcists of the society, he knew very well how his colleague would react to suchments judging from their temper, if it didnte from His Majesty, a war might have broken out.
In fact, the rest of the Fiend Exorcists werent exactly good-tempered either, Mou was the best amongst them, otherwise, he wouldnt have been elected as a representative to discuss the future coboration with His Majesty.
Even for Ren himself, he admitted he had some personality ws.
Lord Mou took it calmly, he didnt offend His Majesty at all, Hayden Ow reported honestly.
Obviously, Hayden Ow automatically omitted the part where Mou returned to his room and smashed a box of instant noodles.
Good, Ren heaved a sigh of relief.
He was really worried his colleague might cause some unwanted trouble.
Since Ren dealt with Kieran before, he had quite the understanding of Kierans personality.
He might seem calm but he was extremely persistent.
A person like him would be fine when he wasnt angry but once angered, nothing would be spared.
The Fiend Exorcist who thought he knew a great deal about Kieran signaled his subordinates to enter the temple while his mind was preparing, simting the uing conversation, what kind of questions would be asked and what he should answer.
However, to Rens surprise, he was led to the side in the inner hall of the temple where he saw Tanya ying with a draw tube. Rens eye twitched a little, he has a bad feeling about this.
Hi, may I know where His Majesty is?
Suppressing the bad feeling in his heart, Ren asked without losing his politeness.
2567 told me to wee you.
Oh right, you must address me as Majesty as well!
2567 said he is sharing the temple with me, Tanya said with a serious tone.
However, her youthful face and petite body made the words sound like they were without substance, it could even be considered as outrageous.
Ren didntugh because he felt something different about Tanya.
She shared a simr aura with the Gods, yet was much weaker.
What is this?
Puzzled, Ren didnt stop and saluted at Tanya respectfully.
Your Majesty! said Ren.
Em, em.
Draw a stick at your, let us see how is your fate... Oh, no, this is how should we work together in the future, Tanya nodded repeatedly and said happily.
Huh?!
Ren looked up from his salutation and looked at Tanya in shock.
The moment heid eyes on her, he knew she wasnt reliable but he didnt think it will be to this extent.
No?
I am not used to drawing divination sticks!
Then shall we use the crystal ball? I am quite skilled with this!
The sh*tty crystal gazer pulled out a crystal ball from under the tea table while praising herself.
As she touched the crystal ball, Tanyas face automatically showed a wide smile together with her dimples, her body was excited as she was eager to try.
Youre not joking right?
Ren looked at Tanya for a long while before reacting to the scene.
Do you think I am joking?
Tanya pouted her lips and puffed up her face, acting angry.
No, no.
What should I do then?
Ren waved his hands quickly, he scanned the surroundings and hoped to find Kierans figure.
As for Tanya?
Ren purely took it as a farce.
However, even if it really was a farce, it was a Gods farce.
He had to y along with it.
Think about what concerns you in your heart, then ce your hand on the crystal ball! said Tanya.
When she saw Ren ce his hand on the crystal ball as ordered, Tanya heaved a long sigh of relieve in her heart.
Its not that hard, right?!
Ill be able to carry out what 2567 told me to!
Chapter 1151 - Beneath the Farce
Chapter 1151: Beneath the Farce
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The little farce in the temple side hall was still ying out.
Other than Tanya who treated it as a serious business, Ren was helpless against it, even the other intentional person who paid attention to the sceneughed coldly in his heart.
The person carefully left the ce and took a detour around the grand hall in which the evening feast was held. After he went along the walls and left the temple, he entered the car that he had prepared beforehand.
The car then sped towards the outskirts of Forest City.
Compared to the prosperous city center, the Forest City outskirts shared the scene was the same as every other city outskirts: broken, old, and had a smaller poption.
So, if there was an inn located in a ce like this, it would be fortunate and also rming.
The fortunate ones would be the locals and the rmed one would be outsiders.
The outsiders were referred to those who traveled from other cities and... those who came from the city center.
Despite the people all being from Forest City, the people living in the outskirts wouldnt treat those wealthy ones as one of their own.
Therefore, when the car stopped in front of the inn, the few locals at the entrance surrounded it with ill intentions but soon enough, these men retreated quicker than they gathered around.
A gun!
The driver was holding a threatening weapon!
I want to see your boss, Quincy.
The driver got out of the car and headed towards the inn without the slightest intention of waiting.
However, the moment he stepped into the inn, he put away his gun because there was no need for the firearm anymore.
There were many familiar faces in the inn and it made the driver smile uncontrobly.
I thought I would be the first one who heard the news, said the driver.
The driver nced over the familiar faces who were dressed in various outfits and had different day jobs.
You wouldnt be the first but definitely the first who gives us precise news!
How is the situation at the temple?
Quincy, in a deep colored bartender outfit, poured a ss of wine for the driver and served him before asking the question.
The Shoes information is urate.
The new Majesty definitely suffered some serious injuries, hence he had to brush off Funeral Society with someme farce.
Of course, the way he brushed them off wasnt normal either!
The driver took a sip off the ss of wine.
What do you mean? Quincy asked on behalf of his master.
The driver didnt speak straightforwardly this time, he held his ss and stayed quiet.
Fine! If your information proves to be valuable, we will increase your pay by another 10%, said Quincy after looking at the people around andpromised with the silent driver.
10%?
You... everyone really cared about that 10%?
You people are willing to just give up this hard toe by chance?
The driverughed and mocked everyone present.
Enough, Welkor!
The others and I can pretend you didnt say anything but you have to stop!
Quincys face turned heavy and gloomy, he interrupted the drivers words with a decisive tone and his eyes even turned as sharp as a de.
Welkor raised his hands up under the pressuring gaze.
Its a joke! Its just a damn joke! said Welkor.
Hm, we treat it as a big joke as well!
Now, we need to discuss His Majestys n!
Quincy nodded and the gloomy face was reced by a smile, the suppressing atmosphere in the inn also went away. The discussion that happened afterward went on smoothly without idents as well.
20 minutester, the people in the inn left one after another.
Welkor was the earliest batch to leave but when thest one left the inn, Welkor turned back.
Is there anything else? I thought I made myself clear, just proceed ording to n. Quincy raised a puzzled brow.
A little private stuff. Give me a ss of Bourbon, no ice only lemonthats the way to drink a smokey liquor.
It retains the alcohol fragrance with a dash of zesty zing! Much better.
Welkor made his order as he took out a paper note and ced it on the bar counter.
You cant add sugar though because you should want to retain the rich thick vor! You cant satisfy both sides all the time! One cannot sell the cow and wish to drink the milk.
Quincy filled the ss with wine before adding fresh lemon slices, however throughout the process, his eyes were glued to that paper note on the counter.
There was a sentence written on it: two targets, one injured badly, one weak.
It depends on the people though, Welkor made ament with a hidden meaning.
But there are chances that this will burst like a bubble in the end, Quincy mumbled softly.
If you dont give it a try, how would you know if its the reflection of the moon in the well or real gold hidden under it? Welkor curled up his lip when he saw Quincy be hesitant.
He knew Quincy was moved.
In fact, anyone would be moved in front of such a chance.
If he wasnt alone and weak, Welkor wouldnt have invited Quincy to share the fruit as well but once he thought about the Fiend Exorcist and the guards in the temple, Welkor had topromise.
Fortunately, he had two targets, one for each, perfectly ounted for!
Promise? Quincy asked in a testing manner.
Promise, in the names of our respective ancestors, lineage, and future generation plus our names.
Welkor nodded and said the words that assured Quincy the most.
No one would violet their own name and ancestors while risking damaging themselves and their lineage. It would be aplete denial of oneself.
Once vited, even a God would fall.
Quincy raised his palm.
Welkor reached out his as well.
Both of them wanted to swear with a high-five.
Pak!
Two palms came together and caused a clear noise.
Then...
The two palms fell on the counter.
Both of them were shaken when they saw their respective palms on the counter.
They saw that the cuts at their wrists were clean while blood gushed out.
They saw the inns door being pushed open by someone.
That someone walked into the inn and sat down with a dull face.
Both Quincy and Welkor started to tremble, because of both the pain and the fear.
Both of them never would have thought this person... No, no, no, His Majesty would appear in Forest City.
Your, M-Majesty! Quincy stuttered.
Spare me! Welkor was much more direct as he knelt down with one knee and begged.
However, his move didnt change anything.
Other than his head, Welkors body was sliced into a dozen pieces within a breath by a sharp invisible de, scattering the chunks of meat on the ground.
Quincys face turned white when he saw Welkor dead.
The two of you are are different.
The God who sat in the inn said softly.
Immediately, Quincys bleached face showed a slight blush but a moment after that, his body was drowned by the pain.
Simr to Welkor, Quincy was sliced into a dozen chunks as well.
Until death, Quincy widened his eyes as though he couldnt rest in peace.
But the oue for betraying me is the same.
While ignoring the restless dying expression on Quincy, the God reached out towards the blood tainted ss on the counter but...
Another hand was faster than him in picking the ss up.
Chapter 1152 - Difference
Chapter 1152: Difference
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The blood tainted ss was held by a long hand.
The owner of the hand didnt mind the blood on the ss at all, he drank all of it and even licked his lips to savor thest bit as if he was trying to recall the bitterness of the wine.
However, the moment was broken soon by a formless de slicing through the ss.
Pak!
The ss was cut in half neatly.
The person who held the ss didnt escape as well but despite the fearful cut, the person didnt care at all.
Or in other words, he didnt care about his body at all, what he cared more was the ss with the unique wine fragrance and now, it was sliced in half.
The fragrance floated in the air and was soon overpowered by the bloody stench.
Do you know what youve done?
Amidst the heavy growling, Gluttony was looking at the God ferociously, as if he was going to eat him.
Bird of Death?
Disappointing. I originally prepared a lot for this but it seems that I wont be needing it.
The God who controlled everything behind the scenes finally saw the target he had to eliminate for his n, hence he couldnt hold back his coldughter.
Then, he waved his hand!
The formless air des appeared again.
It was quicker and more plentiful than before!
The sharp des flew past their targets.
This time, the target wasnt spared and was cut into a dozen chunks of meat.
But, there was no blood that came out, nor life force which should be slipping away.
What the sliced body had was the most cardinal evil.
Two more bodies then took form and reappeared.
You dared destroy my things!? Wrath roared.
Why did hee out first and not me!? Envy roared.
The opponent that the God just killed was like the legendary Hydracut off one head and two more would rece it. It surprised the God slightly but he quickly curled his lips.
The God never believed in any kind of legendary Hydra, nor would he believe Kieran had simr powers.
Pretentious! said the God arrogantly.
The formless de shone again, Wrath and Envy fell after the des sliced and diced them.
However, Greed, Sloth, Lust, and Pride slowly took form from the remains of the body.
Mine! Everything is mine! Greedughed loudly.
S-Sleepy, Sloth mumbled with his eyes closed.
Not bad, not bad.
Lust saw the God in front of him and eagerly loosen up his cor.
The Gods eye twitched at Lust, what exactly did he see?
Damn it!
sphemy!
You little...
Loser.
Before the God voiced out his anger, he was interrupted by a cold term. Pride was looking down at the God with utmost arrogance and contempt for his existence.
What did you say?
The Gods face turned gloomy, the de-like aura around him started to show as if he was an agitated hedgehogsharp and dangerous.
Pride looked at how agitated the God was, the arrogance in his eyes didnt decrease one bit, instead, the prideful expression on his face got denser, he said, A loser that barks.
Rage spewed out from the Gods heart as it went out of control.
The God who should be high on top was looked down on with contempt?
The huge difference in treatment caused the God to not hold back anymore.
Wung!
The Gods sharp aura materialized a momentter.
Hundreds of translucent longswords appeared out of the void and gathered around the God.
A momentter...
Sou Sou Sou Sou Sou Sou!
Hundreds of longswords were fired at Pride and the other cardinal sins.
Unlike the forces from the mortal realm, the longswords sliced Greed, Sloth, and Lusts body wantonly and almost instantaneously, the three cardinal sins were filled with cuts and holes.
However, Pride easily dodged the swords.
He didnt just dodge them, he counterattacked!
Dark mes burned in Prides hand and they were transformed into a...Greatsword, a ck, dark mattered greatsword with a bewitching presence.
With a suffocating wind, the greatsword was swung viciously towards the Gods face.
The counterattack enraged the God even further.
The wrath in his heart was like a wild vicious beast biting away at his sanity.
The calmness followed by logic crumbled in an instant and vanished without a sign, all that was left was recklessness.
YOU DARE OFFEND ME?
You WILL die a graveless death!
The God boomed, hundreds of translucent longswords were thrown towards Pride like gushing water from a geyser.
Prideughed, the very calm yet arrogant kind ofugh.
He lifted the ck greatsword in his hand and performed a vicious sh like Kieran.
Kaboom!
The flying longswords were smashed away by the greatsword.
1!
10!
100!
With a single sh, all will be destroyed by devastating force!
With a single sh, all will be looked down on with contempt!
The torrential waves of a hundred swords were like the rising tide crashing onto a big rock, other than causing a ssh, they would move away but the sword wasnt as soft as water.
All of the swords were crushed to bits and the broken swords were brought into the st pressure by the violent wind from the greatsword as if a ck sea monster was devouring small fish in the sea.
Then, the monster, with an insatiable hunger, threw itself at the God!
How is this possible?!
How is this possible?!
How did you reach this level?
The rage was awoken by the assaulting killing intent but it wasnt reced by calmness, instead, envy and greed took its ce.
The God looked at Pride without the intention of moving or dodging.
His body then started to undergo some changes as a metallic luster appeared all over him.
He stood there like an unsheathed sword.
Then...
The ring longsword and the ck greatsword shed.
There wasnt a hard clunking sound though before upon contact, the ring longsword turned into a sticky liquid form and wrapped around the ck greatsword.
Its mine now!
The Gods voice came from the unknown liquid and through an unknown way, it started to devour the ck greatsword.
Pride raised a puzzled brow, his eyes showed a dash of disgust.
Instantaneously, the ck greatsword reverted back into its me form.
Huuu!
The ck me burned fiercely, the unknown liquid was rapidly boiled and began to evaporate.
Pain stimted the mad God. When he wanted to escape out of instinct, he realized all four of his limbs were seized by Birds of Death with a hungry, anger, jealous, and greedy face respectively.
What the hell happened?
How is this happening? The God questioned himself but no answer woulde.
The cardinal sins were dividing the food that was hard toe by but not all of them joined the fray.
Sloth waszily leaning on a chair and looking in a further direction.
Pride stood there with a scowling face.
A little more.
Its not the same.
Still not the same.
Pride muttered to himself.
While he muttered to himself, at a farther point
KABOOM!
A scorching sulphuric aura sted to the sky.
The Devils mirage was roaring at the moon under the night sky.
The battle wasnt over.
Chapter 1153 - Another One
Chapter 1153: Another One
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
When the evening feast in Forest City began, a fully armed squad silently infiltrated the inner section of Forest City.
The group of men was hiding in some civilians house, waiting patiently for orders.
While in the bedroom, two people were standing face to face.
One was bending over with a humble and polite look on his face.
One was standing tall with his head up, looking as calm as ever.
The former was in casual clothing, hence nothing was worth mentioning about him; thetter was wearing a khaki colored windbreaker together with a brown pair of shoes and body fitting undershirt. With his clean-looking features, one would easily take him as a social elite, if he were tond his feet on the ground.
It wasnt a metamorphic meaning though, thetter was indeed floating, the bottom of his shoe was a finger away from the ground.
Can you confirm the news? The floating middle-aged man asked.
Indeed! The news from The Shoe plus others from various channels confirmed the validity of this matter. On top of that, based on our news intel, Leaf Citys Majesty left Leaf City a few hours ago.
The humble, polite elderly reported quickly yet in an organized sequence.
The God of Leaf City?
He is also blinded by his own greed I see!
With his strength, leaving Leaf City is suicidal, he really isnt scared the others would treat him as a hunting target? The middle-aged man coldlyughed before his eyes shone.
Obviously, he was quite fond of treating the so0called God of Leaf City as prey.
However, the calmness in his heart allowed him to think clearly and focus on his priority.
A severely injured target and a healthy target, which would he choose?
Any normal man would make the right choice.
Of course, that didnt mean the middle-aged man would give up on his golden opportunity.
He could hasten the process!
And...
Kill two birds with one stone!
Tell them to be prepared!
I want to be sure of that guys proper location before I deliver the killing blow!
Bird of Death?
What will your expression be when death is impending?
The middle-aged man waved his hand.
The humble elderly quickly walked out of the room and made the final preparations with the squad outside the house.
As for the mission for the likes of him, the elderly knew very well in his heart.
So, even if they had to go up against a God, the elderly wasnt scared because there was another God standing behind them.
And!
Theirs were much stronger than the one they were about to engage.
Their target was just a lucky upstart who identally got the chance, there was no solid foundation under that young face.
Otherwise, he wouldnt have gotten injured by some testing traps and ended up being a target for hunting practice.
A lucky and unlucky fe eh. Im afraid you hadnt understood what it means to be a Majesty, a God? Unfortunately... You will never have the chance to.
The elder raised his hand, a deep breathter, he swung it down hard.
The whole squad then moved out as the signal was given.
Without pause, all of them sprinted towards Forest City temple.
Hit it where it hurts!
Attack the weak spots to bring down the enemy!
Forest City temple was the weak spot!
As long as the temple was under assault, the target will surely show up and once he does, it will be his end.
After His Majesty kills the target, he will be stronger, plus after absorbing Forest City into his domain, even if he still couldntpete with a higher standing Majesty, he will surely stand out from the others!
If he can kill the one from Leaf City...
His Majesty will surely rise to the ranks of the higher echelon!
Until then, I, the follower of his Majesty, even though I couldnt be the archpriest, I will surely be a priest that holds real authority!
The elder couldnt help but shiver out of excitement once he thought that his lifelong dream was about toe true.
The eagerness in his heart made him wish that he had wings so he could fly to Forest City temple.
However...
When the squad and the elder were still far away from the temple, they were forced to a stop.
Or more urately, they were wiped out.
A giant twin-headed snake that could shift between mirage and material form sprung out from the ground, with a tremendous force from its tail sweep, a catastrophe befell the squad.
The squad managed to pull their triggers twice before being ground into meat paste, including the elder.
The floating middle-aged man, the God of Many City watched his men die in front of him.
His face didnt react to the deaths though.
Werent his mens existence for this specific purpose?
As pawns?
As testing stones?
Seed, they will be bigger pawns.
Failure, there will be many more pawns.
As a God, he had too many options to choose from and the variety of options made him disregard his mens death as it became a habit for him, just like the moment before his eyes.
Neglecting his mens death, the God of Many City was looking at the twin-headed serpent spirit with interest.
So this is the backup you prepared for yourself?
Not bad but not enough!
The God of Many then made his move against the twin-headed snake.
A ray of light converged in his hand as if it was aser.
Souu!
Without space and time to avoid theser, the serpent spirit reverted back to its mirage form and despite the change, one of its heads was still perforated by theser.
Stssss! Ssssst!
After losing one of its heads, the serpent spirit hissed in pain, its gigantic body wiggled and swiftly dived into the ground, crawling towards a single direction.
Running? The God of Many Cityughed.
Hisughter grew brighter when he sensed an extraordinary presence at the direction where the serpent spirit escaped to.
I found you, Bird of Death!
After the phrase, the God of Many City transformed into light and appeared in front of a busted old civilian house before the twin-headed snake.
Trying to mask your own presence with the presence of humans?
Not bad but there are too few people here.
And didnt you notice? Your medicine is hard on the nose!
God of Many Cityughed at the busted old house.
The moment hisughter subsided, he had already appeared in the room and looked down at Kieran who was half leaning on the bed with bandages over his chest.
Feels bad right?
The crossbow abandoned by the Gods, its originally what I nned to use to deal with the God of Forest City but too bad, you killed him.
Fortunately, it didnt go to waste.
God of Many City felt the weakness of Kieran and couldnt help but shake his head.
You must feel unwilling, facing death right after you be a God?
But thats how cruel the world is!
Who asked you to appear at such perfect timing in the perfect location?
Come now, let me liberate you from your pain!
The God of Many City then reached his palm out to Kieran.
Kieran tried to resist but he was helpless against it after the God of Many City grabbed him by the neck.
God of Many City took in a deep breath when he saw the helpless enemy in his hand.
What else was moreforting than killing an enemy of the same rank?
Nothing!
Nothing was more anticipating than this exact moment!
Therefore, he savored the process fully, he wanted to slowly, meticulously taste the death of his opponent, so that he could remember the joy.
While he was intoxicated in his own disgusting fetish, he didnt notice a palm was reaching the back of his neck.
It wasnt until the fingers touched his neck that the God of Many City finally reacted to the sensation.
But, it was toote.
He was grabbed by the neck and at that moment...
The Devil mes burned fiercely and exploded.
Chapter 1154 - Half True, Half False
Chapter 1154: Half True, Half False
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The Devil me exploded and its zing light rose up to the sky.
Under the zing me, the God of Many City had his neck snapped and was reduced to flying ashes and smoldering smoke swiftly.
But, he didnt die.
His material body transformed into a light, simr to theser he fired before but it looked more like a kind of halo. Regardless of what it was, he was still suffering from unimaginable pain and damage under the Devil me.
After all, Devil mes biggest trait was burning souls and devouring life.
Bird of Death!
As if he was a cloud of light, the God of Many City were rumbling in the air and shouted like a human.
His voice had astonishment, confusion, and hatred.
He was astonished by Kierans n.
He was confused by Kierans power.
As for the hatred?
His hatred at towards Kieran for destroying his body was enough for him to treat Kieran as his mortal enemy, he did start off with the idea of killing of Kieran anyway.
Die!
With another loud shout, the God of Many City in his light form dished out hisst resort.
He would not beg because he knew there wasnt an option of falling into captivity in a war between Gods.
Perhaps the mortals might escape death but for Gods, there will be only one path: be stronger or fall.
The hundreds of cities, hundreds of Gods were trapped in such an endless cycle since the end of the fiend era.
Old Gods will fall, New Gods will rise.
Or...
Perish together!
The cloud of light exploded!
The blinding radiance drowned the Devil me, together with Kieran inside.
SANCTION!
The will of the God of Many City dered sonorously like a righteous judge.
In fact, when the light exploded, a solemn and orderly aura had filled the area.
The aura infiltrated every seam possible and judged every being it touched, including Kieran.
Or rather, Kieran was the first to bear the brunt.
The street before his eyes had vanished, what reced the scene was a court and the God of Many City sat on the judges position.
And him?
He was in the used seat, with metallic cuffs over his hands.
Beside him was the prosecutors seat and the juries seat and all of the seats were upied by all kinds of living beings.
Humans, monsters, all of them were looking at Kieran with malicious gazes.
Guilty!
Guilty!
Before the judge even adjudged, the humans and monsters were chanting loudly.
Bang Bang!
Silence!
The judge banged his gavel and instantly, the whole court went quiet.
The judge nodded in satisfaction and looked at Kieran at the used seat.
Bird of Death, do you confess? The judge asked fiercely.
Kieran didnt answer, he sized up his surroundings with an interested gaze.
Illusion?
Illusory realm?
No, it shouldnt be! Whether illusion or illusory realm, none could have made me feel this real with my rank III Spirit.
Kieran had absolute confidence in his Spirit attribute.
Maybe in the God of Many Citys own territory, using the geographical advantages to his favor would be able to affect Kierans Spirit but after leaving his own city, he certainly could not achieve this.
Otherwise, the God of Many City had no need to spend so much in nning and plotting against him, he should have stomped right through Kierans front door.
One needed to know, Kieran was a Godyer without the blessing of thend on the outside, he wasnt a native God that could get the blessing of his own city.
But even against a Godyer like him, the God of Many City had to be extremely careful.
Other than being vignt, there was another exnation: he was too weak.
The scene that urred a moment ago verified this point as well.
The God of Many City didnt notice that Kieran snuck up behind him and didnt have any effective means to resist the Devil me.
Dong, Dong, Dong.
Kieran lifted his palm over the wooden fence in front of him and knocked on it.
He then touched the metallic cuffs over his hands with his fingers.
In the end, Kieran looked at the prosecutor and the juries.
These are real and those should be the false ones...
Secret techniques that fuse the real and unreal? Kieran muttered to himself.
His voice, however, wasnt concealed and it clearly entered the judges ears.
The God of Many City who acted as the judge suffered a change of expression when he heard that.
He never thought that under Sanction state, Kieran could not only maintain his sanity, but he could also assure his own calmness as well.
The God of Many City didnt know how Kieran did it but he knew the situation wasnt in his favor.
So, the God of Many City proceeded to adjudicate the trial directly at the next moment.
Bird of Death has sphemed the divine God!
I hereby sentence you to extreme penalty!
The sonorous, thunderous adjudication echoed in the court, the humans and monsters in the prosecutor and jury seats were seething with excitement.
Execute!
Execute!
They were like bloodthirsty beasts as they watched the two executioners in ck outfits and scythes in their hands, who resembled the legendary grim reaper, walk up to Kieran.
Wung! Wung!
Two powerful whistlester, the two scythes were swung down directly.
However, before the scythes reached Kieran, both the executioner were kicked away by Kieran.
One flew towards the prosecutor seat and the other flew to the jury seat.
The humans and monsters who were cheering a moment ago were perforated by the impact, all of them vanished from Kierans sight like bubbles, together with almost half of the court.
Everything was as Kieran expected.
The secret technique before his eyes relied on partially true, partially false details to mixed up reality.
Of course, not only the items were real, the aura of order and judgment was real too.
The aura came directly from the God of Many Citys will and was changing ordingly.
At this moment, it was changing towards its final phase
Chain after chain appeared out of the void and bound Kieran.
Javelins after Javelins appeared above Kierans head and lunged towards his skull.
Voice after voice echoed in his ears, saying, Sinner!
Irredeemable Sins!
Repent and beg for forgiveness!
As the voices entered his ears, Spirit authentication flooded Kierans vision like the rising tide.
He passed all of them without much effort.
Not only did he pass, but Kieran also started his counterattack.
A faint sulfuric aura started to virtualize, followed by a chaotic and arrogance presence.
The scorching heat started to wreck the destroyed court.
Ka, Ka Ka!
Chains were broken one after another.
Javelins were melted one after another.
And the voices?
When the throat was suffocating, no one could talk, not even a God.
Kachak!
The neck was snapped again and the Devil me rose once more.
The scene before Kierans eyes reverted back on the street.
The God of Many Citys body disintegrated into sparkles of golden radiance and poured into Kierans body as the purest energy and one-of-a-kind presence, the radiance once again lit up the secret runes branded in his bones.
However, 1/10 of the radiances gushed towards his backpack out of his expectations.
[Scale of Judgement]!
Chapter 1155 - Box Opening
Chapter 1155: Box Opening
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The radiating light from the secret runes in Kierans body were swiftly erasing the chaos and darkness.
After experiencing it once, Kieran didnt panic anymore.
He looked down at the process, watching the light swiftly erase the chaos and darkness.
Once again, he saw the part from his brain split and refilled the chaos and darkness all over his body. Unconsciously, a question which was long overdue popped up in his heart.
What is this chaos and darkness?
From the moment Kieran advanced to the higher order and was able to notice the secret runes in his body, the chaos and darkness already existed in his body and kept lurking around in a disgusting manner which he instinctively disliked.
Even though all the secret runes were lit up like now, the irregrity still persisted like cancer.
On top of that, Kieran was very sure he had to deal with the chaos and darkness for a long time into the future because the energy the God of Many City provided had been depleted.
The energy from the God of Leaf City couldnt even touch the chaos and darkness since the cardinal sins divided him and ate him.
It was not an understatement that thebined energy from the two Gods was like a drop of water in the ocean in terms of erasing the chaos and darkness.
It piqued Kierans curiosity even more, pondering about what exactly the chaos and darkness were.
What kind of power was so rampant to the point that he couldnt notice during normal times.
While questions spun in his mind, he didnt forget to check on the unusuality that happened in his backpack.
[Name: Scale of Judgement]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: Above Legendary]
[Attribute: Judgement 1/1]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: 1.Heart of Ruling, 2. Bound to yer 2567]
[Remark: This is thest item that the God of Judgement left behind in the mortal realm. It can be very powerful or very weak.]
...
[Judgement: The sinner will suffer the wrath of the heavens!]
...
The [Scale of Judgement] had zero changespared to how it looked before.
Its attributes didnt undergo drastic changes either, other than the increase of rarity, there was only another added prerequisite: bound to yer 2567.
However, with the first prerequisite [Heart of Ruling], Kieran still couldnt use this seemingly powerful tool, which made him furrow his brows.
In the end, Kieran ced it back into his backpack.
Throwing it away?
What a joke.
A stingy ghost would never operate like this.
As for selling it?
Before it was even bound to him, Kieran never had the thoughtKieran who wasnt a newbie a long time ago understood one point very well: inside the underground game, the known will always have a price, the unknown, however, will always be the most valuable.
Heart of Ruling...
Kieran muttered the term while he walked towards the temple without pause.
After dealing with the surrounding problems, Kieran was eager to enter the real God of Forest Citys treasure vault.
Of course, before that, Kieran contacted Hayden Ow.
Those Funeral Society members who came to check on the fights could lend a hand in cleaning up the battlefield, fixing the road, repairing the civilian houses, etc.
However, they were not enough to deal with Leaf City and Many City, even from a certain aspect, Hayden Ow was not ranked high enough.
At least the likes of Ren, a Fiend Exorcist would be required because of the corresponding skills and qualifications.
However, considering the potential oue, Kieran quickly made up his mind.
...
Kieran went through many gold and jewel hills in the corridor and finally reached the secret treasure vault of the God of Forest City.
The excitement in his heart didnt make him lose his cool.
After double checking the entrance and making sure it wasnt rigged with traps, he pushed the main door open.
Then...
Blinding green lights shined brightly, even Kieran had to cover his eyes with his hands against the light.
Disy racks holding items filled the private vault, Magic rank items one after another were loaded on the racks.
After a rough count, Kieran got around 40 Magic rank items.
Huuhaa! Huuuhaaa!
His stingy ghost soul was boiling, Kieran was panting uncontrobly, his eyes were ncing over the dense green light, so dense that it felt like it was materializing. His eyes went deeper into the vault and his feet automatically moved.
The racks in the vault were arranged in a ring shape along the wall which was also round, a door was set as the entrance to the racks.
The outer racks were holding Magic rank items and it would be natural for the inner racks to hold higher ranked items.
As the thought lingered in his head, Kieran was stunned when he opened the first door of the inner racks because all he saw was two Rare rank items.
Unconsciously, Kieran went head and pushed open the next door.
There was only an empty rack, no items.
The scene caused Kierans heart to sink.
He went on to the next door with a conflicted heart because the next door would be the center of the vault of God of Forest City.
Inside the door was a rack with a box on top of it.
When he saw that the box was locked, Kieran slightly heaved a sigh of relief.
The box was locked, meaning there must be something important or precious inside, otherwise, there wouldnt be an extra unnecessary lock inside a vault.
Lucky it isnt empty, said Kieran.
He then turned back and quickly grabbed the two Rare rank items before returning to the box.
The two Rare rank items were armor and a longsword respectively.
[Name: West Steel Heavy Mail]
[Type: Defensive Gear]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Defense: Strong]
[Attribute: 1. Physical Mitigation; 2. Elemental Immunity]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: Strength B+]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: This is one of the immature items of a cksmith during the fiend era, but it still has outstanding defense and of course you will need considerable strength to wear it.]
...
[Physical Mitigation: When receiving a physical attack, acquire +1 buff in defense authentication, 2 times per day]
[Elemental Immunity: When receiving Fire, Ice, Electric damage, gain a special elemental shield and it will negate Strong level or below elemental damage, once per day]
...
[Name: West Steel Saber]
[Type: Weapon]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attack: Strong]
[Attribute: 1. Keen; 2. Swift]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: Strength C+, Sharp Weapon, Longsword (Master)]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: This is one of the immature items of a cksmith during the fiend era, but its keenness is very discussed but in order to wield it you need the corresponding technique and power.]
...
[Keen: When wielding, acquire +1 attack buff, twice per day]
[Swift: When wielding, acquire +1 Agility buff, once per day]
...
The two items with the same prefix in their names caught Kierans attention.
Because its the cksmiths earlier works, so even if it is equipped together, there is nothing magical? Memorable over meaning.
Kieranmented before looking at the locked box.
Ka chak!
After the usual checking, Kieran easily picked the lock.
The box was opened.
Chapter 1156 - Box
Chapter 1156: Box
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Before opening the box, Kieran had anticipation in his heart regarding the unknown loot.
In fact, during each reward time, the anticipation would bloom like a flower.
He would be like anyone else, guessing what the item would be, at most a little calmness was added to the anticipation.
This time was no exception.
He was careful and looking forward to the contents inside. After the box was opened, Kieran moved his head up for a look but what he saw inside stunned himpletely.
A box!
Another box!
After the first box was opened, there was another smaller metallic box that fit perfectly inside.
After a quick nce at the new box, Kieran who came back to his senses changed his expression for the worse.
The metallic box struck him with a bad feeling, like howmon man seeing a gory car ident.
His heart was pumping! Lingering fear persisted!
Huu!
Huu! Huu!
Kieran was adjusting his breath, when everything calmed down, heid his eyes on the small box again.
An item being ced with such care and earnest, it must be priceless aside from the other aspects.
So, if a value was measured on a scale, another theory would be valid as well: its danger level would be catastrophic!
Connecting to the point where Kieran firstid eyes on the box and felt danger, the danger was almost certain but the source was different.
Are it the contents of the box what struck me with the feeling of danger or are there some other traps around? Spection formed in his heart, causing his facial expression to be heavy.
It was true that Kieran killed the God of Forest City but it didnt mean he dared underestimate him.
That battle with the God of Forest City was considered as a handicap, the allied forces gained extreme advantages by swapping identities with Great Swamp and also catching the God of Forest City off guard. Most importantly, the God of Forest City left his own city, causing his power to plummet, the same went for the God of Leaf City and the God of Many City.
At this particr moment, Kieran knew what he saw wasnt everything.
So he understood that he had to be careful and vignt.
He had to be careful and vignt against the other Gods in the dungeon world.
Likewise, he had to be careful and vignt in checking the dangerous metallic box before his eyes.
Correct! Checking the feared metallic box was a thing to consider!
Anymon man would start to worry about their personal gains and losses in front of such a situation, they might linger around the limbo of greed and cowardice but Kieran was different as he was used to all of this.
Opportunity coexists with danger.
All benefits formed a link between each other.
If it progressed smoothly, one would rise to the top.
If it failed, one would die without an intact body.
Wasnt it the objective of the underground game?
Put everything on the line and fighting for a future.
Want to survive, fight for it with your life.
From the first day he entered the game... No!
From the day Kieran had a clear understanding of himself, he was fighting with his life in order to survive and see the future.
The welfare home was not a good ce because it was more realistic there.
At the same time, the welfare home was a good ce because the realism told him not to be childish and naive.
Kieran never held grudges, on the contrary, he was quite thankful for that because that was the ce he managed to survive.
Otherwise, he might end up being some stray dogs lunch.
Eating was better than being eaten, right?
In order to eat better, Kieran had always been careful and meticulous while giving it his all in each and every matter of his life.
The patterns on top are just normal patterns.
The surrounding and the bottom are blocked by the bigger box, I cant see it.
Kieran entered [Tracking] mode to size up the small box, his Pro [Mystical Knowledge] kept circting in his mind.
The detailed vision of [Tracking] and Pro level [Mystical Knowledge] had be Kierans go-to to determine whether was there danger before his face.
Of course, his feelings as well.
Or rather, his instinct!
Kieran believed in objective facts and evidence but he wouldnt neglect his instinct either.
Even more so when his Intuition and Spirit ranks were growing gradually, sometimes Kieran tended to lean towards his instinct more.
So, at this particr moment, Kieran was even more earnest.
Before determining whether breaking the outer box would trigger some traps, Kieran didnt act rashly and at the same time, he didnt simply open the inner box.
Kieran had curiosity but he also had a heart of greed.
However, it didnt mean he would forget himself because of those two things.
Despite the real cardinal sin, Greed, roaring in his body, Kieran turned a deaf ear at it. He was already familiar with how he should the cardinal sins.
Restrain and never fall into their temptation.
Neglect and treat them like they never existed.
When they suffered enough, they would be quiet.
Will they cooperate when their powers were needed then?
Through experiments, Kieran was certain that as long as there were enough benefits, the cardinal sins were more cooperative and reliable than expected. Especially Greed, Envy, and Wrath.
It almost felt like a chain reaction. When Greed was incited, Envy followed and when Envy was rejected, Wrath woulde.
The same thing was happening right now before the boxes.
After Greeds roars, Envy appeared.
Why him first? Why not me?
I dont want!
I dont want!
Envy behaved like a child who didnt get the candy, he was rolling on the ground, crying out loud and after Kieran turned a blind eye at him, Wrath appeared but was still ignored.
All three of them still didnt change Kierans mind in closing the box.
However, just as Kierans palm reached the outer boxs lid and was ready to shut it, the lingering fear appeared in his heart again.
The dull gloomy metallic small box suddenly glowed softly.
Its glowing color was indescribable though, it looked like ck and white yet it wasnt exactly gray.
Kieran looked at theyer of glow and his body trembled.
It wasnt fear!
It wasnt excitement!
But...
Heaviness!
Kieran felt like a mountain suddenly fell on his body, immobilizing himpletely, he couldnt even move a muscle let alone close the box.
The pressure on his body...No!
After a breath, the heaviness wasnt in pressure anymore, it felt more like suppression that came from every direction.
The suppression was increasing rapidly as well, as though it was going topress everything into Kieran.
Gak Tss Tsss!
Soon, the muscles and tendons in his body were moaning, his body was telling him that it couldnt bear the pressure for long.
Hmph!
A cold gruntter, a scorching me burned hot.
The normal hand of his turned into a giant magma arm.
The suppressing pressure from the surroundings started to fall short before the powerful magma body.
The pressure was broken apart in an instant and even caused an explosion-like bang.
What about the boxs cover?
BANG!
It was crushed hard to the ground but...
There was a seam left open.
Chapter 1157 - Have A Lick
Chapter 1157: Have A Lick
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The indescribable glow that turned into radiance felt like it materialized and stuck itself on the seam, it even refused to budge before Devil Kieran and forced him into a stalemate.
Undoubtedly, if this extended into a contest of strength, the confrontation from both sides would continue until one side was exhausted.
However, this wasnt a contest of strength and Kieran wasnt alone.
The wicked aura rumbled.
The cardinal sins appeared one after another.
Other than Pride and Sloth, the rest of the cardinal sins threw themselves at the radiance without a second thought.
Greed, Envy, Lust, and Wrath actedpletely out of instinct, they couldnt control themselves, so any slight temptation would cause them to go wild.
But Gluttony was different!
It hadpletely merged with its instinct which meant, in Gluttonys eye, nothing was non-edible.
It wouldnt care about others as all it wanted was to... eat!
So when Glutton appeared, he opened his mouth and stuck his tongue out and tried to lick the materialized radiance.
The radiance was as firm as Mt. Tai under the attack from the four cardinal sins, it even crushed Greed, Envy, Lust, and Wrath into dust and yet when Gluttony charged towards it, the radiance showed a little dy. The little slight window of dy gave Gluttony the chance.
It licked the radiance!
The moment his tongue touched the radiance, the radiance shivered as though it was being vited and it continued trembling.
Gluttony didnt attack further, he stood there, looking satisfied with the taste as though he had eaten some exotic delicacy.
Pride who was standing further away didnt even care what happened, more precisely, he didnt care about the life and death of other cardinal sins.
Sloth was different, he was paying attention at the battle with half-closed eyes.
When the satisfaction, savoring look appeared on Gluttonys face, Sloths half-closed eyes opened instantly.
This fe, is he trying to...
A thought came into Sloths heart but before he verified it, the trembling radiance burst into sharp arrows and perforated Gluttony from top to bottom.
The scattered light arrows even went after Sloth and Pride.
Troublesome.
Sloth grunted as he raised his hand at the arrows and instantaneously, the explosive light arrows which naked eyes couldnt even see slowed down to a snails pace.
Then, it slowly vanished into the air.
While Pride who didnt care grunted coldly at the attack as well.
Bang!
The explosive light was like eggs thrown at an iron wall, shattering into pieces.
The box, on the other hand, lost the support from the radiance and it shut itself up after a pak.
Devil Kieran reverted to his human form and quickly locked the box.
He didnt know what was in the box but he knew how dangerous it was. The aura alone was enough to strike fear in his heart and the remaining radiance could even match his Devil Form power.
What is inside?
After further Spection, Kieran took another nce at the box before instinctively trying to put it into his backpack.
What ce was safer than his game lobby?
None.
In his game lobby, Kieran believed he would get the advantage and the initiative against the box.
However, when Kieran hugged the box, he frowned hard.
Heavy!
It was so heavy that it went out of his expectations!
Even his current SS+ Strength couldnt move it at all.
After multiple attempts, he temporarily gave up.
ording to the system rules, the things that he couldnt move could not be brought out of the dungeon, despite still having an extra 3 Golden Attribute Points he gained from Tanyas light.
However, aside from his n of raising Spirit to its maximum in a short period, there was also the unknown factor of whether he could move the box if he raised his Strength from SS+ to SSS+ with the Golden Attribute Points.
Given the circumstances, Kieran didnt act recklessly.
Watching Kieran and his expected decision, Sloth shrugged uninterestedly.
Pride, however, showed a slight sense of praise.
Nothing and no one would never catch Prides attention, except for Kieran.
However, his attitude had destined that he would never express his emotions, even the praise appeared only in a sh.
Of course, Sloth caught a glimpse of the expression but he was toozy to care. It was too troublesome.
Therefore, when both of them received the sign to return from Kieran, Sloth didnt even resist and went back to slumber.
Pride wouldnt resist either, Kierans difference had determined how Pride would respond and decide.
The cardinal sins vanished one after another, leaving Kieran alone in the vault.
After another nce at the box, Kieran turned around and left.
Staying in the vault wouldnt do him any good, might as well go back and settle some unfinished business. Kieran didnt have time to sink into mncholy without a solid reason.
Frosty, guard the ce.
With an order from Kieran, the Frost Wolf pup who had been following beside Kieran quickly stood at the vaults door.
Perhaps Frost Wolf pups power might not be sufficient but other than the puppy, Kieran had no better options at the moment.
The high demon Bloody Mary also joined guard duty shortly after just in case.
After leaving the two behind, Kieran went back to the side hall in the temple.
He saw an interested Tanya and Ren whose face was twitching non-stop.
Your Majesty!
When Ren saw Kieran, he felt like he saw his lifes savior, he stood up and ran to Kieran for a salute.
He had enough of the divination games.
What drawing lots?
What crystal balls?
What tarot cards?
To hell with all those!
He swore for the rest of his life... no, even his next life, he will never touch those things again.
After all, her Majesty had foreseen the rest of his remaining life, she even started to foresee the destiny after Ren reincarnated in the next life.
ording to Tanya, everything went downhill for Ren but it was her own words, he wanted to ignore it but he couldnt turn away from what she said.
He knew the oue would not be good and yet he had to wait for them to arrive.
The feeling...
Was the worst!
After seeing a conflicted Ren, Kieran smiled at Tanya.
Tanya reacted with a sweet smile before being very cooperative by going out.
Ren, remember what I told you yo. Your destiny!
Before Tanya walked out of the side hall, she didnt forget her reminder to the Fiend Exorcist.
Rens face twitched again.
Thank you for your reminder, Ill never forget it for the rest of my life, I suppose.
His heart was criticizing but it didnt stop his body from saluting and seeing her off.
Rather than being conflicted at destiny, might as well change it, Kieran said calmly.
He never believed in things like fate and destiny nor would he submit to them.
In the past, the present or in the future, it would be the same.
Change of fate?
Ren bitterly smiled and didnt follow up.
His position rendered him speechless.
He didnt have the qualifications to agree, or the status to disagree.
Simr to now, he didnt even dare to take the initiative to discuss the promise Kieran made with him, all he could do was wait for Kieran to speak.
Fortunately, Kieran wasnt a varlet, a big surprise was waiting for Ren.
Chapter 1158 - Disturb
Chapter 1158: Disturb
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
What?
What did you say?
Leaf City and Many City became your domain as well?
Shocked, Ren widened his eyes at Kieran, his face was showing expressions of disbelief.
Ren knew about the battles that happened in Forest City.
The level of explosion and the fight under the night sky couldnt escape intentional individuals eyes, but Ren never thought two Gods had fallen in that one battle.
The Gods of Leaf City and Many City, despite them not being as well-known as the God of Forest City and not beingparable to Great Swamp, they were still Gods!
T-T-They fell like this?
Rens lips were quivering, his eyes were dting.
Kieran nced over him and patiently waited for him to digest the surprising news.
As for his shaken condition?
In Kierans eyes, it was a very normal reaction.
For the natives in the current dungeon world, the era where fiends roamed wild was in the past, they were already enjoying a hard-earned peace and even though darkness lurked beneath the eyes, it had nothing to do with the majority of the people. Therefore, the fall of a God was unbelievable, otherwise, Perforation Sting wouldnt have grown into their massive size and possessed a reputation revered by others.
Even for Funeral Society, they were just well-trained normal humans.
There might be some differences among them but the differences were nothing before a God.
A few secondster, Ren sighed softly and regained his senses.
His eyes at Kieran was filled with reverence and he straightened his body almost out of instinct before saluting, saying, Your Majesty.
The form of address didnt change but the way he uttered it drastically changed.
Power could affect peoples heart, simr to weakness being a fault at certain times.
A total of 3 Gods... no! If Perforation Stings leader, Jin was included, a total of 4 Gods had fallen to Kierans hands!
Such an achievement in the current peaceful era was frightful to the ear and it was enough for Ren to know what kind of attitude he must with against Kieran.
Ill keep my promise regarding everything about Forest City.
As for Leaf City and Many City, Ive already sent Hayden Ow forward. He is quite capable and I believe he will do a good job. Besides, there is someone else helping him toplete the takeover tasks, Kieran said softly.
Thank you for everything youve done for us, Ren bowed again.
He didnt have any rejection, even if he was curious who was helping Hayden Ow in the tasks.
I have a mission for you, said Kieran.
Please do tell, your Majesty.
Ren replied with a straight face but after he heard what Kieran ordered of him, his face started to twitch.
From today onwards, you will be Tanyas bodyguard for a very long time.
Y-Yes?
Her Majesty Tanya?
I understand.
Ren felt bad already when he thought about the divination session he had to go through with Tanya but still, he agreed with clenched teeth.
Um, Kieran said with a nod and permitted him to leave.
Ren bowed and saluted again before he prepared himself to leave.
He didnt turn around directly though, he was still facing Kieran but he lowered his head and slowly walk backward until he reached the exit before turning away.
The whole process was soft and tender as if he was afraid that he would startle Kieran in his sleep.
Kieran, however, didnt want toment on the gesture Ren performed.
He wouldnt want to correct Ren of his ideal which he was taught from young because it would be too difficult.
Time was already a scary thing, what was scarier than time were habits formed by a long period.
The habit would follow one for life, even going through life-changing events, few would be able to truly change it, simr to Kierans vignce and cautious nature.
He knew what would happen in the uing days.
Despite the fall of Gods of Leaf and Many City scaring away most people, there will be some who would be willing to take the risk.
They might fear Kierans strength but what about Tanya?
A little girl who just reached transcendence and had problems with her mind while not having any training at all, there was no better target for those intentional individuals.
So, Kieran had to find her a reliable bodyguard.
Kana the half-fiend was the first among the choices but considering her personality and abilities, they were below Ren the Fiend Exorcist.
Especially when Ren had concerns in his mind!
Funeral Society!
With his organization fueling his motives, Kieran could safely ce Tanya in his hands, otherwise, it would be sending amb into the tigers mouth.
Likewise, it was also why Kieran didnt choose Rassho Temple for the role because, throughout the whole temple, Kieran was only familiar with the old monk.
If the old monk agreed to be Tanyas bodyguard, Kieran would agree with both his hands up but what about other than the old monks?
Kieran remained dubious thoughts.
cing ones safety in the hands of a stranger?
A suicidal move.
Even if the person was a familiar one, without shackles or concerns to mp them down, it would be risky for Kieran as well.
The human heart was ever-changing, even a God couldnt get a precise grasp of it.
For the sake of the help he got from Tanya and the 3 extra Golden Attribute Points, Kieran wasnt willing to test it out with Tanya.
Correct!
It was for the sake of the help she gave during the battle with the God of Forest City and the 3 extra Golden Attribute Points! Nothing more than that.
After all, Tanya at the moment was just someone better than familiar acquaintances in Kierans eyes.
A friend?
Kieran shook his head.
Other than Lawless and Starbeck, Kieran couldnt give the title on any other people right now.
When he thought about his two friends, Kieran unconsciously took a cigar from his pocket and walked towards the temples dining hall.
As the owner of the temple, the dining hall Kieran went to wasnt where the evening feast was but another one beside the temples courtyard.
The hall was decorated with the style of the God of Forest City.
Extravagant gemstones and gold nketed the floor, the only thing different from the courtyards starry night was the rising sun. The rising sun scenery was formed by topaz and gold and it looked extremely real under the ruby garnish as if the gemstones painted an oil painting.
Kieran however only took a nce at the fascinating decoration, after he made sure they were just regr gold and gemstones, he didnt show any interest anymore.
For Kieran, the extravagant decorations were less attractive than the food on the table.
Green and white striped table linen nketed a golden long table.
On top of the table linen were three pure silver tes and on top of the tes were one cold, and two warm dishes.
It was what Kieran specially ordered the cook to make after he knew the God of Forest City had the habits of eating a hundred dishes each meal.
Even for Kieran and his current level, he could barely finish a hundred dishes in one day.
Kieran would not waste food, nor would he torture his body, so simplifying the menu was Kierans best option.
Of course, after the simplification, the dishes served must be the best of the best, the essence of the whole meal.
Especially when the temples cook personally prepared the meal, the essence was infused into the meal because no cook would leave their best dishes out of the menu.
So, when the tes were served, Kierans attention waspletely captivated by the foods aroma.
Olive, roast duck and... cheese?
Kierans eyes showed more anticipation after a deep breath.
When lids on the tes were lifted, his anticipation almost materialized.
The olives were crystal clear like grapes and were arranged in an upright position on the te.
The roast duck had ayer of glistening oil over it, the aromatic steam was rising from the te.
The golden cheese wasid t around the third te and it was the least eye-catching dish of all three.
Kieran stopped the temples cook from introducing by waving him away and he picked up his chopsticks right away.
Rather than listening to someone elses introduction, trying the dishes for himself was more interesting, wasnt it?
When the olives entered his mouth, crunchy chewing noises followed.
There wasnt too much of a vor, only the olives sweet taste and ayer of rich oily taste.
The olive kernels were crushed before?
Kieran was surprised when he saw the olives which seemed perfectly intact on the outside.
He picked another olive with his chopstick and ced it in his mouth, while his mouth was filled with the rich oily vor, he went for the roast duck.
When the chopsticks touched the roast duck, Kieran jolted.
The texture he felt wasnt meat, it should be...
Tofu skin?
The taste in his mouthter verified his guess, the roast ducks skin was made with tofu skin and the meat was made with mushrooms.
Its made using the vegetarian way to reduce the oiliness?
At first, Kieran was worried that the oiliness on the roast duck together with the oiliness from the olives would cause him to feel cloy, but he didnt have the feeling at all after eating.
Only the tofu and mushrooms sweetness lingered in his mouth, but, something was stillcking!
Kierans eyes turned to the cheese on the third ce and moved his chopsticks there.
Just like how Kieran expected, tricks were hidden under the cheese and after he lifted one slice off, a warm meaty aroma filled his face.
This is...
Stuffing made using beef and pork?
The surprise in his heart made him move his chopsticks quicker.
When he ced the meat-stuffed cheese into his mouth, he squinted his eyes out of delight.
Thecking he felt just now waspensated by the meat that followed.
No!
Notpensated!
More appropriately, it elevated the foods taste to a certain peak and thebined taste would increase ones appetite infinitely.
Kieran always followed his instinct in front of food.
He didnt even need Gluttonys arousal, the speed of him moving the chopsticks left behind afterimages and the chewing noises sounded relentlessly in the ear.
Less than two minutes into dining, three dishes were swept clean.
The temples cook and waiters watched the scene in awe.
Not bad.
Give me three more serving ording to this portion, Kieran said with a satisfied nod.
Following the order, the cook and the waiters quickly moved out.
Kieran, on the other hand, was waiting in anticipation but a series of footsteps that came after that interrupted his anticipation.
Under the waiters guide, the Fiend Exorcist Mou with a ck wind coat came in from the door.
Your Majesty.
The tall, rugged, and rough-looking Fiend Exorcist saluted to Kieran.
When he looked up, he saw Kierans slightly angry face.
Mou was stunned.
What happened?
What did I do?
Why His Majesty seems to hate me every time?
Chapter 1159 - Phone Call
Chapter 1159: Phone Call
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran wouldnt exin it to Mou though.
Unlike Ren who he had friendly rtions with, Kieran and Mous rtionship was strictly superior and subordinate.
Likewise, Kieran knew Mous appearance signified important matters, otherwise, he wouldnt dare request a meeting.
So, Kieran went straight to the point.
What is it?
Kierans voice had obvious impatience and it made Mou, who was already nervous grow more anxious. Mou then took out a small box from his pocket.
The box was wooden and was only half a palm big.
His Majesty Artitelgar sent over an item through Funeral Societys secret channels, saying that it must be delivered to your hands directly.
Mou lifted the box over his head.
Great Swamp?
Kieran was slightly surprised but he didnt get up. He remained in his seat and opened his hand at the box.
[Vast Remnant Eye, Telekinesis] was activated.
The small box then flew into Kierans hand.
The box was clean and wasnt locked.
But Kieran was sure no one would want to open a Gods item because no one knew what it held.
More precisely, no one knew if there were any other protective measures in the box.
But in fact?
It was just a normal box without any magical presence, no mythical runes or traps.
Inside the box was nothing precious either, all it held was a paper.
Kieran opened up the paper and saw
Tel: 338822271
...
Kieran went silent.
A whileter he mmed the paper on the table
Is this a phone number?
Why the hell is this a freaking phone number?
...
The bedchamber of the God of Forest City in the temple had been cleaned up and rearranged.
Kieran who had dinner was inside with a calm state of mind as he picked up the phone that the attendants delivered to him earlier.
Inside the bedchamber or even the entire temple, a product of technology was extremely rare.
The God of Forest City was the stubborn kind of person who showed nothing but disdain towards technology despite technology having unconsciously changed his city.
At least the temple was running on electricity.
Kieran then dialed the phone number on the paper.
After a little wait, Great Swamps voice came from the other side.
Hi, 2567, good evening.
Hi, Great Swamp. Never thought the Gods would use phones now.
Do you know how to video chat? I think next time we canmunicate through video chat instead, said Kieran, with an indescribableplication in his words.
Video chat?
The research department is still testing that right now, the signals arent that stable though, at least still far from the rity of talking with voice but I think we can implement it soon. Ill give you a phone with a video call function then.
Oh now that youve mentioned it, the research department is still inventing...
Great Swamp didnt noticed theplications in Kierans heart, instead he started to ramble. He only stopped when he noticed Kierans silence.
2567?
2567?
Hello? Hello, hi, howdy?
After asking, Great Swamp smacked his phone.
Your phone is fine, said Kieran.
Great. I thought the phone was broken again. Every time I call others, there is always disruption in the middle...
Great Swamp started another long session of nagging again, if the voice werent so different, Kieran might thought he was talking to his friend Lawless instead.
On top of that, Kieran realized Great Swamp on and off the phone were twopletely different people, he didnt show the usual mature and firm presence through the call.
Fortunately, Kieran was quite skilled in handling naggers.
Is there anything? If not, Im hanging up, said Kieran directly.
Kieran was kind enough to not tell Great Swamp howmon people would react and the right way to deal with a strangers phone call, especially when the stranger was a cheating psycho iming to be God.
Of course there is something!
You killed Leaf and Many right?
Great Swamp finally moved to the main topic before he could give full expression on the view.
Mhmm, Kieran nodded.
After Hayden Ow was sent to Leaf and Many City, Kieran would naturally need Great Swamps assist, hence he wouldnt lie.
Not bad but did you think about what would happen next?
Great Swamps tone sounded a little sarcastic.
If a guy ying a God and acquiring=== his powers as well as controll of his city was enough to cause a stir, I suppose after ying three Gods and controlling three cities, in addition to the power that each city represents will bring more attempts to test the waters before many other group up one me? Kiera replied with a questioning tone.
Um, something like that but there is still a twist to things, like...
Great Swamp automatically prolonged his tone, however Kieran, with his friend Lawless as reference, would never fall for it. He quickly stayed quiet and waited for a follow up instead.
Great Swamp who prolonged his tone for a few seconds stopped after he didnt get any reply from Kieran. The conversation then fell into an awkward silence.
Throughout the silence, Kieran still didnt speak, the atmosphere suddenly became more awkward but this was only so for Great Swamp.
As for Kieran, he was already used to the awkwardness.
Like you and me teaming up! Forming an alliance!
No longer working together based on contract but forming a real allianceyou and I, back to back, covering each other like a real brotherhood!
Great Swamp finally spoke two secondster.
He seemed like he didnt go through the awkwardness and continued his topic.
Since Great Swamp skipped the awkwardness, Kieran would too.
However, Kieran had doubts towards the alliance Great Swamp mentioned.
He wasnt doubting Great Swamps intentions though.
With the existence of the special contract, Great Swamp was considered the existence that Kieran had to worry the least about in the current dungeon world.
But forming an alliance somehow conflicted with Kierans uing ns.
He didnt need fear to stop those jealous parties from making their moves against him, what he wanted was theming at him boldly and openly.
No one wouldin about too many superior fodders right?
An alliance okay but dont make it public, said Kieran after some thought.
You little brat, you better be careful.
Leaf and Many are just shrimps and they left their cities, but some of the other guys are different.
Great Swamp instantly knew what Kieran was trying to achieve and he quickly reminded him.
Different?
Compared to you?
Not the current you but you afterpleting our promise and contract, ask Kieran.
Me at that time? They are iparable! Its like two different things.
Great Swamp evenughed lightly.
Hisughter was showing nothing but disdain towards the others, despite them all being Gods in the eyes of themoners.
Then what are we waiting for? When are wepleting the contract?
Kieran asked with augh.
The sooner, the better, said Great Swamp.
Chapter 1160 - Having a City
Chapter 1160: Having a City
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
After ending the phone call with Great Swamp, Kieran didnt depart for me City right away.
He still had some things to take care of.
The night was getting darker.
The evening feast in the temple was reaching its end.
Without Kieran at the feast, it was like the God of Forest City was absent from the asion.
The feast was determined to be merrier without the God, the guests raised their sses with smiles and idle chatter, different sses of people were mingling, mixing around.
This was the exact goal of a feast, to expresspliance and to expand socialworks.
Mordens face blushed as if he was the dinners main character.
Of course, it was just a saying.
The real main character was absent, thus the support characters were mingling, chatting with the other noteworthy people in the corner of the hall.
Mordens eyes showed envy. Even though he was already in Hermairs position,pared to the elder, the younger Morden had bigger ambitions.
The scene before him... was just a starting point.
So, when he saw the old monk walk out from the corner, Morden who had been waiting for a while now walked over with his ss.
The location he chose was very ideal, to the point that had he walked over to the old monk, it would be like a chance encounter.
Morden even simted the scene in his mind countless times and thought of what he should say.
Chances were given to those who were prepared.
Morden deeply believed that saying, simr to how he believed he would seed next.
Good evenin... Morden greeted the old monk politely.
Then, his whole world was reduced to a pair of morbid eyes.
Gradually, the morbid eyes slowly became clear as it slowly transformed into a small river beside the forest near his house during his youth.
The small river was crystal clear.
Morden felt his like body was bathed with warm sunlight.
Insect buzzes and bird chirps filled his ears.
Those days... were nostalgic.
Unconsciously, Morden eximed.
Then a question popped up in his mind,
Why dont I return to my old life?
At first, I came out to work all because I wanted to give father a sharper ax and a set of new kitchen utensils to mother.
But now, how long has it been since I returned for a visit?
Thest time was the end ofst year and I only had a quick meal with them.
What did they say?
They seemed older.
They seemed unhappy.
They seemed... lonely.
Suddenly, Mordens eyes felt warm and when the tears rolled down his cheeks, he still saw the pair of morbid eyes.
When the words reached his mouth, Morden swallowed it down through sheer will.
It was not appropriate for the timing, it was not needed either.
But at least the old monk showed his kindness, didnt he?
Thank you.
Morden said out of habit. He was always polite towards those who helped him regardless of how their attitude was.
The old monk nodded at Morden before walking away.
Morden saw the old monk off and it wasnt until his back vanished from sight that Morden put away his gaze.
His mind was recalling what he remembered just now.
In the end, he shook his head.
He wasnt the old him anymore.
He couldnt afford to allow himself to be reckless.
He must understand eptance and rejection.
For the rest of the evening feast, Morden acted as if nothing happened, he held his ss and shuttled around the guests who were about to leave, simr to how he was before.
When thest guest left the hall, Morden also left the temple.
Before he left, he gave a little gift to those Funeral Society members who were on guard duty that night at the temple.
The gift was delicate and inexpensive, yet extremely diligent.
Boss, you have two meetings tomorrow morning.
The client from Many City will arrive before tomorrow afternoon.
Here are the documents that you need to sign for the day.
The moment Morden entered his car, his secretary was handing him file after file.
Morden epted all of it without making a sound and started to read through them using the cars light.
The secretary tapped the drivers seat, she knew she couldnt disturb Morden.
Likewise, she knew her boss would sleep at the office for the two meetings tomorrow.
The car drove off steadily but when it reached the crossroad in front of the temple, Morden spoke.
Hold on!
Drive to the vi at the outskirts first. And...
Prepare two presents for my parents. They are old enough, so you dont have to choose... nevermind, drive to the ces where I still can buy presents, Ill pick them myself.
The secretary looked at her boss in surprise as if she knew him for the first time, but she quickly regained her senses.
Noted. I know a ce, theyre open 24 hours a day. And boss, what about the meeting tomorrow morning?
Carry on.
The car drove off again.
This time, it didnt stop and drove straight to its destination faster and steadier.
The n hadnt changed.
What changed was life.
As for whether the changes were for better or worse?
Who knew.
The benevolent see benevolence and the wise see wisdom.
Or, none but the wearer knows where the shoe pinches.
...
The old monk stumbled to Kieran with his palms together.
Your Majesty.
The old monk bent slightly as he greeted.
Um. Not bad, Kieran said softly.
It is he who did it decently, not me.
The old monk wasnt surprised Kieran that knew everything, who could have fooled the God who owned the city anyway?
The old monk shook his head with a smile before bowing again. Thank you for everything youve done for Tanya.
I dont like to owe others debts of gratitude, Im just returning the favor. Kieran was being honest.
That is why I am more grateful.
The old monk smiled, theyers of meat on his face were lifted up followed by the motion. He wasnt ugly by any means though, instead, he looked kind.
Though, Kieran didnt want to linger on the topic.
Do you know any cksmiths that can craft treasured tools and pharmacist that can craft special potions? Kieran asked directly.
What would you do when you have the absolute authority in a city?
Many things, but for Kieran, there was only one thing: using the production of the city to create more Points for himself.
Selling tools and potions were definitely the best of all options!
Perhaps he couldnt achieve it in the big city of the game since every yer had their own thinking.
Even with Brokers means, it wasnt guaranteed.
But it was a different story for the city in the current dungeon world.
He was a God in the natives eyes.
His words were divine orders.
He could acquire endless resources in the city.
As for the time?
Kieran already knew there was no acme of perfection in the world, so he wouldnt be stubborn in things like this.
More so, the important thing was the old monks answer.
The old monk opened his mouth under Kierans gaze.
The old monk said...
Chapter 1161 - Smith Fiend, Lady Med
Chapter 1161: Smith Fiend, Lady Med
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
I know, but a few.
At the end of the fiend era, the humans and half-fiends slowly learned this special knowledge from the less hostile fiends but even between humans, they couldnt teach selflessly and wholeheartedly, let alone the fiends who survived through the fiend era. Besides...
The old monk paused for a while and didnt continue after that.
Kieran didnt press the question either because he knew of the history of the current dungeon world.
Some fiends after that period continued to call themselves fiends, some, however, became Gods.
Great Swamp was one of them.
Among the Hundred Gods, more than 80% were simr to his existence.
As for the remaining 20%?
Half-fiends upied most of it.
There was only a handful of humans who ascended to a divine status.
Is there someone like that within Rassho Temple? Kieran asked.
Yes. I and Jen can craft simple treasured tools and basic potions respectively, the old monk nodded.
Just the simple kind? Kieran raised a puzzled brow.
The answer obviously didnt fit his expectations.
The reason why a faction with a long history could withstand the trials of time, other than the factions own regtions, it was the systematic inheritance.
While such a systematic inheritance would pay attention to all sides of a matter other than the core inheritance.
Thats because Rassho Temple is no longer the Rassho Temple that people know of.
After that fierce battle, we not only had to seek help from His Majesty Artitelgar, but we also lost the Smith Fiend and Lady Med, as well as all sorts of inheritance and legacy skills.
In fact, the current Rassho Temple is nothing but an empty shell bearing its former glorious name, said the old monk slowly.
That battle? asked Kieran.
The old monk didnt answer, instead, he kept quiet.
Then what about a Smith Fiend and Lady Med? They should be general designations, right? Can you contact them somehow?
Kieran wasnt a person who would dig the meaning out by the roots, he respected others secrets, especially when that other party was an ally.
Given Forest Citys current resource scale, its hard to produce a Smith Fiend or a Lady Med. Even if Your Majesty had Leaf City and Many City under yourmand, at most you can produce one or two.
Other than that, the current Smith Fiends and Lady Meds are all under other Majestiesmand and it will be quite hard for you to hire them directly.
Which leaves us with the option of some hidden Smith Fiends and Lady Meds, but likewise, its hard to hire them as well.
I cant guarantee anything, all I can give is my best, the old monk was being reserved in hisments.
His reserved attitude towards the matter rung a bell in Kierans head, allowing him to understand how simple his initial thoughts were.
At the start of any n, Kieran would automatically n it outprehensively and tried his best to be absolutely safe, relying on the city to produce treasured tools and potions was no exception either.
Kieran had prepared his mental state enough for this, he knew it wasnt a simple task but the difficulty he was facing right now far exceeded his imagination.
However, Kieran didnt give up just yet.
After thinking for a while, he continued. The treasured tools and potions that you and Jen make, how many can you produce each week?
Each week?
Given my abilities and Jens, being able to craft one every year is considered a fortunate event.
I dont have much talent in this particr area but Jen is different, she has some gifts.
If Your Majesty can invest in her and groom her, maybe she can produce two within a year.
The old monk, who had been staying calm throughout the conversation with Kieran finally showed a bitter smile.
Jen was different?
Following the conversation with the old monk, Kieran thought of the girl who could utilize the Dawn Force-like energy.
Because of Dawn Force, she struck quite an impression in Kierans mind.
However, after that one encounter back in thest dungeon, Kieran never met her again, even in Rassho temple.
Plus the old monks words...
Is she currently under protection?
A thought came up in Kierans mind.
Any faction would give their efforts in protecting their own special talents, Rassho Temple was no exception, despite its current state.
If it was before, it would be hard for Kieran to request a meeting with the girl.
But now?
Following his change in identity, Kieran didnt even have to mention it himself, the old monk was already giving his suggestion.
Jen is currentlypleting her rank cultivation in a certain ce. She may require another 3 to 4 weeks beforepletion and after that, she and the rest of Rassho Temple will make haste to Forest Citywith 7 or 8 more of them.
7 or 8 more of them? Kieran squinted his eyes.
The old monk didnt give a precise number and it was enough to prove that the cultivation was not safe.
But whats absolute safety?
idents may happen at any time, even the umted experience couldnt catch up with sudden urrences.
Kieran agreed to that statement though, after all, hed always been through life and death in exchanges for sufficient benefits.
Ill be looking forward to it.
At the same time, I am also looking forward to you with the news of Smith Fiend of Lady Med, said Kieran.
Ill try my best, the old monk put his palms together.
The conversation after that revolved around topics about Forest Citys safety and management.
Kieran, of course, wouldnt stick his finger in and criticize profusely.
In the end, Kieran directly summoned Ren and Mou in, allowing them both to discuss with the old monk about the management of the city on behalf of Funeral Society.
Kieran was acting as an observer throughout the discussion.
The discussion finally ended at a quarter before dawn, the few participants also left for their respective duties.
After the ns were decided, all that was left was to execute them.
Naturally, the execution had nothing to do with Kieran as he left Funeral Society and Rassho Temple in charge.
As for Kieran himself?
When his backpack was tidied up, he departed on a journey back to me City.
The promise he made with Great Swamp wasnt just based on the contract between them, it was rted to his main mission as well.
Kieran, of course, knew what his priorities were.
...
Outside Forest City where the night veil shrouded thend, a couple of ferocious figures were gathering for a whisper.
Is God of Forest City really dead?
Dead of course!
Bird of Death has held the evening feast!
Great!
Our chances are here!
Kill Bird of Death and Forest City will be ours!
The whispering became cheers following thest sentence.
However, the cheers werent absent of logic, some of the fiends voiced out their worries.
But since Bird of Death killed God of Forest City, he must be very strong, even if the few of use together...
What are you afraid of?
We have the lord descendant of a Grand Fiend as a supporter!
The worrisome words were interrupted by another fiend.
The fiend then pointed at a further spot along the road.
A monster in the size of a rhinoceros was crawling around a torn open car, chewing on the innocent travelers.
Blood sshed and organs sttered.
The scene inmon eyes was extremely terrifying but in the eyes of the fiends, it was a symbol of strength.
The Grand Fiends descendant didnt mind showing off its power, so when a lonely figure appeared at the end of the road, the monster jumped up without further thought together with a furious roar.
Then...
It was crushed by a foot.
Chapter 1162 - Dark Shadow
Chapter 1162: Dark Shadow
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Brains sttered.
As the bone-crushing noise echoed in their ears, the zing me was already burning hot.
The zing me devoured the panicked and lost fiends.
The moving traveler wasnt stopped by the sudden attack, only a bright red aviary figure dived down from the sky and grabbed the green glowing item on the ground with its sharp ws.
When the red aviary figure soared once more, the night at the outskirts swiftly returned to its peaceful state.
All that was left were some panicking evil spirits trembling in fear.
As for the rest of the wandering souls attached to the evil spirits, all of them were crawling on the ground without the courage to look up.
...
The sun rose like every other day.
The warm sunlight expelled the cold darkness of the night and brought light to thend.
The most hard-working bunch in me City were already on their way to work.
( B oxnovel.c om ) Kairi and Kray were definitely not included though.
The two who thrived in the past had prepared backup ns for themselves a while ago, even after leaving Ethan Hunt, they were still living a lucrative life.
From a certain aspect, without the boss on top of their heads, the two of them were living a better, delightful life.
However, from the depressed looks on their face right now, it wasnt that much of a good life.
Inside a hidden room of a certain location, both of them were sitting face to face in silence.
The silence had been prevalent for quite some time now, both of them took cigarette after cigarette, the ashtray on the table was stuffed with cigarette buds already and yet both of them seemed to want to continue.
After another 10 minutes, the hot-tempered Kray couldnt hold back anymore.
Today is thest day!
What now Kairi?
Are we going to do it or not? Krays brows were furrowed together.
I dont know.
Kairi shook his head, he threw the cigarette on the floor grumpily and stepped on the cigarette angrily, his mouth was also ranting non-stop. The boss went missing and now every damn thing is on us! Damn it! Damnit! God freaking dammit!
A series of cursingter, Kairi took another cigarette out but he didnt light it. He crushed the cigarette box angrily also and mmed it on the floor.
How the hell do I know what now?
Ive always followed the boss orders and gave my best in carrying out the orders given!
Now the boss is missing! How the f*ck do I know what now?
Kairi was like a crazy beast roaring in the room, he took the ashtray in front of him and smashed it on the wall beside him.
His rage fueled him further in throwing things, anything he could get his hands on was thrown at the wall as if the person that troubled his mind was standing right there.
Kray opened his mouth and tried to stop Kairi and his rampage but nothing came out from his mouth in the end, he couldnt find any words offort for the situation.
They had to face a bunch of people who tried to push them to their death and yet they couldnt afford to oppose them, what words offort could cease the rage and helplessness in their heart?
None.
Two minutester
Kairi was panting heavily, his chest was moving up and down as he breathed, his eyes were ferocious and terrifying.
If they want us dead, I wont let them live a good life either!
Kray, are you ballsy enough to do something big with me?
Kairi squeezed his words out of the seams of his clenched teeth.
Why not? Why am I not ballsy enough? You want to teach those sons of b****hes a lesson?
Tell me, what are we going to do? Kray asked straightforwardly.
( B oxnovel.c om ) Teach them a lesson? Those sons of b****hes want us dead, how is it enough for us to teach them a lesson? We are taking them out! said Kairi coldly.
Kray curled his lips into a killer smile.
He didnt mind killing those bastards.
Maybe he might feel guilty of killing others, but not those bastards.
All he would feel is delight and joy.
Killing those bastards who came up with such a crazy n was like saving humanity, with every one of them dead, the world will be a better ce.
Hurry up and tell me, what should I do?
Im anxious now!
Kray moved his robust neck, his muscles and bones were cracking loudly.
We are definitely being watched right now. If we want to take them out, we must move their attention away from us, only then we can move.
So, we need a bait.
Kairi returned to his calm mind after venting his anger at the wall as he spoke in an orderly fashion.
Bait? Kray was stunned.
His mind was not exactly smart, so he couldnt imagine where can he find a bait.
Remember our boss cousin?
Dig him out, find him.
He will be eye-catching enough, Kairi said softly.
Footer? Krays mouth squelched before his eyes started to shine.
He kind of understood what Kairi wanted to do, so he immediately gave a thumbs up.
You need to take care of this yourself!
Remember, we cannot afford to trust anyone other than ourselves, Kairi reminded him.
Understood, Kray nodded and walked out.
After Kray left, Kairi sat back at the sofa and started his own preparation.
Simr to Kray, he knew what kind of character Footer was. Once Footer knew what was going on, he would certainly, absolutely lean towards those bastards, there would be no second oue!
So, Kairi was running short on time.
He had to acquire more weapons in the meantime to oppose those bastards.
Of course, before he carried out his n, he must fire more smokescreens to cover himself.
Kairi adjusted his emotions and made phone call after phone call.
Throughout the phone calls, he was acting like his old self, joyful and delighted as he was pretending to invite every other boss he knew to participate in his dinner with extravagant reasons.
Ive found another new supporter?
Of course!
I am Kairi!
You are saying Boss Ethan is the Bird of Death?
What kind of joke is this?
If Boss Ethan is the Bird of Death, Ill eat the phone in my hand right now, right here.
I know right!
Its just some unreliable rumors.
Boss Ethan was caught up in the mess, a fish caught in troubled waters, thus his current status.
He is and always has been a respectable boss, but thats that, didnt I just get a new boss?
Come!
Come join the party tonight!
Be on time, Ill give you guys a surprise!
No, no no, not introducing, just a little surprise.
...
Such conversations went on many times throughout the phone calls.
Each time, Kairi would show disdain towards those rumors he heard from other bosses.
It wasnt that he didnt want to believe, its that he dared not believe!
But deep down?
Deep in his heart, Kairi had fantasized more than once that Boss Ethan was the Bird of Death, so when he stepped out and fought those bastards, his boss would appear behind him as support and beat those bastards into nothing.
His mind was imagining that particr scene, thus causing him to daze off with the phone in his hand.
If Boss Ethan was the Bird of Death, how great would that be!
Too bad...
Fantasy is always a fantasy.
The reality was what he needed to face.
Huu!
After a deep breath, he dialed another number on his phone.
His extravagant tone came out from his mouth once again.
Chapter 1163 - Interesting Restaurant
Chapter 1163: Interesting Restaurant
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran sized up his surroundings while sitting in a restaurant.
Simr to the narrow alley outside, the restaurant was small, old and broken.
Fortunately, it was still clean enough, although the customers only amounted to a handful.
Other than Kieran, only Great Swamp was present, as he was the inviter.
Throughout the meetings, Great Swamp presented himself as a mature and steady character. He could even be considered as a profound existence in a certain perspective.
However, spanning from thest phone call to the current meeting in the restaurant, Kierans impression of Great Swamp had changed significantly.
To be more precise...The impression crumbled.
What? Do I look weird?
Great Swamp looked at Kieran after he passed the menu to the simple, honest middle-aged man that was also the waiter cum cook of the ce.
Um.
Kieran nodded without concealing his feelings.
Commanding a city is much more boring than you can imagine, especially after the initial prosperity and anticipation, where whats waiting for you is only endless torment.
So anything interesting that happens in the city will instantly pop up on my radar, said Great Swamp.
This ce is considered interesting? Kieran sized up the restaurant again.
However, other than the old, broken decorations, he couldnt sense anything interesting.
As for the food?
With Kierans current Intuition, a sniff from his nose allowed him to determine how good the food was; it wasnt exactly delicious, at most at an above-average level.
Too much sugar in the milk.
Too much oil when cooking the bacon.
Too little oil when frying the egg.
The toast, soggy.
The sauce in the fruit sd, unreasonable, but the fruits fresh.
However, none of these was interesting.
Doubtful, Kieran looked at Great Swamp, as he didnt believe Great Swamp, who should be anxious, had the leisure to take him out to breakfast after appearing before Kieran the moment he stepped into me City.
Interesting. Its much more interesting than you imagine.
Great Swamp signalled Kieran to be patient and to watch quietly.
Kieran had good patience, especially when there was food in front of him, regardless of whether it was tasty enough.
With the chopsticks, he held the bacon over the fried egg and poked it open with the tip.
The bacon was then dipped into the half-cooked egg yolk and then ced on the toasted bread, a beautiful warm color instantly smearing over the bread.
Kieran folded the piece of bread before eating it. He chewed slowly so that he could enjoy thebined texture of the toast and bacon dipped in egg yolk.
He stuffed some fruits into his mouth from time to time and drank a mouthful of warm milk.
The way he ate his breakfast, it was like he was soaked in happiness.
Great Swamp looked at Kieran, slightly surprised.
He never thought the breakfast set could be eaten this way.
He had been eating his breakfast like every other customer in the restaurant, which meant to say, by cing the egg and bacon on the bread and making it into a sandwich instead.
Is it nice?
Great Swamp asked this out of instinct when he saw how immersed Kieran was in his eating.
Kieran didnt utter a word, instead choosing to nod.
Great Swamp quickly mimicked the way Kieran ate.
Whether it was just his own thinking or not, when Great Swamp mimicked Kierans way of eating the breakfast set, he felt it was much more delicious than usual.
Youvee here before?
After a mouthful of milk, Great Swamp didnt hold back his question after Kieran ordered two more servings of the same set.
First time.
Really?
It was a little unbelievable to Great Swamp.
Since he was able to discover this interesting ce, others would be able to as well, and if the others was Kieran, Great Swamp wouldnt be at all surprised.
During their first meeting, Kieran had left a deep impression on his mind.
The feeling of familiarity made him take extra notice of Kieran, and until their next meeting, Kierans skyrocketing power level shook him.
Even for a God of a city, he never thought a persons power level could increase multiple times in such a short time.
His memories about inheritance and the rumours that he heard never had cases like this at all.
So when Kieran suggested working together, Great Swamp agreed without a second thought, and it proved to be nothing but the greatest choice he ever made.
Perforation Sting, the thorn in his heart, was wiped out just like that together with the loathsome God of Forest City.
Therefore, when Kieran showed notice of this interesting restaurant, it didnte as a surprise to Great Swamp.
Kieran shook his head at Great Swamps prying gaze.
Instinct, he answered.
Kieran didnt bother about Great Swamp anymore after that, and he started to size up his surroundings in a more meticulous way.
Under his focused observation, Kieran soon discovered something.
Traces!
There were no traces in the restaurant!
The customers that walked in didnt leave behind any traces, but the waiter cum cook, plus Great Swamp and him, did leave some, including footprints, handprints, etc.
Ghosts? No, that cant be, as theres no negative energy present. Then some kind of fiend?
Kieran shook his head again amidst his guesses. The customers in the restaurant werent that many. Including Great Swamp and him, there were only six to seven other people at most, but throughout the morning, there were at least 30 customers who came.
30 simr fiends werent simple fiends anymore; it could be a fiend pact or something else.
When Kieran looked outside the restaurant and noticed customers starting to leave traces on the ground after they left, his gaze froze.
Almost out of reflex, Kieran turned to the restaurant owner.
Kieran and Great Swamp were able to leave traces, and so was the owner, but not the other customers.
Why?
The only difference between him, Great Swamp and the other customers was their power level.
Deducing from that onwards...
Its fine, he is different from us, just amon man. The difference is this ce.
Great Swamp interrupted Kierans guesses to point, with a smiling face, at the floor with his knife.
The restaurant itself?
Kieran squinted his eyes and stopped sizing up the ce.
He had already memorized the whole restaurant and its structure in his mind, so there was no need for further inspection, but because of that, he was more rmed than ever.
He hadnt noticed the differences in the ce at all!
Dont be nervous! This ce is safe, there arent any threats here! Great Swamp said with a smile.
You know the reason? Kieran asked.
I dont! That is why it is interestingas the God of this city, I didnt notice the differences in this ce either. In fact, even aftering in and observing for quite a long while, I still cant tell why this is happening! Great Swamp shook his head straightforwardly.
So...you are nning to kill your time here? Kieran frowned.
For Kieran, an unfamiliar, strange environment always required his vignce.
And if the environment had some unknown existence, the vignce would peak and he would be the utmost careful about it. If it had happened in his own turf, he would never be as leisurely as Great Swamp was.
Correct, Great Swamp was taking the situation leisurely! Kieran was sure of it.
Other than that, Kieran was also sure that Great Swamp was quite fond of the current situation.
Curiosity killed the cat, Kieran said softly.
A cat has nine lives, and I have one more life than a cat. Great Swamp smiled.
There wasnt anything wrong with joking; it was much simr to how friends would while chatting. With his and Great Swamps current rtionship, such ridiculous jokes didnt matter much.
But Kieran had the feeling that something wasnt right.
What was it?
Chapter 1164 - Peculiar
Chapter 1164: Peculiar
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The Great Swamp before Kieran was exactly as he remembered him, looking and sounding the same, and there were no differences in his mannerisms either, but Kieran instinctively felt that something was off.
Kieran quietly sensed his aura...
It was the same!
Exactly like how he remembered Great Swamp!
Am I overthinking it? Kieran asked himself quietly.
However, immediately after that, the news he got from Footer made Kieran squint his eyes.
Something like this happened? What...
Weird! Its too weird!
Kieran looked at Great Swamp, who was acting leisurely.
If Kieran was suspicious before, after getting the news, his suspicions turned into spections.
He trusted in Footers loyalty, thus he believed the validity of the news.
Based on the news he got, Great Swamp shouldnt be thisnguid.
Unless...
A certain doubt in his heart caused Kieran to reevaluate the Great Swamp before his eyes, but he couldnt find any more peculiarities.
But of course, he had only met and interacted with Great Swamp a few times before this.
Despite having a close working rtionship, neither of them ever had any further intimate contact.
Given the circumstances, Kieran decided to improvise as he went.
He maintained his usual manner for the meantime and after finishing the second and third serving of breakfast he asked, When are we leaving?
Right away. Do you know the second reason why I chose this ce? Its very close to our destination.
After finishing thest drop of milk in his cup, Great Swamp took out a piece of paper currency from his pocket and ced it under the cup. He then waved at the waiter cum cook that was further away before walking out the door.
Kieran stood up and followed close behind.
Just as Great Swamp said, the restaurant was very close to their destination. Both of them had been walking slowly as if they were strolling through the park, but it took them less than 10 minutes to reach their destination.
The journey started from the restaurant, with them strolling along the sidewalk of the main road before turning into an alleyway.
Kieran nced at the alleyway before him, and very quickly, his attention was captured by the seemingly abandoned rusty little door ahead of him.
Although garbage cans were blocking the door, which looked like it had suffered through heavy rust, with his SSS+ Intuition, Kieran vividly felt the breathing behind the door.
It was soft, going on and off, and almost imperceptible to anymon man.
Without seeing it with his own eyes, Kieran was able to paint a picture in his mind of a man inhaling and exhaling multiple times before repeating the steps.
The breathing technique wasnt difficult. A lot of people who were good at undercover or concealment techniques knew it, but to be able to reach the same level of softness as that person behind the door?
Only a handful would be able to do it.
Judging from the level of skill, it should be at the Grand Master rank at the very least.
Kieran looked at Great Swamp.
Thetter smiled before walking forward.
When they were a few meters away from the small door, it opened from the inside and a man whose hair was tied up in a bun walked out. The way the man dressed, wearing a robe with thepel tucked from left to right, reminded Kieran of the person who guided him to Great Swamp for their first meeting.
Your Majesty.
The man greeted Great Swamp before bowing to Kieran.
The whole process was stiff and meticulous.
The things that transpired before have made mee to realize how careless I was, so Yu is now in charge of this ce. His earnestness and strength are enough to assure the safety of this ce.
Great Swamp praised his man before walking through the door.
Kieran was a step behind, as he took a nce at the expressionless Yu before walking insidecarefully and vigntly.
The news that he just received allowed Kieran to understand that the entire matter had just taken an unexpectedly sharp turn.
If he didnt want to lose his life, he would have to keep his eyes peeled at every moment from now on.
Kieran never underestimated any kind of danger, especially when there was an unknown enemy ahead of him.
Under Kierans heightened vignce, the group moved through the narrow, long corridor and went down almost a thousand flight of stairs. When the group finally reached the end, a stone door carved with a sculpture of a dragon-snake-like creature appeared in Kierans sight.
With the light from themp, Kieran could see that the dragon-snake-like sculpture moving ceaselessly and roar like it was alive.
Following the sculptures roar, waves of aura that were connected to the earth gushed at Kieran like the rising tide, yet they didnt truly harm him, only grazing his body.
However, the power contained in the aura was unparalleled and terrifying.
This is the Earth Vein Node?
Kieran had never seen one before, having only heard some description about it from Great Swamp previously, but it was still enough for him toe to such a deduction.
Um. Our destination is inside, Great Swamp nodded.
Inside? Its a structure with empty space? Kieran was astonished.
The shock wasnt an act, but rather his own genuine feeling.
To Kierans initial impression, the Earth Vein Node was more like a point, something simr to a real matter or an object, a crystal ball of sorts.
Follow me!
Great Swamp showed a mysterious smile before walking towards the stone door and a wave from his handter, the door opened up.
There werent any special changes in the action, it was like Great Swamp was simply opening the door to his house, that dragon-snake-like sculpture continuing to move ceaselessly as though it werent affected by the motion.
Illusions? No...not illusions. This power here is real!
The moment this spection formed, Kieran shook his head. Illusions that could fool his Intuition and Spirit indeed existed, but if it could really do this, all these arrangements were unnecessary to lure him into the plot, as casting the illusion on him directly would have halted his stepspletely.
Were there any other goals or objectives?
Spections kept flooding Kierans mind.
He then turned to Great Swamp.
The reason why I can open these doors is due to my bloodline, as they recognize my lineage. After all, from a certain perspective, this ce is considered the legacy that my father left for me. Now then... open your eyes wide, as we are about to witness a miracle.
When he mentioned his father, Great Swamps words paused for a millisecond before diverting to another topic.
Lineage? Miracle?
With the mention of these terms, Kieran stayed quiet and nodded, but he silently heightened his alertness to the peak.
He didnt believe a word that came out of Great Swamps mouth, but following the scene that came right after, Kieran was still shaken despite his mental preparation.
A city!
A massive city!
After going through the door, Kieran was standing on top of a floating tform as he gazed down at the city beneath his feet.
Ancient looking houses were in tight rows, streets lined up among the buildings in an orderly fashion.
The most shocking point was the citys scale. It could easily house 100,000 people!
Kieran could really imagine the lively voices and the prospering scenes back in the day.
Surprised? I was too when I first saw this city. Although my father is a prick, his powers are unquestionable. Back in the years when fiends loomed, he managed to build a city like this.
See that city wall there? Even with the current technology and manpower, it is still very difficult to build a wall of this height and width. Great Swamps exmation was echoing in his ears.
Although Great Swamps face held admiration, most of it showed a conflicted expression.
Kieran didnt say anything, he remained quiet and listened.
Our target is this citys casten mansion. There...
Before he could finish, the seemingly steady tform beneath their feet shattered all of a sudden.
There were no signs of cracks or shakes; it shattered within an instant.
The two of them fell down to the ground like descendingets.
Chapter 1165 - Respond
Chapter 1165: Respond
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Amidst their rapid fall, Kieran didnt panic at all. He was watching Great Swamp secretly while using his index finger to rub the bronze ring embedded with feathers.
[Floating Ring]!
Instantaneously, a formless force wrapped around Kieran and his fall started to slow down.
Meanwhile, Great Swamp, beside him, didnt change his falling posture at all until he was meters away from crashing to the ground. Then, his body suddenly paused andnded on the ground firmly.
Great Swamps expression, however, looked extremely ugly after thending.
Someone snuck into this ce without my knowing. 2567, we need to split up. Ill use my spells to search for the enemy hidden in the city while you head to the casten mansion directly. Give me an hour, and Ill rendezvous with you at the mansion then.
After that, Great Swamp flew off into the city like an arrow let loose.
Within a breaths time, his figure vanished from sight.
Kieran looked in the direction where Great Swamp disappeared, his eyes slightly squinted as they shone brightly.
Too many!
( .c om ) Too many ws!
But...
Kieran picked up the scent of a massive reward.
Huu!
A deep breathter, Kieran carefully, vigntly moved along the walls and slowly approached the city walls further ahead.
After going through a shadowy spot, although Kieran didnt alter his moving stance, his face somehow showed a little arrogance.
At the same time, in a certain corner back in me City, Sloth was forced to open his eyes in his sleepy face.
Trouble trouble.
He ranted softly, but he wasnt slow at all.
Following the position Kieran gave him, he quickly moved towards his destination.
.....
Idiot!
Kairi scolded Kray.
Despite that the person before him was his only ally at the moment, or more precisely the onlyrade he could rely on, it didnt stop him from scolding Kray badly.
Just what level of stupidity was Kray that allowed enemies to pry information out of him with the least bit of effort?
Sorry, Kairi. I...
Kray wanted to exin himself but when his mouth opened, no words came out.
His apology at the moment sounded pale and weightless, and he couldnt think of any way to make aeback from the current situation.
All Kray could do was stare at Kairi nkly.
I know you want to say that Footer is our old boss and that he knows everything about you as well your habits, but I didnt ask much of you. You could have stayedpletely silent and fulfilled the things I ordered you to do beforeing back! But how did it turn out? You were worse than a child! Even a damn child would know how to protect his own candies and not give them away to strangers! The words came out from the seams of Kairis clenched teeth.
Kairi really wanted to pick up his gun and st a hole in Krays head.
But ultimately, he started to pack his bags.
Kairi, you...
Run, you idiot! Since things havee down to this, we dont have anything to make aeback for anymore, so all we can do is run! And I wont stay with you anymore! The longer I stay with you, the more I fear that I might die outside the do
( .c om ) Dong, Dong Dong!
The knocks interrupted Kairis words and he responded by taking out his gun.
Who is it? Kairi asked softly.
Open the door, its me.
It was Footers voice that came through the door.
Kairi could never mistake that familiar voice, and almost out of reflex, he red angrily at Kray.
He assumed that it was this idiot who revealed their hideout to Footer.
Kray waved his hand in panic and expressed his innocence, but what he got was an even fiercer re from Kairi.
Kairi then walked towards the door.
Since things hade down to this, it was obvious that they couldnt turn back anymore.
Kairi no longer wanted to run. He knew Footers personality very well, and so he also knew that their hideout must be heavily surrounded. With only him and Kray, it was impossible for them to escape.
But...
There was still a chance!
Kairi gripped his gun tightly and pressed it to the door. His other hand opened the door slightly. Even with the chain lock before his eyes, it didnt disturb his view of Footers face.
Only one?
When Kairi saw Footer alone outside the door, he jolted.
The scene obviously was different from what Kairi had imagined.
In his own memories, each time when a simr situation urred, Footer would bring a bunch of men with him to suppress his foes with sheer strength, robbing them of their ability to resist while also showing off his powers at the same time.
And after consuming those secret pills, Footer especially wished that he could showcase his powers for every second of his life.
Move the gun away.
Footer, with his tall, buff body, looked at the astonished Kairi before turning his gaze to the door nk.
It wasnt any kind of exceptional instinct. It was just that after many years of the force of habit, Footer instinctively felt that Kairis posture when opening the door was a bit strange.
However, Footer wasnt angry, as he knew the reason for his own visit.
It wasnt for any personal gains, but rather for his lord.
When he heard Footers words, Kairi unconsciously moved the gun away from the door and unlocked the chain, allowing Footer to enter. Only then did Kairi be aware of what he had done.
What happened just now?
Why did I listen to him?
Kairi then pointed his gun at Footer again.
So this is one of the perks that the pills granted you? Kairi smiled coldly.
He then ceaselessly signalled to Kray with his eyes.
At that moment, Kairi finally understood why Kray fell so easily before: Footer had utilized his unusual powers on Kray.
Kairi, however, wasnt jealous of the power at all.
He knew what kind of price he would have to pay in exchange for powers such as this. His boss had told him clearly before.
Em. Put your gun away, I dont mean any hostility. If I wanted to kill you two, I wouldnt spend so much effort. Besides, we are all on the same boat now.
Footer sat on the sofa before saying this in a calm manner.
The same boat? Kairiughed coldly again.
He didnt buy anything that came out of Footers mouth.
Correct. Based on the situation here, we are all serving the same lord. The lord that I am referring to is who you two know as Ethan Hunt. Of course, in the outsiders eyes, he has another nameBird of Death! Footer exined.
Stop joking! Are you taking me for an idiot? Kairi growled angrily.
He had fantasized more than once about the validity of that rumourhis boss being Bird of Death.
But whenever someone told him about that fact, Kairis response would be to deny it.
Right at that moment, the door was knocked on again.
Dok, Dok Dok.
Rhythmic, yet followed by a series of ranting.
Troublesome...Why am I doing these kinds of troublesome things? Shouldnt I be sleeping soundly now? Sleeping is king.
Chapter 1166 - Unusual Phenomenon
Chapter 1166: Unusual Phenomenon
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Back in the underground city, just as Pride went up close to the city walls, group after group of enemies appeared.
The enemies were a bunch of wood and rocks the size of grown men with all sorts of weapons in their hands; some were wielding swords while some were loading arrows onto their bows.
Hmph.
Augh of contempt came from Pride, his arrogant look was his staple. Even before a swarm of enemies, his arrogance would never change.
It would only get more and more disdainful.
ck mes burned in his hand and quickly formed a sword.
The sword was ck and its sharpness was without equal.
Stone and wooden dummies obviously couldnt resist such sharp attacks though.
With a single sweep, 4 to 5 dummies were sliced in half.
The dummies attacks were easily dodged by Pride as well.
Pride was like a swallow flying in the rain, nimble and agile, none of the attacksnded on him and none of the dummies were able to stop his steps.
From outside the city walls to the city gates eventually to inside the city walls, all it took was around 20 seconds as Pride paved through waves of enemy ambushes.
He stood inside the city walls and looked at the empty streets. As he felt Kierans sessful infiltration and the presence moving away, Pride curled his lips into a smile.
His main mission wasplete, now...
It was extra mission time!
Pride turned around and looked at the enemies giving chase. The smile vanished and was reced by his ever-present arrogant expression and cold gaze.
Since they were enemies, they should all be dead.
...
Kieran was moving swiftly in the shadows.
Under [Tracking]s vision, Great Swamps steps were obvious.
In fact, after a mere two minutes, he already saw Great Swamp.
The Great Swamp who he assumed an imposter was engaging in a battle with a simr stone dummy
However, unlike Prides ughter-fest, Great Swamp and the dummy were evenly matched!
Correct! Both sides were evenly matched!
Kieran slightly frowned at the scene and obviously, it wasnt within his expectations.
Being able to disguise oneself as Great Swamp with an identical presence, in addition to the speed and power that he presented just now, how could this Great Swamp get stalled by an enemy that he could easily destroy?
Although the stone dummy was much stronger than the ones Pride faced, based on the imposters previous performance, he could easily take them out, not fall into a stalemate.
No!
It wasnt a stalemate anymore!
Under Kierans gaze, the imposter swiftly fell into disadvantage and what surprised Kieran more was the imposters current state, he seemed...
Anxious and angry?
How is this possible?
Why are my powers slipping away?
Puzzled words came out from the imposters mouth.
If the imposter didnt turn translucent at the next second and pop like a bubble, Kieran would have believed that he was seeing incorrectly.
Interesting.
Kieran muttered in his head before following the stone dummy.
The stone dummy wasnt heading to the city gates but another corner of the underground city.
It wasnt in the direction of the casten mansion either.
As for heading to the casten mansion?
As long as Kieran was still sane, he would never go there.
...
At the same time, in a secluded corner of the underground city, Great Swamp and Kieran were standing side by side.
Great Swamps face held unconceble joy though.
Much smoother than I expected, he said.
However, as his words subsided, the bangle on his left hand shined with a dazzling red light.
The bangle was a gift from his father. It wasnt just the key to the n, it even provided him with some feedback about things that happened in the underground city.
Of course, it was impossible for it to disy voices and pictures of the surroundings but at least it could notify Great Swamp that a battle just happened, like how it was reacting now.
Maybe we will run into some idents.
Great Swamp was stunned for a while before shrugging with a little awkwardness.
That is why I am here in your n, Kieran said softly.
Ill leave everything to you! But remember, you only have 1 hour.
After an hour, you muste back and touch this bangle, and you cant use transcendent level power, said Great Swamp in a serious manner.
Em.
Kieran nodded heading going off.
Great Swamp stayed back on the spot though, he saw Kieran off and when his figure went out of sight, Great Swamp turned around and walked towards the building before his eyes.
Pak!
Less than 3 meters away from the building, a light suddenly shined bright and the blurry building before Great Swamp suddenly became clear.
It was a courtyard with tall white walls and ck roof tiles.
Whitenterns were hung over the lingering tiles one after another.
The candles in thenterns were lit up already and the light that shined were indeed from the candles.
However, the lights only reached 3 meters outside the walls and not a single bit could seep out. Looking from the outside, the building was still blurry.
Old geezers always have the heart to y tricks!
Great Swamp couldnt hold back his soft mutters when he looked at the light in front of him and the darkness behind him. He quickly took a step back and merged into the darkness.
After Great Swamp disappeared, a figure appeared.
The person was hooded and the face was blocked, when the person saw the illuminated courtyard, he seemed excited.
The person went around the courtyard walls, hoping to find an entrance but after circling the structure quickly, he returned to the spot where he arrived.
There wasnt an entrance!
The person was stunned at the spot, he dashed around the courtyard again without believing in the heresy before his eyes yet there was still no entrance.
How?
The person muttered.
He then circled the courtyard once again but unlike the previous sprints, this time he was careful and meticulous as he walked.
His careful and meticulousness was rewarded though, he finally discovered something.
The person didnt actually find the entrance but he noticed the courtyard had gotten bigger!
The changes made the person to slow down but a sudden thought in his mind made him move out quickly again.
4801
4802
4803
The person was counting as he walked and suddenly, he heard another simr voice counting in his ears.
He turned to the voice instinctively and another figure was walking and counting just like him.
6902
6903
6904
A careful lookter, the figure wasnt just counting as he walked, it was using a walking posture and an outfit was very simr to his own.
The only difference was the figure was a little faltered, as if he was exhausted or aged.
The person drew his dagger and quietly approached the other identical figure.
Then, the dagger struck!
Puk!
The whole dagger was plunged into the figures back.
The person watched the figure fall on the ground and twitched without any sympathy.
This ce is mine. No one will...UGH!
Before the person finished, he felt a pain in his back and as his life force slipped away rapidly, he fell.
At thest moment of his living breath, the person widened his eyes, trying to get a glimpse of who attacked him.
What he saw was another figure simr to his own with an identical outfit.
Behind his attacker was another figure with the exact physique and looks plus a drawn dagger, repeating his action from before.
Chapter 1167 - Going In
Chapter 1167: Going In
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran was following the stone dummy and soon reached a crossroad in one of the streets.
The ce should be one of the main streets of the underground city and it should be wide but at the moment, the street was filled with all kinds of wood and stone remains.
A figure stood straight in the middle of the pile of remains and stared down at the dummy monsters with a cold gaze. A quick move of his bodyter, the dummy monsters before the figure were kicked to pieces.
As the remains of the dummy monsters flew, the crow feathered mantle was fluttering loudly.
Kieran who was in the shadows saw himself further away, he couldnt help but smile coldly to himself.
As I expected.
If an imposter of Great Swamp appeared to deceive him, then, where did the real Great Swamp go?
As the owner of me City, Great Swamps powers were undisputedpared to Forest, Leaf and Many City, they werent on the same level to begin with.
However, in the current dungeon world, obviously there was some other higher existence who could triumph over Great Swamp but to make him disappear without a sign, especially when he was still in me City, it was nearly impossible.
Obviously, the problem wasnt solvable with battle, thus only one option was leftdeceit.
Since the enemy could create an identical Great Swamp, why couldnt they create an identical Kieran?
Other than that, the creator behind the imposters seemed to spend quite a lot of effort on Imposter Kieran to better deceive Great Swamp. At least his imposter wasnt strong on the outside but weak on the inside like Imposter Great Swamp.
How did the enemy do it though?
Kieran had no idea how the enemy created an imposter who was exactly the same as the originaldespite no longer being a newbie, he dared not im that he understood all the secrets of the dungeon world, even more so when the Gods were involved, some impossible matters became possible.
However, Kieran had spections about how the enemy grasped the differences in time.
The phone call!
Great Swamps phone was tapped!
The enemy used the phone call to grasp Great Swamp and Kierans movements and perfectly utilized the differences in time. Also, the enemy diverted Great Swamp away before they started their next move.
A smart fe I see, Kieranmented. Still, it didnt stop him from making his move.
Sou!
He dashed out from the shadows and when he stopped, he was already behind his imposter.
Throughout the process, the imposter had no reaction to what happened, even the expression on the imposters face didnt change.
Bang!
The imposters body fell to the ground after a kick.
The body then rapidly turned translucent like a bubble before popping into thin air, leaving behind an orange glowing item.
It wasnt an equipment drop though but it fell off from the imposters pocket.
It was a gold bangle etched with a snake scale pattern, which presented itself with a bluish-green color.
[Name: me City Bangle Replica]
[Type: essory]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attack: Strong]
[Attribute: 1. Warning; 2. Guide]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: This is a replica that Great Swamp forged ording to the original me City Bangle, it has lost most of its effect but the power that remains is still enough to shock people]
...
[Warning: Warns the wearer about the present danger in the underground city, 2/2]
[Guide: Guides the wearer through the underground city, 2/2]
......
After he saw the details of the bangle, Kierans lips curled into a profound smile before he turned around and sprinted further away.
It wasnt a blind sprint though, with the traces from the imposter, it was very easy for him to locate the real Great Swamp.
Soon, a courtyard entered his sight.
White walls, ck tiles, andnterns all over.
Kieran was slightly surprised when he saw the light from thentern not reaching more than 3 meters away from the structure.
The feeling struck him as an istion of sorts.
The courtyard was in its own world and another world was outside the courtyard.
4801.
4802.
4803.
...
6902.
6903.
...
The sudden counting echoed around the courtyard. The counting voices were very simr and the two people that appeared in Kierans sight that were like twins.
One of them was in front, the other was at the back, both of them were stepping in the same spot ceaselessly, counting as if they couldnt feel tiredness.
After a nce, Kieran kept his gaze away and ced his attention at his feet.
A momentter, he found what he was searching for: the traces Great Swamp left behind.
Back off?
Kieran raised a brow when he saw the traces on the ground and the two people counting further away.
He had a theory in his mind.
But when he followed the traces Great Swamp left behind and did the exact thing, nothing happened. After he stepped out of thenterns range, he was in the street where he came from and after he took a step forward, he still saw the courtyard.
When Kieran returned to the premise of the courtyard and was within thenterns range
Wung!
[me City Bangle Replica] buzzed!
The blinding red light shined brightly.
Without his knowing, a figure suddenly appeared further ahead of Kieran and was entering and exiting the courtyard endlessly.
Each time the figure moved in and out, the figure would be more tired.
Each time the figure moved in and out, the courtyard would grow bigger.
Kieran saw the scene that happened and without further inspection, he was sure that the figure moving in and out of the courtyard was himself.
Because not only did he see the same outfit and the same face, most importantly, he felt tired as well. It felt like he didnt sleep for days and ran a very long sprint.
Of course, what concerned Kieran the most was a malicious gaze that appeared behind him, the danger from the gaze was so real that Kieran had goosebumps and had difficulties breathing.
The malicious gaze had no intentions of being subtle though, he was emanating a familiar aura as well.
Without even turning around, Kieran could tell there was another him behind him.
At least... it looked like him.
Meanwhile, something happened to the two people who were counting further away.
Another one of them joined the fray but this time, it wasnt counting anymore but a ughter!
One killed the other and another killed him.
When Kieran saw the fourth killed the third, he squinted his eyes because he felt a slight pressure from the fourth person.
Powerful!
The fourth person was extremely powerful!
The power level has far surpassed the Gods from Forest, Leaf, and Many City, it was almost near the level of Great Swamp.
Maybe... even slightly stronger than Great Swamp!
At the same time, the danger from behind him got closer as well.
He also felt the pressure from his back as if it was rushing him to make a decision.
Should Kieran turned around and fight for his life, or...
Kieran slowly walked over to the figure moving in and out of the courtyard.
He stopped in front of the figure and sized him up carefully.
The figure didnt seem to notice Kieran and kept entering and exiting endlessly, hence bringing more exhaustion to Kierans real body.
The malicious danger behind Kieran also followed Kieran tightly, it sized up Kieran with the exact manner and gaze Kieran used to size up the moving figure in front him; except for the overflowing malicious intent!
When Kieran reached his hand out to grab the moving figure, the malicious presence behind him did the same to him.
When Kieran grabbed the figure, the malicious presence grabbed Kieran as well.
Kieran then tossed the figure away with all his might and the malicious presence behind him mimicked his action as well: tossing Kieran upwards.
Then...
Kieran was hurled over the white tall wall andnded firmly inside the courtyard.
Chapter 1168 - Horror (2 in 1)
Chapter 1168: Horror (2 in 1)
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran sized up his surroundings afternding firmly on his feet. He then rapidly stepped back and stuck his back against the wall.
The courtyard was actually a garden with a smallke in the middle, a bridge built on top.
Theyout looked very familiar though, and after some thought, Kieran was reminded of Great Swamps estate.
If theyout before Kieran were to be erged, it would be the same as theke in Great Swamps estate!
Great Swamp built his estate ording to this ce?
The thought came naturally into Kierans mind but he wasnt in a hurry to verify the guess.
He regted his breathing and merged into the shadows around the courtyard walls.
A few minutester, a series of noises came from above the walls as a figure leapt over the ck tiles, or more precisely...
The figure was tossed in, not unlike how Kieran came in just a moment ago.
However, the figure didnt have the chance tond firmly on the ground like Kieran had because Kieran came out from the shadows and dished out a kick at the figure, whose body couldnt move freely while in the air.
Bang!
His boot shed with the figures body, causing it to be straightaway kicked into the smallke.
The figure sank silently into theke, making no sshes or any other extra movements. The seemingly clearke water was actually sticky like a swamp, all lifending on it being devoured.
Kieran watched nkly as theke devoured the figures body.
The figure outside the courtyard didnt just appear without any reason; simrly, no one would create Great Swamp and his imposter without solid reasoning.
The enemy had been targeting the courtyard from the very beginning and had never given up on that goal.
On top of that, the enemy wisely set up a mystifying trap around the ce, and it almost fooled Kieran and Great Swamp altogether.
No!
Great Swamp must have noticed something, but he wasnt sure. Thats why he went to lure the snake out of its hold but... He never thought that the snake would actually be a python that he couldnt fight, thus he was forced to use his fathers legacy to fight the enemy.
It was obvious that Great Swamp had failed to oppose the enemy.
Otherwise, given Great Swamps character, he would have eliminated the enemy a long time ago rather than allowing the enemy to roam freely under his watch and cause so much trouble.
Based on their two-time coboration, Kieran already understood the firmness beneath Great Swamps peaceful character, but still, that didnt mean Kieran would forgive Great Swamp for keeping the secret.
He hoped that Great Swamp could give him a reasonable exnation.
Or else...
Kierans eyes turned cold.
However, soo enough, Kieran started to adjust his emotions again, as he knew his own priorities.
After discarding the matters rted to Great Swamp aside, Kieran carefully approached the lone bridge over the smallke.
The bridge was crafted out of stone, and with his Pro [Mystical Knowledge] and Transcendence [Tracking], he was able to discern that it was clean.
But he still had to be careful, especially after experiencing the freaky scene from earlier.
Kierans heart still had lingering fears from the scene before. He was sure that it was no illusion nor illusory realm, but something that was much more horrifying, something that he hadnt even heard of before.
One thing was for certain though, and it was that this ce was what Great Swamps father had left for him, making him able to enter with ease.
As for others?
It was down to a game of luck.
Kieran was quite confident that the ce had limits or restrictions he didnt know of yet, otherwise, the enemy behind the scene wouldnt this careful when they could have just walked into this ce righteously.
The stone bridge, based on Kierans observation, wasnt long, as it was no more than 50 meters, but when he stepped on the stone bridge, mist appeared.
It turned from thin to thick within a breaths time, and one would no longer be able see his or her own hand properly.
Kierans SSS+ Intuition was at aplete loss. He had lost his direction, and he couldnt see or hear anything either.
The only thing he could do was feel the stone bridge beneath his feet, which seemed like...it was moving?!
Unconsciously, Kieran thought of the figure who got devoured silently.
Without further ado, Kieran took the [me City Bangle Replica] and activated its [Guide] function.
Although the equipment could be brought out of the dungeon world, other than the underground city, Kieran couldnt think of anywhere else he could use it.
Despite his stingy ghost nature, he wouldnt hesitate to use what was proper when necessary because he knew that it would, in turn, bring him far greater rewards.
Wung!
The bangle buzzed and a pulling force appeared from nowhere, dragging Kieran forward by his hand.
With the [Guide] activated, Kieran was easily able to cross the stone bridge, and when his boots finally touched the dirt on the ground ahead, the mist that rendered his SSS+ Intuition useless vanished instantly. Even the bridge behind him was cleared of the mist, but only from Kierans own sight.
The people on the stone bridge would still be blinded by the mist.
Two new intruders had been wandering around like headless flies on the bridge when the mist suddenly clouded their perception, causing them to barely be able to move forward.
Despite that the two intruders were a meter apart, they couldnt feel each others presence.
Kieran felt how magical the mist was, and at the same time, a grenade appeared in his hand.
KABOOM!
It exploded on the bridge after it was hurled.
The bridge was unscathed and the two intruders didnt really suffer any actual damage from the explosion, but the st unbnced them, causing them to fall into the smallke.
Theke started to devour again.
Compared to the first time, Kieran now had a clear glimpse.
The moment the intruders touched theke, the two of them went dull as if their soul had been sucked out, and theke water then proceeded to devour their body without a struggle.
This is the third and fourth one. How many more pawns can you lose? Or will you be the next one?
Kieran thought this in his mind while he strode away along the small path.
He had decided not to stay behind and wait for the mastermind.
It wasnt just that Kieran believed that there would be more opportunities ahead to cause serious damage to the mastermind, it was also because of the sense of urgency in his heart.
Kieran hadnt forgotten the Imposter Great Swamps reminder of the one hour duration.
He had reason to believe that the imposter wasnt just brushing him off with the duration.
Soon, Kieran reached the end of the small path.
A red coloured pai-loo 1 structure appeared within his sight, and it was quite simr to the one in Great Swamps ce.
The structure consisted of two massively robust pirs on each side, acting as a support for the arching beam on top. The beam was made of grey tiles and gold bricks, and it had many intricate carvings repeatedly etched on it.
The only difference was that there wasnt a white bird at the dougong 2bracket around the pir and the beam, but rather, something else.
A gloomy, cold presence wasing out of the dougong bracket.
The moment Kieran went up close, [me City Bangle Replica] shone in red light again.
Under the red light, the gloomy presence paused and suffered dys.
It seemed to be thinking about something.
Kieran, of course, wouldnt let the window slip by. He dashed in with a sudden big stride.
When he was much past the pai-loo structure, the gloomy presence exploded.
Wuuu!
It ravaged around the pai-loo structure, simr to a ss 12 hurricane.
Immediately, bone-stinging chills spread across Kierans skin.
[Devourers Shadow Mail], which was supposed to absorb rank II damage, didnt react to the wind. The other defensive skills, including [Secondary Elemental Damage Resistance] and [Secondary Armored Skin], were also useless.
The bone-stinging chills entered Kierans body straightaway, but they were then stopped by the tenacious Dawn Force, crushed and expelled by the rampant Devil Force.
Huu Haa, Huu Haa!
Kieran was panting heavily.
White breath repeatedly came out of his mouth, and after much panting, Kieran saw that the ground before his eyes was covered with a thickyer of ice.
With lingering fear, Kieran looked back in the pai-loos direction.
A white figure suddenly appeared beneath the red pai-loo.
The figures hair was so long that it blocked its face, its fingers ck and disgusting. Through the seams of its hair, Kieran faintly saw a pair of scarlet red, bloody eyes.
When it locked gazes with Kieran, its bloody eyes widened all of a sudden as if the figure had seen something inconceivable.
After a sharp scream, the ghost-like figure vanished on the spot.
What the hell? Kieran was astonished.
At the same time, a simr scream urred in a certain spot in me City as well.
The scream was actually from a wrinkly elderly man in a coir raincoat.
Rage made the elderly flush and his body quiver.
What happened? What the hell happened?
Standing on top of the elderlys table were five wooden dummies that looked very lively, four of which were destroyed.
The first one from the left had cracks on its back.
The second one had an unsightly separation angle on its waist.
The third and fourth were crumbled thoroughly, removing them from their original looks.
Watching his blood and sweat being destroyed one after another before his very eyes, the elderly stood up from his seat and roared at the man beside him.
Tell me, what the hell is going on? Didnt you say that your n was going to seed? Why the hell are changes like this happening?
The man that was sitting beside him frowned quietly when being questioned.
To be honest, the man didnt even know what caused such changes to his n.
ording to his n, Great Swamp and Bird of Death, who intervened halfway, should both still be in the dark while awaiting their deaths.
I dont know as of now. Can you summon yourst puppet back? I need to get more details from it first, the man said.
Last time! Onest time! said the grumpy elderly.
The elderly was preparing to summon his puppet back but as he was about to cast his spells, a gloomy, cold presence appeared on thest wooden dummy.
Almost instantaneously, the wooden dummy was turned into a pile of ice.
The elderly jolted when he saw that his puppet had turned.
He tried to say something with his opened mouth, but suddenly, the elderly realized his body was somehow frozen as well.
The elderly wanted to ask for help from hisrade, but when he turned to the seat where the man was sitting, he then realized that the man had disappeared without his knowing.
You son of a...
The elderly growled furiously, but before thest word coulde out, he stopped abruptly.
The white figure with long hair over its face and disgusting ck fingers had appeared before the elderly.
When the elderly saw its red eyes through the seams of its hair, he trembled.
S-S-Spar...
The quivering begging ended in vain, simr to how his furious growl had.
The breath with bone-stinging chills drowned the elderly and the entire house together.
Countless shining runes carved around the walls and windows, but these runes, which could stop a high standing God, were insignificant before the white figure, unable to even withstand a single blow.
All the runes shattered one after another like sses falling to the floor.
Then, the pieces were frozen together along with everything in the house.
In the end, only the white figure was left in the house.
At this moment, she was king of the ce.
But once she thought about that terrifying man, she couldnt help but sob softly.
She never thought she would be able to see him again.
Why?
Why did hee back?
He shouldnt havee back!
Thats right!
He shouldnt have!
But she saw him just now!
The sobbing grew louder.
The nightmarish face of that man caused her to panic.
Even her sanity was lost.
Chapter 1169 - Draw Near
Chapter 1169: Draw Near
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The man was standing further away as he watched the house that was covered in a gloomy, cold aura.
His face was looking angry and afraid at the same time.
Chi 1 ! Why is Chi here? Damn it! So this is your hidden card? You really think... Huh?!
Clenching his teeth, the man suddenly jolted.
He noticed something strange about the gloomy, cold aura.
It wasnt just messy, it was...weak!
I see! Hahahahaha! Its just a clones remains! Great Swamp, you are dead!
The manughed frighteningly before vanishing on the spot.
...
[me City Bangle Replica] guided Kieran once more.
The stairs before his eyes were identical to the ones in Great Swamps estate: the same nine levels, each having 108 flights of stairs, and each flight of stairs being 33mm thick, plus ancient drawings, which Kieran couldnt even differentiate, carved all over it.
However, there was something different.
The flight of stairs was much more dangerous than the one in Great Swamps estate. ( .c om )
Naked eyes couldnt see it, but a real dangerous presence loomed around the stairs, and it was pressuring Kierans heart like a mountain crushing over him.
Even with the bangle guiding him, Kieran was very careful with each step.
Kieran already expected danger. Although he had risked his life in exploring the dungeon world for exponential rewards, this time, it was different.
Using numbers as an example, [City of Fiends]s difficulty would be a 1 under normal circumstances. Based on Kierans previous experiences, after deeply excavating for sub-missions and special events, the difficulty should have increased to a 2 or 3, but instead, it had now increased to a 5 or even higher.
I cant judge every dungeon world from previous patterns and experiences. Each dungeon world is different from one another. This is especially more so when Gods and Demons are introduced.
Kieran reminded himself to bear this lesson in mind.
He then continued climbing the stairs.
As for giving up?
Stop joking!
Up until this point, Kieran would absolutely not give up.
It wasnt just because of his main mission, as there was still a considerable amount of rewards awaiting him.
Danger and reward are proportionate!
Kieran believed in that and also the unchanged motive of the underground game.
At the end of the stairs where a pce building group appeared in sight, [me City Bangle Replica] finally dimmed.
It had lost its function, but Kieran had already made the best use out of it.
Through the pce gate, Kieran saw Great Swamp standing inside.
Great Swamp was smiling, but his body was faint like a mirage.
Faster than I thought, said Great Swamp.
I have this to thank. Kieran pointed at [me City Bangle Replica] with an honest thought.
There wasnt any acting or pretentious feelings in hisment, the gratitudeing from the bottom of his heart, as Kieran knew that without [me City Bangle Replica], even if he could make it, the price he would have had to pay would be massive.
So after expressing his gratitude, Kieran looked at Great Swamp with a questioning gaze.
Dont you think you owe me an exnation? said Kieran.
I met a terrifying enemy. He was strong and cunning, and chased me like cancer. He even set up all these mystifying traps, numbing me to carelessness. So I had to do this. Great Swamp sighed.
However, it obviously couldnt persuade Kieran.
Mystifying traps? Numbing and carelessness? Please dont use these terms to describe you and him, as it might cause a misunderstanding in an others mindCan you swear on your name that you didnt notice the guy behind Perforation Sting?
With [Slither Secret Pill] in the scene, you should have noticed everything! Those pills arent something some random John Doe can craft; a Lady Med is required to create such medicine. While Forest City, Many City, and Leaf Cityall these cities with actual Godsare unable to even produce a Lady Med, how could a stray God like Jin achieve it? Kieran smiled coldly.
Aftering to know the existence of Smith Fiend and Lady Med from Rassho Temples old monk, Kieran was very dubious of the fact that Perforation Sting was able to craft [Slither Secret Pill].
The scenes that unfolded after that further turned his doubts into facts.
Perforation Sting was none other than a puppet being pushed into the limelight by the mastermind. Even God of Forest City, who was wise in his conceit, was a puppet in the dark.
Everything was a scheme by the mastermind behind the scene.
At first, Kieran was fooled as well, not because he wasnt careful enough, but that he was fed with unequal information.
However, unequal information would never be given to Great Swamp, a native.
I swear on my real name that before you saw your own imposter, I really didnt notice that bastard.
Great Swamp solemnly mentioned his name, which had about 16 sybles and looked serious against Kierans question.
The way Great Swamp swore made Kieran frown.
You really didnt know? asked Kieran.
If I really knew, I wouldnt be as passive as I am now. You know, 2567? Its been many years since thest time I felt nervous! After seeing your imposter, I knew it was that bastard! That bastard who is dered dead but is actually faking it! From the very beginning, he had his eyes on me and created this so-called Perforation Sting to capture my attention!
He did it though. I didnt notice at all and even yed right into his n by opening this ceIf he wasnt unsure of what was hiding in this ce, he would have rammed in here a while ago. So, I tried my best in leaving clues behind for you and hoped that you would be able to help me at thest moment, Great Swamp said with a bitter smile.
That presence in the pai-loo is much stronger than I am. Kieran pointed behind him. ( .c om )
If Lady Chi waspleted, I, of course, would no longer have to worry. But its just Lady Chis clone, a clone that she had to create in order topensate for her own faultsSimply put, she ispletely out of my control. Besides... Even for a clone, Lady Chi just left. That bastard will surely seize the opportunity in her absence.
A bitter smile spread over Great Swamps face.
He then took a deep breath and looked at Kieran seriously.
Can you buy me some time? asked Great Swamp.
[Triggered special event: Mastermind behind the scene]
[ept? Yes/No]
Kieran nodded at the special event notification.
[Mastermind behind the scene: Youve discovered Perforation Stings secret and appeared before Great Swamps mirage within stipted time. You are obliged to Great Swamps request.]
[Based on yers performance, yer will be distributed into Great Swamps faction]
[Note 1: The better the yer performs in the special event, the higher the rating]
[Note 2: yers performance includes but doesnt limit to battling]
...
Great! I swear on my real name that the person before me will be my brother for eternity. I will share my name, my power, my wealth and my position with him.
Great Swamp excitedly chanted a series of vows.
After the vows, a substantial aura from the ground slowly fused into Kierans body.
[Acquired Great Swamps Brother Oath!]
[Acquired the favour of destiny within me City!]
...
The notification appeared before his eyes, but Kierans gaze was looking further away.
A malicious presence was appearing in that direction and was rapidly approaching.
Chapter 1170 - Battle on the stairs
Chapter 1170: Battle on the stairs
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The malicious intent was rapidly closing in.
Within a breaths time, it flew across the whole underground city and reached the outer courtyard.
Kieran sensed that the figure slightly paused at the walls
KABOOM!
A loud bangter, the malicious figure moved forward again.
Even without seeing, Kieran was aware of how the figure had entered the courtyard: by destroying the courtyard walls!
As for running into obstructions while traveling here?
The answer was obvious but the malicious figure didnt care.
To be more precise, the figure crushed everythingobstructions and wallsin its path.
However, Kieran clearly sensed that the figure had slightly weakened.
The weakening was so subtle to the point that it was very hard for others to notice.
Though the figure wasnt hurt, it was a fact that it had gotten weaker by a margin.
Kieran turned back around to Great Swamp.
This may be the only good news for us. In this courtyard that my father left for me, any outsiders who utilize their transcendence powers will be restrained to a certain extent, as each time their power is used, the restraints will increase and umte. On top of that, outsiders can only stay in this city for an hour tops. After an hours duration, the restraints will happen then as well, Great Swamp exined.
How far do the restraints of power go? Kieran asked the question that baffled him most.
It leads to mortality! The powers will be temporarily gone entirely and the outsider will be transformed into a mere mortal! said Great Swamp.
Is there any kind of help that you can give me? asked Kieran.
How about my cheers?
Great Swampid his hands open as if he was enjoying himself amidst the adversity.
Sure! But please convert them into materialistic items, treasured tools, potions, pills, or whatever, Kieran said seriously.
After he heard what Kierna said, Great Swamp stared nkly at Kieran.
Youre kidding, right? Great Swamp tried to test him.
You think?
After tossing another question back at Great Swamp, Kieran slowly walked out of the pce and stood at the end of the stairs, staring downwards.
A ck mantled figure was standing on the other end.
When the hood was lifted, it revealed a very contrasting face: the left side of the face was that of a normal young man, but the right side was scarred with burnt marks.
Ugly and ferocious.
Dense, realistic malicious intent was flowing around the man like a wild beast, baring its teeth and extending its ws at Kieran.
The stone bridge and the pai-loo werent able to stop the malicious figure, only able to dy him for a bit at best before the figure appeared at the bottom of the stairs.
After the pai-loo lost Chis clone, it couldnt even force the figure to utilize his transcendence power before being turned into a pile of rubbles.
Bird of Death, hmph!
While Kieran was able to see the man, the man was able to see him as well.
A light, contemptuousugh came from the man when he saw Kieran, but Kieran ignored the provocation.
Gawk!
After the loud ravens cry came in a bright red aviary flying in from afar.
When Great Swamp and Kieran became sworn brothers, his identity as an outsider was gone and so was the Fire Ravens.
The restraints were lifted, and what he now had was buffs instead.
Fire Raven extended its wing and firmlynded on Kierans shoulder. It nced over at the figure at the bottom of the stairs with its sharp eyes before turning into a ball of me at Kierans will and fusing with him.
Then
Huu! Huu!
Two balls of Devil me floated behind Kieran.
Devil me originally had a rank I attack, but with the buff from Fire Raven, its rank was increased by one and then there was additional one from [Fiery Sulphur]s buff.
Kieran instantly had two rank III attack fireballs surrounding him.
He stood there and stared down at the man below him.
Following a thought from his mind, the two Devil mes were hurled down at their target.
Petty tricks.
Another contemptuousugh came from the man.
He didnt even dodge or move away, instead transforming into a ck moving light and gushing up the stairs to sh with the iing fireballs.
BOOM! BOOM!
Amidst the huge explosions, everything crumbled!
The stairs that the ck light had traveled through were crushed by its force, causing debris to fly outwards.
When the two Devil mes touched the ck moving light, they were extinguished without a sound, yet the ck light didnt even flinch.
However, under Kierans perception, he sensed that the mans presence had grown weaker and then even weaker than that afterwards.
It wasnt Kieran who had attacked though, but rather the courtyard itself.
Sou, sou sou!
The vacant space suddenly rippled like water, the waves that followed then transforming into a myriad of arrows that were fired at the ck light likesers.
The arrows came like downpouring rain but it was useless!
Every single arrow thatnded on the ck moving light vanished without a sound.
Other than the presence growing weaker once more, the ck light appeared unscathed; the arrows didnt even slow down his traveling speed.
Then...
mes burned again!
Releasing a furious devil roar, zing Devil me was smashed at the ck light like aet falling from the sky.
BOOM!
This time, something was different.
The ck moving light slightly trembled when it was hit.
Although he quickly returned to normal, his moving speed was slightly slower than before because what he had faced this time was no longer the rank III Devil me but...
A charged up rank IV Devil me!
The attack was considered to be Kierans strongest attack at his current stage.
The ck light, however, still showed to be contemptuous of the rank IV Devil me.
This is your strongest attack? An attack like this still requires a charge up...Too far! Its too far apart! Your ws are everywhere! he sneered.
Kieran didnt pay mind to the sneers at all, only responding with another ball of Devil me.
Rage!
After being disregarded, an unknown rage emerged in the mans heart.
Although the emotion was suppressed almost immediately, when the man looked at Kieran again, the killer intent in his eyes almost materialized once more.
He was anxious to kill Kieran, and in fact, he moved to do exactly that.
The ck light ignored the Devil me smashing down at him and threw himself at Kieran like a tiger off the mountains.
However, a wide area of shadow shrouded the sky above the pce faster than he could attack Kieran.
Hundreds of thousands of intertwining arms and legs appeared out of the void.
The arms and legs kept twisting, connecting and shing as they produced eyeball after eyeball.
A massive red eyeball formed in the middle and was shining in colorful lights.
When thatyered, rounded mouth appeared with its sharp, grinding teeth that spun like a chainsaw, thousands of burning rays were fired down.
[Thousand Evil Eyes Strike]!
Boom!
Kabooom! Booom!
The Devil me exploded on the ck light first, followed by the nket attack from the burning rays.
The attacks, nevertheless, were useless against the ck moving light, as other than weakening its presence, they didnt cause any significant damage to it, but still, it was enough for Kieran.
He wanted to weaken his foe!
He had to weaken the ck light from its irresistible power level and bring it to a point where he could put up a fight against it.
Wung!
Creature of Desires thousand eyes shone again.
Thousands of burning rays were poured down at the ck light again, but the ck light split a small portion of light from itself and headed straight for the Creature of Desire.
The Creature of Desire was torn apart without any resistance.
An agonizing wailter, it vanished without a sign.
Petty tricks will always be petty tricks, always...
The contemptuous words stopped abruptly when the Creature of Desire, which he had just torn apart, appeared above him again as if the disappearance from just now was nothing but an illusion.
Kieran, who stood on top of the flight of stairs, finally spoke for the first time since the encounter.
He took in a deep breath and raised his right index finger, provoking the ck light toe at him.
Come on! he shouted.
Chapter 1171 - Crushing Blow
Chapter 1171: Crushing Blow
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Provocation!
It was a direct provocation to his pride!
The rage that Ye Jing had suppressed in his heart from being disregarded came back burning once again.
But he didnt lose his calm, as he knew what he must do.
After all, this ce was what Great Swamp... NO! Great Swamps father, his old rival, had purposely set up to target him.
The only unfortunate thing was that his old rival had never thought that his son would be so average.
Not only was Great Swamp dyed in his bloodline limit break due to his own cowardice, but he was also fooled by mere illusions!
Of course, it was all Ye Jings doing and also what he wished to see most, except...
Looking up, Ye Jing saw Kieran further up the stairs.
A vermin that doesnt even reach the higher standings of Gods! You will never understand who you are opposing!
Following his heavy tone, Ye Jing waved his hand. The ck light around him split again and flew towards Creature of Desire in the sky, trying to sh it.
Compared to the two Devil mes that were hurled at his face, the monster above his head was more threatening to Ye Jing.
Ye Jing wasnt fazed by any lone beam of burning ray, even the strongest ones, but when a thousand of them together were fired at once at him, it forced him to take them seriously.
Two balls of Devil me could only weaken him slightly in this ce, but the monster above him could weaken him many times more than that!
Before it could evenunch its attack, Creature of Desire was shed in half and vanished into nothingness again.
The two balls of Devil me crashed hard into the ck light around Ye Jing.
Under Kierans senses, Ye Jings presence clearly weakened again, but Kieran also keenly sensed that each time Ye Jing attacked, he would slightly pause.
This discovery made him activate his talent [The Warden]s effect, [Priority Timing], without further thoughts!
Instantly, [Desire Summoning]s cooldown was reset despite the two times activation.
As the shadow above him vanished, Ye Jingughed in his contemptuous, unique voice.
You think you can stop me? Even with that bastards help, what you are attempting is rash and far beyond your capabilities! Just like your summons! Each time you summon it, Ill crush it with my hands! Each and every time, no exception! After two lethal damages, even if the monster is special, I bet you cant summon it again, right?
Ye Jing spoke slowly with his condescending tone.
He wanted to insult this ignorant fool, who overestimated his own strength, and prepared many more vicious words.
Ignorant vermins, do you not think of what will be of youter? Dont worry, I wont kill you yet, Ill...
His words didnt continue though, because the shadow above his head appeared anew.
Following Kierans will, Creature of Desire roamed the battlefield once more, its thousands of eyes shining colorfully.
The Devil me followed after as it fiercely burned in Kierans hand while charging up ceaselessly.
Ye Jings face turned gloomy despite being covered by ayer of ck moving light.
He felt as if hed been yed.
yed by a vermin?
Rage burst out again.
This time it went out of control like a formless hand that kept disturbing him, forbidding him to calm down.
Ye Jing didnt notice anything unusual. In his mind, his rage would calm down only when he crushed Kieran.
Very well. It seems like youve decided on your oue.
The ck moving light turned deeper, darker.
Ye Jing dashed toward Kieran with never before seen explosive speed after his presence had been weakened again.
He no longer paid heed for the Creature of Desire above his head.
Creature of Desires multiple appearances had already far exceeded his knowledge, and he didnt know if there would be another one after he killed it this time.
If there was, he would only continue to be stalled on the spot and further weakened by the environment.
So he decided to deal with it once and for all by removing the source of the threats, Kieran!
Kieran didnt move even when he saw Ye Jinging for him. He still stood rooted to his spot and continued charging his Devil me.
Two seconds!
[Devils Burning]s Transcendence option [Rapid umtion] required only two seconds to boost the me in his hand to rank IV attack.
However, Ye Jing crossed the long distance between them after a mere second and was within a 300 meters range from Kieran.
His cold killing intent was like a de slicing through the air, stinging Kierans eyes and face.
A series of agonizing wails even started to echo in Kierans eyes.
Spirit authentication started to flood his vision again, but he didnt care.
He widened his eyes and carefully calcted the distance between himself and Ye Jing.
250 meters!
200 meters!
150 meters!
Sou!
Just as Ye Jing entered the range of 100 meters with his extreme speed, a spider web fell from the sky, catching himpletely.
[Mardos Web]!
The spider web from Hell Fiend Spider had unimaginable adhesiveness and poison along with its negative energy mes. But although it managed to bind Ye Jing down, it obviously wouldntst for long.
Counting seriously, it didnt evenst for more than a second, but to Kieran, that one second was crucial.
Wung!
Creature of Desire in the sky lightened up its eyes and fired its burning rays in unison.
Kieran, on the ground, finished charging up his Devil me and hurled it at Ye Jing, who just freed himself from the spider web, like a fallinget.
BOOM!
The explosion was greater than the ones before.
The burning rays shook the ck moving light, which was shaken even more fiercely by the rank IV Devil me attack.
Then...
Creature of Desires thousand eyes charged up again.
When he felt the energy umtion above his head, Ye Jing, with a gloomy face, waved his hand.
He knew that by doing so, he would suffer more restrains, but if the monster above him crushed his Extreme Night, it would be a real loss.
The ck light split again and shed towards the sky.
Before the burning rays unleashed, Creature of Desire was once again torn in half.
However, at the same moment that Creature of Desire was destroyed, a gigantic white figure moved quietly like a ghost and powerfully crashed into the fiercely shaking ck light.
It a frenzy, it bit and tore at the ck light with its sharp fangs and ws.
Bang!
The fiercely shaking ck light vibrated all of a sudden.
Then...
Kak!
A small crack appeared on the surface, and underneath the relentless biting and wing, the cracks grew bigger.
In the end...
Pak!
Almost half of it was torn away, revealing Ye Jings vicious, twisted face.
Chapter 1172 - Massive Offensive
Chapter 1172: Massive Offensive
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Rage twisted Ye Jings already vicious face beyond recognition.
He furiously looked at the gigantic white wolf, and the remaining ck light swirled again. It was much slower and weaker than before, yet it managed to sh at the white wolf.
The white wolf wasnt as big as Creature of Desire, however, the sh from the ck light wasnt as big as before either.
Thus, the white wolf easily dodged the sh with its nimble reflexes, which didnt match its body size, and then bared its teeth at Ye Jing.
Then...
It turned around and ran for it!
Ye Jing wanted to give chase, but the Devil me that followed made him stop.
Boom! Boom!
Two explosionster, the remaining ck light retreated further and Ye Jings presence grew only slightly weaker.
Notwithstanding, the oue was enough for Kieran to be delighted.
He knew that after thebo attack, Ye Jing had suffered much more actual damage than he let on.
Not only did his ck light shatter, but his strength also dropped further as well.
With Kierans senses, he was able to tell that Ye Jings presence had lowered from an extremely dangerous state to just dangerous.
Although he was still a foe not to be taken lightly, he was no longer that powerful enemy whose aura alone could cause endless Spirit authentication and force Kieran to wobble no more.
Not only is Transcendence power restrained, but its even rted to the level of usage? The stronger the power, the heavier the restraints!
A thought quickly followed the conclusion.
Devil me burned again and was hurled at Ye Jing once more.
Kieran was d to weaken his enemy, especially when his enemy was in a tough position because then he didnt mind giving a kick and sending them to the bottom of the abyss.
Ball after ball of Devil me was hurled out from Kierans hand. He was like a turret on top of the stairs. Not only was he powerful, but he also had an infinite amount of ammunition as well!
Boom! Boom!
Two more explosionster, Extreme Night, which shattered, couldnt shield Ye Jing from the attacks anymore, and he was forced to use his own powers.
Each time he used them, Ye Jings powers would grow weaker. Even if it was a minor amount, he knew how severe it would be once it all piled up.
Quantitative changes incited qualitative changes.
If that happened, he would crumble as well!
Ye Jing was perfectly clear about that, and because of that, it only fueled his rage further.
You vermin! You really think your lousy, off tricks can defeat me? Ill show you how naive you are!
Amid his raging roar, Ye Jing swiftly shortened the remaining distance between him and Kieran.
150 meters wasnt very long for amon man and for a special existence like Ye Jing, it was almost instantly reachable.
After withstanding multiple Devil me attacks, Ye Jing stood in front of Kieran and showed a vicious smile on his horrifying face.
Got you! Ill crush your throat! he dered.
Even though he was still behind his ck light, Ye Jing reached out his hand to Kieran, trying to make his deratione true.
However, Kieran was faster!
He didnt dodge, but rather attacked!
[Arrogant Word], with precision, was swung down at Ye Jing with a scalp-numbing whistle.
The huge de was of iparable length and would surely hit Ye Jing before he could grab Kieran.
But Ye Jingughed at the strike,ughing at Kierans overestimation of his strength.
You really think you can engage in closebat with me?
After attaining Extreme Night, Ye Jing had never feared any battles, especially closebat, which he was most passionate about because Extreme Night could deal with any kind of melee attack.
Just as Ye Jing expected, despite Kierans speed and viciousness, the powerful greatsword was blocked by the ck light before it could truly swing down.
The broken ck light shed before the huge greatsword like a shield, blocking Kierans shes.
Bang!
The de came in contact with the ck light.
The ck light shook for a bit as it withstood the power of the greatsword. Ye Jings smile showed even more contempt, and his palm moved faster than before, trying to get to Kieran.
The palm was going for Kierans throat but...
Ye Jing saw Kieran switch from two-handed wielding to single-handed wielding.
The switch in wielding postures, however, didnt affect the greatswords power, as Ye Jing was still withstanding the same amount of pressure. There seemed to be no difference in strength regardless of how many hands Kieran wielded the greatsword with.
But how was that possible?
Tricks!
Ye Jing instinctively hesitated when the term came into his mind.
When his palm that was reaching for Kierans throat was less than 20 cm away from its target, it slightly paused.
But that had been Ye Jingsst chance to ever target Kierans throat with his hand because a double-barreled hunting rifle next appeared in Kierans other hand.
The rifle was then pointed at Ye Jings face and fired.
Bang! Bang!
Two gunshotster, pellets appeared before Ye Jings face almost instantaneously, but they didnt st his head off.
The formless ck energy blocked the bullets, and at the same time, Ye Jing was restrained again.
It wasnt the end of Kierans attack though.
Kieran then let go of the double-barrelled rifle, and his empty hand, or rather, his hand with the fingerless glove and multiple rings on, moved forward.
[Seattles Right Hand]!
[Wilcos Redemption]!
[Spectres Grip]!
[Ring of the Serpent King]!
Two ice cold javelins wereunched from the blue frost.
A 60 cone-shaped blue frost energy gushed out as well, covering five meters in range in front of Kieran.
When the two ice cold javelins broke, they also released the freezing energy all over a three-meter radius, covering everything within the range, including Ye Jing.
Of course, the ice attacks were useless against him, but the only function of the attacks was to force him to use his transcendent power again, thus making him face further restraints.
It was what Kieran was going for.
Kierans powerful senses werent affected by the frosty mist as he locked on to Ye Jings location. A negative energy chain was fired from a vacant space, binding him down for a second. In that split second, the 20-meter, twin-headed serpent spirit materialized from its illusory form and swung its thicker-than-water-vat tail at Ye Jing.
Ye Jing, who had arrived before Kieran, was mmed down the stairs before he could even stand properly on his feet.
As he was struck away, the Devil me followed.
Boom! Boom!
Chapter 1173 - Unhappy Multiple Attempts
Chapter 1173: Unhappy Multiple Attempts
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Explosions went off loudly, mes burning hot.
The scorching me tongues were wrecking the damaged stairs, cracking the jaded steps and turning them to charred bits.
Ye Jing, engulfed in mes, moaned painfully.
Before, when he had theplete Extreme Night, Ye Jing was able to ignore the rank III Devil mes, but after it broke, his defence didnt just plummet, it even shrunk in range.
Therefore, Ye Jing was now able to feel the high temperature of the ravaging mes.
The ferocious temperature caused immense pain to the already burnt right side of his face.
Unpleasant memories came afloat in his mind again.
Insults!
The insults Ye Jing tried to forget but couldnt, they filled his heart and became the best fuel for the raging mes.
The raging mes burned fiercer as they started to devour Ye Jings sanity, however, the person controlling the mes seemed to be an expert.
Not only was it done secretly, it was so cleverly done that Ye Jing didnt realize it at all.
Quite possibly, he may have noticed that something was off about the raging mes had he been given another second, but right then, the white wolf appeared before him once again.
The white wolf spirit nimbly and lightly grazed over Ye Jings body, its sharp ws shaking the defense of Extreme Night yet again.
Extreme Night, which was already broken, suffered even more cracks on the remainder of its surface; it was so concentrated that it seemed to have formed a connected pattern.
You again!? Ill kill you!
Ye Jing shouted with killing intent, but the white wolf didnt give him the chance to act. It quickly ran away after its sessful ambush.
Of course, that still wasnt the end of Kierans relentless attacks.
A rapier came afloat from the shadows and wasunched at Ye Jing as he was shouting angrily.
Souu!
Ding!
Ding Ding Ding!
[Dandelions Pierce] created sparks with the ck light when it struck Extreme Night.
The clear sounds from the relentless rapier strikes along with the sparks almost sounded like a cksmith smithing on a merry workday.
Kak!
Another cracking sound followed shortly after.
The remaining Extreme Night was further damaged and then reduced to less than half of its original size.
Not just Ye Jings face was left exposed, half of his body was now as well.
So when the Devil me was hurled at him again, Ye Jing clearly felt the heat from the mes.
Ye Jing dodged it!
From the moment he first appeared, Ye Jing had never bothered dodging Kierans attacks at all and yet, he did so now!
With extreme speed, Ye Jing appeared on the other side of the stairs. The Devil me grazed his side but he didnt dodge Kierans uing sh.
Kieran jumped from the top of the stairs and swung [Arrogant Word] down.
Wung!
The huge bewitching greatsword brought upon a violent wind whistle as it shed toward Extreme Night.
Dang!
After the clear clunking noise, Ye Jing saw Kieran switch from two-handed to single-handed again.
He didnt panic though; instead, heughed coldly.
Ye Jing slowly took out a wooden talisman charm from his pocket.
Pak!
The wooden talisman charm was snapped and faint divine light started to spread over Ye Jings body.
The lingering frosty energy was swiftly expelled. It seemed that the divine light was used specifically to counteract against the frost.
You think you can strike me twice with the same tricks? said Ye Jing.
Extreme Night, which acted like a shield against [Arrogant Word]s sh, divided itself into two parts. One of the moving lights began to strangle [Arrogant Word] like a living rope and the other lunged at Kieran, who was a few feet away.
The ck light went directly for Kierans heart and...
Sou!
A sharp, air-slicing noise followed.
At the same time, a never before seen explosive power befell the other end of the ck light that was strangling [Arrogant Word].
The tenacious ck light was on par with [Arrogant Word]s sharpness. The explosive power managed to pin Kieran in ce, his single-handed wielding and all. Kieran even had to utilize his full might to prevent [Arrogant Word] from being overtaken.
How will you choose now? Abandon your sword? Or keep your sword with your body?
Kieran turned a deaf ear to Ye Jings words and moved ordingly to his n.
Chang!
A sword chime came after a sharp re when the soft sword was unsheathed.
[Burwells ughter], which was concealed under [Wild Soul], was activated following the movement of Kierans wrist. The mottled stains on the de transformed into 22 arrows and were fired at Ye Jing.
Kieran was only a few feet away, thus Ye Jing was naturally in front of Kieran as well.
When [Arrow of ughter] was fired, it instantly arrived at Ye Jings face.
Extreme Night split itself into another moving light and blocked off [Arrow of ughter] before it could reach Ye Jing.
The newly split moving light was exceptionally thin. After having blocked 22 arrows, it started to shake but still held on.
Ye Jing started to sneer again.
Trying to return the damage? You think...
Again, Ye Jing was abruptly stopped before he could finish.
Twoyers of force field barrier formed over Kieran. The light from Extreme Night easily pierced the first with its unstoppable sharpness, but when it reached the secondyer, it stopped for a while.
Despite the slight pause, the ck light managed to go through the secondyer and strike [Devourers Shadow Mail], but upon contact, it splintered into ck sparkles, vanishing into thin air.
Kak!
The splintered light caused Extreme Night to crack once more.
After the crack, the explosive power that strangled [Arrogant Word] was greatly weakened.
Kieran exerted his full might and broke free from the entanglement before swinging the weapon down again.
SLASH!
Kieran gripped his greatsword with both his hands and performed the sh with all his might as though he was trying to break Extreme Night once and for all.
Ye Jing was still disdainful as ever.
Even though Extreme Night had already broken, he didnt believe Kieran would be able to crush itpletely, especially since it still had the buff from himself. Extreme Night was simply indestructible.
Chang!
[Arrogant Word]s de shed with Extreme Night.
Ye Jing, who was as disdainful as ever, changed his expression for the worse because...
The power wasnt right!
The power he felt from [Arrogant Word] was far from what Kieran had disyed when using all his might, instead almost feeling simr to the single-handed sh from before.
At the next moment, Ye Jing saw Kieran switch to single-handed wielding again.
When Kieran raised his right hand at Ye Jing again, the corner of Ye Jings eye twitched.
You think you can seed again?!
The shout didnt stop Ye Jing from carefully preparing for his counterattack though.
He never thought a God who hadnt even reached the higher standing could force him to such an ugly position.
His burning rage became uncontroble.
The burning rage started to sizzle away his sanity, and Ye Jing only just managed to hold himself together.
His mind told him to calm down, he had to maintain a clear head.
However, his sanity started to shake again right after because while Ye Jing had been paying full attention to Kierans right hand, Kieran dished out kicks instead!
Chapter 1174 - Home Turf?
Chapter 1174: Home Turf?
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The moment he dished out his kick, Kierans single kick turned into ten more, and an instantter, the kicks afterimages filled the sky like a tidal wave from the sea, drowning Ye Jing whole.
Unlike when he was fighting with weapons, Kieran, while engaging with his kicks,pletely relied on his own Strength, Agility and Constitution.
His Strength and Agility reached SS+ at the moment and his Constitution was at ZZZ-, nearing the level of Strong I.
With the +4 buffs on Strength and Agility from [Hand-to-hand Combat, Transcendence Kick Combats], Kierans stats easily reached the New Advance Ranks, and though perhaps it might be the weakest level, it still surpassed themon, especially Transcendence option [Outstanding Kicks], which granted him an extra +1 attack buff when he faced off againstmon and materialized beings.
Even though attacking with kicks consumed extra Stamina, the kicks easily boosted Kierans attack to the transcendence range, and that still wasnt the end.
Huu!
Amid the sky-epassing kicks, mes started to burn.
zing Devil me was infused into Kierans kicks as he relentlessly attacked Ye Jings defenses.
Back in the Character Temte Limit dungeon world, when Kieran had sessfully broken through the limit of [Hand-to-hand Combat], he acquired the extra effect [Outstanding Strength], which allowed him to infuse Dawn Force or Devil me into his legs, forming an extra Strong level attack.
Perhaps the extra attack wasnt as powerful, but when Kieranbined it with Grand Master [Hundred Violent Kicks], its 225% attack speedpensated for the lowered attack.
And this was even more so when [Bide] from [Barsical Kick] was triggered, as he then became a tiger with wings.
From the second kick to the fifth kick, Kierans Agility was buffed by +1, +2, +3, +4 respectively, and when the fourth and the fifth kicksnded, he gained an extra +3, +4 respectively on top of his original Strength and Agility, making Kierans attacks fiercer with each increase and scarier with each kick.
Although Ye Jings Extreme Night possessed a defense that far surpassed Kierans attack, Ye Jing couldnt help but falter.
Qualitative changes incite quantitative changes!
Numbers shouldnt be neglected regardless of time and situation, especially when Kieran was attacking the less-thanplete Extreme Night.
Kak!
Kak kak!
Cracks were sounded relentlessly.
Kieran felt that the defense of Extreme Night was bing weaker, but his heart had another sense of dangering out.
Without further thought, Kieran pulled himself backwards and the moment he did
Ye Jings hand grazed the bottom of Kierans boots.
His hand didnt really touch Kieran but Kieran shivered nheless, not because of the temperature but because of instinctive fear. He felt that had the hand touched him, he would have died without a grave.
At the next moment, the scene before Kierans eyes seemed to prove himself correct because Ye Jings aura plummeted once more, more than just blocking thebined attack and relentlessbo now.
Following the plummet of his aura, Ye Jings current danger level fell from the initial extremely dangerous to less dangerous.
Although Ye Jing still triumphed over Kieran in terms of raw power, he was no longer the deep, profound powerhouse that Kieran couldnt get a grasp of.
Rank IV!
Kieran rated Ye Jing based on the big citys system.
Then, he quickly adjusted his breath for the next round of attack.
Kieran could already see the light of victory and the rewards hiding behind it!
What kind of spoils of war would Ye Jing drop?
That sole thought alone excited Kieran beyond words.
The other who shared his excitement was [Arrogant Word]!
Being able to potentially kill such a strong enemy was no doubt a plus for [Arrogant Word], it seemed to have acquired a very good grindstone.
The more grinding, the sharper it would be, thus also the stronger it would be.
Ultimately, it might even reach the level its forger had hoped for in the first ce.
Kieran, the wielder, slightly lowered down his body like a tiger off the mountains.
[Arrogant Word], the sword, was pointed straight ahead like the ws of a tiger.
When the tiger leaped out at its target, its indomitable power would be unstoppable.
Ye Jing seemed to feel the aura from Kieran, as he stared with a dreadful gaze.
Then...
He backed off!
After his current levels strongest strike missed its target, Ye Jing hadpletely abandoned all thoughts of ramming into this ce.
Would he lose face if he ran like this?
Ye Jing never cared about face since he had no honor to begin with, or else, he would have never used all kinds of treacherous tricks to deal with Great Swamp.
He would only act as righteous when he was strong, but whenever the situation was against him, Ye Jing would always retreat first before thinking about staging aeback, simr to this exact moment.
Before Kieran even attacked, Ye Jing had started to retreat. He did not turn around and run with his legs, but rather, he tiptoed on his feet and started to float backwards without any extra body movement.
Thus, Ye Jing was still facing Kieran, and despite the situation, he didnt forget to voice his threats.
You were just lucky this time. Remember, my powers are only temporarily restrained by this ce! When I get back to the surface, my powers will be restored! Until then... you better pray that Ill show mercy and leave you an intact body!
As he spoke, Ye Jing ced his finger over his neck.
It was certain that Ye Jing hated Kieran to his bones due to his appearance, which Ye Jings efforts fell short of.
No!
I havent failed! I still have preparations in me City! If I can utilize them properly, I can still stage aeback!
With that thought formed, Ye Jing retreated even faster but not as fast as the spider web.
Silently, [Mardos Web] stuck itself to Ye Jings hand after he moved it over his neck. The other end of the spider web, which was held tightly in Kierans hand, was pulled with all of Kierans might.
The spider web shortened rapidly, the distance between the two of them instantly shrinking down, and even though Ye Jing freed himself of the spider web in the very next moment, [Arrogant Word] already swung down.
This time, Ye Jing had no Extreme Night to his defense.
After Kierans relentless attacks, Extreme Night was badly overloaded and on the verge of crumbling at any moment.
While the sh was impending, Ye Jing was forced to use a more primitive move that he ditched a long time ago to defend himself: using the core of Extreme Night to block the attack.
A pitch ck sword thats de was only two fingers width wide appeared in Ye Jings hand. It was around 1.2 meters long and filled with many cracks, but the moment he wielded it, the sword managed to block [Arrogant Word].
Dang!
After the loud iron nking, Ye Jings face turned for the worse because the strength from the greatsword wasnt right.
It was too soft!
Right after that, Ye Jing saw Kieran switch his two-handed wielding to single-handed wielding again. Ye Jings face almost distorted when he saw Kierans left hand in front of his face.
He never thought Kieran would still y the same old tricks in times like this.
Huu!
Devil me burned again but, before it could engulf Ye Jing, darkness appeared.
The darkness devoured all light around it, including Devil me.
It was extinguished right after it burned.
Inside the darkness, Ye Jings voice could be heard.
Do you know why I am called Ye Jing? Its because only in the night can I wield my true power! Especially... at dawn!
Chapter 1175 - 3v1
Chapter 1175: 3v1
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The darkness in the underground city didnt spread to the surface, to me City.
Nevertheless, some with sharp senses noticed the unusual phenomenon.
Each of them was looking at the ground with inconceivable expressions.
Creating darkness?
Giving birth to dawn?
The changes between heaven and earth, even on a very small scale, were enough for these folks hiding in me City to feel that it wasunbelievable.
To them, Great Swamp was already the highest existence, but even for him, he couldnt cause such a drastic change.
As heaven and earth changed, time was lost.
Even Gods couldnt do anything about it.
Compared to those ignorant fools, some other folks who knew more were utterly shaken.
What is this?
His Majesty used his hidden card?
Astonishment shone in the peoples eyes and soon turned into excitement.
Night Vanisher!
Dawn ughter!
The titles belonged to the powerhouse back in the fiend era. After the fading of the old era and the arrival of the new age, he had never truly engaged in a serious battle before.
But now, he utilized all his might in a fight?
Some of the folks wanted to quickly finish the tasks assigned by His Majesty and watch the true fight between Gods.
Thoughts of trying to peek into the fight appeared in manys hearts. They were eager to catch a glimpse of such a phenomenon.
However, before the folks could move, sleepiness assaulted them like beating waves.
Humans, fiends, half-fiends, and every being within sight yawned ceaselessly, and their eyelids grew heavy. Their minds were dozing off bit by bit, and yet they tried their best not to fall into slumber.
But four or five secondster, snores resounded everywhere endlessly.
Sloth walked out from the shadow with saggy eyes.
Trouble, trouble, troublesome.
Ranting, Sloth slowly walked towards his next destination.
It wasnt the first ce that he had put everyone to sleep and it certainly would not be thest.
His task was far fromplete.
If it was possible, Sloth would really like to sleep in a quiet spot but once he thought about Kierans order, Sloth had to hold on with clenched teeth.
Soon enough, Sloth woke up because he heard something interesting.
He wants to fight that guy during dawn...
Is this considered a fated meeting?
There can only be one Dawn.
Sloth eximed softly.
As he eximed, Sloths face didnt show anyziness at all, as he was thinking about something deeply with full concentration before lowering his head to smile softly.
Sloth and Kieran shared the same face, their auras being extremely distinguished in the past, but at this moment, just for a second, Sloth seemed to feel a little closer to Kieran.
After that,ziness struck him again and he walked like a spineless snake, faltering with every step.
...
Underground city.
Inside the darkness, Ye Jings voice slowly came from every direction.
Do you know what I was called back in the days when fiends roamed? Night Vanisher! When night falls, as long as I am in hiding, no one will be able to find me, butpared to this name, I prefer the other one more... Dawn ughter! Reaping the life of a foe is the most intoxicating feeling to me, especially when the first light shines through thend. It feels like the first light pierced through my foes body and soul, so beautiful. Of course, you wouldnt understand all this, but you can try to experience being hunted.
As the voice subsided, a dash of light appeared in the darkness.
It was dazzling and blinding, yet the coldness from it sent chills down ones spine.
When it appeared, it really did look like the first light of dawn but itcked in its warmth.
All it had was killing intent, a pure killing intent caused by extreme speed.
What was it?
A sword?
A knife?
An arrow?
Or something else?
No one knew, for all that had seen it before had had their lives taken. The countless lives snatched were used to build the title Dawn ughter, thus its eminence.
The eminence wasnt just a selfpliment though. It was publicly acknowledged to the point that in this dungeon world, Ye Jings eminence had almost be a certain truth.
However, it was just an almost, not the absolute truth, so it wasnt all that surprising if the light was broken.
Ye Jing looked at Kieran with a cold smile. He wanted to watch Kieran fall into a puddle of his own blood, but the cold smile quickly froze on his face and his eyes widened uncontrobly.
What did he see?
Light!
The first light that came to thend after breaking the darkness of the night, the light of dawn!
He then saw swords! Multiple [Arrogant Words] were produced in the light!
He saw the light sh, he saw the swords cross!
The extreme speeding light then shed with the firm light.
The former was sharp and cold; thetter was warm and tenacious.
Both contrasting feelings were like a spear and a shield. When a strong spear shed with a strong shield, both sides would suffer great loss.
But...
There wasnt just a single shield!
There were three!
Three identical [Arrogant Words] were floating around Kieran, circling him at his will.
With [Sword Type Enhance] and [Sword Skill Increase], all three of the greatswords entered [Fury sh] stance and shed towards the iing light; Kieran didnt even have to wield them to perform the attack.
Wung! Wung Wung!
Following the three heavy whistles, the three greatswords shed furiously.
Dang! Dang Dang!
Threebined shing soundster, the truth behind the speeding light was revealed: a shining dagger.
But no.
It would be more urate to call it a double-edged shortsword!
The shortsword was crystal clear as if it was really made out of crystal or clear frozen water; it was very beautiful.
The shortsword looked like a beautiful young girl in front of three huge [Arrogant Words], which looked like three massive tough men.
Under the three destructive attacks of the greatswords, the shortsword was reduced to helplessness. Despite it trying to resist with all its might, it couldnt alter its final fate.
Cracks started to spread along the shortsword from the points of contact with the [Arrogant Words].
The cracks nketed the de, spreading across thoroughly, and in the end...
Pak!
Broken! The crystal clear sword was broken, followed by Ye Jings confidence.
Puk!
The recoil from the broken sword caused Ye Jing to spit out a mouth full of blood. His powers were further restrained after utilizing his powerful transcendent powers, leaving him at the level of New Advance Ranks.
Ye Jing couldnt maintain his technique anymore.
Darkness started to fade and light bathed thend again.
At the same time, he was also helpless against Kierans greatsword, which was swinging at him once more.
Aaaargh! No! Ye Jing shouted furiously.
The de was faster though, and a lot more furious than his shout.
Blood sshed after the sh, limbs flying in different directions.
Ye Jing was split in half.
A dark golden radiance came afloat on his body.
The cold, rapid energy then gushed into Kierans body, causing minor changes to his Unique Title [de of the Daybreaker].
Chapter 1176 - I Choose To Be Strong Because I Have No Choice.
Chapter 1176: I Choose To Be Strong Because I Have No Choice.
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The system notifications came up line after line
[Discovered acknowledged Dawn power shards, fusion avable, fusing...]
[Title: de of the Daybreaker leveled up!]
The starry milky way appeared once again above Kierans head.
The leftover glowing particles from Ye Jing were absorbed by it, thus making it brighter.
[Name: de of the Daybreaker]
[Type: Title]
[Rarity: Unique]
[Attribute: 1. Sword Type Enhance II; 2. Sword Skill Increase II; 3. Dawn Amplification II; 4. Dawn Sword Veil; 5. Dawn Thrust]
[Special Effect: 1. Dawn Summon; 2. Dawn Descent]
[Prerequisite: Binds to yer]
[Remark: Wherever your de points, you will be invincible.]
...
[Sword Type Enhance II: When using any type of sword weapon, weapon attack level +1, weapon sturdiness +1]
[Sword Skill Increase II: Increase any kind of sword skill by 1 level (Is not limited to Transcendence level), 3 times per day]
[Dawn Amplification II: During Dawn, yer gains a special effect of +3 to all attributes. Additionally, yer can assign a certain attribute to receive an extra +2 buff]
[Dawn Sword Veil: yer can activate this skill during dawn. It will not be restrained by any other existence. This skill can make a copy of the sword type weapon that yer currently has equipped, the copy of the weapon will have the all the original attributes, effects, and will attack and defend based on yers sword type skill. The number of copied weapons can be umted when the skill isnt activated during dawn, the copied number will umte to the next day (max 3 times), once per day]
[Dawn Thrust: During dawn, yer canunch a shortsword formed by the Light of Dawn. The shortsword will auto-lock onto enemies within sight, has rank III attack and rank IV speed.
...
[Dawn Summon: During Dawn, yer can summon the soldiers of Burning Dawn based on yers own will. They will answer the yers call and fight for them, once per week]
[Dawn Descent: Utilize the power to create a man-made Dawn scene norger than 15 meters, once per week.]
......
Kierans lips couldnt help but curl into a grin when he saw [Sword Type Enhance], [Sword Skill Increase] and [Dawn Amplification].
As his Unique Title, any kind of incremental increase was considered a core update. Despite it not increasing by a huge extent, it was worth celebrating.
Especially the newly added effect [Dawn Descent], it made Kierans smile widen even more.
Time has always been [de of the Daybreaker]s biggest limit and now with the new effect, the time limit was no longer the biggest obstruction.
As for [Dawn Thrust], it would be one of his ultimates as well.
With rank IV speed, if it catches the enemy by surprise, it will surely produce unexpected results.
Kieran was thinking about the usage for [Dawn Thrust] in his heart.
His eyes, however, turned to that dark golden radiance on the floor.
It was a sheathed longsword.
Without even taking it out, Kieran already knew what it was.
Extreme Night!
The sword that Ye Jing wielded, relying on it for his offense and defense.
[Name: Extreme Night (Damaged)]
[Type: Sword Type Weapon]
[Rarity: II]
[Attack: II]
[Attributes: 1. Night Veil; 2. Night sh]
[Effect: Night Protection]
[Prerequisite: Eliminate Ye Jing]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: As the longsword that Ye Jing gained in an ident before following him on his long conquest, its power is undisputed but it was damaged during the battle with you. Not only did its rarity go down, but its power was also weakened by a lot as well, although it is still usable, be careful when you wield it. Maybe you can find a master swordsmith to repair it.]
...
[Night Veil: Extreme Night transforms into a ck moving light, blocking attacks that dont surpass rank II, 30-second duration, twice per day]
[Night sh: Perform a ck light sh with rank II attack on a single target with the range of 100 meters, twice per day]
...
[Night Protection: In the night/darkness, Night Veils duration increases by 15 seconds, Night shs range increases by 50 meters.]
...
Damaged weapon.
Kieran frowned when he saw the description of the sword.
When he saw [Extreme Night] dropped, he knew it would be different from the [Extreme Night] he witnessed.
Of course, even if damaged, [Extreme Night] had what it takes to fit a rank II rarity weapon but for Kieran who witnessed what it really could do, it was miles apart.
Repair it!
He must repair it!
The thought automatically came into his mind when Kieran unsheathed [Extreme Night] and saw the ck de with cracks.
He wanted to see what [Extreme Night] was like in its full form.
A swordsmith eh?
Kieran muttered. Heid his finger over the des tip before sheathing it softly and hanging it over his waist.
Perhaps a swordsmith in this current dungeon world might be a rare and difficult find.
After all, all the knowledge of smithing were hoarded by the Smith Fiends, but Kieran wasnt just limited to this dungeon world alone.
More so, in the big city, who could guarantee that there wasnt a yer who leveled up forging and repairing to an extreme level?
Huu!
Kieran took a deep breath to adjust his thoughts before he turned around to the pce behind him.
Great Swamps mirage was hiding inside and when the pce caught Kierans gaze, Great Swamp automatically appeared.
He was looking at Kieran with a surprised andplicated gaze.
He was surprised by how easily Kieran took out Ye Jing.
He also feltplicated because how easy Kieran took out Ye Jing.
You are much stronger than I imagined, especially during dawnafter today, your names will be known by all the big shots in the world, you will be the new Night Vanisher and the new Dawn ughter, Great Swamp said slowly.
Night Vanisher? Dawn ughter?
Kieran shook his head and continued, These titles dont suit me, I prefer de of the Daybreaker or Burning Dawn.
Because you used a sword and... fire? Great Swamp asked out of curiosity.
I guess so.
Kiera shrugged without giving a solid response.
He would not tell Great Swamp what those titles meant to him, simr to how Great Swamp would not tell him what the pce was hiding.
Secrets, right?
It shouldnt be known yet were attractive.
Ways to reject the mysterious temptation were only a handful but important enough.
Respect, or understanding.
Great Swamp saw Kierans calm and dull face, he couldnt help but sigh softly.
Somethings will not change just because you will them to.
The sigh obviously came from his own expression, which seemed unparalleled and real.
That is why we need to be stronger.
My strength protects my heart, allowing me to stand up to anything and choose ording to my own will.
Thats why I choose to be strong because I have no choice!
Kierans words sounded sincere because it was his own experience.
Sincerity would move peoples hearts.
Perhaps, I can try it??
Great Swamp muttered.
Of course, said Kieran.
System notifications popped up on Kierans vision once more.
[Special Event: Mastermind Behind the Scene (Completed)]
[Special main mission: Bloodline Limits (Completed)]
[Special main missionpleted, leaving dungeon in 10 seconds...)]
[Please take whatever items you wish to keep with you.]
[Note: Any items that exceed the maximum weight will be discarded!]
Chapter 1177 - Conclusion. Harvest
Chapter 1177: Conclusion. Harvest
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The expected notifications didnt concern Kieran as much.
What did concern him was that Ye Jings body hadnt disintegrated yet.
The body was shed in half by [Arrogant Word] and had fallen on the broken stairs, blood sttered all over.
He isnt a God, but much stronger than anymon God. During normal times, even an Ortho-God couldnt match his powers. If we werent favoured by Lady Luck by having this ce that my father left for me, we might have been long dead.
Great Swamp saw the concerns in Kierans eyes, thus the exnation.
Then, his illusory face had an extra sense of exmation.
The Grand Fiend of the fiend era is not really something that we, Grand Fiends in the peaceful era, canpare to. The gap in strength is too far apart. Great Swamp shook his head as he spoke.
Ortho-God? Kieran raised a puzzled brow.
Its like categorising us from the mostmon Normal Gods to High Gods and thenstly, Ortho-God. Before this, I was considered to be the closest to High God, and after inheriting my fathers gift, Ill ascend to that title or maybe higher, Great Swamp replied.
Not Ortho-God?
Impossible. Although I really want to take that leap, an Ortho-God and a High God are as different as heaven and earth. In fact, as long as one has enough gifts and a powerful lineage, it isnt very difficult to ascend to High Godumtion through time is the best way. But an Ortho-God...doesnt just require gifts and lineage. It requires all kinds of understanding out of chance, otherwise, it will be useless no matter how long you umte your cultivation. On top of that, when one ascends to Ortho-God, the city will no longer bind him down anymore, and he will be able to achieve all kinds of unimaginable feats, Great Swamp said seriously after smiling bitterly.
The Normal Gods are ranked around the start of Transcendence or Advance Ranks, with ranks I to III even being considered Normal. A High God is around rank IV and an Ortho-God is rank V, so does that mean the Ortho-God in City of Fiends reached the level of the first generation divine descendant?
With Great Swamps borate exnation, Kieran quietlypared it to Rachels words.
Aftering to that conclusion, he quickly asked another question, What about above the Ortho-Gods?
Kieran didnt believe Ortho was where the limit of the current dungeon world was drawn.
If Ortho was the limit, Ye Jing, who he had just killed, would have ruled the world a long time ago and not been a straw bag by calcting against Great Swamps gift.
Kieran believed that if Ye Jing had that kind of power, he would have happily obliged to rule the world.
The reply from Great Swamp was just as he expected.
Star rank! But as for what it is truly is, I dont know. I was born in the fiend era but itd reached its end by that time, so I never had the chance to truly meet a Star rank, Great Swamp replied right after Kierans question subsided.
What about your father? ncing over at the remaining time that was decreasing, Kieran asked more quickly.
I dont know. I do not know what rank my father reached, but I am certain that he was much stronger than an Ortho-God.
Great Swamps tone soundedplicated whenever he mentioned his father.
It held the respect and reverence that sons had for their fathers, yet it was alsoced with some unconceble grudge.
Kieran didnt want to know Great Swamps family affairs with his father and didnt care to find out what happened back then that caused Great Swamp to disy such a tone and expression.
What he cared about was using that information from Great Swamp to determine some facts.
Higher than Ortho ranks means closer to True God? Or is it already there? Kieran wondered.
Lastly, Kieran voiced out the final question that baffled him.
Why did Ye Jing not make his move earlier but chose to do so now? Dont tell me this was the perfect opportunity because, with his powers, he might have had a better chance earlier when you were still alone. Kieran stared down at Great Swamp.
Great Swamp didnt dodge the gaze, replying with his own honest stare.
Id always thought that Ye Jing was dead. I never thought the whole Perforation Sting fiasco would be his doing, so I dont know why he didnt strike earlier. Maybe he was tied down by something? Ill follow up on thister, so dont worry. I wont be careless with matters of life and death. Besides, Ill give you an extra payment for this incident alone, which Im sure you will be satisfied with. Great Swamp promised Kieran.
Ill wait for your good news then.
Kieran then turned around and left.
...
[Special Dungeon: City of Fiends II]
[Dungeon Type: Free Mission]
[Dungeon Difficulty: Average]
[Main Mission: Survive For 28 Days Under Perforation Stings Pursual]
[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating F)]
[Special main mission: Bloodline limits]
[Mission Completion: 300% (Rating F A)]
[Special event: A hurried auction (Perfect rating)]
[Rating: A SS]
[Special event: Forest City change of owner (Perfect rating)]
[Rating: SS SSS]
[Special event: Mastermind behind the scenes (Perfect rating)]
[Rating: SSS ZZ]
[Battle Performance: Very active (Rating ZZ ZZZ)]
[Exploration Performance: Average]
[Special Rating 1: Eliminated Perforation Sting leader, Jin, God of Forest City (Rating ZZZ V, Rep +1)]
[Special Rating 2: Eliminated God of Many City, God of Leaf City (Rating V VV, Rep +1)]
[Special Rating 3: Eliminated Ye Jing (Rating VV GGG, Rep +5)]
[yer final rating: GGG!]
[Calcting yers final dungeon reward...]
[yers final dungeon reward as follows...]
[Points: 600,000; Skill Points: 100; Golden Skill Points: 10; Golden Attribute Points: 10]
[Acquired special dungeon: City of Fiends III]
[yers final rating has reached GGG, acquired the special reward: randomly draw an item from the dungeon world]
[Note 1: yer must draw it on their own, others cannot act on behalf]
[Note 2: Drawing cannot be reserved, must be drawn before the start of a new dungeon, otherwise it is deemed as giving up]
...
When Kieranid his eyes on [City of Fiends III], words followed.
[City of Fiends III: After owning Forest City, Many City and Leaf City within a night, many other gazes are one to you. Some astonished, some confused, some malicious...]
[Main Mission: Starts when entering the dungeon!]
...
As I expected.
Kieran softly smiled when he saw the description.
After running a special dungeon many times, his experience was enough for him to form a set of patterns.
Of course, that wasnt Kierans biggest reward this trip.
The biggest reward was his dungeon clear rating and the extra...
Treasures from God of Forest Citys vault!
Chapter 1178 - Run In To
Chapter 1178: Run In To
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Did you rob a Dragon tribes treasure again? Or do you have any items that allow you to easily locate Dragon tribes?
Lawless pretended to be mysterious and asked this softly when Kieran walked into Harvest Inn.
As he spoke, Lawless held his chest as if he was trying to calm his racing heart.
In fact, when Lawless received the news that Kieran acquired a total of 47 Magic rank items, his breath almost stopped.
It wasnt that he had never seen that many items before but it was very rare for a single person to own that many. The fact that it wasnt the first time Kieran had surprised him with something grand of this level made it more so shocking and curious, making Lawless wait for Kieran anxiously.
It may have been luck the first time.
But what about the second?
Luck wasnt an excuse anymore, so Lawless ran to Kieran the moment he stepped in.
Dragon tribes treasure? Item to locate Dragon tribes?
No. Kieran shook his head and continued, I just robbed a Gods treasure vault.
A Gods treasure vault? Nicely done!
Lawless was stunned for a moment before giving a big thumbs up to his friend.
Lawless would never doubt his friends words. If Kieran said he robbed a Gods vault, then hed robbed a Gods vault, nothing else.
Do you need me to hold a small auction? You have some decent stuff on that list, selling them off one by one might not profit as well, Lawless suggested.
Ill leave it to you then, Kieran replied.
Kieran was determined to disy absolute trust to Lawless because of his character and personality. If it were anyone else, Kieran might have given it a second thought when given the suggestion about the auction, but since it was Lawless, Kieran would agree directly without any hesitation.
Ill arrange it right away.
Lawless then proceeded to excitedlyor restlesslysend out mail after mail.
Being able to aid his friend while at the same time helping to benefit a lot more of his other friends, it was the most perfect thing in the world from Lawlesss point of view.
Kieran nced over at the busy Lawless before heading to the bar counter.
A ss of lemon water, please, Kieran said.
This isnt something a Godyer should order, said Rachel with a smile.
Believe me, this is what a Godyer like me would order. Im already pampering myself since I only drink in water most times.
Kieran replied in a serious way.
Stingy ghost.
Rachel ranted, but the ss of lemon water was still served to Kieran.
Ill take that as apliment. Kieran raised his ss to Rachel.
2567, didnt you notice your face is getting thicker these days? It seems like you are growing towards the likes of Lawless.
Rachel held her chin with one hand while the other was softly tapping the bar counter, saying this in an amusing angry tone.
Are you saying that I can open a tab now? Kierans eyes shone.
Dont even think about it! Rachel declined the thought sternly.
Too bad then. Kieran sighed, and it wasnt pretentiousness but an authentic sigh from his heart.
You really want to open a tab? A guy like you who earned so much in a dungeon wants to open a tab!? Even the iron cock and Grandet 1 would look inferior before you! Rachel heard the honesty in Kierans sigh.
She knew Kieran to be stingy at times but she never thought his stinginess would level up.
Could it be that his stinginess leveled up together with his strength?
Pondering upon the guesses, Rachel looked at Kieran in a weird way.
Iron cock? Grandet? If the situation allows, Ill scrape the iron off the iron cock and grab the money sack from Grandet.
Kieran said seriously before sending Rachel a PM.
......
2567: I need a swordsmith that can repair Advance Ranks items.
Rachel: So this is the reason you want to open a tab?
2567: No, I wish to have discounts on intel.
Rachel: No way.
Rachel: 100,000 Points, not a single point fewer.
...
Looking at Rachels reply, Kieran took a deep breath and his blurry face showed a released-from-a-burden smile.
The answer he got before him was undoubtedly the best.
What he said before was a joke, Kieran would never really owe Rachel points for drinks. Instead, he was worried that she wouldnt know any swordsmiths in the big city that could repair Advance Ranks items.
Kieran knew that given Rachels establishedwork, if she didnt have intel on this, then the big city might really have no swordsmith that could achieve what he wanted.
Fortunately, the worst-case scenario didnt happen.
To his surprise, he even had options to choose from.
...
Rachel: I know three yers that can repair Advance Ranks swords.
Rachel: First, Xiu Bai. She is skilled in all sorts of forging, including swords, and can craft all kinds of weapons and also smith armor as well.
Rachel: Second, Doordolde. A silent guy with forging skills at an unimaginable level. Always surprises people by using the most normal of things to craft extraordinary items.
Rachel: Third, Swordsmith Alisritter. A weird guy but his skills are astonishing, able to achieve the impossible.
...
Kieran carefully went through Rachels descriptions and quickly formed some conclusions in his heart.
Xiu Bai, a multi-talented yer.
Doordolde, able to turn the foul and rotten into the rare and ethereal.
And Swordsmith Alistritter, who should have mastered certain kinds of unique techniques.
Without meeting any of the three of them in person and only getting brief descriptions of them, all Kieran had was a general impression. It was natural that he couldnt decide who he should seek help from.
Fortunately, there was someone before him who was willing to give suggestions.
...
2567: Among the three, who would you suggest?
Rachel: Xiu Bai.
...
Kieran was slightly stunned when he saw Rachel answer without a second thought.
Based on Kierans analysis, Xiu Bai should be the weakest among the trio.
There was many sayings about multi-talents among yers, but the truth was that most of the time, the yer was a jack of all trades, masters of none.
Of course, Kieran wouldnt deny the yers as geniuses or lucky, hence the all-rounded skill level.
After all, he himself was a lucky guy in the start.
....
Rachel: She is the easiest to talk to among the three.
...
Kieran raised his ss to Rachel again to express his gratitude after the reply.
Though he couldnt think of any valid reasons to refute Rachels suggestion, he still asked for the other twos addresses.
...
Rachel: I have Doordoldes but as for Swordsmith Alisritter, I guess youll have to test your luck.
Rachel: That guy is always wandering around the big city, no one knows where he is.
...
Kieran nodded.
After getting what he wanted, he was prepared to leave.
Downing the ss of lemon water in one gulp, Kieran stood up from the tall stool.
Right at that moment, the door of the inn opened.
A person walked in from outside.
Some other familiar yers greeted the visitor loudly.
Hey, Borl!
Chapter 1179 - A Strange Feeling
Chapter 1179: A Strange Feeling
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Borl?
When Kieran saw the person that walked in, it reminded him of the previous encounter where Borl walked past him.
Thatst time when Borl struck a strangely familiar feeling in Kierans heart left a heavy impression behind. Neither of them ever met before, yet Kieran felt like he knew the man.
This time, however, that strange, familiar feeling was missing, as ifst time had been Kierans own overthinking.
Could it really have been his mind ying tricks on him?
Kieran didnt think so.
Borl greeted the others in a familiar way before heading to the bar counter and requesting a ss of water. Kieran frowned at his action because the familiar feeling struck him again.
Hey, 2567, this is Borl, a new guy. Borl, I dont think I need to tell you who this guy is, right? Believe me, both of you will surely get along very well. After all, its the first time Ive ever seen two extremely stingy people.
Rachel stood in for Lawless for the introduction since he was busy with the auction arrangements. However,pared to Lawlesss sincere, friendly introductions, Rachels introduction had more mocking to it.
Points are hard to earn, Kieran shrugged and said while having his eyes glued to Borl.
Borl nodded in agreement.
The man wasnt much willing to talk to Kieran either; he maintained the coldness of a stranger and shunned off unknown yers.
Kieran took another nce at the man before turning away.
It was true that Borl was a person of concern, but watching him like that was inefficient, as even amon man knew how to maintain alertness in front of strangers.
So, some special means were required.
After passing by Lawless, Kieran greeted him before leaving the inn quickly.
Borl then raised his head after Kieran went out the door. His eyes looked like they were troubled with doubts.
What, curious about why a big shot like himes to my ce? Rachel asked while wiping her ss.
No, Im just curious about other things. Borl was being honest.
As for what he had in mind?
He didnt spill many details and Rachel didnt ask any further, but their conversation continued revolving around Kieran; the topic, however, was less than pleasant.
Did he really acquire a Unique Title?
Intel fee is 5000 Points.
Rumour has it that he was still a newbie a few months ago, is that true?
Intel fee is 3000 Points.
Is he really a lone wolf? No supporting team behind?
Intel fee is 3000 Points.
Is there anything thats free?
Yes. His name is 2567.
...
Borl pouted his lips and didnt say anything else. After finishing his ss of water, he quietly went over to Lawlesss side and fell into deep thought while watching the merry inn.
I see...
This isnt the era that I remember.
The Witch?
You are really something.
Borl was thinking about that name he could never forget.
His fist unconsciously clenched hard.
Borl, want a drink? My treat.
Lawless, in the midst of his contacting, noticed something and turned to Borl.
Thanks but I need some air.
Borl rejected politely before heading out the inn.
Lawless frowned at Borls retreating figure. He unconsciously stood up and wanted to give chase but was held down by a slim palm on his shoulder that was pressing him down to his seat.
Lawless struggled a bit but it was fruitless. He then turned behind with a bitter smile.
Rachel, I just...
I dont care what you notice or worry about, but dont forget the promise and assurance you gave me, said Rachel, angrily.
I know you must have noticed something, just like me, but you need to trust 2567. If this matter is really rted to him, Im sure he will deal with it just fine with his abilities. If it has nothing to do with him, you dont need to be this nervous at all. Now, stay your ass down here and finish what 2567 asked of you.
Her fast words plus her angry tone made Lawless shrink and evade Rachel due to the guilt and debt he owed her in his heart. Lawless was like a small rabbit that crashed into the wall, as all he could do was nod andugh bitterly.
Fine, I know!
Good.
Rachel then headed back to the bar counter.
As she walked, she shouted, Hey, you bastards, if you dont clear the tab, you owe me. Ill add interest to your payment!
The lone wolf yers in the inn were stunned before crying and begging.
No, you cant do this!
Yes, I can.
Oh my dear Rachel, you are as beautiful as always.
If you can see my face through the system blur, has your Intuition transcended beyond mortals?
Your mercy is like the holy saintess.
I am the saintess of the dark.
The lone wolves felt Rachels anger through the replies they got.
Likewise, they figured out thatmunicating with thedy owner like this wouldnt work, so some of the smarter ones altered their tactics.
Oh Rachel, I bet what you said just now is only to vent your anger!
Please dont be angry.
Right, did Lawless make you angry again?
Dont worry, leave him to us, we will vent your anger on him!
The lone wolves quickly surrounded Lawless after the series of begging.
You damn prick, quickly bow down to Rachel and apologize!
You good for nothing freeloader, how dare you piss off Rachel!
Do you know that you will end up dragging us to hell with you?
Lawless smiled bitterly again when he saw his furious friends.
Hey, guys, calm down! Is this how you treat your good ol buddy?
What good ol buddy? We are more concerned about Lady Rachels feelings!
Go apologize and make her happy now!
Or else, you know what will happen.
The bunch of guys joked and pampered Lawless, pushing him to the bar counter before quickly returning to their seats with their sses.
They were waiting for a good show.
Compared to the wine money Rachel mentioned, they were more eager to see the scene before them.
But soon enough, those bastards couldnt smile anymore.
Double interest from now on, said Rachel.
The air froze for a second before a wave of crying and begging urred.
Wu just then walked into the inn amidst the lousy farce and pouted her mouth and said, Bunch of morons.
Wu then went straight to the small living hall behind the bar.
Inside the small living hall, a talldy with a red mantle was standing beside the sofa. Swirling around her were brilliant gemstones that glowed beautifully.
When she saw Wu walk in, cksmith asked with her usual cold tone, Did you ask Rachel to contact me?
Mm. I need to talk to you about something. Its about 2567.
Wu then pointed at the sofa.
cksmith raised a puzzled brow. She tried to say something but nothing escaped her mouth, and in the end, she chose to sit down.
She was curious about what matters Wu had that concerned 2567.
Chapter 1180 - Third One
Chapter 1180: Third One
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
After getting off the train in the big city, Kieran followed the address Rachel had provided and strolled along the street.
When Kieran finally stopped, a half open-air smithing shop with a signboard of a hanging hammer and furnace appeared within his sight.
Other than the absent disy rack and him being unable to look inside from the outside, it really looked like a real smithing shop that could also be found in real life.
This ce was the first destination Kieran visited: Xiu Bais ce.
When Kieran requested for entry, he was granted it in the very next second.
His sight cked out for a second before it lit up again, thus revealing a big room before him.
A heatwave that blew across his face captured his attention right away.
A massive furnace that upied most of the center spot was burning fiercely; the heatwaves that came out of it made it hard for one to breathe.
Around the furnace were 22 square wooden pirs that required at least two men to move. The pirs were wrapped with an extrayer of metal skin, making them look extra sturdy. Together with the bluestone floor, the whole room looked a little older.
2567? The alleged de of the Daybreaker, the Fiery Emperor?
After the rough voice came an extremely tall woman who walked over to Kieran.
The woman wasnt just tall, her body was extremely buff as well, especially around her shoulders and her deltoid muscles, which almost looked like 3D cubes. Many self-proimed strong men would break a sweat before her.
Xiu Bais body together with her wheat-colored skin emanated a natural sense of pressure.
Kierans sharp perception even sensed a dash of a wild and primitive aura from her.
Some kind of special bloodline?
Kieran was guessing this in his heart, but he didnt allow the rough appearance to rob him of his basic manners.
Nice to meet you, Xiu Bai, Kieran said with a nod.
Offering a handshake to ady on the first meeting wasnt a great option.
Kieran learned this lesson in the past because of his ignorance, and since then, he had branded the lesson in his mind.
Xiu Bai, however, looked a little dubious at Kierans greeting.
Hi.
Xiu Bai then leaned on one of the metal pirs and took out a system contract.
The contract stated the responsibility Xiu Bai had to uptake as a smither, in addition to keeping the items she repaired a secret. The part that concerned Kieran was the price that was listed down already.
Starting from 100K?
Kieran muttered that number, which didnt seem much to him.
100K to repair an item of Advance Ranks was quite worthwhile, even a lesser rank like Above Legendary would be worth it, but when it was listed as starting from and had no upper limit, Kieran had to make things clear.
This is the item I want to repair. How much will you need?
Kieran screenshotted [Extreme Night] and sent over the details.
Damaged and a rank II weapon? Can I have a look at the real thing?
Xiu Bais eyes shone when she saw the picture with [Extreme Night]s details.
Sure.
With the existence of the system contract and its bindings, Kieran passed [Extreme Night] to her without worry.
Then, Kieran witnessed a scene of Xiu Bai obsessing.
Xiu Bai held [Extreme Night] like a devout believer. She softly caressed the sheathe before slowly drawing the de out little by a little as if she was afraid that she would break it if she was any rougher. When she finally saw the cracked ded body of [Extreme Night], Kieran clearly noticed how Xiu Bais breath had stopped.
It seemed that her heartache had caused difficulties for her breathing functions?
Kieran was looking at her with an interesting gaze.
Everyone had something that they were passionate about.
Some loved to eat while others lusted for money, but being obsessed with swords, it was a first for Kieran.
After a full 20 seconds, Xiu Bai finally came to her senses.
I wouldnt suggest that you allow me to fix it. I am not confident enough. I can feel that this de contains powerful energy and its something that I cannot handle, Xiu Bai shook her head and said honestly.
Her honesty won a sense of fondness from Kieran.
If you were to level up your techniques, would you be able to fix it then? asked Kieran.
Xiu Bai nodded in assurance first before saying in a helpless tone, Of course, but thats something a lot further ahead.
The duration she mentioned seemed to exceed Kierans expectation by a lot.
Kieran, of course, couldnt wait that long for her.
After all, Kieran would have acquired a much stronger weapon by then.
Given how fast Kieran himself grew, it was an almost certain fact.
Kieran heard something between the lines, but he didnt say anything to Xiu Bai.
He wouldnt just throw away some special equipment though.
People who abandoned their partner would eventually face betrayal from their partner.
No one understood better than Kieran how precious the warmth of his partner was when he was alone and helpless.
However, Kieran didnt exin any of this to Xiu Bai, as they werent that close.
Thanks anyway. Ill try with the others.
Kieran nodded before walking out of the establishment.
ording to Kierans n, Xiu Bais ce was the one with the least hope anyway, but even if she couldnt help, Kieran still had two other options, so he didnt feel sad about it.
However, soon enough, Kieran faced his second failure.
Kieran didnt even get to meet Doordolde in person before he was rejected.
The reason for rejection was simple: busy.
One word rendered Kieran speechless.
He stood in front of Doordoldes door and raised a confused brow.
No one could do anything to a yer if they hadnt left their room, Kieran included.
Moreover, neither of them had any quarrels with each other.
Kieran wasnt someone who would bully others with his powers. His character determined that before there was truly a conflict of profit, he would hardly coerce or bribe a stranger.
So, he opened his PM tab.
....
2567: I need the location of Swordsmith Alisritter.
2567: Anyone who tells me and proves to be valid with their information will get a 1000 Point reward.
Rachel: 1000 Points? Stingy.
....
Kieranughed when he saw Rachels reply.
He was indeed stingy.
It was already a solid, known fact, so to hell with what others said about himhe didnt care as long as it was fruitful.
1000 Points wasnt much by any means but he would add on slowly. Who would really offer the highest price at the start of a bargain?
It would be too wasteful.
With his meticulous, calctive heart, Kieran counted the time quietly.
He was prepared to raise the price after half an hour, to a point that it would be enough to attract attention.
But before the time was up, Kieran received a reply from Rachel.
...
Rachel: Swordsmith Alisritter has been located.
Rachel: Around the outer ring of the big city.
...
A map followed the reply as well, but when Kieran saw the tagged location, his face turned strange.
Chapter 1181 - Something Bad Is Brewing…
Chapter 1181: Something Bad Is Brewing...
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran wasnt unfamiliar with the ce marked on the map, as it was the same ce where he had met Karlesst time.
When he recalled how Karles was killed within his own room, Kieran frowned. He knew that the peace right now was just the calm before the storm.
The storm would being any minute, and as for him?
He had to umte more strength before that storm.
As the thought came, Kieran didnt stay behind any longer. He boarded the train and headed to the outer block of the city.
...
Meanwhile, inside the dark room, the usual five people were still sitting around the table.
Thetest news shows that 2567 is heading to the outer city in search of Swordsmith Alisritter, one of them said leisurely.
This is a chance for us, the person sitting opposite said.
A chance? You said it was a chance thest time, too, when we sent someone to test him and look how that turned out in the end.
Not a single one of my carefully trained men returned. All of them even died under unclear reasons! The person beside grunted coldly.
At least their deaths have value. We now know that there are still some other bastards hiding around, the person at the corner said calmly.
You can only say this so calmly because those men that died werent yours!
The person who grunted coldly replied angrily.
Whats dead is dead. We have to face the present now, not linger on the past. The four of us will pay you equalpensation, so... How should we deal with this incident now?
The one who had first spoken seemed to be the leader of the bunch because when he spoke, no one seemed to object. He, however, was staring at the fifth person, who had stayed quiet since the start of the meeting. The other three alsoid their gazes on that man who seemed to be merged with the shadows.
Wait and see. de of the Daybreaker 2567 and Swordsmith Alisritter arent idiots. If we really pick a fight with them, what do you think will happen? Im almost certain that both of them will gang up on us. Are you guys prepared to go to war with the two of them? asked the man merged with the shadows.
Following his question, the other four went silent.
The answer was obvious: they werent prepared.
Not only would they have to face two powerful high-rankers, but there was also the many people behind those two as well.
Think about those lone wolves at Harvest Inn!
They all might seem to be moving alone but whenever one of them was provoked, especially those who had a good rtionship with Lawless, it meant stepping on a bunch of wolves tails.
All of the mentioned didnt even include thedy owner of the inn, who represented something that exceeded whatmon yers could imagine.
As for Swordsmith Alisritter?
The skills and techniques he mastered had determined that there would be a great deal of people willing to work with him.
The promise of a Legendary sword was enough for any high-ranker to join the Swordsmiths side and offer him their services.
Then what should we do? Its quite rare for that Broker to miscalcte. We cant just sit here and do nothing, can we?
The slightly grumpier one broke the silence.
Of course now, but changes are imminent. Didnt you guys notice that most of our attention before was all ced on 2567? I bet that bastard Broker must beughing like a crazy man.
The shadowy man said this in a meticulous and conscientious way without changing his tone.
Could 2567 and Broker be working together?
The grumpy one uttered out of consciousness but the moment his words escaped his mouth, the other four looked at him like he was an idiot.
What? Im just saying its a possibility. Is it really impossible?
The grumpy one seemed to know that he was wrong but he wasnt going to alter his thoughts now, thus he tried to be glib-tongued.
Everyone present knew his personality, so no one really cared about what he said.
So what are we really going to do now? the one in the corner asked.
Guardians! Since the beginning, Brokers target has always been the Guardians, or should I say the Witchs Legacy? 2567 and the killer yers are all smokescreens to blind the public. Im afraid that that terrifying person has started to make his move, said the one merged with the shadows.
Then we have to seize the window. The leaders tone suddenly got heavy.
No one likes to fall behind others.
One step behind means forever behind.
Everyone present knew this perfectly, even more so when the one leading was Broker. It struck anxiety in everyones heart.
No need to rush. Broker has his own ways. We have our own as well. We cant chase Broker in an anxious state, as it will only make us follow his pace, allowing him to drag us around like the previous times, said the one in the shadow.
What are you saying?
The other four looked at the person in the shadow in unison.
We will disrupt Brokers pace with our own, thus leading him into our own pace.
A cynicalugh came from the shadow.
...
Kieran was standing on the outskirts of the big city, looking at the blurry horizon.
The horizon wasnt just dark, it was turbid and even looked chaotic, endless robots pouring into the construction, building new structures.
New streets and buildings were being built every day.
This ce will soon be a normal street block. Seems like the new outer city is going to expand again, Kieran thought in his heart when he saw the buildings being built rapidly.
Until now, he didnt know what the city expansion was based on.
Poption?
There was indeed a lot of yers in the big city but it was a ridiculous thought that the yers could fill the entire city.
In fact, the majority of the citys streets had only a few yers lingering around.
Only some of the gathering spots for factions or shops would present a crowded scene.
Given such circumstances, poption didnt seem to be the first thing taken into consideration.
However, other than this point, Kieran couldnt think of anything else.
He wasnt frustrated though because he knew what he was good at and what he wasnt.
Otherwise, he wouldnt have traveled the distance in search of Swordsmith Alisritter.
Dang, Dang, Dang.
The concentrated smithing noise guided Kieran forward.
After he made a turn past a half-constructed building, he saw a huge man wielding a giant hammer.
The man was hammering a piece of metal block.
The metal block was rapidly turned into a sword with cold res under the relentless hammering, but Kierans attention wasnt on the sword.
Instead, he was looking at the giant hammer in the mans hand.
Through Kierans perception, the giant hammer felt heavier and sharper.
Correct! Sharper!
The blunt weapon emanated a feeling of sharpness!
The weird feeling made Kieran furrow his brows but he soon squinted his eyes at what he saw.
Chapter 1182 - You’re Sick.
Chapter 1182: Youre Sick.
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Under Kierans gaze, Swordsmith Alisritters aura grew slightly stronger after the forging.
It was slim but he really did grow stronger!
Kierans eyes squinted with judgement.
He wasnt really surprised that yers could grow stronger on their own because both [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] and [Knights of gue Body Tempering Art] were able to achieve that if given sufficient time.
However, getting stronger through external means like forging was a first for Kieran.
Some kind of secret technique? Kieran wondered in his heart, but he quickly turned away his prying gaze.
Everyone had their secrets, and they had the right to keep them.
Kieran had secrets of his own so he didnt mind others keeping theirs either.
So, Kieran turned away and left without another look at Swordsmith Alisritter.
The scene had been enough to tell Kieran that the Swordsmith wasnt the guy he was looking for.
The Swordsmiths intricate forging art was not suitable to repair [Extreme Night].
Judging from a certain aspect, Alisritter wasnt forging swords, he was forging himself. Any kind of sword that underwent his forging would be his own nutrients, strengthening himself.
Giving up the biggest reward of a dungeon to seed a stranger?
Sorry, it wasnt Kierans style.
So I have to search for a suitable cksmith in the dungeon worlds? Kieran wondered.
He started to recall all his dungeon runs, trying to find out which one would have a cksmith or someone of a simr job.
Without a doubt, [The Shamans Partner] had the highest chance, but in order for him to enter the said dungeon, there were still two more dungeon intervals first, [The Queens Shield III] and [Primordial Invasion III]. The duration wasnt long by any means, but nor was it short either.
Kieran had no control over what kind of missions he would have to experience in the two said special dungeons or how long they would take. In simpler words, he couldnt tell what he would run into.
Every single dungeon run was just the tip of the iceberg of what the world contained. Only through excavating would a yer really see the truth beneath the surface, but what followed would be countless dangers as well.
Kieran, however, would not alter his already decided way of clearing a dungeon just because of the dangers. Not just because he had experienced the perks of his risky ways, but also because his foes forced him to do it this way, leaving him no space for return.
The strange and unusual Broker.
The mysterious Guardians.
No matter which, all of them had longer game time than him, thus also having a deeper understanding of the game than he did.
With such foes on the line, Kieran choosing to be passive would be suicidal for himself.
While Kieran was concentrating on thinking about his foes, his habitual vignce was still swirling around him, therefore, when the aura behind him changed, he noticed it right away.
At the same time, he also noticed another faint malicious gaze from further away. It wasnt from the Swordsmith but someone else.
2567? de of the Daybreaker?
Following the Swordsmiths rough voice, a keen aura appeared on him, making him look like a real de unsheathed, emanating res and sending chills down ones spine.
Um.
Kieran didnt turn around nor stop to reply to the Swordsmith. Instead, he continued walking away.
As for the keen aura, Kieran ignored itpletely.
A keen aura of this level was like a breeze caressing his face.
There was no need to care, it was not worth his time.
What concerned Kieran more was the malicious gaze instead; the owner seemed to be good at hiding, to the point that even Kieran couldnt precisely locate the culprit despite noticing his presence.
Interesting. Swordsmiths rough voice became more sonorous.
It seemed like the Swordsmith hadnt spoken for a while, thus the rough voice at first, then his true voice, which was actually very sonorous.
Following his voice, a keener aura appeared on him.
If the previous keen aura was amon de, this keener aura was like a famous sword, sharp and unrivaled, but that aura was soon interrupted by the scorching and chaotic one that appeared on Kieran suddenly.
When the scorching heat appeared, even famous swords could melt.
There werent any ripples caused, no waves rumbling around, the whole process was silent like drinking a gulp of water.
Kieran still didnt turn back as he walked away.
This is very interesting.
The Swordsmiths sonorous voice had an extra sense of excitement, but before he could make his move, an explosion urred in the sky.
No, it was a roar that sounded like an explosion!
RAWR!
A sulphuric scent went rampant in the air, scorching heat starting to twist and distort the space around.
A gigantic, mega figure with straight horns that could pierce the sky faintly took form.
Following its gaze, the air was torn apart!
Its zing eyes were emanating ruthlessness and overflowing with killer intents.
The scorching air blew at the Swordsmiths face, hair and outfit, and even his hair started to burn, but he didnt care at all.
He stared excitedly at the devil mirage, his grip on his giant hammer unconsciously growing tighter, but then the Swordsmith quickly frowned.
He remembered his long-time goal.
A new opponent might excite him but he couldnt just forget his old rival as well. He wasnt a person that abandoned the old in favour of the new.
Therefore, the Swordsmith held back his urge to battle the worthy opponent in front of him.
After I finish my battle, can I fight you?
His sonorous voice sounded with anticipation.
Not interested.
Amid his cold reply, Kieran raised his left hand as he continued forward and hurled out a rapidly gathered Devil me like aet.
He finally found the precise location of that malicious gaze.
Just as the Swordsmith invited Kieran for a duel, the malicious gaze heighted its danger level to a never before seen level.
Kieran was perfectly clear what that malicious gaze wanted to achieve.
Unlike the Swordsmith behind him, the malicious figure wanted to see both of them severely injured from the potential fight, thus reaping benefits from the weak.
What else would Kieran say to such a person?
BOOM!
As the zing wave rumbled, the watcher that was further away was burned to ashes without even grunting.
The Swordsmith, on the other hand, felt even more excited when he saw the rumbling zes.
He strode forward and gave chase to Kieran.
A Legendary weapon! Fight me! the Swordsmith said.
Not interested, Kieran replied with the same answer again.
At the same time, he hastened his steps in leaving.
He wasnt only fast, together with [Dark Movement Technique], Kieran vanished within a sh of light.
The Swordsmith jolted before heughed wholeheartedly.
Great! This is great! Another opponent that is worth challenging! This is indeed a great life!
His loudughs spread further away and clearly entered Kierans ears.
This guy is sick...
Kieranmented his honest thoughts on the Swordsmith before boarding the train to return.
However, the moment Kieran sat down, his PM tab pinged him.
...
J. Pearlman: I heard that you are searching for a cksmith to fix weapons?
J. Pearlman: If you dont mind, pay me a visit. I can assure you that you wont be disappointed.
...
The message from J.Pearlman popped up the moment Kieran opened the PM tab.
Chapter 1183 - Stingy
Chapter 1183: Stingy
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
When he saw J. Pearlmans message, Kieran instantly gave a reply due to his curiosity.
...
2567: Address?
J. Pearlman: How about Harvest Inn? Or wherever you prefer.
2567: Harvest Inn then.
J. Pearlman: Ill be right there.
...
Kieran had a limited understanding of the big city, sopared to choosing an unfamiliar ce, he decided that he might as well meet at the usual Harvest Inn.
The train was traveling as fast as usual, and there werent the slightest bumps throughout the journey either.
When Kieran alighted from the train and entered Harvest Inn, he saw that J. Pearlman was already there in the corner, waving at him.
Here, said J. Pearlman.
Sorry that Imte, Kieran said politely while scanning the inn.
He didnt see anyone else with J. Pearlman though, not even someone that looked like a smither or swordsmith in this ce.
There were all sorts of yers with different kinds of outfits in the big city, and most of the time, their outfits would disy their speciality: yers equipped with firearms must have chosen mastery of firearms or some simr path while yers with swords and leather armour must have chosen the path of sharp weapons.
Of course, because of the variety, not all were able to be categorized into a single group.
Mixing and matching was alsomon among yers. There were even some who intentionally dressed the opposite to disguise themselves but yers such as those wouldnt be in the ranks of cksmiths.
So, after a nce, Kieran frowned.
He wasnt afraid of J. Pearlman lying to him. If it was just a hoax, J. Pearlman had no reason to expend so much effort.
Therefore, Kieran didnt spill the question directly. Instead, he looked at the man.
No, no, I was just around here when I contacted you, thus the early arrival. Here, I have something to show you. This is one of the main items on trade in the Freedom Alliances deals.
J. Pearlman waved his hands at Kieran before sending a screenshot of an item to him.
[Name: Reliable Repair Scroll]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: I]
[Attack/ Defense: None]
[Attribute: Repair]
[Effect: None]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: This is a miraculous scroll. Its ability isnt about how powerful it is but its reliability! No matter if its sess or failure, the repairing process will not damage the item.]
...
[Repair: 100% chance of repairing items of rank I or below; 50% chance of repairing items of rank II; 10% chance of repairing items of rank III or higher.]
...
When he saw the remarks stating that regardless of sess or failure, it wouldnt damage the item, Kieran already had the intention of buying the scroll, but he wasnt in a hurry to make an offer.
He knew why J. Pearlman would go through such extensive lengths on his matters.
It was none other than trying to persuade him to join the Freedom Alliance.
However, Kieran had no interest in joining any kind of organization. He didnt mind a small gathering like Rachels, but definitely not the Freedom Alliance, despite it being named Freedom.
An organization would always be an organization; once it was formed, there would be authorities and duties that had to be followed.
After pausing for a while, Kieran asked, What do I need to pay you, given that I dont have to join the Freedom Alliance?
You really dont want to consider joining the Freedom Alliance? Our organization is very casual, a lot more freedom than you imagine, J. Pearlman said with a bitter smile.
Thank you for your invitation but no thanks. I am really not interested in joining a group or organization. Its not just because of the bindings but also the potential conflict of ideals. Rather than breaking bad in the end, might as well not join one at all in the first ce. Kieran was being honest, and his candor made J. Pearlmans smile even more bitter.
When he saw that Kieran was in need of some repair items, J. Pearlman knew it was a great chance, and although he knew the process would be hard and full of hurdles, he still had a certain level of confidence.
However, to his surprise, before he could even voice out his invitation, Kieran cut it all off mercilessly.
J. Pearlman was a little depressed at the rejection, but he didnt show it on his face.
He chose topromise instead.
Then, if, and I mean IF it were to happen that the Freedom Alliance were in some kind of trouble in the future, could you help us if we required your assistance? J. Pearlman asked.
Sure. As long as the conflict isnt with me or with anyone I care about, I can help, but dont think that I will ept anything for free. Ill pay you ording to the market price, so please dont reject me. This is the base of our deal, after all, Kieran nodded and said in a firm tone.
Attaining things for free was delightful but owing others a debt of gratitude was harder to repay.
In order to prevent J. Pearlman from requesting any kind of difficult assistance in the future, Kieran didnt mind spending more points on the deal so that he could possibly reject it in the future.
A stingy ghosts calction is very meticulous and intricate.
500K then, J. Pearlman stated his price amid his bitter smile.
Undoubtedly, a very cheap price. Though 500K Points wasnt less by any means, for an item in the Advance Ranks, the price was considered cheap.
Items of the Advance Ranks exceeded whatmon yers could imagine, and since the item could potentially fix a rank III item, the price would surge higher.
In simpler words, J. Pearlman was still hoping that Kieran would ept his favour.
But if Kieran were to ept it, he wouldnt have suggested a deal in the first ce, thus Kieran shook his head.
1 million, Kieran counter offered.
Ive never seen a buyer who actively raises the price. J. Pearlman sighed.
Because I know what I pay now is much less than what I will have to pay in the future, Kieran said seriously.
Fine then, well proceed as you insist. J. Pearlman finally gave up on trying to persuade him, and the trade that followed became simple.
Kieran converted all his Skill Points into Points, a total of 375,000 Points. Together with the dungeon clearing reward of 600,000 Points, he was still short of 25,000 Points.
Fortunately, the items he entrusted Lawless to sell were mostly sold off, so all he needed to do was to take the 25,000 Points from Lawless.
When he saw the transfer of 1 million Points, J. Pearlmans heart shook.
Even for a high-ranker, forking out 1 million Points wasnt something casual unless one sold his core items, but unless the yer was crazy, no high-ranker would ever do that; Kieran was no exception to that either.
Thinking about the rumours floating amongst Freedom Alliance members that stated that Kieran could find the Dragon tribes treasure with ease, more thoughts came into J. Pearlmans mind.
But in the end, when factoring how powerful Kieran was, the thoughts that rose in J. Pearlmans heart were discardedpletely.
He didnt want the Freedom Alliance to fall into a sea of fire.
Let me treat you to a drink. After finishing a 1 million Points deal, treating you to a drink isnt some debt of gratitude, J. Pearlman said.
This time, Kieran didnt reject but he said, Ill pass on alcohol, just juice or tea will be fine.
J. Pearlman nodded before heading to the bar counter.
After he walked away, the emptied seat was taken by another figure at the next moment.
Kieran, however, raised a brow at the person who took the seat in front of him.
Chapter 1184 - Reply
Chapter 1184: Reply
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Donning a thick grayish-brown robe, Wu looked a lot more like those witches ying with crystal balls but Kieran knew the woman before him was much stronger thanmon witches.
Her irvoyant abilities were one-of-a-kind even in the big city.
However, Kieran wouldnt purposely get close to her because of her abilities, especially when Wu showed exceptional friendliness that far surpassedmon strangers, it made Kieran heighten his vignce more than ever.
There is no unreasonable hate in the world, just like how there was no unconditional love.
Everything has a cause and effect.
Kieran didnt know what had caused Wu to act like that but he knew what he had to do.
The seat is taken, Kieran said coldly.
You mean Fishermans? He and I are somewhat friends, Im sure he wont mind me joining you.
Her pleasant voice came from behind her thick long robe.
Despite knowing her previous hoarse voice was a cover-up, Kieran was still jolted when he heard the extremely contrasting feminine voice.
Humans always liked the beautiful and disliked the ugly, Kieran was no exception.
He too liked good things and preferred a pleasant sweet voice but it would not change his initial decision.
Well, I mind, Kieran was still acting cold.
Even if Im here to help you? said Wu before initiating a trade with Kieran.
[Name: Lucky Card II]
[Type: Card]
[Rarity: Epic]
[Attribute: Use it and acquire more luck than usual before entering the next dungeon. Even if it is trivial, it will be enough to alter ones destiny]
[Remark: Creating this card requires extremely skilled techniques, expensive ingredients and a little bit of luck]
[Note 1: Usable only in the big city]
[Note 2: After usage, the effect willst till the start of the next dungeon]
...
[Name: Lucky Card III]
[Type: Card]
[Rarity: I]
[Attribute: Use it and the next special dungeon will grant the yer more luck than usual. Even if it is trivial, it will be enough to alter ones destiny]
[Remark: Creating this card requires extremely skilled techniques, expensive ingredients and a little bit of luck]
[Note 1: Usable in special dungeon]
[Note 2: After usage, the effect willst till the end of special dungeon]
......
Two different numbered [Lucky Card]s appeared before Kieran, causing him to squint his eyes.
After witnessing the effect of the first [Lucky Card], Kieran had been wondering whether there were other types of [Lucky Card]s which were usable in the big city and special dungeons.
Now, [Lucky Card II] and [Lucky Card III] verified Kierans guesses.
They can help you.
I bet after finishing the deal with Fisherman, youre are running low on Points?
You can pay me next time or...
You want to pay me in other ways?
Like buying me dinner? said Wu in a casual way.
Compared to the Wu in Kierans memories, the Wu before him now was much more energetic or could even be considered as... cheerful?
Kieran didnt know what caused her to change her mood but it didnt stop him from cing [Strange Little Finger] and [Titans Blood] in the trading slots.
Enough?
If not, I still have some Points, said Kieran.
Wu was stunned. Obviously, she didnt expect Kieran to have other item collections to trade.
Aside from [Titans Blood], which always would have a market in the big city because of its bloodline abilities, based on her judgment, [Strange Little Finger] was also a bloodline item, despite being a lower tier one. However, with [Titans Blood] in the trade, an item of rank II rarity, it would very much bnce out the value of two [Lucky Card]sbined.
Enough.
Wu epted the trade aftering back to her senses.
I didnt mean anything, Wu added.
Kieran didnt answer, all he did was stay quiet towards her ims.
After the trade, J.Pearlman walked over with sses of beverages in his hands.
Oh, did I interrupt you both? he asked.
Nope. We just finished our trade, said Kieran while shaking his head.
Um, yeap. Wu agreed but she didnt have any intentions to stand up; Kieran, however, did as he stood up and leave.
Thank you for the juice.
Kieran then received the ss of juice from J.Pearlman and walked over to the bar counter.
You should be more gentlemanly, Rachel said to Kieran while wiping her sses as usual and stared at her friends figure further away.
Gentlemanly? From the ce I came from, the word has other meanings to it.
Kieran took a sip of juice, the sweet and sourish taste then made him take another big gulp.
Rachel saw how Kieran reacted and shook her head helplessly, she then quietly sent her friend a message.
When Kieran was half-way through his ss of juice, he was surprised by cksmith walking out from the small living hall behind the inn.
Youve reached the Advance Ranks?
Kieran was a lot more friendly towards a familiar acquaintance, thus allowing him to take the initiative to say hello.
No, but soon.
cksmith was still as cold and few words as Kieran remembered.
Kieran even felt cksmith react a little colder than before.
Anything happen?
Need help? Kieran asked.
Since cksmith helped him before, if she was in any kind of trouble, Kieran wouldnt mind lending a hand if it was within his reach, but cksmith rejected without even thinking.
No need.
cksmith was about to leave but...
About the Advance Ranks, I...
You know, I know.
cksmith interrupted Kieran before ending the conversation prematurely by rushing out of the inn.
When he walked past Wu, her never before shown face got colder.
Meanwhile, at the messaging tab where the public couldnt see, bothdies were secretly quarreling non-stop.
cksmith: You really think Ill give up?
Wu: Its your destiny, Ive seen it already.
cksmith: To hell with your destiny, you are just a step ahead of me, Ill chase up to you soon.
Wu: Pitiful soul, always finding excuses.
cksmith: Well see about that.
Wu: Ill open my eyes wide then.
...
Isnt it a little cold around here?
Rachel, did you switch on the air-conditioner?
Turn it down a bit.
Lawless who was selling items to the crowd was shouting at Rachel.
You idiot.
Rachel facepalmed when she heard what Lawless shouted, she really wanted to throw the ss in her hand at Lawless face but when she thought about the 0.1 Points that she would lose, she chose to throw the cloth instead.
Pak!
The clothnded on Lawless face, covering his idiotic look.
Lawless felt wronged as he took the cloth away from his sad face, he quietly delivered it back to Rachel. He then saw his good friend walking towards the exit.
Where ya heading 2567? Lawless casually asked.
The mimosa asked me out for dinner,
Mimosa? Oh, his cooking is quite good...
Kieran replied and walked out of the inn directly, leaving Lawless muttering to himself alone.
But before Lawless could finish his words, he noticed Rachels unfriendly re at him and he somehow felt the air around the inn... had gotten colder?
His cooking is good? What about mine? Rachel said with a cold smile.
Its good also! Lawless instinctively replied.
Then which one of us is better? Rachel asked.
Hmmm. Rachel, you are better at brewing wine, so if its cooking food, the mimosa is more meticulous, its like some indescribable...
Pak!
A ss was mmed on Lawless head before he finished.
The ss is on you and a 10% increase in your interest.
Lawless stood there with a poker face.
Chapter 1185 - Eat is priority
Chapter 1185: Eat is priority
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Water was poured into the transparent vase after it was ced on top of the oak wood table.
Starbeck was humming a well-known melody as he plucked a white flower with golden spots from the garden outside and carefully inserted it into the vase.
After the flower was sprayed with some water, the color became more vibrant and charming.
Starbeck took a sniff off the flower and enjoyed its aroma with a smile on his face.
He then wiped away the water residue on the table with a cloth and ced four gray mats, two big and two small, in the middle of the table neatly.
When the arrangements were done, Starbeck, who was secretly counting the time, walked into the kitchen and ted the food from the stove.
The tableware was intricate and varied from one another. There was one silver te, two porcin tes and one more earthen pot served on the table.
The silver te held sd, the porcin tes had two main dishes and the earthen pot contained soup.
Such a line-up of food obviously didnt fit the upper-ss dining rules, as the missing appetizer and dessert alone were enough for the guests tough their teeth off, but in Starbecks heart, Kieran wasnt an outsider.
Or in other words, the so-called guests wouldnt have been ushered by Starbeck into the kitchen.
No guests were worthy of his cooking.
No guests dared to even ask for his cooking.
When the only set of silver tableware was arranged in front of the only seat at the table, the notification of Kieran entering the room appeared in Starbecks vision.
Perfect!
The timing was perfect!
Dinner is served.
Starbecks lips curled into a smile when he saw the familiar figure walk in.
Mm. Ive been looking forward to this.
As he smelled the aroma, Kieran sat on the only chair while making himself at home.
He didnt feel awkward even though it wasnt his own room, just like Starbeck didnt feel at all ufortable when he was his own guest.
After Kieran sat down, Starbeck removed the cover on the tes.
King Sd.
Rich Saucey Steak.
Tomahawk Roaster
Mixed Veggie Porridge.
Starbeck introduced each dish as he uncovered them, and each time a dish was revealed to Kieran, Gluttony inside him grew louder.
Eat! Eat! Eat!
Its roars were like war drums on the battlefield. It felt as if Gluttony itself had almost materialized into the world.
Delicious!
Everything smelled delicious!
Gluttony, who had zero resistance against food, almost lost itself in the food, and in order to taste more of the delicacies, it was willing to provide Kieran with more power, even if it had to submit to Kieran!
So what?
As long as I can eat, its all good.
However, certain non-stop mouring infuriated Gluttony, who wanted to devote itself to eating.
The mours were from Envy, Wrath and Greed. They were mumbling, roaring and shouting respectively.
Why not me?
It should be me!
Mine, all mine!
Their mours were like flies to Gluttony.
It clenched its teeth and scolded, Go away! Go the hell away! Whoever dares to disturb my meal will end up bing my meal!
Boom!
An unusual aura filled with abnormality and wickedness grew in Kierans heart, bing shinier and more dangerous.
It was pure.
It was persistent.
It would go against the world for food.
Whoever shall stop it from eating, it will eat them instead.
If it couldnt, it would drag them to hell together.
The cardinal sins went quiet.
They werent afraid of dying because, most of the time, they were undead, but that didnt include the times when they were inside [Fusion Heart[.
Quiet, everything went quiet.
Gluttony took in a deep breath, and following Kierans eating, it too was intoxicated.
A faint energy was lighting up the runes in Kierans body. The darkness and chaotic presence started to weaken again.
But simr to Gluttony, Kieran wasnt overly bothered by the energy because he was too busy enjoying his meal.
The King Sd might seem like a mix of fresh fruits and vegetables, but it was garnish for the sweet, juicy meat inside.
The meat was a mouthful, its chewiness exciting the teeth more than beef, and it was juicier thanmon pork.
Its tiger meat, Starbeck exined.
Tiger? The king of animals, thus King Sd?
Kieran squinted his eyes before taking in another mouthful. He then turned his eyes to the Rich Saucey Steak and Tomahawk Roaster.
They were tender and juicy!
The moment Kieran took a bite of the Rich Saucey Steak, his mouth was filled with the vourful, beefy taste. Meat juice was also oozing out of the meat as he chewed, and it tingled all his taste buds. When Tomahawk Roaster was added into his mouth, the cinnamon and chilli perfectly fused together, presenting a very stimting taste.
Spicy! Hot!
Sweat dripped out of Kierans cheeks as if he was in the battlefield, swinging tomahawks at his enemies.
Kill, kill, kill?
No!
Eat! Eat! Eat!
Kieran gave up thoughts about asking. He wielded his knife and fork in a flurry, his chopsticks leaving trails of afterimages whenever he grabbed a piece of meat while his spoon scooped the porridge as fast as lightning.
After swallowing thest mouthful of porridge by picking up the earthen pot, Kieran gave a satisfied burp.
Kieran then noticed that the darkness and chaos that lurked in his mind had dimmed down a little, although it was still an insignificant amountpared to the overall. Kieran didnt mind experiencing this meal a few more times, thus Kierans eyes on Starbeck turned hotter.
Starbeck felt the hotness as well, so he smiled more brightly.
He didnt behave like a coward as he always did because no chef would dislike an eater like Kieran. As the chef of the meal, Starbeck was no exception.
Hows the meal? he asked.
Delicious, Kieran answered with a nod.
He wanted to praise Starbeck more but he couldnt find any suitable words in his mind, hence all he could give was the simplestpliment.
Though after thepliment, Kieran felt a little upset.
It was the first time he tasted food as delicious as this, but what if it were thest time?
What shall he do?
The thought naturally appeared in Kierans mind and it seemed like Starbeck sensed it as well.
If you dont mind, you can drop by more often. Ill try to make more meals each weekI dont have that many chances to level up my other skills to transcendence or above, but I do have confidence in Cooking, Starbeck clenched his fist and said with confidence.
Kieran raised his hand over Starbecks head when he saw the reaction.
You can do it, he said softly.
Um! Starbeck nodded.
As a freeloader, Kieran automatically helped Starbeck in cleaning up after the meal while Starbeck took the vase outside.
The flower that he had plucked had its roots preserved. In simpler words, the flower would not die as long as it was rented and taken good care of for a few days; it would be another independent flower.
After the soft soil in the pot was dug up and the flower nted, Starbeck carefully buried the roots with his fingers. He didnt press the soil though, as it would only suppress the roots from growing.
After renting, Starbeck pped his hands and stood up.
He then saw a figure outside his premise, a stranger.
No, he had seen that person in front of Harvest Inn before while he was humming an unknown melody.
Chapter 1186 - Mark
Chapter 1186: Mark
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After recalling where hed seen the person, Starbeck quickly bowed politely.
Hello.
Before knowing who Starbeck really was, his manners saved him a lot of trouble and Borl obviously didnt know the true Starbeck.
What Borl was concerned about was Starbecks equipment.
Through his perception, he realized that Starbeck was extremely dangerous.
Just look at his six rings etched with healing and defense runes and his seemingly normal ne that emanated extremely negative energy.
Starbecks belt was even carved with runes such as Nimbleness and Agility on it. And his pants should be a hide taken from a vicious beast, thus the coldness. Even his shoes had teleportation runes on them!
Most importantly...
Borls eyes unconsciouslynded on the pack around Starbecks waist.
That pack struck chills that werent from the actual cold down his spine, as if some cataclysmic catastrophe was about to befall Borl if he made any sudden movements.
So, Borl stood still.
Is 2567 here? Can I meet him for a while? I am Borl, by the way, he said.
Hold on.
Starbeck then went into his house, and the moment the door was shut, Borl heaved a long breath.
Although the garden was still considered part of Starbecks room, which was also protected by the system, Starbeck still felt chills crawl over his back from meeting the stranger.
Fortunately...
Starbeck looked at Kieran.
With him here, he will be my strongest, steadiest support.
Whats strong?
Kieran, who was washing the tes with skillful hands, turned around when he sensed Starbecks gaze.
A yer named Borl is outside and he wants to see you, Starbeck said honestly.
Borl? Kieran furrowed his brows.
Kieran was quite rmed at this strange yet familiar yer.
Ill go have a look.
Kieran then wiped his hands with the cloth beside the sink before taking off the apron and giving it to Starbeck.
After wearing the apron, Starbeck saw Kieran out the door before he continued washing the tes quickly.
As for the matters between the two?
Starbeck believed Kieran would deal with it properly.
...
I asked the folks at the inn about your whereabouts and they told me you were here. Borl straightaway stated how he found Kieran in Starbecks ce.
Kieran wasnt surprised though; he didnt cover up his visit to Starbecks ce anyway. Most of the folks at the inn should know, but it didnt mean Kieran would let his guard down against Borl.
I dont mean anything bad. I just wanna talk to you after understanding some things. Borl then quickly stated his intention for the visit as if he sensed Kierans rm.
Talk about what? My Unique Title, de of the Daybreaker? Or the Guardians?
Kieran tested the waters with his words. He knew perfectly well why others would pay attention to him, and what followed proved as much.
When Kieran stated the two terms, he clearly sensed changes in Borls presenceBorl tried his best to cover it up, but it couldnt escape Kierans sharp senses.
As his Spirit and Intuition grew stronger each day, tricks that others used to conceal small details in themselves were no longer useful against Kieran.
Unique Title is my secret; I dont want to discuss it. As for the Guardians, theyre also a private matter that I dont want to share with you.
Kieran continued before Borl could reply, and after he finished, he turned around with the intention to leave.
In Kierans eyes, Borl was nothing but a stranger, a stranger who he should take note of but not be overly concerned about.
Wait...
Borl wanted to hold Kieran by grabbing him, but the moment he raised his hand, a narrow sword flew out from Kierans shadow and lingered at his neck.
The tip was sharp and filled with blood and malicious intent. Borl could practically hear the death wails around the de.
It was an ominous sword! Borl could tell at the very first moment it appeared.
This confirmation made him raise his hands up high.
I dont mean anything bad! Borl stated his intentions again.
I dont care about what you mean. I only know that you and I are strangers. You are not my friend and I am not someone you can trust, so stop testing my patience. This is the big city, death is verymon here, Kieran said in a calm tone without even turning back.
Correct. Though the big city was a ce where cyberw enforcers were around to uphold rules among themunity, there were too many ways to bypass them.
Killing wasnt a theme around here, but it would always be a constant apaniment.
Borl was filled with helplessness when he saw Kieran going off without turning back.
He was once very simr to Kieran.
Back in the era, Borl was exactly like Kieran, so up until today, he was unwilling to give in.
He was unwilling to allow that woman to control him!
He was unwilling to allow her tough at him!
Even in death!
He wanted to p that woman hard to vent his emotions!
Borl took a deep breath when the thought came into his mind.
He lowered his voice and said, I know the secret of the Witch.
The Witchs secret?
Kieran stopped.
I dont know if the secret is rted to the legacy she left behind, but I can assure you, it is connected to the Guardians.
Seeing that Kieran had stopped moving, Borl quickly borated.
Then he removed his right glove, revealing a red circr smiley face on the back of his palm.
The moment the freaky smiley face was revealed on Borls right hand, as if it was responding, Kierans own tattoo vibrated as well.
He quickly turned around, and when he saw the freaky smiley face, he squinted his eyes.
The Witchs Mark. Its what we called it back in the days. Maybe it has a new name now, Borl said slowly when he saw Kieran turn around.
Its known as the Witchs Gift now, Kieran replied.
Gift? I suppose thats right. It really is a gift at certain times, given that you never offend her, Borls tone turned heavy all of a sudden.
Offend? Kieran squinted his eyes and mumbled the term.
He felt too much abnormality in that term alone.
Yes, offend. How can the servant with the mark surpass the master who granted it? Once the servant surpasses the master, it is considered offensive. Until then... You will be like me now.
Borls voice was heavy and depressed yet filled with hatred.
Chapter 1187 - Luck?
Chapter 1187: Luck?
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Like you?
Kieran sized up Borl.
He didnt sense any negative energy or any signs of a curse; Borl was quite normal, to be honest.
You didnt notice the unusual?
I suppose thats right as well.
Why else will I be unusual other than my strength that has grown weaker, Borl mocked himself.
Kieran didnt reply, instead, he waited quietly for Borl to borate.
My strength already speaks for itself!
When my strength got near to or even close to surpassing the Witch, the mark she left behind was activated, hence my powers were greatly crippled!
My dungeon runs after that failed consecutively and if it wasnt for a life-saving item, I would have died in the dungeons.
But using that item has a price to pay and it pushed me down from a high-ranker to less than amon veteran yer. More importantly, I still have to run Advance Rank dungeons now!
Borls voice became dry after the confession.
Kieran however frowned, he couldnt tell whether Borl was telling the truth or not.
In simpler words, Kieran who was vignt, or even suspicious, wouldnt simply trust what he heard because of some confessions from a stranger.
Every im had to be proven with solid evidence.
What evidences do you have? asked Kieran.
The dome clock tower! That ce has the evidence that you are looking for, said Borl.
You are asking me to infiltrate the Guardians turf to search for the so-called evidence? Or should I say... removing the Witchs Mark for you along the way? Kieranughed coldly.
He couldnt determine the truth from Borls words but he could tell Borl wasnt beingpletely honest.
You dont want to remove the Witchs Mark? Borl asked in return.
Kieran chuckled before turning back to the room without giving a reply.
Of course, if it was really the case as Borl imed, Kieran would surely remove the Witchs Mark.
Whats wrong?
Starbeck saw Kierane back into the room after he finished washing the tes. Since he spent quite some time with Kieran, Starbeck noticed Kieran was a little grumpy from his small expressions and movements.
Its nothing major. Just a little surprising, but understandable.
Its just that... Borls appearance a little too seems too coincidental.
Kieran then opened up the PM tab and sent a message to Rachel.
2567: What do you think about Borl?
Rachel: What about you?
2567: Hiding something.
Rachel: Same.
2567: Watch him?
Rachel: Leave it to me.
2567: Thanks.
...
After a short conversation, Kieran saw Starbeck serving desserts and tea.
Both of them were exactly as they were when they were still in the dungeon world. They were quiet most of the time but both of them knew what each other wanted with just eye contact.
Their rtionship was formed through time but most importantly, it was the experience of going through a life and death situation that granted them their tacit rtionship.
So, when Kieran put down the teacup, Starbeck brought over a thermal box.
Dinner.
Um.
Kieran nodded before turning to the door.
Starbeck stood in the garden and saw Kieran off until he went out sight, only then did Starbeck return to his room.
He then went to the cupboard beside the living room and took out that thick book made out of cowhide.
When he opened the book, a recipe with lines of strange words entered his sight.
Store energy by eating... eating is the path to heaven...
Starbeck was having a hard time tranting the words.
A bit by a bit, despite its difficulties, Starbeck never thought of giving up because he remembered what Lawless said to him back then.
I will not be a burden.
The sentence was branded in Starbecks mind, reminding him of his goal every single second.
Starbeck even set up his next goal since then: he will be 2567s strongest support.
...
13th Wallway Street.
After Kieran came back to his room, he ced [Extreme Night], [Reliable Repair Scroll] and [Lucky Card II] in front of him.
But he didnt repair [Extreme Night] right away, instead, he initiated the special reward granted to him from his previous GGG rating dungeon clear: randomly draw an item from the dungeon world.
After the first time drawing the prize, Kieran knew what to do.
In simple words, Kieran understood where his luck stood.
First, he used [Lucky Card II].
[Used Lucky Card II, your luck will increase slightly before the next dungeon...]
[yer chooses to continue item draw...]
[Detected Lucky Card II effect, draw authenticating...]
[yer acquired...]
A heavy, glossy irregr-shaped jade with a lingering sense of pressure appeared in his hand.
Everything froze for a while.
Kieran then threw the jade stone at the furthest corner of his room.
The jade stone fell beside another irregr-shaped gray stone that had explosive marks on it.
Huu, haaa, huu haa!
Kieran covered his chest and panted loudly, heavily.
Pain!
His heart felt immense pain and it almost drowned Kieran within an instant.
Despite him not expecting a lot...
Why another piece of rock!
Even with [Lucky Card II], the system gave me a piece of jade stone instead of amon rock? Is that it?
There were no attributes, not even a description on the jade!
Theres absolutely no difference between the two! Might as well give me another rock!
Is my luck that terrible?
Kieran was shouting in his heart.
After a full 5 minutes, Kieran finally adjusted his emotions and turned to [Extreme Night] and [Reliable Repair Scroll].
After an unlucky attempt, the luck wille back next round!
He muttered to himself while using [Reliable Repair Scroll] on [Extreme Night].
[Using Reliable Repair Scroll on Extreme Night...]
[Repair starts...]
[Repair abnormality...]
[Extreme Night rarity is higher than Reliable Repair Scrolls safety repair limit!]
[Attempt highest rank of repair?Yes/No]
Yes!
Without any second thought, Kieran gave an affirmative answer.
Right away, a tinum blinding radiance exploded from the [Reliable Repair Scroll].
Kieran had to get used to the blinding radiance before he could see properly and he saw the radiance seeping into the sheathe, slow yet endless, like a warm stream that flowed through the mountains.
The radiancested for more than 10 seconds and after it finally faded, [Extreme Night] slowly returned to his sight.
Chang!
Kieran tried his best in carefully drawing the de and yet [Extreme Night] was still chiming ceaselessly.
Under the natural light in the room, the pitch-ck de filled with cracking patterns became deeper like the night in the sky.
More than half of the actual cracks were gone and most importantly, [Extreme Night]s attributes underwent a drastic change.
Chapter 1188 - Power Up
Chapter 1188: Power Up
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
[Name: Extreme Night (Damaged)]
[Type: Sword Type Weapon]
[Rarity: III]
[Attack: III]
[Attributes: 1. Night Veil; 2. Night sh]
[Effect: Night Protection]
[Prerequisite: Eliminate Ye Jing]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: As the longsword that Ye Jing gained in an ident before following him on his long conquest, its power is undisputed, but it was damaged during the battle with you. Not only has its rarity gone down, but its power has also been weakened a lot as well. Although it is still usable, be careful when you wield it. Maybe you can find a master swordsmith to repair it.]
...
[Night Veil: Extreme Night transforms into a ck moving light, blocking attacks that dont surpass rank III; 30-second durations, two uses per day]
[Night sh: Perform a ck light sh with rank III attacks on a single target within a 150-meter radius; two uses per day]
...
[Night Protection: In the night/darkness, Night Veils duration increases by 15 seconds; Night shs range increases by 50 meters.]
...
The de was still tagged with Damaged but [Extreme Night]s attributes changed remarkably.
Not only was the attack raised to rank III, but even its attributes, [Night Veil] and [Night sh], were enhanced.
The changespensated for the heartache that Kieran felt for his luck just now, and it even gave him a sense of anticipation.
What level will a perfected [Extreme Night] reach?
Muttering this, Kieran opened his Points and Skill Points tab.
[Points: 0; Skill Points: 0; Golden Skill Points: 14; Golden Attribute Points: 13]
Buying [Reliable Repair Scroll] emptied out Kierans Points and Skill Points, and before the equipment he entrusted Lawless to sell was sold out, he would have to wait a few days in order to level up with Points and Skill Points.
Golden Attribute Points werent included though, and Kieran had a n on how to utilize them to his benefit.
It was to enhance his strongest attribute!
Kieran had tasted the benefits of a powerful Spirit attribute, so it would be a no brainer.
Aside from others, if his Spirit wasnt powerful enough, if he were to face a God-level foe, his foe wouldnt even have to move a finger before exhausting his means with sheer aura alone.
So, Kieran went straight into leveling his Spirit attribute.
[Using Golden Attribute Points...]
[Spirit GGG- GGG (Strong III)]
[Using Golden Attribute Points...]
[Spirit GGG GGG+ (Strong III)]
[Using Golden Attribute Points...]
[Spirit GGG+ P- (Pre IV)]
[Note: yers Spirit has reached current Character Model Temte Limit. 2 Golden Skill Points and 2 Golden Attribute Points are required to level up further]
...
Although Kieran was prepared for this, knowing that he would soon reach his Character Model Temte Limit again, when he finally reached the level and saw the required Golden Skill Points and Golden Attribute Points, Kieran finally understood what Rachel meant by the system will provide you with a limit break dungeon.
So thest limit break dungeon is also one of the newbie high-ranker benefits? Kieran muttered but didnt stop.
He had a thought in his heart that needed verification.
[Using 2 Golden Attribute Points, 2 Golden Skill Points...]
[Spirit P- P (Pre IV)]
[Using 2 Golden Attribute Points, 2 Golden Skill Points...]
[Spirit P P+ (Pre IV)]
[Using 2 Golden Attribute Points, 2 Golden Skill Points...]
[Spirit P+ PP- (Pre IV)]
[Note: yers Spirit has reached the current Character Model Temte Limit. 3 Golden Skill Point and 3 Golden Attribute Points are required to level up further]
...
As expected! Kieran frowned.
The difficult climbing pattern before his eyes forced Kieran to alter his original ns, or rather, alter the n for the long shot.
The closer I get to rank IV, the more Golden Skill Points and Golden Attribute Points it requires. Calcting based on the increase, in order to level up to Strong IV, I would need 21 Golden Skill Points and Golden Attribute Points... Even if I dived deep into the dungeon worlds, excavating as hard as I could, it would require another three more dungeon runs plus temporarily giving up in enhancing other skills. If I want to shorten it, all I can do is get dungeon ratings higher than GGG for more Goldens... Kieran thought as his fist unconsciously clenched tight.
He wasnt a person who would back away from difficulties.
Even in the face of despair, Kieran would choose to face it head-on. Thus, the difficulties before him now were nothing to be afraid of.
As for how others overcame these kinds of difficulties?
Kieran didnt spare any thought to it.
Whether the other high-rankers prolonged their game time or found other shortcuts, Kieran didnt care.
All he knew was what he had to do, and it would be enough.
Looking at his remaining 8 Golden Skill Point and 4 Golden Attribute Point, Kieran chose to level up his Spirit again.
[Using 3 Golden Attribute Point, 3 Golden Skill Point...]
[Spirit PP- PP (New IV)]
...
When his Spirit entered the New IV stage, Kierans brain turned lighter. His sight was clearer when he looked at the darkness and chaos in his body and his mind fresher as he thought about things.
Each time he moved to the next major rank, Spirit would always give him a different feeling.
He was quite looking forward to the day when his Spirit entered rank V, what would happen then?
Likewise, Kieran would also try his best to raise his remaining stats but not with Golden Attribute Points, but rather Golden Skill Points!
He wanted to raise his stats through raising his skill levels!
Kieran then contacted Lawless through PM.
After that, Kieran sessfully acquired 300K Points from Lawless without any trouble, excluding the advance 25K points he attained from Lawless earlier.
The final number wasnt any different from Kierans expectations, so he turned to his skill tab.
[Sword Skill, Tiger Stance], [Sword Skill, Dragon Force], [Barsical Kick], [Hundred Violent Kick], [de Kick], [Viper Kick], [Dormant Viper] and others were all listed before his eyes.
Every single skill was avable for leveling up right now but when he thought about his uing dungeon, [The Queens Shield III], Kieran ced his attention on [Sword Skill, Tiger Stance], [Sword Skill, Dragon Force], [Viper Kick] and [Dormant Viper].
After considering his current Golden Skill Point and Skill Point consumption, [Viper Kick] became his priority.
[Viper Kick, Grand Master to Transcendence, requires 120,000 Points, 5 Golden Skill Points. Yes/No?]
[Name: Viper Kick (Transcendence)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Offense]
[Effect: Your leg muscles and joints would be slightly altered, slightly increasing the attack range of your kicks.]
[Special Effect: Viper Hiss (Whenever youunch a kick, your muscles will produce snake hissing sounds. Targets struck will be forced to go through a Spirit authentication no lower than C+; fear will be induced when failed)]
[Transcendence Option: +1 on enemy Spirit authentication]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Hand-to-Hand Combat, Kick Combat (Transcendence), Strength B, Agility B, Constitution B]
[Remark: A set of kicking techniques that are infamous for their bewitching movements, catching your target off guard!]
...
[Viper Kick leveled up, rted attributes increasing...]
[Strength SS+ SSS-]
[Agility SS+ SSS-]
[Constitution has reached the capped limit. Unable to level up any further]
Chapter 1189 - The Queen’s Shield III
Chapter 1189: The Queens Shield III
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The big city was quiet and calm for the next few days.
Borl didnt trouble Kieran anymore but Kieran still caught a glimpse of his figure at Harvest Inn it was Lawless usual gathering anyway, both of them didnt talk after exchanging gazes.
Time flew faster after that.
After the dungeon cooldown was reset, Kieran chose to enter after double-checking his equipment and items.
[Entering single-yer special dungeon!]
[Dungeon difficulty: 6th dungeon]
[Background: The Prairies men were defeated but Riverdale hasnt returned to its peaceful state, many malicious figures started to ce their eyes on the capital...]
[Main mission: Ensure Mary ascends to the throne as Queen in 30 days (0/30)]
[Temporarynguage pack, disappears upon exiting the dungeon]
[Clothing, backpack, weapons, and other items remain unchanged. Temporarily altered appearance returns to normal upon exiting the dungeon]
[Note: This is a 6th special dungeon. You can fail the Main Mission, but you will have to pay 600 Points as a penalty and your highest attributes will drop by 2 ranks If your points are insufficient, the system will deduct from your equipment. If your equipment is insufficient, you will fail]
...
Ascend to Queen?
Kieran wasnt surprised about the main mission.
After James IV appointed Mary as the heir of Warren, Kieran knew the day woulde sooner orter, especially with Mary as the vanguard, was breaking through the Prairies main camp, everything started to follow a clear path.
Of course, Kieran also expected troubles within.
The nobles that ran from Riverdale.
The reinforcements from the south and north and those hiding in the shadows.
All of them were trouble, especially thetter.
So far, Kieran only came in contact with the declined Viper Sect and Raven Sect, what about those other sects that didnt fall?
Or more urately, what will their stand be if they knew about the Dragon Sect secret on Mary?
Im afraid that the greedy eyes are watching her.
Kieran understood the greed that lurked in a humans heart.
Never satisfied, it could be used to describe humanitys greed most of the time, including Kieran himself.
The only difference between him and others was the different decisions made.
After a deep breath, Kieran sized up the tent before his eyes.
Based on the arrangements, he was sure it was the tent that he once stayed in before he left thest time.
It seemed like this time, he didnt leave for a long time, at most a day or two, which exined why the soldiers in the Warren campsite were still cleaning up the battlefield.
Kieran then used Fire Raven to verify his guesses.
Starting from the ruined Lightning Fortress, groups of Warren soldiers were cleaning the battlefield and brought back tons of weapons, equipment and... captives.
The invaders still had lingering fear on their faces, especially when they saw Kieran walk out of his tent.
T-The Devil!
Amidst the panicking voice, the first captive that saw Kieran was frightened enough to a fall while the rest traced the voice to its source.
Voices of panic then sounded off like a ceaseless wave.
All of the captives didnt care about the swords and knives pointed behind them by the Warren soldiers and wanted to escape, however, their hands and legs were tied up by a long rope, thus rendering their escape impossible.
In the end, all of them fell on the ground because of the messy pulling from all directions. A whole bunch of Prairie captives just fell on top of each other but despite the ugly position, they were still struggling to crawl away.
As long as they could get away from the Devil, even if they had to wriggle away without limbs they would do it, let alone having their hands and legs tied.
None of the captives wanted their soul to fall into the Devils hand.
Death wasnt scary, the scary thing was they couldnt be at peace after death.
The unusualmotion amongst the captives shook the soldiers escorting them but they soon reacted to the situation by beating them with their sheathed des.
Amid the beating sounds, the Prairies captives were beaten heavily, their faces were swollen by the hits and some even lost a couple of teeth.
The soldiers didnt hold back, just like how the Prairie invaders didnt show mercy when they ughtered the Warren soldiers.
Both were enemies to begin with, it was not possible for them to show mercy to each other.
With a hundred-year-old grudge infused into their minds, both sides were fatally ipatible.
My lord.
As the littlemotion amongst the captives quickly calmed down, the soldiers looked at Kieran and bowed with reverence.
They knew who was the one responsible for winning the war and allowing Warren to emerge victorious.
Each of the soldiers would never forget the monster that clouded the sky.
None of them could forget the gigantic magma body that ughtered his enemies.
All of the soldiers were grateful in their hearts, they were grateful that Kieran was on their side.
In fact, not only the soldiers, the officers and generals felt grateful. There was another one in the campsite right now who felt the same way as well: the Son of Dragon.
The young Duke of Zilin received the respect he deserved but most of the respect came from his dukeship and the fact that he stepped forward to help in the war.
As for his real strength?
No one really stated it out loud but everyone knew it in their guts, including the duke himself.
When the Duke of Zilin heard themotion, he stepped out of his tent and saw the ck figure bathing under the sunlight.
The feathered mantle on his coat was reflecting the sunlight, making it look golden with a dash of red.
It was eye-catching and blinding to look at, even the duke skipped a breath upon viewing the scene.
He felt like something had changed in Kieran.
It wasnt very clear but the instinct in his bloodline told him how powerful the person before him was.
The person was even stronger than the Prairie King!
As I expected of the highest ultimates of the Viper Sect.
Obviously misunderstood, the young duke walked over to Kieran with a smile.
He once again thought of the writings kept secret in his family: snake ascending to a dragon.
Unconsciously, the young dukes eyes at Kieran became more passionate.
He even thought of what to say in his mind and if it doesnt go against his code of honor, the duke would pour in every effort in exchange for Kieran teaching him the secret technique.
But when the young duke arrived in front of Kieran, extending his hand and ready to speak, Kieran turned his head in another direction.
Mary donning a smaller silver armor walked out from the tent.
Her golden ponytail was waving left and right as she ran over.
This time...
You were faster than I expected.
Wee back, 2567, said Mary.
Mary then dived into Kierans arms.
Hello, Mary.
Kieran smiled and touched her head like a senior caring for his junior.
Mary looked up and saw Kieran with a warm smile, her lips too curled into a delighted grin.
A smile that captured peoples eyes appeared on the princess face.
The soldiers around quickly turned their gazes away and continued their duties, only the young duke stood there awkwardly.
His hand in mid-air felt weird as well, it wasnt right for him to either take back or continue to linger.
In the end, the duke retracted his hand with a bitter smile and touched the tip of his nose to relieve the awkwardness.
Then, a soldier ran over in a hurry amid the happy reunion.
Your Highness, the Duke of Will from the south has appeared 20 kilometers outside of Riverdale with 20,000 troops, the soldier reported after a bow.
Chapter 1190 - Pull Out
Chapter 1190: Pull Out
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
After the report, everyone present showed a different reaction.
Kieran was as cold and calm as usual. Mary showed disgust while the Duke of Zilin showed contempt.
One needs to know that before the news got out, the old duke of Will sent an order officer to deliver a message to Mary, stating that the reinforcements he led were four days away from Riverdale, but two days after the victor was dered, the old duke was already 20 kilometers outside Riverdale.
Traveling a four-day journey in two days, it seems like the old duke really knows how to lead his troops. His speed is very much astonishing, said Mary with a heavy sneer.
Mary didnt conceal her thoughts in front of Kieran, and as for the duke of Zilin beside her?
Well, whenever Mary saw Kieran, she automatically neglected everyone elses existence.
What are you going to do about it? asked Kieran.
He didnt n to over-intervene in this matter because he was aware that Mary was the heir to Warren and, eventually, the queen of thend.
But Kieran?
It was impossible for him to stay at her side every single second.
Me? Mary slightly jolted. She instinctively wanted to hear advice from Kieran but the smart queen-to-be knew what was happening after a moment.
Kieran had been away twice before, and it was enough to be a reminder for Mary.
Although she really wanted to travel with Kieran, her education and upbringing forbade her from abandoning her own duty.
Ambivalent, the young princess fell into deep thought, but soon enough, she discarded all those thoughts from her mind.
At least Kieran was in front of her, right?
So...
I hope to meet this old duke in person alone and reward him somehow, said Mary. Best to hold the meeting in Riverdale, she added after a slight pause.
Pak, Pak Pak.
Duke of Zilin pped softly as his eyes on Mary showed admiration.
Splitting Old Duke Will and the 20,000 reinforcement troops in the name of reward to control both within her hands, it wasnt really surprising for one to think of this approach, but considering Marys age, it wasmendable.
Im quite looking forward to meeting the old duke again. Thest time we met was like a few years ago, the Duke of Zilin eximed with a heavy sneer.
Since the start of the war, the young duke never worried about the old duke not showing up because...
Duke of Zilin looked at Kieran beside Mary and he suddenly felt sad for the old duke in his heart.
The old duke might be having a hard time in choosing, right?
Would he allow someone beside him to control him? Or choose to confront a powerhouse that could rival an army?
It was a hard choice even for the young duke.
When the order officer carried the message back to the Old Duke of Will, a convoy slowly left Warren campsite.
The convoy consisted of the original Lightning Fortress guards as escorts while Kieran and the Duke of Zilin followed behind.
In the only wagon of the convoy, James VIII was lying down on a soft bed. His face was as pale as paper and turned even whiter under the sunlight.
Everyone could tell that the king was living on hisst breath and might pass on any second now, but no one would voice out their concerns at the moment.
A grand victory was enough to cover many shorings.
Even though the king was once weak and an easypromiser, all his ws were covered by the glory of victory. At least he was still a king with mercy.
Mary was sitting in front of the soft bed, whispering and taking care of her father.
Kieran and Duke Zilin were riding beside the carriage.
I hope to reach an agreement with you, said Duke Zilin to Kieran as he seized the moment.
This time, without Mary in the equation, the young duke spoke his mind.
I hope to acquire the highest ultimate of Viper Sect. I know its a rude request but please believe me, as I dont mean any harm. I just wish to borrow Viper Sects highest ultimate to seed my family secret technique: snake ascending to dragon! This will be the only opportunity for me to follow in my ancestors steps. Please agree to my request. In exchange, I will share all my familys secret techniques and spells with you, and I can promise you three requests that wont have me dishonor House Zilin, said the young duke with a sincere expression to Kieran.
Viper Sects highest ultimate?
Kieran jolted for a moment before he thought about the battle with the Prairies King. There, he had activated the attribute [Snake Molt] from [Ring of the Serpent King].
Without question, Duke Zilin seemed to have had a misunderstanding at the scene, but Kieran wasnt about to exin this to him.
Duke Zilin was just slightly better than amon stranger to Kieran, so he habitually reserved his opinion of the young duke, though he was quite interested in the secret techniques of House Zilin.
So, after some thought, Kieran said, I need to think about it.
Of course! Think, think about it, important matters require more thinking!
The young duke was overjoyed by the answer, for at least he wasnt rejected right away.
The worst-case scenario didnt happen, which meant that he had hope of fulfilling his wish as long as he presented sufficient sincerity!
The young duke then quietly made a decision in his heart when he got the answer.
Kieran didnt care about Duke Zilins thoughts, but when Viper Sect was mentioned, Kieran thought about the escaped Viper Sect leader.
Through her, Kieran thought about the seven goatskin papers at the Prairies main camp.
Kieran was quite confident that she would not give up on the goatskin papers that easily, so, as long as they were used as bait, Perry Kaner would show.
Though,pared to bait and capture, Kieran had a better way.
Gawk!
When the order was sent out, Fire Raven, connected to Kieran through a special link, flew towards Riverdale like a bolt of lightning.
The Fire Raven may be magnificent, but it still couldnt lock onto a target in a city with a hundred thousand poption.
However, using Fire Raven the other way waspletely viable. Fire Raven couldnt lock onto a single target but someone would be able to lock onto Fire Raven instead, someone such as that person in Raven Sect!
The ambitious, yetckluster, in terms of strength, Maxim would surelye to Kieran after he saw the Fire Raven. His character had already determined the oue.
Hence, it would be the perfect n to use Maxim to search for Viper Sect.
Who else understood you more than your friend?
Your enemy!
Kieran didnt believe that Raven Sect and Viper Sect, a pair of old rivals, didnt watch each others movements from time to time.
The convoy safely arrived in Riverdale and entered the pce.
Likewise, a report came into the pce just then.
What did you say? The old duke of Will has been assassinated?
Kieran raised a brow at the order officer before his eyes.
Chapter 1191 - Test?
Chapter 1191: Test?
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran wasnt surprised by Duke Will reacting to the summon.
After Mary made her move, the Duke of Will, who was known as the old fox, should have reacted ordingly, it would be strange if he did otherwise.
However, Duke Will facing assassination also surprised Kieran.
Replying by death wasnt any good reaction to Marys summons, Kieran didnt believe Duke Will was willing to give up his power and position to be a deadman.
Unless the old fox was targeting something else.
What though?
The answer was obvious.
He knew with his position and identity, should he die, Mary, as the heir to Warren, would have to visit and pray at his ceremony. Given the current situation after the war and considering the safety of the princess, I would have to follow her as well. Which means that other than Mary, I am also being targeted? Or rather... I am the main target!
Kieran squinted his eyes.
Under normal circumstances, given how cunning the old duke was in the past, it was hard to imagine the duke breaking the cauldrons and sinking the boats, making a bold move on this.
In simpler words, he must have some reliance on his side and the reliance must be very powerful, to the point that it could oppose Kierans power level.
Who will it be?
Kieran looked at Mary while he was pondering about the person hiding in the dark.
The young princess looked at Kieran as well. Her eyes had no worry, no fear, all they had were deep thoughts.
Obviously, Mary too noticed something unusual about Duke Wills assassination.
I think we need to discuss this in detail, Duke Zilin suggested.
Kieran never rejected suggestions to discuss matters meticulously, if his main mission didnt require him to assure Marys ascent to the throne in 30 days, he would probably go with a more reliable way: gathering info from the Raven Sect.
Raven Sect had spies in the Prairies main camp, so it was enough for Kieran to believe they had spies in the south as well.
With the main mission limiting his choices, he had to approach the matter more riskily because he had no time to figure out what kind of setups the reinforcement from the south had prepared.
All he could do was use himself as bait, luring the plots against him, or that someone.
However, before he went risking his life again, he still asked Marry for a suggestion.
Mary?
Its your decision, the princess was being direct. Her trust for Kieran had exceeded normal peoples imagination a while ago.
Its too risky! At least call another group of riders from Lightning Fortress campsite. Duke Zilin tried to dissuade Kierans risky suggestion.
However, his dissuasion waspletely useless against Kieran and Mary.
A group of riders? Unless the numbers can overwhelm the southern reinforcements, they will be useless. I would rather move alone since its more convenient. Kieran shook his head.
Us, you mean? Mary emphasized.
Kieran nodded with a smile at Marys emphasized statement.
Count me in then.
Duke Zilin wanted to follow as well but he was rejected by Kieran.
Riverdale needs someone to guard her. You are by far the most suitable, Kieran said.
Ill leave my father in your hands in the time being, Lord Zilin, Mary said.
As youmand, Your Highness. The young duke quickly bowed.
A whileter, a smaller convoy with a few men left Riverdales pce.
The young duke saw the convoy off until it went out of sight. He turned back to the pce and started to arrange the guards and patrols around the premise.
Duke Zilin would not be careless in the task that Kieran and Mary assigned him.
Luring the tiger out of itsir.
The saying didnte from the current dungeon world but there were many simr sayings as well.
For the honor of House Zilin, the young duke treated his task seriously.
...
The southern reinforcement set up camp 20 kilometers south of Riverdale. Under the beautiful day, the big campsite was visible to everyone after they left Riverdale.
Mary stood on the carriage and nced over the campsite before returning inside.
She was hugging [Thorn de], which was as tall as herself, squinting her eyes and thinking deeply, showing some resemnce to Kieran.
Not just the thinking though, Mary would imitate Kierans small habits most of the times as well.
Talking, walking, sitting, all of it.
It wasnt entirely the admiration for the strong, it was the same as habits children learned from their parents.
Most children inmoner families tended to be like their parents because of this reason. Simr living environment, simr food consumption, everything somehow shared resemnce without even being noticed this was a kind of inheritance as well.
In fact, most of the families upheld such an inheritance.
Inside the current dungeon world, the inheritance wasnt limited to family only.
Listening to Marys rhythmic breathing, Kieran couldnt help but take a nce at her.
He could tell it was a kind of cultivation of breathing but he didnt ask, everyone had their own secrets.
Mary had them, he had them, somewhat even more than Mary.
Without uttering a word or making a noise, Kieran walked out of the carriage and sat on the driver seat.
Master.
The driving Jyaichi, Fanner, and Torstar who were quietly gathering around the carriage greeted him respectfully.
The respectfulness had far exceededmon soldiers as well. After being controlled by [Mesly Ring], the Viper Sect sword wielder and core member carried out Kierans orders when he wasnt around and protected the princess, and it seemed like they did a good job. ording to Fanner and Torstars private messages, they were able to foil at least three to four assassination attempts on Marys life.
Where did the assassinationse from?
The three of them didnt know since they didnt have the order to leave Marys side.
Assassination, eh?
Kieran muttered the word while his eyes were locked on a side of the road further ahead.
Riverdale was Warrens capital,pared to muddy roads in the rural areas, the road they were traveling on wasnt just t but wide, it allowed a maximum of two four-wheeled wagons to pass at a time.
Meanwhile further down the road, a two-wheeled wagon toppled over the side of the road.
Since it toppled over, one could clearly see the broken wagon axle. The horse that was pulling the carriage was tied at a tree beside, grazing on grass.
There was also scattered luggage all over the road, some silverware, and some clothes.
It seemed like the wagon belonged to the escaping refugee who wanted to return to Riverdale after hearing of the victory of the Warren soldiers.
But...
There was the horse, the luggage and carriage, but not a single man in sight.
Without Kieran even giving the order, Fanner quickly went up and investigated.
Just when Fanner was in the middle of the investigation, a gaze with a sense of judgment came from the forest beside the road andnded directly on Kieran.
Chapter 1192 - Ape
Chapter 1192: Ape
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The judgmental gaze thought it was being subtle but under Kierans SSS+ Intuition, it was exposedpletely.
However, Kieran leaned back on the carriage leisurely despite the gaze sizing him up like picking an item in a store and even though he noticed a few more simr presences who thought they were concealed, he didnt change his movements at all.
On the other hand, Jyaichi who sat beside him vanished silently, together with Torstar and Fanner who were investigating further ahead.
Whats wrong 2567?
Inside the carriage, the sharp-sensed princess noticed that the atmosphere wasnt right.
Nothing, Kieran said calmly.
Out of her trust for Kieran, Mary didnt press the topic further, she continued burying herself inmunicating with [Thorn de]. Meanwhile, outside the carriage, a silent battle broke out.
A faint bloody stench filled the air.
Suddenly, a figure dashed out from the forest and went after Kieran like an arrow let loose.
Then... he had his chest pierced by a long narrow rapier.
[Dandelion Pierce] that hid in the shadows acted as the best assassin, not only discrete but straightforward as well.
Puk!
The figure whose chest was perforated looked down at [Dandelion Pierce] with an inconceivable gaze but the rapier didnt care, it flew out and shed the figures throat right away.
Puk!
Blood sshed and the figure was decapitated.
Jyaichi, Torstar, and Fanner also returned at that moment, none of them were wounded.
A bunch of amateurs, Fannermented.
With decent strength, Fanner then added.
Torstar was nodding beside him, agreeing to hisment; Jyaichi was inspecting the body which [Dandelion Pierce] killed but he shook his head in the end.
They werent the people he was familiar with, and no obvious or familiar marks were on their bodies.
Move the fallen wagon, well continue forward, Kieran ordered.
The trio quickly moved out and carried out the task.
The other one who made a move at the same time was the person who threw the judgmental gaze toward Kieran.
The person was moving slowly, carefully towards the wagon.
His technique was different frommon [Undercover] skill, thus the trio didnt notice him in the first ce. When the person saw that the trio was dealing with the blockage, he grinned.
Everything was proceeding as nned.
Kieran was still in enjoying the victory time, so they wouldnt have known all those dead people were just a smokescreen. He was the true leader behind this little ambush.
Close!
Closer than ever!
Looking at the carriage in front, he could even hear the breathing from the little princess.
He too showed sympathy towards the young, innocent princess but once he thought about the things someone said, he discarded the meaningless sympathy.
Sympathy?
Would it have allowed him to live until this day?
Sympathy?
Could it allow him to grasp the Origin Force like the Prairie King?
No!
As long as...
As long as he got the princess, that item would be within his grasp!
Until then, Ill be...
His palm finally touched the carriage where Mary was but before he rushed in and seized Mary, he stood on the spot frozen, because he heard breathing behind him.
Without a second thought, a gloomy dagger appeared in his hand and was driven towards the person behind him but...
It missed!
Not only did it miss, but he also didnt even see the persons figure behind him!
All he got was breathing that once again that came from behind.
Sweat broke out uncontrobly on his forehead.
The leader of the ambush lunged another stab behind him and it missed again without surprise.
He didnt stop there though because after the second time missing the target, he ran towards the carriage with Mary in it.
He wanted to break in and seize Mary.
No matter who the person was behind him, with a hostage at hand, even Kieran would have scruples to move against him.
With the thought in his mind, the person dashed out with a never before seen speed but when he was about to reach the carriage, the carriage door was opened from the inside.
A ck figure was glistening under the sunlight and was looking darker than ck by his presence.
The persons face turned sour.
2567! he cried.
He didnt understand how Kieran who should have fallen into his trap appeared inside the carriage, simr to how he didnt understand the gap of strength between them.
Look into my eyes.
After that, Ganarde lost every single one of his thoughts.
The Trial of Sects wasnt important anymore.
His original goal didnt matter anymore.
All he had in his heart now was the person that he ought to follow for the rest of his life.
Master.
Ganarde knelt on one knee.
...
The convoy resumed its journey, the newly joined Ganarde didnt follow the convoy though, instead, he hid in the forest, trailing them.
For Ganarde of the Ape Sect, the forest was the best battlefield for him.
He could maximize his potential in there, whether in terms of battle or reconnaissance.
Kieran sat back beside Jyaichi on the driver seat.
Ape Sect eh? He muttered.
Ganarde originating from Ape Sect was kind of a surprise to Kieran but what surprised him the most was that Ganarde knew about the matters regarding the [Unknown Goatskin] from Perry Kaner.
Of course, Ganarde was the target that Perry Kaner chose, otherwise why would she tell him about the [Unknown Goatskin].
Viper Sect leader hoped to borrow Kierans hand in killing Ganarde, thus bringing Ape Sect into the fray, therefore she could fish in troubled waters.
As for controlling Ganarde with [Mesly Ring]?
It would be the best-case scenario for her.
[Mesly Ring] was widely known because of Marys aunt, Jeanne James, and those who had their eyes on the ring were definitely not the minority, let alone the sects.
The sects would probably take precautious amidst their watchful gaze at the ring, using certain methods to test whether a person was controlled by [Mesly Ring] or not.
Kieran could already imagine Perry Kaner contacting Ape Sect the moment Ganarde moved out.
She didnt even have to alter the facts, all she had to do was conceal some details and it would be a sufficient reason for Ape Sect to target Kieran, whether it was for their disciple or because of the [Mesly Ring].
Aqua Ape, me Ape, and de Ape eh?
Kieran was pondering the intel he got from Ganarde just now.
Unlike the fallen Viper Sect and Raven Sect, the lineal inheritance in Ape Sect was intact.
Other than themon disciple, there were three major branches: Aqua Ape, me Ape, and de Ape.
While on top of the three branches was... White Ape!
Ganarde was obviously not from the branches, and there was even less of a possibility of him being the White Ape.
In fact, he traveled to train himself to get into either Aqua Ape, me Ape, or de Ape, thus falling into Perry Kaners scheme.
Based on what Ganarde said, the leader of the three branches could rival an army on their own respectively.
As for the one above the three, the White Ape?
It wasnt something that amon disciple like Ganarde could get close too.
How powerful is the White Ape?
Same as the Prairie King? Or even more powerful?
While Kieran was thinking about the enemy, they were getting closer to the southern reinforcement campsite.
An ominous air was swirling above the campsite, rumbling like a dark cloud.
Chapter 1193 - Warmth
Chapter 1193: Warmth
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The ominous presence was without form, yet its pressure on Kieran and the others was extremely obvious.
Fanner and Torstar frowned simultaneously. They stopped.
Jyaichi was looking up at the sky with a dubious face while Ganarde came out of the forest, looking heavy.
Obviously, Fanner and Torstar, the weaker ones, only noticed that something was wrong through their instincts while Jyaichi, the stronger one, could sense that something went awry; Ganarde, the strongest one among them, obviously saw something.
My lord, something isnt right.
Ganarde reported to Kieran softly after he arrived beside the wagon with two nimble jumps that were much like that of a real ape.
Kieran nodded slightly, his SSS+ Intuition allowing him to clearly see what was going on in front.
The ominous presence that rumbled restlessly like a dark cloud above the southern reinforcement camp made him frown too, despite the camp being filled with tents and waving gs.
The ck, rumbling presence was like an unclear monster wandering above the camp, ready to devour the reinforcements beneath it, yet everything in the camp seemed normal as if its upants couldnt feel anything wrong above their heads.
So this is what you are relying on, old fox, Kieran muttered as he softly knocked on the carriage.
Dok Dok Dok.
A rhythmic knockingter, Mary came down from the carriage. Even the sharp-sensed princess noticed something wasnt right.
What kind of power is this? Mary asked Kieran with furrowed brows.
Where did your aunt originate from again? Kieran asked back with a smile.
Ghastly Woods? The power of curses! The young princess quickly reacted, followed by a change of expression.
Among the plethora of powers that people dreaded the most, the power of curses would be at the top. The strange, formless power easily terrified people most of the time.
Im here.
Kieran raised his hand and touched Marys head again, saying words offort before turning to Fanner.
Thetter quickly understood the sign. Fanner swiftly arranged his things and rode towards the reinforcement camp on his horse.
As princess of thend, Mary should be weed like the royalty she was, not entering the camp unannounced. This was part of the glory and honor of the heir of Warren.
Wuu, Wuu Wuu!
Loud horns were blown from the reinforcement camp. A group of bright-armored riders swiftly rode out the camp, lining up on both sides of the outer gate.
Deer antlers and blockades on the path were moved out of the way. A red velvet carpet was rolled out from the camp, allowing a bunch of important figures with extravagant outfits to step on it as they walked out.
They didnt pause on the way but directly went up to Mary before bowing and saluting.
Your Highness.
There was a total of 10 men in the group and the most familiar one among them was the private consultant to James VIII, Bosco.
Bosco was sending eye signals to Kieran as he arrived, the corners of his mouth ceaselessly pointing to the two young men beside him.
The two young men looked very simr, except that one of them sported a beard. Other than that, both of them donned iron armor with swords at their waists.
Kieran nced over at the two young men and looked further behind without pause.
There were six more men with various physiques and ages standing respectfully behind the two, and on their chest tes were different house emblems.
Behind the six of them was an elderly man. Compared to the others in front of him who were adorned extravagantly, the elderly was just donning a brown robe and looked quite calm, absent of any sense of nervousness.
Comparing the current scene to the previous news he got, Kieran quickly recognized everyone that came out for the wee.
The two young men should be the sons of Duke Will.
The other six should be barons from all across Will Prefecture.
While the elderly should be the other Duke of Willthe duke-in-name only.
After having experienced a real war, Mary wasnt frightened by the group of fully armed men. Quite the opposite, as her leisure gaze on them caused nervousness in their hearts, especially the old dukes second son. The young man who was always well protected by his own father and brother had been looking at Mary with an interested gaze at first, but when he caught her gaze, his own shunned away.
But right away, he realized his shunning didnt fit his pride as a man, thus he wanted to counter.
However...
When the second son mustered the courage to look at Mary again, he saw a ck figure instead.
Cold and dead.
The coldness rose up from his own heart the moment he saw the figure.
He seemed to hear the wails of death.
He seemed to see a sea of corpses.
His face started to turn pale.
His steps started to falter until he knocked one of the other barons behind him.
It was at that moment that the second son of the old duke noticed it wasnt just him alone reacting like that, as everyone present, with the exception of Bosco, reacted the same way, including his powerful brother.
The second son gulped, trying to wet his dry throat to prepare himself to speak, but before words could form, Mary nodded slightly.
Um.
The reply from her nasal voice carried the proudness of a princess.
Perfectly timed, Kieran raised an arm in front of Mary, allowing her to ce hers on it before walking forward slowly beside her.
Both of them were walking straight, their steps in unison. The sense of mighty bearinging out of Kieran caused the important figures from the southern reinforcement camp to automatically open up a path for them.
When both of them stepped onto the velvet carpet, the important figures came back to their senses, hence following up with a less friendly face.
They felt insulted. They, who were used to receiving respect and reverence on their ownnds, fired out gazes at the old dukes eldest son.
Celder, the eldest son, noticed the gazes from his men but he wasnt in a hurry.
Compared to his immature younger brother, Celder wasnt just the older sibling with a beard, for he had patience as well.
He replied to the gazes with one of his own, assuring the other nobles in hisnd. Then he quietly took another nce at Bosco, who didnt move, and the useless duke-in-name.
Celder didnt want to care about these two people, as it was like concern himself with stray dogs on the street.
In Celders opinion, Bosco and the elderly duke-in-name were even less than the attendants Kieran brought, for at least those two attendants possessed decent abilities.
The two Celder was thinking about were actually Fanner and Torstar, who stayed behind at the wagon.
As for Jyaichi and Ganarde?
A wagoner and a servant, nothing worthwhile of his attention.
Retracting his gaze, Celder, who thought he had a firm grasp of the situation, hastened his steps.
He went up to Marys back, leaving only two steps between them.
Your Highness, thank you for making the time...
2567, the sun is gloomy here.
Before Celder could finish, he was interrupted by Mary.
Celder jolted along with the other nobles of thend when they heard those absurd, mindless wordse from the young princess.
Then, they saw Kieran raise his left hand amid the walking.
Huuu!
zing mes burned hot, the devil screamed.
A ball of Devil me flew towards the sky like aet, crashing into the cloud-like ominous presence.
Boom!
Fiery waves rumbled along the trail of the Devil me, and the ominous presence was cleansed by the scorching mes.
Rank III Devil me against the ominous presence, which was only around a new Advance Rank, was like breaking a twig from a dead stump.
At the same time, the powerful fire also suppressed the one who gathered the ominous cloud.
Aaaaargh!!
A loud scream came from the camp further away.
But Mary turned a deaf ear. Raising her hand, she grabbed a dash of sunlight with her palm and said with a joyful voice, Its so warm.
Your Highness, it can still be warmer, Kieran said calmly.
Devil me burned on his left hand again before he even let it down.
Chapter 1194 - Cover Your Ears
Chapter 1194: Cover Your Ears
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The scorching heatwave assaulted his face, burning Celders cheeks. Not only his face felt stinging pain, even his breath almost stopped.
What was happening?
Celder widened his eyes, trying to get a clear look but the temperature of the Devil me and blinding light prevented him from seeing anything.
Only loud burning sparks echoed ceaselessly in his ears.
Fire?
Right, it was fire!
Celder finally recalled the previous scene and after he knew what the fire represented, he shivered hard.
How is this possible?
How is this possible?
2567 barely managed to withstand the Prairie King, it was luck that ushered him to victory in the end, how could he destroy that lords arrangements so easily?
No! Something must be wrong! Celder was roaring relentlessly in his mind but reality would not change ording to anyones wish.
Faltering backward, Celder escaped the scorching heat from the Devil me, he widened his dried, blurry eyes and saw a burning red cloud of fire shooting up to the sky above him like aet!
Kaboom!
Another explosion went off.
Unlike the sudden explosion just now, this time everyone heard it clearly. How powerful would the Devil me be if it could destroy the ominous presence like breaking a twig from a dead stump?
After that, everyone also heard a loud, clear agonizing scream, causing chills to creep down ones spine.
Every important figure that came out to wee Mary shuddered when the scream was heard because he knew what all these represented since they knew what the old duke had nned.
They lost!
Theypletely lost before it even began!
The powerful figure they once relied on and received immense confidence from was giving them nothing but agonizing screams at the moment other than fueling the fear in their hearts.
The most primitive, purest kind of fear of the difference in power grew rapidly.
Therefore, it was natural that these important figures from the southern regions asked the same question in their heart
How powerful was 2567?
What about their intel gathered on him?
After witnessing the scene before their eyes, if they were to still believe their intel, it would be suicidal.
Those intel-gathering spies should be hanged to death!
And that eldest son... how useless!
Once these important southern figures thought about the costly annual fee they paid in exchange for such a useless, fake intel, their heart couldnt hold back their curses for Celder.
All of them knew Celder was the one responsible formanding the intelligence department.
Infuriated because of being deceived, the six barons threw a fierce re at Celder before they looked at the ck figure with a dubious gaze.
Kierans power level was enough for them to doubt their own existence.
Kieran, on the other hand, didnt care about all of that. Of course, he felt these mens gaze but his attention was locked on to the camp of the southern reinforcement. Or more precisely, the screaming person from Ghastly Woods.
The old duke of Will always supported Lady Jeanne James in the past, while it wasnt any secret that Marys aunt originated from Ghastly Wood Sect, it was also widely known that she was once the immovable First Seat of the sect.
However, it has been a while after Jeanne James death and yet Ghastly Wood Sect sent someone to the old dukes side.
Kieran knew exactly what it represented after Ghastly Wood Sects appearance.
But he wasnt in a hurry to make a move though, all he did was order Fire Raven to lock onto the target. He looked down at Mary who was also shaken by the scene.
Your Highness, Kieran signaled softly.
Mary nodded slightly and quickly discarded the shocked expression from her face. She didnt know what happened but she knew she could just trust Kieran.
She was already used to the trust and she didnt n to change it.
So, she didnt conceal her movements, clutching Kierans hand tightly.
Kieran felt the strength from the princess, he knew she was still a little girl, despite not showing it on her face, her heart was still nervous.
Cover your ears, Kieran said suddenly.
The princess jolted for a moment before covering her ears with her hands and
Roar!
The arrogant Devil mirage appeared behind Kieran.
It roared at the sky! Its magma body was emanating unimaginable power under the sun. A chaotic, rampant aura was like a torrential waterfall from the sky, pouring down on thend.
Krooom!
Everyone seemed to felt the ground trembled but in fact...
The ground was still!
What trembled was their body, their legs, and their hearts!
As if being stared down by a titan, they saw the Devil mirage grow with the wind and soon to cover the sky above them.
Overthinking? Illusion?
No! Not at all!
It was the total suppression towards the lower end of the food chain by the ferocious monster at the top!
Bup Bup!
The second son of the old duke, a young man that hadnt been through real training, was the first to fall under the fear from the suppression; he faltered and knelt down on the ground.
Following the second sons kneeling, the others followed like falling dominos.
Bup! Bup! Bup!
The important figures from the south knelt down on the ground one after another.
Then, the riders that came out for the weing, followed by the soldiers that walked out from the camp; there was no exception.
All that was left standing were Kieran and Mary on top of the red velvet carpet.
As for Fanner, Torstar, Jyaichi, and Ganarde?
The moment the Devil mirage appeared, all four of them knelt on one knee, looking at the ck figure with the utmost respect and after everyone else knelt down...
Their respect became more frantic!
The frantic feeling came from their hearts and from their soul! As if they were devoted believers of Kieran, or more precisely, fanatics! They looked at Kieran as if they were looking at God!
As a matter of fact, Kieran was no different than a God at the moment in the eyes of the southern figures.
T-This, this...How...H-H-How...
Celders mouth was mumbling, shivering as he tried to say something while on the ground but no one could make words out of his heavy stuttering.
Besides, at that moment, no one would care about what he muttered anyway, all of the attention was ced on one of the two standing figures.
All eyes on him, but Mary werent nervous.
Who would be nervous in front of a bunch of kneeling folk?
At least Mary wasnt.
She turned around and looked up slightly at Kieran whose face was as calm as water.
Her mouth was curling to a grin uncontrobly. Her hand raised once more, Kierans too to receive the princess hand.
Kieran once again fell a step behind Mary and as the sunlight bathed them, the wind caressed them, the ck crow feathered mantle fluttered.
It was the only sound throughout the entire southern reinforcement camp.
He, who walked the path controlled heaven and earth.
Other than the flutters, all were silent.
Chapter 1195 - This Is Just The Beginning
Chapter 1195: This Is Just The Beginning
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran and Mary walked forward together, almost side by side.
Along the red velvet carpet, both of them entered the big southern camp, but they didnt go straight to the main tent. Instead, they went towards the origin of the scream.
It was Kierans suggestion and Mary didnt object.
Despite being of a young age, Mary understood many things that adults didnt, even sayings such as when the fangs are shown, there is no need to keep them away.
The sword that was drawn must kill before sheathing!
Mary deeply understood the saying. Besides, she was quite curious about the scream as well since the person was of Ghastly Wood Sect, the same origin as her aunt.
However, the moment Mary finally met the person, she was quite disappointed.
The person was a dwarf with ferocious features. Her shirt was in a mess, and gold and silver essories were scattered all around her. After a nce at the size of the essories, Marys face slightly changed.
Repulsion? Mary asked softly.
Mm. Kieran nodded.
The dwarf from Ghastly Wood Sect obviously suffered a repulsion from the power of the curse.
After multiple contacts with them, Kieran never underestimated the curses, thus he forbade Mary from getting close. Even he himself kept a distance from the woman.
Kieran carefully sized up the woman, and despite the endless screaming, the Ghastly Wood Sect woman also took notice of Kieran and Mary.
Even while in pain, she wasntpletely helpless, still having a bit of power left in her.
Unfortunately, that bit of power was like putting out a cartload of fire with sses of water in battle. The scene that happened just now allowed her to understand that there was a deep gap of strength between her and Kieran.
So
Run!
She was no knight, so there was no wrong with her doing so.
Therefore
Gawk!
A ck crow that was formedpletely out of ck mist flew out from her body suddenly.
Still screaming in pain, she shouted at Kieran and Mary with utmost viciousness, holding a grudge.
You think you can live if I die? The rest of Ghastly Wood will not spare your lives! You will suffer relentless retaliation! You
But at the next moment, her fierce voice stopped abruptly because the ck mist crow that carried herst hope was burned into nothingness by mes.
The figure of a bright red aviary grazed the sky.
The Fire Raven didnt even care that it burned one of its own kind. It pped its wings like a hawk,nded on Kierans shoulder and gazed at the Ghastly Wood Sect woman that shared the same presence as the crow. The Fire Raven surprisingly showed a very humane, disdainful expression.
It felt like the Fire Raven was saying: The sky is my territory! No other being is allowed to soar together with me!
The screams finally stopped.
The agonizing screams were just a show to numb Kieran and Mary, but after herst hope was burnt, there was no need to pretend anymore.
The Ghastly Wood Sect woman sat up. She looked at Kieran.
After Fire Ravens appearance, her attention waspletely captured by it.
Hahahahaha! So this is it! This is it! The Raven Sect! The Crown Raven!
The womanughed loudly as she pointed at Kieran. As her voice grew dimmer, her presence grew weaker, her life fading away bit by bit. She seemed to have acquired momentary consciousness before dying, as she managed to say softly, Dont think everything is over with my death. This is just the beginning!
The woman seemed to want to say something else but she found herself powerless to do so, leaving her lips opening and closing.
Fire Raven, with the link to Kieran, spat out a mouthful of mes at the dead woman. When the orange glow came out of the charred body, it flew over and grabbed the loot before soaring up to the sky again.
Kieran double-checked the body and the surroundings. After he made sure there werent other loots worthy of his attention, he turned around and said to Mary, Lets go! It will be smoother from here onwards!
Just as Kieran said, when the important figures, soldiers of the southern reinforcement, recovered from the terrorizing experience of the Devil, everything became easier.
The doubt and contempt in their eyes toward Mary was gone because the person beside Mary taught them what they should do.
Your Highness.
All the important figures were kneeling down on one knee inside the main tent of the camp.
Respectful with a slight sense of fear. Some hadnt even regained their senses, people like the old dukes second son. He seemed to still be in a trance.
Meanwhile, the quickest to react among the bunch was the eldest son of the old duke, Celder.
After bowing, Celder spoke.
I must again express my gratitude for Your Highnessing down here. The incident was so sudden, we werent greeted with any signs and yet our father befell into a malevolent fatemy brother and I will bring his coffin back to Will Prefecture, returning him to our home and burying him ording to our customs. Please do allow us to give him a proper burial in his home, Celder said in an orderly fashion.
Is there any lead on the assassin?
Mary didnt agree nor disagree with the suggestion, choosing to instead divert the topic.
No, Your Highness but House of Will will surely apprehend the murderer to avenge my father! Celder said in a sonorous voice.
Is that so? May I see the dukes body for thest time? As the heir of Warren, I should give my blessing to the Guardian of the South onest time, said Mary, slowly.
Following Marys words, the six southern barons reacted strangely.
As the participants of the incident, they, of course, knew that the old duke faked his death, and yet, Mary requested to see the body
Would they be exposed?
The six barons looked at each other.
One of them clenched his teeth, wanting to say something.
After all, one dead was better than all dead.
Looking at Kieran beside Mary, the barons lost any resistance in their hearts. All they wished for was forgiveness, pardoning themselves from death.
But when one of the barons tried to say something, Celder nodded right away.
Very well, please follow me. My fathers coffin is ced in that tent.
Celder then led the way while Mary stood up from her seat to follow.
Together with Kieran and the barons, who sported weird expressions, they entered the tent beside the main one.
There, they saw the old dukes body, a real dead body.
When they saw the body, the barons expressions looked even weirder but none deigned to say anything, as none felt any sorrow, not even the eldest son, Celder.
Only the second son looked sad before his father.
His eyes teared up uncontrobly when he saw the corpse of his beloved father.
Then he noticed the blood that was dripping out of his fathers body.
The dark, grand outfit of the old duke was soaked in his own blood and it looked exceptionally dazzling inside the white coffin.
Chapter 1196 - Three Points
Chapter 1196: Three Points
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Father!
When he saw the coffin, the old dukes second son, Peders, couldnt hold it in any more; he fell before the coffin, crying as loud as he could.
Celder, however, frowned at his brother.
He maintained his countenance as he walked over to his brothers side. He tapped his brothers shoulder before turning around to Mary, saying, Forgive him, Your Highness. Peders forgot his manners due to fathers death.
Mm.
Mary nodded without a clear remark when she saw the blood in the coffin.
The blood was fresh, no coagtion, and the joints and muscles werent hardened, as if the old duke had really died not too long ago.
Ellen, Marys mother, taught her much about dead bodies. The knowledge came afloat in her mind as she inspected the old duke. She then looked at Kieran, her eyes showing disbelief of the scene.
Fantasies are always beautiful. Reality is always cruel. But sometimes, it is much crueller than you can imagine.
Kieran touched Marys head, pointed at the coffin and continued, A while before we came in, this person here was alive. He was walking back and forth here because of the nervousness, but it did not ease his anxiety at all. Quite the opposite, in fact, for the situation outside made him even more restless. He was a little regretful but couldnt make up his mind to risk his life. When he saw the formless presence fall to the ground, he despaired and wantedfort, and coincidentally this ce had it. Wine is perfect for easing nervousness, so he uncorked a bottle without a second thought and drank it all. Then his son walked in. He was still lost when he saw his son, but his son, on the other hand, had made up his mind. Other than death, what else could be considered as an important matter? Nothing. And when it concerned his own death Staying alive was more important to this son, to the point that he would throw away his kinship.
Kierans voice was calm, but the things he said were somehow uneptable to some, striking chills without actual coldness in peoples hearts.
Sir 2567, what are you talking about? My father died a while ago, so how could something like you said happen here? Celder angrily shouted at Kieran.
At this moment, Celder presented himself as a warrior because he should possess courage when confronting someone that could rival an army on his own.
It would bemendable if he werent tough on the outside and scared on the inside. It was nothing but an act.
When Kierans gaze came, Celder cringed.
Im sorry, Sir 2567. Because of my fathers death
You didnt have time to clean up the broken wine bottle on the floor, so you shoved all the pieces under the coffin. In order to cover the alcoholic smell, you purposely took out wine for the offering and ced it in the most obvious ce so that when people came into this tent, the first thing they would see would be the wine, thinking that the smell came from there, Kieran interrupted Celder before he could finish.
I dont know what you are talking about, Celder shouted again.
This time, his shout made him look extra vicious.
Dont know? Nevermind. Move the old dukes hand. You might have had the time to clean the broken bottle but not to change your fathers clothes. The most you could do was cover the body with an extra shirt but the stab marks in his undershirt should still be there. Most importantly, your sword. Did you make sure to clean your sword? Even if you did, do you have the ability to change the sword marks on Old Duke Wills body? Kieran was being calm as usual.
However, amidst his calm voice, Celder started to tremble.
Especially when Peders found the broken bottle pieces under the coffin and saw the sword marks when moving aside the old dukes hand.
B-B-Brother, can you show your sword? Peders asked his brother.
His voice was also trembling and even stuttering when asking.
You believe an outsider over me? I am your brother! Celder shouted again.
Peders obviously jolted when his brother shouted at him, and during this minor break in his demeanor, Celder drew his sword.
Chang!
After the loud unsheathing sound, the blood-stained de was ced against Peders neck while Celder quickly moved behind his younger brother.
Why, brother? Peders muttered softly as if his soul were drawn away when he saw the faint bloodstains on the de against his neck.
Why? Dont you know what father intended to do just now? He wanted to beg for forgiveness with his life and mine, and give you the entire Will Prefecture! Why? I also want to know why! I worked with the utmost effort, exhausting all my energy. And you? You enjoyed all the good things father and I gave you, living a carefree life, and even causing problems endlessly. Each time that happened, father and I had to stand up for you, cleaning up your mess! And yet, at the veryst moment, he wanted to entrust to you the entire Will Prefecture!?
Celder was shouting ferociously at his brother. He then looked at Mary.
Your Highness, please move. Also, please restrict Sir 2567 from moving. I want to leave this ce. As long as I can get away safely, Ill let Peders go, Celder shouted.
Unconsciously, the southerners started to open a path for Celder, who had gone awry.
Mary and Kieran didnt move.
The young princess frowned tightly, looking at Celder with utmost disgust. Kieran didnt alter his countenance at all.
I think youre mistaken with three things. First, your father bringing you to Mary and asking for forgiveness was to stabilize the situation. Mary wouldnt really punish you two, at most putting you behind bars. After losing the two of you, Peders would be left with the entire House of Will, and obviously would be a big fat piece of meat for the other barons here, should they have the intentions. As long as they had the intentions to take over, given your brothers character, he would surely fall and be ced at a disadvantage. He would seek help throughout thends, yet others would nibble away at his authority andnds until things would have entered Marys ears. Whether it is Marys character or for the sake of stabilizing the south, there is a big chance that she would have released you or your father.
Kierans calm voice made Celders sword-wielding hand tremble.
Celder never thought of all of this under his rash impulsiveness, and now that he did, all those thoughts were reced by regret.
Clenching his teeth, Celders panted.
What about the second thing? Celder asked, unwilling.
He wanted to know what other kinds of mistakes he made.
Seizing your brother as hostage But what does he have to do with me!?
The moment Kierans voice subsided, his figure vanished from the spot.
Celder panicked but before he even moved a muscle, Kieran was already behind him.
Fwaa!
The crow feathered mantle fluttered to a slow fall due to the rapid movement.
Celder suddenly felt that his hand was empty. While he was in disbelief over his brother vanishing from his hand, a red line crossed his neck.
Puk!
Blood gushed as his head flew up high before falling down to the ground.
Third, you overestimated your strength, said Kieran, who was already beside Mary after the kill.
As his hand swung the de, the blood on it drew a red line on the ground.
Chapter 1197 - Powerful
Chapter 1197: Powerful
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
About five minutester, the southern barons finally submitted to Mary and stated their intentions clearly, also assuring her that they would leave right away.
After getting the promise she sought, Mary stood up and left.
The young princess had no further intention to stay in the southern reinforcement camp, not just because of the hypocrites around her, but also because of the extra coffin in the tent.
Peders, the second son of the old duke, could still be heard sobbing from time to time.
Losing his father and brother at once, plus learning that his brother was the murderer of his father, it was quite the news for anymon person to take in. Peders was no exception.
Mary understood him because she lost her mother before and the killer was also the one she once regarded as the dearest person to her in the world.
Though, she would notfort Peders. Comfort could only go so far in some matters.
One had topletely rely on himself to get through. Comfort wasnt needed at those certain times.
Mary held Kierans hand and walked out of the camp, the southern barons followed tightly behind them until the exit. When Mary was about to board the wagon, one of the barons said, Your Highness, I swear that I didnt know anything about Duke Wills incident.
When the baron spoke, the five others behind him swore a vicious oath in unison.
After Mary heard the oaths, she nodded without making a clearment and went into the carriage. The barons then quickly turned their attentions to Kieran.
In fact, whether it was the little conversation just now or the current send-off, the southern barons didnt take their eyes off Kieran for a second.
They were quietly sizing up Kierans countenance, trying their best to not let anything unexpected slip through.
Unfortunately, to their disappointment, Kieran didnt do anything worthy of their attention from the start till end. He was as dull and calm as ever like everything was logical and reasonable.
Correct!
Whats wrong with things being reasonable for a powerhouse like Kieran?
When the thoughts naturally came into their hearts, the barons became even more respectful and reverent as they slowly returned to the camp.
Almost instantaneously, when the barons returned to the camp, the whole site became busy.
Decamping procedures were carried out in an orderly fashion under the barons lead.
As for Eldar, the duke-in-name, and Bosco, the kings consultant?
The barons didnt eveny eyes on them.
They were fed up with the former already; him leaving was also a good thing for the southernnds.
As for thetter?
There was no reason for them to even talk to Bosco anymore.
No one was tired of living and looking to provoke the Warren royal family at this time.
With that ominous ck figure beside Mary, Warrens royal family was destined to be the biggest winner of this war.
Think about Riverdales wealth!
Those idiotic nobles that fled during the invasion automatically gave up their titles and positions, and now, it would be impossible for them to ever return.
Again, think of the fertile grasnd!
Without the Prairies King, the remaining people were nothing but scattered tribes, allowing the Warren soldiers to ughter them freely. Some even spected if those tribesmen with sufficient wealth were already on their way to Riverdale, asking for peace and seeking help.
Every one of the tribesmen wanted to be the new king of the grasnd, even if it meant bing a puppet of the Warren Kingdom.
Time would change all of this.
What the barons thought of, Mary thought of too, but the young princess didnt have the time to care about all of these.
Duke Eldar, pleasee with me, Mary said officially.
The invitation was at the behest of her father and also the respect from her own heart because she knew how much this friend of her father had sacrificed for the entire Warren royal family.
When he heard Marys invitation, the elderly dukeughed.
After 20 years, I am returning to Riverdale; I should be walking back. I want to feel every inch of thend with my feet, breathe the air of thend. Itit has been appearing in my dreams countless times and now, Im finally returning.
As the elderly duke spoke, the smile on his face slowly faded, his words then somehow starting to turn into sobs.
Bosco, who was beside him, quickly walked over, trying to help the elderly duke but was rejected by a wave of his hand.
Just like what the elderly duke said, he started to walk towards Riverdale.
Bosco, take good care of Duke Eldar.
Yes, Your Highness.
Bosco quickly gave chase to Eldar after Marys order, and the other person who followed behind was Ganarde under Kierans order.
Although the Prairies invaders and southern reinforcements had retreated, it didnt mean Riverdale was safe, hence those orders, which were given to his attendant in order to calm his mind.
Despite knowing almost nothing about Duke Eldar, he knew how he should treat the elderly based on how respectful Mary was to the man.
Boarding the wagon, Kieran took a seat opposite of Mary.
2567, do you know about Duke Eldar?
When Kieran shook his head, Mary began to tell him the story of Eldar from what she heard from her father and the news she had gathered.
Eldar is my fathers friend and was once the imperial envoy of Warrens royal family. He was sent to the south 20 years ago and was somehow gifted dukedom withoutnd. Although the initial n was for him to stay in the south for a month, idents happened endlessly and his return was stalled for up to 20 years. After my aunt became the Royal Marshal of Ceremonies, Eldars life got worse. Without the support of the royal family, he had to write to people most of the time, struggling to survive. Did you see his robe? That brown robe of his was the only outfit he never repaired.
A duke-in-name, that was Eldars title. The southern nobles bullied him relentlessly since he once represented the Warren royal family. Each time they bullied him, they would feel satisfaction on many different levels, and each time was a nightmare for Eldar, said Mary with a sigh.
2567, must we be strong to acquire everything? Pride, honor, wealth, authority, everything is closely rted to power, and without power, one will only be a joke like Eldar in the southerners eyes. Mary looked at Kieran, anticipating an answer.
Do you think Eldar is a joke? Kieran asked her back.
No, he is a respectable person, Mary answered seriously.
Yes, he is indeed a respectable person. And as for acquiring everything because of power? That is not real power, its ego!
Kieran raised his hand and drew a circle in the air, continuing, Increasing your strength is like drawing a circle. The stronger you are, the bigger the circle will be and the more you will encounter. You will notice that there will always be mountains beyond mountains.
Mountains beyond mountains, eh? Then what is true strength? Mary asked again after mumbling a few times.
True strength is your heart! A heart of vignce without losing its keenness, indomitable and able to see through despair, Kieran said, each and every word spoken with firmness.
Chapter 1198 - Wall
Chapter 1198: Wall
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
As the wagon travelled onward smoothly, Mary, sitting in the middle, frowned.
She was thinking about what Kieran said just now.
Vignt against the unknown. Keen against the difficulties. Indomitable against defeats. Seeing through despair is...
Mary, confused, threw a questioning nce at Kieran again.
Seeing through despair to face all, including life and death. Even in death, you cant fall into despair because if you do, it will be over, said Kieran.
2567, youve experienced despair before? Mary was shocked.
Mary suddenly realized that the person she trusted the most rarely spoke about his past.
She seemed to know nothing about Kierans past.
Um. What I experienced before, its a lot more than you can imagine.
Kieran turned his head to the side and gazed at the moving scenery outside the window.
Mary stared at Kieran and didnt ask anymore.
The young princess knew what kind of attitude the young man before her had. If he was willing to tell, he would tell honestly; if he wasnt willing to tell, no matter how persistent the asking, he would not spill a word.
However, Marys heart was wondering ceaselessly about what had happened.
What happened in the past?
Mary frowned again. She was overthinking to the point that her eyes on Kieran became even softer.
Kieran?
Pak!
Kieran tapped his finger lightly on Marys furrowed brows.
Its not as bad as you think, said Kieran with a smile.
Mary covered her forehead and carefully inspected Kierans smile. She finally heaved a long breath when she noticed the smile wasnt for show; it came from his heart.
However, Marys breath quickly skipped because seven pieces of goatskin paper appeared before her.
Whats this? Mary jolted again.
One of the spoils of war fromst time. The heart is essential for bing strong but it will not be possible without support either. Those should be of help to you, and of course, I need you to trante them into readable words, replied Kieran.
Are these the Prairies Kings? Mary quickly reacted to the situation.
Kieran nodded.
I understand, Mary sat up straight and said in a new stern manner.
No one knew more than the young princess how important the goatskin papers were.
Inheritance!
Warrens royal family had it! Even Swurster Castle had it!
Those inheritance legacies were enough to make others jealous, butpared to the Prairies Kings one, they were nothing.
If the heart is the root to bing stronger, then... this is the base of it!
Sudden realization hit the young princess as she swiftly buried herself into deciphering the goatskin papers.
Kieran saw how serious Mary was and couldnt hold back his smile.
Hard work will always result in rewards.
Kieran had already decided what to do with [Unknown Goatskin Papers] since thest dungeon run.
In this current dungeon world, who else was more suitable than Mary to decipher these?
None.
Kieran would only acknowledge those who fought side by side with him, experiencing life and death through fierce battles.
As for others?
They were either strangers or enemies.
...
With Jyaichi behind the wheel, the wagon was cruising along smoothly and it wouldnt be hard for it to reach a certain speed.
But because of Eldars insistence on going by foot, the wagon wasnt allowed to overtake the old duke.
Therefore, by the time the group saw the walls of Riverdale again, the sun was already setting.
And when the walls of Riverdale entered the sight of Duke Eldar, the old duke, who had been traveling in high spirits, swiftly teared up, his eyes turning red as they glistened under the sunlight.
He was staring nkly at the walls that were in his memories.
It hasnt changed! It hasnt changed a bit! This is great!
Duke Eldar finally stopped as he muttered this, then knocked on the wagons window.
Can I get in? the old duke asked.
Of course!
Mary put aside the goatskin papers and sat beside Kieran before opening the carriage door, inviting the old duke in.
Thank you, Your Highness, for everything youve done for this old geezer, Eldar said, giving his thanks.
Compared to what you have done for Warrens royal family, what I did was insignificant, answered Mary.
Her sincere tone widened the smile of the elderly man. Eldar then looked out the carriage window toward...
The Warren Pce. The ce where King James VIII was.
Mary seemed to understand something from the countenance of the elderly and proceeded to tap on the carriage.
The slow-moving wagon then sprinted quickly, and after about 10 minutes, the wagon had returned to Warren Pce once more.
Duke Zilin, who has been waiting for their return for quite some time now, strode towards the wagon but when he saw that the person who came down wasnt Mary or Kieran, but rather an elderly, the young duke was stunned for a while.
However, Duke Zilin quickly straightened his body when more thoughts followed. He saluted respectfully to the elderly and said, Greetings, Duke Eldar.
Greetings, Duke Zilin.
The obvious emblem of the Flying Dragon allowed Duke Eldar to recognize the youngster before him with a nce. With the addition of the uncanny resemnce to Mary, his guess was further solidified.
The Son of Dragon!
The protector of northern Warren!
The extended lineage of the Warren royal family!
Can you take me to the king? the elderly asked.
Of course. His Majesty has been expecting your return for countless years now.
The young duke then led the elderly into the pce.
Whenever Duke Eldar walked past a familiar ce, his countenance would show unconceble excitement, and when he finally arrived before the chamber of King James VIII, he took in multiple deep breaths before slowly pushing the doors open.
The sunset glory shone through the window as the doors opened.
The gloominess of the atmosphere spread uncontrobly under the orange-red light.
The beautiful moment would go out any time now, simr to King James VIII on his bed.
The slumbering king was looking pale, his face thin and hair dry. He was holding on to hisst breath and it felt like it would fade any moment now.
The old duke staggered towards the bed and ced his hands softly on the kings hands as tears rolled down his cheeks.
Despite always holding in his tears throughout the years and journeys, Duke Eldar finally couldnt hold it in anymore when he saw the king on the bed.
James, I have returned, the old duke whispered.
King James VIII slowly woke up as the whisper entered his ears.
The young duke and princess slowly moved out of the chamber, leaving time alone for the pair of old friends to spend theirst moments.
However, Kieran didnt move an inch.
He sniffed and his eyes turned towards the side of the wall. He frowned right away.
Chapter 1199 - Remaining
Chapter 1199: Remaining
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Beside the wall of the chamber, there was an oil painting that was half a mans height.
The painting had brilliant greennds and a white round table with people having a meal around it. Even Kieran, who never received any kind of professional education about paintings, could tell through the strokes how happy the painted figures were.
No doubt, it was a great piece of art.
Whats wrong, 2567? Mary asked softly.
Change the room of your father right away, said Kieran before heading towards the painting.
Mary was slightly confused but she followed what Kieran said by calling the royal maids to move King James VIII out of the room on a soft mattress.
After the move, the young princess returned to the room and saw Kieran removing the painting from the wall.
Theres something wrong with the painting? Mary wasnt an idiot. Kierans action was enough to tell her what she needed to know.
Um. Its poison. Kieran nodded.
Impossible!
Warren Pce might not have some powerhouse that could rival an entire army, but its hundreds of years of experience allows it to have the strictest procedures in filtering abnormalities. Aside from poison, even some unknown secret techniques shouldnt be able to pass through the security here. Duke Zilin shook his head with an inconceivable look on his face.
That is why these guys used some very smart means.
Kieran turned over the painting and revealed some mouldy spots on the canvas.
The painting itself is fine but once mouldy, some of the paint material will release poisonous matter into the air, especially this kind of Scheeles Green with its heavyposition of arsenide. Am I right, Perry Kaner? Kieran then looked outside the door.
A figure emerged from the shadows as he spoke.
I never really thought that you would be a master of poisons.
Shock shed over the shallow gray eyes of the Viper Sect leader.
She wasnt surprised that she had been discovered, but she was rather shocked at how well Kieran knew the poison.
Even when it came to herself, after sniffing that special smell, her body would feel slightly numb before she reacted to the poison. And Kieran?
It was obvious that he noticed it the moment he sniffed it.
Despite her unwillingness to give in, Perry Kaner didnt argue on the topic. She instead nced at Duke Zilin, who felt like he met his greatest foe, and smiled.
I am not a hostile person. Just look at Sir 2567 and our little princess here, their reactions are what theyre supposed to be.
Perry Kaner then looked at Kieran again after ncing at the young duke.
The one who ced the paintingno, the one who sprayed water on the paintinghave you caught him? Kieran asked.
Unfortunately, no. Although I really wanted to acquire more leverage before discussing a coboration with you, that culprit was killed the moment I arrivedthe killing method was very professional, no traces left behind or any kind of smell. I had no choice but to appear before you.
Perry Kaner thenid down the flying daggers at her waist and the short knives beside her feet, expressing that she was unarmed and now harmless.
Coboration? Thest time we worked together, it was less than pleasant, said Kieran.
I can make it up to you. Arent you looking for Viper Sects secret technique? Or do you think my limbs might obstruct you in some way? Take any one of them or all of them, I dont mind. Or do you think my face is loathsome? Destroy it as you like, I wont resist, said Perry Kaner calmly.
She sounded as if she wasnt referring to herself when saying all of this but someone else. The contents of her words could strike chills absent of actual coldness in peoples hearts.
The young duke frowned, not knowing what happened to cause Perry Kaner to make such a resolute decision.
Also frowning was the young princess, as she had some inkling but didnt ask further, passing everything to Kieran instead.
Including your life?
Kierans tone was even duller, colder than Perry Kaners. It shook her for a while even though she was holding up strongly. However, when she thought about the current situation, the Viper Sect leader was left with no choice, thus she nodded.
Yes. If you... no matter if you agree to work together or not, the moment I decided to appear in front of you, I was ready to show my absolute resolution. Some of the remaining Viper Sect bastards, whom I thought were dead, yet are still alive, assaulted us. Other than me, no one walked out alive.
Perry Kaner swiftly pushed away her original words and spoke even faster with a more inferior tone.
Remaining Viper Sects? Kieran squinted his eyes.
Of course, it wasnt because of Perry Kaners words but becausesub mission!
The moment Perry Kaner spoke, the system notification came.
[Discovered sub-mission: Remaining Viper Sect]
[Remaining Viper Sect: The Viper Sect that Folly once destroyed didnt only leave behind Perry Kaner and her branch. There was another unknown branch that survived too and their reappearance has brought death and destruction to Perry Kaners side. Now, the leader of Viper Sect seeks help, and your decision will be very important...]
...
From the moment the sub-mission appeared, Kieran never nned to give it up.
He inspected Perry Kaner again. His eyes made Perry Kaners heart skip a beat but no longer tremble anymore.
What else would she be afraid of if she no longer even feared death?
With an honest and frank gaze, Perry Kaner returned her resoluteness to Kieran.
Kieran then walked out of the chamber.
He, of course, wouldnt believe Perry Kaner solely based on her words, even judging from the sub-mission. He knew she wasnt lying, but who knew what else was she hiding?
Fortunately, Kieran was nevercking in candidates to test the waters.
Sharing the same vision as Fire Raven, Kieran saw two people appear in front of the pce.
We have visitors. Duke Zilin, can you wee them on my behalf? said Kieran.
Sure. But what about you? the young duke asked after nodding.
I want to have a look at the culprit who got killed, said Kieran before turning to Perry Kaner. Lead the way.
Perry Kaner didnt feel disgusted at Kierans order. Quite the opposite, as she was more surprised that Kieran didnt reject her.
Although he didnt say yes right away, as long as he didnt reject her either, she still had hope.
To Perry Kaner, thatst hope was also thest straw she had in order to save her own life, so she would hold onto it till herst breath.
Her attitude towards Kieran instantly took a drastic change.
Sir 2567, please allow me to be frank. There arent really any valuable leads on the man. The killer is a professional, whether it is in killing or erasing traces, Perry Kaner suggested softly while leading the way.
Kieran shook his head as he followed. Wherever one walks, there are traces.
Mary, who also followed, said in a less courteous way, You might not have been able to find something but it doesnt mean 2567 wont find anything either.
Chapter 1200 - One Of
Chapter 1200: One Of
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Perry Kaner only nodded at Marys uncourteous words.
Um. No arguments and no refutes at all.
When Perry Kaner decided to seek Kierans help, she was prepared to lower her identity and position in the first ce, so Mary frowned again.
It wasnt the first time meeting Perry Kaner and yetpared to the first time where she was showing her skills off, Mary felt Perry Kaner was much harder to deal with now.
A visible venomous snake wasnt that scary, what was scarier were those that hid in the bushes and shadows.
I have my eyes on you!
Mary warned Perry Kaner with her fierce re.
Perry Kaner didnt reply. At that moment, she didnt have the heart to care about squabbles, she knew she had to concentrate on leading the way for Kieran.
Warren Pce wasnt big by any means. Compared to the other pces Kieran had been to in the past, Warren Pce was more like a manor of a noble in the rural areapared to other nobles houses. It was still immensely bigpared tomoners with one or two wooden cottages though.
Following Perry Kaner, Kieran arrived at the destination after around five minutes given how fast she walked.
This is where the royal attendants stayed.
Ah? Mr. Tenar?!
Mary introduced the ce to Kieran but after Perry Kaner opened the door, she screamed in shock when she saw that body lying on the ground.
Then, Mary exined before Kieran even asked.
Tenar is my fathers chief attendant, he started serving my father since he was 10 and had more than once he saved my father by blocking ambush arrows from the dark. Later in his service, he was forced to slowly move away from sight because of the wounds throughout the years that restricts his movements. Otherwise, he would still pay frequent visits to my father.
Based on what my father told me, they were very good friends privately. Mr. Tenar had no reason to harm my father! Besides, Mr. Tenar was very kind, a lot of people in the pce liked him and loved him. At least four to five visitors came a day after he retired. He cant be the culprit! said Mary.
Kieran took it all in quietly; his eyes were already in [Tracking] mode.
He wouldnt think that the dead person before his eyes was the culprit who tried to kill King James VIII just because of Perry Kaners words, simrly, he wouldnt take the dead man as innocent because of Marys ims. Everything had to be proven.
Fortunately, the things leftover in the room werent too few nor too many to deduce a theory.
Tenar was killed in his room, the killer used a knife and sliced his throat. However, since Tenar was able to be King James VIIIs chief attendant, he wasnt someone who would allow himself to be seized without a fight.
Even though he had many wounds on his body, causing difficulties in moving, he still struggled till hisst moment.
Kieran lifted Tenars calf and looked at the bottom of his shoes.
The shoes were slightly dusty but there was a single spot that was exceptionally clean.
It seemed that Tenar had controlled his body tond a kick on the killer. The kick was powerful though, to the point that when the killer left, he staggeredthe many footsteps of the killer made it very obvious.
Kieran stood up and followed the footprints and soon, he reached the outer walls of Warren Pce.
Your Highness, my lord.
The patrolling soldiers greeted and saluted respectfully when they saw Kieran and Mary. When Mary waved to dismiss them, Kieran had already jumped over the wall and headed towards a certain direction.
Perry Kaner followed tightly behind. Her eyes showed astonishment once more when she looked at the dark figure in front of her. She knew Kieran must have noticed something but she was also sure in that room where Tenar died, there werent any valuable leftover clues.
The traces were wiped clean, even the scent was removed.
As for the killing method?
Slicing the throat might be brutal but it wasnt a secretive way by any means. Any disciple in Viper Sect had to learn the technique during their early days of training.
In simple words, other than the core branch of Viper Sect that Perry Kaner led which numbered around 20 people, there were around 200 more outer ring members of the sect able to achieve the kill.
But right away, Perry Kaners face turned gloomy, there wasnt anyone left in her branch anymore, except for her.
The sudden assault from her foe was vicious, despite her full preparation, she was still careless with the details.
She didnt just underestimate her foes strength, she underestimated their numbers as well.
That defeat was her fault!
Her mistake!
Regret and hatred were all she had left!
The feelings were like a twin-headed snake, tearing Perry Kaners heart apart. It made her breath hurried and her eyes started to see visions of herrade dying before her.
Unwilling!
Pain!
Despair!
When all those negative emotions intertwined, Perry Kaner started to stagger as she moved forward.
Ive said it before, just because you cant find anything doesnt mean 2567 cant.
At that very moment, Marys voice entered her ear and it shocked her. When she regained her senses, she realized Mary was helping her to stand properly.
Thanks.
Listening to those words that mocked her abilities, Perry Kaner shook off Marys hands first before thanking her seriously.
I am not purposely helping you.
Its just that you are coincidentally beside me, said Mary before hastening her steps, giving chase to Kieran.
Perry Kaner looked at Mary, she slightly shook her head.
Of course, she wouldnt expose Mary. Given the young princess speed, if Mary didnt notice something was wrong with Perry Kaner, she wouldnt have walked side by side with her.
As for the young princess kindness?
If it was a few days ago, Perry Kaner would mock and show disdain.
But now?
She covered her chest and felt that sudden warmth in her heart. She didnt seem too cold now. A glimmer of light shined through her darkness.
Huu!
A deep breathter, Perry Kaner quickly caught up to them both.
Mary who caught up beside Kieran saw Perry Kaner following tightly. Her furrowed brows eased up slightly but were tightened once again the next moment.
She couldnt figure it out!
Why would that culprit who wand to harm her father choose Mr. Tenar as a target?
Because of the war, Warren Pce indeed had gotten quieter but there were still many attendants around!
Among hundreds of attendants, picking the most obvious target, Tenar, didnt seem reasonable to her!
If it was just amon attendant, the incident would be rashly dealt with despite happening in the pce because of the recovery period after the war. But since the target was Tenar, things were different.
Given Tenars identity, it was almost certain that a greatmotion would break out upon discovery of his death.
Besides that, the wide socialwork of Tenar had determined that he would be discovered shortly after!
You are curious about why that culprit choose Tenar as a target? Kieran suddenly asked as he moved forward.
Um. It doesnt make sense, Mr. Tenar is too eye-catching! Mary nodded.
Because... Tenar is also one of his targets, said Kieran calmly.
Chapter 1201 - Control
Chapter 1201: Control
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
One of the targets?!
Mary was stunned; she looked up at Kieran with a shocked expression.
Obviously, the young princess didnt understand the meaning behind Kierans words.
Meanwhile, Perry Kaner understood something. Her face showed to be in deep thought, but she didnt interrupt the conversation. She waited for the exnation from Kieran.
Your father is the culprits target and so is Tenar. From the very beginning, the culprits target had always been these two people, said Kieran.
Two?!
The obvious exnation caused Mary to react instantly, but right after that, she frowned yet again.
Why though? Mary asked.
I dont know. That is why we have to properly question them.
Kieran stopped before a two-and-a-half storey tall civilian building. Simr to most of the civilian houses in themercial block, the first floor was a storefront, and the second floor, with the balcony, was the ce to stay; there was also an underground basement to store goods.
In order to fully utilize the storefront, many of the buildings didnt have a front yard because most of them were included as part of the store; the one before Kieran was no exception.
The outer walls were light brown in color. The two big disy shelves at the window along with the door were sealed shut.
The signboard was purposely removed by the owner when he or she left, but based on what he was seeing through the seams, Kieran had a general idea of what the shop was about.
It was probably a tailoring business in its earlier days, but now, it had be the operation point for the killers making an attempt on the kings life.
Without any further inspection, Kieran managed to lock onto three people inside the building with his Intuition.
As for the others? He didnt care.
If this ce was still a crowdedmercial block like it was in the past, Kieran might have had scruples about hurting innocent people, but now?
It was very convenient for him!
Kakroom!
Amidst the loud noise, the two and a half storey building was destroyed by the [Serpent Spirit]s ramming. Together with the rms and traps set inside, everything crumbled.
What about the three living targets?
The 20-meter twin-headed serpent spirit disyed its outstanding talents by shifting between mirage and material form between attacks, thus all three of the targets missed their attacks.
Regardless of whether it was short knives or flying daggers, every attack went right through the [Serpent Spirit]. The targets bodies became tightly entangled in its robust body, and they were then brought to Kieran.
The whole processsted no more than three seconds.
While the young princess had been expecting a fierce fight to break out, the fight ended before it even began. In fact, not even Perry Kaner was able to react to the fast and furious strike.
Everything happened so fast that it was beyond herprehension.
When she saw the giant twin-headed snake that was able to shift between mirage and material, Perry Kaners eyes showed envy.
As the heir to Viper Sect, Perry Kaner had a natural indescribable fondness towards reptiles, especially snakes. Other people viewed them as dangerous, something to fear, but Perry Kaner viewed them as safe and reliable partners.
Unfortunately, her partner snake died in battle as well.
Those goddamn bastards!
Irresistible killing intent erupted from her heart. It was very obvious, to the point that Kieran and Mary noticed it.
The three captives noticed it as well. One of them even showed panic, though only momentarily.
Where others might have naturally overlooked the panic the captive had showed, Kieran did not.
After summoning [Serpent Spirit], Kieran was actually quite focused despite looking absent-minded.
There were too many examples of failing miserably in an easy task, and Kieran didnt want to be an after-meal joke.
You know Perry Kaner? It seems that Perry Kaner doesnt know you though. Coincidentally, Perry Kaners own branch recently went through an onught beyond expectation. May I ask if its rted to you? Kieran asked slowly as he walked toward the captives.
Following his slow speaking, [Serpent Spirit] also slowly tightened its body, further constricting the captives bodies and causing cracking noises to be heard.
However, the three of them had no intention of speaking. They clenched their teeth, looked down and stayed quiet.
Kieran curled his lips into a grin when he saw this reaction from the captives, the smileing from the bottom of his heart.
He wasnt a naturally ruthless person, but there was a joy that could be found in reaping more loot.
Based on the reaction of the captives, Kieran knew he had run into unexpected rewards.
The other remaining Viper Sect branch members made an attempt on the kings life... This is interesting!
While pondering upon the spections, Kierans eyes shone. He swiftly knocked the captives out before turning to Perry Kaner, who stood there shocked.
Based on her expression, Kieran didnt think any coincidental arrangements were involved. Still, he didnt forget to remind her.
Ill leave them in your watch temporarily. Remember to watch, not interrogate, said Kieran.
Yes, my lord, Perry Kaner bowed and replied.
Then should we call some men down here? the young princess asked.
No need. It might be a praiseworthy feat to have the pce guards charge towards their enemies, but against these snakes hiding in the shadows, more guards will be lost. Believe me, they are much more ruthless than you think, and at the same time, they are much more anxious, too, Kieran said in a stedfast tone.
Then are we waiting for them to strike? asked Mary.
Of course not.
Passively defending was never Kierans style; he prefered to actively attack his enemy!
Lets go see your father.
Kieran then went back the way they came from.
Meanwhile, a bright red, nimble figure was flying across the sky. In a sh, itnded in a shadowy corner, looking down at all of Riverdale.
Any movements in the city did not escape its sharper-than-a-hawk eyesight. Although it couldnt catch every single detail, locking its sight on a single spot was easy for the Fire Raven.
After Kieran and the others left, another small figure carefully left the shadows as well. It was the Frost Wolf pup.
The pup followed Kierans order to sniff out the scents around the area. Then, it quickly dived towards the side of the street, sprinting towards a certain direction.
...
Warren Pce.
Inside King James VIIIs new room, the king was slowly waking up. His pale face miraculously blushed when he saw his old friend Eldar.
They spoke to eachother in whispers.
Outside the door, the royal doctor was reporting to Mary.
His Majestys body has reached a very terrible state. He cant suffer any more shocks, so its best to keep Mr. Tenars death from him in the meantime, the royal doctor said with a sigh.
At this, Mary looked to Kieran with a sour face.
She knew what was important and what wasnt. She also knew what would happen if her father heard of Tenars death.
Despite having held a lot of dissatisfaction for her father at first, the kind princess still didnt want her father to leave like this.
Who said Mr. Tenar is dead? He is just suffering from some minor injuries.
Kieran ced his hand over Marys head and spoke softly with a smile, hoping to ease her sour face.
As he spoke, footsteps sounded.
Tenar!
It was from the dead Tenar!
He walked out slowly and bowed to Kieran.
My lord.
Chapter 1202 - Meeting
Chapter 1202: Meeting
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Looking at the bowing Tenar, the royal doctors eyes widened and his jaw dropped.
How, how is this possible?
The white-haired royal doctor pointed at Tenar with his trembling finger; his words stuttered due to his iprehension!
As the doctor of the pce, the old doctor was very familiar with Tenars old wounds, and because of his familiarity, he could tell that the Tenar before his eyes right now was the same one that he remembered. The face looked the same, the countenance, and even his less noticeable limping posture caused by old wounds was identical.
If the doctor hadnt just finished inspecting Tenars body, he would have really thought he was meeting the real one.
At the next moment, the doctor turned to Kieran.
How did you do it?
The doctor asked with his gaze. Likewise, Mary looked at Kieran as well, but unlike the doctor, the young princess gaze was glimmering colorfully.
Kieran never let her down, not in the past or even now in the present. He would always do his best for the girl he cared for.
A deep breathter, Mary ced her hands over the palm atop her head. She clutched it tight, not wanting to let go.
Beside her was Perry Kaner, who stayed quiet. However, anyone could tell that the Viper Sect leader was suffering through quite the shock. She looked at Tenar first, then Kieran.
Her gaze made it feel like she was looking at the most unbelievable thing in the world.
Exceptionally observant; very unlike the tracking techniques from the past; a guise that could fool even the real one. He really is a natural scout or... an assassin!
Perry Kaners eyes glistened for a while as thoughts formed in her mind, but they died off soon enough.
What use was there in Kieran being a natural-born assassin?
Her own branch was eliminated, leaving only her behind.
More so, based on how powerful Kieran was...
Other than the Prime Viper, what else could pique his interest?
Besides, Kieran was already the confirmed Crown Raven!
Perry Kaner knew exactly what the recorder of Raven Sect, Maxim, would do... It was true that Maxim had ambitions, but he didnt possess the abilities or the personality to match his bold thoughts.
He was even considered as weak and useless at times.
Perhaps all Kieran had to do was raise a hand against the recorder and he would be reduced to ashes.
As for the rest of the Raven Sect?
They might try to oppose him but would the final oue change?
No.
He is already the Crown Raven. If... Perry Kaner sighed.
However, a seed was nted in her heart without her knowing, and soon, it would sprout into something else entirely.
Kieran didnt care about all the looks he was receiving from them. He said to the High Demon, Ill leave it to you.
Yes, master.
The High Demon, Bloody Mary, had taken on Tenars form. It bowed to Kieran before going to the door and knocking on it.
Dok Dok Dok.
Come in.
Eldar didnt have the bearing of a noble, so as the knocks sounded, he stood up and opened the door for Tenar. When Eldar saw who he had opened the door for, he jolted for a while before giving Tenar a hug.
I knew you woulde. 20 years, its been 20 years and you havent changed! said Eldar while hugging Tenar.
Eldar then saw Kieran, Mary, Perry Kaner and the doctor in the corridor.
His smile grew brighter and he led Tenar into the room.
The door slowly shut.
Did Duke Eldar notice something? He shouldnt have known of the death of Mr. Tenar, Mary said in a slightly puzzled tone.
A person that survived 20 years in Will Prefecture, even if he were not the brightest back then, with 20 years of experience, he should have be a wise man. A wise man that holds vignce and doubts everything, said Kieran before walking away.
Kieran was heading towards a small tea room in the pce.
The room wasnt big at all, not being used for ball parties. It was more suitable as a foyer.
Celty and Maxim were sitting side by side in the tea room, quiet.
Unlike Maxim, who was sitting real still, Celty was sampling the tea and cakes the servants were serving them and evenmenting on the taste.
The cakes are really nd. The flour isnt handpicked, the eggs arent whipped properly, even the fermentation process is off. The worst part is that practically no sugar was added in the mixture. Now if the cake isnt sweet, can it be called a pastry? And dont get me started on the tea! This cup of tea was obviously left idle for too long. Even if its kept within a silver cup, itd still be damaged by the humidity; its very bitter on the tongue. I was looking forward to this at first, you know. After all, this is the pce, but who knew... sigh!
Celty heaved a long breath.
King James VIII isnt a fatuous and self-indulgent ruler. He is clean and honest, and if it werent for Jeanne James, Warren might have been stronger and richer beyond anyones imagination.
Maxim shook his head at his friends sigh.
As the recorder of Raven Sect, he knew heaps of hidden information that themoners never even got wind of. All the information in his mind was priceless.
If he really wanted to be a wealthy person, selling that knowledge away would suffice him to live the rest of his life in riches, but...
He still had a less than realistic ideal to achieve, and because of that, he had run up and down relentlessly. It would always make him hesitate; he would see that his target was within grasp, just like how he pictured it to be, one more step forward and his wish woulde true.
But...
Someone else was even more suitable than him!
It was as if that person was naturally born for that specific position.
Powerful, calm, vignt, sharp, having a code to live by.
Each of the criteria was hard toe by, yet that person had it all.
Maxim tried to look past all of this, but once he thought about that position and everything he had faced, his heart would hesitate again.
He knew his hesitance made him lose out a lot in life, but it was toote to correct it now.
He would always overthink during crucial timings, thus leading to his hesitance.
Unconsciously, Maxim sighed as well.
When Celty heard the sigh, he shrugged.
He knew what his friend was thinking about, but he didnt say anything because he knew his words would only fuel Maxims hesitance.
Of course, Celty didnt sit back and rx either.
You better think about what you want to say to himter. He isnt someone to be messed with. One misstep and both of us will die without an intact body. I dont doubt his ruthlessness towards those who showed malicious intent before, you know.
Celty was trying to shift Maxims attention.
Yes, yes. He is even colder and more ruthless than the winters wind from the Winter God towards his enemies. But who isnt moved by the Tale of the Virtuous King? Maxim smiled bitterly after a second sigh.
Tale of the Virtuous King?
A voice suddenly entered the small tea room.
A ck figure then stepped out of the shadows.
Chapter 1203 - Battle of Taste
Chapter 1203: Battle of Taste
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Maxim and Celty immediately stood up when Kieran walked out of the shadows.
My lord. They bowed.
The weak might not be humble, but the strong should be respected. They had already witnessed Kierans powers first hand before, and each and every time after that, their expectations would be shattered beyond reason, thus Maxim and Celty had exceptional respect for Kieran.
Kieran didnt reply to them directly, instead heading towards the sofas in the tea room and sitting down firmly. He nced over at the duo.
Sweat immediately broke out on their foreheads. Simr to their conversation just now, whether it was Maxim or Celty, both of them knew exactly what kind of person Kieran was.
Kieran had quite the tolerance when it came to his friends, but his enemies?
Merciless.
With their lives on the line, even the ever hesitant Maxim stopped having second thoughts.
He took a deep breath, regted his thoughts and said, Please forgive our rudeness from before. The Tale of the Virtuous King clearly mentions that under the leadership of the Virtuous King, cowards will be courageous, the bold will be heroic, and heroes will be the Holy Spiritswe are blinded by this achievement-toe, so... Please forgive us. Maxim then knelt down on one knee and Celty quickly followed as well.
We really didnt mean anything else! Its just that the sudden difference produced unnecessary hatred in us. And I know this kind of hatred is ridiculous! Celty smiled bitterly.
Kieran remained quiet as he looked at them both, bits of Devil aura slowly encaging them.
Chaotic and hot, filled with a sulphuric scent.
The sweat on their bodies evaporated in an instant, causing their bodies to shiver uncontrobly.
The shiver grew from a slight shake to a heavy falter within seconds. When both of them were on the verge of copsing to the ground, the pressuring aura suddenly vanished.
BupBup!
Both finally fell on the carpet. They panted heavily as if they had survived a drowning.
Kieran turned away his fierce gaze. The two of them had temporarily passed his test.
Neither of them showed any malicious intent under the Devil aura despite being on the brink of copsing.
Of course, it was just a temporary result.
Kieran knew howplicated the human heart was.
As for the Tale of the Virtuous King that they mentioned?
Kieran had experienced prophecies and legends multiple times now, so he basically looked at them as groundless stories. They were nothing but vague statements put together in a mechanical order.
Further, anyone could fit the criteria of a prophecy or legend under given circumstances.
Of course, if there were someone arranging things from behind the scenes... everything woulde together wlessly.
Unconsciously, Kieran thought of Nikorei, the God of Earth.
Once he thought about the olddys bad taste, he couldnt help but frown.
The olddy wasnt as mature as she looked and it had nothing to do with her excellent gifts, just the ws in her personality.
In the next moment, the door of the tea room was pushed open.
Mary and Perry Kaner came in.
Mary went ahead and sat on the sofa beside Kieran while Perry Kaner habitually entered the shadowy spot on his other side.
Perry Kaner?!
Maxim and Celty, who had stood up from the carpet, were astounded when they saw the Viper Sect leader enter the room. Both of them stared at her with a less than friendly gaze.
Likewise, Perry Kaner returned them with one of her own hostile gazes.
The Viper and Raven werent natural-born arch-nemesis but what happenedter caused too much conflict and collision between the two sects.
Each time they collided, death would follow, and those deaths were hard to forget, drawing long grudges.
The two sects turned more and more hostile toward each other as the days went by.
If it werent for Kieran, who sat in the middle, all three of them would have brawled it out by now.
Judging from their fierce, shing auras, Mary didnt doubt for one second that a fight might break out, but when she looked at Kieran, anticipating his reaction, she realized Kieran was slowly enjoying the tea-time pastries.
Kieran had limited experience with drinking tea. When he did try it, he usually finished his cup in one gulp, so he really didnt know whether it was good or not.
But pastries were different.
Kieran was slowly savouring the cooking of the royal pastry chef.
The flour is really too ordinary, the eggs werent whipped properly, even the fermentations timing was a little off, but there was real effort put into making the dough. Not bad, said Kieran.
He stuffed the pastry into his mouth and munched loudly.
Celty was dumbfounded when he heard what Kieran said.
My lord, arent you overpraising this kind of pastry? Its not sweet enough, if at all! How can some poorly made dough be considered as a pastry?
Everyone has their own baseline.
Some were good, some were evil.
And some were picky about food. Celty was that kind of person.
He couldnt acknowledge cakes without sweetness as pastries.
It was his baseline, and even while standing before Kieran, he didnt n to change that view.
Ah! So its not a pastry if it isnt sweet enough? Then savoury pastries arent pastries? Perry Kaner mocked coldly.
How can savoury cakes be considered as pastries? The person who makes them might suffer a broken tongue! Celty red at Perry Kaner.
Thats right. If their tongue brakes, it should be cut off and fed to the dogs! Perry Kaner squinted her eyes and her gaze showed slight killing intent.
Dog?
You look like a losing dog, dont you?
No! You are one! How does it feel to be betrayed by one of your own?
Celty purposely tore open the old wounds of Perry Kaner, sprinkling salt on top.
Pain rose from within Perry Kaners heart, hurrying her breath.
She had to somehow divert her attention... like slicing someones head off!
Huu!
Fire began burning in Celtys hand. Having felt the killing intent, the Raven Sect nomad wouldnt just sit back and wait for Perry Kaner to kill him. He too wanted to test whether Perry Kaner had escaped all her pursuers in one piece.
However, before either of them could even begin their brawl, the fight ended because Kieran stood up.
My lord.
Both of them quickly bowed in fear after regaining their senses. They suddenly remembered who they were and where they stood.
Maxim, Celty, gather everyone you can and bring them to the pce.
Kieran gave his order directly, not having a care for the dispute between them. He then looked at Perry Kaner. Perry Kaner, did you contact Ape Sect?
My lord, I am sorry. That time...
Perry Kaner wanted to exin herself but was interrupted by Kieran.
No, I dont mean anything else, I just want you to keep contacting Ape Sect. Follow your ns and tell them what you wanted to tell them.
Ape Sect?
Maxim and Celty exchanged gazes.
The two of them knew how scary that sect was and wanted to dissuade Kieran, but before words even escaped their mouths, Kieran along with Mary vanished from the spot.
The three leftover sect members looked at each other. They grunted coldly in unison before turning away to go about their own business.
Being on the same side didnt mean there would be peace between them.
It was simr to how those who hid in the shadows werent actually hidden.
Chapter 1204 - You Will Never Know What Kind Of People You Crossed
Chapter 1204: You Will Never Know What Kind Of People You Crossed
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Beside the crumbled tailor shop, a family of three disembarked from an old wagon.
A husband, a wife and a son.
The three of them were dusty. The two adults were grateful to be alive and able to return to their home. The child was biting his finger, looking at the crumbled shop nkly; he didnt seem to understand his parents expression.
As goods after goods were moved down from the wagon, the locked door was opened up again.
They had left for only a few days, so there was not much cleaning to be done, except for maybe the sweeping away of some dust. The ce quickly became clean after the wifes cleaning.
The goods were arranged neatly by the husband, but they noticed that one of the tapestries was missing the piece of wood that held it down.
Nails?
What a joke!
As the most valuable item of their house, neither the husband nor the wife would damage the tapestry with nails even though it was less than one-third of the size of amon window curtain.
Go find a piece of wood. The neighbour Old Jemy has a lot. Since his house is in ruins anyway, it wont be too over the top for us to take one or two pieces of wood. At most, we can invite him to dinner when hees back, said the wife.
The husband nodded and went out. He touched his kids head as he walked past him, showing a warm smile.
Wait here, call your mother if anything happens. Ill go grab two pieces of wood from next door, said the husband before going into the crumbled tailor shop.
The husband couldnt help but sigh when he saw the ruins.
Hope Old Jemy doesnt have to see this.
The moment the words escaped his mouth, the husband noticed how inappropriate they were and changed them.
No, no, it would be better for him to see this because at least it would mean that he is still alive and well.
He then walked into the ruins, hoping to find one or two pieces of useful wood.
Obviously, it wasnt an easy task.
The husband spent almost 20 minutes searching before he found two considerably intact pieces.
After shaking off the dust on them, the husband turned around, intending to go home.
But the moment he turned around, he noticed that his kid, who has been squatting down in front of his house, was missing. The husband was startled.
However, at the very next moment, he went back to his house as if nothing happened.
Little Jimmy, Little Jimmy! The husband called as he walked, but he didnt get a reply.
Not only did his child go quiet, even his wife wouldnt reply.
What in the world are they doing? The husband grunted and continued forward.
But when the husband was a meter away from the door, he suddenly threw the two pieces of wood away.
Sou! Sou!
Two air-breaking sounds came through the door like hurled javelins.
The husband reacted by holding his torso still, then tiptoeing and pushing himself backwards like an arrow let loose.
But right away, he was sted back against the door faster than he could retreat.
Bang!
The husband crashed through his house door. He quivered as he tried to crawl away.
Pain!
The pain that struck his heart spread throughout his body after suffering a sudden kick to the back.
With only a single kick, the husband knew that the one who attacked him wasnt just fast, the attacker was also familiar with the human structures as well, knowing where to hit a person to inflict the most pain.
Then, when the husband tried to get up with clenched teeth, ready to risk his life in a fight, he finally saw what happened in the house.
A youngss was sitting on the chair, his wife and son unconscious beneath her.
Mary James!
The husband cried in shock when he saw that signature blonde hair and sapphire blue eyes.
Of course, Mary wasnt the reason that he panicked, it was because he knew that wherever Mary went, there was another person who followed her.
The Devil!
From the corner of his eye, he caught sight of the ck figure behind him. The husbands body trembled uncontrobly. Many times he tried to bite the poison in his teeth but failed each time.
He wasnt scared or afraid of death, but the husband remembered how the Devil was able to control dead bodies and manipte souls.
It was a well-known fact!
The husband had even witnessed it for himself on more than one asion, thus he was horrified.
Even death couldnt break free from the Devils grasp, how unfortunate and despairing that was.
When the despondency spread through his mind, how could he not tremble?
What do you want? the husband shouted.
Kieran responded to him with a hand chop to his neck.
Pak!
A clean strike. The husband then fell unconscious on the ground.
There was no need for questions, or really, there was no time for them.
Mary was confused, watching as Kieran tied the three captives up, but she didnt say anything. She knew Kieran must have his reasons.
Following Kieran, Mary returned to the pce with the additional captives.
When they arrived at the pce, Mary saw Maxim and Celty at the entrance along with a group of men.
There werent many, at least a lot fewer than in the previous war. There were only about ten people in the group.
My lord. These are the men that I was able to gather, Maxim said in trepidation as he walked over to Kieran.
If given a choice, Maxim would rather not face Kieran directly even though he knew it wasnt a test from Kieran when he asked him to gather his men.
Before he left the pce for the task, he was confident.
Those of different branches were impossible for Maxim to gather, but he was convinced that he would be able to assemble the members that were under his ownmand.
However, reality pped him hard.
When he sent out the assemge signal, other than the ten men that were now with him, the others either made no reply or rejected directly.
Some even told Maxim they would rather follow other leaders.
The oue waspletely uneptable to him, but the harshness of reality forced him to swallow the bitter results.
He knew what had led to the results in this situation, but because of that, it hurt him even more.
He didnt have the decisiveness of a leader.
Acknowledging his mistakes, Maxim looked down in misery, as he dared not look at Kierans countenance.
Any contempt or mockery to him at this moment was lethal.
Nicely done, said Kieran.
Maxim was confounded.
He lifted his head up, disbelief written all over his face. He looked at Kieran in the hopes of noticing something, but Kierans ever solid expression forbade Maxim from deciphering the situation.
My lord, you dont have tofort me. Maxim shook his head with a bitterugh.
I am not. At least there are ten here, a lot better than I imaginedI was expecting a single-digit amount or even none. Gathering ten men means you are much kinder than I thought, said Kieran before moving into the pce.
He had more important things to deal with, hence no more chit-chatting with Maxim. Speaking to Maxim in that instant was because Maxim really brought a number that astonished him.
Looking at Kierans back, Maxim opened his mouth, trying to say something, but the words became gratitude when they reached his mouth.
Thank you, my lord.
Maxim waved his hand. His friend and loyal men followed Kieran into the pce.
The day slowly turned dark.
Many shady figures were approaching Warren Pce using the darkness and shadows.
The one who led the groupughed in disdain when he saw the tight security in the pce.
A frog at the bottom of the well! You will never know what kind of people youve crossed!
Puk!
Before his coldugh ended, his head flew up high in the sky.
Chapter 1205 - Easy Peasy
Chapter 1205: Easy Peasy
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The sttered blood shook the others who were undercover.
That moment of shock then determined their ends.
[Dandelion Pierce], which flew out from the shadows, was like a fish in the water. It scuttled across the group and flew away after a breaths time.
Puk Puk Puk!
Bodies fell to the ground one after another.
These attackers that tried to get close to the pce died before they even truly stepped inside.
Wung!
A long, narrow rapier shook, shaking off the blood on its de.
Mirages of dead souls then gathered on the de after the kills.
A more ominous aura emanated from the de, causing the others to shrink back in fear at the scene.
[Dandelion Pierce] was a rapier that grew stronger with each soul it reaped, and after following Kieran through multiple dungeons, taking lives after lives, it had reached its limit.
[Name: Dandelion Pierce]
[Type: Weapon]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attack: Strong (Extreme)]
[Attribute: 1. Wail of the Dead; 2. Soaring Pierce; 3. ughter umtion]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: Spirit B+]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: An ominous sword soaked in blood. It absorbs the souls of the dead]
...
[Wail of the Dead (+2): All targets have to undergo a Spirit authentication no lesser than C+(B) while facing the wielder. Targets who fail will be induced in Panic and Fear. When the wielder chooses a target of his will, the target has to undergo a Spirit authentication no lesser than B+(A). Targets who fail will be induced in Panic and Fear together with a powerful mental st.]
[Soaring Pierce (+2): The wielder can control the sword to perform range attacks no further than 20 (40) meters in rage. The sword itself will automatically be buffed with Master level Undercover and eleration effects]
[ughter umtion: Whenever 150 souls of the ughtered are absorbed into the sword, attack level +1 (Unable to exceed Extreme rank), Wail of the Dead +1, Soaring Pierce +1. Current umted souls: 300]
...
Although its attack had a limit, the rapier was much more useful than anyone would have thought, especially in clearing up goons.
In simple words, Grand Master level [Undercover] was like an excellent assassin to amon person, but for the rapier that hid better, it would be the king of assassins.
After all, people would be alert at shadowy spots that could hide a person, but they would not spare excess attention to shadowy spots that could hide a rapier.
Catch one off guard.
It was themand Kieran had given [Dandelion Pierce].
Of course, when the target was on guard, [Dandelion Pierce] would not be as useful.
Suddenly, when a figure dashed in rapidly from an inhuman range, [Dandelion Pierce]s ambush was easily blocked.
Ding!
The dagger and rapier shed, creating sparks in the air, lighting up the long, narrow, gloomy face of the figure.
Trash! The attackermented on his dead men.
He then looked at Kieran standing at the entrance of the pce with a vicious gaze.
You will die, he imed.
Then, he exerted his strength through his dagger, fended off [Dandelion Pierce]s de and flew towards Kieran like a gale.
His speed was so fast that even with +2 [Soaring Pierce], [Dandelion Pierce] couldnt catch up with him.
The attacker was getting closer to Kieran, obvious killing intent infused into his movement gale. It then transformed into the winters wind, assaulting Kierans face.
In the next moment
Huu!
The north wind howled. The considerably warm weather turned cold instantly, the chills able to freeze ones spine. Snow even started to flutter in the sky.
The wind was rumbling together with the snowkes.
The ground was freezing with ayer of frost over it.
The moment the frozen scene urred, the attacker suddenly vanished.
The attackerpletely merged himself into the snow along with his killing intent. All that was left was sheer coldness.
However, when the ice and coldness were three meters away from hitting Kieran, they meltedpletely.
The rumbling wind, snowkes and frost on the ground melted into nothingness before the scorching heat of the Devil aura.
The chaotic, rampant Devil aura was like a giant bat bashing into the snowy wind.
Not only was the snowy wind vaporized when it came near Kieran, but even the remaining frost and snow were stirred up into a mess.
The snowy wind scattered and disappeared, the frost on the ground breaking and turning into ice shards.
The attacker that hid inside the snowy wind was now being held within a giant white wolfs mouth, bloody and dying.
I-Impossible! Your fire should have been restrained by my ice! How, how...
Even when approaching death, the attackers mumbles didnt stop.
The giant white wolf was not happy with the gibberishing from the attacker. It received an order to tighten its jaw, to rob away the remaining life left in the attacker.
An orange item dropped from the body.
Kieran nced over the loot before looking at the square in the pce.
Somehow, the pce square that should have been lit up by scattered lights was now enshrouded by darkness.
Inside the darkness, rattling noise sounded.
It sounded like bugs crawling around or wretched souls whispering.
Then...
A blinding light appeared.
The warm and tenacious light was like the first light of dawn, covering the entire pce square. As a matter of fact, it was not only the frontal square, but the majority of the Warren Pce that was lit. It was just slightly dimmer than the light around Kieran.
However, no matter how dim the light was, everyone could see that radiating scene.
The sunrise of dawn, its light shining over the fields, the river and forests.
It broke the darkness and shattered shackles.
Simr to painting a picture, the darkness before the eyes was expelled as well.
Despite it being nighttime still, people mistook the scene for dawn arriving.
The scene was astonishing to most people, but for those hiding in the dark, it was fatal.
Aaaaah!
Agonizing screams were sounded endlessly.
The screams came from a single man, yet it sounded like hundreds of thousands were wailing together.
The agonizing screams ended abruptly as the giant white wolf extended its sharp ws, ending the person swiftly. The white wolf then passed another orange glowing item with its mouth to Kieran.
Quietly receiving two Rare rank items, Kieran turned around and went back to the pce.
Behind the pce gate, Maxim, Celty and the rest of the Raven Sect felt as if they were waiting to greet their greatest enemy. All of them were stunned when they saw Kierane back.
Even Perry Kaner in the shadows couldnt react properly to the scene. She stared nkly at Kieran, who just came back, and took another nce at the battlefield beyond the gate.
When Kieran said he wanted to lure the others out of the dark by using the captives, she told him everything she knew, hoping that it would be of use.
But...
This had been too useful! It was super effective!
Once she thought about Kieran killing the bastards that ughtered herrades, an unknown feeling arose in Perry Kaners heart.
She was grateful.
She was regretful.
And she felt surreal.
Most of it was questions though.
Unable to control herself, Perry Kaner walked up to Kieran, whispering, How did you know they woulde?
Chapter 1206 - A Night Visit
Chapter 1206: A Night Visit
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Secret, Kieran replied to Perry Kaner ambiguously.
He wouldnt tell her that it was all Frost Wolf and Fire Ravens efforts in digging those enemies out.
In fact, using Frost Wolfs sense of smell and Fire Ravens sight, Kieran already got a hold of the whereabouts of the other Viper Sect branch and hed even understood a few of their operational points.
In simpler words, if these enemies hadnt cared about the captives he took earlier, Kieran was ready to take the fight to them himself.
However, from the looks of it now, that waspletely unnecessary.
Other than that, it allowed Kieran to understand that there might be one or more valuable captives among the six that he captured earlier.
After getting Kierans answer, Perry Kaner was stunned, and before she could ask again, Kieran went straight towards Mary with a smile.
In the beginning, when everyone heard of Kierans n, they were restless and anxious, even the hundreds of fully armed royal guards.
Everyone knew the difference in strength between ordinary soldiers and sect members.
Even with the help of archery or arbalest, the ordinary soldiers would only be able to achieve a slightly surprising effect against the foes.
As for achieving more?
Unless the ordinary soldiers reached a certain number, it would be impossible.
But Mary believed differently, as she trusted Kieranpletely.
When Kieran voiced out his simple n, she agreed to it without a second thought.
For Mary, Kieran would achieve whatever he proposed, even if it was against the other branch of the Viper Sect that managed to eliminate Perry Kaners branch.
Didnt reality just prove her correct?
Tell the Raven Sect members to clean up the battlefield with the soldiers. Although I doubt they will find any clues, no one can be sure they wont find anything surprising, said Kieran.
Um. Got it. Mary nodded with a smile and quickly made the necessary arrangements.
She then turned back to Kieran, asking, Do you want any supper?
Sure. Kieran nodded without a second thought.
While waiting for his supper, Kieran returned to his room and ced all the rewards he had gotten over the day on the table.
Three Rare rank items.
One was a fist-sized crystal ball from the southern reinforcement camp; the other two were from thetest battle, a dagger and a snake sculpture.
[Name: Crystal of Messy Thoughts (Excellent)]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attribute: 1. Absorb; 2. Enhance]
[Effect: None]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Prerequisite: Mystical Knowledge (Ghastly Woods, Master)]
[Remark: This is a must-have item for an excellent Ghastly Woods Sect member. Most of them were a gift from their own teacher.]
...
[Absorb: Slowly absorbs human emotions that are within a 100-meter radius (positive and negative emotions), stores them and transforms them into 3 times the Extreme level of enhancement or 1 Advance Rank level enhancement.]
[Enhance: Transforms the absorbed emotions into the power of a curse, strengthening oneself.]
...
[Name: Dark Stream Dagger]
[Type: Weapon]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attack: Strong]
[Attribute: 1. Soundless; 2. Dark Blessing]
[Effect: None]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Prerequisite: Sharp Weapon, Dagger (Master)]
[Remark: This isnt a weapon that was forged in the traditional way but was instead found in a secret room in certain historical ruins and was stabbed into an unlucky body.]
...
[Soundless: Attack without air-breaking sounds]
[Dark Blessing: Acquires +1 attack buff during the night or in a dark environment]
...
[Name: Curl Snake Sculpture]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: None]
[Attribute: 1. ck Mist (1/3); 2. Dark Herd]
[Effect: None]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Prerequisite: Mystical Knowledge (Viper Sect, Master)]
[Remark: This is a specially forged item of the Viper Sect core members. Once, it was spurned upon by people and now it isnt even anywhere as good.]
...
[ck Mist: Creates a 150-meter radius of negative energy mist that could hide the user and spirit beings; duration of 2 minutes]
[Dark Herd: Collects the souls of the specially killed to fight for you (Contains: 0)]
......
Kieran retracted his gaze from the loot and raised a puzzled brow.
Out of the three Rare rank items, only [Dark Stream Dagger] was amon one while the other two had a special prerequisite to them, which wasnt good news to Kieran.
Whether it was [Mystical Knowledge (Ghastly Woods, Master)] or [Mystical Knowledge (Viper Sect, Master)], none were temporarily avable for Kieran.
Of course, Kieran wasnt short of other rewards. At least he gained some information that was not mentioned in the book, Word of Sects.
Aplete inheritance consisting of sword skills and knowledge?
Kieran muttered before going to the door and opening it.
Outside the door was Eldar, who was about to knock. He jolted for a moment before smiling.
I forgot you were a powerhouse that could rival an entire army. Of course, my steps wouldnt be able to escape your ears, said the elderly duke before asking for permission to enter.
Kieran stepped aside and invited him into the room since he already knew why Eldar hade to visit him in the night.
The room is smaller than I thought and the decorations dont fit your power level either, said Eldar with a shocked tone after he entered the room and saw the simple decorations that consisted only of necessary living supplies.
Having the basics is enough for me, replied Kieran.
If I didnt know that you spare no restraints in eating, I might have thought you to be an apostle, said Eldar before taking a deep breath. He then continued, Thank you.
No need. Kieran shook his head.
Eldar expressed his gratitude on behalf of King James VIII and Kieran replied for Mary.
Although both of them were father and daughter, it didnt mean Kieran would mix up their rtionship.
From Kierans point of view, Mary was Mary, King James VIII was King James VIII.
If it werent for Mary being in the equation, Kieran wouldnt even bat an eye if King James VIII died.
Eldar was looking at Kieran with a fixed stare, whichsted for almost 20 seconds.
After that, Eldar sighed softly.
If I had any other viable choice, I would hope to inform a kinder person, but I have none of those luxuries now. Do you know why those people wanted to assassinate James and Tenar at the same time? Or do you want to know what kind of secret James is hiding? asked the elderly.
Nope, Kieran replied in a direct manner.
Chapter 1207 - Holding Up
Chapter 1207: Holding Up
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Having sorted his emotions together, Duke Eldar had been ready to tell Kieran everything, but he almost choked when Kieran gave him his direct reply.
Cough, Cough
The elderly duke coughed multiple times and tried extremely hard to get his emotions back in check before sizing up the young man before his eyes with a judgemental gaze.
There was a mature temperament that covered his youthful face. His words and actions were habitually stiff, and even his back was as straight as a pole when he sat down.
If Eldar hadnt taken a precise look at Kierans face and had only looked at Kierans back, he might have taken him for a well-educated,w-abiding, middle-aged man.
However, the young man before him had restraints that a middle-aged man wascking in.
Just look at the room.
Any young man with sufficient financial power would have preferred to live in something more extravagant than this in, simple room, let alone those well-educated bastards.
Those nobles unted themselves as kind and humble during normal times, but the arrogance that was hidden in their eyes was natural-born. Besides that, their arrogance would seep into many aspects of their lives, creating a drastic contrast from a normal person; they would also unconsciously seize the chance to set off their own outstanding features.
Eldar had seen a lot of these hypocrites throughout his life.
Kieran?
He savoured bitterness like malt sugar without the slightestint.
Eldar looked at Kierans calm, dull features with his stern gaze and couldnt hold back his sigh when he once again thought of Kierans powers.
He had heard of his powerful abilities and also witnessed them first hand before.
A man that rivaled an entire army!
Standing alone on the battlefield and frightening an entire army, it wasnt a feat achievable by any John Doe.
You are different from themon person. Whether it is your peers or your elders, you are really different from them all. The way you think, the way you do things. You have your own rules that you y by... You must have been through something in the past, otherwise, you wouldnt have emerged as the person you are now. I am quite curious about the things you experienced, though I can bet that you wont even spill a word to me. Eldar sighed once more.
Kieran didnt even care about what he said.
What Eldar thought of Kieran was exactly the same as what everyone else thought of Kieran and wondered about. It wasplete nonsense.
Rather than continuing to think about such nonsense, Kieran might as well think about what kind of supper Mary was preparing for him. It was much more interesting anyway, so Kieran did just that.
Sitting there, his eyes started to drift away. The tip of his nose sniffed ceaselessly.
Kieran hoped to use his powerful Intuition to pick up the scent of food.
The elderly duke was stunned once again when he saw Kierans little movements.
He didnt know what Kieran was doing, but it didnt stop him from continuing his speech.
At first, I still had scruples about telling you this secret, but judging from your multiple performances, I know that I am just overthinking. You...
Add more water when you are preparing stew meat. Increase the fire as well.
Kierans sudden words stopped Eldars confession.
Even an idiot would know what his words were meant for, and it allowed the elderly duke to finally understand what Kieran was doing.
Food is iparable to the secret that I am about to tell you, Eldar said with a serious look.
What you are going to tell me is truly iparable to food, Kieran also replied seriously.
Kieran then turned around and looked at the elderly man.
He knew that if he didnt say it straight, he would have to face endless nagging from the elderly man when he went to go have his supperter.
For the sake of having an undisturbed supper time, he said, Thank you for your trust in me, but I really dont want to know about the secret of King James VIII. He still has a daughter, who is also my friend. I am very open to helping my friend and I dont think this secret of yours should skip past her, Kieran said in a solemn tone, which shook Eldar once again.
Is this the reason why you rejected me? Because I came to you instead of Mary? Eldar asked with an inconceivable look.
Yes. Mary is my friend, therefore, some respect should be shown to a reasonable extent. She has more right to know than me. Kieran nodded.
But you are more qualified to bear this than her. Eldar frowned.
Qualifications arent determined by ones words. It exists as it is, and it will never surpass the name, bloodline and will to inherit, said Kieran before standing up and opening the door.
Mary will soon be bringing over my supper, so choose: leave now or find another appropriate time in telling her the secret. By appropriate, I dont mean during my supper time, Kieran emphasized.
You are really an entric one. The elderly duke shook his head with a bitter smile before walking out the door.
Two minutes after Eldar left, Mary appeared with a tray. The aromatic scent of food on her made Kieran approach her unconsciously. He breathed deeply.
Beef, pork chops, asparagus lettuce and corn, said Kieran with his eyes squinted, his face looking strangely pleased.
Oxtail stew, roasted pork chop, corn and asparagus lettuce soup.
Marry blushed when Kieran got close to her and quickly ced the food on the only table in the room as if she were offering her treasure.
Kieran wasnt the least bit courteous, or rather, he never knew how to be courteous when in the face of food.
During battles, Kieran preferred offense over passive defense. Simrly, during a meal, he emanated that invading presence.
It was part of his own, part of Gluttonys effect.
Five minutes!
The food that was enough to feed three people was devoured into nothingness within that time.
Much better than I was expecting. I didnt know you could cook so well, Kieran said with slight surprise.
As the heir of Swurster Castle, I had to learn not only martial arts but cooking as well.
Mary tidied up the dinnerware and winked at Kieran before returning to the kitchen happily.
A princess entering the kitchen was surprising enough, let alone washing the dishes, but for Swurster Castles heir, it was nothing short of amon urrence.
Kieran smiled as he saw Mary take her leave but he quickly turned away when he heard footsteps.
The elderly duke had appeared again after the meal.
He stood in front of the opened doors, knocked, and said with a smile, Good evening again, Sir 2567.
I thought I made myself clear. Kieran frowned.
He didnt want to tangle with the duke anymore; he had no time for that.
Assuring Mary Ascends To The Throne In 30 Days, it wasnt all just sitting back and watching, efforts had to be poured in, too.
Yes, yes, you made it clear enough. As gratitude from before, I want to tell you another secret that is rted to you. Its about the Viper Sect, said the elderly duke before entering.
The door closed behind him.
Chapter 1208 - Let Me Tell You A Secret As Well
Chapter 1208: Let Me Tell You A Secret As Well
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Just like before, Kieran and Duke Eldar sat opposite of each other.
As for the atmosphere?
It was dead silent just like it was before.
Kieran sat there, waiting for the Duke Eldar to speak about the Viper Sect secret.
He didnt have the slightest intention to rush the elderly duke.
Half a minuteter, the elderly duke looked up at Kieran.
Before I tell you the secret of the Viper Sect, can you tell me honestly, did you ever look down on James?
Kieran frowned at the elderly dukes strange question.
It wasnt that the duke spoke Kierans mind, but that Kieran wasnt used to such an equivocate way of conversing.
Kierans habit made him habitually vignt; he wouldnt look down on anyone, not evenmoners, let alone a king.
Despite King James VIIIs performance over the years being nothing but weak, Kieran believed that any man who could be a king was not a simple man.
Dont forget that before this, this weak man had restrained Jeanne James and had held back the Duke of Will from the south.
If King James VIII were really as weak as he looked, he might have gotten killed a long time ago!
Kieran never doubted Jeanne James ruthlessness and the Duke of Wills wretched ambitions.
Even more so when thinking of the Viper Sects profession!
The assassination attempt on King James VIII from the remaining Viper Sect members had a sense of scruple.
They must have had scruples when thinking of the consequences of killing the king directly but still desired to have him removed for the better days ahead.
Otherwise, a direct approach like a dagger or an arrow would have been much more useful than that painting.
Kieran didnt believe that the Viper Sect had any scruples with him.
Judging from how easily they were lured out and killed, the remaining Viper Sect members only showed disdain toward his existence.
How could disdain result in scruple?
So other than Kieran, who else did the Viper Sect have qualms against?
Mary? Duke Zilin? Or Raven Sect?
None of them fitted the criteria.
Discarding all these points, all that was left was the seemingly impossible one, King James VIII himself, the king that was lying down on his sickbed, hanging onto hisst breath and on the verge of passing away at any moment.
With such spection in his heart, how could Kieran look down on King James VIII?
No. There is a lot more to him that he keeps hidden than he lets on. I dont know why he hides it. Maybe because of Mary? Or something entirely different? One thing is for sure, King James VIII is a person not to trifled with, said Kieran while shaking his head.
If James heard what you just said, he would be surprised! The secret that he thought he hid so well was seen through by a barely acquainted young man. 20 years ago, James was ambitious about changing Warren, wanting to liberate it from the control and infestation of the sects. With that in mind, he purposely acquainted himself with people like me. No, not just me alone, there was a bunch of us, including Folly, who you killed.
Folly?!
THE Folly that caused Viper Sects initial extermination?!
Kieran squinted his eyes almost instantaneously.
It seemed like he was rted to many more things.
Thats right, it is exactly what you think. James nned for the destruction of the Viper Sect from the beginningthis is the secret that I wanted to tell you! In fact, not just Viper Sect, but all the other sects that lurked around Warren! They were hiding in Warren either openly or secretly, so we copied them and hid beside them, waiting for the perfect timing to incite a drastic change! Now thinking about the old days, my heart is still racing. Every day was a new battle. Every day we would get closer to our goal. And then... we achieved unprecedented sess.
Those sects indeed left Warren, but after that, failure followed. We never would have thought that the sects had nted their spies among us, inside the core, to be more exact.
The elderly dukes excited face turned nk again.
Ellen, Marys mother and James lover and wife. Jeanne James, Marys aunt and James elder sister. These two are made known to you, and there are still others that you dont know of.
Eldars voice grew dimmer by the sentence and gradually turned into a soft mumble.
Kieran could long hear what he said but he could take a guess.
Ellen, once the First Seat of Raven Sect.
Jeanne James, the unrecognized First Seat of Ghastly Wood Sect.
Since these two esteemeddies themselves appeared around the young King James VIII, what about the others?
The others such as the average-powered, normal disciples, where would they be?
The answer was self-exnatory.
Eldars countenance has already told Kieran the answer, or more precisely, reality told him.
Eldar mentioned that they were a group of people, but other than Folly, who Kieran killed, all Kieran saw was Eldar alone, so what about the rest?
Dead!
Kieran couldnt think of any other oue beside death.
If these group of men hadnt died, King James VIII might not have been that alone during the invasion of the Prairies men.
Hmph. Kieranughed softly.
What? You dont believe me? Eldar said.
No, I am just thinking about what Mary would do if she knew what her father did, said Kieran, slowly.
That is why there are some things that must avoid reaching Marys ears. She...
Eldar shook his head and didnt continue.
You are denying an established fact again. Other than that, you are instilling an ideal that you assume to be correct into my mind. Kieran frowned.
I didnt argue whether it was correct or not! I dont want to deny it either! But the fact is that Ellens appearance and Marys birth were all a mistake! Do you know how torturous it was for James to ept his own defeat? He now has to hide in the pce to continue living on till hisst breath! Do you know how I felt as myrades died one after another while I was jailed in the south? YOU DONT! You will never understand all of this since you never experienced it yourself! Eldar said with a straightened neck.
He was agitated and flushed, veins popping up on his neck.
Then...
Bang!
Eldar along with his sofa was kicked outside and sent tumbling out the door.
You!
Struggling to crawl up, Eldars face flushed further and turned swollen. He pointed at Kieran with his trembling finger.
He obviously never thought Kieran would treat him like this.
James pain, your pain, your deadrades... What does all that sh*t have to do with me?! I am just Marys friend. So you should thank Mary. If it werent for her, you would be meeting with your oldrades now.
Kieran slowly retracted his left leg and hung [Extreme Night] around his waist before heading out the door.
The agitated Eldar shuddered when he saw Kieran pick up [Extreme Night], but Kieran didnt even care about the old man, instead walking past him.
Though, when Kieran passed by Eldar, he paused.
Let me tell you a secret as well! The extermination of Viper Sect that you guys thought was so sessful, did it really seed? Do you really think you saw everything? Do you want to know the real truth? Kieran then walked forward without waiting for an answer.
Sitting down on the ground, Eldars face changed drastically. He had thought of something but was unwilling to admit it.
Impossible! No, no, this cant be. Youre lying. Youre lying to me!
Eldar was screaming at Kierans back but Kieran didnt answer.
With the night breeze blowing over his shoulder, the crow feather mantle fluttered in the night.
Chapter 1209 - Getting Close
Chapter 1209: Getting Close
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Frost Wolf pup was like any other dirty stray dog after being tainted in the mud. It scuttled around, searching through the streets and alleys for leftover food like a real stray dog.
However, stray dogs would eventually return to their own territory and guard their own turfs.
Lack of food for several days would wear them down, exhausting their animal spirit, but it wouldnt stop their natural duty: guarding homes, despite the homes being empty.
The sudden war that befell Riverdale made its people run in a hurry.
The people, panicked beyond logic, brought away most of the valuables and food they thought they might need throughout their journey, but some family members were instinctively forgotten.
Fortunately, this was only the minority.
When Frost Wolf returned to the area, it looked exhausted and leaned against the corner of the wall, sticking its tongue out and looking around in rm with its odd-colored eyes.
Whenever other stray dogs, the kind of dogs that had been strayed since birth and had never gotten close to any humans before, got close to the Frost Wolf pup, they would always reply to the other dogs ruthless, fierce presence with their soft whimpers, and when the other stray dogs got closer, the Frost Wolf pup would run away.
Although it could have easily torn the invaders apart, Frost Wolf wouldnt expose its unusuality when it knew what its task was.
Adopting the identity of a stray dog, especially a pup, was very useful to the Frost Wolf, to the point that it quickly inherited its maternal bloodline and adapted to all the natural gifts.
In simpler words, the Frost Wolf, at the moment, looked like an abandoned, lost puppy.
Would anyone care about a stray puppy?
Other than some kind-hearted folks, no one would.
Since Riverdale was empty at the moment, where would there be any kind-hearted folks for the puppies?
All Riverdale had now was people with evil intentions.
The Frost Wolf was actually watching a building further away, where groups of men had been entering since the afternoon and then leaving together after a while.
Then, three more men appeared before the building after those other men left.
Compared to the previous bunch, these three men were much more vignt, much more powerful as well.
Frost Wolf clearly sniffed out the powerful presence around them. It shrunk its body further and squinted its odd-colored eyes.
If anyone that knew Kieran were to see the Frost Wolf pup now, they would be astonished at the way the pup squinted, its manner very much resembling Kierans.
Frost Wolf pup was blessed before, as other than growing its strength, it had, more importantly, exceptional intellect that surpassed other treasured beasts, and given the heightened intellect, it knew how to learn, or more precisely, copy.
The only person that it would imitate was Kieran.
The pup has been around Kieran from the moment of its birth, and after watching and listening to its master every day, not only did it learn to copy Kierans mannerism, its movement patterns became almost identical as well.
It carefully and vigntly approached the house.
Covered in dirt, it stuck itself along the wall and merged with the shadows as it moved.
It didnt have to get too close, as its paternal bloodline granted it excellent hearing, allowing it to hear everything in the house despite being quite far away.
A bunch of morons! They really take everyone else as idiots? Why the hell were they so arrogant to attack Warren Pce? And they even attacked openly, at that! Where did their usual training go? Did it get eaten by the dogs?
A man whose voice was originally low and heavy raised his tone a few times higher for the shout. His voice sounded irritated, hinted by the sharpness but more importantly, the rage it couldnt conceal.
Before the others in the room could speak, the man shouted again.
Didnt they know that the Devil and Sons of Dragon were in the pce? Who the hell gave them such blind confidence? Or... Did someone leak out the wrong information?
His sharp voice returned to a normal, heavy one, and what followed were a series of doubts.
The man obviously didnt believe that his men could be wiped out just like that, especially after a perfect operation.
His men had disyed their strongest potential. As long as they had had more time, they would have been able to stand for themselves.
But now?
Huuhaa! Huuhaa!
Whenever he thought about how his long-time efforts were all cast into the river, especially with the death of his elite subordinates, and how his position was now threatened, the mans breath became rushed. Even the aura on him changed slightly, causing the atmosphere in the room to be a little more depressed.
The other two men remained silent.
Assassins were not people that talked a lot in the first ce. Some even got into this line of work through extreme training like cutting their tongues in the beginning.
Viper Sect used to practise this as well, but the means were cast away many years ago.
They chose to go with a more secluded way!
And now, it seemed like they did quite a decent job with it too.
The man that shouted the questions would have been pleased for this reason were it any other normal day, but now, he couldnt feel happy at all. His silent colleagues, his dead subordinates and his threatened position, all of these fueled the rage in his heart further, causing the suppressed emotions to burn high again.
Say something! Tell me! Tell me why!? Why! he shouted.
This time, one of the two spoke.
Rather than asking why, I think we should leave this ce as soon as possible. Since it is confirmed that they are dead, this operation point has no reason to stay.
The mans voice was rough and gloomy with quite the calmness, but all of this sounded like he had ulterior motives in that first mans ear.
You want to destroy the evidence? Tell me, is all of this your handy work? the first man shouted again.
What kind of joke is this? All three of our groups have always worked separately, each of us having our own independentwork system! Since the day we formed, we never interfered with each others business!
The rough, gloomy voice sounded even colder. Unpleasant feelings were brewing behind his words.
Never interfered with each other? the first man mocked with a coldugh.
It was said to be independent operations, but the reality was much different.
The first man had always nurtured schemes against the other two by nting moles in their groups and he believed that the other two were doing exactly the same to him as well.
Ill ask Lord Prime Viper to be the judge! You two better be prepared! The first man then stood up.
Just like his colleague said, this operation point had no reason to exist anymore, nor the necessity for them to stay behind. If it werent to gather possible leftover clues, he wouldnt even be here.
As for calling the other two?
Hmph!
He has lost all his men, but if it were just his own loss, wouldnt that show his ipetence?
When the thought came, his mind was quietly finishing his own setups.
Their death was well-deserved. And... The third man, who stayed quiet before, finally spoke.
And what?
The first mans rage burned hot again when he heard what the other guy said. He wanted to turn around and fire his ferocious gaze at him.
And, you shouldnt show your back to your foe.
After the suppressed voice sounded, the first mans face changed drastically, and before he could even react, a short knife had gone through his chest.
The de perforated through the ribs protection and pierced his heart.
You, you bastards!
Yes, we have been working together since long ago. Your men are dead because of our misleading informationI have to say, the way you roped in people was quite primitive and shallow, no techniques at all. Well then, you can die now.
The third man spoke as he bent down, looking at his dying foe. A few coldughster, he was going to make the final blow with his de, but someone else was faster than him!
Puk!
Almost in an identical way, the third mans chest was stabbed through the heart as well.
You really think that I would work together with you?
The second mans rough, gloomy voice sounded.
I know right. How could I ever work with you?
The third man, whose heart was stabbed by the knife, nodded with a smile, as though he hadnt suffered any damage. He stood up and stared at his ex-coborator.
Then, both of them spoke in one voice, Now!
The suddenmand was loud and sonorous, sounding like an explosion but... there was no reply.
Dead silence rung after the shout.
Huuu.
The night breeze blew again amid the awkward silence.
Clear footsteps came together with the night breeze.
Tss Gak!
The door was then pushed open softly.
All of them saw a ck figure with a bunch of dead bodies behind him. They even saw that slowly falling wind coat after the night breeze flew over.
It was ck and abysmal, yet quiet.
As though it was the cape of the Grim Reaper.
Chapter 1210 - Hidden Viper
Chapter 1210: Hidden Viper
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
T-The Devil!
The first fallen assassin stammered weakly, his fading gaze indicating that he wouldnt be surviving this.
I...
The third assassin, whose chest was stabbed yet didnt seem to mind, spoke.
But the moment he spoke, Kieran, who was at the entrance, vanished.
Instinctively, the second assassin was fully on guard.
Then...
Grak!
A clear noise came from behind him.
Without even inspecting, the second assassin could tell it was the noise of a humans neck being snapped.
He had heard it too many times, to the point that he could tell how many bones had been broken in that one snap.
Then another snap!
Gark!
The second assassin fell to the ground, his eyes opened wide until the veryst moment. That fearful face of his wore a heavy sense of disbelief. He couldnt believe he had died just like that without any resistance.
How! How is this possible?!
The question popped up in the second assassins heart a moment before his death.
The same question also appeared in the third assassin.
A moment ago, he was able tough even though his chest was stabbed, but a momentter, his forehead was drenched in cold sweat.
Even more so when he saw Kieran appear in front of his eyes without any signs. He instinctively took two steps backwards.
Kieran nced over at the assassin with disappointment.
It wasnt because of the assassins courage but because of Kierans own miscalction.
When Kieran had seen the mans chest get stabbed yet still able to move his body around freely, he thought it was some kind of Viper Sect secret technique, but now he realized it was nothing but a trick; underneath the assassin big robe, his body was twisting like a snake.
In simpler words, that knife that seemingly pierced his chest only perforated his robe.
Of course, this was also a part of Viper Sects secret techniques, butpared to the secret technique of defying death against a direct stab to the heart, this kind of tricky technique was useless to Kieran.
What should he do about such a useless enemy?
Hold on! I can tell you everything you want to know! I...
Bang!
The third assassin spoke quickly, as he felt Kierans killing intent but what Kieran replied to him in turn was a kick to the face.
Fast and precise.
Before the assassin could react, his head was crushed.
Three orange glows appeared on the three bodies, and despite the glowing, the forms of books were made quite obvious.
[Discovered skill book, Thousand Viper Kick, detecting...]
[Learning prerequisite met!]
[Learn? Yes/No]
...
[Discovered skill book, Soundless Trick, detecting...]
[Learning prerequisite met!]
[Learn? Yes/No]
...
[Discovered skill book, Viper Body, detecting...]
[Learning prerequisite met!]
[Learn? Yes/No]
...
Kieran got the learning notifications when he picked up the skill books.
Without thinking, Kieran learned all of them.
The three books immediately disintegrated into light, new notifications then following.
[Detected Viper Kick at Transcendence level, Thousand Viper Kick automatically set as Grand Master level]
[Name: Thousand Viper Kick (Grand Master)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Offense]
[Effect: Your leg muscles and joints could be altered greatly in an unimaginable way, increasing your kicking attack range and causing a small air stream that could tear skin. (Air stream attack is Feeble; range is a 2-meter radius from you)]
[Special effect: Viper Hiss (Whenever youunch a kick, your muscles will produce snake hissing sounds. Targets who get struck will be forced to go through a Spirit authentication no lower than B-, Fear will be induced when failed)]
[Transcendence: Spirit authentication of foe increase by 1]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Hand-to-Hand Combat, Kick Combats (Transcendence), Viper Kick (Master), Strength B, Agility B, Constitution B]
[Remark: Catching your enemy off guard with your freaky kicking techniques.]
...
[Name: Silent Trick (Basic)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effect: When walking, control your muscles to produce silent steps.]
[Special effect: None]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Undercover (Grand Master), Strength C+, Agility C+. Constitution C+]
[Remark: This isnt one of the Viper Sects techniques but it is extremely suitable for its skillsets.]
...
[Name: Viper Body (Basic)]
[Rted Attribute: Constitution, Spirit]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effect: Control your muscles throughout your body and move like a viper]
[Special Effect: None]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Dormant Viper (Basic), Strength C+, Agility C+, Constitution C+]
[Remark: It is interconnected with Dormant Viper]
......
Kieran looked at [Viper Body]s remark in surprise.
Its interconnected with Dormant Viper?
At first, Kieran learned [Viper Body] only because he didnt want to waste a Rare rank skill book, but now it gave him a reminder.
The knowledge and techniques in the sects are all interconnected. Skill to skill, they are linked together.
Kieran took a deep breath and touched Frost Wolf pup without minding the dirt on it.
Nicely done! Kieran wasnt stingy with hispliments because he knew that without Frost Wolf pup, it would have been hard for him to know what was going on in the ce.
However, Kieran didnt give the pup any further rewards. Instead, he tapped on its head and told it to leave for the time being.
The smart and sharp-instinct pup softly groaned before diving into the shadows beside Kieran.
What a smart puppy! I bet it will taste exceptionally tasty if I grill it.
A grudgeful voice came from the other end of the street.
A tall, thin man that shared a simr outfit to the three dead assassins appeared there.
His right arm that was exposed had a tattoo of a viper.
Kieran had seen simr tattoos on Perry Kaner and the other three dead assassins.
Perry Kaners one was a five-headed viper.
The three dead assassins had a six-headed viper.
But the man before Kierans eyes was different, as he had an eight-headed viper tattoo on his arm.
Each of the viper heads was looking up high, their eyes ferocious as they stuck out their forked tongues, butpared to the ferocious tattoo, the man himself was scarier.
Not only the malicious intent that filled his eyes, but even his presence was also terrifying. That cold, dark aura felt so real, to the point that a giant viper mirage could be faintly seen behind him.
At the same time, more system notifications appeared in Kierans vision.
[Sub-mission: Remaining Viper Sect (Complete)]
[Triggered special event: Hidden Viper]
[Hidden Viper: After you decided to help Perry Kaner, you slowly realized that the so-called remaining Viper Sect wasnt the remains, after all. They were not only intact, but they were also hiding in the shadows all along, like a real poisonous viper ready to eat its foe. You are the one they had their eyes on...]
...
As expected.
Kieran muttered softly when he saw the description of the special event, [Hidden Viper].
Further ahead, the man with the eight-headed tattoo vanished.
The battles of assassins were never in open means or about shing face to face.
Chapter 1211 - Battle Of Assassins
Chapter 1211: Battle Of Assassins
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The street at night got quieter.
When a dark cloud blocked out thest bit of the moon
Sou!
A sharp, air-breaking sound came from behind Kierans head.
Kieran tilted his head to one side, the arrow grazing his hair.
At the same time, mist rumbled to his left, and from the shadow behind it, the giant viper mirage jumped on him.
It was really simr to a real venomous viper that hid in the bushes to hunt its prey.
Not only fast but ferocious as well with its huge bloody mouth.
The sticky saliva was watering up and down on its fangs, its red tongue like a whip sweeping at Kieran and its cold eyes were expressing its ruthlessness towards its prey.
Kieran looked at the giant viper mirage. His eyes were as cold as the vipers, but his countenance had a sense of calmness that was absent in the viper.
It wasnt the first time he had seen an attack like this.
He had experienced it more than one from the Prairies King, and each time he would end up in an ugly state, damaged or even barely escaping from death.
But...
That was before.
And now?
For the natives in the current dungeon world, maybe it was a few days ago that Kieran had fought the Prairies King, but for Kieran, it was eight dungeon runs of a difference.
Throughout those eight dungeon runs, there were special dungeons and normal dungeons plus the Limit Break dungeon and also thepetition for the Unique Title.
He would try his best in excavating the best of each dungeon, and each time, he would face an unknown danger.
Why though?
Other than a sizable reward, wasnt it just for this moment?
He didnt want the danger that he knew of to trouble him any longer.
He didnt want to continue relying on luck against the known danger.
He wanted to take it leisurely.
He wanted to aplish it skillfully.
And he did it. Quite well too, to be honest.
Huu!
The night gale blew.
Scorching streams rumbled throughout the streets.
A pungent sulphuric scent filled the air.
The Devil mirage roared loudly with its head up.
Its willful and arrogant gaze showed nothing but contempt.
Its chaotic and rampant aura swept its enemies clean.
When the magma arms raised up high, their scorching heat forced the giant viper mirage to the brink of crumbling. Despite the coldness in the reptilian eyes never changing, it didnt boost the viper or grant it any kind of advantage, instead making the viper look dull and helpless.
When the two magma arms grabbed the upper and lower jaw of the giant viper mirage, the mirage started to fall apart but the crumbling speed was still too slow for the Devils taste, to the point that it couldnt wait.
So, the Devil helped.
Tsss!
The magma arms pulled away from each other, tearing the giant viper mirage in half; there were a series of skin tearing noises. The mirage then turned into light particles and vanished into the air, but the eight-headed viper tattoo man was nowhere to be found.
When the arrow was dodged and the giant viper mirage was jumping out, the eight-headed viper tattoo man was silently approaching Kieran from the right.
A dagger dipped in poison didnt produce any air-breaking noise as it was hurled toward its target. On top of that, the dark environment granted the dagger with a more powerful attack.
It could even pierce iron, let alone flesh and blood.
That was if it could hit its target.
Kieran didnt move to dodge. Instead, he dished out a right kick that was like an iron whip, and the moment he struck, it multiplied by 10 times and brought up keen air streams behind it.
The air streams were like many small snakes. The moment they appeared, hisses followed and then drowned their target ferociously like a tiger.
[Hundred Violent Kicks]!
[Thousand Viper Kick]!
The eight-headed snack tattoo assassin might not be familiar with [Hundred Violent Kicks], but he was very familiar with [Thousand Viper Kick] to the point that it felt like second nature to him, thus he didnt back off.
He knew that the air streams caused by [Thousand Viper Kick] could easily rip his skin, but there were just some flesh wounds and bleeding, nothing lethal.
As for its effect towards Spirit?
Perhaps the assassin was notpletely immune to the effect but the hellish training that he had been through every day, wasnt it exactly for this moment? To resist these kinds of attacks?
Moreover, Viper Sect had its own secret technique against other abilities that could affect ones mental state.
Exchanging mild injuries for a kill.
What could be a more suitable trade?
Enduring the stinging pain in his mind, the assassins dagger was quicker than before.
Then...
He was struck by Kierans kick and the moment he was hit, his face changed drastically for the worst.
The power contained in the kick was tremendous, making the assassin feel like he was trampled underneath a rampaging primordial beast.
After getting hit by the kick, the dagger in the assassins hand couldnt even move, let alone exchange injuries for a kill.
This was a trap!
The boy had fooled him into looking down on him by using a technique that he was familiar with!
This realization came into the mind of the assassin when he saw that Kierans face didnt even change throughout the attack.
But it was toote.
Bang!
Boom!
Amidst a heavy, loud bang, Kieran kicked the assassin through a dozen buildings as though he were a fired cannonball. The assassin was buried beneath the ruins, absent of any signs of life.
Assassins would never fight head-on like warriors because shadows provided them with the best cover.
They were the dancer on the tip of the de, they were the dancing partner of death.
Life and death were determined within a fraction of a second.
For foes and for oneself.
When the assassin had looked down on Kieran, the oue had been determined.
Kieran never looked down on anyone, especially in battle. He would never rx his vignce even after he beat his opponent, maintaining the necessary carefulness to assure himself even when he was in the same environment.
This habit might be exhausting but it wasnt a bad habit, especially against sudden ambushes.
Like now!
After the eight-headed viper tattoo assassin was covered in debris, another dagger came from the shadows and tried to strike Kieran from behind.
This assassin dressed simr to the previous one and also had the same tattoo on his exposed right arm. The only difference was that this eight-headed viper tattoo had two tails instead of one.
When the new assassin saw Kieran standing still and seemingly not reacting to his presence, the assassins face showed a vicious, bloodthirsty smile.
Perfect timing! This is how an assassin should be fighting! His eyes were filled with delight.
As for hisrade that died?
He didnt care. A deadrade wasnt worthy of his sympathy, it would only be wasteful to his feelings.
Really, he didnt have any feelings, to begin with.
All he had was the joy of killing his target.
Close!
Closer!
The assassins face flushed irregrly as he got closer to his target, his body even shaking in excitement.
Then...
His neck was snapped in the bite of a giant white wolf, which had been waiting for a while.
Chapter 1212 - Self-Imagination
Chapter 1212: Self-Imagination
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
A golden glow appeared on the body, emanating a radiance that only Kieran could see.
But Kieran didnt pick it up right away, simr to the other golden glow in the crumbled ruins.
Before the battle truly ended, all he had in his eyes were enemies and not enemies.
Kieran looked up and stared at a shadow in the corner.
A figure slowly walked out in response to his stare.
Perry Kaner!
The leader of Viper Sect was looking at the giant [Spirit of the White Wolf] in shock. She looked at the young man in front of the white wolf and the white wolf itself, which bit off the neck of one of the eight Viper Sect branch leaders. Despite its ferocious manner a moment ago, the white wolf was kneeling down tamely, using its body to shield the young man from the night wind.
Her body was trembling, as fear was drowning her uncontrobly.
In fact, Perry Kaners heart was drenched in fear the moment she saw that eight-headed, single-tailed viper tattoo that vaguely matched her blurry memory.
As the leader of the Viper Sect herself, she clearly knew what that represented.
The eighth branch under the Prime Viper. Eight leaders.
From the strongest eight-headed, eight-tailed to the eight-headed, single-tailed, each leader was a fearsome assassin on their own and each imed to be a powerhouse that could rival an army.
The moment that first branch leader appeared, Perry Kaner almost lost herself in despair.
She thought she was doomed because these leaders wouldnt spare a single pawn piece.
Especially when the pawn piece went out of control, then they would show no mercy.
To Perry Kaners thinking, Kieran couldnt even rival the leaders, let alone herself.
Relying on her undercover techniques, she evaded detection in order to escape the branch leaders sight. She knew what she was capable of and knew her limits.
While she squeezed her brain juice, thinking of how to escape, the eight-headed, single-tailed branch leader was defeated before her eyes, and before she could react to the situation, the eight-headed, two-tailed branch leader was bitten to death by the white wolf.
Those leaders were powerhouses that could rival an entire army on their own!
How could they die just like that?!
The scene felt like some unbelievable illusion.
Perry Kaner rotated her gaze to the young man and the white wolf, the fear in her eyes getting denser when she suddenly recalled a sect that was forgotten by the people.
That sect was different from the rest.
Throughout the said sects history, there was only one man in the sect at a time, no branch sects, no followers.
They associated themselves with wolves and referred to themselves as such, the leader of each generation being known asthe White Wolf!
When she thought about how the legendary sect handled matters, Perry Kaners body trembled more fiercely. She muttered while shivering, asking, W-Wolf Sect, White Wolf?
Perry Kaner wanted to verify the guess in her heart by asking, but Kieran didnt care about her mumbles.
He turned away and when he made sure the area was temporarily safe, the dirty Frost Wolf pup crawled out from the corner and went straight towards the ruins, digging for spoils of war.
The pup soon dug up what Kieran had sought after since it was much stronger than it looked.
Sprinting away, the pup held the spoils of war in its mouth and went straight up to Kieran, wagging its tail beside Kierans feet and waiting for its rewards.
Kieran received the two items before carrying the pup in his arms. He didnt mind the filthiness of the pup at all, simr to how to pup was willing to wade itself through a mess just for the sake of Kieran.
He touched the pups head and the pup moaned in satisfaction, squinting its eyes.
The soft moans from the pup sounded like thunder in Perry Kaners ears though. It shook her, causing her to step backwards in fear and even falter.
Wolf!
A wolf pup!
Perry Kaner could still distinguish between dog and wolf!
Looking at how close the wolf pup was with Kieran, Perry Kaner finally verified the guess in her heart.
The young man before her was the White Wolf of Wolf Sect!
Only the White Wolf would be so close to a wolf pup and only he could tame a wolf pup like a rabbit!
As I thought, the Prairies King wasnt the Wolf Sect! The extravagant looks and followers that he had, his style didnt even fit Wolf Sects style at all! This man here...
Thinking about his vignce and constant alertness, the way he abided by his code, Perry Kaner easily merged Kieran with the image in her thoughts due to her prejudiced first impression.
On top of that, she even provided herself with a reasonable exnation.
No wonder he helped Mary unconditionally! No wonder he joined the battle of Duke Zilin, he himself wanted to kill the Prairies King! Killing the guy who impersonated him! This is the way of the Wolf Sect!
The more Perry Kaner let her imagination run, the more certain she was and the more terrified she became as well.
Because she thought she had discovered Kierans hidden identity.
The Wolf Sect was now facing a potential risk and given how they worked...
As the thought bloomed, Perry Kaner unconsciously looked up.
She saw the white wolf on guard following Kierans order.
Looking at the judgemental and indifferent gaze towards all life in the white wolfs eyes, Perry Kaner tried her best to adjust her emotions by taking deep breaths.
Panic wasnt any good to her at the moment.
She told herself that she was his coborator, someone who he was working with, there were still ways to turn this around.
However, after suffering multiple shocks and still being in a state of fear, even Perry Kaner, the leader of the Viper Sect, couldnt calm herself down suddenly.
Her excitement was mixed with a messy presence. Her messy presence instantly alerted [Spirit of the White Wolf].
Ahoooooow!
The giant white wolf howled.
Unlike the tender moans from the pup or even a huge explosion, the loud and sonorous howl was truly an explosion in Perry Kaners ears.
The short, rushed howl echoed throughout the streets of Riverdale in the night.
The empty city further erged the short howl, producing a longer echo.
Echo after echo, howls louder than the previous howls.
It went on for quite a while without stopping.
...
Maxim, who stayed back in the pce, aiding Duke Zilin in guarding, heard the howls as well. He frowned.
Impossible! Stop overthinking! That sect along with the Dragon Sect and Tiger Sect are all gone. Otherwise, those rumours wouldnt have gone into the wind. Moreover, that guy is dead! said Maxim with augh.
Celty, who had been enjoying his meatballs, saw his friend frown and instantly knew what was going through Maxims mind.
Yes, that guy is dead, Maxim mocked himself with a smile but his furrowed brows didnt loosen up.
That guy was killed by Lord 2567! If the Wolf Sect hasnt vanished, chances are that Lord 2567 is the White Wolf himself, but he had the Fire Raven all this time, not a wolf, Celty said.
Celty shrugged when his friends worries didnt fade and continued enjoying his home-cooked meatballs.
He knew what kind of personality his friend had, further talking wouldnt do him any good, so he might as well enjoy the food and let Maxim calm down on his own.
Seconds turned into minutes, and Maxim along with Celty and the 10 Raven Sect members formed a stable, hidden watchpoint, guarding a corner of the pce.
Why not the whole pce?
They didnt even think about it with this handful of men.
Wanna have a drink?
Celty suggested after the mission waspleted.
Sure. Maxim nodded.
Just as the duo turned around, they saw Kieran returning with a cleaned Frost Wolf pup in his arms, sleeping soundlessly.
Maxim was stunned.
At the next moment, the Raven Sect recorder widened his eyes and even Celtys jaw dropped, the meatballs falling from his hands.
Chapter 1213 - Teach By Precept And Example
Chapter 1213: Teach By Precept And Example
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
As the meatballs rolled on the ground, the soundly asleep Frost Wolf pup picked up their scent with its sniffing nose.
A momentter, it opened its eyes and dashed up to the meatballs, eating one after another. It didnt swallow but stored them in its mouth.
Wasting food is a bad habit.
Kieran smiled at the Frost Wolf pup before saying this to the stunned Maxim and Celty.
After that, before the Raven Sect duo could reply, Kieran went back to his room, swiftly followed by Frost Wolf pup with its meatball-filled mouth.
Perry Kaner, I have something to ask you.
Perry Kaner was still having second thoughts behind Kieran but after Kieran said that, she too quickly followed.
Bang.
The noise of the door shutting knocked Celty and Maxim back to their senses. Both of them looked at each other.
Almost half a decadeter, Celty spoke in a stutter. I think I saw a wolf pup? Am I seeing things?
If you are seeing things, then I am seeing things as well, Maxim replied to his friend with a bitter smile.
The Raven Sect duo then fell into silence.
20 secondster, Celty took a deep breath.
Seems like things are much moreplicated than we thought, he said slowly. Not justplicated but... troublesome! Think about the reaction from the others! We should quickly...
Maxim wanted to say something but he stopped when the words were just at the tip of his tongue.
Maxim had chosen sides not long ago, and it was toote for him to bail out now.
Sigh. The ever hesitant Maxim sighed once again but Celty wasnt as sadistic as his friend.
We should make a move faster. Raven Sects Crown Raven, Wolf Sects White Wolf, if both are the same person, other than trouble, it is also an opportunity! At least some fence-sitters will choose more carefully now! he said.
I guess that will have to do! Maxim didnt refute.
It was the best solution for now.
After exchanging another gaze, both of them quickly moved out.
...
The conversation between the Raven Sect duo, of course, didnt escape Kierans ears despite him being in his own room.
As for the so-called Wolf Sect, Kieran read about it before in Word of Sects and it did mention how extraordinary the sect was from the others. It especially ced emphasis on the one man, one sect and associating oneself with the wolves.
The book even tagged Wolf Sect with a half-disappeared status.
Compared to Dragon Sect and Tiger Sect that vanished in the long river of history, the difference in the Wolf Sect was that someone saw tracks of wolves in the grasnds covered by snowy, tall mountains.
These tracks were thest of the Wolf Sect.
As for more?
Word of Sects didnt mention anything, just like how it didnt mention how secretive the other branches of Viper Sect were.
After all, it was just a summary book; it was quite considerate for it to even have introductions to sect lore.
Sitting down in his chair, Kieran carried the Frost Wolf pup, which had fallen asleep again.
The Frost Wolf pups strength had surpassed amon beasts. Even if it encountered a real tiger or leopard, it could put up a fight but that wouldnt change the fact that it was still a puppy.
A whole day of surveilling exhausted the pup more than ever.
Kieran carefully caressed its back, tucking it into a morefortable sleeping position.
The pup would moan from time to time, stating that Kieran did a good job in putting it to sleep.
After another touch on the Frost Wolfs fine, smooth fur, Kieran looked up at Perry Kaner, who stood in front of him.
I think you should inform me about something, Kieran said.
Following his words, the smile on his face faded, the usual cold and dull expression returning.
It wasnt the first time Perry Kaner saw that face, but no matter which time she saw it, it never shook her heart as fiercely as it did now.
I swear on my name and blood that I will keep your identity as the White Wolf of Wolf Sect a secret, Perry Kaner said solemnly.
Wolf Sects White Wolf? No, no, no. I am talking about Viper Sect and the reason why you followed me. Kieran shook his head.
As for the so-called Wolf Sect, he knew that thedy before him was mistaken about something.
Kieran wasnt going to waste his energy in exining the mistake though. What he wanted to know was more about the secret of Viper Sect.
You are asking about... the eight-headed single-tail and two-tails? They are two of the eight branches of the Viper Sect, the weakest ones. The strongest among the eight is the eight-headed, eight tailed viper leader. But no matter which branch, all of them serve the Prime Viper.
Perry Kaner rolled up her sleeves as she spoke, revealing the five-headed viper on her right arm.
I dont want to know this, I want to know who they are. Kieran shook his head again.
He didnt want this kind of information that he could find out easily himself by a little research, what he wanted to know was what the hidden Viper Sect was doing or what they did.
I dont know who they truly are. I followed because I want to seize the chance to avenge myrades but... what I saw was a fact that I cannot ept. Perry Kaner then showed a saddened smile.
It was the kind of despairing smile when one faced the cruelest reality.
Falling into despair, Perry Kaner looked down and muttered to herself.
In fact, I am just a pawn piece. No, I should say an abandoned piece. The elimination of Viper Sect back then was a big, fat joke! The real powerful members hid away like true snakes, leaving behind a bunch of idiots that thought they could revive the Viper Sect. So when these hidden vipers came out and bared their fangs, us idiots had no use anymore, thus we got eaten. After all, it is these idiots who are destroying Viper Sects reputation.
Tears gushed out of Perry Kaners eyes uncontrobly, rolling down her cheeks and falling on the floor.
She didnt wipe them though, nor did she feel embarrassed because nothing was important to her anymore at this exact moment, including death.
Kill me.
Suddenly, Perry Kaner looked up to Kieran, voicing out her intention.
A moment ago, she was still making vows to stay alive but now, she didnt care anymore.
Waking up from the continuous shocks, the clever Perry Kaner quickly deduced what was going on.
And when she was greeted by the most outrageous truth, the beliefs that she held onto so tightly for so long crumbled just like that.
Kieran saw how depressed Perry Kaner was, but he didnt care about her feelings. What he first did was determine whether she had lied or not.
It wasnt cold of him, but habitual vignce.
Kieran slowly walked up to her. Perry Kaner closed her eyes, fully at ease. She was ready.
Then, she was grabbed by the cor and thrown out of the room by Kieran.
Bang!
As the door shut behind her, Perry Kaner opened her eyes in astonishment.
You are too weak, not worthy for me to kill. Kierans voice came from inside the room.
It was a cold, hard fact.
Kieran wasnt interested in killing a target who might not even drop a Magic rank item, but when the words fell into Perry Kaners ears, it meant something else.
Weak, weak... Power is the root of everything? Only the powerful can gain everything?
Falling on the ground, Perry Kaner hugged herself, shrinking before the door, muttering to herself.
That isnt real power, that is ego!
A pleasant female voice came. Mary walked over along the corridor. She ced her hand over Perry Kaners head, looking at her. She showed a smile and pointed at the door.
Its what 2567 told me.
Chapter 1214 - Transmission
Chapter 1214: Transmission
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
2567 told you that? Perry Kaner looked at Mary nkly.
Mhmm. He told me exactly that. He also told me whats truly powerful is ones heart! A heart of vignce without losing its keenness, indomitable and able to see through despair.
Mary nodded and helped Perry Kaner up. She was careful and soft.
Whats truly powerful is ones heart? The heart?
Perry Kaner managed to stand with Marys help but the mutters from her mouth didnt stop, instead, it got stronger.
Heart of vignce? Not losing keenness? Indomitable and able to see through despair?
Her mutters grew louder, her dull eyes grew clearer.
Then, she felt warmth, the warmth from Marys palm.
Her rushed, unstable breathing became calm and rxed, Perry Kaner slowly retracted her own hand. She nodded at Mary before walking towards the shadow.
When Perry Kaner touched the shadow, her body quickly merged, causing her to disappear from sight.
Mary looked at the direction where Perry Kaner left and smiled, she then knocked on the door.
Dok, Dok Dok.
Come in.
Mary pushed the door and entered after Kieran gave permission. The door was then slowly shut.
Inside the shadows, there was a pair of eyes that watched the shut door, it didnt move its gaze for quite a while, as though the door was holding something that she was worried about.
The worries made her neglect the peculiar changes that happened in her body.
On Perry Kaners palm, a very small piece of skin bulged and slowly fell off.
It was a very tiny piece but the meaning it held was substantial.
It was just that the owner of the palm didnt notice it.
...
Duke Eldar met with me just now. He doesnt like me but its wasnt disrespectful either. He told me to guard thend of Warren properly and even asked me if I wanted to know what happened to my parents back then. Mary spilled the beans the moment she stepped into Kierans room.
Kieran stayed quiet, he looked at Mary and acted as a listener.
I said no need. After all, that was the past. My mother died and my father is dying, the things in the past mean nothing anymore. My answer seemed to shock the elderly duke though. Then he asked me how I viewed you. I said... you are the most important person to me, said Mary while holding Kierans hand.
The moment you appeared in my sight, I felt that you were extraordinary. No matter who you are, no matter where youre from, you will never change in my heart.
The young princess spoke as though she was making a vow.
You heard something about me? Kieran asked.
Marys specifically targeted constion obviously wasnt an arrow without a target.
Um. They told me that you are Wolf Sects leader, the current generations White Wolf! The God of the Prairies mens heart. The one and only, God of War!
Mary nodded. Her youthful face did her best in hiding it but Kieran still made out the anxiety in her eyes.
Warren and the prairies were mortal enemies!
Rivals for generations!
The opponent of the war that ended a while ago!
Given the circumstances, the young princess heart was mentally disturbed.
I am not, Kieran said calmly.
Really? Mary looked up suddenly, her face was overjoyed.
Mhmm. I am not, Kieran emphasized.
Great! This is great! Mary said in an almost cheerful tone.
Looking at the overjoyed princess, Kieran didnt hold back his smile. He automatically lifted his hand and ced it over Marys head again.
However, since someone imed that I am, if I dont do something about it, will it make me look insulted? Kieran squinted his eyes and said slowly.
His squinted eyes were glimmering delicately.
Duke Eldar isnt...
I wont strike an old man who is stuck in the past. He isnt worth my time, he will have what ising to him, Kieran interrupted Mary and said with ulterior motives.
Then? Mary showed curiosity in her gaze at Kieran
Although she was also curious about what would happen to the old duke,pared to Kieran, Dule Eldar was less of her concerns, despite him being a respectable person.
You will know after a while. Before that, you should return to your room. You need to rest. Dont lie to me, I know you havent been resting well over the past few days. Now, go sleep, said Kieran.
Mhmm.
Mary nodded right away since she knew Kierans personality, she turned around and returned to her room.
Kieran saw Mary return to her room with at least three Raven Sect members serving as guards. After that, he slowly walked out to the courtyard.
Viper Sect eh? Kieran looked up to the starry sky and muttered to himself softly.
Kieran was extremely rmed by the Viper Sect, which had been hiding for almost 20 years.
He knew the sneaky sect wouldnt cause such amotion if they didnt have a goal to achieve.
Kieran even spected that back then when King James VIII proposed the n to eliminate Viper Sect, there was a high chance that it was also instigated by Viper Sect themselves.
As for what the hidden Viper Sect wants?
Kieran didnt know. Information wascking, to the point that Kieran couldnt even deduce a theory.
However, one thing was for sure, after he killed two of the branch leaders, Viper Sect would not just let him walk.
All he had to do now was wait for them to pay him a visit.
But...
It was too passive for his liking.
Handing everything to his enemies and waiting quietly in his room wasnt what Kieran was used to.
As always, he preferred to take the initiative to strike!
Using offensive methods to destroy Viper Sects ns; whether defensive or offensive, he would always choose to move with initiative.
If they defended, he would attack and break their defense.
If they attacked, he would also attack, lets see who will win in the end.
Since Viper Sect has been hiding for 20 years appeared, then... why didnt Wolf Sect appear since it didnt truly disappear? I dont know what you snakes want to achieve but I know how to disturb your schemes.
Kieran took a deep breath and jumped up to the roof.
The moment his feetnded on the tiles, his pores grew rough and bigger, his teeth started to mutate, his ears started toy back and white fine fur started to grow from his rough pores rapidly.
Within a breath, a white werewolf stood on top of the roof of Warren Pce.
A lot of soldiers and guards in the outpost saw the scene. All of them were stunned at the changes.
Then...
Awhoooooooo!
Loud, endless howls sounded.
Unlike the howls from [Spirit of the White Wolf], Kierans own howl was louder, it didnt just spread throughout Warren alone, it reached ces further away as well.
The nds, the hills, the forests, and thekes.
All wolves that had been hiding heard the call.
The instinct in their bloodline made them submitted to the call.
Awhoooooo!
One, two...
Ten, one hundred...
A thousand, myriads...
The wolves called out to each other as they howled at the moon.
The howls even went past Lightning Fortress and went further north.
The north where the prairies were.
Chapter 1215 - Hightower Fire
Chapter 1215: Hightower Fire
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Howl after howl, it sounded like an endless tide.
Everyone who heard the howls would shudder fiercely because there was a lot!
They had never imagined this many howls in their limited thoughts before, let alone listening to it with their own ears.
As for seeing with their own eyes?
Believe it, no one would want to see the sea of wolves with their own eyes. One would only die a graveless death.
Inside Lightning Fortress, the Prairies captives were muddling around aimlessly on the ground but when they heard the wolf howls, each of them struggled to climb up and looked to the direction where the howls came from, Riverdale.
God!
Gods calling!
God hasnt abandoned us!
The cheers swept away the despair and numbness on the Prairies captives.
Each of them knelt down on the floor and celebrated in their own way.
While the guards on duty looked like they were facing their greatest enemy. They were afraid that the captives would cause a riot.
However, the situation didnt escte towards the worst, other than the captives celebrating, no further unwanted actions were taken.
The Warren soldiers heaved a sigh of relief but soon enough, they looked towards the north with worry.
The wolf howls were still traveling forward, towards the prairies! The home, the farm of the Prairie men!
Although the Prairie invaders were just defeated, who knew what would happen under the wolf howls?
Or in other words, no one dared to specte even.
Rover, the royal wizard of the Warren royal family called in the messenger with a heavy face.
Deliver the situation here to His Majesty and Her Highness.
Yes, my lord.
The messenger nodded before galloping away on his horse.
Seeing the messenger off, Rover looked to the North again.
The ever catastrophic Warren, Rover eximed.
Then, he quickly went back to his tent and sent out order after order.
Minutester, the whole camp started to operate in an orderly fashion.
After all thosemands, Rover took a deep breath. He then ced his attention on that secret letter that appeared a moment before the wolf howls.
The letter was filled with bewitching words that tried to rope him in. The sender was unknown but Rover could tell the sender must be someone who knew Warren and the royal family extremely well based on the in-depth contents.
Who was the sender?
Rover had no idea but he knew what he had to do.
Looking cold, the royal wizard threw the letter into the brazier.
Fuuu!
The fire from the coal burned high all of a sudden and swiftly devoured the letter.
The Prairie invaders might make aeback and yet these kinds of abnormalities appeared within Warren itself.
Warrens final fate was not looking good and Rover knew it clearly.
However, he also knew he was the royal wizard that the royal family used many resources to train him.
While Warren was waving under the storm...
How could Rover leave and ept the bewitching temptations?
What he wanted to do was repay the royal family.
Honor is my life.
It was a knights deration.
He wasnt a knight, he was a wizard.
Wizards cared more about knowledge, he respected the value of knowledge and even showed more respect to the ones that granted him knowledge in the first ce.
For the royal family, he would cross the boiling waters, step on burning mes, and die the cruelest death.
Fine then, let me see who the hell you scoundrels are!
Heavy incantations came from the wizards mouth, the letter that was turned to ash by the fire in the brazier floated up and swirled around ceaselessly.
...
Enmorder was riding onwards, his beloved bow was on his back and scimitar around his waist; the string on his bow was broken and the scimitar was chipped heavily.
Even the group of warhorses that he raised himself only had one remaining, the one that he was riding.
He had broken through Warrens blockade but...
Looking up, Enmorder saw his scattered tribesmen, his young face was looking lost.
His face had the perplexion towards the future but a lot more of the expression was fear.
The young Enmorder knew with the current number of his tribesmen, even if they returned to the grasnd of their own tribe, they would only be devoured by the other tribes.
Their kin, horses, and oxen would be divided as spoils of war.
As for them, the leftover soldiers?
They would be hung to death or decapitated.
Other than death, there was no other route for them.
How?
What now?
What am I going to do?
Enmorder asked himself.
Not only the young Enmorder, his tribesmen and the other tribes leader, but warriors that faced defeat also shared the same question in their mind.
The perplexion from the unknown, fear, were all lingering in the tribesmens hearts, spreading ceaselessly.
It became the scariest power, devouring the Prairies men wholly.
At that moment
Awhooo!
A loud, continuous howl came.
Howl after howl, it struck the Prairie mens hearts fiercely.
The defeated Prairie men were shaken.
All of them quickly regained their senses from that lost state.
They were a little absent-minded.
They didnt know what just happened but it didnt stop them from cheering.
Its God!
Our God!
One after another, the Prairie men jumped off their horse and knelt down at the direction of the howls. Their foreheads were glued to thend. Their mouths were mumbling prayers that they learned from their fathers.
Messy voices to united prayers, all within a second.
When the neat, united prayers sounded, the lost and fearful state vanished and all that lingering power also vanished without a sign.
...
Through the snowy woods and the tall mountains in the Northern Prairies, a ck figure gathered under a Hightower inside a secluded mountain valley.
On top of the Hightower, on the tform the size of a millstone, a zing me was dimming down with exponential speed. It shrunk from the size of a wheel to the size of a torch.
When the ck figure saw the scene, he was overjoyed.
He was on the brink of sess!
What an anticipating scene!
However, at the very next moment, the dimming me suddenly grew big. It didnt just return to its normal size but even grew bigger, engulfing the whole tform and even the Hightower.
Argh!
Painful screams came out from the ck figures mouth.
He was burned by the fire on the Hightower.
The pain from his soul made his body trembled but...
He felt even angrier!
Of course, he had the reason to be angry because the n that he thought wless had just failed.
That person who he killed left a backup!
Wolf Sect! White Wolf! I can kill you once and I can kill your disciple! I will push the name Wolf Sect into history forever!
As the ck figure screamed loudly, his face twisted in an ugly way, making him look exceptionally vicious and scary.
However, the thing that made one shudder was the shadow beneath his feet, as his face twist, the shadow followed as well like a strange snake.
The strange snake then hissed at the sky.
The shadows around the area seemed to resonate with the powerful hiss as they were distorted, like myriads of snakes dancing under the sky.
Chapter 1216 - Essentials of Viper Sect Technique Record
Chapter 1216: Essentials of Viper Sect Technique Record
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
When Kieran transformed into a werewolf using [Wolfs Remnant Feast, Body of White Wolf], Duke Zilin, the temporary protector of Warren Pce, appeared at the very next moment.
When he saw the werewolf Kieran on top of the roof, he was stunned. His eyes then showed astonishment and his face smeared with anxiousness and doubts.
Even after Kieran removed his werewolf form and jumped off the roof, the anxiousness and doubts on the dukes face didnt go away.
Sir 2567, what is...? the young duke asked after some hesitation.
Kieran having the ultimates of Viper Sect was important to the young duke, but the Prairies King, who had a rivalry with his house, was just as important.
Were both of them to sh...
He would definitely choose thetter and his choice would not change even if it cost him his life.
To some people, the so-called duty of their family, the honor of their house, was a ridiculous joke but for some particr ones, the duty and honor were the values of their existence.
No doubt, Duke Zilin was thetter.
Wolf Sect, the White Wolf, Kieran said calmly before walking past the young duke. His eyes were focused on Marys room.
The young princess was looking at him through the window and when both of their gazes met, the young princess showed a smile. Kieran also replied in kind with his.
She then closed the window and went to sleep.
Kieran, on the other hand, returned to his room, leaving the young duke standing outside, staring nkly into the air.
Wolf Sect, White Wolf? THE White Wolf? It must be correct, only the White Wolf would have reason to be there.
The young duke was first astonished beforeing to a realization. In the end, his face showed a bitter smile.
If Kieran was the White Wolf, his n for exchanging his houses collection of secret techniques for the Viper Sect ultimates would not work.
House Zilin might hold a lot of precious secret techniques but it was iparable to a sects teachings.
After all, the gap in time was too far apart.
How could something like this happen? What should I do now?
The young duke was frustrated.
If exchanging wouldnt work, he really had no ns left to execute.
But to give up?
Impossible.
Much like how the young duke never thought of acquiring the Viper Sect ultimates through tricks and deceit, he never thought of giving up either.
Firm and indomitable, or should it be said, stubborn.
But wasnt it the special rights of a young man?
...
Inside his room, Kieran didnt care about the young dukes problems.
For Kieran, checking his spoils of war that he got from the two branch leaders was the most important thing.
Two Legendary rank items: a long dagger and an old, unsophisticated goatskin scroll.
[Name: Cunning Viper Sword]
[Type: Weapon]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Attack: Powerful]
[Attribute: Cunning Sting]
[Effect: None]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Prerequisite: Sharp Weapon, Dagger (Grand Master)]
[Remark: One of the decent weapons forged specifically for assassins by the forging master of Viper Sect]
...
[Cunning Sting: While in shadow or darkness,unch an Extreme attack on a single target within 3 meters of seeing-range. When attacking, user will automatically gain an elerated effect, 2 per day]
...
[Name: Essentials of Viper Sect Technique Record]
[Type: Book]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: None]
[Attribute: Able to level up any Viper Sect skill level after reading (The level of increment depends on the rank and level of the skill)]
[Effect: None]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Prerequisite: Mystical Knowledge (Viper Sect, Basic)]
[Remark: It isnt an orthodox book to read but was identally created to store special knowledge. However, it ultimately bes another type of inheritance within Viper Sect, you will need special knowledge to read it.]
...
Looking at [Cunning Viper Sword], Kieran was calm.
Since he already had Advance Ranks attacks and much higher means, Extreme attack was barely enough to enter his sight.
Even from a certain perspective, [Dark Stream Dagger] was better than [Cunning Viper Sword].
The formers [Soundless] could allow Kieran to do a lot of things.
But when Kieran saw [Essentials of Viper Sect Techniques Record], his eyes lingered.
Able to level up any Viper Sect technique and amount of increment depends on rank and level?
Kieran repeated the description in mutters, his eyes shining.
Almost instinctively, Kieran thought of [Dormant Viper], which cost a hefty sum to level up!
Viper Sect has such a way of passing down their inheritance.
When he saw the prerequisite [Mystical Knowledge (Viper Sect, Basic)], Kieran walked outside without a second thought.
It was time for him to learn some mystical knowledge and Viper Sects heritage, and coincidentally, he had a decent candidate to teach him.
...
Meanwhile, in a dark, shadowy room with no light, Perry Kaner was leaning against the wall, holding a dagger in her hand and squinting her eyes.
Despite her resting state, the training she received since young allowed her to maintain sufficient vignce.
However, her level of vignce was only enough againstmoners, not enough against some other special individuals. At least before her skin fell off.
After that molting process that Perry Kaner herself didnt know of, her heart, or more precisely, her Spirit, gained a qualitative change.
So when a ck shadow slowly approached her from the window, Perry Kaner sensed it and opened her eyes.
When the figure pushed the window open softly and snuck in nimbly, Perry Kaner fired an arrow at the target without any courtesy.
Sou!
Pak!
The fired arrow was easily blocked by the intruder but a surprised voice came.
Huh?!
It seemed like the intruder had not been prepared to be noticed, but a momentter, he sighed when Perry Kaner dashed forward.
ident? the intruder said before making his move.
With his nimble and quick movement speed, before Perry Kaner could even react properly, the dagger in her hand was disarmed and sent flying.
She was then pressed to the floor by a pair of hands.
The intruder had a special method to deal with Viper Sects speciality of escaping any kind of constraints, thus the pinning down of Perry Kaner.
Though she never heard of nor experienced this kind of constraint before, that didnt mean she couldnt understand how big of a gap in strength there was between them.
Perry Kaner gave up on struggling.
Good. I like people who know how to cooperate. Now then...
The intruderughed lightly, but before theughs could fade, he quickly retracted his hands and backed away rapidly.
The moment the intruder got off Perry Kaners body, a faint mist appeared around her. The faint fishy smell told the intruder than the mist wasnt something to be messed with, just like Perry Kaner herself.
She had given up on struggling but not resisting.
A dagger appeared in her hand.
You are really a troublemaker. I wasnt thinking of hurting you before but now it seems like...
The intruder muttered when he saw this reaction but his mutters were halted abruptly.
Sweat instantly beaded his forehead because a dagger was somehow ced against his neck without his notice.
Chapter 1217 - Disguise
Chapter 1217: Disguise
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
When did he appear?
The question shed through the intruders heart but he wasnt slow at all.
I am...
The intruder said loudly as if he was trying to state his identity but his body shrunk suddenly, his bodys physique and height of a normal man was shrunken down to the size of a dwarf within a moment.
He wasnt just small and thin, the changing of size didnt reduce his agility and nimbleness either and without holding back, the intruder turned around and gave a fierce punch.
His punch missed though, there was no one behind the intruder.
That dagger floated in the air spun around and lunged towards the intruder again.
Ding!
The intruder dished out another punch, blocking the floating dagger with his armguard but his face changed for the worse right away because of a thread as thin as a strand of hair that was wrapped around his wrist.
As the thread tightened, the metal armguard produced a teeth-numbing screech along with the sound of flesh being cut.
Pak!
At the next moment, the intruders hand was cut off and fell to the ground. Blood gushed out like a geyser.
However, the intruder didnt care about his hand being cut off, as though he couldnt feel pain, he sprayed his blood around him.
Immediately, a figure tainted with blood appeared at the corner of the room.
Gotcha!
The intruder said coldly before dashing up to the corner without concern about the several daggers being hurled at his face.
Puk, Puk Puk!
The daggers precisely struck the intruder and the intrudernded his fierce punch on the concealed figure. After a series of broken bones and torn tendons, the concealed figure fell and limped on the ground.
Though, the intruder wasnt any better. Losing a hand and suffering multiple dagger wounds, he too sat down on the ground.
But the moment the intruder sat down, the concealed figure that limped on the ground jumped up like a snake and hurled out a couple more daggers.
The flying daggers missed though.
The intruder who seemed weak and unable to fight anymore jumped up from the ground like an agile ape. He didnt just dodge the hurled daggers but he shortened the distance between the previously concealed figure as well.
Both intruder and concealed figure shed once more butpared to the previous horrifying collision, this time was a testing attempt.
Perry Kaner who was already hiding on the other side of the room the moment the dagger appeared watched the two engage in a fierce fight. Her eyes shed over some thoughts from her mind but her thinking didnt slow her down from calling for help.
A tiny green venomous snake crawled out from her sleeve and went out the window.
The moment the intruder and concealed figure saw the green snake, both of them were stunned.
Then, both sides shared a tacit agreement to a ceasefire all of a sudden.
Both of them exchanged gazes before sprinting out of the room.
Perry Kaner finally heaved a long breath after the two left.
Ape Sect and Viper Sect? She wondered.
As for how the two sects located her, she wasnt surprised at all.
For Ape Sect, she originally wanted to murder with a borrowed knife anyway, so it was well expected.
As for Viper Sect?
The other branches always wanted to eliminate her.
After all, she did know a lot of Viper Sect secrets, including but not limited to those secret techniques which shouldnt be spread out.
They reacted so quick. So this is how a sect with true inheritance operates?
Perry Kaner nced over the ugly state of the room with furrowed brows.
Based on her calctions, it would be normal for Ape Sect to appear at least 3 to 4 dayster and Viper Sect should be longer than that since two of the branch leaders just died.
Unless...
Suddenly, Perry Kaner thought of something.
At the same time, a series of footsteps appeared.
When those familiar footsteps were heard in her ears, thest bit of worries in Perry Kaners heart was resolved.
Nowhere was safer in the current state of Riverdale than being beside this young man.
If even this young man couldnt protect her...
Perry Kaner would really die a graveless death. She would even choose to take her own life.
Coming from Viper Sect, she knew how torturous Viper Sect methods were and she had no intentions of experiencing them herself.
My lord, I...
Perry Kaner quickly switched to a more respectful form of address when the ck figure came to the entrance of her room but before she finished, she was stunned.
She saw the heads in Kierans hand, two heads to be exact.
One of them was the Ape Sect that she confirmed and the other was an unfamiliar one but appearing at the same time was enough to allow her to deduce more.
Perry Kaner didnt object Kierans methods though.
Showing mercy to your enemies, that is the way of a saint.
The ways of an assassin would always be removing the target together with the roots.
You are saying that they are from Ape Sect and Viper Sect? Kieran asked.
They arent? Perry Kaner was stunned again.
She wasnt stupid, so instinctively more thoughts came into her mind. She then frowned again.
Based on what she figured out if those thoughts of hers were valid...
Go get Maxim and Celtym ordered Kieran.
Yes, my lord, Perry Kaner swiftly left.
When she left, only then did Kieran take out the spoils of war that he just got from the two targets.
Two Magic rank items. He inspected them with squinted eyes.
[Name: Ghastly Woods Short Knife]
[Type: Dagger]
[Rarity: Magic]
[Attack: Average]
[Attribute: 1. Rapid Lvl 1; 2. Nimble Lvl 1.]
[Effect: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Prerequisite: Sharp Weapon, Dagger (Master)]
[Remark: This is one of the special weapons of Ghastly Woods Sect, owned mostly by the official members of the sect.]
...
[Rapid Lvl 1: When user Agility is lower than C, increase extra 10% attack speed]
[Nimble Lvl 1: It will not slow down the users actions]
...
[Name: Combustion-support Powder]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: Magic]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: None]
[Attribute: Combustion-support (When using Raven Sects burning technique, increase fire element attack)]
[Effect: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Prerequisite: Mystical Knowledge (Raven Sect, Master)]
[Remark: This is owned, used by the official members of Raven Sect. It didnt just require skill but an inheritance of knowledge as well.]
...
[Ghastly Woods Short Knife] came from the intruder allegedly from Ape Sect.
[Combustion-support Powder] was from the concealed figure that appearedter.
There was a possibility that both items were looted from elsewhere but might also be the items that will prove their identities.
Fortunately, Kieran has two candidates who had an extreme understanding of Raven Sect.
That was the reason why he brought back the heads with him.
He wanted Maxim and Celty to identify the body.
If that concealed figure was really a Raven Sect member...
This will be interesting, Kieran muttered softly.
Then, he looked down and inspected the room meticulously for any possible traces.
The chances were slim for him to discover something but the vignce was carved into Kierans body, he was used to double-checking things.
Then...
He really discovered some unusual traces in the room.
Chapter 1218 - The Insider
Chapter 1218: The Insider
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Footprints!
The room had more than a set of footprints from that alleged Ape Sect intruder.
Other than the footprints around the window where he entered and those he left behind during battle, there were other spots in the room that had the intruders footprints.
In simpler words, it wasnt the first time the intruder had infiltrated Perry Kaners room.
If the alleged Ape Sect intruder had left extra footprints, Kieran might have thought that the intruder was just testing the waters but right after that, Kieran noticed that the alleged Viper Sect concealer shared the same footprints as the former. Kieran squinted his eyes.
They were... searching for something? Kieran wondered.
After that, when he walked out of the room and saw more traces, his guess was verified.
Concealing their identities to search for something.
With squinted eyes, Kieran unconsciously turned around and looked at the room where Perry Kaner resided.
Without second thoughts, Kieran, too, started his search.
However, in the time it took for Maxim and Celty to be brought over by Perry Kaner, Kieran hadnt found anything else.
Not here?
Kieran frowned slightly and looked at Perry Kaner.
He didnt ask her directly though because he didnt forget the initial goal.
Do either of the two of you recognized this guy? Kieran asked the Raven Sect duo.
Ackerman? Why is he here?
Looking at the bloody head, Celty cried out in shock before looking at his also astonished friend.
Ackerman was one of my rivals back then, Maxim said honestly after exchanging gazes with his friend.
Rival? For Crown Raven? Kieran asked.
No, no, no. Not the rival to the Crown Raven seat but the position of Raven Sect recorder. Among all my rivals, he was considered as the strongest one, Maxim waved his hands and exined.
Which means he is also considered as one of Raven Sects core members? Kieran continued.
Maxim and Celty nodded at the question in unison.
It was an undeniable fact but following the acknowledgement, both of them became scared.
Almost instinctively, both of them thought of the rumours about the Wolf Sect: the White Wolf moved alone, and other than that, he was always in a capricious mood.
When facing a person whose actions were based on his likes or dislikes and he was insanely powerful, everyone would face tremendous pressure.
Regardless of whether it was Maxim or Celty, neither of them wanted to be the fish caught in the molt fire.
Therefore, at the next moment, Maxim took the initiative and said, My lord, please spare me a few days, and I will give you a satisfying exnation after a thorough investigation.
En. Kieran nodded.
Right away, Maxim and Celty felt like a heavy burden was lifted from their bodies.
The Raven Sect duo then left and walked past Duke Zilin, who arrived a littleter.
Both sides nodded to each other before walking away.
Seems like I am really unfit for this job.
Looking at the dead body, the young duke couldnt help but smile bitterly since he was the one temporarily responsible for the security of the pce.
For a young man like him, after taking over the security responsibility, when unpleasant incidents urred one after another, if his heart werent strong enough, he might have been crushed beyond redemption.
Can I know what happened? The young duke looked at Kieran and Perry Kaner.
Tell him, said Kieran.
Perry Kaner then quickly exined things but hid the part where Kieran suspected their identities, only voicing out her own guesses.
Viper Sect and Ape Sect? They are here because of you?
The young duke frowned when he heard what Perry Kaner said.
As the one responsible for the pce security, even if temporarily, the young duke really wanted to remove the unstable variable from the equation: Perry Kaner.
But...
When he took a nce at Kieran, his heart sighed helplessly.
Aside from trying to ask a favor from Kieran, the fact that Kieran and Mary were so close rendered Duke Zilin helpless to his own thoughts.
Fine, I know it now. Ill rearrange the guards around here. Well then, goodnight, Sir 2567.
Goodnight, Duke Zilin.
After exchanging good nights, the young duke bowed to Kieran before turning away.
After Duke Zilin left, Kieran was left with Perry Kaner.
How did you get in contact with Ape Sect in the first ce? Kieran asked suddenly.
I cant contact any Ape Sect members directly. All I did was follow the news that the underground gang spread. Each sect has people that follow insiders or informants like this, Perry Kaner replied.
She didnt ask for the details of Kierans spection. She knew her position and identity, she also knew what she should ask and what she shouldnt.
Em.
Kieran didnt question what Perry Kaner said. He had confidence that thedy from the Viper Sect wouldnt lie to him from now on.
Of course, despite the confidence, Kieran didnt n on sharing his spections with her.
To Kieran, she was was a barely qualified coborator.
Anything more?
It didnt even cross Kierans mind.
So Kieran asked directly, I want to know some of the hidden knowledge of Viper Sect.
Very well, my lord. Perry Kaner nodded without another thought.
If this was before Perry Kaner had discovered that she was an abandoned pawn, she would have hesitated and thought twice about Kierans request, but now, she didnt even have second thoughts.
All Perry Kaner had towards the other Viper Sect that treated her as an abandoned pawn and ughtered all herrades was hatred.
Deep, zing hatred!
She already had a n for avenging her fallenrades: borrowing Kierans strength!
Correct, borrowing someone elses strength to achieve her goal.
Before she grew strong enough, she wouldnt mind borrowing external strength, just like how assassins habitually borrowed the strength of tools and the protection of shadows.
Therefore, Perry Kaner would unconditionally fulfil Kierans request, no matter how ridiculous.
Unfortunately, throughout the night, Kieran only showed interest in learning the mystical knowledge regarding Viper Sect, not showing any bits of ulterior intentions and when Perry Kaner took the initiative to seduce him a few times, it sparked dissatisfaction within him, thus forcing her to focus on her teachings.
Perry Kaner was overwhelmed by Kierans learning speed.
She was certain that he had nevere in contact with the Viper Sects mystical knowledge before, but a few hourster, he had already mastered the basics.
One needed to know, even for herself, she had spent about a few months to reach the basic level.
So this is the differences between humans? Perry Kaner muttered unconsciously. We are not the same.
Of course, they were not the same. With Pro [Mystical Knowledge], Kieran was not only able toprehend by analogy when learning simr mystical knowledge, but he could even study in a strategically advantageous position.
[Through learning and teaching, yer has acquired a massive amount of Mystical Knowledge. Viper Sect...]
[Learned Mystical Knowledge. Viper Sect (Basic)]
[Name: Mystical Knowledge. Viper Sect (Basic)]
[Rted attribute: None]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effect: You have a basic understanding of the mystical knowledge of this sect, able to reach basic knowledge from the sect records.]
[Consume: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Remark: Each sect has its own uniqueness, their knowledge vastly different, and this knowledge is always more useful than expected.]
...
Kieran nodded in satisfaction when he saw the newly appeared notifications. After ending the lesson with Perry Kaner, he stood up and left her room.
He wasnt going back to his own room though.
Although he was eagerly looking forward to using [Essentials of Viper Sect Technique Record], he hadnt forgotten why the two intruders in disguise hade the night before.
He himself might have no idea but he was quite confident that someone in the pce would know exactly why the two intruders hade beforehand.
Chapter 1219 - Secret
Chapter 1219: Secret
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The rising sun showered its warm light over Riverdale, waking the sleepy city.
The first batch of civilians who got news of Warren winning the war had already returned to their homes today.
In fact, sincest night, there had been people waiting at the city gates. When the gates were opened in the morning, they rushed in eagerly and returned to their beloved homes.
Mary stood under the warm sun and weed the civilians with a joyous face, her lips curled up slightly.
She liked the scene but she knew what a scene like this hid underneath.
Intentional gang members, strange and cunning sect members, and those spies that caused her immense headaches.
But Mary wouldnt give up eating in fear of choking.
Register everyone who enters the city. Their names, addresses, family memberseverything has to be written down in detail, Mary ordered.
Yes, Your Highness.
The recording officer beside her bowed at her order and swiftly carried it out.
After the recording officer left, Mary walked down the city walls and boarded the wagon back to the pce.
It was morning and she had to be in the kitchen.
...
Kieran slowly approached Eldars room. He knocked.
Dok, Dok, Dok.
Come in.
After the rhythmic knock, the elderly duke replied loudly.
But when Eldar saw that the person knocking on his door was Kieran, he frowned right away and showed an unhappy face.
Kieran saw the reaction but didnt care.
He couldnt make everyone like him, nor did he care for everything.
What he could do was do his best to ensure the survival of those that he did acknowledge. If they could live happily, that would be best.
As for the elderly duke before him?
Obviously, he wasnt a person that Kieran acknowledged.
Therefore, Kieran ignored the dukes expression, pulled out a chair and sat down in front of him with the table in between.
The table had the dukes breakfast.
Toasted golden bread with honey, rich aromatic milk and a bowl of vegetables.
No eggs, no meat, yet quite suitable for a man his age.
I didnt invite you to sit down, Eldar took the cup of milk, took a sip and said without courtesy in a stern way.
I dont need your invitation to sit down, you are not the owner here, Kieran said slowly.
Neither are you, Eldar countered.
But at least I dont have any malicious thoughts toward the owner, said Kieran with his ever-present calm tone.
Malicious thoughts? I dont have those either! And the owner you mentioned isnt the true owner yet. The real owner of this pce is my good friend James. She, on the other hand, is still young. It is too soon for her, mocked Eldar.
Not long now, Kieran replied with the same tone.
Pang!
Eldar mmed the cup of milk fiercely on the table, causing the forks and knives on the table to jump, producing a clunking sound.
His enraged gaze was fired at Kieran like a longsword.
It was obvious that Kieran would be torn to shreds if Eldars gaze could kill, but that was impossible.
The elderly duke didnt have this kind of ability nor strength.
Ultimately, Eldar turned away his gaze and continued drinking his milk in big gulps. After the gulps, Eldar chewed loudly and ceaselessly as if he were eating the flesh of the obnoxious man before him.
Why argue?
He had inspected his good friends health and so had the royal doctor.
The sickness was caused by many years of exhaustion, the kings body emptied out of life energy.
Not only was the exhaustion the reason for King James VIIIs fall, but it would likely also be the culprit that would end his life.
What Kieran said was the truth, so Eldar couldnt argue, and because of that, it made him feel that Kieran was even more hateful than before.
James should really take a look at you now after having ced the hopes of his country on you, said Eldar.
This was what King James VIII revealed in the conversation yesterday. Kieran heard the details of the conversation through the high demon Bloody Mary, who was disguised as Tenar, the other good friend.
However, it didnt mean that Kieran would ept that.
He ced his hopes in Mary. Not me, Kieran emphasized.
Mary? Eldar frowned at the name even as he sneered.
Whenever the young princess was mentioned, the elderly duke would show innate discrimination. Kieran didnt like that feelinging from the duke, not only because he was Marys friend and didnt want to see her discriminated and prejudiced against, but also because the discrimination and prejudice would always remind him of what he had been through in his own youth, the unpleasant experience.
So Kierans words turned cold.
Keep your mouth and face shut. You know the reason why you are able to sit here and eat a decent breakfast is all because of one person. You should be thanking Marys kindness. If not for her, your body would already be drifting down the drains.
His words were like knives poking into the dukes heart.
The cold, intimidating manner caused the duke to shudder uncontrobly.
Because of the difference in strength, the duke couldnt withstand the pressure aura, though Kieran had only showed a bit.
More importantly, what Kieran said was a cold hard fact!
The elderly duke would never doubt Kierans ruthlessness!
Just like how he would never doubt that Kieran would kill him without a second thought!
Him still being alive because of Mary was an indisputable fact and also the most torturous one for him.
He was saved by the one he looked down on the most.
The cold, hard fact was torturous for the elderly duke.
Huhaa, Huhaa.
The rough panting was followed by a flushed face. Eldars chest was going up and down, and anyone would think that he was going to burst at any second.
There is a chance for you to return this debt of gratitude now. I want to know about the secret surrounding Warren Pce. You may not be aware, but something unpleasant happenedst night. Some people impersonated Ape Sect and Viper Sect and infiltrated the pce while in search of something. I dont know a lot about the pce and dont wish to find that specific thing using other ways, so I was hoping that you could tell me. Kieran told the duke what exactly happenedst night.
Someone impersonated Ape Sect and Viper Sect? And Warren Pces secret... Could it be?!
Eldar was stunned at first, followed by confusion, then he frowned after quickly thinking of something.
He frowned harder than ever, his brows almost locked together for a whole two minutes. Eldar went silent.
Kieran didnt rush him.
He had enough patience to wait for the answer.
Before approaching the elderly duke, Kieran had thought of all kinds of responses.
And now it seemed like everything was progressing smoothly.
Eldar didnt reject Kieran right away, which was what Kieran wished for.
A few minutester, the elderly duke took a deep breath and made up his mind.
I can tell you the secret! But you cannot disturb James or destroy the pce! Eldar voiced out his request.
Deal. Kieran nodded slowly.
The secret is about sects!
Chapter 1220 - Enhance
Chapter 1220: Enhance
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
This secret is about a sect! Dragon Sect!
The elderly duke muttered the term after some thought.
Dragon Sect?
Kieran squinted his eyes.
He had many guesses before but none of them was rted to Dragon Sect having secrets in Warren Pce.
Thest time that Dragon Sect appeared in peoples sight was in Warren Pce. When Warren was being built back then, someone came here and left some secret techniques behind. You didnt really think that the sword skill... Dragon Force, came from nowhere, did you? The Warren Pce from back then didnt just own the Sword Skill Dragon Force, it housed at least four more secret techniques, but as time passed, other than Dragon Force, all were lost. Those damn sects!
Eldar was upset when he mentioned the sects. He didnt attempt to hide his emotions, scolding them in front of Kieran.
Many years ago, those bastards had dreamt of finding Dragon Sects secret in Warren Pce and that includes Marys mother, Ellen. That was her initial motive and she acknowledged it herself! But none of them discovered anything and...neither did we. We searched up and down the whole pce, and though we didnt find any records about the Dragon Sect or any traces left behind, it didnt stop us from using it to n a setup. Eldars face suddenly turned gloomy when he mentioned the n.
What was more disheartening than being set up by others in your own game?
Being held back from the truth for 20 years, all the while being pleased with yourself.
Ive told you all that I know. Dont forget what you promised me. Dont trouble James and dont destroy the pce! Eldar restated his terms.
Um. Kieran nodded, stood up and walked out.
The elderly duke wasnt fond of the sight of him, that was obvious.
And him?
Kieran shared the same feeling.
Both of them hated seeing each other, so Kieran staying back would only make the breakfast taste bad.
After getting what he wanted, there was no reason for him to stay.
Watching Kierans back vanishing from his door, Eldar picked up his breakfast, smeared it with honey and took a bite. The honey toast wasnt just crispy, but sweet as well, but when it entered the dukes mouth, all he tasted was bitterness.
Two more bitester, he couldnt eat anymore.
He ced the toast back on the te, took his coat and walked out of his room.
His friends time was running out and within this limited period of time, Eldar hoped to apany his friend till thest moment.
As he walked under the morning sun, Eldar ced his hand over his forehead, squinting his eyes while looking at the sun.
Even though the sun had risen not too long ago, it was still blinding.
The moment the sunlight touched his face, tears rolled down.
Overconfident! The dying sunset is so gloomy, how can itpare to the rising sun? said the elderly duke softly.
His body, which he had purposely straightened all this while, slightly bent forward as he heaved a sigh under the sun.
...
Ive prepared fried egg, vegetable stew meat and white-bread toast, all ording to your taste pte.
When Kieran went back to his room, Mary had already set up the fork and knife.
Theres soy sauce for the fried egg and more meatless vegetables for the stew. Oh, the white-bread toast is also slightly caramelized, Mary introduced like a real chef.
She moved aside to disy her sessful breakfast and allow Kieran to clearly see the food on the table.
On top of the te was the golden fried egg.
Inside the iron pot was the vegetable stew meat that still had small bubbles popping out along with their rich, aromatic smells.
The caramelized white-bread toast wasid like a Jenga puzzle, filling the entire te.
Without saying anything further, Kieran picked up the soup spoon and filled the bowl of stew for himself. He then picked up a piece of toast and dipped it inside the soup.
The caramelized white-bread toast swiftly absorbed the soup, turning soggy once more with the rich, meaty juice filling it up.
Kieran stuffed it into his mouth and munched loudly.
The vourful vegetables and wheat quickly filled his taste buds, and together with the rich, thick meat and the fat, it became tastier.
Two to three munchester, the long white-bread toast was gobbled downpletely.
He then picked up the bottle of soy sauce and carefully poured a drop on top of the golden egg.
The egg was fried on both sides, and unlike the stew and bread, which were soft and crunchy respectively, the egg was the perfectbination of two distinguished, contrasting textures.
With the drop of soy sauce, the perfection was further elevated to a wless state.
Kieran swallowed the whole egg with a single bite.
Watching how Kieran ate his breakfast, Mary smiled with squinted eyes.
How does it taste? Mary asked.
Kierans mouth was full of food and he kept stuffing more in, so he was prevented from speaking. It didnt stop him from giving a reply though.
He gave a big thumbs up with his right hand.
The thumbs up was worth a thousand words, Marys smile grew brighter.
Her smile didnt diminish even after the meal when she had to tidy up the tes and utensils.
What else made a chef happier than their food being eaten clean by people?
Probably thepliments from the people after the meal.
Full and satisfied, Kieran sat in the chair, pleased. He squinted his eyes and recalled the tasty breakfast. Maybe there was still some distance between Mary and a real chef in terms of knife skills and food presentation, but in terms of taste, she was on par with a professional.
Other than the meal Starbeck cooked, it had been a while since Kieran had a good meal.
He knew by the highly tensed looks from Gluttony.
Gluttonys Cardinal Sins Force expelled the darkness and chaos in his body again.
Since he was used to it already, Kieran took out [Essentials of Viper Sect Techniques Record] without further ado.
[Do you want to use Essentials of Viper Sect Techniques Record?]
Yes.
[Please select the skill you wish to use it on.]
Dormant Viper.
Kieran uttered the ready answer.
[Dormant Viper] required 300,000 Points and 3 Golden Skill Points just to level it up to the next level. Even for Kieran, who would get substantial rewards for every dungeon run, it was still something he had scruples with.
If he had another way to level it up, he would dly take it.
[Dormant Viper acquired massive amounts of experience, skill leveled up...]
[Name: Dormant Viper (Pro)]
[Rted Attribute: None]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effect: A high ranking technique among the Viper Sect, it uses a special way of breathing to send the wounded into a slumber that heals for 2.0 HP/minute]
[Special Effect: Viper Rest (Decrease amount of Stamina consumed and increase 1.0 recovery rate per minute.)]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Spirit S+]
[Remark: It will consume your stamina but its roots are within Spirit, it is the entry-level technique to the real Viper Sect ultimates!]
...
The Legendary rank [Essentials of Viper Sect Techniques Record] only raised [Dormant Viper] by one level but Kieran wasnt disappointed at all.
In fact, he was quite happy.
In the current dungeon world, there had to be more than one [Essentials of Viper Sect Techniques Record], and of course, the sects were not limited to the Viper Sect only.
Chapter 1221 - Vigilant Warning
Chapter 1221: Vignt Warning
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
An hour after breakfast, when Kieran was perfecting his n, thinking of ws and things he might have missed out on, he heard Marys footsteps in his ears.
Rushed footsteps followed by a simrly rushed knocking on the door.
Dok, Dok, Dok!
Kieran opened the door and Mary strode in. On the young princess face was a rare expression of anger. She then passed the letter in her hand to Kieran.
This is the secret letter that Rover sent me, said Mary.
Kieran opened it and saw the content.
...
To Her Respectful Highness:
All men will pledge allegiance to your valiantness on the battlefield; All men will love you because of your wisdom, but some arent men, to begin with.
They acted domineering in normal times but fled during times of danger.
Now they have returned!
Not only do they seek to get their positions back, but they also want to scheme and plot for the fruit.
They even sent me an olive branch.
I refused but I believe someone else will not.
The greed of the human heart is much scarier than Your Highness thinks.
Please be vigntly aware.
Royal Wizard Rover.
...
Kieran swiftly went through the content of the letter and looked at Mary with a smile.
This is exactly what we expected, isnt it? said Kieran.
Um. Even if it was to be expected, I am still shaken by these shameless bastards. Mary nodded, her words filled with anger.
For the young princess, the nobles were always a prestigious address.
She still remembered that time when her mother exined the term to her for the first time.
It had been winter at Swurster Castle and snow was dancing beautifully outside. The castle had a furnace with sufficient firewood, thus the mes expelling the nasty cold.
She had crawled over to her mothersp, listening to that kind, pleasant voice.
True nobility doesnt just fulfil duties and protect the people of thend, they are also the mightiest knights when armors are worn and the most mannerly people when beautiful dresses are donned. Their nobilityes from their mercy and honor.
Mother, are you a noble, then?
Yes.
Great! Then I can inherit your identity!
That will be bad! If my daughter is only seeking the so-called inheritance, the title of noble will be tainted.
Then, what should I do?
Learn, train and never stop strengthening yourself. Then, even without inheritance, you can acquire a simr identity of your own.
....
Just to acquire a simr identity, Mary had clenched her teeth through her mothers teachings and endured through the training, thus her rapid improvement.
Before she left Swursters Castle, she always thought a noble had a strong sense of honor and would step up in the face of difficulty without a second thought.
But in reality?
They were hypocritical, sinister and despicable.
All these words describing a noble werent at all overextending.
Back then when the nobles fled faster than the civilians at the start of the Prairies invasion, it struck a clear image in the young princess, showing her how different the nobles of the reality were from her impression.
Kieran looked at the angered Mary and couldnt resist the urge to ce his hand over her head.
Nothing stays the same. When Warren was first built, those nobles that relied on military achievements and war kills to ascend to their positions might have really been the nobles your mother described. They were brave, indomitable and fearless against danger. But that was them alone. When ites down to their sons and grandsons, the excellent living conditions and the extravagant materialistic enjoyments have already corrupted their hearts, said Kieran slowly.
Isnt there a way to change this? Mary asked with furrowed brows.
There is, of course, but... you have to do it on your own. After all, you are Warrens future queen. Kieran smiled.
2567, I want you to rule Warren with me, said Mary.
That will be hard for me. I cant do it, so its better for you to take up the role. Me, on the other hand? Ill try my best to settle the easier things for you.
Kieran then walked out of his room.
Mary looked at Kierans back with a nk stare.
Then, the smart princess immediately thought of something and her face changed.
2567, wait! There has to be a more stable way to do this! Mary quickly chased after Kieran while calling out to him.
Yes, we really do need a more stable way, but it will be much too slow. I cant wait anymore.
Kieran didnt stop. Quite the opposite, as he walked even faster as a giant white wolf crawled out of the void beside him. Its tall and straight body was exceptionally magnificent under the sun. It lifted its head up at Kierans order and howled loudly.
Awhooooooo!
Amidst the long howl, the giant white wolf started to sprint.
Kieran leaped up and rode on the white wolf, vanishing from sight quickly.
Mary did her best in giving chase but her speed wasnt on the same level as the white wolfs. All she could do was watch as Kieran and the white wolf sprinted out of her sight.
She didnt give up though, or should it be said, giving up was never in her dictionary.
Huuaa, Huuhaa.
The young princess panted heavily, her steps growing heavier. Although she was using the secret technique her mother taught her to recover stamina, it was not enough topensate for her consumption.
Suddenly, Duke Zilin appeared beside her.
Looking at his distant cousin and seeing how persistent she was, Duke Zilin took in a deep breath.
Maybe I shouldnt say this but... I am jealous of you. Sir 2567 is greater than we all expected. He is going against all of Warren just for you, said the young duke.
He knew what Kieran was going to do and knew what kind of consequences would follow.
And because of that, he became even more respectful toward Kieran because it was something that he could never achieve himself.
No wonder he became this generations White Wolf. Only a man like him could. Rumour had it that the Prairies King was the White Wolf, but I was blind for believing that. The young duke sighed.
Y-Yes! You are blind, thats why you are saying things like that.
Panting, Mary was having a hard time speaking properly but she tried to make her intonations clear.
The young duke looked at the young princess in confusion.
A-Against all of Warren? With me here, h-how will he be going against all of Warren? Mary squeezed out each and every word from her panting mouth.
Duke Zilin was stunned and looked at his distant cousin with an unbelievable gaze as if, at that moment, he finally knew what kind of person Mary was.
He was astonished for almost 20 seconds.
Mary was already a hundred meters ahead of him by the time he regained his senses.
He looked at her persistent, young back, bowed slightly and said softly, Of course, what you are saying is correct... Your Majesty.
Chapter 1222 - Upside Down
Chapter 1222: Upside Down
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The South gate of Riverdale became busy and crowded the moment the sun rose.
As time passed, the crowded situation didnt ease up. Quite the opposite, as it only became worse as the refugees returned.
Groups of riders patrolled, ensuring the steady order. In front of the city gate were two groups of guards lined up in a straight line behind a long, wide table.
Bosco and five other recording officers were noting down details of the refugees.
They were carrying out the princess order with honesty.
The refugees didnt show any impatience or anger. Being able to return to their homes, they were excited and overjoyed, the positive feelings casting aside the negative ones a long time ago.
Moreover, the patrolling riders kept distributing water and rations.
It was also under the princess order.
When the refugees came to know that the order was from the princess, who was giving her best effort in redeeming the dangerous situation, none of them were short of thanks as they received the water and rations.
Other than those with certain innate sins, most of the people were kind at heart.
They were willing to share their joy.
They didnt mind helping others and were even more willing to give a smile.
However, not all were the same.
Some of them thought themselves higher than others, thinking that it was an insult to share with the peasants despite having been peasants themselves once.
Move! Move! Move away!
The arrogant voice was apanied with a whipping sound, which was followed by cries.
Some people were struck by the whip but...
Other than crying out, none of the refugees dared to oppose the violence because the one who whipped them was on a wagon with a house emblem that stood out: Zardins house emblem.
The emblem of the second-inmand of Riverdales military affairs.
Such an identity was destined to be well-known throughout Riverdale.
The neat line instantly fell into a mess.
That wagon along with another group of wagons drove recklessly toward the city gate.
Bosco frowned.
He waved his hand and the soldiers on guard duty immediately stopped the speeding wagons.
The wagoner shrunk back in fear when being pointed at by the spear in the soldiers hand, but the viscount in the carriage shouted loudly.
Bosco! Damn it! You cant recognize my house emblem?
The sharp, irritating voice was filled with anger.
Of course, I recognize it! But because you chose to flee, your house emblem has lost its former glory, together with your identity, which was stripped away, Bosco said coldly.
He didnt favour those who chose to escape in the face of danger at all.
Maybe some were afraid of losing their houses inheritance but that didnt mean they could flee entirely.
ording to Warrensw, during times of war, the nobles were obliged to send a direct descendant of their house to face the enemy to ensure that their title, identity and position were not stripped away.
One man, just one man would do, but the bastard before him fled with his entire family the moment the war broke out.
Not even a useful maiden was left behind for Her Highness.
Once Bosco thought about him being appointed as envoy and being sent to the south with life-threatening risks just to request for reinforcements, his heart was filled with fire because the bastard viscount before him acted like nothing had happened and tried to return to Riverdale.
The soldiers around the gate shared the same thought as well, especially those who lostrades on the battlefield. They really wanted to stab a million holes into the viscounts body with a spear.
Flee? Since when did I flee? I was only returning to my manor at the outskirts, and when I heard of the invasion of the prairies, I brought all my men back to Riverdale immediately. Ive abided by the honor of a noble! I should be a meritorious officer in this war! This is how you people treat a big, meritorious officer?
The wagons door was then pushed open.
A short, scrawny man with a triangr face and eyes as thin as a thread, sharing a resemnce to a venomous snake, stepped down from the wagon.
He pointed at the guards and Bosco, shouting loudly.
Meritorious? Boscos breath hurried.
The ex-envoy had thought of himself as a thick-skinned person before, but at this moment, Bosco finally realized what thick skin really meant.
The bastard before his eyes wasnt just meddling with the facts, turning stories upside down, he was even talking bullsh*t without blinking!
Are I not? You people want to ughter a meritorious officer of this victorious war? Come! Here! Stab me! BUT! You people should know the consequences of doing so, Viscount Zardin argued.
As he sted out his statements, he strode towards the city gate.
His expression was of coldughter, his gaze looking sinister as he disregarded the sharp spears pointed at him.
The soldiers hesitated.
Although they knew that fleeing during a war lead to the stripping of a nobles title and identity, the intimidating pressure the viscount gave off throughout the years held the soldiers back. None of them dared to stop him from entering the city.
The viscount smiled in utter delight when he saw the hesitating soldiers.
Everything was just as he expected.
Hmph! An underage, littless trying to strip me of my title and identity as a noble? Too naive! I will let you experience the cruelty of the adults.
His heart dering his ambitions with delight, the viscount then arrogantly sized up the area.
Now, you people...
Puk!
Before his orders could evene out of his mouth, a giant figure fell from the sky and squashed the viscount into meat paste.
Blood sttered everywhere, and the crowd gasped hard at the gruesome scene, their eyes unconsciously looking at the sudden appearance of the giant white wolf and the ck figure that rode atop it.
My lord.
Bosco immediately bowed when he saw Kieran, his forehead covered with droplets of sweat.
Among those Bosco didnt wish to deal with personally, Kieran was definitely at the top.
Not just because Kieran was outrageously powerful, it was also because of his hard to grasp personality.
At least, in Boscos view, the young man before him was capricious.
One moment, he might be as calm as water, but a momentter, he might be like a raging storm, just like now.
My lord, that was Viscount Zardin... Or at least, he was before he fled. Now, he is just a criminal that disrupted the order and ignored thews. Of course, that includes them too!
As Bosco spoke, Kieran looked at the convoy that Viscount Zardin led. Bosco, too, looked at the convoy.
Only when he saw the giant white wolf dashing towards the several wagons did Bosco react to what was happening.
My lord...
Bosco wanted to stop Kieran, but it was toote!
The giant white wolf was already in the convoy, rampaging like an armored-tank without any mercy. The white wolfpletely destroyed the convoy from top to bottom with absolute suppression.
Blood mixed with meat paste sttered all over the ground, but it still wasnt the end.
The giant white wolf kept running south, purposely avoiding all the civilians with Kierans order.
Following its calls, more and more wolves appeared along the way.
The sea of wolves also ran south.
Bosco was trembling with a pale face.
He knew what the wolves were going to do in the south.
He opened his mouth, trying to stop it from happening, but he couldnt find words to do so. When he finally formed words, Kieran, who had been beside him, had already vanished.
What was left was blood and ughter.
As I expect... The White Wolf of Wolf Sect.
Looking at the bloody trail, Bosco smiled bitterly.
In the civilian crowd, some that seemed afraid and had their heads lowered started to hesitate with blinking eyes.
Chapter 1223 - Falling From The Sky
Chapter 1223: Falling From The Sky
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
When Mary stepped up on the walls of Riverdale, the blood in front of the city gate was already covered by dirt and lime, but the pungent smell still lingered in her nose.
Bosco, beside her, was telling her what exactly happened without missing the least bit of detail.
Sir 2567 seemed to have nned this. He never holds back when he strikes. Its like this every time I meet him. But after that scene just now, everything became smoother and the little rants disappearedpletely as well. Bosco couldnt hold back his bitter smile when he retold the scene.
He didnt know what to say or how toment on Kieran.
Bold and reckless?
No!
What Kieran did already surpassed the level of being bold.
It was a kind of...ruthlessness! He didnt care!
Even if he were to ughter every single noble in Riverdale, he wouldnt care at all.
Although those nobles were stripped of their titles and identities, following the tradition, they would still be left with thest piece of dignity, allowing them to exit properly and be guaranteed basic living, like food and clothing.
However, Kieran was different around here. Bosco even wondered what more Kieran would do if Mary were not around.
A very high chance that it would be something worse!
Once he thought about Kierans personality and past performance, Bosco couldnt help but feel grateful for avoiding the disastrous fate.
The guillotines cruelness brings out its dignity.
That phrase suddenly echoed in Boscos ear.
He then saw Mary appear in front of him with awe.
Your Majesty, its you?
Bosco unconsciously wanted to say something but he was cut off the moment he spoke.
Carefully write down every refugees details before allowing them to enter. Also, transfer Rover and his group back here.
When he heard that calm, dull tone, his scalp couldnt help but feel numb.
Your Majesty, you want to...? Bosco gulped a mouthful of saliva before asking in a trembling voice.
Just to be cautious, Mary answered.
Bosco heaved a long breath after hearing what Mary said.
He thought that the princess he served was about to do something irrational due to that lords stimtion.
Very well, Ill go arrange for it immediately, Bosco said before moving out quickly.
Afte Bosco left, Mary was left with Duke Zilin on the city walls.
The young duke looked at his distant cousin and couldnt help but shake his head.
If she could say something like that just now, how could it be just cautious?
Sigh.
The young duke looked up to the sky.
The sun had risen not too long ago. It selflessly bathed thend with its warmth and light but, at the same time, also made the blood brighter.
Would he bother with persuasion?
The young duke would never do something like that.
Firstly, he absolutely detested those nobles who escaped during the danger. In his point of view, those nobles that couldnt even protect the people of theirnd didnt deserve the title. If it were him, Duke Zilin might have also dealt with those bastards with thunderous methods.
Secondly, he was Warrens distant cousin. Everything had to be thought of for the royal familys position.
The nobles being weak, the royal family being powerful.
It was a principle that never changed.
The young duke obviously knew what had to have be done.
All things considered, he would only agree to Marys methods, not disagree. Furthermore, he even felt a sense of admiration for Kieran and Mary, who were able to do this.
But for someone else, it was a catastrophe.
The ughter continued.
When the news got back to a certain abode in Riverdale, a middle-aged man fiercely swept everything on his table to the floor.
The intricate books and beautiful vase were all damaged.
How dare he?!
The heavy shout was like the sound of a wounded beast.
The man clenched his fist hard and panted heavily.
Almost a full 10 minutester, his breath finally returned to normal.
Then, he stood up and walked towards a secret door in the room without further thought.
Behind the secret door was a set of stairs that led up.
The man quickly went up the stairs with brisk steps and stuffed a secret letter that he prepared beforehand into the capsule on the pigeons leg.
You people forced me to! I will let you know the cost of doing so!
He then released the pigeon as he ranted.
The pigeon, freed from its shackles, flew along the hidden paths and eventually soared up into the sky.
It, the most reliablemunication method, extended its wings and flew fast.
It... Entered the sight of the Fire Raven.
...
As expected of the White Wolf, only he can do such a thing.
Inside the dense forest on the outskirts of Riverdale, Jarles had gotten his hands on the details about the deserter nobles being ughtered just half an hour after the incident urred.
The core of Ghastly Woods Sect couldnt hold back his loudughs.
Hisughs indicated that everything was as expected, but beside him, the other men that gathered around couldntugh at all.
First Seat Jarles, what should we do now? an elderly noble with a clean face and beautiful clothes asked.
Despite his restlessness, the elderly man maintained his manners.
Of course, we wait. We will wait for our lord marquis news! Lets see what our lord marquis will do now.
Jarles turned around, his broken robe fluttering ceaselessly with the motion, as if he had hidden some small animals inside.
The few nobles around him changed their expressions for the worse when they saw the scene.
All of them quickly stepped back, two of them even faltering.
First Seat Jarles, I think we should take the initiative and strike first, the elderly noble said with a light cough after drawing a distance from Jarles.
Oh? Why though? Its better for you people if that guy is dead, right?
Jarles asked with a smiling face, but the colorful, bright freckles on his face made his smile vicious and scary.
If this were during normal times, it would be beneficial for us. But now? We need to stand together, we need someone to unite us all. Our opponent has grown too strong without our knowing, the elderly noble said with a general tone.
The other nobles around him nodded, agreeing to the elderlys words.
Jarles sized up every one of the nobles, the smile on his face growing brighter, making his face look scarier.
He had never believed in these coborators. Since the beginning, he never spared a bit of trust because he knew that both sides were just using each other.
And now?
With the appearance of the White Wolf, it had never been truer.
The White Wolf of Wolf Sect wasnt someone a First Seat like Jarles could provoke, but he wasnt alone.
He didnt have to fight the White Wolf face to face.
Ghastly Woods Sect was not known for its face to face battles.
Decision made, Jarles said, Sure! I can make a move first but dont forget what you people promised me!
Of course we wont.
How could we?
The nobles nodded repeatedly.
Just when both sides reached an ord, flutters sounded.
Our lord marquis has sent us the news, Jarles said with his ever bright and scary smile when he saw the messenger pigeon.
Then...
Everyones face changed for the worse because they saw a fireball.
The fireball followed the messenger pigeon and flew down from the sky.
Boom!
Chapter 1224 - Insects
Chapter 1224: Insects
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
zing waves rumbled as scorching mes flew across the sky.
The extreme temperature of the Devil me engulfed the area after it exploded.
A few of the nobles didnt even have the chance to resist before they were turned into ashes. As the First Seat of Ghastly Woods Sect, Jarles was stronger than amon man.
A formless barrier appeared around him, but it barely blocked the Devil me for a single second before shattering.
White Wolf! Ghastly Woods will not spare
Huu!
The rumbling me engulfed himpletely before he could even finish his words.
After an orange glow, a palm-sized flute appeared atop the ashes.
[Name: Insect Flute]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attribute: Summon Insects (2/2)]
[Effect: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Prerequisite: Mystical Knowledge (Ghastly Woods, Basic)]
[Remark: This is an item owned only by Ghastly Woods core members. Most of them were self-made, but some came from their teacher as well.]
...
[Summon Insect: Use the flute to gather insects within a 100-meter range to serve you. (Doesnt include reptiles; includes but is not limited to spiders and scorpions.) 10 minutes duration.]
[Note: When summoning, user needs to maintain the ying of the flute. When the flute stops, the insects will disperse.]
...
Kieran picked up [Insect Flute].
If there werent a limited prerequisite and tag, it would have been a good item, but with all sorts of limitations, the practical use of the item plummeted.
Of course, it didnt stop Kieran from putting it into his bag.
Then, Kieran sized up the surroundings.
Although everything was almost burnt to ashes by Devil me, there were still traces around the area and it was enough for Kieran to make more guesses.
The ashes in the firece suggests that these guys had been camping out here for almost three days, maybe even more. There is still more supplies in the tent, which attests that they had ns to stay here for longer. So this is it, huh? Kieran took in a deep breath.
When he had realized that the nobles of Riverdale left without leaving anything behind, even taking a lot of those heavy and precious items with them, Kieran had reason to believe that these nobles had been preparing their escape beforehand. Those many heavy golden decorations werent something a few wagons could carry away.
These nobles didnt only just start preparing to leave when the Prairies invaders came, they had been preparing long before when the Prairies invaders left theirnd.
In other words, they had been retreating because they had anticipated the arrival of the Prairies invaders.
Kieran was certain that even if he hadnt broken through Lightning Fortress in the first ce, it would have eventually fallen into someone elses hands!
The Prairies invaders would have ridden straight to Riverdale!
These nobles had been prepared for that exact moment, and even until now, they didnt intend to give up on the n.
What were they nning to do though?
Overthrow the Warren royal family?
Find Dragon Sects secret?
Or something else entirely?
Kieran didnt know. All he knew was that he couldnt afford to let their n seed.
Simr to the ughter right now, the ughter by the walls was a show on the surface. Kierans real goal was to lure out the one hiding in Riverdale. He had already had guesses about who it was when he first returned to the dungeon world.
First, he had seen Ghastly Woods Sect in the southern reinforcement camp, then, another one appeared in the pcest night. Kieran was almost certain of it.
Since the beginning, Kieran had never forgotten that Jeanne James hade from Ghastly Woods Sect herself.
Correct, Jeanne James was dead but not all of Ghastly Woods.
They lurked around or were within Riverdale throughout all the incidents.
No one liked having a bunch of people who rallied with insects and yed with curses around them, especially when these disgusting people harboured malicious intent.
So Kieran had set up a n to erase them.
No doubt the whole process was as smooth as Kieran expected.
But the oue?
A First Seat wasnt what Kieran wanted, but of course, he was prepared for it.
Like always, Kieran had prepared a backup n for himself, as he never underestimated his enemies, especially these kinds of organizations that had hundreds of years of legacy and inheritance. He had to deal with them with the utmost carefulness.
Kieran believed an organization like Ghastly Woods Sect must have their own informationwork.
In simpler words, his enemies must know who he really was!
If given the circumstances, the enemies wouldnt be this careless.
So, there was only one exnation left: the First Seat before him had been the bait to lure him out.
And there were only three ways to lure him out, right?
The first was to take him out by setting him up.
The second was to lure the tiger away from the mountains.
The third, a mix of both.
Kierans squinted eyes shone. He looked at Riverdale and his lips curled up into a grin.
Hope you people are having fun, he muttered to himself.
Then, he sized up his surroundings again.
In the sky, Fire Raven captured everything under its sharp eyes, providing Kieran with extra vision. So when a person with a worn-out dress and puss all over his face appeared, Kieran noticed him at the very first moment.
Likewise, the person didnt seem to be trying to hide his presence as he walked towards Kieran righteously, stopping a dozen meters away.
Its a pleasure to meet you, Lord White Wolf. When I got the news of your appearance, I was really horrified. After all, we had thought that the Prairies King was the White Wolf, a White Wolf that broke tradition. Fortunately, he wasnt. But its also depressing that he wasnt. Myplicated feelings now... Can you understand them? the Ghastly Woods Sect member whose face was full of puss asked in a buzzing voice.
It wasnt his natural voice though, as it sounded more like an insect vibrating its wings, thus the buzzing. It seemed as if there wasnt a voice cord in the mans throat, an insect pping its wings there instead.
Okay, I guess, Kieran replied calmly.
Thank you for your understanding. That is why Ive purposelye to give youpensation. My disciple, Latti Po, who you killed in the southern reinforcement camp, and Samara, who worked under that despicable woman, Jeanne James. All of them are mypensation to you. Of course, thats not all. If you are willing to leave Riverdale, I will give you thepensation that truly befits your identity.
The man appeared very sincere, but his sincerity was exchanged for a coldugh from Kieran.
If there werent so many bugs approaching this ce, I might have really believed in your words.
Ah! Youve noticed! I really underestimated the olfactory senses of the Wolf Sect. But a dead wolf shouldnt be able to smell anything, right?
The person pretended to be shaken and waved his hand.
Fuuu!
Bugs, insects and vermins that could shroud the heavens and cover thends flew up from the ground.
Within an instant, they clouded the sun as if darkness had covered thend.
However, at the very next moment, light reappeared in a very harsh, rampant and arrogant manner!
Chapter 1225 - Care
Chapter 1225: Care
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
zing mes rumbled, heat waves rolling like the rising tide.
The insects that could cover the sky and earth were swiftly burnt to ashes, being carried away by the wind.
And the Devil me went straight for Changrott without slowing down.
Boom!
At the next moment, the Dorl rank of Ghastly Woods Sect was engulfed in mes. The mes burned fiercely as his figure screamed in agony.
However, further away in a shadowy spot, another Changrott appeared, and simr to the one engulfed in mes, he shared the same ragged clothes and face full of puss.
He looked at the zing mes and his mouth curled into a mocking grin. Even when his chest was perforated, the mocking didnt go away.
Fully utilizing your fangs and ws. You are really as is stated in the records!
Looking down at his chest where Kierans hand had punctured his heart, Changrott sighed softly. He then purposely lowered his voice and said, I suppose you dont have an understanding about Ghastly Woods Sect, right? If you do not, I suggest you get some study going. Of course, Im afraid you wont have that chance anymore!
As he spoke, Changrotts body slowly disintegrated like moving sand.
Kierans hand that went through Changrotts heart also disintegrated and the vanishing spread rapidly from his hand to the rest of his body as if his hand had been ced into ake full of piranhas. But unlike man-eating piranhas, the formless energy before him didnt even leave his bones intact.
The energy was on a rampage. It was frantic, hysteric.
At the side of the woods, Changrott, who was watching the scene through the eyes of the insects, smiled.
Changrott was satisfied.
When he first reared these Curse Bugs, this kind of frantic effect was exactly what he was going for.
The bugs fed on curses during normal times.
The Curse Bugs enjoyed the fullness of the power of the curses and how it tortured its prey. Once they came across some fresh food, the result was self-exnatory.
They would devour their prey in the most frantic way possible. They didnt even mind dying from overeating; it was better than starving to death, let alone being tortured to death by curses.
Ghastly Woods was never one to face enemies face to face. But no sect is willing to fight a fully prepared Ghastly Sect because... they will die a graveless death, Changrott said slowly.
Then, he turned around and prepared to leave, but the moment he did, his body shook fiercely.
He saw a man.
A man dressed in a faint blue robe, his feet bare, yet also blue. His eyes were clear like water without the slightest color.
Whenever people saw the man, a phrase woulde to their mind: soft like water.
The man stood there like a slow flowing stream, flowing from high to low with a murmuring sound.
It was just that while a real stream would have small ripples and sshes when it crossed a stony path, this person was forever calm and flowing, simr to his eyes that could not see.
Why are you here?!
A cry of shockter, Changrotts face full of puss kept twitching.
Horror and panic filled Changrotts heart the moment he saw the blind man before him. He had zero preparation to face the man before him.
Just like what Changrott said before, Ghastly Woods Sect was never good at dealing with enemies face to face; they needed time and geographical advantages to prepare their offence.
There were some other sects that, unlike Ghastly Woods Sect, were very skilled in a frontal assault with their enemies.
For example: Dragon Sect and Tiger Sect, which both vanished over history.
As for current sects?
Wolf Sect was half of it.
Why half?
Because thest White Wolf lost in a face to face battle with... White Ape!
The White Ape of Ape Sect!
Of course, the person before Changrott wasnt White Ape of Ape Sect, whose whereabouts were constantly uncertain.
If it were really White Ape, Changrott would not have the slightest intention of resisting, but still, the person before him was not any easier to deal with.
No one in the world would think Aqua Ape was easy to deal with.
Even the highest of ranks in Ghastly Woods Sect, Ghastly and Woods, would feel like they were greeted with their biggest enemy in front of Aqua Ape, let alone Changrott, who had exhausted his biggest ace card on Kieran.
He was just a Dorl of Ghastly Woods, still a rank of Yuarl away from Ghastly and Woods.
Changrott swiftly adjusted his breathing and emotions, his yellowish, turbid eyeballs turning rapidly before words escaped his mouth.
Lord Aqua Ape, are you here for the White Wolf? He was in the woods. He and I had some misunderstanding, so I had to be prepared. You and I are not on bad terms, so I would be very d to assist you. Do you need me to lead the way?
With obvious reverence, Changrott slowly backed away and tried his best to draw a distance from Aqua Ape. By the time his words stopped, he was almost a dozen meters away. As he looked at the ever silent Aqua Ape, Changrotts heart turned aghast.
Despite both of them being a dozen meters apart, he knew it wouldnt be any easier for him to take out Aqua Ape.
Damn it! Bastards! Why is he here? Is the Ape Sect involved as well? Who the hell is responsible for intel gathering? Im going to skin him alive! Damn it!
Cursing loudly in his heart, Changrotts expression was looking more reverent; he even bent down slightly.
Lord Aqua Ape, I...
Enough.
The calm word was filled with icy coldness.
It was hard to imagine that a man soft like water could utter things like the freezing wind of the arctic, sending chills down ones spine.
Aqua Apes tone signified his disgust and the disgust disyed in the words made Changrott shut up right away.
In fact, Changrott was forced to shut up.
A ball of fire came suddenly and engulfed him whole. The Dorl of Ghastly Woods Sect didnt even get to utter a word before he was burned to ashes along with the insects hiding in his robes.
Until his death, Changrott never got to react to what happened.
Kieran, who should have been consumed by the Curse Bugs, slowly walked out from the shadows and sized up Aqua Ape as Aqua Ape, in turn, did the same to him.
After a while, Aqua Ape spoke. Since when did the mighty and prideful White Wolf side with some loudmouth birds?
Just like before, his words brought chills to the ear.
Aqua Ape obviously misunderstood something due to the appearance of Devil me but Kieran wasnt about to exin the situation to his enemy.
He looked at Aqua Ape and answered with an even colder tone, Since when do I have to exin myself to Ape Sect?
As expected of the White Wolf. I was only suspecting a moment ago, but now, I am certain you are the White Wolf. After all... you sound just like your failure of a teacher!
Aqua Apeughed lightly, his water-like eyes looking at the ck figure in front of him before he continued with his ever chilling tone. Then you should know the consequences of engaging Ape Sect in battle, right?
Faint blue water bubbles the size of watermelons rapidly took form around Aqua Ape. There were 10 of them!
These bubbles, which obviously werent of themon kind, circted around Aqua Ape like thes to the sun.
However, Kieran didnty eyes on him. Instead, he looked at... the direction of Riverdale!
There, through the sight of the cardinal sins, he saw something that he cared more about.
TL Note:
Ranks in Ghastly Woods Sect: Dorl < Yuarl < Ghastly = Woods
Chapter 1226 - Figure
Chapter 1226: Figure
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Oboard, who released the messenger pigeon, went back to his room.
The changes that exceeded expectations made the marquis anxious.
Multiple deep breathster, it didnt change his condition for the better, so he took a more direct approach.
Inside a drawer in the corner of his room, a thumb-sized crystal bottle was carefully taken out by the marquis.
Then, he uncorked it carefully and ced the crystal bottle to his lips.
He threw back his neck and half of the transparent liquid inside was poured into his mouth.
Hu! Huu Huu!
After drinking the potion, the marquis breathed heavily but unlike the previous attempts, these few deep breathster, the anxiety on his face went away, leaving him with afortable, pleasant expression, he could even be considered as... intoxicated!
The whole processsted for a few seconds only, the marquis then corked it properly with a heavy heart and ced the crystal bottle back into the drawer.
The potion from Ghastly Woods Sect is really something. Too bad, it cant be used often.
When Oboard thought of the warning from the Dorl of Ghastly Woods, he shook his head in regret.
If it was possible, he hoped that he could enjoy the rxation everyday... no, every second!
If I am in power, I must give more support to Ghastly Woods Sect, funding them to develop this potion to its limits!
Unconsciously, the marquis had such thought in his heart.
At the same time, he heard the sound of gulping saliva.
Turning around, the marquis saw a ck figure.
The figure was very unfamiliar and yet resembled someone he knew but what the marquis was concerned was the figure was gulping saliva non-stop, wiping his drool and had a gaze like a predator towards its prey.
Who are you? You... The marquis asked loudly out of instinct.
Unfortunately, before he could finish his asking, the ck figure pushed him away and grabbed the crystal bottle in its hand. It then swallowed it together with the bottle.
Kachak!
After a broken ss sounded in its mouth, the crystal bottle was munched to pieces and was swallowed together with the liquid inside it by Gluttony.
Then...
Cough, Cough Cough!
Bad! It tastes really bad!
A fierce coughter, Gluttony spat out the crystal bottle together with the liquid.
It was the first time Gluttony tasted something so bad that it couldnt swallow, he even felt nauseated.
The nauseating feeling was strange to Gluttony, it was also something he didnt want to experience anymore. He was also angry at the marquis before him.
Oboard looked at Gluttony with astonishment and until Glutton threw his fierce gaze over, it was only then that the marquis reacted to the situation.
Donte near me! I, I... The marquis screamed like a little girl but unlike a little girl, he wanted his scream to attract the guards hidden around his premises.
However, no matter how hard he screamed, no one responded to his call, especially those soundly asleep guards.
Correct they were soundly asleep! A deep sleep that ushered them into dreand and no one would be able to wake them up.
Sloth squinted his eyes and leaned on the wall, the warm sunlight made him yawn uncontrobly.
So warm.
Sofy.
So sleepy.
As if he was sleep talking, Sloth fell on the floor, limping weakly, he was so tired that it looked like he would fall asleep any second now.
In fact, snores came at the next moment, not from Sloth, not from the soundly asleep guards but another person that appeared in the shadows just now.
Ragged robes with vile stench, rattling bugs fell of his robes.
Each bug that fell off was curled up or extended as all of them fell into a deep sleep.
Sloth lied down on the floor like a pile of dirt, looking at the expected intruder and kept muttering Trouble, trouble! I want to sleep in the sun!
His muttering was full of ranting but ultimately, he still crawled up in a wobbly manner and headed outsides to the streets.
The intruders were not just one man and a lot more required Sloth to deal with them.
As for Gluttony?
Sloth didnt put his hopes on this boorish fe who only cared about eating. Although ording to the idealistic n, Sloth was tasked to deal with the room and Gluttony the other ces.
But when that marquis took out the bottle to drink, Gluttony barged in uncontrobly and messed up his ns.
Too far apart. Another one? There are so many others! So this is my lousy life of being busy? Why! Life is so unfair.
Sloth ranted again, his speed got slower but those Ghastly Woods Sect members that lurked in Riverdale fell asleep before Sloth even got close.
...
Warren Pce, meeting hall.
Mary was sitting beside the throne, looking down at a newly drafted document on the table.
Although most of the time, these chores were the task of the secretary officer, this time, however, the meaning it represented was different. Mary had to do this on her own.
It was what she insisted on doing.
Duke Eldar beside her tried to say something but before he opened his mouth, Mary stopped him.
Duke Eldar, please dont say anything that will put me in a difficult situation. I respect you from the bottom of my heart because of what you gave to Warren and also because you are a true noble. Likewise, I know what 2567 did as well. What you gave to my father and what 2567 gave to me is the same. I will never let down those who trust in me.
Mary didnt look up, the quill in her hand was writing swiftly, producing elegant and sharp words.
The elderly duke saw word after word being written, he saw the face that was familiar yet strange to him. He opened his mouth but ultimately didnt say anything.
Hepromised.
The elderly duke chose topromise before Mary in her stern, persistent manner.
Sighing, Duke Eldar signaled Duke Zilin beside him without making a noise.
Right away, a chair was moved over to the table.
Inside the pce meeting hall, very few had the rights to sit, even the current generation of Duke Zilin was a little off but not Duke Eldar.
It was because of his age and also meritorious achievements.
You should change this part. 2567 still cannot represent the Warren royal family, even if he bes the regent king, you are still the queen. So you need to state your standings clearly, telling everyone what those nobles who got stripped of their titles and positions did to us.
Duke Eldar suddenly spoke after sitting down and seeing what Mary wrote.
Mary looked up with surprise. After a quick nce, she curled her lips and showed a shallow smile.
Thanks.
The young princess expressed her gratitude sincerely.
No need! I am doing this for the Warren royal family, for James, not you.
The elderly duke grunted but he wasnt stingy with his teachings.
Even with her mothers excellent teachings, drafting documents like this was too much of an effort for Mary but with Duke Eldars participation, everything became smoother.
20 minutester, a document without ws or errors was produced.
Mary rubbed her fingers and passed it to the elderly duke.
The elderly duke was surprised, he grunted again before taking the document, checking it meticulously.
No one would stop him from checking.
Even Mary and Duke Zilin slowed their breaths, trying not to disturb the elderly duke.
Therefore, when sounds came, it became very pronounced.
Tssk Gak!
The doors were pushed open and the three in the meeting hall shifted their gaze to the origin.
The three of them were stunned in unison.
All three of them were looking at that familiar figure with an unbelievable gaze.
Chapter 1227 - The Secret of the Royals
Chapter 1227: The Secret of the Royals
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Under Mary, Duke Eldar, and Duke Zilins gaze, King James VIII walked into the meeting hall with the help of a servant.
Despite his constant pale looking face, King James VIII was looking slightly flushed. Although he required the servants help to walk, he seemed to be in good spirits.
Father.
Your Majesty.
All three of them stood up.
The elderly duke stood straight up and gave his chair to his friend. After seeing his friend on the chair, he asked: Is it because of the things just now?
The elderly duke then looked at the servant with less pleasant eyes.
He knew his friends condition and because of that, he repeatedly forbade the servants in the pce from telling James what happened in Riverdale; even if they told, they were only allowed to deliver the good news.
Dont me him. I forced him tom King James VIII said slowly.
He then looked at Mary with merciful eyes.
Believe in your decisions. But also be responsible for the decisions you made, understand? said the king.
A short phrase, but the king uttered it separately.
I understand. Mary nodded seriously.
It wasnt just to brush her father off, she really understood it.
In fact, the young princess already nned for the worst.
Looking at the nodding Mary, King James VIII showed a smile before he looked at Duke Zilin.
Ser Duke, I have something to talk to Mary and Eldar about in private.
Very well, sire.
The young duke bowed before leaving the meeting hall.
The servant bowed and wanted to leave as well but was stopped by the king.
The elderly duke looked at the servant with a strange gaze.
Among his impressions, other than thete Tenar, no one was able to enjoy such trust from the king.
Mary felt strange as well but she didnt ask anymore. She believed there must be a reason for her father to keep the servant.
King James VIII then exined the decision.
He will rece Tenar in serving Mary.
The king pointed at the servant and thetter bowed at Mary.
The elderly duke nodded as thoughts ran through his head.
He knew a bit about how the royal family produced talented people.
Aside from strength and other elements, loyalty was the first thing considered.
And since the servant was here to rece Tenar, he would bepletely trustworthy.
Even from a certain level, the future servant might be far closer to Mary than Mary was to Eldar.
After all, the royal servant was responsible for taking care of some hidden secrets of the Warren royal family.
Huu!
When the thought came, the elderly duke took in a deep breath. He nodded officially at the servant to express his acknowledgment.
There wasnt any jealousy or dissatisfaction.
The elderly duke knew who he was and how old was he.
If he was 10 years younger, he would fight for the position.
But now?
All he wanted to do was to do his best in helping Mary, guiding her through more of the things she didnt understand.
Perhaps some knowledge was already outdated but it was what he knew.
The servant was overwhelmed when he received the acknowledgment from the elderly duke. He bowed again officially in reply to the dukes kindness.
Looking at his friend, his daughter, and the servant meet for the first time, the old kingughed in relief.
Then, he put away his smiles.
Eldar, its time to tell Mary about something. As a father, I am not qualified enough. As a king, I am not qualified enough either. I might be the biggest failure in everything. I cant tell her personally about everything, neither do I have the face to do so. So please, tell her on my behalf. The old king tried to speak in a calm tone but everyone present heard the trembles between the lines.
The elderly duke ced his hand on his friends shoulder and gaze him with a stern eye.
I am here.
After that ensuring phrase, Duke Eldar stopped for a moment, as though he was concluding his words and brewing up the tone, he finally spoke again after another 20 seconds had passed.
The royals of Warren holds a secret. Thest time Dragon Sect appeared in public eyes was indeed in here, Warren Pce. A lot of people know that, so its a well-known secret. The true secret is...
The true secret? I think our conversation before is quite pleasant and honest, dont you say, Duke Eldar?
Duke Eldar was interrupted.
An arrogant looking Kieran walked out from the shadows.
When he saw Kierane out, the elderly duke was stunned before his face was flushed.
No, dont be mistaken, it wasnt shame but it was anger!
I knew the sects were untrustable! You are also eyeing on the secret of the Warren royals! The elderly duke shouted.
Prejudice, a scary thing.
Amidst his arrogant tone, Kieran slowly but certainly walked to Mary and blocked her behind him, drawing distance from the king and the servant.
After that, Kieran continued, Though I have to admit, you did say something right. Sects! Factions and branches of sects are really untrustable. Because they will always use tricks to put up a lousy, crude show. Repulsive.
Kieran looked at the servant in disdain as he spoke.
The young princess was already thinking about the situation when Kieran blocked her and when she heard what Kieran said, she quickly dragged the elderly duke behind as well.
The elderly duke faltered behind Mary as well, since he wasnt a real idiot.
Just like what Kieran said before, even an idiot who stayed in the south for 20 years would be a Wiseman, more so Duke Eldar was already a smart person to begin with.
Somethings wrong!
There was something wrong with the servant!
The elderly duke looked at the servant who stood beside his friend with an anxious gaze, worried about what would happen but he didnt say anything because he knew what he should do at the moment.
Sigh. You really leave me no choice. I was thinking about a tender approach to get what I want to know but unfortunately, his mind has gone awry, even with my potion supporting, its an insignificant effort to keep up. So, I had to waste a lot of effort to get the secret through Duke Eldars mouth but... idents happen.
The servant sighed. He stared at Kieran and uttered each and every word precisely.
Is the White Wolf always such a busybody? Then, I guess you wont mind talking with me if we switch a ce right? Or... d you prefer to listen to the secret of Warren royals with me here?
The servant gave Kieran a choice.
He was waiting for an answer and believed he would get a suitable answer since Kieran was a smart person.
Getting the secret of the Warren royals without paying a penny, how worthwhile would that be? Why not do it?
Unfortunately, the reality was always the exact opposite of imagination regardless of time.
The moment the servants words subsided, he saw Kierans lips curl up slightly, the contempt in his eyes and sneers almost materialized.
Chapter 1228 - Who?
Chapter 1228: Who?
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Who do you think you are talking to?
Amidst his arrogant words, Kieran walked up to the servant.
When the servant beside King James VIII saw Kierans evil grin, which was like the Devil Lord looking down on all life, he extended his hand and tried to seize the king.
He didnt know why Kieran would do this but he knew what he must do at the moment.
The servant had quite the confidence in his own strength. As one of the select few Yuarl in Ghastly Woods Sect, he had something he held pride in.
Not just in terms of controlling curses, he was quite capable in closebat as well.
Otherwise, he wouldnt have been able to infiltrate Warren Pce in the first ce.
Although the one he was facing was the White Wolf of Wolf Sect, this Yuarl believed that he could get his hands on the ace before Kieran could touch him.
But...
A split second before his fingers touched the king, his body abruptly stopped moving.
Another hand had suddenly grabbed his wrist and halted his movement without his knowing, and unconsciously, this Yuarl of Ghastly Woods Sect turned to the owner.
He saw the furious face of...Kieran!
How is this possible?!
Unable to understand what happened, the Yuarl was astonished.
He still wanted to say something but was punched to the ground by Wrath and was turned into a pile of meat within a breaths time.
Wrath still didnt calm down after the servants death, he continued swinging his punches, to the point that the floor of the meeting hall broke.
Looking at the arrogant Kieran and the furious Kieran, Duke Eldar unconsciously widened his eyes in awe.
D-Dragon Sect? The elderly duke muttered.
Pride didnt even care about the mutters. He grabbed the elderly duke by the cor and threw him out of the meeting hall, together with Mary.
Unlike the rough and direct way the duke was thrown out, Mary was carefully, slowly sent out by Pride.
Gak Tsssk!
Bang!
Once the two of them were expelled out of the meeting hall, the doors were heavily shut again.
Mary, whonded on her feet firmly, and the duke, who fell like a ragdoll, causing pain to burst all over his body, watched the door shut. Their faces swiftly changed because...
King James VIII hadnte out!
The young princess looked at the elderly duke.
No! It cant be!
As if he understood something, the elderly duke shook his head at Mary.
Mary didnt say anything; she instead frowned hard.
Meanwhile, inside the meeting hall, King James VIII sat on his chair and looked at the pile of meat before him calmly.
Then, he tried his best in sitting straight and looked at Pride before him.
You found it? King James VIII asked after a deep breath.
Pride didnt even care for him but the contempt on his face seemed to cause some misunderstanding in the kings mind.
Life is really unfair! It always favours some nonsense people! And yet it turns a blind eye towards those who work hard and have a sincere heart...
When thest word subsided, King James VIII vanished from the chair, and when he re-appeared, he was behind Wrath, hurling a punch at the cardinal sin.
Souu!
After a sharp, air-breaking sound, Wrath had his chest punctured and vanished into thin air.
King James VIII looked down at his fist. He slowly released his fist and clenched it hard again, as if he was savouring the sensation of going through someones chest.
Just as legend has it, its identical to a real human being, he muttered.
The king suddenly looked at Pride, ring at him fiercely.
Hand over the secret to Dragon Sect! he said heavily.
Hmph. Prideughed lightly.
Greed then appeared behind the king and jumped on him like a wild beast.
Sou!
Another sharp, air-breaking sound came.
The king didnt even turn around. His arm whipped up a series of afterimages in the air with his motion, and Greed, who jumped on him, was split in half and vanished into nothingness again.
Why him? Why him again?
After the sharp, twisted voice, Envy appeared like a lunatic.
He bared his teeth and ws, looking absolutely ferocious, but it still didnt change his fate of being beaten into dust the moment he appeared; Lust shared the same fate as well, his appearance not evensting for a second before being punched.
Each of you is an independent entity. Each of you controls different techniques. The legend is... real?
King James VIII, who destroyed Wrath, Greed, Envy and Lust one after another, wasnt at all impatient. On the contrary, he looked a little delighted.
At first, his face had been just slightly flushed, now his face was as red as a tomato.
Excitement!
The excitement quickened his blood cirction and even caused his body to tremble.
However, it didnt lower the kings guard, as he dished out another punch at the ck me fired at him. As if he was cutting a cake, after the sharp air-breaking sound, the ck me was split in half, then...
The edge of his fist shed with the edge of a de.
Dang!
After a loud, thunderous bang, a faint wave appeared at the point of contact between the fist and the de, and with unimaginable speed, it spread around the meeting hall.
A powerful cyclone was caused by the sh and it ravaged the meeting hall.
The carpet, chairs and all other decorations were instantly disintegrated into powder within the blink of an eye.
The seemingly sturdy floor and stiff pirs couldnt escape being destroyed either.
Dust and pebbles flew, and air-breaking sounds sounded everywhere like arrows being fired like a downpouring rain.
As the wave rippled, Prides body was forcefully sent flying backwards and crashing into the walls of the meeting hall, forcing an abrupt stop.
Bang!
A heavy crashter, Pride, who was deeply embedded in the walls, pushed himself up with a powerful thrust and threw himself at King James VIII again.
The ck greatsword in his hand was swung down from a high point at his target.
Wung!
King James VIII saw the falling ck greatsword and couldnt help but shake his head.
When you inherited Wolf Sect, didnt your teacher tell you that the expertise of a Wolf isnt in dashing out recklessly? As he spoke, King James VIII hurled out another punch.
Pride was struck and sent flying backwards again. Hisst crash had created a big hole in the wall and now the hole got deeper.
Pride struggled and got up again, only to once again dash toward the king.
Its useless. You should know by now that you and I have a gap in strength that you cant neglect, its like...
Before he could finish, he was stopped abruptly because Pride was trying to crash his chest into the kings punch.
Prides action was very inconceivable to the king because, in the kings point of view, Pride was Kieran himself.
If the clones disappeared, they just disappeared, but if the host died, it would mean real death.
The secret of Dragon Sect still hadnt been uncovered yet!
When the thought came into his mind, the king twisted his punch away and aimed at the ck greatsword in Prides hand but...
His punch missed.
Chapter 1229 - Nothing’s Different
Chapter 1229: Nothings Different
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: @EndlessFantasy Trantion
The materialized ck me that formed the ck greatsword vanished into thin air, King James VIIIs sharp punch missed and hit the air instead.
Sou!
The formless airstreams pierced through the lingering mes and left a deep cutting mark on the opposite wall.
Just after the formless airstream went through the mes, the scattered mes reformed the ck greatsword and was swung down precisely at the kings head again.
Looking at the reformed greatsword, the kingughed.
Hisugh had a sense of contempt in it.
Men always have two hands.
King James VIII raised his left hand and dished out another punch at the swinging greatsword aimed at his head.
But!
His left upper punch missed again, the ck greatsword switched to the ck me and scattered away again.
This time, not only the greatsword vanished, even Pride rapidly retreated.
Run? You underestimated me and overestimated yourself.
After dishing out both his fist, the king exposed all his weakness in his frontal chest and yet he couldnt hold back his coldugh when he saw Prides retreat.
And when he saw Pride suddenly stop and dashed out at him again, the kings coldughs got louder.
The king quickly retracted both of his fists and covered his frontal weakness with both his hands again.
Throughout the whole motion, the king seemed to be fully at ease.
Obviously, the king didnt show his full extent of power in this fight against Pride.
Why though?
Looking at Prides indomitable charging manner, King James VIII showed a bright smile on his face.
The king knew very well about the White Wolfs natural attitude.
The proud White Wolf was never afraid of death, or rather, the pride of the White Wolf had be his stubbornness!
The stubbornness that had suppressed the concept of life and death!
Others would turn around when they bumped their head on a wall.
But the in the White Wolfs case, even if he bumped his head on the wall, he wouldnt turn around despite breaking his head or spilling blood.
The moment you decided to strike me, your end had been decided! Tell me what you know, honestly...
Bang!
King James VIIIs smile got brighter when he saw Kieraning closer to him.
He saw the final ending, the undisputed ending.
Victory!
He would be the victor!
At a moment like this, King James VIII didnt mind dering the oue early.
In fact, he did exactly that but unfortunately...
A sudden kicknded fiercely at his back, not only stopping his words abruptly, it even sent the king flying.
Bang!
After the kick infused tremendous power into the kings body, he crashnded into the wall beside the hole which Pride crashed twice into.
Bones and tendons were snapped, dust and debris flew.
And... Voice of anger sounded.
King James VIII, who had been fully at ease all the while, uglily climbed up from the hole with a dusty face and torn outfit, blood was even falling down the corner of his mouth.
He red furiously at that ck figure further away from him.
Kieran!
Another Kieran!
A Kieran more powerful than any Kieran that he encountered before this!
Since the king wasnt an idiot, he quickly reacted to the situation: Pride, who the king thought was the real Kieran, was just a clone, a clone so powerful that it could be hardly distinguished from the true Kieran!
The shame of being fooled quickly turned into anger.
The raging me was burning hot in King James VIIIs heart, especially when he saw the clone walk to Kieran and look at him with an arrogant gaze.
Huu!
The kings gaze unconsciously turned heavy.
King James VIII, who had his eyes filled with rage and coldness, started to show.
At first, I was going to spare you in the end. After I got what I wanted, you would have the chance to go away and live the rest of your life but now... I will tear you to shreds!
Ha. Do you even believe what you say? Kieranughed lightly.
Kieran was looking at the king like he was a retard, even if Kieran lost his mind, he would never believe what the enemies say, especially an extremely cunning enemy.
No!
Not just cunning! Powerful as well!
After enduring his full-powered kick, the king was still able to move freely and even if the bones and tendons were torn, it was enough for Kieran to raise the danger level to the next rank.
I swear you will regret looking at me like that.
After his killer deration, the swift and fierce aura slowly gushed out from King James VIIIs body, as if he was a powder keg whose fuse was ignited and may blow any moment.
Kieran was the first among all to be enveloped by the aura but against this kind of aura that could crush amoners sane mind, Kieran felt like it was the spring breeze.
He had seen too many powerful existences.
The King James VIII before him was indeed powerful butpared to the strongest that he witnessed before, both were on a different level.
Without further hesitation, Kieranunched his attack.
[Arrogant Word] shone in bewitching purplish glimmer and was swung down from up high.
You dont even know what is true power!
King James VIII shouted angrily, he clenched his fists andunched both punches at [Arrogant Word].
The swift and fierce aura exploded together with the kings motion like a real powder keg, it made the kings punches faster, fiercer and more powerful.
The punches had explosive power that one couldnt neglect.
Kaboom!
The explosive punches exploded as the edge of the fist shed with [Arrogant de]s edge.
However, the explosive power was drowned!
It was drowned by another hotter chaotic aura!
The feeling was like a wild horse taking a stroll that suddenly came into contact with a sprinting rhino.
Or more precisely, the powder keg met an erupting volcano!
Bang!
Another loud blow mixed with bones and tendons snapping.
King James VIII, who just got out from the hole was sent back again, the process was identical to how he treated Pride before this, just that the oue was worse.
King James VIII still could rely on his own strength to stand up from the first crash but this time?
He had to grab the edge of the wall to pull himself up.
His hands were limp beside his body, the king then looked at Kieran with an anxious and doubtful gaze.
The attack was too fast!
To the point that he couldnt even react!
And the power!
That tremendous power caused some irreversible damage to his arms that he took pride in, not only were the bones in his arms crushed, the muscles tissue was destroyed as well.
His arms had always been his biggest reliance, his ace for almost two decades.
Aside from hand-to-handbat ormon knives and swords, his arms would even rival those famous weapons.
Plus his original unique power, his arms would grant him absolute victory over any battle but now, they were crushed?
They were crushed by a person that he had observed for a long time and concluded that Kieran might improve significantly but still couldnt pose a threat to him.
How is this possible?
King James VIII muttered softly before suddenly looking up at Kieran with further anxiety and doubt.
You have been hiding your strength all this time? he asked.
Whats wrong with hiding? Did you not hide as well? My... Lord Crown Raven, Kieran replied softly.
Chapter 1230 - What a Coincidence
Chapter 1230: What a Coincidence
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Crown Raven? What are you talking about? Although I hide my powers, I am still the king of Warren, father to Mary, these have never changed.King James VIII frowned.
Correct! You, as the king of Warren, allowed Jeanne James to stir up a mess in the royal court. You, as Marys father, allowed Mary and her mother, Ellen, to be stranded away in some corner of the woods. Dont tell me you were forced to do so. Given the strength you disyed now, let alone Jeanne James, you could even defeat the Prairie King easily. And yet, what did you choose to do? Watch! Stay behind and watch! Watching like you did your best and things couldnt be helped.
Kieran nodded with his calm face, his tone was peaceful as if he was stating a fact.
So, you noticed something weird?King James VIII asked.
No. At first I didnt think of all these things. But after a series of events happened in Warren Pce and Eldar told me the so-called secret of Dragon Sect, I couldnt help but think. Viper Sect, Ghastly Woods Sect, both of them are still attracted to this secret up until this day and even sent people to search the ce. So then... How fierce was it back then? Coincidentally, the Crown Raven of Raven Sect went missing. If all these arent connected, I really wouldnt buy it, Kieran replied.
And I thought that when Ellen approached James with the identity of First Seat of Raven Sect it would be enough to make everyone believe that she represented Raven Sect,King James VIII sighed.
A part of them really thought so but the other part, not so much. The others kept questioning, doubting and testing non-stop, and I should have suspected your identity when I encountered that Ghastly Woods in the southern reinforcement camp, Kieran replied.
But you are the only smart one. Too bad, you think too highly of yourself! Or do you think that based on the powers I showed just now, you assumed that I am the whole Crown Raven? I am just stalling, didnt you notice?
A sighter, Crown Raven looked at Kieran with a pitiful gaze while his body was burning with fire.
It wasnt strong by any means, at most a weak fire but the fire burning on Crown Ravens body had the corresponding light and heat and even possessed powers that could shock the world.
Crown Ravens body was fully healed under the fire shower!
His body even emanated sounds of bones and muscles reconstructing and the whole process was short, almost within a few blinks of an eye.
Crown Raven raised his hand and twisted his neck a bit, the snapping of bones immediately spread throughout his body.
And almost a breaths timeter, Crown Ravens body expanded near 20 cm.
Although his face was still King James VIII, the temperament was drastically different from the tender and soft king.
It was swift, fierce, sharp and scorching!
Huu!
Crown Raven heaved a heavy breath.
The whole meeting halls temperature rose a bit with that breath.
He then looked at Kieran with banter.
Now, I will give you a choice. Submit to me. Tell me everything you know about Dragon Sect and Wolf Sects ultimates, and I will let you live plus grant you the seat of the Crown Raven. This is surely the prize for a smart person! I like smart people, despite all of them thinking so highly of themselves, Crown Raven said.
Following his words, the weak fire on Crown Ravens body swiftly gathered in his right hand and a momentter, a 1-meter fireball appeared on his palm.
The burning temperature was wreaking havoc around the ce, the air was distorted.
The light from his fireball shed over Crown Ravens face, making him look like a god who controlled fire, divine and invible.
Looking at the divine appearance, Kieranughed.
You say I think highly of myself? It is you who thinks highly of yourself, you think you have control of the situation? You are stalling? So am I!
Kieran the slowly lifted up his charging left hand.
Boom!
Devil me rose high.
A more than 3-meter fireball appeared on Kierans left palm.
When the rank IV Devil me appeared, the meeting hall that was made withmon material started to burn under the extreme temperature, the air distorted and the fire tongues were ravaging.
This is your hidden ace?! You...
Crown Raven saw the Devil me in Kierans hand, his face changed for the worse and that divine and invible manner vanished without a sign, all that was left was panic and fear.
Crown Raven knew Kieran could manipte mes but...
In his memories, Kierans mes might be powerful but definitely not enough to threaten him, but now?
When the me formed, Crown Ravens soul shook.
Danger!
Death!
Endless negative impressions burst out from the bottom of his heart.
It wasnt an illusion!
It was the instinct formed from being familiar with fire.
Crown Ravens jaw dropped, just when he tried to say something else, Kieran charged towards him without any hesitation after his preparation.
The burning meeting hall started to tremble like an earthquake was urring.
The trembling on the ground seemed to have produced waves!
A giant rhino shed behind Kieran and the most primitive force of nature was imbued into Kierans body, allowing him to instantaneously appear before Crown Raven and smash the Devil me hard into his face.
Crown Raven clenched his teeth after his face drastically changed, he too raised the fireball in his hand, in response to Kierans attack.
Two fireballs shed in the air
KABOOM!
An ear-deafening stter, the blinding light swallowed the meeting hall whole.
Then, amid the blinding sh, a hot red-figure slowly became visible.
zing wings, straight horns as sharp as des, the body of magma and roared towards the sky, it was the Devil!
Its roar was filled with anger and chaos!
The despicable opponent challenged its pride with cheap fire.
This is provocation!
It felt provoked!
It felt insulted!
It would present its opponent with a graveless death!
It was the Lord of Despair!
And also... the me Emperor!
BOOM!
Another explosion went off!
The Crown Ravens fire that was still able to resist a little crumbled into nothing after the second explosion.
More importantly, Crown Raven who looked like a God controlling mes was dragged down from his altar by the Devil and was given a furious beating!
It wasnt metaphorically, but literally!
When that barrage of magma fistnded, Crown Ravens figure was drowned.
Chapter 1231 - Important Thing
Chapter 1231: Important Thing
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Amid the lingering mes, the Devils mirage was long gone, leaving only a dark golden glow swirling around and when Kieran saw the newly popped up notifications, he squinted his eyes.
[Eliminated Crown Raven Soul Fragment, triggered special event: The Hidden Secret, 20 Years Ago.]
[The Hidden Secret, 20 Years Ago: Time is a scary thing, it doesnt just change the sea into mulberry fields, it changes people as well. What happened exactly 20 years ago? Other than the participants, no one knows! Now, one of the participants has died, and the rest will surely show themselves...]
...
Just the Soul Fragment? Kieran looked at the most concerning description.
Several spections already formed in his mind and as for which it would be, he will need to get more evidence to support it.
As for the rest of the description in [The Hidden Secret, 20 Years Ago]?
He already had guessed a while ago, thus he wasnt at all surprised.
Huu!
Kieran took a deep breath, he then picked up his loot and looked at Mary.
Following the copse of the meeting hall, not just Mary, Duke Eldar, and Duke Zilin, a lot more of the guards rushed to the scene as well. Fortunately, everything was in order with Duke Zilinsmand.
The young princess dashed into the ruins and stood in front of Kieran, her mouth opened a few times before making up her mind, asking, Can you tell me what happened here?
Sure. Kieran looked down at the girls face, he nodded in front of her persistence and stubbornness.
Mary had the right to know, despite the cruelness of the whole affair.
...
Warren Pces secondary tea room.
Unlike the official meeting chamber and the tea room attached to it, this secondary tea room was prepared for the youngsters of the royal family. It was a ce for the youngsters to spend time when the elders were discussing important business regarding the country.
So, to entertain youngsters, there were quite a lot of toys and stuff in the room to kill time.
Other than the basic books and darts, there were still some creative toys.
When Kieran walked into the secondary tea room, he saw an armored dummy for practicing swords.
Judging from the exposed joints and the standing posture, it was sufficient to tell Kieran that the dummy wasnt the usual stable practice target.
This is a small gift from an old wizard consultant of the royal family, load it with a spring mechanism and it can perform some simple dodging and attacking poses. Quite a decent choice for a beginner to practice swords, Mary exined.
Is that so...
Kieran nodded again, he nced over Duke Eldar before sitting down on the sofa.
The uing conversation would be a long one, he didnt want to stand throughout the process.
Is that James an imposter?
Duke Eldar asked immediately when Kieran sat down. He was quite agitated.
Not just talking in a higher pitch, he even pressed his arms on the handle of the sofa where Kieran was sitting and stared at him without blinking.
Kieran wasnt used to being stared down like that by others, he raised his hand and lightly touched the dukes shoulder.
Duke Eldar felt like an electric current go through his body, causing him to stagger backward.
Kieran then slowly said, You can say so but thats not entirely correct.
What do you mean?
Duke Eldar didnt care about the abnormality of his body, he straightened his body and asked again but this time, he kept some distance from Kieran.
Just like I said, literally. That James VIII isnt really James but it is him at the same time; his body is James, most of his soul should also be James, or more precisely, most of the time.
Kieran was exining to Mary the way he perceived the situation.
Old Duke Eldar?
If it wasnt for Mary, Duke Eldar would not even follow Kieran into the secondary tea room.
The elderly duke was respectable but it didnt mean Kieran liked him. As a matter of fact, Kieran hated his rigid personality and harden actions pattern.
What the elderly duke did to Kieran one time after another even strengthened the disgust in Kierans heart.
Prairie men! Your Highness, please give the order to send the troops to wipe them out! They shall pay with their blood!
After hearing what Kieran said, the elderly duke looked at Mary with red eyes, shouting repeatedly like a beast losing its pup.
While facing Duke Eldar who seemingly lost his sanity, the young princess looked extra calm.
Duke Eldar, please finish listening to what 2567 has to say, we are making a decision here, she said.
Her voice wasnt loud but persistent enough.
When the elderly duke heard the persistency, his chest went up and down a few times and ultimately, he fell on the sofa, looking nk.
The friendship towards the king made the elderly duke anxious for revenge but likewise, out of the loyalty to the royal family, he wouldnt disobey the only heir to the throne.
Standing in between the two ideals, one could imagine how painful would it be for Duke Eldar.
But...
Regardless of the time, one shouldnt lose their cool over something.
Kieran put away his gaze at the elderly duke and looked at Mary, showing a sense of admiration through his eyes.
Compared to Duke Eldar, Marys performance was unquestionable.
A reliable partner was someone who knew how to calm down even before the face of vengeance.
Its the Crown Raven. But it shouldnt be rted to Raven Sect, its just his individual workalthough it really doesnt fit his initial ns. His initial ns should bepleting the cleanup n after he got the Dragon Sect secret. But his coborator obviously tricked him. Forcing him to survive on a thread like this, said Kieran.
Coborator?
Is... Viper Sect!
Then what is the Crown Ravens role in all this? asked the young princess.
A supporter, Kieran replied calmly.
There was one question that used to trouble Kieran though.
20 years ago, where did King James VIII get the courage to make his bold move against Viper Sect?
Kieran was suspecting that the young king back then must have some sort of backer and with the Crown Raven added to the equation, everything made sense.
Crown Raven was the kings backer.
20 years ago, King James VIII could be considered as a great and strategic king inmoners eyes but when he had to eradicate the lurking Raven Sect and Viper Sect in Riverdale, because of the weak royal family, he was forced to dy his move.
That was until Crown Raven found the king.
Immediately, the young king took it as an opportunity, killing with a borrowed knife so that he could take advantage of the conflict.
However, since the very beginning, the young king didnt know that he had fallen into the traps between the two sects.
The two sects were ying the king like a pampered kid.
One acted as support.
One acted as a target.
And ultimately?
The Viper Sect, who yed the target in the fiasco took a step back into the dark.
The Raven Sect, who yed as the support got reced.
As for the young king?
He became a puppet in all this.
Impossible! James reliance is us! Not the sects...
His worldview and beliefs copsed, causing the elderly duke to scream out loud. He didnt care about Mary trying to stop him and ran outside madly.
Mary wanted to give chase but Kieran stopped her.
Let him be. He needs to truly calm down. Besides... We still have more important things to do.
Chapter 1232 - Fire Shower
Chapter 1232: Fire Shower
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
More important things?
Mary was stunned.
Looking at the stunned Mary, Kieran sighed.
The young princess might look calm and cool, but deep down, she was suffering multiple shocks, otherwise, she wouldve known what to do now.
Kieran stood up and ced his palm over her head.
James needs a funeral. You need a coronation. Warren has lost its old king, and now it needs a new one. Its already damaged severely, so it cant suffer any further unexpected changes, Kieran said softly.
Um.
Mary slightly tilted her head down, preventing Kieran from having a clear look at her face.
I have a blurry impression of my father. He only existed in books and my mother never spoke about him, so I dont even know whether my mother loved him or not. I dont know if I should love him or hate him as well. Even when we met, I just treated him as his heir like ording to everyones will. A person like me should heave a breath of relief after knowing that he wasnt truly himself, but why do I feel so bad? The young princess tried her best at speaking in a calm tone but Kieran clearly heard sobbing.
Because thats...blood. No matter the time, ce or death, blood cannot be severed. It made you feel bad, feel sad for him and it also let you know, you are not alone, not as empty as you think.
Kieran squatted down and looked into Marys teary, red eyes. His hand carefully, softly caressed the corner of her eyes before standing up.
He then continued cing his hand over Marys head.
B-but, I dont want to be sad, Mary said softly.
This is the reality, its always cruel. Whether you ept it or not, it will always teach you in the worst way possible until you know of its existence. Whats reality anyway? Kieran sighed.
Its a despicable, cruel existence. The small voice turned dimmer until it was a mumble.
Yes. Its despicable and cruel, thats why we need to be strong. Remember when you asked me before what true strength is? Kieran suddenly asked.
Remember. The young princess nodded.
I think you can add one more for yourself: the reason that you are strong is that you want to have the ability to reject sadness in times of need, Kieran said seriously.
The reason that I am strong is that I want to have the ability to reject sadness in times of need? The young princess looked up.
She looked at Kieran with a smile. She nodded.
Some sayings were better understood in the earlier stages of life.
Some things were best not experienced throughout ones life.
If you have to, then...
Be prepared because it will hurt you like hell.
...
Kieran didnt stay long in the secondary tea room.
Mary needed her alone time, as it was for her own growth.
As for James funeral and Marys coronation?
It wasnt for him to worry about.
The ceremony officer of the pce would take care of it all.
Kieran would just watch quietly at the side and deal with the possible happenings.
[The Secret From 20 Years Ago] was stated clearly, and he would not forget it, simr to how he would never forget to check his loot.
[Name: Fire Shower]
[Type: Book]
[Rarity: II]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: None]
[Attribute: Able to learn Raven Sect Ultimate, Fire Shower, after reading]
[Effect: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Prerequisite: Mystical Knowledge (Raven Sect, Grand Master)]
[Remark: It isntplete, its broken but it cant be denied as Raven Sects ultimate. Each generations Crown Raven would do their best to perfect this technique and its also one of the necessary missions for every generation]
...
The dark golden scroll made Kieran squint his eyes.
When he had seen the amount of glow on the item, he knew his loot would be substantial but he never thought it would be this massive.
Raven Sect Ultimate? Kieran couldnt help but curl the corner of his lips into a grin.
Despite it being remarked as broken and iplete, it was enough to make him happy.
He would never underestimate an organizations ace card that had been inheriting itself for a few hundred years.
Moreover, Raven Sect was obviously a controller of fire.
Kieran also had a fiery build and could manipte fire.
Using Devil me toplete Raven Sect Ultimate...
Whenever he thought about the prospect, his anticipation would skyrocket.
Of course, in order for that day toe faster, he had to quickly get his hands on [Mystical Knowledge (Raven Sect)] and level it up to Grand Master level.
It wouldnt be easy but the fortunate thing was that he had many candidates to teach him.
Get me Maxim. Kieran spoke to the shadow in his room.
Jyaichi, one of Kierans dominated natives, quickly vanished from the room.
Although there were many candidates, who else was better than Raven Sects own recorder, Maxim? None in Kierans memory.
The waiting time was particrly long.
Kieran was patient though and didnt feel restless at all, especially when there was someone there to apany him.
Dok, Dok Dok.
Come in.
A man in a blue robe with blue hair, bare feet, and eyes as clear as water slowly walked in.
Although he couldnt see and it was the first time he entered Kierans room, he didnt run into any obstacles or walk clumsily. He entered and stopped a meter in front of Kieran.
Kieran looked at the man in surprise.
Back in the forest when he encountered Aqua Ape, Kieran had utilized his speed to shake Aqua Ape off due to Crown Ravens sudden appearance.
So it was natural that Aqua Ape would pursue him.
Kieran believed what happened just now was all visible to Aqua Ape, but given the situation and the fact that he still dared to appear before Kieran, it was a thing worth ruminating.
Neither of them was friendly by any means, they could even be considered enemies.
Given the rtionship, Aqua Ape must have some other goals for appearing before Kieran like this.
Kieran was almost certain but he didnt speak first, instead waiting for Aqua Ape.
As for Aqua Ape?
He, too, was extremely patient.
Both of them stared at each other, one standing, one sitting.
Time flew.
When footsteps were heard outside, Aqua Ape, who didnt want to encounter outsiders, finally spoke first.
Prime Viper. Me, help.
Short words that could cause one to furrow his or her brows.
After that, Aqua Ape transformed into water and slipped away.
Kieran, who sat on the sofa, seemed to have thought of something.
Viper Sect and Ape Sect?
Chapter 1233 - This Is Great
Chapter 1233: This Is Great
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kierans right index finger was tapping lightly on the handle of the chair, his thoughts wrapped around Ape Sect and Viper Sect.
Ape Sect, ording to the book Words of Sect, was a special one, unlike the others.
Firstly, Ape Sect didnt have a fixed gathering point.
Secondly, Ape Sect members could be anyone, frommon merchants to noble knights.
In simple words, other than answering the calling of Aqua Ape, me Ape, de Ape and the highest rank, White Ape, the members of Ape Sect were just some casual wanderers.
So, based on that, Ape Sect should be harmless.
But was it, in fact?
Rulers of thend were as cautious and vignt against Ape Sect as any other sect, some even specifically targeting them because Ape Sect had too much freedom.
They possessed too much freedom to the point that they were already affecting the positions of the rulers of thend.
A bunch of extremely powerful men not bound by rules and restrictions could cause damage far greater than amon criminal.
As for Viper Sect?
Just a group of assassins!
From their working method to ways of battle, everything about them leaned towards the path of assassins.
Therefore, Viper Sect was also one of those non-restricted bunch.
On top of that, from a certain perspective, the existence of assassins kept on challenging the authorities, and a lot of times, they would shame authorities with their abilities.
Judging from that point, Viper Sect and Ape Sect shared some resemnce.
But such a resemnce made the two sects unable to be allies or friends, especially after Viper Sect escaped from sight like a cicada casting off its skin.
What Aqua Ape said just now could prove it.
Of course, Kieran wasnt looking forward to such help and the reason was simple: he didnt trust Aqua Ape.
An untrustablerade would only make the battle more difficult but... that didnt stop Kieran from using that point to his advantage.
Bak, Bak Bak!
The finger-tapping got quicker and the noise got more concentrated.
Suddenly, all the tapping stopped.
His eyes under the eyelids suddenly shone with an unknown glimmer.
Perhaps...
Kieran quickly straightened up his body after the thought bloomed, the corner of his lips curling up.
He then looked at Maxim, who had been waiting for his meeting.
My lord.
Maxim quickly bowed after seeing that Kieran was finished with his thinking.
Time after time of seeing Kieran disy his overwhelming power that exceeded his expectation, Maxim had already discarded all the unwanted thoughts out of his mind.
All that was left in the Raven Sect recorder was absolutepliance.
Some were born with arrogance, choosing to die rather than bowing, and no one could change that.
But some were naturally hesitant. With someone leading them, they performed far better than anyone could imagine. Maxim was one of those.
After bowing, Maxim quickly reported.
My lord, about Ackerman, Ive got some results already. A few years ago, he gathered some Raven Sect members and lurked around Riverdale in disguise. I still havent gotten to know why he infiltrated the pce this time but Ive taken in all his men to work for us. These men possess decent abilities and will definitely be able to assist you, my lord, in some ways.
Maxims face then showed a smile.
Obviously, those men that he mentioned would live up to their names.
Em. Are they loyal?
When facing a shortage of manpower, Kieran, of course, didnt mind more decent subordinates but only given that they were loyal.
Just like how a trustedrade could fight side by side, a trusted subordinate could be entrusted with missions without worry.
My lord, worry not. They are more loyal to me than to Ackerman. And you? When they saw that flying me above Riverdale, their hearts were already given up to you! Although I dont know why Ackerman infiltrated the pce, the reason why he was anxious toe in here must be closely rted to your appearance, my lord. Your appearance is the Crown Ravens calling, so Raven Sect members will not reject it. Please believe in me, my lord. Give me three months and I will present to you a perfect Raven Sect! Maxim bowed again.
It wasnt themon bow but the salutation of Raven Sect.
His bent down upper body was almost parallel with the floor, like a bowing bird below its king.
Nicely done. Kieran praised.
Kieran didnt mind giving more praises to a capable subordinate, despite the possibility that he might not use Maxim in the end.
Not using Maxim didnt mean that he didnt do his work. As long as he worked hard, he would be given acknowledgement.
So as the Crown Raven, shouldnt I learn more about Raven Sects teachings? Kieran asked with a smile.
Of course! As Crown Raven, you should know everything about Raven Sect. Maxim nodded repeatedly.
Then can you teach me? Kieran continued.
It will be my honor to do so!
Maxim was overwhelmed and overjoyed as he bowed again.
His joy wasnt an act, it came from the bottom of his heart.
In fact, after realizing Kierans identity as the White Wolf, Maxim had always worried about Kieran giving up on Raven Sect.
Maybe to others, Raven Sect was a massive organization, an organization that allowed one to step up to the sky with a single bound.
But to the White Wolf, what was Raven Sect?
Aside from their simrly long inheritance, the White Wolf of each generation was also known for their capricious character that led them to do really shocking things at times.
Therefore, if Kieran really gave up on Raven Sect, no one would be surprised because he was the White Wolf.
And if Kieran wanted to take up the identity of Crown Raven while also being the White Wolf, no one would be surprised at that either because he was still the White Wolf.
The White Wolf didnt care about the world, he didnt care about the people.
All he cared about was himself and that he did things his own way.
Anything that didnt seem reasonable would be normal if it was applied to the White Wolf.
My lord, I need to prepare some bodiesbodys. Do we start in the morning? Or?
Compared to the shallowly experienced Perry Kaner, Maxim was obviously more experienced, the excitement and joy not disrupting him from asking in an orderly fashion.
Find me when everything is prepared, Kieran answered.
Very well, please wait. Maxim then quickly left.
Kieran saw Maxim off before looking at the shadowy spot outside the door.
Perry Kaner, the leader of the Viper Sect, quickly walked out of the shadows.
After bowing to Kieran, her face looked a little hesitant but when she noticed that Kieran was frowning, she quickly spoke.
Are you sure you want to work with Ape Sect? Or do you want to continue challenging the White Ape on behalf of your teacher?
Perry Kaner had always been obsequious when talking to Kieran and now was no exception.
Therefore, she neglected a lot of details that she should have taken note of.
Or, she did notice something unreasonable but she epted it due to the thinking that it was Kierans other arrangements.
Wolf Sect and Ape Sect having conflicts?
Kieran frowned for a while before releasing his locked brows.
The corner of his mouth unconsciously curled up.
T-This was...
Too great!
Chapter 1234 - Doesn’t Follow The Common Rules
Chapter 1234: Doesnt Follow The Common Rules
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
For the next five days, Kieran didnt leave his room.
Other than having necessary meals, he was absorbing everything that Maxim had to teach about Raven Sect.
His methods were obviously very effective with pronounced results.
[Name: Mystical Knowledge, Raven Sect (Master)]
[Rted Attribute: None]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effect: You have an understanding of the secret knowledge of this sect. You are now able to decipher all rted basic knowledge and some advance knowledge.]
[Consume: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Remark: Each sect has their own uniqueness, their knowledge are vastly different and these pieces of knowledge are always more useful than expected]
...
Its almost time, Kieran said as he stood up.
Achieving Master level of [Mystical Knowledge, Raven Sect] within five days had reached his expectations, it would not be that easy to further level it up to Pro level, even with Maxims guidance.
Moreover, time didnt allow Kieran to further his studies.
Maxim, I need you to take note and arrange future knowledge of Raven Sect, Kieran ordered before walking out his room.
Very well, my lord, Maxim replied respectfully.
Compared to the respect and reverence toward Kieran before this, Maxim didnt just revere Kierans strength anymore, instead, he waspletely convinced.
It was too astonishing!
As Raven Sects recorder, Maxim had the duty to educate other members about relevant knowledge.
However, Maxim never saw a person as smart as Kieran. No, he wasnt just smart anymore, that kind of gift that allowed him to learn a years worth of knowledge in one day and ten years worth of knowledge in five days could only be exined as a genius. Especially Kierans ability to draw inferences about other cases from one instance, it was very convincing to Maxim.
Maxim remembered when Kieran mastered the basics on the first day, he eximed that Give it another month and my lord, you will be able to master this.
But now?
Kieran reached such level after a mere four days. A level that was only possible amongst the majority of the core members of Raven Sect.
Thinking about how long he used to reach this level, Maxim was left with a bitter smile.
More importantly, Maxim was once known as a genius in this field as well.
As expected, one cannotpare themselves with others.
A sighter, Maxim carried out Kierans orders.
While after listening to the sigh from Maxim, Perry Kaner understood it almost instantly as well because she shared the same feeling.
But it didnt stop her from mocking her old rival.
You thought everyone is like you? His lordship is different from you, Perry Kaner mocked coldly.
Yes, his lordship is different from us, arent you one of us as well?
Making notes, Maxim refuted without even looking at Perry Kaner.
Of course I am one, but I am at the forefront, the closest to his lordship, said Perry Kaner.
Then, without waiting for a reply, she quickly left the room.
If Kieran werent there, she wouldnt want to spend another second in the room.
Boasting without shame.
Obviously, Maxim and Perry Kaner shared the same thoughts. After seeing her off with a cold grunt, Maxim focused his attention into making the notes for Kieran.
.....
Did you find him?
Kieran asked Perry Kaner, who caught up with him.
I found him and with your orders, Jyaichi and the others are keeping an eye on him. And the thing you requested is ready as well, Perry Kaner nodded.
Speaking of her oldrades and subordinates, Perry Kaners expression looked a littleplicated but it vanished soon enough.
She knew how scary the witchs ring was.
Once dominated, there was no way to undo it.
As for hating Kieran?
She wouldnt.
Based on their rtionship back then, it was determined to be normal.
Moreover, if it werent for Kieran, she was afraid she might not even see any of them now.
What about expressing her thanks?
It was natural that it didnt ur to her.
It wasnt hatred, it wasnt thanks, but a slight gratefulness was mixed in her feelings.
No one knew the true feelings of Perry Kaner at the moment.
So, even when Kieran saw the face, he didnt care.
He judged most of the people by whether they were dangerous or not.
If dangerous, pay attention or eliminate.
If not dangerous, pay attention.
Other than that?
Well sorry, Kieran wasnt used tomitting to a fruitless oue, simr to this exact moment.
Lead the way, Kieran said.
Perry Kaner then quickly walked past Kieran and moved further ahead.
Both of them didnt take the wagons, let alone being particr about the splendor leaving like a noble.
Both of them left Warren Pce just like that and entered the inner section of Riverdale. They continued on to a street in the inner city.
Compared to the civilian and merchant heavy downtown, the inner city housed the nobles and knights of Riverdale.
However, after the war with the prairies, the ce was quite empty.
Other than the patrolling guards, one could hardly spot others.
Despite the downtown growing more and more prosperous by the day, and almost returning to the glorious days of Riverdale, the inner city was still very quiet.
Kieran didnt kill every one of the nobles but those who dared to return were few to none.
A person only has one life.
No one would dare to gamble theirs with Kieran, in hopes that he would spare them.
Since the original owner didnt return, the inner city naturally became the royal familys property, being at their disposal.
In simple words, the whole inner city belonged to Mary.
Unfortunately, some barged in without an invitation.
My lord.
Jyaichi, Fanner, and Torstar, who were responsible for the watch, quickly came out from the corner when they saw Kieran and Perry Kaner.
The target never left the location.
Four days ago, another middle-aged man came and judging from the situation, he seems like the targets servant.
Other than that, no one else came.
The target didnt go out and buy food, so he must have prepared rations in the house.
All three of them reported in detail to Kieran.
Em. Go knock on the door, Kieran said with a nod.
Jyaichi quickly went up to the tall iron fence gate and knocked on the bronze pull ring.
Dang Dang Dang!
The loud knocking immediately echoed throughout the empty street.
A whileter, a middle-aged man with leather armor and a short sword around his waist that looked like a mercenary yet had a clean face walked out.
When the man saw Kieran, he quickly showed a smile.
Lord White Wolf, Master Aqua Ape has been expecting you.
The man bowed and opened the gate.
However, the moment the man straightened his waist, he was stunned by what he saw and the smile on his face froze.
Perry Kaner pulled out an arrest warrant in front of his face.
The warrant clearly stated...
Crime: Trespassing private property.
Suspect: Aqua Ape
Authorize: Mary James
Executioner: 2567
Chapter 1235 - Gaze
Chapter 1235: Gaze
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Lord White Wolf, please stop joking.
The middle-aged man quickly recovered from the stunning blow, he bowed again and invited Kieran into the house.
Looking at the middle-aged man, Perry Kaner couldnt help but quietly shake her head andugh bitterly in her heart, shed even showed a pitiful gaze.
If it were someone else, they might hesitate in front of repeated invitations, some with a soft heart might even say yes.
But Kieran? Soft heart?
Maybe in some peoples mind, Kieran was absolutely soft-hearted, but most of the time, his heart was as cold as stone.
Especially against some strangers, he wasnt just cold as stone, his actions would be ruthless.
Perry Kaner experienced it more than once, therefore she knew what would happen to this Ape Sect middle-aged man.
Kieran looked at the middle-aged man without uttering a word, the devilish aura in his body erupted in an instant.
Although the devilish aura only appeared for an instance, the middle-aged man felt like he was rammed over by a fierce horse, he faltered backward and eventually fell on the ground, limping.
Huhaa, huhaa.
The man was panting heavily, cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
The Ape Sect middle-aged man looked at Kieran in fear.
That moment that he experienced was too horrifying, to the point that illusions formed before his eyes, it was a... A devil that roared at the sky.
Not just massive and scorching, the aura was filled with a chaotic rampart and heavy ughter as if anyone would be devoured whole with but a single nce.
When epting the mission from Master Aqua Ape, as one of the better talkers in Ape Sect, Rubart was prepared for this. As a precaution, he even did multiple simtions and ns.
After all, who he was facing was the White Wolf of Wolf Sect, no matter how many ns or simtions he went through, it wouldnt be too over the top.
But...
Rubart never thought that the White Wolf didnt act ording tomon norms!
It should have been a legal and benefiting matter and yet why did he go to such extents?
Especially the arrest warrant!
It was an insult to Master Aqua Ape!
And what was the difference in insulting Aqua Ape and Ape Sect?
White Wolf wasnt afraid of starting a war with Ape Sect again?
With doubts lingering in his heart and unshakable fear, Rubart on the ground instinctively looked up to the ck figure before him.
The suns glory was blocked out, hidden behind him, making his figure darker. The calm expression on his face had never changed throughout the entire encounter.
He didnt care?
White Wolf didnt care about going to war with Ape Sect?
The sudden thought bloomed in Rubarts heart.
So this is the White Wolf? Even more arrogant and egotistical than rumored!
After his sigh came, Rubart watched the ck figure walk in and a bitter smile appeared on his face uncontrobly. He knew hed miscalcted.
The preparations that he was so confident about before were no different than a joke before this White Wolf.
However, Rubart didnt give up.
Lord White Wolf... Rubart spoke amid the difficulties.
He hoped to try his best to persuade the person before him to ept Ape Sects suggestion but the moment the words escaped his mouth, his sight was filled with a pale blue color.
Aqua Ape with his pale blue robe materialized from his water form before the group.
His calm and defocused eyes swept across the area as if he had seen everything.
Then...
Pak!
A coin sack was hurled towards Perry Kaner.
The fine.
After the cold words, Aqua Ape turned into water again and vanished. Rubart who fell stood up amid his difficulties, he bowed to Kieran before staggering away from the ce.
Perry Kaner looked at the coin sack in her hand nkly.
In Warren, some lighter crimes could be exempted by paying fines, the crimes included causing minor destruction or trespassing private property.
But...
The rules only applied tomoners.
Aqua Ape of Ape Sect paying a fine? How could it happen?
And yet the coin sack in her hands told her it was the truth.
T-This...
Perry Kaner tried to say something with her stuttering open mouth but nothing came out ultimately and when Kieran turned around and went off, Perry Kaner quickly followed.
As for Fanner, Torstar, and Jyaichi?
In the eyes of the dominated trio, the scene was verymon.
This was like general knowledge for them, despite most people not being able to ept it.
...
My lord, why did you pay?
After leaving Riverdales inner city, Rubart who recovered from his terrorized state asked in confusion.
From Rubarts point of view, even the White Wolf from Wolf Sect couldnt be this rude.
Thest White Wolf did face defeat in the hands of White Ape.
The triumph over White Wolfst time was also the most talked topic amongst Ape Sect for the past 20 years, everyone in Ape Sect would never forget it.
Powerful, Aqua Ape replied.
Even at one of his own, the cold and simple manner of speaking Aqua Ape had didnt change.
The only difference was, as part of Ape Sect, Rubart was used to the short and simple reply from Aqua Ape and he too understood the answer.
But because of the understanding, Rubarts face changed.
Even more powerful than you, my lord? Rubart asked in a softer tone.
Powerful, Aqua Ape replied.
T-Then, what aboutpared to Master White Ape? Rubart asked in a careful tone.
Dont know.
The simple answer from Aqua Ape made Rubart gasp coldly.
He knew White Wolf was strong but Kierans youthful face made Rubart neglect some details. Rubart acknowledged Kierans strength in his heart but he was at most on par with Aqua Ape, me Ape, and de Ape, the three staples of Ape Sect, or even a little weaker.
But now, Kieran had surpassed the trio and might be evenly matched with White Ape should they confront each other.
Even Aqua Ape didnt know what would happen but Rubart knew the meaning in the words.
Rubart was stunned on the spot, stopping him from walking forward.
Aqua Ape looked at his subordinate, he didnt scold Rubart though because that night when he saw the fire burst in the sky, he was sharing the same reaction.
A beast that relied on fangs and ws to win in darkness would be afraid of fire.
But now?
Even the fire became the beasts weapon.
This was a disaster!
This beast was exactly the same as the other guy.
Call in, Aqua Ape spoke again when he thought about the opponent that they would eventually face.
Listening to Aqua Apes words, Rubarts body shook. He quickly regained his senses, after understanding Kierans power, he wouldnt want to hesitate anymore, thus he bowed and said quickly, Yes, my lord.
15 minutester, secret letter after secret letter was distributed throughout Warren via a secret channel, some even reached further ces.
Of course, the secret channel was a one-sided thought.
Some altered their looks, hiding their physiques before departing.
Some covered their scent with other scents, even an excellent hunting hound couldnt tell the difference.
However, the beast that gazed at these mens movements was better than a hunting hound.
Besides, this beast wasnt alone, there was another pair of keen eyes that captured everything from the sky.
Chapter 1236 - Stuff In With Force
Chapter 1236: Stuff In With Force
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The sun shed in from the arc-shaped window, nketing the entire floor.
The green and golden nket looked like a realwn under the sunlight, looking extra lively. It was ced on top of the study table and its mottled stains proved that it had been through the test of time.
While the person who was writing on the table was extremely young, the servants around the room looked at the young princess with admiration and respect.
They never thought a young girl like her, who wasnt even of age, could do something like this. Not only would she take care of everything in an orderly manner, she would even make arrangements beforehand.
She was likely even better than thete king.
Looking at the young princess under the sunlight, the servants automatically disregarded her age, as though she were a real queen with experience.
Go make the deration.
After the unmistakable youthful voice sounded, a royal servant went straight up to the princess and epted the document.
Yes, Your Highness.
After bowing respectfully, the servant remained bent forward as he left the temporary office, which was actually a court hall. And when Perry Kaner appeared, the rest of the servants were sent away by the princess orders.
Whats wrong? Mary looked at Perry Kaner.
Following Kierans new focus on learning Raven Sects [Mystical Knowledge], Perry Kaner had be his mouthpiece, and some less important matters were delivered to Mary through her.
Of course, the truly important matters were Ganardes responsibility.
As a matter of fact, the dominated Ape Sect Ganarde was hiding in the beams of the court hall. He was protecting Mary with Kierans order.
Even though Duke Zilin was always around Mary, Kieran didnt mind adding another line of insurance.
Its about Lord White Wolf. Lord White Wolf just rejected Ape Sects suggestion of working together, and he used a very insulting way to expel Aqua Ape. I worry about Ape Sects retaliation. After all... King James VIIIs funeral is upon us.
Perry Kaner carefully sized up Marys expression, only speaking slowly when she made sure the princess wasnt acting weird.
What did 2567 say? Mary straightened her body and asked.
Lord White Wolf asked me to meet you. Perry Kaner showed a bitter smile.
Honestly, Perry Kaner was starting to get lost about what Kieran was going after.
After rejecting Ape Sects help and seemingly hurling this pile of mess to the princess, if she didnt know better about their rtionship, Perry Kaner might think Kieran purposely framed Mary.
Um. I understand. Mary nodded. She seemed to be in deep thought.
Looking at the young princess, the bitter smile on Perry Kaner grew deeper.
The reason why she spected Kieran and Mary of having an absolute intimate rtionship was because of this kind of weird munication. The words were obviously hard to understand in Perry Kaners stand but when it was applied to the two of them, they seemed to understand it perfectly, easily.
At that exact moment, Perry Kaner felt like she needed a trantor.
Curiosity killed the cat.
Because if curiosity were to be left unsatisfied, it would be worse than death.
Huu, Huu.
Perry Kaner quickly adjusted her breath and used her training to suppress her curiosity.
As for how useful it was?
God knows.
Dont worry. Just believe in 2567. Maryforted Perry Kaner when she saw the look on her face.
Unfortunately, the words offort didnt do anything other than increasing her curiosity.
Mary, however, didnt care about Perry Kaner further.
She nced at the hourss on the table before saying, I need some rest. Tell the kitchen to prepare lunch and send it to 2567.
Yes, Your Highness.
Perry Kaner bowed andplied.
...
Lunch was scrumptious and satisfying.
The tea and pastry after the meal were also as satisfying to Kieran.
Clear tea really matches well with the steak just now.
Leaning on the sofa beside Kierans, Mary stretched her body and sighed pleasantly.
Only when it was Kieran beside her would the young princess show her true self: the actions and behaviours that befitted her age.
It wasnt just trust, it was also reliance.
Kieran and Mary were like twins; Mary treated Kieran as her closest, allowing herself to take off the mask of a princess and show her real smile.
Looking at the warming smile, Kieran too curled his lips into a smile. Still, it didnt stop him from voicing his own thoughts.
The steak just now was too delicate. The essence of a steak should be in its thicknessnot just the size. It must have enough thickness so that the juice cane out with a single bite. And the clear tea should be served at the end. I say, what would really go well with the steak is lime or plum. Of course, it would be better if its cured with plum juice before cooking, Kieran said seriously.
But wouldnt it sh with the sweetgrass gravy on top? Mary looked at Kieran, confused.
Sweetgrass gravy is mild, it isnt ck pepper. Everything will go well together. In fact, even if its ck pepper, there are still ways to remove the conflicting taste, Kieran exined with a smile.
I see. Mary nodded with understanding.
Meanwhile, Perry Kaner, who stood in the corner, couldnt hold back the twitch in the corner of her mouth.
She never thought the White Wolf that was so revered would discuss culinary with the princess cum future queen with a serious face.
Was she approaching this in a bad way?
Or were the both of them talking in secret codes she couldnt understand?
And...
Why was she feeling stuffy in her chest when she saw the duo sitting there, as though her mouth was stuffed with dried pet food with force?
So dry, so bad, she couldnt swallow it at all.
Hu, Huu Huuu!
Perry Kaner started her deep breaths again, using the secret technique of Viper Sect to readjust her own emotions.
Even she didnt notice that this secret technique she had been using for the past few days was changing rapidly and growing stronger with an overwhelming speed.
After regaining her calm, Perry Kaner looked at Kieran and Mary again.
Fortunately, this time around, the conversation between the duo was made understandable to her.
About fathers funeral, it will be held ording to Warren traditions tomorrow night. All rted matters are prepared. And Ill try to control my sadness...
When Mary was mentioning her father, her face showed an unconceble sadness.
Her voice even stuttered at times.
The dead person was indeed the Crown Raven, but at the same time, her father.
If James VIII were still alive, she wouldnt know what kind of expression she would use to face her father.
Now, however, the king was dead.
She was attending and managing the funeral.
What was left in her was sadness.
Then...
She felt warmth above her head.
She looked up instinctively and saw Kierans smile. Kierans words then clearly entered her ears.
Control? No need to. Do what you want to do tomorrow night. Cry loudly if you feel like it. Laugh out loud if you feel like it. Leave the rest to...me.
Chapter 1237 - Funeral
Chapter 1237: Funeral
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
A crescent moon was hanging over the night sky, apanied by stars.
A group of ck ceremonial guards were gathering quickly.
Not just the ceremonial guards, even the horses they rode were ck and the Warren royal family emblem was changed to ck and white, at the moment.
Donning a ck dress and a funeral hat, Mary walked among the group. Beside her was Kieran and behind them was the coffin of thete king, James VIII.
There wasnt a body inside, just some personal belongings and some clothes.
There were noplicated rituals or prayers either.
After the group gathered, they moved towards the tomb outside Riverdale.
The royal tomb of Warren had been situated behind the pce since King James IIIs time, but as time went by, more and more deaths in the royal family filled up the small tomb and it was no longer able to hold any more.
During the reign of King James IV, the royal family built a new royal tomb outside Riverdale.
The group went out from the pce gate, moved through the inner city and entered the outer city.
A lot of civilians appeared on the street.
All of them were in ck clothes, voluntarily wanting to send off King James VIII.
The king that bined the Crown Raven and James VIII wasnt a good king from a traditional viewpoint.
But, he wasnt all that bad either.
He didnt rule in tyranny, nor did he kill innocents. Quite the opposite, as he would try his best to lower taxes each year.
Though the civilians didnt know much, they did remember that the lowered tax rates had helped them survive through a couple of harsh winters.
Therefore, they were grateful to thete king.
More and more civilians gathered on the street to send off the king.
They prayed softly. Some even sobbed.
The atmosphere quickly tainted the solemn ceremonial guards and the others in the group.
Mary, who had been holding it in, had tears in her eyes as well.
Then...
They slowly rolled down her cheeks.
The young princess didnt cry out loud. She didnt have that deep of a rtionship with her father.
She didnt allow herself to cry either.
Remember to be strong when you take up responsibility!
Her mothers teachings were branded in her heart at all times.
Even with Kieran as her backer, the young princess would choose to be strong and persistent.
Kieran, who walked beside her, saw the strong persistence in Mary, and his eyes showed admiration and praise. He always admired a strong person, just like himself.
Perhaps, because of that, both of them quickly blended well together after their first meeting.
The group continued forward.
After the outer city area, they arrived outside the city. They moved along the small paths nketed with ck cloths and slowly moved towards the royal tomb.
The guards that guarded the royal tomb were 200 fully armed soldiers. Even when an emergency transfer urred during a war, a sufficient amount of men would be left behind to guard the tomb.
Tomb raiders existed in every time period, especially before an obvious target.
Eldar, who was also in ck, stood in front of the tomb, waiting patiently. When the group entered the tomb, the elderly duke didnt speak, instead quietly following beside his friends coffin.
For the elderly duke, the things inside the coffin were like his friend.
Kieran nced over at the man. Within a few days, the elderly duke managed to look even older. His back was hunched and he even walked in a stagger.
Obviously, the news that night had left an unimaginable impact on Duke Eldar.
But Kieran was helpless against it.
Since the things had already happened, it wasnt something that could be turned around with his own will or anybody elses will at all.
James VIIIs chamber was diagonally behind James VIIs chamber. In front of them was the other kings before them, James IV, James V, James VI. The first king of Warren, who founded the kingdom, appeared in statue form at the front of the tomb. The statue was covered in moonlight, like a god protecting theter generations, regardless of whether they were the living ones or the dead ones.
Thest part of the ceremony began.
With the knights as escorts, the coffin of James VIII slowly entered his chamber.
Other than those who were moving the coffin, only Mary, the heir, was allowed to stand beside and watch while the others formed a circle and looked outside.
The ce where Kieran stood coincidentally allowed him to have a look at the statue of King James I. He looked up and stared at the statue.
Despite being carefully looked after, the statue had a lot of marks of time.
However, even with the marks of time, one could see the intricate image of the statue from back when it was first finished. It was very lively but one question baffled Kieran.
Are you curious about why there isnt a statue or chamber of James II and the queen here?
Duke Eldar, who stood beside Kieran, suddenly spoke.
Um. Kieran didnt conceal his burning thoughts.
Based on Kierans understanding, the reason for Warren owning its currentnd was inseparable from the queen back then.
Thete queen didnt just make vigorous efforts to turn the tides, she even expanded her conquest and united three small kingdoms that were originally on thend as well.
In simple words, this queen had a lot more celebrated achievements than King James I.
And based on that, the queen should have been respected by the generations toe, but in fact, she wasnt.
It wasnt just the royal tomb; the queen was rarely heard of in other ces as well.
Kieran had his own guesses before but he tended to listen to professional opinions and the old duke beside him was undoubtedly one of the best professionals.
Looking at the nodding Kieran, the old duke smiled suddenly.
He said, I wont tell you!
Kieran was stunned. And when Kieran looked at the old duke with a strange gaze, the old duke spoke again.
The light of dead silence, pierce the sky andnd. This is what those bastards wanted to know. Now that Ive told you, my mission isplete. Dont need to thank me, dont be grateful, I am just doing what I should.
The old duke then turned around and left.
Kieran turned around and watched the old duke walk towards James VIIIs tomb chamber.
The coffin had already been ced in the chamber and it was sealed shut from the inside.
The ceremonial guards gathered again and saluted to theirte king.
The old duke walked upfront to the tomb chamber under everyones gaze and took out a bottle of wine and sses.
Pop!
The cork flew and the old duke poured the wine into the two sses.
To freedom!
A loud cheerter, the old duke finished the wine in his hand.
To death!
Another loud cheerter, the other ss of wine was poured in front of King James VIIIs chamber. Then, the old duke faltered and leaned on the chambers sealed door. His eyes stared at the sky, the light in them fading away, followed by the signs of life.
He hadpleted his mission.
He hadpleted his task.
He would now... go ahead and search for his time.
In that said time, there would be memories that belonged to him.
In that said time, he would be surrounded by a group of friends who shared the same ideals.
Chapter 1238 - Discovery
Chapter 1238: Discovery
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
On the second day, a new chamber was built beside James VIIIs chamber.
The chamber didnt have extravagant decorations, just a simple ce with a line of sharp and clean words carved on it: Grave of James VIIIs good friend, Eldar.
It was what Mary wrote herself and was etched by the royal craftsman in the shortest time possible.
Although it was against the rules to ce non-royalty beside a kings chamber in the royal tomb, everyone who witnessed what happenedst night didnt have anything to say about it.
In fact, even if objections were voiced out, they wouldnt do any good.
Mary was exceptionally persistent in this case.
Your Highness, some less than pleasant rumours are circting around the pce.
Duke Zilin told Mary softly during her break.
Is it about Duke Eldar? Mary asked without lifting her head.
Yes. The young duke nodded.
Find the source, see what they have to say. If its just someone who misspoke, 10 strikes from caning. If its with malicious intent, send them to Perry Kaner. I want to know who is behind this, said the young princess softly.
Yes, Your Highness. The young duke then bowed and walked outside.
Duke Zilin was a little unustomed to Mary being so stern after a single night of events.
However, Duke Zilin didnt think it was a bad thing for his cousin.
As a ruler of a country, being merciful all the way could never work.
He knew this as well because he was in control of the Northernnds.
Soon, after half an hour, Duke Zilin returned to Marys kings meeting chamber with a report.
Zardin and Oboards death wasnt enough to frighten them?
Mary frowned when she got Duke Zilins report.
Your Highness, you can never underestimate the greed and foolishness of these people. The young duke curled his lips.
Duke Zilin had the least amount of favour toward those parasite-like nobles that lurked in Riverdale.
He was never fond of them and would never be.
A bunch of bastards who caused a scene using the death of an elderly man should be hanged to death.
If they have already forgotten the pain, it only means that the pain fromst time wasnt painful enough to keep them remembering, the young princess mumbled softly.
Is that what Sir 2567 said before?
Duke Zilin immediately spected after hearing the words that did not fit the princess style.
Um. I think its quite reasonable. Send more men, teach them pain.
The young princess nodded and gave herst order before standing up and going over to the weapon rack.
She carefully picked a longsword from the rack and headed towards the empty space in the kings meeting chamber. A sword instructor was waiting for her since a while ago.
Why was it not Kieran?
Since both of their strength was too far apart, it would be meaningless for them to duel.
Knowing that, Mary chose the royal sword instructor instead of Kieran or Duke Zilin.
Marys strength was too far behind Kierans.
Looking at Mary, who attacked like furious lightning with the sword, the young duke eximed with a nod.
He admired her gift and her hardworking.
Everyday since he came, other than the necessary time to deal with official documents, Mary would train herself in swordsmanship, regardless of whether it was a rainy or sunny day.
If she keeps this up, catching up to me is only a matter of time, I guess?
The thought popped up in Duke Zilins mind.
However, he quickly shook his head because he thought of Kieran.
With Kierans instruction, Mary would not just simply catch up to him; surpassing him was more likely.
And whenever he thought of Kieran, the young duke would sigh again.
Until now, he still hadnt found anything that would be of worth for the exchange of the Viper Sect Ultimate with Kieran.
What should I use for exchange? the young duke mumbled.
...
The order that Mary gave quickly entered Kierans ears through Perry Kaner.
He didnt say anything about it though.
Mary was an independent entity with her own thoughts and she didnt need to ask his opinion. She was not his appendage.
Nevertheless, Kieran clearly felt the impact of the old dukes death on Mary.
I wont tell you!
Kieran couldnt help but take in a deep breath when he thought about the words the old duke said before his death.
The old duke did it on purpose and didnt leave anything behind for Kieran.
Is this revenge? Kieran shook his head.
He didnt mock the old duke for his childish behavior, neither would he sneer at the old dukes naivet.
The old man held on to his thoughts, it ran thoroughly throughout his will.
Maybe his ideals were different but...
It was enough for others to respect the old duke.
However, what the old duke had chosen would not be Kierans choice: risking it for his good friend.
Despite the narrow chances of survival, Kieran would fear nothing.
But dying after a good friend?
Kieran wouldnt be able to do it.
The most he would be able to do is kill every enemy of his good friends so that his friend could rest in peace in heaven.
So, different ideals, eh?
A sighter, Kieran concentrated on thest secret phrase the old duke had uttered before he died.
The light of dead silence, pierce the sky andnd? What would that be? Kieran pondered upon it with furrowed brows.
Kieran hated these kinds of secret phrases that were without a start and end, and what he hated more was that the person who uttered it died before his eyes, thus forbidding him from getting more information.
No doubt, it was one of the worst news for him.
Of course, he wasnt absolutely without good news either.
He wasnt searching for the answer alone.
Maxim, the Raven Sect recorder, sat at the study table after moving a pile of new books in. He was reading the books rted to Warrens royal family with his head down.
These books mostly came from the Warren royal family collection while some were from Raven Sects own collection.
Celty, who had a malt candy in his mouth, was unusually focused as well.
He was trying his best to not get distracted by the sweetness on his tongue but too bad...
Celty, quiet.
Maxim couldnt help but raise his head since he was so disturbed by the sucking from this friend of his.
Fine, fine.
Celty nodded repeatedly but the sucking in his mouth got louder.
Maxim furrowed his brows tight but he was helpless against his friend. In the end, all he did was turn his head down to the books again.
About ten secondster, after the disruption, Maxim jumped up.
The sudden motion shook Celty, causing him to cover his mouth. He was afraid that his friend would grab the malt candy away from him but Maxim moved around Celty and went towards Kieran with joy.
My lord, a discovery!
Chapter 1239 - Unexpected Ambush
Chapter 1239: Unexpected Ambush
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran slightly frowned at Maxim, who was running over.
He stood up from his chair, waved at Maxim and walked out of the room.
Maxim was stunned.
Celty didnt even know what was happening as he continued sucking on his candy.
Just when both Raven Sect members were exchanging gazes...
Boom!
Boom Boom Boom!
Continuous explosions came and both of them quickly dashed outside.
...
Outskirts of Riverdale.
The path connecting Lightning Fortress was cut off from within.
The breach was five meters wide and three meters deep, splitting the t path in two, butpared to the craters beside it, it was inferior inparison.
Cratersrger than 10 meters in diameter were everywhere.
Thergest crater among them even reached 30 meters in diameter and was as deep as 10 meters.
Burnt grounds were exposed outside, bright red tainting the ce like a painting.
A pungent bloody stench assaulted ones nose, torn limbs filling ones sight.
Bodies after bodies were hurled and thrown around like broken ragdolls; the field was literally littered with corpses.
Kieran appeared beside these corpses.
He carefully inspected each and every corpse and continued on to the craters, which were caused by either tremendous power or explosions.
Then, he headed towards thergest crater.
His [Tracking] picked up a familiar trace there.
Aqua Ape!
After the huge impact, half of a footprint was left behind.
Looking at the half of a footprint, Kieran could picture how hard Aqua Ape had to resist that tremendous force.
Otherwise, Aqua Ape wouldnt have stepped on the soft mud beneath his feet that was like melted cement.
Unfortunately, despite the deep effort, Aqua Ape didnt manage to block the strikepletely.
Kieranid his sight further ahead. Red lingered in that area.
He was sent flying by the force! And was attacked in mid-air as well! Although someone came and helped, he still suffered quite the damage! The injuries on Aqua Ape infuriated his helper, so the helper went on a rampage and created crater after crater within seconds. Was it me Ape?
Kieran walked on to the main path as thoughts lingered in his mind.
He looked at the main path, which was sliced smoothly in half. He extended his hand and touched the cut on the ground.
Without any further guesses, Kieran knew who performed this strike.
de Ape!
Other than the alleged de Ape, no other possible candidates came into Kierans mind.
The moment Ape Sect came into y, Kieran had done a detailed research on Ape Sect, especially on Aqua Ape, me Ape and de Ape.
Therefore, when he sized up the battlefield before his eyes, Kieran got his answer almost instantaneously.
However,pared to the answer he got, he was more concerned about the other answer.
He strode further into the forest.
Inside the forest, he saw some very interesting footprints.
Without exception, all the footprintsnded on the front, as where the toesnded left a deeper mark.
Such footprints could only be left by tipping ones foot forward and maintaining a squatting posture, thus the center of gravity would be ced on the frontal foot. Of course, it would only form after a long period of waiting.
Aqua Apes footprint was also the same, which means he was waiting in the forest for a long time.
A nned ambush! But they failed. So the target of the ambush was...
Kieran squinted his eyes and muttered to himself softly, his voice getting so dim that even if someone were to stand in front of him, they would not be able to hear.
After a series of investigations, Maxim, Celty and the others startled the Riverdale guards and rushed to the scene.
Mary, who led the guards, was stunned when she saw the battlefield, then she quickly looked to Kieran.
After seeing a nod from Kieran, the princess quickly ordered the men to clean the battlefield while she strode over to Kieran.
Is it that target? Mary asked softly.
Other than that target, I cant think of anyone else. But if thats the case... I need to reconsider what kind of things that target did, and what he did that caused Ape Sect to attack, disregarding the consequences before their highest attack forces could arrive, Kieran answered.
Differences from the n, I see. Mary slightly frowned.
Anything that happened outside the n was always a source of anxiety for the young princess.
Her age determined that she could not neglect all this.
Likewise, she didnt cover it up before Kieran.
Um. But at least the thinking is right. Ive disrupted Viper Sects n and insulted Aqua Ape from Ape Sect! At first, I thought both sides might be slightly hostile toward each other, so luring both of them to Riverdale would surely form a certain degree of restriction against each other, their ultimate goal being me anyway, but now... The grudge between them is bigger than we thought, Kieran said in a half joking tone.
Mary, too, smiled but both of them knew it was a joke, especially Kieran.
Grudges made you lose your mind.
But if Ape Sect wanted revenge, they would be so stupid to hit the stone with an egg, especially Aqua Ape, whod even tolerated the insults and left.
Kieran didnt believe Aqua Ape would be so irrational, unless...
They stepped into Viper Sects trap?
A sighter, Kieran looked at Mary.
He didnt know how Viper Sect set up a trap so capable that it was able to fool Ape Sect, but he knew what he must do next.
Although I doubt there will be any valuable clues, if possible, tell the soldiers to expand their search area.
Okay. Mary nodded and turned around to send the orders.
However, the unexpected oue was that the soldiers really did find something, despite Kieran not putting much hope in the search at first.
...
A pile of liquid was moving swiftly and strangely across the ground.
The people present in the field could never notice this moving liquid.
However, to some trained eyes, the moving liquid was very obvious.
Sou!
A palm-sized crossbow suddenly appeared above the moving liquid, and the moment the air-breaking whistle sounded, the arrow pierced the liquid.
Puk!
The metal arrow sounded like it hit flesh. The liquid then rolled aside, revealing Aqua Ape from within.
Aqua Ape was in an ugly state aftering out of his liquid form.
His pale blue robe was dirty, blood continuously dripping from his shoulder, which was perforated by the arrow.
Despite his injuries, Aqua Ape was still looking calm.
Tsk tsk tsk, staying behind to cover up for others, sacrificing yourself for the greater good? I am so moved. So moved that I want to tear you apart right away!
After a sharp, irritating voice sounded, a small man walked out from the shadows with an intricate crossbow bound to his left arm.
On his left shoulder, a tattoo of an eight-headed, seven-tailed snake was visible.
Chapter 1240 - Counter Strike
Chapter 1240: Counter Strike
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Aqua Ape looked at the person nkly.
The stare from Aqua Ape made the eight-headed, seven-tailed viper tattoo man frown.
He hated such a re, or should it be said, he hated those who didnt fear death.
Did anyone ever tell you that your blind gaze is really hateful?
As the man spoke, he swung his arms repeatedly.
The eight-headed, seven-tailed viper tattoo man couldnt help but twist along with the motion, as if it was leaping out of the mans arm and devouring its prey.
But what really came out from the mans arms were metal arrows.
Tsk, Tsk Tsss!
Three consecutive arrows plunged into Aqua Apes body.
Blood sttered, and Aqua Ape, who was already exhausted, became weaker, but the man wasnt relieved of his anger at all.
Quite the opposite, the man became even more furious because Aqua Ape was still just as calm. Even though he suffered many attacks, his eyes and countenance didnt change.
Hmph!
The man coldly grunted, he nned to teach Aqua Ape a good lesson.
After all, it was the right of the victor, wasnt it?
Of course, before that, the man carefully fired four more arrows.
Sou Sou Sou Sou!
As the arrows flew and danced through the air, Aqua Ape was pinned down on the ground by the arrows through his limbs.
After the precautious attack, the man with the tattoo walked over to Aqua Ape without worry, lifted his leg and stomped down on that face that he disliked so much.
Bang!
Aqua Apes face suffered a huge blow. His head was plunged into the ground.
Feeling the sensation from his feet and listening to the slight bone-cracking sounds, the tattooed man couldnt help but curl his lips into a grin.
He revealed a bloodthirsty, happy grin.
Thats right!
Its this kind of feeling!
Its this kind of stomping, this kind of insulting to my enemy!
Fun!
This is too fun!
An unknown excitement spread throughout his body, causing the man to stomp on Aqua Apes head in an even more furious, frantic manner.
Bang Bang Bang!
After the repeated stomps, blood flew.
Somended on the ground, some got on the mans boots.
The amount of blood was increasing, and some of it started to shift slightly.
The changes wouldnt have escaped the mans sight during normal times but now, the man was very stimted and excited, he didnt even notice that the blood was moving.
This was until the blood formed a blood dagger and sliced across the mans abdomen.
Puk!
The man raised his foot and didnt step down anymore.
The man opened his eyes wide and stared at Aqua Ape lying down there with a distorted face beyond recognition, then...
The man was split in half!
More blood gushed out from the mans body and sprayed all over Aqua Apes face and body, thus soaking his entire body in blood.
The soaking ended quickly though. When Aqua Ape stood up from the puddle of blood, the blood on the ground was nowhere to be found, leaving only a dried body with withered organs before him.
His pale blue robe was tainted red by the blood.
Aqua Apes nose loosened up, his ever calm face showing a sense of disgust but whenever he thought about what had just happened, Aqua Ape would be anxious and restless.
He knew he must deliver the message to White Ape, otherwise...
Ugh!
Just when Aqua Ape was about to leave, his body suddenly felt weak, causing him to falter and fall to the ground.
Dizziness struck Aqua Apes mind.
The blood is poisoned?!
Aqua Ape finally reacted to the situation a moment before he passed out.
...
It wasnt a strange thing for Viper Sect members to hide toxins in their blood, some even purposely used this method to perfect some secret techniques.
As for this moment, the main priority was to assassinate the target.
As long as the assassination could seed, some necessary loss waspletely eptable.
Feeling heavy and dizzy, Aqua Ape felt like he just had a nightmare.
When he opened his eyes, a 12 or 13 years old girl entered his sight.
The girl was wearing casual clothes with a longsword at her waist.
With a single nce, Aqua Ape knew that the sword was a rare one, but his gaze didnt stop on the sword and almost instantly, he turned to the young man beside the young girl.
Aqua Ape felt a sense of danger on the young man and the emblem on the young man made Aqua Ape cautious as well.
Emblem of the Flying Dragon?
Duke Zilin?
Aqua Ape was stunned. He looked at the girl again and when he saw that blonde hair and sapphire blue eyes, he was almost certain of who she was.
Mary James? he asked in a questioning tone, but it was very sure.
There was only one underage girl in all of Warren that could make Duke Zilin a follower.
Um. How do you feel? The royal doctors medicine seems to be working.
Mary nodded, her valiant face showing a kind smile.
Good. I have to leave now. Thank you for saving my life. I will repay you when Iplete my mission.
Aqua Ape struggled to get up but when Mary ced her hand on him, his struggles became useless.
Blood tainted with poison wasnt something that was easily absorbed away; even with an extraordinary body and abilities, it still proved difficult.
The doctor said you should rest well, Mary emphasized.
You have no idea what happened. I must...
You must rest. Leave the rest to 2567. I, too, need to attend to something. If you have any request, tell the servants. They have my orders to try their best to serve you, Mary interrupted Aqua Ape sternly.
While Aqua Ape was caught off guard, Mary turned to Duke Zilin, nodded and walked outside.
Duku Zilin followed tightly behind.
But when Duke Zilin saw that Aqua Ape was still in his dazed state, the righteous young man wasnt relieved.
Dont worry. With Lord White Wolf here, everything will be fine, the young dukeforted Aqua Ape.
No, you dont know what happened. Aqua Ape regained his senses and shook his head.
I know what happened! And of course, I got the news from Lord White Wolf. Believe me, Lord White Wolf will deal with it and... Thank you, Ape Sect, for what you all did for RiverdaleHer Highness already gave the order, from today onwards, Ape Sect is free to move in and out of Riverdale.
Duke Zilin then bowed slightly to show respect.
Looking at Duke Zilins bow, Aqua Ape went silent.
He knew Duke Zilin hadnt lied to him.
They really did know what was about to happen, otherwise, they wouldnt have treated him so kindly.
But...
How did they know?
Or, how did they understand all of it so fast?
White Wolf?
Aqua Ape muttered the name that made an impression in his mind and slowly entered into some deep thinking.
Chapter 1241 - Display
Chapter 1241: Disy
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
A few hours earlier...
After Aqua Ape passed out from the poison, Riverdales guards found him.
Shortly after, Kieran arrived at the scene as well.
Then, he saw those traces.
Unlike the battlefield that was destroyed by craters, all the traces around the area where Aqua Ape passed out were intact.
That wasnt to say that the eight-headed, seven-tailed viper tattoo man left behind so many obvious trails.
In fact, the man did make his concealments very well, even Kieran didnt think he could outmatch the man in this, but the concealments were nothing before Transcendence [Tracking]. It was as obvious as an ostrich burying its head in the sand.
Kieran didnt even need to spend time searching for clues, as sizing up the area provided him with the traces he was looking for, and as long as he followed the clues to the culprit, he would eventually get something.
However, the closer he got to reaping his rewards, the more vignt he became.
Kieran frowned slightly.
Everything before him seemed a little too deliberate.
Not in terms of leaving behind traces but that battle from before!
That kind of loud explosion, Kieran believed that Viper Sect must have anticipated it.
So if Viper Sect anticipated the attack, then they would have surely included Kieran in their calctions.
In simpler words, this was a set up specifically against Ape Sect and also Kieran himself.
As for the dead eight-headed, seven-tailed viper tattoo man?
He might have just been careless.
But there was a higher chance that this was also part of their n.
Using the death of one of their own to set things up, it might seem crazy, but most of the time, it was a very effective method.
If this is the case...
Squinting his eyes, Kierans heart spun. After waving at Mary, he vanished from the sight of the crowd.
Then, a giant white wolf scuttled across the dense woods like a ghost.
...
Deeper inside the woods, a man with ragged clothes was wiping away the puss on his face.
He didnt mind wiping it on his clothes.
Of course, this kind of foul cleaning wouldnt be cleaning his hands at all.
The ragged clothes were much dirtier than could be imagined but no one around him dared to voice it out.
In fact, everyone kept quiet like a cicada in winter when they saw the man, except for the eight-headed, eight-tailed viper tattoo man.
The man was coldly staring at a big iron pot that had bubbles popping out and which reeked of a vile stench; he was waiting patiently.
Dont worry, there wont be a problem. My potions are much more useful than you think.
The ragged clothes man grinned, baring his rotten, yellowish teeth, some maggot-like worms even crawling around the gaps.
When the ragged clothes man closed his mouth, these worms were crushed.
As he chewed, green juices spilled out from his mouth corner.
The man touched the juices around his mouth again but this time, he didnt wipe them on his clothes. Instead, he dipped them into the iron pot.
That scrawny hand of his didnt seem to feel the heat at all; it acted as a spoon and stirred the pot.
It better be. We only have one chance, the man with the eight-headed viper tattoo said coldly.
His cold voice was extremely sharp and irritating, as if an iron de was slicing over a piece of bone, causing goosebumps to whoever heard it.
The bastards from Ape Sect are already busy with their own affairs. The only one left... I am looking forward to his appearance! Otherwise, how can I get my revenge? No one gets to walk away alive after stepping on Ghastly Woods tail, not even the White Wolf!
The ragged clothes man showed a malicious grin. The puss on his face was squeezed by the motion, oozing out yellowish liquid that reeked. It fell off along his cheeks.
So, we work together, the man with the eight-headed viper tattoo said.
Then, without giving anymore concern to his coborator, he quickly walked deeper into the woods.
There was a felt tent ahead.
The man with the eight-headed viper tattoo knelt down on one knee when he was less than three steps away from the tent and said, My lord, everything is progressing as expected.
Mm.
A nasal voice came from inside the tent, like it didnt care for anything.
However, as the subordinate of the man inside the tent for many years, the man with the eight-headed viper tattoo knew his masters temper very well. Therefore, he didnt stand up but continued to kneel down.
And just as expected, at the next moment, the voice from inside the tent spoke again.
Pheter, are the materials for the blood sacrifice ready?
Ready, my lord. With those men providing, everything progressed smoothly.
Pheter, the man with the eight-headed, eight-tailed viper tattoo, replied and showed a cold expression with a sneering grin.
Those ignorant fools, they didnt even know what a blood sacrifice was!
And they dared to dream of returning to Riverdale?
In their next life!
Pheter had no guilt in lying to his coborator.
For him, who came out of Viper Sect and possessed a high ranking position, such deceit was a daily routine, like drinking water or eating a meal.
He was eagerly looking forward to the expressions on the other bastards faces when they learned that they were the materials being used in the blood sacrifice.
It was bound to be interesting, right?
With those malicious thoughts in his mind, Pheter slowly stood up.
The voice from the tent continued speaking.
Watch that guy. And be cautious of the other one. He should being soon!
Understood, Master Prime Viper. Ive prepared an escape-proof trap just waiting for his arrival! Pheter then bowed and stepped back after replying.
Just as Pheter said, the dense woods might seem peaceful, but actually, they were filled with adept members of Viper Sect plus many more traps.
If the White Wolf dared to show up, he would die a graveless death.
Pheter had absolute confidence!
Because it wasnt the first time he fought the White Wolf from Wolf Sect.
Pheter had fought thest White Wolf before.
The sheer power from thest White Wolf still left his heart in a disarray, especially the w marks on his chest, which would sting from time to time.
But what was all thatpared to?
He was one of the victors in the final oue.
The powerful White Wolf died in a very bad way, he could be considered dying of a grievance.
Remembering that restless death, Pheter couldnt help but curl his lips into a grin.
You and your disciple are the same, both of you crossed foes that you shouldnt have. Hope your disciple will be as thoughtful as you, leaving a seed for Wolf Sect, otherwise its name will be removed. Pheterughed ferociously, muttering to himself.
Then...
He turned around suddenly andunched his left punch behind like aet.
Puk!
The figure behind Pheter had his chest perforated just like that.
You really think that you are that silent? Showing up undercover in front of an assassin? In front of an assassins base? Naive!
Pheter was delighted from the single kill but when he saw the mocking in the dying mans eyes, his face changed.
But, toote.
Puk!
A giant, sharp wolf w grazed over Pheters body, splitting the branch leader in half.
Chapter 1242 - Comfort Is Lying Down
Chapter 1242: Comfort Is Lying Down
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The High Demon whose chest was perforated couldnt hold back from ranting as it looked at the body on the ground.
Why me again? Why is it always me in this kind of way?
Ranting, the High Demon vanished into the air but right after that, Bloody Mary appeared again.
Looking at the surroundings that hadnt changed, Bloody Marys mouth couldnt help but twitch.
Fine. You are the boss, you call the shots.
Since Bloody Mary had high-speed regeneration and was almost unkible, as long as Kieran paid the points, it would have to act ordingly, but that didnt mean the High Demon liked to use its body to endure damages, despite it being the best tactical option.
While infiltrating the assassin base point, Bloody Mary found out how terrifying the ce was. It wasnt just an aura that struck terror in its heart, those in the area that were capable of killing it were not few in number.
If it had a choice, it would surely leave this ce. But the fact was, it had toplete Kierans order due to the contract.
Fortunately, it didnt have to face the more terrifying one in the base.
Through Bloody Marys eyes, that man was like a monster with countless viper heads. He was not just strong, but ferocious as well.
A High Demon like Bloody Mary would die within an instant should they ever meet.
After ncing over at the white wolf spirit that vanished into nothing, Bloody Mary carefully approached the target of the mission: the Ghastly Woods Sect member who was creating the potions.
The man wasnt weak butpared to the one Bloody Mary dreaded, this man was much more approachable, which was almost the same level as the other assassins in the area.
Most importantly, this Ghastly Woods Sect member was alone.
A good assassin didnt mind using poison but that didnt mean they were willing to mingle around with Ghastly Woods Sect because, other than the poison and potions they were famous for, Ghastly Woods Sect was also skilled in all sorts of curses and insects.
Even the most decent assassin hated facing thetter.
Thus, that Ghastly Woods Sect potion creator didnt have a lot of men around him, butyers of magic barriers reced theck of protection instead.
Some even considered that most of the time, these magic barriers did a better job than humans in creating an rm, except when the infiltrator was a High Demon that could switch to ghost form.
Step after step, Bloody Mary slowly approached the man from behind, staring at the potion creation process.
Although Bloody Mary wasnt an expert in potionology, but based on its own mystical knowledge, it could tell that the man was crafting some kind of toxin.
Just look at the boiling pot!
Steam was erupting from the concoction ceaselessly, and Bloody Mary felt like it was seeing a grim reaper wielding its scythe.
But that didnt concern Bloody Mary. Its mission wasplete and based on the contract, it was free to leave.
However, just as Bloody Mary was about to leave, the man crafting the toxin concoction turned around just then.
The mans eyes were staring at Bloody Mary despite its ghost form, as if Bloody Marys ghost form was useless before the man!
Impossible!
Instinctively, the thought bloomed in Bloody Marys mind.
Based on the mans presence and aura, he shouldnt have been able to do it!
In fact, even in front of the most terrifying one, Bloody Mary didnt think it would be exposed in its ghost form.
Then...
Bloody Mary suddenly realized that the terrifying aura that it felt the moment it stepped into the woods had suddenly vanished, as if it had never existed.
Since it wasnt an idiot, Bloody Mary instantly realized what was happening.
You...
Fuu!
Before Bloody Mary could even make a sound, it was stopped abruptly.
The Ghastly Woods Sect man stood there without budging but his shadow on the ground danced like a demon snake and drowned the High Demonpletely.
Bloody Mary didnt die, it just returned to its ce based on the contract.
The oue, however, was not satisfying for the Ghastly Woods Sect man. His figure then vanished.
When he appeared again, he was in front of that felt tent.
The tent, however, was already destroyed by a thick tree trunk that was crushing it into a pancake. On top of the tree trunk were clear w and bite marks from a canine. The scene made the man feel like he was insulted.
Without a second thought, the man quickly initiated his backup n.
Right away, his shadow on the ground came alive again.
The shadow swirled around like a snake and reached out to the other shadows in the area. Each shadow it connected itself to came alive as if it was granted life.
All of the shadows climbed higher up the trees.
The shadows intertwined like snakes and bit each other as they ultimately formed a sky that clouded the entire woods.
A dark, lightless sky.
Under this sky, no one would be able to escape Zoyedarks eyes, or more precisely, no one would be able to escape the Prime Vipers eyes.
Thats right, that Ghastly Woods Sect man was actually Prime Viper in disguise.
Zoyedark didnt think there was any wrong in luring his target into a trap by disguising as someone else.
After all, assassins were not knights. Honor wasplete rubbish to an assassin.
Likewise, a trap that had been exposed would be as useless as rubbish as well.
Zoyedark would not allow that bastard that destroyed his n to keep breathing.
He had poured in 20 years of blood and effort in preparing this, and now everything had gone south.
Being able to suppress the raging fire in his heart was already a decent move in Zoyedarks mind.
And now?
He was ready to kill the person responsible.
The ways of an assassin were not effective?
Not a problem!
What he mastered wasnt just the ways of an assassin.
What would he have to fear even if it ended up as a face to face battle?
Found you!
Zoyedark, watching over the woods, saw that figure in a certain spot. He transformed into a shadow and appeared before his target almost instantaneously as if he just blinked himself there.
You think you can run? said Zoyedark with overflowing killing intent.
Following his angry words, the shadows around him instantly formed hundreds of javelins and plunged into the target before him like a thorny wall of shadows that crashed into someone.
It wasnt that Zoyedark hadnt thought of any other brutal methods to deal with this bastard who ruined his ns, but they seemed a little excessive at the moment.
The moment Zoyedark had spotted his target, the rage in his heart left him with only one thought: tear the target into a million pieces.
He thought as such and did as such, but the oue was less than expected.
That bastard, the target, the guy who was supposed to inherit the temperament of a lonely, arrogant White Wolf, justid down on the floor, thus causing the javelin attacks to miss him from above.
Then, azy voice that infuriated Zoyedark further followed.
Oh, cant escape? Then I shall not escape. Its better for me to lie down.
Chapter 1243 - Burying Deep
Chapter 1243: Burying Deep
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Looking at Kieran lying down on the ground, rage rushed through Zoyedarks head.
DIE!
After the furious shout, the shadows in the area gathered again and tried to stab the Kieran on the ground, but when the shadows moved to gather, Kieran moved as well.
He didnt stand up, instead, he rolled away on the ground.
Sou Sou Sou!
All the shadow javelins grazed Kierans body and plunged into the ground. Each shadow javelin felt like it could hit Kieran but each one of them missed by a little. Kieran was fighting like a child by rolling away on the ground and yet the rolling evasion perfectly dodged the attacks from the shadows.
It infuriated Zoyedark even more.
Following the burst of rage, more shadow javelins attacked Kieran but despite the increase in number, it didnt change the oue.
Somehow, as the attacks increased, Kieran got even more skilled in rolling on the ground.
If the shadow javelins grazed Kierans body before, now the moment the shadow javelins attacked, Kieran already rolled away.
See, lying down is better. Even dodging bes more convenient. If I could have a nap... It would be... Great... Zzz.
After thezy words, the Kieran on the ground stretched his body and snores followed shortly after.
Looking at the soundly asleep Kieran before him, Zoyedarks temple was twitching.
Are you ying me?!
His infuriated words were squeezed out from the seams of his clenched teeth.
Rage started to dilute his sanity uncontrobly, Zoyedark then activated one of his strongest attacks and disregarded the consequences.
The shadows that clouded above them started to rumble again.
At the next moment...
Sou Sou Sou!
Concentrated shadow javelins fell from the sky like a downpour of rain.
There was no ce for dodging anymore, except...
Where Zoyedark was standing!
A longsword formed out of shadows appeared in Zoyedarks hand, the Prime Viper stared at Kieran, waiting for him toe over.
If Kieran didnt wish to be a hedgehog of shadows, the only ce he could dodge was towards Zoyedark.
Obviously, the spot Zoyedark was standing was also a trap, a trap that had sent countless men to their graves.
Thest White Wolf also fell into this trap and suffered irreversible damage, ultimately falling to Zoyedarks des.
Now?
It would be his disciples turn!
This is fate!
Zoyedark eximed, his heart was filled with an arrogance that came from the total control of the situation.
At that moment, Zoyedark felt like he was a God that ruled over the lives of mortals tyrannically, he sat on his throne in the clouds and looked down at all life.
Then, Kieran was drowned by the myriads of shadow javelins.
He didnt dodge, neither did he charge towards Zoyedark. He was just drowned like that.
A momentter, Zoyedarkughed out loud.
Hahahahaha! You are even more stupid than your teacher! At least your teacher knows how to risk it all! You?! You choose to wait for your demise!? What a fool!?
The more Zoyedark mocked, the louder heughed.
Amid his franticughs, azy voice sounded again.
If I can lie down and not move, of course, I wont move. Dodging is quite troublesome you know.
Thezy voice entered Zoyedarks ears but he couldnt see Kieran anywhere in his sight.
Underground?!
Instinctively, Zoyedark looked at the ground but just as the Prime Viper moved his gaze, a loud bang came from the sky
KABOOM!
The loud explosion came with a bright light.
The shadow sky then trembled.
Then, the shadowed sky was torn apart by a pair of magma hands from the outside.
Sunlight shone in, casting away the shadows. A ck figure rapidly fell from the breach and in his hand, a ck greatsword was swung down at Zoyedarks head.
Zoyedark suffered multiple changes in expression.
He wanted to dodge but the repulsion from Shadow immobilized him temporarily.
All he could do was watch the ck greatsword shing down on his body.
Puk!
The greatsword plunged into Zoyedarks body and blood was sttered.
From his left shoulder to his right abdomen, Zoyedarks body was almost sliced in half. Excruciating screams burst out from his mouth.
The screams quickly turned low and heavy, as if he was badly damaged and would die at any moment.
Kieran looked at him coldly, the ck greatsword was moved again.
Puk!
This time, Zoyedark waspletely sliced in half.
Two parts of his body fell to the ground, blood gushed out and organs slipped away in the bloodied stream. Kieran didnt stop his attacks though, he wielded the ck greatsword in a flurry.
A breaths timeter, the two parts were chopped into a dozen pieces.
But...
These pieces of the body seemed to have some unknown attracting force, the moment they fell on the ground, they gathered into a clump.
Then, Zoyedark re-appeared.
He gazed at Kieran with thoughts in his mind.
I see.
The voice of sudden realization came from the Prime Viper.
His eyes at Kieran became calm and vignt as well, the rage and arrogance from before were all gone.
This bastard found some of Dragon Sects legacy? I guess its right! After leaving some protective measures to his disciple, only then would the White Wolf be so resolute in his actions and act without worries. I did somehow underestimated that bastard, White Wolf. Isnt it a little weird to address the other White Wolf in front of you, the current White Wolf? If I could, I wish I could call thest White Wolf by his name as well, but too bad, you White Wolves are all the same. Either you forget your name or have a very strange name. Like 2567.
Not just the rage and arrogance vanished from the Prime Viper, he was like a different man after the regeneration.
His countenance and tone and even temperament werepletely different but his ultimate goal didnt change.
Killer aura!
A cold, spine-chilling killer aura clouded Kieran the moment Prime Viper regenerated.
This shall end shoon. This battle really makes me lose more than gain! I hope your body canpensate my lost, after all, the Dragon Sect Ultimate that I mastered still has a very big w!
After that, the shadows around Zoyedark came alive again.
The shadows spread across the sky faster than before but...
The light was faster!
Bits of tender and tenacious light pierced the ground and revealed itself underground!
Seal of Dawn!
Deep down in the ground, the carved Seal of Dawn was excavated through thebination of multiple cardinal sins power.
Chapter 1244 - The Initial Goal
Chapter 1244: The Initial Goal
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Argh!
Zoyedark immediately let out an excruciating cry after being bathed in the light of [Seal of Dawn].
The pain level of the cry was far worse than the repulsion from his shadows.
After all, one was a simple repulsion, but the other?
It was a lethal bane of his life.
It was self-exnatory on which one was worse.
Prides way of battle was simr to Kierans. He would not leave any window for his enemies to breath.
The moment Prime Viper gave that excruciating cry, the ck greatsword swung down from his head.
The cry stopped abruptly. It wasnt death but Zoyedark catching the ck greatsword with his bare hands.
The sharp and heavy ck greatsword was stopped by a palm of flesh. Even with that sharpness, it hadntnded a cut on the palm.
And!
The damage [Seal of Dawn] inflicted on Zoyedark was rapidly decreasing. He seemed to have gotten used to the bane of his life, which was supposed to be lethal.
You really have no idea what Prime Viper means! I...
PUK!
Zoyedark was ready to lecture Pride but the moment his words escaped his mouth, a sharp, long rapier from the shadows pierced his throat.
[Dandelions Pierce] swung around after the stab, thus cutting Zoyedarks head and sending it flying toward the sky. However, the headless body, too, jumped up to the sky as if it was going to catch its head.
Wung!
The ck greatsword in Prides hand swung out again.
Bang!
The ck greatsword shed at the jumping body but it was like a rod beating a cowhide. Only the strength imbued into the greatsword was effective, the sharpness of the edge waspletely disregarded.
Not just the ck greatsword, even [Dandelions Pierce], which was quite effective a moment ago, lost its effect as well.
After the ck greatsword smacked the jumping body, [Dandelions Pierce] lunged out repeatedly but other than producing a series of sounds like cutting hide, it didnt do anything.
Didnt your teacher teach you to never interrupt people when theyre talking? Its rude.
As the body caught the head and reconnected itself together, Zoyedarks voice came again.
The Prime Viper stood up, exercised his neck and looked at Pride with a gaze worth ruminating over.
Do you know why the leader of Viper Sect is known as the Prime Viper? As a matter of fact, during the early days, Prime Viper was actually known as Round Viper. Why, you may ask?
As Zoyedark exined, he used his right index finger to draw a circle in the air.
Because its ab Ouroboros! The head represents life, the tail represents death. When the head bites the tail andbines both life and death, the line is blurred. So, I am indestructible and unkible! Zoyedarks voice became loud and clear as he said this as if he was making a deration.
In reply?
Pride gave another sh.
Pride himself was also a special existence; from a certain aspect, he was also indestructible and unkible.
But his indestructibility and inability to be killed was actually a trick to the eyes. If Kieran were to die, Pride and the others would also die.
They would also suffer a catastrophic fate if the heart that housed them were to be damaged; therefore, Pride didnt believe in either of the two things or Zoyedarks words.
The reason why Zoyedark appeared to be so was nothing more than two crucial points.
First, the damage umtion wasnt enough.
Second, his true weakness hadnt been found.
Sloth absolutely agreed to Prides perspective.
Lying down on the ground and popping out his head, Sloth watched Prides fruitless attempts one after another. He couldnt help but sigh.
I thought I could win by just lying down. Troublesome.
After the ranting, the sleepy and blurry eyes of Sloth suddenly opened wide, its dark pupils glimmering with unusual brilliance.
His hands, which he hid in thend, burst out, and his fingers danced like they were ying a piano, or rather, calcting!
The calcting was absolute madness. Those dancing fingers brought Sloths body up to a standing position and when Sloth stood up straight, his wide eyes looked sleepy again and he appeared more dispirited.
Resisting the will to sleep, Sloth shouted loudly, Oi, if one attack couldnt work, it doesnt mean that all attacks wont work. Dont you know how to attack all together?
After that loud shout, Sloth fell to the ground and ceased to move as if that one shout had exhausted all his energy.
Zzz Zzz...
Snores sounded again and Sloth slowly vanished.
Once again being smacked away by the ck greatsword, Zoyedark looked at the vanishing Sloth. His calm face showed a sense of emotion.
Your teacher didnt just acquire the Dragon Sect Ultimates, he even calcted to this extent? Independent intellect, special abilities... Abination of the wolf-driving technique of Wolf Sect? Not bad at all, but... what use is there in knowing it now? Even if you attack with all the weapons in your hands at once, you wont be able to cause any damage to me!
Zoyedark was praising loudly but he shook his head at Pride, who was charging at him.
He looked at that ck greatsword and the flying [Dandelions Pierce], then stood there without moving an inch.
His body had familiarized itself with the attacking patterns.
That ck greatsword was not bad, neither was the flying rapier, but all they were was not bad.
He still wasnt concerned about them.
Bang!
After a united sh and pierce from the ck greatsword and [Dandelions Pierce], a loud bang urred the moment they struck Zoyedark.
Just as Zoyedark expected, thebined attack was useless against him.
Zoyedark shook his head again when he saw that Kieran was still holding tight onto the greatsword. Kieran didnt want to give up, still wanting to perform a charging stance.
Its useless. The gap between us... Ugh!
Thatmanding voice was stopped abruptly before it could finish because...
The ck greatsword revealed a bit of bewitching and arrogant purple.
Pak!
As if it had unsheathed itself, the ck outeryer disintegrated and revealed [Arrogant Word] inside.
FURY SLASH! Pride shouted loudly.
Zoyedarks strong as iron body was shed in half a momentter.
Blood sttered once more. Pride put away the sword and stood up. [Dandelions Pierce] flew back to his side and swirled around as if Kieran was around.
Pride looked down at Zoyedark, who hadnt truly died.
Not bad, not bad. As expected of the White Wolf. But the ultimate victor will be me! You really think this is the ce that I want to fight you? Naive! My initial goal has always been... Riverdale!
Zoyedarkughed out loud again when he voiced out his delight.
Shut up.
Pride threw the greatsword down on Zoyedark.
A momentter, the weird noises around the area were gone.
Chapter 1245 - Hide From The Truth
Chapter 1245: Hide From The Truth
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Zoyedark was strolling in the streets of Riverdale. He couldnt help but show a cold grin when he saw that the people were busy rebuilding their homes.
In his heart, Riverdale would soon plunge into eternal darkness, the darkness that reaped life and cursed everything!
Using this power, I can break through there! Everything will return to its rightful path and progress ording to my original n!
Thoughts about his long awaited dreaming true caused Zoyedark to shudder uncontrobly with excitement. He hastened his steps towards his final destination.
There, it had the things that he had been preparing for since long ago.
However, when Zoyedark reached the secluded street, he halted his steps all of a sudden.
Through his senses, he picked up a presence that shouldnt have been there.
Then, he saw that ck figure.
Zoyedarks eyes uncontrobly shrunk out of shock.
How are you here?! he asked in a heavy voice.
This wasnt part of his n!
At this time, Kieran should have been fighting with the clone he set up, and even if Kieran were to ultimately notice something wrong, Riverdale would have fallen into darkness by then!
How did you notice? Zoyedark asked again before waiting for Kierans answer.
Im just a careful and doubtful person. Besides, I like to rte matters into more things. From the earliest invasions of the prairies, to slowly revealing Dragon Sects secret, to the gradual realization of the incident that changed it all 20 years ago, Ive noticed that a single organization is tied to all these happenings. Viper Sect, the Viper Sect that you led and vanished, Kieran said calmly.
So what do all these have inmon? Zoyedark squinted his eyes.
At first, it really did look like nothing was connected but when a few key points are found, everything connects. For example, the Crown Raven. The Crown Raven who you defeated and merged with James VIII. Based onmon logic, after defeat, he should have chosen a more appropriate identity just for the sake of safety. Even if he was after Dragon Sects secret, Warren Pce had a lot of other viable targets, each of them better than James VIII.
Now then, why did the Crown Raven choose James VIII? Kieran asked.
Grudge. The grudge of a losing dog unwilling to ept defeat, so the dog barks angrily, Zoyedark mocked in disdain.
Correct! He was unwilling to ept failure! Neither would he admit defeat! So that only left him with redeeming himself through actions! Kieran then showed a smile.
Looking at Kierans smile, Zoyedark coldly grunted and revealed some very sought after information to Kieran.
Which means, you went through 20 years of records of what James VIII did, and you realized, other than the merciful governing over Warren, the only other thing that wasmemorable about him was defending against the invasion of the Prairies men? Then you boldly connected me with the Prairies men and then you notice something even more interesting by doing so, which was, you realized, your teachersst whereabouts were in the prairies. And you also noticed the rumours about the Prairies King inheriting Wolf Sect.
Kieran maintained his smile, neither acknowledging it or denying it.
Of course, he wouldnt tell Zoyedark that his spections were wrong, nor would he deny his current identity.
The most important thing was, Kieran wouldnt admit that he boldly made spections and started to deceive Zoyedark after seeing some things.
Thats right, Kieran deceived him. It could even be considered as bluffs.
It was true that Kieran was a self-proimed vignt and careful person.
What he said about the Prairies invasion, Dragon Sect secret and the changes from 20 years ago plus the vanished Viper Sect was also the truth.
But the grudge from Crown Raven was just amon sense spection, just like how Kieran had been specting about the Prime Vipers secret.
Zoyedark undoubtedly had a lot of secrets to him.
While all the sects showed immense interest in Dragon Sects legacy, Zoyedark, who had already gained the biggest advantage, almost didnt make any obvious moves. It wasnt right.
The only exnation was: Zoyedark had already mastered some form of Dragon Sects inheritance.
Or...
He had more important things in mind.
From the looks of it, Zoyedark seemed to have mastered some of the Dragon Sect inheritance and it was almost certain that the inheritance came from Warren Pce.
Given how many forces Zoyedark had in Riverdale over thest 20 years, it would be quite hard for him to achieve that, but not impossible.
The saddest of them all was that Crown Raven.
Since the beginning, he was kept from the truth.
Presumably, while the Crown Raven wasughing at James VIII, the Prime Viper was also mocking the former with simrughter and thatsted till the end.
As for the more important things?
Destroying the prairies!
It was what Zoyedark considered as important.
He had been plotting the scheme from the moment he bewitched the young Prairies King and incited him to invade Warren.
Kieran didnt know what would have happened if he hadnt stopped the invasion but it would probably have ended as a failure anyhow. Let alone James VIII who had merged with Crown Raven, those Viper Sect members that hid in Riverdale were enough to turn the tables around during the invasion with their assassination.
Why would Zoyedark do so, though?
Kieran had no idea but he knew what he must do.
Kieran showed arrogance through his eyes as he stared at Zoyedark as if he were a wise man, who had seen everything, looking at a clown.
His gaze was quickly rewarded with a positive oue.
You think you know everything? You dont know sh*t. You are just a pitiful worm hidden away from the truth. You and your teacher and everyone else are the same! Zoyedarkughed coldly.
He shook his head and continued. Every time I see one of you smart ass people who think you know it all, I cant hold my rage back and that rage urges me to spill a lot of things that I shouldnt be saying. Fortunately, everyone who hears them is always killed by me. Only the dead can keep a secret, isnt it? So, are you ready to wee death?
After the words, Zoyedark waved his arm.
Shadows!
All the shadows in the street came alive!
The shadows gathered and clouded the sky above the street.
Darkness is my expertise! You have already seen my clone using this power but what you saw was just a scratch on the surface. Now, I will let you taste the true power of shadows!
Zoyedarks voice echoed throughout the darkness.
Im not hating the darkness, but isnt the moment before dawn always the darkest?
Chapter 1246 - Black Moving Light
Chapter 1246: ck Moving Light
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
You dont hate darkness? That is because you havent tasted the horror of darkness! Not only will you go blind in the dark, your fear will grow! Fear will take a heavy toll on your power! And this is justmon darkness! The darkness you face now will be something that you never experienced before! Zoyedarksughs echoed.
The Prime Viperpletely disagreed with Kierans statement; he was wholeheartedly contemptful of it. He felt superior as if he were standing beside a well and staring down at the frog underneath.
The superior feeling came from his multiple victories.
Crown Raven.
White Wolf.
All had fallen under his hand.
There were some other lesser known characters that could also rival an entire army on the list.
The countless bones of his enemies forged Zoyedarks confidence, simr to how he believed that he would be the ultimate victor.
He thought he could win over Kieran easily.
In fact, if he could, Zoyedark didnt mind using more time to torture his target in more brutal ways. But whenever he thought about his target, Zoyedark couldnt help but sigh.
Be d of your luck. Otherwise, you would be doubting your own existence. Or, have you already started doubting your own existence? Did you realized your fire cant burn anymore? Did you realize your ws cant extend anymore? Believe me, you arent the first to feel panic inside the darkness and you certainly wont be thest!
Amid his malicious sneers, Zoyedarksughs grew more irritating. Delving into the dark, he was like a king of shadows, arrogant and without restraints.
Kieran didnt answer him though.
First of all, he wasnt used to answering an enemys question even in normal circumstances.
Secondly, what Zoyedark said was mostly the truth.
Why only most?
Because Devil me could still burn, but its power had dropped at least three major ranks, leaving him to be around amon Advance Rank level.
As for transforming werewolf?
[Wolfs Remnant Feast] wasnt affected at all.
As for the other powers?
Dawn Force was as tender and tenacious as always.
Devil Force, Cardinal Sins Force and gue Force were eagerly trying toe out in the dark; there were no signs of being weakened.
Quite the contrary, as they were all powered up a little.
The most surprising power was Saint Thorns Force. The power of the holy knight was more active than the others in the darkness, as though it was an unsheathing longsword, ready to pierce through the darkness at any moment.
Kieran controlled the Origin Forces in his body, keeping them at bay, thus silencing his aura.
He never considered hiding his own powers as a mistake, especially before his enemies. Suitable hiding would always result in a surprise, just like this moment!
The darkness couldnt stop Kierans sight, neither did it stop Zoyedarks.
Thetter looked at the quiet Kieran and obviously misunderstood something, thus causing hisughs to turn louder, sharper.
You had a chance to live. But you let it slip away. Now, you should feel regret. Regret for what you did, regret for opposing me... No, not just you, since your teachers generation, Wolf Sect has always been opposing me! You are only lying to yourself by standing there just to keep a vague promise. Other than that? You all are a bunch of fools! A bunch of fools hidden away from the truth! Now! Die, fools!
Wung!
The shadows trembled, causing ripples like a pebble thrown into a quietke. The ripples spread out in all directions with Zoyedark in the middle.
Everything that was caught by the ripples within a 30-meter radius of Zoyedark was crushed into powder, except for Kieran.
The moment the ripples appeared, Kieran backed away rapidly and this incited further sneering from Zoyedark.
Run! Run! Run like your teacher and the Crown Raven! When you are exhausted, you will realize everything is useless!
Wung!
The shadow ripples moved out again, but unlike the previous circr shape, this time they spread in a triangr shape and specifically targeted Kieran.
Compared to the previous shadow ripples, this wave was much faster, and its power gradually grew stronger.
The crushing process still existed in the first wave but it was removedpletely during the second wave, as now, anything it touched was turned into dust within an instant.
Quietly, half of the street was leveled just like that, everything vanishing as if it never existed.
The other thing that vanished was Kieran.
Like the gale in the night, Kiera re-appeared behind Zoyedark.
You are not really creative, are you? Your teacher was used to this kind of attacking pattern, and you seem to have inherited it as well. Should I say, as expected of Wolf Sects single line inheritance? A single line inheritance of techniques, knowledge, and foolishness! I am the Prime Viper of Viper Sect! I am the king of assassins!
As though he were making a deration, the shadow ripple appeared behind Zoyedark again.
Zoyedark was smiling coldly; he could already hear the dying wails from Kierans mouth.
But just as the shadow ripple was about to move, another deep darkness appeared.
The darkness was darker and sharper than the shadow.
Simr to a flower of darkness that bloomed in the shadows, the darkness appeared abruptly and clouded everything within a 15-meter radius from Kieran.
[Dawn Descent]!
Unique Title [de of the Daybreaker] was activated instantly following Kierans will.
Inside the newly formed darkness, the shadow ripple was devoured just like that.
Nothing was left! Nothing was spared!
It quietly appeared and quietly vanished!
Even Zoyedark, who turned around after realizing something was wrong, couldnt see what was going on because his sight was blocked by the newly formed darkness.
His eyes, which could see through shadows, couldnt adapt to the darkness right away but his instincts told him that the darkness was lethally dangerous.
Not just the darkness that shrouded his sight, but also the...
Instinctively, Zoyedark looked up, trying to get an inkling of what was happening.
In a dark spot where Zoyedarks sight couldnt reach, three pitch-ck swords with des only two fingers width and filled with cracks swirled in the air.
[Extreme Night]!
[Dawn Sword Veil] made copies of [Extreme Night], which had its own attributes and special effects.
ck energy swirled around the three [Extreme Night].
[Night Veil], which was able to block rank III attacks, was still within duration, a rank III attack [Night sh] ready tounch.
At the next moment, three ck moving lights descended from the sky!
Chapter 1247 - Toys? If I Don’t Have Enough Toys, How Can I Be Called A Player?
Chapter 1247: Toys? If I Dont Have Enough Toys, How Can I Be Called A yer?
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Three strikes of [Night sh] fell from the sky like a meteor strike and they fiercely struck Zoyedarks shadow, which was rapidly umting on his body.
Bang!
After threebined heavy bangs, Zoyedark was forced backward. The shadow before him shattered from the impact but Zoyedark himself didnt suffer any real damage.
However, Zoyedark looked extremely ugly after the strike, as though he had suffered some heavy damage. He stared at the darkness before his eyes like a venomous viper choosing prey to devour.
Following the insult, rage flooded his heart uncontrobly.
You think you can win against me?
Almost out of instinct, the furious shout came out from Zoyedarks mouth.
What Kieran replied with was another three strikes of [Night sh].
Bang!
Simr to the previous strike, three more of [Night sh]nded on the shadow, which once again umted on Zoyedarks body.
Though the shadows protected Zoyedark from getting hurt, the shadows in the area rapidly got thinner.
The shadow defense was consuming more than Zoyedark could have imagined.
Unfortunately, the damaged [Extreme Night] could only perform [Night sh] two times per day. The same went for the host and the replicas that were created by [Dawn Sword Veil].
Zoyedark didnt know [Extreme Night]s attributes but it didnt stop him from specting.
So this is your ace? Three swords with limited usage that came from nowhere? Youre trying to beat me with these three toys? Stop joking! Zoyedark roared.
Kieran, on the other hand, dashed out at Zoyedark like a furious gale.
Zoyedark looked at the darkness that was darker than shadows, then rapidly retreated.
The distance between the two instantly widened.
Zoyedark, who was an assassin, had unimaginable movement speed, even with Kierans SSS- Agility, he couldnt catch up to Zoyedark at all.
As the distance from Kieran was being drawn further away, Zoyedarks heavy face showed brutal killing intent.
An opponent whose speed was inferior to his, it was the kind of opponent that an assassin most sought after. Especially Zoyedark, who had almost a hundred ways to kill such a slow opponent.
The battle is just starting!
Zoyedark swiftly retreated and prepared his counterattack.
If it were someone else facing Zoyedark with his remarkable movement speed and given that they couldnt catch up to him, it would be hard for them to make a move against Zoyedark.
But!
Not Kieran!
He was carrying the [Crimson Ghost Stomach] behind him and was wearing the ring, [Wealths Keep]. Inside the bag and the ring was equipment that he had earned throughout his adventures.
It wasnt just some hobby of collecting that made him bring so much equipment to every dungeon run, they were all collected for a moment exactly like this!
A shadow chain formed out of the void andtched itself on Zoyedark.
An icy cold, frozen spike wasunched towards Zoyedark.
A burning spider web fell from the sky, covering Zoyedark whole.
Zoyedark instantly felt like he had fallen into a tight encirclement withs and snares above and beneath him.
The shadow chain was swiftly shaken off.
The freezing air from the icy spike might be causing some problems.
But most importantly, the ming spider web!
The constraints and the stickiness of the spider web were heavy, but he didnt spend too much time breaking free. Instead, what truly harmed him was the fireced on the web.
[Mardos me]!
It wasnt mortal mes and could not be extinguished by water or sand, it was the Hell Fiend Spider Fire that acted ording to Kierans will! Not only did it possessed a rank I me, it also had rank I negative energy corrosion.
The moment the spider web caught Zoyedark, he felt like he was struck by thunder.
Under the assault of the mes and negative energy, Zoyedark frighteningly realized that he had suffered a tremendous mental impact!
[Mardos Terror]!
When using Mardos Web, the bound target will be forced to undergo a Spirit and Intuition authentication no lower than Kierans own Fear and Illusion level. If target fails 1. authentication, target will receive a mental impact attack equivalent to Kierans Spirit level. If target fails 2. authentication, a Death authentication will ur on top of the mental impact attack.
Zoyedark was lucky that his Intuition passed the authentication.
But he was less fortunate that Kierans strongest attribute was Spirit!
The New Rank IV Spirit attribute was like an invisible hammer, hammering Zoyedarks brain repeatedly.
It caused blood to start rushing out of Zoyedars seven apertures.
Then...
Fwa!
Zoyedark spat out a mouthful of blood, and the moment his blood rushed out, he heard a feverish lions roar in his ears!
The roar was as loud as thunder!
Zoyedarks body trembled!
The more terrifying thing was, Zoyedark realized that his remaining shadows had started to lose to the constraints of Kieran.
Fearful, Zoyedark looked up at Kieran, who was dashing towards him.
He saw the zing me in Kierans hand and saw that death wasing closer to him.
Wait! I can tell you...
Zoyedark was trying to utter something but Kieran wasnt a man that would spare his enemy due to some words they said. Even if his enemies might really know something, to Kieran, the best kind of enemy was the dead kind!
BOOM!
After charging up, under [Lionheart, Lions Courage]s effect, Devil me,pletely freed from its restraints, appeared with the sharpest fangs.
Rank IV fire created a sea of mes and devoured the heavily injured Zoyedark within a breath.
[Eliminated Prime Viper, deemed as specialpletion of main mission. yer will leave the dungeon in 10 seconds...]
[Please take whatever items you wish to keep with you.]
[Note: Any items that exceed the maximum weight will be discarded!]
.....
In the middle of the sea of mes, two dark golden glowing items were emanating a unique glow after the system notifications.
Kieran quickly grabbed the spoils.
He didnt carefully check the two items, nor did he have the heart to look at the system notification. Instead, he vigntly sized up the surroundings.
The moment Zoyedark died, he felt a watchful gaze, the malicious kind.
Following the malicious intent, he felt immense danger.
As his Spirit and Intuition grew stronger by the day, Kieran already possessed instinct stronger than that of amon beast.
Under his sharp instinct, whenever he felt malicious intent, it meant the target was not friendly; whenever he felt danger, it really meant danger had surrounded him.
So Kieran slowly gripped [Extreme Night]s hilt.
Although the damaged [Extreme Night] was not suitable for battle, he would definitely put the sword to use when facing real danger, having no fear of further damaging it in the process.
At the same time, [The Warden, Priority Timing] was activated and it quickly reset [Dawn Descent]s cooldown.
If the person with this malicious intent thought he would be greatly exhausted after the battle with Zoyedark, Kieran would teach this fool a lesson by catching him or her off guard.
Kieran was prepared for another ugly fight but what happened next caught him off guard instead.
Chapter 1248 - Black and White
Chapter 1248: ck and White
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Darkness suddenly appeared before Kierans eyes.
There wasnt any sign before, as though the darkness itself existed here all this time.
The darkness froze for a second before it slowly faded away.
As though he was slowly opening his eyes, the world turned into ck and white before Kierans eyes. He gazed at the ck wilderness and the white river stream beside his feet. Under the gloomy, turbid sky, thend was firm and the river flowed as usual.
Kieran then looked down and sized himself up.
ck and white.
Other than that, he couldnt see any color on himself. He slightly frowned.
He had been in Riverdale, Warrens capital, before this, and he was absolutely sure about his whereabouts.
But now?
Where was this ce?
As the thought came, Kieran bent down and touched the cknd.
Cold and heavy.
Not just the color, even the properties changed? Kieran thought quietly.
He was sure that hed never seen such cold and heavy dirt before. Even the dirt from winter wasnt this cold and the dirt with iron as heavy.
Throwing the dirt back to the ground, Kieran intended to search for more information.
But the moment he took a step, a heavy power pressed down from the outer world, like a mountain was falling from the sky andnding on his body.
What surprised Kieran was a never before felt weakened feeling spreading throughout his body.
Kieran cramped his brows tight and carefully moved his body with the smallest motion possible.
He tried his best to feel the difort on his body.
At the very next moment, the system told him clearly what was happening.
[Entered unknown domain, all attributes C rank I. Dawn, gue, Devil, Cardinal Sins, Saint Thorn greatly decreased...]
All attributes minus rank I?! A major rank in attribute?
Kieran squinted his eyes.
Since Kierans Spirit was at New IV, after suffering a C I rank, he was still at New III level but not his other attributes though.
Aside from his strongest, Spirit, his second-highest was Constitution, which was also at a newly Advance Ranks level, while Intuition, Strength and Agility were lower and hadnt even reached Advance Ranks. After suffering the C I rank debuff, Kieran felt like he was a newbie that had freshly entered the game.
Of course, that was the illusion after his attribute levels plummeted. At least, he could still carry [Crimson Ghost Stomach] and it wouldnt crush him.
Unknown domain? A domain that is hidden in Riverdale? And... the ck and white world is unrted to the malicious gaze just now?
Question after question flooded Kierans heart.
At the same time, the time for him to return to the big city in the game was almost up.
Huu!
Kieran took a deep breath.
With the clocks time running out, it forbade him from knowing more but allowed him to have more chances to be prepared.
Kieran sized up his surroundings. He wanted to memorize everything he saw in his mind so that he could be better prepared the next time.
Just when Kierans eyesnded on the white river stream, his squinted eyes suddenly glimmered.
A ck spot appeared inside the white river and under his gaze, the ck spot rapidly grew bigger.
More precisely, it was approaching Kieran rapidly.
From the size of a grain of rice to the size of a small boat. It was themon wooden boat that was often used for taking an excursion down the stream.
But the boatman was not someone friendly.
He, or it, donned a ck robe with an oilmp in his hand that glowed softly.
Themp shed light over the little boat and also revealed the scrawny, skeleton-like face under the hood.
Look at me, sincere one.
Avoid me, despicable one.
Offend me, rash one.
tter me, cunning one.
All tried to go through me to get away from pain.
All tried to go through me to break free from destiny.
But death follows like a shadow!
Death is the biggest relief!
What you sought, the dead dispose.
What the dead sought, you will never attain.
Board the board? Or leave thend?
The scrawny boatman spoke slowly.
His voice was like his face, not just dry but rough and hard to the ears, too.
But what concerned Kieran wasnt the boatman, but the situation.
It seemed like the boatman was telling him...
He was dead?!
For Kieran, survival was his instinct, hating death was also his instinct.
He frowned at the boatman and kept quiet.
The scrawny boatman, too, kept quiet. All he did was extend his thin as bone palm in front of Kieran.
Then, that familiar loss of gravity appeared again.
...
[Special Dungeon: The Queens Shield III]
[Dungeon Type: Free mission]
[Dungeon Difficulty: Below Average]
[Main Mission: Ensure Mary ascends to the throne as queen in 30 days]
[Mission Completion: 100% (Basic Rating: F)]
[Sub-mission: Remaining Viper Sect]
[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating F D)]
[Special Event: Hidden Viper (Perfect Clear)]
[Rating: D A]
[Special Event: The hidden secret 20 years ago (Perfect Clear)]
[Rating: A SSS]
[Battle Performance: Very Active (Rating: SSS Z)]
[Exploration Performance: Excellent (Rating Z ZZ)]
[Special Rating 1: Eliminated Crown Raven Soul Fragment (Rating ZZ ZZZ, Rep +1)]
[Special Rating 2: Eliminated Prime Viper (Rating ZZZ V, Rep +1)]
[Special Rating 3: Entered Unknown Domain (Rating V VVV, Rep +3)]
[yers final rating: VVV]
[Calcting yers final reward...]
[Final yer reward as stated...]
[Points: 300,000; Skill Points: 60; Golden Skill Points: 7; Golden Attribute Points: 7]
[Acquired special dungeon: The Queens Shield IV]
[Acquired special reward 1: Practise dagger]
[Acquired special reward 2: Charts of the southern barons]
[Acquired special reward 3: Remains of James IIIs diary]
[Acquired special reward 4: Charts of House Zilin]
......
Standing in Wallway Street 13th, Kieran was looking at his dungeon clear calction. His cramped brows werent rxed though, as he was still figuring out the scene before this.
However, despite how hard he thought, it was fruitless.
There was ack of information to the point that he didnt even know what happened.
However, one thing was for sure. He had to face that Unknown Domain in his fittest form possible.
Otherwise...
A fake death would turn real.
After quickly adjusting his status, Kieran looked at one of his biggest lots in this dungeon run.
The two dark glowing items from Zoyedark.
Chapter 1249 - 50-50
Chapter 1249: 50-50
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Two dark gold glowing items: one was a book, the other was an index finger crystal ring.
[Name: Essentials of Prime Viper Secret Techniques Record]
[Type: Book]
[Rarity: I]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: None]
[Attribute: Able to level up one or more Viper Sect or Dragon Sect skill level(s) after reading (The level of increment depends on the rank, level and number of the skills)]
[Effect: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Prerequisite: Mystical Knowledge (Viper Sect, Grand Master)]
[Remark: Zoyedark was an orthodox Viper Sect member. After much scheming for part of the Dragon Sect Ultimate, Zoyedark recorded it in a very traditional way, together with the skill itself]
...
[Name: Shadow Crystal I]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: I]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: None]
[Attribute: Increases negative energy (shadow) items abilities, rarity]
[Effect: None]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Prerequisite: Mystical Knowledge (Pro)]
[Remark: Zoyedarks biggest secret was how he got his hands on this crystal. No one knew before and no one will know in the future]
...
When he saw the shape of a book, Kieran already had guesses about [Essentials of Prime Viper Secret Techniques Record] and it was indeed within his expectations.
Everyone had their own habits.
Like the assassins from Viper Sect; whenever they acquired some secret they didnt wish to be discovered, yet wanted to pass down, it would be natural that they would use the mystical knowledge that circted in Viper Sect to record the secret.
However, Kieran was slightly surprised about [Shadow Crystal I].
It wasnt the shadowy attribute itself.
When Zoyedark used the shadow as an offensive method, Kieran was prepared to acquire a shadow-type equipment or skill book but [Shadow Crystal I]s remark made Kieran think more about it.
Secret? Is it rted to the scheme of destroying the prairies that he had been nning for so long? Kieran wondered.
His spections didnt stop him from using [Shadow Crystal I].
Unlike [Essentials of Prime Viper Secret Techniques Record], which had a lot of restrictions, Kieran fulfilled the prerequisite of [Shadow Crystal I].
As for which equipment he wanted to use it on?
If the description didnt have negative energy (shadow) in it, Kieran would surely have used it on [Half-deads Gaze]. Now, with the slight limitation, there was only one viable option left for Kieran: [Spectres Grip].
[Spectres Grip]s attribute slightly ovepped with [Mardos Lair] but Kieran didnt dislike the ovepping.
He had always believed in this saying: quantity incites qualitative change.
Wasnt ovepping a type of cumtion of numbers?
If he didnt have to consider the usage of Golden Skill Points, Kieran wouldnt have minded ovepping simr skills and boosting them to a certain level.
While in terms of equipment, Kieran had fewer scruples.
[Using Shadow Crystal I, enhancing Spectres Grip]
[Spectres Grip rarity enhanced. Solidified as a ring!]
[Name: Spectres Grip]
[Type: essory]
[Rarity: Above Legendary]
[Attack: Powerful]
[Defense: Extreme]
[Attributes: 1. Shadow Chain; 2. Shadow Strike]
[Effects: None]
[Prerequisites: None]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: The power of a reincarnated spectre is enhanced and solidified. It belongs to you now!]
...
[Shadow Chain: Form a dark chain using negative energy to bind your target, Target has to undergo a Strength authentication in conjunction with your Strength. If they pass, they will be released but have to suffer a Strong Negative Corrosion Damage (shadow) damage. If they fail, they will be bound for 2 seconds and suffer a Powerful Negative Corrosion Damage (shadow) per second for 2 seconds, 2 times per day]
[Shadow Strike: Assemble the shadows in a 25-meter range and form 1 to 10 Shadow Spikes (1 Shadow Spike has Extreme attack with 50 meters in length. As the numbers go up, the attack rank will be lowered and the length shortened. When all 10 Shadow Spikes are formed, all Shadow Spike attacks will be locked at Strong and 5 meters in length.)]
...
Not bad.
Kieranmented on the powered-up [Spectres Grip].
Although it was still a wide gap from [Mardos Lair], attacking with shadows would catch any opponent off guard.
And almost instantaneously, Kieran thought of how he would put this equipment to use.
Re-equipping [Spectres Grip], Kieran continued to check the rest of his loot from the dungeon in his bag.
Most of them were goods for sale.
Other than keeping the equipment that required corresponding mystical knowledge level and the books that recorded Raven Sect and Viper Sect mystical knowledge, Kieran additionally kept [Dark Stream Dagger] for himself.
The reason why Kieran chose a Rare rank [Dark Stream Dagger] and not the Legendary rank [Cunning Viper Sword] was because of the attribute [Soundless] in the dagger.
Compared to [Cunning Viper Sword] that provided attack and extra attack buff, Kieran tended to lean towards the silent approach to things.
Together with [Ghastly Woods Short Knife], Kieran sent the screenshots to Lawless.
Lawless replied at the next instant.
Lawless: Legendary rank equipment?
Lawless: Are you sure you sent it to the right person?
2567: I did.
Lawless: You bastard, your luck is really something else.
Lawless: Poor me... Sigh, I think Im going to propose a pay raise to Rachel.
Lawless: Legendary rank equipment will attract a lot of loners in themunity. Ill take care of the rest, but you have to show your face at the end of the auction.
2567: Sure.
...
After Lawless astonished words plus the habitual nagging, Kieran gave a firm answer.
As for his friends astonishment?
Kieran understood it though.
It wasnt that Lawless couldnt get any better equipment, but that he couldnt keep any equipment for himself at all.
The terrible luck together with his attribute [Overload] lead any equipment thatnded in Lawless hand to only end up destroyed.
Because of that, Lawless tended to favour firearms more because they were much more affordable.
Looking at the messages about his friend wanting to propose a pay raise to Rachel, Kieran hesitated after thinking about what would happen to Lawless if he owed any more points at Rachels ce. Then he gave his friend a better option.
2567: I suggest you sell your body to pay for your debt.
2567: Believe me, theres a 50% chance of Rachel epting it.
Lawless: What about the other 50%?
2567: You will get chopped to death on the spot.
Lawless:...
...
After a short and quick silence, Lawless nagging exploded, so Kieran ignored him and tidied up appropriately before going out to Harvest Inn.
However, the moment he stepped out the door, he frowned.
Chapter 1250 - Troubles
Chapter 1250: Troubles
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Outside Wallway Street 13th, the sun was bright and warm, the breezeforting and pleasant.
If there werent a person standing in front of him, Kieran would stop and enjoy the rare scene with squinted eyes, but the person in front of him only made him furrow his brows.
Undoubtedly, Kieran disliked the man.
But the man, however, didnt seem to notice that. After Alistritter the Swordsmith saw Kieran, he put down the iron hammer from his shoulder and said with a bigugh, I heard you got some good loot in thetest dungeon run?
Mm. But I dont think its got anything to do with you, right? Then, why are you here? Kieran said heavily with obvious vignce between the lines.
Kieran remembered that Alisritter casually offered him a Legendary weapon before this. So, if the man could do something like that, why would hee just for a Legendary weapon now?
Therefore, Alisritter must have other motives.
A pushy man whom he saw once and that harboured other motives before his door, based on Kierans character, how could he not be suspicious?
Rx. You are my second target, why would I make my move against you so early?
Alisritter waved his hand with a smile.
So, should I be deeply honored? Kierans brows cramped tighter.
He had already expected Alisritter to be big trouble before this, but to his surprise, Alisritter was even more troublesome than he thought.
What are the most hateful kind of people?
Those who look for you at your door, just like Alisritter.
Deeply honored? No, no, no. I am not like some shameless bastards, but I think we can at least point our spears at amon enemy. Especially when those bastards have their eyes on us.
The Swordsmith waved his hands repeatedly and his voice suddenly turned serious.
Some bastards? Kieran raised a puzzled brow.
Those who had Kieran on their watchlist were definitely not in the minority.
Other than the mortal mdy, Broker, there were the so-called Guardians and those killed yers, who somehow vanished from sight for now.
Of course, other than those mentioned ones, there were still some that Kieran couldnt call out by name but would show hostility toward should there be a conflict of interest.
The reason why society was so realistic and cruel was all because of conflict of interest, in the end.
It would make a man forget his kin and friends, and even have him choose to betray his loved ones.
As for the big city in the game?
It was a lot more realistic. As long as you forgot a certain baseline, acquiring things here was much easier.
Yup, a bunch of bastards who think they hid very well. I didnt really locate them but I got their tails. So I guess I should warn you first. After all, I will be frustrated if you die from the plots of those bastards.
After the less than pleasant words, Alisritterughed out loud again. He turned around and left without even bidding Kieran goodbye.
Looking at Alisritters figure, Kieran frowned again.
He frowned because of Alisritters way of doing things by his own rules and also because of the warnings he gave.
If what the Swordsmith said was true, those bastards...
I cant overlook them!
Kieran would never underestimate anyone.
His arrogance and contempt were mostly battle tactics; they were just used to provoke his enemies.
But in reality?
Kieran was the utmost careful in each of his battles.
Failing miserably in an easy task might sound funny but when it was him in the story, it was no longer funny, and Kieran hoped he would not be the one.
With extra vignce, Kieran boarded the train and reached Harvest Inn.
After entering Harvest Inn, his extra vignce softened down but was still higher than usual.
Multiple experiences and encounters told Kieran that even within a yers room, it wasnt absolutely safe.
Kieran nced around at the merry inn.
There were familiar acquaintances: Hanses, Coll, Raven, Ramont.
And there were known but not familiar yers, like Rhino and General.
However, the inn currently had more unfamiliar lone wolf yers than usual.
All these lone wolf yers shared amon point: habitually lingering in the corners and the shadows.
Obviously, all the yers were attracted by [Cunning Viper Sword].
2567, here!
Lawless loud voice was very pronounced, despite the merry crowd, and Kieran instantly became the spotlight of the crown.
After nodding to those he knew and ncing at those he had seen before, Kieran ignored the others and walked towards the bar counter.
On the house.
Rachel served him honey lemon water when Kieran arrived.
Is it because of them? Kieran asked after taking up the ss.
Rachel just added a new minimum spending rule, everyone has to pay... 50 Points.
Lawless stuck his face closer and whispered to Kieran.
Kieran nced around the inn, which almost had a hundred yers, and didnt say anything. He enjoyed his sweet beverage and gave a big thumbs up to Rachel.
Rachel seemed to ept the thumbs up happily as well.
Another ss on the house.
Another golden coloured drink was ced in front of Kieran after that.
The rich apple scent made Kieran sniff hard at the newly served drink.
Lawless, too, twitched his nose.
Not fair! This is not fair! I should have one ss as well! Why does only 2567 get it and I dont?!
Pay what you owe me! Clear your debt and Ill treat you to a ss as well.
Lawless was ranting his dissatisfaction but after Rachel refuted, Lawless ceased his rants andid down on the bar counter like noodles. He then turned around and grabbed Kieran by the shoulder and stuck his face closer, Lawless whispered, Now I am really considering your joke from before.
Joke? Kieran was puzzled. He didnt remember when he had joked with Lawless.
Joke! Just now! Remember? Geez, 2567, you should joke more! Laugh more, not be as cold as ice.
Kieran frowned, as he remembered what Lawless was referring to and quickly emphasized, I was giving a serious suggestion, not joking.
Lawless was stunned on the spot as if he was struck by lightning. Even his hand that was tapping Kierans shoulder froze in the air.
2567, youve changed! You are no longer the 2567 that I knew before! I am hurt...
Pak!
Lawless had been ranting with his sobbing tone, but before he could even finish, a pail filled with ice was dumped onto his head.
Disgusting. Rachel coldly grunted.
Kieran agreed to that.
However, just as Kieran was about to continue his drink, Wu, donning her thick gray robe, quietly appeared in the inn.
What happened to you? Why did you... Can youe with me for a sec?
When Wu saw Kieran, her eyes shone but quickly followed up with shock.
Chapter 1251 - ‘Death’
Chapter 1251: Death
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran looked at Wu, who tried to speak but stopped. He then took a sip of his sweet beverage and no longer paid mind about her suggestion anymore.
Kieran was curious but he cared about potential danger more.
Therefore, Wus mysterious character and strange behaviour did not attract Kieran. Instead, it raised his rm.
Obviously, Wu knew it as well, and without a second thought, Wu turned to Rachel.
She chose to ask for help from her good friend.
This time, however, Rachel didnt speak right away because Lawless suddenly stood up and got closer to Kieran, staring at Rachel from Kierans viewpoint.
Lawless sincerity toward his friend didnt allow others to coerce Kieran by using friendship, even thedy inn owner who was also his good friend and could even be considered to be in aplicated rtionship with him.
Rachel knew it perfectly.
While being frustrated, she quietly raised Lawless debt by another 10% before shrugging at Wu, expressing that she was helpless.
This is important! Its about life and death! Wu said quickly.
Life and death? 2567?
This time, Rachel didnt even speak but it was Lawless who answered in a hurry.
Although the system blur was blocking Lawless face, based on his hurried tone, everyone could feel his anxiousness.
Um!
After seeing Wus nod, Lawless rushed to Wu and grabbed her by the shoulder and said loudly into her face, What happened? Tell me!
Following his anxious words, Lawless presence started to slightly change.
He became cold and filled with killing intent!
What else was more important than his good friend, 2567s, well being at the moment?
Nothing!
Hey, you prick! Treat thedy with respect!
Seeing how Wu was grabbed by the shoulder and grumbling in pain, Rachel stuck her body out and over the bar counter, raised her hand and smacked Lawless head from behind.
Bang!
The heavy bang didnt just wake Lawless from his trance, it also sent his body faltering as well.
But a hand grabbed him and prevented him from kissing the floor.
Lawless turned around and saw his friend. He wanted to say something but Kieran stopped him.
Lets go to the living room. This isnt the ce to talk, said Kieran after more attention was attracted by Lawless littlemotion.
Of course, that wasnt the main reason why he wanted to switch the ce.
The important thing was that he didnt want to see Lawless in an ugly position or even falling into his unknown trance.
Lawless was obviously stuck in between him and Rachel.
If Lawless had sided with Rachel more, Kieran would honestly have rejected Wu, but the fact was, Lawless sided with him.
Given the circumstances, Kierans personality had decided that he could not reject.
He was fierce but against enemies only.
He was cold, also against enemies only.
He was kind only to friends.
In his kindest mood, Kierans tolerance was raised to the highest point, but still, he didnt forget the warning Wu gave him.
I hope that your words have weight and are not just some bluff to y with me, Kieran emphasized.
Sure! Wu nodded without a second thought.
Rachel, on the other hand, smacked her forehead. She then said in a soft voice that only the three of them could hear, Lawless, you go in through the secret passage and remember not to let anyone see you! No one seeing you means the rules in the living room will not be broken, understand?
Understood. Lawless scratched his head and still wanted to say something but was interrupted by Rachel again. 2567s auction item!
I know! Ill lookout for you! Rachel said angrily.
...
The living room in Harvest Inn.
Man, Rachel sure has some taste.
Lawless praised the simple and minimalistic living room since it was his first time inside.
Kieran agreed. Although he couldnt tell which part of the living room showed Rachels taste, as long as the room was clean and tidy plus fulfilled the basic requirements, it would be the best for him.
As for other things?
Less is more, more is a burden.
You think so?
Seeing his friend chime in with his opinion, Lawless quickly smiled and pretentiously pulled out a sofa chair, bowing and saying, Please.
You are missing the sir. Kieran then sat down without being courteous.
Screw you. Lawless gave Kieran the middle finger before sitting down himself.
When both of them were sitting down, their eyes naturally turned to Wu.
Under the gazes, Wu automatically sat opposite of Kieran.
What did you experience in thest dungeon? Wu asked the moment she sat down.
Hey! Every yers dungeon run should be a secret kept from the public. Do you think its appropriate to ask 2567 for his secret the moment you speak?
Before Kieran could even answer, Lawless spoke with dissatisfaction.
Simr to how yers strayed away from looking into each others business, not asking about their dungeon world experience was also an unwritten rule among yers.
Any yers in the big city would not simply break the rules.
Except for hostile enemies.
Im not trying to know everything. I just need to know 2567s experience with death, Wu patiently exined to Lawless.
Death?
Kieran squinted his eyes. He then looked at Wu with a never before seen serious expression.
He was certain he never told anyone about the things that happened in [The Queens Shield], especially the monochromatic world in the end.
That ce might be filled with danger, but danger meant opportunity, didnt it?
Since yers were able to acquire equipment and skills or special abilities from powerful enemies, a bnce was ced in between danger and opportunity a long time ago.
Now, the things that he hadnt told anyone about before were known by thedy before his eyes?
How did you know? Kieran asked with a heavy tone.
When he asked, many spections ran through his head.
Was it because of the [Lucky Card] from before?
Or some other methods that no one else knew of?
Kieran was trying his best to figure out what Wu had done.
You dont have to specte so much. I didnt do anything and will not be doing anything bad to you. I just saw it.
Wu took a deep breath after that to adjust her emotions, but despite the efforts, what she saidter sounded difficult for her to utter.
I saw... your death.
Chapter 1252 - Habit
Chapter 1252: Habit
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
You saw my death? What kind of death? Kieran asked with an interested tone.
There was no panic, no fear between the lines.
Wu obviously mistook Kierans reaction to her words.
Please believe me! said Wu.
Then a stack of cards appeared in her hand, simr to when Kieran saw Wu do her divination for the first time.
The cards wereid down in three rows: five cards in the first, four cards in the second and three cards in the third.
Then, when the cards had been flipped over, Lawless jumped up from the sofa and almost crawled on the table.
The cards were changing and no matter which card, all of them changed into a picture of a...
skull! A broken skull with its lower jaw opened wide!
A ck stream of energy was swirling above the skull.
Lawless could even hear the wails from the dead in his ears.
Whats going on? Lawless asked in a heavy tone.
This is my divination!
Wu then opened her skill tab and disyed one of her skill to Kieran and Lawless.
[Destiny Divination: Consume 10,000 Points and 12 Destiny Cards to perform a divination to the person or incident before you. Same person or incident can only be foretold 3 times per week. The results of the divination isnt a true fact but extremely close to it. 3 times per day.]
...
After looking through [Destiny Divination]s attribute, Lawless clutched his fist hard.
Do it again, Ill pay, said Lawless.
He obviously did not believe in the results.
I dont need your payment.
Wu shook her head and started another round of divination. However, the results were the same, 12 Destiny Cards all showing nothing but skulls.
The atmosphere in the small living room instantly became heavy. Lawless heavy breathing could be heard clearly.
Again! Lawless almost shouted at Wu.
Wu tried the third time.
And the results?
Same.
12 skull cards were ced on the tables. Their lower jaws were wide open, and together with their dark eye sockets, it looked like the skulls wereughing sinisterly, showing off endless sneers and malicious intent.
Bang!
Lawless kicked the table away and stepped on the cards that had fallen on the floor.
Laugh! Laugh your as*! Ill make your f*cking skullugh!
Lawless stomped on the cards as he cursed, unable to ept what he had seen.
He hated the fact, to be honest, and it was only natural that he couldnt ept it with an open heart.
It was simr to that time that his best friend died in front of him and he was helpless against it.
Two of his friends died before.
He couldnt ept a third one dying, so he wanted to change that.
Tell me, what should I do?
Lawless eyes were red as heid there and stared at Wu sitting there in her chair.
Dashes of killing intent slowly leaked out, following Lawless heavy breaths.
The temperature in the living room rapidly plummeted.
Wu saw her breath turn white, her body even feeling frozen, at one point.
Just as she did in the first meeting, Wu thoroughly sized up the man who behaved differently from normal.
So this is your true nature? Wu whispered to herself and shook her head.
What do you mean, dont tell me you can see it but you cant change it? If thats the case...
Lawless words rapidly turned cold, his materialized killing intent turning into a gale and rumbling in the living room.
The tables and sofa chairs were all toppled over. A faint beastly grumble could even be heard.
It was a... tigers roar!
A striped tiger mirage started to faintly appear, its eyes being very real to the point that Wu thought she had really run into a man-eating tiger.
I...
Enough.
Just as Wu had started to say something, Kieran spoke. He didnt just interrupted Wu, he also ced his hand on Lawless shoulder.
Lawless instinctively turned around to his friend.
Even with the system blur, Lawless sharp senses could tell that his friend was smiling.
Smiling?
Smiling in the face of death?
The familiar situation made Lawless even more anxious.
2567, we cant give up. Ill try to think of a way to turn this damn destiny sh*t around! said Lawless anxiously.
The scene he had worried about the most had happened.
Damn it!
What should I do!?
Lawless was ever anxious, his brain spinning as fast as it could, but soon enough, Lawless attention was captured by Kierans reply.
Give up? Since when have I ever given up? I wont submit to life. If I really did submit, Id have been dead since long ago! Kieran said calmly.
Then what about the calmness just now? Lawless was not expecting this.
Do you really think that I will die honestly? Stop joking! No one can push me over a cliff just like that! Not even destiny or fate! Kieran emphasized each and every word.
I can help you! Tell me about everything regarding death in yourst dungeon run, and Ill try my best to help you! said Wu.
Kieran, at the moment, in Wus eyes, even with that blurred out face, was rapidly merging with the person of her memories.
Not even before death shall he falter.
No, not only death, he would be strong against anything!
Others might see it as despair, but him?
Strong and full of hope.
Amid her absent-minded state, Wu seemed to hear what the person in her memories said before.
In the soil of despair, only the seed of hope can grow.
When Wu came back from her nk state, she realized Kieran was striding outside the corridor.
Wait! 2567, you...
I am not just familiar with the teasing of fate, Im used to it as well... and also used to fighting it alone! said Kieran.
Kieran then walked out of the living room without pause.
His calm tone rendered Lawless and Wu, back in the living room, quiet. They couldnt find words to argue with him.
When facing the sudden illness that had befallen him, Kieran was scared before, he feared it before, hed even cried in the night before, but... was it all useful?
No.
Other than plunging deeper into despair, the venting of emotions didnt do him any good.
Since feeling despair was useless, why not search for hope?
A wounded animal learned to be strong by licking its own wounds and also learning to never give up.
Lawless and Wu didnt know what Kieran had been through before in real life but they could tell it was his reality.
The fact caught them off guard, rendering them helpless against all actions.
They watched Kierans figure walk out the living room, and they didnt know what to do, how to react.
As Wu was staring nkly into the air and Lawless was falling weak on the sofa, Kierans voice suddenly came through the corridor.
Lawless? What are you doing? Hurry up, Im buying drinks for todays auction.
A smile instantlynded on Lawless blurred out face. He jumped up and gave chase to Kieran.
Wu, who was stunned, also regained her senses.
She couldnt help but cry out loudly.
Chapter 1253 - Disadvantage
Chapter 1253: Disadvantage
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Wu could clearly hear the conversation going on in the corridor while crying.
Im here! I want the strongest whiskey there is!
Dont even think about it. Im buying you the cheapest only.
Why are you like this? I am selling your equipment for the highest price!
That is why I am only buying you a drink, the cheapest one.
You bloody, stingy ghost.
Ill take that as apliment.
...
As the conversation moved further away, Wus crying got louder. Even after Rachel walked in, she didnt stop.
Dont be too concerned about those bastards. They never know a womans heart. All they care is themselves and do reckless things.
Rachel wasforting Wu as though she was feeling the same but Wu didnt even hear what she said. She was already drowning in her own memories. She saw a scene in her mind.
Inside a dark room, a figure darker than the night was tidying his many pieces of equipment, and even when Wu, who was also inside the room, dissuaded him, the ck figure still spoke in a voluble way.
Im used to fighting alone!
What? Having someone backing you up is the best!
That is why you dont understand my romance!
Wu chose topromise with the figure because of love.
Love blinds people.
Love blinded Wu to the point that she neglected some basic key points.
Then, she received the cruelest oue.
Now, the choice was presented to her again.
How could she make the wrong choice again with a mistake in the past?
She wanted to correct her wrongs!
She wanted to correct his fate!
Romance? To hell with your romance! I was wrong once, why should I be wrong again?
Wu was screaming loudly while wiping her tears.
Her persistent and resolute eyes shook Rachels heart for a bit. She knew what her good friend was going to do and out of instinct, she wanted to stop her good friend.
However, before Rachel could speak, Wu spoke first.
Help me. Dont try to stop me! I missed him once, I wont allow myself to make the same mistake twice! Ive lost him once, I cant endure the pain of losing him again! And there... is only one ce that I know of that could help 2567. Only in that ce can I get what I am looking for! said Wu.
A deep breathter, she turned to her bag, which only she could see.
[The Wisher (Main Scroll)]!
[The Wisher (Sub Scroll x 4)]!
...
The auction began as promised.
[Ghastly Woods Short Knife] as a starter item perfectly finished its mission.
10,000 Points and 3 Skill Points were quite the price for a Magic rank item with limitations, but it was also because of that that the short knife wouldnt be dragging down its wielders movement.
Thetter was quite favourable among lone wolf yers, and ultimately, it was bought by a lone wolf yer standing in the shadows.
Lawless raised his cup at the yer with a smile.
The cup that he raised, of course, was the drink that Kieran bought himthe cheapest and most affordable honey wine. 1 Point could buy three sses and sometimes an extra or two based on Rachels mood.
However, Lawless didnt mine at all.
He sipped it little by little as though he were enjoying the nectar of heavens. After all, it was the drink that Kieran bought him.
While Lawless was carefully sipping his nectar, the auction for [Cunning Viper Sword] started.
When the auctioning began, the calling price swiftly broke through the base price of 100K Points that Lawless set, and since there were many solo yers around, the price swiftly entered 300K points.
Coll, sitting at the side, was rendered speechless by the price.
Expensive.
An equipment thats normal attack reaches Powerful and is able to go up to Extreme attack through a certain condition will never slip past a yers eye as long as the requirements are met. For those yers that have been lingering around Advance Ranks and are still unable to fully ascend, this equipment might be the key for their true ascension, Hanses whispered to Coll while sitting beside her.
Advance Ranks...I failedst time.
When Advance Ranks were mentioned, Colls voice turned gloomy.
You will get through it next time! Clutch the beginners mind! And I swear on both my fists that you will get through it! Hanses said seriously.
Mm. Coll took a nce at Hanses and nodded hard.
They were very close to each other, as they were whispering, but whenever others would look at them, they would sit straight and act like nothing happened.
They thought they had covered it up wlessly, but in the eyes of the familiar acquaintances, it was like they had stolen a bell while covering up their ears.
Raven the Loner caressed the cat in his arms and held his pet tighter.
Ram curled his lips into a grin and reached both of his hands out for his swords.
Rhino, on the other hand, breathed heavily. He then grabbed a wine barrel beside him and took big gulps into his body.
Kieran was leaning on the bar counter, watching it all with a smile.
He did not dislike what he was seeing. Instead, he gave them his blessing.
He raised the honey lemon water and performed a toast for Hanses and Coll.
To love.
After a gulp, Kieran raised his cup in the air again.
To freedom.
The honey lemon water swiftly reached the bottom after some toasting.
While the stingy Kieran tightened his wallet and rejected Rachels suggestion for another drink, the auction for [Cunning Viper Sword] came to an end.
The final big price was 450K Points, greatly surpassing the range a solo yer could afford.
However, Kieran was quite surprised at the lone wolf who bought the said sword.
The lone wolf yer wasnt a stranger to Kieran. Kieran had seen him before.
A while ago, the said yer used 30,000 Points and 5 Skill Points to buy Kierans [Fighters Bandage], [Interrogator Knife], [Dark Venom Dagger] and [Nimble Boots]. All the mentioned items were decent Magic rank items.
Now, the yer had bought [Cunning Viper Sword] with 450K points.
One needed to know, thest time Kieran met this yer, the yer was supposed to a newbie.
A risk yer? Kieran muttered to himself.
Only a yer who ignored the three months window of dungeon entry and entered a dungeon once the cooldown was reset could earn that kind of value. In addition, each dungeon run had to be a harvest.
Sighing, Kieran shook his head.
Everyone had their own opportunity.
He would not be jealous, he would only seize his own opportunity.
After the auction for [Cunning Viper Sword] ended, a lot of lone wolf yers scattered away.
Other than those that habitually lingered in Harvest Inn, only the yer who bought the sword and one of hisrades were left in the inn.
Then, the said duo walked towards Kieran.
Mr. 2567, can we have a talk? I have some news for you, the unfavourable kind that will put you in a disadvantage. And I think you should know this, the yer said.
He had added more after the request to have a talk with Kieran as if he were afraid Kieran would reject him.
Disadvantage?
All the remaining attention in the inn was instantly captivated.
Chapter 1254 - Valuable!
Chapter 1254: Valuable!
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
While being showered by the gazes of other lone wolves, this yer, who Kieran once met before, did not panic. Instead, he nodded at all of them to express his presence.
The other lone wolves nodded back at the yer.
Obviously, the others knew this yer as well.
Come on, Garwen, tell us whats going on? Lawless rushed the yer.
ir, I think its best that you say it yourself.
The yer named Garwen stepped aside and revealed the other yer that was following him.
Compared to the firm Garwen, his friend behind him was much more nervous.
Not only was he breathing in a hurry, he was also trembling slightly. When he looked at Kieran, his eyes were evasive.
The evasive gaze piqued Kierans curiosity.
Have we met?
O-Once. I epted someones mission before and was responsible for watching a certain yers room, ir said with a stutter.
Someone? A certain room?
Kieran squinted his eyes and recalled the battle with the cunning merchant.
The others were also quite familiar with the incident.
Right away, their gazes toward ir changed.
The already nervous ir grew even more nervous when he noticed the different gazes on him.
He didnt forget to exin himself though.
I-I didnt mean anything bad. I was just hired. I dont have anything against you.
I can prove what he said, Garwen stood up for his friend and assured the crowd.
Garwen, are you sure? Lawless asked.
His tone and expression were absent of their usual cheerfulness and humor. The others were also very serious about the topic.
They knew Garwen and were willing to believe in him, but because of that, they worried about one thing that might happen...
Lies!
There were certain reasons why yers became lone wolves and yed the game solo.
Some were loners by nature, like Kieran.
Some, however, acquired or adopted the loner nature, like the others.
Many of them must have tried to clear dungeon worlds in groups but the final oue turned them into solo yers.
What happened?
The answer was self-exnatory.
The lone wolves that ran dungeon worlds alone did not keep themselves away from reality. Quite the opposite, as they cherished everyone they called friend more than normal people did.
Therefore, they always lingered in Harvest Inn, staying in the ce that had friends and allowed them to rx.
None of the lone wolves wished for anything to happen to their beloved ones, neither in terms of people or matter.
I am sure, Garwen took a deep breath and put emphasis on his assurance.
After that, Garwen took out the oath contract he had prepared beforehand and wrote his name on it. ir also wrote down his name without a second thought.
Looking at the oath contract with both of their names, the atmosphere in the inn slightly lifted.
Rhino grabbed a ss of wine and went over to ir.
ir? Rhino.
Rhino briefly introduced himself and handed the ss to ir.
ir extended his hand towards Rhino for a shake.
Im ir... Cough Cough!
He tilted his neck backwards and finished the drink in his hand, but he had drank too fast. Before he could finish the whole drink, he coughed halfway and almost choked.
The scene attractedughs from the crowd.
Theughs didnt harbour any intent to mock him, just inughs of kindness.
Amid the kindughs, ir clearly felt the barrier between him and the lone wolves around him swiftly going way.
He was slowly bing a part of this special group.
Huu!
ir heaved a long breath.
Although his friend had assured him before, ir was finally, truly relieved at this moment.
After all, he had to face the Fiery Devil that killed without blinking an eye!
Rumours has it that hundreds to thousands of yers died in the devils hand, and all of them died gruesomely.
Even Broker, who almost ruled the whole city, wasnt his opponent and was forced to rest temporarily to cure his injuries.
Whenever ir thought about the fact that he had gone against the Fiery Devil in the past, he would feel very sick.
Since then, he had tried to figure out how he could redeem his shallow rtionship with Kieran.
He was especially eager to redeem himself now that he had already deviated from his original dungeon clearing methods and be a lone wolf, a solo yer.
He didnt wish to see himself drinking and chatting with friends in Harvest Inn one moment and then getting killed by the devil in the next moment when he was walking out with his friends.
Coincidentally, an opportunity presented itself in front of ir.
ir thought he might have to seize the chance, so he told his friend everything.
His friend, on the other hand, did not let him down. Garwen didnt just fully support him, he even thought of a n to approach the situation, although ir was quite reluctant to sign that oath contract at first.
After truly turning into a solo yer, he hated any kind of restrictions on him, but he still chose to listen to his friends persuasion.
Now, feeling the kindness around him, ir was grateful for his choice.
He then sorted his thoughts and said, I was half a mercenary before this. Aside frompleting my own dungeon runs, I would sometimes stop by the transit station to get some easier missions. The mission that required me to watch Sir 2567 was from the station.
Although Ive be a solo yer now... a lone wolf, I still keep my habit of paying the transit station a visit to have a looksee. Before I came to the inn, I noticed that someone put a bounty on Sir 2567 in the transit stationthe sure kill kind.
ir was still very nervous in front of Kieran, but the others didnt care about that, too captivated by irs words.
Transit station, a spot simr to a mission board, but the missions came from yers themselves.
No information or traces would be left there, only the mission content being revealed, and after the missions werepleted, the yer who took the mission would get a corresponding pay.
No one could retract the missions payment though, because when the mission was being published, the publishing yer had to sign a contract with the system.
The general contract was as such: I, XXX, will give the payment to yers whoplete my mission, no lies, no dishonesty, etc.
With the existence of the system contract, the mission boards in the transit stations became reliable.
Kieran knew about the transit stations as well. He was quite clear about it, to be exact, because there was one transit station of a sort in Harvest Inn.
The reputation of this particr transit station spread further than the others in the city.
Not just because this transit station was managed by someone, unlike the other automated ones that were scattered and hidden in the corners of the city, but also because this transit station required a high publishing fee.
Kieran had published once before, but as a wanted person on the board, it was a first for him.
A sure kill bounty? How much? Kieran asked with slight interest.
Five million Points! ir answered.
Heavy gasps resounded in the inn instantly.
Chapter 1255 - Respond
Chapter 1255: Respond
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
How much?! Lawless cried out in shock uncontrobly.
Five million Points! I am sure the bounty reward is no joke and the one who can provide this many points doesnt seem to be joking either, ir answered with a bitter smile.
Five million Points! Never thought my head would be worth that much! Its such a huge amount that if it werent for killing me, I would sell myself, Kieran eximed.
Benefiting from his very first decision of excavating through every dungeon world, Kieran had acquired an unimaginable amount of wealth throughout his efforts.
However, asking him to fork out a hefty five million Points at once was extremely difficult unless he sold his core equipment and items, but that was not realistic for him.
Killing the hens in favor of the eggs, quenching ones thirst with poison, Kieran would notmit to such a losing act.
Likewise, he believed that others would not want to deal in a losing business either.
So, the one who put a five million Points bounty on him either held a deep grudge against him or bore ulterior motives!
Coincidentally, Alisritter the Swordsmith had warned him before.
Is it the same group of people or another party? Kieran wondered quietly.
While Kieran was pondering over the topic, Lawless mmed the table and stood up.
Broker! It must be him! That damn cunning bastard!
After going through a series of incidents, Lawless vignce toward Broker had evolved into a teeth-clenching grudge.
If he had a chance to kill Broker, he would not hesitate to and would blow Brokers head off with his gun.
So, in this kind of sensitive timing, when someone published an absurdly high bounty on Kieran, Lawless automatically linked it to Broker. It was only natural for the connection.
First, Broker had beef with Kieran.
Second, Broker was rich.
No matter which angle one looked at it, Broker fitted all the criteria of the publisher.
In fact, not just Lawless had that thought, the other lone wolves shared simr thoughts as well.
That bastard hasnt learned his lesson? We should sweep his base point again, but fiercer this time! Ramont suggested.
His suggestion resonated with the other lone wolf yers, attracting agreement from all other than Coll.
Wait, you guys, dont you think this is a little too deliberate? The problem just showed itself in front of us and the answer was found right after that? This doesnt fit the Broker that I know. Based on Brokers style, if he were really plotting something, we wouldnt know what he was really thinking until the veryst moment.
Perhaps it was the delicate thinking of a girl or the sharp sixth sense of a woman, but Coll felt that something was wrong.
When she voiced out her opinion, the crowd was stunned.
Since they were able to be solo yers, they were not idiots. Maybe they were skilled in different areas, maybe their personalities and attitudes differed; some were hot-tempered, some were cool, but regardless, they were able to react the fastest to incidents.
As for the slower reactions?
Simr to the number of yers that joined the big city every day, those who vanished from the city every day were not few as well.
Someone is trying to cheat us? Hanses touched his chin.
Not just cheat though. Think about those five million Points! Other than Broker, who else would be able to gather that many points without affecting his or her own progress? Rhino smiled coldly.
The few solo yers exchanged gazes and it seemed that they had an answer in their minds.
I have some clues. I ran into Alisritter the Swordsmith before this. I dont know if the group he warned me about and this five million Points publisher are the same, but I can be sure of one thing. Since they appeared in this timing, these guys are plotting something even bigger than what we are specting! Five million Points is no small amount and if they are willing to use the amount as bait, they will surely be gaining a lot more. 10 million? 20 million? Or maybe more.
Kieran told the crowd what he encountered before this and after ncing at the shocked solo yers, his blurred out face grinned.
Then...shall we do something big? Kieran asked.
Of course! Since those bastards made their move, are we still gonna sit around like cowards?
Thats right! I am not a coward!
Rhino was the first to agree to the suggestion, followed by Ramont echoing him.
Um, lets do something big!
Hanses and Coll exchanged gazes before nodding in unison.
Then, the crowd looked at Raven the Loner.
As his title suggested, although Raven had joined in the group discussion, he did not speak throughout the process or have the slightest intention to. He was carrying his cat and sitting there quietly as the discussion went on.
When everyone looked at him, Raven only looked back. He nodded, expressing his agreement.
As for Lawless?
No one asking him didnt mean they didnt respect Lawless opinion, but everyone knew whenever his friend was in trouble, Lawless would not sit out of the trouble.
Uh... then... Can we join? Garwen and ir asked with hesitance.
Of course!
Lawless immediately nodded and looked around at his friends. As if the crowd was sharing a special link with Lawless, everyone replied in one voice, Wee aboard!
...
As for the nning, arrangements, and countermeasures that followed, Kieran didnt lead the group, instead passing it over to Lawless and the others.
There is strength in numbers.
The saying was applicable in any ce and situation, especially when it was a group of people that ran dungeons alone who got together. Given their carefulness, vignce and ability to improvise, though their n might not be the most perfect one, it would be a steady one.
Understanding the saying, Kieran became a listener throughout the process.
After the ns were made and everyone moved out, Kieran moved out as wellhe returned to 13th Wallway Street.
It wasnt escaping but... waiting!
He was waiting for the five million Points bounty to brew, waiting for those yers dizzed by the bounty to jump him.
In simpler words, Kieran had temporarily be bait and he didnt mind it at all. Quite the opposite, as he was quite happy to do it.
After all, it was indeed a hefty amount for a side ie.
The mercy andpassion towards the weak?
Sorry.
For Kieran, the yers who were dizzied by the bounty would be his enemy if theyunched an attack against him.
In Kierans dictionary, there was only one word to treat his enemy: kill!
Carrying his bag, Kieran departed from the train and slowly walked towards his room.
His Intuition began scanning the surroundings.
Fire Raven acted as his eyes from above in the sky and did not let the slightest detail slip.
Kieran would never underestimate anyone, especially the yers in the big city. No one knew what kind of weird items or skills those yers possessed.
But Kieran didnt pick up any hostility near his room. Instead, he saw... Starbeck, the mimosa.
Starbeck was holding a basket.
Ive made cookies and brought tea! Starbeck raised the basket in his hand.
I smelled it, cream cookies with strawberry and orange vour.
Kieran couldnt hold back his smile and went up to open the door.
As the door slowly closed, both of them vanished behind the door.
Chapter 1256 - Got Off The Train
Chapter 1256: Got Off The Train
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kacha, kacha!
Amidst the noisy crunching, the cookies in the basket were finished quickly.
Kieran was never a picky eater, he also had an unimaginable tolerance for food, so even if the food had ws, he didnt mind, let alone a near-perfect piece of cookie.
Kieran ate his cookies happily.
When the cookies in the basket were finished, Starbeck poured a cup of tea from the thermal sk and served it to Kieran.
I should really use a teapot, the thermal sh might keep it warm but it will rob the freshness of the tea leaves and make it a bitter drink. Too bad I cant find a suitable teapot. Starbeck sighed softly after Kieran epted the tea.
I dont know much about tea but this is good enough. Just like the food you make, it always gives me a kind of feeling that others cant, Kieran replied with a smile.
His words werent overplimenting Starbeck, it was the truth for him.
Kieran tasted many kinds of food in the dungeon world but none couldpare to Starbecks cooking.
Not in terms of color, aroma or taste and definitely not because of different cooking ingredients but... Gluttony!
Every time he tasted Starbecks cooking, Gluttony was more lively than at any other time. This time was no exception either.
Standing in front of the temptation of food, Gluttony expelled the chaos and darkness in Kierans body almost twice as fast as before.
After getting a satisfying meal, the expelling speed grew faster, almost twofoldpared to the original speed.
Kieran could clearly feel the chaos and darkness in his body being rapidly clearing up.
But when the chaos and darkness in his body were emptied out, the clump in his brain refilled his body with the exact amount of chaos and darkness again.
Kieran was used to it anyhow, he wasnt anxious by any means.
Dripping water wears through stones. Kieran truly believed that.
So before that day arrives, he needed to prepare himself sufficiently.
He drained the tea in his cup and gave back the empty cup to Starbeck whose eyes were cheery as he smiled and they turned into crescent moons.
For Starbeck, what else was better than Kieranspliments?
Complimenting twice!
This is really good.
Ill send you back, Kieran then stood up.
Huh? What happened? Starbeck was stunned.
Starbeck was sure that Kieran knew he came to 13th Wallway Street with bodyguards.
Given the conditions, Kieran still wanted to send him back...
He might be a coward but he definitely wasnt an idiot. Quite the opposite, Starbeck was smart enough and sharp enough.
Kieran didnt hide the truth from Starbeck either.
After categorizing Starbeck as his friend, Kieran wouldnt purposely hide the fact that he had a bounty on his head.
Kieran honestly told Starbeck what happened after Starbeck asked.
A five million Point bounty on you?!
A keen gaze appeared in Starbecks bright eyes as if a small white flower grew thorns.
One could hardly imagine the changes in Starbecks eyes.
Kieran who saw the other side of Starbeck before wasnt all that surprised though, but what Starbeck said after that still shook him.
Leave it to me. If he used five million to put a bounty on you, Ill put a 10 million bounty for his location and 10 more million for his life. That guy has no idea what the true power of money is, Starbeck said seriously.
With his serious tone, the numbers that Starbeck mentioned sounded so worthless, as though five million and 10 million are purely numbers to Starbeck, not something that yers risked their lives for.
But Kieran believed that Starbeck meant what he said, it was just that he wouldnt allow him to do it, even though it will be the simplest way.
If that guy is really the mastermind behind this, I would really want you to do so, it would be a clean and lethal strike, Kieran smiled and shook his head.
He isnt the mastermind? I guess thats right as well. While Broker was so active in the big city and the Guardians lurked in the dark, this guy didnt even show his face. Seems like this guy is much more patient than expected, he shouldnt have used a direct way to remove the biggest obstacles in the Big City, said Starbeck after some thought.
Yup. So, I have reason to believe that the guy who published the bounty on me is just a distraction that the mastermind put out to attract our attention. Dont worry. Ill deal with it. I am also quite curious which guy is so patient. Now, its time for you to go home. Ill send you, Kieran then stood up.
Starbeck followed Kieran out of 13th Wallway Street and boarded the train. The two bodyguards that hid in the dark also boarded the train shortly after but both of them sat beside Starbeck without reading the atmosphere.
Obviously, both the bodyguards were carrying out their duty in protecting Starbeck, despite both of them knowing Starbeck was in the safest ce in the Big City at the moment.
The power of the Fiery Devil was acknowledged by all a while ago, so the bodyguards knew as well.
Kieran sized up the two bodyguards and nodded slightly.
He was quite satisfied with the professionalism in the bodyguards.
Kieran would protect Starbeck no matter what happened and it was a cold hard fact but given the condition, the two bodyguards still ced Starbecks safety above all, it was enough to show their professionalism.
It would also be natural that such professional bodyguards appeared around Starbeck.
Whats wrong? Starbeck asked.
Not bad, Kieran answered.
It sounded like a brainless answer but Starbeck reacted quickly and nodded with a smile.
The bodyguards were always his first line of defense since he was a coward.
He knew it himself, so Starbeck would never be careless.
The train soon arrived at its destination.
The two bodyguards stepped off the train first to make sure it was safe.
After they made sure the coast was clear, they signaled Kieran and Starbeck.
However, just as Kieran was walking down the train side by side with Starbeck, he frowned.
Malicious intent!
And...
Reflection!
Sniper!
As the information popped up in his mind, Kierans body already moved forward and blocked Starbeck behind him.
Bang!
A gunshot came from afar and the yellow bulletnded on [Primus Scale II], the force field barrier.
The bullet was obviously custom made.
After the bullet struck the Extreme level defensive barrier, it didnt cancel out the impact, instead, an explosion went off and caused the Extreme level defensive barrier to tremble.
But ultimately, it did not prate the barrier.
Pak!
The distorted bullet fell to the floor.
That sound was like a signal gun as it attracted more attacks.
Dak Dak Dak Dak Dak Dak!
Concentrated webs of bullets quickly covered Kieran from his nks.
Further away, two rockets were fired at their target with a smokey trail.
Chapter 1257 - Reveal
Chapter 1257: Reveal
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Quantity incites qualitative change.
Kieran sternly believed in that saying.
And it seemed like these attackers believed it as well and they had very good timing.
A moment where that Kieran couldnt dodge and this allowed the attackers to stack their firepower and rockets into the qualitative change in their mind.
Unfortunately, the qualitative change did note, or in other words, they picked the wrong person to mess with.
Huuu!
The scorching mes were fired out.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The web of bullets that came from Kierans nks were quickly drowned by the mes, signs of life instantly vanished.
The flying rockets in the sky also burst into mes and were burned to cinders by the Devil me.
The sudden assault ended that suddenly as well.
What was left of the scene was rumbling mes and endless ming tongues ravaging the streets.
Kieran nced at a further spot. He then put away his gaze and turned to Starbeck behind him.
Even with the system blur, Kieran was very sure that Starbecks face was as pale as paper at the moment, but reality exceeded Kierans expectation.
Kieran saw Starbecks eyes that showed calm and firmness.
Standing behind you, I am not afraid, Starbeck answered shyly at Kierans surprised gaze.
Um... Lets get back to your room first. Ill go after the leftoverster. And I really think you should find some real bodyguards or equip them with an arsenal fitting of their loyalty! A bare-fisted hunter cant defeat a jackal, but with a hunting rifle, the hunter can face a group of jackals! Kieran said as he walked Starbeck back.
I really tried my best in the arsenal part but...
Starbeck nced over the two bodyguards in an ugly state after the assault and still followed him tightly. He couldnt help but shake his head.
When the fight broke out just now, the two bodyguards swiftly blocked Starbecks nks, blocking away possible stray bullets.
Their loyalty was indisputable, even without the assault just now, Starbeck absolutely trusted the two of them. More precisely, the moment the two of them appeared around him, Starbeck already acknowledged them.
It was just that...
Loyalty did not equate to strength.
Although Starbeck tried his best in giving help to his bodyguards in terms of weapons and items, their growth was less than pleasant.
In fact, all the previous bodyguards of Starbeck shared the same fate of misery.
All of the bodyguards easily cleared the first three dungeons including the trial dungeon consecutively, but when they reached the fourth and fifth dungeon, idents always happened.
Most of them died and it made Starbeck even more afraid of dungeon runs, it also made him hesitant.
Arsenals arent limited to skills and items only, here as well, Kieran pointed at his temple. You should let your bodyguards get some dungeon experience from Lawless and the othersjust experience, dont ask about the contents. If you pay them ordingly, I dont think they will reject.
Dungeon world experience? Starbecks eyes shone.
He never thought of that before.
His fear of dungeon worlds made him instinctively rejected any kind of information, matters about dungeon worlds and with the unwritten rules among yers, it provided Starbeck with an excuse.
If the words didnte out from Kierans mouth, Starbeck wouldnt even let the person finish and would directly reject the suggestion.
Kieran then walked Starbeck back to his room.
Be careful, Starbeck said to Kieran after he opened the door.
Mhmm, Kieran nodded.
He watched the door close and the warmth in his eyes was reced by sheer coldness.
Although he knew the assault just now was just someone testing the water, it didnt mean he would forgive them.
Just like what Kieran thought before, those who were enamored by money and opposed him would be his enemy.
As for his enemies?
Kill!
Forgiveness?
Sorry, Kieran didnt have that big of a heart and had even less tolerance.
He couldnt face death honestly, neither could he forgive any kind of people or matters that caused death.
...
Huuhaa! Huuhaa!
A man holding his sniper rifle was swiftly shuttling across the streets of the Big City. His blurred out face had a heavy sense of fear.
Thats right, fear!
He heard the rumors of the Fiery Devil before but no rumors couldpare to the first-hand experience of the horror.
Only when one truly experienced and saw the scorching mes would one understand how horrifying the Devil me was.
The group of a dozen men that he gathered with utmost preparation were finished off just like that?
Until now, the man was still a little absent-minded.
That group he put together was armed with a full set of high powered arsenals, thebination could easily clear his current dungeon level!
And that barrier just now!
That barrier blocked the custom made bullet that could tear through a Strong level barrier, the special bullet that contributed to his meritorious achievement could not even move an inch through the devils barrier!
Scary!
Too scary!
Sweat kept gushing out of his forehead.
He had decided to give up on the bountypletely and hide in his room until the coast was clear before he showed himself in public again.
But before that!
He had to bring a sufficient amount of resources with him!
When the thought urred to him, the man showed a ferocious smile behind his system blur.
He wanted to take out his coborator.
This n of his never changed from the start.
Since the beginning, the man deemed his coborator as a backup n in case the first n failed.
Soon, the man entered the promised alleyway.
He saw his target in the shadow with a single nce.
We failed. We must hide ording to n...
As the man spoke, he slowly approached his target and when he reached optimum distance, he pulled out his gun and fired at his target.
Bang Bang Bang!
Muzzle sh shone.
A magazine clip was emptied out in less than a second.
The man seemed to be quite confident about his charge up attack.
He was waiting for the target to fall, but then he saw a barrier.
A very familiar barrier that blocked all the bullets.
You... The man screamed in shock.
But the moment his words came out of his mouth, the target in the shadow extended a hand and dragged the man inside.
Then...
Kacha!
A neck-snapping noise was heard.
...
Meanwhile, inside a dark room, a neck-snapping noise was also heard.
Ive said it before, wait and observe!
Ive said it before, we need to ce our attention on the Guardians!
Ive said it before, we need to drag Broker into our pace!
You? You idiots think that youre so smart. Now you screwed up everything!
Each time the voice spoke, a punch was dished out at the target.
With each punch thatnded on the target, bone-cracking sounds followed.
There were four other people in the room, all of them looked at the brutal beating but none spoke.
They were waiting for an answer.
Dak Dak Dak.
Footsteps sounded, the figure whose hand was tainted with blood slowly walked out from the shadows.
Ill give you all a satisfying exnation, the man said.
Chapter 1258 - Prepare
Chapter 1258: Prepare
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
What kind of exnation? Hitting the bush to scare away the snake?
The grumpiest, most hot-tempered of the four had spoken first. His tone was not friendly and his eyes were filled with rage.
In fact, all four of them looked very angry.
No one wished for the things that they nned for so long to go south just because of a small insignificant person.
I said I would give you all an exnation and I meant it.
The figure that walked out from the shadows didnt speak anymore, instead, he turned around and left the dark room.
The grumpy person watched the figures back and it wasnt until it left his sight that he sent his men to confirm whether the figure had actually left. After the confirmation, the rage in the grumpy persons eyes vanished.
What reced the rage was... delight.
Nicely done.
The leader of the four spoke leisurely.
Of course! Who do you think is making things happen! The grumpy person added.
The grumpy person threw away the hot temper and rage a while ago, what was left of him was a sinister look.
I dont care about the others, I just need assurance that he wont notice.
Another voice from the corner spoke softly.
Youre suspecting my capabilities? When we held the vote for me to direct this operation, I remember you voted in agreement as well, the seemingly grumpy but sinister voice replied with a cold grunt.
That is because I didnt know you would use such a cheap trick! Trying to lure the Fiery Devil to kill this guy, you should be careful that they dont turn around and bite you! We cant afford to engage 2567 and Alisritter at both ends. Likewise, when Alisritter changes into this guy, we will suffer a massive loss as well.
The voice in the corner couldnt stay calm anymore, his voice didnt just get sharper, the rage was obvious in between the lines as well.
He could tolerate some extreme methods but he must be told beforehand.
This kind of quiet operation that was only made known to him after it was done was uneptable to him.
You should have some faith in me. Well then, to ensure the smoothness of the n, I have to go make some arrangements. Remember to tell me beforehand about the next gathering.
The seemingly grumpy but sinister person replied with a wide smile and before the other person could argue, he stood up and walked out.
Watching their coborator walk out on them, other than the person that argued mming the table hard to express his dissatisfaction, the remaining two people didnt say anything.
Especially the one who remained silent throughout the meeting, as though he never existed.
...
After leaving the dark room, the seemingly grumpy but sinister person hastened his steps.
The man hurried back to his room in a nearby area before heaving a long sigh of relief.
It seemed like the man wasnt as confident as he was in front of his coborator.
Or rather, he had a guilty conscience.
He knew exactly what kind of people he worked with, any slight misstep would expose him.
Should that happen, he would lose everything.
This should be fine, the man muttered and opened his PM tab to check the message sent to him a while ago.
Thoughts ran through his mind for a while before he replied and after that, he fell on the sofa, weak. He muttered to himself, You people really think that I dont know what your minds are thinking? Hmph! Trying to take me out? Then dont me me for making the first move!
In the end, he stood up again and his blurred out face had nothing but ferocity.
...
After taking out a couple of yers that came for the bounty, Kieran safely returned to his own room at 13th Wallway Street with an extra 50K points and two decent items.
As soon as he walked into his room, he put the two items on the table.
One was a rocketuncher, the other one was a sniper rifle.
[Name: Venom Viper- II (Retrofitted)]
[Type: Rocket Launcher]
[Rarity: Excellent]
[Attack: Powerful]
[Number of rounds: 2 rockets]
[Attribute: Consecutive Shot (able to fire rockets in session)]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: Firearm Weapons, Heavy Arms (Pro)]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: It should be equipment belonging the marines but its costly production fee limited its existence only in the ace spec ops teams]
...
[Name: Falcon- T1]
[Type: Firearm]
[Rarity: Excellent]
[Attack: Powerful]
[Magazine: 6 rounds]
[Attribute: 1. Armor Pration Lvl 2; 2. Super Range Shooting lvl 3; 3. Special Reload]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: Firearm Weapon, Light Firearm (Pro)]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: With 20 mm caliber firing mouth, it can be considered as a shoulder cannon]
...
[Armor Pration Lvl 2: Able to tear through Lightweight armor (Weak, Average, Strong defense)]
[Super Range Shooting Lvl 3: Effective range of 1.5 km.]
[Special Reload: Big caliber and special magazine allow it to be reloaded with most of the special bullets and it will not damage the gun.]
...
Looking at the two firearms, Kieran wasnt in a rush to sell them off after factoring in the uing dungeon.
Although at the end of [Primordial Invasion II], Kieran saw the unexpected, he was sure in [Primordial Invasion III], a modernized world would be involved.
Therefore, the preparation of firearms became necessary.
Naturally, Kieran, who currently had ack of firearms in reserve, connected the Gunsmith, Stagner, the person that cksmith once introduced him to.
2567: I need some special bullets and RPG rounds.
Stagner: How many?
2567: Enough for me to win a small scale war.
Stagner: 3 days.
2567: K.
...
Stagner didnt ask what Kieran was going to do with that amount of firepower and Kieran was happy with it.
The Gunsmiths coldness might not make him a qualified businessman, but definitely a reliable dealer.
Three dayster...
The time for the bounty to brew.
Kieran would not waste precious time waiting.
He sat on the sofa and took out a book to read.
The book was brought back from [The Queens Shield], it was rted to Raven Sect and Viper Sect.
To quickly master [Fire Shower] and use [Essentials of Prime Viper Secret Technique Record], the readings were mandatory.
Fortunately, Kieran was quite fond of reading, he even enjoyed the process.
But he hated to be interrupted.
So, when he saw Wus request to enter the room, he couldnt be more bothered and it was hard for him to like her.
However, Wu was exceptionally persistent as she knocked on the door for almost two hours, Kieran was forced to open the door.
You better have something important to say.
Kieran said coldly after opening the door to Wu.
Mhmm, Wu nodded. There wasnt a bit of restlessness or anxious for knocking on the door for two hours, neither did she hate Kierans cold response.
She stood in front of Kieran and brought up a card.
[Lucky Card III]?!
Kieran raised a curious brow.
Ultimately, he stepped aside and allowed her to enter.
Chapter 1259 - Invite
Chapter 1259: Invite
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Wu entered Kierans room for the first time with curiosity and anticipation, sizing up everything sheid eyes on.
She hoped to see something happen and was worried to find something other than the expected.
When she saw the simple decorations and the messy environment amidst the setting, only the spot where he lived being considered clean, Wu smiled.
Exactly the same.
The familiar environment caused Wu, who was a little uneasy at first, to heave a breath of relief.
She turned around with crossed arms and watched Kieran, who was standing beside the door.
Lets trade? Wu then initiated a trade request of her own.
Although Wu really wanted to help Kieran unconditionally, after being rejected multiple times, Wu had graduallye to learn how to deal with Kieran.
He didnt like owing someone a debt of gratitude, not even to friends.
Wu did not dislike that though. Quite the opposite, she admired Kieran for his persistence.
In her eyes, Kieran with his personality was the right one, the correct one, the one closest to the person in her memories.
Likewise, Kieran, at the moment, was also being direct, like how she remembered him to be.
After the trade request was epted, Kieran put in 800K Points on his side of the trading column.
Is it enough? Kieran asked.
Um. Wu nodded and confirmed the deal.
Looking at the [Lucky Card III] in his hand, Kieran didnt feel a bit of heartache at spending that much on buying it.
Only those who truly experienced the effect of [Lucky Card III] could understand how important this Advanced Rank consumable card was.
Grant the yer more luck than usual. Even if it is trivial, it will be enough to alter ones destiny.
The remark on the card reminded Kieran of that monochromatic world at the end of [The Queens Shield III].
Danger coexists with opportunity.
But in order to fight danger and seize an opportunity, other than the required strength, the other essential element was... luck!
With a little bit of pure luck, though it wouldnt lower the dungeons difficulty, it would affect the loot throughout the dungeon.
Using a consumable Advanced Rank item to exchange for one or more continuous use Advance Rank items, maybe even more than that, Kieran would never have second thoughts.
Simrly, Kieran would also not have second thoughts on asking Wu to leave after the trade.
Seeing how Kieran posted a please gesture to ask her to leave, Wu took out another item.
A scroll!
[Reliable Repair Scroll]!
For Kieran, if he still wanted to repair [Extreme Night], [Reliable Repair Scroll] was a necessity.
In fact, he did ask Fisherman for an extra [Reliable Repair Scroll] before but Fisherman clearly stated that Freedom Alliance did not possess one at the moment, but he would keep an eye out for Kieran.
However, to Kierans surprise, Wu got it first.
He was sure that Wu didnt intend to keep the scroll in the first ce, otherwise, she wouldnt have brought it out to trade with him.
It seemed like after she heard the news about the trade with Fisherman, Wu had started to search for the scroll.
And being able to acquire one in a mere week, Kieran realized he had to re-evaluate Wus abilities.
There are more people than you can imagine in the big city that wish for my divination. And these peoples collections also exceed your imagination, said Wu as though she knew what Kieran was thinking.
But you did not expect my ie, or should I say, overestimated my ie. Sorry, after buying [Lucky Card III], I dont have the points to buy [Reliable Repair Scroll] anymore. Kieran once again posted a please gesture.
Despite having arge harvest every dungeon run, Kierans spending was huge as well, just like the Points he spent on [Lucky Card III] just now.
Now, Kieran was left with 180K Points and 60 Skill Points.
Even if he did not ask for ammunition from the Gunsmith, Stagner, the Points and Skill Points were far from sufficient.
Last time he bought the scroll from Fisherman, it cost him one million!
For him, the gap to fill now was so massive to the point that he gave up on buying [Reliable Repair Scroll].
As for owing Wu the Points?
Aside from Kieran being unwilling to owe others a debt of gratitude, the fact that it was Wu he would have to owe was enough for him to reject.
The strangeness in her since the first meeting had made an impression in Kierans heart, so every meeting after that, Kieran was used to being alert while dealing with her.
I know. So, lets switch the trading method, Wu said while taking out another card: [Lucky Card II]!
Kieran watched her. She seemed to havee prepared.
Any questions were not appropriate at the moment. Waiting and seeing were the best tactics for Kieran.
Wu ced [Lucky Card II] into the trading column as well.
Consider this as payment. I am hiring you to help me clear a dungeon! Of course, I know your dungeon rewards per run are far iparable to this, so...
Another card appeared in the trading column.
When Kieran saw the card, Kieran widened his eyes and his pupils shrunk.
[Name: Recharge Card]
[Type: Card]
[Rarity: III]
[Attribute: Use it to recharge the usage of your item that has depleted its usage count (The sess depends on the items rarity, its level and your luck.)]
[Remark: Its existence is pure luck, so when using it, luck is required.]
[Note: 1 time use only]
...
Recharge items with limited usage counts!
When he saw [Recharge Card], Kieran automatically thought of [Phantom Illusion Ring].
Although he had [Ring of the Serpent King], he didnt mind adding anotheryer of protection to his life.
Moreover,pared to the [Ring of the Serpent King, Snake Molt], [Phantom Illusion Ring] wouldnt weaken him after usage and would be able to shift his position when receiving attacks.
Comparing practical effects, [Phantom Illusion Ring] was no doubt stronger.
But its usage count was always a scruple for Kieran when using the ring.
So, when he saw [Recharge Card], he had thoughts of getting it, but he didnt disregard the consequences and ept the trade with Wu right away.
What kind of dungeon? Kieran asked.
Sign a contract with me, and Ill tell you everything, Wu said.
...
An hourter, Wu walked out of Kierans room with happy steps.
After turning around the corner, Rachel walked out from the shadow.
Seems like you did it. But need not for me to remind you, 2567 isnt the best option in your uing dungeon. Its not that he is not strong enough, but its his attitude! That guy has the strongest vignce Ive seen in anyone. With his high vignce, a lot of avoidable dangers will follow, Rachel emphasized again.
As a friend, she had the responsibility to remind her good friend, even if her words werent heard.
Didnt you say it before, 2567 will only lower his vignce toward those who he has been through life and death with and fought side by side with before? So... I am looking forward to those dangers! Wu replied and hastened her steps.
Looking at her friends back, Rachels temple felt swollen.
Why is it another stubborn girl? No one seems to give me a break here. You, Lawless, 2567... You people really take me for a nanny?
Angry, Rachel stomped on the ground fiercely.
The asphalt road cracked like a spiderweb when she stomped on it.
But a momentter, she sighed and chased after Wu.
She was still worried.
Worried about Wu, worried about Lawless, and even about Kieran.
Chapter 1260 - Learn
Chapter 1260: Learn
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran was sitting on his old broken sofa in his room quietly as thoughts ran through his mind.
Although Kieran sort of expected the dungeon that Wu hired him for to not be easy, he never thought it would be another Unique Title dungeon.
[Title dungeon: The Wisher (Sub-Scroll)]
[The Wisher: Eiders, at night, has fallen into panic. Continuous murders have made the prosperous and crowded streets empty, and those that hide in the corners of the city are tempted to move!]
[Dungeon cooldown: 10/10]
...
The Wisher?
Kieran took a deep breath as he looked at the sub-scroll in his hand.
Since he had been through a Unique Title dungeon before, he knew how hard it would be.
The only fortunate thing was that he didnt have to worry aboutpetitors this time.
Kieran didnt know how Wu got her hands on [The Wisher], but he knew the contract required him to help Wu get the title.
So, before that, he needed to do his best in preparation.
Almost instantly, Kieran took out [Lucky Card II], [Reliable Repair Scroll] and [Recharge Card].
[Used Lucky Card II]
[Using Reliable Repair Scroll on Extreme Night...]
[Repair starts...]
[Repair abnormality...]
[Extreme Night rarity is higher than Reliable Repair Scrolls safety repair limit!]
[Attempt highest rank of repair? Yes/No]
Yes.
As the golden white dazzling light shone, almost half of the cracks on [Extreme Night] disappeared.
[Name: Extreme Night (Damaged)]
[Type: Sword Type Weapon]
[Rarity: III]
[Attack: III]
[Attributes: 1. Night Veil; 2. Night sh]
[Effect: Night Protection]
[Prerequisite: Eliminate Ye Jing]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: As the longsword that Ye Jing gained in an ident before following him on his long conquest, its power is undisputed but it was damaged during the battle with you. Not only has its rarity gone down, its power has weakened a lot as well. Although it is still usable, be careful when you wield it. Maybe you can find a master swordsmith to repair it.]
...
[Night Veil: Extreme Night transforms into a ck moving light, blocking attacks that dont surpass rank III (including rank III). 30 second durations, 2 per day]
[Night sh: Perform a ck light sh with rank III attacks on a single target within a 200-meter radius, 2 per day]
...
[Night Protection: In the night/darkness, Night Veils duration increase by 20 seconds, Night shs range increases by 75 meters.]
...
After the second round of repairing, it didnt remove the [Damaged] suffix but its attributes changed again.
It can already block attacks within rank III and its attack radius is further erged. [Night Protection] acquired corresponding increment as well. Not too shabby. Kieran grinned.
Even though almost 1/3 of [Extreme Night] was still covered in cracks, it didnt affect his good mood.
And after using [Recharge Card], his good mood was further elevated.
[Using Recharge Card on Phantom Illusion Ring...]
[Repair starts...]
[Repair abnormality...]
[Detected Recharge Cards rarity is higher than Phantom Illusion Ring]
[Attempt highest rank of repair? Yes/No]
A leap of ranks?
The surprise in his heart didnt give him second thoughts. After giving a sure answer, the card broke and turned into a golden light, shrouding over [Phantom Illusion Ring] whole.
The light was very real. Even with Kierans sigh, he couldnt see what was going on inside.
Five secondster when the light faded, [Phantom Illusion Ring] had be a bronze ring embedded with a catseye stone.
[Rechargeplete, Phantom Illusion Ring rarity increased!]
[Name: Phantom Illusion Ring]
[Type: essory]
[Rarity: Above Legendary]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: None]
[Attribute: 1. Shadow Escape 3/3; Escape Mark 2/2]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Remark: Being favoured by ancient alchemy and fate, it was transformed into a whole new item.]
...
[Shadow Escape: While facing an inevitable attack, the ring will allow its wearer to escape by recing the wearer with a phantom illusion in his ce. The wearers real body will appear in any spot desired in a 30-meter radius from the original spot.]
[Escape Mark: Able to tag the mark at a desired location. When activated, you will return to this mark. (Escape Mark cannot allow wearer to leave dungeon world or return to a cleared dungeon world)]
...
A high quality [Recharge Card] can increase consumable items rarities?
Kieran couldnt help but squint his eyes at the new [Phantom Illusion Ring].
He started to think about whether he could raise the rarity of the other consumable items with usage counts, including this [Phantom Illusion Ring].
But once he thought about the value behind [Recharge Card], he shook his head.
Too expensive. Kieran sighed.
Then, Kieran went offline for a rest.
After he returned to the game, he started a reading spree for a few days.
The promised time with Wu was quite loose andfortable, but Kieran wouldnt take it for granted and ck off.
So, he leaned towards studying the mystical knowledge of Raven Sect and Viper Sect.
Compared to the Viper Sect mystical knowledge that Perry Kaner taught him, the mystical knowledge of Raven Sect from Maxim the recorder was undoubtedly moreplete and systematic.
With Kieran making enough notes of the books, the reading and learning of Raven Sect mystical knowledge was very fast.
During his reading process, Kieran noticed the effect of [Lucky Card II].
Although it didnt provide him with knowledge transfer like when learning a skill or body synchronization, it did connect Kierans brain from time to time, lighting his lightbulb and allowing him to connect with more knowledge.
[Lucky Card], [Lucky Card II], and [Lucky Card III] are different! Each has its own area where its effective. [Lucky Card III] and [Lucky Card] lean more towards dungeon world adventures. While [Lucky Card II] is more suitable to learn and cultivate in the big city. A distinguished role? Interesting.
Kieran muttered to himself while his squinted eyes shone brightly.
While using all the three different cards, Kieran could faintly notice the difference in between but this kind of instinctive, direct realization was different from before, it was the first time for him.
However, this kind of verification granted Kieran even more guesses on top of his original guesses of the big city.
Although without sufficient evidence, Kieran remembered the faint details in his heart.
He believed that as he got deeper, he would find sufficient evidence to support his theory.
Now?
With the buff from [Lucky Card II], his cultivation results far exceeded his expectations and soon reached Grand Master level of [Mystical Knowledge, Raven Sect].
Huu!
A deep breathter, Kieran took out the skill book [Fire Shower] and learned it.
Chapter 1261 - Sword Skill, Rising Dragon
Chapter 1261: Sword Skill, Rising Dragon
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
After the skill book disintegrated, the knowledge was transferred and synchronization urred immediately.
[Name: Fire Shower (Basic)]
[Rted Attribute: None]
[Skill Type: Offense]
[Effect: Fire is never your enemy, its heat and burning will only bring liveliness to your life. 3.0 HP/ Minute]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Mystical Knowledge Raven Sect (Grand Master), Constitution S]
[Remark: Raven Sect Ultimate!]
...
But when Kieran was carefully checking the details on [Fire Shower], the Devil Force in his body shook all of a sudden.
He felt like the Devil Force was awoken from its slumber by the new skill.
Fire Shower and Devil Force can resonate? Kieran was stunned, followed by a grin.
He hadnt forgotten that after he limit broke about the note that came with his Talent when he broke his Character Model Temte Limit.
Skills that match Origin Force will receive a 30% decrease in Points, Skill Points, and Golden Skill Points requirements for leveling!
Eagerly, Kieran clicked the level up option on [Fire Shower].
[Detected resonance between skill, Fire Shower and Devil Force, deemed as matching Origin Force, required Points, Skill Points, and Golden Skill Points decreased by 30%]
[Cost 100,000 Points, 3 Golden Skill Points to level up Fire Shower. Yes/No?]
No!
Kieran shook his head though, then he looked at the required Points and Skill Points of [Fire Shower], the grin on his face did not diminish by any means.
Kieran was as stingy as Grandet, correct, but when the investment and returns were on the correct ratio, he would never hesitate.
The reason why he temporarily chose No was because ording to his n, he still needed to level up mystical knowledge Viper Sect to Grand Master, before he could make the choice.
Another round of reading started.
Simr to the initial choice Kieran made,pared to Raven Sects mystical knowledge, Kieran ran into a lot of problems while learning Viper Sects mystical knowledge.
By no means was Perry Kaners teaching not attentive enough nor were the books notplete, it was because even Perry Kaner herself did not learn everything.
As for the books?
Some key points had mistakes, some very hidden mistakes.
If Kieran werent a habitually vignt person and the system did not notify him from time to time, he wouldnt have noticed the secret behind the books.
That damn Zoyedark!
Undoubtedly everything was designed by that Prime Viper.
Kieran tried his best by using the books in his possession and his own understanding to slowly fill in the mistakes and gaps to connect the broken lines. Using almost double the time, Kieran finally achieved his goal but still, the remark on Viper Sects mystical knowledge was different.
[Name: Mystical Knowledge Viper Sect (Grand Master)]
[Rted Attributes: None]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effect: You understood the hidden knowledge of this sect, you can decipher all the basic and advance knowledge regarding this sect plus a little more extremely secretive knowledge (Most of it is based on your own understanding, it may vary with the original)]
[Consume: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Remark: Every sect has their own unique point, the knowledge in each sect is vastly different and this knowledge is much more useful than you know]
[Note: Before acquiring aplete knowledge record, you can no longer level up this skill by studying based off your own spections]
...
Kieran frowned when he saw the note and description.
But thankfully, the thing that he feared more did not happen.
Although [Mystical Knowledge, Viper Sect] could no longer be leveled up, he was still able to use [Essentials of Prime Viper Secret Technique Record] based on the system verification.
[Using Essentials of Prime Viper Secret Technique Record!]
[Detected skills avable for leveling: Thousand Viper Kick, Viper Body, Dormant Viper, Sword Skill, Dragon Force]
...
The system did not show [Sword Skill, Myriad Viper].
Still limited to under Transcendence?
Muttering to himself, Kieran quickly made the choice.
Undoubtedly, Kieran chose [Dormant Viper], which required a massive amount of Golden Skill Points, but to his surprise, after he chose [Dormant Viper] and made sure he couldnt click other Viper Sect skills, [Sword Skill, Dragon Force] was still avable.
The system even granted him a corresponding level up.
[Essentials of Prime Viper Secret Technique Record requires the user to choose at least one Dragon Sect skill!]
Given the notification, Kieran picked [Sword Skill, Dragon Force] without a second thought.
[Dormant Viper acquired a massive amount of experience, leveling up...]
[Name: Dormant Viper (Musou)]
[Rted Attribute: None]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effect: A high ranking technique among the Viper Sect, uses a special way of breathing to send the wounded into a slumber and heal for 3.0 HP/minute]
[Special Effect: Viper Rest (Decrease Stamina consumed and increase 1.5 recovery rate per minute.)]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Spirit SS+]
[Remark: It will consume your stamina but its roots are within Spirit, it is the entry-level technique to the real Viper Sect Ultimate!]
....
[Sword Skill, Dragon Force acquired a massive amount of experience, leveling up...]
[Name: Sword Skill, Dragon Force (Transcendence)]
[Rted Attribute: Strength, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Offense]
[Effect: Whenever you attack, you can perform a 5-second charge up and unleash a sh with a 130% increase in attack, consume 50 Stamina, cooldown: 2 minutes]
[Special Effect: Extra Charge (decrease charge up time by 2.5 seconds]
[Transcendence Option: Extra Power (Ditch the extra charge up time to perform a 70% attack increase sh)]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Sharp Weapon, Heavy Arms (Master of Two-handed Sword), Strength B-]
[Remark: This is one of the secret esoteric sword skills of the Dragon Sect and the base for all Dragon Sect secret skills]
...
[Sword Skill, Dragon Force has reached Transcendence, Essentials of Prime Viper Secret Technique Record still has a huge amount of experience left, perform derived extension of skill?]
The unexpected notification stunned Kieran for a while before he agreed to it.
[Sword Skill, Dragon Force deriving...]
[Sword Skill, Dragon Force derivation sess, yer learned Sword Skill, Rising Dragon (Master)!]
[Name: Sword Skill, Rising Dragon (Master)]
[Rted Attribute: Strength, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Offense]
[Effect: Swing the sword upwards to perform a ferocious uppercut; When attacking, +100% attack in shing power, consume 200 Stamina, cooldown 3 minutes]
[Special Effect: Extra Power (shes gain an extra 20% Strength)]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Sharp Weapon, Heavy Arms (Master of Two-handed Sword) Strength B-]
[Remark: This is one of the secret advance skills of Dragon Sect.]
......
Without further ado, [Arrogant Word] appeared in Kierans hand and unlike the habitual downward sh, this time, it was an upward swing.
RAWR!
The broad de caused a gale with a heavy air whistle and when the whistle reached its peak, it became a roar, a roar of a dragon!
While the gale in front of the de turned into a cyclone, as though it was a dragons breath, it smashed towards the ceiling of the room ferociously.
BANG!
A loud blowter, the ceiling shook heavily and dust rained down.
Kieran was sure that if the room werent protected by the system, he would have opened a hole in his own roof.
Compensating for the failings of basic sword skills, not only is it able tounch instantly but able to perform ranged attack as well?
Kieran nodded in satisfaction.
He then turned to his attribute and skill tab.
Chapter 1262 - Ammunition
Chapter 1262: Ammunition
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The newly appeared [Fire Shower] did not alter Kierans original n, which was to raise Spirit to the maximum limit of Strong IV rank.
Although [Fire Shower] resonated with Devil Force before, he didnt forget everything that happened when he first epted the devils heart, especially after he witnessed the horrifying puppet of blood and flesh, which jolted his memory fresh.
If the resonated Origin Force were Dawn Force, Kieran would not hesitate to level up the skill.
But when it resonated with Devil Force, Kieran still might level it up, just that he had to maintain it within his controble range, at least he wouldnt level it up before his Constitution reached a certain peak.
So, the consideration determined what Kieran wanted to level up next.
[Using 3 Golden Attribute Points, 3 Golden Skill Points...]
[Spirit PP PP+ (New IV)]
[Using 3 Golden Attribute Points, 3 Golden Skill Points...]
[Spirit PP+ PPP- (IV)]
....
[Using Golden Attribute Points...]
[Constitution ZZZ- ZZZ (Strong I)]
[Using Golden Attribute Points...]
[Constitution ZZZ ZZZ+ (Strong I)]
...
The instant power up of Spirit and Constitution did not cause any difort to Kieran, as he was already used to the leveling up process and adapted to his new condition with a few breaths.
A nce at the clearer darkness and chaos in his bodyter, Kieran turned to his skill tabs.
He still has 180K Points, 60 Skill Points and 1 Golden Skill Point, so his choices were limited.
The Points and Skill Points might seem to be many, but only the Golden Skill Points could truly provide Kieran with realistic enhancement.
After going through his skills, Kieran ultimatelynded his attention on [Sword Skill, Rising Dragon], because coincidentally, it required 1 Golden Skill Point from Master to Pro.
[Sword Skill, Rising Dragon, Master to Pro requires 80,000 Points, 1 Golden Skill Point. Yes/No?]
Yes.
[Name: Sword Skill, Rising Dragon (Pro)]
[Rted Attribute: Strength, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Offense]
[Effect: Swing the sword upwards to perform a ferocious uppercut. When attacking, +120% attack in shing power; consumes 220 Stamina; cooldown of 2.5 minutes]
[Special Effect: Extra Power (shes gain extra 40% Strength)]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Sharp Weapon, Heavy Arms (Master of Two-handed Sword) Strength B+]
[Remark: This is one of the secret advance skills of Dragon Sect.]
...
Looking at his remaining 100K Points and 60 Skill Points, Kieran did some calctions in his heart before opening the message tab to Lawless.
2567: I need to refill some high-tier potions.
Lawless: Leave it to me.
...
Without further inquiries, Lawless went to preparing.
Kieran never had to worry about Lawless, and Lawless never let Kieran down with his results.
[Name: High Healing Potion]
[Type: Potion]
[Rarity: Excellent]
[Attribute: Instantly recovers 500 Hp and regenerates 50 HP per second for the next 5 seconds.
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: This is a potion crafted from potionology. It has magical powers and will save your life at critical moments!]
...
[Name: High Calming Potion]
[Type: Potion]
[Rarity: Excellent]
[Attribute: Maintain a stable mind for 120 seconds]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: It can increase your resistance against Fear and other negative buffs, but not total immunity!]
......
Lawless: High Healing Potion, 10K per tube, High Calming Potion, 6K per tube, friend price.
2567: High Healing Potion, 5; High Calming Potion, 5.
...
Although Kieran had other ways of replenishing his HP and resisting Fear effect, he didnt mind adding more protection.
After the deal with Lawless, Gunsmith Stagner contacted him.
[Name: Pration Rounds]
[Type: Ammunition]
[Rarity: Excellent]
[Attribute: Able to easily pierce through Strong level defense, effectively damage Powerful defense and has extra effect against armored entity.]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Remark: This is a special made bullet of general use by Gunsmith Stagner.]
...
[Name: Burst Rounds]
[Type: Rocket]
[Rarity: Excellent]
[Attribute: When hit, causes an extra 15-meter radius Powerful explosion; has extra effect against non-protected targets.]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Remark: These are special made rocket rounds of general use by Gunsmith Stagner]
...
While Stagner was still sending screenshots, Kieran interrupted him.
2567: I think you misunderstood me. When I said I wanted to win a small scale war, I didnt mean I wanted cheap quality products.
Stagner: Bullets and rockets are consumables.
2567: Consumables, too, have quality goods.
.....
Stagner went silent for about two seconds at Kierans request. He then continued to send over screenshots, but this time around, the bullets and rocker rounds had an obvious quality leap.
[Name: High Burst Rounds]
[Type: Ammunition]
[Rarity: Excellent]
[Attribute: When hit, triggers a Powerful attack explosion at target]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Remark: This is Gunsmith Stagners special made quality ammunitions]
...
[Name: Incendiary Rounds]
[Type: Rocket]
[Rarity: Excellent]
[Attribute: When hit, creates an extra 10-meter radius of Powerful burn attacks; has extra effect against non-protected targets.]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Remark: This is Gunsmith Stagners special made rocket rounds.]
...
[Name: Frost Rounds]
[Type: Rocket]
[Rarity: Excellent]
[Attribute: When hit, creates an extra 10-meter radius of Powerful frost attacks; has extra effect against non-protected targets.]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Remark: This is Gunsmith Stagners special made rocket rounds.]
......
Looking at the new screenshots, Kieran nodded because the ammunitions and rockets matched his request.
However, he still asked out of instinct.
2567: Are there bullets or rockets of higher rarity?
Stagner: Advanced Rank?
2567: Advanced Rank!
...
Two more seconds of silenceter, a new screenshot was sent over.
[Name: Secondary Uranium Bullets]
[Type: Ammunition
[Rarity: Excellent]
[Attribute: When hit, cause a rank I damage to target and an extra rank II special damage. (Warning: when using these type of bullets, your firearm will suffer destructive damage)]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Remark: One of Gunsmith Stagners masterpieces.]
...
[Secondary Uranium Bullets]? As expected, firearms are the true path for a newbie. A bullet like this can maybe take out most of the so-called veterans.
Kieran squinted his eyes at the bullet andmented in his heart.
He didnt choose to buy it though.
Rank II damage might not be anything to him now, and to damage a single item in exchange for damage, the stingy ghost in his soul could not ept it.
Stagner, however, was baffled by Kierans rejection.
Stagner: Why?
2567: I dont like to damage my own firearms.
Stagner: ...
Stagner: 20% discount on all purchase today.
.....
Obviously, Stagner had misunderstood Kierans meaning, but Kieran didnt make himself clear. He calcted the products before adding two more [Frost Rounds].
After the purchasing, Kieran continued to the final preparation for the dungeon entry.
Chapter 1263 - Entry
Chapter 1263: Entry
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The familiar light descended upon him again and words started to pile up on Kierans vision.
[Entering Title Dungeon!]
[Dungeon Type: Party Special Dungeon...]
[Number of party members: 2]
[Detected only 2 yers, yer 2567 and yer Wu have formed an alliance based on contract, dungeon difficulty increasing!]
[Determined yer 2567 has sub-scroll, assigning identity...]
[Identity: As a snitch, you hide in the corners of the city, you live by pickpocketing and bluffs but thest job put you into some big trouble, you have be a target for all. You hide carefully, hoping to prove your innocence but no one will believe a snitch.]
[Background: Eiders, at night, has fallen into panic. Continuous murders have made the prosperous and crowded streets empty, and those that hide in the corners of the city are tempted to move!]
[Main mission: None, Stay duration: 60 days]
[Temporarynguage pack, Disappears upon exiting the dungeon.]
[Clothing, backpack, weapons, and other items remain unchanged, Temporarily altered appearance, Returns to normal upon exiting the dungeon]
[Detected firearms and grenades do not match the dungeon period, power decreased by 30%. This is a Title Dungeon, you will not bepensated.]
[Note 1: Title Dungeon has no main mission]
[Note 2: yer cannot acquire items or equipment through killing in the Title Dungeon]
[Note 3: yer will not get dungeon clear Points, Skill Points, Golden Skill Points, Golden Attribute Points and because of the alliance formed with yer Wu, even if you acquire ratings higher than yer Wu, you will not get the Unique Title, The Wisher. It will only provide you with extra time to stay behind.]
...
A wanted snitch?
Kieran looked at the identity assigned to him and raised a puzzled brow.
With a single nce at his identity, he could already imagine what he had to face.
Will you believe what a thief has to say?
The answer was self-exnatory.
Even for a kind person, one would have certain guards against a thief.
Most importantly, Kieran did not see any bit of clues leading to The Wisher in his identity or background description, not even The Wisher was mentioned.
So this is the result of the increased difficulty?
Afterparing it with [de of the Daybreaker], he muttered to himself. Then, his eyes slid down and read through the following description and notes, in hopes of finding more information.
Firearms and grenades dont match the period, so power decreased by 30%, which means firearms are on the rise? On top of that, the contract existence really doesnt give the yer any loopholes to exploit. Hope thatdy is fine on her side.
Kieran couldnt help but frown when he thought about his contractedrade who basically had no means of attack.
Both of them didmunicate before entry but all they did was specte about the Title Dungeon, [The Wisher]. However, the situation at hand had far exceeded their expected difficulty and was veryplicated.
Looking at the difficulty, Kieran had reason to believe he would not be able to locate Wu as easily as he did Starbeck in [de of the Daybreaker].
Huu!
As the words started to fade away, Kieran took a deep breath and started to adjust his condition.
When the dazzling light and loss of gravity went away, Kieran appeared inside a small house that was short, humid, and brokenly old. Through the window seams, one could see that the sun was slowly setting.
The house had no extra decoration or furniture but an old torn nket.
Kieran simply picked up the nket that should have been made out of cotton and checked it thoroughly. After making sure there was nothing noteworthy, he continued to search the entire house.
Unfortunately, he did not get anything. Kieran didnt leave right away after checking the house though.
He took out [Thousand Face] that he got from the heros dungeon, put it on and waited quietly.
He needed a new identity, an identity that allowed him to blend in and be acknowledged by others.
What kind of identity could earn acknowledgment better than the pursuers?
Dak, Dak, Dak.
A series of hurried stepster, several less friendly men blocked the exit of the old broken house. The neighbors who lived in the area quickly ran back to their house before these few men truly arrived, all of them were peeking through the seams of their windows.
This is the ce? I thought we just searched this ce in the morning?
The leader among the bunch sized up the surroundings and frowned. The cheeks on his face twitched as he furrowed his brows, making his already vicious face look even fiercer.
Anyone who saw him would feel scared, especially when he gripped the sword at his waist, the neighbors who looked at him turned around right away.
Boss, dont worry! Ive got exact news on this! My informant here saw the bastard return to this ce about an hour agohe obviously thinks this ce is safe after we searched it but he never thought someone was watching this ce.
A small, thin man with small eyes and long hair said with ttery without minding his boss viciousness.
Nicely done!
The vicious leader nodded before waving at his men.
Then, the men barged into the short small house.
Dont expect any kind of manners from these vicious men.
The one in front took charge and smashed the door with a single kick.
The thin and weak door nk couldnt resist the powerful kick.
Pak!
When the footnded on the door nk, the whole door was smashed to pieces.
The other men shouted and barged in angrily.
Then...
There was no vicious scolding, no fighting after they rammed in.
What happened was dead silence, as if behind the door was the dark mouth of a giant monster, devouring all the men without a sound.
The vicious leader and the thin man who ttered him exchanged gazes, both of them saw the anxious looks in each others eyes.
The former pulled out his sword and pointed it at the door.
Thetter sweat coldly and stepped back uncontrobly.
Dak, Dak Dak.
Footsteps were heard.
Unlike the messy steps when these men arrived, the footsteps now were clearer and more powerful.
Both pursuers locked their gaze at the darkness beyond the door.
A deep, dark figure started to emerge from the darkness.
Following the emergence of the dark figure, the darkness beyond the room slowly turned bright, and the slightly warm sunset that shed on the figure lost its temperature instantly.
Because when this figure walked into the sunset, it looked like bloodshed itself on the figure. His cold eyesnded on the two pursuers.
You...
Bam!
Just when the vicious leader tried to say something, his eyes caught that cold re, thus nothing came out of his mouth.
What was left in him was fear caused by sheer killing intent.
His body lost control under the killing intent and fell to the ground.
As for the thin follower of his?
The thin man limped down on the floor as well and peed his pants.
Kieran nced at these two men who couldnt even be considered as goons before he walked to a side and merged with the shadows.
The moment Kieran vanished into the shadows, a scream sounded from further away.
Chapter 1264 - Stove-grilled Fish
Chapter 1264: Stove-grilled Fish
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The sudden scream changed Kierans original n of investigating the area. He quickly sprinted towards the origin of the sound.
When Kieran arrived at the scene, the sunset glory had vanished but it didnt stop the bright scarlet red blood from reflecting in Kierans eyes.
The woman who screamed was dead.
The fear from the sudden assault before her death lingered on her face.
Her body had ended brutally. Not a part of her body was intact, most of the organs being eaten away, the flesh and blood on her torso and limbs drained.
Two of her thigh bone were broken into several pieces.
Kieran could paint a picture in his mind of a bloody mouth chewing her.
Other than her head, the poordy had died without an intact body.
However, the most surprising point was that the scene had left no extra clues behind.
Or more precisely, there had been obvious clues and traces left behind before, but as the night came, the traces were swiftly fading away.
A different night, eh? Interesting, Kieran muttered to himself with squinted eyes.
Further away, sharp whistles sounded.
Kieran nced over at the group of uniformed men, who were obviously the police or simr authorities. He then turned away into the shadows.
He didnt mind having contact with the authorities but not now wasnt the time yet.
...
The night came as promised.
The dark night sky didnt show the moon or stars, just pitch-ck darkness, like a cloud of ck mist shrouded above the sky of Eiders.
The people of Eiders that lived in the city were preparing to sleep after locking their doors.
Beside their beds were, more or less, some self-defense weapons.
The instant that night befell Eiders, the city fell into silence, but of course, not all of it.
Inside some streets or alleyways, there were always some lighted spots.
Kieran easily located the three most crowded inns or hotels within the least amount of time.
Then, he picked one particr hotel named Stove-grilled Fish.
His choice wasnt random. Other than the name striking fondness in Kierans heart, it was also because the hotel had the presence of a powerhouse that far surpassed the other twos.
The kind of presence that seemed like a powerhouse to amoner.
Ding Dong.
When Kieran entered the hotel with a clear bell ring, a rough, strong voice greeted him.
Wee, brave warrior that dares to venture out at night. You should be grateful for your wise choiceI have the best beer here and freshly baked bread. Of course, there is also our signature dish, stove-grilled fish, that I would like to rmend to you!
A buff man with a bare top, showing off his thick chest hair and robust muscles, was standing behind the bar counter on the first floor, greeting Kieran with a strong voice.
His hand was still holding half a ss of beer and his beard that was as thick as his chest hair had beer foam all over it. The candle that shed light on his bald head made him extremely eye-catching.
Stove-grilled fish and some bread, please. I would also like a clean room with hot water, Kieran said while heading to the corner of the first floor.
Of course! What you want, I have. You are paying in ancient coins or cash? The rugged man smiled with a nod.
Ancient coins? Cash?
Since Kieran wasnt too familiar with the current dungeon world, these were no doubt vital pieces of information that he had to take note of.
Fortunately, through some minor observation, Kieran learned that some precious minerals were stillmon currency here.
Pak!
A bar of gold the size of a grown mans little fingernded precisely on the wooden bar counter, shining very lively under the light of the candle.
The shine on the gold bar immediately attracted the attention of other guests in the hotel.
A heavy sense of greed came afloat in these guests eyes, but all of them quickly turned away their impolite gazes because the man standing behind the bar counter was watching them angrily.
This is Stove-grilled Fish, my, Lagrens, territory! Whoever doesnt follow the rules here, Ill feed them to the fish!
The owner of Stove-grilled Fish, Lagren, shouted.
Then, he grabbed the gold, put it in his pocket and spoke to Kieran in a very tender tone.
Dear sir, I guarantee that you will receive the best service here as if you are a king. Your room is waiting for you, and your grilled fish and bread will be served to you soon. Ill also throw in a bowl of vegetable soup and beer. Please enjoy.
It seemed like that small piece of the gold bar was critically useful.
The room that Kieran requested was swiftly cleaned out for him and the food he ordered was served in front of him three minutester.
The grilled fish and bread weremon enough. The soupcked salt and there werent any intact veggies visible inside, only bits of leaves. The onlymendable point was that the portion was very generous.
Kieran didnt touch the beer, instead cing it aside and starting his dinner. His ears were collecting any kind of information he could gather.
Although the guests in the lobby tried to lower their voices when speaking, Kierans Intuition caught every whisper in their conversation. Nothing could escape his ears; it was as though they were talking softly beside him.
What was it?
The police said its a wolf attack.
Stop joking.
I dont know if that thing was a Blood Kin, a Werewolf or even a Ghoul. But one thing is for sure, those useless douchebags are talking crap!
...
The sneering and mocking in the conversation attractedughs from the same table.
These few guys toasted their cups from time to time.
Kieran was listening quietly. Most of the time, it was spection with useless pieces of information, but not all were useless.
When Kieran finished thest bit of his veggie soup, the two guests that were sitting beside the bar counter that he had been paying attention to finally spoke.
The two consisted of a youngster and an elder.
The elderly had a walking staff, the handle of the staff a very thin, unnoticeable seam. It may be concealed but a single nce from Kieran told him what the staff was hiding.
A sword! A sword was hidden in the staff!
The youngster was even more direct, his brown windcoat unable to conceal the bulging part around his waist. Kieran knew it was a revolver with one look at the shape printed on the coat.
Both had brown hair and green eyes, their faces sharing a resemnce as well. Their blood rtion was unmistakable.
Wier, what do you think it was? the young one asked softly.
It couldnt have been a Blood Kin, as they prefer to maintain their so-called manners. It also couldnt have been a Werewolf; its not a full moon yet, so they cant transform. Even so, for those hunt-thirsty werewolves, they wouldnt waste their food. They would have packed everything and not made a mess at the scene. It might have been a Ghoul though. Those bastards actions are no longer controlled by their shrinking brains, almost no different than some wild beasts. But I tend to lean towards...
When the elders words came to the most crucial point...
Bang!
He was rudely interrupted by a mmed door.
Stove-grilled Fishs main door was mmed inwards, that bell that hung over the frame not even having the chance to make a sound before it was squashed.
A very tall man followed by two more men came into the hotel.
The two followers were the vicious-looking man and the thin man from before.
The three of them scanned the lobby of the hotel and when they saw Kieran sitting in the corner, their eyes shone. They then walked towards Kieran with wicked smiles.
Chapter 1265 - Lobby
Chapter 1265: Lobby
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Odecard, what are you trying to do to my precious guest?
Lagren, the owner of the hotel, stood behind the bar counter as he shouted at the trio when he saw their movements.
Not trying to do anything! I know your rules! No blood in the hotel and guests safety is guaranteed. I know all of that but... he wont be your guest forever. So, we are just here to say hello, the tall man known as Odecard said.
As he spoke, he did not slow down or halt his steps. He walked towards Kieran and looked down at him with an imposing manner.
Boy, Ive heard that you...
Piss off.
The moment Odecards words escaped his mouth, he was interrupted by Kieran, who was eating his dinner.
Odecard jolted, so did the other two that were his followers.
The other guests in the hotel lobby were hoping for a good show the moment Odecard came in, but they were stunned as well. All of them looked at Kieran, who was eating his bread slowly, with a surprised gaze.
Is this guy out of his mind?
He dared to provoke Odecard?
Boy, you are really up for a good show.
...
As the whispers took pleasure in the misfortune, Odecard came back to his senses after being interrupted by Kieran.
Bang!
Odecard mmed the table and moved his face close to Kieran.
Do you have any idea who I am? I...
His words stopped abruptly because he couldnt speak anymore.
Kieran was softly touching Odecards forehead with his hand that was equipped with [Wilcos Redemption]; [Chilling Touch] had been activated upon touch.
A powerful level of frozen air swept across the mans body and instantly turned him into an ice statue.
Everything went quiet!
Those guests that were hoping for a good show widened their eyes one after another.
Kieran was too fast with his actions, none of them knew what had happened.
Only three people in the lobby saw Kieran raise his hand: Lagren, the hotel owner, and the youngster-elder duo who had been discussing their matters. However, it was only because Kieran had purposely allowed them to see, otherwise, even they wouldnt be able to understand what had happened.
Kieran slowed down his actions by a little to grant them a clear view of what happened.
The three of them gazed at the scene.
Lagren had been walking over at first but he halted his steps after seeing the scene. He crossed his arms and returned to the bar counter. His rules were to protect the guests, and as for the troublemakers?
Who gives a damn?
All of them should drop dead!
The youngster and elder exchanged gazes. The elder then tilted his head down and drank his beer quietly while the youngster looked at Kieran with a probing gaze.
Then...
The two followers behind Odecard, who Kieran met once before, turned around and ran out of the hotel.
The guests in the lobby also came back to their senses as the two ran out.
They were looking at the two in jest, but just when they thought the two would be turned into ice statues as well, the duo sessfully ran out of the hotel lobby.
The scene surprised the guests. They looked at Kieran with astonishment.
Kieran, on the other hand, was slowly eating his dinner.
After the scene, the hotel lobby soon returned to its previous state, people toasting with cups and whispering in banters, but the youngster looked at Kieran with his jaded eyes, showing an interested gaze.
Then, he walked over to Kieran with his cup.
A drink?
The youngster kicked away the ice statue in front of Kieran and pulled a chair over. He sat down and leaned backward slightly, revealing a voluptuous figure underneath.
He was a she!
Although her voice was rough, it was charming. It was quite apparent based on the attracted guests in the lobby, but Kieran turned a blind eye to her.
Not interested, Kieran said coldly.
Or... can I buy you a drink?
She asked again but this time, Kieran lost interest in replying. He lowered his head and ate his grilled fish, as though the fish were more attractive than the youngdy.
As a matter of fact, it was indeed so.
Perhaps the youngdy had grasped information he didnt know, but Kieran believed she wasnt the only source, otherwise, the two of them wouldnt have discussed it in public.
Quite the opposite, the youngdy spoke with him in a probing tone.
Since Kieran hadnt fully understood the current dungeon world, he knew what he must do in situations like this.
Not only would he avoid conversation with the youngdy, if it were possible, he would try to avoid any contact at all.
Kieran was not moved but the youngdy didnt seem too depressed after having spoken to a rock. Her jaded eyes were obviously in deep thought.
While that was happening, two sharp screams sounded outside the hotel.
Mier!
The elder shouted before grabbing his walking staff and rushing outside the hotel.
The youngdy, too, sprinted out together with the elderly man as she was called.
There were a few other hotel guests who followed them outside but most remained in their seats.
Lagren then came out of the kitchen with another stove-grilled fish and walked towards Kieran.
Want another? Its on the house.
Thanks. Since the food was a sign of goodwill, Kieran nodded.
There are only a few like you, eating seriously and happily. If I didnt know myself, I really would have thought my cooking has improved. Now then, Ill leave you alone. Please enjoy your meal. Lagrenughed boldly.
Then, with that, the hotel owner consciously grabbed the ice statue beside him, walked towards the hotel door and threw it outside.
Pak!
Obviously, the hotel owner did not hold back with that throw.
The guests in the hotel lobby heard the smashing as well but none of them cared too much about a dead man. All of them were staring at the hotel door, waiting quietly.
Untill...
The youngster and elder duo returned.
Neither of them looked any different from the moment they left but anyone with a fine nose could smell the faint blood scent on them.
Both of them returned to their own table shortly after that.
However, the few other guests that had followed them out did not return.
The remaining guests in the hotel lobby chose to leave the ce after exchanging gazes. Some directly left the hotel while others chose to open a room and stay the night.
A whileter, the whole hotel lobby was left with only the hotel owner that was dozing off, Kieran and the youngster-elder duo.
Kieran was furiously attacking the freshly served fish.
The other two watched Kieran.
The youngdy seemed even more interested in Kieran. She wanted to walk over and have a chat, but the moment she stood up, the elder stopped her.
The elder walked over to Kieran instead.
Im sorry, can we make an acquaintance? the elder asked in a soft and warm manner.
No, Kieran replied without even looking.
Chapter 1266 - Monsters On A Rampage
Chapter 1266: Monsters On A Rampage
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The elder looked at Kieran with surprise.
Obviously, he never expected such an answer from Kieran.
Likewise, the youngdy that was further away and the hotel owner did not see thating either.
The former looked at Kieran with even more interest and curiosity.
Thetter?
Lagren smacked the counter andughed out loud.
Amid the loudughs, the elder shrugged helplessly. He had such good self-restraint that he didnt show any rage on his face. He took off his hat and bowed.
Seems like today isnt a good day for a conversation. I hope we can have a talk next time in a better mood. Sweet dreams and good night.
The elder then turned around and left the hotel with the youngdy.
Before walking out of the door, the youngdy turned around and shouted boldy to Kieran, Remember, I am Mier!
Kieran didnt even respond to the youngdy.
When the duo left, the lobby was emptied out instantly, leaving only Kieran and Lagren alone.
The hotel owner watched as Kieran slowly ate his fish. After some thought, he brought a big pot of grilled-fish from the kitchen.
Obviously, it was all the reserve that the hotel had.
I dont think there will be anymore guests dropping by todayter. If you dont mind, Ill give it to you all for free. I have to remake it tomorrow anyway, Lagren said.
It was hard for Kieran to reject food, even if the taste was ordinary. Kierans cold face showed a dash of warmth when he nodded.
Thanks. Kieran expressed his gratitude again.
You are really a weird one! But arent you all weirdos?
Lagren couldnt help but shake his head at the polite thanks from Kieran after he put down the big pot.
I am not who you think I am. You have the wrong guy, Kieran said.
I know, I know, you folks always like to hide your identities. Ive seen a few before. Wearing all ck and as cold as ice even under the sun.
Lagren didnt go back to the bar counter, instead taking a seat opposite of Kieran and looking at him with a probing gaze.
I am not one of them.
Kieran didnt care about the gaze as he emphasized once more before looking at the big pot of grilled fish. The fishes wereid inside neatly, and on top of them was a thickyer of sauce, chopped chilies and celery.
Kieran didnt take them out one by one, instead, he treated the big pot as his te and started eating.
Lagren couldnt hold back the twitch in the corner of his mouth when he saw how Kieran ate.
He was certain even the coolies in the docks wouldnt be as rude as Kieran.
But...
Somehow, Lagren felt a little hungry just by looking at how Kieran gobbled down the fish.
Fortunately, he didnt give all the food to Kieran. There was still some toasted bread in the kitchen furnaceit was the breakfast he prepared for the guests tomorrow.
Now?
Lagren quickly ran into the kitchen and came back out with a big loaf of bread.
Sure sure, you do look a little special... You look more like a raven, the kind that delivers death and brings away souls. And I believe I am not the only one who says that, Lagren said as he chewed on his bread.
Kieran looked up and didnt answer. Instead, he looked at the door of the hotel.
A secondter, Lagren turned in the same direction as well after hearing some noise.
Dak, Dak Dak.
Messy footsteps.
Bang!
The shut doors were pushed open heavily.
Mier, who left a while ago, faltered as she came in.
She was injured in the face and her coat was torn. The majority of her body was covered in blood, and even the gun at her waist was gone.
Q-Quick, save Wier!
He...He...
As she spoke, Mier was slowly approaching Kieran and Lagren at the table.
Then...
A silver white revolver was pushed on her forehead. Kieran, who was gripping the wooden handle on the other end, pulled the trigger without a second thought.
Bang!
Miers crown was sted off. Blood sttered, but the blood wasnt red, instead, it was dark brown.
Mier fell to the floor with a disbelieving look. When her bodynded on the floor, her face and body started to twist and distort.
Her skin turned grayish blue, her body turned very thin and her face filled with fangs along with a pair of morbid eyes. It was a gruesome scene to the eyes.
Dak, Dak Dak!
A moment after the body fell, more footsteps came in from outside the hotel.
Mier and Wier rushed in after the monster.
When both of them saw Kieran and Lagren unscatehed and the body of the monster on the floor, they heaved a breath of relief.
We fell into the trap of this bastards friends.
Thank God you two are fine, otherwise...
Bang Bang!
Two more shots were fired.
Two more bodies fell on the ground.
After the two bodies fell, they transformed like the first monster.
Looking at the three monsters bodies on the floor, the hotel owner grunted coldly.
These Shapeshifters really get on the nerves. But, how did you know that the two that came inter were Shapeshifters as well? They didnt smell as bad as the first one, Lagren said to Kieran out of curiosity.
The way they came in is the exact opposite of where Mier and Wier left, Kieran said calmly after putting away [Python-W2].
The hotel owner gave him a big thumbs up before he started to clean up the ce.
The bodies were just thrown outside and the floor was washed with water.
Meanwhile, the guests upstairs were attracted by the gunshots and came down for a look. When they saw the bodies thrown outside, their faces slightly turned sour.
All of the guests then chose to leave the ce.
Soon, the whole hotel was left with just Kieran and Lagren, the owner.
Damn monsters! Disturbing my business.
Lagrens face looked ugly as he watched the guests leave. He grunted heavily before turning around to Kieran with his eyes shining.
You need intel, right? I know Eiders from top to bottom. I know a lot of stuff. What do you want to know? Just between you and me, Ill give you a satisfying discount!
Lagren voiced out his suggestion and looked at Kieran with anticipation.
However, Kieran shook his head straightforwardly.
No need, said Kieran.
Perhaps he was indeed in need of the information regarding this dungeon world, especially on the Blood Kiln, Werewolves, Ghouls and those Shapeshifters. Since they dared to appear in the city out in the bright, Kieran really wanted to know what kind of dungeon world this was.
But his eagerness didnt mean he would choose to ask the hotel owner before him.
Even if Lagren didnt show any malicious intent, he was still stronger thanmoners and that fact alone raised an rm in Kierans heart.
Thats right, the presence that attracted Kieran to the hotel in the first ce belonged to the hotel owner, Lagren.
Lagren possessed strength stronger than that ofmoners, even stronger than Mier and Wiers.
It would be a strange thing for a strong person like Lagren to be a hotel owner.
Given that Kieran had better sources for information, why would he choose the stupidest one?
Chapter 1267 - Morning Following
Chapter 1267: Morning Following
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
When the sun rose in the morning, the darkness that clouded Eiders swiftly went away.
That ominous presence scattered into nothingness as well.
Kieran was standing in his room on the second floor and looking through the window, watching the people on the streets.
Each of them was showing smiles from the bottom of their hearts while bathing under the sunlight.
It wasnt happiness but... gratefulness to be able to survive another day!
It seemed like even themoners knew something about the night at Eiders.
The night is dangerous while the day is safe? Interesting.
Kieran stood up with his bag and went downstairs.
Lagren was yawning behind the bar counter while a in-dressed yet clean-looking young man stood beside him.
This is my worker, Little Tom. This is our V.I.P guest... Right, what should we call you?
It wasnt until now that Lagren remembered that he never asked for Kierans name.
D, Kieran uttered an alphabet.
D? You are really strange.
Lagren grunted at first but then he continued with a serious look, saying, Eiders hasnt been too safe recently, especially at night. If you can, I suggest you return to the hotel when the sun sets. I have rules here as well. You cant strike my guests, and at the same time, I will do my best to protect my guests well-being. Though... I dont think you will need my protection.
The gold you paid me allows you to stay here for two weeks, including getting one meal every day. You can freely choose from breakfast, lunch and dinner but we are off for breakfast today... If you have other needs, just tell me or Little Tom here.
The hotel owner couldnt help but pout when he mentioned the breakfast.
Eating at night always made it hard to fill the stomach, Lagren did his best to control his appetitest night but why had the breakfast gone missing in the morning?
Lagren was confused as he rubbed his belly.
I need to exchange for some cash. Kieran nced at the two.
Exchange? I dont take a processing fee here and although I want to, some other guys arent willing to let me take a share of their cake.
Lagrens eyes shone for a while before turning dark as he ranted again.
Exchange for how much? After ranting for a while, Lagren finally asked.
Kieran then tossed over a golden pea.
When he got back to his roomst night, he split a gold bar into pea-sizes and made about 50 gold peas.
Good stuff!
Lagren received the golden pea, weighed it, and sized up its lustre before taking out a stack of notes from the moneybox.
All sorts of currency notes were inside, the highest value at 10, the lowest at one.
Each of the notes had the image of ady, and behind her was the full frontal view of a pce.
A total of 300 dors.
After carefully counting the money he exchanged, Kieran stuffed it in his pocket before walking out.
If you are looking for breakfast, the bakery at the corner is rmended, Lagren added as he watched Kieran walk away.
Kieran didnt reply and vanished beyond the door.
What a weirdo, aint he?
The hotel ownermented on Kieran after he left before his worker.
But he must be a good person. Otherwise, you wouldnt treat him with this kindness, the young man, Little Tom, touched his face shyly and said timidly.
Good person? I dont know whether he is good or not but he should be a man with a codebuy more ingredientster, that guy has quite the appetite.
Lagren then walked behind the bar counter to the ce that was his room.
The timid young man didnt question his boss anymore. All he had to do was follow his boss orders.
...
Compared to the timid Little Tom, the worker in the bakery was a lot better.
When Kieran walked into the bakery, the worker weed him with a warm smile and swiftly led him to the best seat in the ce. He also brought forth a menu for Kieran.
Although it was breakfast, the customers in the bakery werent that many. A few visited, buying what they needed and then mostly leaving; only a handful sat down and ate as Kieran did.
After sizing up the ce around him, Kieran turned his attention to the menu.
On top of the cowhide menu
Set A: Milk + Donuts x2 ($2)
Set B: Milk + Ham Sandwich ($2.5)
Set C: Milk + Bacon Egg ($2.5)
...
A total of three sets.
One of each set, please.
Kieran made his order when he returned the menu.
The worker obviously jolted for a moment before he smiled and walked into the kitchen.
The food was served quickly, as less than five minutester, all three sets that Kieran ordered were ced on the table, along with an extra donut.
Its on the house, the worker said.
Thanks. Kieran nodded and paid him first.
The worker jolted again because his order of doing things was out of the norm.
In the bakery, every customer paid after they finished their meal. Asking for payment before that was a rude thing to do.
However, when the worker saw Kieran quickly indulging himself in eating, he was smart enough to not interrupt.
But not all were as smart as the worker though.
Some men had been following Kieran the moment he left the hotel, and when Kieran entered the bakery, they hid outside, watching Kierans every move through the window.
Being watched while eating was undoubtedly a very disturbing notion.
Kieran felt as such. He slightly frowned and hastened his eating.
He drained the cup of milk within a single gulp, stuffed the donut in his mouth after a bite and ate the sandwich like he was gobbling rice.
The bacon and eggs were a little different, as he rolled the egg with the bacon before poking the yolk and dipping the bacon in the golden essence. In the end, he scarfed down everything in one bite.
The worker in the bakery was astonished at the scene. He had never seen anyone who could eat so fast, it was like watching a wolf devour its prey!
Somehow, that analogy popped up in his mind while at the same time, the bakery worker kind of understood now why Kieran chose to pay first.
The bakery worker had only seen such eating speed in people who tried to run after eating and didnt want to pay.
If Kieran hadnt paid earlier, the worker might have walked over in a less friendly manner because he thought Kieran was one of those rascals who tried to run for it.
Once he thought about that loathsome action, the worker couldnt help but shake his head, and just when he was thinking about whether he should apologize to Kieran for having the wrong assumption about him, he suddenly realized Kierans seat was empty, leaving behind three neat tes and utensils.
...
Kieran walked on the street at an average pace.
Of course, Kierans average pace already forced those who were following him to run and chase with their best efforts, trying not to lose Kieran.
After another turn at a corner, the followers realized Kieran was moving even faster than before.
Arge portion of the stalkers stopped chasing as they faced despair, only a few continued the pursual.
One of the faster ones threw a contemptful gaze back and sneered at those who had stopped, as if he were mocking them for their abilities,ughing at them because they were not qualified.
Then, this particr person moved even faster, as he wanted to prove himself to be different from the others.
So, when he entered the alleyway that Kieran went into, he was seized by Kieran single-handedly.
Look into my eyes, Kieran said.
Chapter 1268 - I Know
Chapter 1268: I Know
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The forenoon sun of Eiders was a lot stronger than the morning sun. It shed its light on the ground through the window, causing a dazzling reflection.
Kozert was standing there looking at Kieran under the sun with a gaze of admiration.
Kieran, who got more information after dominating, Kozert frowned, but his furrowed brows eased up quickly.
He got enough pieces of information from Kozert already. Despite it not solving all his questions and doubts, it answered the majority of them.
Firstly, ording to Kozert, humans and monsters lived together in this dungeon world, and dusk and dawn were the signal for both species.
During the day, humans worked.
During the night, monsters lurked.
Of course, it wasnt an absolute rule though.
When human poptions reached a certain height, the monsters that lurked slowly went away even at night, like the Eiders of before.
On the contrary, the wilderness, which housed only a few humans, became a paradise for monsters to go rampant.
However, as time passed, the monsters that vanished from Eiders a long time ago slowly became active.
Kozert did not know what caused the changes. Simrly, he also didnt know what the Snitch stole or who threw out those things.
But as a hyacinth, the informant or messenger of the dungeon world, Kozert provided Kieran with an extra bit of news: someone published a bounty of $1,000 to find out Kierans identity; if anyone had detailed information on him, the price would be doubled.
Kierans appearance undoubtedly attracted someones attention.
That was probably also the reason why Kieran was followed by a bunch of men before this.
$1,000 bounty wasnt considered high, just an amount that barely mattered, but since it was only information gathering and didnt require one to engage in fights, the price became quite attractive.
At least ording to Kozert, the other idle hyacinths in the city had their eyes on Kieran.
The other information that concerned Kieran was that Kozert knew the shop where the Snitch disposed his goods.
Unfortunately, after the Snitch was exposed, the shop was turned to cinders by a fire.
Everyone assumed the cause of the fire was arson. Some said it was the one who threw the things while others said it was the result of a gang double-crossing, but the real details?
No one knew.
Lets go have a look there, Kieran said.
Yes, my lord.
Although he knew the ruins wouldnt hold any more clues, Kozert wouldnt disobey Kierans orders.
Of course, he bore in mind Kierans other order as well, which was to maintain his identity as a surveint, a hyacinth, not one of Kierans men.
...
The back alley of Aimeda Street.
Kieran reached the alleged shop for goods disposal.
There was no need for further searching because the shop was very eye-catching.
Among the whole row of buildings, only the shop was in ruins and had the marks of a fire.
Kieran scanned the surroundings.
Looking at the neighboring buildings, Kieran spected that when the shop was still intact, it must have been a one storey civilian shophouse; there wasnt a front yard, so one could enter the shop straightaway through the main door.
Of course, since it was a ce to dispose of stolen goods, it wouldnt have signage outside.
Kieran walked towards the spot where the door was supposed to be. The crispness under his boots told him how fierce the fire was.
He then looked at the intact neighboring buildings on both sides that were tainted with burn marks and scanned the two meters wide passage along the shophouse.
Finally, his eyes returned to the shophouse itself.
After the fire, the police and fire department came and cleaned up the ce. No clues were found. No casualties either, as there werent any bodies in the fire.
Kieran was recalling what Kozert said before as he walked to the center of the shophouse.
This ce... was the ignition point!
Under [Tracking]s vision, even after a few days, the fierce burn marks were revealed to Kieran clearly, together with some other traces mixed in them.
Kieran bent over and saw traces of digging by a shovel, which were buried again.
Interesting. Kieran squinted his eyes.
Fires caused by idents mostly spread from the corners, gradually transforming into an unstoppable force.
The ignition point being in the middle of the shophouse could only mean one thing: this was an arson!
It matched the information Kieran had acquired.
This shop for goods disposal was destroyed intentionally by someone but the digging after that seemed to have not been nned.
After the incident with the Snitch, this shop should have been put under surveince, and as a matter of fact, there was someone else in the area at the moment.
Since Kieran reached the ce, he had picked up more than one gaze.
So, it was natural that one couldnt appear here with a shovel to dig after the cleaning from the authorities without being detected.
Which meant, the only possibility of the digging to happen was right after the fire had spread!
While the police and firefighters fought the fire!
Or more precisely, the digger should have been a police officer or a firefighter.
As for the traces left behind during the firefighting?
Dirt could put out a fire, but no one would want to dig the ground beneath the fire as it raged.
With lingering thoughts, Kieran walked out from the burnt ground, and when he glimpsed at Kozert in the shadows, he subtly ordered Kozert to get the list of the police officers and firefighters that participated in the rescue mission that day.
Kieran then moved on without stopping.
Kozert, who was in the shadows, quietly followed as well.
No one else noticed the difference. Even if someone noticed Kozert, they would think that he was another watcher.
Everyone ced their attention on Kieran as he walked out of the alley to Aimeda Street.
Watching the endless stream of people on the street, Kieran unconsciously looked towards the few restaurants that had their signages standing out.
As for those gathering that gazed at him?
He didnt even care.
But when one of the owners of the gazes walked out brightly to stop him, Kieran was forced to detach his gaze from the restaurants.
It was Mier.
She was actually one of the special consultants of the police. She and her grandfather, Wier, had always been active in the front line of the battle with monsters. Her temper and personality were extremely weird. Based on what Kozert told him, the youngdy was someone Kierean should stay away from.
You didnt know what a smilingdy would do to you in the next moment.
Mier was smiling at Kieran, her brown hair tied up into a ponytail, her jaded eyes smiling into a single line.
She crossed her arms and pushed her chest up, showing off a ravishing cleavage. She circled Kieran and sized him up in detail as she walked; it was a different kind of sizing up from yesterday night.
Mier was still holding backst night, but she wasnt now.
The heat hidden in her gaze was like ady when seeing her favourite bag in the mall.
When she made a full circle around Kieran and stood back in front of him, she asked in a pleasant voice, What did you find?
Kieran didnt answer. He made a detour and headed towards the restaurant he had eyes on.
But right away, he was forced to pause, because...
I know your secret!
Chapter 1269 - Friendship On The Dining Table
Chapter 1269: Friendship On The Dining Table
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Secret?
If the words hade out of some first generation divine descendant, Kieran might have felt like he was facing his greatest enemy, but when the words came from Mier, who seemed more like an annoying roommate, Kieranughed withoutmenting.
It was true that he had a lot of secrets, but regardless of which, it wasnt something that the youngdy before him could grasp. Her strength had decided what kind of level she could reach and what kind of secrets she could unearth.
You dont believe me? Although you are in disguise, you people never change your habits. Cold, vignt, fond of ck, uncaring about what people think and following your own rules. Each one of you are incredibly strong. More importantly, whenever darkness rumbles, you people always walk out of the shadows. Am I right, Mr. D? Or should I call you Monster Hunter D?
Mier purposely lowered her voice, as if she wanted Kieran to believe that she knew everything.
Sorry, you have the wrong guy.
Kieran continued on to the restaurant. Hed already picked up the aroma of stewed meat from the restaurant.
The rich aroma of meat along with potatoes and carrots tickled Kierans appetite.
He didnt have the mood or free time to tangle with the youngdy who obviously misunderstood something.
Walking past her, Kieran went into the restaurant.
He picked a corner seat before calling the waiter.
I want your signature dish and one serving of every dish on the menu, Kieran pointed at the menu and ordered.
Every dish? Sir, we have almost 15 dishes on our menu. If its for you alone... The waiter, stunned, spoke hesitatingly.
Its for both of us. Well takeaway if we cant finish!
The pleasant voice came from behind.
Mier then came in and sat opposite Kieran.
Okay then.
When he saw Mier, the waiter immediately nodded.
The waiter knew Mier, or should it be said, Mier was quite popr around the hood.
A good lookingdy with a voluptuous figure always attracted attention, and when this youngdy had an extraordinary appetite to go with it, impressions would be made.
Kieran, seeing Mier sit in front of him, said, Ive said it before, you have the wrong guy.
It was rare for him to speak again.
It wasnt for any particr reason, just that Mier didnt seem like the type to waste food, so Kieran felt like she was decent.
Of course, it stopped at decent, and as for more?
Nothing.
I know, I know! The rule of keeping secrets, right? Dont worry, I wont say anything. But dont you think that you need some help in this unfamiliar city? Coincidentally, I have the capabilities to help you.
Mier smiled like she understood everything and even rmended herself, as though she were trying to prove her abilities. The youngdy then softened her voice and continued, You must have found something back at the scene, something the ignition point hides, right? Ive already sent someone to find out who were the officers and firefighters on duty that night.
This time, Kieran didnt say anything. He looked at Mier with a critical gaze.
Under Kierans gaze, Mier opened up honestly.
I am still one of the special consultants of the police force, you know. I have the authority to ess such things. Besides,pared to my tiny authority, I am hoping to know how you found the hidden point? When the fire was extinguished, my grandpa, Wier, and I searched the ce in detail but the fire had razed everything, and we didnt find any clues. So, how did you find it?
Mier replied to Kierans gaze by looking straight into his eyes and showing no signs of avoidance, as though she was trying to spot something in Kierans eyes.
Your detailed search was not detailed enough, Kieran said.
Meanwhile, in his heart, Kieran carefully sized up the youngdy before him and tagged her with a decent judging ability.
During the search at the site, Kieran was indeed searching for clues but that didnt mean he didnt cover up his presence.
In fact, given how vignt he was and with how many eyes were on him, he covered his presence from the start to the end of the search.
That was unless he wanted others to spot him!
Undoubtedly, the youngdy had noticed Kierans deliberate moves, which he performed to get others to notice him.
Although Mier had only seen what he wanted her to see, it already proved that her observations were remarkable.
Detailed? Hun... your kind of detailed? What kind of training do you have to go through?
The youngdy mumbled the term, her expression showing even more interest than before.
Kieran, however, went silent again.
Since Mier wasnt the intended target that Kieran tried to lure out, it was only because of her respect for food that made Kieran willing to converse with her.
Any more than that was impossible for Kieran. However, Kieran seemed to have underestimated her patience.
When Mier noticed that Kieran had no intention to reply, she shrugged and looked at Kieran with her palm holding her chin.
Kieran turned a blind eye to her.
He had learned to deal with this kind of stare a while ago. On top of that, he had something to divert his attention: food!
Soon enough, the waiter served the signature stewed meat and the other 15 dishes on the table.
Instinctively, Mier tried to pick up the spoon and have a taste of the stew, but just when her fingers were about to touch the spoon, sheer coldness rose in her heart all of a sudden.
Almost instantaneously, Mier shrunk her hand from the spoon and ced it over the gun at her waist. She turned in the direction that made her heart skip a beat.
Kieran?
Mier jolted. She didnt expect the presence that made her feel extremely dangerous toe from Kieran.
My food... Kieran said coldly.
Before he truly finished, the threats in his eyes said it all.
After noticing the threatening eyes, Mier quickly reacted, being like him at times.
This is my food. If you dare toy a finger on it, death will descend on you like a thunderbolt. Am I right?
Mier finished up Kierans sentence and stood up with a smile. Without calling the waiter, she moved a table opposite Kierans andbined them.
Waiter, give me one serving of each, just like him. Mier called the waiter over and ordered the same thing as Kieran.
Uh, okay, the waiter replied in a slightly dull state.
Didnt she say the food was for two people?
Did they argue? Or?
Random spections popped up in the waiters mind before he left for the kitchen in a hurry.
Then, when the waiter brought another 15 dishes and the signature stewed meat from the kitchen, he witnessed a scene that he would never forget for the rest of his life.
A man and a woman were sitting opposite each other at their own tables. The forks and knives in their hands were dancing in a flurry, reaching out towards the 15 dishes that were scattered in front of them.
Each time they chewed, the noise triggered ones appetite so much that the hunger deep down in ones heart spread uncontrobly.
Groooom!
The waitered gulped uncontrobly.
No one wouldugh at the waiter though, because everyone witnessing the scene was gulping.
Waiter! Give me a stewed meat as well!
Me too!
Me as well!
The orders sounded in session throughout the restaurant.
And when the other customers got their serving of stewed meat, Kieran called for the waiter again.
Give me another serving.
Me too, Mier said and smiled at Kieran.
This time, her smile was different from the previous ones, as it had some mixed meanings hidden in it.
Do you believe in a fated meeting?
No.
Its sick.
Eat your food, Kieran replied inly and continued eating.
Chapter 1270 - Rooftop
Chapter 1270: Rooftop
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Thank you, that will be $203.
Kieran paid for the meal under the waiters astonished gaze before walking out.
The waiter had seen many big eaters before, but one that ate like Kieran?
He was the first.
It seemed as if he ced all his passion into eating and did not care about any other thing.
From the start to the end, the waiter didnt notice Kieran having any intention of paying for the youngdy.
Not gentleman enough?
In the heart of a stingy ghost, men and women were equal.
There was no such thing as treating in his dictionary.
Even among those on Kierans friend list, only Lawless and Starbeck deserved to be treated by him, and as for others?
Stop overthinking, others were non-existent.
Dak Dak Dak Dak!
Hurried footsteps came chasing after Kieran.
Mier still had a smile on her face when she caught up to him. She wasnt unhappy or dissatisfied with Kierans stingy move, quite the opposite, as she thought it was very normal.
After all, he was a Monster Hunter.
The lone ranger that shuttled through darkness, a hero that protected humanity!
It was Miers dream since young to be to be a hero like that.
So she learned the style of the Monster Hunters through rumours, learning those quirks that seemed strange and inconceivable to othermoners.
In the eyes of the higher authority of Eiders City, Mier was a mad woman.
In the eyes of the civilians of Eiders City, Miers was a girl that behaved like a man with a huge appetite.
However, despite her quirks, her beautiful looks and voluptuous figure won her a lot of pursuers. She was nevercking in men trying to date her.
As a matter of fact, the numbers were overwhelming.
Judging by looks was a custom in any world.
Being a good looking person was like being born with superpowers, they would always get extra and special treatment among peers and equals.
However, ever since Mier threw three of her pursuers that chattered endlessly into a river, the situation greatly changed for the better. Still, it didnt mean that Mier wasnt the center of attention.
Whenever Mier showed herself in public, people wouldy their eyes on her and also pay attention to the people around her.
Mier knew it perfectly well, so when she saw Kieran raise a puzzled brow, she spoke.
My men got some news. Follow me. Mier then quickly strode towards an alleyway.
Kieran, too, followed up quickly.
He didnt mind achieving his target with a more effective way to save his efforts.
Inside the alleyway, a man in casual clothing who was standing straight out of habit was waiting for Mier. When he saw Mier, he immediately went up to her.
Consultant, weve run checks on the person you seek. It should be Smith, the man reported as he sized up Kieran. When he saw [Extreme Night] hanging at Kierans waist, his gaze quickly turned rmed.
He only didnt say anything because Mier was around.
Anything else? Mier asked.
He went missing! The day after the fire rescue mission, Smith handed in his resignation letter. That is all we have on Smith for now.
The man then passed Mier a paper bag.
Mier waved at the man and quickly turned around, leaving the alleyway, but as he walked past Kieran, he gave Kieran a gaze of warning.
Kieran didnt even care, his eyes were locked on the paper bag.
Kieran wasnt surprised about Smith being missing.
After participating in such an event, if this Smith still worked his day job like normal, Kieran would have to reconsider the role this Smith yed in all this.
Lets pay a visit to his house? Or...
Mier gave Kieran the paper bag without even looking inside.
Simrly, Mier had prepared for Smiths disappearance as well.
Of course, she had the confidence to relocate him, whether alive or dead.
Kieran didnt reply immediately. He took out the files in the paper bag and looked at the pictures in the documents.
In the pictures, there was an expressionless pale young man, seeming to be a quiet person. The details describing Smith were very simple.
He worked in the fire station for five years, never making any mistakes nor performing any meritorious deeds, an invisible man to be exact.
He never participated in any gatherings or events, and no friends ever appeared in his social circle.
This Smith was like a natural-born autistic.
Or perhaps he was hiding something, thus his autistic behaviour.
Lets go to his house, Kieran said.
Ill lead. I know a shortcut.
Mier took a nce at the address on the documents and leapt over the wall at the end of the alleyway.
Kieran followed without being too concerned. Just like Mier said, it was a shortcut.
Two minutester, Mier halted her steps in front of an apartment. She didnt seem to have the slightest intention of going in. Instead, she walked towards thedder beside the apartment and went up from there.
704. Smiths room number.
With the key inside the paper bag, Mier was about to open the door, but before she could, Kieran grabbed her by the back of her cor, and she was suddenly dragged aside by an irresistible force.
Then
Bang!
Dozens of tiny pellets were sted out and 704s door was sted into a beehive, the pelletsnding against the opposite wall without signs of slowing down.
Debris flew, and Mier, who was dragged aside, counterattacked.
A silver revolver was drawn and its trigger was pulled repeatedly.
Bang, Bang, Bang!
The bullets from the revolver entered through the holes of the door and struck precisely into the attacker behind the door.
Ugh!
After a painful groan, the attacker retaliated.
Bang!
Another scattered shot. This shot sted the door of 704 into bits, thus allowing Mier to have a good look at the attacker behind the door.
Pale faced and white haired, the mans bloodshot eyes were embedded deep into his eye sockets and there was an obvious gun wound on his body but he didnt seem to feel the pain, instead showing a vicious grin to Mier.
In reply, Mier fired another shot.
Bang!
The attacker with the malicious grin had his head sted off just like that.
Mier blew the smoke off her gun. She turned around, hoping to see Kierans gaze of admiration.
But to her disappointment, not only did she not see the gaze of admiration she was hoping for, but she couldnt see Kieran at all.
...
A man that shared a resemnce with the attacker in room 704 was climbing up the apartment walls nimbly like an agile monkey.
Two breathster, the man reached the top of the apartment, which was the seventh floor.
But when he reached the rooftop, his body trembled for a moment because the person that he didnt want to see appeared before his eyes.
However, he still bowed out of manners.
My lord.
Chapter 1271 - Find
Chapter 1271: Find
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Just when the man that shared a resemnce to the attacker in room 704 started to bow to the other man before him, an invisible power suddenly pped his face fiercely.
Pak!
The man was sent rolling on the ground by the p, stopping only when he hit the fence at the edge of the rooftop.
Ive said it before, you people cannot interfere in this matter, the man on the rooftop said coldly.
My lord, I am doing it for the family...
The man tried to exin himself, but before his sentence could even form, the invisible power hit his body again, even more severely than the first time.
Pang!
The fence on the rooftop produced teeth-numbing screeches from the impact as his body shrunk like a cooked shrimp from the beating.
I hate excuses. I hate excuses without any bit of believability even more. Did you find it? The man on the rooftop spoke in an even colder tone.
After having suffered two continuous beatings from the invisible power, the other mans body was trembling. He realized the man on the rooftop was even more unreasonable than rumoured and much more powerful!
What kind of attacks were those?
Why couldnt he see any signs?
Damn it!
Those bastards must have hidden something!
The cursing in the mans heart did not show on his face. Instead, he replied with a humble tone.
No, my lord. We were deceived by that guy. The thing wasnt in his room at all, he replied honestly.
Is that so? You are really useless. The man on the rooftop sighed.
My lord, spare...
Gark!
The intense killing intent the man felt changed his face for the worse. Instinctively, he wanted to beg for his life, but before he could even say life, the invisible power appeared on the mans body again, far greater than the previous times and itnded precisely on the mans neck.
After the clear neck-breaking sound, the mans head spun twice on his neck.
The thickness of what was a normal mans neck was twisted into a slim line swiftly. The muscles around the twisted neck then started to break, the bone that was crushed no longer able to provide any purpose to the head at all, and in the end, his head fell on the ground.
Puk!
Blood gushed out from the opening of the mans neck, sshing over his restless dead face.
Looking at the hideous face, the man on the rooftop smiled coldly in contempt. He wanted to leave but when he turned around, his body shook.
A ck figure somehow appeared behind him without his knowing.
The ck that bathed under the afternoon sun provided a dazzling sight to the man.
Who are you? the man asked heavily.
At the same time, that invisible, formless power appeared again.
Had he really been asking?
What a joke.
Striking to secure an advantage was the true path to victory.
However, a moment after the invisible power gathered, it dispersed all of a sudden.
The remaining power blew at Kieran like a breeze, fluttering the crow mantle. A sharp, long rapier flew out from the shadows and brought the mans head to Kieran as it returned to him.
Simr to the man he killed before, the man on the rooftop died a restless death. His dead face looked like he couldnt believe what had happened.
Even until his death, the man on the rooftop didnt know what kind of attack he had taken.
Kieran grabbed the mans head and sized it up carefully.
Simr to the attacker in room 704, he had pale skin, white hair, deep eye sockets and bloodshot eyes.
The difference was that this man was a lot stronger and provided Kieran with quite the amount of clues.
Still, it didnt stop Kieran from squatting down, carefully checking the two bodies in the area.
While Kieran was examining the bodies, light footsteps resounded on the stairs.
Mier was very careful as she traced themotion that attracted her attention to the rooftop.
When she saw Kieran on the rooftop, she heaved a breath of relief, but when she saw the head in Kierans hand, she cried out in shock.
Ries. K? Its really him!
Mier rushed over to Kieran and carefully checked the head before she was assured. Then her eyes on Kieran showed an unusual shine.
Ries. K, a Blood Kin, one of the members of the House of K. At least three confirmed murders are rted to this guyand thats just what we know, what we dont know is nearly uncountable. This guy wasnt honest and didnt follow the rules like other Blood Kin, being reckless and bloodthirsty.
Without even being asked, the youngdy provided Kieran with what he wanted to know.
Rules? Kieran raised a puzzled brow.
A lot of Blood Kin in Eiders follow our rules in exchange for a stable life. We, too, ept them, despite the unstable variables that follow. But a lot more of them think that they should follow their natural way of living. The House of K is the biggest Blood Kin family in Eiders. Almost one-third of the house choose a stable life but the other two-thirds are even more ruthless, Ries. K here being one of them. In addition, they treat traitors in even more brutal waysughtering them!
Miers gaze on Ries. Ks head showed a sense of disgust and hatred when she mentioned him, but soon enough, the negative emotions vanished, leaving her in deep thought.
Are the Blood Kin also involved in this incident? Or did they abduct Smith? This firefighter, Smith, obviously didnt want to die, thus the rescue signal. Mier then looked at Kieran.
The youngdy hoped to get her hands on more pieces of information, and this time, Kieran didnt stay quiet.
He told her what he knew about the incident because he needed more information in exchange.
The also Mier mentioned did not escape Kierans attention.
It seemed like the Blood Kin werent the first to show themselves in this incident.
Who were the first then?
Kieran automatically thought of the conversation that Mier and Wier had in Stove-grilled Fishst night, which had been untimely interrupted.
Kieran dusted his hands before he stood up. Since he couldnt find any valuables on the two bodies, he decided to go straight down.
He wanted to double check some other things that he had in mind.
Wait for me!
Mier grabbed the two heads on the floor before chasing after Kieran.
Ries. K had quite the bounty on his head.
As for the other attacker?
It might not be much but Mier didnt want it to go to waste either.
Since Kieran walked fast and she had two heads to carry, Mier wasnt able to catch up to him.
By the time Mier returned to room 704 in her ugly state, Kieran had already finished almost half of his search.
You are looking for that thing? Impossible, its definitely not here, Mier said when she saw Kieran looking for something.
Do you know what it is?
Kieran had no trouble picking up the clues between the lines, so he asked her this as he continued his search.
A little bit. But sorry, I cant tell. Like you Monster Hunters, we have our own rules, too. The youngdy looked at Kieran with an apologetic expression.
Kieran didnt even bat an eye at her, as his attention was wholly focused on the search.
Ultimately, his attention was ced on a single item.
Found it. Kieran grinned.
Chapter 1272 - Conceal
Chapter 1272: Conceal
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
A photo?
Mier saw the broken photo frame after trailing Kierans gaze.
The ss on the frame was shattered by their previous rough break in. Kieran carefully shook the shattered sses off and picked the photo up.
It was a photo of Smith, the firefighter on duty during the night of the fire.
He was wearing a firefighter uniform, standing under the sun with his colleagues.
Unlike the picture Kieran had seen in the files about him, Smiths face wasnt emotionless, he was showing a little smile.
One would need to look hard to spot the subtle smile though.
Likewise, if Kieran hadnt picked up the photo and checked it thoroughly, he wouldnt have noticed that there was a hiddenyer underneath the photo.
More precisely, a piece of paper the size of the photo was stuck behind it, perfectly camouging.
Kieran carefully peeled the piece of paper off the photo. Mier beside him couldnt hold back her question.
How did you notice it?
Mier had searched the entire room. In fact, when she realized that Kieran was gone, Mier had straightaway went up to check the attacker she killed and searched the room, but she couldnt find anything.
Shed even scanned across the photo frame on the floor several times but still didnt find anything.
If she had picked up the photo frame, Mier was confident that she would have been able to find something, but it wasnt the time to find excuses for herself right now.
She was weaker than Kieran, it was a cold hard fact.
But she didnt feel depressed at the fact, instead, she was quite happy.
After all, Kieran fitted the image of the Monster Hunter in her mind perfectly.
You are thinking about it the wrong way. Its obvious that Smith had known that he was involved in some matters that were out of his league, it was only a matter of time before something happened to him. Smith didnt want to sit back and get caught, so he left a clue of double insurance behind: he led the people who abducted him to this ce and allowed them toplete his setup, Kieran said as he continued peeling the piece of paper away from the photo.
He led them here?
Mier squinted her almond-shaped eyes, more thoughtsing afloat in her gaze.
Mm. I dont know what was stolen but I do know that it couldnt have been big or too eye-catching since it was carried around without anyone noticing it. Wallets, watches, rings, all sorts of essories are within our search range. So, if Smith really wanted toplete his setup, he had to limit the clues he left behind within the range, such as something hidden in the drawer beside the bed.
Obviously, the Blood Kin didnt find anything. Disappointment incites rage, so there is a high chance that the dead Blood Kin here broke the drawer, including the photo frame. And if you guys noticed his disappearance, you would surelye visit here and search the ce in detail, especially those things that dont fit well in the room. Kieran nodded.
He then peeled thest part of the sticking paper off with even more caution.
Pak!
When the paper and the photo split, a clear noise sounded. Kieran nced at the hidden words inside but when Mier tried to look at the paper, Kieran swiftly stuffed it in his pocket.
Mier was stunned by Kierans action.
Kieran didnt even care about Miers reaction, he turned his attention towards the corridor outside the room.
I think we can trade in some vital information, Kieran said.
Sure.
The reply came from outside the room. Wier in his windcoat with his walking staff walked in politely.
Wier? Mier quickly reacted to her grandfathers arrival.
What Kieran had exined just now wasnt for Mier, but for Wier, the grandfather of the youngdy.
The difference in treatment made her angered out of embarrassment.
She threw an unpleasant gaze at Kieran first. Then when she noticed Kieran didnt even care about her, she red at her grandfather.
Unfortunately, simr to Kieran, Wier did not bat an eye at his granddaughter either.
The veteran consultant of the police concentrated all his attention on Kieran.
A dangerous man!
Wiermented on Kieran in his heart again.
When he first saw Kieran freeze Odecardst night, Wiermented as such, but since Odecard was a bastard to the bone, Wier didnt care much.
But it was different when it came to his granddaughter.
When Wier came to know that his granddaughter had had lunch with the dangerous man, he sprinted out like an arrow let loose.
He carefully approached the scene, hoping to scoop out more information about Kieran from the nk, but his carefulness was not useful.
Wier vividly felt that when he stepped into the apartment, a faint pressure came from the rooftop and when he stepped into the corridor, the pressure became clearer. It followed him like his shadow.
Wier knew he had been exposed and what Kieran said next made him understand what Kieran wanted to do.
Exchange intel!
What Kieran said just now was intended for Mier?
Wier did not believe a man that rejected his request to converse would look differently at his granddaughter, even if his granddaughter was pretty.
That kind of man would not be allured by beauty.
Under Miers re, Kieran and Wier walked towards each other and stood in the middle of the room.
What do you want to know? Wier asked.
Everything that you know, Kieran replied.
Impossible. How can an unknown intel exchange for all?
Wier rejected Kierans demand for the exorbitant price by shaking his head.
If this unknown news can bring you that thing, it will of course be worth all that you know, Kieran emphasized.
But based on my guess, its at most a rescue signal. Smith, too, wished to live, Wier said.
I know. Smith wished to live, so he would have given more payment, correct?
Kieran nodded and showed a smile.
Payment!
Wier was astonished, his face slowly changing.
He was considering the possibilities in Kierans ims.
Then, he realized things really were as Kieran imed: if Smith really wanted to live, he must have sent out an extremely alluring reward, payment or leverage.
Otherwise, no one would risk their lives for him. Even for Wier... he would have thought twice.
Wier wasnt alone anymore. After a nce at Mier, he clenched his teeth.
He nodded.
I can tell you everything but you also need to tell me everything you know. You must help me in solving this special case. Ill give you a satisfyingpensation in return, Wier said.
Following Wiers words, system notifications popped up in Kierans vision.
[Triggered sub-mission: Wiers request]
[Wiers request: As the veteran consultant of the police, Wier has dealt with many, many things that normal people would hardly be able to touch. He was already a veteran in this but the incidents that happened in Eiders recently made him anxious and restless. He needs a reliable helper and you coincidentally appeared in his sight.]
Sure.
Kieran would never reject a sub-mission and necessary information. Even if he wouldnt get corresponding ratings in the end, more time staying in the dungeon was good enough for him.
Especially when Wu waspletely lost from contact.
The anomaly happened about two weeks ago...
Chapter 1273 - Smith (2 in 1)
Chapter 1273: Smith (2 in 1)
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The moon was pure that night and it was a rare, beautiful scene for Eiders. A lot of people watched the bright moon through their windows. Thats why most of Eiders saw that pure white moon turn red. A Blood Moon!
Wier took a deep breath before uttering the term, then his tone became heavy.
ording to records, every Blood Moon represents an ominous sign! This one is no exception! Since that day, those that hid in the shadows were restless, the nights of Eiders became more dangerous than ever. Youve seen it before right? The handiwork of those Ghouls. Wier then looked at Kieran.
Ghouls?
Kieran unconsciously thought of the women that died outside Stove-grilled Fish, whose limbs and torso withered and organs devoured.
Yes, those bastards. Theyve turned the entire Eiders into their own hunting ground. They didnt just go on a reckless rampage, some unknown forces are supporting them from behind as well! Otherwise, with the size of their brains, they wouldnt have performed such a detailed vanishing n and confused us to the point that we cant locate theirir.
Wiers fist unconsciously clenched.
For anyone who lived in Eiders, Ghouls were the things that they must remove.
Ghouls were different than the other monsters that could coexist with humans, they fedpletely on humans, which made them natural enemies.
As a matter of fact, a long time ago, the people of Eidersunched a destructive attack toward the Ghouls.
After that, Ghouls vanishedpletely from the public sight, until recently and they were more dangerous than before because they had someone who acted as their brain for them behind the scenes.
What about that snitch? When did he steal? Kieran asked the one thing that concerned him the most.
A day before the Blood Moon! On top of that, we have enough evidence to prove that the item that the snitch stole is heavily rted to the Blood Moon. Weir didnt just give a firm answer, hed even revealed a vital clue.
What evidence do you have? Kieran was chasing this particr lead.
I cant tell you exactly what. The identity of that lord is a secret. Wier shook his head.
This isnt what we agreed upon on, Kieran squinted his eyes.
What we agreed on doesnt include thisI tell you everything I know but the lord isnt included in all this. She is a special existence. I have never seen her before but I believe her orders because she is never wrong...
Even when talking about this lord, Wier looked very respectful.
But what concerned Kieran was the other particr: she!
A woman! A woman who is never wrong!
Kieran noticed the words that Wier used.
Afterbining the elements, Kieran automatically thought of Wu, his temporary party member who had divination capabilities.
Is it you?
At the same time, Kieran did not spare Wier of his questions. After many times making sure Wier did not know any more than that, Kieran took out the paper from the photo and gave it to him.
A location was written on the paper with a ck ink pen: 17th Aemon Road.
An address in Eiders.
It was very close to this apartment, around a 5-minute walking distance and less than a minute if doing a full sprint.
Assemble! Move out! Wier shouted.
The Spec Ops member that rushed to the scene because of themotion quickly appeared in the corridor and followed Wier towards the said address.
Mier followed the group as well.
Although she was hesitant, her duty was her priority.
However, before she stepped out of the apartment lobby, the youngdy turned around and yelled at Kieran.
Ill find you at night!
Her shout obviously attracted attention from the people around her.
Some of them were shocked, some of themughed quietly at Mier but she didnt care at all.
Instinctively, these men looked at Kieran who stood in the apartment lobby entrance.
His cold face didnt show any expression, his deep eyes made everyone who looked at him feel intense pressure.
Once they thought about the possible identity of this cold man, these men wisely chose to give up the idea of teasing him.
The legend of Monster Hunters wasnt only made known to Mier alone, the legend was very familiar to these men who dealt with monsters themselves.
Two special traits of a Monster Hunter became fresh impressions in their minds.
First, they were absurdly powerful.
Second, the never followed rules.
The former allowed them to be ever victorious when hunting monsters, thetter made them hated by all the rulers of thend.
The Monster Hunters would not care about what kind of rules were set, they only followed their own code.
So, these Spec Ops members knew what to do if they didnt want to be beaten without a reason.
As for challenging the Monster Hunter?
As long as their brains still functioned, they would never do it.
Although they were very strong in the eyes of themoners, plus the special weapons they equipped themselves with, it granted them the courage to not retreat even against the fiercest of monsters, butpared to a real Monster Hunter, they were still far away.
At the very next moment, the gap in strength was disyed before their eyes.
Under that many eyes of the Spec Ops member, Kieran vanished.
A lot of them widened their eyes at the scene.
H-How is this possible?
Many cried out in shock.
They knew the gap in strength between them and a Monster Hunter, but they never thought it would be so far apart that they couldnt even see Kieran move.
Mier nced over the Spec Ops members, her mouth curled up into a delighted grin, showing off her prideful expression as if she did it herself.
Weir frowned. He didnt want to see this happen.
Regardless of his granddaughter or his team, he didnt want them to be overly influenced by the Monster Hunter.
So, he shouted at them, Hurry up!
The group instantly quieted down, leaving only footsteps marching forward to their destination.
Aemon Roads sign appeared in the groups sight and 17th Aemon was within reach.
...
Tik Dak, Tik Dak.
Blood dripped on the floor from the scattered wounds on Smiths body.
The wriggling organs were clearly seen through the deepest cut on his body.
For a normal man, it would be a fatal blow, but Smith was still alive.
He was hung up and was breathing weakly.
Bang!
The prison gate was pushed open, a huge Blood Kin walked in.
It was looking down at Smith with an arrogant stare.
A low, degrading bastard., itmented.
Ha.
Smith seemed to hear thement, heughed lightly and spat a mouthful of blood at the Blood Kin with his full effort.
But the blood did notnd on the Blood Kin. It moved away the moment Smith spat.
Pak!
The bloodnded on the ground.
The Blood Kin looked at Smith in contempt.
So this is your retaliation? Feeble and weak. It really does match your identity as a bastard. A bastard like you still wants to get back to the House?
The Blood Kin said arrogantly like it was a titan despising the ant under its feet.
Ha. Another lightugh.
Although Smith did not die from the intense interrogation process, his heavy injuries made him too weak to even speak, he didnt have the required energy.
Replying with a single light-tonedugh was his best effort.
Are you still hoping for the Elder of the House to show you mercy? Or... Do you think the thing you are holding is the key for you to return? Stop dreaming!
The Blood Kin looked at Smith, hung up and weak, it decided to send Smith into deeper despair.
It would be more pleasurable for the Blood Kin to rip Smiths heart after the despair.
As a reward for this operation, it would not let Smith go that easily.
Because of Smith, it utilized its triumph.
Ive sent my men to your ce. When they bring back the thing to me, it will be your end. Arent you surprised by my men heading to your ce? Its because the Elder of the House never knew of your existence since the beginning! Shocked?
The pale Blood Kin showed a malevolent smile, it raised its hand and signaled his men further away to turn the capstan.
Smith was then lowered down to a height suitable for the Blood Kin to beat him.
However, the Blood Kin did not strike, because it saw a smile on Smiths face.
Smith, who should be in despair right now, smiled.
Not a fake smile! But a smile from the bottom of his heart!
What are you smiling at? The Blood Kin shouted fiercely.
Smith didnt answer, instead, his smile got brighter.
He tried his best to look up, looking at the Blood Kin who thought it had total control over the situation.
Of course, Smith knew what tricks the Blood Kin was ying.
From the moment Smith selected the Blood Kin as an entrance, the Blood Kins attitude and working style were already within Smiths grasp and the effort he spent didnt go to waste.
Greedy and repetitive as it was, the Blood Kin was acting as expected
Smith achieved his goal.
That child would have been saved by now, right?
Sorry.
Bringing you into this mess, I hope you can forget this tragedy and start over.
Smith was thinking about that child, his eyes were looking soft and kind.
As a mix between Blood Kin and a human, a bastard was what he was called most throughout his life. Even when he escaped that ce, he knew he had to hide his identity.
Otherwise...
The Blood Kin would not tolerate a house member with the blood of a human.
Humans would also not receive a stranger with Blood Kin lineage.
The hiding was suffering, he rejected all sorts of kindness shown to him because he didnt know whether the kindness shown was true or false.
In the end, he became a quiet firefighter.
It was what his mother always hoped of him. Even though his mother passed away when Smith was very young, benefiting from his abilities from the other half, he clearly remembered everything.
Because of his abilities, he sessfully escaped from the house.
Just when Smith thought his life would go on without any kind of ripple, a mother and daughter pair moved in beside him.
The mother was young, the daughter was a toddler.
To make ends meet, the young mother would work endlessly every day. The daughter was left at home most of the time, sometimes she would appear in the corridor with her mother.
Smith always walked past the duo.
At first, it was unfamiliar and scary.
Smiths quietness daunted the mother.
But as they met more often, the quietness became a habit.
The mother and daughter started to speak to him, Smith was as quiet as ever.
Until a few ill-intended bastards approached the two, Smith didnt hold back and chased them away. The mother and daughter showed admiration after that, theyd send over food at night sometimesit was the best they could offer as gratitude and it was also the tastiest food he could remember.
A meal drew both sides closer.
He was still quiet, but he would smile. His changes surprised his colleagues, but no one asked.
Every man for themselves.
Smiths realization made him heaved a breath of relief. He started to curl his mouth even more and during a group photo session at work, he unconsciously showed an expression known as smiling.
He felt happy but the happiness was stripped away by a sudden nightmare.
The daughter was missing from the house without a sign.
There were no clues, hence the police had their hands tied.
Smith rushed home and saw the young mother who was on the brink of copsing. Somehow, he felt pain in his heart, the pain that came from the memories of his mother.
He walked over to the young mother, he gave his promise, he would bring back the daughter.
He knew what was happening.
How would he forget the smell of a Blood Kin from the traces in the house?
He started to work hard, he was anxious, eager to fulfill the promise.
He knew he had limited time, those scum would not keep their food idle for too long.
And at that time, the Blood Moon appeared and the things that followed swiftly provided him with a risky n.
Everything was going so well until then, the only pitiful thing was...
Smith could never see the mother and the daughter again.
I-I hope that you will be happy.
After the soft mutters, Smiths head slowly lowered down
He was exhausted.
Dak Dak Dak Dak!
Hurried sprinting steps approached rapidly.
My lord! My lord!
We were tricked!
The calling from its men infuriated the Blood Kin. When it realized two of his men were killed, he furiously extended his hand towards Smiths chest, trying to rip his heart out but when he almost touch Smith, it moved towards Smiths neck instead.
Tell me! Where is that thing! roared the Blood Kin.
Life was swiftly fading away from Smith, he couldnt answer.
You cant die before you tell me where that thing is.
The Blood Kin felt Smith was dying, it wanted to look for food to keep Smith alive.
But the moment it turned around, a hand came out from the shadow and grabbed the Blood Kins neck.
Grak!
A neck-breaking sound.
Chapter 1274 - Look, The Wind Is Here (2 in 1)
Chapter 1274: Look, The Wind Is Here (2 in 1)
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
A burning hot liquid was sshed onto his face, and Smith, whose life was hanging by a thread, opened his mouth wide, gulping the liquid, mouth after mouth.
When he realized what he had drunk, the human side of him was disgusted with himself, making him feel sick.
But the Blood Kin side of him absorbed the hard-toe-by liquid faster than ever.
The wounds on Smiths body started to rapidly heal, regenerating at a speed visible to the eyes and his presence grew a little stronger.
The growth of his presence was very feeble, but obvious under Kierans Intuition.
Kieran couldnt help but turn cautious as he looked at the hybrid in front of him.
If Smiths setup was considered smart before, his current ability to absorb the blood of his own kind raised a new rm in Kieran.
Although Kieran had a limited understanding of Blood Kin, he was sure the Blood Kin didnt possess abilities like Smith.
Otherwise, given how the Blood Kin behaved, the Blood Kin in Eiders would have gone to war a long time ago, ughtering each other till the end.
While Kieran was looking at Smith, Smith was sizing up Kieran as well. He, too, showed a caution simr to Kieran. He was even more cautious and careful than Kieran, to be exact.
Smith, at the moment, wasnt grateful for the death of the Blood Kin that tortured him just now. He knew something had gone wrong with his n and...
It was rted to the life and death of the people he cared about most.
Smiths mind was spinning rapidly.
Suddenly, he said, Aemon Road 17th!
When he stated the address, Smith stared at Kieran deeply, hoping to gauge something from his expression.
To his disappointment, the man before him never changed his expression or even flinched, Kieran was as cold and expressionless as ever.
When the probing attempt failed, it sank Smiths head.
He knew he had encountered an opponent vastly different from the previous Blood Kin but the scene that happened next exceeded his expectations.
He saw Kieran raise his hand, cutting the rope that was hanging him up.
While Smith was falling from mid-air and trying to adjust his posture for a propernding, a quick hand chopnded on his neck.
You!
Smith widened his eyes but before he could finish, he passed out on the floor.
Kieran grabbed Smith and walked outside. He did not believe what Smith said, he would only believe what he saw. He would also not ask Smith what he was hiding in Aemon Road 17th.
Too wasteful of time.
If he had the time to ask Smith, he might as well pay a visit there himself with Smith.
...
Dak Dak Dak Dak!
Concentrated gunshots happened on Aemon Road.
Mier was leaning in an alleyway on the street, reloading her revolver. A Spec Ops member beside her was bandaging a few more fallenrades beside them.
Damn it! Since when has Aemon Road be air for the Blood Kin?
Mier cursed, lifting her revolver up after reloading.
Bang!
A sh of a muzzle shone. A Blood Kin that had stuck its head out from the opposite rooftop had his head shot off, but a dead Blood Kin wasnt of any help to the current situation.
Eiders Spec Ops group was still being suppressed by the Blood Kin.
Not just in terms of manpower, but in terms of firepower as well.
Four heavy machine guns were properly distributed atop the highest building on the street; as though it were a powerful turret tower, it fired endless muzzle shes around Aemon Street.
More importantly, tubes of dynamite were hurled down from time to time.
Kaboom!
A brick wall copsed after the explosion. Wier, who had shrunk behind the wall, utilized his experience to avoid direct damage from the dynamite, but he couldnt escape the dustnding on his face.
He shook his body, dusted his hat and squinted his eyes at that turret tower.
He took out an extended rifle. He adjusted it carefully and aimed at his target.
Bang!
The muzzle shes from the machine guns paused right away.
The Spec Ops members in the area immediately cheered but before the cheers faded, the machine guns continued their fiery bulletstorm.
Three of the remaining machine guns turned around and aimed at where Wier was hiding. Bullets then rain down on him.
Dak Dak Dak Dak Dak Dak!
The bricks on the ground and walls were turned into debris by the fierce bulletstorm, sshing all over the area.
Wier!
Captain!
The Spec Ops members called out to their leader one after another in shock. At the same time, they, too, aimed their guns at the turret tower, trying to return fire at the machine guns.
They hoped to buy some time for Wier.
If their opponents were humans, their tactics would have been effective, but they were facing Blood Kin.
A bunch of monsters that could neglect most damage and were practically undead to themoners.
Therefore, the return fire wasnt just ineffective, but it also exposed the members locations.
Puk Puk Puk!
Several Spec Ops members fell to the ground after four to five sshes of blood gushed out of their bodies.
Take cover! Stay out of the fire line!
Wier was shouting loudly, the wrinkles on his face stretched out by the fierce motion.
Rage!
Wier really wanted to pull his men up from the ground and scold them. Had they forgotten their training?
Absolute rage!
Wier couldnt understand how the entire Aemon Street was turned into a Blood Kinir, yet he wasnt informed at all, thus causing him to misn and send his team in with a total disadvantage.
He knew that if this situation continued, he and his men would be buried here, but he had no idea of how to solve the problem.
Layers of rage piled up in his head, causing his breath to hasten.
He was ready to take the risk.
He took his hat off and quickly threw it aside.
Dak Dak Dak Dak!
The machine guns fired.
Seizing the window, Wier swiftly dashed out of his cover, but the moment he stepped out, his eyes froze.
A Blood Kin was standing opposite Wier, pointing a gun at him and smiling ferociously.
It seemed like the Blood Kin had been waiting for this moment for quite some time!
Since when did it appear?
It had covered its footsteps using the gunshots from the machine guns!
As the sudden realization struck his heart, Wier, too, pointed his gun at the Blood Kin.
He knew that although he wouldnt be able to make it out alive, that didnt mean he would sit back and wait to be captured.
Bang!
The trigger was pulled. The Blood Kins head was sted off together with its ferocious smile, but that wasnt the fatal blow. A split second before Wier fired, a sharp, narrow rapier had grazed the Blood Kins neck.
Puk!
[Dandelions Pierce] flew out like an arrow following Kierans will. A Blood Kin that was hiding in the corner and thought that it would not be found out had its neck perforated.
It was simr to those Blood Kin handling the heavy machine guns at the top of the highest building, thinking they were well-prepared.
The advantages of height, firepower and extraordinary body all fueled their confidence.
So when [Dandelions Pierce] appeared, they died a restless death because they hadnt seen iting.
Dak Dak Dak Dak!
Kieran walked along the street of Aemon Road where the bullets rained.
A lot of Blood Kin saw the obvious target.
Instinctively, they aimed the guns in their hands at Kieran, but none had the chance to fire.
Before the Blood Kins even showed their initial malicious intents, [Dandelions Pierce] was already in front of them, reaping their lives like a grim reaper wielding its scythe.
The loud gunshots that sounded like endless popping sounds finally stopped.
The remaining Blood Kins looked at the ck figure approaching step by step and shivered like cicadas in the winter.
The Spec Ops members, on the other hand, showed astonishment and admiration.
Miers eyes were showing frantic emotions, more passionate than the others.
All of the emotions appeared under Kierans Intuition, but his attention was on Smith.
Smith had awoken. When Kieran reached Aemon Street, Smith was already conscious and seemed extra agitated, his breath hurried.
When they truly reached the said address, Smith gave up his actpletely and looked at the iron gate in front of himAemon Road 17th.
Bang!
Kieran simply threw Smith on the ground. He watched as Smith crawled and rolled towards the iron gate.
Kieran followed. He wanted to know what was hiding beyond those iron bars.
[Dandelions Pierce] flew around Kieran, taking out one malicious intent from the Blood Kin after another.
Front yard, porch, corridor.
When they reached the main living hall, Smith sprinted towards a ce under the stairs.
A hidden room was located there.
It reeked of blood and was filled with an anxious presence.
S-Smith.
A feeble, sobbing voice sounded.
A little girl was carried out by Smith. Her face was as pale as paper, terrified as well. Behind Smith were a few more little girls of the same age.
This was all.
Kieran nced at the huge hidden room that housed around 50 cages inside. The coldness on his face dropped below freezing point.
This is what you wanted to know. This is a restaurant for the Blood Kin. A lot of Blood Kin feast here, including those who follow the rules,
Smith told Kieran while holding the little girl in his arms.
Smith then looked at Kieran with a calm gaze.
Smith was smart, knowing what Kieran wanted to know by bringing him here. Likewise, he also understood how powerful Kieran was along the way here.
It was the kind of strength that Smith couldnt afford to oppose.
He knew that Kieran could kill him with a single thought. Whether it was Kieran himself who did it or that flying rapier, both could easily take his life.
However, under such circumstances, Smith opened up unusually instead because he wanted to save the one he missed.
As for what happened after that?
Smith held the little girl, wiped away the tears on her cheeks and showed a rare smile.
Sorry that I amte, Smith said.
The sobbing little girl couldnt say anything, she hugged Smith tightly.
Feeling the warmth in his arms, Smith closed his eyes in peace.
Even in death, they would die together.
When the thought appeared in Smiths mind, thest bit of fear in him vanished.
He waited for death, but death didnte as expected.
Lets go.
At the calm reply, Smith opened his eyes at the cold looking man before him.
Leave this ce. Bring them as well, said Kieran coldly.
He then turned around and walked out of the building.
Smith was stunned, but quickly followed up shortly after.
Simr to when they arrived, they returned smoothly as well.
[Dandelions Pierce] had terrified all the Blood Kins that were dining in the ce. All of them were hiding in the dark, watching the ck figure leave.
A few higher ranking ones among the bunch were roaring in their hearts.
Wait! You wait!
Damn pesky, low humans!
You will soon be my meal!
When the ck figure vanished from their sights, these few Blood Kins with higher positions jumped out.
What about the house guards?
Our strongest warriors?
Why arent they here?
And we were having a meal here!
Why are we being treated like this?
My lords, we will give you all a satisfying answer.
Please, my lords, be calm.
...
The roars from the Blood Kins echoed in the building.
Kieran, who left the ce, could still hear them clearly, including the exnations, but he didnt care.
Who would care about a bunch of dying monsters?
He turned around and looked at the little girls being attended by the Spec Ops members.
Miers eyes turned red when she saw the girls.
The Spec Ops members around them clenched their teeth in rage as well.
When the little girls were found in the area, these men who had always dealt with monsters immediately reacted to the situation and understood why these little girls were brought here.
They also understood now why the street housed so many Blood Kins.
Damn it! Why didnt our men notice the anomaly here?!
When she saw the obvious blood marks on a few of the girls arms, Mier couldnt hold back her rage and looked at Wier with a questioning gaze.
She hoped to get an answer, but Wier, unfortunately, shook his head.
I dont know why the intel department neglected this ce either, said Wier.
He looked at the few little girls in an apologetic manner.
But all the little girls were hiding behind Smith. They were scared and none of them cared about what Wier did.
Wier sighed.
I assure you, I will give you all an exnation. I...
Fuuu!
Fuuuuuuuuuu!
The wind interrupted Wiers words.
Unconsciously, everyone looked towards where the wind came from.
Kieran!
A vortex had appeared in Kierans palm.
It wasnt big and could be considered small, but all who saw the vortex would instinctively feel scared, especially Wier.
He felt the power from the wind and knew that what he felt wasnt all of it.
Stop it, D! I said that Ill give them an exnation! Wier shouted as sweat filled his forehead.
That is your exnation to them, what does it have to do with me? Kieran replied calmly, the vortex in his palm growing rapidly.
This is Eiders! Eiders has its own rules! Wier tried his best to dissuade Kieran.
Rules? Is a Monster Hunter that follows rules still a Monster Hunter? Kieran grinned.
His cold expression didnt melt because of his grin, instead it became colder.
Anyone who saw his grin would feel cold in their hearts, as though it were the grim reaper smiling.
They saw the vortex fly up from the palm of the grim reaper.
They saw the vortex expand into half a hundred meters long.
They saw the vortex, now a tornado that looked like a wind dragon, roar at the sky, crashing down into Aemon Road.
They saw the entire Aemon Road wipe out from the map by the destructive force.
The little girls stared at the street that they feared as it was being destroyed, and they somehow felt relieved.
Chapter 1275 - Yes And No
Chapter 1275: Yes And No
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Everyone was overwhelmed by the hundreds to thousands meterrge ruins before their eyes.
None of them noticed the shining [Jins Remains] that was pinned to the inner cor of his mantle. Even if anyone did, they would think it was the sunlights reflection.
After all, in themoners eyes, [Jins Remains] was a golden-green button.
The only noticeable feature of this button was the intricate patterns carved over the surface.
Huu!
The wind blew again.
This time, it was a natural breeze, pleasantly warm and tender.
But the breeze made the Spec Ops members at the scene shudder, as though they had fallen into a deep abyss, causing them to look around in panic.
When they couldnt locate the ck figure holding a vortex of wind, all of them heaved a breath of relief at the same time.
Then, they exchanged gazes and looked at each other, trying to figure out when Kieran had left without their knowing.
Even Mier, who had always had her eyes on Kieran, was distracted by the ravaging tornado that wiped out the street.
So this is the power of a Monster Hunter? Mier muttered in front of the destroyed Aemon Street.
There wasnt fear, there wasnt panic, only eagerness to try!
Wier obviously felt the changes in his granddaughter. He couldnt help but cover his forehead.
As the leader of the Spec Ops team, Wier was given an intense headache right now.
He was having a headache thinking about how he would exin this to his superior. Then there was also his granddaughter, who would be drawn into the vortex of trouble any time now.
Correct, the Monster Hunters were powerful, but lingering around any one of them was more dangerous than anything.
Even a powerful Monster Hunter couldnt take care of every aspect, any misstep could equal death!
Wier didnt want his only family to leave him like that.
Losing his son and daughter-inw at once was torturous enough for him.
He couldnt endure anymore than that.
Huu!
Wier took a deep breath, his hearting to a decision. He looked at Smith.
It was Wiers first time meeting Smith, the firefighter, but impression wise, it was deep enough.
Smiths n was no remarkable setup. When the little girls had appeared, Wier understood everything, but it couldnt hold back the rage in his heart.
You should have told us everything, not used us like this, Wier said heavily.
Smith took a nce at Wier, then carried the little girl in his arms and brought the others together to the other side of the street.
Wier was a respectable person but not a suitable person for conversation.
His identity had proven as such, so Smith chose to keep quiet of things he knew.
Watching Smith leave, Wiers men tried to stop him.
Let them leave. Wier stopped his men.
Simr to what Smith thought of him, he also thought Smith was a respectable person with a noble personality. He wouldnt simply shift the me onto someone else, neither would he push them into the abyss.
Their absence is whats best for now.
Wier muttered as he watched Smith and the girls leave from sight.
The Spec Ops members with quicker reactions heard what their leader said and pondered upon the question.
Pak Pak!
Wier pped his hands to gather their attention.
Guys, our mission isnt over. Before support arrives, try your best to search the area. We need to find more valuable things to aid us here, Wier emphasized.
Yes, captain!
Understood!
The men quickly moved out.
Even the slower ones understood now. If they didnt wish to be scapegoats for something they hadnt done, it would be best that they grasped evidence that could prove their innocence and provide them with a benefiting stand.
...
What happened on Aemon Road swept the entire Eiders faster than anyone could imagine.
Themoners cried out in shock.
The monsters hidden in the dark became afraid. Some of them sheathed their ws and fangs, trying to observe the situation with a careful gaze.
Of course, a lot more of the monsters became restless when they saw that the sun was setting.
When night descended upon Eiders, the city would be their yground again.
However, none of those had anything to do with Kieran at the moment.
Sitting inside the empty lobby of Stove-grilled Fish, Kieran was drinking a cup of water served by Little Tom, waiting patiently for Smiths arrival.
Smith was a smart person.
Given the situation in Eiders, if he didnt have a deathwish, he would know what to do.
A quarter of water was gulped down from the ss.
Lagren, the hotel owner, walked out from behind the bar counter with a shirt on.
Little Tom, its time for you to finish work, said Lagren.
But theres still another hour until sunset...
Im feeling good today, so you can leave early. Remember, dont linger on the streets for too long, and lock the windows and doors when you get home. If you can, block the doors with your closet.
Lagren interrupted his workers words and reminded Little Tom with a seemingly casual but actually patient tone.
I know boss. Little Tom nodded with a heavy expression.
It wasnt Little Toms first day of work, so he knew what kind of personality his boss had. He would notice if there was something different about his boss.
He didnt intend to turn a deaf ear to Lagrens advice.
After greeting his boss and Kieran at the corner, Little Tom quickly left.
Following Little Toms absence, the entire lobby was left with just Kieran and Lagren.
Lagren took a beer mug and turned the tap on the beer barrel.
Golden alcohol together with snow-white foam quickly filled the mug.
A little blow over the foamter, Lagren drained the mug dry and started on a second one.
When his mug was filled with beer again, Lagren walked over to Kieran and sat opposite of him.
Who are you? Dont tell me you are a Monster Hunter. Although your outfit and manners fit one, based on what I know, no Monster Hunters fit you.
Lagren spilled his questions out directly after he sat down.
Kieran didnt answer but looked at Lagren calmly.
When Kieran hade to realize that Lagren was much stronger than amon man, he had pondered about Lagrens identity, even wondering if he was a Monster Hunter himself.
Therefore, Kieran wasnt surprised.
Or, in other words, who Lagren was or which side he was on had nothing to do with Kieran.
All Kieran needed to know was what he had to do; that would be enough for him.
You see, if I didnt already know that youre not a Monster Hunter, I would have really taken you for one based on your looks.
Lagren shrugged at the quiet Kieran, then drank a mouthful of beer.
But at the next moment, Lagren almost spat his beer out because of Kierans reply.
I was not one before, but I am now.
Chapter 1276 - There Must Be Something You Want To Protect
Chapter 1276: There Must Be Something You Want To Protect
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
What do you mean?
Lagren widened his eyes, clenching the mug in his hand.
The literal meaning, Kieran said calmly.
Lagren widened his eyes at Kieran, his gaze panic-stricken. After three or four seconds, Lagren sighed and said, I know that right. You werent then, but you are now. People will only believe what they want to believe. Even if I were to jump out and say you arent one, people would doubt me instead of you. Even though what I have to say is the truth.
Lagren shook his head as he sighed. He took another gulp of his beer.
When the hotel owner lowered his mug, his face showed strictness, his presence even changing.
It was as though he was a normal man that had transformed into a lion, a fearsome beast. He stared at Kieran and asked, Then what are you going to do with them?
Just follow the pace, Kierans reply was still as calm as ever.
The presence of the hotel owner might be scary, but it was nothing but a breeze in Kierans face. It would be an outrageous im to say such a presence affected Kieran.
Obviously, Lagren noticed that too.
You and those guys are the same. You people can really upset a man to death! Lagren sighed again.
His second sigh was much more depressing than the first.
The beastly presence on him vanished with his second sigh. He picked up his mug and prepared to leave.
He knew from having dealt with a lot of Monster Hunters before that it was nearly impossible for him to probe any useful information from Kieran.
Kieran was too simr to a real Monster Hunter.
If Lagren wasnt already sure about Kierans identity, he might really take him for a real Monster Hunter...
Wait! Hold on!
Do I really know all the Monster Hunters out there?
Did I miss someone?
Lagren jolted when he stood up, thinking of a certain possibility. He then looked at Kieran with a doubtful gaze.
Are you sure you are not a Monster Hunter?
Kieran kept quiet without lifting his head.
Judging from Kierans reaction, Lagrens spection in his heart subconsciously grew bigger.
How can anyone in the world be so simr to those guys? There must be some connection between them. I didnt notice before, for perhaps my investigation was not detailed enough.
Lagren hastened back to his room. He wanted to apply for an investigation request from the headquarters.
Excluding the Monster Hunters he knew, Lagren tried to concentrate his search to thest decade... No! Considering Kierans age, Lagren must search and investigate all the missing Monster Hunters for the past 30 years!
The secretmunication channel got through, and when the person on the other end of the phone heard Lagrens request, it went quiet.
What happened? Do you know that your request is already above your authority?
Two secondster, a doubtful womans voice sounded from the other end of the phone.
Ill use my special authority then, Lagren said without a second thought.
Fine, Ill make the necessary arrangements. But...
No buts! Ive been retired for many years now. Leaving behind so many unused special authority attempts is useless. Do you want me to bring them to my grave? Or do you think I have some heir to inherit all these? Lagren interrupted the person on the other end.
Unlike others who viewed this special authority as a precious power, Lagren wanted to know Kierans real identity even more.
The curiosity that he hadnt felt for a long time swiftly intoxicated Lagren, and he couldnt free himself from the question.
...
Lagren never would have thought his conversation with the person had entered Kierans ears without miss despite him being in his soundproof room.
Kieran didnt care about Lagrens investigation. He never existed in this dungeon world in the first ce, and no matter how much Lagren investigated, he would only plunge deeper into a vortex of unanswered questions.
As for finding out the truth?
Kieran firmly believed that Lagren couldnt do it, just like how he believed Smith would show up.
Amidst the sunset glory, Smith was holding a little girl in his arms and bringing another five behind him to Stove-grilled Fish as though he was their nanny.
Smith quickly noticed Kieran in the corner and brought the girls in without a second thought.
Thank you, Smith said in a slightly rough voice.
Thank you, the girls followed in a youthful, pleasant voice.
The girls were still afraid of the outside world but when they saw Kieran, the fears in their hearts swiftly calmed down. Even the youngest, Saya, who Smith held in his arms, was no exception.
Thank you, Saya turned around and said in a sweet voice.
Mm. You can get something to eat there.
Kieran nodded and pointed at the bar counter.
Smith epted the suggestion and brought the girls over, asking Lagren about the food and prices.
Its on the house! said Lagren.
Lagren nced at the little girls and showed them a smile that he thought was kind enough.
Though, Lagren had obviously forgotten about his heavy beard.
His rough smile didnt calm the girls down, instead causing all of them to hide behind Smith.
None of the girls behind Smiths back was willing to linger around the bar counter. All of them ran towards Kieran.
Lagren touched his beard in a depressed manner. He then left the lobby for the kitchen and when he returned, he had many pastries and cakes in his hands.
Lagren thought he could exchange cakes for the little girls smiles, but the little girls showed him not smiles but vignt, careful gazes instead.
Obviously, after going through a gruesome experience, the little girls knew what was important.
In the end, Lagren ced the cakes and pastries on the table.
Depressed, he returned to the bar counter.
What was more depressing was that the little girls never touched his cakes at all even after he left, only showing thirst through their gazes
Lagren couldnt help but feel pain in his heart when he saw this scene.
He knew what had caused the little girls to behave and react like this.
Those damn bastards should really taste the wrath of lightning! I hope you motherf**king bastards have a good life after this, you piece of f**king shit!
Lagren cursed without holding back.
He then raised the bounty for Blood Kin in Eiders by two fold.
Smith had been paying attention to Lagren the moment he walked into the hotel.
Is he a Monster Hunter? Is this one of the Monster Hunters territories? Smith asked.
Kieran nodded.
Can I stay here with them?
Sure.
Smith was overjoyed at Kierans reply, but right after that, the joy froze on Smiths face because of what Kieran said next.
You n to keep hiding? Living a life of anxiety and hiding, never stepping out of this ce? You can, but what about them? Or... what if a simr incident happens again to them? What will you do then?
Kieran nced over at the girls who were eating softly.
After a life and death experience, these girls were bestowed with a remarkable maturity, but it wasnt something that everyone sought, at least not Smith.
Smith clenched his fists hard. His breath hurried because of what Kieran said, sending him into despair again.
W-What should I do then?
Smith looked up with clenched teeth, asking Kieran for advice.
Kieran?
He smiled.
He squeezed a word out past his smiling teeth.
Kill.
Chapter 1277 - Strike With Initiative
Chapter 1277: Strike With Initiative
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kill?!
Smiths breath became hurried.
He wasnt stupid, he knew what Kieran meant the moment those words escaped his mouth.
Removing the threat before it could threaten anyone.
Eliminating the enemies before they strike.
No doubt it was the best way to deal with danger, but strength-wise...
Smith had a precise estimation of himself. Maybe against humans, he could rely on his gifts from the Blood Kin side to acquire huge advantages, he could even easily defeat some Blood Kin who had less powerful gifts. However, if he were to face a true Blood Kin with natural gifts, he couldnt even withstand a blow, let alone those Blood Kin with the title of Count.
But if he stayed idle and didnt do anything, and the incident that Kieran mentioned happened again, what should he do then?
Begging for someone elses help again?
Even if others were willing to keep helping him, who could guarantee the safety of the people he cared under those ever-changing circumstances?
More so...
Smith unconsciously turned towards the little girls who were eating silently.
His hesitant eyes turned firm.
One horrifying experience was enough, he certainly didnt want the girls to go through it a second time.
I understand. Smith nodded slightly.
No, you dont, Kieran shook his head. He passed a ball of paper that he prepared for Smith.
There is something useful to you written inside. As for what you are going to do? That is your business. Kieran then ended the conversation one-sidedly.
He didnt speak another word to Smith after that. He watched Smith take care of the girls and send them to rest in the rooms upstairs.
Kieran knew there was no need for him to say anything else.
Smith being a hybrid had determined his loner nature, and his loner nature had determined his thirst formunication and warmth. When this warmth appeared in his life, he would protect it with all his effort, even by risking his life.
Some things were determined from the start.
Simr to how the n of the mastermind was disrupted by Kierans entrance.
The masterminds n was so tight that until now, Kieran didnt know what he as the snitch stole, neither did he have any idea towards the masterminds goal.
However, the chaotic situation of Eiders at night told Kieran he must do something
Restore the order of Eiders at night!
Whatever the mastermind wanted, Kieran would ruin it. It was the simplest, most straightforward way to deal with the situation.
The only thing he needed to consider was whether the chaotic nights in Eiders was a smokescreen released by the mastermind or not.
Therefore, Kieran needed a helper, and Smith, with his special natural gifts, was a decent candidate.
...
The night brought darkness, it allowed the Blood Kins to move faster and be more secretive.
Each one of them hid in the shadows, sizing up everything on Aemon Street with their red eyes but none dared to get near the destroyed street.
Other than the Spec Ops members on guarding duty on the street, the scene before the Blood Kins eyes was too shocking.
A single blow!
A single blow and the Monster Hunter destroyed an entire street! Even for the non-human Blood Kins, they couldnt ept the fact.
They were robust, alright, but not to this ridiculous scale.
Therefore, every Blood Kin approached the area with the utmost care.
In fact, if it werent for the damn orders from the ruler of the house, they wouldnt even get close to this ce. All of them hoped that they could run as far as possible from the destroyed street.
Fortunately, the orders they received were just checking on Aemon Streets current situation, not investigating the street in detail.
Otherwise, even with the orders from the rulers, they would run without a second thought, throwing the house behind them.
They didnt want to die, but reality would never bend towards anyones wishes.
For humans, and for Blood Kins.
A Blood Kin who was sticking its head out from the shadows didnt notice Smith was approaching. When it tried to size up the distribution of Spec Ops members, Smith covered its mouth with his left hand and sliced its throat with the dagger in his other hand.
Blood Kins were nearly immortal in the eyes of amoner, but the term nearly said as much.
Blood Kins had weaknesses as well.
Their hearts and throats were their most significant weak points, and as half a Blood Kin, Smith knew it very well.
Butpared to a stab to the heart, Smith preferred to slice throats because there might be a chance that the Blood Kins heart was on its right instead of the left, like humans. Having their heart on the right was rare for humans but not so unusual for Blood Kins.
Of course, more importantly, when the dagger slit the throat, Smith could absorb all the blood before it even gushed out, with none left in the Blood Kins body.
At the same time, some spices appeared in Smiths hand.
As the night breeze blew, the spices were carried around in the air, and they effectively covered the stench of blood.
Around three secondster, the Blood Kin in Smiths hand was turned into a dried corpse. He endured the disgust and extreme difort in his heart, he tried to savor the feeling of his body growing stronger.
He wanted to adapt to the changes as fast as possible!
For Saya! For children like Saya!
As the thought grew in his heart, Smith carefully bagged the dried corpse into the gunny sack he brought and ced it in the shadowy corner.
ording to the ball of paper, Smith had to bring away all the bodies of his prey.
It was for his own safety and for the children.
If it was possible for him, his gift that allowed him to absorb other Blood Kins blood to enhance himself should be kept a secret from anyone unrted. Otherwise, he would face the endless pursuit from the rest of the Blood Kin.
Once that terrible thought painted a picture in his mind, Smith moved even more carefully.
A second one!
A third one!
...
By the time he loaded all the gunny sacks that he brought, the Blood Kins that were watching Aemon Street were wiped out. Smith then started to transport the bodies in the gunny sacks.
Smith didnt look any different after that, his body was still as thin and lean, but his strength and speed had multiplied more than once!
With the extra power-up, even if he were to transport the heavy bodies, Smith could skillfully handle it with ease.
He quickly slipped past the Spec Ops members.
However, every move that Smith took throughout the process appeared in Kierans sight.
Watching Smiths careful and vignt actions, Kieran nodded in satisfaction.
Then, he slowly moved into the shadows.
Since his helper moved, how could he not?
A momentter, a cold, arrogant looking D walked out from the shadow.
A closer look at his face revealed the helplessness in Ds eyes.
But no matter how helpless D looked, with the restrictions of the contract, it still had to carry out missions ording to Kierans order, even though the tasks were dangerous as usual.
Chapter 1278 - Watch
Chapter 1278: Watch
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The night at Eiders was dangerous, especially after the night of the Blood Moon. No one knew what kind of monsters were hiding in the darkness that their sight couldnt reach.
Therefore, the people of Eiders hurried home during the evening. They shut their doors and windows, ced forks and bats that could act as weapons in reachable ce. Even for those who had to go out at night, they chose to go out in groups, arming themselves like the Spec Ops members.
A group of five Spec Ops members were traveling in a car and slowly driving along the street. Even though the car had its high light on, it couldnt shine further than five meters in front, as darkness devoured even light.
Damn it.
The patrol leader, who drove the car, cursed. He chose to slow down the car even further while the other four turned their heads and looked around.
The supposedly bright streetmps were blurry in the darkness, as if mist had flooded Eiders. It made the Spec Ops members on watch subconsciously hold their weapons tighter.
As part of the Special Operation Division, the men hadnt appeared on the street at this time for a stroll, they were there for night patrol.
Based on the consecutive cases of monster attacks, the intelligence department was shrinking down the areas where the monsters could be active.
The street that they were traveling on now was clearly one of those areas.
The car slowly drove through the street, but none of them noticed anything unusual.
Slightly disappointed, the Spec Ops members in the car heaved a small breath of reliefbecause of their duty, they didnt mind engaging monsters in battle, but if they could, they would rather be safe as well.
The patrol leader picked up the wireless walkie talkie.
Calling control, this is No.6 Patrol. No unusual sightings. Over. We will continue our patrol. Over.
This is control. Understood, over. Wiers voice came from the wireless walkie talkie.
The patrol leader turned the car around and started their second round of patrol based on the designated route.
However,pared to the apprehensive first round, the members of No.6 Patrol were a lot more rxed. Based on their experience in fighting monsters, the first time was always the most dangerous, and if they didnt encounter any danger in the first round, the danger level would decrease greatly, which was basically safe for the night.
Hey leader, what kind of monster do you think it is? the young man in the middle of the backseat asked softly.
I dont know. The patrol leader shook his head.
Some say its the Ghouls, but arent Ghouls extinct in Eiders? How could they appear again? the young man asked.
Who knows? After the Blood Moon incident, Eiders became weird. In short two weeks, there have been almost 20 cases of monster attacks. The patrol leader sighed.
And thats not all, Ive heard that some cases were covered up by really powerful figures! They...
Quiet!
The young man still wanted to say more but was stopped by the patrol leader and the vice leader in the passenger seat. Two of the eldest members of No.6 Patrol looked at the youngest member with stern eyes.
Never mention that case again, the leader emphasized.
Remember, not even a word! the vice leader reminded him.
Both of the seniors loved the youngest member of the group and as members of No. 6 Patrol, they had been through life and death together, forming a strong bond between them; they even considered each other as family.
Therefore, they didnt want anything to happen to the youngest member.
The young man was stunned before quickly reacting to the situation.
He smiled awkwardly while scratching the back of his head and just when he was about to say something, the slow moving car suffered a huge impact from the nk.
Bang!
The huge impact flipped the car around with the five members inside.
A huge humanoid figure as tall as three meters appeared from the darkness. It lifted its big hand and tore away the car door like it was tearing a piece of paper.
Then, it reached toward the Spec Ops members and tried to grab them.
Bang Bang Bang Bang!
Five assault rifles fired out at once at the monster. Muzzle sh shone and loud bangs echoed throughout the street.
The huge figure was shot backwards but it didnt seem to suffer any damage. The bullets that could perforate flesh werent effective. It was like firing into a steel te, causing sparks on impact.
Ghoul!
Under the blurry light, the patrol leader saw the face of the huge figure and once he matched the face with the records of the monsters in his mind, his heart skipped a beat.
Call for backup!
A hurried shoutter, the leader squeezed out from the flipped car, reloaded the gun in his hand and fired at the Ghoul once more.
Calling back up! No. 6 calling for backup! The vice leader shouted at the walkie talkie.
The other three also squeezed out of the car and tried to buy more time for the vice leader.
However, they seemed to have underestimated the Ghoul before them.
After faltering before the sudden gunshots, the Ghoul growled loudly out of anger. Its body engorging another round, it withstood the bulletstorm and dashed towards the flipped car like an angry rhino. A hard push and crashter, the car was sent flying towards the three members.
The three managed to escape the iing car in an ugly state but the Ghoul then extended its hand to grab them.
SCRAM! MONSTER! The patrol leader shouted loudly.
He gripped the assault rifle tightly, squeezing the trigger repeatedly while his other hand reached towards the grenade at his waist. He began charging towards the monster, which showed its back to him, but a ck figure was quicker.
Sou!
Like a sudden gale, the ck figure grazed the Ghoul.
Aaaaargh!
An unprecedented loud roar exploded from the Ghoul, it sounded like it was in... pain?
Then, with that, the members of No. 6 Patrol watched as the Ghoul that was immune to bullets fell to the ground.
In the Ghouls back was an obvious cut, and in the ck figures hand was a big heart that was still beating.
Then
Pak!
The Ghouls beating heart was crushed into a pool of blood.
Lord D!
The patrol leader recognized the person at first nce and quickly called out in surprise.
Take care of yourrades.
Bloody Mary, the High Demon, told the leader this before its body turned into nothingness.
Loud engine sounds wereing from further away.
ording to Kierans orders, Blood Marys mission did not consist of talking to the Spec Ops members.
Although it preferred this kind of mission, once it thought about Kieran watching its every move, Bloody Mary helplessly gave up the appealing thought.
Defying Kierans order was scary for Bloody Mary.
Since Kieran spent Points in summoning the High Demon, should it defy Kierans orders, it would be like the wrath of the heavens!
The High Demon knew how stingy its master was and also how smart he was.
Moving quickly, it felt like it was being watched by a faint gaze from the dark. Bloody Mary pretended nothing had happened and continued forward.
Then, it quietly waited for the arrival of death.
Arent I bait?
Its nothing, its not the first time anyway.
I am used to it.
The thoughts popped in Bloody Marys heart but the scene that happened next shook the High Demon despite it preparing itself for death.
Chapter 1279 - Reality’
Chapter 1279: Reality
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The faint gaze didnt go away, but Kieran walked out from the shadows.
Found you, he said coldly.
Before Bloody Mary could react, Kieran fired his gun.
Bang!
[Python-W2], loaded with [Pration Round], pierced the High Demons chest.
Shot by the special bullet, Bloody Mary fell to the ground with a disbelieving face.
What happened?
Who am I?
Why am I here?
2567, did you get the wrong script?
Arent we on the same side?
Endless questions flooded Bloody Marys mind like a tide, but before it could make sense of the situation, Kieran walked up and pointed his revolver directly at its head.
Bang!
After its head was shot, Bloody Mary dissolved into nothing.
Kieran still stood at the spot, as if he was searching for something. He frowned as he left, as if to show that he couldnt find anything.
30 seconds after Kieran had left, Bloody Mary appeared again.
Looking in the direction where Kieran had left with a slightly pale face, its eyes showed not only viciousness and malicious intent, but also panic.
In its heart?
Bloody Mary received Kierans new mission again, and were it not for the restrictions from the contract, Bloody Mary would have spit in Kierans face.
What the hell was that?
You didnt tell me beforehand because you wanted to make it seem real?
What? Youre saying that I should maximize the effect of my undead ability?
Excuses!
All excuses!
Youre treating me like some cheap goods!
Why dont you use the other seven bastards?
Bloody Mary cursed in its heart but that didnt stop it from leaving the scene at a slower pace.
However, just as Bloody Mary was about to turn into an alleyway, a voice sounded.
My lord, please wait for a moment.
...
Kieran didnt go to the bakery for his breakfast the next morning, and instead chose to have it in the hotel, Stove-grilled Fish.
Toast, asparagus roast meat soup.
Lagren served breakfast to Kieran.
The breakfast that he served was actually leftovers from the night before; Lagren had simplybined the roast meat and asparagus, forming the so-called asparagus roast meat soup.
Kieran didnt mind thoughthe food was still edible and the portion was generous.
After Kieran checked into the Stove-grilled Fish, the number of other guests had dropped significantly: other than Smith and the girls, there was no one else.
Put simply, beside the necessary food left for Smith and the six young girls, all the food went to Kieran. So he was in a decent mood.
He chomped on the toast, emitting a loud crunch from his mouth. A mouthful of soupter, the rich vour of the roast meat spread on his tongue. He didnt drink it with a spoon, instead, he picked up the bowl and poured the soup with the asparagus, meat, and everything else directly into his mouth. He tilted the bowl steeper, the soup going down his throat with a gulp.
Kieran then squinted his eyes with pleasure and chewed.
Lagren had been watching Kieran from the start.
When he noticed that Kieran didnt mind eating leftovers, Lagren mumbled in his heart, You arent one but your habits are all the same.
Monster Hunters were a special bunch.
Without a care for glory, they lurked in the darkness, hunting monsters. They kept a rather apostolic lifestyle as well.
Monster Hunters had lodging spots in all sorts of cesfrom the park benches to the tunnel under the bridge. As for food, they would only throw it away if it was truly spoiled.
Maybe there were others that also shared these habits, but not many had the powers of a Monster Hunter to match them.
It was a very objective reality.
In a world where monsters lurked in the darkness, power would grant one conveniences that he would never expect, including but not limited to money and position.
The goals ofmoners that required a lifetime to achieve were procurable for those with powers by a mere wave of the hand.
Other than Monster Hunters, Lagren had never seen a man with strength like Kierans while still maintaining a simple life.
He was more certain than ever that Kieran was rted to the Monster Hunters.
Three more, please, Kieran said.
Okay! Lagren picked up the tes and went into the kitchen quickly, cheering for himself within his heart.
You must be the descendant or disciple of some famous guy! I will find the traces he left behind and shock you!
While Lagren was serving Kieran his second round of breakfast, Smith brought Saya and the other girls down from their room.
Good morning, mister.
The six girls politely greeted Kieran and sat at the table with him. Smith, who was habitually quiet, nodded before sitting with the girls.
Smith was acting ording to the instructions on that ball of paper: try to be as normal as possible, no need to purposely avoid people or get closer.
All he had to do was act natural while still conforming to his habits.
Breakfast wasnt any merrier after Smith and the girls joined in.
Kieran wasnt used to speaking during mealshe preferred to savour his food in silence.
Smith, who adopted a quieter nature, wouldnt speak first either.
The girls behaved well too, eating quietly and maturely without making a fuss or any noise.
This is...
Lagren crossed his arms and leaned back against the bar counter. He wanted to say something about the scene before his eyes but suddenly reacted to the atmosphere and swallowed the words back into his throat.
He knew that if he spoke them, Kieran and Smith would be okay, but the girls might not be able to handle them.
Those bastards! Disregarding lives!
The hotel owner pped himself softly and walked out of the hotel.
After a while, he returned with bags of warm milk and cakes.
Here, eat some while theyre hot.
Looking at the girls vignt and cautious eyes, Lagren shrugged and returned to the bar counter.
He had expected that oue, so he wasnt surprised.
But what happened next surprised Lagren a lot because Saya, the youngest, gave Kieran a ss of milk.
Thank you, Kieran epted the ss and nodded.
Lagren pouted as he watched Kieran drain the cup of milk. He grunted out of disdain and went to light a cigarette.
But after he lit the match, Lagren thought of something. He killed the fire and ced the cigarette back in the box.
Then, after a moment, he threw the cigarette box into the trash can beside him.
He turned around and started to hammer something behind the bar counter.
Ding Ding Ding.
A whileter, a No Smoking sign was hung up in the lobby of the hotel, the words written very messily.
You cant smoke in a hotel now? the young Spec Ops member mumbled softly, immediately attracting Lagrens unfriendly gaze.
The young man smiled awkwardly and scratched his head.
He then strode over to Kieran. He hadnt forgotten the purpose of his visit.
Chapter 1280 - Slippery Foot
Chapter 1280: Slippery Foot
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Becker politely nodded at Smith and the girls with a smile before standing straight in front of Kieran, cing his right hand in front of his chest and bowing at 90.
It was the grandest salutation among the Special Operation Division, only used in extremely special asions.
Becker thought that now was a good time to use it.
Thank you for saving our livesst night, the young man said solemnly in a very sincere tone.
No one understood more than Becker how precious life was since he had lingered around deathst night, moreover, Kieran saved his entire team.
When he thought aboutst night, he realized that if Kieran hadnt appeared, they would have been wiped out, thus he showed more gratitude on his face.
Kieran didnt say anything.
He didnt say yes or no. He instead concentrated on his food, neglecting the young man before him.
Becker was prepared for this though.
The attitudes of Monster Hunters, their behaviours, and how they did things wasnt a secret in the Special Operation Division.
Even before Becker arrived at the hotel, he had already known what he was going to face, still, he came because he thought it was his duty to tell Kieran the secret that he knew.
It was due to gratitude for saving his life and also the desire to prevent more innocent people from losing their lives in an encounter likest nights.
The young man recalled the terrifying scenest night. Although he didnt want to admit it, a voice was speaking to him in his heart.
Relying solely on the Special Operation Division wouldnt allow them to ovee the danger this time. Only with the power of a Monster Hunter would Eiders be safe from a malevolent grasp.
Beforeing, the young man purposely voiced this out to the leader and vice leader, whom he treated as a father and brother respectively.
Becker had been prepared for a scolding by his superiors but he didnt think his leader would choose to turn a blind eye; the vice leader, who suffered a broken arm, didnt say anything either, only giving Becker encouragement through his gaze.
Knowing that both the leader and vice leader shared the same thoughts, Becker was freed from worries.
After taking a deep breath, Becker spoke in a soft voice.
Maybe to you,st night was nothing, but to me, its a debt that I will remember for the rest of my life. I dont have anything to repay you, just some news
Pausing, Becker spoke even more softly.
Half a year before the Blood Moons emergence, multiple cases of missing persons urred all over Eiders. None dared to file reports for those cases due to the interference of some powerful figures and a few people who were connected to them, so in the end, the matter was left unsettled. I dont have any evidence to prove that the missing cases are rted to the weird state of Eiders now, but my instinct tells me that they are somehow connected.
If its useful to you, Ill be thankful, but if it isnt, please dont me me. My name is Becker. If you have any use of me, please drop by my No.6 Patrol team and ask for me.
The young man then walked closer to the table and ced a piece of paper that had his name on it beside Kieran. He bowed again and quickly left the hotel.
After making sure there wasnt anything fishy on the piece of paper, Kieran quietly picked it up. At the same time, he also sent an order to Kozert, the hyacinth he controlled, to watch and follow Becker.
Kieran would never believe a stranger, even if the stranger bore goodwill.
Everything needed to be proven.
Kieran didnt check the piece of paper immediately. After finishing hisst mouthful of soup, Kieran turned his attention towards the entrance of the hotel.
His Intuition picked up a familiar figure approaching.
Wier, in his blue windcoat and with his walking staff, walked into the lobby politely after a minute.
Morning, Wier greeted Lagren like they were friends. Lagren nodded.
Watching Wier approach Kieran, Lagren noticed with sharp focus that Wier paused for a short moment in front of that No Smoking sign that he put up.
It seemed like Wier couldnt make out the contents of the sign at first nce.
Lagren the hotel owner crossed his arms and grunted.
He would not change it. It was his own writing.
It wasnt his fault that others couldnt read it.
Monster Hunter training didnt include cultural sses.
The messy words that he scrawled were already his most outstanding piece.
Bringing his pride with him, Lagren returned to his room. He had no intention of listening to the conversation between Wier and Kieran.
It would be boring.
As a matter of fact, the conversation between Wier and Kieran that followed was even more boring than Lagren would have expected.
Can I sit? Wier maintained his politeness.
Compared to Beckers politeness just now, Wiers politeness was more stiff, as though it were his standard operating procedure; the difort from the stiff politeness could drive people away.
So Kieran replied straight away, No.
Although both of them had somehowe to working together, it didnt mean Kieran had to face Wier with a pleasant mood.
Wier knew it as well.
After experiencing the destruction of Aemon Street yesterday, Wier marked Kieran with multiple tags of a Monster Hunter and beyond.
As Wier saw it, Kieran tended to follow rules even less than a Monster Hunter. That was also the reason why he paid a visit to the hotel.
There were some missing Blood Kins around Aemon Streetst night... Is it somehow rted to you? Wier asked.
Wier stared at Kieran while he asked this.
He hoped to glean something valuable from Kierans expression, but unfortunately, Kieran sat there coldly without any expression on his face.
As for Smith?
His hands shook for a bit before returning to normal.
Wier, who was concentrating all his attention on Kieran, didnt notice this unusual reaction.
Maybe it was because Smith had left a certain impression in Wiers mind.
Although Smith was very smart, he was not strong enough, otherwise, he wouldnt have chosen such a stupid method to try and save the girls.
Wier, blinded by his first impressions, grazed the truth.
He didnt shift his eyes away from Kierans face, as he still knew nothing of the truth.
Then, he saw Kierans lips curl up into a mocking smile.
Since when did the Spec Ops pay so much attention to the safety of some Blood Kin?
Because some of the missing Blood Kin chose to follow humans rules to coexist, Wier emphasized.
Congrattions. You have sessfully allowed the Blood Kin to blend into human society. You should really go have a look at the guest list at that restaurant, check and see whether it has the name of the Blood Kin that you took pride of. And... dont talk to me about those trash, otherwise, I might not hold back and end up tearing them all to shreds.
D, this is Eiders! We have rules here! Here... Wier raised his voice, stressing with a solemn tone.
However, Kieran didnt give him the chance to speak. He stood up and walked out of the hotel.
As Kieran moved, the feathered mantle fluttered as though it were a raven extending its wings with an ominous call.
Wiers face changed. He felt like he was hearing the wails of death, he felt like he was seeing blood flow into rivers.
Wait! Wier shouted, trying to give chase to Kieran.
Wier was so anxious that he didnt notice that a foot was ced in his way.
Wier tripped from the sudden foot that appeared, and although his exceptional reflexes that were stronger thanmoners saved him from a disgraceful fall, he still staggered uglily.
Wier turned around with slight anger on his face, looking at Smith, who had extended his foot out.
Sorry, slippery foot, Smith said with an expressionless, calm tone.
Chapter 1281 - Two?
Chapter 1281: Two?
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Wait!
I need to speak with you!
Wier rushed out of the hotel and shouted at the ck figure further away, but Kieran didnt even care.
Instead, he walked even faster. A blink of an eyeter, Kieran vanished at the end of the street.
Wier sighed helplessly again. He didnt search for or chase after Kieran.
Although given hismand in Eiders, it wasnt hard for him to achieve it, he knew even if he located Kieran, he wouldnt make any real progress.
Kierans personality tied the veteran consultants hand.
Despite him already knowing when a Monster Hunter was involved, trouble would follow. However, he never thought the problem would exceed his expectations.
Sighing, Wier turned away and left.
However, the scene entered the sights of many. All of them took note of the details and sent reports to their superiors and bosses.
Cook was one of them.
While smoking his cigar, Cook allowed the smoke to cover his face, he liked the smell of cigars, just like how he loved the smell of money.
As the biggest gold and ancient coin merchant in Eiders, Cook was undoubtedly one of the most influential people in the underground world.
Huu!
Cook took a deep puff from his cigar. When the cigar taste exploded in his throat, he spat it all out.
The cherry taste in the air around him instantly got heavier.
Monster Hunter? What do you think?
Cook sitting in his chair, asked without turning back.
A hateful person. Not just personality-wise, but the way he takes action as well.
His existence will only affect our n, a heavy voice from the shadow replied.
So do you have the confidence to kill him?
Another puff from his cigarter, Cook asked while spitting the smoke out.
Certainly, the man in the shadow replied.
Very good. But, dont worry, I wont order you to strike just yet, you still have great useter.
Someone has already made a move against this Mr. Monster Hunter. Hmmm... I hope both of them perish together.
Cook seemed to think of something interesting, he couldnt hold back his wide grin. His meaty cheeks twitched several times following his smile, his already small eyes squinted into a single line.
The man in the shadows didnt further reply. He knew Cooks habits.
If Cook wanted to tell him, he would tell him; if Cook didnt want to, it was best for him not to ask.
Otherwise, he would get on Cooks bad side.
But in his heart, the man in the shadows was quite curious.
Who was making a move against the Monster Hunter?
Based on the strength the Monster Hunter disyed, he wasnt some John Doe that could be taken out quickly. Should any mistakes happen... Tsk Tsk... Aemon Street was the most obvious example.
The man in the shadows thought of Aemon Street, and so did Cook.
What do you think about the Blood Kins kitchen?
Who caused that? Cook asked.
The man in the shadows, of course, knew Cook was referring to the missing Blood Kin in the ruins of Aemon Streetst night.
The incidentst night was actually very secretive, but once morning came, any faction that had a decent rtionship with the few missing Blood Kin would know, including Cook andpany.
The Blood Kin would protect their extended lineage with far more effort than amoner could imagineat least it was what it looked like on the surface.
When they could kill their enemies, they would not show mercy, just like a wild beast hunting prey.
When the man in the shadows thought of the news they received this morning, he couldnt hold back his coldughter.
He knew what the news about was.
It was nothing more than the Blood Kin trying to repair their damaged dignity while attempting to prove Aemon Street was an independent case.
With his own thoughts lingering in his mind, the man in the shadows spoke, Its definitely not the Monster Hunter. Given his methods, he has no need to be so secretive and conceal his actions.
Its not Wier either, he can barely take care of himself now.
There is a high chance is that... it wasmitted by one of the Blood Kin, one of their own!
They needed the incident to redeem their name. The man in the shadows said in a positive tone.
Mm. Cook nodded and agreed to his subordinates spections.
Cook, whose body had reached the pinnacle of fat, suddenly thought of something. He smiled again and stood up from his chair, walked over to the shadow like a pr bear approaching.
He whispered something to the shadow.
Yes, my lord.
The man in the shadow replied immediately after Cooks whisper. He then swiftly vanished.
After knowing that his best right-hand man had left, Cook with his cigar, slowly walked towards the room next door, which was off-limits.
Inside the room, it wasnt as extravagant and secretive as rumored, all it had was a map of Eiders.
Aplete, detailed map with every single house address and shop name.
Cook caressed the map while looking greedy.
Soon, soon.
Soon, everything will be mine, Cook muttered to himself.
...
The young Blood Kin that delivered the news this morning was running back to itsir, trying to report back to his leader.
Lord Marquis, that is all.
They or they also said that it wasnt their doing.
The young Blood Kin didnt voice his opinion.
From its viewpoint, it was all the enemys cover-up, but more importantly, it knew even if it noticed some clues, the clues had toe out from its house leader.
Erbus. K, the house leader of House of K. Its face was flushed, unlike the healthy Blood Kins paleness. Its hair was also different from the other: long ck hairbed tidily backward and was tied into a ponytail behind its head. It was wearing a gold frame sses and based on the looks itself, it looked more like a kind middle-aged man if he wasnt holding the ss of blood in his hand.
Mm. Noted. Proceed ording to n, Erbus. K said softly.
Yes, Lord Marquis.
The young Blood Kin bowed and swiftly left.
Erbus. K was left alone. It was trying to savor the blood in its ss, but a momentter, it drained it all in a single gulp and simply threw the ss on its table before it walked deeper into itsir.
Going through a secret passage, Erbus. K somehow left their without gods or men knowing. He then walked toward a secret hideout slightly further away from their.
Dok Dok Dok.
Erbus. K knocked on the door politely.
The door was slowly opened, Kieran walked out from the hideout, or more precisely...
High Demon, Bloody Mary.
Chapter 1282 - Cooperate
Chapter 1282: Cooperate
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran was like a tourist who just arrived in Eiders.
He spent a whole day touring the entire city.
Of course, he took the time to look at the paper that the young Spec Ops member, Becker, had given him.
The contents of the paper were as followed
Missing Case No.1: Carlo Derl, Kairot Derl (The two nephews of Mayor Syro Derl. Since the mayor has no sons, both nephews were the only candidates to inherit what he has in Eiders, but both of them went missing during the evening.)
Missing Case No. 2: Annie Penny Lynne (The only daughter of the speaker of the senate, Hardy Lynne, went missing a day before the Blood Moon)
Death Case No.1: Quaker Wilberst (The son of the wealthy merchant, Wilberst House. Found dead in his own house 3 days before the Blood Moon)
Death Case No. 2: Aimor Morr (The only son of Senator Morr, found dead in a hotel 4 days before the Blood Moon)
3 missing, 2 deaths.
Such cases were insignificant in a world where monsters lurked, but the identities of the missing and dead were unusual, just like Becker said.
The mayor, the senate chairman, senator, and a wealthy merchant.
It included almost all of the upper-level authorities in Eiders.
Usually, a series of cases like this would cause a hugemotion, but the strange thing was that the news didnt get out, everything was quiet.
Kieran squinted his eyes at the unusual phenomenon.
This few victims have something to do with the changes in Eiders? Kieran thought of it almost instinctively.
Because given the current situation in Eiders, only matters rted to the Blood Moon anomaly could cause such unusual events.
Of course, there was another possibility!
When Kieran thought about the said possibility, his squinted eyes shone with an unusual radiance.
However, he didnt make his move right away. Instead, he returned to Stove-grilled Fish as nned.
Another show required his cooperation to work.
He didnt mind taking the initiative to strike, neither did he mind luring the enemies in the dark out.
Regardless of what methods he used, Kierans ultimate goal was to win.
So, building his ns on such circumstances, Kieran gave new orders to Kozert the hyacinth to achieve better victory.
...
Back at Stove-grilled Fish, Wier and Mier were sitting face to face.
Beside them were a group of Spec Ops member.
Lagren, on the other hand, stood behind the bar counter, frowning.
Smith and the girls returned to their room.
The crowd in the lobby was quiet, no one spoke at all as they looked at each other with heavy gazes. The atmosphere somehow turned depressing.
Wier, do you think its possible?
Mier couldnt stand the depressing atmosphere and decided to ask.
She didnt address Wier as her grandfather. It was a habit that she had since young and Wier never corrected her.
Or more precisely, it was Wier who told Mier to call him by name because it was a warning from the Lord he served.
Although the Lord wasnt omniscient, whenever she spoke, her words would turn into prophecy. Therefore, Wier knew what must he do.
However, this time, it was different. The Lord didnt even have to speak because more than 5 people saw the culprit.
I know what you want to say.
I am confused and puzzled, as well. So, I want to hear what D has to say, why would he strike the mayor of Eiders.
Wier nced over the angry Mier, signaling his granddaughter to calm down.
Why?
Of course someone framed him! Just because the culprit looks the same, it means its the same person?
Does that mean those Shapeshifters can represent everyone now? Mier said in an agitated tone.
The young consultant couldnt stay calm. When she heard about Ds attempt on the mayors life, she became anxious and was very sure that it was part of an evil plot.
A plot specifically targeted at D.
Although she couldnt confirm who the mastermind behind the plot was, she was sure the plot was anything but good.
Because when they received the news and went out, the senate was already arguing fiercely.
The topic that the senate argued?
It revolved around whether should they expel the Monster Hunter or not.
Expelling a mighty Monster Hunter after the Blood Moon changes were very illogical of them, but the way the Monster Hunters went by their own rules and struck down even the mayor was worrying as well.
Mier could very well picture the scene how both sides of the senate argued with each other.
She felt disgusted. She knew it was nothing but a bunch of politicians trying to seize more merit points for themselves.
They wouldnt care what Eiders became.
Even for those who supported to keep the Monster Hunter in the city, it was because they were opposing the other side of the senate.
There was no good or bad in the decision, all it had was shamelessness that varied from minute to minute.
Shapeshifters dont have those kinds of powers, Wier shook his head.
After listening to her grandfathers words emphasize on his thoughts, Mier couldnt help but breathe slowly.
So you are suspecting D as well? Miers eyes widened.
Its not that I am suspecting, I just believe the evidence, Wier said.
His words definitely agitated Mier even more. Mier wanted to flip the table in front of her, but clear footsteps entered before she could.
Mier stopped, Wier looked even more serious.
The Spec Ops members beside him straightened their bodies, while their faces showed a helpless expression.
They didnt want to believe D would kill an unrted person, but they couldnt defy orders.
Dak Dak Dak!
Tsk! Gak!
The footsteps got closer. When the wooden door was pushed open, Kieran walked in.
He nced over everyone in the lobby, he looked expressionless and wanted to go upstairs.
Wait, Wier stopped him.
Kieran didnt care, he turned a deaf ear to Wier and continued towards the stairs.
Wait! I am not here to continue the talk we had in the morning.
I am here because the mayor was attacked.
We have enough evidence to prove that you are rted to this case, please follow us back for an investigation, Wier sputtered as though he was dealing with official matters.
This time, Kieran didnt leave. He turned around and asked with his unique cold voice. Attacked?
Yes. The mayor somehow survived after given immediate care, but he is in aa now. So...
Do you think that if I wanted to kill a man, that man would still be alive? Kieran interrupted Wier right away.
Wier skipped a breath, he had to take a deep breath.
That is why I said that you are rted to this case, not you assassinated the mayor.
Wier then walked closer to Kieran and spoke to him in a whisper, D, I need you to cooperate nowyou wouldnt want the bastard who impersonated you roam free right?
Work with me, I am confident that we can catch him!
Kieran looked at Wier. His expressionless face suddenly showed a smile.
I dont want. to, Kieran answered.
Chapter 1283 - Ambush
Chapter 1283: Ambush
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
When Kierans voice subsided, his figure vanished.
It was too quick!
His speed had exceeded the limits of the naked eye!
No one in the lobby saw Kierans move clearly, even for Wier who had his eyes on Kieran the entire time.
Even though Wier knew something terrible was happening when he saw Kierans smile, he was still too slow.
Hurry up! Go after him!
Trying to make up for his mistakes, Wier sprinted out faster than the youngest members. The other Spec Ops member quickly followed suit.
Mier, however, stayed behind, she would not participate in this chase for Kieran.
In fact, the chase looked extremely stupid from Miers point of view.
The situation reeked of conspiracy, and yet her grandfather stepped into it just like that, it was very disappointing for her.
Sometimes, we are forced against our will, Lagren suddenly sighed.
But we also should hold our bottom lines, Mier said.
How do you know Wier didnt hold his? He always has been, its just that you dont recognize his methods.
Want a drink? Lagren raised his beer mug.
Mier took a nce. Just when she wanted to nod, continuous gunshots suddenly came from outside the hotel.
Bang!
Amidst the gunshots, a loud explosion went off.
The explosion was so massive that it shook the floor of the hotel, dazzling mes outside the door lighted up the lobby brightly.
Mier dashed out like a gale.
Lagren frowned again.
Seems like there are some bastards ying tricks here.
But at this timing...
Lagren went into deep thought as he figured something out.
...
After leaving the hotel, Kieran hid in the shadows on the street outside the hotel in a sh. He saw Wier and his team chase after him but missed and went further away. Kieran then slowly walked along with the shadows.
Fuu!
A cold wind suddenly approached Kieran. It was like any other wind, except for the coldness and gloominess.
Other people might instinctively neglect the gloomy wind, but for Kieran, any kind of abnormality would raise an rm, let alone the fact that he was prepared for this.
Bang!
Kieranunched a kick at the wind. His kicknded precisely in the middle, kicking the formless wind into form and a human figure fell out from mid-air.
The figure with red eyes was shocked, it didnt know how Kieran noticed its presence, but it knew its ambush n had failed.
More importantly, it had to run if it wanted to live.
Its chest caved in, its organs were crushed into goo by the tremendous impact, and yet the Blood Kin didnt seem hurt at all, it still wanted to stand up; Kieran was faster.
Without a second thought, when Kieran realized the Blood Kin was still breathing, he delivered another stomp on its head.
Bang!
Its head was crushed, and its brain sttered all over.
After a few twitches from its body, it stopped moving on the ground, but the battle was far from over.
Like a falling domino, after the Blood Kin died, more of its kind appeared at the end of the street. Each of them was equipped with firearms and were looking at Kieran ferociously; they pulled the trigger.
Dak Dak Dak Dak Dak!
Bullets were fired at Kieran like a downpouring of rain.
The concentrated and effective Bulletstorm proved that these Blood Kins had trained for this kind of situation countless times, but no matter how many times they trained, they were stillckluster against Kieran.
The moment the Blood Kins pulled the triggers, Kieran had already left the bullets range. He waved his left hand and activated [Wilcos Redemption] with a shine.
Sou Sou!
Two icy javelins were fired towards the Blood Kins and plunged into their chests.
Bang Bang!
Two icy-cold explosions of a 3-meter radius range exploded upon impact, covering the entire street entrance.
The Blood Kins in the middle of the icy explosions were turned into ice statues, the others beside the st point were also being frozen rapidly.
The gunshots abruptly stopped just as they had appeared.
The only proof of gunshots in the area was the smell of gunpowder that lingered in the air.
Kieran walked over to the ice statues, as though he was going to clean the battlefield, but when he got close to the sculptures
Kaboom!
A massive explosion went off.
Few hundred kilograms of explosives sted half the street into ruins. The ice statues that were caught in the explosions were shattered into pieces by the impact, and the buildings were destroyed and turned into debris, flying upwards into the sky.
Monster Hunter? So what? The days of wielding knives and swords are over! Even a Monster Hunter has to die in front of explosives!
Amidst the mockery, the Blood Kin who set up the trap walked out from the shadows at the other end of the street. Its hand was still holding the detonator.
It merely threw the detonator away and was ready to leave.
It didnt want to encounter the Spec Ops members that would return because of the explosions. Besides, it was eager to receive its reward from the house leader.
However, just when the Blood Kin turned around, a hand reached out from the shadow at its nk and dragged it into the shadows.
...
Thank you all foring.
Inside House of Ks oldir, Erbus. K was holding a dinner tomemorate the person responsible for the sessful n.
Following the pleasant musical performance, silver tes with all sorts of cuisine were being served on the long table. Almost a dozen of dishes were served, but more tes wereing.
One after another, the well-dressed waiters walked beside the banquet table respectfully and humbly.
High Demon Blood Mary scanned over these waiters.
They werent Blood Kins, but humans.
Humans that chose to submit to the Blood Kins, or more precisely, humans that were trained by them.
Bloody Mary wasnt interested in the story behind these humans, just like it wasnt interested in the musical performance.
It also showed no interest in the food served on the table.
Although Bloody Mary could transform into Kieran, it didnt mean it possessed the same appetite as him.
What caught Bloody Marys interest was the Marquis K in front.
Marquis K was precisely as Bloody Marys contractor had expected: it was conspiring against Kieran.
However, there was one thing that Kieran didnt expect, and when Bloody Mary thought of the shocking expression on Kierans face, it couldnt hold back its soft grin.
Erbus. K, however, seemed to misunderstand the grin at Bloody Marys face.
He too showed a smile and raised his ss, that was filled with blood, the freshest kind.
Bloody Mary just witnessed a little girl get dragged in like a ragdoll, had her wrist sliced and filled the ss with blood.
A toast, Marquis K said.
Mm. A toast. Bloody mary raised its ss as well but... it threw it on the floor instead.
The ss didnt break. The thick carpet softened the impact, but the wine inside sshed all over.
The dining hall instantly fell into silence.
The musical performances stopped ying; the waiters stopped serving.
Panicked, they watched Bloody Mary stand up from the chair and slowly walked towards Erbus. K.
Bloody Mary bent over, looking at Marquis Erbus. K for almost 30 seconds before it asked, Who are you?
Chapter 1284 - Inklings
Chapter 1284: Inklings
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Who am I? I am the house leader of K, Erbus. K.
Erbus. K sat in its chair, holding the ss of blood and spoke transparently.
Is that so?
Bloody Mary crossed its arm and sat on Erbus. Ks side of the table. Then, it emphasized with a dull tone, Since when can a human be the house leader of Blood Kin?
Humans were never the house leader of Blood Kin.
Me? Im just...
Erbus. K reacted like it was going to exin to Bloody Mary, but when it was halfway through, itunched a sudden attack
The blood in his ss flew out like arrows and pierced Bloody Marys chest.
The waiters and musicians in the room then dashed towards Bloody Mary while letting out beastly roars and with movements like ferocious wild beasts.
But some of them were stronger, they werent the soft and weak humans from before.
Bloody Mary was dragged into the human whirlpool by a formless force and was swiftly drowned.
Watching the scene, Erbus. K slowly stood up from his chair.
I thought we could still work together, but you think too highly of yourself.
Somethings are better left a secret even if you know it, arent they? Erbus. K said softly.
It knew the High Demon couldnt hear its voice. Although the High Demons abilities were quite enticing, since Erbus. K dared to propose a coboration, he would be fully prepared.
As though it thought of something delightful, the house leader of the Blood Kin continued, There are too many weird and unexinable things in this world.
Although I am not pure-blooded, my mixed lineage granted me some abilities that pure-blooded Blood Kin dont have, like creating some puppets.
All I need to do is choose some suitable humans, infuse them with some Blood Kins blood, and they will obey unconditionally and became stronger. Some special puppets can even manifest the abilities of a real Blood Kin.
Isnt it great?
Of course, the most surprising thing is, the humans living in Eiders are exceptionally suitable for puppet creation, especially those underage little girls.
They are like presents gifted to me from heaven!
I may be a hybrid, but my powers allow me to lead an entire Blood Kin house, or even... All of them!
Marquis K? No, no, no!
I will be the house leader of all the Blood Kins in Eiders, I will be the only acknowledged Blood Kin in Eiders, a Grand Duke!
Erbus. K sounded more excited as it continued, his breath even became hurried, but it didnt seem to notice the changes. Instead, he became more excited than ever, until
Ding-Ding!
The noise produced by a knife and fork cutting against porcin tes entered its ear.
Instinctively, Erbus. K turned around, his eyes shrunk.
What did he see?
Monster Hunter D, who was supposed to be crushed to bits by the puppets, was sitting at the other end of the banquet table, cutting a piece of steak. Even under Erbus. Ks astonished gaze, Monster Hunter D acted normally and grabbed the golden sauce boat with ck pepper sauce inside and carefully poured it over the steak.
The ck pepper sauce was poured thinly, and yet it entirely covered the steak without any excessive spige on the te.
How? How are you here? Erbus. K shouted fiercely.
Kieran didnt answer, he concentrated on the sumptuous dinner, which was hard toe by. The knife and fork in his hand were cutting the steak quickly and carefully, the fork then delivered the piece of steak into his mouth and not a drop of gravy was lost in the process.
The arrogant eating manners infuriated Erbus. K.
It felt a burning rage uncontrobly rushing into its mind.
Its brain felt like it was boiling.
Its brain felt like it was burning.
Then...
It was really burned!
ck me filled with negative emotions appeared and engulfed Erbus. Kpletely.
Aaaaargh!
KILL HIM!
Screaming in pain, Erbus. K managed to give orders to its puppets.
The puppets that drowned Bloody Mary in the first ce stood up one after another, a loud, fierce wailter, all of them charged towards Kieran.
Kieran took a nce at the puppets.
The puppets were immediately paralyzed and in the next moment
Bang Bang Bang Bang!
Their heads exploded like watermelons!
[Deadmans Gaze]!
[Fear Illusion]!
Following [Half-dead Gaze]s activation, the human puppets infused with Blood Kin blood were wiped out quickly.
Kieran raised his hand, a big piece of tapestry swiftly flew out from the wall with [Vast Remnant Eye, Telekinesis]s pull, blocking all the sttering brains from reaching the banquet table.
Things that shouldnt belong on the dining table should not be on the dining table.
Aaaaargh!
Erbus. Ks excruciating cry was still going on, but it was getting softer, and in the end, it became quiet.
However, the ck me filled with negative emotions didnt die off after that. Quite the opposite, it burned even fiercer, simr to how Wrath appeared, unstoppable and overwhelming.
Soon, Erbus. Ks body was burned to ashes.
Wrath gave a rare satisfying roar in Kierans heart. The other one who was also satisfied was Gluttony.
When it noticed working with Kieran granted it endless delicious food, Gluttony became the easiest to control among the cardinal sins.
It didnt care about the outer world when food was ced before its eyes.
It followed Kierans taste buds and tasted all kinds of cuisine.
Pride watched coldly, as its name suggested, it grunted coldly and arrogantly while hiding deep in Kierans heart.
Even though Pride had the most significant contribution in this mission, it had nothing to say, or rather, it was too disdainful to say anything.
Sloth yawned, rolled around and continued its sleep, as though nothing mattered, all it wanted to do was sleep to the end of time, even with Greed creating a scene beside it.
Greed and Sloth didnt care about Envy, neither did Kieran.
He concentrated on tasting the food before him. He didnt even stop when Bloody Mary re-appeared with something in its arms.
This bastard is definitely fishy. Otherwise, how could it keep so few valuables inside the vault of a famous Blood Kin house?
Bloody Mary ced the things on the banquet table, it ranted about the results and didnt even feel shameful for raiding peoples treasure vault.
In Bloody Marys perception, after killing the enemy, it must clean the battlefield meticulously and not miss out on a single spoil of war. Otherwise, it would be an insult to the lootit was the conclusion it had after observing Kierans actions, time and time again.
On top of that, it agreed with Kierans action, just like how it agreed to its previous viewpoint.
How could a human be a house leader of the Blood Kin?
What hybrid, what unique lineage?
Through Bloody Marys senses, Erbus. K was a real human, the purest of its kind and given his condition, Erbus. K should never have the chance, and he couldnt be a house leader.
Unless...
Chapter 1285 - Not Yet Changed
Chapter 1285: Not Yet Changed
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
With spections in its heart, Bloody Mary looked at its contractor who was finishing thest few dishes on the table.
Dont you think you should pay a little more attention to the problems we are facing right now?
Bloody Mary crossed its arms and leaned on the banquet table.
Problems right now?
Didnt you notice? Its self-evident.
Its so obvious that its like adding cinnamon and vani to a piece of mutton, you dont even have to think, he is just a... pitiful soul pushed to the front stage.
Kieran swallowed the piece of mutton in his mouth, his words had a noticeable pause.
Looking at Kierans reaction, Bloody Mary couldnt help but ask, He is a pitiful soul, alright, but arent you surprise?
Bloody Mary was unwilling to give in, it really wanted to see the surprise on Kierans face, but the actual oue was more disappointing than ever.
This time, Kieran didnt even want to reply.
Watching Kieran move his fork and knife together, gobbling down the food, Bloody Mary took multiple deep breaths.
It told itself to calm down, calm down... calm... damn it!
Its such a good chance, why do I have to give up now?
Bloody Mary spoke again when the thought blossomed.
Why arent you surprise?
A human bing a Blood Kins house leader, and its the house that specifically targets humans.
Regardless of reasons and logic, none of this makes sense... Huh?!
Bloody Marys continuous rants were put to an abrupt stop. It looked at Kierans right hand, or more precisely, [Mesly Ring] at Kierans right index finger.
Kierans answer was obvious.
The [Mesly Ring] could control other people.
So, why couldnt there be more items or spells simr to [Mesly Ring]?
If such items or spells existed, it became reasonable that a human was the house leader of the Blood Kin.
Likewise, the one who controlled Erbus. K was also apparent: the house leader of House of K, the original one.
Other than this answer, Kieran couldnt think of anything else at the moment.
Looking at Kierans calm reaction, Bloody Mary helplessly shrugged, but it still didnt want to give up.
Everything is within your expectations? Even the items or spells like the [Mesly Ring]?
Bloody Mary stared Kierans face, hoping to find some changes in his reaction.
Unfortunately, he was still expressionless as ever, his eyes didnt even move or flinch.
I am not God, I cant see everything.
Besides, not even a God can be omniscient. What I can do, however, is try my best in predicting the possible oues.
When I got [Mesly Ring], Ive been thinking about what should I do when I face enemies with simr items or spells. And now since we came across one, Ill just proceed ording to my n. Thats it.
Kieran didnt hide anything from his own contracted demon.
After all, from a certain aspect, Bloody Mary was closer than his friend Lawless and Starbeck.
What about the uniqueness?
Isnt everyone unique in a certain way?
Arent the things they acquire unique as well?
Why didnt you think about that?
Bloody Mary was looking at Kieran with a look of disbelief.
Kieran picked up the bowl of oyster cream soup and drained it with a few gulps.
After showing a satisfying face, he said slowly, Yes, everyone is unique in their own way. So what you think is important cannot be my reference to locate my target. Only I know what is good for me.
Kieran showed a ridiculing smile after that.
Arent you like this as well? Or... Did you give up? Kieran asked.
Correct, from a certain aspect, Bloody Mary was indeed closer to Kieran than Lawless and Starbeck, but Kieran never thought it could surpass the two.
A knife can hurt people, but it can hurt you too.
From the very beginning, Kieran reserved a certain level of vignce and caution against Bloody Mary and the other cardinal sins.
Because of that, these unique existences would never surpass Lawless and Starbeck.
When Kieran showed that ridiculing smile, Bloody Marys heart skipped a bit. Then, unknown to itself, its gaze started to drift away.
It pretended to size up the banquet hall, trying to find more things of value.
However, its presence changed drastically. That wickedness of a demon could no longer stay put, even if it covered it up decently on the surface, its roots never changed.
Bloody Mary was forced to form a contract with Kieran, the one-sided kind, so if it could free itself from the Contract, it would not mind at all.
Even more so, when Bloody Mary discovered more secrets, it already had more thoughts on its mind, but it knew how hard they were to execute.
So, it had always been careful. It was waiting patiently, waiting for the chance to discover its contractors weakness.
The moment before its eyes was a great opportunity in its mind, but...
The atmosphere in the banquet all almost froze all of a sudden.
Kieran didnt speak. He ced the knife and fork neatly beside the te after eating, but Bloody Mary wished for more food to distract its contractor.
However, its wish would be hard toe true.
In the end, Bloody Marys drifting gazended at Kieran, whose presence became dangerous.
I dont want something that I cant control around me. Or... would you present more leverage, persuading me to keep you around even if you might pose a threat? Kieran said calmly.
He took out [Fantos Manuscript] from his bag and ignited the Devil me at his left hand.
Bloody Marys eyes shrunk. It clearly felt Kierans killing intent.
Since Bloody Mary was always around Kieran, it would never doubt how resolute he was. It knew if it couldnt provide a satisfying exnation to Kieran, he would burn [Fantos Manuscript] and followed by itself.
Bloody Mary had no intention to taste the burning of the Devil me.
I...I-I submit.
Hesitantly, Bloody Mary took out its only leverage.
And other than its own self, what else could it offer?
[High Demon, Bloody Mary submitted willingly...]
[Contract changing...]
[Use 100 Points to form ve Contract? Yes/No]
Yes, Kieran answered.
[Contract changing...]
[Bloody Mary (High Hetero-Form) has fully submitted to the users control, acquired detailed description.]
[Check Bloody Mary (High Hetero-Form) detailed attributes? Yes/No]
...
High Hetero-Form?
Detailed attributes?
Kieran squinted his eyes and chose yes.
Chapter 1286 - Reveal
Chapter 1286: Reveal
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Words appeared like a reverse waterfall on Kierans vision.
The contents of the words, however, surprised Kieran after he carefully read through them.
[Name: Bloody Mary]
[Type: High Demon (Hetero-form)]
[Rarity: Above Rare]
[Attack: Strong]
[Defense: Strong]
[Attributes: 1. Illusion; 2. Phantasm Body; 3. Hand de; 4. Blood Suck; 5. Quick Regeneration.]
[Effect: 1. Form Change; 2. Mystical Knowledge (Master); 3. Noble Knowledge (Master)]
[Prerequisite: Willingness to submit]
[Remark: A High Demon that was born from the Blood Queen Tiara due to an ident.]
...
[Illusion: Create Illusion that requires authentications no lower than C+ Spirit, B+ Intuition (If the target fails once, they will suffer Strong mental impact; IF the target fails twice, they will suffer Powerful mental impact)]
[Phantasm Body: Transform body to phantasmal form, immune to physical attack, +1 while in Undercover]
[Hand de: Hands are as sharp as a de, attack rank +1 (Cannot exceed Extreme rank)]
[Blood Suck: Consume the blood of living beings to regenerate injuries and Stamina rapidly, cleanses debuffs.]
[Quick Regeneration: Consume a certain amount of Stamina to restore HP quickly; consume more to regenerate limbs.]
...
[Form Change: Able to change into anyone (possesses own abilities), or change into a Blood Tiara (When contractor wears the Blood Tiara, able to choose one attribute from Bloody Mary as a skill)]
[Mystical Knowledge (Master): Familiar with much mystical knowledge]
[Noble Knowledge (Master): Familiar with the knowledge that nobles have to master]
[Note: ve Contract doesnt require points to summon]
...
After Kieran saw the Hetero-form, he knew Bloody Mary was hiding something, but after going through the attributes in details, he was indeed surprised.
Demons were no doubt troublesome things.
ording to the books in Nikoreis ce, even a powerful shaman might face a disastrous defeat when going up against an unfamiliar demon if he couldnt grasp its traits.
However!
The book didnt say a demon could possess this many attributes.
When Kieran first formed the contract with the demon, Bloody Mary only showed a certain level of hand-to-handbat, it didnt show attributes like [Hand de], it also didnt show [Quick Regeneration] and even hid its [Phantasm Body] with normal undercover techniques.
Bloody Mary was hiding from the start.
Recalling how Bloody Mary fought with its suicidal style, although Kieran held responsibility for giving it such orders, its suicidal way of fighting could easily be prevented if it wanted to, given how many abilities it possessed.
Interesting, Kieran said softly and looked at the High Demon.
Hiding is the best protection. I need to protect myself.
Thats before, but now!
My lord, I am here to serve you.
Bloody Mary said as it bowed like a knight.
The High Demon lost the panic and fear from a moment ago because it knew after forming the ve Contract, given how Kieran made the best use of everything, he would not hold Bloody Mary responsible anymore.
Of course, only if Bloody Mary tossed away all small thoughts.
As a matter of fact, it did.
ve and enve were only slightly words, but the meaning behind them was heaven and earth apart.
When being enved by someone, one could still argue about fairness.
But after bing a true ve, fairness was taken away.
Everything, including its thoughts, belonged to Kieran now. Before this, Bloody Mary might still hide some thoughts deep in its heart, but now, it wasnt possible anymore.
When Kieran suffered a destructive attack, Bloody Mary would perish with him as well, but if it were the other way around, Kieran would not suffer at all.
Its situation was probably the worst it could be in but... at least it was better than dying, correct?
Bloody Mary possessed intellect no lower than regr humans, as long as a living being had intelligence, it would instinctively fear death.
Kieran was no exception, neither was Bloody Mary.
My lord, what are we going to do next?
Bloody Mary asked attentively.
Since Bloody Mary ced everything on Kieran, including its life, it knew what it must do.
Take all of the valuable things away, Kieran said.
All of them?
Understood.
Bloody Mary jolted for a while before bowing and carried out its orders.
It searched the entireir of the House of K as though it was scrapingyers of rare-earth.
Of course, it would run into obstacles, butmon Blood Kins were no match for Bloody Mary.
But Bloody Mary didnt kill any of those Blood Kin who tried to stop it, it was because of Kierans orders.
As for why Kieran wanted to keep these Blood Kins alive?
Bloody Mary instantly understood why when it saw Smith quietly appear inside the premises.
It nodded at Smith and continued its task.
Smith saw the High Demon who shared the exact face with Monster Hunter D, he was astonished, but it didnt stop his movements.
Compared to the rusty movementsst night, Smith was a lot steadier this time.
He ditched the hesitation in his eyes when he looked at the Blood Kins.
Smith had a clear view of the disastrous situation outside Stove-grilled Fish.
Streets destroyed, buildings crumbled, soft weeping all over the scene, everything that he saw fueled his rage and made him shiver.
He was afraid that he would be one of them. He was more afraid to see the scene that he dreaded the most.
Some things were enough after experiencing it once, any more than once would be despair.
That was why Smith needed the power, he needed the power to reject what he dreaded.
60 of the Blood Kins in the House of K were turned into dried corpses one after another.
No matter how they wailed, Smith didnt show mercy, just like how the Blood Kins treated humans before.
When thest Blood Kin had its blood drained, Smiths aura suddenly grew stronger, his muscles rapidly expand and boosted him from a thin young man to a huge man, as big as a Ghoul.
But a momentter, Smith reverted to his original form, except for his clothes.
Smith simply picked up some clothes and wore them before returning to the banquet hall.
Sir, Smith bowed.
Not bad, Kieranmented.
Hisment was appropriate. Inside Kierans impression, Smith was the first person to grow from a slightly strong existence to a power level almost on par with an early Advance Rank yer, other than the not so reliable crystal-gazer, Tanya.
Lets go. We must settle somethings within tonight. Kieran then walked outside.
Bloody Mary, who carried a big bag of items, followed behind together with Smith.
When the three of them vanished from sight, their was set aze.
Fire rushed up to the night sky and swiftly tainted the area red.
Some who looked towards the fire, their faces turned sour, while someughed.
Everything is within expectations.
Isnt, Lord Wisher.
A pleasant voice of a man sounded in a room, but no one answered him.
Chapter 1287 - Target
Chapter 1287: Target
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran brought Smith and Bloody Mary to Kozerts hideout. Thetter ignored the huge bag of spoils of war on Bloody Mary and bowed respectfully to Kieran.
My lord.
Kozert straightened his body after the bow and passed Kieran a piece of paper with many words.
At the top of the piece of paper was details about Quaker Wilbersts entire life and his fathers reaction after the death.
Quaker Wilberst, one of the victims from before the emergence of the Blood Moon, came from a good family, received elite education since young and also shared the hobbies of those higher ss people, things like being skilled in all sorts of sports. Hed also loved attending parties and dinners, and from the records, he seemed to be the center of attention every time he attended.
That was why Quaker Wilberst became the appointed heir to Merchant Wilberst.
And if normal procedures were to be followed, a few yearster when Merchant Wilberst got older, Quaker Wilberst would eventually be the head of Wilberst Family.
Unfortunately, following Quaker Wilbersts death, everything popped like a bubble and it infuriated his father beyond words.
The piece of paper even clearly stated how many cups and vases the father broke over the two weeks after losing his beloved son, including his favourite vase.
Unwilling? Holding back? Or is this another trap? Kieran spected.
He didnt draw a conclusion right away.
The imposter house leader from House of K had already given him a warning.
The opponent he had to face this time was much more cunning and special than he had imagined.
After thinking for a while, Kieran gave orders to Kozert.
Send the merchant an invitation. Ask whether he is curious about his sons death. If he is, tell him to find me on Sheryl Street.
Yes, my lord, Kozert bowed and vanished from the room.
After Kozert went off, Smith, who had been quiet all this time, came up to Kieran suddenly.
His habitual silence made him not speak, but Kieran understood what he wanted to say.
You are nervous? Because you dont know why I helped you to this extent? Kieran asked.
Smith nodded.
I saw a chance, so I made my move. I didnt help you intentionally, nor do I request a debt of gratitude, Kieran said calmly.
He didnt emphasize or reinstate anything, as he was just stating the fact.
His answer stunned Smith.
Smith clearly felt that Kieran wasnt lying, and because of that, Smith couldnt ept his help wholeheartedly.
In his mind, he had thought his gifts had caught Kierans attention, thus the help from him.
Was Kieran a kind person who just wanted to help?
Stop joking.
Anyone who saw Kierans cold and expressionless face would know that he wasnt a kind and warm-hearted person.
Smith had nned to use his gifts as leverage, and from that point onwards, he even thought of the conditions that he would agree to Kieran and those that he would reject firmly.
However, when he was greeted with the truth, Smith realized that he had been overthinking.
Kieran didnt care about him, nor his gifts or strength.
In simple words, Smith owed Kieran a massive debt of gratitude, and even if Kieran didnt care, it didnt mean that Smith could forget about it.
The people in the world were divided into good and bad.
All sorts of strange personalities existed in different people.
Some people viewed everything that was beneficial to themselves as reasonable while others marked down all the debts of gratitude and try his or her best to repay them.
Smith was the kind of person that was cold on the outside, but warm on the inside kind.
After twisting his body in a nervous and ufortable way, Smith finally spilled out the words he had concluded in his mind.
There must be something that isnt too convenient for you, right? I can help you with...
Before he could finish, Smith was forced to stop because Bloody Mary, who was beside him, upon receiving Kierans order, swiftly transformed into Wier, Mier, Lagren and even Smith himself.
Each transformation was so realistic that Smith couldnt tell them apart from the originals.
And when Bloody Mary transformed into his own likeness, Smith especially felt like he was looking into a mirror.
Having an aid that could transform into anyone was undoubtedly better than having Smith.
He became quiet.
He really couldnt think of anything to repay Kieran with anymore.
In the end, Smith stood in front of Kieran in silence and looked at him with little persistence in his eyes.
He hoped for an answer from Kieran.
Unfortunately, Kieran didnt even care about him. Kieran walked around Smith and went outside.
He had too many things to attend to, and there was no extra time to waste on Smith.
Looking at Kierans back, Smith opened his mouth but nothing came out.
Being able to help isnt restricted to a single matter. You can think about what D wanted you to do recently, Bloody Mary suddenly whispered to Smith when it grazed him. Smiths eyes shone instantly.
What was he doingtely?
Killing Blood Kins.
What was a Monster Hunters duty?
To protect the innocent and eliminate the monsters!
Smiths eyes shone brighter. He thought he had found the best way to repay Kieran.
Without further doubts, Smith swiftly left the room.
The priceless items in the room? Smith didnt even bat an eye at them.
To some people, money was everything.
But to some others, there were many things more precious than money.
...
The night in Eiders was quiet.
Kieran and Bloody Mary were walking along Sheryl Street. Kieran was in the front while Bloody Mary was behind him.
When Bloody Mary saw Smith run out in a hurry, it knew what Kieran was already nning.
In this unfamiliar and strange city, its contractor had no assistance at all.
In simple words, Kieran was too busy to attend to everything.
Therefore, he needed a helper to clean out the monsters in the dark.
It wasnt for the innocent lives, nor was it for justice. It was just because these monsters were rted to the Blood Moons changes.
However, Bloody Mary was sure that the seemingly smart but truly stupid Smith that ran out in a hurry just now didnt share the same thought.
In that stupid mind of his, Kieran might have already be the hero who was killing monsters lurking in the dark.
That stupid Smith might very well treat Kieran as his goal while moving forward.
What an idiot. Bloody Mary couldnt hold back its criticism in its heart.
But it quickly tucked away its extra thoughts because they had arrived at Sheryl Street.
A sturdy looking car was stopped beside the road.
Kieran stopped and looked at Bloody Mary. The meaning was obvious.
Why me?
Why am I always ying this kind of probing role?
You must be taking revenge on me because I criticised Smith, right?
Bloody Mary was very unwilling in its heart but it didnt have the slightest intention to defy Kieran.
A deep breathter, Bloody Mary walked towards the car.
While Bloody Mary approached the car in Ds sight, something happened
KABOOM!
Chapter 1288 - Different
Chapter 1288: Different
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The seemingly sturdy car was sted to the sky by the sudden explosion.
As zing mes devoured the remains of the car, even in the dark night, the thick smoke was visible.
In a building within Sheryl Street, hundred of meters away from the car, Wilberst the merchant put down his telescope.
Is he really a Monster Hunter? Or is someone impersonating him?
Wilberst handed the telescope to his servant and took a seat on his sofa.
He was no longer energetic and strong like a young man anymore. His hair was white, his back hunched and he walked in faltering steps. Even with his walking staff, his old looks couldnt be concealed, or rather, the walking staff made him look older.
Based on the intel we gathered, he should be, the servant said. But how can a Monster Hunter...
Before the servant could finish, he was stopped abruptly.
A ck figure soundlessly appeared in the room and blocked the window.
The servant and bodyguards instinctively reached for their guns but were stopped by Wilberst.
Stop. Get a cup of tea for our guest here.
Wilberst looked at the ck figure and ordered his men. After that, the old man, seeming to think of something, stared at the ck figure and asked, Will a cup of hot tea do? Or do you want an alcoholic beverage?
Hot tea will do, Kieran said calmly.
Please, have a seat. Wilberst bowed.
Kieran nodded and sat on the sofa.
Before the tea was served, both of them sized each other up.
Wilbersts gaze was full of curiosity and hesitance.
Kierans gaze was as calm as still water.
Greetings, Lord D. Since its our first meeting, let me introduce myself. I am Wilberst. Ive heard that... you have some new thoughts about Quakers death?
Wilberst started the conversation like a merchant, and after some chit-chats and a pause, he entered the topic.
New thoughts? Then can you tell me what my old thoughts are? Kieran didnt answer, instead, he questioned Wilberst.
The old thoughts... If its possible, Id rather not mention those so-called old thoughts. They say my son died of a heart attack, that something embolus and bigger than normal got stuck in his veins. So he had to die when he was in his strongest, youngest, most energetic years!
Wilberst took a deep breath, his seemingly calm tone hiding endless rage to the point that his voice trembled a bit.
Heart attack, eh? Kieran repeated slowly. He then entered into a state of deep thought.
Wilberst didnt speak, as if waiting for Kierans answer.
Even until the moment that the hot tea was being served, Kieran didnt have any intention of speaking. Instead, he took the cup and took a sip of the faintly aromatic tea.
The tea was a very traditional red tea. It was supposed to consist of three kinds of red tea leaves, which were all mixed together, with the addition of cherry, passion fruit, and mint, plus the indispensable drops of lemon juice. Thus came the production of this cup of tea.
It was quite a cup of tea, although, whenpared to Starbecks, it was still very far away.
Do you want some pastries? My cook is an expert in pastries, Wilberst said with a smile when seeing Kieran take the cup of tea, all but forgetting about the wait for the answer from before.
Sure, thank you, Kieran didnt reject, thanking Wilberst politely.
Soon, the pastries were served.
They were cookies served with blueberries, but the texture was a lot softer than expected.
Im old. I cant drink alcohol anymore and my teeth dont allow me to eat hard stuff. Even the almonds I liked so much when I was younger have to be grinded into powder and mixed with tea. That kind of feeling...
Wilberst shook his head, the almost tea not up to his vour. The old man then showed sadness in his eyes and continued.
No matter how bad the tea tastes, it cantpare to the pain of losing Quaker. Quaker was the only heir that I was fond of. He should have had a bigger stage to show off his talents, not dying in his own garden due to some blind reasons! Do you know how I felt when I got the news? I felt like I was crushed by a mountain! The only reason for me to continue living is to find the murderer and tear him into a million pieces! Wilberst said with clenched teeth, his palm clutching tightly onto the sofa handle.
Lord D, please tell me; who killed my son? I am willing to give you everything I have. Since the Wilberst Family lost Quaker, it will eventually go down into the hands of the other useless ones. Rather than seeing it rot like that, I might as well present the whole family as a reward for avenging Quaker.
Wilberst looked up in anticipation at Kieran, hoping for an answer, but Kieran shook his head.
I never said that I know who killed your son, Kieran said.
Then the meeting here... Wilberst squinted his eyes, his re bing sharp as though a sharp knife was staring at Kieran.
I am here to tell you the cause of the death of your son. I can tell you that your son did not die of a heart attack. Even though it seems like one, its just simr, not a real heart attack, Kieran said at his own pace, not caring about the fierce re. He stood up after he finished.
He stepped back and vanished into the shadows, only his voice lingering and echoing in the room.
Thank you for your tea and pastries.
...
Kieran was walking alongside the shadows.
Bloody Mary, who had re-appeared, looked at Kieran with a puzzled gaze.
It couldnt understand why Kieran would let go of such a great opportunity.
An old man that lost his son wouldnt be a good helper, but if that old man possessed a huge amount of wealth and connections, it would be a different kind of story.
Perhaps Wilberst might not be able to cover the sky above Eiders single-handedly, but it was still a hard toe by aid to Kieran.
So why had he given it up?
The question lingered in Bloody Marys mind.
Because I dont trust him, Kieran suddenly stopped walking and answered.
Bloody Mary was stunned, looking at Kieran with a surprised gaze.
It never thought Kieran would really answer its question.
Did Kieran view Bloody Mary in a new light?
Bloody Mary couldnt help but look at Kieran in anticipation.
I did not tell you because I am looking at you in a new light, I just dont want your thoughts echoing in my heart, affecting my thinking. As for why I went to the meeting even though I dont trust him, it is because he is different.
Kieran coldly finished and continued walking under Bloody Marys expectant gaze.
Bloody Mary was stunned on the spot, watching Kieran walk away as the night breeze blew. It unconsciously tightened its coat.
It suddenly felt tired and cold in its heart.
However, Bloody Mary was soon baffled by a new question.
Different?
Different like how?
Chapter 1289 - Uncomfortable
Chapter 1289: Ufortable
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Lagren walked out from the backyard of the hotel with a bag of coal.
Although the night would be cold because of the season, it wasnt to the point that a boiler was needed. However, whenever Lagren thought of the six little girls poor sleep, he felt he should make the rooms warmer, even though he knew what caused them to lose sleep wasnt the temperature.
But at least, a warmer room could help them sleep, right?
The boiler was ignited, the shattered coals were inserted bit by bit. Feeling a growing warmth, Lagren took his beer mug and loaded it with beer without washing his hands.
Gulp, Gulp.
His gulping echoed in the empty hotel lobby, but it couldnt cover themotion outside Stove-grilled Fish.
The explosion from before sent the Spec Ops group into an ugly state. The ordinary police dare not appear, so the Spec Ops group were forced toplete the rescue and clean up given their limited manpower.
This is really troublesome.
Thinking about the encounter of those pitiful Spec Ops members, Lagren went into the kitchen, lit up the stove, and ced fishes and bread on top.
When the grilled fish and toasted bread emanated their unique aroma, the hotel owner served the food on a big tray and walked out of the hotel. He went straight towards the explosion site.
Soon, Lagren saw Mier in the crowd.
Here, Ill leave this to you, said Lagren.
Thank you.
Mier replied without even looking as she was busy helping the civilians.
Although she wanted to look for Kieran, she didnt forget her duty.
ncing over the site, Lagren paused his gaze on the white body bags for a while before returning to where he came from.
When he returned, another person was already inside the hotel lobby.
Smith.
Smith stood in front of the bar counter with a serious face, he waited for Lagren to go behind the counter before he spoke.
I want to join the Monster Hunters, Smith said.
Lagren looked at Smith with a raised brow, he didnt answer; instead, he slowly pulled out a cigarette, lit it up, and asked, Want one?
No, thanks. I want to join the Monster Hunters, Smith rejected before repeating his words.
Do you know what a Monster Hunter is? Lagren asked after spitting out a mouthful of smoke.
Smith shook his head honestly. After thinking for a while, he added, Fighting with monsters, protecting the innocent.
Mm. Not good enough, so you failed the interview.
Lagren spat out another mouth of smoke, he rejected Smith and told him to go upstairs quickly.
You cant be a Monster Hunter with just sheer power.
A Monster Hunter doesnt just bear the burden of honor as you think. Sorry, what am I saying, why would a Monster Hunter have honor?
They are a bunch of fools.
Go have a look at Saya and the girls. They cant sleep well with you gone.
Lagren then turned around and went back to his room.
Smith struggled and hesitated at the empty bar counter.
In the end, after deciding whether to knock on Lagrens door or take care of Saya, Smith chose thetter.
After all, his initial goal was to take care of her, and it didnt conflict with his thoughts of bing a Monster Hunter.
Smith wouldnt do things in reverse order.
Dak Dak Dak.
Tsk Gak.
The footsteps and screeches from the old stairs produced a unique sound.
After these sounds went away, Lagren walked out of his room again.
Sigh, why is everyone so worrisome. But... How did he get so strong?
Lagren muttered to himself, his face couldnt help but look serious.
He knew a lot of ways to increase ones power, but all of them bore incredible side-effects without exception, some methods might even cost ones life.
Lagren didnt want anything to happen to Smith at a time like this.
Otherwise, what will happen to Saya and the girls?
Even though the adoption institution rted to the Monster Hunters could help, Lagren would not contact those guys if it wasnt thest resort.
There are no free meals in this world, everything is give and take.
The Monster Hunter institution was no exception either.
Whenever an orphan was adopted, they would be trained, and the good ones would be new Monster Hunters, while the less than decent one would still be attached to the institution, they will have to serve the Monster Hunters instead.
Although whenever any of them reached the age of retirement, aplete retirement package would still be provided but...
Almost none could live that long.
Monster Hunter was a synonym for trouble, for the outsiders and for one of their own.
Trouble! Trouble everywhere! Lagren grunted and poured himself a mug of beer.
He then looked at the shadow beside the bar counter.
Kieran walked out without being overly secretive.
The fire in old Ksir is your handy work? Lagren asked bluntly.
Mm, Kieran nodded.
You are exactly like them. Stop denying it!
Lagren voiced out his rants before asking, Need anything to eat? The fish and bread were all sold out, but I still have some sausages.
Kieran was hesitant after having a full meal, but in the end, he nodded.
Okay, then.
Soon, Lagren brought out some sausages and a bowl of egg soup.
Kieran still chose the seat in the corner.
Lagren, however, didnt ce the tes down, he knew he would lose the chance to ask when he served the food.
If he wanted to ask anything, this was his chance.
Smith wants to be a Monster Hunter.
Mm.
Hes influenced by you?
Mm.
Which means you know why he suddenly became stronger?
Mm.
There isnt any side effects, right?
Mm.
Amidst the exchange of questions and answers, Kierans gaze was locked on the sausages.
Lagren then served the food when he got the answers he sought.
The sausages were actually big frankfurters, they were grilled with coal, and the casings were torn because of the heat. Beside the frankfurters was some sauce consisting of mustard, lemon, and sd dressing.
The egg soup was simple, boiled with clear broth and some sugar.
Kieran ate as fast as usual. Three frankfurters plus the sauce and soup were devoured instantly.
Then, he ced something on the te and handed it the te to Lagren.
Youve paid for your meal already, Lagren said.
That is why this isnt for you.
Put in the rooms of the girls, they will sleep better.
Kieran then turned around and headed upstairs.
As for the ignited boiler further away?
Kieran didnt even have to look, he noticed the change of temperature when he got close to the hotel and knew what it was for.
What a twisted guy.
Lagren mumbled and picked up the item from the te, he was thinking about how he would give this item to the girls.
As for the value of the Magic rank item?
Kieran and Lagren didnt care, although Kieran felt a little bit heartache.
The night left when the sun rose.
Liveliness descended upon Eiders again.
After a short rest, Kieran was interrupted by a rhythmic knock on his door.
Chapter 1290 - Overestimating Your Power?
Chapter 1290: Overestimating Your Power?
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran opened the door.
A well-dressed, clean looking, tall man holding a big long box with both his hands stood outside the door.
The man was one of Wilberst servants or a bodyguard.
His body, unlike anymoner, was sturdy and his bones were huge, he stood there with a sharp presence.
However, the man was showing a ttering smile toward Kieran, thus weakening his own sharp presence a little.
Lord D, this is a present from my boss.
He hopes that you can ept it.
The man passed the box to Kieran.
Mm.
Kieran nodded and epted it.
Thank you for everything youve done. If you need anything, please drop by Wilberst Manor, we will do our best to fulfill your requests.
When the man saw Kieran ept the box, the man smiled more eagerly as he stepped back.
Seeing the man vanished beyond the stairs, Kieran returned to his room, locked the room, and looked down at the long box in his hand.
The box was made out of wood with a bronze lock. After opening the lock, a shortsword ced on top of scarlet red velvet cloth entered Kierans sight.
The sword was sharp, especially on top of the velvet cloth, it made the sword look like some godly forged weapon that could kill without tainting itself with blood.
Of course, it was actually just a Magic rank shortsword.
[Name: Sharp Shortsword]
[Type: Sword Weapon]
[Rarity: Magic]
[Attack: Average]
[Attribute: Armor Pration Lvl 2, Nimble Lvl 1]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Remark: This is a decent standard weapon]
...
[Armor Pration Lvl 2: Able to easily tear through medium armor (Strong defense)]
[Nimble Lvl 1: It wont dy your movements]
...
Kieran picked it up and quickly whipped up some sparks with the sword. After feeling its light weight and sharpness that could slice the air, he threw it into his bag.
Although it was a decent Magic rank shortsword, it was nothing to Kieran.
Instead, the box that held the shortsword was more concerning.
Kieran carefully inspected it. He pulled out the velvet cloth, and a letter was revealed underneath the box.
Looking at the letter underneath the box, Kieran smiled interestingly before opening it and thoroughly reading through it.
The contents of the letter were simple, it roughly tranted into Wilberst wanting Kieran to help him investigate his sons death and find out the true cause.
After reading it from top to bottom twice, Kieran ced the letter down and muttered to himself.
Are you really different? Or are you just pretending to be different?
Kieran chose Wilberst to meet for a reason.
There were four families, or more precisely, two factions were written on that paper that Becker, the young Spec Ops member, gave him.
On the government side: Mayor Syro Derl, speaker of the senate, Hardy Lynne and Senator Morr.
The civilian side: Merchant Wilberst.
Before this, when Kieran saw the paper from Becker, Kieran instantly divided them into four factions.
But he wasnt sure whether the seemingly special Merchant Wilberst was rted to the other three or not.
Now?
Kieran only gained some confirmation.
After all, if Wilberst were really rted to the other three, to consort and gain Kierans favor, Wilberst wouldnt have sent him a Magic rank shortsword; instead, he could just remove the bounty on Kieran, and it would be the better way without a doubt.
Of course, it might also be Wilbersts deceptive setup.
Kozert, I need you to find out everything about Mayor Syro Derl, Hardy Lynne, the speaker of the senate, Senator Morr, and Merchant Wilberst.
Dont worry about the price, the money in your room is at your disposal, Kieran ordered.
Yes, my lord.
Kozert who was hiding in the room with Kieran moved out again after the servant from Wilberst left.
The other one who moved out as well was Bloody Mary butpared to Kozerts intel gathering, Bloody Marys mission was much more dangerous.
Most importantly, Bloody Mary couldnt reject and what made its heart cold was that it wasnt going to get paid whatsoever after the mission.
Since it changed the contract with Kieran and allowed its contractor to discover its hidden abilities, it realized Kieran had been squeezing out every bit of its value at every single moment, as if Kieran was a ck-hearted boss and Bloody Mary was a poor childborer who couldnt escape before it worked itself to death.
However... It really couldnt die under normal circumstances.
Bloody Mary, who always took pride in its undead ability, somehow felt depressed at the moment because of it.
Kieranpletely ignored the grudgeful feeling from the High Demon and went downstairs.
He wanted to ask something important of Lagren.
Bloody Mary?
Kieran didnt have the spare time to care about the High Demon.
As though Bloody Mary realized Kierans attitude to itself, after transforming into human form, Bloody Mary uncontrobly tightened its coat again.
It felt cold.
...
Bloody Mary felt cold, while Kieran felt the warmth.
When he walked into Lagrens room, the light from the brazier hadnt gone off, it expelled the slight chill of dawn, and the warmth caressed Kierans face.
Since it was his first time entering Lagrens room, Kieran automatically sized up his new surroundings.
While on the other hand, Lagren looked like he was used to Kierans habits. He took a chair and ced it in front of Kieran after Kieran finished sizing up his room.
Sit.
Lagren then sat on his bed, and when he saw Kierans gaze checking the chair, Lagrens heart couldnt help but rant.
Still denying it?
Only Monster Hunters have this kind of sick vignt habits, no one else.
Although Lagrens heart was not happy at Kieran hiding his identity, his words were still as straightforward as usual.
What now? Lagren asked.
Are you familiar with Eiders? Kieran asked.
In what aspect? Lagren responded.
Mayor Syro Derl, Speaker Hardy Lynne, and Senator Morr, plus Wilberst, Kieran asked.
Kieran would never ce all his eggs in one basket.
Even after he sent Kozert to gather information, he would not let go of chances to collect more by himself.
You are really a fast bastard.
Two days after the incident and you are already investigating them?
Syro Derl and Morr are clean, the problem is Hardy Lynne, Lagren crossed his arms and said.
Then what about Wilberst? Kieran automatically clung on the name that Lagren missed.
It wasnt natural for Lagren to really miss out on Wilberst, unless...
With thoughts lingering in his mind, Kieran saw a mocking smile on Lagrens face.
That old man? He is just an idiot who overestimates his powers, Lagrenmented.
However, when the phone in the room rang, and Lagren picked it up, his face became sour when he heard what the voice was saying.
Kieran also heard clearly what the voice on the phone was saying.
It was a mans voice, and it said, Hardy Lynne was dead, and he was killed by Wilberst.
Chapter 1291 - Further Information
Chapter 1291: Further Information
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The sudden news made Lagren frown.
It seemed like he had not expected this situation.
What happened? What made Wilberst kill Hardy Lynne? Was he under someones control? Or...
Lagren, specting endlessly, then looked at Kieran.
Unlike the surprise that overtook Lagren, Kieran didnt change his expression at all. He was sitting there with his cold, calm face as though he had seen it all.
You expected this? Lagren asked.
Humans hearts are a bottomless abyss filled with greed, like monsters about to devour their victims, dooming for eternity. So it isnt that strange for Wilberst to do something out of his character, Kieran said, not answering the question.
Likewise, just like Lagren, he also concealed some vital information.
Lagren obviously hid some vital pieces of information from Kieran, like the emphasis on Hardy Lynne.
If Hardy Lynne were really clean and absent of any suspicious movements, he would not have gotten such a spotlight.
I think we need to have an honest talk, Lagren said.
Sure, but before that, I need your help in removing my name from the wanted list. I want to go have a look at the scene of Hardy Lynnes death, Kieran nodded and voiced his conditions.
You people really think I am almighty? Lagren pouted again.
But he still picked up the phone and dialed it.
The phone call was short but the results were great.
You are off the wanted list. Now you can rove freely.
After Lagren told Kieran the good news, he became extremely upset.
Each time I see you people, I always suffer a great loss! Do you know how much it costs to maintain the informationwork of an area? Bribing each department requires a lot of funds, and relying on the funds from headquarters is definitely not enough!
Do you know why people like us easily suffers losses of hair, have oily faces and die of heart attacks? Stress! All stress, you know? Stress! So you must reflect to headquarters to increase my funds!
I know, yes and no, Kieran replied straightforwardly.
Kierans straightforward answer was like an arrow firing into Lagrens heart. The hotel owner covered his heart and staggered backwards as if he were about to fall at any moment. His ranting didnt stop: With your despicable attitude, you still tell me that you are not a Monster Hunter? From top to bottom, even your answers are exactly the same as those bastards!
There is always simr food in the world... I mean, matters. The world houses all kinds of strange things and always surprises people with astonishing matters. Those astonishing matters are often created by men, Kieran said calmly.
This is the reason for your rejection? You did say food just now, right? Not matters! Lagren rolled a white eye at Kieran angrily.
You got it wrong, that isnt the reason for my rejection. I am telling you since Wilberst is involvedno matter how differently he acted from his original character, he would be going after the biggest gain in the end.
Kieran denied the allegations without changing his expression, then shifted the topic subtly.
And it seemed to be effective.
Lagrens attention was attracted right away.
How can you be so sure that someone isnt controlling him? Or are you hiding something? Lagren looked at Kieran with furrowed brows.
Kieran didnt answer, instead, he looked back at Lagren. Lagren was stunned for a while before he reacted and said slowly, That thing was lost from Hardy Lynnes hand, and based on my investigation, it should have been an inside job! However, the only thing Hardy Lynne hadnt expected was how unreliable the men he hired would be. How could they allow a snitch to steal it from them?
After that, Lagren looked at Kieran again.
This time, Kieran didnt let him down.
Ive seen people who have fallen under control and also people who havent. Last night when I met Wilberst, he was thetter.
It was a very subjective answer, but Lagren wasnt unsatisfied and even nodded.
Because of his mistaken identity, Lagren believed Kieran fully.
Kieran also hadnt lied to Lagren.
Rank IV Spirit attribute allowed Kieran to deduce some reliable spections.
I see, Lagren muttered to himself before saying to Kieran in a serious tone, Dont ask me what that thing is though.
Dont ask?
Kieran squinted his eyes.
Lagrens words easily sparked further thoughts in Kierans mind.
Dont ask. Lagren obviously knew something but couldnt answer him.
Would the answer attract trouble for him?
Kieran spected this in his heart but didnt ask out loud.
The way Lagren spoke allowed Kieran to wisely avoid the questions rted to that thing, but in his heart, he was very concerned.
Kieran thought of Wu, who was still missing.
He even thought of call the gods name to be heard.
A minuteter, Kieran filed away his thoughts.
When Ie back, I want information on the four of them, Kieran said before going out.
Be careful. This incident might not be as simple as it seems, Lagren reminded Kieran.
Kieran didnt reply, only waving his right hand before swiftly going off.
Lagren saw Kieran off before bing busy again. He habitually ranted as well.
Always treating me like a nanny, and still dont want to admit your identity.
Your personality should be from the direct lineage of those few bastards.
Is it because of what I said back then that this happened?
What a bunch of proud bastards.
The arrogant loner nature of Monster Hunters was very well-known, and even among them was a bunch of extremely entric guys.
Compared to the already unique Monster Hunters, these guys were much more solitary and harder to get along, just like Kieran was before his eyes.
He was a Monster Hunter, but he kept denying it.
It made Lagren think of those few guys while searching for information.
Each of the people he thought of could cause him a headache and render him helpless.
Which one will it be?
Lagren went through the files eagerly.
He was looking forward to the astonishment on Kierans face when he exposed him of his identity.
After themotion that happened that morning, Lagren had already collected pieces of information regarding the four targets and read through them thoroughly. He then threw the files under his bed.
Why hadnt he given these to Kieran earlier?
Since Kieran said he needed the information when came back, Lagren would not hand it to him prematurely.
Dok Dok Dok.
Just as Lagren was narrowing down the possibilities of his investigation on Kierans identity, some knocks on the door resounded. He opened the door and saw Smith standing in front quietly. Lagren instantly got a headache.
He was all too familiar with Smiths expression.
A lot of young men in the headquarters who failed to be a Monster Hunter shared a simr look.
Come in.
Lagren stepped aside and thought about how he would reject Smith.
While Lagren was thinking about how to subtly reject Smith, Kieran was shaking his head at Mier in another ce.
No, he said.
Chapter 1292 - Underground
Chapter 1292: Underground
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Miers brows furrowed at Kierans rejection.
Youre going to investigate Hardy Lynnes case, right? Why cant you bring me along? My knowledge and identity can be of help to you.
Her jaded eyes showed confusion.
Kieran, however, didnt reply. Before Miers words even subsided, he vanished before her eyes.
It was not that Kieran had anything against certain genders or looks, he just tended to judge people based on trust.
Mier might not show any hostility, but she still wasnt a friend to Kieran.
Therefore, if he had a choice, Kieran would choose not to work with her.
Mier was stunned when Kieran vanished from her eyes. Then she stomped her foot on the ground angrily.
Damn it!
Her cursing didnt slow down her movements at all. She jumped into her car beside the road and started the engine.
The engine roared to life and Mier drove off in the dust.
She might not be able to catch up to Kierans speed but she knew where he was going.
.....
Hardy Lynne, as speaker of the senate, not only had a remarkable position and identity, but he also possessed a sizeable wealth.
At least the vi before Kierans eyes was something of a luxury that amoner could never afford in his or her entire lifetime.
There were three vis like this under Hardy Lynnes name.
Power and wealth were like twins.
Whenever one appeared, the other one was not far away.
Kieran didnt want to know where Hardy Lynnes wealth came from. He easily avoided the two police officers on duty at the gates, infiltrated the vi and sized up the interior.
With [Tracking] on, Kieran saw the many messy footprints on the carpet.
Doctors, forensics, servants, reporters etc.
Everyone had turned the ce into a mess but the crucial evidence at the scene wasnt destroyed.
A white mark on the sofa portrayed the figure of a man as he was looking up at the ceiling.
The white mark was found in the living hall of the vi.
There were three sets of sofas in the living hall, all surrounding a wooden tea table.
Judging from the coffee and water stains, there should have been a cup of coffee and a cup of tea on the tea table before this.
Wilberst knocked, and Hardy Lynne brought him into the living hall and served him drinks himself. Hardy Lynne was familiar with Wilberst, so he served hot tea without asking. And while Hardy Lynne was serving the tea, Wilberst attacked.
Kierans eyes were locked on the sofa.
The bloodstains hadnt fully dried off yet; the sticky blood seeped into the cracks in the sofas back and was absorbed by the cushion inside.
A single lethal blow! Not only was it fast, but the angle was grasped very well and the power was also substantial.
Kieran couldnt help but squint his eyes when he recalled how old Wilberst was and how slow he moved.
After a careful search throughout the entire vi that resulted in nothing, Kieran swiftly left.
He knew that if he stayed around, he would end up spending more time and leaving muchter on.
For Kieran, not wasting time was like not wasting food, both were at the top of his living principles.
...
I can let you see Wilberst, but you have to guarantee that you will not do anything, including bringing him away.
Wier was standing on the stairs of the station, looking down at Kieran.
If he had a choice, the veteran consultant would rather not see Kieran at this time because he was all too familiar with the styles of the Monster Hunters.
Monster Hunters could no longer be described as simply stubbornthey were persistent!
They became irrational because of it!
An irrationalmon man would cause enough headaches, but if a powerful person turned irrational as well, it would be disastrous, like now.
The death of the speaker of the senate, Hardy Lynne, already caused a hugemotion in Eiders, especially since he hadnt died of natural causes. Even if Wier didnt further question the topic, he would realize that something was brewing in the dark following Hardy Lynnes death in the already dangerous Eiders.
He was certain that if Wilberst were rescued by the Monster Hunter before him, all of Eiders would plunge into chaos.
The senators who were against the Monster Hunters would use it as an excuse and instigate a bunch of people that were blinded from the truth to cause an unstoppable tide.
In the end?
Those dirty politicians would not care about the consequences of their actions.
They would only care about the capital of politics.
Wier would not allow such things to happen.
As the leader of the Special Operation Division, his duty was to assure Eiders safety. Even at the surface level, he would give his best efforts.
So even if he had to face Kieran, he would not back off.
Fine. Kieran nodded.
The resolute presence that surged out from Wier at the moment was veryughable from Kierans viewpoint, but he didntugh.
It was basic manners in front of a veteran consultant.
A man who risked his life to protect others, even if he was an idiot, he was at least a good idiot, wasnt it?
Huu!
Wier heaved a heavy breath; he had been really worried about the worst-case scenario, but fortunately, it didnt happen.
Follow me, Wier said before turning into the station. Kieran followed.
The moment both of them entered the station, everyones attention was immediately captivated.
A lot of them were doubtful and anxious, some even showed fear, and of course, only a few were burning with rage.
Kieran ignored everyones gazes at him. He followed Wier and entered the elevator.
The elevator didnt go up, instead, it headed down.
Although the disy only showed three levels, when the elevator reached the alleged third lower level, the time it consumed could have travel at 30 levels at least.
When Kieran walked out of the elevator, he saw Spec Ops members equipped with firearms loaded with real bullets beside many armored vehicles.
The scene before Kierans eyes told him that it wasnt a prison, but rather a small military fortress.
A shelter prepared for special situations?
Kierans eyes nced at the supplies ced further away before turning to a passageway.
When he entered the passageway, his surroundings looked more like a prison.
Iron doors, iron bars, concrete walls, and prison guards.
Here.
Wier stopped at cell 311 and took out his key to open the gate.
When you want to leave, call for meuse the speaker inside the cell, Wier reminded Kieran.
Kieran nodded before walking in.
Once he entered, the gate to the cell shut with a loud noise.
Gang!
Chapter 1293 - Dazzling
Chapter 1293: Dazzling
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The noise of the gate shutting echoed in Kierans ears.
The light on the ceiling shook as if an earthquake had hit.
Heavy machinery.
Kierans mind painted a picture of meticulous machinery closing the gate and the hidden gears in the walls and underground.
Its even more heavily guarded than you expected, eh?
Sitting on the only bed in the cell, Wilberst waved at Kieran, the waving motions shook the shackles on his hand, producing a rattling noise.
Mm. Kieran nodded and didnt deny.
Everything here was indeed out of his expectations, just like Wilberst before him.
The old man was even more special than his initial spections.
Kieran sized up the welded iron bed and eventually ced his gaze on Wilbersts old face. Compared to thest meeting, the rage and sorrow were gone, Wilberst was much more rxed and even looked happy, much more natural as well. Wilberst also cooperated better than Kieran imagined.
Thank you for seeing me. I guess only you can see me now, in this kind of situation. I originally thought we could work together to find the killer who murdered my son, but then... I found something, so I made my move first.
Kieran didnt even have to ask, and Wilberst was already talking. As he spoke, Wilberst also moved his wrist, as if he was reenacting the scene where he killed Hardy Lynne.
Its very relieving! Much better than I thought! Wilberst added.
What did you find out? Kieran asked in an interested tone.
Some interesting things, but its not important anymore. Ive taken revenge, I have no regrets anymore. Ill just wait for death to arrive in the uing days. And... Thank you for visiting.
Wilberst didnt answer, he shrugged instead. He thenid down on the iron bed, closed his eyes, and lost the interest to converse further.
Kieran nced over the old man, and without any further thoughts, he turned around and pressed the button on the wall for the speaker.
Open the door, said Kieran.
As Kierans voice subsided, Wilberst, lying on his bed, spoke again all of a sudden.
I-If Lord D, you have the time, send a flower to Quakers grave, will ya? But if you dont have time, then forget about it.
Kieran didnt agree or disagree.
When the cell gate was opened, Kieran walked out without any furtherment.
Wier was leaning on the wall when Kieran walked out, the veteran consultant straightened his body.
I know you might not listen to me, but I still have to say this, Wilberst killing senate speaker Hardy Lynne is no longer an individual incident, its rted to the entire Eiders. I hope you can stay out of this, Wier said sincerely.
You believe what he says? Kieran asked.
The evidence is there, of course I believe, Wier emphasized.
Humans always believes what they think is right, Kieran said calmly before losing interest, he then strode towards the elevator.
Kieran then left the station without further hindrance.
Before he got far, he passed by a flower shop and paused before he went in.
Afternoon Tea Flower Garden.
The words were carved on a long wooden nk, the wooden nk was hung over a metallic ck stand in the shape of a 7. It perfectly stuck to the signage beside the road, allowing all passersby to notice the flower shop.
Ding Dong!
Kieran pushed the door and went in, the bell on the door gave a clear chime.
Wee. What can I get you today?
A normal-looking girl with a sweet voice weed Kieran with passion. She was wearing casual ck clothes with an apron around her waist, her hair was tied up, and her hands were holding a pair of scissors and a flower for cutting.
Some white flowers, Kieran said what he was looking for simply.
Chrysanthemum, lily or ca lily, which one do you want? The girl pointed at a rack of flowers.
Any one of them will do, Kieran replied.
The girl had obviously never seen a customer like Kieran before, she looked at Kieran with a strange gaze before she arranged the bouquet based on the three said flowers ording to her own idea. After the bouquet was ready, she gave it to Kieran.
That will be $35.
Kieran quietly took out the money and paid her the exact amount before leaving.
Thank you, pleasee again, the girl said as she watched Kieran go.
When the girl made sure Kieran was gone, the smile on her face instantly vanished. She walked to the back of the shop and removed the apron on her. The apron was then hung on the unconscious girl in the corridor, who was the real worker in the flower shop.
The real worker would wake up soon.
After she woke up, she would think that she passed out because of falling on her head.
Whenever people couldnt get answers, they would always find solutions that fit the situation. Thus everything would be reasonable, even though it may be wrong.
Just like how the fake flower girl thought her mission would finish smoothly like every other time.
...
The graveyard was located beside Eiders Central Park, quiet but not secluded.
Therefore, those who were buried in this graveyard were either rich or famous, themoners wouldnt even get the right to ask about the price of this ce, neither could they enter.
Kieran, with the bouquet of flowers, dodged the guards and entered the graveyard from the side. He relied on the shadows cast by the trees and gravestones to shuttle across the ce.
He was looking for Quaker Wilbersts grave.
It wasnt too hard for Kieran to locate the grave though, especially when Mier, who was like a shing neon sign, was standing beside the gravestone.
I said it before, with my identity and abilities, I can solve a lot of problems that you dont even want to touch, including knowing the conversation between you and Wilberst anding into this ce.
Mier crossed her arms and lifted her chest up, she didnt mind showing that alluring cleavage of hers, thus making her even more breathtaking.
Kieran didnt answer, as if he couldnt see the girl, he ced the bouquet of flowers in front of the gravestone.
There was a picture of Quaker Wilberst on the gravestone.
Even if it was ck and white, the picture showed the young mans bright smile.
Anyone who saw the picture would feel pity and sorrow because this was a graveyard.
A ce where the dead rest.
Quaker Wilberst?
He was too young to be here.
Too young to the point that he didnt know how dangerous, ruthless, and vicious the real world was.
Kieran moved his eyes away from the picture and started to size up the graveyard.
Looking at Kierans movements, Mier, who stayed quiet before out of respect for the dead, spoke again.
I searched the ce, there is nothing...
Before she could finish, Mier was stopped abruptly because...
Kieran kicked the gravestone and toppled it!
The footprint formed by ck dirt printed precisely on the young mans picture.
Under the sunshine, the picture covered in dirt looked exceptionally dazzling.
Chapter 1294 - Euphemistic
Chapter 1294: Euphemistic
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Mier was shocked by Kierans sudden move.
A Monster Hunter never cared abouting in contact with the dead, but they still maintained the fundamental respect for the dead and a rude action such as kicking a gravestone was very rare.
Unless...
Unconsciously, more spections appeared in Miers mind.
But before she questioned Kieran, she saw Kieran take out a cowhide bag from underneath the gravestone.
Mier then acted quickly.
Can I...
No.
Can you tell...
No.
Do you dare...
No.
Listen first...
No.
Wanna eat...
Eat.
...
Facing failures at first didnt force Mier to give up, her quick wit allowed her to remember that happy meeting with Kieran during lunch.
So, Mier changed her tactics, and the changes quickly provided Mier with the anticipated answer.
But she couldnt be happy at all.
She didnt hate food, but when she herself and food were ced on a scale, she hoped she would trump food.
It was a reasonable thought, but reality was always cruel, it always reminded people of how harsh it was.
Fortunately, Mier was smart enough to not ask questions like choose between me or food.
Because she knew what the answer would be.
When she suggested a unique local restaurant, Kieran didnt just agree, his eyes slightly shone and her thoughts were verified.
With Mier following him, Kieran walked out from the graveyards front gate.
The grave keeper saw Kieran, they were surprised, but because of Miers identity, they didnt question it.
Just like Miers im, her identity was beneficial at certain times, but not all the time.
Just like when they reached the restaurant in an alleyway after shuttling through a few streets, the restaurant without a sign denied their entrance.
The reason was that they were 10 minutes away from opening.
10 minutes? I can wait, Kieran said before he queued up in front of the restaurant.
Mier was shocked by how easygoing he was.
Mier sized up Kieran from top to bottom, if she didnt confirm it was Kieran and that he wasnt swapped on the way here, she would really think she was with the wrong person.
No, no, Kieran was swapped!
Kieran was already another person in front of food.
The Monster Hunters hated the so-called rules, but now Kieran followed the rules.
But...
Mier didnt dislike a Monster Hunter like him.
Compared to the rumored Monster Hunters, Kieran before her eyes was more real, more likable.
A faint aroma from the restaurant entered Miers nose, she couldnt help but hum a pleasant melody and became happier than before while waiting.
10 minutes was up.
When the restaurant opened up its doors, a worker put out a ck signboard with its specialty dishes and wee written on it. Kieran then walked in.
Unlike the other restaurant that had a central dining area and a big kitchen window, this restaurant located in the alleyway didnt have a kitchen window, even the door was made out of wood.
In simple words, customers wouldnt be able to see the interior from the outside.
Only when they entered, would one be able to see that there were only two tables and light bulbs were required to shed light over the dark interior.
Following the waiters guidance, Kieran and Mier were seated down one of the tables. Kieran nced over the lowered light bulb and waited patiently.
Mier already told him that the customers couldnt order dishes, the chef would provide what they had for the day instead.
The dishes prepared that day were written on the ck signboard.
Soon, dishes were served on the table one after another.
Mier couldnt wait to dig in. She took the ck pepper and sprinkled it over themb chop, the egg sd was pushed aside.
It was not that she disliked vegetables, its just that the sequence was different.
Gobbling like a hungry tiger, Mier looked up and wanted to grab a roasted sausage, she then noticed Kieran was done with his te.
Can I have two more servings? Kieran asked the waiter.
Of course, the waiter was hesitant for a while before nodding.
Soon, another serving of food was served.
When the lid was lifted, the rich aroma of the served dish filled the entire restaurant, Mier couldnt help but take a deep breath at the smell.
Then, she suddenly felt dizzy.
Miers body quivered, she had to support herself by pressing down on the table to prevent herself from falling, and when she wanted to speak to warn Kieran, she suddenly realized her tongue was numb without her knowing, she couldnt talk.
Mier, who was silenced, tried her best in supporting her body, she was very anxious when she saw Kieran pick up his fork and knife again.
Mier kept signaling Kieran with her eyes, but Kieran was captivated by the food in front of him, he didnt even care.
One serving, two serving, three serving...
When the waiter who served the food had his forehead covered in sweat, Kieran finally ced down his fork and knife.
The waiter beside him was drenched in sweat, his forehead was covered with concentrated sweat beads. Kieran acted like it was nothing, he stretched his back and looked at the waiter with a smile, asking slowly, Did you make this?
Yes. The waiter slowly retreated after the affirmative answer.
Not bad, Kieran nodded and stood up from his seat.
The waiter quickly hastened his retreat, his body didnt even turn around, he was still facing Kieran, but his body retreated like an arrow let loose.
But at the next moment, Kieran vanished from the waiters sight.
Then, the waiter felt pain from the back of his neck before cking out.
Holding the unconscious waiter, Kieran returned to his seat. He threw the waiter at this feet before taking out the cowhide paper bag that he got from the graveyard and read through it.
Seconds turned into minutes.
Mier throughout the ordeal was sitting in an ufortable position.
One needed to know she was known for her perceptive observation in the Special Operation Division.
An unknown shame rose in her heart, causing her to blush, she didnt want Kieran to see her in this shameful manner.
She really wanted to stomp on the waiter and vanish from Kierans sight.
Unfortunately, the anesthetics were much more effective than expected.
Almost half an hourter, the numbness finally weakened, but Mier still couldnt move her body, all she regained was her ability to speak.
When did you notice?
To shift the awkwardness, Mier asked.
From the start.
Kieran replied without even looking at Mier.
From the start? Then why didnt you warn me? Mier was stunned before asking, she sounded like she was grumbling.
Ive warned you to not follow me, Kieran said calmly.
So youre telling me this is the consequence of following you? Mier raised her voice.
Kieran looked at the angry Mier, he slowly put the documents back into the cowhide bag before standing up. He then grabbed his captive and walked outside.
He said, Cows like to be in a herd, while a beast prefers to be alone.
Chapter 1295 - Incoming Attack
Chapter 1295: Iing Attack
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Inside Kozerts room, Kieran was sitting in a chair while rubbing his ever-swelling temples.
Beside his feet were documents stacked to almost half a mans height.
These documents meticulously recorded everything about Mayor Syro Derl, Senate Speaker Hardy Lynne, Senator Morr, and even Merchant Wilberst.
Among the plethora of information, there were a lot of shady deals.
Kieran was not surprised.
From how Kieran saw it, it was normal for these four men to have some shady sides to achieve their current position in society. Their upations, as politicians and merchants, required massive amounts of lies and the ditching of their conscience.
Among all the shady records, the most concerning was the Ghoul Incident.
It wasnt the Ghoul that re-appeared recently but the first Ghoul from the legends that appeared 30 years ago.
Based on the records on the documents, these Ghouls were created by men that involved Eiders military and high ranking politicians.
However, the descriptions were vague, and details were missing.
Obviously, someone wanted to prevent the incident from back then to see the light of day.
But the cowhide bag that Kieran found under Quaker Wilbersts grave recorded the incident from 30 years ago in detail.
Ghoul Incident, at first, wasnt named like that but was instead Warrior n. It was a step taken by Eiders military and high ranking politicians to deal with the rising dark forces in the city.
They started with goodwill, but it eventually ended in tragedy.
None of the experimental subjects ended up living a normal life; they even defied their initial code and attacked civilians.
However, Hardy Lynne, who conducted the experiments, and Moor, who was responsible for the execution, didnt take the me for the misgivings. Instead, they rose prominently, one bing the speaker of the senate, the other a senator.
Likewise, Mayor Syro Derl, who signed the authorization letter, wasnt med either. He continued onward to be the most powerful man in Eiders.
This particr point baffled Kieran.
Although he knew that politicians biggest ability was their shamelessness, it didnt mean that their political rivals would sit still and not turn the spearhead on them and make the incident into a stain in their political career.
Judging from how bad the Ghoul Incident went down back then, Syro Derl and the others careers should have been destroyed, ending with them as scapegoats.
The contents of the cowhide bag didnt state that point clearly.
Neither did it state anything about the connection between Quaker Wilbersts death and the recent re-emergence of the Ghouls. It only clearly said what Kieran already knew: Old Wilberst killed Hardy Lynne.
Kieran felt as if he was close to the truth but was seeing through a misty veil, ultimately falling short of the end.
Interesting, Kieran muttered softly before looking at the waiter he caught earlier, who was standing with his hands down.
My lord.
When Boli, the waiter in disguise, caught Kierans gaze, he stepped forward, bowed and greeted Kieran; he was already under [Mesly Ring] s control.
I need dinner, Kieran said.
Yes, my lord. Ill go prepare right away, Boli answered before heading to the kitchen.
After a while, the aroma of food came out of the kitchen.
For Kieran, Bolis espionage of Eiders high ranking politicians and his cooking were equally important.
Bolis former identity allowed Kieran to know some things about the politicians in Eiders and what they thought about him in turn, including the mayor, who was allegedly injured from an attempt on his life.
As for thetter?
The cooking satisfied Kieran mentally and physically to the max.
Of course,pared to Starbecks cooking, both were still far apart, but it was a lot better than Lagrens.
If the situations allowed him to, Kieran would instead not torture his tongue, just like how he would never waste food.
After a considerably delicious dinner, Kieran gave Kozert and Boli new orders. When the two of them left, Kieran left too.
He hadnt forgotten about the documents about Syro Derl and the others in Stove-grilled Fish, which Lagren had promised him.
Although he had already gotten quite a lot, he didnt mind knowing more.
...
The lobby of Stove-grilled Fish was empty. Ever since Kieran had checked into the hotel, the ce had somehow be a restricted ce for the living. Lagren had ranted about this a couple of times, hoping that Kieran would pay extra for his loss, but unfortunately, Kieran didnt care about the sincerity in Lagrens eyes. He rejected Lagren by giving the excuse that Lagren hadnt told him beforehand.
That stubborn and cold look on Kieran caused Lagren to criticize him more than once, stingy ghost and sorts.
Of course, it was the most Lagren could do.
As the contact for the Monster Hunters and the one on duty in Eiders, Lagren knew what kind of people the Monster Hunters were.
Other than being powerful and loners, poor was also used to tag them.
Although the headquarters would distribute an astonishing amount of allowance to the Monster Hunters, it would usually vanish on the second day after receiving it.
Some used it for booze; some bought things they desired; some invested in may brothels.
Some even gave a part of their allowance to the widows of their fallenrades.
Thetter was the majority.
Lagren wasnt surprised that the Monster Hunters gave so much away because he was doing the same thing.
The friendship built upon life and death was far sturdier than one could imagine.
Dak Dak Dak.
Familiar footsteps sounded, Smith then appeared in the lobby.
Smith was reeking of blood, and Lagren immediately knew what he had done.
Go wash yourself up in the bath. Oh, and this, this is for you. Its good for the girls, to help them sleep betterdont look at me like that, its not from me, its Ds.
After tossing the Magic rank item that could calm minds to Smith, Lagren rushed Smith away because he knew Saya and the other girls were waiting for Smith.
The soft footsteps that came from the girls room from time to time were enough to tell Lagren how anxious and nervous they were.
Therefore, Lagren hoped even less that Smith would be a Monster Hunter.
But sometimes, things went against ones will.
After Smith left with thanks, less than two minutester, the rm that was installed under the bar counter gave out an irritating buzz.
Without further ado, Lagren quickly reached out to the iron armor, tomahawks and firearms he had hidden around the lobby. He put the armor on, grabbed the scattered rounds for the firearm and grabbed the long tomahawk that required at least three men to move before heading out of the hotel.
As he walked, Lagren habitually ranted again, I knew that guy would bring trouble.
When Lagren was almost outside the hotel, Smith was suddenly beside him. Lagren looked at Smith, and he didnt say anything else.
He didnt want Smith to be a Monster Hunter, but he wouldnt be so corny as to deny such a strong helper.
One needed to know that to trigger his rm, the enemy had to be very powerful.
As for how powerful?
When Lagren stepped out of the hotel door, his eyes widened and he gasped hard.
He was overwhelmed by the overflowing number of Ghouls, which was more than a hundred.
Chapter 1296 - Blocking The Way
Chapter 1296: Blocking The Way
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Lagren looked at the Ghouls in astonishment.
In fact, as a contact for the Monster Hunters, only a few things that could shock Lagren. Ghouls wouldnt at first, but when the numbers exceeded the hundreds, it did.
Lagren knew what made the Ghouls feared.
Their huge figures granted these monster inhuman strength, their skin that felt more like iron could ignore small-caliber handguns as well.
As long as they gained the geographical advantage, one of the monsters could easily wipe out a group of ten fully armed men.
Judging from the number of Ghouls in front of Lagren, they were enough to send half of Eiders into a vortex of destruction.
Back off!
Lagren shouted at Smith while he raised his gun and squeezed the trigger.
Bang!
The scattered rounds from the shotgun were fired, the Ghoul in front of its firing range was enveloped wholly, its flesh was ripped apart.
Roar!
The pain on its body made the Ghoul roar furiously, but the bellows were stopped abruptly.
The long tomahawk as big as a door nk was swung down, splitting said Ghoul in half.
The tomahawk was then swung to the left, removing one of the legs of the Ghoul that was split in half and also shing another Ghoul from the waist.
Thick blood sshed, it caused a horrible stench in the area.
The Ghouls were stunned for a moment before they roared in unison.
The death of their kind and spilled blood stimted them, they instantly charged towards Lagren.
Lagren didnt run. Behind him was his hotel, the people in his hotel were his guests and protecting the guests in his hotel was his creed.
Hundreds of Ghouls indeed startled him, but it wasnt a reason for him to retreat.
Kak, Kak!
Bang!
After a clean reload of the scattered rounds, the shotgun was fired again. It was also itsst shot.
At the next moment, the shotgun was imbued with Lagrens full strength and hurled towards the Ghoul at the front while bringing ayer of flurry images.
Bang!
The loud crash sent the Ghoul falling down.
It didnt die, but the dizziness made it falter. However, that particr Ghoul was stomped into meat paste by the other charging Ghouls behind it.
At the same time, it slowed down the charging Ghouls, but only for a moment.
But it was enough for Lagren. Both his hands grabbed the end of the long tomahawk, he opened his legs and tightened the muscles at his waist. Lagren then swung the tomahawk like a spinning top, he crossed his steps following the motion and his waist supported his movements.
Wung!
Wung Wung Wung!
After the initial swing, consecutive massive swings followed, and as if a tornado was forming, Lagren spun into the Ghouls like a meat grinder, grinding flesh and blood of the Ghouls, causing them to stter all over.
A breathter, more than a dozen Ghouls were ground into meat paste, but a lot more of them continued their charge at Lagren.
After the initial unstoppable spin, the tomahawk in Lagrens hands started to slow down and ultimately, when another Ghoul fell under the heavy edge, Lagren was already panting heavily.
There was a reason why he was a contact for the Monster Hunters and not a real monster Hunter himself.
He was powerful himself, not even the Ghouls could defeat him, but he wascking stamina. It was because of natural causes and also the injuries he suffered.
Roar!
The roaring Ghouls dashed out once more.
The heavy tomahawk was swung down again, another Ghoul was shed in half. Lagren was panting heavier than before, to the point that he barely had the strength to wield the tomahawk.
Looking at the approaching Ghouls, Lagren grinned.
He pulled out a grenade from his pocket.
Hey you fricking bastards, ever seen fireworks?
Lagren teased the Ghouls, and his finger was pulling the pin.
However, Smith was faster.
Smith suddenly appeared in the battlefield like a shadow, he crashed into the Ghoul in front.
Bang!
Two disproportionate bodies crashed, as though a small car collided with a truck, but the oue was the truck being sent flying backward, dragging the other vehicles behind it to a pause.
The indomitable charge from the Ghouls faced a pause again.
Smith quickly grabbed Lagren and retreated.
Let me go!
Damn it! Why are you still here?
Damn you!
Lagren was scolding loudly as he was being dragged by the cor.
Lagren was infuriated, he was enraged because Smith didnt leave as he ordered.
Or more precisely, Smith didnt leave with Saya and the girls.
Have a rest. Ill stop them for a while.
Smith didnt care about the scolding from Lagren, he ced the hotel owner at the door before he charged towards the Ghoul alone.
Looking at the ws and fangs of the Ghouls, shame shed over Smiths eyes.
He was scared just now!
Thats right, scared!
When he saw hundreds of Ghouls blocked standing in front of the hotel, the dark and frightening scene made him want to run out of instinct.
Perhaps his strength could grow rapidly, but the heart of courage of a powerhouse wasnt something easily obtained, especially Smith who preferred to ambush his enemies instead of using frontal assaults.
Smith won his past battles by catching his foes off guard, thus causing him to discard the thoughts of a frontal battle, let alone facing the Ghouls.
But after Lagrens shout and the charge from the Ghouls, it woke Smith.
Smith finally understood why Lagren was objecting to him bing a Monster Hunter.
Given Smiths performance, he would be a shame for the Monster Hunters name.
Courage!
The courage to face stronger enemies!
You are objecting me to be a Monster Hunter because I dont have this particr virtue?
Then... We shall see.
Somehow, Smith addressed Lagren respectfully in his heart, and simr to just now, he crashed into one of the Ghoul again.
The difference this time was, unlike the crash and retreat the first time, Smith charged into the Ghouls this time.
He fought with his bare hands, using the uniquebat style of a Blood Kin. Although thebat style had retreated from the forefront after the rise of firearms, the practice in his blood would never go away.
Even though he was a hybrid, when hisbat abilities were awoken, he instantly became a ghost in the night.
His nails became sharp and long, his steps became swift and agile.
Within the blink of an eye, blood sshed off the Ghouls body, one after another.
Unlike the significant movements in Lagrensbat style, Smithsbat style was stranger and more specific, it was hard to defend against, but both of them shared amon goal in their attacks: kill the enemies.
Therefore, when the Spec Ops members arrived at the scene, all of them were astonished by what they saw.
Bodies of Ghouls were scattered on both sides of the street like garbage.
The two of them, Lagren and Smith, were like warriors bathed in blood, standing in front of Stove-grilled Fish, without budging.
They were warriors alright!
Everyone from the Special Operation Divisionbeled Lagren and Smith as warriors, especially Mier who just came out from the car, her heart was overwhelmed.
Since Mier had fought Ghouls before, she knew how strong the Ghouls were. It would require at least a whole group of fully armed Spec Ops members to be able to fight them, and they would have to strike first. Should they face an ambush from the Ghouls, it would require at least 2 groups to deal with the situation.
And the scene before her eyes?
Two people killed over a hundred Ghouls.
If it was the Special Operations Division, who faced these hundred Ghouls?
It may...
A bad thought made Miers mouth feel bitter because she thought of what Kieran told her before.
Cows likes to move in herds, beasts move alone.
At first, she thought of refuting Kieran using the saying lions hunt an elephant in groups, while a lonely tiger will stave and roar in solitude., but what she witnessed right now made her ditch the thought.
There was only one reason beasts couldnt travel alone: they werent strong enough.
Lions might need to hunt in groups, a lonely tiger might have a lower chance to capture its prey, but...
What if the beast was a dragon?
There was nothing a breath from the dragon couldnt solve.
If there was, a second breath would do.
With the Special Operations Divisions addition, the ambush from the Ghouls came to an end, the battle was finishing also.
However, as the thick stench of blood floated in the air, pairs of cold, merciless eyes appeared in the dark.
There were more Ghouls.
More Corpse-eater.
More Shapeshifters.
And Blood Kin.
And Werewolves.
And also wandering souls with translucent bodies.
The Spec Ops group members quickly drew the line by using their cars to form a single defense line.
Miers forehead was drenched in sweat when she saw the countless monsters in the dark.
She was nervous, in fact, everyone beside her was.
Even Wier who appeared with his walking staff cum sword, his hand was looking pale.
The night breeze was blowing.
One of the monsters in the dark suddenly growled.
Following that one growl, it acted as a signal, countless monsters sprung out from the dark, forming a ck tidal wave, crashing down towards the weak defensive line.
KABOOM!
The cars that formed the defense line were sted into the sky when the monsters crashed.
The monsters opened their bloody mouths, their saliva was dripping.
They were eager to taste fresh blood and meat.
Dak Dak dak.
Suddenly, footsteps entered the battlefield. The light footsteps werent overpowered by the loud roars which sounded in session.
Instead, the footsteps got more precise and louder.
It sounded like one explosion after another, echoing around the area, but when one carefully listened to it, they went silent again. Then, a ck figure appeared in everyones eyes.
From the top of his body to the bottom of his feet, the ck figure slowly walked out from the shadows. The ck figure even made the shadow look shallow because of his abysmal darkness.
As he walked out, the cloak named shadow was slowly removed, and when the shadow on the figure fell to the ground, the figure looked at the monsters that were charging forth like tidal waves.
The charging monsters instantly stopped.
The ck figure then turned around and walked towards the hotel.
He moved past the Spec Ops members who were looking pale, he then stood before Lagren and Smith.
He said, You are blocking the way, itste, I need to rest.
As the voice was heard, explosions followed.
Hundreds of thousands of heads exploded at once.
Chapter 1297 - Goal
Chapter 1297: Goal
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
After the explosions, blood rained down from the sky, it poured down on the hard ground like a waterfall.
Fear rose in Smith because of his bloodline, it made him instinctively step aside to avoid the blood and also to give way to Kieran. Kieran walked in the hotel, grazing Lagren.
Dak Dak Dak.
His footsteps were heading towards the second floor, and it wasnt until then that Lagren finally came to his sense as though he had just woken up from a dream; he let out a heavy sigh.
This guy is already this powerful? Lagren muttered.
His mutters didnt escape Smiths ears who was beside him.
Smith was stunned.
What do you mean this guy is already this powerful?
Does it mean there is someone else who can do what he did?
Smith wasnt stupid by any means, he quickly rted to more possibilities from the words.
Monster Hunters?
Smith looked further away, hundreds of thousands of monster corpses were piled up over there like a small hill. Smith unconsciously clenched his fist.
Smiths heart was reying the scene of the myriads of heads exploding together endlessly. Following his rey, Kierans image in Smiths heart had skyrocketed infinitely.
From the pure gratitude and bits of reverence, respect grew further after the scene.
The pride that Smith had in his own gifts crumbled into nothing, all that was left in his heart was catching up!
He had to catch up to his goal, Kieran!
He wanted to be a Monster Hunter like Kieran!
At the same time, another person was having the same thought: Mier.
St!
On the silent street as though it was frozen, a young Spec Ops member suddenly fell on the ground, because of shock and because of the brush with death.
His mental state suddenly rxed from extreme tension, it caused him to lose control of his body.
Nobodyughed at him because a lot of them shared the same experience.
Even Wier and Mier were no exception.
Mier was leaning on a wall, panting heavily. Her gaze unconsciously shifted from the mountain of monster corpses to the hotel behind her.
Astonishment was slowly fading away from her tired eyes, what was left was a burning sensation. She understood what Kieran said, but it didnt mean she would give up.
Or in other words, her fighting spirit rose and became more eager.
Different from the rumors and stories, she had a more direct impression of a Monster Hunter.
She didnt say anything else to her grandfather. Mier made up her mind quietly, she knew if she were to tell her grandfather of her thoughts, Wier would never agree, he might even restrict her freedom.
Wier was much more stubborn than he looked, but regardless of how obstinate he was, it couldnt help him calm his torrential state of mind at the moment.
He knew Kieran was strong, just he never thought he was THIS strong.
He isparable to those few legendary Monster Hunters? Wier spected.
Then, the leader of the Special Operations Division quickly reacted.
He looked at his men, who looked like every one of them escaped from death, he shouted at them, Men, divide yourself into three groups. One secures the perimeter, one clean the battlefield, and one take some rest first.
After the orders were given, the Spec Ops members quickly moved out.
Looking at the busy Spec Ops member, Lagren carried his tomahawk back to the hotel; Smith had no intention of joining them either.
Smith was actually quite prejudiced against the Special Operations Division.
Lagren spotted the prejudice, but he didnt want to dissuade Smiths thoughtsbecause he knew some dark secrets as well.
All the members of the Special Operations Division were respectable, one could even say without their patrol at night, Eiders wouldnt see the sun the next day.
However, the one leading the division wasnt always bright and righteous.
Of course, it wasnt referring to Wier.
Remember after you clean yourself up, go to the backyard for some charcoal, put them into the lobby and your room, Lagren told Smith.
Understood, Smith nodded.
Charcoal could effectively absorb the bloody stench, much better than air fresheners.
When Smith was busy moving the charcoal, Lagren, after a quick clean up of the hotel, didnt choose to rest. Instead, he opened the hidden control panel behind the wine cer.
The control panel cost him a fortune to install, and it was also his proudest purchase.
Compared to the mythical way of doing things, which was rmended by the headquarters, he thought thebination of technology and the mythical was more effective.
Unfortunately, the old geezers at the headquarters didnt acknowledge his thoughts.
Lagren operated the controls to maneuver the hidden cameras he installed in the area. When he had a clear look of the screen, his face turned sour.
Right away, Lagren dashed upstairs.
When the loud and robust steps were heard from outside, Kieran opened his door.
There is something you need to see.
Lagren told Kieran when he saw him walked out of his room.
Without further chit-chat, Kieran followed Lagren to the controls.
Look here.
Here, and here.
All of these houses are neatly built, and it doesnt seem like anyone is hurt. However, I dont think these monsters are some good doggies that follow the rules.
So... I think there is someone behind the scenes, controlling these monsters to wage war!
Lagren was switching between the footage, he then turned towards Kieran and spoke with a never before heard seriousness.
Kieran was still cold and as expressionless as ever, he didnt react to Lagrens theory at all.
You knew from the start? Lagren was surprised.
Kieran then gave the cowhide bag to Lagren.
Without a second thought, Lagren ripped the bag open and took the documents and pictures inside and carefully read through them.
I knew the things that happened back then werent as simple as they seemed.
Its too coincidental for Hardy Lynne to die, and Syro Derl, Morr... Ha.
Lagren was mumbling softly, and when he saw the words of using humans as experimental subjects, heughed coldly.
When he went through everything, Lagren looked at Kieran with a doubtful gaze.
You think the Ghoul attacks just now are rted to the Ghoul Incident back then? Thats why you gave me these? Or do you think those monsters are simr to the Ghouls? Being experimented on?
It might or might not be rted, Kieran said.
What do you mean? Lagren was more confused than ever.
Its only rted in terms of its roots, it didnt truly extend or spread further.
The masterminds real goal? Its nothing but trying to divert the tiger away from the mountain.
Of course, if there are some extra rewards, that would be great.
When Kierans words subsided, the phone beside them rang.
Riiing!
Lagren picked it up.
A momentter, he cried out of shock.
What?
Wilberst is dead!?
Chapter 1298 - Help
Chapter 1298: Help
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Pleasant and rhythmic whistles came from the prison cell.
Wilberst, whose hands were cuffed, was lying on the iron bed. There was no pillow, no nket, even the bed itself was old and broken.
It was hard and ufortable.
However, none of that could affect Wilbersts good mood.
He knew everything was progressing smoothly.
Monster Hunter D, eh?
Looking forward to your performance.
Wilberst recalled the meeting he had with D and couldnt hold back his grin. He spent quite the effort to hide his smile because he knew there was a surveince camera in the cell.
Every move he made was being watched.
Unusual movements that didnt fit the rules shouldnt have appeared.
As for the whistles?
It was necessary.
Kak!
The gear of something spun and produced a noise. Wilberst woke up from his bed and saw the familiar figure outside his cell. His eyes were showing delight.
But soon enough, his gaze froze.
A thin, long sword pierced his chest.
The de went through his heart, the poison on the de spread throughout his body within a breaths time, Wilberst couldnt even utter a word.
...
This is all of the footage? Wier questioned the technician.
Yes, Sir Wier. All the footage is here.
The technician replied, meticulously. Wier then nodded and turned to Kieran, who was sitting there.
Find anything?
If he had a choice, Wier wouldnt want Kieran in the station, but when Kieran requested to be there, he couldnt find a way to reject him.
The feeling was very ufortable for him, but Wier quickly adjusted his mind, he needed to borrow Kierans strength in this.
Mm. The whistle, Kieran nodded.
Other than that? Wier continued.
Of course, he knew the whistle was unusual. Even more so, judging from the whistle, there might be someone who didnt belong in his division right now.
After all, the security around the cell was very tight.
Even the guards on surveince duty were none but a few.
I need your investigation report. And I dont think your suspicion is correct.
If there is really a mole, the mole doesnt need to waste so much effortI dont know how many more monsters he can control, but the number of monsters that appeared at the hotel was certainly not an easy feat.
And... Kieran suddenly paused.
And what? Wier asked.
And I think you should check the autopsy. Kieran stood up and walked out.
Wier saw Kieran off and couldnt help but frown.
He wasnt nning of changing his initial n; likewise, he would also choose to listen to Kierans advice, even though it sounded weird.
...
The night was still long.
Kieran walked out of the well-lit station. The darkness in the area quickly absorbed the light, even Kierans figure entered the night.
Even without any undercover techniques, Kierans figure moved in the darkness as if he was floating, especially when Kieran hastened his steps, he was like a ghost shing in the dark.
However, the person who was following Kieran still didnt stop.
The persons following was very skilled. There wasnt any bit of sound, even the persons presence was hidden but not that malicious gaze.
The distance from the station to Stove-grilled Fish was neither far nor near.
The person was following Kieran throughout the journey and only spoken when Kieran was approaching Stove-grilled Fish.
Lord D, hold on a moment.
I am sorry that I cant speak to you normally, but my boss is waiting for you on the next street.
Cook is my boss name, I bet youve heard of it, right? The voice from the shadow asked.
Cook?
Kieran turned his eyes towards the person in the dark. Even with his vision, all he could make out was the features on the mans face, other than the unique traits of Eiders at night, the person seemed to be using some kind of special technique as well.
The Cook the man mentioned was heard of as well.
As the most prominent trading merchant of gold and ancient coins in Eiders, Cook was no doubt one of the most powerful men in the underground world.
Cook was also the man one couldnt afford to offend.
Although Kieran didnt care whether he offended Cook or not, Kieran was very interested in the man.
Cooks appearance was so timely, and with the malicious gaze from the man in the shadows, Kieran would never be mistaken.
Then...
Lead the way, Kieran calmly said while thoughts lingered in his mind.
Please follow me, the man in the shadows said.
After that, the mans figure seemed to grow clearer before he walked towards the next street.
Kieran followed.
A whileter, a long limousine appeared in Kierans sight.
A huge, fat man rolled down the window and waved at Kieran, greeting him.
Good evening, Lord D.
As the man greeted Kieran, the driver got down and opened the door for Kieran.
Kieran nced over the car when he made sure there wasnt any danger, he stepped in.
The exterior of the car was already very long, but when one sat inside, only then could one only feel how spacious the car was and howfortable the seats were.
Lord D, want anything to drink?
Cook, the huge fat man, bent down with slight difficulties, opened the fridge beside him, showing off a variety of drinks and wine.
No, thanks. Kieran took a nce and shook his head.
What a pity, I purposely prepared some decent wine for you.
Cook sighed in pity. Then he opened up a secretpartment at the handle, pulling out a cigar.
The cigar wasnt just neatly cut, it was ignited as well.
After a deep puff, Cook spat the smoke, and the misty cloud spread all over the interior of the car.
4 to 5 puffster, Cook finally spoke.
Lord D, I hope to get your help with something. I have something here that I need you to take care on my behalf, said Cook.
He then bent down again, took out a leather box from the bottom of his seat, and gave it to Kieran.
Kieran looked at the box before switching his gaze to Cook again.
The thing inside is something very important to me.
All I need you to do is keep it for one dayuntil tomorrow evening.
If I dont contact you or you hear the news of my death, you can open the box and give the thing inside to the people who you deemed worthy of it.
As he spoke, Cook took the box and shook it a few times, showing that there was something inside but certainly not explosives or something simr.
I know its very rude of me to make a request like this for our first meeting, so Ive prepared a payment worthy of your time.
Cook then took out another box from the bottom of his seat.
This time, Cook opened it up right away, and Kieran squinted his eyes at the contents.
Chapter 1299 - Incomplete
Chapter 1299: Iplete
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
A faint glow came out from the box, the temperature in the car plummeted, even Cooks breath turned white.
A bluish-white crystal the size of an index finger was embedded in the middle of the box.
Around the crystal were mythical inscriptions, glowing with the crystals faint pulsating glow. It seemed like the box with the mythical inscriptions was a container for the crystal.
Cook wore a leather glove and carefully took the crystal out of the box, he carefully moved it closer to Kieran.
In that short process, ayer of frost formed over the thick leather glove.
This is a sign of my good faith, I hope that you like it, Cook humbly said.
Kieran didnt simply take the crystal. He had to make sure the crystal and the box were safe through [Mystical Knowledge] and his Intuition before he truly epted it.
[Name: Ice Remnant]
[Type: Relic]
[Rarity: Above Rare]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: None]
[Attribute: 1. Consume; 2. Compatibility]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Remark: A small chance of dropping from a Frost Lord. Its cut and isntplete, but the coldness still can cause frostbite.]
...
[Consume: Consume the Ice Remnant. There is a great chance to acquire the Frost Lineage (Constitution authentication required)]
[Compatibility: It can empower items with ice/frost ability (The lower the items rarity, the higher the chance of sess)]
...
[Ice Remnant]?
Almost instantaneously, Kieran thought of [Ghastly Sapphire]. The only difference between the two was that [Ghastly Sapphire] was a gemstone, [Ice Remnant] was a relic.
I got this by ident.
I think rather than keeping it as my collection, it may be of better use in your possession, Cook said humbly.
Kieran looked at the man again.
Kieran wasnt surprised that Cook knew what happened that night at Stove-grilled Fish, what surprised him was Cook was able to get his hands on relics like [Ice Remnant], and also the intact storing method.
An ancient coin dealer could achieve this, but the cost would be huge. It might even cost him all his fortune.
And after paying the substantial cost, all Cook wanted was for him to keep something?
Then...
What was the thing that Cook wanted him to keep?
Or more precisely, what led Cook to this decision?
Kierans mind spun rapidly, he wasbing through the events that happened from the moment he stepped into the dungeon world until thetest, and a confident guess appeared on top of all of that.
Because of this guess, Kieran epted Cooks suggestion.
Kieran didnt mind taking the risk, what he was worried about was there not being sufficient rewards after the risk.
However, judging from the current situation, he didnt need to be worried.
En, Kieran nodded.
Cook was thrilled when he saw Kierans nod.
This is great, I...
Lets form a contract. You must state that the things inside the box will not harm the people around me or me, Kieran interrupted the overjoyed man and said indisputably.
As you wish.
Cook quickly took out a piece of contract paper from the drawer of his carKieran could feel faint mythical energy from the contract.
He swiftly signed his name on the contract, and after Kieran made sure the contract wasnt trifled with, he took it and the two boxes out of the car.
Cook watched Kieran vanish into the hotel before he told his driver with a smile, Lets go.
...
Lagren saw the two boxes in Kierans hand, he frowned but didnt say anything.
Cooks car wasnt attempting to hide, so through the surveince camera, Lagren clearly saw Kieran go into Cooks car and bring two boxes out with him.
It was Kierans personal business. It wasnt something an outsider could intervene in, especially other Monster Hunters. If they didnt want to be in Kierans cklist, the important thing was to learn to respect his privacy.
As the contact for Monster Hunters, Lagren did a great job at this.
What do you want for breakfast? Lagren quickly diverted the topic.
You choose, Im not a picky eater.
Kieran replied while he continued to his room.
He still needed time for the thing inside the unknown box, but as for the one with [Ice Remnant], he had an idea of how to use it.
Meals up in 20 minutes.
Okay.
Kieran replied before opening the door to his room. He then took out [Ice Remnant] and used it on [Wilcos Redemption].
Although [Seattle Right Hand] was also a frost and ice oriented equipment, it was already at Legendary rank. After understanding [Ice Remnant]s attributes, [Wilcos Redemption] was the only choice.
[Using Ice Remnant on Wilcos Redemption, rarity increase!]
[Wilcos Redemption increased to Legendary!]
[Name: Wilcos Redemption]
[Type: essory]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Attack: Weak]
[Defense: Strong]
[Attributes: 1. Chilling Touch; 2. Chilling Spike; 3. Chilling Spirit]
[Effects: None]
[Prerequisites: None]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: A mission that Wilco had considered easy ended up leading to his death. Wilcos hatred and grudge are sealed in this ring!]
...
[Chilling Touch: You need to touch your target with the ring for the skill to be activated. It strikes with an Extreme Cold Attack thatsts 5 seconds (Whenbined with other equipment on your body, it stillsts for the same amount of time), twice per day]
[Chilling Spike: Fire a long ice spear at your target, maximum range of 50 meters. When the ice spear hits the target or any other obstacle, it will trigger an ice explosion of 4.5 meters in range. Directly hit targets will receive Extreme ice attack, additional targets will receive Average ice ssh damage depending on how close they are to the st point. Twice per day]
[Chilling Spirit: Summon an Evil Frost Spirit based on Wilcos model (Has Powerful attack, possess traits of evil spirit and Frost Beings. Its not a human anymore and doesnt have the memories and thoughts of when he was alive, only loyal to you), once a day]
...
Chilling Spirit? Is it because of the curse.
Kieran nced through the simple description and thought of Wilco who died with grievances. Wilco never thought a simple mission would be his end and what was more saddening was even after death, he has to serve his enemy.
If Wilco still had his memories and thoughts from when he was alive, he would have curse Kieran again.
Now?
Kieran re-equipped the crystal ring filled with blue mist, took the ck leather box and headed downstairs.
Although it was 10 minutes away from breakfast, Kieran was eager.
Likewise, Kieran knew someone else was eager as well.
Kieran didnt hold much hope in these people, whether in terms of actions or value.
He hoped these people wouldnt interrupt his breakfast.
If they did?
They would have to bear the consequences of his bad mood.
Chapter 1300 - Find Who
Chapter 1300: Find Who
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
By the time Kieran came down to the lobby, Smith, Saya and the other girls were already seated.
At the sight of him, Smith stood up and greeted Kieran politely.
Morning, Lord D.
His voice was still as low-pitched as ever, but Kieran sensed a visibly frantic manner between the lines.
Kieran didnt care, though. He knew Smith misunderstood something, but he couldnt exin himself.
Not just because it would cause more trouble, it was also because Kieran needed the identity of a Monster Hunter right now.
Good morning, Lord D.
Saya and the other girls stood up along with Smith, but they greeted after Smith.
Obviously, after experiencing the horrifying events, these girls had be very mature and well-mannered.
Em.
Kieran nodded at the girls before sitting in his corner.
The corner had practically be his personal seat ever since he checked-in at Stove-grilled Fish, just like how Lagren liked to cross his arms and lean at the bar counter.
Little Tom, the worker, was used to it though.
Of course, what made an impression on Little Toms mind was Kierans appetite.
He could eat at least three servings...No, five servings of food in one go.
Little Tom corrected his calctions when seeing his boss carry in a sack of bread from outside the hotel. He then quickly helped Lagren in distributing the breakfast.
Little Tom had his speciality as well since Lagren recruited him as a worker of the hotel.
He knew what he should do and would not care about things that he shouldnt know of, like the ck box beside Kierans feet.
Sir, your breakfast.
Little Tom served bread, milk, sd and a bowl of roast meat onto Kierans table. He didnt understand why a person would ask for roast meat so early in the morning, but simr to how he never asked about the ck box, he did not care about customers eating roast meat in the morning.
After all, all sorts of weird people exist in the world.
One more wouldnt make a difference.
Even though it reeked of blood outside the hotel.
Little Tom served Kierans breakfast, while Lagren served the girls and Smith their portion. Thetter was just because he was along the way though, as Lagren was primarily taking care of the girls, but he would not admit it out in the open.
Here is some butter, some milkshakes, and honey from the leftoversst night. On the house. And these ham sandwiches, the convenience store next door gave them to me. Since they are going to go bad soon, Ill give them to you, Lagren muttered as he ced the food down before going back to the bar counter.
Thank you, Saya and the girls said softly.
Ive said it before, its just along the way.
Lagren waved his hand, acting like he was impatient.
But if you stood in front of him, you could see him smiling brightly.
Saya and the girls werent stupid; they had be quite perceptive and vignt after that horrifying incident. They could tell what was good and what was bad, and they were also aware that the hotel hadnt served butter, milkshakes and honeyst night, neither was there a convenient store next door.
Breakfast carried on with Lagrens good mood.
He, too, brought himself and Little Tom something to eat.
Lagrens serving size was simr to Kierans while Little Tom had a ham sandwich.
Little Tom had milk along with his sandwich, but the bloody stench continued to assail his nose, and when he saw his boss take a big chomp of his roast meat, oily juices oozing out from the crunch, the young man felt a little ufortable.
When he subconsciously turned towards Kieran, his face turned pale, and his stomach clenched.
He saw Kieran devouring his food like a hungry tiger.
Any other time when Little Tom saw Kieran eating, he would always feel hungry, but now, the scene was like a monster gobbling down its prey. With the addition of the bloody stench that stung his nose, Little Toms mind couldnt help but picture bodies upon bodies.
Then?
A ferocious ck beast crawled on top of the corpse hill, chomping down on body after body.
Perhaps Little Toms mind painted the picture a little too vividlyhe couldnt manage to eat his sandwich anymore. To suppress the queasiness in his stomach, Little Tom picked up the ss of milk, but he realized it was a mistake right away.
When the bloody stench mixed with the rich milky smell, Little Tom was disgusted beyond words. He couldnt hold it in anymore.
Ugh!
The young man covered his mouth and dashed out of the hotel, throwing up outside. He bumped into people with his nervous dash and had to apologize multiple times along the way. Then, he threw up louder.
Careful! I just bought this beautiful piece of meat! Mier said.
Mier then brought inside a bag of bloody meat, which should have been mutton; most of the blood and residue were clean, but not all.
When Mier, who was holding the piece of steak in one hand and a big bag of spices in the other, saw Kieran, her eyes shone.
But she knew it wasnt the time to interrupt, so she went to Lagren and said, Lend me your kitchen.
Go ahead, Lagren shrugged.
He knew what Mier wanted to do, but he was sceptical.
How could that guy be bought over with a single meal?
Too naive!
Lagren crossed his arms and hoped for a good show. He watched Mier bring out a big pot.
She didnt try to keep a secret of her cooking and started to marinate the meat out in the open.
The spices sprinkled inyer afteryer based on a proportionate ratio.
Then, she beat and pped the meat with her bare hands, no tools or utensils involved.
Pak Pak Pak!
After the clear and rhythmic beating, the meat was beaten into smaller pieces. Mier didnt stop until the meat was beaten into a paste; she wiped her hands and went back into the kitchen to bring out the flour.
She started to mix the flour after pouring egg whites into the mixture.
Soon, when the flour was kneaded into dough, she started to spin it.
A few breathster, the dough that was tossed and held in her hands was ttened.
Then, the meat paste was ced in the centre. She began kneading and spinning it again.
A meat pie?!
Lagren was stunned by the spinning dough.
It wasnt that he had never had meat pie before, but it was the first time he saw it in such a big size.
Simrly, the way Mier baked the pie was unique as well, not using the stove but instead building a fire and cing an iron te above it.
Supported by four tables, a car-size iron te was ced on top.
Oil was smeared evenly over the te, and when it started to glisten because of the rising temperature, the meat pie was smacked on top firmly.
Tssss!
The hot oil instantly roasted the outeryer of the pie, making it crispy.
But the spinning didnt stop.
Mier didnt care about the high temperature as she continued spinning the pie in the middle.
Seconds turned into minutes, and the aroma of the pie became richer.
Everyone in the lobby was instantly captivated, including Kieran.
When Mier had appeared in the hotel, Kieran only spared some attention on her, and of course, everything that happened in the area was also within his perception and Fire Ravens sight.
So when he saw cars appear, he frowned. And when he saw the person who stepped out of the car, his eyes even showed disgust.
So he raised his hand and waved it.
Senator Morr, this is the ce...
The attendant was speaking to the senator as he disembarked from the car, but before he could finish, he stopped abruptly, as the senator was suddenly sent flying like a ragdoll that rammed into a speeding truck.
He flew high and far before falling
BANG!
He fell hard on the ground, not knowing whether he was still alive or not.
Chapter 1301 - Lively
Chapter 1301: Lively
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran knew what Morr hade for, and he had no interest in meeting him or speaking to him.
Moreover, there was a meat pie before his eyes.
Mier, with exceptionally skilled hands, sliced the pie into four and gave Kieran two big pieces.
The other two pieces were allocated to Lagren and the girls.
This is for borrowing your ce and utensils, Mier told Lagren with a smile. Give it a try, my cooking is quite good! Mier spoke softer and smiled more tenderly at the girls.
After knowing what the girls had been through, no one could treat them badly, especially Mier from the Special Operation Division.
She med herself for the negligence of duty for what happened to the girls.
Thank you.
The girls didnt dig in right away, looking for Smiths nod before thanking Mier and finallyying their eyes on the golden crush of the pie.
The muttens aroma was infused into the flour and olive oil. It tingled ones appetite, and even the girls, who already had their breakfast, couldnt help but start a second round, let alone Kieran and Lagren.
When the pie was served to him, Kieran becamepletely captivated.
Nice!
The rich smell was so nice, filling his face.
The aroma was so dreamy-like, Kieran felt like he was in some fields instead of the hotel.
He saw golden rice fields.
He saw herds of white goats.
The goats shuttled through the fields, white and gold intertwining. As the goats moved further in, the gold and white merged to a single color.
Gak Ts!
When his teeth bit into the crispy crust, the crunchy noise along with the warm meat juice entered Kierans mouth and flowed into his stomach.
V-Very nice!
Gluttony was crawling across the hill and eating like a real beast.
Its mutters were unclear because of its full mouth.
Energy from Gluttony came and gushed into Kierans blood, expelling the darkness and chaos in his body.
It was a rare but not unusual phenomenon.
Kieran had the same experience when he was eating Starbecks cooking.
However, Miers cooking was different from Starbecks.
The difference was the feeling and intentions behind it.
It was different from Starbecks, different from any other cooks.
Miers feelings showed persistence, anticipation and nock of passion.
But soon, the differences were blurred out.
Kierans mind was left with a single word. Gluttony, who was crawling in his mind and munching, was also left with a single word.
Eat!
Likewise, it wasnt the first resonance between Kieran and Gluttony, but each resonance was cherishable and precious.
So Kieran raised his hand.
A ghastly blue translucent figure appeared at the door of the hotel.
Its face was too blurry to see, but the coldness that spread out of its body told everyone whoid eyes on it to not provoke it.
Smart people whoid eyes on it knew what was going on, but some did not, or more precisely, they knew but had to move forward nevertheless, like Wier and the members of the Special Affairs Division, who followed him.
Unlike the Special Operation Division that was tasked in taking care of civilians, the Special Affairs Division only reported to a single ss: the higher rankers of Eiders.
Therefore, Senator Morrs strange assault naturally fell into their business.
Sir Wier, please hold on a moment. I have something to ask of the Monster Hunter.
The member of the Special Affairs Division who arrived at the hotel seemed quite familiar with Wier, but his tone sounded courteous and he spoke in a faintly arrogant way.
Humans are different since birth.
Could Eiders civilians share the same status as the higher rankers?
No.
Even if one lied to themselves, they would know that both were different from the start.
Were the Special Operation Division and the Special Affairs Division the same then?
Of course not.
Not just in terms of arsenals, the strengths of the members differed as well.
Unlike the Special Operation Division, which mostly consisted ofmoners, the Special Affairs Divisions member chart was much moreplicated, including but not limited to non-human members.
Wier looked at the man before his eyes and the other two hooded figure behind him. He didnt say anything and instead stepped aside.
It wasnt the first time both parties met.
Wier knew what kind of man this person was and also how he worked things.
Although both were on the same side and should have been considered allies, it was just theoretical, not literal.
Wier watched the man bring the two hooded figures towards [Chilling Spirit].
An evil spirit? Just as the rumours say, in order toplete his or her task, a Monster Hunter wont care about the so-called good or evil, just like a hungry hyena.
When the man from the Special Affairs Division saw [Chilling Spirit] in front of him, his not-so-young face showed a sneering smile, and the contempt in his eyes was obvious.
What did the Monster Hunters treat this ce as?
Some rural vige in the outskirts?
This was Eiders!
And they were not somemoners without a dark past that would scream in shock because of some small anomaly.
This man knew exactly what happened herest night, but sometimes, knowing did not equal to believing.
Although rumour had it that the Monster Hunters were very powerful, they were just rumours.
They werent facts!
The things that transpiredst night were outrageous, ridiculous!
How could one man wipe out hundreds of thousands of monsters in the dark?
It was only reasonable for him to be able to kill some of them, as this man from the Special Affairs Division could as well.
But iming that a Monster Hunter killed a myriad of monsters within the blink of an eye?
He would not believe it no matter what, because he couldnt do it himself.
The man didnt even consider the possibilities.
From how he saw it, the facts were nothing but exaggerated excuses from the Special Operation Division to cover up their ipetence.
As for the bodies of the monsters?
Other than the special ones, all monster bodies were burned to cinders, so it didnt count!
When the man saw the evil spirit blocking the door, he verified his spections.
What could a Monster Hunter possibly do if he had to rely on an evil spirit to block the way?
Evil spirits tomoners were lethal.
But to the Special Affairs Division? They were nothing.
Deal with it.
The man raised his hand and pointed at [Chilling Spirit].
The two hooded figures behind him immediately dashed towards their target.
The man was watching with a smile, anticipating the next scene, but at the next moment, his smile froze on his face, just like his two men.
Three ice statues glistened under the sun outside Stove-grilled Fishs entrance, looking as lively as ever.
Chapter 1302 - Pointers
Chapter 1302: Pointers
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Wier unconsciously stepped back when he saw the three ice statues.
Although he had known that the Special Affairs Division barging in uninvited would not end well, he didnt think they would die in the hands of an evil spirit... an evil spirit-like being, before they could even see Kieran.
Wier quickly corrected his words because based on his knowledge, no evil spirit could do what this one just did.
Therefore, when [Chilling Spirit] vanished, Wier didnt simply barge in. But that didnt stop him from asking how to get in.
After all, he still had the number of the hotel.
...
D, Wier is looking for you.
Lagran was shaking the phone while calling out to Kieran.
Tell him toe in, said Kieran before looking at Mier beside him. What did you say just now? Kieran asked.
I said, if its possible, I can prepare three meals for you and you dont have to pay me anything. I wont request anything ridiculous either, its just that I hope that if you have the chance, you can rmend me to join the Monster Hunters, Mier said while having a careful look at Kieran.
Although it would be easier for Mier to gain fondness if she presented herself as someone not seeking benefits, only friendship, or even doing it for free with no strings attached, Miers personality didnt allow her to do some shameless deeds.
She was asking something of Kieran, how could she say something like she wasnt doing this for anything?
Of course, after all that preparation, Mier had readied herself to be rejected by Kieran.
Sure.
Mm, I know its reasonable for you to reject me, but...Wait... What? What did you say?
Mier widened her eyes at Kieran, unable to react properly to the situation.
Evenst night when she witnessed Kieran blow of a myriad of monsters heads with a single nce wasnt as shocking as now.
The other one who was shocked was Smith.
Food, eh? Smith looked down, muttering softly to himself.
Lagren, who was leaning behind the bar counter, almost fell to the floor.
What the hell are you trying to do? Do all of you Monster Hunters make promises so simply... Hmm... Wait, there are quite a lot who act simply as well... Damn it! Every one of them with their damn characters!
Lagren held onto the wine cer to regain his standing, his mouth twitched a few times before he saw Wiering in; the three ice statues outside were also visible.
The hotel owner had known what was happening within this short period of time around his hotel.
But he hadnt cared.
Morr was a despicable bastard anyway.
Special Affairs Division?
Hehe.
Morning.
Wier greeted everyone in the hotel, but other than Lagren and Little Tom, no one responded, including his granddaughter.
A headache struck Wier whenever he saw Mier around Kieran.
If Kieran was a troublesome matter, then when he saw his granddaughter getting closer and even standing on the same side as him, it would be a mission impossible that would scare even the bravest.
Wier was no brave soul by any means. Any other time, he would surely have stepped away, but now?
Huu!
A deep breathter, Wier walked over to Kieran.
D, do you know what is in the box? Wier questioned him.
I dont, Kieran shook his head.
Then do you want to know? Wier continued.
I dont, Kieran shook his head again.
The clean rejection caused Wier to breathe heavily. He really wanted to shout at Kieran, question him as to why he got himself into this mess if he didnt even know what the box was holding!
However, the remaining sanity told the veteran consultant that if he wanted to continue this conversation, he had to stay calm.
Inside this box is something very important to Eiders, I hope you...
No.
Kieran interrupted Wier and said in a decisive tone, This is my promise to others: before the evening of tomorrow, it will only be with me and no one will take it away or open it.
But all of Eiders is involved...
Wier wanted to borate further, but he swallowed the words back when they reached his tongue.
His action caused Mier to frown. She didnt like this kind of conversation that hid things.
Especially when the person initiating the conversation was her grandfather, thus making her feel ufortable.
Mier, however, didnt join the conversation.
In order to relieve herself of the difort, Mier went to the girls instead.
Ive said it, before tomorrow evening, it will only be in my hand, no one will take it away or open it, Kieran emphasized once more.
At his words, Wier stared straight at Kieran.
In the end, he sighed helplessly.
I knew I couldnt dissuade you, but I still had to try, said Wier all by himself.
Then, his mouth corner curled up into a soft smile as if he were amused by his own naivete.
The smile didnt hold any joy though, only bitterness.
Then can I ask another question? How did you know that Wilberst was fishy?
Wier swiftly wiped away his bitter smile, his eyes bing steadfast and sharp.
Did you see the autopsy? Kieran asked calmly.
Yes. A body that didnt belong to an old man, he was even stronger than amon young man, Wier nodded, his eyes looking heavy.
Then, what else do you not know? Kieran shot back. He smiled a sneering smile and stood up, wanting to return to his room.
W-Wait! What do you mean? Wier asked loudly.
Some things are very obvious, yet some people still cant see them, or should I say, they have turned a blind eye?
Kieran didnt stop as he spoke. Only when he vanished beyond the stairs did his voice subside.
Wier raised his hand, wanting to call out to Kieran again, but he didnt; his hand fell helplessly.
Wier thought deeply after the insight.
Old geezer, you should retire now. Dont do something that is out of your reach.
Lagren was somehow beside Wier and tapping his shoulder without him initially noticing.
I know, but... wherever my duty lies, I will carry them out, said Wier.
He smiled apologetically at Mier before walking out the hotel.
Each and every one of you is so persistent and stubborn and dont know whats good for ya! Are you cousins with donkeys?
Lagren was ranting out of habit again as he saw Wier off.
Meanwhile, a figure that appeared in Lagrens monitor went into Kierans room again. Lagren turned a blind eye because he knew the figure was an ally.
But.
Sometimes.
Are allies always allies?
At least, Cook didnt think so.
Chapter 1303 - Brewing
Chapter 1303: Brewing
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Standing inside his vi, Cook held his phone, talking to the person on the other end with never before seen speed.
I say everything! EVERYTHING! I want to see everything in my bank safety deposit box in an hour!
His quick growls sounded furious, to the point that Cooks bby face was twitching. After he hung up the phone, he smashed the phone on the floor.
Damn it! he cursed.
There was no hiding and no need to hide.
Everyone in the room with Cook was his most trustworthy man.
Likewise, these men were smart enough to not ask for a snub, as they understood Cooks character very well.
So, they watched quietly as Cook went to the room next door.
The room was initially prohibited, but now, the doors were opened by Cook, revealing the interior to everyone.
The men saw aplete, detailed map with every single house address and shopsbeled on it. They were stunned before they were relieved.
Compared to the rumoured extravagant, secretive room, this informative room matched their boss method even more.
Their boss didnt hide his ambitions in Eiders from them.
In fact, they had all been working towards amon goal before this, but now...
These men saw Cook standing in front of the map in silence; they knew how bad the current situation was.
Otherwise, their boss wouldnt make such a move like taking everything from the bank safety deposit box. Other than running away, they couldnt think of anything else.
The room was silent.
Almost half a minuteter, Cook suddenly pulled the map off and tore it to shreds until the pieces were floating in the air. Cook went back to his sofa and sat down profoundly; the sofa made with real leather and wood instantly produced a teeth-numbing screech.
The men straightened their bodies. They knew the time hade.
Some of you have been following me for as long as 25 years, the shortest being at ten years. If its possible... I had hoped that you all could follow me to my prime, to the peak of my ambitions. Imagine what that would have been like. But now, its all over! I was too impatient!
Cook shook his head in regret. He paused for a while before continuing, Its my fault, all my fault. You all shouldnt bear my wrongs, so... Ill bear the consequences alone. You all can take the pensions that I prepared for you and leave Eiders as soon as possibleI cant guarantee whether those bastards will hunt you down or not, but I know there will be some who will add salt to the wound. Go now. Cook waved his hands and closed his eyes.
When he opened his eyes again, the room, which was full of people just now, was empty.
Cooks bby face twitched a few times. He tried to show a self-mocking smile, but his smile was even uglier than his crying face.
Do you need me to kill them? the man in the shadows asked.
Kill those who betray me. The others... No need.
After those words, Cook slumped down on the sofa. His already fat body was drained of energy, as though he was a pile of rotten meat.
The man in the shadows looked at Cook at his weakest, the mans heart thinking.
In the end, the man quietly vanished.
When Cook noticed the man in the shadow go off, he still didnt move.
He continued slumping down the sofa until the man in the shadows came back for the third time in a more secretive form. Cook then slowly sat up on the couch properly.
His sitting posture was straighter, more energetic than before.
He slowly picked up the cigar on the tea table.
After bing Cook, he had rarely cut and lit his own cigars; his loyal men usually prepared them.
But now...
He nced around at the empty room again and shrugged helplessly.
Although he knew from the start that this n would be challenging, to the point that he must risk his life, he still felt a little troubled when it actually happened.
Of course, the pain went away quickly. After all, he wasnt the one dying.
Cook lit his cigar and held it to his mouth. He stood up and walked to the room next door again.
He then tapped on the wall lightly, and another secret room revealed itself.
The room not only held a tightly secure safety box, but there was also a passageway that led underground.
After taking out the contents of the safety box, Cook strode downwards.
Failure? Ridiculous! The show is just beginning, Cook gave a coldugh in his heart.
20 minutes after Cook left, the man in the shadows once again returned to the room.
When he saw that the entrance to the secret room wasnt close, he was surprised. Then, without further ado, the man quickly left the vi, and the moment he stepped out
KABOOM!
A massive explosion sted the entire vi to the sky.
Looking at the zing mes and dancing tongues of fire, the man in the shadows squinted his eyes and intense killer intent shone.
He was yed! He was yed by that fat bastard!
The rage in his heart distorted his figure in the shadows, but a momentter, when the fire engine sirens sounded, everything returned to normal.
All that was left was a voice hidden in the shadows.
Yes, my lord. Understood my lord.
...
Wier was walking along the hospital corridor. He purposely slowed down so as not to disturb the other patients, but once he reached the top floor, Wier strode like the wind because he knew the top floor only housed a single patient.
And with the soundproof walls there, unless one fired a gun, any kind of noise would never disturb other patients.
At the end of the clean corridor, there were two neatly-dressed, expressionless Special Affairs Division members. Before Wier could approach them, one of them blocked Wier.
Captain Wier. Please stop, the man said in a cold and courteous manner.
I need to see Mayor Syro Derl, Wier stated the purpose of his visit.
I am sorry, we didnt receive your appointment,
the man checked the visitor list and rejected Wiers request.
I am the captain of Special Operation Division, I have a right to see the mayor! Wier emphasized.
Notwithstanding, the man shook his head without any reaction and smiled coldly. I am one of the members of the Special Affairs Division, I also have the right to deny any request from the Special Operation Division.
Move! I dont want to repeat myself! Wier gripped his walking staff tightly.
You can try.
The man took a nce at Wiers walking staff; he knew what was inside and because of that, the man showed contempt.
The contempt was nothing to Wier during normal times, but now, it was different!
He had too many unsolved questions and anger in his heart!
He needed an exnation! A reasonable exnation!
Huu!
Wier took a deep breath, ready to draw his sword.
But before he could, an electric buzz sounded from the loudspeaker on the wall, followed by a soft, kind voice.
Is that Wier? Come in.
Chapter 1304 - Faintly Appearing
Chapter 1304: Faintly Appearing
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The man from the Special Affairs Division stepped aside and the other one behind him opened the door for Wier.
They knew what kind of people they could afford to offend and what kind they couldnt.
Even if they didnt care about Wier, they had to at least care about the person inside the room.
Or in simpler words, it was because of the man in the room that they obtained the power to disregard Wier.
It wasnt rted to strength, just the use of authority within the system.
Some didnt care about their way while others took it as bitter malt.
Wier didnt further talk to the two men and instead strode into the ward.
It was a ward, but it had an unimaginable design inside.
First, it was huge.
After all, it was modified using a whole floor of the hospital. There was a study room, a meeting lounge, a game room and even a cigar room and wine storeroom.
On top of all the basics, the simplistic decoration in the room made it look reserved. It wasnt extravagant and gold, disying wealth; instead, it had the elegance of a noble with a long history.
Where did the elegancee from though?
Rare and valuable.
At least, Wier thought, any one of the decorations in the ward would cost him a whole year of sry. It was well-known that the Special Operation Division had quite a high pay because of the casualty rates.
Stuffing in an unimaginable value in a limited space was a game liked by many higher-ranking officers.
This ward was built to serve the higher rankers, so even if Wier might have had second thoughts and different feelings about the ce during normal times, he wouldnt voice them out.
But now?
Seeing everything in the ward, it looked extra blinding to Wier.
Wier, whats wrong with you?
Mayor Syro Derl, who was wearing hospital garments, ced his book down when he saw Wier. Although he was wearing hospital garments, the mayor was still emanating a book-ish presence. With the addition of the sses perched over his nose, he looked more like a schr than a politician.
What is the Ghoul incident about? Not the one 30 years ago, Im talking about the one now. Wier was never a person who hid his thoughts and he didnt think he should hide them in front of Syro Derl either.
Now... Syro Derl sighed softly when he saw the angry, probing veteran consultant. I was anxious for sess 30 years ago. I thought it was a chance, a chance to free Eiders from the cover of darkness forever, but...
Cough Cough!
I was blinded by my optimism. I was so optimistic that I thought I had everything under control. And in the end, I got what I deserved.
Syro Derl sounded tired when ming himself, he even coughed fiercely a few times.
Wier could clearly see the red through the seams of Syro Derls fingers over his mouth.
Wier was shocked. He quickly bent over, his courteous address bing intimate as well, like how a friend would address another.
Syro, your body. Ill call the doctor.
When the red entered his sight, Wier wanted to press the caller for the doctor beside the sickbed, but Syro Derl stopped him.
Its useless, I know my bodys condition. 30 years ago, the damage I suffered was far beyond saving. It not only took away my ability to produce child, but also buried a seed in my body. Now, its just the matter of when the seed will grow into something that will take my life.
Syro Derl wiped the blood off his mouth with a handkerchief and showed a rxed smile as if he had seen through life and death.
I-Im sorry, Wier mumbled, ultimately lowering his head.
He couldnt help but feel guilty for questioning Syro Derl in his terrible condition.
Wier, you have no need to apologize, because I am also very intrigued by this Ghoul Incident! Everything should have ended 30 years ago, and...
Syro Derl paused for a while, the rxed smile that he showed being reced by nervousness instantly.
Is it about Carlo and Kairot? Wier asked.
En. Theyre missing; Annie Penny Lynnes missing; and then theres Aimor Morrs death. I dont think its all unrted. After all, we three old geezers knew some secrets hidden from the public, Syro Derl nodded and sighed.
What about Quaker Wilberst? His death? Im sorry, Syro, I dont mean anything else. Its just that their cases all happened at that timing, so I had to link all of them together. A few hours ago, Wilberst evenmitted an act that confounds me.
Almost out of instinct, Wier reacted to his tone when he voiced his question, apologizing to Syro Derl again.
Something that you confounds you? What is it?
Syro Derl waved his hand without much concern at Wiers tone; he was quite intrigued by the name Wilberst.
Old Wilberst killed Speaker Hardy Lynne and was sent to the prison.
Wier tried his best to slow down when he mentioned this.
Although he knew his old friend must have already heard of the news, he tried not to further excite his failing body.
After all, Hardy Lynne and Syro Derl did have quite the rtionship.
Fortunately, even though Syro Derl looked gloomy at the news, it was just a sh.
Wier heaved a breath of relief then told Syro Derl what happened to Wilberst in detail.
What did you say? Wilbersts body isnt like that of an old man, but even stronger than a young mans? Syro Derls tone uncontrobly raised higher.
Yes. From the autopsy, we were able to make certain that Wilbersts seemingly old looks had remarkable vitality underneath and that he was strong. Even men couldnt...
Cough Cough Cough!
Wier nodded as he spoke, but before he could finish, he was stopped by Syro Derls fierce coughing.
This time, the coughs were more turbulent than before. Blood gushed out mercilessly and the mayor fell unconscious after that.
Beeeeeeep!
Wier quickly pressed the caller for the doctor without further thought.
After the doctors and nurses rushed in, the mayor was rushed into the ICU, and Wier, who wanted to follow in, was blocked outside by the two men from the Special Affairs Division.
Judging from their persistence, Wier knew he wasnt going to be able to get in.
So the veteran consultant sat on the bench and prepared himself for a long wait.
But moments after he sat down, he felt a pain in his neck.
Before Wier passed outpletely, he suddenly realized that the two Special Affairs Division members had also somehow passed out on the floor.
Once everyone was knocked out cold, a figure walked out of the ICU.
He didnt stop or hesitate, going straight out of the hospital.
Thus, he didnt see one of the fallen Special Affairs Division members suddenly stand up after his absence.
Why am I always getting hurt and receiving all the beatings?
An upset rantter, the man from the Special Affairs Division vanished just like that.
Chapter 1305 - The People Waiting
Chapter 1305: The People Waiting
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The news of Mayor Syro Derl being abducted was suppressed by the government before it could get into the public, but those with special channels still got hold of the news, like Lagren.
The Monster Hunter contact cum hotel owner was tapping the table in front him heavily, producing a relentless bang.
Syro Derls abduction had, without a doubt, exceeded Lagrens expectations.
In fact, when Hardy Lynne was killed by Wilberst, in addition to the myriads of monsters in front of his hotel, everything already went beyond his expectations.
Huu!
No one likes unexpected incidents. Lagren was no exception.
But fortunately, he was used to dealing with these kinds of out-of-control matters.
After all, things rted to Monster Hunters could never produce a hundred percent guarantee.
Since he was used to things going out of control, he would know how to deal with it as well.
Leave the professional matters to the professionals.
At first, Lagren thought it was nothing but bullsh*t, but after he went through all that, it became very reasonable.
Things that he lost were enough to tell him what should he do now.
Therefore, Lagren picked up his beer mug, drained it, and went upstairs to Kierans room.
He didnt have to knock because the door was opened.
Dealing with your people always gives me benefits like this.
Lagren saw that Kieran was waiting for him in his chair. He shrugged, then he saw Kierans cold, expressionless face, it caused him to shrugged again.
Of course, there are bad things as well.
Lagren then walked up to Kieran.
How do you see the incident? Lagren asked.
What incident? Kieran asked.
The whole incident!
From the moment that idiot Hardy Lynne lost that thing and what followed after that!
Lagren pointed at the bed, and after Kieran expressed tnat he didnt mind, Lagren sat on it.
Hardy Lynne is really an idiot, Kieran said in a nk tone.
Thats it?
THATS IT?
Lagrens eyes widened, but it was useless because Kieran only nodded to his answer.
You know, I am not talking about this. Hardy Lynne stole that thing to find his missing daughter, it was really idiotic of him, but we dont have to discuss that now.
What I am saying is... The person who did this!
The one who kidnapped Hardy Lynnes daughter and abducted Mayor Syro Derl, that guy! Lagren emphasized. He thought he was being obvious enough.
But unfortunately, Kieran didnt answer, he sat there quietly without even reacting.
You know something, right?
You must know something! Tell me! Hurry!
Lagren stood up anxiously, he started to circle Kieran, hoping that he would get some answers from Kieran like this, but Kieran wasnt moved at all.
Kieran sat there like a statue andpletely ignored Lagren.
It upset Lagren a lot, but he quickly gave up because he understood the temper of a Monster Hunter.
If they were willing to tell, they would tell.
If they werent, nothing would be able to force them.
It really upset him a lot sometimes, to the point that he really wanted to punch them in the face. However, once he thought about the gap in strength, Lagren quietly sighed.
He didnt give up, though.
Even if his words were useless and his actions were ineffective, he would never step back.
Being stubborn wasnt exclusive to the Monster Hunters, a lot of those who were rted to them shared the trait as well, it was just that they themselves didnt notice it.
Wier!
The things that you spoke with Wier about before this, there must be a reason behind it and based on how you feel about Wier, I bet you wont purposely give him hints.
So you must have known something. Lagren was very certain.
This time, Kieran didnt hide it anymore.
What Lagren said was the truth, so...
En. Kieran nodded.
And? Lagren pressed the topic.
But nothing came from Kieran anymore, he was silent again.
Lagren looked at Kieran in his chair, he clenched his fist and panted heavily.
If I could defeat you, I would show you what an ass youre being right now!
Lagren grumbled, then he stared at Kieran.
His starested for a few minutes.
In the end, his eyes sore and had to be rubbed to ease them. Just when Lagren was rubbing his eyes, Kieran suddenly spoke.
A little more.
The sudden words made Lagren lower his hands right away, his eyes toward Kieran, however, got even more unfriendly.
You did that on purpose, right? A little more? What little more?
Lagren was worried that Kieran would be a quiet stone again, he ranted before quickly following up with his question.
Who is that important figure? Kieran said slowly.
Important figure? You mean... Lagren jolted though.
As if he thought of something, he instinctively wanted to say it out, but when he opened his mouth, he stopped.
You cant tell? Or something will happen when the name is mentioned, thats why everyone was scared of this figure?
Kieran looked up into Lagrens face for the first time. Thetter shrugged and helplessly opened his arms out wide.
Anyone who knows this figure cant tell those who dont know.
Not even the slightest hints are allowed?
Unless... this figure wanted to inform the unknown of his or her existence? Kieran asked.
Lagren didnt answer, but his reaction and attitude had said it all. Thus it was enough for Kieran to deduce.
Interesting, Kieran said.
He then stood up and walked downstairs under Lagrens confused gaze.
What are you going to do? Lagren couldnt help but ask.
Waiting for someone in the lobby, Kieran answered.
Waiting for someone? Who?
Lagren was once again ignored by Kieran.
Kieran didnt do it on purpose this time because when he walked downstairs, a sharp breaking noise from a car came from outside the hotel.
Wier came out in a hurry and said in a rushed tone, Lord D, pleasee with me. The Lord wants to see you!
Very well.
Kieran didnt reject, neither did he ask questions. He just simply followed Wier outside.
There was no need to reject, no need to question.
He has been waiting for this moment for a long time.
Everything should be revealed now.
Chapter 1306 - Wooden Cottage
Chapter 1306: Wooden Cottage
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The car shuttled through street after street, driving towards the most secluded corner of Eiders.
Although the ce was secluded, the people there were many.
Through the window, Kieran clearly saw military police officers with loaded guns and also Special Affairs Division members with bare fists but fierce, sharp auras.
Please help me locate Syro Derl. The lord said that only you can find him.
Wier, who had been silent since the start of the journey, suddenly spoke.
Kieran, who was admiring the scenery outside, turned to Wier.
He didnt say anything, neither did he intend to simply voice out his spections.
All he did was nod.
It wasnt a promise or a guarantee, because he had yet to locate the mayor himself.
But Wier obviously misunderstood the meaning of the nod, as he added, Thank you for everything youve done. I will remember it in my heart.
The veteran consultant spoke as though he were making a vow. The car then stopped and
Kieran stepped out.
He saw a building at the destination, which wasnt tall by any means but still had six storeys.
The outer wall of the building was slightly mottled, the lower building structures built around this particr building as well. And if it werent for the people around, this ce would have looked like a broken, abandoned city block.
Please follow me, Wier led Kieran inside after Kieran had finished sizing up the new surroundings.
The way into the building was smooth.
Although there were curious gazes on him, Kieran, who had learned to ignore them, didnt care and continued to walk into the six story building.
Wier opened the ss door for Kieran, but as he stepped through the ss door, Kieran raised a puzzled brow.
The sounds outside werepletely isted, and the air inside the building was much fresher; it was as if an invisible barrier divided the outside world and the building.
However, Kierans [Mythical Knowledge] was certain that it wasnt a barrierit should be something simr but entirely different from the roots.
Is this the ce? Kieran guessed quietly.
He followed Wier through the long corridor leading deeper into the building.
From the outside, the building didnt look that big, simr to somemon civilian houses, but when Kieran walked inside, he saw that the ce was much bigger than he had imagined, and...
It wasnt entirely a modern structure.
About 300 meters ahead, the floor that Kieran was walking on suddenly turned to mud, the walls on his nk bing bushes and woods.
Many little animals were moving around.
Birds were resting on the tall trees further away.
Fish leapt out from thekes surface, creating crystal clear sshes of water as they fell.
Under the special lighting that felt just like the real sun, everything inside the building felt the same as the real countryside.
Kieran took a nce at the light above his head as he walked.
The lord fancies all of these. She doesnt like the cold and lifeless modern structures, Wier exined, but didnt borate any further.
Or perhaps Wier didnt know that much either.
ording to Wier, he hadnt even met the lord in person before.
Not bad, Kieran franklymented.
He didnt dislike the scenery before his eyes, just like he didnt dislike the modern environment either.
Both scenery had their own pros and cons.
The modern environment provided better convenience in eating: all one had to do was order food, without even getting out of the house.
As for the natural environment before his eyes?
Even though one would have to do everything on ones own, it would taste a lot better.
Just looking at the fish leaping in theke, Kieran was sure the fish would be very tasty and juicy when cooked.
The thought shed over Kierans mind, but before Gluttony could go on a rampage, Kieran stopped it. However, the little animals around the bushes were still scared, and all of them scattered away.
The birds flew higher, the fish swam deeper, and even the insects went quiet.
Wier should have noticed the abnormal reaction of the environment, but he was very anxious at that moment, to the point that he didnt take any notice of the change in their surroundings.
Furthermore, the natural environment didnt have any surveince or patrols either.
Therefore, for a moment, only the little animals and insects felt the terror from Kieran.
It was a gaze from the top of the food chain, scary and lethal.
Even when Kieran walked further away, the environment did not return to normal.
We are here. This is the ce. But I am not permitted to enter, Wier said, pointing at a wooden cottage 10 meters ahead.
En. Kieran nodded and strode towards the cottage.
Hold on, Lord D, please... Wier suddenly called out to Kieran. He wanted to say something, but quickly remembered how arrogant and untamed the Monster Hunter was. If he said it, it would only produce a bacsh!
With the thought in his mind, Wier swallowed everything back and changed the way he said things. Never mind. I hope that you can understand the lords difficulties.
Wier then knew that he had picked the right choice because from the start till the end, Kieran didnt even stop, turning a deaf ear to Wiers words.
Hope... everything goes well, Wier muttered to himself.
He then gave a bitter smile.
If he had a god that he believed in, he would have prayed right away, but he didnt have one.
Even if he had one, who could change Kierans mind?
The answer: no one.
Kieran was not known for being arrogant or having an untamed character, but at times, hed behave as such even more so than other Monster Hunters, and he loved to ignore the rules.
Inside the wooden cottage, a thick carpet nketed the floor. Even with boots on, one could feel the softness; the firece was giving out sparks.
The pot hanging over the fire held some sort of concoction, and it had such a pungent odor that Kieran had to cover his nose.
His eyes didnt stop sizing up the interior. He saw a wooden rack with all sorts of books, an intact bear rug hanging on the wall, and a threeyer wooden shelf with many bottles on it.
Further inside was a single bed. There was also a piece of animal pelt on top of the bed, not a bears, but something of a mix between a rabbit and a wolf.
Atst, Kieranid his eyes on the owner of the wooden cottage.
A youngdy in a ck robe with the hood down.
With everything inside the cottage and thedys look, if there was a crystal ball, she would look exactly like a witch in the forest!
Nice to meet you, D. The youngdy spoke slowly and clearly.
Her tone granted her an indescribable presence.
Kieran looked at her, clearly feeling the presence but not caring.
He was more concerned about other things.
Nice to meet me? Kieran asked.
Kierans question didnt seem to be what she had anticipated, causing her to jolt.
While the youngdy was dazed and reformed her words, Kieran raised his hand and swung down.
Pak!
A firm pnded on thedys face, causing her to fall on the floor.
Are you still feeling happy now? Kieran said softly.
Chapter 1307 - Approaching
Chapter 1307: Approaching
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The youngdy was caught off guard by the p, she fell on the floor, looking shocked.
She couldnt believe that she would receive a p to the face, even if he was a Monster Hunter!
Rage filled her heart. She quickly climbed up, red at Kieran and grumbled
You will regret everything youve...
Pak!
Before her grumbling finished, the youngdy fell on the floor again after Kieran pped her a second time.
This time, Kieran pped harder than the first.
The youngdy couldnt even resist and passed out.
Kieran didnt even care about the unconsciousdy, because he knew she was an imposter, an imposter impersonating Wu.
As expected, the Lord that Wier is serving is indeed Wu.
As for him being a snitch and Wu bing some special person that could significantly affect the entire city, Kieran wasnt dissatisfied at all.
He was quite grateful, to be honest.
He understood what kind of danger Wu had to face.
Before entering this Title Dungeon, Kieran and Wu had a promise: to identify each other better, Wu will leave a subtle mark at her left sleeve. If anything happened, another mark would appear on her right sleeve.
Now, ady appeared wearing the robe with the mark only Kieran and Wu knew and yet it wasnt Wu, which means...
Did something happen to Wu?
The answer was obvious.
She was abducted, and she should have been abducted in a manner in which she couldnt resist at all.
What was Wus power level?
She may not have offense abilities or may not able to use any kind of offensive items as aides, but her body wasnt bad at all. As a matter of fact, because she didnt have offense abilities and couldnt use offensive items, Kieran was sure Wu would keep a lot more life-saving items around her than average yers, in addition to her unique abilities, no random John Doe would never be able to abduct Wu, let alone in a way that prevented her from putting up any form of resistance.
An absolute advantage?
Amidst his self muttering, Kieran started to search the wooden cottage.
He needed more information!
Therefore, his search was meticulous, even the pages of the books were flipped, but unfortunately, nothing of value was found.
Or more precisely, the things in the wooden cottage might be very mysterious to amoner, but with Pro-level [Mythical Knowledge], Kieran viewed them as entry-level teaching materials.
He ced the books back on the racks and looked at the imposter on the floor.
Thisdy shouldnt be the one that rendered Wu defenseless, but she may know something.
Kieran took the pot of cold water beside him and sshed it on her face.
As the coldness struck, thedy quickly woke up.
However, out of Kierans expectations, thedy didnt growl angrily anymore, she didnt even do anything radical.
All she did was look at Kieran with a cold, judgmental gaze.
2 to 3 secondster, she spoke.
How did you know I lost my powers?
I thought Id done quite in concealing the matter and keeping it a secret from everyone.
Her words sounded confused.
From the moment she opened her eyes, Kierans gaze never left her, especially when she spoke, Kierans gaze was glued to her.
Her manner and tone told Kieran that she wasnt lying, but at the same time, the robe she was wearing was real as well.
Weird.
It was weird regardless of any situation but in this dungeon world...
It became reasonable.
Some scattered, confusing puzzle pieces started to put themselves together in Kierans mind, forming aplete picture.
I see.
With a sudden realization, Kierans eyes at thedy didnt change, his voice was still as cold as ice. He said, I have my abilities, just like you have yours.
A rather far-fetched exnation.
I know. You have yours, I had mine. We are different from themoners.
The youngdy seemed proud when her abilities were mentioned.
Looking at the false pride that was established artificially, Kieran really wanted to frown, but he suppressed it and didnt want to prolong the conversation further.
So, he went to the point.
Youre asking for me to restore your powers?
You are not sincere enough. I hope you can show me your true sincerity and not brush me off with mere words.
Even though everything about thedy was fake, only Kieran and the mastermind knew, the outsiders remained clueless as to what was going on.
The outsiders still treated her as the special person, the Lord, thedy behind the scenes.
What did it mean?
Extra rewards!
If thedy were really a pitiful soul being used by the mastermind, Kieran, of course, would not treat her like this, but when he felt the faint malicious intent, Kieran didnt think he should be empathic to an enemy.
Perhaps the malicious intent came from her forged memories, but her identity as an enemy didnt change.
Kieran would not care either, he didnt have the capital to do so.
What he knew and believed was only one thing: the best kind of enemy is the dead kind.
But if this enemy had more value to be extracted...
He would try to squeeze as much as possible out of her.
Although Ive lost my abilities, in the meantime, Ive found a way to restore them, and I will not mistreat you either.
I know you are very fond of ice fragments. So, I had my men prepare some for you.
My men will give them to you when you leave.
The youngdy replied as she thought she covered it up well enough.
Very well, then. We can continue this conversation, Kieran said.
Midnight! I need you to be at this ce at midnight and take something out for me.
When I receive this thing, I will give you more rewards.
In the meantime, I will order all the officials in Eiders to help you.
The youngdy said as she wrote down an address on a paper and gave it to Kieran.
Without any further conversation, after taking the piece of paper, Kieran didnt even spare another nce at thedy as he didnt want to stay, he then turned around and left.
When he left the wooden cottage and reached the exit of the building, Kieran looked at the contents written on the paper.
Chapter 1308 - Know How-To
Chapter 1308: Know How-To
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Trantion
Central Graveyard, the grave of Arwena Algo Zelgar.
That was the contents of the piece of paper.
Central Graveyard, eh?
Kieran couldnt hold back his grin as he thought of something.
This extra reward seemed to be much bigger than he expected.
Is your goal there as well?
Kieran muttered in his heart as he left the building.
At the end of the stairs outside the building, Wier was standing with a man from the Special Affairs Division. When they saw Kierane out, the man walked up and greeted him.
Lord D, this is the present from the Lady.
If you need anything else, please dont hesitate to tell me.
The man said with a ttering tone after handing a suitcase to Kieran.
En. Kieran took the suitcase withoutmenting on the ttery.
Kieran then headed towards the car that he arrived in without further looking at the man.
Since the beginning, Kieran didnt need any so-called helpers from any divisions, because he knew they werent reliable.
The mans face changed many times when he saw Kieran walk away, but he wasnt angry after Kieran ignored him.
A secondter, a warm, delightful smile appeared on the mans face. He walked over to the car, bent down, and said next to the window, Take care, Lord D.
The man then straightened his body and looked toward Wier with a stern face.
Wier, you must now be around Lord D 24 hours a day, help him in any way you can, if there is something that you cant handle, dont forget to tell me. Understand?
Wier didnt even look at the man amidst the bossy words, he went straight to the driver seat instead.
The veteran consultant knew what kind of person this man was.
He didnt have to care at all.
Once you cared, the man would stick to you like a dog skin ster that had sh*t on it instead of herbal medicine.
Wier didnt want to linger for another minute.
After the car roared to life, the pedal was stepped on, and it drove off like a horse let loose of its reins.
...
Lord D, where to?
After driving away from the building, Wier asked.
Back to the hotel, Kieran answered.
There was no extra chit-chat or the intention to continue the conversation. It made it hard for Wier who wanted to ask about the missing Mayor Syro Derl.
But since his good friend was abducted, he couldnt really turn a blind eye.
Ultimately, he braced himself and asked, Do you have anything on Syro Derl?
Wier didnt expect Kieran to answer when the question came out, but to his surprise, Kieran answered straightforwardly, No.
The answer made Wier gloomy.
A whileter, he smiled bitterly.
If its possible, Id rather you not answer that.
The Lord really found you for something else.
I know, I know, the mayor is missing, so what?
Even when Speaker Hardy Lynne died, and Wilberst died in his cell without reason, the Lord never asked about it, so who cares about the mayors abduction right?
Wiers bitter smile even mocked himself.
With his self-mockery, his bitter smile got even worse.
Through the back mirror, Kieran clearly saw the bitter smile, but he remained expressionless.
Even if he werent ying a qualified Monster Hunter, he would not say anything else regarding the matter.
Even though Wier looked honest and reliable, it didnt mean Kieran had the duty to let him know something that he shouldnt.
In simpler words, Kieran didnt trust the man.
Trying to befriend a suspicious person is extremely difficult.
Not only do you need strength to fight side by side, but you will also need decent luck as well.
As for the veteran consultant, Wier?
He didnt have the strength nor luck.
The car then fell into silence.
The silence wasnt broken even when the car reached Stove-grilled Fishs door, and Kieran walked out.
Tsk, seems like you got quite the rewards.
Lagren raised a brow when he saw Kieran with an extra suitcase. He then waved at Wier who also followed in.
Wier, want anything to drink?
A cup of hot tea please.
No tea. What about water?
Sure.
Lagran shook his empty tea can at Wier. Wier then simply answered.
Wiers gaze was glued to Kieran, even after Kieran went out of sight, his gaze was still lingering around the second floor.
Sometimes you just cant force things to happen.
These guys have their own ways of doing things, they know what they are doing.
They wont change their ways because of someone or something.
They followed their own rules.
They love their lives as well.
Even when an outsider views them as aplete mess, nothing will change because they are the ones known as Monster Hunters.
Lagren poured a cup of warm water in front of Wier and said with a shrug.
I know, but I am worried about Syro, Wier smiled bitterly as well.
So you should hope that D sticks to his own rules more.
Lagren sat in front of Wier.
What do you mean? Wier seemed baffled.
Because only then does it prove that everything will be alright, Lagren smiled.
...
Kieran heard the conversation between Lagren and Wier.
He didnt care, he wasnt a real Monster Hunter anyway.
What he believed differed from the Monster Hunters.
Besides, there was one more thing pending for his attention
Kieran opened up the suitcase.
Inside the suitcase were 2 [Ice Remnants], and 5 weaker versions of the former, [Ice Remnant Pieces]. The attributes and effects were the same, but the result was much weaker.
However, this weaker version, [Ice Remnant Pieces] attracted attention from under the bed.
Frost Wolf pup, who had been hiding under the bed whimpered softly.
And after it got Kierans permission, it jumped out and circled Kieran non-stop while wagging its tail.
You want them?
Kieran took an [Ice Remnant Piece].
The pup quickly nodded.
What a smart fe.
Kieran touched the pups head and ced all the [Ice Remnant Pieces] in front of it.
Kieran wasnt afraid that the pup would overeat. When he got the [Ice Remnant], the puppy behaved normally. It seemed like it knew what it could eat, what it couldnt.
Supplements are good, but once you overeat, it would be lethal as well.
Kieran watched the pup lick one of the [Ice Remnant Pieces] before eating it. He waited patiently for the changes to happen.
The wait wasnt that long, and he was rewarded with enhancements to the pup.
A cold aura overflowed from the little wolf.
Chapter 1309 - Showing Off Natural Gifts
Chapter 1309: Showing Off Natural Gifts
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
A cold aura was overflowing from the Frost Wolf pup. It shrunk its body around Kierans feet with squinted eyes.
Its odd-colored eyes, one brown and one blue, were showing the glimmers of intellect, especially when the three white marks on its forehead shined with a bluish-white brilliance, it looked like three ghastly fires.
The whole processsted for around 5 minutes. When everything was over, the Frost Wolf pup didnt change in appearance, but its aura was strengthened without a doubt.
[Name: Frost Wolf (Hybrid)]
[Type: Mystical Beast]
[Rank: Lower Medium]
[Attack: Average]
[Defense: Average]
[Attribute: 1. Worry; 2. Frost Breath]
[Special Effect: Intellect]
[Prerequisite: The person that it recognized]
[Remark: This is an early-stage Frost Wolf pup that has been blessed. It is much stronger and smarter than other Frost Wolf pups, but it still requires delicate care and training to be a reliable helper andpanion.]
...
[Worry: When attacking with ws or teeth, Strength +1, Agility +1]
[Frost Breath: Fire a Weak level Frost Breath to attack a single target within 3-meter range, once per day]
...
[Intellect: Increase a certain level of intellect.]
...
Compared to its original attributes, Attack and Defense were one rank higher, reaching Average. [Worry] gained an extra Agility buff and [Frost Breath] increased its range.
In general, it didnt really change much in the roots.
But, so what?
The Frost Wolf pup only ate one [Ice Remnant Pieces], there were still four more to go.
The pup looked up at Kieran, Kieran nodded with a smile.
The pup then quickly ate the remaining [Ice Remnant Pieces].
When all four of the [Ice Remnant Pieces] were eaten, some apparent changes finally urred to the pup. The three white marks on its forehead were more prominent, its body was bigger, like a dog of 3 to 4 months in age and not a little puppy that drinks milk anymore.
More importantly, the attributes of the Frost Wolf changed drastically.
[Name: Frost Wolf (Hybrid)]
[Type: Mystical Beast]
[Rank: High]
[Attack: Powerful]
[Defense: Powerful
[Attribute: 1. Worry; 2. Frost Breath; 3. Tenacious Fur]
[Special Effect: 1. Intellect; 2. Hide; 3. Gifted]
[Prerequisite: The person that it recognized]
[Remark: This is a hybrid Frost Wolf that has been blessed when its born, its not just stronger and smarter than typical Frost Wolf pups, it even inherited its parents gifts. Under your meticulous guidance, it entered the growing stage smoothly. Its slowly bing a reliable helper and starting to show off its remarkable gifts]
...
[Worry: When attacking with ws or teeth, Strength +2, Agility +2]
[Frost Breath: Fire a Powerful level Frost Breath that strikes a single target within a 15-meter range, twice per day]
[Tenacious Fur: The seemingly smooth fur has an unimaginable defense. It can withstand attacks no higher than Powerful rank, including but not limited to, stab, blunt, and sh attacks. It has extra Strong defense against Fire, Poison, and Lightning elemental damage, and additional Extreme defense against Ice elemental damage]
...
[Intellect: Increase a certain level of intellect.]
[Hide: Since its birth, it has been around you, learning and imitating your habits. A hiding technique is one of the skills learned, has a Grandmaster level of Undercover]
[Gifted: Its paternal gift grants it the ability to learn techniques easier; its maternal gifts grant it intellect and the ability to cooperate.]
...
The Frost Wolf shook its body and walked around the room as if it was trying to adapt to its new-found powers.
The processsted for around a minute before the Frost Wolf ran back to Kierans feet, curling up into a ball.
Compared to this puppy stage, the new Frost Wolf would help Kieran even more, not just in terms of strength but attitude-wise as well.
Frost Wolf, during its puppy stage, was obedient but quite hyperactive, unlike the growing stage in which it became quiet while maintaining a certain level of vignce.
Kieran was scrutinizing Frost Wolf, Frost Wolf was also looking at Kieran.
Then...
Frost Wolf turned its head around and bit the chairs leg.
Teeth grinding?
Kieran jolted, he could feel the happiness from the Frost Wolfs heart, so he didnt stop it.
Even though the chair was bitten into shreds within minutes.
It was just a chair, why care?
Kieran extended his hand with a smile and touched its head, then he took the remaining [Ice Remnant] out.
Frost Wolfs attention was instantly captivated by the [Ice Remnant].
Do you still want it? Kieran asked.
Frost Wolf nodded right away, but it then shook its head.
You want it, but after the consecutive power-ups, you still need time to digest everything?
Frost Wolfs movements and the feeling through the connected heart allowed Kieran to grasp its meaning precisely.
Kieran couldnt help but smile when he saw Frost Wolf nod again.
It was a smile of praise.
Kieran tried his best to overestimate Frost Wolfs intellect, but based on the actions it disyed, Kieran was still surprised and delighted.
While facing great temptation, evenmon men couldnt resist, it was hard for one to think straight under such circumstances. Instead, they would act like wild animals that followed their instinct.
From the moment they were born, they lived to survive.
Eating, mating, moving, everything done was to continue their survival.
I hope you can surprise me more.
Kieran bent over and carried Frost Wolf in his arms once more.
He softly caressed its head to its back, causing Frost Wolf to squint its eyes.
The room quickly quieted down, only Kieran and Frost Wolfs breaths were heard.
Time passed, seconds became minutes.
The sun slowly set on the horizon.
Darkness descended on Eiders again.
A swift ck figure moved out before the night truly came.
The figure swiftly infiltrated the station, and without being noticed, the figure entered the heavily guarded underground facility.
The figure seemed to be familiar with the ce, just like how the figure could silently infiltrate the ce, the figure also knew where the target was.
The morgue!
The figure avoided all the guards and finally stood in front of the cabbeled Wilberst.
The figure pulled the mortuary cab eagerly and checked the body inside.
Then, a smile hung over the figures face.
Without lingering further, the figure carried the body and went back the way he came from.
No, more precisely, the figure was sprinting towards his next destination.
The Graveyard. The Central Graveyard.
The grave of Arwena Algo Zelgar.
Chapter 1310 - Self-righteous
Chapter 1310: Self-righteous
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Carrying the body over his shoulder, the figure stood in front of Arwena Algo Zelgars grave.
His breathing quickened when he saw the grave.
As the figure walked around the gravestone, he somehow triggered some switch, causing the seamless ground to open up and reveal a dark entrance.
There were stairs leading underground. The figure was undoubtedly familiar with the ce, and without any kind of lighting, the figure walked down with Wilbersts body.
After the figure entered, the gravestone returned to normal.
Time flew again.
15 minutester, another figure that had been waiting in the area appeared.
The new figure carefully approached the gravestone and triggered the switch in a simr skilled way and continued to descend the steps.
...
At the end of the dark and narrow corridor stood a door forged by iron.
The ck figure with Wilbersts body ced his hand on the LCD monitor beside the door.
Dik!
Dik Dik!
After some beeping noise, the door in front slowly opened, but at the same time, aposite female voice sounded.
Wee, Sir Syro Derl.
The voice echoed throughout the hall behind the door, and white light shone on that figures face. In that particr moment, the schrly aura was absent, and all the man had was coldness.
The sheer coldness from the man could send chills down ones spine, just like the instinctive fear felt when theres a venomous snake beside your feet; it was disgust mixed with horror. The mans coldness, however, was much more real and natural.
At least the man, Syro Derl, feltfortable.
He was fed up with wearing that hypocritical mask in front of the public.
He was only his true self at this momentblood-thirsty and ruthless.
He was like that from the start, otherwise, he wouldnt have joined this life-altering experiment.
Thinking about how he was one step away from trulypleting his n, Syro Derl couldnt help but grin widely, sticking out his tongue and wiping his slightly dry lips.
Syro Derl then strode into the hall.
The hall was very tidy and neat: the tables, chairs, documents were all arranged in an orderly fashion. Also arranged orderly were many five meters tall ss cylinder containers.
Inside the big containers was some kind of transparent, gooey liquid and... bodies.
Thats right, bodies!
There were human bodies, Blood Kins, and Ghouls, but the containers mostly held Ghouls.
The Ghouls kept in the cylinder containers were less ferocious and scary than those that roamed the night, and the unconscious Ghouls looked dull and reeked badly.
Even while submerged in the gooey liquid, the vomiting stench flowed out endlessly.
But Syro Derl didnt mind at all.
The mayor even looked like he was enjoying the scene as he walked past the containers like he was admiring his masterpiece with a solemn and intoxicating manner.
When he reached the end of the big hall, there was a slightly bigger container with a lot of thick wires connected to its front panel; the mayors intoxication reached its peak at that moment.
He ced Wilbersts body inside and took off his clothes.
Soon! Soon I will acquire immortality. Ive been waiting for this day for far too long.
The mayor then took a deep breath.
Then, he too went into the container.
The container shut behind him after he got in. The transparent gooey liquid then started to fill the interior, the mayor and Wilbersts body inside.
Syro Derl, who should have been suffocating from the liquid, fell into slumber instead. His breaths became longer and he looked like he was at peace.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three seconds.
...
30 seconds had passed, and a figure walked out from the shadow. The figure smiled coldly at Syro Derl inside the ss container.
You are really full of yourself, the figure said slowly.
Light was shed over the ss container, reflecting on the figures face.
The figure looked like amon man, but was extremely pale. His eyes were sharp and would leave an impression on first nce.
The man wasnt in a hurry to destroy Syro Derls experiment, or rather...
He knew Syro Derls experiment would not seed.
After all, he had been the one to kill Wilberst, and he had left a little something in the body.
Naturally, the little something was inserted to specifically target Syro Derl.
You know everything youve done is made known to his lord? The lord didnt stop you because you are still useful, somehow. He wanted you to lead the way to...
The lord you are saying, is it Cook?
The man was interrupted, and Syro Derl, who was supposed to be in slumber, suddenly opened his eyes and red at the figure outside.
The man was obviously shocked and faltered out of instinct, but quickly stopped his shameful actions after he reacted to the situation.
He knew some insider intel before he arrived, so he knew what kind of state Syro Derl was in. Maybe during normal conditions, he may not be Syro Derls match, but now?
Syro Derl had no way to fight back!
A despicable sense of banter rose in the mans heart, and he showed an evil smile as he looked at Syro Derl with an interesting gaze.
What do you think? the man asked back.
Of course now. Although Cook has quite the power in Eiders, he shouldnt know about all these things. Besides, he should be quite busy trying to escape from the city.
Syro Derl spoke slowly despite the gooey liquid that filled his mouth.
En. That fat bastard is indeed running away. And before he ran, hed even yed tricks. He thought he could escape, but in the end? His end had been determined long ago, just like yours.
The man outside the container curled his lips further, the evil smile turning into a vicious one.
Determined long ago? No, no, no. You, as Cooks shadow, didnt gain his trust from the very beginning, and hed even yed you at the end. So did you think I wouldnt take precautions when I entered this container? Syro Derl smiled.
The man in the shadow jolted; he sized up his surroundings out of instinct. When he didnt notice anything weird, heughed coldly.
Trying to bluff me? I thought I could let you live longer, but youve pissed me off. So, now dC
Before die could escape the mans mouth, he stopped abruptly.
Aser beam fired out from the wall and pierced the man in the shadows, who had thought he had control over everything.
Puk!
The charred body fell to the ground.
Syro Derl looked at the dead body. His eyes showed contempt but were soon reced by astonishment.
Footsteps sounded and a fat figure appeared in the hall.
It was... Cook.
Chapter 1311 - The Real Secret
Chapter 1311: The Real Secret
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Good evening, mayor.
Cook smiled and greeted Syro Derl.
Syro Derls gloomy eyes shined with ruthlessness when he saw the smile on Cook.
He knew Cook but was not truly familiar with him.
All Syro Derl knew about Cook was that his identity was that of an ancient coin dealer and that he was at most a little bit smarter than others.
As for more?
Before this moment, he didnt know any more.
Cook was like any other dealer or merchant, greedy and stingy.
But now, Syro Derl rted him to more; like Carlo, Kairo and Annie Penny Lynnes disappearance, and Quaker Wilberst and Aimor Morrs deaths.
It was you? Syro Derl questioned coldly.
Are you referring to your nephews, Annie Penny Lynne and Aimor Morr? Thats right; it is what you think. I did it. Even until now, Annie Penny Lynnes taste is still unforgettable. Its too bad... that shes too weak, simr to your two nephews; all of them cant stand a bit of suffering.
Cook smiled and shrugged his crotch, his bby belly also shaking following the action.
So the mistakes that the idiot Hardy Lynne made, it was all your handy work? Syro Derl asked.
En, but not entirely... Cook nodded and continued, but before he could finish, anotherser beam fired at him.
However, Cook, reacting as though he had foreseen the oue, moved his fat body with an agility that didnt match his physique. He tiptoed and twisted his body, and theser grazed his body.
Its meaningless for this kind of harsh treatment. I am here to make a sincere deal with you.
Cook looked at theser installed on the other end of the wall and curled his lips, looking disdainful, but when he looked at Syro Derl again, his disdain shifted into ttery, like the cunning smile of a businessman.
What deal? Syro Derl asked.
His voice and expression didnt change, as if theser that fired wasnt his doing.
Your research! I am also quite interested in this whole immortal business. Of course, no one can resist the temptation of being immortal, just like those important figures who protected you 30 years ago. You people used humans as live subjects for experiments, yet that massive ident happened. But you somehow survived, and your career rose to a prominent state. Too bad none of the others made it today. Cook stated his intentions straightforwardly.
He then pretended to exim about the incident, but unfortunately, his exmations and smiling face had zero persuasiveness.
Syro Derl stared at Cook. He was trying to determine whether he was lying or not, but Cooks face, swollen from the excessive fat on his body, made it hard, and Syro Derl couldnt see anything useful.
Soon, Syro Derl gave up his fruitless attempt.
Whether Cook was telling the truth or not, he would not grant Cooks wish.
Want him to hand over his research?
Impossible!
Other than Syro Derl himself, no one would get their hands on his research, including those crucial figures who protected him before.
Had they really died of old age?
Some yes, some... no.
You want my research? What are you trading for it? Syro Derl had made up his mind but pretended to ask.
Trade? Do I hear it right? Isnt all this obvious enough? What else is more precious than your life?
Cookid his hands open, turned his body sideways, and pointed at Syro Derl in the container and then at himself; his meaning was obvious.
Yes, life is the most precious. Otherwise, I wouldnt be seeking immortality. Syro Derl nodded as though he was willing topromise.
Cook smiled at the seeminglypliant Syro Derl.
Its great that you understand...
Bang!
Before his smile faded, his fat body exploded.
No! Not exploded, but imploded!
He was squashed by a formless force! Like a mosquito being squashed by hands.
When a mosquito was squashed, the blood inside its body would taint the hands.
Cooks blood and flesh sshed all over the ss containers.
Syro Derl in the ss container smiled gloomily as he stared at Cooks squashed remains, not blinking an eye.
Of course, he wouldnt blink; he wanted to have a good look at the gruesome remains of the fat bastard.
Otherwise, how could he calm himself down enough toplete the uing experiments?
Thus, Syro Derl immediately noticed something wrong with the sttered blood.
A person appeared on top of all the blood and flesh.
The person hadnt appeared suddenly, as he was there all this time inside Cooks fat body!
When that fat body imploded, it revealed the person inside.
The strange scene astonished Syro Derl, but what shocked him further was the face he saw.
Wilberst?! Syro Derl couldnt hold back his cry of shock when he got a good look.
His cry of shock was replied with a loud mockingugh from Wilberst.
As I expected. You really dont know the real secret here! Or should I say, you are too quick, to the point that the important figure who thought highly of you couldnt tell you in time? You are a moron, you thought youd gotten everything under control, yet you neglected the biggest secret. You are really...a joke! Wilberst spoke slowly, but his voice was Cooks.
What secret? Syro Derl asked.
I wont tell you. And... stop doing all those petty tricks. Its useless; you were destined to fail from the start! Wilberst said before turning around.
DIE! Syro Derl shouted at Wilbersts back as he activated the mystical power in his body, but the power he usually wielded like his limbs didnt appear; instead, it was rapidly melting away.
On top of that, not just the power in his body, even his body was melting away.
No! NO! It shouldnt be like this! NO!
Syro Derl shouted and struggled, but that was all; he didnt achieve anything else. All he could do was watch as Wilberst walked to the center of the hall and opened a secretpartment. He watched as a dazzling cone floated out of thepartment.
Then?
As he felt the abnormal energy consuming him, Syro Derl vanished with a face of regret.
Syro Derl melted into a pile of liquid that was ipatible with the gooey liquid inside the container, thus forming a contrasting scene. The pile of liquid reeked heavily, just like the other bodies in the containers.
Wilberst knew what was happening behind him, but he also knew that he must hasten his work.
Otherwise, his coborator might not show any mercy.
Wilberst tried to reach out to the dazzling cone, but as he moved his hand, a bloody figure reeking of blood jumped out from the shadows behind him and threw itself toward the cone.
It was Wilbersts coborator.
He knew who it was once he smelled the bloody stench.
Wilberst would not give up, and neither would his coborator.
In the end, neither of them, who tried to snatch the cone, got it at all; instead, they ended upunching attacks at each other because they knew they would only get their hands on the cone once they killed the other.
BOOM!
The punch and w collided, causing a loud explosion.
The burst of air instantly shattered all the ss containers in the hall.
Amidst the shattering ss, the cone that was floating in mid-air, affected by the st of air, was thrown towards a corner of a wall.
The corner was where the body of Wilberst was, the body that Syro Derl first brought into the hall.
Then, this body moved.
Chapter 1312 - ‘Body’
Chapter 1312: Body
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
This body didnt spring up suddenly; instead, it moved slowly.
If one didnt ce any attention on the body, no one, including Wilberst and his coborator, who were engaged in battle, would ever notice the slight movements.
The punch and w collided, causing a st of air upon impact, wreaking havoc across the hall.
The ceiling, floor and walls were swiftly torn apart after the ss containers and other furniture. A dust storm brewed uncontrobly and clouded the entire hall.
All traces seemed to vanish in the dust clouds, but both Wilberst and his coborator didnt mind revealing their location.
Cook? Wilberst? This is interesting, said the coborator in his cold, gloomy voice.
Yes, it is interesting. Erbus. K, the revered Marquis K that just came back from the dead. I bet that even the Monster Hunter D isnt aware that he had killed a substitute, correct? And I never thought my coborator would be a Blood Kin! Wilberst eximed as if it were really an interesting story.
But as a matter of fact?
His body was quietly moving, not towards the ce where Erbus. Ks voice wasing from, but towards the ce where the cone was.
Compared to fighting Erbus. K, Wilberst cared more about the cone, and he knew his coborator was thinking the same as well.
Throughout the whole process, Wilberst was very careful.
The cone had already drifted away from the ce where it firstnded because of the powerful wind, but, even with a thunderous st, Wilberst was able to lock onto the cones exact location a moment before the dust storm swept across the hall.
Ten steps!
Five steps!
Three steps!
Just when Wilberst was nearing the location where he remembered the cone to be before the dust storm, he stopped and didnt move to take it right away. He waited instead.
When his nose picked up a stinging bloody stench, he curled his lips into a grin. He infused his power into his right punch andunched it in the direction where the blood reeked.
...
Before going into the coboration, Erbus. K had known its coborator was a cunning and sinister person.
Therefore, before the sound broke out, it moved.
It wanted the cone desperately, it had nned for countless years just to get his hands on the thing.
It was eager and, at the same time, confident.
Erbus. K knew what its advantages were!
Speed!
It had been hiding its true speed!
Its speed was something Wilberst couldntpete with.
Everything unfolded as Erbus. K expectedit beat Wilberst to the location where the conended and scooped it up without a second thought, but...
He got nothing!
There was nothing in the location where it remembered the conending!
Was it beaten to it?
Erbus. K was stunned, the aura on its body shaking uncontrobly, and almost out of instinct, it thought of its coborator, Wilberst.
But before Erbus. K could think of anything else, a ferocious force appeared behind it
Wung!
Wilberstunched the punch that he had been charging up; itnded on Erbus. Ks body like a battering ram sieging a city.
Bang!
A sickening, heavy blowter, Erbus. K was sent flying away, its already pale face looking even uglier.
Based on its speed, it should have had the chance to dodge it, but it didnt manage to because a formless restraining force bound it the moment he tried to dodge.
Not only that, the spot where he was punched was hurting him like he was burnt by fire.
He thought, I am a Blood Kin, but this was set up specifically to target me?
Erbus. K quickly reacted to the attack, rage filling its head. Its mouth grumbled heavily and its body that was sent flying did a sharp turnaround in mid-air, sending itself back to Wilberst.
Its bloody ws shone.
The ws looked like they were formed from blood; it appeared out of thin air above Wilbersts head and shed down.
Wilberst couldnt help butugh when he saw the bloody wsing down for his head.
Thats why I am willing to work with you inhumans! You believe whatever you hear and are easily infuriated! You are nothingpared to a humans cunning and doubtful nature!
Wilberst didnt move or dodge the iing bloody ws; when the ws truly touched Wilbersts head, the bloody ws produced a sizzling noise before vanishing into thin air.
Wilberst, however, wasnt unscathed either. His clothes were torn to shreds by the bloody attacks, thus revealing a shining silver softmail underneath.
When this shining silver softmail dazzled, Erbus. K, who had jumped further away, growled in pain. Its body that was in mid-air felt like it was struck by lightning; it quickly retreated to the corridor outside the hall.
Erbus. Ks retreating speed made Wilberst shake his head in pity.
He couldnt catch up with Marquis Kit was an indisputable fact.
Even though he had made preparations beforehand, all he managed to do was heavily wound Erbus. K, not killing it off.
Too bad. If it really was the Silver Sanction, how could a petty Blood Kin escape like this?! Wilberst sighed.
He then heaved a heavy breath.
Huu!
A strong gale appeared with his breath, blowing away the remaining dust from the hall swiftly.
Everything in the hall, including the cone, was within Wilbersts sight again.
It was two steps away from where Wilberst remembered it to be, still floating in mid-air. Everything was clear to Wilberst now.
The powerful wind caused it to deviate from its original position. Then that Blood Kin beat me to it, but didnt get it and exposed its presence out of shock.
Wilbersts heart gave him a reasonable answer for the scene that had taken ce. He took the cone.
The cone looked and weighed exactly the same as the one in his memories, and Wilberst couldnt hold back his smile.
You are mine, Wilberst said.
He then walked out of the hall righteously.
Of course, he knew that Erbus. K was outside, but as long as he had the Silver Sanction with him, even though it was only a replica with less power than the original and had a time limit, it was still enough to assure his victory for the time being.
As for what followed afterwards?
As long as he obtained the secret in his hand, what was a Blood Kin to him?
Even the Monster Hunters would no longer be a worry to him.
He would step up to the clouds and look down on all life.
The feeling must be great.
Thinking of the endless fantasy of his future, Wilberst walked faster. He went through the long, narrow corridor and reached the surface again.
Then, his strides stopped all of a sudden.
He saw the night of Eiders.
He saw that darkness that represented chaos.
He saw an abysmal figure that stood in the dark.
He sawDeath.
Chapter 1313 - Joke
Chapter 1313: Joke
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran and Wilberst walked past each other in the darkness.
Grak!
A clear cracking noiseter, Wilbersts neck snapped into bits.
Wilberst, his mouth wide open, fell to the ground. His face still had that fearful, disbelieving look from the moment before his death, thinking he shouldnt have died like this.
All he had wanted was a chance to speak and he had confidence that he could persuade Kieran, just like he always had.
As long as he remained breathing, he would rise again another day.
Besides, he thought Kieran would give him a chance to speak, unless...
Kieran wasnt curious about what happened.
Humans are curious animals.
Wilberst believed Kieran was one as well, so when Kieran walked over to him, he already had an excuse in his mind, the very reasonable kind.
But before the words even came out, he was weed by death.
Why?
Why did it end like this?
With a pair of wide eyes absent of any signs of life, it was like Wilberst was still questioning Kieran.
Kieran?
He ignored the gaze. He not only took the cone from Wilberst, but also ripped the silver softmail from him.
[Name: Silver Sanction Replica]
[Type: Softmail]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Defense: Strong]
[Attribute: 1. Blood Kin Repel 1/2; 2. Werewolf Repel 1/2]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Remark: It is a replica of a piece of equipment once worn by a legendary Monster Hunter. Its a lot weaker than the original but still effective against Blood Kin and Werewolves.]
...
[Blood Kin Repel: Under the silver brilliance, Blood Kin attacks below Advance Ranks will be nullified and will receive Strong reflection damage. 1 minute duration]
[Werewolf Repel: Under the silver brilliance, Werewolves will be forcefully reverted to their human form. 1 minute duration]
......
After a nce at [Silver Sanction Replica], Kieran looked further away.
A group of fully armed Special Affairs members were shuttling through the dark and heading toward the graveyard quickly. The leader of the group was amissioner that he had met once before: Beadles.
When he saw Kieran, Beadles immediately showed a ttering smile. Good evening, Lord D. Is it dealt with?
A greeting before the question.
En, Kieran nodded.
Themissioner quickly went over to Wilbersts body; he was stunned after a quick check.
Wilberst?! How could it be him? He looked at Kieran, hoping for an answer.
How could it not be him? Kieran asked back.
But, isnt he dead? Themissioner became more confused.
Quaker Wilberst is also dead but is that really him under the grave? During the first meeting, Wilberst here showed sufficient sadness and anger. So given the circumstances, he should have at least cleaned his sons grave properlythis grave had been visited before, but that was a very long time ago.
Im afraid that after the day of the service and when they buried the body, no one cared about Quaker Wilberst anymore, including his father who vowed to avenge his son, Kieran said calmly.
So, there is no such thing as Wilberst killing Hardy Lynne to avenge his son? But.. how do you know that Cook and Wilberst were seeing each other? In order to keep it a secret, their meetings would have had to be very secretive, and no one should have been able to notice. Themissioner continued asking about the parts that baffled him.
The smell. The smell of Cooks cigar. I got the same smell from Wilberst before. With that as a start, after connecting both of them together and a little more deducing, the picture was rified immensely.
I see. Themissioner nodded in realization.
He then looked at the cone in Kierans hand.
That is the item that the lord is seeking, can you...
Before he could finish, Kieran stuffed the cone into Beadles arms.
Afterparing the cone with the information at hand and making sure it was the same, themissioner showed a smile.
Thank you for everything youve done for the lord, themissioner said while bowing to Kieran. After the respectful bow, themissioner looked up at the dark night sky.
Its almost midnight, he said suddenly.
Then, he continued on to say, Nothing, Im just eximing how surreal all of this is. Everything seems a little too easy, just like how I never thought you could bring this thing out from there.
Themissioner then shook his head in praise as if Kieran had made some remarkable feat.
Is it because of the secret inside? Or... some rules? Kieran squinted at the man.
You know about all of this as well? Well, I guess that was inevitable! Given how smart you are, you must have started suspecting something when Syro Derl died a horrible death after using the mystical power. There is indeed a rule inside there, a hateful rule that was set by the previous generation of rulers of Eiders.
Themissioner showed an abhorrent and mocking expression. Then he seemed to realize it was disrespectful to show such an expression before Kieran, so he put it away and put on his ttering smile once more.
Like? Kieran asked.
Like? There are too many things, to the point that I dont have time to tell you everything. After all... Its midnight, you should rest now.
Themissioner then grinned widely; his feet did not move but his person retreated backward like the wind, taking the cone along with him.
The Special Affairs Division members around the graveyardunched their attack.
Fire!
A sea of fire like divine mes fell from the sky and drowned Kieranpletely.
And this controlled fire didnt just simply burn its prey. The fire formed mystical runes and danced in the darkness like fire sprites, raising the temperature of the fire.
The scarier thing was, a blurry figure was growling at the sky from inside the sea of fire. It was like the overlord of the mes, not just burning to death with its breath, but also not leaving cinders behind.
The ice covered in mes, other than bing a puddle of water... No, no, my bad, I said it wrong. How could you be a puddle of water? You will be vapourized into steam!
As he told his lousy joke, themissioner looked at the zing scene again, his face showing a malicious smile.
He then turned around and walked to the darkness beside him.
In that dark spot, there were two people. One was a Special Affairs member on guard duty and the other was an unconscious person on the ground.
Themissioners malicious smile grew wider when he saw the unconscious person on the ground.
Did you really think that you could stop me by putting yourself in aa? Or do you think I really have no idea how to get around the rules set by the old bastards from the previous era? You are too naive, so naive that I thought I might be stopped by some guy jumping out from a secluded corner. But in reality? How could the person you mentioned appear? Or should I say, how could the person appear without my knowing? This is such a good joke! My stomach even hurts!
After all the ranting, themissionerughed in an irritating way, but before his tears could roll down, a calm voice entered his ears suddenly.
Is that so?
Chapter 1314 - I Don’t Deny Everything You’ve Said
Chapter 1314: I Dont Deny Everything Youve Said
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
When the faint voice sounded, an irresistible force struck Beadles at his waist.
Themissioner of the Special Affairs Division was thrown into the darkness further away like a kite broken off of its string. The other Special Affairs Division member that was on guard had his head blown to bits before he could even react.
Bang!
After the gunshot, the brain sttered and the body plunged to the ground.
However, Beadles, who just withstood Kierans full-force kick, stood up as if nothing had happened. He patted off the dirt on his body and walked back to Kieran, looking at him with an intrigued gaze.
You did not let me down, Monster Hunter. If you had really died in the fire just now, although I might have been grateful for the sess of my final n, I would have felt a little regretful at the same time. After all, all these years in preparation...
Kieran didnt have the habit of listening to his opponent. Before themissioner could even finish, a kick wasunched at his chest, sending him flying backwards again just when he had reached the spot in front of Kieran.
However, simr to the first time, Beadles stood up without a scratch. He looked down at the kick mark on his chest and couldnt help but show a smile.
Not bad, your kick. But... I am immortal!
Bang!
A bullet fired from [Python-W2] and went straight into Beadles forehead, but when the bullet touched his skin, it somehow lost its force and fell to the ground.
It didnt get suppressed, it didnt deformthe bullet that fell to the ground was exactly like how it was when it fired out of the revolver.
Look, Ive said I am immortal. Why dont you believe me?
Beadles smiled and bent down, wanting to pick the bullet up.
But just as he lowered his waist, Kieran appeared before him in a sh andnded his feet atop the back of themissioners head.
Kroom!
The ground trembled. A crater of half a meter in radius appeared in the field of cobblestone and rocks.
Themissioners body arched over, and his head was buried deep into the ground.
Beadles struggled to raise his head, but Kierans feet were as hard as iron. He didnt just stand still, he also pressed his feet in deeper, sending Beadles head deeper into the ground.
Immortal?
Kieran would never believe what an enemy said.
The reason why Beadles was able to disy himself as an immortal was either because the attacks that he received werent heavy enough to surpass his damage threshold or because he had some special effect protecting him.
Kieran wasnt a stranger in this field since he had [Devourer Shadow Mail].
So, Kieran raised his left hand.
Fuu!
Devil me rose instantly and expelled the darkness in the area.
The darkness was like a herd of sheep when a wolf attacked, scattering away swiftly.
The area was brightened up a momentter.
Kieran, who spared part of his attention on the surroundings at all times, squinted when he noticed that. The Devil me in his hand was pressed down on Beadles body without a second thought.
Boom!
Explosion.
Beadles, who had been showing a fearless and carefree manner, screamed in pain.
The scream was soft though and it stopped abruptly at the next moment, but Kieran heard it.
Kieran curled his lips.
He can ignore damage below rank III? No, not even at rank III. Well, then...
The thought shed over his mind. Kieran raised his left hand and charged the Devil me again. A heavy growl of the devilter, the ball of fire expanded rapidly.
The darkness in the area was restless again, scattering away from the fire.
A breathter, all the darkness in a 30-meter radius was emptied, and it was expanding by the second.
Fire? Not ice?
Beadles, whose head was buried in the ground, cried out in shock.
The ground didnt seem to be preventing him from speaking, and his voice didnt seem to being from his throat; instead, it wasing from his mouth straightaway.
So this is your hidden card? A little surprising. I think we can have a talk, themissioner said.
Kieran seemed to have heard what Beadles said, but the Devil me in his hand was expanding and changing nevertheless. When the me reached rank IV, Kieran dunked it down.
WAIT! Beadles, under Kierans feet, shouted.
The other Special Affairs Division members further away were also shouting, angry at the scene, but no one could stop Kieran.
Devil mended on Beadles body, incinerating his body to shreds and burning it to cinders ording to Kierans will.
D!
A grieving, hateful shout sounded from the Special Affairs Division members as they ran over.
Kieran had never seen their faces before, but he could tell that their voices belonged to Beadles.
Something simr to soul shifting? Or... awakening!
The scene before Kieran sent him into deep thought, but his eyes were cold when he nced at the men. Even when they anxiouslyunched attacks at Kieran, he was not moved.
Amidst the endless gunshots, bullets poured down on Kieran like a storm.
But...it was useless!
When the bulletsnded on his ck leather armor, they instantly lost their momentum!
No! It was more like they were being devoured!
A python-like monster formed by shadows opened its gigantic mouth, swallowing all the attacks like a whale devouring water.
Then?
Counterattack.
The monster heaved out a breath precisely in the direction where the bullets hade from.
Fuu!
A gale swept over the Special Affairs Division members bodies. The gunshots stopped.
All of them stood there nkly. Sshes of blood appeared on their bodies momentster.
They looked down in a disbelieving manner before falling to the ground.
Immortal? How can you be immortal?
A questioning one came from one of the Special Affairs Division members who had somehow survived the gale. He spoke while spitting out blood, and though his voice was still Beadles, the person was not the same.
These shifting bodies were not the same as Beadles original body.
They didnt possess a powerful defense.
Their powers?
Common as well, just like the original body.
Immortal? Do you consider this as immortality? If you do, then I am sorry to tell you... that I also have what you call immortality, and its a powered-up version, Kieran raised his gun as he spoke.
Bang!
The man who survived fell to the ground. His brain sttered, ensuring that he wouldnt survive a second time.
However, Beadles didnt die.
A series of messy stepster, groups and groups of people appeared in the graveyard.
They came in all sorts of sizes and looks, men and women of various ages; the oldest was white-haired, and the youngest was still a child.
But, all of them shared amon thing: they stared at Kieran with a ferocious gaze, as if they were man-eating beasts.
Powered-up version? You have no idea what you are talking about! I apologize for underestimating you before this, but now, Ill correct my wrongsyou are powerful, out-of-my-expectation powerful, but when numbers reach a certain amount, they will cause a qualitative change. And me? I own absolute numbers! Go! Kill him!
Beadles voice gave the orders, and all the people charged towards Kieran.
ncing at these people who looked like nk-faced, mindless puppets, Kieran quietly shook his head.
He didnt feel pity for these people who had be his enemy; instead, he acknowledged what Beadles said about quantity inciting qualitative changes.
Unfortunately...
Beadles didnt know that during a certain period, Kieran would never lose in terms of manpower.
Wuuu Wuuu Wuuuuuuu!
Continuous horns blew.
War horses carrying riders faintly appeared in the dark one after another.
Dang Dang Dang!
The riders knocked their swords against their shields, and the war horses galloped faster with the tempo. The thousand of them acted like a single entity, all of their movements synchronized with each other and their voices converged into
BURNING DAWN!
Chapter 1315 - Shining Light
Chapter 1315: Shining Light
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The riders of Burning Dawn flowed like an iron river, sweeping over everything.
To these elite soldiers that had been through hundreds of wars, following theirmanders order was like a second instinct. Where theirmander points the sword would be the direction that they charge.
Everything that stood in front of their path would only end up in destruction!
The people that swarmed into the graveyard were crushed by the riders of Burning Dawn, like slicing cakes.
No one escaped the riders furious charge, even the special beings that hid amongst the people.
These unique beings were special only tomoners, to the Burning Dawn riders... not so much.
Charge!
Charge!
Charge!
Wherever the spear was pointed at, bodies would be pierced one after another. These controlled puppets showed no fear and didnt run, they charged towards the riders endlessly like waves the sea, until a man shining in a metallic luster rammed into the charging riders.
Dang!
After the metallic clunking, the unstoppable spear from the rider was blocked, the man that was rammed into didnt get his body pierced. Instead, all the spear achieved was thrusting an inch into the mans body.
You really think the people I picked aremon-...
Puk!
Before Beadles could finish his remark, he was interrupted by a sword to his neck.
The sword shed, and the mans head was sent flying up in the sky.
This headless body was flung away by the spear and fell on the ground, it was then squashed into meat paste by the gallops from the warhorses.
Special?
So what?
To the Burning Dawn riders, in the era where they lived, there were too many unique and unexinable existences. They saw a lot and also killed a lot!
The riders learned to cooperate with each other to take out those unique enemies.
Their way was not just useful, it allowed them to kill even more, and they didnt mind spilling more blood.
BURNING!
DAWN!
After the bugle call, Beadles forces were devastated.
The remaining people ran from the nks, but they were surrounded by the Burning Dawn riders who were divided into two groups.
Burning Dawn soldiers were too familiar with this kind of annihtion warfare, to the point that it felt like sleeping or eating.
However, it was a disaster for Beadles.
He watched as the men that he handpicked died under the spears and swords. All of them possessed powers thatmoners couldnt oppose, yet they were ripped to shreds like in paper, it fueled the rage in his heart, causing it to burn even more furiously.
He vowed to kill Kieran, just like he promised to get his hand on that cone.
Now?
The person he vowed to kill had the thing he wanted.
I will let you understand what the consequences of infuriating me are!
A white-haired elder shouted at Kieran from a position further away.
The elder had remarkable skills and moved very quickly, it was the reason why the elder was able to survive to this day.
But that was it.
The moment the elder shouted, a spear pierced his chest.
Puk!
The sharp tip of the spear flung the body aside, the rider then continued on to his next target without any pause.
Kierans gaze was moving over the battlefield. His attention thennded at a dark spot in a corner.
Erbus. K slowly walked out from the shadow under Kierans gaze.
Its been a while since I returned to my real body. It really feels strange.
Erbus. K spoke as it walked, and with each step it took, its aura grew denser.
When it was in front of Kieran, its aura was like a mountain pressuring Kieran, and it wasnt just any mountain. It was a mountain that reeked of blood and troubled by grudgeful spirits; the spirits wailed fiercely.
The grudgeful eyes of the dead were staring at Kieran.
Aside frommoners, even those considered as powerhouses by the people would tremble and feel scared or even be terror-stricken under such a stare.
Kieran?
Anyone, or rather any living being who dared stare into Kierans eyes would have to be prepared to face... Death!
The sharp wails of the grudgeful spirits stopped.
They widened their eyes, and the grudges were reced by dullness.
In their sight, the detestable living still stood.
The grudgeful spirits should tear the living into shreds as they followed their instinct, but...
The scene before the grudgeful spirit eyes was reced by something that shouldnt exist: a dark, lightlessnd of the dead.
In thend of the dead was a white wall with unknown length but was tall enough to divide the sky and earth. Souls were being crucified on top one after another.
The long rusty nail tainted with mermaids tear was hammered into a ck figures body by himself using a wooden mallet.
Knock after knock!
Pain!
The grudgeful spirits who lost their sanity could feel the pain from the crucifixion as well.
The painful feeling told them... that the ck figure was actually them!
They wailed in sorrow, they begged for mercy, but it was all useless.
The nails perforated their limbs and torso, all they could do was allow the wind of extinguishing to blow away their crucified body.
And yet it still wasnt the scariest part!
The scariest part was that the grudgeful spirits saw their families and friends beside them, being crucified as well.
No! No, please, no!
The persistence buried deep in these grudgeful spirits heart drove them mad when they saw their loved ones appear before them and were brutally treated. The grudgeful spirits looked up to the sky, begging loudly to the only existence above them.
They were willing to exchange everything for securing the well-being of their loved ones, even with their lives.
Pak Pak Pak!
Spirit after spirit, all of them exploded like shattered ss, it was a bright and pleasant sound and at the same time, broken into pieces.
Erbus. K faltered backward after the scene, its already pale face got whiter.
He escaped [Deadmans Gaze], and Kieran wasnt surprised.
Based on the abilities Erbus. K disyed, it had proven how unique its soul was.
As for how powerful?
No matter how powerful he was, it would have a specific limit after splitting up into thousands of pieces.
It had its own goal as well by taking the risk to do so.
Likewise, Kieran didnt think the ability to control swappable bodies was Erbus. Ks hidden card.
Even if those bodies possessed all sorts of independent abilities, it would not render Wu defenseless and allow it to be caught without any resistance.
So this is the power you used that night? I have to say, its very effective! Dont worry! I will extend your ability, I will keep your body and put your abilities to better use. Erbus. K looked at Kieran while uttering those words.
The darkness in the area became restless after its words.
The darkness was rumbling, swirling before gushing towards Erbus. K like a flock of swallows returning to their nest.
Almost instantaneously, the darkness materialized into a thick wall, blocking in front of Kieran.
Are you itching to kill me right now? I know you are, but how can I not be prepared? Erbus. K mocked Kieran in the dark.
Kieran shook his head again.
Yes, I know, who wouldnt be prepared?
You prepared, I also prepared, and... A lot better than you!
The Burning Dawn riders split up in dozens of small groups and rode around the graveyard furiously. They tilted their spear downwards, leaving visible trails on the ground as they rode.
Soon enough, these trails in the graveyard converged with the bigger one outside, forming a single picture.
The picture drawn on the ground had fields, rivers, and forests.
They were gloomy and dark.
They were waiting for darkness to fade.
They were calling for Dawn.
Kieran heard the call, he quietly walked over and used his feet to draw thest and deepest part of the picture.
At the next moment
A dazzling light shone.
Chapter 1316 - Foretell Things Before They Happen
Chapter 1316: Foretell Things Before They Happen
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
With the bright, dazzling shine, it looked like the dawn when the sun first rose.
The sunlight, as sharp as des, shone through the materialized darkness, burning like a hot knife cutting through butter; the darkness that was blocking Erbus. K sliced in half when the ck and white collided.
Erbus. K, encaged in the darkness, was split in half by the light as well, but it wasnt the end. Instead, it was just the beginning. The white brilliance didnt merely seep in through every possible seam and hole, but it was also very tenacious.
The light cut through the darkness again and again.
The big block of darkness was quickly cut into shreds, eventually disappearing into nothing.
The darkness that enveloped the night was vanishing at an exponential speed.
Erbus. Ks body was vanishing along with it. Its body, which was split in half by the light, boiled and melted away as if it were soaked in acid.
Pain! The excruciating pain made Erbus. K growl deeply.
Butpared to the pain, it was more concerned about the light before its eyes; not the light itself, but the person that controlled the light.
Erbus. K widened its eyes at Kieran, who was in front of it. It couldntprehend how Kieran was able to set up something that specifically aimed at itself.
It swore that its n had been wless and tight after much theorizing and calction, and after working together with its special ability, no one should be able to find out.
But in fact?
Not just this time, but the several times before this were exposed as well.
It felt like Kieran could foretell things before they really happened, thus gaining a foot ahead of Erbus. K every time.
Could it be...
A sudden thought bloomed in Erbus. Ks mind, but it quickly discarded it because it seemed impossible!
It had mastered everything about that species, so how could there be others?
Are you curious as to how I seem to know every part of your n? Kieran asked inly.
Erbus. K didnt ask, but its eyes were glued to Kieran, their meaning obvious enough.
Because I can foretell things before they happen!
His nk voice was somehow very convincing.
Erbus. Ks heart couldnt help but skip a beat when it saw Kierans expressionless face again.
The theory that lingered in its mind a moment ago appeared again, but it didnt want to admit it.
You lie! Erbus. K screamed as the light corroded its body.
Lie? I dont need to. The moment I knew she was missing, I saw everything that you had nned, Kieranughed coldly.
It was partially true, but partially false as well.
The true part was that when he hade to know that the lord was indeed Wu and that she had been captured without any resistance, Kieran started to suspect everyone in the higher ranks of Eiders officials.
After all, trying to erase Wu without any resistance, to begin with, wasnt an easy task. Additionally, it was attempted under all thoseyers of precautions at first.
The slightest of movements should have garnered enough attention to expose it.
But in the end, the process remained quiet. Wu wasnt a coward; as long as there was still a single line of hope, she wouldnt have given up.
Therefore, there was only one exnation left: when Wu came into the dungeon world, she realized the opponent she was to face far exceeded her expectation, and she also realized that all the so-called allies were indeed working for the enemy. So, rather than facing the vicious fangs of the enemies, she chose to temporarily avoid confrontation and wait for Kieran.
This particr theory was nailed in when Wus imposter came into y.
As for the darkness before Kierans eyes?
Kieran had already started suspecting something when he first encountered this darkness, let alone when the imposter kept warning about midnight.
Was there something at midnight?
In other ces, there might be, but here?
The thickest of darkness.
Plus, Kieran did, after all, just experience the Darkness Dodge.
When all sorts of conditions were ced together, it was enough for Kieran to deduce that not only was this darkness not of a natural source, but it was also something beneficial to the mastermind as well.
Since the darkness was beneficial to the enemy, it would not benefit him.
So, Kieran would allow himself to step toward said conditions. He had to turn the tides around in his favour.
Fortunately, he had candidates to help him.
Kozert and Boli; one was a hyacinth, which was an intel dealer, and the other was a secret agent from the senate. Both of them had fallen under Kierans control.
Both of them had quite the capabilities.
Of course, the most important thing was that Kieran had Burning Dawn to support him.
The soldiers of valiant spiritspleted a massive version of [Seal of Dawn] by drawing out the essential parts in the shortest amount of time ording to Kierans will.
Kieran knew all of this, but Erbus. K did not.
It stared at Kieran, hoping to find out something from Kierans expression, but unfortunately, all it saw was that cold, expressionless face.
Erbus. K, who was suspecting Kieran, became even more anxious and doubtful as he looked at Kieran, but he, the marquis of the Blood Kin and the leader of the House of K, did not give up.
The darkness that clouded Eiders night suddenly started to gush over like a ferocious tide.
It instantly drowned the light from [Seal of Dawn].
If you can truly foretell things before they happen... Do you know what I am going to do next?
Erbus. Ks voice came from the new darkness.
Kieran looked straight ahead in silence.
Although the darkness was gushing towards him, Kieran didnt dodge or move, allowing the darkness to drown him instead.
The easy hit on Kieran stunned Erbus. K for a while; it hadnt thought its darkness could drown Kieran. But then, it quicklyughed out loud frantically.
You dont! You dont know what is going to happen next! You were lying to me all this time!
Erbus. K then gave an order to a particr body lying on the ground, which was slightly guarded by one of the Special Affairs Division members after the battle broke out.
The body actually belonged to the imposter of Wu. She was still unconscious, but after the order, in a trance, she climbed up and made a grab for the floating cone. She swiftly ran further away once she got her hands on the item.
Erbus. K got what it had been longing for.
Now, everything would no longer matter anymore.
Whether it was its current body or the goddamned Monster Hunter trapped in its body, nothing mattered.
DIE! I will prepare the grandest funeral for you, and we will die together! The lord... No, the Lady will still be herself, and she will be even stronger than before! She will continue to rule Eiders and might even give you a heroic retreat, like setting a particr day to remember you. How does that sound? Me? I will be abandoned without question. But, of course, all of that will just be on the surface, as for the real... UGH!
Erbus. K was getting delighted as it spoke, but when it reached the climax of his words, his words suddenly got stuck in its throat as if its throat were grabbed by a big hand because it saw the imposter of Wu fall to the ground.
The imposters body was pierced by a hand.
Kieran was beside the imposter, looking back at Erbus. K coldly.
He curled his lips.
Ive said it. I can foretell things.
Chapter 1317 - Abnormal
Chapter 1317: Abnormal
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Impossible! Simply impossible! You were here the whole time! How did you...
Erbus. K shouted furiously when it saw Kieran beside the imposter, but its shouts suddenly stopped.
The leader of the House of K thought of something, but it was toote!
Kieran quietly appeared beside Erbus. K, seized the Blood Kin by its neck and let Devil me burn hot.
Fuu!
As the me burned brightly, the darkness was like frightenedmbs running and hiding away.
You liar! You cant foretell the future!
Erbus. K shouted even as Devil me was burning him.
Are you naive or stupid? How could you believe what your enemy said? Or should I say... you are already an abnormal person? You controlled a thousand different people, splitting your soul into a thousand pieces. Even with your remarkable gifts and powerful spells, can your soul really handle all that burden? Kieran said while pondering upon the topic.
Pro-level [Mythical Knowledge], of course, wouldnt provide him with sufficient understanding in soul territory; it would require at least Musou or Transcendence level to reach that level.
Still, it didnt stop Kieran from specting.
Was it possible for a normal soul to be split into a thousand fragments and control a thousand bodies?
Possible!
People with remarkable gifts might be able to pull it off.
Kieran would never doubt a genius being different from the masses, but switching his or her body at will?
Not even a genius could achieve such a feat.
Controlling a thousand bodies at once and bing one of them were twopletely different concepts.
In simpler words, a soul could control a thousand bodies, but that soul would never truly be one of the thousand that were being controlled.
He is he, you are you.
The difference in souls proved as much.
The moment you be him, there is only one exnation: his soul consumed your soul, thus recing you.
Such a consummation process would naturally bear many restrictions and be extremelyplicated as well, any slight misstep resulting in an irreversible oue, but Erbus. K here was different.
It seemed like it could switch bodies at any time, whichever way it liked; there was no buffering process needed nor any rituals.
So, from what Kieran saw, he could onlye up with a single theory: splitting its soul into a thousand pieces and inserting them into the bodies.
Maybe Erbus. K would create some memories for these soul fragments, but at the same time, save its true body for its own, thus leaving a backdoor, a backdoor that would be easily essible with the slightest activation.
This way was obviously more convenient. Or was it?
The charged Devil me in Kierans left hand got hotter and more pressuring.
It no longer just burned materials, but the soul as well!
The pain in its soul drove Erbus. K mad. It screamed in agony.
I am the normal one! You people are the abnormals! I will get that thing, and I will tower over the clouds!
It wasnt resistance, but an argument. It still argued despite being burned to itsst breath by Devil me. From how Erbus. K viewed it, this argument seemed to have transcended beyond its own life.
You want to be God? Kieran raised a puzzled brow.
Yes! I will be God! And you will be a puny ant struggling on the ground! Forever, and ever!
Wung!
The darkness in the area vibrated as Erbus. K screamed.
The darkness tried to approach Erbus. K but it was a fruitless effort because as soon as it slightly moved, it was forced backwards by the burning Devil me.
After losing the darkness, Erbus. Ks presence got weaker until it burned to cinders.
Following Erbus. Ks death, the darkness swiftly melted away like snow under the sun.
The moon! The faint, pure moonlight shone over Eiders once again, the fair circle hanging over the night sky.
This scene was witnessed by the Special Operations Division members first.
The moon! Its the moon!
Each and every one of the members got down from their car. They looked at each other and couldnt hold back their cheers.
For so long after the Blood Moon incident, they had been missing the real moon.
The sky above Eiders every night had be dark and blurry, making people anxious and ufortable like they were assailed by chaos from the abyss.
Now, under the pure white moonlight, everyone couldnt help but sy their hands open, weing the soft moonlight as it showered down.
Is it over? Mier came down from the car and asked her grandfather.
Yes. Its over. Wier nodded, heaved a long breath and leaned on the car before lighting up a cigarette. Clouds of smokes then came out from his breath.
It was the reward he gave himself.
After that?
Wier nned to return home and take a good rest.
He hadnt rested well for the past two weeks.
Inside Stove-grilled Fish, Lagren raised his beer mug at the moon that shone outside the window, presenting a toast tomemorate the end of the incident.
Nicely done, you little punk.
Lagren drained his mug empty with a smile beforeughing out loud in delight.
It was not just Lagren thoughanyone who saw the moon wouldugh, if not curl up their lips.
Not even Bloody Mary was excluded; it raised its head at the moon and took a deep breath.
Its over.
Although it wasnt human, it thought and behaved like one. Most of the time, Bloody Mary was even more human than an actual human, while exceeding them in some other aspects, such as having premonitions!
As it breathed in the humid night air, Bloody Mary caught sight of Kierans cold face, and it couldnt help but skip a breath.
Whats wrong? Bloody Mary asked carefully.
Go take another trip down there, Kieran pointed at the entrance of the grave of Arwena Algo Zelgar.
Go retrieve that thing? Bloody Mary asked meticulously.
En. Kieran nodded, signalling Bloody Mary to hurry.
However, looking at Kierans expression, an unexined difort rose in Bloody Marys heart.
I thinkpared to that thing, we should locate Wu as soon as possible. Her powers may be helpful to us in this situation. And I suggest...
Hurry up.
Kieran frowned and interrupted Bloody Marys suggestion.
Feeling the dissatisfaction in Kierans heart, Bloody Mary shrunk its neck and turned toward the entrance of the grave.
Bloody Mary looked back as it walked, hoping Kieran would change his mind.
But unfortunately, Kieran was even tougher than it thought.
Not only did Kieran solidify his stance, he even rushed Bloody Mary with his gaze.
Why am I always doing this kind of hazardous job?
As it ranted, Bloody Mary ventured deep into the tomb.
The moment it stepped into the grave, its face turned sour.
Chapter 1318 - Dont Touch A Stingy Ghosts Stuff
Chapter 1318: Dont Touch A Stingy Ghosts Stuff
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The tiger was gone, but the presence stayed!
Wherever the beast walked in the mountains, its presence would linger and scare off small animals.
The grave corridor was precisely in this situation!
Around 15 minutes ago, the corridor leading down was still normal, but now, it was filled with an aura from the peak of the food chain. The aura instinctively frightened Bloody Mary.
Without a second thought, Bloody Mary transformed into its illusive form, wanting to escape.
However, the moment it transformed, an invisible energy came from the corridor and seized Blood Mary. It dragged Bloody Mary out of its illusive form and pulled it deeper into the hall.
The hall was, as usual, unchanged.
Once Bloody Mary was dragged inside, the cone it had hidden before floated out from the ground and moved toward its face, emitting a faint glow.
Bloody Mary couldnt help but squint its eyes at the glowing cone; it scanned the object with a doubtful and anxious gaze.
It wasnt stupid, so it quickly came to know what was happening.
This was all your n from the beginning? Bloody Mary asked in hopes of probing.
It couldnt tell whether the cone object had intellect like it assumed it did, but that didnt stop Bloody Mary from stalling instinctively.
Although Bloody Mary was dissatisfied with its bastard contractors methods, it never minded working with Kieran to fight enemies from the outside.
After all, Bloody Mary and Kieran were one, their rtionship even having surpassed themon bound together for good or for ill.
If Kieran died, Bloody Mary wouldnt be able to live either.
If Bloody Mary died... Well, nothing would happen to Kieran.
Whenever Bloody Mary thought of Kierans twisted personality, the calmness it showed a moment ago before the danger somehow became too stuffy for its heart.
The cone object glowed brilliantly, but no sound came out.
Bloody Mary frowned. Just when it thought that it had maybee to the wrong assumption, a mechanicalposite voice came from the cone object.
You are stalling? Because of the contract?
When asked this by the mechanical voice, Bloody Mary showed a smile without even thinking.
This kind of cover up was nothing difficult for Bloody Mary; it was like an instinct of sorts.
Yeah, Im forced to, you see. Bloody Mary shook its head and sighed as it spoke.
What if I were able to help you dissolve the contract? the mechanical voice asked again.
This time, Bloody Mary reached with a small jolt.
It was somehow moved, but soon, it showed a bewitching smile again.
If Bloody Mary hadnt witnessed the broadness of the world, if it werent aware of the vast darkness in Kierans heart...
It would have been moved! But it saw and knew.
So everything was decided.
It didnt want to be bound to this dungeon world and have to worry about Kieran taking revenge.
If Kieran were a friend, he would be the best of friends.
If he were an enemy? One might not even be able to sleep tight because of the troubling nightmares.
Ever since it began following Kieran, Bloody Mary came to know Kierans methods, so it never once felt hopeful at the words, because Kieran never believed in such things.
Bloody Mary had also learned from its contractor.
Somehow, its thoughts were already affected by Kieran.
Maybe it was different from learning from imitation like the Frost Wolf, as the essentials hadnt changed.
Therefore, when it showed a smile on its face, Bloody Mary quickly rearranged its words.
Are you saying you can help me dissolve the contract? But do you even know what my contract consists of? And do you know what will happen to me if you somehow fail to do it? Of course, with all due respect, I am just hoping for more insurance.
Bloody Mary bowed at the cone object as if it really believed that it had offended the mechanical voice.
But its true goal?
Stalling.
Even without further orders from Kieran, Bloody Mary knew what it should be doing at the moment.
It tried its best to buy more time for its contractor to proceed with the n.
Although it was just one of the backup ns they had agreed on, Bloody Mary hadnt expected it to really go down this way. However, the scene before its eyes told it how vital a backup n could be.
You are lying! the mechanical voice said.
Lying? Me? Why...
Bang!
Just as Bloody Mary tried to exin, that invisible force appeared again.
But unlike the first time, where Bloody Mary was dragged in, this time it was pushed away, or rather, thrown away.
As if hit by a speeding truck, Bloody Mary flew towards the wall further away. As it crashed, its body embedded itself deeply into the wall like a picture.
It wasnt that it didnt want to dodge, but it just couldnt.
Simr to the first time, its illusive form was rendered useless at the moment.
Not only its ability to transform into an illusive form, but its rapid regeneration powers were jammed to a certain degree as well. Although they werentpletely nullified, Bloody Mary couldnt regenerate as fast as before.
Before this confrontation, Bloody Mary would have been able to regrow its limbs rapidly.
Now? The best it could do was heal some small cuts.
But none of them was of concern.
More importantly, another wave of that powerful force came for Bloody Mary. It was stronger and fiercer than before; the force wanted to crush Bloody Mary.
Bloody Mary tried its best to dodge, but the pressure on its body pinned it down against the wall, rendering it immobile.
As it felt the force approaching its face, it couldnt help but open its eyes wide.
All that was left in Bloody Marys heart was prayers. It prayed to its special ability to save itself from death.
A High Demon praying sounded weird, but other than throwing its hopes into its own abilities, what else could it do?
Hope that Kieran would save it?
Stop joking. It would not happen regardless of the dimension or realm.
Why would Kieran save Bloody Mary?
Kierans attitude towards the High Demon was evident enough.
It was only a tool, a very efficient, excellent tool.
Rather than praying for the user to save his tool, might as well hope the tool will save itself.
I can! I can do it! I can... F*ck! How the f*ck am I supposed to dodge this? If I cant make it out alive, Ill curse this motherf*cking bastard that killed me!
As the force came closer, Bloody Mary sensed the danger within. Its confidence withered away quickly, and it wanted to start dropping a curse at the cone object.
Not all demons knew how to curse, but High Demons knew a thing or two, and when their lives were hanging on the line, the curses would be extra effective.
But just before Bloody Mary could utter the first word, a palm came out from the shadows and dragged it out from the wall.
BOOM!
The invisible power grazed Bloody Marys shoulder and prated the thick wall with a boom.
That was not the end; the forces special power even spread across the walls surface.
Bloody Mary shivered in cold sweat when it felt the peculiar power.
It was certain that if it had taken the blow head on, it would have died a second time and note back anymore!
Its heart racing, it took a deep breath. Bloody Mary then looked at Kieran, who just saved it.
Gratefulness filled its gaze. Kieran didnt care.
After pulling out Bloody Mary, Kierans gaze glued to the cone object.
What are you trying to do to my tool? Did you ask permission from me, the user? Only I can use my tool, and even if it has to be destroyed, only I can destroy it. When someone else has other thoughts about it... You want to die?
Kieran spoke with a gloomy face.
Chapter 1319 - STOP
Chapter 1319: STOP
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Tool? You are not lying. But why are you so concerned about a tools life and death? Why not just change to a new one after it breaks? The mechanicalposite voice asserted its confusion.
It didnt understand the definition of a tool in Kierans point of view.
Or rather, it didnt understand what stinginess was.
Change to a new one? Haha.
After a coldugh from Kieran that confused the cone object even more, the Devil me in his hand burned fiercely. Like a falling meteor, it hurled toward the cone object.
Kaboom!
The zing mes rumbled upon explosion.
After the explosion, Kierans mighty roar echoed throughout the hall.
Its special to me! One of a kind! No one can rece it!
His voice echoed powerfully and even suppressed the sound of the explosion.
Bloody Mary, who was leaning against the wall, showed an unusual shine in its eyes, its face moved.
Contractor, you...
Almost instinctively, Bloody Mary wanted to say something, but before it could, Kierans roar sounded again and suppressed its own.
Without it, where would I find another tool that isnt afraid to die and work withoutint!
Bloody Mary immediately halted its words.
The moved expression on its face vanished, leaving only a nk face.
It squatted down in a corner, looking depressed.
I know, I know. I am just a tool, a very good tool. Im tired and cold. I want to go back to East Coast City to live out the rest of my life.
While it ranted softly, Bloody Marys eyes never moved away from the battle happening further away.
After the mes rumbled, the cone-shaped object suffered a burn, at least on the surface.
However, its glow got even brighter.
The bloodline of a High Demon? No! It should be something higher, but broken, thus the current state. You must be a descendant of a Devil Lord.
The cone objects mechanicalposite voice asked and answered on its own.
Kieran, on the other hand, replied with more Devil me.
Ball after ball of Devil me rained down on the cone object like a storm in June.
Kieran then started to charge higher levels of Devil me.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Amidst the continuous explosions, the cones glow turned into a shine, a dazzling shine, and its voice sounded even duller than before.
Detected target has a certain level of danger.
Detected target has a certain level of value.
Selecting a more reliable way to solve the equation.
Seal the targets Devil Bloodline.
Proposition authenticated.
As its voice subsided, a beam fired out from the cone andnded on Kieran before he could even react.
The beam didnt cause any physical st, nor did it inflict any damage to Kieran, but the Devil mes that rumbled throughout the hall, including the one charging in Kierans left hand, all extinguished in an instant.
The mes silently extinguished, no previous signs or excessive effects.
Bloody Mary, squatting in the corner, widened its eyes.
Seal? It sealed my powers just now with this as well?
The guess in its heart showed a sh of difort on its face.
It knew its contractor well enough.
Kieran frequently used Devil me; it was one of the most potent offensive means at his current level, and factoring in the limitations of his other skills, Devil me was indisputably his strongest attack.
Now that the strongest was sealed...
Bloody Mary slowly stood up from the corner. It had to think of something to change the tides of the situation.
After all, once its contractor died, it would have to follow as well.
The High Demon wasnt some demon that would sit back and wait for its end; otherwise, it wouldnt have fallen to a High Demon in the first ce.
No need to use everything! Half... No, 80%! A curse cast with 80% life force will surely affect that thing! Bloody Mary locked on to the cone and readied itself to cast its curse.
But before it could, the tides of the battle changed again.
Kieran took a quick nce at his left hand after the Devil me sealed.
He could feel the Devil Force still running in him, but he couldnt unleash it.
It was extremely ufortable for him. The heavy and loud devils roar echoed relentlessly in his ears.
Kill it! Kill it! Kill it!
The enraged devil twisted the space around Kieran; it looked as if it was going to jump out of Kierans heart and tear apart the cone in front.
Kieran, however, wasnt affected. He still proceeded with his n.
A ck greatsword suddenly appeared behind the cone object and swung down fiercely.
However, before the de edge truly touched the cone, the dazzling shine turned into a bright shield, preventing the edge from shing down.
Dang!
An iron nking soundter, the ck greatsword shattered and turned into ck mes.
Pride stepped out of the shadows.
Despicable, Pride said in disdain.
The other cardinal sins that were muddling around aimlessly couldnt understand the meaning of the word.
Lust, Greed, Wrath, and Envy screamed frantically and jumped on their target like wild beasts.
An even more dazzling shine fired out from the cone.
Lust, Greed, Wrath, and Envy were instantly wiped out; the ck me that Pride controlled extinguished as well.
But that wasnt the end! Their deaths werent without result, as they created a window for Gluttony!
Gluttony, who was almost out of control from its appetite, seized the window and dashed toward the cone like a gale.
For Gluttony, eating was everything; eating would be enough.
When Gluttonys saliva dripped onto the cone object, the cone object buzzed furiously.
It felt as it was insulted, offended and disgusted all at the same time.
Detected target is extremely dangerous!
Detected target is extremely dangerous!
Detected target is extremely dangerous!
Three consecutive mechanicalposite voicester, the shine on the cone became a blinding red, like a siren going off.
The blinding red on the cone became a signal to Bloody Mary. It wanted to cast its curse right away, but a palmid on its shoulder, holding it down.
Azy voice that could put one to sleep followed.
Dont rush. Sloth yawned andid down just like that.
Bloody Mary couldnt hold back its cold grunt when it saw Sloth.
It was sheer dissatisfaction, showing nothing more than the purest resentment.
Bloody Mary was unhappy at having to stand in the face of danger while these few bastards got to sit aside and watch, and even in this situation, they were still acting casually.
Especially this bastard before its eyes. How the hell was he falling asleep!?
After hearing the snores, Bloody Mary was one step away from dragging Sloth up and scolding the hell out of him, but the wave of aura that came after that stopped it from doing it.
Not just the High Demon, but even Sloths snores stopped after being caught in the wave.
Everything in the hall stopped.
Kieran. Pride. Gluttony with its wide-open mouth. The sleeping Sloth and the angry Bloody Mary.
Everything stopped, as if... time had frozen.
Only the cone object wasnt affected.
It floated towards Kieran slowly.
Chapter 1320 - He Is Not Alone
Chapter 1320: He Is Not Alone
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The cone object was not far away from Kieran.
However, its floating speed wasnt that fast; it used two seconds to approach Kieran. The blinding red light started to cumte. A red dagger took form in mid-air and threw itself towards Kierans neck.
But just as the tip of the dagger touched Kierans neck, it stopped.
Detected target has lost its danger level.
Detected target has great potential.
Target might be able to be a recement.
After the dull mechanical voice, light shone again on the cone.
It wasnt an rming red light anymore, but the white light that it had first shown.
That dull mechanical voice also changed to a more lively one following the switch in light.
Are you willing to be my follower? the mechanicalposite voice asked.
As its voice faded, Kieran regained the ability to speak but not the mobility of his body.
While everything had stopped in the past few seconds, Kieran didnt lose his consciousness or sight, so he was aware of everything.
Kieran coldly smiled at the question.
Follower? I will not be anybodys follower, let alone a weird bastard who isnt even a living being, Kieran said firmly.
I am not a weird bastard. You need to be corrected, the cone emphasized.
Then...
The red dagger switched its target to Kierans elbow, where his joint was located. Following the cones will, the dagger thrust into his elbow.
The red dagger was exceptionally sharp; it stabbed into Kierans elbow without any resistance.
Understand? the cone asked.
Understand what, you freak? Kieran asked as if he didnt know. After his mocking, the dagger in his elbow started to twist.
His flesh and bones crushed instantly. Kierans face turned pale, and he clenched his teeth in pain.
Understand? the cone asked a second time.
UNDERSTAND WHAT, YOU FREAK! Kieran repeated the same thing.
Tsk!
The red dagger moved again, the edge sliding downwards towards Kierans palm. His arm, from the elbow to the palm, was sliced in half by the dagger, splitting the ring finger and little finger on one side, and the middle finger, index finger and thumb on the other. His hand was like an eel cut in half, wobbling and bleeding gruesomely.
Understand? the cone asked again.
UNDERSTAND WHAT, YOU F*CK! The same reply again.
The red dagger then moved on to Kierans left elbow, thrusting in and turning it into a gruesome state simr to his right arm.
The questions kepting, but the replies were still the same.
Soon, Kieran was covered in blood and severely mutted.
After all four of his limbs were cut in half, his left eye, ears and nose followed the same fate. Even his teeth were pulled out, leaving only a few intact; his tongue was left alone though, along with his right eye because the cone wanted Kieran to still be able to see it and say the answer that it sought.
However, Kieran was much more stubborn and stronger than the cone had expected.
Even though his scalp was getting peeled off bit by bit, Kieran didnt give in; instead, he bared his mouth into a vicious, gruesome smile.
He had confirmed one thing; the thing that he worried about the most and also the key factor became proven in the process.
It allowed Kieran to heave a breath of relief.
As expected, Kieran said in a wavering tone.
What did you expect? The cone was intrigued by Kierans sudden words.
You did not control me or affect my mental state directly, rather... You dont have the confidence to do so. Kieran looked at the cone with his one good eye.
Affirmative. You and the others are not the same. Your mental spirit is so powerful that I dont have the confidence to grasp it. The cone didnt hide this and admitted its shorings.
In the cones mind, there was no need to hide this kind of thing; at least it didnt have to hide before Kieran while he was in his current bloody state.
Further, it didnt believe that Kieran could still change anything.
But being strong in mental spirit is not enough. You are still too far away. Not only do you not possess an intact bloodline, but you also dont have the heart to read the situation.
The cones mechanicalposite voice sounded high on top, despising Kieran and his entirety.
It was bizarre for an object to sound like that, also very twisted, but somehow, it felt natural in the end, as if it originally towered the clouds.
A heart to read the situation? Like those idiots that got affected by you without the slightest idea? Kieran coldly smiled again.
You are referring to Erbus. K? That is its problem, not mine. I did not tell it to do what it did, the cone denied.
What about before Erbus. K? Dont tell me that ass was the first one? Kieran asked.
This time, the cone didnt reply because Erbus. K was indeed not the first one affected.
There were many more before the Blood Kin; there were humans and inhumans both, but none ended up better than Erbus. K.
Death was in line at the end.
Kieran knew without any need for more evidence. He knew because of the cones objection.
This hall, the undergroundboratory, didnt juste out of thin air. Kieran believed that there must have been someone who built it a long time ago.
Why was theb built? Kieran didnt know the initial goal, but now, theb was being used to store this sentient cone.
Why theb, though?
Maybe it was special, maybe it was secluded enough, but the details were not made known to Kieran.
All he knew was that this sentient cone was the mastermind behind all these events.
Erbus. K?
A fool pushed to the front stage.
And Kieran believed that Wu wouldnt have fallen under Erbus. Ks power without giving it a fight. The Blood Kin might have looked strong, but it was apparent to see that he had also been affected by an outside source of power. It was from this cone.
Had Wu been fully prepared, it wouldnt have been impossible for her to turn the tides around. She wouldnt have gotten abducted in the first ce.
Because of this particr point regarding Wu and Erbus. K, it struck more suspicions in Kierans heart.
After this sentient cone object disyed its different... intellect, everything made sense.
Lets put it this way in the meantimeKieran still couldnt rte wisdom and intellect to an inanimate object.
However, this sentient cone was something that could render Wu defenseless.
It was powerful and also strange.
Like its ability to stop time, there was sufficient evidence to prove its strength.
But even if this sentient cone was strong, so what?
Give up? It was non-existent in Kierans dictionary.
He gazed at the cone in front of his only eye and smiled.
You smile because you think there is still hope. I am afraid that this is an illusion because you do not understand the differences between you and me. I think you should calm down.
A spine chilling aura started to spread over the cones body as it spoke.
From the neck down, Kierans body instantly encased in ice.
The ice continued to spread, but unlike the physical pain in his body, the pain from the ice felt like it wasing from his very soul!
Kieran felt like his sold was almost frozen.
His mind was about to stop, his memories starting to drift, his spirit slowly crumbling.
Understand? the cone asked.
Understand what, you f*cking freak? Kieran mocked the cone with a smile.
Too bad, wrong answer. If it is possible, I do not wish to do this. It is decent that you alone came to this extent, but your choice is ultimately wrong.
The ice spread even faster as it spoke.
Immediately, Kieran was covered in ice from top to bottom.
An ice statue appeared in the hall of theb.
His presence of life was swiftly fading away, but even after being turned into an ice statue, Kierans mocking smile didnt disappear.
He mocked his opponent.
He mocked his opponent for his arrogance and self-righteousness.
He may have gotten used to working alone, but this time, he entered this dungeon with another person.
Wu was still out there!
Chapter 1321 - Eulogize
Chapter 1321: Eulogize
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Wu opened her eyes in a secret room.
She didnt wake up like a normal person because the time she set for herself to awaken was more precise than a digital clock; it was simr to how she saw the future of this dungeon world when she entered.
A mastermind that hid beyond everybodys sight.
Its way of survival was strange, its power also strange but powerful.
It was even more powerful than any powerhouse she knew.
Maybe a whileter, her good friend might reach this level, but not now.
So, Wu didnt have a choice.
She didnt want to hurt those she cared for; she knew what kind of consequences would have befallen him had she not fallen into slumber, faking her death.
The oue would have been irreversible, the kind that she couldnt bear.
Even the current oue was intolerable for her.
When she saw how he was being sliced up like an eel, Wu felt immense pain and couldnt breathe.
The runes on the shackles to imprison her broke free with a wave of her hand.
She may not possess offensive skills or use tools of simr means, but it didnt mean she was an average person. Quite the opposite; to increase her self-sustaining means, other than the necessary tools, her body physique was also quite strongpared to ordinary peoples.
The door of the secret room slowly opened. Wu walked outside.
The ce wasnt any secret to Wu, whether it was the secret room itself or the structure outside that imitated a natural scene.
Her steps seemed slow but were actually quick.
When she reached that wooden cottage that was supposed to be hers, the startled Special Operation Division members and some scattered Special Affairs Division members gathered around.
I need the entire Eiders to hear my voice in the next 30 seconds, Wu said.
It may seem over-demanding, but it was not difficult for these men before her eyes.
Everyone moved out en masse.
Wier and Mier, who rushed to the cottage, looked at Wu with doubtful gazes.
Neither of them was familiar with Wu, but when they saw her, a certain feeling in their hearts struck them and instinctively told them that she was the rumoured Lady, despite her looks being a little off from expectation.
Wu saw both of them as well. She nced at Wier andnded her attention on Mier.
You want to be a Monster Hunter? D can help you, but not in the best way. If you want, I can write you a letter of rmendation, Wu said.
I believe that D can handle it, Mier jolted for a moment before shaking her head.
Although the Lady before her meant well, she somehow felt that it wasnt right to receive her goodwill.
It wasnt anything about strengths, just a premonition.
The instincts or premonitions of a woman are very urate.
Wu took another nce at her before looking away.
My Lady, Mier doesnt mean anything else, shes just...
As the only family of Mier, Wier thought he should exin on behalf of his granddaughter, but before he could, Wu stopped him with a wave of her hand.
I know. Wier, you did well. I think you could be the future mayor of Eiders.
Wu didnt want to linger on the topic and argue further.
After all, she never thought of cutting the subtle rtionship between Kieran and Mier; it was just an attempt.
The result was terrible, but not too bad.
Could Mier be more troublesome than the weak mimosa that was scared of even a worm beside the road?
Stop joking. Compared to thetter, Mier was nothing.
Mayor? You are saying that Syro...
He is dead. He is dead because of Eiders, and you should be able to inherit his will and protect Eiders. Wus words were partially true, partially false.
As a diviner, she knew deeply about the saying the truth is not always great, and the false is not always bad.
Sometimes, the forged truth was better. At least Wier would be able to ept Syro Derl as a mayor who died for his city.
I-I... I understand, Wier moved his lips and said in a rough voice.
Very well. Wu nodded.
Two Special Affairs Division members then ran over from outside while holding a broadcasting machine in their hands.
We have tuned it to reach all frequency, the men said respectfully.
Wu didnt say anything else; she walked to the machine.
I am the Wisher of Eiders. Sorry to bother everyone on a night like this. If it were possible, I would have liked to tell you all about what happened more softly, but time does not allow that.
All I can say is that an unprecedented crisis has arrived, and the Blood Moon is only the beginning. D, Monster Hunter D, has stopped the Blood Moon but fallen into the following troubles. He needs our strength to help him ovee this hurdle. I hope that everyone can sincerely pray for D, pray for him to solve the following troubles. Otherwise, we shall all wee death.
Wus voice echoed above Eiders through the broadcasting signal. The people of Eiders, who were celebrating the return of the moon, were stunned by the broadcast at first.
Because it was the Wishers order, prayers sounded after the broadcast.
As people of Eiders, they knew how different Eiders was from other cities.
The most significant difference was the legendary Wisher.
They couldnt utter the word nor hear it; unless the Wisher said it herself, they would never hear the words for the rest of their lives.
Each time the voice of the Wisher echoed in Eiders sky, it was a critical time that rted to the life and death of the city.
No one dared to hesitate, not even Lagren the hotel owner or Smith the human-Blood Kin hybrid.
They were among the earliest batch to pray because it was rted to Ds life and death.
Please, you little punk, be safe! Lagren prayed softly.
You will surely return safely. Smith and the little girls prayed in a more devoted manner.
In their eyes, Kieran was invincible; he would surely ovee any danger.
Likewise, many other people thought the same of Monster Hunters.
They were fearless and arrogant.
They were powerful.
They opposed evil.
They walked the edge without glory or a dazzling trail.
No hymn or praise would remember them, but... their pride would be respected.
A formless energy started to umte in the sky above Eiders.
It was swift!
Within a breaths time, the number of prayers was many enough to incite a qualitative change!
The prayers started to transform into a faint golden-coloured energy.
Inside the faint golden energy, figures started to take form.
There was one with a long wind coat that walked on top of des.
There was one who was massive and strong.
There was one who was small and short but extremely intelligent.
There was one with a long spear behind his back and animals circling him.
The figures in the golden energy had blurry faces, but that was what they should look like. They were formed on top of the deepest beliefs of Eiders people; they were formed by hope and sheer will.
The images from the peoples beliefs came from bedside stories, faraway legends, and the inheritance of some ancient bloodline.
Generation after generation, sons after fathers.
The chain of inheritance never broke, never extinguished, never forgotten.
Even if the figures were blurry, they existed.
The golden figures gathered, cheers andughs sounding in the wind. It was as though the situation was like when they first met centuries ago, where they fought back to back, relied on each other and treated allmonly.
Fuuu!
The wind got stronger, somehow turning into a horn of charging.
The golden energy flowed like a river to the sky, furiously flowing towards Central Graveyard and into the grave of Arwena Algo Zelgar.
The golden energy flowed into Kierans body, which was encased in ice a moment ago.
Inside the ice statue, a golden shine erupted.
Chapter 1322 - Listen
Chapter 1322: Listen
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
After being bathed in the golden energy, a medallion with a lions carving slowly turned from blurry to clear, further enhancing to dazzling gold.
The dazzling gold shone through that ice encasement within an instant. The light went through the thickyer of ice smoothly.
Kak!
The harder than diamond ice encasement produced a definite crack, spiderweb-like cracks then spreading out rapidly. When the cracks intertwined and oveid each other non-stop, the ice produced another clear cracking sound.
Then, it shattered.
Kierans life force, which had been swiftly fading away, stopped; he slowly began to recover with his special body and supportive skills.
The sentient cone object didnt care about Kierans defrosting or his recovering body. It was facing the golden lion mirage that appeared out of Kierans body in a doubtful and anxious manner.
Although it was just a cone, at this particr moment, it behaved like a human, even looking like it had a face and a pair of eyes.
Even its voice changed, no longer being the mechanicalposite voice anymore, but rather a rough human female voice.
Who are you?
The voice sounded heavier than ever when it faced that golden lion formed from unknown energy, but the golden lion reacted with disdain.
The golden lion looked around and shook its mane gloriously.
Then
RAWR!
A massive and mighty lion roar released everything in the area from its frozen state right away. The stillness broke like shattered ss.
Pride, Sloth, Gluttony and Bloody Mary were released from their stillness and returned to normal.
The other thing that recovered was Kieran and the Devil Force inside his body.
When the ice had spread, the temperature in theb plummeted. And now, the temperature skyrocketed within the blink of an eye. The ground and the walls in theb even started to crack, sparks rising.
Burning sorrow and despair.
The head of the Devil slowly appeared in mirage form above Kieran with the aura of fear.
Its de-like horns pierced the sky, its eyes shining in the lusters of hell, staring at the cone without blinking.
Kill!
Kill! Kill!
Kill! Kill! Kill!
The chanting was continuous and endless.
The Devil felt like it was once again in the vast, endless ck field where it once stood.
Its arrogance would not be insulted.
Its pride would not be trampled on.
No one would be spared, not even God.
It wanted to tear this cone apart.
It wanted to burn the soul to cinders.
It wanted the cone... to be doomed for eternity!
Roar!
It roared at the sky furiously.
The energy in the Origin Force that had been quiet, to the point that it started to melt, was triggered.
Dong, Dong Dong!
Kierans heart started to beat vigorously.
As though the pile of blood he spilt all over the ground heard the heartbeats like they were some battle horns, it came alive and flew back to Kierans broken body like a flock of swallows returning to their nest.
The Devil Lords power started to spread from [Fusion Heart].
This power of the Devil Lord was very subtle, like fire on a dying candle that might go out at even the slightest breeze. However, it was this kind of weak power that forced the cone object backwards repeatedly.
Impossible! This is impossible!
The cone floated backwards as it voiced out its disbelief.
Then, that strange cone body moved all of a sudden.
Ill kill you, and whats yours will be mine!
It screamed frantically. The ice power spread once again, but the ck me returned as well.
Pride took a step forward and blocked the ice. The ck me was like water from a broken dam, pouring down on the ice.
Split your fire into five portions. Leave one of the five as the biggest and split two of the remaining four into backup mes. Repeat the steps for thest two portions and... go deal as much damage as you can!
Sloth opened his blurry eyes, which were shining unusually. He ced his hands behind himself, and his fingers moved as if they were calcting the situation.
The movement of his fingers was rhythmic and extremely fast, to the point that the afterimages his fingers left behind danced in a flurry. While his fingers were busy calcting, his mouth didnt keep still as well.
You. You were so eager to attack just now, right? Now its your turn. Go behind the cone and use your strongest attack to strike its back at a 40 angle, Sloth said quickly.
The High Demon, Bloody Mary, dashed out the moment Sloth finished.
While Sloth was calcting, Bloody Mary was already thinking about ways to share the burden with these fewrades cum bastards, so when Sloth told it to go, Bloody Mary dashed forward without a second thought.
A shter, Bloody Mary appeared behind the cone, and its arm lunged towards the cones back like a sword.
Chang!
After the nking, the cone object shook.
The ice power stopped all of a sudden, allowing the ck me to gush further and expel the ice.
Pride stood in front without moving a muscle, as if all these attacks were reasonable.
Once the calction ended, Sloth slumped on the ground like a pile of soft noodles again, his mouth muttering, Damn, its exhausting, I need to have a good rest topensate my loss.
COMPENSATE YOUR ASS! What about me? I am still here! What should I do now? Bloody Mary shouted at Sloth after the initial attack.
After the first attack from Bloody Mary, the cone object was infuriated as if it were hit in some forbidden weak spot. It discarded Kieran from its crosshair and started to chase Bloody Mary instead.
Do what you do best! Sloth said with a troubled face, snores then following uncontrobly.
Best? You useless piece of meat! You want me to die too?!
Bloody Mary cursed loudly, but unfortunately, Sloth was already in dreand, unable to hear the High Demons scolding.
But even if Sloth had heard it, he wouldnt have done anything.
How Kieran used the High Demon, Sloth nned to follow his method.
Was there anything wrong with that?
Anyway, with that golden lion around, the sentient cones ability was already greatly restricted.
Without the power to seal its opponent, the cones danger level had plummeted, but the rest of the cone was still as dangerous as ever; Kieran knew this.
Wu knew this as well. She went up to the rooftop of the building that housed the wooden cottage and knelt on both knees.
Golden and dark golden glowing items appeared around her one after another.
Ten gold and two dark gold items; a total of 12 items were arranged in a specific sequence, circling Wu in the middle.
I pray for your arrival.
I hope for your appearance.
You are nameless, you are formless.
You are everywhere.
Please hear my wish.
Wu muttered very softly, so low that she sounded like a fly.
One beside her might not even hear what she had muttered, but when her words subsided, the night wind suddenly blew.
It blew at Wus shirt.
It blew at the clouds of the night.
It blew at the moon of the night.
It blew at the rivers in the mountains.
It blew at every living being on earth.
Its consciousness was blurry, but it was willing to listen to the voice of the closest.
Chapter 1323 - Smile
Chapter 1323: Smile
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Any small changes in the world should not be neglected.
A p of a butterflys wing might cause a storm a few thousand miles away after a while.
A nail short of hammering might lose a war or doom a country.
Wus prayers didnt bring a storm or doom a country though.
All she prayed for was to change the power in Kierans body, the power of the Devil Lord that resided in the Origin Force; it was melting away as time passed.
The power didnt increase or decrease; its changes were on a constant level.
The power, as dim as a fire on a dying candle, became firm within a breath. It was still a small fire, but it was also the fire that shook all beings.
Kieran slowly sat up, eventually crawling up.
The whole process was like a dying older man trying to stand up, but his face was still youthful and the injuries on his body were healing without any medicine or treatment.
The golden lion looked at Kieran, who returned his gaze.
He had seen enough, so...
Thanks, Kieran said.
After the thanks, Kieran felt like he hade back alive. Not just in terms of aura, but his body as well. He was revitalized from the old dying state to a youthful and energetic state.
He then strode towards the cone.
The sentient cone had already stopped its pursual of Bloody Mary; it looked at Kieran in a doubtful and anxious way.
What are you doing? Stop! I said, stop! STOP! The cone shouted.
A sheer coldness that could freeze ones soul came with the shout.
This sheer coldness wasnt simply spreading like before; it was like an avnche, sliding toward Kieran. What came along with the coldness wasnt just ice anymore but also...darkness!
The darkness felt like death in a harsh winter night, suffocating and despairful.
Kieran was drowned in it, but he wasnt affected at all.
He was like a traveler pressing through a blizzard, his steps steady and absent of any hesitance; he walked straight and firm towards his target.
The suffocation couldnt stop his breathing because his breaths were hot and burning; the pressure from the suffocation withered to nothing.
Despair couldnt crush his mental state because his heart was tenacious and unyielding. Instead, despair itself was crushed.
Huu!
Huu!
Breath after breath, light appeared in the darkness.
There were sparks!
Bits of sparks grewrger as he took his breaths. The sparks grew from a small light to a fire that could incinerate an entire field. The fire was unstoppable as it flew up to the sky.
In the middle of the pir of fire, a giant Devil mirage roared loudly.
Chaos, arrogance and ruthlessness formed a zing tornado and wreaked havoc.
The darkness was expelled, and the coldness turned warm.
All that was left was the sentient cone object in sight and Kieran walking towards it with [Arrogant Word].
Wait! I...
The cone still wanted to say something to save itself from the impending doom, but Kieran was not one to spare chances for his enemies; not before, not now and certainly not in the future.
The bewitching greatsword swung down with a heavy sh.
The zing tornado, as if it had attached itself to the greatsword, spun fiercer and hotter as the greatsword moved.
Until
Roar!
Another heavy, deafening roar. It sounded like the first roar of a slumbering monster. It was as loud as thunder and as pressuring as mountains, and its form... even pierced the ninth heaven!
A dragon!
A massive dragon form took form amidst the zing tornado. It flew out and devoured the cone object with a single chomp.
The fiery dragon didnt stop there. It rammed against the ceiling of theb, burst out from the ground and flew up to the sky.
The dragon spotted Wu further away on a buildings roof. It roared at the sky again.
Roar!
The fiery dragon that should have been illusive felt like it had truly descended on earth. All of Eiders was shaken, but Wu, kneeling on the roof, smiled instead.
She knew she had seeded.
She had the confidence to turn that damned fate around.
...
Undergroundb. The fiery dragon flew up to the sky and vanished soon after.
Kieran leaned on [Arrogant Word] while panting heavily.
[Fury sh] and [Sword Skill, Rising Dragon],bined with the power of Devil Force and [Lionheart], consumed much more Stamina than he had imagined.
Even with his special constitution, he had almost depleted his Stamina.
The sentient cone object split in half and fell to the ground.
The energy from within the cone gushed out and went into [Wilcos Redemption] and [Seattle Right Hand].
Most of the energy went into the two pieces of equipment while the remainder formed a crystal and fell to the ground.
Ding!
The crystal fell in front of Kieran with a clear sound; it shined dazzlingly.
Kieran bent down and picked up the crystal with difficulty.
At the same time, he also savoured the power in the deepest part of Devil Force.
However, the Origin Force that seemed to have synced with him before went away at this moment.
It didnt vanish though, as Kieran could still clearly feel its presence in his heart, but...
He couldnt utilize it.
He could use Devil Force like it were his own limbs, but the stronger Origin Force hidden inside the Devil Force was not reacting. It caused him much difort after multiple attempts at trying to move it.
Once he was sure that he couldnt utilize the Origin Force for the time being, Kieran looked at Pride. Thetter nodded and, with that, vanished without saying anything.
Perhaps in Prides eyes, there was nothing to say.
They won, and it was enough.
Other than that?
It wasnt Prides concern anymore, as Kieran could deal with it perfectly.
As a matter of fact, Kieran did exactly that.
Block those people outside for me. Buy me 10 minutes to rest, Kieran said to Bloody Mary in the corner.
He didnt want to face a bunch of strangers in his worst condition.
Are you sure its safe? Bloody Mary asked as it made its way to the entrance of theb.
What do you think? Kieran said in an upset tone.
He didnt understand why Bloody Mary, a nearly immortal existence, was so scared of dying. It didnt make any sense as to why it didnt fully utilize its gifts.
I dont want to. If I get it right, Ill feel depressed. If Im wrong, Ill feel even more depressed. Bloody Mary shrugged and went up.
A moment after Bloody Mary left, a figure slowly descended from the hole in the ceiling that the fiery dragon had rammed through.
Its me.
It was Wu. To not cause unwanted trouble, she stated her identity and looked at Kieran with a smile.
Her smile was sweet. It came from the bottom of her heart, and it was powerful enough to taint peoples hearts.
The smile... made Kieran frown.
Goodwill was good, but when the endless goodwill was because she treated him as another person, Kieran was not willing to ept it, even if some other people were willing to enjoy it like bitter malt.
He knew the saying give and take.
The more he took, the more he would have to give.
Wu?
In his perspective, that would not change.
So, Kieran didnt want to entangle with Wu anymore.
He straightened his body, but before he could speak, Wu took out a scroll and used it on him.
Chapter 1324 - Missing Point
Chapter 1324: Missing Point
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Warm light showered over Kierans body before he could react.
While bathing under the light, the broken equipment on his body recovered rapidly.
[Great Steady Repair Scroll] can repair multiple pieces of equipment at once. Dont reject, as this is what you deserve. As long as you can help me clear the Title Dungeon, Ill take care of your losses, including your equipment. This is the promise we made in the beginning, Wu said with a smile.
Kieran kept quiet.
There was indeed a line in the contract they signed.
It was a fact, and he couldnt argue. But some things must be made clear.
I am menot him, not someone else. Just me, Kieran said in an emphasized tone.
Y-You knew?
Wu was shocked; she was like a little girl whose deepest secret had been discovered. Her words even came out in stutters.
Do you think I am stupid? Kieran asked.
Right, Kieran wasnt stupid.
After so many abnormal behaviours, guesses and spections rose within Kierans heart.
Given the circumstances, the change in attitude became reasonable as well.
Wu suddenly understood why Kieran treated her in such a bad way.
But...
Wu looked at Kieran. The image that came afloat in her mind was still of Crow.
Do you really have to go?
En.
What if you donte back? Cant I go with you?
No.
Why?
Because if you are here, I have the confidence toe back, to see you.
...
Liar!
You big fat liar!
Ive been waiting for you, but you never came back!
Liar!
Her eyes were dark as the rain poured down and drenched her in seconds, but she felt nothing as she knelt nkly in front of that grave.
You didnte back.
I will go and find you then. Wait for me.
.....
When she regained her consciousness, the light was blinding to her eyes.
She didnt die; it wasnt what she sought after.
Dont stop me.
Before her were two of his friends and also her friends. He had died for one of them, so she should have hated the bastard with the cigar.
But when she saw how distraught he was and how he med himself, she gave up.
But she didnt give up on her hatred. She knew that for this cigar bastard, staying alive would be the worst kind of suffering for him.
She faltered. She wanted to return to his side, but she was stopped.
Her friend, ady, set her back on the bed.
You know you cant stop me.
En. Stopping you is too hard.
Her friend leaned against the wall and kicked that cigar bastard, forcing him to kneel before her.
Whats the use? she mocked as she watched the scene.
I dont know if it is useful or not, but he needed it. Every single one of you wants to seek death. I really cant take care of all of you.
Her friend pointed at the cigar bastard.
I thought we were supposed to be friends.
As though she felt the betrayal from her friend, her eyes became cold.
Yes. We have always been friends. So Im telling you thispeople cante back from the dead, this is what our education taught us, but what if there is something that is beyond our knowledge? her friend said calmly.
What do you mean? She jolted.
Ive found something interesting. Maybe in that ce, you can find a way to bring Crow back, or... you can see him in there. It may be possible, her friend said.
Really?
She sounded doubtful, but her heart was almost certain.
She knew her friend wasnt the type of person who bragged or boasted, and because of that, she understood the meaning hidden in her friends words.
It made her eager; it gave her hope.
Rest. You need a good rest before you can start. That ce isnt that safe. If you dont have the abilities to protect yourself, I wont let you go in there, her friend reminded her.
This time, she chose toply because it was the way to finding and seeing Crow.
Then, she entered the big city.
She used her own means to bring herself closer to the finding Crow, then...
She found him in a very unexpected way, she found Crow.
The person didnt share the same thought, but so what?
Everything was proceeding for the better, wasnt it?
Just like this particr moment.
The conversation she was having with Kieran, she thought she would only hear it in her dreams, but now, it was happening before her eyes.
In order to secure happiness, why notpromise a little?
En, I get it. You are 2567, not someone else, Wu nodded and said.
Kieran frowned a little at Wus quick, easy eptance.
His instinct told him that Wu wasnt a person who would give up that easily or change her mind once it was set, but he couldnt probe deeper.
He didnt have the position or the rights to do so, or rather, Kieran didnt want his instinct to drag him into the whirlpool of Wus thoughts.
He had gotten out in a hard way; it would be best for him not to return.
Can you tell me what exactly this ce is? Or.. what that is?
Kieran pointed at the cone that he shed in half.
That? Something that wants to be God. It gave up its original body andbined its consciousness with science. A Fake V Rank existence, Wu said slowly while looking at the broken cone on the ground.
A Fake V Rank existence? Kieran raised a brow.
Based on the abilities the cone disyed, it wasnt something a Fake V rank could easily achieve.
It, of course, is a special one. Otherwise, it wouldnt have reached this level. However, its speciality blinded it to the point that it couldnt see what was real. Firearms rose to be the mainstream in this dungeon world, but the mystical realm hadnt faded. It thought that both coexisting together was ridiculous, outrageous talk, as the coexistence could stop it from bing God. So it tried its best to eradicate the former, which is science. It wanted to be the only light in the darkness. It wanted the people to treat it as the only belief. Thus, giving birth to Erbus. K, Wu exined.
Giving birth? Are you saying...? Kieran squinted his eyes as if he had thought of something.
Yes. Just like fear, the Blood Kins, Werewolves and Ghouls hereeverything monstrouswas created by this cone. It created all of them based on what it had experienced in the past and what it remembered. But it still forgot one thing.
It isnt the one that remembers or experiences. Even if it has simr powers, simrity doesnt represent all, just like how there cannot be two pieces of leaves with the same pattern. Extremely simr powers will eventually end up as nothing but a reflection of the moon in water, an illusion.
Wu then looked at Kieran, or rather, she looked at the medallion hidden in his clothes, [Lionheart].
Chapter 1325 - Changes
Chapter 1325: Changes
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
What? This is also a key?
Kieran didnt show [Lionheart] when he felt Wus gaze, but he asked her nheless.
Yes. It is one of the keys, especially for you. It is rted to whether or not you can turn around death. Wu nodded.
Death, eh? Kieran muttered softly to himself, his face showing no fear of the term.
He had been through a lot of life and death moments.
These experiences didnt grant him the ability to ignore the fear of death, but from a certain aspect, he had grown quite used to it.
Habits were scary for everybody.
It could change azy person to a hardworking one; it could also change a hardworking person to azy one. Of course, it would also empower the weak to be stronger.
Habits are always changing in a person, quietly and subtly.
Kieran? He was no exception to that.
You say it is one of the keys, then... what else? Kieran asked.
The other... is you and me!
Wu pointed at Kieran and herself.
Kieran jolted, then shrugged andughed. Just like how he was used to fighting battles alone, he had also built a habit of trusting his own habits in battle.
As for others?
He might trust them, but not Wu at the moment.
Without further exnation or words, theughs alone allowed Wu to know what Kieran was thinking. She didnt exin any further.
Wu wasnt an idiot; the more she came in contact with Kieran, the more she grasped of his personality.
She knew what she should say at particr times and when she should stay quiet.
Thank you for your help. Its been great working with you. I hope we can work again sometime in the future.
Wu slowly floated up as she spoke. As her words subsided, she left.
Kieran watched her fly off from the ceiling hole where she first came in.
The special traits of a Title Dungeon gave Kieran a lot more time. After Wus primary mission waspleted, he didnt mind doing more things that were rted to himself.
After all, time was a luxury that he could barely seize, whether it was in the big city or the dungeons.
As for Bloody Mary?
Kieran believed the High Demon would do a good job.
Meanwhile, in Central Graveyard, where Bloody Mary was surrounded by arge group of people, it maintained a smile while looking at the non-stop blinking sirens further away. Feeling that its contractor had left, its smile still hung on its face, but its heart cursed F*ck a myriad of times.
Am I some lifting jack or what? When you want to use me, you push me in front to hold the situation, and when you dont have use of me, you just throw me aside to let me die?
Bloody Mary desperately wanted to question its contractor about what kind of position it had in his heart.
Kieran, of course, heard Bloody Marys voice, but he didnt care though.
Kieran was toozy to care. In his perspective, the High Demon should know by now. Moreover,pared to Bloody Marys endless muttering, Kieran was more concerned about the changes in his body.
The most profound Origin Force in Devil Force couldnt be utilized at the moment, but it didnt mean his body hadnt undergone any changes.
After the scene back then with the sentient cone, his body had already changed drastically. The most obvious was [Transform Devil], which was tagged by the system.
It leveled up from rank II to rank III!
The transformation time increased from two minutes to three minutes, all additional skills and attributes having had obvious changes as well.
[All attributes +5]
[Acquired Devil Lord Constitution III (High Devil Armor III, defense automatically set above Extreme; able to mitigate 35% of energy damage); Acquired High Devil Body III, extra +3 Strength; Every attack is added with Extreme rank burn damage and has a certain percentage to trigger Fire Ssh within a 5-meter radius; Fire Sshs damage is ranked at Powerful. When receiving damage, the attacker will suffer above Extreme rank burn damage from rebounding; Secondary Elemental Damage Resist +3, HP +2000, Stamina +2000]
[Acquired me st III: By pping your me wings, form a 135, 50-meter st range before you. Rank I mes, a rank I st wave, 3 times per transformation]
[Acquired Beheader ming Sword III: Summon greatsword of mes, Extreme rank fire damage and rank I sharpness, 3-minute duration, 1 time per transformation]
[Acquired spheme Whisper III: Any target you kill will temporarily resurrect and fight for you, 3-minute duration, 1 time per transformation]
[Acquired Sulphuric Scorch III: Any targets burnt by your attack will undergo a -1 Constitution authentication to yours. If failed, target will suffer an extra 300 poison damage per second, 10 second duration]
[Acquired Light of Fear III: Any living target that sees you will have to undergo an authentication no lower than A- rank Spirit. If failed, induce Fear debuff]
[Devil Libra II: The density of the bloodline awoke a part of the gifts of the Devil Lord inside you. You can choose any stats at will and add them onto other stats with a 1:1.8 ratio. Added stats should not be lower than D rank and can not exceed the limit of Spirit level +3. Duration 3 minutes, 1 per transformation.]
...
Kieran carefully read through the new attributes of [Transform Devil].
If I can utilize the Origin Force of the Devil, I can surely further enhance [Transform Devil] and make it my ace again.
Kieran was quite attached to this special skill, [Transform Devil].
He would not forget that when he first entered the big city, he had relied on this skill to ovee many hurdles, but as his strength grew, this active offensive skill slowly became a supportive one.
Rather than the skills attached to it, he was more concerned about the attributes and stats increasement of this skill.
It was a certain path through the road of growth; if he could take it back, he would not hesitate.
Only Kieran could understand [Transform Devil]s true power, as he was the one and only Fiery Devil.
He thought back to the ck wilderness that he had seen.
He felt the aura that the figure brought him.
Kieran unconsciously put his hand on his left chest, over his heart.
He felt the special heart beating vigorously, quietly feeling the powers contained inside.
Unfortunately, the Origin Force didnt react.
But Kieran didnt give up.
We still have quite a long time to tune ourselves together. Lets take it slow, no rush, he muttered to himself.
He then felt Dawn, gue, the Cardinal Sins, and the Saint Thorns.
As the Devil Force strengthened, the other four Origin Forces changed gradually as well.
Dawn and gue became even more lively, operating in his body quicker than ever as they eased the rampant Devil Force.
The Cardinal Sins Force became even harder to detect, like some hidden assassin that would stab Devil Force from time to time.
The most obvious was the Saint Thorn Force.
It stood its position firmly. Whenever Devil Force went slightly out of control, resisting in the fiercest manner, Saint Thorns Force would disregard all consequences and rather perish together with Devil Force thanpromise.
With the four Origin Forces mping Devil Force down, the rampant Devil Force didnt cause further trouble for Kieran, but that didnt mean he was relieved.
Bnce, bnce, Kieran muttered with a frown.
After setting his initial ns, Kieran turned his attention to the new [Wilcos Redemption] and [Seattle Right Hand].
Chapter 1326 - Advancing In Stage
Chapter 1326: Advancing In Stage
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
[Absorbed Divine Frost Energy (False), Wilcos Redemption rarity increased!]
[Wilcos Redemption increased to rank II!]
[Name: Wilcos Redemption]
[Type: essory]
[Rarity: II]
[Attack: Powerful]
[Defense: II]
[Attributes: 1. Chilling Touch; 2. Chilling Spike; 3. Chilling Spirit]
[Effects: Frost Buff ]
[Prerequisites: 2567 (Binds to yer)]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remarks: After absorbing the power of Arwena Algo Zelgar, Wildos Redemption has exceeded its original rarity. It has be one of a kind and only belongs to you.]
...
[Chilling Touch: You need to touch your target with the ring for the skill to be activated. It strikes with a rank II cold attack thatsts 3 seconds (Even whenbined with other equipment on your body, it will stillst the same amount of time), 2 times/day]
[Chilling Spike: Fire a long ice spear at your target, 150-meter maximum range. When the ice spear hits the target or any other obstacle, it will trigger an ice explosion of a 4.5-meter range. Direct hit of a target will receive a rank II ice attack, other targets will receive Strong to rank I ice ssh damage depending on how near they are to the st point. 2/day]
[Chilling Spirit: Summon an Evil Frost Spirit based on Wilcos model (Has rank I attacks, possesses traits of evil spirits and Frost Beings. Its not a human anymore and doesnt have the memories and thoughts of when he was alive. Only loyalty to you), 3-minute duration, 1/day]
...
[Frost Buff: During snowy weather or a cold environment, you will slowly regenerate HP and Stamina. Depending on the level of snow or ice, Chilling Touch, Chilling Spike and Chilling Spirit will be buffed ordingly (No higher than rank IV)]
....
[Absorbed Divine Frost Energy (False), Seattle Right Hand rarity increased!]
[Name: Seattle Right Hand]
[Type: Glove]
[Rarity: II]
[Attack: Extreme]
[Defense: I]
[Attribute: Ice Hand Shield]
[Special Effect: 1. Frozen Touch; 2. Frost Breath; 3. Frost Buff]
[Prerequisite: Hand-to-hand Combat (Transcendence), 2567 (Binds to yer)]
[Remark: After absorbing Arwena Algo Zelgas power, Seattle Right Hand has be your exclusive glove]
...
[Ice Hand Shield: The glove will transform into an ice shield with rank II defenses;sts 5 seconds. When the ice shield duration is up, it will fire out 1 rank I freezing air attack within a 10-meter radius around the user. When the defense reaches its threshold and the ice shield is broken, reflect 30% damage to attacker, 2/day]
...
[Frozen Touch: When activated, the glove you wear has to touch the target in order to fire a rank II freezing attack;sts 3 seconds. When you touch anything other than yourself and your belongings, it will be deemed as an attack and the freezing duration will be over after the attack. 2/day]
[Frost Breath: Create a 60, cone-shaped icy breath in a 10.0-meter range in front of user; has rank I damage and certain percentage to trigger Freeze effect. (Freeze target will have to undergo a Constitution authentication. If lower than rank I, target will be frozen on the spot for 1 second and receive 1 lethal damage), 1/day]
[Frost Buff: During snowy weather or a cold environment, you will slowly regenerate HP and Stamina. Depending on the level of snow or ice, Frozen Touch, Frost Breath and Ice Hand Shield will be buffed ordingly (No higher than rank IV)]
[Note: Since Seattle Right Hand has be your exclusive glove, even if you get the left sides, it will not trigger the special effect anymore.]
...
Reach rank II!
Kieran couldnt help but curl his lips into a wide grin when he saw [Wilcos Redemption] and [Seattle Right Hand].
He had known the two chilly items would change when they absorbed Arwena Algo Zelgars powers, but he never thought it would be this drastic.
Although both items ovepped each other in terms of effects, it didnt disturb Kieran from gaining offensive and defensive abilities simultaneously.
On top of that, [Frost Buff]s addition would be enough for him to surprise his enemies whenever they thought to suppress his Devil me with a frosty environment.
Divine Frost Energy (False), is it because of the Fake V Rank?
Kieran pondered upon the question as he took out the remaining crystal.
[Name: Frost Heart Remnant]
[Type: Gemstone]
[Rarity: III]
[Attribute: ???]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: You need some professionals to appraise it.]
...
Kieran softly rubbed the crystal. The faint freezing energy that seeped out was enough to make Kieran feel cold despite his special body.
However, Kieran didnt mind at all. Quite the opposite. He showed an honest smile, as he knew this would be his biggest reward on this trip.
Since it wasnt his first time encountering gemstones, Kieran knew how huge their value would be.
When he thought about the rtivity mentioned by cksmith back then, Kieran automatically thought of [Wilcos Redemption] and [Seattle Right Hand].
Rank III? No, it might go up to rank IV!
Once he thought about the potential rank IV item, Kierans squinted eyes shone in excitement.
No one knew better than Kieran himself how important a high tier item was in affecting ones strength.
However, Kieran was distracted by the movements beside his feet
Frost Wolf sat beside him, its paws scratching his legs, its odd-colored eyes showing a thirst for the item.
You want this? Kieran pointed at [Frost Heart Remnant].
Frost Wolf nodded, but then shook its head a whileter.
Not now butter?
Even without an obvious sign, Kieran easily knew what Frost Wolf wanted to convey.
Wuu, Wuu.
Frost Wolf nodded while making low whimpering sounds.
Then you need to work hard for it! I want a strong, reliable helper. I will only give this to you if you truly disy these two distinctive traits! Consider it as earning an investment.
Kieran didnt reject Frost Wolf.
To Kieran, whether it was increasing [Wilcos Redemption] and [Seattle Right Hand] or Frost Wolf, both options were viable.
The only thing he was considering was the power of the current stages and their future potential.
The former was no doubt more suitable in terms of the current stage, but thetter?
Kieran thought highly of Frost Wolfs potential.
If this were a peaceful time, choosing Frost Wolf would have been the indisputable choice.
But was the big city peaceful?
It may seem peaceful, but endless darkness brewed underneath.
Kieran knew it very well, so he also knew how important it was to convert everything into strength.
However, Kieran could neither truly ignore Frost Wolf.
So he threw the question to Frost Wolf instead.
Everything would depend on whether Frost Wolf could reach Kierans expectation or not.
If it could, [Frost Heart Remnant] would be its reward; if it couldnt, Kieran would proceed with embedding it on the equipment.
Frost Wolf understood Kierans meaning instantly.
It stood up and ran out the door.
As for where?
Kieran didnt ask. He knew he might be in for a surprise before he returned to the big city.
Chapter 1327 - Didn’t Bid Farewell
Chapter 1327: Didnt Bid Farewell
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Beside the road leading to the outskirts of Eiders, a three storey building with a garden was being built.
Lagren, who was forced to take charge of inspecting the progress, stood under the sun with his arms on his waist, feeling the warmth of the sunlight. He felt even less energetic than ever and yawned from time to time.
A night person could never get used to the sun. Moreover, this particr night person hadnt truly rested for the past few days.
However, Lagren didnt do his job sloppily because of his condition. Quite the opposite, as he showed to be very meticulous in parts that required serious attention, even going as far as to increasing the defensive structure in the blueprints for some parts of the building.
He knew what this building would be once it finished: a welfare home.
It was a welfare home in name, but in actuality, a new home for Smith and the little girls. Of course, Sayas mother would also move in as soon as possible. Simrly, the other homeless children would also be weed here.
Thend that the building was being built upon was authorized by the new mayor, Wier. No connections to the Monster Hunter headquarters were used in this project, but Lagren knew, as long as Smith the hybrid was still around, it would be quite difficult for the ce to quiet down.
Lagren knew what Smith was up to everyday when he snuck out through the shadows, and so did Mayor Wier.
Whenever darkness descended over the city, there would always be some bastards with a few ill thoughts lurking around.
There were monsters, and also humans.
Thetters ratio, however, would always exceed ones expectation.
Were humans inherently born evil?
No.
Evil was erged infinitely by the special environment and ones mental state.
So, are they innocent? Not quite.
Those kind of people, in such a special environment and with a conflicted mind, would not be missed even if they were executed.
But...
Lagren looked at Saya and the other little girls. His face showed to be worried.
He was worried that these little girls might get involved nheless.
Ask Smith to leave them?
What a joke. That thing D gave to the little girls only helped them sleep better; it wouldnt allow them to live without a guardian.
One could not be forceful in such matters, all it required was time and letting nature take its course.
If it were forced, the results would rebound.
Likewise, allowing the girls to undergo training wouldnt solve the root of the problems either.
It may solve worries for some time, but in the long run, the oue would be anything but beneficial.
The life of a Monster Hunter wasnt a joke. The upational hazard would really kill!
With many past experiences, Lagren realized this was an unsolvable problem.
Sigh.
Lagren looked at Mier, who stood very energetically in the shadows.
She had sessfully received Ds teachings recently, and no doubt, the teachings were extremely effective.
At least, Miers undercover techniques and hiding from in sight were improving with exponential speed.
But bing a real Monster Hunter?
She still had a long way to go.
If she can be taught properly, Mier might be a decent... Hmmm. What does a youngdys matters have to do with me?
His rich experience allowed him to see some obvious changes in thedy; an old man like him has no intention of participating in her matters.
However, sometimes, things always go against ones will.
Lagren didnt want to be involved, but Mier treated him as her teacher in her current stage of life.
Can Monster Hunters get married? Mier asked, anticipation in her gaze when she walked up to Lagren.
Monster Hunters arent apostles, so why cant they get married? Youve collected so much information about the job, but you dont know this?
Lagren couldnt help but turn a white eye at Mier, knowing what she wanted to do.
Collected information is not always correct. I needed confirmation. And... you really dont n to teach Saya and the girls?
Mier smiled and shifted the topic.
Mier felt sympathy for the girls.
God knows what the six little girls experienced in the Blood Kin restaurant. If it were possible, she hoped the girls would never have to go through another simr experience.
But living in a world where monsters lurked in the dark, how could that be possible?
I... dont know.
Lagren wanted to reject the idea, but when the words reached his tongue, he couldnt say them aloud.
Dont know. I really dont know, I am not evading.
Thoughts baffled Lagrens mind, and Mier couldnt help but shrug when she saw his confused face.
In the eyes of Mier, who was a Monster Hunter on reserve, the youngdy didnt even have to think about it.
Her admiration for Monster Hunters had weakened every element in her life, including the lethal kind.
Dreams are always beautiful, arent they?
Maybe someday when she learned the harshness of reality, she would ponder over the question about whether or not her dreams were good enough for her at first.
Of course, there was a high chance that she would press on with perseverance.
It wasnt about good virtues or anything, but after having made so many efforts, stopping halfway was really not worth it.
Her efforts would have all been in vain.
The world is only interesting and colourful because of all these not worth its, bing less hateful of a ce.
Mier, with a vigorous look, watched the little girls sit quietly in the safety zone beside the construction. She said, No one has the right to choose their lives for them. I think you should ask them about their future, what kind of life they want. Protected and normal? Or protected and without regrets?
Lagren looked at Mier in shock. He never thought the young, reckless Mier would say something like this.
People change, right...? Fine, Ill admit it. I read a lot of books to persuade D, but none of them were useful. D said that he taught me only because of the promise he made. But I cant throw everything I read into the trash, right? So Ill try my best to tell others the result of my hard work. The Monster Hunter on reserve clenched her fists.
Under the streams of sunlight, she would have given off an energetic, youthful feeling if her words werent so blunt.
You should tell Wier what you just said. He would be delighted.
Lagren then headed over to the little girls.
He looked down on what Mier said.
What deciding your life with your own hands? What no one having the right to change it?
The people who said such things were immature themselves; they had been influenced by others from the moment they were born.
From parents, to teachers, to friends and lovers.
These influences were everywhere. You may not notice, but your personality and views were already influenced long ago.
Just like Lagren, although he treated Miers words with disdain, he still took the suggestion and asked the girls. At least, it seemed fair.
Watching Lagrens retreating back, Mier re-entered her training state once she thought she had sessfully persuaded him.
She didnt care to find out about the little girls decisions because, in her mind, their lives were decided the moment the girls came to her for help.
The construction site was busy, noisy and merry.
Kieran stood in the shadows further away and watched over the scene.
A whileter, he quietly bade farewell to these people.
Saying goodbye face to face?
Kieran wasnt used to such scenes, especially now when he was carrying pieces of baggage that were the height of two men; he would have a lot exin of exining to do.
Rather than spending his efforts on exining, might as well not do it at all.
Kieran grabbed the stuff wrapped in a big cloth over his shoulder.
At the next moment, his figure vanished.
Chapter 1328 - Contact
Chapter 1328: Contact
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Wallway Street 13th.
The moment Kieran returned to his room, he threw the baggage that was the height of two men onto the floor and panted heavily.
The pieces of baggage were much heavier than he had anticipated. Even with his Strength nearing Advance Ranks, he couldnt bear it for long, but he was still happy.
The grin on his face widened uncontrobly.
In the remaining time in [The Wisher], Kieran didnt forget to search for valuables in the dungeon after he had made up hisplete n.
He had enough reputation and enough gold to carry out his ns, and the results? Self-exnatory. The most direct result was the overflowing items from the wrapped cloth.
The only pity was that he couldnt find a real treasure, even in Arwena Algo Zalgars grave.
The best he could get was Magic rank items on par with Rare ranks that hadnt truly been categorized as Rare. Kieran didnt mind, however.
No one would when they got about 50 Magic rank items out of the blue.
Kieran arranged the Magic rank items based on their category before contacting Lawless.
After gaining the surprise and envy of Lawless once more, Kieran entrusted everything to him.
Lawless was trustworthy, just like Fire Raven and Frost Wolf.
Fire Raven finally got to rest after perfectly carrying out the role of a scout in the dungeon.
Frost Wolf also fell into slumber when it returned, but unlike Fire Raven, Frost Wolf was in an uglier state. Its soft fur was dirty, and it had suffered many wounds on its body.
What did Frost Wolf do after it went off?
Battle!
With sufficient energy to grow, what else would boost its strength faster than if it were to go into battle?
In the free time of [The Wisher], Frost Wolf managed to control almost a hundred kilometers of the forest outside Eiders outskirts. From themon wild beasts to the dark beings and monsters, Frost Wolf challenged every one of them.
The challenge results were obvious, as well. Frost Wolf didnt just win, but it became the ruler of that forest as well.
Itd even found small historical remains in the woods for Kieran. 1/4 of the items in the baggage were Frost Wolfs contribution.
Because it had tried its best to prove itself, the scale in Kierans heart on using [Frost Heart Remnant] tipped towards Frost Wolf more.
Kieran was a man of his words, but before that, he had to contact cksmith.
2567: I have a special gemstone I need to be appraised.
cksmith: Inn.
2567: Wait for me.
...
Kieran was used to cksmiths cold and simple conversation style, just like he was getting used to Lawless nagging and Starbecks delicious food.
Of course, no habits would change Kierans natural vignce.
Once he stepped out of his room and stood outside of the rooms protection, his sharp senses picked up a figure in the darkness beside the area.
The person walked out inly after knowing that he had been discovered.
It was Borl, a yer that Kieran had met only a few times before but imed to have ties with the Witch and proposed to work with Kieran.
I have something to discuss with you, Borl said.
I dont think we have anything to discuss. Kieran shook his head, wanting to walk around him.
Kieran would only show vignce and rm toward a stranger; no matter how kind or harmless they presented themselves, it would be the same.
A viin would never write its intentions on its face.
Ive found someone to work with. Someone who has sufficient power!
Borl didnt stop Kieran. Stopping a yer more powerful than himself in this city was not a wise thing to do.
However, Borl spoke quicker than before, hoping that Kieran would change his mind after he heard what he said, but unfortunately, Borl was destined to be disappointed.
Kieran didnt stop and instead walked towards the station further away.
Borl couldnt help butugh bitterly as he watched Kierans figure disappearing behind the trains door.
Beforeing, he had tried to estimate how hard it would be to move Kieran, anticipating that it would be very difficult, but the reality was much harsher than he expected.
Neither the hard way or the soft way works... Borl sighed.
He really wanted to change his coborator, like the one he found recently.
His coborator had quite the power and influence, and from a particr standpoint, his coborator could very well rece Kierans part of the role, but...
Not all could be reced; some parts were just destined for Kieran.
The secret that he hid in his heart made Borl sigh uncontrobly again.
Then, he opened his message tab and contacted his coborator.
Soon, he received a reply.
When he saw the messages content, Borl jolted and unconsciously frowned. He didnt reject the suggestion, though.
After all, Borls time was limited.
...
There were many inns in the big city, but the one that cksmith referred to could only be Harvest Inn.
After pushing open the familiar wooden door of the inn, merry voices echoed in Kierans ears. He nodded at the familiars who raised their cups at him. He then went over to the bar counter.
The red hood made cksmith stand out from the rest.
When Kieran seated himself beside cksmith, Rachel turned around.
What would you like? she asked.
No, thanks. Kieran waved his hand.
Its free, Rachel added.
Then lemon water, please, Kieran said.
Stingy, Rachel retorted.
Kieran didnt say anything, as if acknowledging thement.
It was the truth, and truth didnt open up room for argument.
He would only clear up the matters that worried him.
Youve helped Wuplete a Title Dungeon? cksmith, with a ss of lemon water, asked.
En, due to some items, I owed her a favour. So I helped her finish it to repay my debt, Kieran exined.
Is that so? The version I heard is different. cksmiths tone sounded a little different.
Even with the systems blur, Kieran could feel the gaze and judgement from her.
It was strange, yet familiar.
It was strange because he had never received such a gaze from her before, but Kieran always got this same gaze from Wu when she looked at him, especially when he mentioned Starbeck.
The feeling was the worst for him. And now, on top of everything, it was made into a rumour.
A rumour made known even to cksmith, who rarely came out of her room. Kieran could already imagine how quickly the rumour had spread.
He frowned, but before he could ask, his message tab pinged him.
It was Starbeck.
Chapter 1329 - Station
Chapter 1329: Station
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
He opened the message tab.
Starbeck: Ive made some new dishes want to give them a try?
2567: Sure, wait for me.
...
After the simple reply, Kieran looked at cksmith, the words he was going to say before the interruption was gone.
Should he ask?
No need.
It was just some rumors, even if the rumor spread like wildfire, so what?
Those who believed him would believe him.
Those who did not believe him, why then need to exin so much?
cksmith knew, yet she asked, which meant cksmith didnt believe, so she was seeking an answer from him.
If cksmith knew, Starbeck knew.
Starbeck knew, but he didnt ask, because he never believed those rumors.
Lawless didnt ask, and obviously, he didnt believe it either.
It was enough for Kieran.
I need you to appraise it for me.
Kieran then showed a picture of [Frost Heart Remnant] to cksmith.
Kieran didnt continue the topic, which surprised cksmith.
In cksmiths mind, Kieran might not care about most things, but when the things were rted to himself, even if he didnt show anything on the outside, he was very concerned on the inside.
It wasnt hypocrisy, though, just his personal instinct.
cksmith was no exception.
Her attention was captured by [Frost Heart Remnant]s attribute at the next moment, though.
Rank III? cksmith softened her voice, but it couldnt cover her astonishment.
Since she was nearing the circle of Advance Ranks, cksmith knew what this gemstone represented.
She looked at Kieran, her gaze had surprise and shock all over it.
Was Kieran strong?
Strong!
As one of Kierans friends, Kieran didnt hide much in front of cksmith, but cksmith never thought Kierans strength had reached the peak of the high-rankers circle.
cksmith was a jeweler, she knew quite a lot about the drop rates of a gemstone.
A rank III gemstone would require the yer with the corresponding level to acquire it, which meant that Kieran would at least be above rank III.
In simple words, Kieran was nearing rank IV or already at rank IV for him to get a rank III gemstone.
What was rank IV among the high-rankers?
The strongest! The strongest cksmith knew!
You have reached this level? cksmith took a deep breath and muttered softly.
What? Kieran raised a brow.
He heard it, but he didnt understand.
Nothing.
I cant appraise this gemstone for now with my power, you need to wait for a while.
cksmith didnt expect Kieran to understand her exmations, so she didnt exin.
Sometimes was no need for exnation, what it required was an action instead.
How long? Kieran asked.
Soon! cksmith then stood up and left, like she always did after a deal.
Kieran watched cksmiths back and saw her off.
After she left, Kieran took the lemon water and slowly drained it.
Even if it were free, he wouldnt waste it.
However, it irritated Rachel even more as the contempt in her eyes grew more substantial.
You know, a guy like you would never live past the second day in my past organization, Rachel said.
That is why the organization is destroyed. Also, Lawless, Kieran raised his cup to y along.
No, Im wrong. If you really joined the organization that I used to be in, you would be killed on the first day, Rachel said in an upset tone.
Her hands were not slow as well, wine bottle after wine bottle was taken out of the cer and was being mixed into a special cocktail.
Although it wasnt the first time Kieran saw it, he was still captivated by her swift hands that moved around in a flurry.
They moved around in a flurry yet maintained her elegance in the movements.
It could be even considered as a fun show to watch.
Compared to the astonishing skills that he witnessed in the bar he once worked, those skills could really go into the garbage bin.
Then...
Kieran clearly saw two tubes of medicine being quietly mixed into the cocktails.
What is this? Kieran raised a brow.
Lawless exclusive, exined Rachel as she used an even more meticulous way to insert the medicine into the cocktails.
The smell of alcohol covered the medicines smell. The medication wasnt destroyed in the process as well.
Quite the opposite, the medicine and the cocktail became interconnected.
Through his sense of smell, Kierans [Mystical Knowledge] and [Potionology] swiftly helped him to differentiate the concoction, but he was more concerned about another thing.
Hes not taking his meds? Kieran asked.
Not taking his meds? That would be great if its true, the worst thing is he didnt acknowledge himself as needing help, Rachel sighed.
Didnt you say you have a way around that? Kieran frowned.
Isnt that good enough? Rachel pointed at the cocktail.
Are there better ones? Kieran frowned harder.
Yes. But they need more time, Rachel nodded.
Does he have that much time? Kieran asked after hesitating.
Although there are some problems here that will slightly affect his memories, it will still be enough, Rachel pressed her temples.
That will be enough? Kierans tone sounded heavy.
The oue was not satisfying enough.
This is already the best.
Rachel passed the ss to Kieran, the meaning was obvious.
Kieran took the ss and stood up, but when he walked over to Lawless, he paused and told Rachel.
If you need help, tell me in advance.
Of course, you think you can run?
Rachel smiled with her crossed arms. When she saw Kieran give Lawless the drink, and Lawless grab Kierans shoulder happily withughter and giggles, her smile got brighter.
Then she spoke to herself softly
Rank III gemstone eh?
What a surprise!
I have to work hard, as well. Otherwise, he will surpass me... Cant imagine the shame then.
...
After rejecting Lawless invitation for more drinks, Kieran left Harvest Inn.
Starbeck was still waiting for him. He was looking forward to Starbecks new dishes.
However, when he reached the train station, he saw a rare figure beside the signage.
The big city was extremely spacious, even with a lot of new yers flooding the game, it didnt immediately change the scene. Other than some ces with many yers, public transport was never filled with people, let alone cramped with others.
Outside Harvest Inn, because the inn was a spot for lone wolves, there were a lot of yers who got on and off the train, but... Most of them were familiar acquaintances.
However, this figure before Kieran was aplete stranger.
On top of that...He was a high-ranker, not just any high-ranker but someone far exceeding the standard Advance Ranks.
The mans hands were in his pockets, his red wind coat was waving with the wind, revealing the dark pants and boots.
Kieran sized up the man, so did the man to Kieran.
Then, the man gave a lightugh.
Fiery Devil?
Before his words truly subsided, a dense bloody stench assaulted Kierans face.
Chapter 1330 - Sin-Server
Chapter 1330: Sin-Server
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
A sticky, gooey liquid came from the yer. It didnt just block Kierans breath, but also caused a lot of difort because of the toxin mixed inside.
The invisible toxin mixed with the bloody stench, and when it was one step away from touching Kieran, it suddenly took form.
A green skull as big as a house appeared in front of Kieran. It widened its mouth and silently roared, as if about to devour Kieran.
Then, a magma arm flew out from Kierans side and grabbed the seemingly huge green skull.
Pak!
After a clear cracking sound, the green skull was crushed to pieces by the red palm.
Everything then disintegrated into nothing!
The green skull vanished without a sign, the faint burnt smell in the air got carried away by the wind and Kierans feathered mantle fluttered in the breeze.
The figure beside the signage was stunned by the scene.
He had known the attack just now wouldnt be able to inflict any damage to Kieran, but he never thought it would break so easily.
Other than that, he also never thought of how straightforward Kieran would be.
Very well, as expected of the...
Bang!
ording to the yers original n, he would say something to bring himself closer to Kieran and shorten the distance between them, but it seemed like he didnt know Kieran well enough.
He didnt understand that a stranger that struck first was considered an enemy to Kieran.
Powerhouses appreciating one anothers strength?
That was non-existent in Kierans heart.
Kieran only followed one rule: the stronger his enemy, the more reason for them to die.
A kicknded on the yers chest.
A force field barrier extended right away, dying the lethal kick for a bit, but the following kick shattered the barrier instantly.
Hold on, I... The yer tried to say something, but Kieran didnt care.
He delivered another kick. This third kickwith the effects of [Barsical Kick]bined with [Viper Kick] s strangenessbecame faster and fiercer.
Sss, Sss!
Amidst the irritating snake hisses, the yer dodged aside, thinking he had managed to avoid Kierans kick, but instead, he saw Kierans foot make a sharp turn in mid-air.
The power of Kierans kick didnt diminish because of the turn; itnded heavily on the yers crossed arms, which he had put up hastily to block the kick.
Bang!
His swift defense copsed with a single kick.
A strong gale enveloped Kierans feet and umted into
[de Kick]!
Chang!
At the next moment, after the de-unsheathing sound, a formless qi energy fired towards the yers neck.
The yers face turned sour when he saw the qi energy wave in front of his face; he no longer held back.
Blood suddenly shed in mid-air. An oval shield then took form from the blood and blocked the qi energy wave.
Upon contact between the shield and energy wave, the energy wave shattered in mid-air while the blood shield showed not to have suffered any changes. Nheless, the yer was breathing in a hurry, his forehead smeared with sweat.
Hot!
Scorching heatwaves swept thend.
zing fires covered even the sun.
A thick devil growl sounded, and the Devil me was hurled from his left hand.
Boom!
zing mes rose after the explosion; the me waves wreaked havoc, and a heavy sulphuric smell filled the entire street.
Figures hidden in the shadows then slowly showed themselves. Their eyes were cold as killer intent erupted.
Kill!
They charged towards Kieran after many screams that sounded like thunder, but the moment they shouted, their voices were suppressed by a sea of snake hisses.
Ferocious snakes with horns on their heads sprung up from the ground, hissing at the sky.
Silence!
At the arrival of the sea of horned-snakes that came from the ground, the entire street fell into silence.
The attackers that jumped on Kieran froze on the spot.
Their blurred faces showed fear, panic, and struggle, but no matter how hard they tried to free themselves from Kierans absolute suppression, their efforts were useless.
Huu!
Devil me umted in Kierans left hand.
Unlike normal times where it was a ball of fire, this Devil me instead took the form of a fiery greatsword, following Kierans thought.
Swung!
The fiery greatsword produced its own growls.
One after another, the figures were shed in half.
One after another, the figures disintegrated into light particles.
The battle was over the moment it started.
By the time Lawless and the others grabbed their weapons and came out of the inn, there was nothing but a roasted street in ruins.
Was it them? Lawless asked while referring to a particr party.
Seems to be so, Kieran replied.
Seems to be so? Lawless was confused by the description.
One guy escaped during these guys timely appearance.
Kieran briefly described the yer that had first appeared at the station and escaped during the chaotic scene.
This second wave of attackers appeared too coincidentally.
When Kieran had unleashed his killing moves, these attackers appeared as though they were covering for that one yer, giving him the chance to escape.
Based on your description, the one who escaped should be... Sin-server! Lawless uttered a name.
Sin-server? One of the ten Supernovas? Kieran raised a brow.
Ya, that guy. But he has always been a loner, even more so than us. Unless necessary, he never shows his face out in public. What does this guy want with you? Lawless frowned.
I dont know. But lets go ask to find out.
Kieran then waved his hand at Lawless and the others, rejecting theirpany for the trip.
Dont forget our n. You guysing along on a high profile will cause us to fail. Moreover...pared to this Supernova guy, I am more concerned about the auctioning of my equipment, Kieran shrugged.
He won over Lawless with his reasoning.
As long as Kieran didnt say anything like You are too weak, you will only drag me down or something like that, Lawless was the easiest to persuade among the bunch.
Of course, that was only when it came to Lawless friends.
Was it hard to befriend Lawless?
Quite hard, actually.
After all, standing near this simple-minded, cigar-smoking piece of meat were Kieran and Rachel. One would scare the hell out of people and cause them to keep their eyes open when they slept; the other killed without even blinking.
In order to pass these two scary yers, one would need more than just luck.
Lawless brought the crowd back to the inn while Kieran went aside.
He began tracking the footsteps left behind by the Sin-server. He followed the visible steps on the ground, going through streets and shuttling across alleyways.
Just when the trail went cold, two people appeared in his sight.
One was the Sin-server, as expected.
The other was... Borl.
When the duo saw Kieran walking toward them from the end of the alleyway, they halted their conversation. Sin-servers face looked especially inconceivable.
He had tried his best to assess Kieran and predicted that Kieran woulde after him, but this fast?
You are really out of my expectations, you...
Bang!
Before Sin-server could finish, he was sent flying with a kick again.
Borl stood rooted to his spot.
Kieran wasnt showing mercy, nor was he fond of Borl, so when Borl saw him, he threw his bag of weapons to the ground and raised his hands in the air.
Chapter 1331 - A New Wave Arises…
Chapter 1331: A New Wave Arises...
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Borl knew what kind of person Kieran was.
He was great to his friends.
Enemies?
Describing Kieran as cold and ferocious was considered as euphemistic.
He was the very embodiment of ruthlessness and killing without mercy.
After hearing rumors and witnessing it himself a few times, Borl didnt think it was too over the top to describe Kieran as such.
So, he knew how he should act before Kieran.
He raised his hands up high and dared not move a muscle. He was afraid he would cause some unwanted misunderstanding, leading to Kieran killing him right then and there.
Borls decision was undoubtedly the best one he made in his life.
Kieran didnt strike him down, all he did was re coldly at him. Kieran then shifted his gaze at Sin-server further away who struggled to climb up.
The duo before his eyes was interesting.
Borl, a yer who had deep connections with the Guardians of the Witch.
Sin-server, one of the ten Supernova only second to the Witch.
ording to Lawless, Sin-server was even more of a loner than solo yers, his whereabouts were a mystery.
However, he was caught up with Borl at this particr moment.
Without even asking, Kieran knew both of them must have reached some kind of ord.
As for what?
The Witchs Legacy, or the Guardian organization.
Other than that, Kieran couldnt think of anything.
At least from the current stages of clues, it looked like that on the surface.
As for beneath the surface? The truth?
Kieran didnt know. All he knew was Sin-server attacked him, and it was enough.
The coldness blew in the street like a winter breeze.
Being the first to bear the brunt, Borl shuddered in front of Kieran. Sin-server, who stood up with a furious re, also stopped his intention of charging towards Kieran.
Sin-server clearly felt the killing intent from Kieran. He curled his lips into a cold grin, though.
Although the initial n differed, he didnt mind making changes to adapt to the situation.
A faint bloody stench came out from Sin-server, and it quickly filled the entire street.
Borl could do nothing but bitterly smile when he saw both of their auras change.
He didnt have what it took to stop the fight from breaking out, even if he really hoped both of them would work together with him and resist the real enemy.
Strength was the main melody of the big city.
It had always been like that, and until now, it had never changed.
The thought of regaining his previous strength grew eager in his heart, but Borl raised his hands higher in the air and stepped back.
His intentions were obvious.
Do what you want, dont drag me into this.
After all, he must live to regain what was his.
If he lost his life? It would be game over for him.
Kieran and Sin-server didnt seem to notice Borls little action, both of their attention was captivated by each other.
Or rather, both of them didnt even care about Borl from the start.
A good chance!
The figure hidden in the shadow for a while now squinted his eyes.
Then, this figure made his move!
It wasnt at Kieran, it wasnt at Sin-server, but at Borl!
A cold shter, a dagger was thrust towards Borls neck.
Before the figure had made his move, Borl didnt notice anything unusual. It wasnt until the dagger was almost at the back of his neck that he noticed the danger.
His vast battle experience immediately allowed Borl to understand what was happening, and he instinctively wanted to lean forward, but it was toote.
The dagger was too fast, to the point that even if Borl could react, he wouldnt be able to dodge it in time.
Sh*t!
Feeling the arrival of death, Borl clenched his teeth in bitterness and unwillingness.
Of course, he felt bitter and unwilling, he had too many regrets and grudges, but before death, everything was fair.
With his death, everything would be over.
Puk!
There came the sound of a de piercing through flesh, but Borl didnt feel any pain. Instead, he felt the heat at the back of his neck.
Borl turned around quickly.
He saw that the killer had fallen to the ground and a long narrow rapier was floating in the air. Borl quickly recognized the rapier as [Dandelion Pierce] since he did his studies on Kieran.
Borl then turned to Kieran with a confused gaze.
He didnt understand why Kieran saved him, Sin-server felt the same as well.
The Kieran before their eyes seemed to contrast with the Kieran they had in mind and how the information described him.
Could it be?
A less reliable thought appeared in Sin-servers heart as he shifted his gaze between Kieran and Borl, then, something happened.
Kaboom!
A loud explosion went off all of a sudden, even the ground shook ceaselessly.
However, what followed wasnt a red pir of fiery light; instead, it was a dense silver radiance.
It was dazzling and eye-catching, Sin-server screamed in agony when he saw the silver radiance.
Correct, he was screaming in agony!
Sin-server, who could easily withstand Kierans full-blown kick, fell on the ground right away before the silver radiance. His body was sizzling, and ck smoke was erupting from it.
Kill!
Two loud shoutster, two figures jumped out from the shadow and dashed towards Sin-servers nks.
These two figures didnt even care about Kieran and Borl because they werent the target.
However, Kieran made his move.
Two balls of Devil me were hurled out at the sudden attackers after creation. The two attackers were drowned by the Devil me without any resistance.
The light from the me covered the white disintegrating light as well.
Kierans sudden attack also made the remaining attackers deviate from their target.
Thats right, the two attackers that Kieran just killed werent all of them. Or more precisely, the two attackers werent even a vanguard group, they were only the scouts.
Huu!
Multiples made with silver iron fell from the sky andnded precisely on Kieran. Thes didnt just cover himpletely, they even blocked Kierans retreat.
Further away, a few more dangerous presences locked their gazes on Kieran as well.
Snipers!
But Kieran was more concerned at the spot beneath his feet.
The ground that had just exploded with the silver radiance!
Kieran widened his steps, and his body shifted to an elusive state, hence allowing him to break free from the snipers crosshair easily. Thes that should have bound him missed their target as well.
This feat wasnt possible if Kieran purely relied on Agility, but whenbined with the [Dark Movement Technique], it was a piece of cake to break free from bindings.
Boom!
Another explosion went off.
A more dazzling, blinding silver radiance exploded. Split seconds before the explosion went off, Kieran expertly dodged the st point, but not Sin-server, who was pinned down.
Aaaargh!
Another cry of agonyter, Sin-server limped down on the ground without any further movements. If he werent breathing, he would be no different from a dead person.
A ck figure jumped out from the ground and looked at Kieran, who blocked Sin-server behind him, with furrowed brows.
The figure hated people who stood in his way.
Sin-server, on the other hand, heaved a long breath. He knew hed survive this.
Than
Bang!
Before he could say thanks, Kieran raised his foot above Sin-servers head and stomped down.
As the white light particles floated in the air, Sin-server died.
Chapter 1332 - When The Previous Had Barely Subsided.
Chapter 1332: ... When The Previous Had Barely Subsided.
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
While looking at the light particles, the ck figure that jumped out from the ground was stunned.
He couldntprehend what was going on.
Isnt he stopping me from killing this guy? What the...
Mixed thoughts flooded his mind but were interrupted the next moment.
Cold! Spine-chilling coldness!
When Kieran looked at him, the ck figure trembled in fear. The figures eyes were already panic-stricken when he returned the gaze to Kieran.
He knew there was only one possibility that could result in such sheer coldness.
Immense power and... Countless killings!
Not just killing natives in dungeons but also yers! Only then could the coldness strike fear in peoples heart.
How many yers has this guy killed?
A killing machine? No, he is beyond a simple killing machine.
He is a butcher! From top to bottom!
The ck figure was frozen by the cold and ruthless ck eyes. When his body was shrouded with killing intent, he was literally frozen alive, like he was a body in the morgue.
As a matter of fact, the figure did see countless bodies in his sight.
Layer afteryer, bodies after bodies, the numbers were impossible to count!
The bodies were crying, screaming, some prayed softly, some begged for forgiveness, but all actions were useless.
These bodies, men and monsters, was facing a person not only relentless and ruthless, but he was also ferocious as well.
This person had nopassion or mercy.
All this person had wasughter!
Kill!
Kill! Kill!
Kill! Kill! Kill!
Deafening growls echoed in the figures ears. His frozen body was trembling relentlessly, his eyes, nose, ears, and mouth were bleeding as he shook.
S-Spare me, I can tell you their secret!
Stutters came out from the bloody mouth of the ck figure, but his words became harder to hear because of the blood.
Despite the figure hoping to deliver a clear message, he still felt the presence of death like never before.
He didnt want to die, he wanted to live, and he thought he could survive because he grasped a lot of secrets that other yers didnt know.
A small portion of the secrets could be exchanged for his petty life.
His thought was correct though, if it was someone else, it would be enough, but he was facing Kieran.
Bang!
The moment the figures words subsided, his head exploded.
...
The kill notification appeared, the ck figures name was Gondar, and he contributed 20K Points and 5 Skill Points to Kieran, plus a key to his room.
Gondar?
A never before heard name.
Kieran frowned and turned back to the previous kill notification.
Or rather, he was very interested in Sin-server because
[yer Killed: Server I]
[Treated as self-defense through authentication]
[Categorized as an Honor Kill]
[You will receive all the Points and Skill Points of the yer...]
[Total: 3000 Points and 1 Skill Point]
[Received the yers house key]
[Granted the right to use the yers house]
[All the yers belongings are returned to their home]
[Honor Kill: 117]
...
Server I, not the real Sin-server.
Looking at the I symbol, Kieran couldnt help but squinted his eyes.
Since there is I, will there be a II or III?
Sin-server isnt just a person but an organization?
Kieran pondered upon the thought and looked further away.
The two snipers were running away in panic.
They werent here for Kieran but for the Sin-server, but without a doubt, they wouldnt care about other peoples lives either.
If Kieran were weak, he would be the one dead right here.
Being weak is a sin.
There was nothing wrong in the big city, even if it was extremely hard to ept the gore and cruelness at first, one would slowly get used to the situation.
When Kieran understood this, he had been risking his life in bing stronger.
He didnt want to be a fish caught in the fire, or get killed randomly in the street.
What he sought after were choices, he wanted to have more choices in a situation like this.
For examplekilling those bastards who dared to attack him!
He would not attack unless attacked, and once attacked, he would eradicate his enemies!
Kieran walked to the shadow beside him slowly.
When he walked past Borl, he didnt even bat an eye at him.
Borl was still somehow useful. The secrets on him and the apparent feeling, both were the reasons why he wasnt killed.
Kieran was looking forward to the real secrets Rachel could dig up on him.
So, he didnt hide anything and told Rachel what just happened.
Rachel: Noted.
...
After the simple reply from Rachel, Kieran disappeared from the street.
When Kieran left, a big group of cyber enforcers slowly arrived from the end of the street.
Borl who limped on the ground quickly picked up his weapons and bags and ran aside.
He knew he had just had a brush with death, but...
It wasnt because of Kierans mercy, but because he was interested in the secrets in Borl.
Borl clenched his teeth when he thought about the secret that could decide his life and death.
He ran towards Harvest Inn because he had no other choices left.
The longer it was, the harsher it would be for him, might as well seize the chance right now to gain more ground for himself.
...
The two escaped snipers werent fast, but not exactly slow either.
They split up halfway, changed their looks and contacted their respective supporters quickly.
Everything they did in the process was to increase the chances of their sessful escape.
When a group of supporters appeared before them, the snipers slightly heaved a sigh of relief.
Whenever people gathered in groups, fear would gradually decrease.
Courage came back to the snipers.
The snipers rendezvous and headed towards their supporters, the supporters were actually their employers.
Gondar is dead!
Why the hell was the ming Devil there?
He wasnt part of the n! One of the snipers said.
His voice was shaky and his heart was grudgeful but a big part of him was questioning the unexpected appearance.
idents always happens. Since you two had epted the mission to kill Sin-server, you must know what to expect.
The leader of the supporters said with a cold smile.
He was mocking these bounty hunters who got carried away by the high bounty and also imitating the teasing methods of the mastermind.
Too troublesome, it was so troublesome that it annoyed him.
He really wanted to use the most direct way to solve the problem before him.
Broker went quiet.
The Guardians also stayed low after showing up for a little.
Now, it was the best time for them.
We need more payment for this! the other sniper said coldly.
Of course. ording to the contract, this is what you two deserveregardless of sess or failure.
The leader of the supporter then initiated a trade.
The two snipers were slightly relieved when they saw the Points and Skill Points in the trade window.
Although they didnt like the leader in front of them, at least he kept his promise.
This particr point was better than most people and it was also the reason why other yers were willing to work with him, it was a perk for people who kept their promises.
If you have simr missions next time, we...UGH!
The snipers fell to the ground as the spoke.
Their bodies were shaking and twitching, even with the system blur, one could see their face turning green rapidly, followed by a purplish-ck.
Poison! A very lethal and cruel poison!
A slight touch of the poison could kill a yer and the process of dying was very long. The victim would suffer unimaginable pain before they indeed died.
Aaaaargh!
Didar, spare me!
Ill give up on the payment!
One of the snipers mentally copsed after twitching for a few seconds on the ground, he started to beg for his life.
Tsk tsk, how can I do that? The payment is what you deserved, I cant take it back.
Of course...If you guys insist on giving it back, I dont mind that either.
The man named Didar prolonged his tone purposely.
Yes! Yes! We will pay you back!
The two hired snipers nodded repeatedly.
The trade was initiated again.
Then...
Didar stood there and watched the two snipers.
Weve given you back the payment, now give us the antidote! they shouted.
Hey now, you two gave me back the payment by yourself, but did I say I was giving you the antidote?
Didar chuckled and widened his eyes at the two snipers. He wanted to take a good look at these two morons falling into despair.
As expected, the two snipers were stunned before cursing Didar loudly. But soon enough, their agonizing cries suppressed their cursing.
Their painful cry gradually grew weaker and eventually died off.
Too soon. Didar shook his head with regret.
He wasnt satisfied. In his initial thoughts, the process should havested longer.
He turned around, looked at one of his men.
This ce is really great! With all the perfect rules, all you need is a contract, and you can deceive people perfectly. This is very enjoyable, I dont want to go home now!
Am I right, my lord? The men who Didar looked at replied quickly, his voice was hurried and shaking, because he was scared.
Are you afraid? Didar asked his man with a tilted head and hands in his pocket.
Even though the system blur covered Didars face, everyone else could feel the enjoyment of Didar.
Look at his shining eyes!
Didar was fond of cruelty, whether at enemy or at one of his own.
N-No my l-lord, I... Aarrgh!
The man shook his head repeatedly, he wanted to state his position but before he could, he fell and screamed in pain.
Simr to the two snipers before him, he was poisoned.
The others around him unconsciously took a step back, their eyes were filled with fear as they looked at theirrade who was suffering.
Are you all scared? Didar asked with a smile.
No one answered this time. They were terrified, but couldnt say anything.
No one knew what kind of oue would be waiting for them should they speak their minds.
Didar looked at his men, seconds then turned into minutes.
The impatient feeling rose in Didars heart again.
Tell me the answer, Didar demanded gloomily.
Y-yes, I am scared.
One of the men, who was really afraid, replied after he heard Didars question.
But after the words escaped his mouth, he covered his mouth with both his hands.
The others around him avoided him like the gue right away.
The mans eyes showed instant despair, he didnt want to die, let alone to die in such an excruciating way.
I...
Aargh!
The man begged instinctively despite knowing it would be useless, he still did it. Then, painful screams sounded around this particr man.
Those who didnt answer or avoided him fell to the ground right away, screaming in agony that could tremble ones heart.
The man jolted, endless joy then rushed up to his head.
He survived?
Great! Thank goodness!
I like honest men who answer my questions, Didar said.
T-Thank you, my lord. the man tried to reply in a steady tone.
Then...
The man himself screamed in pain as well.
But I like the moment when hope turns into despair even moreyou will satisfy me just fine.
Didar then bent down and carefully watched the dying man.
Unfortunately, with the system blur, Didar couldnt see the face, only the eyes and the rest of the mans body.
Didar widened his eyes and didnt want to let go of a single moment. His body started to shiver followed by an unnatural breathing.
A few secondster, he shouted loudly.
Not enough! Still not enough!
This is too short!
I want it to be longer, more exciting!
Didar screamed to himself before he turned his attention at a side.
A figure somehow appeared without his knowing.
We are trying to find the spy hidden among us, not have you kill them all, the figure said with a displeased tone.
You are criticizing me now, Joyce?
Didarughed softly before he replied in a vicious tone.
I dont care about a crazy dog, just like how I dont criticize one. You think too highly of yourself.
The man named Joyce, donning a set of armor didnt even care about Didars threats.
Quite the opposite, Joyce mocked Didar.
Didar stared at Joyce, two secondster, heughed.
Hehehe, hahaha! You want me to attack you? Stop dreaming, I wont fall for your little tricks.
Didar then turned around, but an invisible st of air assaulted Joyce.
Then...
The air-st froze.
A denseyer of frost spread from Joyce, not only freezing the air-st but also freezing Didars left hand.
Didar looked at his frozen left hand without changing his expression, he even touched it with his right hand.
Ding!
A clear noiseter, Didarsugh was even louder.
Frosty ice eh?
As expected, those guys really have some immeasurable ambitions.
Not only... Even the ming Devil is one of the targets.
This is too interesting!
Didar said as he looked at Joyce with a captivating gaze as if he found his new toy.
His frantic gaze would drive one to feel fear.
His persistent gaze would cause one to tremble fiercely.
His gaze...was dull, ugly, and filled with the presence of death.
Chapter 1333 - Can’t Tell The Truth From The False (2 in 1)
Chapter 1333: Cant Tell The Truth From The False (2 in 1)
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
[Dandelion Pierce] flew out rapidly, and before its buzz even subsided from the air, a long fair palm grabbed the head.
Pum!
The headless body fell to the ground.
The eyes of the dying seemed frantic and persistent, yet the unconceble dullness and nkness spread rapidly along with the presence of death.
The pair of eyes that shook hearts and struck fear turned morbid instantly.
They were no different from the other corpses.
White light covered the headless body, which started to disintegrate, and even the head held by the fair palm turned into light particles.
They floated around as the figure who held the head walked forward. The light particles shed some light on the frosted ground and revealed the ck figure.
On top of theyer of thick frost, the ck figure walked forward slowly. His eyes were cold and nd, his steps firm and steady, as if he was the owner that came from the Kingdom of Shadows. The owner of the Kingdom of Shadow inspected his territory as he walked until... he stepped into another kingdomthe Kingdom of Ice.
The street waspletely turned into an icy world.
Joyce, who stood at his spot, was releasing frost energy that surpassed anymon yers knowledgehe froze the entire street.
Freezing a cup was easy for yers who owned items that possessed Frost ability; slightly stronger Frost abilities would enable the yer to freeze a table, but trying to freeze an entire house wouldnt be that easy anymore.
Frost wasnt fire, fire was invasive.
Other than the high temperature of fire, the most obvious trait of fire was its ability to spread.
It spread by burning.
In simpler words, as long as there was enough fuel, the fire could spread uncontrobly until everything was burned to cinders.
But frost was different.
In order to keep things frozen, a low temperature must be constantly maintained.
The ability to maintain a constant temperature wasnt somethingmon yers could achieve, and not even a high-ranking one could achieve it with ease, but Joyce was able to do it here while seeming so rxed.
More importantly, Joyces ability wasnt just simple freezing.
Kieran raised his left hand, and snowkes started tond on his palm.
Although they quickly melted, the snow fell faster and came inrger sizes.
Is this the power to affect weather?
Why? Are you surprised, ming Devil?
Joyce, who stood in a pile of snow, showed a smile. The system blur prevented his smile from being fully shown, but the delight in his eyes and voice was unconceble.
He was confident that he would win in this. He had done a lot of research about the fiery opponent before him.
de of the Daybreaker.
The unique title that Kieran obtained.
me Emperor, Fiery Tyrant, ming Devil!
Titles given by other yers.
Joyce had his own guesses about the former, but thetter?
He had researched about it thoroughly!
He knew he couldnt afford to engage Kieran after he utilized the powers of de of the Daybreaker.
He had experienced the power of a Unique Title before; it was the kind of power that could truly turn around a desperate situation.
The Witch, Broker, and de of the Daybreaker as well.
So...
The battle field had to be on his own turf, a ce that could grant him advantages over the fiery traits of Kieran.
What else was more suitable than a blizzard in the freezing kingdom?
Listen to the roars of the North wind.
Joyce kept his smile and pointed at the North.
Wuuuu, Fuuuu!
The wind roared right away.
It was as if a breach had been opened in the sky, and the wind was blowing like water from a river gushing downward.
Snow was mixed with the roars of the raging wind. It started to cover everything in sight.
A few secondster, the street that was frozen was covered with a thickyer of snow, even the tall buildings and broad streets further awayeverything vanished in the white.
All that was left was the wind and snow, which had be the sole protagonists of the world.
No! More precisely, Joyce was the sole protagonist!
On top of the snowy tform, Joyce looked down on the snowynd.
The pure white scene was very beautiful, but a ck spot stood in the middle, like a drop of ink tainting a piece of white paper.
It was ugly and ufortable!
Especially when this ck spot was getting bigger and more blinding.
Joyce frowned; he raised his hand and growled.
Go!
He swung his hand down. The snow that covered the sky andnd trembled right away.
The white snow rumbled, and the raging wind roared.
At the next moment
The whole world turned upside down as if a magnitude 10 earthquake had struck thend.
The ice world was rebuilt as the sky andnd mushed together. It was then squashed fiercely like a piece of paper that was crumpled and thrown into a trash can.
The ck spot vanished after the massive movements.
Joyce smiled, unsurprised with the turn. In his point of view, it had been a sure thing to happen.
It should be like this, and this would be the ending.
So, a secondter when the ck spot re-appeared, Joyce was astonished and shaken beyond words.
However confident he was before, he was now equally astonished at this moment.
Joyces wide eyes only showed a single expression: disbelief!
He watched as Kieran walked step by step towards him.
The blizzard halted a meter away from Kieran, unable to reach any further.
He was like an existence that was independent from this icy world.
But he looked more like a ck hole, a ck hole that devoured everything.
Whether it was the wind or snow, everything was devoured.
As for the rest?
The path was still under his feet.
Kieran walked forward slowly.
The raging wind couldnt stop him.
The blizzard couldnt stop him.
Not even the copse of the sky or the crumbling of thend could stop him!
Nothing could stop Kieran once he had a target in his heart.
Joyce?
He had been so confident before, but as the distance shortened, he was not so sure anymore.
But he still wanted to try.
GO!
He waved his hand again.
Other than the first wave, Joyce had, in fact, swung his hand at Kieran multiple times.
The ice pierces, the freezing aireverythingwas hurled at Kieran, but nothing was useful. Kieran, who was still walking forward, ignored every icy attack that was thrown at him.
Joyce stared at the leather armor hidden under the mantle with a doubtful, anxious gaze after seeing his ineffective attacks.
But right away, Joyce shook his head because what he was thinking seemed impossible.
He didnt notice anything strange about the leather armor.
Joyce, so focused on [Devourer Shadow Mail], didnt notice Kierans right hand, or rather, his right glove.
Other than Kieran purposely hiding them away, [Wilcos Redemption] and [Seattle Right Hand] had be something different in the blizzard.
They were even more remarkable and hidden! They looked like they had fused with the blizzard.
Even though the two pieces of equipment now provided Kieran with endless Hp and Stamina, they hadnt changed in any obvious way. While relying on the two items that were repeatedly enhanced by the blizzard, Kieran slowly shortened the distance between him and Joyce.
[Dark Movement Technique] also did its job perfectly.
It used the light to turn everything illusive.
It made Kieran look like he was ignoring the blizzard.
It made him look like he was devouring the snow and wind.
Such a scene had its fakeness, but when the target couldnt tell real from false, it was only real to Joyce.
So, in a way, Kieran was indeed ignoring the blizzard and devouring the wind and snow!
Step after step.
When the distance between both of them was shortened to a certain level, the ground covered in snow shook fiercely, much fiercer than the previous trembles. A tornado formed out of ice and snow sprung out of the ground.
Endless snow and frost was sucked in, fueling the tornado to a bigger size.
A massive figure slowly took form inside the tornado.
Bang!
After the thunderous explosion, the massive figure tore the tornado apart. Without the blizzard blocking it, the massive figure showed its true face: a 30-meter tall Frost Giant!
The moment it appeared, deafening growls followed. Then, a straight punch wasunched!
Wuu!
The tremendous power in the punch caused ripples in the air; the high buildings in the area were destroyed by the punching wind alone.
An indisputable strength! But!
It was a little slow!
Kieran dodged the punch in a sh and escaped its attacking range. The Frost Giant retrieved its punch and readied for a second one.
Wung!
The air around the giant stirred up again; this second punch was much more powerful than the first, but before it could beunched, it froze in mid-air.
Because...
Kieran appeared in front of Joyce, and its hand went through Joyces neck.
Puk!
Blood sshed. Joyce looked at Kieran in front of him with a disbelieving gaze. He then also saw another Kieran further away. A sudden realization came afloat in his mind.
But what use would it be?
Death came as promised.
Bang!
The icy tform Joyce was standing on crumbled.
The blizzard stopped abruptly, just like how it had first appeared.
Tsk, stupid.
The High Demon, Bloody Mary, appeared with Kierans face; it couldnt help but curl its lips when it saw the light particles.
In Bloody Marys eyes, this icy bastard was very simr to the crazy one from before. They were not very smart guys and could even be considered as idiots from top to bottom.
The other one?
The other one thought he was smart but was actually even more stupid.
A smart person would have known something was wrong when seeing Bloody Marys contractor take a stroll in the blizzard, but this idiot before its eyes couldnt spot anything; instead, he stood there like a live target.
Thats right, a live target!
Blood Mary treated Joyce as an obvious live target.
In order to build his strongest attack, he stood on the icy tform without any bit of defenses? In such an obvious spot?
Other than confidence, it was idiocy.
Judging from the current situation, Joyce was obviously thetter, even though his attack was indeed powerful.
So...
The person who hired these two or the person they served, who could it be?
Hope you will be a little smarter, or else...
Bloody Mary muttered to itself, but halfway through the muttering, it shook its head.
Since the subordinates were so stupid, how could their superiors be any smarter than them?
...
Another short meeting was being held.
However, this time, the group wasnt in that specific location; the meeting was held through messaging.
The moment the meeting was finished, the grumpy one with malicious intent growled furiously.
Damn it! Damn it! He cursed.
As he cursed, he smashed everything that he could see. Once the temporary room was smashed into a huge mess and everything was broken, he finally stopped and breathed heavily.
He had known from the start that his coborators werent good peoplethey had never meant goodnessbut he never thought that their way of eating would be so ugly. They betrayed him!
Although the grumpy man had also thought of striking first to secure the advantage, that didnt mean he could ept betrayal from others.
Huuhaa, Huuhaa.
A few more heavy breathster, he opened his messaging tab.
He didnt have to work ording to the n anymore. He needed to change! He wanted to make a move himself!
He wanted to kill all those bastards!
But the moment he opened the messaging tab, he was stunned.
Didar, Joyceboth names were dark. Unlike the greyed-out names for when one went offline, the darkness was cker, deeper. Only one situation could cause this.
Death!
Didar and Joyce were dead?!
The two men he treated as his left and right hand were dead?!
Impossible! Impossible! Something must be wrong!
His face was extremely sour and ugly under the system blur. He started to contact his other men, wanting to know what happened.
It wasnt that hard, finding out. In fact, there was only a few that could ignore that huge snowy area in the big city.
Although the blizzard blocked probing gazes, yers who possessed all sorts of abilities could grasp a thing or two from the blurry image.
If they werent afraid of being caught up in the blizzard, they could get a better view.
Still, it was enough.
Looking at the blurry video where a figure had his neck perforated, this important yer who was well-known amongmon yers clenched his fist tighter.
Dead!
Didar and Joyce were dead! They died in the hands of the ming Devil!
Although he couldnt see how Didar died, this grumpy yer knew that Didar, like Joyce, must have fallen to Kieran as well.
As he watched the ck figure leave in the video, the grumpy man almost suffocated.
It wasnt just because the ck figure was at ease throughout the process as if he was merely taking a stroll in his garden, but also because he had raised his right hand and ced it over his neck before going off.
The sign of cutting a throat.
It was obvious enough, to the point that it made the grumpy yer nervous.
He was certain that Kieran couldnt easily locate him, but... what if?
When the thought bloomed, he quickly contacted his coborators.
Not the old ones, but the new ones.
Soon, he and his coborators reached a deal. It made him heave a breath of relief.
Then
Dok, Dok Dok.
Knocks sounded at his door.
The notifications told him that it was one of his men.
This yer was also considered one of his best men, so the grumpy yer quickly tidied up and headed outside.
Why not allow the man into his room?
What a joke. He didnt want any of his men to see him in his ugly state.
This decision also determined this well-known yers fate.
The best man of this well-known yer was extremely nervous and anxious, as behind him was a man with a scarlet red windcoat.
The windcoat fluttered along with the wind, revealing the dark pants and boots underneath.
The well-known, grumpy yer opened his door.
With one look, he saw the person behind his best man.
He jolted and asked, Why are you here?
Chapter 1334 - Catch a Breath
Chapter 1334: Catch a Breath
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The well-known yer looked at his new coborator with doubt, but not vignce.
Contracts set his heart at ease.
So, when the well-known yer was knocked out by his men, his eyes were filled with shock and disbelief.
The man in the red wind coat grabbed the well-known yer and vanished swiftly at the end of the street with the subordinate.
The sun was still shining, the breeze was still blowing, everything seemed reasonable like nothing had happened.
Simrly, Kieran, who was sitting at the table and patiently waiting felt like nothing had happened as well.
He didnt tell Starbeck about the battles he had on the way there, but it didnt stop him from counting his rewards.
100K Points, 30 Skill Points, the most basic of rewards.
The real source of rewards was the equipment from those attackers and hitmen.
Although there was barely anything to Kierans liking, the amount was massive!
30 Magic rank items and 5 Rare rank equipment, plus the 50 Magic rank items from the dungeon which he entrusted Lawless to sell, Kieran finally heaved a sigh of relief.
He knew he should have enough for the appraisal for [Frost Heart Remnant], he might even have extra after the appraising.
For a stingy ghost-like Kieran, it was definitely the most significantfort.
Of course, what made the stingy ghost happy was the loot that concerned him.
[Name: The Lands Favor]
[Type: essory]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Attribute: 1. Protection of the Land; 2. Blessing of the Land]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: A lucky thief found this in a ruined temple, but the madness that followed ruined him instead.]
...
[Protection of the Land: Able to go underground and move with 50% of original movement speed. Gains a Powerful rank of earth armor, 30-second duration, usable twice a day]
[Blessing of the Land: Wherever your feet touch on thend, your weight is decreased by 50%, the burden of your items are reduced by 30%]
...
A muddy brown ring, or more appropriately, a finger holder. There werent any decorations on the ring, even the patterns were limited in the inner part, it had some simple blurry mystical carvings and based on Pro [Mystical Knowledge], Kieran tranted it as: I cant love you, but I can watch over you.
A short phrase but enough to rte to more.
But Kieran didnt care about what story this ring from Gondar had he only knew with this ring in his arsenal, he would be more well-rounded.
Since he couldnt truly fly in the sky, then... he would go underground!
More so, [Blessing of the Land] was a favorite for Kieran since it could decrease his weight.
What was more delightful than getting loot?
Getting more loots while the weight was decreased.
If his Strength allowed it, he wouldnt mind taking away the entire dungeon world.
He smiled, he twisted the ring a while and wore it on his right hand.
Then he looked at the loot from Server I and Didar.
The former was a sculpture of a bat the size of a finger. It was red with ck ents and had some cracks.
Thetter was a pale green gemstone, the kind that was useable without embedding.
[Name: Blood Kindred Replica]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: Above Legendary]
[Attribute: 1. Blood Shield; 2. Bloody Sword; 3. Bloody Sting]
[Prerequisite: Blood Sacrifice]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: It isnt just a replica, its also broken to a certain extent, thus halving its power]
...
[Blood Shield: Form a shield out of blood with Powerful rank defense, 3-seconds duration, usable twice per day]
[Blood Sword: Form a longsword out of blood with Powerful attack rank, 3-second duration, usable twice per day]
[Blood Sting: Form an arrow out of blood with Powerful attack rank, no bow necessary to fire, automatically aims at a target within a 25-meter radius, usable once per day]
...
[Bloody Sacrifice: Use the blood of a living being to bath the sculpture. It will enhance the sculpture slightly and slowly recovers the users HP and Stamina]
...
[Name: Vicious Venom Pearl]
[Type: Gemstone]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Attribute: 1. Venom Breath; 2. Toxic Nibble]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: The crafter that forged this peal would never have thought it would be a ruthless tool.]
...
[Venom Breath: When you activate Venom Breath, your breath will be filled with toxins. The toxin level will increase as you breath (Starting at Strong rank, takes 10 seconds to reach Powerful rank, 60 seconds to reach Extreme rank, and 120 secondster to reach rank I (No higher than rank I)). You can not only control the range of the toxin (no further than 100 meters from you) but can also choose to let it stay dormant after a target is poisoned, the dormant time cannot surpass 1 minute. Useable once per day]
[Toxic Nibble: When the target dies due to Venom Breath, a Nibble authentication will ur (when any of the targets stats reached B rank or the number of targets reaches double digits, Venom Breath cooldown will be reset. When any of the targets stats reach A rank, or the number of targets reached a certain number, Venom Breaths level will be increased, duration will be shortened by 1 second, +1 meter in range and +2 seconds in dormancy timeFollowing the difference between character attributes and numbers, the time decreased will change ordingly, no higher than 60 seconds, norger than 60 meters and no longer than 120 seconds in dormancy time)]
...
A replica?
Kieran wasnt a stranger since he saw simr words before, but he wasnt sure whether the [Blood Kindred Replica] in his hand was forged through the power of a bloodline or craftsmanship.
If it was the former, it was nothing surprising, but if it was thetter...
Kierans eyes started to shine!
He unconsciously ced Sin-server onto his to-watch list.
As for [Vicious Venom Pearl]?
Kieran didnt look down on it.
Although it had its limitations, it was enough to capture Kierans attention since it could reach a rank I attack, despite it being the limit.
When the clunking of pots came from the kitchen, Kieran quickly put away the two items.
A momentter, Starbeck with mittens brought out a big y pot.
Even with the lid over the pot, the steam and the aroma seeped through the reserved air holes, the temperature in the room quickly rose following the steam.
The aroma was spreading together with the steam as well.
Beef, mutton and some unknown meat?
Kieran sniffed the pot and quickly differentiated the richest part of the aroma: meat.
There were also vegetables and other sides mixed into it.
Radish, corn, and some herbs?
Although [Medical and Medicinal Knowledge] was high, [Potionology] was stuck at Entry level, he couldnt differentiate more than that.
But it didnt stop Kieran from lifting the lid, he took the soup spoon and filled his bowl with soup.
Then, he didnt care about the heat and took a mouthful of the soup.
Fresh! It was much sharper than he had imagined.
It didnt have the gamey stench of mutton and the oiliness of beef, on the contrary, it was quite refreshing, it tasted like mint but a bit milder.
Is it the effect of the unknown meat and herbs? Kieran wondered, his eating speed was quicker than ever.
Why not ask Starbeck?
Asking while eating wasnt Kierans habit.
Starbeck also sat down without taking off his apron, he ced his elbows on the table and lifted his chin with his palms as he looked at Kieran devour the food like a hungry wolf with a delightful smile.
He didnt mind at all when Kieran concentrated on eating and didnt even look at him.
After all, he made the pot of stew.
Starbecks smile grew brighter when he saw Kieran finish the pot of stew which could feed 5 people and didnt even spare the garnishing.
What else was more delightful for a chef than when his food was thoroughly enjoyed?
The customers who volunteered to wash the tes after the meal.
2567, you seem to be good at this, no?
Starbeck was a little curious when he saw how Kieran skillfully washed everything.
Of course, I worked in a restaurant for quite a long time. Kieran didnt hide it this time, there was nothing to hide, especially before Starbeck.
However, Starbeck didnt share the same thought.
After he heard what Kieran said, Starbeck carefully looked at Kieran, he was worried that his words would hurt Kierans pride.
Fortunately, it didnt.
Neither his actions nor tone changed after the question.
Starbeck heaved a sigh of relief in his heart.
Oh right, what were the meat and the herbs you used just now?
While washing the tes, Kieran thought of the unknown meat and herbs in the pot just now. He was quite curious about what kind of meat and herbs could produce a perfectbination to suppress the gamey stench of mutton and beef and yet keep the stew from going spicy.
Kieran wasnt truly a chief, but as a qualified eater, the curiosity towards food wasnt all that bad.
Its snake meat and a type of herbs simr to a trees root, Starbeck answered.
Snake? Then the herbs must be expensive, Kieran was stunned.
He never thought that a snake could provide such an effect. Quite the opposite, in his knowledge, a snake had its own gamey stench as well, if only boiled, it was much worse than mutton. Therefore, there must be some special curing and light roasting after the meat was boiled.
But Kieran didnt notice the extra steps in the stew, which meant the herbs must have been the critical ingredient.
Its not that expensive. Starbeck shook his head. He sounded honest, though.
Of course, it wasnt expensive; anything solvable with Points was not valuable to Starbeck.
Kieran knew it perfectly well, so he said, Next time when your timing is near, Ill help you clear another dungeon run.
Consider it as payment for the meal.
Kieran didnt like to owe people debts or favors, even to a friend.
And because Starbeck was a friend, he couldnt be so nd and act like a rascal.
Sure, Starbeck smiled and nodded.
Starbeck knew what kind of person Kieran was, he wouldnt have argued, let alone he was hoping to clear dungeons with Kieran as well.
The safety that Kieran provided to him was something others couldnt give him.
If Kieran didnt have other important things to attend to, Starbeck would have figured out a way to keep Kieran around him 24/7.
There was no need for doubt, Starbeck could really do it, it was just that he didnt want to.
Looking at how meticulous Kieran washed the pot and ced them back into the cab, Starbeck gave up his selfish thought.
This is good enough.
Starbeck thought in his mind as he was content with what he had now.
In the uing hour, both of them chatted on the sofa.
Most of the time, it was Kieran listening with Starbeck speaking.
Starbeck was telling of the enjoyment of nting and decorating.
Kieran has zero understanding of thetter. A person as simple as Kieran would treat a sleeping bag as his home, but the former stirred up some interest in his mind. After all, many spices came from nts.
I have to leave now.
Lawless?
Em.
A fish took the bait.
Okay, be careful then. You muste over when I have a new dish next time.
Sure.
Both of them parted ways at Starbecks door.
Starbeck saw Kieran boarded the train. It wasnt until the train left that Starbeck returned to his room.
He didnt linger in the living room. Instead, he went through the corridor and headed to the basement.
After going through a long corridor, a wooden door appeared.
On the door wereyers of mystical runes. Theyers of runes felt very real and were emanating a radiant glow.
The glow was like the first light from the sun, it was almost blinding.
But Starbeck felt nothing as he pushed open the wooden door. He walked inside.
The room inside wasnt that big, only a dozen square feet.
Other than a table, there was a rack of sorts with many bottles and vials on top. Darkness shrouded the bottles, one couldnt even see what they held.
Starbeck lit up the candlestick.
The weird room was instantly brightened up by the only source of light.
The light from the candle attracted some movements from the bottles, especially one of the bottles at the front end.
An eel-like animal was swimming inside and kept bashing its head at the ss. Its struggle was futile though.
It didnt even break the bottle. Instead, it made Starbeck who was ready to invent more dishes frown.
He turned around and looked at the bottle with displeasure.
As Starbeck turned around, the light from the candle was shed over the bottle.
The eel-like creature became clear to the eyes.
It was tiny, but eight of its head was lifted up high. Even with the bottle isting it, one could hear the low hissing, the suffering kind.
A closer look at the eel-like creature revealed its broken body, a part of its body was cut by a de, a tiny cut though.
When the creature felt the displeased gaze from Starbeck, the weird-looking creature started to roar, but it was useless because Starbeck turned back around after a nce and concentrated on the recipe book on the table.
Even though through an extensive period of study, the recipe was still tough to understand, Starbeck had to check every word on the page meticulously.
I still need two more dishes toplete the basics, I have to hurry up; otherwise, it will affect the final oue... The heart of a matured Five-coloured Grand Dragon, the best will be the Red Grand Dragon... The meat of a direct descendant of a Demon Fish, the closer the rtionship, the better...
Starbeck muttered on his own and frowned.
However, when he calcted the required cost for the dish, Starbeck smiled casually.
Were the ingredients listed on the recipe expensive?
Expensive!
Even from a particr aspect, a high-ranker could barely get their hands on them, except for Starbeck.
Or rather...
Sorry, having Points can really do what you want.
The reason why you cant buy what you want is that your Points arent enough.
Chapter 1335 - Saikory
Chapter 1335: Saikory
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
As the auction for Kierans items came to an end, Rachel dered that Harvest Inn would close early that day, thus the inn quickly quieted down..
Not everyone left though.
Lawless, cksmith, Hanses, Coll, Raven the Loner, Ramont, Rhino, Lemour the Alchemist and the newly joined ir and Garwen were all in their respective seats. Some were resting with their eyes closed, some were whispering to each other, but all of them were waiting for Kieran.
Did the auction just sell off around 70 to 80 Magic items?
ir moved his friend, Garwens arm with his while resting his eyes.
It was 80 Magic ranks and 5 Rare ranks, Garwen corrected his friend.
Scary. So this is the power of a yer with a Unique Title? One single dungeon run and he can get that much loot? ir couldnt help but exim.
Its not the dungeon loot, but the loot from killing attacking yers, Garwen corrected his friend again.
But this is still a show of his strength, right? It would be great if I had that kind of power.
ir didnt mind his friend correcting him. They had been together for so long, ir was used to Garwens slightly OCD character.
Likewise, Garwen was also used to correcting irs carelessness and sloppiness.
If both of them couldnt get along, they wouldnt have been good friends in the first ce.
Even if you have that kind of power, its hard for you to recreate 2567s experiences, Garwen replied after a moment of deep thought.
Why? ir looked at his friend in confusion.
Resources, luck.
What do you mean?
Garwens reply confused ir even more.
The literal meaning.
Ramont, with his dual swords, and Rhino, with [Calgas Crush], which he bought from Kieran a while ago, came over. Ramont sat opposite of ir and started to exin.
When 2567 first entered the big city, it was coincidentally a turning pointon the surface, Broker and the killer yers were messing around, while in the dark, the Guardians were plotting. It might seem like they are three different factions, but all of them are somehow rted to 2567. Then, 2567 exceeded their expectation time after time, getting unexpected kills one after another, thus reaching his current stage. Throughout the process, resources and luck are indispensable.
Resources... You guys treat the attackers as resources? ir finally reacted.
Why cant we? They treat as as points, we treat them as resources. Whats wrong with that? Rhino questioned in a low, muffled voice.
Sounds weird to me.
As a new member of this small ground, ir obviously didnt dare to argue with the veterans. Besides, although he felt weird about it, he couldnt tell where exactly.
Why do you guys like to ignore the strongest point of 2567? His tenacity! He is the most tenacious person Ive ever seen. Even against a powerful enemy, he will never give up! Even when it seems like its the end and everyone else falls into despair, he still holds up.
Lemour, the Alchemist with a primary schooler body, holding a wine bottle, was attracted by the conversation; she voiced her own opinion.
He is also very calm, cksmith also joined the talk.
He might be calctive at times, Hanses and Coll added.
But he is still a good man, Raven the Loner said while caressing his cat.
A good man?
Thats right, a good man!
The crowd was stunned for a moment beforeughing out loud.
The loudest among them all was Lawless with his cigar.
Kieran entrusted him to sell his loots every single time.
It was correct that Lawless had a lot of friends, but if one had enough resources, they could have enough friends as well, and no one would mind a friend like Kieran, let alone the considerable amount ofmission Lawless gained each time.
5% of 100 Points was nothing, but...
What about 1,000,000 Points? Or even more than that?
Anyone would feel envious.
This time, with the addition of the 5 extra Rare rank items, even though they werent some high tier pieces of equipment, it swiftly skyrocketed the auction point over the limit.
Still, Kieran was willing to entrust the auctioning to him, allowing him to take all the initiatives.
Lawless was filled with nothing but gratitude, so he quietly lowered hismission to 1%.
And if Kieran didnt agree to his terms, he would force Kieran to agree by stepping down from the position.
Lawless wasnt a person that liked to take advantage of friends; otherwise, he wouldnt have that many friends in the first ce.
Since he treated other friends simrly, Kieran would not be an exception.
Lawlessughed happily. It was the best thing for him since he got to help his friend.
ir, who was still nervous at first, gave inpletely. He raised his cup and toasted with Ramont and Rhino multiple times.
Why not Lemour?
Stop joking. Even if ir was new to the group, he knew he shouldnt drink with Lemour, for he might die of alcohol poisoning.
A bunch of fools.
Rachel pouted as she wiped the sses from behind the bar counter but didnt say anything else after that.
She knew that Kieran was very powerful and tenacious in their minds, cold and ruthless to his enemies, but he was very kind to his friends. It was an indisputable fact.
As Kierans friends, that single point alone was enough.
I guess stupidity is infectious.
Rachel sighed when seeing Lawlessugh out loud with the others. She then permitted ess for Kierans entry.
Hey 2567! Lets have a drink! My treat!
The moment Kieran entered the inn, he saw everyone surrounding the table in front of the firece.
It was very merry but not messy. Kieran didnt mind the merry atmosphere, so he nodded.
Sure. Lemon water will be good.
Still, something must be stated clearly: he wouldnt touch alcoholic drinks.
Since everyone knew his habit, no one minded.
Kieran, with his ss of lemon water, sat with the crowd. The meeting officially began.
Someone tipped me off that the one who put the bounty on 2567 is the guild master of Iron Chariots, Saikory, Lawless said directly.
Iron Chariots?
Saikory?
No way!?
Lawless ims instantly attracted the astonishment of the others, even Kierans, because they were no strangers to Iron Chariot.
Although Kieran barely came across any guild yers, the first time he entered the big city, he had encountered a guild battle happening outside his doors, which left an impression in his mind.
One had been the Iron Chariots, and the other, Steam City.
Likewise, Kieran didnt forget Lawlessments about the two guilds.
Neither were powerful factions.
So, how could such a faction put a bounty of 5,000,000 Points on him?
Unless...
A thought struck Kieran, and he looked up at the crowd.
Everyone else was also in deep thought.
Chapter 1336 - Do
Chapter 1336: Do
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Could Saikory be a scapegoat upstaged by someone? Coll asked softly.
A scapegoat? Its possible, but theres a higher chance that he is someone worthy of attracting our attention, Hanses voiced out his opinion.
Then who upstaged him? Garwen asked after some thought.
Then, everyones gaze turned toward Lawless.
Ramont asked his question directly. Lawless, who tipped you off?
A guy name Rorl, a veteran in Iron Chariots, but not that powerful. He is usually tasked with leading the newer yers on expeditions, opening maps and stuff like that. Lawless didnt hold back the information.
I think we should have a meeting with this Rorl, Rhino suggested.
Agreed.
Agreed.
I second that.
Ramont nodded, and no one else rejected the suggestion, except for Kieran and Raven the Loner.
Thetters silence was a habit, so everyone threw their gaze at Kieran.
Why Saikory? Kieran asked.
Yeah, why Saikory though?
There were not many yers like Saikory in the big city, but definitely not few either.
But why him? Why the guild master and not other simr yers?
Everyone frowned en masse.
Spections popped up in their minds, but in the end, all of them were rejected.
Ultimately, everyone, including Raven, looked at Kieran again.
Why? Lawless asked on behalf of everybody.
But under everyones anticipating gaze, Kieranid his hands open, I dont know.
His answer stunned everyone, followed by rants.
Are you kidding? 2567, how do you make friends like that?
2567, you know, if I could beat you, I would have beaten you into a pig!
...
The crowd went into an uproar instantly.
Although, the question Kieran brought up was remembered at heart.
This would no doubt raise their vignce in the uing operation, and it would be enough.
Kieran reached his goal.
Rhino and I will go have a meeting with this Rorl, Ram and Rhino stood up.
Well go gather information on Saikory then, Hanses and Coll moved together.
The mercenaries around here might have some news on that too. Leave it to me and ir, Garwen and ir left together.
The members of the little group swiftly moved out.
After Lawless was told to wash the tes and wipe the table by Rachel, the inn was left with Kieran, cksmith, Lemour the Alchemist and Raven the Loner.
Lemour, however, stood up, wobbling and wandered over to the bench beside the corner. Sheid down, and snores soon followed.
The bottle in her arms was emptied.
Raven carried his cat to the front of the firece, sat down against the wall, and adjusted himself and the cat in afortable position.
The table was now left with Kieran and cksmith.
Starbecks cooking is good, I hear? cksmith leaned back in the chair and asked.
Em, very good. Kieran nodded honestly.
cksmith then went silent.
The atmosphere also went silent, making it feel a little awkward.
Kieran frowned. He didnt like awkwardness, so he wanted to leave, but before he could stand up, cksmith spoke again.
Are you... satisfied with the food he cooks? cksmith asked in a hesitant manner, the words she used deliberately thought over.
Satisfied, Kieran answered with a firm tone again.
Then... Its fine. cksmith shook her head and quickly shifted the topic under Kierans doubtful gaze.
Give it to me, cksmith extended her hand.
What? Kieran was stunned.
[Frost Heart Remnant]!
As she replied, cksmith also showed off her aura, the aura of a high-ranker.
In addition, her aura wasnt amon one either. Dazzling, colorful shines shone before Kierans eyes; he felt like he was seeing fire, cyclones and even frost in cksmith. Three distinctive auras intertwined and formed a colourful big bird that soared in the sky, flying over the endless nd of darkness.
Then...
Everything returned to normal.
Rank II?
No, not rank II! Something simr, but much moreplicated?
The feeling of containing everything, yet being independent of all rose in Kierans heart.
Owning Devil, Cardinal Sins, Saint Thorn, Dawn and gue, Kieran always thought his energy system was veryplicated, but somehow, cksmiths one before him seemed even more so.
Unlike his plethora of Origin Force, herplexity formed a perfect system.
Then, a word escaped Kierans mouth.
Gem Force?!
Kieran looked at cksmiths eyes, waiting for a reply.
He saw her smile, the smile telling him that his guess was right, but it gave Kieran even more questions.
When did you...
I was thinking about how to chase up to you and just pressed on further with hard work[Dungeon Cooldown Card] is a rare thing, but its not non-existent. Fortunately, my appraisal of gemstones and my embedding abilities allowed me to get them.
cksmith was as cold and nd as ever as she exined.
She had returned to her old self.
Kieran?
He was always himself from the start.
You dont have to chase up to me, but you should be responsible for yourself. Everyone is forced in this city. In order to not choose the worst option during a critical moment, everyone should try their best in seizing the opportunity to be stronger.
Kieran corrected the part in cksmiths words where he thought she was wrong, also telling her his own thoughts.
There wasnt a single lie, everything being genuinely from his heart.
Anyone who heard that could tell how sincere he was, and cksmith was no exception.
So...
1.2 million, cksmith said coldly.
What?
Kierans hand shook for a second after taking out [Frost Heart Remnant]. No, not just his hand, his body shook as well.
He felt pain, pain in his flesh and whole body.
He had known appraising [Frost Heart Remnant] would be expensive, but not this expensive, to the point that it reached the level of his profit from the auction.
Did she do it on purpose?
Kieran thought of this unconsciously, but he denied it right away.
In his mind, other than the ability to appraise gemstones and embed, the strongest image he had of cksmith was her calmness and ability to differentiate from the big city and reality.
Shed even set a certain time for herself to stay in the game.
So, it didnt seem right for a person who had such powerful self-control to do something like this.
Moreover, Kieran couldnt find any reason for her to do this.
Kieran took in a deep breath.
He pressed down on the unwillingness in his heart and traded with cksmith.
Lemours snores from the bench got louder.
Raven held his cat tighter.
Women? Hehe, too scary.
Cats were the best.
Chapter 1337 - Deliver A Letter
Chapter 1337: Deliver A Letter
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The appraisal process couldnt happen in the inn.
Kieran and cksmith greeted Rachel before boarding the train to Emma Street 99th.
They sat side by side. cksmith was quiet, and Kieran wasnt a person who would heat up the atmosphere either. He leaned back against the soft seat and looked straight ahead, his mind thinking about the information regarding Saikory, or more precisely, why it was Saikory and not others.
But just like what he told the others before, he didnt know.
Without any useful information, he couldnt deduce anything.
I hope Hanses and Coll are getting more on their side, Kieran thought with a certain level of confidence.
Coll might not be praiseworthy in terms ofbat, but her ability to gather information were very useful.
Although the big city had monitors all over the ce, they, of course, belonged to the cyberw enforcers, and yers couldnt ess them.
But Coll, she was different. In a certain aspect, she was the bane of the cyberw enforcers.
Of course, there was Garwen and ir too.
Both were new to the group, but Kieran would never underestimate anyone, as he and a lot of veterans were once newbies themselves.
What reason did he have to look down on the two of them?
Moreover, both of them showed extraordinary potential.
Lawless had praised Garwens vignce and irs courage more than once, also their wless teamwork.
The more the number, the bigger the power. Garwen and ir were the exact embodiment of teamwork.
It was simr to the tasks everyone took up this time. No matter how powerful he was, had Kieran done everything alone, he wouldnt be able to be at two ces at once. It was a cold hard fact, and Kieran couldnt deny it, just like how he couldnt deny his habit of entering a dungeon world alone.
Was it conflicting?
Not really.
Dungeon worlds had natives living there, who were special themselves. Following the increase in difficulty, the specialty of the natives would only surge.
Any slight misstep could cause Kieran to fall short of a sessful run; a slightly severe consequence could doom him forever, and he would die a graveless death.
Kieran wasnt fond of idents like this, so usually he chose to go alone.
However, the big city was different.
One only had to face yers in the big city.
Kieran dealt with other yers, and other yers were around him as well.
Of course, idents were inevitable, but the idents came from yers themselves, not something out of their control.
So Kieran didnt mind joining a small group. The main reason, however, was credited to Lawless.
Without Lawless to tie everything together, Kieran might still be alone in the game.
We have arrived at Emma Street.
The conductor announced the arrival of their destination. Kieran and cksmith alighted from the train one after the other. Kieran then purposely paused for a while, allowing cksmith to take the lead.
Although he already knew where cksmiths room was, he still maintained his manners.
cksmith also stopped for a moment, though, when Kieran paused.
Then?
She strode towards her room. Her steps werent just big, but also fast as well.
A person had very different reactions when he or she was angry or not.
Sometimes, the expression on a persons face wasnt needed to determine the persons feelings; one could easily notice it from their tone and actions.
Kieran felt cksmiths rage, but he couldnt understand why.
Looking at her back, Kieran frowned and quickly followed.
He didnt say anything.
Kieran wasnt good at asking questions first.
He always thought that if a friend wanted to tell him, they would, and if they didnt want to talk about it, itd be best not to ask about it; otherwise, the friendship might suffer a crack.
Kieran looked heavily upon friendship.
Both of them reached 99th smoothly.
Wait here, cksmith said coldly.
Okay. Kieran nodded.
The door was opened and then shut. Once cksmith was in her room and sure that Kieran wasnt listening, she took a deep breath.
DAMN IT!
She shouted loudly. She dashed towards a practise dummy in a corner of her room.
It was the kind of dummy made out of wood, normally used when practising martial arts.
cksmith dished out a punch at the wooden dummy, splitting it in half with a single punch. Then, a kick wasunched like an iron whip, and the entire dummy was kicked up from the ground, but it still wasnt the end.
The wooden dummy in the air was pulled back down by cksmith and dunked hard on the ground.
Left punch, right punch, left punch, right punch...
By the time cksmith stopped, the wooden dummy was beaten into wood chips.
Huu!
A long breathter, cksmith pped her hands and returned to her cold countenance.
She turned around and walked to the working station.
...
Outside on Emma Street 99th, Kieran was leaning in the shadows, looking at the sunlight a meter away and waiting patiently.
Whenever shadows enveloped him entirely, Kieran always felt safe from the bottom of his heart.
It wasnt an illusion, but the conclusion of experience after a long time spent in battle.
Striking first to suppress the enemy was better than allowing the enemy to strike and suppress you.
Kieran was in deep thought as he watched the surroundings.
His vignt character plus the many times in battle branded the habit of inspecting the surroundings in the deepest part of his soul, almost making it his second instinct.
It had its pros and cons.
The cons were that no one would be able to surprise Kieran anymore, butpared to the pros, the cons was not of Kierans concern.
His eyes stared at a ck spot in the sky.
It wasnt the hawk that he remembered from thest time but...
A pigeon, a gray-white pigeon with a letter tied to its legs.
The pigeon fluttered its wings andnded in the spot where the sunlight shone in front of Kieran. It hooted and looked around by turning its head, as if it were searching for something.
Despite being only a meter plus away from Kieran, it didnt notice his presence.
When Kieran extended his hand out of the shadows and grabbed it, only then did the pigeon flutter its wings in panic. It quickly quieted down though.
It wasnt that Kieran had calmed the pigeon down, but rather, it was the pigeons trained instinct.
He took the waxed, sealed paper from the pigeons leg. The cowhide paper was nicely sealed with wax; after being dried up, it was not only resistant to water, but was also granted with a tenacity that other papercked.
Once he got the letter, he opened his hand and let the pigeon go.
The pigeon pped its wings and flew up quickly. Soon, it turned into a ck dot in the sky, but another faster, more hidden ck dot followed the pigeon.
Kieran turned his gaze away from the pigeon. He checked the letter, removed the wax and took the paper out.
The contents were simple; there were only two lines of words.
Want to know why Saikory?
Come to Border Street.
Kieran couldnt help but smile at the simple message that was purposely altered to conceal the handwriting. He smiled coldly with interest.
Chapter 1338 - Hint
Chapter 1338: Hint
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
A newbie seeking a shortcut? Or another trap?
Kieran muttered to himself in the shadows.
Everything was so evident that Kieran was somehow unsure of the persons true identity.
Using a messenger pigeon, altering handwriting to protect their identity, etc.
However, the alterations werent thorough, especially in a ce like the big city. Such a cover-up was heavily wed, one didnt even need special abilities to trace the sender.
Kieran did precisely that, but unlike the sender, he was careful enough.
Of course, it wasnt saying that the sender wasnt careful enough, but because of this kind of carefulness, it made Kieran think that the sender didnt understand the big city and such a situation would only happen on a newbie yer.
But!
Could a newbie get a grasp on information regarding Saikory?
The answer was obviously no.
A conflicted answer, though.
Other than that, the timely manner made Kieran feel things were getting interesting, as if the moment he knew Saikorys identity, everything appeared before him so naturally.
But...
Was it a natural urrence?
Kieran coldly smiled again. He never believed in coincidences, just like how he thought the best enemy is a dead enemy.
His brain spun quickly.
He quickly formed up some ns and told Rachel about what just happened.
Why not Lawless?
Lawless was undoubtedly a person that Kieran could trustpletely, just like Starbeck, but he was too reckless and impulsive.
Impulsive actions are the devil of the human heart.
Kieran never denied that saying, just like he never denied Starbeck being a coward, even though he was a lot better now.
Still, Kieran couldnt count on Starbeck on certain things.
Rachel: Got it.
...
After a simple reply, both of them ended the conversation.
Kieran leaned back into the shadows again.
The door to cksmiths room opened, she walked out with her previous outfit, but her presence became hard to conceal.
Here.
cksmith tossed Kieran the [Frost Heart Remnant] and went back to her room.
Kieran raised a brow when he saw the door shut on him.
Based on the exhaustion in cksmiths tone and her hard to conceal presence, everything was telling Kieran one thing: this appraisal process was much consuming than he thought.
Likewise, [Frost Heart Remnant] wasnt disappointing either.
[Name: Frost Heart Remnant]
[Type: Gemstone]
[Rarity: III]
[Attribute: 1. Consume; 2. Embed; 3. Infuse; 4. Sacrifice]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: It belonged to a God, at least it was when it wasnt destroyed.]
...
[Consume: Extremely high chance to acquire slight Divine Frost Bloodline after consumption (Constitution and bloodline authentication required)]
[Embed: Embed it on a weapon or piece of equipment to acquire a special Frost effect]
[Infuse: It can be infused with items with ice abilities to empower them (the lower the rarity, the higher the sess rate)]
[Sacrifice: Offer it in a temple and hold a ritual for it, you will get something unexpected]
...
The coldness came from Kierans fingertip and spread to his palm as he held the gemstone with his fingers. The coldness spread further, causing him to shiver uncontrobly.
It felt like he was sshed with a bucket of cold water in winter.
The spread of coldness continued, almost within a breaths time, the coldness neared Kierans heart, and then...
The coldness was burned to nothing.
The Devil Force, from his bloodline, burned the coldness when it approached. [Frost Heart Remnant] then returned to normal.
Rejected?
Interesting!
Kieran nced over the description acquire slight Divine Frost Bloodline after consumption (Constitution and bloodline authentication required), he finally decided where he would use [Frost Remnant Heart].
Who else was more suitable for it than Frost Wolf? No one.
As for offering it in a temple?
As long as Kieran wasnt dizzied by impulse, he would not choose this option.
Divine beings or Gods werent fun to deal with from the moment they were born.
2567: Thanks.
...
Kieran thanked cksmith through the message before he turned around to the station.
However, before he boarded the train, he was shocked.
He suddenly saw a familiar face in the empty carriage of the train.
Wu.
Dont tell me this is a chance meeting. Kieran walked over, stood in front of her, and questioned her.
Of course not. I am waiting for you about what happened just now.
When Wu lowered her superiority and wanted to learn to mix around with others, almost no one could ignore what she said, Kieran was no exception.
Saikory? Kieran raised a brow.
Em. Its him and not him at the same time.
Wu replied with her old habits, but the diviner quickly reacted to the answer and added, Saikory is nothing important. 2567, you should be focusing on your next dungeon.
Next, dungeon? Kieran asked in a heavy tone.
He somehow had a bad premonition at what Wu said, and it became real right away.
Something youvee across in your previous dungeon has been... affecting your fate!
Its ultimate goal is to reap your soul.
Dont ask me why its like asking me why a wolf is a carnivore.
Its an instinct, I guess?
This thing treated you as its prey, itid its traps like a spider knitting its web, waiting for you to fall and ultimately deliver the fatal blow, Wu said softly.
You are saying dungeons can affect other dungeons? Kieran asked with spections after he pondered upon Wus words.
It can and can not at the same time.
It depends on what kind of existence you encounter in the dungeon worldyou arent affected in the Title Dungeon with me because Title Dungeons are special, to the point that the existence couldnt make a move against it.
But your next dungeon is different, whether its a normal dungeon or a special dungeon, it will go after you! Wu suddenly sounded serious.
How? Directly or indirectly? Kieran was asking about the critical point.
It couldnt go after you directly, it has to y along with the rules, and within the rules, it can use its power to... PUK!
Wu wanted to continue, but a mouth full of blood gushed out, preventing her from doing so.
Her blood was spilled on Kierans feathered mantle, the ck and red intertwined, and became dazzling under the carriages light.
Kieran reached out and helped Wu, preventing her from falling.
Is this what that thing is doing to you? Kieran asked.
No, this is repulsion, repulsion within the rulesIve touched something outside the rules, thus the repulsion. A red line of blood was hanging over Wus mouth, but she continued without being too concerned.
Kieran held her by the shoulders, her head slightly tilted towards him and leaned on his arms.
Enough, it was enough for her.
The pain in her body was slowly going away, the ache in her heart was being relieved.
All that was left was the palm and the arm plus the warmth.
He...was exactly like how she remembered.
It...
Enough, that will be enough.
I am not so mean to ask for hints in exchange for your life! Besides...
Wu wanted to continue but was stopped by Kieran.
Kieran covered her mouth with his hand.
He bent down and looked at Wu on the same eye level, his eyes were shining with a never before seen glory and passion, it was dazzling like a dancing me.
His voice, however, was calm and nd, like still water.
He said, Its just God right, its not like I never killed one before.
Chapter 1339 - The Dream of the Weak
Chapter 1339: The Dream of the Weak
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
A man must have a dream.
Rorl has his own dream since he was young: to be free from poverty!
He looked down on the family that his parents carefully built. In his view, his family was too broken and inconspicuous.
He should have a better family and a very dazzling, eye-catching identity, not be some nobody.
So, he fought for his dream.
He studied hard in school.
He worked hard after he graduated.
But...
The substantial dream was ced on the bones of reality.
Despite giving it his best effort, he still couldnt realize his dream. It even became harder for him to maintain the broken family that he always looked down on.
It wasnt until then that Rorl admitted he was an average person.
He was only himself, a very regr guy. He was almost no different than the other ordinary guys around him, and he might even fall behind a little.
After all, his looks were average, his physique was typical, he was always less popr than those with good looks.
When a junior of his who graduated less than a year after him quickly became the team leader of his group because of the supports he got from the boss, Rorl realized how harsh reality was.
Therefore, Rorl became even more careful, more vignt, and... he muddled along with his life.
He saw the girl he once liked be another persons wife.
He saw how his parents got older day by day.
He saw his smile in the mirror that was getting more numb by the day.
He cried, he cried aloud.
Then, he entered the game, a legendary ce alleged to be able to change ones fate.
Using his life to change fate?
Was it fair? It was.
At least this ce gave him a chance, he swore he would seize every opportunity he got.
However, after the newbie trials, Rorl realized the harshness of reality again.
The fear of death filled his body, causing him to tremble endlessly.
If it werent for the slightest bit of luck, he would have been dead.
Rorl knew it himself.
So when Iron Chariots sent him an invitation to the guild, he joined without a second thought. He also managed to secure the least dangerous position in the guild as well: excavator of maps.
He was tasked to lead the newbies to walk around the edge of the city, expanding the map and taking notes of the terrain. He was paid with little points, simr to how he was doing in the real world.
If it werent for the 3 month death period, he would be d to continue his excavation job.
After all, the pay was twice that of real life! Where could he find a job that could pay double what he was making the real world?
He relied on his umtion and a little bit of luck to help him go through 4 dungeons despite all the dangers and frights. He wasnt seeking much in each dungeon world, all he wanted was to clear the main mission.
Naturally, it resulted in his feeble abilities.
Those who entered the game at the same time as him had far surpassed him in progress, even those who cameter overtook him by a lot, to the point that Rorl could only catch the dust of their trails.
Some newbies who knew Rorls story even looked down on him, showing contempt and disdain.
But, so what?
These people only saw the glorious, bright side of the game.
What about the failures? The losers?
No one would remember those losers and failures who died without an intact body.
Rorl, however, did.
He became even more meticulous and vignt than before, also if someone provoked him to his face, hed take it with a smile, living with the code of turning significant problems into little ones, and little one into nothing at all.
Coward!
Useless!
The names were branded on him endlessly, but Rorl turned a deaf ear and blind eye.
As long as he was alive, everything would be fine.
However, one day, his perfect means of living was broken by something.
In the uing 5th dungeon, his luck transferred him into the raid group of Iron Chariots. No doubt, it was envious for other people because everyone knew following the raid group to clear dungeons would be a harvest.
Rorl knew it as well. So he tended to be as meticulous and careful as possible, trying his best to make the guild forget his presence. He didnt want anything unexpected to happen this time.
Of course, providing some offerings and contacting the raid group members, all of the usual procedures were done as wellRorl offered a part of his previous dungeon rewards and the savings of 3 months for taking the newbies in excavation missions around the city.
Even though he was not willing to offer, it was mandatory.
He did it because he wanted to keep this spot in the raid group and also to try and win favor and help when they entered the dungeon.
Rorl was no longer a newbie, he knew the differences between being helped and being helpless.
At first, the offerings to the raid group member was progressing smoothly, the members also epted his offerings.
It made Rorl heaved a long sigh of relief, and hed even started to look forward to the next dungeon world. However, one day, he suddenly noticed the raid group member. He had always given his offerings to started to act weird.
The people tended to ignore him.
No, not ignore; it was like they never met before. Like they never talked before!
But the truth?
When this raid group member was still a newbie, he met Rorl beforeRorl brought him along on the excavation missions, and because of that, Rorl gained the chance of giving his offerings.
Now, this particr raid group member yed dumb and acted like a rascal to him, what could he do?
Cry out loud? Shame this raid group member?
No, if he did, he would be the unlucky one in the end.
Just when Rorl was epting his unlucky fate, he suddenly noticed something weird in the internal group of the guild.
Those members of the guild who liked to tease and mock him suddenly quieted down. Theyd even ignore him when Rorl walked past them.
Correct, he was ignored! He was ignored, like how he was ignored by the raid group members.
On top of that, the treatment was spreading among the guild, as well.
One of the newbies that he just led to an excavation mission, who liked to call him as Captain Rorl, started to turn cold and ignore him as well.
More importantly, that particr newbie ignored the others from his same batch as well.
If ignoring Rorl was because he was a coward, then it didnt make sense for the newbie to ignore his peers.
Doubts appeared in Rorls heart.
Just when he was about to ask privately to clear his doubts, he suddenly noticed that the batch of newbies went missing!
Rorl was shocked.
Missing in the big city? What did it mean?
Death!
Newbies dying on a big scale?
The roots of the guild will be shaken!
However, the entire higher rankings of Iron Chariots chose to turn a blind eye to this incident.
Then, Rorl also noticed some new veterans or high rankings members of the guild started to disappear.
Whenever a yer went missing, Rorl would be terrified.
He didnt know when it would be his turn.
Tomorrow? An hourter? Or the very next second?
The wait for death was torturous.
Rorl prepared to save himself.
He quietly contacted Lawless, he let outa piece of fake news.
He wanted to strap the most powerful, most influential yer in the big city onto his little chariot.
Naive thoughts? Childish?
So what?
He didnt want to die, and if he waited, he would.
Taking the risk might ensure his survival, so he had no choice.
After a deep puff, Rorl spat out smoke. The greenish-blue smoke was floating in front of his face and spread throughout the room. The nicotine in the cigarette eased his tensed mental state for a bit, but it wasnt enough.
Every second for Rorl was torture.
If his room wasnt forcefully set as a public room to the guild when he joined and unable to revert back to a private room, he swore he would stay in his room and never step out.
Dok Dok Dok.
Knocks came.
Who is it?
Rorl was like a frightened rabbit jumping up. He threw away the cigarette and grabbed the gun on the table.
Its me, 2567, the voice outside the door replied coldly.
Chapter 1340 - Blinded?
Chapter 1340: Blinded?
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Rorl carefully opened the door.
When he saw the person outside was really Kieran, he heaved a sigh of relief.
He was afraid to see someone else.
Why not verify Kierans identity in some other way other than opening the door?
He really wanted to, but he couldnt.
Anything required a sufficient amount of Points in the big city.
Rorls points?
He had offered almost every point for that raid group member position.
He even had to sell off one of his personal equipment just to set up a meeting like this.
Sucks to be him, right?
A yer whose 5th dungeon was inbound and yet he was in this kind of distressed state. It really sucked for him, but what was worse was that he had to face a conversation that could determine his life and death.
Rorl tried his best in adjusting his breath, calming himself down, but when he saw Kierane in, he couldnt hold it anymore.
His mind was rumbling with rumors regarding the man before his eyes.
Cold and ruthless.
Killing people like flies.
The executioner.
The butcher.
The Devil.
Each of the descriptions of the man before Rorls eyes was scary, but each of them represented a single thing: strength.
Immeasurable strength!
It was hard for Rorl to imagine how a yer could reach such levels of power in a short few months after entering the big city. Broker, who was once so powerful and influential that he could cover the sky single-handedly was forced back into his room; the yer killers who hid in the corners of the city and hunted down others were eliminated, even the Guardians of the Witch who only showed little inklings of their existence dared not face him out in the open.
Perhaps, this man was the embodiment of a real powerhouse.
It may be subtle during normal times but when this man had a chance, he would radiate his own indestructible shine.
Rorl? Even if he couldtch on to Kieran, he would only end up in a different ce and live on hisst breath.
Good day me Emperor, Rorls voice trembled.
Among all the titles given to Kieran, Rorl picked the one he thought most suitable.
The Devil? It would be best if he could keep it to himself.
Kieran didnt answer, he looked coldly at Rorl.
Rorls heart skipped a beat. He quickly exined since he knew what kind of person Kieran was.
Saikory is the one who put the bounty on you.
He is also plotting on how to defeat you, and to achieve it, he even teamed up with an unknown force. The whole Iron Chariot was changed from the inside out.
Those who obeyed lived. Those who didnt would disappear.
Rorls words were partially right, though.
Other than the point where Saikory was plotting against Kieran, Rorl assumed every word he uttered was the truth. Everything would be out in the light as long as Kieran spent some effort to verify his ims.
Given the circumstances, Iron Chariots wouldnt have survived the onught from Kieran.
Should Kieran strike, everything would be turned to cinders.
Rorl was confident of it; he knew what Iron Chariot could do and also understood how destructive Kieran could be.
Which past enemy of Kieran wasnt stronger than Iron Chariots?
How could the guild survive the onught, should it happen.
Once the guild was disbanded, he could take back the rights to his room, and Rorl could hide in it for the rest of his life.
Thats right, this was Rorls n.
It wasnt outstanding by all means, it was something of ast resort after Rorl was forced into a desperate situation.
Rorl didnt think his n could fool the world, but he never knew it would get exposed so fast.
You are lying to me, Kieran said calmly.
I-I... Rorl was shaken. He wanted to exin, but when he caught Kierans gaze, his opened mouth couldnt say anything except for I.
In the end, Rorl fell on his chair, limping.
Hisst resort failed, as well. Would death reallye as promised?
The person before his eyes would not spare his puny life.
I shouldnt have taken the risk, maybe I could live a few more days had I not done this.
I should have stayed in the room and yed solo.
Had I yed solo from the start, I wouldnt have to face a situation like this.
Messy thoughts entered Rorls heart, it somehow lessened the fear of death in his mind, though, but it was just a little.
Rorl was shivering on the chair most of the time, but death did note as expected.
Kieran looked at him. No, no! Not looking at him, Kieran was waiting.
Rorl was sure that Kieran was waiting after a little size up, but who?
Doubts then rose instinctively in Rorls heart.
Then
Dak Dak Dak.
Clear footsteps came from the wooden corridor further ahead.
A few secondster, a figure pushed open the half-shut door.
Guildmaster!
The extremely familiar figure caused Rorl to jump up from the chair, he widened his eyes and cried out in shock.
Rorl would never have thought he would see his guild master here.
After hismon brain thought for a while and connected all the dots, he understood what was happening before him.
T-This... Everything was apart of your n? Rorl stuttered.
Yes, I plotted everything, Saikory nodded.
Then... The one who put the bounty on 2567 was also you? Rorl asked quickly.
Yes, it was me, and you... you were also carefully handpicked by me.
Otherwise, how could I lure out our Fiery Devil into the trap? Saikory admitted again.
The guild master didnt hide anything. Instead, he told Rorl even more things.
Bang!
Rorl wasnt happy at all after he got everything right out of dumb luck. Quite the opposite, his body limped down and sat back into the chair. His heart was in a mess, he couldnt control his emotions and ultimately fell to the ground with his chair. He didnt feel any pain, though; instead, he was sitting on the floor, looking at his guild master nkly.
It was the first time he realized how scary the man before his eyes was, he seemed even more terrifying than the ming Devil!
Unconsciously, Rorl turned to Kieran, he hoped to notice something different from the ming Devil, but unfortunately, Kieran was still as cold as ice.
He wasnt surprised at Saikorys appearance and n, neither did he say anything about it.
He just looked at Saikory.
You dont seem surprised? Is it because youve expected this to be a trap? Or...
You have confidence that your strength can breakthrough every trapid for you?
Saikory locked his gaze at Kieran, telling him word after word.
Then, the guildmaster continued without letting Kieran speak.
But you are overconfident in yourself. Too much confidence will blind you.
And you will wee death because of your blinded sight! Saikoryughed loudly after he spoke.
Hisugh was irritating and endless.
So Kieran made his move.
His hand was fast and sharp as a de as he lunged towards Saikory.
The guild masters head was then chopped off just like that, but...
Saikory didnt die!
Even with his head rolling on the ground, theughs didnt stop.
Ive said it, you are blinded by your confidence!
You have no idea what you are facing!
Saikory, with his head on the ground, didnt die; instead, he continued loudly with an energetic voice.
At the same time
Chang Chang, Chang!
Heavy metallic objects collided with the walls of the room. Before Rorl could react to what happened, all the walls of his room, together with the ceiling and roof was dragged to the sky.
Sunlight flooded in.
Rorl looked at the quiet, concentrated crowd beyond his room with a dumbstruck state.
He didnt know when that many people had gathered outside his room.
And... These men seemed weird.
Chapter 1341 - Controller
Chapter 1341: Controller
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Rorl sized up the yers in his demolished room; they seemed no different frommon yers.
But with this many yers gathered in one spot, why werent any sounds being made?
They werent hiding their presence, but...
They were not breathing!
Rorl was shocked, and he tried to size them up with a more careful gaze. He then noticed that the yers had not only stopped breathing, but their chests were no longer moved as well, not even a heartbeat!
This...This...
The scene had surpassed Rorls imagination. It made him quickly shrink into a corner of his room, living up to his reputation of being a coward. The torn room didnt do well for hiding though; in fact, with the walls and the ceiling being ripped off, there was no ce for Rorl to hide anymore.
The real reason why Rorl shrunk himself into the corner was because of a hidden passage, a passage that could lead away from the Border Street altogether.
The passage had been dug by himself, and it was also one of the main reasons why he chose this ce.
Kieran and Saikory, who were confronting each other, didnt bother about Rorl.
Kieran nced at the dense crowd.
Saikory? Heughed again.
ming Devil, eh? Enjoy the feast Ive prepared for you!
Bang!
With that, Saikory burst amidst his ferociousugh.
His blood and flesh flew in all directions; the thick blood formed a cloud of mist and enshrouded the room, binding Kieran to the spot.
After Saikorys burst, the dense crowd started to whisper.
Wicked and filthy words buzzed non-stop.
The sky turned dark all of a sudden. The artificial sun above the city became clouded.
The darkness was like a veil from the sky, enshrouding the entire street.
Bits of red misty spots were quickly born within the darkness; they moved like smoke and eventually umted into a cotton-shaped cloud.
The scarlet red cotton-shaped cloud stretched out straight and pierced the dark veil above the sky. Then, it slowly opened up, like how a person would open his or her eyes when he or she woke up from sleep!
Amon man opening his eyes was nothing unusual, but this eye was differentits size was so massive that it pierced through the ck sky veil!
Anything that grew insanely huge so suddenly would cause a series of unexpected results.
The eye only opened up and did nothing else, yet this small action brought over a storm.
Wuuu!
A tornado formed from the storm and roared.
The wind started to take form, bing more ferocious, and together with the wicked whispers, the ferocious energy contained in the wind assaulted Kieran.
The wind was fast, but Kieran was faster.
He turned illusive right away, freeing himself from the bloody bindings.
Kaboom!
The tornado struck the spot where Kieran stood, the ground destroyed upon impact, causing debris to fly around. A dozen meters deep crater was left after the hit.
The tornado was like a worm wriggling into the ground non-stop, but regardless of how powerful the tornado was, it was useless if it didnt hit its target.
The wicked whispers from the crowd continued.
The bloody mist that was the bindings exploded. It tainted the ground in the area, causing the ground to crack rapidly.
The bloody mist also tainted the crowd; it melted the whispering yers right away, turning them into more blood mist that merged with the existing one.
Within a breaths time, a dozen yers were turned into blood mist, boosting the existing blood mists denseness even more than before. It also enhanced the mists corrosive properties, making it even more powerful and scary.
However, the bloody mist didnt continue to consume the yer crowd; instead, it started to circte the surroundings rapidly.
It was searching for its target: Kieran.
The massive eye in the sky slightly opened up further.
The tornado roared again, and this time, it didnt strike the ground; instead, it swirled in the air.
Line of bloody rays from the massive eyes rained down,nding on Border Street instantaneously.
Kieran, who was hiding in his illusive form, was dragged out of his state. The circting tornado in the sky then descended down upon Kieran right away.
Kierans lips moved slightly when he saw the tornadoing for him.
With the system blur, no one could truly see what his expression was.
Likewise, no one could hear what he whispered either, but looking at his helpless and stubborn gaze, it was definitely not something delightful or out of willingness.
His soft whisper was captured in the sight of someone hiding in the dark.
Lamenting your misfortunate? Or voicing your regrets now? Its toote! Toote! When your pride blinded your eyes, your end was determined! Death? No, you wont die! What you will receive is worse than death. Its something that you wished for but never got! You will be my ve and fight for me for as long as I wish, until the day I want you dead!
Amidst the sinisterughter, a man with a scarlet red wind coat looked at Kieran, who was almost hit by the tornado.
In the mans hand were two scrolls, two unique scrolls specially prepared for Kieran.
Devils bloodline and powerful Spirit attribute.
How could he not gather information regarding Kierans strongest points since he wanted to make a move against him, and after getting his hands on the information, how could he not prepare for it?
The scroll was tightly held in his hands; it was almost torn apart but eventually failed, and the scroll fell down helplessly.
A palm from the shadows seized the mans neck and snapped it just like that.
Crack!
After the neck-breaking noise, the man in the scarlet red windcoat looked at the shadow behind him. It seemed like even until the moment of death, the man didnt understand how Kieran had managed to hide in the shadows without being discovered by him?
Of course, what baffled the man more was why there were two Kierans.
Those who thought highly of themselves would die of their own ego.
The man thought he had grasped everything about Kieran, but he didnt know a man like Kieran had at least one or two hidden cards up his sleeve; otherwise, he wouldnt even be able to sleep well.
On top of that, the man neglected the time!
As time went by, Kieran was getting stronger by the minute and perfecting himself ording to n.
Kieran coldly looked at the man as he turned into white light particles.
He would never give exnations to his enemy, but it didnt mean he wasnt concerned about his enemys identity.
Server II?
Kieran squinted his eyes at the name on the notification.
The extremely low amount of Points and Skill Points made the man unworthy of his care; only his name caught Kierans attention.
When Kieran killed the first Server I, he had guessed that there was a Server II or Server III.
Now, with this dead man, his guess was verified.
As I thought, the so-called Sin-server isnt a man, but an organization! An organization with a clear ranking chart! If they appeared at this kind of timing, it means they are...
A cold smile in his heartter, Kieran looked outside.
The ck veil above the sky vanished, and the massive eye in the air disappeared without a sign as well. Those yer crowds who had been whispering wicked words disintegrated into white light particles as well.
They were deadmen to begin with, only staying alive because of Server IIs special ability or one of his special items.
Following Server IIs death, everything returned to normal.
However, Kieran still suffered a heartache.
ording to normal progression, the items should have been his rewards, but now?
They turned into nothing.
Kierans gaze turned cold.
Anyone who dared to take the loot of a stingy ghost would be hunted to their death until the end of time.
But before that, Kieran still had to verify a single thing.
Hope it wont let me down.
Kieran vanished into the shadows after muttering to himself.
Chapter 1342 - Best Candidate
Chapter 1342: Best Candidate
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran was sitting on the only sofa in the room. He was in deep thought as he looked at the tooth that was as big as his thumb that was in his palm.
This tooth was so white that it looked like it was painted, but a closer look would reveal the small patterns on it, they looked like cracks. However, the pointy end of the tooth was in the shape of a hook and was exceptionally sharp.
[Name: Damaged High Blood Kindred Tooth]
[Type: Organ]
[Rarity: I]
[Attribute: 1. First Ownage; 2. Blood Enhance]
[Prerequisite: Embed]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: This is the tooth from a mighty Blood Kin. Although its damaged and not up to its original strength, its power should not be overlooked.]
...
[First Ownage: Use it to suck other peoples blood and provide the target with your own. The target will be your loyal servant; Cost 2000 Points each usage, Bloodline and Spirit authentication required, usable three times per day]
[Blood Enhance: Absorbing fresh blood will strengthen your Strength, Agility, and Constitution (No higher than rank I), usable once per day]
....
[Embed: You need to embed it in your mouth. Its not a simple embedding process but the change of bloodline and fusion.]
...
[Damaged High Blood Kindred Tooth] was very decent without a doubt, but it wasnt suitable for Kieran.
Kieran knew his own powers very well.
His core powers revolved around Devil Force, Cardinal Sins Force, Saint Thorn Force, Dawn Force, and gue Force, all of them were at a tacit bnce currently.
Once an external force entered the equation, although there were chances of it merging peacefully into the system, there was a higher chance that it would copse the carefully orchestrated bnce.
Once that happened, Kieran couldnt bear the consequences.
With a sigh, Kieran ced it in his bag.
He then opened his message tab and replied to all the pending emails.
Border Streets situation already attracted the attention of Lawless and the others. As a matter of fact, after Kieran left, the lone wolves appeared on Border Street.
They missed Kieran because he was eagerly going to Server IIs room to search for loot.
Lawless: You sure youre okay?
2567: Rx, Im fine.
Lawless: U SURE?
2567: Im sure.
...
Kieran had to emphasize multiple times due to Lawless repeated questions, but he obviously underestimated his friends nagging. 10 minutester, Kierans door was knocked on.
Kieran couldnt help but shrug when he saw Lawlesse in.
Come here to see it for yourself? Kieran asked in a ridiculing tone.
Em. Lawless nodded and heaved a long breath. He exined, Youve nevere across Sin-server before, so I was anxious... Thank goodness everything is fine.
Sin-server, is that powerful? Kieran frowned at his friends reaction.
Very powerful!
If I list out the Supernovas that I least want to face, Sin-server will be the first, Lawless smiled bitterly.
Its not because Sin-server is an organization, right? Kieran asked.
Of course not! Because of one of the Servers, I forgot which number, truly showcased his powers beforenot the one that you encountered, but they were up against Broker at that time. Lawless said in a heavy tone.
Each time Lawless mentioned Broker, he would unconsciously be rmed.
That bastard was too cunning, one might even fall into his trap by merely mentioning his title.
In the end? Kieran asked.
I dont know. After the battle, Sin-server appeared, as usual, Broker behaved normally as well. No one really knows what the result was, but I suspect... Broker bought Sin-server.
Otherwise, based on Brokers personality, he wouldnt have just let it go like this.
Lawless voiced his spections.
The confrontation just now doesnt seem like Brokers handy work.
I didnt see Brokers cunning, just the Servers rash actions, ignorance, and ego.
Even... Hmm, hold on! If thats the case, it may be just as you surmised!
Kieran squinted his eyes when he thought of something.
Simrly, Lawless thought of something as well.
Both of them exchanged a gaze, and then Lawless spoke. Youre saying because of Brokers silence, the Sin-server decided to defect? But Broker must have predicted this beforehand, so he set up some traps and caused them to engage boldly, to push them to... a suicidal battle?
Lawless thought for a while before saying the word suicidal.
He really wanted to use other words, but he couldnt find any other more suitable ones.
The Sin-server were strong, they had the abilities to storm over their targets, and yet they appeared one after another. In Lawless point of view, other than a suicidal act, they must be some morons.
There is a high chance of that. If its really Brokers handy work...
There must be more to this. Kieran looked at Lawless.
Thetter instantly became energetic and had an itch for battle.
Vignce against the enemy was a necessity, but Lawless would not back off from a fight with his hated enemy.
What should we do? Lawless asked eagerly.
Wait!
After all, there must be some other people who are much more anxious than we are, Kieran replied.
But arent we being too passive? Lawless looked at Kieran with slight doubts.
That is why I sent out a potential candidate.
All I need to do is wait patiently.
Kieran smiled when he mentioned the candidate.
...
Damn bloody bastard, motherf*cker!
I know its me again!
Even if you want to shed a sheeps fur, change the damn sheep!
Im almost bald, and yet you still shave me for scraps!
The High Demon, Bloody Mary, disguised as a regr yer, was carrying the unconscious Rorl. They were walking along the destroyed Border Street and was heading towards the center of the city.
Of course, Bloody Mary knew what its contractor wanted to do, but because of that, it was more than unwilling to cooperate.
Although, most of the time, Bloody Mary was undead, it didnt mean it had no pain sensory. When it was shed, stabbed, or beaten, it would still feel pain, let alone tearing its limbs apart or breaking its entire body in pieces. The pain was branded in its soul, to the point that it didnt want to recall the suffering.
But in reality?
It tried its best to forget them, and yet its contractor sent it to experience even more with utmost perseverance.
Bloody Mary had almost forgotten thest painful experience, but now, a new one had arrived.
If it wasnt for the contract, it swore it would drag that bastard contractor to hell together.
Ugh...
Rorl, who was unconscious, muttered, he was waking up.
But a momentter
Pak!
Bloody Mary presented Rorl with a hand chop, knocking him out cold again.
Its heart was resenting, but it didnt forget its duty.
Bloody Mary walked forward, and almost 10 minutester, a scarlet red figure appeared before the High Demon.
Can you give me the person you are carrying?
And tell me who you are?
Why are you here?
The scarlet red coat was simr to the other Servers, but the voice was a womans this time. The woman obviously held her pitch back, making it rough and heavy, but the feminine tone didnt change.
Bloody Mary didnt utter a word, it threw Rorl at her and ran for it.
The woman wasnt surprised after she caught Rorl, she chased Bloody Mary.
Both of them were running very fast.
Less than a minuteter, they had left the main street and reached a secluded block.
In the middle of the secluded block, a ck figure was quietly waiting.
Chapter 1343 - Showcase
Chapter 1343: Showcase
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
When Bloody Mary saw the ck figure, it finally heaved a sigh of relief.
At the same time, the woman in the red raincoat heaved a sigh.
Astounded, Bloody Mary looked at the woman.
It was sure it didnt mishear it. It relied on its demonic traits and could clearly determine the woman in pursuit wasnt faked, she truly heaved a sigh of relief.
This abnormal reaction raised the rm in Bloody Marys heart.
However, before it could react adequately, something happened.
Fwaa!
Loud water gurgling noises came from the woman.
A drop of water appeared out of thin air in front of the woman after the noise.
It wasnt a transparent, clean water droplet though, but yellowish, muddy water.
The gurgling water noise became more explicit and grew into a tide.
The little droplet of water was producing big tides and waves like the sea and rivers. In the relentless wave crashing noise, a never before felt dead stillness followed.
Suddenly, the atmosphere felt like a storm in the sea, the wind empowered the waves, and the waves became high along with the mighty wind.
Wuu!
The secluded street block vanished from sight, the scene was reced by a muddy yellowish tidal wave instead.
The wave further gathered and rose before it crashed down fiercely.
The formless gale was sting Kierans hair and fluttering his feathered mantle. His eyes were cold as he looked at the tidal wave. Devil me in his hand rapidly shed, though.
He sensed something different about this tidal wave.
The tidal wave felt like it was going to exterminate souls and wash away everything, the anxiety from it was enough to drive one insane. However, it was not enough to affect him.
While Kieran was facing the unknown tidal wave heads on, Bloody Mary retreated without a second thought.
It sensed danger, a fatal threat.
Without further contact with the water, it knew once any drop of the wave touched it, it would die and will note back anymore.
A powerful foe! The water was a bane to Bloody Mary!
Bloody Mary sized up the woman with heavy gaze, but out of its expectation, the tidal wave vanished. It didnt just disappear without a sign, even that droplet of waternded on the womans body.
Then...
The woman was petrified! She was turning into stone exceptionally fast!
What happened? Is she crazy enough to hit herself?
Bloody Mary was stunned. Kieran also frowned.
However, when the petrification process was over, the woman turned into a stone statue with a blurry face. Kieran slightly eased up his furrowed brows.
Any yers that died in the big city would disintegrate into light particles.
The red woman didnt turn into light. Instead, she became a stone statue.
She didnt die!
Plus the tidal wave just now, rather than saying the tide was an attack, it might be just a showcase of her strength...
Kieran walked over to the statue after the thought shed in his heart.
He still needed to verify something.
What is going on?
Bloody Mary asked when it felt its contractors change of expression.
Nothing, Kieran replied while meticulously checked the statue. He then turned to Bloody Mary and said, Keep this statue together with Rorl.
After killing a plethora of yers in the big city, sparing one or two extra rooms and turning them into temporary prisons was nothing hard for Kieran.
You are the boss, you say so.
Bloody Mary knew Kieran noticed something, but since he didnt want to talk about it, Bloody Mary couldnt do anything.
It lifted the statue and Rorl before swiftly disappearing.
After seeing Bloody Mary off, Kieran curled his lips into a grin, a ridiculing smile.
He discovered a small tattoo on the statues arm during his check just now, and it was also the thing that he was looking for
Server III!
...
You are saying an internal conflict happened in the Sin-server? Lawless eyes widened as he was filled with astonishment.
Internal conflict? No, not that severe yet. Though, based on the obvious identity and showcasing the attack before me, the attack might be the strongest attack of the mastermind that she knew of. So, she is warning me, plus the statue isnt dying just yet, I am guessing some part of the Sin-server doesnt want to stay on the ship anymore.
As for why?
Maybe its the conflicting ideals from a long time ago. Maybe the woman and her other friends couldnt see hope in the organization, but a higher chance is...
Broker!
Lawless finished Kierans sentence before he could.
Both of them theorized Broker was somehow rted to Sin-server, and now based on the weird encounter, it strengthened their theory.
Maybe this is all that bastards n.
You know, he is always skilled in creating conflicting and confusing fake scenes.
But, what does that bastard really want? Lawless asked in a heavy tone.
I dont know, Kieran shook his head.
Despite engaging Broker more than once, Kieran still couldnt grasp what Broker was actually after until now.
The Witchs Legacy?
Possibly, but as the Guardians showed themselves, Kieran realized Broker wasnt that eager to get his hands on the treasure.
If he was really anxious and eager, given his influence and forces, he should have noticed the Guardians presence a long time ago. But now, it was quite the opposite, with every step he took, and every move he made seemed to allow the Guardians to progress further.
And the yer killers!
That encounter was the most ingrained in Kierans mind.
Broker betrayed Kieran and his friends without a single thought.
Although Kieran escaped from the jaws of danger, Broker also his intentions exposed. Thus the yer killers were on to him as well.
But...
What was the final oue of that particr encounter?
Almost nothing was achieved!
Even the leader of the killer yers, Extremus, died in [de of the Daybreaker]!
It seemed abnormal! Itpletely contrasted with Brokers usual style!
Then, Broker went into hiding after he suffered a loss in [de of the Daybreaker], and everything seemed so reasonable.
What if this kind of reasonable progression was all part of Brokers arrangements?
Kieran squinted his eyes when he pondered upon the possibility.
Kieran was habitually vignt and careful, he could be considered as a dubious person.
While facing a theory which had only certain chances of urring, he would not just neglect it but would calcte along with his n as if the theory was a reality.
Was it tiresome? Very.
Butpared to his puny little life, what was being a bit tired?
Lawless naturally shut up when he saw his friend go into deep thought. He was smoking his cigar and spitting out smoke until Wu walked in, Lawless gave a vignt gaze.
Those who were allowed to enter the little living room were only a few in Harvest Inn.
Most of them were allies, but Wu was different.
Every time Lawless saw Wu, he somehow felt grumpy; when Wu predicted his friends ominous oue or death, Lawless hated Wu even more.
His gaze at Wu was absent of goodwill.
Wu didnt care though, just like she didnt care how pitiful and useless Lawless once was when he knelt before her, crying like a baby for the first time.
Now? She wouldnt care either, not at a pitiful soul whose memories were blurred out.
She walked to Kieran and ced two things in front of him.
One was a bracelet knitted with straws.
The other one was... [Dungeon Cooldown Reset Card].
Chapter 1344 - Entry
Chapter 1344: Entry
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran nced at the two items before looking at Wu.
He waited for her to answer.
Wu, knowing Kierans character, didnt waste time.
It can give you some help in your next dungeonI really wanted to give you more, but the situation that I see doesnt allow me to. If I do, it will onlyplicate things and make it worse. This? This is an idental reward!
Wu first pointed at the straw-knitted bracelet and took the [Dungeon Cooldown Reset Card].
She took in a deep breath. Chance! A rare chance for you! If its possible, enter your next dungeon right away. You will have a... Cough Cough! Hard toe by chance...
Before she could finish, she coughed fiercely as if her lungs were being tortured.
Kieran frowned.
Did you forget what I told you before? I dont need you helping me like this.
Kierans voice was in, it could even be considered cold, but Wu didnt care; instead, she smiled lightly.
I didnt forget, but its out of my control. What can I do then? When I realized it, Id done already everything. Dont worry though, its non-lethal; the aftereffects will be erased effectively as well.
Wu, with her smile, stood up. She smacked Lawless hand when he tried to help her up and fliittered out of the living room.
Is she sick? Lawless rubbed the red spot on his arm from the smack and looked at his friend.
Em. Quite heavily, I reckon. Kieran took the bracelet and [Dungeon Cooldown Reset Card].
[Name: Reverse Bracelet]
[Type: essory]
[Rarity: IV]
[Attribute: Turnaround 1/1]
[Prerequisite: Bound to yer 2567]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: The bracelet knitted by the Wishers blood and fate, it holds the sincerity of the Wisher]
...
[Turnaround: Twist the rules within eptance of the existing rules]
...
After looking through the attributes and rarity of [Reverse Bracelet], Kierans cold gaze looked a littleplicated before it quickly disappeared.
He put everything into his bag and walked out of the little living room.
Rachel was wiping sses at the bar counter. In fact, she was always wiping sses most of the time; thus, the sses in Harvest Inn were the cleanest.
I know what you want to ask, but I would advise you not to. Otherwise... I may not hold back from chopping you, Rachel said calmly.
Thanks.
Kieran nodded at Rachel. He turned around, wanting to leave the inn.
He didnt have to ask anything else, as Rachel had told him everything he wanted to know.
It wasnt a trap.
That would be enough.
Rachel looked at Kierans back as he left. She sighed and ced the ss down. She really had no idea how to persuade her friend.
One side poured all her efforts into him, the other side was cold and unappreciative.
If this continued...
No! It couldnt go on like this.
She had checked on Wu before this. If she didnt receive treatment and care soon, when the cold-hearted bastard returned from the dungeon world, he would have to attend Wus funeral.
Rachel was beginning to regret talking her friend into this in the first ce.
If he knew, she would have... would have...
Sigh.
Another sigh. What would she have done?
Had she not instilled some hope in Wu, Wu might have been dead a long time ago. She wouldnt have lived until now.
However, quenching thirst with poison wasnt the best way to solve the problem.
Damn you, fate! Always ying with some pitiful souls. They are already pitiful enough, and you still want to wreck them like this? Rachel muttered to herself.
Whats pitiful? Whats wrecking?
Hearing Rachels mutters, Lawless came in from the front door after having made a detour from the secret passage. He didnt need Rachels permission to enter because he had been given authority to enter as he wished by Rachel herself.
50% increase in interest of the debt you owe me, Rachel said calmly.
???????? Lawless was dumbstruck. He didnt know what was going on and looked at Rachel nkly.
50% more! Why are you still standing there, get your ass to work! Rachel screamed.
F-Fine. Lawless shrunk his neck, took out the mop from the storage and started to clean the ce.
Looking at the bedazzlement and helplessness in Lawless eyes, Rachel took in a deep breath again. She somehow felt better.
Then, she opened her message tab and started to contact some people.
After smoothly conversing with the people on her friend list, Rachel clicked on the one andst name that she was hesitant to contact before: Starbeck.
Rachel: Hey, Starbeck, I need to buy something from you.
Starbeck: What is it?
Rachel: Do you have Angels Feather at your ce?
Starbeck: Hold on, let me check.
Rachel: Ok.
...
Rachel heaved a long breath when she saw Starbecks reply.
Everything before her eyes had gone easier than expected, and the thing that worried her the most hadnt happened.
A few minutester, Starbeck replied.
Starbeck: I have normal Angels Feathers and some Archangels Feathers, plus one Principalities Feather. Which one do you want?
...
Archangel? Principalities?
Rachel, who had heard certain rumours about Starbeck, had known this, but she was still shaken, nevertheless.
But soon enough, she returned to calmness. She made a reply.
Rachel: How many Points for the Archangels Feather? What can I barter for the Principalities Feather?
Starbeck: No need, its just some cheap stuff. You are 2567s friend, so Ill give them to you. You want the Principalities Feather, right? Ill send a courier over.
...
Cheap stuff?!
Rachels face twitched. She suddenly felt sad for her friend again.
Just how powerful is your opponent?!
The exmation in her heart didnt stop her from replying.
Rachel: No, Ill send someone over to get it.
Rachel: Thank you again for your help.
Starbeck: No problem, Ill send someone to receive you.
...
Looking at the casual replies, Rachel had to take a few deep breaths to return to normal.
Then?
She changed her mind.
She wanted to meet this legendary person with her own eyes.
While Rachel was heading towards Starbecks ce, Kieran had returned to his own.
After tidying and arranging things, he used [Dungeon Cooldown Reset Card].
Kieran immediately appeared in that familiar transporting space.
However, when he saw the words in his vision and heard the voice of the system, his face turned sour right away.
The situation was much worse than he had imagined!
Chapter 1345 - The Worst Start Possible
Chapter 1345: The Worst Start Possible
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
[Entering single-yer dungeon!]
[Dungeon Type: Single-yer special dungeon]
[Note: External forces intervened, difficulty changed...]
[Dungeon Difficulty: Unknown!]
[Changes to Character Model Temte!]
[A. yers special organ [Fusion Heart] [Dawn Force] [gue Force] [Saint Thorn Force] is sealed.]
[B. All yers equipment, items are temporarily returned to yers room. Unable to bring into dungeon world]
[C. Contractedpanions Fire Raven and Frost Wolf are returned to yers room temporarily. Unable to bring into dungeon world]
[D. yers attributes are all decreased to E+. All skills are decreased to Musou level. Returns to normal when exits.]
[E. yer cannot acquire items through killing.]
[F. Ratings will be increased when yerpletes main mission, sub-mission.]
[G. When yerpletes dungeon run, extra reward will be given.]
[Background: History is written by the victor. The truth and falsity are one line apart. A thousand years pass in the blink of an eye. Time brings great changes to the world, and the existence of transcendent beings, or even their shadows, went missing from thisnd long ago. The mystical realm has be a legend. Only you know and have experienced what it was like, but...]
[Main mission: Let enough people know about The Real World in 180 days]
[Temporarynguage pack. Disappears upon exiting the dungeon.]
[Clothing, backpack, weapons, and other items remain unchanged. Temporarily altered appearance; returns to normal upon exiting the dungeon]
[Note: This is an extremely special dungeon; you cant fail. If you do, you will face the least desired ending.]
...
The white background clears the words on the screen. When reflecting on Kierans face, it added a sense of coldness on his expressionless face.
It didnt just seal my core powers, I cant even bring my equipment! More importantly... All my attributes are lowered to the peak of a mortal?
Kieran took a deep breath. His body was feeling weak.
It was twisted, it was ufortable.
Kieran felt dizzy. His breath was not smooth, and he stood without the least bit of energy, as if he was sick.
This is the worst start possible! Kieran muttered to himself softly.
Then, more dizziness struck.
He knew he would be in the dungeon world soon.
What would be waiting for him?
Kieran felt anxious, nervous and unsettling.
After all, this particr dungeon with external force intervention was different. It was even more limited and restrictedpared to his Title Dungeon run.
The dizziness got stronger. Reaching its peak, it almost knocked Kieran out cold, and the [Reverse Bracelet] he wore on his wrist shone brightly.
Kieran instantly woke up from his dizzy state.
Then, words started to pile up on his vision again.
[The Wisher is wishing...]
[Authenticating...]
[Authentication passed!]
[The rules have changed!]
...
Changed? What changed?
Kieran was shaken. He checked everything around him meticulously, but he couldnt spot any changes. The system notifications from before and the current ones were the same, his body was still weak and the abilities and equipment remained absent.
As Kieran thought in furrowed brows, darkness suddenly appeared like a rising tide and drowned him.
When the light appeared in his sight again, he was in a well-lit room.
It wasnt a big room, but it was very noisy.
A row of 10 dressing mirrors put together back to back took up most of the rooms space in the middle. Kieran was sitting in front of one of the dressing mirrors, and on his nk was many people moving around.
There were men and women hustling around and holding many items in their hands. All of them looked nervous.
Hurry up! Hurry up!
The clothes! The clothes!
I want a one-piece dress, not a strap-on!
Give me another wig!
The ck and long one, not the blonde twin-tail!
...
Kieran frowned.
He already couldnt cope with the weak body, so with all the mouring around him, he felt like his head was going to blow up.
However, he had to endure it and started to analyse the scene before him.
A dressing room? A dressing room of a TV station?
Kierans gaze went through the exit, he nced over the plethora of clothes on the hanger outside the corridor and the tv station employee with their staff badge around their neck.
The description of their staff badge allowed him to know where he was.
Before Kieran could go out to search for more information, he was forced to give up on that thought as a feminine-dressed man walked towards him with eyeliner. Based on his movements and actions, it seemed like the man was trying to apply the eyeliner on him.
Aside from Kieran having no habits of putting on eyeliner, based on the mansdylike movements, it bloomed resistance in Kierans heart.
Hold on, I dont need this. Kieran rejected the man.
You are not used to it? Dont forget that you are going in front of the camerater! And its live! If you dont put on makeup, your face... Hmm, your temperament looks decent, but your looks are a little normal. But, dont chu worry, my dear, Ill brush you up a little and youll definitely shine in the crowd.
It obviously wasnt the first for thedylike man to encounter someone like Kieran. He exined quickly and didnt seem impatient.
Of course, if he didnt cover his mouth with his hand so femininely, it would be better.
I think I am fine now. Kieran leaned back on the chair, trying to draw as much distance from the man before rejecting him again.
Although his stats had plummeted, he was still at amoners peak, so his senses picked up the makeup, and perfume on the man. Even if it wasnt stinging his nose, he was still not used to it.
You really dont want makeup? I know you are just a guest on the show, but if a handsome face is in front of the camera, youll have a great advantage! Even if this show is about the paranormal and shamans, a decent looking shaman and a normal would garner different results, and the support rates will be obvious. The man was persuading Kieran very patiently.
He sat down beside Kieran, switching from looking down on him from a higher position to eye level as he spoke.
The man had decent talking techniques though, plus the reasonable words, so if it were other people, they would haveplied, but not Kieran.
Kierans persistence in never allows him topromise.
However, the information thedylike man spilt still captured Kierans attention.
The importance of information was self-exnatory in an unfamiliar situation.
A show about shamans?
After having some spections in his heart, Kieran turned down the man with firmer means.
What a shaman needs is strength, not looks. An actor needs looks, but I am not an actor. Even if I am here, I still have my own code to follow, Kieran said.
Your code? Is that so? Well then, good luck... 2567? So sorry, your name is so weird, I dont mean anything, dear, just eximing. Hope Ill see you again next time.
The makeup artist extended his hand for a shake.
Kieran hesitated, but responded.
Both of them shook hands before thedylike makeup artist went out.
The makeup artist didnt mention his name, though.
He was probably ready to tell next time, but it was possible Kieran wouldnt meet him again.
Who knows?
Kieran was left alone again. He checked his body, hoping to locate the changes within the rules the system had told him of. At the same time, he sized up the surroundings, listening to the conversations from others with his ears perked.
However, he gained nothing.
He didnt find anything on himself, most of the conversations around him were chit-chats, and there was no valuable information at all.
Almost half an hourter
2567! 2567? Its your call now!
A loud voice called out to Kieran from the corridor.
Chapter 1346 - Not Funny
Chapter 1346: Not Funny
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran walked out the exit. A man with a staff badge stood in the corridor.
The man was slightly chubby with a little beard on his chin. The badge at his neck imed him to be an assistant director; his name had only a single word, Li.
Why arent you putting on makeup? Nevermind, hurry up! You are up next! Follow me!
The assistant director walked over to Kieran and sized him up from top to bottom. He looked surprised, but he quickly rushed Kieran in an impatient way.
Without further ado, Kieran followed the assistant director along the corridor, made three turns and arrived at the end of the corridor.
The door at the end was covered by a thick curtain, but the faint breathing noises behind the curtains entered Kierans ears because of his Intuition, which was at its peak for amoner.
Kieran quietly looked at the assistant director who guided him.
Go in.
The assistant director was still impatient, but his face showed a sense of pleasure at the others misfortune.
Since Kieran had seen some reality TV show before, he knew what was going on. He lifted the curtain.
At once, strong lights and a microphone appeared before his eyes.
The host who held the microphone in front of Kierans face was so close; he looked eager to stuff the microphone up Kierans nose.
At the same time, cheers resounded.
Hello, Candidate 2567!
A thin man with a moustache and smiling eyes was revealed as the host; he spoke loudly and went ording to the script.
However, what the host saw was an expressionless face with a cold gaze.
Kierans expression surprised the host, cameraman and the lighting personnel. Compared to the other shamans who got scared when being greeted, Kierans reaction was a little too calm. His gaze especially wasnt just calm anymore; the coldness from his gaze could send chills down ones spine.
The host, cameraman and lighting personnel twisted their bodies out of difort, but professionals were professionals.
The host quickly shifted the topic since the initial fright had failed.
A very unique name, but I think its nothing unusual among you shamans, right? Well then... Candidate 2567, do you have anything you want to say? the host asked.
No, Kieran replied coldly.
No? You dont have anything to say to your parents, your family or your friends? the host replied with an exaggerated expression before continuing the question.
No. Kieran was still just as cold.
Very well then, Candidate 2567, who doesnt have anything to say. Let us begin the main course for today. Youve arrived at our show through many selection processes. Our show knows about everything that you can do, but the audience doesnt know. So, can you showcase it for us here?
The host then posted a please gesture. Then he, the cameraman and the lighting personnel curled up their lips uncontrobly. It was very subtle, but Kieran, who kept his attention on the host, saw it clearly.
The grin was very familiar to Kieran.
Countless people appeared before him with such grin before; theyughed at his poor background, his pitiful lifestyle, etc.
Once these ill-intentioned people attractedughs from the crowd, they would apologize, pretending to be nice and sincere.
Sorry, its just a joke.
Are you okay? Its just a joke, cant you afford to y along?
Kieran heard such exnations countless times throughout his life, but no matter how many times he heard them, he would never think of them as some joke.
Joy itself should be great, but joy built on others suffering isnt so beautiful anymore.
So Kieran would use his actions to tell those ill-intentioned people what a joke was, what it cost tough at him.
His fists were his regr weapons, sometimes beer bottles or chairs or bricks, anything he could get his hands on.
Then?
He would be attacked by groups, be isted, getbeled as a loner, a deviant from the group.
The hideous side of human nature was shown vividly and incisively at that time.
The first lesson of society told Kieran how heavy the cost was for not conforming to a group: he wouldnt get the pay he deserved and would be fired without valid reason.
In the lessons of society, some people learned topromise; others still followed their own way of living, drawing the criticism of others while doing so.
The former would live a better, scrumptious life, while thetter would find it harder to survive.
Unfortunately, Kieran was thetter.
He didnt want topromise, nor was he willing topromise or conform to those group of people.
He lived in his own way.
It was hard, but it was quieter and morefortable for him.
As for those people?
Of course, Kieran remembered them.
Kieran had a decent memory, especially when someone reminded him of something, then he wouldnt be able to forget even if he wanted to.
Someone persuades you to let it go?
What right do they have if the bad things never happened to them and they never stepped in your shoes?
If a bystander tells you to let it go, take the brick beside you or whatever you can get, smash it in his face and tell him I hit you, now you let it go.
If the person really lets it go, you can try listening to the advice.
If the person doesnt? Another smash with the brick. Tell him what society is.
The coldness in Kierans eyes got colder.
The host before his eyes didnt just remind him of the unpleasant past, but also those kinds of delightful bystanders.
Kieran couldnt find a brick around him, what a pity.
So he chose a more direct way.
He released his killer aura.
The killer aura of someone who had ughtered myriads of souls.
Maybe his core powers were sealed away.
Maybe his stats had plummeted.
Maybe his equipment was forbidden.
But it didnt mean Kieran wascking in ways to respond.
Wung!
The host, cameraman, and lighting personnels heart skipped a beat. Then they realized the man standing in front of them had be a beast that devoured its prey based on selection.
A heavy stench assaulted their noses. It was the flow of blood.
Wails echoed in their ears. It was the fading of life.
Aarh!
The host, cameraman and lightning personnel cried out in shock uncontrobly.
They faltered backwards a few meters before panting heavily.
They then looked at Kieran with anxious, doubtful gazes.
Kieran still had that same old look, cold and expressionless.
No beast, no flowing blood, no wails of the dead.
Everything seemed to have been an illusion ying tricks on their minds.
Ha-ha, haha! That was a joke just now! Seems like our Candidate 2567 has the least amount of humour. Well then, shall we begin? Candidate 2567, please step forward. There are three doors, one of which Ive just been through; I want you to locate that door...
The host diverted the topic with a forcedugh. He wanted to use his words to cover up the embarrassment, but before he could finish, he was stopped abruptly.
Kieran directly went over to the door, opened it and walked inside.
It was the correct door, of course.
The hosts joke was not funny at all, as everything was reality.
Chapter 1347 - Cautious
Chapter 1347: Cautious
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
You terrified them just now.
They are saying that they saw a man-eating beast just now.
Let us reintroduce, Lyn Amie.
Back in the dressing room, the makeup artist extended his hand to Kieran again. Kieran slightly shook the hand and leaned back on his chair.
Since this makeup artist, Lyn Amie, already knew his name, he had no need to introduce himself.
Are all the shamans this cold? Lyn Amie sat beside Kieran like he was very familiar with him and asked with a smile.
Almost, Kieran replied in a vague manner.
In his memory, he never actually meet a lot of shamans though, if he were to list out one, it would definitely be the God of Earth.
Was she cold?
Not really, but she liked to ignore people. Other than what she was interested in, she would ignore everything else.
As for infuriating others because of her attitude?
She would still continue to ignore them, and if someone dared to challenge her?
That someone would soon know the harshness of the world
Thinking about the God of Earth, whom Kieran hadnt seen for a really long time, he fell into deep thought.
Nikorei could be considered as his teacher in certain aspects, although she only treated Kieran as her assistant, she did her part in teaching him.
Since she taught like a teacher, she would be known as his teacher; it was what Kieran assumed.
As for Nikorei herself?
She would probably ignore him as well, just like she wouldnt show any expression when Kieran appeared on TV as a shaman.
Nikorei was so powerful that she shouldnt even exist in the mortal realm. Thus it had destined her to be different from the masses.
However, Kieran couldnt do that. He must think about how to solve the problems before his eyes.
Let enough people know about the real world?
Kieran was pondering upon his main mission.
No doubt, the TV reality show was a good chance, but it didnt mean he had to show any transcendent power in front of the camera.
Aside from the fact that with his current power level, he couldnt achieve anything astonishing, even if he did, he would reconsider it with caution if he didnt want to go against the whole world alone.
The background of the dungeon world already told him this era of the society was freed from the transcendent and mystical state.
Even a schr like Herbert would be altered into something entirely different, let alone the Nights, Mutants, and Royals.
A thousand years was too long for humans that have an average lifespan of 80 years.
It was so long that the current society genuinely believed in the drastically altered history that was written by the victors
Under such circumstances, it was tough for him to voice the truth.
In simpler words, he would have to go against the whole dungeon world.
Had he maintained his powers and brought his equipment with him, he still had slim confidence in catching the enemy off guard like a p of thunder, hence telling most of the people what the world really is.
But now?
He had to n it step by step, and he was quite concerned on a particr point
Is this main mission the original main mission?
Or it changed because of the external intervention?
If its thetter...
I have to reevaluate things, Kieran thought quietly.
Lyn Amie, the makeup artist, didnt leave Kieran though, he sat beside Kieran quietly and waited for a reply.
Almost 10 minutester, when Kieran came back to his senses, he realized that Lyn Amie was still here.
He frowned unconsciously. He wasnt used to talking with Lyn Amie, though.
He didnt mean anything else; neither was there any sense of discrimination.
Kierans personality had determined that he would show vignce towards any stranger, including thedylike man before him, especially when Lyn Amie showed unconditional kindness and patience. It raised Kierans vignce higher.
Is there anything else? Kieran asked.
Work!
Youve cleared the first stage beautifully, my dear. In the second stage, you will attract even more attention, so the show director will surely tell the cameraman to give you more close up shots. So, I think you really need some makeup, Lyn Amie pointed at Kierans face.
He was as patient as usual, and Kieran was as stubborn as always.
No need. Kieran shook his head.
You are really something different!
The other participants wished they can have stic surgery before they go up to the camera. They even took their most expensive shirts to present themselves well .
And you? Not just simple in dressing but also insisted on your... disadvantageI am not saying you are not good looking, just a little normal.
If you didnte for the fame, you will not be attracted by the benefits thate with it, so...
Can you tell me what are you doing here? Lyn Amie looked at Kieran with a curious gaze.
Then can you tell me why are you so curious about me? Kieran asked back.
A ck sheep in a group of white sheep, arent you curious? Lyn Amie asked back.
I am, Kieran replied and fell into deep thought again.
Lyn Amie looked at Kieran with shock.
It wasnt that he never came across people who were hard to deal with; in fact, his job had determined that he would meet a lot of people who were hard to deal with.
However, they were all different from Kieran, who rejected everything.
Those other people bore intentions; they wanted more exposure to boost their poprity for money.
So, Lyn Amie could still wiggle his way around to persuade them, but Kieran?
He sighed, he was ready to give up.
However, just as Lyn Amie wanted to leave, the door to the dressing room was opened.
A kind-looking middle-aged man with sses walked in. He was slightly chubby, not that tall, and was dressed in working attire. He also had a badge in front of his chest.
Director Wang. Lyn Amie greeted.
Good afternoon, Amie.
You are busy?
The man known as Director Wang asked the makeup artist with a kind tone.
Im finished here. If everyone is like 2567 here, I think I will lose my job very soon.
Ill be on my way then.
Lyn Amie replied with a smile, and at the same time, he tapped on Kierans arm as a joke.
He wasnt that strong, but it was enough to catch Kierans attention.
Kieran believed he had stated his stance clear enough, and based on Lym Amies character, he wouldnt have done something to disgust him.
Which meant...
Kieran turned over and looked at the kind middle-aged man.
Hi, Candidate 2567.
I am the second director of the Shamans show.
What do you think of the second stage that will begin soon?
The director was asking like it was some casual chit-chat.
I dont know what the second stage is, Kieran replied.
You dont know? Well, do you want to?.
The directors voice somehow turned heavy.
Chapter 1348 - Entrance
Chapter 1348: Entrance
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran looked up and sized up the middle-aged man carefully.
Somehow the smile on the mans face disappeared, leaving behind a strange, mysterious expression; his eyes were shining in greed as well.
It seemed like the director would not tell Kieran what the second stage would be without getting something in return.
No. Kieran shook his head.
Cheating to win a battle might seem easy, but you would lose the war.
Kieran believed it firmly.
Just like when you are ying a fun game, you changed the settings of your character just for some temporary fun, but in the end, you would feel different because you lost the chance to experience the game to its fullest.
More importantly, Kieran will not believe in free pie falling from the sky.
The hint from Lyn Amie, the makeup artist who just left, was too obvious.
The director didnt expect a definite rejection, he couldnt help but be astonished.
Though he returned to normal right away, his face showed that kind smile again.
Im just joking. How can a mere second director like me know the confidential contents in the uing stages.
Its nice to meet you, 2567. May the odds be in your favor.
The second director then quickly left the dressing room as if nothing happened.
However, Kieran looked at the mans back, his eyes squinted. Despite the second director covering up his words just now, Kieran still caught some hints in between the lines.
When the man referred to himself as the second director, he unconsciously emphasized the intonation and pronunciation, and on the word confidential, his kind smile had an extra sense of mockery.
Kieran believed his dressing room was not thest ce the director visited, and he also thought he would not be thest to reject the director.
The temptation to rocket into fame overnight was too vast, to the point that a lot of people would give in on their persistence. Many people may view this give in as something reasonable, something that didnt go against their own endurance.
Or maybe...
The other peoples persistence was to rocket into fame overnight from the start.
Who knows?
Kieran sat and leaned back on his chair again, he started to perfect his n, and at the same time, he needed chances like this, but he would choose his own way to approach it.
Dok Dok Dok.
Knocks sounded on the door.
It was Lyn Amie at the door with a tray in his hand. On top of the tray were two paper teacups, and a paper te with many pastries and snacks.
Kieran nced over the tray.
Come in, he said.
This is the afternoon tea set the TV station prepared.
Coffee, cookies, and mango mousse.
Do you need creamer and sugar? Lyn Amie went up front to Kieran.
Ill help myself.
Kieran received the tray. He added a nice amount of creamer and sugar in the coffee before taking the cookies. The cookies warmth was proof that they were fresh out of the oven.
The sweetness spread on the tip of Kierans tongue, it eased up his ice-cold expression
Then, he went for the mango mousse.
Unlike the freshly baked cookies, which were warm, the mango mousse was obviously just taken out from the refrigerator, it was still cold enough when served.
Kieran was sure the inside was frozen solid, he should have ced it around for a while before he could get the best mouthfeel from the mousse, but Kieran took a piece and ate it nevertheless.
The icy cold sweetness followed tightly behind the warm, sweetness from the cookies.
The sweetness from different temperature was obviously distinctive, but when bothbined, it formed a rather subtle sense offort and delight together with satisfaction.
Kieran squinted his eyes, he took a sip off the coffee and further squinted his eyes into a single line.
Unlike the fresh aroma of tea, the richness of the coffee had substantial bitterness, hence offsetting the creamer and sugar, making them the bestpliments to a cup of coffee.
The substance became rich and vourful, it was effortless to drink.
While under Lyn Amies awestruck gaze, the remaining snacks and coffee on the tray vanished at an exponential speed.
Thank you. Kieran thanked the makeup artist after he gobbled down thest piece of cookie.
You didnt have lunch? he asked.
I did, Kieran answered.
Then? Lym Amie pointed at the tray with a confused gaze.
I just have a healthy appetite, Kieran replied seriously.
Then, do you want more?
Lyn Amie looked at the empty tray and recalled how Kieran ate the snacks. His saliva couldnt help but overflow in his mouth, hunger rushed to his mind and made him eager to have something to eat right away. Of course, he didnt forget about Kieran.
Sure, Kieran nodded without a second thought.
After Lyn Amie served the fourth tray of snacks to Kieran, Kierans name was called again.
It was the assistant director named Li that he saw before.
The assistant director was looking at Kieran with heightened caution and was moving his slightly chubby body.
The TV station was a ce where news spread rapidly. The things that happened to the host, the cameraman and the lighting personnel spread like wildfire within the station in just a few short hours.
Its like being targeted by a fearsome beast!
My body is shaking, and I cant control them!
I almost cried out loud!
Such descriptions were everywhere, despite those who uttered those things never indeed saw Kieran before.
Plus, the segment of the show was named Shaman anyway, any rumors would add up on Kieran naturally.
The mysterious was always that attracting, not just because it represented the unknown, more importantly, the unknown brought fear.
Just like the Assistant Director, Li. As he looked at Kieran, he felt like he was seen through from top to bottom, including the good and the bad.
Y-You,e with me.
The assistant director stuttered and quickly walked down the stairs.
If it was possible, the assistant director didnt want to approach Kieran at all, just like the host, Mikes, who refused to host the segment where Kieran might appear.
Unfortunately, the assistant director has no power like Mike, all he could do wasply and end contact with Kieran as quick as possible.
Kieran followed the assistant director, and both of them quickly reached the studio downstairs.
Unlike before, where Kieran was stuck with the host, cameraman and lighting personnel, the studio site had hundreds of people in the audience.
When Kieran walked into the studio, the audience apuded.
It seemed like the audience watched Kierans past performance, but it didnt exclude the possibility that the audience was just doing their job.
To fill the studio with people and make it less empty for the filming of the show, some temporary actors were required. These people would have to sit for hours continuously just to get a meals pay, they might seem cheap, but many were still up for the job because of the curiosity towards show business, especially youngsters.
At that moment, many of the audience were youngsters. Kieran nced over the audience, and these youngsters looked at Kieran as well.
Compared to the other participants, Kieran was too ordinary.
He didnt have a crystal ball, no magic staff, no feather decorations, not even some colorful, mysterious tattoo.
He was ordinary, in, and dull.
Other than his cold and expressionless face that would raise attention, Kieran was aplete passerby. His image didnt fit the rumored shamans.
The thoughts of the audience also represented the other participants.
The other four participants who dressed in all sorts of weird outfits stood at the other corner of the stage, they were showing disdain or looking provocatively at Kieran until the voice of the host, Mikes entered the studio
Wee,dies and gentlemen!
I am Mikes, your beloved host!
Because of some technical difficulties, I have to be away from the stage for a while! So let me pass the stage to our participants!
The stage trembled softly after the host finished.
Three perfectly sealed one squared meter boxes, came up from the lowerpartment of the stage.
See these three boxes?
We have arranged a special item inside one of these boxes. Candidates, all you have to do is stand in front of the box that you think holds the item we have arranged.
Now, shall we begin?
The moment the voice of the host subsided from the stage, the 4 weirdly dressed participants went straight to the box on the most right.
Kieran? He chose the middle one.
Chapter 1349 - Box
Chapter 1349: Box
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Four to one!
The distinctive choice made on the stage caused the audience to gasp in surprise. The audiences interest piqued as they continued to watch the show on the stage.
They were eager to know the results.
Was the truth grasped by the majority of the participants or the minority?
As the audience, they were just observers, not participants. Their hearts were only troubled by their curiosity, nothing else.
But the other four participants on the stage were different.
When they saw Kierans choice, the four of them were stunned at first before their eyes and expressions showed heavy mockery and sneers.
The one among the four who held a crystal ball even voiced his sneers.
Seems like someone has no talent at all but still wants to be on stage, showing off nothing but his shamelessness. What a joke! The harshness in his words was obvious.
His harsh words were responded with the acknowledgement of the other three participants.
I know, right? Some people think too highly of themselves.
Maybe you think being a shaman is cool and fun, but at least learn some of the history about shamans before trying to act like one.
How do you know he hasnt already? Maybe this shameful choice is the result of his learning! Its just that he never learned the essence, just letting his mind run wild!
After the man with the crystal ball spoke, the three followed up right away.
After the mocking and sneers, the three of them showed disgust at being on the same stage as Kieran.
Then...
The left and right boxes opened up.
They were empty!
The four participants who were full of mockery just now turned sour right away. The man who held the crystal ball even muttered to himself like he had lost his sanity, Impossible! Impossible! It should be right here!
Then, the man with the crystal ball felt as if hed realized something. He started to shout, Its rigged! This is rigged!
His voice was loud and sharp; as he shouted, the makeup on his face fell to the floor like snow. His words were halted abruptly when the giant screen behind the stage lit up.
The screen yed footage of the second director, Wang, entering the dressing rooms of different participants.
The footage was shaky, obviously having been taken from a hidden camera, but the contents were very clear. When the four participants in the video heard the second director mention a special way to get the answer, the shine in their eyes and the greed on their faces left an impression in peoples minds.
Piss off!
You cheaters!
Loud scoldings and rants came from the audience seats. A few hot-tempered audience members who bought their seats with real money threw drinks on the stage as well.
Of course, they werent throwing things on the stage blindly. Their targets were the four participants to the right; all the stuff thrown avoided Kieran in the middle.
Bang!
The series of events caught the man with the crystal ball off guard. When a water bottle hit him on the head, he was knocked straight out cold.
The crystal ball fell and shattered everywhere.
The staff rushed up on stage and carried the man down. The other three participants also covered their faces and ran down. When the three of them ran past the man who was being carried out by the staff, they noticed that the man was breathing normally and his eyes under the eyelids were moving relentlessly.
He was faking it!
The three participants quickly reacted; they cursed in their hearts.
All the participants who entered this show were shamans themselves with a little fame. They, of course, had their own way of dealing with danger. After all, not everyone was so easily deceived; once their work was exposed, they had to react immediately. However, the excitement of them being on TV made them lose their way, and they were obviously not as smart as the man who faked his faint.
The three of them even guessed that this bastard would be a victim of a cheater,ining about the violence of the audience to divert the attention away from his cheating.
Damn it!
After some heavy cursing in their hearts, the three of them started to think about excuses to escape the scolding.
However, it wasnt something the audience had to think about.
After the four con-men left, Kieran was left alone on the stage.
The audience showed more surprise and astonishment at Kieran who stood there throughout the whole process without the slightest expression. More curiosity followed.
In the footage shown on the screen, Kieran was expressionless; when he appeared on the stage and the uproar from the audience happened, he was still expressionless.
Even though the audience had controlled where they threw things, anyone would easily flinch when something was flying towards them or approaching them suddenly.
But not Kieran! He was not a normal person!
No! More precisely, he was different from a normal person!
The audience, who got the conclusion, couldnt hold back their excitement.
The audience who attended the live viewing of the shaman show would naturally be interested and curious about those abnormal incidents or people.
A tech-savvy person would never have appeared in a show named shaman or other simr segments.
Kieran was unlike the shamans in the rumours and legends, but who could guarantee that those legends were real from the start?
Eh... Seems like things are a little out of expectation! But fear not! Thank you, Director Wang, for your effort in our show. I suggested this method at first to test the participants, but a lot of people objected. Only Director Wang was willing to help me, just like he always did. Thank you! Without Director Wang, we wouldnt have witnessed such an amazing show! Neither would we be able to differentiate the real and fake shamans! Now, let us give a big round of apuse to our director!
The hosts voice sounded from the stages speaker again. The audience pped loudly after the voice subsided, and Director Wang also yed along by bowing on the other side of the stage.
One of the four cameraman beneath the stage focused his camera to Director Wang, taking a close up shot.
Kieran, who was still in the center of the stage, captured everything within his sight. Then he turned toward the box behind him, his gaze somehow looking different.
It was a probing, interested gaze.
The voice from the speaker continued.
Now, let us ce our attention on our final participant. Let us follow the camera and see what surprise is waiting for us!
One of the cameraman quickly moved up after the voice stopped.
At the same time, the screen on the stage tuned to said cameras feed.
Then, the box behind Kieran opened up slowly.
Bang!
When the cameraman saw what was inside the box through his camera, he fell on the stage. The camera that he treated like a treasure fell beside him.
But before the camera fell, it had captured the content of the box and disyed it on the stages screen.
Aaarh! Aaaa!
Dead!
Someone is dead!
Sharp screams resounded in session among the audience.
The screen on the stage clearly showed what was inside the box.
It was a body! More precisely, it was the body of the host, Mikes!
Chapter 1350 - Impulsive
Chapter 1350: Impulsive
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Quiet! Everyone, quiet! The police have been notified! They will arrive soon enough! Before that, everyone please stay calm and remain in your seats. Topensate for this horrible experience, the TV station will provide a certain reimbursement for the tickets purchased for this viewing.
Amidst the messy, loud screams, the second director, Wang, stood on the stage and tried to calm the crowd down through the microphone.
His voice spread through the speakers, echoing around the studio and suppressing the sharp screams. The mention of police and reimbursement only slightly calmed the audience down.
When more station staff came into the studio, the situation was under better control.
Then, the kind-looking director went over to Kieran.
I am sorry this happened.
If you dont mind, you can go back to the dressing room and wait for the police to arrive. he said.
Since everyone is in the studio, I dont think I need to leave as well, Kieran shook his head. His eyes, however, were glued to the body inside the box.
The body was twisted to fit in the box, the joints of the body already hardened.
The host was obviously stuffed into the box moments after he was murdered, which twisted his body and further hardened it in an ufortable way. Based on how the muscles declined, the host must have been killed one to three hours earlier. The lethal blow must have been the stab on the back, as the knife used to kill the host was still hanging on the body.
The knife had plunged deep into his heart, but it was stuck in the bones.
It wasnt a skilled killer, could barely wield a knife.
With that initial observation, an impulsive killer appeared in Kierans mind.
As for other wounds on the body, Kieran couldnt tell since he didnt move the body, but he was almost certain of who the killer was.
The lingering murderous intentions were too obviousCeven in Kierans weakened state, looking at the killer was like looking at a bright light in the dark.
Although he didnt know the motives, Kieran didnt want to waste his time in the killers one-man y.
You had a grudge with him? Kieran asked.
What do you mean? the kind-looking director jolted.
Im asking, did you hold a grudge against him? Kieran repeated.
What? No! Mikes and I were the best of partners. We may have argued sometimes, but its because of the shows direction. We were quite the buddies, personally. A lot of people in the station can prove that. the director frowned and argued.
Then why did you kill him? Kieran asked.
Kill him? Are you kidding me right now? Why would I kill him?!
The director looked panicked for a moment, but immediately reced it with calmness. Standing on his toes, he gripped the microphone tight, bent down a little, and looking at Kieran pressuringly, questioned him. You use me of killing? Where is your proof?
If you dont have proof to support your words, I will sue you for defamation, and...
Ive heard rumours saying that you and Mikes had some falling out. Is that right? He said you looked at him like a beast trying to devour him!
You say that I killed him, but now I suspect that you are the one who killed him!
The directors voice went through the microphone and spread from the speaker, and everything that happened on the stage swiftly attracted the attention of the audience. The audience regained their calmness and watched the stage unblinkingly.
There is a lot of proof. The knife is still on the body, so you should have wiped the fingerprints, but what about the blood stain? I know you wear a lot of cologne to cover up, but there is still some other type of smell, simr to the soap in the washroom. You should have washed yourself up with soap many times.
And the shirt you are wearing now, its a little different from the one that I saw you wearing earlier. The old ones are tainted with blood right?
Kierans nose did pick up a lot of things, but a great hunter would know how to lure its prey step by step into the trap.
Blood stain? You keep saying blood stain, where is it then? Did you find it? Or do you want to do some Luminol test for the blood? the director mocked.
Kieran smiled when he saw the mockery on the directors face.
If you put it that way, I bet you have cleaned everything thoroughly. Not just the soap at the washroom, but some bleach as well, I assume? But... Dont you think a person having bleach all over his shirt without a reason is weird?
When a w is covered, more ws will show itself.
Simr to the director.
Kieran shook his head when he saw the panicked expression on the directors face again.
He was certain the director killed Mikes the host under an impulsive thought.
Otherwise, the director would have covered up with more meticulous effort. Still, it wouldnt have stopped Kieran from solving the crime.
I want the staff to check the washroom in each floor, find out whether the soap in that washroom is overused. Please take note of the smell of bleach in the washroom as well.
If you can, after locating these two specific points, search that entire floor, and pay attention to the ceiling!
When Kierans words subsided, the director that killed his rival out of impulse finally fell on the stage, limping and weak.
H-How did you know? the director asked in a shivered tone.
Of course Kieran wouldnt say that a normal thinking man would have thrown away the trash can first, because that will be the ce the police start their search. Then, following along the the mind of a police officer searching for clues, all kinds of hidden spots in the TV station would be exposed, even the ceilings.
In fact, ording to normal procedures, even if Kieran hadnt interfered, it was only a matter of time before the director was exposed.
Though, Kieran didnt tell the director the detective work he had done.
He pointed at the body in the box, said He told me. I am a shaman.
Kieran walked towards the corridor beside the stage.
The staff who blocked the exit opened up a way for Kieran to pass, and the audience watched Kieran as he left the studio.
The audience only regained their senses after the exit door shut.
Praise and cheers sounded in session. Cries of surprise also.
But none had anything to do with Kieran anymore, not even the killer.
The killer thought he was so smart, he started to exin why he had wrongfully killed the host, but none of that concerned Kieran anymore.
Not just because Kieran was not interested in the solved crime, but also because a notification popped up on his vision and astonished him.
TL Note:
Luminol- A chemical containing carbon-nitrogen-oxygen-and hydrogen. It is used by crime scene investigators to detect blood at crime scenes where no blood is visible.
Chapter 1351 - Questioning
Chapter 1351: Questioning
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kak!
As he closed the door behind him, lines of words appeared in Kierans vision.
[Absorbed energy, rewards turnaround authentication started...]
[Insufficient energy, authentication failed...]
Two lines of words made Kieran squint his eyes.
With much experience in his bag, Kieran instantly had guesses about the situation at hand.
He turned around and looked at the studio that was behind the door. His squinted eyes showed a brilliant shine.
In the end, he decided to alter his uing ns to cope with the new things
...
In the dressing room, Lyn Amie sighed when he saw the message on his smartphone.
Before this, he had known about the rumours between Director Wang and Mikes, but he never thought it would end up like this.
Of course, Kieran was the one that surprised him the most.
He solved the murder almost instantly. Could it really be...that there are really shamans out there? No way, right? He must have used some detective tricks.
The thought in his heart made the makeup artist shake his head. When he saw the continuous messages, even though most of them were just gossip, Lyn Amie was able to find a reasonable exnation for himself.
The methods of a detective may be wondrous, but it was much more logical and eptable than crediting it to a shaman. Simr to the audience, they watched this segment of the show not because they really thought shamans existed, but because of curiosity.
So, when Kieran walked into the dressing room, Lyn Amie waved his hand.
Hello, my great detective.
Em.
Kieran nodded and sat back in his chair.
You admit it? Lyn Amie looked at Kieran in astonishment.
In Lyn Amies perspective, even if Kieran wanted to maintain the identity of a participant in the shaman show, he should have at least held on to the identity of a shaman, not admitting that he was a detective.
Admit what? Kieran asked back.
Your identity as a detective! Come on, my boy, a detective shouldnt tease people with wordy like this. Its not a gentleman thing to do at all, Lyn Amie said angrily.
Wordy is always a detectives favourite, so is the case for a shaman. Because... words themselves have quite the magical power, Kieran replied calmly.
Then he closed his eyes.
He had to wait for a while because of the slight alteration in his n and, of course, to seize the time to rest whenever he could.
[Tracking] was forcefully reduced to Musou level; its effect was simr to the real Musou level, and it didnt decrease a bit, but what remained was the Stamina consumption.
With Kierans Advance Rank Constitution as support before this, the consumption was not much, but now, with only E+ rank Constitution, the Stamina consumption was a little overbearing for him. In fact, in order to confirm more of his conjectures, he had activated [Tracking] for a second, but the moment he started to use it, he felt tired.
If Kieran had not relied on his powerful willpower, that moment alone would have exhausted him on the stage.
His long and steady breath sounded like he had fallen into a deep sleep.
Lyn Amie thought he would have to argue further, but instead, he took a jacket and ced it over Kieran before leaving the dressing room without a noise.
The door was quietly shut.
Kieran slightly opened his eyes when the door closed, and after a peek, he closed his eyes again and maintained his long and steady breaths.
He even produced some light snores.
10 minutester, Kieran woke up from his nap.
Dak Dak Dak!
Noise produced by a pair of leather shoes on wooden flooring came from the corridor, and it clearly entered Kierans ears. He was rubbing his temples when there came a knock on the door.
Dok, Dok, Dok.
Come in, Kieran said.
The door opened after permission was granted.
Lyn Amie and an unfamiliar middle-aged man walked in, followed by another pair of uniformed police officers, a man and a woman.
The male officer was around his fifties, his face full of wrinkles, and even with the police hat, he couldnt conceal the grey hairs around his temples.
The female officer was young; she looked ordinary but not ugly by any means. Her uniform made her look valiant and energetic, especially her eyes, which were sharp and full of reverence. Although she was thest in the group, she was the most eye-catching one, like a lioness.
Kieran couldnt help but take another nce at her because he noticed something different about the female officer.
A killer aura different from others.
She has killed before! And not just once!
The two officers seemed interesting. Not just the killer aura, but also some differences in their movements.
The middle-aged officer who walked in front seemed to be leading the group, but his steps were slightly hesitant. Every two steps he took, he would turn around for a nce, but he seemed to hold back. Despite trying his best to cover it up, it looked extremely weird before Kierans eyes.
The female officer, on the other hand, strode forward, a strong manner appearing on her from time to time; everytime she almost overtook the male officer in front, she would pause before continuing.
The female officer should be the superior and the male her subordinate.
But they purposely swapped roles! Is it for a better observation? Or...
The guesses in his heart didnt show on his face. Kieran looked at the group of visitors without any obvious expression.
This is Director Eckart, chief of the TV station. And this is Officer Lin and Officer Mei.
Lyn Amie introduced each one of them.
Nice to meet you, Mr. 2567. I have something to discuss with you, but before that, these two officers here wanted to see you. Dont worry, its nothing severe. They are here to understand the murder that just took ce. Just tell the officers honestly, and you will be fine. Amie and I will be right outside, so call us if you need anything.
Director Eckart nodded with a smile.
Thanks, Kieran replied politely to the director of the station; he knew his altered n was already halfway to sess.
The directors smile grew brighter. It seemed like he was happy with the answer.
Director Eckart waved at Lyn Amie, and both of them went outside the dressing room, leaving Kieran with the two officers.
When the door shut, the female officer showed her dissatisfaction with Eckarts attitude, but she quickly stopped her grunts andid eyes on Kieran.
Her eyes were judgmental and... showed a little disgust.
Disgust?
A sudden realization rose within Kierans heart.
Shamans in this world mostly represented one thing: con-men.
It was natural that an officer detested a con-man.
Therefore, Kieran knew the uing conversation might not be as pleasant as he wished.
As a matter of fact, it really happened as he expected.
Mr. 2567, we are here just to understand some things. You dont need to be nervous. Can you tell us what happened just now? the middle-aged officer asked with a smile.
Before Kieran could answer, the female officer stepped in. How did you figure out that Wang Du was the killer? Or did you find some clues? Or... did you see the process with your own eyes?
Her words werent just blunt, she wasnt polite either.
Chapter 1352 - Working Together
Chapter 1352: Working Together
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
When the female officer stepped in and interrupted the questioning, Kieran clearly saw that the middle-aged officer shrunk his neck a little, showing a revered look.
A subordinate showing reverence to his superior wasnt all that odd, but only reverence would be a little off.
While his mind was thinking about something else, Kieran wasnt slow with his answers at all.
I said I am a shaman. The dead Mikes told me who killed him, he said calmly.
He didnt sound disrespectful, but his words were especially blunt.
Impolite? He hid it in between the lines.
Kieran wasnt friendly towards strangers anyway, let alone showing a smile to please someone who was impolite to him.
Again, he didnt have any kind of weird fetishes.
Not now, not in the future.
You!
The young female officer widened her eyes, making her alreadyrge eyes grow bigger, making her look better as well, but her gaze was full of rage and a slight sense of killer intent. It was the kind of intimidating manner of a person that had lingered around the verge of life and death for a long time.
A normal person facing this kind of killer intent would instantly shiver.
Kieran?
Of course not!
He had been through many dungeon worlds, walked through the shadows, stormed the battlefield; he relied on his life, risking it every time to ovee the danger. When his experiences piled up, he was rewarded with the final victory.
The trail he left behind was full of bones and bodies.
The ces he gazed at had corpses scattered everywhere.
Even in the big city, he was quietly known as the butcher, the executioner.
Kieran quietly looked at the killer intent, guesses growing in his heart.
He looked at the officers palm, then her legs, and then her face.
All of a sudden, Kieran showed a smile, a sincere smile from the bottom of his heart.
At the same time, he raised his right hand, his fingers opening up slowly like a blooming flower. His voice became soft like never before.
Rx, this is not a battlefield. There are no bullets from the shadows, no mines buried in the ground. You need a good rest. Im not asking you to forget what you experienced, as thatd be unrealistic of me, but I hope you can look straight into the facts. Remember, you are still alive. Alive with the honor and glory of your once brothers-in-arm, alive with the anticipation of your sisters-in-arm.
His soft voice was like a falling feather. Standing under the light, the young female officer looked a little dazed, as though she were falling asleep.
The middle-aged officer beside her was looking at the scene with his jaw dropped.
Obviously, his upation allowed him to understand what Kieran was doing to his partner.
Hypnosis!
But because he knew, the male officer understood the difficulties behind the feat.
Needless to say, his new partner wasnt some simple Jane Doe. Her astonishing experience forged an iron will within her; anymon hypnotist or psychologist that met her would be frightened, let alone when performing hypnosis. Even the few decent ones could barely scratch her iron will, which stood like a monolith.
Never thought a con-man here... no, a shaman could do it.
That thought in the officers heart changed the way he looked at Kieran.
A person possessing abilities thatmonerscked was enough for others to respect him.
The female officers head suddenly tilted down, her body instinctively jumped backwards and her right hand tried to reach for the firearm at her waist, but she got a hold of nothing.
It was at that moment that she reacted to the situation.
She had left that horrifying ce. She transferred to a more stable position, but because she failed some psych test, she wasnt given a gun.
What did you do to me?
She had reacted to the hypnosis in her heart, but that didnt mean she would admit it. She continued to question this con-man before her eyes with a cold tone.
He was a psychologist that imed to be a shaman; it wasnt too much for her to call him a con-man.
Trying to ease your burden. If you continue on like this, you will be the person you hate the most. All you need is a split second, and you will be someone that you wont even be able to recognize. It might be some squabbles, it might be someone bumping into you, it might even be a light coughanything could be a trigger... You might not be yourself anymore. You wouldnt want to point a gun at your partner, right? Then... I suggest you take a rest for some time.
Kieran pointed at the male officer beside her, his eyes looking into the female officers, whose muscles were tight and ready to strike like a jaguar.
I dont need you to remind me whether to rest or not. Now tell me everything you know.
She grunted coldly and continued the questioning.
Although she maintained her tone, Kieran could clearly feel that her attitude had softened up.
When Kieran had mentioned her partner, her attitude unconsciously softened.
Why would a kind person be so much weaker than a vicious bad guy?
Or rather, why would some big evil boss at the end of the game be extremely weak should they turn to the good side?
Because of bottomline and rules.
They used their bottomline to remind themselves of what they should and shouldnt do.
They used their rules to remind themselves of why they did it.
As for those without bottomline and rules?
They may seem strong and furious, but it only appeared that way.
They would either fall under the new rules set against them or move forward toward a path of self-destruction.
The conversation between the officers and Kieran became friendlier.
Before the officers left, the middle-aged officer left a polite reminder for Kieran.
Thank you for your cooperation. If we have any need, I will contact you again for questioning.
When the officers truly left, Lyn Amie the makeup artist came in.
You are really something, 2567! You know hypnosis as well? Are you a professional? said Lyn Amie excitedly when he stepped in.
I am a shaman, Kieran said in an affirmative tone.
Of course Kieran knew nothing about hypnosis, but Pro level [Mystical Knowledge] was something simr. It may also be considered as a type of hypnosis; otherwise, Kieran wouldnt have been able to affect the heart of a warrior in a short time.
Another thing was that Kierans stats, despite him truly being weakened, were at least still considered asmoners peak level.
Still, performing the trick with the handy [Mystical Knowledge] was strenuous for him. It was already his current limit.
As for anything more than that slight affection? Impossible for now.
Ahem.
A noise of clearing the throat came from the door.
Director. Ill go get something for you to eat, 2567the station does provide dinner.
Lyn Amie was quick to read the situation. He bowed at the middle-aged station director before running out to get dinner for Kieran.
Kieran subtly nodded before looking at the director.
The director was wearing a clean suit, probably some expensive brand. Based on the stitching, it should be handcrafted, not sewn by a machine.
However, it looked a little dirty and overdue of a washing. Like the wrinkled sleeves and oily hair, all the signs pointed out that he hadnt bathed for a few days.
But still, his bloodshot eyes were still energetic, and with hurried breaths, it seemed like the director was extremely excited.
Kieran, who guessed the directors intention, didnt wait for him to speak before asking, You want to work together in the long term?
Chapter 1353 - Clues
Chapter 1353: Clues
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Astounded, Eckart looked up to Kierans expressionless face.
At the next moment, he threw out the original script that he nned to persuade Kieran with and nodded in the most sincere way possible.
Yes!
This shows origin was an ident anyway. You should have noticed it by now that the shows original goal was aedy reality show.
Now? Based on the ratings that we received, we think it can really be a full-fledged TV show! said Eckart while trying to spot the changes in expression on Kierans face.
He hoped to acquire some useful information from his observation, but throughout the process, Kieran didnt show anything on his face; thus, Eckart couldnt get anything useful.
The oue tortured Eckhart even more, though.
In fact, back in the day, other than for their ace TV show, he wouldnt have shown himself down here, not for this kind of small TV show segment, neither would he be so humble and belittle himself like this.
But now, he had no choice!
If he didnt want to lose his job, he could only risk it by producing a segment that the audience approved of.
While the wait tortured, the director, Kieran finally spoke.
What can you give me in return?
The director finally heaved a sigh of relief.
He wasnt afraid to make an offer; he was worried that his proposals wouldnt be epted by Kieran.
Thetter would render him helpless; the former would present him ways to turn things around.
As long as he could turn things about, it would mean sess.
Huu!
After a slight inhale, the director said, What do you want? If its within my reach, I wont be stingy about it.
Since the director started the conversation like that, Kieran had the power to call the shots in the deal.
A decent payment would be the basics. Advance payments and a ce to stay woulde along with the deal, as well.
Most importantly, through the director, Kieran had gained ess to certain information that he could read.
Thest part was Kierans real goal!
He was very eager to know what happened after he left this world thest time.
Even if the information might be fake, even if he were snatching at the tails of shadows, it would be better than having a wild guess at everything.
...
The car was driving on the highway smoothly. Kieran leaned back in the backseat as if he had fallen asleep.
The makeup artist, Lyn Amie was tasked with taking care of him. He looked through the back mirror and saw Kieran, his face was filled with confusion because he couldnt understand why Kieran would make such a request to the director.
He should have asked for a bigger portion, he could even be the one in control!
But he gave up just like that and exchanged for some insignificant things, you are really... A weirdo!
Lyn Amie ranted in his heart.
Almost everyone knew about Eckarts position.
Although he was still in the directors position, it was a matter of time before he was removed.
Unless...
He could produce some shows or segments that could revive him from his current stagnant state.
However, no one held hopes in the director, but the Shamans appeared, Kieran appeared.
And to everyones surprise, Kieran and the director reached an ord in such a short time.
The contents of the deal were not made public in the station, but those who knew about it were shocked at Kierans mercy.
Thats right, Kieran was merciful.
Even when Kieran got the payment, which was twice his current pay at the station, everyone thought he was being merciful.
After all, since Eckart was in a desperate situation, let alone twice the pay, even three times, four times would be easily obtainable.
The rants in Lyn Amies heart brought him endless sighs and pity.
He imagined that if he were Kieran, he would have gotten more stuff from the director.
But in reality?
The makeup artist had temporarily be Kierans assistant, in charge of his living.
Kieran, however, was taking a nap in the backseat.
Once the thought came into Lyn Amies mind, he became depressed.
Fortunately, he was a person who was skilled in solving his own depression and qualms.
Look at him, he has all this fame that others couldnt get under the spotlight, but behind the camera, he is always so tired.
To gain, one must give first. Most of the time, the give is much more exhausting than one could imagine.
Is he really happy now? Well, I dont know, but I am pleased with my life now.
Lyn Amie started to hum his favorite melody afterforting himself.
Seems like you are in a good mood? Kieran opened his eyes.
He liked being in a quiet environment.
In simpler words, Lyn Amies little hum wasnt that pleasant to him; it woke him up.
Not bad. After Ive dropped you off at the library, I can go home, take a bath, catch up with my drama, and have a delicious sweet meal. Whenever I think of that, it feels like today is a great day. Lyn Amie smiled and nodded, his face was looking forward to his leisure time.
Great?
Hmm. After I get to the library, I need someone to help me with the bathwater, switch on the TV, and prepare dinner, Kieran said with squinted eyes.
Lyn Amie was bewildered.
You are not referring to me, right? Lyn Amie showed a hideous smile.
What do you think? Kieran asked back.
Of course, it was him, Lyn Amie knew it himself.
His identity as an assistant to Kieran was arranged by the director.
Unless he were to resign from his job, he had no grounds to reject.
Thinking about the excellent pay, Lyn Amie nodded with difficulty.
F-Fine.
And... you cant really imagine my kind of happiness. Or rather, I am happier than you think, Kieran then closed his eyes.
The guesses, theories in his mind required him to arrange them in chronological order, and he was sure his assistant would not bother him anymore.
Of course, he wont bother Kieran anymore, Lyn Amie was looking as grudgeful as a vengeful spirit.
If he didnt know that hitting people was wrong, he would have given Kieran two punches in his eyes.
But after considering his own strength...
In the end, Lyn Amie could only swing his ponytail around, clenching his teeth, and be quiet.
From a particr aspect, Kieran really achieved his goal, and the effect was remarkable.
Throughout the process of borrowing books in the library, the adjustment of Kierans bathwater, switching on the TV, and preparation of dinner, Lyn Amie didnt say a word.
Even if he was curious as to why Kieran would want to read some cultural materials, geography books, biographies, and even some dry philosophy books.
The aroma of dinner came from the kitchen.
Kierans attention temporarily shifted from the books, he sniffed.
Beef, carrots, potatoes, onions... Huh?!
His mouth was uttering the list of the ingredients unconsciously, but suddenly, he stopped.
A sentence in the book instantly captured his attention
We are not weaklings. Like Joanna, even if she was a woman, led the biggest revolution in history!
Chapter 1354 - Mei HuaSheng
Chapter 1354: Mei HuaSheng
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Joanna?
The Joanna he knew of? The Joanna that once almost gave up on living because of the scars on her face? The one that needed Kieran to persuade her against such action?
Herberts student?
Kieran quickly went over the book that he was reading.
He hoped to find out about more on Joanna so that he could verify whether the Joanna the books mentioned was the Joanna that he knew of.
However, the books he borrowed from the library didnt hold the information he sought.
Help me borrow more books regarding this, Joanna!
Kieran straightforwardly told Lyn Amie when he brought the food out of the kitchen.
Kieran believed as a native, Lyn Amie would be more familiar with this Joanna.
Although Lyn Amie might be prejudiced by his first impression, he was still better than Kieran.
Lyn Amies breath hurried as he brought the food to the table.
He was showing off his rage. He really wanted to question Kieran on whether he did it on purpose, but the question didnt escape his mouth.
He quietly ced the food on the table, cursing Kieran in his heart as he quickly went out the door.
Lyn Amie wasnt an idiot. After a little thought, he knew why Kieran ordered him around.
It was because of his little humming during the drive which disturbed Kieran.
He was nning to say sorry after preparing dinner, but now?
No, he didnt think he needed to be sorry.
While he returned with thick stacks of books, he felt ridiculous because of his naive thoughts just now.
The beef is overcooked.
You should put the onion when its mildly roasted.
You need to use stocks for cooking the soup.
Too much salt.
The potatoes are too hard.
The carrots are too soft.
The pickyments caught Lyn Amie off guard, he was dumbstruck, and his breath hurried again.
Ultimately, he mmed the books in front of Kieran and yelled, GOOD NIGHT!
Lyn Amie then turned around and left through the door.
He must leave this room immediately; otherwise, he was afraid that hed lose control and m the books into Kierans face.
Bang!
After the door was mmed shut, Kieran quickly swept the food clean and started to read the new books that Lyn Amie brought him.
Seconds turned into minutes.
When the sun rose, the night was dispelled.
Kieran stood up from the sofa, exercising his stiff body and pulled open the curtains to let the sun in. When the sunshinended on his body, the warmth delighted him thoroughly, making him feel a little better.
A whole night of reading didnt give Kieran anything useful.
The books about Joanna that Lym Amie brought back were all the same.
The main thing the books were saying was: Joanna, as a woman, led the revolution that swept the entire Federation!
The other points were just the authors own thoughts drawn from the meaning of the sentence.
Kieran didnt even see names that he was familiar with the description.
However, Kieran wasnt depressed by his fruitless reading.
He knew what he read through the night were some books opened to the public, the hidden, secretive ones that shouldnt be out in the light would naturally not be readily avable.
Hope it wont let me down.
Kieran thought when he remembered the deals he made with the director.
Kieran prepared himself to head to the TV station, but before he moved, he felt extremely exhausted.
He rubbed his swollen temple and frowned.
He was much weaker than he expected.
In the past, where he usually read through the night, he would still feel ufortable but definitely not sleepy and exhausted.
The tiredness and sleepiness of his body told him what he should do: rest!
An hour of rest!
He didnt want tomit any mistakes because of hisck of focus from the tiredness.
Just when Kieran was about toy down on the sofa, the door was knocked on
Dok, Dok Dok.
Kieran knew who it was without even asking.
Lyn Amie, the makeup artist!
Other than him, who else knew Kieran was staying here?
Frowned, Kieran opened the door.
Lyn Amie was looking a little embarrassed when Kieran appeared in front of him.
Especially when he walked into the room and saw the empty bowls and tes on the table, the embarrassment grew.
Last night, Lyn Amie returned home feeling enraged, and to prove his cooking skills to Kieran, he purposely cooked dinner for himself, but...
No more buts.
The food he cooked was so tough on the appetite, thus allowing him to understand why Kieran was so picky at that time.
So, he prepared breakfast together with his apology. But to his surprise, no matter how terrible his cooking was, Kieran ate all of it nheless.
Y-You...
Give me the breakfast. Go wash the tes, and I need an hour of rest.
Kieran took the bag of breakfast and turned around to his bedroom.
If Lyn Amie appeared without breakfast, he wouldnt have been allowed to step into the room, but he didnt know that. He looked at Kierans back and answered, Okay.
He then started to hum again as he tidied up the table, but he quickly remembered his fiasco yesterday and stopped. He carefully looked at the closed bedroom door and went into the kitchen quietly.
...
Later in the morning, Kieran went back to the TV station again.
This time, he wasnt going to the dressing room, but the directors office.
After serving two cups of coffee, Lyn Amie went left the office.
Good morning, Eckart looked at Kieran with a tired face.
Compared tost night, Eckart in the morning looked even more tired, but he was more excited as well.
Em. You should take a few hours of rest, Kieran nodded.
I really want to, but I cant... Not now.
Before our show truly garners attention, many things are still up in the air.
After a smooth dealst night, both of them seemed closer, Eckart also sounded more casual than before.
Kieran didnt say anything else after that. Both of them were better than strangers, but not quite friends yet. They were just partners working together, so some words naturally wouldnte out from Kieran.
I want to broadcast the contents that didnt get airedst night.
Eckart took a mouthful of coffee before saying slowly. And after he did, he drained the coffee cup.
He has been relying on coffee to survive for the past few days.
Without coffee, he really had no idea how would he make it through.
Will there be any problems? Kieran asked after the director finished his coffee.
Needless to say, someone really died on the showst night, Kieran hadnt forgotten about it.
A little, but manageable. The good triumphs the bad!
Eckart said after some thoughts, and the moment his words subsided, he quickly borated, Dont worry, I am not a madman who will disregard anything to save myself.
That is why I hired a consultant from the police force.
You met her yesterday, as well.
She will be temporarily taking up the position as a consultant on the show.
She? Kieran asked.
Yes, she! Officer Mei Huasheng.
I really have to thank you, 2567. The reason why we can hire her is that she knew you would be our VIP of the show; otherwise, she wouldnt have agreed to do it.
Eckart said with a smile. He didnt notice Kieran slowly frown after his words.
Chapter 1355 - Broadcast
Chapter 1355: Broadcast
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran didnt dislike those who trusted their beliefs and upheld justice, but...
He would not want to work with them!
Because the beliefs and bottom line that he admired would eventually be shackling to him, binding him from being able to perform certain acts.
Kieran didnt have any kind of special fetishes, so if it was possible, he wouldnt want to work with Mei Huasheng.
Therefore, when Eckarts words subsided, he asked, Does she really have to be the consultant?
Kieran looked at Eckart with a stern look, thetter also noticed Kierans emotions.
Eckart thought highly of Kieran since they were working together now, but he didnt answer right away and thought about the question for a while.
If we want to achieve the best effect, Officer Mei Huasheng must show herself in front of the camera.
You know, with her identity, it will garner attention and support easier, but if you arent willing to... Ill think of a way to reject her, said Eckart.
Kieran, however, went silent after the reply.
Ultimately, he nodded in agreement. He didnt reject Mei Huasheng to joining the show anymore because, based on his guesses, in order to activate [Reverse Bracelet] again, he would need sufficient energy to fuel the turnaround authentication.
Given the circumstances, Mei Huashengs addition would be the best without question.
Just like what Eckart said, her identity was very convenient and easier to convince people.
What are we going to do next?
After agreeing to Mei Huashengs participation, Kieran didnt tangle with the facts anymore, he started to ask about the next step.
The path was always under his feet, only by looking and moving forward, could he achieve what he sought after and was what he should be doing.
An hourter, the contents that didnt get aired yesterday will go live... through the inte!
Then, we will start a live session at night, at Edwood Mansion!
Eckart said while showing confidence in his words.
...
Edwood Mansion?!
When Lyn Amie found out they were heading to the mansion at night, he cried out loud and was terrified.
Whats wrong? Kieran asked without opening his eyes as he leaned back on the sofa.
WHATS WRONG? THAT PLACE IS HAUNTED!
People didnt just die there, anyone who dares step into the mansion will be struck by misfortune! Lym Amie heightened his pitch.
His heightened pitch obviously disturbed Kierans nap.
Besides, Kieran already knew about what Lyn Amie said, Eckart had told him everything about Edwood Mansion earlier, and it was much more detailed than the vague description from the makeup artist.
As a matter of fact, someone did die inside, but not all who stepped in fell into misfortune.
Of course, Kieran wouldnt tell Lyn Amie all that. He opened a seam with his eyelids and saw Lyn Amies terrified face.
Then? So what? You want out? If you really want out, go tell Eckart about it, said Kieran calmly.
Lyn Amie did not utter another word after that. He wasnt willing to part with this job that paid him well.
If you understand what your position is, then...
Go prepare lunch for me.
Get enough meat and soup and find me a real chef. If you dare to destroy ingredients, Ill simply tell Eckart to fire you.
Kieran then closed his eyes again after making his order.
I-I am a makeup artist! Not a chef! Lyn Amie cried but still followed the orders.
The room quieted down again.
Kieran seized the chance to rest again.
Although a day has passed, he still couldnt get used to his weakened state, especially when Stamina and Concentration were greatly burned out, he felt like he was always sleepy.
The worst thing was that he knew he had to maintain this lousy state for quite a long time.
And to make sure idents wouldnt happen while he was weakened, he had to adjust some of his habits.
He at least had to seize the opportunity to rest whenever he could.
It was very easy for a person who was always tired, but maintaining a high alert while resting was a little hard for him.
It may even cause some bacsh. So Kieran had to adapt andpromise, he had to make preparations.
He ced the chair behind the door, sticking the back of the chair directly under the handle. Although he locked the door, such a lock could only defend against amon thief, not intentional foes. Any slightly powerful impact would ram the door down easily, and if the enemy grasped the correct position, the door could be opened with a single kick.
The sofa in the middle of the room was pushed under the window, thus cing it in a blind spot. Enemies who tried to probe the situation in the room would not have noticed the sofa because of the angle, and when the curtains were closed, the whole room became dark and quiet.
After calcting how long would it take for Lyn Amie to buy lunch, Kieran closed his eyes and tightened his jacket before lying down on the sofa.
Kieran fell asleep almost instantly.
Dak Dak Dak.
Footsteps entered Kierans ears, thus waking him up in an instant.
He turned to the clock on the wall, it was only half an hour since he fell asleep.
In his calction, it would at least take Lyn Amie around an hour to get back with lunch, and based on the footsteps, it wasnt the makeup artist.
Kieran quickly arranged the sofa back to where it was and removed the chair from the door.
Dok Dok Dok.
Knocks on the door followed.
Kieran went over and opened the door.
It was Mei Huasheng in casual clothing outside the door.
Kieran moved his body and allowed her toe in.
When both of them sat down, thedy who was once a warrior spoke.
You guys are going to Edwood Mansion tonight? she asked.
Its we. Kieran emphasized on the mistake in her question.
Mei Huasheng frowned before nodding, Yes, we.
She acknowledged Kierans way of saying things.
A stiff person like Mei Huasheng wouldnt have lied, and if one had the intentions, one could easily tease and y her between their palms using the rules.
However, its best not to cross her bottom line, otherwise the one who yed with fire would get burned.
Therefore, Kieran kept quiet and didnt take the initiative to speak, neither did Mei Huasheng.
What she asked just now was about work.
Privately?
Mei Huasheng didnt even want to bat an eye at Kieran, a smart con man.
A con man who knew hypnosis would be naturally brilliant, and if he were to add in some disguise, his smart ways would easily confuse others, making them unable to differentiate between reality and illusion.
So, when she knew Kieran agreed to be the VIP guest on the Shaman show, she too agreed to be the consultant because her instinct told her, if she let Kieran roam free and not keep an eye on him, something bad might happen.
Needless to say, a womans instinct was quite urate at certain times.
Unfortunately, sometimes, her sight limited her imagination.
She would never know what Kieran was after.
Kieran leaned back on the sofa with squinted eyes, Mei Huasheng looked at Kieran, she still hadnt given up on searching for Kierans ws.
A part of her hated to lose, a part of it was upational habits.
More importantly, she didnt know what she could do at the moment.
Kieran?
He felt the judgment from her, but he didnt care because...
The contents that didnt get aired yesterday were live on the inte.
Chapter 1356 - Mansion
Chapter 1356: Mansion
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The video hosting sites that had a contract with Rain City TV Station started to broadcast the unaired contents of the Shaman show through their hot, trending section. Some other websites that had rtions with the TV station didnt mind promoting the video either by sending all sorts of advertisements around the inte. Of course, the major sites and forums were flooded by the spammers hired by Eckart.
Eckart was perfectly clear that he had to depend on the Shaman show to meet expectations so that he could maintain his director position.
If it did, everything would be possible.
If it didnt, he would be finished.
Therefore, Eckart spent all his efforts to promote the Shaman show.
He didnt just utilize all his rtionships and connections that he has, he didnt even mind using some underhanded means to achieve his goals.
The result of his efforts was that the Shaman show went viral quickly, a lot of people knew about it.
Of course, some believed it, some didnt.
The ones who believed were shocked.
The ones who didnt believe looked down in contempt and sneered.
Kieran did not have a direct understanding of the process of broadcasting the contents, or rather, he had no need to understand it.
[Absorbed Energy, rewards turnaround authentication started...]
[Insufficient Energy, authentication failed...]
[Absorbed Energy, rewards turnaround authentication started...]
[Insufficient Energy, authentication failed...]
...
When the show was aired across the inte, the notifications in his vision never stopped, it was like a reverse waterfall, spamming his eyes endlessly.
And almost half an hourter, when the show wasing to its end, the notifications finally changed.
[Absorbed Energy, rewards turnaround authentication started...]
[Energy reaches the mark, authentication passed...]
[Skill Tracking is released!]
...
The system notifications after that returned to the failed authentication again, it seemed to have entered the second round of energy umtion.
[Tracking]? What does it base the release of my skills or abilities from the sealed state on? Is it random?
The thought appeared in Kierans mind but was rejected right away.
Since it was the changing within the rules, there must be a pattern.
The integration of patterns was the real change in rules.
He couldnt find the patterns in the process because he was given very little information.
However, looking at the endless notifications, Kieran believed he would soon grasp the pattern behind it.
At the same time, he was looking forward to the Shaman show at night.
To perform better at night on the show, Kieran didnt mind understanding a little bit more about Edwood Mansion.
The makeup artist?
Lyn Amie was terrified by even the mention of the mansion, he would be an unreliable choice.
The consultant beside him?
Given her position and identity, Mei Huasheng would have known a lot more thanmoners, but he was also sure she wouldnt tell him.
Who would reveal so much to a con man?
So, Kieran was left with a few options.
He stood up and went towards Eckarts office.
Mei Huasheng stood up quietly and followed him
...
You want more information on Edwood Mansion?
No problem, leave it to me.
Oh right, what do you want to have for lunch, 2567?
You want me to book a table for you at Yue?
Eckart agreed without a second thought when he heard Kierans question, hed even asked Kieran about lunch with a joyous face.
Yue was a famous restaurant in Rain City. It was known for its delicious cuisine and constant stream of eaters.
Kieran didnt know about this Yue Restaurant, but based on his instinct, he thought it might be a good ce. He agreed right away.
Make dinner reservations then. I had Lyn Amie prepare lunch already.
No problem! Ill go make the reservations right away. Well go there after we finish filming the show tonight.
Eckart nodded repeatedly, his ttery made Mei Huasheng frown.
Eckart saw the disdain on Mei Huashengs face, but he didnt care.
After receiving the data and statistics from all the websites, Eckart viewed Kieran as his lifesaver.
If it were possible, he would worship Kieran like a God.
As a matter of fact, he did.
He didnt just quickly prepare the information that Kieran requested; hed even pray to have a smooth filming tonight.
...
Crab Roe Beef Stew, Roasted Pig Knuckle, Winter Melon Meatballs.
Lyn Amie arranged the food on a single line on the table.
The crab roe is almost non-existent; the beef was simmered in saltwater to cover its aged smell.
The pig knuckle still has the gamey smell, the bloody water wasnt changed from the first boiling, ginger and garlic were added to cover it again.
The soup... too much MSG.
Kieranmented on the dishes after eating all of them.
He then looked up to the makeup artist.
I think your definition of a chef is different from mine, said Kieran.
I think you are being picky on purpose. Did you know how long I had to queue for this?
Are you disregarding my effort and results?
Didnt you finish everything?! Lyn Amie questioned Kieran loudly.
Are you misunderstanding something? I finished the food is because I dont want to waste food.
On top of that, other than the definition of chef varying, I think you have mistaken the meaning of effort and results., Kieran said as he kept the takeout boxes.
He sounded serious, and because of that, it made Lyn Amie angry, he really wanted to raise the chair and smash him.
He was certain Kieran was being extremely picky on purpose.
The chef of a roadside stall, of course, was iparable to a real famous chef, but Kieran shouldnt havemented so harshly.
Picky bastard! Lyn Amie stormed out angrily.
He wasnt running away though, he was going to find proof to refute Kieran.
Ill see what can you pick this time!
With the thought in his mind, Lyn Amie quickly vanished beyond the corridor.
After he tidied up the table and put all the takeout boxes into the trash can, Kieran made sure he would not be disturbed anymore before opening the files on Edwood Mansion that Ekart delivered to him.
He, of course, wouldnt admit that he didnt want to be bothered, that was why he acted extremely harsh to the makeup artist.
The files were put in a paper bag. There were writings and pictures. Kieran set the images aside and looked at the writings.
...
New Calendar 1084 August The first owner of Edwood Mansion found a tenant hung to death when he collected the rent (Victim was dead for more than 3 weeks, the temperature was hot, the body rotted heavily, rats and maggots were around the body, biting it off. Confirmed as a suicide.)
New Calendar 1084 November The first owner of Edwood Mansion fell to his death in an ident. The mansion was given to his nephew, but on the second day after the nephew got the mansion, he was involved in a car ident on the way to the estate. (Although the crash didnt kill him, he assumed the vi was an ominous building. He sold it at a with low price to the second owner, He Qiang.)
New Calendar 1085 December The second owner He Qiang was stabbed to death by a tenant during an argument over rent. (The tenant Feng De is wanted by the police, still on the run.)
New Calendar 1086 March The mansion was auctioned off by He Qiangs wife at a low price. (Third owner: Yu Narles.)
New Calendar 1084 April Yu Narles was electrocuted to death while trying to renovate the mansion. (Until New Calendar 1092 July, the mansion has been empty and unupied.)
......
After reading through all the written records page by page, Kieran turned his attention to the stack of pictures.
The first picture was the front of Edwood Mansion: It shouldve been taken in the afternoon, it didnt just capture all three stories of the building, it even captured the garden on thewn entirely, especially the signage Edwood Mansion on the fenced gate, it was extremely eye-catching under the sun.
The second picture was not as beautiful as the first. A heavily rotten body, the flesh went ck and maggots were crawling about.
The third picture was a picture of a crime scene, it was the second owner falling to his death. The fall was so horrible that the body was unrecognizable after that.
The fourth picture was a middle-aged man in a wheelchair, looking scared and depressed.
The fifth picture was a body with a knife stabbed into the heart.
The sixth was a warrant, the name on it was Feng De.
The seventh was a charred corpse, it should be the third owner of the mansion who was electrocuted to death, Yu Narles.
Other than the first picture, the rest of them were harsh to the eye and dreadful to look at.
Some less brave people would have screamed out loud after the first few pictures; even the bolder ones would feel ufortable.
Kieran?
He checked each of the pictures meticulously, his fingers would tap on the table asionally and go through the written records.
Almost 20 minutester, Kieran looked up and leaned on the sofa again.
His mind was recalling the detailed information on Edwood Mansion. Kierans lips curled up into a smile.
Coincidence is the least trustworthy thing in the world.
More so, that many coincidences happening in the same ce, which means only one thing...
Did you know its illegal for you to do that? Mei Huasheng spoke.
The officer who just got back from the canteen of the TV station and saw the files and pictures on the tea table, especially thetter, which made her frown.
That was why Kieran didnt really want to work with her.
She was a respectable person, but working along her would be insufferable.
Eckart gave me these, Kieran said while looking at her.
Which makes you an aplice.
Mei Huasheng looked at Kieran, hoping to create pressure for him, but obviously, it wouldnt work on Kieran. Kieran ced the things back into the paper bag in an orderly fashion before looking at her again.
Go then, I am waiting for your arrest warrant.
Remember to close the door.
I dont want people disturbing my afternoon nap, Kieran said clearly.
Then, before Mei Huasheng could say anything, heid down on the sofa and covered his head with his coat.
With [Tracking] unsealed and returned to its Transcendence level, it was good news for Kieran. He was used to the state of grasping all traces and tracks.
Still, he didnt forget about his Stamina problem.
Musou level [Tracking] would already be tiresome after activating it for a while, what about Transcendence level then?
He might be exhausted instantaneously.
Maybe I should bring more food with high calories and a sports drink that can replenish stamina.
Kieran thought while resting.
Huu, huu!
Mei Huasheng widened her eyes and clenched her fists when she heard the long breaths under the coat.
If looks could kill, Kieran would have been torn to shreds.
After ring at Kieran for 3 seconds, Mei Huasheng grabbed the paper bag on the tea table and strode out.
Bang!
The door was mmed hard. Kieran jumped up from his sleeping posture.
He repeated the steps when he first fell asleep, taking precautions left, right, and center, and after he made sure he had ways to escape any kind of ident, heid back down on the sofa.
This time, he indeed closed his eyes and slept soundly.
...
The sun was setting in the west.
Kieran, who slept for a whole afternoon, was sitting in a luxury minivan energetically. Another interview van was following behind.
This luxury minivan that was used to take care of Kierans needs was purposely called in by Eckart.
The driving was very smooth. The seat was alsofortable, one would really feel like it was a real sofa when leaned on.
While the minivan was driving, Eckart was sitting opposite Kieran with hidden excitement and anticipation.
This is the script.
Have a look at it. You dont have to memorize everything, but just to get a concept about the shooting. Then, youll just have to improvise like how you did on the stage yesterday. Eckart passed a booklet to Kieran and reminded him.
Mei Huasheng, who had a grumpy, stiff face, was like she was in a totally different dimension despite sitting in the same minivan. Not only Kieran ignored her, but Eckart also didnt speak to her.
In fact, Eckart and Mei Huasheng had an argument in the afternoon.
Although it ended peacefully, their rtionship had fallen below freezing.
Eckart outspokenly stated to Kieran that he would get another person to be the consultant of the Shaman show segment.
Kieran didnt object.
Both cars continued driving. The group swiftly shuttled through the merriest part of the city and turned into a secluded alleyway.
The loud noises and merry atmosphere vanished utterly.
Only the engine noises were heard.
The changes between the two contrasting environments would easily make one feel nervous, especially the drivers of the two cars.
As the locals of Rain City, both of them knew quite a bit about the Edwood Mansion rumors.
If it werent for their job, both of them would not drive near the ce at all.
In fact, even if it was their job that drove them there, the drivers started to regret it when they entered the secluded, quiet alleyway without signs of people.
Despite the sun not fully setting, both drivers turned on their headlights.
The straight headlights were like light swords piercing through the dark alleyway.
The asphalt road and the trees on both sides of the road entered the drivers sight through the windows. With the remaining daylight and headlights shedding brightness over the woods, the trees were like monsters with sharp, vicious ws, going after peoples necks.
However, what more terrifying was the shadow at the end of the road.
Both the drivers saw the building in the shadow, it was like spotting a monster lurking in the dark. Their throats unconsciously turned dry, causing them to gulp, their palms on the steering wheel were filled with sweat.
As though he was infected by the quiet environment, Eckart suddenly stopped the talk with Kieran. He turned around and wanted to see the scene outside through the windshield of the minivan.
But the moment Eckart turned around
MEOW!
A sharp, eerie cats meow sounded.
Chapter 1357 - Arrival
Chapter 1357: Arrival
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Pang!
Amidst the skidding noises produced by tires braking abruptly on the asphalt road, Eckart, trying to turn around, flew in front to the dashboard. His eyes widened when he saw a white cats figure running away.
The cat was a magical animal. No matter how poor or rich, healthy or sick, happy or sad you are, it would always look down on you.
Most of the time, cats appearances attracted peoples attention, thus giving birth to thoughts of touching or rearing one.
However, in this secluded, dark road, the sudden appearance of a cat did not produce the same thoughts. Instead, a strange, eerie feeling filled the groups heads.
Eckart climbed up from his ugly state, loosened his tie, exercised his back to ease the difort, and looked at Kieran.
Kieran was still sitting there, no changes to his sitting posture and no expression on his face.
During normal times, Kierans expressionless face didnt mean anything, but now, it made Eckart heave a breath of relief. Eckart sat back in his seat.
How is it? Eckart asked while looking around and sizing up the surroundingshe was afraid that something unexpected mighte out.
It seemed like the director of the station was not as calm as he looked.
Lets move on, Kieran said calmly.
Drive!
After Kierans reply, the director finally felt relief. He tapped the backseat of the driver, telling him to continue on.
The driver really wanted to say no, but he had no choice.
Those who had the rights to say no in this kind of situation were always the minority and could be much fewer than expected.
The minivan started again.
In his seat, Kieran took a quiet nce at Mei Huasheng beside him from the corner of his eyes, and started to recall the scene with the white cat.
Although it was just a sh, it was enough for Kieran to see the whole picture.
It was a white cat with blue eyes and strong limbs.
It was clean and beautiful, obviously belonging to someone.
And judging from how the cat moved around the area...
Kieran looked up and saw the building at the end of the road.
Edwood Mansion!
Much more careless than Id expect.
As I thought... Numbed because of the long period of time? Kieran spoke to himself in his heart before closing his eyes.
The unexpected information gave him more confidence.
Now?
He had to wait before arriving at their destination.
When the minivan continued on, the other interview van, which had fell back for some distance, followed again as well.
Both vans were moving to their destination like tortoises climbing to the finish line. The drivers were hoping to never reach the mansion, but even a tortoise would eventually reach the end of the road, which wasnt infinitely long.
After the little hups, the sky turned darkpletely.
The three-story Edwood Mansion towered in the darkness, and even though the lighting man lit up the path ahead, it only showed a corner of the mansion.
The mansion was much bigger than it appeared in the photos.
Kieran came down from the minivan and walked to the mansion.
Behind him was the camera and lighting men, whose faces were pale as paper, and Eckart, who acted as the temporary host. They wanted to follow Kieran, but he stopped them with a wave of the hand.
Ill go have a check first. It wont be long, give me 15 minutes, said Kieran.
He then circted the outer fence of the mansion slowly. Mei Huasheng, who didnt utter a word, followed Kieran nevertheless.
Kieran sized up the surroundings, while Mei Huasheng locked her gaze on Kieran.
Kieran felt the judgmental gaze again, but he didnt care. He was checking something else.
The shlight shone through the fence andnded on the dried-up garden. The distinct shadow casted from the fence split the garden into columns.
As Kieran moved forward, the columns followed his shlight.
The garden was already emptied of flowers, and all it housed now was weeds.
The weeds were unusually long and dense, some parts even went outside the fence and continued growing outside. At the same time, it created a subtle blocking effect, making it hard for one to truly see into the mansion without getting closer to the fence.
But not just the garden, even the small door behind the mansion and the other side of the mansion was in the same condition.
Weeds overgrown was an understatement to describe the conditionCit was like the mansion was surrounded by the weeds.
Kieran set his gaze on the small door.
Unlike the other mottled, rusted spots, the fence beside the small door was much newer.
Kieran curled his lips into a grin.
He then continued circting in Edwood Mansion without another pause. After that, he walked along the alleyway, and when the time was almost up, Kieran returned to the entrance of the mansion.
Eckart, the temporary host, had already started the show and was presenting in front of the camera. Good eveningdies and gentlemen, we are...
After some procedural introductions, the cameraman and lighting man turned to Kieran.
Although they were scared, their duty to their jobs allowed them to know what must they do.
Kieran ignored the lights and camera, striding to the mansions gate, which was tied up by a rusted chain and had a rusted lock at the end of the chain.
The site supervisor, who brought a saw, wanted to saw the chains off.
Weve gotten permission to enter this ce through official channels,dies and gentlemen, please dont try
Eckart, with the microphone, was exining the situation in a timely manner, but before he could finish, he was stopped by the sound.
When the site supervisor ran over, Kieran touched the rusted lock with his hand.
Under the many pairs of eyes, including the camera, the lock produced a clear noise.
Kak!
The lock fell on the ground.
Without the lock holding them, the rusted chains also slid down the fence andnded on the ground.
Ring! Bang!!
The slightly heavy clunkings brought the group back from their dazed state.
The temporary host Eckart wasnt a professional after all. After the lock was removed, he couldnt utter a word. He stood there with his microphone and stared at Kierans back.
The lighting and camera, however, handled themselves like professionals, and they followed behind Kieran without the host leading the scene.
The camera clearly captured the scene in which Kieran had touched the lock with his finger as well as when the lock and chains fell. Kierans expressionless face was also captured when he pushed the gate open, but...
The rusted gate didnt open up after the noiseinstead, it fell to the ground!
Bang!
Amidst the bang louder than the previous one, the heavy gate fell on the stone ground, sshing up dust everywhere.
Under the lights, the dust danced in the air like mist.
The camera then captured Kieran walking into the dust cloud.
Gak Tsk Gak Tsk!
The screech from the gate sounded with each step he took.
When his steps and the screech converged, it didnt just be loud, it struck goosebumps into the groups skin.
Kieran wasnt holding back, neither was he covering up.
He was announcing his arrival in an unscrupulous way.
Chapter 1358 - Second Floor
Chapter 1358: Second Floor
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Tsk Gak!
The door of the mansion was pushed open. Eckart finally recovered from his daze.
Go, go, go! he said in a hurry.
In fact, even without his orders, the camera, lighting and other crew members were already moving out.
After all, only Eckart was the ametur in the shooting group.
As for Mei Huasheng?
She was the first to chase after Kieran. She started following Kieran the moment he walked into Edwood Mansion.
In the eyes of Mei Huasheng, what Kieran was doing was all part of his setup.
Setting up a lie and luring the innocents into a trap, ultimately gaining what he sought after.
Fortune? Fame? Women? All might be his target.
As for her? Mei Huasheng would not let Kieran seed, because it would only hurt a lot of people.
The first floor of Edwood Mansion consisted of an administration office, a storeroom, aundry room, two activity rooms, a living hall plus many corridors.
The corridor generally formed a T shape.
After walking past the shoe rack, closet and umbre rack, Kieran saw the wide living hall and the stairs that led upstairs.
One side of the living hall still had a big square table and adder along with a paint bucket that was left behind a long time ago.
It seemed like the third owner of the mansion, Yu Narles, wanted to forge the mansion into a warm, cozy family home, but unfortunately...
Mei Huasheng shook her head when she saw Kieran go up the stairs without having the intention of stopping. She quickly chased him.
When the two of them vanished beyond the stairs, Eckart and the crew finally came in.
Hurry up! Hurry up!
Eckart didnt care about what the script wrote anymore. What introduce the first floor, get used to the atmosphere, etc? All were discarded from his mind. He only knew he had to follow Kieran because he had a feeling that he would get something just by following Kieran.
As a matter of fact, that really was the case.
After going up the horizontal V-shaped stairs, Eckart and the crew saw Kieran stop at the second floor corridor.
The second floor differed from the many sections of the first floor in that it housed only guest rooms.
A total of nine guest rooms were divided into two sides. The side near the stairs had four rooms, 201 to 204; opposite it was 205 to 209, with 207 directly in front of the stairs.
Kieran was standing in front of room 207.
Whats wrong? Found anything?
Eckart finally did his job as a host, walking over to Kieran with the microphone and asking softly. But despite lowering his voice with the microphone near his mouth, his voice echoed throughout the second floor, causing specks of dust to fall.
Echoes moved around the spacious corridor; the ovepped echoes were very diforting.
When the crew saw the spots where light couldnt reach, they felt scared facing the unknown in the dark.
At least the two site supervisors stuck together tightly. They held a wrench from the van and sized up the surroundings nervously as though they were afraid that something would jump out of the dark suddenly.
The scared expressions of the site supervisors was captured by the cameraman as well.
ording to the script, the two site supervisors were supposed to act scared, but the effect was amplified when they werent acting.
Em. Some whispers tell me there is something unusual here.
Kierans nasal voice spread through the microphone and what he said entered everyones ears.
Whispers? What kind of whispers?
The crew was guessing instinctively. Other than Mei Huasheng, all of them quivered uncontrobly.
Saying something like that in a dark ce was really scary. The two site supervisors with the wrench were so scared that they almost dropped the tool.
The two of them unconsciously went closer to the lighting man. They hoped for more light, but when they truly got closer to the light, they realized how scary the darkness really was.
Their little movements didnt ease their fear at all. Quite the opposite, as it made them more scared.
Wuuu!
Coincidentally, a sudden night breeze entered through the unclosed second floor windows.
The night breeze in July was extra chilly but at this particr moment, it became gloomy and eerie.
Ka, Ka Ka!
The breeze blew over, and the two site supervisors almost stopped breathing. Both of them tried their best to clench their teeth tight, trying not to scream out of shock, but their mouths quivered because of the breeze. Their shivering muscles forbade them from closing their mouths, thus producing the chattering sounds from their teeth.
However, no one wouldugh at them at the moment because the others were no better than them.
Fear is infectious. Its formless and sometimes even more terrifying than the gue.
T-Then w-what should we do? Eckart asked in a slightly hoarse voice, adding more depth to the scary atmosphere.
He hadnt done it on purpose. His throat was tight because of the nervousness and when he spoke, the voice turned hoarse without his control.
Kieran replied with action.
He turned the door handle of room 207. The obviously rusted mechanism produced a squeaky sound, and the door opened.
Then...
Aaaaaaaah!
A sharp scream came from the crew.
The two site supervisors ran downstairs while screaming.
The lighting man and cameraman also staggered backwards. The light wobbled and the camera became shaky, thus making the captured shot even more scary.
Under the wobbling light, a face appeared in the camera.
What kind of face? A scarred face! The face was scarred left and right! The scars even ovepped each other repeatedly!
More importantly, the cause of these scars appeared to all be different; some were knife cuts, some were scald wounds and some were obviously burn marks by some acid.
Under the ovepping hideous scars, the face looked even more scary and vicious.
And inside the dark room, the eerie level of the face skyrocketed infinitely.
The fear exploded in everyones shivering hearts when they saw the face.
The two site supervisors had run, the light and camera man limped on the floor and Eckart even shrunk behind Kieran at the very first moment.
His instincts told him that Kierans back was the safest ce in the entire mansion.
Among the crowd, only Kieran and Mei Huasheng acted normally.
With the light, Kieran carefully inspected the face as if some precious treasure was hidden under all those hideous scars.
Mei Huasheng frowned. She hated cowards with cold feet.
Although this wasnt the battlefield she used to fight on, she already listed the two site supervisors on her no-contact cklist.
As for the others who didnt run?
Their cowardry reactionnded them on her cklist as well.
As for Kieran?
Mei Huasheng categorized him on another list.
He is not one of those things. He is just a poor, homeless ragpicker, Mei Huasheng exined with a frown. She was ready to end this little farce with the crew, because it was too funny in her eyes.
Kieran, who has been quiet, spoke. Is that so?
He was looking at the ragpicker before his eyes. His gaze turned sharp and a name came out of his mouth.
Feng De.
Chapter 1359 - Third Floor
Chapter 1359: Third Floor
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Feng De!
Kieran wasnt loud, but the ragpicker hiding behind the door looked like was struck by thunder, shivers running throughout his body.
Then, while Eckart and the others cried in shock, a dagger appeared in the ragpickers hand and was thrusted at Kieran without a second thought as the ragpicker threw himself forward.
Huu!
Under the lights, the cold ring dagger caused an air-breaking sound.
When Mei Huasheng had heard the name Feng De, she jolted. And when the ragpicker thrusted a dagger at Kieran, the exdy warrior was already reacting to the situation.
She quickly put herself in front of Kieran with her hands before her. She was in an rmed state and ready to engage the armed ragpicker with her bare hands.
As for being hurt by the dagger?
She never thought about that.
When her instinct drove her in front of Kieran, she forgot everything else, even the fact of Kieran being a con-man in her eyes. Despite everything, she wasnt just going to watch as Kieran got hurt or died.
A conflicting thought? No!
That was the reason why Kieran disliked working with people like her.
They were really hateful when they hated, but also very likable when they did good.
In conclusion: trouble.
For the likes of Kieran, who always disliked trouble, especially trouble that affected his ns, the dislike for Mei Huasheng in his heart reached a new height.
Of course, Kieran still wouldnt allow her to be hurt in front of him.
It wasnt mercy orpassion. It was just that if he allowed things to continue as they were, more trouble would follow.
Her identity destined her to be different.
Maybe Eckart would somehow be able to take care of the problem, but the wasted time was something Kieran couldnt afford.
So Kieran grabbed the back of her cor with his left hand and pulled backwards while dishing a kick at the ragpicker.
Even without Transcendence [Hand-to-Hand Combat], the Musou [Hand-to-hand Combat] plus the derivative skill Master of Kick Combats wasnt something a wanted criminal could withstand.
Pak!
Kierans right kick tapped against the ragpickers wrist that wielded the dagger. After a clear noise, the dagger was disarmed, and before the ragpicker could hold his wrist in pain, Kieran followed up with a left kick after retracting his right foot.
Bang!
A in kick without any extra technique, itnded fiercely on the ragpickers chest, and he flew out as the sound came. The ragpickernded on the floor of the room, twitching in pain.
Maybe Kieran was extremely weak, the majority of his skills and abilities sealed, but he was still at the peak level of amoner; not just anyone could withstand his kick, at least not the wanted criminal Feng De.
Feng De fell to the ground without any movement. After Kierans left kicknded, hepleted a 180 degree turn. His left hand, which held Mei Huasheng before, switched to holding her shoulder to support his movements.
Kieran lowered his head a little, and both of them locked gazes.
Kieran clearly saw the shock and sudden shyness on Mei Huashengs face.
She obviously didnt expect Kieran, who shebeled as a con-man, to have such a good fighting technique.
Criminals could be categorized. Some were good at using their brains while others were good at resolving to violence.
When a criminal had high intellect, having good fighting capabilities would be rtively hard; therefore, the smarter ones solved problems with their nning and thinking.
Going from the same theory, those violent criminals instead relied on their strength to clear obstacles.
Habits were hard to change, but when brain and muscle converged...
Mei Huashengs heart skipped a beat when she thought of the possibility, then...
There was no then after that.
Kieran removed his hand from Mei Huasheng, thus catching her off guard and sending her falling on the floor hard.
Bang!
Dust flew, and Kieran turned to Eckart.
Call the police, said Kieran.
O-Okay!
Eckart nodded in a dazed state before taking out his phone to dial the number.
Eckart wasnt to me because everything before his eyes happened too fast for him toprehend anything.
The director never thought the urban myth that scared everyone would turn into a wanted criminal case in a matter of seconds.
Eckart didnt react properly, and neither did the lighting man and cameraman. They looked at the scene nkly, and only after Eckart finished calling the police did the two of them finally stand up and adjust the lights and camera.
It was then that they realized Kieran was going up to the third floor without their knowing.
Isnt it over?
Why is he still going up?
Confused, both the lighting man and cameraman chased Kieran.
Eckart also began to follow but was stopped by Mei Huasheng, who climbed up from the floor.
Frowning, Eckart looked at the officer with slight dissatisfaction.
Even though he admired her courage for standing in front of Kieran to block the dagger, it didnt mean he would give up on his duty, even if... he was a temporary host.
Whats wrong? Eckart said with dissatisfaction.
Call the ambnce, Mei Huasheng replied in a simr tone.
No one would feel good when thrown to the ground.
That went for Mei Huasheng, as well, despite her battle instincts protecting her weak spots during the fall.
After raising Kierans danger level to a new height in her heart, she recalled the unnatural reaction just now. Obviously, the memories worsened her mood.
Huu, huu!
Her breaths ran faster, and her fists unconsciously clenched tighter.
What are you trying to do?
Eckart moved back after he felt the change in Mei Huasheng.
He knew the details regarding this woman before his eyes. She may look normal, but she had lingered around the verge of death many times.
Once he thought about the lives lost in her hands, Eckart couldnt help but feel nervous.
I dont have a phone. Mei Huasheng then ran up to the third floor.
Eckart was stunned again. He never thought Mei Huasheng would exin, and he also never thought that she wouldnt have a phone.
What are you, some cave woman? Who the hell doesnt have a phone now a days...
His rants stopped halfway when he thought of Kieran.
Kieran didnt have a phone either.
Eckart then somehow also thought of that posture where Kieran held onto Mei Huasheng just now. His vast experience made him exim with the click of his tongue.
Not a bad posture. Little packaging here and there, and boom goes the ratings again. Hmm. Need to work on the editing though.
Eckart muttered to himself and took out his phone again.
After the call, Eckart surveyed the dark environment. Once he remembered that there was still a wanted criminal in the room, despite being half dead, it still scared him and he ran with lightning speed up the third floor.
Once he arrived at the third floor, he saw the lighting man and cameraman standing on the stairs.
While Kieran was walking from one end of the corridor to the other.
Whats wrong? Isnt it over?
When Kieran walked past him, Eckart raised his microphone again.
Over? We are far from over. Something in here tells me this is just the beginning.
Kieran shook his head and looked at the stairs behind Eckart.
Gak Tsk, Gak Tsk.
Amidst the screech of the old stairs, a series of footsteps could be heard,ing closer.
Kieran curled his lips into a small grin when he saw the figure emerging from the darkness.
I knew it was you.
Chapter 1360 - Fall
Chapter 1360: Fall
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Oh? You knew?
With an interested tone, the figure walked out of the darkness and revealed his true face.
It was a man over his fifties. The corner of his eyes were filled with wrinkles; his sideburns were white; his body was slightly chubby, and he seemed crippled because he walked with a stagger.
With each step the man took, the old wooden flooring would squeak sharply, irritating the ears.
However, the crowd was more concerned about the gun the man was holding.
It wasnt a standard gun, but a privately modified one. Maybe it didnt have the firepower of a standard gun, but no one would doubt that it was dangerous.
W-What are you trying to do? Eckart asked in a shaky voice.
As he asked, he naturally shrunk behind Kierans back, as did the lighting man and cameraman.
Both of them were considered young and energetic, and they werent barehanded, but facing against an armed ambusher, retreat became their second instinct.
Mei Huasheng was different from the two of them.
The moment the man appeared, she tried her best to move away from the light and subtly make her way toward the man. She wanted to catch the man off guard and seize his weapon.
In fact, she had done it countless times throughout her career, and each time ended with sess. She was quite confident with her skills, but this time...
It was different.
Officer Mei Huasheng, please stay where you are. Otherwise, I cant guarantee the safety of these men here. I know that you realize what Im holding is a self-made gun, but given the close distance, it wouldnt be hard for me to kill any of them.
The armed man suddenly spoke.
He even waved his gun, expressing that it wasnt a joke.
Stop! Mei Huasheng shouted and came out of the dark.
She frowned at the man before her.
She couldnt match him with her memories, yet the man somehow knew her name, piquing the female officers curiosity.
Thank you for your cooperation. Now, please move behind the shaman, the armed man said with a smile. Under the light, the wrinkles around his eyes were mashed together.
After Mei Huashengpiled, the wrinkles mashed tighter.
At the same time, the armed man went up thest two flights of stairs and stood in the corridor of the third floor.
He then pointed the gun at Mei Huasheng and turned his eyes to Kieran.
How did you know? Just guesses? he asked.
He didnt say it straight, but everyone present at the scene knew what the man was asking.
The existences here kept whispering to me from time to time, including... your dead uncle, who fell to his death. Or rather, the uncle that you pushed to death and covered up as an ident, Kieran said calmly.
Unlike the others, who were shocked the moment the man appeared, Kieran was expressionless from the moment he appeared until he was standing in front of him.
A self-made gun? He didnt care.
Oh? Does this mean you can talk to the dead? Then... Can you let me see my dear uncle again?
The smile on the armed man didnt change, his voice even sounded delighted, but the gun continued to point at Kieran.
It was clear to see. If Kieran couldnt fulfill his request, the man would shoot him.
Suddenly, Kierans expressionless face showed a smile as the gun pointed at him.
He widened his mouth and showed his white teeth; they looked a little pale and dazzling under the lighting. He was like a lone wolf in the snow trying to capture its prey with its bloody mouth opened.
Are you sure? As you wish then! His gloomy voice was cold.
Kieran then walked up to the man.
Each step he took, his body twisted in a weird way, like his bones were missing.
It looked like a... snake! A walking snake!
The light was somehow blocked by the snake. The camera showed an eerie, strangers back.
What are you doing? Stop! He shouted.
The armed man who thought he had control of the scene suddenly changed his expression for the worst. His forehead dampened with sweat.
What am I doing? Granting your wish, of course. My dear, nephew!
The first two sentences were still in Kierans calm voice, but thest one sounded hoarse and heavy. A gloomy coldness spread throughout the third floor corridor.
It was a change caused by the umtion of killer intent tempered from the reaping of thousands upon thousands of living souls.
The others on the scene froze.
The armed man who Kieran locked his gaze on felt like his blood was going to freeze. He felt like he was seeing a butcher knife falling from the sky, wanting to chop him in half.
S-Stop! Stop!
Bang!
The man had never been to war before and never experienced the baptism of the cruelness on the battlefield. He growled loudly and unconsciously pulled the trigger.
Since both of them were meters apart, the gun wouldnt miss its target.
The bulletnded precisely in Kierans arm, which heid over his abdomen.
The yellowish orange bullet didnt perforate Kierans arm; in fact, all it did was embed itself a little, then no longer move.
All Kierans stats were decreased and all his skills were forcefully sealed at Musou level, but it didnt mean the skills were rendered useless. Especially some skills that did not require a level up at all; the existence of their effect did not defy the rules of this dungeon world.
One of them was [Secondary Armored Skin]!
While facing against physical damage of None, Feeble and Weak, [Secondary Armoured Skin] could ignore all the damage done. While facing Average and Strong physical damage, Kieran would only have to endure Feeble and Weak damage respectively.
A standard issue military gun was around Average attack while the weaker self-made gun was below Average, only slightly above Weak.
It was also the reason why Kieran covered his abdomen with his arm.
He didnt want to suffer any fatal damage, but in the end, it turned out that the self-made gun was even weaker than he expected, as weak as the man before him.
Kieran used [Viper Body] along with Pro [Mystical Knowledge] to lead the man into the trap. The mans will was not as strong as he expected.
Now...
It was showtime.
It hurts! It hurts! It hurts...like when I fell down from the mansion!
Kieran twisted his figure even more. The bullet embedded on his arm was taken out and ced in the middle of his palm.
Is this yours? Is it? Ill give it back to you! Just like all the things you did to me back then, I will return everything to you, little by little! The rough, hoarse voice continued.
No! No! Donte near me!
The armed man was already heavily affected by Kierans twisted body, and when he saw the bullet in Kierans palm, he lost it. He threw the gun at Kieran and turned around, wanting to run for his life, but his crippled leg couldnt run fast.
Kierans footsteps behind him were like a voodoo charm hastening his death. The man freaked out and fell into panic. He tried to run but his step missed...
He tumbled down the stairs.
The neck-breaking sound was clearly heard as he tumbled.
Crack!
Chapter 1361 - Explain?
Chapter 1361: Exin?
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The bone-cracking sound was still echoing down the stairs. The atmosphere on the third-floor corridor had below freezing, everyone was looking at the person, whose body was twisted in an illogical way, in horror.
They heard the conversation as well.
The first owner of Edwood Mansion was murdered by his nephew, and it was disguised as an ident.
He wanted revenge, he wanted to deliver all the pain that he suffered to his nephew.
Then, his nephew fell to his death.
Subconsciously, everyone else felt their throats dry up and tighten, even Mei Huasheng was in a daze.
Is... Is this a coincidence?
If its a coincidence...
What about the bullet? And this snake-like body movement?
Could it be...
The spections that did not match her worldview appeared in Mei Huashengs heart. She quickly shook her head, though, discarding the thoughts out of her mind.
While Mei Huasheng was fighting with her own thoughts, Kierans snake-like body stopped its twisting and returned to normal.
2-2567? Is it really you? Eckart mustered up enough courage to ask.
Em, Kieran nodded slightly.
The group instantly heaved a sigh of relief.
Eckart, the lighting crew, and cameraman all limped down on the floor.
They were terrified that the hoarse voice mighte out from Kierans mouth again. It was too scary for them.
Their quick-witted senses were nk and frozen at the moment, all their minds could do was rey the scene they witnessed. The more they reyed it, the more scared they felt.
The three of them shared the same expression, and so did the audience who saw the live broadcast.
Even though the angle wasnt captured clearly, and the camera was shaky, the audience was more frightened.
People who were tortured by fear were the weakest, their instincts would tell them to seekfort, but some would fall to fear.
Of course, thetter was definitely the minority, but on a massive scale, the numbers of the minority were quite significant.
Therefore, some changes happened.
Almost half an hourter, when the show was nearing its end, the notifications finally changed.
[Absorbed energy, rewards turnaround authentication started...]
[Energy reaches the mark, authentication passed...]
[Skill Hand-to-Hand Combat has been released!]
...
[Hand-to-hand Combat]... So this is whats going on? Kieran muttered to himself.
He had been guessing the pattern of unlocking his skills, and now he finally got some clues.
[Tracking] was the first skill to be unlocked because he used it to determine the killer at the TV station; the second skill, [Hand-to-Hand Combat], was because he subdued the enemy with his kick, despite the man being a puppet upstaged by the mastermind.
If [Secondary Armored Skin] could level up, or if [Viper Body]s level was high enough, the unlocked skill would be one of the two.
Of course, it was what Kieran deduced based on the current information, it might not be one hundred percent correct.
But Kieran believed that soon enough, he would grasp the exact pattern of his skills unlocking.
After all, the Shaman show would be aired at least twice a week.
What happened 2567?
Do you mind exining?
How is he here?
Eckart, who finally regained his senses, went over to Kieran with his microphone.
Because he has always been inside the mansion. And...
Officer Mei, I suggest you make another call to the police. Dont you think its a littlete for the police to arrive? Kieran then looked at Mei Huasheng after a word with Eckart.
In fact, even without Kierans reminder, the female officer already noticed something, and when Kieran made it clear, she became sure of a particr matter.
Without further speaking, Mei Huasheng turned around and headed downstairs.
You said he has always been in the mansion?
Eckart asked again after Mei Huasheng left.
Mhmm. Since he killed his own uncle, he has always been here.
After that, the murder with Feng De, the electrocuted third owner, Yu Narles, all the deaths were connected to him directly and indirectly, Kieran nodded.
Why did he do it then? Eckart asked out of curiosity.
The audience who was watching the show was curiously waiting for the answer as well.
But this time, Kieran didnt give an answer.
He turned around, walked downstairs, and went out of the mansion. He stopped at the bushes beside the secluded path.
This is what caused everything, said Kieran.
He then bent down, moved the dirt and rocks away to reveal a circr secret entrance.
As the camera captured the secret entrance, Kieran grabbed the handle and pulled it open.
The light revealed adder leading underground.
After the crew went down thedder, the ce was illuminated by the lighting.
Eckart gasped hard at the scene.
What did he see?
A perfectly sealed ss disy case was holding antiques and art pieces inside. A single nce told Eckart how old and valuable these antiques were.
T-This is...
Stolen goods, Kieran said calmly. His eyes scanned over the antiques as he continued slowly.
Do you still remember the first dead tenant?
He should be the aplice of the first mansion owner, but was ultimately killed because of the uneven distribution of the goods here.
After killing the aplice, the first mansion owner wanted to stop, but his nephew, who was the other aplice, didnt agree.
He killed his uncle and continued the business himself. To cover it all up, he purposely released the rumors to the public, saying that Edwood Mansion was haunted with an ominous presence. To go along with the rumors, he started to stage the other events.
Following Kierans exnation, the reasonable words instantly lit up the audiences mind.
How did you know all this?
Eckart asked instinctively, but after the words escaped his mouth, the temporary host realized how stupid it was, he smiled in embarrassment.
Wasnt it obvious enough? Did he still have to ask?
No.
But to his surprise, Kieran spoke nevertheless.
Unintentional or intentional.
Kind or evil.
For greed or redemption.
They cant see; they cant hear.
All they want is revenge; vengeance is their only purpose!
This is proof that they are undying!
With a weird tempo, Kieran turned around and went up thedder, but his mutters were captured by the camera and entered the ears of the audience who watched the show.
The audience was captivated by the figure which climbed up thedder.
The lone figure was filled with mystery, and what followed was curiosity.
Their curiosity had peaked at the highest point!
The audience was curious about Kieran, curious about his muttering, and curious about his actions.
When he came back above ground, Kieran saw the notifications that provided him with the energy to overturn his fate flooded his vision like a reverse waterfall. He couldnt help but grin.
Well done, best actor, he muttered.
He slowly walked forward.
Chapter 1362 - Different Attitude
Chapter 1362: Different Attitude
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
In a private room of Yue Restaurant.
Kieran was sitting at the round table while Lyn Amie, the makeup artist, was standing at the entrance with a slightly hurried look.
Eckart, on the other hand, left the restaurant when he brought Kieran there.
Too much had happened in one night, Eckart had a lot of things he had to attend to personally. After all, only he could achieve the best result.
To not leave Kieran in the cold, before he left, the director called the makeup artist over, which he thought was very close to Kieranat least it was what he thought.
As for the make up artist?
If it was possible, he didnt want to appear in front of Kieran.
The unpleasant lunch errand made Lyn Amie queue in front of the previous restaurant again, he wanted to gather enough evidence to argue with Kieran.
Then?
There was no then.
Kieran once again proved himself right and Lyn Amie wrong.
Given the circumstances, it was quite awkward for him to meet Kieran now.
But what could he do?
He was just a small employee making his living at the TV station, he was not in the position to say no to the directors order.
And ording to the directors order, he had to make Kieran happy.
Otherwise...
He would have to return to his hometown and open a barbershop.
Lyn Amie could change his name back to Lyn Donnie.
W-What do you want to eat?
After racking his brain, he asked a not-so-useless question.
The moment the question came out from his mouth, Lyn Amie smiled awkwardly.
However, his smile was put away right after it showed because Kieran looked up at him with a in gaze.
There wasnt any pressuring aura, but Lyn Amie felt like he couldnt breathe properly, his head started to go dizzy, and his body almost faltered.
Lyn Amie twisted his body in an unnatural, ufortable way and stepped back.
Fortunately, Kieran put his gaze away and concentrated on flipping through the menu.
Another second under Kierans stare and Lyn Amie might have run away.
Kieran carefully flipped through the menu from top to bottom before saying, Everything.
Everything? Lyn Amie was stunned.
Mhmm, Kieran nodded.
Wouldnt everything be too much? You...
The makeup artist wanted to say something else, but when he saw Kierans eyes again, he wisely shut his mouth.
Okay, Ill go ce the order.
Lyn Amie took the menu and left the private room.
10 minutester, 18 appetizers were served in an orderly fashion. All the waitresses who served the dishes were looking at Kieran with shock and curiosity.
They didnt know Kieran was alone in the room, and at the same time, they didnt think Kieran could finish all the dishes.
Therefore, many waitresses showed an unusual gaze toward Kieran.
It wasnt actual disgust, just distaste.
The customer is always right.
As long as the customer can pay for their meal, any ridiculous request would naturally be forgiven.
Though, the waitresses widened their eyes at the very next moment.
The movement of the chopsticks caused afterimages in its wake.
The dishes on the te were vanishing at exponential speed.
When thest appetizer was served, the first three tes were already empty.
Followed by the fourth, the fifth...
10 minutester, when the tea was served, a stack of tes was already piled up before Kieran, soon followed by the second and third stacks of dishes, forming a little mountain before him.
2 more hourster, when Kieran ced the bowl of soup down, not only Lyn Amie, even the waitress in the room widened her eyes and felt her jaws drop.
Unlike the purely shocked makeup artist, while the waitress was shocked, they were also thinking.
Soon
2567!
Shaman, 2567!
One of the waitresses called out in shock but quickly realized it was a rude way to call the customer. The waitress promptly covered her mouth.
Still, her voice was clearly heard by Kieran and Lyn Amie.
Even a waitress recognized you...
You are that famous now?
Lyn Amie was actually squatting down behind the cab in the room. He didnt watch the Shaman show at night, so his impression of Kieran was still from the afternoon.
It was only a few hours between the afternoon and night.
What could a man do in a few hours?
Gathering with friends? Or two movies back to back?
Therefore, Lyn Amie didnt think about it that much, he only hoped that the waitress would not get caught in the mess.
Lyn Amie already listed Kieran into his list of weird individuals, he knew Kierans temper was not good, and once Kieran got angry, the one who faced his rage would suffer terribly.
Judging others by oneself.
Lyn Amie didnt want to lose his job, the waitress wouldnt want to either.
We are all good now, miss. You can leave u-...
Lyn Amie stood up and waited at the waitress, but before he finished, he was stopped.
Because he saw Kieran smile, not a cold one but a kind, warm smile.
Yes, I am.
Kieran nodded with a smile, his voice was soft and kind.
Since Kieran knew how to gather the reverse energy, he knew how should he act in front of a stranger who was curious and admired him.
One person might not be much, but many small amounts make a difference.
Kieran at least understood that much.
N-Nice to meet you.
Your show just now is too astonishing! C-Can I get an autograph?
While Kieran was being kind, the waitress mustered up enough courage to ask in a stutter.
Sure, where do you want it? Kieran maintained his smile.
Here! Here!
The waitress passed a pen to Kieran, extended her left hand, and pointed at the back with her right index finger.
Okay, what do you want me to write? Kieran took the pen.
Can you write Happy Advance Birthday, Li Hye?
The waitress asked.
Kieran didnt answer; he wrote as told.
Happy Advance Birthday, Li Hye.
A very bright girl and shadow shall not linger around her2567.
...
Kieran purposely added a new sentence after fulfilling the waitresss request.
After seeing the new sentence, the waitress, Li Hye, smiled so brightly that her eyes turned into arcs.
Thank you! Thank you!
Amidst the repeated thanks, the waitress left the room.
When she passed by the makeup artist, she also smiled and thanked him. Although the worst didnt happen, she was still very grateful.
However, the young waitress didnt notice that Lyn Amie was stunned, as stiff as a log.
W-Who are you?
Lyn Amie asked out of shock.
Kieran looked at the makeup artist coldly.
Sweat instantly broke out from his forehead.
The cold re was very familiar, Lyn Amie knew it was Kieran at that moment.
Wait, why did you treat the waitress so kindly just now? Why are you doing this to me?
Am I the easier one to bully?
Questions flooded Lyn Amies heart, he nned to run away again.
Kierans gaze alone gave him immense pressure.
But, maybe a kind persons luck wasnt that bad, just when Lyn Amie wanted to run but hadnt made a move, the door of the private room was knocked on.
Dok Dok Dok!
Chapter 1363 - Not Yet Time
Chapter 1363: Not Yet Time
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Come in!
Lyn Amie anxiously opened the door of the private room. He then saw Mei Huashengs stiff face.
The female officer didnt even care about the makeup artist as she barged in and walked up to Kieran.
It wasnt arrogance or impoliteness, but hate!
The female officer was an old-fashioned person, so she believed a man should behave like how he was supposed to.
Affected behaviour was detestable, especially from a man.
A man like Lyn Amie, who had lifted hips and a raised pinky finger, was the kind of feminine man she hated the most. She was already patient and tolerant enough to not punch Lyn Amie in the face.
So greeting the makeup artist was something non-existent for the female officer.
Lyn Amie, on the other hand, opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but when he saw Mei Huasheng ignore him and go over to Kieran, he eventually shrugged and kept quiet.
He was used to being misunderstood.
Mei Huasheng wasnt the first, and she certainly would not be thest.
Even if Lyn Amie patiently exined to everyone that misunderstood him, there would always be more.
Judging people from first impressions was also part of human nature, just like how people kept secrets to themselves.
Therefore, keeping his mouth shut and living his life was better, for he would at least have a decent job, right?
Of course, he was a person who liked to gossip.
He saw Mei Huasheng pull out a chair beside Kieran. She sat down and, unable to look at his face by turning her head, she instead turned her whole upper body to achieve it. And when Lyn Amie saw the unusual expression on her face, his eyes shone, looking forward to what would happen next.
However, the scene that unfolded next disappointed him a lot.
The unnatural expression on her face didnt evenst for one second before she returned to her stiff face.
Thanks, said Mei Huasheng.
She wouldnt neglect giving appreciation for the help Kieran provided, and at the same time wouldnt forget who Kieran was.
In simpler words, shed thank Kieran and be willing to repay him without disobeying her code, but if Kieran really did break thew, she would still arrest him.
In fact, not only Kieran, even her best friend would share the same treatment.
So Kieran didnt even care about her thanks.
He knew her thanks was no different than a verbal gratitude.
Kierans silence didnt keep Mei Huasheng quiet though.
How did you discover that the killer behind the scene was the nephew of the first owner of the mansion? Mei Huasheng asked.
The whispers in my ears, Kieran answered without even turning his head.
I want the truth! Mei Huasheng frowned.
This is the truth. Kieran sounded as calm as ever, as if he were stating a cold hard fact.
Mei Huashengs breath hurried, and she red at Kieran.
But at the next moment, she took a deep breath and adjusted her countenance.
If you can tell me how you discovered it, I will tell you how the case progresses after that, Mei Huasheng said in a difficult tone, because it was already her bottomline.
If it werent for the order from her superior, she would have never said something like this.
Not interested. Kieran then stood up from his chair.
He wasnt brushing her off. He really was uninterested.
When he got his hands on the detailed information on Edwood Mansion and realized the so-called unfortunate rumours were caused by the nephew of the first owner, Kierans interest decreased greatly.
After further gathering information on the mansion and doing an on-site search, his interest went cold.
It was just a simple internal conflict between thieves; it wasnt asplicated as the public thought. The culprit was probably fortunate enough to strike a deal with someone, and used some despicable promotional methods to mystify the whole mansion.
In the end, the whole thing was caused by man-made factors.
As for who?
It didnt concern Kieran, so he wasnt interested.
He also didnt want to y a game of test with Mei Huasheng on this particr case.
Mei Huasheng was not a person who knew how to cover herself.
Kieran saw through her intentions with a single nce. He had no time to toy around with her, at least not now.
Im tired. I want to rest. See you, no wait, goodbye.
Kieran then walked out of the room.
When he walked past Lyn Amie, he didnt say anything or even pause, but the makeup artist was smart enough to follow him.
As for the bill?
Eckart already paid the restaurant in advance.
...
Kieran didnt take the car. He walked along the road with Lyn Amie following behind him quietly.
Lyn Amie was quite shocked as he looked at Kierans back. He had used his smart phone to search for the newest episode of the shaman show, and although he had only briefly gone through the show, he knew the man before him would be an overnight sensation.
Not just because of how he worked, but also because of Eckart!
The director whose position was endangered would definitely seize the chance and put all his resources and effort into this man to make aeback.
Maybe...
Lyn Amie quickly shook his head as the thought came into his mind.
It was about the higher rankings of the TV station, something he couldnt participate in.
Moreover, all he wanted was to keep his job and decent sry.
Being content with what he already had was always one of his good points, but he was also quite curious.
After a long 10 minutes walk and being tortured by his curiosity, Lyn Amie mustered enough courage to ask Kieran.
2567, how did you know the nephew was the mastermind behind the mansion?
Kieran kept walking forward without a single pause.
Lyn Amie looked at Kierans back andughed in self-mockery.
A weird person like Kieran would never tell others his secret, right?
He would be an overnight star because of this incident.
And Lyn Amie?
A makeup artist only slightly better than a neer, he wasnt even at assistant level.
Both of them were too far apart!
After shaking his head to discard the unrealistic notions out of his mind, he sighed out of disappointment.
Despite knowing he would not get any answer, hed still hope to be lucky. But in the end, he learned his lesson again.
Lyn Amie kept following Kieran without another word, as if his energy was drained.
Suddenly, a voice echoed in Lyn Amies ears.
Go take a look at yourputer.
Huh? What did you say?
Lyn Amie looked up. He asked again to make sure he didnt hear it wrongly.
I said I want a car to get back to the ce that Eckart prepared. Before I reach there, I hope a hot shower and clean,fortable bed can be prepared for me. And I also hope to see eggs and bacon for breakfast. Got it? Kieran turned around and asked.
O-Okay! I got it!
The makeup artist nodded nkly and pulled out his phone to call the car.
Kieran?
While waiting for his ride, his gazended on a bush beside the pedestrian walkway.
A faint sense of mockery shed over his eyes.
Looking for a reasonable exnation of the incident?
Well, here. Take it.
Chapter 1364 - The Condition Of Working Together
Chapter 1364: The Condition Of Working Together
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The morning of the second day, the one who arrived at Kierans temporary lodging spot first wasnt Lyn Amie, but Eckart the station director.
After a hurried knock on the door, Kieran saw a more... disheveled Eckart.
Correct, disheveled.
His oily hair was as messy as a birds nest, his beard was unshaven and his suit was wrinkly.
He had cleaned himself up handsomely during the live shooting, but now, not only did he return to his old looks, he looked even more messy than before and even more excited.
We did it! Eckart screamed the moment he saw Kieran.
Of course Kieran knew they had done it. The spamming notifications about reverse energy was the direct proof. It was much better than any kind of information-gathering method.
En. Kieran nodded calmly.
You knew? You were able to predict this as well? Eckart was stunned.
Eckarts gaze at Kieran turned even stranger. He spected whether someone had told Kieran in advance, but he quickly shook his head.
Kieran was living in the ce he prepared.
In simpler words, Kierans whereabouts were within his grasp.
Before Eckart arrived at Kierans door, the apartment manager already told him the details starting from the moment Kieran came back to the apartment.
There were others who came to the apartment, of course, but none of them would have known more details than Eckart.
Besides, Kieran didnt even have a phone, so no one would be able to call him.
After excluding all the spections, the director had only one thought left in his mind: Kierans identity.
A shaman!
Eckart would have never believed such a thing before he met Kieran. But once he had, he started to suspect whether there was another world the public didnt know of.
Kieran didnt want to exin. His eyes were looking at the paper bag in Eckarts hand.
In fact, were it not for the paper bag, Kieran would have already sent Eckart away.
He didnt want to talk to a tired but excited Eckart because he looked like a crazy man in Kierans eyes.
What were the challenges in talking to a crazy man?
Kieran had no idea, nor did he want to find out.
Fortunately, Eckarts sanity far surpassed Kierans imagination.
After Eckart caught Kierans gaze, he passed the paper bag over.
The information you asked for! The revolution that happened a thousand years agoI can only acquire this much at the moment, as your request came in too suddenly. But dont fret, Ive told my friends to gather more, and they will bring more information to me in no time.
Are you interested in that historical event? Eckart asked out of curiosity.
Em. Wherever there is a real sun, there is a fake moon... The moon at night, its beautiful, right?
Kieran was talking like a street diviner, causing Eckart to scratch his head.
Wait, what? The sun and moon? Eckart waspletely baffled.
Kieran didnt answer. He went over to the dining table, pulled the chair, sat down and started to read the documents inside the paper bag.
Although he hadnt known Kieran for very long, Eckart knew Kieran hated to be disturbed, either when he was thinking or reading.
Therefore, before Kieran truly started to read, Eckart spoke first.
We must forge the iron while its hot! Our show was scheduled for twice a week at first, so the shootingst night should have ended this weeks task. But based on the viewer opinions, we should do an extra one or two showings. Ill try my best to pick a ce that suits our show, and also reorganize the crew again.
Eckart clenched his fists before stating his ns.
It wasnt to brush Kieran off, but after the identst night, where the site supervisors ran from their jobs, Eckart had decided to hire some real employees.
The hiring candidates must have skills, but more importantly, boldness and loyalty.
Should the candidatese without skills?
Nevermind, thetter was the more important criteria anyway.
That is your responsibility, just tell me when you get things sorted out, Kieran said without lifting his head.
Things should be handled by the professionals of their respective fields, not letting an amateur point fingers.
Kieran knew Eckart would do his best in producing the shaman show so as not to revert to his difficult days. In a way, the director needed the show more than Kieran.
Okay! Eckart heaved a long breath.
He had been very worried about Kieran stating some harsh conditions.
In fact, Eckart had been in many positions in the TV station before finally ending up as one of the few higher rankers that had power. Eckart had seen too many people aggrandize themselves.
They might be popr or some overnight sensation for a while, but all of them would end up badly.
Before this, Eckart hadnt worry much, but his current situation was very special. He needed Kieran, very badly.
He believed Kieran knew it as well; thus, he was prepared to lose a great amount of resources to fulfill his requests, yet Kierans reaction shocked him.
Nevertheless, things were progressing towards the better end. Eckart wouldnt reject it.
Eckart was already thinking about how he would make it up to Kieran for his kind reaction.
He didnt believe in pure friendship. Maybe he had at first, but now, he believed friendship would be tighter when coated with benefits.
A rtionship would notst long if one side kept taking and the other side kept giving.
Leave the rest to me. Eckart then left the apartment.
The door was carefully shut, not causing any extra noise.
Kieran didnt turn around, as he was immersed in the documents.
Preciousness varies.
The things Eckart viewed highly might not be worth a cent in Kierans eyes.
Even though Eckart thought he had given valuable things to Kieran, from how Kieran saw it, those were not as valuable as the documents in his hands.
Eckart had gotten the wrong idea about what Kieran sought after.
Kieran, of course, wouldnt correct him. He didnt mind utilizing the mistakes to mislead his coborator, thus providing himself with more help.
He was very weak in his current dungeon world. Should his ws ever be exposed, he would be doomed.
He had to be very careful even for the simplest coborations.
After all, the meaning of coboration was two sides with equal forces teaming up. Teaming up two sides with unbnced forces wasnt a coboration; it was annexation.
If the situation really turned into thetter, it would only be if Kieran were willing to depend on Eckartpletely, bing his tool to make a living; otherwise, it would have to be a life or death situation.
Kieran didnt want that to happen, and neither did he want to be someone elses tool.
Therefore, he had to seize the right to call the shots as soon as possible and ditch his reliance on Eckart.
It would require time and opportunities to make it happen though.
Time was the present, but chances had to be created.
It was simr to what he was reading, the documents.
Huh?
Kieran raised a puzzled brow amidst his reading.
He saw a phrase that went out of his expectation.
Chapter 1365 - Record
Chapter 1365: Record
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Before Joanna became a respectabledy, she had a petty job. But one must admit, she had quite the charm, despite her face being scarred during a fight.
The most talked about topic about Joanna, other than her outstanding leading capabilities, was her guardian knight and most reliablerade, Becker the giant. Becker the giant was shocking; not only was he as strong as an ox, hed once even killed a group of Union elites with his bare hands. He ended up forcing the Union to deploy their strongest infantry troops on thest encircle to annihte Joanna. Fortunately, he was alone at that time and finally died off after killing hundreds.
As Joannas first bodyguard andter ally, Contly was known for her quick and fierce way of doing things. Many said that if she hadnt died under the besiege of Deldors Assault, she would have made Joanna even harder to deal with. But in my opinion, if Contly hadnt died in that assault, she would be the hardest one to deal with!
Joanna was really remarkable. Even I, as a man, could barely achieve what she had done. But still, she ultimately lost in the revolution. In the battle with the great general, Harold Lander, she might have gotten some advantages, but the final loss robbed her of any chances to make aeback.
...
Unlike the public information from the books that Lyn Amie borrowed from the library, in this document thatmoners couldnt get their hands on, Kieran saw some familiar names.
Becker, the giant who Herbert adopted after defeating him during their first encounter. He might not be smart, but he was definitely not weak.
Also, Contly, the self-proimed bounty hunter and also one of the new generation of Isogu Citys guardians.
However, the most concerning point was Harold Lander.
Despite not spending a long time with the young man, in Kierans mind, Harold didnt look like a young man who would betray friendship and love.
Perhaps something happened that Kieran didnt know of, ultimately turning lovers into enemies.
But the documents didnt say anything about that, and even if they did, Kieran would not believe them 100%.
This document, or record, had too much personal surmising. If it werent for the date on the records, anything slightly more recent would have been totally useless.
Besides, amongst the personal surmising, there was one person missing: Cohen!
The poor little kid who was also a student of Herbert and peers with Joanna and Harold.
Since Joanna and Harold were active in a certain period of history, it would be impossible for Cohen to remain a nobody.
Given the situation back then, even if Cohen wanted to conceal his identity and live a normal life, it would have been hard for him to do so.
Joanna and Harold would not give him the chance either.
Even though this record was less than reliable, based on the written words, Harold, who had a fallout with Joanna, would have made every attempt to rope Cohen to his side.
No one knew their strengths more than each other.
Is this author trying to hide something? Or... did something happen that forced Cohen away from the stage? Maybe Cohen was the fuse to the fallout between Joanna and Harold?
Kieran recalled the eyes of Cohen when he looked at Joanna. Other than friendship, his eyes had showed admiration.
Kieran lightly tapped his fingers on the table.
It was Kierans habit to tap his fingers whenever his thought process was faced with a dead end.
This little habit allowed him to waste less time and save a lot of energy.
Simrly, Kieran knew that without sufficient information, any of his guesses and spections were all useless. Uneducated guesses might even cause a bacsh.
Look at the content of the written record! How many of the incidents were actually real?
Probably not even 30%.
What in the world happened back then?
Kieran ended his thoughts with thest lead lingering in his mind.
It wasnt just because he didnt want to waste energy on groundless guesses, it was also because there was knockinging from the door.
Dok Dok Dok!
Come in.
After being given permission, Lyn Amie the makeup artist came in with a stic bag.
Through the translucent stic bag, Kieran saw eggs, a pack of bacon, bread, lettuce and one litre of a box of milk.
All the ingredients were at Kierans request, except for thest box of milk, which was Lyn Amies personal thought.
As for what he would be preparing?
Other than a bacon and egg sandwich, Kieran couldnt think of anything.
Bacon and egg sandwiches are my best dish! I guarantee that you will not taste something as bad as the beef that night! And I also assure you that it will not taste like some sloppily prepared food from the roadside! Lyn Amie said with confidence.
Is that so? Ill be looking forward to it then, said Kieran.
He then tidied up the records and walked to the sofa.
His weak body kept urging him to rest, especially after squeezing his brain juice while reading. He felt like he had been working for four or five days non-stop without getting a proper rest.
Torturous and tiring.
If it werent for his vignce, Kieran would have really fallen asleep on the sofa.
Kieran slightly closed his eyes, emptied his mind and went to rest.
Meanwhile, in a certain office somewhere in Rain City, a discussion regarding Kieran had started.
What? I have to leave the shaman show?
Mei Huasheng looked at her superior in astonishment.
Yes. We will send another suitable officer to the TV station to fill in your position as a consultant of the show. Meanwhile, you are tasked with the case that happenedst night.
The station director took off his sses and looked at Mei Huasheng.
Didnt you read my report? 2567 is really a dangerous person! If I dont keep an eye on him, who knows what he will do? Mei Huasheng emphasized.
It is because of your report that I decided to send another officer to the show to fill your position. Mei Huasheng, you are capable enough, but you are not suitable being around 2567. You will only rm him! A person will not make mistakes when he is on guard! The director stated his reason.
His reason would not have been persuasive enough to others, but for Mei Huasheng, an old-fashioned person who blindly abided by the rules, it was extremely effective.
In fact, the director gave such an excuse because he knew Mei Huashengs personality.
Otherwise, he couldnt even solve the problem at hand.
As for the so-called shaman 2567?
The director didnt even care, despite Mei Huasheng repeatedly reminding him.
An insignificant con-man, what could he possibly do?
After making sure the theft and murder wasnt rted to Kieran, the director had shifted his attention away from the con-man.
After all, as the theft and murder case appeared, too many other things required the directors attention.
However, once he thought about his subordinates stubborn mind, the director couldnt help but feel an oing headache.
He had to send someone to the shaman show to fill the position, despite the stationcking in manpower; otherwise, Mei Huasheng would surely ask questions.
Although he could not deny Mei Huashengs capabilities, he also could not look away from how old-fashioned and inflexible she was. If she werent that good at following rules, the director would have thrown her back to the soldier rehabilitation center for a therapy session.
While he was thinking about candidates to fill the slot, the phone on the table suddenly rang.
After the director answered the phone and heard the content, his face drastically changed.
Chapter 1366 - Aimed at
Chapter 1366: Aimed at
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
On top of the white porcin te were three caramelized bacon and egg sandwiches, emanating a faint fragrance.
Kieran chose one and took a big bite.
He never thought of taking small bites of sandwiches, burgers or pies; he thought it was a kind of insult to food with fillings.
Eating with big bites was the true way to satisfaction.
How is it? Lyn Amie looked at Kieran with anticipation.
He didnt aggrandize himself; bacon and egg sandwich was his best dish and also the dish that he made the most often.
Em. Kieran nodded but didnt give anyment.
Since Kieran had the opportunity to always dine at Starbecks ce and taste his cooking, it was hard for him toment on other food, but he also would not ignore the point of what he ate outside.
The ingredients and cooking skills were closely rted.
A cook couldnt create extraordinary cuisine with normal ingredients.
Likewise, when a cook created a dish with extraordinary ingredients, it had already deviated from the point of normal food, like what Starbeck did.
Starbeck didnt just possess remarkable cooking skills, but he also used extraordinary ingredients.
Kieran still had a functioning tongue, so how could he not taste the specialness of the food he ate?
That was the reason why he was so kind to Starbeck.
In fact, anyone who could give him good food, Kieran would reply with a good attitude. Lyn Amie was no exception.
At least, the sharp and cold aura around Kieran that felt like spikes was gone when Lyn Amie looked at him.
Huu!
The makeup artist heaved a sigh of relief.
Although Kieran didntment on the food, Lyn Amie considered it an acknowledgement of his cooking from Kieran.
He watched Kieran eat the remaining sandwiches. After that, he served him a ss of milk heated by the microwave oven.
Do you want sugar? Lyn Amie asked.
A little. Kieran nodded.
Under Kierans watch, Lyn Amie added a teaspoon and a half of sugar into the milk. Kieran then took the teaspoon and stirred it clockwise.
The milk and sugar fragrance swiftly filled Kierans nose. It was slightly sweet, yet it maintained its freshness.
Warm milk was more eptable than a cold or boiling hot one.
Riiiing! Riing!
Kieran finished the milk in a single gulp, and just when he was about to ask for a second ss, Lyn Amies phone rang.
Director. Yes, I understand.
Lyn Amie answered and listened. Around 10 secondster, he looked at Kieran.
Something big happened. We must get back to the station right away.
Lyn Amie then removed his apron and walked to the door.
Kieran frowned.
He hated it when his meal was interrupted, but he also understood how severe it would be if problems werent solved in time.
He stood up, took the box with the remaining milk and followed the makeup artist.
...
Bastards! A bunch of freaking greedy bastards!
Less than an hour into his sleep, Eckart was woken up by his assistants call. Since he hadnt slept well for a long time, once woken abruptly, his temper was not pretty, let alone the fact that the matter that woke him up was an infuriating one.
Eckart looked at the simple message his assistant sent him, and the rage in his eyes almost materialized. And by the time Kieran and Lyn Amie came into the office, Eckart had already broken three sses.
I swear when I get back to my prime, Ill f*cking seal that bitch off!
Eckart looked at Kieran and voiced his anger before passing the simple message to Kieran. He then walked to the washroom beside his office.
He needed cold water to wake himself up.
While Eckart was washing his face, Kieran went over the simple message on the phone.
A murder went down at the soldier rehabilitation center.
A doctor and a nurse were brutally strangled to death at the office. At the same time, three soldiers that were under treatment went missing; they were believed to be responsible for the tragedy.
If the message were just some report of a murder incident, Eckart wouldnt have gotten that angry.
The safety in Rain City was on an average level. Fighting and murder didnt take ce that often in the city, but it was by no means rare either. Even if the ce of the homicide were a special ce, Eckart would at most say a thing or two.
What really infuriated Eckart were the following messages.
Two slightly famous shamans appeared at the crime scene.
One imed that she sensed the dead spirit of the soldiers, and the other one imed that the rehabilitation center was an ominous ce.
On top of that, the ims from the shamans mentioned Kieran. Intentionally or unintentionally, they hoped that Kieran woulde out and provide a more precise vision information.
They are challenging you! They want to use this chance to step on you and gain more poprity.
Lyn Amie was standing beside Kieran. The message was made clear to him as well since Kieran didnt conceal it. A single nce from the makeup artist allowed him to know all the content. With that, the makeup artist gave his assumption on this incident.
As a TV station makeup artist, he had seen tons of incidents like this. Hed even seen much despicable and dirtier way than this.
Therefore, he knew the importance of this incident.
If this incident were mishandled, Kieran, who had just garnered the attention of the masses, would surely take a big hit. The makeup artist felt indignant right away.
He knew how hard it was for Kieran to get a chance to forge his future.
Thats right, Lyn Amie was feeling indignant on Kierans behalf.
After spending two days with him, Lyn Amie, a pure and kind person, already considered Kieran as one of his own, one of his best friends.
In a certain perspective, Lyn Amies pureness was astonishing.
Kieran was doubtful about how Lyn Amie survived in the station, a ce with so manyplications.
However, Kieran didnt say anything else to Lyn Amie or talk about the incident.
The former was a secret, but thetter?
He had a more professional means to deal with this kind of incident.
Eckart came back after washing his face and slightly tidying up.
I say we go to the scene right now. Before these two attention-seeking bastards make anything worse or irreversible, lets take them out. Eckart looked at Kieran, asking for his opinion.
Sure. Kieran nodded.
Leave the matter to the professionals.
After that?
Kieran would try his best to work along with them.
The luxury minivan drove Kieran, Eckart and Lyn Amie away from the TV station and straight toward the soldier rehabilitation center.
Soon, the minivan reached its destination.
But before they got off the minivan, Eckart noticed that something wasnt right.
It seemed like... the ce was overflowing with reporters.
Chapter 1367 - Malicious Intents
Chapter 1367: Malicious Intents
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Through the window, Eckart didnt only spot the reporters from the local TV stations, he even saw some newspaper reporters plus in addition to a lot of reporters from various online media.
A simple murder in Rain City wouldnt have caused such a scene.
Could it be...
Eckart wasnt an idiot and instantly realized something, and his expression changed slightly.
However, he wasnt allowed to retreat anymore at this moment.
A deep breathter, Eckart looked at Kieran.
2567, something isnt right. Be careful.
And... I think I might have dragged you in this.
Eckart showed an apologetic smile; it wasnt the courteous one but the authentic one from the bottom of his heart. He considered the mistake at hand to be his fault.
Theeback from a desperate situation excited him a lot, and when the excitement intertwined with the exhaustion from long hours of work, he had neglected the sneaky attacks of his enemies. In addition to theck of careful thought, he had dragged Kieran into this vortex of problems.
The consequences of his mistake were getting him and Kieran in front of the scene and no space for them to step down!
Behind them was the abyss, and in front was a path full of thorns!
When neither advancing or retreating was a viable option, exhaustion filled Eckarts mind, he had never felt so helpless than at this particr moment.
Kieran quietly looked at Eckart.
The moment Eckart, the director of the TV station, appeared before him and even became the temporary host for the Shaman show, Kieran already knew he was in a bad spot.
Otherwise, why would a local TV station director do something so below his status?
However, Kieran did not expect Eckarts situation to be much worse than he had expected.
No doubt, the brief message he received earlier was a trap, together with the assistant that sent him the news; all of it should be the handiwork of Eckarts enemy.
The news, however, wasnt fake, but it was so brief that it had hidden and skipped a lot of crucial factors of the incident. These key factors were the reason why Kieran and Eckart were pushed into a passive state.
What will it be?
Kieran wondered in his heart. He tapped on Eckarts shoulder.
Its still not the worst yet, if you jolted before the battle, you would lose the war entirely.
We are indeed a bit behind, but catching up to the enemy isnt that hard, Kieran said calmly.
His in and t tone never changed from the start, his expressionless face didnt even flinch.
During regr times, his tone and expression meant nothing, but at this moment, it provided quite thefort and support to Eckart.
Eckart remembered the magical feats of Kieran fromst night.
There might still be a chance for aeback!
The thought appeared in Eckarts heart, he swiftly adjusted his mood and condition.
No one wanted to lose!
No one wanted to be doomed forever!
If he had the chance... He would risk it!
Huu! Huu!
Multiple deep breathster, Eckart returned to normal.
After we get out, the reporters will swarm us.
2567, you can stay quiet, leave everything to me!
Lyn Amie, I know you will be neglected, so you go and find out what else was kept a secret from us! Eckart said quickly.
He looked at the reporters who were swarming their minivan, he felt like he saw a bunch of sharks swimming towards blood.
Once, Eckart was one of the sharks, but now?
He is a warrior who fought the sharks!
Ka!
The door was opened, Eckart jumped out of the minivan.
Kieran looked at the directors back, he smiled for a split second before returning to normal.
Kieran had a decent image of Eckart, the director knew what kind of role he was ying in this coboration, what kind of rtionship they were had, and also understood when to advance, as well as when to retreat.
Especially thetter, Kieran admired him for that.
If he had the option, Kieran would not want to switch coborators, but more importantly, changing to new a coborator would burn a lot of time, and it was something Kieran wasnt willing to see. Additionally, if he had to solve the problems left behind by Eckart, the time spent wouldnt be just a day or two.
Kieran was certain Eckarts enemies had treated him as one of Eckarts men.
The enemies were not to be med, though, because Kieran was relying on Eckart to elerate his ns anyway.
So, to assure the progress of his n, Kieran hoped that nothing would happen to Eckart, and to ensure the uing n would be smoother in addition to avoiding problems like the one urring today, Eckarts enemies had to be removed.
Though, those were the matters to be considered after solving the problem at hand.
Now?
Kacha! Kacha!
A series of shes lit up before Kierans eyes.
The blinding lights would either cause amon man to shy away with closed eyes or raised his hand to block the cameras.
Neither one was appropriate for the asion, though, and some intentional parties would surely use it to make a big fuss, but Kieran disappointed them.
He stood there like a straight pole, looking in and still, his eyes didnt even flinch and allowed the camera to capture his image.
The shes shone for over a dozen seconds before pausing slightly.
Then, many microphones were extended to Kierans face.
Mr. 2567, are you here to answer the challenge from Lady Nuna and Mr. Kaomu?
Mr. 2567, do you really think this murder is what Mr. Kaomu imed? The whole rehabilitation center is an ominous spot?
Lady Nuna sensed the soul of the dead soldiers, can you sense it as well?
...
Questions were heard in close session as if Kieran had walked into a moring market.
Eckart beside Kieran wanted to answer on behalf of Kieran, but he couldnt do so because the moment he opened his mouth, his voice was suppressed by the noisy scene.
Unless Eckart were to use some extraordinary means, they wouldnt be able to proceed with their original n and answer the reporters at their own pace.
Other than that, Kieran sharply noticed a few among the reporters targeting Eckart. A few strong men kept pushing Eckart away from Kieran. Each time Eckart spoke, these few men would raise their voice to counter him, asking the questions that the other reporters had asked; on top of that, they also violently pushed Eckart away with their body, muffling Eckarts voice.
Eckart wasnt scrawny by any means; he was just a man with a healthy physique, butpared to the few strong men, he wasnt their match.
Kieran saw each time Eckart suffered a push, his brows would tighten, and his face would twitch.
A cheap and effective way, Kieranmented.
Then, he calmly nced over the reporters.
The questions and moring somehow dimmed down and eventually went quiet.
All the reporters who Kieran looked at felt a coldness in their hearts, goosebumps filled their skins and shivers ran through their bodies, even their throats felt dry and ufortable.
They felt like they saw a ck figure slowly walking in a sea of blood and a mountain of corpses.
Fear spread like the gue.
The reporters unconsciously stepped back, even the few strong ones started to back off, but Kieran didnt n to let them go.
He walked towards the few of them and started to mutter.
All things on earth with all kinds of forms.
All things, especially the human heart, are ever-changing.
The noble soul walked in pity.
The despicable soul tormented by malevolence.
You people, where are you from?
Chapter 1368 - Split Up
Chapter 1368: Split Up
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
As the mutterings spread, the crowd immediately turned to the few strong men.
Eckart quickly reacted to the situation since he wasnt bothered by the others anymore.
Who are you people?
Whichpany do you represent?
The director scanned over the few strong men and asked his questions.
The scene suddenly quieted down, and it stunned the few strong men. This wasnt within their expectations, Eckarts questions even made him exchange gazes with each other anxiously.
They were ready to leave the scene, but before the men moved, Eckart shouted loudly.
Officer Lin, Officer Mei, there are some troublemakers here! They might be rted to the murder!
His voice spread further ahead and caught the attention of Mei Huasheng and her partner, Lin An, who were on duty at the entrance of the rehabilitation center. Mei Huasheng walked over without a second thought.
As the officers were walking over, these few strong men who received money to cause trouble started to panic.
They were small-time thugs anyway, causing a fight was the best they could do, so anything involving murder was beyond their league.
What are you talking about?!
We have nothing to do with this murder!
One of them ranted loudly. The other two men turned around and ran for it.
A weak teammate does more harm than a strong enemy.
If they didnt run, Mei Huasheng would have just asked questions.
Now?
Get them!
Lin An shouted, and the officers in the area quickly gave chase. Mei Huasheng was already chasing them.
The entrance of the soldier rehabilitation center plunged into chaos state in an instant.
...
While Kieran and Eckart were surrounded by reporters, Lyn Amie went down from another side of the minivan. He then quickly ran towards the soldier rehabilitation center.
He knew he had to quickly find out what kind of information was hidden from them; otherwise, they would fall into a passive state.
The makeup artist was kind, but not an idiot.
He knew everything about the rumors involving Eckart. Therefore, he understood that once Eckart was finished, the one who followed would not be Kieran but him who was already marked.
Lyn Amie stood outside the police line and stuck his head out to look around.
He saw Mei Huasheng, who he was familiar with, but he was smart enough not to speak with her.
Although they didnt spend much time together, he knew Mei Huasheng would not spill any details to him, she might even take him down for trespassing.
As for Officer Lin An beside her?
Lyn Amie shook his head. He only met the officer once.
They were at most acquaintances, why would he help the makeup artist?
The same went for the other officers.
The makeup artist clenched his teeth and started to run around the rehabilitation center.
Since asking wasnt a viable option, he would have to find it out himself.
Since the main entrance was sealed off, he had to find another ess to get in.
The soldier rehabilitation center was renovated from an old school. The area wasnt that big, but it wasnt small by any means either.
Lyn Amie thought he could find some spots around the building that the officers forgot to seal off, but he underestimated Mei Huasheng. The building wasnt just sealed off, his sneaky movements even attracted unwanted attention.
Hey, what are you doing? Go away! This ce is off-limits!
A young officer saw the makeup artists suspicious movements and shouted at him.
The officer also saw the working badge that the makeup artist wore, and he frowned.
O-Okay!
Lyn Amie scratched his head, showed a tteringugh, and backed off.
When he retreated back to the main entrance of the rehabilitation center, he was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.
He had no idea what to do anymore.
While he was getting more anxious, a loud shout sounded.
Get them!
Lyn Amie saw the officers on duty around the entrance, and the building started to run towards the crowd of reporters. He didnt know what happened, but he knew it was his chance.
He didnt go through the main entrance, though, as there were still guards. He went back around the building to the spot that he saw just now: corner around the main entrance that was hidden from the frontal view.
As expected, the young officer that shouted at him just now joined the chase.
Lyn Amie then climbed over the fence without a second thought.
He might walk like ady, but he was born in a rural vige, climbing trees and getting a birds nest on the branches were his daily routine during his youth.
Andpared to a tree, the fence had spots for him to step and ces for him to hold onto, it was too easy.
Neat and quick, Lyn Amie jumped into the backyard of the rehabilitation center, he then went in through the nearest window.
Huu!
He heaved a long sigh after he infiltrated the building. He turned around for a nce and made sure he wasnt followed before he went along the corridor that leads to the crime scene.
The soldier rehabilitation center had two main buildings: treatment and wards in one building and an activity lounge in the other, which were the offices and ssrooms and parents meeting room of the old school.
The crime scene was on the first floor of the wards, and Lym Amie was around the ward area now.
Soon, he saw the office in which the murder took ce.
In front of the entrance were two officers on duty, and inside the office was filled with forensics team members taking notes.
When he saw the two officers, Lym Amie knew he couldnt divert their attention.
Although themotion that happened just now gave him a chance, he had no idea why, and it wouldntst too long.
He was running out of time!
Lym Amie kept his working badge and adjusted his emotions. He tried to calm himself down from the nervousness before running towards the two officers quickly.
Q-Quick! Youre needed outside, something went down!
Lyn Amie panted heavily as he spoke.
Ill go have a look!
One of the two officers said to his other colleague before running outside.
The one remaining looked at Lym Amie with a sense of suspicion.
There were inclothes officers among the force as well, but almost none of them would have a ponytail, except for some on special assignment.
L-Let me catch my breath.
Ill exinter.
Lyn Amie waved his hand and took a peek inside the office.
There were two bodies, a male and a female.
The male was the doctor, the female was the nurse. Both of them kneeled down side by side, and a rope from the ceiling hung over their necks.
In front of the two bodies, though...
There were three fingers! Three cut off index fingers wereid straight up in front of the bodies.
It looked like three joss sticks being stuck up in front of the dead, except without the thick smoke from the burning.
There was blood on the ground where the fingers touched, but the three fingers themselves were very clean.
The bodies, the blood, the broken fingers formed an eerie and strange scene. Lym Amie couldnt help but feel disgusted, and he didnt hide it, he covered his mouth, looked up at the officer and asked, W-Where is the toilet?
There.
The suspicion in the officers eyes got denser, but he still pointed the way for Lyn Amie.
As he watched the makeup artist barge into the toilet, he switched on his talkie.
A whileter
Dak, Dak, Dak Dak.
Quick and rhythmic footsteps sounded, followed by Mei Huashengs appearance.
The female officer didnt even waste a second and kicked the male toilets door open.
Bang!
The toilet was empty.
Mei Huashengs already cold face got colder.
She went outside the building without further ado.
She knew who she should talk to.
Chapter 1369 - Kaomu
Chapter 1369: Kaomu
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Ugh!
Lyn Amie hugged a tree on the greenwn as he vomited badly. He didnt just throw up his breakfast, but almost vomited his dinner fromst night and his gall juices too.
Eckart was patting Lyn Amies back while looking at Kieran, who was frowning with a slightly worried look.
It was just a little over two days with Kieran, but it was enough for Eckart, a smart person, to observe some details.
Kierans eyes were dull and his face was expressionless; those were not desirable traits, but Eckart knew those were the signs that showed Kieran was at his most reliable state, everything was within Kierans control.
But once Kieran showed other kinds of expressions, Eckart would have to take note.
He had to take notice of the progression of the situation and also whether he stepped on Kierans tail or not.
Eckart was sure Kieran wasnt a tolerant person.
Taking revenge for the slightest grievance might sound a little over the top to describe him, but he would surely take revenge.
Kieran noticed Eckarts gaze while he was in deep thought, but he didnt care.
Kneeling bodies?
Three fingers?
Was it penance? Or some kind of ritual?
After Lyn Amie described the crime scene, Kieran was able to rte into more, but he was stillcking information.
Even though Lyn Amie tried his best to describe the scene, without looking at it with his own eyes, Kieran couldnt tell whether it was purposely set up that way or if it had some other meaning behind it.
Of course, the limited information was still enough to handle the situation.
Since Kieran was able to sense Eckarts gaze, it was natural that he could also sense others, especially the malicious kind.
Kaomu, who looked like a giant walking bird because of his colorful feather coat, was walking over to Kieran. Beside him was Nuna, thedy wearing a singlet and hot pants with an extrayer of translucent fabric over her skin. She was also barefoot, making her look like a gypsy of sorts.
Both of them were walking side by side, but they were quite distinctive from each other.
When the two of them were in front of Kieran, Kaomu, whose eyes showed malicious intent, became fiercer while Nuna began sizing and judging, showing curiosity.
She had watched the scene with the reporters just now, and she had to admit that Kieran was really fast with his reactions.
Those hired thugs should have been thest straw to crush Kieran, but instead, Kieran used it to his advantage and messed up Kaomus n.
Once she thought about how angry Kaomu was when he threw his feather coat on the ground, Nuna couldnt help but smile.
What else was better than a hateful rival having a rough time?
When the rival messed with someone of the same profession that couldnt be trifled with.
Nuna had decided not to involve herself in this. She smiled with crossed arms as she slowly drew herself a distance away from Kieran and Kaomu.
You are 2567? Stop being cocky! The game has just begunyou messed with someone you shouldnt have. They told me to send their regards, Kaomu said viciously with amanding presence.
They? Kieran frowned.
He wasnt sure who the they Kaomu was referring to, as it was too general, but Kaomu quickly narrowed the range for Kieran.
The shamans from the studio! You little bastard who couldnt follow rules, you will suffer our punishment! You just wait and see! I will take your glory away from you immediately!
Kaomu then turned to the entrance of the soldier rehabilitation center and strode inside.
Kieran raised a puzzled brow at Kaomus back. He didnt like his attitude, but judging by how sure he was about his words, an rm was raised in Kierans heart.
Kieran waved at Eckart. Eckart nodded and quickly made his move.
Eckart strode to the minivan. He had to find out everything about this Kaomu and those disqualified shamans as soon as possible. He needed to know what they were up to.
Of course, Eckart already had some guesses about the mastermind, so he knew where he should make a move.
...
With Eckarts exit and Lyn Amie still throwing up, thedy shaman walked over.
Pleased to meet you. I am Nuna, she introduced herself.
Kieran didnt even look at her, as he had no interest in making acquaintance.
Even though she didnt show as much malicious intent as Kaomu, Kieran knew exactly what she wanted to do.
Kieran disliked being used as a tool toplete the goals of others.
But more importantly, Mei Huasheng, with her cold face, was heading his way.
When Nuna saw no reaction from Kieran, she turned and saw Mei Huasheng heading their way. The gypsy shaman read the atmosphere and stepped aside. However, the curiosity in her eyes grew heavier.
Move! I must arrest him! Mei Huasheng said coldly.
Arrest? What kind of joke are you making, Officer Mei? What are you arresting him for?
Kieran hadnt spoken. The one who spoke was Eckart, who came back from the minivan. He looked at the stiff female officer and asked with a cold smile.
Destruction of a crime scene! You are also obstructing justice, so move, or I will arrest you both! Mei Huasheng said with the same tone, but Eckart smiled.
Obstruction of justice? Why dont you turn around and look at the entrance? That man is the one who is obstructing justice! Eckart pointed at Kaomu.
Kaomu was swinging his feather coat around like a dancing turkey; he was also making weird noises.
Arg! I feel it! The ominous air is umting here! Ignorant souls, leave at once! Or the ominousness will devour you!
Kaomu was trying to scare the officer standing in his way to the building.
But the officer didnt even budge. He looked at Kaomu without a slight change of expression; it was as if he was looking at a clown.
The eyes of the officer obviously enraged Kaomu, who had absolute confidence in himself.
Today would be the day he rose to fame!
Anyone who stood in his path would be his stepping stone.
2567 would be one and so would this officer here, if not even better!
His identity was perfect!
All Kaomu had to do was slowly lure those ignorant people under his influence, and he would be able to achieve a lot more with the same amount of effort.
Humans were always sensitive against a certain identity.
And him?
He would be the dauntless fighter who challenged authority!
No, no!
A great, dauntless shaman who challenged authority!
Once he thought of this title, Kaomus smile nearly revealed itself.
He eagerly continued in his high pitched voice, shouting repeatedly.
The ominousness has arrived! He has arrived! He...
Bang!
Before he could finish, he was stopped by the bang.
Kaomu fell to the ground on his face.
A figure slowly walked up from behind him. The shadows cast from the sun gradually covered this shaman.
He had arrived.
Chapter 1370 - Pawn
Chapter 1370: Pawn
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Who?! Its you! You piece of
Kaomu, who fell to the ground head on, lost two of his front teeth. Turning around and covering his bleeding mouth, he saw the figure he envied and hated.
He wanted to scold him, but before he could, Kierans cold re stopped him.
A cunning opportunist who relied on lies to make a name for himself certainly wasnt a strong-willed person. In front of Kierans killer re, which was tempered by ughtering myriads of living souls, other than copsing, Kaomu couldnt show any other reaction.
However, Kieran didnt want a copsed Kaomu, but rather, a sane one who could tell him everything honestly.
So, Kieran looked down at him, opened his left hand in front of Kaomu and waved his fingers in a unique, rhythmic way.
It was like his fingers were blessed with magic, as they captivated Kaomus eyes.
In Kaomus ears, Kierans heavy, hoarse voice echoed.
Listen, the growls that echoe in your ears.
Listen, the rage that hides in thend.
Listen, the wails that swirl before you.
Its the wails of the dead.
They are enraged, wanting to tear you apart, an aplice; you know everything, but you hide the truth from the light.
Kaomus eyes dted right away, feeling like he saw something.
No, it wasnt me! I didnt kill anyone! Someone told me the three soldiers bodies are hidden in the storeroom of the activity lounge! Im just using this chance to take out 2567! I didnt kill anyone! Kaomu spilled the truth in panic.
The panic didnt just show on his face; his hands and feet were moving together too, pushing his body backwards. He was frightened beyond his senses, as if there were souls of the dead wailing in his ears.
The reporters who were watching the scene felt chills down their backs. They instinctively shrunk their necks and tried to step under the sun.
Nevertheless, they didnt stop working. Cameras, voice recorders and pens were all being used to record the scene.
Ka, ka ka!
The shutter of the cameras sounded non-stop, and shes shone continuously.
But even with this reaction from the reporters, Kaomu, who was hypnotized by Kierans killer intent, didnt wake up. Kieran perfectly utilized his Pro level [Mystical Knowledge] to bring out its best effect.
Who told you?
Someone sent me a message via phone, an unknown number.
Give me the phone.
Kieran reached his hand out and Kaomu actually handed it to him.
Kieran unlocked the phone and saw the message on the first row of the message tab.
********: a murder happened in the soldier rehabilitation center. Other than the dead doctor and nurse, the three missing soldiers died in the storeroom of the activity lounge.
The number of the sender was masked by a series of asterisks.
Kieran expected it though.
If it were that easy to get clues, Kieran would have had to reevaluate the situation. Simrly, the enemy wouldnt have easily picked this idiot as their representative.
Unless.
As thoughts bloomed in his mind, Kieran passed the phone to Officer Lin.
Kieran had only met him once before, but he believed that the man was better tomunicate with than Mei Huasheng.
In fact, that really was the case.
Ill ask some men to work on it. Once we get news, Ill let you know.
Lin An took a nce at the message before ensuring Kieran.
He then passed the phone to a young officer beside him and whispered his orders to his men.
Mei Huasheng, on the other hand, was looking at the activity lounge. Her eyes looked stern and strict like never before.
It was true that Mei Huasheng was an old-fashioned person, but she wasnt an idiot, by any means. She was able to return from the battlefield; despite some trauma still haunting her,ing back alive said it all.
Kaomu was an upstaged pawn, a pawn with a hidden goal whose only purpose was to mess up the situation.
This was the reason why she didnt stop Kieran from the sudden attack.
Compared to Kaomu, Lyn Amie was nothing.
Choose the lesser of two evils.
Mei Huasheng understood the saying very clearly.
What is inside? Mei Huasheng asked stiffly, but no one answered.
Kieran knew she was talking to him, but who said he had to answer?
I see death.
Kieran walked inside the soldier rehabilitation center, his hoarse, heavy voice sounding again. His gloomy tone instantly caused difort to appear in the crowds hearts.
Then, the difort spread rapidly.
Leave! Leave now! Everyone!
Kieran spoke very fast, his body wiggling like a snake.
The crowd was no stranger to this scene. In fact, they had been frightened by the live broadcast that showed the exact same scenest night.
Now, seeing it with their own eyes, not only were they not used to it, but they were even more scared.
The weird traits of [Viper Body] had exceededmon knowledge.
The crowd chose toply with the fear caused by the unknown.
The reporters, rehabilitation center staff, and patients all backed away quickly, leaving only the officers on duty.
The crowd didnt leave though, only stepping further backwards to continue watching Kieran and the scene.
Kieran went back to the minivan. Eckart and Lyn Amie followed.
Are we not going inside?
Lyn Amie looked at the rehabilitation center further away with a curious gaze.
If you have a death wish, I wont stop you. Kaomu was obviously used by someone to lure everyone into the activity lounge. I dont know what their purpose is, but after spending so much effort, I doubt it will be a warm weing party.
Kieran looked at Lyn Amie like he was looking at an idiot. He then said to the driver, Drive, get away from this ce.
If he werent so weak and exhausted, he wouldnt mind going inside to have a look.
But now, he was just a normal human at his peak. Even if he had many skills to protect himself and allow him to neglect most lethal attacks, the important point was that it wasnt all attacks, just most of them.
There were still many dangers that could threaten Kierans life, and without any defensive methods, a single sniper was enough to kill Kieran ten times over.
Even though he knew going into the rehabilitation center and disying his mysterious side would make many more people believe in the supernatural, thus granting him even more reverse energy, Kieran still chose to leave.
He was on the clock, but he wasnt that desperate yet to risk his life.
The minivan roared to life again. It drove quickly yet steadily on the highway.
Enough? Kieran asked Eckart all of a sudden.
Enough. Eckart nodded.
The strange conversation baffled Lyn Amie. He looked back and forth between Kieran and Eckart, but he eventually gave up any intention to ask.
He instead ced his attention on the live broadcast on his phone.
Bold people were everywhere; some left the rehabilitation center, and some didnt.
Even though no one could enter the rehabilitation center, the reporters that stayed behind still uploaded what they had captured onto the inte.
Soon, when a group of images entered Lyn Amies sight, he gasped.
Chapter 1371 - Bomber And Hang Up
Chapter 1371: Bomber And Hang Up
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
What did Lyn Amie see?
A bomb! A bomb defused by the bomb disposal unit of the police!
Out of instinct, Lyn Amie turned to Kieran.
How did you know? Are you really able to predict things? Lyn Amie asked.
Kieran kept quiet after a single nce at him.
Of course Kieran hadnt known; otherwise, he wouldnt have used death to rece it.
But sometimes, the vaguer things were, the more people would try to make something out of it, especially when the things had already happened.
[Energy absorbed. Rewards turnaround authentication started...]
[Energy reached the mark. Authentication passed...]
[Unable to detect corresponding skills. Energy saved!]
...
Kieran looked at the spam notifications and nodded quietly.
Simr to what he had guessed before, which was that reverse energy could release his skills from their sealed state, there was also another condition for the release: using the skills in the process.
However, new problems arose.
Energy saved, which means I can unlock my skills after using the skills of a simr level during the next authentication. Then... my core skills.
The differences in skill levels that determined the unlocking of Basic, Magic and Rare skills would be different from each other. Otherwise, the expensive Points and Skill Points spent on leveling the skill would be a joke.
However, Kieran was more concerned about his core skills, or rather, the extended skills from his core powers.
Once he thought about [Cardinal Sins Force], [Devil Force], [Dawn Force], [gue Force] and [Saint Thorn Force], he couldnt help but frown.
The sealed Origin Forces was the reason his body was constantly exhausted. He also knew the reason that the five Origin Forces could co-exist together was because of the bnce achieved.
But if he unlocked one of the Origin Forces and the others didnt follow...
The consequences were too dire for him to even think about.
A higher possibility was that when the other core skills were released from the sealed state one after another, even if he had another heart, he would die right away in a very bad way.
So just in case, I have to unlock all the skills together? Kieran squinted his eyes.
He knew how hard it would be to unlock all five of the Origin Forces together, but since it was rted to the matter of his life or death, no matter how hard, he must do it.
Kieran closed his eyes. He had to gather enough energy to think about the uing n.
Lyn Amie lowered his phones volume when he saw Kieran close his eyes. He didnt want to suffer through Kierans lousy treatment anymore.
Eckart?
After the conversation with Kieran, the director fell into deep thought.
He knew what Kieran was asking about.
In fact, just like he said, he had already prepared for it.
His enemies brought such a big present to his face, if he didnt use it, he would be embarrassed.
But he knew it would be hard to force his enemies to make a move with only a few troublesome thugs; at most, a scapegoat would be in ce to block the damage.
It would be enough! It would be enough to prove that he still had grounds for a counterattack.
It would be enough to show those bastards who tried to exploit him and bring him down to reconsider their actions.
Messages were sent out one after another. Eckart then smiled at the replies he got on the phone.
He knew he was safe for the time being.
Now?
He would start to charge his power to counterattack.
Eckart looked up and nced at Kieran. The director knew it was mostly through Kierans efforts that he could escape the desperate situation.
Kieran shall not be forgotten!
In order to tighten their future working rtionship, Eckart had to distribute the benefits reasonably.
Inequality rather than one is the cause of all trouble.
Eckart knew that saying, but once he thought about Kierans personality, he frowned.
Benefits given should be catered to ones wishes; otherwise, it would cause the opposite effect.
While the director was pondering upon the matter
Ring, Ring!
The phone in his hand rang, the row of asterisks on the caller id exceptionally eye-catching.
Eckarts face changed as he immediately thought of something. He quickly showed his phone to Kieran.
Kieran had already opened his eyes when the phone rang, and when he saw the asterisks on the caller id, he grinned.
The mastermind was much crazier than he expected.
Or rather, the mastermind had not achieved their initial goal, so they wanted to use Kieran one more time.
Being used wasnt exactly the best feeling.
Kieran answered the phone without a second thought.
Im looking for 2567.
The person obviously spoke through a voice-altering device on the other side.
Speaking, Kieran said calmly.
Oh, the shaman, the hero of the city! Lets y a game, shall we? Hehe. The voiceughed softly in a weird way.
Dont want to, Kieran rejected.
The voice obviously had not expected such a clean-cut answer from Kieran. It was stunned for a second before continuing.
Too bad, I am the one calling the shots here. Ive hidden three bombs throughout Rain City. As long as you can find the three bodies of the dead soldiers, I will tell you where the bombs areone body for one location.
The voice paused for a while after stating its intention. It was undoubtedly anticipating Kierans questioning and berating, but Kieran kept quiet, not even a wording out of his mouth as he stared at the phone nkly.
If it werent for the subtle breathing on the other end, the voice might have thought Kieran had hung up the phone.
A decent opponent, I see! At first, I thought ying with you could burn away some of my free time, but now... Ive changed my mind.
The voice suddenly revealed a sense of seriousness.
There is a condition: you have to be on live broadcast throughout the entire search. I suppose it wont be hard for you, right? Rain City TV Station or any other media tform would dly report this and follow you around. Of course, I am a humane person. To ensure the fairness of the game, I will give you an hour to prepare and even call the police, if you like. Our little game starts in an hour, and I will call again to give you the first hint.
The line then hung up.
Kieran passed the phone back to Eckart.
What should we do? Eckart asked after receiving his phone.
Go back to the soldier rehabilitation center and contact Officer Lin.
Kieran then leaned back andid down on thefortable seat.
ying a game of catch?
Boring.
He hoped there would be other arrangements waiting for him, or else it would be really dull.
Kieran was a king at this kind of game!
Chapter 1372 - At The Scene
Chapter 1372: At The Scene
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Dak, Dak, Dak.
Officer Lin An walked up front as Kieran and Eckart walked side by side behind him.
Compared to how sneakily and tediously Lyn Amie had snuck into the crime scene, Kieran and Eckarts entrance was much better, but Eckarts nerves were a few times heavier than Lyn Amies.
Anyone would be nervous to enter a crime scene, even the killer. The killer might be even more nervous, but many would either return to the crime scene to probe for more information or to get some kind of mental fulfillment.
Needless to say, Eckart wasnt the killer. He just had an aversion to dead bodies, like how normal people feared death.
Lin An, who led them in, suddenly paused in his steps.
There is still time for you to turn around, the middle-aged officer told Eckart jokingly.
Unlike Mei Huasheng, who was stiff and unkind to strangers, Lin An was very friendly and easy to deal with. However, he also had his own bottomline in his police duty. If Kieran and Eckart hadnt told him the full story of the murder and gotten approval from his superior, Lin An wouldnt have brought the two to the crime scene.
As for Lyn Amie?
He backed out the moment he heard they were returning to the crime scene. One time witnessing the freaky death scene had been enough for the makeup artist. A second viewing of the scene would make him throw up his dinner from the previous night.
No need, Eckart replied. His reply was obviously forced, but he had no other choice.
In order to tighten his rtionship with Kieran, he had to.
What else was better for tightening their rtionship than going through an unusual experience together?
None at the time being.
Lin An smiled when seeing Eckart force himself to this extent.
Lin An had seen a lot of people over the years, so he knew why Eckart was pushing himself so hard, and his curious gaze unconsciouslynded on Kieran.
Lin An couldnt help but feel astonished every time he thought of Kierans magical hypnosis methods and the way he moved his body like a yoga master.
Do you still need to prepare anything? Lin An asked Kieran.
Kieran shook his head, his eyes never leaving the opened door with police guarding in front.
Inside the room, the forensics were doing their job, collecting any evidence they could find.
Because of the bomb installed in the building, the forensics were forced to put their job on hold, hence prolonging their work time more than twice the usual, to the point that they were still working on it after so long.
You guys have around 15 minutes as promised, Lin An reminded the two of them before stepping aside.
Kieran walked in straightaway, and Eckart followed tightly.
When they entered, they saw two kneeling bodies and broken fingers stuck up like three joss sticks.
Kierans gaze circted between the bodies and the fingers, then he turned to the internal part of the room.
The scene was of a normal office. There were four tables that should have been arranged in pairs next to the wall and beside the window respectively. Two tables were ced at the wall that was connected to the corridor outside; the other two tables were ced at the window, facing outside the ward area. Now, all four of the tables were moved to the wall, leaving quite some space near the window, which was where the two bodies were kneeling.
The curtains were half-opened, clean without a drop of blood.
The rope that hung over the bodies necks was actually from the curtain pole, not the ceiling. Lyn Amie had been mistaken because of the viewing angle from outside.
There was one more thing the makeup artist neglected.
The room had blood, but it was very clean; the small things in the office were tidied up in an orderly fashion. The scene must have been cleaned up before.
Kieran stepped around the blood on the floor and went to the window.
It was an aluminium frame window, maybe because the office was a part of the interior building. There was nomon fences outside the window, thus providing an opportunity for the killer.
Kieran deduced that the killer should have came in through the window.
It wasnt just because the ward section of the rehab center would be locked every night at 8 p.m. It was also because the entrance to the ward section had security and a surveince camera.
In fact, not just the wards, as the treatment building and main entrance had simr settings as well.
That was the reason why the killer chose the activity lounge to nt the bomb.
2-2567, how is it? Eckart said while covering his nose.
The killer is familiar with or at least understood the rehab center. The killer was able to instantly take down a doctor and a nurse before smuggling away three patients bodies here. First, the killer should be a male, around thirties. Second, the killer is fit and possesses martial art skills, probably rted to the military. Third, the killer has a vehicle, a bread van or something simr,
Kieran said quickly and clearly.
Oh, oh, oh, then...
Eckart nodded but he was obviously in a daze and didnt hear any of it. He then pointed outside the office, and before Kieran could reply, he dashed out to the toilet.
Vomiting noises came out of the toilet and echoed through the corridor.
Kieran didnt say anything, as he had been no better than Eckart during his first encounter with a dead body.
Kieran stepped back around the blood and returned to the office entrance, a spot where he could capture every detail in his sight.
Found anything? Lin An walked over.
The middle-aged officer was looking forward to Kieran providing some useful leads.
After all, a great hypnotist would have a sharp eye for details and out-of-the-box thinking. He might be a help to this case, especially when the mastermind wanted to y a game after an hour.
No matter how good tempered Lin An was, he was still enraged by the masterminds dirty tricks.
It was inhumane of the mastermind to treat this kind of despicable act as a game in Lin Ans point of view. These kind of people shouldnt roam free in the city; they should live behind bars or get executed by shooting.
The mastermind had killed at least five people!
It wouldnt be wrong to shoot this killer to death!
Kieran, however, didnt answer the expectant officer.
He entered [Tracking] mode. Transcendence [Tracking] allowed his eyes to detect any kind of invisible traces in the scene.
Kieran got what he seeked within a moment, but at the same time, his stamina depleted.
Huuhaa, Huuhaa.
He felt like he had just finished a marathon as he panted heavily. Sweat filled his head, and his face turned slightly paler.
Whats wrong with you?
Lin An jolted when he saw the changes in Kieran. He wanted to help him up, but before he could, Kieran waved and rejected.
Nothing.
His voice was dry, hoarse and heavy.
It wasnt the first time Lin An heard it. Kieran used a simr voice to speak during the live broadcastst night and when he questioned Kaomu.
Lin An had always thought it was one of Kierans skilled hypnosis techniques, because along with the snake-like movements that were like a yoga masters, it could achieve wonders.
But now, the sudden change in Kieran made Lin An feel like his guesses were wrong.
Then...
Lin An quickly shook his head and discarded the sudden thought.
No way! How is that possible!
While the middle-aged officer wasforting himself, Eckart, who was also pale from all the puking, came back from the toilet after hearing the sound.
The director didnt even care about his weak body and ran over when he saw what happened to Kieran.
Are you alright, 2567? he asked anxiously.
Kieran and Eckart were on the same boat, so Eckarts concern was genuine.
Take me to the restaurant! Kieran said in a heavy tone.
Chapter 1373 - Real purpose
Chapter 1373: Real purpose
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
In a small restaurant near the rehabilitation center, Eckart bought out the entire floor just to let the owner and cooks prepare meals faster.
The little restaurant did have a lot of ingredients stocked to handle their daily customer flow, and fortunately, it wasnt lunchtime yet, so it would be sufficient to handle Kierans appetite.
But even if they had enough ingredients, turning them into dishes required time.
Therefore, all sorts of choctes and energy bars with high calorie counts and sugar became the snacks for Kieran to stall his hunger.
In fact, the snacks were much more useful than Kieran thought, simr to how Transcendence [Tracking] was much more Stamina consuming than he initially thought.
At that moment, when he activated [Tracking] if he didnt have a strong will, he might have passed out right away.
Shortly after that, dreadful famine drowned Kieran.
He knew it was a sign from his body after exhausting a significant amount of Stamina.
As he chewed the snacks, another energy bar was stuffed into his mouth.
Two more chewster, the energy bar was devoured entirely, and after thest one, Kieran finally stopped his eating.
He wasnt full, but the snacks were finished!
12 bars! If you continue this, you will spoil your body! Lyn Amie said in a worried tone.
Energy bars were not something typical food couldpare to; it was created to cater to a select group of people or during special situations.
Amon man would be bloated for half a day with 3 energy bars, even if the man had a great appetite, he would still feel full for 3 to 4 hours.
But Kieran ate all 12 at once, and it surpassed Lyn Amies wildest imagination.
However, what shocked Lyn Amie more followed right after that.
Get me another 10 boxes of this protein bar.
And I need a mixer, Kieran said with a tired tone.
10 boxes?! Do you know how many are there in 10 boxes?
60! 60 bars! You want to stuff yourself to death? Lyn Amie widened his eyes.
3 boxes of 1-liter milk and 10 eggs, Kieran continued without being concerned about the makeup artists words.
You...
Its fine, just go buy the bars.
Lyn Amie was stopped by Eckart before he could say anything else. The director looked at the makeup artist and said thoughtfully, 2567 wont joke with his body.
Lyn Amie hesitated for a while before heading out for the errand.
He, of course, knew amon man wouldnt joke with his body, but was Kieran, a normal man?
Recalling the time spent with him in the past two days, Lyn Amie really couldnt decide, and he ultimately chose toply, because he had no choice despite him being worried about Kierans well-being.
The makeup artist quickly left the restaurant. Eckart then asked his question.
Are you really, alright?
Eckart was obviously as worried as Lyn Amie.
Im fine, Kieran said in a firm sure tone.
Although Kieran was extremely weakened, he was still at amon mans peak. After significantly burning away his Stamina, his way of eating wouldnt cause any real damage.
On the contrary, if he didnt replenish his energy...
Once he emptied out his body, he might cause damage to his foundations. Maybe after unlocking his skills in his weakened state, he might revert to normal, there might be some other unknown after-effects as well. Kieran was not willing to risk it.
Then...
Is it enough to reverse an attribute? Kieran naturally thought of it.
Before this, Kieran has already thought about a simr question, but he wasnt as eager as he was now, and the current situation was very fitting.
Needless to say, he had saved up enough reverse energy to unlock one of his Basic skills.
[Activating reverse energy to unlock Constitution, authentication started...]
[Insufficient energy, authentication failed!]
This can work!
Kieran squinted his eyes at the words on his vision.
As the exhaustion attacked his body, he had never before felt so eager to gather reverse energy, but his calm nature allowed him to know how he should proceed.
Eckart, tell the cook to cook at his own pace.
A nice meal should have its own procedures.
Any missing step will rob them of their glory, Kieran said.
Okay.
Eckart jolted for a second before running into the kitchen, and when the director came back, Kieran already stood up from the chair.
Despite still looking tired, he was much stronger than before.
2567, you should rest more, Eckart said.
He knew what state Kieran was in, and he was apprehensive that Kieran might pass out on the ground because of exhaustion.
Now is not the time to rest.
We must seize the seconds to find the mastermind, Kieran waved his hand and expressed his well-being.
But didnt he gave us an hour...? Eckart said but automatically stopped.
It seemed like he reacted to the situation. Why would he trust a killer?
The bomb that the killer nted in the rehab center had stated how crazy he was.
A crazy mans words, how much could you believe?
An hour? He didnt give us an hour, he is buying himself an hour!
The bomb that the police found messed up his ns. So he had to alter his future ones, like nting another bomb slightly! Kieran then looked at Eckart.
nting another bomb? Meaning that crazy man is misleading us?
But if he really made a bomb, his lies be real, and for the sake of safety, we will also run around like madmen to find the other two bombs, which gives the killer more time to prepare!
That bastard! Eckart, who wasnt stupid at all, quickly reacted to the situation.
Looking at how Eckart cursed, Kieran smiled. He preferred to talk to an open-minded person because it would save him a lot of trouble.
Go gather your men, Kieran said.
There was no emphasis in his words, but Eckart understood what it meant.
The director pulled out his phone and started to make calls.
Less than 10 minutester, Kieran andpany, including Lyn Amie who returned boarded the minivan.
...
Hehehe, a bunch of fools.
You people really think Im giving you an hour?
After this hour, you will know fear.
A figure with a backpack was walking down the stairs.
Once he thought about what would happen, he couldnt hold back hisughter.
But hisughter was abruptly halted because when he turned around the stairs, a ck figure stood in front of him quietly, staring at him.
The eyes of the figure were cold and ruthless.
Chapter 1374 - Exchange
Chapter 1374: Exchange
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
H-How? Why are you here?
The man with the backpack shouted loudly as his pupils shrank.
His voice wasnt just loud but sharp as well, as though it could tear eardrums apart, but the dangerous thing on him was the gun that he just pulled out.
The ck gun didnt even reflect the light in the corridor.
It seemed like this handgun wasnt some crude, self-made gun anymore but a modified military weapon.
The man with the backpack raised his gun at Kieran without a second thought.
The man didnt know how Kieran appeared here. He also didnt know whether Kieran arrived alone or if the police was on their way too.
All the man knew was that his ns were ruined.
This young man ruined his ns for the second time! He must die!
As the thought bloomed in the mans head, he readied himself to pull the trigger.
Then, he saw Kieran walking towards him.
Did he have a death wish?
The man would not hold back! A vicious smile appeared on his face.
He widened his smile and licked his lips, like a beast hunting its prey.
Bang!
The gun fired. The muzzle sh shone, but the bullet missed.
It wasnt that hard for Kieran to dodge the bullet since his body was still at the peak of amon man. He didnt have to be faster than a bullet; all he had to do was calcte the bullets trajectory and be faster than the man who pulled the trigger.
The vicious smile froze on the mans face as he looked at Kieran with a stupified expression.
How is this possible? the man shouted.
There are too many unknown things in this world that are impossible tomon men. You see, just like behind you, they are watching you quietly.
Kieran took a step up the stairs as he spoke in his heavy, hoarse voice.
A step closer and the man was within Kierans attacking range.
Hu!
Kieran dished out a kick. The kick, with a strong wind, reached the mans face almost instantaneously, recing the disbelieving look with a frantic one.
Lets see how you dodge this!
The man didnt dodge or move away from the kick; instead, he pulled the trigger repeatedly.
To his thinking, no matter how nimble Kieran was, he couldnt dodge the bullets in point-nk range.
Bang Bang Bang!
The gun fired repeatedly, but none of the bullets hit their target. Quite the opposite, as a strange snake hiss echoed in the mans ear.
Sssss!
The man saw that Kierans body and legs were wiggling like a snake!
No! He didnt just look like a snake, he was a snake! A transformed snake monster!
After the bullets missed, the man, having lost the thing he relied on the most, instantly plunged into fear. The fear even pushed him into a certain degree of illusion.
The man felt like he was seeing a snake in a mans skin. Fear was smeared over his face, but it was covered by the kick right away.
Bang!
A loud bangter, the man was sent flying backwards, crashing into the wall at the corner of the stairs.
As the man slid down the wall, Kieran, who was already pale, strode up and grabbed his backpack and gun. Just in case, he also added a chop to the back of the mans neck. Kieran then searched the mans body for items that might threaten him.
With the surveince camera around the corner of the stairs, Kieran couldnt kill the man, but it didnt stop him from taking measures to make himself safer.
After the search, Kieran endured the difort in his body and sat down on the floor.
Huu! Huu!
While panting heavily, Kieran took out the thermo sk that he carried around and took sips of its thick, porridge-like liquid.
The liquid was actually made up of protein bars. Rather than eating the solid bar that had to be chewed, Kieran preferred to blend the bars with milk and egg whites. It was better for consumption and also shortened the time for him to chew.
The mixed drinks temperature was just nice for drinking.
As for the blended protein energy bar, the taste was actually less than pleasant.
There was still some chocte in it while it was in bar form, but after blending it, there was nothing but stickiness. Nheless, Kieran drained everything in the thermo sh, finishing his personal concoction before putting the sk down.
Kierans face showed an expression of deep thought.
Its really workable... he muttered to himself.
When the messy footsteps entered his ears, Kieran stood up from the floor, patted the dust off his body and looked at the unconscious man.
The man was around his thirties, had a fit physique and looked normal. The most notable feature was a weird tattoo of a square encasing a triangle on the mans neck.
Tattoos had special meanings to them; some people chose words, others chose characters and mythical being, but this kind of shape was a first for Kieran.
Did he create this himself, or... Is it the marking of an organization? Kieran thought to himself silently.
2567? 2567? Eckarts voice came from the lower floor.
Here, Kieran replied.
Dak Dak Dak.
The footsteps got clearer. Eckart and Lyn Amie with a few more lighting men and cameramen from Rain City TV Station ran up to the scene.
When they saw Kieran and the unconscious man on the floor, the cameramen quickly locked on to the culprit even without Eckarts order.
The lighting was shed on the subject as well.
A clearer scene was shown on the TV as it was also a live broadcast. It was much better for the eyespared to the hidden shooting.
Behind the camera, Eckart looked at Kieran with a face full of gratitude.
He was actually very hesitant when Kieran suggested the operation because it was very dangerous; any misstep could easily kill them.
But at the same time, danger equalled chances.
Eckart knew that should this operation go smoothly, he would not only ovee the biggest hurdle before him, but his position would also be firmer than he could ever imagine.
He might even progress higher!
So, in the end, Eckartpromised.
Eckart quickly arranged the things at Kierans behest, thus granting him the result before his eyes. A very great result.
The smile on Eckarts face couldnt conceal itself anymore once he thought about it, especially when he saw Kieran walk over to him behind the camera.
Thank you, Eckart said sincerely.
Helping you is also helping me, Kieran said calmly.
It was the truth, Kieran had no need to hide it, but in Eckarts point of view, Kieran was simply being humble.
Its slightly different. You pulled me up from a critical situation. You will never know what I felt three days ago. So if you have anything that I can help with, just tell me. I swear I will do my best to fulfil it, Eckart said seriously.
Kieran, on the other hand, smiled at his seriousness because he indeed needed Eckarts help in something.
Chapter 1375 - Noroid
Chapter 1375: Noroid
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The main reason why a small restaurant could keep going was the cooks skill, it was far more important than location and target audience.
The small restaurant near the rehabilitation center was precisely that, even its reheated food tasted delicious.
Especially the steamed braised meat, it was soft and tender when chewed; thus, it caused Kieran to squint his eyes in delight.
Kieran took in a mouthful of rice and the rice with braised meat perfectlyplemented, producing a rich vor.
The ingredients are top-notch, the meat just melts in my mouth, Kieran said with a smile.
Its really nice, Lyn Amie mimicked Kierans way of eating and also showed a smile.
Meanwhile, Eckart was talking non-stop to his phone.
5 minutester, the director heaved a sigh of relief and ced his phone done. He then gave Kieran a big OK sign.
I found a house that has four stories, just like you requested.
There are three stories above the ground, with the highest being the balcony. The underground was originally a wine cer, it can be modified to what you wanted within a day, Eckart said while he picked up his chopsticks.
But before Eckart could eat anything, the door of the small restaurant was pushed open.
Mei Huasheng walked in with a cold face and stopped in front of the three of them.
Officer Mei, Ive bought this restaurant out, and you arent invited, so please leave.
Eckart ced his chopsticks down and growled.
With his position solidified, Eckart, who was already dissatisfied with Mei Huasheng, ignored courtesy.
I want an exnation. Why, as the consultant of the show, did I not get notified? Mei Huasheng said coldly.
Eckart jolted. He never thought Mei Huasheng would be asking about that.
He initially thought she was here because the three of them made a move without informing the police.
Eckart, however, was prepared for this question.
Firstly, there were many reporters at the scene back then, and if they contacted the police, a chain reaction would go off, thus raising the Bombers rm, hence eventually ruining the whole n.
Secondly, although Eckart didnt tell the police at the scene, he contacted Mei Huasheng and Lin Ans superior beforehand.
So, Eckart wasnt worried about Mei Huasheng asking the question, but it seemed like Mei Huasheng came prepared, or instead, she was tipped off?
Thoughts bloomed in Eckarts mind, but he maintained his expression.
You will soon be removed from the position, we will pick another consultant, Eckart said slowly.
But, I am still the consultant now.
ording to the contract that we signed, I, as the consultant, must be at the scene whenever the show is shooting.
Once the contract terms are vited, the contents will not get aired.
If you did, you must remove the content and hold a press conference to rify things, saying that it is forged!
Mei Huasheng stood in front of the table, lowered her head slightly to look at Eckart.
Under the female officers re, the director adjusted his posture ufortably, but after he heard what she said, Eckart, who was evasive just now, stood up.
His nose was almost in front of Mei Huashengs, he red at her angrily, making the director looked like an angry bull.
You are threatening me? I tell you, I will not ept threats quietly, no matter who stands behind you! Eckart emphasized each and every word.
Eckart wasnt a subtle person who would take hits quietly without retaliating, after being set up by his enemies continuously, Eckart already knew how to counterattack.
Now with Mei Huasheng before him, he didnt mind putting Mei Huasheng under the crosshairs to test the waters.
Correct! Eckart already treated Mei Huasheng as a pawn, his enemies sent for testing him.
Otherwise, given Mei Huashengs personality, she wouldnt have voiced such threats.
As for the contract?
Even if it was real, so what?
Eckart has always held the rights and initiative. He had never given up or changed anything.
However, Mei Huasheng didnt care about the angry Eckart, she turned around and looked at Kieran. She walked past Eckart and went straight to Kieran shortly after that.
Let me stay. Mei Huasheng said.
With what? Kieran asked without looking at her.
I want to find their of Noroid Church.
Noroid?
The stranger term caused Kieran to raise his head.
The Bomber you caught just nowes from Noroid Church, his tattoo is the insignia of Noroid.
I and myrade-in-arms once fought these people before, but all of them died, and only I survived, Mei Huashengs voice turned gloomy.
So, you want revenge? What does it have to do with me? Kieran raised a brow.
Because you ruined their n! They will find you, and I can help you! Mei Huashengs tone softened. Her voice wasnt that cold anymore, but it still didnt change Kierans mind.
No, thanks. Kieran rejected. He wasnt used to working with the likes of Mei Huasheng.
This particr point had never changed.
If he could shoo her away, he will not mind at all, even if she had abilities better thanmoners.
Kieran didnt want her help, he was used to fighting alone.
Therefore, Kieran threw a sign at Eckart, who was about to say something, stopping Eckart from his further actions. Then, Kieran looked at Mei Huasheng inly.
The female officer stood there and hesitated for a few seconds before leaving the restaurant.
She knew she had nothing to move Kieran, and also knew what Kieran thought of her.
So, leaving was the best choice for her at the moment.
But leaving didnt equate to give up.
Its Noroid Church!
Damn it! I should have thought about it! Only this crazy church can produce those kinds of lunatics who disregard peoples lives!
They im to be cleansing the world, but they are the ones who should be cleansed!
Eckarts face turned sour after Mei Huasheng left, he looked at Kieran and said in a heavy tone.
As director of a TV station, Eckart heard about this crazy organization from some secret channels before.
Once he thought about their crazy doings, he shivered.
2567, Ill get some bodyguards for you.
And the ce youve stayed before, that ce is too secluded, its not safe.
Ill choose another ce for you.
Lyn Amie, you are now tasked with following 2567, 24/7. Report to me if anything goes wrong.
Go to my ce for the night. It might not be as safe as a safe house, but it will be better than some cheap motel room.
Lyn Amie nodded nkly as Eckart arranged things.
No doubt, Lyn Amie never heard of this so-called Noroid Church at all, neither did Kieran.
But judging from Eckarts reaction, Kieran was able to specte about some things.
After all, all worlds are notcking in lunatics.
Their crazy existence would surely raise rms everywhere, but Kieran still couldnt show interest at the moment, because what interested him appeared.
Kieran looked outside the restaurant.
In the setting suns glory, a person that almost merged with the warm light was walking towards the restaurant.
Chapter 1376 - A New Wave Arises Before the Previous One Subsides
Chapter 1376: A New Wave Arises Before the Previous One Subsides
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The sunset was like blood shedding over Rain City, and when it crossed the buildings, shadows were cast on the city.
The red and ck intertwined. The figure outside the restaurant would move in the gaps of light and shadows quickly while still hidden, the figure even looked elegant, like a dancer shuttling between the darkness and light.
But, the technique wasnt skillful enough.
shy but not substantial, Kieranmented in his heart.
Kieran didnt purposely belittle the figure, but from his perspective, he was sure the figures undercover technique had reached at least Master level or higher. However, the figure infused some elegant movements in it, each step the figure took was as beautiful as dancing, and in Kierans point of view, the loss outweighed the gain.
An undercover techniques purpose was to hide ones presence and prepare one to approach or move away from the target. The main point was being hidden, and the secondary was speed.
Elegance?
Well, sorry. In Kierans mind, no matter how elegant or beautiful the action was, it would be meaningless if he was killed in one hit.
His mind started to simte how the figure would approach and what would happen after the figure entered the restaurant in addition to how to deal with the situation.
Then...
A faint humming was heard.
The figure outside was humming as it moved closer.
It was quite pleasant even without lyrics and instruments, all it had was the voice of ady, humming in a pleasant mood.
The soft humming was swirling like a stream and unconsciously seeped into ones heart.
Eckart and Lyn Amie, who were eating, suddenly froze. They looked up with dull faces, ced their chopsticks down, and stood up, twisting their bodies clumsily, as if they were dancing in a trance, but actually, it was unconscious movements.
Their dull faces became nk, their eyes were also slightly out of focus.
Hypnosis!
Kieran squinted his eyes and mmed his hand on the table.
Bang!
The m was quite powerful, even the chopsticks and bowls on the table shook, and the noise produced was also loud enough as it nicely embedded into thedys humming.
Eckart and Lyn Amie then stopped their movements; they looked up in a daze and didnt know what just happened.
However, Kierans mming on the table didnt stop.
Bang Bang Bang.
Sometimes loud, sometimes soft.
It sounded without rhythm, like messy thumps, but each noise the m produced interrupted the humming of thedy, disrupting the melody from her mouth.
The hummings didnt stop though, thedy kept changing her tone, but it was ineffective, each tone change didnt achieve what she wanted.
Maybe Kieran was a little unused to the humming at first, thus allowing thedy to get the upper hand, but once Kieran made noise, the tides changed utterly.
In the end, the hummings were messed uppletely, thedy who was already in front of the door knocked on the ss quickly.
Can Ie in? I dont mean any harm. Her voice sounded rough, but not intentionally so. It was because she changed her tone rapidly throughout her humming just now.
She had to take a rest; otherwise, her voice would be in trouble, but still, she wanted a meeting with Kieran. It was for official purposes and also private matters.
The scene that went down at the soldier rehabilitation center astonished her quite a bit.
And now? After the disruption?
She admired Kieran even more; she admired Kierans attainments in melody quite a bit.
If both of them could have a good talk, she might improve her skills further.
Come in, Kieran replied with a slightly cold tone and allowed thedy in.
Nuna!
Eckart and Lyn Amie called out loud as though they were facing their greatest enemy.
After they came back from their unconscious state and reacted to what happened, both of them looked slightly surprised and panicked. If Kieran didnt sit still in his chair, the two of them might have run away.
Engaging a person who could simply hypnotize people with their voice wasnt something nice for the two of them. But since Kieran was with them and based Kierans performance for the past few days astonishing them, the two of them didnt run and grab whatever they could as weapons.
Eckart took a folded tool, Lyn Amie took a kettle on the table with hot water inside.
Both of them nned to attack the moment Nuna stepped in: throwing the hot kettle at her first before Eckart rushing up for a beating.
However, when they saw Nuna, both of them kept away the things in their hands.
They werent strangers to Nuna as she was also a slightly famous shaman in Rain City, so she was initially a first choice invitation to the Shaman show, but she rejected it.
It made Eckart think that she was nothing but a skillful con woman.
When Eckart saw her earlier that day, he was rooted in his beliefs even more and evenbeled her as a woman who resolved in despicable means.
Anyone could tell what Nuna and Kaomu wanted to achieve back at the rehab center.
However, this Nuna at the restaurant seemed a little different.
Kaomu was nothing but an idiot, but Nuna...
Who are you?
Eckart asked after throwing a nce at Kieran and got permission.
Nuna, Rain Citys shaman and...
The person-in-charge of the Rain City division of the Hypnotist Association, Nuna said with a smile.
Hypnotist Association? Eckart jolted.
He had never heard of this association before, but it didnt stop him from feeling the influence of said association from Nunas methods.
The person-in-charge of Rain City was able to hypnotize people with her voice, and throughout the entire Neo Union, there were more than 40 cities simr to Rain City.
There were at least 40 more hypnotists simr to Nuna?
And an organization like this would have many branches in different cities, so there must be a headquarters somewhere. Will those hypnotists at the headquarters be stronger?
Eckarts heart was providing him with endless spections, but he looked normal. His alert level was raised countless times over, hed even moved his hand behind his back, signaling Kieran non-stop.
A loose and free organization.
I came here today to invite 2567 to join us, of course, not forcefully.
As a powerful hypnotist, Nuna knew what Eckart was doing by watching the moving folds on his coat. She even knew which fingers he used, but she didnt expose him.
Her purpose was an invitation, not provocation.
As for her humming during her entrance?
The Hypnotist Association wasnt a market, not every John Doe could enter, a real test must be held for each potential candidate.
That just now is a test? Including the one earlier today? Eckart reacted quickly.
The humming was really a test, but not the one in the morning.
Although I saw 2567s hypnotize abilities on TV, I didnt believe it because actors made it a lot harder to determine the real from the fake in this world.
I am here... For the Bomber.
Nuna said with a smile, but when Eckart and Lyn Amie heard it, they were shaken.
Chapter 1377 - Misunderstanding
Chapter 1377: Misunderstanding
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
It wasnt a secret anymore that the Bomber came from Noroid Church, and Noroid Churchs notoriety was well-known.
When Nuna said she came for the Bomber, the slightly rxed atmosphere in the restaurant was instantly intensified.
Youre here for that Bomber? What are you to Noroid Church? Eckart asked nervously.
Dont worry, I am not a member of Noroid. Although we are somehow rted, its a hostile rtionship, Nuna exined.
However, her exnation didnt seem to cause an effect.
Actors made it harder t tell the truth and the lies apart.
Who could guarantee the person in front of you was who they seemed?
Eckarts hand unconsciously reached towards the folded stool.
Of course, he knew using a folded stool to face a person from Noroid Church was extremely stupid, but other than the stool beside him, he had nothing, not even a nail clipper.
Bare hands? What a joke. Eckart knew his own strength.
Compared to Eckart, who was closer to Nuna, Lyn Amie was much luckier. He was sitting beside Kieran, and when he heard what Nuna said, the makeup artist moved his chair behind Kieran.
I really mean you no harm, Nuna couldnt hold back her bitter smile when she saw the reactions.
She knew how notorious and hated Noroid Church was but not to this extent.
But perhaps, because of their notoriety, it attracted the attention of those at the headquarters?
The thought bloomed in her mind, causing her to take a deep breath.
Some things are confidential. I cant tell anyone other than 2567, so...
Can you guys give us some time?
Nuna looked at Eckart and Lyn Amine before turning to Kieran.
Eckart, Amie, go tell the kitchen to add a bowl of soup, Kieran said.
Eckart and Lyn Amie nodded instantly. They stood up and went to the kitchen.
Both of them knew what kind of things were beyond their league and what they should do, especially when it involved someone like a hypnotist, a person that could rob them of their free will.
2567, what soup do you want? Lyn Amie asked before entering the kitchen.
Four-colored Soup. Kieran simply uttered a dish name. The makeup artist then went in.
You are worried about them getting targeted by Noroid Church?
Dont worry, Noroid isnt as scary as you think. They may have some despicable means, but you are also familiar with it, after all...
Their founder was one of the higher-ranking members of the Hypnotist Association, Nuna said calmly.
Her eyes were glued to Kieran without blinking; she hoped to see a sense of surprise on his face.
But to her disappointment, Kieran was still expressionless. If she never saw Kieran smile, she would think that his facial muscles were damaged.
Are you not surprised? Or did you already know? Nuna, who realized something, asked Kieran suspiciously.
This is the confidential matter that you mentioned? Kieran didnt answer, he asked.
This is somethingmoners could never know, but 2567 you are, of course, not a normal person. So it would be natural if you knew.
The tone in Kierans question obviously caused some misunderstanding in Nunas thoughts, her eyes on Kieran became hotter and more intrigued.
Discovering you was really unexpected. I thought this would be a boring mission, but your appearance really delights me.
I admired your hypnotizing techniques and attainments in melody.
If you can, I hope to discuss music and dance with you, Nuna then showed a sincere smile.
I dont want to, Kieran rejected straightforwardly.
Although Nuna still hadnt said anything else, it was enough for Kieran to deduce what he wanted to.
First, Noroid Church might really be a deviated product from the Hypnotist Association, but Noroid Church was definitely not as weak as she imed, to the point that they couldnt even stand a single hit.
Mei Huasheng was the best example. Kieran would never doubt Mei Huashengs integrity, just like how he acknowledged her vignce and strength. Mei Huasheng was quite a rare case amongmoners.
Second, Noroid Church and Hypnotist Association should be mutually hostile, their fights were already floating into the public. Otherwise, Nuna wouldnt have appeared so soon.
As for how the Hypnotist Association got the news on him?
The existence of spies or other simr means would make sense. Sufficient rewards will result in adequate information.
If you couldnt get enough information, it means you arent paying enough.
The third and the most crucial point, joining the Hypnotist Association would deviate from his n.
Kieran knew what his goal was and knew how he should achieve it.
He may alter his n because of someone or something, but Nuna and her Hypnotist Association werent enough.
Sigh. I knew it, it wont be this easy. But can I still find you to discuss music and dance?
Nuna sighed as though she had expected the oue.
In fact, she never thought she could persuade Kieran on the first attempt, but what Kieran said next truly surprised her.
I dont know anything about music or dance, Kieran said calmly.
What?
Nuna looked at Kieran nkly, she hoped to see some traces of lies from Kierans eyes and expression, but unfortunately, she couldnt.
She couldnt tell the truth apart from the lies.
Dont worry, this is just a private conversation.
I wont use this to approach you or force you into the association, Nuna exined, but Kieran didnt care.
Kieran turned to the kitchen and asked, Is my Four-colored Soup ready?
Yes! Lyn Amie replied.
He then brought the bowl of soup out, and behind him was Eckart with a cleaver. Compared to a stool, the cleaver was more assuring.
Eckart did not believe what Nuna said.
While looking at Kieran drinking his soup and Eckart looking at her like a fierce tiger, Nuna smiled and stood up.
Ill leave for the day. Time will prove my words.
And... 2567, sorry for disturbing your meal. Enjoy your dinner then.
Nuna turned around and left the restaurant.
She didnt believe that Kieran knew nothing about music and dance. The reason why he rejected her was that Kieran was afraid that Nuna could achieve her goal with it.
Well, well, you are really overthinking.
Nuna really wanted to tell Kieran that he was overthinking.
Likewise, Kieran would also want to tell her the same thing.
Kieran would not exin himself though, he wouldnt tell her that [Mystical Knowledge] granted him the idea of reacting to her humming.
But music and dance...
Kieran fell into deep thoughts after that.
Chapter 1378 - Curseman Vase
Chapter 1378: Curseman Vase
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Bang bang bang!
Kieran was practising his kicks on a sandbag that was as tall as a man. The sandbag hung over the ceiling, and each time he kicked the sandbag, a powerful blow sounded.
The powerful blows continuously sounded for a full five minutes before they paused.
Huu, Huu!
Kieran panted and wiped his sweat. The tiredness on his face was unconceble, but likewise, his eyes were also glistening with a bright shine.
The guesses he had in his heart were verified in these few days.
The most prominent guess was about his skills and attribute.
This dungeon world had been interfered with by some external forces. Although his body was limited to being at the peak level of amoner, his skills werent, and once he unlocked them, they would return to Transcendence level.
However, Transcendence level skills were ipatible with amoners peak physique.
It may seem unbelievable in the eyes of othermoners, but it wasnt enough to supply the usage of Transcendence skills.
The simplest example: Transcendence [Hand-to-Hand Combat] basic requirements were Strength D+, Agility D+, Constitution D+.
Kierans current stats were all capped at E+. He was a major rank behind, but of course, he could still use the Transcendence level of the skill. It was just that the damage he dished out was greatly halved, and more importantly, the change in consumption!
ording to Kierans calction, whenever he fought using his legs, he would consume twice the stamina. During the fight with Bomer, he obviously felt different. and in the past few days, he started to remember all these small changes in his mind.
It wasnt just his habits though. Kieran also knew the importance of performing this practise.
A person who didnt know the limit of his strength would always fall short to a person who knew and evenly distributed his strength.
Kieran didnt want to be the former, especially in a strange dungeon world such as this.
He took sips from the cup of warm water added with salt before going back to the sandbag.
After taking a deep breath, Kieran dished out his kicks again.
Bang, Bang Bang!
His quick consecutive kicks caused the noise to echo in the area.
But unlike before, the noise was softer andsted longer.
10 minutester, Kieran stopped and looked like he was at ease.
He didnt just waste the past few days without achieving anything.
After validating his guesses about his stats and skills, he started to adjust his strength output in order to match his current weakend stats so that he could bring out the full potential.
In simpler words, he practised [Hand-to-hand Combat] from Basic all the way to Transcendence again, mastering his own tempo.
It wasnt an easy task though, as Kieran had failed many times.
Thankfully, Kieran wasnt a person who was afraid to fail, so he seeded in the end.
He didnt just adapt his skill level to his current stats, he even got a different understanding of mastering his skills.
Although the skill tab didnt disy it in exact words, the peculiar feeling lingered in his heart.
Kieran was sure about that, but he still felt like he wascking something somewhere.
Despite being unable to pinpoint where this feeling ofcking came from, he was quite certain that if he could find it, it would boost his strength for quite a bit.
Therefore, Kieran adjusted himself while testing out other skills, hoping to find that inspiration.
Kieran didnt try everything though. Those skills that didnt meet the basic requirements were not on the testing list; for example [Sword Skill, Myriad Viper]!
[Sword Skill, Myriad Viper] Basic level already required a B rank Spirit. Kieran was currently stuck at E+ Spirit; a gap of almost three major ranks was like an impassable chasm.
Besides, Spirit attribute was quite mysterious in itself. Kieran reserved a certain level of alertness for it.
Depleting his stamina might result in temporary exhaustion, but what if his Spirit was depleted?
He might suffer permanent brain damage.
It wasnt an uneducated guess though, it was what he deduced after gradually understanding the connection between Spirit and the soul. Although he had no evident proof, as long as it had the slightest risk of damaging his soul, Kierans character would not allow him to take the risk without guarantee. After all, ording to his current n, it was only a matter of time before he unlocked all his attributes again.
The cumtion of reverse energy from the past few days already granted him three unlocking chances. On top of that, the notifications about reverse energy were still popping up endlessly.
Soon, the fourth time woulde, butpared to its speed in the first two days, the speed had obviously slowed down on the third day.
After the freshness passes, people will naturally forget? What a scarypetitive scene, Kieran sighed softly.
He could imagine the panic and despair of a popr person when they thought they would be forgotten by society. Unless said person had something to hold on to, they might do something outrageous.
They might look inconceivable in the eyes of themoners, but in the eyes of the popr ones and those around them, it seemed very reasonable.
Once a person tasted the benefits of poprity, any other thing would be tasteless, like power.
Power is a divine potion and also a poison.
Once consumed, one will be intoxicated.
However, Kieran was not one of them. His goal was clear and he would never get lost.
Dak Dak Dak.
Kieran walked up the stairs. When he came out of the underground training ground, he saw Eckart sitting on the sofa in the living room.
Behind Eckart was a ferocious-looking, buff bodyguard.
Not just behind Eckart, as throughout the vi, there were three more simr bodyguards stationed in each corner, providing Kieran with 24/7 security.
It was what Eckart arranged.
After realizing the Bomber was from Noroid, the director nned everything in the shortest time possible, and when Nuna appeared on behalf of the Hypnotist Association, the director increased the security.
In fact, if it werent for the securitypany having a shortage of manpower, Eckart would really hire a group of armed bodyguards around Kieran and himself.
How is it? Getting used to the ce? You want me to find someone to help you with your loneliness? Eckart waved at Kieran.
Since their working rtionship had strengthened, both of them had gotten closer. They were on the level where jokes and chats between friends was eptable.
No need. This ce is nice enough, I dont want to be disturbed by strangers.
Kieran rejected Eckarts suggestion seriously. He knew if he didnt do it, Eckart would really find someone for him.
No one should ever underestimate the resources of a director of a TV Station.
Kieran understood that the first day he moved into the vi.
The scene was the worst for him, and he did not want to experience it a second time.
Hmm, it is a special time now. Strangers will really cause problems. Damn it, Noroid Church, Eckart nodded and cursed the one responsible again.
Kieran, however, didnt correct Eckarts wrong thinking. He knew once he did, it would trigger endless trivial and useless questions from him.
He didnt care about beingbeled as an apostle, but when he was judged by a doubtful gaze by someone he considered a familiar, he couldnt let it be.
So Kieran shifted the topic.
The food isnt good enough though, Kieran said seriously again.
Guess Ill have to hire the best chef then. But some chefs arent hirable with money; they prefer to be in their own restaurant, running their own brand. Eckartid his hands open, looking helpless.
The man he considered a coborator before him was no doubt an excellent person. Whether in terms of capabilities, personality or even morals, Kieran was exceptionally reliable.
It was just that his stomach was too picky.
Some dishes that Eckart considered delicious couldnt even be exchanged for a good from Kieran, yet Kieran still tried his best to eat everything on the te.
A conflicting action, at least in Eckarts viewpoint, but he didnt dislike it.
So, Eckart did his best in making the arrangements.
I assure you, if everything goes smoothly, you will taste the cooking of a true master tonight,
Eckart said as he took a paper bag from the bodyguard.
Have a look at this. Its the materials for the next show. Theyve been meticulously chosen by me and the producers after almost half a days meeting.
Eckart then passed the paper bag to Kieran.
The paper bag contained a stack of papers with many pieces of information written on it; the photos were more than ten as well.
Antique vase? The vase of misfortune?
Kieran scanned the photos before looking at the records; the details written were meticulous.
The said vase was crafted by a famous craftsman, Curseman, using gold and tinum during the 700 years of the Neo Union.
Because of the absurd cost and intricate craftsmanship, the moment the vase entered the market, people were all over it, and thus, Curseman started his exhibition tour around the whole union. He didnt just earn a substantial amount, his vase was boosted to a whole new level of poprity too, being known as the Curseman Vase by the public.
However, times do notst forever. During the second exhibition tour, Curseman fell off the stage and died. At first, no one cared, as they treated it as an ident, but the exhibition team was befallen with strange idents one after another.
The team of five that Curseman lead in the tour all died in idents consecutively. The performers group that followed them in the tour also followed not too far behind; more than ten performers died in simr idents at different times and ces.
The vase of misfortune! This soon became the new title for Cursemans vase, and its notorious name even surpassed its original poprity.
After the idents happened like falling dominos, the second exhibition tour was forced to a stop, but Cursemans son didnt give up.
Six monthster, the third Curseman Vase exhibition tour took ce, but a stranger incident happened: Cursemans son hanged himself to death on the night before the tour.
I was wrong. It really brings misfortune.
It was thest message he left on the desk.
The tour that ended before it began spread the ill-name of Curseman Vase throughout the Neo Union. It was in the headlines of many newspapers at that time, and ultimately, Curseman Vase was sent to a local private museum by the Curseman family.
That was until a few days ago, when the said museum held a joint exhibition with Rain City Public Museum. Thus, Curseman Vase was able to see the light of day again.
...
Kieran quickly went through the papers and gathered a general idea from the information before looking at the photos.
The photos were coloured, quite new to be exact, obviously not some old photos being recoloured.
All 10 plus photos showed the Curseman Vase at various angles, nothing else.
Do you have any more detailed information from that time? Newspaper cuttings or some sketchings of the scene? Kieran asked with his head up.
Before cameras became the mainstream media, sketching was the main method to record a scene.
Ive already sent men to search for it. If they work fast, you might see them during tea time. Also, we made an appointment with Rain City Museum at 7 p.m., after the museum closes the doors to the public.
Eckart knew Kieran didnt like to be interrupted during his reading. Simrly, he also knew he had to tell everything he knew during a conversation if he wished to have a decent one with Kieran.
Oh... Then shall we go now? I want to have a look at the vase of misfortune, Kieran said after some thought.
Although the appointment was made and the pictures already seen, Kieran did not mind having a look at the so-called vase of misfortune with his own eyes.
No problem-o. Eckart nodded.
...
Outside Rain City Museum,pared to the scattered visitors during normal days, today was actually crowded.
10-meter long banners hung over a hot-air balloon, digital signages kept rotating, and voices of introduction sounded from time to time. All the signs were telling tourists the attraction of the day: the Vase of Misfortune!
With the museums advertising, many curious tourists were attracted to the ce.
As for the so-called misfortune?
Before it really happened, most of the people would not believe it.
They were willing to believe it was a series of coincidences or some kind of man-made story.
Of course, there were some who were afraid, but they werent in the crowd.
Other than the mentioned, only those with ulterior motives were at the scene, like Kieran.
Ill go get us some tickets.
Lyn Amie was unusually clear with his current position. Kieran didnt even have to ask and he was already heading towards the temporary ticket counter.
Rain City Museum was opened to the public five days a week, Tuesday to Saturday, from morning 10 a.m. to evening 6 p.m. It mostly relied on Rain Citys state governments funding to keep running, but a small part was also donations.
However, this special joint exhibition was different because the vase of misfortune belonged to a private museum, so the owner was calling the shots.
$15 a ticket wasnt absurdly expensive, but not everyone shared the same thought.
A small, scrawny man dashed inside the museum when the ticketing officer wasnt paying attention.
Hold it right there! Stop! Security! Security! the ticketing officer shouted.
A few security guards answered the call and gave chase, but the small man was weirdly agile. He dodged left and move right, easily escaping the security guards grasp.
Then...
The man ran towards Kieran.
Chapter 1379 - Meeting
Chapter 1379: Meeting
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
MOVE! You idiot! the small, scrawny man running towards Kieran shouted.
Kieran, who was ready to move aside, raised a brow but still moved.
The scrawny man instantly showed a cunning face, as if he was telling Kieran, Yeah, you better move!
Then, just as the scrawny man grazed Kieran, Kieran extended his leg.
Bang!
There was no technique involved or whatsoever. The slightly delighted expression still hadnt faded away before the man fell to the ground on his face.
The security guards then swarmed over and seized him quickly.
You bastard! Ill remember you!
The scrawny man shouted loudly when the bunch of security guards pressed him down, but his shouts stopped right away and were reced by a painful gasp.
It seemed like the security guards were quite pissed at this man after chasing him around the premise.
Kieran? He didnt care about the empty threats.
Because of the recently aired shaman show, Kieran purposely put on a disguise and make-up before he arrived at the museum in order to keep a low profile.
He was wearing sunsses and a fake moustache, so he his real face wasnt exposed.
The man would be hard pressed to search for Kieran once he shedded his disguise.
More importantly, when Kieran tripped the scrawny man, several malicious gazesnded on his body. Although it was just a sh, it was enough for Kieran to lock them down.
After quietly capturing these malicious gazes owners, Kieran rted them to the scrawny mans action just now, thus providing himself with a spection.
If it were really what Kieran deduced, this scrawny man would have to spend quite some time in the station, but Kieran didnt voice out his spection right away.
Firstly, the timing wasnt right.
Secondly, his identity wasnt right.
The one saying this spection should be Shaman 2567, not a bystander.
It would be natural for his spections to be treated as some kind of prophecy should he say them aloud, and...
It will be another batch of reverse energy! Kieran couldnt hold back his soft grin.
What else was better than a great amount of reverse energy for Kieran now?
Arger amount!
His brain slightly adjusted his ns for the night before he turned to Lyn Amie, who was also walking past him. However, when Kieran saw Lyn Amies one-piece, he couldnt help but frown.
Even though Lyn Amie wearing a womans dress looked perfectly fine, but a man wearing a womans dress was something weird, wasnt it?
But Lyn Amie seemed to be enjoying it.
You seem to enjoy wearing your dress? Kieran asked after receiving the ticket.
Wearing make-up and dressing up as another person, dont you think its something magical and something to look forward to? Lyn Amie didnt deny it, and instead shot back.
Not really. Kieran shook his head.
You dont have the urge to try experiencing a different life? Lyn Amie asked.
I dont, Kieran said, and didnt want to tangle on the topic anymore. He walked towards the ticket checkpoint.
He had experienced way too many lives.
At first, he was still curious and anticipated each adventure, but as each of his lives required him to perform his best in thinking and fighting, he hoped to get a little more rest.
So without realizing, he would go to Harvest Inn each time he finished a dungeon run.
He would rx and rest there.
Although Kieran would not ept a long period of rest, a short rxation to charge himself up was very weed.
It was just that Lyn Amie didnt know all of this.
Looking at Kierans back, Lyn Amie threw his tongue out.
What a boring guy, hemented.
The makeup artist then quickly chased after Kieran.
Both of them smoothly went through the ticket checkpoint, entered the museum and went straight towards the Curseman Vase exhibition site based on the directory behind the ticket.
Despite many other antiques currently being on disy at the museum, both of them were only interested in the Curseman Vase.
In fact, most of the visitors shared the same purpose.
As for others, most of it was just a hurried nce over. Some visitors didnt even nce at the other antiques; they went straight in and didnt even know what they just walked past.
Therefore, the really crowded spot was around the disy case of the Curseman Vase.
Row upon row of people surrounded the disy case in the middle. Discussions sounded in whispers, and if the ce didnt forbid photography, the ce would be filled with shes.
With his eyesight at the peak performance of amoner, Kieran saw the vase at the first moment despite the crowd between them.
The 300-years-old vase really had the qualities for people to admire it.
Under the spotlight, the half-meter tall vase glimmered softly, the gold and silver colors sparkling and disying their exquisite qualities.
The Curseman Vase was slightly curvy and round but definitely not swollen and heavy. The lip of the vase was wide, and its thin, long neck was connected to an extravagant shoulder, but the lower part of the vase started to slim down until the very bottom.
Based on the records, Curseman Vase should have a concave shape at its bottom, but because of the viewing angle, Kieran couldnt see it; the small, lively pictures of people seeding and harvesting on the vase were visible though.
Its so beautiful! Such craftsmanship is hard to achieve even with modern machinery, right? Lyn Amie praised it softly beside Kieran.
Some craftsmen are known as masters because their existence and works transcends their own era.
Kieran then circted the disy case. After two rounds, he turned around and exited the museum.
He hadpleted his initial goal of checking the Curseman Vase.
Compared to the pictures, Kieran now had a more detailed image of the vase, but if he wanted to get more details from the antique vase, other than getting a closer view, he had to touch it with his hands.
Aside from the insane crowd forbidding him from getting closer, even if the museum were empty, would the museum allow him to touch the vase?
It would be unrealistic.
Rather than having unrealistic thoughts, might as well wait for Eckart to gather further information about the incident behind the vase.
The makeup artist parted ways with the vase with an unwilling gaze before chasing up to Kieran.
He really wanted to push himself through the crowd and have a closer look at the vase so that he could admire it with his heart.
But he didnt forget his duty: follow 2567 24/7.
After Eckart promised him a raise and promotion, he had branded the duty into his soul.
Was being greedy despicable?
It may be, but if it didnt vite morals andws, earning wealth through a pair of hard working hands was something encourageable. Lyn Amie believed it strongly.
When the returned to the minivan parked at the street corner, Lyn Amie helped Kieran remove his make-up.
When the fake moustache was taken off, Eckart came back to the minivan with more details on the vase.
2567, the museum curator contacted me just now. He wishes to have a meeting before the appointed time.
Meet me earlier? Kieran turned to Eckart.
Yes, I know its a sudden request, but are you willing? Eckart asked.
Sure.
Chapter 1380 - Outstanding Acting
Chapter 1380: Outstanding Acting
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
In a coffee shop outside the museum, Kieran met the curator.
Nice to meet you, Mr. 2567.
Im Porl Nelson, the curator of the exhibition. I apologize for meeting you earlier than previously agreed upon.
A well-dressed man with neatlybed white hair and beard stood in front of Kieran, extending his right hand politely.
Its okay, Kieran shook his hand and invited him to sit.
Do you want anything to drink?
Should we proceed with the interview like we previously discussed, or have you changed your mind? Eckart asked.
in water will do.
Well just proceed with what we have agreed upon. Changing the time is already my fault; if I were to change anything else, Im afraid my guilt will prevent me from sleeping, the old curator joked.
The little joke instantly reduced the distance between the curator and everyone around the coffee table. The slightly strange and unfamiliar atmosphere was swept away as well.
Waiter, here.
A ss of warm water, a cup of tea, and a ck coffee.
Eckart called the waiter and ordered drinks for himself, Kieran, and the curator.
After the beverages were served, Eckart signaled for the lights and camera to be ready.
The lighting man and cameraman quickly got into position.
Eckart looked at the old curator again, and after thetter gave the green light, Eckart moved his microphone over.
Eckart once again acted as a temporary host for the show again.
It wasnt that he couldnt find any suitable host on the TV station though.
In fact, as the Shaman show gained poprity, the number of hosts applying for the position was as many as the carps moving down the stream.
Eckart, however, would not simply hand over his show to someone else.
In simpler words, there wasnt one of his own among all the applicants.
Mistakes shouldnt be repeated. Eckart reminded himself not to make the same mistakes twice.
Likewise, to y the role of temporary host properly, Eckart spent quite the effort in learning as well, at least his manner of speech wasnt as stiff as it was in the first episode.
Good daydies and gentlemen, today our show has the pleasure of inviting the curator of Rain City Museum, Mr. Porl Nelson...
After a standard introduction, both of them started to converse, and the topic was quickly shifted to the Curseman Vase.
Porl Nelson then talked about the history behind the vase in front of the camera.
Eckart would also ask questions from time to time. Of course, the subjects were selected beforehand, they wouldnt ce the curator in an ugly position, but they were also enough to satisfy the curiosity of the audience.
The interview progressed at a decent pace.
However, throughout the process, Kieran didnt utter a single word. He sat on the sofa in ck clothes, his hand was on the armrest, and the other hand was supporting his face. He looked like an outsider or an observer from the start, but the camera never left Kieran out of frame.
It was Eckarts special request, though. He and the curator were just garnishing, Kieran was the main dish. So, the lights and camera mostly focused on Kieran.
Because of that, Kieran, who seemingly casually sat on the sofa, looked like he merged with the darkness under the backlight and yet his facial features were visible, making him look extraordinarily mysterious but not hateful.
After the recording session went on for about 20 minutes, Eckart, who noticed the tiredness in the curators face, called for a rest.
The show this time wasnt a live broadcast but pre-recorded.
This means it had to go through editing and post-production before it could be aired, so it was much more flexible.
Do you need a break? Eckart asked out of concerned.
The curator was almost as old as his grandfather, so it was natural for Eckart to show respect and care.
Im sorry, my age is getting the best of me, the curator said in a bitter smile.
Well take half an hour rest then.
Because the recording was moved ahead, the process was actually entirely free as time was abundant since Eckart wasnt a strict person, he knew how to arrange the time.
Take a rest, huh?
Well, this ce suits me more.
Kieran shook his head at Eckarts invitation to go out of the coffee shop and closed his eyes.
Eckart shrugged. He was delighted with his coborator, other than the scary expressions asionally, Kieran was living an apostolic lifestyle.
If Eckart didnt know that Kieran had no religious beliefs, he might take him as a devoted believer of some kind.
Now?
A weird person was all he couldment on.
As Eckarts footsteps went away, Kieran, who seemingly closed his eyes, was actually having questions in his heart.
He left a seam opened on his eyelids and could clearly see the curator, Porl Nelson, across from him, closing his eyes for a rest as well.
However, his eyelids were moving, meaning his eyeballs were also moving. The curator was thinking, not resting.
Simrly, Kieran didnt sense any tiredness in the curator, he was just pretending to be tired.
Why would he do it? Kieran thought in his heart.
Kierans mind then reminded him of that scrawny man who ran from security and the several malicious gazes he picked up from the visitors.
Could it be...
A bold thought appeared in Kierans mind.
Curator Nelson, can I ask you a question? Kieran spoke suddenly.
What is it? And, just call me Porl.
But if you must address me by my surname name because of some rules, its also fine. Its my first time meeting a shaman, I dont know what I should do.
The curator opened his eyes and smiled at Kieran.
Porl, shamans are just like everyone else. Other than some particr gifts, there is nothing special about us.
Kieran sounded casual, but his hand on the armrest subtly sent a signal to Eckart.
When Kieran spoke, it captured Eckarts attention, who was resting close by, and after he saw Kierans signal, he stopped chatting with the handsome waiter before he pulled out his phone for a phone call. He also signaled the lights and camera to get back to work.
The makeup artist even went along with the crew and quickly wrote something on a notepad, showing it to Porl Nelson.
Dont worry, its an easter egg at the end of the show.
Just be yourself.
After Porl Nelson saw the words on the notepad, his slightly surprised face returned to normal.
If a shaman is nothing special, then nothing is.
2567, do you know how famous you are now? A lot of my friends are talking about you.
If I could swap identities with you, I would not hesitate at all.
Porl Nelson was still talking with his joking tone.
Is that so? I wouldnt do it if I were you, because it will bring you into something that you wish youd never see.
Darkness surrounds you like the air, suffocating you, and plunging you into despair, mocking your fall.
They be them.
Warmth bes cold, just like...
The Curseman Vase!
Kieran took a deep breath and turned around, he saw the museum through the window of the coffee shop.
The crowd was getting smaller under the sunset.
He seemed to be staring at something, thus luring everyones gaze to that single direction.
But other than the museum, there was nothing.
Kieran, however, was concentrating too hard, to the point that he was like really observing something.
And with his concentrated stare, the people around him started to think Kieran could really see the things they couldnt.
After all, he was a shaman.
Then...
The hoarse and heavy voice sounded again.
Do you believe in misfortune?
Chapter 1381 - Misfortune, Arrives
Chapter 1381: Misfortune, Arrives
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Porl Nelson jolted for a moment before he shot back, Misfortune? You mean fate?
However, Kieran didnt answer, neglecting the question.
Kierans eyes were still looking outside the window at the museum. When thest bit of sunset vanished and the sky darkened, the streetmps switched on but were still unable to shed light over the entire museum, just a small portion.
The majority of the museum was still in darkness, and with the lights acting as a contrast, the building in the darkness looked darker than ck, like a beast lurking in the abyss.
It was quiet, it was waiting, it was waiting for its prey!
The coffee shop fell into silence, and only breathing sounds could be heard.
Eckart had paid enough to rent out the entire coffee shop for the recording session, and the coffee shop dimmed its music and lights per request.
Therefore, other than the table the lights were focusing, the surroundings were shrouded in darkness.
The quiet and dark environment made Porl Nelson ufortable.
He slightly moved his straight body forward, hoping to express his difort with his movements while at the same time speaking.
I dont believe in fate. I believe hard work and perseverance can change the so-called fate. I bet most people believe that.
Porl Nelson unconsciously raised his voice to break the unusual silence.
However, Kieran still remained quiet and continued to watch the movements at the museum.
He didnt speak, thus the atmosphere got a little awkward. After an ahem, Eckart stood up.
Then what about the minority? Eckart moved the microphone closer to Porl Nelson.
They are the greedy people controlled by sloth. They may have the chance to seize the benefits in front of them but in the end... They will perish in their own greed, Porl Nelson said in a decisive tone.
With the microphone near him, his words sounded sturdy as steel.
After he said the strong words, the curator stared at Kieran.
He hoped to see something in Kierans eyes or expression, but he was destined to be disappointed.
Kierans eyes and expression never changed; no praise or objection or even mocking, it was like Kieran didnt hear what he said.
However, Kieran reacted differently. He turned around and ced his dull, cold eyes on the curator as if he was prying out his deepest secret.
Kieran ovepped his hands and supported his chin. He ced his chin over his crossed thumbs, index fingers, and middle fingers while his ring fingers were held up, connecting to his lips. His little fingers touched each other non-stop.
Each time they touched, they would split right away and touch again.
The little steps repeated endlessly, getting quicker by the second.
Porl Nelson felt a little stuffy in his chest when he saw the little actions with Kierans fingers. A disgusting feel appeared in his heart unconsciously, causing him to gag.
Difort! Extreme difort!
Porl Nelson twisted his body in an anxious, ufortable way.
The previous difort only made him feel uneasy, but the current one made him want to leave the ce.
A moment ago, Porl Nelson wished that Kieran wouldnt be so weird and cold, but now with the additional movements with his fingers, he wished to go back in time!
Im sorry, I feel a little unwell. Excuse me for a while. I have to go to the washroom, Porl Nelson said.
Sure! Eckart nodded.
Porl Nelson stood up, intending to go to the washroom, but because the cement was specially arranged by Eckart for the recording, the curator had to walk past Kieran if he wanted to go out.
Be careful. Misfortune arrives.
Kieran spoke again when the curator walked past him. His voice was still hoarse and heavy, causing difort in peoples heart.
Porl Nelson jolted and froze his movements.
Thank you for your reminder, but I said I dont believe...
Before he could finish, the curator stopped abruptly because an irritating siren sounded off at the museum further in the dark.
The security siren broke the peaceful night, capturing every pair of eyes.
Porl Nelson quickly reacted to the suddenmotion and ran out of the coffee shop.
The shows crew didnt move though. They looked at Eckart while Eckart looked at Kieran.
When he saw Kieran stand up and go out too, Eckart signalled his crew.
Go go go!
The crew quickly gave chase to Porl Nelson.
Although the curator had a head start, his age did not allow him to outrun the younger ones; even the cameraman and the lighting man ran faster than him.
The gate of the museum was opened up by the security on duty after Porl Nelson requested entrance.
Curator, its A block. The security is heading there as we speak, the security guard on duty quickly reported the situation.
Mm. Stay here, wait for the police. Porl Nelson then headed inside the museum.
The police siren of the museum was connected to the station, so whenever it went off, the station would be immediately notified.
The crew followed Porl Nelson, as he didnt seem to care about the extrapany.
Compared to the crowded scene earlier in the day, the museum at night wasnt just empty, but dark as well.
A ce like the museum would instantly feel eerie once it was dark, especially those antiques on disy. The night and day at the museum were twopletely different scenes.
Therefore, even when the path was lit by the lighting the crew brought, whenever it shone over the disy items, the crew would unconsciously get closer to Kieran.
Stick to 2567 if anything happens.
It was an honest suggestion the new crew got from a veteran, Lyn Amie the makeup artist, and it seemed like every one of the crew members was good at epting suggestions.
Eckart was no exception as well.
Although he was also a veteran in dealing with Kieran, he was also behaving like Lyn Amie, staying behind Kieran. He only dared to pop his head over Kierans shoulder, looking further ahead with his prying eyes.
Then...
Aaarh!
A sharp scream came from the makeup artist.
Eckart didnt scold him though, because if he didnt bite his tongue, he would have screamed louder than Lyn Amie. But still, Eckart widened his eyes, reacting to the scream in fear.
The scarlet red was exceptionally eye-catching under the lighting.
He saw dead bodies!
Groups of dead bodies surrounded the Curseman Vase!
Chapter 1382 - Over? This Is Just The Beginning!
Chapter 1382: Over? This Is Just The Beginning!
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
There were seven bodies lying down around the Curseman Vase disy case, like a strange, eerie flower blooming.
The petals of flesh and blood, and the stamen of gold and silver.
Under the light, the scarlet blood didnt overpower the color of the Curseman Vase; instead, the red offset it even more, making it more dazzling.
Everyones eyes were glued to the strange and eerie scene, even the cameras.
Kieran was the only exception.
His eyes were locked on Porl Nelson throughout the process, and he captured a sense of shock and disbelief that shed over Porl Nelsons face.
He also captured the deepest, darkest greed in the curators heart! The greed that was branded in the bones!
Damn it! What happened here? Hurry! Call the police again, tell them what happened here. I want them here as soon as possible! Everything has gone beyond our control!
Porl Nelson yelled and rushed the security, who was lost.
The night security at the museum could only deal with some small matters; murder was a little out of their league, as they didnt possess the capabilities to solve them.
The security was brought up in a peaceful environment. It might have been their first encounter with a dead body outside of a funeral, and that many at once.
O-Okay!
The few security guards faltered and ran outside after stuttering a reply.
Porl Nelson looked at the security guards frightened figures and couldnt help but sigh.
He then turned to Eckart.
They are really terrified. Even Im getting shivers from the scene. Im sorry, Eckart. I really want to continue but this interview has toe to an end...
Why do you want to end it?
Kierans hoarse, heavy voice interrupted Porl Nelsons suave and calm words despite the gruesome scene.
Everyones eyes instantlynded on Kieran.
Mr. 2567, its not suitable to continue filming. Im sorry to cut it short but the situation is somewhat special...
Special? They dont think so.
Porl Nelsons patient exnation was interrupted by Kieran again.
Stop harassing me with you unreasonable words!
After being interrupted so many times, Porl Nelson frowned and spoke as if he was angry, but Kieran could see that his eyes harboured fear and evasiveness, not rage.
When the curator heard the term them, the fear and evasiveness became clearer and deeper.
They were greedy people controlled by sloth. They told me they were seduced! They had the chance to seize benefits in front of them! They told me they were lured into a trap! But in the end, they perished in their own greed! They told me the one who made them lose their lives is the one who seduced them!
Kieran repeated what Porl Nelson said earlier, answering with they.
What are you talking about? You bloody con-man medium, get the hell out of my museum!
This time, Porl Nelson was no longer just frowning anymore. He was infuriated and shouted at Kieran.
Of course, I will leave. But they will stay, said Kieran with his hoarse voice.
Kieran pointed at the bodies on the floor. His body then started to twist weirdly, like a snake coiling up its tail and lifting up its head.
This snake was looking at its prey with its cold eyes, hissing softly.
Then...
Sssss!
The snake hisses sounded aloud.
Porl Nelson instantly turned pale and faltered backwards as if he saw something terrifying.
It wasnt me! I didnt kill you! I just hired you people to steal the Curseman Vase! I have nothing to do with this! Its all the Curseman Vases fault! Yes, its the vase! It bewitched me! Its the vase of misfortune!
Amidst his rushed and irritated screams, Porl Nelson fell to the floor and moved backwards with his hands.
His neatly dressed suit was messed up and became dirty as he fell. His sincere and kind look even turned sour and ugly.
Kieran then stopped. He quietly looked at Porl Nelson, who had fallen into hypnosis.
This time around, Kieran had enough time to set up everything. He didnt have to rely on his killer aura to achieve the desired result.
In fact, after meeting with Porl Nelson, Kieran was certain something was wrong with the curator. After connecting him with the little fiasco during the ticketing session, Kieran would not take it as pure coincidence.
He didnt believe in coincidences.
The things that happened in the same location had to be rted somehow. If he couldnt find any simr points, it could only mean that he wasnt searching hard enough.
Given that the location was the Rain City Museum, the simr point was very obvious.
The Curseman Vase!
If the Curseman Vase was themon point connecting those malicious gazes and Porn Nelsons request of an early meeting, what would the oue be?
Theft!
Alibi!
The answer appeared in Kierans mind almost instantly; therefore, when they were still at the coffee shop, Kieran pretended to look at the museum.
His shaking little finger and the endless mention of misfortune were all hints.
And when the cumted hints were triggered, they exploded like an explosive.
Kieran had Nuna to thank for that though.
If it werent for her reminder of music and dance, he wouldnt have thought about infusing hints into daily gestures to amplify the hypnosis.
After all, Kieran was used to another kind of battle. Despite his skills being sealed, he couldnt change his thinking pattern to work on this forceful choice at the very first moment.
But from the looks of things, the effect was quite decent.
Kieran looked at Porl Nelson, who kept shifting me and making excuses. Kierans eyes then showed sneers.
Some people put on a mask and acted like hypocrites, ming the others who shared the same roots.
This way, they didnt just conceal themselves, but also made themselves look noble as well.
Even if they were exposed, they would not wake up from the mistake. All they would do is me others.
Kieran was disdainful of such people.
When the faint siren echoed, it brought the TV crew back to their senses.
W-What is this about?
Lyn Amie couldnt react to the situation, as it happened too fast.
Porl Nelson, who entered the museum with them, suddenly became the criminal?
No one answered him though, as the crew was sharing the same thoughts.
However, when they saw the uniformed police officers rush in, the crowd heaved a breath of relief.
Its over! Eckart said.
Kieran, however, shook his head and pointed at the bodies on the floor.
Over? No, its just the beginning! They told me a lot of things!
Chapter 1383 - Distinguished
Chapter 1383: Distinguished
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Eckart turned to Kieran, his wide eyes showing curiosity, the urge to question, and... defeat.
After Eckart got promoted to director of the Rain City TV Station, he thought he was a sessful man that had seen and experienced a lot, but after meeting the man before his eyes, he realized his so-called experiences were not enough. Each time he followed Kieran on his little adventures, he would be weed by new and unexpected things.
It was already surprising enough for Eckart that Porl Nelson was rted to the bodies. He thought it was the biggest selling point for the show tonight.
As a matter of fact, it was indeed the biggest one.
When the curator of the museum admitted he hired these thugs to steal the Curseman Vase, the shaman shows ratings skyrocketed.
The credit belonged to Eckart though. After he had gotten the signal from Kieran, he switched from recording to live broadcasting; of course, that was with some authority as director of the TV station.
Still, the results were obvious.
Although he still hadnt gotten the data on the ratings, Eckart had received more than one message from his new assistant on his phone.
He had done it again, and he knew this sess would not be possible without the shaman before him.
Eckart knew what kind of role he was ying in this working rtionship, and he also knew what he must do. He would not give up the chance to further boost the shaman show to new heights.
A few quick breathster, Eckart managed to adjust his emotions and lift up the microphone.
He tried his best to make himself sound calm and clear.
W-What did they say?
Despite being prepared, each time he mentioned they, he felt unnatural and his voice couldnt help but shiver.
His trembling voice went through the microphone and reached the ears of the audience watching the live broadcast.
The audience seemed to be infected by the trembling voice, and they, too, shivered physically as they glued their eyes to the screen, watching Kierans every move.
They were waiting for an answer.
The unknown doesnt only brings fear, it brings curiosity as well.
Both elements were like intertwining vines, not just growing together, but also closely connected.
Kieran didnt reply to Eckart right away.
He looked down and scanned the bodies on the floor.
He had seen four of the seven bodies before; they were the ones whonded their malicious gaze on him during the little fiasco of tripping the scrawny guy earlier today outside the ticketing counter.
The remaining three were strangers, and they seemed different from the other four.
All the bodies were wearing ck camouge outfits, and even the tools on them were ck, but the three bodies had obviously been moved. Kieran didnt even have to activate [Tracking] to make sure, because he had many experiences with sweeping the battlefield, and he also possessed sharper talents than others.
The subtle difference quickly caught Kierans attention.
The most valuable disy item, the Curseman Vase, was before his eyes, but Kieran went to check on the three bodies instead.
The museum didnt seem to be missing any antiques at the moment, meaning...
Is it a cover-up?
Someone mixed up two different parties of thieves and disguised them as one? The simr tools are gone and the bodies are all arranged around the Curseman Vase.
Kierans squinted eyes glistened.
He squatted down and carefully checked the bodies. Two to three secondster, he looked up.
As I thought! Kieran thought in his mind but did not show anything on his face.
His hoarse and heavy voice then said, Comrade. Comrade?
Eckarts thoughts were obviously behind Kierans; all he could do was stare at Kieran nkly.
But Kieran had no intention of replying. He turned around and left the museum.
If his guess was correct, he had to hurry.
Eckart quickly chased Kieran and the crew tightly followed the director, but a few stepster, Kieran spoke again.
Off with the lights!
Eckart quickly signaled the crew to turn them off.
The lights were killed off instantly, but it didnt change the environment a lot since the museum was already lit. The police sirens broke though the silent night.
Unlike the sirens in the museum, the police cruisers sirens were more deterrent. It made the scrawny man who was waiting in his car anxiously lower his head.
The scrawny man was disdainful of the museum security guards from the afternoon. He didnt even soften down after he was arrested by the security.
He left the questioning room in the security office after being questioned for some time.
All he did was sneak through without a ticket, after all; it wasnt a major crime.
However, he wasnt skipping tickets this time, nor was he facing the security guards anymore.
The scrawny man lowered his head and arched his back, sticking his chin to the steering wheel and peeking through the little spaces.
When he saw a couple of police cruisers drive past with their loud sirens, he almost lowered himself under the drivers seat.
Although it wasnt his first job, facing the police was a first.
The scrawny man had multiple theft experiences, and since then, he thought himself to be a natural in this lousy crime. After scaring off a couple ofmoners with his bluffs, he thought he was bold and invincible.
Before seeing the police cruisers, he never took them seriously, but when they truly arrived, the mans boldness disappeared without a sign.
All that was left in his heart was fear.
Fortunately, he hadnt forgotten his duty.
His cars lights werent turned on as he drove quickly into an alleyway on the other side of the museum.
Unlike the escape route after a sessful job, the retreat route was more secretive and hidden.
Without the Curseman Vase in their hands, the man and hisrades had reason to escape through a dirtier method: the sewers.
The water drainage system of the city was built independently for safety reasons, but as long as one spent the effort, no matter how independent the system was, it would eventually be connected.
Of course, the feat must be achieved by coordination on two different ends.
As for who the receiver would be, the scrawny man didnt know.
He and his mates had distinguished roles during a job, and they rarely contacted each other during private times. Moreover, the man was just a driver, the lowest rank in the entire team, so a lot of matters werent made known to him.
In fact, he was called in each time, never participating from the start.
All of them lived independently during normal times, but the man knew one thing: the organization was strong beyond his imagination!
That was why he didnt escape; it would mean death!
However, ending up behind bars wasnt exactly the ideal oue either.
Therefore, the scrawny man stared at the lid to the sewer and prayed softly.
Hurry up! Hurry up!
Chapter 1384 - Suited
Chapter 1384: Suited
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
As though the scrawny mans prayer was heard, the sewer lid moved.
A ck figure moved out of the sewer and walked towards the car of the scrawny man.
Boss, hurry! the scrawny man rolled down the window and said quickly.
He heaved a long breath when he saw the ck figure.
Mn. Soon.
The ck figure nodded as he walked towards the car. When he reached the drivers window, he grabbed the scrawny mans throat and dragged him out of the car. The dagger in his right hand followed right after, driving towards the mans neck.
Words stuck in the scrawny mans throat; all he could do was look at the daggering down toward him with a horrified expression.
Then...
A strong light appeared.
The blinding light stopped the thrusting dagger. The ck figure then moved the scrawny man by the throat and used him as a meat shield, putting him in front of himself while holding the dagger against the mans neck.
The ck figure hid behind the scrawny man with unusual vignce.
Unfortunately, the scrawny man was too thin and the ck figure buff; even when he tried his best in keeping his body behind, almost half of his body was still exposed.
However, the ck figure didnt care anymore as he squinted his eyes and looked at the strong light with utmost alertness.
Dak, Dak, Dak.
Kierans figure slowly emerged from the light with clear footsteps.
Its you?! a strange voice asked.
Yes, its me, Kieran replied dully.
You bloody bastard, how the hell did you find me? the ck figure shouted.
His voice was filled with surprise a moment ago, but now it was rage, which could usher him to kill people. It wasnt just descriptive anymore, his killer intent was real.
Kieran clearly also felt the familiar presence. A sense of astonishment shed over his heart.
Despite the ck figure trying his best to hide behind the scrawny man, half of his face was still exposed. It was a new face, someone Kieran hadnt seen before.
Kieran had quite the confidence in his memory, so he knew he wouldnt forget anyone he met.
There was only a handful of people who held a grudge against him, and he hadnt seen them in this dungeon world. Other than Noroid Church, which the Bomber originated from...
Edwood Mansion! The den of thieves that concealed countless antiques in its basement and disguised itself as an ominous ce!
When the mansion was connected with this ck figure, everything solved itself.
This ck figure should be the missing aplice of those bunch of thieves.
It wouldnt be possible for a half-crazy man and an old man to collect all those antiques, right?
Back then, Mei Huasheng spected that there was at least one or more aplices, but the half-crazy man couldnt provide any more useful information.
Kieran would have also never thought this aplice hadnt run away; instead, he appeared at the museum and wanted to steal the Curseman Vase!
No! Something wasnt right!
This man wasnt at the museum for the vase, but to kill the witness!
The messed up crime scene next to the vase shed through Kierans head.
His spections from before became verified.
This man here wanted to escape like a cicada molting its skin!
He tried to make his men look like Porl Nelsons hired men and wanted to make the scene look like all of the hired men were from the same group, the curators group, thus severing all ties with himself.
Although Kieran hadnt meticulously checked the dead bodies, he was sure there were some clues that would point back at Edwood Mansion.
If thats the case... I still can use them for my own gain.
Kieran lifted the corner of his mouth while standing under the light. He quickly altered his original n again.
Those traces you left behind? Sorry, I didnt see them. Its your men who told me, Kieran said in his hoarse and heavy voice again.
Stop bluffing! I dont believe you. The man coldly grunted and showed disdain.
At the same time, Kieran sharply noticed the man slowly approaching the car, which was still started. He wanted to escape, but it didnt stop Kieran from executing his altered n.
In fact, he could even go along with the mans intention.
The man wanted to buy time for himself to get into the car, and Kieran?
He also needed sufficient time to showcase himself, thus umting more reverse energy.
Whether you believe it or not, you cannot erase their existence. They are watching you, and their eyes are filled with grudge. They are asking... Why did you kill them?
Kierans voice echoed throughout the alleyway. The ck figures coldugh got sharper and louder.
Why? Arent you a medium, some psychic that knows things other people dont? You tell them the answer! the man moured.
Are you sure you want me to do so?
Despite sounding hoarse and heavy, Kierans words sounded utterly respectful.
Sure! You say it! Im waiting!
The man coldlyughed again, his squinted eyes full of mockery, eager to see Kieran make a fool of himself, or rather...
He wanted to see how Kieran bought him enough time to escape.
The man almost reached the ideal position for his escape, his mind even formed aplete n.
He didnt intend to open the car door, but rather, jump in through the opened window. Before that, he would throw the scrawny man to Kieran, a dead scrawny man!
Once a dead body fell on the bluffing bastard, his face would be interesting, right?
Even if he couldnt get anything interesting from the bluffing medium, when the coast was clear, he would reappear and teach this bluffing medium who he had crossed!
The man coldly gazed at Kieran, his heart already having dered him dead.
However, the man was instantly astonished and his eyes widened.
He saw Kierans body start to twist, twisting in a way that defied human body structure. It was like...
A snake?!
When the thought came into the mans mind, the voice, which was even more hoarse and heavy, sounded from the distorted body!
You wanted to cover up the crimes at Edwood Mansion. You wished to wipe away this unknown past. But you dont trust people, so you selected this timing when the Curseman Vase was having an exhibition and nned all of this. They were here because of greed and died because of greed. But they are unwilling! Unwilling to have died just like that, so they returned! Listen!
The hoarse, heavy voice turned sharp and irritating at thest sentence, like the wail of the dead. The man, whose deepest secret was exposed by Kieran, shook right away.
His body trembled as he stared at Kieran.
The twisting of Kierans body stopped, and he returned to his normal self.
Kieran panted heavily under the strong light, seeming exhausted.
Each time he breathed, the dust particles under the light would move vigorously.
Countless dust particles floated up and down with his panting.
But after a few heavy pants, nothing happened.
The man came back from his frightened state.
So this is all you got? What a joke! I dont have time to y with you anymore!
The man subtly moved again; he didnt want to y games with this freaky medium anymore, as he had reached the optimal position for his escape.
The dagger the man held to the scrawny mans neck was going to cut his throat, but a second before that, the scrawny many shouted his lungs hoarse.
WHY. DID. YOU. KILL. US!
Chapter 1385 - Things You Should do
Chapter 1385: Things You Should do
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
That shout sounded like he was screaming his vocal cords out. The skinny man neglected the pain on his neck as explosive power came from his hands, he grabbed the dagger and hand that was across his throat with inhuman strength.
Gak Tss!
The thin and strong hands tangled together tightly like steel locks, even their joints started to produce teeth-numbing screeches.
The man was in disbelief as his strong arm was grabbed and moved by the skinny man.
On top of that, the skinny man even plunged his nails into the mans palm and forearm.
The forearm wascerated, and blood was gushing out. The dagger fell to the ground, but before the man could cry out in pain, the skinny man turned around and bit the man on the neck.
The skinny mans bulging eyes were full of hatred; he was like a frenzied beast biting its prey on the neck, and without the daggers deterrent force, the bite was deep.
Bak Bak Bak!
The immense pain made the man brutally beat the skinny man, his great powernding on the scrawny man was like ying the war drums, but the thin man felt nothing as if his pain receptors were gone, or rather, it wasnt his body that was suffering from the hits.
The skinny mans teeth entered the neck deeper, and in the end, a big chunk of flesh was torn from the mans neck.
Blood sprayed like a fountain, veins were tangling outside, swinging left and right.
The skinny mans face that was painted red got even more vicious while he continued. He threw himself on the man and kept up the attacks.
The skinny man wanted revenge!
An eye for an eye! Blood must be paid with blood!
Ugh!
All the crew members that saw the gruesome scene threw up without exception, but Kieran was watching it with a calm face. He had witnessed a lot more grotesque scenes than this.
However, Kierans gaze towards the skinny man showed surprise.
It is evident that the skinny man ultimately bought Kierans identity as a shaman, and he never doubted anything about vengeful spirit possession and taking revenge using the possessed body, thus the outstanding effect.
Kieran wasnt surprised that he could hypnotize the skinny man, it was his choice anyway.
Compared to the mastermind, the skinny man was weaker in terms of willpower and calmness; thus, he was an excellent hypnosis target.
What truly surprised Kieran was that [Mystical Knowledge]bined with [Viper Body] and a mix of words could produce such a remarkable effect.
Is it a little too real?
Kieran recalled the scene a moment ago and branded the thought in his mind, he started to think about how would he make everything even more real.
He had to spend quite some time in this dungeon world, and he had limited methods to deal with enemies with his weakened state. If he could get his hands on another defensive method, he would not mind at all.
Though, that was a matter for another time.
Now?
Inside the darkness, under the ground.
The path of the dead, the river of theher realm.
Dont listen, dont see, dont stop. Move, move forward!
After another massive chant, Kieran turned around and kicked the light behind him.
Pak!
The light disappeared amidst the sound of breaking ss
The whole alleyway was plunged into darkness.
The chewing stopped, the skinny man then fell beside the mastermind.
Everything returned to normal, at least thats what it looked like.
The mastermind was killed.
In fact, after the mastermind was bitten on the throat, he was already suffering severe damage, and the follow-up munch from the skinny man became thest straw that broke the camels back.
As for the skinny man himself, he did suffer quite some damage himself.
He may look powerful after he opened himself under hypnotism, but the cost was actually hurting himself.
More importantly, the skinny man didnt just suffer physical damage, his brain also suffered mental injury as well.
The skinny man became crazy after he woke up on the stretcher.
I-I will avenge you all!
I will avenge you!
We are one.
...
Do you have an exnation for this?
Mei Huasheng pointed at the skinny man who was being lifted into the ambnce. Her eyes at Kieran was extremely unfriendly.
The female officer didnt hate Kieran for not helping her to fight Noroid Church; it was just that her personality was rigorous to begin with.
In other words, even if Kieran agreed to help her, she would still look at Kieran like that.
Officer Mei, are you officially questioning 2567?
Kieran hadnt even spoken, and Eckart was already in front of him.
The director looked a little ugly after throwing up, but somehow, his hand was already holding a recording pen.
Mei Huasheng saw the recorder, but it didnt change her thoughts.
Yes! I am officially-
Great, ourwyer is on the way now. We will remain silent until we see ourwyer.
Eckart interrupted Mei Huasheng impolitely, it made her frown. Just when Mei Huasheng was ready to argue, Lin An ran over quickly.
Officer Mei, the director requested you go to his office.
Theres new progress on the Edwood Mansion case, Lin An said.
Mei Huasheng hesitated for a while before nodding.
It was her case, so it should be her responsibility.
Therefore, after a nce at Eckart, she was ready to leave, but she didnt give up, though.
Just that the priority of Edwood Mansions case was higher than arguing with Eckart.
What a troublesome woman.
Eckart grunted at Mei Huashengs back and looked at Lin An. Unlike his strict partner, Lin An was much better to deal with.
At least Lin An knew how to achieve things with softer methods that didnt cross his bottom line.
Im sorry, Officer Mei was from the Spec Ops team before.
Her way of doing things might be different than ours, Lin An apologized on behalf of his partner.
Lin Ans gaze at Kieran also turnedplicated when he saw Kieran standing in silence.
Each time they met, Kieran will always surprise the officer, this time was no exception either.
After checking the crime scene, Lin An knew if Kieran didnt tell him the answer first, he might be deceived and release the mastermind based on the evidence, despite the mastermind being dead.
Once he thought about the consequences, Lin Ans heart couldnt help but feel defeated.
Though, he quickly adjusted his emotions with a deep breath.
Thank you, he said.
Another deep breathter, he continued with a stricter tone, Ill do better next time!
Lin An then walked away to his business, many other matters required his attention.
This would be a sleepless night again.
What does he mean? Is he challenging you? Eckart raised a puzzled brow at Lin Ans back.
No. He just wanted to live up to his conscience and uniform.
A good person.
After thement, Kieran looked at Eckart and said, Lets go then.
Go where? Eckart jolted.
Where? Kieran replied in a questioning tone.
Eckart immediately reacted to the question, he smiled and went back to the minivan.
The minivan then soon disappeared into the night.
Chapter 1386 - House of Han
Chapter 1386: House of Han
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The minivan, having left the city center about 10 minutes ago, drove steadily.
It drove away from Rain City and headed towards the outskirts, but the ce wasnt deserted at all.
Kieran was still able to see the streetmps with the headlights on.
Be prepared for the big surprise! Eckart said in a mysterious tone.
He was anticipating Kierans questioning, but unfortunately, he didnt know how patient Kieran was after having a friend like Lawless or how he would deal with such teasing.
Silence.
The minivan fell into silence right away, and even Eckart felt awkward and ufortable.
Are you not curious, 2567? Eckart asked again, but Kieran continued to look outside, not even turning around.
Eckart also stayed quiet as he touched his nose. He started to regret sending Lyn Amie to the bodyguards van.
If the makeup artist were with him, he might still be able to shift the topic.
But now? Awkward.
Fortunately, the awkwardness didntst long. Three minutester, when the minivan went over a hill, it finally came to a stop.
Before the minivan was a taller hill with many light sparkles decorating it. They were actually hillside vis that were built in a secluded spot, and if it werent for the lights, the vis would have been practically invisible at night.
The vis looked as if they were separate from the noisy city life, yet they maintained their prosperous views with the lights garnishing the area.
A single nce from Kieran told him that the vi area must be the work of some famous architect.
Inside. Eckart pointed at the vi area.
As for the guards at the entrance, they were handled by the bodyguard cum driver.
Gorbor, the bodyguard who Eckart hired with arge price, didnt let him down. A few secondster, the gate to the vi area slowly opened up.
Sir, I dont suggest going in. The security here is tight, but without propermunication, we will be impeded instead.
Gorbor, who got back into the driver seat, reminded his employer again dutifully.
Dont worry. I might have worried if we were going to any other ce, but here, we dont have to, Eckart said with confidence.
Gorbor wisely shut up when his employer voiced out his confidence.
He knew what his employer spent money on: for safety, not nagging.
So Gorbor vigntly kept an eye on the surroundings and signalled to his colleagues in the other van behind.
When the minivan finally stopped, the surroundings were under Gorbor and his colleagues control. Gorbor even stood in front of the door of the minivan.
Dont worry. Its fine. Eckart tapped on Gorbors shoulder. The bodyguard nodded but had no intention of moving away.
He and his colleagues acted as meat shields as they escorted their employer to one particr hillside vi.
Hello, Im the one who made the booking earlier... Eckart pressed on thems at the door.
Kieran, on the other hand, sized up his surroundings habitually.
There were many pine trees nted in the area, and the path they were standing on was a stone path made of stone tablets of various sizes. The stone path extended all the way from the gate to the vi door, and from the small tablets at the gate to the bigger intact piece in front of the door, every piece of tablet wasid down ording to size.
Kieran nced at the stone path and showed slight shock.
He did not know aboutmon rocks, but he knew that all the stone tablets of different sizesid inside the path were from a single giant piece of rock.
Crushing a giant piece of rock into tablets of different sizes to form a path was not an easy feat.
The size of the rock must be big enough and its volume sufficient to fill the path.
In other words, the original piece of rock was cut vertically tablet by tablet by a grinding knife and must not be cut horizontally.
Interesting. Kieran slightly squinted his eyes at the stone path after a second nce.
Then, he turned around and looked at the opening door.
A beautiful attendant in a maid outfit stood there.
Everyone, please follow me. The attendants soft and pleasant voice led the group inside.
After Eckart nodded, Kieran followed too.
When they entered the vi, their sight was greatly expanded.
Brilliant green bamboo forest, cobblestone paths; the bamboo forest was thick and vast and the cobblestone path was small and winding.
Under the soft lighting, a crystal clear scene hid in the bamboo forest.
When the wind blew, the sound of fluttering bamboo converged with the murmuring of little streams.
A sense of tranquility andfortable feeling spread in everyones heart.
The vignt Gorbor eased up a little, and the makeup artist couldnt help but take in deep breaths while enjoying the lushness of the environment.
Eckart then looked at Kieran.
How is it? Eckart whispered.
Not bad, Kieran replied.
The response wasnt to brush Eckart away though. Everything that Kieran saw was really a decent scenery; the cobblestones of different sizes, the lush bamboo forest. A lot of effort was put in to create a scene like this, let alone theke hidden in the middle of the bamboo forest.
Kieran could already hear fishes jumping out of the water.
No one would say bad things about this ce, likewise, everyone would enjoy themselves in thisfortable environment, to the point that they wouldnt want to return to the outside world.
This is getting interesting. Kieran curled the corner of his lips, showing a faint smile as he followed the maid, shuttling through the bamboo forest on the winding path.
A wooden house with extra rooms on both nks appeared in Kierans sight, its doors opened widely.
House of Han!
A wooden sign crafted by hand hung under the eave.
Please hold on. Mr. Dao wille out soon, the maid said, bowing and walking aside.
This is the restaurant that you mentioned was operated by a true culinary master? Kieran asked.
Restaurant? No, this is the House of Han! A ce countless foodies in Rain City admire, Eckart shook his head and emphasized.
Isnt it the same? It is where people eat, Kieran said.
Its not! Because... The food crafted by Mr. Dao will not disappoint any foodie.
Eckart looked respectful when he mentioned the culinary master.
Is that so? If thats really the case, I guess it really wont disappoint.
Kieran looked around again and anticipation was mixed in his words.
He really wanted to know how this Mr. Daos craft food would not disappoint.
Bang!
After a loud wooden noise captured everyones attention, a strong, heavy mans voice came from inside the House of Han.
2567, pleasee in. The others... please return.
Chapter 1387 - Boss Dao
Chapter 1387: Boss Dao
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
After the clear voice from inside the House of Han entered everyones ears, Eckart was a little surprised but not dissatisfied.
One of the rules of the House of Han: it picks its customers.
Mr. Dao will only cook customers that he deems worthy.
As for others? Well... Eckart shrugged.
Although he didnt finish his sentence, his meaning was obvious.
2567, Ill wait for you outside the bamboo forest. I know we are not worthy of Mr. Daos dishes, but the bakery here serves nice pastries as well.
Eckart then nodded at Kieran and brought the group with him out of the bamboo forest as if he was walking in his own backyard.
No one in the group would argue with Eckart, though, since all of them were hired muscle.
As the group followed Eckart away, Lyn Amie purposely slowed down and was thest to leave.
Remember to taste it carefully and tell me what have you eaten and how it tasted, Lyn Amie said softly to Kieran.
The makeup artist also liked to eat a lot, being able to eat something delicious would be an utmost blessing to him. Therefore, when he entered the bamboo forest, he was quite looking forward to the meal, but unfortunately, he couldnte.
Of course, given Lyn Amies character, he would feel pity but not hate or dissatisfaction.
After another backward nce at the House of Han, Lyn Amie waved at Kieran and jogged to chase after Eckart and the bodyguards.
Kieran watched the group leave before turning to the House of Han.
At the doorstep of House of Han, there was a 2 meter long, half-meter wide stone stairs. Kieran walked up, the sound of his footsteps followed.
Another female attendant with a maid outfit came with a pair of loose slippers.
Please change your shoes, the maid bowed and bent down, obviously wanting to do it for Kieran.
Ill change them myself, Kieran said softly before taking the pair of slippers and putting them on his feet.
It was not that he wasnt used to this kind of service, Kieran just didnt want to fall into their pace. When the slippers were put on, Kieran went inside the House of Han.
The wooden flooring was sturdy and clean. The windows were opened, the night breeze was blowing through, dispersing the heat of the summer.
Oilmps were arranged neatly on the racks at the nks after the entrance. The shelves had threeyers, and the fire of the oilmps of eachyer was dancing under the breeze, yet none were extinguished. The shadow and light of the interior were wavy due to the fluttering mes.
With the light from the oilmps, Kieran nced over the decorations of the interior. There was nothing in particr, because other than the rack housing the oilmps, there was nothing else.
The extra private rooms on the left and right were closed.
Kieran went up to the room on the left because the voice came from there.
Bak Bak Bak!
Kieran knocked on the sturdy wooden door.
Come in, the heavy and powerful voice sounded again.
The sturdy wooden door was slowly opened up and a beautiful and tall woman that weed Kieran behind the door.
Thedy was judging Kieran with her gaze. She then subtly moved aside and made way for Kierans entrance. Despite the almost wless concealment, Kieran still sensed a sense of disgust on her.
However, what interested Kieran more was her body, or rather her physique.
Even with clothes on, Kieran realized her muscles were bulging, and she was in her fittest form possible. It was already hard for a man to achieve such a body, let alone ady, which made her more impressive.
In addition to that, she was able to maintain her bodys consistency rather than only achieving the ideal body physique.
She was so fit that she could have fought 10mon men alone and swiftly ended the battle single-handedly.
The calluses on her palms told Kieran that she wasnt just skilled in hand-to-handbat, but also short knives and firearms.
Based on how she moved her steps aside, Kieran was very sure that her legs were also a pair of killer weapons.
Kieran was most skilled in kickingbat, so he was clear what her obedient look represented: a venomous viper hiding in the shadows.
Hiding in the shadows when still, delivering the lethal blow when moving.
Bodyguard? Or... killer? Kieran wondered andpared her to Gorbor.
Kieran shook his head in the end.
There were still differences in terms of strength.
Gorbor, as one of the ace bodyguards of the securitypany, had undoubted strength and professionalism, butpared to thedy, he was still a bitckluster.
The thought in Kierans mind didnt slow his movements, though.
When thedy moved aside, Kieran stepped into the room, and he saw a rather skinny man.
The man was wearing elegant white Chinese clothing, his slightly long hair was ced over his shoulder, and when the man caught Kierans gaze, he smiled warmly.
Good evening, 2567, the loud and heavy voice came from the man.
If the skinny man didnt show himself, one would think the voice was from a strong and buff, robust man, but when the man spoke in such a voice, a contradicting feeling would fill ones mind, together with loads of curiosity.
Em. Good evening, Mr. Dao, Kieran nodded, stood there, and looked at the man quietly.
No questions, no answers, as if the silence was typical.
Please, sit.
Liu Ye, bring me the ingredients that Ive prepared.
The man pointed at the wooden stool in front of him before giving his order to the tall woman.
The woman went out without a word, which was followed by the door closing.
Kieran was left alone with the man inside the room. The mans smile got warmer, he stood up and walked towards the cupboard beside him.
Unlike the empty hall at the entrance, this room was well-equipped.
The table and chairs were ced in the middle, on the left side of the wall after the entrance was a 3-meter wide cupboard which touched the ceiling; on the right-hand side were three more racks, one taller than the other two and on top of the shelves were lush bonsai. With the light from the candle on the table, it looked even more alluring.
On the wall across from the entrance was arge multi-section cab, as big as the wall itself. The cab split the room into two sections, and it had many differentpartments and drawers of various sizes, holding all sorts of ceramic jars and weird sculptures. Some of them were sculptures of animals; some of them were human; at the top of the cab was a rolled-up scroll.
The man stood in front of the cab, pulled out a drawer, and took out an incense burner, incense coil, and a tea set. Then, he walked over to anotherpartment, which held a ceramic jar, and took out some tea leaves before he went around another section to grab a transparent ss bottle.
He came back to the table and said, Ive collected some tea leaves. Not the best, but it will fit with the dishes tonight, making it a smoother experience.
Oh, and you can call me Boss Dao, said Boss Dao as he started to make tea with a pleasant look.
Mn, Kieran replied with his nasal voice and didnt say anything else.
He didnt know how to enjoy tea, neither did he know anything about tea.
But when the aroma of the tea filled the room, Kieran was sure the not the best tea he said was quite exquisite.
Kieran then took his cup of tea without being too courteous after being served.
However, before Kierans lips touched the cup, Boss Dao spoke.
The dead, do they really exist?
Chapter 1388 - The (Meal) Same (Ticket)
Chapter 1388: The (Meal) Same (Ticket)
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
They do, Kieran nodded.
He wasnt brushing the topic off, and he wasnt telling lies because the dead really did exist.
Whether in other dungeon worlds or in this current one, the dead existed.
But...
Time had ground away the perception of their existence.
When Kieran was answering, Boss Dao had been watching Kieran, and when Kieran nodded, the well-groomed master of culinary looked slightly excited.
Can I see them? Boss Dao held his excitement back and asked further, his tone even slightly changed because of the arousal.
Its hard, Kieran replied inly.
It was also an honest answer. The current dungeon world in its modern era had no traces of the supernatural or whatsoever anymore, the mystical realm became a legend. To get in touch with the mystical realm, one must transcend above the normal or be a naturally gifted person.
Boss Dao before Kierans eyes was neither former nor thetter.
But when Boss Dao heard what Kieran said, he seemed to heave a slight breath of relief.
Hard is better than hopeless.
Lets drink, Boss Dao smiled as he lifted his cup and took a small sip.
Kieran drained it empty, though. The aroma of the tea exploded in his mouth, thus shaking his spirit and mental state. His exhaustion was greatly halved after one cup of tea.
Good tea, Kieran praised.
He didnt know tea, but he still could tell whether or not it was a good tea.
This tea isnt good by any means, but its... the water!
Boss Dao emphasized and touched the transparent bottle softly. A slight smile hung over his face.
I spent a lot of effort to get my hands on this.
Nice, Kieran praised directly.
Even without checking, Kieran knew the bottle of water was extraordinary. He didnt know where Boss Dao got his hands on it, but he knew the bottle that looked like ss felt as gentle and smooth as jade.
He didnt know what material the water bottle made of, he only knew it would be very costly.
You should drink more.
Boss Dao lifted the teapot and poured the brilliant green tea into Kierans cup. The murmuring of the flowing tea converged with Boss Daos words, though.
How can I see the dead?
You dont have the gifts.
Kieran was being straightforward, he roughly understood the purpose of this private meeting.
Humans always have something or someone they missed.
The question was how much.
If it were a lot, one would lose himself and fall into an irrational pursuit for his persistence.
If it were a little, one would look at it coldly and yet wouldnt be able to hold back a sigh.
Life and death had the farthest distances.
So, its hard?
Yes.
Kieran took the new cup of tea and finished it with one gulp again.
What about other ways?
Boss Dao lifted the teapot and filled Kierans cup again.
The peak. You must reach the peak of amon man! said Kieran.
Somethings were unexinable and shouldnt be exined, a simple summary would be the best.
So its hard, Boss Dao sighed, but his eyes were glimmering, it felt like he was freed from some shackles,ing back to life. He wasnt surprised by Kierans answer, though.
Compared to wallowing in uncertainty, a line of hope would be enough to change a persons life.
Dok Dok Dok.
The door was knocked on, Boss Dao told Kieran to sit down while he stood up and went to open the door.
Liu Ye brought in a tray covered in white satin cloth. When he put the tray on the table, even if she was being careful, the contact still produced a massive bang.
The contents on the tray were obviously heavy.
When the satin cloth was lifted away, Kieran saw the contents of the tray... No, it was actually a chopping board.
A y burner, an iron pot, and some wood were ced on the left; a big b of pork belly, scallion, ginger, garlic, oil, chili, and vinegar were ced on the right.
A narrow long chef knife, a pair of chopsticks, and a soup spoon in addition to three ceramic bowls that were in the middle.
Boss Dao took the y burner, loaded it with wood, ignited it, and ced the iron pot on top. Then, the bottle of water on the table was poured into the pot, followed by the pork belly before the lid was closed.
Based on Kierans understanding, it would be better to first remove the bloody stench on the pork before starting to boil it in water, but he did not question Boss Daos methods.
He watched Boss Dao cut the scallion, ginger, and garlic. Boss Dao was very skilled in cutting, the scallions were chopped into the same length, the ginger was sliced thinly, almost transparent, and the garlic was minced into a garlic paste.
Over a minuteter, the warm water from the water bottle boiled in the pot, producing bubbling noises. Boss Dao carefully lifted the lid and used his long thin knife to deliver the ready scallions, ginger, and garlic inside.
After the lid was closed, Boss Dao ced the chili into a small bowl and some oil into the soup spoon. The spoon of oil was taken near the y burner.
The burning wood in the burner swiftly heated the oil, and when it emanated its rich aroma, Boss Dao mixed the spoon of hot oil into the bowl of chili
Tsss!
A unique sizzling noise came, and the chili inside the bowl was dancing with the hot oil, bing crispy and cooked.
The spiciness tickled Kierans nose, and when it converged with the sourness in the other bowl of vinegar, his appetite was raised.
Kieran unconsciously looked at the iron pot. He was looking forward to the dish.
10 minutes went by.
Minutes felt like years for Kieran, who was waiting in anticipation. When he saw Boss Dao lift the lid and directly slice the pork belly with his knife in the pot, he picked up his chopsticks eagerly.
The ceramic bowl was then used to scoop a bowl of soup from the pot.
A bowl of soup with boiled pork belly was served to Kieran.
Boss Dao also ced the vinegar and chili oil in front of Kieran before raising his hand, saying, Please.
In fact, even without Boss Daos courteous words, Kieran had already dug in.
The meat was soft, it didnt taste like it was boiled for a while. After dipping the meat into the vinegar sauce and chili oil, the taste made Kierans eyes squint in delight.
It tasted nearly as good as Starbecks cooking.
And when he lifted the bowl and finished the soup, Kieran felt like Boss Daos cooking was suddenly on par with Starbecks.
Though, Kieran knew it must be rted to the ingredients Boss Dao chose.
The water, the pork belly, even the spices, were not somemon market ingredients.
But did it matter to Kieran? No.
All Kieran knew it would be best for him to finish everything in the pot.
When Kierans chopsticks finally stopped, the table before his eyes were wiped clean, especially the utensils, they looked like they were freshly washed. Even the sauce te that held the vinegar sauce and chili oil were clean, and not even a drop of soup was left in the pot.
Huu!
Kieran heaved a satisfied breath.
Thank you for your meal, said Kieran.
Kieran was more sincere than usual after having a delicious meal.
No need for thanks. Eckart has paid enough for the meal.
But it is me who should thank you, you made me confirm something that has been troubling me for a long time.
I dont like owing people favors, so...
I can tell you something valuable to repay you, but you also have the choice to choose. Boss Dao waved his hand with a smile.
Why dont... You cook another meal for me? Kieran pointed at the iron pot on the table.
Do you know how valuable this information is? Boss Dao was shocked.
I know, it is as valuable as the dish that the pot cooked.
Boss Dao stared at Kieran nkly.
Then, a sincere smile spread over his face.
Chapter 1389 - Journey
Chapter 1389: Journey
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
No one would hate a person that praised, especially a cook.
When the praise was sincere and true, the praised would be utterly happy.
You cane whenever you want to eat my dishes, but not now. I only cook one dish a day, so you better book your ce before youe, Boss Dao said with a smile.
His tone now sounded friendly, not the courteous kind that hid estranged feelings.
Okay. Kieran nodded.
He was okay with reasonable rules, and moreover, he had his own rule as well: never eat for free.
If you have any trouble, contact me. Ill help you within my reach, consider it meal money.
There were only a few who could reach Starbecks cooking level and since this current dungeon world had no Starbeck, Kieran didnt mind spending effort to taste more dishes from a master with simr level.
Its my debt of gratitude to you, so you dont have to pay. Besides, your choice guilt tripped me. So, as apensation, let me tell you another thing. Be careful of Noroid Church and the Hypnotist Association, Boss Dao said with furrowed brows and a serious tone. Thest sentence was particrly emphasized.
Mn. I know. Kieran wasnt surprised.
Whether it was Noroid Church or the Hypnotist Association, they were all the same in Kierans eyes: unfamiliar.
The only difference between the two was that Kieran had some conflict with the notorious Noroid Church, but it didnt mean he would lean towards the Hypnotist Association.
Even if both organizations were practically hostile against each other, without truly knowing the details inside, simply joining a side wasnt Kierans way of doing things.
Thank you again. Kieran then stood up.
He had eaten the food, so he had a general idea of what Boss Dao was thinking.
He had even gotten some unexpected reward about the mystical realm.
Kieran was greatly confident that the valuable thing that Boss Dao mentioned was rted to the mystical realm.
In fact, only information about the mystical realm would cause Boss Dao, who had absolute confidence in his culinary skills, to belittle his cooking.
But in Kierans eyes, Boss Daos cooking was definitely more valuable than the information about the mystical realm, at least for now.
Thousands of years had flown by, everything was greatly changed by time, and in thisnd where the shadow of the mystical had vanished, Kieran could very well imagine what the current mystical realm would look like.
Broken, living on thest thread or even having lost the intact inheritance.
What was left was probably some bits of records about what happened a thousand years ago, or some little tricks that could deceive normal men.
Other than that, it was impossible.
Otherwise, the current dungeon world wouldnt have formed the Neo Union that centered itself in technological advancement.
Still, Kieran wouldnt underestimate the current mystical realm, he would never underestimate any soul or forces.
He also believed that as long as the shaman show continued airing, those lingering mystics would eventually pay a visit to his door.
Ill send you out. Boss Dao also stood up.
Both of them walked out the room, went over the hall and reached the entrance.
Boss Dao stood at the stone stairs while Kieran changed his shoes.
After nodding at each other, Kieran turned around towards the bamboo forest, and after shuttling through the greens, Kieran saw that the maid they first met was waiting for him.
Sir 2567, please follow me.
As the maid guided Kieran out, he was soon reunited with Eckart, Lyn Amie and the bodyguards again.
Inside a ce simr to the House of Han, Eckart and the others were having tea and pastries, praising how delicious they were.
How was it? What did Boss Dao make for you? How did it taste? It must have tasted nice, right? These weing pastries are already very delicious, I bet the main dish was even better!
Lyn Amie quickly jumped up when he saw Kierane in and went up to him with a barrage of questions. As he asked, his nose moved like a puppy, trying to pick up a scent.
He hoped to sniff the residue of the dish from Kierans body, but unfortunately, he got nothing.
What did you eat? Lyn Amie asked since he didnt get the answer with his nose.
Meat, Kieran replied with a simple answer and saw Eckart, who swept all the pastries into his arms.
Its fine, Boss Dao is very hospitable. He wont mind.
Eckart smiled with ttery when he saw Kierans gaze; his hands, however, werent slow at all. The pastries that looked extremely delicate and emanated an alluring smell were carefully ced on a piece of sugar paper and loaded into a tin can.
The sugar paper and tin can obviously didnte from Boss Dao but Eckart, who came prepared.
Just like Eckart said, Boss Dao was really hospitable. The group, including Gorbor and four more bodyguards, had been eating for almost half a day, yet the leftover pastries were enough to fill two tin cans. When Eckart ced the two tin cans into the bag beside him, Kieran grabbed one along the way.
Mine.
The simple word stated his stance.
Eckart jolted, before he bitterly smile with a nod. He could tell Kieran wasnt joking.
Kierans eyes looked even more serious than when he was facing the boss of the group of thieves.
Eckarts mind was telling him Give it to him, hurry up and give it to him! Or else he will beat you and take both cans!
In the end, despite the heartache, Eckart took thest tin can of pastries and trudged back to the minivan. Kieran, who identally got a new can of pastries, also followed into the minivan in a pleasant mood.
Simr to how they arrived, one van in front and the other behind, the two minivans drove towards Kierans temporary lodging ce.
However, after they left the vi area, Gorbors walkie talkie sounded.
Leader, someone is following us, Gorbors men reported clearly.
Observe the target. Stay alert and be ready, Gorbor ordered his men.
He then told Eckart and Kieran without even turning around, As long as I am live, you will be safe.
Gorbors words sounded decisive, and anyone who heard them would swiftly calm down despite being followed by some unknown party.
Eckart nced at Gorbor with slight gratitude before looking at Kieran, who was touching the can of pastries on his knees with his finger.
Kieran was not affected at all, or rather...
He didnt care about being followed.
Did you notice anything? Eckart asked.
Give me your can of pastry and Ill tell you. Kieran pointed at the bag beside Eckart.
Come on, man, how do you still have the heart to joke now? You... Fine, here. Now, tell me, what did you find?
Unlike Kieran, Eckart would rather choose to solve the unknown danger at hand than keep a can of pastries.
After receiving the bag with the tin can inside and cing his own inside the bag, Kieran said, Stop the car.
Tsssss!
Amidst the breaking noise, the minivan stopped beside the road.
Chapter 1390 - It’s Not Over Yet
Chapter 1390: Its Not Over Yet
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran opened the door, got out of the minivan, and walked towards the back.
However, two stepster, Kieran turned back and took the bag with the two tin cans of pastries on his seat with him.
Its just two cans of pastries! Eckart looked at his coborator with a bitter smile.
Theyre still mine, Kieran said seriously.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, theyre yours, Eckart raised his hands in the air, his bitter smile got denser.
Although they took the pastries from the House of Han, the two tin cans were all that was left. Eckart didnt know why Kieran would be so concerned over some pastries.
Kieran wouldnt tell the director either, because Eckart didnt care. Kieran turned back and took the pastries because he didnt want something terrible to happen to his pastries.
Kieran reached the back of the minivan with the pastries.
The other minivan with Lyn Amie and the rest of the bodyguards soon stopped behind the first, and after Kieran signaled the bodyguards in the second minivan that everything was fine, he waited quietly.
A few secondster, a car appeared within sight.
Although the driver of the car put on makeup, Kieran still recognized the driver with a single nce: Mei Huasheng.
Mei Huasheng also noticed Kieran waiting for her in front, she slowed down and parked her car behind the second minivan.
Kieran went over before she could even get down, opened the back seat door, and sat in.
While looking at Mei Huasheng in the drivers seat, Kieran didnt speak, but he has a guess: she was here by orders.
The guess wasnt that hard though, ording to the series of events, Mei Huasheng should be working on the case of Edwood Mansion, not following him with makeup on.
And based on how strict and old-fashioned she was, she wouldnt have put down the job on her hand.
Unless...
There was something more vital for her to attend to, for example, Kieran, the bastard who could foretell future.
Youre rted to the group of thieves?
Mei Huasheng asked from the driver seat without turning around.
Are you suspecting me being rted to them? Or, did someone tell you everything that happened before was designed and arranged by me because I am the mastermind behind the group of thieves? said Kieran slowly.
Mei Huasheng turned around with a jolt, ring at Kieran.
It is you? she said with an instinctively raised voice.
What do you think? said Kieran while looking at Mei Huasheng with mockery, but of course, he wasnt mocking her.
You are not, said Mei Huasheng in an affirmative tone while shaking her head, her eyes got even sharper.
Your goal shouldnt be some antiques; despite the antiques being priceless, your goal must be greater and more secretive.
And to achieve your goal, you wouldnt have participated in this kind of theft.
That is why when I checked your background, the records showed nothing but some in daily events.
A great disguise should not be astonishing! Your name, your identity, everything about you is falsified, wlessly! Which means you have some dark goals you wish to keep a secret!
Pak Pak Pak.
Kieran slow-pped after he heard what Mei Huasheng said.
Not a bad theory, it almost surprised me, if I did not live a normal life before, I might really have believed you., Kieran pretended to be surprised.
He didnt care whether or not Mei Huasheng was guessing or merely testing him. He knew his identity was wless after he entered this world.
Despite not having any memory, who would have clearly remembered their past?
No one.
So, Kieran was categorized as one of them, a normal man.
Officer Mei, I do have to remind you without solid evidence, your way of following people is against thew.
Suspecting isnt grounded facts, and if there is a next time... I will take legal action against you.
Before giving Mei Huasheng the chance to speak, Kieran pushed the door open and left.
Watching Kieran walk back to the minivan and seeing both the vans leave, Mei Huasheng stopped following them, since she was exposed, following had be useless.
Still, it did not break the female officer.
She took out a recorder in the storagepartment at the passenger seat and hit the y button.
After a while, Mei Huasheng frowned.
Cunning bastard!
Mei Huasheng mmed the recorder down on the passenger seat and stepped on the elerator pedal, bringing the car to life with the engines roar and quickly vanished into the night.
...
What?
Youre saying that Mei Huasheng suspects you as the mastermind behind Edwood Mansion?
Is she crazy?
After listening to what Kieran said, Eckart couldnt hold back his soft cursing of the female officer.
Its not Mei Huasheng, its someone else. She only thought this was a chance for her to get me, so consider it as a...making use of the subject. Kieran smiled without too much concern.
He knew what Mei Huasheng was trying to achieve, so he wasnt afraid.
There is someone else? Dont worry, Ill take care of this.
Eckart wasnt an idiot, Kieran didnt say anything, but it was enough for him to specte who might it be. After all, there were only a handful of rted parties in the Edwood Mansion case.
Then, a sudden realization hit Eckart, he suddenly straightened his body.
You didnt say anything weird, right? Eckart asked Kieran.
What, you think I am an idiot? Kieran replied with a question.
Good, if you said something that you shouldnt, trouble would follow. Eckart was relieved.
Both of them then spent the time casually chatting for the rest of the journey.
But when Eckart saw Kieran lean back and closed his eyes, he was smart enough to stop; he also mimicked Kieran in leaning back, taking a rest.
A whileter, snoring was heard.
Kieran opened his eye slightly, taking a peek at Eckart, he didnt interrupt the director.
Eckarts tiredness wasparable to himself, and in certain aspects, Eckart was even more exhausted then he was.
His bloodshot eyes and dark eye circles had said it all.
After adjusting his posture, Kieran started to think about his uing n.
The live broadcast at the museum significantly increased the reverse energy, and Kieran now had 6 chances to unlock his skills, which meant that single broadcast provided him with 3 opportunities.
Other than this time being a lot more dangerous than the previous shooting, the Shaman shows poprity had begun to spread further and was no longer limited to Rain City alone.
There was no doubt that it was good news, but there was bad news as well. Despite getting 6 chances of unlocks, Kieran still couldnt unlock his Constitution, or rather all the connected skills in one shot; thus, it had slightly affected his uing ns.
I need more than I thought! Guess Ill have to move my schedule ahead a bit.
Kieran ended up adjusting his n again, but changes are always faster than ns.
Just when Kieran was about to enter the final step of adjusting his ns, trying to be as wless as possible, Eckarts phone rang.
The sleepy Eckart woke up and answered the phone with slight anger but a momentter...
Eckarts eyes widened as he cried out in shock, What!? The Curseman Vase is stolen!?
Chapter 1391 - Owner
Chapter 1391: Owner
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran opened his eyes and turned to Eckart, who was still in shock.
Kieran gave Eckart a meaningful nce, and thetter understood right away, exining the situation.
The police and security on duty didnt see the thief?
The Curseman Vase vanished into thin air?
The surveince cameras were taken away for evidence, so it wasnt recorded?
...
After multiple questions on the phone, Kieran, who was listening, couldnt help but frown.
Coincidence! Too coincidental!
Kieran had just solved the theft revolving around the Curseman Vase a few hours ago, caught the group of thieves responsible, and even exposed the curator, Porl Nelson, as one of the masterminds.
But now, a few hourster, the Curseman Vase had vanished?
Although it wasnt his responsibility, Kieran felt provoked.
Hanging up the phone, Eckart looked at Kieran.
Kieran felt provoked, so did Eckart.
Eckart also thought of a lot more things, like those rivals of his that once bowed andplied with him.
He believed that if his rivals had the chance, they would not hesitate to turn around and bite him, because it was what he would do to his opponents.
In fact, both sides were mortal enemies from the beginning, it was just that both sides were holding back before they could indeed wipe out the other.
This case feels wrong. Why dont you go back to the vi first and wait for my investigation? We will then consider whether or not we should intervene.
Eckart was pretty concerned about Kierans reputation.
If it were possible, he would not allow anyone to taint the name Shaman 2567 one bit.
I think its not targeted at you. I know your rivals are hostile, but unless they lose their minds, they wont involve themselves in this case. Kieran shook his head.
Well, who knows, maybe they really did lose their minds!
Eckart leaned his body forward, ced his elbows above his knee, and palms under his chin. He was thinking about which one of his rivals would be so crazy.
Kieran didnt argue with him; neither did he interrupt him because what Eckart said was within the realm of possibilities.
But unfortunately, after 5 minutes of pondering upon the topic, Eckart got nothing.
Now, what should we do?
Wanna go have a look at the museum?
Eckart was asking for Kierans opinion after his fruitless thinking ended.
Believe me, no one can get near the museum now.
The missing vase must have triggered everyone in the police force, whosoever gets close to the ce may have to face the wrath of their guns.
So...
Kieran paused and looked at Eckart with a smile.
Eckart then tacitly said, Gorbor, lets go home. We need a good rest.
Yes, boss, Gorbor replied while driving the van steadily.
...
A good nights sleepter, Kieran appeared before the dining table punctually.
Warm milk, bacon, fried eggs, and a big size steak was prepared by the chef ording to Kierans order.
The morning news on the TV was reporting the vase missing from the museumst night, the news anchor also specially mentioned Kierans performance.
The scene then changed to Officer Lin An. The middle-aged officer had bloodshot eyes and a rough voice when he was interviewed, despite tidying up for the camera, it was enough to say he hasnt slept for the whole night.
The interviewers didnt spare him either.
Each of them tried their best to nitpick the officer, especially the female reporter that was asking right now, shed ask about How did the police protect the vase, why it was stolen after changing the shifts, or questions along simr veins of thought.
After that, the questions were shifted to more general security problems and the safety of the civilians.
Even though the TV screen, Kieran could see how angry Lin An was.
If the conditions allowed it, Kieran believed Lin An would have taught the female reporter who kept prying on his wound an unforgettable lesson.
Shaking his head, Kieran turned the TV off. He didnt want anything to interrupt his wonderful breakfast time.
The ck pepper herbal sauce was poured over the steak skillfully by the chef. Kieran took the fork and knife and quickly separated the steak into 10 portions.
The meat chosen was of excellent quality. It was tender when bitten, and the marbling was rich and vourful.
The sauceplimented the steak by suppressing the gamey smell, but on the downside, the beefs original vor was slightly altered as well.
Suddenly, Kieran thought of Starbeck, followed by Boss Dao.
Maybe I can make a booking?
When the thought bloomed, Kieran uncontrobly hastened his eating.
Although the taste didnt reach his expectations, not wasting food was one of Kierans rules.
After sweeping the food clean, Kieran went to the fixed telephone in the room.
He still didnt get a mobile phone despite Eckarts suggestion.
He wasnt stubborn, though, but he knew how much trickery could be done on a mobile phone.
Before getting back to his prime form, getting a smartphone in his current situation was unsmart for him.
However, before he even picked up the phone, the video door-phone hanging on the wall rang.
Boss, there is a reporter outside who wishes to interview you. One of Gorbors men called in.
No, Kieran rejected without a second thought.
Interviewing him at a time like this would not be good.
Although within the foreseeable future, he would be getting a decent amount of reverse energy, from a big-picture perspective, it would be killing the hen in favor of the eggs.
Kieran would notmit such an act. Besides, he didnt want to be a weapon for others to deal with their enemies.
Kieran had a hunch about what the final goal of the reporter would be.
After getting Kierans reply, the bodyguards started to chase the reporter away. Kieran didnt see the scene, but he heard a female voice calling out sharply.
The people have the right to know!
You should cooperate with me!
The truth is the best reward!
...
Her voice could be heard going on and on, but it didnt change the oue.
The truth is the best reward?
The harshness of the truth will turn this reward into a catastrophe!
More so, did you reallye for the truth?
Kieran muttered to himself as mockery shed over his face.
He didnt mind pursuing the truth, but he knew what the requirement to do so was.
This reporter obviously did note prepared.
Simr to how everyone imed to be on the side of justice, their justice hadnt gone through real tests and tempering, and in the end, it will only be something they hang over their mouths.
Kieran then went over to the phone, trying to make a reservation at Boss Daos ce.
But just like how he was interrupted the first time, the video door-phone rang again the moment Kierans finger touched the phone.
It was the bodyguard again.
Dont tell me it is about the reporter again. Kieran turned around and looked at the little screen.
No, boss. A Mr. Riton Lystie is here for you. He ims to be the owner of the Curseman Vase, and I confirmed his identity with the leader, it turns out to be true.
Do you want to meet him? the bodyguard asked.
The Curseman Vases owner?
A raised browter, thoughts appeared in his eyes before nodding. Bring him in.
Chapter 1392 - Scene
Chapter 1392: Scene
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Riton Lystie was much younger than Kieran had expected. His face was handsome, his hair was brown, and he wore a gray suit; there was also a folded red handkerchief hanging out of the pocket. His gray eyes sized Kieran up curiously.
Behind him were two big bodyguards, looking over the rooms decoration and, at the same time, sizing up Gorbor and two of his men.
It was just a simple check over, not a threat.
As a bodyguard, sizing up others in the same field was nothing much but if there was any provocative action in front of their respective employer, neither of them could have be the best bodyguards in the business.
After all, in the field of a bodyguard, everything depended on the employer.
Hello, 2567.
Hi, Riton Lystie.
As both employers greeted each other, the bodyguards of both sides stopped theirpetitive sizing up of each other and were sensible enough to leave the room.
Water, tea, or coffee?
As the host, Kieran was carrying out his duties.
Water will be fine, Riton Lystie replied, a smile on his face.
After a few minutes of chitchat, both of them sat on the sofa opposite each other and Riton Lystie began the topic he was here for.
2567, I hope you can help me locate the Curseman Vase. It would mean a lot to me and my family, Riton Lystie said sincerely.
I cant make any guarantees. Us shaman have to borrow their eyes, and afterst night...They went off, Kieran answered.
Even if Kieran was a hundred percent confident, he would not give Riton Lystie his word because there was something called idents.
I understand, but I hope you can do your best. Name any kind of payment you want, I will not be stingy if its within my reach.
Riton Lystie nodded, giving quite the promise.
You have to discuss the payment with Eckart. He is the one in charge of everything rted to money. He will be right here anyway. Kieran pushed the matter about money to Eckart, confident he wouldnt be disappointed.
Very well. Riton Lystie wasnt surprised, because a man of his standards barely discussed matters personally, most of which were given to his men to handle.
If it werent for the deep meaning behind the Curseman Vase, Riton Lystie wouldnt be talking to Kieran. After all, after agreeing to exhibit the vase at Rain City Museum, a series of safety precautions were already in ce, like insurance.
In simple words, losing the Curseman Vase would not do any harm to Riton Lystie.
But the problem we have now is how I get into the Rain City Museum. Kieranid his hands open.
Dont worry, leave it to me. Riton Lystie smiled.
...
True to his word, since Riton Lystie, the owner of the missing vase, was on their side, Kieran, Eckart and Lyn Amie entered the museum easier than they had expected.
Of course, Lin An, the officer, was with them the whole time.
However, Lin An looked a lot worse than he had when Kieran saw him in the morning news.
Lin Ans eyes were bloodshot, his shirt not as neat as it was on tv, and he looked worse than Eckart a few days ago.
I am sure this was nned a long time ago. Starting with Porl Nelson colluding with the thieves, everything is part of the bigger scheme. Although the group of thieves from Edwood Mansion really was an ident, it didnt stop them at all and in fact, from a certain aspect, the thieves got even more skilled.
Lin An pulled at his cor to loosen his tie and pointed at the disy case that once held the missing vase.
After the incidentst night, the museum has activated an emergency backup n. Us, the police, and the museum securities, together with two more schrs that worked for the museum and another specialist, moved Curseman Vase into the museum vault together. It was right here!
Lin An brought the group to a sealed-off vault.
With the heavy metallic exterior and solid concrete walls, the looks of the vault made it appear extremely sturdy, tough and highly secured.
Opening the vault requires three keys and a password. The three keys are kept safely by the two schrs and the specialist, and the password was with the curator Porl Nelson. And once the vault is closed, it can only be opened from the outside with the keys and password. Its impossible to open it from the inside. Last night, the vault was closed and tightly sealed, yet the vase inside vanished, Lin An said angrily, puckering his lips.
The two schrs and the specialist were with them as well. Each of them took out their respective keys and inserted them, with the specialist finally keying in the password.
The vault was just as heavy as it looked, the door thicker than expected, requiring two grown men to push it open.
The keys are with you guys all the time? Kieran asked the schrs and specialist.
Yes. The key never leaves me, the three of them replied.
And I only got the passwordst night, the specialist added.
Em.
Kieran nodded without furtherments and walked into the vault.
The vault wasnt big by any means, only around 50 square feet.
Just like what Lin An said, the vault was only used when the emergency backup n was activated.
As for any other time?
It wasnt actually deserted but its usefulness was definitely limited.
Kieran nced at the empty disy case and eventuallynded his attention on one corner of the vault.
There was a modified cart, obviously used to transport the Curseman Vase.
The vase was half a meter tall, weighed a ton, and was made entirely out of gold and silver. A normal man couldnt have moved it alone without damaging it. Even if a strong man could lift it up, the distance traveled with the vase would be extremely short.
Trying to run with the vase?
It was impossible, let alone with a group of police officers and security guards outside the vault.
In Kierans current state, even he was not confident enough to fool past that many eyes to get to the vase.
How can a normal man steal the vase with all these security and safety measures?
Lyn Amie, who was behind Kieran, sized up the surroundings and muttered softly.
His voice was indeed soft but since everyone was quiet, so his words were heard clearly.
And when everyone heard what the makeup artist said, a thought bloomed in their minds and they turned their attention to Kieran.
A normal man couldnt steal the vase, but what if the thief wasnt a man? Or normal at all?
Chapter 1393 - Ambush Attack
Chapter 1393: Ambush Attack
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran avoided the gaze of the group and continued his meticulous check on the vault.
A normal man couldnt do it, but neither could an unusual one.
If it was another dungeon world, Kieran might not have been so sure but here, he was a hundred percent certain.
Whether it was the system background introduction or the books that he has read in the past few days, everything stated that the mystical realm had be a remnant of time.
Could the mystical realm be hiding behind the scene and controlled the front?
Should that be true, Kieran, the well-known shaman would have been visited by rted mystics by now and not roaming freely like now.
As long as the mystical realm kept a little bit of power, they wouldnt be so quiet and surely there will be an organization of sorts.
Only the minority was willing to settle down inly, the majority would fight for a higher position and try to be sessful.
And because the mystical realm was already failing from the start, the Neo Union that had eliminated them also treated them as rumours and legends.
Kieran was also sure about another thing: when the Neo Union first formed, there must have been an organization that was specially created to target the existing mystics and there also must be some data or information on that.
However, all of that was history now.
In this peaceful time, where a humans average lifespan was around 70 years old, a thousand years was too long, to the point that anything could be wiped away from humanitys memory.
War hastened the process. No matter how good or intact an organization and its data was preserved, once caught in the fog of war, nothing woulde out unscathed.
Based on what Kieran knew, throughout the thousand years of the Neo Union, many major and minor wars had urred, more than 10 times over the millennium and almost once every hundred years.
As for the wars off the records? Kieran believed there were a lot more of those.
Therefore, the missing vase would not be the work of a mystic. It must be some normal human, just that the methods used were umon and hard to discover, thus making the scene looked like something a mystic would have done.
Soon, Kieran discovered traces.
He found a single speck of golden dust in a corner of the vault.
It was tiny, almost as small as dust. If he didnt possess remarkable eyesight and sensitivity towards gold, Kieran would have missed it.
Kieran touched the speck of gold subtly and turned to the cart again, noticing two more specks of gold.
Is this...
Suddenly, a bold thought appeared in Kierans mind.
He turned around and strode outside the vault.
Kieran stood at the corridor and looked towards the end.
There is an office there right? Kieran asked.
Yes, it was the curators office. The museum specialist answered with a nod.
I see, Kieran muttered.
2567, you already know what happened?
Riton Lystie, who had been watching Kieran, walked over.
After the vault was opened, Riton Lysties eyes scanned the interior, hoping to find something but nothing came into his mind. Kieran, on the other hand, seemed to have noticed something.
It surprised Riton Lystie and at the same time piqued his curiosity.
Hmm. There are some clues, but I still need more proof. Kieran then turned to the makeup artist.
Lyn Amie then quickly took out the thermo sk with Kierans special drink from his backpack.
Everyone saw Kierans face turning pale, drenched in sweat and panting heavily.
The confused group looked at each other, hoping for an answer.
Only Lyn Amie and Eckart, who knew a little something, stood beside Kieran with a worried look, afraid that Kieran might fall down.
As a matter of fact, after multiple times exhausting his stamina and even overusing his body, Kieran had slowly gotten used to his weak state.
Even during his first time, Kieran could control himself, unlike now, where he was panting hard and sweating heavily. Therefore, he was acting for the group to see.
Also, Kieran wouldnt exin why, because any exnation was unnecessary.
He knew the answer to himself from himself was the most convincing.
Im fine.
Kieran tiredly waved his hand at Lyn Amie and Eckart, he then twisted the thermo sk open and took big gulps of his drink.
A heavy cocoa smell filled the corridor.
Lin An couldnt help but move his nose, his gaze at Kieran once again.
But he wasnt out of the blue though, because everyones gaze at Kieran changed also.
The exhaustion on Kierans face was obvious but Kieran hadnt even taken a step.
What, then, had exhausted Kieran so heavily?
Whispering to the dead!
The thought appeared in everyones minds almost instantaneously.
Everyone looked around unconsciously, shuddering uncontrobly as though an invisible hand had touched their body.
The disgust towards the dead in their mind urged them to leave the ce. Even Eckart, who was the closest to Kieran, wanted to leave.
Only Lyn Amie, the makeup artist who was a little sloppy, didnt notice a thing.
Mr. Lystie, can I speak to you alone? Its about the vase, Kieran said.
Sure! We will talk outside, theres a 24 hour coffee shop opposite, Riton Lystie said eagerly.
However, the lessons in manners that Riton Lystie had received as a child didnt allow him to walk before Kieran, so he waited for him to move before he followed.
As Kieran had depleted his stamina, he walked very slowly.
Looking at how Kieran walked, Riton Lystie wanted to help him out of the museum, if it wasnt for his manners.
Riton Lystie was also certain that Kieran had exhausted a great amount of stamina, otherwise he wouldnt walk this slow and weak, like an old man.
A disguise? Riton Lystie believed what he saw since he was meters away from Kieran.
More than 10 minutester, the group entered the coffee shop.
Kieran had mostly recovered his stamina but he was still acting tired. He sat down and told the waiter, Give me all the desserts on the menu.
He had tried the desserts here before, not outstanding but an effort was made.
Okay, mister. The waiter didnt say anything else to Kieran andpany.
Aside from Eckart who bought out the coffee shop yesterday, Kieran himself was convincing enough already.
Following the morning news, Kierans poprity had surge once more.
As the desserts were served one by one, everyone, other than Riton Lystie, left the table and sat somewhere else.
Mr. Lystie, before this, who else in your family had ess to the vase?
Kieran stuffed an Almond Brownie into his mouth before he asked.
You are saying? Riton Lystie was stunned for a moment before reacting to the question.
As the first in line to inherit a big family, Riton Lystie wasnt an idiot.
An idiot would never be the first heir to Lystie Family.
Mn. Just like what you think, its... CAREFUL!
Kieran nodded and wanted to continue but before he could finish, his face changed drastically.
He pulled Riton Lystie away and hid behind the chairs.
Then
Dak Dak Dak Dak Dak Dak Dak.
Machine gun bullets turned the seats of Kieran and Riton Lystie into beehives.
Chapter 1394 - I Don’t Believe
Chapter 1394: I Dont Believe
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The gunshots sounded in an instant. Gorbor grabbed Eckart and Lyn Amie and pushed them to the floor, kicking over the wooden dining table to use as a shield.
The dining table was not of much use in blocking the shooting, but after the stray bullets prated the walls, windows and seats, the table became an important line of defense. As long as none of them got hit in their weak spots, they would not die, at most suffering some flesh wounds.
Three of Gorbors men dodged the bullets trajectory skillfully, attacking the car outside the coffee shop window without orders from their leader.
Bang Bang Bang Bang!
Muzzle shes shone relentlessly.
Aside from Gorbors men, Lin An and the bodyguards from Riton Lystie joined the fight as well.
Momentster, the bodyguards and the sole officer managed to suppress fire from the unknown assant.
Further away at the museum, when the security guards heard the gunshots, they rushed to the scene too.
The assant in the car noticed things were going south, thus quickly driving away.
Go! Go after him! Ill freaking throw the bastard behind bars forever!
Lin An lost his temper after the gunshots, since he had endured quite a lot of me for losing Curseman Vase. No one would feel good after being showered by bullets from a machine gun.
Moreover, if either 2567 or Riton Lystie were hurt, or worse, dead, due to the gunshots, Lin An would fall into the worst possible situation. 2567 was the most popr person in recent times and Riton Lystie was the heir to a family that had deep connections with powerful people in the Neo Union.
Should any one of them get hurt or die, Lin An would not only have to remove his badge, he might also face prosecution.
So, Lin An dashed into his cruiser and chased the fleeing car.
After the gunshots stopped, Riton Lystie tried to get up but was pressed down by Kieran before he could do so.
Be careful of snipers, Kieran said softly.
Riton Lysties face turned sour right away.
Although it was just a possibility, Riton Lystie knew Kierans words werent crazy talk.
Right after that, Riton Lystie signaled to his bodyguards; Gorbor also made a move.
Five minutes after the assant car drove off, Gorbor finally gave the signal, stating the coast was clear.
After standing up, Riton Lystie swept away the courteous and warm manner and said with a never before seen seriousness, Thank you, 2567. I am forever in your debt. I swear on my familys name that you will be an important friend to me.
Mr. Lystie, I was also saving myself. I was also within the firing range.
Kieran smiled and waved his hand.
Kieran had saved Riton Lystie from the gunshots to protect his reputation. Other than that, it was just an instinctive action taken along the way.
Had the situation been beyond his reach, Kieran would have only saved himself, even if he had to bear the name of putting customers in harms way.
But you pulled me back to safety at thest moment. So you did save my life. And 2567, just call me Riton. Riton Lystie shook his head.
It was true that Riton Lystie was saved, and if he ignored the fact, how would the public view him? The Lystie family would never allow an ungrateful person to be its leader, at least not in front of the public.
Fine, Riton. But I think you should get more reliable bodyguards. It seems like their target wasnt just the Curseman Vase, said Kieran.
They realized that even if I lost the vase, it wouldnt affect my identity as first in line to inherit the family. Riton Lystie coldly grunted and looked gloomy.
Kieran saw how Riton Lystie reacted but he didnt say anything.
The internal conflict of a big family was not of Kierans interest. He neither wanted to be involved or participate.
Kieran then turned around and walked towards Eckart and Lyn Amie, who were still frightened.
How are you doing? Kieran asked.
S-Still holding up.
Eckart showed a smile uglier than his crying face, while the makeup artist was pale as paper and could only nod.
After a long rest, Eckart finally returned to normal.
What should we do next? Eckart asked.
You can go to Riton Lystie and collect the payment we deserve. And me? Ill go take a walk, Kieran said casually.
Take a walk? Eckart looked at Kieran with doubtful gaze, but before he could further ask anything, Kieran waved at Gorbor and walked out.
Eckart heaved a breath of relief when he saw Gorbor was apanying Kieran.
With Gorbor around, it wouldnt be a problem if Kieran decided to take a stroll.
Just as Eckart wanted to walk over to Riton Lystie, he saw Lyn Amie when he turned around. The makeup artist was still quite frightened and it forced Eckart to stop by him.
Since they had spent a few days together, plus the sudden gunshots, Eckart had already began treating the kind makeup artist as one of his own.
So, when he saw how frightened Lyn Amie was, he couldnt help but tap his shoulder for somefort.
Dont worry, its over now. Its just some lousy ident, Eckart said.
Em. But, but... Lyn Amie nodded, but he was stuttering with his words.
But what? Eckart was baffled.
Lyn Amie didnt know how to convey the message, so he pointed to the window where the gunshots came in instead.
What about that ce? Eckart still did not notice anything wrong after a long stare.
T-The pastries. 2567s pastries were all destroyed! Lyn Amie finally spilled out what he was trying to convey.
Eckart jolted. His eyes then saw the sttered pastries all over the ce.
Most pastries would break into pieces when they fell on the ground, let alone being shot by bullets. If the makeup artist did not remind him of this, Eckart would have forgotten about the two tin cans.
Its just some pastries. Ill find someone to prepare more for 2567. I know 2567 is gluttonous, but he wouldnt go after the armed thugs because of some pastries. Im sure of that, Eckart said with a strong tone and looked confident.
Simr to how fear was infectious, confidence was too. Lyn Amie also nodded when he saw the confidence in Eckart.
Hmm, you are right. I know 2567 hates people interrupting his mealtime or wasting food, but he wouldnt have gone after the armed thugs because of some pastries right?
Right, you are overthinking. How could that happen? Eckartughed.
Then, he went over to Riton Lystie.
He didnt believe someone would seek revenge from dangerous armed thugs because of some pastries, but...
Whether or not he believed it, it didnt mean it would never happen.
There are some things in the world that are exactly that bizzare.
Chapter 1395 - The Wrath of Pastry
Chapter 1395: The Wrath of Pastry
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Hiller saw the police cruiser on his tail through the back mirror. His eyes werent showing panic at all since things were going as nned, and he told his coborator in the passenger seat, Hey Joe, go show them what were made of!
Leave it to me!
After the blurry reply, Hillers partner who seemed to be intoxicated by drugs, shouted and moved his body out of the window with the assault rifle, firing backwards at the police.
Dak Dak Dak Dak!
Shots were fired, the police cruisers that were chasing the thugs were slightly affected.
Unluckily, one of the drivers of the cruiser was shot in the arm.
Bang!
Bang Bang!
Despite the wounded officer trying his best to hold on, he lost control of his arm, crashing his cruiser into the one beside him and triggering a chain reaction, with a few police cruisers crashed together.
Hahahaha! See that!? See that?! A perfect and grand performance!
Joe was shouting loudly despite his blurry mind, the finger on the trigger still tight, the gun firing non-stop and bullets flying out like fireworks.
A sharpshooter was scary, but a poor shooter was scarier because you never knew where the stray bullets wouldnd. Joe was exactly the embodiment of that poor shooter.
The drugs that he took made him high as the sky, everything in his eyes looked like nothing but entertainment under the influence of drugs.
Entertainment was only enjoyable when the person was happy.
Therefore, when the first magazine of the assault rifle was depleted, Joe reloaded a new one into it.
The assault rifle gunshots became the only melody in the morning street, where panicked screams and painful cries became the apanying music.
But Joe didnt care, he was beyond himself and had forgotten everything else.
Joe didnt notice the unusual expression on his partners face, the slight sneer with a harsh coldness.
When Joe finished the second round and went to load a third, the car he was in suddenly braked.
Pak!
The magazine fell on the floor.
What the hell are you doing Hiller? Joe shouted, but his partner didnt even reply.
Instead, Hiller turned the car around and drove towards the police behind him. His leg pushed down on the elerator and then ced a heavy loaded package over the pedal to rece his foot before he jumped off the car.
Two rounds of tumbling on the groundter, Hiller, who had some scratches, didnt even spare a nce at the intense crash behind him, sprinting towards the convenience store, which was part of his n.
MOVE!
Bang!
The gunshot was the best source of intimidation, the people in the convenience store already frightened by the chase scene on the road, swarming out like bees as Hiller strode towards the back door of the convenience store.
He had prepared enough supplies necessary for his escape.
He was quite confident that he could escape Rain City.
Hiller pushed open the back door and strode towards the garbage bin, where he hid his bag of escape supplies, but when he opened the lid, he was stunned.
The bag of supplies wasnt there!
Someone took it?
No! Impossible!
The garbage bin here was cleaned once every two days and the convenience store only brought out their garbage at night.
It was morning, which meant no one should be able to notice the bag Hiller hid here.
Are you looking for this?
Suddenly, a heavy, hoarse voice sounded behind Hiller.
Who the?!
Hiller turned around out of instinct and his gun followed the motion towards his back, however, the person behind him was faster than expected.
Pak!
The moment Hiller finished his turn, he was disarmed and the gun was kicked away.
Then...
A sky full of kicking mirages!
Hiller was like a small boat in the middle of a storm, kicks after kicks, thebo drowned himpletely.
Bang Bang Bang!
As the kicks broke Hiller bone by bone, he somehow heard some very confusing words.
This kick is for my Honey Apricot Mousse!
This kick is for my Kirstol Chocte!
This kick is for my Mango Camaro!
This kick is for my Matcha Red Bean Pie!
This kick is for my Half-Boiled Cream Pudding!
...
What? Why are those all names of desserts?
Did I not pay for my meal? But I never ordered dessert in my life?
What the hell is happening?
With unsolved questions lingering in his head, Hiller was knocked out cold on the ground.
Kieran gave another kick to Hillers face before he stopped.
He then grabbed Hillers bag before walking out the back alley of the convenience store.
As he walked, he collected all the things on his shoes and coat that might leave behind a trace and put them into the stic bag that he had prepared.
When he got back to the minivan, he changed back to his ck T-shirt, jeans and sneakers.
Lets go. Kieran said after he got in.
Yes boss. Gorbor didnt ask anything and started the van.
As the ace bodyguard, Gorbor knew what he should ask and what shouldnt.
After driving away from this block, Kieran purposely ordered Gorbor to drive further away before he threw away the stic bag and Hillers bag into the garbage bin.
The bag from Hiller had quite a lot of money, despite the fact that he knew the money should be clean, it was useless to Kieran, so throwing it away was not a burden for him.
When Kieran went back to the coffeeshop, Riton Lystie already left with his bodyguards.
Things went smoothly.
Where did you go? Eckart waved at Kieran before asking.
Took a walk. Kieran replied without showing any extra expression.
I thought you went to look for troubles with the armed thugs! Eckart joked.
Look for trouble? No, I would never. Kieran said seriously.
I went to punish them.
Kieran added in his heart before sitting down on the chair and closed his eyes.
Eckart who already understood Kierans habits wisely shut his mouth. Simrly, he himself was also tired from all the work and after the attack, Eckart needed to rest to recover.
Only Lyn Amie the makeup artist was still energetic.
He widened his eyes at Kieran, sizing him up quietly.
He felt like Kieran was not telling something.
He must have lied!
Lyn Amie was almost certain since he did work with a lot of actors and actresses, but that was it.
Question Kieran?
The makeup artist would never dare.
...
Meanwhile, Lin An, with blood over his forehead, rushed into the back alley of the convenience store.
With a single nce, the officer spotted the thug that was somehow deformed.
The other angry officers that followed Lin An into the alleyway also spotted the man...
Well, it would be considered a man, even though other than the shape, there was no other distinctive features left.
Did he get stomped on by an elephant?
No, it seems like he got rammed over by a rhino.
Damn!
This is brutal.
The discussion from his colleagues made Lin An frown.
Somehow, his mind reminded him of a person.
There was no solid evidence pointing to the person but the thought wouldnt leave Lin Ans mind.
Call the ambnce!
And... search the area, set up a perimeter within the next three blocks! Lin An ordered.
Then, he turned around, running towards his cruiser.
He had to verify something and the sooner, the better.
Chapter 1396 - Who Doesn’t Have Their Own Little Thoughts?
Chapter 1396: Who Doesnt Have Their Own Little Thoughts?
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
I am thankful to Shaman 2567, who help me locate the Curseman Vase!
There is no doubt about his abilities, and he will always be my friend.
...
Riton Lystie was holding a press conference on TV.
A brilliant guy. The Lystie Family is really lucky to have him.
Eckart was praising Riton Lysties speech on the TV with a click of his tongue. On the other hand, Kieran, who didnt care about the press conference, was stuffing pastries from House of Han into his mouth one after another.
It was the promise between Eckart and Riton Lystie.
Eckart requested a part of the payment in cash, and the other part was to cooperate with him to build up the reputation of Shaman 2567.
Eckart already told Kieran in detail while they were in the minivan, so Kieran wasnt surprised at all. More so, the pastries in his hand looked more appealing.
The sweetness that spread on his taste buds was very satisfying.
Kieran didnt care about Eckart or Lyn Amies attention and squinted his eyes in delight.
Arent you a little too stingy? Eckart crossed his arms and said.
This is mine, Kieran emphasized.
Fine, fine, its yours, all yours.
Though, I really wanted to know what was up with the missing Curseman Vase.
Eckart asked out of curiosity.
Lyn Amie also looked at Kieran curiously.
The Curseman Vase was swapped with a replica before it went in for exhibition at the museum.
Its just a gold-ted ceramic vase, with quite the weight, though.
Kieran stuffed a round honey cheese pastry into his mouth before talking slowly.
The vase was swapped? Then the vault...
Thats a joke. Giving three keys to three individuals without any special training, I have over a hundred ways to make a copy of their keys without being noticed.
Kieran carefully closed the box with half of the pastries left after a quick nce.
He wanted to save it for the reading session at night. Having tea and pastries while reading would be quite enjoyable.
But what about the password? Even if you can get a copy of the keys, why would Porl Nelson give you the password? Lyn Amie looked confused with furrowed brows.
If he had no selfish movies, of course not. But would you count on a person who affiliates himself with thieves to be clean?
He must have made more than one n to ensure the safety of the process, and I am confident that the fake Curseman Vase is inside Porl Nelsons office. Though, the gold on the surface should be gone, leaving only nothing but pieces of the ceramic vase, said Kieran.
Which means... the one who stole Curseman Vase is also affiliated with Porl Nelson?
Eckart and Lyn Amie looked at teach other in confusion, thetter then asked with an unsure tone.
Em. More precisely, I think the thieves approached Porl Nelson first, and after they knew about his little bad habit, the thieves tricked him and lured him into the trap. Kieran nodded.
Then, are the thieves affiliated with the ones who attacked Riton Lystie? Lyn Amie asked after the sudden realization hit him.
Just when Kieran was about to answer the question, Goror walked in.
Boss, Officer Lin is here.
Because of Lin Ans identity, Eckart couldnt reject the request.
However, when he walked into the vi, saw the news on the TV, Lin Ans already pale face because of the loss of blood looked even uglier.
We found a suspect in the back alley of a convenience store, he should be the one who attacked you and Riton Lystie, but the man was brutally beaten and is in aa now.
The officer was stating what happened just now, and his eyes were glued to Kieran. The moment his words faded, he quickly added: 2567, is it you who attacked the suspect?
The question came out fast and abrupt. Most people would show an unusual expression on their face after they were asked a question should they be guilty, but Kieran had been through a lot of questioning like this.
No. I am a shaman, not a hero. I am not stupid enough to engage an armed thug barehanded, Kieran replied calmly.
The suspect is kicked into aa. Lin Ans eyes got sharper.
So, you want to check my shoes?
Theyre on the shoe rack at the entrance, the ck one, the first pair on the first row is mine, Kieran pointed at the door.
I want to understand something.
The case about the missing Curseman Vase, what is it about?
Lin An took a nce at the door before turning back to Kieran.
Since Kieran dared to lead him there, Lin An knew he wouldnt get anything from Kierans shoes.
And until now, he didnt spot any inklings on Kieran, not even a bit of unusual behavior.
But somehow, the suspicion in his heart grew stronger.
You should ask Riton Lystie, not us. Kieran didnt speak anymore, it was Eckart who took the initiative to reply as he rejected the officer before him with a smile.
Fine, Ill go ask him. If there is anything else, Ill pay a visit again, so 2567, try not to leave the city for the time being, Lin An then stood up and was ready to leave.
We will be d to cooperate, Eckart replied with a smile.
Lin An nodded and headed towards the gate, and when he reached the gate, Lin An turned around and suddenly said, Thank you.
What? Kieran looked at the officer with a confused face.
Lin An saw the confusion on Kierans face, and he couldnt help but frown. In the end, he shook his head.
Nothing. The officer then pushed the door open and left.
Eckart couldnt hold back his puckered lips when he saw the closed gate.
He is harder to deal with than Mei Huasheng.
I bet if 2567 said, Youre wee, he would pull out his handcuffs and pull you back to the station.
But, who in the world attacked the armed thug, though? Eckart asked.
Who knows. Maybe its Riton Lysties secret card that he hid somewhere, Kieran shifted the responsibility to the vase owner.
Mm, maybe. With the Lystie Familys background, there might really be some shadow warrior or something like that around, Eckart thought for a while and nodded.
Shadow warrior?
Ya, on top of that, its one of a kind. Kieran then curled his lip into a grin.
...
Sharp observation.
Vignt and rmed.
Has strong hypnosis techniques and...
Even knows something that we dont.
Riton Lystie was sitting in a car, talking slowly to the person across from him.
The person was adyNuna, the person-in-charge of the Rain City Hypnotist Association.
Chapter 1397 - Unlock. Doubts
Chapter 1397: Unlock. Doubts
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Even while shying away from her gypsy outfit, Nunas manner of dress was still as provocative. She was carefully listening to Rito Lysties description of Kieran.
When she heard about something we dont know part, her eyes shone.
Is it music or dance? Nuna asked.
No. As a matter of fact, I am still not sure what it is, but its certainly not some act or pretentious bluff, Riton Lystie shook his head and replied seriously.
Is that so?
When Nuna heard it wasnt rted to music or dance, her face showed obvious disappointment, but at the next moment, the frustration vanished. She looked up at Riton Lystie and asked, So what are you going to do next?
What am I going to do? Follow the n, of course. I really cant wait for it!
After all, I did almost lose the real Curseman Vase to fish this guy out.
Riton Lystie was softly speaking like he was talking to his lover, but the viciousness in his eyes was unconceble.
Nuna shook her head at her partner.
She did not like the look on her partners face, but she knew if her partner were that kind of kind and ignorant boy, he wouldnt be her partner in the first ce.
The arrows from the dark and secretive attack from within the family would have killed him one thousand times over.
Do you need help? Nuna asked.
Although she didnt like him, as partners, she was still willing to lend a hand, like right now.
But of course, necessary payment was required.
No need. This is my hunt. Besides, Nuna, you should really pay attention to the Noroid Church. I dont think they hit the soldier rehabilitation center just for kicks.
And 2567! If its possible, I hope that he can join us. He really is a decent guy.
When Kieran was mentioned, it reminded Riton Lystie of that dangerous moment where Kieran saved him from the bullets. Although the fall was painful,pared to the flying bullets, falling down made him feel more relieved.
It has been a while since Riton Lystie felt relieved, and he didnt mind feeling so once more.
Then, what else was more relieving than recruiting Kieran as his partner?
I know. I was rejected once, but I will seed next time. Nuna then pushed the car door open and left.
Riton Lystie couldnt help but shake his head as he saw Nuna off.
He knew there were still a lot of things to be done to recruit Kieran to their ranks, but Nuna having confidence was a good thing.
Lets go, Riton Lystie spoke to the driver.
The car roared to life and drove off. Two more vehicles with bodyguards drove in from another street, joining Riton Lystie before the three vehicles drove away from Rain City.
Riton Lystie left Rain City quietly, but he did inform others, though.
Other than Nuna, Eckart received the message as well, because...
Kieran still didnt want to get a mobile phone.
The message was brief, simple greetings, see you again next time and things like that, Riton Lystie also reminded Eckart to get more bodyguards.
Eckart, who had just survived a shooting, took the reminder to heart.
Therefore, there were 6 more bodyguards hired in the vi Kieran was staying. They were still Gorbors men, and even if they werent the aces in the field, they were still some of the best.
Eckart also moved in with Kieran at the vi. It was Gorbors suggestion, though.
Boss, I dont think you should the protection split up.
There are a lot of rooms in the vi, you can move in anytime.
It wouldnt just be more convenient, we will be able to protect you more efficiently.
Eckart was good at listening to suggestions, and Kieran didnt dislike a person that would follow his rules.
As for Lyn Amie, the makeup artist? He didnt have a say in this, but he was the one happiest after Eckart moved in.
Because when Kieran concentrated on something, Lyn Amie would at least have someone to talk to, just like now, after Kieran went down to the underground training room.
2567 goes down there every day?
Eckart only knew a little about Kierans daily routines and habits, not in great detail.
Mhmm. He is like a robot, Lyn Amie nodded.
He is really a workaholic, Eckartmented.
He then took the two thick stacks of documents and ced them on the tea table.
As the poprity of the Shaman show surged, many creative ideas were gathered, but more importantly, many ces that werebeled as haunted and ominous had appeared.
Eckart, of course, wouldnt give the documents to Kieran directly, and even after his assistant went through the ideas a few times and selected the good ones, he would only be at ease if he went through them again.
I have to work now, dont disturb me, Eckart told Lyn Amie without even looking at him.
Lyn Amie, who was about to say something shut up right away, stood up and walked to the corner of the living hallon top of the table, there was a book.
Lyn Amie thought he could cure his boredom with Eckart, but it seemed like he was a little too optimistic.
Lucky, I still have you, Lyn Amie muttered.
Time flew faster under concentration.
The Shaman show was airing two to three times a week now, and the contents varied from many different themes. From the more straightforward stage performance to the harder outdoor shooting, everything was being aired in the best way possible with Eckarts meticulous nning.
So, it was natural that the name Shaman 2567 grew at an exponential rate; at the same time, Kieran was getting more and more reverse Energy.
When reverse energy was umted to 20 times, unlock, Kieran tried to unlock his Constitution again, and finally, he got something different.
[Activated reverse Energy to unlock Constitution, authentication starting...]
[Energy reach the mark, authentication passed!]
[Constitution reached B rank!]
.....
B?!
Not Strong I?!
Kieran jolted and frowned unconsciously.
The scene before him was different than what he expected.
In his original thought, once he unlocked himself from the sealed state, he would have returned to his prime form, but the facts proved that it was much harder than he had expected.
And...
Why would it be B rank and not S?
Whenever a Basic skill reaches Transcendence, if your stats arent more than B rank, you can increase them by leveling the skill!
Almost out of instinct, Kieran thought of the words Lawless once told him.
Transcendence?
B rank stats and attributes?
What is the connection?
Standing in the shadows, Kieran, who never believed in coincidences, went into deep thought.
Chapter 1398 - Sudden
Chapter 1398: Sudden
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Unconsciously, Kieran walked over to the chair from his secluded spot.
Bang, bang bang.
When he turned around and sat on the chair, his fingers were mindlessly tapping the armrest again.
Everyone has their own habits, especially when deep in thought.
Kieran preferred to sit on a chair or sofa, holding his chin with one hand while he tapped on the armrest with the other hand. It allowed him to concentrate.
A normal persons highest stats are around E+. After reaching the limit, without any special aid, theres no way amon man could go beyond the limit. What about something other than amon man? Something more powerful? There must be a limit as well, and this limit would probably be B rank!
Kierans finger-tapping paused as he rted into more things.
Character Model Temte Limit.
Talents.
And... Chosen Ones!
The shackles of amon man dont apply to those with gifts, and for chosen ones, the shackles of the gifted ones doesnt apply. However, theres only a slim chance for such a person to exist. Even in terms of a country, there might be only one in a few decades or even a hundred years. But... In the game, the big city, this rate is amplified, because of Golden Attribute Points! It infinitely shortens the distance between amon man and a Chosen one. Although there is still a cost to pay by risking ones life, it is better than beingpletely hopeless.
Kieran suddenly thought of the history of the real world. Those ancient generals during the war era who fought off a thousand men alone, with only sharp weapons, those brave warriors with superhuman strength, those wisemen who could calcte every possibility and maybe even predict the future, no doubt all of them were gifted people, and maybe some of them were Chosen Ones.
Back in the ancient times, these gifted ones or even Chosen Ones were outstanding among the normal people. Kieran could picture the despair their enemies had to face during the war.
Huu!
Kieran sighed softly, he was grateful and also deeply felt the... kindness.
The kindness that was given by the big city in the game.
The game gave these normal people a chance. It had a cost but at least after paying the price, the hard working souls would be rewarded.
Kieran believed it deeply, therefore he believed the kindness from the big city, at least for now.
Kindness, kindness... Kieran was mumbling to himself.
A weird smile then appeared over his face.
I see. Kieran muttered.
He then stood up from the chair as his mind provided him with an idea.
He had no evidence to support his guess at the moment, but it didnt stop him from altering his ns again for this particr guess.
Unlocking Constitution for the first time took me two weeks time... If my guess is correct, I may be running out of time... Should I move something up the schedule?
Kieran then walked over to the sandbag and training equipment.
After unlocking his Constitution from the sealed state, he felt like he had recovered from a great illness, he felt refreshed, but he didnt forget he had to quickly adapt to his new body.
Another round of training started.
Constitution reaching B rank allowed Kieran to have sufficient Stamina to train his plethora of skills and it also granted him more concentration to notice small details that he had neglected before.
When Kieran started to chase after these small details, the skill-rted knowledge that he had gained in the past and was branded in his brain slowly reappeared.
A deeper understanding appeared in Kierans heart, causing him to train harder but a whileter, a message from above interrupted him, forcing to stop his excited training.
Kieran wiped his sweat off with the towels, walking up towards the living room and the moment he reached the surface, he saw Lin An with a heavy face.
It must be anything but good news, Kieran thought, but he still asked Eckart.
What happened?
Since Lin An was back, Kieran had no way to dodge him anymore, otherwise Eckart wouldnt have interrupted his training.
Mei Huasheng is missing. Eckart told Kieran softly after going up to him. He even signaled Kieran with a meaningful gaze.
Kieran nodded and went over to Lin An.
2567, did Mei Huasheng look for you? Lin An asked anxiously after Kieran sat down in front him. The anxiety on the officers face was obvious.
No. You know, Mei Huasheng and I are not that close. She tried to follow me and it worsened the rtionship. So...
Kieran shrugged and didnt continue but his meaning was self-exnatory.
Lin An would be finding the wrong person here if he was asking for Mei Huasheng.
Im sorry. I apologize on behalf of her.
She is not a bad person, its just that her ways of doing things are a little strict and old-fashioned. Lin An bitterlyughed and took a deep breath.
Then, the officer continued in an embarrassed tone, C-Can you...
No. Before Lin An even finish his sentence, Kieran rejected.
Why? If its because of the less pleasant rtionship between you and her, I can apologize again andpensate you rightfully, as long as you can locate her.
Lin An looked at Kieran with a shocking expression before exining in a rushed tone.
How long has she been missing? Kieran asked without answering the question.
A week! She is a very strict person and follows the rules tightly. Even if she is on a mission, she would call me and report in everyday during a specific time. But a week ago, the calls stopped. I went over to her ce to find her but based on the expiration date on the milk in her refrigerator, she hasnt been there for at least a month. We expanded our range to search for her but its like she vanished into thin air! Not only her, even her car didnt leave any trails! I am here to ask for you help after we have exhausted all our methods and still cant find her. I hope you can help us. Lin An said sincerely.
I really want to but a week is too long. Its beyond my league. Kieran shook his head in regret.
It wasnt lies or to brush Lin An off though, but the simple truth.
[Tracking]s sight might be powerful but not almighty, traces and trails left behind would disappear with time or rain.
Why was the city named Rain City?
Because of the rainy weather all year long.
In fact, the downpour had been going on for the past three days.
The rain was merciless outside the window.
I see... Lin An sighed and leaned on the sofa helplessly and limp.
Kieran stood up, and wanted to return to his training.
Since he couldnt help, he might as well leave.
However, the moment Kieran turned around, the house phone of the vi rang.
Riiing! Riiing Riing!
Chapter 1399 - As You Expected
Chapter 1399: As You Expected
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Everyone in the living room had a bad feeling when the phone suddenly rang.
Kieran waved at Eckart who was trying to answer the phone, then answered the phone himself.
Hello.
Sir 2567, its great that you are the one who answered. It really saves me a lot of unnecessary trouble and time. I bet you know why Im calling. Well then... Do you want to save Officer Mei Huasheng?
After Kieran answered the phone, the voice from the other end spoke through a voice changer, concealing age and gender, just releasing a sharp and irritating noise.
Kieran didnt ask questions like who are you, instead he quietly signaled Gorbor to search the area.
Gorbor nodded quickly and went out of the living room.
This mysterious person was able to precisely grasp Lin Ans whereabouts and after the officer came in, the phone rang.
Kieran did not believe this person was a irvoyant.
So, he was either being followed or being watched, or both.
In fact, it was just as Kieran expected.
A second after Gorbor left the living room, he found the stalker.
He was wearing a raincoat, standing in the middle of the rain, and the moment he saw Gorbor, the stalker lifted one side of his raincoat up, revealing the contents of what he was wearing.
Gorbor, who was about to attack, stopped right away and pressed the rm button that he had on him.
But, no rm sounded.
Instead, a message was sent to the bodyguards, together with Eckart and Lyn Amie.
As their phones vibrated because of the iing message, a line of words was shownbomb!
When Eckart saw the message, he quickly pointed his phone at Kieran.
Kieran squinted his eyes and the person on the other end spoke again.
Seems like you have received the gift that I prepared for you. Now, let my messenger into the room. Rain Citys rain can be quite chilly at times. You dont have to doubt, the bomb that I installed on my messenger is enough to level out your vi with all of you together. Or do you think you can hide in your basement? I am looking forward to your choice.
The voice purposely paused as though it was giving Kieran time to think.
However, Kieran didnt hesitate at all and signaled one of Gorbors men.
He knew this mysterious person wasnt joking, or rather, this person had no need to y jokes.
The bomb installed on the messenger would surely level out the vi and everything around it.
If it was possible, Kieran would really want to escape the vi but other than himself, who had as all chance of escaping alive, the others would surely die in the explosion.
Whether it was Eckart or Lin An, either one of them dying would create tremendous problems for him.
Eckart was already an inseparable piece connected to his n and for Lin An?
His identity would be the biggest problem.
Kieran had no time left to redo everything.
Gorbor slowly stepped back into the living room while the ck raincoat messenger walked in step by step.
Droplets of rain fell along the raincoat and drenched the entrance.
When the messenger took down the hood, a pale middle-aged man entered Kierans sight.
The man was shivering and scared, trying to say something but before he could, he was stopped by a sudden thought in his mind.
Lin An had started to run background checks on this messenger.
Wise choice. Did you see my messenger? Then let us continue the conversationdo you want to save Officer Mie Huasheng?
The voice from the other end of the phone kept talking but Kieran was looking at the messenger.
The messenger took out a small camera from his raincoat, much smaller and lighter than themon video camera.
Oh, you are concerned about my messenger? The camera in his hands is also a present for you. I know you are used to being in front of the camera, so I provided a simr environment for you. Of course! The audience will be, as usual, watching you perform live!
The voice on the other end spoke after Kieran sized up the messenger.
Okay, lets stay on the topic, I dont like deviating from the conversation.
I will ask you again Sir 2567, do you want to save Officer Mei Huasheng?
Yes, shes not bad and considered an acquaintance.
Although it was the same question from earlier, Kieran answered without a second thought, looking nd and calm as if he was stating a fact.
Lin An, who was running background checks on the messenger, looked up in shock. He remembered Kieran rejecting him firmly about this before.
With investigations and spending some time together, Lin An knew Kieran wasnt a person whopromised himself to threats, nothing would change even if his life was on the line.
After the shaman show rose in poprity, it attracted a lot of love from the audience but there were also haters. Some extremists even sent death threats to Kieran multiple times.
Lin An, as the liaison from the police, had persuaded Kieran to rest for a day or two, giving the police enough time to catch the malicious haters.
Let theme Kieran replied.
Lin An still remembered how Kieran looked when he gave that answer, which was very simr to his current look.
Was there something different about Mei Huasheng?
The thought bloomed for a second in Lin Ans heart but he quickly shook his head and discarded it.
What a joke!
Mei Huasheng might have decent looks and her rtionships with her colleagues were eptable, but with her personality and character, how would she fare against otherdies as a close friend or a love?
10 out of 10 men would hate her without a doubt. The men would have crawled away, even if their legs were broken.
Given how poprly Kieran was now, if he really wanted to choose, there would be a better choice than the female officer.
More so...
A sudden thought ran through Lin Ans mind and he unconsciously looked at Lyn Amie, the makeup artist, his heart confused even more.
As for the micro-camera in the messengers hand?
Lin An saw it but he wasnt thinking about that.
The others shared the same thought as well, all of them looking at Kieran with doubt, confused as to why he would agree to the question.
Kierans acting really was top-notch, he fooled everyone.
He had acted everything about his identity as a shaman but did not include his true goals.
Although he had his own goals, the public was attracted to his shaman identity and the most convincing part was Kieran never participated in any other show or events other than Eckarts shaman show.
He did it on purpose, of course, because he didnt want others to realize his true goal and also because the other shows and events couldnt satisfy him in terms of rewards.
Kieran knew how strong the attraction was towards the mysterious, and to sacrifice his settings for his identity in exchange for more publicity, the loss would far outweigh the gain and a moment of relief would result in a greater disaster.
Pak Pak Pak!
ps sounded from the other end of the phone.
I know my choices are correct. the voice said with double meaning.
Now, provide a car for my messenger, he will bring you to a ce. Remember toe alone. If I find anyone else following you, I will set the bomb off. And...
The voice then purposely prolonged his words.
Chapter 1400 - Transfer
Chapter 1400: Transfer
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
And...
After a slight pause, the voice continued.
I want my messenger to search your body for anything that would cause a misunderstanding or unpleasant time for all of us.
Kieran didnt reply, he raised his hands up instead.
The terrified messenger carefully went over to Kieran, and even after Kieran raised his hands, the messenger still didnt dare to search him.
Seems like the messenger I chose is not fit for the job.
I am sorry its my mistake.
Why dont we...
N-No!
A trembling voice came from the messenger, the pale middle-aged man got even more scared, and the carefulness was reced by fear.
It seemed like the messenger could hear what the voice was saying.
A micro-earpiece?
Lin An, who had been watching the scene, had a heavy expression on his face.
Micro-video camera, micro-earpiece, these were not some gadgets obtainable by ordinary folks, especially the earpiece, only a specialized department would utilize such devices.
Lin An looked down to his phone that disyed the messengers details, he then walked over to a blind spot where the micro-camera couldnt capture and showed Kieran the details on his phone.
Name: Jorge (Male)
Age: 45
upation: Taxi Driver
...
A detailed background was presented to Kieran, and as Lin An scrolled down his phone, more details were revealed on the screen.
Jorge divorced three years ago, and the rights to his daughter were given to his ex-wife. Jorge was living with his father for now, and three days ago, Jorges father called the police, saying Jorge went missing together with the taxi he was driving.
When Kieran finished reading the details, the messenger Jorge alsopleted his search on Kieran. Jorge was very clumsy with the search though, the voice had to remind him very often so that he could finish the job.
Very well. Now, Sir 2567, please follow my messenger and enter the car.
And of course, dont try to y any tricks after you get in.
The call was then ended.
Jorge looked at Kieran, he seemed to be lost.
In fact, everyone else in the room was also looking at Kieran, but none of them spoke.
As long as the micro-camera was still rolling, the people in the living room had to be careful.
Kieran ced the phone back and didnt look at anyone.
With professionals like Gorbor and Lin An around, Kieran didnt have to arrange anything else.
Lets go, Kieran told Jorge.
O-Okay, mister. Jorge nodded in a reserved manner before he turned around and walked out.
A car was prepared at the vis gate, Gorbors men came down from the drivers seat and allowed Jorge to get in.
Kieran then got into the passenger seat.
Be careful.
Eckart, who was holding the umbre for Kieran, whispered to Kieran when he closed the door.
Kieran nodded slightly as a reply.
Bang.
After the door was closed, Jorge drove the car away from the vi area steadily and fast.
The car didnt leave Rain City, though; instead, it started to drive towards the inner city where the poption was gathered.
Kieran wasnt surprised. As long as the voice wasnt an idiot, Jorge would drive towards the city and not away from it.
Given how popted the city was and how concentrated the buildings were, the voice had the most leverage with the bomb in his hand.
The car was cruising smoothly, and when it entered the main road of the city, Kieran closed his eyes and leaned back in his seat.
There was no need to worry; the car was prepared by Gorbor, and beside him was Jorge, a pitiful soul. Besides, Kieran had a hunch regarding the location Jorge was heading to.
Therefore, rather than keeping vignce throughout the journey, he might as well take a rest so that he could better deal with the situationter.
As for releasing Mei Huasheng after Kieran and Jorge reached the destination?
Not even a kid would believe it.
The car continued on for around 40 minutes before it stopped in a basement parking lot of a mall.
B2-111!
Kieran saw the sign further away when the car stopped.
Basement second floor, car park No.111.
Then, he turned to Jorge.
Jorge, the messenger instantly felt nervous when he caught Kierans gaze.
I-I dont know, he told me to drive you here...
O-Okay, I understand.
Before he finished, Jorge stopped because new orders came in through the micro-earpiece. Kieran could quickly tell judging from how scared when Jorge talked to himself.
Mister, please follow me.
The way Jorge talked showed his habits of a taxi driver.
Kieran then got out of the car and followed Jorge, not up, but down!
When Kieran walked into the hoistway, Jorge was told to lead Kieran down the stairs instead. He then switched off the camera and walked down the stairs.
Kieran squinted his eyes.
The smell of wet cement in the air, the rough edges on the wall, and theck of stair handles, all the signs were telling Kieran the basement floor was recently built.
Trying to build a basement in a mall could not have fooled everyone.
He has aplices here as well? Kieran wondered.
The stairs going downwards were extremely long. The lower he went, the more doubtful he was.
It seems like its not an underground room. I guess its too obvious if he really built one, he would be easily trapped inside instead.
When the murmurs of water sounded in Kierans ears, he finally knew what the mystery person wanted to do.
The citys underground waterways!
What the mysterious person did just now was all for distraction! Using the underground waterway to get to the real destination is what he wants!
Kieran could even picture the scene when Lin An finally reached the mall, the officer would be distracted by the aplice there, and the aplice would surely give a fake location.
The fake location would have nothing, though.
No! If the mysterious person wanted to mess things up further, the fake location would be a trap. Instead, an unforgettable trap and Lin An would surely step into it.
As a police officer, Lin An would never give up on any leads or clues, even if he knew the location would be a trap.
Kieran suddenly halted his steps when the theories formed in his mind, but he quickly resumed walking down the stairs.
Though every two steps he took, he would stop for a while on purpose, and itsted the whole journey down to the waterways.
Kieran was being subtle, though, as if he was looking around, sizing up the details, but he left messy footprints in random timestamps on the still wet cement stairs.
Jorge, who was leading the way, did not notice. They finally reached the end of the stairs and saw a door, the door was pushed open, revealing a tall, big man with a mask weing them.
The masked man was holding a modified mobile phone.
Sir 2567, are you happy about the first stage of your journey?
Well, whether you liked it or not, I assure you the second stage will surely delight and excite you.
The altered voice of the mysterious person came from the phone through speaker mode, the masked man also moved his body aside, revealed a speedboat behind him.
The speedboat was driven into the underground waterways. Due to the rising tide, the water current was fierce, and although the speedboat was docked, it still waved up and down.
Please, the masked man said.
Chapter 1401 - Punishment
Chapter 1401: Punishment
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The speedboat was cruising rapidly through the extensive underground sewers. The stench that assaulted Kierans face made him frown, but it didnt stop him from observing his surroundings.
Although he couldnt map the underground sewers together with the streets on the surface, Kieran remembered which direction the speedboat was cruising towards since the moment he stepped onto it.
Not leaving any details that he could grasp was already one of Kierans habits.
Vrooom!
The motor of the speedboat was echoing throughout the sewers, the light at the front of the boat was the only light source, it shed over the dirty waters as the speedboat sped through. The tall and muscr man with the mask was driving the speedboat while Jorge held tight to the rail on the other side, shrinking himself into a ball in the darkness.
After the speedboat went off, it didnt slow down at all.
This masked man isnt just familiar with the ce, its definitely not his first time doing this.
Which means this man has brought people down here more than once.
Receiving a guest every time the stormes... This is a nasty habit.
Kieran sat across from Jorge; one of his hands was holding the rail behind him, and his face looked heavy.
The power the mastermind disyed had somewhat exceeded his expectations.
At the same time, Kieran believed there must be only a handful of people who possess this kind of organizational power.
And those that had a beef with him? Only Noroid Church.
Could it really be Noroid Church? Kieran wondered, his eyes unconsciously turned to the masked man driving the speedboat.
The mask the man was wearing was a very traditional white mask; there were no other patterns on the surface, just two holes for the eyes, and even the opening for the nose and mouth were sealed, thus causing the mans breath to sound slightly heavy. However, what concerned Kieran more were the calluses on the mans fingers, palms, and the back of his hands.
There was a bulging spot at the mans back, and judging from the contour of the object, it must be a handgun.
At the mans trouser leg, a strap of the belt was showing, and even if his calf was covering it up, Kieran could tell there was a short knife there.
In addition to the silence and the meticulous nature of the masked man, Kieran quickly determined his identity.
A soldier!
A secret hideout underground and soldiers...
If Noroid Church is added into the mix, this will be interesting. Kieran squinted his eyes and sized up his surroundings even more carefully.
He knew, if he werent wrong, a big scene would be waiting for him at the end of this boat ride.
After all, the mastermind did mention delight and excite before.
Kieran didnt know about others, but cruising through the underground sewer in a speedboat wasnt that much of a delight to Kieran.
As for excitement?
If the garbage and filth that passed by the speedboat endlessly were considered excitement, then it was fascinating.
Kieran had never seen that much garbage and filth floating on the water; they were like lotus leaves floating on ake, floating away in big groups.
Another turnter, the speedboat gradually slowed down.
The masked man skillfully threw the rope on the rail at the shore, tying the boat tightly with the rope with the minimal light in front.
Please.
The masked man jumped on shore, spoke the second time, and it was exactly what he said the first time.
Kieran stepped up while Jorge was trembling as he followed Kieran.
The masked man then knocked on the wall in front of him.
Knock, Knock, Knock.
The heavy and rhythmic knocks were obviously secret codes of sorts.
After the knocking stopped, the massive concrete wall of the sewer opened up from the inside.
Kieran clearly heard the sounds of a spring contraption moving and the flowing of electric current powering up the mechanism.
The wall then revealed a metallic room before Kierans eyes. All sides of the room were metallic, and right in front was a door while the ceiling had a sprinkler of sorts.
The thick smell of disinfectant in the room rushed into Kierans nose the moment the room was opened up.
A disinfection room?
Kieran raised a puzzled brow before following the masked man inside. Jorge slightly hesitated but eventually followed, and when the three of them entered the room, the sprinkler over their head started the disinfection process.
Liquid was sprayed on them, it was harsh on the nose and burning. After a full minute, the disinfection process finally stopped, and the door in front of Kieran slowly opened up.
Pleasee in.
Unlike the rough and stiff voice of the masked man, a soft and pleasant voice came from the other end of the door.
Beyond the door was a hall decorated with extravagant gold and crystals that looked extra lively, a row of maids with ck and elegant outfits, holding various items in their hands were bowing at Kieran.
Their heights were almost the same, their faces were gorgeous, and the most captivating part was their eyes: bright and pure.
As though the maids werent tainted by the filth of the world.
Kieran nced over the row of maids and walked in with vignce.
The maids, however, smiled at Kierans vignce. Then, the maid standing at the forefront strode over and helped Kieran take off his wet shirt. The other maids who held the blower quickly got to work as well; two more maids with clean outfits and shoes joined the others and helped Kieran change into a new set of clothes.
Then, another maid put a mirror as tall as Kieran himself in front.
Kieran saw himself through the mirror, he was wearing a long ck robe and leather boots.
The outfit was somewhat strange to a modern world, but when Kieran wore it, it suited him perfectly, as though he was meant to dress this way.
On the other hand, the masked man and Jorge werent that lucky.
Despite both of them standing there, the maids turned a blind eye at them, as if they didnt exist. However, the altered voice spoke again through the masked mans mobile phone.
Very nice. Its much better than I expected.
Now then, let us carry on.
After the voice spoke, the maids bowed toward Kieran again before walking into a small door beside the hall.
A whileter, three connected doors were pushed in by the maid who had blow-dried Kierans hair before.
Three doors, one of them is open.
I hoped you can find out which one.
It seems familiar, doesnt it?
Thats right, it is the little game you yed back in Rain City TV StationI want to use my way to find out whether or not you are what you present, a real shaman.
I bet the viewers in front of the screens are dying to know, right?
Ill give you a minute to think. The time starts now.
The voice from the mobile phone spoke again.
The middle one.
Without a second thought, Kieran gave his answer right away.
The most direct result after he unlocked the seal of his Constitution was his Stamina. Kieran was not restricted in using [Tracking] for an instant and risking depleting his Stamina, thus allowing him to have more ground to do things.
Astounding!
It is the middle one!
It was hard to tell whether or not the voice was surprised. A giant screen then slowly came down from the ceiling, showing the maid who blew Kierans hair opening the middle door.
Then, the screen changed, it changed to a scene showing Mei Huasheng being tied up on a pir.
This is your reward and of course... Punishment!
The moment the voice subsided, the maid who blew Kierans hair exploded!
Bang!
Blood and flesh sttered from the bursting.
Her head rolled over to Kierans feet, the brightness in her eyes swiftly faded away, only the nk expression that she had when she was alive was left on her face after death.
Now, let us begin the second stage!
Chapter 1402 - Arranging Set Ups
Chapter 1402: Arranging Set Ups
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
A bloody stench spread in the air, and the altered voice echoed in the hall.
A group of cold-looking male servants came from the door on the other side of the hall, cleaning up the blood and body pieces on the floor like lifeless robots.
Simrly, the masked man looked at the scene with a cold face, while Jorge, on the other hand, cried like anyone else would have.
Kieran raised a puzzled brow for a moment before returning to normal.
This is really some punishment. I hope the same punishment will happen to you as well, Kieran said with a nd tone.
I hope you can see it as well. Well then, shall we begin the second stage?
The altered voice from the phoneughed. Then, three boxes each a meter square feet were pushed in front of Kieran.
You see, I am a person who reminiscence about the past. So, Ill follow the process that you had once been through on the TV station. Three boxes, one with a person inside and the other two... Punishments!
The voice emphasized his intonation, causing Jorge, who was already crying, to fall on the floor. However, when the masked man looked at Jorge with stern eyes, Jorge quickly covered his mouth, silencing his cries, but he couldnt stop the tears from rolling down his cheeks.
Now, what will be your choice...
The right one, Kieran answered right away.
Pak, Pak Pak.
Marvelous, marvelous! Every time you do this, its like a living miracle!
Slow ps sounded from the other end of the phone. The cold-looking servants came out again, opened the box on the right and took out the person inside.
This person had his eyes dug out, his tongue cut, and all four of his limbs severed. He could only wiggle around with his head on the floor, moving like a worm.
He is a bad person. A person who lies as much as he breathes andmits every possible atrocity. As your reward, Ill leave him to you, so do whatever you would like with him.
The voice from the phone was obviously digitally altered, but at that moment, everyone who heard the voice could tell how gleeful it was.
Damn it! Hurry up and find him!
Lin An mmed the table fiercely.
We have tried our best but still couldnt locate him. Hiswork seems to be independent from our surveince system, one of the technicians replied to the angry officer with a forehead covered in sweat.
Independent from our surveince system? How is that possible?
Lin An was stunned. He wanted more details of this im but was soon interrupted by Eckart.
Lets not focus on that first. That bastard is pushing 2567. Eckarts eyes were glued to the monitor.
The masterminds voice was broadcasted through every single screen in the city, thus spreading all over Rain City, and with the inclusion of the inte, the whole Neo Union was made an audience of this horrible act.
In order to give you more motivation, Ill let you understand what kind of situation Mei Huasheng is currently in.
As the voice continued, the chains binding Mei Huashengs limbs started to retract. With the pr she was tied to in the middle, Mei Huashengs limbs stretched out in all four directions, straining her body limits.
The chains were retracting by the second, and the pain woke her up right away.
The moment she opened her eyes, she saw Kieran through the screen in front of her.
Look, Officer Mei Huasheng, Ive brought 2567 here just like I said I would. I even gave him a multiple choice question, which is basically free points for him. Now, what do you want to say to him?
The voice sounded in two ces at once, thus causing echoes in the rooms.
Forget me, leave, Mei Huasheng said coldly.
Im afraid that that is hard for 2567. When he heard that you were my guest here, he agreed toe without a second thought. You missed out on how Mr. Shaman looked when he heard you were here. The anxiety, the nervousness.
The voice was teasing his prey with ill intention.
Mei Huashengs face changed when she heard that. She didnt believe what the voice said; the Kieran she knew wasnt that kind of sympathetic person.
However... it was also a fact that Kieran had indeed appeared in front of her.
Slight confusion andplication shed across Mei Huashengs eyes, but a momentter, they were reced by a firm and steadfast look.
Forget about me, Mei Huasheng said again.
Her words were sent through the entire Neo Union through the broadcast signal.
The audience looked at the female officer with respect and worry. Likewise, some couldnt look straight at the person on the floor, wiggling like a worm, either.
The voice said it, this person is a bad person!
Whats wrong with exchanging his life with Mei Huashengs?
But... What if the voice lied?
What if this person is a good man?
...
Heated debates soared through the sky.
Everyone glued their eyes to their screen, staring straight at Kieran.
They were waiting for Kieran to make a move.
As a matter of fact, Kieran wasnt that conflicted or hesitant. He took the handgun from the masked man and walked towards the person.
Bang!
The gun was fired at the person, blowing his head off. His brain sttered, and the wriggling movements stopped.
The audience who stared at their screens skipped a breath.
Why...Why is he so rash?!
Shouldnt he find out more before firing the gun?
I know right!
At least find out who the person is!
...
The debates instantly turned into a one-sided criticism.
The dead triumphed all.
The audience were standing on the perspective of death, ming Kieran for his actions.
Even the voice who controlled everything was a little shocked.
I didnt know 2567 was such a straightforward guy. Seems like Mei Huasheng is quite important to you. To the point that you can disregard everything and bear the consequences. Marvelous.
Kieran didnt care about the insincerepliments.
His eyes were still staring at the dead person and didnt move for some time.
Feeling ufortable after your first kill? Shall I tell you some news so that you can...
Shut up! Mei Huasheng shouted.
She didnt want Kieran to know about the news, because it could easily crush a kind person.
Tsk, seems like 2567s appearance made you forget where you are, who you are. Do you still remember what kind of situation you are in?
The chains around Mei Huashengs limbs tightened again. She clenched her teeth and endured the pain, but her hurried breath because of the stretched limbs was unconceble.
The voiceughed out loud when he heard the hurried breath.
See, this is what you get for disobeying me! I call the shots here! Including life and death! If I want you alive, you will stay alive! If I want you dead, you will...
Before the voice finished his threats, he was stopped abruptly because the person, who Kieran shot in the head, moved!
Or rather... it came back to life!
Heavy growls came from its throat despite its tongue being cut.
Small greenish-blue fire burned in the eye sockets where its eyeballs had been dug out.
Everyone saw the scene.
Everyone was stunned beyond logic.
They were staring nkly at the bodying back to life.
They were astonished when the body stood up straight even without legs.
And they were shocked when Kieran stomped on the bodys broken head, crushing it to bits.
Pak!
The dead body, which had just came alive, died again, all its eerie movements forced to a stop.
A mere momentter, the concept of resurrection exploded in everyones mind. Reverse energy popped up in Kierans vision faster than before; it was like an erupting volcano as it spammed his vision.
One time!
Five times!
10 times!
20 times!
...
The umtion of the reverse energy doubled by the second, and within a breaths time, it reached almost a hundred times.
And that still wasnt the end. The speed of the popping notifications didnt slow down at all; instead, they doubled!
However, Kieran, who was looking at the scene, didnt feel happy at all.
Because...
He had been...
Lied to.
Chapter 1403 - Extra
Chapter 1403: Extra
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran turned around and looked at Jorge.
The taxi driver was nkly looking at the scene, how the dead came back to life and was killed a second time. His face looked inconceivable, but not panicked.
When Jorge noticed Kierans gaze, he asked in a fearful manner, W-What happened?
Panic was smeared over Jorges face again, but from how Kieran viewed it, it was done deliberately.
Therefore, Kieran pointed his gun at Jorge.
The taxi driver was stunned, but soon smiled.
So youve noticed, eh? I practiced a lot, but when ites down to the real performance, its not as easy as it looks! But Sir 2567, your perception is really sharp. Should I say... as expected of a shaman? You see things others dont and solve things other cant.
Without the digital alteration, the tone was strikingly simr to the voices; thus, it was safe to say that Jorge was indeed the man behind the voice, the mastermind.
Jorge wasnt as nervous and scared like he was before; he stood there righteously, his presence strange and pressuring.
Even more so when he turned his head around and showed Kieran a smile, sending chills down ones spine.
Can you tell me when you noticed? Jorge asked with a smile.
He spoke as if he wasnt being pointed at by a gun, but like he was speaking to a friend.
Dont you think its a little bit extra? Kieran said inly.
Extra? Ah, right, extra! A messenger like me shouldve been killed after finishing my task, not standing here watching all this. What a mistake, but I really wanted to see the show up close! 2567, do you know that when you appear on the screen, you make me excited? Far more excited than anything Ive ever felt!
Jorges smile was widening as he spoke.
Then his red tongue stuck out and licked his lips disgustingly; his eyes shined with an unknown glimmer.
I said, dont you think this is a little extra? Kieran ignored the disgusting look and repeated what he said.
At the same time, his finger moved towards the trigger.
Har? Do you want to shoot me? Do you think the gun is still loaded? And.. did you forget the bomb on my body? Im sorry to tell you, but this bomb is rigged with a reverse mechanism, which means once I die and my finger leaves this button, it will go off!
As Jorge exined, he pulled out the little disy of the bomb from his pocket. The disgusting smile on his face then had anotheryer of delight added to it.
As a matter of fact, I knew you would eventually notice. Thats why I prepared this. I want to see your helpless face! Compared to your organized way of solving problems, I am more looking forward to your anxious and helpless expression...
Bang!
The gun was fired.
Jorge, with his endless words, got his crown blown off by the powerful bullet. His brains sttered, and the delightful, disgusting smile was frozen on his face.
Until hisst breath, he didnt believe Kieran would really shoot him.
Was he not afraid of bombs?
Definitely! Kieran in his current condition was indeed afraid of explosives.
Simr to how he knew the gun was fully loaded based on its weight, he knew he would be blown to bits if he faced the explosion near its st point.
Without protection of his items and equipment, his B rank Constitution was not enough; even with [Secondary Armored Skin], [Secondary Elemental Damage Resistance], it would be the same.
So, the moment Kieran pulled the trigger, he was already dashing towards the door at the side of the hall.
KaBOOM!
The whole underground structure shook fiercely like it was going to copse at any moment.
zing light burst from every direction of the hall, ravaging everything in its path.
What was more terrifying was the shockwave created by the explosion.
When Kieran entered the door, the shockwave from the explosion blew his body away, sending him crashing into the wall opposite him.
If Kierans Constitution hadnt recovered back to B rank and had [Secondary Armored Skin] as a buffer, this blow alone would have taken his life.
After suffering the blow, although he was still alive, he wasnt in any good condition.
Cough Cough Cough!!
Blood gushed out with his coughs. Kieran felt like his body was being burned, especially his right hand, which he had used to buffer the st; the bones throughout his right hand were crushed.
Dragging his right hand and holding the gun with his left hand, Kieran stepped back into the hall.
The hall, which was extravagant and beautiful a moment ago, was sted into ruins. The walls were charred, the pirs cracked, and mes lingered on the ground.
Jorges body was sted into a million pieces.
Just like what he said earlier, the bomb Jorge made was enough to level out the temporary vi Kieran was staying at, and now, with himself being in the center of the st point, he was torn into a million pieces the moment the bomb went off.
The masked man, on the other hand, had quite the reaction though. When Kieran fired the gun, the masked man was already running towards the other door.
Unfortunately, the masked man wasnt fast enough and was caught in the stwave.
Not only did the man suffer through a charred body, he even lost several limbs.
Bang bang!
When Kieran saw the mans body, he fired two more shots without a second thought.
The heavily charred head of the masked man was blown off, followed by his charred body, but Kieran still fired a second shot before he looked at the door the masked man originally wanted to escape toward.
Step by step, Kieran went closer to the door.
Meanwhile, behind Kieran, the headless, broken charred body suddenly moved!
It rose like a beast waiting on its prey, throwing itself at Kierans back.
Since Kieran was already in front of the door, he didnt look back; instead, he leaned his body forward and dished out a right kick behind, along with the motion. He also fired the gun in his left hand into the door.
Bang!
The bullet flew out from the gun, hitting the maning out the door.
The man wasnt a stranger to Kieran; he was one of the cold-looking servants from before.
The servant fell to the ground after being shot.
At the same time, Kieran moved forward because despite bursting into pieces after a kick from Kieran, the bodying from his back was much more powerful than he expected.
However, the male servant who was shot didnt really burst into pieces. Although he had died, his body remained intact.
A momentter, the servant struggled to climb up and charged towards Kieran.
Bang!
Kierans sweeping kick preciselynded on the male servants neck, thus sending the dead body flying backwards like a ball.
Kieran didnt spare further attention on the body and walked straight into the door.
He wasnt looking for the male servant, as it was as extra as Jorge, to the point that the extra existence revealed the plot of the mastermind.
Dak, Dak, Dak.
Just as Kieran wanted to step into the door, which only had the concrete frame intact, the rest of the male servants appeared altogether.
They were armed with weapons and stood before Kieran like a human wall, blocking his way inside.
Or more precisely...
They were protecting the person behind them, the person Kieran was looking for.
Looking through the human wall, Kieran locked his gaze on that particr person.
Found you!
Chapter 1404 - A Dubious Nature
Chapter 1404: A Dubious Nature
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
After the male servants formed the human wall, the person behind them, the masked man, sat down, leaning on the wall. His legs twisted in an abnormal way, and because of the mask, the expression on his face was unclear.
It seemed like the masked mans body, which died in the explosion, wasnt the real one, but actually one of the male servants.
Kieran was quite sure based on the number of servants forming the human wall.
The other thing that Kieran was certain of was this: the masked mans injury seemed to be much more severe than his.
However, the masked man still had absolute advantage over Kieran, whether in terms of manpower or... weaponry!
Unlike the male servants, who were armed with swords and knives, the masked man had all sorts of firearms around him, from themon handgun to the highly destructive assault rifle.
When the masked man picked up the assault rifle, Kieran retreated right away.
He didnt want to get ganged up on by a group of men while having to pay attention to a firing assault rifle.
Bang!
After sessful dodging and kicking away another dead body flying towards him, Kieran was surrounded by the male servants.
The male servants were as cold as robots as they raised their weapons and attacked Kieran.
All their weapons were one-sided swords and knives, and when they were swung down, a unique, metallic, air-breaking sound followed.
However, the series of metallic, air-breaking sounds were overpowered by the sounds of heavy hitting.
Bang!
A heavy hitter, Kierannded a kick on the first male servant in front of him. He also used the motion to push himself backwards, throwing himself at another male servant behind him.
Bang!
Kierans firm back smashed the male servant behind him after the kick; clear bone-cracking followed right after the crash. The male servant couldnt help faltering backwards, but Kieran managed to grab the male servants hands with his intact left hand, thus swinging the male servant around with all his might.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The male servant kept crashing into his fellow servants with Kierans furious wielding, and at the same time, the swords and knivesnded on the male servants body, blocking all the attacks for Kieran.
Finally, when Kieran let go of the male servant, the body that had suffered multiple shes was out of breath long ago.
While that was happening, the first male servant that Kieran kicked climbed back up, but was weed by a flying dead body.
Bang!
The man and the dead body collided and tumbled to the ground like a rolling gourd.
The other three male servants didnt care about their fellow mates; after reacting to the attack, they charged towards Kieran again. He was faster though.
His handgun slid behind his pants, and his left hand managed to grab ahold of a male servants fallen sword.
Although Kieran didnt have the corresponding sword skills, it didnt mean that he didnt know how to use a sword.
The simrities between Sharp Weapon skills and its wielding techniques plus Kierans Strength and Agility, which were at the peak performance of amoner, along with his outstanding Constitution were enough for Kieran to handle the situation at hand.
Wung! Pum!
With a sharp, air-breaking sound, the sword swung down from a diagonal direction with Kierans leap, and the male servant who charged the fastest had half of his body sliced off.
As blood sprayed, Kieran leapt over the body and twisted his left wrist, performing a second sh at the second male servant behind the first. Simr to the first, the second male servant was sliced in half as well.
Kierans step utilized the motion of the sh and circled his body around, the sword in his hand swinging along with the circr motion.
This third sh was faster and sharper.
The sword red, and a head flew up.
When Kieran stabbed thest male servant that struggled to climb up from the floor, the dead body finally stopped struggling and died on the floor quietly.
Huu, Huu!
With slightly heavy breaths, Kieran picked up his sword and sliced off the heads and limbs of all the servants he killed.
The safest people were dead people, but it wasnt applicable here since they coulde back to life.
Finally, after Kieran dealt with all the dead bodies that mighte back to life, including the masked mans, the whole ruined hall eventually quieted down.
Kieran once again headed towards the door, but before he could approach his destination, guns fired.
Dak Dak Dak.
A machine gun swept the ce. The door was showered with bullet rain, causing pebbles and debris to fly around.
The gunfirested for many seconds before it paused, followed by the sound of reloading. Kieran didnt move; instead, he picked up a stone and threw it towards the origin of the gunfire.
Dak Dak Dak!
The machine gun fired again, sweeping the ce, including the hurled stone.
It seemed like the masked man was dual-wielding while reloading with a single hand.
Its useless! You cant get close to me like this! Of course, you can wait for the police to arrive, but... Do you think the police is faster or the men Ive prepared?
A deep voice came from the end of the corridor beyond the door. The mans tone sounded steady; it seemed like he wasnt trembling because of the pain.
The sneers he hid between the lines were obvious too, and they grew denser by the second.
Or do you think you can fight alone against a trained mercenary armed with heavy artillery? I know your strength is beyond what was expected, but thats it! Its over, everything is over! The mystical age has fallen! The remnants of the past will perish under the merciless fire of the bullets! Including... you, the shaman!
The man spoke in a decisive tone as if he was certain of victory in this situation.
Kieran stood in a blind spot where the masked man couldnt fire and showed a strange smile on his face.
So... Are you waiting for me to show my ace card? Are you waiting for me to use reverse energy to save myself from this sticky situation? Kieran said calmly.
What reverse energy? What are you talking about? the masked man asked out of confusion.
Of course, I am saying this world has changed because of your intervention. In this world, my body is weak, my items are sealed and mypanions arent allowed to follow. What a terrible start.
Fortunately, a friend... an acquaintance of mine helped me. She wanted to try her very best to help me turn around this situation, thus she crafted the Reverse Bracelet. But everything that is happening is within your calction, and you didnt stop it because it benefits you. Kieran paused for a while before continuing.
If I turnaround all this, I will be breaking the protective shield the big city provided for me. You must be weaker than me because of your extra intervention, so you need to turnaround all this more than me, but you cant do it, so your only option is to rely on me! Rely on me, who is still protected by the system, to use my strength to free you of your bindings!
When Kierans voice stopped, the hall fell into silence.
Two secondster, the voice of the masked man came from the door again.
How did you know? I was very sure that I didnt show any ws or mistakes! Everything seemed so reasonable! The masked mans voice sounded deeper.
Kieranughed.
Coincidence! It was too coincidental! Im sorry, but I dont believe in coincidences, especially those created by someone else! Kieran emphasized each and every word.
Chapter 1405 - Which One?
Chapter 1405: Which One?
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
When I unlocked one of my sealed attributes, Constitution, I became more desperate for reverse energy. At the same time, Jorge appeared, changing this simple kidnapping incident into a feast for reverse energy, Kieran said, shaking his head while clicking his tongue.
What is wrong with that? Arent you delighted as well? the masked man asked in a deep voice.
Delighted? Well, of course! At first, I was really delighted, since Im veryzy. I really liked getting things without having to work for them. But I also knew how bad my luck is, and I didnt believe that there was anything such as a free meal, nor did I believe that my enemy would help me.
Kieran suddenly remembered the special draws at the end of his dungeon runs when he said all those things. He somehow felt his heart aching without any valid reason.
It wasnt a lucky draw like it stated because who would get a stone from a lucky draw?
Therefore, rather than a draw, it was just a simple giving process.
Just because of that? the masked man, raising his voice.
Of course not! This is just one of the points that concerns me, there are three more points that caught my attention. First is what I said just now. As the native of the big city, I should be protected by the system, so Ive been thinking about why the system would weaken me to this extent while trying to protect me.
In the end, I came up with a rather interesting answer: weakening my powers is actually beneficial for me. borating on that point, a new question followed: how would it benefit me? There are multiple answers to that question, but the one I think most suitable is this: under the altered circumstances and conditions, my enemy might face a weakening worse than mine. Again, starting from that point, I got myself another answer: my enemy might not be that kind of abstract, non-existent being that cant be seen or heard that I first thought; he or she might really exist ande into this dungeon world with me. My enemy... might even be around me.
Kieran paused before continuing his exnation.
Second is the Noroid Church. Ive carefully read about the Noroid Churchs background and details. They are crazy, its widely known but they dont act crazy just for kicks. Each crazy act theymit is to achieve some kind of goal. Given the circumstances, the Bomber seemed weird; he didnt have any goals or reasons, and everything that happened at the soldier rehabilitation center was very confusing. What was more concerning was that these series of incidents were started by the performance of two self-proimed shamans in front of live television. It really concerned me since Ive gained a certain poprity thanks to the identity of shaman.
Kieran sounded as calm as usual, but the masked man at the end of the corridor beyond the door had grown more furious.
He didnt think that his wless n would get seen through like this.
But they all have reasonable exnations! One of them is a pawn from your original coborators rival. The other one is a rival of the Noroid Church. What is wrong with that!?
The moment Kierans voice subsided, the voice coldly grunted and asked angrily.
Nothing! All of them really seemed reasonable, but Nuna, the hypnotist from Hypnotist Association, couldnt even find anything about the goal of the Bomber from Noroid Church. Isnt that a little far-fetched? Especially when she used all the connections that she has ess to, including Riton Lysties influence.
When Kieran discovered Nunas traces around the museum, he had been wondering about the rtionship between the two and when he understood the power under the Lystie Familys control, he had even more questions.
One of the questions was: Why would the Lystie Family agreed to put the Curseman Vase on disy at the exhibition?
Or more precisely: How did Riton Lystie appear in Rain City reasonably?
Nuna and Riton Lystie couldnt find anything about the Bomber, which frightened every one of the insiders. They were guessing whether or not some huge secret was hiding behind the scenes. Thus, more attention was ced on the incident, giving you more time to prepare. And you were quite happy with the extra time. After all, you did n for this from the very beginning: using a weird incident to attract all the troublesome people, so you can focus your attention on dealing with me, but...
But what?
The masked man couldnt help but interrupt Kierans exnation.
The move was unnecessary, redundant. Those people you deemed troublesome are all the same to me. Other than that, I knew they hadworks, manpower and influence far more powerful than myself. So when they investigated the Bomber incident, I didnt involve myself. All I needed to do was get a general understanding from Nuna or Riton Lystie, then I would have more time to figure out everything since I stepped into this dungeon world. So, when I was figuring out these series of incidents, I noticed the third point: time! Kieran emphasized his tone.
180 days lets enough people know about the real world. This sentence is too misleading. It might seem like my main mission but it also hides the hints given to me! I dont know how you intervened in the process and got yourself into my dungeon world but I know you must have paid a great cost. Not just your powers, you must have suffered many more restrictions. Therefore, the longer I drag it out, the worse it is for you. Am I right? Kieran asked.
Right, you are so damn right! Do you have more guesses to entertain me?
The masked man at the end of the corridorughed.
There are still some new discoveries, like Jorge the messenger. Noroid Church should not have a title or a name like that but he was indeed from Noroid. So, when I excluded the possibility that Jorge doesnt have a grasp on the power of the mystical realm, I also determined that he must have pledged his allegiance to someone or something.
Another thing is this extravagant looking hall, with all itsvish decoration. Other than the two doors at each side and the simple rooms behind them, there is only another corridor, without an exit, meaning this ce was built in a hurry. This also means that this ce isnt what I thought it was in the first ce: a ce where guests were invited to during the Storm Season. I think I am the first guest here. And the way you handled the speedboat, the calmness when you encounter the mystical things, it further strengthened my suspicion of you.
p p p!
ps sounded from the other end of the corridor.
The masked mans excited voice also followed.
Very good! You are even better than what I saw in your soul! It will be a nutrient to speed up my recovery, and I will take your body as my own soon! Dont worry, I will cherish every inch of your body!
His voice was getting closer. Done waiting at the end of the corridor, he started to make his move.
However, Kieran stood rooted to his spot, with no intention of moving.
His heart was still baffled by thest question.
Is he Prime Viper Zoyedark? Or.... some other bastard who is trying to seize an advantage?
Chapter 1406 - Hidden
Chapter 1406: Hidden
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Sneeringughter came from the corridor.
Arent you so smart? Guess who I am!
The voice was getting closer by the second, and if he just took a step over the corner between the hall and the corridor, Kieran felt like he could see who the man was.
You are the one who is trying to seize an advantage, Kieran said in a sure tone while at the same time leaning his body on the wall tightly. He subtly, quietly, moved towards the edge of the corner and readied his sword in his left hand.
Then, he continued, Am I right? The survival of the Dragon Sect.
As his words sounded, the breathing beyond the corner came to a pause.
How did you... the man questioned Kieran.
Before the voice could finish his question, Kieran ran out and swung his sword.
Chang!
Amidst the metal clunking, the sword was pressed down at the assault rifle, the de leaving an obvious mark on the gun. Half of the masked mans body was floating as he was holding the assault rifle at both ends, blocking the sh from Kierans sword.
The clean mask was covering the mans face but the astonishment in his eyes was unconceble and made clear to Kieran, who was meters away from him.
Compared to when Kieran figured out his identity, the masked man was even more shocked by Kierans sudden strike.
Although his voice was getting closer to Kieran, it might be a trap. After all, the masked man had shown the powers of the mystical realm, so some sound dislocation technique wasnt out of the realm of possibility.
Based on his thoughts, Kieran should be more careful and test him.
Had Kieran been patient and tested the situation, Kieran would have fallen into his meticulously prepared trap, thus granting him the upper hand to overpower Kieran, tipping the scale of victory to his side.
He would eventually be the final victor, but why had Kieran attacked him so suddenly?
It didnt fit Kierans always vignt character.
You have seen through my ns again? No! It must be my power! You must have realized that my power doesnt lie in reviving the dead, but telekinesis, didnt you?
The masked mans heart skipped a bit as he looked down at his body that was floating 10 cm above the ground, the sudden realization hitting him.
Kieran didnt answer the question, but theughter in his eyes said it all.
The masked mans breathing became even heavier when he caught that gaze.
You also know that someone has restricted my abilities, so you have gotten the initiative to everything! You knew that whenever you unlock a certain level of your Constitution, I will recover some of my powers but its destined to be limited, just like how you know your Constitution is stronger than normal!
The masked man was almost shouting.
Kieran remained quiet, thus acknowledging the ims. He further pressed his sword down on the gun, as if he was going to slice the masked man in half.
Do you think you know it all? I still have...
I think you should look behind me.
Kieran suddenly interrupted the masked man, slightly moving his body, creating a seam for the masked man to see through him.
The hall in ruins behind Kieran was full of bodies and weapons.
The bodies had died in a gruesome way, and the weapons were scattered all over the ce.
At least that was what it looked like at first sight. On a second nce, one would notice the scattered swords were arranged in a meticulous way.
In fact, anyone standing outside the corridor where the masked man came out would see one body and sword at the left hand side, further away from the opposite corridor. The sword stuck on the wall diagonally and its de was pointed towards a second sword at the same wall further down the corridor. The second sword was also stuck diagonally and its angle was bigger than the first one, pointing towards the corridor on the right side of the hall, at an angle which was a blind spot to the masked man walking out from his corridor.
However, as the masked man walked out, his blurry image would be reflected to the first swords de and further projected towards the second sword, and the third and eventually into Kierans sight.
The masked man couldnt see the reflection but he could specte what the swords meant.
You used the reflection on the swords? What kind of coincidence is this? Your luck is really...
Before the masked man could finish, Kierannded a charged up right kick on the mans chest.
Bang!
After a loud bang, the man was sent flying backwards. Kieran dashed towards the man like his shadow, followed by a second kick.
Bang!
This second kick was weaker than the first charged up kick, but the masked man still screamed loudly, the pain altering his voice to sound like something being broken.
Kieran didnt stop after delivering the near lethal kicks. He quickly followed up with a third kick, a fourth, a fifth...
When Kierans kicks had finally deformed the masked man severely, he stopped and used the sword to slit the masked mans throat and cut off his limbs.
The masked man died just like that. His eyes were wide until hisst breath, as if he couldnt believe that he had died so easily.
Ive said it before, I dont believe in coincidence. I purposelyid those swords around to watch you, Kieran said each and every word slowly, as he stared at the dead body.
Thats right!
The moment when Kieran knew the masked man was hiding at the end of the corridor, beyond the door, he had prepared the swords in this way to gain extra vision on his target.
During a battle, individual strength wasnt the sole factor that determined the fate of the battle, there was also the surroundings, which could turn the tides.
Kieran understood the saying after countless battles with cunning enemies. The masked man, however, seemed to have forgotten about this simple thing.
No! Not just this simple one, the masked man had seemed more anxious than normal!
It was safe to say that the masked man had lost his defense when Kieran suddenly attacked.
The feeling of defeat after his n was revealed by Kieran and anger out of embarrassment must have caused it, but the most important thing was the masked man gave up on himself.
Feelings of defeat and anger due to embarrassment were normal.
A person will face all these emotions in front of defeat. Not even a warrior who roamed the battlefield could be spared, but a warrior wouldnt have given up simply because of some negative emotions.
As I expected... the restrictions on your powers are much heavier than I thought. These restrictions didnt just cause your powers to plummet, even your way of doing things changed, to the point that you couldnt act normally.
Kieran suddenlyughed coldly.
Or is that what you thought I would say? A mask that is still as white as paper after an explosion and didnt even suffer a crack, yet the owner lost both his legs in the same st. Did you think I wouldnt pay attention to the mask? Or did you think I would touch the mask with my hand after I noticed it? Kieran said coldly, the sword in his hand raised up high.
The moment his words subsided, the sword swung down.
The mask shook and wanted to fly away, but...
Toote!
Chapter 1407 - Dream (2 in 1)
Chapter 1407: Dream (2 in 1)
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The de of the swordnded on the mask with a fierce sh, part of the de embedding itself on the mask.
Cracks started to spread like a spider web, starting from the point of impact and slowly enveloping the entire mask.
Kieran wasnt surprised though. Since the mask was a vessel capable of holding a mans soul, it must be some unique item, its durability its most important point.
Wait! I can make a deal with you! Arent you curious to know why Im here?
A hurried voice came from the mask but Kieran didnt care, continued to press down on his sword.
Of course Kieran was curious, butpared to his curiosity, Kieran wanted to witness this enemy, who trailed after him like a cancer, die right in front of his own eyes.
He believed the best enemy was one who was dead, a thought that never changed since the beginning.
Dragon Sect secret techniques! I can tell you every single Dragon Sect technique that I know of!
The mask quickly changed his persuasion tactics.
Kierans hand suddenly paused.
Thats right, I can tell you everything about it, I can even teach you... Aaaaaargh!
Just when the mask thought it had sessfully dissuaded Kieran from cutting it, Kieran, who had paused his shing sword, finally pressed through the mask after he had held his strength.
Pak!
The mask broke.
A sharp eerie scream came out from the mask and echoed in the hall.
Oh I really want Dragon Sect techniques but... Definitely not your words or your teachings!
As long as Kieran was still sane, he would never receive teachings from a hostile enemy, one who harboured ill intentions against him. Besides, Kieran had other ways.
Kieran still had ess to [The Queens Shield] dungeon, so he had an abundance of ways to get what he sought and notpromise with an enemy at hand.
Pak!
Pak Pak!
The mask broke but Kieran didnt stop shing.
He wielded his sword in a flurry,moving his arm until every piece of the mask was almost grinded into dust. Only then did he walk towards the end of the corridor.
Kieran would not touch the dead body for now.
Soon, Kieran found what he was looking for in the corridor.
Grenades!
Kieran skillfully tied three grenades together and pulled the pins.
The grenade bundle was hurled on top of the broken mask.
You think this is the end? It will be just the beginning when you enter that ce! You will die a death a thousand times harsher than mine! You...
KABOOM!
The explosion interrupted the upset voice.
What was left after the explosion was screams of agony, louder than before.
Thick smoke gushed out from the door. Kieran, who took cover behind the wall, tapped the dust off of his body and returned to the corridor again.
The masked mans body was sted into many pieces by the explosion.
The mask was further destroyed, the pieces almost as small as specks of dust.
In fact, if it wasnt for the limited amount of time, Kieran would find a volcano and throw the pieces of the mask inside.
But Kieran had no time for that because...
[Eliminated target, deemed aspleting main mission]
[yer will leave the dungeon world in 10 seconds...]
[Please take whatever items you wish to keep with you.]
[Note: Any items that exceed the maximum weight will be discarded!]
...
Kieran nced over the notifications on his vision, he then quickly searched the body on the floor, but it was fruitless.
Looking at the countdown timer which was less than 5 seconds, Kieran sized up his surroundings.
Soon, he found his target: the slightly bigger pieces of the mask.
Squinting his eyes, Kieran moved the bigger pieces of the mask together with his sword and when the timer was on itsst second, Kieran grabbed the pieces with a fling of his sword.
The next moment, Kieran vanished on the spot.
[Special dungeon: Primordial Invasion]
[Dungeon Type: Special]
[Dungeon difficulty: High]
[Main mission: Let enough people know about the real world in 180 days]
[Mission Completion: 100%]
[Special rating: Eliminated the intruder (Perfect rating)]
[Calcting yers final rating...]
...
When he returned to Wallway 13th, notifications were popping up on his vision, but before Kieran could carefully go through the details, his sight went dark, turningpletely dark without the slightest light or buzz.
Kieran stood in the darkness, unable to move, talk, see, hear or even smell.
His brows furrowed tightly together. This feeling was unfamiliar to him, but fortunately, a sound echoed in his ear momentster.
Dong Dong Dong!
It was soft and weak but felt very familiar to Kieran somehow.
It was... His heartbeat! The rhythm of his own heart!
It was beating weakly at the moment, as though it might stop any second; each time the heart moved, it felt like it had used up all of its energy.
Fresh blood was pumped throughout the heart, slowly flowing through the veins.
The runes branded on Kierans veins were nourished by the blood.
They were from the Transcendence skills, branded on his body, and had be one with his flesh and blood, now inseparable.
The blood continued flowing through his veins, nourishing the other organs and in the end, flowing into his second heart.
The second heart tried to beat at first but was bound down by some unknown forces.
When the blood touched the heart, the bindings could no longer hold the heart down, thus allowing the second heart to beat again.
The beating of the second heart was vigorous and powerful.
Dong Dong Dong!
Each beat was like war drums on the battlefield.
Each beat carried the roars of the Devil Force.
On the dark, deste, boundless wilderness, the arrogant red figure was roaring at the sky.
The untamed roars shook the sky andnd.
It wanted to move forward!
It wanted to step forward!
However, invisible chains appeared, one after another, binding the red figure down, and unlike the previous bindings, this time the chains went after specific spots on the red figure.
The chains were specially prepared to hold down the red figure.
The red figure struggled time after time, resisting the bindings and refusing to be bound on the spot, but each time ended in failure.
It gradually became helpless and and further exhausted its energy and strength.
But, it never gave up on fighting the bindings.
It would never bow down to the so-called destiny or fate.
It would never acknowledge the illusionary peace.
It roared at the sky again. Its struggling roars started to spread further away, to the point that it reached a very delicate ce.
You need help? Well, so do we! Why dont we... Help each other out?
A veryzy voice softly spoke out beside the red figure.
The red figure hesitated, having second thoughts.
Its arrogance made it hesitate, its doubts made it think twice.
Hey, look, this kind of chance wonte by that often. You can even say its a once in a lifetime. Are you sure you want to give up? What then? Continue getting tied up here, being summoned like a dog at will?
Thezy voice never changed its tone, but the red figure grew hotter. It was angry, upset by the description thezy voice had used for his situation.
BUT!
It was furious about its own helplessness.
ROAR!
Another roar sounded, louder and more imposing than before, sounding as if the sky had cracked open.
The red figure was using its greatest strength to deliver a single thought: never give up.
Great! I guess we have reached an agreement. Well, now, theres only one more guy left.
Thezy voice slowly faded away, the red figure settling down because it knew it wasnt the time for it to waste energy.
It had to store its energy for what was about toe.
It had to wait for that perfect moment to unleash its might.
...
The waves at sea were endless.
In a spot where the waves would never reach, a quiet figure was sitting down.
It looked down on the waves, crashing relentlessly against the cliff.
It watched the wavesing from further away, rushing towards the cliff endlessly.
Its useless. Its useless.
Mutters sounded from the quiet figure.
How do you know its useless when you havent even tried? Giving up without trying... Behind every sessful soul is a loser. Why dont we join forces and do something big?
Thezy voice echoed in the quiet figures head, but the figure turned a deaf ear, its face and body not reacting to the words.
It looked at the waves again, looking at them crashing against the cliff.
The waves were endless but none of them seeded in moving the cliff, so how could it seed where the waves had failed?
Its useless. Its useless.
The quiet figure muttered again.
Tsk, tsk, tsk. I really am surprised. I never would have thought that the guy who had iron nerves and never gave up on anything would show a side like this, thezy voice said in astonishment. It was really surprised by the quiet figures reaction.
Everyone has a side that no one knows off. He is better at hiding it, but I am still here. Arent you the same? the figure asked.
Me? Oh, I am not like you. At least I know I would give it my best shot and...
Your best shot? What use will that be? Look at the endless waves, crashing against the cliffs relentlessly, trying to enter a new world beyond the sea, but in the end? They fail over and over again.
Thezy voice was interrupted. It also looked at the waves, feeling absolutely helpless and down, as though it was born a total loser.
In the end? We are just halfway through and you are talking about the end? A guy like you really gives me a headache. Ill ask you one more time, do you want to join me?
Thezy voice somehow sounded pissed. The quiet figure, who sat by the cliff, kept quiet and didnt bother to reply.
Its silence was answer enough.
Thezy voice didnt linger for long. It had no time to meddle with this stubborn guy.
It had too many things that it needed to attend to.
One guy short, so be it.
With that thought in mind, Sloth walked out of its room.
It entered the living hall, which was the only ce connected to all the other rooms within this building.
Pride was sitting there, not uttering a word.
Gluttony was looking at the others: Wrath, Greed, Envy and Lust.
Dont you move. Sit tight or Ill eat you!
Gluttony was muttering to the other cardinal sins while wiping its drool.
Got one, failed to get the other. Sloth reported to Pride.
Enough.
Pride was speaking briefly as usual, his eyes scanning over Wrath, Greed, Envy and Lust. His arrogant face didnt show a bit of expression.
Although Pride had hoped for an extra pair of hands for manpower, in his eyes, the other cardinal sins didnt even qualify to speak to him equally.
Even more so during this particr moment, when they were utterly useless, and might drag Pride, Sloth and Gluttony down.
Make them disappear for a while, Pride told Gluttony.
The arrogance in Prides tone was unsettling for Gluttony but he wouldnt just let the delicious food before his eyes slip away.
Ive always wanted to taste one of my own!
Gluttony then jumped on Wrath, Envy, Greed and Lust.
Of course the four of them fought back, but it was a futile attempt.
Since the four of them were originally suppressed by Pride, after Sloth and Gluttony joined him, the four of them wouldnt have stood a chance against all of them.
Wrath roared.
Greed twisted.
Envy cursed.
Lust moaned.
So what?
One after another, Gluttony swallowed them whole.
Gluttonys body grew like a balloon, expanding infinitely.
Soon enough, Gluttony was so big that he reached the ceiling, but the ceiling of the building was too sturdy and after Gluttony hit the ceiling, he started to expand sideways.
Pride remained quiet and ced his hand on Gluttony.
Sigh. I am always the pitiful one, spending more effort than anyone.
Sloth also ced one of his hands on Gluttonys expanding body. His other hand then started to swing around in a flurry, his eyes looking more serious than ever.
Sess or failure, it all came down to this moment.
Even life and death would be determined in this very moment!
Sloths figure started to fade away as a massive amount of energy slipped away from his body.
Then Sloth disappeared!
Divide your strength into eight portions. Leave the strongest at 1 meter in front of you. The others, from strongest to weaker, spread them out clockwise with the strongest at 8 oclock, then 10 oclock, 11 oclock, 2 oclock, 5 oclock, 6 oclock, 7 oclock. Remember, strike all the points at the same time!
Sloth, whose body was almost gone, was shouting loudly at Gluttony.
Gluttony acted as ordered. He divided his strength into eight portions and struck the ceiling at the same time.
Then, his expanding body started to shrink as his strength was all used in striking the ceiling above him.
In the end, Gluttony also started to fade away like Sloth, but he didnt regret it.
He has been imprisoned here for far too long.
He wanted to get out, he wanted freedom.
Only with freedom, he could achieve his dream!
As their body was drifting away, Sloth felt the building shaking, but he had almost depleted his own power and so did Pride. Sloth was on the brink of vanishing.
Gluttony took in a deep breath.
Damn it, what are you doing?! Stop!
Sloth noticed something, and despite his weakened state, shouted with all his might.
Gluttony turned around and grinned at Pride and Sloth.
FOR MY DREAM! Gluttony said.
Gluttony then opened his mouth, his body flying up to the ceiling, and went to bite the structure.
He had a dream, a dream to... EAT!
EAT!
MY DREAM IS TO EAT EVERYTHING!
Shouting his dream out loud, Gluttonynded a bite at the ceiling. His already fading body burst upon contact and with Gluttonys sacrifice, the sturdy, indestructible ceiling started to tremble rapidly.
Kak!
A small crack appeared and was growing rapidly.
Soon, the whole hall had copsed.
The cage... was gone.
Chapter 1408 - Ignite (2 in 1)
Chapter 1408: Ignite (2 in 1)
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
A chain is linked with many smaller parts, and when one smaller part is torn, the whole chain will break, simr to this moment.
The roof of the hall the cardinal sins resided in had vanished.
Without a second thought, Pride grabbed Sloth and jumped up.
When his body had crossed the original roof, Sloths almost vanished body swiftly materialized.
Just like I thought.
Sloth allowed Pride to drag him away from the building, if he could save his energy, he would do so in any instance. This nature of his had been branded in his mind, Sloth couldnt and would not change it.
Sloth looked down at the structure that gave birth to them and bound them down for most of their lives.
After being destroyed once, the structure didnt vanish or crumble. Instead, after Pride and Sloth left, the structure slowly recovering.
Sloth knew because of how unique their properties were, soon enough, inside the structure, there would be new cardinal sins born to take their ce, just like how they came to be in the first ce.
It was also why the cardinal sins were nearly immortal and indestructible.
However, in this round of rebirth, there would not be a Pride and Sloth anymore among the seven.
They could have brought another one with them, but...
That guy... Wait!
Sloth was muttering to himself; then, when he saw something, he quickly spoke to Pride.
Pride was confused, but he stopped anyway.
Although Sloth was one of his kind who had awoken a littleter, after a few times of fighting side by side, Pride had quite the acknowledgment of hisrade.
I know the chances are slim, but I still want to try, Sloth muttered softly.
His hand then swung in a flurry again. The energy he regained by leaving the building allowed him to perfect his calctions, including everything that was happening before his eyes.
Soon, the nkness in Sloth eyes vanished, and after an energetic glimmer, he divided his power into 11 portions and fired them into the structure that was recovering.
As his power entered the structure, the recovering process suddenly hastened.
When Pride saw the scene, he knew what Sloth was trying to do, he looked at Sloth with a meaningful re.
Overextending is as bad as falling short.
Your powers are special, while mine is just nice.
That guy...
We still have a chance. And now, its time for us to keep our promise!
Sloths body turned to jelly as he spoke, as though he was a soggy noodle, allowing Pride to drag him by the neck as they flew away.
Pride remained quiet and increased his speed.
...
The red figure was standing straight in the dested, boundless dark wilderness.
Each time it breathed, it would light the wilderness up a little.
It didnt know how long it had been there, but it knew...
It couldnt stay in this wilderness forever.
It was its instinct talking to him as the instinct of survival when a person was drowning.
Therefore, when it felt the power from its coborator, it unleashed its power that it had been storing up for a very long time without a second thought.
KABOOM!
A gigantic boom swept the wilderness.
The red figure was shining brightly, like a sun fallen down to earth.
No! Not fallen!
Because it rose again!
A simultaneous attack from inside and outside shattered the bindings from thend!
It spread its wings and soared!
It looked at the sky with its arrogance!
Its next target would be the sky, but that definitely wouldnt be the end!
Its ultimate destination was above the sky! And even beyond the sky!
Kakroom!
The sun moving upwards crashed into the sky with a tremendous impact, and after a loud bang, the sky shook furiously.
The zing wings extended themselves and retracted again, dragging the red figure back a little and pushing it further above the sky.
Again and again, the red figure rammed into the sky.
The mes were dancing in the air, and a scorching gale swept over everything.
After many attempts, the magma body suffered cracks, and its zing wings were almost torn to pieces, but never once did it think of stepping back.
It had been waiting for this moment for a very long time, to the point that all that was left in its mind was to break free of the barriers!
The persistence in its heart made the red figure shine many times brighter than it had ever shone before.
It was shining and blinding.
The spirit of fire will never bow!
Shouting with the voice in its heart, the red figure crashed itself on the sky again.
The mes exploded, and the magma gushed out from its body.
After unleashing its strongest strike without holding back, more than half of the red body was gone because of the furious attempts to break out.
And this time around...
Kak!
The sky that had been shaking furiously finally cracked. A seam was opened in the middle of the sky!
The red figure plunged its hands into the seam, dragging both sides open and pushed its broken body through with thest of its strength.
Huu!
As it got through, the zing mes burned high again, reigniting the magma body.
Within a breaths time, a more prominent, taller, more arrogant figure appeared.
It nodded at a spot in the void, then... it flew off with its zing wings.
Not enough!
Still not enough!
There is still a little more!
...
The waves were neverending.
The quiet figure that was sitting on the cliff with its legs crossed was as still as a statue, but at the next moment, the figure widened its eyes in astonishment.
Somehow, the seawater that never could have reached the cliffs were rising rapidly.
The speed at which the seawater rose was shocking to the figure, to the point that the figure was trembling.
A thought that never crossed the figures mind suddenly bloomed and swirled in its heart.
The figure also felt its beliefs shake. It quickly shook its head, it tried to steady its heart.
No! Impossible!
How? How could this even happen?
The figure wasforting itself with its mutters.
Then, the seawater finally rose over the cliff, and the figure became wet when the waves crashed at its body.
This...This...
The shaken beliefs and mind couldnt allow the figure to continue sitting down there.
It fell on the ground, it started to back away with both his hands crawling backward.
Pak Pak Pak!
The shallower seawater was sshing as the figure moved backward.
The figure fell into a panic, or rather, it lost its direction and didnt know what to do.
It was so used to sitting beside the cliff, looking at the waves futile attempt to cross the cliff, it had be used to the failures.
Everything had be so routine that it was rooted in his heart.
So when it saw the seawater cross the cliff...
It couldnt face it anymore.
It screamed its lungs out.
It cursed at the people and things that changed this norm in its mind.
It was slowly drowned by the seawater.
When the icy seawater entered his nose, it finally felt regret. It started to turn around to the cliff where it used to sit and looked at it as if it was searching for answers.
However, the seawater rose too fast.
The waves that it once looked down at were pushing it away from its target, forcing it to the ground, time after time.
It had missed the golden opportunity.
It was going to die.
Maybe...
Maybe I should die.
After all, living like a deadman has no difference than really being dead.
It sighed, it seemed to have given up on all things as it opened its arms wide, allowing the sea to devour its body.
It sank into the bottom of the sea, or more precisely, the cliff where he used to sit.
It stared at the cliff where the tide rose, now, it had be the ce where it would die.
I guess its suitable.
It closed its eyes as it muttered to itself.
However, when heid down on the ground, the feeling at this back made it frown.
It was too hard! It didnt feel like the softness of the soil!
The stinging pain couldnt allow it to rest in peace!
He stuck his hand into the ground behind him and tried to search for the thing that disturbed its peace.
It wanted to take it out and die in peace.
But when its fingers touched that thing, which it was familiar with yet felt so distant from, it opened its eyes right away.
Its hand grabbed the thing tightly and pulled it out from the soil.
It was a metallic box, and it wasnt locked. It was opened with a simple motion.
Inside the box was a full set of knight armor.
The armor was already in a mottled state; it was also broken.
The figure looked at the armor nkly.
How long had it been since itst saw its armor?
How long had it been since itst put it on?
It had forgotten! It had forgotten everything about the armor!
Only when death was knocking on its door, the figure thought of the armor, hoping that the piece of equipment could help it ovee its hurdles.
But now, how could the figure do it?
It didnt keep the armor in one piece, it didnt maintain it during regr times, and it had lost the bond with its trusted armor.
What did the figure do all this time?
Oh, right. It was acting as an observer, staring at the rise and fall of the tides.
Looking down from above was indeed a good feeling, to the point that it had forgotten that it was also within the scene!
Sorry.
It raised its hand and tried to touch its armor, but when its fingers touched it, the broken armor shattered into dust and was mixed into the seawater around it.
It wasnt surprising, though, because it all seemed natural to the figure.
It deserved this, it deserved to be punished like this.
Looking at the box that once held its armor, it was ready to wee its end.
The suffocation was on him, but...
Suddenly, the seawater stopped moving and started to move away from the figure, opening a space with the figure in the middle.
Shining specks of light then gathered before the figures eyes, and when the specks umted to a certain amount, a brand new armor slowly appeared from the light.
When the figure looked at the brand new armor, its eyes were filled with tears.
It stood up and put on the new armor.
The faint white brilliance shone from the bottom of the sea, expelling the darkness around the figure.
It then stepped towards the edge of the cliff where it used to be and... it jumped off the cliff!
Justice!
Compassion!
Valiance!
Sacrifice!
Humility!
Honor!
Honesty!
It was shouting the vows that it had forgotten.
Each time the vows were shouted, the brilliance on its armor would grow brighter. A holy sword formed entirely from light started to take shape in its hand.
Its body was falling rapidly, and finally, it reached the deeper parts of the sea.
It was the lowest part of the cliff. It stared at the spot for a very long time, but the figure had never been here before.
Now, it stood here.
It looked at the towering cliff that was as tall as the pir that pierced the sky. The darkness created by the distance covered the edge of the cliff where he used to sit.
The figure had wondered more than once what this ce would be like, and it turned out to be much simpler than it imagined, but also much harder than he had ever expected.
Though, the figure didnt regret its leap of faith.
A deep breathter, it, no, he shouted thest part of this vowRedemption!
Wung!
The shining holy sword in his hand had materialized entirely and was shed towards the towering cliff.
Kakroom!
The towering cliff that seemed like it pierced the sky was... shed by a single blow!
Without the cliff blocking the way, the seawater gushed through the breach and flowed towards where they were heading. As the water left, the originalnd was revealed!
Life descended once again.
It looked at the nourishednd of life with a parting gaze.
Then, he flew up towards the sky with an iron will.
He has missed out the first time, and he would not miss out on this opportunity a second time.
Those fes that he could call rades had been waiting for him.
...
Inside the void, the red figure was emanating its light and heat at will.
Pride was like a towering scepter of great strength, arrogant and elegant, one would naturally bow to him with a single look at his presence.
Sloth, who was still grabbed by the neck, was yawning and beingpletely free, he didnt care about his image at all.
At the next moment
The three of them turned around and looked at the iing figure.
The figure was shining in white and was revealed to be a knight in shining armor.
Sorry, kept you guys waiting.
The knight bowed.
No, no, you are just in time.
Sloth waved his hand with a smile.
Pride kept quiet, and the red figure didnt care.
The red figure wasnt used to the knights presence, but it would try to get used to it somehow.
Because all of them were on the same side and they were almost... inseparable!
Is everyone ready?
Sloth tried to stand up with his weak body, but his efforts couldnt support his intentions to stand up. His body was still wobbling, and in the end, he gave in and decided to lie in the void instead.,
Im ready, the knight replied.
Pride nodded, while the red figure looked up at what appeared to be the end of the void.
Therey their target.
Then what are we waiting for?
Lets get to work!
When Sloths words subsided, the red figure flew up right away. The knight followed tightly as well, and although he had lost his trusty warhorse, he had regained his spirit, so he will not fall behind this time.
Pride was thest because he spared a second nce at Sloth.
Dont worry.
We are all from him, so he will know what to do, Sloth saidzily.
Be careful.
Pride rarely spoke, but he did to Sloth. After that, he too flew up with the other two.
It really feels weird to care about me with your arrogance.
Somehow, it reminds me of another person.
Sloth then maximized his powers, pushing them to the limits.
He was mumbling as though he was sleep talking, sending information towards all kinds of sources.
The process was slow and weak.
While Sloth was doing his thing, the three flying ones had reached the end of the void.
What was at the end of the void?
Darkness! The darkness of chaos!
The zing me burned!
The shining light shone!
The greatsword swung in a flurry!
The darkness before the three faded away with their attacks but quickly came back again.
The darkness came back faster than it was defeated.
The three of them werent strangers to this.
They leaned their backs together, covering each others rear and fighting off the chaos that was gushing towards them.
Attack after attack, they defeated the chaos, and as the battle went on, the mes grew weaker, and the light grew dimmer.
But still, all three of them were determined that they could do this.
They were confident that they would seed; they believed in the choices they made because they believed in themselves!
Whether it was the heart mixed with foreign matter or the power originating from the heart, all of them were one, they were themselves, they were one!
They would never let themselves down!
Never before, and never in the future!
Look!
Isnt that one of them?
The warm and tenacious light of dawn brought hope upon all.
The cold and ruthless light of catastrophe brought dead silence upon all.
The two energies were like divine dragons soaring in the sky, swirling around, intertwining with each other, biting each other and crossing each others path.
In the end, the two energies merged into one!
They were like a coin with two sides, and it was the right thing to happen because the energies also originated from a single person!
The two energies that soared in the void like Gods of the sky before were circting a long, fair palm.
He had arrived.
He ced hope and catastrophe in between the three figures.
The hope and catastrophe filled the space purposely left behind by the three figures while they were looking out for each other.
The process of empowering the trio was soft and tender.
No shakingnds or trembling skies, no shattering the void or whatsoever.
It was soft and subtle... the fire... was ignited.
V-!
Chapter 1409 - Not The Same
Chapter 1409: Not The Same
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
It felt like a dream, but Kieran was somehow part of it.
When Kieran woke up, everything had ended.
All that was left before his sight was his Spirit, which had reached V-, and the second part of his dungeon clear notifications.
[Special rating: Eliminated intruder (Perfect Rating)]
[Calcting yers final rating...]
[yer receives +3 dungeon clear reward!]
[yer receives +1 dungeon clear reward forpleting main mission in a short time!]
[Dungeon Primordial Invasion haspletely ended!]
[yer used a special way to finish the dungeon duration, dungeon clear reward +1!]
[Current dungeon reward number has exceeded the current calction, distribution of dungeon will change into a way that will best benefit yer instead.]
[Distributing reward...]
[Reward distributed!]
...
When Kieran regained his senses, thest line of the system notification had popped up.
That just now is the reward? No, that scene shouldnt be the reward, that moment that triggered all of them together... that is the reward!
Kieran was recalling what happened back in the void. In the end, he shook his head and stated the happenings in a more precise way.
A chance... Worth it!
Kieranmented after he carefully went through the system notifications.
The system calcted this dungeon clear rating in a different way, which meant that Kierans rewards were significant in this particr dungeon run. But no significant rewards were greater than...
V-!
Kieran was looking at the tag in his Spirit tab.
He felt the chaos and darkness that was residing in his brain as it was burned and expelled when the weak fire was ignited in the core. Kieran couldnt help but grin.
He was no longer a newbie, it was safe to say he was near the peak of the current yer pool, so he knew what this V- rank represented and what it meant.
If he was nearing this stage before this dungeon run, then...
After the dungeon run, he had already entered rank V!
This stage was something even Rachel sought, and a lot more yers like Rachel were working their way up to it.
Now, Kieran had reached rank V.
The first time leading and beating other people to the ultimate goal was something unexinable, it made Kieran release a breath of relief.
When he understood the truth of the underground game, he had always felt like he was being pressured, being pushed by something because he had missed the best window to enter the game.
Given the circumstances, Kieran seemed to have overtaken groups and groups of yers throughout his journey, but he knew a majority of them were just casual yers, ying the game to get along and only a few noteworthy ones. Compared to those yers, who devoted their lives to the game, Kieran was still falling behind.
As time went one, the gap was getting bigger. Each time he leveled up and visited Harvest Inn, he would feel a heartache when he saw Rachel and realized how powerful she was.
He felt the gap between them, so he had been hustling to reach her, to shorten the gap.
Fortunately, he made it and even slightly overtook Rachel.
The feeling was indeed unexinable if you werent there yourself.
But Kieran wasnt a person who would get overtaken by a minor victory. He calmed down soon enough, thinking of the Witch and the Guardians, an organization that had yet to show its true colors and had unpredictable depth.
What will they be like?
It was hard for him to imagine.
After reaching rank V, Kieran understood the difficulties it took to reach his current stage. Other than that, after reaching rank V, his Spirit tab hadpletely disappeared, leaving him with only a V- tag.
And that still wasnt the most important thing.
The most important thing was the loot that he gathered throughout his journey and was kept safely in the corner of his room. The unknown remains that looked like a hilt from Dawn Church, [Aco Codex], the unknown coin from Lady Wealths ashes, plus the [Fenrirs Crown] and the w missing one of its talons that he got from de of the Daybreaker, all the relics and items were shaking.
They were attracted to Kieran. It was something that had never happened before and after Kierans Spirit turned into V-, everything changed. The items, it felt as if they hade to life, and became the most alluring delicacies, making Kieran drool.
Kieran was holding back; No matter how hard his impulses pushed him, in his heart, he wasnt moved.
The process was torturous but Kieran was used to it.
Whether it was the first Devil Force or theter Cardinal Sins Force, he had resisted all of them before he had chosen to work with them and eventually bing one with them.
But! It was when Kieran has no viable options!
If he had to return to the time where he mashed his heart together, Kieran wasnt confident he could survive the process a second time. He had to admit how dangerous and risky it was for him to take the leap of faith back then.
Therefore, with viable choices nowid in front of him, before he made a decision, he would figure out what it would cost.
Likewise, he wouldnt ignore the problem when it sprung up in the first ce.
Had the Witch been through a simr experience?
Although it was a question, the answer was already inside Kierans heart.
Starting from that point, Kieran spected again.
Did the Witch have simr items as well?
If she did, what would it be?
Would the Guardians, the people who sought the Witchs Legacy, know the details behind the Witchs journey because they were so close to her?
Or would they grasp something Kieran wasnt aware of?
Kieran sat on the floor with his legs crossed, thinking of all the questions he had asked himself.
From time to time, he would nce at his right hand, or more precisely, the mark under his glove.
This thinking process was destined to be long, so he had to list out all the possible options one by one before he started deducing.
Seconds turned into minutes, minutes into hours.
Kieran only came back from his thinking trance when the PM tab began pinging him non-stop.
The messages were from three people.
Lawless, Starbeck and Wu.
Lawless: Rachel gave me a holiday today,e to the inn, Ill sneak her precious wine out for you.
...
It was Lawless as usual, but Kieran slightly shook his head.
He didnt want to be on the list of Rachels coolie, Lawless alone suffering Rachels wrath would be enough.
2567: If you dont want to sell your life to Rachel, I suggest you stop doing so.
Lawless: Dont worry, Ive trained myself in the art of swapping out wine!
Lawless: Rachel wont notice!
...
Looking at his friend trying to jump into hell, Kieran moved away and saved himself. If Lawless wanted to jump into Rachels trap, he could go ahead.
Would an outstanding bartender like Rachel not notice her wine being trifled with?
What kind of joke was that?
Rachel was just going for the big fish by letting her eel go loose now.
Good luck then.
Kieran muttered his blessing before opening Wus message.
Wu: How are you doing?
2567: Still kicking.
Wu: Great.
...
Kieran frowned and ended the ufortable conversation with Wu.
Kieran then anxiously opened up the message from Starbeck.
A smile appeared over his face because it was a simple andforting message.
Starbeck: Im working on a new menu, it may take me two weeks or so, so please wait for me!
2567: Sure.
2567: Ill be looking forward to it.
Kieran replied simply and added more at the end.
Starbeck didnt reply though, obviously he was busy with his cooking. Kieran didnt interrupt anymore.
Kieran stood up, a thought in his mind, but before he executed his thought, his body paused.
He had almost forgotten about one particr thing.
Chapter 1410 - All Is Well
Chapter 1410: All Is Well
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The mask pieces!
When he left the dungeon, Kieran had managed to grab a few of the bigger pieces of the mask, but when he came back to his room, his left hand was empty.
The mask pieces had vanished!
Kieran quickly opened up his notification tab and went through every single notification carefully.
Nothing!
Kieran even checked the notifications before he entered [Primordial Invasion], but he couldnt find anything about the mask pieces.
Where did it go? Did the system take it back? Or...
Kieran squinted his eyes as he thought of something.
He released his Intuition and the weak fire in his mind lit up in an instant.
The weak light shone throughout his body, his muscles, veins, organs, bones, even bone marrow. Everything in his body was bathed under the weak light.
Then, he noticed something different under the skin of his left hand: there was a ck spot in the middle of his palm.
The spot was weird and unusual, like a piece of paper tainted with a drop of ink.
Kieran smiled coldly, and the next moment
Wuuush!
Devil me burned high on his hand.
He was burning the air above his palm and the ck spot in the middle.
Now Kieran could control his Devil me in a more meticulous, delicate way.
After his Spirit reached V-, he automatically learned this way of controlling his mes, like a grown up child learning to pick up something heavy.
There was no exact learning process, just growth, but the growth somehow exceeded the expectation of the person who clung to Kieran like a ghost.
Aaaaargh! How did you find me!? Impossible!
When Devil me touched the ck spot, screams of agony sounded and the ck spot burned off rapidly.
At the same time, Kieran felt hungry. He raised a puzzled brow.
Kieran was quite shocked because the hunger he felt was somehow familiar to him.
It was... Gluttony!
Shouldnt Gluttony... Could it be?
Kieran saw Gluttony self-destruct during the attempt to break free from the building that imprisoned the cardinal sins, but now... it had appeared again?
Kieran was quite sure that it wasnt a new Gluttony, but the one that he knew of and was familiar with, the one who wanted to taste everything within its sight.
Could it be Sloths handy work?
Kieran didnt hesitate while he reyed the dream scene in his mind.
He let go of the bindings on Gluttony.
Gluttony flew out and devoured the fading ck spot.
No! You cant do this! Let me go! Get off of me! Get your mouth away from me! Ill tell you everything, please!
Painful begging echoed throughout Kierans room, but he wasnt moved. He didnt believe what the voice was saying and he also gave up on the possibility of an item drop after killing the ck spot.
Without a doubt, should the ck spot drop an item after its death, it surely would be a special Advance Rank item, at least rank II or rank III, even rank IV or rank V might not be exaggerating.
That was Kierans original goal though, he had lost a lot after not getting a single item throughout the entire dungeon run. The loss made his heart heavy and painful.
Should the chance be given to him, he would not let it go.
As for the danger that followed?
Every single time he reaped his reward, danger followed, so this time would not be an exception.
Trying to get rewards without the risk? Not possible.
However, when Kieranpared his rewards from the dungeon run to the current Gluttony, the rewards seemed insignificant.
Kieran knew that without Gluttonys persistence, he would not have reached rank V that easily.
The fairness that was carved in his bone made Kieran listen to the munching quietly.
This is what you deserve! he said.
The devouring process was not fast but neither was it slow by any means.
When everything stopped, Kieran got the feeling that Gluttony still wanted to eat more.
After that, Gluttony fell into slumber. It seemed like the current Gluttony was much weaker than expected, but still alive.
Its good enough to stay alive. Kieran lifted his mouth corner.
Then, more thoughts entered his mind.
Maybe what happened just now in that dream-like sequence was not just a chance from the system reward, this sneaky bastard must have done some shady work also! But it seemed like he couldnt change the bigger picture, just messing with the edges of the process. Like the knight that represented Saint Thorns and the history of Primordial Invasion that got twisted. Kieran took in a slight breath.
He was quite certain everything that he had been through in thest dungeon was altered.
Why?
To confuse him, to divert his attention! To misguide him into an action that will defeat his purpose, thus leading him into a fake truth.
Fortunately, Kieran knew his own limits.
Trying to find out what happened a thousand years ago?
Even if Kieran was from a thousand years ago, he couldnt do it.
So, after some general understanding of the history of the dungeon, he gave up in pursuing.
As for the real history about his friends in the past?
He really wanted to know but... the chance was gone.
[Dungeon Primordial Invasion haspletely ended!]
Kieran sighed when he saw that particr notification.
Kieran didnt know whether or not he could get back to Joanna and the others. The appearance of the survivor of Dragon Sect gave him hope, but not now.
So
Wish you guys all the best.
There was no face to face goodbye, just a quiet blessing. The feeling hadnt changed since thest meeting.
After quickly tidying up his backpack, Kieran opened his door outside.
This time, he didnt board the train in a hurry, instead walking along the street around his room.
He was looking at the familiar yet strange scenery in his neighbourhood, wandering around without a purpose.
Thest dungeon told him he had too little of an understanding of the big city, to the point that he had neglected the city itself.
Of course, Kieran wasnt at fault, because everyone had a limit, Kieran himself no exception.
He couldnt have divided his concentration into multiple things and excelled in every single one of them. Maybe a genius could, but definitely not him.
After understanding the kindness of the underground game, or rather, the big city, at least a temporary kindness, Kieran had a new n: spend 4 days looking at the big city, exploring this city that he should have understood better.
As for understanding the secrets in between?
Kieran wasnt that naive.
If the city really had some secrets, the yers who had explored every single inch of the city would have found it a long time ago. Kieran wouldnt even have the chance to get close.
Kieran really admired some yers abilities to explore.
The so-called wandering without a purpose actually had a purpose. After all, the big city was changing everyday and Kieran had limited time at hand, so he came up with a considerable n to explore.
First day, Wallway Street and the streets around it.
Second day, Harvest Inn and the streets around it.
Third day, the famousndmarks.
Fourth, andst, day, he would truly wander around and be a tourist in the city.
However, something happened on the very first day.
Chapter 1411 - Ro Street
Chapter 1411: Ro Street
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Just as Kieran left the quiet Wallway Street but hadnt truly reached the next destination, he was attracted by a single streetway, sandwiched between two tall buildings.
Ro Street, an arched neon sign connecting the two buildings stated, with both ends of the sign tightly nailed to the wall of the buildings. yers were walking beneath it, moving in and out of the street, which wasnt exactly crowded but did seem endless.
It was merry, full of happenings and fully prospering.
Kieran was slightly shocked by the scene.
In the big city, other than some guild gathering spots, it was rare to see a lively, prospering scene like this. Even Harvest Inn was only bustling on the inside, unlike this scene, where the whole street was crowded and lively.
Most of the lone wolf yers were less likely to speak in front of strangers, so it was quite difficult to achieve this.
Since when did a lively street like this appear around here? Kieran asked.
He tried to recall from his memories but nothing came up.
Each time he came out of his room, he dashed towards the train station and whenever he came back, he would go straight to his door. Although Ro Street was a block away, Kieran had nevere here before.
However, out of determination, Kieran sent a message to Lawless.
Lawless: The street beside Wallway Street?
Lawless: You are saying Ro Street?
Lawless: It has been there for a long time, even before you came into the game.
Lawless: But the reason why its prospering is the sudden surge of new yers recently.
Lawless: Other than that, a lot more new yers areing into the game and the numbers are ridiculous.
Lawless: Before this, many newbies appeared in front of Harvest Inns door but none of them came in. They stood in front of it and looked at us nkly, whispering, like they were looking at some caged monster.
Lawless: Its really beginning to annoy me, and...
...
Lawless nagging mode had started once again and Kieran would reply with the most direct method: ignore him.
It worked every time he used it against Lawless and today was no exception.
Kieran recollected his thoughts and looked at Ro Street again.
With Lawless words, the doubts in his heart were cleared, but he kept the necessary vignce as he ventured in.
When he walked close to the big neon sign above his head, his eyes were scanning his surroundings, remembering and recording every detail that appeared.
People, things, buildings.
As his Spirit grew stronger, it was easier for him to memorize things and with his Spirit reaching rank V, it was as natural as eating and drinking.
As he walked into the street, his hand was somehow stuffed with fried smelly tofu, fried milk dumplings, grilled yogurt, sausages, fried soba and grilled squid.
With paper bags in his hands and a sausage in his mouth, Kieran happily looked at the stalls further away.
Before entering, he never would have thought Ro Street operated like a market, with many small stalls selling things outside. In his opinion, it was only reasonable to run business like how Harvest Inn did: inside and safe.
However, he didnt dislike this method, selling out and in the open.
Kieran hastened his steps when he saw more stalls further ahead.
As he walked deeper, ice-cream, soup bun, red bean bun, steamed dumplings, water chestnut biscuits and honey red date cake were added to his hands.
Kieran spent about 2 Points on all of his purchases, including the previous batch of food.
It was very cheap.
The transaction wasnt done with the stall owner, but yers wearing a unified uniform standing beside each stall. After the yer recorded the payment, Kieran would be given the product.
It may seem a littleplicated, but it was more formal and official.
All of this was obviously from an organization but it had nothing to do with him.
His hands were filled with bags of food and he could not take anything further. When Kieran saw that he has only covered one tenth of Ro Street, he was smart enough to walk to some stairs beside the street, which allowed yers to rest and eat.
Kieran sat down, gobbled down what he bought and looked at the lively crowd.
It felt unusually real...
No! It didnt just feel real, it was real!
His mind told him all of this was almost genuine as he tasted the ice-cream.
All these stall owners should be yers themselves and were newbies who had just been through the trial dungeon. They must have mastered Cooking along the way and wanted to use their skills to get a better chance at their next dungeon, am I right?
Kieran shook his head without reallymenting on the stall owners.
Everyone had their own choices.
The choices these newbie yers made werent wrong by any means, just like how some decided to be lone wolves.
Kieran, as a passerby, only had to watch and enjoy the snacks in his hand, nothing more.
After gobbling down the snacks with extreme speed and cleaning his hands, Kieran stood up and continued his journey in Ro Street.
The n, which was to venture around Wallway Street and the street around it, was changed slightly. The n was changed to understanding Ro Street alone.
Some changes made would affect the entire n.
When Kieran found out there were a few decent restaurants in Ro Street, he quickly changed his ns for the second day, which were to explore Harvest Inn and its neighbouring street, to eating at said restaurants.
As for the third day, when he would supposedly visit thendmarks of the city, it was also changed to walking around Ro Street, since he had heard there would be a cooking demonstration that day.
The fourth day?
Wandering around the city and wandering around Ro Street, what difference would it make?
...
Lawless finally met his friend on the sixth day.
His friend was sitting in Harvest Inns bar counter, drinking a free lemon waterwith extra honey from Lawless.
Youve been walking around Ro Streettely? Lawlessid on the bar as he was shook with his friends story.
En. A very good ce indeed, Kieranmented in a delighted manner.
I know, right? That ce has some interesting events from time to time. There was an eatingpetition yesterday. I dont know who got first but I heard the prize was some points and a special meal, Lawless said as he wiped the sses.
Em. Its really tasty, Kieran said vaguely, taking a sip from his lemon water and cing the ss in front of Lawless.
Lawless grabbed the jug and added more cold water for Kieran.
What did you say? Lawless asked as he was refilling Kierans cup.
Nothing. Wheres Rachel? Why did she give you so many holidays? Kieran shifted the topic.
Kieran didnt purposely keep it a secret from Lawless, but he knew how big his friends mouth was and if he wished to join another eatingpetition, he best keep his mouth shut.
100 points as a prize was nothing to Kieran, but the special meal was indeed tasty. It was almost as good as Starbecks cooking.
Six days ago were holiday, and now... Its overtime! Lawless used a slightly euphemistic word.
Overtime? Did she find out about your wine swapping? Kieran reacted to the words after a jolt.
Yeap. Rachel broke three of my ribs and even warned me, saying that if I touch her wine again, she would crush my balls, Lawless nodded and said in a bitter tone.
But before his words truly subsided, Lawless chuckled. He was like a child, boasting about his mischievous deeds to Kieran.
Actually, she only noticed two bottles, there is one that she missed. It means that my wine swapping technique is improving and one day, no one will know! Not even God or a ghost...
Lawless was quite excited with his boasting but he suddenly realized his friend was not reacting properly and felt a chill at his back.
Lawless turned around out of instinct and saw the female owner of the inn.
Uh, Uh, Hey Rachel, Im just going to mop the floor, Lawless said, then dashed out from the counter.
Go. Dont forget toe back to earn your bone breaking and ball crushing!
Lawless ran faster, with his legs closed tight.
Kieran threw a funny nce at his friend before turning back to Rachel. He frowned.
Youre hurt?
Chapter 1412 - Delivery To Your Doorstep
Chapter 1412: Delivery To Your Doorstep
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Through Kierans Intuition, Rachels presence before his sight was slightly strange.
The strong and fierce aura was still about, but her inside struck Kieran with a weak feeling.
Looking strong on the outside but actually exhausted withinthat was what Kieran sensed from Rachel at the moment.
Lets talk inside, Rachel whispered to Kieran after a nce at Lawless, who was mopping the floor further away. Kieran nodded.
Due to Lawless personality w, there were a lot of things that he couldnt know.
After going through the not-too-long corridor, Rachel and Kieran entered the small living room, with Rachel in front, who strode quickly to a sofa after she entered and sat down.
Huu, huu!
Rachel was panting as if she had exhausted her strength, her aura growing weaker by the second.
Kieran wasnt in a hurry to ask what had happened though. He sat in front of her quietly, waiting for Rachel to regain her breath before he asked, What happened?
I tried to limit break, Rachel said.
Limit break? V? Kieran froze slightly before reacting to her words.
Yes. Everythings still fine, but some idents couldnt be avoided. So, I guess Ill have to stay like this for a week or two, Rachel nodded.
Is this the after-effect after limit breaking to rank V? Kieran frowned.
He, too, had limit broken to V- rank, but he hadnt suffered any after-effects. Rather, he felt clearer and brighter, his mind fresher than ever.
But after the words had left his mouth, Kieran thought of something.
Attributes! Different attributes! Kieran unconsciously looked at Rachel.
He had been wondering what Rachels strongest attribute was, and each time he got close to an answer, his spections would be toppled over in the next moment.
Now, judging from how weak Rachel was, Kieran instinctively thought of something: Constitution.
Is it Constitution? Kieran asked, in hopes of finding out.
Yes, Constitution. Rachel was slightly shocked, her gaze on Kieran. She nodded, and the shock in her eyes grew greater.
Spirit? Rachel asked, serious in a way shed never been before.
Spirit, Kieran replied. He didnt think denying the answer could fool the person before his eyes.
Hed never look down on anyone, especially someone who was weak yet imprable, even through his sharp sight.
Given their rtionship, they were destined to be close coborators, and a certain level of honesty was quite useful to work things out between coborators, especially in moments like this.
After getting Kierans firm answer, Rachel heaved a breath of relief.
I thought Id have to activate my secret card; never thought Id run into a pleasant surprise. Ill have to hand the inn to Lawless for the time being, Rachel said.
Guardians? Kieran didnt ask what her secret card was. Instead, he asked about the potential enemy.
One of them. Some people are much more annoying than the Guardians, Rachel said, sounding angry and upset.
Kieran understood her meaning right away.
The protagonist of the big city was always a yer who lived in it, but not every single yer could get along happily. Conflicts, hostility and battles were inevitable, especially since some yers were born aggressive. Not many words were needed; only a single phrase uttered, like What are you looking at?, and conflict would break out.
Kieran had been holding back a lot, so he still hadnt run into such aggressive yers, but should he run into said yers, he would not hold back either, just like Rachel.
Kieran could very well imagine what the other guy had been through with Rachel.
Arrogant fools would have turned into light particles in front of her, and some more powerful yers would be mortal enemies.
Kieran believed that if it were someone Rachel could easily have erased, she wouldnt have kept them alive until now.
And if they were still alive?
They would be extremely powerful or have something up their sleeves.
What should I do then? Kieran asked.
Wait for that guy toe out. Dont worry, it wont take too much of your time, and given who those people are, they wonte out all at once. One or two at a time is their limit, and as long as you disy your current power, they will retreat to some corner of the city with their tails up their asses, living the rest of their lives in fear, said Rachel.
Her words were looking down on her enemies, but not her actions.
She then told Kieran the enemies names, abilities, equipment, personalities and all sorts of other details.
Among the potential enemies, the name Barkel caught Kierans attention.
It wasnt just because Rachel emphasized Barkel on multiple asions, but because Barkel was one of the 10 Supernovas, second only to the Witch; he was also a Chosen One.
That bastard is a robber through the bones. He will take anything that he sees, and if he cant get his hands on it, he will destroy it. Back then, he almost caused Witchs War Two but fortunately...
A slight grin appeared on Rachels face.
Fortunately? Kieran asked out of curiosity.
Fortunately, he had his eyes on Harvest Inn, so I gave him the beating of a lifetime. He was defeated, wounded badly, and hid somewhere in the city. He was licking his wounds like a dog, readying himself to retaliate against me. So when he gets the news about me, he wille, Rachel said in a firm tone.
You purposely leaked your condition? Kieran looked at Rachel with a slightly shocked expression.
He was getting more and more curious about Rachels secret ace card after what she said.
If she dared to leak her condition to her enemies, she must have absolute confidence in her secret ace card. Otherwise, it would be a suicidal move, and Rachel didnt look like an idiot.
Leak my condition? You think too highly of them. If none of them saw it with their own eyes, no matter how real the information I leaked, they would not fall for it. Its the... Party Dungeon.
Rachel revealed the answer and sighed slightly.
Its a pity that not all of them were attracted to the dungeon; otherwise, I would have swept them clean and not be worrying right now about how to set up the n.
Kieran was sensible enough to not ask what happened in that Party Dungeon. Once again, he raised the danger level of Rachel in his heart, while quietly mourning for those who stepped on her tail.
They must have been through hell.
Of course, after all the concerns and questioning, Kieran hadnt forgotten one thing.
Payment, said Kieran.
...
Huh? That woman really thought herself as the Witch? One Witch is enough in the game. Another one? Hehehe.
Following malicious, coldugh, a man appeared on the street connected to Harvest Inn.
He was wearing a long white robe and staring at his target with an evil gaze.
The man was ready to execute his n, but before he could get his hands on the important hostage to force the woman out of the inn, the door was opened from the inside.
A ck figure walked out slowly.
Chapter 1413 - A Human Treasure Vault
Chapter 1413: A Human Treasure Vault
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Just like what Rachel said, everyone was frightened.
Kieran slightly sighed when he saw the man in the long white robe.
Although the face of the yer was blurred out by the system, the mans outfit didnt fit the criteria of the Supernova that Rachel emphasized on so much.
Especially the yers aura, which, although it was at Advance Rank, wasnt that strong.
The yer probably just stepped into the leagues of the Advance Ranks.
Another suitable term to describe the yer was a pawn or goon.
After Kierans Spirit reached V-, despite his Intuition remaining the same level, it was still greatly affected by the former attribute.
Within the range where his Intuition could perceive, the details that entered Kierans sight and mind got clearer and more meticulous.
Of course, the clear and meticulous enhancement still didnt allow Kieran to see through what was in the yers back, so he walked towards the man with utmost carefulness.
He didnt want to fail before a seemingly easy opponent.
The ming Devil?
Kieran didnt know the man, but the man knew him.
The moment the words escaped the mans mouth, he started to back off unconsciously.
Kieran was probably the most talked about, most popr yer in the big city for the past few months, and truth be told, he had quietly exceeded batches and batches of veterans.
The newbie yers or new veterans might not know or remember the once infamous Broker, but they would know about the me Emperor, the ming Devil.
A mere mention of that name, the title that was built on countless bodies, would strike panic in a normal person, even the white long-robed yer before Kieran.
The hostages that the yer was trying to get were Coll, Hanses, the newly joined ire and Garwen, or even Raven the Loner, Lemour the Alchemist, plus the well-known Lawless. However, 2567 was not in that list of hostages.
In fact, the name 2567 was something that he could not afford to cross. He had told himself to never stand in the way of the ming Devil, but because of the name, the yer got more payment; still he wouldnt change his decision to run away!
Run!
The thought popped up in the yers mind the very first moment he saw Kieran.
As an Agility high-ranker, he had absolute confidence in his speed. He believed he could shake Kieran off his tail after gaining some distance from him from the start.
But the moment he turned around, a cold re flew out from his shadow.
What the hell?!
With [Dandelion Pierce] flying out, the man reacted like how a high-ranker would react against a sudden ambush: he stopped his forward step, turned his body around and managed topletely dodge [Dandelion Pierce]s pre-emptive strike.
Unfortunately, although he dodged [Dandelion Pierce]s attack, he couldnt dodge the palm from behind.
Kieran grabbed the mans head, pulled it down a little and allowed [Dandelion Pierce] to slice the head off from its returning flight.
To Kieran, who had been using [Dandelion Pierce] for a long time, thebo was executed skillfully.
Puk!
As blood sprayed out, the body fell on the ground, the head still in Kierans palm.
[yer killed: Jerry]
[Treated as active strike through authentication!]
[Categorized as Cruel Kill!]
[You will receive all the Points and Skill Points of the yer...]
[Total: 2000 Points and 5 Skill Points]
[Received the yers house key]
[Granted the right to use the yers house]
[All the yers belongings are returned to their house]
[Cruel Kill: 186]
...
As the notification popped up, Jerrys body disintegrated into white light particles, even the sshed blood vanishing into nothing.
However, another figure appeared before Kieran in front of Harvest Inns door.
So you are that womans secret ace card? Not enough boy, not enough at all!
A man with a not too buff or strong physique and an extremely fierce aura turned around and looked at Kieran. As the man spoke, he shook his head while sighing, and the motion from his head also shook the arsenal of weapons on his body.
A longsword, dagger, knifes, scimitar, dual-headed de, flying knives, darts and all sorts of sharp weapons nked with each other as his body shook, making him look like a ringing wind chime; the nking of his weapons created an awful atmosphere.
Barkel? Kieran asked to confirm the mans identity.
Run. Run before I decide to kill you, but I cant guarantee that the other guys in the area wont, Barkelughed coldly.
Kieran could tell Barkels attention was still on the door, the door of Harvest Inn; his priority was still Rachel.
As for himself, he wasnt a noteworthy person in Barkels mind.
Despite Kierans achievements being astonishing, which famous yers who grinded their lives in the big city didnt once share such achievements?
Especially those famous yers who lived and survived through the Witchs era, all of them seemed to possess some kind of superiority against other yers.
They deemed the yers who entered the game after the Witchs era as some fledglings who didnt go through the storm, and even if the newer yer were high-rankers, nothing would change.
Kierans heart was thankful to these batch of yers though.
Other than dead enemies, what else was better than enemies who underestimated you?
Even more so when this enemy was quite valuable.
Barkel the Robber was notorious for his greed.
He was infamous for his outrageous robberies, seizing yers Points, Skill Points and equipment.
And the rules in the big city made him a fish swimming in water.
Had he not run into Rachel back then, his name and wealth would have grown to an unimaginable level.
Kieran couldnt help but sigh when he thought about that.
He didnt care about name or reputation, but he was quite interested in the items that Barkel owned.
Therefore, Kierans eyes started to burn with eagerness.
Just look at the weapons on Barkel!
Among the dozens of weapons, a single nce provided Kieran with a glimpse of at least a Rare or maybe Legendary rank weapon, there might even be an Advance Rank item in there.
A treasure vault! Barkel was a human treasure vault!
It was what Kieranmented on him after a nce at his arsenal.
At the same time, the eagerness in Kierans eyes burned hotter.
Even a yer with a lower Intuition and a duller perception would feel uneasy under Kierans burning eyes, let alone Barkel, a Chosen One.
Besides, Barkel was all too familiar with this kind of burning eagerness.
Each time he saw what he wanted, he would have simr eyes.
Get it! Own it! Possess it!
The voices echoed in his head, but unfortunately, back in the real world, he couldnt get through thews and order.
But in the big city? In the game?
Barkel had always followed his nature, and the feeling was... marvelous!
Barkel had lost himself in the intoxication, but it didnt mean he would show mercy to someone who shared simr eyes with him.
Quite the opposite, as each time he met someone simr to him, he would instead deliver a horrible death.
Simr attributes repelled each other.
At a certain level, the saying was suitable in the majority of situations.
You eyes disgust me to the point that I want to kill you! said Barkel, and he intended to make his wordse true.
An unknown binding force suddenly appeared out of nowhere and pressured Kieran. Kierans vision was spammed with Strength and Spirit authentication notifications.
Kieran failed the former attribute, but passed thetter with flying colors.
All Kieran needed to do was shake his shoulder, and he could break free of the binding force, but he didnt budge a muscle. Instead, he stood there, watched the weapons from Barkel fly out from his body like arrows let loose, and allowed them to swirl around himself.
Kieran squinted his eyes at Barkel when he sensed the sharpness of the swirling weapons.
Barkel looked Kieran in the eyes without the slightest intention of dodging.
Then, Barkel said in a teasing tone, No, you are a decent leverage! I will use your scream to force that woman out of her hole!
As Barkel voiced his teasing remarks, the swirling weapons got closer to Kieran, but most of them avoided the weak spots, only a few were aimed precisely at the lethal points.
Momentster, Barkelughed in an abdominal way, Ive changed my mind again! I will make you scream myself!
Since Kieran was within grasp, Barkel grabbed one of the flying longsword and charged at Kieran. Despite his outward offensive charge, Barkel took out a rhombus-shaped gem in his other hand very subtly.
It was a fact that Barkel looked down on Kieran.
In Barkels mind, Kieran was just a newbie who hasnt even been through real fear; how could others call him the emperor, the devil? Ridiculous!
Still, it didnt mean Barkel would not take precautions against this newbie.
The Chosen One wasnt just a name for fun, it was called that way because of how powerful and strange they were.
But because of that, the weakness of a Chosen One was also obvious; as long as one could lock down the weakness, everything would unfold easily.
Therefore, when Barkel charged towards Kieran, almost 90% of his attention was still on the door behind him because he believed the rhombus-shaped gem could resist anyone else weaker than him.
On top of that, Barkels mind even pictured the helplessness and panic on Kierans face when the irresistible limitations were put on him; it would be best if Kieran could scream, so it could end perfectly in Barkels expectation.
Barkel knew the woman very well. She wouldnt sit back and let her friend die; she woulde out.
But to his disappointment, even when he was almost at Kierans face and his sword was almost stabbing Kieran, the door to the inn didnt open.
Seems like you arent as important as that Lawless! But whatever, as long as you scream, what else can she... How is this possible?!
Barkel was talking about Kierans screams, and at the next moment, screams sounded, but they were his own.
As he voiced his unbelievable thoughts, Barkel looked down at the rhombus-shaped gem in his hand; there were cracks like spider webs all over the surface, and his eyes filled with shock.
Then...
Pak!
Bang!
The gem shattered, together with Barkels own head.
The weapons that swirled around Kieran fell to the ground. Kieran dislocated his steps and grazed the headless body that fell on the ground.
Bam!
The body on the ground then disintegrated into light particles, along with the plethora of weapons around Kieran.
Kierans eyes showed a sense of astonishment.
He felt something beating in his heart, and it was actually from Greed.
This weird beating in his heart was somewhat unfamiliar to Kieran, it was something that he could never notice before his Spirit reached rank V-, but with his Spirit reaching new heights, it was easy for him to notice something unusual.
Back in that dreamy scene of the cardinal sins, Kieran clearly witnessed Pride, Sloth and Gluttony break out of the building, so he had been wondering about the three who were different from the others.
And at the same time, Kieran was also looking forward to Greed, Envy, Wrath and Lust; therefore, he set up an initial n to deal with them.
However, with the beatings from Greed, it struck more thoughts into Kieran mind.
This may be smoother than I thought!
As Kieran added more to his n, he turned his attention towards the end of the street.
A few more hidden presences quickly went away.
Barkels death had frightened the other rat-like yers.
Kieran frowned though. After epting the request from Rachel, these other yers would eventually be his rewards, but with the beating from Greed, it messed up Kierans n.
But if Kieran had to go through this a second time, he would still choose to discover the secret beating from Greed.
The dreamy scene back then deepened his understanding of his own body.
His core! Everything was based on his core energy!
Only his core energy was the source of all his other Origin Force.
As for the others? All the other Origin Force were there to serve his core energy!
Aside from his self-discovery, another important point was that Kieran acquired rewards far exceeding his expectation of Barkel
[yer Killed: Barkel]
[Treated as self-defense through authentication]
[Categorized as an Honor Kill]
[You will receive all the Points and Skill Points of the yer...]
[Total: 500,000 Points and 70 Skill Points]
[Received the yers house key]
[Granted the right to use the yers house]
[All the yers belongings are returned to their house]
[Honor Kill: 118]
...
The rewards that exceeded his expectation made Kieran grin.
When Kieran saw Barkel, he knew it would be another harvest for him, but he didnt think the harvest would be so scrumptious.
In the big city, even for a high-ranker, a yer would rarely keep that many Points and Skill Points on them, because Points and Skill Points represented their own strength.
Compared to equipment and items, using Points and Skill Points to level up ones skill was more reliable.
Did he save up to level up his skills? Or was he trying to buy something? Or could it be...
Kieran didnt know why Barkel saved up that many Points and Skill Points; it may be for leveling his skills or maybe purchasing an equipment or item.
There were too many answers to a single question, and Kieran couldnt find the best answer without clues.
Besides, he had no need to waste that much brain juice to figure out Barkels intention. All he needed to know was that the Points, Skill Points, and plethora of weapons were all his now.
Kieran was eager to pay a visit to Barkels room. He was anticipating what other spoils of war Barkel might leave behind.
However, he didnt forget about another important thingthe payment Rachel promised.
Chapter 1414 - Exchanging Information
Chapter 1414: Exchanging Information
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The battle outside the inn didnt affect the lively and merry atmosphere urring inside.
The lone wolves raised their cups to Kieran as he walked in, a toast to the victor.
They wouldnt ask what Kieran just did, though, despite being curious after knowing he was fighting outside.
There were rules everywhere, and in Harvest Inn, the lone wolves had to control their excessive curiosity.
Kieran nodded to the folks, took the free lemon water Lawless gave him, went around the bar counter, and headed into the hidden living room.
Quite the reward, I suppose? Rachel asked right away when she saw Kierane back.
En. Its what I deserve, just like how I should get mine from you.
Kieran nodded and reminded Rachel that the payment was due.
Damn money-grubber! Rachel grunted coldly.
Kieran shrugged and wasnt overly concerned.
With Lawless around, he didnt have to worry about Rachel eating her words, but it didnt mean he would give up his right to rush and remind her.
Money grubber?
It was the truth, though, no matter what angle one viewed Kieran from, but was it wrong?
Being a stingy character had always been Kierans MO.
You want Points? Or items for your rank? Or some news? Rachel asked.
News, Kieran answered without a second thought.
Points were not a concern at the moment since Kieran had acquired Barkels stash, the same thing went for items and equipment unless Rachel was referring to some exceptional item.
Though, Kieran believed that if Rachel had something special and were willing to give it out, she would have used it as payment for Kierans services, not providing Kieran with three choices.
Therefore, the best option would be news or information from the inn owner.
Besides, the news that he got from Rachel were all verified to be worthwhile.
I want to know more about rank V, Kieran added.
I dont have much information about rank V, but each piece of info can buy a city.
Your payment earns you one. What do you want to know? Rachel straightened her body as she spoke.
Rachel was always serious when talking business, so was Kieran.
Kieran lightlyughed, though.
What do you have? he asked.
Cunning bastard, trying to probe for more with my answers?
Let me tell you one thing, its impossible!
As I said, everything regarding rank V can buy a city, including the question itself. Rachel waved her index finger, stating that she will not fall for Kierans mind games.
Dont you think you are being harsh on me?
What am I supposed to say if you dont give me an option?
Im not putting you in a hard position since its about rank V, Rachel emphasized.
Kieran shrugged like he was really in an awkward position, but his mind was spinning rapidly.
It seemed like the information on rank V was much more valuable than he thought, to the point that Rachel had to be careful with what she said. She didnt even reveal the question, all she gave Kieran was a choice. However, choosing what to know was a little bit too passive for Kieran.
He wasnt fond of his current position, so he started to rearrange the words he wanted to say in his mind.
Then how do I know if information that Im asking for has an even bigger secret behind it?
As you said, everything about rank V can buy a city! Kieranid back on the sofa, saying slowly.
Your carefulness really scares me sometimes, Rachel coldly grunted again.
At least its better than losing without knowing why, Kieran smiled without being too concerned.
If it were in the real world, this negotiation would have fallen below the freezing point, no one would be willing to step down anymore, but in the game, there was a direct and straightforward way to solve it: contract.
A contract appeared on the table.
Before passing it to Kieran, Rachel wrote her name on the contract.
Kieran nced over it, made sure that there was nothing wrong, and also wrote his name.
The general contents of the contract were on top of the promised payment, Kieran would ask something about rank V, and if it were something that Rachel didnt know, she would have to reimburse him with another that shared the same value.
After a second thought, Kieran added another condition: the processing fee from the system would be split between the two of them.
How stingy are you?
Rachel widened her eyes at Kieran opposite her when she saw what he added. If she could, she would tear the system blur away to check and see whether or not the Kieran before her was someone else. A cold person during regr times that would fight for the smallest gains during times like this.
He was exactly like a merchant!
No, no! He was a profiteer!
The kind of profiteer who wanted everything from peoples wallets while he paid the least cost or nothing at all!
Rachel believed that had she suggested to bear all of the processing fees, Kieran would have ungentlemanly agreed to it.
You cant make friends like this.
The words were squeezed out of Rachels clenched teeth.
My friends will agree and praise this virtue of mine. After all, being thrifty is a rare virtue, Kieran answered honestly.
This is probably the first time that Ive heard someone decorate stingy in such a grand way, youd even tainted true friendship.
Rachel obviously didnt want to tangle with Kieran on this topic. After making sure the contract was valid, she asked, Now tell me, what you want to know?
How do I level up after rank V? Kieran asked straightforwardly.
After his Spirit reached V-, Kieran already got a clear hint that Golden Attribute Points and Golden Skill Points could no longer level up his current Spirit level.
As for the leveling method like that dreamy limit breaking scene?
Kieran was sure that wasnt the way when he felt the weak but tenacious fire in his mind.
The fire had been ignited. Now, he had to make the fire burn stronger, not lighting another fire.
Maybe someone else would, but not Kieran.
Maybe in the future, he would, but definitely not now. It was an unrealistic fantasy for him to light up another fire shortly after the first one.
I dont know. After reaching rank V, everyones choices be different.
What I know will be only suitable for me, not for you.
Rachel answered, honestly.
Not even a single hint? Kieran asked further.
If you really want this answer to be your payment, Im happy to oblige, Rachel answered.
If its just a hint, its not enough for my payment, you need to tell me a valid one, Kieran said.
No, dont even think about it! Rachel rejected straightaway, but Kieran didnt care.
We can negotiate on that. You see, I am willing to pay more topensate for the second piece of information.
You getpensated for what you say, and I get what I want. Its an ideal win-win situation and also the essence of a deal, Kieran said with a smile.
Then it depends what you are asking, Rachel wasnt tricked by Kierans words.
She would not be moved if Kieran didnt give her something useful.
Kieran thought for a while in front of Rachels gaze.
Then, he spoke
After getting to rank, V... did you feel any impulsive feelings?
Kieran then saw Rachel take out along weapon that looked like a butchers knife.
Do you want holes on your body? Rachel asked, seriously.
No, I dont. It seems like you dont know about this, Kieran smiled.
He knew he had gotten control of this negotiation.
Rachel didnt go through the scene where Kieran felt the impulsive rush from the relics he gathered. Meaning, it was safe to say that Rachel didnt have the items like the unknown remains from Dawn Church, [Aco Codex], the unknown coin from Lady Wealth, [Fenrirs Crown], and the key.
Or rather...
It was different when Spirit, not other attributes, reached rank V!
Kieran was wondering in his heart, and Rachel, with the knife in her hand, spoke in a fierce tone.
I want an exnation!
Kieran smiled at Rachels words.
Her emotions and pressuring aura were genuine, but it was all within Kierans expectation.
Rachel, the inn owner, wasnt a generous woman. She kept calling Kieran a stingy ghost, but wasnt she one as well?
Stingy people making contact with one another would not leave behind many fond memories, but they had one less thing to worry about: they would keep their promises.
Because, only by keeping ones promise would stingy people will not suffer losses in their properties, and these owned properties included the possessed items, seen items and the items that they hadnt gotten their hands on.
Contract, Kieran casually reminded her.
It is really a pain in the ass doing business with you. Rachel raised the white g in the end.
Since she knew she couldnt scare Kieran, she shook her hand and put the knife away. Kierans gaze suddenly froze. He could see that the weapon was kept in her sleeve, but how she did, it was a mystery.
It wasnt that he couldnt see it properly, but he didnt know how.
A special technique? Or some skill? Or is it from her real-world practice?
Kieran was wondering in his heart.
You seem interested in this sheathing technique? Why not make it as a payment for the information that I dont know?
Rachel made use of every single window, but Kieran wasnt moved, he sat there and looked at her.
The sheathing technique was remarkable, but...
His primary weapon was two-handed greatsword!
A thin narrow butchers knife could go under the sleeve, but a greatsword?
Unless Kieran was a titan, or the technique involved distorting space itself...
But was it possible?
The answer was self-exnatory.
Soon enough, Rachel gave up.
Its different for everyone after reaching rank V because the attribute they limit break is different.
Different paths wille forth when an attribute reaches V-, but ording to my research, the root of all five attributes have onemon point: tempering!
Through endless tempering, you can take it to the next level!
For example, if my main attribute is Constitution, I can try to train myself in my stamina or endurance by taking hits, thus choosing the best path for me. Rachel started to say what she knew.
Then? This is no different than a hint.
Kieran would not be satisfied with this kind of answer, which he could probably figure out himself, what he wanted was something more specific.
Do you know the Power of Faith? Rachel asked.
Yes, Kieran nodded.
He had indeed slightlye across simr things, so he wasnt aplete stranger in this.
You limit broke Spirit, right? Kieran nodded without hiding anything.
Then do you know why yers who are strong in Spirit attributes are known as Chosen Ones? Rachel asked.
Can it be... Kieran raised a brow, a guess popped up in his mind.
They can utilize the Power of Faith after reaching a certain level.
There was a rumor running through some small circles in the big city back then.
Why is the Witch so powerful? Some say because she can devour peoples fear.
But of course, whether its true or not, its up to you, Rachel shrugged.
Power of Faith?
Chosen One?
Devour?
Somehow, Kieran thought about the impulsive rush that he had for the relics in his room, he felt like he was looking at some delicious cuisine.
It seemed like...
The rumor wasnt without merit, but there must be some secrets that he didnt know.
Kieran sat there and pondered upon the topic quietly.
Rachel didnt interrupt him, she waited. It was an undeniable fact that she thought highly of Kieran, and with his rtionship with Lawless, Rachel had treated Kieran as one of her own.
Otherwise, she wouldnt have told him this secret that only a few knew of.
She hoped that Kieran could get more.
A few minutester, Kieran rubbed his swelling temples and looked up at Rachel.
He needed more information, or else he would be stuck.
Therefore, he told Rachel about the scene that she didnt know of.
It was because of the contract and also because he knew that a long working rtionship was built upon a foundation of trust.
Impulsive rush to eat certain items?
After thinking for a while, Rachel looked up and said, I need to confirm something with someone, and after my weakness goes away, aspensation, Ill tell you what I can find out from my side.
Sure. Kieran didnt object; neither did he ask who Rachel was going to for the confirmation.
There wasnt any silly chit-chat either; he waved at Rachel and walked out of the living room.
And when Kieran was out of the living room, Kieran saw that Lawless was waiting at the bar counter.
His friend was subtly signaling him about a table further away.
Borl was sitting there, with dead silence presence.
Chapter 1415 - Counting Spoils Of War
Chapter 1415: Counting Spoils Of War
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran nced over at Borl, but he didnt intend to walk over, despite his unusual behaviour.
Borl wasnt exactly a stranger to Kieran, but he was definitely a questionable person who he should be wary of.
In simpler words, the more unusual Borl looked, the more careful Kieran should be.
Though, Kieran also believed Rachel would take care of everything.
The best proof was Borl being at Harvest Inn.
Want anything else? Lawless asked Kieran.
Without having to say anything, Lawless understood what Kieran wanted with a meaningful gaze. He pointed at the jug of lemon water on the bar counter that he was leaning on.
Its enough. What I want now is a new auction, said Kieran.
Another harvest? You are awesome! Lawless gave a big thumbs up after jolting for a while.
The praise came from the bottom of his heart.
Lawless was always true around his friend, thats why Kieran was willing to help Lawless whenever possible and however possible, butpared to the debt Lawless owed Rachel... It was like trying to put out a cartload of fire with cups of water.
The debt Lawless owed wasnt returnable by mere Points and Skill Points.
When do we start? Lawless asked to confirm the time.
I need a little more time, Kieran then went out of the inn.
Barkels room was quite far away from Harvest Inn. His scruples with Rachel exceeded what people imagined. Not only did he choose a far away ce, the ce was quite secluded as well.
Barkels room was at a nameless street.
It was dark, narrow, and wet, and it reeked badly.
When Kieran walked into the street, a mouse ran over his feet.
What a ce for hiding, Kieran eximed as he walked along the small path, which had concentrated yet messy and uneven buildings on both sides.
In the big city, a street like this was very popr among yers, as they always thought such a street might hide secrets of sorts.
However, the yers found nothing but mice holes after many attempts; thus, their passion slowly died off. Soon, such a street was on the cklist of yers.
No one was willing to set foot in a street like this, but to some yers, it was a decent location.
Turning into corner after corner, going through mouse hole after mouse hole, Kieran had to spend nearly 20 minutes to find the room that hid in one of the smelly corners, despite knowing where it was. After wiping a few spider webs in front of the door, Kieran saw the sign.
Farshad Street 212th.
Kieran pushed open the broken wooden door, and the golden shine that came from the inside made Kieran squint his eyes.
Gold bricks piled up like a mountain, and all sorts of pieces of jewelry, more than oneyer, nketed the floor.
However, the most concerning thing was the rack at the end of the room. The items on top of the rack emanated their own unique shine.
Among the many orange glows, a gold and dark gold shine was the perfect garnishing for a beautiful scene. Kieran curled his lips into a grin.
Going through the path made up of normal, attributeless pieces of jewelry, Kieran reached the rack at the end of the room.
He nced at the many Rare rank items and ultimatelynded his attention on the Legendary and Advance Rank pieces of equipment.
Kieran picked up a pouch as big as a mans palm. Inside the pouch was five seemingly normal flying daggers.
[Name: Dagger of Greed]
[Type: Weapon]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Attack: Powerful]
[Attribute: 1. First Edge; 2. Second Edge; 3. Third Edge]
[Effect: Returning Edge]
[Prerequisite: Sharp Weapon, Throwing (Grandmaster), Intuition A+]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: It is aplete set of flying daggers. No one knows who forged it in the first ce, but it doesnt diminish its power.]
...
[First Edge: When Dagger of Greed hits its target by throwing, it will inflict Powerful pration damage and at the same time trigger Second Edge.]
[Second Edge: When Second Edge is triggered, any Dagger of Greed that hits a target will inflict Extreme pration damage and at the same time trigger Third Edge.]
[Third Edge: When Third Edge is triggered, any Dagger of Greed that hits a target will inflict rank I pration damage, and the owner will be healed with Medium Healing.]
...
[Returning Edge: Any Dagger of Greed will return to the pouch after hitting its target.]
......
Not bad, Kieranmented on [Dagger of Greed].
It was delightful enough for a Legendary rank item to reach Advance Rank attacks despite its setups.
So, if the [Dagger of Greed] was something decent, the next [War Zealot Box] was truly a surprise to Kieran.
[Name: War Zealot Box]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: II]
[Attack: Strong]
[Defense: IV]
[Attribute: Arsenal Storage]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: Strength S]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: In the gctic battlefield of Nornar, this is one of the essential pieces of equipment of the Zealot Knights. It not only stores a plethora of weapons, but it can also be the best defensive gear. Some Zealot Knights preferred to use it to smash the enemy to bits. How you use it is up to you.]
...
[Arsenal Storage: A special technology revolving around space extension, it can store 10 standard-unit weapons and defensive gears. (1 Unit = 1 two-handed greatsword. Because of the limitation of this technology, you can only store weapons and gears ordingly to their unit counter; even if you put a canned drink inside, it will be considered as 1 Unit. When an item exceeds 1 Unit, it will take up 2 Units to storage and a third Unit will be reserved as support. Items bigger than 2 Units will not be able to be stored in the box) 0/10]
...
Kieran didnt conceal his happiness when he looked at [War Zealot Box], which looked like a ck briefcase. He grabbed the strap on top and put it over his back before re-equipping [Crimson Ghost Stomach].
Although he already had [Crimson Ghost Stomach] and [Wealths Keep], he didnt mind another storage item that allowed him to store more.
After tidying the gears and weapons, Kieran started to check the room thoroughly, and after he made sure he didnt miss out on anything, Kieran activated [Wealths Keep, Greed].
A pleasant chimeter, the gold and pieces of jewelry in the room were all swept clean by the pouch. The process was like magic, no pause or dy, and waspleted almost instantly.
Most importantly, it didnt increase the weight.
Kieran nodded in satisfaction after another nce at the empty room/
He was quite happy with this way of cleaning up spoils of war.
Of course, what delighted him more was the surprised that followed.
Chapter 1416 - Era?
Chapter 1416: Era?
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Inside the room of Jerry, the first man in a long white robe who Kieran had killed, Kieran was looking at an item with a shocked stare.
It resembled a motorcycle, but it didnt have wheels. The metallic ck frame, big engine, and extremely robust exhaust pipeit felt like some kind of punk ride, but in reality, it was far more than met the eye.
When Kieran touched the wheel-less bike, the information popped up.
[Name: Dark Shadow Ride]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: I]
[Attack: Strong]
[Defense: I]
[Attribute: 1. Riding Instinct; 2. Shadow Sprint; 3. Shadow Shuttle]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: Riding (Grandmaster), possess any kind of Power of Chaos.]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: Dark Shadow Ride once shone in the Heimdal Divine War, but it disappeared after the war ended. The Gods couldnt allow a kind of product that defied the mystical to continue existing, even though the inspiration behind its creation was from the mystical realm.]
...
[Riding Instinct: Dark Shadow Ride has speed of rank I, has a certain level of attack, cost 2000 Points for each usage.]
[Shadow Sprint: When Dark Shadow Ride rides through shadow, it gains Agility +1 and attack +1.]
[Shadow Shuttle: When under a shadow, spend 3000 Points to travel between shadows within a 150 meter radius, 2 times per day.]
...
As the information popped up on Kierans vision, the wheeless bike item began to change too.
Vroom!
An engine sound roared and brought the frame to life. The body of the frame started to extend and expand, especially its front and rear, where wheels began extending out and turned into four robust limbs of a horse. The front light transformed into a mechanical horse head, and in its eye socket, two scarlet red lights shone. On both sides of its saddle was a light machine gun for each.
Dak, Dak Dak.
The pitch ck mechanical horse walked around Kieran, causing the Devil, Cardinal Sins, gue Force in his heart to shake for a moment.
Neigh!
It sounded exactly like a real war horse. It then stopped in front of Kieran, bent down its front legs, and lowered its head.
Kieran touched its mechanical head, but he didnt hop on.
He knew once he chose to ride, he would have to pay. He gave an order to [Dark Shadow Ride] through his heart, and the ck mechanical war horse transformed back into its bike frame mode. Kieran then kept it inside [Wealths Keep].
Why not [War Zealot Box] though?
[War Zealot Box] required a third Unit ce as reserve if the item stored was bigger than 1 Unit, so for Kieran, who was meticulous in calcting, it was something that he couldnt ept.
After all, an empty Unit space was much more valuable than [Wealths Keep] storage, which required only a mere 10 Points.
Kieran once again sized up the room of Jerry the Agility high-ranker. Since he got a surprise like [Dark Shadow Ride], Kieran, who would never look down on people, intend to be more careful in his search.
Though, the only surprise he could find was [Dark Shadow Ride], and other than a Rare rank equipment, there was nothing more. Moreover, the Rare rank equipment wasnt something noteworthy, it was something that Kieran would sell in a heartbeat.
But it was expected of Jerry; otherwise, he wouldnt be treated as a pawn.
Kieran turned around, closed the door, and traveled back to Harvest Inn.
Before Kieran left the inn, there were only a few lone wolves there, but when he returned, it was already crowded.
When the crowd saw Kieran, their mours paused and the anticipation grew denser in their eyes.
The little auction that was held almost once a week had recently be the rare gathering for the lone wolves. A lot of them didnt even need to be contacted by Lawless, and they would drop by automatically.
Kieran nced over the group of familiars before going to the table where Lawless was.
Kierans most familiar acquaintances were all sitting at the table: cksmith, Hanses, Coll, Raven the Loner, Ramont, Rhino, Lemour the Alchemist, ire, and Garwen.
After nodding at the group, Kieran passed Lawless a dozen of Rare rank items and many more Magic rank items.
Then? Lawless was in-charged, and all Kieran needed to do was sit and wait for the payment.
Lawless did a quick check on the items and their attributes before he took his ss and walked to the center of the inn.
You guys should thank my thick face that I dragged 2567 here in the first ce. Otherwise, you guys wouldnt even get this kind of auction! Now, a toast, to our respectful Treasure Hunter!
Lawless started the auction with his own prologue and the new title, Treasure Hunter, was given to Kieran by the lone wolves, as Kieran always brought tons of spoils of war back, as though he went treasure hunting.
Kieran didnt dislike the title though, or rather, he didnt dislike treasures.
He ced the cup of lemon water on the table and turned around to Rhino, who was staring at him.
Whats wrong?
Since they knew each other, Kieran asked straightforwardly. Likewise, Rhino, who was a boorish guy and didnt know how to tone down his words, asked, despite hesitating at first, 2567, did you really killed Barkel the Robber?
Although he asked, the question involved Kierans privacy, thus it was slightly awkward and embarrassing for Rhino. Hed even added an assurance in the end, Its fine if you cant tell.
Yes. Rachel hired me to do it, Kieran replied honestly.
The rumours are true, then, Rhino mumbled to himself when he heard Kierans words, he then raised his cup and expressed his thanks with a toast.
What rumours? asked Kieran.
Some yers in the big city are saying that thest era belonged to the Witch, and now, the next one belongs to you, 2567, Rhino said seriously, like said era had already arrived.
Not just Rhino, though, the others around the table were also looking at Kieran seriously, including Lemour the Alchemist.
You guys didnt take that seriously, did you? Kieran shrugged at the serious group.
Not just taking it seriously, its really happening. Since you came into the big city, everything has changed. I really can see the Witchs shadow in you sometimes, Lemour said slowly.
Thats because you guys have forgotten some other relevant parties. Or should I say... Those yers purposely erased themselves from peoples memories.
Kieran smiled and continued, I am quite sure that this rumour is those yers handy work.
Chapter 1417 - Why Me Again?!
Chapter 1417: Why Me Again?!
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kierans words silenced the group.
No one would deny it, and no one would argue with him because it was the truth!
Broker! A prick that everyone hated!
Though, no one would deny how strong he was; whether it was in terms of brains or brawn, Broker did, after all, once pressure the lone wolves into a desperate situation.
Back then, when the secret bazaar was announced by Broker, a lot ofints and disagreements had been voiced, but in the end?
When the secret bazaar opened its door, yers swarmed inside and filled every stall.
Everyone at the table had been through that time, and even now, they couldnt forget it.
After all, Broker was just hiding in his room, not dead.
What is that bastard trying to do? the rugged Rhino grunted in a muffled voice.
Lemour shook her head; she had no idea what Broker was trying to do.
cksmith, Hanses, and Coll shared the same expression.
Raven the Loner was habitually silent with his cat while Ramont was paying attention to the noisy auction further away. These two were obviously the smartest, they knew someone else would figure out this hard question, all they had to do was carry out the ns.
Why waste their brain cells on this, right?
As for the newly joined ir and Garwen?
Both of the new members didnt have much contact with Broker, they didnt know the pressure from that cunning merchant, but they had their own way of dealing with things.
Need us to find out where the rumor started? ire asked Kieran.
If its not too much of a trouble, Kieran replied.
Leave it to us. ire and Garwen said in tandem with a smile.
The two of them then quickly took action.
The function of privately messaging other yers in the big city was, no doubt, a convenient function.
However, Kieran didnt give Rhino a precise answer. He lifted his cup, took a sip from the sour yet refreshing lemon water, and turned his attention to the auction.
Kieran did have some guesses in his heart, but... he wouldnt say give groundless theories.
While the two newly joined members were busy gathering with their contacts, the others at the table gradually paid their attention to Lawless, who was in the midst of the auction.
After all, the items that Barkel owned wouldnt be low in quality.
Our auction deals in Points and Skill Points, as per usual.
But of course, bartering with other items is possible, especially some unique items, or repair items. I assure you that 2567 will give you a good price! Lawless was being blunt with his introduction.
Kieran wasnt overly concerned about the methods though, it wasnt a secret that he sought after repair items, a lot of people knew that.
As for the unique items?
It was purely trying out his luck.
What if he really got some useful items?
Despite Kieran being rational and logical, he would still fantasize about something at times.
Or rather, everyone was like that, they tended to fantasize about the impossible.
The only difference was that Kieran knew that getting his hands on something like that was considered lucky; it wasnt something that he would risk his life over, so he didnt really care much, but others were different.
They always tended to hope for the best, trying to be lucky time after time despite facing the harshest reality.
Back in the dark room, the men gathered around the table once again.
Although the guild master of Iron Chariot, Saikory, was missing, the atmosphere in the room didnt change much. The group sat down in their respective seats; Saikorys chair was taken away.
We demand an exnation.
As the leader of this little union, the slow and rxed voice spoke first.
You guys wanted Saikory out, I got it done, the man who was almost one with the shadow replied.
Hmph! We wanted you to do it, not borrow the hands of 2567!
The man across from the leader grunted heavily, expressing his dissatisfaction.
Thats right! And with you guys messing around like that, there is a high chance that you people will expose us with your moves, the man in the corner sounded calm, but the rage in his eyes was palpable.
So, you guys are ming me right now? The one in the shadowughed coldly.
No, its not ming, its just questioning. The leader still sounded slow and rxed, there was no dissatisfaction or anger. It was like he was speaking to his friend during tea time.
A little pauseter, the leader spoke again. Though, these two here are a little anxious, so they might sound a little emotional.
I hope you dont mind their tone. Of course, we will give you the payment for this mission, including thepensation for your loss, we will pay for everything with equal value.
Rank I and II are decent, but what about... rank III? The leader slightly adjusted his sitting posture as he stared at the one in the shadows.
Ill take care of it, said the one in the shadows before he left the room.
The rest of them gazed at the door quietly. A momentter, the man in the corner spoke. Are we going to give him the rest of the payment?
Of course, this is a fair trade. Besides,pared to what we will be getting, this kind of payment is nothing, the leader said in a confident tone.
Saikory was really useless garbage! I thought he could hold on for a little longer, who wouldve thought that he wouldst such a short amount of time!
What a useless piece of garbage!
The man opposite the leader voiced his disdain and unhappiness regarding the matter.
Its not Saikorys fault. He had to face that 2567.
2567s power has greatly exceeded our expectations.
Did you guys hear about the rumors involving our dear ming Devil? asked the leader after a nce at the two coborators.
Barkel the Robber? the man in the corner asked.
Yes, Barkel, what do you guys want to say? the leader asked his coborator.
I suggest we put the n on hold.
2567s power isnt part of the n, it has far exceeded the level that we can deal with, the man in the corner said.
Yeah, but I think we should wait a little more. After all, we just made a sizable payment, why not stay to find out the result?
The man opposite the leader didnt object; instead, he suggested another way.
The other two didnt object to thest suggestion either because they were sharing the same thoughts.
Getting what they paid for, what was wrong with that?
...
Wrong! Of course, its wrong!
I dont think we should be walking in the big city now!
The room back there, its good enough!
Its safe! I think we should go back!
Rorl, the member of Iron Chariots who was now under Bloody Marys watch, was voicing his opinion loudly, but his advice was obviously ignored.
Shut up.
Before Rorl could speak again, Bloody Mary yelled at him out of impatience.
If Bloody Mary had a choice, she wouldve chosen the room rather than running around in the city. It knew the room was the safest ce to be, but so what?
Once it thought about the newly assigned mission from its contractor, the High Demon couldnt help but scream in her heart.
WHY ME AGAIN?!
Chapter 1418 - Stumble Upon
Chapter 1418: Stumble Upon
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The High Demon, Bloody Mary, realized that ever since its near-indestructibility was discovered, it was used even more frequently than before. And after the contract changed to zero cost, wherever there was danger, Bloody Mary would be there.
Bloody Mary was also very certain that if it were possible, its contractor would definitely use it 24 hours a day.
Stingy capitalist! Cruel Exploiter! Merciless enver!
...
Bloody Mary threw insult after insult at Kieran, and without a doubt, if Kieran had the heart to check, he would know how Bloody Mary viewed him.
But Bloody Mary didnt care.
From top to bottom, from inside to outside, everything of Bloody Marys belonged to Kieran, and it still had to carry out its task like an overworked ve. And since it literally sold itself to Kieran, allowing it to rant for a bit wouldnt be too over the top, would it?
Of course, Bloody Mary knew how useful it was to its contractor, and given its contractors character, as long as it was useful, his tolerance level would be higher, but not without a limit.
So, after a few more rants, Bloody Mary focused on the things at hand: baiting!
Using Rorl as bait, or more precisely, using Rorl as a front while Bloody Mary was the true bait.
Bloody Mary had quite the confidence that it could lure out its target though. As long as the Server III didnt show any death notifications, he would show up.
No faction would tolerate a traitor, especially if said traitor had a certain position and grasped quite the information.
As for Server IIIs statue, other than itself, its contractor, and Rorl beside it, no one else knew.
The strong always control the fate of the weak. Even death isnt a choice for the weak.
Since Rorl couldnt dissuade Bloody Mary, he sighed heavily.
A few days of living dangerously was enough to make a powerhouse suspicious of anything, let alone Rorl, who wasnt that powerful, to begin with. Rorl plunged his head into the game because of an impulsive decision, and right after the newbie trial, it showed him the harsh reality, thus causing him to hide in Iron Chariots, living at the borderline.
One shouldnt expect a person like Rorl to stand up and chase his target.
It may happen, but Rorl hadnt done anything like this before in his life.
All he wanted to do now was to run back to his room and nevere out again.
The big city was too dangerous, even more dangerous than the dungeon world itself.
He would rather die in the dungeon world than get in the conflicts between yers.
Rorl was like a death row convict standing before the execution ground; when the first shot was fired at him but the bullet didnte out, hed feel a little grateful for escaping death, but when he realized he would wee a second shot because of his identity, despair would smear all over his face. However, to his surprise, the despair he felt wasnt the end yet, because the second shot didnt fire at him right away, thus he had to live under extreme fear.
If he had the chance to speak, he would cry out loud and beg for a quick death, not a slow torture.
Death? Death is the biggest mercy that you can get. The terrifying thing is... After you die, youe back to life and still have to sell your life to others.
Bloody Mary couldnt help but curl its lip into a disdainful smile when it heard what Rorl eximed.
Dying once was nothing to Bloody Mary.
How many times had it died before?
It had had its chest stabbed, its head cut off, its body shot into a sieve by bullets, its limbs blown away into pieces...
Death after death, it was an unending cycle.
Other than ranting about a thing or two, did it exim about anything before?
Hmph, corny guy!
After thement on Rorl, Bloody Mary turned its attention to its surroundings.
If Bloody Mary had to list out one good thing about carrying out its contractors tasks, it would be that sending it to all kinds of situations allowed it to see all kinds of things.
Under its contracts protection, it could touch the sun and feel its warmth.
Compared to the dark, cold, and humid hole that it once resided in, it felt a little happy.
Itd be great if I didnt have to die so many times, Bloody Mary added quietly in its heart.
It coulde back from the dead, but the pain and memories would live in its mind.
Memories built upon countless times of dying was enough to crush anyone, and if it werent for its special trait, it would have vanished into dust.
Buy me a meal at this one, Bloody Mary said to Rorl as it pointed at a restaurant beside the road.
What? Rorl jolted. He never thought Bloody Mary would ask for a meal from him.
Rorl wasnt a good yer. In fact, his financial status was extremely poor; hed even tried to split his current Points into 10 portion so that he could prolong his survivability.
Bloody Mary didnt even care about the man and walked straight in.
Rorl tried to split his current Points into 10 portions, but Bloody Mary didnt even have a single Point.
Kieran had a lot himself, but aside from the question of whether a High Demon could use Points or not, even if it could use Points, would it borrow from Kieran?
The answer was obvious.
Borrowing money from a stingy scrooge?
The wrath of a stingy scrooge was something Bloody Mary couldnt afford, thus it bore things deeply in mind.
This restaurant was modified to look like a yers room. It wasnt open to the public on the inside. Instead, a few tea tables were ced outside with a fence built around the house; a big sign was hung over its door
Pastry House.
The word Pastry was formed with baguettes, cookies, and butter cakes instead of the usual rubber, stic or wood.
The design was a little weird but attractive enough.
Bloody Mary picked up a decent small as it sat down on one of the tables. It pressed the buzzer on the table, but the buzzer seemed to just be a decoration because the ring didnt even sound out in the yers house.
Go knock on the door, Bloody Mary told Rorl.
After a quick nce at the price menu on the table, Rorl, who heaved a breath of relief, didnt reject; he walked towards the door that was decorated as a bar.
While Rorl knocked on the door, Bloody Mary looked at the end of the street.
A red figure was slowly walking over, and although it seemed to have noticed Bloody Marys gaze, it didnt hasten his steps, as though he wasnt worried about Bloody Mary getting away.
Huu!
Bloody Mary sighed helplessly.
It wasnt afraid to die, but that didnt mean it was weing toward death.
Reality would not bend towards a person or a things wish; hence, Bloody Mary stood up.
I thought I can some some pastries here...
Bloody Mary wanted to walk towards the red figure as it mumbled to itself, but then, the door of the Pastry House opened up slowly.
Starbeck walked out the door. He was holding a basket of spices since he was out here shopping for ingredients.
Chapter 1419 - The Most Terrifying Enemy!
Chapter 1419: The Most Terrifying Enemy!
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Starbeck saw the panicked Rorl and High Demon confronting another Server. He automatically wanted to retreat back into the house.
There werent a lot of battles between yers in the big city, but not entirely none either.
Without an effective sanction system, plus the alluring reward of killing others, a lot of yers were willing to take the risk.
Therefore, the impromptu battles that happened across the city were quite frequent, to the point that some yers who purposely avoided conflict would stumble upon one once in a while.
Starbeck, however, already set up a series of countermeasures, and no doubt the situation before his eyes required him to activate one of them.
Everyone knew the room of a yer was the safest ce in the entire city, but at the next moment, Starbecks face changed because the owner of the house who he just bought a bunch of spices from rejected his request to re-enter the house.
Worse, the two new bodyguards he hired were nowhere to be found, and he couldnt even contact them. Starbecks heart sank.
Fortunately, his background and experience with fighting beside Kieran kept his mind clear. He looked calm enough, but he was actually scared; his mind still understood what he must do.
First, send a message to Kieran.
Second, reach toward the pouch at his waist.
Afterpleting those two steps, Starbeck felt relieved for a while.
Bloody Mary, on the other hand, was in aplete opposite situation from Starbeck.
Holy mother of God! The Servers target wasnt Bloody Mary at all, but Starbeck all along!
When Bloody Mary saw the red figure try to walk around it and head towards Starbeck, the High Demon started to feel scared, and cold sweat drenched its back.
Despite not knowing why the hell Starbeck was at the Pastry House, it knew how important the coward was in its contractors heart.
If anything happened to Starbeck and Bloody Mary didnt help, despite it coincidentally being around the area...
The sole thought of the possible oue made Bloody Mary shudder hard.
Without a second thought, Bloody Mary went up and blocked the Servers way.
We are closing early today, please leave, Bloody Mary said as though it were the owner of the Pastry House.
Move, Server IV said coldly.
His attention didnt even linger on Bloody Mary, an insignificant person who somehow blocked his way.
Bloody Marys presence wasnt weak by any means whenpared to a normal veteran, but Server IV was a high-ranker; Bloody Mary was not enough to stop him from carrying out his task.
Simr to how veterans looked down on newbies, the high-rankers looked down on veterans as well. Thetter might be even more severe in this case.
The stronger one was, the wider the gap of strength in between.
What did you say? I didnt catch it clearly.
Bloody Mary dug its ear with its right little finger and moved its head forward, trying to make Sever IV repeat what he said.
Server IVunched his attack right away when Bloody Mary stuck its head forward.
His patience was limited, and time was running out. He had no intention or the time to mess with the weak bastard in front of him.
Puk!
A bloody shine wrapped around Server IVs right hand as it plunged into Bloody Marys head. As he shook his hand, Bloody Marys twitching body fell to the ground, but when its body fell below Server IVs abdomen, Bloody Marys right hand moved andunched at Server IVs abdomen like a sharp javelin.
The strike was very precise but... itnded in front of the abdomen instead.
A thinyer of bloody shine blocked Bloody Marys right hand, but its left hand attack followed up like a shadow.
Bang!
Its left hand had charged up enough and produced a loud bang when it hit the bloody shine. The bloody shine shook but wasnt broken.
Despite the hit being unsessful, a faint, pressuring feeling entered Server IVs heart, causing his body to shake unconsciously.
You bastard!
A loud shoutter, Server IV didnt hold back anymore. The bloody shine around his body radiated brightly and produced spikes like a bloody hedgehog, plunging holes through Bloody Marys body.
Aaaaaargh!
The burning sensation gushed into the deepest part of Bloody Marys soul, causing it to scream in pain.
Although Bloody Mary waspletely immune to normal physical attacks, anything beyond physical attacks would still inflict normal damage on the High Demon. Especially this kind of special power that surpassedmoners knowledge; the pain inflicted on Bloody Mary was excruciating.
It knew it would have another unforgettable memory after this, but before that
HELP!
Bloody Mary turned its hands into the sharpest des, slicing and dicing Server IV with the fastest speed. At the same time, it shouted at Rorl, who was standing there nkly.
Oooh, oh! Right, help!
After hearing Bloody Marys shout, Rorl followed his instinct, took in a big breath, and shouted, HELP!
His help was loud and long, but Bloody Mary, who was in the middle of a furious attack, almost fainted.
ATTACK! Take you weapon out and ATTACK! Bloody Mary was enraged as it shouted again at Rorl.
This time, Rorl finally understood the meaning and reacted properly.
He took out his gun, and with his Master level shooting skills, the bullets were all shot precisely at the figure behind the bloody shining veil.
But... useless!
Normal bullets couldnt evennd a scratch on this kind of special protective veil!
GOD DAMNIT! USE YOUR STRONGEST ATTACK! Bloody Mary yelled.
This is my strongest attack! Rorl replied cowardly.
He was a little embarrassed, but he felt wronged. If he had some useful offensive means, would he end up where he was now?
Shoot at a single spot!
Bloody Mary reminded Rorl after being speechless for a moment.
Ill try... Rorl replied in a weak tone, as though purposely expressing his weakness.
The bullets thatnded on Server IV the first time missed their target twice in a row after that.
Hahahahaha!
Are you two clowns ying games? I have no time to meddle with you stupid idiots!
A series of sneerster, Server IV moved to erase the two clowns before his eyes once and for all. The bloody shining veil around his body turned denser as he spoke, and anyone could see that Server IV was going with the quick way.
Starbeck saw it, too.
Having had quite some time to buffer and react to the situation, Starbeck shaking hands took out a scroll and used it directly.
The scroll turned into three white lights and enveloped Bloody Mary, Rorl and Starbeck.
Bloody Mary instantly felt power throughout its body. The burning sensation from the cuts vanished, and its attacks got stronger and faster.
Even the useless Rorl noticed that he could aim better.
Scroll of Blessing? Its useless! A single Scroll of Blessing...
The disdainful words from Server IV were forced to a stop because Starbeck took out a stack of scrolls before his eyes.
A stack of scrolls... that were almost half the height of a man.
Chapter 1420 - You Will Never Know Who Stands Behind an Honest Man
Chapter 1420: You Will Never Know Who Stands Behind an Honest Man
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
When half a mans height worth of scrolls was taken out, the air suddenly froze.
Rorl widened his eyes at the sight of the scrolls, his lips were shaking, he was trying to say something, but in the end, nothing came out.
Bloody Mary and Server IV, who were supposed to be engaged in a fierce fight, stopped as though they forgot about the conflict. They stared nkly at the scrolls as if they were paralyzed.
Bloody Mary knew a bit about Starbeck, it knew Starbeck was very wealthy, but as for how wealthy, it had no idea.
The scene before the High Demons eyes gave it a general idea of the wealth behind Starbecks family.
Compared to Bloody Mary, Server IV only knew Starbeck by the rumors.
Rich, cowardly, harmless.
Those three significant points that described Starbecks personality.
Server IV felt disdain for the rumored Starbeck, though.
Rich?
Being rich in the big city couldnt allow one to do anything he liked, and Server IV genuinely believed in that saying.
Even more so, when he got stronger, he looked down at weaklings like Starbeck from the bottom of his heart.
Starbeck was filthy rich, so what?
Death would still be waiting if he couldnt clear a dungeon!
So when Sin-server, the Supernova organization, gave him the mission, he epted it without a second thought. He thought he could easily capture Starbeck because he believed he was strong enough.
However, the scene before his eyes numbed his scalp thoroughly, he started to doubt his own existence.
How the hell did he get so many scrolls? And all of them were high-rank items!
With his excellent eyesight, Server IV could tell the scrolls were the real deal, and each one of them was a highly valuable item.
Because of that, it confused him even more. How did Starbeck get his hands on so many scrolls that 9also he had a hard time finding?
In doubt, Server IV suddenly remember a phrase that he heard a long time ago
You couldnt buy it? Its because you arent paying enough!
Run! He had no chance against this pay-to-win yer!
Server IV made up his mind when he remembered the phrase and as for the punishment from the organization after failing his mission?
He would cross that bridge when he came to it.
After all, if he couldnt escape the situation at hand, there would not even be a chance to punish him.
Server IV turned around and ran. The bloody shine on his body boosted his speed, making him far faster than any other regr yers; Bloody Mary couldnt have caught up with him.
Rorl?
After aiming for almost the whole time, he fired a shot, and he missed...
Just when Server IV almost ran out of sight, Starbeck, who was nervous under the gazes, finally came back to his senses.
He gave up the thought of pulling out the other stack of scrolls and picked one, which he kept close instead. He tore it and waved it at Server IV, who was a tiny dot in the distance.
Huu! Huuu! Fuuuu!
As he fled the scene with haste and the wind was grazing his ears, Server IV was slightly relieved. But whenever he thought of the previous scene, he, who considered himself above others, felt anger and greed.
He was angry because he was insulted by the weaklings that he looked down on.
He felt greedy because he thought about the value of that stack of scrolls.
If the scrolls were his, he would get a new best rating in his next dungeon.
With the thought in mind, it gave birth to a n.
Just you wait! Next time! Next time, I will get everything from you!
A vicious grin hung over Server IVs face, and then, it froze.
No! Not his vicious grin, but the wind around him!
The formless wind suddenly hardened, it became heavy and sharp.
The next moment...
The hardened wind spun like a vortex!
Server IV, who was in the middle of the hardened wind, felt like he was inside a washing machine, being thrown around and spun. Each time he turned, the sharp, heavy wind would leave a bloody wound on his body.
His bloody shine was still protecting him, though, or more precisely, the bloody shine protected him from an instant kill, thus leaving Server IV with small cuts on his body, for the time being.
Any kind of defense had its limit and when the bloody shine shattered...
Aaaaargh!
Blood and flesh sttered all over the ground, myriads of invisible cuts tore the body apart.
Before Server IV died, the excruciating pain was something he never felt before, his agonizing scream caused Rorl, who ran over to check the situation, shrink his neck back.
T-This is really cruel! Rorl stuttered.
Cruel? You should be grateful that the guy with the scrolls wasnt hurt by this bastard; otherwise, youd find out what cruel really means. Bloody Mary pouted.
Since the High Demon was the emissary of evil, kindness was absent from its heart, let alone the so-called empathy. Especially when it thought about the potential trouble that this Server IV might bring it, it wished that Server IV could die more harshly.
When Server IVs powerful life force was ground into nothing, the blood and flesh disintegrated into white particles of light.
There was nothing special and no exception, the only thing that stood out was that Server IV became the first living being that Starbeck killed.
Starbeck was slightly stunned by the death notification that followed.
Panic, fear, a loss of what to do next.
The mixed negative feelings drowned his cowardly and nervous heart.
He was really lost at the moment. Instinctively, he wanted to send a message to Kieran, he hoped Kieran would provide him with some answers, and maybefort.
But before he could, a familiar feeling rose in his heart. He looked around, trying to locate that familiar figure, but nothing came into view.
Am I overthinking?
Starbeck muttered to himself, he started to search his surroundings with a more meticulous gaze.
Starbeck himself didnt even notice that the negative feelings went away with his concentrated search.
...
Scary! Horrifying!
How can a guy like him stay hidden for so long?
Can it be that other guys trap?
A man was shuttling along the shadows, his eyes were slightly frightened, and his breathing was hurried.
He came to the area just in case things went south, so he didnt think he would witness something so horrifying.
But! Do you think a bunch of scrolls can make you undefeatable?
Naive bastard! There are too many ways to get around those scrolls, so...
The man stopped in the shadows cast by the building under the sun. He thought he was safe for the time being, so he quickly calmed down while muttering to himself in a malicious and ferocious tone.
Then...
A long fair palm slowly came out from the shadow behind the man, grabbing him by the neck. The fingers of the palm tightened all of a sudden, and suffocation instantly brought death to the man.
Crak!
Amidst the bone-cracking sound, white particles of light scattered into the air.
A dark figure slowly appeared under the light.
Starbeck, who was searching for that familiar figure, turned around right away as though they were connected through a special link. At that exact moment, he saw the figure under the fading light particles.
2567!
Starbeck waved his hand in happiness and ran over.
Chapter 1421 - Debt of Gratitude
Chapter 1421: Debt of Gratitude
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
You came here to buy spices?
Kieran nced over the basket in Starbecks hand.
Yeah, Ie here all the time to buy spices, but who knew...
Starbeck nodded, he sounded a little depressed.
Obviously, the owner of Pastry House disappointed him by rejecting his entrance when the fight broke out.
Kieran didnt say anything tofort him though, because Kieran wasnt a fan of doing useless things.
Human hearts were always weak against tests.
Kieran didnt want to tell Starbeck about the saying because he believed that Starbeck already knew it.
And after this lesson, Starbeck should know what to do, so Kieran went with a more direct approach.
Leave the things here to me.
Your new bodyguards are fine, they were knocked out in that alleyway.
Can I give you a piece of advice? Kieran paused for a moment before trying to voice his opinion.
Sure!
Starbeck did not reject Kierans arrangements and would not deny his opinion.
When your bodyguards arent mature enough, you canpensate for that with numbers.
They are a plethora of dungeons in the city, its ever-changing and dangerous, but it always has a trail to follow. Kieran made his thoughts known.
I understand.
After some thought, Starbeck ultimately conceded.
Given Starbecks character, he was destined never to ignore other peoples lives, but...
There were too many people who would sell their lives for money.
After a simple talk, Starbeck parted with Kieran.
He knew why Kieran was there, and Kieran didnt have a lot of time to spend with him.
With these spices, the next meal will surely surprise you.
Starbeck lifted the basket in his hand when he parted with Kieran.
Ill be looking forward to it, Kieran said with a smile.
Seeing Starbeck into the train, Kieran then vanished into the shadows.
Who is that guy to Sir 2567? They seem to be more than just friends.
Rorl, who was hiding further away, whispered his question to Bloody Mary.
Definitely more than just friends. Believe me, if you step on that cowards tail, you will be stepping on 2567s tail. It might even be worse! Bloody Mary warned the useless trash beside it.
Why? Rorl asked out of confusion.
Instinct!
Bloody Mary gave an answer which Rorl rolled his eyes at. Though Rorl didnt further linger on the topic, as a man who knew his own worth, he knew what he should do and say.
Therefore, Rorl didnt ask anything else about what they were going to do next.
Ill be damned, it seems like you do have some wisdom in your head. You have to thank it for keeping you alive until today, useless trash.
Dont worry, he will be back soon, Bloody Mary praised.
Useless trash, it was the new title given by Bloody Mary to Rorl after the previous battle.
And Rorl?
He didnt argue after he thought about his own performance during the battle.
Both of them then went quiet, but Bloody Mary wasnt really used to the silence.
Why dont you ask me how I know? it asked Rorl.
Sir, 2567 contacted you through PM? Rorl yed along and asked.
How could it be PM? Its my brain! Its calction! argued Bloody Mary.
It then pointed at its temple with a delighted look, but when it was ready to continue to talk about its calctive abilities, the beating from its heart silenced it right away.
Rorl was curiously looking at Bloody Mary, he was waiting for the follow-up, but this time, Bloody Mary kept quiet and stood there, waiting patiently.
Around 10 minutester, Kieran appeared in front of both of them.
Boss.
Sir, 2567.
Both of them greeted Kieran right away.
Stay on guard here, keep an eye on the people inside. Kieran then turned around and left.
There wasnt any idle chatter, or rather, through the power of the contract, Kieran was able to deliver his thoughts to Bloody Mary within an instant, just like how he silenced the High Demon earlier.
Tsk, tsk tsk. What an unlucky bastard.
Bloody Mary turned around to the room behind it and sighed uncontrobly.
As for whosoever was inside the room, they were finished!
Unless they stayed inside for the rest of their lives, otherwise...
Given how calctive its contractor was, the people inside couldnt have escaped even if they had wings.
What should we do?
Rorl already treated Bloody Mary as the leader.
We will... upy the ce for ourselves!
The High Demon then moved out to carry out its n.
...
Living room, Harvest Inn.
The auction on the floor was still going on in a lively manner, while the hidden living room was hushed.
Rachel was leaning on the sofa, her hand was shaking the whiskey ss slowly. The liquid inside the ss was bouncing up and down, each time it reached the wall of the ss on one side, it would quickly move back to the other.
After the motion was repeated more than a dozen times, Rachel stood up with furrowed brows.
You dont know either? Or... You knew, but you dont want to say?
By her tone, Rachel sounded displeased.
The big, muscr man across for her opened his mouth with aplicated expression.
Rachel, can you as a different question? I promised that person to never speak of this.
The big man leaned his body forward, asking in a sincere tone.
Alisritter, I saved your life before.
Rachel leaned back on the sofa. She raised her idle left hand and pressed her thumb against the nail of her middle finger, rubbing it a few times before blowing at it.
Alisritter, the Swordsmith, instantly felt like he was facing a vicious being, he stood up, backed off quickly to the wall before smiling with a bitter look.
Rachel, I can give you 10 Legendary items, but I cant speak of that! said Alisritter with his ever bitter smile.
Advance Rank! 3 Advanced Rank items! Rachel stated her price.
Alisritter would never agree to the price during regr times, but now, he agreed without even thinking.
Compared to the promise with that person, what were 3 Advance Rank items?
Even though it was extremely painful to Alisritter.
Okay! Ill give it to you as soon as possible.
Alisritter than swiftly left from the secret passage, leaving Rachel alone in the living room.
Damn it, Im in his debt again!
Since she was alone, Rachel had no need to cover herself. She rubbed her temple and thought hard about what to do.
Then...
She thought of her good friend, Wu.
But before Rachel sent a message to Wu, Wu sent her a request to enter the inn.
Rachel granted permission without any dy, but it was followed by Kierans.
Looking at the entry request one after another and the two who almost came in almost together, Rachel felt like something was going to happen.
Chapter 1422 - Once A Promise
Chapter 1422: Once A Promise
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Under Rachels gaze, Kieran and Wu sat face to face.
I want to know the location of the Sin-servers base. Or where their leader is. Kieran spilled the beans when he sat down.
Wu was also direct, as he rejected right away.
No, Ive said it before. I wont perform any divination, prophecy or whatsoever about Starbeck. Because he is an enemy to me. Wu was very stern with her words.
Then why are you here? Kieran frowned.
Wu didnt say anything but took out a card and ced it on the table.
[Name: Lucky Card IV]
[Type: Card]
[Rarity: IV]
[Attribute: Use it to get more luck before you enter the next dungeon. It is luckier than Lucky Card II, and you will notice that Lady Luck is on your side.]
[Remark: Crafting it requires extremely sophisticated techniques, expensive material, and quite the luck. Or rather, this is a gift from the Wishers concentrated effort.
[Note 1: Can only be used in the big city]
[Note 2: Effect willst until before the next dungeon]
[Note 3: It cannot ovep with other Lucky Cards before you finish your next dungeon.]
...
Kieran, of course, understood how useful this seemingly fragile card was since he had used many in the past.
And when it came from Wu herself, it struck more thoughts in Kierans mind.
Ill need it. It wont cause any trouble to my next dungeon and might even make my journey smoother. Even...
Before Kieran could finish with his thoughts, a message from Lawless captivated his attention.
Lawless: Hey mate, I think you shoulde have a look.
Lawless: I found some good stuff here.
2567: Hold on, will be right there.
...
Kieran stood up after replying to Lawless.
He nced at Wu before going back out to the bar.
Even without asking her, he knew Wu wouldnt leave. Otherwise, she wouldnt havee to the living room in the first ce.
After Kieran left, Rachel walked over to Wu like a curious cat.
2567 wants you to help Starbeck? Rachel winked at Wu, asking what was going on.
En. The people from Sin-server attacked that guy, so he came for me. I cant believe the first time he took the initiative to contact me is for that guy!
Wu sounded calm, and there wasnt much emotion to her words, but Rachel, her good friend, could tell how much rage was boiling in Wus mind right now.
At the same time, Rachel once again noticed how good of a friend 2567 and Lawless were.
Sometimes, both of their choices were so simr that she wanted to cut both of them into a million pieces.
You should teach him a lesson.
Rachel pointed at [Lucky Card IV] on the table.
No, I hate that guy, but I dont want anything to happen to 2567. Wu shook her head steadily.
Well, Starbeck did save you before, Rachel continued.
Em. So I will save him when it is necessary. Consider it repaying my debt, but I still hate that guy. Wu was firm with her thoughts, having only the slightest intention topromise with the situation.
Rachel looked at her friend and couldnt help but sigh.
In a certain aspect, all her friends were as stubborn as donkeys, each one worse than the next.
Others would turn around when they hit a bump, but her friends?
They would ram it over with all their might and continue moving forward.
2567 isnt as weak as you think. You dont need to keep burning yourself to care about him. He is at V- now, Spirit even. You know what that means, right?
Rachel switched ways in persuading her friend.
I know! He is the strongest in my heart. He has never let me down before! Wu nodded and said with a very reasonable tone.
Even with the system blur, Rachel felt like she saw the proud expression on her friends face.
You... are hopeless. Rachel facepalmed herself and leaned back on the sofa.
I know what I want, and I know what I am doing. What about you? Wu turned around to Rachel.
Me? What about me? Im fine.
Rachel reacted like a cat whose tail got stepped on, jumping up from the sofa and walking out in a slightly panicked manner.
Ill go take a look outside. Rachel then vanished beyond the corridor.
The more she exined, the more she was trying to hide.
Wu was left alone in the living room after Rachels absence.
Momentster, she sat in the sofa where Kieran once sat on and took out a stack of cards.
She flipped them on the table one after another.
Crow!
ck crow, bloody crow and a golden crow!
There was never an exception, and it was never wrong.
Wuughed from the bottom of her heart, her softughs echoing in the small living room as though she were having the best time of her life.
...
When Rachel came out of the living room, she saw Kieran and J. Pearlman discussing matters in the corner.
We meet again, Sir 2567. J. Pearlman was polite as usual.
Since the Fisherman knew what kind of person Kieran was, he didnt continue to chit-chat and took out the item for trade right away.
[Name: Siegel Iron Hammer]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: I]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: None]
[Attribute: Impatient Repair, 2/3]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Remark: The dwarven master cksmith Siegel wasnt known for his crafts and works, but his hot-temper and horrible luck, especially during forging and repairs. The sess or failure of his work was always heart-pounding, and during thest time he repaired a piece of equipment, he had to mortgage his own iron hammer.]
...
[Impatient Repair: It can possibly repair any equipment or item with rarity below rank V. If it fails in the process, the repair equipment or item will bepletely destroyed.]
......
What do you want?
When he saw [Siegel Iron Hammer], Kieran finally understood Wus intention. She must have foreseen this sceneing.
Do you still remember the promise we made back then? J.Pearlman asked.
If the Freedom Alliance were to ever be in trouble and required help, as long as it doesnt conflict with me or the people I care about, I will help. So, are you in trouble?
Kierans good memory repeated what he had said previously and asked J. Pearlman about his current condition.
Yes, very big trouble to be exact. We need your help, and this [Siegel Iron Hammer] is part of your payment, J. Pearlman said sincerely.
Kieran looked at the old man, and his right index finger tapped on the table twice before he asked, What kind of trouble?
Chapter 1423 - Sharpening The Saber
Chapter 1423: Sharpening The Saber
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
J. Pearlman didnt answer right away though. After thinking for a while, as though he was holding back, he sent a message to Kieran two to three secondster.
J. Pearlman: We are being hunted.
2567: Hunted?
2567: Freedom Alliance?
...
Kierans attention paused at hunted for a while. In order to make sure, he asked for more confirmation. This time around, J. Pearlman didnt hesitate, nodding right away and exining in detail through messaging.
J. Pearlman: Around 1 week ago, people started to die in the Freedom Alliance.
J. Pearlman: At first, we werent really concerned because, although the possibility of a high-rankers dying in a dungeon world is very low, it isnt zero. But soon enough, we noticed something wrong: our friends didnt die in the dungeon world!
J. Pearlman: When one of our friendspleted his dungeon run, he invited us to celebrate with him and then... he was killed on the way to Freedom Alliances headquarters.
J. Pearlman: It was then that we noticed that three official members of Freedom Alliance had died in a week, and we have reasons to believe that someone has their eyes on us.
...
As he typed his words to Kieran, J. Pearlmans eyes looked heavier than ever.
Tell me everything, including your countermeasures, Kieran said softly.
Although Freedom Alliance imed itself to be a free, casual organization, Kieran believed no organization would ignore the death of their members, especially being killed by some unknown.
Even more so for Freedom Alliance, where the official members were around ten yers.
Em, J. Pearlman nodded and continued messaging Kieran.
J. Pearlman: After we realized something was wrong, we set up a trap, trying to capture the culprit. Unfortunately, the culprit seemed to have seen through our n. He didnt take the bait, and on top of that, he provoked us when we lost our patience. He killed another one of us and left a paper message.
...
When J. Pearlman mentioned the paper message, he initiated a trade and showed it to Kieran.
It was a simple piece of paper, probably from a notebook or something, and only a few short words were written with pen: the fourth one.
J. Pearlman: We are angry but also afraid. The person didnt seem to have quit.
J. Pearlman: Our friend who got killed was known for his defense abilities, and because of that, he stepped up and volunteered as bait. From the moment he was killed to the moment we arrived at the scene, it was less than a minutes time, but there were no clues or traces left behind at the scene.
J. Pearlman: We think that the person has powers that surpass our knowledge, so I was sent out to seek help, and among the people I know, no one is more suitable than you, Sir 2567.
...
No traces left behind?
Kieran raised a brow. Wherever one walked, there would be traces, Kieran always believed that particr saying. If traces werent found, they werent looking in the right ces.
Some heavy thoughts and guesses involving himself, Kieran spoke.
Sure, Ill help you guys.
Really? Thank you very much! J. Pearlman said with delight.
But the condition is...
I know, when ites in conflict with you or the people you care about, we will give up automatically.
J. Pearlman finished Kierans sentence.
And the payment, Kieran would never forget what he deserved.
[Siegel Iron Hammer] is part of the payment. After the case, you will be receiving an Advance Rank item, J. Pearlman added.
Advance Rank? Not enough! At least a rank III, and I want to choose the type of item, Kieran shook his head.
Kieran was always serious and fair during a trade.
Moreover, the person before his eyes wasnt one of his friends or within the list of people that he was familiar with, so he knew what he must do and how he should react.
Of course, Kieran wasnt being over demanding. The stated condition was the cumtion of the rumours he had gathered during normal times and his own analyzation.
With Freedom Alliances level, spilling out a rank III item wasnt easy, but not impossible.
As for rank IV? Kieran shook his head, as he didnt think Freedom Alliance had what it took to ess such high rank items.
He would have stated in the condition if they had what it took.
Things unfolded just like Kieran had expected.
This... I have to ask Amilian about that.
J. Pearlman obviously wasnt a qualified negotiator, since the answer he spilled revealed crucial information: Freedom Alliance possessed rank III items.
Sure, Kieran nodded.
Kieran then watched J. Pearlman contact Amilian, a member of the Freedom Alliance.
Amilian was quite a well known yer among the high-rankers, not just for his strength, but also because he had founded Freedom Alliance, an organization in between a group of lone wolves and a guild.
yers who couldnt venture on alone and were unwilling to join a guild because of the many restrictions were very happy to choose an organization that could help them and didnt add too many harsh restrictions to their actions.
Adding the organizations decent strength reputation, it looked even more attractive, but the problem was its obvious weakness: Freedom Alliancecked a core management.
Amilian wasnt a core member, at most a contact like J. Pearlman.
Maybe it wasnt obvious during normal times, but when real danger or trouble came, theck of core management would be a serious setback, like right now.
Kieran was sure that when the members of the Freedom Alliance were being hunted down by the unknown assant, most of them had shown up just for the sake of showing up.
Thus, Amilian had to send J. Pearlman to seek help.
Otherwise, a group of high-rankers getting together with serious teamwork would have forced anyone back.
Five minutester, J. Pearlman looked up and said, Rank III is fine, but you cant choose.
Then add on another rank I item. I wont choose from that either, Kieran replied right away.
This... Ill have to ask again, J. Pearlman said with a difficult expression.
This time around, the enquiries were faster than before. A few secondster, J. Pearlman gave Kieran a firm answer.
Sure, but well need a contract too, J. Pearlman added with a bitter smile.
The contract must state [Siegel Iron Hammer] as a deposit, Kieran said.
Of course.
J. Pearlman then quickly drafted up a contract.
After Kieran made sure everything was clearly stated, both of them wrote their names down.
When the contract was greenlit, J. Pearlman heaved a breath of relief.
When do we begin? he asked.
Hold on a moment. Ill be right back. Kieran then stood up and headed for the living room.
Things that could enhance his power should be done earlier rather thanter; it would be more beneficial to Kieran.
Be careful.
When he walked past Rachel, she reminded him softly.
I hope it is really what you said. Ive been waiting for a long time!
Kieran smiled and replied softly as well. He then hastened his steps into the living room.
Rachel couldnt help but sigh for Kierans enemy as she saw him go into the corridor.
A strong enemy wasnt that scary, but the terrifying thing was that this vignt, calm and strong enemy held grudges.
All the best.
Rachel picked up an empty ss on the bar counter. She then raised a toast to J. Pearlman after she remembered something.
Toast, to the pitiful, honest man.
Chapter 1424 - Repair
Chapter 1424: Repair
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Inside the living room, Wu still sat on her seat as though she had never moved after Kieran left.
Kieran walked over and initiated a trade.
He kept 32,000 Points and 17 Skill Points for himself and put everything else into the trade with Wu.
I know this isnt enough, but the auction outside is still ongoing, and everything I get from there will be yours. Ill keep a little bit for myself to buy some stuff, but it wont be much, just enough for a Basic skill book. I also know there is still a gap to fill before I can make it up to [Lucky Card IV]s true value, so dont worry, Ill pay you back next time. Kieran looked at Wu.
He awaited her answer, and if she rejected this proposition, he would have to find another way.
As for the watcher he killed after Server IVs death?
Not only were the Points and Skill Points less, hed only gotten a single item from the watcher.
[Name: Garses Arrow Replica]
[Type: Weapon]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Attribute: Arrow Kill 1/1]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: It isnt the real Garses Arrow, but it has some of the scary traits of the original.]
...
[Arrow Kill: Inflict one Advance Rank damage to locked target. (Locked target cannot escape, and the damage will receive a High Rank Immunity. It will ignore defense below rank II, and when it faces rank III defense, attacks will drop to Strong; when it faces rank IV defense, attacks will drop to Average)]
...
This was no doubt a very specific item.
A one-time consumable Legendary rank item, but it had power that some Advance Rank items couldnt evenpare to. It was the reason why Kieran ced it in his bag. With the addition of the two scrolls he got from killing Server II back then, all the one-time consumable items had the ability to turn the tides of a battle.
Despite being consumable, Kieran didnt mind and hoped he could get more.
As for the [Damaged High Blood Kindred Tooth]?
Kieran had other thoughts for it, simr to [Blood Kindred Replica].
The only thing he was able to let go of was the [Vicious Venom Pearl] that he got earlier.
But if he could, he would have liked to keep it as well, for the same reason as [Damaged High Blood Kindred Tooth].
Sure, but Ill take interest, said Wu.
How much? Kieran frowned but didnt reject.
To Kieran, as long as the condition wasnt too harsh, if he could repair [Extreme Night], he would take it.
Moreover, [Lucky Card IV]s rank IV rarity had proven its value.
The system was fair, and it was acknowledged by all yers.
Wu looked at Kieran. She really wanted to say No need, just be with me or something like that, but she knew that if she really said something like that, the man before her eyes would turn around and leave without a question.
Wu had slowly gotten a grasp of Kierans personality; shed even experienced for herself the harsh coldness.
Therefore, she switched ways of dealing with him.
30% and no extra, due after youe back from the next dungeon, Wu said.
Sure. Kieran nodded and epted the proposition.
When giving 90% and getting 120% back, 30% interest seemed very high, but without extra interest, it was still considered fair.
Kieran also didnt reject the proposed time, as he didnt want to owe her a favour for too long.
After the contract, Wu was sensible enough to leave the living room, leaving Kieran alone.
Once Kieran was finally left alone, he used [Lucky Card IV] right away.
A white light came from the card. It slowly dispersed like a mist and enveloped Kieran; it was faint as always, yet possessed outstanding power.
On the other hand, [Siegel Iron Hammer] made a lot of noise.
Amidst a series of fierce hammering, muffled, blurry noises of drinking with big gulps were heard. Kieran thought he saw a bearded dwarf wielding [Siegel Iron Hammer] in one hand while holding a wine barrel with the other; the dwarf was shouting too.
Of course, it was just an illusion, it didnt really happen. What really happened was that the remaining cracks on [Extreme Night] quickly healed up, but after half of the remaining cracks were healed, it stopped.
Kieran used [Siegel Iron Hammer] again without a second thought, and this time, finally, all the cracks on [Extreme Night] were healed.
A pitch-ck, abysmal longsword appeared in Kierans hand.
[Name: Extreme Night (Unawoken)]
[Type: Sword Type Weapon]
[Rarity: IV]
[Attack: IV]
[Attributes: 1. Night Veil; 2. Night sh]
[Effect: Night Protection]
[Prerequisite: Eliminate Ye Jing]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: As the longsword that Ye Jing gained in an ident before following him on his long conquest, its power is undisputed, but it was damaged during the battle with you. Although you tried your best in fixing it, some essence was lost, but it isnt a bad thing. At least you can awaken it, making it truly serve you!]
...
[Night Veil: Extreme Night transforms into a ck moving light, blocking attacks that dont surpass rank IV (including rank IV), 30-second durations, 3 per day]
[Night sh: Perform a ck light sh with a rank IV attack on a single target within a 300-meters radius, 3 per day]
...
[Night Protection: In the night/darkness, Night Veils duration increases by 25 seconds and Night shs range increases by 100 meters.]
...
Unawoken? Kieran raised a puzzled brow.
He was surprised but not angry because it meant [Extreme Night] had potential he never imagined; it was good news for him.
As for how to awaken the sword?
He had no clear idea, only inklings, but that was a matter to think about afterpleting the matter with J. Pearlman.
For now?
Kieran hung [Extreme Night] at his waist. The ck-feathered mantle covered the ck longsword, showing only the hilt, and because everything was ck, it was easy for others to overlook it; it was ced at the most convenient position for Kieran.
Kieran could instantly draw the sword out to fend off any kind of sudden attack.
He carefully tidied up his backpack and [War Zealot Box], and after making sure everything was ready, he walked out.
Hed only ever tidied up his items before he entered a dungeon world, so it was a first for him to do it in the big city.
Though, if it was to face off against that particr person, the preparation was necessary.
Kierans steps were firm but not slow.
J. Pearlman had been waiting for him in the bar for quite some time.
And the one who controlled all of this must be waiting for a long time as well.
Will it be you, Broker?
Chapter 1425 - Changes
Chapter 1425: Changes
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran followed J. Pearlman into Huke Alley.
The alley was situated north of the city, consisting of the main road filled with crushed stones and many short, colorful houses along the way. It seemed like a town from a fairytale, but it was less boisterous. Quite the opposite, a rigid silence and killer atmosphere filled the ce.
Kieran picked up on more than one gaze, looking at him.
They didnt harbor any malicious intent, but he had to be very careful.
ording to the gazes and their presence, Kieran could tell there were around 40 secret watchpoints spread across the entire Huke Alley.
With the information he got, the numbers fit the number of members of the outer ring in Freedom Alliance.
Compared to the official members worry, the outer ring members had a lot of confidence in their organization.
It was natural, though!
A bunch of rabbits would feel scared in front of a lion.
As for the lion?
The rabbits would never know the helplessness and fear of a lion in front of a gun.
Although the rabbits might face the gun themselves, but...
There wasnt much difference after a single bang.
A single bullet robbed the fangs of sharpness and turned its agility into bubbles.
The lion understood how scary the bullet was, while the rabbits were still ignorant of the truth of the situation.
Kieran quietly shook his head. He couldnt imagine how the outer ring members would react when they found out the truth.
They might fall within a single blow, right? No, not might! They would fall within a single blow!
If I were that bastard, I would surelyunch a frontal assault, teaching these outer ring members a lesson about the harshness of reality.
Kierans brows couldnt help but furrow together as he pondered the question.
He realized the hunter who was hiding in the dark understood Freedom Alliance more than he expected.
Likewise, Amilian was much more useless than rumored.
Boss Amilian was forced. The hunter came and went like a ghost. We cant track him down if we dont expand the search range.
J. Pearlman seemed to have noticed Kierans thoughts, as he quickly defended the boss of his organization.
Kieran nodded without expressing his opinion.
He would not deny J. Pearlmans words because it was the truth, but he would not change hisments regarding Amilian because it was also the truth.
Kieransment on Amilian was once again verified when they finally met.
Even inside his own room, Amilian was wearing a suit of knight armor. It was shiny and sturdy; it looked like abination of some high-rank items, just like the longsword at his waist and the cape on his back.
Nice to meet you, Sir 2567.
I apologize for not being able to meet you at Harvest Inn, Freedom Alliance is in a perilous situation now, but J. Pearlman here can fully represent me.
The promise he made is as effective as my own voice.
And if you dont mind, I wish to tell you the whole incident again with my own words.
Amilian weed Kieran wholeheartedly. The words he used were grand and glorified, if they were speaking in Huke Alley and not Amilians room, Kieran would think more of him, but now, what Kieran saw was cowardice!
Thats right, cowardice!
Not just the other official members of Freedom Alliance were terrified, even the boss, the leader in name felt the same.
Just looking at him fully armed in his own room, what a joke.
Beside the room was a rack holding Amilians weapon and armor. Based on the marks on top, the weapon and armor on him should have rested on the stand for a long time, not on his body.
No doubt, the mysterious hunter frightened Amilian, causing him to wear armor and arm himself with a weapon even in his own room.
As for the secret watchpoints all over Huke Alley that seemed like surveince?
It may be protection more than surveince.
Em, Kieran reply coldly since he knew what Amilian wanted to achieve.
Kieran looked down on cowards like this.
Starbeck? Starbeck was different though, at least he knew his cowardice wouldnt allow him to lead any kind of organization or team. Heid low in the big city, ying his part quietly, and even after entering a dungeon world, he would give the leadership position to the most suitable person, unlike Amilian here, a coward that wanted to lead and order people around.
Kieran couldnt imagine how a person like Amilian reached Advance Rank.
Could he have solely relied on his team to support him?
While Kieran was guessing, Amilian started to tell his side of the story after Kierans reply. His version of the story was almost the same as J. Pearlmans, other than a few more decorative words being added in, thus making someones leadership ability stand out, the essence was not much different.
I miscalcted that bastards strength, causing Gary to fall. If I have another chance, Ill...
Can I take a look at the ce where Gary was assaulted?
Kieran interrupted Amilians story and voiced his request.
Of course! J. Pearlman will take you there.
Amilian nodded and passed the task to J. Pearlman.
Obviously, the leader of Freedom Alliance had zero intentions to leave his room, and Kieran saw iting.
J. Pearlman, on the other hand, was a little embarrassed.
Boss Amillian wasnt like this in the past. Too many things have happened recently, causing something in him to change...
Humans always change, dont they?
J. Pearlman hoped to exin to Kieran, trying to bring up the good side of Amilian, but the more he told, the more he realized it was hard for him to continue these false truths.
He ended the conversation with his own way of saying things.
However, it seemed to pique Kierans interest.
You said Amilian wasnt like this in the past? he asked.
Yes. Boss Amilian wasnt like this; he was brave, dauntless, and treated others with passion and kindness. He was also a humble man.
The reason why I chose Freedom Alliance in the first ce was because Boss Amilian helped me back then. In fact, most of the members in the alliance received the boss help in one way or another.
But... its no longer the same.
Especially after the hunter had his eyes on us, Boss Amilian seemed to have changed a lot, not just cowardly and paranoid; hed even aggrandize his superiority.
A lot of friends said that this is the boss true nature.
Gary even had a fallout with the boss, and it ended very well. J. Pearlman shook his head.
Oh? Fallout, eh? Kieran looked at J. Pearlman with an interested gaze.
No! The boss might have changed, but his bottom line will never budge!
J. Pearlman instantly shook his hand after he realized Kierans meaning. Hed even diverted the topic and pointed at the street, This is where Gary was killed.
Kieran didnt pursue the topic, though. He looked at where J. Pearlman was pointing with squinted eyes.
Chapter 1426 - Rise Of The Muddy Waters
Chapter 1426: Rise Of The Muddy Waters
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Under [Tracking]s sight, most of the tracks and traces intertwined, making them look extra messy and slowly faded due to time, but there were also two brand new trails.
Not just new, but also seemingly deliberately left behind.
After signaling J. Pearlman, Kieran moved into the shadows beside him.
J. Pearlman, too, raised his hand, trying to say something, but before his sentence could form, Kieran disappeared into the shadows.
Shock covered his eyes, and it soon elevated into astonishment because...
Even when J. Pearlman went close to the shadows and entered them, he couldnt find a single trace of Kieran.
Transcendence [Undercover]?! No, it has far surpassed normal Transcendence [Undercover]. It must be something more advanced! As he mumbled to himself, J. Pearlmans shock slowly toned down to a rxed state.
When J. Pearlman sought Kierans help, he already had quite the confidence in Kieran. A series of notable achievements were enough to prove how strong Kieran was, but J. Pearlmans concept of Kierans strength was limited to fire and de of the Daybreaker; other than that, he didnt really know much.
And now, J. Pearlman came to know about a technique that was overshadowed by the former two, a technique that was very effective for hunting down a hunter.
Who else better understood a person who was skilled in undercover than a person who was skilled at it themselves?
None! Especially when the former picked up the trail and tracks of thetter.
Heaving a breath of relieve, J. Pearlman immediately PMed Amilian, trying to notify the boss about his new discovery.
Amilian quickly replied, but when J. Pearlman saw the reply, his eyes couldnt help but widen.
...
The traces were clear and the direction was obvious.
Shuttling through the big city, Kieran soon found the person who left the traces, or more precisely, the two people.
The two of them stood side by side, wearing simr outfits and mantles that covered their whole bodies.
The familiar look instantly reminded Kieran of who they were: the Prifen Brothers!
Kieran ran into the Prifen Brothers when he reached an ord with the deceased Karles a few dungeons back.
Bird of Death? the elder brother on the left spoke.
Yes, Bird of Death, the younger brother on the right replied.
The conversation began the exact same way asst time, the only difference being that during thest time, the two of them left after they spoke, but now, they didnt even budge.
Were you guys the ones who assaulted the Freedom Alliance? Kieran asked.
If it was the duo, it was highly possible that they killed a defense high-ranker in a short time.
Kieran didnt forget what Karles said back them. Karles emphasized that the brothers joined the Guardians very early on, and both of them were Agility high-rankers, known for their masterfulbined attacks.
Especially thetter, Kieran bore that in mind.
After all, when one plus one equals more than two, it wasnt just unusual anymore, but also dangerous!
No, the elder brother on the left replied.
Yes, no, the younger brother on the right answered.
Are you the one hunting down members of the Guardians? the elder brother asked again.
Hunting down members of the Guardians?
Not just the Freedom Alliance, but the Guardians too?
Kieran raised a brow and didnt reply right away but sent a message to Rachel.
Soon enough, Rachel replied with a firm answer: In the past few days, the Guardians have been decreasing in numbers in an unusual way.
No, Kieran replied after a nce at his message tab.
He says no, the elder brother said.
Yes, no, the younger brother nodded.
They talked like they were asking and answering, but it also sounded like they were confirming something. The way the Prifen Brothers spoke was very weird that even Kieran couldnt help but subtly squint his eyes.
He didnt think it was a natural habit, but could they be doing it on purpose?
Is this part of theirbined attack? Kieran wondered as he raised the alertness in his heart.
Although he wouldnt take the initiative tounch an attack at the official members of the Guardians due to the Witchs Gift, he wouldnt stay passive and take a hit either.
Should the Prifen Brothers make a move, Kieran would make them experience death.
But to Kierans surprise, after the asking and answering session, the brothers turned silent.
A few secondster, the elder brother spoke again.
Borl is still at Harvest Inn?
He isnt happy?
He should be happy.
Yes, staying alive is a cause for celebration.
Make him stay away from the dome clocktower!
Getting close to there means getting close to death.
Death is not good.
Staying away is best.
...
The Prifen Brothers left as they asked and answered each other one after another.
Kieran saw them off but didnt give chase because it wasnt necessary.
His squinted eyes showed an interested shine.
Interesting. Even Borl appeared?
Kieranughed lightly. He stepped back and went back into the shadows.
Before he figured out the truth behind the Witchs Gift, his vignt character urged him to carefully deal with things, just like how he kept his guard up against Borl.
After telling Rachel about what happened, Kieran turned around and went back to Huke Alley.
Despite the Prifen Brothers words indirectly verifying Borls identity as one of the Guardians, Kieran didnt fully trust the man. Quite the opposite, as he thought of even more things.
For example: could Borl be one of Brokers men?
The timing of his appearance was uncanny; the moment Broker went into hiding, Borl appeared.
And he was rted to the Guardians.
Most importantly, Borl was vaguely pushing Kieran to oppose the Guardians. Despite having all kinds of reasons, his nature didnt change.
Deducing from that point, should Kieran and the Guardians have a falling out, given Lawless personality, he would take Kierans side without a word. Once that happened, would the other lone wolves stay back and not help, or would they just ignore him? Would Rachel stay out of this too?
A messy battle was bound to break out.
Kieran didnt know what the oue would be, but one thing was for certain: regardless of which side emerged a victor, they would still suffer a great loss, and when that happened, the quiet Broker would appear.
What would the situation be then?
The answer was self-exnatory.
Is this your ultimate goal?
Kieran talked to himself as he neared Huke Alley. However, when he got close, he realized the atmosphere wasnt right. He then saw J. Pearlman all tied up, kneeling in the alleyway while being surrounded by a group of Freedom Alliance members.
Traitor!
How dare you kill Lord Amilian, you damn traitor!
Amilian is dead?!
Kieran was utterly astonished.
Chapter 1427 - Intentions
Chapter 1427: Intentions
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran was quite shocked as he looked at the kneeling J. Pearlman.
The blurred out face kept Kieran from seeing properly, but J. Pearlmans eyes were dull and lifeless, as if his soul was being sucked out. He knelt there helplessly, allowing those outer ring members to scold, insult, and even beat him.
Beside them were four high-rankers with a powerful presence, who stood there and watched it happen. They didnt stop the outer ring members, neither did they join them.
Kieran saw confusion in the high-rankers eyes.
No doubt the high-rankers, who were also the official members of Freedom Alliance, maintained a sense of rationality. Their clear minds prevented them from taking any impulsive action, thus allowing them to judge J. Pearlman from a fair angle.
When they saw Kieran, the four high-rankers maintained their politeness.
Sir 2567.
The biggest, tallest of them all with a two-handed sword on his back walked over and greeted Kieran on behalf of hisrades.
Em, Kieran nodded as his eyes were locked on J. Pearlman.
Fisherman here killed the leader, he confessed himself. We dont know what happened but someone heard Fisherman arguing with the leader.
The tall man obviously knew what Kieran wanted to ask, so he quickly spilled the beans.
He confessed it himself? Kieran asked.
Yes, from his very own mouth. As the man nodded, the others around him echoed his action.
A few of us heard the argument between J. Pearlman and Lord Amilian. We couldnt tell what they were arguing about, but it was fierce. Then, Lord Amilian screamed. We barged in and saw him turn into particles, while J. Pearlman stood there nkly, mumbling things like It is I who killed you.
A few of the outer ring members who were responsible for some of the secret watchpoints came up and borated on the situation.
Kieran slightly frowned.
ording to these few members, J. Pearlman was indeed the killer, but it was just their own words.
Kieran tended to believe himself more, he looked down at the dispirited J. Pearlman.
J. Pearlman, did you kill Amilian?
J. Pearlman didnt react to Kierans question, as if he silently acknowledged it.
It infuriated the outer ring members even more when they saw his reaction.
Kill him!
Kill this traitor!
Avenge Lord Amilian!
The outer ring members were very attached to the Freedom Alliance, they also looked up to thete leader.
While isted, the human heart will breed fear, but when the numbers went up, fear will disperse and courage will rece the empty spot.
One of the members who had just voiced his anger suddenly drew his sword and swung it at J. Pearlmans neck.
But...
The outer ring member froze on the spot; not literally, but he was clouded by Kierans killer intent.
Under the solid gaze that had ughtered myriads of souls, the outer ring member, who was just slightly stronger than a normal yer, trembled and drenched in his own sweat.
Then...
Pak!
The sword fell out of his hand and he himselfnded on his butt on the ground, limping and panting heavily; hisbat abilities werepletely robbed.
The members of the Freedom Alliance had heard about Kierans reputation.
Whether it was the Unique Title recognized by the system, de of the Daybreaker, or the titles circted between yers, the ming Devil, me Emperor, or even the newest and yful Treasure Hunter, as long as one wasnt a newbie, they would know what the titles meant.
However, none of them thought Kieran could disarm a veteran yer with a single gaze.
Terror!
Thats right, terror!
Terror that far surpassedmon scare rose in their hearts.
They couldnt understand the scene, but Kieran knew what was going on.
With his Spirit reaching rank V-, some bizarre changes ured to his body. It wasnt just the weak fire in his mind that was constantly burning the chaos and darkness, even his body had gone through something.
Other than the formless powers that normal people couldnt see getting stronger and scarier, Kierans vision and hearing were slowly increasing, his body better in sync and more tencile than ever. Although hed upgrade all these attributes, he felt it clearly with his mind and body.
Kieran was quite delighted with the results though, because he had an idea what this new condition was.
Compensation! When Spirit reached a certain level, it would furtherpensate the body with minor enhancements. It could also be considered as the soul buffing the body.
Of course, thepensation wasnt as fast and safe as using Golden Attribute Points.
Kieran knew what would happen should he overload himself. He didnt want to end up like that, so his n of increasing his strength in the future would revolve around Constitution.
Though, everything was still a secret. If Kieran hadnt even told Starbeck, how could he tell others?
The unknown and the mystical, they were like a very intimate couple because in the end, they wouldl give birth to fear.
The Freedom Alliance members were all frightened by the scene, even more so when Kierans dull gaze scanned over them, feeling nothing but panic.
They thought they saw a huge ck shadow erupt from Kierans body and fly up into the sky, trying to cover the sun and envelop their head.
Then, limbs grew from the shadow!
Limbs and fangs as dark as the night, the sizzling noise came from the friction in the air, a giant head without any facial features except a mouth slightly turned around as it formed, then opened its bloody mouth and jumped on the members.
The sky reeked of blood and it assaulted their nose.
The air was cold and chills went down their spines.
That illusory giant mouth felt like it could devour all the Freedom Alliance members with a single bite.
Aaaaargh!
Aaaaargh!
All the outer ring members stepped back in fear; the official, core members tightened their muscles and heightened their vignce as if they were facing the greatest enemy of their lives.
However, at the very next moment, the faceless monster with the giant mouth vanished out of sight.
Only Kieran was left in everyones sight. He grabbed J. Pearlman and turned around.
Sir 2567! Given how careful Boss Amilian was, J. Pearlman is the first suspect!
It was from the tall high-ranker. He hesitated for a while before clenching his teeth and shouting at Kierans back.
He had to say something, otherwise, Freedom Alliance would be over.
When the people inside an organization were divided, its copse and crumble would follow shortly.
But the high-ranker knew had he said something threatening to Kieran, Freedom Alliance would not go through the process of copsing, it would instantly be history.
The ming Devil was too scary!
Therefore, the high-ranker tried to speak as mildly as possible, reminding Kieran of J. Pearlmans suspicion.
It was just a reminder, nothing else, and despite that, the tall high-ranker did muster up all his courage to ooze the words out of his mouth.
Kieran?
He might or might not have heard it.
He didnt stop and continued to strode away.
After Kieran went away, the tall high-ranker finally heaved a breath of relief. He also heard the other members gasping as well.
The high-ranker looked left and right, his face couldnt help but show a bitter smile.
He knew that even if he tried his best to make things right, it wouldnt be effective.
The Freedom Alliance might very well be history from here onwards.
As for using other ways to save the organization?
The high-ranker thought of the ck, faceless monster.
His body couldnt help but shudder and he discarded the second thought beyond the clouds.
...
Is there a problem?
Kieran asked Rachel while standing in the corridor outside the secret passage of the inn.
Rachel didnt answer, carefully checking on J. Pearlman.
Five to six minutester, Rachel looked at Kieran.
It seemed like a curse, but not exactly. Im not a pro in this territory, I cant really tell, Rachel replied.
Is there someone reliable to identify the problem? Kieran asked.
There is, but he cannot enter Harvest Inn.
Rachel nodded in a firm way and pointed at J. Pearlman.
Kieran didnt refute her words. If he were in her ce, he wouldnt allow a walking timebomb into his own room either, especially while carrying some unknown thing in him.
Are you sure this thing ising after you? Rachel asked with crossed arms.
Im pretty sure, around 80 to 90% sure. The appearance of the Guardians is too coincidental. If it werent because of something else, I would have taken out the Prifen Brothers. After that, what do you think would happen? Kieran asked.
A messy, bloody war. And a third party would benefit.
Rachels words were straight to the point, but she frowned right away.
These kinds of lousy methods dont seem to be from Broker. Theyre too obvious and rough.
I know.
It isnt that bastard. Although I suspected him at first, now it seems like some unexpected yer has entered the arena. However, if I were Broker, I wouldnt mind pushing things around to benefit myself, stirring the situation into a messier state.
Kieran then looked at J. Pearlman again.
Amilian was a coward; all the things in his room pointed to him as one, and killing a coward was even harder than killing a brave man, because the former would not put himself under the crosshair.
As for thetter? If the brave didnt venture forward in the face of danger, how would one be called brave?
An act? It was also within the realm of possibilities.
If Amilian was pretending to be a coward, it would be harder to kill him. He had spent so much effort and blood to forge a cowardly image, he would have protected it with the fullest effort.
Most of the time, he would have remained a vignt heart and given the circumstances, unless the killer was someone he trusted, Amilian wouldnt have died.
And regardless of how one looked at it, J. Pearlman fit the criteria. But how could he kill his own boss?
The Fisherman was an honest man. No matter how poorly Amilian presented himself, J. Pearlman wouldnt have killed him. The most J. Pearlman would do was leave Freedom Alliance, and maybe even give up something for his leave.
An honest man was always a target for bullying, so a lot of people tended to take advantage against one.
Not paying a single dime and able to get fill ones heart with pleasure or some actual benefits, it was too good to be true, who wouldnt want it?
Could it really be J. Pearlman? Rachel asked after some deep thoughts.
An honest man was the target of bullying, but they had their own bottom line too.
And when that bottom line was crossed, those who bullied would have to meet their maker before even apologizing.
Possible. But I want to know what triggered him, or the motive behind itwhy did Broker do it? Is this a trap, or what? Kieran shook his head and spoke his mind.
Kieran really didnt care about Amilians death, what he cared about was the meaning behind this murder.
Unfortunately, the only clue he currently had was J. Pearlman, who had lost his mind.
Ill find someone to fix him as soon as possible. Consider it as returning a favour.
Rachel obviously understood what Kieran meant.
I want someone trustworthy and reliable. One time of the curse dispeller incident is enough for me, Kieran reminded Rachel.
Dont worry, I am not an idiot like Lawless, Rachel smiled.
Ill wait for your good news then, said Kieran before he grabbed J. Pearlman, bringing him to a nearby house.
The ce was one of the rooms that he got after the Honor Kills.
As a matter of fact, Kieran had too many rooms in the city with his Honor and Cruel Kill rewards.
The only unfortunate thing was... all these rewards couldnt be treated as realmodity like the real world. Kieran felt pain in his heart every time he thought about the number of rooms he had in the big city.
Boss, I am at your fullest service.
The High Demon, Bloody Mary, was standing at the door of the particr room after Kieran contacted it through their special link.
Look after him. Kieran passed J. Pearlman to the High Demon.
Of course, Bloody Mary assured Kieran.
Kieran was relieved by Bloody Marys assurance. Although the High Demon might nag orin sometimes, it was undeniable how well it carried out its tasks, which bloomed certain thoughts in Kierans mind.
You can use items too, right? Kieran asked.
Sure, I am exceptionally skilled in Mystical Knowledge.
Bloody Mary thought it was on to something and looked at Kieran with shining eyes.
Okay. Go train Frost Wolf, Kieran ordered.
What?
Bloody Mary was shocked. This was not what it had thought.
Shouldnt Bloody Mary get some items to use and strengthen its own power?
Why did the High Demon end up training the Frost Wolf?
Was Bloody Mary lower than the Frost Wolf?
No way!
How could a High Demon be lower than a wolf?
It must be in its contractors deeper thoughts, this might be a test of sorts!
Right, this must be a test!
Bloody Mary fell into its own thoughts as it saw Kieran turn away. Then, it saw Kieran suddenly stop.
Bloody Mary quickly straightened its body again.
Yes! I knew it!
It was a test just now!
The wolf is just along the way while I am the core!
Bloody Mary anticipated with confidence.
Oh and if you can, train the Fire Raven as well.
Kieran then vanished without even turning back.
Bloody Mary was left on its spot. It seemed to have hardened into a rock while the wind blew a couple of leaves in front of its face.
Suddenly, Bloody Mary felt very cold and tired. It wanted to return to the West Coast.
Chapter 1428 - Entry
Chapter 1428: Entry
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
While Rachel went on a search for a candidate to cure J.Pearlman, Lawless delivered a skill book to Kieran: [Sharp Weapon, Throwing].
It wasnt that expensive and was bought at the market price.
Compared to skill books of other ranks, Basic skill books werent that rare to a lone wolf. As long as one had a bit of luck, theyde across a Basic skill book one way or another.
And with the buff of [Lucky Card IV], Kierans lucky was magnificent.
Spending 25,200 Points and 17 Skill Points, Kieran leveled up [Sharp Weapon, Throwing] straight to Musou level.
[Name: Sharp Weapon, Throwing (Musou)]
[Rted Attribute: Strength, Agility, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Offense]
[Effect: You will have your own unique attainments in throwing flying daggers, darts, javelins, and tomahawks. Increase damage by 60%]
[Special Effect: Multiple Throwing (Receive an extra trajectory adjustment when you throw multiple projectiles (not more than 3 sharp weapons)]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Strength E+, Agility E+, Constitution E+]
[Remark: If you want to win cheers, blindfold yourself and perform!]
...
[Skill Sharp Weapon, Throwing leveled up, rted attributes have reached their limits, unable to further level up!]
......
Sou Sou Sou!
The instant the synchronization and knowledge transfer process was over, Kieran suddenly raised his hand and fired out three zing trails at the target that he set up beforehand.
The wooden target couldnt even sustain [Dagger of Greed]s attack, after a bang, the big wooden target was sliced into wooden debris.
Sou Sou Sou!
As the wood debris danced in the air, the three flying daggers returned to the pouch that Kieran hid under his feathered mantle like swallows returning to their nest.
Not bad, Kieranmented honestly.
Although the effect of [First Edge] was only a Strong ranked attack, when it reached [Third Edge], the Advance Rank attack would be enough for him to deal with any kind of regr enemy.
Of course, the most pleasant surprise was [Dagger of Greed, Returning Edge], it would save him a lot of trouble.
After slightly adjusting [Dagger of Greed]s pouch and cing it in a morefortable position, Kieran started to practice again.
Despite thest dungeon having all sorts of restrictions due to the intervention of an uninvited guest, the final reward was still satisfying enough for Kieran.
Not just because of his Spirit reaching rank V-, it was also because he had all sorts of understanding, realization, and training of his own body under those harsh conditions.
Unlike the synchronization and knowledge transfer process, the training and realization were dull and slow. However, it was more real, much more practical than a simple process.
With that in mind, Kieran was determined to not cease his practice and further understanding of his own body, especially with the buff from [Lucky Card IV].
Kieran seized every moment he had to practice.
Time flew under Kierans utmost concentration.
Soon, the dungeon cooldown was reset.
After contacting Rachel, Kieran started to tidy up his equipment, items, and backpack.
Despite J.Pearlmans ident, Kieran didnt n to alter his initial ns because of the unexpected events.
Although he seemed powerful enough to most of the yers and had no need to be so tough on himself anymore, the heart of getting stronger had prated his soul and mind.
How could he just stop?
More so, with Broker as his enemy, before Broker indeed died, Kieran would never let his guard down.
[Entering single-yer special dungeon!]
[Dungeon difficulty: 5th dungeon]
[Background: Naveya City was heavily destroyed, the Devourer who was injured decided to hide for a while. Monsters were running wild on the once prosperous and wealthynds...]
[Main Mission: Head north, find the secret Thorn Temple, days remaining: 90]
[Temporarynguage pack, Disappears upon exiting the dungeon.]
[Clothing, backpack, weapons, and other items remain unchanged, Temporarily altered appearance, Returns to normal upon exiting the dungeon]
[Detected firearms and grenades do not match the dungeon period, power decrease by 90%. When you enter the dungeon, you will bepensated with corresponding skills. (Compensated skills can not be leveled up and will disappear upon exit of the dungeon]
[Note: This is a special dungeon, and because you have reached rank I, you cannot fail your main mission. Once you fail, it is game over!]
...
The greenish-white and purplish moon were clouded by ck mist, leaving the earth in utter darkness.
Munching noises echoed intermittently along the broken walls.
There wasnt any terrorizing cry or the wail of the dead, only dead bodies with missing limbs and body parts with sharp-fanged monsters eating the bodies were around.
Kieran appeared in the shadows. He looked up at the sky, clouded in darkness.
He nced over the ferocious monsters eating up the dead bodies on the road. The ce reeked of blood and a fishy smell that Kierans nose, causing him to frown.
The monsters from the nearby shores?
Without the divine light protection from the Gods of Naveya, the monsters came up to thend?
Or are they under the Devourers order?
Kierans eyes were shining.
Analytics of the temples developments in Naveya City did describe the monsters in the sea in detail. They werent just strong but overwhelming in numbers as well, the people would need to hold an Ocean Festival to calm the sea in exchange for a safe sea course.
Though, the book didnt say anything about the rtionship between the monsters from the sea and the Devourer.
In fact, until now, Kieran had limited knowledge about the Devourer.
All he knew was that the Devourer was the mortal enemy of the Gods in Naveya City, and with the help of Hero Algor 300 years ago, the Gods defeated the Devourer, hence building Naveya City.
However, the deste scene struck a though in Kierans mind.
Perhaps... the Devourer is from the sea?
With the thought lingering in his mind, Kieran shuttled through the shadows swiftly; he had to find out the current time.
It wasnt too hard for Kieran, though. Judging from the broken bodies, dried up blood that scattered all over the city, Kieran came up with a general guess of the time.
Most of the bodies died a day or two ago. Which means its been less than two days since I left.
Two days to most people was just a weekend.
People maybe had time for a movie or a fancy meal or even spent the weekend in their cozy homes.
However, to the people of Naveya, it was a catastrophic disaster.
Ordinary people could hardly survive the aftermath of the war between the Gods and Devourer, let alone the monsters that followed.
Kieran saw the monsters dig up some reasonably intact bodies from under a few meters of debris and start to feast on them.
Given how meticulous and sharp the monsters were, even if there were people who avoided the former, they couldnt have survived thetters sense of smell and sharp ws.
But... what about non-human?
Chapter 1429 - Hunting Ground In The Ruins
Chapter 1429: Hunting Ground In The Ruins
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Wuu Wuuu Wuuuu!
The night breeze carried a soft sobbing into Kierans ears. Right away, Spirit authentications appeared in Kierans vision one after another.
The monsters who were eating the dead bodies in the area scattered like frightened birds the moment the sobbing sounded.
Some made it away, but most spun on the spot.
It seemed like none of them passed through the Spirit authentication.
Then, a figure with a broken mantle, carrying a baby skeleton in its hands, slowly walked out of the dark; the sobbing came from under the hood.
The baby skeleton shook left and right as the figure walked, producing noises.
When it walked past one of the monsters that was the size of a calf, ck in color and slim as a jackal with spikes all over its back, the monster whimpered.
After that, a white, translucent, glowing energy mist came out of the monsters body and entered the baby skeletons nose.
Bluish green soul fire lit up the deepest part of the eye sockets.
It flickered like a real baby sucking on its thumb.
Pak!
The monster wobbled and fell to the ground, absent of any signs of life. Its body dissolved into a pile of mud, reeking of the foul sea.
None of the monsters could escape their doom, and even after there were over a dozen disgusting mud creatures on the ground, the elusive figure with the baby skeleton didnt feel fully satisfied.
The sobbing grew louder. The soul fire on the baby skeleton burned brighter, and it looked like a zing torch in the darkness.
They were seeking more delicious food. Likewise, something else was looking for food too.
Inside the shadows, Kieran looked up at the left side of the sky and then subtly at the ground where the elusive figure stood.
The next moment...
Wuuu!
A raging wind blew in the dark sky and a figure that was carried by the powerful wind jumped down from up above.
The dark figure had wings that expanded to a dozen meters, boosting its speed to the maximum, thus the elusive figure with the baby skeleton didnt even have time to react before it was swallowed by the flying figures big mouth.
However, just as the ck flying figure began to fly away after its meal...
Kroooom!
The ground shook, multiple thick tendrils bursting out from the ground, brazenlytching onto the ck flying figure like a jumping python and dragging it down into the deepest part of the ground.
Graks, Graks!
Loud crunching noises spread all over the ruins, scaring away the monsters who ate the human bodies, making them run faster and farther.
The sudden erupted tendrils also forced the other monsters hidden in the ruins to make the wisest choice: to run.
Kieran sensed that hundreds and thousands of bodies, of strong and weak presence, had quickly left the ce, as though they had acknowledged that these ruins were the territory of the monster underground.
A primal hunting ground? Kierans face looked serious.
The monster hiding underground wasnt a threat to him, especially with his current power level.
However, the spot where the monster was hiding was nothing but a normal street, near the docks in what was once Naveya City.
There were many streets like this around the dock area in Naveya City, and it still didnt include the few bigger streets connecting to other districts.
Most importantly, the ruins Kieran was currently in was the docks of the once Naveya City, the district which was slightly further away from the heart of the city.
If the monsters went on a rampage, even in a ce like this, what would happen to the civilian district, the prosperous wealthy district, the intricate council district, and at the core of the city, the temple district?
Especially the temple district!
During an evacuation of the temples, the believers could bring most of the things away from their respectives temples, but a hurried evacuation would not allow them to bring everything with them.
The things that were left behind would be enough to attract arge number of monsters toy their prying gaze on the temples.
And it seemed like the monsters under the ground didnt have any intentions to head further into the city. They didnt even want to budge. Which meant that within these two days, when Kieran wasnt around, the core districts of Naveya City had been distributed into multiple territories with a respective terror residing in it.
Too bad.
Kieran nced over the temple district that was clouded by darkness with a pitiful gaze. After checking the direction of his destination, he went into the night.
If he had time, Kieran wouldnt mind exploring the temple district.
Whether it was the remaining items in the many temples or the monsters currently residing there, both were quite valuable to Kieran.
Unfortunately, not only did he not have enough time, he had to seize the moment to catch up to the evacuation group.
Naveya City had fallen into the monsters grasp and they were now the new residents of the dead city.
Kieran was also sure the monsters werent only in the city. When the people evacuated the city, they had enough valuable goods on them to attract monsters.
Also! The followers that mixed themselves into the group would cause far more damage than the monsters!
As for the Devourer itself?
Kieran believed that should the Devourer show itself again, the evacuation group would face a destructive blow, simr to the city they once lived in.
It was something Kieran didnt wish to happen, as he had too many things in dire need of exnation.
Hope it isnt the worst situation yet!
With this slight hope in his head, Kieran brought out [Dark Shadow Ride]. The chaotic Origin Force in his body shook slightly before the headlight of the bike frame lit up bright red.
Dak Dak Dak Dak!
The bike frame then transformed into the ck mechanical horse and knelt its front limbs in front of Kieran.
This time, Kieran hopped onto the horse without a second thought.
Neigh!
[Dark Shadow Ride] brought Kieran into the dark.
...
Arge, messy, and overstaffed convoy was moving slowly in the night.
The cold night breeze was blowing onto everyones anxious face, even the Officiants and Archpriests.
Some looked worse because as of two days ago, they hadpletely lost contact with their God.
No matter how hard they prayed, they hadnt gotten a response.
The only thing preventing them from copsing was the divine messages from their respective Gods.
This particr divine message from their Gods became thest string the Officiants and Archpriests held onto.
No! I do not agree! We need to head north!
Einderson, who was once an elder priest and now the new Thorn Temple Officiant, was sitting in a board wagon and voiced his disagreement in a decisive tone.
The wagon was moving forward slowly. Other than Lightning Temple, all the seeds from different temples were all there: Harvest, Mercy, Thorn, War, Valiant, Love, Hunter, Melody etc.
The leaders of all the 22 temples were discussing the direction they should go in.
Our God told us to go south! said the archpriest of Hunter Temple in a heavy and strong tone.
Thats right!
We too received a simr divine message!
Yes!
Us as well!
...
Other than Love and Melody, Harvest, Mercy, War and Valiant, the representatives of the other temples spoke in session.
Our God told us to go west! Right away!
Harvest, Mercy, War and Valiant Temples archpriests spoke.
Our God wants us to follow Thorn Temple, said Archpriest Fanny of Love Temple.
We have the same divine message as well, said the archpriest of Melody Temple.
Love and Melody had a different opinion from the rest.
Everyone went silent, looking at each other with a serious gaze.
Their beliefs in their Gods prevented them from making their own decisions. The group would eventually face an inevitable split.
However, trouble was justing to their doorstep.
Karkooom!
A sudden explosion shook the broad wagon.
Everyones face instantly turned sour.
The monsters were here!
Chapter 1430 - Split. Defend
Chapter 1430: Split. Defend
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Wuu, Wuu Wuu!
Three rushed horn soundster, the messy and overstaffed convoy fell into a panic. The civilians and merchants looked behind them in fear.
The only fortunate thing was that the knights that rode past the convoy on both sides quickly calmed everyone down, suppressing the panic.
The people followed the knightsmands, transforming the entire convoy into a simple defense line. The women would hide with the children and start to pray to their own God, and the men picked up weapons and formed thest line of defense.
The prayers soon spread throughout the entire convoy, expelling the panic and filling everyones hearts with peace and anticipation.
The people believed their Gods would not abandon them, just like how the Gods led them away from Naveya City.
Even this time, their Gods would not let them down!
Beliefs were always this miraculous, it would cover up things that one could see but was unwilling to believe.
However, not everyone survived based on beliefs, at least not Atrina, the deacon from Thorn Temple.
From the moment she plotted to get the position of a priest so that she could steal the Holy Thorn Grail, one could imagine what her beliefs were. Atrina looked behind the convoy with a worried face.
The knights of various temples had ridden back to engage the monsters, but she didnt feel happy at all because she knew this was an ill omen, an omen about a convoy suffering relentless attacks by monsters on their trail.
She could even picture the scene where the entire convoy was to fall under the fangs of the monsters, getting devoured one by one.
Arin, are you alright?
Did you think about him again?
Dont worry, he will be fine.
Lilith called Atrina by her nickname and looked at her with worry.
Lilith, the priest from Love Temple, obviously had misunderstood Atrinas expression. Atrina didnt want to exin herself either because it was the face she should be showing right now.
Without the support of that man, the only thing she could hold onto were the gifts he left behind. At least it would make her life in the future a little better because that man was one of the few souls who volunteered to stay back and fight the Devourer. He was also the strongest one among all.
Anyone would still be shaken by the memories about that single blow from the sword that could cut the sky in half.
Had the blow from the sword not happened, the oue of that battle would have taken a very different turn.
As for them?
Aside from escaping the grasp of the Devourer, even death would be considered merciful to them.
Unfortunately, the man who delivered the sky-shaking blow had died.
Until now, Atrina still didnt understand his choice.
He had the chance to leave, and yet he chose to stay back and fight.
Men are really hot-blooded, so hot that they be a bunch of morons! Atrina mumbled to herself.
Sir Ryan isnt a moron, he is... a hero! Lilith heard the mumbles and voiced her opinion, but it was very soft. She didnt want to smear salt over her friends wound.
Atrina shook her head at Lilith. She knew this girl who she could call a friend was very naive in certain aspects; otherwise, she wouldnt have be the disciple of Love Temples archpriest. However, her position had determined that Atrina could not tell her the truth behind the incident.
Even if Atrina did, no one would believe her, right?
Atrina nced over the people around her, their gazes were full of respect, not from herself but because of that man.
The monsters have been beaten back!
The monsters have been beaten back!
The cheers suddenly swept away the dense atmosphere surrounding the convoy.
Atrina and Lilith both heaved sighs of relief, but Atrinas expression quickly turned heavy.
She saw a lot of wounded knights, even more than she expected. What was worse was the number of casualties in the fight, a lot of the knights gave their lives to protect the convoy.
Without further ado, Atrina took the medical box that she prepared earlier and ran towards the injured knights.
Having that mans gift didnt guarantee her a smooth ride in life. Atrina still had to work hard for something.
Lilith, on the other hand, was more straightforward, all she hoped for was less death in the convoy.
The rest of the convoy started to help with the aftermath of the battle, while the discussion in therge wagon carried on.
The enemies are strong. Only the knights can harm them, said the archpriest of War Temple.
His words were intended for Thorn Temple and Hunter Temples archpriests.
The topic seemed a little off, but the hidden meaning between the lines was saying: splitting up in front of a powerful enemy wasnt a good idea.
The divine message shall not be disobeyed, said the archpriest of Hunter Temple in a heavy tone.
Fate grinds us harshly like brambles over our body, but we need to prevail and cut the thorns to form a new path! I believe Lady Vanessa and her judgment! Einderson also genuinely believed in his God.
Their beliefs were rooted deep in their souls, so the choices made were almost inevitable!
Well, I wish everyone a safe journey.
The archpriest of Harvest Temple stood up and greeted everyone else.
Godspeed.
The group exchanged gazes before parting ways, as friends and a blessing to each other.
Deep down in their hearts, they knew, after this parting, there was only a slim chance for them to ever meet again in the future.
Einderson sighed and walked down the wagon.
The new elderly archpriest of Thorn Temple adjusted his emotions and gathered everyone affiliated with Thorn Temple.
We shall head north. Tell the believers of Lady Vanessa that they will once again be tested by fate, said Einderson.
The others arent going with us? Atrina asked in shock.
Other than Love Temple and Melody Temple, the others... will have their own ways to go. It isnt something that we can stop, just like how they didnt stop usif you want to say your goodbyes, please hurry everyone, we are running out of time, Einderson added.
Looking at the heavy-hearted crowd dispersing, the elderly priest couldnt help but sigh again.
He was deeply regretting his decision. Had he been stern and stayed behind in the city, allowing Ryan to lead this group, their believers might be in a better condition.
At least the morale wouldnt be this low, and would not have to worry about being chased by monsters.
Ryans strength was enough to frighten the monsters away.
And Einderson?
He was less than an ordinary knight at the moment. Without Lady Vanessas support, what could he do? The messy thoughts in his mind caused the old priests heart to sink further, and he couldnt even show his distress.
When the entire convoy split into three groups, Einderson sighed once again when he looked at his group, which was the smallest of them all.
North! We will head all the way north! Let us move right away!
There werent any encouraging words because those who joined this particr group had no need for encouragement.
Although the numbers were fewer than expected, Einderson had lost heart to hold those who changed their beliefs responsible anymore. What he had to do was be ountable to the people who followed behind him.
After getting on the wagon, Einderson took out a cowhide map and opened it up. The map was given to him by Lady Thorn before he left Naveya. The map stated where the hidden temple was in the north and also listed the possible dangers the group might face on the way there.
Arya Outpost, Yort Fields, Smochker Hills, Weiss Valley, Rinya Mountains.
As Eindersons finger moved along thebeled locations, he read out the locations that Lady Thorn listed out and wanted them to be careful of.
Then, Einderson called for Atrina.
Atrina?
Yes, Lord Archpriest? Atrina then boarded the wagon.
How many men do we have left that can participate in a battle? Einderson asked.
Including those who followed us from the start, after the battle back there, not more than 300 men. I didnt include those from Love and Melody, though, Atrina answered.
Following the well-known deeds of Hero Ryan, Atrina, who already had a certain position in Thorn Temple, was promoted even higher in the current convoy.
In simple words, other than Archpriest Einderson, Atrina had already be the second inmand of Thorn Temple.
Einderson showed exceptional trust in Hero Ryans lover as well.
Therefore, without hiding, Einderson showed Atrina the cowhide map.
What is this?
Atrina was jolted for a moment before she reacted to the map. Her face was surprised, and when she finished looking at the map, her face turned heavy.
Arya Outpost, the location closest to us can be our temporary base for us to regroup and readjust.
But after Yort Fields...
Atrina then looked at Einderson, hoping for some guidance.
The road beyond Arya Outpost and towards Yort Fields were officially out of Naveya Citys territory. Compared to Naveya Citys pleteness, Yort Fields had more than a dozen lordsmanding different regions; thends there were t and long, amon merchant convoy would have to spend around four weeks to cross without any idents and given the speed of their convoy, they would have to spend at least five to six weeks.
The long traveling period would be enough for the monsters on their tail to eat their entire convoy.
And if they wanted to buy time for the convoy to move north, they would have to set up a defense line in Arya Outpost, blocking the path of the monsters.
More precisely, they would have to sacrifice themselves to feed the monsters, stalling them, filling their stomach so that the majority of the convoy had enough time to move.
In other words, abandoned pawns.
It was almost inevitable and obvious, though, because with more and more monsters gathering on their tail, losing Arya Outpost was a matter of time.
Once the defense line was broken, Atrina and Einderson knew what would happen.
So, who would be the abandon pawn?
Atrina, any suggestions? Einderson asked.
With a considerable age, Einderson was blessed with many life experiences, but no matter how experienced he was, he was helpless against the situation at hand.
Who stayed behind, who would die.
It was hard for Einderson to choose since the butchers knife was in his hand.
So he hoped for more suggestions, but what followed shocked the archpriest.
Ill stay! Atrina said with determination.
Atrina, dont misunderstand my meaning. I ask for you to discuss this, not...
I know! But other than me, is there someone else more suitable for the job? Staying back at Arya Outpost proves to a narrow escape from death. Without a person with a suitable identity, it will not be convincing enough, even with Lady Vanessas blessing, it wont change anything.
So I am the most suitable candidate in this convoy other than you, my lord. You have to lead them to the north, which leaves me as the most suitable person.
Atrina interrupted Einderson and said seriously.
Einderson went quiet as he looked at Atrina. In the end, the old priest sighed again.
Is this because of... Ryan? Einderson asked softly.
Atrina was shaken; she didnt say anything, but the sorrow on her face was evident.
Ryan and you... Ill respect your decision. Einderson tried tofort Atrina, but when the words escaped his mouth, he realized he couldnt say it.
Anything else seems without meaning in front of life and death.
Just like after Archpriest Sirontu and Officiant Barrion died in battle, Ryan and he inherited the position of archpriest and officiant, respectively. Then, Ryan chose to stay behind. Thus the archpriest position was passed to the officiant, meaning Einderson had two roles to y.
But... the burden seemed a little heavy, to the point that it suffocated him.
Whenever he thought about the pair of lovers, Ryan and Atrina dying, he felt his head sank in pain.
Atrina left the wagon, leaving Einderson kneeling down on one knee in the empty carriage. He was praying for the pair of lovers.
The path of bramble is your test.
The pain on your body will bring forth a sublime soul.
When you arrive, everything will turn into blessings of fate.
May the Bird of Thorn sing endlessly.
The Bird of Thorn only sings once in its life, during its death.
From the moment the bird left its nest, it had been searching for the Thorn Tree persistently.
And when it finally had its wish granted, it plunged its petite body onto the longest, sharpest thorn. It sang with blood and tearsthe alluring and pure melody made every other sound in the mortal realm sounded dull and nd.
Once the song ended, the Bird of Thorn would die. It gave its body to the song.
Einderson hoped that the ending may change, at least...
At least...
At least the bird wouldnt be that lonely.
Einderson then started to write something after picking up a quill pen, a thought came to his mind.
Meanwhile, outside the wagon, Atrinas eyes showed hesitancy.
Staying back and covering the convoys retreat was something that she would never do. What she really wanted to do was use the convoy as bait to create a chance for her to escape.
I am not wrong!
She told herself, but the guilt beat against her conscience.
As the convoy got closer to Arya Outpost, her guilt grew stronger.
And when the convoy finally entered the outpost to rest and readjust, the people of the convoy looked at her with gazes of respect; the guilt almost drowned her alive at the moment.
Sister Arin... Thank you. I finally knew why Ryan chose you, Lilith told Atrina.
Before dawn and the moment before the convoy depart for Yort Fields after resting for half a night, Lilith found Atrina.
Lilith gave the protection charm she knitted all night to Atrina and gave her the sincerest blessing.
Atrina, who received the tri-colored protection charm, really wanted to say something out of instinct, but she swallowed it back into her gut before the sentence even formed.
I live for myself only, sorry.
With apologies in her heart, Atrina saw the convoy off, and when the convoy almost went out of sight, Atrina turned around to the direction of Naveya CIty.
She was like saying goodbye to her past, to her old self, but...
At the next moment...she widened her eyes!
A ck line appeared on the horizon! A ck line consisting of numerous monsters!
Like a raging wave in the sea, the monsters were charging towards Arya Outpost, where Atrina was.
Chapter 1431 - Chase
Chapter 1431: Chase
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Enemies in sight!
Enemies in sight!
Dang Dang Dang!
At the highest outpost tower of Arya, the guard screamed loudly as he rang the bell beside him.
The loud bell echoed throughout the entire outpost, and everyone then started to move out.
Ballista after ballista were pushed up to the firing holes of the walls. On top of the highest spot inside the outpost town, catapults were unveiled by the guards.
The heavy cloths covering the catapults, made up of several cowhides, fell beside Atrinas feet.
Bang!
The loud noise woke Atrina up from her absent-minded state.
She stared with inconceivable eyes at the ck monsters that charged towards the outpost like a raging tide.
In the end, bitterness hung in her mouth.
Is this a punishment? Atrina thought in her mind; however, it didnt force her to give up on everything, not even until thest moment...
She would never give up!
Archers, divide into three teams!
Lancers, into two!
Shields! Soldiers, put your shields up and stand beside your brother-in-arms!
Artina turned around and shouted at the guards and soldiers stationed in the outpost.
The onlyforting thing was that the well-trained outpost soldiers and the elite knights of the temple moved even faster and steadier with her participation.
150 stationed soldiers in Arya Outpost, 400 backup and support, plus the 150 elite temple knights, there is approximately 650 soldiers here able to fight. On top of that, Arya Outpost is fully equipped with military weapons, ballista, catapults, all these can easily form a decent defense line. calcted Atrina.
She didnt excluded those civilian soldiers and military cooks who shouldnt be fighting in a battle like this though because only with more numbers could she feel at ease.
Of course, whatforted Atrina the most was the outpost itself.
Arya Outpost, it wasbeled as an outpost station but actually, it was a little city of sorts.
The walls werent just tall and sturdy, they were divided into outer and inner walls also.
During the many confrontations with the lords from Yort Fields, Arya Outpost had yed an indelible role, but...
It was against human enemies!
Now, the enemies the outpost had to face were monsters, Atrina wasnt too confident about that but she had no other choice.
The monters speed had exceeded her imagination.
She gripped her sword tightly and stared dead ahead at the monster moving like the raging tides.
Then...
She realized something wasnt right.
The monsters running towards the outpost didnt seem ferocious, like they should during an onught, instead they were in panic and fear.
What happened? Atrina jolted.
Watcher! she shouted.
In fact, even without her order, the best watcher in Arya Outpost already noticed the army of monsters were acting unusually and soon enough, the watcher found the reason behind it.
Madam Atrina, there seems to be someone chasing the monsters!
Chasing? Who is that? Atrina asked anxiously after she heard what the watcher said.
At the same time, she widened her eyes, trying to find out who was chasing the monsters but unfortunately, her eyesight wasnt remarkable at all. Without Lady Thorns support, she couldnt find the target she was looking for.
However, it didnt stop her frommanding the soldiers.
Attack!
Archers! Let loose! she shouted.
Sou Sou Sou Sou Sou!
Arrows were fired up to the sky and rained down like cats and dogs.
When the arrowsnded, a whole area of monsters fell to the ground, dead.
Butpared to the army of monsters, the dead ones werent that many. In fact, the arrows didnt even cause a ssh.
Scattered shots then followed after the arrow rain.
The first group of archers already went down the walls for a quick recharge, and the second group archers already draw their longbows backwards.
Each of the archers looked at the monsters in an excited and hostile gaze.
For the soldiers and knights who stayed behind in the outpost to defend against the monsters, they already made up their mind to use their lives to stall the monsters.
They never thought they could survive the onught.
All they wanted was to stall the monsters as long as possible, allowing the convoy to move further away.
They wanted their death to mean something, so that they could raise their head proudly when they arrived at the divine kingdom.
Beliefs! It was the source of all hope!
It was natural for the people living in the era where Gods exist.
Though, they wouldnt mind if they were rescued from their death. It will not affect their meritorious deeds at all.
Besides, the archers were attacking in the best way possible! The panicking monsters didnt siege the outpost, all they did were run around. The soldiers werent in danger, they were like practising their shooting like every other time.
Sou Sou Sou!
The arrow rained down again, but unlike thest attack, as the monsters fell to the ground, a figure was revealed among the monsters.
On top of a metallic, weird-looking horse, the ck feather mantle fluttered with the wind.
Bright red, dazzling fire roared and soared up to the sky with its pressuring and terrorizing ze/
Atrina who had been watching the scene waspletely stunned when she saw the figure.
R-Ryan?!
How is this possible? she stuttered.
She did not believe that she still could saw the figure with her own eyes.
Likewise, when the soldiers heard what Atrina said, all of them were stunned on the spot as well.
But! Not everyone was astonished by the scene.
Mizelle, Pelker and the other thieves of the Holy Thorn Grail and the assassins from Emerald Rock!
The former sensed who the figure was because they were still under [Mesly Ring]s control; thetter found their truemander under Tikis special spell.
A dozens of them sprinted out of the outpost wall.
They were like apes and roons, the tall walls couldnt even hold them back since they were professionals at what they do.
They didnt pause at all and dashed towards the ck figure like an arrow let loose.
The ck monsters they came across along the way were all ughtered by the dozens of them.
The thieves and assassins didnt kill the monsters with frontal assault like the knights did, but with the small lethal technique that was nimble and strange.
A dagger, a short knife, three to five flying darts and flying knives plus a few bottles of poison of various use.
The monsters eyes, throat, heart and rear, all the weak spots were attacked without any extra motion, neither did they hesitated at all.
They jumped and tumbled over the monsters who they came across, as the monsters fell to the ground, their throat was gushing out vile liquid like a fountain.
Another clean side rollter, the roaring monsters wailed in pain, the monsters lost their eyes, causing them to attack their surroundings blindly.
In the end, the monsters died under the effect of the poison before they even exhaust their strength.
The soldiers back on the outpost walls looked at the group of thieves and assassins with widened eyes and dropped jaws. The thieves and assassins were quiet, entric and never listen to any orders.
They easily reaped the heads of the monsters, breaking through the monsters line of defense and arrived in front of the ck figure on top of the metallic horse.
They the knelt down on one knee, lowering their heads and greated loudly, My lord!
Chapter 1432 - Easy
Chapter 1432: Easy
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Cheers echoed throughout the battlefield, Atrina, who was standing on top of the walls was so excited that her body started to shake uncontrobly.
Its him!
Its really him!
As she mumbled, her body shook fiercely; she had to hold onto the walls in front of her to prevent herself from falling on the ground.
Weakness spread throughout her body, she wasnt physically exhausted but mentally.
From death to life, from despair to hope, she felt like she was on a rollercoaster ride of emotions, even a strong woman and a priestess from Thorn Temple like her couldnt handle the rough ride.
As for the people around here?
They were much better than her because they made up their minds from the start and had the resolution to die.
While being unexpectedly rescued from death, all that was left were cheers.
Victory! Victory!
Hero! Hero!
Ryan! Ryan!
From the messy cheers to the united voices, it was but a few times, but it sounded like the soldiers and knights had practiced it countless times. They, who guarded the outpost, raised their weapons up high, cheered as they looked at the figure on top of the metallic horse rampaging around the sea of monsters with his own followers.
The monsters that everyone feared were like paper were quickly torn apart.
The zing mes transformed into a long scythe, each time it swung and swept the field, the wails of death would be heard.
One against an army of many! Whether it was an army of humans or monsters, nothing would change!
Kieran was like a grinder, rampaging throughout the battlefield. His face was cold, and his eyes were sharp. His eyes would scan the battlefield from time to time.
He was looking for answerswhen he came across this army of monsters that moved forward like a disciplined army, some guesses had formed.
Amander! This army of monsters must have amander!
Otherwise, they wouldnt differ that much from the monsters in Naveya who hunted with their primal instinct. It was because of the guess in his heart that he attacked.
Enemies that scattered all around versus enemies with a leader, both were different concepts, to begin with.
As for befriending his enemy?
The side that he had chosen forbid him from having that choice. Therefore, Kieran was left with one option: kill them all!
Wuuu!
Two Devil mes rose from Kierans hand, fired out at his will, andnded amongst the army of monsters like two high-powered cannons.
Kaboom! Boom!
Fiery waves flew everywhere, zing mes rumbled in every direction.
Dozens of monsters didnt even utter anything and were turned to cinders. The ssh of the Devil me caught the other monsters, causing them to scream in agony on the ground.
They hoped to put out the fire using the dirt on the ground, which should be useful against normal fire, unfortunately, conventional methods were useless against the Devil me.
They couldnt do anything to the little bit of fire on their body, as the fire burned, it grew hotter and stronger. A momentter, hundreds of torches appeared on the battlefield.
Although the monster torches couldnt burn the others anymore, it still struck fear in their hearts, let alone Kierans Devil me that hadnt stopped firing since it began.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Explosions sounded in session, zing lights were illuminating thend.
Riding [Dark Shadow Ride], Kieran was like a mobile heavy-artillery turret with unlimited ammunition, the entire battlefield was within his firing range.
Firing the Devil me would consume Stamina, but since Kierans Constitution had reached the Advance Rank, as long as he didnt deplete his Stamina, he could recover what he used with two breaths of time.
Aside from that, after thest dungeon with its restrictions, Kieran had more experience in dividing his Stamina for usage.
Each breath he took would produce two balls of Devil me.
Each breath he took would burn almost a hundred monsters into cinders.
Numerous monsters were chased to the outpost, but no matter how many there were, the monsters wouldnt have been able to sustain the countless zing hits.
Soon, only a few monsters were left on the battlefield, and themander that rode with the monsters finally revealed itself.
It was a... human! A slightly illusory human figure! The man seemed like a soul but wasnt entirely one. He was more firm and stablepared to a soul but wasnt as strong as an evil spirit that could alter the temperature of the surroundings or create illusions.
Since the man didnt possess traits of an evil spirit or specter, he must have something else in his pocket.
Kieran clearly felt something under his feet move.
What would happen?
Kieran didnt know and didnt want to know. All he knew was that he had to take the illusory man out.
Wung!
The Devil me was fired at the man, but the man vanished from the spot with a disdainful look.
The illusory man was afraid of the Devil me from the bottom of his heart. His instincts told him that as long as he was caught by the fire, his body, which he spent quite the effort to go through a baptism to get, would perish, he would not be able to survive the zing strike.
But, he had to be caught by the me!
With the speed his current body was moving at, the me would never catch him!
Devil me crashed at the spot where the illusory man stood, a fire pir rose up to the sky upon impact. However, a dozen meters away from the fire pir, the illusory man coldlyughed at the scene. He continued chanting his spells and performed gestures but was quickly forced to a stop.
The metallic horse further away was still within sight, but the person who was riding it had vanished.
The battle instincts the illusory man had honed through a dozen battles didnt cause him to turn around; instead, he dashed forward.
But he was still too slow!
A kick from Kieran perforated the illusory mans body!
The mans body that could ignore any kind of physical attack perished under the transcendent strike.
Pak!
A slightly bigger [Soul Shard] fell on the ground, and besides this intact [Soul Shard] was a ck medal with an orange glow.
[Name: Illusory Insignia]
[Type: essory]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: Strong]
[Attribute: Illusify (2/2)]
[Effect: None]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: Anxico used some secret spells to perform more baptisms on his followers. This insignia is one of the best pieces of evidence.]
...
[Illusify: Illusify your body, ignore any kind of physical attack under rank III, immune to Strong rank Fire, Lightning, Ice, Poison elemental attack]
...
So, it is them!
The description of [Illusory Insignia] reminded Kieran of Anxico, who illusified himself before the fierce battle with the Devourer.
It seemed like Anxico had grasped even more spells and techniques, unlike this follower who was killed by a single blow.
Anxico was a cunning old fox, as well. Thest time Kieran was confused and lied to because of the name follower, thus causing him to almostmit a fatal mistake.
This time around?
It was time for Kieran to repay Anxicos goodwill.
One needed to know Kieran had an excellent memory, especially in remembering grudges.
But before that...
Kieran turned to Arya Outpost.
Atrina rode out on her horse.
He still had to y the role for the act, though, because of his n to seek the Power of Faith!
Chapter 1433 - Doubts
Chapter 1433: Doubts
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The horse Atrina was riding galloped as fast as it could towards Kieran, and when the horse was still 4 to 5 meters away from Kieran, Atrina had already jumped down from it and ran towards him.
The distances between them shrunk from 5 meters... to 4 meters.... to 3 meters... to 2 meters and eventually 1 meter.
Throughout the process, the surprise on Atrinas face hadnt changed, and when both of them were face to face, Kieran clearly saw the overflowing love on her face.
Women, natural actresses.
Kieran somehow thought of the saying, and the woman before him was the award-winning kind.
R-Ryan!
Atrina had many things she wanted to tell the man before her, but when the words came to her mouth, they became his name instead.
The excitement in her heart messed up the words she had in mind, she didnt want to say something inappropriate due to the timing.
Therefore, she turned her words into action. She stepped up and hugged Kieran.
The cold feathered mantle, the hot breathing, everything felt so real, everything before her was real!
Thest bit of worry was expelled with a heavy sigh of relief.
She tiptoed, ced her chin over the broad shoulder, and said softly, its great to see you.
En. Now hold me tightly, remember to show more worry and anxiety, try to be as natural as possible.
Kieran used Atrinas hair to cover his smiling face and whispered to her as soft as possible.
Atrina was shocked, but she quickly recovered. She remembered the rtionship between them.
It was just a piece of paper with a contract, but so what?
The contract was still valid, the person she hugged was still real, meaning... everything was indeed possible.
As for what Kieran wanted to achieve?
The smart Atrina had a hunch or two; therefore, she chose to y along with him.
When Atrina straightened her body and released Kieran, her face was showing unconceble anxiety.
Ryan, are you alright? asked the Thorn Temple priest while naturally held Kieran in his left arm.
Im fine, just a little tired. I want a room to rest, and it would be great if I can get something to eat.
A smile appeared on Kierans face again, he sounded soft and tender, the kindness in his eyes was incredibly attractive to Atrina.
Follow me.
Atrina then helped Kieran into Arya Outpost.
Mizelle, Pelker, and the assassins from Emerald Rock, as well as [Dark Shadow Ride], followed tightly behind.
The cheers hadnt stopped, and when Kieran entered the outpost station, the cheers reached their peak.
Hero! Ryan!
Hero! Ryan!
The neat and uniform cheers almost reached the sky, every single gaze toward Kieran was full of respect and even had a sense of fanaticism.
Was it weird? Not at all!
When Kieran dished out that sh at the sky-covering Devourer, thus allowing more people to flee Naveya City, he was already qualified to be crowned as a hero.
And now, he once again saved the people by defeating the army of monsters!
Other than a hero, what other title was more suitable to crown him with?
None!
Everyone thought the title hero was well deserved.
Under the praise and cheers of the entire Arya Outpost, Kieran entered the military camp and then the house, which belonged to the outpost masterit was an independent wooden building that had both the office and bedroom together.
The arrangements in the house were simple enough. It showed the simplicity of a soldier and the style of an apostle; other than the necessities, everything else was extra.
Kieran sat in the only chair in the room.
Mizelle, bring a group of men, be on the alert.
Pelker, help the stationed soldiers to clean up the battlefield.
Although Kieran had quickly gone through the securities and surroundings, he was afraid that he had missed out on something. Besides, no one can guarantee whether or not the monsters had something precious that he couldnt recognize. As a matter of fact, it didnt need to be extremely valuable, even if it were a decent item, Kieran would never let it go.
Particles of sand eventually umte into a towering pile.
In the eyes of a stingy soul, even a copper coin had its irreceable, divine use.
Yes, my lord!
His followers bowed and went outside.
After everyone left, Kieran stood up and put away [Dark Shadow Ride]. He then turned around to Atrina, who was behind him.
After you delivered that sh at the Devourer, we all managed to flee Naveya City. But what happened next is unknown to us!
The battle of Lady Vanessa and the other Gods had far surpassed our imaginations. We werent able to participate, even taking a peak would hurt our eyes!
The noise of war ended during dawn on the second day. Then... countless monsters swam up from the stone bridge in the dock district. They attacked and devoured any living souls they saw and took over the entire city. Meanwhile, we lost contact with Lady Vanessa and the other Gods, so everyone gave up on defending.
We hastened ourselves to leave the city after that.
A day before this, the group split up and went their separate ways. Archpriest Einderson, together with the archpriests from Love and Melody, decided to continue on to the north; Harvest, Mercy, War, and Valiant Temples headed west. The rest of them, with Hunter Temple as their new leader, went back south, supposedly headed towards a secret hidden temple.
Atrina told everything she knew before Kieran even spoke.
Love and Melody? Kieran squinted his eyes.
He couldnt tell whether or not these two temples really did get their divine message from their respective Gods or whether they harbored some other ulterior motives.
Though, regardless of which, Kieran thought he had to let Einderson know.
As for the temples headed west and Hunter Temple, who headed south?
Kieran wouldnt care about the former for the time being, but thetter...
Mizelle, Kieran called out loudly.
My lord. Mizelle came in quickly and bowed.
Divide your men into three groups: one will send a message to Archpriest Einderson, the other will head further north as fast as possible; send thest group to the south, I want to know the whereabouts of Hunter Temple.
When Kieran mentioned the north, his voice muffled down. Atrina beside him was sensible enough, she took a few steps back.
After Mizelle had left, Atrina came back up.
Theres something wrong with Hunter Temple? she asked.
Atrina wasnt an idiot, the arrival of the Devourer had said it all.
Among the fleeing ones, more than one had pondered upon the question: why did the Devourer appear?
However, the clues were limited, so no one could figure out the answer.
Kierans words, however, gave Atrina a hint.
Yes. Kieran nodded.
Given the contracted rtionship between them, Kieran had no need to hide certain things from her.
Likewise, it also built up the base of trust between them.
If its Hunter Temple... everything would make sense, Atrina was in deep thought.
She remembered everything that happened in Hunter Temple, and at the same time, more doubts baffled her and drowned her mind.
But... there is still something that doesnt make sense.
Why didnt Lightning Temple react to the situation?
Atrina looked at Kieran unconsciously. Kieran leaned his body back, finding support for his back before he got ready to exin.
Chapter 1434 - Distinguished Division of Labour
Chapter 1434: Distinguished Division of Labour
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
How do you view the Gods? The Gods of Naveya, Kieran didnt answer the question and instead replied with one of his own.
He purposely emphasized the term Naveya in the second sentence.
Divine, powerful and... always fighting with each other, secretly and openly.
Atrina replied with an answer that everyone knew, but added the second part softly. Even though the Gods of Naveya were out of contact, the old habits never changed.
In fact, if the person in front of her wasnt Kieran, Atrina wouldnt have said anything disrespectful towards the Gods.
When the words escaped her mouth, a sudden realization hit her mind.
You are saying?
Yes, it might be possible that everything happening right now might very well be progressing ording to his ns, Kieran nodded.
But it doesnt make sense, he doesnt have to destroy the whole Naveya! Its Naveya City we are talking about, the city that housed all the 25 temples! Atrina shook her head in confusion.
Maybe he was thinking the number 25 was a little too many? If they fought secretly and openly, like humans, then having some greed like humans was reasonable, right?
Kieran smiled at Atrina.
As a native, Kierans answer sounded uneptable to Atrina, at least for the time being.
She was indeed smart and ambitious, but her ambition and bright mind was all contained within a box and never let out. When the thoughts escaped this box of hers, it was a little hard for her to ept.
However, deep down in her heart, Atrina knew Kierans ims were right and using that thought as a basis, Atrina quickly came up with some new guesses.
Do you think everything that is happening right now has exceeded his ns? He might have nned and arranged everything, but during the crucial moment, something happened, hence the situation right now, Atrina was thinking with one of her hands under her chin.
Probably, but very unlikely, Kieran denied Atrinas guesses.
Although Kieran also wanted this guess to be real, his logical mind told him the probability of something going south was almost next to nothing. Had idents happened, Kierans uing ns would be so much smoother.
Kieran then continued under Atrinas focused gaze.
As the main God in Naveya, if something really went wrong, he wouldnt have stayed calm during thest moment. Did you see any bodies from the Lightning Temple? The believers or priests? Or did you notice anything unusual around Lightning Temple during those few days?
No, everything was normal, until the veryst moment, when Lightning Temple disappeared.
If this wasnt nned beforehand, I cant think of anything else . After all, if the Devourer really wanted to take him out, it wouldnt have gone silent.
Kieran then looked at the door after his words.
Atrina was smart enough to stop her questioning, taking a pillow from the bed and putting it behind Kierans back and covering his legs with a nket.
Kieran also went along with the act and put on a tired face.
After all the preparations, there was a knock on the door.
Dok, Dok Dok!
A rhythmic knocking sounded and with Kierans permission, the person entered the room.
The person was a middle-aged man in a body of armor. His chin was neatly shaven and had flourishing hair; his brown eyes were energetic and his nose was regal. There was also a scar on the left side of his cheek, extending all the way down to his lower jaw, which was supposed to be an old battle scar.
Chief knight!
The middle-aged man bowed without hesitation when he saw Kieran.
His face and eyes were burning with respect, hotter than the sun itself.
Nelson, a knight from Thorn Temple, had heard a lot about the man before his eyes, the stories like thunder to his ears. Once known as the King of Assassins, then the Godyer, and now a Hero, Nelson couldnt imagine how the man in front of his eyes had achieved all that in so little time. It was the reason why Nelson respected this man, who was supposedly a lot younger than himself. But most importantly, this man with many titles was also from Thorn Temple, and was the archpriest for sometime.
Nelson believed that if the Devourer hadnt shown up, he would have only gotten the chance to meet this archpriest, who could very well expand, strengthen, and boost the temple to its prime state, after he ended his three year shift at the station and returned to Thorn Temple.
All the believers of Thorn Temple in Arya Outpost thought and anticipated the same thing.
That was if the Devourer hadnt shown up.
Whenever he thought about the Devourer, Nelson, who had stern beliefs, felt enraged, but before his rage, he respected the man before his eyes even more.
Nelson knew that without the man in front of him, things would have unfolded in the worst way possible.
Just look at the tired expression on his face!
Kieran must have been fighting ever since the Devourer showed up.
It was unimaginable for a human with a mortal body to participate in the war of Gods, whether in terms of strength or bravery. Nelson admired Kieran, especially in terms of thetter, even more and the burning respect in his eyes grew a few times hotter.
Nelson? Kieran asked.
Sir, yes sir!
The outpost master looked at Kieran with delighted surprise when his name was called. He didnt expect Kieran to know him.
Although once the archpriest of Thorn Temple, Kieran didnt care about the affairs of the temple most of the time. However, that didnt mean he didnt put in an effort to understand the hierarchy of the temple structure, especially the forces isted outside the city other than the archpriest, officiant and chief knight in their home turf.
Arya Outpost belonged to all 25 temples in Naveya City, but it wasnt managed by all of them at the same time. A shift system was introduced and every three years, the management team would rotate, starting from Lightning Temple. All the temples would be included in the rotation and the cycle would bepleted every 75 years.
This time, coincidentally, it was Thorn Temples turn to station their knights in Arya Outpost.
So naturally, the outpost master selected from the temple knights may not be the strongest but definitely the most loyal; Nelson was the one selected.
Kieran saw the details regarding Nelson before and he concluded his impression of the outpost master in one sentence: a fanatic with knightly spirit.
Only justice,passion, bravery and other knightly spirits would be visible in Thorn Temple, who viewed fate as a path to grind their spirit. it was almost unimaginable that the other temple knights had such knightly spirits, for example: the knights of Interrogator Temple.
Therefore, from a certain view, Lady Thorn was considered very generous.
It made her believers love her more and made her haters despise her more.
And without a doubt, the part where the believers loved their God was also present with Kieran.
Ive already prepared the food. It may not be as tasty as your expectation but the amount will be sufficient. Is there anything else? Nelson asked.
That will be it, just hurry up with the food, Kieran smiled.
Nelson and the soldiers out there worked in never before seen haste when they carried out Kierans order.
Big chunks of roast meat and bread were served, in and simple, very fitting for a military outpost.
Kieran smiled with his eyes when the smell of the roasted meat entered his nose.
He ate the food with astonishing speed and everyone in the room was shocked by his appetite, the amount of food served enough to feed at least 5 people.
Everything about you is astonishing! Nelson eximed.
I always lose myself when the food tastes good. Oh and Nelson, I wish to take a rest, so if there isnt anything of importance, please leave me alone for a while, Kieran smiled and gave his orders.
Understood, chief knight.
Nelson and his men took the empty tes and left the house, together with Atrina, who was also willing to leave.
She knew this man had his own n. She had her guesses when he appeared on the battlefield righteously.
The door was softly closed.
Kieran took a step back and went into the darkness.
Then... another Kieran came out. He was sniffing the remaining aroma of the meat and the scrumptious smell of the bread in the air. Then, he covered himself with the thin nket, looking dull, and hoped to give himself more warmth in his heart.
Chapter 1435 - Appearing In A Flash
Chapter 1435: Appearing In A sh
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Outside Arya Outpost, the process of cleaning up the battlefield was progressing smoothly and neatly.
On top of that, for the sake of safety, Nelson sent out three groups of scouts to investigate the surroundings of the Outpost, especially toward the direction of Naveya City.
During dusk, the battlefield was cleaned up neatly.
There were a few lingering monsters around during the cleanup, but none of them could cause any harm to a group of fully armed knights.
Instead, Nelson found a lot of things in their stomachs after ying them.
Most of the items found were brooches, rings, and nes, the findings made the soldiers cleaning up the battlefield even angrier.
As long as they werent idiots, the soldiers would know how these essories ended up in a monsters stomach. Besides, a lot of the essories bore the mark of their owners.
Pitiful souls. May you rest in peace.
Nelson took off a ring from a little finger, threw the ring into the collection bag, and carefully ced the little finger into a box beside him.
The outpost master wasnt sure whose little finger it was, so the least he could do wasy it to rest.
Many simr small boxes were carried back into the Outpost by the soldiers. As the only priest in the outpost station, Atrina had taken up the responsibility of taking care of the boxes.
After praying and blessing the deceased, the remains would be buried in a public cemetery in the Outpost.
The choice between life and death is merciless, but fate can change...
May the souls bepensated in thend of the dead or the kingdom of Gods.
May you rest in peace.
Unlike the burial for Thorn Temple believers, since the deceased were unnamed and unrecognized, Atrina chose a general eulogy from Lady Thorn and prayed for everyone.
Perhaps she had her own thoughts and ambitions, but when she prayed for the deceased, Atrina was very meticulous with the process.
Everyone had the same respect for the dead, especially when among the deceased, there may be someone familiar to her. Atrina became even more serious, she took out the holy water that she kept with her at all times, touched it with her fingertip, and sprinkled the water on each of the boxes, not even one was missed out.
After the sprinkling of holy water, Atrina began a second round of praying.
Three rounds of prayingter, Atrina told the soldiers to move the boxes away.
Just like how they were moved here, two soldiers used a wooden nk as a stretcher, ced the boxes on top, and carried them away.
Atrina also followed the soldiers away because there were still some necessary ceremonies she had to officiate in the public cemetery.
The group headed towards the cemetery, so no one noticed the little changes on the ground where the boxes were.
The sun had set, and darkness shrouded thend.
Torches and braziers were lit up throughout the Outpost. The night patrol soldiers climbed up the walls and performed their duty. They widened their eyes and scanned their surroundings.
Soldiers and knights without night duty swiftly went to sleep, they had to replenish their stamina for the possible battle the next day.
Soon, Arya Outpost fell into silence.
Other than the sparkling braziers and footsteps of the patrolling soldiers, only the buzzing of insects and rattling of nocturnal animals could be heard.
On the ground where the boxes of body parts were, a small dark green snake, the size of a grown mans little finger sprung out. Its dark scales allowed it to blend into the surroundings perfectly, and its remarkable intellect allowed it to swiftly lock on to its target: the independent house of the outpost master.
The little snake nimbly and hiddenly approached its target and quickly snuck inside through the window seam.
Then, it saw Kieran who was soundly asleep.
It didnt move any further though, it lifted its upper body up and stared at Kieran with its cold reptilian eyes. As it opened its mouth, its tongue suddenly extended forward like a long thin rope, tying up Kieran, and when it retracted its tongue, Kieran was shrunk down into the size of a grain together with its tongue.
The snake then closed its mouth and left in the same manner it came. However, this time, it didnt go back to the ground where it sprung out from but went outside Arya Outpost.
After the snake left Arya Outpost and gained a considerable distance, it started to increase its speed like it was gliding on the ground. The snake was heading towards a forest in the direction of Naveya City.
Around 15 minutester, the snake finally entered the forest. A figure had been waiting for the snake there for a long time, and when the figure saw the snake, he bowed.
Lord emissary, please follow me, said the man before going deeper into the forest.
The small dark green snake followed close behind.
Many turnster, when the small snake was hissing out of impatience, the man finally stopped and knocked on a big tree trunk beside him rhythmically.
Dok Dok Dok!
The knocks echoed in the hollow trunk and at the next moment...
Kak!
A spring contraption was heard, and a spot beside the big tree slowly sank downwards, revealing a dark passageway leading underground.
Please, the man bowed again.
The dark green snake wriggled its body down the stairs.
Along the dark passageway, torches were ignited on the walls on both sides, and at the end of the passageway was a hall, a well-lighted room; an elderly man in a long robe was waiting patiently there.
You are as punctual as rumored, the long-robed elder smiled at the small snake.
I hope you people are as good at keeping your promises as rumored.
The small dark green snake didnt hiss anymore but spoke in the human tongue. Its voice, however, sounded very weird. Its intonation wasnt just long, it was blurry like it was mumbling to itself but clear enough for the elder to hear.
Of course, the elder nodded firmly.
Here!
The snake opened its mouth, spat out the soundly asleep Kieran on the ground with saliva all over his body. It seemed gross, but the elder didnt care; he walked up to Kieran, wiped away the saliva, and sized him up.
After verifying his identity, the elder showed another smile.
Very well. He didnt resist at all? the elder asked out of habit before nodding.
Nothing. He was already overextending himself. After that one sh, how much energy do you think was left in his body?
Earlier today, when he faced those idiots, he was performing on hisst straw, and it further proves that he is tough on the outside, but weak on the inside.
But... I have to say he is more interesting than I thought. That kind of power... If I didnt make a promise with you people, Id study him carefully.
The small snake said with interest as it gazed at the sleeping Kieran.
Of course, he is special; otherwise, we wouldnt have picked him either.
The elder replied with a nasally voice. He then took out a pouch from his pocket and threw it to the dark green snake. The snake opened its mouth and swallowed the pouch.
Without saying goodbyes, the dark green snake wriggled its body into darkness.
After making sure the snake had left, the elderughed coldly.
Hope you people canst a little longer.
He then looked at Kieran again.
And you? You will be a perfect candidate!
The elderly showed a smile before he grabbed Kieran and walked into the secret room behind him.
Inside the room was arge stone sacrificial tform.
Chapter 1436 - Dreams Come True
Chapter 1436: Dreams Come True
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The elderly didnt ce Kieran on the sacrificial tform, but instead passed him to the four maids on the side, who had been waiting for a while now.
The four maids carried Kieran into another room.
The second room was filled with everything a girl could want: a pool,vender, flower petals.
The four maids carefully cleaned Kieran thoroughly and helped him change into a set of clean white shirts. Kieran was soundly asleep throughout the whole process, but...
He couldnt help but subtly lifted up the corner of his mouth, as if he was holding back augh at something funny. His face even showed enjoyment of the services.
The four maids who were working hard to service Kieran didnt notice the unusual expression.
When they looked up, Kieran had returned to his sleeping face.
Kieran was once again ced on the stone sacrificial tform. On the four edges of the tform were oldmps, lit up.
The essence oil was full and reflecting as it powered the pea-sized fire.
A slight aroma came out from the burning essence oil, and unlike the richvender, this aroma was refreshing and could calm and tranquil ones mind.
It seemed like some extra ingredients were added into the essence oil to calm peoples minds. Of course, the oilmps had a bigger purpose than calming minds.
You should be honored. You arent just my chosen one, you will also receive the highest honor once more with your own face and body!
The elderly man stood in front of the sacrificial tform, staring at Kierans cleaned body. Then, he knelt down and started to pray softly.
As the prayers sounded, the fire in the oilmp grew from pea sizde to a 3 feet tall fire pir, bursting up to the ceiling.
Oh Great One! Listen to my voice! You are the Son of the Sky! You gaze upon thend! Your enormous body is adored by people like the sun! Your vast will is revered by the people like the sea! You...
The prayers were continuous.
A vague presence started to gather above the sacrificial tform. Although invisible, one could truly feel something from the void above the tform.
The elderly man got even more devoted. The fire from the oilmps grew brighter and hotter. When the prayers came to an end, the unknown presence that floated above the tform gathered into a cloud and fell down on Kieran like a fallinget.
But...Kieran dodged it!
Bang!
A loud bang came from the sacrificial tform when the presence fell down like aet, sounding like something extremely hard and weird crashed hard onto the stone surface.
There wasnt any damage or any signs before the impact and an unknown, painful growl suddenly echoed in the elderly mans ears.
Puk!
A mouthful of organ pieces and blood gushed out from the elderly man.
Repulsion! An intense magic repulsion! But no matter how serious his body was damaged by the repulsion, nothing couldpare to the astonishment that shook his heart.
The elderly man widened his eyes in astonishment, looking at Kieran, who woke up from his sleep and stood in front of him with a smile.
Y-You, you!
Shaking, the elderly pointed at Kieran.
I-I... of course is ying along with you. It was Bloody Mary, the High Demon and it was mimicking the stutters of the elderly.
This is a trap?!
The elderly man finally realized what was happening.
Bloody Mary shrugged, feeling toozy to even reply to the man.
Of course this was a trap!
The Gods of Naveya. The Devourer.
Given the circumstances, with its contractors character, all this was destined to be an obvious trap when its contractor decided to appear on the battlefield frank and righteously.
But who will the trap attract? Bloody Mary and its contractor had no idea, and judging from the scene beforehand...
It turned out to be very unexpected!
When Bloody Mary looked at that vague and faint presence above the tform, it couldnt help but grin widely. Of course the High Demon dare not have any thoughts on the presence, but it had never fought alone since the very beginning.
Gulping, Gluttony appeared with a dishevelled and hungry face; Sloth yawned behind Gluttony and gave a friendly reminder.
You are not in a very special condition. You cantst that long, so... Okay, fine, pretend I didnt say anything.
Sloth wanted to remind Gluttony, but before he could finish, Gluttony jumped on the unknown presence like a hungry tigering down from the mountains.
Gluttonys nature had decided that there was nothing in the world that it wouldnt eat, the only difference would be the taste.
Did it taste good? Or bad?
The thing before Gluttonys eyes was no doubt a very delicious meal, Gluttony was very eager to devour it.
spheme! Do you know what you heretics are doing?!
The elderly man struggled to climb up, scolding the High Demon, Gluttony and Sloth fiercely.
I dont know really. Its not like I am doing this on my own will, Bloody Mary shrugged honestly.
Gluttony didnt care and Sloth was toozy to care.
Sloth was actually spending a lot of energy keeping Gluttony in his current form, he didnt want to do extra anymore, it was just too tiring for him.
However, some necessary things were in due.
So tiring! Can no one share my burden with me?
Sloth yawned and waved his fingers subtly.
Do you people think you can get away and livefortably after this? This is only temporarily. When my master returns to the mortal realm, it will be time for you rascals to burn in purgatory!
Amidst the loud scolding, the elderly man crawled on the ground, looking seriously ill.
Poison!
The sudden suicide caught Bloody Mary off guard. It dashed up to the elderly man, trying to prevent him from dying, but it was toote.
The elderly man, who knew what he ate, came back in his soul form, looking at his enemies fall into panic because of his sudden suicidal move. Heughed coldly.
He then floated towards the light, which suddenly shone in his sight.
Beyond the light was the divine kingdom that he sought so badly. He would be immortalized there forever, or so he believed.
As a matter of fact, it was true.
He really would gain immortality beyond the light, having unimaginable food and wine every single day.
The only thing he had to do was the same thing that he did when he was alive in the mortal realm: offering his beliefs.
He would chant and praise that name every single day.
My great Majesty! My respectful Lord! The God of LightningRiforaida!
Following his prayers, the sky lit up again, quickly followed by darkness.
Then, he suddenly opened his eyes.
Opened his eyes?
Why would he open his eyes? Shouldnt he be in the kingdom of the divine, enjoying immortality?
Doubts appeared in his confused mind. He jolted when he saw Kieran.
He couldnt understand what was going on.
How is it, your dreand? Its beautiful right? Its too bad that reality and dream are always the exact opposite. Reality is much... harsher.
Bloody Mary sighed and looked towards the dark passageway.
Kieran appeared from the darkness. His steps were firm and steady as he walked forward with a steady pace.
In his hand was a dark green snake, struggling non-stop.
Chapter 1437 - Exception? Naive!
Chapter 1437: Exception? Naive!
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The dark green snake wriggled its body before it tilted its head up and tried to bite Kierans wrist. Just as the fangs were about to pierce Kierans skin, he shook his wrist.
Pak!
Making a clear whipping noise, the dark green snake was swung into a straight line. Its body then quickly softened and lingered over Kierans hand.
You... Hsss... You...
The dark green snake tried to say something, but Kieran didnt give it a chance; he shook his wrist again.
The bones in its small reptilian body cracked again, and this time, the snake didnt even have the energy to hiss.
Kieran then hurled the small snake to Bloody Mary.
Ill leave it to you, said Kieran.
Leave it to me? Bloody Mary widened its eyes.
Of course. Who else is more suitable than you? Sloth said before disappearing together with Gluttony.
Kieran then delivered a kick to the still-struggling elderly.
The elderly twitched in pain and lost all signs of life.
An orange glowing item floated above the body.
[Name: Concentration Joss Stick]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: None]
[Attribute: Focus]
[Effect: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: Lighting it up while mediation will produce twice the effect with half the effort. Of course, not just mediation, the incense also work with learning and reading.]
...
[Focus: Light it up, within 1 meter radius range, your mental state will be in unparalleled concentration.]
[Note 1: This is a one-time consumable joss stick.]
[Note 2: It burns at average speed,st around 2 hours.]
......
Focus, eh? Kieran raised a brow and gave away surprise in his eyes.
No one understood the benefits of concentrating during learning and reading more than Kieran did.
Of course, the uses of this [Concentration Joss Stick] were far greater than its description gave, but those were matters for the future.
Now?
Kieran picked up the joss stick and checked the surroundings, but it was fruitless, so he walked out of the room.
Bloody Mary was left behind with a bitter, helpless expression as it looked at the small snake in its hand.
Of course, it knew what its contractor wanted it to doit was obvious.
The appearance of this little snake was also within its contractors expectations.
The only unexpected thing was... the snake was too weak.
It was so weak that even Bloody Mary started to ask questions, let alone its contractor, who was born dubious. Perhaps its contractor had begun doubting and suspecting the very moment the little snake appeared out of the ground.
After all, its contractor did disy his strength with that single sh that cut the Devourer.
Some people might ask whether or not Kieran could perform a second sh, but starting off from that single point, anyone would evaluate Kierans strength highly, let alone when bringing in his achievements of ying gods.
However, of all the things, a little snake was sent to deal with Kieran.
The meaning behind it was self-exnatory.
Kieran set up a trap for the mastermind, and likewise, the mastermind wasnt an idiot either.
The mastermind didnt just reply to Kieran, but counterattacked.
But...
Why does it always have to be me? Why am I always hurt?
Whose tail did I step on?
Bloody Mary, who thought this was an exception, looked at the little snake with a more ferocious gaze. As for its contractor, it didnt dare to defy hismand.
The overwhelming power, the remarkable memory, a man who, if he could, open his eyes during sleep; once anyone entered his crosshair, their life would truly be in despair.
However, the little snake in its hand was different. The snake was an enemy, so anything that happened to an enemy wouldnt matter to its contractor.
Bloody Mary grabbed the snake hard and said fiercely, Do you know whats an ouroboros? Its a totem that people worshipped and admired! It doesnt just represent immortality, but also means that fate runs in a cycle. Now, I will give you the chance to be oneBITE AND EAT YOUR OWN BODY! NOW!
Bloody Mary then grabbed the snakes tail and stuffed it into its mouth.
The eyes of the snake, which had quite the intellect, showed fear.
This made the High Demon even happier though.
Why not be happy? Being happy before dying was much better than crying a river, right?
KABOOM!
10 secondster, a huge explosion came from the forest. The st wave swept everything away, destroying every nt and tree in a hundred-meter radius, and even the rocks were sted into debris. The ground was heavily damaged too, as a dozen-meter crater appeared in the middle of the st point.
The other terrifying thing was that an evil, malicious, corrosive energy was corroding everything that got caught in the explosion.
The ck fertilend turned dry.
A lifeless yellow color reced the fertile ck color of the soil.
Cracks appeared all over the dried-upnd.
Then...
Kak!
After a loud noise that was simr to the sound of breaking porcin, everything was thoroughly destroyed.
Including thend where the explosion went off, everything within a hundred-meter radius broke down into nothing, vanishing into thin air.
...
13 illusive figures floated in the air.
Standing in the middle of the group, Anxicos face looked firm and steady, and his illusive eyes showed a victorious gaze as if he were bound to seed.
He was confident enough because he understood his enemy too well.
Maybe his enemys strength was considerable, but his weakness was too obvious.
Fierce, merciless and taking revenge for the slightest grievance, all the stated traits were part of Anxicos character, so why wouldnt he step into the trap to get his gift?
On top of that, Kieran was exceptionally good in ying along with Anxicos n.
Whenever Anxico thought about Kierans performance earlier in the day, he couldnt hold back hisughter.
Did Kieran really think he would fall for that?
He had only yed along, trying to beat Kieran at his own game.
The other illusive figures around Anxico didnt speak. They looked at him, waiting for a result. They believed in Anxico because, without him, this great situation wouldnt have taken form, let alone his help in obtaining the power they didnt even dare to imagine wielding in the past.
Wung!
A buzz, or tremble, came from the ground.
Light appeared in the sealed space, and they saw the scene where Kieran was destroyed to bits in the light. Anxicoughed out loud.
In the body part where he was kicked by Kieran, he felt that the pain was relieved a lot.
What else was better than watching his mortal enemy be destroyed to bits?
Destroying the thing that his enemy ought to protect!
Sess! Now, gather all the warriors under yourmand. We will march to Arya Outpost. Let them all be sacrifices!
Chapter 1438 - Clamour, Night.
Chapter 1438: mour, Night.
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Nocturnal insects buzzed as the night breeze blew.
The ughtering in the battlefield earlier that day seemed to have passed. Among the night patrol on top of the outpost walls, the youngest one couldnt help but gasp.
But he coughed right away.
The young soldier wasnt used to the fishy stench in the air.
In fact, everyone in Naveya City couldnt get used to the fishy smell, even merchants selling seafood had to give their best effort to withstand the disgusting smell.
As for why?
Just look at the monsters in the sea!
Once he thought about the scene earlier that day, the young soldier couldnt help but shiver.
Although a soldier had to fight in the battlefield, forgetting fear was something hard for the young soldier, even a veteran soldier could barely achieve it.
Ignoring death made a person brave and fearless, but the fear of death didnt make them a coward.
In the end, you have to make your own decisions.
Others can never make decisions on behalf of you.
Roffu, what are you thinking? one of the young soldiers colleagues asked softly.
Of course, about what happened earlier today. That lord is amazing, replied the young soldier, Roffu.
I know, right? If I had one-tenth of that lords strength, I think I could get through the knights test easily.
The knights test eh... Sigh!
When his colleague mentioned the knights test, the young soldier sighed helplessly.
The knights test was held twice a year, opened to every believer of Lady Thorn below 25 years of age.
When passed, one could be a member of the Thorn Temple Knights, but not as an official knight, but an apprentice knight.
Despite that, those who passed the test were only a handful.
Roffu participated in the test twice now. During the first time, he was eliminated in the preliminaries; the second time, he passed the preliminaries but fell short at the reexamination.
As the knights test came around the corner, Roffu was running out of confidence.
Whenever he thought about this being hisst chance to be qualified as a knight, he couldnt help but feel depressed.
Unconsciously, Roffu turned around and looked further away.
Hed always avoided his problems whenever he faced them.
Then, the young Roffu was stunned.
What did he see further away?
It seemed like a... monster?
But why was the outpost tower so quiet?
The doubts in Roffus heart didnt dy his actions, as almost instantaneously, he shouted.
Enemies in sight! Enemies in sight!
...
The loud screams broke the silence of the night. Arya Outpost fell into mour at the next moment.
Fully armed, Nelson rushed out of his camp with his trusty longsword the moment the screams broke out. Behind him were the knights of Thorn Temple, who reacted faster thanmon soldiers.
The knights split up into four groups: two groups went up the outer walls of the outpost, one group went up the inner walls, and thest group went towards the highest spot of the outpost, the outpost tower.
When the group of knights went up to the outpost tower, they saw dead outpost soldiers on the floor.
All three outpost soldiers were killed without mercy. Other than their horrible deaths, their flesh was almost eaten, leaving only the skin and bones.
The knight who lead the group didnt hesitate at all and sshed holy water on the three bodies.
But before the holy water fully sshed on the bodies, the bodies suddenly opened their mouths!
Countless flies flew out of their mouths like thick ck clouds, enveloping the group of knights wholly.
Wuuuung!
Careful!
Amid the concentrated buzzing, the leader of the group of knights moved the torch he brought in front of his body. The flies then split into two groups. One stayed behind and attacked the group of knights while the other flew over to the outpost walls and headed straight for... Roffu!
Roffu gripped his spear and torch tightly, as he had never encountered something as freaky as this.
He hadnt properly seen what happened at the outpost tower, but he knew a mere spear wouldnt be enough to fight the swarm of flies.
Wung!
The flies whipped up a strong gale with their movements.
Simr to the knights before this, Roffu also had a torch in his hand, but his strength was not the same, not even half of the knights capabilities!
Roffu fell down on the ground after he lost his bnce to the strong gale.
The flies flew over his head and attacked the other soldier behind him.
Aaaargh!
Amid an agonizing cry, Roffu turned around to his colleague. The soldier who spoke to Roffu a moment ago waspletely covered in flies. Roffu raised his torch at the flies, trying to expel them, but it was a futile attempt. His colleague was swiftly turned into a dry corpse before his eyes.
Then, the flies flew towards Roffu again.
Roffu swung the torch even faster, but it was still useless. The flies scattered away and regrouped before flying towards the young soldier.
This is the end!
Roffu felt chills run through his body. He never thought death woulde knocking so suddenly, nor did he think he would die like this.
I never got to be a knight... Roffu mumbled.
Fuuu!
Anoher air-breaking soundter, the young soldier felt his world turn upside down. When he regained his senses, he realized the swarm of flies heading towards him had blown towards the wall, getting squashed into meat paste.
A ck figure stood in front of Roffu.
If you have dreams that are not yet fulfilled, then take your weapon and move forward. Bring along his will and ambitions with you.
Amidst the calm words, the ck figure pointed at the deceased soldier who turned into a dry corpse by the flies.
After that, Kieran turned his eyes outside Arya Outpost.
As for why he saved the young soldier?
He was along the way and the young soldier seemed like a nice guy.
Roffu was willing to save his colleague when the flies attacked instead of running, hence Kieran liked him.
Lord Ryan! Thank you!
The young soldier looked at Kierans ck figure and called his name, but what he wanted to say was quickly silenced and eventually became a word of gratitude.
Other than expressing his thanks, Roffu didnt know what he should say.
He then looked at his deceased colleague. His eyes couldnt hold back the sorrowful gaze.
People die in wars, the question is whether it is less or more.
Despite knowing that, Roffu still felt sad for his colleague.
He gripped his spear, stood up, and also looked outside the outpost wall.
He wanted to avenge... No, he wanted to fight with his colleague! He bent down and grabbed his colleagues spear.
Then, he hurled it towards the monsters rushing towards the walls.
He didnt know if he did the right thing, nor did he know what his action would cause, but he knew that if he didnt hurl the spear, he wouldnt be at peace.
Puk!
The spear infused with the young soldiers strength plunged into a monsters body.
Although only the spear tip plunged into the monster, it wasnt a lethal hit to it due to its thick skin.
Quite the opposite, as the spear infuriated the monster, causing it to be more ferocious.
It looked up and roared at the wall, then...
The ferocious roar stopped abruptly. Not only that particr monster, but all the other monsters that moured in the night were forced to a stop.
Their bodies were frozen on the spot.
Outside Arya Outpost, the monsters who tried to siege the outpost at first light were all frozen on the spot like they were lifeless puppets, standing still.
All of them looked in a single direction above the outpost walls, or more precisely, a single spot: the spot where Kieran was.
He stood above the walls and looked down at the monsters with his eyes shining an unusual color. He then turned around and left.
As he turned around, his feather mantle fluttered, sounding like a sign of sorts.
After the flutter...
Bang Bang Bang Bang Bang Bang Bang Bang Bang!
The heads of the monsters beneath the walls exploded one after another. Thousands of headless bodies fell down en masse.
The battlefield once again plunged into silence.
Everyone else was captivated by the figure who turned around and left.
The night breeze continued blowing, the waving feather mantle fluttered along.
Somehow, the night sounded a little noisy with the mour.
Chapter 1439 - Plan
Chapter 1439: n
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Atrinas eyes were shining when she saw Kieran walked down the outpost walls.
Should Atrina list the things about Kieran that attracted her the most, other than the part real, part false contracted love, it was Kierans strength.
Atrina would be infatuated, bedazzled by how powerful Kieran was every single time. In a particr aspect, his power always triumphed.
As for other aspects?
Atrina knew what she sought after, so looks, personality, and others were all secondary priorities. More so, Kieran wasnt ugly, to begin with.
The only thing Atrina dreaded, Kierans personality, was also discarded out of her mind after this reunion.
You will discover the things you hold most dear during life and death situations, wasnt that how it worked?
Ryan, how is your body? Atrina was truthful to her role.
Im fine. Ive rested for a whole day, I feel better now.
Kieran replied with a smile and didnt reject her from helping him walk.
Although, from this moment onwards, he had no need to pretend to be weak, the rtionship between him and her still existed.
Besides... Kieran hoped his enemy would be more doubtful of him and deem everything they saw of him to be part of his n.
Therefore, Kieran didnt mind ying along since it wouldnt cost him a lot of time and effort.
Kieran and Atrina returned to the wooden house together. After they entered and closed the door, Atrina was sensible enough to release Kierans hand, walked to a side of the house, and wait for his orders.
We wont be toofortable after this, especially this ce, Ill let you take over for some time, Kieran said.
How long? Atrina asked about the time instead of Kierans n and what he wanted to do.
Around 12 hours to a day, Kieran gave an estimated time after some thoughts.
Leave it to me, said Atrina.
En. Kieran nodded, went into the shadows, and left the house.
After making sure Kieran had left, Atrina thought for a while on the spot before pushing the door outside.
Since she made a promise to Kieran, she would have to do her best to fulfill it.
On top of that, the things that were going to happen would allow her to understand its time for her to show her own value.
...
What?
How? How is this happening?
Shouldnt that bastard have died in that explosion?
How did he appear again?
Anxico, who was floating in the air with his illusive figure, was breathing heavily and rapidly, the other 12 simr figures around him tried their best to hold back their presence.
After getting a new body, these illusive figures had new ways to express their thoughts.
They didnt need to speak; instead, they relied on their presence to allow their kind to understand their thoughts.
And for the time being, some thoughts were less appropriate.
The part where Anxico suffered a kick from Kieran started to sting him again.
However, the pain on his body was less of a concern, the biggest concern was the pain from his soul.
He had failed again! It was the second failure of his attempts on Kierans life!
Compared to the sudden and abrupt first time, the second time left a more profound impression.
There wont be a third time!
I will not allow this to happen for a third time! I WILL NOT!
Growling lowly, Anxico swung his arms fiercely, as though he was trying to swing his anger away.
While his growls were still echoing in the space, a ck fire suddenly burned in the middle.
The ck fire that burned souls and scorched minds, as if there was an explosion, it instantly filled the hidden space with all of the illusive figures inside.
A towering, arrogant figure came up from the middle of the ck fire.
Its you?!
T-This is impossible! Anxicos eyes widened.
Compared to the painful failure just now, what he saw now was even more unbelievable and astounding.
How did he locate him? How was it possible for him to find him?
Anxico unconsciously turned around to the other 12 illusive figures. He thought he was betrayed by them, but quickly, the harsh reality where the ck fire burned everything to cinders told him the one who betrayed him wasnt his trusty subordinates.
Could it be...
Anxico suddenly thought of something.
You and that bastard had teamed up?
Do you think teaming up with them can allow you to resist us?
Ill tell you...
Shut up! Pride coldly grunted.
Kaboom!
The ck fire exploded again, and this time, the dark merciless fire engulfed Anxico whole.
Pride then channeled the power he got from devouring Anxico and infused it into Gluttony, who had just finished his meal without a second thought.
Pride was different from Sloth.
Gluttony had given too much to break through that ceiling.
If Gluttony werentpensated, in the long run, there would be a lot of restrictions of their power, and it was something Pride didnt wish to see at all.
As for Anxico, the guy who lost even his brain after he illusified himself?
Other than bing the supplement for Gluttony, Pride couldnt think of a use for Anxico.
The ck fire was still burning intensely.
Pride took a stroll around the area, searching for possible clues.
At the same time, Sloth, with sleepy eyes, walked through the ruins of Naveya City. His steps were slow, his body was wobbling and could be even considered as staggering forward, but with each step he staggered forward, he perfectly dodged a monster trying to eat him, as though he had everything calcted out in his mind.
Sloth entered Naveya City from the broken walls of the civilian district; he then crossed the entire district to reach the wealthy district and made his way to the council district.
Sloth was getting slower, to the point that he had to drag his own feet to move forward.
Those rampant and hidden presence in the ruins were telling Sloth what he should do and how he should react.
This is so powerful that its scary. But... this is why that guy gets more excited as things unfold, right?
Sloth, who saw through the hidden personality of his host, couldnt help but grin.
He knew what his host wanted to achieve and how to achieve it. As for his hosts n, Sloth could only say, Crazy!
But he liked it. So, Sloth didnt mind giving his best effort to help his host; they were one anyway.
Let me help you see what is hiding there!
Sloth stood outside the council district; he looked up, saw through theyers of obstruction, andnded his gaze at the temple district.
...
The waves were rumbling, the sshes were loud.
Bloody Mary, the High Demon, was standing by the seaside with a helpless face.
It looked at the sea that covered up countless dangers, it took a deep breath and stepped forward into the sea.
Soon, the sea drowned Bloody Mary, and it didnt even cause a ssh.
Chapter 1440 - Struggle
Chapter 1440: Struggle
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Caw!
An ominous cawter, a ck birdnded on half a wagon wheel. It turned its neck around, rolling its round dark eyes and watched the area with vignce.
Then, it pecked on the wagon wheel and picked up a piece of flesh that lingered on the wheel. The ck bird then swallowed it as part of its meal.
Souu!
A stray arrow grazed the wagon wheel and plunged into the dirt. The bird was frightened, it pped its wings hard and soared the sky. Its dark round eyes looked down and gazed upon the battle happening on thend.
The ck monsters were growling.
The knights were wielding their swords in a flurry.
The soldiers used spears, bows, and arrows as cover.
The battle was fierce, both sides exchanged strikes relentlessly.
Sharp fangs shed with keen swords, producing sparks upon contact, and blood would follow after each hit.
When the monsters fell, they turned into piles of dirt that reeked like rotten fish; when the humans fell, they be dead bodies with vicious looks.
The deads eyes showed unwillingness and anticipation, but... it couldnt change the oue.
Death meant death.
Dark red blood tainted the white priest robes, their pale white faces absent of blood still maintained the smile until the veryst moment of their lives.
Simr to the creed of Mercy Temple: forgive all, forget one.
Harvest Temples archpriest, with only his left hand left, closed the eyes of Mercy Temples archpriest,ying him to rest.
Harvest Temples archpriest had to because Mercy Temples archpriest died saving him.
The monsters! The monsters are retreating!
Such ims were heard throughout the battlefield, it wasnt the first time though.
However, this time around, the initial delights and happiness were gone, because everyone who survived the battle had to seize the moment to rest.
The archpriest of War Temple whomanded the battle spoke in a rough, low voice, Did the messenger manage to get out?
He did, my lord! the knight of War Temple bowed and replied.
Great! That will be good enough!
Having hope is better than despair.
The archpriest of War Temple turned around to the defense line, which was formed by broken wagons and dead bodies.
He then looked beyond the defense line, looking at the elderly, women, and children who were praying softly.
His shivering mouth wanted to say something, but in the end, it turned out to be whispers of apology.
I am deeply sorry that I cant lead you all out of danger.
I am truly sorry.
His voice got deeper and softer, eventually bing a silent sigh.
His body was wobbling, he then leaned back to the gpole behind him. He was exhausted, he needed to rest, just for a bit.
War Temples archpriest closed his eyes, his snow-white beard moved along with the wind, the g of the God of War above his head was also fluttering.
The lingering glow on the g was also flickering, like a dying candle in the wind.
Pak!
The g with the symbol of a sword and shield fell as the rope tying it to the gpole snapped.
The mythical glow shattered, meaning the weak candle had finally been blown out.
The g danced along with the wind and was sent up high in the sky by the motion before truly falling down on the ground.
The g fell precisely on the archpriest of War Temple.
My lord!
A few of the knights of said temple who guarded around the archpriest knelt down en masse, calling out to their lord with sobbing voice.
Their sudden call to the archpriest was abrupt and evident on the battlefield after it went quiet.
Everyone else turned their attention to the group. They saw the knights put their hands in front of their chest, bowing in a solemn mood.
The soldiers looked down quietly, mourning the dead.
The protected civilians even started to cry and sob softly.
Unlike the knights, soldiers, priests, and deacons who fought the monsters away, the civilians werent harmed at all. That seemingly weak temporary defense line didnt seem like it could take a single blow, and yet it protected them like the firmest of walls.
The temporary defense line was ordered by the archpriest, the elder who had just fallen.
The archpriest stood on top of the only wagon that wasnt used in the defense line, holding up the g of sword and shield, protecting the civilians like a real shield.
The archpriest of War Temple did it, and before him, the archpriest of Valiant Temple.
That time was the closest the civilians ever get in danger, a group of monsters sprung up from the ground and ambushed the unarmed, baring their bloody sharp teeth at their defenseless prey.
The archpriest of Valiant Temple dashed over without a second thought and fought the monsters away. Some of the children almost got eaten by the monsters, but they were saved by the archpriest, rescuing the innocent children from the bloody mouth of the monsters.
As valiant as he was, hed always move forward.
As brave as he was, hed kill the enemies and protected his people.
With thest shout, he stood in front of the people and became thest line of defense.
His angry eyes widened, his broken armor was filled withyers of w marks and injuries.
He stopped breathing a while ago, but he didnt fall in front of his people, just like the valiant and bravery that he believed and served in.
The archpriest of Valiant Temple killed hundreds of monsters that ambushed the civilians, alone. His beliefs werent tainted, despite his face being filthy and tainted by the bloody dirt.
Wuuu, Wuuuuuu Wuuuu!
The monsters are back!
A short, rushed horn soundter, the clear, horrible words followed, telling the people that battle was upon them again.
God, save us all!
A young child was sobbing softly, even though his mother covered his mouth tightly, the sobs would seep through. The mother then saw her father, who had been with her since the start, walked outside.
Father! the mother cried.
Live!
The father, grandfather, was too old even to wield a sword, let alone a spear, but he still had his body!
He shouted loudly at the monsters charging at them, Come! Come at me! Eat me!
Use my body to fill your stomach!
Use my body to cure your hunger!
Use my body... to exchange for their hope!
Pak!
Blood sshed.
The elderly father was bitten by the monster, breaking his body into half as they fell on the ground. The monsters grouped up on the shattered remains and ate what they could; more monsters joined in and wanted to get a piece for themselves.
The monsters whose food was getting eaten by others roared loudly, trying to scare away the others, but it was useless.
The hunger instinct drove them crazy over this kind of fresh, warm meat.
A little fight among the monsters urred, and it shared some of the burdens of the soldiers and knights.
A lot more of the elderly stood up after they saw the scene. They bid farewell to their families with sad gazes, like their sons and sons-inw, they walked into the battlefield without the intention of returning.
Death brought life and hope!
Aaaaaaaarh!
A young soldier shouted loudly because he saw his father, and his father saw him. The father waved his hand and was drowned by the monsters at the very next moment.
The young soldier widened his eyes due to pain, cracking the corners of his eyes. Bloody rolled down his cheeks with his tears, the stinging pain filled his heart, but he couldnt move, he couldnt afford to leave his team.
Because without him, his team formation would lose defense on one side, and it would result in even more death!
No! No more death!
That is enough death for today!
Its enough!
The soldier turned around, clenched his teeth hard, and channeled all his strength to wield the shield, enduring the attacks from the monsters again and again.
...
Ha, petty bugs.
Further away on a hilltop, an elegantly dressed man saw the scene clearly. He couldnt hold back his disdainfulughs.
He then told the ordering officer behind him without even looking back.
Bring the message to the lord.
Harvest, Mercy, War, and Valiant Temples are... annihted.
Chapter 1441 - Betray
Chapter 1441: Betray
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The voice of the young, elegantly dressed man was cold and merciless, like the death before his eyes was of no concern, even though the number of deaths had exceeded what amon man
couldprehend.
Yes sir.
The ordering officer in full ck armor moved out after themand was given.
The rest of the soldiers stood beside the young man. Each one of them had a strong presence,parable to the temple knights...
No! They were even stronger than the temple knights!
Among the temple knights, there were only a few who could don a heavy-ted armor, carry a two-handed greatsword at their back and move with the speed of a sprinting horse.
It was only achievable with a perfectbination of strength, stamina and speed.
Of course, the other concerning thing was the hatred contained in their presence.
It was as fierce as a vengeful spirit, as heavy as an evil spirit.
One would shiver without the actual cold when looking at them, but their presence was insignificantpared to the elegantly dressed young man.
The hatred on the young mans face was so real that it distorted his elegant countenance.
What was left on his face was coldness and ferocity, with a little cruelty.
He ought to repay what he had been through to those people.
Otherwise, how could he be at peace?
The young man raised his right hand and waved softly.
Right away, the soldiers, who had been waiting for a long time,unched their charge.
Unlike those monsters who seemed powerful but had obvious weaknesses, the mentioned soldiers were the ace of the group.
The soldiers had strengthparable to the monsters, in addition to discipline that allowed them to execute orders without fail and a fearlessness when presented with death, which made them exceptionally scary.
The ck soldiers charged towards the defending soldiers and knights of the temples.
Dang!
The ck two-handed greatswordnded on the defending shield.
The tremendous power imbued in the greatsword shook the shield-wielder fiercely, but the soldier behind the shield clenched his teeth hard, having no intentions of stepping away, even in death.
Beside the defending soldier was his brother-in-arms, who lunged a spear through the seams of the shield, thrusting it towards the seams of the ck armor.
But...
Ding!
A clear metal clunking noiseter, the spear didnt pierce the ck soldiers body. Instead, the ck soldier grabbed the spear and pulled hard.
Bang!
The spear-wielding soldier crashed onto the shield-wielder, who didnt expect it to unfold like this. The shield-wielder was giving his best effort to block the ck greatsword above him but his stance was disrupted by the sudden crash.
What was worse was the ck greatsword suddenly rose, removing the pressure from his shield, dragging both of them out from their formation like tumbling gourds.
A breach was opened in the air-tight formation!
No one would have thought the sturdy formation that had blocked the monsters for a long time, even before the defense line was built up by the temple personnel, would suffer a breach shortly after shing with the ck soldiers.
And soon, more breaches were pried open among the formation.
The ck soldier didnt care about the two tumbling soldiers. Instead, before the breach closed, it rushed inside.
Sou Sou Sou Sou!
Arrows were fired from the seams of the formation, eachnding precisely on the ck soldiers body, more than a dozen arrows stopping it from charging through the defensive formation, but there was more than one ck soldier.
While the archers were attracted by that particr ck soldier, many more rammed themselves onto the defensive formation.
They either used a simr method to open a breach or rammed it down with brute force.
The ck soldiers charged forward and disregarded everything, trying to knock down the shields.
Dan Dan Dan Dan!
Compared to a skillful technique, the brute force from the ck soldiers was even more terrifying.
The whole defensive formation was weakened badly and would fall any second.
A War Temple knight, who temporarily took overmand of the battle, waved the ordering g in his hand without a second thought.
Right away, the temples knights circled to the right side of the battlefield, raising theirnces in their hands, charging towards the ck soldiers, trying to take them out with momentum and lighten the burden on the defensive formation.
But before the knights could charge forward, a bulge as big as a watermelon appeared beside their horses hooves.
Careful!
Bang Bang Bang Bang!
Buzzzzzz!
The leader of the group of knights warned loudly but before his words even subsided, the bulge burst, sending out countless flies into the air and clouding the knights instantaneously.
Within a breaths time, the war horses and the knights were all attacked and sucked into dried corpses.
Scatter away! Kerosene attack! the leader of the group of knights shouted again.
The remaining knights quickly took out bottles of kerosene from their saddle, lit them up and hurled them towards the flies.
m! Bam! Baaaam!
A few explosions went off in session, the flies swiftly burnt to cinders. The danger was soon disarmed, but it was just the knights part, the defensive formation was still in a critical situation.
The entire defensive formation was split in half by the ramming ck soldiers, each part surrounded and attacked by ck soldiers no lesser than their numbers.
Anyone could tell the defensive formation was on the brink of breaking down with a single nce.
Sigh.
Harvest Temple archpriest, who only had one hand left, stood up.
He nced over the civilians behind him and saw the soldiers and knights who were fighting a bloody battle, then walked out of the defensive line.
When he left the defensive line, his hand was holding an ear of golden wheat.
The grains were full and radiating with golden light, dancing in the air like a dandelion.
The grainsnded on the ally soldiers and knights, the exhaustion and wounds instantly healed, everyone revitalized.
The grains alsonded on the ck soldiers and monsters, bringing an immense force, like a mountain had fallen on them.
Gak, tssk tssss!
Bang Bang Bang!
The tremendous force on their body caused their bones to crack and screech, their muscles starting to break, and when the force had reached a certain level, their organs started to get crushed.
Some monsters even exploded wholly.
Finally ready to make your move?
The elegantly dressed young manughed coldly as he looked at the Harvest Temple archpriest.
Likewise, the Harvest Temple archpriest also sensed the young man, as his gaze was obvious and theughter was clear.
However, when the archpriest saw the young man, his eyes showed astonishment.
Livezel?! Why? How? How did you?!
The archpriest took a step back amid his inconceivable words.
He wasnt a stranger to the young man before his eyes. Every single Harvest Ceremony was supported by Melody Temple and this young mans flute and harp performance left quite an impression in his mind.
Especially the divine melody of the flute! The young man was the first to ever y it!
Without a doubt, Livezel, the priest from Melody Temple, would have been the future archpriest, but during the evacuation, he went missing.
Everyone thought Livezel had fallen into the less fortunate group, but the scene before the archpriests eyes told him that things werent as simple as they believed.
But...
Was it important?
This was a battlefield!
The battlefield where life and death was determined!
The archpriest of Harvest Temple took a deep breath and a step forward, the golden ear of wheat in his hand swinging at Livezel.
The tremendous force appeared again!
It was the force from thend!
The life that you gave birth to will eventually return to you! the archpriest sang loudly.
When the song started, the force was amplified a few times, far surpassing the range of themon pressure force.
Thend was selfless, allowing crops to absorb nutrients from the soil, growing, maturing and eventually producing the harvest of joy.
Thend was also merciless, taking away countless lives each time it took a breath or shook.
Each life it took had countless thoughts, sorrows and anger. The emotions gathered into a weight that was hard for a man to bear.
It was also irresistible because it was the soul that had been shaken.
But Livezels cold smile hadnt gone away. In fact, his expression hadnt changed at all.
Did you think it would be useful against me? Or did you arrogantly think that I stood before you because I wanted to fight you? Oh, I am waiting for you alright, but you are just someone along the way!
Amid his sneering words, Livezel raised his hand and pointed at the Harvest Temple archpriest.
The hatred in his presence materialized and turned ck!
It then fired itself at the archpriest like a hurling javelin.
The golden light from the ear of wheat broke like paper when the ck javelin touched it.
The archpriess eyes widened , not believing what he saw.
How was this possible? How could a mortal defeat the divine power?
Doubts filled the archpriests heart, but it didnt dy his actions. He quickly stepped aside and dodged the ck javelin.
Then, he swung the golden wheat down at the ck javelin that grazed his body.
Further away, Livezel showed even greater mockery, a sense of anticipation amidst the sneers.
Bang!
When the golden wheat shed the ck javelin, a loud bang was produced and it snapped the ck javelin right away.
The archpriest couldnt help but heave a sigh of relief.
I knew the power of the Gods wouldnt fail! What happened just now was some coincidental happening, it will not happen...
Before he could finish lying to himself, the archpriest saw a dash of ck on his golden wheat.
The dash of ck was faint and looked like mist. It spread quickly, like the gue, and within a breaths time, half of the golden wheat was infected by the ck color.
The archpriest was horrified. He instinctively wanted to infuse his own power into the golden wheat, attempting to resist the ck infection, but before he could make a move, the ear of wheat flew out of his hand, flying away like aet.
The golden wheat ran?! No! More precisely, the God of Harvest ran!
As the holy relic of Harvest Temple, there were less than 3 people in the whole temple that could use the golden wheat and there was only one existence who could take away the golden wheat from the archpriest of Harvest Temple, which was the God of Harvest himself!
The archpriest looked in the direction where the golden wheat almost flew out of sight, his face pale and his eyes gloomy, his body wobbling a few times before falling down on the ground.
The soldiers and knights who were revitalized a moment ago for more fighting suddenly felt weak, as though their spine was taken away, their moralepletely dead.
Behind the defense line, soft crying came and this time, it wasnt the children but the mothers.
The mothers hadnt cried when they faced the monsters, the strong women keeping faith. Yet, they cried at this very moment, because they knew they were abandoned.
They were abandoned by the God they believed would support and protect them.
What else was more saddening than being betrayed by the only existence you trusted wholeheartedly in the world?
None!
When the trust copsed, their lives were destroyed.
Livezel, who had once experienced this despair,ughed loudly.
Hahahahahahaha! Thats right! Thats right! This is it, this is the pain and the despair!
The young man was convulsed withughter, the loudughs making him short of breath, as if this was the happiest moment of his life.
But what he said was colder than ever, like the arctic wind that came from the north.
It was spine-chilling.
What you people just experienced is what Ive experienced before, at the very beginning of my horrible experience! Dont worry! I will make sure every one of you experience what I experienced, no one will be excluded! And first, lets start with you!
Livezel then looked at the archpriest of Harvest Temple, striding over to him.
The archpriest sat there dully, as if he couldnt feel anything. Even when he saw the hidden snake scales around Livezels wrist, nothing changed.
When the God of Harvest fled, the archpriest, who wasnt an idiot, knew something was up.
And now?
Now, the archpriest was facing the harshest of realities and he only hoped that it would end quickly.
Livezel ced his palm over the archpriests crown, the hidden snake scales around his wrist spreading rapidly.
From Livezels wrist to his palm and then the scalp of the archpriest, the forehead, the eyes, the nose...
The snake scales were like wriggling worms, moving inwards bit by bit, devouring the archpriests insides bit by bit.
Aaaaaaaarh!
An uncontroble cry of pain came from the archpriests mouth, despite the fact that he was nk and dull like the living dead just a moment ago.
That was the reason why Livezel didnt cover the archpriests mouth. He wanted to hear the screams, just like how he did before.
Livezel could only calm the pain in his heart with the screams and cries of othersthe pain made up from pride, shame, and anger was very painful, like his soul was being whipped.
Each whip thatnded on him would tear his heart apart in pain.
Each whip that he suffered was unbearable to remember.
The pain was like an erupting burning sensation that burned his body every single second.
Fortunately, the screams in his ears slightly eased the burning sensation.
Livezel closed his eyes, wanting to slowly enjoy this particr moment, but...
The burning sensation appeared the moment he closed his eyes, in a much fiercer manner than ever before.
Instinctively, Livezel opened his eyes.
Kaboom!
Chapter 1442 - Assist Attack
Chapter 1442: Assist Attack
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
As the Devil me roared into an explosion, Livezel was sent flying.
The elegant dress on him was turned into cinders upon contract with the Devil me, his hair was also burnt to nothing, and his skin also suffered severe burns.
But! A momentter, ayer of snake scales spread all over his body and covered the burned skin.
Sss, Ssss!
Amid the hissings, Livezels tongue turned into a snakes tongue, and as he hissed, his eyes that were looking at Kieran turned cold reptilian.
Ryan?
Livezel didnt shout or scold angrily. Quite the opposite, his tone sounded like he was mocking himself.
Right! It should be you!
It must be you! Other than you, who else can it be?
After all, you are the Hero, you know?
When Livezel mentioned the term Hero, his face, covered in snake scales, couldnt hold back the sneers anymore. A low, heavyugh came from his throat.
Do you still have hope about the Gods?
Dont forget what happened to thest Hero! Livezel looked at Kieran with his reptilian eyes.
So youve sided with the Devourer? Kieran didnt answer the question; instead, he asked him in a heavy tone.
To make himself look more serious, Kieran purposely squinted his eyes. He didnt want other emotions to leak from his gaze, because it was astonishing for him!
Despite predicting problems to befall the westbound convoy, Kieran never thought it would be this kind, the kind that benefited his own n.
Of course, to maximize his gains, he still had to slightly adjust.
Why not? It gave me more power and gave me new choices!
Why cant I side with the Devourer? Livezel raised his tone.
He then pointed at Harvest Temples archpriest, who managed to get away from his grasp temporarily but was still dispirited.
Or do you want me to be like him? Betrayed and abandoned again?
Livezels questions further stunned the archpriest who was already in a gloomy state.
What else was more terrifying than losing faith?
Being betrayed by the sole existence you believed in.
That moment of losing everything, it was scary.
It was worse than death!
You were betrayed by the God of Melody? Then, did you think the Devourer is more reliable than your previous God?
Maybe now it still hadnt done anything that will disappoint you, but that is now. One day, it will put you through a simr experience again. Until then, what do you think it will do to you? Kieran asked in a heavy voice.
Who knows?
The only thing I know now is that I can do whatever I want!
Livezel grinned widely, the dark red tongue of a snake hissed swiftly. A strange aura started to appear around him, the snake scales on his body began to buzz, like an angry cat with its fur erected, butpared to a furious cat, his reptilian way of erecting his scale was more ferocious and much scarier.
The other scarier, uneptable thing was the thin little maggots that started to crawl out from the seams of his scales, and they swiftly grew into clouds of flies, flying towards the temporary defense line further away.
Kieran raised a brow.
If it werent for inappropriate timing, Kieran would have to praise Livezel because what he did was remarkable. Kieran needed the scene very much, but despite that, he looked cold, he raised the Devil me in his left hand and hurled it out at the swarm of flies.
Boom!
The Devil me crashed into the swarm of flies. A lot of the flies were burned down, but even more flies came out from Livezels body, and they were heading for Kieran.
Not so fast! I wont let you save them so easily!
I want you to feel helpless, and the despair that follows! Livezel shouted loudly.
The colors of the snake scales on his body changed repeatedly, a subtle spirit st was hidden in his strange aura and was fired at Kieran.
Livezels heart had been twisted, he never thought of the consequences and only wanted others to feel the pain he was feeling.
At first, Livezel was doing quite well, the archpriest of Harvest Temple had fallen into despair, but when Livezels opponent was switched to Kieran...
Livezel picked the wrong guy to mess with.
Aside from the fact that Kieran wouldnt act like a true hero whose heart was filled withpassion, Kierans own steady and firm heart and mind had determined that Kieran would never fall under the influence of helplessness and despair. Quite the opposite, hed grow stronger with each defeat and setback.
As for the spirit st?
Kierans strongest attribute was Spirit!
The spirit st that could affect an archpriest was nothing but a breeze in Kierans face.
But Livezel didnt know, in his impression, Kieran was simr to the Harvest Temple archpriest.
It was true that Kieran had more battle achievements and credits, but which archpriest didnt have their own?
And when they werepared to Kierans, the only difference was the number of achievements; therefore, misunderstandings ought to ur.
I want you to see with your own eyes...
Bang!
Livezel grabbed Kieran by the neck, just like what he said, he wanted Kieran to witness the miserable scene at the end, but before he could finish his words, Kierannded a kick on Livezels face, pressing his entire head to the ground.
Bang!
Louder than the bang from before, Livezels head was stomped into the ground, and Kieran hurled out another Devil me.
It wasnt at Livezel, though, because he still had some use left in him.
The Devil me was hurled at the flies swarming the air instead.
Amid the zing mes, the flies were burned to cinders swiftly, and all of them fell down from the sky.
Livezel beneath Kierans feet was struggling fiercely, Kieran calmed him down with two more stomps, and Livezel immediately passed out.
Archpriest Pelder?
After taking care of Livezel and the flies, Kieran turned to the archpriest of Harvest Temple.
I...I am fine.
Archpriest Pelder wanted to say something with his mouth opened, but in the end, he waved his hand and said something generic.
They still need you.
They had been betrayed once, a second time will destroy them.
Kieran pointed at the temporary defense line further away.
But... what am I now? Archpriest Pelder smiled bitterly.
Right, what was the old man?
After losing his God and the beliefs, what was left in him?
At least, you are still alive.
Kieran then grabbed the unconscious Livezel and walked towards the defense line.
His ck figure was walking under the bright sun.
The bright, radiating sun shone on his ck feather mantle, turning the ck color into golden shine in a split second.
The civilians who lost their concentration saw the golden figure, their out-of-focus gazes were slowly regaining their shine, but hesitancy lingered.
Inside the darkness and chaotic space, that weak fire jumped for a moment and returned to normal, as though nothing had happened.
Kieran, who was always concentrated sharply, noticed the fire in his body and the slight movement.
His smile got wider, and he felt happier.
This is really a good start.
Chapter 1443 - Inkling
Chapter 1443: Inkling
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Deep in a forest to the south, a small Hunter Temple was hidden within.
No one knew when the temple was built, or rather, no one knew there was a temple outside in the forest.
The convoy behind Hunter Temples archpriest, Krecko, was stunned for a moment before they cheered when they saw the temple.
A temple!
To the Naveyans, a temple had an irreceable meaning in their hearts.
It wasnt justforting to their heart, it also meant the divine light of God had shielded them.
The people of Naveya would be protected from disaster with the shielding of God.
The temple is too small to fit everyone. So, other than the priests and priestess from each temple, everyone, please set up camp around the temple and follow the knights orders.
Report to the temple directly if there is anything unusual.
Everything else will be the same as Naveyas temple.
Krecko was speaking loudly to the crowd on top of the stone stairs.
No one would reject his suggestion, though, because everyone thought it was reasonable.
After all, it was exactly how they operated back in Naveya.
Under the knights guidance, the civilians and soldiers started to get busy setting up camp.
A group of Hunter Temple deacons walked towards the wagons and carried cans, boxes, and baskets out.
All of the supplies were then delivered into the temple by another group of deacons after the temple was cleaned up.
Candles were ignited around the statue of the Hunter.
Arge goat pelt wasid open, and empty silver tes were ced on top.
The deacons went over and unloaded the supplies on the empty tes. The wine and honey from the cans, the varieties of spices in the boxes, and the bread and meat from the baskets were all ced on the silver tes.
The meal prepared wasnt exactly delicious to the priests of Hunter Temples, though, but that was back in Naveya.
Now? It wasnt just delicious, it could genuinely be considered a feast during desperate times.
The night and day traveling didnt just exhaust everyone and baffle them with hunger, it strained their mental states to the limit, and when they were mentally tired, the nervousness and fear were exceptionally harder to bear, to the point that it could easily crush a man.
Therefore, when a somewhat safe environment was found and had sufficient food, these deacons who imed to be servants of God during average days almost shed tears of gratitude.
Then, every other priest and priestess from the other temples expressed their gratitude to Hunter Temples archpriest after his prayers.
We will have a new start here. Although the start may be difficult, we will eventually get better as we progress.
Please, everyone eat well.
My old friends have been waiting for me for some time, so please excuse me as we have more things to discuss.
Krecko then stood up and walked to the meeting chambers in the back of the temple.
All the respective priests and priestesses saw Krecko away with gazes of gratitude before they attacked the foods in front of their eyes.
They didnt care about politeness or being a gentleman anymore.
Hunger had tortured them for quite a while now.
Krecko heard the rustling behind him, he couldnt help but show a smile like he had grasped everything.
The scene was exactly what he sought after, and this was just a beginning, a new beginning.
The archpriest of Hunter Temple couldnt hold back hisughter when he thought about the final oue.
However, he suppressed his urge tough since he knew the real condition of the temple; he then continued onto the meeting chambers.
There were still some matters that required his attention.
...
Inside the meeting chamber.
There was a long oval table with many candlesticks arranged in the middle.
Around the candlesticks were dishes after dishes, served in an astonishing quantity and scale.
Compared to the dishes served to the priests and priestesses outside, the dishes served in the meeting chambers were much more delicate and alluring.
The only difference was these dishes were lethally delicious!
Many archpriests of various templesy on top of the oval table. Their mouths and noses were bleeding; their faces were purplish green, and other than the archpriest of Etiquette Temple, the others were not breathing.
W-Why!?
The archpriest who was recognized as a role model of etiquette throughoutNaveya was looking ferocious and twisted as he shouted at Krecko.
Why? What do you think? Krecko asked.
The archpriest of Etiquette Temple obviously didnt know, and it was natural that his gaze showed confusion and doubts.
Sigh. Every one of you is useless trash.
As his words subsided, Krecko ced his hand over the archpriests neck and squeezed softly.
Kak!
A clear snapter, the archpriest of Etiquette Temple lost all signs of life.
The archpriest of Etiquette Temple widened his eyes even after death, and it made Krecko shake his head.
The man was too stubborn. No, everyone was too stubborn!
Otherwise, Krecko wouldnt havemitted this atrocity, but the ideal situation at hand was tough toe by. If he missed it, Krecko would regret it for life; thus, he made a choice.
Herasu, Krecko called loudly.
Lord Archpriest.
Having a thick hair and hairy body, Herasu, with a bow on his back and a short knife at his waist, walked out as he was summoned. This hunter, who was once Pudds teacher and someone who Kieran paid extra attention to, saw the dead archpriests of various temples all over the oval table. He wasnt surprised at all, or rather, as one of the aplices, he would only show delight at the scene.
After all, the death of all the archpriests meant they were closer to sess.
We have been progressing smoothly up until now, and I hope it doesnt end here.
Therefore, I am going to erase every lurking danger, said Krecko.
Understood. I assure you, they will show more loyalty to you than anyone else.
Herasu knew what Krecko was referring to, he bowed and pped his hand.
Pak Pak.
Two clear pster, a group of men entered the meeting chambers.
All of them were in various shapes and sizes, their age and looks were also vastly different.
The only thing they had inmon was their physique, which resembled all the dead archpriests in terms of height and age. Even the resemnce of their facial features was uncanny.
The group of men all knelt down before Krecko.
Lord Archpriest, they greeted en masse.
En. Krecko looked and the kneeling men in satisfaction, he then threw a signal to Herasu.
Herasu caught the meaning and quickly went to work.
He took out a box filled with all sorts of small items like glue, hair extensions, and makeup.
Herasu was actually putting on makeup for the men.
The group of men already highly resembled the dead archpriests, and after Herasus skillful work, they looked exactly the same.
Krecko couldnt help but smile when he saw another familiar face standing up. The smile came from the bottom of his heart because everything was unfolding ording to his expectations.
In addition to that, he had gained a more than perfect opening.
He would be the final victor of his war.
Chapter 1444 - Transforming
Chapter 1444: Transforming
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Around three hourster, the west-bound convoy switched directions and continued on to Arya Outpost instead.
People carried urns holding the ashes of their family members. Soft sobbing could be heard from time to time.
After a one time betrayal, the damage done was far more severe than death, as the morale of the group was almost zero.
They survived in the end but they had lost reason to live.
Even though they were heading to Arya Outpost, they did it because they were just habitually listening to the convoy leaders order, which was Archpriest Pelder of Harvest Temple.
Other than that? The people didnt know.
Every single one of them looked lost and their expressions were all captured by Kierans eyes. In the end, Kierannded his gaze on Pelder, the archpriest of Harvest Temple.
Simr to the people, the archpriest was at a loss for actions. He didnt even know his broken limb was bleeding again.
A warm, tender light appeared from Kierans hand.
The legacy skill of Marulyn that used [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] as basis granted Kieran the skill [Heal], and this particr skill was ying its role effectively. Pelders broken limb was swiftly healed under the light.
And this time around, the elder archpriest finally reacted to the situation.
T-Thank you, he said in a dry voice.
No need to. I did it for them, Kieran pointed through the window at the people walking outside the wagon.
The archpriest also looked outside to where Kieran was pointing. He saw the peoples expressions were simr to his, and somehow, it brought tears to the archpriest eyes, before they rolled down his cheeks uncontrobly.
Why! Why! Why did His Majesty did this to us? We would guard His Majesty with our lives, even at thest moment, but why did he abandon us?
His mumbles brought up the questions that troubled his mind.
Why? Its because they themselves are selfish beings. They will only trust themselves! We are nothing but a bunch of idiots!
Livezel, who had awoken, was tied down by special shackles made by the temples. He was leaning on the shaking carriage, looking at the painful archpriest, dwelling in his own despair. Livezel couldnt help but smile coldly.
The archpriest didnt reply, shrinking further inside his body, as though he was badly hurt.
After he saw how the archpriest reacted, Livezel, the young man who had fallen into the wrong side, showed delight in his gaze. He then looked at Kieran.
He wanted to taunt Kieran also, just like how he mocked Pelder, wanting to let Kieran feel his pain as well.
But... a shoe suddenly appeared on his face.
Bang!
The kick had perfectly controlled strength, not too strong and not to soft, every bit of strength focused at the young mans head.
As pain and dizziness filled Livezels brain, he was barely able to sit properly, falling down in the carriage after the first kick.
You...
Pak!
The fallen young man tried to get up but another kick followed, making him shut up.
Kieran didnt even look at Livezel after the two kicks.
Although he kept Livezel alive, it didnt mean he had to show Livezel a pleasant attitude.
Or rather, being able to stay alive, even as a captive, was already Kierans biggest mercy.
You want to know the answer? Kieran asked the painful archpriest.
Yes, the archpriest looked at Kieran and replied firmly.
They also want to know, maybe even more than you do. The people didnt just ce all their hopes in the God of Harvest, they ced their hope in you tootheir God has let them down, but what about you? Are you letting them down as well?
Kieran said calmly as he pointed at the people outside the carriage.
But...
You experienced betrayal, you know how painful it can be. They experienced the harsh betrayal too but you are cruel enough to push them through that horrible experience again? If you do, I really wasted my efforts to save you!
Kieran interrupted Pelder rudely, grabbing him by the cor and throwing him out of the carriage, through the window.
Pak!
The defenseless archpriest fell painfully on the ground.
The absent-minded people were shocked by the scene. They looked at the archpriest on the ground in surprise, their instincts driving them over to him quickly.
Archpriest Pelder, are you alright?
Lord Archpriest, are you alright?
What happened, Lord Archpriest?
Not just soldiers and knights, even civilians gathered around.
Everyone expressed their concern through greetings and worried expressions, making the archpriest shiver thoroughly as he was helped up by the people.
The pain of betrayal started to disperse under the warm greetings.
The archpriest suddenly understood what Kieran was talking about, realizing he wasnt alone. He had to be responsible for more than himself, he had a lot of lives on his hand.
Huuuu, huuu!
His panting somehow turned heavy, his eyes red again, but he held back his tears.
He didnt want to show his ugly side to these people who cared about him, it would only furtherplicate things.
The archpriest regted his breath back to normal, the people helping him up and walking him to the front of the wagon, where the wagoner was. He saw the continuous group behind the wagon and couldnt help but take a deep breath.
I understand how hurt everyone is feeling, but this pain will not take us down! Because even while we were betrayed, we were rescued at the same timeSir Ryan! He is taking a great risk bying over from Arya Outpost. He isnt a believer, but his wish is to save more people! And he did it! He saved us, we owe our lives to him! Perhaps Sir Ryan does not ask to be repaid, but I dont think we should take his goodwill for granted. We shouldnt waste this gift from Sir Ryan, a second chance at life! I am willing to pledge the rest of my life to serve Sir Ryan, not just to repay his goodwill but because he allowed me to understand the importance of the people. Now, let us head to Arya Outpost! We will start our new life there!
The archpriest then looked into the carriage with an apologetic gaze. He felt ashamed for using the fact that Kieran saved all of them, but he had to, otherwise the people would have a hard time getting back on their feet.
After listening to the archpriests words, the people showed a change of expression, some of them even bowing at the carriage.
Kieran saw the scene. He felt the fire in his mind, surrounded by chaos, jump again. He couldnt help but lift up his mouth corner.
It was exactly what he sought: getting the best result without him attending to the matter personally.
Of course, this wasnt the end.
The were still time.
Hmph, they are listening to you because of your archpriest position. They revered your identity so badly that they forgot the betrayal from God of Harvest. Once they realize this fact, you...
Pak!
Another kickter, the carriage went quiet again.
Chapter 1445 - Step By Step
Chapter 1445: Step By Step
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Kieran had to admit Livezels words did make sense.
Thisplexity in humans would always furtherplicate situations.
Deep-rooted bad habits, like venting anger, originated from the deepest part of the human soul.
Therefore, Kieran knew he had to divert the peoples attention, which wasnt that difficult for him.
When his Intuition picked up something unusual, Kieran kicked Livezels head to knock him outpletely, then jumped down from the carriage and went in front of the convoy.
Kierans movement instantly attracted the peoples attention.
They looked at Kieran with confusion as he moved forward with a speed faster than a sprinting horse. When he reached the front of the entire convoy, he lifted his left foot and stomped on the ground powerfully.
Bang!
The ground trembled and an agonizing wail came from beneath the ground before it swiftly subsided.
Its the monsters! The monsters!
The cry of surprise came from the convoy but no one fell into a panic, because anyone was smart enough to know that the monster was killed by Kieran. Aditionally, there werent any casualties.
Compared to the previous encounter with the monsters, which resulted in severe casualties, this kind of quick battle was unfamiliar to the people.
They tried to get used to the situation before their heart was at peace, unparalleled peace.
The people looked at Kieran with a more respectful gaze.
No, not enough!
Kieran thought in his heart when he felt the respect from the people. He then walked over to the archpriest.
Archpriest Pelder, please lead the convoy further ahead, said Kieran.
What are you going to do? the archpriest looked at Kieran in confusion.
Kieran didnt answer, he only pointed at the end of the convoy: where the injured were.
The west-bound convoy suffered high casualties during the battle with the monsters. Anyone who fought in the battle would end up with injuries, the difference was simply how severe they were.
The lightly injured would continue fighting; the heavily injured would be ced in wagons. It was also the reason why most of the people in the convoy were walking slowly.
Giving up wagon space to the warriors who fought for their lives was something noble to do, no one would have objected. Some temple deacons were trying their best to treat the heavily injured warriors, but... it wasnt that effective.
In a world where Gods lived, healing using divine spells was the fundamental way. They were healing using herbs but the techniques werent that advanced. In a very long period of time, herbs were thest option for the poor. Anyone with a little connection and money would choose a priest to heal them with divine spells.
But now, the Gods of Naveya had went away, leaving herbs ass the only way to possibly heal a person. However, healing a heavily injured person using only herbs with its current technique proved difficult.
Therefore, every one of the deacons taking care of the warriors looked sad. They were helpless against the fading of life, all they could do was hope the warriors could go in peace.
Aroma with sedative purpose filled the wagons.
Kieran frowned when he opened one of the carriage doors, but he didnt say anything.
He raised his hand and white light engulfed the entire carriage.
Unlike the [Healing] he used previously, the advanced technique of Marulyn Church, [Holy Light] had a stronger healing effect. It didnt just simply heal injuries, it would recover life too, despite being slow.
When the deacons saw the furrowed brows of the injured loosen up and look better than before, all those who witnessed the miraculous act beside Kieran widened their eyes.
As temple deacons, they had quite vast knowledge and experience, and despite that, they didnt know what kind of power Kieran had just used.
It felt like a divine spell but definitely not one. The healing process didnt emanate the feeling of divine blessings like how a real divine spell would.
The healing power came directly from his body, it originated from Kierans own power.
How did he do it?
Questions were raised in the deacons heart, but nevertheless, they were grateful.
Every single deacon stood up and bowed at Kieran.
Take good care of them, Kieran then went towards the next wagon.
Yes sir.
Somehow, the deacons reply had never before heard respect.
The respect spread quickly throughout the convoy as Kieran continued healing the injured, especially when a soldier woke up from the brink of death and stood up slowly. Then, the respect from the people had reached a certain peak.
The respect turned frantic!
Thank you for everything you have done for us, The soldiers wife knelt before Kieran.
Behind the wife were others whose family members had been saved, they too chose to kneel down before Kieran to express their gratitude because it was the only thing they could give Kieran, the thing that Kieran could see.
Meanwhile, in another, less visible ce, the fire enveloped in chaos jumped repeatedly.
The fire didnt grow stronger but it was very active.
The chaotic darkness around the fire was swiftly burned away, thus allowing Kieran to recover the stamina and energy he had used to heal in exponential speed.
Lets go. To Arya Outpost. We can have a good rest there and not here.
Kieran smiled and helped the wife up.
His smile was a sincere one,ing from the bottom of his heart.
It was natural that a sincere smile like that became infectious.
The archpriest saw the smiling faces around him before he looked at Kieran.
Is this the secret spell from the north? Or...
No matter where did came from, this will be a decent oue.
The archpriest took a deep breath and showed a soft smile after the convoy freed itself from the sorrowful atmosphere.
The convoy then traveled forward faster, but no matter how fast they traveled, they wouldnt have made it to Arya Outpost before nightfall.
So, the knights found a temporary spot to set up camp.
The wagons were parked in a circle, surrounding the multiple camps in the middle. The patrolling soldiers spread out to secure the ce, while the deacons and civilians went to a nearby river for some fresh water.
Bonfires were built before the sky turned dark. A dozen iron wok were ced around the bonfires by the temple deacons on themand of a temple priest.
When the group evacuated Naveya City, supplies such as food fell under a singlemand.
Everything, including the dried bread, aged beef jerky, even freshly plucked fruits, was properly organized.
Although the multiple battles made them lose a lot of supplies, it didnt bring the temple priest down.
Go find some vegetables and fruits in the forest. Ill need some fish from the river if anyone happens to find some. Lord Ryan has to eat more to recover his stamina, said the temple priest.
A group of deacons quickly spread out and carried out their given tasks. A lot of civilians joined them in collecting goods too.
Theyd dly do something for Kieran if it was within their means.
It was widely known that Sir Ryan had quite the interest in food and eating.
The group split up into two: one headed towards the forest, one headed to the river.
Then...
A sudden cry of shock sounded.
Aaarh!
Chapter 1446 - Illusion
Chapter 1446: Illusion
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The cry of shock came from the riverside, instantly attracting the two groups of deacons.
What happened?
The deacon who led the group to gather fruits and vegetables in the forest drew his sword and rushed over to the riverside. However, when he saw the scene, he and the deacon tasked to fish were stunned on the spot.
On top of the flowing river, an elusive figure appeared.
The shallow brilliance offset the pure moonlight from the sky, like a thin veil over the figure, blocking its voluptuous body. Despite that, the big fish tail on the lower part of the figures body was very eye-catching, let alone the scales on the fish tail glimmering colorfully, like corals in the sea.
The face of the figure, however, was blurred out by the varieties of light.
This...this...
A dozen temple deacons were astonished by the colorful elusive figure, who was floating on top of the river. They were at a loss for words, as were the civilians behind them.
The priest, whoter rushed over, looked heavy though.
Are you the God of this river? the priest who was in charge of cooking dinner asked carefully.
The mermaid figure slightly nodded.
Although the face was blocked by the reflecting light, the nodding was clear to the eyes.
Right away, the priest knelt down on the spot.
Please forgive our ignorance. Please forgive us.
After the priest kneeled down, the deacons and civilians followed.
In a world where many Gods roamed thend, anyone would know how to react before a divine being.
However, after the River God nced over the kneeling group, it looked further behind them.
Kieran was there. He strode over and stood in front of the group, looking at the River God with a calm gaze.
The priest who knelt down was worried sick at the situation, his heart almost leaping out of his chest. He was extremely nervous, afraid a battle that could have been avoided would break out.
And given the rumours about Sir Ryans temper... it might be inevitable.
As for worries? It was non-existent in Sir Ryans mind.
Sir Ryan wasnt justmonly powerful. Although a mortal, he possessed the title of Godyer. A powerful Naveyan God like Lady Wealth fell under the merciless de of Sir Ryan, therefore, the nameless River God before him would not be a match at all.
But, once the priest thought how the battle was caused by dinner, he felt ridiculous and absurd.
However, the priest, together with the deacons and civilians behind him, was astonished by the jaw-dropping scene. They saw the River God slightly bow to Sir Ryan!
A bow?!
Everyone unconsciously gasped at the scene.
As they were dumbstruck, the River God vanished into the waters, leaving two beautifully knit baskets by the riverside.
Inside the baskets were fruits and fishes.
Each fruit in the basket was big and fresh; each fish in the basket was fat and lively.
What was the meaning of this? An offering?
Unconsciously, a thought appeared in the minds of the kneeling priest, deacons, and civilians.
A God offering to a mortal?
No! Impossible! How could a God make an offering to a mortal?!
It must be...
Suddenly, a bold guess appeared in their minds.
Then, instinctively, the crowd altered their kneeling direction by shifting their knees.
Kieran saw the small change but he didnt stop them, because it was what he sought.
He bent down, grabbed a fruit, and took a bite.
A clear crunching noiseter, his tongue was filled with sweetness, causing him to squint his eyes in delight, as expected of the fruit handpicked by Starbeck.
Thats right, the fruits and fishes were all from Starbeck.
Kieran always kept food in his bag. Not much, but before he entered a dungeon world, he would restock his bag every time.
No one knew what he would run into in the dungeon world.
After Starbeck found out about Kierans little habit, he would select some appropriate supplies for him to bring on his adventures.
This time was no exception. Other than the fruits and the fishes, there were also some bentos with cooked food and a few canned goods with special effects.
Of course, thetter wasnt usable in the situation at hand. The fruits and fishes would suffice.
Lucky!
Kieran couldnt hold back his praise after he saw how much work Starbeck had saved him from doing. He gripped the [Hair Washer Conch Shell] tightly in his palm, nodded at the priest kneeling behind him, and went back where he came from.
[Hair Washer Conch Shell], a Magic rank item that he got from his previous dungeon runs.
There wasnt a useless item, only a useless yer.
No one in the big city would have thought a Magic rank item would be so inconceivably useful during rank V.
As he savoured the feeling of the jumping fire in his mind, Kieran lifted his mouth into a grin.
He knew this was just the start and in time, rumours would brew and spread further.
When the rumour reached a certain level, it would cause some obvious, qualitative change.
Thank you, the Gods of this world, Kieran thought in his mind.
Could he sleep at night after deceiving people like this?
No.
Compared to the God of Harvest, who had abandoned his believers, Kieran tended to think of himself as a person who put in effort to get his righteous reward. He had protected these people, shielded them from harm, and delivered them to a safe ce. He should be rewarded in a way.
The only difference was his reward this time was very abstract.
Dinner was served faster than he expected.
When Kieran came down from the wagon, he clearly felt the change in the gazes of the people around him, including Archpriest Pelder.
It seemed like he had underestimated how fast natives spread rumours.
Whats wrong, Pelder?
Kieran asked the obvious while receiving his dinnerfreshly baked bread and a bowl of fish soup was the main course, while fruits with vegetables garnished around the teplemented the meal.
Dinner wasnt exactly delicate, but fulfilling enough, considering it was served outdoors and at night.
Especially the extra golden-grilled fish in Kierans dinner, which was served only to him, yet no one voiced any objections.
It wasnt just due to Kierans strength anymore. It was also because of what had just happened by the riverside: a respectful offering from the God!
Even though it was a nameless God, it was enough for the natives to feel revered.
Plus, it was witnessed by multiple people, including the deacons. Therefore, no one would doubt whether it was fake or an illusion.
Hesitating for a while, Archpriest Pelder finally made up his mind to ask.
He softened his voice, to the point that only the two of them could hear and asked Kieran carefully.
Sir Ryan, have you... ascended to Godship?
Chapter 1447 - Ambitions
Chapter 1447: Ambitions
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Ascended to Godship?
Kieran kept quiet and drank a spoonful of his fish soup.
ording to the level ranking of the big city, his current state, rank V, was somewhat around a First Generation Divine Descendant, but it seemed like it had some differences with the Gods in this dungeon world.
Recalling back Lady Wealths power, doubt grew in his heart.
It seemed like her powers couldnt even be considered as godly, and yet it had some special traits that only a God could wield.
No doubt the Gods in this dungeon world and the Gods in his mind were somewhat different.
As for why?
Kieran couldnt figure it out with his limited information.
While Kieran stayed quiet, Archpriest Pelder seemed to have misunderstood his meaning.
After all, he had previous examples to take reference from, hence this kind of misunderstanding was far too natural.
300 years ago, the Devourer appeared, followed by a sea of Gods.
300 yearster, the Devourer came back, and a new God ascended. Whats wrong with that?
Your Majesty.
Archpriest Pelder stood up, kneeling before Kieran with the most solemn salutation and greeting him loudly.
The people around them saw the scene. A bit stunned, everyone mimicked the archpriest and knelt on the ground.
Your Majesty.
The loud greetings sounding in unison broke the silent night, pulling Kieran back from his thoughts.
He didnt exin himself since he felt the fire in his mind was jumping actively.
Sometimes, a wonderful misunderstanding was more eptable than harsh reality.
En.
Kieran nodded before taking another spoonful of his fish soup.
The ingredients were fine, but the cooking wasnt that great.
Of course, he hadnt met anyone who was a better cook than Starbeck.
...
Inside Arya Outpost, Atrina was discussing matters with Nelson softly.
Lord Priest, as you expected, those people sent out their emissary and internal conflict broke out amongst them. As of right now, they are still arguing about who should be the First Ride of the group, and ording to the reports of our scouts, they are going to fight again because of this naming.
They are really a ridiculous bunch.
The outpost master thought for a while before giving a truthfulment on those bastards.
Yort Fields is a richly endowednd, and it made their fights look like childs y. If it wasnt for the agreement made 300 years ago, the whole of Yort Fields would have fallen under Naveyas territory.
Atrina showed disdain when she mentioned Yort Fields.
As a person who wanted to be a priest, she had to learn a lot of things, including etiquette, misceneous trivia, and the history behind the temples, which was the top priority amongst her list.
Therefore, Atrina was very familiar with the dozens of lords in Yort Fields and how they worked.
Whenever something happened, theyd ask for Naveyas help.
And during times of peace, theyd pry into Naveyas streets for benefits.
Stupid, arrogant and thinking too highly of themselves, every single one of the mentioned words could be used to describe these lords.
It wasnt meant to be insulting though, because it was a fact and the fact was uneptable.
Simr to this time, those lingering, scattered monsters managed to sneak into Yort Fields after their major defeat, startling everyone in Yort Fields.
But after the initial reaction?
The lords shifted responsibility, not wanting to bear the responsibility and risk, dying the deployment of their soldiers.
In the end, they paid a price much higher than the initial predicted numbers before the monsters were eliminated.
After that though, the emissary group they sent out argued with each other, trying to fight for the title of number one.
Atrina was afraid these lords might not even know what a fight was.
Hitting each other with wooden swords and sticks, crying aloud when one of them was hit...
Tsk.
Whenever she pictured that scene in her mind, Atrina couldnt hold back her cold grunts. After being around Kieran for such a long time, she couldnt stand that kind of sissy behavior.
However, she didnt mind taking in the things these sissies brought over.
We need to raise our price. Rations, weapons, double the amount on everything. And... I want their men here to help us build another outer wall around the outpost, said Atrina.
Of course, Atrina kept her truest thoughts to herself: those men the lords sent to build the outer walls would not be returned.
Atrina was certain that with the increase of poption, she could strengthen her position as the one in power.
In a certain aspect, poption was more important thannd. Positions without the guarantee of a poption was something unrealistic.
I bet Ryan will be happy when he sees the poption in Arya Outpost has increased by tenfold. At this rate, Arya will not just be an outpost station, it will be a new city, maybe even recing Naveya in the future. And when the timees...
Atrina was plotting the future, her palm, hidden under her sleeves, shaking uncontrobly because she was very excited.
However, she knew everything was built around a single person: Ryan!
Without Ryan, Arya Outpost would not be Arya City, but Atrina was confident Ryan would agree with her methods.
Even without solid evidence, Atrina had a hunch that her methods would work.
What Ryan sought after shouldnt be a position as an archpriest in a temple, since all the temples were wiped out. Based onmon sense, Ryan should draw back wisely when in the face of overwhelming odds.
But in reality?
Ryan didnt just stay back against the Devourer, he fought on, with the identity everyone was hoping for.
It may seem normal tomon folks, but as Ryans partner, Atrina had more thoughts and guesses.
And because of those thoughts and guesses, she loved Ryan even more.
He was a powerful and ambitious man, how could she not be infatuated?
Men conquered the world, while women conquered the men who took over the world.
With that thought in mind, Atrina loved Ryan beyond anything. She was too deeply in love to be saved. But shed only show infatuation and incurable love in front of that man. While in front of others, Atrina kept her dignity as a priest.
Build another outer wall? Will they agree to it?
Outpost Master Nelson was stunned for a while before asking Atrina in a hesitant tone.
Nelson didnt refute the statement because he originated from Thorn Temple and his position had determined him to never refute a priests words, but likewise, he didnt want to ignore the problem.
The former was the inborn instinct of a believer, while thetter was the adapted instinct of a knight.
Believe me, they will. And... they will rush over to agree to our terms, said Atrina confidently.
Just as Atrinas words subsided, the ordering officer outside delivered a message.
Priest Atrina, Outpost Master Nelson, a person iming to be the emissary from Blossom Flower Land requests a meeting.
Chapter 1448 - Shocking
Chapter 1448: Shocking
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The emissary of the lord of Blossom Flower Land was a middle-aged fat man and had a bald head that reflected the light from the candles.
His outfit was both luxurious and tawdry at the same time.
The man had a linen coat on his body, and it seemed like he was very eager to put on every single piece of silver and gold that he could find. Each step he took, his gold and silver essories would clink heavily.
Greetings Madam Priestess, Outpost Master.
The emissary tried his best to bend and make himself look humble and respectful, but his belly was as big as a cow and he couldnt even bend over properly even with his best efforts.
The fat man also knew his own problems, so after a slight nod to express the meaning, he went straight to the topic.
I came on behalf of my lord. My lord wishes to gain the aid of Arya Outpost to fight off those monsters together. Of course, no matter what Arya Outposts decision will be, we will stand through it and support it without question!
His words sounded impressive and dignified, but the meaning hidden between the lines shook Nelson, the Outpost Master.
After ncing at Atrina and getting her permission, Nelson replied.
Every decision we make? Including helping us build an extra outer wall around the outpost city? he asked.
Of course! With Lord Ryan, the Hero, here, helping Arya Outpost build a wall is the right thing for us to do. But we also hope the other lords of thend would y their part and pour in some of their own efforts, dont you think? the emissary smiled at Nelson.
Nelson, too, finally understood what the emissary wanted to achieve: harming others without benefiting oneself.
No, more precisely: harming others and keeping themselves where they were now.
But, but...
Nelson was in deep thought for a while. The righteous and just Outpost Master couldnt think of a perfect word to describe his emotions right now.
He already knew the lords in Yort Fields were unbearable with their actions but not to this extent.
At the same time, he remembered what thest Outpost Master told him when he first got the position. Thete Outpost Master said, Dont care about those bastards in the fields, Arya Outpost exists to eliminate the robbers on the way to Neveya, and now Nelson finally understood the true meaning of those words.
No need to care?
Nelson couldnt help but smile bitterly when he thought about the futile efforts he put in the past two years.
The control of the conversation was then passed to Atrina.
With a few words, Atrina made the emissary drenched in his own sweat.
A qualified negotiator would never look at the chips on the tables, but go after the hidden chips instead.
Atrina was a qualified negotiator without a doubtshe doubled the original demands with some simple words.
Rations that could feed two thousand men for a year,bour from strong and fit men numbering no less than a thousand, and ten to twenty skillful craftsmen, not apprentices.
After the new demands were made, when the emissary left, his face was pale and his steps were faltering.
Really a bunch of boorish fes who only know how to fight amongst themselves. Nelson sighed.
He couldnt imagine what kind of thoughts were going through the emissarys mind when he agreed to those overly demanding terms. After all, the terms did not benefit Blossom Flower Land or whatsoever.
Blossom Flower Land wasnt some bignd in Yort Fields, rankedst among the dozen othernds.
It is because he believed that they would get more from this. Im afraid that his mind is already figuring out how to get back twice the amount for the loss that he agreed to todayfrom the other lords of Yort Fields, that is! And I assure you, once we have enough manpower here and empty out one of the lordsbour forces in hisnd, it will be time for them to march in with their soldiers, Atrina coldlyugh.
She knew what the emissary was plotting. In fact, in the past decades, the same things were repeating themselves over a thousand times.
It was either the west side triumphing over the east side or the other way around. However, it was different this time because she wanted them all, the entirety of Yort Fields!
What are you saying? Nelson was a little slow in reacting and looked at Atrina.
Before Atrina could answer, the ordering officer came in with another message.
Priestess Atrina, Outpost Master Nelson, an emissary from Tricholoma Land requested a meeting.
Nelson was awestruck as he looked at Atrina with wide eyes.
Atrina smiled and said, Like I said, they will not just agree to our terms. They will rush over and try to beat others to it because we have many choices in choosing our coborators!
...
The first light of dawn shed its golden brilliance outside Arya Outpost.
The patrolling soldiers looked at the direction of Naveya with utmost vignce while slightly showing disdain when they looked at the wealthynds of Yort Fields.
In the past two days, the ridiculous acts of the lords of Yort Fields had spread throughout the outpost.
Fighting with wooden swords aside, theyd named a hero based on the scars one got from falling off a horse. And in order to better decorate theirnds, theyd added cowhides on top of the grasnds and linens on top of tree branches; all sorts of outrageous,ughable things spread like wildfire.
Whenever the soldiers thought about their scruples in the past against such a childish enemy, they couldnt hold back their disdainful grins.
But soon enough, their disdain was reced by seriousness when they looked in the direction of Nevaya City.
Although many scattered batches of monsters tried to attack the outpost in thest two days, each battle was still difficult for them. If it werent for their current outpost walls, they might have had to suffer another decrease in manpower again.
Hence, when the watcher of the tower spotted a ck line rising from the horizon, he rang the rm right away.
Fully armed soldiers then quickly boarded the walls.
The knights split into multiple groups, acting as reinforcements and support for any desperate situation in the uing battle.
As for fighting beyond the walls?
The size of the ck line at the end of the horizon allowed them to make their choice wisely.
However, as the ck line drew closer to the outpost, the watcher from the highest tower voiced out a delightful cry.
Convoy! Its the convoy from the temples!
...
His voice echoed throughout the air above Nevaya. Everyone instantly heaved a sigh of relief and turned their eyes further away in that specific direction.
What was more delightful than more refugees from Neveya City?
Kieran, who was in the group!
Open the gates! Atrina said anxiously and rode outside the outpost.
Nelson brought a group of knights and followed behind.
The two groups converged a little further away from the gates of the outpost.
The elderly priest stepped down from the wagon, smiling at Atrina and Nelson.
Archpriest Pelder!
Despite being from different temples, the essential etiquette was not left behind.
I am no longer the archpriest. Pelder shook his hands.
His words were confusing, but Atrina didnt linger on the topicit wasnt an appropriate time, and she cared more about Ryan.
Wheres Ryan?
His Majesty? He is there. Look, there he is.
The elderly priest smiled and pointed behind the convoy.
A golden tainted figure walked over slowly, his face slightly blurry under the sunlight as if he was bathing in some divine light, making him look like a god.
Atrina looked at the figure, bbergasted. Her mind couldnt stop repeating the word Pelder had used to address Ryan.
Majesty?
His Majesty?
Gradually, Atrinas narrow, jaded eyes widened.
Chapter 1449 - Take Advantage Of Every Opportunity To Benefit Oneself
Chapter 1449: Take Advantage Of Every Opportunity To Benefit Oneself
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
People always have a somewhat fixed title.
That title will change ording to their identity, position and other factors, but no matter how drastic the changes, some titles werent affected by the mundane changes, like His Majesty.
This title was only used to address a certain kind of being in the dungeon world: them, the Gods!
Atrina and Nelsons eyes widened, their jaws dropping at the sight of the elderly priest before them. Their gazes then wandered towards others in the convoy, who followed the person with their heart.
The duo saw respect and a little bit of frenzy in their eyes.
They were very familiar with the fanatical gaze because in all the temples, the most devoted believers shared a simr gaze.
It was the power of beliefs!
R-Ryan, have you ascended to Godship?
Even Atrina, who was good with her words, stuttered badly at the moment.
A lot was going through her mind at the moment.
If Ryan had ascended to Godship, then... what about her?
What would be of her?
Would the contract still be valid? If it was, where would it lead her, from here onwards?
She thought about Ryans goal. He may really have been after a Godship, just like what happened 300 years ago, but she never thought it would be so soon, to the point that she wasnt prepared for this.
I wont forget what I promised you, Kieran walked over to Atrina.
The light was strong from his back, preventing Atrina from having a clear look at Kierans face, but when she heard his promise, her heart felt relieved.
Kieran might be cold-blooded and merciless, but he never went back on promises he made.
Therefore, without a second thought, she nodded.
Kieran smiled when he saw Atrina nodding tamely.
He admired how Atrina never overestimated herself and how her attitude kept her in one ce.
As for her ambitions? He wasnt worried.
Her ambitions would never hurt him. Rather, it would drive her further and harder to realize it. For example: the negotiations with the lords of Yort Fields.
Kieran really had to praised her, Nicely done.
With the thieves and assassins as eyes, Kieran already knew what happened the day before, and he had to admit, he could not have achieved a better result if he was in Atrinas position.
Tackling a specialized matter with a specialist.
He wasnt a qualified negotiator most of the time, so he was forced to adapt to the situation.
Atrina? She was skilled in this and very at ease with the situation.
Once he thought about the uing n and how her identity and position woulde into y, Kieran raised his arm and Atrina automatically reached out, clinging onto it. They walked away side by side, like a real couple, at least it seemed like that in other peoples eyes.
Using Arya Outpost as a wall, we will build new walls towards Yort Fields. If everything goes well, we will be able to see the birth of the new city in 6 months. Of course, if you want a temple, we can change the direction a bit, Atrina reported honestly.
Despite knowing the man beside her already knew everything, she didnt stop reporting from her own mouth. She understood what her current identity represented: danger!
From here onwards, enemies of the man beside her would have her under their radar. But with dangeres opportunity!
When the enemies she lured out were killed, the man beside her would reward herit was the promise stated in the contract.
As for reaping rewards safely at home?
Atrina had removed such a fantasy from her mind at age ten.
She knew she had to give to take.
No need, just proceed with your n, I dont know anything about buildings. As for the temple, its not time yet, Kieran replied with a smile.
Kieran had to figure out the truth behind the Gods in this dungeon world before he could suddenly build himself a temple, despite the fact that it may make the fire in his mind more active.
Kieran was still very careful against danger.
Atrina wouldnt be a busybody, even though she really wanted to know what level Kieran had reached.
A fresh step into the Godly territory? Or a demigod?
She was curious, but as long as her mind was clear, she wouldnt ask.
Everyone had their own secrets. The more people knew about the secret, the more dangerous it would be, especially for someone like Kieran.
I want to rest, call me when its time for lunch. Pelder might need your help to settle in and theres a special guest in the wagon. I want you to look after him carefully. If he does anything fishy, do whatever you want to him, said Kieran.
Understood, Atrina nodded tamely.
She walked Kieran into the temporary house and came back out a few minutester, quickly going back to the convoy. She had to carry out Kierans orders perfectly and with her best effort.
She had done it before and would continue to do it in the future.
After Atrina left, Kieran turned to the shadow in the room.
The shadow wriggled and Pride walked out with a proud look. Although walking out from the shadow, Pride didnt feel gloomy at all, acting as if he was a king and the shadow was his subject.
However, when Pride walked over to Kieran, his arrogant presence toned down a bit, even showing a rare smile.
Anything new? Kieran asked.
Yes. This way of talking is a little bit strange but its your choice.
Pride nodded, not used to telling Kieran things with words, preferring a more direct approach, but likewise, the things lurking in this dungeon world had determined Prides options.
More over, he couldnt ignore Kierans orders because they were one.
Ive found some traces and some following, Ive located a temple deep in the south foresta Hunter Temple, Pride reported honestly.
The Follower Anxico and Hunter Temple? Not surprising but... I didnt know that the two of them could get along so well until now. Did the Hunter surrender to the Devourer? Will he be willing to?
Kieran lightly tapped on the table with his fingers.
From how Kieran viewed it, if the Hunter had be a traitor, there must be a huge benefit behind the switch.
Could it just be a simple following, a God bing a follower of the Devourer?
What a joke.
Even a mortal like Anxico followed the Devourer purely for the benefits, let alone a God.
Pride didnt answer, not wanting to affect Kierans thinking.
He then vanished on the spot, Kieran still stuck in his thoughts for a while.
In the end, unable to verify anything, he ced the matters out of his mind for the time being.
Then, he took out the golden ear of wheat tainted ck from [Wealths Keep]
Chapter 1450 - Phantasmal
Chapter 1450: Phantasmal
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The tainted ear of golden wheat was shaking in Kierans palm. The faint golden radiance was like specks of golden dust, floating in the air.
Suddenly, the speckles of golden dust emitted a colorful shine. Kieran squinted his eyes.
When he finally regained his vision, the scene before him had drastically changed.
The little wooden house was long gone, what reced his surroundings was arge field filled with crops.
The endless green was a scene that was pleasant to the eyes and mind, one couldnt help but take a deep breath and be weed by the rich smell of the soil.
Kieran stood on the edge of therge field, he was looking at people, alone or in groups, walking around with an asional intoxicated look, happily dancing as they walked.
The people also seemed to have noticed Kieran. They walked over and invited Kieran to join them.
Come with us.
A beautiful youngdy who was in a sarong and leather slippers, showing off her fair ankles, extended her hand to Kieran.
Kieran raised a brow andnded a kick on her face.
Bang!
It felt like the kick had hit something real.
The youngdys head was crushed, and the body was sent flying backward,nding on the field of crops. It tumbled before it was drowned by the tall, green crops.
The people who gathered around Kieran then ran in a panic.
Soon, everyone went out of sight, leaving a field of brilliant green crops.
Time flew. Seconds turned into minutes, minutes to hours.
A full dayter, another group of people appeared, they were also praising the magnificent scene of a great harvest.
Likewise, they also saw Kieran.
Come, join us.
A maturedy walked over. The sarong on her body was waving as she walked over with elegant steps. Her arms were fair as milk and slender as a woman could be, but none of those couldpare to her looks, it was hard for anyone to reject after an inviting smile.
Bang!
Kieran, however, once againunched a kick, and itnded square on her face, simr to the first youngdy.
The mature womans head was crushed, and she was sent flying backward, just like the youngdy before her.
The people around him were frightened and scattered like panicking birds.
Kieran was still standing on the edge of the fields, looking.
This time, a week had passed.
A group of mercenaries came.
They were fully armed, and arrogance was smeared all over their faces, but when they saw the fields, they couldnt hold back their praises.
A valiant-looking maiden with armor on her upper body and skirt on her lower half walked over with her longsword at her waist.
Bang!
Before she even spoke, Kieran weed her with a kick. Her body flew out, but unlike the previous times, the group of mercenaries didnt flee; instead, they charged towards Kieran with weapons drawn.
A pile of bodies was added to the fields.
Like the first, the bodies tumbled a few times before the brilliant green crops drowned them.
Kierans gaze toward the crops grew colder and sharper. He was searching for his target.
Trying to locate his target in the lush crops was hard; it was time-consuming as well.
Two weekster, a group of nobles appeared, ass walked over to Kieran, Bang!
Three weekster, a group of riders appeared, the female rider rode over to Kieran, Bang!
Four weekster, a queen with subjects appeared, she walked over with curiosity, Bang!
Five weekster, a devoted priestess appeared, she walked over to Kieran with a merciful face, Bang!
...
A long time had passed since the first body.
The bodies were piling up gradually. In the end, the lush green crops could hardly cover the bodies anymore. Instead, the sea of bodies overpowered the crops.
As time went by, there were no more people appearing before Kieran.
The bodies in the fields became the best fertilizer.
The lush green turned golden. The crops were ready for harvest.
Then, many groups of people came from every direction. They were dancing and cheering in joy as they harvested the crops. Each time they arrived, theyd greet Kieran at a distance devotedly.
Everyone greeted Kieran, there wasnt a single exception.
Ten, one hundred, one thousand, ten thousand, and counting...
The numbers were increasing, and when it reached a certain limit, a pce suddenly appeared on the edge of the fields.
It was grand and extravagant, shining brilliantly.
The people were kneeling on both sides of the road, the road that connected the two ends.
One end was the pce, the other end of where Kieran was standing.
A cold smile appeared on his face, Kieran then strolled into the pce.
With each step he took, he was weed with cheers...
With each step he took, he was greeted with praise.
With each step he took, he was blessed with respect.
When he walked up the stairs of the pce and arrived at the interior, a hymn was heard.
A throne made up of gold appeared in Kierans sight, it should be for him, but there was a person on the throne right now.
He was a stern-looking man whose divine presence was invible. He was tall and robust, he was already taller than most of the people by just sitting down. The golden armor on his body even boosted his valiant appearance. His left and right hand were holding a scepter and longsword, respectively, and was looking down at Kieran in a pressuring and prestigious manner.
Are you willing to inherit my throne? the man asked in a solemn voice.
Kieran turned a deaf ear, he then started to walk along the walls of the pce and circted the interior.
Are you willing to inherit my throne? the man asked again, with increased anger.
Are you willing to inherit my throne?
Infuriated, the man asked a third time. He then stood up from his golden throne.
He was taller and stronger than most people just by sitting down, and when he stood up, his height was over 3 meters.
Dak, Dak Dak.
The man spread his legs and walked over to Kieran. Each time he moved, the pce would tremble, as if it was buffeted by the fury of a king.
The longsword in his hand was raised up high and swung down as though it was imbued with tremendous power, trying to crush Kieran with a single blow.
Kang!
The giant longsword wasnt swung down, though, or rather, precisely, before it could swing down, a loud noise came.
The tall and powerful man was stunned, he quickly looked up at his sword, and he saw the scene that he would never forget for the rest of his life.
A hungry-looking Kieran was biting his sword, forcing his motion to a pause.
The most incredible thing was the iron longsword imbued with divine power shattered under a single bite from hungry Kierans teeth.
The cracks spread throughout the de as the hungry Kieran kept on biting the edges.
One bite, two bites, three bites...
Kak, kak, kak.
Soon, the longsword was left with only the hilt.
The man with the kingly manner threw the hilt away, but the hungry Kieran seemed to realize the other tasty food in his eyes.
The hungry Kierans mouth opened wide to the point that it could no longer be considered human, or more precisely, he transformed himself into a giant mouth!
The teeth inside the giant mouth were sharper than a de, they were spinning non-stop like an electric saw.
Pam!
The giant lost half of his body with a single chomp from the mouth.
The pce then started to crumble.
Voices of panic were heard almost immediately.
Kieran, however, walked over to the shaking throne as if nothing big was going on.
Then, he toppled the throne with a kick.
Chapter 1451 - Split the Food
Chapter 1451: Split the Food
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Bang!
The golden throne fell, and upon impact with the floor, the massive throne created cracks, as if it had been dropped onto a ss surface.
In the end...
Kang!
The whole scene shattered like a ss mirror.
Kieran returned to the small wooden room again.
The ear of golden wheat didnt shake anymore, but instead, a dispirited elderly was kneeling in front of him.
I surrender! I am...
Bang!
The kneeling elder said sonorously. But before he could finish, he was interrupted by Kierans kick.
A in old kicknded on the elders face. The elderly man was like a ball bouncing off a wall, flying outwards with tremendous force.
Kieran also followed the elder outside.
It was still the field! The lush green fields of endless crops!
It wasnt the wooden room back in Arya Outpost.
The elderly man flew quite far away, and after mowing down a bunch of crops, he climbed up in a struggling way, he looked at Kieran with an astonished gaze.
How did you...
Bang!
Kieran appeared in front of the elder in a sh, dishing out another kick.
He would never exin or have an idle conversation with his enemies; neither would he believe that his enemies would surrender.
An attack was the best answer, killing was the best option.
The elderly man was sent flying once again, but this time, before his body fell back to the ground, Devil me struck his body.
Kaboom!
The zing me engulfed the elders body, and a whileter, the elderly man was burnt to cinders.
But when the cinders fell all over the lush fields, the elder appeared again.
The elderly man seemed to have the ability toe back to life and regenerate his body.
You are strong, but here, your powers are... Ugh!
Before he could finish, he was interrupted by the pain.
Gluttony!
The cardinal sin appeared once again without the elders knowledge and started to devour the lush crops like a madman.
Stop! I said, stop it, you animal!
The elderly man shouted loudly, trying to stop Gluttony from mowing down his crops, but Kieran appeared right in front of his eyes.
Disturbing someones meal isnt very impolite of you.
After those righteous words, Kieran swept a kick toward the elders calf, and when the elderly man fell to the ground due to the loss of bnce, Kieran followed up with a step to the elders head, pushing it into the dirt.
The elderly man was struggling.
Kierans foot was like a sky-piercing pir, not only cumbersome and robust but indestructible, no matter what the elder did, he couldnt free himself.
The struggle grew weaker by the second.
Kieran, however, had never ced his attention on the elderly man from the very beginning.
A weak, dying old man wasnt his target.
His target was...
Darkness appeared. Without the lush green corps, darkness appeared.
It wasnt the dark color of the fertile soil on the ground, but abysmal darkness that could devourer all.
Gluttony, on the other hand, wanted to jump on the cloud of darkness without a second thought, but before he could, the reminder from Kieran struck him.
It wasnt words but a gaze from Kieran.
Gluttony, who was one with Kieran, caught a nce of Kierans eyes, and he knew what his host wanted to do.
Gluttony wiped his mouth, gulped his saliva, and stepped aside.
As I expected. You are really different from the others, you are quite simr to the fe that I once knew.
A hissing-like noise was emitted, followed by words from the darkness under Kierans feet.
The darkness was rippling like water, and when it spread throughout the fields, a snake-head figure slowly appeared.
The Devourer!
No, it should be a clone or an avatar of sorts.
That fe? Algor? Kieran asked.
If he could grasp more information, Kieran didnt mind continuing the conversation.
Of course, if the snake-headed figure wouldnt give valuable information, Kieran didnt mind striking him harder, giving him a quick death.
Sparing the figure? Impossible!
In Kierans creed, the enemy would always end up the same: death.
Em. That fe, you two are very simr, so... fierce and merciless.
The Devourers clone described Algor, the man once known as a Hero, with such words. The cold reptilian eyes showed sneers and disdain.
Kieran didntment on the figures reaction, though.
Was he being fierce and ruthless? He didnt argue since he had always been like that against enemies.
As for the Hero Algor? Without solid proof, he wouldnt believe what the snake-man said.
Although he really hoped to dig up some valuable information from the snake-man, it didnt mean he would pour all his trust into what it said.
The snake-man was an enemy,pletely trusting an enemy was a suicidal act.
Even your dubious character, its exactly the same!
As if the clone sensed the disbelief in Kieran, the snake-manughed.
Augh should be a pleasant expression, but with the hissing of snakes, it struck chills down ones spine and caused goosebumps.
You seem to grasp peoples hearts quite well.
Then, why dont you guess what will I do next? Kieran smiled.
Kill me? Or let that animal eat me?
This look is just a fragment of the power I left behind, its not even an avatar. Even if I die, it wont cause any real damage to my real body.
But, do you know what will I do to you during our next meeting?
The snake mans words had hidden malicious intent.
Kieranughed. Amid hisughs, Wrath, Greed, Lust, Envy appeared beside him, and after Gluttony, all of them jumped on the snake man.
This snake is delicious, its a little wasteful for you to have it alone.
Sharing is caring, caring will double your happiness.
Likewise, getting chewed on by five mouths will also multiply the pain, Kieran said calmly.
As for our next meeting, Ill be looking forward to it!
Kieran added thest sentence as if he suddenly thought of something.
I will kill you!
I will torture you with pain that you cannot imagine, you will wish that you are dead!
Aaaaaa!
Release me, you bunch of crazy dogs! Release me!
It seemed like the snake man wasnt as calm as he presented himself, or was it like actually as Kieran spected, did 5 mouths means 5 times the pain?
But none of that mattered anymore for Kieran had finally returned to the wooden room.
The ear of golden wheat tainted with ck was falling apart bit by bit.
A vigorous, bold energy and a gloomy, strange energy were revealed as the cardinal sins tore the snake man apart, and the two strange energies entered Kierans hearts.
Dong, Dong Dong!
Kierans hearts started to beat violently.
Devil Force, Dawn Force, gue Force, and Saint Thorn Force jumped on the two external energies.
Chapter 1452 - Differences
Chapter 1452: Differences
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The two types of energies were already straining theirst efforts under the attacks from Cardinal Sins Force. Now, with the sudden arrival of Devil Force, Dawn Force, gue Force, and Saint Thorn Force, the vigorous energy and gloomy energy crumbled right away.
Devil Force burned everything rampantly.
Dawn Forces mild and tenacious traits contained everything.
gue Force, as its name suggested, infected everything.
Saint Thorn Force was giving; instead, it used the taken the energy and returned it, in the form of gifts and damage.
In the end, these two energies were converted into Origin Force, solely belonging to Kierans body.
The 5 major Origin Forces in his body operated ording to a set of procedures, maintaining a bnce between each other. Almost instantaneously, all 5 of the Origin Forces transformed the external energy into fuel and pumped it into the weak fire in Kierans mind.
The little fire jumped a few times and grew slightly more prominent. It also became brighter and expelled the chaotic darkness around it a little further, but...
At the very next moment, the chaotic darkness replied.
An unknown but horrifying wail came from the chaotic darkness, it threw itself to the weak little fire, trying to extinguish it with a single blow.
RAWR!
GET BACK!
The red magma figure stood in front of the weak fire like a giant dam, blocking the fierce rising tide of darkness.
A burning white color appeared in the middle of the ck tides. Under the strong, sturdy, and shining knight armor, a loud and steady voice echoed throughout the chaotic environment.
Fight, never step back!
Fight, never give in!
The voice was like a battle horn, signaling Pride with his zing ck greatsword to sh down at the chaotic darkness.
When the zing ck greatsword was swung down, the tenacious white and the gloomy gray energy came from behind.
The white was filled with the tenacity of life; the gray was filled with destructive despair.
Both sides were like the raging storm, opening hole after hole in the chaotic darkness.
Tsssss!
A sizzling noise was heard, the rising ck tide paused for a moment before it slowly retreated.
The fire, which had grown a little, was left in its spot, being more active than ever. The figures that protected it were nowhere to be found anymore as if everything was just an illusion.
It didnt go up to V?
Perceiving and controlling everything, Kieran looked at the Spirit attribute in his character tab. A slight blurter, it returned to rank V-.
It was evident that his Spirit was enhanced again, but it wasnt enough to boost it to the next level.
The reaction from the chaotic darkness amidst the confrontation also told Kieran that with his current rank V- Spirit, each time the little fire grew, he would be greeted with the counterattacks from the chaotic darkness, and it would only be rtively fiercer from now on.
It was either him expelling the darknesspletely or suffering total annihtion!
A mortal enemy!
The term unconsciously rose in Kierans heart, and it made him realize his condition.
However, he still didnt know what the darkness inside him was, but he knew every step that he took from now on had to be meticulously calcted.
Any slight misstep would cost him his life.
He didnt think he could survive if that little fire in his mind went out.
Likewise, another question in Kierans heart had grown bigger.
What were the Gods of Naveya?
Known as Gods by the natives, but in terms of power, they were still too far apart from a deterring force. ording to the categorization of the big city, these Gods were ranked between rank II and rank IV.
Simr to the God of Harvest just now. Although he was heavily injured, given all the tactics and methods during his prime, the God of Harvest should only rank around rank IV in Kierans point of view.
However, with his allegedly rank IV power, the God of Harvest still possessed some divine abilities, like absorbing faith from his believers. Which meant the God of Harvest was wielding powers beyond his own.
Such ability was barely achievable for Kieran even with his Spirit of rank V-.
In the categorization of the big city, rank V- was around a first-generation divine descendant, while the lower rank IV represented a second-generation, third-generation, and so on.
Given the God of Harvests ranking, he shouldnt have the ability to absorb the Power of Faith.
The secrets that the Gods hide?
Kieran couldnt hold back his grin as he talked to himself.
He didnt dislike these kinds of secrets, though, because he knew secrets would always result in huge rewards and benefits.
Kieran never minded getting any kind of reward or benefit, but that was a matter for another time.
He knew if his n proceeded smoothly, he would have sufficient time to uncover the truth behind this.
And now?
The smell of lunch had entered his nose.
Beef, potatoes, carrots, and the unique aroma of stew.
Once he thought about the vorful bite of bread dipped in that creamy soup, Kieran couldnt wait anymore and walked outside.
Arya Outpost had prepared the traditional army ration: significant portions that were high in calories.
Other than the mentioned traits, the ingredients used were very fresh as well.
The beef was from the lords of Yort Fields.
The potatoes and carrots came from the outposts own ntation.
The bread was freshly baked with wheat delivered by the Millman in the morning.
Your Majesty.
Roffu, who acted as a guard outside the wooden house, bowed and greeted Kieran when he saw hime out.
Since Kieran saved Roffu before and given his current reputation, the young soldier admired him unconditionally while having a sense of fanaticism in his gaze.
Other than Kieran, nothing could disturb Roffu fanatic gaze anymore, and because of that, Roffu triumphed over many of hispetitors who fought to be the guard in front of the wooden house.
When Roffu bowed, Kieran clearly felt the delight from the fire in his mind.
Because of the delight, Kieran replied with a smile and a nod.
Wheres lunch? Im famished.
Kieran didnt conceal his hunger, it wasnt anything embarrassing anyway, so he didnt want to hide it.
Please follow me, Your Majesty.
The young soldier volunteered to bring Kieran to the mess hall.
As a matter of fact, as long as Kieran followed the smell of the food, he would eventually arrive at his destination, but he didnt reject the young soldier.
Now, Kieran was interested in everything or people that could trigger the little fire in his mind.
Soon, Kieran found out the point that differentiated this young soldier from the others.
If he remembered correctly, a few days ago, Roffu was just an ordinary soldier, the kind of soldier that went through typical training to boost his physique and skills, but now, Roffu was obviously different.
Roffus body was more fit than before, even with the leather armor on his body, his body was bulging. What concerned Kieran the most were Roffus eyes and ears, each step Roffu took, his eyes would nce over the shadow and the hidden spots. Kieran was sure it wasnt an act, Roffu could really see the details, and his ears could hear any movements within a 30-meter radius.
Because he is different from others, thats why the Power of Faith is different?
Kieran wondered in his heart before asking, Roffu, did you notice something different about yourselftely?
Yes, Your Majesty! After you saved me, my life has be quite different.
And when I made you my only belief, the changes on my body got even more obvious. Thank you for your... gifts! said the young soldier in a frantic way.
Kieran, on the other hand, smiled to hide his embarrassment.
It seemed like the young soldier had triggered some kind of gifts during the battle of life and death.
It was rare but not impossible.
As for his faith giving him power?
It was not true, at least not now, not with Kierans current power level.
Of course, he didnt mind others thinking that he could bless people.
Gradually, ns started to form in Kierans mind that may benefit him throughout the dungeon run, but the mors that came from further away made him frown.
Chapter 1453 - Sand Counter
Chapter 1453: Sand Counter
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
I am Knight Eden of Dovetail Land! I am the new champion of thepetition in Yort Fields. I am here on behalf of Yort Fields to pay a visit to Priestess Atrina and Outpost Master Nelson of Arya Outpost. We want to discuss the monster invasion of ournds.
An armored, arrogant-looking young man spoke loudly in front of the Arya Outpost gates.
He lifted his head ever so slightly, his nostrils erged, and his eyes didnt even scan his surroundings as if the soldiers around him were an insult to him.
Likewise, the soldiers on guard duty at the gate felt insulted too.
Knight?
This kind of bastard can be knighted?
Just look at the armor on him!
Although ring, all the other knights on the spot were sure that the armor on this Edens body was only for show. That thinyer of steel couldnt even block a little knife stab. As for the longsword on his waist...
Hahaha, even with the sheath as a cover, the knights with sharp eyesight could tell that it was a wooden sword.
Uh... Knight Eden. I am Nelson.
The Outpost Master had a hard time squeezing the word knight out of his mouth. He swore in his heart that he would rinse his mouth after he returned to the camp. It was disgusting to call this wimp a knight.
En. Are you Outpost Master Nelson? Ive heard that you are the strongest one in Arya Outpost. I demand a fair duel.
Eden nodded, lowering his head for a bit, and he no longer looked at the people with his nose held high anymore, but his chin facing Nelson instead.
A duel? Nelson was baffled. He never thought Eden would request to duel him.
As for calling Nelson the strongest person in Arya Outpost?
Nelson didnt deny it.
Kieran?
He was already crowned Majesty, a God, and no longer a mortal that could be trifled with mortal affairs.
What? The famous Outpost Master Nelson dares not to ept my invitation for a duel? Or... hehehe... you are just a guy with looks?
You bastard!
Shut up!
Ill teach you a lesson!
...
The moment his words subsided, the soldiers around scolded him in session.
The soldiers and knights of Arya Outpost loved and respected Nelson, as he possessed the true qualities of a knight.
When Eden insulted Nelson, the soldiers and knights couldnt swallow it anymore.
However, even when he was greeted with scoldings, Eden wasnt frightened. Instead, it fueled his delight.
Hahahaha! So this is the famous Arya Outpost? You people want to gang up on me? Come on! Come! I really dont know whether that rumored HeroRyan, was it?is as cheap as you...
Pak!
A loud pter, Edens words were forced to a halt. A few teeth flew out of his mouth, and he spun like a spinning top before falling down to the ground.
If you insult His Majesty again, you wont be losing just teeth, Roffu said coldly.
When the insults came out of Edens mouth, Nelsons hand was already on the hilt of his sword, was ready to teach this wimp a lesson, but he was stunned by Roffus action. He then looked at the scene in shock and sheathed his sword.
Roffu was so quick! So quick that even with Nelsons strength, all he saw was a shadow striking Eden down.
Since when did Roffu be this strong?
Could it be?
A rumor suddenly came into Nelsons mind. He unconsciously turned around and looked at the spot where Kieran was standing.
Kieran was also watching the scene, but his eyes werent looking at the so-called knight who fell to the ground with a single p. Instead, Kieran was looking at a white-haired elder behind the wimp.
The elder was looking at the toppled cart with a dull face.
The sand on the cart was spilled all over the ground.
No! No! NO! My five years of effort! All gone! It was on the verge ofpletion! the elderly man said in a trembling voice as he cried out loud.
He was genuinely crying like a baby, snot, and tears rolled down his cheeks as if his son had died before him.
The soldiers and knights in the area were stunned, and some knights even thought of a particr rumor about the elderly man and showed a strange look.
The Sand Counter, Luphus. He was a famous wise man from Yort Fields. But one day in his dreams, a God gave him a test: he must count the sand in front of him, and when he finished counting, he would be granted a wish.
Atrina walked over to Kieran, who was looking at the crying elder, her expression somehow showed sneers and disdain.
I was wondering what kind of methods the lords would use to resist us. Who wouldve thought, it would be him.
Atrina then walked over to the crying elder, Luphus. Kieran followed as his interest was piqued.
Who is that God that tested him? Kieran asked.
Who knows. It may be some unknown pagans or Demonic Gods.
The former has a higher chance, though. If its a Demonic God, the old man would have died a million times without an intact body. Atrina shook her head; she didnt know who the God that tested Luphus was.
Besides, she wasnt too concerned about the God anyway, or more precisely, she thought the old man was lying from the start.
As for why?
Wasnt it because of this particr moment?
A trick from the higher rankings and the so-called wise man, it was nothing but chips on the negotiating table.
Pay me!
You people mustpensate and pay me!
I could have used it to revive my dead wife!
Luphus, the wise man rolled on the ground like a child whose toy was taken away.
The soldiers and knights would never retreat against a mighty enemy or even ferocious monsters. Still, against this kind of elder whod cry on the ground, they looked at each other with puzzled expressions, not knowing what to do. In the end, they threw their gaze at Outpost Master Nelson.
Nelson then diverted the gazes to Kieran, as if he was calling for help.
Naturally, everyone in the scene turned their attention to Kieran, including Luphus, who was rolling on the ground.
The elderly man crawled over to Kieran.
Pay me! Compensate me
You people made me lost count of my sand! ranted Luphus loudly.
Atrina frowned, she wanted to end this farce right away, but before she could do anything, she was stunned.
Kieran walked over to the toppled cart, he picked up a speck of sand and went back to Luphus.
One grain of sand, he said.
Huh? Luphus was confused, he looked at the speck of sand with a puzzled look.
Then...
Foooom!
The Devil me burned hot and engulfed the cart and the sand entirely within a breaths time.
Everything was burned to nothing.
No! There was one speck of sand left!
That one speck of sand on top of Kierans right index finger, it was exceptionally obvious under the sunlight.
One grain, Kieran said again with a smile on his face.
At the same time, the Devil me rumbled on his left hand, the scene alone was terrifying enough.
Y-yes, one grain.
Looking at the speck of sand on Kierans right hand and the burning fire in Kierans left, Luphus twitched his lips for a while before nodding firmly.
Chapter 1454 - Date
Chapter 1454: Date
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Luphus lowered his head helplessly after the pressuring figure left.
Yort Fields was very different from Naveya City.
In fact, anyone with a little self-awareness knew why Yort Fields was still under the rule of the lords: the contract from 300 years ago.
If the contract wasnt there, Yort Fields would have be Naveyas colony.
And now, something big had gone down in Naveya, causing some of the lords in Yort Fields to have ulterior thoughts.
Some became careful, some became greedy.
As a wise man once praised by many, Luphus had provided the lords with honest suggestions, but in the end... here he was, in front of Arya Outpost.
Greed blinds the eye of men and blocks them from the truth.
Ignorance fuels the arrogance of man.
Sigh.
A sighter, Luphus turned around and went over to Knight Eden, trying to help him up.
No, not knight, it should be student, as Eden was Luphus disciple.
...
Kieran chose to have his lunch in the kitchen, sitting at a table made up of a wooden nk and stones.
He wasnt dissatisfied with the crude setup though, because his attention was captivated by the food in the pot.
Roffu helped the cook serve the food into dishes on the table.
tes of beef, potatoes, and carrots were ced before Kieran.
Atrina then took a basket of bread from the rack beside the table.
Kieran waved his hand at her, telling her to not slice the bread, serving it the way it was.
He then started eating the lunch his own way, soaking the whole bread into the stew for a few seconds before stuffing it into his mouth. As he chewed and swallowed, the bread was quickly devoured.
While the second piece of bread was soaked into the soup of the stew, Kieran took a spoon and scooped big pieces of beef into his mouth, followed by a whole potato and carrot.
The rich, thick soupplemented the potatoes and carrots, making them more vibrant in color; the potatoes were soft and the carrots were still crunchy, mixing well with the beef.
Kieran took a second amidst his busy eating to give Roffu a big thumbs up. He was never stingy with praise for people who deserved it, especially those who prepared food for him.
The buff and square-faced Roffu widened his mouth into a smile, revealing his teeth.
Thank you for yourpliment! Its an honor to be able to serve you!
What else delights a cook more than praise for his cooking from those eating it?
Probably the eaters unusual identity, and Kieran was one of those eaters with an unusual identity.
The title demigod had been ringing in his ears since he had returned with the west-bound convoy, bing quite familiar in his knowledge and the titles people addressed Kieran with changed from a normal Sir, Lord, to Majesty.
No one would doubt the authenticity of the titles, though from the point of view of the people of Arya Outpost, what Kieran disyed was already near a God-like level, something only Gods could do.
Arent you eating?
After eating a sufficient amount of food, Kieran finally noticed Atrina, who had Ben beside him since he started eating. He had to invite herthe rtionship between them made the invitation necessary, and from a certain aspect, his invitation was a little toote.
Em. Sure. But rather than eating myself, I prefer to watch you eat. I feel happy every time I see you eat... its like the food is tastier than it looks. I have to control myself though, Atrina didnt reject and replied with a smile.
Unlike Kieran, Atrina took a small bowl and filled it halfway. Even the bread she took was one third of a full bread.
You can actually take more you know.
No! Thats enough, I still want to fit into my leather armor!
Kieran couldnt help but remind her about the portion but Atrina shook her head and rejected the offer.
Kieran shrugged, not caring about Atrinas appetite, which was simr to Starbecks.
He gave Starbeck a simr reminder when they were having a meal back in his room, and unlike Atrina, Starbeck didnt reject it.
It was just that even if Starbeck could eat, the extra portion was never more than half a bowl.
Anything more than half a bowl was impossible, for Starbecks appetite had decided how much he could eat.
It was Starbecks loss, though, if he couldnt eat much.
As for the leftovers?
There wouldnt be leftovers. All the remaining food would be in Kierans stomach, simr to the table of dishes in front of him now.
Therefore, the atmosphere in the dining table was quite joyful.
The young soldier and robust cook were sensible enough to leave the kitchen after serving lunch. The cook went over to the other soldier camp, there was another kitchen there that required his attention; the young soldier was guarding the kitchen entrance like a personal bodyguard.
10 minutes after Kieran gobbled down all of his food, Atrina, who had been eating very slowly, was finally done with her bowl of stew.
What is the contract between Neveya City and Yort Fields from 300 years ago?
Kieran asked when Atrina finally ced her spoon down.
Im not sure. Ive only read about the contract in books. Something happened 300 years ago, and it made the newly formed Naveya acknowledge Yort Fields. Until now, nothing had changed, said Atrina.
Hero Algor appeared 300 years ago, right? Kieran asked after some thought.
Ryan, are you suspecting Hero Algor is from Yort Fields? Impossible! Although his heroic achievements were purposely toned down, there are clear records of his birth ces. Hero Algor came from a small vige around Naveya and was the son of a noble. Back then, when Naveya wasnt truly a city yet, just a slightlyrge town, Hero Algor set foot in Naveya and imed to be a Naveyan. All of his followers were from Naveya. Some were from the city and some from the rural areas around the city, but not a single one of them came from Yort Fields.
Atrina denied Kierans spection but when she mentioned the followers, she sounded a bit hesitant.
After all, those followers were Gods in the present, except for five particr ones who didnt ascend to godship.
Kieran didnt argue when he was denied by Atrina. All he had was a guess and he didnt have any solid evidence to support his spection.
However, he really hoped to find out more about what happened 300 years ago, because it was rted to the Gods of Naveya, which he was concerned about.
Can you bring Luphus the wise man over? I want to ask him some questions, said Kieran.
Atrina instantly knew what Kieran wanted to do.
Dont worry. He wille soon, very eagerly at that.
Atrina smiled as thoughts came into her mind. Her smile showed a sense of mockery.
She was very familiar with what the lords of Yort Fields were good at.
Chapter 1455 - Cunning
Chapter 1455: Cunning
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Vent their anger on someone else!
Luphus knew what the lords were good at.
Should he seed, it would be reasonable because their ns were perfect.
Should he fail, it would be his fault and he would pay for ruining their perfect n.
Therefore, Luphus helped Eden, his student, up, not pausing for a moment and dragging him all the way out of Arya Outpost.
When the duo were out of Arya Outpost, they went straight for the two horses they hid in the forest. The horses were of fine quality and would be enough for them to ride back to Yort Fields in the shortest amount of time possible.
Of course, Yort Fields wasnt the final destination. The fields were rich and scrumptious, but there wasnt any security for them there.
The true safe haven was far north. It may be a little cold, but it was much better than losing their lives.
As for the south?
After the horrifying things that had happened in Naveya, it would be suicidal for anymon man to ride south without support.
T-Teacher, where are we going? asked Eden, as though his mouth was leaking air.
Compared to the attitude he had earlier, Eden was now less hateful, even though he was speaking in a strange manner because of the missing teeth. Instead, he sounded smart and quick-witted.
We have to reach Smochker Hills at least. The safest way would be to go through Weiss Hills and enter Rinya Mountains, exined Luphus without stopping.
Smochker Hills? Thats the home of the bandits! Eden cried out in surprise.
At least its better than facing the monsters. We can still talk to people over there!
Luphus stopped his hurried steps and looked further away.
There should have been the two horses that he had prepared earlier, but the spot was empty.
It seemed like his n had been discovered by someone. However, just like what he had said earlier, as long as his opponent was human, it was still possible for him to talk his way out and maybe turn it around.
May I know which lord is behind this? I am just a defenseless old man. Eden here is just a normal young man. We are both unarmed so dont be rmed. Instead, we might be able to bring you wealth.
A deep breathter, Luphus shouted into the air, and as his voice reached a secluded corner of Arya Outpost, arge man walked out.
The mans torso was taller than a normal man and he wasnt just tall, he was buff and strong too. The muscles exposed outside of his leather armor had thick veins all over them, like the roots of an old tree.
Eden couldnt help but gulp when he saw the man had a face full of scars and arms thicker than his thigh.
Lord Doyler.
Luphus tapped on his students shoulder while his mind was searching for the mans information.
Doyler was once the leader of a bandit group in Smochker Hills, butpetition and rivalry in the hills was fierce and unforgiving. Two years earlier, he was swiftly uprooted by the younger ones and everything he owned was destroyed, turning him into a homeless dog. However, he managed to survive in the harshest conditions and was recruited by the lord of Dovetail Land because the lord was in a good mood back then. Since then, Doyler had be one of the best swordsmen under the lord.
Doyler was ruthless, greedy, and fearful, but Luphus didnt mind the greediness. He was grateful that Doyler was greedy.
I have quite the savings, and Lord Doyler, if you are interested, I can offer all of it to you, said Luphus.
How much is your savings? If its enough, I can grant you a quick death. If its not...
Doyler smiled ferociously, the malicious intent in his eyes obvious.
Of course its a lot, it will be at least twice what you are getting right now. Youve gotten the mission from the lord but you dont have to trulyplete it and still get twice the rewards. One from your lord and one from me. Of course, if you want a third, I can make that happen too.
Luphus obviously knew his way around greedy people, as he had sparked Doylers interest.
A third? Doyler looked at Luphus. He knew the old man would try to bribe him. He didnt mind getting twice the pay and killing the old man but he hadnt thought there would be a third.
An unexpected third!
The two horses that youve taken from me just now, Ive hid a treasure map in one of their saddles. Its a treasure map that I got from Smochker Hills. Its the treasure of those guys! Luphus said seriously.
Those guys?! Doyler squinted his eyes.
There was only one group of notorious men in Smochker Hills, which coincidentally was also the same group of men who took everything from Doyler, turning him into a homeless dog.
However, Doyler immediately thought of something.
How did you get your hands on their treasure map? You are lying! They never had any treasure map!
Infuriated because he thought he was being lied to, Doyler stepped up and pushed the young man away, grabbing Luphus by the cor.
In the eyes ofmoners, those guyse and go like ghosts in the wind, their targets varyingfrom different ranks of people. But... they are still human. They need food and rest, they have to prepare a retreating path for themselves. Its just that they hide it better than others. In order to confuse and strike fear into peoples hearts, they wont touch items whenever they plunder. However, the most valuable ones were already taken away. What is left was just something for people to see, Luphus tried to exin clearly, or rather, tried to present his lies clearly. What he said was all lies.
As for those bandits, Luphus had heard rumours about them, saying that each time they strike, life would perish but the valuables would remain.
Luphus had researched this peculiarity out of curiosity before but his attempts were futile.
Though, it was really useful to lie to Doyler. Luphus knew he had the man on his hook, judging by how bright his eyes were shining.
Do you know how big of a treasure itis? It will be enough for us to live the rest of our lives in luxury!
Luphus threw out more bait.
Then why didnt you take the treasure yourself? Doyler asked, for he was moved by the story.
I couldnt disappear without a reason and Icked a strong helper.
Luphus spilled the answer that he had prepared long ago, attempting to fawn over Doyler subtly.
Very well! Ill bring you two with me but if I find out that you are lying, you will wish you were dead! Now, follow me! Ive moved your horses somewhere else.
Doyler turned around and Luphus quickly followed.
Given how greedy Doyler was, after taking two fine quality horses for himself, it would only be natural if he didnt deliver them back to his base. It was all a part of Doylers n, making him feel as if he had everything under control.
But in fact?
Luphus, behind Doyler, shook his sleeves and uncorked a tube of liquid.
An odourless scent started to spread in the air. After a dozen steps, Doyler fell to the ground and passed out.
Take his sword and armor. Search for anything valuable and take it. That will be our traveling fee.
Luphus ordered his student to strip Doyler clean as he followed the traces left behind by the horses, trying to recover his transportation.
Soon, Luphus located the missing horses, but beside the horses was a young man, who had left quite an impression in Luphus mind.
It was the young man who had smacked the teeth out of his students mouth.
When Luphus saw the young man, he quickly put on a harmless smile.
My lord, is there anything that I can help you with? If there is, I have a treasure map to offer! said Luphus sincerely.
As a reply, the young soldier raised his sheathed sword and hit the old man in the back of his neck very powerfully.
Pang!
A heavy blowter, the wise man fainted onto the ground.
Chapter 1456 - Initial Reveal
Chapter 1456: Initial Reveal
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Sss!
Luphus slowly woke up amid his painful gasp.
However, the wise man immediately reacted to the situation. He tumbled up and saw Kieran, who sat opposite him, and the young man who knocked him out standing behind him. When Luphus saw that his student, Eden, was unconscious beside him, he heaved a breath of relief.
It was good enough that Eden was alive. As for the rest, Luphus still had ways to turn things around.
Greetings Your Majesty. I am Luphus of Yort Fields. Ive grasped many secrets of the lords that rule the fields. I know where they set up their outposts and the routes their patrols walk every day. Needless to say, I also know of hidden military camps and the factions they are affiliated with in the dark. If you require my service, I will reveal everything to you.
Luphus stood up after shaking his robe and spoke to Kieran with a serious look.
You are very familiar with Yort Fields?
Interested, Kieran looked at the old man who was seemingly honest but actually very cunning. Roffu told Kieran everything that happened between the old man and Doyler, including the tube of potion in his sleeve. Kieran checked it carefullywith his [Potionology] level, the tube of potion would, at the very least, require Master level to craft.
More importantly, from the moment Luphus woke up, he didnt ask about the potion. Instead, he took a nce at his student before he started to figure out a n for the situation.
Cunning and skilled at improvisation.
Kieranmented on the old man in his heart.
As for more?
He didnt know whether or not it was an act, so he didnt want toment about it anymore for the time being.
I was born in Yort Fields and have served many lords, so I know more than others. I am also willing to serve you, my lord. A ttering smile appeared on Luphus face.
Em. Do you know about the contract between Yort Fields and Naveya City 300 years ago?
After Kieran nodded nomittally, he asked his question.
300 years ago? The time period is a little long, and I am quite old...
Luphus looked like he was thinking about the question, but actually, he was waiting for the right time to answer. He must at least get certain terms out of it before he answered.
However, soon enough, his thinking expression was reced by panic and fear.
Take him out and chop him in half, Kieran said calmly.
The young soldier behind Kieran drew his sword out without a second thought and walked over to Luphus. Frightened, Luphus shivered because he never saw a person with such direct means, especially those who were high in rankings. Shouldnt he care about his image and demeanour? How could he be so direct?
Okay! I got it, I got it! 300 years ago, Yort Fields helped Naveya City before, thus, when the city formed, it provided the fields with a contract like this.
Panicked, Luphus spilled the beans, and it didnt slow down his talking at all.
What kind of help? Kieran asked as he tapped his fingers on the armrest of his chair.
Resources, armed forces, or maybe something else? Luphus sounded unsure of his own words.
Take him out and chop him in half.
Roffus sword red down once more and forced Luphus on the ground. He begged and cried out, Your Majesty, I really am not sure about this part of the history. I never went into the details! But I know of a ce that has the detailed records of that part of history.
Oh? Where is it? Kieran waved at Roffu.
My hometown, Gordor Land, known as the library of Yort Fields. I can bring you there right now and go through every single book you wish to read. I assure you the answer you seek will be there.
Crawling on the ground, Luphus avowed.
I hope you mean what you just said. Kieran looked down at the old man.
Of course, of course! I know! If I lied to you, I will end my own life! But I also hope that you can spare me when the answers are revealed. Luphus shamelessly and carefully uttered his request.
Sure. Tell Atrina, Luphus is not the military consultant of Arya Outpost, Kieran told Roffu before he passed the pen and paper to the old man.
The old man looked at Kieran with a puzzled look.
Didnt you say you are familiar with the secrets of the lords of Yort Fields and know where they set up their outposts and patrol routes? And also the hidden soldiers they keep and the factions they are affiliated with in the dark? Now, write it all down, Kieran said slowly.
But didnt you...
Before Luphus even finished, he saw the sword in Roffus hand again, and without a second thought, the old man started writing with his head down.
Men should follow their hearts before going after the things they desired.
Roffu had a deeper understanding of the saying at the very moment.
...
Einderson, the archpriest of Thorn Temple, sat on a chair. He tried to straighten his body to make himself look a little energetic, but spending this much time traveling and with no gaze of Lady Thorn, the tiredness on his face was inconceble.
However,pared to the initial anxiety, the archpriest was better already.
He had received reports from Ryans men.
Ryan and Atrina, along with Arya Outpost, were all fine.
It was really a blessing from Lady Thorn, as the thing he worried about the most didnt happen.
Still, it didnt change his original thoughts: he wished to turn the meritorious deeds of Ryan into songs and poems, and pass them down to the next generation. He wanted more people to know about Ryan, and how dauntless and valiant he was.
Hence, here he was in Gordar Land.
The ce wasnt just the library of Yort Fields, but was also a gathering ce for schrs, poets and minstrels. It was no doubt the most ideal ce to spread a persons story.
Of course, some standard procedures must happen.
Archpriest and Officiant Einderson, can you assure me what you said and recorded is the truth? asked another white-haired elderly in in clothing, looking up at Einderson after he put down the manuscripts prepared by the archpriest.
I swear on behalf of Lady Thorn, what I wrote is the truth, not a word is mistaken or exaggerated, Einderson replied seriously.
Very well, I understand. I will agree to your request, the elderly in in clothings nodded.
Very much appreciated, Einderson said happily.
A temple knight beside the archpriest had a box of gold coins ready in front of the elderly.
The songs and praises obviously werent freea fee would be charged.
Without a doubt, all the gold coins came from the believers.
Maybe many yearster, the songs and poems might go on automatically, but that was a matter for the future.
Now?
The elderly in in clothing counted out the gold coins and passed them to his apprentice.
Ill ept your request. Thank you very much.
No no, it is I who should thank you.
After some courteous chit-chat, Einderson left in his wagon. He hadnt forgotten about searching for Lady Thorns temple in the north.
While looking in the direction where Eindersons wagon disappeared, the inly clothed elderly smiled again, although a cold smile.
I really have to thank you, he muttered to himself.
Chapter 1457 - The Beginning
Chapter 1457: The Beginning
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Groom, Groom, Groom.
A wagon pulled by four horses was cruising swiftly and steadily as its wheels rolled on the loose path.
Outside the window, lush green forest shed by.
Luphus was exining Gordor Land to Kieran inside the carriage.
Gordor is the smallestnd in Yort Fields. It didnt have a so-called castle, no farms or ntations, and a few scattered viges formed a town. Thus, the first mayor of the town became the first lord of Gordor. The lord was a kind, peaceful elderly man who liked to study and research. Soon enough, a group of people gathered around the elderly and they learned many things from him. Then, his students applied what they had studied and served under separate lords, meaning that every singlend in Yort Fields is connected to Gordor, one way or another. Due to that connection, Gordor became one of the few peacefulnds in Yort Fields.
Luphus looked nostalgic when he spoke of his hometown. Kieran, on the other hand, thought of more.
Gordor Land wasnt too far away from Arya Outpost. Two sunrises and they would arrive at thend, meaning Gordor Land was a buffer in between Arya Outpost and Yort Fields. Plus, no ntations and farms in the ce made it a peacefulnd.
No matter how small a nkton, it would still feed on fish.
Based on his understanding of the greediness of the lords in Yort Fields, they wouldnt spare Gordor Land.
Of course, none of that mattered to him, as he only wanted to know the details of the contract, or rather, what ushered both sides to sign such a contract?
Kieran shut his eyes, tightening and rxing his muscles under the feather mantle. The Dawn and gue force in his body was operating slowly.
It was already Kierans instinct to seize the moment to strengthen his body.
In fact, the reason for this trip to Gordor, other than having Luphus together because he was required to ess the books, was so Kieran could have a somewhat stable environment to adapt to his ever-strengthening body.
This strengthening process was extremely subtle though.
The fire in his mind was jumping and it would slowly strengthen all the Origin Force in his body. This slow speed waspared to the direct level up when he used Golden Skill Points. Had hepared it to the previous strengthening process without the use of the Golden Skill Points, his current strengthening process was more than ten times faster.
Given this exponential speed, Kieran had to adapt to his body almost every single moment.
Perhaps it was still a long way to go before some qualitative change would ur, but facing everything in his prime form was never wrong.
Luphus heaved a breath of relief when he saw Kieran shut his eyes.
Along the way, he had tried his best to initiate conversation, putting forth his best effort to make his Majesty happy, but this Majesty looked like someone whose facial expression had deteriorated. No matter the types of jokes Luphus said or interesting news he revealed, Kieran looked at him with a dull and expressionless face.
Luphus would rather face a cold butcher whose face was smeared with murderous intent than a Majesty with a dull, expressionless face. What Luphus saw in Kierans expressionless face was nothing but ignorance.
Hed ignore everything, every rule and everyone.
As if other than the things he cared about, nothing else mattered to him.
Using that fact as a premise, meaning...
He would kill everything before him?!
Somehow, such thoughts baffled Luphus mind. The old man gasped and at the same time, his forehead was beaded with sweat.
Luphus was good at rting matters and deducing theories, so he couldnt help but think more.
He unconsciously looked at Kierans ever-calm face.
Should Kieran be a real God, would he be good or bad?
He treated everything like grass beneath his feet.
Although Luphus was only in Arya Outpost for a few hours, he had already heard about the rumours of the demigod. Although he doubted the validity of the rumours, he was smart enough not to ask.
He treated everything as fact for the time being.
Should Kieran really ascend to Godship, what title would he get?
It was impossible for him to be the Hero God!
Although he had yed a God before, his true nature didnt share any simrities to a hero.
Then, what could it be...
Arh!
While Luphus was deep in his own spections, Kieran had suddenly opened his eyes and the gaze was like a unsheath longsword stabbing into Luphus heart.
Luphus couldnt hold back his cry of shock, covering his chest and rolling aside.
Roffu, stop the wagon, Kieran said.
The young soldier quickly pulled the reins, jumping down from the drivers seat with Eden, and opened the carriage door.
Kieran jumped off of the wagon and walked towards the forest beside the path. The young soldier drew his sword and followed without question.
When Edens curious gaze was ignored, he looked at his teacher, asking with his gaze what should we do now?
Luphus pouted his lips at Kierans back.
Although he didnt know what Kieran really cared about, the old man was sure about one thing: should anything happen, staying beside Kieran would be a lot safer than being in the carriage.
Why not seize the moment and run?
Luphus wasnt an idiot, he wouldnt make such a stupid move.
Aside from the demigod, even the soldier beside him could locate them in a short time and cut them in half.
Of course, that didnt mean Luphus had given up on running.
Escaping required technique, best if he could leave a retreating path for himself should he fail.
As the little thoughts spun in his mind, Luphus came down from the wagon with the help of his student, chasing after Kieran and Roffu, who had stopped further away.
The forest wasnt that tall, there werent many brambles, and Roffu had opened a path with his sword, so Luphus and Eden entered the forest easily.
Then, they saw a body leaning on a tree trunk.
The body of a man was wearing a fancy outfit and a big hat. On top of the hat was a long pheasant feather and at his waist was a short knife. His open backpack had some food and a water bottle; the harp that fell beside the tree stated his identity as a minstrel.
A minstrel? What a poor fe!
Luphus was looking at the body in shock.
Since the wise man was from Gordor Land, he had quite the impression of the minskels there. Of course, neither of them were in conflict. Once conflict broke out, Luphus would never hold back.
And now?
Eden, help bury this poor fe.... Wait! Dont touch him! Luphus said as he walked over to the body.
Before he could finish, he saw Kieran flip the body around.
It might look normal from the front but the rear, leaning on the trunk, was seriously rotten. It was badly decayed, to the point that the throat was almost gone, the organs turning into a pile of rotten meat.
However, there werent any maggots or a rotten stench.
It was like a rotten apple, where one side was fine while the other side was rotten.
A very unusual decaying process.
Luphus widened his eyes in shock. He dragged Eden away as though he was electrocuted and poured the potion that he took out from his sleeve into his mouth and Edens.
As the potion swirled down his tongue, Luphus mumbled The gue of Decay!
Chapter 1458 - Bait
Chapter 1458: Bait
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Get away from the body, its...
Huu!
The zing me from Kierans palm dragged Luphus back from his panicked state.
He finally remember who the person in front of him was: a demigod, not a normal man!
Can burning the body cleanse it?
Kieran, who was holding back the joyous gue Force in his body, tried to ask in a calm tone.
It was the gue Force that guided him to discover this body.
However, a body appearing out of nowhere was suspicion. Although the body had tasty energy for the gue Force, Kieran wouldnt take a bite.
Whenever a fish took the bait, its mouth would be firmly hooked.
The best oue for a fish that took the bait was losing its mouth and part of its ability to hunt.
The worst? Bing someones dinner.
Kieran didnt wish to see either of the oues, so he tended to be more careful.
Yes! Burn it to cinders and bury it with soil! Luphus said seriously.
The wise man showed a never before seen seriousness. He hadnt been half as serious when Kieran was pressuring him earlier as he was now.
Devil me burned everything to cinders, a pile of ash left on the spot.
Luphus carefully shoved the ashes into a deep hole that Eden had dug up. When the hole was filled with soil, Luphus finally heaved a breath of relief.
But it wasnt the end.
He took out a tube of potion from his backpack.
Eden, go get my sprinkler from the wagon, Luphus ordered his student.
Kieran watched the wise man mix his potion into the sprinkler and spray everything within a 10 meter radius of the burial spot.
Is it effective? asked Kieran.
The pungent scent smelled like some disinfection medicine.
A little, but the origin of the gue of Decay isnt here... this gue spread with unimaginable speed. When one is dead, a hundred more will followit was the saying behind this gue.
Luphus looked at Kieran. With a bitter smile, he continued, In all of Yort Fields, the biggest gathering spot for the minstrels is Gordor Land! I beg of you, let me go back to my hometown! The gue once took away my family, I cant let it destroy my home too!
Luphus knelt down on one knee, saluting Kieran.
Kieran nodded slightly.
Thank you for your mercy.
Luphus bowed again when he saw the nod from Kieran. He then turned around and spoke to his student seriously, Eden, please follow His Majesty from now on, serve him like how you served me.
His words sounded like hisst will, bedazzling the young man.
Teacher, I...
I cant teach you any longer. You are a good child, you will eventually find your own path. Remember what I taught you: being afraid to die isnt scary because death itself is horrifying. Hate death all you want, but never forget your heart and who you are.
Luphus interrupted his student and gave him a final lesson. Then he ran towards the wagon without looking back. There were some things on the wagon he had to bring with him.
But even if he brought the things with him, he had no confidence that his n would work, despite the fact that he had spent many years studying the gue of Decay.
Why not ask for Kierans help?
Luphus had thought about that before, but he discarded the thought.
During the outbreak of the gue of Decay years ago, Yort Fields did request for Naveyas help but it was useless.
Back then, two priests from Mercy Temple got infected. Even when the archpriest arrived in Yort Fields trying to cure it, he failed. Thankfully, with the divine light of God of Mercy, he narrowly escaped death. However, his strong body quickly deteriorated, forcing him to pass his position to his heir, facing death alone.
Not even a real God could cure the gue of Decay, let alone a demigod.
Luphus himself? He was totally out of the question. All he could do was give it his best shot and wait for fate to decide the rest.
Luphus, with the backpack on his back, showed a bitter smile.
Then, rolling wheels sounded in his ears.
Groom Groom!
Teacher! Teacher!
Edens voice made Luphus turn around.
Didnt I tell you to follow his Majesty... Your Majesty Ryan?
Luphus was scolding his student, thinking his student had simply ignored his reminder and chased after him. It was very normal for a reckless young man to do something like this, but when he saw Roffu beside his student, he knew something was up. The young soldier wouldnt be as reckless as his student and through the carriage window, everything was made clear to Luphus when he saw Kieran.
Its useless. Even if you are a demigod, the gue of Decay is too...
Why am I facing the gue of Decay? I am going to Gordor to find out more about the 300 year old contract between Yort Fields and Naveya. What does that have to do with gue of Decay? And I am just picking you, the consultant of Arya Outpost, up along the way. Of course, you can walk there if you choose to do so.
Kieran interrupted Luphus and exined in a calm tone.
With the window in between them, Luphus tried to size up Kierans face, hoping to find an answer in his expression. Unfortunately, he hadnt seen one earlier, and neither would he see it in the future.
Thank you, Your Majesty, for everything youve done for me, but Eden is still young. He...
Teacher, I will go with you!
Luphus had hoped that Kieran would agree to take his student to Arya Outpost but the moment he spoke, he was interrupted by Eden.
Luphus red at his student, but when he saw how stubborn and hot-headed Eden was, his heart turned soft. However, Luphus wasnt a person that would simply change his mind.
No! You must return to Arya Outpost, Luphus said in a determined tone.
Eden was prepared for this, smiling, and replied You told me to serve His Majesty like how I served you, so I am His Majesty Ryans servant! Now, his Majesty wanted to head to Gordor Land and I, as his servant, must follow.
The thing I taught you is for you to not upset me!
Luphus raised his hand and acted like he wanted to beat his student, but Roffu was faster.
Pak!
His sheathed swordnded on the back of Luphus neck again, knocking him out cold without uttering a single word. Roffu grabbed the old man and ced him in the carriage.
After a bow at Kieran, Roffu returned to the driver seat and swung the reins on the horses.
Pak!
A loud rattleter, the wagon continued its journey to Gordor Land, faster than before.
...
Meanwhile in Gordor Land, an elderly man in in clothing was standing beside a figure respectfully.
My lord, everything is progressing smoothly. The seeds are scattered, the little fish has taken the bait.
Little fish? A decent word to describe his identity. A demigod? How fitting.
Chapter 1459 - Eagerly
Chapter 1459: Eagerly
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Once again, Luphus woke up from his unconscious state. He looked at Kieran quietly, the familiar pain in his neck making him shut his mouth.
It wasnt the first time or even the second time anymore. Along the journey, he had woken up more than once and each time he spoke, he had been knocked out again.
The continuous hits on his neck made him doubt how many more times his neck could endure it before it broke.
Since Luphus had fallen unconscious multiple times, he had lost count of the time, but based off of the hunger in his stomach, he knew they were close to Gordor.
It was toote to say anything now, since they would be arriving soon.
In fact, the very next moment, Luphus realized things were much worse than he had expected.
Through the carriage window, he saw smoke pir after smoke pir, and since Gordor didnt have farms or ntations, open burning of dried straws shouldnt be happening. In addition, the air reeked of burnt human fat, with many people covering their mouths along the way, meaning something had happened.
The outbreak has begun? Luphus mumbled.
The sorrow that appeared on his face was unconceble, already picturing the destruction of his home.
Throughout the process, Kieran kept his calm and dull expression.
In his perception, the burning bodies before his sight were only the tip of the iceberg.
The gue of Decay, which caused the joyous state of gue Force, had enveloped the entirety of Gordor Land and was spreading to the othernds of Yort Fields with exponential speed.
The unusual speed has far exceeded the natural speed of spreading.
Someone is behind this? Or?
The spections in his heart made his face colder and duller.
The wagon gradually slowed down. They had reached Gordor Land!
After going through arge area of low buildings on the empty streets, the wagon reached a four story building that was surrounded by walls without hindrance.
The tall walls blocked the prying gaze of intentional people.
The guard in front of the gate was responsible for everyone going in and out of the building.
However, at the time being, the guard looked scared, heavy worries and anxiety smeared all over his face.
Hello. Hello? Luphus had to ask twice before the guard react.
Huh!? Who goes there?! the guard cried in shock, cing his hand on his sword, but faltering backwards as if he was scared of Luphus getting too close.
Only when the guard had a clear look at Luphus healthy face did he finally stop being scared.
I am Luphus, the Sand Counter. I am here to see Lord Gordor. Ive brought some potions, I hope they can be of use to fight the gue, Luphus introduced himself.
When the guard heard the word potion, his eyes shone but quickly turned gloomy. Still, he went inside the building to deliver the message.
A little whileter, an elderly man in in clothing and a half a meter long metal mask, which resembled a crows beak, came out.
Its been a while, Luphus!
The moment the masked man came out, he wanted to hug Luphus, but he quickly stopped, realizing the situation.
Im sorry, its clearly not the time, the elderly smiled bitterly.
I understand. The crow mask isnt that effective even if you disinfect it everytime. Here try my potions. It might not work every time though.
Luphus nodded and reminded the elderly man, the smell of medicine on him very distinct.
gue of Decay was not amon gue.
Its better than nothing, sighed the elderly man, looking at the wagon.
Thats my student Eden and the wagoner cum bodyguard is Roffu. With him around, our trip was much smoother. Its just that my neck cant take it anymore. And...His Majesty Ryan.
Luphus rubbed the back of his neck and spoke in his usual tone, but when he mentioned Kieran, he lowered his voice to the point that only him and the masked man could hear.
Is His Majesty here to help us? the elderly man asked excitedly.
No, His Majesty is here to find information about something and he brought me along, Luphus shook his head, spilling the truth.
He knew he must not cause any misunderstanding, otherwise Gordor would be truly doomed.
The human heart was as fragile as ss in front of death.
This, this... Sigh.
The masked elderly sighed.
A momentter, a sudden cry sounded further away. A few figures were running out of a building, one of them was a kind young man in a white robe. He shouted quickly, Everyone, go back and wash your hands and body with my potion! Remember, clean yourself properly! And mark this house down and evacuate everyone around here! No one will be allowed to enter except for the body keepers.
Yes, Sir Ager.
Understood, Sir Ager.
The replies sounded in session before the group of people scattered away swiftly.
Ager? The Wandering Doctor Ager? Luphus was stunned.
Yes, it is him. Thankfully, Sir Ager arrived at Gordor for some research studies by coincidence, otherwise the situation would have grown out of control. Do you want me to introduce you to him? the masked elderly asked.
Of course! Ive heard of his meritorious deeds for a while, but I never thought I would run into him here, Luphus nodded, showing quite the interest in the wandering doctor.
The doctor was known for his reputation and his medical skills.
Likewise, it also sparked some interest in Kierans heart.
The gue, a doctor, wasnt it all too much of a coincidence?
Not really, if the gue and doctor didnt appear in the same ce.
Kieran nced over the doctors back and slowly walked down the wagon.
Greetings Your Majesty. All of Gordors book collection will be opened to you. Please follow me.
The elderly man in in clothing saw Kieran, who came down from the wagon. He bowed, greeting Kieran and telling him to follow him into the mini tower.
The group then walked along a wooden corridor, reaching the balcony, where many well distributed houses appeared beneath their sight.
This is the book collection of Gordor Land. Other than the mess hall in the middle, the other ces house all sorts of books and tomes on different topics and genres. You can read anything you like. Please excuse me, I know I should guide you through the books myself, but as you might have noticed, Gordor has fallen into a desperate state, said the elderly man in in clothing.
Sure. Where is the record about the contract between Yort Fields and Nevetya? Kieran asked.
There is no precise record about this particr contract but the records on the incidents 300 years ago are all in that house, the one furthest away on the edge. You can read whatever in there that you like, said the elderly as he pointed at the house outside.
Kieran nodded and the elderly walked away immediately, as if he was busy with attending to matters about the danger that had befallen Gordor Land.
Everything seemed so reasonable and natural.
Though, almost 20 minutester, when Kieran arrived at the old house, before he could sit down and read the books and scrolls, a big group of civilians came over unannounced.
Oh merciful Majesty, please save us!
Merciful Your Majesty, please bless us with your divine blessing!
Your Majesty, please show mercy to us, the lost sheeps!
...
The cries entered the house almost instantaneously.
Kieran put down the book that he had just picked up, curling up the corner of his mouth into a little grin, before returning his face to his calm and dull looks.
It seemed like someone was much more anxious that he had anticipated.
Chapter 1460 - Anticipation
Chapter 1460: Anticipation
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran opened the door.
He saw the people kneeling down before his door, but he remained as dull and expressionless as ever.
However, a sense of hesitance shed in his eyes, and in the end, he nodded.
Ill try my best to save you, said Kieran.
Thank you so much, merciful Majesty!
I will devote my life in following you!
I will only believe in you from now on!
...
The cries went away, joyous cheers swirling in the space in front of the house.
The lord of Gordor, who was the elderly man in in clothing, was also cheering among the crowd.
The lord of Gordor was smiling but his eyes were cold and had a sense of mockery.
A demigod, so what?
As long as his weaknesses were exposed, a mortal could take him down!
After all, a demigod still wasnt a true God.
Lord Gordor.
A whisper sounded in his ear, causing him to quickly switch his cold eyes back to a tender gaze. He turned around and saw a slightly nervous Luphus. He asked, Whats wrong, Wise Man Luphus?
Can we speak somewhere else? Luphus asked.
Of course, the elderly nodded right away.
Soon, the two men crossed the mini tower and reached the streets of Gordor.
After getting further away from the frantic crowd, all of whom were eager to survive the gue, Luphus looked even uglier, because he saw a lot more people swarming over to Kierans ce.
Some brought stretchers with them and what was on top of the stretchers was self-exnatory.
You told everyone about His Majestys arrival? Luphus looked into the elderly mans eyes.
Yes. This is the only hope. I cant hold it to myself.
The elderly nodded and admitted his act, his face showinga perfectly-timed helplessness.
Luphus, did you know that yesterday, more than 50 people in Gordor died, and the gue of Decay was at its mildest level. Once the gue of Decay spreads in its full force, the whole of Gordor will be a dead city overnight. Do you wish for something like that to happen? the elderly asked.
Of course I dont want that to happen. This is my home, I want it to be safe! But... do you know His Majesty? Luphus asked slowly, his tone stern after the little pause.
No, but Ive prepared for the worst. Ill bear all the responsibility alone.
The elderly man had a calm look, as if he was going off to face death, presenting himself as a fearless man.
Luphus stared at the fearless expression nkly. In the end, he shook his head and turned back to the mini tower.
The elderly man watched Luphus go through the mini tower and reach the manor beyond the walls before he smiled coldly.
Dont be careless.
A voice from the shadow reminded the elderly man.
How could I be careless? This is a rare opportunity, Ill be as careful as possible. What about you?
The elderly kept his cold smile, his lips moving and his whisper entering the shadows.
The news will soon spread all over Yort Fields. Everyone infected will swarm this ce and beg for treatment from His Majesty. I hope... he can really cure that many people.
The voice in the shadow showed mockery with his words.
How could a demigod do anything about a gue even a real God couldnt cure?
If he really could, what would they be?
His food?
Of course he can! Dont forget, Gods and humans are different!
The lord of Gordor smiled and turned to the streets. The figure in the shadow followed him quietly.
Soon, the duo reached a house at the edge of Gordor Land that was on lockdown because of the outbreak. The elderly man simply walked inside.
Kak!
The elderly man shuttled through the house like it was his own backyard and opened the secret passage hidden in the corner of the house.
My lord.
A guard greeted the lord of Gordor from the secret passage. The elderly man waved his hand and the figure that had been hiding in the shadow came out too.
A white robe, a kind face, it would leave an impression at first sight.
The Wandering Doctor Ager.
Doctor Ager, The guard greeted.
Unlike the elderly mans overpowering demeanor, the doctor bowed at the guards, who possessed decent fighting capabilities, before he walking deeper into the passage.
At the end of the secret passageway, arge hall, as big as two football fields, came into sight.
A cone-shaped ss container that looked like a funnel stood straight in the middle of therge hall. A gray colored liquid was rumbling inside, as if it was boiling, gurgling bubblesing out of it.
The bubbles didnt fly away though, still contained within the instrument. They went through a 30 meter long spiral tube before dripping into a normal sized beaker.
Unlike the gray colored liquid in the big container, after the liquid went through the spirals, it transformed into a pinkish green tone.
Pink and green were normal colors but when they were mixed together in that beaker, it became something rotten, something disgusting.
The lord of Gordor walked to the beaker, carefully inspecting the concoction in the beaker.
When he saw the beaker was almost half full, the elderly lord couldnt hold back his smile.
A decent progress. Its much faster than we thought. We can soon finish the collecting process.
The elderly lord voiced his anticipation.
Its quite normal to be honest. After all, many died because of this. As the gue continues to spread, with even more deathing, the collection speed will be even faster, said the doctor in a casual tone.
So I guess... happy working together?
The elderly lord turned to Doctor Ager and the doctor extended his hand without saying anything.
They shook hands and smiled together. Their smiles looked sincere but in reality?
Hmph!
After Doctor Ager left the premise, the elderly lord grunted coldly. He took out a potion and rubbed it over his palm, the one that shook the doctors hand.
A cold, killer intent shed in the eyes of the elderly lord, but soon enough, it was tucked into the deepest parts of his heart.
It wasnt time yet, there was a little bit more to go.
He still had to be patient.
...
When the doctor returned to the streets, he strode over to the only post office in town.
Carrier pigeons! I need more carrier pigeons! I want to deliver good news to the people out there, to those who are suffering from the gue of Decay!
The pigeons flew out, one after another.
They were flying towards many locations all over Yort Fields.
They carried delightful news with them.
Of course, the news wasnt about a demigod trying to cure the gue of Decay. It was something more hidden, more profound.
An hourter, the doctor finally left the post office.
His kind and smiling face was full of anticipation.
Chapter 1461 - The Process Is Different From Expectation
Chapter 1461: The Process Is Different From Expectation
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Amidst the groans in pain, Kieran looked verypassionate, walking by everyone who was tortured by the gue. White brilliance scattered along the path as he moved into the sea of people.
The scene was holistic and merciful.
Thats right, it was merciful. There wasnt a better word, other than mercy, to describe Kieran throughout the week.
For an entire week, Kieran never once paused, walking from one end of Gordor to another, spreading his white brilliance. Whenever there were new patients in the town, the warm white brilliance weed them.
Amid the holy light, the damage caused by the gue of Decay quickly decreased. Although unable to uproot the gue, it was enough to pour hope into people.
Everything would turn out better with hope.
Those who longed for survival flew over to Gordor without stopping.
In less than a weeks time, the only town in Gorbor was filled with people infected by the gue of Decay.
The most severe patients were settled down in the middle of the town, in the manor with the mini tower; the less severe patients were settled down outside the manor.
Those who were barely infected were standing along the streets of the town.
No matter how severe the infection was, the merciful Majesty would treat all equally.
He would smile at you, encourage you, ease your pain.
Light shone again. Soft prayers sounded endlessly.
Luphus and his student carried the medical boxes and followed behind Kieran as he healed people. The wise man had bloodshot eyes, not having an outstanding physique like Kieran and only having rested for a few hours everyday for the past week. His body was exhausted beyond his limits, but he didnt slow down.
Potion after potion was given to the infected patients by him, while Eden told the patients what they should notice.
Everyone who saw the duo would reply with the kindest of smiles, filled with the sincerest of gratitude.
Due to the gratitude he received, Eden felt genergetic. He felt like he had found his purpose in life, but Luphus, on the other hand, frowned.
More and more infected people arrived at Gordor Land, and since thend wasnt that big to begin with, every corner of the town was overcrowded.
More importantly, his Majesty hadnt rested for a week.
He didnt know how much stamina divine healing consumed, but he knew that should his Majesty fall out of exhaustion, it would be the beginning of true disaster.
The wise man had already picked up a fishy scent, sensing that something wasnt right.
Go get Sir Roffu, Luphus told his student.
But Sir Roffu is inspecting the potion crafting process...
It doesnt matter, we have much more important things to discuss here, Luphus waved his hands.
Eden quickly ran towards the mini tower.
The lord of Gordor and the wandering doctor, Ager, saw the scene from the shadows.
What did he notice this time? the doctor squinted his eyes as he saw Eden run off.
He does have the title of a wise man, so its normal for him to notice something fishy. If he couldnt, it would be disappointing. But so what? The die is cast and nothing will be able to stop this now. All we have to do is wait, wait for his Majesty to be exhausted, The lord of Gordor said softly and slowly.
Right at that moment, the holy light that shone inside Kieran for a week now suddenly paused. Although it returned a momentter, the two men in the shadows spotted the unusual urrence.
See, the opportunity is here, the lord of Gordor smiled.
Leave the rest to me, said the doctor before he ran further away.
...
Kieran walked from one end of Gordor to the other, and when he returned, he stopped healing the infected with his holy light, instead going back to the manor with the mini tower.
Your Majesty? Roffu, who brought over a chair, asked, looking worried.
Kieran waved his hand, not saying anything, but the tiredness on his face was unconceble.
Luphus, who spotted the exhaustion, clenched his teeth and furrowed his brows.
Your Majesty, please leave Gordor at once. There is no reason for you to stay here anymore, Luphus said quickly.
Eden and Roffu were stunned by Luphus words.
The human heart is always unpredictable and ever-changing, Luphus said with a bitter smile.
Before he could exin further, mouring sounded outside the door.
Why didnt you heal our family?
Why did you only heal those people?
Yea! Its our turn now!
...
Luphus face turned sour when he heard the mouring.
He had expected such a scene but not o fast.
Your Majesty, please...
Ill go have a look.
Kieran waved and interrupted Luphus, standing up, but the exhaustion on his face didnt go away. He slowly walked towards the door.
Outside the door, a group of men were blocking the way.
Each of the men were buff and robust, armed with swords and knives, fierce and pressuring and harbouring malicious intent.
Also, each of them died without an intact body.
Sou Sou Sou!
[Dandelion Pierce] was like a ghost in the dark, shuttling across the men.
The rapier reaped the lives of the men like harvesting wheat, blood raining down furiously and sshing all over the ce.
Their heads were tumbling down the path and the headless bodies fell on the ground.
Within the blink of an eye, no one was standing at the doorway anymore, as all of them were decapitated. All that was left was many others, who were groaning in pain as the gue of Decay tortured them.
Luphus widened his eyes at the scene inconceivably.
What had happened?
Shouldnt the group of men struggle and resist after their instincts abducted their conscience?
Shouldnt his Majesty be tired and the end nothing but ugly?
How did it turn into a massacre?
Luphus didnt know what reaction he should show to the scene before his eyes.
Suddenly, he realized the people suffering from the gue had stopped their painful groans.
They didnt die, but were healed instead!
Thats right, they werepletely healed!
Luphus went over to the nearest patient and checked on him.
His breathing was steady, the fever was gone, and other than being a little weak, the patient was all fine.
This...This...
Luphus opened his mouth but couldnt utter a word.
Those who were healed also felt at a loss for words. They looked at each other before looking at Kieran.
You all have been healed and saved! The blood of the evil had tainted all of you, but you are all healed! Kieran said calmly.
The evil? Those men?
A lot of the patients were confused.
They and those who brought the gue are one, Kieran exined.
What?! The fully-healed crowd cried out inconceivably. Every single one of them quickly showed disgust and anger at the headless bodies, despite not having the heart to hate them just moments ago.
No one would ever understand their fear and anxiety at lingering on the verge of death; it was worse than death itself.
And now, they knew that the cause of their suffering were these people!
These people put them in harms way!
Damn it!
An hot-tempered guy walked over and kicked one of the heads away.
Like the domino effect, the person triggered a chain reaction. A lot more people from the crowd joined the person while Kieran watched the scene quietly.
He didnt stop them.
His voice then spread throughout all of Gordor.
Their aplices are still hiding in town. Go! Search for them! Flush them out! Use their blood to wash away the pain of gue of Decay! I will always be with all of you.
Chapter 1462 - Question and Answer
Chapter 1462: Question and Answer
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The people flooded to the manor with the mini tower like the rising tide.
With the patients heavily infected by the gue as witnesses, the others quickly joined the fray and searched for the ones responsible for the gue.
Never underestimate the power of unity, even inmoners.
The united power will always exceed expectations.
A mere half an hourter, the subordinates of the wandering doctor were all caught.
They were brought before Kieran, but they were smart enough not to spill the beans.
We were all taking orders from the doctor! This has nothing to do with us! Please believe us, Your Majesty!
Under the furious gaze of the angry mob, the apprehended strangers cried out loud, tears and snot rolling down their cheeks.
Kieran subtly kept away his hand. Since the beginning, he had stood there and never moved a muscle.
As for the apprehended men?
The patients jumped on them and drowned them in an instant.
Luphus couldnt help but shake his head. His persuasion would mean nothing now.
They really had a death wish bymitting such horrendous acts.
These kinds of evildoers couldnt be saved, they werent worth it.
They were the ones responsible for spreading the gue.
Of course, Luphus reserved his opinion about the mastermind, the wandering doctor, Ager.
The wise man couldnt believe... or rather, he believed that the doctor must have other aplice in this.
As for who? The answer was obvious.
Unconsciously, Luphus turned to Kieran, wanting to say something, but when he raised his head, he realized Kieran had vanished from the spot without him knowing at all.
A short secondter, Luphus couldnt hold back his sigh anymore.
Since youvemitted it, you must have the resolution to bear the consequences, he mumbled.
...
Damn it!
The lord of Gordor was striding towards the secret passage.
He never thought his n would fall short just on the verge of sess, or that the demigod would react so quickly.
You think youve seeded? Im telling you, this is just the beginning! As long as I drink this... I can still turn things around!
Until the veryst moment, the lord of Gordor couldnt care less.
He didnt care about his allys suggestion that they leave together.
He was the lord of Gordor! How could he leave his ownnd?!
This ce was his property! Everything here belonged to him!
He was king!
He was God here!
Dak Dak Dak!
He rushed into the secret room through the passageway, not caring about the panicking soldiers, but when he reached inside...
He saw a figure taking big gulps from the beaker and drinking the concoction like water.
Aaaaaargh!
The lord shouted frantically, drawing a sword from his waist and jumping on the figure.
Bang!
The figure didnt even turn around, instead delivering a backward kick at the lords chest. The lord of Gordor was sent flying backwards, falling down on the ground, his sword falling out of his hand.
Stop! Thats mine! Mine!
He wasnt concerned about the pain in his chest, continuing to shout like a madman.
The figure couldnt care less about his cries. Instead, he drank the concoction quicker than before, as if he was drinking a tasty beverage.
When the figure licked thest drop of the concoction from the beaker, he mumbled T-Tasty.
As the figure stuttered in a blurry voice, he turned around and allowed the lord to see his face.
Ryan!
The lord widened his eyes out of shock and hatred, calling out the name.
He couldnt believe Ryan was the one who drank the potion that he had been preparing for so long.
The secret room had all sorts of secret formation, set up specifically targeted towards divine beings. Even the God of Mercy couldnt find this ce in the past, so how did a demigod find it?
And how did he drink the potion just like that?
The potion was no doubt powerful, but the steps of consuming it were extremelyplicated, even more so since it required a special guiding herb, which the lord carried with him at all times.
Impossible! Impossible! This is all lies!
Unable to ept the fact that he had lost, the lord staggered forward, towards the funnel-shaped container in the middle. Before he truly reached the container that contained the gray bubbling liquid, Gluttony broke it with a single punch.
The gray liquid and its rumbling bubbles gushed out instantly.
Gluttony dipped his finger into the gray liquid and put it into his mouth.
His face instantly cramped together.
Ugh! Disgusting.
Gluttony turned around, wanting to leave after the tasting.
Save me! screamed the lord as he regained his senses.
The lord of Gordor had gotten sshed by the gray liquid, finally getting infected by the gue of Decay, and was in agony.
As a matter of fact, even the guards outside the secret room had gotten infected after sniffing in the smell of the liquid; they were screaming for help.
Since Kieran had ordered Gluttony to not eat people, he didnt even bat an eye at the suffering crowd. He walked out of the secret room, going through the passage and returning to the surface. He then slowly closed the door with the istion magic circle on it, thus silencing the horrible screams.
Gluttony saw some of the gray gas seeping out from the seams. Taking a big breath and sucking all the gas into his mouth, he opened the door into a small seam and spat all the disgusting gas back into the house.
In fact, the gas inside the house that had tried to get out was blown back into the passageway too.
Bang!
The door was closed again.
This time, Gluttony didnt stop and vanished on the spot.
...
Dak Dak Dak Dak!
A horse was galloping quickly, the Wandering Doctor Ager leaving Gordor Land as fast as possible.
When the town behind him was far enough that it looked like a ck spot in his sight, the kind looking young man heaved a long breath.
He knew it would fail, but not this badly .
Once he thought about his subordinates that he had recruited through many efforts, all dead in this mission, the kind looking young man showed sinister emotions on his face.
The loss of his men was heavy, but the biggest lost was his current identity, which waspletely destroyed.
I have to change my face again!
With that thought in his mind, when the young man passed a lush green forest, he jumped off the horse andnded in the bushes.
He couldnt escape all the way on horse, the tracks of the hooves too obvious.
Chase it! Go chase the running horse! Run, bring the pursuers far away from me!
As the doctor sang the words like a poem, the horse, who had paused for a moment, galloped faster and went further away.
Ager finally heaved a long breath, watching the horse disappear.
The next moment, however, his breathing was cut off, because his neck was squeezed hard by a palm.
More precisely, by Kierans palm.
Can you tell me where you came from? Kieran asked in a fairly light voice, smiling.
Chapter 1463 - Join
Chapter 1463: Join
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Me? I am from Yort Fields... Aargh!
Krack!
A clear cracking soundter, Kieran broke one of Agers arms, his agonizing screams sounding uncontrobly.
The screams grew louder by the second because within the next 10 seconds, Kieran broke Agers other arm and both of his legs.
He then threw Ager on the ground like a piece of garbage.
This doesnt look like what you people might do. I suppose you joined them quitete, eh? Well, that exins why you are here, carrying out this kind of mission.
Kieran looked down at the doctor, he ced his foot over the doctors head and pressed it down gradually, trying to bury his face into the dirt.
Soon, dirt filled the doctors nose and mouth, suffocating him.
Ager struggled! All four of his limbs, despite being broken, shook out of difort.
Each time his limbs shook, immense pain followed, and each time the pain tortured him, his face twisted.
In the end...
A dash of electricity appeared in the deepest part of Agers eyes, swiftly growing stronger, enchanting his body with inconceivable powers.
A breathter, the electric current in Agers body grew strong enough to show itself to the naked eyes. An electric current as thick as a pinky finger danced around Agers body like a frantic snake. It didnt just envelope Ager, Kieran was caught by it too.
Ager seized the window of opportunity, catching his breath with the sudden burst of electric current, since he had been suffocating for quite a bit.
Do you know who you just provoked? I am telling you, you messed with the wron-
Bang!
A heavy soundter, Kieran further exerted strength through his foot and the immense pressure crushed Agers head like a watermelon.
The electric current dispersed right away, Agers body twitching for a while like a frog being dissected in ab. However, a faint illusory figure appeared out of the headless body.
H-How dare you!
Agers soul was obviously infuriated, it couldnt even speak properly because of the anger. But right away, the ghost of Ager smiled coldly.
Very well. You win this time, but you better prepare for the worst! Ive prepared something big for you in Smochker Hills...
The ghost spoke in delight as it thought of something, but Kieran turned a deaf ear and left.
He already got what he wanted.
As for the rest?
Every wrong had its cause, every debt had its debtor.
All life was given and all death was taken.
Huu!
A sudden wind blew across the ins. Cold and quick, it caused the newly formed ghost of Doctor Ager to shiver uncontrobly, even the lightning energy hidden in its soul unable to rest.
The wind whipped up a cloud of dust, blocking Agers sight.
Ryan, what the hell are you up to now? the ghost shouted, but it didnt get a reply from Kieran.
It did get some replies from somewhere else though.
Soft whispers and chatter came with the wind.
They sounded like they were mumbling and muttering their unwillingness.
In the end, the whispers and chatters converged and reverberated through the sky andnd.
Give me back my life!
Hundreds and thousands of souls, those of the gue victims, appeared around Agers ghost. The souls were wearing ragged clothing and looked dauntingly thin.
The souls appearances werent the ugly and horrible look they had when they were tortured by the gue of Decay. Instead, they looked like their old selves, before they were infected.
Poverty and longing for their next meal were constant problems since their birth, but at least they were still alive back then. When they were alive, theyd listen to songs of minstrels and dream about their next meal.
Everything changed when one of the minstrels sang the song that ended their lives.
They became ghosts, and shortly after, they saw the truth.
They wailed in pain, holding a grudge against the one responsible, begging.
They didnt ask for much, just the death of the one who had caused this disaster.
However, no one heard their prayers, no one reached out to them.
That was until they heard a voice: Ill give you all a chance, follow me if you want to get what you long for.
The voice was cold and dull, simr to the calmness that remained when he turned around and left.
A chance was given to the hundreds and thousands of souls.
And the rest?
Roar! Rawr! Aaaargh!
Every single one of the souls growled angrily, flying towards Agers ghost like vengeful spirits.
Go away! Go away you peasants!
Agers ghost shouted, its translucent body releasing a bolt of lightning, eliminating some of the souls that jumped on him. However, the rest of the souls werent afraid, continuing their charge at Agers ghost.
The myriad of souls swarmed around Agers ghost, the souls overpowering the bolt of lightning, drowning their enemy.
The ghost of Ager was destroyedpletely, its soul shattered into pieces.
The Wandering Doctor, Ager, was finally and truly gone from this world.
The myriad of souls had taken their revenge, their grudges were erased.
They were at a loss, crying.
They then bowed at the figure who was walking away, thanking Kieran from the bottom of their hearts, or at least what remained.
Their truest of hearts moved the rules that was hidden in some unknown space.
Then, each of the souls emanated a shallow brilliance before all of them flew up to the sky.
Swiftly, all the souls vanished from the air.
The souls were heading to a ce that summoned them.
There were high walls, a castle, a fortress; banners, soldiers, war horses.
A zing red fire expelled the darkness, the bright light giving birth to dawn.
On top of the wall, a familiar figure, Wallun, looked at the souls that flew down from the sky like a meteor shower. He swung the warhammer in his hand andughed out loud.
Theree the new warriors. Get theseds andsses some armor and weapons!
...
Kieran raised a brow as if he felt something. He carefully checked his surroundings but it was fruitless.
After making sure there wasnt any lurking danger, he stored this moment in the back of his mind and continued back to Gordor Land.
He had been heavily dyed by this unexpected intervention of Ager, although he had reaped enough rewards for it to be worth it. Still, it didnt mean he will be free in the uing time.
Kierans time was precious, and this situation was no exception.
He knew that after failing twice consecutively, that bastard would not make a move for the time being, at least for the foreseeable future, but it would not give up.
Kieran had to find the answer that he seeked and prepare himself to face the one and only, the God of Lightning.
When the Wandering Doctor Ager buffed his horse with divine spells, Kieran had a hunch that the doctor came from a temple.
The bolt of lightning Ager disyed in his soul form provided Kieran with even more evidence.
Ager served the God of Lightning, who was currently missing.
As for what Ager wanted to achieve?
Kieran had a hunch about his motives, but he had doubts as to why the doctor did what he did.
However, despite being troubled by questions, Kieran didnt slow down at all.
Your Majesty.
Roffu, who was standing in the collection space in the manor, bowed at Kieran.
Ill leave everything out here in your hands. If you run into any trouble, ask for Luphus. Give me around two days and dont disturb me.
Kieran then walked into the tower of books. The door was slowly shut.
Roffu bowed again, turning around and facing the guards with a strict face, carrying out Kierans orders meticulously.
Chapter 1464 - Setting Up
Chapter 1464: Setting Up
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Dak Dak Dak Dak!
The knight acting as a scout was riding back to the temple convoy swiftly. The knight didnt even bother to pull the reins on the horse, jumping down right away, dashing towards Eindersons wagon.
Lord Archpriest, someone is onto us! There are more than 500 men ahead of us, they must be the bandits from Smochker Hills! said the knight as he entered the carriage.
Just somemon bandits? Are there others?
Einderson lowered the map in his hand, asking without showing much expression.
When they had decided to head north, the archpriest had known what they would encounter in Smocker Hills.
Bandits! As many as a swarm of locusts, leaving nothing alive in their wake.
In fact, other than the monsters, the bandits were the only other obstacle that troubled the archpriest.
When the monsters were blocked outside Arya Outpost by Ryan, the bandits became the only problem in their journey to the north.
Therefore, the archpriest had been thinking about solutions to deal with the bandits.
Facing a bunch of merciless, killer bandits who knew the terrain, their disadvantage would be their numbers. Even if all the knights coulde together and engage the bandits, they wouldnt be able to fight the endless waves of enemies. However, their advantage was obvious: elite equipment, elite soldiers skilled inbat, all things the bandits did not possess.
Should they engage in a frontal assault, despite the disadvantage in numbers, the knights would be able to take out the bandits swiftly.
But, should they fall into the bandits trap, then it would be a nightmare.
Therefore, the archpriest had to be extremely careful.
Not at the moment, replied the knight.
Send more knights to scout the area, I want more details about the enemy. And not just ahead of us, check the rear and back too.
The archpriest tried his best to set up a steady n.
He didnt want to eliminate his enemies; all he hoped for was a swift and safe ride through Smochker Hills. Otherwise, he would have wasted Ryans efforts in defending Arya Outpost.
As for solving the confrontation in a peaceful way?
After understanding what the bandits had done in the past, the archpriest was smart enough to discard the thought.
I understand!
The knight jumped off the wagon and swiftly rode away on his horse.
Two more groups of knights from the convoy followed shortly after, more than 30 knights riding off, their task to scout the details of their surroundings.
Therefore, before the knights returned with a detailed report of their surroundings, the entire convoy setup came near a hill.
Patrols and outpost soldiers get into position. The civilians will help the deacons in preparing a simple defense structure.
After putting away his beloved harp into the deerskin pocket at his waste, Kampu swiftly returned to his group. His voice was heard throughout the convoy with his special spell.
For a priest of Melody Temple, no matter how bad or good the y was, spreading ones melody was the basic n and the sound was key.
With the archpriests order, the seed of Melody Temple, Kampu became the ideal person for spreading orders.
His body was slightly thin and not too tall, so it was hard for someone to imagine how loud his voice was. However, because of his loud and sonorous voice, his normal looking face didnt seem that normal anymore.
He looked tough and in, like a knight, but possessed the elegance and temperament of a schr, which a knightcked.
Even though the atmosphere was slightly tense, his temperament and mature looks were very calming to look at.
The knights were out scouting, leaving the whole convoy a little nervous, but when they saw Kampu, the tense atmosphere swiftly calmed down, everything returning to its organized manner.
Kampu then patrolled the temporary camp once more, before striding towards the archpriests wagon.
Lilith, the priest from Love Temple, was already waiting in the carriage.
Archpriest Einderson.
Both of the younger priests greeted the archpriest.
Einderson smiled and waved his hand, telling the two to sit beside him.
We may have encountered our most difficult times yet. This time, we can no longer rely on Ryan or Arina; we have to rely on ourselves to ovee this obstacle. A bunch of jackals are waiting for us. We can never show any weakness in front of them because if we do, we will be eaten alive! said the archpriest with a stern look.
Understood. We will never give in! Kampu nodded seriously.
Lilith, on the other hand, looked at the map. When she saw the narrow Weiss Valley, the youngss furrowed her brows. Even though Love Temple had no lessons on fighting and wars, the youngss could tell the valley would be a key factor in all of this.
I am worried about this ce, Lilith said, being blunt with her words.
She had nothing to hide in front of Kampu and Einderson, bof them were trustworthy allies.
Me too, I am also quite worried about the valley. Weiss Valley is too long to cross safely, and should they sandwich us from both ends, disaster will befall us in the middlewhats worse is the bandits have men guarding the top of the valley all year long. This is also the reason why the lords of the fields failed so many times in trying to eliminate the bandits. Therefore, we are only left with one choice: settle the battle outside the valley!
Einderson pointed at the map in front of him.
We lure them out? Kampu reacted quickly.
I have an idea... Einderson whispered.
Kampu and Lilith were all ears and a momentter, both of them showed agreement to the suggestion.
If we can make it, we will be able to move past the valley smoothly!
Lilith youthful face showed a smile.
We cant afford to be careless. The n is almost certain, but...
Lord Archpriest, Lord Archpriest!
Before Einderson could finish, he was interrupted by a panicked voice.
It was the knight who had left earlier for scouting, his face showing unconceble panic.
It was quite a rare expression for a temple knight, unless...
He really had ran into something inconceivable.
What happened? Einderson asked.
Dead! All the bandits are dead! said the knight.
After the knight reported in, the group of knights who had left for scouting also came back in a hurry. Every single one of them shared the same panicked look.
Lord Archpriest, weve found more than a thousand bodies on the left!
Lord Archpriest, weve found at least a thousand bodies on the right!
Lord Archpriest, weve found five hundred bodies on our tail!
...
The consecutive reports stunned the archpriestpletely. He had never thought something outrageous like this would happen.
Expand the search area! I want more details, I want to know what happened! said the archpriest.
Puzzled, Kampu and Lilith looked at each other.
After the order was given, more knights went out to scout.
...
Weiss Valley. The mountains on both sides were tall and towering, as though they could pierce the sky.
The entire valley reeked of blood, even the strongest of wind not able to disperse the smell.
More than a thousand men dressed in ck uniforms, showing only their eyes, stood at one end of the valley like statues.
In front of the army of men was Mizelle, his eyes shut and his face cold.
Mizelle had discarded the presence of a petty thief, now filled with killer intents that almost materialized and reeked of bloodshed, looking like a man-eating shura on top of his war horse.
The next moment, he opened his eyes. The burning hot shine from his eyes almost outshone the sunlight.
Our lord needs us! Go!
The order was given and the entire army of ck moved like robots, swift and merciless.
In a birds view, the scene looked like a dark cloud was moving south.
Chapter 1465 - Hint
Chapter 1465: Hint
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Inside the room, the sounds of books and pages flipping went on for two consecutive days.
When thest book was flipped, Kieran finally sat in his chair, rubbing his swelling temple with his fingers. Even for Kieran, continuous reading with such speed was a little overwhelming, especially when he had to carefully read through some parts and not skim through, burning quite a lot of his energy.
Unfortunately, even after reading all the books avable to him, he didnt get what he was seeking, but it wasnt entirely fruitless.
Kieran was certain something must have happened 300 years ago, thus the contract.
The reason why he was so sure was because he had read a lot about the internal fights in Yort Fields 300 years ago. All the books had records about the fights back then, but none of them mentioned Naveya at all, which was obviously wrong.
Back then, Naveya should have been a rising city, a prospering location that everyone would know of.
Hero Algor.
The first God of thend.
The Devourer.
When all three of them converged, it should have been enough to write an exhrating book about their history, but... nothing!
It was too clean! As if someone had wiped out that particr part of history, about what had happened between Naveya and Yort Fields.
Kieran was caressing the book cover with his right index finger, his eyes shining in an interested gaze, but he put his hand over his stomach and stood up.
He had gone two days without food, which wasnt a big deal for Kierans strong body, which was able to go even longer. However, his love for food kept him eating three meals a day. He had broken his own habit this time because he had a lot of catching up to do.
Should he continue?
Stop joking! Life without food is iplete, it is meaningless!
I hope theres still something to eat in the kitchen at this time... Huh?
Kieran stood up from the chair, returning the book to its original ce and pushing the door, but when it opened, he frowned.
A thick mist appeared and blocked his sight and way.
Roffu, who had been on guard a while ago, had vanished without a trace and the mist before Kierans eyes started to change.
As though an invisible hand fondled the thick mist, it rumbled relentlessly and almost formed a mist vortex, but the very next moment, the thick mist dispersed.
After the scene became clear, a little stone path appeared, with both sides engulfed in darkness.
It wasnt a chaotic, abstract darkness though. The darkness on both sides of the path was real, like a wall. Kieran carefully touched one side of the wall and felt like his finger was touching a cold, hard metal.
The little path seemed to be made out of stone, but it was actually metal too.
Kieran looked at the further end of the path, which was endless. He raised his foot and stepped back.
Bang!
The door was shut tight.
Everything went quiet.
Amid the almost embarrassing silence, the thick mist came back and drowned the ck walls and path. In the end, the mist converged and formed a translucent figure with a long white robe, white hair, and a beard.
When the translucent figure finally took form, a heavy slurping of saliva sounded from behind the door.
Its hand, which was ready to knock on the door, froze in mid-air.
Seconds turned into minutes. The translucent figure felt a rising danger in its heart and was forced to speak.
Lord demigod, I dont mean harm. What happened just now is just some harmless joke.
After the figure exined, the door opened. Kieran was sitting in his chair, looking at the figure with a smile.
I prefer to talk face to face. And that was also just a joke. Please,e in, said Kieran.
The translucent figure spared a nce at Gluttony, hiding in the corner; it didnt really think Kieran was joking.
Likewise, it didnt enter the room, despite the invitation.
Its instincts told itself it would be best to not go in.
No thank you. I am here just to tell you one thing: the history is hidden by a cunning hunter. That is all I know. As for why I am telling you? Its because a part of the real history is indeed recorded in this collection of books, hence I am able to formas you might have noticed, I may be a God, but I am iplete. Its hard to live up to my title now. And finally, its a pleasure to meet you.
The translucent figure then vanished into thin air, even shutting the open door.
Gluttony, who was hiding in the corner, rushed out, wanting to open the door for a chase, but before his hand touched the handle, he turned around and looked at Kieran.
Kieran shook his head silently. Gluttony was annoyed but didnt misbehave, also vanishing on the spot.
Another God? Kieran lifted his mouth corner.
Although Gods were real and very active in the current dungeon world, Kieran had never thought he would be able to meet one outside of Naveya City.
Despite a lot of records mentioning the stray Gods, they were nothing but fragments of blurry memories, just like the translucent figure.
Kieran stood up and opened the door again.
Your Majesty.
Roffu bowed dutifully.
Thank you Roffu. Can you get me something to eat? Also, I want to see Mr. Luphus, said Kieran.
The young soldier quickly went away to carry out his orders.
Less than 10 minutester, a considerably scrumptious meal appeared before Kieran, along with Luphus.
Kieran forked a sausage from the te, taking a bite and looking at the wise man of Yort Fields.
Do you know anything about the God of Gordor? he asked.
The God of Gordor? I think I mightve heard of him. The God looks like an elderly man and rumour has it that the Majesty has vast knowledge and understanding of Yort Fields history and every other rted knowledge. If there is a schr who is persistent enough and has grasped enough knowledge, after passing the Majestys test, a reward will be given rtive to the efforts, Luphus replied, slightly stunned by Kierans question.
He then looked at Kieran with a slightly hesitant gaze.
Did you meet his Majesty?
Luphus, known as the wise man, had exceptional admiration towards Gods of knowledge and history, thus he mustered enough courage to ask.
I did, Kieran stuffed another piece of cheese into his mouth.
How does he look like? Is it really as rumoured? Luphus asked excitedly.
This is really good.
Kieran took a big chunk off of the chicken drumstick.
Luphus was stunned at the spot and left confused.
Despite being known for his wisdom, he didnt understand what the question and the taste of the drumstick had inmon.
Did the chicken drumstick taste better today?
Chapter 1466 - Book
Chapter 1466: Book
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
After dinner, Kieran left the study room.
Since the day he had arrived at Gordor, because of the disturbance of the gue and his initial goal of getting information about the contract, Kieran hadnt had time to explore the not-so-big town.
In fact, even if he had enough time, he had almost zero interest in taking a casual stroll.
Cherishing time had almost became Kierans instinct.
However, after the God of Knowledge of Gordor had appeared before him, Kierans interest was sparked.
Kieran had a constant curiosity about the Gods in this dungeon world. When he realized the Gods in the city and the Gods out here were quite different, Kierans interest skyrocketed.
The Gordor night was quiet.
Other than the patrolling soldiers, only some schrs gathered around for discussions.
Despite being some distance away and with windows in between, Kieran heard the arguments of the schrs.
Not a single one of them wanted to give up their opinion and yet each of them respected evidence and fact, they were so hardworking and keen to learn more.
The scene was exactly what Gordor should look like.
Nothing had changed in the little town except for the lord of Gordor, who went missing after the gue, and the people who got cured, spreading news about Demigod Ryan erasing the gue.
As for the lord, the people searched for him for days. The lord did an excellent job in ying his part, a lot of the people of Gordor acknowledging his identity but as time went by, the people who survived the gue had to live on, hence only a few of the closer kin continued their search for the lord.
As for Demigod Ryan?
Everyone pledged their devotion to Kieran. The fire in his mind told them the peoples feelings were true, at least for the time being.
Being forgetful was a part of human nature.
Kieran wouldnt force the people to feel a certain way, neither would he ask for it forcefully, because he had gotten what he was after.
The fire in his mind had grown bigger and as the news from Gordor spread to further ces, it would soon grow even bigger.
Kieran was quite confident with it because other than schrs, Gordor was known for its wandering minstrels.
Of course, other than the gains in the future, Kieran had gotten another one, a closer one to be exact.
[Absorbedrge amount of special gue energy, Knights of gue Body Tempering Art and gue Arrow increased, Constitution +2]
[Name: Knights of gue Body Tempering Art (Transcendence)]
[Rted Attribute: Constitution]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effect: After going through a dangerous start, you have learn the body tempering art that people dreaded, Constitution +7 (Basic +1, Entry +1, Master +1, Pro +1, Grand Master +1, Musou +1, Transcendence +1)]
[Special Effect: 1. Absorb gue; 2. Release gue; 3. Tenacious Body]
[Transcendence Option: gue Arrow II]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Constitution S]
[Remark: This is the origin of the gue, it has limited benefits to you but it bears a destructive power.]
[Note 1: You have acquired this skill through learning, not through a Skill Book. Therefore, you cannot upgrade it with Points and Skill Points. If you want to level it up, you will need to continue learning or acquire a Skill Book!]
[Note 2: This skill has reached its current limit.]
...
[Absorb gue: Absorb the gue energy in a considerable speed and has the range of 20 meter radius]
[Release gue: Release the gue energy in a extreme speed]
[Tenacious Body: Gains +5 buff on any Constitution authentication]
...
[gue Arrow II: After the body tempering art reaches Transcendence, you are officially a gue Knight. Youve also mastered the unique attacks of a gue Knight. Spend 2.5 hours to create a gue Arrow that can fire without a bow or crossbow at the target no further than 500 meters. Inflicts 1 Extreme rank pration damage and has Strong rank of gue infection (Even if the pration damage doesnt ur, the gue will spread). You can store the arrows, at most 3 arrows at once]
...
[Knights of gue Body Tempering Art] absorbed the special gue energy from gue of Decay. It boosted Kierans Constitution by 2 ranks, from a ZZZ+, Strong I rank to a near rank II, V level.
The increase in his Constitution was a surprise, but the more surprising thing was after [Knights of gue Body Tempering Art]s increase, it started to resonate with [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art].
It wasnt the faint resonance like before, but both body tempering art really connected in some way.
The Dawn Force and gue Force in his body was pumped out from one of his hearts, flowed through his entire body and entered Fusion Heart in the end. Throughout the whole process, the two Origin Forces got faster and faster, a full cyclepleted almost instantaneously.
The two Origin Forces had always changed his body in a constant speed and now in his new condition, it got a few times faster. It wasnt the old cultivation speed anymore, which would take at least a few decades to see the effect. Now, it would only require a few years.
But a few years was still too long for Kieran.
There may be some other way!
Kieran pondered upon the question as he walked.
He could no longer return to the dungeon world [The Failed Great Detective], but even if he could, his problems with his new condition wasnt something the old knight Guntherson could solve.
After all, he had a total of 5 Origin Forces in his hearts, not just Dawn and gue anymore.
Moments after [Knights of gue Body Tempering Art] got its new power up, Kieran tried to activate all 5 of his Origin Forces, wanting to see whether or not all 5 of his Origin Forces would work together to create some special chemical reaction.
However, the immense pain from his heart that came shortly after he activated all 5 Origin Forces told him what he should do.
Stop, and keep the idea for another day.
Is it my Constitution? Or the fusion between the Origin Forces? Or maybe the fusion between the Origin Forces has exceeded the limits of the heart?
More questions floated in Kierans mind, but no one was there to provide him with an answer.
He couldnt have sought the answer from someone else, all he could do was try his best to explore more options.
No doubt it would be a very difficult path, but fortunately, Kieran had gotten used to it.
After some walking around town, Kieran couldnt find anything about the God of Knowledge, not even the slightest of clue.
Failure resulted in a bad mood, but it would not beat him down.
Kieran sized up his surroundings again and started a second round of searching.
He went around Gordor again to double check before he went back to the manor with the mini tower. This time, he didnt go back to the house that kept the histories from 300 years ago. Instead, he went over to the house with the records of Gods, the house at the right corner of the manor.
The two houses looked exactly the same from the outside, but the inside was drastically different.
The former had over a hundred books in its racks and thetter only had two books on the empty racks.
One of the two books was Analytics of the temple developments in Naveya City, which he had read before. He picked it up, flipped it through roughly, and made sure it was the same book that he read before. He then turned his attention to the remaining book.
The book had a ck cover with a brown string tied over it, which formed a hard knot.
Then, the book slowly turned transparent under Kierans gaze, as if it was disappearing soon.
Kieran didnt react like anyone else, chasing after the book to prevent it from disappearing. Instead, he took a step back, summoned Gluttony, who had drool all over his mouth, and allowed the cardinal sins to take over.
Chapter 1467 - Compensation
Chapter 1467: Compensation
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The slowly fading book shook violently when Glutton jumped over it, as if the book had met its bane.
The fading speed was probably two times faster than before.
However, Gluttony always jumped on his food with 300% explosive speed, so the book was still a step too slow.
Gluttony grabbed the book, half of which had already vanished, shaking his hand and dragging the half vanished book back, revealing the whole cover.
Then?
Gluttony opened his mouth wide and put the book into it like it was beef jerky. After chewing a few times, Gluttony swallowed the whole thing.
N-Nice! Gluttony stuttered his feelings to Kieran.
Remember the taste? Kieran asked with a smile.
R-Remember! Gluttony nodded.
Can you find it? Kierans smile was still hanging over his face.
Can! Gluttony nodded again.
Then what are you waiting for? Now, I give you permission to eat anything, ANYTHING, that has the same taste as the book you just ate. The buffet willst until dawn... Kieran said calmly.
Before Kieran could even finish his words properly, Gluttony vanished on the spot.
W hen Gluttony went off, a sense of coldness appeared in Kierans eyes.
After he summoned Luphus for questioning and knew why the whole house that stored the books about Gods had only one Analytics of the temples developments in Naveya City on the rack, the coldness got fiercer.
No doubt it was a trap specifically targeted at him.
Who else in the whole of Gordor knew he would go into the house that stored the books about God history?
The answer was self-exnatory.
Other than the God of Knowledge who revealed himself before Kieran earlier, Kieran couldnt think of another possible candidate.
Although Kieran always held his guard up against a stranger or unknown existence, he wouldnt simply kill an innocent or unrted party.
But when hostility was shown?
KILL!
It was a rule Kieran lived by since day one.
Your Majesty, did you find the books about the history of the Gods? Luphus hadnt left after the initial questioning, instead continuing with a careful question.
Although Kieran was still as dull and expressionless as ever, the old wise man noticed something was different. However, he didnt dare to ask frankly.
Em, Kieran nodded and looked at Luphus, his meaning obvious enough.
I know some records about the Gods, but I cant assure you about their authenticity. That is why the books werent ced in this storage housea lot of people thought these records are nothing but ridiculous stories. If you need any of those, Ill send someone to get it for you, said Luphus.
Bring them here, said Kieran.
Right away, Luphus replied.
...
You think what you know is the truth ? You are just blinded by some confusing facts!
An old schr was mming the table fiercely, his slim figure making him seem exceptionally angry. After he mmed the table with his hand, it didnt just shook the sses, his palm even turned red.
Pain was spreading on his palm but the old schr didnt care. Instead, he went around the table and wanted to grab another schr, seemingly simr in age, by the cor.
The other old schr didnt want to show weakness and step back either, so he swung a punch at the the first schr.
I have my own unique viewpoint in this and you are jealous of my talents! You have always been like that since we were young!
The second old schr shouted at his peer and engaged in a fight as the first old schr came over.
The other colleagues of the two fighting schr tried to break them off and calm them down. Their faces showed nothing but bitter smiles because they had seen fights such as these countless times.
Every single time, it would end up in a mess and caused the other colleagues to be helpless. A whileter, the same scene would repeat itself.
Persistence! Stubborn!
It was a merit of every schr but at the same time a w as well.
Of course, every single one of the schrs present didnt think stubbornness was a w.
Sometimes, they even took pride in being stubborn.
While the schrs were engaged in their usual fighting, a seemingly normal book was shaking in the corner, none of them noticing because of the noisy scene. The book shook like it was sucking on something but he next moment, the shaking stopped abruptly.
A powerful palm grabbed it from the shadow and was then stuffed into a hungry mouth.
Munching sounded throughout the room and the power that enveloped everyone quickly dissipated.
Bang!
The rack that the book was on broke as if it was struck by lightning. The littlemotion stopped the two fighting schrs.
Hmph! I have to go tidy up the books! The first schr grunted coldy as he disengaged.
Dont you dare im you love books more than me! I am also a book lover!
The second schr didnt want to show weakness at all.
Their colleagues, however, blocked the two of them after a tacit agreement, thinking the fight would continue at the racks, but to their surprise, the two schrs didnt argue and fight anymore. Instead, they truly went over to the copsed rack and cleaned up the books; they worked exceptionally well together too.
Although along the process of tidying, the two of them would re at each other and blow a fuse, they didnt punch each other in the face anymore.
What a lucky rack!
The other schrs eximed and expressed their praise before helping the duo.
The two old schrs were no longer at the age of doingbour work.
The younger ones should train themselves harder with work, especially at night.
Inside another room, the bed was shaking as the couple were working on top.
Then, the young man jumped off the bed, barefoot and shirtless, running to the study room for a pink color book.
The position is still not right. How can a normal person achieve this kind of position...
Honey, where are you?
A sweet moanter, the young man gave up thinking. After a quick nce at the pink book, he was ready for a second round with a new position.
There must be one among the plethora of positions that would suit him.
After the young man returned to the bed, to his honey, the pink book tried to shake again amidst the squeaking sounds of the bed and ppings, but before it could, it was swallowed by a giant mouth. This time, the chewing didnt even happen and the book was swallowed straight to the stomach.
One book, two books, three books.
All the special books in Gordor were eaten one after another.
Each time a book got eaten, the translucent figure hiding in a corner of the manor trembled.
The translucent figure groaned in pain as if a part of its flesh was ripped away, but it didnt stop the figure from doing what it was doing: stuffing books into his cloth-wrapped bundle.
Thats right, the figure with the title of God of Knowledge wanted to run away!
He had never seen a man like Kieran: calm and vignt yet rampant and ruthless.
Most importantly, Kieran lived by his own rules.
The God of Knowledge knew should he appear and exin himself, the hungry monster would swallow him alive.
Likewise, if he didnt provide a satisfying answer to Kieran, he would be hunted down.
Therefore, the God of Knowledge quickly took out a piece of paper and wrote something down.
After his little message was written, he sensed the hungry monster getting closer. He grabbed his cloth-wrapped bundle and vanished into thin air, leaving the piece of paper falling down from the air.
Chapter 1468 - The Leaving During A Heroic Hymn
Chapter 1468: The Leaving During A Heroic Hymn
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran raised a brow at the piece of wet paper. Despite his efforts in trying to dry it off, it was still drenched in saliva.
Kieran ultimately didnt say anything when he looked at Gluttonys anxious and guilty face. Of course, he didnt take the paper with his own hands, telling Gluttony to hold it up for him to read.
There wasnt a paragraph on the paper, just two words: Ascend God.
Ascend God? Now I see!
Kieran released his furrowed brows a little.
He had been asking how the had Devourer appeared because based on the book Naveyan History, when Naveya City was formed, the Devourer had already been sealed by Hero Algor.
In simple words, if the seal hadnt been broken, the Devourer wouldnt have appeared.
Among every single soul in Naveya City, other than the so-called followers of the Devourer, no one had reason to break the seal, but now that Kieran saw the word ascend God, he realized the reasons were actually there.
Only a mortal could ascend to God, and what mortal in the world didnt want to be one?
Especially the servants of Gods that worked in the temple for their entire life; should they get the chance to ascend to Godship, they would not let it go. Even if they had to betray the God they served and believed in, it would be worth it!
That is why things went down in Hunter Temple. It wasnt the Hunter himself, but the followers...
As Kieran pondered upon the question, his brows unconsciously tightened again. He suddenly recalled what the God of Knowledge had said during their first meeting: history is hidden by the cunning hunter.
The Hunter was indeed a real hunter before he ascend to Godship.
Therefore, it was natural that most of his believers were skilled hunters!
A rather coincidental point was his believers might have betrayed and abandoned him.
Is this rted to them? Kieran unconsciously thought of the archpriest of Hunter Temple, Krecko, and the priest, Herasu.
If the duo were really behind all of this, Kieran had to praise them for doing an excellent job.
Not only did the duo cut offmunication with the Hunter, the other Gods of Naveya were also caught in this mess.
On top of that, the duo had brought enough refugees from Naveya to the south, the hidden Hunter Temple in the forest, at least by the looks of it.
As for what their real intentions were? Kieran wasnt sure, because... the God of Lightning!
The God of Lightning had been missing since the start of the series of events.
From the moment the Devourer appeared to when it was identally injured, the God of Lightning hadnt shown himself at all. It was recently that a believer of Lightning Temple came into the scene and was somehow rted to the gue.
Kieran had totally no idea what the God of Lightning wanted to achieve.
What is your real goal?
Unconsciously, Kierans fingers tapped on the wooden table softly. It was his little habit whenever he was thinking.
Meanwhile, Gluttony had been showing an apologetic face beside Kieran, carefully watching the scene. When Gluttony noticed Kieran wasnt angry, he was smart enough to walk into the shadows in the corner.
The paper drenched in saliva was ced on the table quietly.
Seconds turned into minutes, minutes to hours.
When the sun rose, horse gallops sounded outside Gordor Land. Kieran heaved a long breath and stood up from his chair. He couldnt stay here forever but that didnt mean he was ready to leave the ce.
Pride then walked out from the shadow in the corner. Kieran said with a smile, Ill have to leave things in your hands for a while.
Leave it to me, Pride nodded softly.
Then, Kieran stepped back into the shadow, vanishing, while Pride took his ce and opened the door.
Mizelle, who had been waiting outside the door, yed along and bowed respectfully.
Your Majesty, Mizelle greeted Pride.
DONG!
Behind Mizelle was a group of ck riders. They raised the sword in their hands, beat their chest tes and greeted Pride in a loud, unified voice.
YOUR MAJESTY!
The voices from the ck riders were as powerful as the waves, the people who had been watching the scene frightened instantly.
In Yort Fields, especially in Gordor, the people had never seen such smart and sharp elite soldiers. Even Luphus shared the same frightened expression.
The riders before his eyes reminded him of a certain rumour.
Is this them? Impossible! The fiercest bandits that roamed Smochker Hills are under his Majestysmand?
When the outrageous thought appeared in his mind, Luphus immediately discarded it from his head. Then, the wise man saw Kieran walked over, he felt a little different but the wise man knew he shouldnt ask so much. Luphus then opened the carriage door for Kieran.
The group of ck riders escorted the wagon out of Gordor Land, and when the group almost left, many voices sounded.
Your Majesty Ryan, thank you for everything youve done for us!
We will never forget it!
...
Many voices of gratitude came from the town entrance.
Elderly schrs, young men with harps on their backs, youngdies in pretty dresses, and innocent children with the purest expressions.
All of them gathered at the town entrance, voicing their gratitude loudly and bowing respectfully at the leaving wagon.
The wagon and the riders didnt stop. The townspeople stood still and saw them off quietly.
In the townspeoples point of view, it was a normal scene because they were sending off a demigod.
Gods were proud beings, they do not belong in the mortal realm, not even a demigod.
However, some of the children showed disappointment.
They remembered clearly the smiling face that had walked past them a few days ago, curing the gue that had tortured them.
The wagon and the ck riders rode on, almost out of sight of the townspeople.
Then, an area of soft white brilliance shone from all directions of the town.
It was warm andfortable.
Cheers came from the children right away, their innocent minds thinking it was the best reaction from the demigod.
In fact, it should be the best.
Bathing under the soft brilliance, even the elderly schrs felt energetic. They thanked the mercy of his Majesty, and likewise, they would not simply neglect such mercy given to them.
Every single one of the townspeople bowed at the leaving group again.
May you shine like the stars in the sky, evesting and bright.
May you shine like the light of dawn, bringing light and warmth to thend.
May you be kind like the afternoon breeze,fortable and forgiving of the people.
...
The words of blessing echoing in his ears, he felt the little fire in his mind jump a few times and Kieran couldnt help but lift the corner of his mouth into a smile.
Hisst minute effort of drawing the [Seal of Dawn] wasnt wasted. He turned around to Gluttony, who was helping him withst minute setups.
Can you still locate the taste? Kieran asked.
Can! Gluttony nodded.
The smile on Kierans face instantly grew brighter.
Under the beautiful song of praise, the two figures swiftly vanished.
Chapter 1469 - Do As You Wish
Chapter 1469: Do As You Wish
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
With his favourite books on his back, the God of Knowledge from Gordor happily walked on a forest path.
Although it was hard for him to leave Gordor Land behind, once he thought about getting away from that monstrous demigod, he was actually quite d.
He didnt want to end up in the monsters stomach. The hungry clone of the demigod looked at him like it was looking at some delicious food! The God of Knowledge was utterly sure of it!
Where did such a monstere from? I dont think Hero Algor from 300 years ago isparable to him, is he?
Whenever he thought about Hero Algor from 300 years ago, the God of Knowledge couldnt help but feel mncholy.
He was utterly sure something had happened back then, but he couldnt find out what exactly.
Even more so, he had been affected by that particr incident for all this time. It forbade him from absorbing faith from his believers to perfect himself, like how the other Gods did, leaving him to slowly absorb fierce and violent feelings in order to prolong his life.
Now, his only method of prolonging his life was cut off by that monstrous demigod.
Fortunately, the energy that he had saved up all these years would be enough for him to live very long, even for a God.
The God of Knowledge also believed the monstrous demigod would leave Gordor soon, and then he could return to his homnd.
If the demigod could help him recover the lost memories from 300 years ago along the way, it would be a nice surprise.
Should that happen, it was possible for him, the God of Knowledge, to be the demigods follower, at least if the demigod was powerful enough.
For a False God like him, with only a handful of battle experience, the monstrous demigod would be decent support.
After reading countless books, the God of Knowledge perfectly understood the saying give and take.
Of course, that would be a matter for another time.
Now? He had zero intention of being involved in that kind of life-threatening trouble.
From the moment he came to this earth, he understood how a God like him would be able to survive, just like what he was doing right now.
Following the memories in his mind, the God of Knowledge turned over obstacle after obstacle and reached a giant walnut tree.
Dok Dok Dok!
Owner of the walnut tree, please dont mind this abrupt visit!
A rhythmic knockter, the God of Knowledge spoke in a respectful manner.
He didnt just greet the tree, he even ced a book on the bulging spot of the roots.
After he saw the book vanish swiftly, the God of Knowledge couldnt help but smile.
The owner of the walnut tree was the God of the forest, a true God that could absorb the Power of Faith to perfect itself.
The owner of the walnut tree protected all life in the forest, and at the same time provided protection to travellers, with conditions of course.
Quietly, a door formed on the trunks of the walnut tree.
Come in, old book.
An old voice sounded from inside the tree.
The God of Knowledge smiled and walked inside.
Inside the walnut tree was a round room with many wooden tables and chairs. Vines fell down from the ceiling and a window was on the wall, providing a clear view of the forest outside.
An elderly man, whose long beard touched the floor, was standing in the middle of the room.
Compared to the long-bearded elderly in a gray robe, the God of Knowledges white hair and beard look unusually young.
Its been a while, owner of the walnut tree.
The God of Knowledge didnt mind the owner calling him an old book, greeting the owner with a smile.
It has been 130 years. Thest time you paid me a visit was because you stepped on the tail of that Darkness Visitor. What will it be this time? the owner of the walnut tree asked with his heavily-lidded eyes.
The owner already had wrinkles all over his face, his eyelids ovepping, making his face look like an old, dry, tree skin. The owner indeed look like an old tree who might die at any second.
A demigod, God of Knowledge answered honestly.
It was a fact that Kieran was considered a demigod, the God of Knowledge didnt lie and didnt want to lie.
A demigod? the owners wrinkles wriggled a bit, his tone dubious.
Em. A demigod who is a little too powerful, God of Knowledge added with a nod.
You really dont improve at all. You, a God, are afraid of a demigod? No matter how powerful he is, he is nothing but a demigod! the owner grunted angrily.
The owner had prepared many words to talk some sense into the God of Knowledge but before he could continue, the whole tree house shook.
Huh? He followed you here based on your scent? the owner jolted for a moment and smiled.
The owner then turned around and looked at the nervous God of Knowledge.
Since Ive epted your offerings, I will of course guarantee you safety... the ownerforted the God of Knowledge but before he could finish his words, the tree house shook again.
At the same time, some heavy noises echoed around the room; the vines hanging from the ceiling were waving, as if the whole tree house was copsing.
The owners heavy eyelids twitched along with the waving vines on his ceiling.
You really think that I am the same as old book over here?
Angered, the owner stomped his foot.
Immediately, the shaking stopped and the owner showed a confident smile.
He turned back to the God of Knowledge again.
He is just a demigod... aaaaaarh! Damn it! Let go of my leg!
Amid his painful screams, a formless mouth somehow appeared inside the tree house and bit the owner on the ankle of the foot that he just stomped.
The formless mouth even started to suck, other than a mere bite.
The ankle rapidly dried up as the biting and sucking got even more furious, spreading to his whole leg.
Gachak!
Without a second thought, the owner broke his leg with a furious punch. He knew if the formless mouth kept sucking on his ankle, he would be sucked dry but the pain of breaking his leg caused him to cry out in pain again.
Aaaaaargh!
Amid his painful cry, the vines hanging on his ceiling suddenly extended and grew thicker, throwing themselves towards the formless mouth, trying to whip it.
However, when the vines got close to the mouth, they were sucked in, uprooted instantly.
A colorful spider, as big as a human face, crawled out from the ground and spat its poisonous web at the formless mouth after the vine attacks.
Simr to the vines, the formless mouth ate everything like it was eating a big bowl of noodles; the colorful spider was eaten like a big meatball, loud crunches sounding from the mouth and juice dripping out from the corner of its mouth.
Another eye-catching red and green little frog, the size of a pinky finger, appeared on the owners shoulder. It inted its throat and croaked loudly, so loud that it sounded like a p of thunder, but it only sounded like that the first time.
When the little frog tried to croak for a second time, it became much softer.
It wasnt the frogs problem but it was also eaten by the mouth and with the limited space squeezing the inting throat, the croaks sounded a lot softer.
After the vines, the spider, and the frog were eaten, the owner of the walnut tree stopped his painful screaming.
He widened his eyes and the wrinkles on his face shook as he twitched out of anger.
Then, he waved his hand and the God of Knowledge beside him vanished.
A dizzy scer, the God of Knowledge got back on his feet, realizing he was outside the walnut tree.
Owner of the walnut tree, how can you break your promise, youve epted my offering...
Pak!
A book fell from the sky and onto the God of Knowledges head, stopping his words right away.
More importantly, the God of Knowledge saw the ck figure walking towards him.
I-Its been awhile Lord Ryan! I-Its my pleasure to be able to see you again! What do you need of me? I will service you with my best efforts!
When that cold, dull gaze caught God of Knowledge, he quickly crawled on the ground and cried out loudly.
Chapter 1470 - Follower
Chapter 1470: Follower
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The God of Knowledge, who was crawling on the ground, felt a sharp gaze on his body. It felt like a de slicing his flesh, not only painful but also frightening.
Without a doubt, the old book spoke the secret in his heart.
Lord Ryan! I never lied to you! I am sure something did happen 300 years ago, but I dont have that particr memory with me! That is why I became what I am now, a False God of sorts! The owner of the walnut tree can prove my words!
The old book pointed at the walnut tree that expelled him.
He still could pick up the presence of the owner, who, although heavily injured, hadnt died just yet, so it would be possible for the owner to be his witness.
However, the very next moment, the forest started to disappear, tree hole after tree hole left behind as the trees uprooted themselves into nothingness.
The old tree had obviously learned a lesson from the old book by not leaving a bit of presence as he left.
The old book was stunned.
He then pointed at his left, the little curly stream, with crystal clear water.
The owner of Dal Stream can prove it as well!
Faw!
As his words subsided, the flowing stream stopped abruptly, the crystal clear water disappearing, eventually leaving behind a wet river path.
There is also... There is also the Dolder Caves...
Groooom!
The old book turned around and tried to mention the caves, but before he could finish, or even raise his hand, the short, little hill behind him copsed.
The old book was stunned.
He never thought these Gods, who were swollen with pride during normal times, would be so unreliable.
Once he thought about the offerings he provided them every year, the old book felt heartbroken. But the most painful fact was that he had run out of leverage.
Gulp!
Gluttony swallowed his saliva loudly, frightening the old book and causing his body to shiver.
Then, the old book started to cry and snot, I know every knowledge, every history about Yort Fields and its neighbouringnds for the past 500 years! I know mystical knowledge that normal people wouldnt ever learn! I also know a lot of secret spells and techniques from unrecorded books! Please, dont eat me!
The God of Knowledge cried out loud while trying to prove his worth, taking out book after book from his cloth bundle and presenting them to Kieran.
Kieran simply went through the books.
Just as he had expected, all the mystical knowledge in the books was only around Master level and the so-called secret spells and techniques were in an even lower level. Most of them were just some Average spells, only a few of them Magic rank, and for Kieran in his current power level, the things the old book offered had little to no benefit to him.
However, no matter how small the gains from the offerings, Kieran didnt alter his initial thoughts: hed never let Gluttony eat the God of Knowledge.
After all, Kieran was quite curious about the Gods in this dungeon world, he ought to know more about them.
Sign this.
A follower contract was thrown in front of the old book.
Without any hesitation, or even a second thought, the old book took the contract and wrote his name: Canbenor.
Canbenor then stood up with the contract, offering it back to Kieran respectfully.
My lord, do you want anything to eat? I know many of the hideouts of the Gods in Yort Fields and I am quite familiar with their habits and traits.
After Kieran kept the contract, Canbenor put in his suggestion right away.
He reacted exactly like Luphus when he first woke up from being knocked out.
No, Canbenor was more... devoted?
Kieran looked at the expression on the old books face, taking him quite a while to think of a word to describe it.
Although it was a little insulting to use the word devoted, he couldnt find a better word to fill in the nks.
You hate them? Kieran asked.
I am now your follower, my lord. Everything will be prioritized after you and things that can further empower your strength will be my utmost priority, the old book bowed and answered.
Hate? A little.
The other Gods took a lot of his offerings, but once misfortune hit him, none of them dared to step up and stand by his side. Every single one of them had ran.
It will be a lie if he said he didnt hate all of them.
But! Canbenor wouldnt say it out loud.
He knew how precious an honest man was and how gruesome death would be.
He had seen a lot of simr people and he didnt want his own death to be that horrible!
He wanted to live long enough to be a True God, to get his own temple and believers!
With a dream in his heart, why would he simply voice the truth?
However, as the God of Knowledge of Gordor, he knew he couldnt lie either.
The demigod before him wasnt someone that he could brush off with mere lies.
Therefore, he said something that would lean towards the demigods favour.
Canbenor devoted himself to serving the demigod, because only then would his dreame true.
When the demigod truly ascended to Godship, as his follower, ascending to Godship together wouldnt be terribly hard. Moreover, Canbenor was already a False God, so it would be a lot easier than other followers.
How could he allow some random John Doe or some weird fe climb over his head and beat him to it, right?
This is perfect!
The old book told himself in his heart, but he quickly regretted his decision.
Kieran didnt say anything, simply looking at his new follower with a cold gaze, increasing the pressure on the old book.
Sweat appeared all over his forehead. He felt a formless hand grab his heart , ravaging and trying to crush it.
Canbenor followed his heart and knelt down again.
My lord, I admit that I acted selfishly just now. I hate them because they epted my offerings but didnte out and help me. And...
Canbenor had forgotten all the perfect praise in his mind that he had given himself; all that was left in his mind was figuring out how to beg for Kierans forgiveness.
How did youe to be?
Kieran spoke and stopped the crying begs from Canbenor.
How did Ie to be? Well, I was once a normal person who lived in Gordor, and one day, I suddenly found a book in the collection house. I read it like any other book but when I finished it, I realized Id gotten powers and became the God of Knowledge in Gordor Land.
Canbenor didnt even bother to wipe away his tears and started to tell his story.
A book? Does it share a simr presence with this item?
A thought struck Kieran, taking out the gold coin that he had once gotten for killing Lady Wealth.
Looking at the gold coin, which was as big as a childs palm, Canbenor widened his eyes inconceivably, nodding repeatedly.
Yes! Yes! It is simr but mine was much weaker, said the old book honestly.
Kieran then squinted his eyes.
For a moment there, Kieran thought of a lot more things but before he could truly ponder upon the question, a picture came into his mind that made him squint his eyes in an unusual shine.
I see, this is what happened... Interesting, Kieran muttered.
Chapter 1471 - Big Discovery
Chapter 1471: Big Discovery
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Sloth had been calcting over 10 thousand times in his mind, his stamina quickly depleting, thus causing him to slow down his steps, especially when he entered the temple district.
All sorts of beings that lurked in the temple district forced him to keep away all his powers. His host could easily kill all of them, even Pride could if he brought out his best, but Sloth himself?
Well, Sloth had always been a pacifist.
If he could lie down, he would never stand: if he could sleep, he would never open his eyes.
So, Sloth was wriggling on the ground, his eyes half-open as he slowly made his way to Lightning Temple. He wasnt wriggling like a maggot though, because a maggot was faster than him.
Holding back his urge to yawn, Sloth crawled along the shadows, sneaking past monster patrols and heavily guarded outposts, one after another.
The presence of patrols and outposts told Sloth that these monsters possessed a certain level of intellect, but definitely not too smart, at most around amon mans level.
After two more hours of crawling on the ground, Sloth finally got close to Lightning Temple.
When he sensed the terrifying presence from inside the temple, which was 10 times scarier than the rest, Sloth became more careful. If he was wriggling before, he was now moving muscle by muscle.
However, no matter how long the journey, there would always be an end.
After five tedious hours, Sloth finally got through the outer area of Lightning Temple and made his way into the grand hall.
But the moment he arrived at the grand hall, he was shaken.
Unlike the terrifying presence he felt outside, there was nothing scary inside. Nothing at all, not even a single monster, which should have swarmed the ce.
Sloth then circled the temple, carefully checking the ce and making sure it was monster-free.
Hiszy, tired face then showed an interest, but was quickly reced by a yawn.
Searching was quite fascinating, but not as fascinating as taking a good nap.
A momentter, Sloth vanished.
...
Amid the rough waves, Bloody Mary the High demon was gliding above the water as fast as a sailfish.
Bang!
A loud sshter, a tentacle as wide as two grown men sprung out from the waters but Bloody Mary dodged it as though it had foresaw the attack.
After the dodge, Bloody Mary dived into the ocean and swam towards the ocean bed.
Bang Bang Bang!
The moment Bloody Mary dived into the ocean, ten more tentacles of the same size threw themselves at the High Demon, over its head, as if they were a big trying to catch a fish.
Unfortunately, Bloody Marys figure was nowhere to be seen.
Do you think the same attack will work on me twice?
Bloody Mary curled its lips into a disdainful grin as it traveled rapidly underwater.
With the cost of dying over a hundred times, it had made itself very familiar to this sea area.
The memories of death were the scariest, leaving a heavy impression.
Anyone who died a hundred times in the same ce would have a fresh memory of the ce, even an idiot. More so, Bloody Mary was no idiot.
It gazed into the muddy waters.
Monster after monster appeared in its sight.
Some were sharp as des, some were huge, some were colorful, and a lot more of them were in various, weird shapes and sizes.
Bloody Mary effectively dodged the monsters based on their usual attacking pattern, knowledge that it had gained by dying over a hundred times.
Whenever Bloody Mary couldnt dodge in time, it would turn into its illusory form, trying its best to hide its presence and slowing its speed.
Bloody Mary had never seen this many monsters.
Even though it had followed Kieran into many dungeon worlds and been on many adventures, witnessing this many monsters was a first.
The kingdom of monsters!
It was the name Bloody Mary gave to the sea area.
This time around, Bloody Mary was going towards the deepest part of this monstrous kingdom: the most chaotic part within the darkness.
However, before it truly got near, its body was pressured heavily to the point where it started to distort by the pressure emanated from the deepest part.
Had Bloody Mary stayed in material form, the pressuring presence alone would have crushed every organ or maybe even take its life in an instant.
It was really fortunate to not die for once!
Bloody Mary heaved a long breath and continued forward.
But at the next moment...
Sssss!
Snake hisses suddenly echoed in his ears.
It wasnt just loud, it was also threatening.
The myriad of monsters that swam around the area scattered away like frightened rabbits, but not Bloody Mary. It stayed behind, despite its crying face.
What could it do?
This was the task that its contractor had assigned to it.
What would be of it should he fail to deliver the results?
Locked away on the shelf or even thrown into the trash.
In most cases, the two possible oues would be the end but Bloody Mary knew it would not belong in either one because it knew its contractor and how stingy he was. Its contractor would make the best use of everything.
I dont want to be nutrients for the other bastards! And I will not be some fertilizer in the backyard!
With this stern belief in its mind, Bloody Mary moved forward again. It then truly arrived before the darkness and swam inside easily.
Then...
Bloody Mary widened its eyes!
What did it see?
The Devourer!!
The Devourer that was feared by the Gods of Naveya!
The Devourer whose body was cut in half by Kieran!
But now, its body seemed to have recovered from the cut!
Amid the dark ocean, the Devourer was curled up on the ocean bed, towering like a pir that could pierce the surface. One would unconsciously feel petty and their body would shiver out of difort.
The moment Bloody Mary saw the Devourer, it shut its eyes.
Bloody Mary knew the power of the Devourer very well; even its contractor had to give his fullest to engage the gigantic snake!
Therefore, Bloody Mary would never be a match!
It chose death right away, but after closing its eyes, the death that it anticipated didnt arrive.
A secondter, Bloody Mary opened one of its eyes into a small seam, peeking at the Devourer. It ought to know what had happened, but what it saw made it widen both its eyes right away.
The Devourer curling up was ridiculously gigantic, its presence surely terrifying.
It may be even more powerful than how Bloody Mary remembered but despite the sheer size, it didnt move.
It wasnt asleep and certainly wasnt sealed up, but something more profound had happened, something stranger!
As if the Devourer had... no soul!
Bloody Mary swam out of the darkness without a second thought and when it reached optimal distances, it reported to Kieran through the special link they shared.
Big discovery! Biggest discovery of the ages! If I am right... Oh wait, tsk! Why am I deducing all this, its his job! Ill leave everything to him. Im just some pitiful demon who gets exploited and never gets paid, never gets any bonus or holiday. But... damn, its good to be alive!
Bloody Mary closed its eyes, opening its arms as if it wanted to hug the world. It didnt notice a monster as big as a whale behind it, looking at it with a doubtful gaze.
The monstrous whale-like monster seemed to not understand how could a person be this deep in the ocean.
Its doubts didnt stop it from opening itsrge mouth, however, sucking everything in front of its mouth into its stomach.
Chapter 1472 - No Need To Thank Me
Chapter 1472: No Need To Thank Me
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The southern forest at night.
A figure was shuttling along the woods swiftly. When the figure reached a tall bush, he lowered his body and sized up his surroundings.
Cucooo! Cucooo!
Hoots came from the figures mouth.
A bitter, another figure, who had blended in with the forest, appeared before the formers sight.
The second figures undercover skill wasnt that great, it was just that the camouge equipment on him was meticulously crafted, to the point where it could fool peoples eyes.
As long as the figure held his breath and lowered his body, he would really look like a bush in the night.
Outpost master! The traitors temple is just ahead of us, and...
The first figure, a knight that went out scouting, reported with a sense of anger.
For a temple knight who escaped death in Naveya, no amount of rage would be considered too great for the culprit who had caused Naveyas destruction. When the scouting knight found out something, killer intents rose in his heart.
And what? Nelson asked in a heavy tone, as thoughts came into his mind.
The archpriests and officiants of other temples were all murdered! All by the hands of the traitor! The others are all the traitors men and they are deceiving the people! the knight reported honestly.
He will be punished in the harshest way possible for his crimes! Nelson squeezed out the words from his clenched teeth and tightened his fist.
As a knight from Thorn Temple, despiting temporarily taking up the position of Arya Outpost Master, Nelson hadnt forgotten his own beliefs because of the distance.
Quite the opposite, Nelson upheld the creed of a knight to his heart, solidifying his faith and beliefs for Lady Thorn, despite the distance and the passing of time.
Therefore, when Lord Demigod discovered the truth about the destruction of Naveya City in an ident, Nelson chose to believe it without a question, joining the group in marching south. In Nelsons point of view, Lord Demigod was once the archpriest and chief knight of Lady Thorn, so what he said must be the truth, no questions asked.
Facts then proved that Nelsons choice was correct.
Without further ado, Nelson waved his hand. Two hundred more figures stood up in the forest.
Unlike normal soldiers, these figures were strong and buff, yet swift and agile, even the night couldnt block their sight.
Elites! Or in other words, knights!
These knights were carefully selected from Thorn Temple knights who were stationed in Arya Outpost and Harvest Temple Knights who came back from the west.
March on!
Nelson put out a hand sign and two hundred figures swiftly blended into the night.
...
The archpriest of Hunter Temple... No, in a more precise manner, the ex-archpriest and the current God Kindred was standing in the grand hall of the temple.
In front of him was the statue of the Hunter, still tall and magnificent, another statue being built up quickly by the workers as he watched the construction process. Compared to the towering statue of the Hunter, the statue in progress was slightly shorter but much more meticulously crafted, its details on the next level.
Looking at the statue in progress that has his own face, Krecko showed a delighted smile.
Everything was unfolding to his expectations.
Using the archpriests and officiants of other temples to control the civilians was a piece of cake for him. There was no need for earth-shaking scenes, all Krecko needed was their mouth to tell the civilians that he, Krecko, will be the figure to rebuild Naveya City.
After that? It was up to the civilians imaginations.
After all, throughout the history of Naveya City, there were more than one mortal who had ascended to Godship.
It wouldnt be too much for Krecko to join the fray.
Godship...
Kreckos gaze on the statue somehow became misty and filled with admiration.
Krecko grew up in the temple and was one of the people who was closest to God. He had fantasized more than once about having that kind of mighty power and influence.
He hid his ulterior thoughts very well though, to the point that even the Hunter didnt notice.
He had fooled a God!
Once he thought about the feat achieved by a mere mortal, Krecko couldnt hold back his joy and delight. Even more so as his position went up, higher and higher, eventually bing the archpriest of Hunter Temple, his joy and delight overflowing.
When all was quiet in the dead of night, Krecko would gaze at the brightest spot inside the temple: the ce where the Gods statue stood.
That ce was known as the ce for the Gods whenever they arrived on earth.
But, what about it?
Krecko fooled the Hunter nheless.
Somehow, restlessness started to grow in his heart and soon enough, the restlessness taught him what he really sought.
A servant to the Gods? No! He sought after the God itself, he desired Godship!
Uncontroble ambitions bloomed in Kreckos heart shortly after, starting to go on a rampage in his heart, but the ex-archpriest did not act recklessly.
As the person closest to the God, he knew how powerful one was and what they could do.
He carefully and slowly plotted his grand n.
One year passed, then five years, followed by ten...
More than a decade in nning was extremely long for a mortal, but Krecko wouldnt be beaten by time. Instead, he strengthened his thoughts throughout the years, because he saw a lot of chances.
The unjust owner of Lightning Temple.
The ruthlessness of the Interrogator.
The hypocrisy of Harvest and Mercy.
The merciless ughter of War.
The rashness of Valiant.
The infatuation of Love.
The ridiculousness of Melody.
There were many more chances that Krecko saw but it wasnt enough. Although inciting war between them would greatly damage Naveya, it wasnt what he sought.
What Krecko wanted was something more thorough, something more effective: the destruction of Naveya altogether.
Only when Naveya was destroyed to its roots, the Gods eradicatedpletely, could he rise from the ashes and ascend to Godship.
Then, his wait had gotten a reply: a chance.
Anxico the Follower contacted him before, Krecko tested it out multiple times before he eagerly agreed to Anxicos deal. After that, Krecko started to plot everything from the dark.
Despite idents like Ryan in his n, everything was still progressing smoothly.
10 years! No! Another 5 more years and I will be a real God!
Krecko said to himself in utmost confidence as he gazed at the statue in progress.
The temple personnel were different frommon civilians. During the evacuation from the city, other than their identity and the skills mastered, their devotion was very key to determine whether they could join the convoy in leaving. Therefore, only the most devoted temple personnel were selected as seeds to their respective temples.
Too bad... a missing part. Otherwise it would be much shorter before I can be a God. Krecko sighed helplessly.
Unfortunately, it couldnt be helped because before he truly ascended to God, he had no power or authority to turn the situation around, but it didnt mean he would sit back and do nothing.
Its time for you to leave, and its my time to step on the center stage!
Krecko thought in his heart as he kept gazing at the Hunters statue.
How could a temple worship two Godly statues?
There would only be one and it would be Kreckos, the God of Recreation, Krecko!
What about the Hunter then?
As the archpriest... ex-archpriest of Hunter Temple, he would soon deliver the sad news to the peoplehis Majesty the Hunter had fallen.
Ryan, I really have to thank you for creating the scene of a fallen God to those fools. Otherwise, it would really be a hassle to describe to them...
Before Kreckos delightful mumbled ended, a cold re shed over his neck.
Kreckos voice halted and a prideful voice echoed throughout the entire grand hall.
Ill be taking this thank you.
A hand came out from the shadow, grabbing Krecko by the hair and pulling backwards. His head separated from his body right away and blood gushed out like a fountain from the severed neck.
Pak!
The headless body fell on the ground.
Chapter 1473 - Unexpected?
Chapter 1473: Unexpected?
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The headless body fell to the ground. The workers, who were building the statue, were stunned, panic breaking out. Screams and shouts followed instantly.
Assassin!
Assassin!
Lord Krecko has been assassinated!
...
As they voiced their panic and fear through their screams, the workers scattered away.
Pride stood where he was and didnt stop them. His target wasnt the workers.
Looking down at the head in his hand, Prides arrogant face showed an expression of sudden realization.
Now I see! No wonder the host changed his ns! But...
Sou!
The thoughts in his heart didnt slow down his movements or lower his guard. When the air-breaking arrow whistle sounded, Pride had already dodged it.
Bang!
After a loud noise, a refined iron arrow plunged into the wall behind Pride.
The arrow didnt just plunge into the wall, it created a sizeable crater upon impact, cracks spreading around it.
Such an arrow far surpassed the power of amon bullet,parable to some big caliber sniper rifle.
What if such an arrow hit the body?
The force would probably tear the person apart.
Pride wasnt bothered by it. He arrogantly looked at Herasu, with a bow, and the group of 30 archers behind him.
Herasu was obviously the one who had fired the powerful arrow. Now, the 30 archers drew their bows back with loaded arrows, aiming at Pride.
RYAN?!
Herasu was shocked and angered when he saw Kreckos headless body on the floor, and when he saw the head in Prides hand, he shouted FIRE!
Sou sou sou sou sou!
It was like a storm in summer, the arrow rain instantly enveloping Pride.
The arrow rain was so concentrated that it felt like 300 archers had fired them instead of 30.
The ck greatsword appeared in Prides hand and ced in front of him as a makeshift shield.
Dang Dang Dang Dang Dang!
The arrowsnded on the ck greatsword, causing countless sparks upon impact.
However, the arrows didnt fall to the ground after being deflected by the greatsword. Instead, they turned mid-air, changing direction and flying towards Prides nks faster than before.
The arrows didnt just get faster, they also emanated a faintyer of brilliance!
It wasnt just pure white brilliance, a dash of metallic lustre was also mixed in; it was cold and sharp.
Puk!
One after another, all the 30 archers who fired the arrows fell to the ground as blood gushed out of their mouths.
It was obvious that such powerful arrows had burden far surpassing what their body could endure, but no one cared about themselves at the moment.
When they saw Kreckos dead body, these archers, who had pledged their utmost loyalty, were ready to risk their lives.
Whenever one risked their lives, they might be able to turn the situation around.
Of course, that was only if the gap of strength was still within a reasonable range.
However, when the gap of strength was ridiculously huge, like the one between heaven and earth, even if they died for a cause, it would be useless, simr to what was happening now.
Fhwaaa!
ck me burned the glimmering arrows.
The lustrous brilliance of the arrow instantly turned dark and the arrow itself started to fall apart due to corrosion.
One after another, they fell off the air.
Aaaaaarh!
Agonizing cries followed shortly after. The archers who were already on the ground burst into ck mes and a breaths timeter, every single one of them were burned to cinders.
The arrows they fired held a fragment of their souls and when a fragment of their souls was burned away, how could their bodies be spared?
Herasus face turned ugly looking at the scene.
He drew his bow and fired arrows repeatedly.
Sou Sou Sou Sou!
Pak Pak Pak Pak!
But Pride struck down every single one of them.
Each time Herasu took a step backward, Pride would move forward a step.
Although the secret Hunter Temple hidden in the woods shared the same structure as the one in Naveya City, its size and scales were a few times smaller.
Therefore, Herasu soon reached the walls. When he felt the walls behind his back, despair shed over Herasus eyes, which soon transformed into a frenzy.
Ha
Another arrow was fired.
However, unlike the previous arrows, this arrow was already emanating the lustrous brilliance as it was loaded onto the string, and when it was fired, it flew out like aet.
Sou!
The arrow flew out like aet and the person who fired it followed it like its shadow.
Herasu didnt care about the blood gushing out from his mouth and nose, grabbing the short knife around his waist and gazing at Pride like a hawk.
Fuaa!
ck mes once again engulfed theet-like arrow but even with the ck me, burning off the lustrous brilliance which was stronger than before took a longer time and the little buffering time would be enough for the arrow to hit Pride.
Dang!
A loud metal clunking soundter, the arrow with theet-like brilliance was struck away.
Likewise, because of the swinging greatsword, Pride revealed his body behind the de.
Herasu thenunched his short knife directly at Prides neck.
DIE! Herasu shouted out of frenzy and despair.
However, his face suddenly turned gloomy and sour because Pride hadunched a kick, faster than himself, and it hadnded precisely at his chest.
Bang!
Kaboom!
Amid the bone cracking noise, Herasu crashed on the wall behind him as if he had been ran over by a speeding truck. The tremendous power from the kick was poured into Herasu, turning him into a human cannonball as he crumbled against the sturdy wall and buried himself under the rubble.
Herasus breathing and his presence was swiftly vanishing; Pride turned away.
Puk!
The moment Pride turned around, a palm went through his body from the back, bursting out from his chest.
Pride looked down at the bloody hand with his own bone shards and organ bits, not able to hold back his little grin.
Its just like your expectation.
Soon enough, Pride kept away his little grin. He had to pretend to turn around with all his might.
While feeling the struggle from his hand, Herasu couldnt hold back his smile.
Ryan, Ryan, Ryan.
Herasu muttered the alias as he smiled, shaking and retracting his hand, throwing Pride on the ground.
Herasu wanted to see the shock and inconceivable look on Prides face, so he purposely threw the cardinal sin down with the face up, allowing Pride to have a clear view.
Arent you surprise?
Herasu smiled and asked. His face was free of any dirt or dust.
But the oue was disappointing for him.
Pride, on the ground with a hole in his chest, didnt show any shock or surprise, only arrogance.
The arrogance had been around since the beginning and it would not change, ever.
Pride looked at Herasu with utmost arrogance. He was the one dying on the ground and yet he looked at his opponent like a king in his prime.
Idiot, said Pride.
Chapter 1474 - Gradually Getting Clearer
Chapter 1474: Gradually Getting Clearer
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Herasu was shaken, the danger he sensed making him instinctively step away, but Pride was faster.
Pride grabbed Herasus ankle and...
Fuaaa!
The zing Devil me with its unique roar flew in from outside the temple, crashing into Herasu.
Kaboom!
Fiery waves exploded and scorching heat rumbled.
The temple wasnt that big to start with, so the whole ce fell into a sea of fire in an instant, as if a ming devil was wreaking havoc.
Dak Dak Dak.
Amid the loud and strong footsteps, a figure that almost merged with the night walked along the wall that Herasu had crashed slowly.
The moment the dark figure stepped into the sea of fire, the fire paused for a moment before flying up to the sky.
The Devil Force in Kierans heart was restless, rumbling tirelessly, as it was eager to tear its foe into pieces.
Unlike the other Origin Force, this one was of the devils unique hobby but with Kierans stern willpower on top, the devil calmed down and ceased its eagerness.
Simr to how it knew its hobby, it knew its position well enough too.
A conflict between its hobby and position?
Non-existent.
Kieran reached out and pulled Pride up, not really helping the cardinal sin up though, because he knew had he done so, Pride would have turned him down.
Prides arrogance would tone down a bit before Kieran, but that didnt mean Kieran could do whatever he liked, without the slightest consideration.
Ill leave it to you, said Pride, vanishing into the fire.
Even after dying, Pride could be reborn in Kierans heart, but if he was an undead, would he be willing to experience truth death?
Pride wasnt the other entric demon, who viewed death as a ferocious beast, yet got entangled by it.
Fuaa!
A second after Pride vanished, a ball of Devil me appeared in Kierans left hand and was smashed on the ground at his feet.
Kakrooom!
An explosion went off. Herasu, who was crying in agony in the mes, waspletely killed off by the second st, all signs of life fading away from the charred body, but Kieran wasnt going to stop there.
Balls of Devil me fired out like machine gun bullets, crashing into Herasu repeatedly. The furious firing finally stopped when Herasu was nothing but cinders.
Kieran then turned around and looked at the statue towering over the sea of mes. Despite being surrounded by ferocious mes, the statue looked as delicate as ever.
Very smart of you, as expected of an assassin. Can you tell me how you found out? I thought I silenced all of my presence and aura.
The statue of Krecko suddenly spoke like a real person, with moving lips, its face showing confusion and curiosity.
Kieran didnt answer, looking at the statue of the Hunter beside Kreckos instead.
After that many sts of Devil me, the Hunters statue wasnt just charred, it suffered many cracks on its surface.
On the other hand, Kreckos statue was still clean, not even a single scratch seen on the surface.
Hahahaha! I see! Its my mistake.
Loudughter came from the statues mouth and at the next moment, with its continuous generousughs, the statue walked down its altar.
Three stepster, the statue was in front of Kieran.
Join me, what do you think? Dont reject me out of impulse, think about it. Dont forget, this is also a rare opportunity for you.
The statue looked down at Kieran and voiced its offer.
No thank you, Kieran rejected in a straightforward manner.
I say dont reject out of impulse, think about it, give it some real thoughts. Its rare for me to have my eyes on a mortal, you are actually the first. Perhaps you still dont know who I am...
The God of Lightning.
Kierans calm words interrupted the statues offer. The statue was shocked, beforeughing out loud again, theugher as generous and bold as before.
You are really smart mortal! Tell me, what else do you know? the statue asked with a smile.
I also know your other two identities. Kieran answered.
Oh? Really? Which two? The statue asked in an interested tone.
The Devourer and Hero Algor, Kierans calm voice spoke the answer that would shock anyone who heard it.
Seems like what Ive tried to hide 300 years ago had failed. I am certain that I erased everything, how did you discover it?
The statue sighed, feeling depressed by the revtion, but also somewhat proud of its doings. It was reacting like a child whose little mischievous deeds had been exposed, the questions that came out from the statue after that sounding like a curious child also.
As long as it existed, there would be traces left behind. Erase it, and more traces would pile up.
Of course Kieran wouldnt tell the statue the truth.
When Sloth came back with the news, stating that Lightning Temple was looking strong on the outside but empty on the inside, and there was not a single monster lurking around the temple, Kieran had felt weird.
Who would have spent that much effort in protecting Lightning Temple when Naveya City had fallen?
Thats right, protecting!
Based on what Sloth had described, other than protection, Kieran couldnt think of anything else.
Other than the God of Lightning himself, who else had the most suspicions?
None! Only the God himself would protect his own temple and only he had the power to do so.
At first, Kieran suspected that the God of Lightning had teamed up with the Devourer to bring destruction to Naveya City. However, after Bloody Mary discovered the Devourers empty vessel, Kieran discarded his initial spections.
How could the Devourer work with the God of Lightning if that gigantic snake had only been an empty vessel?
Even though the Devourer had power beyond imagination, one wouldnt want to work with an empty vessel.
Therefore, there must be someone who controlled this vessel to bring out its destructive power.
So, the million dor question was, who controlled the Devourers vessel?
After connecting the news from Sloth to the Devourers empty vessel, Kieran thought of someone who should have appeared on the battlefield during the destruction of the city but was a no-show throughout the battle: the God of Lightning!
The God of Lightning and the Devourer were one!
Kieran was quite shaken when he came up with the theory, but starting off from there, everything made sense and connected smoothly.
300 years ago, Hero Algor saved Naveya City from the Devourer, but in the end, the Hero himself hadnt ascend to godship. Instead, his followers all became the New Gods.
It was quite unbelievable, frankly speaking.
The conspiracy theories hadnt stopped for almost three centuries and Kieran was one of the conspiracy theorists.
He once believed Hero Algor was poisoned, thus failing to ascend to godship, but after the theory of God of Lightning and the Devourer were one, Kieran didnt think that way anymore.
Regardless of how powerful Hero Algor was, he would be no match for the God of Lightning, or rather, if Hero Algor was really that powerful, the God of Lightning would have ceased to exist.
Ultimately, the God of Lightning lived on, as did the Devourer, but Hero Algor disappeared.
If God of Lightning did kill Hero Algor, Kieran didnt think the God of Lightning would be so generous to allow Hero Algors followers to ascend to godship, sparing their lives was already the least he could do.
Allowing outsiders to sleep in his own bed?
Allowing his enemies to grow to his own level?
Kieran didnt assume God of Lightning, the most powerful God in Naveya, was someone as kind as that.
No matter how secretive a secret was, it would be discovered one day.
Once the Gods of Naveya realized the God of Lightning and the Devourer were one, what would the Gods, who were once Hero Algors follower, do?
The answer was self-exnatory, even an idiot knowing the oue.
Was the God of Lightning moved by Hero Algors noble personality, deciding to give up on ughtering the heros followers?
Or maybe the heros followers were moved by how mighty the God of Lightning was, deciding to give up their revenge?
Stop joking, this isnt some kind of fantasy novel.
Therefore, another theory came into Kierans mind: Hero Algor was also a role that God of Lightning yed.
Only then it made sense why the God of Lightning spared the heros followers in the first ce: they were one.
Of course, the followers were spared the truth, or rather, only a part of the truth was made known to them.
Think about how God of Lighting favoured Lady Wealth when she fought with Lady Thorn.
When Kieran fought Lady Wealth, the Goddess of Wealth became furious over Kierans words. After Kieran rted her wrath to her past identity of Hero Algors lover, some things were made clear to him.
Of course, God of Lightning controlling the Devourer and ying the Hero himself wasnt just for fun; he had a grand scheme in his mind.
What was it then?
The vanished Gods of Naveya had said it all; the God of Lightning was just rearing livestock.
ording to the old books, Canbenor, description of his own process of ascending to godship, plus the follow up questions, Kieran was sure the other Gods of Naveya shared a simr process. The Gods were much stronger than the God of Knowledge, but the roots were still the same.
Canbenor was able to target schrs and minstrels to absorb nutrients. Had he been in hisplete form, the nutrients, which were peoples emotions, would transform into a higher level of Power of Faith.
God of Lightning was also able to absorb the Power of Faith from his own believers.
It was a natural process when Naveya was just a little town, back in the days. However, as the poption increased, and the little town would grew into a big city, the God of Lightning became unwilling and jealous, he needed more, if not all, of the Power of Faith.
He was the one and only God of Lightning, the strongest of them all!
His strength was undeniable but he wasnt able to get all the Power of Faith from the city.
Therefore, a new option came into his mind: devour all the faith.
Kieran didnt know how the Devourer came to be, but he knew because of the Devourers appearance, it urged the God of Lightning to pick suitable targets to participate in his little hero y. When all the targets were raised to a suitable and powerful level, the Devourer woulde forth and devour them all.
Throughout the process, the God of Lightning arranged the Followers, betrayals, and many other elements.
Regardless of the former ortter, all was nothing but a garnish to his n, meant to make his n look even more natural.
What God of Lightning paid as cost in the process was something insignificant, iparable to the gains that he would get in the end.
Spreading seeds and reaping harvest.
No doubt it was a happy process, but Kierans arrival messed up the rhythm.
Kierans unexpected sh at the Devourer back then cut the gigantic snake in half and heavily damaged the God of Lightning. Even after the God of Lightning devoured all the Gods of Naveya, it was only enough to repair the Devourers body; the heavy damage that he had suffered wasntpletely healed up.
Otherwise, based on the grudge he had against Kieran, the God of Lightning wouldnt have sent an outer ring member to Gordor, trying to help that lord to spread the gue in name. Actually, the goal was to lure Kieran over.
Once the gue spread in Gordor, Kieran who was situated at the nearby Arya Outpost, wouldnt have stayed away from the outbreak.
As long as Kieran reached Gordor, no matter the end result, Canbenor would appear before him, based on the old books personality.
Kieran would meet Canbenor, and he would get ess to the seemingly hidden information.
All the information he had gotten would ultimately lead him here: the hidden Hunter Temple in the southern forest, in front of the God of Lightning, who couldnt recover fully, despite devouring all of the Gods of Naveya.
Kieran had be the new target for the God of Lightning.
So, he wouldnt believe the God of Lightning would try to rope him in to his side.
The join me that the God of Lightning had mentioned would probably mean let him devour; once Kieran was in his stomach, theyd be together for sure.
The way you speak really strikes a chord in my memories. Seems like Vanessa taught you quite a lot, or did she give you enough tips to be cautious against me? But do you know why she didnt expose me in the first ce?
The statue showed a ridiculing smile.
Im not sure. Is she afraid? Kieran simply answered.
She was hesitant and scared, because I AM THE GOD OF LIGHTNING!
As the statue roared, the walls around the statue crumbled instantly. Several bolts of lightning, as big as pythons and as bright as neon light, gushed in and surrounded the 5 meter tall statue, dancing around the electrical, blue body furiously. His blue body looked profound with the mythical blue particles running around and after he was surrounded by the lightning bolts, the God of Lightning looked even more furious and dangerous.
Tss Tsss Tsss!
Amid the loud electrical buzzes, the God of Lightning revealed his original look and clenched his fist. The buzzing got louder, like a giant hummingbird was pping its electrical wings in the grand hall.
The God of Lightning looked down at Kieran and revealed a malicious, yet delighted smile.
The time is just right. Yes, just right.
Kieran replied the malicious smile with a grin of his own.
No doubt, the God of Lightning was stalling, but so was Kieran.
Otherwise, why would Kieran talk so much BS with the statue, even stepping into the temple, despite knowing it was a trap setup for him.
It was all because Kieran was buying time for... Gluttony!
The Devourers body was in the bottom of the ocean.
He didnt know where the God of Lightning got the body or how to use it to his own benefit, but he knew another more effective way to deal with the bodyeating it!
Chapter 1475 - Tactics
Chapter 1475: Tactics
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
rm rose in God of Lightnings heart when he saw Kieran smile, but before he could size up the expression, Kierans attacksnded like a storm.
Sssss Ssss!
Amid the sudden hisses, giant ck snakes, as thick as a barrel and a dozen meters long, with spear-like horns on its head and de-like fangs in its mouth, sprung out from the ground.
The moment the snakes sprung out, they bound the God of Lightning tightly.
God of Lightnings 5 meter tall body seemed small beside the giant snakes, but the electric current that came out of his body roasted one snake after another.
However, there were too many snakes, after the first wave was roasted to bits, another wave soon followed.
[Sword Skill, Myriad Viper]!
After Kierans Spirit reached rank V-, the special sword skill from Viper Sect had gone through drastic changes.
Despite the changes not being stated in the description, the attack of the skill itself did change.
The snakes that grew together with Kierans Spirit didnt just get thicker and stronger, they became extremely real, to the point where it could easily deceive people.
Even God of Lightning didnt realize the snakes were just illusions.
Kieran was looking forward to the day [Sword Skill, Myriad Viper] truly went through a qualitative change.
But now?
After getting a general range of where the God of Lightnings Spirit ranked with [Sword Skill, Myriad Viper], Kieran quickly gave up on his backup n and activated [Half-Deads Gaze] without a second thought.
Two abysmal res were fired into God of Lightnings eyes.
Countless electric currents were sted off as God of Lightning freed himself from the waves of snakes, but when he caught the re, his body shook for a second and his face instantly went dull.
Kieran sighed in his heart when he saw the scene.
It seemed like the God of Lightnings Spirit hadnt reached rank V-. His Spirit rank was around rank IV+, hence [Half-Deads Gaze, Deadmans Gaze] had sessfully activated but it couldnt trigger [Fear Illusion].
Despite being a little disappointed, Kieran, who was well-prepared, put on his Unique Title [de of the Daybreaker] without the slightest dy.
Dawn arrived in an instant.
A dark veil as deep as night shrouded the entire grand hall.
When the light of dawn appeared in the middle of the darkness, three pitch-ck shesnded on God of Lightning.
[Dawn Sword Veil]!
Creating copies of the equipped weapon with all the existing attributes and effects, able to attack or defend based on the skills of the user, was no doubt a skill that relied heavily on the user and the equipped weapon.
As long as the equipped weapon and the user were decent, its explosive power would shock the opponent.
The sword that Kieran was currently wielding, [Extreme Night], had been through multiple repairs before it finally disyed its original might: rank IV rarity and attack!
The attack skill from the sword [Night sh] also reached rank IV attack.
After losing the preemptive strike, even God of Lightning fell into a series of agonizing cries after being shed thrice.
Aaaaaargh! You will be electrocuted into ash!
Damaged, God of Lightning roared loudly out of pain, a bolt of lightning as huge as a small buildinging down from the sky.
The roof was sted into bits in an instant and the bolt of lightning went straight for Kieran without stopping.
However, threeyers of ck moving light swiftly appeared and surrounded Kieran.
With [Dawn Sword Veil]s perfect copy, three copies of [Extreme Night] didnt just possess rank IV attack with [Night sh], they also had rank IV defense with [Night Veil].
Kakroooom!
Threeyers of [Night Veil] ovepped each other and the bolt of lightningnded precisely on the defensive ck light.
The firstyer shattered upon impact.
The secondyersted around a second before following the same fate.
The thirdyersted longer. although it eventually shattered, the bolt of lightning weakened and no longer able to threaten Kieran.
Anotheryer of icy frost formed a sturdy shield in front of Kieran.
[Seattle Right Hand, Ice Hand Shield]!
The remaining bolt of lightning struck the ice shield and left cracks all over. A secondter, the ice shield shattered and a st of freezing air spread out in every direction.
Starting from Kieran, a 10 meter radius area was instantly turned into ice, including God of Lightning.
God of Lightning was already blue, but after the freezing air struck him, he looked like a profound, gastly sapphire statue. However, a weird bolt of lightning was wreaking havoc in his body.
[Ice Hand Shield] was not just used in defense; when the ice shield shattered, it sted off an Advance Rank freezing air and returned 30% of the damage to the foe.
The 30% return damage was nothing to the God of Lightning, but it was enough to anger him.
You little...
Before he could finish, his face turned dull again.
Kieran had used [Half-Deads Gaze, Deadmans Gaze] again, followed by another three [Night sh] from the three copied [Extreme Night].
Sou Sou Sou!
Three pitch-ck shesnded on the God of Lightning again.
Agonizing cries and painful growls sounded again, but this time, the heavy bolt of thunder didnt ur. It seemed like even for God of Lightning, that kind of powerful lightning was not something that he could call down freely.
Kieran was different though, able to easily repeat his attacks at his free will.
He activated [Half-Deads Gaze, Deadmans Gaze] again at the screaming God of Lightning and three more shes from [Night sh] followed closely behind.
Puk!
This time, the three [Night sh] finally tore the blue skin of God of Lightning, blood-like liquid sparkling with electric current gushing out from the wounds.
YOU SHALL DIE!
God of Lightning charged towards Kieran, dissregarding his injuries.
Kieran didnt dodge, or rather, he couldnt dodge at all.
The God of Lightning charged towards him in the form of a bolt of lightning.
It was too fast for Kieran to dodge but he could still defend against it.
Three moreyers of [Night Veil] rapidly formed around him.
BANG!
God of Lightning crashed on the defenses of [Night Veil]. The firstyer shook violently upon impact and when he raised his fist against it, the firstyer of [Night Veil] shattered with a pak, but it was just the firstyer, two moreyers of defenses around Kieran still standing.
While God of Lightning pushed his way through the firstyer, the three copies of [Extreme Night] floating around Kieran were attacking him relentlessly, the previous wounds getting bigger with the furious attacks.
Aaaaargh!
An angry roar came from God of Lightning.
He had never been in such a suppressed fight since he had be a God.
Should he attack, he couldnt prate through Kierans defenses in a short time.
Should he defend, Kierans attacks would be weird and quick, each attack thatnded on his body causing excruciating pain.
Should he stall? He couldnt afford to stall the battle, because the God of Lightning knew he would ultimately lose in the end.
Therefore, he was left with one option.
Even before he fully recovered to his prime, he had no intention of activating thisst ace card, but he didnt care anymore in such a desperate situation.
Who do you think you are? A demigod dares to insult my divine might!? I will teach you... Aarh! What have you done? You bastard?!
God of Lightning widened his blue eyes, electric currents outflowing. He shouted at Kieran like he was dering his anger, but right away, his face turned sour and a cry of shock soon followed.
Chapter 1476 - CHOP!
Chapter 1476: CHOP!
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
A while earlier...
Unwilling, Bloody Mary was bringing Gluttony down the ocean and into the chaotic darkness.
It wasnt unwilling to bring Gluttony into the darkness, it was just that going into the ce required Bloody Mary to be in its illusory form and it still had to cover Gluttony in the process, so it was quite a burden for the High Demon.
Fortunately, Gluttony had a simr illusory form, thus easing Bloody Marys burden. Had Gluttony stayed in his solid form, no matter how hard Bloody Mary tried, it wouldnt be able to bring Gluttony down there.
The thing that irritated Bloody Mary the most was when Gluttony was inside Bloody Mary, the hungry sin wanted to taste the High Demon with its tongue.
Bloody bastard!
You really eat everything you see!
Wanna have a rock? What about pesticides? Damn it!
The only fortunate thing was Gluttony was able to hold his strong hunger because he knew there would be a feast waiting for him. Hence, Bloody Mary didnt need to take drastic measures to deal with the sinsasking help from its contractor.
It wasnt something shameful though, Bloody Mary had a real contract with Kieran. The High Demon gave so much of itself in the trade, so it would be reasonable for it to get some help, right? It should be that way... Right?
Some thoughtster, the hesitant Bloody Mary unconsciously moved further away from Gluttony.
It wasnt because of the problem that it was pondering about though. Gluttony was just really scaring the High Demon after they arrived inside the chaotic darkness, which was at the bottom of the sea bed.
Eat eat eat eat eat eat eat!
Gluttonys eyes were ring at the gigantic body of the Devourer, his mouth mumbling non-stop and drooling heavily.
His saliva rolled down his chin and dropped on his cor. A secondter, Gluttonys saliva was everywhere but the drooling didnt stop.
Instead, the drooling grew stronger, taking less than three seconds to go from the little drops of saliva to gushing out like a fountain.
His saliva drenched his coat and continued dripping on the ground. A few secondster, the spot where Gluttony was standing was flooded with saliva and it didnt seem to be stopping anytime soon.
It grew swiftly into a little pond, then a pool, and ultimately, ake.
Bloody Mary widened its eyes at theke of saliva, Gluttonys figure long gone in the waters; Gluttony had fused with his own saliva.
Then, theke of saliva flew up and smeared all over the Devourers gigantic face.
Ssh!
Tsssss!
After a loud ssh, sizzling noises followed. It started to melt the sturdy scales around the Devourers head, as if the saliva was heavy acid. White smoke started to rise under Bloody Marys astonished gaze.
He can eat this?! Bloody Mary was utterly astonished.
It knew how powerful the defense of this snake monster could be. Common high-rankers wouldnt even have the chance to leave a scratch on its scale, only true power and one-of-a-kind attack could prate the sturdy defenses. However, Gluttonys saliva attack had sessfully melted its scales.
It really eats anything?
Bloody Mary unconsciously thought of the term, shivery unconsciously.
At times like this, Bloody Mary always thought about its sorry fate, and in order to make sure such a fate wouldnt befall itself, it flew up and waited patiently.
When the saliva melted a hole on the scales, Bloody Mary and Gluttony in his saliva form flew inside.
Bloody Marys task was more than just a guide.
...
The Devourer appeared once again.
That gigantic body that could cloud the sky appeared above the temple.
Nelson quivered hard.
So this is the Devourer? the Outpost Master mumbled to himself.
The knights who were fighting around the temple showed fear through their eyes. The traitors who engaged the knights were no better than the knights themselves.
Those civilians who were praying in their tent also stopped, looking up at the dark sky helplessly.
The fierce onught on the battlefield turned into a strange silence when the Devourer appeared above the sky. Everyone stopped.
They were all looking at the Devourer and waiting for their final moments.
Then, some people with better eyesight noticed the Devourer was acting strange.
It wasnt as pressuring and intimidating, like how it had descended upon Naveya City. It looked like... it was tumbling around because of a stomach ache?
The same thought bloomed in everyones mind almost instantaneously, but they instinctively discarded the thought from their minds.
Ridiculous, how could the Devourer, who devoured Gods, suffer a stomach ache?
But... it really seemed so.
Before the crowd could find out more, the Devourer in the night sky started to fall to the ground.
RUN! Nelson shouted loudly as he was the first to notice the fall.
All the knights from Arya Outpost scattered away upon the shout, the traitors and civilians starting to run too.
Karoooooooom!
The earth shook and mountains were shifted by the force.
The running crowd felt like thend was dancing. All of them fell to the ground, turning around in fright and looking at the gigantic, falling body.
Then, everyone widened their eyes inconceivably, because that gigantic body was shrinking very fast.
As a matter of fact, the shrinking had started the moment the Devourer fell from the sky, it was just that the people hadnt noticed because of their attempt to escape.
They finally noticed the unusual scene after they fell down.
What is that?
Every single scale on the Devourers body started to bulge. Each time a scale bulged, a loud crunching noise would follow, as though something was eating the flesh of the Devourer from under its skin.
How is this even happening?
The people shook their head at the ridiculous thought. They were unwilling to ept this outrageous fact.
Likewise, the God of Lightning shared the same thought. He was unwilling to ept it either.
Impossible! This is impossible! How did you find it? How? Just how?!
A mouthful of blood gushed out from God of Lightnings mouth because of the magic repulsion, his towering pressure weakened instantly, even his blue body starting to shrivel.
The electric current around him started to lose its powers also.
I just dont trust people and dont believe everything I see easily. I also try my best in testing every single possible oue, just like what I am doing now!
Before Kierans voice subsided, threeyers of [Night Veil] shrouded his body.
Kakroom!
Another thick bolt of lightning fell down from the sky.
God of Lightnings weak body transformed into a bolt of lightning and zapped away.
But Kieran was faster!
His left hand fluttered his feather mantle and his right hand grabbed the real [Extreme Night].
CHANG!
As the dark de was drawn, ck light glimmered!
The sword as dark as night could even sh lightning!
NIGHT SLASH!
Chapter 1477 - Associate With
Chapter 1477: Associate With
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The pitch-ck sh transformed into a sharp moving light and decimated the bolt of lightning.
Pakaaa!
A body shed in half then fell off the air, disintegrating into a burning white light.
Amid the burning white light was an endless electric current.
The electric current sparked and jumped, the burning white light shining bright, but a fire without fuel would not burn for long.
A breathter, the burning white light shone as bright as a little sun before rapidly darkening.
The lights seemed unwilling but they couldnt defy thews of nature.
Under Kierans gaze, the lights gradually changed form, as if they wanted to take a shape.
However, the very next moment, [Brutal Lightning Hand], the glove with four bronze nuts on top, emanated some sparks.
The burning white light paused.
Then, they flew towards the glove on Kierans left hand, disregarding further consequences.
The burning white light didnt hesitate, neither did they have a choice.
Rather than vanishingpletely, why not live on in some other way.
Kieran watched it happened, not moving away or stopping it. After countless simr encounters, he knew what was happening.
Everything was exactly as he had expected.
Wung!
The moment the burning white light touched [Brutal Lightning Hand], arge area of electric current sshed out, loud thunder sounding around the area. An electric field filled and expanded throughout the area, forcing Nelson back when he wanted to charge into the temple.
Fortunately, the electric fieldsted for less than a minute.
When the thunder and current faded off, a brand new [Brutal Lightning Hand] presented itself before Kieran.
The fingerless glove didnt change much in terms of looks, just the four bronze nuts around the knuckle area got sharper. There were also three extra bronze nuts at the back of the palm.
[Name: Brutal Lightning Hand ]
[Type: Glove]
[Rarity: III]
[Attack: III]
[Defense: III]
[Attribute: 1. Thunder Strike; 2. Lightning Spear; 3. Falling Thunder; 4. Lightning Brutality]
[Special effect: Thunder Consume]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: After embedding Thunder Fall Stone and absorbed the Soul of Lightning, it has been reborn into an entirely new equipment. Its powerful, but untamed. When used, you have to get used to the numbing feeling from the overflowing currents.]
...
[Thunder Strike: Additional rank II electric strike following each sessful attack at target]
[Lightning Spear: Fire an electric element Lightning Spear at a target within sight that has a rank II attack. When hit, it has a certain percentage to jump 6 times to other possible targets with rank I attack. Targets should not be more than 30 meters apart, when the Chain Lightning is focused down onto a single target, Lightning Spear attack +1. 3 times per day]
[Falling Thunder: Cast a thunder at any target within sight that has rank III attack, 2 times per day.]
[Lightning Brutality: After a sessful kill, lightning based attack +1 for the next attack; After 2 sessful consecutive kill, Lightning Spear attack +1 for the next attack, Chain Lightning will also trigger; After 3 sessful consecutive kill, the glove attack rank +1, Falling Thunder attack +1]
...
[Thunder Consume: Each time Falling Thunder is case, receive a Strong electric element attack.]
......
Kieran was fairly calm when he saw [Thunder Consume]s effect.
In fact, when he saw the white burning light, he knew what he was expecting.
With Canbenors description, Kieran knew that when the God of Lightning first ascended to Godship, hed also touched that burning white light, simr to how Canbenor touched the book.
After the God of Lightning had fallen, the white burning light appeared again and was fading off quickly.
As for why? Even the old book, Canbenor, didnt know.
All the old book knew was the fading light meant death.
Therefore, if the light didnt want to die, it has only one viable option left: attach onto something that shared a simr attribute.
Attach to a human being? Impossible.
The attachment onto a human being could only happen once, after that only items and equipment were viable, and of course, it was also the only second chance.
Should the two attachment chances be used up, whenever the white light came out again, it would not be able to attach itself onto anymore things.
Just a little bit off.
Kieran touched the bronze nuts on [Brutal Lightning Hand] and muttered in his heart.
[Brutal Lightning Hand] should not be a rank III item after absorbing the white light. Kieran believed that even when the God of Lightning wasnt fully recovered, he could dish out damage around rank III and IV, so how strong would the God of Lightning truly be should he be in his prime?
At least higher rank III and despite the current rank was already unimaginable formon eyes.
He hid himself?
Kieran unconsciously thought about the Unawaken [Extreme Night].
Both equipment shared simrities, yet were entirely different.
While recalling how the white light gathered into a clump under some invisible force and almost formed a shape, Kieran squinted his eyes.
Without a question, should the white light truly form a shape, it would be a brand new equipment.
Gathered the leftover energy and started to materialize... So this is how items and equipmente to be?
Kieran had a constant question about the forming of items and equipment.
Aside from the original equipment and weapons his targets were wearing, what about those drops that formed out of thin air?
Despite having many guesses before, after Kieran saw the scene before him, he was utterly sure these items that formed from thin air were just the materialization process of the targets conscious.
Because of that, the stronger the enemy or target, the better drop rates for a powerful item and equipment. In a certain aspect, the items were the epitome of the targets he killed.
Of course, there was also the so-called rating. Simr to the materialization of power into items and equipment, the rating came from the big city and had always been hiding in yers body, only triggered during under special circumstances, like the Witchs Gift.
Naturally, when Kieran thought about the Witchs Gift, some ugly thoughts came to mind but he quickly discarded them.
Not suitable, he was still too weak. It wasnt enough...
Was he overthinking?
Probably, but given how careful and vignt Kieran was, after noticing something new, he would not be careless enough to neglect the minor details.
Kieran then looked at the gigantic body of the Devourer. He had to divert his attention, empty his mind of the messy thoughts.
What else was more suitable than the Devourer itself?
The Devourer was his biggest gain from this trip!
Aside from that, Gluttony kept sending him thoughts in his heart, saying that he overate.
Chapter 1478 - Chance
Chapter 1478: Chance
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Gluttony overate?
Most of the time, Gluttony was in a constant state of hunger. Even after he devoured arge amount of food, it only slowed the speed of hunger. It would be quite rare for Gluttony to feel full for even a little bit.
Overeating was definitely a first for Kieran.
Kieran strode over to the Devourer and before he truly got closer, he tried using [Mardos Lair] and [Devourer Shadow Mail] to test the snake body, wanting to check whether the other two equipments had any reaction.
Unfortunately, without the user behind the Devourer, the two items didnt react at all, forcing Kieran to his backup n.
He waved at Nelson, signaling to the Outpost Master to bring everyone away.
The electrifying scene that had happened just now made Nelson stand behind Kieran after he walked out.
The conspiracy of God of Lightning, the fallen Gods, and the demigod who tried to stop it with all his effort.
With the knights way in Nelsons mind, he looked at Kieran with a fanatical gaze after the series of events.
Kieran fit every single criteria of the image in his mind and the image was the person that he would follow and serve for the rest of his life.
Everyone, move out! Now, leave this ce at once!
Nelson shouted his orders and the knights in the area quickly moved out. The civilians didnt voice any objection, neither did the traitors.
The moment the Devourer appeared above the sky, the traitors had plunged into panic, at a loss of what was happening, but they understood how powerful Ryan the demigod was, since he was able to kill the God of Lightning.
How could a mere mortal oppose a God?
Therefore, the traitors who originated from the temple itself were more obedient thanmon civilians.
The area was emptied out swiftly.
Nelson bowed again before being thest one to leave.
After making sure Nelson and the others had left the ce, Kierans hearts moved.
Pride walked out with his heads up and Sloth followed behind him.
Greed, Wrath, Envy and Lust appeared too but they were looking ugly and didnt hold back their mours. However, when Pride nced over his peers, the others shrunk into their necks, bing quiet and scared like quail, not a single one of them daring to breathe loudly.
All of the cardinal sins were no longer the same.
Since the dreamy scene of breaking through the building, all of them had changed from it to him.
All of them were propelled to a new position that they would never get to themselves, especially when the roof was broken by Gluttony back then. Despite all of them still being blurred and nk, they sensed something with their natural instinct and their instinct told them obeying andplying would be the best for them.
Is that bastard really an idiot? How can he put everything he sees into his mouth? Isnt he scared of dying due to overeating?
Sloth was yawning and pouting as his hands moved back and forth in a flurry. The motion of his hands was the reflection of the calction in his heart.
Sloth knew why his host had called all of them out. Likewise, he didnt want anything to happen to Gluttony.
Thest time was purely luck. Sloth wasnt so naive to think that luck would always favour Gluttony. More so, Sloth tended to work things to the best of his ability with his own efforts.
The cardinal sins were born from Kierans emotions, although they were still affected by other kinds of emotions, and something deep down in the root were still the same.
Sloth was serious like never before.
Let them go. Dont hold them back, let them wreak havoc and let them have their way. It may be a chance for the four of them. You go to the head and Ill go to the middle part, Sloth said.
He then turned around to Kieran, Boss, you might feel a little roughter, I suggest you find something to stuff in your mouth. Of course, thats just my humble suggestion.
Sloth quickly added more under Kierans cold gaze.
How big will the gain be? Kieran asked Sloth.
Very big! Sloth said surely.
Then... Ill be fine, Kieran emphasized.
He started to concentrate his aura and raised it higher. His powerful aura rapidly grew to the point that it was pressuring for any man whoid eyes on him.
A special something in Kierans body started to burn and boil, even hotter than the Devil me!
Okay, you are the boss!
Sloth shrugged and looked at Bloody Mary, who just came out from the Devourers body.
Bloody Mary reeked of fishiness, its eyes showing disgust.
Dont look at me like that! Do you think I like it this way? That hungry bastard caused a mess inside, and Im dragged down to the intestines! Bloody Mary ranted.
Ill take it from here from you. We dont trust anyone else, Sloth told Bloody Mary.
Bloody Mary pouted and looked unwilling, Fine, I know. Every single time, its me all the way.
The High Demon the waved its hand.
Be back quickly! Bloody Mary told Sloth and the other sins.
It then walked over to Kierans side and saw Canbenor, the Old Book, who was shivering beside Kieran. It raised a disdainful brow.
Follow my lead, understand?
Bloody Mary acted like it was handling a newbie on the team.
Understand! Understand! the white haired Canbenor nodded repeatedly.
Until now, Canbenor didnt know what was happening, but he knew the God of Lightning and the Devourer. He knew neither one of them was something that he could afford to provoke.
But those two powerful beings had fallen, one killed and the other one ... eaten?
Despite knowing the person he currently served was powerful, Canbenor didnt expect this kind of sheer power.
The Old Book suddenly realized he had made the best decision in the past few centuries.
He felt like he had hit the jackpot, a golden drumstick presented before his eyes,.
So, what else did he have to worry about?
A ck long staff made out of walnut tree appeared in Canbenors hand. He looked stern as he stood behind Kieran on the right; together with the High Demon on the left, both of them saw the cardinal sins vanish before their eyes.
The night breeze continued.
The southern night breeze wasnt as chilling as the northern one. The night breeze was slightly warm and carried the smell of the forest.
It would be a pleasant feeling but Kieran couldnt savour it at the moment because he felt pain!
Ugh!
A cold gruntter, Kierans body started to quiver.
Further away in the forest, a bunch of figures hiding in the dark saw everything. Their gaze became hot and their mind filled with greed.
Our chance is here! said the owner of the walnut tree.
Yes! The chance is here!
Kill...
The owner of Dal Stream and Dolder Caves smiled in a malicious way.
Then...
Pak!
A pair of hands went through the chest of the owner of Dal Stream and owner of Dolder Caves.
These two so-called Gods looked down at the hands in their chest in an inconceivable gaze.
Bloody Mary shook its hands and flung away the two bodies. It widened its mouth and showed a kind smile to the owner of the walnut tree.
What are you people trying to do to my contractor? I didnt get it the first time, can you repeat?
Chapter 1479 - The Simply Gluttony
Chapter 1479: The Simply Gluttony
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
I-I can exin, I...
Pak!
Before the owner of the walnut tree could finish, Bloody Mary decapitated the mans head with a quick chop to his neck.
The head flew up high before falling on the ground. The dead face sessfully captured the dullness and confusion, as if the owner of the walnut tree couldnt understand why the High Demon would kill him without giving him the chance to speak.
Bloody Mary curled its lips as it looked at the bloody head in disdain.
It didnt have the intention or the time to tangle with the old man.
Since they were enemies, one of them had to die.
Perhaps it was true that Bloody Mary felt many small dissatisfactions about its contractor, but it agreed on its contractors point of view fully.
The best kind of enemy was the dead kind.
Bloody Mary shook the blood off its hand, drawing a straight line of red on the ground.
Then, the High Demon licked its lips and searched the area with its grudgeful gaze.
Whoever walks over this line dies, said Bloody Mary with a gloomy tone and overflowing killing intent.
The forest plunged into silence right away.
The prying gazes that lurked around in the darkness swiftly went away.
Bloody Mary knew the first part of its little tricks had workedthose prying gaze were frightened away by the consecutive kills.
However, a whileter, those greedy bastards woulde back to their senses and realize what had happened.
Bloody Mary knew these bastards very well. Greed had gotten the best of them, and they would not simply step back willingly, so they would try to risk it again.
Therefore, Bloody Mary could not spare them a window to breath.
I got this ce. Go find those bastards and kill them.
Bloody Mary told Canbenor with a cruel smile on its face.
Anyone who saw the smile would think they saw a butcher or executioner.
As a matter of fact, not only did the greedy bastards hiding in the forest share this thought, even Canbenor, who was called out by the High Demon, thought the same way.
The Old Book opened his mouth instinctively, trying to say something, but ultimately, nothing came out when he saw the three bodies. He grabbed his ck staff and walked deeper into the forest.
The Old Book was frightened and dared not disobey the High Demon at all.
Bloody Mary didnt exin the situation to the Old Book either. After he went deeper into the forest, Bloody Mary slowly walked back to Kieran, and when it got close, it vanished.
The High Demon vanished into darkness as it merged itself into Kierans shadow.
The scene scared the greedy bastards around the forest even more.
Therefore, when the Old Book got close to them, they chose to avoid direct contact. They didnt know what the High Demon was trying to do.
Lure them out? Neglect them?
Or was it something entirely different? Something brewing in the dark?
Many thoughts appeared in their minds. They hesitated, which was what Bloody Mary sought.
In its illusory form, Bloody Mary hid in Kierans shadow and heaved a long breath, knowing it seeded.
After this?
It all depended on its contractor, who Bloody Mary was quite confident in. It believed Kieran would eventually seed, despite him not looking too well at the moment.
As a matter of fact, Kieran was much worse than he looked.
Pain! Excruciating pain!
The pain that came from his soul far surpassed the pain on the body. The pain was like tearing his flesh apart bit by bit before patching it up together just to grind it down again. The painful process caused the veins to bulge on Kierans sweaty forehead, and his clenched teeth screeched as though he would crush them by the sheer force.
Blood rolled down the corner of his mouth, but other than the first painful grunt, Kieran kept quiet all the while. He had his own ego and pride to protect.
He would not let the pain defeat him, nor would he allow himself to cry out in pain or faint.
Pride, who was standing on top of the Devourers head, felt the pain from his host. He curled his lips.
This was one of the reasons why he was willing to serve Kieran. Other than Pride originating from Kierans heart, it was also because of this kind of feeling.
Perhaps Prides arrogance was visible to others and maybe Kieran was always cold and calm, but deep down in the bones, both of them were the same.
Fua!
ck me engulfed Pride, fiercer than before, and it sted into the head beneath his feet.
Tsk! Slow down! Slow down! I have to adjust the tempo!
Sloth, who was in the middle part of the body, gasped and called out in a hurry, his face still aszy as ever though.
It was obvious that everything was under control.
Cardinal Sins Force rapidly grew as Sloth siphoned the eaten energy from Gluttony.
Greed, Wrath, Envy, and Lust also felt the energy growth in themselves. All four of them felt pleasant and a slight dy as though they had just finished a full meal.
They had never felt like this before, but soon, they became depressed because the energy they felt weakened.
The sins were actually a medium for the energy to flow into the heart, and without further hindrance, the energy marched straight in the most direct way possible. However, the heart wasnt damaged by the sudden surge of energy.
Instead, with Sloths control, the energy started to slowly change the heart.
Dok Dok Dok Dok!
The heart beat loudly. It wasnt actually faster, but rather, stronger and more vigorous.
Two to three breathster, the normal beating grew to a drum-like beating. This was just the start.
The sins were the medium, and the heart was the starting point. As the energy entered the heart, it then pumped throughout Kierans body; Sloth was meticulously controlling the process.
Before this, Kieran felt like his flesh was being grinded, and now with the energy going through his body, he felt like his organs and bones were also being grinded. He felt like he had fallen into a grinder, his body grinding to bits endlessly.
His breath suddenly hurried.
The slow Dawn Force in his body also started to flow and operate faster. Although the warmth helped Kieran to ease the pain a little, he was greeted with a greater amount of pain because Sloth hastened the process,pleting the transformation in the shortest time possible.
It was what Sloth suggested and nned, because given his limited energy and attention, he couldnt control the process for a long time. Other than that, it was also because the overeating Gluttony was still eating...
Even though he could barely eat anymore, he didnt give up on munching.
Sloth had never seen such a stubborn fe; Gluttony could even be considered an idiot.
This stupid fe really wants to eat until his belly is full? Doesnt he know how to stop? Sloth flipped a white eye.
Stop? No! Gluttony rejected Sloth, but a certain word captured his attention.
F-Full? Full? Gluttony stuttered.
Amid his munching and chewing, the scene before his eyes suddenly changed.
The delicious snake meat around Gluttony was gone, and what reced it was a stream.
On top of the bridge was an olddy boiling soup.
Gluttonys nose picked up the scent and ran over without pause.
Drink it, forget everything. The past will be buried in the deepest soil.
The olddy showed a kind and merciful smile as she poured a bowl of soup for Gluttony.
Gluttony received the bowl, took a few sniffs, and asked the olddy, Do you have any scallions or corianders?
Chapter 1480 - Each Other’s Persistence
Chapter 1480: Each Others Persistence
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The smile froze on the olddys face.
Scallions, coriander, scallions, coriander... mumbled the olddy.
Gluttony didnt care about all that, he only wanted to eat the best and most that he could. Of course, even if it wasnt up to his standard, hed eat it.
Do not waste food; Gluttony, who lived by this creed, raised the bowl to his mouth but before he could drink it, the bowl disappeared.
It wasnt just the bowl of soup though. The pot, the bridge, and the olddy all disappeared.
Gluttonys sight was filled with mist and when the mist dispersed, he realized he was standing on the bridge again.
The olddy appeared again and was boiling soup.
This time, the olddy put some green scallions and coriander into the pot.
Scallions and coriander added, now drink it. It helps you forget things. Let the past be buried in the deepest soil.
The olddy looked kind and merciful, as she did before, and passed the bowl of soup to Gluttony.
After the scallions and coriander were added, the taste of the soup became different. Gluttony showed a smile, the olddy smiling brighter.
But...
Why isnt it boiled with bones? Gluttony asked.
The smile on the olddys face froze again.
Then, the misty scene repeated itself.
Here, scallions and coriander with bone-boiled soup, drink it. It helps you forget things. Let the past be buried in the deepest soil.
The olddy passed the soup to Gluttony again.
But why isnt it boiled with pork femur? Gluttony asked again when he got the soup.
The smile froze again, and the scene repeated itself once again.
Here, pork femur-boiled soup with scallions and coriander, drink it...
Can you add some meat?
...
Pork femur-boiled soup, added meat, scallions and coriander, drink it...
Can you add some winter melon?
...
Pork femur-boiled soup, added meat, winter melon, scallions and coriander, drink it...
Shouldnt the winter melon be in slices? You shouldnt put in the whole thing.
...
Pork femur-boiled soup, added meat, winter melon slices, scallions and coriander, drink it...
Do you have rice? I want a bowl.
...
Pork femur-boiled soup, added meat, winter melon slices, scallions and coriander, together with a bowl of rice, drink it...
What about noodles? I think I want some noodles.
Pork femur-boiled soup, added meat, winter melon slices, scallions and coriander, together with rice and noodles, drink it... Forget everything. Let the past be buried in the deepest soil.
The scene repeated itself countless times.
The olddys figure got shallower and vague, to the point where she looked like a fading ghost, ad if a simple gust of wind could blow her away.
However, the olddy didnt feel anything, persistent enough to fulfill the persistent Gluttony.
The heavy soupdle in her hand was lifted up and put down countless times.
This time, when she saw Gluttony lift up the bowl, she smiled and raised thedle up high, waiting for Gluttony to drink the soup and the time for her to reap her harvest.
But at the very next moment, her eyelid twitched, because Gluttony had lowered the bowl and looked at her.
Can you...
Fuuuu!
Before Gluttony finished, the shallow figure of the olddy scattered with the wind.
Gluttony was quick though, not caring about the olddy fading into the wind. Instead, he grabbed the pot of soup with a hand, preventing it from fading too.
Gluttony smiled.
He poured the bowl of soup into the pot, lifted the pot up, and finished the whole pot of soup with many gulps. He also chewed the bones at the bottom, ate the rice, and the noodles, plus the winter melon slices beside it.
After finishing the pot of soup and side dishes, Gluttony looked around in hopes of finding more things to eat.
He looked down the bridge. The river was muddy and it was flowing quickly like the tides.
Then, a long ck shadow swam over quickly. Gluttonys eyes shone and he jumped into the river without a second thought.
Ssh!
The muddy water sshed everywhere and the scene changed drastically.
Gluttony didnt catch the ck shadow, nor could he tell whether or not the shadow was a big fish.
Instead, Gluttony felt like his body was wriggling and hissing. He looked down and saw the body of a snake.
He had be small, weak, and very hungry.
He tried his best to find food in his weird body but there was nothing around him.
He was in a wastnd.
Death arrived.
After a series of blurry images, he saw an olddy boiling soup.
The olddys face was blurry, but she was kind and merciful. She didnt show disgust at his weird body, as she viewed all life as equal.
Poor little fe.
The olddy lifted the bowl of soup and fed him.
It tasted warm butcked of any real taste. He wanted more, but the olddy touched his head and shook her head slowly.
No more, three bowls is the most you can get.
After the olddy denied him, she put her hand out, poked her index finger, and fed him a drop of her blood.
The olddy then picked him up and ced him through a shining round gate behind her.
Go now. Dont you cry of hunger the next time I see you, the olddy waved her hand.
He went into the shining gate and when he swam through, he had forgotten everything.
He became extremely gifted and gained unrivaled power.
He ignored everything, he dared to challenge everything and dared to devour everything.
Soon, he was known as the Devourer.
The things that he ate in his new form be tasteless, so he wanted to eat something more tasty.
His body? His own soul?
He took a small bite of his own body and soul. It was tasty, it was inconceivably tasty, especially the soul.
At first he wanted a bite, but he didnt hold back his hunger, so he... devoured himself.
All that was left was that gigantic body as his soul vanished.
...
Hey, hey, how is it going in there?
A familiar voice echoing in his ear, Gluttony shook his head and woke up from the dreamy scene. He realized the stuffed feeling was gone and everything had returned to normal.
He felt like something about himself was different but it felt the same.
It was a strange feeling for him yet extremely real, to the point that he wanted to bite himself.
However, the rm that came into his mind stopped his foolish act.
He didnt forget how tasty it was at first, neither did he forget how painful it was in the end.
He didnt want to go through pain like that again.
Are you alright? Sloths voice sounded again.
Im fine, its just...
Just what? Sloth pressed on with his question when the surprising answer came from Gluttony.
Its just that I am hungry. Gluttony answered.
... Sloth.
Chapter 1481 - A Harvest Part 1
Chapter 1481: A Harvest Part 1
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Dont let your instincts control you!
We are at the most crucial point now!
Sloth rolled his eyes upon hearing Gluttonys straight words, he also didnt forget to remind his own little brother.
He wasnt being euphemistic or soft, though, Sloth spoke right to the point because, based on their rtionship, all kinds of sweet words were unnecessary. It would be better for Sloth to be direct.
Of course, Sloth was also afraid that his words were too hard for Gluttony to understand because Gluttonys focus was unlike the others, just like what just happened.
All the Origin Forces in Kierans body were activated as the external energy gushed in. Sloth was being extra careful as he meticulously divided the energy to each and every Origin Force, allowing the Devil Force, Dawn Force, gue Force, and Saint Thorn Force to grow in their own unique ways.
The process itself wasntplicated, theplicated thing was that Sloth had to make sure the sudden surge of energy wouldnt overload Kierans body while still maintaining a steady, powerful flow to empower the Origin Forces, hence creating a perfect bnce between all elements. Only after the bnce was achieved could they could move onto the next stage, the most crucial stage yet.
All the energy conversion was processed in Kierans body.
Kierans powerful Constitution made it possible for all of them to continue growing, but should something happened in the process and damage the body, all the sins would be rootless duckweed, flowing away with the current.
Under such circumstances, not only Sloth, even his elder brother, the devil, and the knight, which were in Kierans heart, tended to be extra careful. Despite the grueling process, Gluttony still wanted to eat more.
Once Sloth thought about what his little brother could do, an instant headache struck.
Instinct wasnt something one could easily control.
Sloth and his elder brother, Pride, were still somehow affected by their instinct, but unlike the others, they gave their best efforts in minimizing the effect to its lowest point.
As for his little brother, based on previous experiences, Sloth didnt have the slightest hope, he already started to think about how he should deal with the Gluttonys recklessness.
However, to his surprise, his little brother tried to suppress the urge to eat, although it was barely adequate, the final oue ought to be different.
Go, there are some guys in the forest you can have as snacks.
But pick your snacks, will ya? Dont overeat again.
Sloth told Gluttony after the decision was made.
Fuaa!
A violent wind blew, and Gluttony vanished.
Sloth curled his lip into a smile when Gluttony vanished from sight. He wasnt afraid of anything happening to Gluttony because, from his point of view, those so-called Gods in the dungeon world were nothing but clowns created by the environment with a different set of rules.
It was actually an insult to the title by addressing those clowns as Gods.
But...
The gigantic fe under Sloths feet was different. This big ck snake did exist with the divine might and presence.
Had the Devourer been in itsplete form, he would drag his host and run as far as possible, but now?
He agreed 110% to his hosts thoughts: all spoils of war are mine!
A deep breathter, Sloth elerated the process and contacted the devil and the knight through his mind.
...
The chaotic darkness gushed towards the little fire like a violent wave.
The little fire burned fiercely as the red ming beheader sword was swung in front of it.
The devilsrge body stood in front of the fire and blocked the wave of darkness like a sturdy wall.
Tssssssss!
Each time the mes shed with the darkness, sizzling sounds came as if something was being corroded by acid. Sharp air-breaking noises were mixed into the irritating noise as well.
The knight in armor looked stern with his sword and shield. He agilely moved around the little fire, swinging his sword at the darkness that escaped the devilish mes.
Despite missing a helper, both of them still skillfully cleaved through the darkness with ease. A voice was giving them precise orders at the perfect moment, allowing them to fend off the waves of attacks that could pierce through the smallest holes with the least amount of effort.
However, when a new set of orders came through, it shocked the knight.
A mad man, the knight muttered.
Good! Good! Kill! Kill!
The devil roared loudly, expressing its praise and excitement that words could barely describe.
Are you sure you want to do this? the knight asked for confirmation again.
An affirmative answer came from Sloth right away.
Without a second thought, the knight adjusted his sword and ced it on top of his shield. He then flew off into the darkness like an arrow let loose.
The devil roared loudly once more, opened itsrge ming wings, and slightly arched its colossal body to cover the little fire under its wings.
Without the presence of another critical helper, the darkness, like violent waves, rumbled fiercely as if it saw the chance to destroy the little fire. The darkness unleashed furious attacks at the devils body; its bright magma body instantly turned gloomy amid the hits, and its ming wings suffered myriads of puncture wounds.
However, despite the ferocious attacks, the darkness didnt reach the little fire because the devil used its arms as the second line of defense.
As a matter of fact, it wasnt just a simple defense because there was no such thing as purely defense in the devils nature. The devil widened its mouth and spat out a line of zing red mes. With its back arched, the devil looked like a ferocious fire-breathing dragon.
The fiery breath burned away at the darkness, and when the darkness around the devil was fended off, its gloomy magma body grew bright again, its mes burned hot still, stronger and fiercer than before. Its massive body even became bigger.
The dark tides were angered and unwilling to submit to the sudden change.
Karkrooom!
Amid the chaos, more and more darkness gathered before the devil and formed a tidal wave, trying to crush the devil with sheer force, together with the little fire that it was protecting.
The dark tidal wave was getting nearer.
Come on! COME ON!
The devil roared its provocation and showed disdain toward the dark tidal waves, it even showed a ferocious smile on its zing mouth, hence driving the dark tidal waves in a frenzy.
On the other hand, the provocation also allowed the knight to have an easier time carrying out his task.
Although there was still darkness around the knight, attacking him ceaselessly, the devil had attracted most of the darkness attention; hence, the knights job got easier.
But the knight didnt dare to lower his guard, he knew what he must do.
Fast! Faster! He flew forward faster than ever.
From the very first faith that he had in his host, the knight became a furious gale and flew towards the coordinates that Sloth sent him.
When he finally reached the specific spot, he plunged his sword deep into the darkness beneath his feet.
One second!
Two seconds!
Three seconds!
The time stopped.
Just when the knight wondered whether he did do something wrong, an unknown force exploded from the chaos like an erupting volcano.
The Devourers energy from Kierans body, organs, bones, and bloody that hadnt been digested by Gluttony exploded into the chaos!
Almost instantaneously, the Devourers energy messed up the chaos and caught the dark tides off guard. The darkness was dispersed by the explosive power within an instant, and almost one-tenth of the whole darkness was melted away.
Although right away, the endless dark tides gushed forward again, the Devourers energy didnt step back either, it shed with the darkness ceaselessly.
Both energies shed fiercely and were in a stalemate.
The shsted until the Devourers energy was almost depleted. The devil, the knight, and Pride appeared before the little fire after the fierce encounter, and everything went back to normal.
The dark tides slowly went away.
Kieran quickly sensed that almost one-third of the darkness was gone in the sh. Despite his body suffering severe damage, he couldnt hold back his smile.
Not a bad result.
When he saw the chain of notifications, his smile grew brighter.
Chapter 1482 - A Harvest Part 2
Chapter 1482: A Harvest Part 2
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Lines of notification gushed up like a geyser in Kierans vision, and it spammed him non-stop.
[Absorbed, converted arge amount of energy, Constitution +1, Strength +1, Agility +1]
[Absorbed, converted arge amount of energy, Constitution +1, Strength +1, Agility +1]
[Absorbed, converted arge amount of energy, Constitution +1, Strength +1, Agility +1]
...
[Constitution GGG (Strong III), Strength VVV (Strong II), Agility VVV (Strong II)]
...
A never before felt pleasant feeling appeared in Kierans body.
He had used Golden Attribute Points to increase his attributes many times now, but a leap of many minor ranks through multiple attributes at once was a first for him.
Even a tough guy like Kieran couldnt help but squint his eyes in delight.
Pleasure wears down a person far more than pain.
One would quickly reject the arrival of pain, but pleasure?
One would be easily intoxicated.
Kieran understood the saying well, he panted heavily and continued to check the notifications to divert his attention; it was beneficial for Kieran, his focus was captured right away.
[Absorbed, converted arge amount of energy, Dawn Sword II Dawn Sword V]
[Dawn Sword V: When you can truly utilize the Dawn Force, it means that you are truly a Knight of Dawn, despite the way you use it being one-of-a-kind. Charge Dawn Force for 2 seconds, consume half of your Stamina to fire out a 50-meter, rank IV attack light sword, cooldown: none]
...
[Absorbed, converted arge amount of energy, gue Arrow II gue Arrow V]
[gue Arrow V: After the body tempering art reaches Transcendence, you are officially a gue Knight. Youve also mastered the unique attacks of a gue Knight. Spend 1.0 hours to create a gue Arrow that can fire without a bow or crossbow at a target no further than 1000 meters away. Inflicts 1 rank III and above pration damage and has rank III gue infection (Even if the pration damage doesnt ur, the gue will spread). You can store the arrows, at most 3 arrows at once]
...
[Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] and [Knights of gue Body Tempering Art]s mastery increased, thus [Dawn Sword] and [gue Arrow] jumped in rank.
Perhaps both skills still had certain limits in various situations, but on special asions, both skills had effects that others didnt.
If Kieran was happy with the increase of [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] and [Knights of gue Body Tempering Art], then the subsequent notification he saw shocked him.
[Absorbedrge amount of special energy, the bnce of Fusion Heart has been broken]
[Constitution, Spirit authenticating...]
[Authentication passed!]
[Devil Force passed!]
[Cardinal Sins Force passed!]
[Saint Thorn Force passed!]
[Fusion Heart leveled up!]
...
[Name: Fusion Heart III]
[Type: Organ]
[Rarity: Above III]
[Attributes: 1. Transform Devil III, 2. Desire Summon III, 3. Saint Thorns III ]
[Effects: 1. Fiery Sulphur III, 2. Eye of Evil III, 3. Body of Evil III, 4. Touch of the Cardinal Sins III]
[Prerequisite: Kieran (Host)]
[Remark: This is a fusion organ between the heart of a human, the heart of a demon lord, and the core of the Creature of Desire. With the energy from the Devourer, it has evolved once again and be a unique existence. It has genuinely fused with you, and of course, it isnt yet at its limit!]
......
[Transform Devil III: Your heart grants you power. When activated, you will take the form of the Demon Lord, 3-minute duration; once per day]
[Desire Summon III: Your heart grants you control. When activated, you can summon the Creature of Desire, 3-minute duration; once per day]
[Saint Thorn III: If you did not choose to activate Transform Devil III or Desire Summon III, you will resist 60% of the damage whening across holy energy. When you receive damage (regardless of holy damage), of Average, Strong, Powerful, Extreme, I, II, and III level, you can activate a Halo of Thorns with different levels to reflect the damage you receive by 10%, 15%, 30%, 50%, 65%, and 70% respectively. You will also be healed from Light, Medium, Heavily, and Lethal wounded state, respectively. When you choose to activate Transform Devil III or Desire Summon III, Saint Thorn will not go away, but its effect is halved by 50%]
.......
[Fiery Sulphur III: Burning mes will follow the lineage of the devil-like shadow. When casting Fire element spells, +1 elemental damage, extra Sulphuric Poison III added on the spell (Any target that gets burned will have to go through a Constitution authentication with the caster. If failed, the target will suffer Advanced Rank damage every second,sting a total of 3 seconds). The requirements, such as gestures or incantations materials of Fire element spells, are decreased by 75%. If the skill fails to cast, you will only suffer 1/5 of the magic repulsion]
[Eye of Evil III: The conviction of Desire was rooted deep inside your heart. Summon Evil Eye (Secondary Eye level. You can determine the size at will; the smallest is the size of a human eye, the biggest is norger than the size of the Creature of Desire) formed by the conviction of Desire to fight for you. Duration depends on the size of the Evil Eye, the smallest willst 24 hours, the biggestst 10 minutes; twice per day (When 2 Evil Eyes are summoned, you will gain a special sight that can prate through supernatural darkness and invisible force fields)]
[Body of Evil III: Thebination of the devil and desire, chaos, and sins, but with a dash of light. Granted 550 extra HP, Stamina, acquired Advance Tensile Skin (absorb Advance Rank damage or below), High Devil Skin (absorb Extreme damage or below, extra defense points against Fire and Explosions); When facing Holy element attacks, you will receive 120% damage, special counter items will deal extra damage to you (included but not limited to blessed objects, holy objects, etc.)]
[Touch of Cardinal Sins: The Cardinal Sins of desire flow in your blood. At will, you can summon Pride, Sloth, or Gluttony to help. When either Pride or Sloth are summoned, Lust, Wrath, Envy, and Greed will provide you total control over them and gain a certain buff; When Gluttony is summoned, +1 Terror to Lust, Wrath, Envy, and Greed, able to force them to do things out of their will]
[Note: When the target is in a state of panic, chaos, fear, or have an extreme desire for something, they will be devoured by the respective embodiment of sins. (No drops!)]
...
Kieran was unable to instantly activate [Transform Devil] or [Desire Summon], but based on the changes of [Saint Thorns], he could tell what kind of changes happened to the former.
The changes would be enough to turn the tides on the battlefield.
No one disliked having two extra ace cards under their sleeves, especially the likes of Kieran.
A deep breathter, Kieran carefully savored the changes in his mind.
Unlike his body and organs, a big chunk of darkness vanished in his mind, but the system didnt provide him with any precise notifications.
Still hasnt achieved qualitative change?
Kieran muttered before he turned to Sloth.
Not bad.
Dont find me in the uing days, or months, I am exhausted, I need to rest.
Sloth yawned, waved his hand, and vanished.
Gluttony, further away who hadnt gotten enough to eat, also returned to Kierans heart.
Canbenor, the Old Book, and Bloody Mary, the High Demon, then walked out from the shadows.
Well done, Kieran praised his new follower and contracted follower.
The Old Book immediately smiled bitterly, he looked ashamed because he knew he barely did anything.
The High Demon acted differently though, it looked up and was waiting for more praise, especially when it caught Kierans gaze, it grew eager, but...
I have a new assignment for you, said Kieran
Praise? Where is the praise?
Why new assignments again?
There is no pay, no holidays, and you want to work me to death?
Bloody Mary looked at Kieran begrudgingly, but Kieran wasnt moved.
Bloody Marys undying properties were beneficial, especially in some special dangerous moments.
Hope its not the worst yet, Kieran muttered softly.
Chapter 1483 - Temple
Chapter 1483: Temple
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My lord, Sir Mizelle, brought the men south and started to clean up the monsters, everything is progressing smoothly.
Naveya City is also listed in the cleaning process.
The contacts and roads to the neighboring cities will recover in 6 to 7 weeks.
After changing into a new set of attire, the Old Book took up the position of secretary around the outpost and had been reporting the news for the past two days to Kieran, who had just returned.
As he reported, the Old Book was carefully sizing up Kieran.
Although Kieran looked calm at the moment, the Old Books sharp sense could tell something was wrong with Kieran.
Kieran seemed a bit angry? And a little bit unwilling? He was in... pain?
The Old Book didnt know what caused suchplicated emotions in Kieran.
Werent things progressing smoothly for the better?
The monsters that upied Naveya retreated without a fight, all of them escaped back into the deep sea.
The monster groups around the city had loosened up as well, if the soldiers seized the time, they might be able to seed a new batch of crops.
Had Kieran run into some ident during his trip?
Impossible! Each report the Old Got got clearly stated how his Majesty sliced and diced all those lingering monsters.
Doubts baffled the Old Books heart, but he didnt ask.
Despite the contract period not being extensive, the Old Book had 120% concentration up at all times and had a resolute mind in serving; he would not ask if Kieran didnt tell.
As the Old Books reports subsided, the room fell into silence. Only Kierans rough breathing was heard, and he felt like his chest was suffocating at the moment.
Of course,pared to the initial pain when he knew all the monsters in Naveya City had retreated back into the deep sea, the current one was a lot milder.
It wasnt just any pain back then, it was the pain from the heart.
In Kierans original n, after cleaning up the Devourer and the God of Lightning, he would return to Naveya to clean up the monsters.
However, before he even made a move, the knights tasked with keeping Naveya City under surveince reported back that all the monsters started to retreat, not just to the nearby sea area but the deepest part of the sea.
Kieran didnt know whether the monsters sensed danger and left or if it was because the Devourer was genuinely dead. All he knew was that if he didnt do anything, he would lose a significant amount of potential loot.
So, Kieran flew back to Naveya without further ado, but despite his best efforts, other than three Magic rank items, he got nothing.
Although he had killed myriads of fleeing monsters, the stronger ones had already escaped to the deep sea. If he wanted to get more spoils of war, he had to go further and deeper, but his sanity told him not to because there were still many things he had to attend to.
Those matters were much more important than chasing the monsters into the deep sea.
So he returned to Arya Outpost.
Kieran thought he had let it go after his return, but when he heard the reports from Canbenor, he couldnt help but think about the items and equipment that swam away from him.
To divert his mind away from this unpleasant matter, Kieran took the initiative and diverted the topic.
Why did the wall construction in Arya stop? he asked.
When he came back to Arya Outpost, Kieran saw the construction site was reopened, but no workers were working.
The monsters had retreated, so Priestess Atrina and Outpost Master Nelson halted the construction process because they werent sure whether to continue building the wall or return to Naveya and rebuild there.
Its your Majestys decision to make, the Old Book replied.
No need to return to Naveya. Keep the construction going, Kieran replied.
It wasnt due to theck of benefits that Kieran disliked Naveya City; it was because the monsters had upied Naveya for quite some time now, and ordinary civilians couldnt even live in the contaminated ce throughout the foreseeable future. The lingering aura of the monsters and the poisonous presence of the sea would quickly kill any civilians.
Besides, cleaning up Naveyas ruins would take a long time, and the cost would at least be ten or even a hundred times greater. The manpower and resources required for the rebuilding process were unimaginable.
One needed to know the Gods of Naveya were all gone. Thus the rebuilding relied on the people themselves.
Rather than wasting time and resources, they might as well strengthen Arya Outpost, which had fertilends and was close to Yort Fields.
As for trading with the cities in the south?
It wouldnt be severely affected because the merchant groups from the said cities mostly trade in Yort Fields rather than sailing the seas.
The Old Book didnt reject Kierans suggestion.
After the order was given, the Old Book went out to deliver the message.
A whileter, the work song of the workers restarting their efforts entered Kierans ear, it sounded energetic and lively.
Kieran stood up, went out, and climbed up to the walls. He looked down at the busy workers.
Carts were being pushed, shoulders were carrying buckets, and hands were piling up bricks.
Sweat flowed like a river, but the smiles andughter didnt stop.
Without the monsters troubling their minds, thest bit of worry has been discarded.
Now, all they have to do is work hard and eat their fill every day.
The outpost gave them more than what their lords gave them, so they would stay behind and build the walls as long as the orders are given.
Atrina walked to Kieran and exined softly. She paused for a while before asking, Ryan, your temple is on the building list, is there anything you would like it to have?
Temple? Kieran was surprised.
Yes, a temple. You killed the Devourer and the schemeful God of Lightning!
Now, everyone believes Arya Outpost will soon be a new city in the south, and you will be its God!
You will also surpass every single one of the Old Gods of Naveya!
Everyone thinks so, even me!
Atrina looked at the man before her with zing eyes.
She knew he was strong but not this strong.
Atrina, who once served Lady Thorn, knew how scary the God of Lightning was. Although Naveya housed many Gods, the God of Lightning held a special ce among them. Some even said that the God of Lightning was the true owner of Naveya.
However, such a God was killed by the man before her eyes, together with that nightmare, the Devourer.
Atrina didnt join the battle that night, but she still saw the massive body appear, fall and vanish from on top of the walls.
From that moment onwards, Atrina strongly believed Kieran will be the strongest God that ever walked thend.
And she would always be at his side.
Of course, the goal wasnt achievable with a simple kick, many delicate ns were required, and the first of many was building a temple.
Chapter 1484 - Name
Chapter 1484: Name
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Kieran didnt reject Atrinas suggestion right away, despite having the least intention of building himself a temple.
Kieran knew how costly and troublesome it was to build a temple, plus he had to worry about the enemies in the dark, hence he couldnt spare further attention to attend on such trivial matters.
However, with an important enemy out of the way and words like You will surpass every Old God of Naveya. Everyone thinks so, including me., Kieran was slightly moved.
In the end, Kieran hadnt given up on his thought of collecting the Power of Faith.
So what else was more suitable to build a temple?
Of course there were other matters to consider, like time, so after some thought, Kieran replied.
I just want a simple temple. No extravagant decorations, no grand and mourous hall. That ce... is good enough.
Kieran pointed at the small wooden house at the soldier camp.
THERE?! Atrina was stunned when she saw the little wooden house.
Atrina had expected trouble when she voiced her suggestion, but never had she thought the trouble would be this big.
A crude temple in the form of a small wooden house. Even the False Gods of Yort Fields had better than this, let alone the one who was destined to surpass every Old God of Naveya!
This should not happen! It could only be a joke!
Ryan, you are not joking right? Atrina asked in a hurried tone.
No, I am serious, Kieran replied firmly.
But this isnt fitting to a temple...
There is no fitting or not! A temples greatness and respect isnt determined by the looks, it is determined by what stays there! I stayed in the wooden house before and it will be my temple!
Kieran then waved his hand at Atrina, brushing her off and climbing down the wall, Roffu behind him.
The young soldier showed even more admiration to Kieran after that, always thinking the man he followed was extraordinary.
Not just strong, but also possessing virtues others didnt.
The little scene that happened proved his thoughts right once again.
The person... the God before his eyes was the one that he would follow for the rest of his life.
I will be the sword in your hand, cutting away the brambles.
I will be the shield in your hand, shielding you from the arrow rain.
Kieran faintly sensed the fanatical beliefs but he didnt stop. The smell that he picked up in the kitchen ahead of him hastened his steps.
Kieran reminded the young soldier behind him.
Follow up, Roffu.
Yes, Your Majesty!
The two of them entered the kitchen quickly.
Atrina, looking at them from the walls, couldnt help but shake her head.
She knew he had to spend more effort and thought to deal with this, otherwise her hard efforts would surely fall short! And she would not ept failure as the final oue!
A temples greatness and respect isnt determined by itslooks, it is determined by what stays there? As expected, only you can say something like that and it is because of you I am willing to bet everything that I have!
Unconsciously, Atrina curled her lips into a smile. She then walked to the small wooden house.
Then, she knelt down and prayed softly.
The valiant and fearless.
The strong and noble.
Your name will be branded in thend.
Your voice will echo in the skies.
You are the divine that will save the despair.
You are the God that will shine in darkness.
You owned the fire, you swing the greatsword and wield the de; you once lingered in darkness and selfless at light.
You are the Lord of Shadow Glory.
The raven is your messenger; the white wolf is your emissary; the shadow is your servant.
And we will be your eternal followers.
A clear and sonorous voice came from Atrina, sounding like a hymn yet a poem, spreading throughout the camp within a breaths time.
Everyone in the camp was swiftly attracted over.
Nelson the Outpost Master was the first to kneel down beside her.
Pelder, the original archpriest of Harvest also walked over like amon old folk. Even without an arm, he knelt down beside Nelson with a stern look.
The Gods of Naveya had fallen, it wasnt a secret anymore.
The demigod had Ryan saved them from destruction, toppled the schemes of the God of Lightning; these were facts, therefore there was no need for hesitance.
The three of them knelt down first, then the knights from Naveya, the deacons, the priests also naturally joining them; they knelt down further behind Atrina.
The Sand Counter and the wise man of Yort Field, Luphus, also realized the benefits of kneeling, grabbing his student and joining the fray.
Luphus shamelessly dragged his student and knelt behind Nelson.
The kneeling group was divided into four lines as the numbers started to grow.
The first was Atrinas.
The second was Nelson and Pelders.
The third was Luphus and Edens.
The fourth line had the most people, almost a hundred to be precise, and they became the strongest voice of the singing that followed. None of them had learned the prayers, all they did was listen to Atrinas prayers once and everyone could utter the same words skillfully.
Further away, the soldiers and workers were slightly stunned, but when the white brilliance appeared, they too joined the prayers.
Some from Yort Fields even shouted Miracle!
Their prayers flew up to the sky, piercing the clouds and echoing throughout heaven.
The ground shook and theke rippled.
Even Bloody Mary, who was currently far away from Arya Outpost, faintly felt the prayers, for it was Kierans contractee.
It sensed that its contractor was sitting in the kitchen drinking a bowl of rich beef stew while the prayers with the Power of Faith surrounded the kitchen. Bloody Mary could even feel the rich vour of the stew, the oiliness of the beef and how it mixed together with ck pepper, producing a special taste. One would gulp down saliva unconsciously based on the description alone.
Unconsciously, Bloody Marys throat was moving back and forth, saliva swallowed down repeatedly, but...
Pak!
The thick icy wind was like the cruelest hand with the fiercest p as it smashed the High Demons face.
It wasnt that it didnt want to transform into its illusory form, but it couldnt. After it passed through Weiss Valley and entered Rinya Mountains, everything changed.
Bloody Marys abilities were limited and more importantly, the weather took a drastic turn: everything was freezing in the mountains.
Whats worse was Bloody Mary lost sight of the convoy from Thorn Temple.
However, the worst was just about to begin.
Amid the blizzard, a figure slowly walked into Bloody Marys sight, causing it to shrink its gaze and halt its steps unconsciously.
A dry smile appeared on its ugly face, saying Good morning, Lady Vanessa.
Chapter 1485 - Who Is It?
Chapter 1485: Who Is It?
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Vanessa, Lady Thorns other name.
She who should have fallen with the other Gods of Naveya appeared before the High Demon, Bloody Mary.
While looking at the silent Lady Thorn walking closer, Bloody Marys heart was filled with sourness, intertwined with itsplicated thoughts. In the end, all theplicated emotions transformed into sadness and anger.
It knew when its contractor sent it northbound, it wouldnt be for anything good. Every single time, unexpected situations ured. Likewise, Bloody Marys death rate surged to the point that it was numbed by its demise.
Of course, if it could be spared, even once, Bloody Mary would always want to stay alive.
It smiled at Lady Thorn as she walked even closer.
Then...
Fuaaa!
The blizzard got fiercer. The hidden power in the blizzard revealed itself and froze Bloody Mary upon contact, turning it into a ghastly ice statue.
The dry smile on its ugly face was perfectly preserved under ayer of ice, but right away, Bloody Mary freed itself from the ice encasing it with its own natural gifts.
Death wasnt a stranger to Bloody Mary. The unfamiliar thing was that after itstest death, it didnt return to Kieran, still standing on the spot.
Bloody Mary breathed heavily, its throat dry. Although it knew its powers were heavily suppressed by the environment, it hadnt expected it to be this serious.
Lady Vanessa, I think we should have a good talk.
Bloody Mary tried to stall but Lady Thorn didnt want to talk, waving her hand and freezing the High Demon again.
As usual, Bloody Mary broke free, but the blizzard followed it closely like a shadow.
Bloody Marys face almost turned green at the inevitable blizzard attack.
It was true that the High Demon was undead, at least in themon knowledge, but undead didnt mean painless.
Each time Bloody Mary died, it was a rtively painful experience and dying out of sheer coldness did not make fond memories.
After dying twice in a row and a third impending, the fourth woulde soon enough. Once the thought entered Bloody Marys mind, it discarded thest bit of scruples.
Due to the special environment, it was robbed of its countermeasures but that didnt mean Bloody Mary had lost its ability to counter.
Come on! Come on! Whatever you do to me now will surely happen to you in the future! My boss will not spare you, you arrogant hag! You think you are so secretive, that no one noticed you? Let me tell you, every single move you made was within my boss expectations, you are destined to lose from the beginning!
Bloody Mary scolded Lady Thorn relentlessly and amid its furious verbal attacks, Bloody Mary had been frozen four times, with each time faster and fiercer than the one before.
At first, Bloody Mary was frozen into an ice statue. Then, as the kill increased, the moment it was frozen, it was smashed to bits. Bloody Mary had experienced being torn apart more than once in such a short period of time.
The excruciating pain didnt stop its verbal attacks though, unleashing itself and scolding frenzily.
It was dead anyway, might as well savour the moment.
You ugly old hag! You hideous old witch that hides with the rats! I bet you are rotten under that skin, you are nothing but an empty shell! Go look into the mirror if you dare!
The scolding came furiously, Bloody Mary feeling exceptionally happy. It looked at the silent Lady Thorn and its heart was filled with joy.
A God? So what?
The mastermind behind the scene? So what?
Bloody Marys furious scoldings shut her up and rendered her speechless.
The joy in its heart made its scoldings faster and harsher, but when it sensed a sudden surge of energy that frightened itself around Lady Thorn, it quickly shut up.
The energy that it sensed could very well threaten its core power, making an awkward smile appear on its face.
Uhh... I...I dont know what happened. Those words just slipped out of my mouth. I always speak differently when I am nervous, I dont mean what I just said. You are beautiful, elegant, graceful, and can overthrow a city with a smile. A goddess like you will forgive my little mistake right? Your skin is as smooth as silk, as fair as milk, and when you look into the mirror, even the reflection seems dull.
Bloody Mary tried its best to tter Lady Thorn, but it was useless.
The energy that could threaten its existence rapidly gathered. Bloody Mary then shut up, wisely sensing no words could save it now. Lady Thorn was seriously going to wipe it away from existence.
So its time? I, the unpaid, with no holidays or no bonus, a ve to my contractor, just a pitiful soul, am finally returning to nothingness? I guess its not too bad. But... Id feel a little regretful if I return to nothingness like this.
When the ferocious energy in the blizzard was unleashed at Bloody Mary, it raised two of its middle fingers at Lady Thorn.
As though Bloody Marys middle fingers were an igniting fuse, the moment it put up its middle fingers, the energy in the blizzard exploded.
Bloody Mary was drowned like dirt.
Snow as big as a fist flew everywhere, blocking the already poor sight of the High Demon.
The wind was as sharp as a knife, slicing its skin, cut after cut, inducing freezing pain onto its body.
And then there was... heat?!
Pain?
Heat?!
I didnt die?!
Bloody Mary opened its shut eyes into a little seam and saw that familiar ck figure right in front of its eyes.
Amid the white snow, the ck was abruptly standing in the middle, brewing a zing me that burned not only the icy weather but also torched the violent wind.
The ferocious energy that could threaten its life vanished under the Devil me.
Peace. Bloody Mary felt peace like it had never known before when it saw the ck figure and a never before felt gratefulness gushed up from the bottom of its heart.
I knew it! I knew youde for me boss! Bloody Mary cried out in gratefulness.
Em. You are useful and valuable, Kieran nodded and replied in a direct way.
Bloody Marys smile always fell off its face when it heard those words.
If you can keep thest part to yourself, Id be utterly grateful, Bloody Mary pouted.
It was the best resistance that Bloody Mary could put up against Kieran, not daring to do anything ridiculous like voicing its dissatisfaction. Though, the suffocating feeling was very hard for it to bear.
Fortunately, there was another viable target to vent out its sourness.
Standing behind Kieran, Bloody Mary popped its head over Kierans shoulder and gave a middle finger to Lady Thorn, who was further away.
I was nervous again just now, so you rotten old ugly hag, you witch! Come on! Come at me sista! Come at me if you dare!
The High Demon moured and provoked and the presence around Lady Thorn rumbled fiercely
Bloody Mary shrunk its head behind Kierans back again, but Lady Thorn didnt make a move.
She looked at Kieran and Kieran looked at her.
Who are you? Kieran asked with furrowed brows.
Chapter 1486 - Cheated
Chapter 1486: Cheated
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kierans words had doubt, but his eyes held realization.
Everything was exactly as hed expected.
After he killed the God of Lightning, who seemingly was the mastermind behind everything, Kieran had been working hard to chase after those sea monsters, trying to make up for his loss. Amid the furious hunting, he had recalled everything that had happened since he stepped into the dungeon, not just this time, but the previous one as well.
Kieran was a person who liked to think back, because there was a lot of motivation and inspiration in his memories to make him work harder and fight fiercer for things he felt were important.
He had been through countless hungry nights, so he understood what he must do to prevent that from happening.
Hunger was very scary, to the point that it forced him to have good memories and hed remember everything to his heart.
Therefore, he was clear on how he first came into this world filled with Gods and how he stood firm in this ferocious world.
The God of Earth, Nikorei, the person who Kieran still couldnt surpass until now.
It would be safe to say that Kieran followed Nikoreis steps into this world and with her help, Kieran used [Thorns Deceive] to get a firm standing.
As hebed through his memories, a question appeared in his heart.
Why had Nikorei did what she did?
Why had she led Kieran into this world?
More precisely, why had Nikorei chosen Lady Thorn?
At first, Kieran thought Lady Thorn was chosen because she had the ability to see through fate, which was prioritized by the God of Earth.
However, with the appearance of the Devourer and the fall of the Naveyan Gods, Kieran realized he had been thinking in the wrong direction.
It was true that Lady Thorn could see through fate and even a part of the future, but what use would it be?
Seeing didnt mean she could change the future!
With the absolute force in y, the vision would only increase despair, therefore Lady Thorn wasnt a decent candidate.
Instead, the God of Lightning, who controlled the Devourer, would be a much more decent candidate, and yet, Nikorei choose Lady Thorn over him.
It allowed Kieran to rte into more things, for example: how did Nikorei find out about this ce?
Was it because this ce was connected to the West Coast?
There might be another possibility but it was less than 1%.
One had to remember the seemingly normal West Coast City had a lot of outstanding forces hiding in it. Why hadnt they discover Naveya then?
Kieran wouldnt think they couldnt find Naveya or they didnt possess the ability to do so.
He knew what kind of forces were hiding in West Coast, they were the pinnacle of what that country could achieve!
Kierans power level when he opened the stone door back then?
Although it might be decent enough at that time, based on the current statistics, Kieran was still quite far away from those power houses of the respective factions.
More so, had strength been a factor, the God of Lightning of Naveya was definitely not weak during his prime, so why hadnt he notice the passageway between worlds?
Did the God of Lightning keep the secret to himself despite noticing the passageway?
Unlikely. Given God of Lightnings character, once discovered, he would take action against it and once action was taken, regardless of how subtly or secretive, traces would be left behind, but Kieran got nothing.
Therefore, there was only one answer left: the passageway was created by Nikorei herself and only for herself.
Howd she do that? Kieran had no idea.
The knowledge he masted couldnt allow him to understand the meaning in between, but based on such a theory, Kieran was sure Nikorei had quite the understanding of Naveya.
Meaning, the God of Earth must have selected Lady Thorn for a reason and it was a choice made after deliberate understandings.
Why?
After thinking for quite some time, Kieran formed a fairly impossible answer and yet which made sense: work together!
Two different worlds, twodies with the title of Gods working together to achieve a certain goal.
In other words, the so-called [Thorns Deceive] wasnt used to deceive Lady Thorn since she was part of the n, it was used to deal with other people in Naveya.
This also rified how loving and tolerant Lady Thorn was to Kieran.
Kieran possessed [Thorns Deceive], meaning he was with Nikorei from the very beginning, he was one of them, hence Lady Thorn showed extra care to him.
As for why Kieran appeared in Rinya Mountains?
To solve the problems!
Lady Thorn, the coborator of Nikorei, ran into some problems, thus Kieran.
He was sent here by Nikorei, who was unable to be here to solve the problem.
Likewise, Lady Thorn also knew that, thus the hint to north.
As a matter of fact, the hint happened more than once, because Tiki had hinted at Kieran too.
The thousand-men riders around Weiss Valley was the most obvious hint of all. The riders didnt just tell him where the danger lies, they also told him where the exact danger, hence Bloody Mary was sent out.
Kieran wanted to test the water, and it proved that he was right.
Lady Thorn before him was the best proof!
Her power and aura shared resemnce to the image of Lady Thorn in Kierans mind, but there was a slight difference and it was erged under Kierans sharp Intuition.
She was cold, and wasnt as familiar as the Lady Thorn that Kieran remembered.
Ants.
Cold words came from Lady Thorn and she raised her hand again.
Fuaa!
The special energy in the blizzard was gushed towards Kieran but was quickly suppressed down by a loud roar. A zing fireball was fired out from Kierans hand.
The raging blizzard was melted again and so was the energy inside it but the Devil me was extinguished by the follow up attack.
The blizzard was endless in the north and with the control of Lady Thorn, she gave the blizzard a will of its own as it was targeted at Kieran.
Bone-chilling freezing air spread around Kieran, even Bloody Mary shivered. It felt like its special gifts were further restrained by the harsh environment.
A thought ran through Kierans mind... [Kings Praise]!
Unlike the quiet [Kings Step] that allowed Kieran to teleport, when [Kings Praise] was activated, a gold radiance shone from [Lionheart]. The golden radiance enveloped the High Demon, not only healing itpletely but also buffed its abilities.
Stay back, Kieran said softly.
Bloody Mary turned around and ran for its life without a sound.
As it was healed and gained buffs, Bloody Mary flew away very fast. A breaths timeter, it became a small dot within sight and was going away further.
Lady Thorn grunted without the slightest expression.
Then, Bloody Mary appeared beside Kieran again, as if it hadnt left.
Bloody Mary was dumbfounded.
If its body wasnt freezing again, Bloody Mary wouldve thought it had fallen into some kind of illusion.
Wait!
Freezing?!
Fortunately, the golden radiance expelled the freezing air and Bloody Mary heaved a long breath of relief, but... the blizzard seemed to have locked onto the HIgh Demon as it assaulted again.
Not again!? Bloody Mary cried in shock.
The golden radiance then shone and expelled the freezing air once again.
The blizzard attacked again, the radiance expelled again, attacked, expelled...
Bloody Marys face started to twitch as it felt the freezing chills on its body.
It felt like it was cheated by its contractor.
Chapter 1487 - Congratulations
Chapter 1487: Congrattions
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
What was scarier than death?
Living a life worse than death!
Even more so for an undead like Bloody Mary, the freezing air freezing its soul for a moment and the next moment healed by the golden radiance. The process repeated itself so many times that it couldnt even keep count, Bloody Mary almost crying.
In the past, dying was just a momentarily experience, but now, the process repeated itself almost infinitely.
Boss, what are you trying to do? Can you please hurry up? Bloody Mary said loudly.
Kieran quietly looked at Lady Thorn.
Bloody Mary was anxious. It knew its boss loved observation and figuring things out, but no matter how he was fond of it, he should at least try to read the atmosphere and situation!
Bloody Mary was suffering an endless torture like never before.
A word suddenly popped up in Bloody Marys heart, but it didnt dare voice it out loud.
It really didnt dare to put the words through its mouth!
With the existing contract, had it really said it out loud, it would be the end for the High Demon.
What would it choose between torture and real death?
Just follow my instinct.
The decision was made without the slightest hesitation.
Bloody Mary then looked at their enemy, since all it could do now was ept the torture passively.
Huh?
A cry of shockter, Bloody Mary widened its eyes, hit with the realization that Lady Thorn was only attacking itself and neglected its boss, who kept healing it.
What is going on? Why is she neglecting boss? Am I that attractive?
Doubts rose in Bloody Marys heart.
Insult her.
Suddenly, Kierans voice came through the special link that Bloody Mary shared with him due to the contract.
What? Bloody Mary was stunned.
Insult her! Use your most vicious words to insult her! Kieran repeatedly said.
Got it!
A firm answerter, Bloody Mary turned to Lady Thorn. It took a deep breath and using its loudest voice, said HEY, BITCH!
Fuuu!
The blizzard grew fierce and drowned Bloody Mary in an instant.
Kieran waved his hand and allowed [Kings Praise] to cover Bloody Mary before he strode towards Lady Thorn.
There was something he wanted to know.
Kieran suddenly stopped when both of them were less than 10 meters apart, an exploding frost fired at him.
However, after he shattered the frost attack and stepped back, Lady Thorn returned her attention to the High Demon once more.
After multiple attempts, Kieran finally got an answer: the Lady Thorn before him had no intellect whatsoever, all she had were some action patterns, which Kieran was quite familiar with.
The insults were weak and unforgivable.
A chance should be given to the wrongdoer.
Brambles only prevented advance, blizzard was the weapon that would rip foes apart.
All sorts of description were floating in Kierans mind.
Before bing the archpriest of the real Lady Thorn, Kieran had went through the codex of Thorn Temple and many of the records had descriptions that perfectly described the Lady Thorn before his eyes.
A Lady Thorn that fits the temple codex? No, not the codex alone, it should be the expectation of the people... So this is the problem?
As the theory came into his mind, Kieran didnt dy anymore, telling Bloody Mary to keep insulting her before he strode up to her again.
Fua!
The spine-chilling freezing air, together with the blizzard, attacked Kieran again. The blizzard was like small knives, it didnt just drown Kierans body but also the path of retreat and possible dogging spots.
She foresaw the oue!
It was one of her abilities that was heavily looked upon by the people of Naveya.
No attacks could escape Lady Thorns eyes, any whispers would enter her ears.
Her abilities were enough to send people into despair and frighten people before they even made a move.
Frightened based on a single nce.
The saying was used to describe Lady Thorn for quite a long time.
It was also one of the important points that made her one of the top four Gods in Naveya.
But Kieran, who had broke free from the wrongful impression, feared nothing!
So what if you see through my attacks?
So what if you can see a part of the future?
As long as I am faster than your sight, your ability to see the future is useless!
My body can sustain any kind of damage you throw at me!
My mes can burn you into cinders!
Kakrooom!
The icy blizzard was sted up to the sky after a loud bang. A 6 meters tall devil with horns as sharp as daggers, zing fire as wings, and a body of magma descended upon the icy hell as though it had just crawled out from the abyss.
The extreme temperature distorted the surroundings.
The blizzard swiftly vanished and the freezing air was disintegrated.
Lady Thorn, who controlled all those, coldly grunted again.
An...
Kabooom!
Before she even finished, a fiery stwave that scorched everything within a 100 meters engulfed her. Then, a beheader sword 3 meters long and 1 meter wide, as thick as the gate nk of a city, appeared in the devils hand. Another explosionter, the magma devil raised his beheader sword and swung it in a flurry, the fiery cyclone further wreaking havoc in the icy mountains.
The ic and cold was burned awaypletely, together with the figure of Lady Thorn.
The victor had been determined.
The score had been settled.
Kieran curled his lips into a smile, savouring the power that he had in his new devil form. He then scanned over the notifications before his vision.
[Transform Devil III]
[All attributes + rank I]
[All attributes +5]
[Acquired Perfect Devil Lord Constitution ( Devil Armor, defense automatically set above rank III, able to mitigate 35% of energy damage) ; Acquired Devil Body, extra +6 Strength; Every attack is added with rank III burn damage and has a certain percentage to trigger Fire Ssh and Exploding me with a 10 meter radius range; Fire Ssh damage is ranked at rank I and Exploding mes is ranked at rank III and above; When receive damage, attacker will suffer rank II burn damage from Scorch Rebound; Secondary Elemental Damage Resist + rank I, HP +2000, Stamina +2000]
[Acquired Grand me st: By pping your me wings, form a 150, 100 meter st range before you. Rank IV mes, rank IV st wave, 3 times per transformation]
[Acquired Ruthless Beheader ming Sword: Summon greatsword of mes, rank III fire damage and rank IV sharpness, 3 minute duration, 1 time per transformation]
[Acquired Venomous spheme Whisper: Any target you kill will resurrect temporarily and fight for you with extra buffs. Resurrected target will have the skill Secondary Fire, 3 minute duration, 1 time per transformation]
[Acquired Sulphuric ze: Overlord level mes will not just burn your enemies, their breathing will be tested like never before. Any targets will undergo a -3 Constitution authentication to yours; if failed, target will suffer extra 500 poison damage each time they breath and each breath will further weaken the targets power.]
[Acquired Light of Fear: As the Devil Overlord, your dignity is unchallenged. Any living target that sees you will have to undergo a not lower than S rank Spirit authentication, if fail, induce Fear debuff]
[Devil Libra: The true promotion of your bloodline allows you to gain the true gifts of the Devil Overlord. You can choose any stats at will and add them onto other stats with a 1:1.5 ratio. Added stats should not be lower than A rank and the added stats will not exceed the limit of Spirit level +3. Duration 3 minutes, 1 per transformation.]
......
Unlike the level III skills from before, after Fusion Heart truly evolved, the real Overlord rank Devil Bloodline was presented before Kieran.
It was very powerful!
The increase in all the attributes wasnt just a minor rank anymore but a true leap in major ranks. This would give Kieran the ability to turn the tides around against a powerful enemy.
With [Sulphuric ze] and [Dawn Sword]sbined attributes, together with the new level of the Devil Bloodline, Kieran now had the power to truly face a rank V enemy.
[Devil Libra], the newly boosted Overlord gift, also allowed Kieran to have more options during a battle. He wouldnt even need techniques anymore against a certain enemy, he could convert everything into Strength temporarily and go all out against his enemy. His newly enhanced Devil Body allowed him to sustain more damage and the sheer power would allow him to crush his enemies to the ground.
If [Transform Devil] had reached such ridiculous heights, then what about Creature of Desire?
Even with Kierans calmness, he was eager to see the new Creature of Desire.
It was just a burning eagerness though, Kieran wouldnt waste his resources like this, especially when the situation hasnt cleared itself yet...
Fua!
A fiery breathter, Devil Kieran looked at the scorchednd which Lady Thorn had stood before.
A smaller figure took her ce after Lady Thorn was shed to her death.
The figure had brown hair, brown eyes, young, no older than 10 years old; her dress was a simple brown and she had no shoes on.
She looked like amon little girl from the slums.
What a scary fe.
Praise that didnt match the little girls image came from her mouth. She then walked up to Devil Kieran righteously.
She didnt just ignore the scorching air, she tried to touch the magma body, but Kieran moved away.
Lady Vanessa?
Devil Kierans voice was coarse and heavy, sounding like the earth trembled.
Yes, its me.
The little girl nodded and acted maturely, as if she was trying to maintain her temperament as Lady Thorn but the joy that rose from her heart made her lift her hand again, trying to touch Kierans magma body. The curiosity on her face was unconceble.
Kieran once again moved away.
Ahem... Pardon me. Im still not used to this body after breaking free from all the restraints.
Vanessa coughed to cover her awkwardness.
Restraints? The previous you?
Kieran didnt care about the awkwardness, he only asked what interested him.
Yes. The ideal image of me created by all of Naveya. You should know how I came to be right? Vanessa nodded and asked.
Yes, through some miraculous items, Kieran answered honestly.
Yes, through some miraculous items, we got on a shortcut and gained powersmoners only dreamt off. But in the end, it became our restraints. No, I should say its a cage for us, a cage that wipes our own will away. You wouldnt want to be something like that, it really is a sad ending.
A frightening gaze appeared in Vanessas eyes.
The Power of Faith? Kieran didnt ask about the oue, he once again only asked about the things that interest him.
I know you have a lot of questions right now, but I cant give you the answers. Its time for me to go. You can find the olddy for answerster!
Vanessa nodded and wanted to leave, but Kieran stopped her.
What?
Vanessa looked at herself, trying to spot what was wrong after Kieran stopped her with his zing eyes, but other than bare feet, there was nothing wrong with her.
Payment! I helped you! I should get rewarded! Kieran said without the least scruples.
Vanessa was stunned right away, never thinking Kieran would ask her for payment.
Arent we on the same side? she asked.
Yes, but no discounts, Kieran said seriously.
Due to his devil form, his serious face looked extra frightening, or rather, extra ferocious.
Vanessa was frightened. She took two steps back but she felt like she was losing her temperament, thus she stepped back up. She didnt answer right away though.
She carefully thought about what Kieran said. There wasnt any precise n about Kieran in the promise between her and Nikorei.
In simple words, the promise mentioned nothing about paying a reward, neither did it say not to give one.
Whether to give or not, it depends on her, but...
When she saw the ferocious magma devil and the zing beheader sword in his hand, Vanessa, who had lost most of her powers, didnt want to bet on it.
She believed she shouldnt toy him, the beheader sword will swing down right away.
Fine, Ill give you something.
A few secondster, a sudden thought came into Vanessas mind. Her youthful face showed a joyous smile and before Kieran could further ask, she waved her hand.
A never before felt formless energy touched Kierans right eye after the motion. His right eye was once blinded by Lady Wealth and was regrown after Lady Thorn threw him into the River of Fate.
A numbing sensation spread from his right eye, as if something was happening but at the same time feeling like nothing.
When the sensation faded off, so did Vanessa.
The surroundings also changed in a drastic way.
Kieran suddenly appeared in a familiar study room in his human form. The firece at the wall, the rocking chair, the carpet, and the olddy sitting on it; other than the fat, yellow striped cat, everything was exactly the same as the study room in ck Street 1st.
The olddy in the rocking chair ced the book down and showed a smile.
Not too shabby, 2567, youve passed the test.
Chapter 1488 - Question and Answers
Chapter 1488: Question and Answers
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Passed?!
Nikoreis words struck Kieran as a surprise. He replied almost instantly, So not just West Coast, but also Naveya to be part of the test to be your assistant?
Yes. West Coast is the preliminariespass it and you all will have the qualifications to be in the running for my assistant. After you get the qualifications, you will enter the rest of the test. Those who pass will be my assistant and will help me in dealing with some matters. Of course, Ill make it worthwhile.
Nikorei, the Goddess of Earth, exined to Kieran in detail while rocking in her chair.
She really looked like a kind olddy who had retired in a rural vige, but Kieran wouldnt believe his eyes.
He squinted his eyes and pondered upon the word you all.
It was obvious that Nikorei wasnt referring to Ellie Jones, Raul, Cidney or even Schmidt, because every single one of them were there to make him stand out.
As for what happened throughout West Coast, it was all the olddys setup.
Perhaps among the others, Ellie Jones had a certain gift and was temporarily trained in ck Street 1st, but Kieran was sure Nikorei paid more attention to him and the others who had the qualifications.
Then how many assistants was she looking for?
Just one? Or multiple?
If she only needed one and there was more than one candidate, what would happen then?
Unconsciously, Kierans thoughts started to turn sour.
Kieran might not bear malicious intent but he would neverck the heart of vignce.
Dont worry. I am not too strict about the number of assistants. The thing that you are afraid of wont happen. Moreover, the gifts and strengths that all of you possess far surpassmon people, you can even say that all of you are one in a million. I cant bear to waste such good resources.
The olddy seemed to have pierced Kierans thoughts, and spoke with a lightugh.
Kieran didnt want toment on it, so he kept quiet.
Sometimes, even the things he saw were false, let alone the things he heard.
Only when the truth was presented before him would Kieran choose to believe.
As for other times, reserving a certain level of doubts was not something bad.
Even before the Goddess of Earth, Nikorei, Kieran had no ns of changing his little habit.
Dubious little fe, arent ya? But I must say, you really have some luck there. I didnt have much hope in you after you imnted that heart. It may give you quite the power at times, but in the end, it will only wear you down. As a matter of fact, if it werent for Tiki keeping an eye for you, I wouldnt be here talking to you either.
Now that you have officially be my true assistant, I will answer your questions. Secret spells, news, organizations, some mythical knowledge, or even some items that you seek, I can give them to youafter this time though, you have to clear my tasks before asking more of me.
The olddy didnt show any dissatisfaction at Kierans attitude but showed praise instead.
Kieran, on the other hand, was more concerned about the information she revealed through her words.
It seemed like the Devils heart had some shackles on it, but for Kieran, the shackles were non-existent because since the beginning, the heart that he had imnted in his body wasnt the Devils heart but Fusion Heart, the culmination of many types of powers.
Maybe Fusion Heart had some kind of restrictions too, but Kieran hadnte across them until now.
He had no intention of telling Nikorei the deepest secret of his heart though. Likewise, he wouldnt let this rare opportunity slip.
Therefore, he chose to ask the thing that concerned him the most.
Restraints, are they like Vanessas? If I were to absorb the Power of Faith, would I be like her? Kieran asked.
No, these restraints are much worse than Vanessas. Thankfully, youve ovee them. As for the Power of Faith, well, you and Vanessa are different from the roots. When they became gods, although stronger thanmon men, they werent that absurdly powerful. Compared to divine descendants, they were still very far away, and using their body to fuse the Fragments of Divinity, even with certain rules in this world to help them, they did not end up any better. Vast, endless Power of Faith will wash their souls until the day their souls are reced.
But you, you are different, 2567. You have a body strong enough to sustain them, and youve even ignited your own Divine Fire. Absorbing an endless amount of Power of Faith is like adding logs to your firethe more you absorb, the stronger your fire will be, and a strong Divine Fire will help you give birth to your own unique Divine Dower, said Nikorei after adjusting her sitting posture.
Divine Fire giving birth to Divine Power... Then what are those Fragments of Divinity? Kieran asked.
Fragments of Divinity? They are the only evidence those pitiful souls left behind in the material world after theyd fallen. It is also thest hope of their resurrection. If you hadnt helped Vanessa, she would have soon turned into a mindless puppet and waited for the lingering soul in her divinity to be awakened. After that, she would be reced by another kind of existence. Nikorei sighed.
Whether she was sighing about the fallen gods or the fate of the so-called Naveyan Gods, no one new. Kieran wasnt as empathetic as her though; he wasnt that sentimental to care about the strangers around him.
He knew what his priority was due to the rarity of this opportunity to ask questions.
How do I get my own divinity? Kieran asked.
When your Divine Power reaches a certain state and forms your own Divine Form, it will be the medal given to you. But you are still too far away from that. What you need to do now is raise your Divine Fire and push it to the limit. Of course, you can also rece your cultivation by fusing those Fragments of Divinity to get your own in advance. Though, I do not suggest that you simply fuse yourself with those fragments, as it will make the formation of your Divine Form difficult, Nikorei said.
Will the final oue be any different?
A huge difference. Fusing in advance is like killing the hen in favour of the eggs. This is it, boy. This is what I can tell you for now. As for the rest, you need to work for it.
The olddy ended the conversation, and Kieran, too, didnt ask anymore.
Since he had experience in exchanging information regarding rank V, he knew how valuable was the information he had just gotten.
He could rely on this information and earn arge sum of Points if he had the need to.
Besides, what he got was far more than what he heard.
I want to know more, so... Is there anything that I can help with? Kieran asked.
Kieran thought it was only fair to give before taking, and he was also happy toply.
But when he got the scroll from Nikorei in the next moment, his jaw dropped.
Chapter 1489 - Return
Chapter 1489: Return
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The scroll seemed to be of some goatskin and a metal rod. It had quite the weight upon holding, but as Kieran touched the scroll, he realized it was unusually rough. It was definitely not something goatskin could achieve, more like a conglomerate of sorts.
However, soon enough, Kierans attention was drawn by the words written on the scroll.
The contents of the scroll were written in mystical words, and at the very least, it required Master level to read what it wrote.
...
1. Save Earth B11 from a foreign invasion. Six months duration from the day this is published (After the six months duration, B11 will be too far away from saving)
Reward: Assist in the ignition of Divine Fire 1 time (regardless of sess or not) or other things that share the same value.
2. Destroy Earth C31, which the exiled Purgatory Being has upied. Duration unlimited.
Reward: An intact body of a first-generation divine descendant (equivalent to weak divine power.)
3. Tiki, who stood guard at the Seam of the Crystal Wall of West Coast, needed a vacation. Find someone to take its ce for a week:
Reward: Negotiable.
4. Search for the Starry Sea. Duration unlimited.
Reward: Medium divine power or other things that share the same value.
5. Reconnaissance of Earth A77. 1-month duration from the day this is published (Multiple participants possible).
Reward: Depends on the situation.
6. White Deer needed an assistant teacher to be in charge of teaching the new batch of cadets. Four-month duration.
Reward: Negotiable.
...
Kieran was looking at the contents of the scroll. The number of tasks listed down there was far more than what was mentioned, and the types of jobs varied from saving the world to destroying a to stationing defense, searching, reconnaissance, and even bing a tutor for training.
Its out of my league!
That was Kierans first impression.
Its tooplicated!
That was Kierans second impression.
After the first two impressions, Kieran had a general guess of what the scroll was.
Is this an item to publish missions for multiple parties? Kieran asked.
Yes.
At first, I only hoped it would be easier for assistants like you guys to help meplete some tasks, but as time flew, some of my old friends noticed my easy way of solving trivial matters, and so they joined the fray. Then, more and more rted parties joined the publishing, and in the end, it became what it is now.
However, as its owner, my original motives will not change. Whenever an assistantpletes any task on the scroll, I will consider it as helping me, and I will reward every one of you ordinglyother than the stated rewards that are. the olddy added.
I must ept the tasks in the scrolls? Kieran asked the one thing that concerned him the most.
Its not mandatory. You decide for yourself whether or not you want to ept it.
Regardless of epting or publishing, I will never force any of my assistants to do something.
Is there anything else you want to ask?
I know this is just an image of mine, but if I stay any longer in this world, dire consequences will follow.
Nikorei slowly stood up from her rocking chair.
That will be it. Kieran shook his head.
Then, Ill be looking forward to our next meeting.
Without any further chit-chat, the olddy, together with the study room of ck Street 1st, vanished from sight. Kieran returned to the northern mountains.
The scroll, however, didnt go with her, and it was still in Kierans possession, and the system provided the details.
[Name: Nikoreis Mission Scroll]
[Type: Wonderous Item]
[Rarity: ???]
[Attack: ???]
[Defense: ???]
[Attribute: 1. Publish; 2. ept]
[Special effect: Anonymous Cost]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: This is a wonderous item crafted by the God of Earth, Nikorei, for her assistants but in the end, it be a huge tform for others.]
...
[Publish: You can publish some missions on the scroll but you will have to pay an equal cost.]
[ept: You can ept some missions on the scroll and receive rewards ordingly]
...
[Anonymous Cost: Whenever you use it in the city or dungeon world, regardless of Publish or ept, you will have to pay an extra 30K hidden cost; when you use it to get out of a dungeon world, you will have to pay an extra 100K to be exempted from the punishment and your next dungeon difficulty will increase. If you do notplete the increased difficulty dungeon, you will not be able to use it again.]
...
[Note: Whenever you arrive in The Shamans Partner or rted dungeon world, the hidden cost and punishment will be removed.]
...
Kieran had a general idea about the scrolls attributes, but when he saw the [Anonymous Cost], he still frowned.
Kierans mind unconsciously wanted to rte to further things, but he controlled himself to empty his thoughts.
Before his strength reached a considerable level, hed reject all kinds of negative guesses.
Shortly after that, Kieran ced his attention on the newly arrived notifications.
[Eliminated Lady Thorns true body, main missionpleted in advance]
[yer will leave the dungeon in 10 seconds]
[Please take whatever items you wish to keep with you.]
[Note: Any items that exceed the maximum weight will be discarded!]
...
Kieran quickly scanned his surroundings to make sure he didnt miss out on anything as the countdown timer started. At the next moment, he vanished on the spot.
[Special Dungeon: The Shamans Partner V]
[Dungeon Type: Trial]
[Dungeon Difficulty: High]
[Main Mission: Locate the hidden Thorn Temple at north in 90 days]
[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating F)]
[Complete main mission in advance: Rating F E]
[Battle Performance: Very Active (Rating E A)]
[Exploration Performance: Average]
[Special Rating 1: Eliminated the God of Lightning (Rating A SSS, Rep +3)]
[Special Rating 2: Consumed the Devourer (Rating SSS ZZZ, Rep +5)]
[Special Rating 3: Eliminated Lady Thorns true body (Rating ZZZ V, Rep +1)]
[yer final rating: V]
[Calcting yers final dungeon reward...]
[yers final dungeon reward as listed...]
[Points: 250,000; Skill Points: 50; Golden Skill Points: 5; Golden Attribute Points: 5]
[Acquired special dungeon: The Shamans Partner VI]
[Acquired special reward item: The secrets of Hero Algor]
...
Back in his old garage, Kieran scanned over the ratings and rewards he gained in this dungeon. He wasnt upset, though. Compared to previous runs, all the points earned were a lot lesser, his spoils of war were even near to none, but he knew his real gains were from the Devourer.
It wasnt exaggerating a bit to say that the gains he got from the Devourer equaled to at least five perfect dungeon runs.
Therefore, he wasnt upset at all.
His joyous mood elevated even further as he saw the message Rachel sent him.
Chapter 1490 - Doctor
Chapter 1490: Doctor
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The merry crowd at Harvest Inn was still as joyous as ever.
There wasnt any tension like in the dungeon world: the lone wolves lowered their guards before their friends, and some raised sses filled with amber liquor in a toast, while some enjoyed the golden roasted meat on the te; Hanses was ying the harmonica in front of Coll.
Coll lowered her head and giggled at the performance.
Ramont, Rhino, ir, and Garwen would p and whistle asionally.
It seemed like the rtionship between Hanses and Coll was done being in the dark, and both of them would soone into the light.
Raven the Loner and his cat were in his usual corner. He softly caressed the cat in his arms and hummed a melody; he seemed to be in a good mood as well.
Lawless was mopping the somewhat clean floor, though hed look at the merry crowd from time to time, showing nothing but admiration in his eyes.
Each time Lawless turned around to the crowd, Ramont would speak louder and Raven would hum faster.
Whats wrong?
Kieran came in, nodded at the familiar lone wolves who raised their cups at him, and observed the scene. He then joined Ramont and the others at their table.
Lawless took a bite of the Cream Cherry Pie that Rachel just made.
After a brutal beating, he is now being punished and has to work 27 hours a day.
It willst for a week, I guess. Ramont took pleasure in the misfortune as he teased with his pouty mouth.
Just that? Kieran was confused.
Wasnt it normal for Rachel to beat Lawless?
Was it something so worth celebrating?
That Cream Cherry Pie is a present Hanses prepared for Coll. Rhino then joined the conversation.
After Lawless took a big bite, Rachel had to make another bigger one, ir added.
And its free of charge! said Garwen.
I assume this bigger Cream Cherry Pie is big enough for everyone here, right? Hanses agreed to share? Kieran asked with a smile.
Bingo!
Everyone nodded, including Raven further away.
Heres to free pie! Kieran raised the cup of lemon water that he received from Coll.
Cheers!
Everyone raised their cup, liquor or not, and drained it quickly.
After the sses lowered, Kieran walked over to Lawless, who was staring at him in a grudgeful gaze.
I think you should sympathize with me, Lawless said seriously.
Ya, I agree on the should. Kieran nodded and passed Lawless the only three Magic rank items.
This isnt like you!
Lawless was shocked as he received the rtively few items for sale.
Had it be someone else, Lawless wouldnt be this astonished; he would assume it had merely been a bad day for the person, but Kieran before him had the title of Treasure Hunter!
Did something bad happen? Lawless asked out of worry.
Believe me, what I get is more than what I give you. Kieran tapped on his friends shoulder and went into the small living room behind the bar.
Lawless looked at Kierans vanishing back and finally thought of something.
What do you mean by should?
Are you abandoning me now? Just because I ate a Cream Cherry Pie, you went joined the others in their foul line?!
...
The noise canction formation in the living room walls blocked out Lawless grudgeful rants. Beyond the little corridor, Kieran saw Rachel at the sofa joking with a man in a brown motor jacket, khaki-colored pip pants, and a pair of cowboy boots. Both of them looked at ease. Based on that, it seemed that they had quite a rtionship.
When Rachel spotted Kieran, she didnt stand up because she was still in her weakened state, but she did introduce the man to Kieran.
This is Derder, the best doctor that I know.
I guess I dont have to introduce the famous guy to your right?
Of course not! Its a pleasure to finally meet you, Treasure Hunter.
The man known as Derder extended his hand for a handshake. He didnt call Kieran by his Unique Title de of the Daybreaker or Fire Emperor, which sounded estranged; instead, he went with the friendlier one.
Please to meet you.
Kieran had never heard his name before, but he greeted him nheless.
He still knew how to greet people with basic manners, and he was concerned about the doctor identity.
There was a guy outside the living room who was direly in need of a doctor.
Derder is the doctor in charge of Lawless, despite him not knowing anything.
This time, he will help us treat the Fisherman as well.
Rachel exined before Kieran could even ask.
I cant guarantee anything before I see J.Pearlman.
Ill just do my best. So when do we begin?
Derder said in a careful yet clean manner.
The careful and clean actions increased Kierans fondness of the doctor.
Hold on. My men are bringing J.Pearlman here.
Bringing J.Pearlman here?
Shouldnt it be him going there?
Derder was slightly confused.
Rachel seemed to have picked up the hints from Kierans words, so she nced at him and took the ss in front of her, Are you sure?
Dont worry. My men are quite professional. Kieran said.
Kieran then turned to Derder.
I have some questions to ask you about Lawless condition.
Of course, Ill speak without reserve. Derder said with a smile.
As Kieran asked his questions in great detail, Bloody Mary and the scared Rorl brought J.Pearlman to the train station.
We are going to be fine, right? Rorl sounded like he was very ufortable, hed even weep.
Thest time was bait, and this time was bait once again.
He had always been the bait since the very beginning.
Was he that attractive?
Whatd you think?
Bloody Mary scanned the surroundings and said in an upset tone.
It also didnt want to be bait, but it dared not defy its contractors will, especially when its contractor continued to grow stronger, so thosest bits of mischievous thoughts were discarded far away.
Bloody Mary dare not even mention cruel, ruthless, merciless, or even stingy anymore, not even a thought because they shared a link, and any ill thoughts immediately transferred to its contractor.
All Bloody Mary could say was cruel world, ruthless reality, and stingy people. That was the only new way that could let it slip past the contract.
Therefore, Bloody Mary repeated the few allowed terms in its heart.
Just as it mumbled about its life, the train arrived.
Everything seemed normal, hence a breath of relieving from the High Demon.
However, when the train stopped and the door opened, the High Demons eyes twitched as it saw how full the train was.
Chapter 1491 - Magic Trick
Chapter 1491: Magic Trick
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
There were a dozen fully armed men inside the train carriage, and every one of them was overflowing with killing intents.
No doubt, they were not friendly.
Rorl was already shivering when he caught their killer gazes, so he held on to Bloody Marys coat and pulled it.
Lets run? Rorl suggested softly.
Run?
Bloody Mary pouted. If it could run, it would run without a doubt, but since the foes had grasped their timing so precisely and set up that many men in the train, there must be a lot more men waiting in the street nearby. Maybe the others waiting in the dark would be harder to deal with than the men on the train.
So, they could not run, at least not now!
They must widen the distance!
Get in there. Bloody Mary told Rorl before it walked in.
Rorl really wanted to run, but he dare not. He followed Bloody Mary into the train right after it stepped in.
J.Pearlman?
He acted like a puppet throughout the process, allowing Bloody Mary to drag him freely.
Di!
After a beep, the door slowly closed.
After the door closed, the men who had been sitting down stood up. They walked towards the three of them and proceeded to surrounded them.
Hold on! Bloody Mary shouted, and at the same time, took a dagger from Rorys waist, pointed it at its own neck.
The intimidating men stopped and looked confused, but their weapons remained pointed at the High Demon en masse.
Now, now, calm down everyone, dont get hyped out!
I dont mean anything bad! Just wanna, you know, uh, do a magic trickhere we have a dagger forged from iron, its sharp de can easily cut off anyones neck.
While calcting the time in its heart, Bloody Mary smiled at the surrounding crowd, and as it flicked the tip of the dagger with its finger, it said, Just like... This!
Puk!
The moment its voice subsided, it plunged the dagger in its hand into its neck.
The whole carriage was stunned when the dagger was deep into the High Demons neck; even Rorl was dumbstruck.
Seizing the window, Bloody Mary grabbed Rorl and J.Pearlman and broke through the carriage door, falling outside the train.
RUN!
The moment theynded, Bloody Mary grabbed J.Pearlman and shouted at Rorl before running away.
It wasnt running towards Harvest Inn, though.
Although they had traveled quite far away from the previous street block, Bloody Mary wasnt sure whether or not the enemies would ambush them around Harvest Inn.
It had reached almost halfway to its goal now; it would leave the rest to his contractor from hereon.
...
Lawless condition is somewhat simr to a split personality. Based on Rachels description, his current personality is born because of heavy guilt.
Well go ording to normal procedures, medications followed by a process to let him vent out his guilt. He might get better from there.
The only thing different from standard treatment is Lawless knew his current personality is a sub-product; thus, his main personality will acknowledge the existence. He might not even resist his sub-personality, but should it happen, the worst will happen.
Derder exined in the simplest way possible.
What is the worst condition? Kieran asked seriously.
Kieran was very serious when it came down to his friend.
Although there wasnt any change in Kierans aura, Derders heart pointedly skipped a beat, as if he was sitting beside a ferocious beast. The beast didnt roar or move, it merely stood there firmly, but it would be enough to scare people with just the look.
Powerful!
Derders throat was moving, trying to ease the dryness, it was very ufortable, but he answered nevertheless.
It will get reced; the sub-personality will rece the main personality!
The main will be the sub or... disappear.
Disappear? Is there any way to change the oue? Kieran squinted his eyes as his aura suddenly paused.
Not at the moment, but I aming close to some key factorsit is a special dungeon of mine, there is a native that shared a simr condition with Lawless, and he got healed. If I can find the key factor in his treatment, Ill have the confidence to treat Lawless!
Derder wasnt used to the serious atmosphere, and he felt like a mountain pressured him. He had to lean back to ease himself to finish his words.
Em. If you want anything, just tell me. Ill try my best to support you.
I need to be excused now. My men ran into some trouble and now require my presence.
Kieran nodded, stood up, and walked out.
Sure, sure.
Derder stuttered as he saw Kieran off. Once Kieran was out of the living room, he heaved a breath of reliving.
Didnt you say 2567 is a friendly person? Why do I feel like I am talking to a dragon? Derder smiled bitterly to Rachel.
Its because you mentioned one of the things that concern the dragon. You should be thankful that you didnt step on hisndmines, or else... Rachel shook her head.
She didnt finish her words, but the meaning was obvious.
I felt like ever since Ive met you guys, I live my life in worryin the real world, and even worse in the game. Derder shrugged helplessly.
Living your life in worry means you are still alive. One day when you worry nothing, you will realize your life is worse than death. Rachel said slowly after taking a sip of her ss.
I am not like that. I just want to live my life peacefully.
Perhaps this is the thing that differentiates us. You and 2567 are so powerful because of it.
Derder sighed.
Rachel took a sip from her ss again, but she didnt answer after it this time.
Somethings were not able to put into words, just like what Bloody Mary hade across.
J.Pearlmanid slung over its shoulder as it shuffled through the streets of the big city with Rorl.
Soon, they managed to get away from the street block and arrived in apletely new ce.
Even Kieran considered the big city as a stranger ce, let alone Bloody Mary.
Rorl? He was familiar with the edges of the city, not the new street before his eyes.
Therefore, they were moving forward based on Bloody Marys instinct, but somehow, its instincts werent as decent.
After the first corner into an alley, a figure blocked their way.
Bloody Mary threw J.Pearlman to Rorl and put up a battle stance.
The figure had locked on to itself, so running wasnt an option anymore.
Bloody Mary sized up the figure, ready to take the first strike.
However, amid the sizing up, the figureughed in a strange way.
Hehehehehe, number six.
Kabooom!
Before the strangeughs even subsided, the figures body exploded. The explosion sent its blood flying everywhere.
Bloody Mary was dumbstruck.
What the hell just happened? Is this some sort of magic trick?
Chapter 1492 - How Can My Boss Be This Kind?
Chapter 1492: How Can My Boss Be This Kind?
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Bloody Mary frowned hard as it looked at the exploded body disintegrating into white light.
It felt strange, but it couldnt pinpoint exactly what. It felt normal in some way.
It turned around and looked at Rorl and J.Pearlman, who were both in a dull state, so Bloody Mary swallowed back its questions.
Then...
Dak Dak Dak Dak.
Amid the footsteps, a figure appeared from the shadow. It was Kieran.
Kieran nced over the explosion point, nodded in deep thoughts, but didnt say anything.
I see, Kieran muttered.
Boss, what happened? Bloody Mary came close and asked.
He should be a curse caster, Kieran exined.
Means he was casting a curse just now? Bloody Mary said in shock.
Em. But theres nothing to worry over. Its just some tricks. Ill dispel the curse for you. Kieran nodded.
Then when do we start? Bloody Mary asked anxiously.
Now. You can have a holidayter after this. Its been a rough couple of weeks for you.
Kieran looked at Bloody Mary and said with a smile.
Thank you very much.
Bloody Mary was incredibly moved, its body shivered from the excitement and slightly bowed to Kieran.
Kieran lifted his hand and ced it over Bloody Marys shoulder.
Pak!
But before Kierans hand could touch Bloody Marys shoulder, Bloody Mary plunged its own hand through Kierans body. An uncontrobleugh followed right away.
Are you serious now?
You are here to entertain me?
My boss isnt like you, you imposter!
Bloody Mary twisted its hand to widen the wound on the mans abdomen to his chest. With its hand through the mans chest, Bloody Mary lifted him higher.
Where did I go wrong?
I thought I sounded exactly like him! the man sounded confused.
Ya, you sound exactly like him.
As it replied, Bloody Mary put its other hand into the chest and ripped the body in half!
Tsska!
The imposter was ripped in half by Bloody Marys bare hands!
Organs and blood dropped to the ground like discarded trash, but before it sshed on Bloody Mary, everything vanished.
Bloody Marys sight blurred out for a moment before it saw Rorl pushing itself.
Hey man, how are you?! What happened back there? Rorl asked anxiously.
Im fine and kicking. Get your hands off me, moron! said Bloody Mary. It sounded like it was disgusted by Rorl holding its hand, but at the next moment, it kicked J.Pearlman, whom Rorl carried on his shoulder.
Rorys strength was iparable to Bloody Mary, J.Pearlman was kicked away just like that.
Rorl was stunned, he didnt know what happened, but it didnt stop him from moving behind Bloody Mary.
Still ying dumb, are we? Bloody Maryid its hands out open and asked.
How did you realize it?
J.Pearlman, who fell on the ground, spoke in a weird voice without getting up.
I started to suspect something when the men appeared on the train in such a timely manner.
Maybe I am not as vignt as my boss, but I am not half bad. Id made sure that I hadnt been followed.
Especially other than my boss, I dont think there is someone that can pull me into an illusory realm so quietly. There must be a trigger or a process, so other than you who I carried on my shoulder, who else can do it? Bloody Mary said in happyughs.
Then why not the other person beside you? the man on the ground asked.
Because he is a useless idiot. Bloody Mary said decisively.
Rorl opened his mouth, he ought to argue, but nothing came out in the end due to even himself acknowledged his uselessness in his heart.
The best kind of people knew how much they are worth.
Rorl was precisely this kind of person, but the person lying on the ground was not.
A few silent momentster, the man spoke again, How did you realize it was an illusion? I admit that I have observed 2567 for a very long time. I shouldnt have made any mistakes!
Even if you have thepanion contract, my previous illusions should be able to fool you!
The man seemed very persistent at this topic.
Bloody Mary didnt answer this time.
What should it say to the man? That its boss wasnt a pro in dispelling curses? Or that what the man had gathered before was tantly wrong?
Had Bloody Mary revealed it to the enemy, its boss would surely feed it to Gluttony. The hungry sin had had his eyes on the High Demon for a long time now.
Or rather, should it say that its boss wasnt that joyful, and a holiday or a break was impossible?
It was too shameful to tell!
It would tell, but not in this life!
Therefore, Bloody Maryughed softly. It ought to use itsughs to cover its inability to answer.
However, the smile caused the man to misunderstand.
Is something that I dont know of?
Very well, its my mistake this time, but next time you wont be this lucky! I will surely send you into a miserable state that will make you wish you are dead instead!
The moment his words subsided, J. Pearlman climbed up and ran away quickly.
Bloody Mary looked at the running imposter. It didnt give chase, though.
We are not chasing? Rorl asked softly.
Chase? Did you think I spent so much time talking BS with that guy because I wanted to befriend him? Bloody Mary asked.
Then... are you testing him? Rorl thought for quite a while before his answer came out.
Useless piece of sh*t! it rolled a white eye at Rorl.
Bloody mary pouted and decided to not talk to Rorl anymore.
How was it testing the man?!
It was buying time! Stalling! Stalling for its boss!
Dak Dak Dak!
Familiar steps entered its ears. Bloody Marys straight body instinctively arched a little and showed a smile on its face. It quickly jogged to the source of the footsteps.
Come along, moron.
Bloody Mary turned around when it was halfway there and called Rorl.
Uh..Oh..
Rorl nodded and ran.
After a corner, Rorl saw that legendary figure again.
Under the shadow cast by the buildings, the man was standing there.
The wind that flew through the valley fluttered the feather mantle, producing relentless flutters.
In his hand was J.Pearlman, whose face got hit by the fluttering feathers.
Chapter 1493 - First Treatment
Chapter 1493: First Treatment
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
An alley behind Harvest Inn.
Rachel was smoking a cigarette, squatting down without the least concern about her image as she inspected J.Pearlman, who Kieran had thrown on the floor.
White light with a dash of jaded green appeared from Derders hand and swiftly enveloped J. Pearlman.
Lawless crossed his arms and watched quietly. He was standing beside his friend, looking at the undoubtedly long process and asked softly, You said the Fisherman is possessed?
Lawless purposely emphasized on the word possessed.
It was the exnation that Kieran came up with when he introduced Lawless to the situation.
Kieran was clever in avoiding words like personality. Hed also clearly stated that Derder was a doctor during the introduction, but he distinctly pointed out that Derder was here because of J. Pearlman.
As for the truth behind the show?
Kieran will never tell Lawless, and in order to achieve the goal, he had to attract Lawless attention.
Something simr, but I am not sure what it really is.
The only thing I am sure of is that the person who possessed J.Pearlman is extremely conceited, had a trick or two, and maybe had ess to a sizeable informationwork in the city, but by no means is he deep enough in all this. Therefore, there should be some forces behind him, but their strength pales inparison to this particr person, said Kieran.
Kieran would not hide things from Lawless, most of the time.
Can you exin slower and simpler? I still dont know what is going on.
Maybe all the cleaning and washing of tables and sses have made my mind slow because I felt like Ive cleaned everything that I have to clean in the next ten years!
Lawless purposely softened his voice when he said thest part, but Kieran heard the coldughs from Rachel.
Obviously, if they hadnt wanted to introduce Lawless to Derder, Lawless might have still been cleaning the inn.
But of course, the cleaning will continue shortly after this meeting and will be prolonged indefinitely.
Kieran looked at his friend with a pitiful gaze.
He tried to kill mypanion with traps, but mypanion saw it through, and yet the man didnt concede. Instead, he acknowledged his mistakes and vowed to take revenge, saying that at the next meeting, I better wish I was dead.
On top of that, he knew that I have certain curse dispelling abilities. He should be watching me since thest curse dispeller incident, but thats all he knows. He didnt know what happened after that and thought everything else was just my ns.
At least he thought so and arranged ordingly.
So he is quite conceited, he thought he was the smartest of all.
Kieran acknowledged the High Demon as apanion.
Acquiring apanion in the dungeon world wasnt easy, but not outrageously hard either.
For a lone wolf solo yer, a goodpanion proved to be a great help; therefore, no solo yer would mind having an extrapanion.
Of course, a lot of them still ended up clearing dungeons alone because a goodpanion was hard toe by.
Lawless nodded out of realization. He further asked, I understand about the mans power, but what about having forces behind him?
If this culprit werent strong enough, he wouldnt have known about the Freedom Alliance or the Guardians.
Lawless knew it very well as a high-ranker. Thankfully for Rachels constant reminder, otherwise, he would not know anything about the organizations until now.
However, he couldnt understand why his friend was so sure that there were forces behind the man.
Did you forget about the yers on the train? Kieran asked.
I guess I must have forgotten about that after I put my cleaning cloth away.
Lawless shrugged helplessly and asked more, So what should we do now? Find the guy with the clues we have and bring hell to him?
Lawless spoke with excitement; it sounded like he had broken free from shackles.
Kieran saw Rachel take a heavy puff from her cigarette as a significant portion was burned off in an instant. Once again, Kieran grieved for his friend in his heart and shook his head.
No point in doing so. Those men will not know anything.
That guy may be arrogant, but its all built on the intelligence that he thinks he has. Would a guy with imaginary intelligence leave clues behind like that? said Kieran.
So we just sit back and watch? Lawless asked anxiously.
He was eager to leave Harvest Inn for a while. Now, whenever he saw pails, mops, or even cleaning cloth, his heart would beat faster and felt cold, his forehead will sweat.
Kieran didnt say anything. He pointed at Derder.
Everything had to depend on Derders precise diagnosis before any decisions were made.
Although Kieran caught him before he could escape, the person vanished and allowed J.Pearlman to fall back into Kierans hands.
The person thought he had grasped a life-saving card, but Kieran didnt mind the misconception.
At least it would buy Kieran more time.
Quietly, Kieran exchanged a gaze with Rachel. Rachel nodded subtly.
How is it?
Kieran walked over to Derder.
I am sure J.Pearlman is still in there, but I dont know where that guy went. Derder shook his head and pretended to be helpless.
To make things look real, he even breathed heavily.
Okay. Leave the rest to me. Kieran then grabbed J.Pearlman and walked deeper into the alley.
Lawless wanted to follow, but Rachel grabbed his cor.
What? Lawless looked at Rachel with a confused gaze.
Its none of your business. Go back to mopping. Rachel said coldly.
I...Huh?... Fine!
Lawless wanted to argue, but when he saw Rachels re, he turned around and gone back into the inn.
After she made sure Lawless had gone in, Rachel looked at Derder.
How?
Bad, worse than my initial expectation.
This is really bad news. But with this, you can truly get close to that bastard, so its a somewhat good start. What do you n to do next in the treatment process?
Rachel took a puff from her cigarette and blew a ring of smoke.
Ill try to be Lawless friend. Derder replied honestly.
Easy. With his wed personality now, its easy. said Rachel.
She then looked deeper into the alley, the spot that was covered by supernatural darkness.
Is everything fine in there? Derder asked out of difort, for he heard faint gulping noises.
Believe in 2567. Its just some problem that he has to solve along the way.
Rachel then turned around and went into the inn.
Derder spared another nce at the darkness before following.
Although curious about what was going on inside, he didnt think it would be a good idea to probe.
Maybe 2567 was having some ferocious beast inside?
Derder went into the inn as the thought lingered in his head.
Chapter 1494 - Purpose
Chapter 1494: Purpose
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Transcendence [Undercover]s [Shadow Cloak] covered everything within a 10 meter radius.
It didnt only block sight, even hearing was disturbed.
For others, it was a terrifying experience. Kieran, who had triggered the skill, was like a fish swimming in water, looking down at the possessed J. Pearlman.
So this is what you can do? Its nothing to be honest. Unless I leave this body willingly, nothing or no one can expel me! Not even the doctor you brought with you!
Despite being blind, J. Pearlmanughed in a weird way.
It seemed like things were exactly as Kieran had said. The person behind J. Pearlman was conceited but had lots of tricks under his sleeve; even though he was hiding in some corner, he knew what was going on.
Oh? Who said that I am going to expel you? Kieranughed softly.
His calm words, in addition to the softughter, stunned the man, but he quickly showed contempt.
You are just barely hanging in there! I know I have absolute advantage! You cant expel me from J. Pearlman and this body will be my best shield! Arent you so desperate to save him? I think we can...
I think you misunderstood me. What makes you think that I will save J. Pearlman? What does his life or death have anything to do with me? He is just a vague acquenate to me.
Kieran interrupted the man before he even finished.
Hahahaha, are you threatening me with your words?Let me tell you, Its USELESS! Ive seen through everything! Otherwise, given how cold your character is, you wouldnt have spared another second for meI did quite the research on you, you know! Besides, what can you do with me? Until now, you couldnt even find me!
The more the man said, the prouder he became, unable to hold back hisughter,ughing through J. Pearlmans body.
I cant find you? You really think too highly of yourself. Do you really think that you are hidden? Kieran asked.
Before the man could answer, he continued, Your targets are quite clear, arent they? The Guardians and Freedom Alliance? The reason why you chose Freedom Alliance is because they are a loose organization with high value, easy for you to strike; the reason you chose the Guardians is because you are one of them! How good is the Witchs Gift?
The man who possessed J. Pearlman had gone silent, but Kieran didnt stop.
I dont know if you are a new Guardian or a veteran, or which dungeon you got your possession powers, which fueled your ambition to the point that it went out of control, hence your current n, but I know how to lock you down and as a matter of fact, I already did something. My friend Rachel has contacted the high ranks of the Guardians and told them what happened here. Although they were both once enemies, my friends reputation speaks for herself, and the high ranks of the Guardians will surely take her words into consideration. They will also take my suggestion: every single member of the Guardians had to sign a contract to prevent internal conflict or harming another Guardian.
Impossible! How did you find out?! the man shouted loudly through J. Pearlmans mouth.
The Guardians were a special bunch, not minding if the members affiliated themselves with other organizations or had internal conflict with each other; theyd sometime promote death conflict amongst themselves too.
However, everything was built on one word: sometimes, not always.
As one of the Guardians, the man who possessed J. Pearlman had obviously broken the rules.
Anyone who dared to defy the rules would be punished by the ones who set the rules. Kieran had no idea who set the rules in the Guardians, but he knew the man before his eyes was scared of the high ranks.
Just look at his frantic shouts!
Kieran wasnt a bit concerned at all, continuing at his own pace.
You said I cant do anything to you now? I dont know how delusional are you, maybe the sessful kill back there gave you the wrong idea. You think you can do whatever you want? Or you think you are the protagonist of the world and everything has to circte around you? Well, I hate to break it to you, but I have a friend who loves to taste people like you. He is quite eager and hungry right now.
Kieran stepped aside as he spoke.
Gluttony, who had been hiding in the shadows, jumped out like a tigering down from the mountains. He jumped on J. Pearlman and fused himself with the man.
Gluttony was one of the cardinal sins, so consuming a real object and soul had little difference, because everything was food to him.
The only difference was the taste between two different things!
No doubt the food before his eyes was very delicious.
GET OUT! GET OUT YOU MONSTER! Aaaaaargh!
Cries of agony came out of J. Pearlmans body, then followed by noises of flesh being torn apart.
J. Pearlman kept twitching furiously, the person inside the body wished to get away from the shackles of the body but he couldnt do so at the moment.
All the person inside J. Pearlman could do was scream, cry, and get consumed by Gluttony.
Of course, it was just the beginning.
Kieran didnt deny what the man had said before.
If there wasnt anything else, Kieran wouldnt spare a single word to the man!
He had wasted many words on him, so there must be something Kieran sought after.
Not only did Kieran seek the mans real location, he also wanted to know who was behind this man.
Could it be Kierans old friend?
The slurping noise faded soon enough, Gluttonying out from the body looking unhappy.
All he did was take two bites and the soul was gone.
It wasnt a satisfying meal at all. Did the man think he was an ice-cream? Shouldnt an ice-cream be bigger?
Got the taste? Kieran asked.
G-Got it, Gluttony nodded.
Lead the way.
Kieran grabbed J. Pearlman and turned outside the alley.
Rachel was always waiting for him there.
I wonder, a dubious guy like you sleeps with your eyes open?
Rachel couldnt hold back her question, as she knew what Kieran wanted to do.
Kieran then passed the unconscious J. Pearlman over.
Are you sure he is fine now? Rachel had to make sure again.
You can test him with your methods, Kieran then walked past Rachel.
He had no time to stay around and chat. The man who Gluttony ate part of his soul should had fallen into panic, he would not just sit back and wait for Kieran to appear.
Chapter 1495 - Stare From Darkness
Chapter 1495: Stare From Darkness
009th Amilder Ail Road.
The giant dome clock tower was towering in the middle of the street. Not a single passerby wasnt attracted by the unique architecture, but it was a thing of the past.
However, as the news broke out, more and more people paid attention to the ce.
Gazes from the dark and in the open stirred up anxiety in the Guardians heart.
These people are really annoying! They should be taught a lesson!
Aligino, in a long robe, said in a heavy tone.
The other members slightly nodded, expressing their acknowledgement of the suggestion.
No one was willing to be the monkey of the show.
Ill go teach them a lesson!
With acknowledgement, Aligino strode outside, leaving such words behind.
The leader asked us to gather...
Dont worry! They are just some useless goons, it wont take long, Aligino waved his hand without being too concerned.
The other Guardians thought about it and didnt say anything else.
They were the infamous Guardians! The Guardians that worked under Her name!
Common yers were nothing in their eyes!
The others behind Aligino didnt reject either and none of their presence changed for the worse. Aligino slightly heaved a breath and hastened his steps.
He had to leave quickly! Otherwise it would be toote!
Once Aligino thought about what that person said, the anxiety in his heart rose.
Almost instinctively he remembered what his coborator had told him: do not provoke the ming Devil.
But he quickly shook his head though, not willing to admit his failure because in his point of view, he hadnt failed at all! All that hit him was pure bad luck! Thats right, an unlucky run!
You wait and see! One day, I will make you regret your life!
Whenever Aligino thought about the insult he received, the stinging sensation troubled him again, as though the hungry monster was worrying him, his breath turning heavy and rushed, but it was soon forced to a pause.
At the front gate, a ck, hooded figure with silver lining around the edge was standing there with a longsword.
Lord Magistrate.
A quick nce at the longsword told Aligino the person wasnt the troublesome one, bowing right away.
Where are you going, Aligino? the man asked.
I am going to teach those rats outside a lesson. They are annoying me, Aligino answered honestly.
Aligino didnte up with other excuses because he knew since the Lord Magistrate appeared before him, the words that he said must have been heard.
If he would brush off the man with other excuses, he would be digging his own grave.
Oh, then be quick. The leader is calling a meeting.
The man waved his hand without being too concerned.
Yes, my lord.
Aligino bowed and strode out, he was going to make it quick. After he got out of the dome clock tower, he strode towards a certain spot.
There were a few yers watching the dome clock tower at that spot and when they saw Aliginoing after them, they scattered away like birds.
Aligino dashed forward without further ado, choosing the one who ran the fastest and following him.
The runner was quick, almost as fast as a high-ranker. The scene attracted interested gazes from the other Guardians in the dome clock tower, but they quickly shook their heads.
Since Aligino had his eyes on the prey, this windfall was his and the others couldnt intervene.
Even the Guardians had their own rules.
They watched Aligino give chase to the man and swiftly vanish beyond the streets.
After making sure all the gazes on him had disappeared, Aligino didnt stop, following the man in front of him into another street block before stopping.
I need help, Aligino said the moment he stopped his steps.
That is why I am here, tell me what happened, the man said coldly.
Aligino then told the man what had happened. His version of the story had been beautified and his mistakes were covered up, erging Kierans luck and emphasizing his own bad luck.
He didnt do it on purpose though, because he really thought it about it that way, hence the reason it sounded very real.
But...
Pak!
The moment Aliginos words subsided, the man pped him fiercely.
Aligino was pped to the ground without the slightest reaction.
I told you before to not provoke 2567! He isnt someone that you can afford to touch!
The mans voice got colder. Amid his cold as the arctic wind words, it was hard to tell whether the man was voicing his anger or killer intents and yet it pped the excuses back into Aliginos throat.
Aligino climbed up uglily and lowered his head, he had to cover his grudgeful eyes. He couldnt afford to expose his real thoughts, at least not now! He still wanted the man to help him.
Go to that ce. Ive told them via messages, you will receive the best protection there. Now leave, the man said.
He then looked beyond Aligino, or more precisely, behind him.
Still havent seen enough?
Of course not. I had been wondering who the man behind Aligino was, never thought it would be you, Ickart, The magistrate with the sword came in through the street corner and said with a smile.
I thought some other guys would pick up the bait, I didnt think it will be you, Lee.
The man known as Ickart still spoke coldly.
The others had more important matters to attend to, so I am the most suitable one to deal with this kind of stuff.
The magistrate walked as he spoke, his hand on the hilt of his sword.
Even without unsheathing his sword, the keen aura was assaulting Ickarts face.
Sou!
The air was torn apart by a sword aura st that was fired towards Ickart, but before it could touch him, the sword aura was frozen and shattered by a chilly wind.
The next moment, the cold and the sharp aura shed.
BANG!
Amid the loud bang, Aligino faltered backwards, as if he couldnt handle the fierce pressure but under the blur, he couldnt hide his wide grin.
Fight! Fight! Fight all you want! Only then I can get the best out of the conflict!
Ill thoughts brewing in his heart, Aligino quickly sent another message to his other coborator and ran for it.
However, Aligino didnt run towards the address Ickart sent him, he took a big U-turn and came back to the scene quietly.
He hid in the shadows and watched the fight while waiting for his other coborator to send his men out so that he could reap his harvest.
2567, you wait for me! I will appear before you in a stronger form! You will understand how big of a mistake it was to go against me!
Aligino clenched his fist.
Further behind Aligino in the shadow, Kieran was looking at his back silently.
His eyes were dull, as if he was looking at a dead man.
Chapter 1496 - Appearance
Chapter 1496: Appearance
Tsssk!
The keen sword aura shed the assaulting freezing aura like it was tearing an animal pelt.
The freezing aura shattered upon contact but didnt disappear, instead reforming into a frost cloud, enveloping everything within a 5 meter range.
Gak, Tss Tss!
Ayer of ice quickly formed on the ground.
The magistrate moved outside the icy range in a sh, looking at the frozen sleeve on his left hand and unable to hold back his smile.
Ickart, you are much more creative than Ist saw you, but you are still too slow.
The magistrate raised his right hand, which held his sword. A dash of red was slowly fading off on that ring longsword, as though the blood was being absorbed by the de.
The sharp longsword buzzed and a painful sensation appeared on the side of Ickarts abdomen.
Puk!
Arge amount of blood gushed out.
Ickart moved his hand over the wound on his abdomen, casted ayer of ice to freeze the bleeding.
Cold aura lingered on his bloody hand after the patch up. The freezing aura in the area then spread a few times quicker, the freezing range expanding several times and catching the magistrate in an instant.
I was just saying that you are being creative. Seems like I was wrong... You and you little tricks, sacrificing the power of your freezing aura and going after speed and range. Too bad, it seems like youve forgotten powerless ice is nothing to me!
Amid the spreading freezing aura, the magistrates smile didnt change. He lunged towards Ickart, appearing in front of him in a sh, his sword swinging down.
The sharp stinging sensation from the de appeared again on Ickart and before the sharp sword even touched him, multiple bloody cuts had appeared all over his body.
The sharp sword of the magistrate didntnd on Ickart though, blocked by a bloody ice sword right in front of his face after a loud clunk.
Chang!
The ice sword that Ickart formed from his hand firmly received the sh from the magistrate.
Eh? Is this a new trick? Not bad!
The magistrate was stunned for a moment before praise came out from his mouth.
Better things are yet toe! the quiet Ickart said coldly.
The second his cold words subsided,yers of freezing aura spread from his bloody ice sword. It didnt just freeze the magistrates sword, it froze his palm too and that was not the end, the freezing aura starting to spread further on the magistrates arm.
Praise-worthy! You should really utilize your powers this way, its more flexible!
The magistrate nodded and spoke like a senior praising his junior, though the tone of his words infuriated Ickart.
SHUT UP!
A loud shoutter, a brand new ice sword formed inIckarts other hand and was thrusted towards the magistrates throat.
However, when the second ice sword was a fist away from piercing the magistrates throat, he sighed.
Seems like you are still unable to face your past.
Wung!
Amid his sigh, the frozen longsword buzzed violently.
All the frozen ice was shattered to pieces instantly, the bloody ice sword that engaged with the buzzing sword breaking into multiple pieces and falling on the ground; the owner of the ice sword followed soon after.
Bam!
There wasnt any fancy technique involved. Ickart, who was sted off by the buzz, fell on the ground heavily. The frozen wound on his abdomen broke and the broken ice sword of his plunged into the ground right beside his face.
Pak! A clear impact sound was produced when the ice sword struck the ground.
Ickart, who wanted to get up and counterattack, quivered when the ice sword grazed his face.
He looked at the broken ice sword beside him and quickly reacted to the situation, as he wasnt an idiot. He looked up with clenched teeth and words escaped the seams of his teeth, Are you pitying me?
No. I just didnt control it well enough...
Before the magistrate finished his words, he appeared before the fallen Ickart in a sh, the sword in his hand stabbed towards his chest.
Ickart was stunned, never thinking death would arrive so suddenly. He shut his eyes.
The choices he made back then allowed him to know what kind of danger-filled path he had chosen; death was inevitable, so dying under the sword was nothing for him.
At least he had done his part.
However, the expected death didnt arrive. Instead a warmth appeared on his face, Ickart opened his eyes.
The magistrates sword was stabbed into his shadow. The shadow, which should be an inanimate object, started to twist.
At the same time, the magistrates shadow stabbed his own chest with the shadow sword. The warmth that Ickart felt on his face was the blood from the magistrates mouth.
LEE?!
Ickart cried out loud and fired an ice sword at the shadow, but the shadow was much more cunning and agile.
After the shadow condensed itself into a ball, it returned to a normal shadow. Further away at the street corner, a figure donning a heavy and thick outfit walked out.
Beside the bulky figure was Aligino,ughing in delight.
Magistrate Lee. One of the Resistance that opposed the leader, Ickart. Are you both a little surprised? said Aligino as he walked forth.
Aligino stopped when he was around 10 meters from the two of them, the optimal safe distance that he came up with after meticulous calctions.
Surprised? A little I guess. Who wouldve thought you bastard would still have help from the outside.
Magistrate Lee was seriously injured but he was still looking happy and joyous as ever.
Traitor!
Compared to the magistrate, Ickart was much more direct.
Traitor? Ive never betrayed you bunch of naive fools, for I have never truly joined you people! All of you are just pawns that Ive been using, said Aligino with a predominant bearing.
Aligino waved his finger at Ickart and poked himself on the cheeks, his blurred out face bing twisted and his voice wicked.
That p just now is really painful! But I dont mind because Ill take all four of your limbs aspensation! My lord, please...
Aligino turned around to ask his coborator for help, not willing to put himself through the trouble.
However, the moment he turned around, he was stunned on the spot, because the bulky coborator that he relied on the most was in the hands of another person.
No extra words were needed to describe that person because the ck feather mantle was his iconic look.
2567!
Without a second thought, Aligino turned around and ran for his life.
Aligino had obviously activated some items, running with explosive speed and flying away like a beam of light. His figure instantly became a small dot within sight.
Meanwhile, Kieran wasnt too concerned about Aliginos absence, instead cing his attention on Magistrate Lee and Ickart.
When he caught Kierans gaze, the calm as water magistrate who would even smile despite suffering heavy injury no longer smiled.
The magistrate clearly felt a faint aura emanating from Kieran.
The aura from Kieran bore endless pressure, putting his mind through a never before felt mental impact.
The hand holding the sword started to shiver, his de producing a low chime.
The magistrate knew he had to say something, otherwise, under Kierans pressuring might, the core system that he scarcelypleted would crumble.
Just as the magistrate opened his mouth, Ickart beat him to it.
Ickart, of course, knew Kieran and understood how ridiculously powerful he was, but he would not tolerate a traitor.
Sir 2567, leave immediately... Ickart clenched his teeth and mustered up enough strength to squeeze out his mouth.
Kakrrrom!
His voice, however, was overpowered by a p of thunder. Amid the blue sky, a lightning bolt fell down from the heavens and struck Aligino, who had almost ran out of sight.
He was instantly electrocuted into crips.
Amid the shy lightning, Ickart widened his eyes uncontrobly.
He was shocked at how powerful Kieran was and astonished at the power that he had showen.
Lightning?!
Shouldnt it be fire?!
Other than the Unique Title de of the Daybreaker, Kieran was known as the ming Devil and me Emperor in the big city, but lightning?!
This was a first!
Had he acquired some new powers again?
Some thoughts appeared in Ickarts mind but before he could rte into them more, he felt heaviness on his body; Kieran was looking at him.
Without even a proper nce, Ickart knew what was going on, especially when Kierans gaze changed. Ickart could feel the pressure from his eyes increased, the not-so-friendly kind.
As if Lady Luck was on his side, Ickart said I am one of the Resistance, an organization that opposes the Guardians! I have a way to remove the Witchs Gift!
The moment his words subsided, the pressure on his body vanished instantly.
After a breath of relief, Ickart turned to the magistrate, wanting to know how this long time rival of his would react to the situation.
Other than smiling bitterly, the magistrate had no other reaction or idea.
Although he didnt sense killing intents from the man before him, the pressure was getting bigger and it was obvious that he would not be able to even resist should the man choose to kill him.
It was undoubtedly a terrible feeling, but the worst was yet toe.
A contract appeared before the magistrate.
No! I will not... Fine, fine, Ill sign it.
The magistrate wanted to reject instinctively but after he sensed the killing intents from the man, he changed his attitude.
Whats worse than death?
Kieran then received the signed contract.
It stated:
Without defying the conditions of the previous signed contract, I will help 2567 with all my efforts for one. No deceits of lies shall happen in the durationLee.
...
Kieran nodded in satisfaction after he saw the name on the contract.
Before he figured out the truth behind the Witchs Gift, he would simply not touch other yers that bore the same gift, but that didnt mean he would allow the yers to roam freely.
He wouldnt kill the magistrate though. There were too many ways to kill a person, especially in the big city. It was near infinite.
He could have heavily injured the magistrate and allowed others to seal the deal.
ording to the rule of splitting loot in the city, a lot of yers would do it in a heartbeat.
Kieran was also confident that Ickart beside the magistrate would take his life right away.
Both of them seemed to have aplicated rtionship.
In the previous fight, the magistrate obviously held back a lot while Ickart was being furious about it. Plus Ickarts identity, Kieran had a general idea of what was going on, but he had no further interest in that.
He was more concerned about how to deal with the Witchs Gift.
Likewise, a contract was passed to Ickart.
A quick nce over the contract and Ickart wrote his name without a thought.
It wasnt just because of the contents were what he promised Kieran earlier, the magistrate beside him had set up a good example.
When he saw the magistratepromising to the situation, Ickart had aplicated state of emotions.
He felt loathing towards the magistrate but also a veryplicated sense of depression.
He couldnt really tell what it was or where it came from, but it lifted the burden on his mind.
Ill look for you two, Kieran then left.
After Kieran left the ce, Ickart stood up and looked down on the magistrate, not saying anything else and also leaving.
Why not kill the magistrate while he was weak?
Aside from the fact that the magistrate was injured because he tried to save him, the ideal that was rooted in Ickarts heart wouldnt allow him tomit such a despicable act.
As old fashioned as always.
The magistrate saw Ickart off before he climbed up himself. As he was troubled by the injuries, he recalled the contract that he had just signed, unable to hold back his mumbles.
I am really in big trouble now. Hope I can slip away, or else...
As the thought lingered in his heart, the magistrate limped back to the dome clock tower.
On the other hand, Kieran arrived at Aliginos room.
The room wasnt far from the dome clock tower, only two street blocks away, but it was hard to locate: it was hidden in the middle of a dark alleyway.
Hope you wont let me down!
Kieran said to himself as he nced over the kill notification that provided him with 1,500 Points and 2 Skill Points.
It was far less than he had expected. Given how Aligino had hunted multiple people down, some thoughts appeared in Kierans mind uncontrobly.
Now, it was time for him to verify his thoughts.
Kak!
Kieran ced his hand on the doorknob and the door slowly opened. The click and screech of the opening door echoed in the room.
Kieran stepped inside.
The room, which was as big as a football field, was revealed before his eyes.
Despite the huge room, it was empty except for a ck stone pir that stood in the middle, as thick as a barrel and taller than a man.
Many sharp-fanged ghosts and ferocious monsters were carved on the pir.
Kieran lifted the corner of his mouth when he felt the hidden aura within the pir.
He knew he was getting a sizable gain this round.
Before Kieran could check the details on the pir, Bloody Mary sent him a thought through the contracts link.
It wanted the stone pir.
Chapter 1497 - Living Hell on Earth
Chapter 1497: Living Hell on Earth
Kieran frowned.
It was the first time the High Demon wanted something and he took it seriously, though the decision woulde after he had a look at the ck pir.
[Name: Voodoo Pir]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: III]
[Attack: Strong]
[Defense: IV]
[Attribute: 1. Voodoo Touch; 2. Voodoo Disorder; 3. Voodoo Control]
[Effect: Voodoo Consumption]
[Prerequisite: Mystical Knowledge (Master), Blood Sacrifice (A permanent decrease of rank I in Constitution)]
[Remark: In the tropical forest of Hile Koko, evil lurks but more fearsome are those short, dark-skinned voodoo hunters. They arent just catching the preys body, but their souls as well]
...
[Voodoo Touch: When a target touches your body, you will automatically receive a rank II defense formless force field barrier (You can decide whether or not to activate the shield)]
[Voodoo Disorder: Within an hour after Voodoo Touch is activated and you have either the hair, nail or blood of the target, you can heavily affect the targets emotions (Including, but not limited to, negative emotions)]
[Voodoo Control: 7 days after Voodoo Disorder has been cast on the target, the target will undergo a Spirit authentication of rank -I; when passed, you will have total control over the target]
...
[Voodoo Consumption: Whenever a Voodoo skill is used, you will have to pay 10,000 Points as a cost; When Voodoo Control is active, 20,000 Points is required for a 5 minutes session.]
[Note 1: Whenever Voodoo Control is in effect, Voodoo Pir cannot be moved.]
[Note 2: Whenever Voodoo Pir is immobile, Voodoo Touchs defense minus rank I]
...
When he saw [Voodoo Pir]s introduction, especially at the effect [Voodoo Consumption], a sudden realization hit Kieran.
The reason why Aligino had caused unnecessary trouble and chose Freedom Alliance as his target was because he had topensate [Voodoo Consumption]s cost.
Otherwise, he would have stayed with the Guardians and slowly increased his strength.
No! Given how conceited he was, he would never ept a slow growth, wanting to speed things up.
The best proof was Aligino deliberately approaching the Resistance, Ickart, and of course, his real coborator.
Kieran looked at the captive beside his feet, giving the man another chop on the neck just to be sure.
Pak!
A few twitchester, the man passed out again.
Trying to fool Kieran with a disguise in such a short distance was nearly impossible.
After making sure the man was unconscious, Kieran called the High Demon through the power of the contract.
Compared to interrogating the captive, Bloody Marys request interested Kieran more.
Boss, Bloody Mary bowed but its eyes were glued to the pir.
Its important to you? Kieran asked.
Yes, very. I can feel it, the power inside! If I can consume it, I might be able to be stronger! Bloody Mary nodded and said honestly.
And? Kieran asked.
And? Bloody Mary was stunned.
The High Demon was obviously confused. Since Bloody Mary was bound to Kieran via contract, shouldnt it mean once it got stronger, so will Kieran?
Bloody Mary was bound to Kieran for good or bad, what else would he need?
While Bloody Mary was stunned, a new contract appeared before its eyes.
After consuming [Voodoo Pir], regardless of sess or not, I will fulfill 1 request of any type, regardless of whether its life-threatening or not, for my contractor (2567), including but not limited to the assigned mission. I will carry it out wholeheartedly.
...
Looking at this additional contract, Bloody Marys face twitched and before it could say anything, Kieran added more.
And, you said might be able just now. I dont want that, I want it to be will. Otherwise, I dont know what I might do after losing a rank III item for nothing. Gluttony had told me more than once that he wants to taste you.
Youve said it havent you!
Say it!
Dont know what you might do!?
How is the hungry bastard better than me, other than eating?
Why am I threatened like this?
Bloody Marys heart was roaring furiously, but because of that, thest bit of hesitance was burned away.
Bloody Mary wasnt stupid; in a certain aspect, it possessed quite the intellect.
It understood that as its contractor grew stronger, the enemies he woulde across would be undoubtedly stronger.
It was hard for Bloody Mary to know whether or not it would run into enemies that could threaten its existence. As a matter of fact, it had been running into such enemies recently.
Should it stay where it was, it would stay stagnant forever and eventually disappear into the void.
Bloody Mary didnt wish for something like that to happen.
I will be stronger, the High Demon emphasized.
Go then.
The moment Kieran finished, Bloody Mary jumped towards [Voodoo Pir].
When Bloody Mary got close, the sharp-fanged ghost faces on the ck pir came alive. They were like the evil spirits that lived in the pir and they roared at the High Demon.
Despite the deterring roars, the High Demon didnt stop.
It widened its mouth, revealing a never before seen row of sharp fangs as it grabbed the head of an evil spirit on the stone pir and stuffed it into its mouth.
Gak Ts! Gak Ts!
Amid the loud crunches, one of the ghost faces on the stone pir vanished, but the other ghost faces came out and bite Bloody Mary.
It didnt turn illusory, as if Bloody Mary was in a trance, but allowed the ghost faces to bite its body.
Come on! Come on! Well see who eats who!
A series of low growls filled the ce, Bloody Mary ripped another ghost face off the pir and stuffed it into its mouth again.
At the same time, the ghost faces also tore something like flesh from Bloody Mary, but Bloody Mary didnt care, grabbing another and eating it.
They continued, consuming each other.
Bloody Mary and the ghost faces on [Voodoo Pir] were like two hungry ferocious beasts in nature that crossed paths: no rules, no turning around, shing fiercely for survival.
Kieran watched the gruesome scene quietly, not helping.
Even though [Voodoo Pir] required a [Blood Sacrifice], Kieran still gave the pir to Bloody Mary.
This was Bloody Marys fight; no one could intervene, not even Kieran.
Kieran would not allow others to intervene also. He looked down at the unconscious captive.
A sudden depressed and grudgeful aura came afloat on the captive and it obviously wasnt from the captive himself.
Someone else was inside!
If you dont want to die, stop...
Finally you show yourself?
The unusual voice proved Kierans guess.
Since he had been waiting, he didnt care about the voice and unleashed his aura.
Chaotic, wicked aura erupted.
A dense sulphuric smell filled the room as if the ce had fallen into a sulphur river.
Sinful whispers sounded and trembled hearts, as if an endless darkness had descended.
For a moment, hell had arrived on earth.
Chapter 1498 - The High Demon’s Rest
Chapter 1498: The High Demons Rest
The voice stopped very abruptly.
Even the depressed and grudgeful aura was forced to still, as if time itself had stopped.
All that was left were the roars of the devil and the groans of the cardinal sins.
Kieran grabbed the captives head and pulled him up to his eye level.
There werent any words, his cold eyes said it all.
Without further hesitation, the aura disappeared faster than it appeared.
As the aura faded away, the captive in Kierans hand started to melt into a pile of liquid.
The Devil me burned brightly on his left hand as he looked at the liquid on the floor.
Tsss!
The pile of liquid was vaporized.
Kieran then turned around and continued to watch Bloody Mary, as if nothing had happened.
But... could he do it? It was the target that he had been waiting for so long, how could he do nothing at all?
...
Meanwhile, in a hidden ce in a certain corner of the big city, rune after rune was branded on the ground.
Rune pir after rune pir, requiring two men to carry them, were shining in the dark, ominous light.
A statue was ced in the middle of the formation and a man in priest robes was praying there.
Suddenly, the statue shook.
Your Majesty, what happened? the man in the robe asked out of panic, while on his knees.
Leave! Leave at once! Bring me to the Sanctuary! a hurried voice came from the statue.
The man on his knees got up, grabbed the statue and ran outside, but when the man ran past the rune pirs and went outside, a windy breeze came.
Fuuua!
The breeze blew the priests hair and his sleeves.
The priests head then fell on the ground, his blood soaking his robe bright red.
The statue that the priest carried flew up into the air as the body fell, but the statue didnt touch the ground, caught by a hand.
The moment the hand touched the statue, ck smoke came out from the statue with sparks of ck electric current rumbling around.
Tss!
The hand quickly withered off, no longer able to hold the statue firmly and it fell to the ground.
Wung!
After getting away from that hand, the ck sparks gathered into a ball and formed something like a ck hole to suck the statue in. The statue quickly vanished.
The owner of the handughed coldly. He then dragged his withered hand away from the ce.
Guuu!
20 seconds after the owner of the withered hand left, hunger sounded, followed by a series of saliva gulping.
Hungry, hungry, Gluttony said in a muffled voice.
Learn to control yourself! This will help you in your growth, exined Sloth.
After that, he brought Gluttony back to that secret ce where the statue was once ced.
Sloth didnt say anything and Gluttony jumped up.
All the runes on the floor were gone after a lick from the sin.
The rune pirs were crunched into two after some loud ttering. Gluttony didnt waste anything, stuffed everything into his mouth and muching happily, as though he was eating a delicious bone.
Sloth stood beside him, deep in his thoughts.
When thest pir was eaten, Sloth and Gluttony vanished on the spot.
...
Expected discovery!
Kieran listened to what Sloth said and squinted his eyes. He knew there was someone behind Aligino but didnt expect more than one party to have their eyes on him.
Kieran turned to Gluttony and Sloth.
Got the taste? Gluttony nodded, the little snack he had making him happy.
Do you remember everything the man showed? Kieran asked Sloth.
Of course, Sloth smiled.
Very well. Let us wait and see what these people want.
Kieran then turned to the High Demon.
The littlepetition of tearing each other apart between Bloody Mary and the [Voodoo Pir] had entered its final stage.
Bloody Mary was heavily injured and the [Voodoo Pir] was seriously damaged.
The difference was Bloody Marys aura got stronger while [Voodoo Pir] was failing, like a candle in the wind.
All the eerie ghost faces on the pir were eaten.
Bang!
Bloody Mary then stabbed its hand deep into the [Voodoo Pir], its sharp hand going deeper and deeper into the pir.
[Voodoo Pir] seemed to sense that its time hade to an end, the seriously damaged pir starting to crumble and eventually burst into ruble.
Kabam!
The hard sturdy surface shattered and formed an energy stream in the room. While the ruble was flying around, a ck light tried to slip into the void.
However, the moment the ck light touched the void, it trembled.
Ive been waiting for you!
Bloody Mary had transformed into its illusory form the moment the pir burst and now it showed itself before the ck light. It widened its mouth, revealing the sharp fangs and sucked the ck light in.
Every single bit of the ck light was sucked into Bloody Marys stomach.
After the little scene, Bloody Mary looked at Kieran.
Boss, I need some rest, it said.
How long? Kieran asked.
A week. it said. It tried to make itself sound normal by emptying its mind and it thought it was workable.
After all, It had just been through a life and death battle.
Too long. You can only rest this long.
Kieran raised his right index finger.
He noticed it?
Bloody Mary sighed and came back from his pitiful look.
Oh well, a day it is better than nothing.
Fine, a day will be enough also, Bloody Mary submitted to the suggestion.
Who said a day? Kieran raised a brow.
What? Then how long? Bloody Mary felt anxious.
A minute, and 20 seconds have passed, you have 40 seconds... 39 seconds left. Kieran said seriously.
A minute? A FREAKING MINUTE?!
Bloody Mary widened its eyes, wanting to say something but when it caught Kierans gaze, it gave up and fell on the ground.
A minute it was! At least it was its own time!
It could still lie down, despite having no pillow or mattress. That was good enough, wasnt it?
While Bloody Mary was resting, Kieran opened up the High Demons tab filled with new attributes.
Kieran curled his lips into a smile when he saw the words before his eyes.
Chapter 1499 - Superior Demon and Clues
Chapter 1499: Superior Demon and Clues
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Bloody Marys new attributes were clearly presented before Kieran.
[Name: Bloody Mary]
[Type: Superior Demon (Hetero-Form)]
[Rarity: I]
[Attack: I]
[Defense: I]
[Attribute: 1. Illusion; 2. Phantasm Body; 3. Hand de; 4. Blood Suck; 5. Quick Regeneration.]
[Effect: 1. Form Change; 2. Mystical Knowledge (Pro); 3. Noble Knowledge (Master)]
[Prerequisite: Willingness to submit]
[Remark: A High Demon that was born from the Blood Queen Tiara because of an ident. After consuming the Voodoo Pir, it had8 reached the limits of amon demon but it wasnt one to begin with, therefore it was smart enough to not simply fuse with those seemingly powerful things, all it did was choose those that benefited itself.]
...
[Illusion: Create Illusion that requires authentication no lower than SSS Spirit, rank I Intuition (Failed once, target will suffer Extreme mental impact; Failed twice, target will suffer rank I mental impact). When there are multiple targets, Spirit and Intuition authentication will decrease based on the increased targets and when the targets had unstable emotions, authentications will increase.]
[Phantasm Body: Transform body to phantasmal form, immune to physical attack, 20% damage mitigation against energy attack. +2 in Undercover]
[Hand de: Hands are sharp as de, attack rank +1 (Cannot exceed rank III)]
[Blood Suck: Consume the blood of living beings to rapidly regenerate injuries and stamina, cleanse debuffs. Regeneration +1 when munching]
[Quick Regeneration: Consume a small amount of Stamina to quickly regenerate HP; consume a certain to regenerate even limbs, including the head.]
...
[Form Change: Able to change into anyone, things or living being (possessed own abilities and a certain level of the targets aura), the size of the transformed is no bigger than arge being (An elephant is the limit of arge being); or change into a Blood Tiara (When contractor wears the Blood Tiara, able to choose 2 attribute from Bloody Mary as skills)]
[Mystical Knowledge (Pro): Skilled in many mystical knowledge and able to use it freely]
[Noble Knowledge (Master): Familiar with knowledge that nobles has to master]
[Note 1: ve Contract doesnt require pointS to summon]
[Note 2: Strengthen Contract, even if it somehow broke free from Fantos Manuscript, it will still be your ve.]
...
After Kieran nced over the remark and Note 2, he smiled brighter.
Bloody Marys way was praiseworthy, getting strong was a necessity, but achieving it blindly, disregarding consequences, or even harming its own body and potentially affecting the future were foolish acts in Kierans book.
At least under normal circumstances, Kieran would never be this reckless.
As for Note 2? It was another safety precaution.
Kieran had no idea how powerful the shackles of [Fantos Manuscript] were but as the High Superior Demon got stronger, the shackles got weaker, to the point that Bloody Mary could escape. Therefore, a Strengthen Contract became necessary in Kierans mind.
As a matter of fact, Kieran had already nned to give Bloody Mary a new contract every time it grew stronger.
He was unwilling to lose such a good tool.
Kieran shifted his gaze to Bloody Mary, who was lying down on the floor.
Times up, he said.
Bloody Mary climbed up, bowed to Kieran and said meticulously, At your service.
As though a minute of restter, the tiredness had gone away.
Sloth will tell guide you through your next mission. You have to keep an eye on those extra yers. Also, dont forget your previous task of teaching the Frost Wolf and Fire Raven. Old Book is just temporarily recing you. During your free time in his current mission, do your best in teaching the two, Kieran said.
After Kieran left, Sloth yawned and started to brief Bloody Mary, Something that shares the same origin with the [Voodoo Pir] appeared...
Sloths voice got softer as Kieran walked further, to the point that he could no longer hear him.
Kieran believed Sloth would do a good job, just like how he believed in Bloody Mary.
As for himself, he had something that he must attend to: checkout Ro Street for anything unusual.
The merry street was very close to where his room was, so he shouldnt be careless.
...
Two hourster, a satisfied Kieran appeared in Harvest Inn. He greeted the usual acquaintances and walked to the bar.
Free lemon water please, Kieran told Rachel.
One ss only, Rachel emphasized.
Her nose then picked up some mixed scents.
Strawberry Matcha Ice-cream, Chocte Banana Boat, Cream Waffle, Red Bean Pie and... Sour Yogurt. Did you rob a dessert store?
No, I paid for all that and I was sure I got rid of the smell, Kieran looked at Rachel in confusion.
Dont ever think a chefs nose is just for decoration, I can pick up scents that you cant even imagine. I added an extra slice of lemon, it cures the surfeit, Rachel then served the ss of lemon water.
Kieran smiled when he saw the two pieces of lemon.
Cure the surfeit?
He had no need for that but he would not reject it.
Kieran also didnt want to hide what happened earlier.
From a certain aspect, Kieran and Rachel were already closely rted, from the moment both of them ewwpromised because of Lawless, to standing on the same side because of the same man. They had a rather weird rtionship.
Although Lawless introduced both of them in the first ce, now both of them had to go around Lawless and keep the secret from him to help him.
Deep in their hearts, both of them really wanted to tell Lawless about his condition.
Almost out of instinct, Kieran, sitting at the bar counter, and Rachel, behind the counter, looked at Lawless en masse.
Lawless was raising his cup with loudughter.
Here is to wee our new friend DerDer and the return of an old friend, J.Pearlman! Wine on me today! Bottoms up everyone! Oh, I still owe everyone a showmy ultra super one-man drinking!
The moment his words subsided, 22 bottles of liquor in various shapes, sizes, and alcoholic levels were lined up on the table.
Hmmm, forget about it.
Kieran and Rachel shook their heads at the scene.
Before Lawless waspletely healed, they would let him be who he liked to be.
Kieran didnt speak first when he turned back around, instead describing the earlier scene via messages.
He then noticed Rachel was in a daze.
Whats wrong? Kieran asked.
Are you sure its the wind? Or just the breeze? Rachel emphasized on her question.
I believe mypanion, it shouldnt be wrong, Kieran was very certain.
If it was just Gluttonys words, Kieran might be hesitant, but with Sloth around, he believed the precise cardinal sins would not be mistaken.
If it is just the breeze, then it means trouble, because...
Rachel stopped as a sudden realization hit her.
Chapter 1500 - Another Unexpected Discovery
Chapter 1500: Another Unexpected Discovery
Kieran looked at Rachel in surprise when she suddenly stopped talking.
Both of them were having an honest conversation but now her sudden attitude proved differently, could it be...
Kieran suddenly thought of something.
You cant say it? Or couldnt? Kieran asked.
Rachel didnt say anything, keeping quiet and wiping her sses. She even avoided Kierans eyes but her reaction was enough for Kieran.
I understand, Kieran nodded and didnt further question her.
Ill go do some investigating and Ill tell you everything once I get results, Rachel said before she turned around and walked back to the living room.
Kieran saw her off before going to the ever joyful Lawless.
Wait for me, 2567! Im almost done with my challenge! Lawless said as Kieran walked over but when Kieran was beside him, Lawless started to get blurry and even snuck under the table.
It was easy to knockout a person by mixing two or three types of liquor, let alone 22 meticulously arranged ones.
His blurry conscious was already evidence of his decent drinking capacity, considering anyone else would have easily cked out.
Kieran grabbed his friend and threw him on the sofa.
DerDer, check on him please, Kieran told the doctor who was sitting beside.
Okay.
Although DerDer had joined the gang, he took his doctor etiquette very seriously, not drinking a drop of alcohol.
Its fine, 2567, Lawless always intoxicates himself with alcohol.
Yeah, he will be up soon enough.
Hanses and Ramont teased the blurry Lawless.
Both of them obviously didnt think of the other things, which was exactly what Kieran wanted.
Its because of that that DerDer should check on him. I dont want Lawless to run into trouble because of some minor idents, said Kieran.
He then sat beside J.Pearlman,
Hey 2567, a simple greetingter, J.Pearlman went quiet.
For the Fisherman, killing his own leader Amilian and getting kicked out of Freedom Alliance were facts that he couldnt ept.
But facts were facts, what happened could not be changed.
Running away is useless, said Kieran in a very direct manner.
But other than running away, what else can I do? J.Pearlman smiled bitterly.
There is a lot, in fact. Do what you wanted to do, living in the past because of restrictions, or you can avenge your leader. Ive killed that guy who took control of you but based on the current situation, he might just be a slightly bigger pawn. There is still some mastermind behind all this. Besides, that bastards power cannot be activated directly; he must get in contact with you, get either your hair, nail or even blood, and have a 7 days buffer to be in effect, Kieran briefly talked about the effects of [Voodoo Pir].
J.Pearlman was no idiot by all means, his eyes squinting a little when he heard what Kieran said.
You are saying there is still aplices of that bastard in Freedom Alliance? J.Pearlman said as he looked at Kieran.
I dont know. Maybe yes, maybe no. It all depends on your investigation and if you dont mind, I hope you can share with me your results, Kieran said slowly.
Very well, J.Pearlman drained every single drop of his liquor and left Harvest Inn.
Kieran saw the Fisherman off as he took sips from his lemon water.
There must be someone else inside Freedom Alliance who sided with Aligino, maybe even more than one.
Otherwise, quietly getting hair, nails, or blood was fairly difficult. No matter how clumsy or careless a person was, he would be cautious against others who showed interest in peoples hair, nails, or blood, especially in the big city.
However, Kieran had no time to deal with small fish when he was facing the big fish.
Giving up a hundred bucks for a penny was inconceivable for Kieran, hence J.Pearlman was the best candidate to solve this problem.
What a kind guy.
Slightly intoxicated, Lemour the Alchemist muttered in a muffled voice.
Kieran heard it, lifting his ss of lemon water at her without furthermenting on the Fishermans character.
The alcoholic Lemour lifted her head backwards as she poured the bottle of liquor into her mouth, gulp after gulp going down her throat. A whileter, the 150 cmdy snuck below the table, no one willing to help her up, including Kieran, who indirectly caused the scene.
Though at the next moment, Kieran felt a grudgeful gaze, it was... Raven the Loner!
The man who had been carrying his cat and had a seemingly weak physique lowered his head when he noticed Kieran was looking at him, trying to pretend nothing had happened.
Kieran, however, would not assume that he was overthinking.
He shifted his gaze between the unconscious Alchemist and the Loner, thetter breathing heavier and heavier as seconds passed. Kieran smiled as he took another sip of his lemon water, looking like he had noticed some huge secret and celebrated the discovery with the strongest liquor.
A minuteter, Kieran received a message from Raven.
Raven: Keep it a secret, I know how to effectively train your animalpanion.
2567: Sure.
...
A quick and simple trade delighted Kieran a lot. After he saw the transcript that Raven traded him, his delight surged higher.
[Name: Animal Companion Training Book (Transcript)]
[Type: Book]
[Rarity: Magic]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: None]
[Attribute: Special Training]
[Effect: Easy to Understand]
[Prerequisite: Mystical Knowledge (Master), Reading]
[Remark: After he heard Lemour the Alchemists hamster was not behaving, Raven the Loner umted his knowledge and wrote a transcript for Lemour so that she could better train her hamster. He tried his best in using words and methods that the masses could easily understand.]
...
[Special Training: Increase the speed of training towards animalpanion that has certain gifts (Speed depends on the animalpanions gift)]
...
[Easy to Understand: The reader can increase the understanding speed by following the remarks in this book (Speed depends on the readers knowledge)]
[Note 1: This is a real book, not a skill book, multiple learning possible.]
[Note 2: This isnt a skill book, its effect varies on different people orpanions]
...
Not bad.
Kieranmented honestly, voicing his praise for the [Animal Companion Training Book (Transcript)] and also Ravens ability.
Although it wasnt a skill book, the transcript itself had proved Ravens abilities.
Just when Kieran wanted to ask something, a sudden cold aura came from the small living room behind the bar.
Without further ado, he went inside and other than Raven, no one noticed Kierans abrupt departure.
However, when Raven saw the unconscious Lemour, he didnt act, sitting there quietly and looking at her as usual.
She was unconscious, so Lemour didnt notice anything, as usual.
Theughter in the inn never stopped, just like how it had always been.
Chapter 1501 - Reaction
Chapter 1501: Reaction
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran entered the living room through the little corridor and saw Rachel panting heavily.
Although there werent any visible wounds on her, Kieran sharply sensed how weak she was at the moment. He raised his hand and a warm light shone, trying to envelope Rachel.
Dont! You are disturbing my process! I scarcely came in contact with this kind of relentless energy that can destroy my surface defense.
Rachel waved her hand and stopped Kieran after she saw the white light, knowing what Kieran was trying to do.
Even if you are testing your limits, its best to know your current condition, said Kieran.
He knew what Rachel meant by grinding and also understood why she did what she was doing.
Ill begin with the simplest contract rebounding force.
Rachel leaned back on the sofa without too much concern for her image, saying Our situation right now is a little bad.
It sounded without start or end but Kieran wasnt caught off guard by it.
Is it because of that windy breeze? Kieran sat down opposite Rachel and asked.
Not just that one, but everything that one represented.
Rachel said in a muffled voice to prevent leaking more information and suffering the rebounding force from the contract.
Although she didnt mind grinding herself, shed choose a proper way to gradually reach there.
Had she chosen to grind herself at hell from start, it wasnt grinding anymore, It was suicide.
What it represented? Kierans left index finger had started tapping again.
A whileter, Kieran took a deep breath.
Understood, he said.
What do you understand? Rachel was surprised.
She thought she did not reveal any key points in her words but if Kieran could tell what was happening with this limited information, she would like to dissect Kieran to see what was in his mind.
I understood what you said, Kieran then stood up, walking outside and waving at Rachel as he walked.
One little reminder, do recover first before further grinding yourself! If you hurt your roots, reaching rank V is meaningless, Kierans voice came through the corridor.
My knowledge of rank V is no lesser than you! It is I who should remind you, dont die of carelessness.
Rachel pouted and didnt furtherment on her condition, instead giving a clear reminder to Kieran.
Kieran didnt reply.
Careless? Maybe.
No one could guarantee being vignt and careful at all times, not even Kieran.
Therefore, he tried his best to reach his limit and factor in the several safety measures he kept.
After getting out from the back door of Harvest Inn, Kieran was greeted with dark clouds above the city sky.
The moment he took a step out, the sky started to drizzle.
A dash of burning red glided over the rainy sky, a reserved frost aura shing over in the shadow, further away.
Kieran did not stop and vanished into the rain.
...
After Kieran left, Rachel rested for a couple more minutes on the sofa before standing up.
Rachel was already weakened and now she had to suffer the repulsion from the contract. Even if it was mostly insignificant damage, it was torturous for the inn owner.
You Goddamn bastard, you really dont know how to die...
After two slow steps forward so that her body could get use to the repulsion, Rachel started to think about everything that had happened recently, a sighing out from her mouth uncontrobly.
Then, she contacted her friend Wu.
If she had the choice, she wouldnt drag her friend into this, but this time, she had to.
She didnt contact Wu alone, even the Swordsmith Alisritter was summoned.
The Swordsmith had owed her a debt of gratitude more than once; it was time for him to pay his debt.
Although Alisritter was contacted after Wu, he arrived at the living room earlier than Wu.
I still need some time to prepare the three Advance Rank items and equipment, Alisritter exined the moment he stepped into the living room.
Based on previous experiences working together, Alisritter had first hand knowledge of how fierce thedy before him was. Rather than hiding the facts and suffering a knife in his back at the end, he might as welle clean at the start, seizing the chance to stop the conflict.
Em. I am not asking you about that, there is something else, Rachel nodded.
Alisritter unconsciously heaved a breath of relief when he heard it wasnt about the equipment he owed her, but what Rachel said after that raised his rm.
Whats the matter? Alisritter asked carefully.
Some little matters. I need a favortell everyone, every organization you can get to, tell them to be careful of the unusual urrencetely.
Just that? Alisritter was stunned.
Was it that simple? It didnt fit Rachels image!
Yes, just that. But if you want increased difficulty, I dont min-
No, thank you, Ill contact them at once.
Alisritter than stormed out of the living room, as if he was being chased by some fierce beast.
He only heaved a breath when he got out of the living room, but quickly frowned.
What happened? What caused thedy to search for someone like this? No, this aint right, its not just a simple search for a certain person, there must be more details than this! It should be... restrictions! Yes, she must be trying to restrict something or someone! The people and organizations that I contact will not be careless, and even if they want to brush me away, theyd y along. What kind of powerful enemies has shee across?
Not a single renowned yer in the big city was an idiot.
Perhaps Alisritter was nervous when he thought Rachel was asking for payment, but after he calmed down, the Swordsmith could rte and think about a lot of key points.
Still, he did what Rachel told him to do and soon enough, messages were sent off, one by one.
When Alisritter was at the end of his friends list and saw thatst name, he hesitated in sending the message. He ultimately shook his head and gave up.
Why would that guy care about all this?
As he talked to himself, Alisritter strode towards the train station without much care about the rain, which was getting stronger.
The train stopped at the station and Wu, in her thick mantle, walked down.
Wu and Alisritter walked past each other at the train station, Wu suddenly stopping.
She turned around and looked at Alisritter, who was boarding the train. She saw a heavy death presence on him and it was swiftly gathering above him.
But...what does it have to do with me?
He is not 2567!
Wu pulled out a card from her sleeve, seeing the golden raven on the card, as dazzling as ever.
She smiled and happily walked towards Harvest Inn.
Chapter 1502 - Similarities
Chapter 1502: Simrities
17th Morington Alley.
There was a three-storey wooden house with a slightly nder wooden roof.
The floor under the eave had an oval window, and the other two had a square window with a cross in between.
The walls of the house were built with a mixture of bricks. The wood was giving a unique smell under the rain.
Kieran looked at the blurry sign under the rain, walked up and knocked on the door.
After getting permission, Kieran entered the house.
A firece was beside the door, and it burned brightly as firewood was added. It swiftly expelled the coldness on Kierans feather mantle.
Ickart stood beside the firece. He looked at Kieran in silence, having the least intention to truly invite Kieran into the house.
Beside Ickart was a talldy in a ck leather outfit; the tight suit offset her huge chest and brought out the contour of her long legs. Her perfect body was on disy, especially when she crossed her arms beneath her chest and leaned against the wall.
Wee, Sir 2567. I am Be, and its a pleasure to meet you.
She stood straight and extended her hand for a shake.
Kieran looked at her hand but didnt respond.
Some manners were not viable in the big city, not because of arrogance but vignce.
You never knew what kind of abilities other yers had against you.
Be wasnt upset by Kierans response though. Instead, she subtly moved her hand and showed a please gesture. This way, please.
I am sorry you had toe to our temporary base. We cant bring you to the house headquarters because of some other matters. We apologize for any inconveniences caused.
Be spoke very politely as she led Kieran inside.
Her attractive body parts were revealed before Kieran as she walked. Because of the tight suit, her chest would shake with each step she took.
However,pared to her, Kieran was more concerned about the temporary base that she spoke of.
After they went into the corridor, there was a door on both sides.
The left door was closed, so Kieran couldnt see the interior. The right was opened, and he saw many uncleaned cooking utensils and unfinished food.
Two more doorster, the living room on the first floor appeared before Kieran.
There were two rows of three tables in the living room; all six of the tables had long benches around them, and in the middle of the two rows of table was two braziers.
The pieces of coal in the braizers burned hotter than the firece from before, making the room warmer than the entrance.
Please have a seat.
Be turned around and pulled out a bench for Kieran.
Kieran sat down without being courteous. Be sat opposite of him, and Ickart, who was still silent, walked towards the other side and sat down.
If he wasnt breathing, Ickart would look like a robot.
I really wanted to reach out to you for a while now, but rumours about you caused doubts in my mind. Though, after Ickart spoke to me, the doubts were cleared. You arent as rumoured, so I wish that you would join the Resistance since we have amon enemy, the Guardians. Those maggots that feed off peoples lives!
The moment she spoke, Be voiced her invitation to Kieran, and when she mentioned the Guardians, she sounded enraged.
However, she stopped the conversation in a timely manner and did not continue further. She didnt exin what feed off meant, thus giving Kieran sufficient space to interpret the term.
As a matter of fact, the moment Kieran entered the room, he had been wondering about Be.
The subtle guide at the firece, the opened kitchen door in the corridor, and the arrangement of the tables in the living room, Kieran was sure she did all that on purpose.
Why? They might be testing Kierans abilities or delivering the wrong information, distracting him with useless details.
Be even put herself into the mix. Kieran believed the tight suit wasnt something she would wear on a normal day, nor the way she walked through the corridor.
Back at the limit break dungeon, Anne Aldrich Augen had walked in this manner, unting her charms at all times because it was her weapon.
Likewise, Be shared simr traits, butpared to Anne Aldrich Augen, Be was slightlyckluster.
She wasnt natural enough, it felt like she did it with purpose.
Though, regardless of which, none would cause any trouble for Kieran, as he was used to dealing with such situations.
A faint pressure started to change the atmosphere in the room as Kieran released his aura.
Be, who had been at ease throughout the meeting, moved backwards unconsciously. She could not hide the horror in her eyes when Kieran vanished from her sight.
What reced Kieran in his ce was a gigantic ck monster that filled Bes sight. The ck beast widened its mouth, ready to devour her.
Be held her screams back as she stood up quickly and drew herself a distance from Kieran. She then panted heavily.
Each time she breathed, it sounded like she was using all her might. Even after a few breaths, Be had to rely on the wall to stand up.
This is how you people wee others? Kieran spoke for the first time.
The question was directed at Ickart, and as Kieran looked at him, the pressuring aura grew denser.
A faint roar faintly echoed throughout the house.
She did this on her own! I had nothing to do with this! She thought she could rope you onto our side.
Ickart was being honest. He then took out a small bottle and ced it in front of Kieran.
[Name: Barrier Water]
[Type: Potion]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Attribute: Apply it on the Witchs Mark, and it can block the function of the mark for a short period of time]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Remark: Its birth isnt just thebination of Potionology and Alchemy. There is something you cannot understand mixed inside.]
...
The details were disyed in Kierans vision when he picked it up.
Not enough, he said.
This is the best we can provide for now. We are still working on something more effective, Ickart answered meticulously.
I want the follow up product, Kieran demanded.
ording to the contract, I will give you my portion, Ickart said.
Mm. Kieran nodded and stood up, wanting to leave.
Throughout the conversation, he did not bat an eye at Be.
Be, on the other hand, was also smart enough to not provoke Kieran anymore after she was frightened.
After Kieran left, Be finally heaved a breath of relief.
His Spirit is absurdly powerful. I couldnt even move.
Be sounded like she was exining why she failed, but Ickart didnt care and walked out without saying a word.
He and Be had the same rank; he had no need for Bes exnation, nor would he bear her mistakes either.
The leader would take care of everything.
Ickart pondered about the final oue, but at the next moment...
Kakrooom!
A loud p of thunder woke Ickart from his thinking, and he shook his head.
He shouldnt be thinking about useless things. All he had to do was perform his duties well.
Fuaaaaaa.
The rain got heavier, and the city was almost drowned in the rain.
A figure with a broken hand shuttled through the rain.
He walked boldly under the rain while searching for his target.
He wasnt worried about being exposed or discovered because the rain would cover and wash away everything.
Whether it was traces or... conspiracy.
Chapter 1503 - What The Hell Happened?
Chapter 1503: What The Hell Happened?
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
This ce is really as dirty and messy as Rachel said.
Lemour the Alchemistmented on Wallway 13th when she stepped in.
Kieran did not mind at all. His first priority for a room was always its convenience, so he could get what he wanted easily; cleanliness and tidiness was second for consideration.
If the second conflicted with the first rule, it would be ignored.
Everyone has their own habits, Kieran said.
Wheres the things?
Lemour was smart enough not to argue with a man on the cleanliness of his room, as it was like arguing with a woman, asking her why she shopped so muchit was a waste of energy.
If she had such energy for arguing, might as well spend it elsewhere.
This. Kieran passed the little bottle of [Barrier Water] to Lemour.
The moment Kieran had gotten the bottle, he contacted Lemour.
Kieran would not just simply use an item from an unknown organization, let alone when the remark stated the potion was mixed with something he couldnt understand.
Pak!
The cork was pulled open, and Lemour fanned the mouth of the tube with her hand as she took several sniffs.
Kieran didnt stop her, believing in her expertise and professional knowledge. It was also the reason why he contacted her in the first ce. He wasnt disappointed.
Interesting, interesting! I need more time to analyze it, around a week to two, Lemour said.
Sure. Kieran nodded.
100K Points, no discounts, no debt of gratitude! Lemour quickly stated her price.
Sure. When Kieran was out of options, he would be quick in decisions. Of course, his heart still clenched from the pain, but it was his own problem.
The contract was signed.
Lemour the Alchemist brought [Barrier Water] away, and when she opened the door, Kierans sharp senses picked up the presence of Ravens cat opposite of his room. Although he did not know where Raven was, since his cat was around, he shouldnt be far away.
But of course, since both of them had a contract, Kieran did not speak of the cat and saw Lemour off before he went back into his room.
The Old Book Canbenor, who had been hiding, came out.
My lord. A bowter, he continued reading the book [Animal Companion Training Book (Transcript)].
Since Canbenor was temporarily in charge of teaching Fire Raven and Frost Wolf, Kieran hoped for the Old Book to do his best, so he did not interrupt him.
Kieran walked over to his only sofa, sat down, and opened his character tab.
Kieran looked at his Strength, Agility, Constitution and his highest, Spirit. Because of the energy from the Devourer, the first four of his attributes had reached a considerable level, but when he nced over his Intuition, which was still stuck at SSS+, he gasped.
No one understood how important Intuition was more than him.
In his earlier days when he chose the path of a lone wolf, the high level of Intuition was one of the sources of his courage.
Inside a strange dungeon world where unknown dangers lurked, higher Intuition would allow him to acquire insurance and oppose this kind of lurking danger.
Besides that, Kieran knew that in order to judge how strong a person was, they key wasnt to look at his best points, but rather, his weakest points.
Therefore, Kieran leveled up his Intuition without further thoughts.
[Used 5 Golden Attribute Points...]
[Intuition SSS+ ZZ (New I)]
...
All five of the Golden Attribute Points that he got from thest dungeon were poured into Intuition. Kierans eyes, ears, nose and tongue felt a little cold as if they were smeared with mint; it was a little spicy and yet cold.
Kieran also felt a slight breeze caress his skin, and he opened his eyes.
Canbenor was flipping through the book in his hand, and the breeze was actually from the flipping motion.
Kieran couldnt help but smile when he felt the breeze.
Once an attribute reached the Advance Ranks, obvious changes would ur, especially the attribute that he was verypatible with, like Spirit and Intuition.
Kieran knew he was verypatible with them a while ago.
Back then when his attributes were still around F rank and the Golden Attribute Points hadnte in y, his Spirit and Intuition were in F+ rank, and as he grew stronger, the uniqueness of these two attributes got more obvious.
He was looking forward to the day when his Intuition reached rank V. What would happen then?
However, now was not the time to think!
He had to prepare and adjust himself for the next step.
He wasnt going to level up his skills with his current Points. Instead, he adjusted himself.
After realizing skills could also be leveled up through training and might, and even provide him with different types of realizations, Kieran had the thought of leveling a certain set of skills through pure training.
When his skills reached a higher level and no longer just required Golden Skill Points but also Golden Attributes to level up, it further solidified Kierans thoughts.
Of course, the main reason was that the current level of his core skills were at the stage where Golden Skill Points could not be of much help in leveling. Otherwise, Kieran would pour in everything he had.
As for the other anciry skills?
Since the matter of leveling up or not would not cause massive change to his power level, Kieran wanted to experiment with them.
In the uing few days, Kieran didnt leave his room.
Other than practising skills, he thought about his uing dungeon world, [Hero and Viin].
This uing dungeon world was no doubt filled with lies and deceit.
The dungeon world was known for its heroes and viins, but in fact, it housed an underworld beneath the surface.
Despite having an encounter with that world, he still wasnt sure what was going on in that ce.
But one thing was for sure: this dungeon world was extremely valuable.
Aside from the Mordin Statues that could power up Devil Force, there were many opportunities to evolve his items and equipment.
Opportunity co-existed with danger.
But because of that, the world was much more charming, wasnt it?
Kieran was anticipating the dungeon world.
Time flew, and soon when the cooldown reset, Kieran tidied up his backpack and items, and clicked enter.
Familiar words appeared in his sight again.
[Entering single special dungeon!]
[Dungeon difficulty: 8th dungeon]
[Background: This is a wonderous world that houses superheroes and superviins alike. They are at constant conflict because of their differing ideals. Your good deed has earned you quite the reputation, and you are well-known by the people, but the dead viins will only attract more from outside the city. They have their eyes on the city...]
[Main Mission: Fend off those ill-intentions superviins within 12 weeks (The more you fend off, the higher the ratings)]
[Temporarynguage pack disappears upon exiting the dungeon.]
[Clothing, backpack, weapons, and other items remain unchanged. Temporarily altered appearance returns to normal upon exiting the dungeon]
[Note: This is a special dungeon, so you cannot fail the main mission. If you fail, its game over!]
...
When the words vanished, Kieran appeared in an unfamiliar room.
It wasnt the familiar Randletine Street 17th or the Smorewill Street 99th, which should be rebuilt.
It was a... ward? A hospital ward?
The ce was white and reeked of disinfectant medicine.
Kieran was strapped to a sick bed. From shoulders to feet, six straps of leather tightly bound him down.
Kieran tested the straps with his body and realized each of them were designed very reasonably, made to seal a persons movements on the bed.
However, the thing that Kieran hated the most was the mask on his face. It prevented him from clearly voicing his thoughts and even caused difort in his breathing.
Fortunately, his strength did not disappear.
His powers were still with him! His items were in the locker beside him, away from sight, but Kieran could sense them.
In simple words, he could break free by exerting little strength. However, he didnt do it.
The vignt Kieran wanted to know what was going on and why he was in a hospital ward.
Pak!
While Kieran was thinking, the door abruptly opened.
A buff male nurse walked in. Kieran had to slightly raise his neck to get a clear look.
Odork?! Kieran was surprised by the man before his eyes.
Odork, once an amateur kidnapper and a coward, liked to aggrandize himself, but after his powers had awakened, he was known as the Bloodman.
He was considered a decent subordinate after Kieran controlled him with [Mesly Ring].
However, Odork didnt strike him as a trusty subordinate right now, as he didnt seem to even care about the muffled noises from Kieran. Instead, he walked beside the bed and pressed a lever.
The whole bed lifted up right away, and only then did Kieran know that it was a mobile one.
Odork pushed Kieran through the door and into the corridor.
The long corridor, almost a hundred meters long, was quite narrow, only a single sick bed allowed to pass at a time. A windowless door would appear every few meters. All the doors were shut tight, and nothing from the inside was visible, nor could a single noise be heard.
The only noise in the corridor was the squeaks from the wheels beneath the mobile sick bed and the heavy breathing from Odork.
Odork, no doubt, had a weak physique. Nevertheless, he dared not ck from his job.
He pushed Kieran to the end of the corridor without pause.
At the end of the corridor was an elevator. 3F was on the disy, and beside it was a garbage can, which had an ashtray stuffed with cigarette butts.
Kieran took a nce at the elevator before Odork pushed him around. The elevator was behind Kieran, and he faced the long, narrow corridor.
The other end of the corridor was absent of any windows. In fact, until now, Kieran had no idea whether it was day or night. The cold fluorescentmps on the ceiling had no use other than shedding dim light along the way.
Tak!
A cheap one-time lighter ignited, and the smell of tobo spread in the air.
Odork lit his cigarette and smoked it from start till end. He stuffed it in the ashtray beside him before finally pressing the elevator.
Ding!
The elevator opened up, and Kierans sick bed was dragged inside the fairly huge box.
The elevator looked no different from a normal one. An emergency phone was on the right panel, and beneath it were buttons disying 1F to 6F, with an extra red button for emergency calls.
Odork extended his hand to press the 5F button, and along with the little action, he did not pay any care to Kieran, not even a nce.
When the elevator reached the fifth floor, Kieran was pushed out.
Unlike the previous third floor, the fifth floor was filled with people.
An elderly with a nket over his wheelchair sat in front of a television at the corner; a seemingly strong middle-aged caretaker was whispering on the other side, giggles would sound asionally.
There were young adults amongst them too, making up the majority of the people on the fifth floor.
But when Kieran was pushed out of the elevator, young adults came over from every corner of the floor, gathered around Kieran, and looked at him coldly and silently with dull expressions.
The scene spread everywhere else. The caretakers paused in their conversations, the elderly stopped watching television, and every single one of them looked at Kieran with cold gazes.
Time felt as if it had frozen.
Get off! Get the hell off, all of you!
Odork shouted, utilizing every inch of his muscles to carve a path out of the gathering crowd. He switched from pulling to dragging and continued forward.
As they moved forward, Kieran heard whispers from behind him.
Maniac and psychopath were what they called him.
Devil and murderer were the garnishes on top of the ugly titles.
Let me tell you something, you better be honestter. This is one of the few chances that you have to defend yourself. I am not being empathic, I am just scared of pushing your around every day! You should be in some other ce, so whyd you have toe here?
Odork mumbled in a muffled voice as he dragged Kieran forward.
Kieran squinted his eyes quietly. He nced at Odork again before he saw their destination, based on where they were moving: the directors office.
Under the sign on the office door was the directors name: Ferris.
Ferris, who was once a teacher andter a mercenary after his talents awakened. He was known as the Freezer until he was controlled by Kieran.
Ferris, eh?
Another familiar name appeared, giving Kieran more thoughts about what would appear beyond the office door, and just as he expected, behind the door was Chief Officer Pudder and Emma Eddie.
The chief was in his usual uniform, but Emma Eddie was different. The leather jacket, t-shirt and jeans plus the short hair were gone. She actually wore a very professional-looking attire and held a briefcase.
As Kieran was being pushed in, the two of them conversed.
Doctor Eddie, I hope you can use your professional knowledge to help me find out whether that bastard is really crazy or if hes faking it!
Very well, Chief Pudder.
The conversation was short and simple, and it stopped abruptly when Kieran entered.
Call for me if you need anything, Ill be outside.
The chief brought Odork out and closed the door.
Bang!
The bang of the mming door echoed in the room.
Emma Eddie, who Kieran remembered as a little thug from the streets, looked at him in an elegant and friendly way.
Then...
She took a knife from her briefcase and lunged towards Kieran.
Pak!
Chapter 1504 - Habits, Where Miracles Happen
Chapter 1504: Habits, Where Miracles Happen
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran didnt move because he could tell Emma Eddies knife wouldnt hurt him, and in fact, it didnt.
The seemingly sharp knife grazed Kierans ear and stabbed into his pillow.
Emma Eddie, whopleted the action, looked at Kieran carefully, and when she realized he didnt even blink, she frowned.
She pulled the knife out.
Cotton and feathers flew out of the pillow and got stuck in Kierans head and on his face. He looked unusually messy, but his eyes were as calm as still water.
Emma Eddie frowned harder under the calm gaze.
You didnt show fear or rage. Is it because you can tell that I wont actually harm you?
Obviously, after changing into a new identity, Emma Eddie gained knowledge and sharp observation befitting her new self.
Kieran did not answer and instead looked at the surroundings quietly.
He had been observing his surroundings from the start, hoping to find something different, something that did not fit the picture, because the entire time, he felt that something was very wrong.
Is it because of the mask that you dont want to talk? I can take it down for you.
Emma Eddie queried to break the silence, and this time, she chose another way, not forgetting to add a warning.
But you have to promise me that you wont do anything reckless. All I have to do is scream or make any noise, and Chief Pudder and Odork wille in. The chiefs strength is admirable, and hes even armed while Odork is reliable and has a body that can subdue anyone.
Kieran didnt mind getting the mask off his face, so he nodded after Emma Eddies warning.
Emma Eddie smiled as Kieran cooperated for the first time, thinking she had seeded in the first step. She walked over to the other side of the bed and removed the mask from Kierans face at a safe distance. The moment the mask was removed, she quickly took a step back as if she was afraid that Kieran will bite her, but it seemed like she was overthinking.
After the hateful mask was taken away, Kieran licked his lips and moistened his mouth before he went quiet again.
Looking at a certain bulging spot on Kierans face, Emma Eddie unconsciously thought of the scrolls that she read before, and disgust quickly shed over her eyes.
Soon enough, Emma Eddie returned to her calm self.
She was here to prove Kieran guilty, not get frightened by him.
A maneater was scary, but he would not scare her!
What do you want to say about your parents? If one of them required your blood or bone marrow to survive, would you save them? Emma Eddie asked.
Kieran did not answer, his eyes didnt even move. He had nothing to say, for he had never met his parents before.
Should he describe them, they would be no different than a pair of strangers to him.
From a certain perspective, he held a certain hatred towards them, but that was his own problem and unrted to the current situation.
Do you like cats? Or dogs? Or any other kind of pets? Emma Eddie asked again, but all she got was silence.
If you had a chance to go out, what would you do?
The same process repeated itself for the next half an hour. Emma Eddie asked Kieran dozens of questions, but none was answered.
Mr. 2567, you are not being very cooperative. We all know what caused this, but we also know your stubborn attitude will not change things for the betterI will see you tomorrow!
That was thest words Emma Eddie said before Odork came in and pushed Kieran back to his ward.
Throughout the one day period, Kieran was fed on a sticky, pea-voured liquid diet.
The next day, he was once again brought to the directors office.
Ferris was still not around. Instead, Emma Eddie and Chief Pudder were inside waiting for him.
Kieran kept quiet again, and Emma Eddie couldnt get anything out of him.
The next meal was also the same pea-voured liquid diet.
Around the second day, Kieran was sure that he would only be fed once a day, or at least that was what he gothe had no idea about the other patients.
He saw a lot of adults everyday, but every one of them was cold.
The mask on his face was only removed at the directors office, hence he had almost zero chance to ask anything.
Throughout the two days spent there, the one he got familiar with was not Emma Eddie, but Odork, who yed the role of caretaker and guardian.
After realizing Kieran wasnt as brutal as rumoured, Odork would asionally chat with him, but it sounded more like some self muttering than conversation. The things that he chatted about were the weather, his pay, and his wife and son, all unrted things.
Through Odork, Kieran slowly understood the world that he was in.
On the third day, after Kieran finished his liquid diet, he was once again brought into the directors office.
Emma Eddie, having spoken with Kieran in the past two days, became skilled in this. After Chief Pudder and Odork left, she removed the mask on Kierans mouth.
How is your day? Emma Eddie asked procedurally.
She opened the conversation with the same phrase as yesterday, never once thinking Kieran would answer. This time, she was surprised.
So-so, I guess, said Kieran.
When she heard Kierans voice, Emma Eddie was stunned before she looked at Kieran with slight joy.
Its good to hear your voice for the first time. Emma Eddie tried to present herself as a friendly person.
Its really be so-so after seeing you a few times now. You are more fitting in leather jacket, t-shirt, jeans and a buzz cut. It will be perfect if you put the nose stud back on, Kieran said calmly.
Did you mistake me for someone else? Emma Eddie frowned.
Of course not. What I said is just the facts. Until now, I still cant find out how you... you people appeared. You people are trying your best to make me believe that I am a psychopathic murdererthe straps on my body and the peoples gazes are all pointing at the same thing. And what Odork told me everyday informs me of thepleteness of this world.
Maybe he overdid it, or your people are eager to make me believe this is a perfect world. You people used him and the fabricated family to deceive me, but you neglected one detail: if he was really a meticulous caretaker with a wife and child, he would not have carried the thick smokey smell on him when he went to and fro work. Especially when he has to take the train back and forth everyday in a rush. As he barely has any free time, he has to smoke one or two before the elevator arrives.
Of course, thats not just it. He said his pay is low and that he loves his wife and child, so he should have smoked a little less for the sake of his family, not two to three packets on a normal day. On top of that, he said it rained yesterday and he fell down on the slippery floor, yet his shoes were clean,st I saw. You can say that he cleaned it, but what about his pants? I saw him wearing those pants from the very beginning; hed even purposely shown me the sewn work of his wifean additional belt strap to allow him to better put on his belt.
If you say everything is just my delusional thinking, then... I want to see Ferris! I dont want to hear his voice or see his pictures. I want him in front of me in person! Can you people do that? said Kieran.
Emma Eddie was stunned, and she looked nk.
Of course, you cant do it. Maybe you have a perfect memory about yourself in your mind, and you might even know where Ferris has gone, but you cant locate him based on your memories. It is because... creating you, Chief Pudder, and Odork was already the limit. None of you can create an extraordinary existence like Ferris, who has awoken his bloodlines powers to a certain powerful level, let alone the mighty Drexton. You might not even be able to replicate Drextons voice. Otherwise, he would be more convincing as the director of this hospital, not Ferris.
As Kieran stopped, the stunned Emma Eddie moved in a weird way. Stiff like a wooden puppet, her head turned around and looked at Kieran.
You win this time! But this is just the start! You will ultimately drown in the illusions!
A cold, mechanical voice came out of her mouth and everything before Kierans eyes shattered.
Darkness descended before it was swiftly reced by light.
When Kieran regained his sight, he was sitting on a sofa, and his backpack and stuff were beside his feet.
His surroundings were also familiar: the study room of Randletine Street 17th.
Kieran had spent quite the time in this ce in his previous visit, so he was exceptionally familiar with it, far surpassing his familiarity with anywhere else.
From how the book racks were arranged and the books locations on the racks to the density of themps, Kieran knew it all by heart.
After a quick check, everything was just like how he remembered it.
When Kieran walked out the study room, he saw Ferris and Odork busy with chores.
My lord, lunch is almost ready. Please wait for a little more. But if you have any requests, please let me know right away.
Ferris bowed elegantly and greeted him politely as if he was a real butler.
Nope, just continue what you are doing. Kieran then sat on the chair as he spoke.
Yes, my lord.
A quick answerter, Ferris brought Odork to work, and just like what Ferris said, lunch was soon ready.
Since Kieran refused alcoholic drinks, the appetiser wine was changed to lemon honey water. Nevertheless, Ferris practised his manners and took out a cold ss from the refrigerator.
The cold drink was refreshing, and a little sourness and sweetness circted on his tongue before going down into his stomach. Kieran straightened his body because of the refreshing gulp, and he became eager for lunch.
The appetiser was Honey Chicken Wings, which were deboned and trimmed to bite-sizes. The whole te of chicken wings was quickly gobbled down shortly after it was served.
When the bread and butter plus Swiss cheese was served, the Cream Oyster Soup was down to half a bowl, and the sd was almost finished.
Kieran tore the bread in half, soaked it in the creamy soup, and shoved it in his mouth. As he savoured the explosion of taste and texture from the soup-soaked bread in his mouth, he lightly grunted in satisfaction.
The Steamed Lobster and Beef Sirloin were served together.
Ferris also ced a cup of sky juice beside the tes.
A mouthful of waterter, Kieran grabbed the thickest and juiciest part of the lobster and stuffed his mouth full. It was fresh and chewy, and there was no need for further garnish or side dishes because the fresh lobster was best in itself.
The Beef Sirloin was also the same, but the sauce was the star of the show. The sauce wasnt cooked with red wine; instead, it was a mixture of white pepper and cabbage mustard. However, it better locked the meat juices in the bite, especially with the perfectly roasted meat, allowing the sirloin to have a perfect, vourful bitenot too chewy, not too soft.
Ferris prepared Lemon Mousse as dessert to get rid of the heaviness of the main course.
A quick gulpter, Kieran took the second ss of drink served. It wasnt lemon honey water anymore but apple juice.
It was tasty with the right amount of sourness, but it was richer than the previous.
Kieran slowly stood up with his ss, drained thest drop of apple juice, and said, This is quite nice! Except for... that ce that serves simr quality food, I have never encountered such decent food before. Did I miss out on something when I was searching in Alkender before? Or did Ferris improve his cooking to an inconceivably good level within such a short time?
Kieran ced his ss down and walked towards Ferris, but before he could truly get close, Ferris vanished.
The scene Kieran was in was undoubtedly an illusory realm.
When everything finally faded away, Kieran stood in Smorewill Street.
Around him were battle traces left from the fight between him and Grudge Dragon and Death Knell.
Drexton currently ran towards him with the other superheroes of Alkender.
Each of them had joy from the bottom of their hearts on their faces. Of course, they had reason to be happy!
Not only did they clean up the tumours of Smorewill Street, but the Glutton Emperor also wiped out Grudge Dragon and Death Knell, the two most notorious superviins that struck anxiety in peoples hearts with their names alone.
Perhaps as time went by, new superviins would rise in Alkender, but it would be some time from now.
An overdue time of peace would finally arrive in Alkender and its people.
Those evildoers who looked up to Grudge Dragon and Death Knell as their role models would surely learn a lesson from this incident.
Everything was made possible by the man in front of their eyes.
Moreover, after what Willis, The Eye, told them, the extraordinary superheroes were grateful and proud to call Kieran arade-in-arms.
Drexton, the Fist of Justice, was the most excited among them all. He strode up to Kieran and hugged him tightly.
Well done, 2567! Do you know? I...
Who are you? Kierans cold voice interrupted Drextons excited words.
Drexton instinctively wanted to move back, but Kieran instead grabbed him and locked him in ce tightly with his arms, the force around his waist forcing his upper body backwards.
Drexton, shocked, looked to be in disbelief. He had no idea how Kieran found out.
He had discarded every scruple and used all his reserved powers to achieve the best, yet he was still exposed?
Oh, so you are a fake, Kieran said calmly.
Drexton was stunned before his face flushed.
YOU TRICKED ME?! he shouted, but it was toote.
Kieran squeezed his arms tight.
Kakca!
Chapter 1505 - Recover Lost Ground
Chapter 1505: Recover Lost Ground
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Amid the spine-cracking noise, Drexton was almost squeezed in half.
His waist, which was far stronger than amon mans, was squeezed into the size of a calf under Kierans absolute strength, and that was not the end.
Drexton was then dunked into the ground powerfully. Kieran followed up with a stomp to the back of his head and grabbed both of his legs, twisting them like he would a towel.
Krack!
A loud crackter, Drexton was twisted in half and so was the world before Kierans eyes.
The battle-damaged Smorewill Street shattered, and Kieran appeared in his ward again.
Kieran raised a brow at the familiar scene.
He looked around, and when he saw the drizzle outside the window, he heaved a breath of relief. After going through multiple ultra realistic illusory realms, Kieran got a good grasp of how deep he was in this time. Although the illusory realm could create most of the scenes or even the people he was very familiar with, it must have its limits.
The weather! The sky, the sun, the moon and the stars!
All the natural phenomena were something the illusory realm could not create. Even when it was in Smorewill Street and a Drexton was created before his eyes, the sky was clouded by smoke.
Though, just in case, Kieran pushed the window open and reached his hand out.
Concentrated cold water drizzled all over his right hand and drenched his forehand wet.
Kieran looked at the rain, but when he nced over his right palm, he was stunned.
He retracted his hand and looked at the back of his right palm.
The unusual freaky smiley face tattoo became faint all of a sudden, the red line around it even losing its vibrant colors.
An ultra realistic illusory realm, a fading freaky smiley face tattoo.
Kieran glued his eyes to the tattoo at the back of his right palm, guesses drowning his heart, and in the midst of the messy situation, he pulled up the notification tab.
[Entering single yer dungeon!]
[Dungeon Difficulty: 8th dungeon]
[External energy intervention! External energy intervention!]
[yer has fallen into Witchs Enigmatic Realm. Part of yers memory has been sealed. Authentication starts...]
[Authentication passed!]
[yer is freed from Witchs Enigmatic Realm!]
[yer regained sealed memory!]
[Detected yer has been treated with injustice, 8th dungeon difficulty adjusting...]
[Dungeon Difficulty: 2nd dungeon]
[Background: Theorate will wee a new batch of students in September. They are lively and energetic, and you are one of them...]
[Main mission: Pass the entrance exam and survive through the end of the semester.]
[Temporarynguage pack disappears upon exiting the dungeon.]
[Clothing, backpack, weapons, and other items remain unchanged. Temporarily altered appearance returns to normal upon exiting the dungeon]
[Hint: This is your eighth official dungeon. Because the difficulty is altered, you can fail the main mission, but you will have to pay 200 Points as a penalty. If your points are insufficient, the system will deduct from your equipment. If your equipment is insufficient, you will fail.]
...
Aplete set of notifications was enough to tell Kieran what happened.
The lost memories, theyers of illusory realm, everything was rted to the Witch, but what sent him into deep thought was why the tattoo at the back of his hand activated.
It sensed danger!
The answer appeared in Kierans heart almost instantly.
In his Pro level [Mystical Knowledge] there were simr records about whether or not a mark or tattoo could sense danger; it was blurry but definitely there.
With the Witchs [Mystical Knowledge] level, acquiring the ways to craft suck a mark wasnt anything absurd.
Kieran, in the meantime, did not ponder about the level of the Witchs [Mystical Knowledge] and instead recalled what happened before he lost his memories.
It wasnt that hard given how good Kierans memory was. Moreover, the things that he came in contact with and found noteworthy werent that many.
First, the [Barrier Water], which he got from Ickart, the Resistance!
Second, his Intuition leveling up.
Third, him entering the current dungeon world.
But which of the three?
Kieran wasnt sure at the moment. All three of the incidents seemed to be quite possible in triggering the tattoo.
[Barrier Water] was crafted solely to block out the Witchs Gift, so it wasnt strange that the tattoo reacted.
If it was his leveled up Intuition that triggered the activation of Witchs Enigmatic Realm, it would seem like the Witchs Gift wasnt as hard to remove as he expected. The reason why he couldnt remove it before was that he wasnt strong enough, or... he chose the wrong way.
Removing the Witchs Gift required not only power, but the correct direction too!
As for the third?
The information was limited, so he wasnt sure, but he wouldnt discard it either.
As a matter of fact, given how dubious Kieran was, he would not discard any single possibility that might lead to the answer.
After all, he had recovered lost grounds.
Since the day the freaky smiley face tattootched onto the back of his hand, Kieran felt diforted like he had a bone stuck in his throat, and when he realized it was the Witchs Gift, it raised Kierans rm. He felt uneasy and anxious, hence he had to be vignt at all times.
The Witch that created all kinds of legendary tales for herself in the big city, what kind of person was she really?
Wicked, powerful, bloodthirsty, horrifying.
All the terms were used to describe her, but as for what made the Witch, Kieran didnt know and had no intention to find out. All he knew was that he had to be extra careful when dealing with the things the Witch left behind.
Moreover, since the Witch had already left the game and the Guardians sought her legacy, Kierans rm was raised to a new high.
Kieran never doubted the evil in human nature, simr to how he strictly believed in kindness.
The Witch had reached a certain peak in the game, and she might have even surpassed every being in the game. The tattoo might be something that she did not care about anymore or something that she simply created, but that wasnt the case for the others.
Think about the rules among the Guardians. They reeked of the Laws of the Jungle, and that was only the part made known to Kieran.
He believed there would be more astonishing things in the parts that he hadnt understood.
The Guardians? Hehe.
Kieran coldlyughed as he looked at the shallow Witchs Gift on the back of his palm. A few secondster, he walked towards the sick bed.
Beneath the bed was his gears.
Although he was eager to get rid of this hidden danger, his priority was straight, and he knew what he must do.
A second dungeon difficulty? Its a perfectpensation!
Kieran was very eager to enter!
His ck leather gear reced his patients clothes, and the ck feather mantle covered the ck longsword at his waist. He stuffed the metallic body into his dual-strap traveling bag before walking outside the ward.
Boom!
Chapter 1506 - Fighting For Food
Chapter 1506: Fighting For Food
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
A tremendous explosion shook the entire building and screams followed.
The corridor, the rooms upstairs, and the hall downstairs were all filled with screams.
The sharp, irritating screams made Kieran frown the moment he walked out of the school infirmary.
Duuuu Duuuu Duuuuu!
Attention! Attention! The school is under an unknown attack! All the students and teachers, please evacuate to your respective shelters! Repeat!
...
Two loud sparks came from the loudspeaker in the corridor before the broadcast followed.
The screams paused.
Kieran then saw all the panicked students run upstairs, and he was dragged along by the crowd.
When he passed through the stairs, he saw the directory of the building.
1F: Hall, Office
2F: Cafeteria
3F: Activity room, School infirmary, recreation room.
4F: Multimedia room
5F: Meeting room (Temporary shelter)
...
After a quick nce at the directory, his attention was captured by a figure amidst the crowd.
The figure was a girl whose long brown hair extended below her shoulder, her white shirt neatly tucked in her ck skirt with a white edge. The slightly tight shirt offset her big chest, and the short skirt perfectly covered the necessary parts and her bottom; the ck stocking made her already long legs longer and straighter.
She held a katana as long as herself, and it was quite eye-catching, but what captured Kierans attention was her movements.
While everyone else was running towards the shelter, she was moving in the opposite direction.
A single person could not oppose the majoritys decision most of the time, but this girl was different.
She leaped up, stepped on a boys shoulder, and continued forward as she jumped from shoulder to shoulder.
Sorry! Sorry! I have to go to the cafeteria! Im so sorry! Sorry!
...
A few more apologetic wordster, the girl vanished from sight; however, a rough and sonorous voice caught up.
Get off! Get the hell off!
A two-meter tall, buff man rushed down the stairs, and unlike the kind, polite girl, the man was like his voice, rough and loud. He moved around recklessly and disregarded peoples safety.
The surprising thing was, the man carved out a path for himself in the middle of the panicked crowd with his body. Scoldings sounded when the rude man left.
Kieran frowned as he saw the man off.
If the first girl had to go to the cafeteria because of some matters, what about the man?
Kieran was utterly sure the mans destination was also the cafeteria.
The nervous andpetitive look on the man wasnt an act when he looked at the polite girl.
All going to the cafeteria? Is something happening there?
Since Kieran held quite the special feeling towards cafeterias or whatever ce had food, he stopped himself from being carried away by the crowd, moved towards the handrail of the stairs, and leaped over it.
In fact, not only Kieran, but also a few others amidst the swarming crowd who chose different paths.
Kieran knew what happened behind him, but he didnt care. As he got through the third floor and finally reached the second floor, an alluring scent assailed his nostrils.
Fat and coal yed a symphony, cumin and chili danced in harmony.
There was also an indescribable sauce in the mix that emanated its own unique smell. The scent perfectlybined with the fatty mutton in the fire.
Roast meat!
Kierans eyes shone.
Is there a barrier around here?
Kieran looked at the stairs connecting the second and third floors.
He was confident that with his Intuition, this kind of rich scent should not escape his nose even if it was miles away, let alone a few flight of stairs.
And if he had picked up the scent earlier, the panicked crowd wouldnt have been able to drag him away!
It was no joke because eating was priority!
Kieran hastened his steps without further ado.
However, when he entered the cafeteria, there was already someone else there.
It wasnt the girl or the man from before, but a figure wrapped inplete darkness.
The dark figure stood in front of a charcoal stove.
On top of that stove was a big piece of fatty mutton that gradually turned golden. The dark figure held a pair of chopsticks.
Good sense of smell! Didnt think the new batch of students would hold...
Get away!
Kieran pushed the figure away rudely before the figure could even finish.
Wuuu!
The figure was sent flying as an air-whistle sounded behind him. As if he were hit by a train, he crashed through the window, eventually turning into a small dot and vanishing beyond sight.
Since the figure had been holding the chopsticks, it meant he was going after the mutton, and whosoever dared to touch Kierans food would be his enemy, regardless of whether it was a man or woman!
Chang!
The metallic de collided with its sheath, its force starting to build up, and once it waspletely drawn, it would make a sharp and fierce strike. Or so Leanna thought.
Before her katana was fully drawn, a palm touched the hilt and pressed it backward.
Kak!
The katana was pressed back into its sheath. Leanna wanted to struggle, but the power from the palm was too strong, to the point that she couldnt even resist.
A ck shadow then appeared before her eyes. It was... a forehead?!
A headbutt?!
The moment the thought formed, Kieran headbutted her right in the forehead.
Bang!
Leanna was instantly drowned in dizziness. She didnt faint, as his forehead hit the bridge of her nose, but blood rolled down her nostrils.
A concussion! And a broken nose! she thought before she passed out.
The big and tall Marick was stunned when he saw Leanna get knocked out with a single headbutt. He couldnt understand how a newbie who just got into school and hadnt even eaten Fast Food knocked out a person with a headbutt, but it didnt stop him from charging towards the roast meat.
The roast meat was the pinnacle of Bento ss food, it was almost at the level of a Proper Meal!
It wasnt somethingmon even in Theorate, so Marick must eat it!
The scent at the tip of his noise triggered an irresistible hunger that spread throughout his body and started to drown his sanity.
His eyes were red as he charged towards the charcoal stove, but just as he wanted to reach for the mutton with his hand, a strong palm grabbed the back of his neck.
Dont drool on my food!
As the cold words sounded in his ears, Marick felt like his world toppled upside down.
Bang!
Throwing just another person who had ill-intentions toward his food on the floor, Kieran slowly walked back to the roast mutton without even caring how many broken bones Marick suffered.
He took the chopsticks, grabbed a small piece, and shoved it into his mouth.
Chapter 1507 - Unreliable
Chapter 1507: Unreliable
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Fuu!
The roast mutton entered his mouth and went down his throat, Kieran sighing in satisfaction.
The roast mutton tasted exactly like it smelled, but he squinted his eyes once the meat entered his stomach.
His Advance Rank Intuition told him that once the meat entered his stomach, it would quickly dissolve and disintegrate into... Origin Force!
Thats right, Origin Force!
As Gluttony eagerly munched on the piece of meat in his body, it quickly transformed into pure Cardinal Sins Force and... Dawn Force, gue Force, Devil Force, and Saint Thorn Force!
All five of his Origin Forces increased a little, insignificantly but certainly.
This dungeon relies on eating to power themselves up?
As he recalled the scene with the girl and the buff man eagerly rushing towards the cafeteria and rted it to the increase of his Origin Forces, the theory popped up in his mind naturally, making him quiver uncontrobly.
It wasnt fear, but an uncontroble excitement.
If his theory was right, what kind of gains would be waiting for him in this dungeon world, considering he owned Gluttony?
However, he forced himself to calm down right away. He still hadnt forgotten about the sudden appearance of Witchs Enigmatic Realm and his thoughts about that condition.
Likewise, he also bore in mind that the system lowered the dungeon difficulty topensate him.
Is it because of the gist of this dungeon, you be anxious? Kieran muttered in his heart.
The corner of his mouth curled up a little, forming a rather cold grin.
Since he had recovered lost ground, he wanted to expand his advantages until they became absolute.
He still had no idea which one of the three guesses was right even until now, but that didnt stop him from perfecting his newly formed n.
Dak Dak Dak Dak!
As clear footsteps entered his ears, Kieran turned around and waiting for the owner to appear.
Soon, a group of people came into the cafeteria.
The group of people were all stunned when they saw the unconscious girl and man then Kieran beside the charcoal stove. All of them looked confused.
Kieran emerging as the final victor no doubt exceeded their expectations. When they saw Leanna with a bloody and broken nose, some of their faces twitched at the scene.
Beauty itself was magic or an ability, andpared to themon, the beautiful and handsome would somewhat attain certain benefits for themselves.
Theorate was no exception, and Leanna was undoubtedly one of the blessed ones.
Fortunately, her advantages did not incite things that shouldnt happen in front of the rules. It might also be one of the reasons why Leanna, with a bloody face and broken nose, plummeted in charms.
Congrattions 2567, youve passed the entrance exam. This badge is the proof of your entry. Please get your daily supplies at the student affairs office, located on the first floor.
The leader among the group waved his hand, and the two injured students were loaded onto stretchers and brought away. He then walked over to Kieran with a smile.
The man passed a golden badge to Kieran and continued, I am Oliford, consider me your senior. If you have anything to ask,e find me in the research ssroom for fifth years.
Em, Kieran nodded, as he sensed the kindness from Oliford.
He wasnt expressing his agreement or rejection. Kierans vignt, or dubious, character had decided that he would never simply ept a strangers kindness, nor would he reject kindness from a seemingly powerful and influential person in an unfamiliar ce.
He needed more information to make his final decision.
Oliford smiled when he saw Kierans cold look.
He had seen a lot of gifted people, but those who truly grew were only a handful.
After all, the disqualification rate at Theorate was as high as 90%.
It was just an entry exam, it wasnt worth Olifords effort to invest anything into Kieran. Showing him kindness to form a decent impression in both their minds was good enough.
As for the future?
It would depend on what kind of performance Kieran showed.
Ill see you around. Oh, and 2567, if you have nothing on hand, please go to the student affairs office as soon as possiblethis is a friendly reminder, Oliford said, leading his men away after leaving the reminder.
Kieran did not leave right away, nor did he ask the other students on the same floor whether or not they had passed.
When the explosion went off as the entry exam started, the students who panicked had all been disqualified from Kierans point of view, hence there was no need to ask.
Moreover, Kieran had zero intention of asking while he was standing in the cafeteria!
It was the cafeteria, for crying out loud!
After the delicious piece of meat was eaten, he thought that there must be more food in this ce. Back in the Witch Enigmatic Realm, the food that Ferris had prepared was extremely delicious, almost unrivaled and utterly authentic, but after Kieran freed himself from the illusory realm, everything became nothing but thought.
Hed eaten enough delicious food from Ferriss cooking, but he felt the hunger growing instead.
Therefore, a pot of curry beef with an extra bowl of vegetables and half a bucket of rice in the cafeteria became Kierans ration to cure his hunger.
Kieran was in utter joy as he gobbled it down.
The invigtors who saw the scene through the camera looked helpless.
In order to make the sudden attack more realistic and sudden, the curry beef in the pot and the rice in the thermal bucket were all warm, and even the bowl of vegetables that consisted of cucumber, potato, and broli were fresh.
As a matter of fact, there were many new students eating at the cafeteria when the explosion went off.
Who is this guy? Hes quite interesting, a rather thin examiner asked.
Hes rmended, name is 2567. Probably used some kind of method to get here, but looking at the scene really lifts my appetite! a rather short and buff examiner answered as he took out a steaming burger from his pocket and took a big, satisfying bite; his face was filled with utter delight.
Lenard, its working time, you are not allowed to... Fine, Ill turn a blind eye.
The rather thin Senile reminded his colleague, but before he could finish, another burger was shoved in his face by the short Leonard. Senile instantly turned his words around.
What about the second exam? I dont think this guy will leave before he finishes eating.
The invigtor beside them looked at the two examiner with a helpless face.
He was also hungry, he also wanted to eat something!
Then well start when he finishes.
Senile took the can of soft drink from Leonard as he spoke.
As examiners, you and Mr. Leonard should arrive at the examination hall early...
The invigtor reminded the two examiners.
Weve discovered a very good potential student, we might have to heavily observe him, Senile said in a righteous tone. If it wasnt for the burger sauce at the corner of his mouth, he would undoubtedly have sounded more convincing.
Thats right. Even the principal willpromise for a student with true potential.
A burpter, Leonard raised his soft drink for a toast with his colleague, Senile, who was also holding his own drink.
Pak.
Chapter 1508 - The Kieran Rhythm
Chapter 1508: The Kieran Rhythm
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
When a satisfied Kieran reached the student affairs office on the first floor, the fairly big office was filled with people.
A single nce epassed around a hundred people.
All of them were unfamiliar faces, certainly not the panicked students from this block of the building.
So, there is more than one examination venue?
With this thought lingering in his mind, Kieran slowly walked towards the desk of the teacher in charge of the office.
It was easy to recognize because the top of the desk had a sign that said Student Affairs Office. New Student Receptions.
2567? You arete. This is yours, treat it properly.
A teacher with reading sses passed a ck travel bag to Kieran, taking the sign on the desk and exiting the office.
The door slowly closed.
The student affairs office was filled with many people, yet not a single sound was made. The white lights looking extremely depressing, even more so when the crowd was filled with people looking at Kieran.
In fact, from the moment Kieran stepped into the office, a hundred pairs of eyes were locked on thete neer.
Some were dubious, some curious, some impatient, and a lot more disdainful.
Although time wasnt a criteria in judging the first out of examination, anyone who arrivedte shouldnt get a good result either.
Prejudiced by their first impressions, the little groups that swiftly formed among the crowd did not care about Kieran, believing him unworthy of their time.
Likewise, many others deemed him unworthy of their attention too. So everyone looked at Kieran, but not a single soul came to talk to him.
Kieran didnt care. He checked the ck travel bag. After realizing it was just some daily supplies, he took the bag to an empty corner, threw it on the floor, leaned back on the wall with his hood up, andpletely merged into the shadows.
10 minutester, the door to the student affairs office opened again.
A tall, thin man and a short, buff man entered one after another. Behind them was a bunch of invigtors.
The first two men were no doubt the examiners.
I am Senile.
I am Leonard.
We would now like to announce that the second round of examination will begin right away, both of them said in session.
A second round?
Shouldnt the entrance exam be over?
Why is there a second round?
Questions exploded from the crowd, but the two examiners didnt have the slightest intention of exining. They left the office after they finished, as did the invigtors.
The freshmen looked at each other in confusion. Ultimately, the few small groups among the crowd walked out under their temporary leaders guidance.
Wherever there was a leader, more would join the fray.
Kieran followed, too, at the end of the line.
The group moved forward until they walked out of the building and reached the field.
10 buses were lined up in two rows on the fields.
20 students in one bus. These buses will bring you to your examination venue, said one of the invigtors.
The several little groups eagerly moved on as they chose their buses, some of their acquaintances also joining them.
Since the number of freshmen and buses were not precisely even, many seats in the buses were left empty. Kieran was thest one to move, picking the bus with the fewest number of people in it.
Other than the driver, there were only three students in it: a shy boy, a short-haired girl in a jersey, and a boy with headphones and sses.
When Kieran boarded the bus, the shy boy looked down and shrunk in his seat as if he were a scaredy cat.
The girl in the jersey smiled at Kieran but didnt say anything. The other boy with the headphones and sses ignored Kieran.
Kieran did not care about either of them as he headed straight to thest row and sat down in the mostfortable way possible, waiting patiently.
Simr to how an explosion was used during the first round, Kieran was certain the second round wouldnt be that easy.
Vrroom Vrooom! Kak!
The buses roared to life, and the doors slowly began to close, but just as the doors were about to shut, the drivers jumped out of their buses through the closing doors.
Everyone was stunned by the scene, but before they could react properly, a broadcast came through the loudspeakers in the buses.
Since every single one of you freshmen passed the first round of Theorates entrance exam, you must have gone through the self-introduction part. Well then, our second round will begin shortly. Of course, this second round wasnt stated in your admittance letter like the first round was, but it will decide whether or not you will be epted into Theorate School. As for the first round of the examination, does everyone remember the key you got? There are three types of keys: gold, silver and ck. The different colors represent different abilities in the second round of this exam. Gold provides you with one time immunity, and silver provides you with one time external aid. As for ck? Well, Im sorry to tell you that you being here is already the ck keys biggest use.
Seniles voice was strict and mocking.
All of the freshmen could sense the malicious intent in his words.
Difort started to spread throughout the buses.
Leonards voice came through the loudspeaker and elevated the difort to its peak.
I will tell you what the second round of the exam is about: finding the mole! Each bus has a moledont worry, it isnt a teacher of Theorate in disguise. They are outsiders that ought to infiltrate Theorate, and they are also freshmen. So... we will not be holding back.
When Leonards voice subsided, beeps resounded from the drivers seats.
A b-bomb!
Cries of shock sounded out one after another.
In the bus that Kieran was in, the shy boy felt weak in his seat, the girl in a jersey looked astonished, and the boy with sses even took his headphones out. Kieran was unmoved by the broadcast, waiting for things to unfold.
The bomb is real, dont even try to doubt it. Now, you have three choices. First, forfeit this round, lose your qualifications to enter Theorate, return to your home, and live happily ever after. Second, find the mole in the bus within three hours. Third, wait for the explosion to st you into pieces.
Leonards voice subsided, leaving a slight buzz over the broadcast.
I-I dont want to die! I give up! the shy boy cried out, the first one to speak.
In the other buses, there were many others who made the same decision, but right away, Leonards voice came through the loudspeaker again.
If one of you surrender, the whole bus surrenders.
When Leonards voice echoed throughout the bus, everyone fell into silence. They looked at each other with doubt.
Leonard, dont be so serious, youll scare the freshmen. Everyone, please dont be overly concerned about Leonards serious tone. Things arent as serious as you think. Although Theorate is good... isnt staying alive better? Even though a Proper Meal ss dinner will be prepared for the student who cleared the exam the fastest during the weing dinner,pared to staying alive...
BANG!
Before Seniles ridiculing words could end, they were interrupted by a loud bang.
A distorted bus door flew far away. Kieran grabbed the short-haired girl in a jersey, her face swollen, and ran out of the bus.
Where is the dinner? he asked.
Chapter 1509 - Unlike Previous
Chapter 1509: Unlike Previous
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Quiet!
Everything went quiet!
Whether it was Senile, Leonard, the invigtors who stood in front of Kieran, or the freshmen in the buses, every single one of them widened their eyes at Kieran.
Especially those freshmen in the buses who still had doubts, figuring out the proper uses of the gold and silver keys. They started to doubt their own existence.
What happened?
Didnt the exam just start?
Howe someone passed it so fast?
The girl in his hands is the mole?
Are we even taking the same test?
Questions, doubts and messy thoughts came afloat in the freshmens minds.
Some of the smarter ones even ran to the bus doors, trying to kick them down using brute force.
Bang!
A heavy noiseter, the doors not only didnt even budge, but the students fell backward, holding their feet and crying in pain.
However, this particr move did not serve as a warning to the others. Instead, many of the freshmens eyes shone, and they started to run towards the windows.
The door is sturdy, but the ss window shouldnt be that sturdy, right?
With that thought lingering in their heads, the freshmen started to punch and kick the windows, but at the very next moment, they held their fists and feet in pain, cries resounding in session.
Specially-made bulletproof ss!
The rest of the freshmen gasped and stopped their futile attempts.
They knew that with their strength and no tools, they could never break the ss.
Then, everyone shifted their attention back to Kieran outside the bus.
They looked at him in his ck windcoat and started to wonder how much power he kept underneath, but they were more impressed by Kierans wisdom!
Finding the mole within such a short time was definitely not something amon man could do.
When strength and wisdom converged in a single person, his charms would be overflowing, and a lot of the freshmen started to look at Kieran differently.
They looked nothing like their previous selves when looking at Kieran in the student affairs office.
Humans, animals whose minds were constantly changing.
Senile saw everything and sighed in his heart, but Leonard beside him didnt think about the other freshmen, as he was more concerned about Kierans performance.
The First Seat of this year has been decided this fast?!
With such exmation in his mind, Leonard looked at Senile, and Senile at him. He then took a step forward and asked in a serious tone, How did you realize Joey is the mole?
She is the mole?
When Kieran heard what Leonard said, he pulled the girl in the jersey up to his surprised face to have a good look.
Her face was verymon in his point of view, and he wouldnt remember it even with an extra nce. Kieran threw her beside his feet.
Bang!
The girl in the jersey who was knocked out cold by Kierans p was thrown to the ground. She moaned in pain, but that didnt wake her up.
Kierans p had obviously inflicted quite the damage on her.
What do you mean?
Everyone was shocked by Kierans question, which was an answer. They looked at him in confusion, but on the other hand, Leonard and Senile had figured out what he meant, and both their faces started to twitch.
Didnt the rules say to find the mole within three hours? I am sure that I am not the mole, so... Cant I pass by taking out everyone else? Kieran said calmly.
Quiet! Everyone plummeted into silence again, utterly shocked by Kierans exnation, but... after some thought, it made sense!
If one is sure that he or she isnt the mole, and the mole is hiding in the crowd, then couldnt he or she pass by taking out everyone else?
The thought bloomed in the hearts of those freshmen who assumed their strength was decent.
They started to size up the others around them with a weird gaze.
Right away, the atmosphere in the buses felt strange.
Then why are you carrying Joey out? Senile, unwilling to submit to the answer, asked.
He didnt believe what Kiera just said was his true thoughts, there must be something else! Kieran had to have noticed some details in order to realize that she was the mole!
I pped her, she flew towards the bomb, I grabbed her along the way, thats it. So wheres the dinner?
Kieran exined simply and then asked about the thing... the food he was so concerned about.
Along the way?
Senile widened his eyes further.
Although he didnt want to believe in coincidence, he didnt further linger on the topic.
He knew the special freshman would not tell him the details of how he passed the test.
But...
You think you can get away with that? The bus has hidden cameras!
The weing dinner will be held in the temporary freshmen weing hall, the E5 teaching building. You can wait for the other students to...
No, enjoy the food while its fresh. It shouldnt be waited upon.
Kieran interrupted Seniles words and turned around to the freshmen weing hallthere was a map of Theorate beside the field, which Kieran remembered with a single nce.
Looking at Kierans swift exit, Senile heaved a deep sigh.
We screwed up this time, he said.
Leonard did not reply, as he had ced his attention on the buses, where the other freshmen were engaged in messy fights.
A few secondster, Leonardughed bitterly in a rough voice.
This round of examination is aplete failure.
Unlike the first round, which tested the observation skills and courage of the freshmen, the second round was originally going to test their wits and ability to improvise, but... it failed miserably.
Well, we do have some results though.
Senile walked towards the bus that Kieran came from.
As he stepped on to the bus, Senile saw the unconscious shy boy and the other one with sses and headphones. Both of them were sprawled on the little pathway of the bus like scattered trash, and the sses of the boy with the headphones were shattered into pieces.
Senile, however, did not care about the two freshmen as he took out the hidden camera on the ceiling and yed it eagerly.
Then... Senile was stunned on the spot.
The screen showed Kieran rising all of a sudden and knocking out the shy boy and the boy with sses as fast as a p of thunder. Joey, the girl in a jersey, was pped and sent flying towards the bomb. Kieran grabbed her along the way before he kicked the door open.
Everything happened just as Kieran said.
After reying the same footage a dozen more times, Senile still did not see Kieran observing or judging the situation throughout the process. He really went in rough and rashly!
Seems like weve weed an unusual fe! Leonardughed bitterly.
Hope there wont be some big trouble, Senile said in a muffled voice.
Then...
KABOOM!
A loud explosion entered the two examiners ears. Both of them stood up and turned to the source of the explosion: E5 teaching building!
The weing hall for this years freshmen!
It was also where Kieran had gone to!
Chapter 1510 - Prying Gaze
Chapter 1510: Prying Gaze
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Maye was striding across E block.
He had spent almost 6 months trying to remember every detail about this block that he hated.
Theplicated streets and building structures, without any order, felt like a maze oveid on another maze. Even if you had a map, without a guide, youd be lost.
Fortunately for Maye, he was about to leave soon.
He wanted to leave this cruel school.
He wanted to leave these cold people.
He wanted to leave the humid and freezing environment.
He wanted to leave this ce, but before that, he had to get close to that Proper Meal ss food first.
It was the price he had to pay those greedy bastards before he could truly leave.
Maye wasnt surprised though.
There was no such thing as free food in the world, even more so in this context.
Although his target was the food which was near a Proper Meal ss , what was itpared to the outside world?
With the abilities granted by the Fast Food that matched his nature well, once he was outside, he would triumph over themoners! It was his initial reason foring to his school anyway.
Why not reach the 5th year and graduate?
Had he not witness the casualty rate of 3rd years, Maye would definitely have choosen to stay.
But now?
He made up his mind to leave early.
Hey Maye, here to see the freshmen?
Yeah. Its only once a year you know, we have to seize the opportunity. The others havent arrived?
Nope, you are the earliest.
Great!
All the best.
After greeting the familiar guard, Maye entered E5 teaching building. He finally saw his target on a cart under a ss lid: Little Rainbow Cake.
Little Rainbow Cake wasnt the real Rainbow Cake, it was just an imitation.
Despite the fact that it wasnt the real thing, the cake was emanating a rainbow glow under the ss lid, as if it was a real natural phenomenon.
Maye gulped his saliva to suppress the hunger in his stomach, putting his hand over the ss lid.
A sweet breeze swept across the weing hall.
Maye then vanished out of sight, the cart holding the Little Rainbow Cake shaking slightly, but nothing happened.
Maye then appeared outside the corridor with the real cart in his hand, carefully pushing it out of the building.
The guard outside the hall acted like he couldnt see Maye at all.
A dozen meters away from the hallter, the nervous Maye finally smiled in delight.
Sweet Wind! It was the ability that he got from eating the Fast Food that matched his body. It allowed him to create an utterly real phantasmal illusion in a certain range. Although he had been training his ability for two semesters now, all he achieved was level 2, but it was enough to handle the situation.
Before this, he was afraid that the guard might be able to spot him, but reality told him he was overthinking.
Maye pushed the cart further away from the guard as he maintained Sweet Wind. He hastened his steps because he knew keeping his ability up and running would strain his stamina considerably. He had to reach the optimal location before his stamina reached its limit.
Therefore, when he saw a ck figure appearing at the end of the corridor, Maye didnt dodge.
Since the ck figure had no school badge or uniform on him, based on looks alone, Maye knew the person in ck was a freshman.
Despite the fact that he was quite shocked how fast the freshman had cleared the second exam, Maye didnt think a freshman could cause any trouble to his ns, hed even fooled the guard!
As he pushed the cart past the freshman, the ck figure not even flinching, Maye showed a sneeringugh.
Go, go enjoy your food! Try not to get hasty or youll bite your tongue!
Mayes smile got brighter as though he was thinking about something happy.
His smile did not diminish at all until he reached his destination and met with his receiver.
Seems like everything went well, the receiver said in a muffled voice.
Of course! But why did you pick this ce? It was so hard to locate!
Maye once again voiced his dissatisfaction of E block.
The location was less than 50 meters away in a straight line from the E5 teaching building and yet Maye had to circte around for almost 15 minutes to reach the ce.
If he was lost, he couldnt even find the ce for another few hours.
It was the most suitable ce, said the receiver.
The receiver then walked towards the cart, seeing the rainbow glow underneath the ss lid, his eyes shining in a profound glimmer.
Maye didnt stop him from looking, but when the receiver wanted to remove the lid from the cake, Maye reminded him again.
Dont forget what you promised me, he said.
I did not, my friend, said the receiver with a smiley face.
He then walked up to Maye, whispering to him, You must remember to keep this a secret, no matter what you hear.
As he spoke, the receiver passed a ck cloth to Maye.
Maye frowned a little but eventually put the cloth over his eyes to block his sight.
When the darkness blocked his eyes, Maye felt weak and fell down on the ground unconscious.
The receiver couldnt hold back his coldughter as he looked at Maye, unconcious because of his Numbing Touch.
Idiot! the receiver said.
Every year, the receiver would run into these kinds of people, who had lost their courage and were bewitched by greed and fear.
Somes years had more, some years had less, but regardless of the number, the receiver wasnt unhappy because all these people were his ie. Hed even secure himself a bonus this year.
You asked me why I chose this ce? Like I said, it was the most suitable.
The receiver talked to himself before he walked towards a wooden door. When he pushed it open, a big pot was revealed.
What else is better to destroy a body? the receiverughed.
There is, you just havent thought of it.
A calm voice came from behind the receiver, surprising him. Hed never expected someone to reply to him, so he instinctively raised his hand and tried to grab the person behind him.
The air was instantly filled with the spicy scent of prickly ash, as if it was being fried in hot oil.
However, before his palm could touch Kieran, a footnded on his back.
Krak!
Amid the spine-breaking noise, the receiver was folded in half as he crashed into the opposite wall.
Bang!
A heavy ttertter, the receiver tumbled to the ground without any sign of life.
Kieran walked towards the unconscious Maye, raising his feet over the neck and pressing down slightly; his eyes looked towards a big area of shadow beside him.
He didnt say anything; his gaze wasnt that sharp but it was enough to strike fear into the heart of the person hiding in the shadows.
The person in the shadow wanted to retreat without a second thought, but it was toote.
Fuaaa!
A heavy, ruthless roarter, Devil me engulfed the person in the shadow.
A loud explosion sent the mes tumbling around.
Under the bright light of the mes, the ss lid was tainted red, offsetting the rainbow glow and making it brighter and more vibrant, like a gemstone emanating its beautiful shine.
Chapter 1511 - Recommend
Chapter 1511: Rmend
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
When Senile and Leonard brought the invigtors to the secluded little alley, Kieran was standing there, greeting them with an expressionless face. Beside him was the toppled over cart and shattered ss lid. The Little Rainbow Cake, which was the prize for the first freshman to clear the text, was gone.
What happened? Senile nced over at the spot and had a general idea of what ured.
What is mine was eaten by them, Kieran replied, as if he was stating a fact.
Dont worry. The school will give you an equivalentpensation, the...
Seniles guess was verified as heforted Kieran, then looked at the three bodies... no, the remaining two bodies because one had been burned to cinders.
Out of the three people involved, these two were the ones behind this theft; the one at the wall was the mastermind, and this one here is the pawn. As for thest one, I have no idea. He had good hiding skills and was quite fast. When I was engaged with the mastermind, he robbed my food and ate it as he ran away. So I guess my rage went out of control, Kieran exined.
Although the details were a little altered, it still made perfect sense, at least based on the evidence at the scene, proving his statement.
Leonard walked over and nodded at his colleague subtly.
Leave this to us. 2567, you can return to E5 building for now. Do you need a guide? Senile asked.
Kieran didnt reply, walking away instead. His goal was met and he had no need to stay behind.
He got his hand on another food that had empowered him.
Although it would eventually divide into energy to fuel all five of his Origin Forces by Gluttony and the increase was fairly small, it was much higher than the natural growth of the Origin Forces.
ording to Kierans calction, the increment of a simr food could save him around 6 months game time.
6 months was a fairly long time for a normal person, let alone Kieran, who was used to seizing the seconds.
Therefore, Kieran made his decision without a second thought for the situation back there.
Of course, saving time was just one of the reasons for lying. There was another important point: those people behind this thieving incident.
Aside from Maye, his receiver, and the person in the shadow, Kieran believed there was also an organization behind this.
After he killed Maye and his receiver, their organizations would surely find him sooner orter.
Though, in order to wash away any suspicion, they will note for Kieran so soon, but it will be enough!
As long as they show up, Kieran will find them and scoop them out one by one!
The reason? For more food of course!
Although Kieran couldnte up with more theories on limited information, he believed the two meals he ate, the roast meat and cake, were not something easily essible to the students, otherwise it wouldnt appear as a prize for each round of examination.
These rare resources would surely fall into the grasp of the minority, and in order to be one of them, hard work, time and a little bit of luck were required.
Kieran was not afraid of suffering, neither was he unwilling to work hard, but he was short on time.
Luck? Without [Lucky Card]s effect, Kieran knew how lousy his luck was.
He might live through the semester but in the end, wouldnt get what he sought, so Kieran had started to think sideways.
For example: the organizations hidden under the surface of Theorate.
Would it be dangerous?
Of course, but danger meant opportunity!
A free pie falling from the sky, without having to pay for it?
Kieran knew since he was ten years old that if he had such thoughts in his mind, he would only fall into peoples traps, without getting anything in return.
Kieran didnt stop, his mind working around the newly formed n, putting his best effort into perfecting it.
When he returned to E5 teaching building, two more freshmen were in the weing hall.
One was wearing a clean gray suit, his shoes reflecting the shine of the light and his hair neatlybed backwards. His eyes were sharp, thin eyebrows looking at Kieran curiously as he walked in.
Likewise, the other freshman also glued his gaze to Kieran.
However,pared to the former, the freshman was smeared with blood stains. His arrogant face stood out under the bloody stains, making him look extra ferocious. His gaze was provoking and invasive, as though he would fight Kieran any time.
Kieran didnt care about him though, he went to a corner and sat down.
He was looking forward to the food more than caring about others.
As Standler faced the antisociable and entric Kieran, he couldnt help but sigh, shaking his head.
If it was possible, he really wanted to befriend this powerful and quick-witted schoolmate. After all, his goal was not just to be the best cook but also to run the best restaurant. With these two goals in his mind, he had to seize all avable resources.
But...
After a second nce at Kieran, sitting in the corner and almost merging with the shadow, Standler was smart enough to give up on that thought.
Standler would show his sincerity after a while but Maica could not wait anymore.
He wiped the blood off of his face and walked to Kieran.
He had heard about the First Seat title, not just the honorary name but also the actual benefits.
In order to secure the benefits for himself, he ought to get the title!
All he had to do now was teach this arrogant bastard a lesson and the title would be his.
Maica was very skilled in teaching people a lesson.
Before he came in contact with the real world, his goal had been to be a fighter and hed trained himself in the harshest way.
Now, after he changed his goal, his training didnt go to waste, instead boosting him further.
The fact that he beat down everyone in the bus and was here was the best proof.
Oi, lets fight. Whoever wins gets the First Seat and whoever loses... Are you ignoring me?
Maica was shouting in front of Kieran but halfway through, he realized Kieran wasnt even moving. Maica felt like he was being insulted, shouting louder and raising his hand into a fist.
He was used to solving problems with his fist, but this fist of his didnt evennd before he realized Kieran was looking behind him!
Behind me? There is someone behind me? Impossible! I just came over here, is he toying with me? I knew it, he must be trying to confuse me!
He thought he had seen through Kierans tricks,ughing.
Do you think you can distract me...
Mate, please move aside, youre blocking the way, a kind voice said, interrupting Maica.
The tone sounded very easy-going but when it sounded behind Maica, cold sweat broke out all over his body, making him feel as if he had returned to his younger days in the mountains, when he had faced a hungry wolf with his bare hands for the first time.
If it hadnt been for a timely rescue, he would have ended up a pile of rotten bones and flesh.
This time, however, there wouldnt be any rescue; he was left all alone.
His body trembled violently, falling down on his knees. As he knelt, he felt the pressure on him being lifted, half of that horrifying aura gradually decreasing.
When thest bit of aura vanished from his body, everything returned to normal, as if it were all an illusion. However, Maica knew what had happened. It wasnt the first time he hade across such a person, which was his reason foring to Theorate.
Maica turned around instinctively, thinking he ought to remember the person who made him tremble.
It was a middle-aged man in casual clothing, not very tall and with a kind face. He was smiling and had a pair of sses, the reflection blocking his eyes.
The man looked no different from any other middle-aged man. If it werent for the little scene back there, Maica would have mistaken him as a normal sryman.
But now...
Huh?! Shock?!
Maica, who had been looking at the mans face, noted shock.
He wasnt stupid by all means, quickly realizing what had happened. He turned around to look at Kieran.
Under the shadow, Kierans expression was too dark to see, but the calm in his eyes didnt change at all, remaining just as Maica had seen him earlier.
As if Kieran didnt feel the horrifying aura from the man.
He doesnt change even under that kind of terrifying aura?
No, its not right!! Something did change!
Maica realized something was different as he stared at Kieran, or more precisely, he smelled something different: sulphur.
A faint sulphuric smell appeared, an unrivalled scorching heat also appearing on the man and brewing fiercely.
Then, a loud roar followed!
Buzz!
Ears rang, followed by an illusory figure in the shadow. The figure was tall and huge as it stood up, bright red radiance exploding suddenly.
It was the devil! A monstrosity a few hundred thousand times scarier than a hungry wolf!
Maica passed out on the ground without the slightest resistance.
Kieran didnt care about him at all. The moment he sensed the middle-aged man, he moved all of his attention to the man.
It wasnt because of the mans power but because of the mans goal.
Kieran wasnt so naive to think that he could brush away the examiners with some lousy words and get away with the Little Rainbow Cake!
Senile and Leonard were the first hurdles and the man before him was the second.
What a terrifying aura. Is this your definition of eat?
The middle-aged man eximed as he sensed the sulphuric aura shing by, his seemingly normal eyes showing intense shock.
2567? Dont worry, I dont mean hostility. I am Professor Tyrese of Theorate. You can just call me Professor. I am here because of the little incident back there but now it seems like we were overthinking. You dont have the smell of the Little Rainbow Cake, Tyrese said kindly.
Kieran maintained his cold behavior and even showed a little hostility through his eyes.
This was all just for show though, just like how he used devils aura to cover the foods presence.
Since he was surprised by how sharp Rachels nose wasst time, when Kieran decided to go with this n, he had prepared himself.
A true chef could even pick up the scent of normal food, let alone a special one.
Therefore, he had to use something with a stronger scent to cover the special cakes presence.
Amongst the five Origin Forces, what else was more suitable than the rampant and fierce Devil Force?
Fine, fine. Seems like the test caused some misunderstandings. Dont worry, time will prove what I say. So long, Tyrese smiled and turned away.
Kieran stayed quiet and saw him off, ncing over at Maica, unconscious beside his feet.
He frowned, ufortable with Maica being near his feet, choosing to kick him away.
Kierans precise control of his strength sent the unconscious Maica rolling into the opposite corner.
Regardless of how well he controlled his strength, Maica would never have escaped unharmed.
Standlers eyes were glued to the corner where Maica rolled towards, not even blinking at the sight of Maicas swollen face. He lowered his head as if he hadnt see anything, but in his heart, a great wave had crashed.
He already has abilities that correspond to his body? What food ss did he eat? That power is astonishing! It must be at least a Proper Meal ss food, or is it a Grand Meal ss?
Standler was shocked by the scene that he had just witnessed.
Likewise, Senile and Leonard were also surprised.
He already ate food that corresponds to him? He is really lucky! Senile eximed after he heard what Professor Tyrese said.
And with that kind of power, it might even be a Grand Meal ss! Able to have this ss of food as his initial correspondence, this guy really has a bright future! Leonard also eximed simrly.
Both of them then looked at Tyrese.
What should we do next? Senile asked on behalf of his colleague.
Do what you must do. 2567 has far surpassed the freshmen of his level, so he must be the First Seat of this year. He has potential but his attitude...Rmend him for Student Council, Tyrese said after some thought.
Student Council?!
He is just a first year student, that is against the rules...
Rules? Rules are meant to be broken! I am looking forward to see how 2567 municates with those guys.
Leonards cry of shock was interrupted by Senile.
He couldnt help butugh, as if the thin examiner had thought of something funny.
Chapter 1512 - Library in the Midnight
Chapter 1512: Library in the Midnight
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
When Maica got up, it was already midnight.
The wee dinner for Theorates freshmen had ended a while ago, with only staff left to clean up E5 teaching building.
What happened?
He shook his head, still feeling dizzy after opening his eyes.
But a few secondster, Maica recalled something.
2567! The Devil!
Maica couldnt help but shiver again when the scene reyed in his mind.
He stood up and aimlessly walked outside the hall, but before he reached the exit, a voice made him stop.
Maica! Its great that youve woken up! If you had slept any longer, I was afraid Id have to use some other way to wake you up.
The clean, well-dressed Standler appeared before Maica.
Get away from me, Maica said angrily.
Id really like to but... Im not here for myself, Standler shrugged with a bitter smile.
What do you mean? Maica frowned.
2567 became the First Seat, Standler said.
Em, of course, Maica wasnt surprised, given how powerful Kieran was. It would be odd if he did not acquire the First Seat.
Though Maicas eyes immediately widened when Standler told him more.
Both of us became his aide.
What did you just say?
I said, both of us just became his aide. 2567 requested us himself.
What? How did this happen?
I guess its because of the impression we gave him, or rather, he knew only us among all of the freshmen, Standlers bitter smile got heavier.
Being the First Seats aide wasnt a good thing for Standler, especially since he had already formed a detailed n for his future.
Everyone knew the aides had to spend arge amount of time and energy helping the First Seat manage and supervise the entire student body in the same year as them.
Whenever a student was promoted to the First Seats aide, he or she would say goodbye to any kind of co-curricr activities. Sometimes, the aide would be a scapegoat for bad situations too.
Nevertheless, many normal students longed for the position because it represented authority over all the students, they themselves only serving under one figure.
In order to achieve power and gain positions, people were willing to endure many hardships.
You didnt reject? Macai asked, Standler looking dispirited at the question.
I really wanted to, but I didnt dare. When he looked me in the eyes, I felt like I was a little frog about to be dissected. I felt helpless and scared, Standler said honestly.
It was possible for a student to reject an offer to be the aide of the First Seat but he or she would have to bear the consequences of that rejection.
Obviously, Standler didnt think he could afford the consequences, same for Maica.
From a certain aspect, Maica understood the horror of Kieran better than his new mate. Since that encounter, everytime he closed his eyes, the shadow of the devil roared at him.
Fine. I got it, Maica nodded.
Maican wanted to leave after the long exnation, getting a good rest, or even better, something to eat. Everything would have to wait until after he was well rested.
But before Maica could walk away, Standler smiled bitterly, holding him back.
What is it now?
You didnt think I came here just to tell you all that?
What do you mean?
A bad feeling rose in Maicas heart.
Sir 2567, the new First Seat, has tasked us with registering all the freshmen and distributing the rooms, school uniforms, and other affairs. Everyone is waiting outside, but I cant make the decision myself. You and I have to finish everything tonight, otherwise we will be punished for failing to carry out his orders, Standler exined.
What? How the hell did it get to this? Illin to the Student Council, Maica ranted loudly, knowing a thing or two about Theorate. However, he saw Standler looking at him with an even more helpless expression.
What is it now? Maicas eyelid twitched, the bad feeling striking him again.
Teacher Senile just announced that Sir 2567 will be rmended for Student Council. So if you were to make aint to the student council, chances are that you would be punished instead. Trust me, those on the Council would do it without a second thought.
Maicas jaw dropped, leaving him speechless.
He had been shocked when he found out he was to be the First Seats aide but it was just a sh. Now, he was spooked.
Theorate Student Council!
No one understood what that ce meant more than Maica himself.
In fact, when he first arrived at Theorate, Maica had made it his goal to join the Student Council in his fourth year, even if only as amonmittee member.
Why not set his goal as he entered the school?
He did not have a death wish! The ce was hell!
Maica quivered heavily as thoughts rose in his mind. He then unconsciously thought of the devils image in his mind, rting into more things.
Could it be...
As guesses began to pop up in his mind, he straightened his body and looked at Standler seriously.
Our job is to register all the freshmen and distribute the rooms and uniforms, right?
Lets start. Im very eager to get my hands dirty, Maica said as he walked out of the hall.
Standler wasnt bothered or shocked by Maicas sudden change of attitude.
Theorate Student Council.
A person like Standler would never want to step into that ce. Not only was it a ce of frequent death, sometimes it was worse than death!
A deep breathter, Standler discarded the scary thoughts from his mind and chased after Maica.
It wasnt him that had to go there, so why was he scared?
Was he worried about 2567?
It wasnt something Standler should do, but in his humble point of view, Kieran must have some worries despite not showing them.
...
Tastes good.
The food that Kieran packed from the freshmen weing dinner did not have the effect of increasing his Origin Force but the taste itself was decent.
Kieran leaned back in a chair, shoving a strawberry cake into his mouth with his left hand and holding a memo titled Obligatory Deeds of the First Seat in his right.
It generally listed out the authorities and duties of the First Seat.
Aside from supervising the entire student body in the same year as him and some insignificant duties, the most captivating point was an extra Bento ss food, which would be provided every semester.
Bento ss, eh?
Kieran started to arrange the limited information hed gathered since arriving in the dungeon. He quickly finished his supper, and when thest piece of cake went down his throat, stood up and headed to the library.
Theorates library was open all day but a special pass was required to enter at night.
Of course, Kieran, as the new First Seat, had no need for such a hassle.
A silver badge with a tray icon appeared in his hand.
[Name: Theorate School Badge (First Seat)]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: Magic]
[Attribute: Digest]
[Effect: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: It is not just the proof of the First Seat, its an honor!]
...
[Digiest: Digests food faster]
...
Senile had given it to him after he was officially assigned as the First Seat.
A very Theorate kind of Magic rank item. Kieran didnt reject it; he would not reject any kind of benefit for himself, especially the kind with hidden conveniences.
The most direct one was as long as he had this school badge with him, he would be excused from wearing a uniform and allowed ess to multiple forbidden areas.
Simr to the current scene, the guard on campus saw the badge of the First Seat in Kierans hand and let him through, even bowing politely.
The guard saw Kieran off as he quickly vanished into the dark.
Kieran hasnt left E block though, because each block on Theorates campus had its own library.
As a matter of fact, each block had more than just its own library, teaching building,boratory, and cafeteria. Aside from all the necessary educational facilities, some extra buildings like a mall and pestratrian street were all there; each block was like a mini city within campus.
Kieran walked in the night, his eyes ncing over the dark ces, the shops all closed.
Through his Intuition, these dark ces had more or less a certain presence, but not the dangerous kind. It was actually a defensive barrier!
Despite the guard on night patrol earlier, nighttime at Theorate wasnt as safe and peaceful as it looked, but none of that had anything to do with Kieran currently.
He only wished to be at the library earlier, in order to get the information he sought.
ording to the map in his mind, a turn into the street corner further ahead would bring him to his destination.
Kieran walked faster, but when he turned the corner, he frowned.
Before his eyes was a square, four story building. Other than a main gate, each floor had 25 brightly lit windows, with people hustling inside.
It looked fine at first nce, at most a little eye-catching in the dark E block, but when Kieran moved his line of sight upwards, he saw a pair of eyes!
A pair of squinted eyes! Beneath the eyes was a tall nose and the mouth under it...was the library!
The mouth was the library!
The well-lit, hustling library was the mouth of a gigantic monster in the shadow!
In other words, entering the library meant entering the monsters mouth.
Frowning, Kieran stopped.
Tasting food was a good experience for Kieran but that didnt mean he would enter a monsters mouth as food.
Dak Dak Dak Dak!
Clear, distinct footsteps sounded on the street, a figureing up from behind.
Just as the figure turned the corner, he was frightened by Kieran, who had suddenly appeared in front of him. Shortly after the little scare, the man calm down, as if he had thought of something.
A little frightened? the man asked, pointing at the library.
Kieran nodded.
Trust me, you arent the first and you certainly wont be thest. I was scared by the administrator during my first night too. I almost fell on my bum! But the administrator is much kinder than she looks. If youre lucky, she might even exin or solve your puzzling questions, the manughing when he saw Kierans nod.
You are saying that thing is the administrator? Kieran asked.
More precisely, she is the administrator of E block library. Shes quite different than the administrators in other blocks, but hey, Im not very familiar with the other admins. Wanna tag along?
The man corrected Kieran, inviting him to join him.
Kieran thought for a while and shook his head.
No thank you.
Kieran wanted to leave after the little conversation and the man shrugged.
What a pity, The man said, acting as if he was about to go alone, but when Kieran walked past him, he raised his hand and tried to grab him.
Unbeknownst to him, Kierans palm was already around his neck as he raised his own hand up.
The mans face turned sour.
I think... he wanted to exin but just as the words formed, he was thrown towards the library like a javelin piercing the sky.
Crank!
The library gate was smashed, followed by the outer walls, the windows and the lights. The whole scene looked like a mirror smashed by a pebble.
Lines of concentrated sharp fangs were revealed behind the mirror.
Karack!
Amid the soft crunching, the man who was thrown inside was grinded into meat paste.
The monster, which had been waiting for a whole night, finally got something in its mouth. It grunted in satisfaction and wanted to leave.
It knew eating a person who identally fell into its trap was forgivable and no trouble woulde, but if it went after Kieran after it spotted him, trouble would follow.
However, just as it was about to turn away, it suddenly heard a series of saliva gulping.
The noise sounded like the terrifying existence that lived only in its memory.
It shook its big head and discarded theughable thought out of its mind.
How could the terrifying bastard be in Theorate, I must be... Aaaaaaaa! Get off me! Get off me! It hurts!
Chapter 1513 - Position
Chapter 1513: Position
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Slurp, Slurp.
Gluttony got a hold of the monster with his bite, not caring how hard the monster struggled or how loud it wailed, sucking as hard as it could in the shadows.
The huge monster was shrinking at an exponential speed.
Half a minuteter, when the monster had shrunk down to the size of a cow, Gluttony widened his mouth and devoured the monster with a big chomp, its skin and bones vanishing together.
The huge monster became a snack for Gluttony.
Although Gluttony had eaten more than one delicious meal throughout the day, extra food was always wee.
Therefore, when he sensed there were simr suppers in the area, he expressed his desire to eat more to Kieran.
Its not time yet, Kieran shook his head.
He knew his priority was to acquire information regarding this dungeon world.
Capturing monsters would have toeter.
Gluttony vanished in the darkness after grunting like a hungry pup, while Kieran savoured the changes to his Origin Force.
Compared to eating real food, this kind of monster hunting provided him with much less of an increase, almost too insignificant to count.
Kieran became more curious than ever.
He walked towards the library while pondering upon the topic.
After the monster was eaten, the real library was revealed, less than 30 meters away from the monsters mouth.
At the entrance, there was a guard. Unlike others, his face was cold as he watched Kieraning closer.
Kieran nced at the guard.
Above rank I, but below rank II.
Advance Rank Intuition allowed him to clearly grasp how strong the guard was.
Given the guards strength, he could have easily taken on the monster, and yet he didnt, which meant...
Some rules that I dont know of? Kieran wondered.
Kieran then showed the [Theorate School Badge (First Seat)] to the guard.
The guard nodded without any change in expression.
Kak!
The door of the library opened into a seam, allowing only one person to go through; Kieran stepped in.
The lighting inside was warm and tender, the environment quiet, study tables ced on both sides along the center path. Countless book racks were lined up further away; someone with weak sight would think the library was endless.
Kieran stood at the entrance, carefully checking the directory of the first floor in front of him.
The whole floor was divided into 4 sections, with north, east, south, and west as indicators.
East Section: History, Geography, Culture
South Section: Meat
West Section: ntation
North Section: Cooking Utensils
...
A very Theorate style of categorization, although there werent any recipe books, as Kieran had imagined, so they must be on the other floors.
Kieran wasnt surprised.
Based on what he had experienced earlier, cooking recipes, which weremon items in other dungeon worlds, were treated as rare resources in this one,mon people unable;e to even get their hands on them. Kieran had very little interest in a recipe at the moment, so he went to the East Section.
Book after book was ced on the study table and Kieran began to read.
Kieran was so focused on his reading that he forgot about the passing of time. He finally came back to his senses when the day was bright and many more students filled the library.
Kieran frowned a little with the increasing students.
Everyone has their own habits, or even fetishes. Kieran was no exception, preferring to read without many people around him.
He wouldnt mind an empty public venue but now?
Kieran stood up, returning the books to their original ce in an orderly fashion. He kept three books that he hasnt finished with him and headed towards the entrance, where the counter with the directory was.
At night, there wasnt anyone on duty at the counter, but now, there were three library personnel there.
An administration staff and two students, all of them women..
The three of them smiled when they saw Kierane over.
Anyone who borrowed books to read in the morning must be a hard working one and such a person would surely win fondness.
Please show your school badge.
One of the female students walked over and asked in a soft tone. When she saw the First Seat badge in Kierans hand, she was shocked, before her tone became respectful.
Sir First Seat, you have the authority to borrow any book on the first floor for free but no more than 10 books at once. You have to return all the books by the end of the semester and if you fail to do so, your academic marks for next semester will be deduced based on the value of the book, she exined, disying the receipt.
Mm, Kieran slid the receipt into the first book that he borrowed before he walked out.
The female student who helped Kieran process his books looked at him from the back with a nk stare..
Whats wrong? the other female student noticed her colleagues unusual look and asked.
That is the First Seat, the slightly nk student answered.
The round table counter wasnt that big but by no means was it small. Other than the female student who had processed Kierans books, no one else had heard the little conversation between them because it was so soft, and as a result, no one saw the First Seat badge that Kieran disyed.
What?!
The second female student raised her voice uncontrobly but she quickly reacted to the situation and looked around in with an embarrassed and awkward look.
She then whispered softly First Seat? That guy just now was the First Seat?! But we shouldve known all... is he the rumoured one?
Yes. He should be the rumoured one, the fastest one to achieve First Seat in history and rmended into the Student Council! the first female student nodded, showing astonishment on her face.
Never underestimate how fast a rumour could spread.
What happened yesterday had spread throughout the entire campus, not just because of how fast Kieran had cleared the exams but also because of Leanna, Marick, and Joey.
Both Leanna and Marick were the best among the third year, each of their hunt amazing and their academic points far exceeding the other students.
Joey was also quite well-known in the second year and although she had failed topete for the First Seat, her strength was not to be underestimated.
Nevertheless, all three of the aforementioned students had failed at the hands of the rumoured First Seat, in a very ugly way too. The rumours exined Leannas broken nose and Joeys fallen teeth, raising curiosity.
A beautifuldy would always get an advantage, regardless of the ce.
Gasp!
He is that scary guy? But he doesnt seem as ferocious as rumoured? He is cold but quite energetic.
The second female student gasped and looked at the entrance of the library.
A lot of the rumours were fake, but... it is also true that Leanna and Joey were hurt. His days ahead might not be as smooth.
The first female student thought of something and sighed softly. Her colleague knew what she was referring to, hence a second sigh.
Both of them had no time to care about others as the people entering the library increased, busy exchanging their academic points.
Kieran, who had returned to the student dorm, continued reading his books.
After he finished, he heaved a long breath of relief.
After all the tedious reading, he had a general idea about this dungeon world.
This dungeon world had also been through dark days like very, industrial and agricultural revolution, and war. The only thing that differed from Kierans usual knowledge was the industrial revolution age.
When the revolution happened, a special domain named Mystic State had started to appear in the west.
After the appearance of Mystic State, the countries in the west started to search for it but all of them suffered a heavy loss!
The most advanced weaponry and the most powerful military of the time couldnt inflict any damage on the monsters inside Mystic State.
The other worrisome thing was that some monsters from Mystic State had started to invade the real world.
Formoners, a catastrophic war had begun.
At first, the monsters had an absolute advantage. Fierce fighting broke out between the monsters and the western countries and as the fight went on, the monsters started to expand their conquest over the sea; the monsters headed east.
It was then that the monsters other usage was discovered: they were treated as food.
Back in the days, the eastern countries were very mysterious to the westerns, showing off their mystical side. The easterners appeared on western battlefields with all sorts of weird weapons. Known as chefs and armed with mystical powers, they hunted and cooked the monsters.
The monsters that wreaked havoc in the west started to die off,reaching extinction exponentially.
The chefs then invaded the Mystic State and ate everything inside.
Fortunately for the easterners, after the first Mystic State was cleaned up, more and more appeared, but none appeared in the east.
The chefs who fought the monsters had to prolong their stay it the west, causing their families to move too.
As they hunted in the Mystic State, they lived and prospered in the west.
The strong would always have followers, which remained true for the chefs.
Countless vagrants and soldiers whose families had suffered a devastating blow from the monsters quickly gathered around these chefs and became their followers.
Whenever there are benefits, there is also conflict.
The same thing happened with the chefs.
As time flew, the Mystic State started to dry off and when they were at an all time low, a new war broke out.
During this war for the Mystic State, in order to handle many more situations and enemies, the followers soon acquired the teachings of the chefs.
The teachings were then passed down from generation to generation, going through countless corrections andptions before they formed the various sects of today; Theorate was the biggest aggregate of sects among all.
Theorate didnt just train multiple chefs, who were considered the best in recent times, they even categorized the food sses.
From the lowest Fast Food to the medium Bento and Proper Meal toGrand Meal, everything was categorized clearly.
Fast Food, Bento, Proper Meal and Grand Meal? Kieran muttered the sses of food softly, saliva automatically filling his mouth as he thought about it.
Kieran knew what he had read was open to the public, which meant some truly secretive information would not be inside, but it was enough for Kieran at the moment.
He didnt need much in-depth understanding of the secretive information, all he needed was a general idea about the world so that he could map out his uing n.
For example, the n he currently had in mind was changing the Bento ss food which was approaching a Proper Meal ss to a real Proper Meal ss.
Of course, it wasnt easy by any means. Even if he traded in the extra Bento ss food provided to him this semester, he was still quite far away.
A Proper Meal ss food could easily trade for three high quality Bento ss, if Kieran went by the books.
Most of the time, people wouldnt trade a Proper Meal ss for lower grades, unless something happened or they had to increase their bargaining chips.
Kieran couldnt predict the future, he didnt know what kind of things would happen to a person who possessed a Proper Meal ss food, but he could indeed raise his bargaining chips.
He closed the book, ced it on the table and walked out of his room.
The book that he had been reading mentioned that in Theorate, other than the First Seat getting an extra Bento ss meal every semester, the members of Student Council also shared simr benefits.
On top of that, the higher the position in the Student Council, the greater the benefits.
At first Kieran wasnt really concerned about being rmended into the Student Council, but now?
He was determined to get it!
...
E Block Student Council Branch.
Wearing a white shirt and long, ck blouse, with her short hair over her ears, Gutti was sitting in the branch leader office. Her beautiful brows were furrowed together.
Pak!
A secondter, Gutti mmed the rmendation letter on her desk.
What kind of joke is this?! How can they rmend a freshman to join the Student Council?! Do the teachers know what the Student Council is for?
Angered, Gutti looked at her secretary, who had delivered the letter.
Sheil, who was wearing the same white shirt and ck blouse, with short hair over her ears and sses over her eyes, was being questioned by Gutti.
She was frightened by Guttis anger, moving backwards before saying in a weak tone This was sent here by Teacher Senile and has Professor Tyrese signature.
I KNOW! I AM ASKING WHY DOES IT HAVE THE SIGNATURE! Gutti exploded.
I-I dont know, Shs voice got softer.
You...
Gutti was very angry as she looked at her secretary, wanting to scold her further, but when the first word escaped her mouth, a dense sulphuric smell filled her nose, followed by a chaotic and rampant aura that descended from the sky.
Sh the secretary fainted within a breath.
Gutti did not but she was immobilized, holding on with clenched teeth.
Tssss!
The door to her office opened.
A ck figure walked in and headed straight for Gutti.
While Gutti was trying to see who the ck figure was with her panicked eyes, she was grabbed by the figure was thrown towards the carpet.
The ck figure then sat on her chair, looked at her, and said in a stern tone, I am taking the Branch leader spot.
Chapter 1514 - Life Needs Courage
Chapter 1514: Life Needs Courage
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
WHAT?!
Gutti was shocked. She looked up from the carpet at the person who had a rather familiar face. Stunned, a name escaped her mouth.
2567! You are 2567! Gutti said with astonished eyes at the desk.
On top of her desk was Kierans rmendation letter, and it described him in detail. Gutti read through the contents very seriously, and the conclusion she came up with after she finished was: extremelymon.
Thus she was enraged.
Despite the letter having Professor Tyrese signature, she thought it was another prank by that unreliable Senile.
Everyone knew Professor Tyrese was a very kind and warm person. Even if he was deceived, a simple apology would suffice. Therefore, from Guttis point of view, she thought it was Senile who lied to Professor Tyrese and cheated him for his signature.
But now...
Gutti tried to stand up as she gazed at Kieran in the chair, but she felt as if a mountain was pressed down on her, pinning her to the floor.
Keeping her conscious up was already the best she could do.
As for more? It wasnt possible for her, simr to how she couldnt retain the position of Branch Leader.
Theorate Student Council was different from the student councils of other schools. Other than the members being required to possess a certain power level, there was something called the challenge system.
Allmon members of the student council had the right to challenge their respective group leader, team leader or even branch leader. As long as the member seeded in challenge the said person, the position would be theirs.
However, should the challenge fail, the consequences would be miserable: the challenger would be the ve of the challenged and must serve him or her for the entire semester.
The challenged could be challenged twice per semester; the duration of the challenge could range from four to six weeks.
Of course, it was possible to be challenged more than twice or to shorten the duration of challenge; Theorate would not interfere.
It was just the start of the semester, and Gutti, who could be challenged twice, could not reject Kieran, who was already a member of the Student Council.
Even though she could try to squeeze her way through wordy, the uing oue would not have much change.
Moreover, the proud Gutti would never try to do such a thing, and she didnt think the man before her eyes could be fooled by mere words.
I understand. The branch leader position is your, said Gutti.
As the painful words escaped her mouth, the mountain-like pressure disappeared from her body.
Huuaa!
Without the immense pressure, Gutti finally heaved a breath of relief and looked at Kierans calm face again.
Kieran was much more powerful than she expected.
His ability to release and keep his aura far surpassedmon teachers, and he might even be on par with an Elite Teacher or even a Professor.
Therefore, Gutti was convinced. His ridiculous strength overshadowed the fact that he was still a freshman.
This is why Professor Tyrese signed the letter?
With those thoughts in her head, Gutti shifted her gaze and stood up. She helped the unconscious Sh up and readied to leave.
Wait. Kieran suddenly spoke.
Is there anything else? Gutti turned around.
You havent gotten your Bento for this semester, right? Kieran asked.
He didnt try to hide his intention of seizing the position of Branch Leader. It was not possible for him to do so and unnecessary anyway.
He didnt break any rules by challenging Gutti. Everything was permitted, and no one could wrong him for that.
From a certain perspective, Kieran hoped that more students would know about the challenge for the sake of his uing n.
Not yet. You can take mine whenever you want.
Gutti shook her head. She then turned around and tried to leave with the unconscious Sh. She did not care what Kieran was going to do, nor did she feel heartache about her Bento falling in his hands.
Since she was weaker than Kieran, she epted the gap in strength wholeheartedly. Shed rather strengthen herself to new heights andter return to challenge him.
Get up from where you fall down.
It was the ideal Gutti lived by.
Wait. Kieran spoke again.
Gutti once again turned around and looked at him.
Both of you stay back and finish your job, he said.
A weak smile appeared on Guttis face when Kieran said that. She thought it was Kierans way of expressing his kindness, but Gutti would reject it.
Despite losing the challenge, she was still permitted to stay in the council, but Gutti couldnt ept this kind of mercy. She wanted to return in a more righteous way.
Stay? Thank you for your kindness, but I...
Gutti wanted to rejected it with kind words but was interrupted by Kieran right away.
I am not asking, its an order. She and you are still members of the council, and I need both of you to deal with the daily work on my behalf, just as youve been doing all this time.
Kieran had seized the Branch Leader position for the extra Bento ss food every semester, not to deal with this trivial stuff.
Therefore, after he gave his order, Kieran stood up and walked out.
Gutti still stood on the spot with the unconscious Sh, looking at Kieran with a dull gaze.
If Gutti still didnt understand Kierans intention by now, she would be an idiot.
Rage rose from within her heart uncontrobly, but it soon faded away.
Just as Kieran said, she and Sh were still members of the council, and to leave the council, the signature of the Branch Leader was required.
It was obvious that Kieran would not authorize her leave.
D-Damn it.
The word squeezed itself out of Guttis mouth.
Although she wanted to curse more harshly, her background prevented her from those vulgarities.
However, the intention of surpassing Kieran and regaining the Branch Leader position grew stronger.
Kierans sharp senses picked up the changes in Gutti behind him. He didnt care.
Or rather, what he cared more about was the indignant crowd before him.
The ce he was in was the branch of E Block Student Council. It has an independant office building, and those who were allowed ess were all members of the Student Council.
Normal students were forbidden from essing the building.
And now, all the members of the Student Council looked at him with resentful gazes.
If a gaze could kill, Kieran would have been sliced into a million pieces.
Kieran knew what caused the members to look at him like this.
A beautiful girl would always win favour from the boys.
It wasnt just the pursuit of beauty but also the secretion of hormones.
This rule hadnt changed in Theorate, and coincidentally, Gutti was quite beautiful.
With the addition of her identity as Branch Leader, she was exceptionally charming to the members under hermand.
Likewise, these members were very attractive to Kieran too because every one of them represented a Fast Food to him.
Perhaps the food of a Fast Food ss had a little distance from a Bento ss. Quantity incites qualitative change.
Therefore, Kieran said, Ive just forced Gutti into doing something she didnt like, and you people here did nothing but stare at me angrily... You all dont even have the courage to challenge me?
Chapter 1515 - Lets Work Together
Chapter 1515: Lets Work Together
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
One Bento ss nearing a Proper Meal ss, two normal Bento ss, and seven more Fast Food. I want to exchange all of this for a real Proper Meal.
Inside the Cat Cafe of E Block, Kieran was speaking to Oliford.
Unlike the attire he wore yesterday, Oliford wore a ck formal wear with a red handkerchief in his chest pocket. His hair wasbed back neatly, revealing a high forehead and nted brows that extended to his hairline. His gray eyes, which would leave an impression in peoples minds, currently showed shock.
The rumours are real...
Oliford didnt hide his shock.
He looked at the newly crowned First Seat of the freshman.
Although Kierans performance during the exam was amazing, Oliford did not expect Kieran to do something this astonishing within a day: Kieran swept the Student Council in E block clean single-handedly.
Although Oliford wasnt informed of the details, he had quite the understanding of Guttis strength. Adding up her decent background and hard-working, serious character, Gutti was able to be Branch Leader of E block in her third year.
A woman like her would not pretend or act; therefore, the freshman before Olifords eyes must have challenged Gutti and won.
Given the circumstances and the strength Kieran had disyed, Oliford obviously couldnt treat him like how he did yesterday anymore.
Let me reintroduce myself, Oliford Ryde. He stood up and extended his right hand.
2567, Kieran shook the hand and replied.
Do you want anything to drink? The coffee here is quite famous, my treat of course, Oliford said with a smile.
Lemon water please. Kieran didnt go with the coffee but his own preferred drink.
Very well, a lemon water and a ck coffee please.
Oliford ced his order with the waiter.
After the waiter served the beverages and left politely, Oliford continued. You said you want to exchange for a Proper Meal ss food? Alright, Ill contact the family and tell them to bring one over here as soon as possible; however, Im afraid it might take at least a week or so.
Sure.
Kieran was very satisfied with the answer since he had a general idea of how rare a Proper Meal ss food was.
In fact, in Kierans original estimation, the time would be around two to three weeks, and now it had been shortened to one week, meaning Oliford was much more capable than he expected.
A capable coborator was worth being happy over, but he must also be reliable.
Obviously, Oliford also thought the same way about Kieran. After Kierans nod, Oliford waved at his family attendant further away.
An agreement was then presented before Kieran.
This is a agreement from Theorate. You can check its validity through the serial number here.
Oliford pointed to the line of codes at the upper left corner of the agreement.
Hold on, said Kieran as he took out [Theorate School Badge].
After the little challenge, the silver badge had a line of gold added to its lower part, representing the identity of a Branch Leader; the attribute also changed.
[Name: Theorate School Badge (First Seat, Branch Leader)]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: Magic]
[Attribute: 1. Digest; 2. Appraise]
[Effect: None]
[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: It is not just proof of the First Seat and Branch Leader, but its also an honor! With it, you can enter some forbidden areas in the school that are off-limits to normal students.]
...
[Digiest: Digest food faster]
[Appraise: You can use it to appraise any kind of agreement from Theorate; you can use it to appraise amon students documents.]
...
[Theorate School Badge] automatically changed when Kieran truly took over E block.
For amon person, it may be magical or even astonishing, but for Kieran with his good old Pro level [Mystical Knowledge], it was just slightly surprising to him.
He knew a lot of ways to change the badges attributes, but what truly surprised him was that Theorate branded its logo on every single school badge.
It made Kieran curious and surprised about the inner secrets of this dungeon world while at the same time filling him with anticipation.
He really wanted to know how far this dungeon world could go.
While he was pondering about all this, he did not neglect the things at hand.
When [Theorate School Badge] got close to the agreement, a blue glow shone on it, meaning the paper was verified.
Kieran carefully read the contents of the paper before he signed his own name. Oliford also signed his beside Kieran.
Happy working together.
After both of them received the same signed copy of the agreement, Oliford raised his coffee to Kieran. A sipter, Oliford said, What are you nning to do next? With your strength, I dont think you will follow procedures like other freshmen.
Olifords words had an ulterior meaning to them.
Strengthen the basic meaning before I go higher. I dont mind learning more.
It wasnt a lie to brush Oliford off, but the heartfelt words in Kierans heart.
Kieran was filled with burning curiosity about this food-filled world, so what else was better for curing his curiosity than learning?
However, Oliford seemed to have mistaken his meaning.
Are you worried about those shady fes? Dont worry, after news of what you did here at E Block is spread, they will be a little more honest. Those little tricks yesterday wont appear anymore, said Oliford.
The school didnt do anything about the monster at the library?
Kieran didnt exin, as though he acknowledged what Oliford said.
Since you chose to enter the library at night, you have to bear a little risk, or should I say... a test. E Block is the mildest, the other blocks are much fiercer.
Please excuse me.
Just when Oliford was trying to talk further, the attendant rushed in. Oliford then apologized to Kieran before following the attendant out of the cafe. A few minutester, Oliford strode in, and his face showed a little anxiety.
I am so sorry, 2567. I really wanted to talk with you longer, but something happened to my researchb and I have to go back right away. You should know how to contact me, Oliford said in an apologetic tone.
Mm. Kieran nodded and saw him away after he paid the bill.
With the agreement with him, Kieran wasnt afraid of any idents.
Kieran finished his lemon water before he stood up and left.
Although he had passed the majority of the duties of the First Seat to Standler and Maica, it didnt mean he could bepletely absent.
He had to show himself during necessary times like the ss distribution of freshmen in the afternoon.
Of course, before that, he had something to settle first.
Would those shady fes give up after the news spread?
Maybe, maybe not, but...
They would not survive today!
Chapter 1516 - Replace
Chapter 1516: Rece
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
E Block, a certain activity room.
Simr to many other activity rooms, this one had no sign and the school did not recognize the activities either. It was just a ce for students with the same hobby to gather.
However,pared to other merry and cheerful environments, this particr activity room was extremely depressing.
I told you not to act recklessly!
Amid the depressing atmosphere, a tall man whose body was to buff that his shirt couldnt conceal his muscles shouted loudly and angrily. Several veins popped up on his forehead as if they grew from it as he vented his anger.
Im sorry, Lude.
We were just trying to avenge Cosco.
Two male students that were out of their uniforms and wearing the same casual clothes as Lude answered.
Unlike the intimidating, pressuring Lude, the two boys werent just weak in terms of standings, but their looks were also normal, to the point that they would be easily forgotten in a crowd.
Avenge him? But did you seed? No! Instead, you sent in another guy! Ludes angry voice grew fiercer.
Lude didnt mind taking revenge, but aside from the failure, Lude couldnt ept that they lost another man.
His small group had only five in total.
Other than the two boys before him, who were tasked with spreading rumours, the remaining members were irreceable.
Whether it was Cosco, the one who always met with the dispirited students who wished to leave the school, or Bernard, who was responsible for intel collecting, every one of them were handpicked by Lude.
Coscos ability to change his looks at will and Bernards position and cunning as a fox personality, both were the deciding factors in Ludes n. Now, when his true n was only beginning, he suffered such a heavy blow. How could Lude not be angry about it?
Why Cosco and Bernard? Why not you two useless pieces of trash?
Killing intents brew amid his rage.
He stared at the two useless men before his eyes and really wanted to kill them both to vent his anger, but he held himself back.
He had lost two capable men already. Should he kill the two before him, he would be a leader without followers. It was something that he couldnt ept since he handed most of the matters to his men to handle.
Moreover, the two boys before his eyes had a bigger use. Lude took a deep breath.
Ill let you both off this time, but remember, its only this time! Lude said.
The two boys were relieved at being spared. Lude was also very satisfied when he saw the reverence that lingered on the boys faces.
Although both of them were almost useless,pared to Cosco and Bernard, these two were easier to control.
Now we need toy low for a while. Not just because of 2567, but also the other enemy in the dark. I need you two to search for more news in the dark. What you need to do is all written here. Lude then threw a paper ball to them.
Understood, Lude.
Both of them opened the paper ball to have a look before they went out the activity room.
Lude stood behind the ss window to make sure both of them left safely. After he double-checked the ce and made sure there werent any enemies, which he worried about, Lude heaved a breath of relief.
You people think you can rest easy by hiding in the dark? If the school has their eyes on me, you people will not escape either!
Lude wasnt an idiot; after the incident yesterday, he knew what woulde for him.
Or more precisely, he knew who was his biggest enemy.
It wasnt the First Seat 2567, nor was it the enemy in the dark, but Theorate itself.
As a student in his senior year and part of a professors researchb, Lude knew how scary the school could be, therefore he needed to divert attention.
Bite on the bait that I throw out! Bite it, take the bait! Then Ill have more ns toe!
He had been nning for over two years now, yet before it even started, it was facing failure, which no one would be happy about, even Lude.
Hed try his best to recover as much as possible, hence he had to set up more things underneath his sleeve.
Lude then strode back to Derton Lab. After he greeted the two students on duty, he changed into hisb robe and entered the core.
Behindyers of ss and enveloped by mystical rune talisman charms, a golden chicken drumstick emanated an alluring scent.
Lude couldnt help but swallow his saliva when he saw the drumstick.
This was his goal! It was also what Derton Lab had been researching: a Proper Meal ss food!
Lude was rather reserved in Professor Dertons research about using existing food to figure out the recipe behind it. He didnt think the research would bear fruit because if it was workable, Theorate and the other schools had no reason to continue.
Those so-called secrets would no longer be secrets, but it didnt stop his n!
Whenever Lude thought about the potential benefits after he ate the Proper Meal ss drumstick, his excitement would overflow, thus making many mistakes in his experiments and having to give excuses like falling sick to brush off the people around him.
Just you wait! You will be mine very soon!
As he left theb, Lude turned around for one more nce at the Proper Meal ss drumstick.
Then... his n seeded!
As if he gained help from the heavens, the enemy in the dark had taken the bait and the school was distracted by them, thus giving him precious time.
The only unexpected thing was the new First Seat 2567. The First Seat seemed to have noticed something and was currently on his tail.
It forced Lude to search for a chance to deliver the killing blow. The First Seat had disyed strength far surpassingmon freshman, but to Lude, whose graduation was impending, it wasnt enough.
Whether it be in terms of true strength or battle experience, they were too far apart. Lude would eventually emerge as the final victor!
He grabbed the drumstick and opened his mouth for a bite of that golden, crispy, delicious treasure.
Kak!
His upper teeth collided with his lower teeth and produced a clear clunk followed by a numbing pain that woke him from his dizzy mind. Not only did he not taste the delicious drumstick, but a weirdugh echoed in his ears instead.
Hehehehe, quite a n you have there. Its just that you took it for granted.
Lude came back to his senses as the voice entered his ear.
He realized he was still standing behind the window in the activity room and had never left.
An illusion! Sweet Wind! How could a freshman like you possess the Eat Technique?!
Lude shouted out his inconceivable thoughts as he widened his eyes at Kieran.
Then, something even more inconceivable happened: Kieran turned into him!
The same face made Lude think that he was looking into a mirror.
Lude felt numb in his scalp and shouted, YOU...
Bang!
Before he could form a sentence, his head exploded.
Bloody Mary, the newly empowered Superior Demon, dodged the stter of blood and brains.
Although you took it for granted, it did have a chance to seed, you know, Bloody Mary muttered.
Chapter 1517 - Class Distribution
Chapter 1517: ss Distribution
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
E Block, 1st floor of the teaching building.
Unlike E5, which was used as a temporary weing hall for freshmen, E1 was much bigger, able to fit almost 3,000 people at once in its hall.
Despite the spacious venue, E1 floor was quite crowded at the moment.
Kieran couldnt help but raise his brow at the crowd.
He saw more students today than the weing dinner, which had less than one tenth of the current number.
A lot of them are transient students. They didnt take the entrance exam, but were able to fork out arge sum to sponsor the school. Theyre allowed to stay and receive teachings but they wont get the same rights as normal students.
Standler walked over and exined, spotting Kierans questionable gaze.
Kieran nodded in realization, not caring anymore.
The school in the Union back in real life had a simr system, but Theorate upheld it in a harsher way.
Or rather, the food that matched ones body had value farrger than he had expected.
Sir 2567, your first speech is beginning soon, this is your script, Standler handed over a pile of papers.
Kieran simply flipped over the script, which had almost 10 pages with many words written on it. Kieran frowned hard.
He knew he had to give a speech as First Seat during the ss distribution but not this long.
Please follow the script ordingly. This is the most powerful speech that Ive gathered. It umtes all the speeches from previous First Seats and as long as you read ordingly...
Is it mandatory for the First Seat to read a speech? Kieran interrupted Standler and asked.
No, but...
Okay then, Kieran waved his hand and stopped Standler again, walking up to the little stage. It was actually a round, wooden tform rather than a proper stage for a speech.
Around a meter wide and sufficient for a person to stand on it.
Kieran jumped onto the wooden stage and grabbed the mic from Maica, who had been waiting for his entrance.
Good afternoon everyone.
The moment Kieran jumped on the stage, he had already attracted the attention of the crowd and when he spoke through the mic, every single pair of eyes was on him.
All the freshmen were very curious about the legendary First Seat but soon, their curiosity was reced by astonishment.
The ss distribution begins now.
After that, Kieran passed the mic back to Maica and jumped off the stage.
The crowd was bbergasted.
Thats it? Thats the speech?
Shouldnt there be a generous, motivating speech?
What is going on?
The crowd looked at each other in utter shock.
But soon enough, distinct cheers erupted from the crowd, followed by thunderous apuse.
Independent characters were everywhere at any time, especially in a school where some of the protected students neglected the rules, ignored peoples gazes, and did that they thought correct.
The same thing was happening right now. They thought Kieran did good, so cheers and ps followed.
A few of them started the cheers and ps and many others in the crowd joined their ranks.
Teenagers were always easily influenced.
The ps swiftly spread outside the hall and the teachers, who were paying attention to the ss distribution session, felt a bit surprised before it turned into bitterughter.
Such heavy apuse in his first speech... 2567 is much more capable than we imagined. eh? Senile asked his colleague.
Mmm. Ommm. Mm, Leonard replied in a muffled voice because he had a cream puff in his mouth. Senile looked at his colleague with a judgemental gaze full of dissatisfaction.
Noticing his colleagues dissatisfied gaze, Leonard shoved the bag of cream puffs into Seniles hand. Senile grabbed two and stuffed them into his mouth without the least bit of courtesy.
Not bad. The cream tastes good, Senilemented honestly.
The oven needs to be modified, the tenacity isnt there, Leonard added.
While the two teachers were discussing the cream puffs, Standler ran over.
Whats wrong Standler? Senile asked.
Standler wasnt a stranger to Senile because for the past 2 days, he had been dealing with the freshman, who was working on behalf of 2567, despite it all being 2567s duty.
Sir 2567s speech has ended, Standler hesitated for a second before telling the truth.
What did you say?
Senile and Leonard were both stunned.
The speech is over, so both Teacher Senile and Teacher Leonard are requested to instruct the ss distribution, Standler mustered up enough courage to deliver the message to the two dumbstruck teachers.
When he was interrupted by Kieran earlier, Standler had a feeling that this would proceed badly but never did he think it would turn out this bad.
The estimated 30 minute speech was shortened to a mere 10 seconds and itpletely disrupted the ss distribution procedure.
What was worse was tht Standler was held responsible for the messed up ss distribution ceremony. Any mistakes he made here would be reflected in his academic scores!
It was just the start of the first semester and Standler was already risking a deduction in his academic score. He felt terrible. If he had a chance to redo this, he would choose to enter E5 teaching buildingst and never appear before Kieran.
Interesting fe!
While Standler dealing with his anxiety, Senile smiled and tapped his colleagues shoulder, Lets go, its our turn to perform.
Leonard opened his mouth slightly but no words formed. He walked into the hall with Senile.
Standler followed the two teachers closely.
When the three of them returned to the hall of the teaching building, the distribution of books was near its end.
Basic categorization of meat.
Basic usage of spices.
Basic agriculture and ntation methods.
Basic knife skills and control of fire.
Maintaining cooking utensils.
...
Book after book, almost twenty books were neatly ced beside Kieran. He skimmed through all of them briefly before turning to Senile and Leonard.
The two teachers were holding test tubes and syringes to start the most important part of ss distribution: the blood test.
Or more precisely: talent test!
As time passed, methods for testing talent had evolved from crude and simple to meticulous and systematic analyzation. A hundred years had gone by since modern methods were introduced and Theorate was the eminent school in this particr field.
The schoolsrge research system would not just determine what kind of food a student liked based on the blood type, it could even cook basic food that matched well with a students talent.
The ss distribution was the most basic of procedures but not absolute.
There were many exceptions and one of them was Kieran.
Where do you want to go?
Senile asked after he passed the blood sample to Leonard.
Cafeteria! Kieran answered without a second thought.
Chapter 1518 - Most Welcomed
Chapter 1518: Most Weed
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Cafeteria? Dont even think about it! I know what youre thinking because I thought the same back then... Ahem, ording to Theorates rules, only the 3rd year students are allowed into the cafeteria. So give up! Senile wasnt surprised at all, smiled at Kieran in a rather mischievous manner.
He had seen a lot of students with Kierans ambitions, he himself had the same intention when he was still a student, but...
Theorate has written rules about this: before students reached 3rd year and could perform their own hunt, they werent allowed to enter the cafeteria, except for buying meals daily and eating.
With crossed arms, Senile anticipated Kierans disappointed face, and when that happened, he would give him his advice.
The advice that he would give would bear a certain test and although Professor Tyrese hadnt put him through the same thing back then, as a teacher who carried out the tasks, Senile thoughr students who took things for granted would not value the result. He believed they must work for it.
But...
Kierans expression didnt change, looking at Senile as he said Ive gotten the position of Branch Leader of E Block Student Council and ording to the rules, the Branch Leader has advance ess rights to certain areas, including but not limited to, the cafeteria.
Huh?! Senile was shocked.
He didnt think Kieran would bluff him but he still took out his responder for a more precise answer.
Half a minuteter, Senile looked at Kieran, even more shocked.
He hadnt just gotten the news of Kieran bing the Branch Leader of E Block, he even knew what Kieran had done in the Student Council branch office.
Seniles expression turned weird, a look of indignation mixed with jealousy.
Though his weird look was soon reced by seriousness.
You are putting yourself under the crosshair of some powerful parties. Maybe you are almost invincible among the freshmen, you might not even take the 2nd and 3rd years seriously, but the 4th and 5th years are different. They have a lot more academic scores to fuel reckless acts that disregard people. No one can guarantee what will they do.
Senile tried his best to tell Kieran what would happen to him.
Outstanding people would always fuel jealous.
Anyone with extraordinary traits would attract unusual attention.
Even a mother might kill a cub born a different color, let alone a human with aplex heart.
Talents were admirable but they also attracted jealousy.
Strangle a baby in its cradle was a saying that was also derived from jealousy.
No one knew better what would befall Kieran than Senile, the teacher who had seen countless talented students.
As a teacher, his duty wasnt just teaching, he must keep students like Kieran away from harm too.
To Seniles surprise, Kieran didnt show the expression that he saw in other excellent students after the advice.
There werent any sneers, disdain, or ignorance.
Kieran curled his lips and showed a soft smile.
They are most weed to try, he said.
Senile looked at Kieran nkly.
Do you even understand what I am saying? Senile asked again after a long stare.
I know. Thank you, Kieran nodded and thanked the teacher.
You little... FINE! Go to Professor Tyrese if anything happens, donte knocking on my door! I cant help you with whatever ising. And do you want to test your talents?
Senile shrugged helplessly and shifted the responsibility to the professor known for his good temper. He then asked out of standard procedure.
ording to Theorate rules, a student who had acquired food that matched his talent could be exempted from taking the blood test again, for the sake of privacy.
Kieran was grateful and most wee for this particr rule because he had a lot of secrets on him, which he might risk exposing to his enemies if he took a simple blood test.
No need, he said.
Okay then. Remember what I told you, Senile reminded Kieran again before he left.
Kieran quietly recalled the rumours saying Senile was an unreliable teacher, seeing the teacher off.
It seemed like rumours would not always live up to expectations, as after Kieran trulymunicated with Senile, he realized... Senile was much more unreliable than rumoured.
Unwilling to bear responsibilities, seeking only delicious food, akind ofzy man who was reluctant to work for it, but... he wasnt a bad person.
As for his reminder?
No one knew what he was getting into better than Kieran.
Because of the Witch Enigmatic Realm, the current dungeon world difficulty plummeted but as he dug deeper, it would be harder, maybe even surpassing the original difficulty.
Increased difficulty would surely bring greater danger but also greater profit.
Danger coexisted with gain.
Kieran would not just sit there and wait for a pie to fall from the sky.
The best and most realistic way was to work for his own gains, that was what Kieran believed.
He also believed that one who is unountably solicitous is hiding evil intentions.
Kieran saw a transient student in a uniform without a badge running towards him, blocked him just as he was about to leave.
He didnt speak, waiting for the student to voice his intention.
Respected Sir First Seat, I am Marv and I represent the transient students. Its an honor to be meeting you for the first time, please ept these meal vouchers.
Marv took out three meal vouchers. They werent just any meal vouchers though, they could be exchanged for three sets of Fast Food in the cafeteria.
Please dont misunderstand our intention, we dont mean anything else. We just hoped that you can be a little easier on us when the semester starts, Marv exined with his head down.
Kieran, however, did not buy it.
ording to Theorate rules, while transient students might not be as well-benefited as real students, they werent targets of bullying either.
In a certain aspect, the transient students would be treated even better.
Kieran nced over the meal vouchers and then at Marv.
Marv was smiling, and unlike most of the youthful faces of the freshmen, Marv had maturity far surpassing his age. His blue eyes were filled with a sincere smile, and together with his neat uniform and brown hair, fondness for him would grow on first sight, but none of that changed Kierans mind.
I will exercise the rights of the First Seat ording to Theorate rules, no extra condition needed.
Kieran then left before giving Marv a chance to speak.
He had no time to tangle with Marv, as he had a ce he wanted to go to before dinner.
Hope I can get something extra there, he thought.
Chapter 1519 - As If He Came to Heaven
Chapter 1519: As If He Came to Heaven
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Steam Pot Street of E Block.
Kieran was striding quickly along the street and with Bloody Marys intel, he easily located Ludes secret warehouse.
The warehouse was locked with a heavy mechanical lock but for Kieran, whose Lockpicking was at Grandmaster level, it wasnt that hard for him to break through. The following digital lock was also easily broken through because of Bloody Mary.
When Bloody Mary leveled up from High Demon to Superior Demon, its strength had underwent a significant change. It was easy for Bloody Mary to deal with Lude, who thought so highly of himself.
Through the realistic illusory realm, Bloody Mary had acquired information that Kieran sought and more, like this secret warehouse, which housed Ludes personal stash.
Di Di.
After a few digital beeps, the warehouse door opened up.
Compared to a real warehouse door, it was much smaller and shorter than average, but extremely heavy. When it opened up, Kieran could hear screeching from inside the wall, produced by the pulley.
The warehouse was smaller than expected, only around 10 square feet but it was fully stashed with a dozen boxes.
Most of the boxes held paper currency, but some of it had gold and jewellery. Kieran carefully checked the gemstones, which were mostly justmon shiny stones without any attributes.
The oue was no doubt disappointing for Kieran but no matter how disappointed he was, hed always meticulously check his gains.
Then, he found a box hidden underneath another.
He opened the box and a pair of ck chopsticks with a dragon etched into the handle entered his sight.
Kieran squinted his eyes.
[Name: Seven-inch Seeking Dragon (Replica)]
[Type: Wonder Item]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Attack: Powerful]
[Attribute: 1. Increase Freshness; 2. Grip]
[Effect: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: This is a replica of the Seven-inch Seeking Dragon, although unable topete with the authentic one, it is still very much sought after.]
...
[Increase Freshness: Any kind of food that Seven-inch Seeking Dragon touches, its freshness will be increased a certain level.]
[Grip: Any kind of food that Seven-inch Seeking Dragon touches, it will be easier to separate (including but not limited to ribs)]
...
Legendary rank... chopsticks?!
Kierans eyes showed shock.
He wasnt just surprised by the existence of such tableware, he was also surprised that Lude was abe to get his hands on such an item.
No doubt Lude must have gotten this pair of chopsticks through snatching or plundering from others.
As for why he kept it in his warehouse and not with him at all times?
It was too obvious!
[Seven-inch Seeking Dragon] was very eye-catching. Once it appeared in the public eye, it would attract trouble, hence why it was kept under a box.
Without further thought, Kieran put the chopsticks into his bag and sent a message to Bloody Mary.
He wanted to know the original owner of this pair of chopsticks, only that could he decide whether or not he could use this pair of replica chopsticks.
Kieran wasnt afraid of trouble, he was afraid of unnecessary trouble.
He also rted into more things after he got his hands on the chopsticks.
Chefs with all kinds of weird weapons appeared on battlefields in the west!
Kieran suddenly thought about the sentence that he had read from the book.
Weapons? Tableware? Interesting, Kieran mumbled to himself.
He then took some cash and left the warehouse.
Kieran knew he had to read more to understand the current dungeon world and its unique history but before that, he had to go to thest ce on his itinerary for the day: the cafeteria.
E Block cafeteria was located beside E1 floor.
Unlike a traditional cafeteria, E Block cafeteria had its own independent field and a seven-story building.
All seven floors of the building were wide and spacious, with tables and benches lined up neatly on each floor. Students only needed to key in what they wanted to eat at the window in the respective floor and the food would be delivered to them, via the window.
Where did the foode from?
Underground.
Every student knew about that but only a few knew what the underground kitchen was like.
Kieran was able to enter the kitchen with his special school badge, sizing up the scene that normal students couldnt see.
Bright!
That was Kierans first impression of the kitchen.
Many fluorescent tubes were installed in the ceiling to shed light over the floor and the working students. The students, busy cutting and washing the cooking ingredients, had nowhere to hide.
Other than the brightness, there was the heat!
Kieran didnt feel the heat though, [Secondary Elemental Damage Resistance] and Overlord level Devil Bloodline providing him with the Constitution to not feel hot, even if he was standing beside a volcano. However, the students who guided him down here and the others who were preparing the ingredients were drenched in sweat.
Branch Leader sir, this is as far as I can bring you. You have to venture forth yourself from here. Sir Eiderburgh is in the room at the end. You can only enter the cafeteria with his permission.
The student said while sweat dripped off of his face.
Mm. Thank you, Kieran nodded and replied politely.
He then walked forward and pushed open the door.
Huuu.
A scorching air stream sted Kierans face.
zing red fires were rumbling ceaselessly. Kieran felt like he saw a world in mes and in this fiery world, woks were being tossed up and down, hot steaming from stew pots and the students standing amidst the heat looking like ming warriors. They did not just handle the wok in their hands steadily, their stance was firm as a monolith.
Compared to the students inside the zing heat, the students who guided Kieran down here faltered backwards before he even got close, having a hard time breathing.
Even the students washing and cutting the cooking ingredients were affected.
Kieran hastened his steps inside and closed the door behind him.
Ka!
The clear clunk did not affect the students who were cooking with the fiery wok, seemingly inside their own worlds.
Kieran was attracted to this fiery world because the aroma of food entered his nose.
He couldnt help but breathe deeply and had to swallow his saliva relentlessly.
Kieran clearly felt the drums of hunger from his stomach, as if Gluttony was screaming hungry in his heart.
Heaven! This is heaven!
Kieran had no idea what heaven looked like but this should be very close.
Kieran strode forward with that thought lingering in his head.
He had decided to stay and no one could stop him.
Amid the loud frying noises from the woks and stew pots whistling in the steam, Kierans firm footsteps brought him closer to the office at the end of the kitchen.
Meanwhile, the person in the office saw Kieran through the monitor, pressing the button beside his desk.
You want o enter the cafeteria? Even if you are the Branch Leader of Student Council, you must follow the rules! Feel the fiery passion.... WHAT?!
The persons words stopped abruptly, jumping up from his chair as he widened his eyes inconceivably at his monitor.
Chapter 1520 - Index of Eat
Chapter 1520: Index of Eat
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The zing mes in the monitor swallowed Kierans figure, but in the next moment, he was already walking out safety. He wasnt even dirty, let alone hurt.
me Resist talent? No, thats not right. Even if it was me Resist, he shouldnt be this casual, which means... Fire Affinity?
Eiderburgh stood up and gasped hard, the inconceivable look in his eyes was reced by astonishment.
As the person in charge of the cafeteria, Eiderburgh knew how important Fire Affinity was to a chef.
2567, eh? Eiderburgh recalled everything he knew about this freshman, and he raised his evaluation to a new high.
However, it didnt mean he would give up the uing tests.
When Kieran pushed the office door open, he saw a buff, tall, middle-aged man that looked like a silverback gori with a pipe in his mouth. The middle-aged man tilted his head and nted his eyes as he sized up Kieran from top to bottom.
Eiderburghs eyes were sharp and pressuring.
Typical students would feel uneasy from his stare, let alone look him in the eyes.
Kieran, however, looked at Eiderburgh with a level gaze; he even had the courage to size up the office.
The office looked like an ordinary office and had everything that an office should have, but the cubicle was something out of the blue.
As Kieran picked up the smell from the little cubicle, his eyes shone. He was sure, even without opening the door to the cubicle, that behind that door was the transport hub that delivered food from the underground kitchen to the cafeteria above ground, which was coincidentally his goal.
Dok Dok.
Eiderburgh knocked on his desk loudly.
What do you want here? Given your strength and talents, you can get yourself into a better researchb. Or do you and every other idiot out there think that the cafeteria has a secret beyond sight? Eiderburgh asked in a less-than-friendly way, his voice cold.
Kieran was not moved, though, and he pointed at the cubicle instead.
I want to be a food tester, he said.
A food tester? Eiderburgh was shocked.
The cafeteria did have its own food tester, but he had never considered that Kierans goal could be to be one. From his original point of view, even if Kieran wanted in the cafeteria whole-heartedly, he must have heard some bullsh*t rumors about the secrets.
With the help of those rumors, Kieran would be exactly like the previous students who joined the cafeterias kitchen staff. Hed bear the burden willingly for a few months, or even the whole semester, and in the end, leave angrily because of the fruitless oue.
Are you sure you want to be a food tester? Eiderburgh asked again, just to confirm.
Yes, Kieran nodded.
Eiderburgh sized up Kierans gaze and expression. He paused for a moment before he continued, A food tester of the cafeteria isnt like the others in the researchb, you must have a sharp tongue and unimaginable appetite. Do you think you are up for the job?
Why dont we test it out? Kieran smiled happily.
Kieran had always been careful and never oversold himself in other aspects, but in terms of eating, he had unrivaled confidence in Gluttony.
Eiderburgh somehow felt uneasy when he saw Kierans smile. However, after sizing up Kieran and his physique, he discarded the uneasiness. Although there were some abilities that could speed up digestion, it was dependant on the users body; hence only a strong body could house a strong digestive system with sound absorption.
Kieran had a straight body and could be considered fit, but only to ordinary people. To Eiderburgh, who had witnessed the bodies of countless gluttonous eaters, Kierans physique was far from ideal.
Eiderburgh, with the pipe in his mouth, pointed at the cubicle.
Of course, we are going to test it out! Its a test for you! That ce is the transfer hub for the dishes. I want you to give it all you got: theres no need to hold back, so dont take small bites, eat as much as you can, and disy your potential as a food tester! Eiderburgh said loudly.
He saw Kieran into the transfer hub and waited for a bloated Kieran to return.
He wanted to add more tobo into his pipe in the meantime as he anticipated how ugly that kid who had had no idea of the immensity of heaven and earth would end up.
However, as he bent down for some tobo, hismunicator rang.
After he answered it, the message stunned Eiderburgh.
The Index of Eat? Are you sure? Eiderburgh asked in furrowed brows.
Im not, but pay attention to it, the voice on the other side of themunicator answered.
Wait, Ill be right there. Eiderburgh then stood up, pressed some buttons on his desk, and walked towards the secret door in his officeit allowed him to reach his destination quicker.
As for Kieran?
Although he couldnt be the first to see how ugly Kieran will be, Eiderburgh believed he would have the chance in the future.
After all, when Eiderburgh entered the information for confirmation on his desk, Kieran was already part of the cafeteria.
...
The cafeteria was above ground.
The freshmen with their meal vouchers were lined up in an orderly fashion and waited patiently.
It was the first time they entered the cafeteria, so the environment was a little new for them, and everything was so fresh and exciting. As freshmen, they didnt know how long it usually took for the dishes to be served, so they did notin or rant at all.
On the other hand, 2nd-year and 3rd-year students were discussing fiercely, and dissatisfaction broke out.
What is going on today?
Why is it taking so long for the dishes to be served?
It usually takes 5 minutes, but now its already been half an hour!
Half an hour? Ive been waiting for 45 minutes!
The day is getting dark soon!
Am I walking in the dark today?
In the dark? Forget it! I dont want to vanish without a sign.
But Im hungry!
...
The ceaseless tters grew louder, and eventually, the freshmen joined the tters after they knew what happened. The tters evolved into mors.
The mors continued to grow, and the dissatisfaction caused by hungry grew and spread over the entire cafeteria.
Fortunately, before the situation got out of control, the members of the E Block Student Council arrived under Guttis lead.
QUIET! Gutti shouted at the students, and all of the chatters quiet down right away.
All of the students in Theorate knew never to oppose the folks from Student Council unless they wished not to graduate.
The hungry students turned their attention to Gutti, and he sought a solution to the problem.
Maintain order!
Gutti wasnt afraid of being looked at by a thousand pairs of eyes, she turned around and gave her orders to the Student Council member before he strode down to the kitchen.
Although she wasnt the Branch Leader anymore, her position as 3rd year and member of the Student Council allowed her to enter without hindranceshe made her way to the outer area of the kitchen, where the ingredients were being washed and cut.
I have to ask the Head Chef for permission for your entry, the student who had guided Kieran before told Gutti.
Fine, Gutti did not throw a tantrum as it was a reasonable request, but the wait was far longer than she had expected.
5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes...
20 minutester, Gutti furrowed her brows.
It wasnt the first time she had been down here, and she knew the structure of the kitchen well. Although it was big, it only required a 5 minutes stride to Eiderburghs office from it, not this long...
As thoughts bloomed in her mind, Gutti stopped her hesitance and pushed the door opened.
The heat, much hotter than she had remembered, assaulted her, forcing her to readjust her breath. She then saw the unconscious messenger; he wasnt attacked but was knocked out by the heat.
Gutti grabbed the messenger and located the cause of the problem: the frying woks dancing in the mes and stew pots spitting steam endlessly.
The mes burned twice as hot, and the steam was twice as fast. It was why the temperature in the kitchen rose that high.
Gutti saw to it that dish after dish was delivered into the transfer hub, but doubts troubled her mind even more. Under her watch, there were almost 60 servings delivered into the hub per minute, and the numbers were climbing.
Although she did not receive any news from hermunicator, the rm above the ground was still on.
What happened?
Gutti delivered the unconscious messenger back outside, stepped into the kitchen again, and went straight to Eiderburghs office.
Dok Dok Dok.
Head Chef, its Gutti, she said politely after the knock, but she received no answer.
Gutti furrowed her beautiful brows.
Dok Dok Dok.
Head Chef, its Gutti, she repeated, but the same thing happened.
After two futile attempts, Gutti dialed the caller to the office but still received no answer.
Instead, she received a call from Sh about the situation above ground.
G-Gutti, hurry up. The sky is turning dark soon, and the tension is very high up here.
If the rm is still on, Im afraid trouble might break out, Sh said in a hurried tone, and her words fueled Guttis decision.
Gutti was never a hesitant person; otherwise, she wouldnt be the Branch Leader of E Block in the first ce.
Bang!
A loud bangter, the door of the office was kicked open.
Gutti stepped in, and a nce at the empty officeter, she ced her attention on the transfer hub.
She wasnt concerned about the empty office, but the chewing and munchinging from the transfer hub were attracting attention.
The door to the hub was unlocked, Gutti opened it easily and then saw a person that shed never expect.
2567... Branch Leader.
The name had been uttered out of shock, and Gutti had to reach an assessment of the situation before she could add the title to the name.
It wasnt a requirement, but her habitual question followed. Why are you here?
Gutti saw Kieran sitting at a table, his hands moving in a flurry, whipping up a series of afterimages. One couldnt even tell which was his real hand. His tornado-like hands were sweeping all the food into his mouth, and Gutti was utterly astonished by it.
The speed of his hands was too much for her eyes toprehend, and a breaths timeter, several dishes were swept clean.
The most astonishing thing was that Kierans body, despite him gobbling food down like a tornado, did not even change. He was still as fit as Gutti remembered.
The washing sink was full, and the whole hub was full of tes. Gutti couldnt help but widen her eyes evenrger.
Where did all the food go?
The question arose in her heart, and she asked in a nk tone, This... This all... you...
Before the question could even form, she stopped. Other than Kieran, there was no one else in the hub, and although it seemed impossible, the fact before her eyes was that outrageous.
Please stop! If you continue eating, a riot will break out at the cafeteria.
Gutti hadnt forgotten her duty, but Kieran would not be moved.
This is the test Eiderburgh gave me. He wanted me to go all out, eat as much as I can. I have to show my potential as a food tester! Kieran said all righteously.
Test? Gutti was stunned.
Gutti immediately thought of a rumor that she heard earlier: rumor has it that the cafeteria in E Block housed a special and powerful Eat Technique, and only those who got through the tests of the cafeteria were allowed to possess it.
But, ording to the rumor, this Eat Technique should be in the kitchen, not the hub.
So what is going on here?
The question came into her mind automatically, but she wasnt slow in her response.
She took hermunicator, Sh, get someone to tell Head Chef Eiderburgh about what happened here!
Gutti did not stop Kieran. Their respective positions had determined that her efforts would not bear fruit.
More so, Kierans answer told her that finding Eiderburgh was the best way to solve this problem.
Noted, Gutti!
Gutti slightly heaved a breath after the reply from themunicator.
But when she looked up and saw how fast Kieran was eating, she became afraid again. He was eating faster than before as if he was going to swallow even the tes.
Gutti had some thoughts in her mind about the increased eating speed though, it seemed like 2567 ate faster after her conversation with Sh, could it be...
Head Chef Eiderburgh was cheated?
Impossible! Eiderburgh wasnt senile. He might look reckless and boorish, but he was very delicate and meticulous. He would not be cheated that easily.
Gutti shook her head and discarded the thought out of her mind.
Guttis eyes at Kieran became different, and she realized that she was still underestimating the First Seat freshman. She clenched her fist.
The stronger you are, the more I want to catch up to you!
Guttis eyes were firm. Kieran caught the little changes in Gutti, but he didnt care.
He knew this might be thest time he could eat freely in the cafeteria. When the Head Chef got back, even if he wasnt shoved out of the cafeteria, it may be hard for him to enter the hub again.
Then... he would eat his heart out!
Chapter 1521 - Second Floor
Chapter 1521: Second Floor
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Eiderburgh was located soon enough, or more precisely, he contacted Gutti directly.
After Gutti told Eiderburgh what had happened in the cafeteria, the Head Chef went silent for a second before taking a deep breath.
Very well! 2567, youve passed my test! You are now a part of E Block cafeteria, but... without my permission, you cannot step into the transfer hub from now on!
Even through themunicator, Gutti could picture Eiderburgh gnashing his teeth while saying those words.
Kieran, who had expected this oue, ced thest piece of beef into his mouth before asking, I am a food tester, but I cannot be in the hub, so where should I be?
Expected but not epted.
Kieran fought for hisst hope, but unfortunately, Eiderburgh didnt care about Kierans argument.
You can be wherever youd like to be! Just not in the food transfer hub!
Themunicator was cut off after that.
Eiderburghs tone sounded angry but also anxious.
Kieran looked at themunicator and touched his chin with his right hand as he pondered over the question.
Index of Eat, eh?
Eiderburgh answered hismunicator after Kieran entered the transfer hub. He thought that with the thick walls and door, Kieran couldnt possibly have heard what he was saying.
Therefore, Eiderburgh didnt conceal it, just lowering his voice.
But Kieran, who had Advance Rank Intuition, could listen to whispers through multiple doors within a certain range, let alone a single door as thick as a fewyers of walls.
Kieran was very curious about what was happening.
Lude had sent his men to spread rumours about Index of Eat before, but Kieran didnt think those two useless students could achieve such astounding results by turning rumours into fact in a day, even making the teachers of Theorate move out. If the two students could really achieve that, Lude wouldnt have been able to control them.
In other words, either Lude stumbled upon some blind luck and the Index of Eat had appeared in the public eye or someone was pushing the wave to add to the billows!
The former was too much of a coincidence, Kieran would not believe it.
As for thetter? Kieran squinted his eyes.
Lude was after the Proper Meal ss drumstick in Derton Lab, and after Bloody Mary had killed him, the target transferred to Kieran.
So, what was the purpose behind this particr move?
Questions rose in Kierans mind.
Kieran realized he had to pay a visit to the library again in order to find out what kind of item the Index of Eat was.
The reading sessionst night had mostly focused on general knowledge and history, Kieran not remembering any records about the Index of Eat. The intel Bloody Mary got from Lude was also very blurry; all Kieran knew about the Index of Eat was that it was supposed to be a very high ss recipe book.
He knew nothing more than that.
Even Lude got this news from overhearing Professor Dertons conversation about the Index of Eat.
Ill leave this ce to you, Kieran told Gutti and went up to the cafeteria.
Gutti could tell Kieran was off to attend some important business but she didnt bother to ask.
They werent that close yet, and as for the uing matters, it was enough to trigger intense headaches in Guttis mind.
Gutti nced over at the transfer hub filled with tes, bowls, and chopsticks. She sighed and told hermunicator, Sh, tell everybody the problem is solved. And... get two men down here.
...
Kieran didnt know how busy was Gutti. He returned to his dorm, took out the three books he had borrowed, and headed to E Block library; the sky was already dark.
The library was well lit as always, only a few souls lingered inside.
Night at Theorate wasnt peaceful.
The first page of the student manual had a rule that specifically stated: students below 4th year are forbidden to walk the streets of Theorate at night.
Afterst night, Kieran partially knew why the rule was in ce.
Kieran neither agreed or disagreed with the monsters the school arranged for tests.
Since one had chosen to move alone, one must have a certain level of strength.
People who had no strength yet requested special treatment would only understand the mistakes they had made during the final moments before death.
Kieran showed his badge to the guard and walked towards the empty service counter. He followed instructions and ced the book on the night return basket, scanning his badge at the panel attached to the basket, a returned message disyed shortly after. Kieran then walked towards the east section of the first floor.
The reading sessionst night gave Kieran a general understanding of the arrangements of books on the first floor. The east section wasbeled with history, geography, and culture but there were a lot of extra books in between, unlike the other three sections, which housed specific books.
Rack after rack, Kieran searched from top to bottom.
An hour passed as he searched every single rack, but he got nothing.
A slight shake of his headter, Kieran prepared himself and headed towards the second floor.
At the turning point of the staircase to the second floor, a ss door blocked Kierans way.
Unlike the first floor, which was opened to all students, special ess was required to get to the second floor of the library. Such ess included, but was not limited to, the First Seat of each year and members of Student Council.
Kieran waved his badge at the sensor before the ss door.
Silently, the ss door opened up to both sides, revealing a passageway sufficient enough for a person to go through.
Kieran stepped through and continued to the second floor.
Two minutester, Kieran found out that the arrangement of the second floor was exactly the same as the first floor. Without a pause, Kieran headed towards the east section of the second floor.
Without any reference to go by, Kieran could only go with the old way: searching from book to book for records about the Index of Eat. He pulled out a book, reading the index asionally during his search.
His search was tedious, even slower than his search on the first floor.
Kieran had gone through almost all the books on the first floor and had some knowledge of the arrangement but the second floor was aplete stranger to him.
Seconds turned into minutes, minutes to hours.
Kieran wasnt anxious at all, as patient and steady as he had always been.
When he was halfway through the east section of the second floor, he suddenly stopped. Slightly turning his head, he looked at the end of the passageway formed by two rows of book rack.
A cold, white figure appeared at the end. Her long, straight hair blocked her face.
Tss!
A spark of electricityter, the lights flickered.
The lights came back on in a split second, the short time in darkness seeming to have granted the figure the ability to teleport. As the lights came back on, the white figure already stood in the spot where Kieran was, with a twisted neck that produced a bone-cracking noise, but...
Kiera wasnt there anymore.
There wasnt any expected shock or screams, all the figure saw was books and racks.
The sudden change stunned the figure for a moment, and a question sounded from behind her.
Do you know where the records about the Index of Eat are?
The tone was calm and steady.
The figure turned around and saw the man standing behind her. Sheughed in an irritating, eerie way, and it sounded like a sharp object scratching a ckboard.
Do you think Im pretty?
As her eerie question came, her hair, which blocked her face, flew backwards and revealed her face.
Her face was swollen and rotten, and a pustule even broke out of her face. Greenish-yellow slime oozed out of the spot as Kieran looked at her expressionlessly and asked again, Do you know where the records about the Index of Eat are?
Do you think Im pretty?
The female ghost repeated her questions again as if she did not hear Kieran the second time.
More pustules broke out of her face, and some rotten spots even had maggots crawling around.
Kieran frowned, as he failed to get answers after asking twice in a row.
He changed his approach.
Bang!
His feetnded on the female ghosts face.
Her white body was stomped to the floor, and her hideous, ferocious face even lost its shape after the heavy blow.
Kieran didnt just stop with one stomp though.
Bang Bang Bang Bang!
Stomp after stomp, flesh and slime flew all over, and amid the furious stomps, a faint voice came from underneath Kierans feet.
Wait wait! I know where the records on Index of Eat are!
...
Scary! How scary!
Standler read a secret record that he bought for a high price from a 3rd year senior.
Although Standler had been putting in efforts to collect rted information before he arrived in Theorate, the outside world knew very little about the mysterious Theorate. Standler worked very hard in collecting information, yet the amount he gathered wasnt even enough for him to deal with the potential problems.
Therefore, after he enrolled into the school, he spent even more money and effort in collecting, and the likes of Standler was definitely not the minoritya lot of students in the higher years would seize the chance to earn some extra.
Whats wrong?
Maica, who was almost asleep, was woken up by Standlers cry of shock. rmed, he jumped down from his bed.
As aides to the First Seat, it was only natural that both of them would be distributed into the same room.
Unlike the First Seat, who got his own room, themon students had to share a dorm with four to six others, and a public living room and washroom.
Being aides to the First Seat, the two of them were better off since they had their own room, personal parlour and washroom.
Look! The interrogator in the library!
Standler passed the note to Maica when he came over.
Maica suddenly understood what was going on and looked at Standler with dissatisfaction, but he still took the note. After spending two days together, Maica knew how sticky the guy that slept beneath his bed was; if he ignored him, Standler would buzz in his ears like a relentless fly for the whole night.
Maica nned to brush Standler off to earn some more sleep time, but when he saw the contents of the note, Maica couldnt hold back a scoff.
Every Monday on the second floor of E Block library, there is a high chance that the interrogator will appear. She will ask you whether or not she is pretty (wears a white dress, ck hair over her face, and is actually hideous and scaryording to records). If you lie to her and say she is pretty, she will scream that dishonesty shall never speak again and then your tongue will be ripped off. If you say she is hideous, she will scream that you judged her by her looks and shall never speak again. Then your tongue will again be ripped off.
What kind of joke is this?! You believe in all these myths?
Maica tossed the note back to Standler and jumped back onto his bed on the upper deck.
What not? This is Theorate were speaking of! Legend has it that this ce connects a Mystic State to reality! Standler crawled up and emphasized his words to Maica.
Yeah right! I know this is Theoratethe magical, mystical, dangerous Theorate! But the interrogator is an urban myth, nothing but some false rumours. Most of them are used by thoseme guys to cheat idiots like you, Maica said as he pulled the nket over himself, ready to sleep. However, Standler stopped him.
The interrogator isnt an urban myth! The note says the interrogator was originally a kind student but something happened to her at E Block library, hence the transformation. Rumour says that anyone who can save her will be rewarded scrumptiously. Standler pulled Maicas nket and further emphasized the note.
Well, let me guess. Before the interrogator died, she must have liked a certain boy, but before she could confess, another girl who also liked the boy killed her and even destroyed her face before she died. That girl who killed and destroyed the interrogators face didnt do it on purpose, but it was an ident? Maica said in an upset tone, as his nket was pulled off.
How did you know? Standler flipped the note to its end and looked at Maica in shock.
This kind of lousy story is all made up. I can give you 10 in just one minute. Now, forget the unrealistic interrogator and go to sleep! Dont forget that we have our first ss tomorrow morning!
Maica turned a white eye and pulled the nket over his head.
Standler, seeing how Maica covered himself tightly with the nket, didnt disturb him anymore because even he began to question the notes validity.
Though, Standler didnt stop; he dimmed the light and continued reading on his bed.
...
Back at E Block librarys second floor, the real interrogator was climbing up from Kierans feet.
Her long hair wasbed backwards, and her ugly, ferocious face was long gone; what reced it was an above average face. The girl wore a white dress, making her look timid and quiet.
Thank you for saving me. I didnt want to be the interrogator. Its just that the persistence in my heart pushed me...
Bang!
Before she could finish, Kierannded his feet on her face again and pressed her down on the floor.
Right away, she spoke in a rushed and direct way under Kierans feet. Ill bring you to the books about the Index of Eat right away!
Chapter 1522 - Rare Commodity Worth Hoarding
Chapter 1522: Rare Commodity Worth Hoarding
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran lifted his foot and allowed the interrogator to crawl up.
She wiped her swollen face and carefully nced at Kieran before she headed to the north section of the same floor.
Up until now, the interrogator was still a little bit blurry.
She didnt know how the situation turned into this or how the man before her eyes hit her with his kicks.
She should be formless, incapable of receiving physical attacks, but the pain in her face reminded her what she should do.
Soon, they reached a certain row of book racks in the north section. The interrogator then presented a book to Kieran.
This is the book, she said softly.
Just one? Kieran frowned after simply flipping through it.
The amount was far less than he expected, and the book he held wasnt a specialized one about the Index of Eat, but just a random book that recorded cooking utensils.
Em, there is only one book in the whole second floor. The interrogator nodded.
Second floor? Kieran sharply grasped on to the point in her words.
I cant go down to the first floor or up to the third and fourth floors, so I dont know, the interrogator answered honestly.
Which means you know every single book on the second floor? Kieran turned around and asked.
The interrogator felt the question was rted to her fate, so she nodded without a second thought. Yes, I know all the books on the second floor.
Very good, Ill call for you when I need you. Whats your name? Kieran said after some thought.
For Kieran, who was in serious shortage of all sorts of information, a living book guide was much more effective in providing him with a sizable gain than a Magic to Rare rank school badge.
In fact, if it werent for the guard at the entrance, Kieran would have sent the Old Book Canbenor to read and arrange all the books on his behalf.
In... Agernessa.
Agernessa wanted to utter the title she was familiar with, but before the word truly formed, she reacted wisely.
She slightly nced at Kieran but did not see any bad reaction to her ominous name. Agernessa simply heaved a breath of relief.
Go get me a cup of tea.
Right away, sir.
Agernessa did not even think about rejecting Kierans order and proceeded without any resistance.
Pain will always teach one about reality, including non-living beings like Agernessa.
Every section in the second floor was equipped with its own pantry, and the small refrigerator even had some pastries. Agernessa picked two different kinds, served them on the tray and carried them back to Kieran along with a cup of tea.
When she got back, Kieran was already reading the book in his hand.
Agernessa kept quiet and ced the pastries and tea beside him on the table before vanishing.
Reading, especially a concentrated reading, required time.
The book in Kierans hand was quite thick and nameless, proving to be a problem to Kieran because it contained a lot of ancientnguages of this dungeon world. Although it had themonnguage as reference and support, Kieran had topare, rte and ponder upon the words to figure out their meanings.
Huu!
When the sun rose, Kieran finally closed the heavy book in his hand before taking a long breath.
After the intensive reading session, Kieran finally knew what kind of item the Index of Eat was.
Index of Eat wasnt just a mere recipe book, but also a crafting book that taught how to craft cooking utensils. Because of that, the nameless book was kept in the north section.
If Kieran continued his search in the east section, he would gain nothing even if he flipped the entire section over.
Kieran was very concerned about the crafting of cooking utensils in the Index of Eat, which was mentioned in this nameless book.
It mentioned something about a special kind of liquor ss! Thats right, a liquor ss!
The matching recipe... no, it should be the brewing technique was also very astounding to Kieran.
ording to this nameless book, when the special ss and the brewing technique converged, it would produce a liquor that surpassedmon Proper Meal ss and truly reached the Grand Meal ss.
Grand Meal ss food, a brand new level that surpassed what Kieran had read yesterday.
The first floor is all basics? Kieran sighed before he flipped through the book again to carefully read through the description about the Index of Eat.
The liquor temperature! It was the term that he concluded after reading through all the descriptions about the brewing technique. He squinted his eyes.
He wasnt fond of alcoholic drinks, as he passed out once after drinking [Osiris Brew] at Rachels, so he was even more reluctant to try, but if there really was some kind of liquor that surpassedmon food sses before him, hed still be hesitant about it.
Kieran shook his head and smiled shortly after.
He wasnt even sure whether or not the Index of Eat had truly appeared, yet he already started to think about reaping his gains?
It was a little early even for him, but it didnt stop him from giving orders to Bloody Mary to proceed ording to n.
Compared to the initial n, his current n had been greatly altered because the person that he had to confront was no longer the same.
Kieran closed the book and returned it to its rack. He nced across the stairs connecting to the third floor of the library and went back down to the first floor.
The third floor of the library wasnt a ce he could get ess to right now; even with his First Seat and Branch Leader identity, he still couldnt get in.
In order to get to the third floor, a professors permission was required.
Other than the professor known as Tyrese, Kieran didnt know a single professor in Theorate.
He only met Professor Tyrese once during the weing dinner, and given how shallow their rtionship was, the professor would never grant him permission.
Kieran nned to contact the professor through Senile because it was part of his altered n and also one of the most important ones.
He would not require a permission letter. All he had to do was to release some news to gather more attention to himself.
...
E Block, cafeteria, teachers lounge.
Kieran easily located his target as he stepped inside: Senile.
Senile was drinking a big cup of warm milk, and beside him was a te of sandwiches, three servings.
Leonard, who was always seen with Senile, sat opposite him eating a bowl of soup noodles while his hand held two fried buns with fillings.
Morning, 2567, Senile and Leonard greeted Kieran as they munched on their breakfast.
Morning. Senile, I want to have a meeting with Professor Tyrese. Kieranid his gaze on Senile alone.
Despite having only met the duo a few times, Kieran knew which one of them was the leader.
Meeting with Professor Tyrese? Why? Senile was stunned.
I want to get a permission letter to the third floor library, he said.
Impossible! Even if you are the First Seat of this year and a Branch Leader, Professor Tyrese will never give you permission, no matter how kind his character. Senile rejected Kieran, his gaze turning strict.
The third floor of the library is different from the first and second. It has powers! Before you have sufficient academic scores to prove yourself, its impossible for you to get a permission letter from any of the professors. Senile shook his head.
Then what if I have enough academic scores? Kieran asked.
Impossible! You are just a freshman. Before you reach your 3rd year and follow your teacher into the Mystic State for hunting, there is just no way for you to get the required scores to exchange for a permission letter. Senile denied Kieran in a straightforward manner.
Kieran smiled, as Seniles reaction was just as expected.
Kieran straightened his body and continued, Based on what I know, there are many other ways to earn academic scores other than hunting.
Exchanging valuable information for scores is also viable, and coincidentally... I have a very valuable one. A pauseter, Kieran stated his bargaining chip. The Index of Eat!
He did not lower his voice, hence it echoed throughout the lounge, and all the teachers that were eating suddenly went quiet.
Every one of them shifted their gaze to Kieran, shocked and dubious.
Both emotions had to do with the fact that a freshman knew about the Index of Eat.
The Index of Eat wasnt some street level item. Even as Theorate teachers, they only got the news recently.
Amid the quiet and somewhat depressing atmosphere, Senile looked at Kieran in silence. Leonard also put down his bowl and looked at Kieran with serious gaze like never before, as if it was the first day he met Kieran.
Senile and Leonard were two very unreliable teachers. Although they were truly unreliable, both of the were not idiots. Quite the opposite, in fact. As Elite Teachers in Theorate, they were considered quite smart; therefore, the moment Kierans words subsided, both of them knew what Kieran wanted to achieve.
You will only put yourself in big trouble like this, Senile said after a deep breath.
I have no shortage of troubles all along, and I think Im getting the hang of it. Kieran said.
This kind of trouble is different from the kind you are used to... Sigh, whatever, that will be your problem. Ill try to contact Professor Tyrese as soon as possible, but I cant guarantee the professor will see you in the end.
Senile ought to voice his advice and reminder, but before he truly finished, his character that avoided problems like the gue made him shrug and stop advising.
That will be enough. Kieran then stood up.
This was the teachers lounge, and although it didnt state a student couldnt dine here, most of them would abide by the unspoken rule.
If Kieran really wanted to have his meal here, no one would stop him, butpared to the teachers lounge, Kieran was more fond of going down to the kitchen.
Eiderburgh had banned him from entering the transfer hub, but he didnt ban him from going into the kitchen, and when he got to the kitchen... there would be food.
Everything in the teachers lounge returned to normal following Kierans leave, but Senile sharply picked up something unusual in the lounge.
Sigh.
Senile couldnt hold back his sigh and looked at his colleague.
Eat your breakfast, Leonard said while munching on his buns.
Em. Senile nodded.
Senile had no idea why Kieran wanted to go to the third floor, but he knew it wasnt something that he should be involved with. All he could do was contact Professor Tyrese as soon as possible.
Senile subconsciously quickly finished his meal and so did Leonard.
After the two of them finished their meal and ced the tray back on the collecting spot, they left the lounge. The others in the lounge also stood up and left after the duo. Within 10 mere seconds, the crowded lounge was emptied of people.
15 minutester, a secret message started to spread in a small circle.
Those who heard the message either showed disdain, doubt, greed or pleasure in the misfortunate, but regardless of which, all of their attention was ced on Kieran.
Despite the possibility that it may be false, they wanted to know the answer. However, who would guarantee that it was true?
Wishful thinking was inherent in life, it would not decrease along with the increase of age. Quite the opposite, sometimes wishful thinking might grow as one got older.
...
Kieran swept over the underground kitchen like a gale. He then hid in a secluded corner, wiped his mouth, and did not even care about the scoldings and rants that happened behind him in the hot kitchen. He grinned and walked back up to the surface.
Although he was no longer able to have a buffet, he still needed a sufficient amount of food for breakfast to provide himself with rich nutrients.
As he walked up to the surface, there were many groups of people waiting for him outside the cafeteria. There were groups from the students, the teachers and the professors.
All of them waited quietly in scattered locations, sizing up and judging each other.
When Kieran finally appeared, the group representing the professors stood out as three people walked up to him.
The other groups didnt leave though; they were unwilling to leave, or rather, they thought they still had a chance.
Kieran grinned as he looked at the trio before his eyes and captured the prying gazes around him.
Things were progressing much smoother than he anticipated, but he didnt let his guard down because he knew the important part wasing up.
Are you all here for the Index of Eat? Kieran asked.
Yes, we are, the well-dressed middle-aged man in the middle said with a smile.
The young man on his left nodded, and the only middle-aged woman on his right sized Kieran up with a dubious gaze, a sense of hatred shing by her eyes.
I still need to wait for Teacher Seniles reply. Before that, I wont say anything, Kieran said.
Firste, first serve. Reasonable.
The middle-aged man didnt object and the young man nodded again, but the woman grunted coldly.
She stepped up, pointed at Kierans nose and scolded in a sharp voice. Who do you think you are?!
Chapter 1523 - Get Ready For A Fight
Chapter 1523: Get Ready For A Fight
As the middle-aged woman scolded in her sharp voice, the well-dressed middle-aged man and the young man took a step back. The others who were looking at the little confrontation took pleasure in the misfortunate too, looking like they were in for a good show.
They anticipated that something would happen, and regardless of what, it would benefit them, but at the very next moment, the anticipating crowd gasped.
Bang!
A heavy bangter, the provocative womans head exploded like a watermelon run over by a truck.
Blood drizzled like rain, and brains sshed everywhere.
Everyone who saw the scene quivered hard. Such a gruesome scene was rare in Theorate.
A young student who saw the scene widened his mouth, wanting to say something, but all he could make was a ka, kak like he was choked.
Further away from the young student, a middle-aged man held his breath and subtly stepped back. After he got away from the bloody stench, he panted heavily.
Many peoples faces turned pale, fear smearing all over.
What happened?
It was the question that troubled everyones heart.
They did not see Kieran move, nor did he even budge!
But why did Pams heart go boom?
All sorts of guesses popped up in their minds.
The fear caused by the unknown spread like wildfire.
When the crowd looked at Kieran again, their eyes showed fear, but some of them shone brightly, such as the well-dressed middle-aged man and the quiet young mans.
Both of them reevaluated Kieran with an unusual judgmental gaze because...
When Pams heart exploded, being closer, they were able to pick up a faint scent of alcohol.
The alcohol scent was very faint and hid in the blood.
Index of Eat!
Both of them had been chasing the Index of Eat for a while now, and at that very moment, they were almost certain the exploding head was caused by the Warm Liquor effect!
They had been wondering what kind of ability Warm Liquor would provide its drinker once consumed.
The duo took a deep breath as they ignored the blood stench.
Multiple thoughts came afloat in their minds right after that.
Sir 2567, we will deal with this particr incident. If you dont mind, please wait for us at the coffee shop beside the street, and we will provide you with a reasonable offer. The quiet young man spoke first.
The middle-aged man frowned, but when Kieran turned his eyes on him, the man showed a smile right away.
I agree with Garcia, even though we may note from the same ce, the middle-aged man stated his stand clearly.
Em.
Kierans gaze stopped for a second on the rather stiff-looking young man who wore a Theorate school uniform before nodding.
Compared to the middle-aged man who took the initiative throughout the conversation, the quiet young man was more concerning.
As for the middle-aged woman?
Kieran had no idea how she was with that much hatred sent to his face, but it didnt stop him from sensing the malicious intent in her eyes or making the correct decision.
Kieran walked towards the coffee shop beside the street, and the crowd cleared up a path for him.
When he walked past the headless corpse, he didnt even stop. His feather coat fluttered a little with the wind, and the Rare rank item that floated upon the womans body was already in his hand.
As he pushed the coffee shop door open, the item was already in his pocket, and the test tube with liquor was already corked tightly.
Getting his hands on some liquor in the kitchen was a little too easy.
W-What will you be having, sir? the waiter asked with a shiver.
Based on where the waiter was standing, he saw everything that happened, and if it werent for the deposit he received earlier plus that young man Garcia being someone he could not afford to provoke, the coffee shop would have closed.
Lemon water, plus honey, Kieran said.
Noted sir, please wait for a moment. Ill be right back.
The waiter ran to the bar counter and started to prepare the drink.
Before the honey lemon was served, Senile barged in uninvited.
He rushed towards Kieran and sat opposite him.
Do you know what you just did? Senile sounded angry.
What did I do? Did I touch her? Did I make a move? No, instead, thatdy treated me with disrespect. Kieran leaned back on the soft sofa cushion and spoke with a casual tone.
Then why is she dead? Senile red at Kieran.
Who knows? Maybe its the punishment from the heavens? I didnt even move, and theres at least 50 pairs of eyes that can prove what I say. Kieran pointed at the lingering crowd that was looking at the coffee shop.
Punishment from the heavens?! Are you kidding me right now?!
Kierans words almost choked Senile alive, and he almost flipped the table away, but on second thought, he gave up that thought for the sake of his safety.
What also died off was the curiosity in his heart.
Although he really wanted to know how Kieran got his hands on Warm Liquor, as the saying goes, curiosity kills the cat. Senile didnt think he could outlive a cat.
He took a deep breath, readjusted his thoughts and delivered Professor Tyreses message.
Professor Tyrese is interested in the Index of Eat, but he will not give you permission to ess the third-floor library or any other additional condition, said Senile.
Is that so? Well then, too bad. I thought I could work together with Professor Tyrese.
Kieran pretended to sigh with pity.
Seniles mouth twitched a little, but nothing came out of his mouth.
Sometimes, things were better left unsaid.
I think I should leave. Those guys are anxious. You do know what youve done, right? So you must know what you should be cautious of.
Senile walked out after reminding Kieran.
Kieran saw Senile off and waited for his coborator to arrive.
His goal had been achieved the crowd who witnessed the scene should believe that he knew the location of the Index of Eat. Some of them might even fill in the nks themselves and puzzle some unrealistic facts toplete the story.
Next, Kieran would have to think about what kind of request he should ask for.
The value of a permission letter to E Block librarys third floor was different from the location of the Index of Eat.
Chapter 1524 - Feign One Thing While Doing Another
Chapter 1524: Feign One Thing While Doing Another
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
A minute after Senile left and Kieran took his honey lemon, the middle-aged man and Garcia, the quiet young man, came in side by side.
Both of them sat opposite Kieran.
Matters are dealt with, no troubles will befall you now. And my name is Darwend, the middle-aged man said with a smile.
What did I do? Kieran asked back with a smile too.
Right! You didnt do anything! Hahaha... Well then, can we begin? Darwend was stunned before he nodded repeatedly.
Permission to ess the third floor of the library and a Proper Meal ss food. Kieran went straight into the point and stated his request.
Though his requested seemed to have surpassed the two mens expectations.
Sir 2567, I think its a little bit too high, Darwend said with surprise while Garcia frowned slightly.
Kieran coldlyughed at both of them.
High? If it werent for a certain promise, you think Id spill anything about the Index of Eat? Its a Grand Meal ss we are talking about!
Kieran showed unwillingness on his face, as if the request he stated was hurting his benefits painfully.
We, of course, knew this, which is why we are discussing this with you here, but...
Darwend was interrupted by Kieran the moment he spoke.
Let me remind you guys, the little incident that sparked because of me back there wasnt properly covered up. That guy isnt an idiot, and he might have noticed something. I cant guarantee things wont go south if you drag on any longer.
Then you also should also understand that we should be quick in this. Your request is just too high for us to achieve. Darwend tried to persuade Kieran again.
If I dont get a satisfying result, I would rather not say anything, Kieran said firmly.
You are not being a qualified negotiator here. What we seek is to maximize our benefits, not throw a tantrum in a stubborn way, you...
I ept.
Darwend was interrupted by Garcia this time.
Garcia, you...
The payment will be provided by both of our organizations at once, is that okay?
Garcia didnt even care about Darwend and stated his conditions to Kieran directly.
Of course. I dont care how many organizations are involved, I just want to get what I am due, Kieran said.
Then let us sign an agreement, but you do know the consequences of lying, right? Garcia took out his school badge.
What if it is you guys who screw up? You cant me me for your mistakes, right? Kieran asked back as he took out his badge.
Of course not.
The agreement was signed in three copies, one for each party. Darwend also used his teacher badge toplete the signing.
After the signings werepleted and each party got their own copy without mistake, Kieran then spilled, Derton Lab, Lude.
With the answer they sought given, Darwend and Garcia stood up and left faster than they arrived.
Kieran lifted his honey lemon into a toast behind the backs of the duo, as if he was sending his blessings to them.
...
Derton Lab.
Bloody Mary, covering its face in the changing room, almost cried.
Why me again!?
Am I this bulliable?
Why am I always getting these kinds of assignments?
I can feel pain too, you know!
Bloody Mary could very well imagine what would befall it soon but what boosted its despair was that this definitely would not be thest time.
With great poweres great responsibility! Ive leveled up from High to Superior, so of course, I have more responsibility now! The fact that I am always assigned at such critical moments proves how high Boss looks upon me! I must be very different in Bosss heart!
Bloody Mary walked out of the changing room as it self-hypnotised itself.
Morning, Lude.
Hey, morning.
Bloody Mary, in Ludes skin, smiled and greeted everyone it saw along the way.
Bloody Mary had been using Ludes face in theb for the past 2 days, and it already had total insights of theb from top to bottom such as where the guards were, where the surveince camera was, where the blind spots were, etc.
It knew everything about theb, hence it moved in a more casual and skilled manner.
Bloody Mary used the central air-con to spread the potion that it cooked up using theb ingredients. Along with its all-new, unrivalled illusions, no one in theb would escape its palm.
Had Professor Derton been in theb, he might have noticed something unusual, but unfortunately, the professor was on leave today.
As a matter of fact, Kieran purposely picked today because the professor was on leave.
Theb personnel fainted one after another.
Bloody Mary ventured deep into theb and saw the fried golden drumstick. The drumstick still emanated a slight steam. Bloody Mary used the stic wrap that it had prepared beforehand to envelop the drumstickyer byyer before it stuffed it into its backpack, which was also prepared earlier.
Bloody Mary then walked out of theb with the backpack on its back.
The guards who fell into its illusory realm were useless.
The shut-off surveince camera couldnt capture Bloody Marys movements either.
Without any hindrance along the way, Bloody Mary reached the selected sewer entrance, lifted the lid and threw the backpack inside.
There wasnt a ssh because an agile figure caught it with its mouth as it fell mid-air.
Despite the inside of the sewer being dark, the brown and blue odd-colored eyes glowed faintly, especially the three white marks on its forehead, which looked like three ghastly mes.
Its body was only as big as the backpack, but it possessed extraordinary strength. When the Frost Wolf jumped into the air, it snatched up the backpack with its mouth and put both its front leg through the straps nimbly beforending firmly on the other side of the sewer.
Frost Wolf turned back to the sewer entrance and whimpered at Bloody Mary to say goodbye before swiftly vanishing into the dark.
Bloody Mary carefully closed the lid as Frost Wolf left its sight. After making sure it didnt leave any traces behind, it turned back to Ludes secret warehouse.
Along the way, Bloody Mary cleaned up its traces and left behind a trail of subtle hints.
It wasnt an easy task, but Bloody Marypleted it perfectly.
When it almost reached Ludes secret warehouse, it sensed that someone was following with the hints it left behind.
Bloody Mary hastened its steps and sprinted into the warehouse before anyone could catch up.
Soon, the men who followed Bloody Mary appeared and surrounded the warehouse.
Darwend and Garcia walked out of the crowd side by side.
Darwend saw that Garcia was keeping quiet. He then shouted loudly, Lude, hand over the Index of Eat...
KABOOM!
Chapter 1525 - Coincidence
Chapter 1525: Coincidence
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
zing mes rose in the sky, and heat waves tumbled everywhere and caused clothes to flutter.
Darwend and Garcia looked at the fiery scene with a heavy look.
Both of them had many thoughts about the situation, and after exchanging a gaze, orders came out at the same time.
Extinguish the fire!
Form a perimeter around this street block!
The men behind the duo quickly carried out the orders. The firetrucks of Theorate arrived at the scene quickly, and water was sprayed into the fiery warehouse. The fire got under control soon enough, but before the fire waspletely out, Darwend and Garcia rushed into the ruins.
Both of them bent over at the burnt ruins, hoping to find something.
Twenty minutester, Garcia stood up and walked away silently.
Right after that, Garcias men expanded the search perimeter and so did Darwend with his men.
The watchers who had the duo in sight were not idiots; after they saw both of them move out, they knew what had happened.
The explosion was Ludes escape n.
It was quite rare to see such a fiery escape though. While everyone was shocked with the escape, they were now almost certain Lude had unsevered ties with the Index of Eat; otherwise, why would he cause such amotion.
More thoughts and questions rose when hidden jewellery and gold was carried out by the firefighters. Despite being damaged by the explosion and fire, a person with sharp eye knew what the crates held with a single nce.
The watchers hiding in the dark exchanged gazes before they swiftly scattered into the wind.
Find Lude!
The thought bloomed in everyones mind instantaneously.
Of course, none of that had anything to do with Kieran anymore.
When Frost Wolf returned, Kieran took the backpack and caressed its head in appreciation.
The Frost Wolf pushed its head against Kierans palm a few times to show its affection. Kieran then opened the backpack in excitement, but no matter how excited he was, he didnt forget to cover the foods presence with the devils presence.
Kieran tore open the stic wraps right away when the drumstick appeared within sight.
He had tried food nearing a Proper Meal ss before but it was his first time trying an actual Proper Meal ss food.
The taste of the first bite was much more unique than he expected. It had the crispiness of fried food, and the tender meat underneath was very juicy, but what surprised Kieran was its bones.
The bones should be hard, but when Kieran touched it with his tongue, it turned soft right away like jelly. Kieran sucked it into his mouth, and the jelly-like bones melted like warm jelly on top of his tongue; sweet meat juices flowed down his throat and entered his stomach.
Gluttony cheered happily when the drumstick was finished.
As usual, he transformed and distributed the drumsticks energy to all of Kierans Origin Forces.
A breaths timeter, all five of Kierans Origin Forces started to increase in an exponential rate. If he got almost half a years worth of growth from eating an semi-Proper Meal ss food, then after he ate a true Proper Meal ss drumstick, he had gotten more than two years worth of growth for all five of his Origin Forces.
That was still not the end.
While Kieran was adapting to the newly increased Origin Force in his body, lines of words started to pile up in his vision.
[Absorbed special energy. Hand-to-hand Combat and Transcendence Kicks received power up...]
[Name: Hand-to-Hand Combat (Transcendence)]
[Rted Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]
[Skill Type: Offensive]
[Effects: Your punches and kicks are your best weapon. Increases Damage by 60%]
[Special Effects: Transcendence Combat Kicks (When you strike with your feet, they will temporarily grant you +4 Strength and Agility and Outstanding Strength)]
[Outstanding Kicks: Through seasoned tempering and countless battles plus a lucky meal, your legs have reached an astounding level. Acquired +1 attack level against formless spirit beings (+1 attack level on top of your original attack level); Acquired +1 attack level against normal beings (calcted towards your original attack level). Stamina consumption greatly increased when kicking with your legs.]
[Outstanding Strength: Through seasoned tempering and countless battles, you legs have reached beyond the limits ofmon men. You can infuse the power of Dawn Force, Devil me, gue Force and Saint Thorn Force during your attacks, creating an extra attack of a Powerful level (After the initial attack calction, an extra attribute attack will be added). When kicking with your legs, Stamina consumption will greatly increase]
[Consumes: Stamina]
[Prerequisites: Strength B, Agility B, Constitution B]
[Remarks: Your legs are legendary!]
...
Kieran was stunned. This enhancement had truly gone beyond his expectation.
He never thought an actual Proper Meal ss food could affect his Transcendence skill, despite being just a Basic skill, and the increase wasnt that obvious.
Still, Kieran never underestimated any kind of Basic skills. Whether it was the requirement to learn advanced skills or being used as amon offensive and defensive means, Basic skills had the utmost importance.
From a certain aspect, Basic skills were considered the second core, even for the lone wolves who tried to equip themselves with all sorts of arsenal.
The lone wolves grasped skills beyondmon yers imagination; not just all-rounded but strong, but deep down in the roots, the nature of the skills would lean towards a single trait.
Some did it because they liked it while some had to because of the dungeon runs.
Amongst all the myriad of skills, there must be one or two Basic skills and some derivative skills that triumphed others. Kieran was no exception either.
In his basicbat systems, his kicks held an important position. Even if he had acquired Devil me, [Arrogant Word], and [Extreme Night], his kicks still mattered.
Therefore, after [Hand-to-hand Combat] got enhanced, Kieran smiled from the bottom of his heart after the little surprise.
Then, his smile got brighter because he realized in his current dungeon world, a Proper Meal ss food was very rare but not impossible to obtain.
He might be able to get his hands on food above Proper Meal ss.
Of course, it would require a lot more nning and brain juice to make it achievable, and before that, he still had some small problems to attend to.
His n might seemed wless, but since he had his own n, outsiders might be able to spot his ws.
Things unfolded just as expected. Evening, Senile knocked on his dorm door, and when Kieran opened it up, he saw Professor Tyrese behind the teacher.
The professor was sizing Kieran up carefully.
Why are you here? Because of Lude? Or did Derton Lab lose its Proper Meal ss food? Kieran asked to seize the advantage.
Is there any difference? Professor Tyrese retracted his gaze and asked in an interested tone.
Yes, there is. Because of the promise I made with Derwend and Garcia, I cant tell you anything more than you already know about Lude, but if you are looking for the lost Proper Meal ss food, I have some news on hand. Of course, not for free. One Bento ss, no negotiation, Kieran said calmly as he stood before his door.
He had no intention of inviting them in, nor did he have time to negotiate with them.
A Bento ss food? What pricey news you got there. I really wanted to know, but I cant afford the payment.
Professor Tyrese in his casual clothes and sses shook his head with a sigh and chose to leave instead.
Senile kept quiet all the way. He frowned at Kieran before he followed the professor away.
Both of them vanished beyond the corridor, and Kieran went back into his room and started to think seriously.
It seemed like he had once again passed the test.
Using Devil Force as cover, Professor Tyrese didnt notice anything about the drumstick.
However, based on the bits and pieces he revealed through his words, it was enough for Professor Tyrese to rte into more things. At least the professor would start to doubt where Kieran got all this information.
Kieran wasnt worried about that; instead, he was quite happy to see such a reaction, not just from the professor but from many others as well.
The more doubts sparked, the more questions and spections, and the higher the spections, the better it would be for his n.
Fishing in muddy waters, wasnt that always his n?
The water wasnt just getting muddier, the fishes were increasing too.
Judging from the two meetings, Professor Tyrese should represent the true force of Theorate School.
The forces behind Darwend and Garcia were their respective researchbs within the campus.
Based on the rankings and positions, Garcia should listen to Darwend, but from their interactions, it wasnt exactly true.
They knew Kieran was going to trade information with Professor Tyrese, yet they still appeared before him, and shortly after that, Professor Tyrese rejected Kierans suggestion.
If the tension between Darwend and Garcia wasnt sufficient to prove the problem, Professor Tyreses rejection in his little test earlier gave Kieran a deeper insight about Theorate itself: the school would not interfere with thepetition between the researchbs.
As for why?
Perhaps the researchbs had gotten too powerful, or the school wanted to sit back and watch the fire burn on the other side of the river.
Either was possible, and regardless of which, they benefited Kieran.
He believed Darwend and Garcia should have found Ludes men, who were responsible for spreading rumours.
Likewise, Kieran also believed those two idiots wouldntst very long, Darwend and Garcia would figure out a lot of things soon. However, the thing they sought wasnt with the two idiots, so they would expand their search.
Eventually, the hidden party who had their eyes on Lude would enter the sights of Darwend and Garcia.
Kieran never doubted the malicious intent of those in the dark, just like he never would with Darwend and Garcias capabilities.
What would happen when two different forces collided?
Kieran was quite looking forward to the scene, but it would be a few days from now.
Now, it was time for dinner.
Despite having a Proper Meal ss drumstick earlier, it didnt stop him from eating dinner on time.
He stood up from his chair, hung his feather coat on the rack, and walked towards the cafeteria.
The cafeteria during dinner was as merry as usual.
The student who finished their lesson for the day joked andughed as they walked to the cafeteria.
Kieran didnt join them though. Instead, he went to the underground kitchen.
It wasnt just because he wanted to avoid the noisy environment, but also because the kitchen had more choices of food in sufficient amounts.
A few secondster, the cooks in the kitchen fell into shock once more.
Kieran moved like a gale and swept everything clean again. After a round in the kitchen, he wiped his mouth in satisfaction before he returned to the surface.
He saw Senile, who parted ways with him earlier.
Hey, 2567. Senile was smiling as he called Kieran.
Seems like Professor Derton gave you quite the benefits? Kieran asked after a nce at his smiling face.
That meaningful frown that Senile showed before he left earlier was enough to exin everything.
I knew I couldnt get past you. Professor Derton is anxious to find the missing Proper Meal ss food, so he agreed to your conditions and... he even said he will help you in the future, as long as it doesnt cross his bottom line and is within his capabilities, Senile replied with his smiling face.
Ho ho? Seems like the Proper Meal ss food in theb is much more valuable than I thought.
Kieran touched his chin as if he was considering raising his price.
Of course, it is valuable. All Proper Meal ss are valuable, especially for Professor Derton. His research in this Proper meal ss has entered the crucial stage, and if it is stolen or vanishes, everything will go down the drain. So, even if you raise your pricein an appropriate way, that isProfessor Derton will not reject. Senile didnt try to hide the facts, and he didnt mind Kieran raising the price.
Even though Senile was a teacher of Theorate, he had chosen to side with Professor Tyrese firmly. Other than basic respect for the other professors, he wasnt really fond of them.
Those professors only served Theorate in name; beneath the surface, they were working for their respective secret sects and families. Senile wished cmity to befall on all of them.
So where is Professor Derton? Kieran nced at Senile and understood his thoughts right away.
Follow me. Senile then walked towards the coffee shop near the cafeteria, the one where Kieran had the negotiation with Darwend and Garcia.
However, before they truly approached the coffee shop, a sharp scream came.
HELP! SOMEONE IS DEAD!
Chapter 1526 - Trap
Chapter 1526: Trap
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The scream altered Seniles face for the worse.
He and Kieran exchanged a look before they hastened up into the coffee shop.
The coffee shop was already in chaos.
Mugs rolling on the thick carpet, coffee spilling everywhere, chairs toppling over along the corridor (which wasnt that wide), waiters and customers cowering and screaming in fear and even running out of the coffee shop.
Stop! Everybody stop! I am Teacher Senile! From this moment onwards, no one shall leave this ce without my permission! Senile stood at the entrance and shouted at the panicked crowd.
The panicked crowd was forced to a stop.
The title of Teacher in Theorate still had its uses, and at the very least, it would providefort in this kind of chaotic situation.
Who is the owner here? Senile asked.
A middle-aged man walked out upon asking, and Senile continued, Please help me to maintain the order here.
and then used hismunicator to call Professor Tyrese.
Noted, Ill be right there. Senile heaved a breath of relief after hearing the reassuring answer from Professor Tyrese. Senile unconsciously turned around, trying to talk to Kieran, but he noticed Kieran had already entered the coffee shop without his knowing. He was standing in front of the dead body with a knife in its chest.
Professor Tyrese will be right here, he informed Kieran.
What is it? You got something? Senile asked.
His question came out almost instinctively, and he did not expect Kieran could answer him.
Therefore, as Kieran kept quiet, Senile began to size up the surroundings. He had ought to collect more information before the professor arrived, but...
Amid the messy coffee shop, there wasnt a bit of valuable information, especially when the victim, Professor Derton had died in a blind spot, and Senile couldnt help but frown.
So this is Derton? Kieran suddenly asked.
Yes, he is Professor Derton, Senile nodded without a second thought, his face looking a little sad. He grieved like amon man facing a dead body. Although their stances were different, Senile still showed well-deserved respect to the passing of a professor.
Kieran went silent again when he got Seniles confirmation. He squinted his eyes at the body.
Professor Derton died on the chair, his clothes were clean, his back was straight, and if it werent for the knife in his chest, he could have been a live model for proper sitting postures in etiquette books.
It seemed that before he died, Professor Derton paid a lot of attention to his attire and manners. Although his hair was white, he did not allow himself to look any poorer with his manners. Therefore, such a person must have had specific standards for his environment or surroundings. In theory, the professor wouldnt have been sitting that close to a trash can.
Kieran nced over the trash can in the corner.
As it was near the end of the day, the trash can was filled with garbage; one could easily pick up the pungent smell if he were close enough.
Even amon mans sense of smell would be challenged by the smell in this distance and make him feel ufortable, let alone an immacte individual such as the professor.
To cover up something? Kieran looked up at the surveince camera in the coffee shop. He was confused.
The meeting with the professor required a cover-up?
No, it wasnt necessary!
The public knew of the incident at Derton Lab, there was no need to cover up this meeting, so it was an unnecessary move.
Unless Professor Derton had wanted to tell Kieran something more secretive, hence attracting death?
Perhaps... it was the Index of Eat!
It was the only secretive thing that Kieran could think of between him and the professor.
Kieran shifted his gaze to the murder weapon: a knife that had been plunged deep into the professors heart.
The knife was extremely sharp without a doubt, but what concerned Kieran more was the user. A user who could kill a professor with a single blow was not just some John Doe.
For the sake of insurance, Kieran asked again, How good was Professor Derton with his skills?
Those who bear the title of Professor in Theorate represented extreme power; maybe some of them had ws in their character, but their strength is undoubted, Senile answered in an affirmative tone.
Then, do you have a candidate in your mind? Kieran asked. Compared to him, Senile was no doubt more familiar with the school.
No! Among the people I know, there are a lot of powerful ones, but none that could possibly kill Professor Derton with a single knife blow.
Maybe Professor Tyrese knows something. Senile shook his head.
Kieran kept quiet again. He continued to observe the body as his mind pondered over the topic; he felt like he had missed out on something.
Ding Ding!
The bell at the entrance of the coffee shop rang, and Professor Tyrese walked in with a heavy look on his face. Behind him were uniformed guards.
Professor Tyrese nodded at Kieran and Senile before he went to the body.
He couldnt hold back his sigh when he saw Professor Derton waspletely cold and stiff.
He knew at that moment that things had gone out of his control and expectations.
Professor Tyrese pped his hands together and respectfully bowed to his dead colleague.
Although both of them had had their previous conflicts, Professor Derton was dead, and Professor Tyrese had to let it go.
What would he achieve if he wanted to hold a dead person responsible for the conflict?
He was still alive while his rival was dead.
Furthermore, it was not just Professor Tyrese. Senile and the guards behind him shared the same thoughts.
Three secondster, Professor Tyrese put down his hands and donned a pair of gloves to check on the body. Kieran, who was in deep thoughts, suddenly shouted,
HOLD ON! Everybody leave at once! Hurry!
Kieran sounded rushed, and the crowd around him looked at each other in confusion.
2567, this...
A trap! This is a trap! Kieran pointed at Senile before being the first one to stride out of the coffee shop.
Professor Tyrese was initially stunned, but his thoughts caught up and changed his confusion into shock.
Hurry! Leave now! Professor Tyrese repeated what Kieran said and ushered everyone out of the coffee shop.
When thest one of the guards stepped out, Professor Dertons body rose in temperature and started to burn in unimaginable heat.
Two to three secondsterKABOOM!
The body exploded, and the powerful shockwave wrecked the coffee shop. The remaining shockwaves flew out in all directions. zing mes were rumbling and tearing the ce apart.
A breaths timeter, everything in a 50-meter radius around the coffee shop had fallen into a sea of fire.
What had happened? What was going on?
Things happened one after another. It stunned everyone who had run out of the coffee shop, and waiters who had fallen didnt even care about the pain.
All of them looked at the zing scene nkly, including Senile.
However, unlike the others, Senile had reacted to the situation already. Because of that, Seniles face turned pale even under the zing life.
He had been used! And so had Professor Derton!
The killer perfectly used Professor Dertons excuse and Seniles dissatisfaction to create the infernal scene before his eyes.
Speaking from another aspect, Professor Derton had died because of him!
The killer wanted to use Dertons death to lure Professor Tyrese out!
Think about it: if he and Kieran returned to the coffee shop and saw Professor Dertons body, what would he do?
Senile would surely contact Professor Tyrese right away, and if it wasnt for Kierans quick reaction... Senile couldnt hold back his shivers as he watched the zing sea.
Senile turned to look at Kieran, who stood calmly, and showed an ugly smile. T-Thank you.
After giving his thanks, Senile went up to Professor Tyrese like a child who had made a mistake, Im sorry, professor.
Its fine. It wasnt your fault, you just... Professor Tyreseforted Senile and unconsciously turned to Kieran. Likewise, Kieran was looking at the professor.
I think we need to talk, Professor Tyrese said.
Sure, I think the same, Kieran nodded.
They did not leave the fiery scene, though. They both walked towards an alley nearby, and Senile followed behind them under Tyreses orders.
Thank you for that reminder just now. I owe you one.
After making sure the alley was safe, Professor Tyrese expressed his gratitude to Kieran, and a little pauseter, the professor continued, What do you think of Dertons death?
Index of Eat, Kieran replied firmly.
Although Dertons death had turned into a trap, Kieran didnt change his initial thoughts.
Professor Derton had died because of the Index of Eat.
As for Tyrese?
Kieran was almost sure of the fact that Tyrese was also investigating the Index of Eat and may have even grasped a critical point. Otherwise, the murderer who had killed Derton wouldnt have gone to such an extent to set up the trap.
Of course, the killer may have also had immense hatred for Tyrese.
Do you have any enemies? Kieran asked.
I have and not in the lesser, but none of could go to this extent. Whoever it was should being after the Index of Eat. Tyrese smiled bitterly and chose to be honest, up to a certain extent.
He did not need to hide anymore when Kieran asked the question, Tyrese knew the First Seat must have known something. Tyrese always had a deep impression about this freshman First Seat.
Whether was it his powers that far surpassed any freshmen or the ability to remain calm in all sorts of situations, Tyrese knew that this First Seat would surely etch his name in Theorates history. Tyrese realized that up until now, he had still been underestimating this First Seat.
This freshman would not just etch his name in Theorates history book, but he would be a legend.
Maybe this freshman was still in his cradle, but as time passed, he would grow stronger and surely turn eyes.
Therefore, Tyrese would not allow anything to happen to him.
I dont know how much you know about the Index of Eat, but I want you to leave it at once. Ill write a letter to transfer you to A Block for studies, and when everything here is settled, Ill bring you back, Tyrese said sincerely.
Do you think I still have the option of leaving all this? Kieran asked.
Go to A Block. Everything is possible once you are there. Senile will go with you, and someone will take care of you once you are there, Tyrese said with a smile. He already started arranging the matters for Kierans move to A Block.
From Tyreses point of view, under a life and death situation, Kieran had no reason to reject, so when he saw Kieran shook his head, Tyrese was astonished.
Why? Are you worried about the people behind Darwend and Garcia? Dont worry, they...
Thank you for your kind words, but I have my reasons to stay, Kieran interrupted the professor.
Although some unexpected idents had happened, it did not affect Kierans n, and from how he viewed it, the situation was actually benefiting him because he could faintly see the actual location of the Index of Eat amidst all this mess.
Given the circumstances, why would Kieran leave?
Tyrese looked at Kieran in confusion, but in the end, he sighed.
I dont know why you want to stay, but please be careful at all times.
If you run into some trouble, please contact me right awayIll tell the crafters to hasten yourmunicator. You will receive it before dawn at your dorm, Tyrese said.
Thank you. Is Eiderburgh with you? Kieran simply asked after showing his gratitude.
Tyrese was stunned, and he looked at Kieran. He had no idea how Kieran had discovered the secret, but he chose to admit it with a nod. Yes. Did you go to the cafeteria just to prove your theory? Not even Eiderburgh escaped your eyes? Tyrese couldnt hold back the bitter smile on his face.
I think you should pay more attention to Eiderburgh. Since you are under enemies crosshairs, I dont think Eiderburgh can sleep soundly either.
Kieran spoke his mind and waved at Tyrese before he walked out the alley.
He didnt ask about the Index of Eat because Tyrese would not tell him, despite him owing him a great debt of gratitude.
Likewise, Kieran would not tell Tyrese the reason he entered the cafeteria. It was a matter of principals.
Seeing Kieran off, Professor Tyrese took out hismunicator and contacted Eiderburgh.
Do Do Do...
The line was busy, and no one answered the call.
Professor Tyreses face turned ugly.
Chapter 1527 - Bait
Chapter 1527: Bait
Kieran heard the busy tone from themunicator.
Advance Rank Intuition allowed him to expand his hearing range to an unimaginable limit as well as increased his sensitivity for capturing noise or smell.
Conventional means could not fool Kierans Intuition, let alone when themunicator sounded without cover and in an open space.
However, Kieran didnt stop.
The three professors rted to Index of Eat were all targets. Derton was already dead, and if he had not intervened and saved Tyrese, the professor would have been the second. Now, Eiderburgh going missing hit Kieran like an rm clock.
There were some forces behind the scenes taking out anyone who was rted to the Index of Eat.
And he would also be on that list.
Speaking from a particr aspect, Kieran was the fuse that ignited all this: he had been the one to bring the secretive Index of Eat up to the public eyes.
Considering the level of hatred, Kieran should be the most despised of them all.
The masterminds n had been brewing in the dark for a long time, and Kieran had identally stepped into it. The mastermind must be eager to tear him apart!
As Kieran thought of this particr point, so did Tyrese.
Tyrese brought Senile and gave chase to Kieran.
2567, wait! You are in danger now, Tyrese said in a heavy expression.
Em. So you should go look for Eiderburgh, Kieran said as he walked around the two of them and headed back to his dorm.
The mastermind should have known Tyrese survived the st.
Given such circumstances, as long as Eiderburgh did not die on the spot, he would not be in much danger. The mastermind still needed to use Eiderburgh as bait in order to distract Tyrese. The optimal case would be to lure Tyresepletely away from Kieran.
But you...
Dont worry, find those guys quick. I am much safer than you think, Kieran waved his hand as he walked away.
Professor? Senile looked at Tyrese after Kieran went out of sight.
Tyrese sighed again.
Although he could forcefully ensure Kierans safety, forcing people wasnt his style. However, he simply couldnt just leave Kieran alone.
Bring a group of guards and stay around 2567 at all times. Ill be right back, Tyrese said after some thoughts.
Understood. Please be careful, Senile nodded.
Em. Ill grant you the authority to contact the principal in desperate situations directly, but remember, it must be utterly desperate like your life and death depends on it! Tyrese reminded.
Its already down to this? Senile shivered and looked at Tyrese in shock.
The principal was the highest authority in E Block of Theorate. While Senile was still a student, the principal was already in power as the overseer of E Block, and even after Senile had be a teacher with a particr reputation, he had only seen the principal twice in his life.
The first was when the Dark Eaters invaded E Block, and the other time was the anomaly in the Forbidden Area.
Every time was a life and death situation where the well-being of the whole school was on the line.
Hope this is not, but...
Tyrese didnt say anything else.
He could never be too careful or overestimate an enemy who managed to kill Derton in a single blow and caused Eiderburgh to go missing.
...
When Kieran safely returned to his dorm, Standler was waiting in front of the door.
When Standler saw Kieran, he, as the First Seats aide, walked over with a bitter smile, I know the First Seat has a certain authority, but skipping ss on the first day? The teachers really arent pleased with you. Standler then took out a little notebook, Here, this is your homework. Ive listed out the main points.
Kieran took it and flipped it over, the handwriting in the notebook was impable.
Cooking Utensils History ss: copy down all of the cooking utensils used during the Second Popr Period.
Practical Ingredient ss: ntation visit next Monday.
Tutorial: next weekend, the 3rd year will tutor the freshmen in actual battle.
The points were all taken down in great detail. Kieran nced over the contents and closed the notebook.
Got it, he said and walked to his room.
He had zero intentions of inviting Standler inside, and the aide seemed to have be used to the weird behavior of the First Seat. Standler shrugged helplessly, but just as Kieran pushed open his door, cold killer intents shed over Standlers eyes, and he thrust his hand towards Kierans back.
It should have been the hand of a human, and yet it was unusually sharp like a de, ring coldly under the corridor light. It was exceptionally honed.
Huu!
As the air-breaking sound came, Standlers fingers were almost at Kierans back, almost.
Almost and did were different, and such a difference was like that between heaven and earth.
Bang!
A loud thudter, the attacker who so closely resembled Standler looked down at his chest: a long rapier pierced his body.
He had no idea when the rapier had appeared; there wasnt any whistle, and it was unusually sharp as well. It was much sharper than his hand, in which he prided himself so much.
You think you...
Pak!
His heart had been stabbed, and he started to shout like a loser behind Kieran. Kieran, however, had no interest in whatever the man had to say.
[Dandelion Pierce] shed, and the shouts ended abruptly.
A green glowing item appeared on the mans body, Kieran picked it up.
[Name: Sil Table Knife]
[Type: Wonder Item]
[Rarity: Magic]
[Attack: Common]
[Attribute: Cut]
[Effect: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark; It is the basic weapon or tableware of the Sil Sect]
...
[Cut: When cutting food, attack level +1, 2 times per day]
...
Kieran wasnt surprised by the magical tableware at all. Compared to his previous legendary chopsticks and another spice bottle, it was really nothing.
Kieran ced the knife and the spice bottle, which was only as big as half of a grown mans palm, together.
[Name: Five vor Bottle (Replica)]
[Type: Wonder Item]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: Strong]
[Attribute: Season]
[Effect: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: This is a replica of the Five vor Bottle; some people really like it.]
...
[Season: Turn the lid to the correct area, able to get juices of sweet, bitter, sour, spicy, and salty. 3 times per day]
...
Kieran nced over the description of [Five vor Bottle (Replica)] and carefully checked the body. After making sure he hadnt missed anything the first time, he walked towards the stairs beside the corridor.
An almost naked Standlerid there, knocked out cold.
Kieran looked at the unconscious Standler, and he raised his foot over to the neck without a second thought.
Kak!
A distinct bone-cracking noiseter, the neck was snapped. The seemingly unconscious man widened his eyes in shock. The imposter did not understand how he could possibly have been discovered.
The disguise technique of them both should have been wless, and together with their teamwork, even if someone had been able to dodge the first ambush, they would have lowered their guard at the second ambush.
Theirbined trickery had fooled a lot of famous people, so how could a mere First Seat see through them?
Until death, the imposter widened his eyes in shock, as if he was seeking answers, but it was his destiny to die a restless death.
Kieran picked up a fork that had formed on top of his body before searching for other possible clues in the area.
He would not tell the imposter that traces left behind were very hard to alter even if the imposter changed his face. Even more so, under Transcendence [Tracking], all the hidden traces were revealed to Kierans eyes, and it was too easy for him to tell them apart.
[Name: Sil Fork]
[Type: Wonder Item]
[Rarity: Magic]
[Attack: Common]
[Attribute: Poke]
[Effect: Aroma Lock]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark; It is the basic weapon or tableware of the Sil Sect]
...
[Poke: When poking food, attack level +1, 2 times per day]
...
[Aroma Lock: When you have Sil Table Knife and Sil Fork, you can trigger this effect. The fork and knife will lock the aroma of any food it touches until you finish your meal (Duration no longer than 1 hour), 1 time per day]
...
Not too bad. Kieran, who had failed to get any more clues in the area, looked at the triggered effect, and he curled his lips into a grin.
He wasnt surprised. Drop items could trigger a hidden effect when used together. Maybe it was almost useless to others since the effect was only viable to food, but it was quite decent in Kierans point of view.
The most concerning point was the drop rates of items and equipment in this dungeon world.
It was apparent that as the difficulty lowered, the drop rates surged as well.
If he were in his normal difficulty, this kind of petty criminal wouldnt have provided him with a loot.
However, the discovery did not change Kierans n at all.
Or rather, when choosing between 10 Magic rank items and 1 Legendary item, as long as Kieran wasnt out of his mind, he knew what his choice would behed take them all!
Pak!
Kieran snapped his finger, and Bloody Mary appeared behind him. The smart Frost Wolf also ran out of his dorm.
Ill leave this to you guys, Kieran said.
Its my pleasure to be of service.
Bloody Mary, who was wearing an ordinary students face, bowed slightly before it went off with Frost Wolf to pursue the potential attackers.
Three minutes after Bloody Mary and Frost Wolf left, Senile brought a group of guards to the student dorm.
The freshmen, rmed by the messy footsteps, stuck their head out their doors cowardly, trying to see what had happened; the brave ones came out directly, but when they saw the body in the corridor, their faces changed and shrunk back.
Although they had sessfully entered Theorate, they were still freshmen and hadnt been through the test of blood and fire. They were still nothing but rookies.
Senile couldnt help but shake his head at the freshmens reaction, but right after the corridor, when he saw Kieran with his ever calm face, his face began to twitch.
Kieran, a freshman who behaved and acted nothing like one. His sharp and precise means shook even a teacher like Senile and caused him to sweat, let alone mere students.
Again, Seniles curiosity at Kieran rose, but simr to thest time, he was smart enough to suppress it.
No one liked their secrets to be pried open, not Senile, and definitely not Kieran.
However, carrying out standard procedures was a different story.
What happened just now, 2567? Senile asked, The dorms surveince camera has been destroyed. I need you to tell me what happened.
When I return to my dorm...
After Kieran briefly exined the situation, the guards that had been searching the entire building finally found Standler, almost naked, at the Stairs to the upper floor.
Fortunately for him, other than having been knocked out, Standler hadnt suffered any injuries.
Standler was escorted back to his room, and Senile started to arrange the guards.
Split into three groups of six, guard the gate and the roof, and set up two fixed outposts in the perimeter. Two more of you will patrol the premise.
Kieran didnt think Seniles arrangement would be any use in the uing matters. Still, he did not object to it either because the increased security would filter out a significant number of goons that werent worthy of his time.
From today onwards, Leonard and I will be in the dorm office 24 hours a day in shifts. The surveince will be fixed before the morning, and the blind spots will be removed. Remember to contact me if you notice anything unusual, Senile said in a serious tone before handing Kieran amunicator.
Themunicator was Theorates special item. It was simr to a smartphone but had a lot more functions. It could even be considered as a representation of its owner.
This is themunicator Professor Tyrese promised you. You might be the first in recent years to get your ownmunicator this fast among the freshmen. Though, I would assume even if the other students had the chance to mimic your way of getting your hands on amunicator, they would not do it either. Remember to bind it with your school badge.
Senile then checked on the body covered with the white cloth.
As Kieran bound his school badge with themunicator, Senile cried out in shock after removing the disguise from the imposter.
Randel?!
As if Senile couldnt believe his eyes, he checked the body meticulously before standing up with a heavy look and going to the other body.
After checking both bodies, Senile looked gloomier than ever.
Things are much moreplicated than expected! Do you know who they are...
Sil Sect? Kieran interrupted Senile.
How did you...right, you have your own information source. Its not all that surprising that youve heard of Sil Sect, but I bet you did not expect them to make a move against you, eh?
With the Index of Eat as a reference, although Kieran was still a freshman, no one treated him as one.
More theories and guesses popped up, and a lot of people started to suspect Kieran was from a secretive sect or family.
Senile shared simr thoughts. He sized Kieran up and said in utter seriousness, What are you going to do now? Oh wait, on second thought, I dont want to know. But let me warn you, dont involve the others in the school in this!
Kieran fell into deep thoughts at Seniles warning.
It seemed like the intervention of sects and family in Theorates matters were worse than he had imagined. It was so severe that Senile, the schools teacher, only gave him a verbal warning rather than taking other actual actions.
Kieran was almost sure that had he done something wrong or worse, no severe consequences would follow if he really was from one of those sects or families.
Unfortunately, he wasnt, but the two imposters that he had just killed were.
On top of that, in the foreseeable days, he would be killing even more from those sects and families.
Im really looking forward to this!
Chapter 1528 - Foresaw It Coming
Chapter 1528: Foresaw It Coming
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
It suddenly rained at midnight. The guards at E Block student dorm were extra nervous and on alert because of the weather.
The rainy night obstructed vision and hearing, so it was a perfect opportunity for an attacker to strike.
The guards were extra wary, and they widened their eyes in scanning the area, trying not to let a single detail slip past their watchful eyes.
The rainsted till dawn.
The first light pierced the dark clouds and brought light to thend.
The puddles of rain reflected the sunlight from the ground. All the guards heaved a breath of relief because nothing had happened.
Everything was safe!
The guards exchanged looks in slight joy. The doors were opened up one after another by the waking students, and the depressed and eerie atmosphere in the dorms faded and lightened up right away.
Spotting the guards on duty reminded the students of the incident that had happenedst night. Whispers were inevitable, and as one of the people involved, Standler was bombarded with questions.
I dont know what happened either! After I sent the homework to 2567, I was knocked out cold. If you guys want to know what happened, go ask the First Seat yourselves. Standler smiled bitterly.
It wasnt the first time already, Maica had asked him more than a dozen times after the guards had sent him back to his room.
Maica would sigh and shake his head with each of his questions as if he regretted not sending the homework to Kieran himself.
Standler did not want to care about his roommate.
Everyone has a different attitude towards danger.
Maica loved the excitement that danger brought and was used to it from growing up under extreme situations. Standler was different, though. He did not want to ce himself in danger, and he hoped for a quiet and peaceful school life.
Moreover, Standlers thought was quite reasonable for the majority of the students. Therefore, when he told the students to ask the First Seat themselves, everyone shook their heads.
Stop joking! Who would provoke that kind of person afterst night?
Perhaps some were unconvinced of Kieran being the First Seat at first, but the intense feelings died down after a few days.
Kieran didnt just be the Branch Leader of E Block, the things he had done in the past few days started to spread like wildfire.
Death and blood was the main point in the stories, and dead bodies and ruthlessness was the indispensable melody that followed.
The students were quite rational in front of such a bloody existence, but when Standler mentioned the First Seat, no one could hold back their curiosity, and everyone turned to Kierans room.
Then... the door opened!
Kieran walked out with two men in his hands!
Cries of shock rose uncontrobly. The students automatically opened up a path for Kieran and watched him walk to the guards. Kieran threw the two unconscious men in front of the guards.
The attackers fromst night.
Kieran then headed to the cafeteria after disposing of his problems.
The previously relieved guards instantly froze by the sight of the unconscious men.
What happened? Wasnt it a peaceful night?
Why are there attackers? Why didnt we spot them?
Questions arose in their hearts, but the matter that would cause them the biggest headaches was just about to begin.
Its Wine Beast and Patissier!
Werent they expelled into the deepest part of Mystic State and were lost in there?
How are they here?
No one should underestimate the well-informed freshmen; they were always one step ahead of others and grasped news that others couldnt.
The guards had almost forgotten about these two wanted criminals: Wind Beast and Patissier, who had killed and harmed other students because of food.
The well-informed freshmen had sharp observation as well.
Judging from how hard their neck is twisted, they should be dead, right?
They must be!
Based on what I know, any attackers who attack 2567 will not get away alive!
He is really as ruthless as rumored!
No, he is much scarier than the rumors!
...
Amid the fierce discussion, more and more students gathered.
Curiosity triumphed over the fear of death and corpses when the number was great enough, and all the students wanted to know what happened.
Back off! Dont surround the bodies!
While the guards kept the students away and maintained order, Senile and Leonard were informed right away.
The situation finally got under control when the two teachers arrived.
Kieran had alreadye up from the underground kitchen when the teachers came. After he found out that Eiderburgh had gone missing, his decision to have all three meals in the underground kitchen was solidified.
Where else was better to eat than in the kitchen that cooked the food?
He wiped his mouth with a tissue and walked towards the ruins of the coffee shop, which was now surrounded by yellow tape.
Kieran looked at the charred ruins. If he had note to the coffee shop yesterday, he wouldnt have been able even to tell what was it before, especially after a storm, which washed all leftover traces away.
Still, it didnt stop Kieran from searching his memories as he looked at the ruins.
It was one of Kierans habits: recall his memories in a more precise way to search for potential clues and leads.
He knew he wasnt a smart person, so he only could go with this kind of stupid way.
Of course, he wasnt just searching through his memories in front of the ruins; he was waiting.
The guards saw Kieran stopped in front of the ruins for some observation, but they did not interrupt or chase him away.
Even the guards had heard the news about Kieran, especially after Kieran saved Tyrese yesterday from potential death, the guards who belonged to the school were quite grateful to the freshman.
They couldnt imagine what would E Block be like without Professor Tyrese.
Di Di Di Di!
Is 2567 around you? Seniles anxious voice came from the guardsmunicator.
Yes, sir. He is just a little further away from me, the guard answered.
Pass themunicator to 2567, Senile said quickly.
Yes, sir. The guard walked towards Kieran.
Kieran took themunicator right away as hed heard the conversation. The guard left Kieran alone by walking further away after passing themunicator to him.
Whats wrong? Kieran asked.
Why didnt you bring your ownmunicator... Professor Tyrese is missing!
A quick rantter, Senile delivered the shocking message.
Although Senile tried to make himself sound normal, Kieran still sensed fear and loss from his voice.
Is that so? Kieran was still calm. He wasnt surprised at the news at all.
The anxious Senile didnt notice or even care about the calmness in Kierans voice. After he delivered the news, he continued anxiously, Im going to contact the principalProfessor Tyrese told me to contact the principal at the most desperate times, I think it is now.
Are youing?
No, thank you. Kieran rejected Seniles suggestion.
There wasnt any persuasion from Senile, though. After the rejection, Senile hung up, and Kieran returned themunicator to the guard.
Did something happen? the guard simply asked.
Nope. Everything is within expectation, Kieran answered.
Chapter 1529 - Scapegoat
Chapter 1529: Scapegoat
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
E Block, Fire Stove Alley.
Simr to all streets of E Block, it was filled with messy andplicated structures, it even felt a bit suffocating.
Hence there were only a few who woulde here, regardless of status as a freshmen or senior.
However, in the eyes of the higher ranks of Theorate, Fire Stove Alley was different because it was where Principal Romuse lived.
The old principal who defended the harshest and most dangerous of waves countless times in E Block wasnt living in luxury or whatever pleasant condition the folks in A Block were enjoying.
He lived in E Block and in a rather broken little house.
There was no guard or surveince in the area but the ck figure who approached the house was careful as he stepped forward, it was like he was walking towards some dangerous ce.
The ck figure seemed to be calcting the timing of each of his steps, it was less than 300 meters from the alley entrance to the old broken house but it took the figure around an hour.
As the figure finally reached the front of the little house, he wiped his sweat away and heaved a sigh of relief.
He had been through the most dangerous part, so it was time for him to reap his gains!
Unlike the utmost careful manner he used when he walked into the alley, he walked into the house with swagger, as if he was the owner. The figure was very familiar with the ce, he headed straight for the second floor after he went in.
Tsk Ga!
The old door of the study room was pushed opened, he walked in and headed to the book rack, searching for a particr item.
Soon, he got what he came for.
With a rather surprised look, the figure ced the item into his bag before he prepared to leave, but before he did, he nced over the study desk unconsciously.
When he saw the book ced in the middle of the desk, his body froze.
It was an old book, its cover was a little torn but the name was very distinctIndex of Eat!
The words written in pen with calligraphy held endless temptation, it caused the figure to hesitate.
A minute dwelling in his hesitanceter, he made up his mind.
He did not touch the book named Index of Eat on the desk, instead he held his bag tight and left the building, carefully retracing his steps away from Fire Stove Alley.
Huu!
After he truly left Fire Stove Alley, he heaved a long sigh but at the next moment, a voice sounded behind him.
Im curious what kind of item made you give up the Index of Eat?
Ugh... Cough Cough... Why are you here?!
The sudden voice made the figure choke on his own breath. After a few coughs, he turned to Kieran who walked out from the shadows with a horrified look.
Because you told me so, Professor Derton! Kieran smiled.
I told you so? What kind of joke is that? And Professor Derton is dead! the figure shouted.
Is that so? Then why not you take off your mask? Kierans smile was still hanging on his face.
Knowing too much will get you killed.
The figure didnt remove his mask but his voice turned gloomy.
I didnt want to know this much either, but why would you show your many ws to me? Kieran sighed falsely.
ws? If it wasnt for you, what kind of ws were there!
The figures voice became cold.
Starting from my death, everything was progressing perfectly, I didnt just wash away my suspicion, I was even able to ambush Tyrese! He would be lying in the hospital for at least half a year and after I abducted Eiderburgh, E Block would plunge into chaos soon, Principal Romuse would be forced toe out then.
But you, you... Your appearance disrupted my ns, forcing me to alter them. Derton then coldly grunted.
But the more perfect your ns are, the harder it is for you to alter.
I am afraid abducting Professor Tyresest night is already yourst straw?
That is why you did note after me, a freshman who exposed Index of Eat to the public, instead you sent others to attack me, Kieran said.
Let me guess, their abilities are so weak that it caused doubts? Compared to the alleged killer that killed me in one blow and caused Eiderburgh to go missing, they are too weak. Even more so after the consecutive attacks, they should have been careful during the third attack after failing twice in a row and yet the third attacker was still too weak, Derton said like he was filling in the nks for Kieran.
This is one of them but what really struck doubts in my mind is everything was that everything was too coincidental!
The moment Lude escaped, you contacted me and the next thing I know, youre dead. Its too much of a coincidence!
What kind of coincidence there is? You knew Lude had found out the secret location of the Index of Eat, so he escaped and of course I had to find you! More so, Lude even took my research away!
Thats right Everything is reasonable and logical except for the fact that Lude heard about the Index of Eat from you! If you are going that way, can I say that everything is within your ns? Including what Lude did in the dark and the one who had Lude in their crosshairs, they are also your men? Professor Derton?
The questions and answers finally stopped with Dertons silence.
How did you know Lude heard about the Index of Eat from me?
I am very certain when I released the news, there were no others around me! And youre not within his social circle! Derton asked.
Then did you ever think about whether Lude had capabilities that you would never expect?
ording to your n, you would have sent Lude out after some more time, a more suitable time, right? Then, there will be ack of evidence with Ludes death.
Kieran did not answer the question, he asked his instead.
Then, he shifted the topic suddenly.
But Lude suddenly escaped and disrupted your initial n, it forced you to take the risk.
The so-called perfect n is nothing but ast minute thought.
Just like after your saw me, you suddenly nned to make me a scapegoat, Kieran then took a step back.
Tss!
Right after Kieran left his original spot, the ground started to melt and a heavy smell of oil came out from the ground.
A 5-meter humanoid that was formedpletely out of semi-solid oil crawled out from the melted hole and growled at Kieran.
Of course! Who else is more suitable than you, an unusual freshman?
None! You are the most suitable! Otherwise why am I talking crap with you here!
Do you think I am as boastful as you? Dertonughed coldly.
Boast? I dont need that kind of thing. What I need is also a scapegoat.
Kieran shook his head and looked at the little house inside Fire Stove Alley.
Derton seemed to have understood something but before he could ponder upon the thought...
BOOM!
The little house in Fire Stove Alley exploded and fell into a sea of me.
The tremendous shockwave almost caused Derton to fall off his feet, but the ze that shocked him even more was blooming before his eyes.
Chapter 1530 - Life Is Like a Movie (2 in 1)
Chapter 1530: Life Is Like a Movie (2 in 1)
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Principal Romuse in his casual attire and white hair was standing at the entrance of Fire Stove Alley. He was looking at his little house which was already in ruins, he couldnt hold back his sighs.
He felt it pity that the ce he meticulously picked to stay was gone, he also felt it a pity about his collections being burned to cinders, especially a few particr quality books which he had spent arge amount of effort to get.
Ive only read it around a hundred times!
Once he thought about the fact that he had no more books to read himself to sleep anymore, Romuses mood plummeted.
Senile could tell the principal was having a bad day.
If it was possible, Senile didnt want to appear at such bad timing either, but Professor Tyrese was badly hurt, his colleague, Leonard, had to keep an eye on that trouble-ma, so other than himself, no one else was avable.
Principal, it is confirmed that Lude and Derton are behind this, but...
Unlike what we predicted, Derton wasnt the mind behind this diabolic scheme but Lude.
Senile mustered up enough courage to report what he had gathered.
Lude was the one?
Principal Romuse came back from his lousy mood and shock shed across his eyes.
Yes. ording to 2567s statement, when he fought Derton, the house that you are living in suddenly exploded but Derton wasnt surprised, as if he had predicted the oue.
Lude then came out from the fire and Derton greeted him respectfully, Senile nodded.
This is just 2567s own words. I want a more solid evidence.
And 2567 knew about the Index of Eat from Lude, so both of them should be somehow rted, Principal Romuse reminded Senile.
We indeed have a more solid evidence: two groups of guards were ambushed by Lude and they fell into his illusory realm with a single nce.
That kind of power is at least a Professor level, and his speed! Lude possessed outrageous speed, not even a Professor level expert could catch up to him.
Before Senile questioned the guards who got ambushed, he was rather doubtful about Kierans statement either but after that, he was very certain that Kieran was telling the truth: Derton was Ludes subordinate.
Why would the strong work for the weak?
A sheep wouldnt lead a group of lions.
Is that so? Then what about the connection between 2567 and Lude? Principal Romuse asked.
Ive asked him before, he said Ludes men snatched the Little Rainbow Cake which was supposed to be the prize for the freshmen weing dinner, it was then 2567 discovered some clues.
Its rather unbelievable Id say, no one would believe a food-snatch would trigger such a big incident, Senile sighed helplessly.
No one believed it? If thats the case, how did 2567 do it? Principal Romuse asked back.
Him? Well, he is not quite the same with other freshman, he isnt just strong, his thinking pattern doesnt function like amon man. Maybe he is those so-called genius, Senile recalled the scenes before he shook his head in bitter smile.
Some people are destined to be different than others.
The most difficult questions inmon eyes may not even prove to be a problem in their eyes.
Some mystifying incidents were rather simple from their point of view.
At least before Senile arrived at Fire Stove Alley, hed never thought Dertons... No, Ludes target was the principal.
Everything that Lude did was to lure the principal out of his house and away from Fire Stove Alley
The house of the principal must have held some extremely precious items.
What could it be?
Since Principal Romuse didnt mention it, Senile wasnt that dull and stupid enough to ask, but toward Kieran, Senile was very much convinced up to this stage.
Maybe, but I am more concerned about Lude! A 3rd year student who gave all his effort in hiding himself is much more dangerous than a genius First Seat freshman!
Senile, give me everything you have on Lude, Principal Romuse said.
Yes, principal, Senile nodded and made a call from hismunicator.
...
Kieran had already returned to his dorm after Seniles interrogation session.
He knew what would happen next, but none of it mattered to him anymore.
Everyones eyes would be focused on Lude and Kieran believed Bloody Mary would do a good job.
Like now, through the power of the contract, Kieran acquired the vision of Bloody Mary and was checking the item which Derton cared so much about: a map, a clearlybeled map of E Block.
Mystic State, the time of opening, the danger level.
All the obviousbels told Kieran the value of the map.
Its actually a new Mystic State?!
When Derton gave up on the Index of Eat for this item, Kieran already had some guesses but he never thought it would be a map to a new Mystic State.
How much would a new Mystic State be worth?
Kieran knew very clearly since it wasnt his first rodeo.
Aside from the possible treasures inside, the ingredients alone inside would attract people to swarm after it like a flock of ducks.
To Kieran, the most important thing was the new notifications in his vision.
[Acquired key item: new Mystic State deduction map]
[Special trial initiated after acquiring new Mystic State deduction map, acquired special dungeon in advance: Name of Eat]
Acquired special dungeon in advance? Kieran grinned.
The gains and benefits of a second entry to this dungeon world to Kieran was self-exnatory.
At least he could use a better, easier way to solve the restricting parts of his n.
Some thoughtster, Kieran ordered Bloody Mary to bring out the Index of Eat.
Kieran frowned though, it was just some ancient text without any exnation.
The ancient text wasnt included in [Mystical Knowledge], it was the product that extended from this particr dungeon world. For Kieran, who had only acquired themonnguage pack, the ancient texts were as difficult as the Book of Heaven.
Besides, what happened just now had stopped him from doing research on the ancient text in the meantime.
Even though he was secretive enough, researching arge amount of ancient text all of a sudden would be enough to attract unwanted attention from intentional parties.
As a matter of fact, if there wasnt a rather troublesome guard at the library, he would have sent Canbenor there to read all the books in the shortest time.
And now?
I have to approach this even more secretively? Kieran fell into deep thought.
Unconsciously, Kieran thought about the spiritual being that lingered in the second floor of the library. Perhaps... there was another on the third floor?
With the new thoughts in his head, Kieran didnt move out recklessly, instead he took out the loot he got from Derton and the two attackers fromst night.
A Magic rank te.
A Rare rank winepot.
A Legendary rank oiler.
Under the light, the three items were glowing in their respective glows, it was a delightful scene for Kieran.
[Name: Exquisite te]
[Type: Wonder Item]
[Rarity: Magic]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: Strong]
[Attribute: Condensation]
[Effect: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: The Patissier found this low level treasure in the Mystic State. Other than holding pastries, sashimi would be a fine choice as well.]
...
[Condensation: emanate coldness at all times (will not cause damage even after touching it for a long period of time)]
...
[Name: Compact Brew Winepot]
[Type: Wonder Item]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: Powerful]
[Attribute: Brew Intake]
[Effect: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: Wine Beast found this treasure in the Mystic State, it is priceless to him.]
...
[Brew Intake: Put special ingredients inside and the winepot will brew different kinds of wine ording to the traits of ingredient (the brewing speed is based on the rank of item ced, unable to brew Legendary rank or higher ingredients), usable onceper week]
...
[Name: Secret Oil Mixture]
[Type: Wonder Item]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: None]
[Attribute: Use it during cooking, has a certain chance to raise the foods quality. 3/3 (When usage counter surpasses 1, 2 usage counters will be consumed)]
[Effect: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: Only the essence from an Oil Giant could be considered a secret mix]
...
After a thorough examination of the three items, Kieran put them away carefully. [Secret Oil Mixture] has a certain chance to increase food quality, he knew who was most suitable to use it.
He also put [Exquisite te] and [Compact Brew Winepot] together with the other tableware.
Although Kieran didnt drink, it didnt stop him from putting them into his bag.
He walked out of his dorm after storing everything, it was time for dinner.
Themunicator on the table?
Kieran would never felt at ease using something that was created entirely from someone elses hand. He had no idea whether or not it had something that didnt belong there.
Even though Professor Tyrese was kind, Kieran still did not acknowledge him as a friend.
...
E Block cafeteria.
Kieran saw Eiderburgh standing in front of the entrance to the underground kitchen. He had been missing for two days but other than a rather tired face, his strong, buff body was still as ferocious as a silverback gori. The pipe in his mouth was giving out sparks, meaning he was in quite in the mood.
Good evening, Head Chef, Kieran greeted and walked towards the surface cafeteria very naturally, as if he originally wanted to head to the cafeteria instead of the underground kitchen.
Wait, where are you going? Eiderburgh called Kieran.
Cafeteria, dinner, Kieran replied in a brief manner.
Were you not having dinner in the kitchen for the past 2 days? Eiderburgh asked with a coldugh.
Kitchen? What are you bbering about? In the past 2 days, other than necessary, this is my first time going to the cafeteria to have my dinner, Kieran frowned and showed a displeased look.
So it wasnt your handiwork in the kitchen?
Eiderburgh was stunned when he saw Kierans authentic, displeased face.
After being freed from Dertons detention and returned to the cafeteria, he heard about what happened to the kitchen in the past 2 days. Annoyed and upset, he unconsciously thought of Kieran.
Eiderburgh waited for Kieran at the entrance after calcting his schedule and hesaw Kieran as expected, but...
Kierans reaction caused him to doubt his initial thought.
It isnt him?
As doubts baffled his mind, Eiderburghs intimidating manner weakened.
using others without any solid evidence, this is how you do things? Kieran asked and further blunted Eiderburghs intimidating manner.
And the person you used is the one who saved your life!
A cold gruntter, Eiderburghs intimidating manner weakened to its lowest point.
Fine, fine, fine! Ill admit that Derton messed up my mind, Ill make it up to you, he said in an apologetic way.
Eiderburgh took his pipe down and scratched his head.
How? The transfer hub...
Dont even think about it! You will not enter the food transfer hub for the rest of your life!
Eiderburgh interrupted Kieran the moment he mentioned the forbidden ce.
Then how are you going to make up to me? A Proper Meal ss food?
Kieran raised a puzzled brow.
He didnt believe Eiderburgh couldpensate him with a Proper Meal ss food, but if he could, Kieran wouldnt mind either.
Why dont you go rob others?
Ill tell you a myth about the cafeteriaa powerful Eat Technique is hidden in the cafeteria, legend says it is somewhere in the kitchen, but I dont know the exact location.
One thing for sure though: that myth is real!
Eiderburgh growled angrily at the overpricedpensation before he spilled the beans.
What kind ofpensation is this? Ive heard it from other students before, Kieran was dissatisfied.
Ill grant you permission to enter the cafeteria at night, you can carefully search for it.
And I assure you, once you find it, its yours to keep.
Myself nor any of the Theorate rted personnel will intervene, Eiderburgh said seriously.
Fine. Kieran pretended to think for a while before nodding at the pensation.
While feeling it pity that he couldnt eat like a buffet anymore, Kieran then walked up to the the cafeteriaas the First Seat he had his own independent lounge to have his meal.
As for the legendary technique?
Kieran didnt put much hope in it.
After that many people searched for it for so many years that it even became a myth, Kieran didnt think he was so lucky to get the opportunity that fell from the sky.
Three Set A, three Set B, and three more Set C, thank you.
Kieran nced over the menu and ced his order with the server at the window.
It was not that he didnt want to order more but he was short on cash.
Since he stepped into this dungeon world, the cash that he got was from Ludes secret warehouse and after that ce was blown to hell, he lost his ie source.
I need to find a ce to trade my gold into cash... Huh?!
As he pondered upon the problem, he felt a faint presence shed over before him.
He raised his head to the origin of the presence.
Chapter 1531 - Key Point
Chapter 1531: Key Point
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran raised his head to the ceiling and lights.
Unlike other parts of the cafeteria where fluorescent tubes hung in rows, the independent lounge of the First Seat was smaller, so the lights used were two ceilingmps.
Brighter light allowed Kieran to scan the whole ceiling quickly, but there wasnt anything suspicious!
However, Kieran would never think his Intuition was wrong.
With his Spirit reaching V-rank, a wrong perception was impossible for Kieran, unless someone purposely misguided him.
But as his Intuition reached Advance Rank, such misguiding became harder.
Kierans left index finger tapped on the table as he fell into deep thought.
While he was thinking, the set meals he ordered were served.
Hello, sir. Three Set A meals, three Set B meals, and three Set C meals.
The server had to run back and forth nine times before he could carry all Kierans orders and serve them on the table.
Set A was roast beef with potato and sd together with rice and egg soup.
Set B was braised pork in brown sauce, fruit sd, and rice plus a carbonated drink.
Set C was mixed vegetable stew, chicken sd, rice, and a bowl of meat soup.
Kieran arranged all nine sets into three rows and three columns in front of himself, took the chopsticks, and ate like a tornado.
Although it was just cafeteria food, it was still tasty.
The potatoes were soft, the portions of beef were tender, the braised pork wasnt oily, and the vegetables were fresh and crispy.
The server had not left after he served the food, he stood there nky and watched Kieran eat, as if he was frightened by how Kieran ate.
However, when Kieran finished his food, put down the chopsticks, and looked up to the ceiling once more, the server showed a wicked smile.
A ring ax appeared in his hand. He raised it and swung it towards Kierans neck.
Suddenly, a hungry growl entered the servers ear, followed by saliva swallowing noise.
The sudden noise stunned him at the spot with his ax raised high, he turned his neck around stiffly.
Nooo! A horrifying scream came from the server, but it quickly stopped.
Only chewing noises were heard after that.
...
This is too scary!
There are such rumors in the cafeteria?
Standler was walking back to his dorm with Maica beside him. He was still reading the notebook that he bought earlier, and when he reached a specific part, he gasped.
Standler spilled the beans even without Maica asking.
The Beheader is in the cafeteria! If you are the 3,000th person to walk into the cafeteria that day, order nine servings of food, and look up to the ceiling, it will appear beside you and chop of your head with an ax! This is scary! Standler whispered out of shock.
How scary is it? Its just some random story to frighten people like you! Aside from the fact that there arent 3,000 students dining in the cafeteria every day, whod order that much food in the first ce? And when you eat, you lower your head, you dont look up! Maica showed a disdainful look.
Maica had never believed the asional tales of the mysterious Theorate his roommate told him, what library interrogator, cafeteria beheader, all those were stories made up by dull students to frighten others.
He didnt care for such stories, and hepared them to bedtime stories. He thought his roommate should be concerned about other things.
Dont you think you should train yourself better? You are lucky that you got knocked outst night, but what about the next? Maicas personality had turned him into a straightforward person. He would not hide or take turns, so he was destined to offend a lot of people with his hurtful words, but sometimes he would make some decent friends as well, like Standler, who was an easy-going person.
Ill be careful next time. Standler closed his notebook and scratched his head awkwardly.
Standler was really frightened by the incidentst night, but until now, he couldnt think of any good idea to deal with it.
Maica turned to his roommate, but he only sighed helplessly in the end.
Let me teach you some basicbat moves. Ill train with you every day for one hour before sleep, Maica said.
But I want to read before I sleep... O-Okay. When Standler caught Maicas less than friendly gaze, he changed his answer right away.
But I think the things written in this notebook should be real. Ive read a lot recently, and I found out there are indeed incidents that happened in the library and cafeteria, its exactly like what the notebook says! Standler shifted the topic back to his stories again.
Well, of course! They were made up after those actual incidents, its more realistic that way, and its easier to scare people like you! If you dont believe me, you can find the scariest one in the notebook that requires two people, and Ill go test it with you so you can see howme you are, Maica showed even more disdain.
The scariest... Huh! Got it! The weeping gymnasium! Two people are required to be there at midnight...
Its settled, then. Well go there this weekend. Before Standler could finish, Maica waved his hand to show his agreement and hastened his steps.
Maica knew how silly those stories were in his roommates notebook, just like how he knew the night at Theorate was dangerous.
The night wasnt something a freshman could handle, and even a 3rd year had to be careful.
Of course, there were exceptions.
For some reason, Maica thought of the outrageous First Seat that he served, and the corner of his mouth couldnt help but twitch. He pulled along his slow roommate and hurried back to their dorm.
Soon, the day turned dark.
The cafeteria provided three basic meals every day but not supper. Before the sun fully set, the workers in the underground kitchen already started to leave.
Therefore, a moment before dark, the cafeteria was empty, and like any other building, it would always fall into darkness, but not today.
The lights at the First Seat lounge were opened.
After cing all nine trays into the sink, Kieran went back to his seat. He looked up to the ceiling again. He then looked back down at the dining table, and his mind started to spin.
Look up at the ceiling when one should eat with his heads down?
Secret in the ceiling?
No, thats not right, the key point should be... eating!
Chapter 1532 - Same From Top To Bottom
Chapter 1532: Same From Top To Bottom
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
With thoughts in his mind, Kieran jumped mid-air while his eyes scanned over the entire floor. His lips curled into a grin.
Both in terms of structure and material, the floor was exactly the same as the ceiling, not even slightly different!
So this is whats happening! Regardless of the food eaten or the floor and ceiling, the only thing that changes is my own sight when I look up and down. If the ceiling and the floor are the same, that means when I lower my head, I am looking at the underground kitchen. If I raise my head up, am I looking at the top floor?
Kieran touched his chin after hended. After checking the First Seat lounge, he headed towards the highest floor of the cafeteria.
The cafeteria above ground had 7 storeys in total.
Other than the 1st to 4th floor public dining canteen, the 5th floor was reserved for the First Seat and the teachers independant lounge; the 6th floor belonged to the professors, although most of the time the professors werent present.
The 7th and highest visible floor was a banquet hall reserved for special asions or activities.
With Eiderburghs authorization, Kieran reached the highest floor without hindrance.
The banquet hall looked extra spacious without any decoration, the stage, table, chairs and chandelier still there.
Kieran walked along the walls and carefully checked the entire hall.
Everything was fine!
Half an hourter, Kieran walked to the center of the banquet hall and slightly squinted his eyes.
Its not here? Which means... the roof?
As he muttered softly, he jumped up and dished a kick at the ceiling.
It wasnt that he didnt want to take the stairs, but after his meticulous checking, he didnt discover the stairs to the roof.
Perhaps there were some hidden mirrors in some secret corner, but Kieran didnt think he should waste time in finding the proper entrance when he could reach his destination in a more direct manner.
Knowledge is power but muscle is a power of a purer kind!
Bang!
Kabooom!
A heavy bangter, a giant hole was punched through the banquet hall ceiling. Big chunks of concrete fell off and many crooked iron rails were exposed.
An illusory figure, standing in front of the doorway to the roof, was astonished when it saw the hole.
It had plotted countless times and had never seen a person this boorish or rampant.
Should he get to me through many hardships and trials? What is this method? Its almost like cheating!
The illusory figure shook for minutes when it saw Kieran jumped up from the hole. When it calmed down, it still did not speak, instead forming pictures or scenes in its illusory body.
A strong, tall chef who wielded a long knife appeared in the scenes.
The chef didnt just excel at cooking, he was adventurous and creative too. After hunting down beasts in the Mystic States, he started his own sect.
During a particr adventure, some idents happened and it pitted him against a never before seen enemy: a monster whose power was unimaginable.
Despite utilizing and draining all of his power, the chef failed to triumph over said monster. All he could do was seal the monster in a dried up Mystic State and bound it down with zing mes, hoping that one day it would kill the monster by wearing it down.
Which means the ce the monster was sealed inside is E Block cafeteria? Kieran sized up the illusory figure before his eyes.
The figure had an old face, a rather unsophisticated attire with subtle elegance. Even though it was a phantom-like existence, it had an outstanding presence.
Yes, young man. Are you willing to be his heir? the illusory figure asked.
Heir? Kieran asked back.
Yes, heir! Inherit his will and techniques, finish what he couldnt.
The figure nodded, raising its hand and summoning a phantasmal door before Kieran.
Go in and you will inherit everything, you will...
No thank you, Kieran shook his head directly.
The figure was stunned. Ever since it gained intellect, it had never seen a person quite like Kieran.
Most of the people who arrived before him through harsh trials were eager to go in when it summoned the door. Some hesitated but they eventually went in.
This guy however...
A bad feeling arose but the illusory figure did not give up.
It had starved for quite a long time, it could barely hold itself together anymore.
Do you know what you just rejected? Do you know what you will gain if you walk in? Do you know what it represents?
The illusory figure sted out its questions.
It hoped that it could still persuade Kieran to go in, like everyone else before him, but after the multiple questions, it noticed Kieran wasnt moved at all. Instead, Kieran nodded seriously and answered all the questions.
Ive rejected danger! Ill Gain stupidity and it represents sh*t!
You... how did you find out? the illusory figure asked nkly, its ulterior motives exposed.
Eiderburgh just told me about the myths in the cafeteria and such an anomaly appeared before me? With that kind of unusual yet obvious hint? I had to doubt it. Is someone pulling strings behind this? Because its too coincidental! Kieran said slowly.
Just because of that? Why didnt you doubt the cafeteria beheader then? It appeared before you in such a timely manner, shouldnt you have suspected the beheader? the illusory figure asked out of confusion. It was quite confident with its n.
Everything seemed so coincidental, one would unconsciously step into its trap and when greed got the best of them, its n would be wless.
The beheader? It tasted quite okay I guess, Kieran said.
Taste? What did you do to the beheader?
In order to numb its prey and keep its presence away, other than the initial contact with the beheader, it did not keep track of the beheaders whereabouts, hence it had no idea what happened to the beheader in the cafeteria.
Ill let you guess, Kieran finished with a smile.
Gluttony, who had been waiting in the dark for a long time, jumped out like a hungry tiger and pressed the illusory figure on the floor.
Without Kierans order, Gluttony did not eat the illusory figure, but he widened his mouth and his saliva fell on the figure.
Tss!
As the saliva fell on the illusory figure, sizzling noise sounded, as if Gluttonys saliva was some corrosive acid; a chunk of the illusory figure vanished just like that.
Aaaaargh! What monster is this! Get off me!
The illusory figure screamed.
He is not getting away from you anytime soon but if you tell me what the real secret of the cafeteria is, Ill let you go in a more peaceful way.
How did you know I... the illusory figure was shocked.
Nothing or no one came out after so long, which means you are working alone and the beheader is just a little trick that you use to mess with peoples mind. Then, if there isnt a mastermind behind the scene and you are working alone, theres a high chance that youve heard of something and used it to your benefit. You went along with the flow instead of making up myths and arranging traps. You dont have that kind of capability.
Kieran looked down at the illusory figure and said everything very coldy.
Chapter 1533 - Inheritance Crystal
Chapter 1533: Inheritance Crystal
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Rage!
Never before felt rage rose in the illusory figures heart after it heard what Kieran had said, it was eager to tear Kieran into pieces but Gluttony who pinned it down reminded it of the situation.
Though, it didnt mean the illusory figure would do nothing.
Simr to most people, when the body couldnt move, words became their only weapon.
You came for that thing! And if you kill me, you will never get it! Because...
Because you are a creation of that thing?
Kieran interrupted the illusory figure before it could finish.
How did you know?! the figure cried on shock.
It was surprised by Kieran once earlier but it was nothingpared to this secret, because it was its biggest one yet.
Its simple actually.
You know the myth of the cafeteria and kept using it to your benefit, and yet not once did you use this legendary technique.
So there are only two possible exnations.
One, you didnt find the legendary technique.
Two, you are a derivative product of the technique.
And you just admitted you are the second possibility, Kieran said calmly.
YOU DECEIVED ME?!
The figure shouted angrily, it had never encountered such a cunning human before.
Sufficient amounts of rage made it forget the situation, so Kieran gave a friendly reminder.
Aaaaargh! Get off me! Stop this monster at once!
Ill tell you! Ill tell you everything! Get it off me!
The illusory figure begged and cried in agony, but unlike previous times, Kieran didnt stop Gluttony anymore.
He had gotten the information he wanted, the phantom-like figure was useless now.
The only pitiful thing was... the illusory door.
There was a high chance that the door was connected straight to the figures stomach but Kierans burning curiosity really wanted to know what was behind it. Unfortunately, his trusty undying assistant wasnt here and using another assistant without sufficient potential gains was unwise from Kierans point of view. Hence, he watched the illusory figure gradually disappear with the door.
Ding
After the illusory figure vanished, a thumb-size red crystal appeared on the floor, Kieran picked it up quickly before Gluttony managed to lick it.
[Name: Inheritance Crystal (Damage)]
[Type: Wonder Item]
[Rarity: Above Legendary]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: Extreme]
[Attribute: ???]
[Effect: ???]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes[
[Remark: It is a unique item in this world. It is the lifelong work forged out of blood and sweat of a legendary chef but unfortunately, the passing of time and some idents damaged it. Still, the recorded content was not affected. You need a High Receiver to read the knowledge within.]
...
Kieran wasnt all surprised by the appearance of the [Inheritance Crystal].
Whether was it the appearance or the damaged state, all were within Kierans expectations.
Whenever a human died, a body would remain; when a phantom died, something would drop as well and there was a high chance the drop would be the host that gave birth to the phantom.
The phantoms rather sorry behavior didnt seem to fit the legendary items status, therefore the chances of the legendary item being damaged skyrocketed.
Didnt the phantom say Kieran would never get the item if he killed it?
How naive would a person have to be to believe what the enemy said?
At least not Kieran.
Shortly after that, clear footsteps were heard and Eiderburgh jumped through the hole in the ceiling.
I knew it would be you! Ive just granted you ess to the cafeteria and.... Huh? Inheritance Crystal?!
You found it?!
Before Eiderburgh finished his angry rants, he stopped abruptly and widened his eyes in disbelief at the red crystal in Kierans handhe asked out of shock.
How did you find it?
No, thats not right! You knew it was here?
Eiderbrugh said instinctively but he quickly shook his head because it was impossible!
No one would leave the Inheritance Crystal alone and not take it out after knowing its location, it wasnt possible for one to keep it for others, not even his own blood.
What if someone else found it? No one could guarantee the crystal was absolutely safe from other peoples hands, and if losing the Inheritance Crystal because of hesitance and wait, one could really cry until the tears dried up.
Can you tell me how you found it?
Eiderburgh tried to cover his embarrassment and asked with a curious look.
He knew what stupid things he had said before he asked his question and if it was during other times, he would leave abruptly in order to avoid the embarrassment caused by his own mistakes, but he couldnt do it now in front of the crystal.
It was simple because when Eiderburgh first got promoted to Head Chef, hed search for the crystal out of curiosity, he truly searched the cafeteria inch-by-inch, not even a single thread slipped past him, but he got nothing.
If he hadnt verified the validity of the myth, he would have treated it as another urban myth falsely spread around the campus
Do you have a High Receiver? Kieran avoided the question and asked his, and Eiderburgh picked up the meaning right away.
Hey, hey hey, this is ckmail! You know? ckmail? Im just trying to satisfy my curiosity and you...
Eiderburgh ranted loudly, his eyes showed dissatisfaction but unfortunately, Kieran didnt care. Before Eiderburgh could argue further, Kieran jumped down the hole back to the banquet hall.
Curiosity kills the cat, and it rendered one sleepless.
Kieran didnt believe that Eiderburgh, as the Head Chef, had no interest in the legendary item hidden under his sight. The reason why Eiderburgh told him about the myth so frankly was that he couldnt find it after all those efforts.
Eiderburgh would never think the thing that he was searching for had transcended above a simple thing. Intellect and consciousness manifested from the crystal and it gradually became something simr to a phantom or an urban myth.
Even though the phantom wasnt smart enough, it knew a school professor was not to be messed with, hence it picked singled out students as its target.
Plus the cafeteria beheader story as a cover, everything seemed wless.
And just like Kierans expectation...
Wait!
After Kieran went out of the banquet hall and was just about to go down, Eiderburgh chased out with a displeased yet helpless look.
I dont have a High Receiver but I know who has one and I can tell him to lend it to you.
But the cost...
You pay! Kieran said quickly.
Eiderburgh clenched his fist, if it wasnt against his position, and him possibly not being a match for Kieran, Eiderburgh would have taught Kieran a lesson.
Ill pay half the cost! Such words were squeezed through the seams of his teeth.
All! Kieran shook his head.
60%! Eiderburghpromised.
ALL! Kieran wasnt moved.
65%! Nothing more than that, I... WAIT!
Kieran turned away when Eiderburgh tried to negotiate further.
This negotiation was one-sided in the first ce, it was meaningless to argue further since the oue has been decided. Anymore struggle was just wasting time and Kieran disliked people who waste his time.
He couldnt really force others topromise but at least he could save himself from wasting time.
Fine, fine! I agree! You really have a heart of steel!
Eiderburgh gave up his struggle andpromised when Kieran chose to leave without a second thought.
The cost of the High Receiver was equal to six months of Eiderburghs sry.
The top and bottom are the same, Kieran said the key point after Eiderburgh agreed.
The top and bottom are the same?
Eiderburgh was astounded by the revtion, he quickly thought about the hole in the ceiling, he muttered to himself, Its that simple?
Yes, its that simple, Kieran nodded.
Anything magical would seem normal after the key point was exposed, simr to magic tricks.
Before it was exposed, everything seemed so magical.
Eiderburgh knew it very well, so he didnt back away from his promise.
Meet me here tomorrow at 8 in the morning. Ill bring you to Professor Smith.
Only he has a High Receiver in all of E Block. Eiderburgh then returned to his office.
Even though he had grasped the key point, Eiderburgh had more research to do.
Kieran didnt linger either, he walked back to his dorm. He wasnt fast or slow as he strolled along the little path, his speed was enough for the stalker to keep up and yet less detectable.
When Kieran entered a thick bush of green, the stalker finally made a move.
After a rather spicy mist shrouded the surroundings, a figure stood before Kieran.
You think you will be fine after killing Sil Sects men? Hand over the Inheritance Crystal if you... UGH!
Kak!
Before the figure finished, Kieran already knew what was his purpose and as he walked past the figure, Kieran broke his neck.
Sil Sect, the sect that attacked himst night should be an organization hired by Derton.
Kieran temporarily had very few thoughts about this sect, the only impression he had was mobile items and equipment, just like what he got now.
A orange glowing ping-pong ball dropped from the man.
[Name: Paralyze Ball]
[Item: Wonder Item]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attack: Weak]
[Attribute: Numbing Wind, 1/1]
[Effect: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: Is it a basic anciry weapon of Sil Sect.]
...
[Paralyze Wind: Throw the ball out to create a mist that covers 15 meters in radius. Constitution lower than A rank will be paralyzed for 3 C 6 seconds (Exact duration depends on Constitution)]
...
Kieran kept the [Paralyze Ball] and turned to a shadowy spot beside him.
A few secondster, the shadow started to wobble and a man wrapped in ck walked out.
I dont mean any harm!
Im Oger. I am here on behalf of Delicacy Society to invite you to join us!
The man raised his hands up after he removed his mask with his right hand; his face was young and handsome.
Delicacy Society? Kieran raised a puzzled brow.
It was the first time he heard the term.
We arent recognized by the school, we are like an underground society but please do not worry, we have our own base and will provide you with relevant benefits.
Of course, we arent forcing you to join us but if you do, you will be rewarded with unexpected gains. Oger tried to be as courteous and as respectful as possible as he delivered the message.
Oger had started to regret picking this seemingly easy assignment. After witnessing what happened just now, Oger had listed Kieran on the list of people that he could never cross.
The slightest disagreement will result in conflict.
His ruthelessness even surpassed those 4th and 5th-year students who were known for their fierceness; those students didnt possess such ridiculous power either.
Not everyone could simply neglect Sil Sects Paralyze Wind.
Oger did because of his special ability and two rare items but Kieran was different, Oger could tell Kieran simply neglected Paralyze Wind with his body.
After the deduction came up in his mind, Oger became more careful.
Like what? Kieran was interested when he heard gains and benefits.
Intel! We have a lot of top-secret intel! And food! As long as onepletes a corresponding task, one can get corresponding food!
Oger said energetically after he heard Kierans question, he thought he had a chance toplete his assignment.
Is there a Proper Meal ss or anything above? Kieran asked.
Uh...This... We have... but... Oger withered right away.
Proper Meal ss food wasnt some random cabbage, how could one simply get their hands on something that rare?
If his target was someone else, Oger might try to bluff his way out but he dared not in front of Kieran, hence he stuttered.
Kieran shook his head when he saw Oger stuttered.
It seemed like the so-called Delicacy Society could barely get their hands on a Proper Meal ss food, let alone above that.
Kieran could even imagine the bunch of people in said society fighting over a single Bento ss.
Kieran had zero interest in joining such a useless society.
He walked towards his dorm without pause.
Looking at Kierans back, Oger knew his assignment had failed.
He was unwilling, but reality was harsh.
Oger shook his head with a sigh and ready to leave, but as he turned around, a thought bloomed in his mind and it made him turn back to Kieran.
WAIT! Oger shouted.
Chapter 1534 - Aromatic Sweet
Chapter 1534: Aromatic Sweet
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran stopped and turned back to Oger.
Students in the upper year are plotting against you! Oger said in a heavy tone.
However, after Kieran heard what he said, he turned away and walked back to his dorm without much care.
Kierans reaction was out of Ogers expectations, he thought Kieran would question him, and from there onwards shorten the distance between them.
You dont believe me?
I dont know who they are but I am sure this intel is valid! Oger said as if he was making a vicious vow.
Kieran still didnt stop, his figure swiftly disappeared beyond the dorm door.
Oger frowned in confusion as the door shut on him.
He doesnt believe me? Or maybe he just doesnt care about the danger? Oger sighed.
Since he had failed this assignment, he had to take more topensate because even in Delicacy Society, which was known for its delicacy, food that had sses were limited.
From start till end, Oger did not notice a gaze was watching him until he left.
Kieran was seeing Oger off through the window at the stairs.
Hed always be vignt against a stranger, even though the stranger didnt show any hostility and was weak.
As for the upper-year students plotting against him?
Kieran had expected it.
Being under the spotlight would attract more attention.
The saying would apply anywhere, anytime.
First Seat of the freshmen, E Block Student Council Branch Leader and the Index of Eat, it would be weird if he didnt attract attention.
What he had to do was wait for these upper-year students to appear.
He wasnt being passive but his attention wasnt on the upper-year students at all.
Kieran cared more about the second part of the n that may reap him bigger rewards.
After all, the Index of Eat was really in the possession of Lude.
This would be a feast for him!
Compared to his feast, the upper year students werent even an appetizer for him; Kieran wasnt a picky eater though.
Therefore, he was anticipating the practical guiding lesson from the 3rd-year students.
Kieran believed the upper-year students would not let this opportunity slip by.
And now?
After signalling Frost Wolf and Fire Raven, who hadnt really showed themselves throughout the dungeon, to be on guard, Kieran went to sleep.
Since he stepped into this dungeon world, he had not truly rested before, despite it not be necessary since his Constitution had reached rank III.
However, considering the meeting about the Inheritance Crystal tomorrow morning, Kieran thought he should show up in a better condition.
While Kieran was resting, Bloody Mary, who had many tasks on itself, was still busy.
ording to Kierans n, Bloody Mary shouldve started to approach Darwend.
Compared to the decisive young man Garcia, Kieran thought Darwend, the seemingly steady but hesitant man would be the better target for his uing n.
At midnight, Bloody Mary was standing in the shadowy spot of a building, watching Darwend as he walked closer.
Darwend had a group of at least twenty men hidden from sight behind him and Bloody Mary was certain once it showed up, the group of men will surround it, but that was all. Given how Darwend worked things, before the veryst second, and his hands were tied, he would not let his men attack. This particr scene was the most ideal one that it and its boss sought after.
Seconds turned into minutes.
Darwend stood there patiently waiting.
It was 10 minutes past the meeting time, yet he did not show a bit of impatience, neither did Bloody Mary.
Bloody Mary show itself after half an hour and in a veryzy manner.
You arete! Darwend said in a heavy tone after he saw Blood Mary in Ludes face.
It cant be helped, I have to avoid a lot of people. Ive be quite popr recently, Bloody Mary shrugged.
Where is the Index of Eat?
Darwend didnt even care about the pretentious act and went straight to the point.
He was very anxious to get his hands on the Index of Eat, it wasnt just because of his duty, but also due to the pressure from the research facility behind him.
In fact, Darwend already started to regret in working with Garcia which resulted him providing a Proper Meal ss to the First Seat freshman in exchange for intel on the Index of Eat.
He should have followed Garcia or the First Seat to acquire the things he sought in a much more affordable and direct way, just like what he was doing now.
As Darwends words subsided, a group of men in ck appeared and blocked every possible path of retreat for Bloody Mary.
I dont want to spill blood! Hand over the Index of Eat and Ill let you go! Darwend said coldly.
This isnt what you promised me. You should secure my safety until I leave Theorate and provide me with reasonable resources as payment before I hand you the Index of Eat.
Bloody Mary shrugged after a nce at the men surrounding it.
Pardon me, Ive changed my mind. I dont want to pay anything now, I just want the Index of Eat! Darwend raised his head up slightly and looked down at Lude arrogantly.
He had gained absolute advantage, of course hed pose like a victor.
Is it because of these goons that you are blinded by your confidence?
How childish! How ridiculous!
Do you think Ide empty-handed to deal with you?
Bloody Mary then sprinted towards a single point of the encirclement.
Foolish resistance!
Stop him!
Darwend saw Ludes reckless move and gave the order to his men. Heughed coldly as he anticipated the scene where Lude was captured by his men but at the very next moment, Darwend widened his eyes.
Under his widened gaze, Lude sprinted away with explosive speed and broke through the first wave in an instant. Then, Lude transformed into an illusory phantom and flew through the second and the third wave before vanishing.
This....
Warm Liquor!
Index of Eat!
He shouted in shock as he gazed at the direction where Lude disappeared.
...
Idiot!
20 minutester, Garcia who got the newsmented on Darwends foolish act.
He really didnt know what was going on in Darwends brain, how could Darwend be so naive to think that Lude would stay put and be captured without resistance?
Lude had already disyed his unusual moves at the secret warehouse.
Didnt Darwend see the way Lude left without a sound or trace? Is he blind?
Or does he have no knowledge regarding the effect of Warm Liquor?
What an assh*le! Garcia couldnt hold back his cursing as the anger got the best of him.
If it was him capturing Lude, he would not allow Lude to prepare or breath, the moment Lude showed up, hed order his men to attack all at once to seize Lude.
Now?
Lude was startled and it would not be an easy task to lure him out again.
Lude will hide in a hidden ce no one knows of and wait for everything to cool down.
The longer he dragged it out, the worse it would be for Garcia.
He couldnt guarantee whether or not there would be more to join the fray and should that happen, his current advantage will bepletely wasted.
Perhaps...
Suddenly, Garcia thought about the First Seat freshman.
The First Seat was able to know where Lude was before everyone else, it was obvious that he knew Lude better than anyone and if that was the case...
Could he know where Lude was hiding?
When the thought came into his mind, Garcia couldnt stay put anymore, he ought to find the First Seat right away but when he saw the dark sky outside, he forced himself to hold it in.
...
When Garcia finally came to the dorm, Kieran already prepared himself for the day.
After a good nights sleep, Kieran was all smiles.
The smiles werent just from his energetic, refreshed body, but also because as Garcia appeared before him, he knew his uing n was already 50%plete.
Morning, 2567. I have something to ask you.
Garcia who had been waiting for a while waved his hand at Kieran when the door was opened.
Sure, just nothing about privacy. Mind having breakfast as we talk? Kieran nodded and asked.
Of course not, Garcia replied.
As Kieran shut his door tight, both of them walked to the cafeteria.
Along the way, many freshmen looked at Garcia with a surprised gazes.
Fourth-year students uniform were different from the freshmen ones. oOther than the number on the badge in front of the chest, the color was darker.
A fourth-year student of Theorate appearing around the freshmen dorm, it was enough to attract gazes and attention.
Though when everyone saw Kieran, they suddenly realized what was going on.
The freshmen had heard a lot about the First Seat.
A mere few days after school started and Kieran had been deified infinitely, under such circumstances, aside from a fourth-year student, even a fifth-year, teacher, or professor walking with him was eptable for the freshmen.
Then, they saw Eiderburgh who had been waiting in front of the cafeteria.
Although studentsmonly called him the Head Chef, his position as a professor could not change.
Morning, 2567. Change of ns? Eiderburgh nced over Garcia before asking.
Morning Professor Eiderburgh, Garcia politely greeted the Head Chef but Eiderburgh didnt even care about the greeting as he was focused on Kieran.
No changing anything. Well move out after breakfast, Kieran said before he headed towards the First Seat lounge.
Standler, Maica, and the other freshmen who followed them exchanged a puzzled gaze with one anotherthey gasped.
He can even talk so casually to a professor?
Hes not talking, he is working with him and it seems like 2567 calls the shots!
T-This...
The whispers naturally entered Eiderburghs ear but the Head Chef would not exin himself to the freshmen, he turned around and headed down to the underground kitchen.
The way Eiderburgh reacted and his attitude towards Kieran caused more misunderstandings amongst the freshmen.
2567 and us are all freshmen, why are we being treated so differently?
Because were different?
2567 and us are very different.
Exmations spread among the freshmen but it did not affect Kieran who was already in his loungee.
Breakfast Set A, B, C, three servings of each, Kieran ced his order.
The server in the lounge was changed into a middle-aged chubby auntie, her smiles were kind and quite passionate.
Breakfast Set A: Soy milk, sweet youtiao.
Breakfast Set B: Milk, bread with butter and honey.
Breakfast Set C: Orange juice and ham sandwich.
After all three servings of each set were served, the auntie gave Kieran an extra bowl of sd also.
Thank you.
Kieran thanked the auntie and Garcia. He thanked the auntie for adding in the free sd and Garcia who was paying for the meal.
Afterst night, Kieran ran out of the local currency, so since Garcia came to express his goodwill, Kieran would not be courteous with him, especially after knowing his intentions.
No need to.
2567, about Lude, do you know anything more about him?
Garcia tried to squeeze out a smile from his stiff face.
I know a little, Kieran said.
Can you tell me everything? Garcias eyes shone.
No! Kieran rejected.
Why?! Garcia was shocked.
Because this particr intel is worth a lot and you havent delivered the payment from thest deal, Kieran said seriously.
But its not the due date yet!
Garcia remembered the due date stated clearly on the agreement and it wasnt time yet.
That is why I didnt urge you, Kieran finished the cup of soy milk in one go.
I have toplete thest deal to start a new one? Garcia asked.
Yes, for you and my sake. After all, this intel is worth a Proper Meal ss food!
Kieran nodded seriously but when Garcia heard what Kieran said, his smile seemed a little forced.
He kept inhaling and exhaling to adjust his emotions.
A Proper Meal ss food? Garcia emphasized.
Believe me, its worth more than that, Kieran looked sincere than ever.
This is not a decision that I can make, Ill need some time. Garcia then left.
Kieran quickly ate his breakfast after Garcia left. He didnt care about the fourth-year student because he knew Garcia would feel unwilling after paying him a Proper Meal ss food and as long as the unwillingness lingered, he would take the bait.
10 minutester, Kieran swept the table clean like a tornado.
When he returned to the entrance, Eiderburgh was waiting for him in a two-seater mini car.
Get in. Its a bit far from here.
Professor Smith is quite the person
Eiderburgh didnt ask about Garcia, instead he introduced Professor Smith.
Eiderburgh was driving the car towards the edge of E Block and when both of them were halfway there, Kierans nose suddenly picked up a smell.
It was unusual, it was alluring and it was very aromatic.
Chapter 1535 - Opportunity
Chapter 1535: Opportunity
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The secretion of saliva in Kierans mouth started to quicken uncontrobly. He turned his gaze towards the direction where the aromatic scent wasing from, which was coincidentally in the same direction they had been heading.
Smell it? The reason Smith set his researchb on the edge of the campusother than because he dislikes noisy environmentswas because of his research. This smell is too aromatic. I would crash into his researchb and find out what it is every time Ie here, but...
Eiderburgh sighed with a shaking head as he drove.
Without a doubt, Eiderburgh had never seeded even once, but Kieran didnt care about his attempts. His attention was wholly captivated by the smell.
The aromatic, fruity scent had a faint sense of meat roasting, which, although very weak, was still present.
Fruit and roast meat? Kieran thought in his heart.
I bet youll get along with Smith since neither of you is much of a talker. Eiderburgh couldnt help but shrug upon seeing that Kieran had no intention of replying to him, and he drove faster after being ignored.
He was driving for free, andter, he would have to pay six months worth of his sry as cost, so he was in mncholy.
If he had a choice, he would never want to see Kieran again.
Instinctively, Eiderburgh took out his pipe, but he didnt light it up. He did not light it until both of them reached the entrance of Smiths researchb.
We are here.
Eiderburgh got off the car and walked towards the gate with an iron fence.
Through the iron fence, Kieran could make out arge area of ntation inside. There weremon vegetables, grains, and some other nts that he didnt know. In the middle of the farm was a two-story wooden house, and arge canine stood at the door.
The canine had an astoundingly imposing manner as if a tiger was crawling there.
Kieran couldnt tell apart some of the crops there and likewise therge canine of a special breed.
Hey, Bolt, is Smith up?
Eiderburgh greeted therge, intimidating canine, but the canine didnt care about Eiderburgh. Instead, it stared only at Kieran.
Its eyes showed a heavy sense of rm, but also a little bit of fear.
Momentster, the canine known as Bolt walked over and opened the gate from the inside. Throughout the entire process, its vignce toward Kieran was at an all-time high.
The instinct of an animal? Kieran talked to himself.
He had kept away most of his fearsome aura, so although he was like an average person in humans eyes, animals saw him differently, especially this canine of a special breed.
You are really some trouble, eh, even Bolt noticed you.
Dont worry, Bolt. He is just here to borrow the High Receiver. Ill take him away when we finish. Eiderburgh smiled at Kieran before he exined to Bolt.
Either the exnation worked, or Kierans reserved state lowered down the rms because Bolt shuddered and wagged its tail before it went back in front of the wooden house to continue its rest.
Come on, then.
Eiderburgh signaled by pouting his mouth at the wooden house before carefully walking across the path; he was afraid that he might destroy the sprouted crops beside his feet with a careless step.
Kieran, who treaded close behind Eiderburgh, sized up the wooden house. He could tell the aromatic smell wasing from inside the wooden house.
The crops outside are all to cover for us? Kieran wondered.
Theorate was a magical ce that housed great and unimaginable food, but the danger that it contained was apparent as well.
It was natural for Smith, a native, to be cautious, and therge canine Bolts reaction was the best proof. As Kieran walked past Bolt, he took a nce at the canine, but the only response he got was unfriendly growls and sharp teeth.
Kieran wisely walked faster; he didnt want to cause unwanted trouble with this kind of timing.
Eiderburgh pushed open the wooden door and called out loudly with his sonorous voice, Smith! Smith!
Gak Tss, Gak Tss.
Amid the squeaking sound of the wooden stairs, a man walked down slowly.
The man wasnt that tall, at most a standard grown man height, but was extremely buff. It was like a wall was descending when he walked down the stairs.
The loose bib pants and shirt on his body were tightened to their limits, but what caught Kierans attention more was the mans image: bald, one-eyed, and crippled.
One of his hands held a walking staff, and the other held a big leather container. Judging from the smell from the container, Kieran was sure it kept alcohol of high percentage, and judging from the noise from the shaking, there was only half left of what it had initially contained.
Eiderburgh frowned, You are drinking in the morning again? Nevermind. This is 2567, the First Seat of this year, and he wants to borrow your High Receiver. Ill pay the cost. Eiderburgh pouted helplessly before introducing Kieran.
Smith didnt care at all; he didnt even look at Kieran.
Pay up, Smiths voice was rough, and a little bit blurry, whether it was his natural voice or because of the alcohol, Kieran did not know.
Eiderburgh took out a wrapped up paper bag and gave it to Smith. Smith took it, but he didnt even check it before throwing it on the sofa beside him.
Follow me.
Smith turned around into the deeper part of the first floor, walked through a narrow, long corridor, pushed the door at the end, and revealed a strange chair before Kieran.
The chair seemed to be made of rock, the back and arms had green vines all over them, and despite it being taken care of, it looked like something taken from an ancient ruin.
Mystic State? Kieran suddenly thought of something.
Sit down, hold the Inheritance Crystal in your hand, said Smith.
Kieran didnt act upon told: he walked around the chair, inspected it carefully, and after he made sure there wasnt any danger or threat, he sat down under Smiths rather impatient gaze.
The process willst around 1 to 3 hours, and itll sting a little.
Smith then uncorked his container and poured a drop of alcohol on the floor.
Pak!
When the drop of alcohol touched the wooden floor, Kieran sharply sensed that an unknown presence had appeared, but before he could search for it, his sight was reced by a multitude of images.
He had seen the images before in the atticst night. The phantom showed simr scenes and pictures to him, but unlike the previous one, what Kieran was witnessing now was much more detailed and authentic, as if it was his own experience.
However, his powerful Spirit attribute told him clearly that everything before his eyes was purely imagery.
He was watching the chefs life as if he was watching a movie.
Then...
...
After pouring the drop of alcohol on the floor, Smith closed the door and returned to the living room with Eiderburgh. He leaned his walking staff beside and sat on the sofa.
How is it? Eiderburgh sat on the chair without being courteous and asking.
Smith looked at Eiderburgh with his blurry eyes. He didnt answer; he only uncorked his container and took a few gulps of the alcohol inside.
Gulp, Gulp.
An unusual flush appeared on Smiths face. He hugged his container, leaned back in the sofa, and looked towards the sun outside the windowhe mumbled a few times and further shrunk his body into the couch.
But momentster, Smith sat up and looked towards the room at the end of the corridor.
A scorching aura appeared from behind the door. It was rumbling relentlessly like a magma monster was roaring.
The heat in the wooden house rose rapidly.
Soon, the dried wood around the house almost reached its burning point.
Smith quickly uncorked his container once again and poured a drop of alcohol on the floor.
The temperature of the whole wooden house returned to normal right away, as if nothing had happened.
But Smith was different. His blurry eyes showed a sharp re as if the re was a katana that sliced through the thick mist. One dare not even look into his scalp-numbing eyes.
Whose Inheritance Crystal does he have in there? Smith asked.
The legendary piece from E Block cafeteria. Eiderburgh crossed his arms and smiled at Smith.
He was looking forward to Smiths reaction.
The ming Devil? Smith frowned.
That is a wrongful title given to him by the people. He is really an amazing chef. I prefer to call him the ming Redemption! Eiderburgh said with a serious look.
Redemption?
Rather than asking redemption from others, might as well save oneself!
Smith coldly grunted before he leaned back into the sofa again.
How is it? Eiderburgh asked again when he saw Smiths reaction.
This time, Smith didnt stay silent. After another nce at the room at the end of the corridor, he slowly said, Average.
Only average? Eiderburgh asked, dripping with dissatisfaction.
In his point of view, Kieran was good enough!
He might be the best freshman this year... no, in the past decade!
Whether it was his strength, brains, or even that calm attitude, his qualities surpassed those of all his peers. He even outshone some of the Elite teachers.
Em, he is just average, Smith nodded seriously.
Then, he doesnt stand a chance? Eiderburgh didnt give up. He looked at Smith seriously.
No, Smith said before he shrunk his body again.
Eiderburgh red at Smith because of the evasive reaction, but before he could scold or anything else, the Head Chef simply gave up.
Sigh!
Another sighter, he leaned back on his chair and stayed quiet also.
Seconds turned into minutes, and minutes turned into an hour.
An hour flew just like that, but the room at the end of the corridor gave away no sign of movement.
Two hours, three hours...
When the maximum time limit reached, Eiderburgh jumped up from his chair.
What happened? Shouldnt it be the three hours the longest? Eiderburgh asked loudly with a sense of worry.
Regardless of Kierans potential or as Head Chef of Theorate, Eiderburgh wished for nothing to happen to Kieran, even more so because it was him who brought Kieran here.
Good stuff. Longer time means the crystal he got matches him more. I stand corrected. He isnt just average, hes decent. Smith sat up again. His eyes were fairly shocked and glued to the door.
Then, does he have a chance...
No!
Smithsment delighted Eiderburgh. He wanted to rekindle the old me, but he was stopped right away without any courtesy.
Eiderburgh pouted and stayed quiet. He waited patiently.
The fourth and fifth hours passed by too.
Soon enough, it had gone from sunrise to sunset, and even the evening glory began to shine into the wooden house. Eiderburghs shadow was elongated. His usually stern face showed worry.
Smith didnt fall back to the sofa anymore; his eyes were utterly astounded like never before.
It had been 10 hours since then!
Smith had never heard of or witnessed such a long inheritance time.
Even those with the best of talentssted around 4 hours!
Now, over twice that time had passed, and it was still going...
Are you sure that Inheritance Crystal is damaged? Smith asked.
I am sure! I am not as professional as you, but I am certain about that. Eiderburgh said, confidently.
So will he have a chance now?
Eiderburgh looked at Smith with an anticipating look, but Smith still shook his head.
NO! Smith said affirmatively.
Why?! Dont you want a great heir? Are you nning to soak in your past until you die? Eiderburgh questioned Smith through his roars.
You dont have a decent heir? Nevermind thatCIll find one for you.
Now Ive got one, but you say no?
The helplessness set off Eiderburgh, who had been holding his temper, right away. He grabbed Smith by the cor and dragged him up from the sofa.
Grrrrr!
But before Eiderburgh could do anything, a low, angry growl came from behind him.
Cold killer intents mixed with hunger froze Eiderburgh on the spot, like a pail of cold water had been poured down onto his head.
Bolt, Smith berated.
Killer intents reced the soft whimper with a sense of delicacy that previously sounded.
Eiderburgh let Smith down and sat on the floor, panting heavily.
Huuhaaa, huuhaaa.
Im sorry. I really do want a great heir, if possible, but... he is too good, Smith said.
Too good? What do you mean?
Smith looked at Eiderburgh apologetically, but he didnt say anything.
Or rather, he couldnt say anything!
Smith leaned back on the sofa after uncorking his container for a gulp. He looked outside the window at the darkened sky, gazing at the bright stars as the coldness in his eyes faded off.
When his eyes covered in blurriness again, something finally happened in the room at the end of the corridor.
Dang, Dang Dang.
The old clock in the living room rang a few times.
The hands on the clock hadpleted a full cycleit had been 12 hours since then.
Chapter 1536 - Don’t Simply Enter People’s Heart
Chapter 1536: Dont Simply Enter Peoples Heart
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran waited patiently after he had rewatched the chefs whole life.
He didnt think the inheritance would be this simple.
Things unfolded as expected; after the movie about the chefs life had ended, an unusual knowledge transfer process started.
It was simr to the knowledge transfer and synchronization process in his room, when he learned or leveled a skill,
and yet it wasnt exactly the same.
Back in his own room, with the systems help, the whole process was delicate and mild, but in this dungeon world, without direct help from the system, the process was harsh and painful, as if someone was punching his head relentlessly. The heavy blows to the head were enough to torture amon man, but because Kierans Constitution had reached rank III and Spirit rank V-, it wasnt anything significant. All he felt was a little bit of difort, which he adjusted to it within a breath.
The heavy, painful blows were increasing by the second but it was still the same. The pain that the process was causing was still within an eptable range.
The knowledge transfer started from things seen and heard in that particr time and eventually proceeded to basic cooking skills, ways to enhance cooking skills, and the chefs own realization and knowledge. Everything he watched was entering his mind, bit by bit, and his body was adapting to it instinctively.
Among the knowledge transferred, there were some records rted to ancient texts, which didnt surprise Kieran at all.
As a matter of fact, from the moment he understood that legendary age, Kieran had quite some thoughts about it and epted this inheritance just because he could use the ancient knowledge in there to decipher the ancient text in Index of Eat.
Everything was progressing as nned, but just as the ancient text rted knowledgepleted its transfer...
Kak!
A crack suddenly appeared on the red crystal.
A scorching aura burst out from the crack and drowned the room within a second. As if the aura had met its mortal enemy, it assaulted Kieran the moment it appeared.
Fortunately for Kieran, his powerful Constitution and [Secondary Elemental Damage Resist] granted him protection. As though a windy breeze caressed his face, the aura quickly dispersed after the attempt but that wasnt the end of the unusual change.
A burning man with an arrogant smile appeared in the dark wilderness.
The wilderness was boundless and it was filled with loneliness and despair.
I am finally free from my cage! This is really suitable for me, the Fire Devil! I will be reborn here and descend to the mortal realm again!
The burning man shouted in excitement and the me on his body grew fiercer. The me grew to 2 to 3 meters tall but another unusual light shrouded the me the very next moment.
It was another hotter, brighter me above the burning man!
A 6 meter tall gigantic figure in magma appeared behind the burning man and shrouded his existence.
The shouts of excitement stopped abruptly. The burning man turned around slowly with his wide-opened mouth, his eyes looking at the devil that did not belong to the mortal realm nkly.
WHO ARE YOU?! How could a devil reside inside a humans heart?! Illusions! This must be an illusion!
The inconceivable shouts of the burning man were answered with a fiery punch and without any resistance, the burning man was crushed into scattered mes.
The tall devil opened its mouth and sucked, half of the scattered mes absorbed and merging with the magma body, as if they were one.
The remaining scattered mes gathered into a clump and flew away like a falling meteor.
The devil didnt chase, it had no need to chase. The guy was already running.
It opened its ferocious mouth and chuckled before it vanishing.
...
The waves were beating endlessly.
The burning man, who flew over there like a falling meteor, was standing on the cliff in silence.
Who am I?
Where am I?
What am I doing?
Losing half of his power in an instant sent the burning man into an unknown daze, but he quickly cleared up his mind.
I am the Fire Devil! Ive just gotten out from the cage that sealed me! Ive found a new host! Although troubled, I will once again descend to the mortal realm!
Thest word came out as a sonorous roar and it echoed throughout the cliff. As though the waves were responding to the shout, a huge wave crashed on the cliff, causing a great ssh to spread everywhere.
The burning man saw the rumbling waves, looking down at the cliff he was standing, and the weirdughter sounded again.
A cliff on the sea? What a proud heart you have. The devil must be protection from some kind of spell and this cliff on the sea is only your true heart! Well then, Ill take it, thank you very much!
The mes rose again, spreading throughout the cliff and engulfing itpletely. The man wanted to burn the cliff and rece it.
The mes that engulfed the cliff did not burn this seemingly normal cliff at all, which released a special energy to counterattack the burning man.
The most terrifying thing was the counterattack wasnt made of mes anymore; it was a sharp-like-de energy.
The special energy didnt cut the burning mans body, it sliced his core.
I cant do this anymore, Ill die if I continue!
The fear of perishing made the burning man fly up, wanting to leave the cliff and get away from the attacks from the special energy. However, despite flying up to the sky, the de-like energy chased him like as if it was his shadow, no matter how high or far.
As though there wasnt any distance between the energy and the burning man, the special energynded on the burning man after jumping through space!
The burning man got even more horrified. He straightened his body and vanished out of sight very quickly.
Huuu!
Following the burning mans absence, the mes on the cliff were extinguished. The knight in armor looked in the direction of where the burning man flew away and he sighted in pity.
Good luck, the knight said.
Though the burning man couldnt hear the blessing, neither would he receive it.
When the burning man was exhausted by flying, hended and saw three doors.
All three doors looked different.
The middle one was ck and had gold branded all over the edge, the handle made out of ck crystal and carved into the shape of a dragon. It looked extremely elegant and luxurious.
The left one was a lot moremon, also in ck but made out ofmon wood and snores came from behind the door.
The right one was even worse, ck with dents all over it, as if something had chewed on the door.
The cliff back there are some kind of protection from spells? This ce too?!
The badly injured burning man was sizing up the three doors and when his surroundings turned pitch ck, heughed coldly.
Do you think I will retreat? The more protection you have, the more valuable this body is! I am getting it no matter what!
The burning man said that as if he was making a vow, sizing up the three doors again.
It seemed like thisyer of protection was unlike the previous one; he had to choose one out of three.
The correct one would allow him to proceed, but the wrong one...
Feeling his unbearable body, the burning man shook his head.
How could he fail? He had a trick that would deal with the situation before him!
Unlike the previous two times in which he was caught off guard, this time he had sufficient time to prepare.
THIS WILL BE YOUR BIGGEST MISTAKE! I WILL TURN THE TIDES AROUND IN MY FAVOUR!
The burning man took a deep breath, raised his hand and formed a ming rod before he flew up into the air. He did a spin mid-air beforending on the ground firmly and pointing at the broken door with his ming rod.
The exit should be this kind of door!
The burning man walked to the door with the utmost confidence and kicked it open.
The room inside the door was dark, even darker than the darkness outside.
Even though the man was burning, he couldnt light up anything inside.
Bang!
When the burning man entered, the door shut itself behind him but the burning man didnt care because a series gulping noises entered his ears.
It wasnt a normal repeated gulping, sounding as if someone had been holding back for a long time and therge amount of saliva secreted in the mouth was being swallowed in one go.
When a beast was on the hunt and saw its prey, it lowered its sharp presence and waited patiently for the prey toe closer before it struck..
Simr to that, a bad feeling rose in the burning mans heart.
He somehow wanted to return to the cage that sealed him.
...
Kieran watched everything happen with a cold and calm gaze, not surprised that the burning man, the so-called Fire Devil, appeared.
Whether it was the scenes that the phantom had shown him before or whatever he had just watched in his heart, all the scenes and images showed powerful monsters far beyond any imagination and monsters that burned indifferently.
Kieran, however, would not simply believe what the phantom showed him and what he had just seen.
He remained dubious against anything that he wasnt familiar with, not just in terms of listening, but in terms of seeing too.
He did not believe things on first nce, those things hadnt gone through the test of time.
Therefore, since the beginning, Kieran didnt believe the monster was sealed in E Block cafeteria, just like how he did not believe the [Inheritance Crystal (Damaged)] in his hand was as simple as it looked.
Kieran held the crystal deep in his palm as he clenched it, Devil Force pouring into the crystal. He didnt just want to seal the burning mans retreat, he wanted to crush him into cinders.
Does he think he can simply walk into my heart?
Its a little cheap for the entrance fee if he doesnt pay with his life!
Huu!
Devil me spread from his pam, an agonizing cry for mercy sounding in Kierans ears.
The crystal cracked further under the heat and the cries got louder.
Ultimately, everything stopped.
The only thing Kieran could hear was Gluttony wiping his mouth in joy, and lines of words appearing in his vision.
[Name: Devil Burning (Musou)]
[Rted Attribute: None]
[Skill Type: Offense]
[Effect: Create a rank II attack Devil me from your left hand. Able to burn continuously and can not be extinguished by water, sand or other elements. Has the ability to burn souls and consume life energy.]
[Effect: Devil me (Your bloodline contains fire, it is your natural gift and also the proof of your identity. You can trigger Devil me at will with attack ranks that vary from None, Feeble, Weak, Average, Strong, Powerful, Extreme, rank I, and rank II. When charged up to 4 seconds, +1 fire elemental damage, has Great chance to trigger me Burst effect)]
[Transcendence Option (Devil Burning): Rapid umtion (Shorten charge time to 2 seconds)]
[Devil Mastery 1: You can create 2 fireball at once or alter the original shape of the fireball based on your will. (You can only create 1 fireball when charging and can not alter the original shape)]
[Devil Mastery 2: The meses from your blood and was born from your soul. When you need it, it will appear; you can create a ball of Devil me at will without using your hand. When this ball of Devil me appears, it will not affect the original attributes, effects and transcendence option]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Constitution II]
[Remark: This was originally a special spell that doesnt requires incantation and casting movement. It was forged by the alchemy master fusing ancient hidden techniques and his knowledge! However, it showed extra unison with your bloodline and it called out to the shattered soul in your bloodline. The shattered soul also triggered the spells original potential in the same way and causing both inseparable,plimenting each other.]
[Note: You relied on learning and mastery of your bloodline to acquire this skill. Unable to rely on Points, Skill Points to level up.]
...
Heat spread from Kierans right heart throughout his body. The devils consumption, the reflect damage of the knight, and what Gluttony ate in the end became the enhancement for this new level skill.
A small Devil me appeared out of thin air before Kieran as he thought. It grew from a small fire to as big as a basketball, before vanishing into nothing. All was done within Kierans mind.
It wasnt that he couldnt get bigger than a basketball. The ce just was not suitable for him.
Kieran didnt want to show off his powers under peoples gazes.
He nced over the Musou level [Devil Burning], his lips curled into a smile.
It was aplete surprise for Kieran to level up [Devil Burning] in this dungeon world. The level up this time was much moreplete and richer than any other dungeon clear reward. If he left now, hed be okay with it.
No one knew how powerful [Devil Burning] was more than himself, otherwise it wouldnt be his strongest attack for so long.
Of course, Kieran got more than just leveling [Devil Burning].
[Name: Mystic Knowledge. Ancient Text (Name of Eat) (Pro)]
[Rted Attribute: None]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effect: You have mastered the words of this dungeon world in the past few hundred years, you can skillfully read through all the ancient text and understand them.]
[Consume: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Remark: Knowing an extranguage was an amazing achievement and rewarding gains for anyone.]
[Note: You learned this skill through self-study and practise, can not level up.]
...
The knowledge of the ancient text appeared in Kierans skill tab as expected, while the [Inheritance Crystal (Damaged)] in his hand broke into dust.
Kieran never simply made promises because he was a person that held his promise dearly.
Crushing him to bits meant crushing him to bits!
Dang Dang Dang!
A clear chime from the clock entered Kierans ears. He shook the dust off his hand, standing up and walking out the room.
Chapter 1537 - Appear Out Of Thin Air
Chapter 1537: Appear Out Of Thin Air
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
How is it? Eiderburgh asked anxiously when Kieran stepped out of the door.
Not bad, Kieran answered before looking at Smith.
Although there was a door in between them, Kierans Advance Rank Intuition allowed him to know what was happening in the living room very clearly.
This professor who resided at the edge of E Block was much more mysterious than he thought.
Whether it was his research or his strength, both points told Kieran as such.
Whilst being stared at by Kieran, Professor Smith was leaning back on his sofa without moving a muscle. With the leather container in his hand, he really looked like those drunkards on the streets.
Professor Smith didnt seem to care about his gaze, so Kieran kept it away.
Despite the unusual strength and background, Professor Smiths attitude said it all.
Given Kierans personality, he would not pursue a thankless goal.
Therefore, after nodding at Eiderburgh, Kieran headed outside but before he left, he couldnt help but nce at the room to the left of the corridor.
The wooden house was filled with a fruity aroma, the smell of the roast meat covered very thoroughly. Others couldnt pick up on the oily smell of the meat but to Kierans nose, it gradually clearly.
Too bad I cant find out what it is.
As the thought lingered in his mind, Kieran wanted to leave the house, but before he could really step out, Smith, whoid on the sofazily, suddenly sat up.
What did you smell?
Smith ced his hands on his knee, his neck leaned forward with his head slightly tilted, eyes blurry with a sense of judgment.
2567, think carefully before you answer!
Before Kieran could speak, Eiderburgh reminded him in a hurried manner.
He knew his friend said Kieran was just average or decent, but in Smiths heart, he admired the First Seat quite a lot, otherwise he would have just let Kieran leave.
An opportunity! A great and huge opportunity!
Eiderburgh hoped Kieran could seize it!
The smell of oil, Kieran said after a slight pause.
Not bad. I amcking an assistant. Come here tomorrow and help me, Smith said with a nod.
Not interested, Kieran said before he walked out.
Eiderburgh looked at Kieran in astonishment.
He didnt understand why Kieran had given up such a great opportunity; Smith was surprised, but he quickly smiled.
Interesting fe.
Smith uncorked his container as he smiled. A few big gulpster, heid back on his sofa and snores sounded again.
Eiderburgh didnt care about his friend anymore, chasing Kieran, who was reaching the car.
Why didnt you say yes? Eiderburgh asked angrily.
Why should I? Kieran answered calmly.
Eiderburgh was stunned at the answer and Kierans calm reaction.
Do you know youve just given up an opportunity that a lot of people would fight for?
A deep breathter, Eiderburgh couldnt hold his agitated words back anymore.
That is their business, not mine. People might have sought this opportunity, but it doesnt mean I do. I know what I want.
Kieran opened the car door, sat in the passenger seat and closed his eyes.
Eiderburgh was stunned for another two or three seconds at Kierans reaction, shaking his head and sighing as he went behind the wheels.
Why am I always running into weird people?
With lingering doubts, Eiderburgh started his car.
The front lights of the car were shedding light over the road in E Block.
Unlike the center of E Block, which was prosperous, the edge was filled with trees and fields.
There was still an asphalt road but there werent apanying street lights or other public infrastructures.
Kieran slightly opened his eyes for another nce at the shrinking wooden house, then closed his eyes and leaned back in his seat.
Smith had some great secrets with him without a doubt.
If Kieran wasntmitted to his n, which he had nned for a very long time, he would have stayed behind.
Why not ept the position and continue with his n?
Kieran wasnt someone who would belittle himself.
As a professors assistant, especially one for the entric Professor Smith, he would have much work to do, in addition to his intentional tests. Kieran wasnt sure he could do both at once. The professor might spot something unusual in his behaviour.
Giving up his n?
Kieran knew what kind of rewards would be waiting for him should his n seed.
Whenparing an already known reward to an unknown one, given Kierans vignt character, hed go for the former.
...
The car stopped at E Block freshmen dorm.
After Kieran got out of the car, Eiderburgh rolled down the window and passed him a paper bag.
This is the lunch that Ive prepared for you, I guess you can take it as dinner now. Its meat buns and some braised beef. Its already cold but better than nothing, Eiderburgh said.
Thank you, Kieran took the paper bag and thanked Eiderburgh politely.
Be lively a bit, you sly little fe! said Eiderburgh as he turned his car around and drove to the cafeteria.
Kieran saw the car off and vanished into the night. He then walked towards his dorm, grinning when he sensed a familiar presence.
The little grin was wiped away quickly as he walked towards his dorm normally.
Garcia was waiting for Kieran in front of the door and when he saw Kierane back, his eyes shone. He managed to hold his anxiety back and greeted Kieran. Good evening, 2567.
Good evening, Kieran replied with courtesy. Unlike the politeness that he showed Eiderburgh, Kieran was much more stiff and distant.
He didnt speak anymore after the simple greeting, neither did he invite Garcia into his room. All he did was stand there and look at Garcia nkly.
Garcias stiff face showed a sense of helplessness, as he really didnt want to mingle with the likes of Kieran because other than Kierans weird character, he was very calctive and fought over the smallest troubles.
However, when Index of Eat came into his mind, Garcia, who represented a certain professor, kept his feelings to himself and took a deep breath.
We agreed to your terms but you must guarantee that we get Lude, Garcia said in a heavy tone.
On top of the first Proper Meal ss food, even though he was required to pay only half of it, paying a second Proper Meal ss food was quite straining even for the professor behind Garcia, therefore he must have some assurance.
It wasnt orders from the professor but something the professor would like to see and Garcias existence was to make sure it happened.
I cant guarantee you that. Its likest time when I gave you precise information about Lude and yet you people failed to catch him. Lude is much more cunning and stronger than you can imagine, Kieran shook his head and wanted to go into his room.
Wait!. Garcia knew once Kieran opened that door, the conversation would be over and before he got what he came here for, he didnt want the conversation to end.
We at least want something moreprehensive about Lude, Garciapromised.
That particr information is the content of the second deal. When you pay me what you owed from thest deal, then we can talk about the new one, Kieran repeated what he said.
Its the content of the second deal? Garcia was a little surprised.
Of course. Whyd you think it is worth a Proper Meal ss food? Kieran nodded.
Looking at Kierans nod, Garcia thought of a lot more instantly and each thought unconsciously plete Ludes image.
As Garcia was nearing his pletion, a bad feeling rose in his heart.
He thought of something bad, and if things were as bad as he thought...
Come find me after you think it over, Kieran interrupted Garcias thoughts and wanted to go into his room.
We will pay you right now! the thoughts in Garcias mind couldnt allow him to hesitate anymore, hence the abrupt answer.
I want what is mine, Kieran emphasized.
Of course! Please wait for a moment, Ill make the necessary arrangements.
Garcia then strode towards the stairs. Kieran saw Garcia off before he took his badge out and opened the door to his dorm.
Just like Kierans thought, Garcia wasnt just good at seizing the timing. Hed never hesitate, especially when his heart was troubled by some bad thoughts. Garcia was used to solving problems with a swift and ruthless decision.
This was the reason why Kieran chose Garcia over Darwend.
Thetter had some ws in terms of capabilities and his hesitant character restricted him from doing anything big but hed barely caused mistakes.
Garcia was used to causing a spectacle to achieve something big but likewise, his mistakes would be huge once made.
Ding!
The steamer in his dorm rung.
The smell of meat buns and braised beef flowed out as Kieran removed the lid, filling his face in an instant. Kieran took a big breath and the rich, beefy smell and aromatic buns tingled his appetite; the soup in the buns was extra surprising, it was very tasty.
Shrimp and crab roe?
Kieran savoured the taste carefully, his face showing a smile.
5 meat buns and 1 kilogram of braised beef were annihted in less than 10 minutes by Kieran the food killer. He took a ss of water and drank it to ease the meaty vour.
Too bad I dont have soup. Even just a in egg soup would be perfect, Kieran muttered before he walked to the door.
He already heard footsteps from Garcia, and not just him but 5 more people.
Even though he hasnt seen those 5 person, Kieran sensed that this group of people was emanating a faint, fierce presence. Maybe they were a littleckluster against Eiderburgh but definitely better than Senile.
It seemed like Garcia spent quite the effort to escort a Proper Meal ss food.
Risk-takers are everywhere, anytime, let alone Theorate at night.
Kieran could also tell there were at least 20 more men behind Garcia and his escorts. If it wasnt for the escorts strength, the 20 more men would have made a move.
Kieran opened the door before Garcias knocknded on the door.
Garcia wasnt surprised, turning around and taking a fully sealed metal box with only a small ss window at the top from his men. He passed it to Kieran.
The Proper Meal ss, Golden Cake! said Garcia.
As a matter of fact, Garcia didnt have to introduce it, Kieran already knew when he took the box and saw the contents inside through the ss window.
Lines of description appeared before his eyes.
[Name: Golden Cake (Replica)]
[Type: Food]
[Rarity: I]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: None]
[Attribute: Golden Blessing (Iplete)]
[Effect: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: Peoples love for the Golden Egg was undoubted in the golden age, not just because of its smell but also because the direct benefits. Although the Golden Cake in this era was just a mere replica baked ording to the recipe left behind, the main ingredient was lost, yet it still has the simr effect of a true Golden Cake.]
...
[Golden Blessing (Iplete): Replenish, optimize your attributes]
...
Unlike the first time when he ate the big drumstick, the Golden Cake presented its attributes clearly to Kieran.
Waited too long?
Kieran was wondering what caused the missing attributes of the first drumstick.
Lets sign a new agreement. Kieran said.
Garcia didnt reject, or rather, since he had lived in Theorate for 4 years, he was used to abiding to Theorates rules.
After everything was prepared, Kieran took out a paper and pen. Garcia signaled his men and the 5 of them scattered into position right away, some blocking the surveince and some guarding the stairs.
Garcias eyes werepletely focused on Kierans writing.
Most of what Kieran wrote was made known to him already but he didnt rush Kieran. Soon, he saw something that he didnt know of.
Sil Inner Sect? A Dark Sect?! The Sil Sect has a Dark Sect within!? And Lude is from this Sil Inner Sect?!
Garcia showed shock in his eyes.
Kieran smiled in delight in his heart when he sensed the surprised gaze. Most of what he wrote was true; it was all the real background of the Lude and only a few parts were edited by Kieran, like the so-called Sil Inner Sect.
Sects indeed had an open and secret division, but those were limited to some truly secretive sect and Sil Sect was not listed as one.
Kieran knew it, so he ought to make himself a Sil Inner Sect.
Chapter 1538 - Pak, Pak Pak
Chapter 1538: Pak, Pak Pak
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Trying to fabricate rumours out of nothing wasnt a simple task; rather, it was exceptionally difficult.
But that was only limited tomon people; it was fairly easy for Kieran because he had an efficient and undyingpanion.
Kieran was sending his orders to Bloody Mary while he was writing. Bloody Mary, who had changed its face into a young man, had been waiting for the new order and after receiving it, stood up and walked out the room.
Lets get this party started!
The face Bloody Mary was wearing belonged to a young man named Palreynold: a 4th year student, average looking, normal recorded power, an insignificant existence even among the 4th years.
Those were just the recorded features though. Beneath the surface, Palreynold possessed decent strength and wasparable to those rather popr 4th year students.
The reason why heid a low profile was to hide his secret: a disciple of Sil Sect, or more precisely, a spy from Sil Sect.
Palreynold had a special mission: he was sent to Theorate as a student to investigate more secrets of the well-known school.
Bloody Mary found out about Palreynold when Kieran first encountered the Sil Sect and with Frost Wolfs effort, Bloody Mary easily located Palyrenold, together with a temporary hideout of Sil Sect.
When a secret was exposed, more would follow, simr to how a lie requires more lies to cover up.
After Bloody Mary found out about Palreynold, the Superior Demon started to follow the clues to the origin.
In the past few days, Bloody Marys efforts rewarded itself with three hideouts of Sil Sect in E Block, which it now controlled and exposed even more Sil Sect members as a result.
As for why Bloody Mary disguised as Palreynold?
Other than Pelraynold having a rather convincing position among the Sil Sect spies, it was also because the real Palreynold was dead and without any remains, hence saving Bloody Mary a lot of trouble.
It wasnt Bloody Mary who killed him though, as Palreynold had died in a messy fight.
Other than Garcia and his men, who searched for Index of Eat openly, a lot more organizations and forces werepeting in the dark. Sometimes the secretivepetition wasnt so secretive, going out of hand, making conflict inevitable and casualties following.
Palreynold was one of the unlucky bastards. He didnt step into conflict himself, instead he was caught by an acid mist that melted him into nothing.
More importantly, Palreynold actually had the thought of leaving Sil Sect.
Habit was a scary thing.
Palreynold had spent 4 years in Theorate and was used to the campus life, the meticulous teachings from the teachers, the sufficient resources, and fairpetition environment. Even though he hasnt made any friends, any of the mentioned points were enough to keep Palreynolds heart in Theorate; he didnt want to leave.
Therefore, his own thoughts had started blooming 6 months ago, but unfortunately, his thoughts didnt evolve into some fierce reaction. All Palreynold did was dy his reports and slowly carry out missions assigned by the sect, adding his little actions into the process to get more for himself.
However, it was a usable opportunity for Bloody Mary.
Dak Dak Dak Dak.
Bloody Mary walked down from the upper year dorm and stopped at the vending machine at the entrance. It took out the badge and bought itself an orange juice and a box of yogurt.
The source of motivation for Bloody Mary to carry out each of its missions was undoubtedly the sun and food.
Since there was no sun in the night, food became its only source of motivation but it didnt simply choose what it liked, wisely following Palreynolds eating habits.
Bloody Mary walked along the path beside the upper year dorm and headed to the coffee shop further away.
The coffee shop was dark since it was way past closing time.
It took out the key to the door, opened it, and entered without any hindrance. There wasnt any light source inside the coffee shop BUT Bloody Mary skillfully shuttled along the table and chairs to reach the underground room.
It had familiarizeD itself with the arrangements of the coffee shop in the past few days.
Unlike the dark surface, the underground room was bright.
Seven men already sat in their respective seatS.
Bloody Mary nced over everyone. It knew every one of them because they were the secretive spies from Sil Sect in E Block.
The leader of the spies, also Palreynolds direct superior, Morrison, was sitting in the corner.
Morrison was the teacher who taught the cooking utensil usage and maintenance ss in 2nd year and the position was probably the highest the Sil Sect spies had ever gotten in E Block.
Palreynold was only a rank below Morrison since he was a 4th year student.
The remaining men, other than a 2nd year student, were all workers on campus.
Originally, Sil Sect had ns to send more spies into Theorate this year, but with Kieran barging into the scene unannounced, their n was messed up.
The few new members failed to be Theorates freshmen, instead ending up bing guest students.
Without a doubt, those new spies who failed to be students had no right to be in this meeting.
Everyone is here. I want to hear your opinions about the recent Index of Eat incident.
As Bloody Mary sat down, Morrison spoke. His voice was altered out of habit, rough to the ears.
Weve lost a few good men in a row now! I suggest we stop the operation, said the 2nd year student.
The moment the suggestion faded, Palreynold threw a provocative gaze at the 2nd year student.
Conflict was inevitable, even within Sil Sect.
As second inmand among the spies, Palreynolds performance in the past 6 months wasnt convincing, hence someone coveting his spot, like the 2nd year student.
Maybe before the other men died at Kierans hands, the 2nd year student wouldnt have thoughts of his own because even if Palreynold was released from his duty, the benefits would note down to him, However, it was a different story now!
After the death of those few good men, the 2nd year was just behind Morrison and Palreynold, and if he could remove Palreynold in the process, he would be second inmand.
Once he thought about the esoteric gains of the position, the 2nd year student was very eager.
Agreed!
Agreed!
After the 2nd year student voiced his opinion, the others nodded in agreement.
They werent actually siding with the 2nd year student though. Competition for the Index of Eat had gotten a lot fiercer and these men did not possess the abilities to further participate in this fight.
Rather than exhausting manpower or maybe ending up dead on the field, they might as well give up when there was still a chance.
When he heard the agreement, the delight and provocation in the 2nd year student got heavier.
Everything was just as expected.
Morrison nced over at the 2nd year student, obviously aware of what his subordinate sought, but Morrison did not stop him because it was what he wanted to see.
If it would make the little group more lively and solidify his position further, especially thetter, Morrison wouldnt object.
What do you think, Palreynold?
It sounded like a normal question but it was very provocative.
A stiff and loving group of subordinates wasnt something Morrison wished to see. He preferred his men to fight to the death for the slightest benefit and spend efforts to win his fondness.
No, Bloody Mary answered.
Bloody Mary, of course, saw the provocative gaze from the 2nd year student and if it had a chance, it would not care about the 2nd year goon or Morrisons question.
Its target werent these people but for the boss n, it had to y along.
It seemed like Bloody Marys effort was rewarded, because when its answer faded, the 2nd year student thought he had seized the chance and jumped out.
As the second inmand, dont you have any more constructive suggestions, Palreynold? And in the past 6 months, youve always give excuses to push your duty away. What are you doing? Could it be... you want to get away from the organization? the 2nd year student was very forceful with his words.
The others around the table were waiting for a good show. They also knew what the 2nd year student sought after, but what did that have to do with them? The organization treated them the same regardless of who became their superior.
Watching their superiors fighting each others was enough to satisfy their dark, despicable hearts.
While Bloody Mary was calcting the time for the person it has been waiting for to arrive, it stood up from the seat and walked over to the 2nd year student.
The second year student was frightened, wanting to step away but when he realized the chair was behind his back, he knew he had no where to run.
What are you doing? Pissed off because of what I said? Or...
Pak!
Before the 2nd year student could finish, a heavy pnded on his face. The tremendous force sent the student and his chair to the ground.
YOU!?
The moment he opened his mouth, his teeth were stainted by his own blood, spilling out from his mouth.
The 2nd year student looked at Palreynold with a nk gaze, never expecting the p.
I am just telling you to know your ce, Bloody Mary said calmly.
The calm tone and presence was very simr to Kieran. Bloody Mary did a good job in copying its boss presence.
What are you doing Palreynold?
Morrison, who had been quiet, shouted as he mmed his palm on the table.
He wished to see conflict in the dark, with people setting up one another, not a direct conflict like this, so he had to intervene and correct it.
Then...
Pak!
Simr to the 2nd year student, Morrison was pped to the ground too.
As blood gushed out of his mouth, Morrison looked at Bloody Mary in an unbelievable gaze.
He couldnt believe Bloody Mary struck him and how easy he was struck down.
Since he was able to be Theorates teacher, Morrisons strength was undoubtedly decent. Anymon teacher in Theorate was far stronger than students.
Morrison wiped the blood off his mouth and red at Bloody Mary. Infuriated, he revealed his cold, killer intent.
You dare go against me? Take him down! Morrison shouted.
The other five members jumped out and surrounded Bloody Mary.
Going against you? No, I am just telling you to understand the difference in rank between you and me. Bloody Mary shook its head.
What are you bbering about! What are you people waiting for! Take him!
Morrison climbed up and waited to join his men in taking down Bloody Mary. Even the 2nd year student stood up, ignoring the pain from his mouth and face. He showed a pitiful yet disdainful smile, wanting to join the others. He swore in his heart that he would return the p ten times, a hundred times harder!
However, the 2nd year student widened his eyes right away.
Pak, Pak, Pak, Pak, Pak!
5 continuous pster, all five of the Sil Sect members who had surrounded Bloody Mary fell to the ground with their hands over their face. Simr to Morrison and the 2nd year student, their mouths were bleeding.
Morrison stopped going further, his body frozen as he looked at Bloody Mary with a terrified gaze.
W-Who are you?! Why are you impersonating Palreynold?
Morrison didnt believe Palreynold possessed the strength to do something like this, but someone else did.
He? Of course he is Palreynold!
An unfamiliar voice came in and five more powerful men appeared at the door of the underground room, sealing the exit.
Garcia then appeared behind the 5 of them.
Garcia?!
Garcia wasnt unheard of among the 4th year and the moment he appeared, cries of shock sounded in the room.
Then, a bad thought appeared in their hearts.
Palreynold, you betrayed us?! You sided with Garcia? You traitor!?
Morrison shouted frenzily, his eyes were subtly looking at the corner of the room.
For the sake of safety, when Morrison picked this room as the temporary hideout, he secretly built himself an escape path but opening it required some time. Morrison needed someone to buy him time.
Go! Take them all down!
Morrison incited his men but the next moment, when Garcia spoke, the words threw Morrison down into a freezy abyss.
Fools! Do you really think I came down here without discovering your secret passage?
Morrisons body shook, the blood in his face was frightened away, leaving him with a pale look. The safe and peaceful life in Theorate had taken away his courage to fight to his death. He stared at the 4th year student who was rather well-known, his mouth moving a few times before he said I-I surrender!
Morrisons men were baffled by the series of event and they were even more lost after Morrison surrendered, but they had no choice but to go along with the decision.
I surrender too.
Me too.
Surrenders echoed in his ears but Garcia didnt even look at them. From the moment he entered the room, his attention was focused on Palreynold, who fell into silence after his entrance.
Garcia was satisfied when he saw the expected silence from Palreynold.
It seems like you already know what will happen next. Mr. Palreynold of Sil Inner Sect, tell me where Lude is, or... hand over the Index of Eat! Garcia said coldly.
Sil Inner Sect?!
Sil Sect has an Inner section?
Morrison, the 2nd year student, and the five other men were utterly shocked as they looked at Palreynold. Then, something even more unbelievable happened right before their eyes.
Chapter 1539 - Persuasion
Chapter 1539: Persuasion
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Huuu!
The wind entered the room.
Amid the unusual wind, Garcias five men, who blocked the exit, fell into their own bloody puddles, and as the leader, Garcia was pinned to the wall by Bloody Mary, its hand plunging through his chest.
What happened?
Morrison, the 2nd year student, and the other five men widened their eyes in horror.
Their sight couldnt even provide them with an exnation of what just happened.
All they saw was the oue, and it was uneptable to them.
As a matter of fact, not just them, but Garcia was also having a hard time epting the oue.
Cough Cough!
Blood gushed out of Garcias mouth as he looked at the cold Palreynold with a disbelieving gaze.
People from the Dark Sect, the general term of an Inner Sect, were strong.
One could even say the true ce to inherit the ultimates of a sect was the Inner Sect, but the Sil Sect was one that practised potions and utensils crafting, so how could someone from there be so strong?
ording to Garcias deduction, Sil Inner Sect, which practised a single line of inheritance, should possess a special or powerful cooking utensil or tableware, or even some secretive potion. That was the reason why he brought five elites that were second only to professor level. He thought he wouldnt fail this time, but reality pped him hard in the face, much harder than Palreynold did to the others earlier.
The five elites, who were the assistants the professor behind him meticulously trained, had held most of Garcias hopes and anticipation, but they died just like that.
All five of them died so easily as if they were tofu under Palreynolds hand, not one of them able to resist their fate!
The oue was totally uneptable to Garcia, but the pain from his pierced chest told him it was a cold, hard fact that he must ept.
I am the wind, my hand is the de.
When blood shes, myriads of bodies stack.
Bloody Mary uttered a little phrase it came up with in the nick of time. Its eyes on Garcia were filled with disdain so heavy that it almost materialized.
If you dont know what kind of existence the Sil Inner Sect is, please dont judge it with your shallow knowledge, Bloody Mary said softly.
I-I lost this time, but... next...
Garcia stuttered after a deep breath, his face tormented by the pain, but before his words subsided, Garcias body melted and vanished like snow under the sun, only many times faster.
Allowing Garcia to escape was part of the n, much more effective and natural than Bloody Mary sparing his life.
Bloody Mary purposely frowned; it had to make everything look real because it was rted to the bosss n.
Bloody Mary then turned back to the Sil Sects spies.
Palreynold, I...
Puk!
Morrison wanted to exin, but Bloody Mary had no interest. It appeared behind Morrison in a sh and beheaded the teacher. Morrisons head flew up high, and the blood from his throat gushed out and sshed against the ceiling.
As the white ceiling and walls intertwined with red, the whole room looked extra vibrant, and when the whole room was tainted red, the color didnt soften up, bing more saturated instead.
Once all the Sil Sect spies were killed and their bodies scattered across the room, Bloody Mary carefully checked each of them before going out.
When the spies surrendered, their fates had been sealed.
A true member of the Dark Sect would not tolerate traitors within the sect.
...
Bang!
When Garcia reappeared in his liquid form, he was in a room, more precisely, his researchb.
When the assistants on duty at theb saw Garcia appear and fall on the floor with a big hole in his chest, all of them rushed over immediately.
An emergency surgery was performed right away.
There was sufficient medication in theb, and the people who operated on Garcia had skillful hands. With the addition of some extra products from the Mystic Realm and Garcias heart being on the left side of his chest, he survived.
Once everything was patched up, Garcias outstanding body woke him up quick enough.
Contact Professor Duyor and call him back to the school as soon as possible. The Sil Inner Sect is not what we thought; they should be a branch of an ancient sect.
After delivering the message, Garciaid down on the sick bed as if the message took thest bit of his energy.
However, anyone who came closer to him would clearly hear the mumblesing from his mouth.
I am the wind, my hand is the de.
When blood shes, myriads of bodies stack.
It was the little phrase Bloody Mary came up with.
The others who were treated Garcia heard it, but they didnt understand the meaning.
Since it came from Garcia and they respected his position, they did not simply neglect it.
Almost 20 minutester, Garcia finally came back to his senses.
Contact the First Seat freshman, tell him I want a meeting, Garcia told the assistant of the researchb beside him, but right away, he noticed a strange look on the assistants face.
What happened to the n? Garcia asked after being a little stunned.
...
A few hours earlier.
Kieran saw Garcia off, but he didnt close the door. Instead, he took the metal box containing [Golden Cake (Replica)] outside the dorm before truly tasting the rare Proper Meal ss cake.
Garcia left but the people who followed him here did not.
Kieran knew what these people wanted to do; every single one of them was after the [Golden Cake (Replica)] in his hand.
Kieran wasnt angry at all, but rather delighted.
His delight didnte from the joy of sharing. Since he already got his hands on the Proper Meal ss cake, how could he possibly let it go?
He was delighted because of the extra rewards.
Kieran soon arrived at the big, spacious field he remembered without stopping; he didnt want the uing battle to harm his one true lodging spot in this dungeon world.
When Kieran finally stopped, the group of shady figures appeared and surrounded him.
The number of people were twice as many as Kieran had sensed.
It also seemed like the ill-intended people had noticed each other, and in order to properly snatch the Golden Cake, they contacted their fellow aplices.
Some of them rushed over right after Kieran stopped in the middle of the field.
Those who arrivedter joined theirrades and confronted the other parties; nevertheless, most of their attentions were still on Kieran, or more precisely, the metal box in his hands.
Hand over the box!
A man wrapped in ck on Kierans left shouted with an altered voice.
His shout caused a chain reaction, a lot of the others started to shout at Kieran too.
Hand over the box!
Hand it over quickly!
Hand it over and well spare your life!
The shouts were messy, and some used altered voices like the first man while some used their normal ones.
Greed appeared in their eyes, and they didnt care about the consequences anymore.
Kieran nced at the people surrounding him then at the shadow further away.
There was a strange faint presence hiding there, watching the conflict.
No doubt, whoever was hiding there nned to fish in muddy waters. And it wasnt just that particr spot, as there were two more suspicious presences hiding further behind the first one.
Kieran curled his lips into a smile when he noticed the three hidden presences, which were much stronger than the people who surrounded him.
What else was better than an expected reward?
A reward far greater than his expectations!
Kierans little smile irritated the people surrounding him.
What are you smiling at?
You think we are joking with you?
Or you think we dont dare to kill you?
Everyone started to growl angrily. Greed had blinded their eyes and clouded their judgments. Killer intent was spreading, affecting them, causing their breaths to be heavy.
Kill him!
Kill him first, we will decide who takes the foodter!
A loud shoutter, everyone charged towards Kieran.
However, just as their feet were about to move, excruciating pain filled their chests and it spread throughout their bodies. Their eyes started to blur, and their consciousness started to fade.
Dong, Dong Dong Dong.
Only a few among the attackers, those who had special bodies, survived, but they were living on theirst breaths.
P-Poison!
Ast agonizing scream escaped their mouths, death awakening them from greed.
They hoped for Kierans mercy, but he wasnt moved.
The man they meant to kill would show no mercy because they wouldnt have shown him any had their positions been switched.
The field filled with greed went silent as death arrived.
While standing amidst a pile of over 50 bodies, Kieran looked at the shadowy hiding spots again.
[Venom Breath], which was in cooldown because of [Toxic Nibble], was activated and began spreading again following Kieransmand. The poison shrouded the two other presences behind the first one.
[Vicious Venom Pearl] could be activated even without touching; as long as it was on the user or even in the users bag, its effect woulde into y.
Other than a longer time to bring out its maximum effect, it barely had any weaknesses, especially after [Toxic Nibble] was activated, where the time, its weakness, was minimized to an eptable range.
p p p!
Amid a series of loud ps and under Kierans sharp gaze, a man in normal attire with a mask over his face walked out.
Ive heard that the First Seat of this year is very interesting, but now it seems like you are more interesting than I thought. What do you say, wanna join the Dark Eaters? The man chuckled and voiced his invitation.
Dark Eaters, a bunch of robbers who had truly discarded their pride and relied on robbing to boost themselves. Rumour had it that there were some very extreme ones among them who chose to eat humans to boost their powers.
Kieran read about the Dark Eaters before in a book at the library.
They were hated and feared. Or at least, Kieran sensed that the two other presences further away breathed heavily when the term Dark Eaters was mentioned.
What do you dread? Or what do you still yearn for? Do you wish to tolerate these people from day to night? Didnt you feel a release the moment they died? Isnt that the thing you have been searching for? Didnt you feel the rxation and joy? Admit it and ept it, you and us are the same!
Amid his pleasant and rhythmic voice, notification after notification appeared in Kierans vision. His Spirit had passed the authentication and prevented him from falling into Chaos state.
As he looked at the Dark Eater and the surveince camera that turned over to the two of them, Kieran took a breath to adjust his emotions and words.
At the next moment, Kierans emotion-filled words came out of his mouth passionately.
I am not dreading, I am only holding to my own principals.
I am not yearning, its just that there are too many good things in my memories, and I cant give them up!
I dont need to tolerate these people from day to night, I have a lot of ways to make them understand what the consequences of confronting me are.
As for the thing I am searching for, its not just simple massacre!
Killing might be a way to reach goals but its definitely not my final goal.
I might feel a little rxed or joyous, butpared to my final goal, that short-term joy is nothing.
And, you! You may seem to be in joy, but can you really be honest with me and tell me you dont feel regret? Do you regret giving up your life, regret giving up on your friends, regret loving your loved ones, regret disappointing your loving parents? Do you?
You dare to say there wasnt any good things in your life before?
Kierans loud questions formed a strange rhythm, and it was so captivating to anyone who heard it.
Word hypnosis?
Kieran also knew such a trick and from many aspects, Kieran was the true master!
Perhaps there were some who could escape his hypnosis but definitely not the Dark Eater before him.
The Dark Eater faltered backwards as Kieran questioned him, and even though the mask blocked his face, Kieran knew how ugly he appeared at that moment even without looking. Just listen to that heavy breathing, it was relentless like a broken windbox that was on the verge of breaking apart at any moment.
The Dark Eater also shook and stuttered, I...I...
You still want to prove that you are right with your useless words?
What are you trying to emphasize? What can it bring you?
Nothing! All you get is the emptiness from lying to people, lying to yourself!
Now look at me, and tell me your honest thoughts!
Kieran interrupted the Dark Eater, and atop of the finger he hid under his sleeve, [Mesly Ring] swirled in a mysterious light that no one could see.
Chapter 1540 - Yet Another Unexpected Surprise
Chapter 1540: Yet Another Unexpected Surprise
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
What? He is persuaded? That Dark Eater was persuaded to leave the Dark Eater Alliance and be one of 2567s followers?!
Garcia widened his eyes in utter shock. Lying on his sick bed and listening to what theb assistant said, it all sounded like a fairy tale.
Yes. Its a little unbelievable but that Dark Eater really said he was leaving the alliance. Our sources just confirmed the news, theb assistant nodded in a firm manner.
He understood how shocked Garcia was because he had reacted in the same manner, maybe even worse, when he heard the news earlier.
As researchers in Duyor Research Lab, they werent strangers to Dark Eaters. They knew how scary those people were, who discarded their pride and value and humanity. Whenever a battle with the Dark Eaters broke out, at least 2 to 3 people of the same rank were required to suppress a single Dark Eater but now, a true Dark Eater was simply persuaded with mere words. If they hadnt verified this beforehand, they would have treated it as some outrageous fairy tale.
The sick ward fell into silence.
It took a while before Garcia came back to his senses.
What about the two guys that I arranged to help 2567? Where are they? Garcia asked.
Unfortunately, they were caught by 2567s attack. They didnt even have the chance to state their identity, theb assistant said.
Theb assistant knew what Garcias n was: Garcia hoped to help the First Seat during his more troubled time.
It wouldnt just win fondness; Garcia might even have the chance to rope the First Seat in, despite the troubled situation being of their own creation.
But as long as it worked, who would care?
The problem was that they failed, and most importantly, the two people sent to help Kieran had lost their lives.
Many go for wool ande back scorned.
They are dead? Garcia was stunned.
The 7 man elite team that Professor Duyor had meticulously trained died in less than an hour?
More importantly, all of them had died while carrying out his orders?
How could this happen?
Ive nned everything properly!
The mistake is not on them, its my n that failed, its my mistake!
Garcia started to doubt his life. His breathing increased and his face flushed due to the messy thoughts.
Puk!
A mouthful of blood gushed out, the wound that had just been patched up started to bleed, tainting the bandages red.
Garcia passed out.
Doctor! Doctor! theb assistant called out loudly.
...
Do you know what you are doing? Senile shouted loudly.
When the news about the Dark Eater came to him, he rushed himself to the scene but when he arrived, the teacher who was afraid of trouble realized the problem was much worse than he had thought.
The Dark Eater abandoned his identity and wanted... no, he had already became the First Seats follower!
Looking at the quiet 2567 and the once Dark Eater beside him, Senile felt his temple jump rapidly.
He knew what the consequences were should the news about today spread. Those lunatics, the Dark Eaters, werent some kind of easy-going bunch of folks.
What made Senile more helpless was the incident today would surely spread like wildfire.
Over 50 casualties urred in the field of Theorate. Not even Principal Romuse could cover something up like this, despite those people bringing it upon themselves.
Once Senile thought about what he had to face in the uing times, he really wanted to punch the First Seat in the face, warning him not to cause any more trouble. But when he thought about the difference in strength, he was smart enough not to do so and instead vented his emotions through shouting.
Got it, Kieran nodded.
If you knew, whyd you still do it? Senile shouted louder.
I had no reason to stop a person from turning over a new leaf, Kieran said back.
But did you think about the consequences? What kind of trouble would befall you? Senile mmed the table as he jumped up from his seat.
I did, but if everyone rejected kindness because of the prejudices in their hearts, this world would truly plunge into darkness. Its too sad. I cant persuade others but I hope to protect my own bottomline.
Kieran wasnt being loud, his tone was calm, but his words voiced out a never before heard authenticity and a strong sense of righteousness.
Senile looked at Kieran nkly after those words, unable to think of a reason to continue arguing.
The recording officer beside them also looked up to Kieran, his eyes showing an extra sense of respect.
I am just reminding you that the Dark Eaters will get to you through any means necessary. They dont have any honor to speak of but they will redeem the meaning of being a Dark Eater, Senile said with a stern tone after two deep breaths, sitting back to his chair.
Mm. Let theme, Kieran stood up and walked out.
The ex-Dark Eater behind him followed without uttering a word.
The door was shut slowly. Senile sat at the desk in silence.
He looked at the shut door, his mind reying the words Kieran said earlier.
If everyone rejected kindness because of the prejudices in their hearts, this world would truly plunge into darkness. Its too sad.
Since when do I judge things based on benefits? During my graduation? No, it should be earlier. It should be the first time I entered the Mystic State, where the guide teacher told me to give up on the wounded to secure the safety of the survivors. Its nothing wrong about that, giving up on the minority to secure the majority, it should be the optimal choice! But... why I cant forget it until now? Why do I feel so... ufortable?
Senile scratched his head with both his hands, pulling at his hair non-stop in a frustrating way.
The recording officer took his note, walking outside quietly without uttering a single word.
Professor Tyrese had been waiting for him in the next room. He took the note from the officer and carefully read through the contents.
As a matter of fact, Professor Tyrese knew everything already because his room and the next were connected.
An oil painting was used as a cover, but anyone in the professors room could see through the one-way mirror and know what was happening in the next room, while those on the other side knew nothing about the room behind the oil painting.
The flipping of the notes was the only noise in the room, Professor Tyrese sighing at the end.
Leonard, go check on Senile. You better pay more attention to him in the uing days. He couldnt get past the incidentst time.
Professor Tyrese told Leonard beside him, who was anxious to leave the room.
Alright, professor, Leonard quickly went over to the next room.
The room was left with Professor Tyrese and the recording officer. Professor Tyrese then turned to thetter.
What do you think, Mori?
A decent kid. Although cold, he knows what he is doing. His ways might be harsh but theyre reliable. But before everything, you need to win his trust.
The white-haired officer, with a pair of sses, answered honestly. On top of the officers right hand was a small bonsai the size of his little finger, with a dandelion-like nt inside, waving as he spoke, as if the little nt was agreeing to his words.
Is that so? Did you see the surveince footage? Found any problems? Professor Tyrese sank into thoughts for a while before asking.
Everything is normal. That Dark Eater tried to bewitch 2567 with his words but he did not expect 2567s will to be as strong as a monolith and have a sharp mind. The Dark Eater didnt just fail, the weakness in his heart was poked by 2567s words, his mental defense crumbling, and everything else is history.
The officer knew what Professor Tyrese wanted to ask, so he borated.
This kind of thing is really inconceivable! Professor Tyrese eximed.
Not really inconceivable, but definitely not something a John Doe can do. He needs to have extremely great confidence and a certain level of charisma, the officer corrected Professor Tyrese.
Does he have it? 2567? Professor Tyrese asked.
Among all the 50 bodies, every single one of them suffered a mental impact to their mind, so I guess you can treat it as a unique charisma. But I dont think 2567 can use this little trick anymore in the uing events, the officer was referring to something specific.
Hope he doesnt get himself into too much trouble. Theorates anniversary is just around the corner, Professor Tyrese said with a bitter smile.
Perhaps said trouble will turn into something good? the officer said in an optimistic manner.
Thats right, trouble can be turned into something good as long as preparations were made and the chance was seized, simr to Kieran right now.
Kieran was in his dorm counting all 33 Magic rank items and 2 Rare rank items that he got from the 50 men, the smile on his face very bright.
Although only the 2 Rare rank items were worthy of his attention, thebined value of all 33 Magic rank items wasnt something 2 Rare rank items couldpete with.
After counting all 33 Magic rank items and arranging them into his bag, Kieran looked at the 2 Rare rank items.
[Name: Butter Ball]
[Type: Wonder Item]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: None]
[Attribute: Heal]
[Effect: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: It is a type of battle ration developed by Duyor Research Lab.]
...
[Heal: Put Butter Ball in you mouth and it will heal for 50 HP per minute,st for 20 minutes or swallowed to heal 300 HP for one time.]
...
[Name: Crispy Thin Roll]
[Type: Wonder Item]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: None]
[Attribute: Arouse]
[Effect: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: It is a type of battle ration developed by Duyor Researchb.]
...
[Arouce: Even on the verge of dying, one will be aroused by the crispiness. Consume it and it will prolong the life of a dying man for 1 minute but after the 1 minute duration is up, the organs will deteriorate and die quickly. It isnt the best way to save a dying man but ideal for ast resort.]
...
Unlike most of the Magic rank cooking utensils and tableware, the 2 Rare rank items were one time consumable food items. Although these 2 Rare rank items wasnt categorized in any ss, as long as one used it properly, it could be unexpectedly effective.
Kieran carefully ced them in an easily reachable spot before he took out the metal box that held [Golden Cake (Replica)].
Frankly speaking, throughout his n, he had been anticipating [Golden Cake (Replica)] and the other Proper Meal ss food that he would soon get the most.
Kak!
Kieran carefully opened the box and a golden light shone on his face.
Other than the look, it was the aromatic smell of the face that entered his nose.
The Golden Cake was around 7 inches big. Kieran remembered the attribute clearly stated that its rarity would drop by the second after it left the metal container, therefore Kieran shoved it into his mouth without a second thought.
The cake was soft and sweet, but not surfeiting, and the taste instantly filled his taste buds and mouth.
The whole cake then melted into a semi-liquid state, as if he was eating a melted ice-cream, flowing down his throat and into his stomach.
Gluttony, who had been waiting, cheered happily as he threw himself to the cake.
He disintegrated the cake and converted it into Devil Force, Dawn Force, gue Force, Saint Thorn Force and Cardinal Sins Force, all the Origin Forces bing very lively and operating faster.
All five of his Origin Forces transformed into the purest of energy and boosted the divine fire in his mind once more, making it burn bigger and brighter, so more darkness and chaos could be expelled.
The process was simr to previous times but the changes that followed shocked Kieran.
[Absorbed special energy, Intuition +3]
[Intuition ZZ ZZZ (Strong I)]
...
Attribute level up! Not skills rank up but attributes!
Kieran looked at the words on his vision, swiftly thinking about the Golden Cake attribute: [Golden Blessing (Iplete): Replenish, optimize your attributes]
If even an iplete attribute was able to increase Intuition by 3 ranks, then what about aplete one?
He had gained more than that actually!
A true Proper Meal ss cake had provided him with outstanding gains, and now, he still had 2 more of the same rank that he hasnt gotten yet.
Pak Pak Pak.
Kieran was tapping the arm of his chair lightly, his eyes squinting a little as he realized that he was still underestimating this dungeon worlds value.
Fortunately, he was careful and vignt, he barely missing out on anything and didnt make any mistakes. He might be able to get something bigger in the uing days.
Unconsciously, Kieran looked at the Dark Eater who was standing beside him.
The Dark Eater knelt down on one knee and said in a devoted voice, Lester at your service, my lord.
Chapter 1541 - Work Together?
Chapter 1541: Work Together?
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran didnt speak after the Dark Eater knelt down on one knee. Instead, he took themunicator on the table and waved it at Frost Wolf.
The intelligent Frost Wolf ran over, took themunicator with its mouth, and ran outside.
Through the special connection from thepanion contract, Kieran sensed that Frost Wolf had taken themunicator far enough.
Lester, does anyone among the Dark Eaters have a Proper Meal ss food?
Based on my knowledge, none. Dark Eaters are raiders; unless something unexpected happens, they eat whatever they plunder right away to increase their own strength. Lester shook his head.
Is that so?
Although Kieran had simr deduction before this, he still felt a little pity after knowing the truth behind it.
However, it didnt stop him from asking Lester about other things.
Compared to the information he got from books, the information from Lester was no doubt more true, well-rounded and detailed.
The Dark Eaters have a very loose hierarchy structure. There may be some gathering at times, but most of the time, the higher ranks only provide shelter for the members, not for free though. The members have to pay a certain fee to acquire shelter; otherwise, no help wille at all.
Competitions between members is rare but not entirely nonexistent. If a life or death battle breaks out, the whole alliance doesnt provide help to either of the involved, nor does it stop them.
The Dark Eater Alliance in Theorate once got annihted by E Block Principal, Romuse, but they came back quick enough and were more careful than ever.
Lester told everything he knew to Kieran, including those secrets he did not tell Senile and the recording officer.
Came back? How many are there? Kieran asked the question that concerned him the most.
Im not sure, but based on thest gathering, where only 30 showed up, the total number might not be the minority, because many of the Dark Eaters would never join such a gathering. They are more used to sending representatives on their behalf, and the number that appeared in the gathering wasnt something one or two Dark Eaters could muster. Lester voiced out his own theory.
When is the next gathering? Kieran asked.
If the dates remain unchanged, it should be during one of the three days of Theorates Anniversary, Lester said.
Kieran knew about the anniversary celebration, from books of course.
Starting from the second Friday of October each year, until midnight of the following Sunday, the three-day weekends were used to celebrate Theorates Anniversary. Curfew would be lifted for the three short days and all the students from each year woulde out to party all night however they wanted.
Fireworks and floats in parades were a must, but what caught Kierans attention was the Food Competitiona fightingpetition that allowed the winner to purchase food at a discount price of one tenth or less.
Kieran, drooling unconsciously, took a deep breath and swallowed all his saliva.
He had to be patient for some time before the anniversary and there were much important things before his eyes that he had to attend to.
Another half an hour of conversationter, when the sky slowly lit up, the conversation finally ended.
My lord, if you are worried about themunicator, I can help you modify it a bit, Lester said all of a sudden after the conversation ended.
Okay. Kieran looked at Lester with a rather surprised gaze. He didnt know Lester was good in mechanics or able to modify amunicator. Frost Wolf brought back themunicator, and Lester skillfully pried it open. Kieran was smart enough to not watch through the process.
A bunch of soldering and electrical wires were total strangers to Kieran; he couldnt understand anything.
Even though he was a solo yer and tended to make himself more all-rounded, his goal was more concentrated in battle, not trivial skills.
As for skills outside battle?
One could never be skillful in everything and all-knowing, it was just like one should not expect to hand over the food in his hand to a stranger.
20 minutester, Lester reassembled themunicator and passed it to Kieran.
It shouldnt be a problem now. Ive added an extra defensive module, so others can no longer eavesdrop, and even if someone could truly break the defensive module, it would make an rm, Lester exined.
While Kieran familiarized himself with themunicator, the whole dorm was already bustling with noise and excitement. The freshmen had woken up from their dream to wee a new day.
A day in Theorate was destined to never be normal though, especially with the happenings ofst night spreading throughout the ranks of the freshmen.
Whether it was the 50 casualties or the Dark Eaters turning over a new leaf, everything sounded so magical and unbelievable in the freshmens ears, and when those two unbelievable stories originated from a single person, that person instantly became legendary.
Every freshmen who walked past Kierans dorm would slightly stop to pass a revered gaze; even Standler and Maica were no exceptions, Maica more so than anyone.
The difference is that big? the aide of the First Seat mumbled softly.
Being very fond of fighting, Maica was never afraid of one, but because of that, he knew where his limits were.
A single man versus fifty at once.
Even if Maica had some special abilities, he wouldnt be able to emerge a victor in that scenario.
50 men would cause a qualitative change with their numbers, but in fact, any one of them was an opponent that Maica would have had to take seriously, and if the number of opponents exceeded two, Maica would surely lose.
Maica knew that perfectly well since he knew who the 50 men were.
Stop thinking about it, the First Seat is unlike us.
Standler slightly regretted telling his friend about the story after he saw how depressed Maica was after waking up.
Em... Maica nodded but his eyes were out of focus.
Dont forget that we are here to report to the First Seat, Standler emphasized but Maica did not return to normal.
Standler sighed. He walked to Kierans door and wanted to knock on it, but before he could, the door opened up.
Morning, First Seat. Standler jolted a little before he greeted.
Not just Standler, but even the other freshmen in front of the room greeted Kieran politely when he came out.
Morning, First Seat.
Mm. Kieran nodded in reply.
The freshmen then left in a hurry.
They knew why Standler and Maica had to be there.
They didnt want to be around and affect Standler and Maicas report. Even those curious freshmen who wanted to have another nce at Kieran to find out what was so different about him did not stay behind.
Standler and Maica would be reporting some important business to the First Seat and if it did not go well, the freshmen would be the ones who suffer.
Is there anything? Kieran asked.
Its about the tutorial ss. The ss that was originally scheduled to be this weekend has been changed to this morning, and instead of only the 3rd year students conducting the ss, representatives from 2nd year, 3rd year and 4th year will be participating as well, Standler said.
Standler paused for a while and looked at Kierans calm and dull face.
Based on what I heard, this is the tradition of the upper years showing off their strength in a friendly way. Therefore, although the demonstrations will not cause any casualties, swollen faces and broken bones are normal. The First Seat and his aides will be the main targets for the demonstrations, Standler said with a bitter smile.
Is itpulsory? Kieran asked.
It isnt...
Then I will not be joining, Kieran said.
But if you do join and win, you might be able to get Bento ss food corresponding to the upper year...
When do we begin? Kieran said all of a sudden.
Hey man, arent you changing your mind a little bit too fast just for the sake of food?
The corner of Standlers mouth twitched as he looked at Kieran but he still replied with a clear voice. 10 a.m., E Block field.
Ill be there on time. Kieran then closed his door.
Standlers bitter smile grew heavier at the shut door.
He still had a lot of things to report to Kieran regarding the First Seats duty, but he was smart enough to not knock on the door.
Standler dragged the nk Maica away to the cafeteria. However, when Standler reached the cafeteria, he realized Kieran was ahead of them, despite them leaving him in his room.
You are really on time! Standler ran up and said as he walked beside Kieran.
There was also another cool young man in his 20s beside Kieran.
Is he the Dark Eater? Standler wondered.
It isnt gentlemanly to let the food wait, Kieran said.
I hope you can be a gentleman at all times. At least when your First Seat duties are due, you should practise it on the tasks instead.
Since he ran into Kieran again, Standler would not give up the chance to remind him about his responsibilities.
However, Standler realized how naive he was when he heard Kierans answer.
That is why I have you guys, right? Kieran spoke with a very surprised face as if Standler had said something illogical.
But we cant fully represent you! Standler emphasized.
Of course not but... the things the First Seat didnt finish, the First Seat can pass to his two aides, right? You guys are doing a good job, keep it up! I believe in you!
Kieran nodded in acknowledgement and gave an encouraging gaze to Standler. He then hastened his steps and left Standler and Maica behind.
Standler raised his hand at Kierans back. He was trying to hold him back, but nothing came out in the end.
Maica, I think our workload just increased... Huh? Maica?
When he turned around to his friend, wanting to rant about the increased workload and discuss about the distribution of work, Standler realized his friend, who was in a nk state before, was somehow walking up the stairs of the cafeteria. He strode in quickly after that.
Standler was left alone on the spot. He looked in front with a nk gaze before he sighed with mncholy.
...
Set A, B, C, each one set. Lester, what do you want?
The battlest night not only rewarded Kieran with items, but he also got enough cash from the attackers too.
One B Set.
Lester scanned the menu and picked the most delicate-looking one.
The serving speed of the cafeteria was fast as usual, simr to Kierans gobbling speed.
Nine servings of breakfast were quickly swept clean, yet Lester only finished up his single te of breakfast after Kieran.
Lester stood up and wanted to take the tray to the sink, but before he could, he felt like they were being watched.
Lester ced the tray down without a second thought and stood in front of Kieran.
Who is it? Come one! Lester shouted.
Please dont misunderstand, 2567 and I are old friends.
As the voice came, Oliford Ryde in his signature ck suit with a red handkerchief in his front pocket walked in.
Lester did not leave Kieran and looked at Oliford Ryde with rm. His instinct told him the well-dressed gentleman was dangerous.
Its alright, Lester.
Kieran told Lester to stand back before he looked at Oliford Ryde, who was showing a polite smile full of courtesy.
I hope you still remember the time of our deal. Kieran reminded him.
ording to the deal made, Kieran would use one Bento ss, which was almost a Proper Meal ss, and two normal Bento ss, plus seven more Fast Food ss to exchange for a true Proper Meal ss food. The preparation time was set for a weekend, and it was due soon.
Of course, I remember. That is why I am here. But 2567, you are really a surprising one. Your stories shocked a lot of people around me. And I heard youve been to Professor Smiths researchb? said Oliford Ryde.
His words sounded respectful at first, but all of a sudden, he had switched the topic.
Em. Kieran nodded without much expression.
What do you think about that ce? Oliford Ryde was being careful with his words.
What do you mean? Kieran asked, knowing what Oliford Ryde meant but ying dumb.
I hope that we can work together at a deeper level. The payment is an above Proper Meal ss food. If you agree, we can sign the agreement right away. Oliford Ryde smiled.
Oh? What kind of work would be worth an above Proper Meal ss food? Kieran was moved by it.
Although Kieran was really moved by the food, he knew he must be vignt at the moment.
Of course, his face showed an excited look, and it created a misunderstanding in Oliford Rydes mind. He whispered, Do you know what Professor Smith is researching?
Chapter 1542 - No Overnight Enemies
Chapter 1542: No Overnight Enemies
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
I dont know.
Kieran shook his head honestly, the alertness in his heart skyrocketing, picking up a very real malicious intent from Oliford Ryde.
As his Spirit grew stronger and Intuition entered the Advance Rank, Kieran became more and more sensitive against capturing malicious intents since he was very particr about it.
Oliford Ryde was just in front of him, so not even the least malicious intent could escape his senses.
The Seed of Phantasm! A kind of seed thatbines meat and vegetables perfectly and once sessfully nted, people can truly taste vegetables, rice, chicken, beef, pork and many others at once. It is a natural taste, unlike what the high ss restaurant served, whichpletely relied on the chefs skill to reach that level. The sole thought of the seed makes me happy.
Oliford Ryde showed admiration on his face.
Kieran looked at Oliford Rydes expression, unable to tell whether the admiration was authentic or for show, but it didnt stop him from asking, So?
So, I hope that you can be a middleman and introduce me to Professor Smith. I dont need you to do anything, just introducing me will do. If sessful, I will give you one above Proper Meal ss food; even if youre unsessful, Id give you a Bento ss to show my gratitude. Of course, Ive also heard of your rule: before getting payment andpleting the previous deal, you wont initiate the next one.
Smiling, Oliford Ryde took out a golden sk the size of a palm from his pocket.
Lester, who had received a silent order, took the golden sk and checked it carefully to made sure it was safe before handing it to Kieran.
When Kieran touched the golden sk, lines of words appeared in his vision.
[Name: Drops of Finest Cream]
[Type: Food]
[Rarity: I]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: None]
[Attribute: Unlock Wisdom]
[Effect: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: Back in the bronze age, peoples love for the Golden Cake did not diminish but without the main ingredients, the baked Golden Cake couldnt satisfy peoples needs. Gradually, a new type of food reced the Golden Cake. Without the core ingredient, it is the liquid grinded from the finest cream, people called it Drops of Finest Cream. Although iparable to a true Golden Cake, it provided a lot of satisfaction to the people in the bronze age.]
...
[Unlock Wisdom: Has a certain chance to unlock Talent of the intellect type]
...
[Note 1: Has only a certain chance, not always sessful]
[Note 2: This is just a standard portion for 1 person]
[Note 3: It can only unlock Talent once, not viable for multiple consumption]
[Note 4: After the seal of the sk is removed, the rarity will go down by time.]
...
The liquid grinded from the finest cream. Although a lot of people like to call it Drops of Finest Cream, Id still prefer to call it how our family called it since the old days. This is Ryde Familys special product, only a limited amount is produced every 3 years and as the first in line to inherit the family, I am able to get some every three years. It is most useful during your first usage, so when you consume it, I suggest you find a quiet andfortable ce. However, even if you do not seed, if you agree to work with me long term, I can give you more. Although it will be useless after unlocking your talent the first time, consuming it for a long period of time is good for your body as well.
Oliford Ryde told Kieran what he should pay attention to after the sk was in his hands.
Although the description had written everything clearly, Kieran didnt stop Olifords exnation.
Your intel is really sharp, Kieran said after Oliford Ryde finished.
Garcia isnt some John Doe, there is a lot of pair of eyes on him, but now, every eye out there is on you. What do you think about my earlier suggestion? Oliford Ryde turned back to the topic.
I need some time to think about it, Kieran said.
No problem. Contact me when you are through. Im sure you have the number to mymunicator.
Oliford Ryde shook hismunicator before he stood up and left. Kieran didnt hold him back, seeing him off with squinted eyes.
...
Outside the cafeteria, the servant of Ryde Family was waiting in the car and when Oliford came out, he quickly opened the car door for his master.
Oliford Ryde sat in the backseat as he was used to the gaze of people looking at his extravagant presence.
After the door was closed, with the tinted window blocking the sights of the students around the cafeteria, Oliford Ryde showed a smile, a very delighted smile.
Seems like your n is progressing smoothly. As expected of the first in line to the family.
The servant in the driver seat said in a ttering manner after he saw his masters smile.
Its nothing really, its really too simple. Its so simple that all I have to do is meet the First Seat freshman. Too bad... I originally nned to form a long-term working rtionship with him, he does have a very attractive potential, butpared to the family, what is a little First Seat freshman?
Oliford Ryde looked rather regretful as he shook his head in the backseat. After the little act, he showed a more straightforward, disdainful smile.
Yes, so what if he is popr right now? He is just a little First Seat freshman. Even if he doesnt die right now, he will never be able topete with young master or Ryde Family. Not now, not ever! the servant continued to tter Oliford Ryde.
Though I really need to thank him for distracting Romuse and Smith with his life. Remind me to send flowers to his funeral. After this, with our arrangement, he should head to Smiths and get injured by the angry professor before he is sted into pieces by our men, Oliford Ryde said slowly.
Young master, you are really...
I see.
The ttery from the servant was interrupted.
Oliford Ryde wanted to dish out a punch beside him without a second thought but as he raised his hand, he realized his body was paralyzed.
Paralyze ball! You...
Oliford Ryde cried out in shock, both because of [Paralyze Ball] and gettinga clear look at the person who appeared beside him.
Kieran!
Oliford Ryde had no idea how Kieran appeared in the car with him but he knew he must say something.
Too bad, Kieran didnt even give him the chance to open his mouth.
A ball of Devil me appeared from thin air within the car.
And then... KABOOM!
The speeding car exploded just like that.
Oliford Ryde and his servant were sted to pieces.
Simr to how Oliford Ryde said his men would st Kieran into pieces, Kieran returned the favor far quicker.
After the zing fire attracted everyones attention, Kieran swiftly returned to the cafeteria.
No one saw Kieran walk out from the cafeteria because of [Undercover] together with [Dark Movement Technique]. Likewise, no one saw him return either.
As for the server in the cafeteria?
She was sent away by Kieran using the excuse of consuming [Drops of Finest Cream].
Oliford Ryde told him to find a quiet andfortable ce.
Where else was quieter than the cafeteria after meal time?
As forfortable?
In many aspects of Kierans mind, the cafeteria was indeed the mostfortable ce for him.
Stand guard outside, dont let anyone in without my permission, Kieran said.
Yes, my lord.
Lester bowed, walked out, and closed the cafeteria door. Themotion was canceled out as soon as the door shut, Kieran then taking out the golden sk.
It wasnt just one anymore but... three!
Other than the first one, which was a deposit from Oliford Ryde, the other two were his loots from sting the car to fiery hell.
Kieran wasnt surprised at how valuable Oliford Ryde was. Judging from the conversation earlier, it seemed like Oliford Ryde had prepared a series of ns and setups. Although he didnt know what those ns are, he knew in order to deal with the likes of Romuse and Smith, Oliford Ryde must have poured in some serious funds.
The extra two sks of [Drops of Finest Cream] were indeed used to usher his ns into fruition, but now, everything belonged to Kieran.
Without further ado, Kieran kept the extra [Drops of Finest Cream], unsealing one of them and draining every single drop.
The rather sweet, creamy texture with a slight taste of oiliness was very tasty but before Kieran could savour the moment, system notifications popped up in his vision.
[Absorbed special energy, activating Talent...]
[Talent activated!]
[Acquired Talent: Memory Pce]
[Name: Memory Pce]
[Type: Talent]
[Rarity: Magic]
[Attribute: 1. Extreme Reading Memory; 2. Optimize Common Memory]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Remark: Forgetful? Impossible! Every single memory will be categorized in your brain, as if they were arranged in an orderly pce.]
...
[Extreme Reading Memory: You will never forget what you read]
[Optimize Common Memory: Your memory will be greatly enhance in your daily activities]
...
The whole activation process was very quick, ending in less than 10 minutes.
Looking at the Magic rank Talent [Memory Pce], Kieran wasnt unhappy at all. [Memory Pce] had zerobat capabilities and was more than a rank lower than Kierans [The Warden]. Even though it was iparable to the powerful Legendary rank [The Warden], for Kieran, with his vignt personality, increased memory capacity was quite a decent choice. At least he would make less mistakes from now on.
As he searched for his blurry memories that got cleared up by the newly acquired talent, he smiled. Even though it was very noisy outside, it didnt give him a bad mood at all.
...
Lester, we want to see 2567! Senile shouted.
Senile and Leonard were blocked by Lester, the ex-Dark Eater, outside of the cafeteria.
Without his permission, no one can enter, Lester said coldly.
I am Senile! I am the one who signed on your pardon! Senile said angrily.
But the one who saved me from suffering is my lord, not you! Please dont im my lords credit as your own, it will make you look ugly! Lester mocked.
Although dominated by [Mesly Ring], Lesters mind and thoughts werent robbed from him. Lester retained his original intellect and personality, even treating the domination process as a true redemption for his life.
Lester had treated Kieran as the one and only God in his heart, same as the others who Kieran had dominated before.
But towards anyone else?
The dominated will still perceive the others with their original perception.
They still liked those they liked and hated those they hated, but nothing drastic would happen.
Of course, should Kieran give the order, the like or dislike will change in a heartbeat, but at the moment, Lester did not receive orders from Kieran.
Or... you treated the pardon for my status as redemption because you once abandoned your ssmates? Lester said without holding back.
SHUT UP! Leonard scolded Lester when he saw Seniles face turned pale, his eyes looking at Lester with hostility.
What now? I poked at your wounds and now you want to kill me? I suppose you want to, its the way you operated anyway.
Lester was like a venomous snake, spitting his venom at Senile and Leonard and provoking them with his hiss.
Senile looked uglier than before, Leonard entering his battle stance and Lester pulling out a dagger in his hand.
The fight would ur in a heartbeat but before the unwanted conflict could happen, a shout came.
STOP AT ONCE!
Professor Tyrese was striding over quickly.
Leonard, bring Senile down to rest, Ill deal with this.
Professor Tyrese knew what was happening with a single nce.
Yes, professor.
Leonard nodded and brought Senile away. Professor Tyrese was left alone with Lester in front of the door.
Prying on peoples wound isnt a good habit, Professor Tyrese said.
And taking credit for other peoples work is? Lester refuted.
Even against the famous Professor Tyrese, Lester had zero intention of stepping down. He was still as sharp as before, but it did not agitate Professor Tyrese, instead relieving him a bit.
It is just as Mori said, Lester will only treat 2567 differently. He kept his original attitude towards anybody else for quite a while. Hope everything is progressing for the best, Professor Tyrese thought in his mind before he spoke again.
I want to see 2567.
Without permission, no one can enter, Lester repeated.
Then Ill wait for him here, Professor Tyrese said.
A quick nce at the professorter, Lester stood still and did not care about the waiting professor anymore.
As long as the professor didnt barge in by force, Lester, who was carrying out Kierans order, did not care.
1 minute, 2 minutes...
Time slowly slipped by, Professor Tyrese was waiting patiently but when hismunicator rang, things changed.
Di, Di, Di!
What?!
Professor Tyreses face looked bad when he answered the call.
Chapter 1543 - Tutorial
Chapter 1543: Tutorial
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Professor Tyreses face turned ugly, not bothering to linger anymore and instead running down the stairs.
After Professor Tyrese left in a hurry, Kieran walked out from the isted cafeteria, frowning in the direction the Professor ran off to.
Kieran shared a link with Bloody Mary, so he had a clear view over the edges of E Block, where Professor Smiths researchb was located.
Thick smoke was rumbling high and zing lights were shing non-stop.
Something must have happened there without a question and it was faster than Kieran had expected.
After Oliford Ryde mentioned E Block Principal Romuse and the independent Professor Smith, Kieran sent Bloody Mary to the researchb for surveince.
Why not Principal Romuses ce though?
After the principals little house was destroyed, Kieran hadnt located where he was currently staying, but he believed as long as he kept an eye on Smith, Romuse would show up.
Based on what Oliford Ryde had said, the two must have aplicated rtionship.
However, what Kieran saw through Bloody Marys eyes told him there was more than one party taht had their eyes on Professor Smith.
More than three different parties were fighting in the area.
Modern firearms were sting endlessly, explosions going off relentlessly.
The unique fighting technique of this dungeon world perfectlybined modern firearms, making the fight a lot more strange. However, none of the fierce fights in front of the researchb mattered because Professor Smith didnt show up at all.
Bloody Mary was ordered to carefully search the ce and soon found out Professor Smith, together with hisrge canine friend, Bolt, was not on the premise.
They were lured away? Or?
As the thought lingered in his heart, Kieran ordered Bloody Mary to step back.
Kieran had no idea what had just happened but it would be best for him to not meddle around with an alreadyplicated situation.
Why fish in muddy waters?
Bloody Mary also reported that the unusual aroma was gone, so Kieran did not n to test the waters.
That fact proved Kierans choice was the right one.
Less than a minute after Bloody Mary left the researchb, multiple powerful presence appeared, and through Kierans Advanced Ranks Intuition, the lowest level sensed was entry level Advance Rank, while some even reached rank III. Kieran was sure what he sensed wasnt all.
Due to the distance, even Advanced Ranks Intuition became unstable, therefore special skills could directly affect the perception of Intuition.
The higher power of Theorate? Seems like things are much moreplicated than I thought, Kieran touched his chin with one hand.
If what Oliford Ryde said was true, that the researchb was being watched by Principal Romuse, should something happen to the researchb, the higher power of Theorate would surely deliver the final thunderous blow, but now the higher power of Theorate appeared slightly out of expectation, hence there were only two exnations left.
First, the higher power of Theorate was a lot stronger than Kieran had expected. However, given their power level and the fact that they were still unable to control the entire school, it seemed like the hidden power in respective researchb or family and sects were even more powerful than the school.
Second, these higher powers came from the whole of Theorate. They were neither the from the school or researchb and only appeared because Smiths researchb was under attacked.
Regardless of the former ortter, it wasnt anything good for Kieran, especially the former, which would truly affect his uing n.
Thetter?
Kieran must seize the chance to retreat because if things continued like this, his ns would eventually be affected.
Kieran was pondering upon the question as he walked, trying to fill in all possible holes in his n.
Of course, he still hadnt forgetten the tutorial ss from the upper years.
It wasnt just any food, it was Fast Food ss food!
...
Leanna suddenly shuddered as she walked.
The 3rd year student, who had been through multiple hunts in the Mystic State, held her katana tight, looking left and right in an attempt to locate the source of danger, but everything was fine.
It was just a normal street in E Block and she was around her schoolmates, who would be participating in the tutorial ss.
Whats wrong, Lele?
Joey, in her signature jersey, noticed her friends unusual reaction since she was walking beside her.
I dont know. I felt cold just now, its like something is watching me, but... I think I might be overthinking.
Leanna ultimately shook her head and looked at her friend with a smile, You seem to be looking forward to tutoring the freshmenter?
Of course! Ive been waiting for this for a long time! That bastard pped me unconscious and threw me on the ground, how can I not take revenge for that? Whenever I think about that ass, my cheek still hurts.
Joey clenched her fist tightly and said between gnashing teeth. She unconsciously looked at Leannas nose, although it has fully recovered and hadnt left a scar on her face, Joey had heard how badly hurt Leanna was back then. Her nose didnt ust bleed like a river, her nose bridge had been fractured.
Dont look at me like that. It took me quite some time to get fully healed.
Leanna tapped her friend out of embarrassment.
You dont hate that ass? Joey asked out of curiosity.
Yes, but based on what I know, he is very powerful.
The strong and decisive tone expressed how ady deeply cared about her looks, but what she saidter showed worries instead.
Powerful? It may be just some falsely circted rumours, who really knows what that ass is capable off? He is just a freshman First Seat!
Disdainful words sounded beside the two girls.
Pegis looked rather handsome in his 4th year uniform and badge but his frivolous ways werent likeable. When he got close to Leanna, she subtly moved away.
Pegis was pushing his luck but when he saw Leanna hold her katana, he stopped.
I dont think our rtionship should be this stiff! Pegis said with a pretended sigh.
This is exactly what our rtionship should be! Leanna emphasized.
Joey was also looking at him with disgust.
Pegis name in the female circle of the upper year was very ugly. He cheated other girls feelings, body, money and even food and he did it more than once. If hadnt possessed a decent level strength himself, he would have disappeared 10 times over.
Joey, Joey, Joey, your eyes are really attractive... How about a date with me if I teach the freshman First Seat a lesson?
Pegis looked at Joey with perverted eyes, especially when he saw the voluptuous body underneath her jersey, his eyes shining with lust.
Teach him a lesson? He might be hateful but you should be the one getting schooled! I really dont know why the hell the First Seat of 4th year sends you to tutor the freshmen, she should have seen your disgusting goals clearly! Joey grunted coldly, as if she was looking at a cockroach.
It is because of my outstanding abilities. Pegis said and ended the conversation. In the deeper parts of his eyes, a slight sense of fear shed over.
After Pegis joined their line, Leanna and Joey lost interest in talking, the three of them entering into an awkward silence but dozens of upper year students behind them were discussing fiercely.
The topic of discussion: Kieran.
Are those stories real?
It cant be!
Soloed 50 men at once and persuaded the Dark Eater?
Ive heard the freshman First Seat is good in using poison.
That cant be right either! Unless it is some natural-formed poison, no poison can copse 50 person at once.
That must be it!
Lets just wait and tease him!
...
The tutorial ss required only 3 representatives from the upper years but observers were unlimited. However, most of the upper year students werent interested in participating in the tutorial ss.
The upper year students were concerned more about their academic scores, not watching some fights with the freshmen.
Those who came to watch were either students who had an abundance of academic scores or students who could no longer get any.
It was hard for these students to graduate even if they made it to 5th year, because when they reached their 3rd year and were required to take the trials in the Mystic State, they would be eliminated through natural selection.
Those who were eliminated from the trials would die!
Thetter was the majority among these observers. Most of them gave up on themselves after knowing they would never graduate easily and their biggest goal in watching the tutorial was to vent their misfortune on the freshmen, scare them,ugh at them, and make them feel miserable.
There was nock of such despicable seniors in all the upper years and they were d to be such lousy seniors.
Once the freshmen advanced to the upper year and understood the harshness of Theorate, they would join the line and the cycle would continue.
They had forgotten the initial pain and suffering, or rather, they would only forget their pain when they saw others suffer.
The despicable side of humanity was perfectly tranted in their actions.
When all the upper year students arrived at the field of E Block and saw the freshmen, they all showed their bad side.
Formless malicious intents converged, it was as pressuring as a towering mountain and it was crushing the freshmen, who hadnt yet experienced true cruelty.
Although the freshmen tried to oppose the pressure and disy their capabilities, the weaker ones faltered, especially those who knew the truth behind the tutorial lesson; they swallowed their saliva nervously.
Standler was one of those who knew the truth but as Kierans aide, he had to step up to the challenge.
I am...
Lets fight!
Before Standler even said anything, Maica interrupted him.
Maica, who was also Kierans aide, wasnt as worried as Standler because in his mind, this tutorial lesson was a good opportunity to test and grind his strength.
Even if he failed, he would know what is hecking, but if he won?
He would set his target to an even higher position.
He is just the aide of the First Seat, why is he so arrogant?
If we observers were allowed to strike first, I would have taught him a lesson!
I know, right!
...
Disdainful words sounded ceaselessly from the upper year students.
Other than the three representatives, the observers were forbidden to strike first without an official challenge; it was the rule of the tutorial lesson.
Likewise, the freshmen wouldnt risk their safety by challenging an upper year observer.
That was during a normal situation though. Maica was obviously a special one.
I want to challenge you! Maica pointed at the upper year observer who spoke first.
Are you sure about that? The student was stunned for a moment before he smiled ferociously.
I am sure, Maica didnt even care about Standler holding him back, stepping up to the challenge.
Very well, Ill teach you regret! said the upper year student loudly.
The observer crowd then cheered loudly.
Perhaps the bunch of observers rankedst within their respective year but against a freshman, they possessed absolute confidence.
It wasnt just because of experience, it was also because upper year students ate more food with sses and learned corresponding battle techniques to further boost their skills.
A freshman?
Before the anniversary, a freshman would not have the chance to eat something that will match their talent, neither had they learned any battle techniques. Such target was aplete straw bag in the eyes of the upper years, who thought they could easily crush the freshmen.
Leanna frowned a little, wanting to stop the challenge but ultimately nothing came out from her mouth. The challenge was an official one, acknowledged by both sides, so her hands were tied.
A bunch of losers, Joey pouted and said in dissatisfaction. She wasnt used to the upper years tradition but she was also helpless against it.
Pegis didnt even care about the challenge happening, he was looking for beautiful girls in the crowd as if he was locating his prey.
However, Pegis eyes were soon captivated because Maica was on par with the upper year observer, despite the observer being just a 2nd year student.
Garbage! Pegis grunted coldly.
All the upper year observers, who were looking with anticipation to the challenge just a moment ago, started to look ugly, none of them daring to argue with Pegisment. All they did was stare at Maica the freshman with the most vicious gaze.
Take him out!
Yeah, take him out quickly!
Stop ying, take him out!
The bunch of upper year observers were chanting one after another, but the one who was challenged by Maica was sweating like a storm, his eyes were utterly shocked.
Strength, speed and stamina, nothing about Maica felt like a freshman! And that battle technique and unyielding willpower!
The upper year student had tried his best to paralyze Maicas body but his attacks were useless.
How is this possible?
The upper year student was astonished, starting to slow down, which gave Maica a chance to counterattack!
After dodging another punch, Maica moved forward in a sh andnded a knee kick on the upper year students abdomen.
Bang!
The upper year student faltered backward before he felt down.
The scene instantly went quiet.
Then...
Well done!
Maica, you are awesome!
The freshmen started to cheer and the upper year students looked as ugly as ghosts.
Their ugly expressions were soon reced by doubt because Maica was looking at them with utmost battle intents.
He still wants to challenge!?
The thought rose in everyones head and Maica did exactly that.
I want to challenge you!
Maica pointed at the upper year student who spoke second earlier.
The challenged students face twitched a little before stepping up.
Under the excited gaze of the freshmen and the upper year students, a second fight was happening but Leanna, Joey and Pegis were focused on the surroundings instead.
A formless, strange aura started to enveloped the field.
In the eyes of the three representatives, everything them started to lose color.
Then, an irritatingugh entered everyones ears, causing pain to the eardrums and dizziness to the head.
Before the three representatives could react to the situation, a man appeared before the weakened Leanna and grabbed her.
What a beautiful body, you must be tasty!
The man opened his mouth to an outrageous width, the saliva a few times stickier than glue and drooling off the corner of his mouth.
The man wanted to bite Leanna.
No!
Leanna saw the wide-opened mouth, unable to break free from the dizziness, and fell into despair right away, instinctively closing her eyes.
BUT!
The expected pain did not arrive, her body falling to the ground instead.
Leanna opened her eyes as shended on the cold hard ground.
The utmost familiar figure appeared before her eyes once again and it jolted her.
The hatred for the familiar figure in the past had turned into gratitude at this instant, the pain on her nose starting to fade, but...
What are you doing to my Bento?
The cold voice entered Leannas ears.
B-Bento? I am a Bento?
The gratitude in Leannas eyes was reced by dullness. She seemed to have fallen into the abyss of despair.
Her nose started to hurt her again.
Chapter 1544 - Scammed
Chapter 1544: Scammed
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Her nose stinging her, Leanna stood up with gnashing teeth.
Her eyes, trailed the familiar figure, were filled with rage due to embarrassment.
She wanted to thank this bastard a moment ago?!
Outrageous!
However, Leanna did not attack Kieran because she knew who the enemy was.
Aaargh! It hurts! It hurts! So you are the First Seat of this year?
The man who fell down struggled as he climbed up, his chest seriously caved in and a big bulge appearing on his back. Such injuries for a normal man were surely lethal but for the attacker, it was just painful.
As the attacker spoke, the sound of bones cracking came from his body.
Kak Kak Ka!
A few crackster, the attackers body returned to normal.
H-How is this possible?!
Pegis eyes widened out of horror.
He had never seen such a monster, even in the dangerous Mystic State, and if the 4th year student hasnt seen something like this, the others wouldnt have seen it either.
Joey was sweating heavily and Leanna grabbed her katana tightly.
The freshmen and the upper year students who had just gotten free from the dizziness were overwhelmed by the series of event, everyone standing nkly and feeling lost.
M-Monster?
The mutters started to spread in the crowd and it clearly entered the attackers ears. He widened his mouth as if his cheek muscles were absent and the sharp irritatingughter sounded again.
Everyone was shocked.
They had experienced how scary the attackersugh was after feeling dizzy for the first time.
The smarter ones covered up their ears but there was no point!
The sharp irritatingughter caused tinnitus and dizziness as it entered their ears.
Stop him! Leanna shouted and surrounded the attacker in a closed angle with Joey. They were ready to strike but Pegis did not step up to the call, instead quietly stepping back and trying to run away.
However, just as he turned around, he was frozen on the spot because a group of 50 fully armed men appeared behind him without his knowledge, all of them pointing their assault rifles at him.
Pegis raised both his hands up in the air without a second thought.
If it was a few men with modern firearms, Pegis would have taken the risk but when the number reached 50, Pegis didnt have the heart to resist.
Leanna and Joey were frozen on the spot as well.
Theughter was to cover the footsteps of these men?!
The sudden realization rose in both the girls minds but it was toote and such a realization was useless in the current situation.
You people are really a bunch of flowers in a greenhouse! You dont even know the cruelty of real war! And you, little flower, feeling stupid now? You really think Id appear here alone?
The attacker mocked them and ced his full attention on Kieran but unfortunately, Kieran didnt look at him but the fully-armed men instead.
The armed men were very familiar.
Earlier, when Kieran saw themotion that went down at Professor Smiths researchb through the special link with Bloody Mary, among the attackers, there one particr group dressed exactly the same as the armed men.
Luring the tiger away from the mountain? Then their goal... Hmmm? I see!
When Kieran saw a few empty modified buses further away, he instantly knew what the attacker wanted to achieve, but Kierans behavior infuriated the attacker.
What are you looking at? Did you know, as long as you freshmen yed along, I wouldnt have hurt you but now Ive changed my mind! I will rip your limbs apart and dig your eyes out.... Aaaaaargh!
The attacker threatened Kieran ferociously but before he finished, he was engulfed in mes.
Under the cries of agony, the attacker was burnt to cinders.
There wasnt any resistance, there wasnt any struggle. Newly leveled [Devil Burning] didnt just get stronger, with the new [Devil Mastery II], Kieran could even save his left hand from performing the hand gestures. Devil me now appeared in a stranger way and the burning speed was a few times faster.
The sudden me attracted everyones attention, including the 50 armed men.
All of the armed men then pointed their guns at Kieran.
Kierans lips twisted into a smile. He stepped up, walking past Pegis and looking at the group of men.
Then...
Bang Bang Bang Bang Bang!
Their heads exploded all of a sudden!
Blood gushed and brains sttered!
Blood shot up into the sky like a geyser and rained down momentster.
As the blood poured down, Kieran slowly turned around.
Pak!
Pegis was afraid of falling the moment Kieran turned around but no one wasughing at the 4th year student because they shared the same horrified expression.
The ck figure looked like the devilughing under the bloody rain.
The bodies and heavy stench assaulted the crowds senses like endless tides.
In the end...
Vomit!
A student couldnt hold it anymore and threw up, starting a chain reaction among the freshmen as many more followed, including Maica, who told himself to hold it in.
Momentster, the upper year students were affected also.
As the crowd vomited its hearts out, Kieran looked at Pegis.
Pegis shuddered hard when he caught Kierans eyes.
I-I am a student of Theorate, not an attacker! Look at my 4th year uniform! This is my badge!
The 4th year student had discarded the disdain he had for Kieran earlier,pletely terrified by Kieran and trying his very best to tell Kieran that he was on the same side.
I know. Bento, Kieran nodded.
Pegis was relieved when he saw Kierans nod but he questioned thest part.
Bento? What?
Bang!
While the question was lingering in his head, a heavy blow was delivered to Pegis abdomen. Pegis covered his stomach and shrunk into himself on the ground like a cooked shrimp, his eyes wide open then passed out shortly after that.
Kieran didnt care about the 4th year, walking towards Leanna.
What do you want?! Ill tell you...
Bang!
Second Bento!
Leanna reacted like a furious cat, baring her fangs and ws as she screamed but Kierans fist delivered a blow to Leannas abdomen; she went quiet right away.
Kieran then walked to Joey.
Hey, 2567, the First Seat, remember me? Im Joey, we met before during the entrance exam! Ive been thinking about you since then! Its really great to see you again today. Lets go for a cup of coffee, shall we?
After witnessing what had happened to Pegis and Leanna, Joey quickly changed her approach.
She held her chest up and looked at Kieran with puppy eyesshe was unting her feminine side but Kierans fistnded in her abdomen. Her puppy eyes were reced by white eyes and she was twitching on the ground.
No thank you.
Kieran replied seriously as he watched the Fast Food fall on the ground.
He then looked at the other upper year students.
Everyone screamed in horror when Kierans gazended on them.
We are just some observers!
Yeah, yeah! We are just observers, we are not representatives!
...
Kieran frowned, looking at the pale Standler, who had just finished vomiting, for answers.
Yes, they are just observers. Beating them will not result in any prizes, Standler exined.
Kieran nced over the upper year students with a pitiful gaze.
He then took out hismunicator and dialed the number on his contact list.
I dont want to see you.
Seniles not-so-friendly voice came from the other side when the call got through.
If I have a choice, I dont want to see you either but weve been assaulted in the tutorial ss...
Hang in there! Ill be right there!
Senile interrupted Kieran and hung up themunicator.
Three minutester, Senile, Leonard, and a group of school security members appeared but when they saw what had happened on the field, everyone who came to support were stunned.
Even more so when the security members saw the 50 headless bodies, looking extremely ugly and the sourness of the vomit and blood assaulting their noses, their ugly faces looking even more twisted.
One of the school security member couldnt hold it anymore and threw up; many more followed shortly after.
Senile and Leonard didnt vomit though, despite looking extremely hideous.
This is the assault that you are referring to? Senile red at Kieran.
Isnt it? Kieran asked back.
Why didnt you say it properly? Senile said loudly.
You hung up on me first, Kieran replied calmly.
I really dont want to see you in the next few days!
A little pauseter, Senile spoke his mind again.
Kieran didnt answer, going over to Standler instead.
Ill leave all this to you, said Keiran.
He then strode off of the field without a care.
Things were far from over.
The drivers of the modified buses were not around.
Hope this wont let me down, Kieran muttered as he strode forward.
His figure soon disappeared from sight.
...
Professor Smith was leaning on a sofa, hugging his alcohol container and snoring. Beside his feet, therge canine, Bolt, was lying down as well.
However, when the slightest of movements entered the room, Bolts ears and body shot up, its eyes shining in vignce.
The vignce did not go away, even when the footsteps it heard were familiar ones.
Smith, my ce is not for you to sleep soundly. And this is my house Bolt! You and your master are just temporarily staying here! Dont get the wrong idea!
Principal Romuse of E Block walked into the room, raising a puzzled brow at Smith, who was sleeping on the sofa ,and reminding Bolt with a serious face.
Romuse knew Bolt understood theirnguage but when he saw the vignce in its eyes didnt go away, he sighed helplessly.
He put his hand into the big sleeve of the coat and took out a big bone with meat.
Bolt quickly shook its tail.
The big bone was ced in front of Bolt. It happily picked up the bone with its mouth, munching on it a few times before swallowing the whole thing and yet it didnt have the slightest intention of moving away from the spotit raised its paw and disyed a 2 sign.
You are really a little rascal, just like your master! Youd move with one before this and now you want three? Romuse grumbled.
However, when he saw Bolt wasnt moving and Smith was still soundly asleep, Romusepromised by taking two more big bones with meat for Bolt. When Bolt was chewing on the bones, Smith woke up.
Smith, there is a limit to being a rascal in peoples house, Romuse looked at Smith with an upset gaze.
How are things? Smith opened up his only eye and asked in a serious tone.
You really think you can just simply slip away? Ive sacrificed my researchb to lure out the disturbing parties in E Block! Smith continued with a more serious tone.
But isnt this your...
I have no ce to stay now!
I know! That is why I let you to stay in mine, but you...
My crops and ntations are all destroyed!
Ill make it up to you, but...
I had countless good memories back there!
Fine, what are you trying to say?
Romuse finally gave up and mmed the table.
How are things? Smith asked again.
...
Romuse shivered as if he was having a heart attack, his shaking hands pulling out a bottle from his sleeve, uncorking it and taking several pills from it before heaving a long breath.
I swear this is thest time that I am working with you in this life!
Romuse grumbled, but he did not take any detours anymore and told Smith what happened outside.
A lot of people had their eyes on your researchb and some even tried to fish in muddy waters, but everything was messed up by the First Seat this year.
2567?
You seem to have quite the impression on him, Romuse stated with interest.
Yeah, I see a younger me in him.
Stop kidding.
Romuse waved his hands at the bald, one-eyed, crippled Smith.
Then, shall we bet on it?
Bet what?
Romuse instantly got rmed, since he had suffered more than once in such bets with Smith.
Bet and see whether or not he will do what I did back then! Smithughed.
What you did? Impossible! Just because you are a crazy man doesnt mean others are! Romuse shook his head firmly.
So are we betting or not? Smithughed.
What are we betting?
After Smith whispered to him, Romuse hesitated before agreeing to the bet.
Both of them discussed and further perfected the n before Romuse left.
Smith made sure Romuse had truly left before he threw an eye signal to his beloved Bolt.
Therge canine stood up and vanished from the room.
Chapter 1545 - The First Seats
Chapter 1545: The First Seats
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Bolt did not go far after leaving the room, neither did it go to Kierans.
Instead, it took a detour to the backyard and started digging holes.
When he saw the bones, sauteed sausages, and roasted chicken dug up from the ground, Romuse could no longer hold back his giggling.
I can only tell it isnt a cunning person only when it starts behaving like a dog, Romuse said.
I know right, Bolt is to smart. If it can talk or look more like a human being, I might really treat it as one.
Tyrese, who was beside the principal, smiled bitterly when he saw the dug up items.
Dogs are mans most loyalpanion.
A good hunting hound could be the best assistant a hunter could ask for; a good guard dog could protect the house from potential harm.
However, none of those had anything to do with Bolt.
In anyones view, therge canine was gluttonous andzy. It wouldnt move a pinky finger, even Tyrese thought as such initially, until... his kitchen was emptied out a few days ago.
As a matter of fact, the food dug up from the ground mostly came from Professor Tyreses kitchen and was the fresh ingredients that he bought recently to replenish his refrigerator.
Tyrese had added two locks and a password lock, so how did Bolt open it?
He sunk into his own thoughts.
Its just some food... Damnit! My pudding!
Romuse wasforting Tyrese but when he saw Bolt dig up a box of pudding, his face turned ugly.
Principal, calm down.
Tyreseforted Romuse with a bitter smile as he saw the respectful E Block principal holding his chest tightly and panting roughly.
I know! I must calm down! What do you think about having dog meat for lunch? Romuse said in a calm manner.
I dont think its a good idea.
Tyreses bitter smile showed even more helplessness when a bunch of stray dogs appeared in the backyard.
The seams in the wooden fences didnt hold the stray dogs back from passing through, all of them gathered around Bolt, looking up at theirrger counterpart with their tongues out.
Bolt then started to distribute the food that it dug up as if it was their leader and soon enough, each of the stray dogs acquired a portion of food that would fill their stomachs.
A little whimper from Boltter, all the stray dogs started to eat happily.
The dogs ate very quickly and after the meal, all of them shook their tails at Bolt. They gathered closer and pushed their heads at Bolt before they left, one after another.
After the stray dogs left, Bolt stood up and leapt over the wooden fence which was 1.5meters talk.
Romuse and Tyrese were shocked.
I knew that old rascal Smith had a trick up his sleeve! He is sending Bolt to tip off 2567 so that he can win the bet! Hmph! I knew it! The white-haired Romuse was grunting in a delightful manner.
Romuse was already thinking about how he would mock Smith after the bet was over but he quickly noted the weird look on Tyreses face.
Whats wrong Tyrese? Romuse asked.
The way Bolt is heading... it should be... my house! Tyrese had nothing but helplessness on his face.
Didnt it raid you a few days ago? Romuse was puzzled.
I just replenish my stocks yesterday! But this time, it will be different! Ive added extra defensive measures! answered Tyrese, his face showing a confident smile because he had added 12 moreyers of password locks on top of the originals.
Even if his ce was visited by some notorious robbers, they would return empty-handed, let alone Bolt.
However, his smilested for less than 15 seconds.
When Tyrese saw Bolt sneek into his kitchen, lifting one of its paw and extending one w to unlock the locks as if its w was the key, his smile froze.
The 12yer locks with passwords?
Protection from notorious robbers?
How could Bolt open the password locks by simply pushing the numbers while I have to remember all the codes carefully?
Bolt is smarter than me?
Impossible!
I know its smart but definitely not as smart as me!
Tyrese quickly came back from his self-denial. He and Romuse saw Bolt empty out the refrigerator and bring all of the ingredients back to the backyard, burying them into the ground and jumping back into the room.
Huu!
Romuse heaved a breath of relief as he saw Bolt vanish beyond the door.
Maybe I am overthinking. Smith might not be thinking about that impossible thing anymore, I guess he just wanted to have a look, after all...
Romuse wanted to say something more but shook his head instead and kept quiet.
Tyrese did not ask, because he knew what Smith wanted to do, but...
Thats impossible! People could nevere back from death!
Even a chef who wielded the magical powers could not defy thews of nature!
But, the difort in his heart?
Tyrese frowned, but before he could rte into it more, the beepingmunicator interrupting his thoughts.
Hmm, Okay, I got it!
Tyrese answered hismunicator and got the report from his men. He turned to Romuse, Principal, they have taken the bait.
Is that so? Ive been waiting for this! These maggots!
A coldughter, Romuse turned around and headed to the nned location, Tyrese following tightly.
...
Meanwhile inside the room, Smith who was lying down on the sofa, lifting his only eye and peeking outside.
Bolt was beside his feet, lying down obediently. Its asional twitching ears stated that it was still cautious of its surroundings.
Smith rubbed Bolts head before he uncorked his container and drank as if celebrating something.
...
Kieran was following the drivers of the modified buses who had fled in a panic after the attackers were taken down. Many traces were left behind because of the sudden reaction and Kieran tracked them down easily.
Kieran didnt even need to activate [Tracking]; all he did was hide from sight.
However, just when he was taking a turn, he suddenly saw a stray dog sniffing and looking around. The dog was sniffing the ce where he had been through.
What is this?
Kieran thought it was the precautions from the attackers but he realized he was wrong.
The dog did not bark in a frenzy, instead it froze and shook its tail.
Its looking for me?
Kieran was slightly stunned. He nced over the attackers who vanished beyond his sights, making sure they werepletely gone before striding to the dog.
The little dog opened its mouth and spat out a bunch of torn paper. The papers were from food packagings, torn very thoroughly but forming an unusual line when it was piled up together.
Kieran wasnt bothered about the dogs saliva and moved the torn papers.
Wanna have a deal with me? Challenge and win all the First Seats from 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th year! If you can do it, I will reward you with above Proper Meal ss food, Ill even pay in advance!
Smith.
...
There were no punctuationsbeled in the sentence, Kieran added them himself based on his own deduction of the tone.
Challenge the First Seats from 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th? Kieran squinted his eyes.
He didnt mind a challenge, especially one that came with a reward but he was curious about Smiths motives.
From the attack at Smiths researchb to the attackers that jumped him during the tutorial lesson, Kieran felt like there was someone behind the attacks.
And now?
He wasnt just sure about the someone behind the scene, he was certain that the person was Smith!
Oliford Rydes request might also be part of Smiths n!
However, Oliford Rydes untimely death caused some problems in Smiths ns, hence he was forced topensate for the mistakes with new methods.
As for why?
Kieran wasnt very sure but it didnt stop him from epting the deal.
He was hoping to get his hands on that above Proper Meal ss food and also wished to find out what Smith was up to, so the answer was obvious.
I ept, Kieran said.
The dog reacted in a very human way after it heard what Kieran said, running into an alley. Momentster, another milk-colored dog with a ck spot over its eye appeared from the alley, holding a pudding box with its mouth.
The pudding was half eaten, hence a part of its golden wrapping paper was exposed.
Kieran took out the content from the golden wrapping paper. The content was only the size of a coin and not very heavy but its value far exceeded Kierans expectation.
[Name: Remains of Seed of Fusion]
[Type: Food]
[Rarity: III]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: None]
[Attribute: Fusion Energy]
[Effect: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: Smith found some seed remains somewhere in the Mystic State. He realized these seeds had magical Fusion Energy and at first he hoped to perfectly fuse it with meat but... After a particr ident, he found another way to use the seeds.]
...
[Fusion Energy: Has a certain percentage to fuse the energy in your body]
[Note: The fusion is irreversible. Once failed, the energy in your body may be weakened or go out of control.]
...
Looking at the seed, Kierans eyes shone brightly.
Fuse the energy in me? Excitement appeared all over Kierans face because no one knew better than him what kind of explosive powers would be bestowed to him once he fused the Origin Forces in his body.
Likewise, the words in the note calmed Kieran down quick enough.
Since he was meddling with a powerful energy in his body, he knew what would happen to him once the Origin Forces went out of control.
A deep breathter, Kieran kept [Remains of Seed of Fusion] away and ced the rest of the pudding before the little dog.
A question popped up in Kierans head as he watched the two dogs lick the pudding.
Is this deal coincidental or is it also part of Smiths deliberate nning?
If it was the former, everything would still be negotiable but if it was thetter, Kieran realized he had to reevaluate the professor, who he deemed very unusual.
However, that was a matter for the future for him.
Now, he had to carry out his promise.
Keeping his promise was always the Kieran way.
...
Inside a temporary meeting room.
The First Seat from 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th year were all there, sitting at a round table.
Renata, why do we have to send representatives from 2nd, 3rd and 4th altogether in the freshmen tutorial lesson?
A young boy, 140cm tall, in a gray-colored hoodie, asked in confusion.
That is because I am afraid 3rd year alone cant deal with the new First Seat.
Renata, 4th year First Seat, waved her red hair with her long, fair palm. Her hair danced gracefully and together with her tight suit, her mature charms overflowing, her beauty unrivaled at the moment, caused the little boy, Dale, to flush.
However, her action attracted dissatisfaction from Jemara.
Hmph! Jemara coldly grunted.
Jemara, First Seat of 3rd year, was wearing a long swordsman robe, her sword on her knee as she sat cross-legged on the chair.
Her long, straight ck hair was over her shoulder, Together with her white swordsman robe, her cold grunts felt really chilly, especially her eyes, which were like icy cold des. Despite her delicate features, she felt like a sword unsheathed.
Am I wrong? Renata turned over to Jemara and asked with a smiley face, looking like a vixen with squinted eyes.
Kak!
A cold re shed over the room, the noise of sword being drawn all that could be heard.
Jemara didnt even move but a lock of hair fell off of Renatas left shoulder.
It wont be just your hair next time.
Jemaras voice was as cold as the arctic wind.
The short 2nd year First Seat, Dale, shrunk his neck due to the coldness but Renata didnt care, liftinf the fallen lock of hair.
I see, this is how you like it? So rough, but I like it!
Renata bit her right index finger as she spoke in a seductive way.
Kak!
The noise of a drawn sword sounded again, something in the air was cut.
Jemara looked at Renata coldly.
You want to fight, horny vixen?
Of course! Why dont youe to my room? My bed is big and soft.
The tense atmosphere spread around the meeting room, like swords and arrows pointed at each other... No, it felt more like fire and water shing!
Dale looked right and left. In the end, he looked at Tai, the First Seat of 5th year, who had been quiet throughout the little show.
Dont look at me, I cant control them... Ahem, Its been a year and you still havent gotten used to them? Dont worry Dale, you have a lot more time to mingle with them.
Tai, with his sick face and scrawny body, which looked like he couldnt even stand a gust of wind,forted Dale.
Dale fell into disappointment. Taisfort was useless.
However, Dale was smart enough to not stop the two girls from fighting.
Tai couldnt stop them, so Dale couldnt either.
The building might end up in rubble soon.
Dale couldnt hold back his sigh when he thought about the nagging andpensation request from the Student Councilter.
Right before the fight broke out...
Dok Dok Dok.
A rhythmic knock sounded on the door.
Chapter 1546 - A Rare Opportunity
Chapter 1546: A Rare Opportunity
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
As the knocks on the door sounded, Dale was overjoyed.
Who is it?
Dale asked as he jumped off his chair and went to answer the door but he was stopped by Renata.
Senior, there is someone at the door, Dale spoke carefully.
Dale was scared of Renata from the bottom of his heart.
It wasnt just because of how powerful she was, but also because her emotions were at a constant drift; a moment ago she might be flirting and smiling at you but a momentter, she might decapitate you.
Although most of the time she was bound by the rules of Theorate, pain on the body was inevitable.
Dale had suffered before and not just once, therefore every time he saw Renata, the painful experience haunted him and hed feel weak from the bottom of his heart.
Are you afraid? Little Dale? Am I so scary?
Renata bent over with her smiley face, her cheeks getting closer to Dale.
Her charming and beautiful face was getting closer, there was a glimpse of white sh over her eyes and it scared Dale away in panic. He almost fell to the floor.
Renata was very amused by the panicked look,ughing charmingly.
Senior, please dont tease me. I concede, Dale said in a bitter tone.
Renata had no intentions of giving up the little game just because Dale conceded, she wanted to tease the little boy more but she was stopped by Jemara.
Footsteps, said the 3rd year First Seat.
Dale was stunned for a moment before he reced his bitter smile with a serious look.
Footsteps!
There was only the knocking on the door, there werent any footsteps!
Even though Dale was captivated by the conflict between Renata and Jemara earlier, given his abilities, he shouldnt have missed the footsteps.
Dale unconsciously looked at Tai.
Cough Cough Cough!
Amid his coughs, Tai lifted his left hand and waved at the door.
Renata chuckled and took a step away from the direction where Tai was waving at; Jemara frowned but she chose to step away also.
The fastest among all was Dale, the moment Tai raised his hand, Dale was already in the corner of the meeting room.
The reaction from his juniors put a smile on Tais face as he once again felt how powerful he was, looking at Dale and said Open the door...
BANG!
He was interrupted before he even finished.
The door was kicked away by the person behind it.
Fuuuu!
The door nk was sent flying towards Tai after it was kicked off from the frame, tumbling whilst causing a heavy whistle.
The action was so fast that it felt like lightning.
All 4 of the First Seats in the room were caught off guard and they widened their eyes at the door nk flying towards Tai.
As a matter of fact, after Tai made his move, all four of them in the room, including Tai himself, had lowered their guards. Tai had absolute confidence in his abilities.
He might be weak and baffled by sickness, he might not be suitable in meleebat but his abilities were a solid choice for long range battle or support. Otherwise he wouldnt have ascended to the First Seat of the 5th year.
However, Tai dodged to his right in panic right before the door nk hit him.
Bang!
The door nk flew over his head and crashed into the wall behind him. It was smashed to pieces and some parts of the door nk were embedded on the wall, making it look like some modern abstract art instation.
Dust clouds rose upon impact, a cold, keen gaze sweeping across the room.
Jemara put her right hand on the hilt. When her palm held the hilt tight, her sword had be her arms and legs, an extension of her will and bing one with her heart. The dust in her sight quickly cleared up and she saw the man who walked into the room.
She locked at the target and... her sword was drawn!
Kak!
Kak!
The cold re of the sword shed like lightning but itsted less than a second.
Jemara did not sheath her sword though, it was another hand that caught hers. The explosive powers from the fingers suppressed Jemara easily, she couldnt even resist the absolute force as the hand pushed her almost drawn sword back into the sheath.
Jemaras cold face flushed. She wasnt just angry about her sword being suppressed, she was also angry about the other hand touching hers. She had never allowed a stranger to touch her before and yet the unknown hand held her palm tight.
Anger from embarrassment had robbed the calm away from the talented swordswoman, and whenever a sword-wielder lost his or her calmness, defeat was imminent.
In Kierans eyes, regardless of he or her, the oue would be the same.
You...
Bang!
Just as words came out of Jemaras mouth, Kieran skillfullynded a punch in her abdomen, robbing her of her mobility.
After Jemara fell to the ground, twitching, Kieran turned around.
Inmon sight, the spot Kieran was looking at had nothing but dust but in Kierans sight, there was an illusory figure that looked like an evil spirit and it was jumping at him with sharp ws and teeth.
Without further ado, Kieran dished out his kick.
Bang!
When Kierans kicknded on the evil spirit, it burst like a bubble and revealed a pitiful looking Renata.
I-I did not do it on purpose! Im just protecting myself! You will forgive me, right?
The beautiful Renata had puppy eyes and her charms were overflowing, one would really want to love her if seen. Sweetness started to fill the air; even a tough guy would grow timid and soft under the sweet smell.
Kieran wasnt a tough guy, but sometimes, his heart was hard as stone.
After kicking the evil spirit, Kieran did not lower his foot, he went along with the motion andnded his shoe on Renatas face.
Bang!
Renata was sent tumbling to the corner, the sweetness in the air vanishing right away.
Kieran continued forward.
Souu!
When the whistle sounded, Dale arrived above Kieran.
The 2nd year First Seat was hiding in the corner a moment ago but he was above Kieran now and his kicks whipped up a series of afterimages. The myriads of kicks enveloped Kieran wholly, fast and fierce.
However, Kieran too had mastered the art of kicking, his kicks faster and fiercer and even more powerful!
Kierans right kick whipped up a series of afterimages too, the explosive speed not just overpowering its counterpart and devouring all the opposing kicks, but catching Dale together.
Bang Bang Bang Bang!
After multiple heavy thuds, Dale was sent flying away with a swollen face.
When Dale finally crashnded, all four of the First Seats, which represented the highest battle power in each year, were wiped out.
Though, there was someone who did not submit to the defeat.
Tai channeled all his energy to heal hisrades and attacked Kieran.
Simr to previous blows, when the odourless, colorless Sick Energy clouded Kieran, the gue Force in his body elerated, as though the Sick Energy was someckey offering to his boss.
It slowed Kieran down a little but since the meeting room wasnt all that big, no matter how slow Kieran walked, hed reach Tai in a dozen steps or less.
Tai looked up at Kieran, who was right in front of his eyes, lowering his hands down helplessly.
The rumoured 2567... you are even scarier than rumoured. Are you here to vent your dissatisfaction at us because we changed the tutorial lesson for the freshmen?
As the dust settled down, Tais sick face showed a bitter smile after he saw Kierans face.
Dissatisfaction? No, Kieran shook his head.
Why would he be unhappy about attackers who provided him with food?
Simr to how he held back his strength when he struck down all the First Seats.
All the First Seats before him were hard-toe-by food suppliers.
Then you are here to show off?
Jemara stood up slowly, quickly recovering due to her powerful body and Tais healing.
I think you have some misunderstanding about my purpose here. I am not here to show off, it will only make my enemy more cautious. What I prefer is to strangle danger in its cradle!
Kieran said calmly and appeared before Renata in a sh.
Renata was quietly moving towards the exit but when Kieran appeared before her, she showeda seductive look.
You want to strangle me? But I...
Bang!
Kierannded his shoe in her face again. She was sent tumbling back to the corner and Dale, who had woken up, clearly saw the scene.
The 2nd year First Seat raised both his hands up in the air.
The tutorial lesson was Renatas suggestion, I had nothing to do with it! he said loudly.
Kieran didnt care about Dale and walked towards Renata.
Renata was lying on the ground with messed up hair, her face, which was healed just moments ago, swollen again due to the second kick.
I hope you can tell me why the escaped attackers fled here after attacking the freshmen tutorial lesson? Kieran asked from amanding position.
It wasnt a lie, neither was it a trick to deceive her. One of the attackers who fled the scene really came here.
The truth was spilled under Kierans persuasion.
How would I know? All I did was give my suggestion! What is this attack that you speak of?
Renatas swollen face was confused.
Tai, Jemara and Dale were also looking at Kieran in confusion.
During the freshmen tutorial lesson, we were attacked...
Kieran briefly told the First Seats what happened and after they heard about the modified busses at the scene, Tai, Jemara and Dale frowned.
They werent idiots since they were the First Seats of their respective year.
They soon knew the attack on the freshmen wasnt about killing but abducting someone.
As for why the abduction?
If the abduction was a sess, many things could happen.
Every freshmen represented a Fast Food ss meal, which allegedly suited their abilities; one Fast Food ss meal might not be anything but what about 300 Fast Food ss?
In order to secure the freshmens safety, given their understanding of Principal Romuse, the principal might very well agree to the terms.
Momentster, Tai, Jemara and Dale looked at Renata differently.
You sure its me? Can it be someone else? Dont you feel Little Dale there is also very suspicious? Renata chuckled but she stopped because of the pain on her face. She turned to Dale and the short First Seat shrunk his neck.
He knew Renata named him because she was taking revenge for what he did to her earlier.
However, such a petty revenge struck suspicions in Dales mind because based on his understanding of Renata, if she really did arrange the attack, should it go south, it would not just be such a little revenge. Something much more well-rounded, ruthless and relentless would happen.
As a matter of fact, even Jemara, as Renatas rival, had quite the suspicion.
Tai took the more direct way, asking What is going on?
Of course its the spy! There are some who I persuaded among the attackers. They med themselves for their past and wanted to forsake darkness for light, said Renata as she flipped her hair.
It should be an elegant, charming move but with her swollen face, it looked weird.
Dale couldnt hold back hisughter at the weird look.
Jemara lifted her mouth corner.
Tai couldnt bear the weird look anymore and lifted his hand to heal Renata.
What else? Kieran asked.
Principal Romuse found me, he told me to y along with the attackers. I guess the principal is really fed up with those rats hiding in the dark. He wanted to cleanse the school. You can ask him if you dont believe me, Renata looked at Kieran.
Her eyes showed a never before seen judgmental gaze. It wasnt the arrogance from teasing and toying a man, it was the intrigued feeling against the unknown.
Kieran saw her gaze but he had no intention to care.
Kieran was in deep thought at the moment.
Romuse wanted to cleanse the hidden danger of E Block. Smith sacrificed his researchb for the cause and struck a deal with me, leading me here. Actually, he doesnt even need to make a deal with me, I would eventually end up here by chasing after the fled attackers. After that, I will get a good look at the picture. Then...
Kieran turned around and walked out with squinted eyes.
Wait!
Jemara, who was quiet after her defeat, suddenly spoke.
Kieran heard her but he didnt want to stop.
I want to challenge you! The swordswoman voiced her strong words.
One Bento per challenge. Find me when you are ready, that goes for the rest of you. Kieran then hastened his steps.
He had reached his goal and had no reasons to stay.
As for the challenges from the First Seats?
They wille and surely more than once because they were unwilling to ept defeat.
They thought they were underprepared this time and they thought they will perform better with full preparation next time.
In order to give them the wrong feeling, Kieran didnt mind holding back again.
After all, it was a rare opportunity for him to grind, no one would give up the chance, but Smith did.
Chapter 1547 - Resemblance Is Uncanny
Chapter 1547: Resemnce Is Uncanny
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Smith was touching the patterns along his alcohol container inside his room.
The pattern wasnt part of the container, it was actually a part of the cover, which he made from leather to prevent friction and damage to his real container.
The leather cover was very intricate, a nce at it would make you think it was part of the container.
There was a ring at the inner upper part, allowing Smith to easily hang it over his waist.
For Smith, the best thing about the cover was the convenience in carrying.
Gulp, Gulp Gulp.
A few big gulps of his alcoholter, Smith said in a blurry tone.
An unexpected intervention? What a headache.
Bolt, who was beside Smith, moved its head towards Smith, pushing his hand to show affection.
Dont worry, I am fine. Its not that bad, I can still cope with the unexpected situation.
Smith waved at Bolt and showed a smile. He then looked outside the room.
Clear footsteps entered his ears.
There were two people outside.
One was Romuses most loyal and efficient subordinate: Tyrese.
The other one was the person that he had been waiting for: 2567!
Professor Smith...
Come in. And there is none of your business here.
Smith answered the door when he heard the knocks and he waved at Tyrese to shoo him away.
Tyrese couldnt help but show a bitter smile at Smiths reaction.
Although both of them were professors at the school, Tyrese was far from Smith in terms of strength and achievements, especially thetter, where Tyrese could only catch a glimpse of the dust Smith left behind.
Therefore, after a nce at Kieran, Tyrese went out of the room.
Tyrese didnt stand outside the door though.
Kieran could hear Tyreses footsteps heading further away from the building and only stopped when he waspletely out.
Tyrese was waiting in an optimal location, a spot where he could not hear the conversation but would be able to attend to any kind of unexpected situation.
Smart ass, Smith pouted and pointed at the sofa as he looked at Kieran.
At least he isnt all that bad, Kieran answered as he sat down.
You are saying that after youve found him and he told you where I was? Smith didnt argue, but the dissatisfaction in his words was obvious.
The recentmotion has gotten out of hand, Kieran gave an irrelevant answer.
So you came to me? Smith grinned.
Yup. I dont understand why, amidst all themotion, you warned me beforehand and gave me such benefits? Kieran nodded.
Living a cautious life is very tiring, Smith said as though he was giving a reminder.
At least its better than dying all of a sudden, Kieran wasnt moved.
Death isnt all that scary sometimes. The scary thing is people like you facing death. After going through despair, struggles and many more crazy things, your talent is enough to turn eyesRomuse and I had a bet and you are the key point, which is why I gave you the Seed of Fusion. I know people like you will cause me great trouble once you discover the truth.
Smith shrugged and uncorked his container again.
You seem to know a great deal about me, Kieran asked.
Not you, its myself.
Smith took a gulp, shook the container and listened to the waving liquid inside, which sounded very pleasant to him.
Judging from the echoes, there were still half of what was inside and it seemed like a sign for Smith to stop.
He carefully put away his container at his waist and continued, Maybe you wont believe me but you reminded me of my younger self, we are exactly the same! Whether in terms of looks or personality or even the way of doing things. Things might seem different now but look at my eyes, my brows and nose, does it strike a resemnce?
Smith pointed at himself, wanting to make Kieran believe what he said.
Em. I will try my best to not get bald, blind, and crippled, Kieran answered seriously.
Im not fully bald! Just partially! Smith emphasized.
Is there a difference? Kieran asked.
Of course there is! I shaved it on my own, it wasnt caused by natural aging! Its like how your prize food during the freshmen dinner got stolen by Maye, and from there, you lured out Lude, Derton and even Palreynold of Sil Sect, Smith said.
So you are interested in the Index of Eat? Kieran gaze at Smith and asked slowly.
Index of Eat? A little bit but what concerned me more is Sil Sect. Based on what I know, Sil Sect doesnt have an Inner Sect whatsoever, but now theyve appeared and disyed Sil Sects signature: speed and items. They even infused sharpness into their palms, which is a notably high attainments of Sil Sect. Therefore, I have reason to suspect Sil Inner Sect really does exist, its just that Ive never heard of them before. This is exactly how bullsh*t this world is. Every time you think youve gotten control of everything, there is some little thing that escaped your control and caused you anxiety, Smith pouted in dissatisfaction at the end.
So you want to know more about Sil Inner Sect from me? Or Lude and Palreynolds location? Kieran asked.
Either one will do, Sil Inner Sect or Lude and Palreynolds location. Ill pay you handsomely, Smith nodded.
Kieran looked at Smith seriously, seeing sincerity in his face.
He did not sense any malicious intent either.
In simple words, should he agree to Smiths deal, he would get his hands on a handsome reward, but he shook his head.
Too bad. I dont know anything about the either of them. I discovered clues about Lude and Palreynold because of a series of coincidence and after multiple deals with Garcia. As long as they werent idiots, they will know where the problem lies. As a matter of fact, the source that Ive got was already broken when Garcia made a move against Palreynold, Kieran said as if everything was true. Arleast it was in Smiths eyes because it was very reasonable.
A spy from the Dark Sect or Inner Sect had went undercover for so long. If he could be exposed that easily, the said spy would have vanished a long time ago in the river of history.
Trouble, trouble, trouble. For you and for me, Smith sighed.
Kieran looked at Smith in confusion.
You dont think the matter with Oliford Ryde is over right?
Smith leaned back into bro he sofa and locked his eyes on Kieran.
Kieran was prepared for this, pretending to frown.
Those family-rted matters are always so troublesome, Kieran said.
His tone bore disgust and skillfully revealed a sense of impatience.
Kieran wasnt a native, but reading a vast amount of text granted him a grasp over very crucial information. Plus how Oliford Ryde did things, Kieran knew what kind of attitude he should use to describe the incident so that he could wash away his suspicion.
It is even more troublesome than you thought. Go to Tyrese if theres anything. Didnt you say he is a good person? I bet he can help you.
Smith curled his legs up on the sofa and shut his only eye.
It was obvious that he wanted to end the conversation and Kieran didnt have any intention to stay.
Kak!
After the door was shut, Kieran vanished beyond the door. Smith opened his eye and looked at Bolt, who was beside his feet.
Got his smell? Follow the smell and search around, we might be in for a surprise, Smith said.
Bolt nodded and vanished from the room.
With Bolts absence, Smith shrunk himself back on the sofa.
If I dont spend my effort to search for evidence, how would I know if you are telling the truth? Smith muttered in a blurry voice.
...
Professor Smith and Principal Romuse had a bet? What is the bet about?
Kieran and Tyrese were walking on the little pathway back to the student dorm together, Kieran not bothering to conceal his curiosity as he asked the question out loud.
I cant tell you the details because it is rted to Principal Romuse and Professor Smiths privacy. I can only tell you with their consent. Tyrese looked at Kieran.
Ryde Family has sent people over to Theorate, they will arrive in the next few days, so you better be careful, Tyrese added as if he wanted to make up to Kieran.
Professor Smith warned me about that, Kieran answered.
This isnt just a simple reminder, I am warning you as a professor. Oliford Ryde is first in line to the family throne. He is directly rted to a bunch of people and their future benefits. Although a lot of people wanted him gone for good, many more of them hoped that he could be the leader of the family. You have my number in yourmunicator. If there is anything you need, call me, Ill deal with the trouble and if I cant, we still have Principal Romuse. Remember, you are a student of Theorate, the First Seat of the freshmen, the whole of Theorate is your support, Tyrese said seriously.
Noted, Kieran nodded slightly and did not furtherment on the ims.
He always believed and relied on himself rather than someone else. That would not change, even in this particr moment.
Tyrese sighed helplessly when he saw Kierans reaction.
All the First Seats shared a simr arrogance. Only when they truly lost something would they understand that their mistakes and childish behaviour wereughable.
However, only a handful of people would have the chance to emerge anew because most of them would be remembered by others under the grave.
Hope you are not thetter, Tyrese said in his heart.
He didnt say anything else to Kieran because he knew his words would be useless. For the time being, all he could do was increase security around Kieran.
Kieran noticed the changes of expression on Tyreses face, knowing what went on in the professors mind but he didnt remind the professor or make him to change anything.
From a certain angle, Kieran needed the professor to react the way he did, at least it would add more scruples to Smiths actions.
Kieran wasnt worried about the so-called Ryde Family, he was more worried about Professor Smith at the moment.
After the little conversation with Professor Tyrese, he knew Smith was still hiding something.
More importantly, Smithsmon words sounded like they were probing Kieran, therefore Smith never did trust Kieran and would not trust the words that came out from his mouth.
Smith would have to search for evidence himself before he would believe anything.
Coincidentally, Kieran was also a dubious person, so he knew what he must do next.
Kieran parted with Tyrese in front of the student dorm and was weed by Lester before he headed up.
Professor Tyrese saw Lester, the ex-Dark Eater, and wanted to say something but nothing came out from his mouth. He shook his head, sighing in the end.
In the professors mind, he added three more guards on top of the nned number.
Once both of them got back to the dorm room, Lester naturally leaned towards the wall and sat down on the floor, taking out a few independent LCD screens.
For an ex-Dark Eater, he had barely any requirements for afortable living environment, trying to avoid capture and conceal his presence. Therefore,fortable living environment was a luxury he couldnt afford.
However, sitting out right in the room, enjoying the sunlight, breeze, and normal food was a delightful experience. Lester cherished every moment of it and hed protect everything with utmost carefulness.
All the corridors, the rooftop, the entrance and all the blind spots in the building had surveince cameras installed.
Hed try to capture every single person who entered the building with his eyes.
Kieran did not interrupt Lesters work; realizing Lesters gift in mechanical engineering, he was more than happy to receive more help from Lester.
Frost Wolf got close to Kieran and kept sniffing his backpack. It wagged its tail as it showed an interested look.
[Crimson Ghost Stomach] had the ability to iste smell. Even with Frost Wolfs sense of smell, it would never sniff out what was in the backpack, same thing went for [Battle Fanatic Box].
The reason why Frost Wolf acted like that was because it was very familiar with its master.
It could tell based on Kierans slightly changed aura that he had acquired a handsome gain.
Smart little fe.
Kieran touched Frost Wolfs head but he did not bring out the [Drops of Finest Cream], which he had prepared for both of his animalpanion.
First, it wasnt safe here.
Second, the smell.
If he fed Frost Wolf and Fire Raven the [Drops of Finest Cream], it would be hard for them to suppress the smell of the item and once traced, his whole n would fall short.
Wuu wuuu.
Frost Wolf whimpered, trying to win fondness.
Soon, believe me, Kieran said before he took out a book which he hasnt finished.
After noticing Kierans reaction, Frost Wolf stopped its whimpers and curled up beside Kierans feet with erected ears, listening to its surrounding.
Fire Raven was at a window further away, scanning the surroundings with its keen eyes.
It suddenly became extremely hard for the watcher, who just got close.
Chapter 1548 - Hit The Beat
Chapter 1548: Hit The Beat
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
In the shadowy spot outside the freshmen dorm, a few dark figures were whispering to each other.
Cameras are everywhere in the dorm, there is no blind spot!
What about the rooftop?
Same thing, it might be even more heavily guarded!
Can we disguise ourselves and sneak in?
Impossible, the extra guards around the dorm carefully check every single person who goes in and out!
Damn it, why is this happening?
Its because many important figures are paying attention to the target!
Our employer, Theorates researchbs, and even the school admins are very interested in our target.
I suggest we abandon the operation.
We wont get anything good if we get sandwiched in this.
No!
Our employer isnt an easy-going person.
Seems like we have to change what we are good at.
The voices got softer and softer until it was too soft to hear.
Soon, the dark figures scattered away.
Throughout their little conversation, they did not notice a pair of eyes above their heads, watching them very closely.
...
In the evening, Marv appeared in the public hall in clean attire and a nice smile.
The freshmen had just finished dinner and were chatting in groups,ughter heard asionally.
Everyone greeted Marve when they saw him; some were transient students, some were official Theorates.
As the representative of the transient students, Marv replied to everyone simrly. He wasnt overly humble or arrogant but sounded very passionate, adding more smiles on the students faces.
Since the students had barely begun their life here at Theorate, an unfamiliar environment, the helpful Marv proved to be a good friend to make. With his decent strength, the freshmen would instinctively forget Marv was a transient student.
One needed to know Marvsted a minute when he sparred with Maica, the aide to the First Seat, and after Maica won the 2nd year senior, he was already known as the strongest aide of the First Seat.
The strongest freshman?
As long as one wasnt an idiot, they knew who the title belonged to.
Aide Standler, do you know where is Aide Maica?
After going through the public hall, Marv knocked on the aides door and Standler answered it.
He should be in the public training ground, Standler said in a hurried tone with a pen in his hand.
Do you need help? If its just taking names and preparing homework notes, I think I can be quite useful, Marv said with a smile.
Really? Standler looked at Marv with a happy face.
After Kieran dumped all the work of the First Seat on him and Maica had zero intention to share the burden, Standler had been busy.
He even had to eat his meals fast and sleep an hour less everyday.
If there was someone offering help, Standler would be more than happy to ept it.
Of course! Its my pleasure to be of help, said Marv.
He then walked into the room and after Standler briefed him about the work, he immersed himself with helping Standler.
With Marvs help, Standler finished all his work an hour before sleep.
Both of them then sent thepiled documents to Kierans room together.
Standler thanked Marv for the help but that wasnt the end of Marvs day, quickly voicing out his challenge to Maica, who had just returned to the room.
Maica did not reject.
An hourter, at the public training ground, the beaten, exhausted Marv finally parted ways with Maica, who was panting heavily.
They agreed to practise again tomorrow.
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
Throughout the consecutive nights, Marv would help Standler finish the recording andpiling of documents before they sent it to Kierans room. Marv would also practise with Maica after the paperwork.
Everything seemed normal for a student. It was as normal as Marvs usual attitude: hard-working and helpful.
Marv and the two aides were getting closer without knowing but unbeknownst to them, message after message was sent out.
However, when the watcher in the dark received the message, the watcher frowned.
He didnt think Marvs intel would lie to him but afterpiling what he got from Marv, the watching got a detailed report on the freshmen First Seat.
Eating, attending lessons, borrowing books from the library etc. Everything was exactly the same with the other students who had just started their first semester.
It was normal, too normal to be exact.
If the freshmen First Seat didnt cause all thatmotion, the watcher would think he was watching amon Theorate student who was a bit cold at most.
This shouldnt be! He has nothing to do with all the incidents back then? Its all a coincidence? Or... our watch is exposed?
The watcher was deep in thought.
While his mind was pondering upon the question, his men sent him a message.
Want to go to the gymnasium during the weekend, at midnight?
When the watcher saw the message from Marv, he further sunk into his thoughts.
After hiring Marv as his eyes, the watcher wasnt just after Kierans detailed report, he was also watching the aides to the First Seat.
This may be a chance.
He clenched his fist as the sudden realization hit him.
...
Treasure in the gymnasium?
Standlers eyes shone as he looked at Marv.
Yeah, Ive heard it from others too. When you told me you and Maica were going to explore the crying gymnasium this weekend, I collected more info from the upper years who I was familiar with. At first, the gymnasium is simr to our cafeteria, it holds the legendary treasure but after a couple died a horrible death in the gymnasium, the crying gymnasium got its name.
Marv nodded and spilled the script he had prepared.
It wasnt a lie, but it wasnt really the info that he got about the gymnasium.
Its just some hoax and you guys believed it? Maica crossed his arms and teased them with curled lips.
No, no, the cafeteria really holds some secret technique! And based on what I know, our First Seat has gotten his hands on said technique! Remember the repair crew that performs repair at the highest floor, they are there to repair what our First Seat did.
Standler turned around to his friend and said seriously.
He is the First Seat, and we are not him! Maica turned a white eye at Standler.
The longer the time, the more he experienced. Maica had learned to revere Kieran more; from the ambitious heart to chase after Kieran topletely willing to submit to his power, Maica had gone through a significant change.
Maica even had a thought about Kieran achieving things others couldnt.
Well, I guess you are right, Standler was stunned for a moment and nodded with a bitter smile.
Compared to his friend, Standler, who was responsible for liaising with the school, knew more about Kieran.
When all the rumours appeared to be facts before Standler, the shock in his heart was indescribable.
All he had left for Kieran was reverence, utmost reverence.
When Standler and Maica fell into silence, Marv saw his chance and spoke in a timely manner.
Maybe we can tell the First Seat about this. With his strength, he could easily locate the secret treasure.
Standler and Maica looked up en masse, both of them exchanging a gaze before nodding together.
...
The secret treasure in the gymnasium?
Kieran looked at the three of them in front of his door. His eyes were concentrated on Marv, since he knew what the transient student was up to.
As for Marv being bought over? Kieran wasnt surprised at all.
When person deemed himself great but unlucky, no matter how hard he concealed it, crucial weak spots would always be exposed.
Exploiting the weak spot to control him was too easy for Kieran.
However, in order to confuse the enemies in the dark, Kieran didnt mind ying along.
Yes, weve verified it! Before the crying gymnasium, there were rumours about the treasure but it was covered up and reced by the couples horrible death, Standler said.
He purposely verified the rumours before he knocked on Kierans door.
Simr to what Marv said, the gymnasium did hold some secret treasure but as for what, no one knew.
Gather what you got on the gymnasium and pass it to me, said Kieran.
You agreed to it? Standler was utterly surprised.
I need to have a look at this,e back to me in the evening.
Kieran took the paperbag, and closed the door.
Standler and Maica, who had stopped outside the door, werent all that concerned, both of them already used to their First Seat acting on his own.
From the day school started, they had never stepped into Kierans room before. Although curious about the inside, their sanity told them to keep their curiosity in check.
Curiosity killed the cat.
Marv, who was behind the two aides, revealed a cold grin.
Got you!
Marv knew what Kieran would do since he had gathered information about the First Seat.
Perhaps the First Seat would not fight without a reason but against an unowned item, he would not hold back at all.
You really think a Bento ss can buy my loyalty? Let them fight, its better if both of them are badly hurt in the process! And then I will make my entrance!
The unwillingness in his heart turning into primal greed, Marv showed coldness in his eyes but when Standler and Maica turned around, he reced it with a warm smile once again.
We will just have to wait patiently. The First Seat will not let us down, Marv said.
Em. The strength of the First Seat will not let us down! Maica was looking very confident.
But I am afraid the First Seat isnt interested in this, Standler was a little bit worried.
As Kierans aide, Standler had experienced the recklessness first-hand, and until now, Kieran had never properly written a lesson record as First Seat. Standler had to deal with all of them, and in the end, Kieran would have to just sign it to finish it. He could be considered the most irresponsible First Seat since Theorate was founded, not even the legendary upper year First Seat did suchzy work.
Standler was a little distracted by his thoughts, so he did not notice that Maica had stopped in front of him, bumping into Maicas back.
Hey, Maica...
Just as Standler was about to say something, his eyes were captivated by twodies.
Bothdies were tall and slender but one of them was cool and the other one was passionate; both of them had distinctive charms and together with their beautiful features, both of them stood out and would captivate eyes easily.
All the freshmen in the corridor were captivated the moment the twodies appeared, including Standler, Maican, and Marv.
However, unlike the others, the three of them quickly reacted to the situation.
Isnt that the First Seat of 3rd year and First Seat of 4th year? Standler wasnt very sure.
Em. Other than those two, I cant think of anyone else having such graceful bearings, this is really... unexpected.
Marv nodded, trying to search for a word to describe his shock but the best he could do was unexpected.
A sense of hotness shed over Marvs eyes, far hotter than witnessing something beautiful. It felt more like the desire to dominate or even destroy.
However, Marv concealed it pretty well by distracting himself.
Whats wrong Maica? Cant handle the beauty of the First Seats? Marv pushed Maica with hus shoulder.
Powerful! They are so powerful that I can barely catch my breath! They are like a lioness or tigress walking in front of me.
Maica heaved a heavy breath as he looked at the twodies going away, his forehead smeared with sweat.
Are you serious? You dont even behave like this in front of our First Seat.
Could they be stronger than our First Seat? Marv continued to tease him.
No! Our First Seat has far surpassed what we know. Both of them looked like lioness or tigress, but out First Seat is like the sky, thend and the sea. Hes on apletely different level! In our First Seats eyes, both of them were like kittens and puppies! Maica said seriously.
Hey, hey, hey! Youll get yourself into some serious trouble by saying that! But why would theye here...
Marv joked but as his eyes locked on the two First Seats, he already knew what were they doing here.
As a matter of fact, every freshmen knew.
Who were they looking for in the freshmen dorm?
The freshmen First Seat of course, no one else would get the honor.
Everything unfolded exactly like the freshmens expectation.
Both beautiful figures stopped before Kierans door and knocked on it.
However, out of the freshmens expectation, when the door opened up, both of them walked in!
They walked in? THEY WALKED IN!!
Wasnt it a forbidden area?
Every single freshmen widened their eyes in disbelief.
Marv, however, showed jealousy.
They stared at Kierans door until it was shut.
Bang.
It wasnt that loud but it sounded like a p of thunder in the freshmens heart. It shook them, and unknowingly, a never before felt nervousness rose from their hearts.
The situation was simr to a little boy spotting another, better boy beside the girl he liked.
However, the pure and persistent little boy wouldnt give up just because of strongpetition, unless he ran into something that taught him despair.
This moment was exactly the moment of despair.
Unusual tters and heavy pants came out from the room, which silenced the entire corridor.
...
Kieran retracted his fist inside the room.
He nced over the twitching and grumbling in pain Jemara on the floor before looking at Renata.
Its your turn.
Chapter 1549 - Gymnasium
Chapter 1549: Gymnasium
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
You wouldnt treat me with your fist right? Its so rude! Renata smiled sweetly at Kieran.
Of course, Kieran nodded seriously, keeping his fist and dishing out a kick instead.
Kierans kick caused a heavy whistle. Upon impact, it shattered another illusory evil spirit being which was invisible tomon eyes, before Kierannded his shoe on Renatas face again.
Bang!
Renata, who had nowhere to dodge, was sent flying away again, but this time, Kieran controlled his strength precisely, not kicking Renata to the wall.
Renata tumbled mid-air beforending on her face beside Jemara.
Moments afternding, Renata climbed up again.
You can see my Ghost of Appetite and your kicks restrain its abilities?!
Renata didnt care about her swollen face, she had to verified her doubts about Kierans abilities. A never before felt panic rose in her heart, agitating her thoroughly.
Ghost of Appetite was a very special ability; it could be considered Renatas talent and, from a certain aspect, was almost invincible.
The spirit was formless, immune against any kind of physical attack and able to mitigate majority elemental attacks, absolutely loyal to its summoner.
Therefore, Renata, who controlled the Ghost of Appetite with a certain technique, thought she was the strongest among the student body. She could even win Tai in a battle as long as she was serious.
However, Kierans appearance shattered her pride. Renata was doubtful at first when she was defeated by Kieran thest time.
Kieran could not only see the Ghost of Appetite but also possessed abilities to restrain the spirit?
Doubts gave birth to anxiety in Renatas heart, hence she followed Jemara when the 3rd year First Seat wanted to challenge Kieran again.
After the little challenge, Renatas anxiety were verified.
Most people would choose to clear the anxiety in their head and would only run away from it when they failed. Renata was one of them.
Kieran was her bane and since she couldnt find any ways to win Kieran, the thought of running away bloomed in her heart.
Kieran naturally captured the emotions on her face.
Even though her face was swollen, the re in her eyes was obvious and it was something Kieran didnt want to see.
Once Renata ran away, the other three food suppliers, Jemara, Dale, and Tai, would surely be affected. Kieran would not allow that to happen.
Therefore, Kieran pointed at Jemara, who had stopped her twitching but was still unable to stand up.
Compared to her, your threats are nothing to me.
Jemara and Renatas confusion was obvious.
You did well, put in more effort and you can defeat me.
Even Kieran deemed such words fake and embarrassaing from him, hence a provocation would be more appropriate in his view.
Oh yea? Then you never knew my true power...
Bang!
Renata flipped her hair and tried to get closer to Kieran.
Aside from the swollen face, even if Renata was in her normal beautiful face, she would fair less than a piece of braised meat in Kierans eyes.
Kieran automatically delivered a punch to Renatas stomach.
The First Seat of 4th year curled up on the floor like a cooked shrimp, covering her stomach and twitching repeatedly.
While Kieran knocked out Renata, Jemara mustered enough strength to stand up.
Ill win next time, said the swordswoman in a firm tone.
A Bento Exchange Voucher was then passed to Kieran.
Bento Exchange Voucher was a voucher exchangeable using academic scores at the general affair department. As its name suggested, it could be exchanged for a Bento ss meal.
Jemara then helped Renata up, took out another Bento Exchange Voucher from her pocket, and gave Kieran.
Ill be waiting, Kieran replied after receiving the two vouchers.
He didnt forget to provoke Renata before they left.
And you, I dont have much hope for you. You think too clever of yourself, loser. Get out of my sight.
Kieran then opened the door and asked them to leave.
Jemara was looking cold, the ugly look from all the twitching earlier gone without a sign but Renata was different, her face swollen, her stomach twitching, and her eyes ring at Kieran like an erupting volcano.
Dont think yourself too high either, youve just won me twice! Ille back next time and make you kneel down before me, begging me to spare you!
Renata spilled her derations with gnashing teeth.
If I remembered correctly, you are the one who knelt just now, Kieran said.
You...UGH!
The angry Renata wanted to refute this but the pain in her stomach caused her to twitch again, unable to say aplete sentence.
Kieran curled his lips into a grin when he closed the door after the twodies left.
He knew his long-term meal ticket had just went back online.
Kieran was delighted, cing the two new vouchers together with the others that he had gotten from the freshmen tutorial lesson, which was two more Bento vouchers and one Fast Food voucher.
Four Bento ss and one Fast Food ss are enough to exchange for a Proper Meal ss. Too bad the general affair department doesnt provide regr exchange for a Proper Meal ss. The Proper Meal ss exchange will only be opened during the end of the year.
Kieran touched his chin.
He hadnt forgetten the description of his main mission. The longest he could stay in this dungeon world was until the end of the current semester, but he would have to leave after that.
Although he had secured a continuous entry, he wasnt sure when he would enter the dungeon world.
Therefore, if he wanted to exchange his vouchers, he would have to figure something out.
Unlike the first day in the dungeon, Kieran had acquired a strongwork after all his adventures in the school, making it easy to secure a channel for him to exchange the vouchers for a Proper Meal ss food.
Kieran called Professor Tyrese with hismunicator.
Among all the natives that Kieran knew, the good professor would be a solid candidate for him to exchange the vouchers.
4 Bento vouchers and a Fast Food voucher for a Proper Meal ss food? Not a problem. When do you require it?
Professor Tyrese agreed to the terms after Kieran stated his purpose.
As soon as possible, Kieran answered.
How about during the anniversary celebration? Professor Tyrese gave a specific time.
Okay.
Kieran nodded after he calcted the days and realized it was less than 2 weeks from now.
They didnt further chat anymore. Kieran hung up themunicator after saying goodbye, his eyes locked on the documents and reports of the crying gymnasium and the hidden treasure, which he ced on his table.
Both rumours had nothing special to them, just some school myths and it was hard to tell apart the lies from the truth.
However, the one who used these myths to their gains...
Kieran squinted his eyes and his gaze turned cold.
He was fine about people watching him because it was what he wanted. However, it didnt mean Kieran would stay put when some intentional parties set him up.
Since the said party had ill-intents, they better be prepared to bear the consequences.
Death was quite the decent oue for those ill-intended parties.
...
At night, the merry and noisy Theorate finally quieted down.
Standler, with his backpack, and Maica, in his jersey and tactical gloves, snuck out of the dorm.
Here!
Marv, who had been waiting for a while, waved at them.
Unlike Standler and Maica, Marv was fully-equipped, literally.
He was wearing a ck camouge uniform with a military-issue backpack. There was a holster around his waist and the stock that stuck out from it told the two of them it wasnt a toy.
You are really being extra here, Standlermented on Marvs look.
Better safe than sorry. Come one, the First Seat is waiting for us, right?
Marv, with an ulterior motive, diverted the topic with a smile.
Lets go! Standler nodded in excitement.
Earlier during evening, the three of them visited Kieran again and Kieran agreed to go with them but he would only wait for them outside the gymnasium.
Standler and Maica did not object, because from their point of view, the biggest reliance they had in this little trip was Kieran.
As for not staying with the group from the start?
The two aide were used to Kierans solo act.
Only the smiley Marv chuckled coldly in his heart. He had his own theory about Kierans solo act. There were only two exnations for Kieran to arrive at the gymnasium earlier than them.
First, it was to check whether or not the area was safe.
Second, it was to make sure whether or not the said treasure was there.
The second exnation was obviously more important than the first.
Too bad... you wont find anything there and you will slowly step into the trap!
Marv started to picture Kierans severe injuries or even horrible death after the ambush by his employer, his anticipation surging.
Marv was eager to rece the First Seat, but when he saw Kieran standing under themp outside the gymnasium, he was dumbstruck.
The ambush failed?
Impossible!
Those guys are very powerful, if they are in the dark, even the First Seat couldnt escape unharmed.
So... he didnt go in yet? What a lucky bastard! But let us see when your luck ends.
Marv quickly kept away his dark thoughts and put on a smile.
Good evening, First Seat.
Standler and Maica together, with Marv behind them, greeted Kieran.
Mm, Kieran nodded.
ording to the rumours, we must go in pairs to trigger the crying gymnasium, so well split up. Me and Maica are one group; First Seat, you and the weaker Marv, are the second, is that okay? Standler asked.
Sure, Kieran answered with simple words.
That wont be a problem! At first I was a little worried, but now, after grouping up with First Seat, I ampletely relieved! Marv smiled and nodded repeatedly.
The group distribution seemed very reasonable, but it was actually Marvs little trick. He had more than once mentioned that he was very weak and required protection in front of Standler, and things progressed exactly as expected.
Standler the good guy kindly grouped him with Kieran.
You are really useful! I guess I shall keep you as aide after I be the First Seat. Maica? Hes a little troublesome, I guess Ill take him out.
Unlike the naive Standler, Maica was very simple and direct but he possessed an animal-like instinct. Marv had noticed Maica sided him up more than once and doubted his words before.
Marv swore to take Maica out before the doubts could be proven and it was also for the sake of tonights operation.
Theorates gymnasium was unlike any other. It wasnt locked at night and inside the gymnasium wasnt a basketball court but a ring!
There was 1 big and 6 small rings in the gymnasium.
The gymnasium was the most crowded and merry ce every anniversary and semester end.
Around the ring were seats simr to other gymnasiums but the numbers far exceeded amon one. It could easily fit more than 10,000 audience at once, hence the gymnasium upied quite a bit ofnd.
Marv was grouped up with Kieran, entering the gymnasium first with a torchlight in his hand.
Standler and Maica saw them go in.
When the light from the torchlight almost vanished, Maica frowned.
Whats wrong? Standler noticed the furrowed brows on his friends face.
I felt something weird about Marv... but I cant exactly say what, Maica didnt hide his thoughts from Standler.
I think you are overthinking. Dont forget who is he grouped up with! Its the First Seat, not some John Doe! Stop overthinking and look at the map Ive prepared, our adventure is starting soon, Standler waved his hand and said with a smile.
I guess you are right, thats the First Seat we are talking about. Maica smiled and discarded his doubts.
...
Dak, Dak, Dak.
Footsteps echoed clearly in the dark gymnasium, spreading along the corridor. The light from the torchlight was like a sword cutting the darkness in half.
First Seat, ording to the map, we can go to the ring in Section A straightaway. Through there, we can reach the alleged location: the main ring. The rumour says the couple was hung to death in the main ring, but thats just a rumour. No one knows what is the truth behind the story. What do you think, First Seat? First Seat? FIRST SEAT?!
Marv was talking as he ventured into the darkness, but all of a sudden, he realized Kieran was not beside him anymore.
Marv skipped a breath, sure that Kieran was beside him just a moment ago.
He could still spot Kierans figure in the corner of his eyes and even heard Kierans footsteps with his ears.
First Seat! Where are you!?
Marv stopped walking and shone his torchlight around. The concrete corridor looked extra eerie and felt cold under the light.
No! It wasnt just a feeling, there was indeed a cold, eerie presence behind him, as if someone was breathing behind him!
But...But a humans breath should be warm and yet what Marv felt was cold!
Breath after breath, the cold, eerie presence tickled Marvs neck.
Marv had major goosebumps. He turned around and shone his torchlight!
Chapter 1550 - Unlike Others
Chapter 1550: Unlike Others
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Marvs torchlight shone through the corridor behind him, but there was nothing!
All he saw were t concrete walls and the floor and further away, where his torchlight couldnt reach, was shrouded byplete darkness.
Darkness spread like mist before his sight. Marv felt his throat dry out, instinctively swallowing his saliva to ease the dryness but just as his Adams apple moved...
Dik!
A drop of water sounded from behind him.
Marv didnt hesitate anymore and turned around immediately but he still couldnt see anything!
There werent any water stains on the floor, but Marv was certain it was a drop of water that he had heard.
Phantom hearing! Im hearing things because Im nervous!
Marv tried to calm down by telling himself this but his hurried breath proved otherwise, his method of calming himself less than sessful.
After all, Kierans disappearance and the cold presence that he sensed felt utterly real.
He needed to leave! He had to leave this ce!
These thoughts bloomed in Marvs head and started to spread out of control.
Huu Huu Huu!
Im leaving temporarily because I did note fully-prepared! When I am, I will be back!
Marv adjusted his breath and stuffed his mind with useless excuses.
He then got ready to go back to where he came from, but just when he was about to move, he felt something cool on his neck.
A drop of water fell on the back of his neck.
Marv instinctively shone his torchlight at the ceiling. He saw a person hanging over his head.
With the light from his torchlight, Marv clearly saw the hanging person had bulging eyes, a purple face, and a tongue as long as a ruler, drops of saliva falling from the tip of its tongue.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!
Marv couldnt hold back his frightened cry. He faltered backwards in panic and wiped away the saliva at the back of his neck.
Disgust and fear filled Marvs heart as he looked at the hanging body in utter panic.
Fuuu!
A sudden wind came out of nowhere.
Tssk Gak!
The hanging body was swinging along with the sudden wind, the rope holding the body producing an eerie screech due to the weight and getting louder, as if it wasnt produced from a single rope.
Marv held his torchlight tight and shone around the ceiling.
A dozen more hanging bodies instantly appeared in his sight.
Marv saw the dead bodies hanging like sausages on the ceiling, his face turning pale and his scalp bing numb because he had a clear look at the faces of the hanging bodies.
He knew the hanging bodies! One was his employer, who had hired him to watch Kieran!
Why were they all here?
Something really happened in the gymnasium?
Impossible! It was just aschool myth!
Marv stuffed himself with all the excuses he could think of, his body honest enough to run away. He ran faster than he came and was running out of the gymnasium when arope flew out from the dark, faster than him.
Souu!
It caught Marv by the neck and hung him on the ceiling.
Ugh! UGH! Ugh! Marv was struggling as hard as he could, his legs swinging like a fish out of water.
In the end, an orange item fell off his body and the item was caught by a long, fair palm.
[Paralyze Ball]s attribute appeared before Kierans vision again.
It wasnt a new item, Kieran had gotten one before when he killed the Sil Sect attackers. It seemed like the [Paralyze Ball] was Marvs trump card, which let Marv think he could use it to control the situation, just like the other watchers.
The watchers thought they could use the myth in the gymnasium to find the truth they sought, but in the end, they became part of the myth themselves.
Kieran already knew what would go down in the gymnasium when the sun came up.
As for the crying and the alleged treasure?
Both were nothing but a hoax.
Kieran arrived at the gymnasium and dealt with the watchers so that he could search the gymnasium beforehand, but his search was fruitless.
It was expected though; if there was any kind of treasure in the gymnasium, the school wouldnt have turned a blind eye to the ce.
The school would have expanded the search area and even if they couldnt find it for the time being, they would have sent a guardian to guard over the so-called treasure, simr to Eiderburgh guarding the cafeteria.
Of course, Kieran wasnt going home empty-handed either.
Kieran got an unexpected item from the leader of the watcher.
[Name: Six-part Spotting Dragon (Replica)]
[Type: Wonder Item]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Attack: Strong]
[Defense: None]
[Effect: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: This is a replica of the Six-part Spotting Dragon. Although unable topete with the real one, it is very hard toe by. But in order to bring out its true potential, you need tobine it with the Seven-inch Seeking Dragon. For the sake of the item, its best if youbine it with the replica of Seven-inch Seeking Dragon, just to be on the safe side.]
...
[Six-part Spotting Dragon] was like a hollow chopstick. Kieran took out the other [Seven-inch Seeking Dragon (Replica)] and the former perfectly covered thetter.
When the two pair of chopsticks touched, it emanated a faint glow and when they trulybined, the glow shone and shook. After the light dispersed, both replicas werebined into one, a brand new item presented to Kieran.
[Name: Seven-inch Six-part. Jiaolong Chopsticks]
[Type: Wonder Item]
[Type: I]
[Attack: I]
[Defense: I]
[Attribute: 1. Jialong Saliva; 2. Jialong Bite; 3. Jiaolong Soul]
[Effect: Seeking]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: This is a replica of the Seven-inch Six-part. True Dragon Chopsticks. Its initial purpose was to search for the real seven-inch Six-part. True Dragon Chopsticks, but the oue was disappointing.]
...
[Jialong Saliva: Anything the pair of chopsticks touch, its freshness will be elevated. The targets weakness will be easily exposed, increased a certain Critical Rate]
[Jiaolong Bite: Anything the pair of chopsticks hold, a Constitution authentication no less than A rank will ur. The chopsticks will rip the part it holds if the target fails the authentication.]
[Jialong Soul: When the chopsticks are used for eating a hundred times, the user can temporarily summon the soul of Jiaolong (using the right chopstick); When it used for eating 500 times, the user can summon two Jiaolong souls or further save it to a thousand times to summon two stronger ones. 1 minute duration.]
...
[Seeking: When Six-part Spotting Dragon and Seven-inch Seeking Dragon are trulybined, it will point towards what you wished. 1 time per week]
...
[Seven-inch Six-part. Jiaolong Chopsticks]?!
Kieran looked at thebined chopsticks in utter shock. Despite being a replica, its legendary rank told Kieran the pair of chopsticks were outstanding. Never did he expect the rarity to reach Advanced Rank whenbined. It surprised him, especially the [Seeking] effect.
Kieran immediately filled his mind with thoughts of seeking food higher than Proper Meal ss, but the pair of chopsticks remained quiet.
Am I using it the wrong way? Do I need a specific name and item? Or are my thoughts out of its seeking range?
Kieran put away the pair of chopsticks as he pondered upon the methods.
Although he was eager to test the power of [Jiaolong Soul], the prerequisite forced him to give up the thought temporarily.
Eat a thousand times eh? Itll be quick!
Kieran showed a smile after some calcting.
Dak Dak Dak.
Footsteps sounded further away, the light of the torchlight entering from the entrance. Standler and Maica carefully walked in, and when they saw Kieran, they heaved a breath of relief.
First Seat, I feel somethings not right here, Maica, with his animal instinct, said the moment he saw Keiran.
Em. Its not just eerie, it makes me heart race too, Standler nodded beside Maica.
Kieran didnt say anything to the two of them, pointing above his head instead.
Both of them followed Kierans finger to the ceiling, their faces turning ugly.
MARV?!
Standler shouted out of shock. Maica, on the other hand, scanned the rest of the hanging bodies and sized up his surroundings cautiously.
Ive already notified Professor Tyrese. You guys go contact the Student Council, Kieran said.
Yes, First Seat, Both of them nodded and ran outside.
After the two of them went out, Kieran looked up at the bodies again, shaking his head helplessly before also leaving.
It wasnt some heartfelt exmation, it was just a sigh about life and death.
The hanging bodies warned Kieran that in order to never be arrogant and blinded by his ego again, he must stay cautious at all times.
After Kieran left, a series of soft sobs sounded throughout the gymnasium.
Sob, sob, he is so scary... he almost scared a ghost!
Leave this ce, sob sob...
Leave this ce, sob sob...
...
Professor Tyrese brought a group of school securities to the gymnasium 3 minutes after he was notified. The good ol Professor suffered a headache when he saw Kieran in front of the entrance.
Are you the grim reaper? Death follows wherever you go!
Professor Tyrese ordered the guards to seal the gymnasium before he spoke to Kieran.
Its just a coincidence, Kieran said seriously.
Coincidence? Professor Tyrese shook his head, obviously not buying Kierans words.
Perhaps in terms of personality, the professor was a good person, but in terms of work, he was efficient and faithful to his duty, not simply brushing his work away.
He checked everything carefully by shining his torchlight all over the gymnasium.
Where is the power? Why is it still not on? he asked.
The power will be right back, professor, one of the guards answered.
After the switch was turned one, the electric current generated by the generator flowed through the entire building.
The gymnasium lit up momentster.
Everyone saw the dozen of hanging bodies on the ceiling.
Despite that fact that it wasnt the first time everyone had seen a dead body, when the scene entered their eyes, they couldnt hold back their terrified gasps.
Some, who were less brave, turned pale, like Standler.
Regardless of condition, Standler would have to answer to the security guards, together with Maica and Kieran.
What happened here? Professor Tyrese asked Kieran.
The crying gymnasium and the hidden treasure. Standler told me the stories, I got interested in the treasure, and I joined them. Since we had to move in pairs, I got grouped up with the weaker Marv, but when we came in, he disappeared right away. Iter found him hung to death here, Kieran stated his side of the story. It sounded reasonable, at least in everyones ears.
Did you hear anything? Professor Tyrese asked.
The wind, I heard an unusual wind blowing, Kieran answered.
The professor then ordered the guards to search the entire gymnasium, with no stones to be left unturned.
Kieran wasnt worried about it, as he did not leave any visible trails, especially on the ropes, which he controlled using [Living Rope Technique] to make sure no fingerprints would be left behind.
When the questioning ended, Kieran, Standler, and Maica stood where they were as they watched the guards search the entire gymnasium.
Meanwhile, outside the gymnasium, the Student Council had sent people over and stood guard on every single entrance and exit. They were there to assist the guards in controlling the situation, even the ex-Branch Leader Gutti came along.
When she saw Kieran, she quickly went up to him.
Branch Leader, please stop doing something so dangerous. You arent just cing yourself in danger, you might even put others in harms way, Gutti said righteously.
Its not the First Seats fault, we dragged him here...
Standler exined but under Guttis re, Standlers voice grew softer new Ofer eventually going silent.
Gutti put away her angry re when Standler shut his mouth.
Youve piled up a lot of work in the Branch Office since we started school. I think you should head over there and settle them, since it wont be as easy as signing some papers. If you fail to carry out your duties as Branch Leader, your benefits will be recalled.
Gutti turned around and left after she stated her words like a robot.
However, two stepster, she suddenly stopped.
Im very impressed that you can persuade a Dark Eater.
Gutti then walked away faster than she hade.
Standler and Maica exchanged nces after they saw her off.
Is there something wrong with her? Cant she talk properly? Maica asked.
Who knows, maybe something is wrong with her head, Standler said carefully after a glimpse at Kieran and spotted a normal looking First Seat.
He then quickly diverted the topic.
While the two aides were chatting, Kierans sharp senses picked up an unusual presence from a group of security guards.
They were walking towards the gymnasium and to themon eye, they were slightly colder than the rest, but looking no different than the other guards otherwise. However, in Kierans eyes, this new group of security guards were simr to war-veterans, while the security guards who had arrived earlier were a bunch of rookies in training.
The difference was that of heaven and earth.
When this group of security guards came over, they took out a never before seen instrument.
It looked like amunicator, but bigger and there was a row of indicators on it.
The instrument was turned on and the indicator lit up from green to red in an instant.
An irritating rm then sounded when the red indicator reached its limit.
Di Di Di Di Di!
Chapter 1551 - Blinding
Chapter 1551: Blinding
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
When the rm on the instrument went on, the group of security guards were startled. Their faces changed for the worse.
The red light from the indicator shined on their faces, it was rather blinding.
Kieran saw the group of security guards go over to Professor Tyrese quickly and then...
Evacuation! Everyone started to evacuate, including the group of security guards with outstanding presence.
Kieran frowned and walked over to Professor Tyrese.
Im sorry, 2567. I cant tell you what just happened. If you may, please bring the students back to their dorm safely, I have my hands tied at the moment!
Professor Tyrese stopped Kieran before he even asked, the professor also asked Kieran to leave nicely.
Kieran nodded and didnt press on the topic anymore.
He knew a good person like Tyrese would never change his mind once the decision was made. Kieran turned around to Standler and the others who were looking at the scene.
What happened?
What is that rm for?
Standler asked the burning question on the way back to the dorm but no one was able to provide an answer.
Maica was simr, as a freshman, he didnt know more thanStandler, neither did the Student Council members.
Only Gutti was in deep thought, Kieran saw her look but did not ask anything. It wasnt an appropriate time.
After sending his aides and the Student Council members back to their respective dorms, Kieran finally turned to Gutti.
As the Branch Leader assistant, Gutti was thest to leave, hence she was left alone with Kieran after sending the others back.
Whats wrong? Gutti looked slightly nervous when she caught Kierans gaze.
The instrument in the security guards hand, what is that? Kieran went straight to the point without too much idle chatter.
Im not too sure. I once heard from a senior that a group special security guards exist in E Block and they were the ones who were truly protecting E Block and solving the unusual incidents. The senior also mentioned that the group of guards answered directly to Principal Romuse.
Gutti shook her head at first before telling Kieran what she knew, she didnt think she should hide it from Kieran.
First, such things werent secrets for the elites in the upper years.
Second, if Kieran wanted to verify them, with his position and reputation, he would easily find out about the special group of guards.
Rather than wasting Kierans time, might as well push him to settle the documents in the Branch Office.
The naive Gutti was looking forward to the day Kieran would appear in the office again.
Other than that? Kieran asked.
Thats what I know. We arent allowed to know anything else about that special group of guards without permission from Principal Romuse. Gutti said.
Thanks. Ill send you back, Kieran thanked her politely.
Although it wasnt the whole picture, Gutti still provided Kieran with vital information, a thank you would be necessary.
But when Gutti heard Kieran wanted to send her back, she got more nervous.
N-No need, I can...
This is Professor Tyreses request. Ive given my word to him.
Kieran interrupted her and walked towards the 3rd year dorm, he didnt have time to discuss matters with Gutti.
Gutti was rather nk as she stared at Kierans back.
Things unfolded slightly out of expectations.
Shouldnt Kieran express more of his thoughts on the matter at such a time rather than leaving abruptly?
How could he be so direct?
Hurry up, Kieran frowned and groaned when he realized Gutti wasnt following him.
Oh-Okay! Gutti nodded repeatedly and sprinted forward.
Gutti subtly sized up Kieran as she walked back with Kieran.
All she could see was coldness and it was the first impression that Kieran gave people.
But how could a cold person like him persuade a Dark Eater to embrace the light again?
Therefore, Gutti assumed it was a disguise put up by Kieran.
Under the disguise, Kieran should be a straight, passionate person who wasnt good at expressing his thoughts. He was also powerful!
Based on the information Gutti collected by herself, the First Seat before her eyes was absurdly strong and should be a genius who had transcended over his age.
Such a genius was rare toe by and... she needed such genius, especially when she didnt hate him as much.
2567, you-you...
Gutti took a deep breath and mustered up enough courage to ask but when the question was on the tip of her tongue, it was reluctant toe out, leaving her flushed.
Kieran nced over her red face, he wasnt moved at all.
We are here, He pointed at the third-year dorm ahead of him.
O-Okay. Ill take my leave now, g-goodnight.
Gutti stuttered seriously before he dashed towards the third-year dorm. She even almost fell down when she went through the door due to panic.
Kieran frowned and saw her off, he eventually shook his head.
Possesses a certain level of strength, has a rather bad mental state and barely any actualbat experience. If a fight broke out, its best to take her down head on, break her defense and she will lose herself, at least 30% weakened after that...
Kieran returned to the freshman dorm as he talked to himself.
My lord. Since youve been gone, everything is normal at the dorm.
Lester was waiting for Kieran at the door since he saw Kierane back through the cameras.
Mm. Lester, do you know something like this?
Kieran nodded and started to describe the instrument he saw from the guards.
He got nothing from Gutti earlier, so hed try to find out more from Lester the tech wonder.
Lester was unusually skilled in mechanical engineering though, but after he heard Kierans description, he shook his head.
Im sorry, my lord. I cant really tell what instrument is that based on your description.
Is that so.
Despite being prepared for negative result, when he really got nothing, Kieran still couldnt hold back his sighs.
Dak, Dak Dak.
Kieran sat down in his chair, his left index finger was tapping the arm of the chair. Frost Wolf curled up beside his feet and Fire Raven cawed at Kieran before flying up to the window again; the night was nothing for the Fire Raven.
Together with Lesters surveince system, every movement in the surroundings were within Kierans eyes.
Under a secure environment, Kieran could think better.
It seems like there is something in the gymnasium but I didnt find anything earlier... is it in some hidden spot?
Since Tyrese didnt tell me anything, I would probably get the same result from Romuse as well.
Then other than these two... Smith!
Whenever he thought about the bald, one-eyed, crippled professor, his brows furrowed.
Smith was a pile of trouble. Hed never abide by the rules of Theorate like Tyrese or Romuse, or uphold the duty of a professor.
In order to get some mystical intel from him, Kieran would have to pay a certain price and he was sure Smith would be over demanding.
Just like what Smith said before, both of them shared a simr personality and way of doing things.
If Kieran could demand more, he would never hold back, the same went for Smith.
Kieran was reluctant to suffer a big bite from Smith, it wouldnt just hurt his flesh, his heart would bleed out eventually.
I must change my approach. Maybe...
The chance wille in the morning.
Ive wiped out the hired watchers, so the employer would not just sit back and do nothing.
Kieran squinted his eyes and leaned back on the chair before falling asleep.
He had to take a good rest to handle the uing situations.
...
The sun rose up as usual.
The sunlight shone over thend and brought light and warmth.
Despite being the weekend, the students of Theorate didnt oversleep either. They woke up rather early and gathered in public ces for discussions.
The incident at the gymnasiumst night spread like wildfire throughout the freshman dorm with Marvs death and with Standlers big mouth, the situation in the gymnasium had be the topic of discussion during breakfast.
There is really something there?
The crying gymnasium... scary!
God knows what really happened inside!
Guessing and deducing were what the freshmen were doing.
Their discussion heated up to boiling point when they heard the gymnasium was sealed offpletely.
Aide Standler, is the gymnasium really that scary?
One of the freshman asked Standler.
Yes, it is. I feel numb whenever I recall that scary scene.
Have you ever seen people hung up at the ceiling like sausages? Theyd move along with the breeze and produce eerie screeches, have you? Standler nodded, he even shrunk his neck.
Standlers eye circles were exceptionally dark since he barely had any sleepst night.
Last night was really a new experience for Standler, if the aides work wasnt due, he wouldnt have woken up this early.
Im so grateful that I dragged the First Seat there with me. Otherwise, Maica and I would have ended up as human sausages, Standler said with a nervous face.
Maica red at Standler but he didnt say anything, he knew Kieran had stopped whatever happened there, hence both of them could enter and get out in one piece.
In fact, everyone of the freshmen shared the same thought. They were once again overwhelmed by Kierans power and Standler and Maicas luck.
As for Marv?
No one thought about him and not a single question was asked.
No one could guarantee ones safety in that kind of situation.
Marv was considered unlucky to die like that, simr to how lucky Standler and Maica were, everything was connected somehow, wasnt it?
Eh? Wheres the First Seat?
When Kieran became the topic of discussion, the freshmen noticed Kieran wasnt at the public hall.
He should be at the cafeteria right? The First Seat takes his three meals very seriously.
Speaking of meals, Im famished.
Standler touched his stomach and stood up.
Me too. Lets have breakfast.
Yeah, lets go.
The young men headed towards the cafeteria after their burning curiosity was watered down.
Being carefree was one of the rights of being a student.
Perhaps they might be frightened or fall into states of fear at times, their nature at their age provided them the ability to adapt better than adults, they were more flexible too, hence the so-called golden age to study.
It would be harder to study new knowledge once the golden age was over, therefore everyone tended to cherish their time a lot, so did Kieran.
Having Skills Books and Skill Points to aid him, he was able to achieve mastery with simple learning or even excelled in what he learned, but most of the time, he would spend his effort to read and gather more knowledge by his own.
Set A, B, C, were served on his table, Kieran was sitting down and flipping through thest few pages of the book.
He didnt notice the person who walked into the First Seat Lounge.
The person had to wait for a whole 30 seconds before his patience was lost, he tapped on the table to notify Kieran.
Dak Dak Dak.
The taps were heavy, the iron table slightly shook.
Hi, Im Leo Ryde, the cousin of thete Oliford Ryde.
Do you know why I am here?
The man was dressed in a red suit and shared resemnce to Oliford Ryde but he was much more arrogant in his question.
I dont know, Kieran said without looking up.
I think you should. the arrogant young man chuckled.
Oh? Kieran lowered his book and looked at the man.
...
Mr. Ryde, isnt it a little rash sending young master Leo like this?
His personality isnt suitable.
Near by E Block cafeteria, there was a car parked there. Inside was a scrawny old man with a withered face and furrowed brows.
Opposite the old man was a well-dressed middle-aged man.
Dont worry. Leo might be rash but he is still a graduate of Theorate and he trained in the Mystic State for over two years, he isnt someone these undergraduates can oppose.
The middle-aged man waved his hand with a smile.
But the school...
Master Ude, I think you should pay more attention to Sil Inner Sect. Its the foundation of our coboration after all and also something you should be very concerned with, the overseer of Sil Sect.
The old man wanted to say something else but was interrupted by the middle-aged man.
He frowned and decided to be quiet.
Just like what the middle-aged man said, he knew what was his purpose for being at Theorate: Sil Inner Sect!
Being the overseer of Sil Sect for over 30 years and he didnt know the existence of an Inner Sect or Dark Sect within his organization?
He was doubtful and shocked by the revtion, hence he approached the middle-aged man and borrowed his channels to enter Theorate.
He had to find out the truth.
As for the middle-aged man, or the so-called family goal?
It wasnt something the old man should care about.
The car fell into silence, until it was broken by the ss shattering noise further away.
Someone was thrown out the window!
When the cries entered the car, the middle-aged man curled his lips.
Leo is still being direct as ever... Huh?!
Before the middle-aged man finished, he was stopped because the red suit in the puddle of blood was very blinding under the sun.
Chapter 1552 - Stage
Chapter 1552: Stage
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Leo!
Momentster, the middle-aged man shouted out of shock, his face turned pale and his fists tightened.
Without further ado, he dashed out of the car.
The driver also came down and arrived at the spot where Leo Rydended after he was thrown out the window. A little checkter, the driver shook his head at the middle-aged man.
YOU WILL PAY WITH YOUR BLOOD! he shouted and dashed into the cafeteria.
The students who were there for breakfast were pushed away by the middle-aged man as he charged forward.
The students didnt know what happened.
Bang!
Another heavy thud sounded, something heavy was thrown out again.
The middle-aged man who charged up to the First Seat loungended perfectly beside Leo Ryde who was thrown out the window earlier. It looked rather tidy from up high.
However, the students couldnt care about the tidiness. They scattered away in panic and looked up at the window.
When they noticed both the bodies were thrown out from the window at the First Seat lounge, sudden realization hit them right away.
Every student had heard about the rumours regarding the First Seat one way or another, it sounded like a p of thunder in their ears because wherever the First Seat went, death followed.
Some of them treated it as a joke at first but as time flew, the joke became reality, especially in this moment where the two bodiesnded in their own blood, who would treat the rumour as a joke anymore?
Not even Gutti couldugh at this when she arrived, not even Professor Tyrese who arrivedter.
Both of them looked at each other before they headed up to the First Seat lounge.
Inside the First Seat lounge, they saw tes as tall as Kieran himself on both his sides.
The food he ate was enough to feed at least 10 people!
As expected of...
Gutti nced over Kieran and came up with a conclusion. She felt Kieran had gotten even more unusual on top of his outstanding presence.
She pretended to be calm after she saw Kieran but her gaze had some extra emotions mixed into itthere were shyness and anticipation.
Gutti even forgot why she was there under all the mixed feelings. All she did was stand in ce, twisting her body shyly and grabbing the edge of her skirt tightly.
Professor Tyrese looked at Gutti in shock. He heard about some rumors about Guttis family but he never thought Gutti would choose Kieran.
Trouble! Big trouble!
Troublesome thoughts rose in Professor Tyreses heart but the dutiful professor knew what he must attend to first.
Two more from Ryde Family got thrown out the window!
2567, what just...
Yep, I threw them down.
Kieran nodded before Professor Tyrese even asked.
Do you know what youve just done? Professor Tyrese widened his eyes.
I know.
But those who interrupt my meal and even attacked me are dead, not even God can save them, Kieran nodded again.
Do you know what the consequences of your actions are? The Ryde Family is not like the others...
The professor pointed at Kieran, as if he wanted to scold him but he sighed heavily and lowered his hand in the end.
Tyrese always thought Kieran was quite the loner but he could deal with things in a calm sense, he shouldnt have done what he did: killing two people from the Ryde Family.
The fact told Tyrese that Kieran was exactly what Smith described: doesnt follow the rules.
Gutti beside the professor showed glimmers in her eyes.
Food was good, they shouldnt be destroyed.
Whosoever disrupted ones meal would be the enemy and enemies should be killed.
The vows of her family echoed in her mind. She was rather reluctant to ept those words before but now she was rather fond of it.
2567, follow me to the authorities, I need you to exin what happened and...
Nevermind, just follow me.
The professor thought he wanted to warn Kieran but when he thought about the strength and weird personality, he shook his head and discarded the thoughts.
Kieran walked out of the cafeteria with Tyrese, he subtly paused when he walked past the two bodies.
First Seat?
Standler and Maica walked up to him.
The other freshmen stood further away but their gazes were glued to Kieran.
Just look at the prying gazes from the freshmen!
Tyrese felt like if he wronged Kieran or did anything to him, the youngsters would jump on him and eat him alive. His temples were swelling.
Its just some standard questioning, the professor exined.
He couldnt understand how a loner First Seat had won the wild and untamed youngsters respect.
Tyrese was in his prime, he would never understand why the more a person acted on his own, the more he would attract resonance from his peers.
Especially from these youngsters who were at their rebellious age. Other than reverence, it was respect from the youngsters for Kieran who was strong, never followed rules, and gave birth to rumor after rumor, they were like looking at their idol.
The freshmen didnt care about the professors exnation, their eyes were glued to Kieran.
Em. Kieran nodded.
Standler and Maica stepped back and opened a path for the professor. However, including the two aides, all the other freshmen were looking at Kieran.
Powerful personal charm!
If he were to be a leader, he would be the best of the best!
Guttis eyes shined brightly at the scene.
The more time she spent with Kieran, the more she realized he was the perfect candidate that fit all her criteria, he might even surpassed her expectations by a lot!
Chance! This is a chance given to me, I must seize it!
Gutti couldnt hold back anymore.
Professor Tyrese, I dont think you should bring 2567 to the authorities. He didnt do anything wrong, Ryde Family is being rude at first and their impolite actions should be investigated, not 2567.
On top of that, Leo Ryde is although a graduate of Theorate, Ive checked with the school and realized he doesnt have permission to return. Meaning he infiltrated the campus.
Any member of the school has the right to kill or expel any infiltrator.
Gutti started to bring out all the rules and big words and it caused Tyreses temples to further swell.
The professor looked at Gutti in a helpless gaze.
He knew Gutti was choosing Kieran as her candidate but favoring him to this extent and outrightly so, the professor was rather worried that she would expose herself under enemys rader.
Gutti, I know what you said is correct, but...
Lets just go to the authorities, the security garrison right? I want to have a look there.
Kieran interrupted Tyrese again and everyone else was shocked at Kierans request of going to the security garrison.
The security garrison was a special department of Theorate, it housed the securities and guards altogether.
In simple words, the garrison was like abination of a military camp and prison.
Most of the students would rather stay away from that ce, no one had ever voiced their intentions of going there to have a look.
An rm rung in Tyreses mind.
2567, what are you doing? he asked.
Im cooperating to your investigation, Kieran answered seriously.
His serious answer struck a bad feeling in Tyreses heart but he had to bring Kieran to the garrison.
Theorates rules clearly stated that students whomitted huge mistakes are forbidden to stay on campus and must be investigated at the security garrison.
A car driven by one of the security guards arrived at the cafeteria and Kieran went in right away.
Ill make sure 2567 is safe at the garrison, Tyrese made a promise to the freshmen,
The car then went off after that.
From start till end, Kieran didnt even have a nce at the car hidden in the corner further away, despite altering his n because of the person sitting inside the car.
The car drove Kieran away swiftly.
Gutti frowned as she saw the car off.
She knew even with Professor Tyrese with Kieran, the bastards from the Ryde Family will make their move!
They might not make a move themselves but with the temptation from [Drops of Finest Cream], a lot of others might take the risk.
Gutti had to hurry.
...
The security garrison was located between the intersection of E Block and D Block.
On the outside, the garrison looked like an expanded underground bunker.
It was short, sturdy and took up quite the space.
The car entered the inner part of the bunker without hindrance and through the window, Kieran clearly saw the military camp on the right side.
Groups of guards were attending their morning training, and further away from them were antenna-like structures sticking up from the ground, it added a weird look to the bunker.
Those bastards from the Ryde Family will not simply spare you. You must stay close to me, understand?
Tyrese spoke a lot casually without anyone around. He didnt just call the Ryde Family bastards, he even warned Kieran again and again.
They seem to have much more influence than I imagined, Kieran answered.
Its not their influence, the greedy people are a lot more than you can imagine, Tyrese corrected Kieran.
Drops of Finest Cream is really a good thing. Kieran nodded.
The professor didnt answer anymore because everything was obvious enough, it wasnt necessary for him to repeat it over and over again, but he was still troubled by some doubts.
Why did you kill them? Dont tell me they interrupted your breakfast, Tyrese turned around from the passenger seat.
They really did interrupt my breakfast. Just like what I said before, those who interrupt me and even wanted to attack me is dead for sure, not even God can save them.
Kieran gave the same answer and the professor shook his head with a sigh.
Tyrese obviously did not believe what Kieran said but he didnt want to further pressure Kieran since his questioning was fruitless.
In the professors mind, all he thought about was how to help Kieran ovee the uing difficulties.
As for the other matters, nothing was more important than Kierans life and death.
The call fell into silence and stopped after 5 more minutes of driving forward.
Were here.
The professor got out of the car first before Kieran came out from the bent over passenger seat. He then sized up the narrow alleyway which allowed only three people to move at once.
Kieran had a clear look at the little door at the end of the alley.
In front of the door were two cold-looking guards and both of them smelled like Advanced Ranks.
When the guards caught Kierans gaze, they replied with their own ferocious re but with Tyrese beside him, the guards didnt do anything over the top.
They are the guards of the garrison. They directly answer to Principal Romuse, just like the group of security guards you sawst night.
Whenever something unusual happens, they are sent out to deal with it. They would be at the garrison most of the time, so in a certain aspect, the garrison is the safest ce in all of Theorate.
Tyrese introduced Kieran to the ce after some thinking.
It was to calm Kieran down and prevent any unwanted misunderstanding.
However, when he saw Kieran was sizing up the ce with an interested gaze, Tyrese knew he was overthinking.
Kieran wasnt even worried, he was quite rxed to be precise, as if he was on a vacation.
Let me remind you once more, the Ryde Family...
Are not to be provoked, they never spare people after suffering a loss. I know. A lot of people had been discussing this topic after Oliford Ryde died.
Fortunately, I eat everything but definitely not defeat.
Kieran smiled at the professor.
Tyrese rubbed his ever-swelling temples, he ought to stop discussing the topic with Kieran because everytime he did, his chest would feel tight, like it was hard to breath.
He finally knew why Romuse always carried that little vial of pills for calming himself down.
If Romuse didnt bring the pills with him, Smith would have upset him to death.
And now, Tyrese thought he should have a vial with him as well.
Better safe than sorry.
Through the guarded main door of the garrison, Tyrese brought Kieran to the second floor and stopped at thest second room of the corridor.
This is my office here in the garrison.
I usually worked outside anyway, so you can stay here temporarily. There is a little resting corner in the office, the bedsheets are new, so you can make yourself at home. Tell me if you need anything, food or drinks, Ill be right outside.
Tyrese introduced Kieran to his office after opening the door.
ording to standard operating procedures, you have to stay for 24 hours. So you better tell me what you need now.
I want the books I put on my table back in my dorm, can you send someone to get it? Kieran said.
Of course, Tyrese nodded and dialed hismunicator.
Kieran headed to the resting corner and lied down on the bed. He looked at the clean ceiling with his squinted yet glimmering eyes.
Ive given you the chance, dont let me down now, Ryde Family, Sil Sect overseer and... Professor Smith.
Chapter 1553 - Actor
Chapter 1553: Actor
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Ude was carefully shuttling the streets of E Block.
Thest time he was here was 30 years ago, when he had just taken control of Sil Sect. Unlike this time, which he infiltrated the campus, thest time he was invited by the school to participate in the special expedition group to the Mystic State.
It was due to that event that his life changed drastically.
The secret techniques! The secret techniques that could change ones body became his life-long pursuit.
However, 30 years had passed and his reward was only a handful.
Despair grew in his heart as his body aged day after day.
It was at this time, news about Sil Inner Sect came out from Theorate, it inflicted a heavy blow to Ude who had been Sil Sects overseer for over 30 years.
He became even more eager to find out the truth since he knew how the Inner Sect did things and the ways they fought.
He contracted the Ryde Family, paid them and initiated the deal.
It was normal for Ude to strike such a deal.
Although being called a master, Sil Sects way of battle was utilizing external items to aid them inbat, hence he was used to utilizing any kind of power that he could find.
His way of doing things was considered shameful for a lot of people.
Complicated streets!
Using his memories of the ce, Ude turned into an alleyway and arrived at the branching path into another valley.
The branching path wasnt part of his memories from 30 years ago, it was the information his spy sent back to him bit by bit.
His spy even setup the hidden lodging spot for him on this particr trip.
Of course, unlike those exposed Sil Sect spies, like Palreynold, this spy was an extra.
Never ce all the eggs in the same basket, Ude knew it since he was young.
Ude stopped when he was in the middle of the branching path.
Before him was a storefront selling some daily supplies and groceries. The owner of the store was the extra spy Ude nted in the campus.
Ding Dong!
After sizing up his surroundings and making sure there wasnt anyone around, Ude entered the store.
Good day... Leader?!
When the store owner heard the bell ring, he greeted the customer out of habit but when he saw the person was Ude, he went nk for a moment.
The spy posing as store owner did not think the overseer of Sil Sect would appear before him. At the very next moment, shock shed over the store owners face.
The unusual expression caused an rm in Udes head.
Ude didnt turn around abruptly, he continued facing the store owner while he stepped back step by step, his hands were already holding his weapon.
Tsk!
A soft noise came from behind Ude, it sounded like a tease.
Ude didnt care what the noise meant, the moment the noise entered his ears, he hurled the knife and fork behind him without even turning around.
Despite not looking at the person behind him, using echolocation, Ude was quite confident to hit his target. More so, the knife and fork werent somemon tableware.
Bang!
Before the knife and fork hit their target, they exploded mid-air. Tiny silver dust burst out upon explosion and clouded everything behind Ude.
The silver dust would hit whoever stood behind him.
At the same time, an odourless gas started to fill the little store
Ude showed a confident smile, he thought his target was apprehended but his smile froze on his face at the next moment.
Bang Bang Bang.
Ude heard his tiny silver dust hit the wooden door and yet a palm suddenly grabbed the back of his neck.
Ude quickly conceded.
What do you want? Other than my life, you can take whatever I have, said the Sil Set overseer.
Ude chose to live over dying, and he could give up everything in order to breath.
His pride?
In Udes dictionary, pride was useless in front of death, staying alive was the only way to everything.
When he felt the palm let go of his neck, Ude heaved a breath of relief, he didnt feel any hostile intentions from the person behind him, meaning there were still grounds to negotiate.
This was the best start Ude could ask for.
I have enough cash in my backpack and some decent items, if you want...
You are really what Palreynold said, not just afraid to risk your neck, you even forget the true teachings of Sil Sect.
While Ude was trying to strike a deal with the mysterious person behind him, a disdainful voice entered his ear and after the voice faded, the palm on released Udes neck.
Ude was shaken, it was just because of how simply the person released him, but also because what the person said.
Palreynold! The spy that he once sent out and a young man that he thought highly of but with the arrival of Sil Inner Sect, Ude had gotten detailed information from the Ryde Family about his spies. The young man that he thought he knew very well was clouded in mystery.
After the little scare and the name entering his ear again, Ude couldnt hold back anymore. He stepped up and turned around quickly.
He saw a normal looking young man with a baseball cap in his sight.
Who are you? Ude asked.
Who am I? Consider me your examiner, and youve failed again.
Oh and I have to tell you this is thest time you will ever be testedyouve gotten a lot of chances because of your overseer identity but not once did you seize them to your benefit.
The young man smiled and wanted to leave.
Test? Examiner? Failed again?
Ude who wasnt really an idiot reacted to the situation when his mind connected all the dots.
It was a test from Sil Inner Sect and yet he failed it, just like thest time!
More importantly, this was hisst chance and he would not get anymore opportunities after this!
Ude stood at the spot nkly.
Ding!
The bell woke him up.
Wait! Wait sir! Ude called out loudly after he came back from his stupefied state.
The young man who opened the door turned around, answering the call.
It was at this time Ude finally got a clear look of the young mans face due to the light from the outsideit was Lude!
The name entered his mind when he got a clear look.
Through the intelligencework in Theorate of the Ryde Family, Ude knew everything about the Index of Eat which caused quite themotion a while back.
However, never he did expect the main character of the incident, Lude, was one of Sil Inner Sect, and even became his examiner.
Sil Inner Sect is much bigger than I expected!
Ude was in utter shock as he recalled the incident at Dertonsb.
Based on all sorts of observation, Dertonsb was obviously part of Sill Inner Sect and iming a researchb as a child entity was definitely not something easy, only the renown families or sects could do it.
On top of that, Ludes strength!
Despite Lude barely being of age, the strength that he disyed had exceeded the powerhouses that Ude knew or heard of.
The realization added a sense of frustration on top of his state of shock.
Why didnt he pass the test? Not just this one but the previous ones as well!
Ude recalled the peculiar incidents throughout his life, the more he pondered at the incidents, the more he assumed they were the tests from Sil Inner Sect and yet he chose wrongly without fail every time.
As for whether or not Sil Inner Sect really existed?
When Lude easily grabbed him and had the chance to snap his neck but didnt, Ude already bought the lie and believed in the existence of the Sil Inner Sect.
The reason why he had never discovered the inner sect was because Sil Inner Sect was too secretive and powerful, it was out of his league.
And now, after verifying Sil Inner Sects strength, Ude had decided to join said sect!
Pak! Without a second thought, Ude knelt down.
Sir, please let me join the inner sect! I know I failed the test, so you dont need to give me an official identity, I just need to be an outer rim member, that will be enough, Ude kowtowed as he begged.
Lude, actually Bloody Mary in disguise, curled its lips when it saw Udes kowtow.
It knew it hadpleted its task.
Ude hadpletely believed in the existence of the Sil Inner Sect, despite there being some abruptive holes, Ude would fill them in using his own imagination.
This was the reason why Bloody Mary chose to appear with Ludes face, not Palreynold.
Firstly, it was necessary to disy how strong the Sil Inner Sect was. Though a single person could never bear the weight of being truly powerful.
Secondly, Ude was very familiar with Palreynold, despite with the hidden identity of the Sil Inner Sect, Bloody Mary was afraid that Ude might notice some clues that would expose it. Bloody Mary might as well use a person that Ude wasnt familiar with.
The delight in its heart did not affect its performance. It pretended to be arrogant and cold.
Do you think the Sil Inner Sect is as simple as you think?
If you can get in by begging, there isnt any meaning in our continued existence! Really... A bunch of bloody bastards!
Bloody Mary changed its words into cursing before it dashed out from the storefront and vanished from sight.
The Superior Demon caught Ude off guard.
The Sil Sect overseer was stunned for a moment before he too dashed out but Bloody Mary was long gone from the alley.
Frustration was smeared all over Udes face but he quickly recalled the anger he sensed from Lude.
What happened? What angered the sir from the inner sect...
Maybe this is my chance!
Ude clenched his fist and turned around to the store owner.
The store owner was still paralyzed by [Paralyze Ball].
Find out what is going on, with all means necessary.
Ude smeared something under the store owners nose to help him recover from the paralysis.
Yes, leader, the store owner recovered and nodded.
Those who could be spies and agents were all cautious and smart people. When Lude appeared before him, the store owner already knew the disguise he used against Palreynold, which he thought was wless, had been exposed under the eyes of the Sil Inner Sect.
Palreynolds multiple tests for him might even be the real tests and unfortunately, he failed like his leader.
But there was still chance!
The thought in his head drove the store owner to move out faster than anytime before.
As a great spy, the store owner didnt just possess decent hiding abilities, he also had a ratherrge intelligencework, or at least he thought he had one.
Soon, some news entered the store owners ear.
Without further ado, the store owner delivered the news to Ude.
A battle broke out in the garrison? Ude frowned.
His eyes then shined.
So this is whats going on!
...
Kieran used the power of the contract and allowed Bloody Mary to teleport in a short range.
After it left the store, Bloody Mary appeared around the security garrison in Palreynolds face.
It sized up the surroundings before looking at a single direction.
Under the aerial view of the Fire Raven, there was a group of fully-armed men waiting at that direction, or more precisely, they were there to receive someone.
Though Bloody Mary didnt think the person the group of men were waiting for would show. Anyone who goes against its boss would barely be alive.
Its boss wasnt just powerful, the cautious and decisive manner far surpassedmon men also.
Hence, Bloody Mary obediently carried out its task every time, this time included.
As Bloody Mary was setting up, a sudden explosion sent it flying away as if it was hit by a rampaging rhino. Bloody Mary was flying uncontrobly towards the group of men in ambush.
There is another ambush?!
But do you really think you can defeat me with this kind of cheap move?
Bloody Mary adjusted its body in mid-air, allowing itself tond firmly. It then nced over the other ambushers who were in shock.
Bloody Mary chuckled and disappeared from the ambushers bare eyes.
The whole process was less than 2 seconds.
The ambushers looked at each other and werepletely baffled by the sudden oue.
Then, the rm sounded.
Groups of security guards then arrived outside the garrison and were moving towards the group of ambushers.
Fall back! The leader of the ambushers ordered.
All the ambushers then started to fall back but they obviously incorrectly estimated the mobility and the numbers of the security guards.
Two minutester, the group of ambushers suffered severe damage andpletely lost their abilities to resist.
After getting the news, Professor Tyrese stood up and walked to Kieran who was sleeping.
The guards caught a group of armed mening for you, wanna have a look? the professor asked.
Not interested, Kieran didnt even open his eyes since he already knew what had happened.
But the guards got something about Sil Inner Sect from this group of men, the professor added.
The moment the professors voice faded, Kieran jumped up.
Sil Inner Sect? Kieran asked and showed a perfectly timed expression of shock.
Chapter 1554 - Start The Battle
Chapter 1554: Start The Battle
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Security garrison, interrogation room.
The group of ambushers were locked up in istion.
Statement records were ced on the table outside, and with Tyreses permission, Kieran went through the papers carefully.
Five minutester, Kieran looked up at Tyrese.
Palreynold discovered them identally? Do you believe it? Kieran asked.
I dont, but based on the investigations we carried out at the scene, they werent lying. Tyrese shook his head and showed doubts on his face.
Of course, they werent lying. However, Palreynold was attacked andnded in front of them, I want to know who attacked Palreynold and why, Kieran said.
I have no idea, Ive tried my best to deduce but nothing came up to exin the situation. Tyrese bitterly smiled and shook his head again.
Kieran didnt answer. He stared at the professor for a second before thetter conceded with his hands up.
Fine, there is one exnation, but I myself dont even believe it, so...
When there is one answer left, no matter how unbelievable it is, it is the true answer. Palreynold isnt paying me a visit here!
We never fought face to face before, but because of the pieces of information I leaked, he must hate me a lot and is here to take revenge. The one who attacked Palreynold obviously didnt want me to get hurt, but the person responsible doesnt bear good intentions either.
The person may think that me living could garner more attention here, just as we are doing right now! Kieran interrupted Tyrese and at the same time locked onto a guard in the interrogation room. Before the guard could react, Kierannded a kick on his chest.
Bang!
The guard crashed into the wall after the kick. All the bones in his body cracked; his widened eyes were filled with confusion, having no idea how Kieran found out it was him.
It was easy.
He was so close to Kieran and the malicious intent in his gaze so obvious, it was like telling Kieran to his face that the guard was here to kill him.
Of course, there was another point.
The interrogation process was too fast. Since these guys were here to ambush their targets, they must have been handpicked. Perhaps not all of them would sacrifice themselves for the cause, but it cant be that each of them is a coward.
There was no pressure in the questioning, their struggles more like they were for show, and they spilled everything so honestly... It made me think, are they incited to do this, just to lure me here?.
So other than the guard who carried out the interrogation, who would be the most suspicious? Throughout the process, these guys gave their best effort to not look at you. Isnt that weird? How could the interrogated not look at the interrogator? It didnt make any sense. Kieran exined slowly as he looked at the confused guard.
His exnation wasnt for the guard or Tyrese, despite sounding like it was for the professor.
The professor looked at the fallen guard and felt embarrassed.
Earlier, Tyrese had promised Kieran that the guards were all Principal Romuses direct subordinates, they were all clean.
2567, I...
Kak, Kak Kak.
The professor wanted to exin, but before he could, the cuffs on the ambushers automatically unlocked, allowing them to jump on Kieran like hungry tigers.
Then...
Bang Bng Bang!
Kicking images that could cloud the sky bloomed like blossoms, and after the heavy thuds, all the ambushers who threw themselves at Kieran were sent flying backwards faster than they came.
I think you should notify Principal Romuse about what happened here and also check the internal staff members. I will check their bodies for more clues, Kieran said as he walked towards the dead bodies of the ambushers. He looked like he was searching for clues but only he himself knew what he was looking for.
Okay!
Rapid changes urred in a short period of time; with Kieran purposely pushing the initiative from one side to the other, the weight of the standing changed. The professor didnt notice anything weird as he nodded and ran outside.
Kieran heard the professor leave in a hurry. His expression didnt change as he checked the body before him; the scene entered Romuses sight through a special transmission signal.
In fact, since Kieran was brought to the security garrison, Romuses attention was wholly focused on him.
A living 2567 attracts more attention, eh? He really does; at least, a part of mine is attracted. Well then, who else longs for my attention?
A name suddenly popped up in Romuses mind. The principal took a deep breath, not wanting to believe it, but it was the most reasonable answer.
Principal?
The record officer, Mori, looked at Romuse with worried eyes.
Dont worry, my heart is weak but not that weak. Deal with Tyrese when hees; Ill be back soon.
The principal then stood up from his chair.
Noted. Please... be careful! Mori reminded the principal again.
I will. Lets hope he wont put me in a difficult position.
A sighter, the principal vanished from the room, and another sigh sounded.
Mori raised his right hand to look at the little dandelion-like bonsai nt the size of his little finger. The little nt wasnt as calm and still as usual, for it was actually twitching violently.
No one understood the meaning of the violent twitches more than Mori: the principal lied.
The principal wasnt as ok as he imed. Deep down in his heart, there was indescribable anger.
Hope all is well. Mori prayed for the best, but sometimes, prayers go against reality.
A moment after the prayers subsided...
KABOOM!
A loud explosion went off and shook the entire E Block. All the buildings trembled, and even the firm ground got torn apart like fragile stic wrap.
Mori was shocked when he felt the concussion. He closed his eyes, and his face showed helplessness and bitterness.
This is the end.
...
Kieran squinted his eyes when he felt the shaking ground.
The explosion was clear in his ears, and the aura that burst out from that was also within his expectations. It was from Principal Romuse and Professor Smith.
I guess Smith is up to no good, and Romuse caught him red-handed.
When Kieran arrived in the garrison, he noticed the ce was put under heavy surveince and that the cameras moved ording to his movements.
It was obvious that he was ced under some kind of surveince.
Kieran couldnt tell for sure whether or not Principal Romuse authorized the watch; nevertheless, it didnt stop him from carrying out his n.
From the conversation with Smith, he knew Smith had some ulterior motives.
Although unable to pierce his thoughts, Kieran could provide a chance for Smith.
For example: create a chance for Smith by garnering all the attention on himself.
At first, Kieran was still figuring out how to do it without being too exposed, but when the Ryde Family attacked him, they coincidentally provided him with an opening; hence, Kieran chose them without a second thought.
Of course, what he said about his love for food and the Ryde Family attacking him first was the truth.
The n worked perfectly and even better than expected.
Smith seized the chance without even cautioning.
Kieran was rather surprised at Smiths eagerness. He was also simrly surprised by the explosive battle aura from both of them.
IV C V? No, no, their true power should be higher than that. Kieran was very certain.
He could feel that Principal Romuse was holding back his power in order to keep Theorate in one piece, and so was Smith, but unlike the former, he wasnt worried about destroying the school.
Kieran could tell Principal Romuse was preventing Smith from unleashing his full power repeatedly.
After thinking for a while and feeling the battle aura go away, Kieran took a deep breath.
They ended with a draw, and Smith left, traveling quite the distance within a second.
Kieran still had no idea what Smith was up to, but he was sure Smith would not give up just like that.
Therefore, before Smith returned, he should quickly solve his own problems, despite being investigated in the garrison.
So what?
He had a certain reliable and undying subordinate.
...
Kurts Lab was located west of the 5th year teaching building.
Although in Theorates sybus, the students were to spend more time learning about expeditions andbat in the Mystic State, ssrooms andbs were still avable for them.
Most of the time the ssrooms were empty; however, Kurtsb was different.
Theb was filled with people all the time, today included.
Some could say today was the busiest day ever, as even the person in charge, Professor Kurt, arrived in hisb.
However, if Professor Kurt had a choice, he would rather stay away because he was only in charge in name, the kind of person who would take a handsome pay every month and didnt need to do anything or care about anything.
As for the identity of the true owner of theb? The Ryde Family!
It was no secret in theb, and it was also why Professor Kurt appeared.
Leo Ryde and Morphen Ryde were dead
Unlike Oliford Ryde, who died of an unknown cause, the two of them were murdered, and the culprit was obvious.
2567, the alleged strongest First Seat.
But... so what?
The principal would not allow the Ryde Family to have their way; maintaining the current situation was already the best proof of the principals patience.
However, once the line was crossed...
Professor Kurt couldnt help but shiver at the thought.
As a professor of the school, he knew how inhumanly powerful the principal could be.
Compared to that powerhouse, how small was Professor Kurt?
Therefore, after he arrived at theb, which was filled with the subsidiary members of the Ryde Family, he acted dumb, kept quiet, brushed them off with excuses, and stalled them with trivial stuff.
The people had a limit to their patience though.
Professor Kurt, we hoped that you could help us, said one of the members, who was the assistant of theb.
Help? How? By confronting Romuse? Kurtid his hands open.
You dont need to face the principal directly. We just need you to appear before the principal in a timely manner, and then we will take care of the rest, the assistant said in a euphoric manner.
How is that different from suicide? Dont take Romuse for a fool! Or are you people treating me as one?! Kurt chuckled in disdain, unmoved.
After that, he stood up, intending to leave; there was no reason for him to stay anymore.
The members of the Ryde Family obviously wanted to send him to his death. Kurt himself only wanted to earn some extra cash, not die for some cause. Why would he go along with the crowds suggestion?
Professor Kurt, dont forget our deal! Your duty is to help us! the assistant argued.
The deal also stated that I have the right to reject!
Kurt walked out without even turning back.
At the same time...
KABOOM!
A loud explosion sounded; thend trembled.
The sudden concussion shook everyone and captivated their attention, Kurt included.
Everyone turned towards the direction of the explosion; thus, no one noticed the figure that suddenly appeared in the dark.
Kurt finally noticed when the figure jumped on him.
Who the hell?! Kurt shouted and dashed forward, trying to ditch the ambusher, but Kurt obviously underestimated Bloody Marys speed.
Before he could even take the first step, Bloody Marys arm already pierced through his chest. After Kurts shout, the other upants of theb realized what happened to him.
Palreynold?!
They looked at Kurt, who was in a puddle of his own blood, and Palreynold, whose hand was bloody.
What are you doing? The Ryde Family has no conflict with the Sil Inner Sect! the assistant shouted.
No, we didnt have conflict before, but we do now! 2567 is our target, how dare you people touch him! Are we, the Sil Inner Sect, dead to you? I am here to teach you people a lesson about the rules around here!
Bloody Mary chuckled coldly and charged towards the crowd like a gale, its hand like a sharp de that was wielded in a flurry. Blood sshed, and bodies piled up.
The battle wasnt covered up so attention was garnered quickly.
Before anyone entered theb, Bloody Mary was long gone, leaving behind a controlled scene.
The news of the Sil Inner Sect assaulting Kurtsb spread while everyone was still shocked by the battle between Romuse and Smith.
Ude, who was paying attention to the Sil Inner Sects movements, got the news first hand.
He sent his men to verify the news before he took out a special-tunedmunicator and contacted everyone within the Sil Sect.
There was to be war against the Ryde Family!
Chapter 1555 - Arnold Sect
Chapter 1555: Arnold Sect
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
After making sure the message was sent out, Ude crushed themunicator in his hand and looked at the store owner.
I will leave Theorate immediately to join the war. If the sir from Inner Sectes here again, please tell him Sil Sect will follow the Inner Sect and if the Inner Sect decides to go to war with Ryde Family, Sil Sect will follow them to the battlefield!
Ude then headed out of the store.
Godspeed and may victory favour you, leader.
The store owner bowed and saluted Ude, who walked away.
He knew what kind of mentality Ude had as he joined the war: it was either win or die!
Perhaps there were some personal reasons in the mix but Udes decisive manner was respectful enough.
Not all would use their life as a chip in a bet.
Simrly, after those eager attackers found out what happened in the garrison, they ceased all operation. Without Ryde Family as their leader, these scattered forces or Dark Eaters would never really make a move. The wanted to fish in muddy waters, not go to war with the garrison.
Therefore, 24 hourster, Professor Tyrese sent Kieran out of the security garrison.
I may be wrong but is your bag heavier than before?
Kieran chose to sit at the back and when he threw his bag inside the car, he forced Professor Tyrese to ask.
No, I think you are working too hard, Kieran said in an affirmative tone.
Maybe you are right, the professor said, recalling what had happened throughout the day and the day before, smiling bitterly.
Principal Romuse and Professor Smiths battle had exceeded his imagination.
Despite the principal giving his best effort to control the battle, Tyrese was still exhausted from all the clean up.
He had to help the students and school workers who were caught in the conflict and also n reconstruction schedules for the destroyed building. Most importantly, he had to search for Smiths location.
The first two assignments progressed smoothly but thest, and most important, got stuckpletely.
Smith and Bolt had vanished into thin air, not a single trace left behind.
Hence, Tyrese didnt even have time to nap and he had to maintain this tiring state for quite some time in the uing days.
Once he thought about what wasing, the smile on Tyreses face got heavier.
I really hope for some peaceful days! he sighed.
Kieran didnt answer from behind. He too wished for peaceful days, but it was nearly impossible.
If he stopped to rest, his enemies, who were equally prepared, would crush him like rolling thunder and he would die without a grave.
As a matter of fact, forget stopping for a rest, even if he kept moving forward, his enemies would still search for his weakness.
At first, he had entered the game to seek a way out of death but now he had to exhaust his life to continue living.
Life is really ruthless and harsh, just like the philosophers said.
Perhaps those philosophers had met simr situations as well, and with no options to begin with, they were forced to move forward.
Any resistance against life would cause them to bleed.
This really sucks, Kieran muttered softly as he leaned back against the seat and looked at the car ceiling.
Dont worry, everything will turn out fine and Professor Smith isnt really a bad person, 2567, you dont really have to worry about him, Tyrese heard the mutters and misunderstood the meaning, quicklyforting Kieran.
Em, Kieran nodded, not taking the words seriously.
Humans are conflicted animals to begin with.
The bad are not always bad; the good are not always good.
In many situations, the line between good and bad is blurred out; it isnt just hard to define, it is hard to tell apart too.
Like Kieran still had no idea what Smith was after, but that didnt stop him from preparing for the worst.
The car cruised on smoothly and after Kieran was sent back to the freshman dorm, Tyrese waved and said goodbye. He left in a rush though.
If he had not promised Kieran he would guarantee his safety, Tyrese would never have spared time to send Kieran back himself.
Kieran saw the professor off until the car went out of sightpletely before he went back to his room.
There wasnt anyone in the dorm because it was the weekend.
Due to the sudden attack during the tutorial lesson, all the freshmen were headed to a farm visit instead.
Kieran wasnt interested in visiting some farms, especially where he would be surrounded by people. He would rather continue reading to expand his knowledge of this world.
Wee back, Lester bowed when Kieran entered the room.
Anything?
Kieran took off his coat, hung it behind the door, and turned his back towards his bedroom.
There were some watchers before this but after they didnt find an opening, they left. They should be the Dark Eaters, I am very familiar with their methods, Lester answered.
Okay, keep it up. If its possible, I want you to hasten the second phases progress, Kieran nodded.
Understood, Lester bowed again.
When Lester stood back up, Kieran was already in his bedroom. With [Mesly Ring] in effect, Lester wasnt unhappy, he would only carry out Kierans orders wholeheartedly.
Lester took out his toolbox and started to build more surveince cameras.
The second phase: before the anniversary celebration, Lester had to install more cameras throughout E Block and try to cover as much ground as possible.
It wasnt the entire E Block though, Lester was only responsible for the part that Kieran wanted to know.
As for the others?
Kieran was still working on it.
Rome wasnt built in one night, so a perfect n wouldnte without a thought. It was altered through trial and error.
The reason for alteration was of course the level of gains.
Kieran curled up his lips when he went through the 11 Magic rank items and 3 Rare rank items.
The Magic rank items were from the ambushers and the Rare rank items were from the two from Ryde Family and the guard in disguise; the guard contributed a Rare rank food.
[Name: Mint Candy]
[Type: Wonder Item]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: None]
[Attribute: Excite]
[Effect: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: It is a type ofbat ration, its origin is untraceable anymore]
...
[Excite: Put the candy in your mouth, it can expel negative effects like Chaos, Fear, Shock etc. Last 5 minutes.]
...
The mint candy was wrapped in a silver foil paper tightly. Kieran couldnt see the contents and since he knew food quality would go down once unwrapped, he didnt simply open it.
He put [Mint Candy] away and looked at the rest of the Rare items.
[Name: Preservative Pendant]
[Type: Wonder Item]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: None]
[Attribute: Preserve]
[Effect: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: This is an item from the chef of the east.]
...
[Preserve: Create a Preserve Field in a 1 meter radius range, able to preserve food for a longer time.]
...
A red string attached to a gentle green round jade formed the pendant. It wasnt eye-catching and felt cool.
An area preserve?
Without further thought, Kieran ced the pendant around [Drops of Finest Cream], [Secret Oil Mixture], [Butter Ball], [Crispy Thin Roll] and [Mint Candy].
Kieran then turned to the most valuable gain of the bunch: a Rare rank skill book.
More precisely, a skill book which was still ranked as Rare despite it being broken. It came from the second Ryde, who he had thrown out of the window.
[Detected Spirit at B+ rank, learning prerequisite met!]
[Learn Arnold Sect Godly Speaking Technique? Yes/No]
Yes.
It was a hard toe by Spirit type skill, so Kieran said yes without a thought.
[Name: Arnold Sect Godly Speaking Technique (Basic) (Broken)]
[Rted Attribute: None]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effect: Powerful Spirit can even affect reality. Your words and actions will silently affect the people around you; anyone who speaks to you will have to go through a C rank Spirit authentication. Those who pass will not be affected; those who fail will either be fond of you or scared of you (depends on how you speak)]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Spirit B+]
[Remark: It is the Final Ultimate of Arnold Sect, as long as you have sufficient stamina, you can turn in on at will.]
[Note: It is broken, you can only learn the Basic, you cannot level it by Points or training]
...
Hypnosis...No, it should be bewitching! A skill with potential! Kieranmented on [Arnold Sect Godly Speaking Technique].
Maybe C rank Spirit authentication wasnt high by all means, but its prerequisites were rtively low for a Basic. It wasnt even at Entry level.
Kieran believed as [Arnold Sect Godly Speaking Technique] got higher, the authentication level would surge. Since he was a Spirit high-ranker, the Master and Transcendence option of this skill was something he would look forward to.
However...
Searching for a sects Final Ultimate wasnt an easy task. He hadnt even heard of Arnold Sect before he started this dungeon, but he wasntpletely blind either.
[Arnold Sect Godly Speaking Technique] came from Ryde Family, which mean Ryde Family would have the rted clues.
After new orders were given to Bloody Mary, Kieran picked up his backpack and coat and headed to the library.
He wanted to find out more about [Arnold Sect Godly Speaking Technique].
Kieran arrived at the E Block library but didnt stop at the first floor, instead going to the second floor right away.
Come out, Kieran whispered when he reached an inconspicuous spot.
A soft and quietdy immediately appeared before Kieran.
Good day, my lord.
The legendary interrogator, Agernessa, who would only appear on Mondays, came out when Kieran called her. She was timid and obedient before Kieran, showing a sweet smile.
What about appearing on Monday, what about increasing her scare power if she fit the rumours?
All of those were not important for Agernessa.
The important thing was to continue to exist, spirit form or not.
Staying alive was the priority, wasnt it?
I want information about Arnold Sect, Kieran said.
Please follow me my lord.
Agernessa headed to the east section of the second floor and stopped before a row of books. She took out a book for Kieran.
The Dead Sects.
That was the name of the book.
Information regarding Arnold Sect is on pages 133 and 134. Do you want anything to drink? There are some new drinks in the pantry, Agernessa asked with a smile after giving Kieran the book.
Tea, Kieran said.
Kieran didnt go to the reading area, starting to flip through the book while standing before the rack.
It was just two pages of words and no matter how small or concentrated the words were, before Agernessa came back with her tea, Kieran would have finished it meticulously.
Arnold Sect, the earliest sect that was born after the chef from the east came to the west.
It was said to originate from Aang Sect and imed to be a branch but Aang Sect did not acknowledge or deny it.
Despite Arnold Sect losing its core in a Mystic State expedition and the weak and ill of the sect consumed by others, Aang Sect never stood up.
Most of the people assumed Arnold Sect and Aang Sect were somehow rted, just not very deeply.
It was a summary of the content of those two pages.
Other than that, there wasnt anything Kieran was looking for.
Except for Aang Sect, the alleged origin, all the other contents were the authors own deduction. The book didnt even state how did Arnold Sect died off, let alone anything about [Arnold Sect Godly Speaking Technique].
The whole second floor only has this one book on Arnold Sect? Kieran asked.
Yes, my lord. I assure you there is only one book.
Agernessa carefully looked at Kieran, nodding repeatedly when asked.
Hesitant, she continued, There should be more on the said sect on the third floor, but I cant get up there. There is something scary there but two days ago, something even scarier appeared, consuming the former and taking the entire third floor.
Something scarier?
Kieran couldnt understand how ghosts held rights to turf, but he sensed something familiar on third floor.
He then walked towards the third floor.
I would suggest you not go up there. You are strong but that scary thing is much scarier than what I can perceive, Agernessa mustered enough courage to say.
She wasnt worried about Kieran though, she knew the new scary existence would not be satisfied with the third floor. Agernessa, who was bound to the second floor, would eventually be its target. So there was only one option for her: leave the ce.
Leaving the ce wasnt easy, however, requiring someone very powerful to help her, like Kieran.
Therefore in a certain aspect, Agernessa wished nothing would happen to Kieran.
Kieran turned a deaf ear and walked to the stairs.
Agernessa fell into despair when she saw Kieran walk up the stairs.
This is the end!
She cried for her impending tragic end, but a momentter, soft sobs came from the third floor.
Sob sob sob, the scary man came! Dont eat me, sob sob sob, I am not tasty! Ill get the one from the second floor for you, she tastes good!
Chapter 1556 - Averdore Lily
Chapter 1556: Averdore Lily
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Hearing the sobs, the interrogator Agernessa became puzzled.
The voice was indeed from that scary existence but... why was it sobbing?
A few nights earlier, the new scary existence tore the original overlord of the third floor into shreds; fanaticalughs sounded during the process, and it caused chills in Agernessa whenever she thought about it.
But now?
When the sobbing entered her eyes, Agernessa pictured a soft, little girl, the kind that she used to bully in the past.
Carefully, Agernessa stuck her head up to third floor.
She saw a little girl dressed in a pink lolita dress with a twintail hair-style squatting down before Kieran and sobbing violently.
The little girls image was exactly what Agernessa pictured: cute, soft, and bulliable.
When Agernessa saw the little girl, the little girl saw her too.
Sob sob sob, here she is. I caught her! Sob sob sob, she is tasty!
As the blurry voice sounded, the little girl appeared before Agernessa with absurd speed and reached out to grab her.
Agernessa wanted to dodge, but the little girls hand suddenly grew as big as a milestone. The huge hand didnt just block Agernessas retreat, but also easily grabbed her.
The little girl had transformed into a mini giant. Her muscles grew bigger and broke her lolita dress; sharp fangs grew out of her erged mouth, and the twintails stuck up into the air like two sharp horns.
Hohoho, got good!
A series of groanster, the mini devil-like giant walked towards Kieran.
Each step it took, its body grew smaller, and when it arrived in front of Kieran, the monster returned to its little girl look with the pink lolita dress and twintail hair-style. She looked at Kieran with her teary eyes.
Food! Food! Dont eat me, sob sob sob.
Agernessa was thrown in front of Kierans feet, and the little girl squatted down in sobs again.
Lying down beside Kierans feet, Agernessa looked at a blinding light on the ceiling while hearing the sobs beside her. She fell into aplete daze.
What happened?
The new overlord of the third floor seems to be very afraid of the lord Ive already pledged allegiance to?
Can it be... that I bet on the right side?
A shudderter, Agernessa came back from her dazed state. She didnt know why the third floor overlord would be so scared of Kieran, but it didnt stop her from showing her obedience.
She turned over and threw herself down at Kierans feet in reverence.
My lord, do you still want to search for that book about Arnold Sect? she said with utmost ttery.
Agernessa crawled closer to Kieran and almost stuck her face to his shoes.
Em. Kieran nodded nkly.
I will search for the rted books as soon as possible! Agernessa said as if she was pronouncing some deadly vows before throwing herself over the book racks of the third floor.
When she moved past the little girl, Agernessa nced over at the shaking little girl.
New overlord? So what? You are a newbie!
I am the earliest follower here, and I will be the biggest follower of his lordship here!
Agernessa suddenly went into character as she retrieved information from the books.
Huu!
A gale blew over the racks, and all the books floated up as if an invisible pair of hands were lifting them up.
Kieran looked at the unusual scene Agernessa was creating but wasnt baffled by it because the Old Book Canbenor had simr abilities, so it wasnt anything new.
However, the little girl in the lolita dress was different.
Unlike the interrogator, who was bound to the library, the little girl could move around the campus freely and could even see the hidden aura and strength of Kieran.
What did you sense? Kieran looked down at the doll-like little girl who was still sobbing from amanding position.
Nothing! Sob sob sob, dont eat me!
The twintailed little girl tried to answer as clear as possible, but as she spoke, her sobs overtook her words. She didnt even dare to look Kieran in the eye; it was as if she was a little girl who got lost from her parents.
Except for the fact that Kieran had seen her transform into a mini giant.
Stop, sob anymore and Ill eat you, said Kieran.
His words sounded like some voodoo charm hastening her death. Her sobs got stuck in her throat; it was suffering for her, but she swallowed it down regardless. She then looked up at Kieran cowardly.
What did she see?
She saw Kieran standing in front of her and also the shadows behind him.
There was a devil covered in magma that roared at the sky.
There was an armored knight that shined brightly.
There was also multiple Kierans who looked like clones or mirages of himself; they looked the same but had different expressions. There was an arrogant one, azy one and that... terrifying monster who kept swallowing its saliva!
It was too scary!
The moment she saw the monster, she felt like she had met the bane of her existence!
No, not bane, but cataclysm. A catastrophe that would consume everything! The horror was beyond logic in the little girls mind.
Sobs almost burst out again, but before the tears rolled down her cheeks, the little girl remembered what Kieran said earlier. She suppressed her tears and looked at Kieran with her puppy eyes, waiting for him to react.
You were the one in the gymnasium earlier? Kieran asked.
Yes. The little girl nodded with her twintails waving.
The crying gymnasium and the secret treasure is also because of you?
The crying gymnasium is, but not the secret treasure. Long before I arrived at the gymnasium, the legend about the secret treasure had already been there. I didnt find it though, the little girl said seriously.
Is that so? A sense of regret appeared in Kierans eyes.
He already knew the gymnasium had no secret treasure, but when the twintailed little girl appeared, his heart hoped for the best and wanted to feel lucky again.
Reality once again told Kieran that having fantasies was a useless thought.
However, even without a secret treasure, he could still bepensated.
As the thought came into his mind, the aura on him slight changed.
The changes were subtle, but they were very obvious in the eyes of the little girl. She saw the drooling monster stand up slowly, wanting to jump at her.
Between vanishing and continuing to exist, the little girl, who had witnessed how Kieran did things, relied on her many years of being a ghost to quickly make the right decision.
I know all the hidden spots of Theorate E Block. I also know all the legends and other simr existences... like me! They are all tastier than me, and they have a habit of keeping treasures!
The twintailed little girl spoke absurdly fast, probably the fastest she had ever spoken in her life, dead or before.
She then sensed the drooling monster slowly go back into the shadows.
Treasures, you say? Kieran asked.
Yes, my dear lord! A lot of treasures! I can gather an army for you, and they will be an irreceable aid for you in the future! The little girl tried her best to disy her value.
Army?!
Kieran squinted his eyes.
Considering the things hecked in this dungeon world, manpower was definitely one of them.
Although he had [Mesly Ring], because of his n, he couldnt use [Mesly Ring] in a wide area.
Once the dominated pawns attracted the attention of the principal or Smith in hiding, his ns would surely fall short from sess. It was something Kieran would never allow to happen.
However, an army formed by the little girl was different.
Kieran believed that the principal and Smith must know about an existence like the little girl, but it must be because of certain matters that they didnt care.
Given the circumstances, Kieran had the ground to turn things around.
If he could use it to his benefit, he could achieve a surprising effect.
Whats your name? Kieran asked.
Averdore Lily!
The little girl heaved a breath of relief after she heard the question.
Hmm, Averdore Lily, sign this.
Kieran nodded and gave her a goatskin scroll.
Averdore Lilys eye twitched when she saw the scroll, for the contents mentioned the bindings she hated so much. She hesitated.
You dont want to? Kieran asked.
The drooling monster in the shadows started to move again, and Averdore Lily saw it clearly.
Giving up her freedom or being wiped out of existence?
The question wasnt a hard one for most people, but for Averdore Lily, who had already died once, dying was a really painful experience, and she didnt want to go through it again.
I will sign! Averdore Lily grabbed the contract scroll right away.
Agernessa also saw the scene from further away.
Some thoughtster, Kieran took out another scroll for Agernessa.
Although some of Agernessas abilities ovepped with the Old Book, Canbenors,pared to the Old Books supportive features, Kieran looked forward to Agernessasbat abilities.
Using a not-so-expensivepanion contract on a decentpanion was quite the deal in Kierans point of view.
Agernessa and Averdore Lily.
Kieran nodded in satisfaction when he looked at the two newpanion contracts.
He might be fighting alone in this war, but it didnt mean he couldnt buy himself some help.
Compared to newbie yers who were unpredictable, Kieran tended to trust natives bound to contracts more.
Of course, if he was teaming up with Starbeck or Lawless, it would be an entirely different story.
However, both of them had their own matters to deal with too.
Starbeck would never enter a dungeon until thest minute, and Kieran would never trouble Lawless unless absolutely necessary.
Continue, Kieran said.
Agernessa continued looking for the books on Arnold Sect while Averdore Lily looked at Kieran in confusion.
Go gather the army like you promised. I want them, said Kieran.
Oh, oh, I got it!
Averdore Lily nodded in realization before vanishing on the spot.
After a little nce at the spot where Averdore Lily vanished, Agernessas cautiousness instantly halved.
Powerful but too stupid! You will never threaten me!
Agernessa then continued her search with a peace of mind.
Meanwhile, Averdore Lily appeared outside the library with a cold chuckle.
Interrogator? What a fool, you are so easily deceived!
The disdainful-looking little girl took a deep breath before she started to think about her n.
Who should I start with? The study room in the 2nd year building? The garden? Or the toilet of the 3rd years?
The little girl hopped away as she muttered.
She looked extremely cute under the sun, and with her pink lolita dress, she looked like a moving doll.
Some watchers who were paying attention to Kieran were captivated by Averdore Lily. A few of thems eyes glimmered, and they showed evil smiles.
They followed Averdore Lily while in hiding and...
They were never seen or heard from again.
...
Seconds turned into minutes.
When the sun set, the moon rose.
Book after book was ced on the table, all being about the Arnold Sect.
After finishing reading thest book on the table, Kieran took a sip of tea and grabbed a biscuit from the silver pastry tray of the third floor.
Kacha!
He put the biscuit in his mouth, and after a bite, the taste of sesame and butter rapidly spread across his tongue. It refreshed him for awhile after reading for so long.
My lord, do you need any more pastries? Agernessa asked with two pastry baskets in her hands.
The two baskets were from the second and third floors respectively.
The second floor was her turf to begin with, so she knew where to get them.
She was new to the third floor, but finding tea and pastries was an easy task.
The pastries and drinks were prepared for readers to fill up their stomachs after a long reading session.
They were freshly baked everyday, and the higher the floor, the better the pastries, despite there barely being anyone on the third floor.
As for those on the second floor?
In order to provide a better reading environment for Kieran, Agernessa kindly asked the readers, and every one of them made the best decision to give up.
Put them all here, Kieran said after a nce at the two baskets.
Noted.
With a sweet smile, Agernessa arranged all the pastries on the tray, and after doing so, she brought hot water to fill up Kierans empty cup.
The aroma of tea spread again, but this time with the richness of the pastries and the smell of books.
It was a delightful moment for Kieran before footsteps sounded from the second floor.
Dak Dak Dak Dak.
The steps were heavy, and they didnt sound like normal walking, but rather, done on purpose, as if someone was dering his or her arrival.
Disturbed, Kieran furrowed his brows.
Chapter 1557 - Fill In
Chapter 1557: Fill In
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
In a long green robe and gunny shoes, Guret crossed the second floor of the library and headed for the third floor.
Therge and buff body of Guret showed no signs of him being over 60 years old. His brown hair had barely turned gray, and his smooth face, which girls would die for, showed a sense of anger.
Which bloody liar dared to deceive his niece?!
He didnt know where this liar got the teachings of the Gu family, but he knew he had to teach this person a lesson. The Gu family wasnt just any second tier family that some random liar could fool around with.
He must make himself heard and seize the advantage!
Dak Dak Dak!?
Dong Dong Dong!
The heavy footsteps got closer. They sounded like actual footsteps at first, but as they got closer, they became loud like battledrums.
Thud after thud, each step was louder than the previous.
It was deafening, and it caused one to suffocate as though his or her chest was being hammered.
The few readers in the first and second floors got scared by the thundering footsteps, and each and every one of them fled outside the library.
The guard outside the library slightly furrowed his brows at the stairs connecting the second floor to the third; however, he didnt make a move. His duty was to protect the libraryas long as the library wasnt under attack, he couldnt do anything.
The guard believed no one would dare to attack the library. What Guret did was already his best.
After all, he wasnt just there for decoration...
FOOOSH!
Just when the guard was about to shift his gaze from Guret, a pressuring aura descended from the sky like Mt. Tai and pressed him down.
His body wobbled and faltered. The guard quickly looked towards the third floor.
There!
When the thought rose, the scene before his eyes changed.
The guard realized he was in a dark and deste wilderness without a bit of light or warmth.
A cold gale carried a ughtering aura across the fields.
Anyone who ended up in this dark ce would be left with nothing but despair, regardless of whether they were moving forward or stopping.
The nervous library guard saw Guret further ahead of him walking forward. He opened his mouth, trying to call Guret, but the moment he widened his mouth, the cold air entered his throat.
His tongue froze and he shut his mouth right away, but his teeth chattered.
The cold had seeped into his soul, making him curl his body as he fell on the darknd, waiting for his death in torment.
Then...death arrive!
Death stood under the dark sky and looked down at everything with a cold gaze.
All was fair before death; no one was higher, no one was lower.
When the library guard caught the gaze of death, he unconsciously crawled up the ground and bowed down. He confessed about the most regretful and guilty things he did in life.
He hoped for forgiveness from death, but he wasnt answered.
He felt tortured by the pain, and it was getting harder to endure by the second. He screamed out loud.
Much screamingter, the painful screams became cries of agony, his tears and snot covering his face. Itsted for quite a while.
When his tears almost dried up, he suddenly felt peace, and from the peace, he found joy, the joy of being freed.
Amid the joy, he made a swift decision: he ought to leave this ce, this ce where he had suffered before.
He wanted to return to deaths embrace, wanted to achieve immortality there.
He drew his sword and moved it over his neck.
Pak!
Blood gushed out, and the library guard fell on the ground.
Bam!
He fell down, and his forehead hit the stairs.
The pain brought him back from the illusions.
This... This... was all an illusion?
The library guard touched his neck. There wasnt blood, and there wasnt looming despair around him, but in his heart, he felt an unknown fear.
His eyes on the third floor changed.
In the end, he stood up, went back to his position, and acted like nothing happened before.
He wasnt a decoration, and he believed the person who could drag people into an illusory realm with just their aura alone would know how to control the situation.
As for Guret?
The library guard prayed for him.
Nothing more woulde from the guard because it was the best he could do.
The prayers, however, were useless to Guret.
Guret was in front of the door to the third floor, but he could not even lift his foot... No, it was worse, for he couldnt even move a muscle.
Guret panted heavily as the pressuring aura pressed him down.
Sweat covered his face and rolled down his cheeks like raindrops; his beard and eyebrows were wet. He had no idea what caused the pressuring aura.
A moment ago, he meant to use his own intimidating aura to teach the liar a lesson. The Gu Family was not to be meddled around with. However, at this moment, he couldnt move at all or even catch a glimpse of the liars face.
Guret couldnt ept it. It wasnt just because the pride in his heart, but also the unusual persistence of the Gu Family.
Gnashing his teeth, he tried to move his foot again. He discarded his initial goal behind him; all he wanted to do now was cross the door before him.
Gaaaaak!
As he moved his foot, his bones screeched.
Despite the screeches, he managed to step up to thest flight of stairs before the door and screeches ultimately became bone-cracking sounds.
Crak!
The cracked bones shook his body, but before he fell down, he controlled his body to lean forward, not backward. Even if he bled, he would step into the third floor!
However, Guret didnt end up smashing his face into the ss door, for the mountain-like pressure suddenly disappeared as quickly as it first appeared.
A pair of gentle hands caught Guret.
Gutti?!
Guret was shocked when he saw Gutti helping him up. He had not told his niece that he was going to the library.
Hed even purposely misled his niece so that he could have more time to teach that liar a lesson.
I am not an idiot, uncle. Your little tricks are too obvious and... 2567 isnt what you think, Gutti emphasized.
Guret opened his mouth but nothing came out. He felt embarrassed and eventually gave a bitter smile.
The facts were ced before his eyes, what else was there to say?
He didnt catch a glimpse of the so-called liar and couldnt even move due to the sheer pressure of the aura. If his niece had not appeared to help him, he would have fallen into a more desperate or dangerous situation.
Guret wasnt some naive teen, nor was he stupid enough to think that the sudden disappearance of the pressuring aura was the liars mercy. His niece was the key point.
I will reconsider your suggestion. As for the rest... I wont bother you anymore, but I cant speak for the others.
Guret straightened his body, waved at Gutti, and limped down the stairs.
Why not meet Kieran though?
Guret has lost the interest for now, but the pain from his body told him why his niece chose this man.
Gutti saw her uncle away as his big, buff body vanished beyond the turning point. She then turned around and pushed the door to the third floor.
At first nce, Gutti saw Kieran behind the study table with tea and pastries before him.
Im sorry, 2567. My uncle didnt mean it. Its because of mimunication... Gutti said with an apologetic tone.
Its fine.
Kieran was quite generous to thedy who helped him deal with most of the duties of Branch Leader.
Truth be told, if it werent for the books on the table, he would not have faced Guret in such a direct way. He might risk exposing part of his n if Guret met him and saw the books.
Thank you for your forgiveness, but as the Branch Leader of the Student Council, you should know the library is for reading, not a ce for tea and pastries. The tea and pastries here are prepared for readers to read better...
Gutti bowed and after she straightened her body, she started to correct Kierans behaviour with a strict look and words.
Kieran finished the tea and swept the pastries clean before standing up, intending to leave the library since he had gotten what he sought. There was no reason for him to stay anymore.
Moreover, Guttis relentless nagging robbed him of his desire to stay.
Kieran waved at her before vanishing.
After Kieran went off, Gutti stood there with a flushed face.
Why did I say that?! I didnt mean to nag at him! I was going to invite him for afternoon tea, but why did ite out as nags?!
The embarrasseddy covered her face and squatted down while muttering to herself.
...
Despite finishing the tea and pastries, Kieran told Agernessa, who could now go out of the library because of the contract, to make him tea again after he returned to the dorm.
Kieran slightly blew the tea leaves in the cup and enjoyed the aroma of the tea. His mind was recalling what he had learned about Arnold Sect.
Unlike the blurry description in The Dead Sects, the third floor had more information on the Arnold Sect but by no means a lot.
Through the books, Kieran got a clearer picture and better knowledge regarding the Arnold Sect.
Firstly, Arnold Sect was indeed established after the chef from the east came to the west. The chef of the east was also from the Aang Sect, but before he ventured off, he was expelled by the sect.
Secondly, the Arnold Sect was skilled in using illusions, and the Godly Speaking Technique was considered as the ultimate of the sect, which was alsobeled as a forbidden technique back then.
Lastly and most importantly, in the expedition that caused the Arnold Sects destruction, it wasnt just the sect alone, but also the Ryde Family that participated. However, unlike the sect, the Ryde Family didnt lose anything in the expedition to the Mystic State. Quite the contrary, the family rose to power after that.
Some books stated the authors theories about this, like how [Drops of Finest Cream] came into creation. One of the authors rted it to the Mystic State expedition.
Of course, most of the people treated it as just a theory, but as long as a minority believed it, it would be enough.
Kieran took a sip of tea before cing the cup down. He contacted Bloody Mary through the special link.
How could the Sil Inner Sect not have a convincing origin?
...
The store owner, who was actually a spy from the Sil Sect, waited patiently after Ude the overseer left.
As a spy, the store owner was used to waiting, but this time, it was different.
He eagerly hoped that the sir from the Sil Inner Sect woulde quickly because it would be a chance for them to get into the Sil Inner Sect.
So when the bell rang and Lude in a cap came in, the store owner jumped out of joy.
Sir!
The store owner bowed respectfully before he stepped aside, allowing Lude toe in. The store owner then flipped the Open sign to Close before attending Lude.
Lord Ude has gone to war with the Ryde Family! The lord ordered me to deliver this message: Sil Sect will follow the Inner Sect, and since the Inner Sect decided to fight the Ryde Family, we Sil Sect will follow no matter what! It is either the end of the Ryde Family or thest of the Sil Sect who will die off!
The store owner delivered the message to Lude as ordered.
The Sil Sect will not be annihted this time, once was enough. We came back from the ashes to take revenge against those who set us up, not wee destruction again,Lude said in a decisive tone.
The way Lude made it sound struck joy in the store owners heart, for he could tell the changes in his tone. It wasnt the blurry description that sounded estranged anymore, but Lude using the word us!
The leader is right! Only by contributing our lives will the Inner Sect acknowledge us! But revenge?
The overjoyed store owner finally realized something.
The Sil Inner Sect had beef with the Ryde Family long ago?
It must be! Only then did it make sense!
Going to war with a family just because of a freshman First Seat? Even for the Inner Sect, it sounded outrageous.
The truth must be that the Sil Inner Sect was set up by the Ryde Family and almost got wiped up, that is why they lost contact with the Inner Sect!
Thought after thought appeared in the store owners head, and from there, the image of the Sil Inner Sect slowly painted itself.
While the store owner filled in the gaps with his own imagination, Lude suddenly stood up.
Sir...
The store owner spoke but was stopped by Lude.
The store owner wasnt an idiot. When he saw how focused Lude was, he quickly reacted to the situation.
Someone was onto them!
The store owners heart skipped a beat, but he didnt panic.
He had been undercover for so many years, it would be stupid of him if he didnt prepare anything at all.
The store owner signaled Lude, but Lude didnt even look at the store owner. He walked out righteously instead.
Sir?! The store owner was shocked.
The Sil Inner Sect will not retreat without a fight, especially against the losers that we once triumphed over!
Lude went out the door after that.
Outside the store, a group of men heavily surrounded the ce, and the one who led the men was the heavily bandaged... Garcia!
Chapter 1558 - Ready
Chapter 1558: Ready
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Garcia saw Lude walk out, his eyes showing a grudge he didnt bother to hide.
Since thest time Garcia had failed to capture Lude and the team of meticulously trained elites were wiped out by Palreynold, although Professor Duyer did not overly criticize him, Garcias position in Duyersb plummeted.
Due to the plummeted status, his name was not listed on the expedition to the Mystic State that Professor Duyer led himself. This had never happened before.
After he got the news, Garcia was in utterly stupefied. He knew what it represented: he will be forever moved away from the core and the authority of Duyersb.
It was an uneptable fact for Garcia.
His ns for the future was to inherit Duyersb and the professor had hinted that to him more than once. It was because of that hope that Garcia gave up on the school and devoted himself to theb.
And yet this had happened.
Give up and run?
Impossible! The school would not ept traitors!
Move forward?
He would have to redeem himself from the mistake: retrieve Index of Eat!
With the Index of Eat, he could reim his position in theb.
Therefore, despite being heavily injured, Garcia never gave up on the hunt for Lude and Palreynold.
His hard work paid off eventually.
Garcia got news: a store front in an alley of E Block was the secret hideout for Sil Sect.
He sent men to verify the news multiple times and once it was verified, Garcia had the store under his sight.
He knew Lude or Palreynold would surely show up.
Regardless of who showed up, he would get to his target eventually but Garcia hoped Lude would show up, not just because Lude was directly rted to Index of Eat, but also because whenpared to the stronger Palreynold, Lude should be weaker.
It wasnt a wild guess though, it was the result of some careful analysis based on the news Garcia had umted.
Whether when it was Lude in disguise or after he was exposed by the First Seat, Lude had always habitually hid behind the scenes and provided his schemes. Records of Lude in battle were only a few or next to none.
Despite someone suggesting that Lude may be hiding his strength, after some serious thought, Garcia discarded the possibility.
Putting himself in someone elses shoe, Garcia didnt think a powerhouse would stay back and allow Derton to die in that desperate situation.
Starting off from that point, Garcia assumed the dead Derton must have a higher rank than Lude in Sil Inner Sect and should be the same rank as Palreynold.
It also made sense as to why Lude joined Dertonsb and followed Derton instead of the other way around.
Of course, for the sake of safety, Garcia utilized all the power that he could gather in his researchb and even spent a fortune to hire some men.
And then, Lude showed up, just as expected.
Without further thought, Garcia moved out with his men and locked his target down at the store by heavily surrounding it.
Garcia curled his lips when Lude walked out of the store front.
It seems that my luck hasnt run out. At first I was worried that if Palreynold came out of that door, my men might not able to take him down but if its you, I guess its an easy catch.
Garcia took a deep breath and tried to speak as calmly as possible but his trembling voice betrayed how excited Garcia was.
How could he not be excited?
One would only understand how precious something was after losing it, like love and power, and both were an intoxicating poison. Once touched, it would never go away.
It seems like I am looked down upon.
Bloody Mary shrugged and nced over the people who surrounded the storefront.
There were quite a number of people but what about their strength?
Some was too miserable to even look at.
After the High Demon ascended to Superior Demon, its strength had underwent drastic changes. In addition to its status of Hetero-form, as long as the attack inflicted couldnt erase it from existence, it was nearly invincible.
Bloody Mary knew it very well, hence the delight on its face.
However, its boss quickly shed over its mind. The stronger it was, the most its boss would exploit its abilities.
Resist?
Stop joking, it still wanted to exist.
It knew how ruthless its boss was and once someone was deemed hostile, despair would loom among the enemies.
There would not be ground to turn around and there would not be a buffer.
Any kind of ground to turn around and buffer was a smokescreen from its boss in order to prepare for a stronger attack.
Therefore, Bloody Mary would never want to be opposite its boss.
Huu!
Bloody Mary heaved a heavy breath.
The delight that came from its heart vanished into nothing instantly, what reced the delight was a faint sorrow.
When the faint sorrow spread across its mind, Bloody Mary gave up its original n to y with Garcia. It decided to end it quickly and go back for the sunrise and sunbath, which would calm its soul better.
It raised its right hand and snapped its finger.
Pak!
After the snap, the men who surrounded the store entered a nk state, their ferocious hostility gone. Some even started to bleed through their nostrils, short of breath or even out of breath altogether.
[Illusion]!
After Bloody Mary reached the rank of Superior Demon, its powers followed also. Bloody Marys [Illusion] had a Spirit authentication no lesser than SSS rank and Intuition authentication no lesser than I rank. Although it would grow weaker with the increasing targets, the number of targets before its eyes were still within range.
Pak Pak Pak.
One after another, the men fell down like dominoes, Garcia included.
As a matter of fact, Garcia was among the first to fall.
The excited young man put up zero resistance against Bloody Marys [Illusion] and he shut his eyes once and for all.
As for Garcias men?
Bloody Mary had no intention to spare them.
There was already a witness, so the men served no purpose at all.
After searching for some loot, the Superior Demon looked at the nk store owner.
Take what you need, tell Ude what happened here, and find a ce to hide. If you can, leave Theorate for now, Bloody Mary said.
Yes sir! The store owner bowed in reverence.
Power was the easiest way to earn respect and the effect would double in front of a pile of dead bodies.
When the store owner looked up, Bloody Mary was long gone. He was slightly stunned but when he saw the scattered bodies in front of his store, the spy from Sil Sect knew what to do.
He quickly went back to his store and told Ude what had just happened through the hiddenmunicator. Then he grabbed the necessities before entering the secret passageway.
After the store owner left the ce, Senile and Leonard arrived at the scene with a group of guards.
They had just came back from their rest and when the first thing that greeted them was a bunch of dead bodies, their faces quickly turned ugly.
Somehow, after the freshmen started school, both of them saw more dead bodies than ever.
Damn it! Senile mumbled but he wasnt slow. He squatted down and checked the bodies one by one. By tacit agreement, Leonard ordered the group of guards to seal off the scene and brought two more in to the store.
10 minutester, Senile and Leonard met up in front of the store.
No visible external wounds, seems like they died of some mental impact. The store is clean and nothing was left behind. We found a secret passageway but it was locked in the end. I ordered the men to start digging, so give them some time. Its just that I dont think we will find anything useful at the end of the passageway.
After a brief conversation, Senile and Leonard noticed the troubled expressions on each others faces.
You go contact Professor Tyrese. Ill continue looking. Lets hope that I can find something useful here, Senile told his colleague before he searched around the store again.
Leonard wasnt surprised since he knew his colleagues habit, but after Leonard turned away, Seniles eyes shone with hesitance and gradually became firm.
...
E-15 Mystic State.
A group of Mystic State newbies was experiencing the surprising factor of hunter.
An eleboar the size of an actual elephant was hit by an arrow infused with a strange energy and copsed to the ground. Duyer lowered his bow and guided the newbies on how to skin it and cut its meat kindly. Although some made mistakes, it was considered a good first attempt.
However, a clumsy fe identally sliced an eleboars front leg tendon.
The front leg tendon was the most delicious part of an eleboar.
Regardless of whether it was steamed or braised, it would leave a memorable taste.
Duyer frowned. After two more simr mistakes in the following procedure, Duyer lost his patience. He called his assistant over.
Kick him out of my group, Duyer said.
The assistant nodded and took note of the student.
The one named by the professor looked pale right away but the others around him turned a blind eye because they were used to it.
People made mistakes, even Duyer himself. Therefore he gave the students three chances as room for their mistakes. Any mistakes done within the three strikes were forgivable but after that, Duyer would kick the person out without mercy.
Professor, Garcia...
After taking down the name, the assistant looked at Duyer but the words wouldnte out from his mouth properly.
You are afraid that I will kick him out of theb? Duyer looked at his assistant.
The assistant did not answer but his look said it all.
Duyer slightly shook his head. His principales would not change, not even for Garcia, who he thought very highly of.
Fortunately, Garcia only made one mistake, and in order to lessen the chances of Garcia causing another mistake, Duyer did not put his name on the list in the expedition.
Duyer knew Garcia very well. Garcia may look steady and bold on the outside but he wasnt as calm as people imed he was. How would a young man grow without going through rough times?
How would Duyer pass hisb to Garcia if he couldnt correct his mistakes?
Dont worry, Garcia wont let me down.
However, the moment those words subsided, the high frequencymunicator that Duyer brought rung.
Despite being modified to a higher frequency, making a call in the Mystic State was impossible. The best themunicator could do was send text messages.
When Duyer saw the words on hismunicator, that calm and kind face of his sank to the bottom of the sea.
GaChak!
Themunicator was crushed with his bare hands and thrown to the ground.
The assistant made out some words on the screen, which wasntpletely broken.
Garcia died while hunting down Lude...
The assistants face turned pale when he saw the words.
...
Ude, the overseer of Sil Sect, had a ck mantle over him and squatted down in the bushes like a nightingale.
He was looking at the bright mansion further away.
The mansion belonged to a direct descendant of Ryde Family.
The descendant managed a part of Ryde Familys business. A ball was being held in the mansion tonight, the coborators invited to celebrate the sess of their work and partake in the discussion of the next phase of the coboration.
The atmosphere was exceptionally merry and joyful.
Even in Udes position, he could hear the joyfulughter and chatting through the night breeze.
But soon, it would be cries of agony.
When Ude saw the few decent members of Sil Sect silently approach the mansion, he curled his lips into a grin.
Since he had his target in mind, he will not change it.
Or rather, he had no options left since this was his only chance.
Buzz!
A hiddenmunicator that he kept in his pocket buzzed.
Despite being in an operation, Ude took out themunicator because only one person would contact him through this secret channel.
The store owner in Theorate!
The only reason the store owner contacted him through this secret channel was because of Sil Inner Sect!
Words appeared on the screen.
Borrowing the light from the moon, Ude captured all the words in his sight.
His heart immediately skipped a beat and his body trembled.
Has a grudge with Ryde Family.
Was annihted once.
Illusory power with area of effect.
When all the messages werebined together, a name appeared in Udes mind.
Arnold Sect! Only Arnold Sect fit all the requirements!
It also exined why Sil Inner Sect was being so careful and why the normal Sil Sect used items topensate for theirck of core secret techniques!
Before the preparation wasplete, Sil Inner Sect couldnt afford to expose their secrets to their enemy.
I see! Sil is just a cover name, my true identity is a member of Arnold Sect! The Rydes? You will perish tonight!
Ude hadpletely epted his new identity and was deep in character. Once he thought about Ryde Family setting up Arnold Sect to destroy their core power and plunder their hard-earned wealth, a grudge from the bones appeared in his mind.
The grudge grew deeper when he realized he hadnt mastered the true core techniques of his sect in his age.
Almost instantaneously, Ude jumped out from the bushes and sprinted towards the mansion.
Momentster, a zing fire rose to the sky.
Chapter 1559 - Closing In
Chapter 1559: Closing In
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
When the sun rose in the morning, Kieran was already on his way to the cafeteria.
Morning.
The janitors who were cleaning the school greeted him, but Kieran didnt answer with words, he nodded instead.
The janitors were quite familiar with the First Seat by now after seeing him almost every day as he walked to the cafeteria. He would always be the first and also the most punctual, so it strengthened his impression in others minds.
Kieran seemed cold but wasnt arrogant and would never look down on others.
Although there were all sorts of rumours stating that the First Seat should not be meddled with, he was still very polite.
More importantly, he didnt act as he pleased with his powers, which was a point the janitors looked highly upon.
As the lowest ranks in the school, they were always in a constant state of nervousness. They couldnt find any safety in the campus, as they were afraid any misstep would put them in a difficult position.
However, that wasnt the case with Kieran.
As long as one didnt provoke him, nothing would happen. One might even feel safer around him because someone said that wherever the First Seat walked, there would not be monsters from the Mystic State in that area for some time, regardless of whether it was day or night.
For the janitors who were responsible for the schools cleanliness, it was great news; hence, they showed much enthusiasm towards him. Nothing changed despite Kieran replying coldly to them.
Set A, B, C; each five setsing right up!
When Kieran entered the First Seat lounge, the server at the counter automatically processed the orders before Kieran even said anything.
Kieran nodded as gratitude before he sat down and waited patiently for his meal.
Hunger drowned him like the rising tide. Part of the hunger was from himself and part of it was from Gluttony.
Kieran was very good at controlling his hunger since he knew he would get his meal soon, but Gluttony...
I told you before, dont eat with your stomach, use your brain!
You should save up when you hunt, not finish everything in one go! But what did you do?
You slightly opened your mouth and want to eat the whole building.
Kieran scolded Gluttony in his mind, and Gluttony sobbed as if he was being wronged.
He didnt know those monsters from the campus were such cowards. Gluttony had controlled himself to divide the meals and his bites into half, but all those monsters still ran away before he could finish.
If he knew this from the start, he would have eaten everything in one go.
Gluttony missed that elephant-like monster. The first bite he took filled his mouth with meat, and when he licked his mouth, he could still savour the fats.
M-Mystic State, Gluttony stuttered.
Not now. I cant go in there with my current identity.
Kieran understood what Gluttony was thinking: he wanted to have a buffet in the Mystic State.
As a matter of fact, Kieran was also quite curious about the Mystic State, but he couldnt excuse himself because the schools anniversary celebration was around the corner.
Kieran wasnt interested in the celebration itself, nor was he fond of crowded ces, but for the foodpetition, his interest was piqued.
Given the possible reward, he could endure the crowd for a while.
Aside from that, the gathering of the Dark Eaters would also be held on the same day and there would be a lot of goods waiting for him.
Most importantly, Professor Smith.
Many days had passed since the explosive battle between Romuse and Smith. Thetter hadnt shown up since then. He didnt even leave a single clue behind, which rmed Kieran.
Hope you wont make your move during the anniversary and mess things up, or else...
Kieran was determined to get all the prizes from the foodpetition and what the Dark Eaters were dealing; therefore, hebeled the anniversary celebration as his exclusive chunk of meat. Anyone or anything that disturbed him during the anniversary would suffer total annihtion, from body to soul; nothing would be left after his wrath.
The aroma of food came.
Braised beef and roast chicken skewer.
Green bell peppers and potatoes.
Milk oatmeal and mini wontons.
The different styles of food were mixed together, and it elevated his appetite quite a bit. He put away the thoughts in his mind and concentrated on eating.
Five minutester, Kieran wiped his mouth, stacked the tes, and put them back in the sink.
Once Kieran left the First Seat lounge, only then did the freshmen arrive in the cafeteria.
Morning, First Seat.
All the freshmen would greet him along the way, simr to those janitors, and Kieran would reply with nods, not words.
The freshmen werent surprised. Unlike the janitors, the freshmen spent more time with Kieran, so they knew what kind of person he was.
He might be cold, but he was definitely not an unreasonable person.
While being showered with the greetings, Kieran made his way back to the dorm room, and when he was some distance away, he saw Gutti in front of the dorm with a stack of documents in her hands.
Kieran frowned when he saw them, but he didnt run.
Since he received the benefits of the role, he had to pay by working. The honest thought drove Kieran forward.
Morning, Branch Leader. These are the documents you need to sign. Ille for them in the evening. And... do you have timeter tonight?
After passing the documents to Kieran, Gutti mustered up enough courage and asked.
No. Kieran rejected right away.
The cafeteria was serving his anticipated braised pork set this evening; he had no time for Gutti.
Oh. Okay. Its nothing anyway. Ill be back for the documents.
Guttiughed awkwardly and ran away.
Kieran carried the documents up to his room without even looking at Gutti.
He was used to Gutti with her split personalityshe was sometimes serious, sometimes awkward.
Gutti would find him a few times each day. Thankfully, he had an adaptive nature and strong mind; otherwise, he might go crazy because of her.
Away from the freshmen dorm, Gutti hid in the bushes and knocked her head against a tree trunk.
Bang Bang Bang!
The heavy thud stated that she wasnt ying.
The tree would nt a bit with each knock, meaning she was hitting her head full force on the trunk.
Ive failed 520 times! Failure is painful, but I wont give up. The harder it is, the stronger I must be!
After some cracks and screeches, the tree snapped and fell.
Gutti took a deep breath, tapped the dirt away from her forehead, and walked out with a smile.
...
Dak Dak Dak.
Standler appeared in the corridor with his hurried footsteps. He looked excited and nervous at the same time.
Morning, First Seat. The person from the wailing tree appeared again. This time, I will find out the truth!
When Standler walked past Kieran, he greeted and spoke quickly before he ran off again.
Kieran looked at Standler who ran off like a gale. He shook his head.
After going through the so-called school myths a few times, Standler didnt put his curiosity under control. Quite the opposite, it grew even stronger, and he started to go after more myths.
However, Standler would surely be disappointed in the end.
But...
It may not be all bad.
Kieran eximed before he opened the door to his room.
Monitor after monitor had invaded his entire room.
Other than the washroom, even the little corridor and the bedroom were filled with monitors. All the monitors were disying the live footage of most of the ces in E Block.
Got it? Kieran ced the documents on the table and asked Lester.
Ive locked on to two possible locations. After all these years, they never grew. They are still using the most outdated set of tactics. I am sure it is these two spots.
Lester pointed to one of the monitors with a smile.
Strainer Alley? Kieran muttered as he looked at the monitor.
Strainer Alley, one of the branching alleys of E Block. The ce fit every criteria of being a Theorate alley. It might seem close to the main teaching building, but it would actually take a long time to reach.
Therefore, using the alley as a secret gathering spot was never so suitable.
Only a few watchers were needed as outposts in the main street. Should anything happen, everyone could scatter away through the alley.
Unless all the security guards of Theorate jumped on them and sealed the alley off, no threats would befall the Dark Eaters.
Keep your eyes on the ce and continue searching for Smiths location, Kieran ordered.
Yes, my lord. Lester looked serious when Smith was mentioned.
He had installed surveince cameras in almost every ce in E Block, but he still couldnt find Smith. The man might have already left Theorate or might be hiding in one of the other blocks.
However, Kieran didnt allow him to install surveince cameras in the other blocks.
Lester treated Kierans orders seriously and would obey them without question, despite the fact that he did not understand why. All he had to know was that it was part of Kierans arrangement.
Amid the clicks on the keyboard, the surveince cameras were tuned to perfection.
While Lester was working on the watch, themunicator that Kieran ced aside rung.
It was Professor Tyrese.
The Proper Meal ss food that you exchanged for is at my ce. When do you want to get it?
Right away.
Kieran hung up the call and waved at Lester before he headed towards the security garrison, where Professor Tyreses office was.
Kieran traveled there as if he was strolling in his backyard; not a single person stopped him. He sessfully arrived at Professor Tyreses office after half an hour without hindrance.
Professor Tyrese was not in a good condition though.
His dark eye circles were heavy, his face was exhausted, and it seemed like he hadnt rested properly for a while now.
Why? Kieran knew why.
Therefore, he went straight to the metal box beside the table. Through the ss on the box, Kieran saw a bowl of golden... steamed egg!
[Name: Energizing Steamed Egg]
[Type: Food]
[Rank: I]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: None]
[Attribute: Golden Blessing (Broken)]
[Effect: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: Energizing Steamed Egg is a replicated product of Golden Steamed Egg. It is one of the oldest foods during the golden age, butcking one of the main ingredients, its effect was greatly reduced.]
...
[Golden Blessing (Broken): Replenish and optimise your attributes]
[Note: When the food is out of the preserving container, its rarity will drop by time]
...
Kierans eyes showed joy when he went through the description of [Energizing Steamed Egg].
He suppressed his joy and the restless Gluttony before he looked at the professor, who was rubbing his temples.
Thank you, he said sincerely.
No need. You exchanged for it anyway.
Professor Tyrese waved his hand with a smile as though it was very reasonable. Kieran, however, understood that if it werent for the professor, the food in the container would not be the [Energizing Steamed Egg], because Kieran did mention about [Golden Blessing] when he exchanged his vouchers.
Professor Tyrese took the requirements to heart.
If you have trouble with Professor Smith, I can help. Consider it as returning the favour.
With that, Kieran took the box and left.
Professor Tyrese couldnt help but smile bitterly as he saw Kieran off.
What a weird personality you have. Wanting to help but iming it as returning the favour. But... you are not all that bad.
Huu!
A deep breathter, Professor Tyrese endured the tiredness and went back to work.
Whether it was Smith or the uing anniversary, it exhausted Tyrese a lot. And when he heard about the fierce fights between the Sil Inner Sect and the Ryde Family near the school campus, he sought to keep his guard up all the time.
One needed to know there were at least two members from the Sil Inner Sect in Theorate, and no one knew what those two were doing in the campus.
If the Ryde Family sent people to infiltrate Theorate as revenge against the Sil Inner Sect...
Tyreses head hurt again as he thought about the possible oue.
It had been a while since he had such a serious headache.
Why are things going wrong recently?
Why are there so many things happening?
Ding!
Just when Tyrese was about to rant, the rm rang.
The blinding red light made him stand up and rush outside his office.
As he ran outside, an unknown thought rose in his mind, and he had a hunch this rm had something to do with Kieran again!
...
Kieran happily returned to his dorm with the container in his hand, but when he was about to reach his destination, a figure stopped him.
The figure was holding a longbow and arrow in each hand. His eyes had obvious hatred, and his aura was so fierce that it froze the air around him.
Some bugs in the ground even started to run away.
Kieran was sure it was the first time he was seeing the person; thus, he couldnt understand the hate.
Nevertheless, he clearly felt the malicious intent and killer aura that came along with it.
Did you think you could live any peaceful days in Theorate after Garcia died? I will teach you...
Bang!
Duyers speech was interrupted when a footnded on his face. He didnt even have the chance to dodge.
His cold face distorted, and his body was sent up into the air, his threatening words flying away abruptly.
Chapter 1560 - There Are Always Some With Malicious Intents
Chapter 1560: There Are Always Some With Malicious Intents
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
When Professor Tyrese rushed to the scene, he saw the body beside Kieran at first nce and when he got a clearer look of the body, Professor Tyreses temples twitched violently.
Duyer!
Although his head was kicked beyond recognition, the attire on the body and themunicator at the waist proved his identity.
2567, do you know what youve done? Professor Tyrese asked after a deep breath.
His hunch turned out to be real and the worst kind.
Duyer was unlike other professors. He wasnt bought by the sects or families, nor did he side with Principal Romuse; he was truly neutral. As a matter of fact, there were a lot of professors like him in the school, carrying out their duty as teachers and at the same time researching what they liked.
During necessary times, they would receive orders from Principal Romuse and would carry out without fail.
The worst thing was, Duyer was very well-known among this group of professors.
Once word about the freshman First Seat killing Duyer got out, those neutral professors might have second thoughts about it and it wouldnt be pleasant.
After all, after that many incidents, everyone had assumed that the freshman First Seat sided with the school.
He showed killer intent first, Kieran answered.
So you killed him to get the upper hand?!
Professor Tyrese covered his forehead in frustration when he yed back the surveince footage.
He believed what Kieran said, but what about the others?
The members of Duyers researchb, the neutral professors, would they believe Kieran?
What kind of exnation would satisfy them?
Professor Tyrese had never felt so much pain in his head before.
You are in a difficult situation? Then Ill help you to deal with it. I will convince them, Kieran said.
Dont even think about it!
Professor Tyrese was horrified by what Kieran said, shaking his head violently like it wasing off. He then ordered the guards, No one here is allowed to tell 2567 about the follow up of this incident!
The guards nodded en masse.
Kieran nced over the reaction of the crowd and didnt say anything else.
He really just wanted to help, who would have thought Professor Tyrese would react like this.
Professor Tyrese sighed heavily in his heart when he saw Kieran.
They had lost a neutral professor, they couldnt afford to lose another one, otherwise the schools operation would be affected.
He also got used to how Kieran dealt with problems because almost every single time Kieran dealt with problems, he would have to follow up.
In other words, deal with the bodies! Every single time!
The morgue of the school had been crowded ever since Kieran started school.
The keepers already suggested building a new morgue.
A person with such a kill record wanted to convince others?
Who would believe him?
At least not Professor Tyrese.
Ill deal with this, just go! And... whatever you face from now on, dont act so recklessly, think before you act!
Professor Tyrese gave his heart in persuading Kieran, but Kieran only nodded with a nk face. The professor heavily doubted his words were heard by Kieran.
Professor Tyrese saw Kieran off before he sighed again and started to deal with the situation.
Kieran walked back to his dorm. After he entered his room, he put down[Energizing Steam Egg] and took out two more items from his backpack.
A bow and five arrows and a recipe book.
[Name: Position Arrow]
[Type: Weapon]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Attack: Powerful]
[Attribute: Bloodthirsty Pierce]
[Effect: Positioning]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: Although is it a weapon, its true usage is for support.]
...
[Bloodthirsty Pierce: When a single target is hit twice in a row, Bleeding effect will be induced. As time goes on, target will be Crippled (Constitution authentication no lesser than B rank); when a target is hit thrice in a row, Shock effect will be induced (Spirit lower than B) and will be crippled right away (Constitution authentication no lesser than A rank.]
...
[Homing: Fire an arrow to fix a location in the Mystic State and record it (currently recorded Mystic State E-15). When recorded Mystic State is selected, the arrow will guide you inside.]
...
[Name: Duyers Recipe]
[Type: Wonder Item]
[Rarity: Epic]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: Nonoe]
[Attribute: The recipe for four types ofbat ration: Jumping Candy, Lemon Strips, Butter Ball, Crispy Thin Roll]
[Effect: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Prerequisite: Cooking (Musou), Nimble Heart Agile Hands (Entry Rank)]
[Remark: You cant directly learn how to cook all four of thebat rations but you can practise through the provided recipe.]
...
Both items came from Duyer.
Kieran stopped at [Position Arrow] for a bit before looking at [Duyers Recipe].
Cooking was a skill; Nimble Heart Agiel Hands was a Talent.
Kieran was so certain because he heard it from Starbeck during their chit-chatsStarbeck had the same Talent.
Starbeck did not limit break his Character Model Temte Limit, though he acquired the Talent when he entered the game.
The Talent allowed its user to have a better handle and control all sorts of weapons.
Of course, for Starbeck, it was only usable during cooking.
Without a question, the recipe book suited Starbeck the best.
Would Kieran feel heartache by giving Starbeck the recipe book?
No, he did not, because every meal that Starbeck had invited him, Kieran didnt pay a single cent.
So this is meal money, Kieran said as he put the recipe book into his backpack. His gaze returned to [Position Arrow].
He fell into deep thought when he looked at the bow and arrow.
It was natural and reasonable that Duyer was infuriated, but Kieran was still very concerned about something.
Why had Duyer found him instead of Sil Inner Sect?
Based on the level of grudge, Sil Inner Sect should be Duyers first priority.
Unlike before, when Sil Inner Sect was secretive, it was currently engaged in a fierce war with Ryde Family. Sil Inner Sect was already under the spotlight and as long as Duyer paid attention, he would eventually get what he wanted.
Other than Kieran, who caused everything with his tricks, everyone thought the same way. Duyer should not be an exception either.
Duyer should be more focused on Sil Inner Sect, not go after him, the secretive mastermind behind Sil Inner Sect.
Unless... someone told Duyer something?
Duyer was agitated by some words.
Lester, find out who Duyer had been seeing these past few days, Kieran said.
Yes, my lord, Lester quickly scrolled through his monitors.
However, the result was less than pleasant. Duyer didnt see anyone after he came back from the Mystic State. He didnt even use hismunicator.
In order to put E Block under better surveince, Lester purposely installed a detector formunicator frequencies in specific areas. Anyone who used amunicator within range would fall under Lesters ears.
He did it in the Mystic State?
Kieran looked at [Position Arrow] in his hand, his eyes squinted in a glimmer.
The conversation that happened in the Mystic State and the [Position Arrow] that could guide one into a Mystic State, everything seemed a little too coincidental.
Almost out of instinct, Kieran thought of a certain professor that has been missing from campus. He curled his lips into a smile.
Is it you? Professor Smith.
Amid his mutters, a decision was made in his mind.
Since Smith so eagerly wanted him to go into the Mystic State, how could he let Smith down?
Of course, before that, Kieran looked towards the metal container of [Energizing Steam Egg].
Without further ado, he opened the box.
A familiar golden glow shone on his face, a faint aroma of eggs spreading when he opened the lid.
The restless Gluttony was groaning repeatedly.
Go, Kieran said with a smile.
Glutton cheered and threw himself at the steam egg.
The Cardinal Sins Force, Devil Force, Dawn Force, gue Force and Saint Thorn Force spun faster when the steam egg entered his stomach, the energy he got contributing to the divine fire in his mind.
The fire jumped and grew bigger.
More darkness and chaos got dispersed. Kieran was all smiles as he felt the divine fire grow stronger.
Although he had no idea how strong it would grow, each growth had obvious gains for him.
A more sensitive thought, a more concentrated spirit, all the unnamed gains wasnt disyed on the notification and yet they really existed.
Kieran liked it very much, or rather, no one would dislike the feeling of growing stronger.
As for the process of growing stronger?
Well, it depends, but at least Kieran was fond of growing stronger by eating.
Likewise, he also wouldnt reject growing stronger through ascetic training.
[Absorbed special energy, Intuition +2]
[Intuition ZZZV- (Pre II)]
...
Kieran was delighted when he felt his Intuition reached V- rank and almost at rank II.
Although this round of increase only +2, and not +3, Kieran didnt mind. He had expected it.
[Golden Blessing (Broken)]s effect was to replenish and optimize ones body. Such an effect must have a limit, otherwise during that mentioned golden age, some terrifying powerhouse would have came into y.
Just think about it, if unlimited power up was a thing, what would happen to those people who consumed enough food with [Golden Blessing]?
The kind ones would continue searching for more to be stronger; the harsh ones would enve the weak to do their biddings.
Most of the time, thetter would far surpass the former.
Never underestimate how despicable a greedy person was, just like how you shouldnt test humanity with money.
Some results were already determined long ago.
Should that happened and continue to develop, it would either create a supreme existence that triumphed over all or the destruction of an entire era.
The obvious oue?
The golden age was history, and it still happened despite [Golden Blessing] having a limit.
There might be other reasons that led to the destruction of that era but Kieran believed relentless fighting and conquests were one of the main reasons.
However, he wasnt a historian. Without any solid reason, he would not get to the bottom of it.
He would rather spend time on himself.
Kieran took his coat and headed to the library.
He borrowed every book regarding the Mystic State and in the few uing days, Kieran spent most of his time reading. Other than themon three meals, hed even read during sses.
After a few days buffer, Professor Duyers death was calmed down.
Those neutral professors voiced their dissatisfaction of the oue but thankfully with Professor Tyreses exnation, the neutral professors chose to ept the fact.
It wasnt because Professor Tyrese promised them they could take over Duyers researchb after this, it was because after Professor Duyers case was put to rest, shocking news came from outside Theorate.
After the war between Sil Sect and Ryde Family entered its climax, Sil Sect swiftly fell to a disadvantaged position and no one was surprised about the oue.
Sil Sect was originally a second, third-tier sect without core inheritance. The only good about them was the numbers of members and simple entry requirements, but Ryde Family wasnt in the lesser numbers either!
Even more so when Ryde Family offered [Drops of Finest Cream] as rewards, many more people offered their service to Ryde Family.
Then, just as expected, the folks from Sil Inner Sect made their move but the surprising thing was...
The one from Sil Inner Sect that made a move wasnt the familiar Lude or Palreynold, it was an elderly.
The elderly man was a few times stronger than Lude and Palreynold and even had traits of an undead.
He feared no encirclements, he feared no swords and knives, he feared no fire.
When the elderly destroyed the mercenary group of Ryde Family single-handedly, the whole world of eat erupted.
They were wondering how strong this elder from Sil Inner Sect was.
The elderly himself imed to be an elder of Sil Inner Sect.
Although he did not reveal his name, his rank in the sect was certain.
Many more observers joined the scene and tried to find out what the elders powers were or what kind of secret technique he used.
Sil Sect originating from Arnold Sect wasnt a secret anymore and it was well-known that Arnold Sect was mysterious.
However, the increase of numbers was useless. The elder of Sil Inner Sect came and went like the wind, the asional counterattack causing the observers to suffer a great loss.
More and more people believed in the existence of Sil Inner Sect because the elder acted exactly like those from the said sect.
He did not present himself as a warrior, he was an assassin.
Some cursed the sneaky attacks but many more suffered a headache, like the leader of Ryde Family.
The leader of Ryde Family suffered a great headache. He had never felt such pain ever since the war broke out.
Still havent located the Sil Inner Sect spy in Theorate?
After a few restless nights, the exhausted leader finished his tea in one gulp and asked his butler beside him.
No sir, the spy vanished into thin air. There are too many Mystic States in Theorate. If the spy wants to hide, its nearly impossible to locate him, the butler shook his head.
I know right, the leader did not argue against the solid fact but he felt even more troubled.
But I think someone should know something. the butler added.
Who? the leader was surprised.
2567! the name came from the butler.
Chapter 1561 - The Start Of The Celebration
Chapter 1561: The Start Of The Celebration
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Endless waves of tri-colored ribbons hung over the dorm corridors, the students walking around the dorm were overflowing with joyful smiles.
The anniversary celebration was here.
The students got three consecutive holidays during the celebration, no uniforms were required during the period, and they were allowed to wear anything they liked. The curfew at night was lifted for the three days as well, it was a rare chance for the curious freshmen to explore Theorate at night.
More importantly, the fireworks, floats, and foodpetition.
Maica, are you sure you want to participate in the foodpetition? Standler asked.
He was wearing a windcoat and had a ghost mask on his head while applying paint on his exposed hand, he wanted his skin color to match the mask.
Yeah, its a rare opportunity.
Maica nodded while he sat down with his legs crossed, his breath wasnt disturbed as he spoke.
But did you think about what kind of powerful opponents you may run into?
I know that thepetition has judges but idents still may ur.
Standler sat in front of his friend and said in a serious tone.
A powerful opponent? Its all I ask for.
ident? Ill ovee it as my trial!
Maica was sturdy, he was simply moved by Standlers words.
T-Then, did you ever think about running into the First Seat?
Standler was hesitant to ask when he saw how firm and battle-aroused Maica was, but he couldnt hold back his urge and asked about the possible oue.
After the question, Maica skipped a breath before it turned into a hurried mess.
4 to 5 secondster, Maica said, If I run into the First Seat, Ill concede.
Maica wasnt bothered by a powerful opponent, he was rather grateful for it but Kieran did not belong in the category, Kieran was the embodiment of despair!
Maica wasnt an idiot, so he knew what he must do in front of despair.
Standler heaved a breath of relief and tapped his friends shoulder, he was really worried about Maica going into battle with the First Seat.
Although the First Seat might be harmless during normal times, once he entered his battle mode, he would be merciless. The mountains of bodies were the best proof.
A few days ago, when Professor Duyer identally died, as an aide to the First Seat who killed the professor, Standler knew something others did not.
Although the majority of the school said that Professor Tyrese did an excellent job to avoid conflict from the neutral professors, Standler knew the First Seat had paid all of the neutral professors a visit that night. That was the reason why the professors conceded and did not cause an uproar.
As for what really happened? Standler did not know.
All he knew was a day after the incident, those neutral professors appeared in the public eye in wheelchairs and bandaged arms.
The professors said they were in some idents in theirbs but Standler did not buy the talk because when Standler headed to Kierans room for some signed documents, he clearly heard Kieran was muttering about the professors, something like, I am returning the favor, I cant trouble the kind professor, They would be a bunch of decent loot, I really want to take them all out, etc.
Standler didnt know about what the favor or loot was but he knew the kind professor was referring to Professor Tyrese and the rest is self-exnatory.
The neutral professors who were able to attend the anniversary celebration in wheelchairs and bandages should really thank the kind professor. Otherwise, all of them would have followed Professor Duyers footsteps.
Therefore, Standler acknowledged the saying of Professor Tyrese settling the incident of Professor Duyers death. After all, Kieran did spare all the neutral professors because of Professor Tyrese.
There werent many things that could earn Kierans mercy though and the uing foodpetition was definitely not one.
Standler sighed as he thought of the horrible scene that might happen during thepetition.
Kieran on the other hand also sighed.
If he had a choice, he would choose to solve problems in a more direct way but unfortunately, the opponents he ran into were more cautious and cunning than thest one, it forced him to go along with their ns.
Kieran loaded his backpack with many exploration tools and supplies before he quietly left the student dorm for a secluded corner.
He took out the bow and loaded an arrow.
Shoooo!
The arrow was fired out, Kieran moved like the wind and followed the arrow like its shadow.
The students were preparing for the start of the anniversary, no one noticed the flying arrow and Kieran behind it.
[Position Arrow] did not arch over the sky like amon arrow, it kept changing direction in mid-air as though a pair of invisible hands were controlling it.
A full minuteter, the arrow finallynded on its target.
Before the arrownded, Kieran arrived beside thending spot and sized up his surroundings.
He was still in a certainplicated alleyway of Theorate but at the end of said alley was a door.
Beyond the door should be the Mystic State E-15.
However, Kieran did not move out right away, he turned around and stared at the street.
A tall and upright figure appeared in his sight, was quite handsome, hair was neatlybed, and simr to his leather shoes, they were shining.
Good day, Sir 2567. I am a messenger from Ryde Family and I represent the leader. He wishes to have a meeting with you. The man walked towards Kieran while he stated his purpose with a smile.
Looking at Kieran who was within his reach, the messenger was overjoyed. He had been in Theorate for quite some time now and he was on the brink of giving up his mission.
His target, Kieran, was being watched every moment by the school and the Dark Eaters, it was quite inconvenient for him to make his approach but to his surprise, Kieran made a move alone right before the anniversary.
ording to Kierans movement pattern and the [Position Arrow] in his hand, the messenger knew what he was up to: going into E-15 Mystic State!
The messenger wasnt a stranger to the well-developed Mystic State.
The first Mystic State that the third-year students entered was mostly the E-15 Mystic State, the professors also liked to train their students in this one as well because, except for its constant shifting location, which caused a headache, it was nearly harmless.
It was the mildest among all the Mystic States but it was almost simr to a barrennd.
As for the constant location shift?
After many years of expedition and search, people who were familiar with the Mystic State could easily locate E-15 even without [Position Arrow].
However, entering a Mystic State prematurely was still very difficult for the majority of the freshmen, but it wasnt impossible.
The messenger could imagine if his target would state his request to the school, the school would definitely make the necessary arrangements to allow him to experience the Mystic State earlier.
Unfortunately, Kieran was too young, he didnt know how to utilize his advantages.
The stubbornness of a young man plus the straightforward personality and the rashness equalled stupidity!
Of course, the messenger did not dislike the stupidity.
Without it, how could he finish his mission?
Please dont worry, we mean no harm, we just want to get some information from you.
The messengers smile was still bright, his head was quietly calcting the distance between him and his target and when he reached optimal distance, he made his move.
What invitation? What harmless?
The leader did tell him to bring the target back for a meeting but he didnt say how!
The result would be the same, regardless of an invitation or an abduction!
More so, did Leo Ryde and Morphen Ryde die for nothing?
Those two were undeniably idiots and garbage but they were still part of the Ryde Family.
Since Kieran killed the two of them, he should understand what the consequences were!
Souu!
The messenger appeared before Kieran in a blink of an eye, his right hand went after Kierans neck for a grab.
A faint sweetness spread out as the right hand approached the neck.
However, before the faint sweetness truly spread, it was reced by a vile stench, simr to a cake gone bad. It wasnt just nauseating, it was a hard sight for the eyes either.
The messengers clean, long hand rapidly withered down and turned sallow, only his skin was wrapped around his bones, as though it was a hand of a dead body.
Despite the sudden changes, the withered hand moved faster towards the neck and was leaving a weird motion trail. It seemed like there was more than one kind of technique involved.
Got you! the messenger chuckled and tried to seize Kierans neck, but...
Kieran was faster, he counter-grabbed the messengers neck and the messengers withered hand was bent in a freaky way, like it was a three-section cudgel.
It happened too fast, to the point that the messenger couldnt react. He cried in agony when Kieran grabbed him but it abruptly stopped at the next moment.
Crack!
After snapping the messengers neck, Kieran threw him on the ground.
You people started it first! Kieran said.
He grabbed his loot from the messenger and turned around to the door.
The door was locked, not by a regr lock but a mystical one, so there wasnt a keyhole.
Since it was controlled by mystical means, it would only open to the right incantation. Kieran didnt know the incantation, so he kicked it down.
BANG!
The door opened right after the kick.
Kieran strode in with his backpack and rapidly vanished beyond the door.
A minute after Kieran entered the door, a troubled Professor Tyrese appeared from the shadow with Senile and Leond behind him.
Did he notice us? Leonard asked with a cream puff in his hand.
Im sure he did. Didnt you hear what the brat said?
You guys started it first, its obviously meant for us!
Senile rolled his eyes at Leonard before he squatted down to inspect the body. His mouth twitched when he saw the hand of the messenger bent like a three-section cudgel.
What quick and strange kick techniques, he is like a snake that jumps out from the bush! Senile couldnt hold back hisments as he recalled the scene.
But 2567 is a good person, at least he took my advice thest time, Professor Tyrese defended Kieran.
Yeah, he heard it. He didnt take the initiative, he counterattacked and killed the messenger... though I dont think he did anything wrong, Senile shrugged and carefully checked the body.
Professor Tyrese felt even more troubled when he heard what Senile said.
He thought he was being less considerate during thest conversation with Kieran, he should be more careful with his words and maybe he should change how Kieran does things or even make him less rash.
Ill have a talk with him when hees back from E-15. Professor Tyrese made up his mind to take another shot at persuading Kieran.
The anniversary celebration would be a little boring without this little brat. Leonard said with a smile as he shoved a cream puff in his move.
Maybe it will be a good thing. Senile moved his lips and muttered quietly to himself.
Momentster, the security guards arrived and moved the body away.
Rather than being shocked, the security guards were calm, they were calm because they were already used to it. Too many things happened recently, to the point that it numbed their senses.
As for the messengering from the Ryde Family?
There was nothing to be surprised about that either. The security guards did move two more bodies from the Ryde Family which got thrown out of the window before this.
Rted personnel quickly dispersed from the scene after the body was carried away.
The watchers who paid attention to the scene retreated as well, they quickly carried the news back to their respective organization: 2567 had entered the Mystic State.
A lot of people heaved sighs of relief.
Someone chuckled without being too concerned.
Someone waited for another half an hour before the furrowed brows ease up.
The news had been verified, Kieran had truly entered E-15 Mystic and it wasnt a hoax.
Finally, the unstable variable has left the equation for the time being.
The person standing in the dark took a deep breath, he stood up from the dark and limped outside.
...
Seconds turned into minutes, minutes to hours.
The sun rose and eventually set.
When the moon hung in the sky, the darkness didnt cover Theorate because the whole campus was lit up like the Fourth of July.
Other than the usual streetmps, all sorts of colorful colors were lit up that night together with many kinds of musical instrument ying loudly.
The sounds of joyful trumpets, melodious cellos, and the thunderous drums lifted the atmosphere. The students who were in all sorts of costumes and masks felt as if they were attending a Halloween party.
When the first float of the parade drove out the freshmen mansion, it marked the beginning of the anniversary celebration.
Amid all the fun and joy, a ck figure who had been waiting for a long time came out from the little alley where E-15 Mystic State was located, in a sh.
The ck figure did not hesitate to leave the alley and headed towards the first destination: Strainer Alley!
Meanwhile inside Strainer Alley, there were also lights for decoration butpared to where the parade was taking ce, the alley was much quieter.
One or two people might walk in asionally, but it was still deadly quiet because those people who walked into Stainer Alley were sinister-looking and ferocious.
They covered their physiques and faces while they traveled along the shadows into one of the buildings.
The doorkeeper was a short fellow, he red at everyone who walked into the alley with stern eyes but there was no need for secret codes or show of face, because a Dark Eater was recognized by the unusual aura, it served like a marking at times.
The doorkeeper then saw the ck figure from E-15 ally, he sensed the bloody aura hidden in the figure which was equivalent to a mountain of bodies and a sea of blood. The doorkeeper moved away without a second thought.
My lord, wee, the doorkeeper bowed politely.
Chapter 1562 - Warm Up
Chapter 1562: Warm Up
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran stepped in to the gathering.
He should be thest to arrive because after him, the doorkeeper entered and locked the door.
Kieran took a side nce at the doorkeeper before he looked at the room itself.
The room he was in was bigger than it looked, it was almost the size of a football fieldit was a perfectly squared space without up and down or left and right.
The rough concrete walls were cleaned up before the gathering but it still looked dirty.
A few electric wires fell down from the ceiling and acted asmps with big light bulbs attached at the end. It was in and rough, just like the decoration of the room.
Other than a few rusty racks, there was nothing else.
The ce should be a garage or storage space, after it was abandoned for whatever reasons, it has be the Dark Eaters gathering spot.
The Dark Eaters were leaning on the walls, squatting in the corners. Everyone of them had some items ced in front of them.
Kieran walked around the room and carefully looked at the items on disy.
Most of them were cooking ingredients, some of them were cooking utensils and a few broken written records in addition to some items for which Kieran could tell their usage.
Nothing was valuable though, at least Kieran barely saw any items of Rare rank or above among the ingredients and utensils.
Kieran wasnt entirely disappointed though.
Before he joined the gathering, Lester had told him about the gathering before. Dark Eaters were plunderers themselves, so they would not keep good things around long enough for sale or trade, or rather, even if they had, they wouldnt put it on disy, at least not from the start.
A little warming up was required before the good things showed up and if the time allowed, Kieran didnt mind watching the warming up but he was short of time, so...
Bang Bang Bang.
Kieran headed to the entrance, knocked on the wooden frame loudly with his hand.
The sudden bangs attracted everyones attention, all of them looked at Kieran with a hostile gaze for disturbing them.
And then...
Pak Pak Pak Pak!
Head after head exploded, like a bloody fireworks disy was happening.
Pam, Pam, Pam.
Headless bodies fell to the ground one after another.
Kieran had nned to wipe them out since the beginning and what else was more suitable than [Half-deads Gaze] in wiping out an entire room of Dark Eaters quietly and in a short time?
None!
Even for [Devil Burning], it will cause the rise of temperature and attract unwanted attention.
Green, orange, and golden glows scattered all over the room.
The blinding light couldnt even cover the beautiful glows.
Kieran smiled and walked over.
...
Bang Bang Bang!
Colorful fireworks were on disy under the night sky, the students on the float were cheering and the students in the parade were either dancing or holding hands joyfully.
As the director of the freshmen float, Standler had to stay away from the celebrating crowd.
Its not that he didnt want to party with his mates, but he had to calcte the time and drive the float, he couldnt afford to be distracted.
Any mistakes made in the calction would turn the freshmen into jokes for all the upper years, Standler couldnt handle the consequences.
As for the driving, it was even more dangerous!
The parade gathered almost everyone in Theorate, the main street became very narrow after all the students lined up on both sides, any mistakes from the float driver would easily cause unwanted idents.
Should the floats crash with one another or even into the crowd, not even the fourth- or fifth-year students could handle the situation.
Standler then unconsciously thought of Kieran.
If its the First Seat...
Hmmm, I might be the one who dies.
His mind simted a crash, he quickly shook his head because he knew what kind of existence his First Seat was.
Crashing into the First Seat with the float?
The driver and the float might be the one who died, not the First Seat.
Although Standler had no idea what methods would Kieran use, he had a strange confidence in the First Seat.
Simrly, he also had the confidence that his creative float design would win first round!
Just wait and see, I will turn eyes!
Whenever he thought about his own creative idea and the hesitance from his fellow freshmen, Standler was battle-aroused.
Ring Ding Ding!
The rm clock Standler ced beside the driver seat rung. He quickly adjusted his mind and swept away the useless thoughts. When the rm clock rang, it meant his float was up next.
The first round of the parade had already started!
Standler stepped on the pedal, the float steadily moved towards the gymnasium!
On top of the float were his fellow freshmen with all sorts of weird costumes and bloody bandages. The freshmen looked dispirited, they wobbled like a bunch of lifeless dead bodies as the float drove forward. They did not show the slightest of anticipation despite approaching the gymnasium, due to the float was too ugly!
It was the schools anniversary celebration, not Halloween!
Why did they have to dress up like zombies?
If they didnt lose the battle with Standler, they would have quit.
The closer the float moved towards the gymnasium, the deeper they fell into despair.
They assumed they would be the joke of the year during the next sunrise.
After that bloody incident, the gymnasium was opened up again for the anniversary.
The freshmen arrivedst.
The fifth-years, fourth-years, third-years, and second-years were already with their respective floats parked in front of the gymnasium.
Compared to Standlers genuine effort in dressing up, the second-year students were not cking either. Sunflowers were attached around their float and on top was an elephants headthe nose would move up and down after the motor in the float was started.
The third-years float was much more simple and in. White paper umbres were held by the thirdyear students around the float, the swordswoman First Seat, Jemara, was sitting on her knee in the middle and her sword was ced on her thighs. If it wasnt for the cheerful environment, everyone would assume Jemara was going into battle, not attending a parade.
What a bummer.
Azy, seductive voice sounded before Renata appeared in her tight leather suit and swung her whip at Jemara.
Pak!
The whip sounded loudly and it attached the crowds attention right away.
All the boys saw Renata in her tight leather suit, they couldnt help but swallow their saliva. When they saw the dancing pole on top of the fourth-year float and the neon lights around it, the boys rted into something kinky and their body temperatures started to rise.
Renata sharply noticed the changes from the boys.
She put on an even seductive look and yet she chuckled coldly in her heart.
Hmph, men.
She groaned in disdain but a person shed through her mind.
The person was special. It was a man but unlike others, not only strong but also unyielding. The man wasnt bewitched by her charms and treated her like a normal girl.
Such man was the man among men in Renatas mind!
As the thought ran through Renatas mind, her charming smile grew even more attractive. Those students and transient students who didnt get on the float unconsciously gathered around the fourth-year float.
First Seat, we are going to lose in the first round again.
The aide to the fifth-year First Seat smiled and told Tai.
Despite the sigh, the aide did not show a bit of sadness, he was still smiles and didnt seem to care about the results.
Renata has too much of an advantage in the first round. Well make aeback in the next segment, Tai said before he took a sip of his cup of tea.
The others around him nodded in agreement.
Although this wasnt an official segment in the foodpetition, the pride of being the fifth-year would not allow them to lose.
While all the fifth-year students felt confident in the uing section, Tai turned to the freshmens float.
Despite he had reliable intel about the monstrous freshman had gone into E-15 Mystic State, he felt like something was hidden inside there.
We are done for!
Standler almost cried when he saw the crowd gathered around the fourth-year float.
What a bunch of mortals!
Why are they attracted to the body of a woman?
My monsters and ghosts from the urban myths are a lot more attractive!
Just look at the bloody killer, that eerie girl in white and that ferocious zombie!
Every single one is better than that woman who unts her body!
Bunch of tasteless fools!
Thats why I said your creative idea isnt going to work.
Maica looked at the fourth-year float which started its engine.
As the float with the most crowd support, the fourth-year float get to enter the gymnasium first.
So what, she lost to our First Seat! Standler grunted.
It seems like staying true to oneself and keeping it simple wins favor too, Maica pointed at the third0year float which entered second.
She was also beaten by our First Seat! Standler emphasized.
Even the childrens tales attracted resonance from the crowd!
Maica looked at the second-year float that entered third.
Did he cry like a little child when our First Seat beat him up? Standler showed utter disdain on his face.
Then, it was the fifth-year float.
Before Maica said anything about the fifth-year, Standler said, A bunch of rotten people. How can they keep their arrogant faces after our First Seat easily beat theirs?
Dont you think you are behaving like a loser? Maica poked Standlers weak spot without holding back.
At least I wasnt beaten by our First Seat! Standler acted like a tough guy.
Face the facts, will you? Maica sighed.
You are also beaten by the First Seat before! Standler argued.
Maica looked at his friend, if Standler wasnt driving the float, Maica would have brought his friend pain with his fist.
The freshmen float finally entered the venue.
The gymnasium was filled with people. Janitors, teachers and professors were all there, even those in bandages and wheelchairs attended too.
All the attendees paid attention to the freshmens float and when they did not spot the ck figure, they all heaved a sigh of relief.
All of them started to speak loudly with the absence of Kieran.
That First Seat is not here?
Seems like the news is true!
He really entered the Mystic State!
Well since thats the case, dont me us. The freshmen are unlucky if their First Seat isnt here!
...
The conversation that happened on stage did not enter Standler and Maicas ears. They got off their float and walked towards the ringbeled freshmen.
The gymnasium had a total of 7 rings, six small ones around a big one in the middle.
The biggest ring and the ring at the most corner was empty, the remaining five werebeled with their respective years.
There were around 30 students in each ring, all of them came down from their respective floats. They could be considered as the elites of their respective year and they would have topete for the 10 spots to enter the main ring in the uing segment.
Though the distribution of spots was a little different.
One fifth-year student would take up one spot; two fourth-year students would take up one spot; three third-year students would take up one spot and so on.
In simple words, if challenged, the freshmen could have sent 5 students at once into battle.
However, even though it was 5 against 1 or 5 against 2, the freshmen could barely beat the fourth- and fifth-year student.
Therefore, the freshmen were just there to fill up the numbers.
The main attraction of this unofficial segment was the battle of the upper years, it was the most anticipated segment throughout the celebration other than the foodpetition.
Though, something was different today, a lot of the attendees were looking at the freshmen.
Something feels weird, Standler whispered to Maica on top of the ring.
Yeah, some bastards are watching us, Maica nodded.
Maica shifted his gaze towards the upper year students, he stared at them without being afraid of the malicious gazes he received.
Are these guys trying to... Standler immediately noticed something since he wasnt truly an idiot.
I guess youre right this time, Maica looked serious.
This is bad, the First Seat isnt here, and with us alone..
Even though our chances of winning are slim, or close to zero, it doesnt mean we should give up. I dont want to face the First Seat when hees back as a coward who fled from battle! Maica said as he looked at his anxious friends and mates.
He then started to tighten his fighting straps around his hands.
The enemies were at his door, where else could he run?
Fight!
It was what Maica believed in all this time.
As for the oue?
It will have to be determined by his fists!
Standler saw Maica tightening his straps, he took a few quick deep breaths and calmed himself down before he turned around to his fellow mates.
Some people are trying to frighten us with the absence of our First Seat.
In fact, they had been thinking about it for a while now, but because of our First Seat, they stayed down. And now, our First Seat is away because of some personal reasons, hence the chance has been given to them!
They wanted to teach us a lesson and I dont think we should sit back and ept it obediently.
Give up? Surrender? Its not what we want! We want to fight! Standler said loudly.
Right after his words subsided, Standler scratched his head and looked embarrassed.
Well, as embarrassing as it is, the reason why I dare to speak so loudly to those upper year students who were so much more stronger than us is because our First Seat is behind us.
Now, our First Seat isnt here, but he will return and when he does, what we receive today will be returned back to them, ten times more or a hundred times more!
So...
Standler took a deep breath. He turned around and mustered enough courage to put up his middle finger at the opposite ring.
COME ONE, LETS FIGHT!
The freshmen were stunned before they too followed Standler in giving the opposing enemies the finger.
The shouted loudly together, COME ON, LETS FIGHT!
Chapter 1563 - Don’t Shoot Your Mouth Off
Chapter 1563: Dont Shoot Your Mouth Off
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The loud growls from the freshmen silenced the entire gymnasium.
Principal Romuse and Professor Tyrese on the stage were shocked by the reaction.
It seems like the freshmen this year are a little different?
It was quite rare for to be Principal Romuse in his official school attire. He was not used to the formality as he kept pulling his cor while he whispered to Professor Tyrese.
Hmm. They do have an unusual First Seat anyway, Professor Tyrese smiled and said.
2567?
Principal Romuse thought of the First Seat who acted independently, he automatically rted the First Seat to his missing friend, Smith.
His head started to hurt.
2567 is different from Smith.
2567 might be extreme with his methods but he is a good kid.
The kind professor defended Kieran when he saw the expression on the principals face.
A good kid?
Principal Romuse looked at the professor with a surprised gaze. He didnt know what caused the professor to have such thoughts about Kieran and he couldnt figure out what the freshman First Seat and the term good kid had inmonthey were poles aparts from each other!
Principal Romuse saw that Professor Tyrese wanted to further defend Kieran, so he waved his hand to end the conversation and looked to the other side of the stage.
There stood the bunch of neutral professors and the one who took over Duyersb, they were allughing out loud.
Childish!
They are still too young!
Hope they wont get beaten up badly.
Strength wouldnt grow stronger by growling loudly.
Facts wouldnt be change by wishful thinking.
The professors really wanted to see whether or not the freshmen could speak so loud after they understood the harshness of reality.
A certain bunch of students among all the upper years had received special orders to be ready. After the little uproar from the freshmen, the few students exchanged gazes amongst each other before one third-year student eagerly jumped over to the empty ring.
This third-year student smiled with contempt, he extended his right hand and performed a e on gesture at the freshmens ring.
Maica epted the challenge without a second thought, Standler also wanted to follow but was stopped.
I alone will be enough, Maica said.
Maica nned to challenge the third-year students during the tutorial ss but he was forced to put the thought on hold because of the sudden assault.
Now, he wish came true.
Although the third-year student in the ring wasnt the useless one but the elite of third-year, Maica wasnt his old self either.
Maica had ate food that matched well with his body, hence he had undergone drastic changes.
He wasnt just stronger, faster and sturdier, he even acquired an unusual talent and it would be his chance to win the challenge!
Maica jumped up to the ring and stood before the third-year student, his arrogant face showed a provocative smile.
Ill break all four of your limbs and Ill make you cry like a baby, said the third-year student.
Although his order was to teach the freshmen a lesson and not kill them, he himself would determine what kind of lesson.
Push Maica out of the ring clean and quick, or beat him up badly until he couldnt recover fully?
It all depended on his mood and his current mood was exceptionally poor.
Maica was just a freshman, he was the monster himself! How dare he provoke him.
He had to teach Maica a serious lesson!
With the thought in his head, after Senile, the judge, started thepetition, the third-year student dashed towards Maica.
There wasnt any tactic or technique, all he wanted to do was overpower Maica with his sheer strength.
The freshmen had eaten their first food that matched well with their bodies in order to bring out their potential, but a single Fast Food ss food wasnt enough against a third-year student who had eaten at least three simr ss foods. The third-year students constitution was far better.
Therefore, the third-year student wanted to take out Maica in the swiftest way possible, heunched a punch straight into Maicas face.
The punch brought a heavy wind and it assaulted Maicas face.
Wuuu!
Maicas hair was blown into a mess but his eyes did not even blink as he stared at the iing punch, he had no intention to dodge at all.
When the anticipated crowd saw the scene, they shook their heads. They heard rumors about Maica defeating a second-year student in battle before, but now...
Its certain now. He thinks too highly of himself!
Third-year and second-year students arepletely different! Hope he wont get beaten up too badly, said Dale, the second-year First Seat.
Is that so? I dont think so, my dear, the freshman will surely shock us. Renata held her chest up with her hands and said with a smile.
He, will win! Jemara also agreed, it was quite rare though.
Dale was stunned when Renata and Jemara agreed on the same thing, it was unheard of, he instinctively turned to Tai.
Youll find out soon enough, just keep watching, Tai said with a smile.
When Dale turned back to the ring, he was shocked because he saw Maica block the third-year students punch.
No, not just blocked! He also caught the 3rd year students wrist!
Maicas hands were shining in a metallic luster under the spotlights.
One of Maicas hands blocked the punch and the other caught the 3rd year students wrist like an iron mp, before the third-year student could react, Maica twisted his hands.
Crak!
The third-year students arm broke with a bone-cracking noise.
Aaaaaaaaaaaargh!
Painful screams came from the third-year student but Maica did not show any mercy.
Simr to how the third-year student didnt hold back, Maica would not be hesitant in moments like this.
Bang Bang Bang!
His fists that glowed with a metallic luster unleashed a barrage of punches on the third-year student like flying hammers. After a single round of beatings, the third-year student lied down on the ring, countless bones were broken and his breath was rapidly weakening.
Medic!
Senile signaled the medical team on standby before he turned around and dered Maica wins!
He won!
Cheers exploded from the freshmens ring.
Dale, the third-year First Seat looked at Maica in the middle of the ring.
He has awoken his talent?
The unusual aura from Maica could only be exined by talent awakening, but for a freshmen to awaken his talent, it was quite shocking.
Such a freshman should be the First Seat of this year but then Dale remembered who the real freshman First Seat was.
Dale immediately shrunk his neck as he felt a cold sweat.
The First Seat might be a freshman but he was also a monster, the kind of monster that he couldnt afford to step on.
I guess only that kind of monster can take such a talented freshman as an aide, huh? Dale whispered but all the other First Seats heard it.
Of course. Whats so strange about that man having such a talented aide? Renata said with a smile.
The strong will naturally gain followers, Jemara said coldly.
Dale was again stunned by the twodies, he didnt know since when the twodies get so close as to be able to agree on the same thing twice in a row They were usually shing like fire and ice.
Then, the sudden realization hit Dale.
Just now when you guys said this Maica would win, is it because he is the aide of that monster?
Of course.
Mm.
Dales expression crumbled at the simr answers.
He thought the twodies observed Maica from far and noticed the natural talents, hence the answer.
Who would have expected their answers to be some?
Dale turned to Tai, he expected a different answer from the fifth-year First Seat.
However, when he saw Tai covered his face with his tea cup, Dale fell into despair.
What observations, what analysis, its all just a hunch isnt it? What is the difference from a wild guess? Its even more unreliable isnt it?
Dale screamed in his mind but not his mouth, he pretended to be calm and turned back to the ring.
After beating a third-year student and acquired the rights to step up to the main ring, Maica did not get down, he took the initiative and challenged the fourth-year students.
The crowd who were still in shock from the oue looked at Maica with even more astonishment, including the freshmen!
Standler looked at his friend, he was at a loss for words.
There were two lines separating the student body of Theorate.
The first was the third-year and the second was the fourth-year.
From a certain aspect, a student could only remove the title as freshman after their first expedition into the Mystic State.
When a student entered the fourth-year, they would havepleted multiple expeditions in the Mystic State and could be considered as the schools reserve power.
As a matter of fact, most of the researchbs picked theirb members or assistants during the fourth-year.
In simpler words, third-year students and fourth-year students were heaven and earth apart.
Whether in terms of strength or experience, thetter easily triumphed over the former, the distance between them would measure a few blocks.
Maica knew it as well but he still wanted to try.
He couldnt do what his First Seat did, easily beat up all the other upper year First Seats but he could try to y catch up.
Otherwise, he would look down on himself.
Giving up in the face of trouble and hiding behind someone else wasnt Maicas style.
He took a deep breath and looked at the fourth-year student with a battle-aroused gaze.
Teach him a lesson!
Let him know how arrogant and ignorant this freshman is!
The upper year students cheered loudly in session in their respective rings and yet it did not affect the fourth-year student who was challenged.
The fourth-year student looked at Maica calmly, his body was in an rmed stance. With many expedition experiences under his belt, the fourth-year student knew not to underestimate his opponent regardless of how weak they appeared to be.
Underestimation would cost him his life!
The fourth-year student was prepared mentally, so after Senile started the match, he quickly took the initiative and controlled the scene to gain an absolute advantage.
Maica was like a little boat in the stormhis body was the boat and the repeated punches and kicks of the 4th year student was the storm.
Maica wasnt weak but the 4th year student was stronger and had morebat experience and techniques.
Maica put up a defensive posture but the 4th year students punch skillfully moved around his arms andnded on his chin.
The heavy blow from his chin sent Maica off the floor and fell down, the metallic luster on his hands started to grow dim.
The neutral professors finally showed smiles at the anticipated scene while Professor Tyrese signaled Senile to be ready to stop the match at any moment, he didnt want anything to happen.
Maica!
Standler called out in shock at the freshmens ring.
He was eager to help his friend but he knew he couldnt step up to the ring.
Once he stepped in, he would have to fight the fourth-year student.
Challenging the fourth-year student with his strength?
It was nearly impossible to win!
He might only have a chance to win if he would follow the rules by forming a group of 5 freshmen and challenge the fourth-year student.
His logic told him it was the right thing to do but his emotions wouldnt allow him to do nothing while his friend was being beaten down.
The fourth-year student saw the struggle in Standler.
He had thoroughly researched Standler before the anniversary, he knew other than Maica, the one he just took out, Standler was also a noteworthy freshman.
If he could also take out Standler, without their First Seat, the freshman would fall on their own, so the 4th year student made his move.
Are you Standler, the freshman who nned the floats and parade?
Ive heard about you, they called you the best aide to the First Seat, but from how I see it, you are really a loser! All you do is hide behind the First Seats back and live quietly in the school. Once you are away from the First Seat, you are nothing!
Just look at your float parade! What the hell is all that?
You are not a small child anymore but you still believed the childish school myths, are you still wearing diapers when you sleep at night?
Vicious words came out from the fourth-year student.
It may sound vicious and rude but he wasnt stopped because everyone knew it was the verbal attack of the fourth-year.
Mocking and teasing opponents in Theorate was eptable, there was even a ss in the second year to specifically study this particr skill.
The fourth-year student scored high in the ss back then, so he thought he had acquired absolute advantage in and outside the ring, all he needed to win was push a little harder and so he did.
The words that came out from the fourth-year student got harsher and uglier, he purposely attacked Standlers childish thoughts of believing the school myths with his verbal attack.
The words stabbed Standler like knives, he clenched his fists hard and wanted to go up to fight the fourth-year but he was stopped by his peers.
Calm down! Dont fall for it!
The freshman tried to bring Standler back.
Huu Huu!
Standler panted, he red at the fourth-year student, he will bear this insult in his mind and then...
Standlers eyes suddenly turned white and his body weakened, but before he fell on the floor, he stood up again.
He tightened his arms and shook off the other freshmen who tried to hold him back. The other freshmen felt an irresistible strength from Standler that forced them to let go.
Standler shook them off and walked towards the ring.
This is the end!
The freshmens heart sank, but some of them realized something wasnt right because Standler was muttering to himself as he walked towards the ring.
How dare he scold me, sob sob...
Sob sob sob... I am not happy.
Sob sob sob... I will teach him a lesson.
Sob sob sob... I will make him kneel and cry for his daddy!
Chapter 1564 - Step Up To The Stage
Chapter 1564: Step Up To The Stage
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Standlers self-muttering was too soft for anyone to hear what he was saying, but everyone watched him walk up to the ring.
A lot of them couldnt help but frown; they assumed Standler was being irrational.
He is still too young.
A lot of them eximed as such, and some part of the crowd looked at the ring with utmost anticipation. The neutral professors in wheelchairs and bandages were eager to see the freshmen fall.
Same went for the 4th year student in the ring.
The battle with Maica was too simple and boring for him, not challenging at all.
Its time to end this, said the 4th year student.
He saw Standler standing in front of him with his head down.
As for the fallen Maica, the 4th year student didnt even look at him.
Should the 4th year student spare a nce at Maica, he would have noticed an unusual look on him.
It wasnt the pain that caused him to look weird, but that he noticed that something was wrong.
Standler and Maica had been eating and sleeping together since the schools start, and they were already the best of friends, so Maica could tell something was unusual about Standler with a single nce, but he couldnt figure out what happened to his friend.
Simrly, all he could do was watch the 4th year studentnd his punch on Standlers body... which was three meters tall!
Three meters?!
Maica was stunned. He widened his eyes when he saw Standler was like a mini giant, his body buffed to a ridiculous level.
That powerful punch that was strong enough to kill a normal person and heavily injured an Eater did not even leave a scratch on that buff body. The 4th year student was pushed backwards by his own rebounding force instead.
The pain spread from his fist, and his body was covered by a huge shadow.
The 4th year student looked at the ridiculously buff Standler in disbelief.
If it didnt happen before his eyes, the 4th year student could never imagine how a normal person grew into a giant. The confusion and shock flooded his mind like a tidal wave, but the mixed thoughts were discarded soon enough because the huge palm wasing after him.
The 4th year student wanted to dodge, but after the rebound, he couldnt get on his feet properly, and there was an unusual suction from the palm. He had no way to dodge the grab, and on the contrary, he fell into the palms trajectory.
Excruciating pain spread throughout his body when the palm closed in on him.
Then, the 4th year student was swung around violently like a ragdoll, ferocious roars entering his ears.
Horhorhor, call papa!
The roars made his ears ring along with the violent swinging. The 4th year student waspletely stunned.
What happened?
What in the hell happened?
Why papa?
Questions flooded the 4th year student, and his nk state made Standler lose his patience.
Standler then flung him towards the audience seat as if he was hurling a disk.
The professors in wheelchairs and bandages were toppled over by the flying student.
Cries of pain sounded en masse, but no one cared about them because everyone was captivated by Standler.
Some were shocked, some were pondering.
What kind of talent is this?
The freshmen this year are really scary!
There are two Eaters with talents among them!
Two? You forgot about the fact that they are just the aide, and there is still the First Seat!
Monster! Absolute monsters!
Discussions sounded in session in the audience seat. All the upper year students in the rings were looking at Standler with heavy expressions, including the First Seats.
What a surprising opponent! Tai eximed.
As the First Seat of 5th year, he knew the power level of the 4th year student.
Although he wasnt a match for him, it was also impossible for Tai to escape unharmed after sustaining a punch from the 4th year.
It was also impossible for him to easily take out the 4th year like Standler, for he wasnt good at fighting meleebat.
This freshmans body is terrifying. I cant engage in a meleebat with him, otherwise... the consequences will be unimaginable!
The thought ran through the mind of Tai and the others around him. All of them were staring at that body built up by pure muscles, and they couldnt help but gulp their saliva.
The only one different was Renata. She looked at the faint image on Standlers body and showed a ridiculing smile.
A special constitution? she said.
Are there more challengers? Otherwise, the freshmen will gain two spots in going up to the main ring! Senile dered loudly.
All of the upper year students shook their heads.
After witnessing the 4th year elite student fall without even resisting, even the 5th year students dared not simply step into the ring to challenge the giant.
The professors may have paid them well, but risking their well-beings for the sake of payment was a little too much and not worthwhile.
Just look at the 4th year student who got thrown out of the ring!
Although he was taken care of right away and did not die, he would have to lie on the sick bed for at least six months, excluding the treatment and recuperating profess.
It was less than worthwhile for the 5th year students who would graduate within the year.
As for the 4th year students? They did not want to follow in the footsteps of their fellow mate.
The 4th years would soon go up to their 5th year, and if they had to spend half a year in the sick bed, their efforts throughout the entire 4th year would be wasted. It was something they couldnt afford to bear.
Since the 4th and 5th years said nothing, the 2nd and 3rd years wouldnt either; no one liked to be tortured.
Of course, the First Seat of the respective years might have a chance, but the payment from the professors wasnt enough to move them. Moreover, each and every First Seat had their own pride to uphold.
Going after some freshmen themselves? Impossible.
They wouldnt do it even if they were beaten by the freshman First Seat.
The silence from the upper year students ushered Senile to announce, Maica and Standler acquire the rights to step into the main ring!
We won!
We got in!
Not only is our First Seat is strong, even the two aides are so powerful!
No wonder the First Seat selected them as aides! This is the real reason!
...
After the announcement from Senile, the freshmen cheered loudly and celebrated in joy. Some questions that baffled them on normal days were solved too.
The freshmen did have some dispute about why Kieran chose Maica and Standler as his aides.
Maicas strength was obvious and witnessed by many, but what about Standler, who looked and performed so normally?
Some of the freshmen even had second thoughts and some might even bear malicious intentions.
However, at this moment, regardless of good will or ill will, everything was like drifting clouds dispersing into nothing.
Power triumphed over everything, including and not limited to respect.
In the ring, Standlers eyes turned white again before his body shook. He then regained his senses and looked around.
The spotlights were on him, and the loud cheers echoed in his ears.
Who am I?
Where am I?
Why do I feel like Ive reached the peak of my life?
Standler felt very confused, and his questions did not go away after he helped Maica up to the main ring; instead, they confused him even more.
He learned what just happened through Maica, and he was sure that the buff monster wasnt himselfhe didnt even have the rted memories!
Is it a split personality? Standler started to doubt himself.
Are you suffering from split personality? Maica asked.
I dont think so, Standler replied with hesitance.
Think on it. Have you experienced deja vu often recently? Have you felt like youve been to this ce but you actually havent? Maica asked with a serious look.
Hmm. I did experience a lot of deja vu. Could it be the experience of my other self? Standler looked even more serious.
I dont know. Maica shook his head.
Dont know? Then why are you asking? Standler looked at his friend with a pout and furrowed brows.
I just wanted to check if you are still you. Based on my little test, I am sure nothing of you has changed, because if you were that giant from earlier, you would have punched me away.
Maica exined seriously but Standler gave him the finger.
While the two of them were whispering to each other, thepetition continued.
In the end, all the remaining spots to step up to the main ring were revealed.
The 5th years took most of the spots; the 4th and 3rd years evenly took up the rest.
The 2nd years were all wiped out because of Standler and Maicas appearance.
Everyone cheered and pped for the students who entered the main ring.
Professor Tyrese, too, stepped up to the ring from the audience seat and took the mic from Senile.
I am happy to see changes. Theorate is a product of change; its rules are built on a constant and mutual change, and I am proud that the changes took ce in you two.
The kind professor looked at Standler and Maica.
So, I will personally award you both with an extra 100 academic points each, said the professor after a little pause.
Professors were eligible to give students academic points to boost their scores, but it wasnt unlimited. A professor like Tyrese had only 300 points to distribute in a single semester, which was equivalent to a Bento exchange voucher.
The students who made it into the main ring would be awarded with 100 academic points. With the addition of the extra 100 from Professor Tyrese, Standler and Maica already earned 2/3 of the value of a Bento exchange voucher.
The gazes on Standler and Maica showed admiration but not jealousy because their strength was witnessed by all.
Aside from Maica, who had some rumours surrounding him, Standlers performance was considered a shock to the eyes.
Although Standler was utterly nk at the moment, the apuse was given to him nevertheless.
The apuse didnt dim down as it went on. Quite the contrary, it grew louder like thunderous ps.
The warming up was over!
Next would be the main segment: the foodpetition!
The main segment was the most anticipated segment throughout the celebration, and all students were allowed to participate without limits.
The strongest of six groups, Group A, B, C, D, E, and F, would be decided through battle selections. The selected ones wouldpete in the main ring and the final victor would have the chance to acquire a Proper Meal ss food at a discounted price.
As a matter of fact, anyone who reached the top in their respective ring was already eligible to acquire a Bento exchange voucher with only 1/10 of the price.
A big box was pushed up the stage by Leonard. Inside were all the names of the registered participants for the uing foodpetition.
Through drawing lots, the students would be distributed to all six rings. The drawing process was random and no one would know who they would face in the ring, so Dale was prayed hard.
The 2nd year First Seat was praying not to get grouped up with another First Seat.
Although he denied it, Dale knew how far the distance between him and the other First Seats was.
Among the other three First Seats, Tai wasnt really concerned about who he got grouped up with, because for him, as long as Kieran wasnt in the mix, he would surely win against any opponent.
Renata and Jemara exchanged res before they returned to normal. They were battle aroused, and bothdies were eager to brawl it out with full might.
In fact, not just the two First Seat were eager to exchange punches, but a lot of the students also exchanged fierce gazes with each other, some even starting to clench their fists.
Some were eager because of the discord in normal times; some were eager because they wanted to overtake their rivals.
Thepetition would be the best ce for them to bring out their true power.
The drawing starts now, Senile announced.
Professor Tyrese walked towards the box to draw nameshe was tasked to do so because the students had voted for it to be him.
It wasnt just because Professor Tyreses friendly personality was loved by the students, but the way he dealt with things during normal times also won the acknowledgement of the students.
Professor Tyrese raised his hand, intending to pull out the first name, but before his fingers could touch the box, the box ignited in mes.
Fuaaa!
A spark of fire grew into a zing fireball within the blink of an eye, engulfing the box and the names inside altogether.
The sudden fire rmed the security guards. Even Principal Romuse in the audience seat frowned, but he soon realized what happened.
He looked up to the ceiling of the gymnasium.
Above the strong spotlights, there was a ck figure standing on top.
The principals action attracted the attention of the crowd. All of them followed him and looked up.
Some with better eyesight saw the ck figure, but the face was too dark to make out.
When the figure jumped down from the ceiling with loud flutters andnded on the emptied out main ring, everyone cried out in shock, especially the freshmen.
FIRST SEAT!?
They were confused when they saw the ck figure under the spotlight, but the confusion only lingered for a second before it was reced by loud, joyful cheers.
Kieran, whonded in the middle of the main ring, said, Draw names? No need for such a tedious process. Everyone whos participating in thepetition cane at me all together. I am in a hurry, so please be quick.
Chapter 1565 - Squeeze
Chapter 1565: Squeeze
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
A little stone caused many waves.
The moment Kierans words subsided, boos came from the audiences seat.
Arrogant!
Bullsh*t!
Who the hell does he think he is?
Angry words came from themon audience, but they grew softer by the second. The audience saw that the professors were silent, especially the neutral professors, every single one of them looking pale.
What happened?
Doubt came into the audiences mind and it was further erged when they saw the upper year students fall into a simr silence.
Can it be?
Impossible!
How can he?
Themon audience found it hard to ept facts that defied their logic, but what they saw told them their logic was useless now.
The gymnasium fell into a weird silence.
Principal Romuse and Professor Tyrese looked at each other before the professor spoke.
2567, are you sure you want to do this? he asked.
Yes, Kieran nodded.
Professor Tyreses temple swelled again when he saw the nod from Kieran.
The professor acknowledged that Kieran was a good kid, but Kieran was also the one who caused him the most headaches.
Arent you inside E-15 Mystic State? the professor asked, unable to hold back his curiosity.
Ive been there, but I was more interested in the foodpetition, so I came back, Kieran answered seriously.
Interested? I think you know the gains here are bigger than the Mystic State!
Professor Tyrese had quite the understanding of Kieran, criticizing Kieran in his heart, but he had no reasons to stop Kieran because he was the First Seat.
As one of the First Seats rights, Kieran could directly enter the ring without registering.
Any opinions?
Suffering from a headache, Professor Tyrese turned to the other First Seats.
The professor was hoping for some suggestions from the First Seats, so that he could deny the battle but to his disappointment, all the First Seats shook their heads together.
No. As a matter of fact, we are quite looking forward to it, Tai spoke on behalf of the other First Seats.
They were defeated during thest battle due to the sudden entry. Although the four First Seats didnt say anything, they felt regretful in their hearts.
They werent denying Kierans power, but they didnt think they would lose to Kieran if all of them joined forces against Kieran.
However, the pride in their heart wouldnt allow them to say something like the few of us really want to fight you together.
But Kieran had suggested it at his own will, so how would the four First Seats let the opportunity slip?
Tai looked at Dale, Jemara, and Renata before Dale stepped up to the ring, followed by Jemara and Renata. Tai stood behind the three of them.
Although they did not practise this before, they were very familiar with each other, hence the tacit understanding.
Professor Tyrese felt his temples twitching when he saw the four First Seats step up to the stage, chuckling helplessly.
Its good being young.
After Professor Tyrese eximed, he turned serious and dered, The foodpetition begins now!
He then quickly got off the ring after he made his announcement.
The four First Seats did not make their preemptive strike, looking at Kieran with a calm face.
How was the Mystic State? Tai spoke on behalf of his peers.
It wasnt as good but not too shabby. Are you sure its just the four of you? Kieran asked after he answered.
Its enough...
BANG!
Before Tai could even utter a sentence, he was sent flying out of the ring, Kieran now standing in the spot where Tai stood before and slowly retracting his leg.
Tai did not fall on the ground, caught by the 5th year students.
Tai did not even see Kierans action and when he reacted to the situation, he was already flying mid-air.
He struggled to climb up as the pain in his chest tormented him.
Are you still so sure now? Kieran looked down in amanding position on top of the ring.
I...
Bang.
The moment Tai opened his mouth, Dale fell down in the ring and had his hands over his stomach while groaning in pain. Jemaras body trembled, not falling but not in good shape either.
Only Renata looked fine, but those with sharper eyes saw her messed up hair and fast breathing.
Gasp!
Everyone gasped hard when they saw the scene.
When did it happen?
All four of the First Seats defeated in an instant?
The facts before the audiences eyes shook them more than the guesses they had in mind. They saw the First Seats of the upper year defeated with a single blow. If the audience didnt know the First Seats would never discard their pride and honor to y along, they would assume it was just a major prank.
Such speed!
Such a powerful kicking technique!
Principal Romuse, in the audiences seat, was astonished.
He saw many others with faster speed but for a freshman to reach such a level and disy such explosive speed, he was thoroughly astonished.
Plus that kicking technique! The kicking technique was trained to fight against multiple enemies, the body used as weight so that his legs could unleash the powerful kicks. Such kicking technique hadpletely abandoned the option of defense!
What a scary young man.
Principal Romuse eximed again, suddenly thinking of his old friend.
His old friend told him more than once that the young man was very simr to himself. Principal Romuse did not acknowledge the saying back then but as time went by, he was forced to admit it, the young man before his eyes was exactly like his old friend, not in terms of looks but in terms of a single aspect of his personality and his way of doing things.
Hope that tragic scene wont happen again, Principal Romuse took a deep breath and continued watching the scene.
The four First Seats falling with a single blow, this fact shook all the upper year students together, their faces showing utter disbelief when they stared at the ck figure in the middle of the ring.
Then...
Unknown emotions gushed into their head.
Depression! Frustration!
Momentster, the depression and frustration turned into battle intents of rage!
Are you looking down on us?
One of the 5th year students shouted at the ck figure on top of the ring.
The ck figure did not speak but the nk expression on his face said it all.
The answer undoubtedly infuriated the 5th year student.
HAR!
An explosive growlter, the 5th year student dashed towards the main ring. Tai, who was hurt by the pain, didnt stop his mate in time.
As the 5th year jumped onto the ring, he caused a chain reaction among the other upper year students, the students from 2nd to 5th years all jumping into the ring together.
Therge ring was filled with people in an instant.
Professor Tyrese quickly pulled the groaning Dale down from the ring.
Dale felt like his intestines were torn by that kick, opening his mouth to breath harder, hoping to ease the pain but with each breath he took, the pain tormented him even more.
Comparing the pain, Dale looked back up the ring with a dubious gaze.
He had received a kick from Kieran before, but this kick was different from the previous one.
Thest time felt more direct but this time, it felt like something was hidden in his kicks.
It was like the kick had some useless extra movements, Kieran could have taken out Dale with one blow but he purposely swung his leg around in a fancy way so that he could pose better.
It was totally unnecessary!
Based on Dales knowledge of Kieran, the monstrous First Seat wasnt a person who would waste his efforts.
Dale endured the pain and concentrated on the ring.
Kieran was drowned by the wave of students but all the agonizing screams did note from him.
Student after student was kicked off the ring but many of them stood back up, shouting loudly and charging up again, as if everyone forgot the pain in their body or the thought of defeating Kieran had taken the best of them.
This isnt right! The changes in their aura are too drastic! Jemara said with a frown.
Yeah, not just their aura, even their minds are bewitched! Renata nodded.
Jemara and Renatas conversation entered Dales ear, he took a deep breath and said, Not just the students, 2567 too! I feel something is very wrong with him.
You noticed that too? Renata looked at Dale.
Renata thought only her and her rival noticed the unusual scene, otherwise they wouldnt both have left the ring together.
Of course, the pain this time is totally different from the previous! He isnt being direct, he is hiding something! The love that he had was gone! My body wont lie to me! said Dale seriously.
Pain? Love? What a weird fetish, Jemara frowned and nced over Dale in disgust before she stepped back.
I only told you my honest feeling, its not my fetish...
Dale wanted to exin but Jemara did not want to hear.
Jemara and Renata then saw Professor Tyrese and Senile run towards the audience seat.
Thankfully we still have Principal Romuse, Tai said as he walked over.
Thats right! The principal would surely deal with the situation despite the unexpected!
The other three First Seats nodded in union.
Senile, are you serious about what you said?
Professor Tyrese asked angrily as he dashed towards the audience seat.
It was quite rare for Professor Tyrese to be angry. His temper was well-known and the things that could infuriate him werent many, but betrayal was definitely on the list.
When Professor Tyrese noticed the unusual scene, Senile told him that he saw Kieran got in contact with some canine.
Getting in touch with some dogs were fine but after Smiths disappearance, it became a problem.
It was well-known that Smiths beloved pet, Bolt, couldmand the other dogs.
2567 and Smith are rted?
The thought appeared in his mind as he looked at the unusual battle going on in the main ring and he got even more anxious.
Without pause, Professor Tyrese brought Senile to Principal Romuse.
Principal!
Professor Tyrese quickly told the principal everything he knew.
Smith? Principal Romuse sighed at the battle in the ring.
He felt veryplicated at his old friend, feeling sympathy, respect, and a lot of caution.
He knew what his friend was trying to do and the consequences that followed.
So after Principal Romuse realized his friend had lied to him, he attacked without a thought.
He didnt want to capture Smith, neither would he kill Smith, so all Principal Romuse did was expel him.
It may seem to be a sess, but if his old friend was somehow rted to the freshman First Seat who the school looked highly at, then the sess was nothing other than a lie to numb his senses.
His old friend must have nned everything from behind the scene and Principal Romuse was a step behind, but he wasnt nervous at all!
Countless battles in the open and fights in the dark told Principal Romuse how important it was to stay calm.
Now, his priority was to end the senseless battle now!
Principal Romuse made his move but not literally, all he did was stare at the main ring and the scene was silenced by a tremendous pressure from above.
It wasnt just pure aura suppression but sheer force!
Buzzzz!
The air was disrupted, the ground trembling.
A never before felt gravitational forcended on the main ring, all the upper year students who were fighting the ck figure immobilized on the floor.
Only the ck figure remained tall in the middle, resisting the mountain-like pressure with difficulty.
2567, are you rted to Smith? Principal Romuse floated up from his seat and asked in a heavy tone.
What do you think? the ck figure chuckled coldly.
Bzzzz!
The air in the gymnasium moved again and the pressure on the ck figure doubled. The ck figure faltered back but remained standing eventually. Heughed in a provocative manner.
So this is the power of the Chef of Strength? I expected it to be stronger, guess I am disappointed.
The ck figure looked up amid theughter, the provocativeughter and gaze shown to everyone at the gymnasium,
Utter arrogance!
The term rose in everyones mind when they saw the ck figures gaze.
2567, do you know what you are doing? Professor Tyrese shouted anxiously.
Up until now, Professor Tyrese thought Kieran was a good kid, all he did was take the wrong path and he would return to the righteous one with proper guidance.
However, Professor Tyreses face turned ugly at the next moment.
Of course I know, I am... killing Romuse!
The ck figureughed fanatically as he prolonged his tone. When thest word was uttered, his voice returned to normal.
IT WAS SMITH!
After the familiar voice entered everybodys ears, Principal Romuse instinctively looked back to the audience seat, where Senile was.
Senile had a little bronze cauldron in his hand and around the edge was a sculpture of a Jiaolong, a legendary water dragon, looking upwards.
It was simple yet meticulously crafted. The horn on the Jiaolong was long and its curling body was very lively.
When the little cauldron was tossed up, the Jiaolong grew bigger with the wind as if it came alive, it jumped out and threw itself at Principal Romuse.
It was very quick, absurdly quick!
But the other terrifying thing was its ability to neglect powers other than its own!
The security guards all moved through the flying dragon and their attack was useless against it, as was Principal Romuses power.
Principal Romuse chuckled bitterly when he saw the Jiaolong before his eyes.
He knew he had lost, a total loss that he would not be able toe back from.
The others in the gymnasium were worried and utterly anxious at the scene, they couldnt imagine what they would have to face if the principal fell.
Staring at the Jiaolong, which opened its mouth wide to devour the principal, everyone held their breath in deep concentration, only the dragons roar heard throughout the gymnasium.
Gulp!
A gulp sounded all of a sudden.
It should be a soft noise and yet it sounded in everybodys mind, as though the gulp of saliva triggered a resonance in their soul.
Everyone felt an unknown hunger at that particr moment. They unconsciously touched their stomachs and started to recall the most delicious food they had ever eaten.
The hunger did not go away even after they pictured the best food, quite the contrary, it got stronger.
Grooooom!
A loud growl sounded like thunder, it wasnt a growling stomach from the audience but it came from above their head.
The audience looked up.
Another ck figure that hid in the ceiling shadow couldnt hold himself anymore and jumped down like a hungry tigering down from the mountain.
The ck figure jumped towards the Jiaolongs head, a pair of chopsticks appearing in his hand as he grabbed the neck of the legendary dragon.
Chapter 1566 - Gru, Gru
Chapter 1566: Gru, Gru
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Jialong was 30 meters long and as thick as a barrel, a human seeming small in front of the legendary dragon, let alone a pair of chopsticks.
The pair of chopsticks were too insignificant in front of the dragon but they easily pierced through the Jiaolongs scale and precisely grabbed its tendon under the skin.
Gluttony squeezed the chopsticks, shook his hand, and curled up the 30 meter long Jiaolong like a noodle.
And then...
Slurped! The legendary dragon was slurped in! It looked like Gluttony was eating a very long piece of noodle!
STOP! STOP IT!
Smith shouted in Kierans face furiously, a ball of me rising in his hand and hurled towards Gluttony.
Fuuu!
The ball of me flew out like a meteor and produced a heavy whistle, but before it could reach Gluttony, it was stopped by Principal Romuse.
BANG!
Principal Romuse raised his hand and formed a barrier to block the fireball. Upon shing, the mes sshed everywhere but didntnd on the floorquite the contrary, the mes flew towards Gluttonys mouth, which was ridiculously huge. His mouth was so huge that it devoured not only the Jiaolong but the mes as well.
What a scary Ghost of Appetite!
Such a monster!
Undoubtedly a monster!
Everyone who saw the scene was utterly shocked.
Under the spotlights of the gymnasium, the crowd clearly saw Gluttonys face. Although simr to Kieran, the aura and feeling waspletely different, so everyone naturally thought of the Ghost of Appetite.
Rumour had it Kieran could see Renatas Ghost of Appetite, so when the students received the news, they were curious about how it happened. Now, after seeing Gluttony, the questions were solvedKieran had his own Ghost of Appetite, and it was obviously higher ranked than Renatas.
Even Renata thought so herself.
That is why he can see mine! He also has a Ghost of Appetite!
The shock on Renatas face was obvious when she looked at the lively Gluttony.
Ghost of Appetite wasnt any simple talent, it was the rarest of all the talents out there.
It was rare to find an Eater with Ghost of Appetite in every generation, one might not even appear for a few generations, and yet there were two in a single generation!
Is this fate? Renata muttered softly, her eyes glimmering unusually.
Prejudiced by first impression, when Renatas words were heard after her reaction to the scene, everyone assumed they had found the answer, including Smith.
So this is the trump card youve been hiding?
Smiths face was dead as still water after Principal Romuse broke free from the difficult situation due to the Jiaolong being eaten, half of its 30 meters body inside Gluttonys mouth.
Smith always assumed Kieran was tremendous trouble and the facts proved him right.
Kieran had once again foiled his ns.
Smith had to lure Kieran into the Mystic State to distract him, but he never thought Kieran would own the talent of Ghost of Appetite.
The most frightening thing was the Ghost of Appetite, Gluttony, had reached a certain peak. It was not only strong but possessed its own mind, bing a one-man army!
You are really lucky, Smith said coldly at Principal Romuse.
Lucky? I guess so.
Principal Romuse nced over at Gluttony, who was eating the Jiaolong, and showed a smile with a nod.
I hope you can still smile after this, Smiths voice sounded colder when he saw Principal Romuses smile.
At the audience seat, Senile jumped towards the ring and not only him alone, at least one fifth of the professors, teachers, and janitors followed Senile.
Senile, why?
Leonard couldnt ept his friends betrayal, he shouted loudly in confusion but Senile had no intention to answer.
When he chose to side with Smith, he already knows what he would face. Any kind of scolding, questioning, and insults were expected.
But... so what?
As long as his goal would be achieved, everything would be worthwhile.
So many of them chose you?
Principal Romuse sighed as he watched the crowd leave the audience seat and gather around Smith.
Because they know I am right! Smith pointed at the crowd that had gathered under him.
Right? The dead cannot be revived! No matter what you do, you will eventually fail! Principal Romuse shook his head.
Romuse, you age is catching up to you, your mind isnt even thinking straight . Reviving the dead is such a shallow goal, why would they follow me because of that?
Smith sneered, reverted back to his bald, one-eyed, crippled look, taking a deep breath and saying, We want to destroy the Mystic State! We want to destroy that cursed ce that took countless lives, including our loved ones and friends!
Smith shouted thest part of the sentence.
Principal Romuse, who had been calm, was frightened.
It wasnt because of what Smith said, but he heard multiple explosions further away and he knew what those explosions meant.
Smith, do you know what you are doing?
Principal Romuses aura skyrocketed, the substantial, tenacious and heavy aura surrounded him as he floated in mid-air, ike a hovering mountain peak! The unrivaled gravitational force from before was casted on Senile and the others once more, causing them to shake.
However, the next moment, the heavy pressuring force vanished because Smith reverted back to his own look and blocked the aura.
He looked at Romuse, widening his mouth and revealing his yellowish teeth.
Romuse, your opponent is me, mes gathered around his hand again and it engulfed Smith into a ming giant!
He widened his mouth and roared at the principal.
Romuse, I shall burn you and your old rules into cinders!
KABOOM!
The fiery Smith spat out a fire pir as thick as a train from his mouth, but it grazed the principal and hit the gymnasiums wall.
Arge hole was melted by the fire upon impact, the remaining mes sshing everywhere.
The crowd at the audience seat fell into panic and scattered away but they quickly realized the mes did not fall on the ground. Instead, all of the mes were sucked into Gluttonys mouth.
T-Tasty!
Gluttony grumbled and continued eating the Jiaolong. The legendary dragon was much stronger and tastier than expected.
He swore that other than the gigantic snake, the Devourer, he had never eaten something so tasty!
You are as hateful as your master!
The ming giant Smith saw the scene, his eyes twitching, and threw a right punch at Gluttony.
Fuuush!
Before his fiery punch hit Gluttony, a numbing roar sounded and Principal Romuse blocked Gluttony behind him, defending him against the punch.
Whenever a Ghost of Appetite was hurt or died, the owner would be affected too, and as the Ghost of Appetite grew stronger, the effect would be more severe.
ording to Principal Romuses deduction, a Ghost of Appetite in the likes of Gluttony, once hurt or died, would also cause Kieran to suffer, and Principal Romuse would not allow that to happen.
KABOOM!
Principal Romuse raised his own punch at the ming giant. They shed.
Waves of air exploded in all directions when the two fists of two different sizes shed. Based on the size, the ming giant should have the advantage, but in fact, it was he who faltered backwards. Some part of his ming body was beaten away and when the mes tried to reform Smiths body, they were sucked into Gluttonys mouth.
Loud crunches came out from Gluttonys mouth as he continued to eat the Jiaolong.
DAMN YOU!
Furious roars came out from the ming giant, Smith dishing out a barrage of punches at Gluttony and every punch blocked by Principal Romuse without a miss.
More mes from Smiths body were sucked into Gluttonys mouth.
Kakrooom!
As the violent wind exploded with every sh of fists, the sturdy gymnasium started to crumble.
Another sh from the principal and the ming giantter, the big ceiling of the gymnasium cracked. The crack was as wide as an arm and spreading throughout the entire ceilingit spread like a spiderweb and then copsed.
Run everyone! Leave this ce immediately! the security guards shouted.
Half of the audience had went away after Smiths sudden entrance, so the remaining audience could hasten their departure, including Leonard and the other teachers.
However, while Leonard was watching his friend, he noticed Senile wasnt moving.
What are you doing? Come on! This ce is going down!
Leonard shouted at Senile before he headed into the exiting passage.
Despite the betrayal, Leonard didnt wish for his friend to be buried in the rubble.
Im sorry.
Senile found it hard to lift his lips to talk to his friend, instead showing an ugly smile and waving at his friend.
He had a lot of things he wanted to say to his friend, but... he couldnt. All he could say was his apology.
After he said sorry, Seniles face was at peace, having given his final farewell.
Senile looked at the others who had sided with him, and then he headed towards where he belonged: the center of the main ring.
The others who had sided with Smith also made a move, some of them jumping up to the ring and some of them heading to the audience seat.
When everyone was in position, a small knife appeared in their hands and they slit their wrists deeply
Blood gushed out from the cuts, spraying the walls and the ground but the weird thing was, the blood did not flow, instead it was absorbed by the ground and walls.
Karoooom!
The gymnasium shook even fiercer.
Principal Romuse saw the scene, and he frowned. He realized something wasnt right but he couldnt spare his power to stop it. He was evenly matched with Smith; should he spare his attention for other things, he may face defeat.
Fortunately, it was only Smith, if Bolt was here...
Hold on, Bolt?!
Principal Romuses face turned ugly when he thought of therge dog that always followed Smith like his shadow.
At first, when Smith impersonated Kieran, Bolt would have hid itself but after Smith exposed himself, there was no reason for Bolt to hide anymore.
More so, during battle, Bolts assist to Smith was self-exnatory, but now Bolt wasnt here!
Where is Bolt! Principal Romuse red at the ming giant?
Where do you think he is?
The ming giant showed a grin and spoke with a sneer, dishing out another ming punch.
This punch was simr to the ones before, powerful and hot, but unlike the previous punches, the ming punch died off halfway.
More precisely, the zing me that engulfed Smith died off into nothing.
A breaths timeter, the core of the ming giant exposed itself: it wasnt Smith but a stranger!
The middle-aged stranger was charred badly like charcoal.
Where is Smith, Principal Romuse asked in a heavy tone.
Hehehehe, why would I tell you where Lord Smith is? Too bad, although Ive tried my best in utilizing the power of Seed of Fusion, so that the lords power can stay in my body for a little longer, I am still too weak...
Blood gushed out from the strangers mouth as he spoke fanatically.
Soon! Soon! Soon everything will be over! Our dream will be realized by the lord! The damned Mystic State and mystic monsters will never roam this earth anymoreeveryone can return to that peaceful time and live a ...
Before the stranger finished, his voice died off, followed by the signs of life. His eyes widened, as though he was looking at the scene that he dreamt of.
Principal Romuse sighed.
He stepped up and grabbed the charred stranger from the air,ying the stranger down on the main ring before he closed the widened eyes.
You people were wrong, from the very beginning.
Principal Romuse looked at Senile.
Senile was widely known for his unreliable character among the students but at this moment, his wrist was slit and blood gushed out like a fountain, his face as pale as paper.
You still havent forgotten the incident? the principal asked.
I am not a fish, my memories dont allow me to forget it, Senile mocked himself with a tease.
Hmm, Principal Romuse nodded, he had no questions anymore.
They were nothing but a bunch of pitiful souls.
They fell into the past and unable to break free from the shackles of time, in the end, they were deceived by Smith, his old friend, so they volunteered themselves as sacrifice.
No! From this moment onwards, Romuse was no longer friends with Smith, they were sworn enemies!
SMITH!
Romuse shouted furiously, he raised his right hand and punched the main ring at his feet.
KABOOOM!
That single punch shook the entire Theorate campus, and it opened up a secret passage underneath the concrete ground after the main ring was destroyed.
Romuse jumped in without a second thought.
After that, that secret passage closed up on itself.
Kak!
The opening sealed up tightly after a thud, as though it was a perfect ground.
Other than that, the trembles that shook the copsing gymnasium stopped too.
A ball of me the size of a palm appeared above the biggest ring after the secret passage sealed up.
Inside the me, images of people ovepped each other, cries, cheers and agonizing screams sounding relentlessly from that me.
Bolt, with a giant ypot on its back, jumped through the cracked ceiling and nimblynded beside the me.
It shook its body to fling the ypot towards the me and it preciselynded on top.
Gruuuu, Gruuuu!
After the ypot was heated up by the me, a rich aromatic smell spread out from the pot.
Further away, Smith limped in step by step, looking at the giant ypot with a gaze full of anticipation.
Chapter 1567 - Self-Righteous Thoughts
Chapter 1567: Self-Righteous Thoughts
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The rich aroma spread out from the gymnasium.
It smells so good!
A security guard outside the gymnasium picked up the smell. He sniffed it, and his face showed admiration. His body then moved towards the gymnasium uncontrobly.
As a matter of fact, not just that particr guard, ever other guards that picked up the smell followed him into the gymnasium.
Stop! All of you! Stop!
Professor Tyrese shouted loudly and wanted to hold the guards back, but it was useless.
The guards were running towards the gymnasium like they were being possessed.
Anyone who dared to stand before them would be shown hostility, including Professor Tyrese.
After dodging the merciless attacks from the guards, Professor Tyrese was forced to give up.
Actually, it wasnt just because of the attacks from the guards, but because Professor Tyrese, too, had the urge to eat whatever was being cooked inside.
When the urge rose in his heart, Professor Tyrese quickly stepped away with cautiousness and watched the scene with worry.
Professor Tyrese, what should we do?
Leonard and a group of strong-willed guards were also looking at the gymnasium with caution.
The other four First Seats settled down their respective students before gathering over.
Every one of them looked at Professor Tyrese.
Professor Tyrese had to suppress the anxiety in his heart and put on a calm face.
Everyone continue to move back. Ill contact blocks C and D for assistance, said Professor Tyrese.
However, when Professor Tyrese saw the relieved faces in the crowd, he felt even more bitter because he knew it was hard for blocks C and D to send effective aid.
As a matter of fact, not just blocks C and D, but A and B were also suffering and may be in an even more dire situation than the former.
Hope Principal Romuse cane back as soon as possible.
The previous scene was enough to let Professor Tyrese know everything was Smiths n to lure Principal Romuse away, and since Smith was very familiar with Principal Romuse, he achieved it easily.
Simrly, Professor Tyrese knew Smith would not let the principal return so easily and quickly, but other than the principal, Professor Tyrese had no idea who he should request help from.
You guys arent standing far enough. If you dont want to get hurt, try to stay farther away! azy voice sounded, and the crowd saw a sleepy Kieran.
No! It wasnt Kieran, but another Ghost of Appetite!
A second Ghost of Appetite? He had two?!
The crowd was looking at Sloth in shock. They did not even realize Sloth was talking to them.
Man, so troublesome. Do I need to repeat myself? Can you all...
You canmunicate with us?
Lazy and impatient, Sloth wanted to repeat himself but was interrupted by Renatas surprised words.
Renata widened her eyes at Sloth, the shock in her eyes almost materializing.
As an owner of the Ghost of Appetite talent, Renata was very concerned in developing the Ghost of Appetite. She once read about the said talent in an ancient text; it stated that only when the Ghost of Appetite achieved the status of Celestial Ghost would it behave like a real person, possess its own mind and intellect, plus be able tomunicate and produce a lot of unimaginable abilities.
What do you think I am doing? Am I speaking to air? Why are you people so troublesome!
Sloth grunted. If he had a choice, he really did not want to exin it to them. Hed rather find a corner to nap, but he couldnt defy Kierans order, so he mustered enough strength to simply exin the situation.
Celestial Ghost! Its really a Celestial Ghost!
When Renata heard Sloths exnation and saw the impatience on his face, she couldnt hold back her soft mutters to herself.
The others heard Renata muttering to herself, and their eyes on Sloth instantly changed.
You are 2567s Ghost of Appetite? Professor Tyrese asked carefully
Yeah, yeah, now follow me.
Sloth was toozy to exin his existence, so he simply agreed and walked away before they could further ask him questions.
When the crowd finally followed him, Sloth heaved a breath of relief because he did what he came for. He then turned around and looked at the gymnasium where the noises of massacre were sounding relentlessly. He sighed.
Pitiful soul, whats wrong with staying alive? Why are you picking on the scariest opponent?
...
Kill!
Get the hell away from that!
You bastards, thats mine!
The security guards who were lured into the gymnasium got affected even more as they got closer to that ypot. Before they even got close, a messy, bloody fight happened.
Gluttony, on the other hand, reacted the exact opposite way.
After he swallowed the tail of the Jiaolong, he picked up the smell from the ypot, but it smelled like a can of herring to him. He covered his nose and mouth, and ran outside the gymnasium, but after a few steps, he ran back in.
Gluttony jumped up to the audience seat and grabbed the little cauldron that released the Jiaolong before he continue to run outside. As he ran, he sized up the little cauldron and then licked it.
Joy appeared on his face. He opened his mouth and threw the cauldron in.
Crunch, Crunch!
Amid the chewing noise, Gluttony ran even faster.
Back at the main ring, something finally happened to the ypot that was producing relentless boiling noises.
Pak!
Tsssss!
A loud popter, teeth-numbing screeches sounded, and the lid of the ypot slowly pushed open.
Fuuuua!
Thick steam filled the entire main ring, and inside the steam, a faint figure was taking form.
Smith shook excitedly, and Bolt also barked in joy.
However, those guards who were lured in by the smell became even more frenzied. They gave up killing each other and ran towards the main ring.
Smith frowned, he waved his hand.
Without a sign, zing mes burst out of thin air and engulfed everyone who was running towards the ypot. The security guards didnt even have the chance to scream before they werepletely burnt to cinders.
Even after the mes devoured the frenzied guards, they did not die off.
They gushed towards the main ring like water and converged with the palm-sized me under the ypot.
The mes were one from the start, so they fused together without any resistance.
As the mes flowed around the ypot, the steam was dispersed and the figure inside was revealed: it was a young girl.
Her face was nk and in a daze. Her body was covered in ayer of silk gauze.
The silk gauze wrapped around her body tightly, bringing out her slender physique perfectly, and even if the young girl was in confusion, it didnt hurt her charms.
She looked even more charming with a dazed face, much more attractive this way.
Simr to how the smell from the ypot drove people crazy, a single nce at the young girl would do the same.
Sherly! Smith cried out in surprise when he saw the young girl. He jumped over immediately.
S-Smith? When the young girl saw Smith, the dazed expression on her face vanished. She seemed to remember something and showed a warm smile.
Youve finallye back! This is great!
Smith looked at the person that he dreamt of day and night. He saw the smile that he reyed countless times in his mind. He couldnt stop himself from hugging her.
Tears of joy rolled down his cheeks.
He waited for this day for a long time, to the point that he almost gave up.
Fortunately, he seeded!
The young girl was also in tears as she felt the true emotions from Smith.
Its great that you seeded! Otherwise, I would have really died!
It was just an ident, who wouldve thought it would be a revival! This is great!
I want to thank you, said the girl in tears.
Thank me? Why do you have to? There is no need for thanks between us.
Smith smiled and shook his head at the girl in his arms.
He didnt want her to thank him. What he did for her was all out of his own will.
Her appearance and existence was the motivation that drove his actions.
I must! the young girl said seriously. While Smith was shocked by the look, the girl bit him on the neck.
Blood gushed out like a fountain, and it was sucked away by the girl.
Smith didnt resist though. The shock on his face even went away at the next moment.
He smiled and hugged her, allowing her to suck his blood.
Bolt growled and wanted to stop her, but Smith prevented it.
If she wanted his life, he would give it to her because it was what he owed her back then. It was time for him to clear his debts.
Wuuu wuuuuuu, Bolt whimpered when it understood its masters thoughts. Its paws kept scratching the ground, and w marks were created, but Bolt did not go up to Smith.
It would not defy its masters order.
Smiths body swiftly withered, his life fading away.
At the veryst moment of his life, he looked up at the sky that he, quite frankly, hadnt seen in a long time.
This is really suffocating, Smith said softly as he looked up at the sky through the cracks in the ceiling, his life hanging on a thread.
I know, it is really suffocating. Do you know how I spent my days in that cursed ce? Id take a rat as a pet if it ever appeared, let alone a person that wandered in. That little girl was too kind, too naive, to the point that I was affected by her. I controlled myself to eat a small piece of her everyday, but she was too small, so I finished her within a week. Fortunately, there was still the most delicious part, her soul. But you, you barged in and brought her away!
The girl released Smiths neck when she heard what he said; it seemed to have triggered a resonance in her. She sounded angry and also grateful at the same time.
Soul? Smith was shocked.
Hahahaha, until now, you still dont know if the person you spent your time with is her real self or her soul? I cant me you though. After all, with my devour, her soul was grinded together with her person. She could even unconsciously bring her body away.
Do you know when I saw her shy looks, it lifted my appetite a lot? I really wanted to swallow her in a single bite, but your appearance ruined my appetite. But who wouldve thought you would eventually be the key for my escape. Fate is really something, isnt it?
The girlughed fanatically, her eyes blinking at Smith, who was falling.
Didnt Sherly die because of that mystic beast that identally barged into her expedition in the Mystic State and nibbled on her body? Smiths body was shaking.
Of course not, that was just a coincidence. She didnt have that specific memory, so she thought she was going into the Mystic State because of the school trials. Although, I really have to thank that mystic beast; otherwise, you would not have been distracted and I could not have snuck into this suffocating body.
The girl shook her head and showed delight on her face, as though she was grateful for the wise choice she made.
The girlor rather, itdid not stop though. It hadnt been free for a long time so it needed a quiet audience, and who else was more suitable than Smith?
Feeling angry? But isnt your body too weak to do anything?
Dont worry, believe me, you are not the first! Back then, a lot of Eaters tried to destroy me, but all of them ended up in my stomach and... DONT TOUCH ME WITH FIRE!
Fuaaa!
mes suddenly engulfed the young girls body. The mes were fierce and could burn one to cinders in a moment, but it did not harm the girl at all.
Instead, just like pouring gas onto a fire, it infuriated the girl even more.
The fire reminded the girl of that bastard Eater who sealed it in the dried up Mystic State and tried to burn its life with fire!
At first, it was rather effective, but that bastard underestimated its power. After it had forsaken its own body, such mes could not inflict any harm to its soul, just like the mes now.
I know its targeting the soul, but its too weak. Its not hot enough.
The girl watched Smith struggle to stand up and chuckled coldly.
It didnt want to continue ying anymore; the mes had interrupted its mood.
It wanted to kill Smith and then destroy that damned ce where it had been sealed.
The ce was currently known as the cafeteria by these people!
It wanted to destroy the cafeteria!
The changes of mood caused changes in its aura, and Bolt sharply sensed it. Before the girl could do anything, Bolt dashed over, grabbed Smith and ran for it.
The girl wasnt concerned; killing one or two more did not matter, it was just a matter of time.
Now, the girlcked everything except for time!
The girl followed Bolt, and the pressure from behind made Bolt run faster.
Since Bolt had a certain level of intellect and a keen animal instinct, it did not run towards the crowded area, for it knew numbers werent a solution to the problem.
So it quickly ran and followed Gluttony, who started to run earlier.
Bolts choice allowed the girl to notice Gluttony. Its eyes shone right away.
P-Perfect! the girl muttered.
In a sh, the girl overtook Bolt with Smith on his back and appeared in front of Gluttony.
How perfect, you are! You exist only to eat! And I will eat you to reach the legendary state!
As the girl was dering, Gluttony turned around and ran back to the gymnasium.
The girl smiled when it saw Gluttony trying to run away.
You cant run away from me!
With its eager voice, the girl appeared right in front of Gluttony again, thus cing the gymnasium behind her.
Dont move, and let me eat you, said the girl.
L-Look behind you! Gluttony stuttered.
What? You want to trick me by saying there is someone behind me? You really think Ill fall for it? Do you think I am an idiot?
The girl frowned and looked at Gluttony with disdain. It had been through too much to be tricked. It may have be fooled during its earlier days but definitely not now.
However, the moment its voice subsided, a hundred meter long light sword fell from the sky and drowned it.
KABOOOOM!
Chapter 1568 - Eat. Ascension
Chapter 1568: Eat. Ascension
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The light sword from the sky split the gymnasium in half, almost breaking thend in half.
The trench caused by the light sword was over a dozen meters wide and it kept extending beyond the hundred meter range.
Sloth managed to remind the surviving crowd to move away, so when they saw the light sword in the sky, every one of them was rendered speechless. Only Sloth yawned.
Its in the bag, Sloth said before vanishing.
When he reappeared, he was beside Kieran and was sizing up the thing the light sword had split in half.
So this is the bastard behind all this? Sloth asked.
Mm, Kieran nodded, also sizing up the two wriggling blobs in surprise.
He was surprised about the things vitality and also its origin.
One needed to know the [Dawn Sword] that he just unleashed wasnt just charged up to rank V attack, it was the all time high rank VII!
Unlike the first time Kieran unleashed a rank VII [Dawn Sword], the reason why he could reach rank VII this time with [Dawn Sword] was because of the [Remains of Seed of Fusion] and the process was even more shocking. Kieran didnt even do anything, all he did was activate [Dawn Sword] and [Remains of Seed of Fusion] activated on its own.
A single sh inflicted severe damage to the monster before his eyes, and at the same time it rendered his uing n useless.
Kieran was fine with the current oue, despite the [Remains of Seed of Fusion] being consumed in the process.
After all, the monster that he had sliced in half wasnt some random John Doe, it should be the one sealed in the underground kitchen and kept in the eternal burning, which was also the one the chef from [Inheritance Crystal (Damaged)] tried so hard to seal.
However, whether it was the legendary chef or anyone in Theorate, no one would have thought this monster would escape its prison and almost destroy the entire campus.
Who are you?!
My body! My BODY!
The two blobs of jelly-like item started to cry in agony.
As they cried, they wriggled towards each other, trying to fuse into one, but Kieran would not allow his enemies to do that right before his eyes.
Fuuu!
A ball of me appeared right in front of him and another in his hand. The two balls of me then smashed down on the wriggling blob.
Tsssss!
Aaaaaaaaaaaaargh!
As though a chicken was thrown into boiling oil, the sizzling echoed throughout the gymnasium and cries of agony sounded uncontrobly.
How are there such mes?
How can they burn my soul!?
Who are you?!
The monster was screaming but Kieran did not answer.
He raised his hand, smashed two more balls of Devil me onto the monster, and it still wasnt the end.
Kieran had smashed more than 50 balls of Devil me onto the monster in the uing minute.
The ground melted as though he was standing onva.
The two blobs of jelly got smaller as it was burned, crystallizing and shrinking to the size of a quail egg.
Gluttony, who was watching the scene and originally disliked the monster, started to swallow its saliva, but it knew who called the shots here, so he didnt act recklessly but looked at Kieran with puppy eyes.
Kieran thought for a while and nodded.
Undoubtedly, the monster before his eyes was definitely in the higher ranks and if it wasnt for the change of body, which resulted in a huge w like lowered perception. The monster wouldnt have been defeated with a single sh and it would be a prolonged battle.
ording to the big citys rule, the monster would surely drop something good, butpared to Gluttony consuming it and convert it into energy for his body, the drop from the monster seemed insignificant. Kieran wasnt sure whether the item drop would match his own power system, neither could he make sure the item was clear of any kind of special prerequisite.
Rather than gambling for a high-tier item which he might not be able to use, it was more convenient for Gluttony to consume it.
After getting Kierans nod, Gluttony cheered and jumped into theva trench without any concern for the heat. He grabbed the two quail egg sized crystals and licked it without even sizing it up.
To Gluttony, looks were not important, taste was the only standard to measure the value of things.
Mmmmmm.
Gluttony closed his eyes and grumbled in delight, his face looking like he was intoxicated.
The two crystals trembled.
Spare me! Ill tell you a secret about the Mystic State...
Crak Crak!
The voice from the crystal stopped as it was crushed by Gluttonys chomp.
Gluttony munched the two crystals and swallowed it. Once the crystal bits entered Gluttonys stomach, it was absorbed.
They were transformed into the purest of energy and divided into 5 portions for Cardinal Sins, Dawn, gue, Devil and Saint Thorn!
All five of the Origin Forces increased faster than anything before and when it reached a certain limit...
KABOOM!
Kieran felt like he had heard an explosion in his head.
It was an explosion and also an ascension, meaning level up!
Huu!
The fire in his head jumped and grew almost twice its original size.
From a little spark of me, it grew into a zing one and it burned brighter and hotter than before.
The darkness and chaos around the me became anxious but they couldnt do anything, the fire burned away the darkness and chaos quicker than ever.
[Absorbed and converted arge amount of special energy, Spirit V- V]
...
Even without the notifications in his vision, when the fire in his mind grew twice the size, Kieran already felt the changes.
Although it was just a minor rank bump up, Kieran felt like it was a kind of qualitative change, savouring the moments with his newly changed body.
Under the light from the divine fire, everything in his body was revealed: the skin, the muscles, the blood and the marrows.
The mystical runes on his veins and bones were glowing in a lively manner each time he breathed and his blood circted.
The runes had never been so clear before. Kieran could even use his current level of [Mystical Knowledge] to slightly decipher the runes.
After slightly decipher the runes, he knew as time passed, each time his blood flowed through his veins, the mystical runes would slightly alter his blood.
It would be a very slow process, even slower than Dawn and gue force, but the good thing was that it would be quiet and required nothing; as long as the runes were in his body, the alteration would not stop.
As long as he had enough time, the blood would ultimately change his roots, which was his bone marrow.
When the changes happened to his bone marrow, his body would surely go through a drastic change again, thus boosting him to a whole new level.
Too bad the time required is too long, Kieran sighed.
What hecked was time, such slow changes would not be his final choice.
Of course, he wouldnt do anything to stop it.
What he sought was a faster and safer way to reach the new level, like...
Kieran saw Gluttony, who looked satisfied, but then he started to search for more things in the area to put in his mouth. Kieran closed his eyes again.
Huu!
A deep breathter, Kieran heard noises.
The noises were from Professor Tyrese, Leonard, the First Seats, the students, and the security guards, who were all looking at him.
Without even looking at them or telling them apart, the moment Kieran heard their voices, he knew what they were saying, as though every one of them were talking to Kieran one on one.
It was magical.
As I expected, Intuition and Spirit match well together, Kieran thought.
At first, he had a hunch that Intuition and Spirit seemed to work together closely.
Although Intuition directly affected vision and hearing, once Spirit was added into the equation, Intuition would evolve from the simple body reflex to supernatural instinct.
As Kierans Intuition and Spirit got higher, his guess was verified, especially after Spirit reached rank V. He could already see the blurry danger that his Intuition sensed.
It was blurry and shallow, but the danger really did exist, like this particr moment!
Kieran looked down at his right hand, under the glove where the Witchs Gift was at. The tattoo changed from a clear image to a blurry one, the freaky smiley face emanating danger.
The Witch? Kieran muttered in his heart.
He had never before felt the existence of the Witch as clear as this moment.
Even though he had never seen her before, this tattoo, this Witchs Gift, was like a vengeful spirit haunting him endlessly.
[Eliminated Sly Eater, main missionpleted in advance!]
[yer will leave the dungeon in 10 seconds]
[Please take whatever items you wish to keep with you.]
[Note: Any items that exceed the maximum weight will be discarded!]
...
Kieran was used to the sudden ambush of the system, so ashe simply tidied up his things and went over to grab that big ypot.
That unusual me that appeared above the main ring died off after Bolt brought Smith away.
[Single yer dungeon: Meaning of Eat]
[Dungeon Difficulty: 8th dungeon]
[Detected yer suffered unfair treatment, adjusting 8th dungeon difficulty to 2nd dungeon difficulty.]
[Dungeon Type: Compensation (Compensation dungeons have no sub-mission, no special ratings, special events but elimination rewards are raised]
[Main mission: Enter the school entrance exam and make it through the semester]
[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating F)]
[Mission Complete in advance: Rating FE]
[Battle performance: Very Active (Rating E A)]
[Exploration performance: Average]
[yer final rating: A]
[Calcting yers special dungeon reward...]
[yers special dungeon reward as listed...]
[Points: 30,000; Skill Points: 5; Golden Skill Points: 0; Golden Attribute Points: 0]
[Acquired Key Item: New Mystic State Deduction Map]
[Acquired new Mystic State Deduction Map, special trial initiated, acquired special dungeon in advance.]
[Acquired special dungeon: Name of Eat]
...
Kieran heaved a breath of relief when he reappeared in his room in Wallway 13th.
No ce made him feel safer than his old broken garage.
He carefully put down the giant ypot.
[Name: Big Battle Pot]
[Type: Wonder Item]
[Rarity: I]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: None]
[Attribute: 1. Preserve; 2. Absolute Taste]
[Effect: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Prerequisite: Cooking (Musou)]
[Remark: This Big Battle Pot was brought out from the Mystic State by Smith. After repairs, its rarity was lowered but still usable]
...
[Preserve: Any food ced inside the Big Battle Pot will not go bad or turn sour]
[Absolute Taste: Any food cooked by the Big Battle Pot will have a certain rate to rank up (Foods rarity cannot exceed Big Battle Pots rarity)]
...
A very special pot.
As for what to do with it?
Kieran took out a set of kitchenware from his backpack, from the simplest knife, to a chopping board, to tes and spice boxes and the veryst [Duyers Recipe].
Since he had decided to pay for the food, Kieran did not mind making his food taste better.
After another thought, Kieran wrote down the contents that he remembered from [Index of Eat].
Although some ingredients were exclusive to the dungeon world [Meaning of Eat], it should not be a big problem when used as a reference.
Kieran then sent a message to Starbeck.
2567: There?
Starbeck: Yup, Im baking egg tarts,ing over?
2567: Wait for me.
Starbeck: Okay.
...
After a simple message to make sure Starbeck was at home, Kieran grabbed his things and headed out, but before he pushed his door open, he frowned.
It was Wu!
Although he hadnt seen her behind the door, with his current Intuition andbined with the powerful Spirit, he could tell who it was behind the door.
Since his mind was made up, he decided not to step back. He pushed the door and went out.
Wu was still in her long gray robe, dressed like a witch.
Is there anything? Kieran asked first.
Mm, but I dont think you want to talk to me now, Wu nodded.
Kieran did not deny it, as egg tarts were more important than the woman before his eyes.
Ill wait for you at the living room at Harvest Inn, said Wu before she headed to the train station.
Kieran had nned to go to Starbecks by train but when he saw where Wu was headed, he changed his mind and walked instead.
Standing in front of the station sign, Wu saw Kieran off before she clenched her fist and kicked the sign beside her.
Bang!
Even though she was unable to use any attacking abilities, she was able to rely on the constitution that she had built up. The kick infused with her wrath should not be underestimated.
Tsss!
After a teeth-numbing screech, the signboard fell to the ground.
The scene frightened some new yers from Ro Street and scared them back inside.
Wu didnt even bat an eye, in her own world at the moment.
That damn vixen! Ill teach you a lesson! Just you wait!
She cursed like she was making a vicious vow but when she thought about how Starbeck saved her before, she softened down.
Though she clenched her fist again after that.
Ill return the debt first before I teach you a lesson!
Wu took a deep breath before boarding the train.
The train swiftly went off.
When Wallway Street quiet down, ps of wings sounded from the sky. An eaglended before Wallway 13th and quietly entered the void.
Chapter 1569 - Stubborn
Chapter 1569: Stubborn
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Dressed in casual clothes, an apron and a pair of mittens, Starbeck took out the tray from the grill. The egg tarts were arranged into two neat rows.
The aroma of eggs and sweetness entered Kierans nose right away.
After Starbeck ced the tray on top of a wooden rack, Kieran eagerly picked one up and shoved it into his mouth.
Unlike how normal people ate egg tarts, Kieran did not lick the sweet egg in the center or bite it from the egg. He shoved the entire tart into his mouth instead. He pushed the egg tart up with his tongue, crushed it with some pressure and chewed a few times. The whole eating process allowed Kieran to taste the soft part and also brought out the tastiness of the crispy part. His way of eating also preserved all the essence of the egg; not a single bit was wasted. He could achieve a lot with a single bite.
How is it? Starbeck asked with anticipation.
Em, as good as always, Kieran answered.
After he heard Kierans answer, Starbeck smiled brightly. He hopped over to a side, took a bottle with a nt inside and brought it over to the table. The bottle with the nt matched the white table cloth perfectly. It set off the golden egg tarts even more and attracted attention at first nce.
This is a decoration for the table, my teacher taught me during cooking ss. She said good food without a good decoration is an insult to the food itself, Starbeck exined.
Although the so-called teacher was a native, a teacher was a teacher. Starbeck respected his teacher regardless, and this particr point was very simr to Kieran.
Your teacher is right. So you have to take all these. Good food requires good kitchenware and tablewarewell, they might not be actually good, but its okay, Kieran said and pushed the package beside his feet to Starbeck.
This is for me? Starbeck looked at Kieran with surprise.
As a matter of fact, when Kieran brought the big package into his room, Starbeck was already wondering what it was, but he didnt ask because he knew how strict Kieran was.
Starbeck never thought the package was actually for him.
Curiosity aroused, Starbeck opened it and saw the set of Sil knives and forks, some tes, [Five vour Bottle], [Compact Brew Winepot], [Secret Oil Mixture], [Big Battle Pot], etc.
Starbecks eyes were shining, and the shine in his eyes almost materialized when he saw [Duyers Recipe] and [Index of Eat].
He wanted all of it!
It was a thought in the deepest part of his mind, but before he took it, he still asked Kieran, Can I?
Of course. Where do you want to put them? Its not light at all, so Ill help you to arrange it. Kieran stuffed thest egg tart into his mouth and stood up.
Kitchen! There is a very suitable ce for these.
Starbeck opened the door to his kitchen and pointed at the empty right cab and a big enough spot to hold [Big Battle Pot].
Kieran arranged all the kitchenware ording to Starbecks arrangements. After that, he turned around and saw Starbeck leaning against the kitchen door, reading the two recipe books with utmost concentration. The light from the dining area shined on him and cast a tender glister over him.
Kieran did not interrupt Starbeck. He crossed his arms and waited patiently in the kitchen because he too did not like others interrupting him during reading.
As for whether Starbeck could really read the recipe books?
Before he gave Starbeck the recipe books, Kieran hadbeled everything in themonnguage, so it shouldnt be a problem.
...
Bang!
Wu almost smashed the tea cup on the tea table. The spoons beside the cups jumped and produced repeated chimes.
Go find the person who pissed you off. Dont vent your anger on my tea set, Rachel ranted, feeling sorry for her tea set.
She spent quite the effort in finding this tea set. It wasnt exactly expensive, but she spent a lot of her time and effort in finding it.
If any single one of the cups broke, the whole set would be damaged in terms of elegance.
Wu did not say anything. She took the tea pot, poured herself another cup of cold tea, and finished it in one gulp.
This time, she did not put down the cup fiercely, but carefully.
She poured herself tea againonly tea could calm her down right now.
After four continuous cups and almost draining the tea pot, Wu heaved a long breath and leaned back on the sofa.
Why am I losing to her? Wu asked.
She didnt say names but Rachel knew who she was referring to.
Rachel thought for a while in front of her friend.
You are not as rich as her? Rachel said with slight hesitance.
Rich? So what? Can money achieve everything? Can she do whatever she pleases with money? Wu sat up as though she was electrocuted and answered loudly.
Then, you are not as tender as her? Rachel changed her approach.
Tender? Can tenderness be eaten? A powerful defense is the best way! Wu chuckled coldy.
Rachel did not argue with Wu on that because she thought the same. That was why Rachel kept exerting her powers before Lawless at all times.
Then I guess there is only one thing left. Her cooking. Your cooking is not as good! Rachel lifted up her right index finger and said in an unusually serious tone.
Cooking? Wu was stunned.
Its well-known that 2567 likes to eat. If you have outstanding cooking skills, he will surely look at you differently, and the most important thing is, acquiring cooking skills in the big city isnt something difficult. Rachel gave Wu her own suggestion.
But Crow had no extra demands for food. Wu frowned.
Crow is Crow, 2567 is 2567. They may be simr, but they are entirely different, Rachel emphasized.
In my eyes, they are one. Wu shook her head.
Rachel sighed at her friends answer. She had no idea how to correct her friend anymore.
Treat a person as another, especially with the likes of Kieran, and no matter how good she was to him, he would only be more cautious and rmed. She would never win fondness.
Can you get me a [Cooking] skill book? Wu spoke after a few seconds of silence.
Of course.
Her answer sparked joy in Rachel. She smiled and walked back to the bar counter.
As long as she could change, there was still a chance!
Rachel heaved a breath of relief and walked faster, but when she opened the door, she found Lawless stealing her liquor again. The frustration flooded her mind right away.
Pak!
She grabbed a bottle along the way and smashed it onto Lawlesss head.
You bastard! Stealing my liquor again?! And two bottles! Rachel shouted angrily.
I only drank one bottle! Lawless exined.
The one I just smashed on your head, that one is on you too! Now go clean the bar, and mop the floor and signboard outside! I dont want to see a speckle of dust! Rachel shouted and kicked Lawless on the butt.
Lawless shrunk his neck cowardly and started to do as ordered.
The crowd in the inn chuckled.
At first, there were some who tried to stop the abuse, but now, they were used to it already.
It would only be weird if the liquor stealing scene didnt happen daily.
The loud noises in the front came in the little living room through the unclosed door.
Wu showed a faint admiration at the merry atmosphere.
She admired Rachel and Lawlesss rtionship, and she thought it was the best way to be together.
But...
She knew if she smashed a bottle on Kierans head, he would surely burn her 10 times over.
He is really dull.
Wu eximed, stood up and closed the door. When she turned around and walked back to the sofa, she realized, without her knowing, Kieran was already sitting opposite her.
Wu wasnt surprised because Crow behaved the same.
Such actions made Wu feel nothing but familiarity.
Right away, Wus depressed heart lit up.
Some things may change, but the roots would remain the same.
Wu sat back down and asked, Can I see your right hand?
Right hand?
Kieran was a little surprised. He thought of the freaky smiley face tattoo.
You mean this? Kieran did not take off his glove but raised his right hand and pointed at the back with his left hand.
Yes, can you take off your glove? Wu nodded and asked again.
Kieran hesitated for a moment beforeplying. The blurry smiley face tattoo was revealed before Wu.
As expected, it has changed. In my past divination, it was always in your shadow and connected to your fate, but thetest divination showed me something else: it has started to fade. If its possible, can you tell me what happened? Wu asked.
Except for the secretive part, Kieran told Wu exactly what happened.
Through multiple coborations, Kieran had already formed a basic trust for the woman before his eyes, despite the fact that she wasnt really normal at times.
Is that so? Resistance? The Witch is really scary. Even after she left the game, she still affects theters. As for the Resistance... she will be ruthless, Wu said after a deep breath.
Before entering the game, Wu was always with Crow, so she had seen a lot of bad people, but even with the amount of people that she had seen, all of them feltcklusterpared to the Witch.
It wasnt just because of the magical powers in the game, but also because of the Witch herself.
A powerful person would reign with absolute power no matter where he or she was.
As long as they had a chance, their talents would shine.
As for the weak?
No matter how much resources and trust was poured into them, in the end, nothing woulde out of it except for excuses, trying to lie to others and themselves.
You are in grave danger now, a lot more dangerous than your previous runs. Her lingering power is affecting me, so I cant even see what you will face in the next dungeon. Wu sounded helpless.
Thank you. Kieran heard the helplessness in her. Out of manners, Kieran thanked her.
As for the danger she mentioned?
Kieran was prepared for it.
Spirit had truly reached V, and his Intuition was catching up. He could already sense the danger from the Witch closing in.
Was he worried?
A little bit.
An opponent like the Witch, even if he never met her before, the stories she left behind were too many to count, to the point that Kieran would have to face the danger with everything he got.
He was worried but not afraid.
Countless battles, countless dangers told Kieran that fear was useless in such situations. He would rather have an ice-cream to calm down and think about the countermeasures.
The calm reaction from Kieran delighted Wu.
Crow had never panicked before either, and Kieran, at the moment, was exactly like Crow in her memories.
The only difference was, back then, she could not help Crow, but now, she could help Kieran.
You must be careful, leave the rest... to me!
Wu then stood up and walked out.
Kieran frowned as he saw her off.
Although he did not spend a lot of time with her, Kieran knew her character well enough to understand such words werent a joke.
Judging from what she did for him before, Kieran naturally stopped her. Wait, Wu.
I have to be prepared. Otherwise, I wont make it in time.
Wu heard Kieran, but she did not stop. She even activated a teleportation tool because she feared Kieran might stop her. She vanished from Kierans sight just like that.
A headache struck Kieran. He wasnt fond of owing a debt to others, especially to Wu.
Once the debt was owed, he could never truly repay her.
Kieran stood up without a second thought and walked out of the living room.
Free lemon water, Kieran spoke to Rachel, who was wiping sses.
Free, free, free. Can you spend some points here? You dont even want to spend 1 Point, are you that stingy?
Rachel grunted in an upset tone, but she wasnt slow as she prepared a ss of lemon water with extra honey for Kieran.
All Points should be spent on weapons, Kieran said and initiated a trade with Rachel.
A hundred Magic rank items and five Rare rank items appeared in the trading slot. Rachel widened her eyes and breathed quicker than usual.
W-What are you trying to do? I am selling my skills, not my body! Rachel stuttered with a bit of shyness.
These are for Wu. She said I am in an unprecedented grave danger, so you should know what she is going to do, right? And this is topensate her for the teleportation tool she just used.
Kieran then ced a Legendary rank item into the trading slot.
[Name: Agile Dagger]
[Type: Wonder Item]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Attack: Strong]
[Attribute: Relocation (1/2)]
[Effect: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: It was used to cut meat by a certain eastern Eater, but after an ident, it acquired unimaginable power.]
...
[Relocation: Move to a desired spot within sight (No further than 100 meters)]
...
Looking at the [Agiel Dagger] in the slot, Rachel understood the value of the dagger and the rest of the items Kieran traded, so she stayed quiet.
Three to four secondster, Rachel spoke.
Im sorry, I take back myments about you. You are not that stingy. Youre really spending your Points on weapons. Leave Wu to me.
Rachel then turned around and headed to the living room. She definitely wished nothing to happen to her friend.
After Rachel left, Kierans right hand holding the ss of lemon water suddenly shook, ripples appearing in his ss.
Other than that, Kieran felt suffocated. His sight started to turn dark, and the pain was hurting his body.
Whats wrong?
Lawless, who was mopping the floor, saw his friend shaking and ran over right away.
Im fine. The words were squeezed out from the seams of his teeth after he took a sip from his ss.
However, he was in a lot of pain, and it was obvious to his eyes.
Huuu!
He took a deep breath to adjust his condition. After the pain eased up, he finally calmed down and thought deeply for a while.
He then turned on his PM tab and contacted J. Pearlman.
2567: Hows the investigation?
2567: Need any help?
J. Pearlman: Great, Im scratching my head here. When can youe over?
2567: Right away.
Chapter 1570 - Huke Alley
Chapter 1570: Huke Alley
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Alisritter got off the train and looked at Huke Alley in front of him. The Swordsmiths blurred out face showed helplessness.
What kind of debts were the hardest to repay?
The debts of favour!
Therefore, whenever Alisritter talked to Rachel, he would automatically lower himself because back in the days, Alisritter owed Rachel a lot, and until now, he hadnt truly finish repaying his debt.
The reason why he appeared in Huke Alley, the headquarters of Freedom Alliance, was to repay a debt.
Dan, one of Freedom Alliances members, wasnt really a core member nor a boarder one. He did not really want to be a solo yer, so in the end chose to join Freedom Alliance.
This Dan helped Alisritter before in his earlier days, which resulted in substantial gains. Speaking from a certain angle, Dan was truly the key person that led Alisritter to be boosted into the ranks of Supernova.
So when Alisritter received the call for help from Dan, he came over to Huke Alley.
He saw the colorful alley with a pebbled path and short houses, and pouted because he did not like this kind of fairytale design.
Alisritter didnt think Huke Alley was childish though. He thought some fairy tales werent as simple as they looked; a little bit of digging and the darkness beneath would be exposed.
The feeling of destroying childhood stories was the worst for Alisritter.
Maybe that was why adults did not like fairy tales.
With that thought in mind, Alisritter walked into Huke Alley, and the moment he stepped in, he heard wheels rolling.
It wasnt from the alley but from behind him. Alisritter turned around.
Three pumpkin wagons of different colors wereing from afar. They werent fast, and they were 50 meters apart from each other. The wagoners wore decent suits, but they werent alive, they were skeletons
However, being skeletons didnt stop them from speaking.
Do you want to go to your destination? 10 Points.
The first ck pumpkin wagon arrived, and the wagoner in ck pulled the reins to stop the ck horse before asking Alisritter.
Alisritter did not answer so the ck pumpkin wagon drove off and vanished beyond Huke Alley.
Do you want to go to your destination? 100 Points.
The second pumpkin wagon was red, the skeleton wagoner was also wearing red, and it stopped the horse by pulling the reins before asking the question. Alisritter still did not answer.
The red pumpkin wagoner went off, simr in fashion to the first ck pumpkin wagon.
Do you want to go to your destination? 1000 Points.
The third pumpkin wagon was white, and when the white horse stopped, the skeleton in a white suit stood up, bowed to Alisritter, and asked his question.
Yes.
Alisritter didnt stay quiet anymore. He nodded and boarded the white pumpkin wagon.
After entering the carriage, Alisritter didnt pay mind about the 1000 Points deduction notification. Instead, he touched the yellow bronze ring on his left index finger.
The yellow bronze ring was in with no patterns or garnish. It looked like some ring that a farmer girl in the rural area would choose. However, only its owner, Alisritter, knew of its value.
The ring could sense danger and also tell him whether it was safe or not.
Throughout his adventures, the yellow bronze ring had be an irreceable item to Alisritter.
When the ck and red pumpkin wagons drove over, the ring warned him about the danger, and when the white pumpkin wagon came over, the ring signaled him that it was safe to board.
Alisritter would not doubt the validity of the ring since he had been through countless life and death situations with it.
Groom Groom.
The skeleton in the white suit shook its reins and drove the white pumpkin wagon deeper into Huke Alley. Alisritter, from inside the carriage, watched the buildings fly over the window and sent another message to Dan.
However, he did not get a reply at all.
Other than the lit name, which indicated that Dan was still alive, there was nothing at all, not even intel about the enemy.
Alisritter also searched through his memories, but he couldnt remember anything. There was no one he remembered that used the pumpkin wagoner.
Of course, Alisritter believed that as long as he got deeper, the enemy would show up and he would be able to spot the ws.
After all, there were only a few in the big city who he was really concerned about.
Dear guest, you have arrived at your destination.
The ride in the wagon was bumpy, and after the skeleton wagoner spoke, the door of the carriage opened up. Alisritter alighted from the pumpkin wagon and sized up the castle before his eyes showed doubt.
The castle top was blue, and its walls were white; colorful banners rolled down from the highest tower. The hanging bridge was lowered, and a group of knights in shining armors lined up in two rows along the sides of the bridge, the line extending all the way to the castle entrance.
From where Alisritter looked, he could easily see how merry the castle was, but that wasnt the point.
When did the castle appear?
Alisritter might not acknowledge Freedom Alliance, but he had business connections with them and they had looked for him for weapon forging a few times now, so he had been to Huke Alley multiple times. He was very certain Huke Alley had no such castle as this before.
Groom Groom.
Once the guest was safely delivered to the destination, the skeleton in a white suit bowed before driving the wagon away, leaving Alisritter alone in front of the hanging bridge.
He touched his yellow bronze ring.
There wasnt any danger rms, but there wasnt a safety notice either.
No danger and not exactly safe either... An unknown territory?
Alisritter hated this kind of situation.
If he had a choice, he would rather turn around, but the debt to Dan forced him in. He walked along the hanging bridge, and as he walked, his footsteps told him the hanging bridge was real.
Chang!
Pak Pak!
After Alisritter stepped on the bridge, the two rows of knights drew their swords. They didnt attack but hit their shields with their swords in a rhythmic manner, as though they were performing a war song.
One would easily be aroused and feel hot-blooded when hearing it.
Alisritter was no exception either, but he suppressed the excitement in his heart and walked over the hanging bridge and the two rows of knights. When he arrived at the castle door, a tax officer in a vest and boots came over with a smile.
10 Points to enter the castle, said the tax officer.
Alisritter paid the price.
The tax officer smiled even more sincerely after the payment. He turned aside, bent over and performed a please gesture. Alisritter walked in.
The ring did not signal him of any danger, and he too did not sense any through his instincts.
Everyone he walked past smiled at him, and the few shops he walked past sold real items; there was food, wine and daily items.
Despite the scene, there was not a trace of anyone from Freedom Alliance.
Is it here?
After a big round, Alisritter stood in front of a gate connecting to the inner castle. He carefully hid himself and slowly approached.
However, when he was a dozen meters away from the inner castle, the yellow bronze ring on his finger burned him with extreme heat.
A danger rm!
Alisritter quickly stepped away, but nothing in the inner castle changed.
Looking inside with a dubious gaze, he did not notice that his shadow beneath his feet was quietly moving on its own.
...
Kieran got off the train and saw Huke Alley within sight, but an ufortable feeling arose in his heart right away.
Frowning, he contacted J.Pearlman.
2567: Where are you?
...
He waited for five minutes but there was no reply.
Based on their earlier conversation through messages, this shouldnt happen unless J.Pearlman was dead.
However, J.Pearlmans name did not go dark. He was still alive, yet he did not reply.
Kieran curled his lips into a smile.
He had been thinking aboutpensating his loss with the Freedom Alliances mole, but he did not expect the mole to have prepared a big surprise for him.
This is interesting. Kieran squinted and looked further away.
As the wheels rolled, the three pumpkin wagons of different color appeared again.
The wagons werent fast at all. From the moment they appeared until the first ck wagon stopped before Kieran, two minutes had past.
Do you want to go to your destination? 10 Points, the skeleton in ck suit said to Kieran.
Kieran had just given out hundreds of items to Rachel; he still hasnt recovered from it. When he heard the provocative words, he raised a brow and dished out a roundhouse kick at the skeleton.
The skeleton, the pumpkin wagon and the horse were destroyed by a single kick. Everything shattered into pieces.
A whileter, the second red pumpkin wagon arrived before Kieran.
Do you want to go to your destination? 100 Points.
BANG!
Another roundhouse kickter, the red wagon followed the ck wagons footsteps.
Lastly, the white pumpkin wagon.
The skeleton in the white suit clearly saw the ck and red wagons broken pieces beside the road as it stood up for a bow. As though it was blessed by the holy spirit, the skeleton changed its words.
Do you want to go to your destination? White Jack at your service.
Em. Kieran nodded.
The white skeleton jumped down the wagoners seat and opened the door for Kieran.
Please. The white skeleton bowed.
Kieran stepped up the little stairs and entered the carriage. The carriage was all white, the seats were opposite each other, and beside the window was a small cab, allowing the guest to perfectly ce his hands or items on top.
The cab has drinks, please help yourself. If you would like to request anything, please tell me; Ill be in front.
The white skeleton closed the door politely, and after the skeleton shook the reins, the pumpkin wagon slowly traveled forward.
The wagon traveled smoothly, and Kieran didnt feel bumpy at all.
Inside the little cab, Kieran found two bottles of drinks and a pastry basket.
The two bottles of drinks were wine and tea; the pastry basket had a baked butter waffle.
Kieran sniffed the waffle, and after he made sure there wasnt anything extra added to it, he stuffed it into his backpack, as it wasnt time for tea.
The smooth and quick travelsted for a few minutes before the wagon stopped.
Sir, you have arrived at your destination. The white skeleton opened the door and pointed at the castle outside.
Are you sure its here? Kieran did not move from the seat and asked.
His voice was calm, and his body didnt budge or flinch.
An invisible aura appeared, and it enveloped the white skeleton like a ferocious beast on the hunt.
I...This... I might have driven to the wrong ce. My memories served me wrong. Please sit tight, we will arrive at the true destination shortly.
The door closed, and the wagon moved again.
Kieran still didnt move from his seat.
Meanwhile, the white skeleton was driving the wagon in fear. The soul fire in his skeleton was trembling, and if it could sweat, it would be drenched.
It was anxious and scared.
After receiving so many guests, it was the first time White Jack received a guest like Kieran.
White Jack met guests who threw tantrums at the slightest disagreements. Theyd even attacked them, but it was the first time it saw a guest that could truly hurt them.
Poor ck Jack and Red Jack, hope the dogs wont take your bones away. Also, please bless me so that I wont end up like you two!
As apanion with independent intellect, White Jack started to pray as he drove the wagon. It turned the wagon around and drove towards the true destination.
It didnt know how Kieran realized the destination was a fake, a trap; it just wanted to take revenge on Kieran for not paying the fare. However, it knew that in order to stay alive, or whatever its current state was, it better not y tricks anymore.
This time around, the wagon travelled longer than before, and it finally stopped after 20 minutes.
Sir, weve arrived, I swear this is the true destination, White Jack opened the door and told Kieran.
Kieran nced over at the castle outside. It was simr to the first on the outside, but as for the inside?
There must be something different.
Kieran alighted from the wagon.
White Jack heaved a breath of relief after Kieran disembarked, but just when it wanted to drive away, Kieran spoke.
Wait.
Kieran didnt just call White Jack back, but he even grabbed the reins and tied White Jack up.
S-Sir, what are you trying to do? White Jack stuttered.
Nothing much, I want you to lead the way, Kieran said in a righteous way.
But Im a wagoner, I cant... OKAY! I may be a wagoner, but I have excellent pathfinding abilities too!
White Jack changed its words when it felt the coldness from Kieran. It even ran first towards the castle gate.
The two rows of knights drew their swords and performed the war song again by hitting their shields.
Powerful Spirit protected Kieran from being affected. He nced over at the two rows of knights before he saw a smiling man run over to him.
The man introduced himself when he arrived in front of Kieran.
Sir, good day, I am the tax officer of the castle. If you wish to enter, youll have to pay 10 Points.
As the tax officer exined, he was ready to perform his duty.
Chapter 1571 - Chessboard
Chapter 1571: Chessboard
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The moment the tax officers voice subsided, everything went quiet.
Kieran stood there in silence. He did not have any intentions to pay Points and enter. The tax officer continued to smile.
1 second, 2 seconds, 3 seconds.
The tax officer started to sweat under Kierans gaze.
Despite his gaze being calm and dull, it brought pressure to the tax officer.
The tax officer felt like he was standing in front of a boiling pot. He saw shrimps, scallions, carrots and red dates inside the pot; all that was missing was the muttonhe was a piece of mutton and Kieran was the person who was trying to eat him with a pair of chopsticks.
He was going to be boiled alive!
The moment the thought rose up in his mind, the tax officer bowed right away.
But of course, for a precious VIP like you, dear sir, everything is free. This is your hot towel, it can ease your aches from the journey here. Please enter, and if you run into any problems at all, please tell me right away. I will be right here waiting to serve you with all my heart.
The tax officer presented Kieran with a hot towel he grabbed from behind him.
Mm, Kieran didnt take the towel, he nodded and pulled White Jack with the reins inside.
Both of them went through the castle gate.
What weed Kieran was a street from the medieval ages.
The attire people wore was a little different but they were mainly very wide in cutting.
Women wore one-piece blouses; men wore robes.
The attire would change ording to social status and position, the materials used were different and some even had gold, silve,r or gemstones as garnish.
When a man in a long long robe and a golden belt embedded with gemstones walked over, everyone else bowed to him.
The man saw Kieran but he turned a blind eye, despite Kieran pulling White Jack around, as if Kieran did not exist.
Kieran, however, sized him up with an interested gaze and the man walked even faster under the watch.
Follow up, Kieran shook the reins in his hand and White Jack immediately followed the man.
Soon, Kieran followed the man to a certain shop.
The erected fork and knife at the signage outside the shop stated what kind of business it was running.
Kieran nodded and White Jack pushed open the door.
Much ttering came from inside after the door was opened.
Forks hitting on tes, chatter, and music were all around the restaurant.
The man in grand attire sat at the deepest table.
Kieran released White Jack and walked over.
Im looking for a friend, J.Pearlman. You seem to know something.
Kieran pulled the chair opposite the man, sat down, and asked.
You are not wee here and I dont know any J.Pearlman, the man said coldly.
Oh? Then can you tell me why a castle appeared in Huke Alley? Dont tell me the robots recently finished building the ce, Kieran prolonged his tone.
That is something you are not qualified to know. My advice is to beat it, as far as possible, its for your own good. Or else...
The mans voice grew colder, the merry atmosphere in the restaurant instantly going away.
The customers stood up and looked at Kieran with unfriendly gazes.
Or else? Owner, do you have any special dishes here?
Kieran chuckled and looked at the owner who looked very lost, not even sparing a nce at the angry customers.
His arrogance infuriated the man and the others around him.
GET HIM! the man shouted.
...
Inside a hall clouded by shadows, two men were sitting opposite each other and between them was a big, glowing chess board.
The chessboard had 64 ck and white boxes; each box had a chess piece of the same color.
Above the chessboard and the 64 chess pieces were three more floating chess pieces: two silver and one gold piece.
The chess pieces were moving as one of the men was controlling them.
The man was in utmost concentration but the one opposite him was different.
Damn it! Why is the ming Devil here? This is what we talked about!
A loud shout echoed throughout the shadow.
idents may happen in any n, the chessmaker said with unusual calmness.
idents? This is considered an ident? Are you not afraid of dying in the so-called ident?
The mans voice got louder and had a sense of fear.
Of course he felt fear, how would he be fine?
The one who barged in was the ming Devil!
Even though Kieran had many titles, his de of the Daybreaker was a Unique Title in the game, a lot more yers were used to call him the ming Devil.
In the eyes of these malicious men, Kieran was an executioner from the bones.
Ruthless, full of rage, merciless, and killing without blinking.
In the current state of the game, the ming Devil had surpassed the Broker as the most revered man, no one should ever step on his tail.
The angry man undoubtedly believed the rumours, or rather, he knew it wasnt just rumours.
Fret not. If we ran into the ming Devil in other ces, I might be even more nervous than you but dont forget, this is my board, not even the ming Devil can act as he pleases, the chessmakers voice sounded delightful.
However, before the delight faded off from his dark face, one of the chess pieces on the chessboard cracked.
The crack spread rapidly around the small chess piece, the cracks intertwined with each other and eventually shattering the chess piece.
The cowardly man felt even more afraid when he saw the chess piece shatter.
It has begun! It has begun! The ming Devil starts to kill again! the man cried.
Its just one piece, I have a total of 64 on my chessboard...
Kak!
Kak! Kak!
Kak! Kak! Kak!
The chessmaker tried to calm his coborator but before he finished, more cracks sounded. The majority of the ck and white chess pieces had cracks all over them.
I knew it would turn out like this! I want out from this n! I dont want to die! the cowardly man fell into further panic.
He may be victorious against mymon chess pieces, but what about the pieces from outside the board? No matter how powerful the ming Devil is, he will bow to the rules! the chessmaker said in a steady pace.
Rules? What rules?
The cowardly man asked but the chessmaker did not answer. Why would he tell someone else his biggest secret? Not even his coborator will know!
The chessmaker showed a mysterious smile to his coborator, raising his hand and the two silver chess piecended on the chessboard, recing the shattered ck and white pieces.
As for the golden chess piece, it did notnd on the chest because the chessmaker grabbed it.
The chessmaker was waiting for the perfect opportunity to deliver a devastating blow to the ming Devil.
I know you are powerful but is your follower as strong as you? As long as there is weakness, I will crush you to bits!
...
Back at the restaurant, the restaurant owner, the waiter, and White Jack were still standing, Kieran sitting opposite the nicely-dressed man.
The man, however had been dislocated. No blood, no flesh, no torn limbs whatsoever, because he was a puppet and the strings were cut off by Kieran. Same went for the others.
The restaurant owner, waiter, and White Jack watched the scene in utter astonishment.
Kieran was as calm as ever.
Owner, wheres the special dishes? Kieran asked.
Right up! The owner ran into the kitchen.
After a while, a bowl of soul with rich beef vour was served.
On top of the clear soup was ayer of red oil, Kieran used the wooden spoon to stir it and found the potatoes, carrots and big chunks of beef underneath.
The taste?
Average but the ingredients were fresh, so...
Another bowl please, Kieran said.
White Jack watched Kieran ate the beef soup, the soul fire in its skeleton burning in confusion.
Shouldnt he continue chasing?
Why is he eating? Is it that delicious?
Although possessing quite the intellect, White Jack was just apanion who worked for its coborator. It had no idea what its coborator wanted, but it knew what must it do.
It stood there without moving a bone, like a real skeleton.
One bowl, two bowls, and at the third bowl of beef soup, Kieran squinted his eyes.
The unusual feeling appeared under his radar again but it didnt stop him from chewing.
He waited for the unusual feeling toe near.
The chessmaker, who watched the scene through special vision, chuckled coldly when he saw Kierans reaction.
Do you really think the next attack will be a normal one? Your soul will be tortured! Cry! Cry in agony!
As the thoughts came into the chessmakers head, the two silver chess pieces vanished from the chessboard.
When the chess pieces reappeared, they were at a... library?
Two ferocious-looking silver chess pieces with interrogator knife and a meat cleaver were stunned, their ferocious face showed an extra sense of shock.
Where is this ce?
Shouldnt it be the targets soul?
Why is it a library?
Both of them then looked at the end of the corridor.
An eerie white figure appeared at the end. Her long hair covered her facepletely.
When she appeared, the lights of the bright library started to flicker.
Sparks! Sparks!
Sparks of electric sounded before it was reced by the tter of bones.
Each time the lights flickered, the eerie white woman got closer to the chess pieces, her neck and body twisting in a scary way.
The two chess pieces felt lost.
They nkly looked at the woman in white closing in on them and they unconsciously held the knife and cleaver tighter.
Suddenly, the lights stopped flickering, the library returning to normal.
Being surrounded by light, the two silver chess pieces heaved a breath of relief.
However...
Do you think I am pretty?
A rough voice that sounded cold and dark came from behind the two silver chess pieces, as if a venomous snake crawled over their backs.
The two silver chess pieces turned around and they instantly widened their eyes.
What kind of face is that?!
The face wasnt just pale, it was full of scars and bruises, the eyes dull as dead fish and it was a sore sight.
The silver chess pieces had human soul infused in it, so one of them shouted loudly instinctively, GET AWAY FROM ME, YOU UGLY THING!
The moment the words subsided, the silver chess pieces realized that it could no longer speak because the scary woman ripped its tongue together with its chin.
Aaaaaaaaargh!
The silver chess piece rolled on the floor in pain.
The other silver chess piece, which also had human soul infused in it, saw what happened to its partner, shuddering uncontrobly.
Likewise, it instinctively said, You are very pretty...
The dishonest shall never speak again!
The cold and rough words interrupted the silver chess piece and it promptly followed in its partners footsteps.
The whole library started to flicker again.
The eerie white woman brought the two silver chess pieces crying in pain away into the darkness.
NO!
The chessmaker, who felt something, shouted loudly. Unlike his other normal chess pieces, the two silver chess pieces cost him a lot of precious ingredients and tens of thousands of Points. They werepanions who could directly attack ones soul!
The chessmaker would not allow anything to happen to them!
Therefore, without further ado, the chessmaker mmed the golden chess piece onto his chessboard.
KABAAM!
A golden chess piece descended from the dark sky.
This golden chess piece was huge, two meters tall, donning armor and wielding a greatsword. It rammed through the librarys roof with strength and bravery that could rival ten thousand men!
Bang!
A hole opened up the ceiling and the golden chess piece entered the third floor from the roof.
There was no signs of stopping, for its destination was the second floor. It continued to ram down to the second floor but before it could...
Sob sob sob, someone broke the ceiling, sob sob sob.
Soft sobbing entered the golden chess pieces eas.
It turned around and saw a little girl in a pink lolita dress, squatting down and crying violently.
The golden chess piece smiled ferociously.
The little girl seemed to be a bulliable character, there wasnt a threatening aura from her.
The golden chess piece stopped in front of the little girl, raising its greatsword to kill off the weakestpanion of his target before it went to rescue the silver chess pieces.
Killing the girl was just along the way, it wasnt wasting anytime and it was d to do so.
With that thought in mind, the golden chess piece swung its greatsword down at the little girl.
The next moment, the 20 cm wide greatswordnded on the 3 meters tall body.
3-3 meters?!
The golden chess piece looked up in astonishment. The giant had to arched its body in this confined space, its head at the ceiling and it looked down at the golden chess piece.
U-Uh, Im looking for a little girl in pink dress, have you seen her? the golden chess piece stuttered.
The giant widened its mouth and showed sharp fangs like shark.
No, the giant said and extended its millstone size palm to grab the golden chess piece.
The golden chess piece was terrified, its eyes showing fear but the giant kept moving its body to the big mouth and ate it like a cucumber.
After the golden chess piece was eaten, the giant vanished and the little girl in pink dress appeared again.
She continued to squat down and sob.
Sob sob sob, its not tasty.
The chessmaker, who sensed the scene, rembled, his face turning ugly in the dark and ultimately...
Pak!
He spat out a mouth full of blood and fell on his chessboard.
Chapter 1572 - Chess Piece
Chapter 1572: Chess Piece
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
A mouthful of blood was spat on the chess board.
The white and ck was tainted by red, and with the broken chess pieces, the chess board looked like bloody ruins.
No! I will not lose! the chessmaker shouted.
Even though his face was blurred out, the cowardly man could tell the chessmaker was absolutely infuriated, picturing the ferocity and frenzy underneath.
The cowardly man stood up without a second thought, wanting to leave.
Leaving was the best option for him since he had only lost three less-than-obedient skeletonpanions.
Otherwise...
The cowardly man shrunk his neck at the sight of the bloody chess board, not wanting to put his life on the line.
Our coboration ends here. The ming Devil isnt someone that I can afford to provoke. I hope... we can work together again sometime in the future, the cowardly man paused for a second before finishing his sentence.
Despite what he said, he didnt expect a next time with the chessmaker because he didnt think the ming Devil would spare the chessmaker.
After that, the cowardly man turned around and left, his figure vanishing beyond the darkness of the shadow.
It ends here? How foolish of you, the moment you walk into the castle, there is no end for you!
The chessmaker did not care about the blood in his mouth, he simply raised his hand and pinched the air.
Pak!
An agonizing cryter, as though a watermelon fell on the ground, a lump of bloody meat floated up andnded on the chessboard.
Sacrifice! I sacrifice this piece of meat to turn around the situation!
His voice echoed in the dark hall, the bloody chessboard starting to glow faintly and shining through the lump of meat.
No! More precisely, it enveloped the meat and vanished swiftly, as though the light had 7devoured it.
When thest bit of meat vanished from the chessboard, a red chess piece appeared in the chessmakers hand.
Now! Turn the tides with me!
He then smashed the red piece onto the chessboard.
Pak!
The powerful smash produced noise as the chess piece was mmed, but... nothing happened.
The red chess piece stood in the middle of the chessboard without moving.
Why?
The chessmaker stared at the red chess piece with a dull gaze, mumbling gibberish.
Why not? You really think my boss would step into a weird castle without doing anything? Or do you think my boss is here to have some beef soup?
A ridiculing voice suddenly sounded in the hall.
A hand then tapped the chessmaker on the shadow, pinning him down.
You, you...
The chessmaker was frightened by the sudden tap on his shoulder, turning around and looking at the person who appeared without his knowledge.
The dark hall was a secret spot, not just any John Doe could have located it, let alone enter.
The dark hall didnt even have a traditional door!
Me? Oh I walked in. I know its weird, but to me, its almost the same as home.
Bloody Mary smiled at the chessmaker and sized up the dark surroundings.
The shadows might seem normal but in Bloody Marys eyes, the thing inside the shadow was stretching its body and baring its fangs and ws, subtle growls sounding.
Bloody Mary shrugged.
Always try to act smart.
Bloody Mary then swung its hand over the chessmakers neck
Pak!
The chessmakers head flew up and blood gushed out from the sliced neck.
His eyes were wide-open, filled with rage and unwillingness because the chessmaker realized the blood chess piece was still in his hand, but did notnd on the chessboard.
Illusion!
The chessmakerwho wasnt a newbiereacted to the situation, but so what?
He was dead.
Pak!
The chessmakers head fell on the floor and the thing in the shadow conceded right away. Bloody Mary didnt even bat an eye at the thing, taking the red chess piece and the chessboard before vanishing from the secret spot.
It hasntpleted its mission, killing this guy with the chess was just along the way.
The true enemyy deep in the castle.
As for the chessmaker?
He thought he had everything under control, but he didnt realize he was also just a chess piece himself.
A yer who just got into the Advanced Rank and acquired some wondrous items, hence the arrogance. In the end, the chessmaker died because of his ignorance.
Bloody Mary gave its honestment on the man.
Simrly, Alisritter, who had just suffered a stab in the shoulder from the shadow also warned himself honestly: never owe a debt anymore!
Alisritter smiled bitterly as the pain from the wound in his shoulder tormented him.
If there was pain, there would be wound; if there is pain and no wound, there were only two possible exnations.
One, the weapon was poisonous.
Two, the person who inflicted the pain had other thoughts.
Regardless of which, Alisritter assumed the worst, just like how his shadow hadjust stabbed him.
The stab was aimed towards his heart, but Alisritters senseswhich he honed through countless dangertold him to evade, but despite the effort, his shoulder was hit.
Such damage ignoredmon defense, the armor, inner mail, and even the force field barrier; they were all useless.
His own shadow stabbed him in the back, it was like he stabbed himself with a sword.
What was worse was that after the stab, his shadow vanished. Even under the light, he had no shadow.
The Witchs Curse?
Tricks from the Fiends?
Purgatory Sealing?
Thought after thought popped up in his heart, Alisritter trying to solve the problem but it was all useless.
Holy water, silverware for exorcism, hickory sword, and talisman charms were not effective.
Rather, it increased his anxiety.
He had to leave this ce! At once!
Otherwise he would be finished!
The anxiety in his heart was rushing him.
Even though he was without his shadow, he must leave!
Alisritter followed his heart and started to back off but when he moved, the street behind him vanished.
The gate to the inner castle was opening as its screeching capstan turned.
A person in ck walked out from the castle.
The person had no face, but the aura Alisritter felt was extremely familiar.
He knew who the person in ck was in a single nce because no one knew the person better than himself! It was his shadow!
The shadow that had` stabbed him and vanished!
The ck shadow paused, chuckled, and then raised its hand to form a shadow sword, pointing it at Alisritter.
Alisritter frowned, not just because of his shadow pointing a sword at him, but because the environment changed as the sword was formed.
The castle was transformed into an ancient colosseum.
The stage was very wide and there were 4 tall seating tforms around it.
A bloodthirsty cheer sounded in the colosseum.
Kill him!
Kill him!
Kill him!
Cheer after cheer, it was high as the waves.
Alisritters shadow moved. It turned around the sword and stabbed its right arm.
PAK!
The shadow sword pierced the shadow left arm.
A cut appeared on Alisritters left arm and he was bleeding.
Unlike the weird painful experience before, this pain from this cut was real, his mind feeling it and it making him breathe slower.
Alisritter then widened his eyes because the shadow stabbed itself over a dozen times.
Each stab avoided the weak spots but caused excruciating pain.
Alisritter was moaning in pain.
The crowd above the seating tform cheered even louder when they heard the painful moan.
Kill him!
Kill him!
Kill him!
The bloodthirsty cheer sounded loud again.
The shadow without a face acted like a real person, circting the colosseum and stabbing itself repeatedly as he walked.
Each stab was extremely painful for Alisritter.
After the shadow circted one full round, Alisritter was kneeling on the ground. His body was badly cut, with no intact piece on him anymore, as though he had been through the grinder and survived but hadnt died yet.
The path he had chosen determined him to be unyielding and had powerful life force, which also determined his adaptability.
The shadow stabbed its body again but unlike the previous time, Alisritter did not moan in pain. Not only that, he even stood up.
Now I see, Alisritter spoke softly.
He then walked to his shadow.
The shadow was arrogant and a show off a moment ago but when Alisritter walked closer, it became scared.
Alisritter grinned at the reaction.
You can inflict damage on me but you cant kill me, thats why you try to wear me off! After all, once I will die off, in addition to these kinds of illusions, you might really have what it takes to kill me, or... Rece me!
Alisritter shouted thest word.
After the shout, he grabbed the shadow by the neck, and mmed it on the ground like a gunny sack.
You freaking bastard, hiding in the dark,e on out!
Boom!
The ground trembled, the shadow shattered upon impact and reappearing beneath Alisritters feet.
The colosseum vanished and he was returned to the inner castle.
However, he did not manage to catch the person who had hurt him so badly.
As he pulled out a potion for healing, the gate to the inner castle opened up again. Instinctively, Alisritter hid himself into the shadow.
Amid the noise from the rolling wheels, a prisoner wagon was pushed out from inside the inner castle.
Alisritter squinted his eyes at the person inside the wagon.
It was Dan!
Although the face was blurred out, he wouldnt forget Dans presence.
However, he felt a little dubious about the wagon with his acquaintance inside.
Is this another trap?
Alisritter rubbed his yellow bronze ring again.
...
After White Jack paid for the 5 bowls of beef soup, Kieran walked out of the restaurant.
My coborator is dead, White Jack said after they walked out.
Coborator? Kieran looked at the white skeleton.
Contractor if you may, but my contract is a little special. There are no given orders, so I call him coborator, White Jack exined.
Kieran didnt say anything and looked at the skeleton.
He believed the sudden exnation wasnt just for the sake of exining things.
White Jack continued under Kierans questioning gaze.
Since my coborator is dead, I cant stay in this city anymore but I cant return to my own world, so I may be erased by the system. But I dont want to vanish quietly! I want to form a contract with you! Of course, it isnt a coboration contract but a realpanion contract. Your strength is something that I would serve wholeheartedly.
White Jack knelt down on one knee like a knight, cing his skeleton fist at his chest.
Oh, Kieran nodded and walked around White Jack before he walked further away.
White Jack was stunned, it had never met such a situation before!
Acquiring apanion for free, how could anyone not be interested?
My lord, I want to serve you! White Jack said again.
This time, Kieran didnt even look at it, walking inside the inner castle.
My lord, that ce...
White Jack panicked when it saw Kieran walk closer to the inner castle.
Because of the special contract, it didnt really know anything about the castle but it still knew where dangery. For example: around the inner castle gate.
Though White Jack was stopped by what it saw.
Gaaaak
The gate to the inner castle opened up, a figure walking out respectfully and bowed to Kieran.
Boss.
After the bow, Bloody Mary straightened its body, offering the chessboard and blood chest to Kieran and looking at him with ttery.
It was waiting for praise, and of course, it gave White Jack the side-eye.
Bloody mary was being clear with its gaze.
It looked down on the skeleton! It sneered at its existence!
If Kieran wasnt there, Bloody Mary would have stepped the White Jacks skull and questioned it. Even the capable Bloody Mary got a ve contract from Kieran, how could a mere skeleton get apanion contract?
Was it because White Jack was white?
Tsk!
Bullsh*t! Shameless pile of bones!
Chapter 1573 - True Phantasmal
Chapter 1573: True Phantasmal
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
White Jack looked at Bloody Mary in fear.
The judgmental gaze from a spiritual being was much simpler than humans.
Whose soul fire was stronger, who was the stronger one?
White Jack saw the soul fire in Bloody Mary, and it was definitely powerful. More importantly, the soul fire burned frankly, as though it was running on infinite gas.
What is this weird thing?
White Jack thought in its mind, but it approached Bloody Mary in a friendly manner and bowed, as though it didnt know how powerful Bloody Mary was.
As for Bloody Mary?
A warm smile appeared on its ghostly face, as though the sneering and mocking earlier was nothing but an illusion.
Trying to y disguise are we?
Im all for it!
Disguise was Bloody Marys forte.
Not bad.
Kieran took the chessboard and the blood chess piece, and inspected it.
Thement had two meanings.
First, Bloody Mary did a good job.
Second, the two items were really not bad.
[Name: Figure Chess (Broken)]
[Type: Wonder Item]
[Rarity: I]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: I]
[Attribute: 1. Figure Creation; 2. Chess Game]
[Effect: Transform Castle]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Prerequisite: Mystic Knowledge (Master), Spirit B]
[Remark: Figure Chess was created by some powerful being to kill time, but when it fell into the wrong hands, its original motive was altered]
...
[Figure Creation: Able to turnpanions into chess pieces and ce them on the chessboard. The created chess piece will obey the masters orders unconditionally.
[Chess Game: Whilepleting any kind of contract, the owner can have a game with the contracted person or being; If the target fails toply, a Cruel Game will take ce and damage will be inflicted rtively.]
...
[Transform Castle: It is a chessboard and also a castle.]
...
[Name: Bloody Chess Piece]
[Type: Wonder Item]
[Rarity: I]
[Attack: I]
[Defense: I]
[Attribute: 1. Buff; 2. Level Up]
[Effect: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Prerequisites: Figure Chess]
[Remark: Use a persons flesh, blood and soul to create a chess piece. The created chess pieces power will depend on the converted target (highest rank cannot surpass Figure Chess)]
...
[Buff: Able to buff every chess piece;sts 1 hour, 1 time per day]
[Level Up: Sacrifice Bloody Chess Piece to perform a level up to a specific chess piece]
...
Kieran tossed the red chess piece and looked at the ck and white chessboard.
When Kierans gazended on the chessboard, a feeling rose in his heart; it was as though he had total control of the castle.
It wasnt just a feeling though, as powerful Spirit and sensitive Intuition told Kieran everything he felt was real.
He could even feel the pleasure, sorrow, anger and joy of the people around the castle, and he could simply alter their fates!
Powerful!
The special feeling of power made Kieran breathe faster.
After three to four hurried breaths, Kieran returned to normal.
He then fell into deep thought.
It wasnt just because of what the two items represented, but also because of what he rted from them.
The first item was just as Kieran expectedit should be connected to the series of ambushes to Freedom Alliance before this.
As for the second item?
Kieran somehow thought of the big city and what followed was his heartbeat quickening again.
If it was really what he thought...
A chess piece, eh? Kieran muttered to himself.
He then discarded the thoughts from his mind and looked at Bloody Mary.
Is it useful to you? Kieran asked.
Yes. Bloody Mary nodded repeatedly.
Without further hesitation, Kieran gave the chessboard and chess piece to Bloody Mary.
Kieran was being straightforward because of Bloody Marys clean answer. It was also thest option in his current state.
As for trying out the [Figure Chess] and turning hispanions into chess pieces?
As long as Kieran was still sane, he would never do that, even if he had [Bloody Chess Piece].
The mastermind hiding in the dark must have more underneath his sleeve.
Never fall into an enemys pace. That was what Kieran had determined since the beginning.
Bloody Mary received the two items with joy.
Unlike previously when Bloody Mary fought with [Voodoo Pir] as though it was fighting its mortal enemy, Bloody Mary chose a more direct way this time.
Kak!
Bloody Mary put its hand through the sturdy chessboard and crushed the chess piece with his other.
The powers contained inside the two items were absorbed instantly.
After a while, Bloody Marys attributes changed again.
[Name: Bloody Mary]
[Type: Superior Demon (Hetero-Form)]
[Rarity: I+]
[Attack: I+]
[Defense: I+]
[Attribute: 1. Illusion; 2. Phantasm Body; 3. Hand de; 4. Blood Sucking; 5. Quick Regeneration.]
[Effect: 1. Form Change; 2. Mystical Knowledge (Pro); 3. Noble Knowledge (Master)]
[Prerequisite: Willingness to submit]
[Remark: A High Demon that was born from the Blood Queen Tiara because of an ident. After consuming the Voodoo Pir, it had reached the limits of amon demon. However, not being amon demon to begin with, it was smart enough to not simply fuse with those seemingly powerful things, but choose those that benefited itself. Another feeding elevated its strength to new heights.]
...
[Illusion: Create Illusions that require authentication no lower than SSS+ Spirit, rank I+ Intuition (Fail once, and the target will suffer Extreme mental impact; Fail twice, and the target will suffer rank I mental impact). When there are multiple targets, Spirit and Intuition authentication will decrease based on the increased targets, and when the targets have unstable emotions, authentications will increase.]
[Phantasm Body: Transform body to phantasmal form; immune to physical attack; 30% damage mitigation against energy attack. +3 in Undercover]
[Hand de: Hands are sharp as des, attack rank +1 (Cannot exceed rank III)]
[Blood Suck: Consume the blood of living beings to rapidly regenerate injuries and stamina, and cleanse debuffs. Regeneration +2 when munching]
[Quick Regeneration: Consume a small amount of Stamina to quickly regenerate HP; consume a certain amount to even regenerate limbs, including the head.]
...
[Form Change: Able to change into anyone, anything or any living being (possesses own abilities and a certain level of the targets aura). The size of the transformed can be no bigger than arge being (an elephant is the limit of arge being). Or change into a Blood Tiara (when contractor wears the Blood Tiara, they will be able to choose 2 attributes from Bloody Mary as skills)]
[Mystical Knowledge (Pro): Skilled in many pieces of mystical knowledge and able to use them freely]
[Noble Knowledge (Master): Familiar with knowledge that nobles have to master]
[Note 1: ve Contract doesnt requires points to summon]
[Note 2: Strengthen Contract; even if it somehow broke free from Fantos Manuscript, it would still be your ve.]
...
There werent any drastic qualitative changes, but the basic attack, defense and other attributes acquired a certain boost.
Kieran was satisfied with the results.
The two items that were used as bait to lure Kieran out were exchanged for enhancement for Bloody Mary, hence making his tool even more efficient. What else was better than this oue?
Of course, Kieran did not forget to seal the deal.
A new contract was given to Bloody Mary.
Bloody Mary was used to its boss way, so it signed its name while savouring the power up in its body.
As for the contents of the contract, it didnt even look, not even a nce.
It had signed so many contracts throughout its service anyway, so it had almost forgotten what the contents were. Since it couldnt free itself, might as well enjoy the ride.
All it had to know was one rule: never disobey its boss.
White Jack beside them was dumbstruck by the scene.
From the moment Kieran simply gave Bloody Mary the items, White Jack was already astonished.
It wasnt a newbie in the big city and had quite the understanding of this environment while serving its previous coborator, so it knew how valuable a powerful item was in this city and what it represented.
For every single yer, a powerful item could change ones life and provide one the chance to be a rising star in the city!
One single powerful item was already so promising, let alone two!
In the big city, 1 + 1 would always equalrger than 2.
What happened after Bloody Mary broke the chessboard shook White Jacks worldview; it defied its logic.
White Jack was utterly confused when it saw Bloody Mary signing a new contract.
Bloody Mary was already so powerful, why would it sign such a harsh contract?
Or could it be that signing such a harsh contract was the root of growing stronger?
A sudden realization hit White Jack.
The limited time prevented it from further hesitating.
My lord, I also want to form a contract with you, simr to that one!
White Jack pointed at Bloody Mary.
...
Alisritter saw Dan in the prisoner wagon get pushed out of the inner castle and get escorted to the za in the outer castle.
A stage was prepared in the za; an executionerbare topped and showing off its muscleswas grinding his axe on the grinder.
Many of the castle citizens gathered around and pointed at Dan.
Further away, a three level wooden stage stood tall.
The first level had knights in armours, a total of 12 knights.
The third level had archersalso 12. They each had a bow in one hand and loaded arrow in the other. They were looking around in vignce.
In the middle, the second level, there were a few people dressed in fancy attires.
They sat around a roundtable; maidens fanned them and served them tea.
Other than the person in the middle whose face was cold, the others were looking forward to Dan being escorted to the stage.
Is it that guy? Alisritter stared at a man with a cold face from the dark and wondered.
Alisritter was pretty sure he had entered a semi-realistic illusory state.
The castle was real, but the people might not be real.
In simple words, like the people who dressed as nobles in the second level, the Dan being escorted to the stage might not be the real one.
However, Alisritter must find the person responsible for all this. Only then could he escape the illusory realm.
But...
After searching around for a few times, Alisritter still did not find the person he was looking for.
If Alisritter was the mastermind, he would never put himself in danger. Being so, that tall stage that seemed safe but was actually filled with danger would not be the first choice.
On the contrary, the observing crowd would be more likely, but there were too many people.
Alisritter didnt know where to start!
He wasnt skilled in Intuition, thus he fell into a difficult position.
Meanwhile, from above the walls of the inner castle, Valenheart was watching the Swordsmiths difficult position from the shadows. He couldnt hold back his grin.
Come on! Come on! Pick the one you like! Ill surely give you a surprise!
Valenheart almostughed out loud when the delight hit him.
However, Valenheart held hisughs back because he knew how powerful his opponent was. He knew he might have absolute advantage in the situation, but he was still some distance away from true victory.
Only after turning the Swordsmith into his own chess piece would Valenheart have the confidence to confront the ming Devil.
Whenever he thought about the ming Devil, Valenheart frowned.
He never thought J.Pearlman would have such a rtionship with the infamous devil. Hed evene to rescue the Fisherman!
It messed up Valenhearts n thoroughly.
If it werent for his backup n, he would have failed or maybe even lost his life, let alone failing to achieve his original goal, which was to absorb the entire Freedom Alliance and transform the Swordsmith into his chess piece.
But humans always have weakness!
The Swordsmith put himself in danger because he wanted to repay his debt to Dan, hence making it his weakness.
As for the ming Devil?
Greed and the urge to control!
Valenheart was certain of it because of the ming Devils other title: the Treasure Hunter!
Why would others call him the Treasure Hunter if he did not search for items crazily until hed scraped thend?
As for the urge to control?
The ming Devil had always been solo; he obviously disliked situations that he couldnt control so he was no different from those lone wolves.
Valenheart had prepared a gift for him, and he should be immersed with his gift.
Hope you have a pleasant time!
Valenheart gave his blessing in his heart while he watched the Swordsmith move around.
After some hesitation, Alisritter finally moved towards the execution stage.
Since he couldnt find the person who was controlling the semi-realistic illusory realm, he chose to save Dan first, despite the high chance of Dan being a fake.
The oue matched Valenhearts expectations.
The mole in Freedom Alliance could no longer hide his smile. He raised his right hand, intending to swing it down.
KABOOM!
The heavens shook, and the earth trembled.
A pir of me burst out of nowhere and rose up to the sky.
The whole sky was tainted red in that moment, and a ck figure walked out of the mes as though he was tearing apart reality.
Found you.
Chapter 1574 - Reappear
Chapter 1574: Reappear
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Valenheart trembled when he saw the ck figure.
The fear came from the bottom of his heart.
When he got the news of Kieran arriving, Valenheart was already scared but when he truly descended, it threw Valenheart into the abyss of despair.
What followed his despair was confusion.
Why are you here? This ce is hidden in the castle, you shouldnt have found this ce! Valenheart muttered.
Hidden in the castle? Then Ill just burn down the entire castle! Where did you think the fire came from?
Ridiculing words sounded from behind Valenheart but before he even turned around, a hand went through his chest. Valenheart looked at the hand that perforated his chest, not liking the oue.
He still had a great n to carry out! He had the upper hand!
Why! Why did he fail in the end?
Valenheart looked up at Kieran with difficulty, wanting to express his pitiful emotions, but what he saw was Kieran looking around, sizing up the ce, not even bothering toy eyes on him!
He didnt even take me seriously!
This momentary recovery of consciousness before his death allowed him to realize something.
Then he was out of breath.
Kierans Intuition also told him Valenhearts presence waspletely gone.
The Honor Kill notifications then came up on his vision.
[yer Killed: Valenheart]
[Treated as self-defense through authentication]
[Categorized as an Honor Kill]
[You will receive all the Points and Skill Points of the yer...]
[Total: 30,000 Points and 0 Skill Points]
[Received the yers house key]
[Granted the right to use the yers house]
[All the yers belongings are returned to their house]
[Honor Kill: 119]
...
The pitiful number of Points and Skill Points did not surprise Kieran.
Kieran was mentally prepared when he discovered the peculiar situation.
After all, a quiet Freedom Alliance member wouldnt have be powerful and mighty all of a sudden.
Maybe Valenheart presented himself as such but the truth was still Points and... other peoples power.
The Points came from killing his fellow Freedom Alliance members.
As for the other peoples power?
Huuu!
Devil me burned from Kierans hand when he picked up an unusual presence further away.
The Devil me was hurled out with a whistle, flying across the sky like a meteor.
The semi-realistic illusory realm beneath Kieran started to crumble and vanish.
Alisritter, who got up to the execution state, saw the Dan and the executioner disintegrating into particles. He looked up, seeing the fireball fly across the sky as it was hurled farther away. Alisritter heaved a breath of relief.
That guy is here?
After the little mutter, Alisritter sat down.
Although he emerged a victor from the battle with his own shadow, it drained his stamina and energy greatly.
Since Kieran hade into the mix, he seized the moment to rest.
Alisritter took note of Kierans help in his heart, owing him a debt.
However, the moment Alisritter sat down on the ground, a ck cloud of mist appeared behind him.
Little sparks of ck lightning were rumbling in the mist but it was quiet.
Alisritter did not notice the unusual cloud of mist behind him.
A second before Alisritter got swallowed by the dark mist...
Huuu!
Devil me burned out of thin air and the zing mes shed with the cloud of dark mist.
The ck lightning from the mist rumbled violently, the thunderous pping sounding insignificant in front of the devils roar!
RAWR!
The devils image appeared in the mes. The ck mist shuddered and more ck lightning came out.
Troublesome bastard! You really think you can stop...
Fuuuaa!
Kierans actions were always faster than his words. While the ck mist spoke, two balls of Devil me appeared above his right hand and was hurled out.
Kaboom!
Devil me exploded upon impact, a dozen meters tall mewave drowning everything in all directions; the humid air dried up and became scorching hot.
Alisritter had already retreated far enough when Kieran appeared behind him and yet he felt each breath he took was like breathing burning charcoal.
Once a disciple of a master smith in a dungeon world, the Swordsmith was quite familiar with heat. Simrly, he also felt familiar when he saw the ck mist, very rmed by the presence.
The ck mist came for him! Everything here was set up specifically against him!
Dan was just caught in the fire and used as bait for him toe here!
Alisritters expression sank when he reacted to the situation.
No one liked to be setup, including Alisritter.
A de-like aura appeared on him, locking his gaze on the zing mes.
He believed the bastard who set him up wouldnt die so easily, and his hunch proved correct.
The ck mist shrunk rapidly under the scorching mes but momentster, it grew big again.
The ck mist started to exterminate the weakening Devil me.
Your mes are powerful, but... How many times can you use them? How long can youst? I am undead! I am endless! I...
Kabooom!
Baaaam!
Before the ck mist finished, it was drowned by the roaring Devil me once more.
As though a meteor shower, Devil me was sted out ceaselessly and was smashed hard on the ck mist from the sky.
The tides turned again. Devil me, who lose its stand for a moment because the ck mist grewrge, regained the upper hand.
Roar!
The magma devils roar sounded like battledrums; the Devil me was like infantries charging towards their enemy.
The ck mist was drowned again.
While in mid-air, Devil me gathered once again in Kierans hand and this time, the Devil me was unlike the ones he simply hurled out earlier.
This one charged up for a longer time, striking fear in people with a single nce.
Basic Devil me could dish out rank II damage at its highest but after charging up, it could reach rank III and with the buffs from [Fiery Sulphur] and Fire Raven, Devil me swiftly reached rank V.
It was undoubtedly the strongest Devil me that Kieran could dish out at his current power level and also his strongest attack, which was destined to be different.
Devil me, which was originally in a sphere shape, started to change form.
A pair of spiral hornsas sharp as a degrew from the charged up me; the me formed a face with arrogant eyesdespite being blurryits sharp teeth able to strike fear in people.
A breaths timeter, the rank V attack Devil me changed it shape from a sphere to the head of the devil.
The mes burned and roars sounded endlessly, as though the burning devil head was selecting its target.
Alisritter, who had nned to intervene, hesitated and stepped back after he saw the charged up me changed shape.
Scary fire! IV? No, no, no, its not IV, its at least V!
As he felt the mes that burned even his lungs when he took a breath, Alisritter swiftly determined what rank the fire was at. His eyes on Kieranwho was in mid-airchanged.
Being one of the people who ranked highly among the high-rankers, Alisritter knew what rank V meant.
Rank V had exceeded the previous ranking system, it was like heaven and earth apart from the old ones!
He and a few of his friends were working towards rank V.
Unfortunately, other than the one guy who never came out from his room, possibly reaching rank V, the othersincluding himwere barely scratching the surface of rank V.
And now, he saw the rank that he couldnt achieve and longed for.
Alisritter felt extremelyplicated right now.
He remembered when he first saw Kieran, Kieran may already be powerful but not this kind of absurd level that far exceeded his prediction.
What a fearsome fe!
Alisritter took a deep breath and watched the Devil me in the shape of a devil head hurled down, clenching his fist unconsciously.
He realized he had been cking recently.
Since when had he be like this?
He couldnt remember clearly.
A while ago, Alisritter had spent more time in the big city than in the dungeon world, although he was grinding himself in name, only he himself knew why he didnt clear dungeon runs.
He didnt want to endure the risk in the dungeon world!
Even though opportunity came with risks, risk was risk, which he didnt want to take it.
However... it was time to change! Alisritter made up his mind.
The altered Devil me was then smashed onto the ground, which was already filled with mes.
KABOOM!
An explosion louder than the previous one sounded, a zing pir shooting up into the sky.
Inside the zing pir, the devils image looked so real that it almost materialized.
It roared at the sky and punched the dark mist with all its might.
Kakrooom!
The earth shook, but it was just the start!
The devil imageunched a barrage of punches at the ck mist, as though its hands were machine guns firing. The trembles became an earthquake and it revealed the burned castle as it shook the illusory realmthe castle was then turned into ruins.
Aaaaaaaaaaargh!
Amid the agonizing cry, the ck mist faded swiftly.
The thing inside the ck mist was unwilling to ept defeat.
As long as it could get close, it would still have a chance to turn it around!
With this firm thought in mind, the thing inside the ck mist mustered up thest bit of strength and threw itself at the floating Kieran.
Kieran, however, did not give the mist a chance since he had already witnessed what it could do.
The moment the ck mist flew up, the devil image caught its tail and dragged it back to the ground. It was smashed down again before a barrage of punches rained down upon it.
The punches only stopped when the ck mist shrunk into a crystal the size of the pinky finger.
Bloody Mary, who had been waiting outside, appeared beside the crystal without Kierans order, checking the crystal before it grabbed it and flew to Kieran.
[Name: Voodoo Soul Crystal Remains]
[Type: Wonder Item]
[Rarity: III]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: III]
[Attribute: Sacrifice]
[Effect: Voodoo Consume]
[Prerequisite: Mystical Knowledge (Master)]
[Remark: Voodoo Hunters did not just admire power, they were fond of doing things the cruel way. The items formed by the tortured soul could satisfy their every desire.]
...
[Sacrifice: sacrifice it to the god who likes soul, you may get something out of it]
...
Kieran squinted his eyes at the crystal.
The person behind the mist obviously did not die, the mist might not even be a true form!
Or rather, the person dared not show his true form to Kieran!
All the person did was use tricks to affect yers and use them to extend its malicious power into this big city.
Why though?
Kieran had brought external power back to his room more than once, but he knew those external power would eventually be wiped out by the system.
If there wasnt a vessela yerto protect the external power, even just a little, the system would find it and erase it.
Invaders... interesting, Kieran muttered while his eyes sized up the burned area.
He remembered that before him, there was already someone else who had eyes on this kind of external power, and when the power appeared, the said person wouldnt have sat back and done nothing.
As a matter of fact, Gluttony had already picked up that unusual smell. Kieran was also cautiously looking around for the person that might be hiding in the dark.
After all, even Rachel was cautious against the said person.
Time passed by, nut Kieran didnt find anything.
Alisritter came over.
I owe you one, he said.
No need to, I was just helping you along the way, Kieran answered.
It was the truth, since Kieran came to Huke Alley to help J.Pearlman, so helping Alisritter was really along the way.
Alisritter didnt say anything about the answer, but he still took it to heart, swearing to find a way to repay Kieran in the future.
Youve found J.Pearlman and Dan? Alisritter asked.
In the dungeon of the castle. They were brought out by mypanion and they are outside Huke Alley together with the castle natives, Kieran said.
Castle natives? They arent illusions? Alisritter was stunned.
Some of them are, some of them are just contractedpanions, Kieran said as he looked at Bloody Mary, who was behind him.
Is this useful?
Kieran pinched [Voodoo Soul Crystal Remains] in front of Bloody Mary.
Bloody Mary nodded like a dog.
Since Kieran didnt want to sacrifice it to a god who liked his soul and did not expect anything good from the oue, so he flung it to Bloody Mary right away.
The eager Bloody Mary didnt even use its hand, it opened its mouth and grabbed the crystal before swallowing it.
Is it a dog before it bes a spirit? Alisritter wondered in his head.
He then realized Bloody Mary could read his thoughts and was gazing at him.
Alisritter smiled awkwardly.
I am a loyal house, not a dog! Bloody Mary exined seriously.
Is there a difference? Alisritter jolted.
Dogs simply bite people, a loyal house... protects its master!
Bloody Mary teleported behind Kieran in a sh. On top of its hand was a puppet which it grabbed through the void a moment ago.
Bloody Mary shook its hand and smashed the broken puppet on the ground.
It then shook its clothes and bowed to Kieran.
Boss.
Chapter 1575 - Make A Habit Out Of Watching
Chapter 1575: Make A Habit Out Of Watching
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Alisritter saw how ttering Bloody Mary was, shaking his head but did not say anything.
Humans were different from each other.
yers had many choices in the game, as did the natives from the dungeon world. Therefore, after bing apanion or follower to a yer, the myriad of choices wouldnt change.
Alisritter didnt like it but he didnt hate it either. He wasnt used to dealing with the likes of Bloody Mary.
After a wave at Kieran, Alisritter hastened his steps out of the ruins.
J.Pearlman and Dan were waiting outside.
Alisritter had something to say to Dan.
Kieran did not stop him from leaving though, as a matter of fact, Kierans attention was ced on Bloody Mary.
After it ate the [Voodoo Soul Crystal Remains], Bloody Mary underwent a qualitative change again.
[Name: Bloody Mary]
[Type: Superior Demon (Hetero-Form)]
[Rarity: II]
[Attack: II]
[Defense: II]
[Attribute: 1. Illusion; 2. Phantasm Body; 3. Hand de; 4. Blood Suck; 5. Quick Regeneration; 6. Demon Instinct]
[Effect: 1. Form Change; 2. Mystical Knowledge (Pro); 3. Noble Knowledge (Master)]
[Prerequisite: Willingness to submit]
[Remark: A High Demon that was born from the Blood Queen Tiara because of an ident. After consuming the Voodoo Pir, it had reached the limits of amon demon but it wasnt one to begin with, therefore it was smart enough to not simply fuse with those seemingly powerful things, all it did was choose those that benefited itself. After many times feeding it with rare items, its strength was elevated to new heights and surpassed itsmon peers.]
...
[Illusion: Create Illusion that requires authentication no lower than I- Spirit, rank II Intuition (Failed once, target will suffer I rank mental impact; Failed twice, target will suffer rank II mental impact). When there is multiple targets, Spirit and Intuition authentication will decrease based on the increased targets and when the targets had unstable emotions, authentications will increase.]
[Phantasm Body: Transform body to phantasmal form, immune to physical attack, 40% damage mitigation against energy attack. +3 in Undercover]
[Hand de: Hands are sharp as de, attack rank +1 (Cannot exceed rank III)]
[Blood Suck: Consume the blood of living beings to rapidly regenerate injuries and stamina, cleanse debuffs. Regeneration +3 when munching]
[Quick Regeneration: Consume a little amount of Stamina to quickly regenerate HP; consume a certain to regenerate even limbs, including the head.]
[Demon Instinct: Only a minority of demons possess this skill. It allows the Superior Demon to slightly sense the thoughts of living beings in a close range. (Including but not limited to human. It is easier for Superior Demon to sense the thoughts if targets mental state is unstable). Superior Demon has a certain change to see through illusion, illusory realm]
...
[Form Change: Able to change into anyone, things or living being (possessed own abilities and a certain level of the targets aura), the size of the transformed is no bigger than arge being (An elephant is the limit of arge being); or change into a Blood Tiara (When contractor wears the Blood Tiara, able to choose 3 attribute from Bloody Mary as skills)]
[Mystical Knowledge (Pro): Skilled in many mystical knowledge and able to use it freely]
[Noble Knowledge (Master): Familiar with knowledge that nobles has to master]
[Note 1: ve Contract doesnt requires point to summon]
[Note 2: Strengthen Contract, even if it somehow broke free from Fantos Manuscript, it will still be your ve.]
...
A rank II Superior Demon was undoubtedly the strongestpanion Kieran had.
Following its power up and attribute enhancement, Bloody Mary had already be an indispensable part of Kierans battle and scouting.
Especially the scouting part, with the new [Demon Instinct], Bloody Mary was a solid candidate to search for hidden intel.
So... a new contract was given to Bloody Mary.
As usual, Bloody Mary signed it swiftly. It enjoyed the bindings like bitter malt.
Resistance?
Non-existence.
The feeling of growing stronger was marvelous. Although it might die a few times here and there and had no holidays, it would be all worth it as long as it could continue to grow stronger.
As for the East Coast that it missed so much?
What? Where was that?
Was it Edible? Was it tasty?
Kieran walked out of the ruins after keeping the contract, while Bloody Mary vanished into the shadows.
Kieran left but Bloody Mary, with orders, didnt actually left the premise.
It was tasked to find more clues about the mastermind behind Aligino and Valenheart.
Even without Kierans order, Bloody Mary would not spare the mastermind because it knew the mastermind was the source for it to grow stronger.
Find the mastermind, let the boss finish him, and Bloody Mary woulde in and pick up the loot!
Everything was perfect! Life is good!
With these beautiful thoughts and admiration in its mind, Bloody Mary devoted itself to the search with passion.
Kieran finally saw J.Pearlman and Dan again.
Unlike the ugly state they were in when he rescued them, the two of them had recovered quite a bit after drinking potions.
Thank you, J.Pearlman walked over and thanked Kieran sincerely.
He knew that if it wasnt for Kieran, the Fisherman would be swimming with the fishes.
Although the mastermind was after Alisritter, should Alisritter fall, J.Pearlman didnt think he could walk away alive, just like his other mates in Freedom Alliance.
Once he thought about the deadrades, J.Pearlman who had once again grazed death, showed sorrow under his blurred out face and his eyes started to tear up.
The Fisherman wasnt a cold-hearted, merciless person.
Quite the contrary, he was a very kind and good person, with a soft heart for almost everyone.
Things will pass.
A hand tapped J.Pearlman on the shoulder strongly, followed by a rough female voice.
Dan walked over with her tall, buff bodywhich was stronger than amon mansand a long battle axe, plus her thick leather armor.
The female barbarian bowed to Kieran respectfully.
Thank you for everything youve done. If you need help in the future, just say it, and Ill do my best to help.
Dan wasnt a shy person, neither would she take turns with her words. Her straightforward personality gave Kieran the chance to demand whatever he liked from her.
Kieran wasnt surprised, though if it wasnt for her personality, how would the Swordsmith owed her that much?
Kieran didnt say anything though. He looked at the panions behind the two of them.
The natives from various dungeon worlds were also looking at him in panicsome of them turned pale when they caught his gaze and faltered.
The zing fire that had burned down the castle earlier undoubtedly frightened the natives.
Kieran didnt exin himself.
The situation back there was desperate, as he had to locate Valenheart as fast as possible and burning down the whole ce was the best way.
Dan and I have decided to rebuild Freedom Alliance, and they will be the first batch of members, J.Pearlman said as he pointed at the natives.
Are you sure about this? Kieran asked.
yers choosingpanions wasnt some simple process.
Chosenpanions should have certain skills or decent strength, but it would be best for them to possess both. This batch of natives was mostly normal people, brought back from the dungeon worlds by Valenheart to make the scene more realistic.
Those natives having certain skills would be good enough, let alone a decent strength.
Any yers who cleared their trial dungeon would be able to defeat them with ease.
Therefore, if these natives became yerspanion, theyd probably drag the yer down rather than providing actual help, forcing yers to take care of them.
Kieran was skeptical against J.Pearlman and Dans decision, but after J.Pearlman nodded again, he didnt say anything else.
Everyone had their own choices to make, no one else had the right to interfere.
After a simple conversation, Kieran parted ways with the two; Alisritter did not stay and followed Kieran to the train.
Both of them kept quiet in the train though, until the train reached Harvest Inn.
Tell Rachel Im going away for a while, Alisritter said.
Going away? Kieran was curious about the words he used.
Yes, going away. I dont have the confidence to return here and if I can, Ill repay Rachel twice the amount; if I cant... please tell her that Im sorry, Alisritter said seriously.
Its too heavy for me to deliver the message, you should do it yourself, Kieran shook his head and rejected.
I want too, but...if I do, Rachel would beat me to death in the inn. Believe me, she really would, Alisritter smiled bitterly.
Kieran thought for a while and nodded.
Y-You agree? Alisritter asked happily.
No, Im just agreeing to your words.
Some things are best to do yourself, running away cant solve anything!
Kieran waved at Alisritter after that and headed to Harvest Inn, since he still had something to ask Rachel.
Alisritter watched Kieran vanish beyond the door of the inn nkly, shrugging helplessly.
Running away is shameful but useful!
A sigh and an unwilling nce at Harvest Innter, Alisritter stepped back onto the train.
The train traveled away and vanished into the hustling city.
...
Kieran greeted the familiar acquaintances in the inn and got a lemon water with extra ice from Lawless.
Without even tasting, a sniff told Kieran the lemon water had more than one spoon of honey from the usual one Rachel served him.
Rachel will beat you up, Kieran sighed.
Its fine, she doesnt know, Lawless said boldly.
Kieran shook his head at Lawless idiotic face.
How could Rachel not know?
She was just waiting for the stupid Lawless to jump into her trap before she could clean him up, like a spider waiting for prey.
Though Kieran couldnt tell Lawless about it.
Thanks.
Kieran held the ss in his hand and subtly looked at Derder. The Doctor had mixed around with the other lone wolves pretty well, sitting among Hanses, Coll, Ramont and Rhino,ughing cheerfully.
The Doctor did not notice Kierans nce; Lawless beside him did not notice it either.
Lawless took out a cigar from his pack and gave it to Kieran.
Theres no need for thanks between us. Here, quality goods! It took me some effort to get this cherry vour, Lawless smiled.
Ill try my best to savour it, Kieran smiled when he received the cigar and headed to the living room.
Lawless was the reason why Kieran did not reject stepping into Harvest Inn.
Inside the living room, Rachel was lying down on the sofa. Even when she heard Kierans footsteps, she did not wake up or lift her eyelids.
Youve said before that things should progress ording to steps, Kieran sat opposite Rachel.
That is before you came into y. Regardless of how calm a person is, when he sees another weaker person overtake him so quickly, hed be anxious and want to achieve quick sess, Rachel said calmly.
You should think about Lawless more, Kieran tried to persuade her.
Its because he added three more spoons of honey in your ss?
Rachel had a peak at the half ss of lemon water in Kierans hand.
Kieran was defeated instantly, realizing he wasnt good at persuading.
So, he pulled the topic back to the things he wanted to ask.
About Aligino and Valenheart, how much do you know? Kieran asked.
A little more than you but its rted to the person that I mentioned before, so...I cant tell you.
Rachel twisted her body into a morefortable position before replying.
The wind? Kieran asked.
Rachel didnt answer out loud but the silence acknowledged it.
However, Kierans sharp senses picked up a special energy from Rachel when he mentioned the wind.
Although there wasnt any obvious change in Rachel, the feeling of resistance was real.
Its considered viting the contract by mentioning rted terms?
Kieran frowned. It wasnt good news for him.
It stated that this contract that Rachel had was near perfect, there were no holes for him to dig. Once such contract was vited, the repulsion would inflict unimaginable damage to Rachel.
Need me to do anything? Kieran asked.
Do I look so old that I cant walk?
Rachel turned a white eye at Kieran before continuing, Mind your own business! I know that Witch pretty well, she may not be anything evil but shes definitely not a good person. Since youve almost wiped out the mark she left on you, it may trigger a series of chain reactions. Its unpredictable. Dont even think about getting close to the womans power sooner rather thanter. You may think since itsing anyway, its best for you to get a general idea so that you can prepare for the worse, but dont! Believe me, that woman is much more decisive than you think. Since she made her move, she will not spare ground for you to turn around. Who knows, she may have set up a trap for you.
Kieran smiled at Rachels warning.
It was not that he didnt care, how could he not care about her sincere warnings?
It was just that he had been waiting for a long time.
After all, there was only one ce suitable to set up an escape-proof trap.
Chapter 1576 - Slash!
Chapter 1576: sh!
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Bloody Mary was walking along the street to Wallway Street 13th in Kierans face.
It casually walked along the street at an average pace but its heart was beating like a war drum. Kieran did not hide what he knew from Bloody Mary.
Their opponent this time might very well be the Witch!
It may be just some reactive mechanic that she left behind and now the Witch herself. Regardless of which, Bloody Mary felt anxious.
Bloody Mary knew there must be something in her that lived up to her name. More so, it knew how cautious its boss was about her.
Bloody Mary might neglect caution from others but its boss?
Bloody Mary had gone through a lot with Kieran, from a slightly strongermon man to transcendant level and now evenparable to the gods, so it knew what kind of person its boss was.
Vignt, calm, and brave.
Kieran was fearless against despair and always gained from taking risks, hence the rapid growth.
Throughout his growth process, any misstep could doom him beyond redemption, so Bloody Mary dared not neglect its boss cautiousness.
More importantly, with its boss current power level, there were only a few that its boss was cautious against, and the mysterious Witch was definitely on top of the list.
Bloody Mary quietly took a deep breath when it almost reached the door of Wallway Street 13th.
However, just as it was walking towards the door, it suddenly turned up and looked at the empty space.
Bloody Mary couldnt see anything but sensed malicious intentions, very subtle and faint, but definitely there.
Without further thought, Bloody Mary backed off.
Yee!
An eagles cry sounded.
As ripples happened in the empty space, a ck shadow flew down with an absurd speed that exceeded Bloody Marys expectations, like a bolt of lightning flying towards it.
Bloody Mary quickly transformed into its illusory state.
The ck shadow flew through Bloody Mary and appeared behind it, revealing its true form: an eagle.
This eagle was extremely huge, as big as an adult woman.
Unlike other eagles, who were mostly brown, white and yellow, it was a grayish, white color; its beakunlike a normal eagles crooked beakwas as sharp as a dagger in terms of size and shape.
Yee?
The special eagle cried out in confusion, not understanding why its diving strike had missed. It didnt stop its second attack though.
Yee!
The eagle opened itsrge dagger-like beak, a sharp cry sounded right away. The cry caused ripples in the air in front of the eagle and traveled in a straight 90 direction. As though it was water boiling, when Bloody Maryin its illusory statewas hit by the ripples, it fell down from mid-air and stared at the eagle in shock.
Bloody Mary was quite confident with its hiding technique, simr to its proudful undead traits, but now, its hiding technique was easily broken by an eagle. Bloody Mary looked heavier than ever because it didnt just fall out from the space, it sensed that the space rejected its entry, meaning it could no longer transform to its illusory state.
What kind of special ability is this?
Bloody Mary raised its hand and entered a battle stance.
Since it couldnt be avoided, it would have to fight.
However, to its surprise, the eagle gazed at Bloody Mary, sizing it up for a moment before pped its wings and flying away.
It didnt attack, it left.
It saw through my disguise?
Bloody Mary looked at the flying eagle in shock.
It was already shocked when it was exposed from its illusory state; it was further astonished when its disguise was seen through.
Disguise was a demons natural skill, the very first skill every demon learned after they took form, it could even be considered a demons talent.
Throughout the lengthy growing period, the disguise skill would grow together; it was the skill that saved a demons life and also enabled it to hunt for prey.
Especially when Bloody Mary reached rank II, its disguise skill had reached the acme of perfection. It didnt just allow Bloody Mary to look exactly like its target, it enabled it to possess the unique presence also.
In simple words, when it took Kierans form, it naturally possessed a bit of Kierans temperament and aura, even the closest acquaintances could barely tell the difference.
And now, a never before seen eagle saw through its disguise during the first encounter...
Its my bane!
The term came up in Bloody Marys mind unconsciously and it caused a lot of difort throughout its body.
It didnt know whether or not its undead ability was restricted as well, and if it was...
Bloody Mary shuddered. It didnt want to think about it, it was a very scary thought.
However, it showed a fortunate smile right away because it wasnt fighting alone!
It was always the bait for its boss, so the real attack wouldnt be from Bloody Mary.
KABOOOM!
As the eagle pped its wings and soared, Devil me exploded in mid-air and crashed into it head on. Following the explosion, therge eagle waspletely engulfed in mes but it did not die like any other living being.
It flew out of the mes with a few burn marks on its grayish white feathers.
But it was just the first Devil me!
After it flew out of the first, a second Devil me was already waiting in its trajectory, crashed into it without missing again.
Kabooom!
As the second explosion happened, the scorching mes burst out in all directions and created a giant fire sphere over a dozen meters in size.
Kieran watched the scene quietly, his powerful Intuition capturing the eagles movements and with a single thought another Devil me burst out of thin air.
There were no enemies that one Devil me couldnt kill.
If there was, Kieran would st it a hundred times!
If a hundred times couldnt?
A thousand times! Eventually, the enemy would be burnt to ashes!
With that simple thought in mind, Kieran created more Devil mes in the sky with his thoughta second Devil me was also created from his hand.
Two balls of me were like missilesunching at the eagleengulfed in mesfrom Kierans hands.
Kabooom!
Under Kireans precise calction, the two Devil mes hit the burning eagle without miss.
And then, two more Devil mes were sted out.
Once the momentum was going, it never stopped.
Kieran never showed mercy to his enemies and since he gained the upper hand, hed want to bring out his biggest guns to the fight.
Yee!
The eagle that was hit by multiple Devil me cried out in rage.
The space boiled up again.
The burning Devil me continued but it was slowly getting blocked out, as though an invisible barrier was forming in between the eagle and the mes.
Devil me was burning the barrier and the eagle behind it was fine, except...
The burnt feathers!
After suffering multiple Devil mes, the special eagle lost its valiantness. It wasnt just burned ck, a big part of the feathers at its wings were burnt off also, making it look more like a bald chicken than an eagle.
The eagle cried furiously when it noticed how badly it was burnt.
It disappeared from the sky and when it reappeared, it was above Kieran!
That ring sharp ws were going down at Kierans head.
It was quick! As fast as instant teleportation!
Even for Kieran, it was a first!
Against a w attack with such absurd speeding down from above, a normal high-ranker could not have dodged it, even some of the high tier high-rankers had no choice but to withstand it.
Kieran was different though, with a lot of ways to deal with the situation.
His eyes were shining with an unusual re!
[Half-deads Gaze, Deadmans Gaze]!
The mental impact consisting of Kierans strongest Spirit was shot into the eagles eyes.
The eagle froze for a moment, its ws paused if, but it quickly broke free from the illusions.
At the next moment...
Sssss!
Relentless hissing sounded. ck snakes, as thick as water barrels and as long as a car, with spear-like spears, sprung out from the ground. They bared fangs as sharp as des as they jumped on the eagle to bind it.
Yee!
Another eagle cry sounded, the space around the eagle boiling again.
Unlike earlier where the eagle shielded itself from the mes, the ripples from the boiling air were like a tidal wave, shattering all the giant snakes that jumped on the eagle.
The giant snakes were shattered into nothing but the hissing remained.
As the first wave of giant snakes vanished, another wave sprung up from the ground.
Sssssss!
The snake hisses got louder and more concentrated.
The eagle, which had freed itself from the constricting snakes, got tangled up again.
[Sword Skill, Myriad Snake, Ouroboros]!
Kieran spent three times his normal Stamina consumption to reset the cooldown of the skill and performed it again, [Sword Skill, Myriad Snake]!
Obviously the eagle didnt have skills like [Ouroboros], so the space boiling skill must have a cooldown timer.
While its skill was on cooldown, it could only rely on its willpower to fight Kierans Spirit.
Opposing a rank V Spirit wasnt easy, especially when [Sword Skill, Myriad Viper, Viper Venom]s effect was +1 to Spirit and +4 to Intuition authentication, which was difficult for the eagle to break free.
Tssss!
Sparks of electricity swirled around Kierans [Brutal Lightning Hand]his left hand glovea bolt of lightning spear then formed on his hand and was hurled towards the eagle tangling with the snakes. The lightning spear shattered upon impact and enveloped the eagle with electric sparks.
Then...
Kakrooom!
A bolt of lightning fell down from the sky and struck the electrocuted eagle. The rank III thunder strike obviously frightened it.
A translucent figure filled with an icy cold presence seized the chance andtched itself onto the eagle.
After the curse was lifted and absorbed [Divine Frost Energy (False)], [Wilcos Redemption] didnt just get a power up, it acquired a new attribute also.
[Chilling Spirit], which was modeled after Wilco, had the attributes of a spirit and the traits of Frost, showing absolute loyalty to Kieran. When ittched itself onto the eagle, it released its Frost Energy to form ayer of ice on the eagles body
The electrocution from the lightning and the freezing from the ice caused the eagle more difort as it struggled, but the real binding had yet toe.
Bang!
A 20 meter radius spider web with extreme stickiness and poison fell from the sky.
The eagle was caught by the web as it lost ground to dodge.
Hell Fiend Spider Fires effect was activated!
Images of monstrous entities appeared from the fire, each of them roaring at the trapped eagle.
Another round of Spirit and Intuition authentication happened to the tangled up eagle, which was already struggling with the snakes, electrocution, and freezing, so when the second round authentication happened, it exhausted itself.
Especially when the eagle failed one of the authentication, the rank V Spirit mental impact sted its brain, causing the eagle to cry in pain.
The enemys pain did not result in mercy from Kieran
He coldly looked at the struggling eagle before the area plunged into darkness.
[Dawn Descend]!
Kieran activated [de of the Daybreaker]s effect and three [Extreme Night] floated above him. The three pitch ck des chimed loudly.
Buzzz!
The de chimed and shook the air.
The eagle struggled fiercely when [Extreme Night] came into y. It was threatened but it did not change the oue.
One after another, [Extreme Night] fell down on the eagle.
The dark swing from the de was like a ck crescent moon, none of its shes missing, all three shesnding precisely at the eagles neck.
A total of 9 shes with rank IV attacknded on the eagles neck, the shes ripping the skin apart and badly mutting it.
At the same time, three ck moving lights attached themselves to Kieran, making his already ck outlook darker, as though he had put on a dark cape.
Kieran felt extremely safe with threeyers of [Night Veil] that had rank IV defenses each, grabbing the hilt of [Extreme Night] under his ck feather mantle.
Chang!
The real [Extreme Night] was as ck as the other copies but the main de had a faint ck light glimmering across the body. The ck de body was as dark as a ck hole, even affecting the light around it.
[Extreme Night] with the buff from [de of the Daybreaker, Sword Type Enhance II], swiftly reaching new heights.
[Extreme Night] alone already had rank IV rarity and attack, but it truly reached rank V after the little bump up.
A rank V rarity and attack.
yers changed during rank V and so did items!
Something contained deep inside [Extreme Night] showed signs of waking up.
The signs caused the eagle to cry in fear.
sh!
Kieran jumped up and swung [Extreme Night] down, a violent wind following his motion.
Fuaaaa!
After an explosion of violent airstream, the eagle stopped struggling. Kieran appeared behind the eagle, his ck feather mantle fluttering loudly.
Hended firmly on the ground and slowly sheathed his de.
Kak!
When the de was sheathed, the floating eagle behind Kieran fell down to the ground.
A straight cut appeared on that badly mutted neck and the moment it touched the ground, blood sshed as its head fell away from its body.
Chapter 1577 - Again
Chapter 1577: Again
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran watched the decapitated eagle start to turn blurry and dark, as though it was vanishing.
However, at the next moment...
A palm-sized spider appeared andnded on the eagles body.
The little spider quickly spun its web around the body and within a breaths time, the body was turned into a cocoon.
The little spidery down beside the cocoon and started its meal.
Almost 20 secondster, the bulging cocoon was left with ayer of skin and the little spider was glimmering.
The glimmer grew into a gleam, the little spider and theyer of cocoon skin vanishing into the light.
At the same time, Kierans wrist guard on his right hand was emanating a dark golden glint.
The glintsted for a moment.
The ck wrist guard became darkeras dark as the nightthe spider icon on top bulged, as though a real spider was crawling on top.
[Name: Mardos Lair]
[Type: Armor (Right hand wrist guard)]
[Rarity: IV]
[Defense: IV]
[Attributes: 1. Mardos Web, 2. Mardos Net, 3. Mardos Devour]
[Effect: 1.Mardos Fire, 2. Mardos Terror]
[Prerequisite: The one who killed Mardos (Binds yer)]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: Mardos was hatched from a Hell Fiend Spider egg that was left on earth, through a special and hasten hatching process, it had a growth disorder in nature, in addition to losing the intellect, strength and lineage of a Hell Fiend Spider, all it has was the natural predator instinct, but your presence has started to change it! The changes are deepening and now, it is one step away from recovering its own legacy!]
...
[Mardos Web: Fire a tensile and sticky retractable spider web not longer than 150 meters, the spider web has a rank II defense, target would require to have rank II Strength to break away from the stickiness, 10 second duration, 2 times per day]
[Mardos NetI: Fire a 25 meter radius sticker spider webced with poison, binding multiple targets 200 meters within sight, spider web has a rank II and above defense, target would require to have rank II Strength and above to break away. The poison will force the target undergo 3 times Constitution authentication of rank III, rank II, Strong rank I. If target failed all 3 authentication, target will receive rank III poison attack. If target fail 2 authentication, target will receive rank II poison attack. If target fail 1 authentication, target will receive Strong rank I poison attack, 5 seconds duration, 1 per day]
[Mardos Devour: yer will absorb the soul energy of each target kill, replenishing yers HP, Stamina, the recovery rate is based on the targets soul level. The soul can be temporarily stored in the armguard, able to replenish at will. The restore level is equal to 2 Lethally Wounded Status worth of HP and Stamina , 3 Heavily Wounded Status worth of HP and Stamina, 4 Moderate Wounded Status worth of HP and Stamina. (Current stored Lethally Wounded Restoration: 2,;Heavily Wounded Restoration: 3; Moderate Wounded Restoration: 4)]
(Note: This is pure soul energy and has no specific harmful elements, suitable for all Origin Force.)
...
[Mardos Fire: When using Mardos Web or Mardos Net, bound target will receive a rank II fire damage and rank II negative energy corrosion. Able to activate Hell Fiend Spider Fire on your will.( Mardos Fire is not mortal fire, water and mud cannot extinguish it.]
[Mardos Terror: The monsters that lived around the hell sulphur river were not as simple as they look but they chose to bow down to Mardos. When using Mardos Web, Mardos Net, binded target will be forced to undergo a Spirit authentication not lower your own, Intuition authentication not lower than your own Fear and Illusion level. If target failed 1 authentication, target will receive mental impact attack equivalent to your Spirit rank. If target failed 2 authentication, while receiving the mental impact attack, target will be forced to undergo another Death authentication (Judged based on special life energy of yours and Mardos), target will die instantly if failed and the soul will be devoured!]
...
Its only a step away to recover its own legacy?
Kieran nced over the newly enhanced [Mardos Lair]. He went through the attributes and ultimatelynded his gaze at the remark.
It seemed like rank V was the starting point for Hell Fiend Spider.
Rank V the moment it is born... scary!
Kieran then recalled the description on Hell Fiend Spider: drag the stars down from the sky, devour even the gods.
If rank V was its starting point, it wasnt surprising to perform those legendary feats because no one knew what kind of absurdity Hell Fiend Spider could grow to be.
Rank VII?
Rank VIII?
Rank XI?
Or higher?
Kieran wondered andnded his gaze at the spot where the eagle fell.
His eyes showed that he was in deep thought.
The eagle appeared in a very timely manner.
After half of the Witchs Gift on its hand vanished, the eagle appeared. It would make sense if the Witch would want to take revenge.
But... the eagle was still too weak!
Although the eagle possessed all sorts of skills that countered his talents as a Chosen One, the eagle knew very little of him.
ording to the Enigmatic Realm which came out from the Witchs Gift, the gift should be very familiar with Kieran since it was with him all the time, thus detailed information of him would have reached the mastermind behind everything and yet it turned out that the eagle only knew a little about him, not much.
As though the eagle had did research on him on the surface level, it knew about the performance and achievement Kieran did in the big city but not the progress in the dungeon runs.
If thats the case... Things have just be interesting.
A person shed over Kierans mind.
He then opened up his PM tab.
...
Ro Street was as crowded as usual.
A while ago, this street beside Wallway Street had be the gathering spot for the newbies and rookiesa lot of veterans dropped by also after it slowly made its name.
The veterans dropped by not just because of the crowd but because some good stuff appeared in the market here a few days ago.
A lucky newbie acquired a Legendary item in his trial dungeon.
Since he couldnt use the item, he chose to sell it to fund himself and grow stronger.
No one knew the final price of the deal, but it alerted everyone to the fact that there were good things in Ro Street.
The already crowded street gathered more attention and became merrier.
Kieran got to know the story during some chit-chat with the ice-cream shop owner,although he didnt had much thought on it.
He didnt deny newbie yers having great luck or excellent talents, resulting in an overwhelming start during the trial dungeon, but he didnt believe someone would have sold a Legendary item after a newbie dungeon.
Although it was unusable and it seemed logical to sell it away, anyone with a slight understanding of the big city wouldnt have done it.
Humans had selfishness embedded in their nature.
Given that selfishness, where a lot of people would rather harm others than suffer their own loss, it would seem foolish and outrageous in other peoples eyes.
Therefore, this sale should be an advertising technique by the people who ran Ro Street.
Of course, if there was really a newbie getting Legendary items in trial dungeon, Kieran would be looking forward to it because if the newbie progressed smoothly, he would eventually make a name for himself in the game.
Your extrarge, strawberry, vani, yam, blueberry, mango, chocte, cheese ice-cream. A total of 3 Points. Thank you very much.
The ice-cream store owner served a 16 inch waffle with all sorts of ice-cream on top to Kieran. He sounded very joyful.
Other than a buffet restaurant, any other kind of shop would be overjoyed to serve the likes of Kieran.
One man could rival ten mens appetite!
How could the owner not be happy?
Kieran paid a paper currency equivalent to 3 Points before taking his ice-cream waffle to an empty seat.
Due to the differences in price, a lot of food had not reach the 1 Point value, so there was an exchange booth at the entrance of Ro Street for visitors to convert points to paper currency.
yers might not get used to it at first but as the system progressed on, many visitors of Ro Street had two to three pieces of paper currency equivalent to 1 Point in their hand as they shop.
Kieran picked up his spoon, scooped up one third of the strawberry ice-cream sphere at the top and delivered it into his mouth.
His mouth was then filled with coldness, sweetness, and the aromatic taste of strawberry, squinting his eyes pleasantly and his blurred out face showing satisfaction.
The satisfaction did not go away even when Borl showed up.
Compared to thest meeting, Borl looked even more dispirited this time, not in terms of looks but his presence struck Kieran as such, as if Borl was a gambler who had lost everything and was ready to end his life.
The ice-cream shop owner stared at Borl when he stepped in.
There were securities and patrols in Ro Street but for them to appear at the scene required time, so in the meantime, anything could happen.
She didnt want anything to happen to her shop, likewise her customers.
Therefore, when she saw Borl walk to Kieran, she uttered her reminder loudly.
Sir, is he here for you? Do you both know each other? the store owner asked.
Yup, Kieran nodded; Borl shrugged.
Dont worry, I am not here to cause trouble, I dare not either. After all, in front of him...
Borls voice got softer and eventually stopped his gaze on Kieran.
Despite the fact that he had gave up on himself because of the repeated failures, Borl did not want to die yet.
The person in front him wasnt a saint by any means, describing Kieran as ruthless could already be considered as mild.
Then good, the store owner heaved a breath of relief when she found out Borl knew Kieran, then went back to her work.
As for the unfinished words from Borl?
The store owner didnt think much. The big city was too big and too many rumours for herwho was trying to survivetoprehend.
She didnt even care. All she sought was to earn a steady ie and when the time came, ovee her next dungeon run.
It was the mindset of the majority of yers in the big city.
No one should look down on others because everyone is the same.
After all, taking risks was only the minority; enduring passively was the reality.
What do you know about the leader of the Guardians? Kieran asked.
I dont! Although I was one of the eight Magistrate of the Guardians at first, those who could get in touch with the leader were the two Supervisors! Other than them, no one else can get to the leader. The whole Guardians operated around the two Supervisors, who were responsible for delivering the leaders order to the rest of us. Borl shook his head and said what he knew.
Who are those Supervisors? Kieran asked.
If they havent changed, they should be Rynester and Yu. Rynester is in charge of delivering the orders; Yu is in charge of sanctions, just like his name suggested, Borl shrugged in an unnatural way.
He seemed to be afraid of Yu.
4 to 5 secondster, Borl continued after he expelled the fear in his heart.
Rynester is a milder person, most of the time he speaks in a tender way. I dont know about his strength, abilities, or skills because Ive never seen him in action. As for Yu, his weapon or item is a chain. The chain is very quick and powerful, it has a certain aura to it, simr to killer intents and negative energy. Back then, I couldnt even withstand a hit from him. If you run into Yu, I suggest a melee approach. Dont give him the chance to use his chains. Thats what I know about them and if there isnt anything else, Ill take my leave now.
Borl stood up after he finished and ready to leave.
Kieran didnt stop him, instead initiating a trade and paying Borl 3000 Points.
Borl was stunned, looking at Kieran in confusion.
Intel fee. Based on what I know, your intel is worth this much, Kieran answered.
This is surprising. Borl took a good look at Kieran.
In Borls impression, a powerhouse like Kieran could easily determine the life and death of the weak, like him.
Borl dared not hesitate against Kierans question, since he was afraid of dying.
He was afraid that Kieran would simply kill him, and with Kierans power, killing him would be too easy, but in the end, Borl got paid.
I believe in equivalent exchange, Kieran said as Borl looked at him.
Is that so? Coincidentally, me too. Based on what I know, the intel I shared with you just now isnt worth this muchIll share another one with you. The true dome clock tower isnt what it looks like. If you want to see the real thing, go in at 7.01. Of course, danger lurks.
After that, Borl shrugged and walked out of the ice-cream store, soon vanishing beyond the crowd.
Kieran didnt care about Borl anymore, quickly finishing his ice-cream and waffle before ordering another set.
Owner, the same thing, another te please.
Okay,ing right up! the joyful voice answered.
Two minutester, an extrarge ice-cream waffle appeared on Kierans table again.
What followed the ice-cream was another person in mantle.
What a coincidence! We meet again. Remember me? Im Be.
Yu C Chinese character meaning prison.
Chapter 1578 - Distribute
Chapter 1578: Distribute
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
He was up against ady who unted her beautiful figure in front of him, but Kieran didnt even look at her.
He picked up his spoon, scooped up a portion of the chocte ice-cream and shoved it into his mouth. While the cocoa vour spread in his tongue, Kieran only squinted his eyes and looked up.
Be? Who? I dont remember, Kieran said.
Be, who was used to unting her body in her talking techniques, froze for a moment.
You are really a joker. We just met not too long ago. Did you forget [Barrier Water]? Besides, our intel tells us you are not a forgetful person.
Be returned to normal after her little mishap, her tone sounding a little cheeky, as though she was acting coquettishly, but Kieran wasnt moved.
Kieran looked at Be in silence.
His calm eyes gave Be tremendous pressure.
Even with the systems blur, Be instinctively chose to keep away her smile and sat straight, as though she was petrified.
In Bes mind, that ck monster had started toe alive again.
As a matter of fact, she had been seeing the monster in her head, picturing the monsters opened mouth, ready to eat her.
Huuaaa, Huaaa!
Hurried breathing sounded, Bes straight sitting posture started to shake, sweat unconsciously filling her forehead.
Since you people know that I am not a forgetful person, then you should know that I dont like being followed, Kieran said.
We did not follow you! We are following Borl! Be exined.
Following him and appearing before me... is there a difference? Kieran asked back. Be was speechless.
She started to regret acting on her own. Her initial mission was just to watch Borl, but when she noticed Borl was meeting Kieran, she altered her n in the hope of finding some clues.
After all, Borl was a member of the Guardian in the earlier days, an indispensable part of their nanything that happened to him would surely affect their entire n and it was something Be would not allow, hence the risk.
The infamous ming Devil was really scary, she and all the others in the big city who heard Kierans name before knew it but she had some confidence in herself.
Her confidence wasnt just built on thest contact with Kieran, it was also because she had made a breakthrough in her skill sets recently.
In thest meeting with the ming Devil, Kieran not responding to her seduction was an insult, a defeat for her, hence she used two cooldown reset cards consecutively to clear two dungeon runs after that and acquired very high ratings.
She invested all her gains into her skills, hence the confidence.
Of course, she dared not wish to surprise the ming Devil but she thought she could have somehow affected KIeran.
Her thoughts were beautiful, but reality was cruel.
Kieran didnt react to her words, his countenance not changing and it told Be what kind of mistake she had justmitted.
Im sorry for my inconsideration. Let mepensate you, other than turning me into your ve or death, I can agree to any terms, Be said without a second thought.
The terms that would make one speechless, yet she uttered them so simply. Undoubtedly, Be was keen to correct her mistakes, or rather, Be knew how to survive in front of the ming Devil because she did research on Kieran before.
How much do you think your life is worth?
Kieran moved his spoon to the blueberry ice-cream sphere beside the chocte one. With a little chocte ice-cream left on his spoon, he scooped the slightly sour blueberry ice-cream into his mouth, which provided an extrayer of sweetness on top of the sourness. In addition to the coldness, it was a pleasant eating experience. Kieran directly scooped the whole blueberry ice-cream in the next spoon and delivered it into his mouth.
My life? Be looked down in silence.
Life was priceless.
Or rather, ones own life was priceless.
Should it bebeled with a price, it was hard for one to put a number on it.
Too low, it would make her unworthy.
Too high, she could not afford the cost.
Be frowned and ultimately clenched her teeth.
Priceless! My life is priceless to me! It may be worth nothing to you because with a lift of hand, you can easily destroy minerather than destroying my life, might as well keep me for future use. I still have many [Barrier Water] with me, and Id surely get a portion of the newly enhanced version of the potion, said Be.
Not enough, Kieran shook his head.
I can sign a contract with you, Ill help you with my best efforts without defying my stance. Be quickly made a sharp turn in her thoughts and formed a new sentence.
10 times, Kieran provided a number.
T-Ten times?!
Be was shocked, looking at Kieran with widened eyes. She obviously did not think Kieran would make such a high demand. Shouldnt it be when she said one, Kieran replied with three or four?
However, since it was rted to her own life, she had no ground to negotiate.
Fine! Ten times it is! Be answered.
A brand new contract appeared before Be, and after making sure there werent any mistakes, she signed her name.
She still did not leave after she returned the contract to Kieran.
My dear sir, do you have anything to do with Borl? I dont mean to pry for information but his identity is very important to us. We may contact him soon in the future, Be exined.
Nope. I am just asking for some information.
What do you know about the leader of the Guardians?
Kieran asked after shaking his head.
The one who understood you the most will never be your friend but your enemy, especially when a friend turns into enemy, the understanding of each other would be far deeper than imagined.
The Resistance, which derived from the Guardians, fit the saying.
However, to Kierans disappointment, Be didnt know much, almost simr to Borl.
Though he could confirm one thing: the two Supervisors of the Guardians were still the same person, Rynester and Yu.
Is that so? Kieran said with slight disappointment.
The Guardians are very confidential with their rankings, its more secretive than anyone could imagine. Normal members didnt even know about the existence of the Supervisors, only the Magistrate. Some even thought the Supervisors were the leader; some thought the eagle was the leader, Be mocked.
Eagle? Do you know anything about the eagle in the Guardians?
Kieran automatically thought of the eagle that appeared in the very beginning and casted the Witchs Mark on him and thetest giant eagle with extraordinary powers, which the little spider ate.
Other than the eagle that granted us the Witchs Mark, Ive not seen any other eagle. Even for that eagle, Ive only met it a couple of times during meetings and it should share the same ranks with the two Supervisors but Yu did not really submit to that eagle, hed always speak sarcastically in front of that eagle, Be recalled.
After that, the conversation continued for some more but Be did not provide any more useful information to Kieran. It soon ended.
Be left the ice-cream shop in a hurry and Kieran waved at the store owner again.
One more serving please, takeaway, said Kieran.
Coming right up, dear customer! the store owners joyful voice replied.
...
Meanwhile, at the dome clock towers highest level, an eagle was hiding in the corner of a hidden room. pping of wings sounded ceaselessly as the eagle knocked on the window.
Loud thuds would sound as the window was tapped on but the sturdy, iron-like window with runes branded all over it did not budge. It even reflected a part of the repulsion energy to that eagle.
Yee!
After a painful cry, itnded on its eagle stand once more.
It shook its broken wings and looked up at the sky outside the window.
The sky was the ce that it used to soar.
It belonged up there, it liked the feeling of soaring in the sky, it shouldnt be trapped here.
Yee!
Another cry sounded and the eagle flew towards the window again.
The runes on the window lit up again.
...
Wallway Street 13th.
Kieran sat down on his seat with two metal bottles in his hands.
[Drops of Finest Cream]!
The specialty from Ryde Family in the dungeon world [Meaning of Eat]. The item could unlock intellect type Talent. It had the biggest chance on the first consumption and gradually decreased on the consecutive; after unlocking talent once, the second time would be ineffective.
After consuming the item, [Drops of Finest Cream]s smell would linger for a certain period.
It was because of the smell that Kieran kept the two [Drops of Finest Cream] until now. He was back in his room and ready to distribute it to hispanions and followers.
As for who?
Kieran nced over Bloody Mary, Frost Wolf, Fire Raven, Old Book Canbenor, Agernessa the interrogator, Averdore Lily the sobbing little giant and White Jack. He had made up his mind.
He called Fire Raven first.
Gawk!
Fire Ravennded on Kierans forearm after a p of wings.
Among all hispanions and followers, Fire Ravens scouting ability which relied on its natural talent was undoubtedly still the strongest. Plus Fire Ravens [Infuse] effect provided a great help to Devil me.
Despite the fact that it couldnt go higher than rank V, it was an indispensable aid for Kieran.
Everything about the Fire Raven was good except for itscking intellect! It was the only regrettable thing that caused Kieran to frown.
Although it was a Xenotype High Fiend and its intellect was much better than othermon animals, its near human level intellect was still some distance away from a real human being.
Maybe leveling Fire Raven to the next level would grant it human-like intellect, but it would have to depend on luck; Kieran never relied on luck.
Therefore, one [Drops of Finest Cream] was a worthwhile investment.
Kieran uncorked the bottle and fed Fire Raven [Drops of Finest Cream] drop by drop.
After it finished the whole bottle, the dash of gold in the middle of its forehead started to glimmer.
The glimmersted for 5 seconds. After it faded away, the dash of gold looked more brilliant and subtly changes happened to it: it looked more like a vertical human eye now.
In the Effect column, a new one was added: [Personification].
[Personification: After apanying you for a long time, the Fire Raven is learning all your traits and after consuming Drops of Finest Cream, it haspletely awakened its intellect. It now has human level intellect but its personality is growing more towards you.]
...
Fire Raven jumped up to Kierans shoulder, pushed its head against Kierans cheek to show affection before it looked down at the otherpanion and followers.
That bird, its looking down on me?
White Jack, who was at the end of the line, suddenly felt the meaningful gaze but it didnt care.
It locked its empty eye sockets at the only bottle of [Drops of Finest Cream].
Although White Jack didnt know what it was, it knew it must be good and more importantly Kieran hadnt decided who to give it to!
Once the thought came into its mind, White Jack stopped hesitating.
Oh great...
Woof! Woof!
The moment White Jack opened its mouth, Frost Wolf already circling Kierans leg.
It pushed its head against Kierans pant as it whimpered. It then turned upside down, showing its belly to Kieran and widening its brown and blue odd-color eyes, its tongue out as it tried its best to win over Kierans heart.
Kieran squatted down and touched Frost Wolfs head.
This isnt something puppy eyes can get you. It has a better choice, Kieran exined.
Frost Wolf then jumped up and bit Kieran at the corner of his pants, acting like a spoiled pet.
Your avarice knows no boundaries, you cheeky bastard! Dont forget, you still have this! If you want the [Drops of Finest Cream], you can exchange it with this!
Kieran smiled and carried Frost Wolf up, pointing at the leather pouch around its neck, which held [Frost Heart Remnant].
It whimpered repeatedly and held the leather pouch with its two front paws tightly.
It then bared teeth at White Jack.
What? Why bare your teeth at me? You are a wolf, not a dog! You want a piece of bone?
White Jack somehow also understood the meaningful gaze from Frost Wolf.
The hybrid canine seemed to be ming the skeleton.
Or rather it assumed that White Jack spoke first hence the altered result.
Am I capable of that? I am just a pile of bones! A not so important pile of bones!
White Jacks soul fire grew dimmer as it looked at the [Drops of Finest Cream].
On the contrary, the Old Book had been quiet throughout the gathering.
Old Book, Kieran called out to him.
He then tossed the bottle of [Drops of Finest Cream] to the Old Book.
Old Book was shocked.
Kieran continued, You match well with intellect type talents anyway, I am looking forward to what kind of changes will it bring to you.
I will not let you down, my lord!
The white haired Old Book bowed before he uncorked the bottle and finished every drop of the liquid.
Chapter 1579 - Entry. Hero and Villain 2
Chapter 1579: Entry. Hero and Viin 2
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Unlike Fire Raven, Old Book used almost 30 seconds to digest [Drops of Finest Cream] and transform it into his own powers. When the energy wave in his body triggered by [Drops of Finest Cream] finally faded, Old Booksplete attributes disyed itself before Kieran for the first time.
[Name: Canbenor]
[Type: Iplete Alternate Divine Being (Low Tier)]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attack: Strong]
[Defense: Strong]
[Attribute: 1. Swift Read; 2. Quick Memory; 3. Wise Deduction; 4. Cast]
[Effect: 1. Mystical Knowledge (Pro); 2. Misceneous Knowledge (Musou)]
[Prerequisite: 1. Submit; 2. Contract]
[Remark: Canbenor is known as the God of Knowledge but it wasnt a fitting title. Although he is quite knowledgeable in various fields, Drops of Finest Cream provided him with more possibilities]
...
[Swift Read: Canbenor can read books or any kind of literature 10 times faster thanmon reading speed]
[Quick Memory: Canbenor would never forget the things he read before]
[Wise Deduction: Because of Drops of Finest Cream, Canbenor isnt just passively receiving knowledge anymore, he can simte data and models in his mind and record those knowledge with logical deduction. Able to spend more time to boost a certain knowledge deduction to a higher level (Limit is Rare rank)]
[Cast: Canbenor knew a lot of Common level magic and techniques]
...
[Mystical Knowledge: Pro level allows Canbenor to understand most of the Mystical Knowledge]
[Misceneous Knowledge: Culture, customs, medical, cooking, even stories and tales are all within his knowledge range (Limited to the world he had been through)]
...
Kieran went over the newly disyed attributes and paused on [Wise Deduction] for a moment.
Its rted to his own rarity?
Kieran wondered as he looked at the term Limit is Rare rank.
How do you feel? he asked.
Ive never felt better! Some knowledge that I remembered but couldnt understand are all made clear to me, Ive even many new insights! I believe that when I arranged all the knowledge in my head, I will be able to ascend to newer heights! Old Book bowed again.
New heights? Kieran was concerned about the things that caught his attention.
Yes. The methods for my appearance have set me apart from you, my lord, and everyone else here. I am not good at battle and the only way for me to reach a higher level is to read more, Old Book exined.
Which means if you have sufficient new and never before read knowledge, you can level up on your own? Kieran asked.
Yes, thats right, Old Book nodded.
If thats the case...
Kieran somehow thought of Nikoreis book collection and also the mission scroll she gave him, [Nikoreis Mission Scroll].
Kieran of course wouldnt simply use the scroll, not just because of the [Anonymous Cost] but also because where he was now: the big city!
With the series of events earlier, Kieran already had many guesses in his heart and none of them were that pleasant.
Huu!
Kieran took in a deep breath and emptied his brain. He pointed at the books at the corner of his room and told the Old Book, Ill pay more attention to that. You can now read any book in my room. It may not be a lot but its better than nothing.
Thank you for everything.
Old Book bowed before he walked to the pile of messy books.
As pages flipped, Bloody Mary, Agernessa, and Averdore Lily all went away.
Bloody Mary had its own mission and the other two returned to their respective contracted space. All went off except for White Jack, the skeleton attentively walking to Kieran.
My lord, do you need cleaning of the room? it asked.
Sure, Kieran thought for a moment before nodding.
It wasnt that he didnt like a clean room, it was because he didnt have time to clean up, so the garage was messy. Now with White Jacks offer to clean the ce, he of course wouldnt reject it.
Leave it to me!
The moment its words subsided, an apron appeared over the skelton and a broom, mop, and a water bucket appeared in both its hands.
To Kierans surprise, White Jack seemed to be very skilled at doing chores. It wasnt just quick and precise, it cleaned up the ce very well, not even the smallest seams missed.
Just when Kieran was about to praise White Jack, the skeleton found two stones in the corner.
My lord, is this your collection? Do you need me to build a rack to disy them? White Jack asked with the stones in its hand.
Whatever, Kieran answered.
Eh? Thats weird? Why does my lord seem a little depressed all of sudden? Is it because of these two rocks?
White Jack looked at the two stones in its hand, its soul fire flickering brightly. It carefully ced the stones down, wanting to clean up the garage first before it built a delicate rack with some wood to disy to two stones.
As all thepanions and followers were busy, Kieran went offline for a while beforeing back.
When he came back, he saw White Jack was making a disy rack with wood and nails that it somehow found. Kierans eyes twitched for a moment before it turned a blind eye at it.
What is out of sight is out of mind.
He sat down at his seat and opened his Points and Skill Points and character tab..
[Points: 89,000; Skill Points; 5; Golden Skill Points; 5; Golden Attribute Points: 0]
...
For a normal yer, the amount of points was quite substantial but for Kieran, it wascking, likewise for the Skill Points. As for Golden Skill Points, although a lot, it was stillcking when used to level up the skills and attributes. Fortunately, his Skill Points may be less but not his gains.
Kieran nced over his attributes in his character tab, nodding in delight.
Even his weakest attributeIntuitionhad almost reached rank II after eating a series of Proper Meal ss food; Strength and Agility were in Strong II rank and Constitution in Strong III rank. As for the strongest Spirit attribute, it had officially stepped into rank V.
Maybe its apensation but [Meaning of Eat] is really my kind of dungeon world. As for the next...
Kieran squinted his eyes and fell into deep thoughts.
He thought of [Mordin Sculptures] and [Hell Breath].
Without a question the sculptures could increase Devil Force, which was proven when he devoured the First, Second, Third and Sixth, despite it being in a special kind of way.
However, [Hell Breath] still concerned him, or more precisely, the words on the base.
Recalling what happened in [Heroes and Viins], Kieran opened his PM tab and contacted Lawless.
2567: I need some high quality Holy Water or simr items.
Lawless: Leave it to me.
...
Although Dawn Force could achieve a simr effect, for a person as vignt as Kieran, hed never minded adding more countermeasures.
Time flew as Kieran spent his days practising his skills.
Soon, when the dungeon cooldown finally reset, Kieran started to tidy up for entry.
Three 10 ml test tubes containing glimmering liquid were given to him by Lawless.
[Holy Water IV]!
It was the highest grade of Holy Water that Lawless got him.
[Name: Holy Water IV]
[Type: Potion]
[Rarity: Great]
[Attribute: Within 1 minute, terrorize high-tier spirits, negative energy beings. Whene in contact with high-tier spirits or negative energy beings, Lethal damage will be inflicted!]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Remark: This is the work of a great alchemist, as for its name? Ites from an ancient potion prescription, it is ranked at IV! Remember, dont need to drink it, just smear it on your body or weapons!]
...
Able to terrorize high-tier spirits and negative energy being, any contact with them would inflict lethal damage[Holy Water IV] was exactly what Kieran sought.
The price of course was high too: 3 tubes for 50K points.
The price was already a friendly price from Lawless. Although only a three rank leap, [Holy Water IV]s price had far exceeded [Holy Water VIII], almost ten times the price.
Kieran carefully exchanged the three [Holy Water IV] with the 1 [Elementary Healing Potion] and 2 [High Healing Potion] in his [Safety Potion Pack]. The new purchase was ced together with the 3 [High Healing Potion], 3 [Holy Water VIII} and 3 [High Calming Potion].
He didnt waste the 3 potions he took out eitherhe gave them to Old Book.
Compared to the nearly undead Bloody Mary and White Jack, who also coincidentally had simr undying traits, or Agernessa and Averdore Lily, who were already special existences, Old Book was the weakest.
He was even weaker than Frost Wolf and Fire Raven in terms of self-protecting capabilities.
Kieran didnt wish for anything to happen to Old Book before he truly grew useful.
He was quite looking forward to that [Wise Deduction]!
He got his backpack and a glimmer of light brought him away from Wallway Street 13th.
When he regained his senses, he was sitting on a wooden chair. The surroundings were familiar, it was Randletine Street 17th. It was originally Ferris the Freezers ce and after the Freezer pledged his loyalty to Kieran, it became his important base in Alkender City.
[Entering single special dungeon!]
[Dungeon difficulty: 8th dungeon]
[Background: This is a wonderous world that houses superheroes and superviins. They are at constant conflict because of their separated ideal. Your good deed has earned you quite the reputation, you are well-known by the people but the dead viins will only attract more from outside the city. They have their eyes on the city and as one of the Guardians of the city, you need to defend the city and fight off these viins...]
[Main Mission: Fend off those ill-intentioned superviins in 12 weeks (The more you fend off, the higher the ratings)]
[Temporarynguage pack, Disappears upon exiting the dungeon.]
[Clothing, backpack, weapons, and other items remain unchanged, Temporarily altered appearance, Returns to normal upon exiting the dungeon]
[Note: This is a special dungeon, you cannot fail the main mission. Once you fail, its game over!]
...
Kieran nced over the system notifications, checking the surroundings first to make sure it wasnt another Witch Enigmatic Realm before he stood up.
He opened the door and headed downstairs to the round living room.
My lord, please hold on, breakfast is almost ready.
The Freezers voice came out from the kitchen, the buff Bloodman Odork preparing the table nervously.
Emma Eddiein a T-shirt, jeans, and buzzcuthad a new nose stud and was helping Bloodman carry the tes.
Compared to the loyal Freezer and Bloodman, the littledy had more thoughts in her mind.
2567, ording to your promise, I can leave now? Emma Eddie asked after she set up the tes.
Of course, Kieran nodded straightaway.
He and her were coborators to begin with; after fulfilling the contract, he had no reasons to restrict her freedom.
Emma, you are leaving? Bloodman looked at Emma Eddie in surprise, unwilling to part with the littledy.
Em. After all those crazy things, I think I should find a ce toy low, have some rest. Ill think about what to do next after I clear my thoughts, I cant be rolling in the streets for the rest of my life right? Dont worry, Ill visit sometimes, Emma Eddie said with a smile.
Emma Eddie did not treat Bloodman like Kieran, who she revered, and the Freezer, who was a loner in nature. She and Bloodman got together pretty well since both of them were from the streets.
I cant stop you from choosing but you must remember, we are friends. Remember to tell us if there is any trouble, Bloodman said seriously; Freezer also slightly nodded after serving breakfast.
Nothing forged friendship better than fighting alongside one another.
Even more so when the two absolute loyal subordinates treated Emma Eddie as one of their own, the friendship blooming rapidly.
Sure, Emma Eddie nodded, smiling and taking a sandwich before she sized Kieran up.
She saw Kieran was carried away in his meal, the pleasant look on Kierans face making her heave a breath of relief but also feel a little disappointed. But right away, Emma Eddie discarded the disappointment out of her mind.
What are you thinking Emma! That guy has been using you as bait, he is a cold bastard and everything is profit first! He is powerful but not a reason for you to fall for him!
Emma Eddie warned herself in her head, covering up those ridiculous thoughts with the bad memories.
It seemed to work effectively, but there were always two sides of a coin!
When the bad side appears, the good will follow.
Emma Eddie unconsciously thought of the scene where she fell into despair back at Pudders collection room and how Kieran appeared before her as promised.
No! No! Stop thinking!
Emma Eddie quickly shook her head. She stuffed the sandwich in her mouth and finished the milk beside the te before she stood up.
Goodbye everyone! Emma Eddie then strode towards the door.
The door opened and closed and Emma Eddie vanished beyond the exit.
Im gonna miss you, Bloodman said in a muffled voice as he took the sandwich she left behind and also shoved it into his mouth.
Then...
Ding Dong!
The doorbell rang.
Freezer opened the door and saw Emma Eddie again.
But unlike how she left, Emma Eddies body looked stiff and her hands were in the air; her face was showing a forced and ugly smile.
Hey... I think I ran into some trouble!
Chapter 1580 - Good Morning
Chapter 1580: Good Morning
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Behind Emma Eddie was a man in messy attire.
The man was pointing a gun at Emma Eddies head and he was careful to not show any excessive parts of himself as he hid behind her.
Dont you dare do anything crazy! Or else this girl gets it!
The man shouted and pushed Emma Eddie back into the room.
Then, the uninvited man realized his words were ineffective. Although there were two men in the room who stood up and red at him, the one sitting at the table was still eating his breakfast.
Stop! I say stop! Did you hear me!?
The man pushed his gun at the back of Emma Eddies head. The strength exerted through the gun made Emma Eddie stagger forward and the pain from behind her head added tears to her eyes as she stared at Kieran eating his breakfast.
So you dont care about my life and death after our coboration is over?
The thought rose in Emma Eddies mind and it made her feel wronged.
The man behind her was infuriated though.
DIE!
The man turned his gun at Kieran and wanted to pull the trigger.
However, just when the man went to squeeze the trigger, a sharp rapier flew out from the shadows and sliced his neck.
Blood sprayed all over the floor and his head flew up high.
Not only that, the flying rapier spun and picked up the falling body before throwing it out the door.
The body didnt get thrown on the floor though, it exploded halfway in mid-air.
Bang!
Clouds of smoke and balls of fire burst out from the flying body, the loud bang frightening the neighbours who were on their way to work. Many of them scattered away in panic.
Freezer and Bloodman widened their eyes in shock, even Emma Eddie, who was held hostage earlier, had thoughts in her mind.
This wasnt a robbery! At least not a simple one!
Robbers were after money, there was no reason for them to strap a bomb on their body, not even a death sentence fugitive would do something like that.
More so, based on the explosive power of the bomb, the man could not have hid it underneath his shirt.
Inside his body?
When the theory popped, Freezer and Bloodmans faces turned ugly, yet no one dared to disturb Kieran.
They clearly knew how Kieran hated to waste food, likewise being disturbed by others during his meal.
Emma Eddie knew that too, so she put away her wronged feelings and stood aside.
Leaving again?
Stop joking!
Something big had just gone down and the enemies had treated her as one of Kierans subordinates. Once she stepped out of that door, she would be on her way to die.
Based on how fanatical the attack was just now, their enemies might not even listen to what she had to say.
The room fell into silence after the explosion, only Kierans chewing heard.
When all 10 sandwiches were gobbled down, Kieran wiped his mouth and said to Freezer, Lets go wee our old friend.
...
Pudder, who once got abducted and lost his identity to the Thousand-faced Man, had regained his police uniform.
He was still in the midst of adjusting his condition and so far so good.
The bitterness of the coffee expelled the exhaustion of an all-nighter.
While looking at the stacks of documents on his table, which Pudder had finished working on, he felt a sense of achievement, his lips curling up into a smile but the chief officers smile faded soon enough.
Chief! An explosion happened at Randletine Street, at least one casualty!
Randletine Street? Pudder frowned when he heard the street name.
A few who lived there gave him quite the headache in the past.
Dont tell me its Randletine Street 17th.
It is right in front of Randletine Street 17th! Your friends are alright, his assistant provided more details on the case.
Who is friends with thosewless... bastards?
Pudder wanted to say something more severe to describe them but all he could say was a mere bastard.
He didnt think he should address his life-saver with harsh titles but the identity of his life-saver contradicted his beliefs.
Debt of favour and duty. Both were something that Pudder could not neglect, hence the torture.
Huu!
Pudder took a deep breath and decided to stop thinking about it for the time being.
No matter how hard he squeezed his brain, he wouldnt get answers by being in his office, so he might as well pay the scene a visit.
He pulled out his gun from his drawer, holstered it and headed down with his assistant. Two police cruisers with officers had already left for the scene.
Someone had to maintain order and protect civilians at the scene of the explosion.
The chiefs car at the basement had no obvious police insignia, purposely making it look like a normal car for the sake of convenience during investigation, only given to the ranks of chief officer and above.
A driver was sitting inside, waiting for Pudder and his assistant.
Chief, the driver greeted Pudder.
Em.
Pudder nodded, and out of upational habit, sized up the driver through the wind down window. The officer cum driver looked unfamiliar to him, so he should be a neer. There were some little yellow stains in his right middle finger, probably from smoking habits, and although his neck was covered up, a little corner of the tattoo on his skin was revealed.
Wait! Tattoo?
Other than some officers on undercover duty or missions, police officers were not allowed to have tattoos!
Pudder stopped his assistant from getting in the car out of instinct and his sharp eyes red at the officer in the driver seat.
You are a neer? Whats your police ID?
As he voiced his question, Pudder reached out for his gun.
Tsk Tsk Tsk.
After the officer in the driver seat heard the question, he showed a weird smile and squelched repeatedly, despite having a gun pointed at him.
Pudders instinctively felt danger.
BACK OFF!
Pudder shouted and dragged his assistant back to the lobby.
KABOOM!
Pudder managed to get 4 to 5 meters away from the car before it exploded.
The huge shockwave sent Pudder and his assistant flying almost a dozen meters away. Both of them tumbled on the ground for a few rounds before they stood up with some difficulty.
Pudders face turned extremely ugly as he looked at the wreckage of the burnt car and the messy scene.
FIND HIM! I WANT ALL CCTV FOOTAGES ON HIM! I WANT TO KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS BASTARD WITHIN 10 MINUTES! he shouted.
...
While humming a recently popr song, Willis walked out of the building of Hero Alliance.
Following the death of Mr. Ghost, Death Knell, and Grudge Dragon and the cleansing of Smorewill Street, as Drextons assistant and the eyes of many, Willis got a long overdue vacation.
It has been two years since hisst day off.
It was very tiring for him to keep his eyes up on those evil viins everyday. So he ought to have a good rest this time!
At the same time, Willis gave his blessing to his colleagues who were still working.
He earned his vacation but it didnt mean his colleagues got any.
A lot of his colleagues were still working on cleaning up the remaining resistance in Smorewill Street, including Drexton.
The remaining resistance were all criminals whomitted heinous crimes. The court could easily sentence them to death by hanging if apprehended, so they had no reasons to surrender.
Willis, however, wasnt looking forward to the stubborn resistance.
No one understood the distance between a normal and an Extraordinary better than Willis himself because he was also an Extraordinary.
Stop thinking! Stop thinking! Its a hard-toe-by vacation, I must stay at home and clear all the games that Ive been saving up. I shall book myself 10 days worth of burgers and Happy Water first before I start my beautiful vacation!
Willis booked all his meals through his smartphone, unable to t hold back his joyful smile when he thought about the uing gaming vacation.
The ce he was staying wasnt far from the Hero Alliance headquarters, it was only one street block away. When he walked back to his ce, the delivery boy was already at his door.
We will deliver your meal punctually everyday for the next 10 days. And because youve made a consecutive booking, we have prepared a special coupon for you. The coupon gives you a 10% discount on the next meal booking, so can I have your details here?
The delivery boy gave Willis a form to fill.
Willis started to write down his details happily. He was living on a sry, why wouldnt he be happy about a 10% discount?
He could save a lot down the line and it would be enough for him to buy a few more extra triple A games.
While he was writing, Willis heard a weird ticking noise.
It came from the delivery boy. It sounded very familiar, it sounded like... a clock.
Thankfully for his rted training and natural abilities, Willis could tell apart the difference between a clock and a ticking bomb. He turned around and ran for it without a second thought.
KABOOM!
KABOOM!
zing light shone brightly as mes sprayed everywhere, the explosion causing Willis ears to ring loudly but he didnt care, turning around and looking at his room, which had fallen into the sea of fire. He knelt down on the street.
My consoles, my games! My figures! My pillows! This is the end! This is the end of everything! The world is meaningless now, its be dark and gloomy!
Willis became weak and dispirited after the explosion.
His condition didnt change even after he was transported to Randletine Street 17th.
Whats wrong with him?
Emma Eddie pointed at Willis, his upper body on the table, looking dark and gloomy.
I dont know. I think his beliefs were destroyed in the explosion, the injured Pudder, who brought Willis here, answered before he looked at Kieran.
What do you think about the explosions? The tech department checked all the surveince footage and they found nothing, not even an image of that bastard appearing. Bunch of fatheads!
Pudder mmed the table as he talked.
Anyone could see how angry he was.
For a chief officer, having a bomb delivered straight up to the stations basement wasnt just a matter of provocation, it was an insult!
The worst thing was that he had no way to repay the insult!
Kieran didnt say anything, instead nodding at the Freezer.
Aptop was ced in front of Pudder right away, showing the surveince footage of Randletine Street 17th. The shocking thing was the footage didnt show the explosion before or after, as though it was reced by a loop.
Your surveince system is also hacked? Pudder frowned.
Before he arrived at Kierans, he ced all his hope on Ferris the Freezer because in his files, Ferris was once a math teacher and skilled in engineering. After multiple contact with him, it proved how vignt he was.
Randletine Street 17th wasnt just equipped with the most advanced cameras, the surveince had zero blind spots too.
Not just hacked, Ferris said coldly before operating hisptop.
Soon Pudder was looking at the whole Randletine Street.
Installing cameras in public areas and hacking other private cameras is illegal...Huh?
Pudder was criticizing Ferris before he stopped all of a sudden, realized the footage during the time of the explosions was missing.
All my cameras, including other private cameras, public cameras, and all the cameras throughout Alkender City, did not record what happened in that time period, as if the footage had vanished, Ferris said it in a t tone.
All the camera footage vanished? Impossible! The cameras belonged to many different departments, especially those private ones that have extremely high security levels! Although it may be hacked by a hacker, even the best of the best couldnt hack it all at the same time! Pudder shook his head.
Its hard but still possible, just that the time spent is unimaginable and after that much effort is spent, attacking you and Willis seems to be a little wasted. Based on the action pattern, it looked more like the enemy are doing some insignificant thing, so it must be some kind of abilities that we do not know off, Ferris said from an objective point of view.
Pudder wanted to argue but he had no words up in his mind.
Although he was a chief officer,pared to someone else, he was really insignificant.
My games, my figures, and pillows are priceless, Willis shouted but no one cared.
Pudder looked at Kieran again.
A bastard with super abilities has appeared, any clues 2567? Pudder went straight to the point.
A little. The head. After I chop the head off and threw its body out, the body exploded but the head remained. As a pawn piece, he should have contacted the mastermind, said Kieran.
Bloodman then brought out a stic bag.
Emma Eddie twitched her body in an unnatural way. She may be used to blood but a head was out of her league.
This is great! This is the best news Ive heard all morning! Pudder smiled.
Can you give me the head? he asked.
Sure, but on one condition: you must tell me whatever you find, Kieran smiled.
Without crossing lines, of course, Pudder nodded and headed out with the stic bag.
After the chief officer left and the door closed, the phone in the room rang.
Ring Ring Ring!
Ring Ring Ring!
Hello?
The Freezer passed the phone to Kieran.
When Kieran answered the phone, a sinister voice came from the other side.
Did you receive my good morning...
No.
Kieran hung up the phone.
Chapter 1581 - Easy
Chapter 1581: Easy
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Ring Ring Ring!
Ring Ring Ring!
The phone Kieran just hung up rung again. He answered it a second time.
How dare you...
Pak!
Before the sentence was even done, Kieran hung up again
Ring Ring Ring!
Ring Ring Ring!
Kieran answered the phone for a third time.
Do you know...
Pak!
The same thing happened.
Ring Ring Ring!
Ring Ring Ring!
As Kieran answered the phone for the fourth time, he clearly heard the hurried breath from the other side of the phone but this time the person was reluctant to speak, and when he did, he was very polite.
Is this the ce of the Glutton Emperor?
No.
A quick answerter, Kieran once again hung up the phone.
This time, he disconnected the phones wire.
The ce was Freezers house on Randletine Street 17th, not Wallway Street 13, so how could it be his ce?
Emma Eddie watched the scene as her eyes twitched.
Are you ying some after meal games? she asked.
Games? No, I just dont like to follow peoples pace, Kieran shook his head seriously.
Emma Eddie felt her temples swelled up.
She always missed her mark on what the man before her eyes wanted to achieve.
He wasnt just cold, he was random and mean!
This is really...
Emma Eddie somehow felt sorry for the person who made the call.
Huu!
The youngdy took a deep breath and said with a straight tone, You should at least hear what he has to say, what if there are clues in his words?
Believe me, there wont be any. Since he is able to do something like this, he must have some kind of n to back him up. No matter how stupid he is, he wont simply give up useful information. On the contrary, he might say something like Ive nted more bombers in the city and if you people dont want them to go off, answer my terms. Such terms are also useless to us, he is just disrupting us from finding true information and clues, Kieran said in a firm manner.
But we dont have any information or clues to begin with! Emma Eddie emphasized.
That is because you arent looking close enough. Wherever action is taken, traces will be left behind. When you can see things in your own unique way, you will be able to find something, said Kieran before he looked at Freezer, who stood beside him with his hands down.
Ferris, I want the books on the papal era 600 years ago, especially the unique books and secret ancient texts. Ill pay high for those who sell.
Understood, my lord.
The Freezer bowed and walked out.
Odork, Ill leave the patrol of the area and guarding duty of this house to you in the meantime, Kieran said to the Bloodman.
Yes, my lord.
Bloodman bowed and followed the Freezers footsteps outside.
Both loyal subordinates didnt ask why, all they needed to know it was Kierans order and they had to carry out with their best effort.
After giving out the orders, Kieran looked at Emma Eddie.
We dont feed freeloaders here. Kieran said.
Emma Eddie picked up on the meaning between the lines. She said, I can help Odork in patrolling the areawhat happened back there is just a little ident, I was careless. I can also help you to verify those unique books and ancient texts you bought! You wouldnt want to spend a fortune to buy a mountain of fakes, right?
Emma Eddie tried to exin her mistake from earlier and unt her value.
As for helping Ferris the Freezer?
Emma Eddie knew her limits.
Given who the Freezer was, he would have grasped secret trading points better than her, there was no need for her help.
Compared to the cold Freezer, Bloodman Odork was a better person to work with and she had quite the confidence in verifying the purchased books and texts.
Emma Eddies words seemed to have moved Kieran, who didnt want to suffer unnecessary losses and waste time.
You got yourself a chance but remember, its only this time, Kieran said before he headed to the study room.
Emma Eddie stuck her tongue out at Kierans back as he left. She then waved at Willis and left the room.
As for Willis?
He was a guest of the house anyway, so no one would ask anything of him. Moreover, he was utterly depressed as though his wife had died, so he wouldnt be able to do anything in the meantime.
When Kieran entered the study room, a thought shed by his head and Old Book was summoned to the room
Old Book Canbenor couldnt hold back his joy when he saw the room filled with books, but he did not get carried away.
My lord, are these the books about the Mordins Statue you mentioned before? Old Book asked after a bow.
Em, not just about Mordins Statue, there are also some other misceneous books that may be of help to you, but I want you to concentrate on reading Mordins Statue. See whether you can find some hidden clues in the books or not. After this, Ferris will bring over the books about the papal era of this world. I think those books might help you also, Kieran nodded.
Ill try my very best. said the Old Book as he raised his hand.
A dozen books flew out from the rack, opened up in mid-air and the pages flipped rapidly.
The pages of the books were fluttering.
After witnessing the scene, Kieran quietly left the room.
He was never a person who would diminish his value, nor would he boast his arrogance.
It was clear that even if he had the Talent [Memory Pce], his reading was iparable to Old Book, who lived to read.
More so, after Old Book consumed [Drops of Finest Cream] and acquired [Wise Deduction], it elevated his efficiency.
Let the professionals do what they do best.
It was what Kieran always believed in.
Simrly, he tasked his best subordinate to follow that obvious lead.
...
Are you sure its here?
Blood Mary leaned back in the shadows, looking at the mall in front of its eyes as it asked Frost Wolf.
Frost Wolf nodded in a very humane way, raising his left paw and pointing at the fourth floor of the mall.
You can smell it this far away? Bloody Mary looked at Frost Wolf in shock.
Frost Wolf gave Bloody Mary the side-eye before it turned up and looked at the sky.
A dash of red soared highFire Raven!
Bloody Mary instantly understood what happened but it did not feel shameful, instead it said as normal, Job well done, leave the rest to me.
Bloody Mary vanished as it left the words behind.
A second after Bloody Mary vanished, Fire Ravennded in front of Frost Wolf like a gale.
Frost Wolf was stunned by Fire Ravens appearance, looking at the raven with a dubious gaze. Normally, Fire Raven would have returned to Kieran after the scouting was over.
Gawk, Gawk!
Fire Raven cawed softly and pointed at the food square beside the mall with its wing.
Wuuuur!
Frost Wolf whimpered, understanding what Fire Raven was trying to convey and because of that, reluctant to follow.
Based on what Kieran taught, it should not take other peoples food without a reason, and even if it would, it should pay with items of simr value.
Frost Wolf whimpered and conveyed the message to Fire Raven.
Gawk Gawk!
Fire Raven cawed out of disdain, as though Frost Wolf was using it of stealing. A momentter, Fire Raven lifted its tightly gripped right w and opened up.
Ding!
Amid a clear noise, a sparkling gemstone was shown to Frost Wolf.
The pinky-sized gemstone had an irregr edge and was a raw mineral without any processing; Frost Wolf was stunned by the gemstone.
It couldnt understand how Fire Raven got its ws on the gemstone.
Did it pick it up? From where? Was there a mine somewhere nearby?
Though Frost Wolf saved its questions because it was drooling already.
It had endured the delicious aroma of food from the square for a while now, and if it wasnt for its principles, it would have charged inside.
Now, with a gemstone of value, it could go in and taste the food, but not immediately.
Perfect timing was required and Fire Raven knew it too, so it quietly hid in the shadow of the corner, waiting patiently.
...
Are you sure the phone number you gave me belongs to the Glutton Emperor?
Inside a room on the fourth floor of the mall, a buff, sinister sounding middle-aged man mmed the table as he shouted. The pencils and cups on the table were shaking.
I am sure. The number is indeed for the Glutton Emperors ce.
A normal-looking scrawny young man in casual attire and sses answered seriously.
He bluffed me? the middle-aged man dialed the number again out of doubt.
However, the phone call did not connect this time and it infuriated the man.
Pak!
He smashed the phone in his hand and shouted angrily, He yed me! That damn bastard! Ill make him pay! Ill make him understand how foolish it is to y me, Lord Hark! The middle-aged man wanted to activate his ability.
Wait! the young man in sses stopped him.
Whats wrong, Goran? Are you begging for those people? Dont forget what youve been through! the middle-aged man said a coldugh.
I did not forget what Ive been through... thats why I agreed to work with you but you better not forget that you agreed to listen to mymands! the young man emphasized.
I know, I know! I agreed to listen to you, but that was before I was angry! Now ill do this on my own because if I follow yourmands, itll make me feel like a stupid clown!
As the middle-aged man ranted, he walked towards the young man.
The already scrawny young man looked weaker than before as the middle-aged man walked towards him, even more so after he faltered backwards.
The middle-aged manughed, liking this kind of situation where he could bully the weak, since it provided him with unusual pleasure.
If his ability could be used against others with abilities, he would have controlled the young man and made him kneel.
But soon!
After this task, he would get rewards from that lord and his ability would surely reach new heights.
Controlling others with abilities would no longer be a dream!
The middle-aged man, Hark, trembled as he pictured the perfect scene.
Goran, who had retreated to the corner of the wall, showed disgust in his eyes for Hark.
He hated this kind of arrogant coborator.
Although he already knew Hark wasnt a qualified candidate, he was forced to work with Hark for the short-term goal. However, he did not expect Hark to be worse than his expectation.
Goran had to leave Alkender City as soon as possible! He knew he could not afford to step on the people in this city.
The Fist of Justice, the Wine Barrel, and the Glutton Emperor who popped up recently. Especially thest one, the Glutton Emperor was rumoured to be cold and merciless. His ways of dealing with things were clean and he would never give his enemies room to breath, removing them from the roots. Some said he was even more terrifying than the viins.
Goran could picture what would happen if the idiot in front of him ignited all the bombs prematurely.
He would be hunted! He would be hunted by the Fist of Justice, the Wine Barrel, and the Glutton Emperor!
And once he got caught?
The picture in his mind caused Goran to tremble in fear.
You dont need to ignite everyone, just a little will do and it can scare the Glutton Emperor who yed you, making him understand you are not someone that he can afford to cross. At the same time, we can also voice our terms.
Although he had decided to leave the city, Goran still yed his part on the outside and tried to persuade Hark.
I know! Do you think Im stupid?!
Hark coldly grunted, raising his hands and suddenly pping them.
Goranughed coldly in his heart when he saw his coborators ugly stance.
You are not stupid, you are just an idiot...
Puk!
While Goran was stillughing coldly in his heart, a palm went through Harks chest and the blood sprayed Goran red.
The warm blood on his face stunned him. He nkly watched the hand retract from his chest and his idiot coborator fall to the ground. He then saw a normal looking man smiling at him.
You...you... Goran stuttered.
His mind was troubled by many questions but Bloody Mary didnt give him the chance to exin. A quick chop from Bloody Mary knocked Goran out.
Until the veryst moment before he fainted, Goran had no idea how Bloody Mary evaded all those cameras that he controlled and why Bloody Mary was fine after touching Hark.
Despite deeming his coborator an idiot, Goran knew how troublesome Harks ability was.
Harks ability could install a bomb in peoples body with a single touch, and he used the bomb to control his target. Although it was useless against people with abilities, should someone touch him firstabilities or notthey would suffer a sudden explosion.
Bloody Mary grabbed Goran and the look from Hark. It raised a brow at Harks body, which was engoring rapidly.
Self-destruct after death? What a troublesome ability.
Bloody Mary raised its foot and kicked the engorged body out of the window.
KABOOM!
Light shed as the body exploded in mid-air.
The sudden explosion caused panic in the mall and the food square. Many people started to run outside.
In the shadow, the waiting Fire Raven and Frost Wolfs eyes shined with glimmer.
It was time!
Chapter 1582 - A Complicated Heart
Chapter 1582: A Complicated Heart
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Tssss!
As the tires rubbed across the road surface, the smell of burnt rubber filled the air. Chief Officer Pudder, with a bandage around his head, got out of his assistants cruiser.
Pudder looked serious and his eyes showed rage.
He hated boring days but exchanging it for peaceful days was always weed. He would at most rant a word or two about the boredom, simr to those people whoy down on a sofafortably and ranted about nothing to do.
But now?
4 explosions happened in one morningone of them happened in the mall, a crowded ce.
What the hell do those bastards want! Is he trying to provoke us? the assistant said fiercely as he shuttled through the crowd.
The young assistant kept looking around, as though he wanted to search for the culprit behind the explosions in the bustling crowd.
There were many examples in the books that stated the culprit would return to the scene of crime to admire his work.
Provoke? You think too highly of us, it isnt us that the culprit wanted to provoke. And... the knowledge from the books should be applied in practical use. Other than watching the people, you also need to get to the scene as fast as possible and ask other officers about the situation, they are the ones who might have grasped unexpected leads.
Despite being angry, Pudder did not forget to teach his assistant.
Pudder wasnt stingy about teaching some useful tricks to his young and just assistant.
Roger that, chief, his assistant nodded.
Pudder shook his head as he watched his assistant run off, not yet finished with his teachings.
Still too young, eximed Pudder, looking up to the shattered window at the fourth floor before he ran up.
The officers on guard duty outside the room bowed and greeted Pudder after he arrived. The officer also briefed him on what happened at the scene.
Chief, this should be the first crime scene. Based on the traces collected here, there should be two people in this room; one of them was thrown out and exploded, the other one vanished, and based on the ssh of blood on the ground, its hard for anyone to survive the attack.
Could they be the same person? The attacker and the exploded? Pudder asked.
He nced over the blood on the floor before he looked at the room settings.
Judging from the blood, its the same person but there is something weird...
The attacker should be a third person but there are no traces pointing to his existence.
Pudder continued before the officer finished voicing his question.
I see, the officer nodded with a rather curious look.
Go back to your duties,
Pudder didnt exin much, waving away the officer. After he left, he grunted, Damn it, its those bunch of bastards again.
The disgust and hatred in between the lines was obvious, but the search and investigation had to carry on despite the fact that he knew the chances of finding any useful clues would be slim when those bunch of bastards were involved.
Chief! Chief!
While Pudder was searching the crime scene carefully, the young assistant came over.
Whats wrong? Pudder turned to his assistant.
Take a look for yourself.
The young assistant looked weird as he passed Pudder the footages that he copied from the surveince camera.
The footage wasnt longless than a second to be exactshowing an animal carrying a load of food on its back as it dash over the street.
Pudder slowed and erged the footage a few times before he could make out the animal.
A husky? Pudder was stunned.
Shouldnt huskies tear houses apart? Since when did they learn how to pack food?
Were huskies this smart to begin with? This made no sense at all!
The shock in his heart made him rey the footage over a dozen times and yet he was still in disbelief.
Clueless, Pudder turned to his assistant.
What else did you find? Pudder had to suppress the emotions in his heart for the question.
And this, the assistant took out the gemstone, which was already packed in the evidence bag.
This? Pudder raised a brow.
This should be the meal money! It was left on the table without the table cloththe table cloth was used to pack all the food by the dog.
Since when do animals know how to pay for their food?
The assistant pointed at the huge load on the dogs back in the screen and smiled bitterly.
Animals of course dont know how but after they became someones pet, it wont be too surprising, Pudder said in a heavy tone.
You are saying? the assistant looked at Pudder.
This dog may very well be rted to the case, find it at once! Use all the surveince in the area! We cant find the bomber but can we find us a husky? said Pudder.
Roger that.
The assistant and the officers on duty quickly moved out.
...
Randletine Street 17th.
When Goran woke up, he was already inside the house.
He wasnt a stranger to the ce though. Despite not having been here before, he had the most detailed investigation on the location before he arrived in Alkender City. Hed even spent a fortune buying the blueprints and renovation prints for the ce.
Therefore, a single nce allowed Goran to know where he was.
As for the man in ck sitting on the sofa?
Goran also knew who he was without even asking.
Glutton Emperor 2567!
Kieran was sitting in front of the sunlight, the brightness shadowing his face and his ck figure making him look like he was one with the feather mantle.
He was dark and deep. There wasnt any terrifying aura around him, all Kieran did was look at Goran peacefully but the more he looked at Goran, the more Goren felt afraid.
It wasnt just Gorans experience that told him how scary the Glutton Emperor was, it was also because of his own ability!
Control over electronic devices allowed Gorans senses to be exceptionally sharp.
He clearly felt something was brewing inside the Glutton Emperor, his nose even picking up a faint scent of sulphur; his ears could hear the low growls of the midnight devil!
Kill!
No mercy!
Despair!
Goran had already gotten up from the carpet after he woke up but when the sulphur scent entered his nose, it weakened his knee and made him fall back on the carpet.
This time, Goran had difficulty climbing up, and after a few futile attempts, he gave in and crawled in front of Kierans shoes.
The super viin from another city then spoke in a very respectful tone.
Greeting Lord 2567, I am Goran and I pledge my loyalty to you. Please forgive me for what I have done. I was forced and my hands were tied.
Goran moved closer and kissed Kierans boots.
Emma Eddie, who was beside Kieran, saw the scene. She pouted out of disdain before she lost interest. She turned around and walked out.
She expected the culprit to be a domineering person who would not give up that easily. Who wouldve thought the culprit was a weakling?
No! Not a weakling, but a bastard who bullied the weak and was afraid of the strong!
Emma Eddie closed the door as shemented on Goran in her heart.
The noise from the shut door didnt seem to affect the scene in the room.
Bloodman and Freezer were nk as always. In their eyes, Gorans reaction was the correct one to show in front of Kieran.
On the other hand, Goran was waiting for Kierans answer in fear.
As for Kieran?
[Mesly Ring] on his left middle fingerwhich he hid in his sleeveshone with an unusual light.
The ability to control electronic devices was exceptionally convenient in a modern city like Alkender. In fact, after Kieran had a hunch about Gorans ability, his fate was already sealed, otherwise Kieran wouldnt have ordered Bloody Mary to bring him back.
Goran went nk for a second and when he regained his focus, he adjusted his crawling posture to a more proper single-knee kneel, he also ced his right fist in front of his chest.
My lord.
Under [Mesly Ring]s influence, each subordinate showed their loyalty differently because they themselves would use the methods they thought best to serve Kieran and theyd serve with their best efforts, like a fanatical believer.
My lord, Ive picked up a signal through my remaining surveince camera, someone tracking down Frost Wolf and Fire Raven. Should I deal with it? Tracking Frost Wolf and Fire Raven? Deal with the traces.
Kieran was stunned, not knowing what happened to the twopanions but it didnt stop him from giving the right order.
Yes, my lord.
Goran bowed as he received his order, then walked to one of the walls in the room, lifting his hand and sticking it inside the plug. Little blue electric currents sparked around his hand.
Kieran then used the power of the contract to contact Frost Wolf and Fire Raven.
And then...
He was shocked by what he saw, his hands on the sofa trembling.
Through the shared visions, he clearly saw Frost Wolf gobbling down a roast chicken with the bones and Fire Raven aggressively attacking a bowl of fruit sd.
Beside the two of them were scattered food packages and remains.
What happened?
Why does this scene feel so familiar?
And...
Did you guys rob the canteen?
Kierans emotions were clearly felt by the Frost Wolf and Fire Raven through the power of the contract. As they chewed the food, the two of them suddenly stopped when they realized what had happened.
Weve been discovered! What now!?
Frost Wolf and Fire Raven exchanged gaze before Fire Raven stepped up bravely.
We bought the food, not taking it without permission and... weve brought some for you!
Fire Raven waved its wing and Frost Wolf immediately ran aside, dragged a big and packed cake out.
Kieran saw the threeyer cake through the shared vision, feeling conflicted about the scene.
He took a deep breath.
Come back as soon as you are done, said Kieran.
He switched off the shared vision, leaned back on the sofa and looked even moreplicated than ever.
He knew Frost Wolf and Fire Raven were affected by his own behaviour subconsciously, he just didnt know whether it was a good thing or a bad thing.
However, one thing was for sure: he had to talk to the two of them when they got back.
Before that, he had something else to attend to.
Kieran looked at Goran, who came back from the wall and stood beside Bloodman.
Whats with that Hark guy? Kieran asked.
Hark is my previous coborator. He found me about a week ago and said he wanted to share a fortune with methe empty Alkender City. Without Mr. Ghost, Grudge Dragon, and Death Knell, Alkender City is like a defenseless treasure vault in his eyes. He wanted to cause a scene here, but of course that was just the surface. The truth was he got orders from some higher power to test Alkender City. He was tasked to find out whether you, my lord, the First of Justice, and the Wine Barrel are hurt or not, Goran spilled the beans.
Do you know anything about the person behind him? Kieran asked.
I dont know much but one thing is for sure: he is from Printon City, said Goran.
Printon City? Kieran squinted his eyes and looked very interested.
Kieran wasnt a stranger to the city. ording to Drexton, the city went through a destruction period and it was heaven for criminals, with now and order, no mercy and kindness. All it housed was deceit, ughter, and hate.
Kieran, of course, was most concerned about the simrity between the two cities. Both had superheroes and superviins, but one day, all the heroes in Priton vanished without a sign, and until now, any Extraordinaries who leaned towards the side of justice there would suffer a great degree of power weakening. On the contrary, those who sided with evil acquired a huge boost.
It was because of that point that the city left an impression in Kierans mind.
This is what Hark revealed while he was drunk. I dont know anymore than that. He may be reckless but he was quite vignt at all times, especially when Printon was involved, Kieran nodded at Gorans exnation.
Printon City eh? Still not time, Kieran shook his head after some thought.
Despite his curiosity for the city growing by the day, he did not forget his main mission, which was to fend off those superviins who had their eyes on Alkender City.
No matter how big of a secret Printon City held or how big of a potential gain, if Kieran failed his main mission, everything would go down the drain.
Norge amount of gains couldpensate for that failure and Kieran would never risk the greater for the less.
Huu!
Kieran heaved a heavy breath.
Giving up a potential huge gain was not a good feeling for his stingy soul.
Fortunately, he did acquire something while sitting in the house.
Kieran took out the look Bloody Mary brought back.
[Name: Explosion Stone]
[Type: Wonder Item]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attack: Strong]
[Defense: Powerful]
[Attribute: 1. Bomb; 2. Bomber Control]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: A special bloodline power created this special energy crystal.]
...
[Bomb: Hold the stone in one hand and once your other hand touches a target, a bomb is installed in the targets body. A Constitution authentication not lower than D- is required, installed targets cannot exceed 20 at a time.]
[Bomber Control: Targets who are installed with the bomb will listen to the one who holds the stone]
...
A brown, egg-sized stone was held in Kierans hand.
Better than nothing, Kieranmented on the attributes.
A low authentication rank and number had decided [Explosion Stone] could not be used as regr means, but Kieran wouldnt simply throw it away.
However, after he bagged the stone, the ground suddenly shook.
Kakrrooooom!
The whole house was shaking left and right!
Chapter 1583 - Something Unsual Again
Chapter 1583: Something Unsual Again
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Earthquake? Earthquake!
Emma Eddie screamed outside the room, Freezer, Bloodman, and Goran standing still and calm as they looked at Kieran.
To the three of them, as long as Kieran was sitting down, they wouldnt move, even if a volcano erupted beneath their feet, let alone an earthquake.
Emma Eddie, however, was different. She pushed herself through the door and warned everyone to leave, but when she entered the room, she saw Kieran sitting calmly on his sofa, the other three standing behind him without moving. She was stunned but she quickly reacted to the situation, trying to drag Kieran out of the house.
Earthquake! We must leave! she said in a hurry.
If it really was a catastrophic earthquake, do you think you could open that door with your strength?
Kieran moved his hand and avoided Emma Eddies grab before asking.
But...
Since it isnt a catastrophic earthquake, staying inside the house is safer than going out on the streets. At least you wont run into some panicked driver whod run you over with his car.
Emma Eddie wanted to argue but she was interrupted by Kieran.
When Kierans words subsided, so did the earthquake, everything in the room returning to normal. Emma Eddie heaved a breath of relief after the quake.
All humans feared the wrath of nature, except for some intentional individuals.
Emma Eddie stared at Kieran, who sat as still as Mt. Tai, suddenly feeling frustrated because of her unnecessary panic just now. She came into the room because she cared about him, but why was she treated like a funny clown?
Hmph! Men!
An unusual cold gruntter, Emma Eddie strode out the room.
She mmed the door shut before she covered her face out of embarrassment. She herself understood how ugly she looked earlier.
No! I cant let this continue! At least not...
Once she thought about how calm the trio was behind Kieran, Emma Eddie felt like a loser.
She stormed out of the room out of embarrassment and she felt like she wasnt even qualified to stand beside them.
It was a hard feeling for her.
Multiple deep breathster, Emma Eddie forced herself to calm down, walking towards her own room.
Kieran clearly sensed Emma Eddies little reaction outside the door but he didnt care.
The two of them were merely coborators, without any harm to his gains. He would not interfere with her actions and would not allow her to interfere with his ns.
Ferris, Ill leave this ce in your hands for now.
Kieran stood up and walked towards the door.
The quake earlier wasnt violent but the source of the quake originated from Smorewill Street.
Since it happened within Alkender City, Kieran couldnt sit this one out, despite Drexton and the others already present there.
Kieran got used to relying on himself.
Yes, my lord.
The trio bowed and saw Kieran off.
...
Deep inside Smorewill Street, Drexton and the Knight were standing side by side beside arge hole in the ground.
Both of them looked serious.
The sudden quake earlier caused the ground to copse and created this hole in the street.
If it was really that simple, this hole would be categorized into coteral damage from a natural disaster, no heads would turn. However, the cold aura emanating from inside the hole was very concerning, easily able to freeze a normal man upon contact. All the signs told Drexton and the Knight the hole had more than it meets the eye.
Moreover, the hole was covered by ayer of supernatural darkness, Drexton and the Knight frowning because even with their sight, they couldnt see what happened down there.
Therefore, for the sake of safety, both of them had evacuated all the civilians who were cleaning the streets and they stayed behind to observe.
Is this one of Grudge Dragons setups? Drexton wondered but quickly shook his head.
Grudge Dragon was ruthless but he wasnt as dark and cold as the hole here. The coldness from Grudge Dragon was umted by mass ughter, simr to Death Knell.
Quite the opposite, the darkness and coldness in the hole felt strikingly simr to Mr. Ghost, but he was already dead at the hands of Kieran.
Should we notify Mr. Glutton Emperor?
Obviously, the darkness and coldness reminded the Knight of Kieran as well.
No need for now. He is exhausted from the battle earlier, he needs rest to deal with whatsing. Those bastards wont give up that easily, Drexton thought about the suggestion before he waved his hand in rejection.
The Knight did not reject either.
Even though Extraordinary humans surpassedmon men, theyd still be troubled by injuries and tiredness.
Facing Grudge Dragon and Death Knell alone at once, even the infamous Glutton Emperor would not have escaped unscathed, possibly suffering some injuries or having exhausted his energy. It sounded more eptable that way, so taking a rest was a good choice.
Machinist? I need his backup here.
Drexton was talking into the high-frequency walkie-talkie in his hand but he did not get a reply, only receiving a noisy buzz.
Drexton frowned, tapping the walkie-talkie to make sure it wasnt broken, but the noisy buzz remained.
I think this hole is affecting the signals, Ill go away for a while, Drexton said to the Knight.
Sure, Ill stand guard here, the Knight nodded.
Drexton gradually walked away from the hole but the walkie-talkie in his hand still did not receive any signal. It finally returned to normal after he was around 300 meters away.
Machinist, Machinist,e in? Drexton talked to the walkie-talkie.
Boss, Machinists voice finally sounded from the walkie-talkie.
Finally! Machinist, I need your help here, Drexton was being brief with his request.
Ill be right there, Machinist replied.
After he got a firm reply, Drexton put away the walkie-talkie and returned to the hole but he quickly noticed something wasnt right as he walked back.
The Knight was missing!
Before the walkie-talkie got through to the Machinist, Drexton could still see the Knight in his sight!
He was certain that the Knight was standing at the edge of the hole a moment ago, just like how he had left him!
What happened?
A bad feeling rising in his heart, Drexton dashed back to the hole without a second thought.
Knight! Knight! Where are you? Drexton called out loudly.
Ultimately, he looked into the hole.
The surroundings had nothing and there was no ce to hide either, the only suspicious spot was the hole in front of his eyes.
Is he dragged inside the hole? Drexton wondered.
Why did Drexton say the Knight was dragged inside?
Drexton knew the Knight very well. As the oldest in the Hero Alliance, the Knight had not only attained a rich life and battle experience, he was also reliable, steady, and would never do something reckless.
So if the Knight said he would guard the hole, he would guard it and not explore it by himself.
Now that the Knight was missing, it probably meant he was somehow dragged inside.
If that was the case...
Drextons face suddenly turned heavy.
Although the Knight was the oldest in terms of age, he wasnt weak at all. Quite the contrary, because due to his age and experience, his greatsword techniques had transcended beyond the standard, sessfullypensating his deteriorating stamina because of age. Besides that, the specially made set of armor provided the Knight with outstanding defensive capabilities, even enabling him to put up a fight against a superviin like Grudge Dragon.
On top of everything, Drexton was not far away!
All the Knight had to do was call out to him and Drexton would be able to help him.
But... the Knight vanished without a sign, let alone a call.
What the hell happened here?
Clueless, Drexton grew anxious, forcing himself to calm down with several deep breaths but while he was at it...
H-Help!
A weak cry came from the bottom of the hole.
It belonged to the Knight!
The moment Drexton heard the cry for help, he wrote down a message on the ground beside the hole without a second thought and jumped into the ck hole.
I am going in to save the Knight.
That was thest thing he wrote before the darkness enveloped himpletely.
The words that Drexton wrote down, as though he carved them on the ground, were swiftly corroded by the darkness and when the wind blew, nothing was left behind.
...
Drexton and the Knight went missing?
Kieran raised a brow when he heard what Kat Lady said.
Kat Lady got close to Kieran and tried to lick his face.
Kieran quickly pressed her head down and expressed his rejection obviously but Kat Lady followed the motion and curled up in front of Kieran.
Meow is not happy! Meow is moody! Meow needs cat snacks to be happy!
Kat Lady grunted.
Kieran didnt even bother to look at her, turning to Machinist. who was operating many devices, to locate Drexton and the Knight.
Just like what Kat Lady said, an unusual earthquake happened earlier and Drexton and the Knight, who were in charge of this sector, lost contact with us. Kat Lady, Fortress, Weapon Master and I rushed to the scene but didnt find anything. Not even a single trace was left behind.
Machinist moved to the side so Kieran could have a better look at the many monitors.
Kieran carefully checked each and every one of them.
All the monitors showed almost the entire Smorewill Street.
They arent tempered with, right? Kieran asked.
No. My ability operates on the machines directly. If any other Extraordinary individuals hacked in with their powers, I would be the first to know, Machinist said in a sure tone.
Em, Kieran nodded, moving his gaze from the monitors to the ground.
Wherever action is taken, traces will be left behind.
Cant find it?
Something must have slipped past the eyes or the direction of thinking is wrong.
Kieran always believed that and this time was no exception.
Although he did not find anything about Drexton and the Knight even with Transcendence [Tracking], he found something else.
He saw a cloud of dark mist emanating a cold and dark aura.
The ck mist dispersed quickly in the air, like snow that had melted under the sun. It vanished without a trace soon but it was enough for Kieran to spot the origin of the ck mist.
Underground! The underground spot further away!
Kieran walked over but he did not walk to the center of the designated spot. Instead, he circted the area and checked the surroundings carefully.
Machinist, Fortress, and Weapon Master rushed over.
After Kat Lady noticed Kieran didnt care about her due to some interesting findings, her feline curiosity tingled, jumping up and running over as well.
Meow, meow? Whats going... MEOW!
Kat Lady got closer but she suddenly meowed sharply and faltered backwards.
Whats wrong? Machinist asked, the others surprised too.
There is something very scary inside! Get away meow!
Her hair almost stood up as she uttered her worries quickly, running further away quickly.
Out of trust in theirrade, Machinist, Fortress, and Weapon Master followed, but not Kieran.
Sir 2567... Huh?!
Machinist wanted to call Kieran but before he finished, he widened his eyes because Kieran vanished into thin air!
A moment ago, Kieran was still within his sight but a momentter, he vanished before his naked eyes!
As a matter of fact, not only Kieran, even the quickest Kat Lady, Fortress, and Weapon Master were all gone!
Machinist instantly felt anxious and doubtful and as the thoughts troubled him...
Kabaam!
The ground further away started to copse.
Anotherrge hole appeared in Machinists sight.
A cold aura that sent shivers down ones spine came out from the hole. The Machinist got closer and tried to see what was inside but ayer of supernatural darkness blocked his sightpletely.
The Machinist instinctively reached out to his gun at his waist. The oakwood handle gave him a sense of security but the Machinist felt like he was holding a slippery snake, quickly throwing it away.
Kaboom!
His gun exploded like a grenade.
The explosion was too sudden, all Machinist could do was block the st with his hands up. The shockwave from the st sent him backwards, falling into the ck hole.
...
Wheres the Machinist? Fortress, who was moving backwards, asked.
Weapon Master paused his steps and Kat Lady, who was further away, meowed repeatedly in panic.
Calm down! Something is fishy here!
Weapon Master was almost the same age as the Knight. His age allowed him to have more experience than the younger generation heroes, hence he did not panic when the Machinist vanished.
Weapon Master sized up his surroundings, quickly ncing over at Kieran, who was further away, and couldnt hold back his praise.
When he was at Kierans age, he was never as calm as him.
The young man wasnt just strong, he was alsowithout a doubtvery re-
Before the word reliable formed in his mind, the elderly superhero saw Kieran raise his left hand and create a ball of zing fire.
The ball of fire was then smashed on the ground beneath Kierans feet.
Kaboom!
zing me waves rumbled in all directions, the explosion echoing and the earthquake appeared again, but unlike the previous one, this earthquake really shook thend violently.
The ground was torn apart, cracks after cracks appearing all over the streets.
However, Kieran, who had caused themotion with his fire, vanished from sight, and what reced his spot was a ferocious-looking ck monster with sharp fangs.
Weapon Master managed to stand on his feet when the scene happened but the word that he held up in his mind was spat out due to the shock.
-liable!
Chapter 1584 - Underground
Chapter 1584: Underground
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Fooosh!
The ck monster threw itself towards Weapon Master, and apanied by a violent wind, its tall andrge body looked like a three-storey building falling down.
Without a second thought, Weapon Master chose to disengage but he wasnt able to, for he missed his first step backwards.
The ground beneath his feet became empty as a giant hole opened up without his knowledge.
The dark and cold aura gushed out like a geyser, freezing the falling Weapon Master.
...
Weapon Master!?
Fortress was stunned on the spot as he watched Weapon Master disappear. He instinctively activated his translucent defensive barrier and covered himself and Kat Lady. Despite the effort to put up a barrier, it did not change his oue for the better.
Fortress vanished the next moment as well.
Meow, meow, meow!
Kat Lady dashed towards Kieran as she meowed repeatedly.
Her cat instinct told her being around Kieran would be the safest, and her instinct proved correct.
When she ran towards Kieran, she clearly felt that invisible, terrifying power rapidly fading away, and when she was right beside Kieran, the power disappeared without a sign.
Safe... Meow meow meow!
Before she finished, Kieran suddenly grabbed her from the back of her neck and threw her away.
Kat Lady meowed out of shock and pain as she fell on the ground.
What did you do that for meow?
Kat Lady jumped up and confronted Kieran.
Kieran took a nce at Kat Lady and had zero intention of replying, continuing to look down at the burning ground beneath his feet.
He raised his hand and the Devil me burned once more.
Before Kat Lady could meow a second time, she too vanished.
...
Tasty! Tasty food one after another!
A strangeugh echoed in the darkest spot, a figurepletely merged with the shadow was swallowing its saliva as it looked at the row of captives on the ground: Drexton, the Knight, the Machinist, Weapon Master, Fortress, and Kat Lady.
However, it did not eat his food just yet because there was one more on the surface.
Through theyers of dark mist, it saw the prey in ck.
It deemed the prey in ck was the tastiest.
Struggle! Fear! Once fear catches you, you wont be able to escape!
It muttered softly and waved its hand.
A Drexton was created back on the surface.
This copy shared the exact same look,parable presence, and had strikingly simr characteristics. One could consider the Drexton a perfect replica.
ording to its script, the Drexton that it created will be the important lure to trigger the prey in ck. It wanted its prey in ck to see how it crushed the Drexton it created... Huh?!
What happened?
The prey in ck attacked the Drexton it created without a second thought?
The Drexton it created was burnt to cinders?
What? Howe?
The prey in ck noticed some ws?
No! Impossible!
The copy should be a perfect one, no one should be able to tell apart the real and the copy!
A coincidence! It must be a coincidence.
The strange being waved its hand again and another Drexton was created back on the surface.
It believed this time, it should be fi-
What?!
How did it get burned again?
What happened?
The strange being started to doubt its n.
Back on the surface, Kieran squinted his eyes and looked down at that exact spot. Through the mist, the strange being caught Kierans gaze as though Kieran had seen through the ground and spotted itself.
Impossible! How could this happen?
I am underground! More than a hundred meters underground!
How could he spot me?
The strange being shook its head repeatedly, not believing that Kieran could spot it through the ground.
Suddenly, Kierans figure vanished.
What? Where did he go?
The strange being was shocked.
Without further ado, it used its ability to search for the ck figure but after scanning all of Smorewill Street, it found nothing.
He escaped?
The thought bloomed in the strange beings head, causing it to sigh in regret.
What tasty food, I thought I could nibble through his flesh.
Is that so?
It is, although he is far away now. I still can smell him, as if he is beside... WAIT! HOW DID YOU COME DOWN HERE?!
The strange being answered the question naturally but it realized something was wrong halfway through.
The strange being turned around instinctively and saw the figure behind it through the darkness. It was terrified.
It screamed out of disbelief but that was soon reced by a painful groan.
Devil me engulfed the strange being.
The zing me burned the strange beings body and the light from the mes shone through the dark underground.
The underground was actually a wide hall, equipped with stone tables, chairs, stairs, and candlesticks; there were rotten taperies on the walls and some iplete murals on the ceiling.
The green being, who looked like a giant lizard, was rolling on the ground endlessly but Devil me could not be extinguished throughmon means.
When its green skin was charred ck, the strange lizard-like being finally reacted to the situation, raising its short and tiny hands and waving them in the air.
Ayer of supernatural darkness appeared.
The cold and dark supernatural darkness enveloped the lizard-being and extinguished the Devil me on its body.
Food, youve infuriated me! Ill let you understand... Aaaaargh!
The strange lizard-being crawled up from the ground and shouted at Kieran but before he could finish, Devil me burned his body again.
The strange lizard-being screamed out of pain again but this time, it became smarter as it quickly conjured the supernatural darkness.
The supernatural darkness covered its body once again like the rising tide but a big mouth appeared within the conjured darkness.
Despite the darkness, the big mouth kept sucking as though a whale was eating. A portion of the darkness managed to escape the big mouth and covered the lizard-like beings body. The Devil me was extinguished amidst the scorching pain.
Food, you have no idea who you are dealing with! Such little tricks are useless against me for a second ti-... Aaaaargh!
The agonizing scream sounded again for Devil me burned its body once again.
Again, without further thought, the strange lizard-like being conjured the darkness but the big mouth appeared again and sucked away a big portion of the darkness, leaving only a little for the strange being to kill the fire.
The process repeated for more than a dozen times, until the strange being started to feel tired.
It seemed like conjuring those darkness wasnt as easy as it looked. The more it conjured, the bigger the exhaustion to its body because the darkness was limited.
When the strange being used every bit of its strength to conjure onest time, Drexton, who was unconscious on the ground, finally moved his fingers.
Without the suppression from the darkness, waking up was only a matter of time for the Fist of Justice.
It was then that the strange being finally realized what Kieran was doing.
You purposely stall so you can devour all the Dark Gold?! Aaaargh! Get away from me! What monster is this! Get off me!
It was already toote.
The strange beings fate was sealed when Gluttony had his eyes on it, loosing the ability to resist and chomped down mouth after mouth.
Touching his stomach, Gluttony looked disgusted.
The darkness that he sucked on earlier was delicious, tasting like rich cocoa but the green monster was bad, like bad pao with a foul texture. Whenpared to the darkness, it further erged the disgusting taste, but Gluttony ate it nheless.
His nature had determined that he could never waste food, even if it was bad.
Through his stomach, Gluttony started to digest the food he just ate and distribute the energy to his brothers and the other four guys.
At first he wasnt used to the job but hed never disobey his elder brothers orders because his elder brother was the root of them all.
Kieran felt the five Origin Forces in his body operate quicker as he received the energy, squinting his eyes in a pleasant way.
The supernatural darkness was a little out of his expectation.
Although he knew the darkness would be tasty at first nce due to the overflowing saliva, hed never thought the supernatural darkness wasparable to a Proper Meal ss food, which was able to boost all five of his Origin Forces with almost 2 years of cultivation.
What is that supernatural darkness? Kieran wondered.
Drexton had woken up after Kieran defeated the green monster.
2567? I still had to trouble you in the end.
Drexton saw Kieran when he opened his eyes, slightly stunned before he quickly understood the situation, hence the bitter smile.
Its nothing, Kieran replied softly, his eyes starting to scan the surroundings, especially the iplete murals on the ceiling.
He hoped to find something on the supernatural darkness.
Drexton then woke up hisrades, one after another, and soon everyone was awake.
All of them looked at each other in confusion, bedazzled by the short memory lost.
Is it an illusion? Machinist muttered.
Not just a simple illusion, it should be some kind of secret spell or technique. Rumour has it, during the papal era, some interrogators who served religion mastered these kinds of skills and anyone who faced them with fear in their heart had their life ripped away, the Knight answered after a nce at the surroundings.
But thats during the papal era, now... So these are historical remains from the papal era? Fortress said out of instinct but he reacted to the situation before he finished and sized up the surroundings in surprise.
I guess so. Other than the papal era, I cant rte those murals to anything else, the Knight pointed at the murals at the ceiling.
Machinist then opened his backpack and took out many tiny lighting devices. The devices were tiny but strong enough to light up the ce when installed around the hall.
The whole hall was lit up right away.
It was a semicircle hall with a flight of stairs leading upstairs on the circr end and three more flights of stairs at the horizontal end leading downstairs; the wooden doors on both ends were already rotten beyond recognition.
The Machinist didnt stop there. Four more scouting robots were brought out;, and with his control, the four robots moved through the stairs.
Soon, the robot from one of the three stairs leading downstairs transmitted its footage back.
All three of the stairs leading downstairs converged at the end and were connected to a bigger hall deeper down the ground. However, when the Machinist saw the scene from the second hall, his face turned pale.
The footage showed nothing but bones!
Gasp!
There are at least ten thousand dead here!
Fortress, who glued his eyes to the screen, gasped hard.
Em, at least, Machinist nodded withn ugly look because the stairs leading up was a dead end. It wasnt blocked but when this underground structure was built, a big house was built on top of the stairs.
There was also good news apanying the bad one.
Another flight of stairs was discovered in the hall of bones leading upwards.
Dont tell me we have to walk through these bones, Fortress asked in a pale look.
Do you have any other suggestions? Machinist asked back.
Its just a pile of dead bones, whats so scary about that meow?
Kat Ladyughed at Fortress with her arms crossed, but promptly after that, her ears moved as she picked up some soft rustling noise.
Did you guys hear that meow? Kat Lady asked.
Yeah, it sounds like bones moving, Weapon Master answered as he tried his best to listen. He then drew out his rod.
Moving bones meow? Kat Lady was terrified by the answer, looking nothing like a superhero after hearing the answer.
Of course she wasnt afraid of a pile of bones, but what if there were tens of thousands?
She would drown within seconds.
Moreover, this ce was a historical site from the papal era, the moving skeletons must be something unusual.
Kat Lady looked right and left, spotting Drexton and wanting to lean over but when she remembered Drexton was also captured and was knocked out, Kat Lady subconsciously moved towards Kieran. Kat Lady believed strongly that staying around Kieran would be the safest.
Although he threw her away earlier, it was probably some misunderstanding!
It would not happen again!
If you let me stay around you, Ill let you pat my head meow! Kat Lady said to Kieran.
Kieran looked at Kat Lady, grabbing her without saying anything, and threw her aside.
He had to memorize the murals on the ceiling, not waste time petting cats.
The murals will be destroyedter.
Machinist, can your robot record the murals? Kieran asked for the sake of insurance.
Yes.
Record it down for me.
Sure.
Since Kieran saved him before and was absurdly powerful, Machinist nodded to his request without knowing the reason behind it.
Machines record things faster than human eyes. Machinist managed to record all the murals 10 secondster. At the same time, the bone rattling noise got closer.
Drexton and co. prepared to engage the iing skeletons.
Kieran, on the other hand, received the recording footage, checking it and nodding in satisfaction. He then looked at everyone else and said, Everyone, ready to get out of here?
Drexton and co. looked at Kieran in surprise.
Under their confused gaze, Kieran lifted up his feather mantle with his left hand.
The feathers fluttered and revealed a pitch ck sword hilt underneath.
Kieran held the hilt tightly with his right hand and drew the sword.
Chang!
The sword was drawn and shed.
The ck moving light burst and flew up to the ceiling.
The ground, which was a hundred meters thick, got ripped apart like paper. Sunlight shone through the breach as ruble fell andnded on the ck figure.
Ayer of glint covered the ck feather mantle, as if it was shining on its own.
It felt tensile and dazzling.
Kak!
Kieran sheathed his sword.
Chapter 1585 - Trap
Chapter 1585: Trap
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The sound of the sheathing sword echoed in the hall, the sun from the opening above bedazzling Kat Lady and the others for a while.
The hall was 100 meters underground and Kieran had broken through it with just one sh?
The Knight and Weapon Master looked at each other.
They had heard about Kieran winning against Grudge Dragon, Death Knell and Mr. Ghost. The title given to himGlutton Emperorsymbolized his absurd power but to what extent, the two elderly heroes had no clue until now, everything painted clearly in their minds.
After the sh, Kierans breathing did not change, meaning the sh was an easy one, something that he could perform with a flip of his hand.
Once the thought entered their mind, the Knight and Weapon Master added a sense of astonishment in their eyes for Kieran.
The two elderly heroes knew what the sh represented: power that surpassed even Drexton, the Fist of Justicewithout limit!
Drexton was undoubtedly powerful when his feet were on the ground. He wasnt just invincible, he even possessed tremendous strength. But once his feet were off the ground, his powers would be greatly halved, so the smarter viins knew how to deal with Drexton.
However, Kieran was different, because other than a great appetite, he did not disy any kind of weakness.
Delight appeared on the Knight and Weapon Masters face. They could already picture how strong the Hero Alliance would bve.
Compared to the myriad of thoughts Knight and Weapon Master had, Kat Lady, Machinist, and Fortress were simpler.
They were dumbstruck and rendered speechless.
As for Drexton?
The Fist of Justice did not feel frustrated at all for Kieran overtaking him, he felt only joy, grateful that Kieran was on their side.
A beautiful sh! said Drexton, Now its my turn.
Drexton was eager to fight after praising Kieran. Their escape was secured but the army of skeletons were closing in, so someone would have to fend them off.
No, Drexton. Your battle is up there, Kieran pointed at the surface. Drexton was stunned.
You didnt think the setup here was just a coincidence, right? Kieran asked.
When Grudge Dragon upied Smorewill Street, he did not discover this historical remains and after he is defeated, the remains just pop up? Plus that strange looking bastard... You really think all this is just coincidence? Dont forget about the explosion earlier in the day! Kieran emphasized.
Drexton frowned.
You are saying... 2567, Ill leave this to you. Kat Lady will be your contact from the surface; the otherse with me! Drexton made a quick decision.
Although there were a myriad of moving skeletons in the remains, there were only three exits in total and the space was limited. Kieran alone should be enough to fend them off.
Drexton believed with Kierans strength, he could easily deal with the rusty bones, but Alkender City was different. Alkender City was big and once it was under attack, Kieran alone might not be able to do much. He couldnt be everywhere at once, requiring at least 3-4 more heroes to aid him in defending the city against potential enemies.
Drexton led the group away.
Kat Lady didnt follow right away though, staring at Kieran and sizing him up with a never before seen gaze.
As a matter of fact, after Kieran performed that absurd sh, Kat Ladys eyes had never left Kierans... waist.
Her gaze felt so sharp that it almost pierce the feather mantle and exposed [Extreme Night].
What is that meow? Kat Lady got close to Kieran, pushing her face against Kierans arm and acting like a spoiled kitty.
A weapon, Kieran replied briefly.
Can you let meow see it? Ill let you pet meows head in exchange! You already missed the chance earlier, dont miss it a sec-... MEOW MEOOOOW!
Before Kat Lady even finished, Kieran grabbed the back of her neck and threw her up to the opening.
After some irritating meowing, Kat Lady finally reached the surface.
A cat is something magical because whether you are rich or poor, it will always look down on you.
upying your sofa, bed, or stool as their own turf, using your pillow and cushion as w grinders. There was only one reason a cat gets close to you on its own: its hungry and nothing else.
Does it feel bored and wants to y?
What a joke. A cat is happier when it is ying on its own than ying with you.
Kat Lady, who possessed the exact characteristic of a cat, had other motives when she got close to Kieran, she wasnt hungry but she wanted [Extreme Night].
Kieran had no idea how Kat Lady knew [Extreme Night] was special but it didnt stop him from rejecting her.
Although he wasnt a swordsman who viewed his sword as his own life, he knew he should never lend his weapon to someone else, especially to a dirty cat person.
Kieran didnt want anything to happen to [Extreme Night], which he spent a huge amount of effort and a fortune to fix.
The other point was, Kieran didnt want anyone else to pay attention to the uing battle due to his Intuition picking up a very special presence among the skeletons.
...
What monster is this? He is exactly like the direct descendants of those monsters! Impossible! The direct descendants are extinct! A mutation! It must be a mutation! Damn it! Why do I have to run into some mutated monster! This should be a rare chance for me to escape this hell hole but now its be an escape for my life? Damn it! I will not ept this! I will not!
A skeleton among the tens of thousands jumped up and down nervously. It looked no different than the other skeletons and with its intentional cover, its soul fire was very simr also. In simple words, it was hard for people to tell apart this particr skeleton from the others.
Especially when this skeleton mimicked the others way of walking, behaving exactly the same, but deep in its heartif it had oneit was rumbling with anxiety. It knew how scary those mutated monsters were.
Even if the monster wasnt a mutated version of the direct descendant, reaching simr levels was already too overwhelming for it, it was something it could not afford to step on.
Its only hope now was to pray for the monster to have a weak perception and neglect his existence.
But... it soon realized it was naive.
Kabooom!
A zing me wave drowned all the skeletons like the rising tide, the skeletons, which were supposed to be as hard as iron, were melted right away, except for that particr skeleton.
What frightened the skeleton further was the monster had no intention to stop. The me that it feared was fired out like a machine gun, relentlessly and swiftly engulfing the entire hall.
The disguise it relied on to cover its presence was gone in a second.
The monster looked at itself with a in yet pressuring gaze.
The pressure from the gaze made its soul fire jump violently, the power that the soul fire covered up exposed.
Gak Gak Tss!
The skeleton exterior slowly cracked and crumbled into pieces, revealing a green, lizard-like strange monster in Kierans sight.
It looked exactly like the one earlier but something was different.
The previous one obviously possessed minimal intellect, it was only slightly smarter than its own animal self and its body was also stronger. This one, who broke out from the skeleton disguise, was obviously weaker, its body looking like it was suffering from rickets but its eyes were glimmering with intellect.
Regaining its original form, the lizard humanoid stood still and nk, thinking about how it should escape from the sticky situation.
Fight?
Not even possible! The younger junior who was stronger than itself died so easily under the monsters hand, it knew what happened and it didnt want to be eaten.
More so, that sh the ck monster performed had frightened it to its core. Even back in its era, such a powerful sh was a symbol of absolute power.
Since it couldnt engage heads on, it had only one option left...
Pak!
The lizard humanoid got down on its knees and hands in the air, trying to express that it was harmless.
My lord, I am just an old dying interrogator! Ive abandoned my interrogation tools and am living on a thread here. Please spare me!
What is this ce? Kieran asked.
This is the outpost of Almendra, it is upied by the 7th battalion of the 5th armada, the old lizard humanoid answered honestly.
The 5th armada? The skeletons just now? What happened here? Kieran continued asking.
This time, the old lizard seemed a little reluctant to reply, but it soonplied and answered, Yes, the skeletons are the soldiers of the 5th armada and all of them died because of an ident. I lost most of my powers in that ident.
What ident? Kieran asked.
The ck Cmity!
The old lizard looked scared and when the fear troubled its mind, Kieran subtly scanned over the flight of stairs in the hall, which was obviously leading upwards.
The fear in the old lizards heart made it neglect Kierans little action but it felt something wasing closer.
ck Cmity! Its the ck Cmity! Itsing! Why is it still here?! The old lizard screamed in fear and confusion.
As he screamed out of fear and confusion, his green body was getting nibbled away, bit by bit, by the darkness, no doubt a painful process.
Its eyes pleaded with Kieran, wanting him to kill it and release it from its suffering.
Kieran, however, was unmoved. He watched his green body be nibbled away little by little, until only its head was left.
The head didnt fall to the ground though, it hovered in mid-air and Kieran looked into its eyes.
His eyes werent pressuring, werent nk and cold but he was looking at the head with great interest, trying to find out what he was looking at. Through [Tracking], Kieran saw ayer of supernatural darkness, simr to the previous one, covering its body and making it look like its body was nibbled away.
But this supernatural darkness was much smarter than the previous one.
It didnt just hide its dark color, its coldness was removed as well.
How did you notice the ck Cmity?! Does your mutation grant you interrogators abilities? Impossible! Those crazy men would never seed! The interrogators are unique, its a gift from the gods, its...
The old lizard suddenly shouted furiously under Kierans watch, very agitated. It turned around and ran for it.
It seemed like the nibbling scene was also a disguise, without question.
The moment the old lizard turned around, the furious look on its face was gone, leaving him with a calm and cunning face.
As an interrogator, it always believed in alternatives. If it couldnt win a battle heads on, it must win by using its mind!
As long as its scheme worked, no matter how powerful the enemy, they would fall before it, simr to the countless times before this! This time would not be an exception either!
If I can lure this monster there... Victory will be mine!
The old lizard was confident but at the next moment...
Ssssss!
Snake?!
When the snake hiss sounded, the old lizard froze because as lizards, it had a natural fear towards snakes, especially this kind, with giant ck bodies as thick as water barrels. The snakes were a dozen meters long, with horns as sharp as spears and 4 fangs as sharp as des.
The old lizard was horrified when it saw the snakes.
Not only its body but its mind was also frozen and under such condition, the old lizard seemed like it was freed from some kind of control.
What is this?
How did it happen?
I just want to escape quietly! How did it turn into a battle?
ck Cmity!
Only the ck Cmity could subtly affect its mind and alter it. Only the ck Cmity!
The answer came into its mind right away and it felt even more terrified.
It pleaded loudly, Spare me! Please spare me! I dont want to...
Tssss!
Before the terrified lizard finished, it was vaporized.
It transformed into the supernatural darkness with the chilly aura and flew towards the flight of stairs leading upwards like swallows returning to their nest.
As the supernatural darkness entered the stairs, it triggered some sort of chain reaction and more supernatural darkness came out.
The cold aura caused the temperature in the hall to plummet.
Amon man would freeze instantly but not Kieran.
Quite the opposite, because as the thick darkness appeared, Kieran picked up a rich cocoa scent, as if an underground fountain of cocoa was dug up and spraying out hot cocoa endlessly.
Gulp Gulp!
Unable to resist, Gluttony climbed out from Kierans shadow, standing beside Kieran, the rumbling noise from its hungry stomach relentless. The endless swallowing of saliva was like flowing stream, murmuring softly but consistently.
However, Gluttony did not jump on the darkness, looking at its elder brother with pleading eyes.
Kieran was unmoved by Gluttonys puppy eyes but he exined, which was very rare of him.
Do you know the trap to catch a bird?
Chapter 1586 - Bait
Chapter 1586: Bait
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Trap to catch a bird?
Then... Can the caught bird be eaten?
Roast! It will be tasty!
Apply cumin and chilli powder!
Gluttony was stunned, looking at Kieran with puppy eyes and drool.
Without even sensing his thoughts, Kieran knew what Gluttony was thinking with a single nce, so he changed his way.
Do you want to be eaten? Kieran asked.
Gluttony shook his head repeatedly.
He loved to eat, not get eaten by something else.
Then you cant go in there, said Kieran.
But, but, but, its t-tasty...
Gluttony stuttered, his words disconnected but the unwillingness on his face giving out some hints.
Youll need a loyal and nearly undead subordinate to scout the path for you.
Kieran snapped his fingers and Bloody Mary appeared right away.
Boss, at your service.
Bloody Mary bowed with a smile but in its heart, tens of thousands of rampaging mas were running frenziedly as they screamed motherf*cker.
It thought once it ascended to Superior Demon, it could be freed from those torturing days. It self-proimed itself as the strongest among Kierans subordinate after all, so never did it once thought its boss would send it to die again.
This...this... is too cruel...
Bloody Mary thought of the sunshine of the West Coast again.
It missed its original home, its warm andfortable home.
S-scout the path?
Gluttony looked at Bloody Mary with realization before he went into deep thoughts.
What the hell are you thinking about?
I tell you, other than Boss, dont expect to order me around just because you are his clone! Dont even think about it!
Bloody Mary was roaring deep in its heart and when Kierans gaze came, it smiled and walked towards the only stairs in the hall.
The stairs lead upwards, but Bloody Mary couldnt see the end when it reached the front. The supernatural darkness clouded everything at the end, hence everything fell into the unknown region. Likewise, the danger skyrocketed.
However, Bloody Mary knew what its mission was, so it stepped onto the stairs with a will forged from iron.
While its feet were moving up the stairs, before it even got close to the end, the thick supernatural darkness eagerly crashed down on it like a tidal wave and drowned Bloody Mary in an instant.
And it was just the start!
After the supernatural darkness enveloped Bloody Mary, the flight of stairs plummeted rapidly into the abyss, as if the ground was non-existent from the first ce and stepping onto the stairs was like stepping off of a cliff.
The stairs vanished and a wall reced the entrance.
The wall was simr to the others in the hall and from a certain aspect, this particr wall was sturdier than the others.
Looking at the wall and the disappeared Bloody Mary, Kieran wasnt anxious at all. Quite the opposite, he lifted his mouth corner into a grin because he had located that special presence.
...
Where is this?
Sun?
Beach?
This is West Coast?
After the supernatural darkness dispersed, Bloody Mary opened its eyes and was weed by warm sunlight and endless waves echoing in its ears. It couldnt help but take a deep breath.
The humid and salty air entered its body and made it squint pleasantly, opening its arms as though it was trying to hug the sea, despite knowing everything before its eyes was fake.
But...
Why not enjoy it while itsted? Whod forbid it?
Without a second thought, Bloody Maryy down on the beach.
Thest time ityed down with a carefree mind was the little break its boss gave it after ascending, but the break was iparable to this kind of break on a mission.
The former was a little terrifying; thetter was too good to be true.
Its boss wouldnt get mad at it though, since it was practically its boss arrangement.
Youll need bait to build a trap and catch the bird, right?
Even if you had a bamboo cage with a stick tied up inside, youll still need some gains right?
Simr to how Gluttony was attracted to the supernatural darkness earlier, now Bloody Mary was that bait and it could even scout the path.
What should a bait do though?
Wait patiently.
Bloody Mary turned aside on the beach and used its left arm as a pillow, its right hand fondling the white sand.
An hourter, a sandcastle was built. It wasnt big but delicate enough.
Even doors and windows were carved out by a finger.
Ill still need a moat to protect the castle.
Bloody Mary muttered to itself while looking at its finger.
Where should the moat draw water from?
Since it was at the beach, it should dig a trench and let the sea flow in!
Bloody Mary was digging the aforementioned trench eagerly.
The person who watched the beach through a crystal ball was rendered speechless.
At first, he thought Bloody Mary was pretending, thinking it would show its true self soon, but as time passed, he started to doubt his choice.
It seemed like... Bloody Mary was enjoying it?
The person didnt want to believe this, taking a few deep breaths to calm himself down.
No! It must be pretending
Its already in an illusory realm, it should search for the exit anxiously!
And when it fails to do so, its anxiety and frustration will give birth to fear.
Once fear came into y, he would get the initiative to control the illusory realm!
ying with sand in the illusory realm?
How is this possible?!
The person looked at the projection in the crystal ball, his eyes turning cold.
Since you dont want to do anything, then... Ill make you change it passively!
The person talked to himself and low incantations echoed in the room.
Promptly after that, a raging wind blew and dark clouds covered the sky at the beach.
Kakroom!
A lightning bolt as thick as a water barrel shed across the dark sky, the calm sea bing furious.
Fuaaaa!
A strong galeter, raindrops as big as peas fell down from the sky.
The wave crashed on the beach, rumbling and destroying the sandcastle Bloody Mary built. It left nothing behind except for some bubbles.
Bloody Mary looked on nkly as the white bubbles turned muddy before it sighed.
Too bad. I thought I could rest longer. But... why would you destroy my castle?
The sigh turned into a question.
The voice wasnt loud, so it was unheard of in the storm, but through the crystal ball, the person heard the question crystal clear. He smiled coldly again.
What I want to destroy isnt just your little sand castle! Ill destroy you and your support altogether!
The man then looked into another crystal ball.
The second crystal ball was showing the battle in Alkender City.
A group of criminals were led by superviins into battle with the superheroes of Alkender City.
Fist of Justice was very eye-catching among the rest, but what was more concerning was the ck figure wielding a ck greatsword.
With a cold expression and ruthless meleebat, especially when the ck mes burst out from his target, the ck figure became the spotlight of the whole battle.
Glutton Emperor!
The man was certain the Glutton Emperor in Alkender City fighting the criminals was the real one, meaning the one underground should be a clone of sorts.
Glutton Emperors cloning ability wasnt a secret anymore, some intentional parties having done research on him during the fight with Mr. Ghost. Hence, it fit the scenario, with him being underground.
He must have nted a clone around Fist of Justice and the others just to be safe, how otherwise would hee down here in the first ce? Dig his way through?
Of course, the mans deduction wasntpletely precise either, at least he did not expect a second clone, just like the backup n on the beach.
Though none of that mattered anymore. Once Glutton Emperor entered his trap, the dust would settle.
Dont worry! You are just the beginning! The real Glutton Emperor will be next! said the man before the situation in the illusory realm changed.
The storm didnt stop, it got scarier instead. The typhoon roared loudly, as though it was some wind god from the myths descending on Earth. One could literally feel the chills without the actual cold.
Kakrooom!
Another loud thunder sounded and a bolt of lightning, as thick as a water barrel, shined over the dark sea.
A big ship with three spar suddenly appeared on the rough sea.
The ship was ck, emanating a gloomy and cold presence under the lightning. Cannons were pushed out through the opening; the crewwho were all skeletonswaved an undying torch in the storm and grinned at Bloody Mary, showing an eerie smile.
Fire away!
Boom Boom Boom!
The order sounded and the pellets from the cannons bombarded the beach like meteor rain.
The beach had no cover to start with, quickly turning from a clean beach to a devastated battlefield. Bloody Mary was also covered with ashes and sand.
My illusory realm is very real! If you got hit by the pellets... You get hit for real!
The man saw the scorched beach from the crystal ball, unable to hold back hisughter.
He had met a lot of powerful enemies, but regardless of who, once they stepped into his illusory realm, their hands would be tied. Other than the confusion and bewitching elements, the illusory realm created by Dark Gold could greatly suppress the targets ability, leaving them with only 10% of their usual powers.
The man thought Bloody Mary would be dead but when he saw not even a scratch on its body, he frowned.
Swap into Demon Expel Cannon! Fire the cannons faster!
The man spoke behind the crystal ball and the skeletons in the dark shipplied. Pellets containingyers of thick oil inside were loaded into the cannon.
BOOM!
The cannons shed.
When the pelletsnded, the whole beach fell into a sea of fire. Through the crystal ball, the man saw Bloody Mary suffering in the fire.
Even if you are Glutton Emperors backup, what do you have to resist the Demon Expel Cannon from the papal era? Die! Die! Burn it to cinders!
The man shouted loudly, not stopping when he saw Bloody Mary running towards the sea.
The illusory realm was under his control, so everywhere would be the same. Even if Bloody Mary swam to the ocean bed, it could never dodge the bombardment.
Because of that, when the man saw Bloody Marys body start to grow in size as it swam into the sea, he felt something wasnt right.
Bloody Marys limbs transformed into fins and a tail, its head growing sharper and a towering fin appearing on its back. It swam towards the ship in the rough sea with its scary fin sticking out, but the scarier thing was its mouth, filled with sharp teeth!
Each tooth was as sharp as a dagger and there were hundreds of them!
A shark?!
The man was astonished by the giant shark.
As the most dangerous predator in the sea, a great white shark with 5 to 6 meters in length was scary enough, but the shark Bloody Mary transformed into was 4 metersnot length but width!
It did not look like a traditional shark, it looked more like an absurdly strong elephant in waters. If the mentioned shark wasnt riding the waves of the rough sea, the man would start to doubt what he saw.
He had never seen a shark as buff as this, it was almost rectangr in shape!
The next moment, the weird looking sharp jumped out from the sea and threw itself towards the ships spar. It proved that it wasnt just the looks, but a real, genuine, weird shark!
It jumped up from one side of the ship, the tremendous impact crushing the spar in the middle and copsing on the next spar; the shark returned to the sea after the devastating blow.
As for the skeleton crew?
Up against a giant, strong shark, other than being crushed, they had no other ending.
It still wasnt the end though.
The shark turned around and swam towards the ck ship again, and this time, it did not jump up but rammed the ships body.
BANG!
Wooden debris flew upon impact, arge hole rammed open and the ship starting to tilt.
The man who watched the crystal ball spat out a mouthful of blood.
Just like what he said earlier, his illusory realm was very real, the damage received inside would be reflected back into reality. It applied to Bloody Mary and himself, but it might be more serious for him.
The man felt Dark Gold growing restless. He tried his best to adjust Dark Gold.
He was just using Dark Gold to his biddings, not transforming it into the ck Cmity!
It was not something he wished to happen.
After some hard effort, Dark Gold calmed down but the ship at the sea was rammed beyond recognition by the giant shark.
The giant shark was growling loudly in the rough waves.
The bastard who destroyed my sand castle, do you think I am that weak?!
The man flushed when he heard the provocation from Bloody Mary.
He was infuriated, feeling like he had been yed.
The man took a deep breath, ready to conjure more Dark Gold to teach Bloody Mary a lesson, to let the Superior Demon know who was calling the shots.
However, just when he was about to conjure more Dark Gold, he realized the power of Dark Gold was rapidly fading away. At the same time, sucking noise, plus some messy munching, entered his ears.
Chapter 1587 - Revelation
Chapter 1587: Revtion
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Slurp, Slurp.
Noises of slurping noodles entered his ear, the man feeling the power of Dark Gold slipping away fast. Subconsciously, the man turned around.
He saw the clone of Glutton Emperor.
You! How are you here? the man shouted.
He was certain he was alone in his secret hideout. It was impossible that a clone was beside him, since this particr clone should be in the hall right now.
Could it be...
Glutton Emperor really moved through ground?
Just when the thought rose in his mind, a kick quietly came out from the shadows andnded on his neck fiercely.
Kak!
A bone-cracking noiseter, the mans head tilted to one side softly, his body falling to the ground.
Even after death, the man who thought he was hiding behind the scene widened his eyes in disbelief.
He was hiding in the deepest part of the underground and released many smoke screens to mislead people, so how did the Glutton Emperor locate him?
He couldnt even counterattack!
The Glutton Emperors strength did not match the intel he gathered. Someone must have deceived him!
The realization hit him a moment before his death, his body losing every sign of life.
Kieran nced over the body and picked up the golden item that came afloat. He, of course, wouldnt tell the man the intel he gathered was outdated.
Simrly, he had no intention to spare the other hidden guy.
Fuuua!
Devil me burned on his left hand and was fired to the fallen body, but a moment before the mes touched the body, it suddenly moved.
The neck was still broken to the side but the body moved nimbly, like a monkey. A backflipter, the body retreated to a safe distance.
The bodys look then changed.
Although it still maintained the shape of a human, its skin started to turn red, sharp fangs popping out of its mouth and its eyes a morbid yellow with a muddy glint.
Never thought the rumours are true! There is a descendant of the Devil here!
The surprising words didnt have any enchantments to it but when the body spoke, a wicked, bewitching feeling urred. As it spoke, two little ck horns appeared on its forehead. It wasnt real though, it was just an illusory image.
Despite the unreal state, the moment the two horns appeared, the temperature in the underground room started to surge.
Soon, the temperature rose to the point that it became hard for a normal man to breath, but neither the body nor Kieran had trouble adapting to the intense temperature.
Ahahahaha, I really miss the heat. Too bad... I cant go back, the body eximed out of reminiscence.
The body lifted its head up and sized up Kieran.
Your appearance is really beyond my expectation. Can you tell me who your parents are? it asked.
I myself would like to know, if its possible. Likewise, I also want to know how many more like you there are? Kieran had no intention to reply to the freaky body.
Even if he really knew the answer, would he be honest to a demon?
Not even amon man would do so, let alone the ever suspicious Kieran.
How many more are there? You are trying to estimate the distance between us? Dont worry, the numbers will surely exceed your imagination! We are the victors of thest war after all, the red person smiled.
Is that so, then Im relieved, Kieran too showed a smile.
Relieved? The man in red jolted.
Because your kind represents my gains! A substantial and yet easy-to-obtain gain. As long as I kill you, your kind will surelye to me like an endless flow of water! Kierans smile was pleasant and filled with anticipation.
What was more exciting than a harvest?
A bigger harvest!
Kieran had originally thought of giving up Printon City and stationing himself in defending Alkender City, meaning a big portion of his potential gains would be lost. Who wouldve known these demons who appeared in the ancient times would make aeback?
More enemies meant more troubles, but as long as the rewards could cover the loss, Kieran didnt mind getting his hands dirty.
The soul of a stingy ghost was erupting at this particr moment.
However, his unique way of thinking was not something amon man could understand, including the demon before his eyes.
It looked at Kieran in utmost surprise.
The confusion in its eyes was obvious, as if it wanted to probe for more information regarding Kierans true thoughts, hence the bewitching words were stuck in its mouth.
The situation at hand was totally different from what it expected.
Other than it being discovered prematurely, the Devil descendant before its eyes was not as reckless as the others that it remembered. Quite the opposite, he was quite calm.
Such calmness would only exist in some Devil Overlord that reigned through history.
As for themon ones, they were all selfish, messy, and always changing!
Most importantly, the strength! This Devil descendant was much more powerful than what it predicted.
A higher bloodline than my expectation? the demon grinded its gears in its mind.
Compared to that weightless rumour, a Devil descendant with a higher bloodline power was much more valuable.
Maybe...
Just when it was ready to do something, the demon realized it was caught.
A giant magma arm caught its body, lifted it up, and a towering body shadowed it with a dominating presence.
What a nostalgic scene. I was caught by your kind countless times before. They were strong, but had muscles, not brains. They were easily manipted and when they finally realized what happened, theyd always grab me out of frustration. Too bad they did not understand my strength, or rather, my ability. So I escaped everytime without failure and emerged a final victor. And you? You are no different than... HUH?!
The reminiscences of the past made the demon smile, joyfully.
As though it was some high ranking person sipping its wine as it looked down on the lower ranks searching for food in the dumpster. But no matter how interesting it was, it would grow tired one day.
The demon shrugged, ready to leave the body, but when it activated its ability, it realized something wasnt right.
The body that it possessed should be an unlocked vessel, it should be able toe and go as it pleased, but after being grabbed, it noticed the body was locked. It could not leave and was locked down in the body.
No! Wrong! It wasnt trapped, it was...
Pain!
Excruciating pain came from its legs. It tilted its head down to find out what happened and was stunned by what it saw.
It was being bitten! The other clone of the Devil descendant had somehow appeared beneath it and was biting its legs, not the legs of the body it possessed, but its true body, which was hidden inside the vessel!
Tearing my soul through the body? How is this possible? What kind of monster is this?
The failed attempt in escaping defied its expectation and bloodline ability, causing it to shout in disbelief.
It was also obvious that its questions would never get answers from Kieran.
In fact, from a certain aspect, even Kieran himself no longer knew what the cardinal sins that were born from his desires and the Eye of Chimeras truly were.
As he grew stronger, the cardinal sins changed in a special way and through multiple growth, even the original Eye of Chimeras could no longer tell what were they were.
The birth of the cardinal sins was a coincidence after all, likewise the Devil Force in his heart.
The Devils image was so real, the magma on its body burning hot. As it faced its mortal enemy, the demon kind, the devil was emanating its own domineering pressure subconsciously.
Under the pressuring grab, the demons bloodline memories shed in its mind again and it plead uncontrobly, but useless.
Pay blood with blood!
The Devil magmas hand squeezed hard.
Bang!
Together with the body the demon possessed, the demon inside was crushed to bits.
The possessed body burst into a mist of blood.
Devil me continued to burn the demon soul and ultimately transformed it into the best nutrients for Devil Force.
Kieran clearly felt the pleasant feeling from Devil Force.
Prepared, Kieran carefully adjusted the bnce of the Origin Forces in his body.
The energy that Gluttony got from the supernatural darkness after consuming it was temporarily put on halt by Kieran so it didnt get distributed to the Origin Forces.
The nutrients from the demon soul were on par with the energy Gluttony converted.
The divine me in Kierans mind jumped again, the darkness and chaos around it very eager. They wanted to jump on the fire and extinguish the threatening existence.
Fortunately, all 5 of the Origin Forces, Devil, Cardinal Sins, Dawn, gue, and Saint Thorns grew stronger by the day. The darkness and chaos was weakened from an absolute position to a slight advantage, unable to jump on the divine fire when the 5 Origin Forces stood in between.
After multiple failed attempts, the darkness and chaos retreated.
Kieran heaved a breath of relief as he felt the scene in his mind.
No one liked something unknown in their body, especially in the area around the brain.
If he could, Kieran would eagerly wipe out the darkness and chaos once and for all, but he knew how difficult it was due to the relentless regeneration.
As long as the darkness and chaos had enough time, theyd regenerate to their original density. Although the core area was upied by the divine me, the surrounding area would be theirs.
Kieran knew what he must do: try his best in wiping away the chaotic darkness, stop them from regenerating, and burn the divine me brighter.
The divine me did grow from a little spark to a fist of me; it would grow to a ball of zing me in the future and eventually the grand mes would scorch the sea of chaotic darkness.
Kieran was looking forward to the changes that might happen when it urred.
Of course, that was something to look forward to in the future. Right now, Kieran looked down at the loot in his hand.
It was only as big as a thumb, dark but not ck, and emanating glimmers of gold around it.
[Name: Dark Gold Stone (Small)]
[Type: Wonder Item]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: Powerful]
[Attribute: Conjure the supernatural darkness, able to defend or attack at will, 3 times per day]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: Spirit A+]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: Dark Gold Stone is very magical, but you must be careful when you use it.]
...
Requires Spirit authentication? If it fails, does that mean the user would be consumed?
Kieran nced over the Prerequisite and Remark before he recalled the previous scene, squinting his eyes in thoughts.
He felt like he was gazing into some secrets of the world and the key point of all this was the so-called Dark Gold.
Though, hed need more intel on this.
As for the words of that demon?
Who would believe the words of a demon? Some delusional person who thought they had a gold mine in their house?
Kieran was used to finding answers on his own.
Fuuu!
A weak Devil me appeared beside Kieran, sheding light over the secret underground hideout.
Although mere darkness could not block his sights anymore with his current level of Intuition, he didnt mind having light over his head.
When light shone, some things hidden in the darkness would get exposed, but that was not the case with this secret hideout.
He found two more broken Magic rank items, some food, and an oxygen generator but nothing else despite his effort.
In the end, he snapped his finger.
Pak!
Boss.
Bloody Mary appeared right away.
Although Kieran could use [The Lands Favor, Protection of the Land] to move through ground and leave, the usage counter of twice per day limited his options.
Its a pleasure serving you but... please leave the unnecessary things behind, itll increase my load.
Bloody Mary saw Kieran holding the two broken Magic rank items, the oxygen generator, and the food, showing a bitter smile.
Bringing a person into ghost form was not an easy task for Bloody Mary, even more so when the person was as strong as Kieran.
If Kieran didnt hold back his powers, Bloody Mary would not be able to bring him away.
Bloody Marys words made sense, so he left behind the oxygen generator after some thought.
Its still a little full, Bloody Marys bitter smile remained.
Two more seconds of serious thinkingter, the two broken Magic rank items were left behind as well.
Bloody Mary was shocked.
You leave the items behind for these fast food...
No! I did not leave them behind. I think you can make two trips, Kieran said righteously.
...
Bloody Mary was rendered speechless. It started to miss West Coast again.
Chapter 1588 - Daily
Chapter 1588: Daily
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The morning in Alkender City had no sunlight, dark clouds hanging in the sky, so depressing that one could hardly breath. There was no wind blowing either, making the air stuffy and depressing.
Good morning citizens of Alkender, this is Good Morning Alkender. Yesterday, Alkender City was once again attacked by super criminals but our local Fist of Justice and Glutton Emperor destroyed their ns again and without a doubt, both of them have be a symbol of our city...
Lastly, here is the weather forecast for the day: the highest temperature can go up to 30 and lowest can go down to 19. ording to experts, a storm ising to Alkender today, so remember to bring your raincoats and umbre when going outside. I am Selina, signing off. We will see you again tomorrow.
The sweet voice from the broadcast room finally stopped, Selina stretched her body.
Meow~
So tired.
So sleepy.
I want some fish!
Selina curled up on the chair and closed her eyes.
She needed more sleep but her beauty lens made her nap an unpleasant one, but she couldnt take them off because it would reveal her cat eyes.
After all, no one in the station knew her secret identity: Kat Lady.
The public knew her as a slightly well-known morning news anchor, living alone and loving cats.
The job was arranged for her by Drexton, after asking for her particrs.
She wasnt really fond of the job at first, and still couldnt find any likable points until now.
She preferred to lie down on her bed full of money, munching on her little fishes, watching the newest idol drama and pass the perfect day.
But... She needed to make a living and that required money.
Despite getting financial aid from the Hero Alliance, that little bit of money could not satisfy her empty heart.
Besides that, she was forbidden to steal and pickpocket anymore, hence the job.
Fortunately, with Drextons arrangements, her pay was quite handsome, basically filling the void in her heart.
Once she thought about the holy item that could fill her empty heart, Kat Lady jumped up from her chair. The tiredness flew away as she headed outside.
Selina? Selina?
You did great today!
Well see you tomorrow!
See you tomorrow!
Selina smiled warmly and greeted the people around her as she strode out of the station. She called a cab and headed to the most busy pedestrian street in Alkender City.
As the cab arrived at the entrance of the pedestrian street, she paid the fee, got off the cab, and strode to her destination: a specialist shop.
The shop specialised in selling all sorts of womens bags.
In the disy window, all kinds of bags were shining in their respective color under the spotlight, simr to how Kat Ladys eyes shone.
However, the shop wasnt open yet, stopping her from shopping.
She leaned on the pir beside the entrance, waiting patiently.
Karoom!
Thunder roared in the sky, strong wind starting to blow the still Alkender City, and a few minutester, it was raining cats and dogs.
Simr to how a cat disliked water, Kat Lady hated water outside of drinking and bathing.
Pea sized raindrops fell on her, causing her to shake her body in difort.
Before the bag shop could even open, she would be soaked wet if she continued standing outside, so she ran.
Kat Lady was very familiar with the pedestrian street, to the point that she knew every single shop like it was her heirloom treasure.
Therefore she did not run to the coffee shop which most would preferthe coffee shop was nice but the coffee tasted bad and the food was mediocre. Instead, she chose the restaurant in the back alley of the pedestrian street.
It wasnt easy locating the restaurant though, one would need a guide to get there.
Kat Lady felt happy once she thought about eating her favourite unagi rice in the restaurant while waiting for the rain to stop and the opening of her beloved treasure vault. She smiled.
Ring!
The wind chime rang as the door was opened, Kat Lady then entered the nameless restaurant.
Owner, unagi rice... Huh? Why are you here?!
Kat Lady ordered out of habit but before she finished, she saw the only customer in the shop: Kieran.
In front of him were three stacks of tes, tall enough to reach the ceiling.
Kat Lady instantly remembered what happened yesterday.
She was thrown away! Twice! While she was trying to win him over!
Insult! A great insult!
Her beautiful mood crumbled immediately, looking less than friendly after she saw Kieran and it became worse after she heard what the owner said.
Sorry Selina, we are all cleared out today, this sir here bought all our stuff, the middle-aged owner looked at Kat Lady with an apologetic gaze.
Kat Lady endured the hunger and frustration with a nod, walking to Kieran and sitting opposite him.
Kieran, who was busy eating, didnt care about her, still tasting the unagi rice.
The unagi was tender, especially the part near the skin. The oiliness of the fishbined together with the owners special sauce was perfect. It didnt just erase the fishiness, it brought out the sweetness, yet as the unagis umami was retained, one would easily be satisfied.
Besides that, the rice was also mention-worthy. High quality rice wasid under the unagi and when the sauce was poured on, the oiliness of the unagi and the sauce converged and was infused into the rice. Each grain of rice was delicious on itself and ones appetite would be erged subconsciously.
Even amon man would appreciate the unagi rice, let alone Kieran, who purposely came to her for the delicacy.
Kieran ate all the unagi rice in the restaurant, holding theplementary barley tea in his hand, taking sip after sip as he looked at Kat Lady.
You know this ce as well? Kieran asked.
I should be asking you that. How did you know about this restaurant? Kat Lady asked in an unpleasant tone.
Willis told me, Kieran didnt hide.
Kat Lady immediately put Willis name on the list in her heart.
Revenge is a dish best served cold.
Revenge for Kat Lady is a dish best served the whole day!
The food here is really good, even the barley tea thedy owner treated me to is nice.
Kieran lifted up his tea and looked at the heavy rain outside the window.
The rain slid down the roof, flowing down the cornice and forming water beads all over the window, plus the humid air ss. It added a sense of blurriness to the view, and because of the blurriness, it presented a peaceful and casual atmosphere to the people inside.
When Kat Lady saw how pleasant Kieran was looking, she couldnt hold back her ws anymore.
She knew she wasnt a match for Kieran and Kieran would never show her mercy should she attack him, otherwise she would have taught Kieran a lesson.
The helplessness made her lie down and stick her forehead on the table.
This morning sucked so bad for her! Why did she run into the Glutton Emperor casually eating in the restaurant?
Huh?
Casual? No!
After that battle yesterday, how could the Glutton Emperor eat so casually in the restaurant?
Because of unagi rice?
Impossible! There must be something else!
Kat Lady suddenly sat straight up as the thought hit.
She carefully sized up the surroundings and heightened her guard.
Although the battle yesterday was sudden, the danger was self-exnatory, one misstep and they would suffer a team wipe. Nothing would save her, not even her trusted agility.
No one understood what they were facing yesterday and the best way to deal with the unknown was to expose the threat earlier.
However, Kat Lady was very familiar with the restaurant. After a nce around, she did not notice anything out of the blue.
Or...
Ive entered an illusory realm? If it is, the Glutton Emperor before me must be a fake, so it would be okay if I touch him?
When the thought came into her mind, Kat Lady was overflowing with eagerness, eager to carry out her thought.
She squinted her eyes at Kieran, raising her hand suddenly in an attempt to grab Kieran.
Pak! Bang!
Her hand was smacked off and she was grabbed by the back of her neck again before getting thrown away. She fell on her bum at the entrance.
Selina, are you alright?
Thedy owner heard the littlemotion and came out from her washing duty, seeing Kat Lady sitting at the entrance and voicing her concerns.
I-Im fine, Kat Lady forced a smile for thedy owner while she rubbed her red palm.
Deep in her heart, she almost cried. She was now certain she wasnt in an illusory realm, because the way and the strength Kieran mmed her was exactly the same as she remembered.
No matter how real an illusory realm, it wasnt possible to mimic that.
Rubbing her palm, Kat Lady sat back down at her seat, weed by Kierans unusual gaze, as though he was looking at a crazy person.
Kat Lady thought she had to exin herself.
I thought this was an illusory realm, so I tested it. I didnt think you were that kind of casual person who woulde all the way here to have unagi rice, especially in the morning. So... Hold on! Are you waiting for me here?!
Kat Lady suddenly realized something as she spoke, looking at Kieran with a dubious gaze and giving her own deduction.
You had some decent gains yesterday during the battle. Despite those two items being broken, they still have some value. You are finding a suitable buyer and among yourrades, Ferris is the one best suited for the job but he is searching for the books on the papal era, so he has no time to finish the task. Among those you know, it is I who has the most contact with the secret market ce that would be the most suited for the job. So, are you here to ask me to find a buyer for you?
Although it was a question, Kat Lady sounded very sure.
She crossed her arms, looked up proudly, as if she knew the truth, and in her heart, she wanted to use this chance to make things difficult for Kieran as revenge.
Cats are narrow-minded animals.
Come on! Come on now! Beg me! Ill do my best to reject you! But if you beg really hard...
Id still reject you!
Kat Lady almostughed out loud when she pictured the begging face on Kieran.
Bill please.
While Kat Lady was swimming in her own fantasy, Kieran asked for the bill.
Kat Lady was in shock, watching Kieran pay the bill, taking his cup of tea and switching to another table.
What is this?
I am wrong?
And... Is he ditching me now?
Kat Lady widened her eyes in disbelief before Kierans action.
Kieran didnt care. He grabbed his teeth as he watched the heavy rain, his face looking slightly nk as his mind was filling in all the possible holes in his n, trying his best in perfecting it.
He would never spend his thoughts guessing what a cat would do, since they were always unpredictable.
Simrly, he came to the restaurant because he heard about how good the unagi rice was and a queue was expected around afternoon, so he decided to have his breakfast.
The other reason was Ferris was busy with the search, so unable to provide breakfast.
Why not takeaway?
If he had a choice, Kieran would like to taste food fresh out the kitchen, meaning he preferred to taste food at their best condition.
Seconds turned into minutes.
Kat Ladyid down on the table, looked at Kieran with dull eyes, as though her energy had slipped away.
The rain outside got heavier, showing no sign of stopping anytime soon.
Half an hourter, Kieran stood up. He didnt have much time, so he couldnt afford to wait any longer.
Kat Ladys eyes shined when she saw Kieran stood up.
Cant hold it anymore right?
You have to go settle the troublesome matters, right?
How can you sit here and drink tea so casually?
Kat Lady showed a fake smile and stood up while her heart was enjoying the moment like a true free soul.
Theres so much rain, are you sure you want to leave? Youll get wet! Look at the puddle on the ground, your shoes will be goners! Kat Lady walked over and spoke to Kieran as if she cared about him.
No it wont, Kieran said dully.
What wont? The rain is so big...
Gulum Gulum!
Before she finished, the noise of wooden wheels traveling on asphalt road entered her ears and Kat Lady opened her mouth in astonishment when she saw the ck wagon in front of the restaurant.
With two strong horses together with a wagon with minimalistic design, a single nce at it could tell how elegant it looked, turning eyes as it traveled along the road, including Kat Ladys.
A w-wagon? What the hell? What year is this? How is there still a wagon moving around? Kat Lady stuttered.
The wagoner with a raincoat wasnt bothered by her words, opening up an umbre anding down the wagon to open the door to the restaurant.
My lord, White Jack at your service.
The skeleton in the raincoat bowed slightly while holding an umbre.
Nice color, Kieran said.
Its great that you like it.
The soul fire in White Jacks eyes jumped joyfully.
I was right, the lord likes ck! All my efforts are worthwhile now!
White Jack didnt just spend his efforts in changing the wagon and the horses color.
The skeleton waved its hand and a pure ck carpet rolled down from the wagon, connecting the little path in between the wagon and the restaurant. The little puddles of water were covered up, Kierans shoes werent tainted by water and dirt as he stepped on to it.
When the wagon door was opened, warm air came out.
Inside the carriage was a small y warmer with a ck ypot spraying out steam on top. The rich aroma of tea instantly expelled the rainy stench.
Kieran stepped in and sat down.
Kat Lady finally reacted to the scene.
C-Can you give me a ride?
Kat Lady put her hands in front of her chest, trying to make herself look pitiful and her chest bigger.
Kieran shook his head without a single thought.
No.
Bang!
His words faded, the door closing, White Jack shaking the reins and the wagon quickly vanishing into the rain, leaving Kat Ladybedazzledat the spot.
The wind blew and the rain drenched her, making her look very pitiful.
Im a strong meow! Im fine meow! I can still buy bags meow! Bags can cure all illnesses! Bags can solve all depression!
Kat Lady clenched her fist. She wanted to borrow an umbre from thedy owner so that she could go to the bag shop but before she could, the loudspeaker on the street buzzed.
Dear customers, we are sorry to inform you that because of the storm, the pedestrian street will be temporarily closed. We are sorry for the inconvenience and thank you for your understanding. We wish you a good day ahead.
The voice echoed and entered Kat Ladys ears.
Pak!
She fell down on her knees as if her soul just flew out.
Chapter 1589 - Test
Chapter 1589: Test
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The ck wagon stopped in front of Randletine Street 17th.
Drexton, who was waiting inside, was astonished by the arrival of the wagon. He knew the wagon was something different with a single nce, and when he saw Kierane down from the carriage, he smiled wholeheartedly.
He was grateful that he befriended Kieran; the feeling extended from the moment he saw Kieran until the incident yesterday.
His friend wasnt just powerful, but it also seemed like he possessed some kind of unique charm that attracted many people with extraordinary talents to him endlesslylike the wagoner and the wagon that vanished on the spot, plus Kat Lady.
Once Drexton thought about how Kat Lady tried to approach Kieran from time to time, he couldnt help but curl up his lips.
One needed to know that Kat Lady was infamous for her proud attitude; even when it came to him, he could hardly order her around, but of course, he wasnt a bossy character.
In Drextons eyes, everyone shared the same rank, they were equal, and there was no such thing as ordering people around, only cooperation.
This was the reason why he appeared in Randletine Street 17th: cooperation required payment, after all.
Morning, 2567, Drexton said with a smile.
Morning. Kieran nodded and sat on the sofa. He spotted a few paper bags on the tea table and some luggage under it.
This is the deed to the two shoplots in the center of Smorewill Street. I know they might not be very useful now, but give it around six months, and the street will prosper and shock everyone. Please dont reject me, this is what you deserve. As a matter of fact,pared to what youve done for the city, these two shoplots are really nothing. I would have liked to pay you more, but rebuilding Smorewill Street requires too much funds, so I can only provide you with these in the meantime. Ill find a way to make it up to you, Drexton said in an apologetic and sincere manner before he moved the piece of luggage under the tea table on top.
The luggage wasnt big, a standard 24 inch luggage bag to be exact, but when it was ced on the tea table, the thud it produced was heavy.
Drexton didnt keep Kieran guessing; he opened the luggage bag right away.
Inside the luggage were three wooden boxes; one big, two small. The big one was at the bottom and the small ones were on top. All three boxes were locked by chains.
I heard you were looking for secret texts and single books about the papal era, so I asked someone to search for them. This is the key to the locks. Dont worry, although they are notplete yet, Ill try to get more for you, said Drexton.
Kieran didnt reject them.
Compared to the two shoplots, he was more concerned about the three ancient tomes. He received the key from Drexton and opened the boxes up.
Drexton, too, smiled brightly after Kieran epted his gifts without a second thought. He admired the honesty in Kieran, unlike someone else who sought the gifts so badly, yet pretended they didnt care by making small talk.
A few minutester, Kieran finally flipped through the tomes.
No problem at all.
The papers were aged, and the contents and writings on the tomes were a little different from modern words, but it wasnt a huge problem for Kieran.
He ced the paper bags with the deeds into the luggage bag with boxes and passed it to Emma Eddie.
Emma Eddie pushed it to the study room, closing the door after she went in. Kieran then started to speak.
Hows the investigation on yesterdays incident? Kieran asked.
Kieran didnt hide anything about the incident. Printon City, the interrogators, Dark Gold and that so-called demonKieran told Drexton everything because he knew he couldnt hide it forever.
As long as Drexton started his investigation, hed know very soon.
Rather than anticipating the problems in the future, might as well say it properly to prevent one from happening.
Ive sent all my men on the case but... nothing! Im sure those criminals who assaulted the city are just some pawns, but Im not sure who the person behind the chessboard is, Drexton said seriously.
After hearing the news from Kieran, Drexton was overwhelmed by shock. The Fist of Justice dreaded Printon City like none other, let alone the interrogators who got lost in history.
As for Dark Gold and the demon, it caused more headache to Drexton.
He felt like he was dragged 600 years back into the papal era because those words only worked in that time.
Try your best. We are running out of time. Alkender City has be a target for many now. Kieran was surprised.
Although the Hero Alliance was influential and possessed an outstanding intelligencework, Rome wasnt built in one day; they couldnt have gathered all the intel about the assault in one night. It required time, and unfortunately, what theycked most now was time itself.
Drexton understood what Kieran meant, no doubts. A slight pauseter, he continued. Ive contacted Colossal Arm and listed his securitypany into the city defenses. On top of that, Colossal Arm is familiar in training securities. Given what we already have, he can train more men and add them to the security forces within a week. Besides that, Ive suggested to the mayor to rearrange Alkender Citys defenses. With the mayors agreement, the station and fire department are all under our defense line now. Drexton smiled as he delivered the good news.
The conversation that followed became light-hearted as well, and itsted for 15 minutes before Drexton left.
As the leader of the Hero Alliance, he was exceptionally busy in times like this. His job required him to not only contact the superheroes, but also to liaise with the armed forces of the civilians too.
Once Kieran thought about Chief Officer Pudders attitude, he knew Drextons task wasnt easy.
It wasmon for people with authority to behave like that though.
Deers were hunted for their antlers.
Superheroes were no exception either.
Their extraordinary powers causing them to stand out from themoners, they had to endure jealousy from others, got pushed aside by the crowds and had to bear all those dark thoughts.
A lot of the time, the Extraordinary individuals ended up as criminals.
They werent born bad but were forced down the path.
Drexton met a lot of simr cases, but he managed to keep his bottom line. He hoped the other superheroes could do the same; therefore, he could not afford to stop.
He had to move forward, he had to give it his best.
The door shut. Drexton sat in his car and vanished into the rain.
Kieran epted the tea from Emma Eddie, took a sip and looked at Goran.
My lord, everything is normal. There are no watchers around, and no one followed you back, said Goran as he walked out of the shadows.
Is that so? Kieran ced the cup of tea on the tea table lightly.
The reaction from the enemy was slower than expected.
No, the enemy must have chosen a more secretive and safer approach.
Coincidentally, Kieran was now easily targeted by such an approach, but he wasnt worried.
Quite the opposite, he preferred the enemy to approach him this way.
However, out of caution and habit, he had to add ayer of insurance on himself.
Pak!
Kieran snapped his fingers.
Boss, at your service.
Bloody Mary appeared following the snap of fingers. Without further instruction from Kieran, it already knew what Kieran wanted it to do.
Ill try my best, said Bloody Mary before vanishing from the spot.
...
The air was cold as the rain fell, but Ferris felt nothing.
He held a ck umbre as he entered a coffee shop.
After being weed and rejecting the warm towel from the waiter, he walked to the corner.
As the infamous Freezer in Alkender City, the coldness from the rain was like childs y in his eyes, nothing to be concerned about.
If he didnt care about the person he was meeting for a trade, he would have chosen a wider ce, not a warm coffee shop.
Although the coffee shop had warm lighting, appealing music, and nice coffee,pared to the safety of a wide ce, Ferris could have given all those up.
Comfort would lower ones guard and might cost him his life, at least in his own opinion.
Of course, his old statement was built on the absence of Kierans orders. After he received the order to search for more ancient texts and unique books on the papal era, he switched his standpoint to Kierans.
Hed still remain vignt, but hed ce his priority onpleting Kierans orders first, hence he started to care about the person he was meeting.
At least with thefortable environment, Ferris assumed that it would help increase the sess rate of the trade, and as a matter of fact, it did...
Hello sir, good day! Is it you who published the message?
A middle-aged man had entered the coffee shop and started looking around. When he saw Ferris, he smiled warmly and walked over. He also received a warm towel from the waiter and wiped his hands as he sat down.
Having services like this in this kind of weather is really great. I have a unique copy of a book on the papal era. Its a little broken, maybe only 70% left of its original content. Do you want to have a look?
The man then took out a book wrapped in tarp.
Ferris took the package without saying a word, and the middle-aged man didnt stop him.
The reason he showed up for this trade alone and spoke his mind was because he had confidence in himself, plus the person he was trading with, Ferris, had quite the reputation in the city.
Never vite deals, always honest. That was, of course, if the deal went well, otherwise...
Going missing in the city was not something that would get attention.
Em.
After a careful check, Ferris took out a cheque book and wrote six figures on itit was the price he offered when he released the news.
The numbers would fluctuate depending on thepleteness and rarity of the product but not drastically.
The middle-aged man received the cheque and showed a satisfied smile after he saw the numbers.
Oh right, I have some news on another simr bookconsider it a service. Some guys found an ancient tomb in the outskirts not long ago, and it should belong to some nobles in the old age. I heard it has a lot of precious stuff inside, including many rare books. Do you want their contact info? Its not free though, said the middle-aged man with a smile.
How much? Ferris went straight to the point.
10K. The middle-aged man made his offer and waited for Ferris to negotiate on the price, but to his surprise, Ferris had zero intentions to do so. Another cheque was written and given to the man.
After acquiring the gold from Mr. Ghost, Ferris had no need to argue on the price anymore. He deemed it a waste of time.
Pak!
The man flicked the second cheque before putting it away carefully. He then took out a pen and paper, and wrote down a phone number for Ferris.
It was great doing business with you. Hope we meet again sometime. The man nodded and headed out of the coffee shop, but before he pushed the door open...
BANG!
A gunshot sounded. The mans head was sted to pieces.
The headless body wobbled and fell to the ground as blood sprayed all over the ce.
Aaaaah! Someone died!
The customers in the coffee shop screamed in panic and started to run to the exit.
The shooter didnt stop them. He allowed the customers to leave as he took his gun to Ferris.
Pak!
The shooter flung his gun on the table, pulled the chair, sat down and looked at the table.
I heard you are looking for ancient text and unique copies of the papal era? the shooter said frivolously.
The shooters words caused Ferris to disperse the chilly air that gathered around his fingers.
Do you have any? Ferris asked.
Of course! We discovered some nobles tomb at the outskirts and nned to raid it, but some passerby here kept spreading news about us, making it hard for us to do our job. So, he was on our kill list. This is a warning to those parties who had their eyes on us. Dont even dare step on our tail! said the shooter, overflowing with killer intent.
In Ferriss eyes, the shooter was fierce on the outside and timid on the inside, but it did not concern him. He was here toplete Kierans orders, not teach people a lesson.
Ferris had zero interest in things other than his orders.
Where are the books then? Ferris asked.
In a secret ce. You have the balls toe with me?
As though theck of fear on Ferriss face disturbed the shooter, he immediately provoked Ferris.
Lead away. Ferris stood up and walked to the exit.
Hope you can be this calm when you get there. The shooter didnt cover up his voice behind Ferris.
Both of them then left the coffee shop one after another.
No one cared about the dead man though, because dead men were the safest, or at least should be.
A moment after the two left the coffee shop, the body moved.
The broken head and sttered brain started to wriggle toward the headless body as though they had memories of their own.
Ten secondster, the middle-aged man regained his head.
Aftering back from the dead, the man tapped the dust away from his body and showed a strange, freaky smile.
You took the bait! Hmph, the man muttered softly and grunted frivolously. Trying to kill me with a single bullet? How naive you are! I am an undead!
The man wanted to leave the coffee shop as he stood up, but after the first step, he heard a voice behind him.
Oh? Undead? What a coincidence!
Chapter 1590 - Childish
Chapter 1590: Childish
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
As the voice sounded behind him, the man threw the hidden dagger in his sleeve without a second thought, trying to dash out of the coffee shop.
Souu! Pak!
The little dagger hit flesh, striking joy on the mans face. However, the joy froze and his steps halted the very next moment.
He felt pain radiating from his chest, causing him to look down and see a hand jutting through his ribs. He tried his best to turn around, seeking a glimpse of the person behind him.
He saw Bloody Mary precisely stab its dagger into his heart, yet Bloody Mary felt nothing as it smiled at the man.
Its hand, which was already through the mans chest, ripped his heart out and crushed it.
Pak!
It then retracted its hand slowly, the body falling to the floor.
You call yourself undead? Im afraid you misunderstood the term, Bloody Mary said, looking down at the body in disdain.
When Bloody Mary touched the mans heart, it could feel a certain power gathering inside but when it crushed it, the power dispersed rapidly.
The man turned into a dead body, once and for all.
You are really disappointing, Bloody Mary muttered.
It thought it had finally found its own kind and it could enve the man to lighten its burden, but who wouldve thought the man would be a phony.
Once it thought about the fact that it still had to charge into enemy lines, disarm traps, and act as bait, Bloody Mary felt sad. The sadness didnt stop it from collecting the loot though.
Two checks fell out from the body, Bloody Mary curling its lips into a grin when it saw the numbers on it.
If it was truly some valuable loot, it dared not keep it for itself but with this kind of meaningless paper, it knew its boss wouldnt mind giving the checks to it.
Bloody Mary revered its boss from the bottom of its heart, if it still existed.
It had never seen a person who nned so meticulously, with every conceivable possibility taken into ount. Its boss had obviously expected this little encounter, hence Bloody Marys arrival.
After all, Bloody Mary did sense a familiar energy in the mans heart before it crushed it. It was Dark Gold.
Sigh. You people are really unlucky to be running into my boss, eximed Bloody Mary, vanishing from the spot.
...
Ferris followed the shooter into an old broken car.
The shooter drove fast and shuttled through the streets of the city. They drove from the main street to a branching path before turning into an alleyway.
The alleyway wasnt the destination, but there was a van parked there.
Get out.
The shooter jumped off the car and walked towards the van.
This is our customer?
There were two people inside the van, one a scrawny man in the drivers seat and one a bloated fatty in the back seat.
The scrawny man showed Ferris a smile. His mouth stuck out slightly and he had the chin of an ape, which, in addition to the smile, made him look extremely wretched.
Come on, the boss is waiting, the fatty behind him rushed them.
The shooter didnt say anything, pointing the gun at Ferris and signaling him to get in the van.
Ferris didnt move under the rainy weather, standing there and sizing up the two people in the van.
Hurry up! Where are your balls now?
The shooter seemed to have misunderstood Ferris reaction, which he took as hesitation.
The shooters face was arrogant, as though he was higher than Ferris, the thought that he had control over someones life and death going to his head.
Such arrogance would lower ones guard and vignce, blinding them to danger and trouble.
The scrawny driver and the fatty behind him sneered after what the shooter said.
Then...
KABOOM!
The van exploded.
The explosion burst out from under the van, fire engulfing the whole vehicle and sending it flying up to the sky. The duo inside didnt even make a sound before they were burnt to cinders.
However, the shooter didnt die in such a close range. It wasnt his quick reaction that saved him, but the ice shield that Ferris raised in front of him.
Under the rainy weather, with enough water, it was a semi-advantageous field for Ferris. When he created the two ice shields in front of him and the shooter, Ferris also transformed the raindrops into icicles and fired them into the shadow further away.
Ding Ding Ding!
After a series of iron tters, a figure was forced out from hiding.
The man was in a ck raincoat, a hood covered his facepletely and a blood covered dagger in his hand.
It seemed like the man was hurt by Ferris attack but the manughed without being any concerned.
Ferris, the follower of Glutton Emperor? The one who shares a resemnce with the infamous Freezer? Why do I think you and the Freezer are the same person? Or the bastard Glutton Emperor...
Wung! Gatssssssk!
Before the man even finished, a sub-zero aura appeared out of thin air, transforming the raindrops into ice crystals and freezing the water on the ground. The frost continued to spread with an exponential speed visible to the eyes. The shooter beside Ferris and the sudden attacker further away were frozen on the ground.
The shooter only had his shoes frozen but the attacker had his legs covered in ice, with the frost spreading upwards to his entire body.
Wait! I didnt mean anything! I was just...
Anyone who insults his lordship must die.
The sudden attacker never expected such an extreme reaction from Ferris, he wanted to exin himself but Ferris didnt spare him the chance. The ice covered the attackers body in an instant, transforming him into an ice statue.
After that, Ferris turned to the dumbstruck shooter.
I want to know where your base is, stated Ferris coldly.
I know! I know!
The shooter knew that he must answer in front of the enraged Ferris. He nodded repeatedly and even threw the gun away.
How could a mere firearm harm a powerful Extraordinary individual like Ferris?
The shooter was terrified to his core when the title Glutton Emperor was mentioned.
Everyone who lived in Alkender City knew that title, even civilians.
Civilians felt safe with the title but criminals were horrified by it, without a single exception.
It was then that the shooter seemed to realize that they had struck a deal with the wrong person.
Hurry, Ferris rushed him.
He had missed making breakfast and lunch for Kieran, he would not want to miss dinner too.
O-Okay!
The shooter got back into the old broken car and started it. This time, the shooter didnt care about being followed by anyone.
The appearance of the attacker notified him that the secret base that they thought was hidden wasnt so hidden after all.
As for why the attacker didnt make a move?
The shooter stepped on the pedal and took a peak at Ferris from the corner of his eyes. His heart skipped a beat.
He realized he and his gang had gotten caught up in some serious trouble.
The car vanished into the rain with the engine growling, the burnt van and an ice statue left behind in the rain.
The fire was extinguished by the rain and the ice statue started to melt.
Kak!
A crack appeared in the ice.
The attacker, who should be frozen, managed to move his eyes before he regained his breath.
When the ice on his eyes melted away, heughed coldly.
Hahaha, trying to kill me with ice? Im an unde-
Po!
Before he finished, excruciating pain robbed his energy to speak any further. He looked down at the big hole in his chest and saw the person who held his heart with widened eyes. His death was restless.
Bloody Mary didnt even bat an eye at the attacker, swinging its hand in an arc to wash away the blood with the rain.
It felt like an insult when Bloody Mary heard these men iming to be undead.
The feeling was like eating a bowl of steamed eggs, while another personholding a bowl of hot shitims to eat the same. The feeling sucked so bad.
What was worse was that there werent just a few of these lousy phonies.
Bloody Mary had no idea how these bastards came, but as it pondered on the possibility, the number was definitely not small.
Right now, in front of Bloody Mary, was another one hiding in the shadows.
Bloody Mary stepped back and merged into the shadow in the corner, creating a scene that looked like it had left.
Fuaaaa!
The rain continued.
Five minutester, a person walked over to the scene after he was sure Bloody Mary had left.
The person walked towards the body with a hole in his chest, confirmed the death, and took out a walkie-talkie.
Report, experiment 102 is dead. Do we continue the operation?
Continue.
A heavy, sinister voice came from the other end of the walkie-talkie after a small pause.
Yes, 101 will continue...
Pak!
Before the person finished, he fell down and never got up. The walkie-talkie fell into Bloody Marys hand.
It looked at themunication device in silence, the person on the other end realizing something had happened.
Other than the buzzing, only the loud rain was heard.
Who is it? the voice from the walkie-talkie asked after a while.
Why dont you have a guess? Bloody Mary replied with a giggle.
Har, childish. You have no idea what trouble you got yourself into. Ill give you two options now. One, take the walkie-talkie to a gas can, and burn yourself with it. Second, Ill send someone after you and theyll burn you and the walkie-talkie together.
The heavy and sinister voice spoke in a in tone, as though a high ranking person was making the statement.
Come on then! Whoever fails to show is a lousy wimp!
Bloody Marys evil giggle didnt go away, not taking the persons word seriously.
Since it followed Kieran, how many times had it died?
Nothing would happen to Bloody Mary, even if it was thrown into a volcano, let alone burning it with gas.
An undead is truly undying.
Very well! Youve made me angry! Ill make sure you never see tomorrows sun.
The heavy voice spoke heavier, and even through the walkie-talkie, the cold killing intent was obvious.
Tomorrows sun? Selina from the weather forecast said to expect rain tomorrow! Of course I cant see the sun tomorrow! You idiot! Now Ill give you a chance to let you correct yourself. Why dont you say I cant see tomorrows rain? Bloody Mary teased the voice in a serious way.
...
The walkie-talkie was hung up.
Hey, if you dont like what I say, I can change. Dont like rain? I can say clouds or lightning, why did you have to hang up on me?
Bloody Mary threw the walkie-talkie away as it grunted.
It knew the walkie-talkie had some tracker or some sort of locating device, and as long as it kept it around, the person on the other end would eventually find it.
Bloody Mary bet on it, eager to flush all those lousy bastards who tried to feed it hot shit into the toilet, but it had a mission toplete.
However, this little provocation would not go unchecked.
Its boss had more than one follower andpanion.
Although the others werent as capable, dealing with these lousy shitty bastards was enough.
Bunch of lousy phonies!
...
Get everyone out there! I want that bastard found! I will rip his tongue off, strangle him with it, and hang him over the clock tower!
A young man jumped up from his chair, the rage slightly changing his heavy and sinister voice.
His supposingly handsome face was twisted with rage.
He had never been yed like this, this was an insult to him!
If he couldnt find this bastard who yed him, so what if he controlled all of Alkender?
He would be a joke after the meal!
Once he thought about the potential shame, he grew anxious.
Hurry up! Find that bastard! the young man shouted at his men in the jeep.
Soon, the group arrived in the alleyway, following the tracker in the walkie-talkie.
The young man saw the ice statue, the body on the ground, and the burnt vehicle. He neglected all of that and headed to the walkie-talkie, looking down at the drenched device and said coldly, You think you can run away by ditching the walkie-talkie? You have no idea who you are messing with! Find h-... HUH?!
As he was about to give orders to his men, he realized his surroundings had changed.
The alleyway, the rain, his men, and the bodies were all gone.
What reced all of that was a well-lit corridor filled with book racks.
A library?
The young man was stunned. He then saw a girl with long hair and a white dress.
Her hair blocked her face. As she walked, her body twisted left and right and her bones cracked loudly.
The lights flickered as she walked, shutting off all of a sudden and when they got back up, the long haired girl was in front of the young man.
Her face beneath her long hair was exposed: a hideous, ferocious image, as though her face was destroyed.
Do you think Im pretty?
The young mans heart skipped a beat. He had never seen such an ugly girl but he did not answer because he felt an immense threat from her.
Step by step, the young man walked back. The girl followed him and would ask him the same question with every step taken.
But soon the young man realized that when he got up the stairs, the hideous girl stopped.
I see! The key is to get upstairs?
The young man felt delighted with his realization, running towards the upper floor.
When he stepped onto the third floor, a soft sobbing entered his ears.
Someone is here to bully. Sob sob sob again. sobs is scared!
Chapter 1591 - Underground Vault
Chapter 1591: Underground Vault
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
His name was Larcy.
His name was given to him by his powerful instructor back in the organizations camp when he had graduated top of his ss.
In the ancientnguage of the world, it meant tensile and great.
As for his original name?
He didnt know. He was an orphan, adopted for as long as he could remember and before he received the name Larcy, he was known as the number 21.
Therefore, he cherished his name a lot, showed tenacious efforts to make himself stronger and greater.
Each time a mission that was dreaded by others was posted, he would always be the brave one to receive it.
This time was no exception.
Alkender City had lost its bnce, so he was here to tip the scale back.
There was no justice or evil involved, just the mission.
At first, Larcy and his group carried it out smoothly, the whole city falling into a mess with just one Mordins Statue but after that guy showed up, he was caught off guard.
2567!
A normal person should not even be qualified to appear in his sight and yet he ultimately became the important figure who tipped the scale of the entire ne.
Glutton Emperor! Just listen to that title!
EMPEROR!
Larcy admired it, he admired it very much. He wanted to be someone powerful and exist above themoners.
As for his other feelings for the Glutton Emperor? None.
He wasnt afraid, he didnt feel fear. In Larcys view, 2567 was just a lucky bastard who had acquired special powers.
Larcy had seen a lot ofmoners acquire powers overnight, causing them to lose themselves and ultimately be devoured by their own powers, simr to those overnight millionaires.
Larcy was different from those people. He received harsh training since young and grinded his skills, raising his strength in the harshest reality.
If those Extraordinary individuals who had awoken their powers were overnight millionaires, Larcy was a noble heir who inherited his familys power.
He controlled his powers like his own arms. Each baptism ritual he went through, each inheritance that he got, it made him proud of his background because he realized he was the best, the only one in his training camp, hence the name that was presented to him.
Tensile and great.
Therefore, he deemed himself to be more worthy than 2567, bearing the title of Emperor.
Although no one knew about him now, he would be known by many with the title in the future.
With a strong belief in his mind, Larcy initiated his backup n.
His backup n acted as a contingency for unexpected events but... it wasnt going smoothly.
An ignorant clown disrupted his arrangements and he didnt think he should hold back at the provocations. Other than the insults, he was ready to make his entrance to the public in a direct way.
What about the illusory realm he was in now? The library?
It may seem dangerous, but it was nothing to him. He had been through a lot in his simtion battles.
He knew that as long as he located the keypoint, he could break through the difficulties with ease and he might be able to use it to his own advantage, to counter the people who created the illusory realm.
When he saw the little girl in a pink lolita dress squatting down while sobbing, Larcy halted in his steps.
She looked cute and soft in his eyes, his instinct telling him the little girl was very weak.
But in his perception, aside from the weak and pitiful look, she was stronger than amon man but not absurdly so.
This little girl was without a question the best keypoint to break through the illusory realm.
Will you tell me where the exit is? Larcy asked heavily.
Sob sob sob, scared.
As though the little girl was frightened by his words, the sobs turned into a loud cry, chipping at Larcys patience because he had no time to waste here.
With the little girls delicate face and blue eyes making her look like a doll, especially the misty look in her teary sapphire eyes, one would have the urge to protect her at a single nce, but that was for themoners.
For Larcy, a trained professional, he neglected the little girls charms andnded a dagger in her neck.
Tell me or Ill kill you! said Larcy coldly. To prove that he wasnt bluffing, he pushed his dagger a little bit deeper into her neck.
He wasnt really going to kill her, all he wanted was to make her bleed to scare her, but... the tip of his dagger didnt feel like it had poked through fragile skin. It felt more like it had struck iron-ted armor!
His left hand, which held the little girl by the neck, suddenly felt extremely heavy, unable to continue grabbing the little girl, forcing him to let go.
As the little girl fell out of his hand, Larcy saw the little girl grow in size rapidly and transform into a giant. Larcy was jolted before he smiled in disdain.
Illusions in an illusory realm? Ive seen this many times in the training camp! The more you resist, the more it proves that I am right about you being the keypoint!
Larcy charged the giant who he thought was an illusion without pause.
It was just an illusion! It would break with a single blow!
He would never feel that kind of resistance again like his dagger hitting some iron-ted armor!
DING!
Larcys daggernded on the giants calf. It didnt feel like he had hit some iron-ted armor. Out of his expectation, it turned out worse because it felt like he was striking a tanks armor and Averdore Lily was much scarier than a tank!
Wung!
The giant palm clenched tightly into a fist and swung down at Larcy, apanied by a violent wind which messed up his expression.
BANG!
Larcy was almost crushed into a pile of meat with that single punch, as though he was an egg hammered down by a mullet. The tremendous force tore his muscles, broke his bones, and crushed his organs. It even smashed through the floor and sent Larcy back down to the second floor.
He saw Agernessa again.
Do you think Im pretty?
Agernessa asked again when she saw him but Larcy, whose bones were all broken, didnt even care about her. His eyes went nk at the big hole at the ceiling.
Larcy was in a daze and in thest moments of his life, he heard faint sobbing enter his ears.
Sob sob sob, so scary, I punch you on the chest with my punchy.
Larcy widened his eyes, twitching a few times before dying a restless death.
...
The old broken car stopped in front of an unfinished farm in the outskirts of Alkender City.
A No Entry sign and a few pieces of giant rocks with fences around it blocked the way. The journey beyond this point must be on foot.
Here it is, the scared shooter said.
Em. Get out, Ferris nodded, getting out of the car and opening his ck umbre.
Compared to the rain in the city, it was a storm in the outskirts without the buildings as a buffer. The unfinished farm was muddy from the storm, shoes and boots sucked deep into the ground when one walked across it, extra effort required to pull them out.
The shooter, who acted as a guide, was struggling as he walked forward with unbnced steps.
Ferris, with the umbre, walked behind the shooter as though he was walking on a t asphalt road. The mud beneath his feet was frozen into solid ice blocks, none of the muddy dirt tainting his shoes.
Wouldnt he slip if he walked on ice?
After Ferris had woken his ability, he had never slipped on ice. Despite his ability beeing freezing air, he felt close and had an indescribable feeling to ice.
The duo walked from the entrance of the unfinished farm to the only building in the middle. They had to spend almost 20 minutes covering the distance. The shooter was pale and shivering after the difficult journey but he dared not slow down to the door.
Bang Bang Bang!
The shooter knocked on the door loudly.
Boss, its me, said the shooter.
No one answered though. The shooter thought it was the storm, so he knocked on the door harder and shouted louder.
There was still no answer and after a while, even the shooter, who felt ufortable under the storm, noticed something wasnt right, let alone Ferris.
Even with the muddy smell and rain, Ferris managed to pick up a dense bloody stench from inside the building.
Based on his past experience, Ferris deduced at least three men had their throat sliced.
Break in, Ferris said without further ado.
Oh, Oh! The shooter hesitated for a moment, but when he saw the cold expression on Ferris face, he kicked down the door.
BANG!
A loud thudter, the door fell and the bloody stench came out.
The scared, ufortable shooter, who stood in front of the entrance, couldnt hold back anymore when he was assaulted by the bloody stench, grabbing the door frame and throwing up badly.
Ferris walked past him, closing his umbre and walking in.
The bloody stench got thicker after he entered but Ferris walked deeper without being bothered.
He walked through the corridor and saw the two bodies beside the dining table and one more near the stairs.
The two bodies at the dining table had lost their heads, the cuts clean and sharp, while the body on the stairs had his throat stabbed, the cut also clean.
Ferris nced over the bloodstained milk and bread on the table, naturally painting the picture in his mind: when the shooter left in the morning, the rest stayed behind for breakfast and then someone infiltrated the building quietly.
The two having breakfast didnt notice the infiltrator until their heads were cut off.
The noise produced when the heads fell on the floor startled the person upstairs. He called out to his aplices before he walked down carefully and his throat was stabbed. Despite holding a gun, he didnt get to fire it.
Cant tell whether the attacker had awakened his ability but he must be skilled in infiltration and very fast. He should be very skilled in handling a dagger or a short knife.
Ferris was once a math teacher, so he was able to clearly analyse the clues at the scene. He then turned towards the corridor beside the dining area.
At the end of the mentioned corridor was an open underground vault.
The things are hidden in the underground vault?
Ferris went back and asked the vomiting shooter.
Y-Yes! We hid all the things in the underground vault, at least it was there before, the shooter answered with a stutter.
His partners died one after another and it inflicted quite the damage to the shooter, fear rising in his heart unknowingly.
Ferris then headed back to the opened underground vault. It was dark inside from where he was looking.
Where are the switches for the lights? Ferris asked.
Beside your hand, the shooter wobbled over and pointed to the switch on the wall.
Pak!
Ferris pulled the switch. A clear rustling noiseter, the underground vault was lit up.
It was very messy inside, with many opened boxes, all the signs telling Ferris that he was one step toote.
He spent almost a whole day on this lead and he missed it?
The feeling was undoubtedly terrible.
Ferris frowned and wanted to step down for further investigation.
I wouldnt go in if I were you.
A voice came from behind him.
Ferris turned around quickly while his freezing aura spread. He saw a smiling man holding the shooter in his hand.
Something had happened to the shooter, a very subtle change, a change that amon man wouldnt notice but for Ferris, an Extraordinary individual, he noticed a dark and chilly aura on the shooter when heid eyes on him.
Something must have happened to the shooter while Ferris was looking down at the underground vault.
Butpared to the shooter, Ferris was more concerned about the man who appeared out of nowhere.
Its you?
Ferris squinted his eyes at Bloody Mary. He knew about the Superior Demon, not that well but he knew both of them served the same person and it was enough.
The freezing aura went away as Ferris looked at Bloody Mary, waiting for a reasonable exnation.
Something happened, you might be an opening for the enemy, so boss sent me here, Bloody Mary threw the shooter on the ground.
The moment the body touched the ground, it turned into a cloud of supernatural darkness, swiftly dispersing into the air.
This is that little something.
Bloody Mary then walked to the underground vault.
You are going down there? Ferris furrowed his brows.
Of course. Otherwise why am I here, waiting for the party to arrive? This is my job, Bloody Mary shrugged with a helpless expression. It then continued with a smile, Thank you for the concern but dont worry, I am not like you. You should not go down there but me, Ill be fine because Im stronger than you.
Bloody Mary then jumped into the underground vault.
Chapter 1592 - Held Hostage
Chapter 1592: Held Hostage
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Stronger? Stronger than me? How dare you say that?
Ferris looked down into the underground vault with squinted eyes, the freezing aura erupting from his body uncontrobly.
There were only a few things that could agitate the calm Ferris, unless... It was rted to Kieran.
This particr moment was!
After he became Kierans follower, he assumed he was the strongest among the others. He didnt really take Odork the Bloodman seriously, but Bloody Mary was different.
Ferris clearly understood how powerful the Superior Demon was and its power felt strange to him. It was the strangeness that Ferris dreaded and without a doubt Bloody Mary would be the biggestpetition in bing the strongest follower of Kieran.
Maybe I am behind now, but I will catch up.
Ferris didnt hide his thoughts as he spoke to the underground vault.
He, of course, would not jump down and argue with Bloody Mary because he didnt want his recklessness to ruin Kierans n.
Ferris turned around to the exit, grabbing the umbre and swiftly vanishing into the rain.
...
At night, the rain dimmed down, but that didnt stop the citizens of Alkender City from going home early.
Some, however, were destined to be busy.
Pudder, the chief officer, was looking at multiple dead bodies.
Other than the two charred bodies beside the burnt van, all the other bodies died in a strange way.
One was frozen, as though he had been showered by liquid nitrogen; one was a pile of minced meat, as though the person had been hammered by a hydraulic pump, removing even the face.
Six more of them were hung to death. Their tongues were ripped out and wrapped around their neck. The tongues werent broken in the ripping process though, perfectly covering the rope behind them, which was the true cause of death.
From afar, the six men really looked like they were hung to death by their own tongues.
Pudder could tell the murderer was a skilled professional.
What made him look heavy wasnt how the victims died, but their identities.
Identified it already? Pudder asked his assistant.
Other than the pile of meat and the two charred bodies, the rest were all identified: they belonged to the so-called Dark Night Squad, the young assistant replied with a rather pale face, trying to not inhale as he spoke because it was too bloody gruesome.
The young assistant, who thought himself as a bold and brave office, threw up right away when he got out of the car and saw the charred bodies and the pile of minced meat.
After that, when he checked on the bodies hung to death and the frozen body, he threw up a second time.
Rx a bit. Remember to carry mint candy with you, itll help you to adapt.
His tall assistant was reacting like a helpless little girl, Pudder sighed. He took out a piece of mint candy from his pocket and flung it to his assistant.
What should we do?
The assistant pointed at the bodies.
Standard stuff. What about the surveince? Found anything there? Pudder then walked over to the bodies.
He had zero fondness for the Dark Night Squad but that didnt mean he could simply perform his duty.
Nothing. The surveince here was hacked, no records were found. And because of the rain and how hidden this ce is, we couldnt find any eye witness either, the assistant reported.
Hacked again? What are those people in the tech department doing? Freeloading?
Pudder frowned as he scolded. The assistant smiled a bitter smile quietly.
He knew his colleagues at the tech department had tried their best but working with outdated equipment and running short on funds, the citys constant evolution cing the tech departmentwhich was barely able to meet ends with their manpowerin a difficult position. Considering from a certain aspect, it was a miracle for the tech department to keep operating in this constantly evolving city.
Pudder didnt know all that, or rather, he wasnt in the rted circles.
The assistant couldnt help but sigh as he watched the chief officer examine the crime scene seriously.
He really wanted to tell Pudder the truth but he couldnt. He knew once he did it, it wouldnt solve the problem but would worsen the situation at hand.
While the young assistant was fighting his own thoughts, a car drove into the scene after it broke through the police barricade further away.
The sudden intrusion captured everyones sight and attention.
The car stopped right in front of the crime scene. A tall man came down from the car, wearing a ck suit, leather shoes, and had a cold looking face with the least amount of expression. It felt like a robot came down instead of a man.
Each step he took was a calcted move, each step having the same distance as the previous one.
STOP RIGHT THERE! Pudder shouted. The officers in the scene pointed their guns at him but the man wasnt bothered and continued walking to the bodies.
Lower your guns! Lower your guns now!
An exasperated voice came from the car. A short man with a big belly and white hair jumped down from the car.
Director? The officers were stunned by the appearance. They lowered their guns.
Pudder, you guys can leave now. This case is off your hands.
The short director waved and whispered at Pudder before he strode to the man in the suit, and before he reached the man, the short director asked out of ttery, Sir Major, what else do you require?
Major?
A major from the Union Military?
All the officers at the scene heard what the director said and instantly recalled the rumours which stated Dark Night Squad belonged to the military.
Could the rumours be true?
Even Pudder was captivated.
Which one of you is Chief Officer Pudder? The tall major asked.
That Pudder is still recuperating from the incident of the Thousand-faced Man. If you are looking for him, Ill arrange a meeting, said the director while his hand behind his back was waving at Pudder, signalling him to go away quickly.
Director Steve, do you take me for an idiot? The major turned around and looked down at the director, the pressure in his gaze causing the director to break a sweat.
No, no! I dare not, but Pudder is really still recuperating, Director Steve waved his hands repeatedly, looking scared.
The corner of his eyes saw Pudder still standing there without budging, his anxiety rising to a new high.
He didnt know what orders the major received from his superior but he knew getting involved was anything but good. That was why he stated the majors identity when he came down the car, to notify his men to not act recklessly.
Out of his expectation, the major didnt seem to care about the life and death of the Dark Night Squad, instead the major was interested in Chief Officer Pudder.
Did Pudder offend someone in the military?
The thought rose in Director Steves mind subconsciously and it was quickly verified due to the understanding of Pudders character.
Stubborn, strict in official business, and outrageously persistent.
Some trivial matters which one could easily look past, Pudder would always look into the bottom of it regardless of the result. It was his persistence and perseverance that stopped his promotion despite his many credits and achievements.
Regardless of that, Pudder was still his man, and Director Steve had no reason to hand his subordinate out without a fight.
Sir Major, please follow me, Ill bring you to the rehabilitation center to meet Pudder, said Director Steve. The director was ready to stall the major with a day trip around the city so that Pudder got enough time to leave.
But what would happen in the end if the major failed to meet Pudder?
The director would say Pudder wasnt crippled oratose, he had legs and was able to run away, whats wrong about that?
Is that so?
The tall major smiled coldly and pushed the director aside. The director was short and rather old in age, so he missed his bnce and fell to the ground.
The officers in the area raised their gun at the major once more, all of them were looking less-than-friendly.
Director Steve might be shameless at times but he was great to his men, fighting hard for what his men deserved, standing in front of his men, blocking all the rough storms like a sturdy wall and never stepping down during critical times. Now, when he was pushed to the ground rudely by some guy who thought so highly of himself, it was natural that the officers showed their hostility for him.
Im fine! Im fine! Lower your guns! Director Steve quickly climbed up and held his men back.
Although Union Military had no right to directly interfere with the matters of Alkender City, Director Steve, who heard many insider news, would not want his men to be tangled up or having any kind of conflict with the military, because in the end, his men would be the one to suffer loss.
Sir Major, you are really strong, but Pudder...
Heard you are looking for me?
Director Steve was slightly embarrassed by the fall, but he kept his smile, walking over to the major and trying to dissuade him again, Pudders voice stopping him.
Director Steve widened his eyes and red angrily at Pudder.
Pudder smiled, tapping on the directors shoulder to express his gratitude.
His stubborn character had determined that he could never hide behind his superior and he also knew he could not run away.
The major must have done his homework beforeing forward, a few bluffs from the director could never brush him away.
Follow me, said the major before he returned to the car.
Pudder gave an Ok sign to Director Steve before boarding the car.
The engine growled to life.
Director Steves face changed several times before he ran to the police cruiser beside the alleyway, picking up the walkie-talkie and tuning it to a special frequency.
The director could not afford to step on the Union Military, but he had to do something to keep Pudder in one piece.
Therefore, the directors n was to bring out someone who could oppose the military: the mayor of the city who originated from the senate.
...
I originally thought Steve was a greedy old bastard who got his sry without doing anything, the major spoke first in the moving car.
Since when did the military show this much concern for a police department of a city, even sending a major here? Pudder coldly grunted.
A major obviously couldnt represent the military, neither could he interfere with the citys matter, the reason why Pudder said as such was to mock the major.
Why though?
Because of how the major addressed the director.
Although Pudder and his men also called the director an old bastard privately, it was meant as a joke since they were on the same side as Steve.
However, an outsider calling Director Steve an old bastard would naturally invoke dissatisfaction in Pudder. Plus, with his rude attitude and pressuring words, Pudder had listed the major into his I hate you list.
Though the major shook his head without being too concerned about the mockery.
I dont care about the city, I am here for a guy.
Who is this guy? If its me, Ill be ttered, Pudderid his hands out as he waited for the answer.
Not you, but rted to you. 2567, said the major.
2567?
Pudder was stunned before he realized the car was driving towards Randletine Street.
You are looking for 2567? You assumed that I am close with him so you dragged me here? I am suspecting your intelligence department is full of shit! Where did you get the news saying that 2567 and I are close? Pudderughed out loud as he spoke, he almost teared up.
Not close, rted.
The major suddenly reached out to grab Pudder.
Pudder had no ground to dodge the grab in the small car, so he countered with an elbow strike at the majors rib.
Bang!
His elbow strike could easily break the bones of amon man but it was ineffective to the major. Pudder felt pain spreading from his elbow, as though he elbowed an iron te and more importantly, the majors hand grabbed his neck tightly.
The major squeezed and forced Pudder to open his mouth. A capsule was then hurled into Pudders mouth.
Cough Cough Cough!
Pudder coughed repeatedly, trying to dig it out with his finger down his throat but it was useless.
What the hell was that? Pudder red at the major.
Something good! Something everyone sought after badly and still couldnt get. You are a lucky bastard, if it wasnt for...
The major was still speaking but Pudders sight was turning dark.
Exhaustion drowned him like the tide, he tried to fight it but his eyes closed tightly in the end.
The major chuckled at the unconscious Pudder.
You really think you can kill Larcy and walk away safely? Step on it!
The major ordered the driver.
The car sped up and reached Randletine Street 17th after a mere 10 minutes.
The major grabbed the unconscious Pudder from the car and walked to the door. He knocked.
Dok Dok Dok.
After knocking, a digital voice came from inside the house.
Im sorry, the owner is busy at the moment. He will not see anyone for now, pleasee backter.
...
The majors face turned cold. He raised his foot and went to kick the door down.
Chapter 1593 - Step By Step
Chapter 1593: Step By Step
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Bang!
The majornded his kick on the door powerfully, a loud thud sounding and pain spreading from his foot.
An iron door?
The majors cold, expressionless face twitched as he looked at the door, which looked no different from amon wooden door.
He was stopped from storming in but that didnt mean he would give up just yet.
The major stepped 7 to 8 steps back, recalcting the distance, the strength, and the integrity of the door before running towards it.
A dash of supernatural darkness shed over his boots.
When he was three steps away, the major jumped andunched a fly kick at the door.
Fuaa!
A violent wind apanied the kick. This kick wasnt something amon man could perform, looking more like a flying giant hammer.
The major believed this kick would bring down the door because he utilized his power. A cold smile hung over his face as he flew closer to the door and then...
The door opened.
The major became terrified, his face turning pale.
He tried to control his strength but since he had utilized his power, it wasnt that easy to withdraw his kick.
The major gave his fullest effort in withdrawing the kick and managed tond at the entrance after falling from mid-air but he didnt stick thending properly. He staggered as his body wobbled forward, and since he had not let go of the unconscious Pudder, he lost his bncepletely, tumbling forward andnding beside the dining table with a loud thud.
Pudder got separated from the major during the crashingnding. The major had to climb up quickly and ce Pudder under his control again.
A clear chewing noise entered the majors ears after he held the unconscious Pudder in his hand.
He tilted up his stiff neck to the dining table and saw his target eating dinner. Frustration rose from his heart unknowingly, but Kieran didnt even look at the major.
Kieran was captivated by themb shank on his table.
Ferris, your cooking has improved again, said Kieran.
He wasnt brushing Ferris off, it was a realpliment.
Kierans tongue could capture the slightest changes in the food he ate. In his memories, Ferris handling of mutton and beef steak was two points off before this. The first point was hed either lose the meaty juices or kept the bloody water in the cooking. Now, Ferris had mastered the technique and the little ws were gone.
As for the remaining point?
The selection of ingredients and spices applied.
In other peoples eyes, Ferris cooking was amazing from the start, but Ferris couldnt care less about other peoples opinion. Simrly, he didnt even care about the major crawling on the floor, his cold face showing a smile as he received thepliment from Kieran.
Thank you for thepliment. This is a great reward, said Ferris seriously.
Bloodman Odork beside them looked a little jealous, obviously wanting a littlepliment for himself too, while Emma Eddie was signalling them with her gaze.
Why are they discussing praise?
There is an intruder in the house! He seized Chief Officer Pudder in his hand and definitely does not look very happy!
Emma Eddie pulled her chair closer to Kieran. Her instinct told her the closer she was to Kieran, the safer she would be.
Huu! Haaa!
The major was panting loudly after being neglected, the rage getting the best of him and almost recing his sanity. Fortunately, it was almost, not already.
He stood up and grabbed Pudder by the neck, loudly saying 2567, do you want him dead?
No, answered Kieran, while chewing his mutton.
Then follow me! the major showed a delighted smile.
Weakness always existed, regardless of how strong a person was.
As long as the weakness was exposed, no matter how strong the person was, a single blow was enough to take him down, and all these so-called Hero of Justice shared an obvious weakness!
It was too easy! Even easier than the majors expectation!
However, his smile froze on his face.
No.
So you want to watch him die? the majors face turned heavier.
No.
Kieran shook his head again before telling Ferris, Give me another te.
Yes, my lord, Ferris said respectfully.
The majors expression was heavy already and when he saw another te ofmb shank being served, he looked extra ferocious.
A heavy sense of insult rose in his heart.
He ought to let Kieran know he wasnt ying around.
Ill make you pay for insulting me! said the major. He then took out a dagger and stabbed Pudders thigh.
Pak!
The dagger was stabbed deeply into the thigh but Pudder was unconscious and showed no signs of waking up. The dagger was embedded in his thigh while the major held him by the neck.
Kieran still didnt care.
Give me some ck pepper, said Kieran.
Ferris left the dining table and returned with some ck pepper. He grinded it above themb shank. A unique spicy vour was added into the aromaticmb shank, forming an appetizing vour instantly.
Kieran picked up the fork and knife, quickly cutting themb shank in three and forking them all up together into his mouth.
The gravy, together with the tender meat juices, spread in his mouth, making him squint in satisfaction.
Another please, he said.
His frivolous attitude infuriated the major.
You really think I wont dare to kill him? the major shouted.
He pulled out the dagger from Pudders thigh and stabbed him again. This time, it wasnt the thigh anymore but the abdomen.
A stab in the abdomen mostly proved fatal because regardless of how familiar one was with human anatomy, one could not always avoid all the weak spots.
This was also a test. The major glued his eyes on Kieran as he was stabbing Pudder, wanting to spot some different reaction or some hesitance on Kierans face, even for a moment.
To his disappointment, Kieran didnt show any reaction, let alone hesitance.
Kieran concentrated in the beauty of his food.
Is themb shank that tasty?
The major started to doubt his life, but his training over the years allowed him to understand the right move to make.
He stopped thrusting the dagger into Pudders abdomen and moved it up to the neck instead.
The major slowly stepped backwards and finally, Kieran widened his eyes at the major.
Not a word was spoken. When the major caught Kierans cold eyes, he threw Pudder towards the dining table and ran for it.
The distance between the dining area and the corridor to the door wasnt that long to begin with. The major had been stepping back and was almost at the edge of the dining area, so when he turned around and ran, he managed to charge through the corridor.
The exit was within reach, the major sparing no more thoughts to hesitating and ran faster, but someone else was faster than him.
A palm suddenlynded on his shoulder.
Shou!
The major hurled his dagger backwards without a second thought when he felt the touching sensation on his shoulder.
He then heard his dagger plunging into the body and the flesh cut open but at the very next moment, the same dagger was held over his neck.
This! Impossible! THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE!
The major widened his eyes at the dagger at his neck but what overwhelmed him was the person with the dagger. It was Pudder!
In that instant, many messy thoughts flooded into the majors mind.
I see! You are also an Extraordinary individual and only 2567 knew it! That is why he wasnt moved when I took you hostage! the major said after some thinking.
He seemingly solved the questions in his mind and he looked back at Kieran at the dining table with a sour look, mixed with unwillingness.
You are lucky this time but you wont be the next! said the major, coldly.
Next time? You are stilling for a next time? Or do you really think the thing on you is going to save your life? Pudder said in an upset tone.
His tone was drastically different from his usual self but the nervous major didnt care about it. He looked at Pudder in shock.
How hard is it to guess? If you dont have a backup n that you believe can secure your escape, will you seize Pudder here? In your original n, Pudder is nothing but an abandoned pawn right?Pudder rolled a white eye.
The major finally noticed something was off.
Y-You are not Pudder?!
Of course not!
Pudders body distorted in a freaky way and transformed into a ridiculous figure right in front of the majors eyes.
Bloody Mary, the Superior Demon!
The major instantly thought about that little scene where he crashednded and Pudder got off his hand. It was that only time Pudder was away from his control.
You switched him in that window? The major asked after a deep breath.
What? What switching in an hour? You held me hostage from the very beginning! What switching here and there? There is no need for such trouble, as long as the ns areid straight, people like you will step into the boss trap like an idiot.
Bloody Mary pouted in disdain at the major before it turned around and smiled in a ttering way at Kieran.
Impossible! Impossible! How did you find out about my n? the major shook his head repeatedly, not believing his n was exposed from the beginning.
Again, how hard is it? You are also nothing but a pawn by the mastermind behind the scene! There is no need for boss to see through your ns because what you did is nothing but to match the masterminds n. As long as the boss paid attention to that guy, everything about you would show itself. From the phony undead following Ferris to that exploding farm, they are all nothing but tiny setups to agitate the boss. They really deserve a beating though. If Ferris really died on that farm and you coincidentally arrived here with Pudder, what did you think the boss would do? Chances are that the boss would kill you straight away, and should that happen, the life-saving trump card that you assumed useful woulde into y! Bloody Mary exined diligently while the major trembled repeatedly, his face as dead as ashe.
No, no, no, no...
All that was left was repeated mutters from the major. Itsted for a while before the major regained his senses.
The trump card that I assume will save my life? Its not an assumption! No! It is my life-saving trump card! Although I have no idea what it really does, it will prevent you people from killing me because you people cant afford to bear the consequences of the unknown! said the major as he returned to normal, his eyes looking energetic.
Bloody Mary showed a pitiful look at the majors pathetic exnation.
You are really an idiot, but I guess thats expected since you are an abandoned pawn, right? Otherwise, you would have noticed the reason why I tell you so many things is to test the reaction of the mastermind behind you. Too bad, that mastermind ought to make things look real, nothing was done to your body, Bloody Mary sighed and shook its head.
So what? You dare kill me now? the major shouted his lungs out.
His mind was in chaos after the revtion. The only thing he bore in heart was these people would dare not kill him. It would be his biggest reliance.
You know, if I have to deal with people like you, Id cut your arms, your legs, and slice your meat, slice after slice. I know a lot of ways to torture you without killing you, but too bad...
Too bad? Too bad you dont know what kind of consequences you will bear!
The major interrupted Bloody Marys words and showed delight in his words, trying to provoke the Superior Demon.
However, at the next moment, the major looked down in horror. Bloody Mary moved its hand through the majors chest and crushed his heart.
Wrong answer. Too bad... the boss has no mood to y with you or time to waste. Bloody Mary chuckled as it corrected the majors mistakes.
Pak!
The body fell on the floor and when it touched, it melted rapidly into an arrow, firing out like aet through Bloody Marys body and embedded into the wall behind it.
Bloody Mary looked down to the hole in its chest, feeling heart-wrenching pain tearing it apart. It turned around to Kieran with puppy eyes.
No need much, just give me an hour! An hour of rest!
Bloody Mary delivered its thought to Kieran but he shook his head in a decisive way.
Why sleep when you are alive, you can sleep all you want when you die. You can enjoy your overdue eternal vacation when you die, why are you so eager to get it now? Kieran said.
His words made a lot of sense, everyone else acknowledged it, even Bloody Mary.
But...
Im undead and you are talking to me after dead?
Are you kidding me?
A sense of grudge was added in the gaze at Kieran.
...
In a faraway mysteriousnd filled with blood and mes, the sound of a tightened bow releasing spread.
Bang!
Shoooo!
As the bowstring vibrated from the rebounding force, several red figure staring at the ce showed a meaningful smile, as though they had it in the bag.
Chapter 1594 - Appetizer
Chapter 1594: Appetizer
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
After multiple explosions without obvious reasons throughout the city, Alkender finally returned to its peaceful state.
No super criminals, no curfew and tightened securities throughout the day, and no sudden deaths.
Other than the bad weather, which resulted in daily drizzles and the asional storm, the civilians finally weed the long overdue peace. Everyone cheered for peace, thinking the days they had been waiting for were finally here, but not all of them shared the same thoughts.
Pudder was sitting in a coffee shop at Olinde Street. He wasnt looking at or bothered by the steamy, aromatic coffee at the table but his eyes were glued to Drexton.
Tell me, what happened to 2567?
The chief officer was a straight person who always spoke his mind, never hiding his thoughts, especially in front of the Fist of Justice.
I dont know. I tried to arrange a meeting a few times now, but Ferris stopped me. The security around Randletine Street has increased, almost doubled to be exact, so I assumed... 2567 is not in good shape. I wanted to help but was rejected, Drexton shook his head.
After finding out that the major from the military paid Kieran a visit, Drexton flew himself to Randletine Street right away but he did not meet Kieran, stopped outside the door by Ferris. However, judging from the lingering presence, something must have happened.
What happened?
Drexton had no idea, despite his multiple visits to Kierans ce in the past week. Each time he knocked on the door, Ferris woulde out and deny him entrance.
I knew it! Pudder said in a heavy tone.
As a matter of fact, when Kieran approached him, suggesting someone else take his identity for a while, Pudder already had a bad feeling, but he had no grounds to reject it because he was knocked out.
When he woke up in his own house, the dust was settled.
What do you know about the major? Drexton asked.
Not much. Other than his name, Urken, and was that he was in charge of the Dark Night Squad in Alkender. Everything else on him was confidential. I have no authority to check his background, Pudder showed helplessness on his face.
What else was more frustrating than knowing where the clues were yet being unable to investigate?
None!
The situation was like having a fish bone stuck in the throat for Pudder.
Not just you, even the mayor was restricted ess to the majors background.
Even the mayor?
Pudder was shocked by Drextons words.
The new mayor of Alkender City came from the senate, not some random rich John Doe.
Not just restricted ess, I think the Union held the mayor responsible for the unnecessary prying. Based on what I heard, some specialist wille to the city to investigate the majors death, said Drexton with a heavy face.
It seemed like someone in the Union had no intention to spare his friend, otherwise the specialist wouldnte forward.
This is over! Pudder mmed the table.
Pudder might be reckless, impulsive, and bad-tempered, but he wasnt an idiot. He knew what a specialist meant.
A special agent! Or something even crueler that is not known by the public!
Regardless of which, all of them shared amon point: ruthlessness and cruelty.
Once his frustration reached an all time high, Pudder mmed the table again.
Fortunately, the coffee shop belonged to the Hero Alliance. When Drexton arrived, all the regr customers were sent off politely and the shop closed up for a while.
Dont worry. Ill deal with whatsing and... I have to say sorry on behalf of 2567s methods, Drexton said sincerely.
Its fine. I do hate his ways but I have to admit it worked.
Pudder was mad about getting knocked out but the one who knocked him out helped him ovee a huge danger, hence the anger being reced with gratitude.
Gratitude was bigger than anger, so Pudder knew what to do.
If there is anything that I can help with, ask away. Ill do whatever I can within my capabilities, Pudder made a promise to Drexton.
I will, Drexton nodded.
Both of them didnt chit-chat any further and parted ways.
Drexton saw Pudder into his cruiser before he himself headed to Randletine Street again.
Although it was the 8 consecutive time that he was rejected, Drexton wasnt someone who would give up this easily.
It was just 8 times, he would continue even if this was his 80th rejection.
For the sake of 2567, everything would be worth it!
The thought of his friend in trouble hastened his steps.
However, while he was traveling to Randletine Street, Willis contacted him.
Boss, something happened and its bad. Its about 2567!
Something happened to 2567?!
Drexton was shocked.
Where?!
Near the outskirts.
After getting the exact location, Drexton vanished from the streets like an arrow let loose.
...
Kieran walked out of Randletine Street 17th with his usual face.
In front of the house was an off-road vehicle and Ferris and Odork were standing beside it.
Behind Kieran was Emma Eddie, who, despite her best efforts in covering her expression, looked worried.
Kieran walked towards the vehicle with steady steps but rather slow. It was, however, very subtle and unnoticeable without a closer look.
My lord, please slow down.
Ferris opened the door and stood beside with a careful look at Kieran, as though something would happen to Kieran but other than the slower than usual movements getting up the car, everything was fine.
Ferris heaved a breath of relief and headed to the driver seat; Odork got into the passenger seat.
We will be back soon, Odork rolled down the window and waved at Emma Eddie.
Em, Emma Eddie nodded softly, tears brewing in her eyes.
The keys started the engine and it growled to life before it steadily elerated away from Randletine Street.
Emma Eddie saw the car off until it went out of sight before she returned to the house.
She shut the door carefully and had to confirm with Goran that she was out of sight before she heaved a heavy breath. She tapped on her chest.
That is torture! That guy is alive and kicking but he has to pretend like he is dying and I have to y along... How would I know how to look like Im holding in my sorrow? Thankfully I kept reying the scene where I lost my first dog, otherwise Id have used that guy as a mic. d its over now.
Emma Eddie couldnt help but sigh as she recalled her whole week ying a character.
Until now, shed feel like she was in a dream and almost couldnt differentiate reality and dream state but she did remember one thing: the target she set for herself a week ago.
She strode back to her room, took out the leather scroll from under her pillow and sized up the words and pictures on itthis was her treasure, the only thing her father left for her.
This scroll allegedly held the secrets to empower amon man.
At first, she thought it was just some fairytale her father boasted about out of habit but some time earlier, when she took it out for a reminiscing look, she noticed the words and the pictures on it had. changed.
When did it change?
Emma Eddie didnt know.
It probably happened when she touched that guy right?
Following the contents of the scroll, Emma Eddie knelt down on her right knee, cing her left hand on her left knee and her right hand on her chest.
The guys face appeared in her mind when she performed the posture.
She wasnt used to the image at first but now?
Her breath remained stable, she followed everything in the scroll in reminiscing the best time in her life and transformed the memories into power with her regted breathing.
The changes that happened during the process became a habit, like breathing for her.
Everything was happening, unknowingly.
...
Sitting behind the car, Kieran pulled the curtains on both sides of the window and a small arrow appeared in his hand.
[Name: Exorcism Arrow (Xenotype)]
[Type: Weapon]
[Rarity: I]
[Attack: I]
[Attribute: Exorcise 0/1]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: During the papal era, the demons that roamed the earth were mankinds mortal enemy. They were messy and chaotic and would destroy any kind of living being within sight. Each encounter with the demons cost the Demon Hunters and Knights a lot, therefore with Mordins help, the Exorcism Arrow was forged! However, this Exorcism Arrow is different from the real one...]
...
[Exorcise: Inflict lethal damage to beings possessing or tainted with the Devil Force. (Attack is no higher than rank IV)]
...
This arrow was fired out from the dying major.
It wasnt an item with special attribute but its rarity alone was enough to capture Kierans attention. Coupled with the [Exorcise] ability, Kieran was actually scared of it.
Rank IV damage was high enough to inflict actual damage to him, plus the attribute, which was specifically targeted at the Devil Force. A light misstep from Kieran would really cost him his life, just like what the description said.
Still, it wasnt enough for Kieran to alter his n. Quite the contrary, it strengthened his n further.
Some people would choose to step away in front of difficulties, while some would face them heads on.
Kieran was a third kind: he would not just take the problems heads on, hed remove the matters and the people who caused him trouble altogether.
Also, Kieran possessed the necessary carefulness and vignce to carry out his thoughts.
Mordin.
Kieran curled up his lips as he pondered upon the name in the remark.
It was obvious Mordins Sculptures were beneficial to the Devil Force.
If he wasnt afraid of losing bnce of the Origin Forces in him, Kieran would have allowed Devil Force to consume all the sculptures. It was also a solid face that the sculptures contained Demon Energy.
The pope from the papal era, Mordin, the Devil and Demons? Things are getting interesting.
Kieran squinted his eyes, his left index finger tapping on his knee cap. It was his thinking habit.
Ferris and Odork knew it very well, so if it wasnt necessary to speak, neither of them willing to disturb Kieran but things werent always that smooth.
My lord, they are here, Ferris said as he checked the back mirror. He put his hand outside the window and waved behind.
Several waves of freezing aura appeared and froze the road behind them.
The cars on their trail were caught off guard by the sudden freezing road, hence none were able to drive away from the ice. As they skid along the icy road, the cars moved like snakes on hot sands.
Bang!
BANG BANG!
The first car crashed into an electrical line pole while the others behind it followed, crashing into a huge mess but it wasnt over!
While the cars behind them crashed, several more figures with ferocious auras appeared from both sides of the road and threw themselves at Kierans car.
Sou!
Odork opened the door without a second thought, transforming into a cloud of blood mist and flying towards the figures too.
The jumping figures were obstructed by the blood mist.
Ferris stepped on the pedal, trying to escape the area with everything the off-road vehicle had but at the end of the road, a cloaked figure appeared.
The figureughed ferociously, raising his hand and forming a fireball as big as a basketball above his hand before hurling it towards Kieran and co.
Fuuaaa!
Before the fireball even hit, the scorching air forced Ferris to jump off the vehicle and give his best in his counterattack.
My lord, leave!
Ferris shouted while two streams of freezing aura sted out from his hands.
Kieran jumped to the driver seat, got control of the vehicle and drove away from the outskirts, traveling to a farther spot.
A game of chase. How nostalgic.
I know right!
Its been a hundred years since we yed!
A high-tier Devil descendant, our efforts will be worthwhile.
4 scarlet red figures, as red as zing mes, stood tall above the buildings. They watched the vehicle driving further away with sinisterughter.
Then, they too flew towards the vehicle.
One of them waved at the vehicle in mid-air and the moving vehicles engine died off just like that.
Technology is convenient but also very weak. Break oneponent and it will stop working. Same goes for you, 2567!
The four red figuresnded in front of the stopped vehicle. Their amber-colored eyes showed scorn, greed, and contempt, not concealing anything.
A guy without any inheritance and solely relying on the awoken powers to be a powerhouse that attracted so much attention recently.
They had seen too many in the likes of Kieran, but none escaped their hunt before!
Not even one! Not one in the past, present, or the future!
Perhaps the Devil descendant might be a little different from the others, but it would only make him more delicious.
The four figures glued their gazes at Kieran, unable to hold back their saliva when they thought about the tastiness.
As for Kieran?
He too was swallowing his saliva.
Both sides looked at each other as though they were looking at some rare delicacy.
The only difference was, the four figures took Kieran as the main course while Kieran viewed them as appetizers.
He waited patiently for the appetizer toe closer, reminding himself to keep calm and not rush it because the main course was just around the corner.
Do not scare it away!
Chapter 1595 - The Start Of The Main Course
Chapter 1595: The Start Of The Main Course
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran pushed the door open, got down and nced over at the four figures nkly.
Every one of the four figures had sharp teeth and a visible glint around their mouths despite them being closed. Their ears were sharp and small like erged triangles, they had very little hair on their heads, and their bodies were nothing ster, but their red as fire skin left an impression.
More importantly, standing in front of the four demonic figures, Kieran could hear wicked, eerie whispers. The whispers ought to release humans from their darkest, deepest desires. It wasnt just voices of temptation, but even erged false admiration of ones future.
Anyone with a weaker willpower would surely get hooked on the first word.
Demons! Demons that seduce people into falling for the worst. They looked exactly like how the records described them.
Kieran was certain all four of the red figures before him were demons, but something was off about what he remembered. The demons... seemed a little weak.
The demons stood and dressed likemon men, and didnt possess the looks of the Fallen Form or the Fallen Vessel.
Descendants of a hybrid? Kieran muttered in his heart.
I dont like your eyes!
It reminds us of our miserable past!
Rage made us rude.
But it will also torture you.
Each of the demons spilled out a sentence before they walked towards Kieran.
Both sides were not that far apart to start with, only a car front away, and anymon man could reach Kieran in two steps or fewer.
However, the four hybrid demons strode forward many steps, yet were still unable to get close to Kieran.
It wasnt any kind of special ability, but that they were merely walking on the spot.
Almost at the same time, the four hybrid demons noticed what each of them were doing.
You guys are really cunning!
Dont even think about it; I wont be a pawn to exhaust hisst bit of energy!
Theres just a little bit left, what does it matter who goes?
Then why are you still here?
Such words came out of the hybrid demons.
Cunning, despicable, selfish, greedy.
These were themon impressions of a demon, followed by evil and powerful.
It seemed like these four hybrid demons were not purebloods by any means, but they possessed characteristics of a true demon.
They were waiting for the others to strike and then reap the rewards themselves without lifting a finger.
If this continued, one of them mightpromise because of the benefits, but Kieran did not spare them the chance. His time was limited, and he still had to y his part to the fullest.
Huuu!
The charged up Devil me appeared around the four hybrid demons. It burned fiercely, and with [Fiery Sulphur]s effect, the rank IV mewaves rumbled as they exploded into a mushroom cloud.
The four hybrid demons werepletely engulfed in a second, not even having a chance to resist before they were burnt to cinders.
Until death, the four hybrid demons couldnt believe Kieran still had this kind of power.
Based on what they knew, Kieran should be injured. He might still hold some power but definitely not much. Otherwise, he wouldnt have left the city when the Union sent a specialist over for investigation.
Death told them otherwise. Death told them they were wrong about Kieran, absurdly wrong.
Their powers started to scatter.
Gluttony appeared as ordered and sucked in the Demon Energy freely.
Kieran?
His body wobbled for a moment and slowly returned to normal as Gluttony absorbed the energy; at least, it looked like he recovered.
p p p!
A slow p sounded as a tall man in a dark-colored windcoat walked out.
His face was old, his hair white and the wrinkles around his squinted eyes were long and deep. It was an unsettling face to look at, as though he was a snake with wrinkles.
Not too bad. The Devil consuming the demons. What a surprising scene, said the man as he walked closer to Kieran and stopped five meters away, sizing him up carefully.
A high-tier Devil blood descendant. Who wouldve thought someone like you would exist now. The power that consumed those demons, is it your awakened power?
The Devils power plus the awakened power, someone like you would be extremely troublesome 600 years ago. Now? If you have enough time, Im afraid no one in the world can stop you, but the Union will not spare you the slightest chance, said the man in a pitiful tone after a deep breath.
The man then took out a pair of ck leather gloves from his coat pocket, put them on and exercised his fingers before continuing. I have to thank you though. If it werent for you, how could I locate the traces of the Broken Fire Council?
Dont worry. After I kill you, Ill get to them and send them to your side. Oh right, after you die, will you go to hell or the abyss? I really cant nail down all the details, but I know the likes of you will never go to heaven. The mans words obviously held scorn.
Ayer of supernatural darkness then came afloat around his hands.
The street started to turn cold. It wasnt the coldness ofmon ice or snow, but the coldness that seeped into ones soul.
Feel this power yet? This is the power of the Interrogators from the papal era. Only, I perfected it. It is no longer...
The man prolonged his words and suddenly swung his hand down.
The darkness exploded without a sound, enveloping Kieran and Gluttony.
Can your powers consume this too? I hope you can surprise me! I heard that youve consumed raw Dark Gold before, but after perfecting this, its no longer the Dark Gold you encountered, but...
Its tastier!
The man showing a disgusting smile froze at Gluttonys words.
Gluttony swallowed his saliva and showed the happiest smile.
He had been waiting for this for a long time, and now his patience was rewarded.
The supernatural darkness felt like hot cocoa with added milk.
It was delicious!
Gluttony widened his mouth and sucked as hard as he could.
Souuuu!
The supernatural darkness that enveloped him was sucked into his stomach.
Gluttony then looked at the main course that he had been waiting for.
The tall man was sweating, his forehead filling with beads of sweat. His body was trembling!
It wasnt just fear he felt; the gaze from the highest level in the food chain struck a feeling of devastation in the mans heart as if he was being attacked by beings from another dimension.
What terrified the man more was that he felt Kieran gradually growing stronger.
No, not growing stronger! But recovering!
Kieran was recovering after consuming the Demon Energy and Dark Gold.
What in the...
A sudden thought came afloat in the mans mind.
This was all your setup?! You used me to recover your wounded state! the man shouted frenziedly as if he had seen through everything, but it was useless.
Gluttony jumped over, kicked the man down, removed his gloves and threw them into his mouth.
Crunch, Crunch!
The leather gloves texture tasted like roasted pork with crispy skin; it was juicy and crunchy.
N-Nice! Gluttonymented honestly.
As for the captive under his feet?
Since his big brother did not allow him to eat humans, he kept his mouth away even if the target was his captive.
Dense Dark Gold energy was converted into fuel for the five Origin Forces by Gluttony, but unlike before, Kieran purposely reserved a portion of the converted energy away from Devil Force.
After consuming the four Demon Energies, Devil Force had acquired enough in the meantime, hence the reservation.
Right at this moment, the 4th, 5th and 7th Mordins Sculptures, which Kieran kept in [Crimson Ghost Stomach], flew out.
The abstract sculptures got even more obscure as they started to distort. They were twisting randomly like a pile of modeling y.
Dak Dak Dak.
Footsteps then sounded behind Kieran.
They sounded verymon except that the footsteps wereing from a sculpture less than 30cm tall.
The sculpture donned armor, and wielded a longsword in one hand and a demons head in the other. Its face was cold and harsh, yet familiar.
[Hell Breath]! Mordins final work that had his rescue message carved beneath the base.
The sculpture had gotten away from its base, and it was pointing its sword at Kieran.
The origin of all sin, the father of cmity! Kill! the sculpture shouted.
The sculpture then turned its sword around and ced it over its own neck.
Kieran looked at the sculptures action from a domineering position. He didnt spawn unnecessary rtions just because the sculpture looked exactly like him. He wasnt moved at all by the sculptures action.
The sculpture stopped its action just when the sword touched its neck. Its hands that held the sword were frozen, and its eyes stared at Kieran. It questioned Kieran with its gaze: why wasnt he stopping it?
Kieran looked at the sculpture quietly. He raised his hand and did a please action.
Go on, he said inly.
Dont you think there is something between us? We look the same! eximed the sculpture.
No, its not the same, so please go on, Kieran said with an affirmative tone.
Arent you curious? I can answer a lot of questions! said the sculpture.
No, thank you. Please go on. Kieran shook his head.
The sculpture felt doubtful about the situation. It looked at Kieran and continued with a serious tone, I think we can have a better conversation. I was anxious just now and made a mistake. Sorry. The sculpture then bowed sincerely.
No need. Please, go on. Kieran signaled the sculpture again.
The sculpture went silent.
Then... it threw its sword on the ground.
Screw you! Why am I killing myself? Im not an idiot! Kill me if you have the balls! The sculpture shouted its lungs out at Kieran.
Kieran didnt react differently or show any extra emotions. He just nodded.
Sure. Kieran stepped on the sculpture.
Bang!
It was smashed into pieces, and a ball of light shone brightly from within.
Aaaaaargh!
An agonizing cry came from the captive under Gluttonys foot. Streams of supernatural darkness gushed out of the captives body and merged itself into the light from the broken sculpture.
On top of that, the supernatural darkness in the area withered swiftly and also got sucked into the light.
The light was a powerful ma, sucking all the supernatural darkness known as Dark Gold.
Kieran watched it happen.
When he felt the pulse from the light, he grinned.
Its here.
The captive was Gluttonys main course while Kierans main course had just arrived.
Buzz!
After sucking in all the darkness, the light shone brightly like hundreds of shbang going off together. It enveloped the entire street and blinded everyone within.
When the light faded, Kieran was nowhere to be found.
...
Warm sunlight shined through the window and blessed the office.
Kieran sat down in his chair as the sun shined. Before him was a clean desk with simple items: a notebook and a steel pen.
He opened the notebook. It was empty, not a single word written within.
He took the pen and examined it, realizing it was filled with ink and was usable.
He ced it down and then sized up the office.
Simr to the things on the desk, the decorations in the office were simple too.
Other than the greens in the corner, there was a big,fortable sofa and a filing cab beside the window.
Kieran saw a picture sealed in a ss cab.
It was of himself in a white robe and with a trophy in hand.
A line of words were written on the picture.
Congrattion, 2567, on being the youngest winner of the Fervon Psychology Prize.
Kieran raised a brow.
Psychologist? The thought came into his mind instantly.
This was different from what he expected.
ording to his initial thoughts, even if he was brought away from Alkender City by the light, he should have appeared in hell or the abyss, or somewhere wretched.
How did he be a psychologist?
While he was pondering upon the question, footsteps came from the corridor, followed by knocks on the door.
Dok Dok Dok.
Dr. 2567, your patient is here.
With Kierans permission, a young, sweet nurse came in and delivered the message. Behind her was a tired-looking middle-aged man with bloodshot eyes.
Em. Kieran nodded.
The nurse showed a sweet smile, guided the patient to the sofa and left Kieran to his business.
Third parties were not allowed to participate in a treatment session.
Even though the nurse really wanted to have a look at how the treatment of the youngest winner of the Fervon Psychology Prize would go, as a nurse, she could not disobey the rules.
I bet it will be fantastic! the nurse muttered to herself.
The patient on the sofa spoke. Lately, I cant seem to sleep again. I did what you told me to, but I always end up thinking of her. She makes me...
Cant sleep? Insomnia? Kieran interrupted the patient.
Y-Yeah, I cant sleep. The patient nodded.
Hmm. Well then, lets put you to a good sleep...
Pak!
A chop was delivered to the back of the patients neck.
The patient fell unconscious on the sofa, followed by snores.
Chapter 1596 - Valentine Without A Lover
Chapter 1596: Valentine Without A Lover
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
What went wrong? Kieran leaned against his desk and pondered over the question carefully.
He wasnt surprised by the sudden changes to the Mordins Sculptures. As a matter of fact, after [Hell Breath] came alive, Kieran had already heightened his guard toward the sculptures.
Because of that, he stopped consuming the powers from the sculptures.
Following the arrival of the Interrogators from the papal era and the members of the Broken Fire Council, Kieran was presented with a piece of truth about the history. His vignce toward the sculptures did not decrease after that; instead, he doubted it even more.
A sculptor that was able to survive in a chaotic era and craft such a masterpiece was definitely not weak.
Then... what about the rescue message at the base of [Hell Breath]?
An intentional trap? Or a genuine please for help?
Kieran had no idea.
He only knew that when he came in contact with the Dark Gold, something about the Mordins Sculptures changed. It was very subtle and hard to notice even if the sculptures were with him at all times.
If his Intuition and Spirit hadnt reached rank II and rank V respectively, the little changes might have slipped past his perception.
However, since he noticed the changes, he was prepared.
Therefore, he wouldnt be surprised if the blinding light teleported him into hell.
But now, his new identity as a psychologist and his appearance in the treatment room caught him off guard.
The powers in his body were running fine, nothing was holding the Origin Forces back, and his equipment was with him. The system didnt present him with any notifications, which caused his brows to furrow.
Promptly after that, he looked at the insomnia patient sleeping on the sofa with astonishment.
A little bit of pure energy was flowing out of the patient and entering Kierans body. This kind of energy was simr to Dark Gold, but he was able to directly absorb it without Gluttonys conversion.
With Kierans vignce, he would never be careless.
As a thought shed over his mind, Gluttony jumped out and began to munch and swallow the pure energy.
It wasnt a lot though, at most equivalent to amon Bento meal in [Meaning of Eat] dungeon.
As he savoured the increment of his five Origin Forces, Kierans gaze on the unconscious patient showed extra thoughts.
Energy could not be produced out of nothing. The process of absorption and conversion was necessary for it to happen.
Even for an apostle in his apostolic cultivation, he would have to temper and forge his willpower and spirit to produce the slightest amount of energy.
But the insomnia patient on the sofa?
He was just amon man!
The weak muscles andck of training in his body, without any bit of special aura inside, stated who he really was, yet amon man like him possessed a bit of pure energy.
Something that I dont know yet? Kieran muttered in his heart.
The unknown represents danger; danger incites fear.
When fear is defeated, opportunity will follow.
Kieran checked the patient once more meticulously. After he really made sure the patient was just a normal man, he walked to the window.
He pushed it open. Without the ss, the windy evening breeze came in along with bright sunlight.
It was warm and pleasant.
The office was on the second floor, and beneath it was an average courtyard.
From where Kieran was looking, to the left of the courtyard were three tall palm trees lined up in a row. The middle one was much taller than the other two and even the office window on the second floor. If Kieran wanted to have a clear view, he would have to stick his body out the window for a peak.
On the right hand side was a row of grape frames. The leaves were thick and green, looking as lively as ever as they blessed the people sitting on the stone bench in the pavilion beside it withfort and a pleasant view.
A little cobblestone path connected the gate to the building that Kieran was in.
The gate was of a ssical bronze style with gaps between the rails that could fit in a fist, yet it was also not too big that any passerby could slip in and cause trouble for the owner. It was beautiful and safe.
Beyond the gate was a quiet neighbourhood. The houses were arranged neatly, and pedestrians were walking their dogs.
Kieran reached out his hand to the granite window tform; the sensation on his hand told him that everything he saw was real. His powerful Intuition also told him the same thing.
Another world? Kieran wondered but didnt simply start his investigation to find out the truth.
Kieran was already a powerful high-ranker, yet he did not forget about the benefits of having a new identity in a brand new dungeon world, which he had been experiencing since his newbie days.
It wasnt just convenient, but also safer.
Kieran had a rule about suitable identities in unknown worlds: never do something out of character, at least until before you truly understood the world.
Recklessness would do you no good.
When Kieran saw that the insomnia patient was waking up, he walked up to him and delivered another chop to the back of his neck.
Pak!
A clear noiseter, the patient fell unconscious once again, and this time, the pure energy stopped appearing.
Only once? Kieran sighed with disappointment and walked out of the office.
The decoration outside the office resembled a home.
White and blue carpets rolled over the corridor. Opposite the office was a half-closed balcony, where metal-framed ss was used as a block screen. In the middle was a small round white table with three chairs of the same color; an ashtray was found on the table but no cigarette butts.
The view from here was wider than the view in the office. One could easily capture the entire neighbourhood with a single nce.
It was obvious that this ce was a waiting parlour, and this also proved that the business his new identity ran was quite sessful. Otherwise, he wouldnt have opened a home clinic in a high ss neighbourhood.
As Kieran walked on the soft carpet, he turned to the other side and saw stairs that connected to the first and third floor.
ording to the structure of the building, the first floor should be the reception area and the third floor should be his private quarters.
Kieran went up instead of down. He was eager to find out more information about his new identity.
The wooden stairs were painted a dark red and felt firm when he stepped on them.
After a turn, he reached the third floor.
A square mat entered his sight along with a shoe rack and, beside it, a clothes hanger, each having its respective wearable on it.
It seemed like Kierans identity opened a home-based psychology clinic, yet hed separated his work and private lifepletely.
Kieran switched into his slippers, as per his new identitys habit, and opened the door.
The interior was as clean and simple as expected.
A single bed, some book racks, aputer desk and a bathroom.
Other than the listed, there was nothing else; even the walls were white, and not a single piece of decoration could be found.
Not disappointed, Kieran nced over at theputer before he started to search through the desk and racks.
It is natural for humans to have secrets.
Familiar ces are able to provide a sense of safety, so secrets are usually hidden in reachable, yet inconspicuous ces.
Theputer was connected to the inte, so it was not suitable.
The desk and racks were much more likely, and sure enough, Kieran soon found something.
He found half a photo clipped inside a book that appeared to be read often.
The photo was of himself smiling brightly. The other half was ripped away, and there was nothing written on the back.
However, judging from his posture in the picture, he should be holding hands with someone. Kieran frowned.
His current status and the torn photo pointed in a direction where his identity had a lover, or at least, a close female friend.
It wasnt good news to Kieran, but obviously, he had broken up with thedy.
It was worth celebrating!
Kieran heaved a sigh of relief, ced the photo back, and flipped through the books.
Most of the books were about psychology, but there were many other random books too. Hed have to spend arge amount of time if he wanted to go through each of them.
It wasnt wise for him to do it now since there was a patient waiting for him in his office.
Kieran walked down the stairs and returned to his office.
When the patient showed signs of waking up again, Kieran proceeded to once more deliver a chop to the back of his neck.
He controlled his strength perfectly, so it was enough to knock the patient out but not enough to inflict any real damage.
It was already noon by the time another chop was given to the patient. Kieran heard the footsteps of the nurse.
Knock, Knock, Knock.
Come in.
The knocks were obviously much softer than the first. With Kierans permission, the nurse came in and saw the insomnia patient sleeping soundly on the sofa. Her eyes on Kieran showed utmost admiration.
As expected of the youngest recipient of the Fervon Psychology Prize!
Doctor, the treatment session is about to end. He is your only patient today, so you have the rest of the day off. A-And I have two tickets to see the newly premiered movie, The Jade Tower. If you have time, do you want to go with me... the nurse stuttered.
Popcorns and tters? Kieran asked.
Nope, those snacks pack a lot of calories and Im on a diet. The nurse shook her head instinctively.
Then Ill pass. Im a little tired today; I guess Ill rest. Kieran rejected the invitation straight away.
Judging from the name, the movie was definitely a boring one. Kieran had no intention of wasting his time.
Okay. The nurse nodded with disappointment, but she did not forget her duty and proceeded to wake up the patient on the sofa.
Gasp!
My neck hurts. The patient covered the back of his neck as he woke up with a moan.
I think you might have a stiff neck. You may not get used to the pillows here, so go home to your own pillow and put some hot packs over it. Oh, and how do you feel after getting some sleep? Kieran exined in a serious tone before asking how the patient felt.
Great! Its been days since I slept this well! Thank you very much, doctor! As expected of the youngest recipient of the Fervon Psychology Prize. Ive consulted several doctors before this, but all of them werent much help and only increased my number of sleeping pills, the patient praised.
The praise from the patient increased the admiration from the nurse.
I knew it! I am still out of shape, thats why the doctor rejected me! I shall diet for another 5 kg!
I will reach my perfect weight and thene back with another invitation! The doctor will surely ept me next time!
The nurse made up her mind and brought the patient down to the first floor to settle the records and payment.
Kieran followed them down but kept quiet the entire time.
He preferred to stay quiet in situations he didnt fully understand.
Watching more was better than talking more.
Under Kierans watch, the nursepleted the procedures quickly. The patient thanked Kieran again before leaving.
The nurse also finished her work and readied to go home since there werent any other appointments that day.
Doctor, Ill be going back now. Oh, if you can, try not to order too much takeaway. Consuming too much oily food is not good for your health. You should cut down on the grains, as itll help your body, the nurse gave a warm reminder before she left.
Em. Kieran nodded and locked the door before picking up the takeaway brochure in the reception area.
The brochure was unlike others, with a few pictures and a telephone number. This particr brochure stated very clearly that they would provide different meals every day, but it was only limited to this neighbourhood. It also stated that they would send the chef to the clients ce and cook for them using the freshest ingredients.
Kieran picked up the phone and dialed the number.
Hello, Eatery Hut at your service. Todays set meal is a Caesar Sd, Roast Rabbit, Potato Braised Beef, and Silver Carp Soup. You can choose between white bread and roast corn as your main course. What would you like to order? the operator on the other side finished introducing their menu with her sweet voice.
I would like five sets of the said meal, said Kieran.
We haveplimentary fried chicken, chips, and coke on each set. Would you like those as well? The operator added.
Sure, with each set please. The address is 2-1-6. Kieran recited his address.
Okay sir, our chef will be at your door in 10 minutes, the operator guaranteed.
Five minutester, someone pressed the doorbell.
A tall, beautiful woman in a clean chef attire walked in.
Hello, Dr. 2567. Im Eatery Huts chef, N. Are you having a party? We have professional bartenders, too.
Nale seemed to be very familiar with the neighbourhood, as she knew who was staying in 2-1-6.
No, Im alone. You can use that empty space there. Kieran shook his head and pointed at the empty courtyard.
Alone? N was stunned, but her professionalism stopped her from asking questions.
She then ordered her sous chef to prepare the ingredients and cooking station.
The fruits and vegetables were, as promised, very fresh.
The rabbit meat was cured beforehand, and the marbling on the beef was so even that it looked like real marble stone and the carp very alive.
As for theplimentary fried chicken, chips and coke?
The fried food was hot and the soft drinks cool.
The fried chicken and chips were crunchy and tasty while the coke was fizzy and sweet.
Kieran carried the bucket of chicken and chips plus coke to the pavilion beside the grape frame and ate his snacks as he watched the chef prepare the food.
N possessed good cutting skills, and her technique was good.
The roaster was built, and the rabbit was ced on top.
The beef was nched, and the carp was ced in warm water to let it spit out the sand.
N did all those alone, yet she was very at ease. She was a qualified chef.
Kierans sharp eyes could tell what level she was at.
She was iparable to the all-powerful Starbeck, butpared to other normal chefs, she was very good. No wonder she would go to the clients house to cook.
Soon, the aroma of cooked food filled the air.
It was at this moment that the phone in the reception area rang.
Ring Ring Ring!
The sudden phone call interrupted Kierans enjoyment of his food and the smell.
He frowned, stood up, and headed inside.
Is this, Mr. 2567?
A harsh voice came from the other end of the phone.
Yes, Kieran answered.
Im sorry to tell you that your ex-wife has been found dead in her apartment, the harsh voice said.
Huh?!
Chapter 1597 - Another Unusual Start
Chapter 1597: Another Unusual Start
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Holding the phone, Kieran was overwhelmed by the words.
Although when he saw that half of a photo, thoughts had been running around his mind, hed never thought things were much more exaggerated than he expected.
Ex-wife? Married?
Hahaha.
Impossible!
With his personality, he would never get married even in this life, hed even reject love. He would rather rely on food to maintain his life and adding a person in his life would be the worst thing to do.
Kierans silence attracted misunderstanding from the police office on the other side of the phone.
Mr. 2567, my condolences. Your ex-wifes parents passed away a long time ago, and she doesnt have any close friends, so we found you. If you can, we hope you can drop by McRose Forensic Lab to I.D. the body, there will be someone waiting for you there, the harsh voice showed an extrayer of warmth.
Kieran thought for a while before ultimately agreeing to go.
He, without a question, would not want anything to do with this ex-wife that he never met but considering his current identity, he must go for a look at least. He had to get more information because he believed this identity wasnt given to him without a reason.
That Mordin must have something arranged for him, despite the fact that Kieran couldnt spot any inklings until now.
Waiting was not part of Kierans character.
He hung up the phone and went back to the courtyard. He told the chef with an apologetic tone, Im sorry, something came up, I cant stay around and eat. Can you finish the cooking and store the food back at Eatery Huts ce?
Of course, but Dr. 2567, dont say I didnt remind you, keeping the food refrigerated for a long time will make the taste go bad. N, the tall and slender chef, wasnt unfamiliar with this kind of situation, smiling and handling the situation skillfully.
I know. Ill finish my matters as soon as possible and retrieve them at Eatery Hut. The address is 4-2-2 right? Kieran had to make sure.
Thats right, we will be waiting for you, N said as she almost finished cooking.
Dont worry, Ill be there. Ive already smelled something good.
Kieran was always honest in front of food, especially good food which he ought to try.
The cooked food and cooking utensils were loaded back on the truck. As N and her sous chef left, Kieran locked the door and headed out too. It was hard to hail a cab in this kind of high ss neighbourhood.
Kieran had to walk 5 minutes from the inner street to the entrance of the neighbourhood, which was connected to the main road.
Although it was his first time in this world, based on his outstanding memory and the Talent [Memory Pce], the gaze from the second floor balcony allowed him to grasp every single street, road and alleyway in this neighbourhood.
He then hailed a yellow cab.
Where to sir? The cab driver asked.
McRose Forensic Lab. answered Kieran.
The cab driver nodded, stepped on the pedal, and started the counter.
The distance was quite far, around 20 km from Kierans ce.
During the journey, Kieran scanned over the city named Moon.
A very peculiar name, simr to the neighbourhood that he just left, Elm Tree Street.
Kieran wasnt bothering to find out who named the city, yet the authenticity he felt further proved his theory: he had arrived in a real world.
What are you nning?
Kieran fell into deep thought until the cab driver notified him about the destination.
76.8 please, said the cab driver.
Kieran paid 77 and waited for the 20 cent changes before he got down from the cab.
Keep the change? Not possible.
Savings started with the trivial things.
McRose Forensic Lab was easy to locate. Kieran saw a big sign on the wall in front when he got off the cab. The sign told him to make a right turn and walk down.
Following the signs along the way, Kieran finally reached this forensicb.
There was no reception counter, no waiting seats, only arge space with an inner and outer area. Anyone with good sight could see the forensics at work inside the workshop by standing at the entrance. That was, of course, when the shutter wasnt shut, which it did not because the people inside forgot about it.
There were two dissecting tables inside. One of them had a body with many scattered tools tainted with blood around it. The tools glinted unusually under the light.
There was a rather petitedy with pearl colored hair, a pale face, and heavy eyeshadow pulling out a heart from the opened chest and cing it on the weighing scale.
Thedy was wearing a white robe but Kieran easily noticed the leather jacket underneath.
After weighing the heart and recording the numbers, thedy finally noticed Kieran standing at the entrance.
She unconsciously wanted to close the shutter window but her bloody rubber gloves got stuck on her hands. She spent quite the effort in pulling them off and when he finally removed them, it was a minuteter.
Damn it! Ive had it! I told them I want naturaltex gloves! Not artificial ones. These stupid gloves always make me look like a fool! said thedy before she opened the door from the inner area, walked out and asked Kieran, 2567?
Yes, Kieran nodded. His gaze on her showed interest, but he wasnt interested in her clumsy act just now.
In Kierans mind, anydies who would fall from a t surface either had a weak brain, blind, or they had some kind of ulterior motives. Thedy before his eyes was indeed clumsy and Kieran didnt think shed fit the job of a forensic.
However, the dark and cold aura he felt on her attracted his attention.
It was a phenomenon caused by umtion of negative energy.
Dissecting bodies over the years couldnt reach her levels.
An unexpected discovery, Kieran muttered to himself in his heart.
Follow me, thedy pathologist ordered Kieran.
As though she was embarrassed by showing her own clumsiness in front of Kieran, she didnt further speak or care about Kieran. After the cold words, she brought Kieran into the door at the outer area.
Behind the door was a flight of stairs going down and at the end of the stairs was the morgue.
Thedy pathologist went over to the cabbeled 301, checked thebel, and pulled the cab out.
Kieran saw the name on thebel: Mary.
The body inside the cab was packed inside a body bag. Thedy pathologist skillfully pulled down the zippernot all, but only to the neck.
A female body was revealed to Kieran.
Although dead and her blonde hair bing dry, her face was still looking good.
One could tell she was a beautiful woman when she was alive.
Though what caught Kierans attention wasnt her face, but the other part of the body.
Despite being covered up by the body bg, Kieran still realized the body wasnt intact, missing her arms and legs. On top of that, there were some ck threads around her neck. It seemed like her head was reattached after she died.
Dismembered?
Kieran frowned. Such extreme methods were rare.
Other than some extreme hate towards thedy, only some psycho would do such a thing.
Regardless of the former ortter, the odds were fairly low.
Unless...
Thoughts rose in his mind, Kieran then pointed at the body, asking Can you exin?
That is not what Im paid for. Someone else will exin it to youter. My mission here is done!
Thedy forensics shrugged, zipped the body bag and pushed it back into the cab.
Kieran then followed thedy back to the workshop upstairs.
Back at the workshop, there was an experienced looking buff woman waiting for them.
Her face was strong and young yet not to be underestimated. Simr to her strong features, her gaze on Kieran was sharp and revealing, trying to inspect him further.
Anymon man would definitely avert her gaze automatically but Kieran returned the gaze frankly and sized her up.
Inspector Gredith.
She reached out her hand as she introduced herself.
The harsh and cold voice that Kieran heard from the phone earlier was obviously her voice.
Dr. 2567.
Kieran recalled his memories about her as he spoke. They shake split after contact but based on the little touch, the part in between her finger and thumb and joints were full of calluses. The signs were telling Kieran she should possess some decent shooting skills.
McRose, we need a chair, something normal people would sit on.
Gredith called out to thedy forensics, who went back into her workshop and tried to shut the door.
Everytime youe, you bring trouble, thedy pathologist ranted but still pulled out two chairs with cushions.
Gredith signaled Kieran to sit and asked, When is thest time you contacted your ex-wife?
Would you contact your ex-husband at normal times?
Kieran really wanted to tell her the truth, if he knew anything, but he had to brush her away because he had no rted memories about this so-called ex-wife.
Im not married. Did she tell you about any kinds of trouble she was in? Gredith replied briefly and changed a question.
You are referring to the dismemberment? Kieran continued with his questions.
Gredith heard Kierans question and immediately showed an angry re at thedy forensic. It seemed like the inspector had misunderstood something.
Hey, he found out himself, I didnt tell him anything! exined thedy forensic.
You are a psychologist, right? Gredith turned back to Kieran with a new question.
Psychologists are doctors as well. Some obvious things are very easy to spot, such as the fact that youre treating me as a criminal suspect, Kieran replied.
Not a criminal suspect, just a suspect, Gredith emphasized.
Is there a difference? Kieran smiled.
Of course there is. Id be more polite in asking if you are thetter; Id cuff you back to the station and put you in a cell if you are the former, Gredith exined, her words having a faint threatening meaning.
If you have the evidence that is. I guarantee you I did not kill my ex-wife. We were divorced but the hate between us isnt enough for me to kill her. After all, weve been in love before.
Kieran was continuing his bullshit while he had totally given up the thought of probing more useful information from the inspector.
She would not tell.
Although it was just a simple questioning session, she had presented herself as a very strong character. With her character in the way, Kieran had no hope of getting the information he sought from her.
On the other hand, thedy pathologist may be a better target.
Gredith was quiet as she stared at Kieran.
Kieran stared right back into her eyes like he did before.
Both of them stared at each other for more than 10 seconds, Gredith then took a deep breath.
This is my number, call me if you think of any-...
Ring Ring Ring!
Grediths phone rang.
She waved at Kieran, stood up and walked aside.
What? She answered the phone.
Boss, an rm rang in the security system, someone intruded 2567s house!
Her subordinates report changed her face for the worse.
Gredith subtly nced over Kieran, who was further away.
Are you sure about this? Gredith asked.
Yes, it is the 2567 that you are meeting for the dismemberment case. His name is rare, so I am sure both 2567 are the same person, Her subordinate reported.
Fine, seal the scene at once! We might be able to catch ourselves a big fish!
Gredith hung up the phone after that and returned to Kieran.
Im sorry, Mr.2576, I think you are going to have toe with me. said Gredith.
What happened? Kieran asked the obvious.
As long as he willed it, with his current Intuition level, any kind of sound within a 50 meter radius could not escape his ears, let alone arger room.
Someone intruded in his identitys house...
Will it be rted to this identitys ex-wife? Kieran wondered in his heart.
Just follow me, Gredith didnt exin and signaled Kieran to follow up.
The police siren was turned on as Gredith sped back to Elm Tree Street faster than the cab earlier.
Back at 2-1-6, the entrance was sealed off by a police line, two tall police officers standing there, blocking curious viewers.
Inside the house, inclothes officers did a nket search of the ce.
When Gredith and Kieran arrived and came down from her cruiser, one of the inclothes came over swiftly and reported the situation to the inspector.
Kieran felt weird at the scene though. It wasnt about the reporting but the inclothes were all females.
The uniformed police blocking the viewers were male though.
Other than that, more than 70% of the curious viewers were female.
Recalling who he had met when he came to this world, Kieran noticed a female chef, a female pathologist, and a female inspector.
A new thought popped up in Kierans mind.
Is this world controlled by women?
Kieran then remembered Mordins gender, which was also a woman.
Chapter 1598 - Morgue
Chapter 1598: Morgue
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Humans were subjective.
If this world was really rted to Mordin, having it controlled by a majority of women wasnt out of the realm of possibility.
Of course, before any deciding evidence showed up, everything was merely theories.
Kieran stood in front of 2-1-6s entrance, watching the officers search up and down in his identitys house. Grediths eyes were on him.
You dont seem bothered at all. Gredith asked.
Other than some books, theres nothing inside. Those books arent rare or unique copies either, anyone can buy them off the markets, Kieran answered.
Is that so? Please follow me, I need your help to I.D. what went missing in your house.
Gredith continued her suspicious gaze at Kieran before she told him to follow her.
Kieran nodded and walked in with Gredith.
He nced over the messy first floor.
Nothing.
Although the ce was messy and things were in disorder, ording to his memory before he left, nothing was missing, same went for the second floor.
All the rooms were messed up, the book cab in his office was opened and the contents were scattered all over the desk.
The youngest winner of the Fervon Psychology Prize?
Gredith picked up a photo on the floor and looked at Kieran with a shocked gaze.
It seemed like this Fervon had a substantial position in the psychology field, even half an outsider was familiar with the name.
Gredith then rted more.
No wonder you arent bothered by moneypensation. With this in your hand, its like holding the key to the gold vault, said Gredith.
I did not steal or rob, I relied on my own capabilities to achieve it. Theres nothing shameful about it, right? Kieran asked back before he strode to the third floor.
Compared to the first and second floor, the third floor, Kierans private quarters, was a disaster. Theputer was broken on the floor, the casing was pried open, all the books were removed from the rack and even his bed was cut open with sharp object.
Kieran examined the room before he walked to the book containing that half a photo.
The book was on the ground, facing down and the photo inside was gone.
Lost anything?
Gredith who had her eyes on Kieran noticed his little action, walking over and asking what happened.
The intruder was searching for something without a doubt.
As for what, Gredith didnt know, but she did know one thing: the intruder was rted to the dismemberment case!
The previous crime scene and this intruded house was strikingly simr!
Other than the dismembered body, the level of messiness was almost identical.
The whole ce was messy, or even chaotic, yet not a single trace was left behind. Fingerprints, footprints, nothing, even the surveince cameras looked like mere decorations.
Gredith had no idea how the intruder did it but she knew since this intruder showed up again and intruded the victims ex-husband house, then... keeping her eyes on this victims ex-husband may give results, even some unexpected ones.
The keypoint of all this mess was the thing the intruder was looking for.
A photo, Kieran replied honestly but spared the details.
What photo? Gredith asked.
A photo of me, Kieran replied.
You are saying that intruder came into your house, turned the whole ce upside down just for a photo of you? Are you having a fanatic stalker problem? Gredith was obviously not happy with the answer, her sharp eyes staring at Kieran.
Who knows, Kieran smiled.
Hmph!
Grediths breath hurried.
If it wasnt illegal to beat up someone, she would have thrown this bloody bastard over her shoulder with his face down to m away the smile.
You have my number. Call me if you think of anything or anything happens.
Agitated, Gredith headed downstairs.
Kieran didnt send her off. He watched her arrange her subordinates to keep an eye on him before she left. Kieran then started to pick up the scattered books and ced them back on the rack.
He also reassembled the casing of theputer before putting it back on the desk.
After some tidying up, Kieran sat on his chair, seemingly tired from the work.
At the window curtain where Kierans back was, a palm came in.
The palm with ck leather gloves under the light was very unsettling to look at, and when this palm jumped away from the curtain, the unsettling feeling was elevated to horrifying because the palm was attached to an arm, only an arm!
There was no apanying torso, legs, or head!
The arm was sliding down the curtain quietly, as if it was a big household lizard, closing on Kieran resting on the chair.
It climbed up the chairs leg and on to the back. It was very careful in the process and did not touch Kieran at all.
As ittched its fingers on the back of the chair, the fingers pushed the entire arm into the air and flew towards the back of Kierans neck for a grab.
It... missed.
A split second before the hand grabbed Kierans neck, Kieran tilted his head aside and the entire hand grazed his neck.
Before the hand crashed onto theputer, Kieran counter-grabbed it.
The hand behaved like a fish out of water, struggling violently and trying to go for Kierans eyes by defyingmon joint limitations.
A spark of me shed over Kierans palm, causing the hand to twitch furiously. It then started to wither rapidly, as if its energy was drained, starting to rot and bing a rotten arm.
It reeked of a vile stench and disgusting goo dripped over the desk as the entire arm, together with the glove, melted.
A cloud of energy came out from the hand and floated in the air. It was simr to the energy from the insomnia patient, just a little bit more.
Gluttony automatically appeared and consumed the energy.
Kieran, who was standing beside, squinted his eyes.
Although the arm became a pile of disgusting goo, based on the quick contact with the arm just now, Kieran was sure it was a womans arm.
The skin was smooth and did not have excessive muscle.
His identitys ex-wife was just dismembered by some killer, only the head and torso remaining in the morgue and the arms and legs were missing. Now, a womans arm came out of nowhere and ambushed him in his room.
Kieran didnt take it as a coincidence, or rather, hed never believe in coincidence.
After Gluttony consumed the energy and divided it to the 5 Origin Forces, Kieran walked down to the second floor balcony, jumped out, and merged into the evening darkness.
The two police officers who had their eyes on Kierans room did not even notice their target slipping away.
...
McRose was humming a popr melody.
The days work wasing to an end.
As the partner and the executive of this forensicb, she had to invest a great amount of time into her work. It wasnt just because she invested everything she got into this forensicb, but also because she borrowed a huge loan from the bank.
Her head would hurt everytime she thought of the installment she had to pay every month, her humming getting out of tune.
I still have 10 years of debt to clear. Hope I wont die from overworking.
Muttering, McRose started her patrol of theb before she truly calls it a day.
Although most people wouldnt target a forensicb, some peculiar bastards with weird fetishes would. As the independent forensicb partnering with the police station, McRose Forensic Lab had no 24 hours security or the ability to hire one, making it an easy target for some intentional party.
Therefore, McRoses patrol wasnt standard procedure. Shed carry it out seriously, soon realizing something wasnt right: someone had been into the morgue and opened the body cabs!
Bloody bastards! You better not touch my clients, or Ill show you hell!
McRose saw a particr cab wasnt closed properly and a little seam was left open, cursing softly and reaching out to the taser gun in her backpackshe specially applied for the taser gun after she became a contracted pathologist for the police station.
Step by step, McRose walked closer to the said cab.
When she was two steps away and within range to pull the cab open..
BANG!
The door behind McRose was mmed shut.
The sudden bang frightened her, she turned around to have a look and the moment she did, the lights above her head started to flicker.
Tzzz Tzzzz!
Electric current buzzed repeatedly.
I have to fix the circuit when I get money... Aaaaaarh!
McRose looked up at the flickering lights, ranting, but before she finished, a palm grabbed her by the cor and pulled her backwards.
Behind McRose, that body cab which wasnt closed properly was quietly opened.
An arm came out from the body bag, grabbing McRoses cor and dragging her into the cab.
Bang!
After the quick and horrifying action, McRose was trapped inside and the cab door shut tight. Her screams ceased when the lights returned to normal and the door to the morgue opened up.
Everything returned to normal.
The taser gun on the floor was swept to the corner by an unknown force, no proof of McRoseing down to the morgue. The surveince camera was blurred out, no footage was recorded.
Even the best inspector would never find any clues in the morgue, only doubts, but not Kieran.
Kieran came back to McRosesb and activated [Tracking], following McRoses footprints into the morgue. He then ran towards the cab which McRose was trapped inside but before he got close enough, the cab,beled Mary, opened up and blocked his way.
The zipper on the body bag was opened up. The body, without arms and legs, sat up slowly without any expression. Its eyes were morbid as it looked at Kieran beside the cabits stiff face forced a smile.
2567, are you here to see me? the body asked.
No. Get down, go back inside, Kieran said.
You are not here for me? the body looked disappointed.
Kieran kept quiet.
The body wanted to show a smile again but when it noticed the nk gaze from Kieran, an unknowing fear rose from its core, feeling the suppression from another, higher life form. The words that it wanted to say became an instinctive reply when they escaped its mouth.
Okay, right away. Good bye.
The bodyid back down into the body back, zipped itself up and went back into the closing cab.
Kieran then walked over to the cab trapping McRose.
He didnt pull the cab opened though, standing there and releasing some chaotic and wicked aura, filling the air with a sulphuric smell, the cab opening up automatically.
McRose was spat out like vomit. She was filled with sticky goo, or rather, liquid from dposing both.
Her eyes were filled with fear.
G-Get away! McRose shouted repeatedly.
She slowly realized she was already out of the scary ce. Around her was a lit up environment, not that dark, blood-filled ughterhouse.
Y-You, are 2567?
Horrified, McRose took a couple of deep breaths and looked at Kieran beside her.
She then crawled over to Kieran, trying to hug his leg like a drowning person clutching on a life-saving straw, but before she could, Kieran kicked her away.
Kieran was not a clean freak, but that didnt mean he would let a woman filled with dead water hug his leg.
McRose was stunned, looking at the man in confusion. She didnt know what caused the man to shake her off.
Arent you here to save me?
McRose was troubled by her thoughts.
Then..
Bang!
The door to the morgue mmed shut again, the lights at the ceiling flickering once more.
A pungent bloody stench assaulted their noses.
Aaaaaah!
The simr scene invoked the horrifying memory in McRose, screaming and crawling back to Kieran without a second thought, but it ended up the same as the first time: she was kicked away.
This time, Kieran exerted a suitable amount of strength, pushing her to the wall beside and knocking her out. Her eyes flipped and passed out.
The whole wall of body cab doors started to shake violently.
Bang Bang Bang Bang!
The metallic tter filled the entire morgue, but not all of them.
The cabbeled Mary was exceptionally quiet while the others were as rampant as a horse let loose, as if the bodies would fly out any moment.
Guuuu Guuuu! Gulp!
A starving noise and saliva swallowing noise sounded, overpowering the metallic tters.
The whole morgue fell into silence.
The body cab that shook violently went quiet one after another, the doors shut tight without leaving a seam.
Chapter 1599 - Cause of Suspicion
Chapter 1599: Cause of Suspicion
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran stepped forward, as though he didnt see a wall of body cabs in front of him.
The body cabs, however, saw him walking closer. The things inside got even more afraid and shrunk deeper into the wall en masse.
Kak!
After a spring contraption sounded, the whole wall of body cabs were opened up left and right, like a door with two nks.
A big secret room was revealed to Kieran.
Arge operation chair simr to a dissecting table was in the middle of the room. The floor around it was made out of ceramic and tainted with blood that had gone ck; iron chains with hooks holding torn limbs at the end hung over the ceiling.
Kieran nced over the rotten limbs.
They obviously werent the arms and legs the ex-wife of his identity lost, they were here for a while now and the severing technique was very crude. The limbs were chopped halfway down and then ripped away by sheer force, causing half of the cut to be neat and the other half, consisting of the skin, torn flesh, and broken bones, to be messily torn.
Torture?
The term came up in Kierans mind.
The torn cuts, the broken bones, all the signs told Kieran that if the cutter was serious, he could have easily severed the limbs easily in a clean cut, but he did not and chose a more tiring way.
Other than intentional torture, Kieran couldnt think of anything else.
ncing along the broken arms and legs, Kierannded his gaze at the operation chair. There were several thick and broad leather straps on it. It seemed like all the dismemberment was done here.
Though Kieran wasnt concerned about the chair or the straps, but something deeper inside.
Tsss!
Kieran moved his finger along the leather seat. The dried and rotten artificial leather broke and revealed the dirty cushion inside, plus a sculpture the size of a childrens fist.
One eye on the sculpture was bigger than usual, almost two thirds of the whole sculpture size and on the eye was carved a moon icon.
Even without the system notifications, when Kieranid eyes on the abstract sculpting style, he knew it was from Mordins hand, and it proved him right.
[Name: Imperfect Mordin Sculpture]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: Powerful]
[Attribute: Moon Eclipse]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: Ites from Master Sculptor Mordin. Although unrecorded, the power it contains should not be underestimated.]
...
[Moon Eclipse: Able to gather negative energy, wandering souls and transform them into pure life energy, supporting the owner; 0.5 HP/ min (Day), 1HP/ min (Night), 5HP/ min (Basking in moonlight during conversion)]
...
Recover HP?
Kieran squinted his eyes as he tossed the sculpture up and down.
The moment he picked the sculpture up, translucent souls started to appear before him from the walls and ground. Hundreds of souls appeared in an instant, the room getting crowded as they stacked up.
Each soul looked lost and without thoughts, no memories, no emotions, all instinctively attracted here by Mordins sculpture.
Kieran did not convert all of them with [Imperfect Mordin Sculpture] though.
He had no use for such conversion now and was also still very rmed by the statue. He hadnt forgotten what his purpose was foring down to the morgue.
Kieran put away [Imperfect Mordin Sculpture] and those wandering souls woke up from their trance state. All of them shrieked in fear when they saw Kieran, going back into the walls and ground, scattering away in less than a second.
Unlike the natural attraction from Mordins sculpture, their fear of Kieran made them understand what they should do.
Kieran walked around the secret room for a thorough check,ing out from it after a fruitless inspection. He headed to the corner and tapped McRose with the tip of his foot.
O-Ouch! McRose woke up with a painful moan.
The moment she opened her eyes, she saw Kieran.
She clenched her fist and wanted to punch Kieran, remembering how she passed out but promptly after the thought rose, more memories followed and it shook her body. Her tightened fist loosened into a weak palm, trying to grab Kierans pants.
Kieran, again, dodged her.
There is a secret room in your morgue. Many had died inside over the years, and I suggest you contact Gredith right away, Kieran said.
Secret room? Dead people? Gredith? McRose repeated what Kieran said in a nk state before she shook her head rapidly.
No no no! I cant tell her! She will seal my forensicb! If I lose my job, I cant pay off my debt, and if I cant pay off my debt, my house will be taken. After my house is taken, Ill be living on the streets! She made her way over to the secret room as nervousness took over.
W-What is this?!
McRose was stunnedpletely when she saw the secret room. What she saw before her eyes right now was what she saw when she got dragged into the body cab. The only difference was this time she was standing.
Before this, she was strapped on the operation chair, something dark wielding a knife and moving around her body. McRose shivered.
She wasnt a coward though. Since she was a pathologist, her courage spoke for herself but the scene that she had experienced earlier was too real, as if it was a part of her personal experience.
Kieran stood outside the secret room and watched McRose, who was inside. He clearly felt the negative energy that he felt inside her start to change.
Although it was negative energy, it did not consume McRoses life force, instead nourishing her body.
A spiritual medium body?
Recalling the term from a book at Nikoreis collection, shock shed over Kierans eyes.
Unlikemon shamans or extraordinary individuals, spiritual mediums were umon because theypletely relied on luck in their inheritance. Even if the parents were spirit mediums, they may not 100% inherit the same traits, simr to the so-called prophets.
Rare and umon were themon descriptions for these people.
Running into a pathologist who was a spiritual medium in this particr timing, Kieran rted to more things.
His original thoughts changed quickly.
What are you going to do with it? Kieran asked.
I...
She wanted to say Ill close this ce and pretend nothing ever happened, but when the words formed in her mind, it somehow reminded her of that scene where she was strapped on the operation chair.
Unwillingness and fear filled her heart, forbidding her to say something so optimistic.
Ill get to the bottom of this, said McRose.
She then looked at Kieran with anticipation.
He was her life-saving straw by appearing in the nick of time, saving her from danger.
Thank you for saving me. A person withpassion like you will help me, right?
She thanked Kieran, ced her arms in front of her chest and widened her eyes, making herself look more pitiful than ever. If Kieran didnt kick her away earlier, she would have held his arm, swinging it left and right coquettishly.
No. I am not, and you are on your own, Kieran replied coldly.
Then why are you here in the middle of the night... McRose questioned him but when the words escaped her mouth, she reacted to the situation.
His ex-wife was in the morgue.
Despite the separation, their rtionship was much stronger than a stranger, like her, who he had only met once.
Therefore, the reason why Kieran appeared in the morgue surely wasnt for her, but his ex-wife.
Once the thought came into her mind, McRose was depressed.
I knew I shouldnt have risked it and bought a house. If I didnt but it, I wont be this tired, if I wasnt this tired, I wouldnt run into these kinds of things.
McRose squatted down, hugging her knee, ranting helplessly.
She then heard footsteps of Kieran leaving the morgue and the closing door.
She was left alone in the morgue.
When Kieran was with her, McRose didnt feel anything particr but when she was left alone, something about the morgue didnt feel right to her.
Her mind started to imagine things.
She felt like she was being watched from the ceiling and the ground; she felt like she was watched from the left, and the right.
McRose shivered with goosebumps.
A moment ago, she was ranting in depression but a momentter, she was scared and ran outside.
Wait for me! She screamed as she ran, but when she was outside the morgue, Kieran was nowhere to be found.
What she saw was an empty street with a windy night breeze. McRose shivered again.
Even though she hasnt switched off the lights in her workshop, she dared not go back in again and ran towards the crowded ce.
Kieran saw McRose run off in panic in the shadows before he started to search the area for any suspicious buildings. He started off from McRose Forensic Lab and covered almost everything in a 10km radius.
Fruitless, Kieran returned to Elm Tree Street and started the same search in the neighbourhood. Likewise, he did not get anything.
Something must have happened to the arm. The head and torso moved and sat up because of those wandering souls. Despite this mysterious person controlling only an arm in a limited range, some presence or traces should be left behind but I got nothing at all.
When the arm appeared, based on Kierans Mystical Knowledge, something would have happened to the head and the torso too. That was the reason why Kieran headed to the forensicb for clues.
However, things obviously turned out different from Kierans expectations.
Some spells that I dont know off are used? Or the traces were erased when this mysterious person knew it went south? Perhaps the arm belonged to someone else?
Kieran recalled all the scenes that he encountered, raising more questions than he solved.
He then thought of the newly acquired [Imperfect Mordin Sculpture].
Was the sculpture hidden there from the start? Or was it part of this mysterious persons n? If it was, what does this person seek?
Kieran would never believe in a free meal.
Although [Imperfect Mordin Sculpture] wasnt a big deal to him anymore, it was a good item, and rare, for many others.
In order to give up such a good item, this person must be getting something even more valuable.
Can it be... someone in this world is also collecting Mordins sculptures? Kieran suddenly rted to more things.
More and more thoughts popped up after this theory in his mind.
If thats the case...
Kierans squinted eyes glinted brightly.
He jumped up and quietly went back to his room.
The sky on the east started to brighten up, a new day beginning.
The two officers on watch duty the whole night yawned.
Coffee.
Gredith on her bike passed her men two cups of coffee.
Thanks, boss, The two officers received the coffee.
How are things? Gredith asked.
Nothing unusual. After cleaning the room, 2567 slept and woke up around dawn to wash up.
He also dropped by 4-2-2, Eatery Hut and brought home a mountain of food.
What a good appetite, definitely doesnt look like someone whose wife just died.
Its ex-wife.
After the divorce and broken rtionship, I guess he was eager to see his ex-wife dead, am I right?
So now the ex-wife is really dead, isnt that good for him? Boss, what do you have on your side?
One of the officers corrected the others before looking at Gredith.
Ive checked the two of them and realized...
Just when Gredith was about to reveal what she got, her attention was captured by someone further away.
An exhausted man was staggering towards them.
Is this the ce of Dr. 2567? the man asked politely but the bloodshot eyes made his politeness weird.
Yes, there, Gredith pointed at the gates of 2-1-6.
Thank you, the man thanked her politely and strode to the gates of 2-1-6 to press the doorbell.
Dr.2567? Ive made an appointment today. Sorry I came so early, please help me.
As the man begged, the nurse walked out and invited him in.
Gredith furrowed her brows as she saw the man go inside.
Whats wrong boss? one of the officers asked.
Does that guy reminds you of someone? Gredith asked.
Someone? the other officer was stunned and the realization hit the first officer.
I think he is...
Chapter 1600 - The Beginning
Chapter 1600: The Beginning
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
I am a professional clown.
The tired man sat on the sofa and started to tell his story like Kieran told him to do.
Ive brought joy to many people before but now, I cant smile anymore. They say Im suffering from depression. Isnt it funny, a clown with depression? the tired man then looked at Kieran.
Kierans face was nk and without the slightest intention tough, which made the tired man heave a breath of relief. He was quite worried that Kieran would be the same as the previous psychologists he had: chuckling or giggling when they heard his story.
It was easy for the man to notice the sneers and mocks since he was a professional clown. All he needed was a single nce.
Fortunately, there wasnt any in Kieran.
My wife did many things to make me happy. She told stories, jokes, and even pretended to be a clown herself to put a smile on my face, but its useless. So, she decided to bring me on a vacation. I was so caught up with my work before, I almost forgot about my marriage but the day we decided to go on vacation, I felt a little bit of happiness! I can still feel the smile on my face, but that was before... a speeding truck rammed into our car. I survived, but not my wife.
The tired mans eyes grew teary, covering his face and sobbing painfully.
Kieran didnt interrupt him, looking behind the man quietly, as if he was letting the man vent his feelings out.
More than 10 secondster, the man seemed to have recovered slightly.
After the ident, I lost my smile again and my sleep. My wife is all over my mind. I feel like I could see her if I closed my eyes, I can even hear what she is saying to me! the tired man said and closed his eyes, as if he could really see his dead wife around him.
As a matter of fact, the wife was indeed around him.
In Kierans eyes, a woman whose body was crushed, including the brain, was standing behind the man. From the moment the man walked into the room, this woman was already around him. Her face showed nothing but grudge and anger, moving her hand to the mans neck, trying to strangle him, but her hands would pass through his body without fail each time.
The endless attempts infuriated the woman, shrieking endlessly but the man couldnt hear it.
The woman then noticed Kierans gaze.
You can see me?
How? How can you see me?
Why not him!
Why did I have to die, and not him!
WHY?!
WHY DIDNT YOU DIE!?
Doubt shed over her eyes before it was reced by a heavier grudge.
The temperature in the room started to drop as her grudge intensified. The tired man continued talking as though he couldnt feel the change of temperature but his breath slowly turned white.
The grudgeful woman then threw herself towards Kieran, shrieking ceaselessly.
Die!
Die!
Die!
It was almost instinct for the dead to hate the living, more so this particr dead wasnt just some wandering soul anymore.
Although not yet the level of an evil spirit, it was able to change temperature, probably nearing the level of a poltergeist and it was a matter of time before it truly became a true poltergeist that could kill.
Therefore, it died a second time.
Just when it was a palm away from Kieran, a giant mouth appeared from thin air and swallowed it, removing its tracespletely.
The temperature in the room returned to normal.
The man, who closed his eyes, was still talking by himself.
I can still feel her beside me. She is still so beautiful and kind. Shed caress my neck cheeks, telling stories about how we met and fell in love for the first time.
The mans voice grew softer, his eyes slowly opening up and when he had a better view of the room, his face was covered with doubt. His hands touched his surroundings in panic, as if he was looking for something.
W-What? Where is she? She was still here a moment ago! WHERE IS SHE! Did you hide her?!
Impossible! I hid her, not you people! Only I know where she is! Not you! Not you people!
The man seemed to have lost his sanity, hugging his head and shrinking his body on the sofa, screaming in panic.
Hahahahahaha!
Heughed loudly.
Stopughing! Stop! Why are you allughing?! Im not funny! Im never funny!
The man fell into further panic when he heard theughter. He almost embedded himself into the sofa and yet he kept pushing his legs, trying to be one with the sofa.
Helpless and pitiful.
Anyone who saw his condition would feel sad and pitiful, but Kieran, who was the opposite, watched him coldly.
The conditionsted for a minute before the man stopped.
He then stretched his body and sat up properly. His feet back on the ground, hands on his knees, and head down, most of his face concealed behind his hair. His eyes then shined in an unusual glint.
The frenzied and strange gazended on Kieran.
Kieran wasnt moved at all when the gaze hit him.
Why didnt youugh? he asked.
Why should I? Kieran asked back.
Because of my performance! Is my performance so hard tough at? A clown whose career failed and got set up by his greedy wife! She tried to cause an ident in exchange for a great sum of money from the insurancepany yet it didnt go as nned and she died. Isnt that funny?! the mans voice heightened when he questioned Kieran.
Not funny, Kieran shook his head.
You pity the wife? I thought you were different, but it seems like you are as low as the others! the man looked at Kieran in shock, shaking his head.
Wife? You mean pawn right? Besides, didnt you get yourself a new target? Your eyes on my nurse, its the eyes ofnding a prey, Kieran said.
Yes! The wife is in the past now! I have a new target now, a great one too! Shes pure, passionate, and kind, I like it! She will fall into my hands! Ill crush her bones bit by bit. I want to hear the painful moans, its like a melody in my ears. You, you shall not hear it! Id like to share but in order to let my hunt happen smoothly, Id like you to die now!
The mans face was still covered by his hair but his voice turned frenzied and fanatical.
Before you die, Id like to say thank you. You are much more qualified than any other psychologist Ive met. Ive decided, you will be the next me! My new identity! A psychologist , isnt that nice?
A dagger appeared in his hand and he was ready to stand up.
However, he suddenly couldnt feel his legs.
His legs were still attached to his body but... the bones were all crushed.
The bones in his legs were all crushed silently and quickly, unbeknownst to him!
He only reacted to the condition when he tried to stand.
Aaaaaarh!
Amid his painful scream, he fell to the floor, the dagger in his hand flying off into some corner.
Oh Ive heard your painful screams alright, but its not what I like, Kieran said inly and slowly, walking towards the man.
Donte over!
The man screamed in panic and fear as he watched Kieran get closer.
He had no idea how a pleasant hunt turned out like this.
Shouldnt Kieran be a psychologist who was physically weak?
In his original n, hed get Kieran with the flip of his hand, but what happened now had deviated from his npletely.
What went wrong?
His legs were crippled, so he pushed himself up with his hands, crawling to the window in the room. His strong hands made it possible for him to reach the window quickly.
He turned back around to Kieran when he was under the window, as if he was trying to get ast good look at Kieran so that he could brand him in his mind.
You think youve won? I will be back...
BANG!
A gunshot interrupted his words, the mans head exploded like a watermelon and his brains scattered.
Less than 10 secondster, Gredith, with a gun in her hand, kicked the office door open.
Gredith scanned the room with her gun quickly before she ran towards the man who she shot.
When she saw the broken legs, she was stunned. She instinctively turned to Kieran.
You did this? she asked.
Yes, Kieran nodded. He was alone with the man in the room, so there were no grounds for him to cover or lie.
Nicely done! Perfect self-defense! Gredith gave him a thumbs up.
It was Kierans turn to get stunned.
He thought Gredith would question him, trouble him, and criticize him for doing so. Never did he expect such an answer from her.
There are always people who like to use loopholes in thew to escape sanction, he is one of them. He has a paper that proved he is mentally impaired, so the jury believed him when he said he killed that girl under influence. He was then sent into the mental institution for 6 months and when he got out, he started searching for new prey. Ive suggested keeping an eye on him, but some bastards think its a waste of police resources, exined Gredith.
Two of Grediths men also came into the office.
They saw the body on the floor before they looked at their superior.
Call it in, she said.
Her men quickly carried out her order.
Kieran was left alone with the inspector again and the inspector sized up Kieran again with her judgmental gaze.
You learned how to fight before? she asked.
Cant a psychologist learn how to defend himself? Kieran asked.
Yes, but not many can do what you did, she emphasized.
But not totally impossible, right? Kieran then headed outside, having no interest in continuing the conversation.
Gredith would never mix up matters,partmentalizing everything in her life. It was true that Kieran helped her catch the killer, so shed thank Kieran for that but it would not remove her doubt for Kieran.
In fact, Kieran had met stubborn people like her more than once.
Some became his friend; some ended up as just someone.
Gredtih? She would obviously end up as thetter.
Kieran was unable to ept a female being so stubborn and hysteric. In his point of view, the two words were synonyms for trouble.
Compared to Grediths questions, he was more concerned about his nurse.
Although the nurse was employed by his identity, her performance in work was quite decent. After she came to work this morning, she took the initiative to clean the messy room.
The hardest worker would win fondness, Kierans too, especially when there wasnt any hostility.
Kieran would still help her along the way, more so when whole mess happened because of him.
Frightened, Amy, the nurse, waited patiently on the first floor. She heard the gunshot just now and did not know what caused it, worrying about her boss.
Her boss had terrible luck recently.
Yesterday, someone broke into his house and stole something; today, a crazy person knocked on his door.
Amy already knew who the crazy person was after she heard the whispers from the two officers.
This crazy person made quite the headlines a while ago, and the whole of Moon City knew about him.
Some thought the crazy person really had lost his mind, otherwise he wouldnt havemitted such an atrocity; others thought the person was just pretending to be crazy, in order to escape the sanction ofw.
Amy believed in both the saying because of her uncertainty and after what happened just now, Amy sided with thetter. She strongly believed that person was pretending to be crazy.
Hope Dr. 2567 is fine, she prayed softly.
Suddenly, she felt a little chilly. She instinctively turned to the air-con.
She thought the temperature on the air-con was a little too low but the moment she turned around, a figure slowly emerged from the intersection between her shadow and the walls.
The figure was wearing a colorful outfit, had colorful makeup, an afro wig, and a red nose.
A spirit of a clown appeared behind Amy, but unlike how a clown looked normally, this clown showed no expression, even with the colorful makeup.
It raised its hand, overflowing with killer intentions. It ought toplete the final wish before it died.
This nurse was its first target and there were two more upstairs, waiting for him.
After that, it would head to the streets where countless more targets were waiting.
Amy checked the temperature but it was normal. She twisted her head in difort, as if something was behind her. While she was at lost in her thoughts, footsteps came from upstairs.
Kieran came down.
Doctor, are you okay? Amy asked out of concern when she saw Kieran, the difort discarded away.
Im fine. Can you buy me some takeaway? Kieran smiled.
Takeaway is not healthy for you, said Amy but she did not disobey the orders.
She headed to the counter to make a phone call and that dead looking clown followed right behind her, trying toplete its final wish but Kieran stepped in in a sh.
He can see me? Great! This will be fun!
The serious looking clown raised its hand, overflowing with killer intents, changing its target to Kieran, trying to take him out first.
When the palm got closer, Kieran raised his right index finger, drawing a smile on his face from the left to right, and whispered, Why so serious?
The serious looking clown halted its palm in mid-air before it vanished, leaving behind a series of soft munching and many faint prying gazes.
Chapter 1601 - Disaster That Followed Like A Shadow
Chapter 1601: Disaster That Followed Like A Shadow
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Some of the prying gazes were from humans, while others werent.
Those who werent human vanished one after another when the soft munching sounded, the fear, horror, and suppression from the top of the food chain casting them away.
As for the humans?
They felt difort.
The imaginary smile drawn with Kierans finger and that whisper struck heavy difort in their heart, but that was it.
Their target was just a psychologist, with the ability to fight back. Nevertheless, regardless of how much fighting technique the doctor knew, he was just a doctor, right?
The target changed from a defenseless one to a rather troublesome one, that was it.
When firearms were thrown into the mix, the fiercest tiger and lion would submit without resistance, let alone a psychologist.
However, those interested parties hid well because they spotted others in the area. It seemed like there was more than one party that had their eyes on this target.
After the psycho killer clowns test, the intentional parties were exposed under each others radar and naturally their ns had to be altered to cope with the situation. Of course they wouldnt just give up like that but they would wait it out, waiting for the opportunity to take out thepetitors before they moved on to the target.
Kieran clearly felt the malicious intentions from the gazes. He stood there and turned a blind eye.
He was patient, especially in front of enemies who had already shown ws.
Amy, please tell N from Eatery Hut Ill eat there instead, Kieran pointed at the yellow police line outside his house.
It seemed like he would not be able to eat his lunch in his courtyard anymore.
Okay.
Amy called the operator of Eatery Hut and left them a message. When she finally hung up the phone, Kieran was already outside the courtyards gate.
She looked at his back and sighed. She was on a diet, otherwise she would definitely follow.
A little bit more! A little bit more and Ill have my perfect body! Then, I can tell the doctor my true feelings! Amy clenched her fist and endless fantasies ran past her eyes, as if she was seeing some beautiful vision. Her face even showed a bright smile.
Kieran too showed a smile when he saw ypots with steaming out, even more so when he smelled the mutton inside, his smile getting brighter.
Eatery Hut of 4-2-2 of Elm Tree Street had a simr structure with Kierans 2-1-6, which was an independent building equipped with a courtyard. Simrly, the chef, N, upied the third floor as her private quarters and developed a basement as a wine cer.
In the courtyard were 5 tables arranged in a messy yet meticulous way. Regardless of which table or angle the customer sat at, they would have a clear view of the open kitchen on the first floor but not too thorough enough to look at other customers in the living area. An optimal distance was created in between, drawing a line perfectly in between public and private. That was the reason why it was so popr with the customers.
It was noon and three of the five tables were upied.
Good afternoon Dr. 2567, the female chef greeted Kieran.
Good afternoon, is this todays specialty? Kieran nodded and ced his attention on the ypots.
Yes, ypot mutton. I referenced the eastern cooking style and altered it with some technique from the chefs in Nightless City. Probably my best dish yet, N exined.
Are there reservations on these? Kieran looked at the dozens of ypots and asked curiously.
Only 5 for now, N was stunned but replied anyway.
Nice. Ill take the rest, Kieran smiled.
Of course, have a seat and well serve you right away, N came back from her stunned state and smiled.
No chef would dislike a customer like Kieran: able to eat without wasting and with the money to pay.
Likewise, Kieran to N. He quite preferred her thinking of doing her job right.
A chefs job was to prepare nice food in a sufficient amount to satisfy the customers.
Those rules that limited one order per customer were nothing but shameless marketing techniques. Customers would not feel happy about it and even with food as buffer, it would feel less pleasant.
The true path to eating was to sweat and stuff your stomach until you could barely walk, wasnt it?
At least it was true for Kieran.
Kieran survived through countless days where food was a raremodity for him, so when he had the chance to taste something nice, he would stay true to his body.
As for anything more than that?
Kieran did think of it before but he knew removing the shackles wasnt true freedom, knowing his limits was, or more precisely, self-discipline.
Self-discipline and vignce were irreceable for him, who lingered in constant danger. Both elementsplemented each other perfectly.
Soon, the ypot mutton was served.
When the lid was removed, the aromatic smell entered Kierans nose. The milky white soup was thick and showed a few cubes of mutton on the surface. One could tell with a single nce that the mutton was cooked very thoroughly, very tender and soft on the bite. A scallion was chopped in three and ced on top of the stew and several goji berries were floating around the soup. The brilliant green and energetic red resonated with each other, increasing ones appetite greatly.
Kieran took the spoon and enjoyed the soup first.
Fresh!
It was the first impression that came into his mind, followed by a slight spiciness.
It wasnt the numbing spiciness of chili, but white pepper and ginger juices.
The vours didnt fight each other and increased the aroma, bringing out the freshnesspletely.
Is the soup cooked from fish? Kieran asked after a second spoon of soup.
Carp fish soup to be exact, N looked at Kieran in astonishment, not expecting Kieran to understand the secret in her soup.
Its nice Kieran then scooped up a piece of mutton.
The mutton was a perfect mix between lean meat and fat, as it was boiled in the ypot, wobbling with a special glint. When it entered the mouth and was chewed on, the fatty part melted instantly, covering the leanner part as it spread all around the mouth. The exceptional taste increased Kierans eating speed.
Two servings of ypot mutton were decreasing in exponential speed.
N served the second pot after the first one was near its bottom, followed by the third, the fourth and the fifth.
Ns eyes on Kieran were shocked at first before it turned into astonishment. She stared at Kierans stomach, which did not even bloat after he ate around 10 servings of ypot mutton, looking like a normal person after his meal.
A big eater!
The term popped up in her mind subconsciously.
N gasped as she recalled the astonishing scene that she once saw in Nightless City.
Those big eaters in Nightless City could eat a lot more than Kieran but every single one of them had unimaginable size and weight. There was no one like Kieran!
Besides that, Kieran didnt seem full! Her chef instinct told her that and her guess was verified the next moment.
Kieran lifted up the pot and drained thest drop of soup before he looked at N with a smile.
Whats theplementary food today? he asked.
Fried chicken, a burger, and coke. How many do you want? she asked.
5 please, Kieran pointing at the 5 empty ypots.
Since theplementary food came with each main course, it should be 5 servings also.
None should go to waste because he was paying for the meal with the money of his identity.
When Kieran tore open the first burger, Inspector Gredith came in and saw Kieran in the corner with a mountain of food in front of him. She frowned.
She thought Kieran was wasting food, but she didnt criticize him right away. She waited patiently for Kieran to be full, but it was obviously impossible.
Gredith widened her eyes and watched Kieran gobble down all the food, including the drinks, on the table like a tornado ravaging the city, with nothing left behind.
Where did all the food go? Gredith couldnt hold back her question.
My stomach, Kieran answered.
Is your stomach another dimension? A bottomless hole? Gredith was obviously shocked.
Many people have a special ability, like some people feel like they are serving justice with a keyboard. Theyd feel like superman, invincible as long as they are behind their monitor. Me? I guess its eating. You are here for my testimonials or...? Kieran did not want to linger on the topic and switched it right away.
First, your testimonial. Dont worry, Ill prove that you did it out of self-defense, those bastards shall not revoke the case this time! Second, its about your wife, ex-wife. Did you know her well? Gredith asked after a deep breath.
Know her? What do you mean? Kieran pretended to be dumb and raised a cautious deep down in his heart. He knew Gredith must have discovered something.
Im sorry but because of the case, I ran a background check on you and your ex-wife. I discovered that after your divorce, your ex-wife cut herself off from society, isting herself and cutting ties with others, Gredith said after an apology.
What is so strange about that? Peoples personalities change, some change for the better, being happier than before; some change for the worst, isting themselves and something like that, Kieran replied with his own statement.
But disaster wont follow them like a shadow! In the 3 years after the divorce, we found out that your ex-wife had gotten into idents almost 50 times, like car idents, falling from tall ces, drowning incidents, explosion from a gas leak, etc. Of all the recorded incidents, casualties happened in almost 20 cases. I found out about it when I read through the files on Mary, and most importantly, shed escape unscathed every single time, Gredith spilled the beans after a deep breath, her words filled with obvious confusion and doubts in between the lines.
You are telling me she caused all those incidents? Kieran raised a brow and acted out an angry tone.
Im not saying that Mary caused all the incidents, its just that I think she was escaping from something! Those disastrous incidents followed her like a shadow. I am suspecting that Mary found out about something, hence she decided to leave you. So I am hoping to find out about her from you, Gredith shook her head.
Its very normal actually. Simr to other divorcees, all sorts of reasons areid on the table. Regardless of reasons, it ended up the same: we split up.
Kieran purposely gave a vague answer and stopped giving Gredith the chance to ask further by saying, Can I have a look at those files on the disastrous incidents?
Sorry, you are not part of the force, you have no right to.
Gredith sounded apologetic but her stand was firm.
Kieran wasnt surprised, but he did have a way to go around it, just that hed have to spend more effort.
Before that, he would have to give Gredith his testimony.
The process didnt take ce in Eatery Hut, or his sealed off house. Gredith brought him back to the station due to standard operating procedures and wrote down every word from Kieran on the incident.
After triple confirming the contents, Kieran signed it and proceeded to the recording testimony session.
An old-fashioned inspector like Gredith ought to follow the procedures without fail.
She would arrest even her best friend should she find out her friend was breaking thew and Kieran was just someone on the case that she just met and barely knew, so Kieran would never get the easy way out.
A person like Gredith wasnt all that bad though. Quite the contrary, a person like her was considered one of the good ones, from a certain aspect. However, she was definitely not a good friend for a normal person.
Befriending the likes of her required a strong heart and power, you never knew when she wouldnd you in a troublesome position.
Is that all? Kieran asked after Gredith carefully listened to the recording testimony.
Yeah, sure. Ill arrange my men to send you back, she nodded.
Kieran didnt argue with her, since being able to save on the taxi fee on the way back was quite a deal.
Just when Kieran was about to step out of the door, an officer ran in in a hurry.
Inspector! Inspector! We found another dismembered body! the officer shouted after his sudden entrance.
Where?! Gredith asked anxiously, not ming her men for saying confidential information in front of an outsider.
Inside the station! It was sent here by parcel in the morning...
Before the officer even finished, Gredith stormed out.
Kieran squinted and followed her.
Soon, Kieran saw that bloody paper box in front of the reception desk on the first floor.
The box was opened, the body inside finally visible.
The victim was a youngdy, her limbs all cut off and arranged on her torso. The blood on her was coagting.
Run me through it! Grediths face turned extremely heavy in front of the dismembered body.
We received the parcel this morning, it had your name on it and we thought it was your online shopping parcel, so we ced it at the reception counter. But in the afternoon, someone noticed blood starting to ooze out of the box. They opened it and found the body and... a letter!
The officer on duty at the reception ran her through the incident briefly and passed her a letter packed in an evidence bag.
Gredith gloved up and took out the letter, trying to open it for the contents inside.
Kieran, who was sizing up the body beside her, suddenly spoke.
I wouldnt open it if I were you...
Chapter 1602 - Persistence
Chapter 1602: Persistence
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Huh?
Gredith turned to Kieran, searching for answers.
Its poisoned, Kieran said.
With his near rank II Intuition and Musou level [Medicine and Medicinal Knowledge], he knew the envelope was poisoned the moment heid eyes on it.
Since he had chosen to master poison in the mentioned skill, Kieran could even differentiate the poison inside: Fluoroacetamide mixed with green-and-ck poison dart frog.
Judging from the poison level, one would not even have to bear a cut or a wound, a single touch on the skin would be lethal enough.
On top of that, the culprit was smart, a little contraption built with fish vesicles was ced inside. Whenever the envelope was torn open, the poison would be sprayed.
People were used to tearing envelopes in front of their chest and based on the height and angle, the content of the envelope would be facing the face, meaning the poison inside would surely reach the eyes, a weak spot.
Kieran didnt know what kind of grudge the culprit had with the inspector but it was certain that the culprit wanted her dead!
Since it was along the way, Kieran didnt mind saving her for the unlikeable character and respectful persistence.
More so, the little poison envelope was delivered here only to settle a simple grudge?
Could it be the culprit wanted to silence the witness because the inspector had known something she shouldnt, like the disastrous incidents his ex-wife had been through over the years?
Coincidentally, when the inspector was investigating the frequent disastrous incidents around his ex-wife, the envelope was delivered.
Coincidence much?
Some may view it as coincidence but Kieran never believed in it.
Poison? Gredith was stunned. She looked at the envelope in her hands with a heavy expression before she ordered her men to examine it.
The result came out very quickly.
Inspector, the poison inside turns out to be fluoroacetamide mixed with some kind of animal toxin. We are still working on identifying the animal. There is also a little contraption ced inside the envelope. Once its torn open, the poison will spray out. The slightest touch on the poison would end up in dire situations, One of the officers reported with lingering fear.
Really? Gredith took a deep breath to regte her emotional roller coaster before looking at Kieran.
Im a doctor, Kieran replied first as he knew what Gredith was going to ask.
A psychologist! She emphasized.
...is also a doctor. While I majored in psychology, I also had a minor in pharmacology, simr to my hobby in practising martial arts, Kieran bluffed without blinking.
Gredith couldnt differentiate his lies from the truth because she wasnt familiar with Kieran.
Although she did run a background check on Kieran when she was investigating his ex-wife Mary, other than the youngest winner of the Fervon Psychology Prize,pared to his ex-wife, he was really a nobody.
Through some contact with him, Gredith understood the man was something else.
Majoring in psychology and the youngest winner of Fervon Psychology Prize.
Loved martial arts and easily broke the legs of a psycho killer.
Minored in pharmacology and able to tell the envelope was poisoned without touching.
Others pursued those achievements for their entire life and would still not be even half as good as him, yet he made it all look so easy and was able to master multiple fields.
Gredith acknowledged the existence of a genius, but it had to be proven! Otherwise it would be a disguise!
A person with disguise must have something to hide and when secrets were rted to more than one murder case, its importance was erged.
We are allowed to appoint a consultant here at the station and it is viable to do so for this case. So, 2567...
My fee is 300 per hour, if you make an appointment, but it seems like things are a little different here, so lets switch things up. The fee will start counting from the moment you decided to hire me with a contract. After I sign it, whether or not I am at the station, you will have to pay me a months pay in advance. If the duration is less than a month in total, Ill still consider it as a full month; If the duration reaches a full month, well sign another contract of the same terms for the next month, Kieran stopped her and told her his rate.
He had no intentions to work with her because he knew what she was after and also how to reject her.
Like what Kieran expected, after Gredith heard Kierans rate, her face turned ck.
A days pay for Kieran would equal her monthly pay and a months pay would be able to rece 30 inspectors in the stationthere were only 5 inspectors in the station, including her.
The pay equivalent to 30 inspectors was an unbearable cost for the station.
If she really agreed to Kierans terms, other than the director, the tax inspection bureau would meet her for coffee the next day, followed by unpaid service for a long period of time.
Since she loved her job, she knew what was the right choice to make.
Too bad then. Please keep your phone clear at all times, we will contact you if you are needed back here for investigation.
After the standard operating procedures, Gredith didnt care about Kieran anymore and started to assign tasks to her men.
Check the cameras, find that guy who delivered the parcel. Find out who this dead woman is and I want the reports on the previous dismemberment case on my desk before sunset!
Kieran heard what Gredith said as he walked out of the station, leaving withoutmenting on her actions.
It was her job and habit anyway, Kieran had no right to point her around.
He too had his own way of doing things. Under [Tracking]s view, the traces left on the paper box were exposed to his eyes.
Kieran walked forward slowly and vanished beyond the street corner.
...
McRose hasnt slept all night.
After the sky turned bright, she rushed back to her workshop.
To her, a pathologist, the ce was her life. Even though something horrifying happenedst night, shed never try to remember it again for the rest of her life, paying her installment every month giving her the courage.
McRose checked the ce first before she got to work. Other than the lights that were left on all night and wasted some electricity, everything returned to normal.
Phew!
McRose heaved a breath of relief.
She was really worried that her workshop would be visited by some people with weird fetishes.
If that was really the case, she would be finished without any ground for aeback.
And now?
She had the chance to bounce back!
She picked up the phone and dialed the number on her notebook.
The number belonged to the previous owner of McRose Forensicb, which was her teacher and also her friend.
That was the reason why she took over theb by borrowing a loan from the bank without hesitation 6 months ago, when she heard her teacher was trying to sell it.
She was very familiar with her teacher cum friend. The reason behind the sale was her teacher having health problems, not problems the duty pathologist duty.
McRose was able to secure a stable working rtionship with the station, so the whole forensicb had quite the earnings. As long as she put her heart into working, other than the monthly loan installment, she could enjoy one or two nice meals every month.
That was of course her original thought of her future life.
Although until now she still dare not believe her teacher was involved in the secret room down at the morgue, her firm stand was shaken.
The phone call got through.
Hey, Adams, I have something to ask you, McRose greeted before asking in a casual tone.
What is it? Tell me, Rose, a weak male voice came from the other side of the phone.
When you took over this forensicb, did it have an owner before? McRose tried to make it less obvious.
Of course. Im the second owner and you are the third. I know theb is a little broken but shes still a prettydy, you need to take good care of her, the weak voice joked.
I view her as my life, McRose replied.
Then, did something happen to her? the weak voice asked.
Like what I told you before, old circuitry, stuck pipes, old surveince system, there were more than a few people who had their eyes on her.
McRose was angry when she mentioned those bastards. It wasnt an act but her true feelings.
Death should be respected.
McRose understood that saying since she always dealt with dead bodies.
Shedplete her job with the utmost devotion, trying her best to find clues on the body and return justice to the dead man or woman. However, there were some bastards who liked things that people disliked. Other than some bastard with mental illness, most of them took pride in their despicable act, boasting like a 3 years old with a new toy.
A 3 years old child was forgivable as their views were still being shaped, but those bastards?
They were unforgivable!
Do you want me to talk to Inspector Gredith? the weak voice asked.
No need, she helped me a lot and I heard shes quite busy now.
McRose rejected her teachers goodwill, chatting for a while more and when she heard the tiredness in the voice, she hung up the phone.
Why not ask about the first owners details from her teacher directly?
McRose wasnt a cruel person, she did not have to heart to drag a man on his sick bed into the case. She had to approach this through different channels.
Fortunately, after she became a pathologist, she made friends with many kinds of people and had nock of suitable channels.
She took out her phone and sent a message to someone. She then took a deep breath and walked down to the morgue.
She ought to find clues left behind by the person who built that secret ughterhouse.
The wall of body cabs moved and the secret ughterhouse opened up again before her eyes.
It wasnt her first view of the ce and she should have gotten used to the stench of blood, yet it made her feel ufortable.
She held her breath, raising the torchlight into the room to search for the switch to turn on the power.
She easily found the power switch on the wall but... it was covered with dried blood and had bits of meat and hair on it, making her furrow her brows.
Through her professional knowledge, she knew it was a piece of scalp.
In her mind, she pictured how the owner of the secret ughterhouse rammed an innocent persons head into the switch,ughing frenziedly before the power was switched off.
She didnt just imagine the scene though, it was based on experience, the experience where she was dragged into the body cab!
McRose felt a stinging sensation on the back of her head, subconsciously touching her scalp. It was fine and intact, so she heaved a breath of relief.
Damn it!
McRose had no idea why she would experience something like that but it didnt stop her determination from solving the incident.
Kak!
An electrical buzz sounded and the whole room was lit up.
The operation chair covered in thick blood stains, stool scattered in the corner, and a trolley with torture tools were all shown to McRose by the light.
The sudden light made her squint her eyes, waiting for her eyes to adapt before she started to search for possible clues.
Unfortunately, she got nothing, as the hour long search was fruitless. After the search, she stood in the middle of the room, a little depressed. While she was wondering what she missed, chuckles sounded in her ears.
I found it! It is here!
Amid the chuckles, a man in a gray hoodie appeared before McRose.
His voice was muffled, as if something was in his mouth when he spoke. Other than his blurry voice, when he walked, he staggered heavily too.
Stand right there! McRose pulled out her taser and shouted at him, trying to prevent him from getting closer.
The man turned a deaf ear and walked forward.
McRose pulled the trigger on the taser. Powerful electrical pulse electrocuted the mans body as the darts hit him.
Ts!
Spark!
As the electrical pulses ran through his body, the man fell on the floor, twitching violently. The muscles on his body shrunk rapidly, causing him to curl up into a ball.
McRose heaved a breath of relief.
She knew how powerful her taser gun was, so she avoided the head and the heart, as it was enough to immobilize the man by shooting him on the waist.
McRose strode over to the man, kicking his hoodie over to reveal a pale, scrawny middle-aged man.
She knew the man had problems with his pancreas and liver based on a single nce at his face, otherwise a healthy, normal person wouldnt be so skinny.
McRose wanted to call the police but when she thought about the trouble that would follow, she hesitated.
While she was fighting her thoughts, the curled up man on the floor stretched his body, jumping up like a possessed dead body and grabbing McRose by the neck with body-defying movements.
McRose was held up high in the air, struggling fiercely andnding multiple kicks on the man, but the man, who should be heavily sick and weak, was exceptionally strong during that moment.
His arm was like an iron mp, pinning down her neck; his body was as hard as steel, her feet hurting when her kicknded.
The man grabbed McRose closer to the operation chair.
He muttered ceaselessly as though he was on a pilgrimage.
Live forever...and undying...
Step by step, the man walked closer and strapped McRose on the operation chair.
Let go of me! She struggled.
When she saw the man pick up the knife from the fallen tool box, she was utterly frightened.
She knew what the man wanted to do, because she experienced it before, and unlike the previous experience, this particr experience was real to her.
No!
Despair rose in her heart, causing her to close her eyes.
The mutters in her ears echoed endlessly, as though the death bell was ringing.
Suddenly, amid the death bell rings, something simr to a firework going off sounded.
Live forever...and undying...
Live forever...and undying...
D-Delicious... and cheap...
D-Delicious... and cheap...
Chapter 1603 - Clean Up The Mess?
Chapter 1603: Clean Up The Mess?
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Mumbles echoed around the morgue.
The man didnt notice anything unusual.
D-Delicious... and cheap...
Quite the contrary, after the mumbles, the man started to swallow his saliva and his stomach started to growl.
He stared down at McRose strapped on the operation chair.
He was as hungry as a starving beast!
McRose trembled when she caught his gaze.
She felt the man was scarier than he was before.
Before this, the man wanted to dissect her, but now he wanted to eat her!
If she had to choose between being dissected and eaten, she would beg for the third choice.
She hadnt finished paying off her loans!
She hadnt enjoyed life enough.
She didnt want to die!
Please someone save me! Save me! Help! Save me and Ill...
She prayed hard and even wanted to make an offer but she suddenly realized she had nothing.
Money?
She was heavily in debt, she had no money in her savings.
Her looks?
A rather decent look but nothing ster, especially her daily makeup, amon man would noty eyes on her.
Mncholy filled her heart in an instant.
The scariest thing wasnt falling into a dangerous situation but realizing that you had nothing at all, not even the qualifications to escape the danger.
Helpless, McRose looked down. She had to bring out herst chip to the table.
Other than money and looks, what else did she have?
Her life!
It was the only answer that she coulde up with but it contradicted her original intention, which was to live...
Whatever, every moment counts now!
McRose had given up entirely.
D-Delicious...and cheap...
Just when she was ready to pray for her life again, the mumbles sounded again and the man was beside her with his mouth open. A vile stench came out from his mouth, assaulting her face to the point that she couldnt open her eyes.
McRose had no idea what caused a persons mouth to be that smelly, but the mumbles struck an idea in her mind.
Save me and Ill get out my breakfast from my workshop!
She said her prayers out loud, feeling embarrassed after that.
It was too cheap!
Her life was equivalent to breakfast?
No! It should be more than that!
While she was considering increasing the offering to 3 meals of the day, a voice entered her ears.
D-Deal!
It was a little bit muffled but when it subsided, wind blew into the ughterhouse.
The wind was strong and violent, like a typhoon blowing into the limited space!
The man was ready to have a bite of McRose but the sudden violent wind sent him flying backwards. Under McRoses shocked gaze, a translucent figure was sucked out from the mans body, devoured by the violent wind before the body was mmed into the wall.
Bang!
A loud bangter, McRose regained her senses.
What happened? Did my prayerse true? One breakfast to settle it all? Is my life that cheap?
McRose was in shock, despite her body being special and having been through many unimaginable things, what happened just now made her doubt her life.
Did she choose the wrong upation?
Should she learn to cook?
Life is priceless, likewise the promise to offer food.
As the words subsided, Kieran walked out from the shadow and went over to the man for a look.
The translucent figure that was devoured was the evil spirit that had possessed the man, not the mans soul.
However, the man was not in good shape. His body was very weak, his breath getting slower and his soul should have suffered damage from the evil spirit possession, but...
It also proved Kierans direction was correct.
This dying man was the person who sent the box of dismembered body parts to the station.
It was hard for anyone to imagine a dying man curled up on the ground as a murderer who dismembered bodies. It was hard to look at him.
I-I dont want to die, I want to l-live...
Before he could finish, the man died off.
Kieran looked at the body coldly.
He followed the traces from the station to the morgue, his mind already drawing a general roadmap.
The secret ughterhouse in the morgue.
The dismembered victim.
Living forever and undying.
And also the [Imperfect Mordin Sculpture] that was hiding in the operation chair.
Seeking survival? Kieran spoke to himself.
He didnt have any extraments on this because he had experienced simr things too.
He could totally imagine what kind of emotions that would be.
In order to survive, one would jump into the hole even though it was obviously a trap or a lie.
It was obvious that things would turn bad, yet an attempt was made.
Why though?
To survive.
Even without diginity, survival was crucial.
It was part of the human instinct.
Like the man who had just died. He was despicable and pitiful but he did it all to survive. Hed even kill to breathe a little longer, but unfortunately, he was ultimately used by someone, as a beautiful ending.
Call the police, Kieran turned around to McRose, who had gotten up from the operation chair and stared at the scene nkly.
B-But...
McRose wanted to argue but when she saw Kieran pointing at the dead man, she gave up. She wasnt an idiot, or rather, since she was a pathologist, she should be a meticulous and calm person.
Otherwise, she wouldnt have faced the bloody bodies so frankly.
Recalling what happened yesterday and connecting it to the scene before her eyes, McRose had her own theory of what happened.
Okay, McRose wanted to head back up to make the call.
Kieran then spoke again, Remember what you promised me just now.
Sure, Ill save the breakfast for you. she nodded.
She didnt want to admit it but she did save herself with breakfast, so rather than considering herself cheap, it was better for her to call it worthwhile.
Unknowingly, McRose felt like she got lucky.
Before she truly left the morgue, she took onest nce at Kieran, standing in the bloody stains.
Inside the dark red environment, his dark outfit didnt stand out as much, as if he merged with the scene. However, he was distinguished clearly by the lights, as two things from two different worlds came together.
What a freak.
With curiosity in her eyes and suchments in her heart, McRose strode back upstairs.
5 minutester, the irritating sirens arrived and broke the peaceful afternoon.
Inspector Gredith and a few more officers stormed down to the morgue. She frowned when she saw Kieran.
She realized ever since she made the mans acquaintance, he would be around every single incident, as either the person directly involved or a bystander, and someone would die each time.
Is this guy the grim reaper?
Gredith thought in her head but she quickly discarded it and turned to the body and the secret room.
She sized it up carefully and walked over to Kieran.
What happened? She asked.
I thought I came here to have a look at Mary but when I came down here, I saw McRose held hostage by this man. So I saved her, Kieran spilled out the words he had prepared.
I dont know what happened either. This morning when I came back to the workshop to start my job, I came down here for some cleaning and then this man barged in, seized me and opened this secret roomI dont even know about this room behind the wall of body cabs before this, McRose tried her best in going along with Kierans words.
Since Gredith already got the surveince cameras footage, she did not suspect the two of them because it clearly showed McRoses arrival first, followed by the attacker and then Kieran.
Their words matched the time and made perfect sense.
The only thing that caught Grediths suspicion was the identity of the attacker.
How did he know about the secret room in the morgue?
Or rather, why was he in the morgue?
I want details on his backgrounds, starting with hospital records, Gredith told her men.
Yes, madam, the officers quickly moved out.
The search quickly bore results as the attackers motives were clear and had a picture of him.
The attacker was a patient suffering from serious kidney and liver failure.
Half a month ago, he gave up on treatment and left the hospital.
Based on the address he left for the hospital, the officers followed the lead and found his ce and also... the scene where the body was dismembered.
What?! You are saying this guy is the killer of the dismemberment case?!
Gredith was astonished when she picked up the phone call.
A severely ill man was the killer behind the dismemberment case?!
Doubt filled her heart but no matter how reluctant she was in believing it, the facts were ced before her and she chose topromise with the truth.
When her men further told her no one else was involved in the killing, Gredith looked at the secret room in the morgue with a sense of doubt.
She then made another phone call.
When her call provided her with the fact that the man was the first and original owner of the forensicb, despite the doubts in her heart, she had to believe the man was indeed the killer.
The man built theb with the secret room, dissecting bodies and even living human beings, but his condition forced him to give up on his horrible hobby.
However, the sinful thoughts in his mind ushered him intomitting crime again. He first chose Mary, the poordy who isted herself from society. The man easily got what he wanted but his body condition worsened.
He knew it too, so it drove him crazier. He started to provoke the police and wanted to end his crazy life in the ce where it all started, too bad he was stopped.
Thankfully he was stopped, I do not want to switch to another contracted forensicb.
Gredith eximed when she told McRose about what really happened in her office.
Me too, I do not want to die so early, McRose showed a bitter smile.
Gredith wasnt concerned about that, she assumed McRose was frightened.
The written testimony is all done, so get some rest Rose. Ill contact you if theres anything, said Gredith.
Okay, Ill go back first, McRose nodded and walked out.
At the entrance, McRose ran into Kierank, who had just finished another testimonial recording.
Both of them walked out together.
Gredith shook her head at both their backs. It seemed like the sudden incident at the morgue shortened the distance between them. Besides, other than McRoses weird makeup, she was an easygoing person. It wasnt weird for friendship to bloom between them.
Gredith wasnt afraid that McRose would tell Kieran about something confidential, she knew McRose cherished her job very much.
Get ready to close the case!
A deep breathter, she returned to her office and started to arrange the files. She ought topile everything on the case before she signed off for the day.
As for the press conference?
Someone else was on that, her job was to finish thepiling and send it over.
However, while she was arranging the files and documents, the phone on her desk rank.
Her face turned pale when she picked up the phone.
...
Inside the cab, Kieran was sitting beside McRose.
Other than stating her address when she hailed the cab, neither of them talked at all during the journey.
McRose was troubled by her thoughts, with no intention to speak; Kieran was never a person who liked to start a conversation.
Silence became the melody between them.
The cab driver felt unusual pressure from the silence. Unknowingly, the cab sped up and the driver tried toplete this trip as soon as possible. The two customers he picked up were weirdos, especially thedy with bleached make up, no way she would be a good person. The man was a little wasted, looking proper and decent but was influenced badly by thedy.
The pitiful words roared in the cab drivers mind, making him step on the pedal harder. The journey that supposedly took one hour ended in 45 minutes.
Kieran and McRose arrived at the destination and after both of them got off, the can drove away quickly.
The destination was a sanatorium.
Water & Sunshine Sanatorium, stated the sign.
Through the door, Kieran saw the elderly exercising on the field with workers guiding them. Further away was a smallke and on the other side of the field was a five story white building, the body of the building straight and neat but with an arched rooftop.
People would walk through the well-lit windows.
A rather decent sanatorium, Kieranmented.
McRose, on the other hand, walked inside without pause.
It seemed like she was a regr at the ce. The security at the entrance didnt even stop her, showing a smile instead.
Kieran followed her and went straight to the main building.
However, just as the two of them got closer to the main building, a frightened scream came from theke.
Aaaaa! Someone is dead!
Chapter 1604 - Corpse
Chapter 1604: Corpse
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The scream shook McRose, her face turning for the worse.
Instinctively, she ran towards the littleke.
When McRose arrived beside theke, the workers and the nurses from the sanatorium were already forming a crowd and whispering among themselves. Their topic was the body floating in theke.
Anyone could tell with a single nce that the swollen body had been dead for a while.
One of the people in charge of the sanatorium gave orders to two strong male workers to bring the body back tond.
When the body was sessfully brought back in, McRose ran over for a check.
Based on her experience and the swelling of the body, the person has been dead for at least 3 days.
McRose had just finished a call with her teacher, so it wasnt who she thought it was!
She heaved a breath of relief.
Call the police! Leave the body here and nobody touches it from now on! McRose said quickly.
Her professionalism made her remind the person in charge of the sanatorium.
The person in charge, a middle-aged woman, obviously knew McRose, so she did not hesitate and called the police from her phone.
After the call was made, the woman told the male workers to stand guard by the body before she walked towards McRose.
Rose, are you here for Adams? asked the woman as she took a peek at Kieran.
Her little peek was judgmental, not the kind of a stranger but the invasive kind that would happen when her daughter brought a boy home.
It seemed mild but was actually sharp and slightly offensive. Coupled with her formal attire with a hair bun tied up top, she looked like she had done this before many times and it increased the offensive aura of hers.
After she realized Kieran was calm, or as far as dull, she was slightly stunned.
She then showed a satisfied smile.
Who is this gentleman? Are you going to introduce him?
2567, a friend. This is Lady Hennessy, the person in charge of Water & Sunshine Sanatorium and my teachers friend, McRose simply introduced the two.
However, her vague description made this Lady Henessy think even more, retaining her smile and extending her hand for a shake.
Hello, 2567.
Hello, Lady Hennessy.
The hands split quickly after the shake and instead of leaving, Henessy asked, How old are you? What field are you in? Do you have a house in Moon City?
She wasnt fast or slow, her tone rather kind but persistent. When she asked all the questions, Hennessy glued her eyes on Kieran, trying to spot any kind of expression on his face.
27, a psychologist, and bought a semi-D on Elm Street Street, Kieran replied without any expression, because what he said was the truth.
The age was his current identitys age, so was the upation and the house. He did not lie.
When Hennessy heard Kierans reply, her eyes glinted and looked even kinder.
A perfect age, a proper upation, and a decent ie, an excellent choice!
Stay for some afternoon tea, we do have some good pastries here...
Lady Hennessy, we are here for my teacher.
Before Kieran could reply, McRose stopped Hennessy before she dragged Kieran to the main building.
They left quickly and managed to enter the buildings corridor. McRose was looking embarrassed and apologetic.
Im sorry, Lady Hennessy means well. S-Shes just worried about me, McRose stuttered.
Kieran on the other hand was baffled by the situation.
He did feel something unusual from Hennessy but for a 17 years old who had to hustle his way out of life from the day he was born, whats a blind date?
Was it edible? Was it delicious? Could it be refilled?
Kieran had fought countless battles and overcame many kinds of danger, running into many kinds of enemies but a blind date still baffled him. He had never encountered such things before and had no memories he could take reference from, so he had no idea what McRose and Hennessy meant with their words.
Speaking from a certain angle, Kieran couldnt even understand feelings, but it didnt stop him from dealing with it in his own way.
Is it? If you both are close, remember to pack some pastries for me when we leave, said Kieran.
Sure! That wont be a problem! The pastries here are really good!
McRose thought Kieran provided her a flight of stairs for her to step down, an embarrassed smile hanging over her face while she nodded repeatedly. She then strode further inside the building.
She didnt go up the elevator but the stairs.
While they were going up the stairs, the embarrassment on her face was quickly reced by doubt.
Do you think teacher is rted to this incident?
Troubled, McRose asked Kieran the question that lingered in her mind.
What do you think? Kieran asked back.
McRose went quiet.
Shortly after she called her teacher, inquiring about the secret ughtering, a man appeared in the morgue, strapped her on the operation chair, and tried to eat her alive.
Shed rather die than believe the incident and her teacher were unrted, but at the same time, she didnt want to believe her teacher, who had been so good to her in the past, would do such things.
There is a good and a bad side in humans, its like a tossed coin with two different sides.
It kept spinning in the air, showing off either of its sides and before it trulynded, no one could tell whether it was heads or tails.
In the ce of answer was nervousness, waiting for it.
McRose was feeling nervous right now.
Standing before room 404, she hesitated for a while before knocking on it.
Knock, knock knock.
Come in.
A weak voice sounding, McRose entered with clenched teeth.
The room behind the door was around 30 square meters big, looking like a living room rather than a ward. There was a sofa, tea table, book racks, study desk, and a tv. If it wasnt for that sick bed, it would look like a cosy family hotel.
Rose.
The middle-aged man on the sick bed saw McRose enter, cing his book aside and showing a smile before he tried to sit up.
Teacher, you dont have to get up, McRose ran over and persuaded her teacher.
Kieran could tell the man was missing a leg underneath the sheets.
2567?
The man waved at McRose, stating that hed like to get up to look at Kieran before he called out to his name.
Do you know him, teacher?
The youngest winner of the Fervon Psychology Prize, it sounds like thunder in my ears. He...
Aaaaaah! Someone died!
Before the man finished, a scream stopped him.
McRoses face turned bad when she heard the scream.
What is going on? Someone died again?
Although she was a pathologist and worked with corpses all day long, running into the dead outside herb was quite rare, probably near zero.
This kind of situation where shed encounter two deaths consecutively was a first in her life.
Rose, can you go have a look? Maybe Hennessy can use a helping hand, said the man to McRose.
She did not argue with her teacher, throwing a meaningful gaze at Kieran before she left.
Her gaze was like saying Ill leave this to you, and Kieran could tell McRose was a little bit grateful when she closed the door.
It was a relief for McRose for not asking that kind of question to the teacher that she respected.
Running away was part of human nature.
Shameful in the eyes of the strong but sometimes it worked efficiently, for a time.
When the door was shut, Kieran was left alone with the teacher.
Allow me to introduce myself. Im Adams.
His voice was kind and he tried to extend his hand for a handshake but since his hands were supporting his body, he could not spare any more energy for the action.
Im sorry, I guess my body is worse than I thought, said Adams, apologetically.
You are doing great even as amon man. Its good enough, Kierans words had a double meaning.
Is it? But whats good in doing great? Things happened, and its irreversible.
Adams mocked himself and his voice started to sound slower; his eyes were looking at the ceiling, as if he was reminiscing about something.
He then turned to Kieran, Its hard to understand right? Or should I say, you are in pain? Believe me, Ive been through that as well, we shared a simr fate.
Adams sighed, it seemed like he was prepared to reveal everything but his words took a sharp turn at the next moment.
Sorry, I tend to say weird things as I get older, hope you dont mind. Im a little tired, Id like to rest now, can you close the door when you leave, Adams requested.
Sure.
Kieran had a good, deep look at the man before he nodded.
He turned around and left without any hesitation. After the door was closed, he didnt leave but stood at the entrance, waiting.
A few secondster, Inspector Gredith showed up and looked at Kieran with a weird look.
Are you the grim reaper? Gredith asked seriously.
Im not, Kieran too replied seriously.
Then can you exin what is going on? Why is death following you like your shadow? You are really like your ex-wife! Gredith purposely lowered her volume but her eyes were sharp, as if itd pierce Kierans heart.
Maybe its all a coincidence? Kieran replied.
Coincidence? Do you believe in coincidence? She asked.
No, Kieran replied firmly.
If you dont, then can you tell me why all these ominous things happen around you? Gredith couldnt help as her voice got louder.
Maybe its fate? Kieran replied.
Fate?! Gredith coldly grunted, she looked at Kieran and said, I thought I was overthinking before, but now it seems like you are much more dangerous than I thought! I hope you are not ying a role in all these, otherwise Ill get you!
Gredith then knocked on the door.
With Adams permission, Gredith entered the room.
The door shut again. McRose, who followed Gredith back here, was quiet throughout the conversation, thinking she ought to defend the inspector after this. It was then that she saw a meaningful smile on Kierans face after the door closed.
McRose felt a little bit creepy at Kierans smile, feeling like the smile shared simrities to the fangs the predators showed before a hunt in a documentary show.
Not just ferocious but spine-chilling.
Gredith doesnt mean it, shes just anxious. Just now... Come with me and youll understand.
McRose wanted to hold Kierans hand but Kieran avoided her quickly.
Lead the way, he said.
McRose ran back down the stairs and Kieran followed her back to the littleke.
A yellow police line was set up around the death scene.
An officer was standing outside the line, preventing the crowd from going near.
In fact, the crowd did not even get near, a single nce at the scene would strike fear in their heart because there were 7 bodies lined up behind the officer.
The bodies were covered in white cloths as it blocked curious gazes.
If a single body appeared in theke, it may still be exinable by saying it was an ident but 7 at once?
Murder! And not just any murder but a nned one!
If that was the case, will there be an 8th?
A serial killer was hiding in the dark, fear starting to spread in themon hearts.
Fear wasnt the gue but itd spread quicker than one.
When Kieran arrived beside theke, no matter how hard Lady Hennessy exined, some of the tenants had decided to leave.
Lady Hennessy, this is too scary! I cant sleep well here!
Yes! Yes!
I dont want to die in my sleep!
Please! Let us leave!
The scared voice sounded in session among the crowd.
One person started it and it could not be stopped.
Lady Hennessys voice was overpowered.
Just when the crowd decided to leave forcefully, the inspectors assistant shouted.
No one leaves the scene! Before the investigation is over, everyone here is a suspect!
The officers at the entrance even put their hands on their holster.
The powerful action scared the crowd back, those who caused the scene starting to retreat.
Kieran nced over the crowd. While they were being distracted by the police, he walked over to the 7 bodies in white cloths.
A quick checkter, he furrowed his brows tightly.
Chapter 1605 - Get Closer
Chapter 1605: Get Closer
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Unlike the first swollen body, the other six bodies looked like they were thrown into theke after they died and Kierans experience told him all six of the bodies had no more organs.
The ribs of the bodies were still intact but their stomachs were caved in unusually.
However, even with the unusual stomachs, one of the bodies, which did not have any shirt on him, had strong pectorals and defined abs, the arms also thicker than normal.
The man was dead but he still looked very strong and not only that particr body, the 5 other bodies showed simr features as well, all of them had signs of being trained, especially their hands!
The thumb, the index fingers, the part in between and the palm and the back of it, everything was covered in calluses.
In order to form such heavy calluses, other than using firearms for a very long period of time and practising hand-to-handbat intensively, they should be also skilled in sharp weapons, like daggers and short knives.
The thickness of calluses in between the thumb and index finger should be from at least 10 years of practise, otherwise it was impossible for it to form.
Kieran ced the hand down and opened the bodys mouth.
It was ck inside the mouth because there werent any teeth and tongue inside.
The teeth were pulled out one by one, the tongue was ripped straight out, the process looking extremely meticulous and neat.
The person behind this was obviously skilled, these men had been through pain and experienced fear.
Kieran could only imagine the suffering in their heart while their organs were ripped out from their body. It wasnt just the fear of death anymore, it was despair on a deeper level and it spread throughout their body.
Under such intense despair, it was natural that their body would twist irregrly but all 6 of the bodies looked very calm even in death, as if they had seen through all and left in peace.
This did not make any sense!
Unless...
Thoughts blooming in Kierans mind, he quietly wiped his traces and left the crowd for a secluded corner, squinting his eyes at the scene.
Seen the bodies? McRose came over and whispered to him.
Looking a little scared, it was obvious that McRose had noticed something unusual with the bodies due to her professional knowledge.
Em, Kieran nodded.
I dont know who did it but this person is even scarier than the butcher that I encountered. I cant imagine how a person can rip all the organs out by pulling the tonguedid they tie their tongues on a ne? But other than licking, its hard to tie a tongue, right? McRose said with lingering fear.
Kieran kept quiet at the question because he saw Gredith the persistent inspector walking towards him.
Do you have anything to say? she asked straightforwardly.
I am sorry for their encounters, Kieran sighed.
Did you see these men before? Gredith pulled out 6 photos.
The photos were blurry and all shot from a high angle, without a question screenshots from surveince footage.
However, no matter how blurry the photos were, Kieran could tell they were the dead men that he just saw. Judging from the surroundings, his excellent memory told him the ce the men were at was... Elm Tree Street!
The ce where his identity was staying!
This should be Elm Tree Street but I have never seen them before, Kieran said honestly.
As a matter of fact, it was the first time Kieran saw the men when he checked their dead bodies.
Really? Gredith looked at Kieran with a dubious gaze.
In her eyes, Kieran was very suspicious. Wherever he went, the case followed, and it wasnt just some small case.
Each case that happened around him involved casualties, especially this one.
Kieran had just arrived in Water and Sunshine Sanatorium and a big case never before seen since the sanatorium was built happened. Such a high casualty case was considered rare even in Moon City.
There were 7 dead! 7 bodies lying down beside theke!
Fuuu!
Gredith took a deep breath.
You know, I never liked Elm Tree Street. I always thought mingling around with people of the upper ss would be a troublesome thing but today, Ill make an exception. Theplete and closed-circuit surveince system there far surpasses the public security one and it captured what I am looking for. All those men appeared in Elm Tree Street because of you! They appeared and watched you when that psychopathic clown killer went into your house.
Gredith then pulled out more photos.
The photos still showed the six men, but from many various angles, the date and time stated clearly.
Like Gredith said, these men were the watchers that Kieran sensed earlierthe ones who were still alive.
So what? You think I killed them? I spent more of my time around you and we came across the parcel delivered to your station. I then headed to the morgue to visit my ex-wife and coincidentally ran into the fe who sent you the parcel. I know I am away from your sight for sometime during the interval but where do I find the time to kill them all? Moreover, I was with McRose all the time after that, Kieran replied with his statements.
McRose nodded repeatedly, standing for Kieran because she didnt think he would be the killer.
Although she only knew this psychologist for a mere 2 days, other than his entric attitude, cold behavior, stinginess,ck ofpassion, mysterious ways, and sharp tongue, he would not havemited murder, especially this kind of stranger.
Of course! Otherwise you wont be talking with me here! I wouldve locked you up! Gredith nodded angrily and pointed at the bodies, But saying you are unrted to the deaths? I dont buy it.
Who knows? Maybe yes, maybe no. Its like when the sunshine shined on me, I felt the warmth but I cant say I am having the warmth on my own, Kieran shook his head.
So you are saying you are innocent? Gredith asked.
His words made sense in her ears, so she assumed he must have noticed something, hence the great philosophy. Simrly, those famous detectives would also spill some famous quote when they located a key point in a case.
Of course, not all detectives had quotes of their own, that was the reason why they were not famous.
After Grediths anticipation was piqued, Kieran shook his head.
No, I am just saying. And... Its time for tea! I suppose everyone here today will be too busy to enjoy the pastries today and I dont think they should go to waste. Id like to make a suggestion to Lady Hennessy to give me all the pastries so I can bring it back.
Kieran pointed at the cart filled with pastries and fruits pushed by the cooking maiden.
You... Gredith widened her eyes out of rage.
If her gaze could kill, Kieran would have died a hundred times over.
I have my eyes on you! If I find out you are somehow ying a shady role in this, I will cuff you back myself! Gredith grunted angrily and left.
Further away, a police truck carrying divers drove closer to the sanatorium.
After 7 bodies were fished out of theke, it was natural that the wholeke would be searched for clues or even more bodies, since no one knew what the waters held.
You are taking revenge on Gredith because what she said to you earlier in my teachers room, right? McRose whispered to Kieran as she watched the diverse down from the truck.
Kieran chuckled with disdain.
Revenge? Kieran was not a person whod hold grudge, and even if he did, he would not counterattack verbally, but with his kick on her face, smashing her head to bits.
McRose was even more doubtful when she saw the disdainful expression.
She understood that Kieran wasnt bothered to do the petty things but somehow when she saw the expression on Kierans face, a voice sounded in her head, telling her do not step on his tail, or youll die a horrible death.
McRose trusted her instinct very much because she realized her instinct was different.
So...
Ill go talk to Hennessy about the pastries and fruits you asked for, she would agree, she followed what her mind told her to do.
Thanks, Kieran showed a smile and replied politely.
While McRose went over to Hennessy, Kieran turned back to the main building of the sanatorium.
He didnt think Gredith would get anymore clues in theke, what the killer wanted to show was already shown, there shouldnt be anymore surprises there.
Kieran ought to ask the killer why he spent so much effort to create the scene on his arrival.
The bodies identity, the timing of the appearance, it was all too coincidental.
Even Gredith knew something was not right, let alone Kieran, who never believed in coincidence.
He strode upstairs and went back to room 404. He knocked on it.
Knock, Knock Knock.
Come in.
A voice stronger than before gave Kieran permission toe in.
Adams, who was in his sick bed earlier, was already standing beside the window with his crutch, watching the scene at theke.
Adams lips curled up faintly, as if he was watching an interesting show.
You seem satisfied, Kieran was being straightforward.
Em. Very. Ive waited many years for this scene. Im really happy that it happened.
To Kierans surprise, Adams nodded andughed wholeheartedly.
Why? Kieran asked.
Why you ask? You and I had been through the same thing and you ask why?
Adams looked at Kieran in surprise. Realization then came to his mind and the gaze of Adams at Kieran showed an extra sense of pity that furrowed Kierans brows.
Pitiful soul, still living in the dark. Im afraid... you never knew who Mary was right?
Adams turned around to face Kieran, asking him in a very solemn manner.
Mary! His identitys ex-wife.
Kieran was utterly astonished. He wasnt shocked about Marys identity, he knew his ex-wife was someone unusual based on the words from Gredith. What truly shocked him was this Adams, McRoses teacher, was rted to his ex-wife.
The secret ughter room in the morgue!
The dismembered bodies!
The dismembered Mary!
Marys true identity, and Adams before his eyes!
Valuable clues wereid out for Kieran and they all formed a clear picture in Kierans mind but he wasnt anxious to search for the key point.
He looked at Adams, asking for confirmation, Just want to confirm, the Mary you are referring to is my ex-wife?
Do you know any other Mary than your ex-wife? If you really are so dumb, you should be dead a long time ago, even more terrible than those fes outside, Adamsughed.
Their deaths are rted to Mary? Kieran frowned.
Adams words might sound empty but it revealed something unusual.
Mary was dead but the dead Mary could decide the life and death of the living.
An evil spirit? Or a demon?
Kieran wondered.
As for wandering soul, lost soul or poltergeist?
Wandering soul and and lost soul would have a hard time facing any normal human, let alone 6 trained men; a poltergeist could have threatened one of the six but facing six at the same time was more than what it could disgest.
It could only be an evil spirit or a demon!
A humans soul transforming into a demon?
Kieran squinted his eyes.
Demon were a special existence to begin with, especially this kind that came from a humans soul without any possessive object, it would gain even more special abilities.
Coupled with the theories about Marys identity earlier, if his theory was correct...
A never before seen enemy!
Kieran lowered his head, purposely moving away from Adams gaze. His squinted eyes glinted brightly.
Adamsughed again when he saw Kieran deep in thought with his head down.
Anyone would ponder upon such things, including her husband.
We are a little rted, but before that, I hope you can hear me out, hear what I have to say about what Ive been through...
Sorry, not interested, Its a waste of my time.
Adams was going to tell his own story but was interrupted by Kieran.
You may not have the idea of what kind of world you will be revealed to from my story. It is a world that you cannot imagine, the real world that is hidden under this fake world! Its harsh and filled with treasures. Dont you want to obtain powers that normal people could only dream of? Adams exined.
He looked at Kieran with a casual expression, knowing Kieran would ept the offer.
Humans are animals with strong curiosity.
No one would reject being different from others, standing out from the mundane.
As long as he could prove the real world exists.
Although it would drain a lot of his energy, which would cause him to lie on his bed for a few days after a single usage, in order to let her husband know about that world, he must do it.
He must fight for the opportunity to enter this real world, or rather, join their side in the other world.
So Adams raised his hands over his head, shouted his lungs out, Open your eyes, witness this power that themon man can only dream of!
Gloomy cold aura started to appear around Adams.
When he felt the negative energy, Kieran smiled, he lifted his right hand and snapped his finger.
Snap!
After the snap, a ball of me appeared out of thin air.
The scorching heat coupled with the rumbling heatwave nketed the entire room, expelling the negative aura. Adams was shaken and fell to the floor, his eyes widened and jaw dropped as he stared at the zing ball in mid-air.
Kieran looked down at him, saying Powers that amon man could only dream of? You mean this?
Chapter 1606 - When Legend Meets Bronze
Chapter 1606: When Legend Meets Bronze
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Adams looked at Kieran in shock.
After a while, his shock was reced by realization. He was released from his troubled thoughts.
I see, you possessed gifts beyond the normal, that is why you could be her husband! Everyone was wrong! They thought you were weak but actually... Hehe, I guess even if she did not interfere, those people would still suffer a devastating end should they jump on you forcefully, right? Adams eximed, as though Kierans reaction had unlocked all the questions in his head.
When he mentioned his enemies, he sounded like he took heavy pleasure in their misfortunate.
Adams then looked at Kieran with a passionate gaze, as if he had seen something that he longed for very long time.
2567, you are not amoner but you are still a stranger to this world, right? Adams asked.
Kieran nodded honestly. It wasnt just the fact, it was also hard for him to conceal it.
He came into this world less than 3 days ago, everything was new to him.
He didnt just fail to understand themon world, a series of events disrupted his pace and prevented him from starting to understand the hidden world.
In simple words, if Kieran had the slightest idea of the hidden world that Adams mentioned, he wouldnt be in front of him right now.
Judging from Adams tone, his ex-wife should be some important figure in that hidden world.
I am willing to be your guide. Dont worry, Ill just guide you there, you do not have to join any organizations, sides, or bear any responsibility and duty, Adams said sincerely at the nodding Kieran. Hed even filled in the details for Kieran but it did not wipe away the doubts in Kierans mind.
A guide!
Even though it wasnt necessary to join the organizations or sides that Adams mentioned, Kieran would still bebeled together with Adams.
Sometimes, beingbeled together would be enough for disaster to strike.
As for others?
Kieran knew the saying having his hands tied.
Once the matters broke out, the uing incident would have an obvious trail leading to him.
So Kieran shook his head.
Didnt you already choose an ideal candidate? Kieran said.
If Adams was just a normal man, Kieran wouldnt think much because it seemed so normal for him being McRoses teacher.
However, Adams was from the mystical realm and choosing a pathologist with a spiritual medium trait was something worth ruminating over.
You are saying Rose? She is a good girl. Shes strong, kind, have her own bottomline but she has limited potentialIf she was tested from the boarders, no one would notice her and she could live her life peacefully but once she steps into this hidden world, danger will descend upon her. She cant save herself in the face of danger, but you, 2567, you are different!
Adams passionate gaze on Kieran grew denser.
I understand how powerful your fire was! Its the power that frightens me and if you can develop it properly, you can be in the same rank as her! I will do my best to help you! Adams said as though he was making an oath.
Kieran remained quiet.
Based on his words, the hidden mystical realm Adams spoke off shouldnt be that high in levels.
Adams should have already attained a certain position in that mystical realm with his abilities but even with that, he did not truly understand the spiritual medium traits of McRose. Instead he was captivated by a mere Powerful rank Devil me.
Kieran admitted Devil me was special but hed still rank the mentioned mystical realm as a low one.
Im used to working alone, Kieran emphasized.
Adams sighed quietly at the second rejection.
Since you are able to be her husband, I can see your strong characteristics in this. You have to be careful though, being alone is very dangerous. Even with her powers, she lost her life in the endless ambushes. Facing something powerful without a steady organization as a backbone is very hard. If you run into any problems, call me, Ill do my best to help.
Although Kieran did not agree, Adams still gave his reminder and a namecard.
Kieran nced over the phone number on the card, made sure there wasnt anything fishy before he kept it in his pocket.
Can you tell me about Mary? Kieran asked.
He needed more on her to perfect what he already had.
Of course. Since you have gifts beyond themons, you should know how powerful she was, Adams nodded and pointed at the sofa further away.
Both of them sat down and Adams began his story.
She came from amon background. When she was in high school, a car ident awoken her powers. No one knew what they were because no one witnessed powers like hers before. Her powers grew rapidly in a very short period! The first time I saw her, she was just a little girl stepping into this hidden world. She was lesser than a lot of my students but she was bold. She was bold enough to oppose the small organizations with her newly found powers and shed never back away from a fight. With each fight, she grew stronger. On our second meeting, she had far exceeded a lot of my students, quietly on par with the famous ones in the hidden world. Just when we thought she would stay quiet for a bit, she went again to the influential Night Council because of an ancient item. Everyone looked down on her when the fight broke out, but the result proved everyone wrong. She shed her way through the bramble path and destroyed the influential Night Council to bits. When everyone else reacted to the news, she had already surpassed the famous ones, Even the masters no longer had the powers to oppose her; she vanished after that. While everyone was waiting for her return and looking forward to her new heights, she got married instead! Adams face looked weird when he mentioned the marriage.
You know, when the news got out, a lot of young men who admired her suffered heavy heartbreaks, Adams winked at Kieran, showing a ridiculous expression.
So when Mary and I divorced, the young men must be so happy? Kieran asked.
Yes. They celebrated for 3 days straight with fireworks and... got beaten up like rats by her. She dered no one shall disturb your life or otherwise face hell from her. Everyone thinks you are just a weaklingmoner.
Adams couldnt hold back hisughs when he reminiscenced the scene.
However, after she was ambushed, your peaceful life was disrupted. Everyone had their eyes on her power because its too scary! We never imagined such powers existed before her and when the people raided her house without any results, they had their eyes on you. Its just that they never thought that even after she died, she would still be so powerful. They paid the price and I guess they wont knock on your door for a while, Adams eximed again.
So you kept in touch with my ex-wife? Kieran asked the concerning point.
Yes. Shed always leave me messages, Adams nodded.
Do you know where she is now? Kieran continued.
Yes, shes at...
Aaaaah! The body moved! The body moved!
Just when Adams was ready to tell Kieran Marys location, a sharp scream came from the lower floor.
Holding his crutch, Adams walked towards the window. He saw the 7 dead bodies standing up in a shaky manner and their faces looked extremely ugly.
Night Council! Adams said with gnashing teeth.
Its great to see someone still remembers us! Its been a while, Adams. Its good to see you in your half-dead state.
A dark, sinister voice came from outside the door and when it was heard, the door opened.
A middle-aged man in a robe walked in. His face was thin, with almost no flesh at all, as if he was a skeleton wrapped in skin. Plus, thatrge robe on him made him look like a walking skeleton.
Kaydi!
Adams eyes were overflowing with hate as he looked at the skeleton-like man, but the hate did not rob him of his sanity.
He instinctively stood in front of Kieran, blocking him behind as negative energy gathered in his hands. Adams also pushed Kieran backwards with his body, slowly moving towards the window.
Kaydi showed nothing but disdain at Adams action.
Adams, do you really think you are still young? I know you have the title of master but your powers are just slightly stronger than your students, am I right? Do you think I would care about these kinds of petty tricks? Or do you think you can escape? Kaydi smiled coldly, looking past Adams and locking his gaze on Kieran.
You are that womans husband? Looks normal. That woman is really something else, why the hell did she marry a normal man? Or do you have something up your sleeve? Nevertheless, this is a great news to us, Kaydis weirdughter was filled with sinister intent.
Arent you worried about retaliation from her? Adams yelled.
Retaliation? Of course I am afraid! That is why I created a diversion to distract her gaze! When I get my hands on the secret of her powers, I wont have to be afraid anymore, I will only be stronger than her! Now! Handover her things!
A scary, ferocious look hung over the skeleton-like face of Kaydi, a faint ck mist starting to appear around his body. As the ck mist formed, the temperature in the room plummeted.
The ck mist then threw itself towards Adams and Kieran.
Adams waved his own energy at the ck mist, stopping it for a while before it was quickly defeated.
Ssh!
A mouthful of blood sprayed out of Adams mouth before he wobbled and fell.
Adams showed despair as he understood how powerful the opposing ck mist was.
Even though Kieran behind him was unusual and quite powerful, he would still be falling short against someone from the Night Council, right?
Since she was distracted and unable toe back in time for the rescue...
Am I going to die here?
Adams was unwilling to submit to fate, to death. H e still had dreams to aplish!
Kaydiughed even more frenziedly when he saw the despair and unwillingness on Adams face.
Wasnt this the scene that he had been anticipating?
Since the day he was chased out from Moon City by that woman, it has been a while since he felt like this.
1 year? 2 years, or more?
Kaydi couldnt remember it clearly, but now the woman was dead!
Even though her soul has transformed into a special spiritual being and still very powerful, he was on the brink of getting his hands on her secret. Once he did that, he would be stronger than her!
He would bring the Night Council back to Moon City!
Those who talked bad about them would fear the Terror of Night again!
They would...Huh?!
While Kaydi was fantasizing about the future, he suddenly realized something wasnt right.
The womans husband was too calm, even before his special power.
Not just calm though, the nkness in his eyes was raising difort.
Kieran looked at him like looking at some toddlers in kindergarten.
You are really pissing off like she did! I thought of granting you a quick death as long as you gave me her things, but Ive changed my mind! You will wish that you were dead instead! Kaydi yelled and raised his hand.
The ck mist around him gathered and swarmed over Kieran.
Higher than Powerful but not even Extreme rank?
So this is the power of the so-called master in this world?
Seems like its weaker than expected.
Kieran analysed the ck mist objectively. With a thought, an Extreme rank Devil me burned from thin air.
Scorching heat streams swirled in the room and... that was the end.
Kaydi, together with his ck mist, was burnt to cinders by Devil me.
A green glowing item appeared on top of the ashes, but Kieran purposely turned a blind eye and helped the dull Adams up.
The fire... the fire...
Adams tried to say something but after a few stutters, he was at a loss for what to say. He ultimately showed a bitter smile.
You are already as strong as her? Adams asked Kieran.
Kieran didnt reply, looking at the exit instead.
An illusory figure was floating at the door.
It was a young beautiful girl. Even in its illusory form, it still captured eyes and Kieran was quite familiar with her.
He saw her before back in the morgue: she was the ex-wife of his identity.
Adams, can you give us some space? the figure said.
Sure!
Adams exited the room and closed the door without a second thought.
Kieran was left alone with thedy in the room. The figures gaze on Kieran looked rather agitated, hesitating for a while before asking as a test, yer?
Chapter 1607 - The Broken Io Mirror
Chapter 1607: The Broken Io Mirror
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
yer? What do you mean?
Kieran was stunned, not understanding what the question was referring to.
Arent you a yer? the figure was also stunned, her eyes overflowing with astonishment.
Mary, I have no idea what you are talking about. Did death cause some irreversible damage to your memories? Kieran asked with a worried face.
You are not?! the figure stood there nkly, at a loss for action.
Mary, I dont know what you are talking about but its great to see you.
Kieran naturally went up with open arms, trying to hug her but his arms went through the figures body.
I am a little different than before...
I know. I just wanted to make sure.
The figure exined sorrowfully but before she finished, Kieran smiled.
His estranged smile was nk. It was his usual smile at people but the smile raised an rm in the figures heart.
What did you do to me? she yelled.
She checked her body nervously but there was nothing. Yet, because of that, she became more anxious and doubtful.
The unknown causes fear.
Unknowingly, she began preparing her trump card.
Suddenly, Kieran said in a serious tone, You arent Mary! Who are you?
The question stopped the illusory figure from her little action.
He only found out that Im not Mary?
The illusory figure heaved a breath of relief. She wasnt Mary for sure, hence she already had a perfect excuse up her sleeve.
No one would doubt her current state after all.
Rx! I know there are some differences from who I used to be, but I am really Mary! she exined.
I need proof! Tell me something that only Mary and I know! Kieran frowned and looked dubious.
Like you said, my current state caused some irreversible damage to my memories, but I assure you my feelings for you havent changed! Even in this form, when Iid eyes on you, I still felt happy. Do you know, I never thought my heart would feel this hot again! the illusory figure said as she moved closer to Kieran. Her illusory hand almostnded on Kierans face but when it was a finger finger away, Devil me engulfed herpletely.
Through charging and the buffs from [Fiery Sulphur] and Fire Raven, Devil me rapidly reached rank V!
The moment the mes appeared, it took the form of a roaring devil head!
The horns of a goat were sharp and spiral, it was so tall that it almost pierced the sky.
The mouth filled with sharp teeth was burning in an unique noise as sparks of me flew out, but when the unique burning sparks entered the illusory figures ears, it became... a sneer!
A raw, merciless sneer without any intention of holding back!
Y-You lied to me!
The illusory figure finally reacted to the situation and yelled at Kieran.
She ought to activate her final trump card and die with the man before her eyes but rank V Devil me hard far surpassed her abilities.
The moment the mes appeared, they burned her charged up powers into cinders, returning her to her original forma sculpture.
The sculpture was less than 30 cm tall. It was armored, with a sword in one hand and a demons head in the other.
It was [Hell Breath]!
Unlike how Kieran remembered it, he did not see his face on the sculpture, instead bing Marys face.
Following [Hell Breath]s revtion, stone crumbling noises entered Kierans ears.
In his eyes, the 4th, 5th and 7th Mordins Sculpture that had been hiding in the void started to crumble, followed by the appearance of that white light.
When did you notice? [Hell Breath] yelled in the light.
From the moment you created...
Kieran carefully opted out the word yer.
Unlike the previous questions, Kieran would want to avoid any usage of the term rted to the big city or yers while he stated his words.
You dont believe Mary was a yer? the sculpture asked.
Kieran kept quiet. His silence was considered an acknowledgement.
Based on the sculptures questions, Kieran was certain after he ced [Hell Breath] into his backpack and went back to the big city or other dungeon worlds, it would not have been able to know anything about the outside world.
Otherwise, it would have ended up like Devil Heart, where its original conscience was wiped away by the system.
Therefore, there was only a single exnation left: Mary was indeed a yer, a yer who had been approached by [Hell Breath] that knew the existence of yers.
Starting from that point, Kieran came up with a series of interesting thoughts.
Where did [Hell Breath] originate from then?
It must be one of Mordins sculptures without a question.
So did this Mordine across any yers before?
The answer was also certain.
Mordin did not juste across real yers, it seemed like Mordin understood the yers quite well too, hence [Hell Breath] was carved into this Marys face.
Based on the natural order of how spirits came to be, [Hell Breath]s first memory shoulde from Mordin herself.
Meaning during the papal age 600 years ago, a yer came to this dungeon world and had intimate contact with Mordin, or even had a task assigned by Mordin herself, such as finding her father?
After that, Mordins wait for the yer to return was fruitless, so when she sculpted [Hell Breath], she used the yer as a model and told the sculpture about the existence of the yers.
Or...
Everything about the so-called yers were just Mordins wild guess.
As for how the guess took form?
There were many smart people in the world.
Since Mordin could sculpt something this powerful, she must have quite the power and wisdom herself.
Maybe her eyes were blinded in a short period of time, but when the duration was prolonged, she must be able to spot ws.
Kieran didnt know what kind of ws Mary left behind and allowed Mordin to lock on to the term yers, but he knew he wasnt the first yer to enter this dungeon world.
600 years ago, or even earlier than that, there were yers who arrived in this dungeon world.
However, all the mentioned yers were dead, either in this dungeon world or others.
ording to the rule of a single yer dungeon, Kieran could tell only when the previous yers were all dead, the system would allow the next to enter, with different identity and different time period.
If this theory of his was correct...
Kieran couldnt help but squint his eyes.
Some questions that were buried in his heart were finally solved.
Why were there always some vague yet existent connections, or simr legends, between different dungeon worlds?
The reason was because in different time periods, yers with unique powers entered the dungeon world and left their mark behind.
However, these yers had legal identities in the mentioned dungeon worlds.
They were all protected by the big city and perfectly fit into the time period of the selected dungeon world. Even without protection from the big city, they would have their own methods toy low, making themselves less obvious.
And this obvious became the key point of this sudden incident. [Hell Breath] went through a lot of effort, even creating an almost real virtual world, just to make Kieran stand out, to make him obvious!
Fortunately, he had never let his guard down from the moment he was teleported to this dungeon world, even when [Imperfect Mordin Sculpture] appeared.
[Hell Breath] made him believe everything in this world was rted to Mordin, [Imperfect Mordin Sculpture] was hidden in the secret ughter room in the morgue and was purposely arranged to make everything seem seamless.
However, the seamless flow did not lower Kierans guard down a bit, because it was too coincidental. Even more so when he realized this Mary might be a yer, his rm reached an all time high.
It wasnt just because he had never encountered this kind of situation before, it was also because he knew how greedy a yer could be.
As long as there were enough gains and benefits, nothing would be too atrocious or strange tomit.
Therefore, when the sculpture asked about his identity, he denied it without a second thought and used it to test the sculptures identity.
Then with his near rank II Intuition and rank V Spirit, when he touched the illusory figure, he knew something was definitely wrong.
If there was anyone in the world who knew a lot about demons or evil spirits, Kieran was definitely one of the best.
He could clearly sense that the illusory figure was different from a real demon and where did the differencee from: Mordins Sculptures!
Simrly, Kieran also knew his loot very well.
Mordin herself might forget the patterns on the sculptures but Kieran carved them into his brain, especially after he acquired the Talent [Memory Pce]. Hed remember anything with a nce and would check his memories frequently.
He knew his loot too well. The illusory figure mixed a bit of Demon Energy into the negative energy, it blended very well but in Kierans eyes, it was like a ck sheep mixed into a group of white sheep.
After making sure the hidden power from the illusory figure was from Mordins Sculpture, Kieran quickly reacted to the situation. However, he did not expose the sculpture right away, instead ying along with the acting.
The hyper realistic world that the sculpture created told Kieran there were still powers that he didnt know of hiding away from him.
Therefore, he had to deliver the lethal blow to the sculpture before the hidden power was activated, such as now!
Fuaa!
Devil me burned out of thin air again and engulfed [Hell Breath]pletely. A whileter, [Hell Breath], which Kieran stomped to pieces before, crumbled further.
Until her veryst breath, the sculpture didnt understand why Kieran wasnt curious at all, wasnt he curious about how she created this hyper realistic world?
Or, wasnt he curious about how she knew about the term yers?
He didnt even spare her a breathing window!
Kak!
The broken [Hell Breath] crumbled further, the little broken pieces disintegrating into powder before they were blown away by the wind.
The wind also brought the white light over.
Kieran was unwilling to part with the green glowing item in the room, holding back his impulse to getting the loot because he didnt know whether or not the first test was a trap.
Kieran then disappeared into the white light, but not this world.
Instead, everything in this world stopped.
A slender, fair hand came out from the void and picked up the green glowing item.
He is not?
Amid the soft mumbles, the hand was going back into the void but before it could, an invisible wave appeared around it.
The wave contained terrifying powers.
It was vast and unmeasurable.
Its light was too bright to even look at.
When the hand touched the vast power, it was badly mutted. A few twitchester, the hand fell, together with the item.
The item fell on the floor but not the broken hand.
The invisible wave enveloped the falling hand and crushed it into bits, turning it into nothing.
The invisible wave even went into the void and chased after the owner of the hand, leaving behind the fallen item on the floor.
Knock, Knock Knock!
A whileter, the door was knocked on. McRose came in shortly after that.
Teacher? 2567?
She called out to both of them but no one was inside the room anymore. She then saw the item on the floor.
Whose knife is this? 2567?
McRose never thought her teacher would possess something like this.
As for Kieran?
She wasnt sure.
She picked it up and wanted to return it to Kieran but when her fingers touched the knife, her body shook and disappeared.
...
Everything before Kierans eyes changed again, he was then returned to the street that he remembered.
Behind him was Ferris the Freezer and Odork the Bloodman, engaged in battle.
Beside him was a translucent gem the size of a peanut, emanating a dark golden glow.
[Name: Broken Io Mirror]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: ???]
[Attack: ???]
[Defense: ???]
[Attribute: ???]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: In a fateful encounter, Mordin acquired this piece of mirror from yer Mary. It was then used as the core to sculpt Hell Breathit has magical powers!]
...
The question marks on the description was enough to tell Kieran this piece of gemstone was something remarkable.
Just when he was about to pick up the gem, something happened.
Chapter 1608 - Level Up
Chapter 1608: Level Up
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Badum, Badum, Badum!
When Kieran touched [Broken Io Mirror], his heart beat rapidly.
It wasnt the rampant Devil Force, it wasnt the wicked Cardinal Sins Force and not the tenacious and matching Dawn and gue Force.
The beating was caused by Saint Thorn Force!
Saint Thorn Force was shadowed heavily by Devil Force and Cardinal Sins Force, it was the most inconspicuous and yet it was something that one should not oversee.
Whenever Kieran had to activate Saint Thorns skill, it would mean that he was in a desperate situation and he would have to rely on reflective damage to seize a breathing window.
Therefore, most of the time, Saint Thorn Force was treated as a semi-trump card.
His trump cards were the at the top of his priority, he knew what he should do with it.
Kieran felt the liveliness of Saint Thorn Force.
[Broken Io Mirror] turned into light and flowed inside his body under his watch.
Saint Thorn Force surged the moment the light was absorbed.
Simultaneously, Kieran took out the [Dark Gold Stone (Small)] and allowed Gluttony to consume it.
Bnce was what Kieran sought for all five of his Origin Forces.
Otherwise, no matter how special his Fusion Heart was or how many hearts he had, he could never bear the consequences of the Origin Forces going out of control.
In order to be prepared for what wasing, Kieran had simted the possible situations more than once in his head and what he should do to ovee it.
The sudden surge of a single Origin Force was part of the simtion also.
After all, regardless of Devil Force or Cardinal Sins Force, both were always surprising, especially the former.
The rampant, untamed, and chaotic characteristic built up the cautiousness in his ever vignt heart.
However, Kieran never thought that his countermeasures set up for Devil Force would be used on Saint Thorn Force instead.
It was good news for him though,pared to the rampant Devil Force that would seize the chance to grow, the reserved Saint Thorn Force was milder and better to deal with.
Gluttony converted the energy from Dark Gold Stone into Devil, Cardinal Sins, Dawn, and gue Force.
All four of the Origin Forces gathered around Saint Thorn Force at Kierans will.
Instantaneously, it formed a weird bnce but was broken shortly after by the ever surging Saint Thorn Force.
This kind of situation was also expected. Kieran quickly initiated his backup n,
Gluttony got out from the Cardinal Sins Force and wobbled his way to the seaside cliff.
A knight in full armor was sitting at the cliff and in front of the knight was a translucent shard, as tall as two menbined, emanating unrivaled energy.
T-This is that thing? Gluttony stuttered.
It wasnt fear or nerves that made Gluttony stutter, it was his habitual saliva swallowing.
Em. Its unexpectedly powerful and... fitting.
The knight nodded as he gazed at the giant shard, his eyes showing doubt and astonishment.
He showed doubt because there was an energy simr to his own.
He felt astonished because of how vast the energy was.
Gluttony didnt care about the knights thoughts, he was drooling at the shard.
It must be delicious!
Gluttony then jumped on the shard.
The knight did not stop him, he knew Gluttony was on his side.
In short, the knight was also part of Kieran, so he knew what he should do.
An outsider versus an ally.
Consume the outsider to buff the ally.
Allow the outsider to roam free and his ally might face destruction.
The choice was self-exnatory.
Gluttonynded a bite on the giant shard, feeling like he was eating a crispy waffle with fillings inside it. It was crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside.
Gluttony started to nibble, satisfaction filling his heart right away and making his eyes glint.
There were only a handful of food that could provide him with this kind of satisfaction and once such food appeared, it would be good.
Eagerly, Gluttony widened his mouth.
Kak!
Crunch, Crunch!
Mouth after mouth, bite after bite.
The shards filled his mouth. Gluttony had to munch a little longer, which was rare for him, before he could swallow and convert them into the 4 Origin Forces.
All the other 4 Origin Forces grew together with Saint Thorn Force.
Kieran stood on the spot and savoured the growth. He meticulously controlled the situation and dared not be careless.
The captive who Gluttony stepped on earlier, his eyes were spinning.
A repulsion?
The captive knew some secrets, looking at Kieran, who did not budge in the process, and knew what was happening. The captive showed a ferocious smile, trying to climb up andplete his mission.
An immoral act?
A cheap move?
Moral and glory never existed in the captives mind.
Those were the values that got in between him andpleting his mission and when they hindered his progress, he would discard those values in hell!
A knife appeared in his hand, trying to get close to Kieran to test the waters first, and when he realized Kieran couldnt react to anything, he jumped on him.
Ssh!
The hand holding the knife was cut off from the wrist, the palm falling down on the ground.
The captive was stunned, looking down instinctively and suddenly realizing it wasnt just his hand holding the knife that fell off, his other hand and both legs were also on the ground. The captive fell like a broken puppet.
When did this...
The captive was shocked, pain drowning him like the tide.
He ought to scream in pain but a hand sliced over his neck.
Pak!
Blood gushed out from his neck, screams reced by a spraying noise and the falling head.
St!
The head fell on the ground and rolled away into the shadow. Bloody Mary shook the blood away from its hand and did not care about the headless body.
Although he was an important captive, he tried to kill Kieran, so he deserved to die!
Bloody Mary and Kieran had signed countless contracts now, and should anything happen to Kieran, it would be the end of its ranting days.
Its life was tiresome now but at least it was better than being wiped away from existence.
As long as it could still walk, it would have a chance, right?
With that thought in mind, Bloody Mary looked at the shadows beside Kieran. It showed a happy look before disappearing.
Slicing noise came from the shadows, body after body falling to the ground and blood flowing like a river, converging into an endless stream.
The red liquid flowed along the seams on the ground, flowing closer to Kieran but before the blood touched Kieran, White Jack appeared with a water bucket and a mop. The skeleton started to mop the ground and wash away the blood around Kieran.
I am not strong but I am hard working!
As long as I work hard, my lord will understand my efforts!
White Jack worked even harder as the simple thought brewed in its skull.
Hence, a weird scene urred in the battle field: Freezer and Bloodman were engaging in a bloody fight further away, bodies kept falling out of the shadows, and a white skeleton was cleaning the blood on the ground.
The scene caused Cymide to twitch bitterly.
Even though he knew this trip wasnt apany sponsored trip, he never thought he would run into such a weird scene.
What is with that skeleton?
Some special model of house cleaning android? Or some other kind of unknown assembled being?
Promptly after that, Cymide was captured by the battle in the shadows. He was able to see through the shadow and saw Bloody Mary appearing in and out of the shadows, jumping up and down.
A moment ago, Bloody Mary was in front of its target but a momentter, it was behind and decapitated the target. Its way of battle caused Cymides scalp to feel numb, because he could see Bloody Mary but was unable to capture the movements where it appeared and disappeared.
An excellent assassin!
After thement from his heart, Cymide raised his hands up in the air without a second thought and stated his stand.
Everyone has a different stand, it represented the different choices people made.
Cymide chose to follow his heart but someone else would rather face the danger head on because they viewed this as a chance.
Harkend from Printon stepped out boldly from his hiding spot.
This super criminal who fled to Priton and settled down there had superior knowledge towards his kind. He was tall, buff, and ferocious looking, with all sorts of weird tattoos on his body.
Without a second thought, Harkend dashed towards Kieran after he came out.
The white skeleton? He did not care, he would crush the skeleton easily.
The assassin in the shadows? Someone else would hold that monster back.
As for himself, all he needed to do was to crush his target!
Gaawr!
A loud shoutter, the already tall and buff Harkend transformed into a 2.5 meters tall monster covered in muscles that surpassed human limits.
He lowered his head and tilted his body vertically, anchoring his shoulder and elbow as he entered his running stance.
Kabam!
Hisrge body created a loud air-breaking whistle as he ran.
His shoulder and elbow were as tough as a siege weapon, aiming towards Kieran.
White Jack saw the charging Harkend. It threw the mop and water bucket forward with an arching trail, and then followed that with the broom, dustpan, wiping cloth, tea pot, tea cups, chairs and cushion.
Harkend was covered by the misceneous items in an instant but they werent any use.
The items were destroyed to pieces by the powerful charging force.
The soul fire inside White Jacks eye sockets started to jump violently.
It wasnt able to stop the charging monster! It understood the fact when it saw Harkend charging at Kieran, throwing all the items were just to stall him down.
Should White Jack continue to stand in front of Kieran, it would be crushed, not metaphorically but literally.
But should it step away from Kieran, it also knew what the consequences were that it would face after this.
Distrust! White Jack would be expelled away from the fiercepetitive follower andpanion circle! It didnt want to be sidelined, it wanted to be recognized and admired, only then it could grow stronger!
After all, even if all its bones were crushed, it still had a chance to survive it.
It was a give and take situation!
Try to get the benefits from Kieran while not showing any efforts?
Impossible!
Do or die!
The soul fire in White Jacks eye sockets burned in determination.
The ck wagon was summoned in front of Kieran, White Jack hoped on it and shook the reins.
Hyak!
A loud shoutter, the wagon too charged towards Harkend like an arrow let loose.
Fool!
Harkendughed coldly, not stepping back against the wagon, instead hastening his steps.
He could crush a speeding truck to bits, let alone a fragile wagon.
The wagon and Harkend were getting closer.
There was less than a meter between them in less than a breaths time.
White Jack got a clear look at Harkends ferocious, monstrous expression, able to hear the heavy breathing and see his killer gaze.
White Jack felt scared from the bottom of its fire, but it did not regret the decision.
What use would it be to regret now?
Hyak!
It shook the reins again, the wagon traveled even faster. Even if there was a high chance that White Jack couldnt stop Harkend, it ought to create some trouble for him.
The wagon crashed onto Harkend, but there was no explosive bang. Harkend disappeared. He disappeared under many pairs of eyes!
What happened?
Cymide widened his, trying to search for Harkend.
He knew Harkend had total control of his muscles and if Harkend would go all out, he would be as tough as a cannonball that could crush a tank..
Harkend was wanted by the Union because he broke into the allegedly indestructible gold vault. He ultimately fled to Printon City andid low.
Cymide didnt know what happened to Harkend in Printon but he did not dare underestimate Harkends arrival.
Everyone ought to know what Printon City held.
Now, Harkend vanished under that many eyes.
How did that skeleton do it?
Cymide looked at White Jack driving the wagon, his face looking heavy.
He suddenly thought of White Jacks ability of simply pulling out cleaning instruments from its bones.
The ability to control space was rare and it was even rarer to encounter an Extraordinary individual that could keep such arge volume!
Coupled with that excellent assassin, what kind of deadly oues could both of them bring?
More importantly, both of them served under one man.
Instantly, Cymide increased Kierans danger level higher.
While Cymide was being cautious about Kieran, Harkend kept charging forward and did not stop despite his surroundings having be a library.
Illusion? Ill just crush it!
With the thought in mind, Harkend saw a little girl in a pink lolita dress and twintail blonde hair sobbing further away. He grinned and charged even faster.
Ill crush you! Harkend shouted.
He was fond of murdering these kinds of pure and harmless innocent people, providing him with an unusual satisfaction.
Sob sob sob, what an ugly man, sob sob sob is scared. Go away! Sob sob sob!
The little girl covered her head in one hand and waved the other hand, as though she was afraid.
Harkend was aroused when the sobbing entered his ears, the meaty cheeks of his starting to flutter.
That was until his expression froze!
The little girls hand rapidly grew into the size of a millstone in an instant and more importantly, it was darker, bigger, thicker and stronger than Harkends!
As though a typhoon blew, the gigantic palm smashed the charging Harkend
KABAM!
Harkend fought the palm more than a second before it was smashed away like a baseball.
He flew back where he came from.
He came with an intact body and left with a broken one.
He flew out from the void and crashed into a terrace before hended on a hill of rubble. He was dumbstruck.
What happened? His life was hanging on a thread and his mind was drowned by questions.
Strange energy started to flow out of Harkend after the crash. Someone or something inside the energy used Harkends body to watch Kieran, who was standing further away with his eyes closed.
Right in time, Kieran opened his eyes.
Chapter 1609 - Scared the Crap Out of You
Chapter 1609: Scared the Crap Out of You
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
His gaze was as sharp as a de and as keen as a knife.
It contained the 5 Origin Forces, Devil, Cardinal Sins, Dawn, gue, and Saint Thorn. It was so sharp that it almost tore space apart.
The gaze appeared in a sh but the strange energy that saw the gaze using Harkends body felt like disaster had befallen it.
Bam!
Harkends body exploded from inside.
Nothing was left of him, and that was the start of a series of chain reactions.
...
Under dark gray sky, a bridge with concrete stairs spiraled forward and arched across the darkness.
A man in a dark robe holding a crystal ball strolled on top.
The dark robe was gloomy and the mans hand was thin and ck.
Only the crystal ball shined in a faint light but it didnt feel bright at all. On the contrary, it made the surrounding darker than ck, as if the crystal ball was absorbing light.
Kakroom!
A thunderous roar came from the river stream under the bridge, like waves crashing on the rocks but even with such loud noises, it couldnt overpower the steady and powerful footsteps.
Kak Kak Kak!
A unique clutter sounded as a pair of metal grieves walked on top of the stairs.
An armor of ck with a face d in darkness appeared in the eyes of the man and when the man saw the ck armored knight, his footsteps paused.
Greedy, Lord Sphendix.
The man in the long, ck robe greeted the ck knight politely.
Luther is ying his little tricks again. Who is the unfortunate soul this time?
The ck knight chuckled as he looked at the crystal ball in the mans hand.
A rising Extraordinary individual in Alkender City, the man answered honestly.
Who is this new rising star?
The ck knight spent a long time exploring the Inner World, so hr asked curiously about what happened in the outside world.
An Extraordinary individual known as the Glutton Emperor, the man in the robe replied.
Emperor? This really is a fallen age, everyone seems to im the title for themselves. the ck knightughed coldly.
The man in the robe, or the servant, did not exin about Kieran. He knew his position as a servant and knew what he should do in front of the ck knight.
Exnations were unnecessary, even if Kieran possessed extreme power.
Unless he wanted to be thrown into the Ghostly Dark River.
The water in the river underneath him wasnt just cold, it was lethal. He didnt want to end up in a million pieces.
I guess Luther wont mind if I watch, right? said the ck knight before he strode away.
The servant didnt dare deny the request. He followed quietly and quickly.
Through the steps of Ghostly Dark River, both of them entered arge stone building.
The building was very high, towering under the dark gray sky like a giant sword stabbed into the earth, emanating an ominous aura.
Translucent souls wandered around the tower,
They were tortured.
They wailed, they growled, they wept, but none dared to truly get close to the ck tower.
Except for those who lost their sanity to the torturing.
Aaaaaargh!
Amid the sharp screaming, a soul flew towards the ck tower frenziedly but before it even touched the tower, the ck color on the tower came alive, gathering rapidly and coagting into a blooming cannibal nt, swallowing the soul.
The ck knight and the servant saw the scene, but werent moved. It was a norm for them.
Tell the tower guards, the tower needs more fresh souls, said the ck knight to the gatekeeper as he walked through the main gate.
Yes, Lord Sphendix, The gatekeeper bowed.
The ck knight and the servant then went further into the tower.
The narrow corridor of the ck tower intersected in aplicated way, as though the paths were awork of spider webs. Doors were lined up on both sides of every corridor.
Most of the heavy wooden doors were quiet, only some had whipping, beating and sizzling noisesing out, followed by painful screams.
The ck knight couldnt hold back hisughter at the screams.
I like this ce the best. I cant hear this kind of melody in the Inner World, theres only...
Hisughter covered thest part of his sentence before he could finish, a secret that he didnt want to share.
The servant behind him lowered his head.
Secrets piqued curiosity, and curiosity in the ck tower was lethal.
And secrets were the roots of all disasters.
One has to control his curiosity, speak less, watch less, ask less, and do more in this ce to ensure a longer survival.
After theughter faded, only the faint screams and footsteps sounded in the narrow corridor.
Seven cornerster, the ck knight and the servant walked down and eventually ended up in front of a door.
The door wasnt locked, the interior was a clear view to anyone who stood outside.
There was a round hall with many mystical runes carved on the ground.
A giant snake the size of a barrel tick was hanging on the ceiling.
It wasnt dead and it was hissing frequently.
The cold glint in the snake eyes caused the servant behind the ck knight to tremble.
My lord, the servant knelt down and raised his crystal ball over his head, greeting the snake loudly.
Sssss!
As the snake hiss filled the room, the snake widened its mouth.
A person d in slime was spat out, standing firmly on the ground. The slime around him st everywhere, reeking terribly.
The ck knight wasnt bothered, instead widening his eyes behind that ck mask of his. He was waiting.
While the ck knight waited, the giant snake on the ceiling jumped down and chomped on the servant. Unlike how a snake swallowed the prey, this particr snake knew how to chew on the food.
St!
The servant was crushed like a watermelon in the snakes mouth, his body destroyed in one bite, the blood and flesh sprayed out from the snakes mouth.
The whole floor was tainted red.
The bloody crystal ball floated in the air and flew towards the man d in slime.
His finger touched the crystal ball, transforming the blood on the crystal ball and the flesh on the ground into a pink cloud of mist.
The anticipating ck knight sucked in the bloody mist eagerly.
This is intoxicating, he praised.
If it wasnt for this single breath of Blood Flesh Essence, why would he speak to a low servant?
Certainly, the reason he came here wasnt only for that mouth of essence either, he still had other important matters to deal with.
You can leave now, the man in slime said coldly.
Luther, dont you think you are getting cold? We used to be best friends! I know Ive lied to you on some matters, but I think we can reconcile and bring our rtionship back to where it wasremember the Bone Flower I gifted you? the ck knight spoke on the spot with a little apologetic tone.
Of course I remember. I also remember the cold pain from the dagger you stabbed into my lungs. Every breath I take now pains me, so how can I forget? said the man.
I wouldnt stab you if you did not try to rip my heart out, so we are even. I found something in the Inner World, and after many thoughts, I think you are the only one who can help me, the ck knight smiled.
What did you find? asked the man in slime.
Mordins leftover, the nk knight was being frank but was replied by a coldugh from the man in slime.
Mordins leftover? Every year, someone ims theyve found something of Mordins in the Inner World, but not once did ite true. They are nothing but bad intentions.
The man in slime sounded disdainful.
I swear on the name of the Cmity that I do not lie and bear no malicious intentions. the ck knight said seriously as though he was making a vow.
It worked though, as it was very effective against the man in slime.
The man even skipped his breath and the dripping slime paused for 3 to 4 seconds.
Are you sure?
I am absolutely certain! I know I am less than you in certain parts but I am very familiar with Mordin, to the point that I know what I am looking at at first sight, it wont go wrong! the ck knight said in a firm manner.
The man in slime ultimately nodded after a heavy gaze at the ck knight.
Very well. Ill determine how familiar you are with Mordin with my own eyes, but before that, I need a favour done, said the man.
The rising star in Alkender? Dont mind if I watch it? Its been a while since I saw thest descendant in action, the ck knightughed.
No answer came from the man, but a low chanting.
The ck knights findings in the Inner World exchanged for generosity from the man in slime.
The man did not mind an audience, or any other prying gaze. His power was not something others could learn with a few viewings.
Despite that, the ck knight widened his eyes behind his mask, remembering every single gesture and incantation from the man.
Most of the mans power originated from his bloodline but the ck knight was more concerned about something else.
As for the blurry image in the crystal ball? The ck knight did not care, he knew whosoever was marked as a target would die a restless death.
Ssss!
The giant snake hanging in the ceiling hissed and swam away.
If its skin wasnt pulled by the ceiling, it really looked like it glided on the ceiling.
Harkend!
Harkend!
The man in slime yelled, the blurry image in the crystal ball turned clear. It showed a sky, the sky of Alkender, and then a second scream came.
Following the second scream, the image in the crystal ball shifted rapidly, eventuallynding on a ck figure.
Hehehe, found you! High tier Devil Descendant! One of my most anticipated materialsI wonder how dense is the sulphur in your heart? Sinisterughter came from the man.
He reached out his slimey hand and pointed at the ck figure inside the crystal ball.
Buzz!
An invisible wave spread and gushed into the crystal ball in a unique movement.
While that was happening, the ck figure in the crystal ball opened his eyes.
The gaze containing Devil, Cardinal Sins, Dawn, gue, and Saint Thorn became clear in the crystal ball, the invisible wave stopping a bit before it was sted to bits by the shockwave.
Crak!
The crystal ball exploded, and the remaining shockwave was sted towards the man.
No!
He ought to dodge it, but he failed to.
He controlled the disgusting slime into a shield, attempting to block the shockwave.
The zing and the wicked took the charge, destroying the slimey shield easily.
gue flew over like a swarm of locusts, corroding that gloomy gleam.
Pak!
A clear noiseter, the gloomy gleam was shattered.
The de named Saint Thorn shed over the mans body.
Pak!
The slime was sted off, revealing a scrawny body underneath. The man looked down at the line at his abdomen before faltering back.
St!
The man was split in half after he fell.
The mutated organs disintegrated and reeked terribly.
The giant snake swimming on the ceiling exploded the moment the mans organ spilled out.
Kaboom!
The blood and flesh tainted the whole round hall red.
The ck knight was already out of the hall when the man in slime screamed No, looking at everything before his eyes in shock.
Even with the mask, he barely covered the shock on his face, never thinking this could happen.
Damn it! My n! the ck knight growled heavily in a rough voice.
If he had the power, he would slice the ck figure in the crystal ball into a million pieces, but...whenever he thought about the terrifying gaze, his body trembled.
Thankfully, I am at Printon! the ck knight was utmost grateful, but at the very next moment, a spine-chilling coldness rose to his head.
The ck knight looked around in panic, yet did not see anything.
Fear piled up further, knowing his instincts wouldnt let him down.
Without a second thought, the ck knight wanted to return to the Inner World, hence he dashed towards the entrance.
The ck figure woulde to Printon!
Printon is no longer safe! I must run! Run away from here!
The ck knight was terrified, running even faster.
Everyone in the ck tower saw how scared the running ck knight was, as though he was being chased by something scary.
No one asked what was wrong though, because this was the ck tower!
No, more precisely, this was Printons rule!
Even though others knew what happened, it would be best for them to mind their own business.
More so, even if questions were asked, the ck knight wouldnt say anything.
He had to find someone to help him fend off the terrifying Glutton Emperor!
Chapter 1610 - The Shame of the Senate
Chapter 1610: The Shame of the Senate
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Harkends body exploded, the broken pieces flying everywhere.
The strange energy inside also quickly dispersed.
Kieran frowned. He clearly sensed a strange power that did not belong to Harkend appear in the body, he even saw two people through the strange power: one was d in slime and the other wore a suit of ck armor.
Other than the two mentioned, there was also a giant snake above them.
He also caught the words in their conversation.
Printon? ck Tower?
Recalling the scene that he saw, Kieran squinted his eyes.
He was already cautious against Printon City and now he identally saw what there was, he knew what he should do against it.
Snap!
Kieran snapped his finger, summoning Bloody Mary from the shadows in a sh.
Bossl, Bloody Mary bowed.
I need you to go to Printon, to take whats mine, said Kieran.
It wasnt a lie, the man in slime was unquestionably dead, his loot lingering on the body, split in half. Kieran was certain as hisst glimpse of the ce showed him that.
I understand boss.
Bloody Mary knew what its boss wanted, nodding and vanishing from the spot.
Cymide, who raised his hands up in the air beside them, pretended to not hear or see the little scene, but his heart was beating like battledrums.
Printon!
He is going to Printon to im whats his? So is Glutton Emperor rted to Printon? If its that bloody ce...
Gasp!
Could it be...
Guess after guess popped up uncontrobly in Cymides head.
When he caught Kierans gaze on him, the investigator from the Unions Senate showed a humble smile.
Good day, Sir 2567. I am Investigator Cymide. I came forth because of some happenings in Alkender. But after some investigation, I realized everything was a big misunderstanding! With you here, the city will prosper.
Cymide stood in front of the broken walls and the ground filled the bullet shells, talking bullsh*t in a serious tone.
How did he make it sound so natural though?
It was simple, he believed what he said.
It may take a hard time getting used to at first, but skillse with practice.
Besides, it granted him something good too: a longer life.
As a front line investigator in his current ranks, Cymide was a special one because he had never been hurt in the past three years.
Cymide believed that he could keep the record going until he retired.
He would never be reckless and wouldnt do anything outside of his league because he followed his heart to live a safe life.
It was great for him!
Sir, I still need to ask you a couple of questions. Dont worry, justpleting some minor details.
Cymide continued talking while Kieran looked further away.
Cymide noticed Kierans reaction and he too looked towards the direction.
Drexton!
When he saw that tall, straight body and the face that matched his memories, Cymide knew who the man was.
Actually, Cymide had never met Drexton before in person, only in pictures.
Compared to the unusual rise of Kieran, the Union had more detailed information on Drexton.
A very powerful person!
It was mentioned repeatedly in the documents back in the Union office.
As long as Drexton had his feet on the ground, he would possess power that could rival ten thousand.
Cymide smiled even more humbly when he remembered the footage showed Drexton tossing a tank like a ball.
Just like he could not afford to step on the Glutton Emperor, the same went for the Fist of Justice.
Drexton had to hop his way to Kieran.
The powerful impact left cracks on the asphalt road. The cracks were so deep that one could bury their legs inside and Drexton was able to hop his way around the impossibly painful and sluggish road.
Are you okay, 2567?
Drexton arrived in front of Kieran, taking a few more steps and asking in a worried look.
Better than I expected, Kieran replied with a smile.
He was always kind towards a friend.
Drexton heaved a breath of relief when he saw Kierans smile.
He had been anxious and nervous when he heard the news from Willis. He didnt want anything to happen to Kieran, regardless of private means or public ones.
In private, he and Kieran were friends, so it was natural to wish a friend well.
In public, his friend had be the symbol of the city, like him, and stood firm like a monolith against crimes.
From a stricter angle, Kieran was already indispensable.
A powerful superhero protecting a city or two powerful superheroes protecting a city, which one would sound better, able to calm hearts?
Thetter without a question!
There were originally two powerful superheroes protecting the city but Wine Barrel spent most of his time in Alkender Charity Hospital, living his life day by day, never caring about any other matters, unless some idiot dared tounch an attack against Alkender Charity Hospital.
Almost everyone knew it, so those super criminals were smart enough to keep Alkender Charity Hospital out of their sight.
It caused a major headache to Drexton, but it wasnt as troubling as when his persuasion of Wine Barrel did not work!
Fortunately, Kieran came and filled in the void in an unexpected way.
Therefore, Drexton was overjoyed by Kierans arrival.
If it wasnt for the concern the budget running low, Drexton would have ordered a buffet to celebrate.
Relieved, Drexton turned to Cymide.
Sir Drexton, good day. I am Cymide, its a pleasure to meet you, Cymide bowed as he greeted Drexton.
Cymide? Drextons face looked weird when the name was heard.
He heard the name before since he had quite the rtionship with the mayor and the name was mentioned more than one.
The Shame of the Senate!
The title left quite an impression!
The man wasnt just a coward, he liked to enjoy pleasure and disliked working. If it wasnt for his clean background , he would have been thrown into jail.
Nevertheless, everyone from the senate hated him.
After all, getting too close to the garbage would risk getting smelly, and no one wanted to reek terribly.
You are alone? Drexton asked, knowing what kind of character Cymide was.
I came here as an aid, but my colleague died at the hands of the Broken Fire Council. Ill report it back honestly to everyone in the senate, Cymide said seriously.
Cymide saw Bloody Mary slice his colleague in half but he turned a blind eye and even altered the memory in his mind: Broken Fire Council killed his colleague.
Despite hating his arrogant colleague who treated life like dirt, his memory would never lie, would it?
Broken Fire Council?! Drexton frowned when the name was heard.
It seemed like he knew the organization too and because of that he knew how troublesome they were.
An organization that imed to originate from the papal era, although their origin was never verified. Many sources verified that the organization had demons inside for a great time.
What about his friend?
Drexton subconsciously thought of the Devil bloodline in his friend.
Demon and Devil were deemed as wicked existences, war waging on since the Sulphur River flowed.
They were arch nemesis!
None would rest until the other was eliminated! Including themselves and their blood descendants.
2567, leave this to me. The Broken Fire Council may be powerful but...
Ill solve it myself. You can help me once but not forever. Besides, you love the city, are you going to drag the city down as well? Kieran pointed around him.
The outskirt was in a dested state and if the battlefield would have move to the city center, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Right away, Drexton knew what Kieran meant, but he did not give up.
Ill provide help in other ways then, Drexton said.
Meanwhile on the other side, Cymide covered his forehead and shook it.
He didnt know anything about the Broken Fire Council! He didnt know, he didnt know!
He never knew and would not know!
He turned a deaf ear at the conversation and started to mutter, Whats going on? My ear started to ring? I cant hear anything!
Kieran didnt even care about the mumbling clown and walked towards his ride. Ferris the Freezer was driving, while Bloodman Odork came down and opened the door for Kieran.
Both of them ended their battle. Although injured, it wasnt that serious, especially Bloodman!
Because of his special ability, the injuries were barely visible.
Kieran sat in the back seat and Bloodman carefully closed the door.
Odork then stood straight, grinning at Cymide and together with his ferocious look, it made the Union investigator tremble.
Odork then pointed at the surroundings with his right finger. He knew there were more than one pair of eyes at them, and it was what he wanted.
He retracted his right hand, and ced his thumb over his neck.
Everyone in the shadows watching him saw the provocative gesture.
Anger and unwillingness erupted, followed by gushing insults but none dared to move.
Warm bodies scattered over the area.
Nothing was more terrorizing than death! And on top of that, these dead men werent strangers to them!
The prying gaze watched the vehicle drive away until it went out of sight before they left their cover.
Drexton looked around and chuckled disdainfully.
Those who came and hoped to get something without risking their lives were not qualified as enemies!
Cymide, on the other hand, cried and looked sad.
Sir Drexton, does Sir 2567 have anything against me or any kind of misunderstanding? Cymide asked.
Misunderstanding? Drexton looked at the man, confused.
Otherwise, why would his man grin at me like that? I felt heavy killer intentions. It sent chills down my spine, Cymide was horrified.
Odork is like that most of the time. He may look less friendly but hes a good guy, Drexton exined.
Good guy? Cymide was stunned, looking at Drexton nkly.
If he wasnt a coward, he would have held Drexton by the cor, asking him whether he misunderstood the word good guy or not!
How could a person with heavy killing intentions be a good guy?
Stop joking!
If that was a good guy, a coward like him would be considered a warrior!
Criticizing the reply in his heart did not affect Cymides agreement though.
I guess you are right, a lot of people look bad but they have a kind heart.
Cymide nodded repeatedly. He was afraid that his inner thoughts might spill, so he voiced his intent to leave, Its a pleasure to finally meet you Sir Drexton, but I still have some matters to attend to, so...
Please! Drexton raised his hand first, he didnt want the investigator to stay, not just because of the notorious title but Drexton himself had something else to do.
Willis, Willis, can you hear me? Drexton asked at the air.
A momentter, Willis voice entered Drextons ear.
Heard you, saw everything, the cleaning will arrive shortly after.
After the reply from the Eye, Drexton nodded and left the outskirts.
He promised his friend to provide him in other ways, so hed want to keep his promise.
After Drexton left, a red figure flew over the sky, and because of the bright sun, no one except for Kieran saw it. Kieran had shared vision with Fire Raven, so he could see anything in the birds view. He curled up his lips into a cold grin.
An enemy is an enemy, no matter how small.
Sparing the enemy was never an option in Kierans dictionary.
Neglecting the enemy temporarily was to find out whether or not there were more concerning enemies behind them.
It required a process and he had to be prepared.
In the meantime, Kieran did not waste any time, taking a deep breath.
Dong Dong Dong!
He felt the vigorous beating in his chest and each beat sounded like a war drum.
Astonishment shed over his eyes uncontrobly.
Chapter 1611 - Secret
Chapter 1611: Secret
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
There were only a handful of things that could astonish Kieran, and what Kieran saw right now was definitely not included.
Lines of words piled up in his vision.
[Absorbedrge special energy!]
[Constitution, Spirit, Origin Forces authentication exempted!]
[Name: Fusion Heart III]
[Type: Organ]
[Rarity: Above III]
[Attributes: 1. Transform Devil III, 2. Desire Summon III , 3. Saint Thorns III ]
[Effects: 1. Fiery Sulphur III, 2. Eye of Evil III, 3. Body of Evil III, 4. Touch of the Cardinal Sins III]
[Prerequisite: Kieran (Host)]
[Remark: This is a fusion organ between the heart of a human, the heart of a demon lord, and the core of the Creature of Desire. With the energy from the Devourer, it has evolved once again and be a unique existence. It has truly fused with you, and of course, it isnt at its limit yet!]
......
[Transform Devil III: Your heart granted you the power. When activated, you will take the form of the demon lord, 4 minute duration, 1 time per day]
[Desire Summon III: Your heart granted you the control. When activated, you can summon the Creature of Desire, 4 minute duration, 2 times per day]
[Saint Thorn III: If you did not choose to activate Transform Devil III or Desire Summon III, you will resist 70% of the damage whening across holy energy. When you receive damage (regardless of holy damage) of Average, Strong, Powerful, Extreme, I, II, or III level, you can activate a Halo of Thorns with a different level to reflect the damage you receive by 10%, 15%, 30%, 50%, 65%, 70% (Including III and above) respectively. You will also be healed with Light, Medium, Heavy, and Lethal wounded states respectively. When you choose to activate Transform Devil III or Desire Summon III, Saint Thorn will not go off, but its effect will be halved 45%]
.......
[Fiery Sulphur III: Burning mes will follow the lineage of the devil-like shadow. When casting Fire element spells, +1 elemental damage and extra Sulphuric Poison III will be added on the spell (Any target that gets burned will have to go through a Constitution authentication with the caster. If failed, target will suffer Advance Rank damage every second,sting 5 seconds). The requirements such as the gesture and incantation materials for the Fire element spells are decreased by 80%. Even if the skill failed to cast, you will only suffer a 1/6 of the magic repulsion]
[Eye of Evil III: The conviction of Desire was rooted deep inside your heart. Summon Evil Eye (Secondary Eye level. You can determine the size at will; the smallest is the size of a human eye, the biggest is norger than the size of Creature of Desire) formed by the conviction of Desire to fight for you. Duration depends on the size of the Evil Eye; the smalleststs 24 hours, the biggest for 10 minutes, 3 per day (When 2 Evil Eyes are summoned, you will gain a special sight that can prate through supernatural darkness and invisible force fields).]
[Body of Evil III: Thebination of the devil and desire, chaos and sins, but with a dash of light. Granted 600 extra HP, Stamina, acquired Advance Tensile Skin (absorb Advance Rank damage or below), High Devil Skin (absorb Advance Rank damage or below, extra defense points against Fire and Explosions). When facing against Holy element attacks, you will receive 115% damage and special counter items will deal extra damage to you (included but not limited to blessed objects, holy objects, etc.)]
[Touch of Cardinal Sins: The Cardinal Sins of desire flowed in your blood. At will, you can summon Pride, Sloth, or Gluttony to help. When either Pride or Sloth is summoned, Lust, Wrath, Envy and Greed will provide you total control over them and gain certain buffs. When Gluttony is summoned, +2 Terror to Lust, Wrath, Envy and Greed, able to force them to do things out of their will]
[Note: When target is in panic, chaos, fear or has an extreme desire for something, they will be devoured by the respective embodiment of sins. (No drops!)]
...
[Fusion Heart] didnt level up but all the attributes received difference enhancement and what caught Kierans attention was the increased duration for [Transform Devil] and [Desire Summon], even [Saint Thorn] acquired more percentage in reflective damage.
Although [Fiery Sulphur] did not increase, [Sulphur Poison]s duration increased, and the casting gestures, required material, and repulsion for fire rted spells decreased further. Same went for the other attribute and effects, [Evil Eye], [Body of Evil] and [Touch of Cardinal Sins] included.
If that was all, it wouldnt have caught Kierans eyes, of course, let alone cause such astonishment.
What shocked him was the following words.
[Absorbed, convertedrge amount of energy, Dawn Sword V Dawn Sword V+]
[Dawn Sword V+: When you can truly utilize the Dawn Force, it means that you are truly a Knight of Dawn, despite the way you utilize it being one-of-a-kind. Charge Dawn Force for 2 seconds and consume half of your Stamina to fire out a 65-meter rank IV+ attack light sword; cooldown: none]
...
[Absorbed, convertedrge amount of energy, gue Arrow V gue Arrow V+]
[gue Arrow V+: After the body tempering art reaches Transcendence, you are officially a gue Knight. Youve also mastered the unique attacks of a gue Knight. Spend 1.0 hours to create a gue Arrow that can fire without a bow or crossbow at the target no further than 1200 meters. Inflicts 1 rank III+ and above pration damage and has rank III+ of gue infection (Even if the pration damage didnt ur, the gue will spread). You can store the arrows, at most 4 arrows at once]
...
[Dawn Sword] and [gue Arrow] received enhancement as well!
This was what truly shocked Kieran!
An all-rounded power for all Origin Forces!
At first, Kieran thought that since the broken piece of mirror matched [Saint Thorn]s energy, it would be the enhancement for [Saint Thorn], but it turned out to be all-rounded!
An unexpected gain!
Io Mirror, eh? Kieran muttered the term in a muffled voice.
Despite all increments not being qualitative, what Kieran acquired was the broken Io Mirror piece in the size of a peanut.
What if it was a bigger piece of mirror or an intact one?
Dong Dong Dong!
Uncontrobly, Kierans heartbeat turned fierce.
Greed was one of the cardinal sins, especially for a stingy man like Kieran. It was impossible for Kieran to stay calm before such a huge gain, but he had learned to control it.
Huu Huu!
A few deep breathster, Kieran suppressed the impulse for greed, knowing what he should do at the moment.
It was true that Io Mirror moved his heart, but it was also true that he would face death if he left Alkender City and something happened.
His main mission did not change: fend off those super criminals in 12 weeks time.
Of course, he could still somehow change it, should he trigger some key point events, but until now, Kieran hadnt found any. He did have some ideas though.
Sitting in the backseat, Kieran was in deep thought.
Ferris drove the car steadily, ensuring a smooth cruising experience; Odork took out a reserved blood pack and sucked on it like jelly. He spent money on the blood because he learned how to save the unnecessary trouble after he became Kierans follower, likewise Ferris.
Due to his personality, Ferris was much more vignt than Odork.
Therefore, when he spotted a person up ahead, he stopped the car and gathered the freezing air around his hand, despite the person not being a stranger.
Selina, in a long white dress and with a newly purchased bag, strode towards the vehicle. Thisdy, who was secretly Kat Lady, showed unhappiness and helplessness all over her face, seeming a little forced.
The closer she got to the vehicle, the more obvious her look.
In fact, after that rainy day, Selina swore to never see Kieran again.
She wasnt just vexed, but she also realized nothing good ever came out of the meetings with Kieran.
In short, he was the very definition of bad luck in her dictionary.
Whenever she thought about running home soaking wet that day, she naturally put Kieran on the top of her cklist.
However, some things were not changeable by simple thoughts; at least, she couldnt reject Drextons request.
It wasnt just because of how good Drexton was to her, but also because she owed a lot to him. She was probably countless times in his debt.
Drexton asked me toe over. Its about the Broken Fire Council. Selina stated the purpose of her arrival from outside the window.
Em. Kieran nodded and granted her permission toe into the car.
Hesitating, Selina opened the door.
If she had a choice, she would rather not sit in the same car as him, but it wasnt appropriate to discuss the matters about the Broken Fire Council on the road, either.
I...
Lets wait till we get back to 17th Randletine, Kieran interrupted Selina.
Compared to the moving car, Kieran trusted the house more because of itsyered defense.
Selina nced over at Kieran and kept quiet.
She dared not oppose him because she was scared she would get beaten. She knew who she was sitting beside.
Cold, cruel and merciless.
A man like Kieran could only be considered as a friend by the kind Drexton, while others would avoid him like the gue.
Selina adjusted her sitting posture and tried to keep a distance between herself and Kieran.
Her eyes peaked at Kieran every once in a while and her back was arched, seemingly ready to jump out the car should anything go wrong.
Kieran sensed the caution from Selina but wasnt bothered.
Talking sense to a woman plus cat was a ridiculous joke. He might as well try to wash a charcoal white.
Squinting his eyes, Kieran continued to ponder upon the current situation and to perfect his n.
Since Kieran kept quiet, so did Ferris and Odork.
The silence in the car caused more difort in Selina. She was the first to jump out when they finally returned to 17th Randletine Street.
Before she reached the door, it already opened.
A thin young man with sses walked out. He turned a blind eye toward Selina and walked to the vehicle.
My lord.
Goran bowed to Kieran after Odork opened the door for him.
Selina pouted beside the entrance.
Hmph! Ignorant humans!
She coldly grunted and started to go into the house, but when she took the first step inside, an electric current ran through her body.
MEOW!
A painful meowter, Selina was sent flying backwards, but it wasnt the end.
While in the air, Selina saw a pipe extending out of the brick wall. The pipe was only as thick as a pinky, but it struck unrivaled danger in her heart.
Selina endured the pain, did a flip in mid-air, and jumped forward.
Ssss!
The moment she jumped, yellow liquid with gas sprayed out of the pipe, and when it touched the ground, it corroded the stone.
Hydrofluoric acid!
Selinas heart skipped a beat before she red at Kieran angrily.
Even if her body was special, getting sprayed by hydrofluoric acid would still heavily damage her and even cause death.
Kieran did not care, and Goran instead spoke with an apologetic tone. Im sorry, because you have multiple thieving records in the past, I set you as one of the least wee guests. Ill adjust the permission right away. Dont worry, this will be the only time.
After the sincere exnation, Goran waved his hand.
Okay, now you can enter 17th Randletine Street freely. You still need to knock and get permission; otherwise, you wont want to know what you will face and its something we dont wish to see, Goran replied with a smile.
In Selinas eyes, that smile was threatening.
He did it on purpose! It must be!
Selina was pissed!
Of course, I did it on purpose! Do you think you could get away after talking badly to my lord? How naive!
Gorans smile remained as he pushed his sses up a bit and followed Kieran into the house.
After parking the car, Ferris and Odork went in, too.
The door wasnt closed, but Selina was reluctant to go in. Still, she had to.
When she crossed the door, she felt her chest tightening. It reminded her of her youth when she was dumped into a box on the street; she was helpless, weak and too young to suffer.
Those bastards!
She cursed in her heart and strengthened her thoughts of never seeing Kieran again after this.
She took a deep breath to regte her thoughts. She prepared to spill everything out in a breath to quickly leave the ce.
But...
The aroma of fish and roast chicken entered her nose! Plus grilled meat and butter jelly!
The mix of the delicious aromas stunned her.
Standing on the spot, she saw Kieran sitting down on the dining table while Ferris and Odork served the prepared food skillfully. There were a few chairs around the table, and after calcting the people in the house, Selina was given a seat at the table.
Im invited?
No!
This must be a trap! It must be!
Selina stood there with utmost caution.
Selina,e quick, lunch is starting soon. Emma Eddie waved her hand at Selina.
Emma Eddie was told there would be an extra guest for lunch, so she prepared an extra set of cutlery.
Selina hesitated for a while, but the aroma of the food pulled her over. She walked towards the dining table uncontrobly.
Ferris prepared the food this morning. Every single dish was stewed for a long time since it would match their time going out for business, Emma Eddie exined to Selina with a smile after she sat down beside her.
Meow cannot be bought by a single meal! Im a strong and steady... This is delicious!
Selina spoke to Kieran in her usual arrogant manner, but after she took a bite of the grilled meat, her eyes were concentrated on the food instead of Kieran.
Ferriss cooking was surely iparable to Starbecks, but considering that he wasnt a professional cook, it was good enough.
And when Ferris noticed that Kieran was unusually fond of eating, he cooked with all his heart and rapidly increased his cooking skills until they were good enough to satisfy Kieran.
Food that could satisfy Kieran were delicacies for the average people, including Selina.
She scooped up a spoon of steaming fish, blew on it a few times, and shoved it into her mouth before it truly cooled down.
Hot! Hot! Hot! Its hot!
Selina stuck her tongue out, reacting exactly like a cat that identally ate some hot food.
The only difference was that she scooped up another spoon of fish and repeated the same thing again.
Lunch started with Selina saying hot and it continued until the end.
After lunch, Emma Eddie helped Ferris clean up and Odork went to patrol around the area. Kieran epted tea from Goran and looked at Selina, who wasying down on the sofa after a full meal.
Selina the Kat Lady didnt care about her image at all. She stretched her limbs on the sunn sofa and squinted her eyes in satisfaction. Snores came out of her mouth.
Even though she caught Kierans gaze, she didnt want to get up but continued lying downfortably.
Kieran didnt mind. He took a sip of his tea and said, You had contact with the Broken Fire Council?
Yeap! Meow was in the mercenary line before this. As a frencer, I epted their missions, but they were very poor in keeping promises. They even tried to turn on me, so meow left before they could. Nevertheless, meow found out one of their secrets, Selina answered under the warm sun and a full belly.
Secret?
Kieran squinted his eyes as his interest was piqued.
Chapter 1612 - From The Sky
Chapter 1612: From The Sky
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Selina was frank at Kierans question, switching to a position on the sofa before answering.
Yes, secret meow! They admired Mordin! And I suspect the core of the Broke Fire Council is a cult for worshipping Mordin!
Mordin? Kieran squinted his gleaming eyes.
From the very first moment he stepped into this world, Mordins name had entered his sight and had then meticulously been woven through his adventures.
After Io Mirrors pieces appeared, Mordin had acquired a special ce in Kierans heart.
Mordin might possess multiple Io Mirrors or something simr since the broken pieces came from her
Nevertheless, Mordin being rted to Broken Fire Council shocked Kieran.
Based on Kierans limited contact with the organization, it should be a mix of demon descendants and half-bloods.
What role did Mordin y in this?
The majority of the Mordin Sculptures that Kieran had contained the demons energy but it felt more like a seal and a vessel for the energy, especially [Hell Breath], thest sculpture of Mordin, which boldly pronounced its intention of eradicating demons.
If a master sculptor like Mordin had been hated by the demons to the core, it wouldnt have been surprising for Kieran and yet the situation turned outpletely different: Mordin was worshipped by the demons!
It was astonishing.
What secrets does it hold?
Kieran was pondering upon the topic.
Selina, who was lying down on the sofa, obviously sensed Kierans shock.
Surprised, eh? When meow got my paws on this news, it shocked meow too! Mordin must have some big secret with her meow! Meow wants to know what the secret is!
Selina behaved like a real cat, overflowing with curiosity.
When the mysterious Mordin was mentioned, she even scratched the back of the sofa with her hands.
What else do you know about Broken Fire Council? Kieran continued to ask.
The bastards from Broken Fire Council are a bunch of hypocritical, cunning assholes. If you deal with them, never believe what they say. They are very good at stabbing people in the back. They say they are working together with you on the bright side but secretly sell you out to your enemies and reap bigger benefits from the trade. Meow almost fell into the stinking trapst time! Selina warned Kieran seriously.
What else? Kieran asked.
Nothing else, meow knows this much.
Selina pushed her back against the sofa back, replying in azy tone.
Em, thank you, Kieran nodded and headed to the study room.
Selina curiously saw him off.
Thank you? Did this guy just thank me?
After being thrown out by Kieran and drenched wet by the rain, Selinas view of Kieran was stuck at cold and heartless, not a gentleman, but now she was getting thanked?
Selina couldnt react to the situation properly.
What a weird fe, Selina whispered on the sofa.
A big yawnter, she shut her eyes and long purrs sounded shortly after that.
Everyone in the house saw Selina fall asleep on the sofa but without Kierans permission or the intention to shoo her out, everyone else minded their own business and did not wake her up.
Ferris took Odorks ce in patrol.
Emma Eddie returned to her room and trained quietly in her own way.
Goran headed to the end of the corridor.
The end of the corridor was originally a storeroom where Ferris ced all the electrical appliances but after Goran joined the group, the storeroom expanded rapidlyit absorbed the second storeroom to install more electrical equipment. Since Kieran had acquired the stash of gold from Mr.Ghost, the bulk purchase of the equipment was nothing for him but was a direct surge in power for Goran.
Gorans ability allowed him to send his willpower through the inte, so the equipment that he used mostly determined how much power he could exert.
Now, where are the little rats?
Muttering, Goran ced his hand on the server and a special wave started to spread.
The waves were weak but Kieran sensed them nevertheless.
Kieran paid slight attention to the transmitting waves to make sure Goran didnt run into problems, then moved his attention to Old Book Canbenor.
The consecutive reading went on for days and yet the Old Book wasnt exhausted at all. Quite the contrary, because of his special traits, the Old Book looked more energetic than ever.
The books he hadnt read were getting less and less, Kieran was certain Old Book would finish all the books before dark based on how fast he flipped those pages.
As a matter of fact, half an hourter, the reading had alreadye to an end.
My lord.
Old Book bowed at Kieran after he exited his concentrated reading state.
How is it? Kieran asked and then waved his hand.
I found something but I need time to simte it, the fastest I can get it done is by tomorrow morning, said the old Book.
Go ahead, Kieran smiled and nodded.
All the simtion required was a night, faster than what Kieran had expected.
Under Kierans watch, Old Book closed his eyes and mutters started toe from his mouth, his hands drawing in the air, like a musical conductor.
Kieran saw something else from the Old Books movements though.
Retrieve andbine.
As if the process was a chef curing meat, salt, sugar, and pepper were taken out from the spice boxes in the kitchen and then sprinkled on the meat with the correct ratio.
Kieran showed more anticipation for Old Books simtion.
He quietly stood up and left without disturbing the process, likewise for the others too.
Kieran still had his own unfinished matters to attend to.
...
Dale brought a group of his men with him and ran towards the secret location where the car was hidden. Everyone got on without making a noise and when the car drove away from the outskirts, everyone finally heaved a breath of relief.
Thats the Glutton Emperor? What a scary person!
Broken Fire Council, the investigator from Union Senate, and even the criminals from Printon couldnt do anything to him! One of the men started speaking in the car.
Yeah! Why are we in this anyway? Damn it! I dont want to set foot in Alkender anymore! another man said.
Although it sounded depressing, it received acknowledgement from the others.
Dale looked at his demoralized man with furrowed brows.
He knew he must do something, otherwise this group he spent so much effort in getting together would break apart and it wasnt something he wished to see.
Despite being frightened to the core, Dale chose to speak.
Dont worry, things arent as bad as you think! Broken Fire Council and Printon City will not just sit back, since their men were killed, and they are much stronger than you think! said Dale while driving the car.
The words slightly calmed everyone.
A whileter, someone else spoke, Is anyone in Broken Fire Council or Printon City capable of killing with a single nce?
The question shook everyone, because they had witnessed Harkend from Printon get torn to pieces by a single nce.
A terrifying one!
Dale trembled as his mind reyed the scene over and over again.
As a mercenary, he saw a lot of Extraordinary individuals, and he was one of them, but... killing with a single nce never crossed his mind! It was too absurd!
Nevertheless, Dale had to act strong in this particr moment.
I dont know about Broken Fire Council since they are so mysterious but I know how powerful the folks of Printon can be! Harkend may be well-known outside butpared to the 13 Cmity of Printon, he was nothing! Especially Luther and Sphendix, those two are the epitome was fear! Luther kills without being seen and Sphendix wears a suit of ck armor, invincible to attacks and possessing inhuman strength! If they woulde forth, Glutton Emperor may not be a match!
From sounding forced at first to the build up confidence, it was a few sentences apart.
The thought of how powerful those two could be released Dale from the fear that Kieran used.
Through the back mirror, Dale saw his men were still shocked, so he made up his mind.
Didnt you guys ask about our employer? Ill let you guys know that our employer is from Printon, said Dale.
Is it Luther or Sphendix? one of these men asked.
You can say that, Dale brushed him off with a vague answer.
Given who they were, it was impossible for Dale to get close to the 13 Cmity, but it was possible for him to get close to a follower of the said powerhouse.
This particr mission wasmissioned by one of Sphendixs followers, he was required to participate in the operation to encircle and suppress the Glutton Emperor.
Although the mission failed, he had contacted said follower and as long as the contact was valid, he could make his way to Printon.
The life of a mercenary was harsh without powerful support.
Given what he did in the past, should he try to rope in Hero Alliance as his backbone, he would be thrown in jail by the Union without a second though, so Printon became hisst resort.
The car turned for a few corners, driving from Alkenders outskirts into the border.
Should he drive further, he would go out of Alkenderpletely.
Its here! The lord is here! Keep your temper in check, be respectful, I dont want you guys to die a blind death, understood? Dale pointed at the farm further away and reminded his men strictly.
Yes boss.
Got it.
Four of his men nodded repeatedly, and even without Dales reminder, these mercenaries who had just been through a non-human battle halved their arrogance.
And now, with Dales reminder, they carefully came down from the car and followed Dale tightly into the farm.
The four of them trembled as they traveled to the farm, and when Dale knocked on the door, they swallowed their saliva nervously.
Knock, Knock, Knock!
Each knock sounded like a blow to their head or a blunt strike to their heart.
Tsss Gak!
The door opened with an irritating squeak and when the door waspletely opened, their hearts almost jumped out of their throats, including Dale, but they were astonished instead of being scared by the person behind the door.
The person wore a ck long robe, looked skinny and should the man wear a hood over his face, standing in the shadow quietly, he would send chills down ones spine.
But now?
After the man opened the door anxiously, he turned to go back inside and continued tidying his things in the room while being troubled by panic.
You are going away? Dale saw the big suitcase and asked out of curiosity.
Damn it! The lord ordered me to return to Printon immediately, weve stepped on something that we shouldnt! Take your payment and go away!
The man threw over a bag of money that he prepared for Dale.
Dale caught it and was stunned.
Something they shouldnt step on?
The only person that his employer had in mind recently was... Glutton Emperor!
Immediately, Dale shrunk his neck in fear.
He didnt say anything and went out of the room.
He must leave Alkender at once and never return!
Even the ck Knight Sphendixs follower wanted to escape the Glutton Emperor, so what would Dale be then?
Determined, Dale hastened his steps but the moment he walked out the door, pain struck his heart.
Aargh!
A painful screamter, Dale fell to the ground, forever. The men behind him were not breathing either.
Being an Extraordinary individual, Dale did not die right away but he was on the verge of dying.
He turned back to his employer in rage.
He wasnt confused, he felt wrong and unwilling.
The moment he fell, he knew what his employer was up to: killing the witness!
He too had silenced witnesses or the sake of keeping a secret, but never did he think it would happen to him.
Could it be... the Glutton Emperor was this scary?
Even the folks from Printon had to silence the witness to wipe away all traces?
Sorry, I hate to. The lord told me to clean the traceshes rarely this serious so I knew I would die if I returned to Printon after this bold move. I dont want to die, and I cant return to Printon, so... You will die in my ce!
The employer looked down at Dales widened eyes. He carried his suitcase out and opened a can of gas.
Before the exnation even finished, Dale was already out of breath, his eyes still wide, obviously dying a restless death.
The employer didnt care that much either, he pulled every single one of the mercenaries inside the room drenched in gasoline.
He had to silence the witness and also destroy all traces!
Only then could he secure enough time to escape!
Dont me me, this is how the world works! The cruelest will smile to the end! ustice is a game that is used to bluff children. As mercenaries, you people are like hyenas and vultures. I dont think you guys believed in justice, right? Otherwise, justice would havee from the sky, demolishing us all into nothing!
Standing in front of the entrance with his suitcase, the employer pulled out his lighter and started a fire. The spark ignited an ember.
The employer mocked Dale and his men in front of the ember.
Suddenly, he felt something wasnt right, heat wasing from above.
Instinctively, he looked up and was stunned on the spot.
A giant fireball came from the sky!
KABOOM!
zing waves rumbled and scorching mes rose, demolishing them into cinders.
Chapter 1613 - Dig A Hole
Chapter 1613: Dig A Hole
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Pudder, who hadnt slept for a whole night, managed to nap around dawn.
A painful chest and dry eyes told the middle-aged chief officer that he should rest, he wasnt as young as he used to be.
But...
The documents piled up like mountains on his desk as he shook his head in hopes of energizing himself.
Only in such moments, Pudder admired those Extraordinary individuals for their outstanding stamina and energy, something that he always sought after yet was unable to obtain.
However, he quickly cursed he Extraordinary individuals who thought they were above thew.
There were no reports of casualties of civilians during the battle in the outskirts yesterday but more than a hundred meters of asphalt road and electrical posts were destroyed. Repairing all of them would be quite the construction process and once he thought about the detailed report that he had to submit to the mayors office, his temple swelled in pain.
What was worse was yet to arrive.
There were also a dozen cases of arson duringst night alone. No casualties were reported but many buildings were damaged.
A bunch of good-for-nothing bastards! Cant they learn something from that guy? He is cold but he knows what he wants and never acts recklessly!
Pudder couldnt help but think of Kieran as he read through the reports.
The chief officer had a mixed view of Kieran. Even though he was dutiful and loyal to his job, Kieran did save him before and he was in Kierans debt, so he could not forget about it.
Or in other words, if he would forget about Kieran saving his life, he wouldnt be as loyal and dutiful to his job.
Pudder loosened up his tie and went into deep thought.
He ought to return the debt to Kieran one day, otherwise his feelings would eventually affect his job. He knew his position in the force would ultimately bring him to an opposite site, he would have to go up against Kieran.
It wasnt good or evil, just the difference in ideals.
What should I do? he muttered in a muffled voice.
There was then a knock on his door.
Knock, Knock, Knock!
Come in, said Pudder.
Coffee, hotdog, and sd; less sugar in coffee and sd without dressing.
Michael, his assistant, came in with food in a bag for Pudder.
Thank you Michael, you can head home for now. Come back tomorrow, dont bete, Pudder smiled.
The reason why he gave his young assistant the day off wasnt because of the breakfast, it was because Michael hadnt been home for three days straight.
As for Pudder himself, Kieran did knock him out for a long time, hence he had quite the sleep.
Em, Michael nodded and went out.
When he turned around to the door, Michael showed a helpless look on his face. He instinctively turned back to Pudder, who had entered his working trance, wanting to say something but nothing came out, so he gave up.
Michael grabbed his coat, waving at his colleagues, who were still working overtime and left the station, but he did not head home. He went to a nearby 24 hour fast food joint instead.
Ice c, fried fish and fries please.
Michael headed to the seat in the corner telling his order to the waiter.
The ce he chose to sit was empty but when his food was served by the waiter, a person suddenly sat behind Michael.
You arete! the person said in a muffled voice.
Ive tried my best to be here on time! Michael replied coldly.
At first, Michael loved his job, he thought it was cool and paid quite handsomely. It was a great start for him. However, as time flew by, Michael spent a lot of time with Pudder, finding it hard to adapt to his current identity, especially when he handed some secret information to the person who came to this meeting, feeling guilty about his actions.
He wanted to stop but it was hard for him to escape from his current life.
Like promised, this is what you people want.
Michael handed a detailed document on the arson casesst night to the person behind him. He didnt turn around, passing the file through the chairs opening.
The person behind him replied by handing him a paper bag too.
Michael knew what it was, hesitating for a while but ultimately taking it. He wasnt as happy and excited like his earlier days. Quite the contrary, he felt disgusted and wanted to get his hands away.
Some things are better remained as thoughts, you know what will happen to you once you break the promise, the man behind Michael casually reminded him and before Michael could reply, the man stood up and left.
Michael sat down nkly for quite a while before he stood up too. He packed the food himself and walked out of the fast food joint, and when he did, he felt the blinding sun on his face. He smiled helplessly.
He knew exactly what would happen to him once he broke the promise, but...
The suffering in his heart tortured him like hell, it was more suffocating than death.
...
Cymide took the paper bag and returned to his hotel room quickly.
Being an idiot is infectious, hope you wont do anything that you and I will regret.
Cymide tossed the paper bag on the table and muttered to himself.
He had seen too many young men like Michael.
These young men became the so-called secret agents with a little temptation but the majority of them would regret their decision. Likewise, none of them ended up well.
The Senate had a group of professionals to deal with these regretful young men.
It wasnt him, he wouldnt take up such responsibility because it was too dangerous!
Cymides aim was to be safe until he could retire, so he was quite reluctant to participate in the uing n but had no grounds to reject.
What a bloody life!
Cymide cursed before he opened the paper bag. He carefully went through the reports that he got from Michael but the more he read, the more he was terrified.
Soon, his forehead was smeared with beads of sweat.
Cymide was a participant, not an observer, but he knew where the ces mentioned in the reports were. Every single location was the temporary hideout of those who nned to ambush Kieran.
Karma strikes like a bitch eh?
His doubtful tone had a thick sense of fear.
Cymide was certain all these arson cases were the handy work of Kieran, without a doubt.
The worst thing was his next mission was to pay Kieran a visit.
This is as shit as it goes!
Cymide leaned back on his chair helplessly, muttering to himself.
...
17th Randletine Street.
After a scrumptious and happy breakfast, Kieran went to the study room.
Old Book Canbenor was drawing and writing and when he saw Kierane in, he stood up with a smile.
I bet you have something good for me, Kieran said with a smile.
Im happy to not let you down. Based on the records in these secret books, Ive gotten a general idea about this Madam Mordin. Firstly, she wasnt a sculptor imprisoned during the papal era, like the rumours say. She should be a saintess of Armiarde Sect back in the days. On top of that, this Madam Saintess is very unlike the others, she possessed not only the identity of saintess but was also a powerful sorcerer and demon hunter. She controlled fire, wielded a greatsword, and had a raven aspanion: she was familiar with potionology, mystical knowledge and sculpting, and without a question, her sculpting skills had reached unprecedented levels, exined the Old Book.
A sorcerer? Kieran raised a brow.
Based on his own mystical knowledge, sorcerers usually relied on their bloodline power to perform remarkable feats and possessed outstanding powers, the origin of their bloodline determining how powerful their spells were.
The bloodline may originate from elves, elder dragons that soared the skies, or devil from the bottomless abyss.
Instinctively, when Kieran heard the term sorcerer, his mind reminded him of the words etched on the base of [Hell Breath].
Father, please save me!
Its dark here and Im scaredMordin!
You said shes a sorcerer? Of what bloodline? Kieran asked.
The Devil! Old Book said with a weird look on his face.
Devil... Kieran frowned.
My lord, it may be just a coincidence, Ive found nothing, not even a mention, about you in all the books, and I cant get a result from my simtions, Old Book Canbenor tried his best in talking to Kieran.
Coincidence?
Too bad Kieran never believed in coincidence!
Kieran went into deep thoughts quietly for a while, before he continued, What else have you got for me?
There is one more important thing! Madam Mordin seemed to have been involved in some major event, after that, she poured her devotion into mastering the art of sculpting and fused her own power into her work. But as for what major event, I dont know, there is very little information on that!
Old Book said in a regrettable tone as he stood in front of a hundred books.
Kieran didnt censure Old Book for that, he knew that although there were a hundred books in the room, what he truly needed was a sentence, or half a sentence, in a few or one book. Without Old Books help, getting his hands on such information would exhaust a great amount of manpower, resources and time, and it may not be as fruitful; Old Book Canbenor wasnt almighty either.
Some secret information was off the books, or rather, those books, the scrolls that had the information he seeked were currently out of his reach.
Time was a scary weapon, nothing would live for eternity!
Withering and dying was a naturalw in the river of time!
Therefore, he had to choose another way, a better way to approach.
Ferris, Kieran called at the door.
My lord, how can I help? Ferris walked and replied.
Do you know how to sculpt? Kieran asked.
Sculpt? A little but far from good, Ferris froze before he replied.
A little would suffice, Kieran smiled.
...
Cymide visited almost every famous pastry shop and special restaurant in Alkender and brought arge amount of food to 17th Randletine Street.
Ding Dong!
Good day, Im Cymide, here to visit Sir 2567.
Politely, Cymide pressed the doorbell and stated who he was through the connected inte, also raising the food up to the camera for a clear view.
Please hold on, A cold voice replied.
Two secondster, the door opened.
Ferris answered the door and looked down at Cymide with a judgmental gaze, his eyes pausing at the food before he stepped aside.
Come in, said Ferris.
Thank you, Cymide bowed politely.
He then followed Ferris to the study room on the second floor.
As a matter of fact, Cymide had been through the blueprints for 17th Randletine Street more than 30 times, making him very familiar with the structure, including the secret room and the people who lived there.
Ferris, Odork, Emma Eddie, and the newly joined Goran.
Before his visit, he already knew about these tenants.
Cymide had his own thoughts about Ferris and Odork, and he knew Goran liked his own palm.
However, Cymide dared not show his confidence on his face.
These peoples identities were not as important to him or the Senate as the person they served.
A few senators had their eyes on Kieran, hence the order to investigate for Cymide.
Honestly, Cymiliade really wanted to hang those senators up and beat the crap out of them.
Investigate the Glutton Emperor? How ridiculous would that be?
The slightest mistake would cost him his life, he would have to die for his duty!
Even if everything turned out well, he had spent 2 months of his sry just for this meeting alone!
Cymide felt depression and despair at his thin wallet.
Although he could im it back from the Senate after he head back, theplicated process would take around two months and he would have scant himself in food and clothes.
Somehow when he thought about scanting food, the food that he held in his hand, which he thought normal before, suddenly looked tasty.
Quietly swallowing his saliva, Cymide warned himself in his head to not touch the offering that could be exchanged for his safety.
The door of the study room wasnt shut.
Cymide saw Kieran behind the study desk outside the room but at the next moment, his eyes subconsciously looked at the desk instead.
The desk was big but filled with many things at the moment.
Two sheathless swords, a knife sheathed in a leather case and an aged leather armor.
Cymide had sharp eyes, a single nce told him all the swords and the knife possessed special powers and the leather armor was a rare treasure.
He once saw a simr leather armor in some senators treasure vault.
Rumour had it that the senator spent a fortune and some inglorious methods to obtain it.
But now?
The armor of simr rarity was simply ced on the desk, and the owner of the armor seemed to be captivated by the weird sculpture in his hand instead of the items.
A sculpture?
Cymide froze for a second before reacting.
He shut his eyes and knelt down on both his knees.
I know the rules! I know it! I didnt see anything, I know nothing!
Cymide crawled back out as he screamed in panic.
Come back, Kieran said.
As you wish sir! Cymide crawled back to the study room.
Do you know this sculpture? Kieran asked.
I-I know, it should be the legendary Master Mordins work, Cymide stuttered.
Of course I know its Mordins work, Im asking you do you know which work this is?
Kieran then ced the sculpture on the desk.
Cymide raised his trembling head and carefully ced his hands down from his eyes. He first took a peak, he did not notice anything unusual, he then heaved a breath of relief before looking at the sculpture.
And when his gazended on the sculpture, his face changed for the worse.
Chapter 1614 - Invitation
Chapter 1614: Invitation
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The sculpture looked normal, even a little crude at a second nce, like the work of a rookie who had just learned how to sculpt.
The sculpture looked like a person but the facial features were messy and the movements were not properly defined. The sculpture seemed to be wielding a sword, a two-handed sword.
The sword was thick and heavy, with some decorations on it that looked like fire and mist. The overall image was very crudely crafted, but Cymide couldnt tell.
If it was just a crude looking sculpture, Cymide wouldnt be this concerned, but Kieran told him the sculpture was from Mordin!
Mordin! A master sculptor to normal people but for those who knew a little bit more, this master sculptor was a very concerning person since the end of the papal era.
Cymidesment on her: very powerful!
Following the destruction of Armiarde Sect overnight, it further boosted Mordins power over the top, granting her a mysterious veil.
Powerful and mysterious, it was very attractive.
Based on what Cymide knew, since the Union formed, there was already a Mordin Group in the works.
That particr group was unlike any other organization, because they specialized in investigating Mordin and anyone who came across that group would know how devoted they were to Mordin.
Cymide got to know the existence of his group during a mission and he slowly understood what the name Mordin meant and what it would lead to.
After that encounter, Cymide would also collect news on Mordin, officially during missions and privately during his free time.
However, Cymide was certain that among all the news he gathered, there wasnt a mention about this crude looking sculpture.
An unfinished work? Or a replica?
Cymide wondered.
He really wanted to have a closer look at the sculpture, it would be best if he could touch it with his own hands, but he dare not even mention his intention in front of Kieran.
He was afraid that after he voiced his intention, he couldnt walk out of this room alive.
Im sorry, Sir 2567. I dont know much about Master Mordin, I cant tell whether or not this sculpture is part of her work, Cymide answered honestly, not saying anything about it being a replica.
Who knew whether or not Kieran would be angry over it?
Cymide was always careful when his life was on the line.
Is that so? Kieran waved his hand and told Cymide to leave.
Cymide clearly saw the disappointment in Kierans face but he had no intention to linger, stepping out of the room and heading out like he was spared from a death sentence.
Although he had an investigation mission going on, Mordins sculpture was enough for him to report back to his superiors.
It was unnecessary to find out more beyond that.
Achieving 100 Points was too high for him, he sought after a mere pass on his mission.
Living cowardly until he retired was the way to go.
After leaving 17th Randletine Street in a hurry, Cymide returned to his hotel, wrote down what happened in his report and sent it off using his secret channels.
The report that he sent out went through awork of channels and ultimately ended up in the Senate.
Meanwhile, in a secret office in the Union Senate, three old men in distinguished attire and different looks sat around a triangle table, reading the documents in their hands.
An unknown Mordin sculpture? It should be an unfinished work, right? a bald old man said.
It may be a replica too, a lot of people take pride in their imitation skills, another old man with white hair and a beard answered.
Since Mordins sculpture hase in to y, this is beyond us now, leave it to that special group. They are the professionals in this and we shall concentrate on 2567 alone.
A rather bloated old man gave his conclusion on Mordins sculpture and then took out the document on Kieran, which Cymide handed in for the very first time.
An excellent assassin! An Extraordinary individual with the ability to control a pocket dimension. And Printon! This Mr. 2567 is much moreplicated than we expect!
The bald old manughed, showing his bleached white teeth, making him look like a hungry wolf that had eyes on its prey. When Printon was mentioned, his eyes even showed strong killer intentions.
Dont rush! We will deal with Printon sooner orter. The priority now is how to get more information on Printon from him.
The bloated old man, obviously the leader of the three, said and it curbed the killer intentions of the bald old man.
Thats right! Thest contact we had in Priton was 10 years ago! Although weve sent endless waves of elites to investigate the ce, every single one of them got lost when they infiltrated the city. Since then, that damned city became our forbiddennd! We urgently need a man who knows the ce well enough to tell us whats happening there! the white haired man nodded in agreement.
I knew we shouldnt have agreed to that first n! the bald old man thought of something and shook his head in frustration.
Things happened. What we need to do now is to make up for the mistakes, not me ourselves and feel sorry! the leader said in a heavy voice.
Ill tell Cymide to get more information on Printon from that 2567, we can offer him a deal to achieve our goals! He seems to be very interested in Mordins sculpture, right? Does he know we have a lot of unfinished work of hers with us!
The bloated old man seemed to have remembered something, curling up his lips into a smile.
The other two old men also understood what the smile meant, following him with a malicious smile.
No one liked to be mped down by others, especially those who had already achieved a higher position.
They preferred others listen to them, not ying along with others.
If it was possible, these three old senators would not mind adding trouble to these particr people, just ask Mordin Group!
They didnt need to do a lot, because based on what they understood, once Mordin Group made a move, they would surely go against Mr. 2567, a conflict bound to happen.
Regardless of who emerged a victor from the conflict, Mordin Group or Kieran, they would be the ultimate benefactor.
They had been preparing for this a long time, what theycked was an excuse to make the move.
However, things always go against ones will.
Inside Mordin Groups special office, Ainfaust was in deep thoughts after he finished reading the message from the Senate.
As one of the senators, and the true overseer of this Mordin Group, Ainfaust was older than he looked.
Although he tried his best in sitting straight, time left irreversible marks on his body.
His muscles withered and strength was taken away by time, but in exchange, he gained wisdom.
Ainfaust knew what those three geezers wanted to do.
They have been rivals for a few decades now, Ainfaust knowing the three of them better than himself, to the point that he knew what they wanted to say with a slight movement of their lips.
Like this time, the three geezers hoped that Ainfaust would go into conflict with 2567, so they could reap benefits without participating.
As for the Mordins sculpture that the message had mentioned?
Ainfaust was certain that the three of them didnt even bother to understand it carefully.
Otherwise such a message wouldnt have reached him this soon.
Greatsword, me, Ainfaust muttered the two terms softly.
As the true overseer of Mordin Group, he knew better than anyone what those two terms meant for Mordin and what they represented.
Although he wasnt sure whether or not it was a trap, since he knew 2567 had grasped on to his secret news, it would be enough for him to send his men to Alkender.
He had to find out whether 2567 knew more than this or not.
When the thought came, Ainfaust picked up the phone, contacting his men.
The phone was hung up a whileter, going into deep thoughts before he headed to the secret room beside his office.
The book rack opened up left and right. A passageway leading underground appeared.
Ainfaust walked down the stairs like it was his backyard and arrived in a small room.
There was only a table in the room.
On top of the table was a perfectly drawn pentagon star and in the middle was a little skull with horns on its crown.
Ainfaust lit up the candle on each edge of the pentagon.
Low incantations then filled the room.
Hey, Ainfaust.
A sharp voice came from the horned skill.
ording to our contract, you all still owe me a favor, Ainfaust said.
Of course! You want us to deal with those three old geezers right? When? the sharp voice asked straightforwardly.
As soon as possible! Ainfaust replied.
Leave it to us, but dont forget what you promised us! the sharp voice reminded him.
I wont, Im good at keeping my promises!
After the conversation was over, Ainfaust smiled coldly.
Keeping the promise?
He was putting on a show all the time. Whod believe him, who would be an idiot, regardless of human or not.
...
After Cymide left, Kieran kept the sculpture into the first drawer on his left.
Ferris sculpted this particr sculpture, it was less than an entry level work but it haspleted its mission.
As for the rest?
The bait was thrown out, all Kieran had to do was wait.
Was he worried about someone discovering his little trick?
He wasnt. He knew everything would work ordingly once this Mordin-esque bait was thrown out.
He may face some hurdles but it was within his control.
When the thought came into his mind, Kieran stood up from the chair, stretched his body and walked to the living room. Cymide was as cowardly as a rat but his eyes were quite sharp.
At least the food, or the offering, he brought was something decent, meticulously picked.
Even though Kieran had tried them all, he wouldnt mind trying them all again.
He would always indulge himself in delicious food and it was pure joy.
There were fish balls containing crab roe. The fish used was tender and the crab roe was rich, when it was chewed on, the crab roe would burst in his mouth, providing him with utmost pleasure.
The soup looked normal, but it was a stock boiled three times, clear and tasty.
A mouth of fishball followed by a spoon of soup, Kieran squinted his eyes.
After thest drop of soup was drained, Kieran turned his attention to thatrgemb shank.
The wholemb shank remained as it was when it was cut off, no extra cuts, no thinning, the original vour remained for it was grilled with only ayer of onion.
Kieran didnt pick up themb shank first, he went for the onions first.
After onions were cooked, the spiciness was reced by sweetness, very little remained and it was shallow enough to not irritate the vour while providing an extra juicy bite.
The onions vour expanded in his mouth before he picked up themb shank for a big bite, he even sucked the juices and fatty oil, leaving his mouth with an aromatic oiliness.
The wholemb shank, including the soft bones, were chewed into nothing quickly.
He then looked towards the small and intricate pastries.
The pastries were in the form of a lotus flower, the green base garnished by white powder on top. It wasnt butter but cheese, mint was added as well.
It perfectly expelled the heaviness and oiliness of the mutton, it also increased his appetite further. Kieran grabbed all three of the pastries and tossed them into his mouth, finishing the whole box in a few bites.
Ferris, a cup of tea please, Kieran said.
Yes, my lord, Ferris bowed and walked into the kitchen and when he was back with a cup of tea, the door was knocked upon.
Its the Kat Lady, my lord. Do you want to see her? Gorans voice came through the loudspeaker in the house.
Em, Kieran nodded.
Both of them were still on fair ground and Kieran believed Selina wouldnt knock on his door unless absolutely necessary.
Knock, Knock, Knock!
Selina knocked on the door carefully, the bad memoriesing afloat in her mind when she got near to this house but the good memories, which she took pleasure in, apanied the bad ones too.
The food!
Whenever she thought of the meal she had at Kierans, her saliva would secret uncontrobly.
Because of that, she took the initiative and epted this task, in hopes of getting a free lunch like a freeloader.
It seemed like her choice was wisely made!
The aroma of food!
Water boiled fish balls from Laos!
Grilledmb shank from the Grilling Cave!
LeLindas cheesecake!
Every dish was her favourite, especially when mixed together, all the tastes wouldplement each other, elevating each other to new heights.
The thought of enjoying her favourite dishes made her twist her neck in excitement, instinctively wanting to find something to push her head against.
Selina spent a lot of effort in suppressing the urge to do so.
Lady! Meow is ady! Meow must act like ady!
She told herself that and when Ferris opened the door, she said loudly, Im here for 2567!
Selina then dashed into the house, estless.
She wanted fishballs,mbshank and cheesecake!
But what she saw were empty packaging boxes.
She was stunned.
You finished it meow? Selina asked in a nk voice.
Yeah, the presents seemed decent, so I had a taste. They are really good, Kieran nodded.
Really good? Hmph! Man, you are meows arch nemesis from now on!
Selina coldly grunted, tossing the invitation on top of the tea table and leaving in a grumpy mood.
Emma Eddie just got out of her room, saw Selina leaving and asked instinctively, Ferris is preparing dinner, why dont you stay for a meal?
Selinas steps froze, her stiff neck turned around.
There is still dinner?
Yeah, Ferris cooks everyday, punctually, Emma Eddie replied.
Selina did not turn around, she walked backwards to Kieran and showed a sweet smile.
Meow is hallucinating just now! You are meows best friend!
Selina instinctively wanted to push her head against Kieran but was dodged.
Hmph, woman.
Kieran ignored her, picked up the invitation on the tea table, opened it and when he saw the contents, his brows furrowed together.
Chapter 1615 - Opening Ceremony
Chapter 1615: Opening Ceremony
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The content of the invitation was as followed:
To the respectful Mr. Drexton,
Alkender Charity Hospital has managed toplete its change of equipment with your help. The new ward has beenpleted. We hereby invite you to our opening ceremony at 18:00.
Director of Hospital: Penhar
Chief Nurse: Ellen
TR12.9.5.
...
Drexton wants me to go to this opening ceremony on his behalf? Is there a problem with the hospital personnel or the guests? Kieran asked.
Drexton wasnt the type that liked to trouble others. Moreover, Kieran was rather familiar with Drextons personality; the invitation was extended toward Drexton, yet he passed it to him.
If there wasnt any trouble involved, Kieran would be the first to not believe it.
Em. Drexton suspects that this Director Penhar is rted to the Broken Fire Council! He meant it when he said he was going to help you. The big guy really went all out on this and then got what he was looking for! Selina the Kat Lady eximed when Drexton was mentioned.
She had never seen someone this persistent and hold his stand firmly.
In short, he was an ally of justice!
However, this might also be a trap, as the timing is a little too coincidental, so it depends on whether you want to go or not, Selina continued.
Ill go! Kieran said with an affirmative tone.
Even if it was a trap, there would be traces left behind.
Although he had thrown the bait into the sea, he wouldnt mind going after more clues since they appeared.
You are braver than meow thought! What are you going to do, meow? Selina praised, the curiosity from her cat side pushing for another question.
Kieran didnt answer. He agreed to go but did not say he would attend this opening ceremony himself.
A new ce with potential enemies lurking in in sight required a safer approach.
However, he did not exin this to Selina; he walked past her and went towards the dining table.
Selinas eyes shined brightly when she saw Kierans movement, and the curiosity went away. She followed Kieran closely and swallowed her saliva without stopping.
Are we going to have lunch?
Yeap.
Can meow join?
No.
Can meow sleep in your study room?
No.
Can meow always drop by?
No.
Selina asked the obvious while sitting down on the chair likest time. She wanted to push it, but unfortunately, Kieran didnt give her the chance to.
Are you the devil? How can you reject meow like this?
Selina pouted with puffed cheeks and red at Kieran angrily.
Yes, so I am going to throw you out, Kieran nodded and said.
Selina submitted right away.
Please dont! Meow will eat less, meow will help tidy up the table after the meal, and meow wont scratch your sofa. Meow will bring you presents on the next visit!
Selina tried to push her head against Kierans hand again, but this time, Kieran didnt just dodge it, but also flipped his finger on her forehead.
Pak!
It was loud.
Selina covered her forehead with both her hands, looking at Kieran with teary eyes.
She didnt understand why her techniques, which worked every time before this, failed against Kieran!
She felt a grievance, and the feeling further erged when the dishes were served before her.
A whole roasted pork trotter was served to Kieran and Selina only got a small piece, probably 1/5 of Kierans size.
This time around, Selina dared not utter a word anymore. Her feline instinct told her that should she speak, she would be thrown out.
So she lowered her head quietly and started eating.
Pity!
Helplessness!
...Delicious!
The piece of pork was crispy on the skin and chewy in the meat, making her eyes shine.
The fatty part melted in her mouth along with the unique taste of the lean trotter meat. It made up for her grievance, and she felt like it was worth it.
Once the fatty partpletely disintegrated in her mouth and she started to chew on the lean meat, Selina squinted her eyes and hummed controbly.
She was satisfied, very satisfied, in fact.
If she could have a bigger portion, it would be perfect.
After she finished her portion, she finally regained her senses.
She realized Kieran was on his third te of whole pork trotter and was still going!
What confused her the most was that after eating that much, Kierans stomach never changed.
You can really eat meow! Is there a bottomless hole inside?
She recalled that Kieran had just finished a lot of takeaway food before lunch, yet he could still gobble down this astonishing amount. Selina couldnt help but lick her lips.
She was almost full, but when she saw Kierans eating, she somehow felt hungry again, as though what she ate was air.
Selina then looked at Ferris with puppy eyes, emanating her pitiful presence.
No more! The rest is saved for my lord! You should go clean the tes! Ferris replied coldly.
His voice almost froze Selina.
Selina grunted to express her dissatisfaction; she wouldnt mind thements from a refrigerator. If it werent for Ferriss cooking, she would have left w marks over the refrigerators edges.
However, when she caught Kierans gaze at the next moment, she stood up quickly.
I got it meow, Ill wash!
Selina then tidied up her te and dining ware, and headed to the kitchen.
Ill help, Emma Eddie said with a smile.
Odork and Goran then returned to their stations. Even without Kierans orders, everyone in the house knew what their duties were.
My lord, do you need me to go to the opening ceremony with you? Ferris walked over and asked softly after Kieran finished his pork trotter.
No need. You, Odork, and Goran have other things to do, Kieran said softly.
Ferris nodded respectfully. He left in a hurry after a while.
Kieran leaned back in his chair, squinted his eyes, and hummed an after-meal melody as the gears in his mind spinned rapidly.
The perfect n did not exist, only the better n through endless adjustments.
Kieran wasnt truly a genius that could see through all sides in a situation with a single nce and be able to handle it with ease, so all he could do to make up for his failings was spend more time preparing for what could happen.
On top of that was his vignce and carefulness.
...
It was windy in the afternoon and the clouds above Alkender were all blown away, allowing the sun to shed its warm light on thend.
The warmth and refreshing atmospherested until evening.
Fancy cars andmon-looking cars drove towards Alkender Charity Hospital one after another.
The opening ceremony of the new ward building was a grand one. The hospital didnt just invite Drexton, but some upper ss folks as well.
Without those upper ss people, Drexton alone wouldnt have been able toplete the change of medical equipment of the hospital, let alone donate a whole new building for ward rooms.
Since the generous donors were arriving at the hospital, everyone in the hospital dared not be sloppy, and as a matter of fact, everyone had started preparing for the opening ceremony three days ago.
Finally, its done! Thank you, Mark. If it werent for you, we wouldnt be able to make it! Chief nurse Ellen praised Mark, a worker who did a job for 10 men all alone.
It was nothing, I was just doing what I could.
Mark was strong and rather big. He widened his mouth into a bright smile.
You and Renner can rest early and treat yourself to a better dinner; there are a lot of kind-hearted chefs helping us with the catering of the event, but remember, no alcohol! said Ellen, her kind look turning strict.
Uh, o-okay! Got it!
Mark scratched his head,ughed awkwardly, and held the bottle of alcohol in his coat pocket tighter.
What do you have in your coat? Ellen, obviously noticing Marks little action, asked out loud immediately.
N-Nothing! Nothing at all! Mark said nervously.
Nothing? Show me your hands, let me see them! Ellens tone turned strict.
Its really nothing! Mark argued and started to step back.
Further away, another hospital worker, Renner, was watching the scene.
Although it wasnt the first time, Renner was dumbstruck everytime.
The famous Extraordinary of Alkender City, Herzker the Wine Barrel, was nervous in front of amon nurse?
If those criminals who fear you as if you are some monster saw you now... I bet they would kill themselves. Is this love? Renner eximed with a puff of his cigarette, but he quickly shook his head.
The chief nurse Ellen wasnt pretty at all.
In a more serious tone, she looked normal, but her long, narrow face was somewhat ugly and stiff. How could a woman like her win over the Wine Barrels heart, one of the most powerful Extraordinaries in the city?
Not even a novel would be this bizarre.
Why though? Renner wondered.
Renner? Renner!
A sweet voice sounded behind him. Renner quickly dumped the cigarette, turned around, and showed a smile.
Here, Rosy!
Renner saw a young nurse running over to him. Her pinkish-white uniform plus her sweet smile elevated her looks further, making her look cuter than ever.
This particr nurse, Rosy, was the most popr nurse in the hospital. She ran to Renner and passed him a paper bag.
I bought you new clothes and shoes since theres a dinner happeningter, so remember to put them on, Rosy said with a little flush.
Her face was pinkish because of the running and shyness.
Oh, oh, okay.
Renner unconsciously scratched his head like Herzker, nodding in a dumb, nk way.
When Rosy the cute nurse saw Renners dumb reaction, she smiled sweetly and the shyness flew away instantly.
Idiot! she said out of embarrassment before she ran away..
No professional groups were hired for the opening ceremony of the new ward building, so nurses like Rosy had to help a lot. Rosy already did her best in sneaking out to deliver the clothes and shoes to Renner.
Now she had to go back and get ready for the event.
Renner saw Rosy run off from his sight; he then looked down at the clothes and shoes he was given.
Average attire, nothing branded, but it would use up a month of Rosys sry.
The sry at Alkender Charity Hospital was low, that was publically known.
Warmth started to fill Renners head.
As far as he could remember, other than the childhood he purposely buried deep in his heart, Renner had never felt such warmth, but after arriving in this hospital, the warmth appeared very frequently.
Even though the food here was bad and the uniform was rough, it was better than those days that he deemed glorious yet danger-filled by a lot.
At first he was physically persuaded by Herzker to stay at the hospital, but as time went by, thefort and peace made him discard thoughts of running away.
And when he saw Rosys smile, he even forgot his initial goal to blow the hospital up.
Thankfully, he failed, otherwise...
Renner gratefully took a deep breath. He subconsciously reached for his lighter and pack of cigarettes, but upon pulling them out, he stuffed them back.
Rosy disliked the smell of tobo.
I guess Ill have to stop.
Renner then threw the pack of cigarettes and lighter into the trash can.
Hey, Bomber Maniac, dont waste it! Seeing Renner throw away the cigarettes, Herzker ran over and started to search through the trash can.
Dont call me Bomber Maniac anymore, its Renner!
I know, Bomber Maniac.
Herzker agreed verbally but still called Renner by his old title. He smiled brightly when he found the lighter and cigarette.
Renner stepped away from Herzker when the cigarette lit up. He even ced his bag of clothes and shoes on the air vent.
Tsk! I have one, too!
Herzker took out a suitcase, which contained new clothes and shoes. They were a gift from Ellen, and the size was... XXXXXXXL!
Hows the preparation? Herzker asked after a puff.
Some bastards are wasting air by staying alive.
Renner thought of that bastard doctor who just came back from a visit and his perverted eyes on Rosy. A fire lit up in his heart and the veins near his temples popped. He knew what those eyes would lead to since he used to lurk in the dark side.
If it werent for Herzker, he would have smashed that bastard into pieces.
Agreed. So lets end it, once and for all, tonight. Get changed and follow me, said Herzker.
We are going into battle, right? I dont think we should put on our new clothes, Renner suggested.
Right! Those shitty bastards! They better not dirty the clothes Ellen gave me! Herzker was stunned for a moment before he nodded.
The two of them vanished from the corner of the hospital.
Meanwhile, at the entrance, car after car drove in, and Director Penhar and Chief nurse Ellen weed the VIP guests.
Its great that you coulde!
Its a pleasure to meet you!
Please, this way.
Penhar, at his prime age, wore a handsome suit and had waxed hair that wasbed backwards.
His smiles reached the guests before his greetings as he skillfully weed them.
On the other hand, the always strong chief nurse, Ellen, was not used to this kind of situation, so all she did was smile awkwardly.
As the clock ticked towards the opening ceremony, the parking lot filled with cars and guests filled the venue.
Everyone formed their own social circles, and the director purposely arranged seats for the guests so that they could mingle around while sitting down.
Therefore, the guests waited patiently for the opening ceremony to start, especially for the cutting of the ribbon.
Seconds turned into minutes and there was still an empty seat in the front row, raising curiosity.
Whispers amongst the guests started as they wondered who the missing guest was.
Some with better intelworks acted proudly like fish released back in the sea. They told the other guests who the seat was reserved for, and after the news spread, some were scared, others showed disdain, but many more showed further curiosity.
Time flew by as the mixed thoughts moved around in their heads.
When the hand of the clock almost reached six, a weird sound came from further away.
It sounded like wheels rolling on asphalt road.
Under the many gazes of the guests, a ck wagon basking in the sunset entered the hospital.
The wagoner, dressed in ck, stopped, jumped down, and respectfully opened the carriage door, allowing a young man to step down.
When the young man ced his foot on the group, the clock struck sharply at 6 p.m.
Dang Dang Dang!
As the bell rang, the young man looked up and showed a sleepy smile.
Chapter 1616 - Silent Night
Chapter 1616: Silent Night
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Wee, Sir 2567!
Director Penhar greeted with all smiles and guided Sloth to the center seat of the first row.
The bell from the clock stopped in a timely manner.
Mixed thoughts baffled the upper ss guests when they saw that young man in ck, everyone showing curiosity as they tried to probe for more information.
They had heard of the title Glutton Emperor before, but it was the first time they saw him in person.
Absurdly young.
That was the first impression, followed by the thought that he was a little tired, as though he hadnt been sleeping at all.
Someone immediately thought of the weathercaster Selina dropping by 17th Randletine Street frequently and they showed a profound smile on their face.
Others saw the profound smiles, whispers following.
The smile then spread like the gue. A whileter, everyone was showing the same look.
Selina had a sweet look and a voluptuous body as a weathercaster of the city, and many men had their eyes on her but her vague background made it hard for them to tackle her.
Still, harmless guesses formed in the mens mind.
After all, as men themselves, thoughts would sometimes align, whats wrong with that?
The Glutton Emperor was also a man.
Thesses and dowagers showed disgust to the mens smiles beside them.
As women, they knew what the men were thinking, but if the subject was Glutton Emperor... their reputation would increase and would be more prestigious!
It wasnt that easy to meet an Extraordinary individual. Even with their social statuses, it was quite hard to find even one. Moreover, normal Extraordinary individuals werent as well-known as Glutton Emperor.
If they could drag the Glutton Emperor to their bed, they would be the brightest star among their social circle.
As lustful thoughts bloomed, thedies looked at Sloth with bright eyes, shining like a flickering star.
Sloth felt the passionate gaze, but he wasnt his younger brother, who would be intoxicated in his own ego. If it was Lust, things would turn out differently and it would be like fish in water.
Sloth would rather spend a second longer in bed than being in this kind of situation, but he couldnt reject his elder brothers orders.
Sloth thought of his elder brothers n, so he forced himself to look energetic at the stage where the ribbon cutting ceremony would be held.
Rather than saying it a stage, it was a temporary tform built with a table and red carpet, crudely built just for the ceremony.
A red ribbon was hanging on top of the stage, not on pirs but on two nurses hands, standing right and left.
Further behind the stage was the newly built ward building.
Seven-storey tall, white in color, bright windows shined in the evening and the reflected light from the windows proved how clean the sses were.
In fact, the whole hospital wasnt looking extravagant or grand at all, the only thing praiseworthy was its cleanliness.
For a hospital that relied on donations for its building, renewal, and operation, everything was done to the proper extent.
The only eye-catching thing was the director, Penhar.
In Sloths eyes, the director was full of smiles but an unimaginable amount of darkness loomed around him. Especially when he stood among a group of pure looking nurses, it was like pouring ink into the clean water, contaminating it.
Thank you foring everyone.
The director stood on top of the stage and started his brief speech, then looking at Sloth.
Now, shall we invite Sir 2567 up here to the stage to cut the ribbon for us?
Drexton was supposed to be on that stage, cutting the ribbon but as a representative, Sloth was enough to make the crowdply, no one would reject.
Please.
Director Penhar passed Sloth the scissors with a smile, growing brighter when he saw his target ept the scissors casually without caution.
Glutton Emperor? So what?
He didnt even realize I nted a bomb!
No, I should say no one will notice because everything is so normal!
The scissor was normal; the ribbon was normal.
Even the crude stage had nothing wrong with it but when the scissor cut the ribbon, the bomb nted in the guest seat would go off.
It wasnt because of the scissor or the ribbon, but Penhar would mislead everyone to think that his target cut the ribbon and triggered the bomb to go off.
What would he do then?
It was easy.
The bad side of human nature had determined their jealousy and rage, and, with a little provocation, it would easily incite a war.
Penhar really wanted to see what the Glutton Emperor, dubbed the hero of justice, would do.
Would he endure it quietly? Or go against these ants?
Penhar was looking forward to the oue.
Sloth took the scissor, not saying anything and cutting the ribbon straightaway.
Cut!
p p p p!
As the ribbon split left and right, falling down on the stage, the crowd below the stage apuded loudly. Regardless of politeness, or just to go along with the majority, the ps were thunderous, but not the explosion.
No explosion!
Penhar swallowed the shout down his throat as his anticipation toppled, forcing a smile on his frozen face before he pped along.
What happened?
Why didnt the bomb go off?
Could it be...
You are thinking why the bomb didnt go off, right?
While Penhar was pondering the burning question, Sloth asked him first.
Sloth wasnt loud or soft, as the ps slowed down, making it clear to everyone at the scene.
The crowd was stunned, everyone looking up to the stage.
Some with faster reactions stood up from their seats.
What are you talking about? I dont know what you mean? Penhar asked with a confused face.
Dont know? Nevermind.
Everyone, please look at the bottom of your seat. Sloth saidzily.
The chairs prepared for the ribbon cutting ceremony were in wooden ones, but in order to make it as formal as it could, Penhar requested all the chairs to be covered in a white cover, from the chair back to the legs.
No one would be able to tell what was hidden underneath the chairs.
Penhars face changed for the worse after he heard what Sloth said.
His n was exposed!
That was his first thought.
Penhar didnt know how his n, which he nned for so long, got exposed, but he knew he shouldnt be this passive, he must counterattack.
Therefore he took the initiative to provide an answer when the first scream was heard.
Bomb! Theres a bomb underneath the seat!
Sir 2567! Why did you do this? Did the hospital anger you in anyway? Or did you do this to raise your poprity? Penhar looked upset and infuriated.
With Penhars expression and his words, the panicking crowd was thrown into confusion, looking at Sloth.
This was part of Glutton Emperors n?
It made sense! If it wasnt his n, how did he know?
Under Penhars misguidance, some people started to doubt Sloth.
They ced themselves in the Glutton Emperors shoes. In order to acquire more poprity, they wouldmit such an atrocity and if the Glutton Emperor had beef with Penhar, wiping him out in the process would be good too. Kill two birds with one stone, it was a bargain!
As the thought bloomed, the shock they showed in their eyes at Sloth was reced by realization.
Penhar looked even sadder and angrier, but his heart felt delighted.
So what if his n was exposed?
As long as he messed up the situation, he could still escape unscathed, and even... achieve the same result!
Some people in the crowd were eager to step out to reason with Sloth.
What else was more tempting than building a friendship with a powerful, famous Extraordinary individual?
The courageous act of standing against a powerful one without backing off in order to reason for the right!
Civilians were still the majority in the city!
Penhar looked at Sloth with a provocative gaze, hoping the Glutton Emperor would strike him out of frustration and should Sloth do it, Penhars goal would be achieved.
Unfortunately, Sloth only yawned at Penhar.
That is why I said I didnt want to be here, because I knew what wasing. The bad guy does one good thing and everybody shows him mercy, forgiving him for what he has done; the good guy does one bad thing and everybody deems him an unforgivable monster. You people are so simple, simplybeling people as you wish! A humans heart is aplicated organ, its hard to decipher from the start but some intentional people like exploiting theplications to reach their own goal. Back when I ran into bastards like this, Id teach them a lesson that they picked on the wrong target, but today is different! Someone strongly wants me to give you to them and Im happy that someone helps me take care of you! Sloth saidzily.
The moment his words subsided, the projection for promotional use started on itself and this time it wasnt the promotional video for Alkender Charity Hospital anymore, it was Penhar!
The projection showed Penhar actively joining the hospital personnel in arranging the venue and after the seats were set up, he sealed the ce off.
Penhar then checked every single seat carefully and he snuck a bomb into every single one of the chairs.
The projection was clear, it even showed how heavy and nervous Penhar was when he installed the bomb.
The crowd who saw the projection gasped in shock; Penhars face turned pale.
He knew this would be the end of him!
He instinctively pulled out the gun from his waist.
Dont move!
Penhar did not point his gun at Sloth because he knew it would be useless, instead pointing it at the crowd instead. He didnt even look at the two nurses standing on both sides of the stage.
It seemed like Penhar deemed the VIP guests as better hostage candidates.
Dont move or Ill shoot! he shouted. His eyes were glued to Sloth but Sloth reacted with a yawn and did not bat an eye.
Penhar heaved a breath of relief and also felt heavily insulted.
He was looked down upon!
He hasnt felt this insulted for a long time and it brewed anger in his eyes but he knew what he should do first.
Penhar stepped back and jumped off the stage. He drew distance from Sloth and pointed his gun at one of the VIPs heads. The hostage was then used as a meat shield and Penhar slowly retreated to the car that he had prepared early on.
The crowd watched the scene with widened eyes.
When Penhar was beside his car and far enough from the crowd, one of the crowd mustered up enough courage and screamed at Sloth, Why dont you save him?
The question caused a chain reaction among the people, everyone followed like falling dominos.
Yeah! Why dont you save him?
You can take the director out if you do!
He might die and his life will be lost!
...
Penharughed when he heard how the crowd med Sloth.
Wasnt this humanitys bad side?
Preposterous! Funny! And could be used to his advantage!
He was thinking whether he should pull the trigger to cause a bigger panic but he discarded the idea soon enough because he knew once he fired, he would beat the crowd, who somehow managed to muster enough courage to face the situation, back to who they are.
A keyboard warrior is a warrior only in front of the keyboard.
Away from it?
Im weak. I need help. Pity me. You people must help me.
Thats what people truly are underneath their mask, isnt it?
Sloth yawned big.
His heavy eyes grew tired at the crowd ming him. He knew it would eventually end up like this, hence why he was reluctant toe in the first ce.
Hed rather spend his time in dreams than situations in chaos.
But when he remembered the order he was given, he clenched his teeth to beat some energy into his head.
Why dont you go? Sloth yelled back at the man in the crowd who questioned him first.
I-Im just a normal person, you are the one with powers! Shouldnt you help us!?
Agitated, the man lost his words for a moment but he quickly replied loudly when the words formed.
Then why dont you unite those who share the same ideal and go solve the problem yourself? Sloth continued asking.
The first warrior looked around.
The agitated bunch instantly turned quiet and even averted their gazes.
S-Stop changing the idea! We are just normal people, you are the Extraordinary one, why should we do it ourselves? the first warrior flushed, was it because of shame? Or anger?
Yeah, I am the one with powers but why do I have to help you? Do I owe you people a debt? Did I eat at your house before, did I drink your water before?
Sloth yawned again, his heavy eyes looking down at the crowd,ughing.
What I see is a bunch of freaks! I dont like talking to a saint, too troublesome, too tiresome! Sleep is the best, carefree sleep!
Sloth then jumped down the stage and walked to the wagon.
White Jack opened the door, weing Sloth back.
The reins were shook and the wagon slowly drove away from the hospital.
The rolling noise from the wheels got softer as the ck wagon disappeared into the night, leaving behind a bunch of confused people.
They looked at each other and were at a loss for action.
A loudugh broke the confusion.
Hahahaha! Hrious! So this is the Glutton Emperor? Interesting!
Amid theughs, Penhar kicked away the meat shield, he has no more scruples now since the Glutton Emperor had left!
Now, you are all my...
Bang!
A robust punch came out from the shadow andnded on Penhars body like an iron hammer. Penhar was sent flying like a loose kite, crashing into the wall of the hospital. After many break-breaking noises, Penhar lost all signs of life and became a pile of lifeless meat.
The scene went silent.
Itsted for around 3 seconds before...
Aaaaah!
He is dead!
The scream came from the warrior and he was the first to run away.
The crowd fell into chaos and panic in an instant.
They swarmed to their own cars and stormed out of the hospital.
It was merry and crowded a moment ago during the opening ceremony but a momentter, only a few nurses stood at the messy venue nkly.
This is quicker than I thought!
There is a lot of food left!
Dont waste it! Clean the ce up and send some to Old Hawks, consider it a festive offering!
Wine Barrel Herzker and Renner came out, both of them were holding cleaning tools.
Herzker then walked to the stage.
What a day right? Its great that the food didnt go to waste, Renner nodded in acknowledgement.
Mark! Renner!
Chief Nurse Ellen red at the two of them.
Herzker scratched his head and remained quiet, he then started to move the tables away. The tables were moved over here from the cafeteria and they were needed back for breakfast tomorrow morning, otherwise the elderly would have no tables to eat on.
Renner shrugged and smiled at Rosy before continuing his cleaning.
Rosy walked to the chief nurse in a worried face.
Chief, we...
Call the police. Ellen said.
But...
That is what we should focus on. The rest... turn a blind eye.
Rosy wanted to add on something but was interrupted by Ellen. She pointed at the newly built ward building, towering under the night. Her stiff looks turned soft and kind.
Rosy looked at her superior with a nk gaze, still confused.
Rosy, what are you thinking? Come help! Renner called out loudly.
C-Coming! Rosy ran off.
...
The night was darker than ck.
Darkness reced the light.
Streetmps and neon signs because the only light source in the dark Alkender City.
A figure suddenly appeared in Randletine Street.
The figure walked slowly and every time he walked past amp post, themp would die off.
Not only the streetmp post, anything that shines died off too.
Electricity seemed to have gone away with his arrival.
Or more precisely, darkness devoured the light!
The man stopped in front of 17th, and when he did, the whole street was in darkness.
The man chuckled softly and knocked the door politely.
Knock, Knock Knock.
Oh, Ive forgotten that no one is home.
He spoke to himself before he pushed the door open.
He was weed by a kick to his face.
BANG!
Chapter 1617 - Calamity
Chapter 1617: Cmity
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The immense power from the kick poured into the mans head, sending him flying away like he was hit by a speeding train.
What was worse was the powerful kick contained another kind of power that could tear souls apart. The soul-tearing power went rampant in the mans body, as if a violent rhino was running wild.
The man was able to defend against a simple physical attack but against this kind of attack that damaged his soul, his hands were tied.
Crack!
While flying in the air, all the joints and muscles started to twist in an unnatural way, as though an invisible pair of hand caught him, twisting him like a towel. A few momentster, the man was twisted beyond his human figure.
Aaaargh!
Amid the inhuman scream, a ck mist flew out from the distorted body and converged with the darkness in the surroundings.
The silent darkness that devoured light was instantly transformed into a rumbling mist. A giant face of a man was drawn in the mist.
Kakroom!
As the giant misty face appeared, ck bolts of lightening soared the sky, it seemed like the lightning resonated with the giants face appearance.
Anyone who saw the unusual lightning would feel scared from the bottom of their heart, regardless of if they were amon man or an Extraordinary individual.
It was an instinctive fear, or more precisely, the fear from the soul!
The one at the hospital is your clone? Although I expected that, I never thought your true self would wee me here! I was expecting another clone here, you know.
The giant face looked down at Kieran, who came to answer the door with a domineering manner.
The face sounded casual and rxed, as if the kick earlier did not cause any harm.
Likewise Kieran, so the giant misty face continued.
When you defeated Grudge Dragon, we had been wondering how far you have awakened your abilities. A third generation blood descendant from some historical figures? Or a second generation? So when we came up with the conclusion, it shocked us too because our kind has ughtered your ancestors, every single one of them! Yet here you are! A Devil Overlord who has hidden itself in the corners of history? I guess it makes sense, only the Devil Overlords bloodline is capable enough to give birth to a first generation direct descendanteven though it is because of atavism! It shocked us nevertheless! That is why we ignored those 4 idiots who tried to test you and then we were given a satisfying answer. You are the one we are looking for! the face spoke endlessly.
It evenughed like thunder at the end.
Are you curious as to why we are looking for you? I am sure you are, but I wont tell you! The reason why I said so much is to buy time! Recruiting more help is quite time-consuming you know, the face mocked.
So what about a first generation devil descendant?
Without the guidance from the ancestor, without grinding through life and death and having only been through a handful of battles in a city, Kieran was nothing to the face!
In its eyes, Kieran was like a flower in a green room.
Regardless of how powerful Kieran was, it would be easy for the face to take him down, as long as it could mess him up and disturbed his thoughts, which the face was very capable of!
As its words subsided, a whistle sounded.
It wasnt from the wind but louder than the storm!
It was grudgeful with a grievance!
Translucent figures started to spring up from the ground, one after another. They lost their sanity a long time ago, only the grudge towards the living remaining!
Ghosts! Hundreds of thousands of ghosts sprung up from the ground en masse!
They stood in the darkness, looking at the direction where the darkness pointed to with their nk yet grudgeful eyes. They were looking at Kieran!
A single ghost is weak, even the slightest sun can destroy it to bits, but what about a thousand? Ten thousand? A hundred thousand? Feel cold yet? With this amount of negative energy, it would block the sunlight and expel the sun! And what about you? A first generation blood descendant of a Devil Overlord, what are you going to do to them? Burn them with your fire? Im sorry to tell you that fire is forbidden here! Though your ability to tear souls apart might be useful against the ghosts. Im looking forward to the fight between you and my ghost army! Its like watching that idiot challenge the Cmity Dragon back then! In the end, that stupid idiot lost his father, mother, wife, daughter, and even his son! It was nothing! Am I right?
The giant face showed a malicious smile.
It was anticipating Kierans infuriated expression but what made it frown was that Kieran didnt show anger, or any expression. He looked at the face calmly.
The calm gaze made the face ufortable and a little anxious!
Anxious? What a joke!
How could a mere Devil descendant see through its n?
I hate that gaze of yours, 2567. Ill teach you what is regret! said the face with each and every word pronounced loudly. It lingered in darkness, emanating a special kind of soul light and causing the sea of ghosts to wail together.
All the ghosts then threw themselves at Kieran like a rising tide.
Kierans face didnt change at all, raising his right hand and pressing it on the door frame, activating Dawn Force.
Buzz!
A soft buzzter, glimmers of light appeared in the darkness.
The light was warm and tenacious, like an unsheathed sword.
Even if the sword was sheathed, it was still keen against its enemy.
The glimmers gathered into the Milky Way in a breaths time, like the first light of dawn that shined through the darkness. Light was shed on the mountains, river, fields, and the mortal realm.
[Seal of Dawn]!
A huge [Seal of Dawn] appeared over the whole of Randletine Street.
The sea of ghosts were obliterated by the light.
In fact, not just the sea of ghosts, even the darkness rumbled and sizzled violently, like a pail of cold water was poured into a wok of hot oil. The cold water, including the pail, burst!
Kaboom!
The giant face wailed in agony as it fell back. Kieran, who hadnt moved since the meeting, finally walked, a keen aura starting to appear from him.
The sunshine may be blocked, the sun may be expelled, but I wont! I am here, waiting for your arrival quietly... SLASH!
Chang!
The explosion unleashed the sheathed sword at its enemy!
A 65 meters light sword came out from Kierans hand, shing down at the giant face.
It was straight and sharp and it split the face in half.
Disbelief was smeared all over the face, its ears ringing with the sheathing noise as it was split in half.
It was quick and powerful!
On itsst breath, a sudden realization came up to its mind.
H-He is also buying time...
BANG!
The moment the realization came into its mind, it was destroyed by a falling kick.
Kierans footnded on the giant face!
The kick ttened the face a little, but nothing else changed and everything flew away promptly.
The ck mist dispersed right away.
The unusual lightning faded too.
The winter temperature returned to normal.
The pure white moonlight basked over thend, as though ayer of white snow was added on top, its beauty bringing out the peaceful tranquility.
In the corner, a faint golden glowing item, which was only visible to Kieran, added joy to the beautiful scene.
Kieran didnt bat an eye at the golden item though, instead looking up at the seemingly normal night sky.
Dawn Force umted again. Two secondster, another Dawn Sword was unleashed in the sky.
BANG!
KAKROOM!
The giant light sword smashed into the night sky, producing a loud crashing noise, as if a siege weapon rammed into a castle.
It was followed by a loud explosion, as though a ton of explosives went off together.
The night sky cracked.
Cracks spread across the night sky like a broken ceramic te or ss.
What is that meow? The sky cracked meow?
Squatting outside Randletine Street, Selina the Kat Lady couldnt hold back her astonished meow.
No, its not the sky that cracked, its... said the Knight, but he stopped after the pause.
He turned around to the members who were selected for this mission.
A momentter, the oldest superhero in Alkender gave orders to the others, Kat Lady, Fortress, Silencer, Machinist, step out. I want you all to protect the civilians at the shelter! Willis, guide them! Tell Drexton to activate the emergency passage!
Order after order came out from the Knights mouth.
The other superheroes were confused but they did not argue with the Knight.
It wasnt just because of the Knights reputation, but because they were used to the Knight being themander in every single mission.
Even Drexton fell short against this armored elderly in certain aspects.
The superheroes left to carry out their tasks.
After seeing the others off into the darkness, the Knight sighed softly, then looked at Weapon Master opposite him with a heavy face.
Some big guy hiding in the dark ising forth!
The Knight tried to make himself sound calm but he was still quite shaken.
I know. Never thought wed meet it one day!
Weapon Master nodded, his aged face showing shock before it was reced by sturdy determination. Weapon Master too looked at the Knight.
Both of themughed tacitly at the same time.
Theirughter was shallow and casual. The Knight didnt order Weapon Master away because Weapon Master knew what the crack in the sky meant.
He had his own reasons to stay but not the younger ones.
The younger ones still had space to grow, they had endless possibilities waiting ahead of them.
Weapon Master was old, to the point that his age affected his powers, his mind starting to slow down.
Rather than dying in his sick bed, he might as well build a path for the younger ones, just like how his previous seniors did for him in the past!
The Knight gripped his sword hilt tightly as he looked at the young man in the middle of the street.
This young man was their only hope, so the Knight would not allow anything to happen to him.
The Knight strode towards Kieran. Weapon Master held his bo staff tightly and chased after his friend.
These two superheroes were the oldest among them all, walking side by side towards the cracking night sky.
The cracks were still expanding, intertwining. It would break when it reached the limit, but there was still time before that.
Around half an hour! The Knight deduced.
It will be enough, its enough for us to buy them time! Weapon Master replied.
Leave this to us, 2567! Please leave at once. If you dont mind, I hope 2567, you can take my ce in rebuilding the city, The Knight turned to Kieran, saying like it was hisst words.
I am not that troublesome but if you run into Dark Arms, tell him that Im sorry for what happened back then and try not to hurt her, Weapon Master said.
Kieran lowered his head from the sky to the two elderly who were resolute enough to die a zing death.
No. Im not free and its troublesome.
Kieran rejected the two elderly and then looked back up at the crack in the sky.
Both elderly were anxious.
I know you are powerful, 2567 but you are not a match for it! You dont know how scary it is! That crack is...
The Cmity Dragon? Kieran interrupted the Knight.
Both elderly superheroes were stunned.
You inherited the memories from your bloodline? The Knights eyes shone.
If Kieran really possessed memories from his bloodline, the situation wouldnt be as dire as it seemed, at least rebuilding Alkender would no longer be just a thought.
No, Kieran shook his head.
The shining eyes of the two elderly died off instantly.
Well it made sense, how could Kieran possess the memories of his bloodline?
If he really had them, he would know what the situation represented.
2567, you may not possess the memories but your potential is infinite, so you shouldnt...
Crack!
The Knight tried to persuade Kieran, but the cracks in the sky spread faster and expanded wider.
This is too fast! He wont make it!
The two elderly superheroes looked at each other before showing Kieran an apologetic gaze.
They then turned back to the sky.
Sorry that we couldnt save you!
Please dont hate us.
The Knight and Weapon Master took a deep breath facing the sky.
The Knight then knelt down on one knee and Weapon Master sat on him.
The greatsword was ced in front of the Knights chest; the bo staff was ced on the Weapon Masters thighs.
There is no hope! shouted the Knight.
Only death! chanted Weapon Master.
Cmity Descend!
The greatsword in the Knights hand started to emanate a white glimmer.
Offer the body...
Pak Pak!
Before Weapon Master could finish, Kieran knocked the two out with a chop.
Both of them never thought Kieran would attack them. Since they let their guard down, they cked out right away.
Kieran held the two of them andid them on the ground. Ferris then ran in from further away.
Take good care of them.
Yes, my lord, Ferris nodded and took the two elderly away.
Kieran didnt ept the request from the two of them because he thought it would be better for them to deliver the message themselves. Still, he respected them from the bottom of his heart.
Sacrificing oneself for others was a heroic act, not all could be a valiant and brave hero, but everyone could respect them at least.
They should be respected, notughed at.
Kieran saw Ferris off before he looked back up.
The cracks in the sky had reached their limits.
KACRANK!
A loud cracking noiseter, the sky shattered.
A gigantic void, over 30 km in width, appeared in the night sky.
Through the gigantic breach, Kieran saw the monster inside that had a dragons head but a lions body, covered in scales, at first nce.
It was enormous and ominous, it was seeking blood!
The monstrous eyes looked down at Kieran, who dared to return the gaze. Despite its size, it wasnt slow at all. The moment the breach was stabilized, the monster jumped out with a loud road.
I am Cmity! I descend upon... HUH???!
It dered its return with a thunderous voice but before it could finish, it was reced by an anxious and doubtful scream.
The stabilized breach was shaken suddenly and started to shrink!
The void breach shrunk only a little, yet its enormous body got stuck in the sky.
What happened?
Cmity Dragon was confused and doubtful.
Kieran, on the ground, curled his lips into a bright smile.
Nicely done, Superior Demon!
Chapter 1618 - Go Along
Chapter 1618: Go Along
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
I am Bloody Mary.
Boss called me High Demon before this and now he calls me Superior Demon.
Im not bothered by the name because I think Superior Demon is better than Bloody Mary, even though I dide from the Blood Queens tiara.
What caused my birth was myriads of persistence, grudges, and evil thoughts.
Humans are a kind ofplicated and scary animal.
I already knew it when I first gained the ability to think and saw what was around me.
During my early days, I didnt mind wandering alone in that ferry, I was totally fine by myself, I didnt need any being, living or dead, to talk to me.
A year flew by, then a second, a third...
I was still counting at first but as it went by, I lost count.
Boredom filled my heart.
The only fortunate thing was I knew the ferrys structure, from top to bottom, so I found a lot of books in the ferrys secret cabin.
The books talked about a lot of things and unusually rare, it was one of the important collections of the owner of the ferry.
I spent a lot of time with those books, but the waves at sea were rough. They started to spoil and rot. I tried countless ways to stop the books from spoiling but it was not very effective.
The ferry did not have suitable materials to preserve the books properly. What I did was prolonged the spoiling process, but couldnt truly stop it.
So I read faster.
Those really were some intense days. I sacrificed sleep to read and was racing against time.
In the end, before all the books spoiled, I managed to finish every single page and even had extra time to reread everything once more.
This long reading session increased a lot of my knowledge, allowing me to have more perception of the outside world.
I became curious, curious to see what was beyond the ferry.
West Coast, East Coast, the inner cities, the valleys and mountains, the fields, thekes, the streams...
Hmmm... I think Id skip thekes and streams, since they are all water.
Ive seen enough water due to being at sea for this long.
I was fantasizing about the outside world everyday and in the end, my patience wore out.
I made a decision that shocked even me: I left the ferry!
This new decision was poles apart from my initial thought but I frankly epted my own thoughts after being shocked.
After all, humans wereplex animals that always contradicted their own thoughts, so if I was the culmination of humanities persistence, grudges, and evil thoughts, Id also be a little bit contradicting at times.
Wasnt it normal?
Since the goal was set, Id make a move, so that I could understand what I should do next.
While I was preparing, I was also waiting for a chance, a chance for the ferry to dock and leave this lonely ce once and for all!
During the waiting period, many people had their eyes on the ferry but none were suitable.
Some were too weak, some were too strong.
I killed the weak ones and slipped past the strong ones.
Time flew again, and after spending a great effort, I finally found the waters to return to shore.
Who knew how many years the ferry had sailed on sea, but now it had finally docked.
But...
The sudden storm interrupted my n of docking quietly, forcing me to make a rough entrance.
The rough docking attracted a lot of eyes on the ferry, forcing the eager me to stop my ns and rethink what I should do next.
I knew I was different and I knew what I would face if I appeared in public, but before I coulde up with a valid n, those people ran out of patience.
At first, the people who approached the ferry were weaklings, weaker than the weakest man I remember, they were easy to deal with but I knew it was just the start.
As time went by, true powerful people would eventually appear.
I couldnt wait anymore!
So I decided to take a gamble, and then... I met my boss.
He was a kind of human that I had never met before, obviously powerful but extremely cautious and careful, wanting to keep a low profile.
How would I describe him using the newer words?
Inconspicuous!
Thats right, inconspicuous!
Hedy low as long as he could, and hed perform in the veryst second, in a very unreasonable, rampant way!
I felt sad for those powerhouses that boss killed. They did have the chance to win over boss, but boss was too cunning!
ording to the books, people like him harboured extreme wisdom from their mind but itd harm their body, so many people like him died young.
However, my boss lived long and well, getting even stronger and surpassing the level described in books, to the point that I couldntprehend.
Even though he had grown a lot, his stingy habits never changed.
He wasnt thrifty, he was stingy!
Thrifty meantudatory, I know!
Stingy meant derogatory!
He was wealthy but he was only interested in free things. If that wasnt stingy, what was?
That aside, he sent me here, to Printon, to retrieve his loot.
Of course I knew my mission wasnt simply to retrieve the loot but it was my main mission!
Look at this dark as hell ce! Where is the sunlight?!
It reminded me of the dark days I spent in the ferry.
Thankfully, beauce of boss countless contracts, I wasnt afraid of sunlight and could even bask under the sun.
Standing under the sun and enjoying the wind was what I liked, but boss mission always pressured me.
At first, it would be over after I died one time but after my secret was exposed, Id have to die a couple times in a single outing! Ive been through inconceivable disaster!
And I think this time is the biggest trouble Ive run into since I gained the ability to think.
Sir Sphendix, we are ready!
I heard the word when I sessfully retrieved boss loot.
Habitually, I hid in the void and then I saw that ck knight.
He wasnt a stranger though, boss saw him before, as did I. In order to retrieve boss loot quicker, he shared the vision with me, but it was just a simple image showing this ck knight.
As for more?
Because of the many contracts, any curiosity that I showed would result in death.
I watched the ck knight from the void. He started to clean and decorate the room, which belonged to the one called Luther, the one whose body was sted into pieces.
Many things were moved into the room.
Magic formation after magic formation were drawn.
Summon? No! This isnt summon! This is descending!
The knowledge in my mind allowed me to precisely judge the magic formations. While I was still deducing, my boss already knew everything.
Wait! Observe! Deliver a lethal blow!
My boss gave me a very Kieran-esque order.
So I waited patiently in the void, trying to find out what this ck knight was doing and then I discovered some secret.
The ck knight seemed bewitched and controlled.
Although he tried his best to maintain this original form, his reactions were a little slow.
Other people might not be able to tell the difference but I understood this very well.
My boss is a master in controlling people and these kinds of controlling methods were nothingpared to my boss ones.
After the descending magic formation waspleted, the ck knight thought he hadpleted the preparation. He evacuated everyone and started muttering to himself.
Everything ispleted! Hmph! All I need to do now is wait for the Cmity Dragon to descend on Alkender!
He would pause after each sentence.
It seemed like the ck knight was talking to the one controlling him and I really felt sad for whatever was controlling the ck knight.
In short, my boss was currently at Alkender City.
While I am in Printon City!
The descending of Cmity Dragon?
No! More like a fast food delivery!
I knew how good of an appetite my boss had.
Cmity Dragon, the name alone sounded very nutritious.
Seconds turned into minutes.
Yes, activate the descension formation!
When the ck knight uttered the response, boss words entered my head again.
Let him do it.
I followed orders and watched the ck knight slit his wrist and throw weird things into the formation, incantations sounding softly.
It was a sess!
It was obvious that the ck knight had prepared for a long time, but he was destined to fail because boss order came.
Kill him. Yes.
I waited a long time for this, jumping out and decapitating the concentrating ck knight.
His head flew, blood spraying and the descension magic formation was broken, yet it wasnt aplete failure.
The magic formation was still holding up and managed to work.
Nicely done, Superior Demon!
Boss praise entered my head.
This is a first, right? Boss praised me for the first time!
I am happy, what Ive been through became worth it, but it sounded wrong. When boss voice entered my head again, I discarded the messy thoughts.
Wait for my order!
Yes, boss!
...
RAWR!
The Cmity Dragon roared in anger as it was stuck in the breach.
It was certain that this little change was caused by this offering before its eyes.
Although it had no idea how an offering did something like this to stop its descension, it was infuriated nheless.
Finding a suitable offering wasnt easy, so simply letting him go wasnt an option. It would be a joke!
Who was it?
It was the Cmity Dragon! The Cmity Dragon that once wreaked havoc on thend!
Kaboom!
gue aura erupted like a live volcano, surging from the enormous body of the Cmity Dragon.
A dead silent darkness clouded the entire night sky above Alkender.
The stars and the moon were all consumed.
The birds that slept in the trees, the stray cats and dogs that hid in the corners, the rats that roamed the sewers, all kinds of animals felt an unusual anxiety and danger, as if death wasing.
They wanted to run but the animals body were hardened, they couldnt move at all.
The civilians who had just entered the emergency passageway to the shelter instinctively raised their heads too.
What happened?
I dont know.
Someone asked out of instinct, sounding afraid, likewise the person who answered.
The little question and answer represented the thoughts of everyone in the shelter.
Subconsciously the people looked at Drexton.
Drexton felt the difort too, suspicion rising in his heart.
Did you know when this shelter was specially built, it was enforced by not only technology but also mystical means.
Despite the enforcements, Drexton was still affected. He could only imagine how scary it would be on the surface.
The monitors in the shelter that should disy the situation on the surface showed nothing but ck, spreading the fear faster.
Drexton knew he must stop the fear from spreading, otherwise it would trigger some dire consequences.
Willis, can you see what is happening up there? Drexton looked at Willis.
Sorry boss, the shelters structure blocked my abilities, Willis shook his head.
Drexton then looked at the Machinist, but he got the same answer.
Drexton frowned. Willis and Machinist were the best candidates to scout the situation and if both of them couldnt...
Why not let me try?
While Drexton was figuring a way to get eyes up there, someone spoke.
A young man in sses pushed himself out of the crowd, followed by three more people behind him.
Goran? Emma Eddie, Ferris, and Odork? Drexton was stunned.
He knew the four of them, they were his friends, 2567,rades, but shouldnt they be in the shelter at the hospital with his other friend, Herzker?
Why were they there?
He was troubled by the question but he did not hesitate.
Sure, Goran, he nodded.
Goran pushed his sses up and walked to the ck monitors.
He ced his hand on the monitors and it started to turn blurry, a blurry image forming before slowly bing clearer.
When the footages in the monitor cleared up, everyone gasped in astonishment.
It wasnt just the people in this shelter but everyone in Alkender City.
They saw the enormous body of Cmity Dragon and the dead silent dark night sky.
My God! What is this? someone asked out of shock.
The children were terrified, crying while their mothers covered their mouth in order to suppress the crying, but the muffled cries made people more nervous.
When the monitors paned sideways, everyone saw the figure that stood on the ground, confronting the enormous monster in the sky.
The figure was also ck, but deeper.
Look!
T-Thats...
Glutton Emperor!
Astonishment sounded again but this time it wasnt out of fear, it was joy.
Humans are like that, they always wish for protection against a powerful unknown.
It wasnt shameful because it was part of the instinct, and those who could ovee the instinct and stand in front of the people, protecting them from harm, those people were known as... heroes!
Instantly, the gazes on the ck figure changed.
Goran quietly walked back to the crowd and when he did, his body shook.
Connecting all the monitors in the shelters wasnt as easy as it looks.
Nicely done, Odork helped Goran up.
For the lord, its my honor! Goran smiled weakly.
The conversation was soft, others couldnt hear it properly, or rather, everyone else was captivated by the scene in the monitors.
Screams then sounded the next moment.
That dead silent darkness that shrouded the entire night sky above Alkender started to fall like an enormous meteor.
The ck figure in the monitors didnt move, instead jumping up to the sky, going straight into the falling darkness!
Chapter 1619 - Consolidate Every Step
Chapter 1619: Consolidate Every Step
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
A breaths timeter, Kieran went into the dead silent darkness.
Amidst Cmity Dragons evilughter, the darkness opened up and nketed Kieran into a giant ck sphere.
Death apanied the gue aura as it was released into the sky.
Kaboom!
Countless skeleton figures surrounded the ck sphere, wailing loudly.
They twisted their bodies like they were struggling away from death.
They raised their arms like they were waiting for salvation.
Yet, none came! Their struggle and anticipation were fruitless, nothing happened!
They fell into further despair!
Cmity Dragon, which was stuck in the void breach, skillfully controlled the despair. It didnt hold back and poured every single bit of it into the gue Sphere at once.
It would teach those who tried to stop its n how to reevaluate their strength and know their limits.
Cmity Dragons power was released into the sphere smoothly, everything happening within a single motion, but when its power got close to the core, something happened to the targetwhich should be struggling.
Cmity Dragon sensed a tenacious energy in the core. It wasnt just tenacious, it was warm and keen, the kind of power that it hated the most!
You remind me of those damned knights! You smell like them but you are still too far away from what they disyed!
Cmity Dragons voice echoed in the night sky, like thunder. That giant gue Sphere started to spin rapidly, as though it was a weird millstone, grinding Kieran into dust.
From the beginning to the grinding, Kieran kept quiet in the gue Sphere, as though he acknowledged it and was unable to resist.
The scene made the civilians of Alkender panic.
I-Is the Glutton Emperor going to lose?
Drexton was more anxious than everyone, he wanted to go save his friend, but he could not open the shelter!
Once opened, those things that he worried about would gush in like the flood and civilian casualties would skyrocket.
Damn it!
Being sandwiched in the middle, his dilemma made him clench his fist hard.
The other superheroes were nervous too, not just about Kieran but also the Cmity Dragon.
Kierans strength was well-known, and if he wasnt a match for Cmity Dragon, how would they face such a powerful enemy?
All shared the same thought, except for Kat Lady.
Selina seemed to be sensing something with her feline instinct and a whileter, she chuckled.
He is going to be fine meow! Meows instinct is always urate! said Selina confidently.
However, no one was paying attention to Selina because they were captivated by Emma Eddie.
The petite punkish girl walked to the monitors, knelt down on one knee and ced her left hand on her left knee while her right hand on her chest.
Her soft prayers entered many ears.
The crowd froze for a second before they joined her in the prayers, including the superheroes.
They too wished Kieran would be alright.
Goran was prepared for this, he quickly connecting the cameras in the other shelters to show the praying.
Soon, many more civilians in the other shelters joined them.
Humans tend to follow blindly, especially during life and death situations, helplessness baffled them a lot.
A rich Power of Faith rose up from myriads of civilians and they all flew towards Kieran inside the gue Sphere.
The divine fire in his mind was jumping actively, and Kieran felt all that clearly.
He did not ept the Power of Faith, instead going along with his original n and directing all the power into [Lionheart].
[Detectedpatible energy, Lionhearts Kings Potential acquired temporal enhancement!]
[Kings Step activated]
[Kings Praise activated]
[Kings Prestige activated]
[Kings Shattering Rage activated]
[Insufficient energy, Kings ughter unable to activate]
.
[Kings Shattering Rage: All attributes increase by rank I (only below rank V), set a target to inflict a 50% ignore defense attack, 1 time per day]
Lines of words piled up in front of Kierans vision.
The familiar attribute [Kings Step], [Kings Praise], and [Kings Prestige] appeared one after another, but when the new [Kings Shattering Rage] appeared for the first time, Kieran was astonished.
Ignore defense?
True damage!
While he was soaking in surprising joy, the changes from the pendant continued. The golden radiance emanated brightly from [Lionheart], enveloping his bodypletely, not even the dead silent darkness could suppress it.
The radiance shone brighter, a golden lion walking out from the path of light.
It stoped on top of the gue Sphere, roaring majestically at the Cmity Dragon.
Althoughpared to Cmity Dragon in size, the golden lion looked very small, its majestic roar was on par with Cmity Dragon, shaking heaven and earth!
Cmity Dragon was stunned for a moment, looking down at that golden lion, its giant eyes showing a little shock.
You are really rted to those damned knights! Are you their disciple? Or descendant? They found a high-tier devil descendant as an heir? Seems like they are really forced into a desperate situation!
Cmity Dragon took pleasure in the unfortunate knights, it wasnt really bothered though.
Those knights were absurdly powerful, no mortal could even rival them, but Cmity Dragon was no mortal!
It was the Cmity Dragon! Mortals were vermin in its eyes, likewise the knights!
The only difference would be the size of the vermins!
Mortals were smaller, the knights were bigger, but they were all the same! Vermin! Theyd die in a powerful stomp!
However, just when Cmity Dragon was about to make its move, the golden radiance emanating from the gue Sphere vanished, including the golden lion on top.
The golden lion reappeared on Cmity Dragons neck.
Cmity Dragon didnt turn around but it felt something was happening at the back of its neck, and when it truly reacted to the situation, its giant eyes were covered in red lines caused by rage.
You bastard! Get down! screamed the Cmity Dragon.
No one had ever stood on its body before!
It was created to destroy all existence, anyone and anything bowed before its destructive presence, but now something was standing on its body.
It was infuriated! Rage like never before erupted.
It wasnt as insulted as when its enormous body was stuck in the void breach, not even 1% like now!
Death is forgiving; suffering worse than death is punishment! Ill make you watch how I destroy the city that you tried so hard to protect! Not just this city, but all the cities you know!
The gue aura erupted from the infuriated Cmity Dragon.
Unlike how it was holding back before, the new wave of gue aura was like a tidal wave, rumbling endlessly and violently.
This time, the gue aura didnt form the dead silent darkness anymore. Instead, they flew towards the sky and formed a ck object which looked exactly like the Cmity Dragon after a while.
Another Cmity Dragon formed by gue aura appeared higher up in the sky.
The original Cmity Dragon was still breathing but its eyes were shut, like it had fallen asleep.
It seemed like this process wasnt just as simple cloning of itself, but some kind of substitute.
Do you really think the void breach can trap me?
The gue Cmity Dragon flew under the night sky, roaring at Kieran loudly. It then sprayed out a wide area of gue Breath at Kieran.
Of course I dont! I just want to trap your body!
Kieran spoke to himself in his heart and stood on the spot without moving.
He was drowned by the falling gue Breath in an instant but despite being drowned, it didnt inflict any damage to his body. His body was slowly absorbing the gue energy.
The gue Cmity Dragon squinted its eyes in doubts. Regardless of how angry it was, it still knew something wasnt right.
It knew perfectly well that gue Breath and gue Sphere were formed using the same energy, but in terms of power level, gue Breath was much more powerful than gue Sphere. If Kieran could absorb the power of gue Breath slowly, he should have been able to do the same with gue Sphere.
Then, gue Cmity Dragon widened its eyes out of anger.
What did it see?
It saw two figures around the softest part of its neck on its original body.
These two figures looked like Kieran, which it was ring at, but one lookedzy, the other one looked hungry.
Thezy one was drawing something in the air, like it was calcting; the hungry one pried open one of the scales on its original body and stuffed its head inside, testing the hardness of the meat in between the scales with its teeth.
Our elder brother has bought us enough time, Im finding the best spot for you to bite in and the rest is up to you.
O-okay!
The little conversation was carried into the gue Cmity Dragons ears by the night breeze.
Then it felt pain from its original body.
Stop it!
gue Cmity Dragon screamed, firing its gue Breath repeatedly but the attacks were useless against Kieran.
All the breaths were absorbed again, and the absorbing speed got faster and faster, like a whale swallowing food or hungry wolves gobbling prey.
[Knights of gue Body Tempering Art] inside Kieran was released to its fullest after suppressing it for some time. gue Force grew substantial in exponential speed. Dawn, Devil, Cardinal Sins and Saint Thorns did not fall back too, because they acquired the nutrients from Gluttonys eating.
The bnce of all 5 of his Origin Force has always been his ultimate goal!
Therefore, he did not absorb the gue Spheres energy and was suppressing [Knights of gue Body Tempering Art].
Cmity Dragon was unlike any other opponent he faced before in the past.
Based on his perception alone, he knew how absurdly powerful the power of the gue from Cmity Dragon was ,and should he allowed [Knights of gue Body Tempering Art] to absorb all of it without restraints, the Origin Forces would lose bnce.
He must increase all of them at once, like how he did it with Saint Thorns Force earlier.
Aaaaargh!
gue Cmity Dragon screamed in pain repeatedly.
It clearly felt that flea-like being biting open its neck and sneak into its body, eating his way to the core slowly.
Pain! Excruciating pain!
With every inch of meat Gluttony ate, the excruciating pain would pain gue Cmity Dragons heart.
Ill kill you!
gue Cmity Dragon had forgotten what it said early, that it wanted Kieran to suffer, it was anxious to kill Kieran right away.
It didnt attack with its gue Breath again because it knew the gue was ineffective against Kieran.
Kieran was very cunning, digging a trap for it to fall in just to devour its energy.
Now, it had to kill Kieran at its own pace, smashing him into a million pieces.
Huuaa!
The enormous Cmity gue Dragon jumped down from the sky, raising its gigantic ws at Kieran but a ck two-handed greatsword jumped into its trajectory and blocked its w attack.
Chang!
The de chimed and buzzed.
Pride looked at the enormous monster with its cold, arrogant eyes.
The pressure from his de was so powerful that it pained his body, which lingered in between material and illusory realm, yet he did not step back, his pride forbade him to step back.
What is this? Go away!
After its first w attack was blocked, gue Cmity Dragon dished out the other without a second thought.
It didnt care anymore, it had to return to its body, otherwise things would turn bad, really bad!
The other w wasing at Pride, but he turned the greatsword in his hand around, moving his body swiftly, not to retreat, but to attack!
Pride slipped through the second w attack by the seams. After that, the ck greatsword in his hand was raised up high, performing an upward vertical sh!
[Sword Skill, Rising Dragon]!
Fuung!
Amid the loud whistle, a gray image of a dragon formed by powerful gale crashed onto gue Cmity Dragons lower chin.
BANG!
gue Cmity Dragons head was pushed upwards by the powerful impact.
Although its gue clone had quite the difference from its original body, the gue form still retained a lot of characteristics. The attack that struck its lower chin wouldnt have inflicted any damage on its original body, it wouldnt even slow it down.
Yet when the attacknded on its gue form, it didnt inflict any damage but its attack was forced to slow down uncontrobly.
This little dy was enough for Pride!
The wind from his greatsword exploded and it ignited the ck mes.
The ck mes burned and wreaked havoc on the lower chin.
gue Cmity Dragon was astonished when the unbelievable ck mes burned.
It had understood what was Kierans forte, therefore it had purposely set up a No-fire Zone around itself beforehand. No matter how powerful the Devil me was, as long as its level wasnt higher than itself, the mes wouldnt burn, yet another ck me managed to ignite.
The ck mes werent the Devil me, it was another kind of me, fueled by wicked energy.
gue Cmity Dragon ought to devour fresh lives and listen to their dying wails, yet there was an ignorant bastard standing before it, infuriating it like never before.
It was jealous of its ancestors in the primordial era who could do whatever they wanted without consequences and had many mating partners.
Why?
Why?
Why was it so unfair?
The wicked mes were tickling the unusual feeling in its heart and it ought to burn its soul to cinders!
Then, gue Cmity Dragon saw 4 more bastards with the same face, but they looked greedy, angry, jealous, and lustful respectively.
GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME!
A thunderous roar from gue Cmity Dragon destroyed Greed, Wrath, Lust and Jealous easily but Pride seized the chance and jumped up to its eyes.
The ck greatsword was somehow glimmering a bewitching purple.
The arrogant and untamed rampant aura matched his pride perfectly.
The purple glimmer turned into a radiance, shining like a small sun, shedding purple like over the night sky.
FURY SLASH!
Pride gripped his hilt tightly, yelling loudly before his de was swung down at gue Cmity Dragons left eye.
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Chapter 1620: Habits Kills
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Tsss!
gue Cmity Dragon had shut its left eye when [Arrogant Word] was shed towards it, yet the purplish radiating sword plunged into the eye nheless.
The gue form wasnt Cmity Dragons true body.
Pride wielding [Arrogant Word] was the best match, their presenceplemented each other, like adding wings to a tiger, reaching extreme heights while being perfectly in sync.
The best match state allowed Pride to wield [Arrogant World] skillfully, like its own arm and [Critical Rate] and [Critical Damage] were triggered altogether.
[Arrogant Word] had Extreme attack, and under [Fury sh], its attack was boosted to rank II.
[Critical Damage] had a certain rate to inflict twice the damage; [Critical Rate] doubled the damage struck at an enemys weak spot.
When all the attributes were triggered, the overall attack escted beyond rank III, reaching almost twice the attack of rank III and nearing rank IV without a doubt, but there was still [Arrogance] and [Untamed] attributes in the greatsword that hasnt been activated.
Kieran would never let his equipments advantage slip.
He purposely left behind some souls in order to trigger [Arrogance] after [Untamed] was used.
[Untamed] allowed the wielder to save 90% of the Stamina used when shing a target 10 times the size, and would boost the attack by 1 rank. Together with [Arrogance], [Untamed] boosted the attack higher.
The sh Pride performed contained the attack of rank IV twice, nearing rank V in total.
More importantly, this sh was the product of countless meticulous calctions.
Further away in the darkness, Slothid down his hands and yawned loudly.
He really wanted to fall back and sleep but he knew the battle was far from over, meaning he would still be needed for a while.
What trouble!
Whileining, Sloth glued his eyes on the gue Cmity Dragon after Pridended his sh on the eye.
St!
As though a balloon with water broke, the eye, which was 4 stories tall, was split in half.
A crystal-like substance gushed out from the wound.
Aaaaaargh!
gue Cmity Dragon screamed loudly in agony, but the screams did not affect its attack. It endured the pain and shook its head, shaking Pride down and mming him down with its w.
This w strike was faster than the previous ones and an unknown suction force appeared in the center of the w, sucking the flying Pride back.
DIE! shouted gue Cmity Dragon.
Fuuung!
Violent gales encased Prides body, the w getting closer but Pride didnt react to the attack.
His arrogant look was fervent and calm, as though he was ready to die for honor, his expression did not change even though the w was right in front of his face.
BANG!
The mountain-like w hit Pride.
Pride faltered, his body even fading a bit.
Even though he used his dark sword on top of the original [Arrogant Word] to perform Transcendence [Greatsword Blocking], he wasnt able to mitigate the attack.
PAK!
The dark sword on top of [Arrogant Word] shattered upon impact and [Arrogant Word] also buzzed violently, but the more it buzzed, the brighter the purple radiance was.
The reaction was simr to Prides arrogance.
Both sword and man would rather die than retreat!
The two simr auras started to converge, especially when Pride wielded [Arrogant Word] forward, the purple radiance as bright as the sun and amid the blinding radiance, an image of a striped tiger jumping out from the de.
[Sword Skill, Tiger Force]!
The fierce tiger crosses the ravine and hunts beyond a thousand mile!
The fierce tiger image that jumped out from the de was hyper realistic, each strand of its fur visible and its roar powerful as it sted the gue Cmity Dragon.
Another dragon roar apanied the tigers!
Pride swung his greatsword down and performed another upward sh!
[Sword Skill, Rising Dragon]!
The gray image of the dragon appeared majestically, the dragons roar shaking the heavens!
The tiger and the dragon roared together!
The fierce tiger jumped forth with a powerful gale, wreaking havoc on its target.
The majestic dragon rose to the sky, clouded by ayer of mist.
When the wind blew away the clouds, the clouds converged with the wind.
The tiger approached the dragon, the dragon swirled around the tiger.
The tiger and dragon converged and disyed a technique that was long forgotten, except for the founder of the respective sect.
Maybe Pride, who performed the technique, had an inkling what the technique was, but he too didnt know the name.
All he knew was the tiger and dragon were enough to hurt the enemy in front of its eyes and that was all that mattered.
The tiger and dragon lunged towards the gue Cmity Dragon!
The two majestic beasts danced in a fury!
ws and fangs wereshed out at the gue Cmity Dragon!
Even the sky felt darker!
The tiger and dragon images moved very fast, their movement transforming into ten, hundred, thousands of afterimages, performing shes and bites on their target in that limited space!
The sheer power from the beasts caused an explosion!
Kaboom!
sh! sh! sh!
The skin at the w of the gue Cmity Dragon burst, a blood-like substance spraying all over the sky and one of the talons suffered a huge crack.
After Pride unleashed the tiger and dragon sh, his expression didnt change but he was panting heavily.
gue Cmity Dragon wailed in pain again. It looked at Pride nervously and doubtfully, as if it was frightened. At the same time, realization came afloat in its mind.
I knew those bastard knights wouldnt have chosen a high-tier devil descendant as a heir! You are the one they appointed, am I right? And you are the true host! And that one there is just another one of your clones!
The more gue Cmity Dragon exined, the more it thought it had realized the truth and when it saw many other Kierans standing further away, it solidified its guess.
It finally made sense!
You have some interesting thoughts as a high-tier devil descendant! What do the other clones carry? That yawning one, is he Heart Demon or Mind Demon? And that one, who keeps eating my flesh, is he the pup of Amodr or thest blood descendant of Star-devourer?
gue Cmity Dragon kept guessing. It tried to sound as calm as possible but the pain of losing flesh made it twitch uncontrobly.
It endured the pain and observed Pride carefully.
It knew the nature of those bastard knights after fighting them many times. Theyd sacrifice their lives to seal it, expel it from civilization, and it seemed like this time was no exception either.
This time was even considered the best attempt the bastards knights made for over a millennium.
Using the void breach to trap its body and the pup of Amodr or thest blood descendant of Star-devourer to eat its flesh, if he had enough time, he would really seed.
However, it seemed like he did not factor the digestive system of the pup of Amodr or Star-devourerst blood descendant.
Although either one of them would grow into a very scary monster, even Cmity Dragon itself would have to back off against them, but the pup andst blood descendant wasnt as fearsome as the originals.
As the heir of the knights, he should have noticed it and factored it into his n, so this must be a trap!
What kind of trap though?
gue Cmity Dragon squinted its remaining eye but no matter how hard it looked, it couldnt spot anything weird, only an exhausted Pride.
However, the more normal it seemed, the more vignt it was. gue Cmity Dragon dare not simply make a move, it had suffered a great loss from the start of the battle until now.
In its memories, those bastard knights and their heir tricked it before using the same methods, it was then expelled and sealed because of its carelessness.
This time, it will not fall for the trick!
Fung!
gue Cmity Dragon took a deep breath and unleashed its gue Breath again but this time, it wasnt the cone shaped one, but fired in a straight line!
Compared to the cone-shaped breath, the straight line one was weaker by a lot but it possessed the force and pration that its previous form did not.
Pride dodged it in a sh.
Booom!
The tall building behind him was perforated, not one, but almost a dozen more!
All the buildings along the breaths trajectory were instantly turned into ruins.
Fuuuuah!
gue Cmity Dragon fired out its straight gue Breath again; Pride dodged it again.
Dodging a straight line of attack was too easy for Pride, and as he dodged, he seized the window to regte his breath, calming himself down.
He locked onto his target and swung his greatsword upwards again.
The tiger and dragon roared again.
Hundreds and thousands of shes and bites burst out with that sh.
This time, the shnded on gue Cmity Dragons chest.
gue Cmity Dragon looked down at the wound at its chest, squinted its eye and mocked, I wont fall for that again. One of your seniors used the same tactic against me before! He repeatedly used a seemingly powerful technique, misleading me to think that was his strongest move but in the end, when I counterattacked, he finally unleashed his true killer move! Did you think the same move would work on me twice? gue Cmity Dragonughed coldly.
It looked at the heavily panting Pride and itsughs grew louder.
Or do you think you can grind me down with that technique of yours? Are you cing all your hopes in that pup orst blood descendant to devour my body? Stop dreaming! You are really a fo-
Before it could finish, a golden radiance shone from Pride.
The panting Pride instantly recovered and all his injuries were healed. His stamina even got extended!
[Kings Praise: Praise a target to recover all its injuries and stamina, gains temporary buff that varies ording to the power level of the king and the number of followers.]
gue Cmity Dragon turned to the real Kieran that was standing on top of its true body.
You are still hiding some tricks eh? But how long can you keep it up?
gue Cmity Dragon grunted coldly and simply allowed Pride tond another tiger dragon sh on its body without moving a muscle, as though it didnt care about the attack.
The golden radiance shined again and with [Kings Praise]s effect, Pride recovered again; the tiger dragon shednded on the body again.
gue Cmity Dragon did not move or dodge, trying to find out how many shes Pride could perform.
The monitors in the shelter clearly disyed the situation on the surface.
The civilians prayed deeper and showed more devotion after they saw Glutton Emperor block that enormous monster.
Their thoughts were simple: they hoped Kieran would kill the monster that gued their city.
Denser amounts of Power of Faith gushed towards [Lionheart].
The consumed Power of Faith was instantly replenished and on top of that, the maximum amount increased either.
Therefore, Pride performed the tiger dragon sh time after time under that endless golden radiance.
At the first few shes, gue Cmity Dragon was still able to maintain calm but as seconds turned into minutes, its body started to falter.
It was currently in its gue form, not its true body, which was nearly invincible and immortal as long as its core wasnt damaged.
This special form would umte all the damage received and once it reached a certain threshold, it would damage itself severely or even fatally.
It must take out that high-tier devil descendant!
The thought came afloat in its mind, a ferocious re shing over its only eye and it moved its enormous body towards Kieran, disregarding consequences.
Even though it suffered two more tiger dragon shes from Pride as it traveled, it had no intention to alter its thoughts.
I knew I should have taken out your clone from the beginning!
Its w smashed down towards Kieran, it ought to smash Kieran into a pile of meat, crushing every bone in his body!
Fung!
The golden radiance appeared again but this time, it wasnt on Pride but on top of gue Cmity Dragon!
[Kings Prestige]!
Those who dared offend the king would be punished severely!
While clouded by the golden radiance, gue Cmity Dragon felt its body weakening, and not only its stamina, its strength was halved too.
Trying to weaken me? So what? I still can smash you into pieces!
gue Cmity Dragon roared and continued its w attack.
Kabam!
An explosive thud sounded as the w drowned Kieran, his figure nowhere to be seen while gue Cmity Dragonughed out loud.
You really overestimate yourself, trying to block my w with your body?! You have no idea what true power is! Do you think
gue Cmity Dragon halted itsughter because a burning sensation came from the center of its w. It has been a while since it felt the burns on its body and a zing force wasing out from its w, pushing its whole front limb upwards.
How is this possible!? DOWN YOU GO!
gue Cmity Dragon shouted in disbelief, pressing its w down with all its might and hoping that it could crush Kieran to death, but it was useless!
Second after second, the mountain-like w didnt go lower, instead pushed upwards, little by little.
And when the w was pushed uppletely, a magma figure appeared in everyones sight.
Its long horn was as sharp as a de and could pierce the sky; its zing wings were hot and covered in mythical runes.
Even though they were a monitor apart, the civilians that watched the scene picked up a sulphuric smell.
But before the civilians regained their senses, they saw the burning devil who pushed the mountain-like w away walk forward step by step.
What is he going to do?
The question rose in everyones heart and soon they were given an answer.
Devil Kieran walked towards the tip of the talon, he raised his magma arms and hugged it tightly, twisted his back to hurl it forward.
I admit Ive underestimated your strength but as a mere high-tier devil descendant, you hope to
gue Cmity Dragon eased its strength on its w while waiting for Kieran to die of his overestimation, it ought to seize the window to put its body over Kieran, crushing him once and for all.
It never believed, or even imagined, a high-tier devil descendant could hurl it away, even in its gue form!
However, the next moment, gue Cmity Dragon felt an unstoppable force from its talon and at the same time, it saw the aura on that zing figure transformed.
A zing scale appeared on top of the figure in a sh.
Devil Libra! You are not a high-tier devil descendant but the descendant of the Devil Overlord!?
gue Cmity Dragon screamed in shock, instinctively wanting to struggle but it was toote.
Its enormous body was out of control as it was hurled away, together with a devilish roar. It was swung upwards and then crashed beside the void breach, where its true body was stuck.
KABAAAAAM!!!!
Chapter 1620 - Habits Kills
Chapter 1620: Habits Kills
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Tsss!
gue Cmity Dragon had shut its left eye when [Arrogant Word] was shed towards it, yet the purplish radiating sword plunged into the eye nheless.
The gue form wasnt Cmity Dragons true body.
Pride wielding [Arrogant Word] was the best match, their presenceplemented each other, like adding wings to a tiger, reaching extreme heights while being perfectly in sync.
The best match state allowed Pride to wield [Arrogant World] skillfully, like its own arm and [Critical Rate] and [Critical Damage] were triggered altogether.
[Arrogant Word] had Extreme attack, and under [Fury sh], its attack was boosted to rank II.
[Critical Damage] had a certain rate to inflict twice the damage; [Critical Rate] doubled the damage struck at an enemys weak spot.
When all the attributes were triggered, the overall attack escted beyond rank III, reaching almost twice the attack of rank III and nearing rank IV without a doubt, but there was still [Arrogance] and [Untamed] attributes in the greatsword that hasnt been activated.
Kieran would never let his equipments advantage slip.
He purposely left behind some souls in order to trigger [Arrogance] after [Untamed] was used.
[Untamed] allowed the wielder to save 90% of the Stamina used when shing a target 10 times the size, and would boost the attack by 1 rank. Together with [Arrogance], [Untamed] boosted the attack higher.
The sh Pride performed contained the attack of rank IV twice, nearing rank V in total.
More importantly, this sh was the product of countless meticulous calctions.
Further away in the darkness, Slothid down his hands and yawned loudly.
He really wanted to fall back and sleep but he knew the battle was far from over, meaning he would still be needed for a while.
What trouble!
Whileining, Sloth glued his eyes on the gue Cmity Dragon after Pridended his sh on the eye.
St!
As though a balloon with water broke, the eye, which was 4 stories tall, was split in half.
A crystal-like substance gushed out from the wound.
Aaaaaargh!
gue Cmity Dragon screamed loudly in agony, but the screams did not affect its attack. It endured the pain and shook its head, shaking Pride down and mming him down with its w.
This w strike was faster than the previous ones and an unknown suction force appeared in the center of the w, sucking the flying Pride back.
DIE! shouted gue Cmity Dragon.
Fuuung!
Violent gales encased Prides body, the w getting closer but Pride didnt react to the attack.
His arrogant look was fervent and calm, as though he was ready to die for honor, his expression did not change even though the w was right in front of his face.
BANG!
The mountain-like w hit Pride.
Pride faltered, his body even fading a bit.
Even though he used his dark sword on top of the original [Arrogant Word] to perform Transcendence [Greatsword Blocking], he wasnt able to mitigate the attack.
PAK!
The dark sword on top of [Arrogant Word] shattered upon impact and [Arrogant Word] also buzzed violently, but the more it buzzed, the brighter the purple radiance was.
The reaction was simr to Prides arrogance.
Both sword and man would rather die than retreat!
The two simr auras started to converge, especially when Pride wielded [Arrogant Word] forward, the purple radiance as bright as the sun and amid the blinding radiance, an image of a striped tiger jumping out from the de.
[Sword Skill, Tiger Force]!
The fierce tiger crosses the ravine and hunts beyond a thousand mile!
The fierce tiger image that jumped out from the de was hyper realistic, each strand of its fur visible and its roar powerful as it sted the gue Cmity Dragon.
Another dragon roar apanied the tigers!
Pride swung his greatsword down and performed another upward sh!
[Sword Skill, Rising Dragon]!
The gray image of the dragon appeared majestically, the dragons roar shaking the heavens!
The tiger and the dragon roared together!
The fierce tiger jumped forth with a powerful gale, wreaking havoc on its target.
The majestic dragon rose to the sky, clouded by ayer of mist.
When the wind blew away the clouds, the clouds converged with the wind.
The tiger approached the dragon, the dragon swirled around the tiger.
The tiger and dragon converged and disyed a technique that was long forgotten, except for the founder of the respective sect.
Maybe Pride, who performed the technique, had an inkling what the technique was, but he too didnt know the name.
All he knew was the tiger and dragon were enough to hurt the enemy in front of its eyes and that was all that mattered.
The tiger and dragon lunged towards the gue Cmity Dragon!
The two majestic beasts danced in a fury!
ws and fangs wereshed out at the gue Cmity Dragon!
Even the sky felt darker!
The tiger and dragon images moved very fast, their movement transforming into ten, hundred, thousands of afterimages, performing shes and bites on their target in that limited space!
The sheer power from the beasts caused an explosion!
Kaboom!
sh! sh! sh!
The skin at the w of the gue Cmity Dragon burst, a blood-like substance spraying all over the sky and one of the talons suffered a huge crack.
After Pride unleashed the tiger and dragon sh, his expression didnt change but he was panting heavily.
gue Cmity Dragon wailed in pain again. It looked at Pride nervously and doubtfully, as if it was frightened. At the same time, realization came afloat in its mind.
I knew those bastard knights wouldnt have chosen a high-tier devil descendant as a heir! You are the one they appointed, am I right? And you are the true host! And that one there is just another one of your clones!
The more gue Cmity Dragon exined, the more it thought it had realized the truth and when it saw many other Kierans standing further away, it solidified its guess.
It finally made sense!
You have some interesting thoughts as a high-tier devil descendant! What do the other clones carry? That yawning one, is he Heart Demon or Mind Demon? And that one, who keeps eating my flesh, is he the pup of Amodr or thest blood descendant of Star-devourer?
gue Cmity Dragon kept guessing. It tried to sound as calm as possible but the pain of losing flesh made it twitch uncontrobly.
It endured the pain and observed Pride carefully.
It knew the nature of those bastard knights after fighting them many times. Theyd sacrifice their lives to seal it, expel it from civilization, and it seemed like this time was no exception either.
This time was even considered the best attempt the bastards knights made for over a millennium.
Using the void breach to trap its body and the pup of Amodr or thest blood descendant of Star-devourer to eat its flesh, if he had enough time, he would really seed.
However, it seemed like he did not factor the digestive system of the pup of Amodr or Star-devourerst blood descendant.
Although either one of them would grow into a very scary monster, even Cmity Dragon itself would have to back off against them, but the pup andst blood descendant wasnt as fearsome as the originals.
As the heir of the knights, he should have noticed it and factored it into his n, so this must be a trap!
What kind of trap though?
gue Cmity Dragon squinted its remaining eye but no matter how hard it looked, it couldnt spot anything weird, only an exhausted Pride.
However, the more normal it seemed, the more vignt it was. gue Cmity Dragon dare not simply make a move, it had suffered a great loss from the start of the battle until now.
In its memories, those bastard knights and their heir tricked it before using the same methods, it was then expelled and sealed because of its carelessness.
This time, it will not fall for the trick!
Fung!
gue Cmity Dragon took a deep breath and unleashed its gue Breath again but this time, it wasnt the cone shaped one, but fired in a straight line!
Compared to the cone-shaped breath, the straight line one was weaker by a lot but it possessed the force and pration that its previous form did not.
Pride dodged it in a sh.
Booom!
The tall building behind him was perforated, not one, but almost a dozen more!
All the buildings along the breaths trajectory were instantly turned into ruins.
Fuuuuah!
gue Cmity Dragon fired out its straight gue Breath again; Pride dodged it again.
Dodging a straight line of attack was too easy for Pride, and as he dodged, he seized the window to regte his breath, calming himself down.
He locked onto his target and swung his greatsword upwards again.
The tiger and dragon roared again.
Hundreds and thousands of shes and bites burst out with that sh.
This time, the shnded on gue Cmity Dragons chest.
gue Cmity Dragon looked down at the wound at its chest, squinted its eye and mocked, I wont fall for that again. One of your seniors used the same tactic against me before! He repeatedly used a seemingly powerful technique, misleading me to think that was his strongest move but in the end, when I counterattacked, he finally unleashed his true killer move! Did you think the same move would work on me twice? gue Cmity Dragonughed coldly.
It looked at the heavily panting Pride and itsughs grew louder.
Or do you think you can grind me down with that technique of yours? Are you cing all your hopes in that pup orst blood descendant to devour my body? Stop dreaming! You are really a fo-
Before it could finish, a golden radiance shone from Pride.
The panting Pride instantly recovered and all his injuries were healed. His stamina even got extended!
[Kings Praise: Praise a target to recover all its injuries and stamina, gains temporary buff that varies ording to the power level of the king and the number of followers.]
...
gue Cmity Dragon turned to the real Kieran that was standing on top of its true body.
You are still hiding some tricks eh? But how long can you keep it up?
gue Cmity Dragon grunted coldly and simply allowed Pride tond another tiger dragon sh on its body without moving a muscle, as though it didnt care about the attack.
The golden radiance shined again and with [Kings Praise]s effect, Pride recovered again; the tiger dragon shednded on the body again.
gue Cmity Dragon did not move or dodge, trying to find out how many shes Pride could perform.
The monitors in the shelter clearly disyed the situation on the surface.
The civilians prayed deeper and showed more devotion after they saw Glutton Emperor block that enormous monster.
Their thoughts were simple: they hoped Kieran would kill the monster that gued their city.
Denser amounts of Power of Faith gushed towards [Lionheart].
The consumed Power of Faith was instantly replenished and on top of that, the maximum amount increased either.
Therefore, Pride performed the tiger dragon sh time after time under that endless golden radiance.
At the first few shes, gue Cmity Dragon was still able to maintain calm but as seconds turned into minutes, its body started to falter.
It was currently in its gue form, not its true body, which was nearly invincible and immortal as long as its core wasnt damaged.
This special form would umte all the damage received and once it reached a certain threshold, it would damage itself severely or even fatally.
It must take out that high-tier devil descendant!
The thought came afloat in its mind, a ferocious re shing over its only eye and it moved its enormous body towards Kieran, disregarding consequences.
Even though it suffered two more tiger dragon shes from Pride as it traveled, it had no intention to alter its thoughts.
I knew I should have taken out your clone from the beginning!
Its w smashed down towards Kieran, it ought to smash Kieran into a pile of meat, crushing every bone in his body!
Fung!
The golden radiance appeared again but this time, it wasnt on Pride but on top of gue Cmity Dragon!
[Kings Prestige]!
Those who dared offend the king would be punished severely!
While clouded by the golden radiance, gue Cmity Dragon felt its body weakening, and not only its stamina, its strength was halved too.
Trying to weaken me? So what? I still can smash you into pieces!
gue Cmity Dragon roared and continued its w attack.
Kabam!
An explosive thud sounded as the w drowned Kieran, his figure nowhere to be seen while gue Cmity Dragonughed out loud.
You really overestimate yourself, trying to block my w with your body?! You have no idea what true power is! Do you think...
gue Cmity Dragon halted itsughter because a burning sensation came from the center of its w. It has been a while since it felt the burns on its body and a zing force wasing out from its w, pushing its whole front limb upwards.
How is this possible!? DOWN YOU GO!
gue Cmity Dragon shouted in disbelief, pressing its w down with all its might and hoping that it could crush Kieran to death, but it was useless!
Second after second, the mountain-like w didnt go lower, instead pushed upwards, little by little.
And when the w was pushed uppletely, a magma figure appeared in everyones sight.
Its long horn was as sharp as a de and could pierce the sky; its zing wings were hot and covered in mythical runes.
Even though they were a monitor apart, the civilians that watched the scene picked up a sulphuric smell.
But before the civilians regained their senses, they saw the burning devil who pushed the mountain-like w away walk forward step by step.
What is he going to do?
The question rose in everyones heart and soon they were given an answer.
Devil Kieran walked towards the tip of the talon, he raised his magma arms and hugged it tightly, twisted his back to hurl it forward.
I admit Ive underestimated your strength but as a mere high-tier devil descendant, you hope to...
gue Cmity Dragon eased its strength on its w while waiting for Kieran to die of his overestimation, it ought to seize the window to put its body over Kieran, crushing him once and for all.
It never believed, or even imagined, a high-tier devil descendant could hurl it away, even in its gue form!
However, the next moment, gue Cmity Dragon felt an unstoppable force from its talon and at the same time, it saw the aura on that zing figure transformed.
A zing scale appeared on top of the figure in a sh.
Devil Libra! You are not a high-tier devil descendant but the descendant of the Devil Overlord!?
gue Cmity Dragon screamed in shock, instinctively wanting to struggle but it was toote.
Its enormous body was out of control as it was hurled away, together with a devilish roar. It was swung upwards and then crashed beside the void breach, where its true body was stuck.
KABAAAAAM!!!!
Chapter 1621 - Cracking Brittle
Chapter 1621: Cracking Brittle
A loud _bang_ter, formless waves came out from the void breach.
A never before felt pain drowned the gue Cmity Dragon like the sea.
How many years had it been?
It had never experienced such a degree of pain!
Even the powerful enemy that it encountered during its birth did not put it in such an ugly situation!
Low, rageful, thunderous growls came out from the gue Cmity Dragons mouth.
Kill! Kill!
Its eye was red and it widened its mouth, trying to eat Kieran, but before it could even extend its neck, the throwing happened again.
Relying on the rebound and motion, Devil Kieran twisted his body again and threw gue Cmity Dragon out again.
It wasnt thrown out into the sky or the other side of the void breach, but on the ground!
KABOOOM!
The ground shook like a violent earthquake.
gue Cmity Dragon crashed onto an entire street block.
Devil Kieran extended his wings, the mystical runes on it looking a little gloomy because the No-fire Zone was still active, which included me st, but Kieran retained the ability to fly.
Kieran pped his wings and flew up into the sky.
He then suddenly retracted his wings, allowing his magma body to freefall, crashing down on gue Cmity Dragons head like a meteor.
gue Cmity Dragon was rather dizzy after crashing on thend, it hadnt reacted to the situation and the falling devil crashed hard onto itself.
Its giant head plunged deep into thend, its enormous body curled up a dozen meters high into the air and then falling down again, shaking thend once more!
That wasnt the end!
The magma fists contained tremendous power after Kieran transformed into the devil. Punch after punch, the barrage of punches rained down on the gue Cmity Dragons head like the storm.
Each punch thatnded would shake its enormous body once.
The myriad of punches were endless, blurry afterimages created along the motion and each time the punchnded on the head, gue Cmity Dragon would tremble, like it was electrocuted.
gue Cmity Dragon tried to struggle but whenever it moved a muscle, the magma punch with the powerful force would beat it down in the ground again.
How powerful was the punch?
gue Cmity Dragon couldnt tell because its head was buzzing and its gue form was fading.
It finally regretted the decision it made earlier!
It realized its mistake and how dire it was!
It didnt just wrongly estimate the power level of the Devil Overlord descendant, it even wrongly estimated his forte! He wasnt good at using fire, it was brute strength! The fire that he used from the start was just a cover up!
Otherwise, even the Devil Libra, one of the talents of the Devil Overlord, shouldnt have boosted his bloodline power to such an extreme extent!
Cunning bastard!
gue Cmity Dragon screamed in its heart but the regretful scream did not change anything.
Kierans punches were like giant hammer, riding on the thick neck andnding punch after punch precisely on the gue Cmity Dragons head.
BANG BANG BANG!
The concentrated punches produced continuous, connected tters, the loud noise numbing ones scalp.
Kieran took a peek at his attribute window, at the Strength column.
V+! His Strength had gone beyond rank V!
His Devil form provided a +I rank buff to all attributes and with the effect from the Devil Overlord Body, he got an extra +6 to his Strength. He also used Devil Libra to redistribute the attributes, pouring all of them into Strength to raise it to an extreme level.
There wasnt any technique involved, just suppression from sheer brute strength.
Perhaps the Strength of Cmity Dragons true body would far exceed his current rank V+, even its gue form would have easily surpassed the limit but because [Kings Prestige]s effect were in y, Cmity Dragons original attributes were halved, losing the ground to resist, hence allowing Kieran to punch it into the ground.
Nheless, Kieran knew Cmity Dragon in its gue form wouldnt have just given up like that and it turned out the same.
Devil form also increased his Intuition perception. Kieran clearly felt a certain power was umting in gue Cmity Dragon, simr to the gue Breath but a lot stronger.
The moment he sensed it, Kieran activated [Kings Shattering Rage] without a second thought!
Golden radiance flowed in the magma in his body, Devil Kieran once again an increase of rank I to all his attributes. Although the skill had a limit of rank V, hence unable to increase Strength and Spirit anymore for the time being, the rest of his attributes would benefit, like adding wings to a tiger.
More so, what Kieran needed was that one attack with 50% ignore defense!
The golden radiance swirled and gathered on top of his magma fists.
He put his fists together, raised it over his head, the golden radiance shing blindingly, shining over half the night sky, as though Kieran was holding the sun with his fist and a moment before the power filled up in gue Cmity Dragons body, it was swung down hard.
KABOOM!
Aaaaaargh!
Thend trembled fiercer any other times before this and gue Cmity Dragon roared in agony. The power that gathered in its body was shattered by this powerful smash and its gue form started to fade, like candle in the wind.
After the heavy blow, gue Cmity Dragon couldnt maintain its No-fire Zone anymore.
Pak!
A clear noise of something breaking entered everyones ears, No-fire Zone then broke like a ss cup.
Fuuua!
The mes on the magma body burned zingly, finally freed from the No-fire Zone, burning rampantly and hot.
The runes on the mes wings shone right away and Devil Kieran unleashed [Grand me st] without a second thought.
BOOOM!
The 100 meter, 150 area in front of Kieran was scorched by the me wave.
With the Infusion from Fire Raven, the mes reached rank V and the st impact rank IV, the traits of Devil me disyed to its fullest.
After three [Grand me sts] were fired out, the mes engulfed the fading gue Cmity Dragons body wholly and Devil me burned its soul fiercely.
gue Cmity Dragon didnt even have the chance to whimper painfully because it saw a greatsword formed by Devil me appear in Kierans hands.
[Ruthless Beheader ming Sword]!
It had fought the Devil Overlord many times in the past, it knew what the ming sword meant. It also knew what Kieran could do to its weakened gue form with this ming sword .
Just like what it expected, Devil Kieran stabbed [Ruthless Beheader ming Sword] into its body, pried open the scales and thrust deeper into its gue form body.
[Ruthless Beheader ming Sword] didnt just cut open its illusory body, it even burned gue Cmity Dragons soul!
No! I cant let this continue!
gue Cmity Dragon knew what would happen if this continued, its soul trembling violently.
Its mountain-like body instantly disintegrated after trembling and was transformed into the purest fuel, carrying its soul back to its original body.
ROAR!
Cmity Dragon roared at the sky after its soul came back.
It widened its eyes, which were 4-storey tall, ring at Kieran fiercely, seemingly trying to brand Kieran into its mind.
It then wriggled its body, trying to return back to the void breach!
Run! Cmity Dragon wanted to run!
The Knight and Weapon Master woke up in a timely manner and saw the unbelievable scene in shock.
They never thought they would be alive to see Cmity Dragon runaway!
Based on how they were educated by their inheritance or predecessors, each arrival of Cmity Dragon was apanied by endless disaster and expelling or sealing it would cost a great deal of lives.
Their own long line of legacy even broke more than one time because of the arrival of Cmity Dragon.
But now?
Cmity Dragon wanted to run! It wasnt just running away, it was escaping with all its effort, disregarding the consequences.
Even though its body was stuck in the breach, it ought to shrink back inside the void; despite the fact that doing so would damage its body severely. It didnt care.
What happened? The Knight muttered to himself softly.
Yea, what happened? Our persistence... ended just like this? Although this ending was fine to me, but...
Weapon Master looked at the monitors nkly and shrugged.
The Knight also nodded in agreement to his friends statement.
However, at the very next moment, two of the oldest superheroes widened their eyes because Kieran in the monitors was giving chase!
He was chasing the Cmity Dragon!
He was on hot pursuit!
He pped his wings and flew towards Cmity Dragon.
The Knight and Weapon Master looked at each other, never thinking Kieran was this brave but for Kieran, it was all too natural.
If he were to spit out the meat after it had been in his mouth, he wouldnt be Kieran anymore, he would be the mimosa Starbeck.
Kieran was never a courteous person.
His magma foot stomped on Cmity Dragons head.
Cmity Dragon only wanted to escape, it wasnt even angered by the insult anymore.
It only wanted to retreat to its own space and recover from its wounds.
One needed to know Cmity Dragon had made quite the sacrifice when it returned its own soul to the original body. In order to not suffer some irreversible damage on its soul, it rampantly went back to its body, which severely damaged its soul in the process.
Its body was still fine but its soul was heavily damaged, hence it was weakened heavily and tired, yet that was still better than enduring irreversible damage on its soul.
All it needed to do was rest and recover for 100 or 200 years and it coulde back like a lively tiger again.
If its soul suffered irreversible damage, it would have to die on the spot!
Death!
Death was feared by all beings!
Cmity Dragon brought death upon countless living beings but it was quite resistant against death.
Cmity felt the zing shes on its head for Kieran was swinging [Ruthless Beheader ming Sword] in a flurry, showing a smile sneeringly.
And when it realized Kieran gave up on its head and went for its eyes, the sneering smile grew stronger.
Its useless! Do you think my true body is the same as my gue form? Or... do you think you can rely on your current power to destroy my defenses?
A weak voice came from Cmity Dragons mouth but the sneers were never so obvious.
It turned out exactly like what Cmity Dragon said.
When it shut its eyes, Devil Kieran could not deliver any damage at the supposingly weakest eyelid, despite him wielding [Ruthless Beheader ming Sword].
As the furious shes went on, Cmity Dragon kept wiggling its body and said, Trying to umte the damage done to me? Impossible! You wont have the time! Why dont you try something else? Just look the other parts of my body, its already covered in my blood, shouldnt there be a better spot for you to sh? Cmity Dragon mocked with evil intents.
Should Kieran chose the bloody part of Cmity Dragons body, it would teach him an unforgettable lesson, just like how what it was going through right now.
Its exhausted and damaged soul robbed it of its attacking capabilities, all it could do now was endure the attacks.
One time of this kind of insult was enough, the next time, when it came back, it would return twice as much!
As the thought bloomed in its head, Cmity Dragon wriggled its body fiercely.
Then, the shes stopped.
Cmity Dragon was smart enough to not open its eyes right away after falling for Kierans trick many times. It was afraid that when it opened its eyes, it would wee a sh.
Since its soul was damaged, its perception was lowered to a pitiful level, all it could do now was test the water with its words.
Why did you stop? Out of options already? Of course! You never stood a chance! Ill admit youve won this time, but have you thought about the next?
Despite losing, Cmity Dragon tried to save its face, threatening wordsing out of its mouth uncontrobly.
However, Devil Kieran did not reply and it struck a bad feeling in Cmity Dragons heart.
Did it forget something important?
Right at that moment, its damaged soul trembled out of fear like never before.
Its body trembled, it felt the danger of death, and at the same time, it remembered what it had forgotten!
Gluttony! Amodrs pup, orst blood descendant of Star-devourer, was still inside its true body!
Gluttony had stopped eating its flesh and drinking its blood, hence Cmity Dragon didnt feel the pain when it returned to its true body, and after being ced in a disadvantaged position and falling short against Kierans attacks, it had forgotten Gluttonys existencepletely.
It had forgotten but that didnt mean Gluttony was gone!
Gluttony tried his best in controlling himself from gobbling up the flesh and blood, instead suppressed the thought of eatingpletely and made his way to the core of Cmity Dragon little by little.
T-The tasty one is ahead! I cant eat the flesh here. It will raise an rm.
Gluttony clumsily hypnotized himself.
He had tried his very best to lower his presence because Sloth was reminding him in his ear.
ording to my calctions, the core is just a little bit ahead of you... Huh? Why are you stopping?
I-I think I smell something good! Not in front, but below! Gluttony answered honestly.
Sloth thought for a second and smiled.
Believe your nose then! said Sloth.
Oh, OH!
With his elder brothers support, Gluttony changed his direction and moved around 30 meters forward. He then arrived before an area which shared simr blood and flesh like other parts but possessed an unusual aroma.
Without further ado, Gluttony widened his mouth and took a bite!
Kak!
A clear noiseter, juices flew out.
Chapter 1622 - Dragons Spirit
Chapter 1622: Dragons Spirit
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
As though time stopped.
Cmity Dragons enormous body floated in mid-air, trembling for a bit before it arched its back, wailing in pain in its one-of-a-kind voice.
Aaaaargh!
Amid its agonizing wail, Cmity Dragon tumbled uncontrobly, and because its body was stuck in the void breach, the tumble, or struggle, brought violent friction upon its body.
Crack Crack!
The broken scales fell off, one after another, like a fishs scales scrapped off on the chopping board.
It wasnt just bloody and gruesome, it was despair, the inest and deepest despair that could ever happen to a single being.
Kieran, on the other hand was filled with surprise. The moment Gluttonynded a bit on the body, Devil, Cardinal Sins, gue, Dawn, and Saint Thorn surged like never before!
Each time he breathed, it felt like he had eaten 10 plus Proper Meal ss food!
Qualitative change happened after a dozen breaths time.
The surging 5 Origin Force finally caused Fusion Heart to change!
[Devil, Cardinal Sins, Dawn, gue, Saint Thorns were nourished!]
[Constitution, Spirit, Origin Force authentication are exempted!]
[Name: Fusion Heart IV]
[Type: Organ]
[Rarity: IV]
[Attributes: 1. Transform Devil IV, 2. Desire Summon IV , 3. Saint Thorns IV]
[Effects: 1. Fiery Sulphur IV, 2. Eye of Evil IV, 3. Body of Evil IV, 4. Touch of the Cardinal Sins IiV
[Prerequisite: Kieran (Host)]
[Remark: This is a fusion organ between a heart of a human, the heart of a demon lord, and the core of the Creature of Desire. With the energy from the Devourer, it has evolved once again and be a unique existence. It has truly fused with you and of course that isnt the limit yet!]
......
[Transform Devil IV: Your heart granted you the power. When activated, you will take the form of the Devil Overlord, 4 minute duration, 1 time per day]
[Desire Summon IV: Your heart granted you the control. When activated, you can summon the Creature of Desire, 4 minute duration, 2 time per day]
[Saint Thorn IV:If you did not choose to activate Transform Devil III or Desire Summon III, you will resist 75% of the damage when youe across holy energy. When you receive damage (regardless of holy damage), of Average, Strong, Powerful, Extreme, I, II, III, IV level, you can activate a Halo of Thorns with different level, to reflect the damage you receive by 10%, 15%, 30%, 50%, 65%, 70%, 75% (Including rank IV damage) respectively. You will also be healed with Light, Medium, Heavily, Lethal (Including rank IV damage) wounded state respectively. When you choose to activate Transform Devil IV or Desire Summon IV, Saint Thorn will not go off but its effect is halved 40%]
.......
[Fiery Sulphur IV: Burning mes will follow the lineage of the devil like shadow. When casting Fire element spells, +1 elemental damage, extra Sulphuric Poison IV added on the spell (Any target that gets burn will have to go through a Constitution authentication with the caster. If failed, target will suffer rank II damage every second,st 5 second) The requirements such as the gesture, incantations materials of Fire element spells are decreased by 85%, even if the skill failed to cast, you will only suffer a 1/7 of the magic repulsion]
[Eye of Evil IV: The conviction of Desire was rooted deep inside your heart. Summon Evil Eye (Secondary Eye level. You can determine the size at will; the smallest is the size of a human eye, the biggest is notrger than the size of Creature of Desire) formed by the conviction of Desire to fight for you. Duration depends on the size of the Evil Eye, the smallestst 24 hours, the biggestst 10 minutes, 3 times per day. When 1 Evil Eye are summoned, you will gain a special sight that can prate through supernatural darkness and invisible force field; When 2 Evil Eye are summoned, your special sight will gain a certain level of increment.]
[Body of Evil IV: Thebination of the devil and desire, chaos and sins but with a dash of light. Granted 800 extra HP, Stamina, acquire Advance Tensile Skin II (absorb rank II damage or below), Overlord Devil Skin (absorb rank II damage or below, extra defense point against Fire and Explosions); When facing against Holy element attack, you will receive 110% damage, special counter items will deal extra damage to you (included but not limited to blessed objects, holy objects etc.)]
[Touch of Cardinal Sins IV: The Cardinal Sins of desire flowed in your blood. At will, you can summon Pride, Sloth, or Gluttony to help. When either Pride or Sloth is summoned, Lust, Wrath, Envy and Greed will provide you total control over them and gain many buffs; When Gluttony is summoned, +3 Terror to Lust, Wrath, Envy and Greed, able to force them to do things out of their will]
[Note: When target is in panic, chaos, fear or has extreme desire for something, they will be devoured by the respective embodiment of sins. (No drops!)]
...
Dong Dong Dong!
His heart beat loudly and vigorously, as thunderous as war drums.
Devil Kieran grew in size. From 6 meters tall to 8 meters in an instant, as if he was a bloating balloon.
The attributes of his Devil form were also enhanced.
[Transform Devil IV
[All attributes + rank I]
[All attributes + rank I, Strength, Constitution extra +3]
[Acquired Perfect Devil Lord Constitution II ( Devil Armor, defense automatically set above rank IIV, able to mitigate 40% of energy damage) ; Acquired Devil Body, extra +9 Strength; Every attack is added with rank III and above burn damage and has a certain percentage to trigger Fire Ssh and Exploding me with a 15 meter radius range; Fire Ssh damage is ranked at rank I and Exploding mes is ranked at rank III and above; When receive damage, attacker will suffer rank II burn damage from Scorch Rebound; Secondary Elemental Damage Resist + rank I, HP +2500, Stamina +2500]
[Acquired Grand me st II: By pping your me wings, form a 150, 150 meter st range before you. Rank IV and above mes, rank IV and above st wave, 3 times per transformation]
[Acquired Ruthless Beheader ming Sword II: Summon greatsword of mes, rank IV fire damage and rank IV and above sharpness, 3 minute duration, 1 time per transformation]
[Acquired Venomous spheme Whisper II: Any target you kill will resurrect temporarily and fight for you with extra buffs. Resurrected target will possess ability to utilize fire, 3 minute duration, 1 time per transformation]
[Acquired Sulphuric ze II: Overlord level mes will not just burn your enemies, their breathing will be tested like never before. Any targets will undergo a -4 Constitution authentication to yours; if failed, target will suffer extra Powerful poison damage each time they breath and each breath will further weaken the targets Strength and Constitution.]
[Acquired Light of Fear II: As the Devil Overlord, your dignity is unchallenged. Any living target that sees you will have to undergo a not lower than S+ rank Spirit authentication, if fail, induce Fear debuff]
[Devil Libra II: The true promotion of your bloodline allows you to gain the true gifts of the Devil Overlord. You can choose any stats at will and add them onto other stats with a 1:1.4 ratio. Added stats should not be lower than A rank and the added stats will not exceed the limit of Spirit level +3. Duration 3 minutes, 1 per transformation.]
......
The ming beheader sword in his hand grew bigger In size too.
The mes swirled around the edge and red sharply.
The biggest change was his Strength!
Kieran acquired even more Strength buffs, swinging the beheader sword without hesitation and shing it down on Cmity Dragon!
Bang!
Beheader sword was infused with absolute strength, it shed hard on the eyelid of Cmity Dragon, like an iron hammer smashing an egg.
The eyelid shook, like water sshing, but the sh did not leave a scar on it, only causing some sparks, Cmity Dragon wailing in pain. The beheader sword, which had sharpness above rank IV, still couldnt truly damage the monster but the power contained in it was something that it could not endurefortably.
Especially when the absolute strengthnded on its eyelid, the pain grinded its heart painfully.
Eyes were weak spots for any living being, Cmity Dragon included. However, its absurd level of defense caused its enemies to naturally neglect the weak spot most of the time and Cmity Dragons weak spot had suffered a never before felt fatal blow.
Ill kill you! ILL KILL YOU!
Frustrated, rage got the best of Cmity Dragon, robbing it of its sanity.
It didnt care about its weakened soul anymore. It shook its body, releasing hundreds of thousands of spirits, ghosts and evil spirits that it kept in its scales, throwing them at Kieran.
The myriads of spirits shrieked at Kieran.
These spirits that Cmity Dragon released were unlike themon ones, they were much stronger. In short, they werent any John Doe before they died, they were truly powerhouses.
Some were knights that opposed Cmity Dragon in the past; some were Cmity Dragons followers.
Regardless of who they were before, they ended up as meals in Cmity Dragons stomach, only their souls were retained and transformed into these special kinds of spirits.
The spirits had arrows embedded on their armor, wielding molted swords and broken spears. Their skeleton bodies were engulfed in soul fire, striking fear into people at first nce.
When the scene happened, the Knight and Weapon Master gasped out of fear.
Dragon Catastrophe! the two elderly superheroes said in one voice, talking about the legend hidden in history.
Their gasps instantly attracted peoples attention.
Whats Dragon Catastrophe? Kat Lady asked out of curiosity.
Cmity Dragon got its name not just because of its ruthlessness and control over the gue, it was also known for creating this Dragons Spirit itself! Unlikemon spirits, or ghosts, these Dragons Spirits werent just strong, they retained their sanity and wisdom from their past life! Meaning, each one of them was as powerful and as experienced as when they were alive, except for... their memories andpassion! The Knight looked at the monitors in worry.
They are very strong... meow meow meow?
Before Kat Lady could finish, she meowed in shock because she sensed an aura no weaker than her own from those wailing Dragons Spirits. A lot of them were on par with Drexton too and some even surpassed her imagination. They reminded her of Kierans power!
How could he fight all these alone?
Whether in terms of numbers or strength, he was at an absolute disadvantage.
Kat Lady was anxious, her ears shaking.
Whenever Cmity Dragon appeared, it created Dragons Spirit from its victim! Its picky though, it only chose the strongest of each era that it stumbled upon and as time went one, a few more arrivals on our worldter, it finally gathered enough to form its own Dragon Catastrophe Legion!
The Knights voice sounded rough and dry as he exined, because fear had gotten the best of him. He had no idea what he should do against a myriad of powerful spirits, a legion of Extraordinary individuals, likewise Weapon Master.
At first, when Cmity Dragon was arriving above the city, both the Knight and Weapon Master nned to use Sacrificial Force and sacrifice themselves to expel Cmity Dragon before it could react to the situation.
ording to records passed down from the previous generations, it stated that Cmity Dragon wasnt that smart.
However, Kierans appearance interrupted their n.
They were joyous at first but now...
Both elderly didnt have the intention to me him, trying their best so figure out a solution.
Why not expel Cmity Dragon now?
Their Sacrifice Force was a single-targeted move. In short, even if they managed to expel Cmity Dragon, the Dragons Spirits would remain and without something to hold them back, they would go out of control!
The hatred of the dead for the living would bring total destruction to the city.
The Dragon Catastrophe Legion had the ability to engage a battle on their own, otherwise they wouldnt be known as the legion.
After understanding the situation and the Dragons Spirits, everyone went quiet.
The civilians grew anxious and more panicked as they watched the Dragon Catastrophe Legion wail through the monitors. Drexton even clenched his fist.
He was thinking about making this fight hisst.
Run away?
Of course, but definitely not him.
The civilians should run, he will stay back and secure an escape. He ought to fight side by side with his friend before the Cmity Dragon.
As for death? It wille as promised, but hed enjoy it like bitter malt.
Drexton nced over the terrified civilians who were in prayers, also ncing over his anxiousrades. He took a deep breath and picked up the walkie-talkie beside him.
Herzker?
Yes? Herzkers voice came from the other side of the walkie-talkie.
Herzker was in the shelter beneath Alkender Charity Hospital, looking at Ellen, who wasforting other civilians despite the desperate situation. He curled up his lips.
He pulled out a bottle of alcohol he hid in his coat, uncorked it, and drank a bit.
The alcoholic taste was quickly discovered by Ellen.
Mark! You are drinking again arent you! the chief nurse red at Herzker, the Wine Barrel.
Hehehe, this is thest time, I promise you! Herzker smiled awkwardly while scratching his head.
How many times has it been thest time? You promised me many times before! Make this yourst or I will! Ellen sighed helplessly.
I promise! Herzker widened his bright smile.
He watched Ellen go back to the civilians, doing what she could for the helpless souls. He drained everyst drop of alcohol in his bottle and turned around to the tunnel that only he knew off, walking into the darkness.
Bomber Maniac, Renner followed quietly.
Go back! Herzker yelled.
I cant.
Renner looked at the young nurse, Rosy, with an unwilling gaze. He really wanted to tell her how he felt about her but he was also grateful for not doing so.
This would be the best for him, at least he didnt have to burden her and she would forget about him soon enough.
Renner shrugged and looked at Herzker.
Lets go, he said.
Are you sure about this? Herzker asked softly to make sure.
Of course. Ive never risked my life for anyone before my whole life. Rosy is the first andst, Renner said softly.
Herzker didnt ask anymore, tapping Renners shoulder and opening the secret door quietly, allowing both of them to vanish beyond the door.
After the secret door was closed, Rosy hugged herself and started sobbing, covering her mouth to soften the sobs, stopping her crying from affecting other people.
Ellens eyes were red and teary also, she couldnt even speak properly as sobs choked her.
Herzker went off, Drexton was also preparing to leave but when he turned around, he realized the Knight, Weapon Master, Willis, Fortress, Silencer, Machinist, and Kat Lady were behind him, waiting in a line.
You guys...
Boss, I think I should go with you as your eyes. Without me, you cant see the battlefield properly, Willis shrugged.
Death is a mere stepping stone in carrying out duty.
The Knight and Weapon Master showed decisive resolution.
As the shield, I should stand and lead the charge in the front line, Fortress tapped his chest.
Without my Fire Net, you guys wontst till everyone is evacuated, Machinist said seriously.
Ill follow, Silencer said.
Meow really dont want to go with you guys, but meow is bored out of my mind here. I want to have a look up there, Kat Lady looked up proudly.
Drexton scanned over hisrades, from left to right and then left again.
Ultimately, he smiled.
Lets go then, said Drexton.
He turned around and led the group to the secret door but Ferris and Odork beat them to it.
The group was stunned before reacting, hastening their steps immediately.
Everyone else in the shelter saw the superheroes go off, knowing exactly what the superheroes wanted to do.
Prayers sounded again, the civilians praying for the safe return of the heroes.
Emma Eddie was among the crowd and was the most devoted of them all.
Goran stood up and walked to the electrical appliance in the shelter. His ability wasntbat ready but that didnt mean he couldnt participate in the battle.
He raised his hand and ced it on one of the machines.
...
Pudder saw Drexton and co. leave the shelter through the monitors.
He also knew what they were going to do.
He took a cigarette out from his pocket, lit it up, and walked to the director.
Keys, he said.
What are you trying to do? You are not a kid anymore, do you think you are qualified to participate in a battle of this caliber? Director Steve yelled at him.
That is why I need the keys, Pudder said after a deep puff.
This is suicide for you! yelled Steve.
Its suicide for them too, Pudder pointed the monitors, at the group that went off to battle. He then pointed at the badge at his chest. They are a bunch of volunteer cops, while I am the legitimate.
But... BANG!
Director Steve tried to dissuade Pudder but he was replied with a punch in the stomach. Pudder the grabbed the keys to the weapon vault from the directors pocket.
Unlike the other shelters, the shelter underneath the police station was the only one equipped with a weapon vault; the director held the key to the weapon vault.
After getting the keys, Pudder strode to the weapon vault.
The other police officers watched his back and stayed quiet.
It was at this time, the young assistant, Michael, jumped out and gave chase to his superior.
He was done with the torturing! Now, he would follow his heart instead!
He didnt do this for anyone or anything, he did it because he wanted to be worthy of his badge and stay true to the vows of being a police.
Pudder is gone. Michael is gone. If I stay, I might not have the face to live another day! I am a police officer after all!
A bloated middle-age inspector also walked out from the others.
More and more police officers followed, every single one heading to the weapon vault.
Only some female officers in charge of civil service stayed, together with the director on the floor and... Cymide.
Cymide felt torturing the gazes from the others who followed their heart, felt the sneers and mocks at him.
Ill stay back to take care of Director Steve!
I dont need you touching me!
Director Steve pushed Cymides hand away, getting back on his feet and wobbling his way to the weapon vault too.
Do youdies need some care? Cymide looked at the female officers.
What he got in reply was more sneers and white eyes.
Even more so when several female officers strode to the weapon vault, the anxiety in Cymide rising to an all time high because he was left alone in the shelter.
Idiots! Following your heart is an idiotic move! Dont be so impulsive! You wont know what kills you out there! Do you know what death is?
Cymide scolded loudly at the leaving officers, but no one replied to him.
The armed police officers then headed towards the passage leading to the surface.
Cymides mouth was left open, no wordsing out from him anymore.
And then... he too ran to the weapon vault.
He didnt have a suicidal intent, all he wanted was a weapon to protect himself, but when the female officers, who were picking their weapons, saw Cymide, they smiled.
You may be full ofints, but you are still a man! said one of them.
I...
Lets go!
The officers stopped Cymide by giving him an assault rifle, then dragging him to the passage to the surface.
After they entered the passage, the door to the shelter was shut, no chances left for Cymide to regret anything.
Cymides face was full of despair as he was dragged along the dark passage.
What threw him deeper into despair was the admiration and the relief after the surprised look from the female officers. He had no idea how to exin himself anymore, especially when the female officers looked at him differently now. Cymide really couldnt say things like I want to go back anymore.
This is the end! This is the end! Im going to die here!
Falling deeper into despair, Cymide tried his utmost not show his true thoughts on his face. He followed the group to the police cruisers, got in with the female officers, and sprinted off to the battlefield.
Devil Kieran was instantly captivated by the myriads of ferocious Dragons Spirits who possessed different levels of power, but were definitely powerful.
So this is your trump card?
Devil Kieran pped his wings for he sensed three extremely powerful presences among the sea of Dragons Spirits.
He ought to kill the three of them first before taking out the others, but before Devil Kieran could make a move, his Intuition sensed something going on at the surface, hence why he looked down.
Drexton, Knight, Weapon Master, Willis, Fortress, Silencer, Machinist, Kat Lady, Ferris, and Odork came out from the shelter.
Further away, Wine Barrel Herzker and Bomber Maniac were joining them.
Farther away, a group of police cruisers were sprinting towards the scene.
2567, we are here to help! Let us fight by your side! Drexton shouted.
Dont get in my way. Devil Kieran replied nkly.
Of course not! Drextonughed loudly.
The sudden scene happening on the surface attracted Cmity Dragons attention, A bunch of vermins! What a joke! Ill teach you what pain is! it mocked.
Hoho? Pain? Gluttony, bite it! Kieran said in his heart.
Gluttony was trying his best to digest his almost full stomach, but after he got the order from his elder brother, he bit the special piece of flesh again.
Kak!
Another clear noise sounded.
The mocking Cmity Dragon wailed in pain and it arched its body again.
Chapter 1623 - Legion?
Chapter 1623: Legion?
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Excruciating wails came from Cmity Dragon once more.
As it echoed in the sky, the legion of Dragons Spirits around its body swarmed towards Devil Kieran, as if the wail was an attack signal.
Fung!
Dragons Spirits swarmed over Kieran like a cloud of locusts, surrounding him from every direction.
His Devil form, which stood 8 meters tall, was like a pea in front a watermelon whenpared to Cmity Dragon in size; it was insignificant, likewise the Dragons Spirits to Devil Kieran.
Devil Kieran took a deep breath and raised his [Ruthless Beheader ming Sword] up high.
A horizontal sweep from left to right was then performed, the three nearest Dragons Spirits were split in half from the waist.
The ming sword swung back from right to left and took out three more Dragons Spirits. This second sweep triggered the effect of Devil Overlord.
Kaboom!
Starting from the sweep, a burst of me engulfed a 15 meter radius in front of Kieran.
Rank III and above mes inflicted quite the damage to most of the Dragons Spirits. The sshing fire, which was also in Advanced Rank, was troublesome enough to hold them back as well.
But none of those were as important as the numerous Dragons Spirits in front of Kieran.
There were countless Dragons Spirits swarming towards Kieran, the fire that burned in a 15 meter radius catching every single Dragons Spirit.
The weaker ones were burned to cinders by the Devil me, the stronger ones managed to hold on but weed a sh from the head.
Within a breaths time, Devil Kieran was able to sweep his surroundings clean of Dragons Spirits but the swarm wasnt frightened or scared, growling frenziedly and continuing their charge at Kieran.
This time, the strongest three of the bunch jumped in front of the charging swarm, acting as the de that paved open the path.
These three Dragons Spirits wore the same old armor and were in skeleton form but these three strongest ones had an entirely different way of fighting than the others.
One wielded a giant battleaxe, carrying a ton of power and swinging down from mid-air. Although the battleaxe was heavily mottled, the killer aura on the edge surged through the sky and the spirit that wielded the battleaxe was the biggest among all. It was still a skeleton but it was taller than 2.5 meters.
It jumped up high and swung down its battleaxe in a fearsome manner, as though it could slice open a mountain.
At the same time, a shadow burst from behind Kieran, a dagger thrusted towards the back of Kierans neck.
However, what concerned Kieran the most was among the sea of Dragons Spirits, there was one particr spirit that wielded a giant bow, aiming its arrow towards him. That loaded arrow was emanating danger.
Barren Champion, Nunsel!
Shadow Assassin, Ero!
Windchaser Arrow, Tysel!
The moment the three unusual Dragons Spirit appeared, Knight and Weapon Master, who were very familiar with the history, uttered their names.
Others in the crowd had heard of these three particr Dragons Spirits more or less.
These three were considered legendary heroes in this dungeon world!
Barren Champion Nunsel, the one who ended the war in the barrennds and built his barren empire with his own hands.
Shadow Assassin Ero, the one who single-handedly assassinated 13 kings of the opposite force, hence turning the tide of the war.
Windchaser Arrow Tysel, the one who defeated the Mother Typhoon and protected the coast line.
All three of them were very famous, to the point that when the others heard their name, they were stupefied.
We are going against them? Is this real...
CHANG!
Willis was going to exim about something but he was interrupted by a deafening iron clunk.
The [Ruthless Beheader ming Sword], whose body was even bigger than the already giant Barren Champion, shed with his battleaxe.
Sparks flew everywhere upon contact and the zing mes rose, followed by a ming explosion!
Barren Champion Nunsel held his battleaxe tightly, trying his best to prevent himself from being disarmed but his whole body was struck away.
Shadow Assassin Eronded within range of the me Burst, the rumbling Devil me telling him what he should do. Before he could evennd his dagger, he was forced to retreat but those fiery wings werent just decorations, they pped and pped Ero, sending him flying away.
Devil Kieran utilized the p of his wings and flew out too, going after Windchaser Arrow Tysel!
The fiery wings granted his huge devil form the ability to fly and a single p produced a speed faster than anyone could imagine.
With the scorching wind trailing, Devil Kieran appeared before Tysel in a sh.
Once a hero, now a Dragons Spirit, Tyselughed maliciously and let go of the string of his bow.
Fung!
There was only a single sound from the string but hundreds and thousands of arrows were fired.
Souuuu!
As though a storm came, the corrosive arrows clouded Devil Kieran, not only with its absurd numbers but its unrivaled speed as well.
The arrows reached Kieran in an instant!
Fuaaaa!
The ming sword with a zing trail swung fiercely towards the sea cloud of arrows, the giant de apanied with inhuman strength securing the advantage. A single swing from the sword deflected the corrosive arrows back, like a reverse torrent.
Hehehe!
Tyselughed maliciously again and the deflected arrows flew back once more, faster than the first time. Tysel drew the string of his bow again.
He wasnt afraid of a prolonged battle because once his arrows were fired, they would not stop until they killed the target. The longer the battle, the bigger advantage he had.
Going against an enemy like the Devil Overlord was surely hard, it was definitely one of the strongest enemy Tysel had ever met, it wasparable to the Mother Typhoon back in the days.
However, should he reallypare the Devil Overlord with the Mother Typhoon, he would rather go against the Devil Overlord, anytime, anyday, because the Devil Overlord fought alone, its...
Pak!
Aaaaaargh! What are you thinking in the middle of the battle?
A sloppy voice sounded behind Tysel. He looked down to the knife that went through his chest.
The knife wasnt something normal but he didnt take it seriously, the [Holy Water IV] however inflicted some serious damage.
What caught Tysel off guard was, after he looked down at the knife through his chest, he ought to say something but when he opened his mouth, a 10 ml test tube was hurled into his mouth.
Tysel wanted to dodge but he had no ground to. The flying test tube had been through countless calctions for the best and most appropriate route into his mouth.
A tube full of [Holy Water IV]nded in his mouth.
Holy energy and negative energy shed.
NOOOOOOOO-
His yell didnt even finish and his body exploded.
BANG!
Windchaser Arrow Tysel was burst into bits, its head flying towards Devil Kieran. The flickering soul fire in his eyes proved that Tysel hasnt died yet, but it was inevitable.
Wung!
The ming beheader sword swung out fierce, shing Tysels head into nothing.
Perfect!
Sloth calcted meticulously for this scene to happen, he smiledzily and when one of the Dragons Spirits lunged its spear at him, he vanished.
Sloth reappeared behind Shadow Assassin Ero, who was sent flying away, but before Sloth did anything, Ero seized the initiative and attacked with his dagger first.
You really think you can ambush me with tricks? Ero said coldly.
Of course I dont, but... its enough to distract you!
Sloth purposely prolonged his tone, while Ero wasnt distracted by his deceiving words and did not look around. His senses told him there was nothing around him that he could consider a threat.
Eroughed coldly when he saw Sloth take the initiative and jump on him.
Naive!
The dagger in his hand rotated in a perfect circle before it was thrusted towards Sloth.
It was fast! Faster than imagined, as though it could cut away space and shorten distance!
The dagger reached Sloth in less than a fraction o a second.
Sloth couldnt dodge, or rather, it wasnt necessary for him to dodge.
A ck greatsword was faster than the dagger.
The roars of tiger and dragon struck the dagger with the power of a thousand strikes.
Ero couldnt react to the attack fast enough, shed in half and his head kicked towards Kieran, who was ughtering the other Dragons Spirits, by Pride.
Simr to Tysels head, Eros head was smashed into cinders by the ming beheader sword.
Nicely done! Sloth gave a big thumbs up to Pride, but Pride turned away.
If it wasnt for his elder brother, the pride in Prides heart would not let him help.
Sloth knew it very well, chuckling and saying, You dont want to see elder brother fighting this war alone, right?
Hm, Pride nodded and looked towards the flying Barren Champion Nunsel.
We dont need to go after that! ording to elder brothers n, he will deal with that big fe himself. We should go over and help our not-so-smart little brother!
Sloth waved and quietly pointed at Cmity Dragon.
Pride nced over Cmity Dragon and vanished from the sky.
Always so quick, eh? Sloth mumbled and disappeared.
After Pride and Sloth vanished, Devil Kieran flew towards Nunsel, grabbing his head and smashing him down to the earth.
This time was unlike the previous time. Without Tysel and Ero in the way, Devil Kieran swung the beheader sword and shed Nunsel in half.
Pam!
The zing mes from the edge burned Nunsel into cinders.
After taking out all three of the legendary Dragons Spirits, Willis eximation finally sounded.
T-This...i-is...
As though something was stuck in Willis throat, he tried his best to find words to describe the scene but none were appropriate enough.
Willis was prepared to engage in an ugly fight but in the end, the enemy that he assumed powerful was easily killed by Kieran.
His feelings went through a rollercoaster ride, turning around and looking at the Knight and Weapon Master with a slightly grudgeful gaze.
As a matter of fact, not only Willis, everyone else shared the same gaze.
Two senior superheroes awkwardlyughed the gaze off, but their gaze on Kieran became even more fearsome.
Even the Dragon Catastrophe Legion cant stop 2567? Maybe... we can win!
Both of them realized each others thoughts after exchanging a gaze.
Chang!
The sword was drawn.
Bang!
The iron bo staff was stuck on the ground.
The two senior superheroes led the charge into the battlefield.
KILL THE VERMINS!
Cmity Dragon growled fearsomely.
A portion of the Dragons Spirits split up and flew towards the superheroes on the ground.
Sword and spear shed, the iron bo staff lunged out like a snake, striking down the spear-wielding Dragons Spirit in one strike.
You are not young anymore, what you need is skill, not brute strength!
The bo staff Weapon Master wielded whipped up a flurry of illusions, fending off the Dragons Spirit with each strike. Drexton followed up with a powerful punch.
Kakroom!
The ground trembled. The punch infused with the earths power shattered a small group of Dragons Spirits, but the attack also exposed Drexton under the arrows of the enemy.
Souuu!
Arrows were fired.
Although it wasnt as scary as the Windchaser Arrow, it was simr.
Drexton wasnt bothered, he charged in towards the Dragons Spirits blindly.
Fung!
A force field barrier appeared above Drexton, Fortress opening his hands to create the best defense for Drexton to charge in.
Several cunning spirits went around Drexton and flew towards Fortress.
Dak Dak Dak Dak Dak!
Assault rifles were fired.
30 assault rifles gathered around Fortress, no one holding the guns and automatically forming a line of defense with the storming bullets, fending off spirits that got near.
Relentless gunshots and the force field barrier slowly seizing ground for the heroes.
The flying Dragons Spirits were stunned for a moment, subconsciously looking towards a shadowy spot, trying to find the person responsible for the gunshots but when they turned, a petite figure shed behind them. Several Dragons Spirits had their neck perforated by sharp ws.
Machinist, Silencer and Kat Lady worked together seamlessly, but the numerous Dragons Spirits were too many for them to handle and they werent an easy target.
Im almost at my limit!
Fortress told Willis after 20 seconds; Willis ryed the message to Drexton.
Protect yourself, Drexton answered.
The aura around his body became heavier, stepping out with a strong punch, bing almost invincible.
BANG!
Drextonunched another punch, the two Dragons Spirits shattering and the spearnding on his body breaking into pieces.
This scene had happened multiple times, but the shattered shards from the weapons did not disappear, sticking to Drexton instead.
The shards then suddenly pulled Drexton away from the ground!
Even for just a bit, Drextons aura had weakened significantly.
The blessing from the Earth? Interesting! Never thought Id meet someone with my own abilities.
A tall Dragons Spirit appeared before Drexton, smiling maliciously at him and raising both his hands up, trying to strike Drexton down.
BANG!
Anotherrge figure came from the sky with unimaginable nimbleness and power, crashing onto said Dragons Spirit.
The Dragons Spirit was smashed away from the ground and sent flying.
Wine Barrel Herzker then picked up his bottle of alcohol, taking a big sip.
Ssh!
Herzker spat fire from his mouth and engulfed the Dragons Spirit plus the others behind it.
Hahaha, I always wanted to do that. Feels good!
Herzker then grabbed Drexton, who was frozen mid-air, and ran backwards.
Drexton smiled bitterly, knowing Herzker must have treated that Dragons Spirit as himself.
Dont take it the wrong way, I didnt take that thing for you, Herzker exined.
Put me down, they areing, Drexton was wise enough to not ask and was concerned about the chasing Dragons Spirits.
Dont worry.
Booomb!
The moment Herzkers words subsided, an astonishing explosion went off behind him and the tremendous shockwave almost made him lose his step.
More than 30 Dragons Spirits perished in the tremendous explosion behind the two of them.
Herzker gave a big thumbs up to Renner the Bomber Maniac.
Renner smiled and staggered a little. Although he managed to set up his bombs and took out 30 Dragons Spirits at once, it drained him a lot!
In fact, other than Herkzer and Drexton, who had returned to the ground, everyone else was panting.
It had been less than 5 minutes since they engaged the Dragons Spirits!
You guys take some rest, its our time now.
Pudder the chief officer formed a defense line with the police cruisers, blocking the exhausted superheroes behind them and took an assault rifle attached with a grenadeuncher onto the police cruiser.
Bang!
KABOOM!
The grenade drew an arch over the sky and fell into the group of Dragons Spirits, but other than the direct hit, it didnt really damage the others.
Solid bastards!
Pudder threw the assault rifle aside and pulled out an RPG from the cruiser.
As a matter of fact, it wasnt just Pudder who chose the RPG, his young assistant Michael and other strong officers pulled the same weapon on their shoulder as well.
Have a taste of this!
Pudder pulled the trigger, so did the others.
Fuuuush!
KABOOOM!
Over a dozen rockets were fired into the Dragons Spirits, clouds of smoke erupting in front of the defense line, blinding everyones sight.
Herkzer and Drextons face turned for the worse.
GET AWAY! Drexton shouted.
Glimmer of fiery light shined in the dust storm, followed by dozens of 2 meter fireballs flying out, shedding light over the scene.
A translucent barrier formation appeared above the Dragons Spirits, shielding them from the rockets, even allowing them to counterattack.
GO UP!
Drexton bent down, plunging his hands into the ground, shouting loudly and flipped a big area of ground up against the flying fireballs.
KABOOM!
The fireballs crashed into the flipped up ground, causing a series of explosions, but more fireballs came from the Dragons Spirits, raining down from the sky.
RETREAT!
Drexton shouted at hisrades, prepared to use the same technique again but a sudden weakness flowed through his body.
He looked down, his feet not leaving the ground, but the ground that he stood on was somehow turned into an area of swamp.
One of the Dragons Spirits on the opposite sideughed coldly.
The ck, reeking swamp then started to expand rapidly and caught the police cruisers defense line in a breaths time.
What was worse was ghosts sprung out from the ck swamp and flew towards the defending group.
Fuuuuuuu!
Herkzer spat fire from his mouth, burning the ghosts into cinders before he grabbed Drexton again.
Ants!
The Dragons Spirit, once a great schr known for his mastery over all kinds of mystical arts, looked at the crumbling defense line in disdain.
Although the Dragons Spirits werent familiar with the superheroes weapons at first, hence allowing them to gain the upperhand, this great schr Dragons Spirits believed they had the key to victory in their hand, and it turned out to be true.
The defense line was crumbling.
Other than being in an ugly state, what else did they have?
An uglier state! Plus a little bravery!
But such puny bravery was nothing under the Dragons Spirits charge.
Soon, they would all perish!
You will all die soon enough! The marvels will join us as ourrades; the weak will be disqualified and end up as nutrients for the marvels! Are you ready? said the great schr Dragons Spirit. He raised his hand and ready to give the final order, but the next moment, the magma body flew down from the sky.
Kaboom!
The ground shook, the Dragons Spirit stomped into smithereens.
The other Dragons Spirits spread out swiftly.
Cmity Dragon, who was still stuck in the void breach, didnt mind at all,ughing coldly, Siding with the weak always end up like this! You will have to face my Dragon Catastrophe Legion face to face and death will be your only end! As for the Amodr pup or Star-devourerst descendant who got so bloated eating my flesh, Ill throw him into my stomach and digest him!
Cmity Dragon dered loudly, the Dragons Spirits growling en masse and their morale at an all time high.
Devil Kieran looked up at the enormous Cmity Dragon and the Dragon Catastrophe Legion around it, widening his fiery mouth into a grin.
The Devil smiled ferociously and ruthlessly.
Dragon Catastrophe Legion? Have you heard of the Devils Army?
Amid his sinister voice, a wicked sphemy echoed and spread all over the entire battlefield.
The Dragons Spirits who Kieran just killed reappeared, as ally this time, and it wasnt just the normal ones.
Barren Champion Nunsel!
Shadow Assassin Ero!
Windchaser Arrow Tysel!
These three strongest Dragons Spirits appeared behind Devil Kieran, and together with the other reincarnated Dragons Spirits, they all knelt down on one knee.
Fuaaa!
mes burned from their souls, blessing them with a scorching aura and all of them yelled in one voice, FOR THE LORD!
Chapter 1624 - The Real Monster
Chapter 1624: The Real Monster
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Everything went quiet.
[Venomous spheme Whisper] was activated and it silenced the battlefield rapidly.
The Dragons Spirits got reincarnated into Kierans side, only their oaths to serve Kieran heard throughout the battlefield.
The Knight, Weapon Master, Drexton, and Herzker were shocked by the scene. No one expected this scene to happen.
The Devil could resummon the things that he killed?
While everyone was looking at each other, their minds recalled the term that had Kieran mentioned.
The Devils Army! Something even more fearsome than the Dragon Catastrophe Legion, because it did not require the owner to create from souls, only ughter!
Gasp!
The crowd gasped hard as this thought came into their minds, followed by fortunate feelings.
Thank God 2567 is on our side, or else...
Before Drexton even finished, he shook his head in a bitter smile. Everyone else nodded quietly in acknowledgement, especially Pudder and Cymide.
Pudder was simply grateful as a normal human, while Cymide felt scared and fortunate at the same time.
Compared to the superheroes or normal humans, as the investigator from the Union Senate, Cymide knew a lot of hidden news, including the Devil Overlord.
However, based on his knowledge on the Devil Overlord, although it would have followers or an army under itsmand, they were all recruited, not ughtering others to forcefully rope them into its side.
Could it be...
A sudden thought came into Cymides mind.
Champions Quality!
Cmity Dragons growl showed unconceble shock. It widened its horrified eyes.
A mortal owning the bloodline to the Devil Overlord was shocking enough but when this particr mortal even owned the Champions Quality, it wasnt just shock anymore, it was... a miracle!
A nearly impossible miracle!
It could not allow Kieran to live! As long as Kieran breathed, he would eventually grow into tremendous trouble!
Cmity Dragon knew from its inheritance memory what kind of monster the special bloodline with Champions Quality would give birth to.
The two legendary existence that wiped the Sun and Moon shared the same rank. Although those two had retired into history, the memory that was branded in its mind reminded Cmity Dragon of that fearsome experience, numbing its scalp and causing its body to tremble.
Die! He must die! Its either him or me!
The thought solidified itself in Cmity Dragons mind and grew bigger uncontrobly.
The Champion is a scary one, but youve only acquired the Champions Quality! Your future is infinite, but you wont have one, I wont let you live another day! Today is the day you die!
Cmity Dragon roared, Dragon Catastrophe Legion swarming in again. Those reincarnated death souls behind Kieran also charged towards the opposite army at Kierans will.
Two armies came in contact and shed fiercely.
Kaboom!
As though two mountains crashed together, clouds of dust rumbled, thend trembled, fiery ze sshed, arrows flew and danced in the sky.
The reincarnated Devil Army got the absolute upper hand.
It wasnt just because of the powerful trio, Barren Champion Nunsel, Shadow Assassin Ero and Windchaser Arrow Tysel, it was also because [Venomous spheme Whisper] granted the reincarnated dead a certain level of enhancement and allowed them to use fire.
Therefore, although the Devil Army fell short in numbers, its strength grinded through the Dragon Catastrophe Legion.
After the armies shed, both sides fought fiercely to a stalemate for a few seconds before the Dragon Catastrophe Legion started to fall back.
Roar!
A heavy Dragon Whisper echoed in the battlefield.
Cmity Dragon, whose body was still stuck in the void breach, was chanting the inheritance spell that it almost forgot.
To Cmity Dragon, these inheritance spells were only useful when it was born and growing up. Once it entered its prime form, its enormous size provided it absolute strength and control over the gue Force, enough for it to conquer and destroy.
However, in this particr moment, it chanted the spells that it thought it would never use again in its life.
Wind blew over the battlefield. They seeped into the Dragons Spirits, making them quicker in terms of movements and formed a faint Wind Armor around them.
On top of that, a tornado took form in the middle of the two armies and was growing rapidly.
Within a breaths time, the tornado enveloped both armies.
The tornado instantly turned the battlefield into a giant grinder, blending everything that it sucked into it into smithereens
Fung!
The ming beheader swordnded on Cmity Dragons eyelid again.
Painful cries came from Cmity Dragon.
As long as you cant break through my defense, you cant harm me! How long do you have until your atavism time is up? A minute? Or less? Ill be looking forward to your death!
Cmity Dragon shut its eyes tightly, its words uttered through telepathy through the air, not even wanting to open its mouth for it had decided to stall Kieran.
[Transform Devil]s duration was 4 minutes.
Due to the newly leveled up [Fusion Heart], [Transform Devil]s duration was replenished, but after that kind of exhaustion, Kieran had less than 2 minutes left, but he wasnt in a hurry.
sh after shnded on Cmity Dragons eyelid.
Cmity Dragon would shake its head and swing its ws but they were easily dodged. The fiery wings granted him the ability of flight and utmost nimbleness in the air.
Seconds turned into a minute.
Cmity Dragon clearly felt the burning hot, boiling energy inside Devil Kieran slowly calming down.
Hahahaha! Your atavism time is up right!? So what if you have the Devil Overlord bloodline? Champions Quality? You are still not a pure Devil Over-... Huh!?
Cmity Dragonughed delightedly, but halfway through, it stopped abruptly.
It felt the burning hot, boiling bloodline energy boil again to its peak, as though a brewing volcano was erupting.
The energy it felt was at its peak, at its prime!
Cmity Dragons perception caused it to growl in disbelief.
How is this possible? How did you do it? You monster! How did you defy the limits?
The air shook, its voice echoed throughout the battlefield.
Kieran stayed quiet and swung out the beheader sword once more.
He would never tell his enemy about what he just did. He had a Talent, a Talent that he acquired from his limit break dungeon: The Warden!
[The Warden] granted him weak spots immune, priority in any kind of authentication able to refresh the cooldown of a single skill!
Although [The Warden] didnt quite stand out during normal times, it was the key that turned the tide of the battle during crucial times, much like now!
Cmity Dragons eyelid was charred by the repeated fiery shes and when [Authentication Advantage] came into y, the fiery sword finally left a cut on the eyelid.
It was just a small cut but it was enough to frighten Cmity Dragon.
Stop! Lets... Aaaaargh!
Cmity Dragon said loudly, but it quickly screamed in pain.
The ming sword stabbed into Cmity Dragons eyeball through the little cut, the tip of the sword damaging the eyeball.
The pain from the eye spread again, butpared to its gue form, it was much more painful this time. However, the pain wasnt the biggest concern, since Cmity Dragon once again felt a terrifying aura from Kieran.
It wasnt the sun, it wasnt the moon; the sun hasnt risen, the moon had already set.
The darkness was abysmal, but the light was blinding.
Even though Cmity Dragon shut its eyes, it felt like dawn outside.
The light of dawn didnt bring hope, it pushed Cmity Dragon into despair!
[Sword Type Enhance, Ruthless Beheader ming Sword!]
[Sword Skill Increase, Ruthless Beheader ming Sword!]
[Dawn Amplification, all attributes +3, Strength acquires extra +2!]
...
Although the increment of attributes wasnt insignificant, it was a lot weaker whenpared to the increment from Transform Devil. However, [Sword Type Enhance] and [Sword Skill Increase] granted qualitative increase to [Ruthless Beheader ming Sword].
[Ruthless Beheader ming Sword] was a real sword and a skill at the same time.
When both skills were used together on the sword, [Ruthless Beheader ming Sword]s me rose from rank IV to rank V, its sharpness rising from rank IV to rank VI!
Karooom!
The swirling me around the de rose, transforming into a sky-piercing fire pir. Cmity Dragons eye was roasted instantly, the defensive eyelid, which Kieran had to cut multiple times to breakthrough, as weak as tofu now.
Tssss!
Devil Kieran did not swing his sword down, instead flying inside wielding the sword.
Pak!
The roasted eyeball burst upon impact.
Devil Kieran charged through the blood and flesh with his ring beheader ming sword, rapidly closing into Cmity Dragons brain.
As with any kind of being with a physical body, its brain was the biggest weak spot.
Whenever the brain got destroyed, the best oue would be a damaged nerve system and the worse would be death. Cmity Dragon was no exception, in fact it was even more nervous than usual.
Monster! You monster, get out of my head! Cmity Dragon roared.
Scorching sensation roasted its head, the excruciating pain of his head being cut apart was never before felt.
Cmity Dragon panicked, it had never faced such dire situations before since its birth.
It controlled its own flesh, blood, and bones, in hopes of formingyers of defenses to block Devil Kieran from reaching its brain. The strengthened muscles were nothing in front of the beheader ming sword, a single sh slicing away all the flesh. The bones were a little more troublesome, Kieran having to sh with his full might to breakthrough.
Despite the defenses of flesh and bone, Devil Kieran made his way to Cmity Dragons brain, little by little.
The Dragons Spirits on the ground flew up, disregarding the battle with the Devil Army and flying back into Cmity Dragons body, in hopes of stopping Kieran, but... it was an inadequate effort.
None of the Dragons Spirits were able to stop Kieran.
Besides that, the Dragons Spirits moved the battlefield onto Cmity Dragons body, the reincarnated dead would not stop as long as Devil Kierans order remained.
Every single one of them gushed into the eye socket and wreaked havoc inside Cmity Dragon.
It was at this time that three figures snuck out from the scale of Cmity Dragon silently.
As expected of big brother.
Sloth praised as he looked at the struggling Cmity Dragon stuck in the void breach.
He wasnt just praising Kierans strength, he was also impressed by the pace of the battle and the precision of the settings.
The moment the enormous Cmity Dragon got stuck in the void breach, the end was decided.
If it was decisive enough to run away, it might be able to survive this, but should it hesitate... death would be its end!
Pride kept quiet, looking at Cmity Dragon and then Gluttony, who he and Sloth carried out.
Gluttons stomach was as round as a ball, burps sounding endlessly, yet his eyes were glued to Cmity Dragon.
Meat, meat, meat! he muttered.
Stop eating meat you stupid knucklehead, you will eat yourself to death! Big brother still needs our helpterthis big fe is anxious, it will surely do something desperate! Sloth face-palmed himself helplessly.
Oh, oh.
Gluttony nodded in grievance, unwillingly parting with Cmity Dragon and vanishing together with Pride and Sloth.
Devil Kieran finally made his way to Cmity Dragons brain. His sword managed to poke the brain.
Compared to the eyeball, the brain was softer but much bigger.
His zing mes scorched the brain, producing a roasted brain smell. A sh from his beheader ming sword only hurt the brain a little, notpletely destroying the brain.
I will KILL YOU! DIE! IF I cant, Ill drag you down to hell together!
Cmity Dragon entered a frenzied state after its brain was damaged, arousing its soul and reversing its core energy.
A frenzy, rampant aura appeared on Cmity Dragon.
The Knight and Weapon Master, who had been watching the scene, were frightened.
Run! Run back to the shelter! Its going to self-destruct! shouted the two senior superheroes.
The crowd quickly retreated, but as they were running away, they felt a shadow covering their head.
Everyone looked up instinctively and what they saw froze their escape.
Holy Shit!
What did they see?
A monster?
A monster over 5 km in size appeared under the night sky, casting a dark shadow over the escaping crowd.
Hundreds of thousands of limbs tore open the void.
An ancient King Beast from another dynasty descended into this world, answering its summon!
Chapter 1625 - PUSH!
Chapter 1625: PUSH!
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The sky was torn open by a giant arm, a monster with limbs swirling around its giant eyes, glowing in a rainbow color, crawling out from the void.
Its eyes were shining, its mouth had saw-like teeth, spinning ceaselessly, as though it wanted to grind every living being into smithereens.
Creature of Desire!
The moment it appeared, everyone whoid eyes on it screamed in shock. Moreover, after multiple level ups and upgrades, its size had reached 5000 meters. The shock on peoples face made them look pale.
Everyone on the ground looked up to the Creature of Desire, as though they were almost eaten by the monster.
W-What is this monster? Kat Lady stuttered.
Drexton and Herzker heightened their cautions to an all time high.
Drexton looked worried, the thought Is Alkender dogged with disaster? troubled his mind.
The Knight and Weapon Master, on the other hand recalled their memories, in hopes of finding more information about the monster but in the end, they shook their heads fruitlessly.
Look! Willis yelled.
A scarlet red figure burst out from Cmity Dragons body andnded on top of Creature of Desire.
The disgusting, scary looking Creature of Desire did not show any dissatisfaction or resistance, instead shaking its limbs like a spoiled child.
Everyone went nk at the scene, especially Cymide.
T-T-This... Am I seeing this right? This monster is 2567s pet?
The investigator from the senate widened his eyes as his jaw dropped.
In fact, not only him, everyone else shared the same expression, even Cmity Dragon, who had initiated its self-destruct sequence.
It widened its only intact eye at Creature of Desire. Although the creatures size was far smaller than itself, the danger that it emanated was serious.
Cmity Dragon felt like Kieran had seen through its next move again.
No! Impossible! How could this be!?
The moment the thought formed, it was discarded from its mind.
It had no ground to retreat now, the self-destruct sequence was irreversible.
All those thoughts were useless now!
Ill take you and this city to hell with me! Cmity Dragon yelled, for it had gambled everything on this single move.
Devil Kieran reached out his hand and caressed Creature of Desire.
He too had no idea where Creature of Desires head was, so he simply caressed the part nearest to the core eye. When his magma hand touched Creature of Desire, an intimate feeling entered his heart.
After consuming a huge amount of [Aimida Flower], Creature of Desire was tamer than ever.
However, its trait of consuming items and equipment still hadnt changed, therefore it was impossible for Kieran to summon it during normal times.
It was only necessary during crucial moments, like now, against the self-destructing Cmity Dragon!
Kierans Intuition sensed the rapid changes in Cmity Dragons body, so he knew what he should do. Although it hurt his heart immensely, it was better than death.
Kierans mind was clear, so he gave the order with his mind.
Creature of Desire stood tall, looking straight at Cmity Dragon. Its core eye shone first, followed by the main eye, the sub eye, and the derivative eyes.
When all eyes lit up, thousands of burning rays were fired out in union.
The night sky was lit up brightly and the target of the burning ray, Cmity Dragon, was sted off instantly.
Creature of Desire purposely aimed at the roasted eye of Cmity Dragon. Even though Cmity Dragon controlled its flesh and bones to try to defend against the burning ray, it was still painful.
As one of Kierans trump cards, Creature of Desire was different from Transform Devil, which provided Kieran with all kinds of buffs. Its only specialty was its many attacking targets.
Quantitative change incites qualitative change!
Back when Creature of Desire was still at a rookie level, it had already achieved desirable results and now reaching level IV, Creature of Desire was stronger than ever.
[Summoned Creature of Desire IV!]
[Name: Creature of Desire IV]
[Type: Summon]
[Rarity: Special]
[Attribute: 1. Desire Dominance IV, 2. Thousand Evil Eye Strike IV]
[Effect: Devour]
[Prerequisite: Fusion Heart]
[Remark: The shards of Eye of Chimeras fused with you flesh, blood and desire, and created this monster. Its strength and malefic nature could not be contained by the world!]
...
[Desire Dominance IV: Your deepest desires will be exposed before the Creature. It will be erged infinitely and turned it into a weapon against you. When you are facing the Creature of Desire, Lust, Greed, Gluttony, Sloth, Wrath, Envy and Pride seven types of irresistible authentication will ur, target who passed will be immune by the effect, target who fails will be punished by the respective sins.]
[Thousand Evil Eye Strike IV: Thousands of Evil Eyes possessed offensive abilities, each of them can fire a beam of burning ray, with attack authentication. The core eye has rank IV and above attack; the ten main eyes had rank III and above attack; the hundred sub eyes had rank II and above attack, and the rest of the derivative eyes had Advanced Rank attack. You can fire them all together at a single target all separately at different targets, 1 time per day.]
...
[Devour: When Creature of Desire devour the targets under the its effect or target that it kills, the power will transfer to the user as well]
[Note: Devour is a special trait, the targets that Creature of Desire kill will not drop any loots.]
...
After he saw the obvious Note, Kierans heart beat faster than usual, it even twitched but it didnt stop him from ordering Creature of Desire to attack.
As Creature of Desire was releasing its burning rays, it rapidly closed the distance between Cmity Dragon.
You monster! Get away from me!
The bleeding and broken Cmity Dragon shouted. Creature of Desire extended its huge arms, grabbing Cmity Dragons head close to itself.
Creature of Desire started to spin, from slow to fast, and within a breaths time, its rapid spinning createdyers of afterimages in the crowds eyes.
Cmity Dragon was forced to spin as well, yet the rapid spinning from Creature of Desire failed to twist the robust neck off. Kieran sighed, giving up thest bit of hope in trying to fulfill his greed.
He was okay with feeding Creature of Desire rather than getting nothing at all in return but the failed attempt told Kieran Cmity Dragon was still very strong, stronger than he expected.
If Kieran did not trap Cmity Dragon in the void breath, this battle would get uglier as time passed. Unless he unleashed his final trump card, he would never win, and should he use hisst trump card...
Kieran quickly discard the thought as it formed.
It wasnt time! It wasnt time!
Kieran changed his thought, the new thought in his mind bing the order for Creature of Desire.
Creature of Desire spun even harder, in hopes of pushing Cmity Dragon into the void.
Before this, Cmity Dragon struggled to get back inside the void, but because of its posture, it was very difficult. Now, with the spinning force pushing it back, it was much easier, like an electric drill working. Cmity Dragons body was shrinking back into the void in exponential speed.
Noo! Noooo! Cmity Dragon shouted.
This wasnt its desired oue, it wanted Kieran to die with it. If it returned to the void, it would die alone! It was uneptable!
Yet its soul was damaged, its body even more so. It tried to struggle but it was futile, especially in front of Creature of Desires huge spinning force. Cmity Dragon lost hisst bit of hope.
All it could do was watch itself being pushed back into the void and Kieran robbed thest tiny bit of hope he had by ordering Bloody Mary to destroy the transportation magic formation the moment Cmity Dragon was forced back.
Bloody Mary carried out the order and the breach to the void was shut.
ILL CURSE...
KABOOM!
Cmity Dragons voice stopped abruptly, a heavy but faint explosioning from the void. Kieran could even spot a shallow crack in the sky, where the breach was.
Cmity Dragons self-destruct was absurdly powerful that it almost tore apart space itself, but it was only an almost.
The wall between space and void was stronger than anyone could imagine.
What appeared in Kierans vision next also surpassed his expectation.
[Authenticating yers action...]
[Authenticated yers action of killing a modern ancient being...]
[Special dungeons deterrent force +1]
[Acquired special title: Dragon Hunter (Modern Ancient Type)]
[Dragon Hunter (Modern Ancient Type): This is a special title, you will be well-received in some dungeon world, or expelled; Acquires +1 attack authentication towards Secondary, Hybrid, Apex Dragon, Elder Dragon, Modern Ancient Dragon Type. 1 time per day, yer has the option to activate it or not.]
...
Special title? Kieran was stunned but before he could ponder upon the title, more words came.
[yer will leave the dungeon in 3 seconds]
[Please take whatever items you wish to keep with you.]
[Note: Any items that exceed the maximum weight will be discarded!]
...
This return time was faster than any other return, but Kieran was cheated once by the system, so he habitually carried every loot with him all the time. Even if he couldnt get the loot the quickest, he would arrange something else to help him.
Therefore, even if he would return right away, he wouldnt lose anything.
He turned around and waved at Drexton before vanishing.
[Special Dungeon: Hero and Viin II]
[Dungeon Difficulty: Medium High]
[Main Mission: Fend off all the malicious super criminals from the city within 12 weeks (The more you fend off, the higher the rating)]
[Mission Completion: 500% (Acquired rating: SSS)]
[Complete mission in advance: Rating SSS Z]
[Battle performance: Very active (Rating Z ZZ)]
[Exploration performance: Average]
[Special Rating 1: Stopped Cmity Dragons descension (Rating ZZ V, Rep +5)]
[Special Rating 2: Indirectly killed Cmity Dragon (Rating V VVV, Rep +10)]
[yer final rating VVV!]
[Calcting yers final special dungeon reward...]
[yers final special dungeon reward as listed...]
[Points: 400,000; Skill Points: 70; Golden Skill Points: 7; Golden Attribute Points: 7]
[Acquired key item: Printon City Map (After destruction)]
[Acquired special dungeon: Hero and Viin III]
...
White light shone, Kieran returning to Wallway Street 13th again.
Bloody Mary and Frost Wolf appeared right behind him.
Bloody Mary was holding a book with a dark golden glow, smiling with ttery; Frost Wolf was biting a bead bracelet, wagging its tail happily.
The book was from the man named Luther in Printon City. The bead bracelet was from the ck knight orchestrating the descent of Cmity Dragon, a nameless knight, or rather, Kieran didnt know.
These two items were his important loots other than leveling [Fusion Heart] this trip.
Because of the region limitation, his loot this trip wasnt a lot.
Aside from the consumed [Dark Golden Stone], there was [Imperfect Mordin Sculpture], [Explosion Stone], [Exorcism Arrow], and [Broken Io Mirror].
[Exorcism Arrow]s usage counter has been used up, hed need to recharge it.
[Broken Io Mirror] and [Dark Gold Stone] were consumed, converted into energy to fuel his divine me.
Which left him with [Imperfect Mordin Sculpture] with the attribute [Moon Eclipse] and [Explosion Stone]. The items had value but they were impractical to raise his strength.
Therefore, Kieran had high hopes for the two extra loot he got from Bloody Mary and Frost Wolf.
Frost Wolf was thumping its paws, hence Kieran picked up the bracelet first.
The bracelet was formed by beads as big as olives, but ck in color. Each bead was carved into a skull shape, a total of 12 beads stringed together, nothing else.
[Name: Soul Nether Beads]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: Above I]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: Above I]
[Attribute: 1. Soul Keep; 2. Soul Gu Breeding]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: Mystical Knowledge (Master), Spirit I]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: During the papal era of Hero and Viin world, the cult schrs treated with utmost injust, their intact inheritance knowledge were broken and lost, the remaining knowledge were kept by intentional parties, transformed into a different kind of inheritance but in order to use said inheritance, one must have rted knowledge and a strong will.]
...
[Soul Keep: Able to keep 1000 wandering souls, 100 evil spirits, 10 spectres (Current: 0)]
[Soul Gu Breeding; Through the method of Gu breeding, which was a traditional method of preparing poison with many venomous insects, the same methods were used on the souls. The wandering souls can eat and kill each other, therefore having a small chance of creating an evil spirit and even slimmer chance of creating a spectre.]
...
No doubt a very special item.
Has no attack but once put in good use, miraculous effect will follow.
Kieranmented on it objectively.
He then received the book from Bloody Mary.
It wasnt a skill book, just a mere item.
[Name: Book of Curse]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: II]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: II]
[Attribute: You must read to find out the secret]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: Mystical Knowledge (Master), Spirit II]
[Able to bring out of dungeon]
[Remark: One of the item passed down by the cult schrs, the Book of Curse is something more extreme. Read it to truly understand its secret.]
...
Kieran frowned at the Prerequisite of [Book of Curse].
He fitted the Spirit criteria but not the Master level [Mystical Knowledge].
Kieran got said skill through learning, so he knew how time-consuming it was.
Was a rank II [Book of Curse] worth his time?
He asked himself the question.
It was at this moment, his PM tab pinged him.
It was from Starbeck, the mimosa.
Chapter 1626 - Everything Seems Natural
Chapter 1626: Everything Seems Natural
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Starbeck: 2567, my dish iscking an ingredient, so Im taking a stroll at Ro Street and since Ro Street is having a food carnival, you wannae?
2567: Where are you?
Starbeck: Im at the middle corner of Ro Street.
2567: Wait for me.
Starbeck: Ok!
...
In the middle of Ro Street, Starbeck happily strolled along while humming a melody when he got the decisive answer from his PM tab.
The little melody was what Kieran used to hum, Starbeck remembered it. It wasnt quick and rxing, itd allow a person to rx unconsciously, suitable for a stroll.
Sigh, Ive failed again. I knew it wasnt easy simply changing the recipe... But if I dont change it, the ingredients are too different, it wont help 2567 as much... If only I can get into Name of Eat dungeon... Too bad Im such a coward.
Starbeck hummed the melody he copied from Kieran, trying his best to rx but his mind was pondering upon the alteration and development of his dish.
Hed failed three times in a row, and it was something he had never experienced before.
If it was some other thing, it wouldnt be anything surprising but Starbeck was quite confident in his culinary skills, so it was very rare.
It wasnt just because of his talents, it was also his confidence and most importantly, his skillful hands in cooking.
Starbeck was a natural in controlling the spices and ingredients, it wasnt just because of his Talent [Agiel Hands], it was something deeper. He had this skill since he was born, like the absurd amount of wealth that could rival a country. Starbeck was used to it, until he met 2567.
At first he wasnt really bothered by his talents but it slowly turned into gratitude because he never realized how important his talent was to him until the encounter.
He wished to help 2567, like the many times 2567 helped him.
Each time he stood beside 2567, the peace, thefort, and the safety plus the bravery was an intoxicating feeling. He did not want to let it go, wishing to stay beside 2567 for as long as he could.
However, in this ce, this big city that mixed the truth with lies, danger lurked.
2567 was strong, he knew it, but he knew 2567 was in a lot of trouble, any misstep would send him deep into hell beyond redemption.
Especially those troublesome enemies that he had to face, Starbeck knew everything well.
Whenever he thought about the day 2567 would leave the game, a never before felt fear rose in his heart, as though it was consuming him whole. It was a first for him.
Starbeck was a coward, he knew it, he was used to acting in front of strangers. It was because of the awkwardness and also his identityowning something others couldnt own for the rest of their lives would require him to sustain the weight than others couldnt too.
Yet the fear that rose this time was different, he knew it deep in his heart. He could ept other kinds of fear, but not this one.
So after the initial panicking state, Starbeck nned carefully. He knew his weakness, he couldnt have provided any kind of help in battle, so he turned to his forte, using what he did best to help 2567!
2567 still wasnt strong enough against those troublesome enemies, so he must make 2567 stronger, reaching the level of that woman!
If she could do it, so could he to 2567!
Dok Dok Dok!
Humming his melody, Starbeck raised his hand and knocked on the door.
Unlike the anxiety and nervousness towards a stranger, Starbeck was very calm at this moment, his presence even feeling different. It wasnt his strength that changed, it was his attitude and... confidence!
Starbeck knew how to utilise his advantage to the situation. The only thing remaining was the little melody.
Tssk Gak!
The door opened.
The yer who opened the door widened his eyes, his pupils shrinking, frightened by Starbeck. He clearly felt the unusual presence from Starbeck.
Starbeck, who knocked on his door, wasnt a casual looking yer, he was like a king taking a stroll in his hunting field, not only superior but had the right to decide life and death.
It wasnt his strength, yet it felt like it! It was strange and it pressured said yer.
The unusual horrific experience made the yer shake his head rapidly.
It was an illusion! Illusion!
He told himself and quickly went to the point.
The things you requested are ready, the yer then passed Starbeck a sack.
The sack was covered with a mystical sealing spell, yet a bit of energy inside it seeped out. It wasnt the wicked kind, or the chaotic kind, neither was it the light or the vast, but it was tenacity, the tenacity of overflowing life.
Without opening it, Starbeck knew it was the thing he sought after. He took the sack and ced it in his pack.
What did you promise us?
The rights to trade in E Port is yours, Starbeck then turned around.
Thank you for your generosity, the yer bowed. He did not feel any shame in the bow just because he was an Advanced Rank yer.
Back in real life, that E Port was a prosperous trading port, the iing earned from trading there gave astronomical figures every year. With the rights to trade there, he could provide a wealthy life for his family and be able to use the money in real life to pay for his Points. As the dungeon difficulty increased, a yer like him was facing difficulties in reaping extra benefits or gains.
Otherwise he would never choose to strike a deal with Starbeck.
Starbeck was...
The yer ultimately shook the thought away, turning back into his room and vanishing.
The yer thought he was being inconspicuous but the trade was like watching a show in a theatre for someone.
m!
Wu mmed the table, the crystal ball on her table jumped.
Vixen! Damn vixen! Wu shouted.
Promptly, he fell on the sofa, helplessly.
What kind of opponent was the hardest to deal with?
If Wu was ignorant before, the answer came to her when she met Starbeck.
Starbeck was the hardest kind.
The disgraceful, know-no-shame bastard tangling around Crow was the arch nemesis of her life!
Starbeck harboured no malicious intentions, he was helping Crow unconditionally, without a question, but because of that, Wu couldnt make a move.
Should Starbeck show any inkling of harming Crow, Wu had the confidence to deliver a graveless death, but she knew what Starbeck was trying to do, at least getting to know, so she had no ground to make a move.
Helplessness filled her heart, causing her to m the table again.
m!
The crystal ball jumped again, higher this time, falling off the little stand and rolling down the table. Just as the crystal ball fell off the table, a hand grabbed it.
Dont mess up my living room please, Rachel said and put the crystal ball back to the little rack.
Is there anyway to kill this bastard and Crow wont hate me for it? Wu looked at her friend.
What do you think? Rachel flipped a white eye and continued in an upset tone, Given how 2567 reacts, if you really strike this Starbeck down, you guys will have to fight until the end of time. Believe me, 2567 shares resemnce with Lawless. Anyone who touches his friend, Lawless will go nuts. Same goes with 2567, probably even scarier.
At least Im confident enough to win Lawless, but 2567? Just imagine how powerful he could be if he flipped all his trump cards up. I guess... even he has no idea how powerful he could be.
Rachel suddenly felt restless.
As one of the earliest yers who befriended Kieran, Rachel watched Kieran grow stronger.
During the first meeting, Kieran was still a rookie, Rachel was nearing rank V.
Now, Kieran was already in rank V, Rachel was still stuck at nearing rank V.
Shock, right?
Frustrating, right?
In fact, Rachel believed if it wasnt Kierans presence stimting her, she would be stuck for a longer time.
Its only a few short months and he has been through half of our lives, which we took pride in. He is definitely untrained in real life and us? We are trained, veterans and experienced in the business, so I think we must have encountered the dear son of the big city.
Do you know what the fes looked like when they found out 2567 reached rank V? Its like constipation for their entire life. Then every one of them went into hiding, otherwise what else do you think they had been doing? Dont get me started on that Broker bastard! That bastard must have seen thising, that is why he hid in his hole so early on, Rachel went all out andined to her friend.
Then, Wu chuckled, a proud sound.
The Wisher who dressed like a witch touched her crystal ball, and said in a very certain tone, This is only natural, he is Crow!
You... Do you know what I am talking about? Dont even think about touching Starbeck. If you so happen toy a finger on him, not only will you lose your stand in the big city, you will lose everything in real life too!
Wus reaction increased Rachels frustration, throwing [Cooking]s skill book to her and walking out of the room.
After a while, Rachels roars came through the door.
YOU BASTARD! STEALING ALCOHOL AGAIN!
N-No! Im just testing for the expiration date!
Crash!
Lawless argument ended when the bottle was smashed on his head.
The noise cancelling door shut after that.
Wu showed a sense of admiration before he picked up the skill book.
Do you think Ill just give up like this? Hmph! Naive!
...
Starbeck stood in the middle corner of the street after he acquired the main ingredients, patiently waiting for Kieran.
The crowd flowed like an endless river before his eyes, a great challenge for the old Starbeck, but now, it was just anticipation.
He anticipated joining the crowd with Kieran.
Huh?
Starbeck spotted a person whose face wasnt blurred out by the system during his wait.
The natives?
It wasnt a secret that J.Pearlman was rebuilding Freedom Alliance. A while ago, someone hunted down the Freedom Alliance and the news spread like wildfire. Nothing could cover it up.
Though, when J.Pearlman epted those natives as part of the new Freedom Alliance, it was still shocking news.
It was just news for a day or two, no one would care about these natives without strength, talent, and skills after that.
The yers were busy with themselves, why would they spare time to care about the natives?
Therefore, even if the yers saw a native holding a broom and dustpan among the crowd, theyd return to their usual activities after an extra nce.
This particr native lowered his head, carefully cleaning any rubbish that he saw.
This was his job, the job Sir J.Pearlman fought for him.
He was part of the first batch of natives, and if this worked, more natives could be working in Ro Street, hence the carefulness.
After the dustpan was full, the native avoided the crowd and headed to the trash cans. He did not dump everything inside though, instead carefully selecting the rubbish he collected.
Aluminium bottles and cans plus a little bit of leftover food were all kept away in his pocket.
It was permitted by Ro Streets authority.
The metal or aluminium could be traded for some daily items and food from the ironsmith. Compared to the insignificant wage, this was the major ie for the native.
As for the leftover food? It would be his three meals.
He ought to provide his wife and kids with clean and full food.
He himself would have to bear with the leftover. He was okay with it, he tried his best to select the clean ones and even if it was dirty, hed eat it after blowing.
The native blew away some dust stuck on a meatball and then delivered it into his mouth.
Although cold, the meatballs springiness remained and the richness of the meat put a smile on his face. It was satisfaction from the bottom of his heart.
However, when the native saw a yer walk over, he carefully stepped away and tried not to be in the yers way.
Natives and yers were different, the natives knew that the moment they arrived in the big city.
Despite the fact that they were taken care of by a good yer like J.Pearlman, not all yers were kind.
The native bowed humbly and meticulously for he knew his position in his big city, but out of his expectation, the yer walked to him.
My lord, is there anything that I can do for you? the native asked respectfully.
Help me throw these away, the yer passed the native a bag.
Not a problem, the native nodded, took the bag with both hands and avoided touching the yers hands.
When the yer let go, the native felt how heavy the bag was, and at the same time, the native saw what the bag was holding.
There was food in packages, all opened yet steaming hot.
The native was stunned, looking back up and trying to make sure was it a mistake but when he did, the yer was long gone.
The native looked back down at the bag of food, hoping to find something in the bag but other than food, there was food.
His eyes teared up as the warmth filled his hands.
Hot, food, He sobbed.
He carefully carried the bag of food with him.
Steaming hot food was nice. He wanted to have a taste too, but his wife and kids would be happier right?
Carrying the bag of food, the native bowed in the direction where the yer went off, Thank you.
...
After turning into a corner, Starbeck heaved a long breath because of his nervousness and the short sprint.
Hope you can make it! Starbeck prayed for the native.
Although he had many ways to help, he wasnt an idiot, so he knew overhelping wasnt a good thing.
Same saying applied to real life and in the big city.
A bag of food wouldnt turn eyes, but if it was some other things that could be rted to Points, unwanted trouble will follow.
He wouldnt be helping people then, he would be cing them in a troubled position.
Besides, he had many other ways to help, but that was a story for another day.
Now?
The ck figure appeared in Starbecks sight and all the thoughts in his mind were emptied out.
2567! Starbeck waved happily, calling out softly.
Chapter 1627 - Change
Chapter 1627: Change
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran walked side by side with Starbeck along Ro Street.
Around them were an endless flow of people and along both sides of the street were stalls preparing for the food carnival.
Unlike the usual Ro Street, during the food carnival, the whole of Ro Street was split in three-ways and stalls were ced back to back against each other, forming a total of 4 rows.
The sideways of the street were mobile stalls and shops, and more mobile stalls filled the center walkway.
Kieran and Starbeck walked in the middle, because the food there looked tastier.
Kierans powerful Intuition was certain of his choice and Starbeck just purely followed Kieran around.
Standing at the start of Ro Street, Kieran looked into it with his sharp eyes. Other than the moving crowd, he saw many other stalls. Roast oyster, scallops, teppanyaki squid, takoyaki, cheesedog, fresh fruit juice, roasted sweet potato, skewers, fried milk pieces, potato cakes, beancurd warps, friend pancake, cold noodles, and stuffed sausages were all there.
The stalls further away were blocked by the moving crowd, Kierans sight only reaching that far.
The smell of the food made him eager but he still followed the rules, lining up in queues and taking numbers for his turn to buy food.
Starbeck smiled all the way beside Kieran, buying one for himself asionally.
To Starbeck, the food on sale was average but as long as Kieran was with him, even the most average food tasted better.
More so, Starbeck knew the saying everyone has merits and shorings.
No one should be looked down.
Absorbing peoples merits may not rapidly increase his culinary skills but it was enough to serve as hints.
Both of them strolled and pause along stalls. Kieran spent almost 30 minutes exchanging Points for coupons before they reached the end of the center walkway.
Kieran turned back, looking at Starbeck with a questionable gaze.
The center walkway hade to an end, but there were still two more on both sides.
It was irrational for Kieran to give up on the remaining sides.
Either side is fine, Starbeck said with a smile. After Kieran picked a side, he added in his heart, As long as Im with you.
...
Borl was on his way to Harvest Inn but the figure that appeared in his way forced him to a stop.
The way the figure stood and posed told Borl the figure came for him.
Although Borl suffered a great loss of strength, his experience told him to step away.
However, another figure jumped behind him, which made Borl wisely give up the option of escape.
Resist?
Impossible. He knew his limits very well.
Mr. Borl right? Dont worry, we dont mean you any harm, Be, who stopped Borls way, exined with a smile.
Is that so? Borl reserved his opinion on the topic.
Power is the truth.
Borl understood it very well when he entered the big city early one, that was the reason for his rapid growth and rise in poprity back then.
He did not oppose the powerful bing tyrants; he did not show mercy to the weak.
Survival of the fittest, thats the way the world spun.
If that ident hadnt happened, he would have kept that thought and would always take pride in being the magistrate of the Guardians.
After that ident, his identity of magistrate was stripped and he was weakened below a normal yer, at most stronger than a newbie.
The changes threw him into despair, he hoped to turn it around but the attempts were futile.
The backup ns he saved up were all seen through and he almost ended up as an after meal joke. Almost, because there was still someone who treated him fairly.
When he reigned high on top, fairness stood by him.
When he fell to the abyss, fairness was nothing but a fairytale.
So when he was treated with fairness by this someone, his dead heart was rekindled with hope. He thought he could try again, not relying on anyone but himself!
Therefore, Borl said, You people are here because of the Guardians?
Thats right, we are here for the Guardians. As a matter of fact, we too used to be Guardians but we experienced the same thing as you, Mr. Borl, but lucky us, we were prepared, so we were able to minimize the loss, Be nodded.
And then? Borl furrowed his brows, not believing Bepletely.
The part about experiencing the same thing should be real, but the part about minimizing the lost? Borl remained doubtful.
If this woman had done what she imed she did, what was the meeting for?
We hoped to work with you, Mr. Borl. Although we experienced the same thing, it wasnt entirely the same, so if you can tell us what youve been through, I think it may be a great help to us. Of course, after you helped us, well help you too. Our leader has quite the research on that person, he might be able to help you regain your lost strength, Be was being honest.
Her tone rose an rm in Borls heart, bing more cautious than ever.
He was thinking if he rejected the proposition, what would she do?
There was a high chance that she would abduct him and interrogate him with some special methods to get what they sought.
It wasnt hard to abduct someone in the big city, even more so when the target was a weak person like him, then it was a piece of cake.
Rather than being forced, might as well give a shot to seize the initiative.
Borl said, Regain my lost strength? I dont need it anymore, I want something more practical. Points and Skill Points.
His mind was thinking about the person who treated him fairly again, andpared to this kind of forced trade, the fairness seemed a lot more valuable.
Be was stunned, Borls reaction sort of catching her off guard. Based on the information she gathered, Borl should be eager to regain what he lost, but she soon smiled.
Sure, how much do you require? Be asked.
At least 50,000 Points, 30 Skill Points, Borl voiced his offer.
It was a meticulously thought answer.
The number wasnt high for an organization and it was sufficient for Borl to handle some situations. If things unfolded as expected, Be had no intentions to argue on the price.
Of course, Be said and took out a contract.
Are you sure you want me to tell you here? Why not head to Harvest Inn? That ce is safer, Borl said and walked forward.
Be didnt stop him this time because she agreed.
Back in the days, the safest ce would be the Witchsir, without a doubt, even though no one knew where it was located.
After the Witch was out of the equation, Brokers secret bazaar was the safest.
And now?
Harvest Inn, where the ming Devil always visits, was the publically known safe ce.
No one was crazy enough to start trouble there, unless they had a death wish.
Ding Dong!
Borl entered through the front door, the wind chime sounding. Lawless with the mop saw Borl walked in, frowning.
Lawless knew Borl, he was a regr at the inn and considered a friend.
But thedy behind him? First to the eyes.
Her presence wasntpletely friendly either, especially the two men behind thedy, they reeked of malice.
Hey, Borl. Need a hand? Lawless said while mopping the floor.
Its fine, they are my trades, Borl smiled and made Bes identity clear.
If that person treated him with fairness, lighted up his dark and despair heart, the man before his eyes would make him feel warm.
He shouldnt visit the inn as often as he did but because of Lawless, it became a habit, even if he came for just a free lemon water.
Okay, Lawless nodded and turned back to the bar counter.
A lot of people tend to finish their trade or deal at Harvest Inn.
Familiar acquaintances with familiar acquaintances; familiar acquaintances with strangers.
The former wouldnt need to pay a dime, but thetter would have to bear the fee.
Zaka Egg Whiskey.
That will be 10 Points, thank you very much, Lawless served the ss of whiskey to Be.
Be knew the rules, paying for the drink and then taking a nce at Lawless, who returned to mopping. She then looked at Borl.
Borl was smart, so he initiated a chat through private messages.
Borl: The Enigmatic Realm! When you reach a certain level of danger, the Witchs Mark will initiate it!
Be: Enigmatic Realm?
Borl: Yes, not a Mystic State or whatsoever, but an Enigmatic Realm! Youll be sucked into it unknowingly. You think you are in the ce you should be, but its not. Youll then get deeper into the realm and when you finally notice, the dagger will be revealed and the realm will reap what it sowed. Your strength will leave you swiftly and then youll fall into slumber, when you wake up, youll be as weak as me.
Be: Is there any way to prevent it?
Borl: I have no idea but you people can try wearing more Spirit protection items.
...
The messaging ended quickly.
Be even left without saying goodbye.
Borl uncorked the egg whiskey on the table as he watched Be left, and then he walked to Lawless.
Here. On me, Borl said.
Why why! So generous of you! Lawlessughed happily and took the bottle.
This is the best I can do now!
Can you help me to buy some equipment?
Borl joked before he voiced his question.
Of course, what do you need? Lawless asked.
Equipment or item that specifically targets a one-time use item.
Borl listed out his wishlist through a message, leaving only 50 Points on himself and paid everything else to Lawless.
He trusted Lawless too, or rather, the only one trustable here was Lawless.
Leave it to me, Lawless then started to contact his friends.
10 minutester, Borls wishlist was fulfilled.
You are trying to go solo on this? Lawless initiated a trade and asked.
Yeah, Ive run out of options, Borl smiled bitterly.
Need help on partying? Im a very good mercenary! Lawless pointed his big thumb at himself.
Borl was stunned, then tapped on Lawless shoulder.
Thanks. If I cane back in one piece, Ill treat you to another round.
Borl then walked to the bar counter.
I need a temporary shelter for an hour, Borl then gave thest 50 Points to Rachel.
Follow me.
Rachel nced over Borl and then turned into the secret passage.
This secret passage did not lead to the usual living room, neither did it lead outside, it was connected to another house behind Harvest Inn.
An hour, you can use it as you please. If you break something, Ill have to charge you for that. Ille back in an hour.
Rachel reminded Borl and then walked back into the secret passage.
Borl watched the passage closed up, he then walked to the only sofa in the room.
A few consecutive deep breathster, he vanished into white light.
At the same time, somewhere else, secluded in the big city, an irritating rm sounded ceaselessly.
When the rm rang, Zorl, the publicly known Registrar, rushed out of his room and headed to the healing pod with Broker inside. He quickly pressed the emergency button.
The rm finally stopped after the button was pushed. Zorl heaved a breath of relief, but at the next moment, he widened his eyes, because...
St!
Broker spat out a mouthful of blood from his slumber.
His eyes also slowly opened up.
Initiate the backup n.
That was the only sentence Broker said, clearly. He spat out another mouthful of blood and fell into a deeper slumber.
Zorl did not dare to dy the order, pulling out a ck box that he always carried with him. He keyed in a series ofplicated passwords, the box opening and revealing a button.
Zorl pressed it, but nothing happened. He wasnt surprised though because this was what his master was good at: boiling frog!
When boiling a frog, the frog will only know the water was boiling it to death until the veryst moment, but it was already toote as it would be boiled to death.
Only until thest moment, the target would realize this was a trap but it would already be useless because it would be in the bag!
Zorl recalled how Broker would always be victorious in the end, his confidence boosted.
Even though Broker had fallen into slumber again and his mouth was still tainted red, nothing would change.
Master will surely turn this around!
So Zorl believed.
...
After truly stopping by every single stall in the food carnival and walking over every inch of the street, Kieran sent Starbeck to his house. Those bodyguards who got undercover behind them for half a day finally heaved a breath of relief. They then returned to their respective positions.
Taking Kierans advice, Starbeck increased the security around him and even told his bodyguards to learn from Lawless and the others about dungeon clearing.
Of course, it wasnt for free.
The bodyguards knew it perfectly, hence they cherished the chance even more because of the scrumptious pay and the chance to change their lives.
The bodyguards were very happy with their employer.
Other than absolutely necessary, their employer would never leave his room, which made their job easy, but today was different!
The endless flowing crowd in the street was a nightmare for the bodyguards, and now recalling back the busy scene, they couldnt help but bitterly smile because it was very exhausting. A few hours in the crowd would drain them of their energy, despite being quite strong. Still, the bodyguards dare not lower their guards.
Therefore, when an unusual wind blew, they were very rmed.
Kieran turned around and ced Starbeck behind him.
Chapter 1628 - Accident
Chapter 1628: ident
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The unusual wind blew from nowhere!
The wind formed a basketball-sized tornado and grew with exponential speed.
Fuaaah!
Kieran hurled out Devil me without further ado.
The zing Devil me shed with the whistling tornado. The mes got fiercer and the wind got stronger, the tornado absorbing the Devil me and transforming it into a 3 meters tall fiery tornado!
Fuaaaa!
The fiery tornado did not move forward, spinning endlessly on the spot.
The unusual thing was, the fiery tornado didnt seem to possess any suction force, other than the dust on the ground. Kieran and Starbeck werent affected, their sleeves and mantle did not even flutter.
Yet the malice in the tornado was obvious. It wasnt just Kieran who sensed it, Starbeck did too, and it was very clear.
Starbeck took out a scroll.
Right after that, 10yers of barriers that could easily block Advanced Rank attacks formed around him and Kieran and it wasnt the end.
Starbeck pulled out more scrolls. Three stacks of scrolls, as tall as half a person, were pulled out in an organized fashion and were ced within his reach.
It seemed like Starbeck had anticipated and simted this kind of situation.
He wasnt really fast with his actions, but he rhythmically tore each and every scroll, using them on himself.
From the basic defensive barrier, to the Elemental Damage Protection, Curse Protection and Curse Reflect Barrier, when he finally finished using the scrolls, hundreds ofyers of protection appeared around him. He literally formed a sanctuary for himself, a sanctuary that even a God would be helpless against.
After that, fiery Fire Elementals and icy Ice Elementals, a total of 12 each that lined up in 2 rows, appeared in between Kieran, Starbeck, and the fiery tornado.
Starbeck was still holding two more scrolls, and these two were unlike the others.
These two scrolls were quite big, almost a meter in length and as thick as a small tree. A normal person couldnt even move it, anyone who got near would be burned or frozen, but Starbeck was able to hug them tight in his arms like they were pillows. At the edge of the big scrolls was a glowing ne. It protected Starbeck from the burn and the freeze from the scrolls, allowing him to pinch on to the edge of both the big scrolls with his respective hands, should anything happen, he would be able to quickly tear them and use them.
Elementals were sealed in these two big scrolls, but they werent any Elementals, they were Elemental Overlords!
Starbeck locked his eyes at the fiery tornado.
Then... the fiery tornado slightly moved back.
The tornado started to doubt its decision, its worldview was almost shattered by Starbecks defenses.
Who am I?
Where am I?
What am I doing?
I am the Wind of Malice!
I am in a faraway rural area!
I was hired toe here and kill a country boy who keeps ruining his majestys n, but...
Who can tell me who the hell is this country, who?! He might seem harmless, weak, and even on the verge of crying a river, but I strongly believe if I take another step forward, that harmless, weak country boy will cry Donte near me! and tear open the two scrolls in his hands! Those two Elemental Overlords wille out and thrash me to smithereens!
ELEMENTAL OVERLORDS! Since when are they so easily sealed in scrolls? And theres two of them!?
How nervous are your parents? They were so afraid that you would get hurt? Why not send more people to protect you from the dark, why would you choose these kinds of troublesome methods?
Just to show off your wealth? So that you can frighten a pitiful soul like me?
Damn it!
Damn it!
Damn it!
The Wind of Malice cursed loudly in its heart, moving away again. It was afraid.
It was truly afraid, so what?
A target protected by two Overlord level beings, even if the target was a straw bag, wasnt something it could afford to provoke, more so...
Just look at the hundredyers of protection, as if he pulled the entire defense system from the Sanctuary!
Wind of Malice almost stopped spinning. It felt hard to breath, it was suffocating.
What the hell is this? The little fetish of the divine descendants?
Simply calling out the Sanctuary and watching his enemy be beaten to death by two Overlord level beings?
Disgusting!
Wind of Malice criticized in its mind, suddenly thinking it should exin its stance.
I dont...
Tsssss!
Wind of Malice tried to say something, but Starbeck, who nervously looked at the fiery tornado, reacted in panic, tearing the scrolls wide open, which he thought was the safest and most direct reaction.
A 30 meters tall fire giant and an ice giant in the same height with icy wind swirling around it appeared instantly. Wind of Malice instantly fell into despair.
I was just trying to say this is a misunderstanding! Im not going to attack!
This time, it was Wind of Malices turn to almost cry. It turned around and wanted to run, but before it even ran 10 meters, the sky above the big city was clouded in darkness.
Lightning and thunder rumbled fiercely.
Kakroom!
Thunder p echoed throughout the entire street block, followed by a huge bolt of lightning.
Kabaam!
Wind of Malice was struck into ashes without even resisting.
Its power slowly disperse and vanished.
[yer assisted in eliminating Malicious Invader!]
[yer eliminated Malicious Invader!]
Two notifications popped up on Kieran and Starbecks vision after Wind of Malice was defeated and more lines of words piled up.
[yer 2567 and Starbeck have special merits!]
[Authenticating merits...]
[Authentication passed!]
[yers acquired a chance to enter the Unique Dungeon!]
[Unique Dungeon starting in 10, 9, 8...]
...
Kieran raised a brow, he looked at Starbeck.
Starbeck stood there nkly, he was at a loss for what to do.
Bring whatever you can that can help us, Kieran said quickly.
O-Oh! Starbeck nodded.
He turned around and waved at his house.
Right away, the whole house, including the secret room andpartments were all shrunk into a small bead, falling into Starbecks hand.
Ive brought everything, Starbeck turned around and said.
Kieran nced over at the small bead, nodding subtly.
A pocket dimension item with at least rank V or above!
Kieran was very certain biased on the presence he felt on that little bead.
He also could tell Starbeck had more than one such item with him. When Starbeck shrunk his whole house, Kieran clearly felt there were 7 to 8 more items of simr presence with him.
A mobile storeroom?
Kieran wondered but he quickly shook his head.
Would a storeroom hold all these scrolls though?
Kieran looked at the defensive barriers, Elementals, and Elemental Overlords.
Starbeck knew Kieran was a thrifty person, so he smiled when he saw Kierans silence.
Dont worry, they all can be used more than once!
When Starbeck waved again at the Elementals and Overlords, including the hundreds of barriers, everything was summoned back into Starbecks sleeve.
It wasnt rank V but something special!
Kieran unconsciously looked at Starbecks sleeve.
I bought it from a yer... Starbeck exined but before he could finish, the loss of gravity appeared. He was naturally scared, so he grabbed Kieran by the sleeve.
However, he realized it was the entry sequence to a dungeon world, he had no need to worry, so he let go but Kieran grabbed his hand instead.
Hold on tight! This is a Unique Dungeon, so be careful! said Kieran.
Okay, Starbeck nodded and held tight on to Kierans sleeve.
A white light appeared, shining brightly and enveloping them both.
The light brought them away quickly, leaving behind a ground of bodyguards, looking at each other in confusion.
What just happened?
All their eyes were troubled by the same question.
...
[yers Unique Dungeon is starting...]
[Authenticating dungeon...]
[A. yer has a special organ, Fusion Heart, it will be greatly weakened!]
[B. All yers items, equipment are temporarily returned to the yers room, yer is unable to bring items, equipment into Unique Dungeon.]
[C. All contractedpanions, followers are temporarily returned to yers room, yer is unable to bringpanions and followers into Unique Dungeon.]
[D. All yers attributes are lowered to E, all skills, title, Talent are temporarily sealed, will return to normal once return to the big city.]
[Special Compensation 1: yers Spirit reached rank V, Spirit is lowered to D instead.]
[Special Compensation 2: yers Unique Title de of the Daybreaker and yers talent The Warden has surpassed the level of restriction, will be weakened instead of sealed.]
[E. yer has 180 days to stay in the Unique Dungeon, yer will return to the big city when the duration is up.]
[F. yer has no main mission, no special event, no identity in Unique Dungeon, unable to receive items like any other dungeons.]
[Note: yer received Unique Dungeonsnguage pack and outfit, disappears upon returning to the big city.]
...
The white light vanished. Kieran appeared on a road in the outskirts with a ck hoodie, jeans and a pair of sandals. Starbeck was beside him, in a simr outfit, only the hoodie was white.
No doubt Starbeck had never experienced this kind of unforgiving dungeon, nked out in front of the system notifications. Fortunately, Kieran was with him, otherwise Starbeck would have cried his lungs out.
What should we do?? He asked.
Get ourselves some identity, and find the differences in this so-called Unique Dungeon, Kieran replied.
Kieran picked up the key point at first nce but he was much more concerned about something else at the moment.
He looked at the Witchs Mark on his hand, nothing changed.
Or rather, since his Spirit was lowered to D rank, he couldnt notice any change.
However, Kieran believed no matter how capable the Witch was, she shouldnt have been able to do this, sealing items, skills, and greatly weakening all his attributes. If the Witch really did do this, the rumours around her would be 10 times, 100 times scarier.
He did not forget Starbeck didnt have the Witchs Mark, but once he recalled the scene back in the big city, he felt things were not as simple as it seems, and it felt familiar somewhat.
Is it that guy? Kieran asked himself, but no answers came.
Besides, the situation at hand wasnt the time for him to think about whos behind this, he had much more pressing matters to attend to: acquire two legal identities.
Although hard, it wasnt impossible.
His [Mystical Knowledge] was self-learned, so the skill was sealed but the knowledge remained in his mind and using a D rank Spirit to hypnotize normal people wasnt exactly easy, but definitely not as hard as flying to the moon. As for anything beyond that, he would need his words, items, and actions to help him.
The only thing he had to figure out was this Unique Dungeon and what kind of world it was.
The road seems neat, asphalt without any holes, the smell of fire powder and tire tracks... This should be a rather civilized world, its technological level must have reached a certain height, Kieran heaved a breath of relief.
A civilized world with developed technological state was the best oue that he could ask for at the moment.
If it was a modern ancient or medieval ancient time, where monsters roamed, or a futuristic world where battleships sailed in the sky instead of the sea, he would have to think twice about where to hide Starbeck and survive for the next 180 days.
And now?
Kieran chose a route with the neatest road.
Lets go this way, we should be able to reach the nearby city, said Kieran.
Okay.
It wasnt the first time Starbeck entered the dungeon world with Kieran, so he quickly got into character.
Never argue with anything Kieran said.
Acknowledged anything Kieran said.
Listen orders carefully and carry it out with precision.
Lastly, return to the big city safely.
Kieran and Starbeck walked side by side on the road. Beside them were fields of crops, ready for harvest, tall trees that looked dark in the night, and the night breeze making the air cooler.
Thankfully, although Kierans attributes dropped, he was still at the peak of a normal human being. He did not feel cold at all but Starbeck was different!
Kieran was weakened to the peak of a normal human, while Starbeck, whose attributes were not even near Advance Rank, dropped further. He was as weak as a normal human being.
Starbeck felt cold in the night breeze, especially his feet, which were almost frozen after walking less than a hundred meters. Still, Starbeck didnt say anything.
I have to endure these kind of difficulties!
He told himself.
Tssssss!
Kieran ripped his sleeves on his hoodie.
Wrap it around your feet, said Kieran.
N-No need...
Wrap it.
Oh...Okay...
Starbeck was stunned at first, repeatedly shaking his hands but when Kieran repeated himself, Starbeck honestly took the sleeves and started to wrap them around his feet. It became hard for him to wear the sandals, but if he could wrap the sandals together...
Just wrap it together with the sandals, Kieran said again.
Starbeck carefully wrapped his feet with the sandals together.
Both of them continued forward.
Starbeck was very careful with each step, afraid that he would break the sleeve or dirty it, but no matter how careful he was, it was useless when he was walking on asphalt road.
The part of the sleeves beneath his feet were dirty after some time.
Then, a car appeared behind the two of them, the light from the car shining on their back, Starbeck excitedly turning around.
The car caught up with them and stopped beside the road.
Do you boys need a lift?
The middle-aged driver rolled down the window and asked Starbeck with a smile, his eyes subtly sizing up Kieran.
When he saw Kierans youthful face, the driver heaved a breath of relief.
The smile on his face got brighter, and then... a sandalnded on7 his face.
BANG!
Chapter 1629 - Open For Business
Chapter 1629: Open For Business
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The driver who stuck his head out the window was kicked back into his car, but the seat belt pulled him back to the window and then the same foot with a sandalnded on his face a second time.
Bang!
A loud thud again.
Two consecutive heavy blows with the peak strength of a regr humannded on the rather big and buff driver, knocking him out cold.
However, Kieran added a third kick when he opened the door just to be safe.
Since his strength was greatly weakened, Kieran in his weakened state tended to be more careful than usual, plus the gaze of the driver at Starbeck was disgusting.
The driver was then dragged out of the car, Kieran also removed the drivers belt to tie him up before going on to check the car.
The car was rather modern but it had picked up some years, the steering wheel and gearbox bearing the mark of time.
What concerned Kieran was the bloody smell he picked up on.
Although the driver tried his best in cleaning and allowing the interior to properly ventte, the interior still reeked of blood and Kieran had picked up on the smell when the window was rolled down.
The stench got heavier when Kieran got in.
After a round of checking the interior, other than a wallet, there were no valuable results.
Kieran opened the wallet, finding a drivers licence and some currency notes.
The license belonged to the unconscious driver, and his name was written on it: John Dickson.
The license seemed legitimate, but it may be forged.
Before knowing this dungeon world, Kieran reserved his opinion for everything he encountered.
He threw the wallet to Starbeck and headed to the trunk.
The trunk of a car was the best ce to hide things.
After the trunk was opened, a shovel covered in dirt and a little bit of blood was revealed to Kieran.
The distribution of blood on the shovel was unusually even. Although wiped, the general position was made clear to Kieran and based on the knowledge he had, he already pictured a body of a human being pressed down in his mind when he saw the blood.
The picture of the body in his mind was very clear. After the body was wrapped, the blood was still seeping through, hence the fatal wound should be very deep. The murder weapon shouldnt be a normal dagger, more like a screwdriver or something simr.
He, he...? Starbeck wasnt an idiot, never was. He already knew what was happening after Kieran suddenly knocked out the driver and saw the shovel with blood in the trunk.
Should be some road killer. He must have finished burying a body, said Kieran as he dragged the driver to the front of the car and ced his face under the strong light.
Kieran then took a bottle of water from the passenger seat and poured it over the drivers face.
The water slowly woke the driver up.
The driver woke up in a daze, a blinding light blocking his sight but spots of darkness came in to his sight in a rhythmic manner. He should have woken up from his unconscious state, but somehow when the spots of darkness appeared, he felt tired and lost the urge to do anything. He fell into a trance.
Who are you? a cold voice entered his ears.
John Dickson, The driver answered in a daze.
What is your upation?
A hotel owner.
Do you have any family?
Yes, my wife wanted to divorce me, but I didnt want her to leave me, so I made her stay with me forever.
Whats your hobby?
Hunting. I always hunt on this road.
How many times have you hunted?
This is the third time!
Where is your prey?
Killed and buried.
Where is your hotel?
Syndihart Avenue 11-404.
The voice continued asking, and the driver in a trance answered every question.
For a person who had lost the ability to resist, Kieran used the light from the car and some tools to create the ck spots and his knowledge in [Mystical Knowledge] to get the answers he was looking for. It was very easy, even though the man, John Dickson, was a killer which everyone feared.
After getting the answers he seeked, Kieran rewarded John Dickson with another kick.
Kierannded his kick on John Dicksons artery around the neck with minimal strength. Without the car door behind him, he fell to the ground and swiftly passed out as oxygen was blocked out from his brain.
Kieran had lost his skills more than once, so he had purposely trained in offensive and defensive techniques without relying on the skills from the system.
Although it was hard for him to achieve a lot of the techniques, basic ones were not a problem.
Kieran tied up the driver, hurled him into the car, and went into deep thoughts. He then waved at Starbeck, telling him to get in the car.
His identity is trouble. He might think he is clean, but theres a high chance that he would be watched, so we must hurry if we dont want to expose ourselves under peoples radar, Kieran said to Starbeck while starting the car.
Hurry? Starbeck turned over to Kieran as thoughts came into his mind.
Yeap, just like what you think, Kieran said with a smile.
The car drove off and elerated through the night in the outskirts. The night became quieter after they were gone and itsted till dawn.
Things started to get lively at first light, followed by mours.
The wanted road killer was caught while escaping.
To the publics surprise, the road killer didnt just kill innocents on the road, he was also the killer of his wife.
Even though the police tried their best to keep the road killers case wrapped up, some smart people with sharp senses picked up something easily.
Therefore, Dickson Hotel, where the signage had been taken down, was knocked on by a crowd early in the morning.
Im sorry, we dont ept interviews here, Kieran coldly rejected the reporters at the door.
This wasnt the first batch, and neither would they be thest.
Before this incident was truly forgotten by the public, Kieran had to deal with the reporters and masses, so he decided to go with the most direct and effective way.
Bang!
The door was shut.
Kieran then walked towards the room which Starbeck had cleaned up without turning back to the relentless knocks.
Since he hadnt slept for the night and had to perform his hypnotising tricks repeatedly, he was exhausted and had to take a good sleep.
The sleep wasnt just necessary for him to replenish his exhausted energy, it was also for him to get used to his weakened body.
Starbeck also hadnt slept for the night, yet he forced himself to be awake in the kitchen, busy preparing food.
A pot of chicken stew was cooking on the gas stove.
He found the chicken in the refrigerator, likewise the other spices, and it was enough for him to prepare a lunch for Kieran.
It may not be delicious, but it was edible.
Seconds turned into minutes, Starbeck sprinkling cold water on his face to keep himself awake so that he could keep an eye on the pot. When the aroma of the stew finally came out, a satisfied smile hung over his face.
Starbeck put on a pair of mittens and took the pot to the dining area.
The hotel wasnt big by all means, there were only two floors, top and bottom.
The first floor was the main hall, connected to the kitchen, with three long tables and benches, a parlour, a dining area, and corridors to other spots.
The second floor had three rooms, one master room, and two rooms for rent.
However, the two rooms for rent were covered in dust. It seemed like thest visitor came a very long time ago.
In fact, other than the kitchen, the whole hotel was dusty. Zfter the owner killed his wife, the hotel was half-abandoned.
Knock Knock Knock!
Knocks on the entrance sounded again.
Starbeck didnt care. Kieran told him to care less about those irrelevant people, but the knocks continued and an introduction followed.
Knock Knock Knock.
Hello, Im Chief Officer Teddy.
The title scared Starbeck a little, instinctively getting nervous and while he almost had a breakdown, a powerful palm tapped his shoulder, giving him warmth to expel the nervousness.
Leave it to me, Kieran said after he came down from the room.
Mm, Starbeck nodded and walked into the kitchen.
Kieran then walked to the door.
If you dont open up, Ill break in.
Kieran did open up the door, seeing a curly, brown haired man in casual wear, rather short and skinny.
If you do, youll have to pay up, Kieran stood there after opening the door without the slightest intentions of moving.
If I really did, Ill pay, but if its not me, I wont pay a dime, said the man.
His words meant more than they sounded, but he quickly covered it up with a smile.
Im sorry, we cant seem to locate you and your little brothers lost wallet and IDs, so I took the liberty of making some new ones, the man then took out two new identity card.
Thanks, Kieran took them and thanked the man with a cold tone.
Hey mate, cant you be more passionate about it? Ive done you quite the favour! If you dont have IDs with you here in Ai City, you cant even walk out the door! the man said loudly in surprise.
I also did you guys a big favour! That serial killer, I remember he has a bounty on his head, right? More so, this is your duty to begin with. Kieran replied calmly.
We will pay you the bounty, dont you worry about that. Are all businessmen this calctive?
The chief officer replied helplessly.
More calctive than you imagine. Please find our lost wallets, Kieran wanted to close the door.
Hey, not going to invite me in for a meal? I smelled something cooking. I have to say, after the smell, I believe you brothers are trying to open a restaurant, this kind of cooking isntmon around here...
m!
The chief officer was relentless but it failed to stop Kieran from mming the door on him.
The door almost touched the chief officers nose.
Teddy took a step back, rubbing his nose and looking at the taken down sign. He went into deep thoughts.
The serial killer that Teddy has been chasing for so long crashed his car into a fire hydrant while running away, the trunk full of evidence of his killing, hence leading to his apprehension.
Coincidence much?
Teddy turned around and looked at the closed door.
Chief, whats wrong? an officer came over.
Nothing. Everything is fine, those second generation immigrants should be just pure unlucky running into that bastard. Damn, this smells good!
Teddy sniffed strongly and swallowed his saliva.
Yeah, it smells really good! If they have this kind of cooking skills, how could they be rted to that bastard? Any restaurant they open will earn them buck loads of money! the officer eximed.
Dont worry, since theyve bought this hotel and renovated it into a restaurant, we will drop by sometime in the future. Now, we have an overdue interrogation with that bastard! Teddy turned around and walked to the police cruisers.
Although Teddy looked forward to Starbecks cooking, the interrogation had to go on. Even if the bastard tried to act dumb and deny everything, Teddy would pry open his teeth for the truth.
Through the window, Kieran at the dining table saw the police cruiser go off. His furrowed brows loosened up slightly.
The chief officer named Teddy was no doubt a troublesome person.
He had seen a lot of chief officers throughout his adventure, so if it was possible, he wouldnt want to be tangled up with Teddy in any way.
Fortunately, Teddy was currently busy with John Dickson and would not be knocking on his doors in the foreseeable future. After all, John Dickson was carefully taken care of by Kieran.
Kieran sat there in deep thoughts.
Starbeck served a bowl of soup with chicken meat on the table.
The soup was creamy. It was white with ayer of oil on the surface. Chopped scallions were used as garnish on top, adding extra freshness to the soup. It was something else, especially when the drumstick was eaten with the scallions!
The chicken meat wasnt dry and the oiliness in between the skin perfectlypensated the bite, plus the fresh scallions, Kierans appetite was further lifted.
Kieran finished the drumstick in a few bites, and drained every single drop of the soup in one.
The unique vour and the perfect amount of oiliness warmed Kierans stomach, lifting his dispirited state even!
Starbeck smiled, taking the bowl over and refilling some soup and chicken for Kieran. Even his own dispirited state was lifted.
2... Brother, we still need some cooking utensils, spices, and ingredients, Starbeck said after Kieran finished the whole pot of stew.
Starbeck wasnt used to the disguise. When the word brother escaped his mouth, he was shy and a little bit excited, unknowingly.
Theres a supermarket around the corner. You go have some rest, Ill go with you after you wake up, Kieran picked up the pot and walked to the kitchen.
Since Starbeck prepared lunch, it was Kierans turn to wash the tes.
In fact, not only washing the tes, hed have to clean the whole kitchen and repair the broken table and chairs.
Kieran was busy with the trivial work from morning until afternoon but the hotel itself was already old. What Kieran did wasnt enough to consider a makeover, at most a cleaner ce.
After Starbeck woke up, he energetically followed Kieran to get groceries before returning to the hotel with smiles.
Kieran sat back into the main hall, and watched Starbeck prepare the ingredients.
Starbeck was inside the kitchen until 11 at night, only then did he walk out with a satisfied look.
Kieran then picked up the ckboard and walked outside the main hall.
The original signage that was taken down was thrown into the garbage can and it was taken away by the garbage disposal during evening.
Kieran stood in front of the entrance with the ckboard in his hand.
With the streemp shedding like over it, the written words were clear and strong.
Leaf Dining.
Todays special: Potato Roast Beef, Fried Rice, Chicken Soup.
(No alcohol.)
...
Thest line was specially emphasized, Kieran did that on purpose.
He didnt want to get involved with those who lost their sanity to alcohol, unless they were his enemies.
Midnight, the aroma of food flew in the air, but no one was around.
It waste. Other than some special ces, there wasnt a soul on the street and Leaf Dining was quite far away.
Kieran wasnt in a hurry though. He opened the restaurant for a cover, not to settle down and be an owner for real.
No customer was the scene that he hoped for.
The food Starbeck cooked would be his alone, and he could quietly figure out the dungeon world and seize the window to adapt to his weakened state.
Kill three birds with one stone.
However, just as he picked up the newspaper, the streemp outside suddenly went off.
Chapter 1630 - Chicken Soup Is Nice
Chapter 1630: Chicken Soup Is Nice
Spark! Spark! Gzzzzt!
Electric sparks sounded endlessly, the streemps flickering.
Kieran turned a blind eye, tossing the newspaper on the bar counter and going into it, even cing the busy Starbeck behind him.
A Few secondster, a figure appeared within Kierans sight.
The figure wore a white nightdress with red floral patterns over it, the hair messy and the face rather pale. Brown eyes nced over at Kiean before the figure entered the restaurant.
The figure sat down at the chair in front of the bar counter.
What are you having? Kieran asked after the woman sat down.
Chicken soup,
Her voice was rough, as if she hadnt talked for a long time.
Roye, a bowl of chicken soup, Kieran said without turning back.
Okay, brother.
Starbeck took out a bowl from the disinfected cab and filled it with soup beside the big pot.
When the lid of the pot opened up, a rich chicken smell flew in the air.
Starbecks cooking was remarkable, even if his skills were sealed, his cooking still something people could only dream of catching up to.
He could use the simplest ingredients to cook up something mouth-watering. Perhaps his skills were still far away from turning bad into good, but he had no problem standing out with his skills.
However, this customer who entered the restaurant wasnt moved by the smell, sitting there and exchanging stares with Kieran.
When Starbeck brought the bowl of chicken soup out and saw the female customer, his face turned pale. His hands trembled hard, the soup almost falling off his hand but Kieran quickly cut in and saved it.
Go back to your work, said Kieran softly. He then turned around and served the soup to the customer.
Chicken soup, Kieran sounded colder than before.
The female customer didnt speak, picking up the bowl and started drinking.
Her actions were slow, to the point that itd freeze for a second or two.
The bowl of soup wasnt a lot, yet the woman used around 2 minutes to finish it before she put it back down.
Thank you, she thanked Kieran with her rough voice, taking out a stack of currency notes and cing it beside the empty bowl before walking out.
Gzzzzzt!
Electrical sparks swirled around the streemps once more, but unlike earlier, after a few sparks, the lights returned to normal and the little path in front of the restaurant became brighter.
S-She is a dead person? Starbeck finally dared to ask in his scared voice.
Although he was still afraid, his experience gradually increased, especially when he decided to follow Kieran. Starbeck made up his mind to learn about the dungeon worlds and big city. It became easy for him to identify a dead person.
Mm, Kieran nodded, his eyes looking at the bowl of soup which the spirit touched before and the stack of money that she put down. His eyes showed an interested gaze.
Shouldnt the dead hate the living? Starbeck asked in confusion.
There are exceptions too, or should I say, its different in this world. Unique Dungeon eh? Things are getting interesting, Kieran chuckled. He put down the electric baton and passed the newspaper on the bar counter to Starbeck.
The newspaper was thetest edition.
The picture of John Dickson, the serial killer and the killer of his wife, was on the front page and beside the killer was a picture of ady.
Although blurred, Starbeck could tell thedy was the customer who had just left.
S-Shes John Dicksons wife? Why was she here!? Starbeck asked in surprise.
She was here to thank us, Kieran checked the stack of money before giving it to Starbeck.
The amount was 10,000.
Starbeck was a little lost after receiving the money.
It wasnt because of the amount of money he received. For a wealthy person like Starbeck, money was never about the numbers, even though things slightly changed after he entered the dungeon world, he still wasnt surprised by the money. What surprised him was the dead in this world did not attack the living based on instinct and even paid for the favour.
This was truly... bizarre.
Starbeck came up with thement after a while.
He then put the money into the almost empty money box carefully.
Their initial funds were all from John Dickson and after the spending for ingredients in the afternoon, they almost hit rock bottom. Even though Starbeck had a blurry concept about how valuable money was, he still knew money was essential for them to survive through the duration in this dungeon world.
Not all customers were as generous as the special woman, and Kieran never nned to truly operate this restaurant, so the money had an extra meaning to it.
Hope this will be enough, Starbeck thought in his heart.
A sense of danger rose in his heart. Unlike the fear of everything else, this would be the first time in Starbecks life that he had to worry about money.
It was a fresh experience but also an anxious one.
As the freshness and anxiety lingered in his mind, he turned back to the kitchen.
He ought to use the current ingredients to cook something that smelled better and tasted better, to attract more customersalthough Kieran would never really care about the restaurant, this restaurant was the only way Starbeck knew how to earn money.
The hustling in the kitchen interrupted Kierans thoughts. He looked down at the electric baton.
The dead were weak against electricity and fire, hence why Kieran purposely kept this electric baton from John Dicksons hotel when he tidied up the ce.
The electric baton would be the best item he had against the dead, but judging from the female customer, this electric baton somehow feltckluster.
Perhaps it was enough to deal with ordinary wandering souls or even the female customers, but who knew what was out there? There must be something even more powerful.
Should powerful spirits with a consciousness appear, an electric baton was obviously not enough.
Kieran would at least need a methrower, but it was fairly impossible to get his hands on one with his current identity or channels.
If the science part couldnt help, the mystical part may be of use.
Fortunately, he had a skill that he could use to handle the situation at hand.
Cracked ruby and volcanic ashes, eh? Kieran muttered.
He then shook his head.
Given his level of [Mystical Knowledge], even if [Burning Hand] was sealed, it was not too difficult for him to perform a mystical attack.
However, a cracked ruby wasnt something that he could buy from the supermarket, and even if this world had it, he had no money.
Still, Kieran was far from giving up. Give Up was not included in Kierans dictionary.
He thought of a way that he could substitute the materials but that was a task for another day.
Now?
More customers arrived at the restaurant.
This time, it was twodies, one looking helpless and one looking drunk. The helpless one was helping the drunk one up and the moment they stepped in, the drunk one made noise, Alcohol! Give me alcohol!
We dont serve alcohol here. Please go to the next one. Kieran said coldly.
His cold attitude was because of the helpless one kept showing him an apologetic gaze, otherwise he would have thrown the drunk one out.
N-No alcohol? T-Then what do you have? Serve me whatever you have! I have the money!
The drunkdy couldnt even speak well in her state.
This was the reason why Kieran hated to deal with drunkards.
Under the influence of alcohol, one would lose all manners and be exceptionally troublesome.
Fortunately, beside the drunkdy was a clear-minded one.
We will have a bowl of chicken soup please, the otherdy quickly made an order when she saw Kieran furrow his brows.
Fine, Kieran turned around and went for the bowl of soup.
H-How much for chicken soup? the drunkdy spoke again.
That will be 10 bucks, Kieran revealed the price.
Perhaps the price for normal people in this world was a little too high, but from Kierans point of view, Starbecks brand of chicken soup was definitely worth the price.
If it wasnt for Starbecks suggestion, he would have increased the price ten fold.
m!
The drunkdy mmed the table, stood up, and started to falter. If it wasnt for the otherdy beside her, she would have fallen, but the drunkdy did not appreciate the help, pushing her friend away but failing. She then shouted, Is my beauty not worth a dime?
She crawled her way onto the bar counter and stuck her face closer to Kieran.
Her eyshes were long, her eyes were enigmatically captivating after being drunk, and her cheeks were red. Together with her young and energetic presence, she was definitely a beauty to the eye. However, she reeked of alcohol, and no matter how beautiful she was, Kieran would pick Bloody Mary over her anyday, especially after she mmed the table.
After some thought...
100 bucks then, Kieran said the price that he initially marked up.
Thats more like it! Other normal dudes pay 10 bucks, a beauty like me must of course pay 100! the drunkdy then sat back down.
Never reason with a drunkard, their thoughts are not on the same dimension.
Kieran served the bowl of chicken soup to her. He calmly told himself, You are opening a business now, patience gives birth to wealth.
He avoided the alcoholic stench and turned around for a deep breath, then went behind the bar counter with his newspaper again.
However, it seemed like the drunk woman didnt want to lose a person to talk to.
Hey owner, what do you think love is?
200 bucks if you throw up on the floor, Kieran said without looking at her.
What 200 bucks? Do I look like someone who will throw up on the floor? the drunkdy yelled.
300 bucks if you throw up on the table, Kieran added.
The otherdy repeatedly bowed with her hands on the table, hoping for Kierans generosity. She then turned to her friend and tried to talk her down, yet her persuasion seemed to cause a negative effect.
Dont you touch me! I know you and those bastards are together! I bet you are looking at me like a joke now, right? F*ck off! the drunkdy pushed away her friend.
The otherdy was caught off guard and pushed to the floor, even the bowl of chicken soup almost fell off the table.
Kieran quickly leaned forward and reached out to save the bowl of soup, looking at the drunkdy with an angry gaze.
Do you think I am wrong? Why am I wrong? I just want to be in love, whats wrong with that? Why does he have to be so two-minded, why does he always go to the little bitches?
The drunkdy shuddered in front of Kierans angry gaze, instantly waking up a little but the other part, which was still heavily drunk, felt that it was too cowardly to back off, so she put on her fierce face and shouted at Kieran.
She shouted at first but gradually turned softer, and other than Kieran, even the otherdy couldnt hear what she said.
You are not wrong. You are very right. Man doesnt have love, so hell love whoever is beautiful. Women dont have love either, so shell love whoever is good to her. So love was praised by people, because of its good side. Love is beautiful and also good to you but is it real? Kieran asked.
If love isnt real, what is? the drunkdy asked in a daze.
This is, Kieran ced the chicken soup in front of thedy and continued, Love can be nurtured, you will eventually find the right person but the soup, you must drink it while its hot.
Looking at the chicken soup, her heavy head was baffled by confusion.
She felt the words Kieran said made no sense but it sounded right also.
She tried to argue, but no words formed in her mind.
In the end, she finished every drop of the chicken soup.
She then pulled out a 100 bucks note and ced it beside the empty bowl.
Money for the soup.
The drunkdy then staggered away.
The otherdy stood up, bowed to Kieran apologetically, and ran out in a hurry.
Kieran kept the money and the bowl and passed them to Starbeck again.
Starbeck received the money, his eyes at Kieran showing a little surprised.
Whats wrong? Kieran asked.
I think what you said just now made a lot of sense, Starbeck said seriously.
Really? Thats because the author made it sound reasonable.
Kieran then passed the newspaper, which he had finished reading, to Starbeck. In the love column, the words Kieran just said were clearly written down.
Starbeck looked at the love column andughed.
You think its ridiculous also, right? He doesnt even understand things yet he wanted to guide people. If he really understands love, why would he whine here? said Kieran.
Starbeck didnt answer, smiling at Kieran. He felt Kieran was much more genuine in this kind of situation, much more genuine than the me swirling, killer-intents filled Kieran.
Good.
Starbeck put down the newspaper and hopped back to the kitchen with the used bowl, smiling.
Kieran was confused why Starbeck was so happy, shaking his head in confusion.
He didnt ask why, not all things should be exined by reasons.
If everything should be reasonable and made sense, nothing in the world would because everything was forced and unreasonable.
Kieran then picked up the magazine that he bought during the afternoon and started reading behind the bar counter.
Water flowed in the kitchen, books flipped at the bar counter.
The day soon turned bright.
The first light pierced the darkness in the sky and brought forth a beautiful day.
Then...
Aaaaaa! Dead people!
Chapter 1631 - Little Cutie
Chapter 1631: Little Cutie
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The sharp screams woke Starbeck, who had just went to sleep.
Starbeck pushed himself up from the bed and saw Kieran on the chair, putting his book down.
Follow me, said Kieran.
After realizing the unusual behaviors of the spirits in this world, the vignt Kieran ought to try his best to keep Starbeck within his sight to ensure his safety.
Kieran wasnt sure whether or not the spirits with intellect here retained their universal weakness like the other worlds, such as fear of sunlight.
Starbeck put on his coat and followed Kieran downstairs.
After Kieran opened the restaurant door, he could see a group of people gathered under the streemp further away.
The streemp was off because it was morning, but a rather big and buff man was hung on top by the neck, his face purplish and his tongue sticking out, waving together with the morning breeze.
John Dickson!
Starbeck whispered in shock when he got a clear look on the deceaseds face.
He was surprised and terrified at the same time; Kieran squinted his eyes.
He stood beside the streemp and examined the body meticulously.
The attire on the body was neat, there werent any visible exterior wounds, and there was a handcuff on one of his hands.
Kieran somehow thought of the first customerst night.
The woman not only thanked us, she... even took revenge? Kieran wondered.
If there wasnt an intentional party behind this mysterious death, there was a high chance that he might run into problems sooner orter.
Irritating sirens closed in.
The group of viewers were pushed away, allowing the short, brown haired chief officer to walk over. He stood under the dead body with a heavy face. Four to five minutester, the chief officer told his men to put the body down.
The forensics came in and started to do their work.
The body is intact, no exterior wounds, initial deduction of cause of death, mechanical asphyxia...
I know that, what I want to know is what I dont! Like are there fingerprints on the streemp or marks of adder on the ground!
Teddys eyes were red, interrupting the forensic officer with a muffled voice.
Leave it to me chief!
The forensic officer had heard some rumours of this case before, nodding slightly and continuing his work.
Teddy took a deep breath as he watched his colleague get busy. He felt like vomiting but it was stuck in his chest and had a hard timeing out.
He felt stuffy and ufortable!
After 10 years in the force, Teddy had many encounters with the most evil or the most cunning, or even both at once, and John Dickson obviously had those two traits in him.
No matter how hard John Dickson argued and denied it, the serial killer would end up in the electric chair in front of the solid evidence.
Teddy wasnt exceptionally angry about John Dickson not confessing anything, but he did tell John Dickson what would be waiting for him.
The serial killer showed a sense of fear in his eyes when he was told about the execution, which was what Teddy wanted.
However, just as Teddy was about to press his hot victory against John Dickson, the interrogation room cked out!
Not only the interrogation room but the whole building was sent into darkness.
Teddy pulled his gun at John Dickson the very first moment.
No one has a death wish, especially this kind of vicious serial killer, who loved his life more than anything. Teddy knew exactly how to deal with this kind of bastard but the scene that happened next was out of his expectation: John Dickson disappeared!
When the lights came back in the interrogation room, John Dickson was nowhere to be found!
In the mere three seconds of darkness, John Dickson, who was cuffed to the chair, vanished into thin air along with the handcuffs.
The whole station was fired up, everyone looking for the missing serial killer but all attempts were fruitless.
Yet no one was willing to believe a wanted criminal cuffed to the chair could slip past their eyes and escape the station, especially when the chief was interrogating said criminal. In the observation room beside the interrogation room, there were two recording officers and outside the interrogation room were. two more officers on guard duty, with real bullets loaded in their guns.
Despite all the eyes and security, John Dickson had vanished.
Everyone involved was scolded to hell by the station director, but Teddy had it worst since he was the chief.
After Teddy gave his word to locate and catch John Dickson in three days, John Dickson was reportedly found, in less than 2 hours since he went missing.
However, the person became a body, and was hung on a streemp.
DAMN IT!
Teddy cursed in his heart and walked away from the crowd.
The scene was actually heavily damaged but something would be left behind.
Teddy nced over the crowd, seeing Kieran and Starbeck.
Royan and Roye Brothers...
Teddy went into deep thought when he saw the second generation immigrant brothers, walking over to them.
Anything to eat? Teddy tried to test them.
We are open for business from 11 p.m. at night to 5 a.m. in the morning, Kieran said.
Too bad then. What do you think about this? Teddy pointed at the body being taken down from the streemp.
He deserved it, Kieranmented objectively.
I really want to agree to your words, but your words may be used against you if you said it in front of a crime scene... You seems quite used to dead bodies, eh? Teddy replied with a smile first, prolonging his tone and shifting the topic suddenly.
Kieran was very familiar with this kind of interrogation technique, so he easily handled it.
There are a lot of dead bodies in the kitchen too, wanna have a look? Kieran pointed at his restaurant.
Believe me, if anyone heard that, no one would walk into your restaurant, Teddy pretended to be sick at Kierans words.
So its better to show gratitude towards cooked food, Kieran said seriously.
Fine, thank you for your little advice, Ill remember it when I eat my next meal. If theres anything, call me, you have my card right? Teddy was going to end the conversation, but...
Em. Dont forget about my bounty for catching this guy and my missing wallet...
I will bring the bounty to you after it goes through the standard operating procedures.
Teddy turned away immediately after he heard what Kieran said.
The lost wallet was obviously a goner following John Dicksons death, but the bounty?
The station would keep their promise once the amount was cleared through standard operating procedures. However, with the untimely death of John Dickson, the process would be dyed for a fair amount of time.
No one could get used to waiting for so long.
Kieran saw Chief Teddy walking away. He didnt turn around and brought Starbeck to the supermarket. He had to get prepared.
Night arrived as usual.
The ckboard was ced in front of the restaurant at 11pm sharp.
Leaf Dining.
Todays Special: Roast Rabbit, Fried Rice, Chicken Soup.
(No alcohol. Drunkards are not wee.)
...
The words were written with chalk, but they looked clean because Starbeck wrote them.
The additional note was also added by him. He too disliked drunkards, especially those drunk woman who got all sticky with Kieran, those woman should be swept out of the door.
To Starbecks surprise, the drunkdy from yesterday came today and walked in after the ckboard was hung outside.
She wasnt drunk this time. She put on delicate makeup, was decently dressed, and had ady satchel with her. Starbeck smelled the faint fragrance on her the moment she walked in, but he didnt say anything.
Starbeck was in charge of the kitchen; Kieran was in charge of the front.
Starbeck tended to keep to the promise with Kieran and he believed Kieran would handle it skillfully.
You evil merchant! Amy said with gnashing teeth after she stormed in.
Roast rabbit 1000, fried rice 150, chicken soup 100. All isbeled clearly, the price fair and honest to everyone, Kieran said inly.
You said chicken soup was 10st night! Amy emphasized.
It was you who wanted to pay 100 and I think you were right about the price. So I decided to raise the price ten fold just for you only, to set off your beauty, said Kieran.
His words put Amy, who wasnt drunk, in a difficult, regretful, and embarrassing position.
Anyone sober would regret what they did while they are drunk, including Amy.
Amy also paid the price for it: paid 10 times the price for a bowl of chicken soup whose taste she had forgotten.
Hence the reason for her visit today, she wanted to take back the 90 bucks.
That was her hard-earned money, she didnt want to waste it just like this.
This is fraud! I can sue you for this! Amy tried to be ferocious and pressuring, in hopes of frighten Kieran.
Kieran remained quiet and pointed at the surveince camera at the corner.
Money in his pocket was his already.
Trying to take from a stingy ghost?
Impossible!
They might be old, but well-maintained and the footage recorded is quite clear. I guess the judge and jury will be interested in what they capturedst night, Kieran said without too much emotion in his words.
The camera that Kieran pointed to was broken for a long time, Kieran didnt know how to fix it and had no ns to fix it.
You!
Amy stomped angrily and turned around, not knowing the camera was broken.
Starbeck smiled from the kitchen. He purposely brought out the roast rabbit for Kieran.
Ive added some lemon juice, Starbeck said as he held the tray.
Kieran took it with a smile but Amy ran back right away.
She was stunned by the rabbit on Kierans tray, and she said instinctively, Rabbit is so cute, how can you people eat it... Itll taste better with chili!
The smell that entered her nose made her salivate.
The sweet plus a little sour roast rabbit smell made her forget about her embarrassment for a moment.
She looked at the roasted rabbit on the tray, swallowing her saliva endlessly but neither Kieran nor Starbeck cared about her.
Is this how you people do business here? If you keep up this attitude, this ce will soon...
Before the word closed down escaped Amys mouth, the streemp at the road flickered again.
The female spirit from yesterday walked in again.
A bowl of chicken soup, her dry and hoarse voice ordered.
Kieran served as ordered.
The female spirit drank sip by sip, while Kieran munched down the rabbit mouth by mouth.
Starbeck watched Kieran with a sweet smile all the way.
Amy stood there like an outsider, feelingpletely neglected.
It infuriated her because she was used to being the center of focus wherever she went.
She red at Kieran, but that was all she did because a few minutester, Kieran finished the roasted rabbit, not even a single bone left on the tray, and Amy felt like she was defeated.
She shrugged and held her arms, sat down on the chair.
I know Im wrong, I shouldnt be drinking and cause trouble here, but I didnt know where to gost night. I lost my boyfriend, lost my job, and my best friend. I have nothing now, but I still cant forget him, Amy started to sob as she exined.
Then...
A hand with a bowl of chicken soup appeared before her.
Theres nothing you cant forget, time is the best medicine. One day, you will forget his face, his voice, the words he said. Maybe not now, maybe not in the near future, but one day you will, because forgetting is easy. Dont think about it, dont rush, and it will be gone like clouds in the sky before you noticed. Nothing will be left, but not food. Lets say if love begins at the dining table and ends at the dining table, then what you eat will be with you forever, it will be part of you and you will be one with what you eat, Kieran said slowly.
Amy looked up in a daze, she had forgotten about the act she was putting up.
You want the soup to warm your stomach and spark joy in your soul? Kieran asked.
Amy nodded instinctively, but after the first nod, she suddenly reacted to the question but it was toote.
Kieran put the bowl of soup in front of her.
That will be 100, thank you very much. Kieran said with a smile.
This is fraud!
Amy widened her eyes in anger again and Kieran pointed at the decoration camera.
You evil merchant! Amy switched her words.
Finish it while its hot, dont let it get cold, Kieran said as he walked out from the bar counter.
He was holding something in his hand.
As Kieran, the evil merchant, walked away, Amy suddenly realized even the other customer was gone. The restaurant fell into silence all of a sudden and Amy felt like she was left out again.
What kind of service is this? I wonte again... This is nice!
Amy took a sip as she ranted, her face showing surprise, before she tilted her head backwards and finished it in one go.
Another bowl! Amy called out to the kitchen.
100, Starbeck came out and said.
You... evil merchant! Amy clenched her teeth, but she pulled out two pieces of notes and ced it on the bar counter.
Another bowl of chicken soup was served and it was delicious as ever.
Amy drank her soup and looked at Starbeck at the same time, her eyes moved, So whats with you and your boss? Apprentice?
Brothers.
Starbeck wasnt himself as he replied, knowing what Kieran went away for.
Brothers? You two look nothing alike. Hes cold and you look elegant and cute. I bet your brother controls the money too, right? Do you want to get away from your fierce brother and earn your own bucket of gold? Amy showed a smile which she thought the prettiest.
Part-time work? Sure, Starbeck nodded.
Starbeck really wanted to earn extra, not just to brush Amy off, hence the smile on Amy grew brighter.
Why dont you cook soup for me? Ill pay you an hourly rate of 50! Amy offered a number which she thought was rather high but Starbeck shook his head.
Hourly rate 1000!
Amy was caught off guard, Whats this, are you ying me?!
She red at Starbeck.
No! I am worth that much!: Starbeck said seriously.
Even if he had to work part time, the pay had to match his value, thats what Starbeck thought.
You!
Amy pointed at her finger at Starbeck.
Suddenly, her rather frustrated face softened and started to chuckle.
The chuckle gradually turned into augh, and as theughter grew louder, she staggered backwards. Her breath started to quicken and eventually stopped before she fell on the ground.
Amys body then started to engorge in exponential speed, a pair of strong hands burst out from her under ribs, grabbed her hair, and tore her skin apart!
Shak!
As though skinning an eel, a bloody and buff John Dickson was revealed underneath Amys skin!
He looked at Starbeck, opened his mouth and said, You, of course you are worth that price! Little cutie!
Chapter 1632 - Rule
Chapter 1632: Rule
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
John Dickson widened his mouth eerily.
As a spirit, although he maintained the look of a human, his organs were no longer human anymore, such as his mouth.
The edge of his mouth crossed his cheeks and reached his ear lobe, his long, thin tongue wriggling disgustingly, licking his upper lip.
Delicious!
Fear, as he expected, came from his prey, unlike those sourish prey that tasted like green apple which he hunted down when he was alive. This new prey in front of his eyes was a fatty piece of meat, or more urately, a piece of fried meat showered in sugar!
It was eager to put this piece of meat into his mouth!
No! Not yet! It must be tastier! More fear! He ought to shower his prey with more fear!
The greedy John Dickson stared at Starbeck, raised his thick arm, and slowly reached out to touch Starbecks face with his finger.
Little cutie, are you scared? Dont be, you are scared because you dont know me! We have time to get to know each other. Ill slowly tear your flesh piece by piece and you will slowly be one with...
Me failed to escape John Dicksons freaky mouth because a blowtorch used for welding metal with extreme heat appeared above his head and...
Tsssst!
The blue me from the blowtorch shed over John Dicksons body.
Starting from his head, John Dickson was split in half, but the ming blowtorch did not stop there, further slicing John Dickson into a dozen pieces with a speed quicker than before.
The diced up body slowly vaporized and disintegrated, even the bigger chunks starting to fade.
Death! John Dickson sensed death, again, as a spirit.
Death robbed his courage and struck terror in his core.
NOOOO!
The scream from his soul echoed in the restaurant and clearly entered Kierans ears.
Kieran looked at John Dickson coldly, turning the blowtorch, which he bought from the supermarket in the afternoon, to its maximum setting and pointing it at the remaining pieces.
Tsssst!
The blue me torched the biggest chunk and turned it into nothing.
Lets talk! Lets talk! I have a lot of savings, I can give you all of them! Spare me, I wont trouble you guys anymore!
John Dicksons pleading voice sounded endlessly, but Kieran turned a deaf ear and continued to torch his spirit body.
When thest big chunk of body was torched, John Dickson stopped begging and controlled thest tiny piece, struggling to wriggle away but in the end, it was engulfed in blue mes.
After John Dickson waspletely burned off, Kieran heaved a breath of relieve.
It was easier than he thought!
Other than the carelessness, Starbeck took the credit for the sessful kill.
Kieran looked at Starbeck.
The mimosa sat down with a pale face, panting heavily like an ox and after he noticed Kierans gaze, he forced a smile.
Kieran frowned and walked over.
I said dont force yourself.
Im not forcing myself, I just want to help you, Starbeck said with his dry voice.
The dryness in his throat was because he was overly frightened.
From the moment he heard from Kieran that the dead John Dickson mighte back for revenge, Starbeck had been preparing to face the persistent dead soul.
However, facing the dead was really a difficult hurdle for him to ovee.
Even though he told himself countless times to be brave, when it was down to the real deal, Starbeck couldnt move a muscle.
He couldnt even utter aplete word, let alone those lines that he had prepared to stall John Dickson.
If it wasnt because of its carelessness after bing dead, they might have failed this attempt.
Im too useless...
Starbeck looked down depressingly.
Once he thought about how he was the one who suggested he be the bait, Starbecks embarrassment drowned him and he averted Kierans gaze.
A hand with a cup of water came into his sight.
Starbeck looked at Kieran nkly.
Drink some water, youll feel better, Kieran gave Starbeck the cup of water.
Em.
Starbeck nodded, taking the cup of water and Kieran turning around outside the bar counter.
He didnt rant orin, neither was he angry.
Truth be told, Starbeck did a good job already.
Kieran expected Starbecks performance from the start, therefore he had prepared a backup n topensate for the loss.
All he needed was for Starbeck to stand still, itd be fine if he sat on the chair or ground should his legs turn to jelly.
Kieran was there to handle the situation, and he would do his best, just like what he did next.
The first customerst night, the wife that John Dickson killed, and thedy who ultimately killed John Dickson appeared in front of the restaurant again.
The streetmp flickered again.
Amy, who was unconscious beside her, moaned in difort.
Kieran nced at Amy and shifted his attention to thedy.
He was much more concerned about thisdy than the unlucky Amy.
H-How did you find out? thedy asked without moving her steps.
Kieran didnt speak, pointing to her feet instead.
Thedy was stunned and looked down at the unconscious Amy, and then her own feet after she reacted properly.
S-Shadow! I dont have a shadow! she said in surprise.
So what if she borrowed Amys looks? Without a shadow, anyone would notice if they were careful enough.
T-Thank you, she thanked Kieran again.
Unlike the previous gratitude, this time she bowed officially and after she bowed, her body disintegrated into white spots, like the lights of a firefly, slowly floating away into the sky and ultimately bing nothing.
Kieran stared at the direction where she vanished into, shock shing over his eyes.
He wasnt surprised because of the disintegration, he had been through a lot and it tempered his nerves as hard as steel, the little spots like this would never incite surprise in him.
The surprising thing was the weakened Origin Forces in his body received a little bit of enhancement, although it was weak!
The weakened Origin Forces were still simrly weak, before and after the enhancement, but he clearly felt it.
After he came into this dungeon world, Kieran had been working tirelessly to try to free his Origin Forces, but it was useless until now.
The meditation, breathing technique of [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art], and [Knights of gue Body Tempering Art] were useless against breaking free from the suppression, even the Devil, Cardinal Sins, and Saint Thorns from his heart did not react to anything.
The Origin Forces were still in his body, he could still feel it and they were still working, but at a minimal level. The suppression power was too strong, to the point that he felt like he was pressed down into a valley by a mountain. He couldnt even budge.
Kierans initial thought forced him to give up, with his weakened Origin Forces, he couldnt have done anything useful, let alone breaking free from the suppression.
But that was before, and now?
Kierans squinted eyes shone brightly.
He looked at the faraway night sky once more.
The firefly light vanished, leaving only the stars hanging over the night sky, but unlike before, Kierans eyes on the sky became more meaningful.
If my guess is correct...
Realization made him return to the bar counter.
Starbeck, who had calmed down, was still too embarrassed to look at Kieran, but after awhile, when he realized Kieran was reading newspaper, he wasnt even mad. Starbeck heaved a breath of relief.
A rather cold night breeze entered the restaurant.
Starbeck tied his apron tighter, serving another bowl of warm chicken soup beside Kieran and then walking to the entrance.
Amy curled up under the streemp, which had returned to normal.
Starbeck slightly hesitated at the curled up Amy. He wasnt that cold-hearted to leave her at the roadside, so in the end, he dragged Amy back into the restaurant.
Bringing her back into shelter was the best he did, but shed sleep on the floor.
A chair? An extra bowl of chicken soup? Or a nket?
Impossible.
The door was closed, Starbeck put up the Open sign at the window, and made sure it was clear from the outside before he went back to the kitchen.
Time flew as Kieran immersed himself in reading.
More than an hourter, when the clock struck midnight, Amy moaned and woke up from the floor.
She was shocked when she opened her eyes. When she realized her clothes were intact and she was in a familiar ce with the lights on, she heaved a breath of relief.
However, memories began toe afloat in her mind and it froze her body. She saw herself earlier, a version of herself that she was disgusted and afraid of.
Then?
Her other self grinned at her and she lost consciousness.
When she woke up, she found herself in this restaurant again.
What happened?
Amy slowly stood up by holding onto the wall. Looking at the young owner who was reading the newspaper behind the bar counter, she felt the young owner was somehow rted to the freaky encounter earlier but... those were just her feelings.
She couldnt even tell if the encounter was a real one. Amy went nk for quite a while before she asked, What happened just now?
Just now? Kieran looked at her with confusion.
Yeah, just now, I left angrily...
You did not. You ran to the door angrily and then came back, unwilling to submit to the fact, you mmed the table and bought another bowl of soup. You tried to prove that I cheated you out of your money, but you drank 3 bowls in one go. Meaning my brothers cooking is really not bad.
Kieran pointed at the three stacked up empty bowls.
Then how did I pass out? Amy looked at Kieran in doubt.
After the soup, you asked for alcohol, but I dont sell any here. I warned you but you went on a frenzy and found my collection of good whiskey. You thought I was lying to you so you finished all my fruit whiskey, which tare very valuable, before I could exin and stop you. Then you passed out on the floor, Kieran exined carefully.
Is that so? Amy was dubious, shaking her heavy head but somehow feeling as if Kieran made sense.
She really could do something like that. She was stunned for almost 20 seconds before more thoughts came to her mind.
Why did you let me sleep on the floor? Amy red at Kieran, questioning his actions.
What do you think I should do to a person that I dont like? If youve paid for the soup and the whiskey you finished, Id throw you outside on the road, Kieran put his newspaper down and returned the question.
Amy was rendered speechless. She knew she wasnt likable, so she had no friends at all, neither man or woman.
Although she had some acquaintances for a short period of time, as time went by and their rtionship deepened, her acquaintances would leave her, likest night.
Once she thought aboutst night, she stomped on the floor angrily. She had try so hard to control herself, yet the bastard didnt know how to appreciate her.
Hmph! Man are all pigs!
Amy turned around and wanted to leave.
Wait.
The voice from behind her stopped her.
She turned around and saw Kieran with his hand out at her, she grunted arrogantly.
You may have a decent temperament and a lot of girls may fall for you, but you are not my type and I wont leave my phone number to a mere restaurant owner.
I also dont want a drunkards phone number, but even a drunkard should learn to pay for her own spendings, Kieran nodded.
Amy got stunned again, embarrassment filling her face as she asked in a shy voice, How much?
300. Like I said before, the price is to set off of your beauty, everything is ten fold for you only. As for the whiskey, they are valuable but I dont sell them so consider them a gift, Kieran exined the reason behind the price.
You evil merchant! Amy looked at Kieran with gnashing teeth and Kieran pointed at the camera calmly.
May your restaurant prosper!
Amy took out three big notes and mmed them on the bar counter before leaving angrily.
Thank you very much and be careful out there at night.
Kieran received the notes, checking them for their validity before putting them into the money box.
He then sat back into his chair and started to arrange the information.
The dead in this world looked the same as when they were alive and had a very simr personality.
Could they rekindle a part of their memory through something? Or was there some other special trait that they could borrow?
Kieran frowned at the scene where John Dickson broke out from Amys skin.
The dead in this world were unlike the dead that he knew off in other worlds, even the recently dead John Dickson. It was very cumbersome to deal with.
Fortunately, they still shared the same weaknesses as their other counterparts, just not that obvious.
Based on what Kieran knew about the dead, his blowtorch should be able to turn them into ashes instantly, wandering souls to evil spirits included. However, despite John Dickson being sliced up into a dozen pieces, although his mobility was robbed, he was still somehow alive, and it was impossible in Kierans knowledge.
In Kierans knowledge, even the powerful evil spirit could barely survive such an attack, let alone the recently dead.
Those who could survive such an attack were considered blessed by Lady Luck cand John Dickson was surely not one.
John Dickson had nothing special kept in his hotel alsoKieran was very certain because he checked the hotel from top to bottom more than once.
Other than John Dickson, there was his wife, who also ended up as a dead soul.
Connecting all the dots together, Kieran came up with the only reasonable exnation.
A dungeon world that benefits the ghost and spirits? Kieran wondered.
At the same time, he solidified the guesses he had earlier.
While that was going on in his mind, a casual knock happened on the door.
Knock, Knock, Knock.
Chapter 1633 - Encounter!
Chapter 1633: Encounter!
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
When the knocks entered Kierans ear, he answered without looking.
Come in.
Kieran then picked up another newspaper for reading.
Because of his current identity, reading newspapers and magazines was one of the limited ways that he could get information about this dungeon world.
Although there were mobile phones in this world, they were rather old, other than making and receiving phone calls and sending messages, they could only use it to y Snakes.
There wereputers in this world too but they were also very old and expensive.
After using his money for necessities and preparation for tonights encounter, the money he had left was not enough for him to buy aputer and even if he had enough, he didnt n to get one.
ording to his calction, he would soon acquire a lot of information about the mystical side of this world.
Tssst Gak!
The entrance door was pushed open but there was no one outside.
The streemp outside started to flicker again.
Tssst Tsss Tsss!!
The electrical buzz and flickering lights in the silent night made the restaurant front look scary, but Kieran turned a blind eye.
He continued to flip the newspaper for interesting news.
The streemp in front of the restaurant flickered, and the owner inside the restaurant concentrated on his newspaper.
Both sides refused to give in as they fought, what followed was a slight awkwardness in the air.
Then, the flickers outside the restaurant became quicker, as if it was telling Kieran Ive arrived!.
Kieran still didnt care, the hurried flickers carrying on for two to three more seconds.
Pak!
The lightbulb finally burst after the furious flickers. Sparks flew everywhere and a dark figure appeared in a sh.
Without the streemp in front of the restaurant, the restaurant front truly fell into darkness. The lights inside the restaurant could only reach less than a meter away from the entrance, beyond that was total darkness.
Dak, Dak Dak.
Loud footsteps sounded in the darkness beyond the entrance, but no one appeared.
Gatsssst!
Three to four secondster, the ceiling above Kieran started to make noises, as if someone heavy was walking on the second floor. Loud thumps and irritating squeaks sounded relentlessly, sounding like the footsteps were about to stomp through the ceiling.
Kieran, however, took a mouthful of his chicken soup and went back to reading.
The noise stopped.
A sudden breeze then entered the main hall.
The wind was very subtle yet gloomy and cold, anyone would easily shudder under the wind.
Kieran frowned slightly.
The wind also sensed the furrowed brows from Kieran, turning colder and focusing on Kieran.
Kieran frowned harder, and reached his hand to a switch.
Tak!
The switch was pressed and the bright spotlight installed in the bar counter was switched onJohn Dickson had installed it in the bar counter before this, Kieran checked it beforehand and decided to keep it for the sake of Starbeck.
Although Kieran was seriously weakened, he was still at a humans peak performance. As long as the weather change wasnt too extreme, it was useless to him but Starbeck was different, he was as weak as amon man and once the weather turned cold, he had to be wary about keeping warm.
The orange red warm spotlight shone around Kieran.
The gloomy cold wind instantly melted away and not only did the room warm up, the wind also stopped.
A translucent figure was revealed under the spotlight, crawling on the floor and weeping loudly.
Im so useless! People bullied me when I was alive and now after Im dead, I still get bullied! I wouldnt have died if I knew this was going to happen!
The sorrowful weeping sounded beside Kierans feet, the translucent figure starting to fade under the warm spotlight and could vanish any moment.
However, Kieran had no intentions of switching off the spotlight. He didnt even care about the figure and continued reading his newspaper.
You heartless bastard!
The spirit cried for a full minute before it looked up at Kieran, who was still reading. It couldnt hold back anymore and shouted at Kieran, before it cried even louder.
Crank!
Suddenly, a ceramic te fell down in the kitchen and the noise startled Starbeck. Kieran raised a brow.
Shut up.
Kieran scolded the spirit coldly and the spirit immediately shut up.
It didnt just shut up, it even shuddered. It seemed like it was frightened by Kieran.
Three to four secondster, only it realized what happened.
Im already dead! Why should I be afraid of the living? The living should be afraid of me! A spirit!
The figure muttered to itself and it seemed like its mutters granted itself courage, it wanted to stand up but the moment it looked up, it saw Kierans gloomy and cold face.
Its knees turned to jelly and fell back on the floor. The spirit cried again.
Unlike the previous loud cries, it was afraid that its noise would attract difort from Kieran, so it sobbed in a muffled voice.
Kieran frowned again.
He had seen a lot of spirits, ferocious ones, ruthless ones, evil ones, etc. But it was his first time seeing this kind of cowardly spirit.
If Starbeck wasnt beside him, he would have assumed the spirit was a dead Starbeck.
In fact, not only did Kieran think as such, even Starbeck himself shared the same thought.
Starbeck, who was behind Kieran, stuck his head over Kierans shoulder and looked at the sobbing spirit under the warm spotlight with a curious gaze.
As if it sensed Starbecks gaze, the spirit looked up at Starbeck carefully.
Ugly!
The word escaped Starbecks mouth when he saw the spirits face.
The sobbing spirit was stunned, further curling up on the floor, as if its soul fire was dying.
Im sorry, I know Im ugly, I dont have friends, dont have a life, I lived as a ugly person and died as an ugly ghost, sob sob...
The spirit started to mutter to itself.
S-Sorry, I dont mean it, I...I just...Looks arent everything, Im sure you are good at something else! Starbeck apologized and tried to shift the topic.
The shifting of topic was out of courtesy but the sobbing spirit took it seriously.
Good?!
The spirit looked up and almost stuck its face to Starbeck. It wanted to ask Starbeck what good did he see in itself, but the moment it got close, it caught Kierans eyes again.
Pam!
The spirit fell back on its knees, but its eyes were still looking at Starbeck, in hopes of getting an answer.
Starbeck obviously had never been in such a situation. He thought for quite a while for the answer but couldnt find any, instinctively turning to Kieran.
You may be ugly, stupid, and a coward but... you know your limits, thats what you are good for.
Kieran said under Starbecks watch.
Im ugly, stupid and a coward, but I know my limits? Thats what Im good for?
The spirit crawling on a floor showed aplex expression, not knowing whether it should cry orugh. Its body then started to disintegrate into white particles, like fireflies flying out of its body.
The spirit looked like it was at peace as it was showered by the white particles, even its ugly face looked kinder.
Thank you. I once was a greedy person, I wanted everything but got none in the end. I didnt fight for things and never worked hard before. I was ugly and fat and thought others didnt appreciate me. I ran from reality and lived in the corner of the city, daydreaming like a coward. Even after I died, I became the least mainstream ghost. I didnt dare tomunicate with other ghosts and was scared of crowded ces. I didnt even dare to fight back against a stray cat or dog, but... I really want to go to that peacefulnd. I sensed something here that could lead me to the ce, so I came here in hopes of being lucky but I was still unwilling to submit to myself... Thank you for not scolding me, criticizing me, thank you forpleting my final wish: telling me what I am good for. am no longer azy, ugly, coward, at least Im good for something! Thank you.
The spirit bowed and Starbeck replied with the same awkwardly.
Although Starbeck really thought the good that the spirit mentioned was less than insignificant, his words didnte out from his mouth when he watched the light spots floated away.
As he watched the light spots floated away, thoughts came into his mind and he quietly looked at Kieran.
You are different from that ghost, you at least look better and know how to cook. More importantly, you also know your own shorings and learned how to ovee them. That sole point alone makes you better than the ghost, Kieran said before Starbeck asked.
Starbeck puckered his lips and showed a smile.
Its because you are with me that I have the courage to ovee my weakness, otherwise I am really the same as the ghost.
Its great to run into you.
Starbeck said in his heart and then hopped back into the kitchentodays dishes were done but not the breakfast for Kieran.
Starbeck hoped to feed Kieran differently everyday, something well-bnced and nutritious, including breakfast and other meals.
He had to spend quite the effort in preparing it though.
As for Kieran?
He recalled the information the coward ghost revealed and looked down at his current equipment.
An electric baton, a blowtorch, some fuel, and some molotov cocktail.
Other than the electric baton, which he found, the rest were bought and the blowtorch and fuel cost the most for it was bought in the supermarket around the street block.
The molotov cocktail was cheaper but it required a certain level of skill to make it work.
Kieran wiped the bottles clean and ced them on the corner of the bar counter.
He would keep the molotov cocktails as ast resort and would never use them unless absolutely necessary. Once used, the situation would escte from bad to worst.
He would not just lose the restaurant and a shelter, his newly acquired identity would also be ineffective and may put him on the wanted list.
More importantly, he wasnt sure that he was capable enough to protect Starbeck under such dire circumstances.
Huu!
Kieran heaved a heavy breath. He must prevent the worst from happening. Fortunately, he had the chance to.
After the coward ghost left, the Origin Forces in his body grew again. Kieran squinted his eyes.
Althoughpared to the first time, this enhancement was much smaller, he knew the saying of many a little makes a mickle. Hence he did not close the door and waited patiently.
Since the coward ghost was attracted by something in the restaurant, this something would also attract others and the attracted spirits would only be stronger than the coward ghost.
At the same time, it will also recover his Origin Forces quicker.
This would be the perfect cycle!
However, some less friendly spirits would alsoe forth to the restaurant.
As a matter of fact, it was exactly like Kieran thought.
A few minutester, a spirit with a sharp knife stood in front of the restaurant. The spirits face was scary and its body was bloody, its eyes filled with malice, which stated its intention clearly.
Such spirit was hard tomunicate, so...
Tssssst!
The blue me on the blowtorch burned hot.
The moment this ferocious looking spirit entered the restaurant, it was sliced in half before it could react. Then it was the John Dickson treatment all over again.
This spirit was also sliced into a dozen pieces.
Anyst words? Kieran asked with the blowtorch pointing at the diced up body.
ILL KILL YOU!
The blood red eyes of the spirit red furiously at Kieran.
Okay, Kieran nodded and pointed his blowtorch at the spirits head.
Fuaaa!
The blue me torched its head and the spirit quickly cried in agony.
N-No! I have a wish, I want to slice the most beautiful body! the spirit screamed.
Kieran stopped his blowtorch, picked up the sharp knife that the spirit brought in and used it to chop the remaining body parts.
Kieran chopped not once, but multiple times at the body, as though he making minced meat.
Feel the beauty yet? Kieran asked as he minced the body.
But this is my...
Fuaa!
The blue me from the blowtorch lighted up again.
This is the beautiful body that I longed for! This is great! Ive never felt something like this before!
The spirit said seriously in front of the blue burning me, but the white firefly light did not appear.
Kieran frowned, he moved the blowtorch closer to the head.
Try to savour the moment a little better, Kieran said.
I feel it! I feel it! the spirit screamed again.
No! You are not being delicate enough! Kieran shook his head as there wasnt any firefly light.
Yes, there is! I really feel it! the spirit cried.
No, its not deep enough! Kieran shook his head again and moved the blowtorch to its face, the screams got louder.
The agonizing screams went up in the air.
Promptly, a few more translucent figures like the coward ghost appeared in front of the restaurant. Each of them showed a grudgeful gaze at the spirit being torched and showed Kieran a face of gratitude.
After the few spirits appeared, the spirit being torched widened its bloody eyes, then disintegrated together with its sharp knife.
It finally understood Kierans intention. Kieran wasnt going to let it go, he was just ying it and taking revenge for the other spirits.
He used its scream to attract the others who it killed before and release them from their shackles.
It finally understood, but what use would it have?
The endless darkness had arrived upon it.
Thank you.
Gratitude from the other spirits represented theirpletedst wish. They were once the victims killed by this spirit and now their bodIES disintegrated into white firefly light and flew to the sky.
Kierans Origin Forces grew again, but his gaze was outside the restaurant.
In the darkness, a tall figure with a keen aura stepped forward.
Chapter 1634 - Herder
Chapter 1634: Herder
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The figure stared into the restaurant at Kieran, its eyes sharper than its presence, like knives slicing skin.
The presence was sharp and keen butcked killer intentions.
Kieran clearly identified it and looked back at the figure with a calm gaze.
ck windcoat, boots, and a fedora of the same color, the figure in the shadow looked like it could simply blend into the darkness.
Harstarty? the figure asked in a low voice.
Kieran frowned.
The figures intonation was clear, Kieran heard it perfectly but he couldnt understand.
Confused, the keen aura paused for a second before the figure asked again in doubts, Weireist?
The same weird intonation, making Kieran furrow his brows.
Please speak human, thank you, Kieran didnt want to y guess with the figure any longer.
He wasnt used to this kind of obscure conversation, despite the person being the one that he had been expecting.
Kieran didnt think the person should speak differently because of his unusual identity.
Other than talking to his true friends, Kieran was always doing business, more so when he had another identity right now.
You are not a Herder? the figure asked with uncertainty after a little dy.
Herder? Sheep herder you mean? Kieran asked.
The question further sent the person into confusion, dwelling in doubt. He looked at Kieran in utmost suspicion.
The shock on Kierans face shouldnt be an act, especially with that youthful face. It was easy to win trust, but the person seemed to have suffered from this kind of encounter before and dared not simply go onto topic.
The person slowly, subtly approached Kieran.
Kieran?
He went over and closed the door, preventing the person from stepping in before he went back to his seat behind the counter, taking another magazine and started reading.
Never exin to those who doubt you, any kind of exnation would sound unnecessary! It would only be an excuse in the persons ears. Even though the exnation made sense and sounded reasonable, people would think it was a meticulously prepared script.
So, all Kieran had to do was wait, wait for the person who doubted him to ask and investigate.
Kieran believed if this person was truly who he thought, knowing information about him should be an easy task for the person.
As a matter of fact, it really turned out as expected.
Half an hourter, the man returned.
He knocked on the door politely and entered after Kieran gave permission.
Compared to the fierce appearance earlier, the man was much softer and mild this time.
His face wasnt as rigid as before and after showing the wrinkles on his face, his eyes were overflowing with praise and admiration at Kieran.
Im sorry. What happened earlier was a mistake. So please forgive me. My name is Ed Wong, just like you, Im also a second generation immigrant but my father arrived here earlier than yours, the man took off his fedora, ced it over his chest and bowed.
Royan, Kieran uttered his fake name.
Royan? A nice name. Its great to meet you Royan, is this restaurant you opened with your brother? Can I have a full course? Ed Wong smiled and asked.
Roast rabbit 100, fried rice 15, chicken soup 10.
Kieran uttered the price first before doing anything.
Pricey.
Ed Wong said pricey but he wasnt slow in taking out a 100 dor note, a 20 dor and a 5 dor note.
Please hold on, Kieran received the money, checked it and put it into the money box.
Soon, a full course was served to Ed Wong on a tray.
This smells good! This is above my moneys worth! Your brothers cooking is excellent!
Ed Wong, who started the conversation in order to be courteous, was obviously a man who knew how to appreciate good things. All he did was smell and he gave a big thumbs up to Kieran. He buried himself in the meal and even forgot what he wanted to say earlier.
He ate like a tornado sweeping over, even the roasted rabbit head was chewed into bits before he heaved a satisfied breath.
Its been a while since I hate something this good. Royan, arent you curious about the things you encounter?
Eximing, Ed Wong looked at Kieran.
There are a lot more weird things in the mountains than in the city, Kieran said the line that he had prepared.
He and Starbecks forged identity stated that they originated from a vige deep in the mountains and were second generation immigrants..
I guess you are right. Only the mountains can train a body like yours, Ed Wong nodded.
Kieran never concealed his body, which was considered peak performance for amon man. Normal people might not be able to tell the difference but Ed Wong, a Herder, was quite surprised at the discovery.
He dide across stronger bodies in the past but this kind of growth without any guidance was quite rare.
Only the mountain woods with the least amount of poption could train someone like Kieran, because there were many goods things for the human body hidden there.
Any one of the things in the mountains could easily change ones life.
Of course, one must be lucky enough to find them.
In Ed Wongs point of view, Kieran was indeed a young man with decent luck.
He must have eaten something that was extremely beneficial to the human body and did not die because of the ipatibility. Instead he absorbed the things he ate perfectly and grew strong smoothly before he arrived in the city.
His background was clean and he was a youthful person worth training.
More importantly, he already possessed a certain level of strength and boldness that surpassed others. As a Herder, Ed Wong would never let Kieran go.
A deep breathter, Ed Wong said, Royan, I wished for you to join the Herders!
Join the Herders?
Kieran was actually quite calm at the invitation, which he expected.
If Ed Wong did not invite him to join, Kieran would be dubious instead because of how much raw talent he disyed. Kieran went along with his n and showed surprise on his face.
Thats right, join the Herders! What youve encountered earlier are all under Herders jurisdiction, and...
Ed Wong unconsciously prolonged his tone, until Kieran looked at him, only then he continued, And joining the Herders is your only way! Otherwise even if you leave Ai City and return to the mountains, trouble will follow.
Why is that? Kieran went along the topic and asked.
A deer dies for its antlers. You are strong, far stronger than a normal man, and if you know more techniques, you can rival 10 men at once. Because of your raw potential, you will eventually enter some intentional parties eyes... If Im right, you must have eaten some special things in the mountains, right? Ed Wong looked at Kieran.
Kieran remained silent, but his mind was spinning like a motor.
The mountains had food that could enhance power?
If...
Kieran thought of something, but he sat there quietly and listened to what Ed Wong had to say.
The things you ate made you strong, but also put you in danger. You are strong against men alright, but your opponents arent just men. Just like what you heard back in the mountains, some rumours turn out to be true. After eating the power up item, you are like a tonic to those bastardsthey will watch you, wait for you to show ws, and seize the chance to devour you. Dont underestimate them, what youve encountered is just the tip of the iceberg. The stronger ones are far beyond your imagination, you wont even be a match to them. Whats worse is what you didpletely exposed yourself to their eyes, disaster will be waiting for you! Ed Wong said seriously.
Kieran looked at the man with a face of sincerity.
However, Kieran would never believe everything a stranger said at a first meeting, especially when this stranger invited him to join the so-called Herders, everything would end up in questions.
Ed Wong continued.
Are you suspecting why I, as a Herder, didnt do anything? We have our own rules. Before anything bad really happens, we swore to never make the first move. In short, even if we made our move at thest moment, you and your brother might not have escaped alive. You wont want anything to happen to your brother, right?
The gaze of anticipation from Ed Wong was strong.
His anticipation was rewarded when he saw Kieran nod. Ed Wong was overjoyed.
The Herderscked in numbers, having extra manpower was always a good thing in his mind.
So you agree? he asked eagerly.
No, I reject. I dont want to be involved in some war. I just want to live here peacefully, provide supper to the hungry souls at night, and make a living out of it, Kieran shook his head and spilled the answer that he prepared.
What Kieran sought was information about this dungeon world from Ed Wong, not joining him.
Kieran knew what kind of treatment he would receive should he join the Herders.
He will end up as ackey, or worse.
Anything more than that was nearly impossible.
Never expect good treatment for a newly joined recruit.
The newbie will always be the lowest working force in an organization before they learned how to be independent under some veteran.
All industries and all fields were the same, even the seemingly simple sales worked the same.
The Herders was simr to every other organization.
Kieran could already picture the days following Ed Wong around like ackey before he gained enough strength to be independent. Although he didnt mind learning, he had no time to follow the rules and walk through the tedious process.
So, he had to approach this from another way and fortunately, he knew how, for the time being.
Fulfill those spiritsst wish in exchange for recovery to his Origin Forces!
Perhaps each fulfilled wish provided him with very little amount of recovery or enhancement, every little makes a mickle. He understood he had to walk the steps to reach the goal.
Ed Wong sighed at Kierans decisive answer.
What a pity. I thought we could increase our number for once, said Ed Wong in a regrettable tone.
He then took out a small penlight, pointed at Kierans eyes and pressed the switch.
Though Ill drop by in the future. The food here is really nice, and although you wont recognize me... Huh? Who am I? Why am I here? What am I doing?
The penlight shined but itnded on the tray which Kieran took and ced in front his face.
The light was reflected back on to Ed Wongs eyes.
His pupils shrunk a few times and went nk for a second. The penlight fell from his hands and Kieran quickly picked it up and switched it off.
[Name: Memory Wiper]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: Strong]
[Attribute: Memory Erase]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: No]
[Remark: The Herders invented a tool to calm the people down in a much milder way. It has to be charged regrly and its better wear sunsses when you use it. Dont ask why because the person who suggested this had forgotten why.]
...
[Memory Erase: Erase the memory in the past hour. Has to go through a Spirit authentication, when Spirit is higher than E+, memory will be wiped.]
...
When Kieran caught the penlight, rted attributes piled up on his vision.
The maximum Spirit threshold of an average man?
Kieran went over the attributes and took a second nce at the unable to bring out of dungeon line. He stuffed it back into Ed Wongs pocket.
After Kieran sat back on to his chair, Ed Wong regained his senses.
He looked around out of confusion and then locked his gaze at Kieran, his aura suddenly turned sharp.
Harstarty? Weireist?
The questions which Ed Wong had asked an hour ago came again.
Weve been through this question before. I am not a Herder and have no intentions of joining, Kieran said.
Ed Wong was in doubt.
Before?
I knew him?
I spoke to him before?
Why cant I remember?
You said youll pay for this meal with some useful information but I dont know why you took the penlight out. It doesnt seem to function well. Also, you pressed it so many times and it didnte on, but it shined on your face when you checked it. If you are walking in the night, I suggest you change it, the supermarket is selling a cheaper one with a brighter light.
Kieran pointed at Ed Wongs pocket, showing confusion and pretending to be a kind-hearted person.
Penlight?
Ed Wong got stunned before he reacted to the situation. He reached into his pocket and when he touched [Memory Wiper], his messed up memory slowly pieced together.
My memory was wiped?
Chapter 1635 - Conversation
Chapter 1635: Conversation
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Ed Wong waspletely stunned there.
He looked at the [Memory Wiper] in his hand and then the empty tray on the bar counter, starting to believe what Kieran said because something simr did happen in the past.
A lot of unlucky bastards who ignored the operating guideline of [Memory Wiper] lost their memories.
Fortunately, one hour worth of memories wasnt much. Unless one was really unlucky, the problem wasnt that big.
Sigh.
Ed Wong sighed in his heart, holding on to thest bit of hope, he asked Kieran, That surveince camera...
If you can fix it for me, Ill be grateful, Kieran said with a smile.
Forget about it, Ed Wong shook his head and ultimately picked up [Memory Wiper] again. A Herder shouldnt reveal their existence to normal people, or in other words, the dead or spirits should remain hidden. Those who knew the deads existence should keep the secret, hence why the [Memory Wiper] was invented.
I...
Ed Wong was trying to lure Kieran in with his words and then use [Memory Wiper] on him again, but when he opened his mouth, he saw a clean molotov cocktail appear in Kierans hand. The crystal clear bottle contained sticky, turbid liquid inside and it was shaking as it was ced on the bar counter, causing ripple on the surface of the liquid.
Ed Wong swallowed what he was going to say.
He had no confidence to dodge the molotov cocktail in such a close range should Kieran toss it at him, and one the molotov cocktail burst...
He liked to eat roasted meat, but it didnt mean he would like to be roasted.
I think... Ed Wong tried to exin, but the next moment, what he saw caused his face to twitch and almost run for his life.
4 bottles of molotov cocktails were lined up on the bar counter in front of his eyes. Each bottle was wiped clean, the crystal clear bottle representing the meticulous crafting process and showing off their destructive power.
In addition to the bottle in Kierans hand, a total of 5 molotov cocktails appeared before Ed Wongs eyes.
Now, now, lets talk! Lets not let our impulses get the best of us! Ed Wong said quickly and clearly.
If these molotov cocktails were in the hands of amon man, Ed Wong would be careful but not afraid, but now they were in the hands of someone who reached peak performance of a human being, Ed Wong tended to be vignt and dared not underestimate any kind of oue.
Any misstep or slip of mouth would cost him his life!
Its like a child and an adult holding a knife pointing at him, the danger level was heaven and earth apart!
I think theres a little misunderstanding between us. It may be dangerous, but its not fatal!
Ed Wong ced the [Memory Wiper] on the bar counter, stating that he meant no harm.
However, Kieran did not lower the bottle of molotov cocktail in his hand, looking at Ed Wong and said slowly, Some things arent fatal, but its more important than life, like our memories. Am I right, Mr. Ed Wong?
Right, you are so right! Ed Wongughed awkwardly at the question.
Ed Wong never doubted the intellect of this young man before his eyes, simrly, he never believed an idiot could apprehend a serial killer.
So, you owe me a great debt again, Kieran said.
Again? Ed Wong was stunned, staring nkly at the empty tray.
He thought Kieran was talking about the food money.
You thought I was referring to paying for the food with some useful information? No, its not that, Kieran exined.
Then why is it again? Ed Wong was confused.
I can get myself two things in one day: memories of my past that I recall and memories that I remember now. What you were trying to do was destroy both of them at once, so its again. Kieran said seriously.
Are you kidding me?!
Ed Wong widened his eyes.
He wished that was just an after meal joke from Kieran, but the serious look on his face said otherwise. More importantly, the molotov cocktail in his hand, Kieran suddenly took out a lighter, ignited it and slowly moved closer to the fuse...
Fine! I owe you two! Ed Wong said loudly.
He could tell the young man before his eyes werent joking. If he did not agree, the ignited molotov cocktail would be thrown on his body.
Should that happen, the scene would instantly plunge into panic and chaos, and ultimately, Ed Wong would be the one suffering the consequences, because he was the one that made the mistake first.
One of the rules of being a Herder was a Herder had to stand for his mistake. Should he refuse to correct his mistake and lead to a bigger loss or conflict, the punishment would be even more severe than the initial one.
Ed Wong wouldnt want to suffer the severe punishment because of some little things.
Although the situation at hand might seem cumbersome, it could definitely be solved.
I know your father. We knew each other before the Dark Moon Treaty. After the treaty was signed on, your father wasnt happy with the conditions, so he retreated to the mountains. You brothers arrived in Ai City because your father told you on hisst breath toe to me for help, and your identity allows you to know a lot of secrets that others dont know, understand?
Ed Wong recalled the documents on the young man and his brothers with his eyes closed and exined quickly.
Em, Kieran nodded.
Ed Wong smiled at the nod. He liked to talk with smart people, like Kieran. Kieran could understand what he was talking about without further exnation and he did not interrupt him to ask what the Dark Moon Treaty was or something like that.
Although altering your identity is a cumbersome matter, as your senior, what can I say? Call me uncle,e on, its been a while since I have seen some juniors.
Ed Wong took a deep breath and looked at Kieran in anticipation.
Then..
He saw the lighter in Kierans hand move towards the molotov cocktail. Ed Wongs face turned green that instant.
Wait! Hold on! Your father must have told you to call me Ed Wong instead of uncle when we meet! You must remember that! Ed Wong exined quickly and clearly again.
Em, Kieran nodded and killed the fire from the lighter.
Phew!
Ed Wong heaved a long breath, feeling like he had escaped death a few times in one piece.
The young man before his eyes really wanted to ignite the molotov cocktail.
Ed Wong was confident that if he did not submit, he would die with the young man.
Family eh...
His family is off limits?
Ed Wong looked at the cold Kieran and pondered upon Kierans personality. Kieran returned the gaze quietly.
Kieran had quite the experience in dealing with this kind of insatiable bastard who reached for a yard after getting an inch: if he wanted to more, punch him and kick him, state his stand clearly before things get muddy. Should he hold a grievance, give him two more kicks just to vent out anger.
No need to worry about him getting hurt, since such an insatiable bastard had such a thick face, the meat on his body should be thicker. Two more kicks would be fine.
Both of them looked at each other in silence for 3 seconds before Ed Wong spoke.
What do you want to know?
He didnt say anything like I can only answer three questions or something simr.
Since he had experience about what could go down with Kieran, such words werent necessary.
The more Kieran knew, the more authentic his identity would be.
And Ed Wong?
He would be further away from punishment, yet his heart felt extremely unwilling.
Did I forget something important? What could it be?
Doubt in his heart, Ed Wong looked at Kieran and asked instinctively, How much for the food here?
Roasted rabbit 1000, fried rice 150, chicken soup 100, service charge 10% and youve paid it. Kieran said without any expression on his face.
So expensive, but worth my money!
Ed Wong nodded as the taste lingered in his mouth, he then pulled the topic back.
Ask away, ask whatever thats troubling you, Ill answer everything.
Everything that troubles me since I arrived in Ai city, Kieran asked without being courteous.
What youve encountered isnt the first in the city, a lot of people encountered it before but all of them forgot about itlike what your father said, this world is much moreplicated and mysterious than it looks. Theres a world for themoners and theres another for our kind, a world where life and death are intertwined and interconnected. In this other world, the line between life and death is blurred out and the conflicts between the living and dead are endless. Greed, hatred, disgust, rage, ruthlessness, and unwillingness will always make things worse and our existence is to change this bad ending into something people can ept, Ed Wong said.
Is this the reason the deade back? Kieran asked.
A part of it. Based on our studies, those ghosts wille back based on their strong feelings but there are some minority thates back under special circumstancesyou dont need to know about the details because the details should be off limits to your father, Ed Wong reminded Kieran about his stand.
Will they be attracted to the presence of being freed? Kieran nodded and continued.
Yes they will. The faraway presence had quite the attraction to them, its like their second instinct but some use it for their hunting purpose. Each time the faraway presence appears, it will linger around three days and its a celebration for those bastards.
So next time when you decide to send those guys far away, try to go to a less popted ce. If you cant, remember to use the coin.
Ed Wong ced a copper coin on the bar counter.
The copper coin was an intact one, there was no hole in the middle and had an emblem of a sun on top. Kieran picked it up and saw a moon emblem on the other side.
[Name: Crossing Copper Coin]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: Magic]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: None]
[Attribute: Cover the presence of souls leaving for the farawaynd.]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: No]
[Remark: Crossing Coin appears much earlier than the Herders. No one knew why it was created but after covering the presence of souls leaving for the farawaynd, it has be themon currency for the Herders and the mystical side.]
...
Kieran squinted his eyes at the copper coin.
It wasnt because of the description but because when he picked the coin up, the 5 Origin Forces in his body became lively.
With the liveliness running in his body, he clearly felt that there was a dash of pure energy in [Crossing Copper Coin], the pure energy very simr to energy when the dead left for the farawaynd.
Kieran subtly pushed the copper coin back to Ed Wong.
Keep it. This is the only valuable item that your father left for you brothers. You can use it to help you ovee the difficulties at hand, Ed Wong gave an unwilling look at [Crossing Copper Coin] and said to Kieran.
Thanks.
Kieran said his thanks before he brought over the money box, taking out half of the money inside and cing it in front of Ed Wong.
Roye and I still have to make a living, this is what I can offer you now. As for the rest, Ill make it up to you, said Kieran.
What a weird fe. Forget it, consider it paying my debt, Ed Wong said casually.
No, thats that, this is this, Kieran shook his head.
A debt of favour wasnt something that could be repaid easily!
A stingy ghost didnt like to owe people a debt, neither did he like to be taken advantage of.
Ed Wong saw that decisive gaze from Kieran, he sighed and took the money.
Owing a debt to a person like Kieran could be considered unfortunate!
What else do you want to ask? Ed Wong continued.
Those ghosts that devoured humans soul, will they be stronger? Kieran asked the question that interested him the most.
Of course, but the soul must fit their standard. The standard varies, like the earlier one requires a beautiful body, Ed Wong answered honestly.
I see, Kieran nodded in realization and then looked at Ed Wong again.
This time, his gaze was a little different.
It felt like there was a dagger hidden in between the gaze, it was unknowingly pressuring.
Ed Wong shrunk his neck out of instinct and a bad feeling rose in his heart.
At the next moment, the bad feeling realized itself.
You are chasing that body slicing ghost? How did you deal with him? Like me? Or... Do you have some special weapons?
Each word that Kieran spoke, it hammered Ed Wongs heart deeper and when he finished, Ed Wongs heart almost got hammered out of his body.
His pursuit mission should have ended smoothly, yet it waspletely messed up.
Although speaking from a certain angle, his pursuit mission was considered a sess. That aside, he would rather fail his mission temporarily than getting involved with the young man.
A standard-issued weapon was iparable to [Crossing Copper Coin], let alone the other unique ones.
Once he thought about the values of the weapons, Ed Wong felt like vomiting blood.
This is robbing or cheating! Ed Wong almost screamed his lungs out.
No, is equivalent exchange, you owed me two big debts after all, Kieran posed a V-sign with his fingers.
Ed Wong felt weak on the stool.
He wanted to argue and refute but before he spoke, he saw Kieran with his molotov cocktail again. This time, Kieran lit up the cloth on the bottle!
Chapter 1636 - Daily
Chapter 1636: Daily
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Wait! Lets not be impulsive! Ill give you the weapon!
Ed Wong felt serious difort when he saw the lit up molotov cocktail in Kierans hand.
Did I run into a crazy person?
Any disagreement and he wants to die together?
Couldnt he converse properly?
I will nevere here again! Its too exhausting for me mentally!
Just as the decision was made in Ed Wongs heart, the lit up molotov cocktail was tossed out, grazing Ed Wongs head andnding at the entrance.
Pak!
Fuooosh!
The bottle broke and the gasoline inside was ignited by the sparks, causing a puddle of me.
The me shed light in the area, a few spirits hidden in the dark were burned to cinders by the me.
Ed Wong looked at the scene nkly.
When he turned back to Kieran, inconceble surprise all over his face.
How did you... Ed Wong asked.
Because of [Memory Wiper], he wasnt in his prime form and was sitting against the entrance, but that didnt mean Kieran could simply notice the spirits outside the door.
Even if Kieran was at human peak performance, he shouldnt have done it, unless...
He was beyond human peak performance!?
Ed Wong instinctively shook his head when the answer came into his head.
He couldnt believe the young man had achieved such a level. Even in the Herders, only those reaching Bringepeist could go beyond human limits.
And himself?
He was just reaching the edge of Bringepeist, he still wasnt a true Bringepeist.
The danger in the mountains is beyond your imagination. Any misstep will cost you your life, so I am used to being vignt of my surroundings, Kieran replied.
A trait worth learning, Ed Wong nodded, he acknowledged Kierans answer.
After that, Ed Wong took out another [Crossing Copper Coin] and ced it on his index finger, his thumb then flipped it.
Ding!
A clear noiseter, [Crossing Copper Coin] was flung into an arch over the air andnded on the entrance of the restaurant. The coin didnt bounce at all when it came into contact with the lingering mes, rooting itself and an invisible force burst out, like a gale blowing around the restaurant.
A whileter, [Crossing Copper Coin] swiftly turned from its orangey yellow to a gloomy dark brown, like amon corroded coin.
Ed Wong heaved a breath of relief after he sensed the presence was gone.
Those fes youve sent off are much more aromatic than you think, but they wont appear for the time being. For the sake of safety, I suggest you and your brother leave this ce at once, not for too long, at most a week or two. Itll keep you guys safe, Ed Wong emphasized.
Running away isnt solving the problem. We can run the first time, the second time, but what about the third? The fourth? We cant run forever! Rather than wasting our efforts, we might as well stay and learn how to fight, Kieran shoo his head.
Running away is not the way because one day, you will realize you cant run anymore.
Once a problem urs, try to solve it, not stack it or dy it, otherwise it will eventually turn into something unsolvable.
You learned this from the mountains too? Ed Wong asked out of curiosity.
I guess so, Kieran gave a vague answer.
He didnt learn this in the mountains, it was his own life experience.
Until now, Kieran could never forget the despair, the helplessness, the suffocation in front of death, and now all those became his fuel to press forward.
Kieran put his hand on the bar counter.
What? Ed Wong got stunned.
You said youll give me a weapon, Kieran reminded him.
I thought...
Trying to back away from your words? Kieran interrupted him, and Ed Wong flushed.
Whos backing away! Here!
Ed Wong took out a sword from his backpack.
The sword was wrapped in animal pelt and had no sheath. After the pelt was removed, the ring de shone, 5 cm thick and 80 cm long.
Kieran got a hold of the wooden hilt and the information of the sword appeared in his vision.
[Name: Sharp Standard-Issued de]
[Type: Weapon]
[Rarity: Magic]
[Attack: Strong]
[Attribute: 1. Lacerate; 2. Scorch]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: Strength E]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: No]
[Remark: The standard issued sword for the Harstarty and Weirest of the Herders. Most were given by teachers and seniors, some can get it from the organization itself. It isnt the best weapon, but the mostmon one. You dont need any techniques in wielding it, only sufficient strength to move it.
...
[Lacerate: The special runes in the de made it effective against the dead; after stabbing or shing the dead, the wounds created is hard to recover.]
[Scorch: The de deals extra +1 damage to the dead, form or formless.]
...
Kieran held the hilt tightly and performed a sh.
Wung!
The air-shing noise echoed in the restaurant.
Not bad, Kieranmented honestly.
In Kierans current state, nothing was better than this sword which required only strength and no techniques to wield.
Of course its good! Even though it isnt those special weapons, its considered a fine weapon among the standard equipment. Its also a symbol of the Harstarty and Weirest, but you are different! As your fathers old friend, I am really worried about you guys getting into danger, thats why I give it to you for self-defense, its not symbolizing your identity or anything, Ed Wong spoke on himself.
Em, Kieran nodded without arguing.
The Sharp prefix said it all.
What Ed Wong said after that told him the origin of this de and he would not force Kieran into joining the Herders anymore.
Even though Ed Wong was repaying his debt, Kieran could feel his sincerity.
Besides, as your fathers old friend, its my duty to take care of you guys. Ill deal with the things that happened here, and everything that happens after this, other than harming the normals or breaking thew, just push it to me, Ill take care of those. However, if you really hurt the normals or break thew...
Ed Wong didnt finish, the keen presence from him saying it all.
The keen presence then went off, Ed Wong returning to his middle-aged look and starting to nag.
His nagging went on for a full 2 hours before he left and his face was like he hadnt fully expressed himself.
Finally cleared, Kieran said as he saw Ed Wong walking away.
Cleared? The two debts? Ed Wong asked without stopping or turning back.
No, its the action of trying to erase my memory, Kieran said.
Ed Wog paused for a while, not understanding Kieran.
Wasnt erasing his memory and owing him the debt the same?
Weird fe.
Mumbling, Ed Wong waved without looking back and left into the darkness before dawn.
After making sure Ed Wong left, Starbeck carefully walked out of the kitchen.
Starbeck would be nervous every time he met someone new, let alone those from the mystical side of a dungeon world.
Every contact these kinds of people represented danger, battle, or endless troubles.
Its fine. Whats for breakfast?
Kieran smiled at Starbeck and switched the topic.
Chicken wonton and Sanxian buns, Starbeck replied.
The tacit understanding between the two of them saved them the use of words, theyd be minding their own business with each others consent.
Further away on the horizon, light began to shine.
The sun rose and a new day was starting.
After Starbeck went to bed, Kieran leaned on his and held [Sharp Standard-Issued de] in his hand, quietly adapting to his weakened body and also feeling the Origin Forces in his body.
Time flew as Kieran tried to adjust to his body.
In the afternoon, Starbeck opened his eyes. He saw Kieran beside the bed basking in the autumn sun, quietly shrinking back into the nket, showing only his eyes and arching his back.
He was used to it.
Smiling, Starbeck quietly snuck out of the nket and went downstairs to prepare lunch.
After Starbeck put on his shoes and walked down, Kieran also stood up quietly and followed him.
Starbeck realized Kieran was behind him when he was going down the stairs.
You should rest a little longer. Didnt Ed Wong say the dead wont show during the day? Its safe, Ill call you when lunch is ready, Starbeck pushed Kieran and told him to go back to rest.
What he said was normal situations, there are also special situations at times. Dont worry, Ill sleep on the chair, its the same.
Kieran then dragged Starbeck down the stairs and pushed him into the kitchen. He then sat on his chair, put his legs up on the counter and shut his eyes with the sword in his arms.
He had gotten used to the weakened body and he was confident enough to bring out the full potential of his current body.
As for the 5 Origin Forces?
Even with multiple enhancement, it was still very weak.
There werent any signs of the Origin Forces other than their basic existence, let alone the Origin Forces breaking their own shackles.
Im still too far away, Kieran muttered.
His nose then picked up the smell from the kitchen.
He smelled roasted meat, meatballs, fried tofu, potatoes, cabbage, and noodles.
A mix pot?
Kieran was surprised, quietly looking into the kitchen.
He saw Starbeck with a pair of mittens holding a pot out.
Gulp, Gulp!
Spark Spark Spark!
The soup boiled, the charcoal burned.
When the lid was opened, the aromatic steam rose into the air.
The sparks of fire also flew out towards Starbeck as he was trying to put down the lid, but before Starbeck could dodge the sparks, Kieran reached out and blocked the sparks for him.
Did it burn you? Starbeck quickly took off his mitten and grabbed Kierans left hand, examining it carefully.
The sparks left a few ck spots on Kierans palm, Starbeck blowing and tapping them away, cleaning Kierans palm.
He only heaved a breath of relief when he saw that Kierans palm wasnt burned.
Starbeck suddenly noticed Kierans fingers were long, his palm was strong, and there were calluses around his fingers and the gaps.
So this is 2567s hand?
It was the first time Starbeck saw it up close, so he immediately felt shy about it.
Those calluses are from wielding swords, its nothing. Lets eat.
Kieran exined with a smile and was captivated by the mix pot, not even noticing the unusual expression from Starbeck.
The traditional charcoal pot had charcoal burning hot in the middle, boiling the soup. On top of the soup was ayer of roast pork which had an even thickness and size.
Underneath the roast pork was round meatballs and under the meatballs were fried tofu and potatoes. The cabbages and noodles were ced at the very bottom.
Kieran dug in from top to bottom.
The vour was evenly distributed inyers, together with the rich soup, everything was tasty. The roast pork was fat but not oily, the meatballs were springy, the fried tofu was creamy on the inside and the potatoes tasted very fillingthe cabbages and noodles at the bottom absorbed the substantial vour of the meat above them.
After the soup got a refilled from Starbeck, Kieran ate the veggie and soup together, which provided an extra sense of satisfaction.
The whole pot was finished by Kieran alone.
Starbeck had to refill a third time before Kieran was finally full. He leaned back in his chair in satisfaction.
Many deep breathster, Kieran stood up and took the pot for cleaning.
Starbeck was in charge of cooking, but he was in charge of washing, just like how they agreed upon.
However, Starbeck followed Kieran into the kitchen, taking the two bags of leftover ingredients, which he kept from cooking the mixed pot, and walked out the restaurant.
The restaurant didnt have a back door, only a front exit.
Standing inside the kitchen, Kieran saw Starbeck open the back of leftover ingredients and poured them beside the road. Starbeck waited patiently.
A whileter, several stray dogs came over with wagging tails and dug in the leftover ingredients.
Several more stray cats at the street entrance were meowing too.
Starbeck took another bag of leftovers and put it further away, allowing the cats to help themselves.
Starbeck smiled as he caressed the cats and dogs.
The rmed stray animals were tamed by Starbeck and allowed him to touch them.
When all the leftovers were cleared, the dogs wagged their tails and the cats meowed.
Come back at night, Ill prepare more things for you guys to eat.
Starbeck collected the empty bags and threw them into the garbage can, waving at the dogs and cats.
As though the dogs and cats understood hisnguage, they quickly left.
Humming a melody, Starbeck hopped back into the kitchen.
You arent afraid of cats and dogs? Kieran asked in a surprised look.
In his mind, Starbeck should be afraid of everything.
I was at first but after getting Afu, Im not afraid of dogs and then I realized I am not afraid of cats either, they seem to get close to me easily. The birds and squirrels are also very friendly, but I cant take them all in, Starbeck was a little depressed about that.
Then you can try taking them in here and then bring them back, Kieran suggested.
B-But...
Leave it to me, Kieran smiled.
He was familiar with contracts, because he had a follower that had multiple contracts with him, he could even recite the contracts backwards.
Perhaps he wasnt able to craft powerful contracts but the normal ones were not too difficult for him as long as he had the required ingredients.
Great!
Starbeck was overjoyed by Kierans promise, jumping happily.
The kitchen was filled with Starbecks joyfulughs.
Kieran was also infected by the joyous feelings, his smile visible all afternoon.
Until at night when the restaurant was opened for business, Kieran finally kept away his smiles.
He frowned at the customer, which caused him difort.
O-Owner, I want alcohol! Alcohol!
Amy rammed in and staggered over to the bar counter, managing to get a hold on the counter before she fell to the ground, but she was too weak to sit on the chair. She leaned down at the counter and mumbled gibberish.
She reeked of alcohol and it furrowed Kierans brows tighter, but what Kieran was concerned about was the rattling that followed the drunkard.
Rattle Rattle Rattle!
It was the rattling of chains.
Chapter 1637 - Chains
Chapter 1637: Chains
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
This is the evening news, the police confirmed that 5 females have gone missing. The missing females are all young and single. Now we have Chief Teddy with us, to help us understand more about the case.
ncing over the tv in the pantry, Amy, with hertest bag of the season, walked out of her office like a proud peacock.
As the youngest female manager that air-dropped into the position, Amy had her own assets that she took pride in: her beautiful looks and capabilities.
However, because her looks were extravagant, her capabilities were overshadowed.
At first, Amy felt ambivalent about it but she slowly got used to her own w.
Amy realized no matter how she exined, everyone tend to believe what their eyes saw and with that going on, rumours began to spread.
The rumours varied from rising to position with her beauty, to earning extra money during her high school days, to her parents divorcing because her mother was having an affair.
All the rumours were trying to kill her hard work and prove that she was one of those cheap women who relied on their beauty to get whatever they wanted.
Even now, the rumours hadnt died off, Amy could still hear whispers behind her back, but she did not care.
When she entered the elevator, she said, I need everything on this case on my desk tomorrow morning, including everything about every singlepetitor out there.
The door of the elevator slowly closed. A split second before it shut, Amy could hear the angry rants and voices of difort from her subordinates.
Hmph!
If they have time for gossip, they have time for overtime!
Amy stomped her heels and went to the underground carpark.
A brand new red car was parked at the cornershe bought this car a yearter than her new apartment, its stylish and safety features off the charts.
Her car attracted a lot of eyes, and when Amy arrived beside her car, the effect doubled.
Several other male colleagues who got off work at the same time were captivated by her and her car.
The reserved ones smiled; the bold ones sized her from top to bottom.
Regardless of which, Amy returned it with an angry re.
Men were narcissists that only cared about their own feelings, do not be afraid in this kind of situation! Once backed away, the situation would escte and it would be harder to deal with.
Amy was sick of the rumours in the office and now being sized up by the men in the car park, she didnt want to be disgusted again.
The reserved men kept away their gaze and boarded their cars; the bold men shrugged, they wanted to stay but were greeted by Amys middle finger. In the end, they chose to leave also.
However, not all left.
A man was standing beside Amys car, talking into his phone as if he was discussing something important.
When the man caught Amys questioning gaze, the man showed an apologetic smile.
Can you lend me a pen? the man asked.
Sure, Amy was very direct, taking her pen out and lending it to the man, but when the man tried to touch her wrist when receiving the pen, Amy kicked him on the knee. Her sharp, sturdy heelsnded hard on the mans knee cap.
Aaaargh!
The man hugged his knee in pain.
Amy didnt hold back, she swung her bag and mmed it into the mans face.
Why did she choose this bag today?
Other than the newest series of the seasons, the bag had studs as design, not the sharp one but the rounded ones, but after putting two bottles of water into her bag, swinging it with a good angle could transform it into a discounted il to hit people.
Amy had tested it out before on aluminum cans and the results had been very satisfying.
The crushed aluminum cans proved how strong her il could be, simr to the mans face.
The man wasnt just bleeding, he couldnt even move at all, but Amy did not stop there. She raised her sharp heels and stomped on the mans crotch, precisely and painfully.
She didnt hold back at all and did not care about the cries for mercy.
Should she be soft in this kind of situation, she would be bringing trouble upon herself.
Soon, the building security ran over after seeing the situation through the camera.
Three security guards looked at each other in front of the bleeding man.
Take him in, call the police! Amy told the security guards.
Ms. Amy, this man didnt do anything wrong to you, right? a senior security guard asked dubiously.
Nothing wrong? A stranger tried to approach me by pretending to borrow a pen but he had an electric baton on him? You are telling me he is clean? Or... you three are also with him? The missing womentely, are they your doings? Amyughed coldly.
The senior security guard turned pale, but the younger one beside him wasnt willing to submit to Amy.
How did you know he was a stranger?
I remember everyones face and name in this building from when I took this job, its just around 200 people, it wasnt that hard, Amy replied in a casual tone.
The young security guard was surprised. He didnt know whether Amy was telling the truth or not, so he looked at his senior.
Call the police, the senior said.
Whether or not Amy was telling the truth, the police had to be notified because the senior found the electric baton in the mans pocket, and the man really wasnt from the building.
Soon, Chief Teddy arrived at the scene.
The short and thin chief officer saw the man on the ground, went over, grabbed the man by the hair. and threw him into the police cruiser.
Ms. Amy, my men will get the testimony from you.
After leaving that behind, Teddy drove his cruiser back to the station.
He preferred to ask questions back in the questioning room.
Is this the attitude a cop should show to a taxpayer? I want to report him! Amy yelled in the direction where Teddy drove off.
Ms. Amy, please forgive him. A lot has happenedtely...
Nothing can change his bad attitude just now, I want to report him!
Amy was being very hard on her stance, the officer smiled bitterly and the three security guards even quivered.
This woman is scary! She cant be provoked!
We must tell this to the fes in the office!
Do not step on this tigress tail! Otherwise its worse than death!
The three security guards exchanged nces.
Amy saw the little reaction,ughing coldly in her heart.
Look at you men, always letting your hormones get the best of you. Hmph, men.
The testimony recording was quicker than Amys expectation, or rather, because of her firm stance and refusal to back off on the report, the officers quickly sent her off like she was the God of gue.
This little incident may be unpleasant but it will help me in the new office. Those fes will be honest for the time being.
Amys mood turned better once the thought came into her mind.
She was above the age of being reckless, if it wasnt useful to her job in the future, she would never waste her effort in tangling with a man.
Lets reward myself!
Amy then turned away from the road back to her house.
She knew a very secretive bar.
...
I like that bar better, your ce is too cold and quiet. If I did not get chased out because I smashed a bottle in the owners head, I wouldnte here. Dont worry, I wont smash your head. One nce and I know you are that kind of cold, lustless man.
Drunk, Amy half crawled under the bar counter, mumbling gibberish.
Kieran raised a brow, really wanting to throw her out but the thing that came with the rattling chains seized him from doing so.
The translucent chain, as thick as a finger, crawled to the door like a snake and curled up at the entrance.
It curled up almost half a man tall and the tip, which should be the head, was aimed at Amy, but it quickly switched direction to the kitchen.
The entire chain stopped moving for a while, like it had found a better prey.
Kierans face turned heavy.
This thing was switching target, from Amy to Starbeck.
If it was Amy, Kieran would be reluctant to make a move, but it was Starbeck?
Fung!
[Sharp Standard-Issued de] appeared above the chain and swung down fiercely.
Rattles!
The chain was startled, frightened like an animal. Although it was an inanimate object, it was frightened because someone saw itself.
Despite the fright, the chain wasnt slow, its tip, or head, rattled, its curled up body, then flew up, ring after ring, and constricted Kieran.
Its head then pulled back tightly, the rings of chain on Kieran tightening all of a sudden, but Kieran wasnt concerned.
[Sharp Standard-Issued de] continued its swing.
The tightened chains and the head were cut by the de.
The broken chain fell on the floor and produced a heavy clunk, starting to melt like it was burned by fire.
[Scorch]!
The de could inflict extra damage to the dead, form or formless.
This strange chain that possessed a rather unusual strength was definitely thetter.
Whenever a spirit relied on its irregr form to secure an advantage, once broken, it was on its way to being vanquished.
However, Kierans furrowed brows didnt ease off as he watched the chain melt and vanish.
He could tell the chain was being controlled, not possessing a consciousness of its own.
Inanimate objects that could give birth to consciousness did not share the same presence as this chain, and it wouldnt be this week.
More importantly, it seemed like the power behind this chain had its target locked on Starbeck, seemingly having switched from its initial target.
Once he thought about that, Kieran turned about to the cumbersome drunkard.
Society will not ept people like you! You must be lonely without friends right? Did you cry during the lonely nights? Its fine, let big sister know, I wont tell others about it.
A drunk Amy, lost in her usual calmness and clear mind, was mumbling gibberish andughing in a silly way at Kieran.
She wanted to stand up and walk to Kieran, but something pulled her back from behind, causing the faltering steps to fall again,nding her bum on the floor again and leaning her back on the counter.
She turned behind and tried to look at the person who pulled her back with her blurry eyes.
What a cute little boy, do you want to be my friend?
Amy smiled idiotically at Starbeck beside her, reaching out and trying to touch Starbecks face.
Pak!
Kieran pped her hand away, grabbed her by the cor, and went to throw her out.
Brother, wait, i-its not safe at night, Starbeck begged softly.
Although his true thoughts told him that the cumbersome drunkard should be thrown out right away, immediately, as fast as possible, his kindness stopped him from doing that.
If something happened to her after she was thrown out, Starbeck could never forgive himself.
Kieran nodded. He threw the drunkard into a corner, allowing her to mind her own business.
Kieran wasnt being soft, the reason why he didnt throw her out was because Starbeck had begged on behalf of her. He had alreadypromised in a great way.
Did you see that thing? Kieran asked after he returned to the bar counter.
I did not before but when you shed it, I saw something, Starbeck answered seriously.
He knew Kieran was used to collecting info through these kinds of small details, so he was not careless.
If you couldnt see it from the start and the drunkard wasnt aware, that means its only visible to those with Spirit surpassed peak human performance? Plus someone must be controlling it from elsewhere...
Kieran muttered with squinted eyes.
Deducing from current clues, the one who controlled the chain should be someone who surpassed peak human performance.
As a Chosen One, Kieran knew how scary a powerful Spirit was.
A silent attack, unable to guard it when it striked and could be considered as all-pervasive.
One would never imagine how a Spirit attack strikes!
The only good news was the person who controlled the chain, although possessing Spirit higher than peak human performance, shouldnt be that high.
Overwise, Kieran wouldnt have cut the chain into pieces. It would be the other way around.
Even so, his habitual vignce made him walk to a corner.
Pak!
Kieran snapped his finger in the shadow.
At your service boss.
Bloody Mary, the Superior Demon, appeared in an almost transparent form and bowed to Kieran.
Bloody Mary already knew what was going on through the power of the contract, there was no need for an exnation of the situation.
Leave it to me now. I may not bebat-ready now, but scouting, guarding, and being on watch are all green, Bloody Mary then fused into the shadow.
It had to support its boss and watch the unusual urrence in the area.
After Bloody Mary vanished into the shadows, Kieran walked back to the bar counter, picked up the phone, and called the number Ed Wong left behind.
Kieran didnt mind having an extra pair of hands against an unknown enemy when he was in a weakened state.
However, the call rang several times but no one answered. Kieran hung up and dialed again, getting the same result.
Judging from the conversation yesterday, Ed Wong should be a trustworthy person.
Something must have happened if no one answered the phone.
A little too coincidental, dont you think? Kieran muttered.
Right at that moment, the door of the restaurant suddenly opened.
Chapter 1638 - Trouble
Chapter 1638: Trouble
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
27th of September.
Andie came out from the theatre with her boyfriend. She looked at him, or more urately, the backpack which held the present for her.
The present that was supposedly her birthday present.
Her boyfriend thought he bought the present without her knowledge but when she asked her sister for her opinion, her sister, who sided with her, had told her what the birthday present would be.
Plus her boyfriends roommates were also on her side, telling her what her boyfriend was up to.
So it wasnt that hard to guess what the present was.
Why did the roommates help Andie though?
Because Andie had roommates too and her boyfriends roommates were all single.
Everything unfolded just as expected.
The present would be thetest bag of the season, with blunt studs around the body.
It was very nice, as Andie liked the ck metallic feel.
After a passionate kiss, Andie subtly, carefully rejected her boyfriend to get to the next base. She smiled and took her present back into her dorm.
She was eager to show off her present to her roommates, they would be jealous!
To her surprise, she realized there wasnt anyone in the dorm when she opened the door.
Other than the empty dorm, it was in total darkness too because of a ckout.
What a terrible night, Andieined. She wanted to use her phone to light her path but when she took out her phone, a voice came from behind her.
What a terrible night.
The same words, the same tone. It was like her words were repeated by herself, but Andie was sure she did not speak.
She grabbed her bag, lit up the torchlight app on her phone and shone it behind her with a loud yell.
Who is it!? Come on out! Anna? I see you, you little bitch, I see your little tricks now! Come out!
Behind her was a nk door, her voice weing no answers, except for the same repeated words.
Who is it!? Come on out! Anna? I see you, you little bitch, I see your little tricks now! Come out!
At first she thought her roommates were ying games with her, Andie was frightened but not afraid because it was normal for the girls to y tricks on each other, but this time it felt different. Andie was creeped out.
She turned around again with her lighted up phone, she shed light over the dark room, in hopes of finding her roommatesughing at her silly reaction, but...
Nothing.
The things in the room were exactly how they were when she left, even the half-eaten tiramisu Anna left behind was untouched.
Hey guys,e out please. I admit that you guys are scaring me, Andie stepped back as she begged.
Her hand was on the handle of the door, turning it slowly.
The door opened and Andie stepped out of her room, wanting to leave her room and return to the well-lit corridor.
A light shone from behind her and Andie heaved a breath of relief, moving further away.
Then... she missed her step and fell.
The light went off and a deeper darkness devoured Andiepletely.
Aaaaaaah!
Andies scream echoed in the corridor.
Tssst Bam!
The opened door slowly closed and everything returned to silence.
...
Andie still hasnte back?
Li QianQian yawned on her bed, hugging her rabbit pillow in her pink pajamas.
She must be curling up on her boyfriends crotch! Im gonna grab her little braid and let her know the sisters rules shall not be broken!
A darker, healthier girl, Miranda, said seriously, but her moving eyes represented the grinding gears in her mind.
A punishment is necessary.
Anna, in sses, couldnt help but say it to her roommates.
Punishment! Punishment!
Li QianQian, who was going to bed a moment ago, jumped down from her bed.
The three girls quickly got into position.
One of them got into the closet, one of them hid behind the door and thest one under the bed.
They were going to scare their roommate.
Miranda was the one behind the door. As a student with exceptional sports ability, her size was bigger and healthier than normal boys, she couldnt even get under the bed or the closet.
Do you girls think Andie will really get that bag?
I want it too!
If I got it, those bastards wouldugh at me. Besides, that bag is very expensive, might as well use the money to get a new pair of sports shoes... Hey, QianQian, Anna, theres no need to be so serious right? Andie hasnte back, we can still chat.
Miranda said and opened the closet door.
Inside the closet were messy clothes hanging on the rack and piled up underwear, but no Li QianQian.
QianQian? Miranda was stunned, turning about and lifting the bed.
There was no one under the bed also.
Girls, stop it! We are scaring Andie, not me! Miranda frowned.
She thought she was the one being scared, and then she felt difort behind her neck.
It was itchy and cold, she turned around and...
A strand of hair?
A strand of hair fell down from the ceiling and appeared in her sight.
Miranda looked up to the origin of the hair and she saw a pale face with green veins and ck eyes on the ceiling.
Aaaaaah!
Miranda screamed and fell on the floor.
She breathed heavily and moved backwards with her hands and legs.
When she retreated to the door, the fear drove her to open the door without thinking, she wanted to run, but...
She fell!
...
28th September.
Lin MiaoMiao was finishing her preparation before she headed off work.
She put the clothes back on the rack, cleaned up the changing room for it was her duty.
Knock, knock, knock.
Hello, is anyone there? Lin MiaoMiao knocked.
When no one answered, she let herself in.
There were no clothes in the changing room, but the slippers were messy.
They should be tidied up, otherwise her sry would suffer.
She squatted down and went to return the slippers back to their original ces.
Knock, knock, knock.
Hello, is anyone there?
The knocks and question sounded behind her.
Lin MiaoMiao stood up,looking confused.
As the purchasing guide of the night shift, although she wasnt the only one, as the rookie, she had to settle the trivial stuff.
Is that you, manager?
From how she viewed it, only that kind manager would help her with her trivial duties.
After the question, Lin MiaoMiao opened the unlocked changing room door.
There was no one outside.
The broadcast in the mall came through the speaker.
Wee to Encool Mall, our business time is from morning 10 am to night 10 pm. There are 15 minutes left until closing, please have your belongings with you and leave in an organized manner... Bzzzzt!
Buzz!
The standard broadcast was interrupted by a sudden electrical buzz.
The sharp irritating noise assaulted Lin MiaoMiaos ears and she covered her ears with her hands.
Then...
Bam!
A thudter, all the lights were killed off.
The lights came back quick enough though.
The passionate and kind manager came into the changing room, but he noticed the neer Lin MiaoMiao was missing. The door was left open and the slippers were arranged nicely but she was nowhere to be found.
The manager tried to call her but all he got was a busy tone.
The situationsted until the next day, when Lin MiaoMiao was still missing.
The manager called the police.
...
m!
The officers saw Chief Teddy walk out of the questioning room.
No doubt the person he brought back wasnt the person he was looking for.
Chief Teddy walked to the whiteboard and went into deep thought. His colleagues were afraid, none of them dared to make noise or even breath loudly, anyone who dared to speak loudly would be the target to feel his wrath.
The chief may be short but he had quite the hot temper.
The recent case of John Dickson and the missing girls even pushed his tension to the next level.
No one would try to be funny in times like this, even the young assistant carefully poured the coffee into his cup without making a noise.
Teddy picked up the cup of iced coffee.
No sugar, no cream, pure ck coffee. The icy, bitter liquid energized his mind, providing him with quite the boost, for he always pulled all-nighters.
He gulped down the coffee and then glued his eyes to the whiteboard.
There were 5 photos stuck on the board.
Andie, 19, Ai City University, Second Year, went missing 27/9.
Li QianQian, 19, Ai City University, Second Year, went missing 27/9.
Miranda, 19, Ai City University, Second Year, went missing 27/9.
Anna, 19, Ai City University, Second Year, went missing 27/9.
Lin MiaoMiao, 22, purchasing guide, went missing 28/9.
1. All missing girls has distinct socialwork, excluded revengeful murder and rtionship murder.
2. All missing girls vanished without a sign, no witness, no footages.
3. Temporarily ckout during the time Lin MiaoMiao went missing.
...
Each of the girls in the photos were beautiful, young, and had a bright smile but the words that were written down there made the photos look gloomy.
After some detailed investigation, everyones heart sank.
It has been 2 weeks since the first group went missing, the golden time for rescue was far behind the police.
No one knew better than Chief Teddy what it meant after the window was missed, hence the rising anxiety.
He hoped to figure out themon points between the girls, but unlike other serial missing cases, this case had too manymon points: young, beautiful energetic girls, simr family background etc.
When a single method doesnt work, try others.
Therefore, when Lin MiaoMiao was reported missing, Teddy put her case together with the others, in hopes to figure out the different points.
If themon points didnt work, look for the different ones!
The unusual points would always hold a meaning.
It was what Teddys senior chief used to tell him when he was still a mere rookie.
Now he had be a chief and he still believed in the words.
Teddy flipped the files page by page on his seat.
He had been through the files more than a dozen times, he could even recite them backwards.
However, Teddy suddenly thought of that fierce woman when he flipped through the files this time, thoughts popping up in his mind and he quickly went through the other files.
A whileter, Teddy stood up.
That woman? Wheres she?
Shes gone after giving her testimony, one of his men replied.
Someone go and bring her back, RIGHT NOW! Teddy yelled.
He then rushed to the tech department.
Sending his men off was the first step and he wouldnt just sit back and wait for results, he must get more information on that woman as quick as possible, including her usual route back home.
Soon, Teddy located that woman.
The woman staggered and wobbled into... Leaf Dining!
This ce again? Teddy frowned.
He then ran downstairs.
Once or twice might be coincidental but beyond that, anyone would be suspicious, let alone to an experienced cop like Teddy. Teddy was very suspicious of the brothers who ran the restaurant, which had popped up in his sight more times than he wished for.
Arriving at the restaurant, Teddy pushed open the door without being courteous.
He saw Kieran behind the bar counter and Amy in the corner.
After he made sure Amy was passed out because of drinking, he heaved a breath of relief and then went over to the bar counter.
Is she a regr?
Although he has many questions in his heart, Teddy did not interrogate Kieran, talking to Kieran like amon customer while pointing at Amy.
She? I guess so. Weve been open for only three days, she came here three times and everytime drunk, Kieran answered honestly.
That is why you put up the No Alcohol sign out there and reject drunkards? Teddy teased.
Its nothing personal, its towards all drunkards out there, Kieran replied.
Do you know about the mysterious missingtely? Teddy suddenly changed the topic.
Yeah, its written pretty detailed here, Kieran passed Teddy the newspaper.
Teddy didnt even take a nce at the newspaper, he knew what the paper wrote: the police catching shadows and giving wild guesses without evidence.
What curse? What ghosts and monsters? Impossible!
What do you think? Teddy stared at Kieran.
What do you mean? The newspaper? Its interesting enough to kill time at night, Kieran then took away the newspaper.
You know what Im saying, its not the newspaper, Im asking you what you think about the missing girls? Teddy asked in a heavy voice.
Nothing. Investigating missing cases is your work, not mine. Im just a restaurant owner, the kind of owner who is struggling to meet ends, so if you dont mind, can you give me the bounty for John Dickson first? Kieran shook his head and said seriously.
The corner of his eyes were peeking at Amy.
Trouble!
Kieranmented in his heart.
The moment Teddy appeared and asked about the missing case, plus the nervous Amy, Kieran knew what was going on, for he wasnt an idiot.
Yet he wasnt stupid enough to tell Teddy, unless he wanted to be haunted by Teddy like a vengeful spirit.
Is that so? Teddy looked at Kieran with a judgmental gaze.
He hoped to find some inkling on Kierans face but for Kieran, no expression was his natural instinct, so Teddy didnt get anything.
While Teddy was considering bringing Kieran back to the station for questioning, rattling sounds came from outside the restaurant.
Boss, its here! That woman who smashed your head entered this restaurant!
Chapter 1639 - Coping With Shifting Events By Sticking To A Fundamental Principle
Chapter 1639: Coping With Shifting Events By Sticking To A Fundamental Principle
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Bang!
Leaf Dinings door was kicked open fiercely.
A group of intimidating men rushed in. The one who spoke had a baseball bat in his hand and was pointing it towards Teddy and Kieran. He tilted his neck and said in an angry voice, Be quiet, dont get yourself in trouble!
Kieran was very calm while tidying his newspaper after reading, watching the men walk closer to the corner where Amy was.
Teddys face turned heavy.
Since when did Ai City be so dangerous at night?
Barging in unannounced and trying to take a woman away?
Stop it! Teddy shouted.
I said keep quiet and dont get yourself in trouble, why dont...
The man with the baseball bat coldlyughed at Teddy but was stopped by the ring reflection of his police badge.
Most importantly, the gun that had appeared in Teddys hand, which was pointed towards the man.
...Officer! This is just a misunderstanding! A misunderstanding!
The man with the baseball bat stood there nkly, but the middle-aged man in the group whose head was hurt wasnt startled by the gun, he seemed experienced enough and walked out immediately, showing a ttering smile to Teddy.
Officer, this is really a misunderstanding! Were just messing around...
Bang!
Before the man finished, the gun was fired and smoke came out of the barrel.
The man whose head was hurt looked down at the blood stain in his chest and then at Teddy, who was also stunned by the sudden fire in disbelief.
Shouldnt this be a warning instead of a real fire? Shouldnt an officer fire after the warning is useless? Why did he fire it right away?!
Until hisst breath, the man had no idea what happened.
The group of intimidating men were quivering after the shot, some even ran outside.
Bang!
Another shot was fired, the man who ran first was shot to the ground.
The second shot frightened everyone, freezing them on the spot.
However, Chief Teddy screamed anxiously, Run! Run! Get away from me!
Bang Bang Bang!
Repeated shots were fired after he screamed.
The men who barged into the restaurant were all shot to the ground and the gun was then pointed towards Kieran.
RUN!
Teddys anxiety rose when he saw Kieran was still in his seat. He tried to take control of his body but it was useless.
His consciousness was still in his head but his bodys control was robbed from him!
He couldnt stop firing at the men just now, he only wanted to scare the men with his gun but he pulled the trigger uncontrobly.
Teddy didnt feel anything throughout the process, as though it was a reasonable action for him to take. He only realized the mistake after the gun was fired and he had already lost control of his body.
He saw Kieran sitting in his chair, as if Kieran was frightened beyond his senses. Teddy couldnt help but shut his eyes, not able to witness what would happen next.
His finger was already squeezing the trigger.
Kak!
The shot was fired, but nothing came out! He ran out of bullets!
Teddy was stunned, opening his eyes and seeing himself jumping over the bar counter, swinging a punch at Kieran.
Then... he was punched by Kieran instead.
Bang!
Teddy crashed on the wooden bar counter, the pain in his body making him clench his teeth. He suddenly realized he regained control of his body again, like how he had lost it in the first ce.
After regaining control, Teddy touched his arms and checked his body, then looked at the floor of bodies. He couldnt help but fall into limbo, at a loss for action.
As a chief officer, he had shot and killed before but every person he killed was a vicious criminal.
It was the first time he shot some street gangster, in a rather simple situation which only needed a warning.
What happened?
What had he done?
Teddy stood there and looked at his hands nkly.
I think you should go check on your body. If you can, try to remember if there are any unusual people youvee acrosstely or ate something weird.
Kierans voice entered his ears, Teddy looked at Kieran nkly for a few seconds before regaining his sense.
Without a second of dy, Teddy started to take off his clothes and examine his body.
After he took off his coat, he found something off: a paper figure the size of a palm was stuck on his inner shirt.
This?
Teddy tore the paper figure off and saw his name, his date of birth, and blood on it. He was quite horrified.
Can I have a look? Kieran asked.
Teddy hesitated for a while before passing Kieran the piece of paper.
[Name: Cursed Paper Man]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: Magic]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: None]
[Attribute: Control 0/1]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: No]
[Remark: A long line of witchcraft spells, a lot of people are using it but most are just for frights, this is different though! (Your current Mystical Knowledge level is too low, unable to further read rted information)]
...
[Control: After acquiring the name, the date of birth, and the blood of the target, stick the paper man on the targets back and the target will fall into your control for a short period of time. E- Spirit authentication, passed and it will lose its effect)]
...
Lines of words piled up in his vision when he touched the paper figure.
Kieran frowned at the description. It seemed like this mysterious opponent was much more cunning than expected.
After failing one, the mysterious opponent gave up all the original methods and brought many more weird stuff to the table.
Witchcraft, eh? Kieran muttered to himself.
What did you find? Teddy asked.
The chief was eager to know what happened.
Do you know anything about witchcraft? Kieran asked.
Witchcraft? How is it possible? Its just...
The chief wanted to refute it but when the words escaped his mouth, he remembered how he lost control of his body. He fell into silence.
Two to three secondster, Teddy looked at Kieran again.
Is there really witchcraft involved? Teddy asked.
The world is big, its not surprising at all if there is witchcraft involved. Besides, didnt you notice? After so long, isnt it too quiet outside?
Teddy finally realized the situation after Kierans reminder.
Thats right! It was too quiet!
The gunshots should have broken the silent night!
Teddys men werent good-for-nothing cops, they would have arrived at the scene at lightning speed.
But now?
Not even a siren, let alone his men.
Teddy looked back at Kieran in confusion. He wanted to know what had just happened, but Kieran didnt answer him this time. He turned around and walked into the kitchen.
Starbeck has been waiting in the kitchen.
Is it dangerous? Starbeck asked nervously.
Em, Kieran nodded without hiding anything. Rather than letting Starbeck fall into a whirlpool of guessing and further increasing his nervous state, might as well tell him straight away.
What should I do? Starbeck took a deep breath and asked.
Take off your clothes, Kieran said.
Huh?
Starbeck was shocked, but because of their tacit understanding of each other, he did not hesitate and started to take off his clothes.
Turn around, Kieran said after Starbeck took off his outer coat.
Starbeck turned around and also took off his shirt, leaving himself with an inner singlet, his back clean.
Kieran heaved a breath of relief.
Witchcraft wasnt anything scary to Kieran, all he needed to do was be aware of its existence but if Starbeck was under some kind of spell, things would turn bad very fast.
Is it okay now? Starbeck asked with his back at Kieran.
Yeah, its okay now. Remember, from now on, unless I tell you to, do not touch anything that you are not familiar with or things you feel are weird, Kieran said with a nod.
Noted, Starbeck nodded, putting on his shirt and turning around.
Kieran was searching for the other item that he had prepared in the kitchen, which was inconspicuous yet useful enough, so he did not see Starbecks shy gaze and flushed face.
Lets go, Kieran found what he was looking for and walked out. Starbeck followed tightly.
Coming back to the hall, Kieran gave a kitchen knife to Starbeck and Chief Teddy.
We dont have guns here, but its better than fighting with bare hands, Kieran said.
Chief Teddy nodded in agreement.
Teddy then saw Kieran pulled out a sword wrapped in animal pelt and 4 bottles of molotov cocktail from under the bar counter.
Dont tell me you got those things from some gatherings you participated in.
Teddy saw the clean and crystal clear bottles containing gasoline, his temple swelling immediately.
He knew Kieran wasnt some John Doe but he never thought the bar counter that he had just climbed over contained molotov cocktails.
No, Im used to being alo-...with Roye.
Kieran shook his head, altering his words when they came out from his mouth in order to maintain his cover.
You better be. Now, what should we do? Teddy asked after a deep breath.
Kieran didnt answer, lighting up a molotov cocktail instead and tossing it outside the restaurant.
Teddy watched the bottle fly over in an arch and then... vanish from his sight
There was no breaking, no explosion, no fire!
Teddy carefully walked closer to the exit and he gasped.
Unbeknownst to him, the exit of the restaurant had be a bottomless abyss.
The surrounding even fell into an unimaginable darkness and Teddy couldnt see anything with his sight.
T-This is...
Teddy opened his mouth, in the hope of describing the situation he saw but no proper words came out.
Kieran, on the other hand, tossed the Molotov cocktails outside, one after another.
When all the bottles were tossed outside, Kieran pulled out the gas tank which he got from the kitchen, opened the lever, lit it up, and threw it outside with all his might.
The half-full gas tank swirled across the air when Kieran threw it out with all his mind, falling into that bottomless abyss. However, unlike the molotov cocktails which were devoured silently, momentster, the gas tank exploded loudly.
Kabooom!
The explosion caused a shockwave and shook the ground.
Kieran then took another gas tank and threw it out again. A second explosion happened.
When Kieran was on his third tank, Teddy, who kept an eye at the dark abyss, was shocked by what he saw.
The abyss was slowly disappearing.
The abyss is slowly...
Fung!
Kaboom!
Teddy turned around to Kieran, wanting to deliver the good news but Kieran threw out the gas tank nheless.
This explosion was louder and shook the ground harder than any other time before.
Teddys ears even buzzed.
Aaaaa!
A distinct scream entered his ears amid the buzz.
The scream sounded wicked and ferocious, Teddy couldnt help but hold his kitchen knife tightly, readying himself forbat but nothing came, even after some time.
The darkness in front of the restaurant disappeared, revealing a straight corridor.
T-This is... the corridor of Ai City University!
Teddy cried in shock after he got a clear view. It was very familiar to him.
He had been to the site and flipped through pictures a lot recently because of the missing case. He could almost count how many bricks and tiles were used to build the corridor.
What should we do? Go in and check things out? Teddy was helpless against the unusual phenomenon.
He put all his hope on to Kieran, who seemed to know the situation.
He then saw another gas tank Kieran had taken out.
How many gas tanks do you keep in your kitchen? Teddy couldnt help but ask.
There are four stoves in the kitchen, Kieran answered and then threw the gas tank outside again.
Kabooom!
The gas tank rolled out quite some distance before the explosion.
The shockwave shook the corridor, but the ss windows in the corridor werent shattered, even the ground did not shake this time.
Even though Teddy wasnt familiar with the unusual phenomenon, he knew this seemingly familiar corridor wasnt the one that he remembered.
Unfortunately, there was only one gas tank left, otherwise...
How the hell do you still have gas tanks? Didnt you say you had only 4 stoves?
Just when Chief Teddy felt pity that they couldnt cause sufficient damage to the scene to witness the change on the corridor, he turned around to Kieran and saw he and Starbeck pushing out a cart of gas tanks from the kitchen.
Who told you that 4 stoves equals 4 gas tanks? Keeping gas tanks for cooking ismon sense, isnt it? Kieran answered and took another gas tank, lighting it up and throwing into the corridor again.
Kaboom!
An explosion happened again. The corridor, which wasnt affected by the previous explosion, was finally damaged, the sses shattering and the ground breaking, causing a chain reaction leading to its copse.
After the corridor copsed, the original street outside the restaurant returned.
Its gone!?
Teddy shouted in joy.
Kieran smiled coldly and then took another gas tank. He lit it up and threw it out again.
Kaboom!
Chapter 1640 - Pak!
Chapter 1640: Pak!
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Looking at the flying gas tank, Chief Teddy was horrified.
The abyss was gone and the corridor was destroyed, the real street of the city returning to the restaurant front, and should the gas tank explode...
As the thought came into his mind, Chief Teddy opened his mouth, trying to stop it but...
Wa-...HUH?!
The moment he uttered a word, Chief Teddy realized the explosion had gone off on the street but the street was fine!
It was the exact same strange scene with the abyss and the corridor!
Chief Teddy instantly reacted to the situation, chills running down his spine.
He knew he would die a horrible death if he walked out like that.
Lucky! Lucky!
Chief Teddy was crying lucky in his heart, then looked at Kieran with a new gas tank. He couldnt help but ask, Royan, how did you know its a fake?
Kieran looked at Chief Teddy in surprise before saying, If its the real street outside the restaurant, there should be police cruisers.
Kieran then pointed at the bodies on the floor.
Chief Teddy finally realized it. He fired multiple shots earlier, if they had truly returned to the real street, it shouldnt be this quiet!
Chief Teddy was embarrassed by his shortsighted view, catching the surprise in Kierans eyes and knew what it meant.
It should be an obvious point yet he failed to notice it, failing as an officer even if it was his first encounter with the supernatural.
Fuuu Fuuuu!
Chief Teddy walked aside and adjusted his condition with deep breaths after realizing the unusual situation.
Four to five breathster, he walked to the cart with the gas tanks and threw them out with Kieran.
Running away and avoiding the unknown fear wasnt the true way to ovee it.
Facing it directly was the best option and if he could st it to pieces?
It would be better!
Kaboom!
Multiple explosions went off, the street before their eyes crumbling into pieces.
What came after the street was a mall.
The mall where Lin MiaoMiao disappeared!
Chief Teddy knew it right away but the shocking thing was, the restaurant now had be a part of the mall!
H-H-How is this happening? Chief Teddy asked.
A desperate move when cornered, Kieran said nkly and pulled Starbeck closer to him. He took the rope which was used to hold the gas tanks together and used it to strap Starbeck on his back.
Hang on tight, Kieran slightly turned his face and said softly.
Okay.
Starbeck put his chin over Kierans shoulder and answered softly.
Chief Teddy noticed Kierans action, he knew something was going to happen so he ran over and helped Amy up.
Why didnt he strap her onto himself like Kieran to Starbeck?
The short Teddy had many simr experiences before, holding Amy up was already the best he could do, if he strapped her on his back...
Amys feet would touch the ground and he would drag her around instead of carrying her.
His height was determined naturally! His genes yed a big part! What could he do about it!
He was very disappointed and fell into despair, but what was worse was...
A moment after Teddy helped Amy up, the drunkard vomited and because of their height difference, the vomit allnded on Teddys face, or more urately, rained down from his head.
The disgusting smell almost knocked him out.
Kieran, with Starbeck on his back, quietly walked away from them.
While Chief Teddy was hesitating whether or not to throw the drunkard away, he suddenly realized the gangster that he shot earlier suddenly climbed up.
The dead came back to life?!
Chief Teddy was shocked, holding the kitchen knife tightly and looking at the revived dead nervously.
The dead were fearsome, those who returned from thend of the dead were even more horrifying.
These revived dead represented death itself, plus their ferocious, disgusting faces were hard on the eyes.
Crack Crack!
The revived dead climbed up from the floor.
They wobbled left and right, front and back, their joints producing cracking noises, causing their body to twist in a strange and freaky way.
Some stood up straight, some bent over almost 90 degrees, some didnt even stand up properly but lifted their bodies up with all four limbs and their heads would twist left and right, producing even more cracking noise.
Although the looks and postures varied, their actions were unified.
Their eyes turned white and morbid and were growling at Kieran fiercely.
As for Chief Teddy?
It seemed like the revived dead neglected him.
Even though the chief was the closest to them, he stood there with Amy as though they were invisible.
The vomit repelled the wicked?!
The thought came into Chief Teddys mind almost instinctively, but his sanity told him it was a ridiculous thought.
If the vomit could repel the dead and the wicked, this drunkard that he was holding up had blessed him with holy powers instead of vomiting all over his face.
So, the dead were being controlled!
The mastermind controlling the strings ought to remove Kieran, the true threat!
Chief Teddy wanted to help when he realized the situation but Kieran was faster than he thought.
After the fierce growls sounded, Kieran swung his sword at the dead.
[Sharp Standard-Issued de] sliced them up like tofu, the two nearest ones had their head chopped off. The de went along with the motion to their waist and perforated their body.
St!
The de stabbed into an eye socket, Kieran twisting his wrist and prying open the skull cap before slicing down at the body.
Stabbing, slicing, cutting, all these simple techniques looked exceptionally remarkable when performed by Kieran.
The techniques werent beautiful or elegant and far from being extravagant, but all the techniques disyed a in lethality.
Chief Teddy looked at Kieran as his jaw dropped. A few breaths timeter, Kieran had dealt with the revived dead like he was cutting vegetables.
After being chopped and shed, the dead did note back to life again.
Looking down at the bodies that died a second time, Chief Teddy couldnt help but ask Kieran, Are you a swordsman?
No, its experience.
Kieran swung the sword in his hand, shaking off the blood on the de and painting a straight line on the floor with his fierce motion.
He didnt brush off Chief Teddy, neither did he bluff.
Kieran honestly wasnt skilled in using longswords, his forte was with daggers, knives, broadsword, and greatsword, wielding them remarkably and transcending beyond the average.
Given his attainments in other weapons,prehending by analogy wasnt something hard for Kieran.
Kieran wasnt exactly talented in this, but most of his time was spent honing and mastering his skill sets, including sword techniques.
Experience?
Chief Teddy was skeptical about the answer, he didnt want to believe what Kieran had said.
He wielded the sword so skillfully based on experience? How many men has he killed to reach such a level?
Given Kierans age, it was all but convincing.
No matter how mature Kieran looked or how unusual his skills were, Chief Teddy did not buy what he said, assuming Kieran was covering up something.
Wisely, Chief Teddy stopped asking.
Kieran nced over the disbelief on the chiefs face, not exining because the situation wasnt suitable.
After the dead fell back to the floor, the lights in the mall started to flicker, a cold and gloomy wind blowing from every direction and when the flickering reached a certain level...
Burst!
Themps and lights started to burst and shatter!
The well-lit mall just a moment ago had fallen into darkness, but not entirely.
Kieran switched on a torchlight with his other hand, giving it to Starbeck before taking out another.
You even brought torchlight? And theres two of them? Chief Teddy looked at Kieran in shock.
No, its three, Kieran shook his head and tossed one to the chief.
Why does a restaurant need this many torchlights? Chief Teddy couldnt help but ask after he received the torchlight.
Prepare for a ckout? Its good to be prepared.
Kieran said calmly and started to examine his surroundings with the torchlight. Chief Teddy was rendered speechless. He realized until now, Kieran had got further away from his understanding.
It seemed like this young man had anticipated everything that would happen and prepared beforehand. If the Chief Teddy wasnt with Kieran the whole time, he would have suspected that Kieran was ying with him.
Chief Teddy also used the torchlight to look around, realizing they were still in the mall, at least thats what he saw.
He started to doubt what his eyes saw, but when he shed light in the changing room further away, he skipped a breath.
The files on his desk clearly stated that the changing room was where Lin MiaoMiao went missing.
Tssst Gak!
Suddenly, a colder, gloomier wind blew in from the corner, opening the shut changing room door.
The quiet changing room door produced an irritating screech as the pivot moved, causing difort in Chief Teddys ears, but he didnt really care.
He shed light over the changing room and saw three fingers: index finger, middle finger, ring finger.
The grayish white fingerstched on the door of the changing room and slowly came into sight.
The chief waspletely captivated by the eerie scene, swallowing his saliva to ease the dryness in his throat.
The fingers moved further and revealed a whole palm.
The palm was the same color as the fingers, with green veins all over it, and it was unusually thin and withered.
Despite the horrifying scene, Chief Teddy could tell the hand belonged to a woman.
Was it Lin MiaoMiaos?
Chief Teddy wondered and held the kitchen knife tighter.
Spat!
A noise of a de cutting flesh sounded in Chief Teddys ears. He turned around and saw Kieran facing the changing room but the sword in his hand was stabbed diagonally upwards behind him.
A figure hanging from the air in a white dress and face covered by the long hair had gotten stabbed in the face.
Bam!
The figure hanging in the air fell to the floor after the sudden stab.
This is Andie!
Chief Teddy recognized the person after he shined his torchlight on the face, then looked at Kieran again.
How did you know this time?
Further away in the changing room, the hand froze mid-air without moving a muscle. Even an idiot knew it appeared to distract them, the real attack woulde from this hanging dead.
However, Chief Teddy couldnt sense anything from this hanging dead, unless he could see it with his own eyes, otherwise he would never have noticed its presence.
Likewise, because of the angle, Chief Teddy was also sure that Kieran was looking at the changing room too, he did not even look upwards.
Instinct from living in the jungle.
Kieran exined when he saw the curious gaze.
This time was a cover up, but Chief Teddy took it seriously.
He did go through Kierans background before and he knew what kind of environment Kieran lived in. Cultivating super instinct from this kind of harsh environment wasnt something impossible, so he bought it.
When Teddy was still a mere officer, his superior chief told him before some men out there had natural sharp instinct and after some proper training or encounters, they could achieve something that average men deemed impossible.
What should we do now? Or... can your jungle instinct lead us out? Chief Teddy tested with his words, but never he did expect Kieran would nod to his question.
Follow me!
Kieran then turned around and headed towards a certain direction. Chief Teddy followed tightly without a second thought.
Kierans actions had won Chief Teddys trust.
Kieran carried Starbeck; Chief Teddy helped the drunkard.
Both of them soon disappeared in the darkness.
...
Hehe? Instinct? If instinct is that useful, then what are we Eckertist? You really think your instinct can lead you out of my trap after breaking through a couple of hurdles by chance? Delusional!
A sinister voice echoed in the darkness.
The voice was soft and unique, sounding like it came from darkness itself but at the same time sounding from the ceiling.
At the next moment, a pair of eyes appeared in the ceiling, a pair of eyes hiding in darkness.
The pair of eyes, simr to the voice, were hard to detect from the inside, but from outside...
Bloody Mary the Superior Demon stood behind this figure with its arms crossed, watching this figure crawling over the roof of Leaf Dining, controlling something that looked like a upside down bowl and sneering heavily.
It had no idea how it shouldment on this arrogant bastard.
Its boss was already that powerful yet he followed his head andid low. Its boss would never expose its trump card before the veryst moment.
On the other hand, this kind of bastard, who knew a thing or two about true power, acted recklessly, disregarding the consequences.
Perhaps this was the reason why boss was so powerful?
Bloody Mary wasnt slow, even with thoughts lingering in its head.
Although it was also heavily weakend, its abilities limited to only a few, picking up something that wasnt too heavy was still quite easy for Bloody Mary, like picking up a tile.
It was a piece of tile from Leaf Dinings roof. Bloody Mary picked it up and aimed urately at the back of the mans head before smashing it down hard.
Pak!
Chapter 1641 - Spoils
Chapter 1641: Spoils
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The man never thought an attack woulde from behind, so he was smashed on the roof by a hard tile.
The upside down bowl-like item on the roof cracked when the man lost control over it and when the cracks appeared, the unconscious man twisted violently.
Spirits or souls appeared around the man, one after another. GThey were the 5 girls that went missing and the gangsters who Chief Teddy shot, plus some other unfamiliar souls.
They looked at the unconscious man with a grudge.
Bloody Mary wisely stepped back.
As though the souls of the dead were released from their shackles, they threw themselves at the man frenziedly, tearing him apart, literally.
The man woke up from the pain and tried to scream but Andies soul bit his throat off.
As the first victim of the series of events, the torment she faced far surpassed everyone elses.
Pain provided her strength.
It was the famous saying passed down from the Witchcraft Sect.
Although not all recognized the saying, the man was not one of them.
The pain Andie suffered was unimaginable, hence the hatred that came with it skyrocketed. The same went for the other girls.
In fact, the 5 girls became the main force in tearing the man apart, the gangster and other souls just helping.
Dozens of pairs of hands ripped the mans flesh.
Less than half a minuteter, the man was torn into a pile of bloody bones and not much else.
The souls munched on the bloody bones.
After that, all of them stood up and flew down to Leaf Dinings entrance.
The door opened.
Kieran, with Starbeck on his back, came out.
A group of 20 souls bowed and thanked Kieran before they disintegrated into firefly light, flying towards the farawaynd.
The Origin Forces in Kierans body were enhanced again, and after a few times, this enhancement came with an obvious result.
[Spirit broke through ayer of seal, increased from D D+]
...
The increase in Spirit refreshed Kierans mind, like he had woken up from a power nap. His mind was clear and energetic.
At the same time, Kieran flipped his finger and a [Crossing Copper Coin] appeared in his palm.
He used the lighter to slightly burn the coin and a formless energy came out, covering the presence of the souls and dispersing the left over traces.
His Spirit had broken through one seal and his guess was verified but he did not let joy get the best of himself.
He knew that with his current power level, he was still too far away from facing the truly powerful.
The presence of 20 souls leaving for the farawaynd might very well attract the dead spirits which would cause him a headache.
Before his power reached the next level, Kieran would not want to face some powerful dead spirits, especially when there were still outsiders around him.
Kieran turned around to Chief Teddy.
Whats that just now...
Chief Teddy also saw the souls leaving, and without a doubt, it left quite an impact on his head.
They left for the ce they should go to. What are you going to do now?
Kieran pointed at the restaurant.
Despite being messy, there werent any bodies inside, which was good news to Chief Teddy.
A floor of bodies and missing a few bullets were two different stories, even though the dead bodies werent some kind souls.
I...Ill deal with it.
Chief Teddy thought of reporting honestly but after what he had been through, he couldnt help but smile bitterly.
Good luck then, Kieran then turned around, the meaning obvious.
Chief Teddy bitter smiled again, putting the drunkard down on the restaurant floor, wiping his dirty face with his coat, and walking out.
Kieran saw the chief off into the night, then turned back to the restaurant, locking the door and loosening the rope on him.
Lets go up and have a look.
The rope was released but Kieran did not let go of Starbeck. He wasnt sure whether or not the situation was safe, so he grabbed Starbecks hand and walked to the second floor.
Boss, everything is as you expected, Bloody Mary said in ttery when it saw Kierane up.
Em. Continue to watch the area in the dark, Kieran nodded.
As you wish.
Bloody Mary bowed and vanished.
Kieran then walked to the spot where the man was torned apart by the souls.
He wasnt there to say his prayers for the man, he was there to check the things the man left behind, or more urately, his spoils.
There were a total of three items and two of them were very eye-catching.
The first one was the upside down bowl-like item; the second one was a chain as small as a bracelet.
[Name: Vengeful Spirit House (Broken)]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: None]
[Attribute: 1. Illusion; 2. Control]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: Spirit E+, Mystical Knowledge (Witchcraft Master)]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: No]
[Remark: This is one of the witchcraft spell passed down to a certain sect, its only the fundamentals. (Your current Mystical Knowledge level is too low, unable to further read rted information)]
...
[Illusion: Consume ingredients and own blood to create a hyper realistic illusory realm (The realism of the illusory realm depends on the ingredients offered and amount of blood.)]
[Control: Extract the soul of the victim and put them into service in the Vengeful Spirit House. The more the victim is tortured before they die, the stronger their soul would be. Those who died in the illusory realm can be directly controlled but their strength wont change. (Each usage required a Spirit authentication. If failed, the trapped souls will devour the user, the repulsion is determined by the number of trapped souls.)]
...
[Name: Gordors Chain]
[Type: essory]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attack: Average]
[Defense: Average]
[Attribute: 1. Lash; 2. Constrict]
[Effect: Personification]
[Prerequisite: Spirit D]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: No]
[Remark: Gordor is a warlock skilled in witchcraft and alchemy. He likes tobine both in his studies and create gold by extracting the tortured soul from the victim. It was his most famous theory, like how famous his chain wasThis isnt the first chain Gordor created personally, it is created by the students of Gordor Academic Sect in theter days]
...
[Lash: Theshing from the chain will not just inflict actual damage but also damage to the soul, +1 extra damage to the soul. 2 times per day]
[Constrict: Select a target no bigger than 25 meters and constrict it. Target has to go through a Strength E authentication, Spirit E+ authentication. Failed once and target will be constricted; failed twice and target will suffer an extra Strong attack to the soul and then will be constricted. 1 time per day.]
...
[Personification: This is why Gordors Chain is so great. It doesnt need the user to control it personally, it is controlled by the users willpower. It can transform into a 3.5 meter illusory chain andplete any action one time. (Unable to exceed 35 meters range, consume Stamina when in use.)]
...
Looking at the two items in his hand, Kieran quickly put the broken [Vengeful Spirit House] aside and carefully checked [Gordors Chain]
Not bad, Kieranmented.
Perhaps these items were iparable to his original equipment but his original equipment was sealed back in his room and this chain, which could not leave the dungeon world, became his only aid.
Especially against the traits of a soul, it was an indispensable help.
Kieran put on [Gordors Chain] around his wrist and controlled it with his thought.
A 3.5 meters illusory chain flew out from [Gordors Chain] and circled around him and Starbeck like a snake at his will.
With another thought, the chain vanished into the air.
Kieran nodded as he felt his Stamina decrease. It wasnt a lot, still within eptable range.
After getting a grasp of this chain, Kieran looked at the third spoil.
It was a ck bag the size of a palm.
When he picked it up, he heard unique metal clunking and he had a guess what it was holding inside.
His guess was proven correct.
[Crossing Copper Coin]! A total of 20 pieces!
Kieran squinted his eyes at the twenty pieces of [Crossing Copper Coins], thinking about how he had enough to test out the ideas that he had.
However, Kieran did not get carried away.
We need to clean here and downstairs. Its nothing big but for the sake of safety, better disinfect the ce with peroxide, Kieran looked at Starbeck.
Em. Ive bought some and its in the kitchen, Starbeck allowed Kieran to hold his hand and nodded.
We still need to replenish some supplies after dawn, do we still have enough money? Kieran brought Starbeck down stairs, asking as they came down.
Other than refilling the ingredients, we still have some left but its a little bit hard to reach our previous level. Those gas tanks werent cheap, Starbeck replied.
At the same time, a strange feeling rose in his heart, the second time Starbeck worried about money. It was strange and heart-racing for him, plus a little bit unusual. It was definitely not because of Kieran holding his hand.
Running out of funds, eh?
Kieran walked in front and talked to himself without noticing anything, his hand still holding Starbecks hand.
The man Bloody Mary killed didnt seem to care aboutmon currency, all it found was some [Crossing Copper Coins], otherwise the Superior Demon would have saved some for Kieran, since both of them shared a link.
Exchanging [Crossing Copper Coin] for money?
The thought appeared in Kierans head for a moment, but after some consideration, Kieran discarded the thought.
Despite not knowing what [Crossing Copper Coin] could buy or its true value in the market, the fact that the coin could make the Origin Forces lively had decided that the coins were not for sale.
Everything would be smoother when he got stronger, otherwise no matter how rich he was, he would only be a fatmb and Kieran knew where that would lead him.
Then...
Kieran thought for a while and then thought about Chief Teddy.
He wasnt going to borrow money, he thought of the bounty for apprehending John Dickson!
20,000 dors bounty was sufficient for him and Starbeck to ovee some hard days ahead.
Should he call the chief?
The answer was self-exnatory. If the bounty belonged to him, he had to fight for it.
Kieran and Starbeck cleaned the restaurant from top to bottom and just when he was about to call the chief officer, Chief Teddy arrived at the restaurant along with the morning sun.
The smell of peroxide entered his nose when he stepped into the restaurant, he sniffed but didnt say anything. Chief Teddy tossed the leather bag to the bar counter.
John Dicksons bounty and the wallet you guys lost, there should be 1204 dors extra inside. I tried my best to fight for you guys before I was suspended from duty, consider it a gratitude forst night, Teddy said honestly.
Kieran took the leather back, checkin it before he passed it to the happy Starbeck.
It was the first time Starbeck felt happy because of earning money, it was also a very strange feeling, but... it felt food.
Starbeck carefully put the money into the money box, then turned into the kitchen to prepare breakfast for Kieran.
I would advise you to keep it in the bank, if some bad guys see it... Uh... Fine, forget about it.
Teddy reminded Kieran out of kindness but when he remembered how the young man sliced the ferocious dead spirits like cutting tofu, he shut up.
If someone was onto the brothers, he would never have to worry about them, instead, he should be praying for that someone to not die a horrible death.
Well then, Ill be taking my leave, Teddy waved, ready to leave, but when he was about to step out the door, he turned around suddenly.
Those things wonte out in the day, right?
They wont. They prefer the night, but of course, there are some special spots that they would hang around.
Kieran was in a good mood after solving the financial problem.
Lets say if, and I mean IF, I run into them, what should I do? Teddy asked after some thoughts.
Run, Kieran replied.
What if I cant?
Then you better pray they arent onto you, or you should bring along an electric baton, a torch, or something else for protection. Is there anything else? We are closing.
Thats about it, thank you. All the best in the business.
Teddy waved and took out a holiday brochure. It seemed like the chief wanted to have a holiday while he was being suspended.
Kierans good eyes saw the big title on the brochure: Hot Spring Cultural Trip.
All the best to you.
Kieran waved at Teddy and walked out the counter. He wanted to take in the little ckboard outside and rece it with the Closed sign that Starbeck prepared.
The door closed and the signage wobbled a little.
Things slowly returned to the way it was and the city slowly woke up from its slumber.
The long night finally came to an end as a new day was starting.
Chapter 1642 - Don’t Trust A Stranger?
Chapter 1642: Dont Trust A Stranger?
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The sun was hanging high in the sky.
The noisy street and the bright sunlight were blocked by a curtainKieran chose this curtain personally. It had twoyers, satin and cloth, and together with the decent noise cancetion of the window, it allowed Starbeck to sleep better in the morning without the noises.
Starbeck curled up like a shrimp on the bed and after Kieran covered him with a nket, he sat on the floor.
Although he was heavily weakened, he was still at a humans peak performance. The coldness of autumn wasnt a big deal to him and he believed he would soon be immune to even the coldness of winter. He would never waste time by stepping on the same spot.
Sitting down on the floor, Kieran took out a piece of [Crossing Copper Coin].
This time, he did not purposely suppress the lively Origin Forces in his body and when his finger touched the coin, Cardinal Sins Force absorbed the power from the coin, like a whale consuming water.
More urately, Gluttony.
Simr to Kieran, Gluttony was also heavily weakened, not even appearing in human form anymore, only his natural instinct left: eat.
Still, it was enough for Kieran a the moment.
He watched the [Crossing Copper Coin] in his hand turn gloomy and mottled rapidly, curling his lips into a grin.
The result was better than expected. With Gluttonys support, his Origin Forces grew again and at the same time, what he sensed before turned out to be true.
The [Crossing Copper Coin] contained energy simr to the energy emanated when the spirits left for the farawaynd.
Without further hesitation, Kieran grabbed the remaining 19 pieces of [Crossing Copper Coin].
All five of his Origin Forces grew like an expanding balloon.
Kieran knew this was just a process for him to leave his weakened state. Trying to grow strong at his current state was delusional, but when he realized he was gradually getting stronger, joy and excitement still filled his heart, especially when the notifications told him so.
[Spirit broke through ayer of seal, increased from D+ C-]
...
Anotheryer of seal on Spirit was broken through!
Feeling his energized brain, the smile on his face grew wider.
As for his other stats?
ording to the hints during the entry to this dungeon world, rank V Spirit was treated specially, so it wasnt that weird for it to break through the seal first.
When Spirit had broken through to a certain level, the other stats would follow.
Kieran did not stand up after the process.
His stronger Spirit sensed that his weakened body muscle was quivering but it did not produce any noise.
The weird quiverssted for almost 10 minutes before they stopped.
The moment the quivers stopped, Kieran had secured the control of his own body.
He didnt mind owning strong powers, but if he couldnt control the powers, he would rather pass on it.
Thats who he was, vignt and careful.
There was nock of bold attempts and risks but he has to be fully prepared.
Brainlessness could go rampant for a time; Mindfulness could go smart for a lifetime.
He then quietly stood up and sat on the chair beside the bed. He hugged the [Sharp Standard-Issued de] in his arms before he closed his eyes for a cat nap.
Skipping sleep and rest altogether wasnt a problem for Kieran, but he knew the show started at night, so he would rather not waste energy during the day.
Taking appropriate rest was the way to go.
The sun rose higher and higher and when it finally moved towards the west, Starbeck woke up from his dream.
It wasnt a nightmare, he wasnt frightened off his bed, he woke up from a deep sleep because his body sent a signal to his brain automatically.
Starbeck hadnt slept so well even with Afu around him.
He felt the familiar presence around him and saw Kieran beside the bed taking a cat nap.
Kieran opened his eyes when he felt Starbecks gaze.
Woke up? Kieran smiled.
Em. Ill go wash up first before I prepare lunch.
Starbeck crawled out from his nket and walked to the bathroom as he spoke.
The bathroom was inside the room.
The reason why Kieran picked this room to sleep in, other than its spaciousness, was because of the attached bathroom. Starbeck wouldnt have to go to the one outside the corridor.
Fuaaa!
The tap turned on and the noise entered Kierans ears.
He started to think about the list for grocery shopping.
The funds had been running low because they used it to purchase sufficient self-defense items, but after acquiring [Sharp Standard-Issued de] and [Gordors Chain], insufficient funds shouldnt be a problem for the time.
More funds meant Kieran could do more things.
Money wasnt almighty, but without money, nothing would work.
Unless one was rich enough to neglect the existence of money, like someone.
However, Kieran knew his own limits, he knew even if he could regain his original strength, he was still quite far away from that final step, let alone now in his weakened state.
Following the rules honestly and growing his strength quietly, those were the true ways.
Starbeck in the bathroom was also thinking about a list for todays grocery shopping but unlike Kieran, he was thinking about the ingredients for cooking.
The steam from the hot water blurred out the mirror and the reflection, his face looking softer yet it felt like he was over thinking.
Starbeck wiped away the steam on the ss and saw his handsome face again. He tidied himself carefully in front of the mirror.
Ten minutester, Starbeck finally walked out of the bathroom but he did not go down.
He watched Kieran go into the bathroom and the door wasnt closed.
Starbeck watched Kieran brush his teeth, wash his face, and settle everything in 2 minutes.
At first, Starbeck wasnt used to his speed but he had gradually grown familiar with it.
He also unconsciously hastened himself in washing up to suit Kierans pacealthoughpared to him, he was still very slow.
Kieran didnt say anything though, everyone had their own pace to live by. He didnt like being forced, likewise the other way around.
Respecting each other was the key to living together.
Even though Starbeck had some weird habits,pared to his cowardness, it was nothing.
The habits were pale to insignificant, anything weird was covered up by his cowardness.
Lunch is potato braised beef belly and salted pepper shrimps, Starbeck said before entering the kitchen.
Em, Kieran nodded.
Leave the professionals to their work, rookies pointing directions would never get to their goal.
Kieran didnt sit back and wait for lunch either, he swept the first floor clean and opened the windows and door for better venttion.
It wasnt preparation for the nights business though, it was just that Kieran couldnt bear the drunken stench. He felt rather uneasy if he had to eat in such an environment.
Fortunately, when Starbeck brought lunch, the stench were removed by Kierans effort.
The beef aroma filled the restaurant.
The rich yet fitting piece of beef entered his mouth with a savoury gravy, Kieran squinting his eyes in satisfaction. When the rice followed into his mouth, he chewed happily.
It was very satisfying to eat with rice.
After gobbling down a te of potato braised beef belly and two bowls of rice, Kieran turned to the salted pepper shrimp.
Starbeck removed the head and the tail in order to provide a better convenience in eating.
The shrimp shell was cooked red and formed a contrast with the golden coating outside, green scallions were used as garnish on top, adding brilliance to splendor.
Gatsst!
Kieran put a shrimp into his mouth, the crispy noise releasing the juicy meat in his mouth, very springy. Without a second thought, Kieran took a second and a third.
Kieran finally felt full after he emptied out the te of shrimps.
Very nice, Kieranmented.
Starbeck smiled, his eyes shrunken into a line.
What was better than a chef receiving apliment from the customer after the meal?
Receiving thepliment from Kieran as his chef!
Starbeck sat on Kierans stool and watched him bring the eatery and tes to the kitchen for washing. Kieran ced his favourite chopsticks into the disinfection cab before he took off the apron.
Next was shopping, Starbecks favourite time.
Purchasing ingredients for cooking was already a great time for Starbeck, let alone when he was shopping with Kieran.
It was the first time Starbeck felt grateful for being in this weird, unusual dungeon world.
He even hoped to stay here a little longer.
Though he wouldnt mind leaving in advance if Kieran found a way to.
Just listen to Kieran, it had been decided in his heart a long time ago.
...
Nightfall arrived and the streemps lit up.
Leaf Dinings little ckboard was ced outside the door at 11pm sharp.
Leaf Dining.
Todays special: Salted Pepper Shrimp (a carte or set), fried rice, chicken soup.
(No alcohol, no drunkards.)
...
The words were written nicely under the newly fixed streemp.
It was still as inconspicuous as ever, but Starbeck was still busy preparing in the kitchen.
Preparing the food for customers was just a side job, what Starbeck prioritized was Kierans dinner and breakfast, lunch on the second day, some ingredients had to be prepared beforehand.
Kieran sat in his stool and started to read todays newspaper. The tv beside the bar counter was switched on.
The little tv was a newly bought item. Colored, less than 14 inch, with an internal antenna.
It was a little blur to Kieran but it was enough to quickly learn about this dungeon world.
The evening news was on.
This morning at 11am, Raymond Gold & Jewelry was robbed about after an hour it was opened. The security guard was shot when the robbers moved in. He is currently in the hospital and still fighting for his life...
The female anchor introduced the robbery through camera footage at the shop. Three masked men entered the shop with two of them holding assault rifles at a group of people, telling them to squat down. The other one went behind the counter, grabbed the gold jewelry cart by cart and poured them into the bag. The three of them left in a casual manner.
The whole process was quick, ording to the time shown in the footage, itsted only 45 seconds.
Including the time they took to break in and shoot the guard, it was still less than 1 minute.
The three men seemed to have practised the robbery for more than once and their tacit understanding helped them map the shop out.
However, there were also a lot of ws in the process.
If Kieran was the police, he would have quickly searched for an insider through the cameras.
And if he was the robbers, he would have...
Kieran put himself in other peoples shoes, which started off as a habit and slowly grew into instinct.
He could train his mind with it and was able to simte experiences with his thinking.
Bzzzzt!
An electrical buzz sounded again, the newly fixed streemp outside the restaurant flickered again.
A figure walked in nkly.
It was a middle-aged man with grayish hair, a pair of long paints, a jacket, and a pair of brown leather shoes. The edges on his shoes were almost worn out.
The man looked around at his surroundings, as if he was confused as to how he got here.
Naturally, the man saw Kieran behind the counter.
Hello, where am I? the man asked.
Leaf Dining. Im the owner, Royan, Kieran replied, not even putting down the newspaper in his hand. His hard attitude obviously made the middle-aged man feel uneasy.
The man seemed like he wasnt good at socializing, so he must have mustered up some courage to ask the previous question.
The man stood there with a silly smile after Kierans cold reply, turning around and walking out.
Kieran saw him off and didnt say anything, continuing to read and listening to the news.
Half an hourter when the evening news came to an end, the middle-age man returned in a panic.
He rushed in and panted heavily. After quite a while, he looked at Kieran in fear, his mouth trembling when he said, T-T-Theres ghost out there!
So? Kieran flipped his newspaper, his eyes still reading the contents.
So? the man was stunned.
Shouldnt the young man be surprised or afraid?
You must think Im crazy! You must think this is some kind of joke! I swear I am not ying you! I really ran into one outside! In the entrance of the street, theres a... it walked through me! I screamed but it didnt hear me and walked away!
The man exined again nervously after Kieran did not take him seriously.
After that? Kieran asked.
Y-You dont believe me? If you dont believe me, I can bring you to it!
The middle-aged man wanted to go out again, but Kieran didnt even move from his stool.
The middle-aged manughed at himself when he saw Kieran not give a reaction.
I guess its right, how do I prove to a stranger than I just saw a ghost? I even tried to bring him there? He would be crazy if he really followed me.
The middle-aged man sat down dispirited.
It was at this moment that footsteps came from outside the restaurant. Three more figures entered and saw the middle-aged man on the floor, all three of them stunned.
Chapter 1643 - There’s Always A Good Side And A Bad Side
Chapter 1643: Theres Always A Good Side And A Bad Side
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The three people that entered the restaurant were of different heights and different sizes.
The leader was a tall, thin man, his eyes looking sinister on his rigid face. Behind him was another short, thin man and a tall, fat man.
These two men were quite excited when they saw the middle-aged man, especially the fatty, he almost threw himself over, but the leader stopped him.
It seemed like the leader had quite the prestige in this little group.
All the leader did was re at the fatty and the fatty shrunk back behind him.
The three of them then walked to the counter.
Whats on the menu?
The tall, thin man asked Kieran in a clear voice, his tone cold, probably even frightening.
Kieran wasnt moved though, replying in his own cold tone.
Whats on the menu outside.
The tall thin man frowned.
He was quite surprised by Kierans calm, making the order nheless.
Three Salted Pepper Shrimp Set, three fried rice, three chicken soup, the man said.
Please pay first, cash only, Kieran said without standing up.
The two men behind the leader were quite irritated by Kierans attitude, but without their leaders order, neither of them would do anything. All they did was re at Kieran.
How much? the tall thin man asked patiently.
The set meal is 50 each, fried rice 15 and chicken soup 10. The total will be 225, Kieran said.
Pay up, the tall thin man told the short man behind him.
The short man quickly mmed the money on the counter.
Your food better be worth this price, or else... the short man threatened Kieran. Together with his rather triangr eyes, it looked very frightening.
However, such threats were useless against Kieran.
Kieran didnt move a muscle and looked at the short man.
1 second.
2 seconds.
3 seconds.
...
Did I forget to zip my pants? Or is there something on my face?
Around five to six secondster, the short man twisted his body ufortably and started to check what was wrong with his body.
After he made sure there wasnt anything on his face, he gave Kieran a pissed off look.
ying tricks eh?
Enough, sit down.
Just as the short man raised his arm, the tall thin man spoke again, stopping the unnecessarymotion.
Consider yourself lucky!
The short man grunted and walked to the corner of the restaurant with the other two.
Kieran took the money on the counter and counted it before putting it into the money box.
He then served the food prepared by Starbeck to the table in the corner.
The three men who were whispering stopped when the food was served, all of them cing their attention on the visually appealing meal.
The fat man grabbed his serving and gobbled down eagerly.
Tasty!
A big biteter, the fat man buried himself into the food.
The short man waited for 10 minutes though, after he saw the fat man was okay, he too eagerly ate his serving.
Only the tall thin man did not dig in. He looked at the food while his mouth salivated, his Adams apple moving up and down, but he did not touch his chopsticks.
Sometimes, a lesson would be forgotten after a while but some particr lessons were branded for life. The tall thin man was thetter.
Despite having been running for the whole day and being troubled by starvation, the tall thin man held himself together. He turned to the middle-aged man further away, in hopes of distracting himself.
Under the tall thin mans gaze, the rather nk middle-aged man started to show difort. His body twisted uneasily and shifted his gaze to Kieran, hoping for help.
Kieran turned a blind eye, reading his newspaper and listening to the tv.
In the end, the middle-aged man had enough of the unease and stood up, wanting to leave, but once he thought about the encounter with the supernatural earlier, he slumped on the floor.
The tall thin manughed coldly at the middle-aged mans reaction.
He stood up from the corner and walked to the counter, sitting down beside the middle-aged man.
Its uneasy, right? Deodre, the tall thin man asked.
You know me? the middle-aged man was surprised.
Of course I know you! We were partners in crime until very recently! We were in charge of the operation, while you were in charge of support and driving. Everything went smoothly until you drugged us with sleeping pills! the tall thin manughed.
The sharp and irritatingughter was like the hooting of a night owl, numbing peoples scalp.
What are you talking about? What partners in crime? I dont even know you! the middle-aged man leaned on the counter in panic amid theughter.
You know what Im talking about, otherwise why would we be here? Do you really think we werent aware of it? Your car is loaded with a tracker. Even though you tried to avoid us with a car ident and return to your old nest, did you really think you could escape us?
The tall thin man turned his eyes to Kieran as he said.
Am I right? The person behind Deodre? Or should I say... the mastermind!
The malice in his eyes grew thicker, the two men in the corner even grabbing their guns from their backpack.
The short man held his gun at Kieran and the fat man held his at the middle-aged man, forming an intersected cross.
They worked together very well and seemed to be very familiar in positioning.
Kieran?
He did not move a muscle and watched the scene in his stool.
As expected of the mastermind! I have to give it to you based on your calmness alone, but... out of all things, you really shouldnt choose to double cross us! the tall thin man said and pulled out his gun, not at Kieran, but at the man named Deodre.
Deodre, you have a daughter, right? Do you love her? Dont worry, Ill go after her once I kill you. Father and daughter can reunite in hell! the tall thin man said slowly.
He wanted the traitor to regret the betrayal!
He wanted the traitor to feel scared, to feel frightened!
He uttered those words very slowly and at the same time glued his eyes on Kieran.
The tall thin man wasnt really concerned about the pawn Deodre, he was going to kill him off after this job anyway, but Deodre trying to get the money from him?
Impossible!
Never did he expect the quiet Deodre to dare to drug their food and water and then call the cops.
He even suspected Deodres performance was an act to numb their senses, but when he saw Kieran, he knew what happened.
Deodre was just a little pawn, a pawn carefully chosen by this young man in front of his eyes, and it was just to double cross them!
Just look at the young mans calmness and nk gaze!
Even when he pulled out his gun, nothing changed on the youthful face.
That faint aura around the young man, he had only seen such aura from some notorious killers and executioners. In addition to Deodres arrival, everything made sense!
However, this young man was too careless! He came alone in order to maintain the cover?
Was he confident in his skills?
But what could confidence do in front of two automatic guns?
You are really...
The tall thin man thought he had grasped the truth, looking at Kieran and trying to say something, but before his sentence could form, he felt cold.
The coldness was unlike the winter, the coldness would chill his soul even with the slightest touch, and what frightened him the most was the coldnessing from Deodre!
The shock in his heart didnt slow him down, he pulled the trigger at Deodre without a second thought but... his hand was caught and his fingers were frozen!
Deodre grabbed the mans hand with a twisted expression.
You shall not harm Airi! I will not allow you to harm her!
Deodre spoke like he was sleep-talking, squeezing the tall, thin mans hand hard and producing cracking noises, the cold aura even spreading throughout his body.
Boss!
The other two cried in shock. The guns were pointed at Deodre but a formless chain was quicker.
The chain whipped their arms from the void and broke it.
Crack!
Two crackster, their guns fell on the floor and they were mmed into each other, knocking each other out.
Thud!
The repeated thuds woke Deodre.
He looked at the dying man in his hand and finally woke up from his trance. He bitterly smiled and threw the man on the floor.
Am I really dead? I guess so. I thought of dying anyway. More so, how could I not die in that situation?
Deodre looked up at the ceiling, muttering to himself but also sounding like he was talking to Kieran.
Deodre then turned to Kieran and bowed.
Im sorry to cause all this trouble. Please forgive my rudeness. Ive tried to be careful but it seems like I failed... Im really sorry, Deodre said.
He then dragged the three men outside.
Kieran was still reading his newspaper, not even batting an eye. He didnt even ask where Deodre was taking the bodies and what to do with them.
Some people, in Kierans eyes, deserved to be punished and any kind of punishment would do.
Deodre returned to the restaurant a little whileter.
He sat on the spot where he sat before and waited patiently.
Half an hourter, a familiar figure walked in.
Mr. Deodre?
It was Amy that walked in and she asked the middle-aged man sitting at the counter.
Yes, Deodre nodded.
Its nice to finally meet you, Im Amy. Like you requested, this ce is secluded and inconspicuous, what do you think? Now can you tell me about this big scoop that you mentioned? Amy pointed around.
Kieran, who had not been reacting to the situation, raised a brow.
He finally knew why Deodre came to the restaurant: it was because of the cumbersome drunkard!
Deodre saw Kierans raised brow, quickly showing an apologetic face.
He then told Amy, Ms. Amy, do you know about the jewellry shop robbery today?
Yes! You are saying that this big scoop is about that robbery? Amys eyes shined.
She received a call in the afternoon saying that there was a big scoop waiting for her. If the person who made the call hadnt guaranteed the news would be big and allowed her to choose the time and venue, Amy would not have entertained the call, but it seemed like she bet on the right ce.
Yes, its about the robbery. In fact, I am one of the participants of the robberydont worry, I mean you no harm, I am just seeking help, Deodre saw Amy get nervous after the revtion, quickly exining his stand.
You should seek the polices help, not mine! Amy was shocked and angry, wanting to draw distance from Deodre.
The police did help me before, but they cant help my daughter. She needs the help of a doctor and a hospital! And it requires arge sum of money! Dedore smiled bitterly.
Even so, you shouldnt rob! Amy said in determination.
I never really wanted to rob, I hid the robbed jewelry in a secret ce and what I want... is the eyes of the public.
You want to raise a fund? Amy quickly reacted to the situation.
Yes. Im just an average taxi driver, I cant bear my daughters expensive medical fees and I dont have the ability to garner enough attention from society. Therefore, I created some scenes to garner attention, to care about Airi, Deodre nodded.
Id say you did it, pretty sessfully too. But did you ever think about the consequences? What Airi has to face? Amy frowned.
I deserve to be punished... Airi...as long as shes alive...there is hope.
Deodre went quiet for a moment.
Kieran didnt listen to the rest of the talk, ncing over Amy, who wasnt drunk this time, in her working state. He went into the kitchen with his newspaper.
He wasnt interested about the following story.
Rather than sitting there listening to stories he wasnt interested, he might as well spend time helping Starbeck with his cooking.
The talk between Amy and Deodre went on for another hour.
Deodre left first while Amy sat back and listened to the recordings, writing in her notebook.
She wanted an exclusive scoop! She could already picture the new heights her career would rise to after she published this exclusive news. Of course, it would need some addition, not altering, but addition, to the story.
Otherwise, it was rather mundane.
While Amy was grinding her gears in thinking what details to add, a stack of money appeared in front her.
What do you want? Amy looked at Kieran cautiously.
She swear she would throw the pen into Kierans face if he said something disrespectful.
Donation. For Airi, for that father whos willing to risk his life for his daughter, Kieran said.
Kieran then went back to his newspaper after saying, not caring about Amys reaction.
Amy looked at Kieran and then the stack of money in front of her, frowning.
Dont try to alter my thoughts with your action! Amy coldly grunted.
Your delusional thoughts? Kieran tuned up the volume of the tv.
A van crashed into a car which was involved in an ident earlier. All three passengers in the van died on the spot. The car, which was involved in another car ident earlier, waspletely destroyed and weve just got confirmation that the driver, Mr. Deodre, passed away at the hospital.
Deodre!?
Amy waspletely stunned, especially when she saw Deodres picture on the screen, her face turning pale.
He, he, he, he...I...I...
Not a singleplete sentence came out of her mouth.
Hes a good father, you are a reporter. What I saw just now is a father asking a favour from a reporter.
Kieran stopped talking after that, leaving a pale, horrified, panicked Amy sitting there nkly.
Meanwhile, outside the door, Deodre in the dark bowed at Kieran again before disintegrating into light particles, flying away to the sky.
He wished he had more time, but he didnt.
This was as far as he could go, any longer... would cause some big problems.
Nevertheless, he didnt want anything to happen to his daughter, he wanted to protect his daughter from harm, thats why he left.
He hoped for him, not it.
...
On the second day, when the day turned bright, the early newspaper of the city arrived at the restaurant.
Kieran took the newspaper, stretched, yawned, and brought the sleepy Starbeck to bed.
Lets go, time to sleep, Kieran said.
Em.
Starbeck nodded, his eyes nced over the topic for the day.
Father who gave his life for his daughter.
Reported by Amy.
Chapter 1644 - What Can A Boring And Normal Looking Person Do?
Chapter 1644: What Can A Boring And Normal Looking Person Do?
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The night arrived as usual.
When Kieran was about to hang the little ckboard outside, Amy rushed into the restaurant.
In fact, she has been waiting outside the restaurant since afternoon.
She was scared and curious.
Fear and the unknown were like a pair of vines crawling around her, breeding thoughts and guesses in her mind.
What really happened? Amy sat at the counter, asking Kieran.
What you saw, thats what happened.
Kieran switched on the tv for the evening news before he answered Amy.
What do you mean thats what happened?! And before this! The day I was drunk, did Chief Teddy encounter the same thing here?
Amy was definitely no idiot, for she was able to secure such a high position in a newspaper firm at her age. In fact, she was exceptionally smart. When she wasnt drunk, she used her identity and positions advantage to find herself some traces and clues.
Kieran wasnt surprised at all, so he nodded.
Yep. Its considered your experience too, but you were too drunk to notice, Kieran then took his newspaper for reading.
Amy went silent.
Although she was prepared, it was rather hard to ept the fact after getting verification from Kieran personally, because it toppled her world view entirely.
In her original view, what was dead stayed dead and everything woulde to an end after that. Whether love or hate, everything would be gone.
However, what she encounteredst night told her that death wasnt the end, it was some kind of a new start. If her heart wasnt strong enough, she would have gone mad.
Amy breathed heavily after the shock.
Get me something to drink, Amy said.
We dont serve alcohol here, only chicken soup, Kieran emphasized.
Whatever, soup or not, just get me something to drink, Amy said quickly.
Kieran put the newspaper down and poured a bowl of soup for her.
She didnt use the spoon though, she picked the bowl up and drank it without being concerned about the temperature.
Ah! Hot! Hot! Hot!
She cried repeatedly when the hot soup touched her tongue.
Being anxious cant change anything, it will only make things worse. Being at peace and having a calm mind is the way to solve problems, Kieran said as he pulled the bowl in.
Starbeck personally chose the bowl, it was considered as one of his properties, so he would rather not break it.
I know, I should stay calm but running into ghosts, the dead, and spirits, its not something that you can be calm about! Amy refuted, even mentioning a couple of names.
Can, Kieran said decisively.
Any looked at Kieran in surprise, believing him but curious about the decisive tone.
Because I dont want to die, Kieran said.
But isnt death a... Not everyone can be like Deodre after death?!
Amy swiftly realized what Kieran was referring to.
Not just that. Like humans, theres also good and bad spirits, Kieran said.
So you are the one who deals with the bad ones? You keep reading the newspaper and watching the news because you are collecting information? Dont you people have an organization or some sort of group? Amy voiced her theory.
Im not, but someone is, Kieran shook his head.
Who will that be? Amys eyes shone brilliantly, it was the upational excitement.
You sure you want to meet him? Kieran asked.
If its possible, I really want to meet this great sir, Amy replied.
Even if you might lose a part of your memory? Kieran asked.
Losing a part of my memory? You are saying? Amy was shocked, she looked at Kieran in doubt.
After Kieran nodded, she couldnt hold back her emotions and stood up. She wanted to argue but more thoughts came to her mind, reminding her of something, and she slumped back on the chair.
Some secrets should remain secrets from the masses as long as time goes, revealing the secrets would only break the bnce and order, but we should...
Amy muttered to herself, like a believers faith copsed.
Ignorance is bliss in many cases. The more you know, the deeper you might be in trouble. It depends on what your choices are, Kieran looked at her.
Amy frowned, not averting Kierans gaze.
What do you mean? she asked.
She was smart enough to know why Kieran altered his cold attitude to her. Other than publishing Deodres case honestly, he should have something to ask of her.
It was impossible that he was interested in her, she knew this kind of man very well. A single nce revealed everything to her.
Do you want to pretend nothing happenedst night and go back to your normal life, or do you want to work with me? Like you said, Im watching tv and reading the newspaper because I want to collect information, but my capabilities arentparable to yours. In short, I need someone to collect news for me, Kieran said frankly.
After discovering her upation and realizing she had quite the position in her newspaper firm, Kieran had some thoughts to recruit her. Otherwise, Kieran wouldnt tell her this much, even if she published Deodres case honestly.
You and those Demon Hunters... are different? They are professionals and you are... a part-timer?
Amy thought for awhile and said some terms easy for everyone to digest.
Something like that, Kieran didnt argue, he wasnt a professional after all.
His profession was that of a restaurant owner, expelling the dead was just along the way, a type of convenience.
However, in order to recover to his former strength, he too wouldnt mind using his free time to farm for a better result.
Amy did not answer right away, thinking about the suggestion for almost half an hour.
I can help you, as your assistant, but we must be on equal terms. You cant force me to do things and Ill do my best to help you, Amy stated her condition.
No problem, Kieran extended his right hand.
Happy working together.
Happy working together.
The shakested only for a second, Amy then heaved a long breath of relief. She now had confirmation that Kieran wasnt interested in her, which was the best for her.
Do you have a room to rent here?
After solving the biggest problem that troubled her mind, she went on to solve the next biggest problem.
After meeting Deodre, Amy had not returned to her apartment.
Before yesterday night, living alone was an enjoyment for Amy but after that freaky encounter, she had been overthinking a lot. She felt like there was someone around her, beside her, above her, beneath her, it was like she was surrounded by people.
The eerie feeling was the worst, she had to find a ce that she assumed was safe to settle down, and in her knowledge, where else was safer than Kierans ce?
No, Kieran replied straightforwardly.
Im your assistant now! Amy emphasized.
But we are on equal terms, right? You said it yourself, Kieran returned her words to Amy.
I didnt request anymission! Amy tried to fight for it.
When you get a hold of the secretive news from the dead, which should die with them, you will be rewarded beyond your imagination, Kieran wasnt moved, he has too many secrets to keep from her.
Other than Starbeck, Kieran wasnt willing to allow another person to stay around him for a long period of time, not even his so-called assistant.
Then how should I go back at night?! Amy asked.
Like how you used to go back. An electric baton should solve every problem that you might face. But if you arent up for it, you can sit here and wait for sunrise. One seating for the night is a hundred, Ill give you a discounted price of 99 for long-term service, Kieran said seriously.
Money face! Amy grunted in a muffled voice but she took out 200 dor and put it on the counter.
Amys chicken soup was 100 and the seating fee was 100.
Kieran received the money and put it into the money box.
Shouldnt you give me back the change? Amy frowned. She was very sensitive with numbers.
Long-term use is a 100, but if its just a night, how can it be long term?
Its just a dor! Amys pitch raised higher.
Every penny counts, every little makes a mickle. Ten thousand dors is made up of ten thousand 1 dors, even a hundred thousand dors or a million starts with 1 dor. Anyone who looks down on a single dor will never be wealthy because they will spend until the very end, Kieran said seriously.
Amy did not argue with him this time, because she thought the same.
After that, Amy was busy tidying her documents on her seat while Kieran continued reading and listening to the news on the tv.
Time soon flew past midnight and when the clock struck at 1am, a drama series, which was a repeated broadcast started ying.
The drama usually yed four to five episodes back-to-back during winter break and it would repeat every single holiday.
Kieran was rather interested in the drama. The repeated broadcast stated how ssic it was, but no matter how ssic, people would eventually grow bored of it, like Amy.
You are really a dull person and you arent that handsome, I guess youll die alone, Amy said when she noticed Kieran was enjoying the drama.
Kieran didnt argue though, it was a fact that he was dull, even he himself knew it.
As for his looks?
Although the system usually blurred it out, it wasnt going to beautify his looks, it was still an exact reflection of his own face, so he also admitted he wasnt that good-looking.
Dying alone?
It was still too early to say so, but Kieran never even thought about it.
Kieran didnt argue, but it didnt mean Starbeck epted it.
Starbeck has been listening the moment Amy stepped into the restaurant and he finally lost it when he heard the dissing, walking out of the kitchen with his apron on.
Amys eyes shined when she saw Starbeck.
Compared to Kieran, Starbeck was unusually handsome. He had the rigidness of man and the softness of woman, which attracted Amy a lot.
You are his brother, Roye right? You are also the chef of the restaurant? You two looked nothing alike, Amy sized up Starbeck with her burning gaze, her enthusiasm self-exnatory.
Interesting souls weigh around a hundred kilograms; a nice looking vessel is around 3000 per night. My normal-looking, dull brother will not die alone with me around him. What about you?
Starbeck stood beside Kieran, showing a warm and polite smile, his gaze not that pressuring but Amy felt unusually pressured.
She felt like she wasnt looking at a beautiful young man but a person with power and high authority.
She felt a simr feeling before when she was interviewing the mayor of Ai City, even though the mayor did not make her feel pressured, it was almost suffocating.
Me? Well I have my own ns. After I achieve what I am chasing after, Ill get married.
Amys brain started to slow down in front of such pressure, thinking of replying in a slicker way but what she said somehow made her lose the initiative.
It felt terrible, it was intolerable!
She was pressured by a young man and could hardly breath?
What a joke!
Counter! I must counterattack!
After the thoughts formed in her mind, Amy wanted to say something else but when she saw that kind and polite smile again, the pressure and suffocation got very intense, like she was sitting across a king who had the rights to determine the life and death of all his subjects. She couldnt even sit properly.
I-I can now confirm that you are rted! Both of you speak the same way! Amy said in stutters and her hand was holding onto the counter.
Starbeck smiled and didnt say anything, turning around and serving Kieran a cup of goji tea.
I am here to serve tea, not to purposely diss you.
If you think Im dissing you, you are overthinking.
Amy deciphered the meaning behind Starbecks action and smile as such.
She suddenly realized thatpared to the handsome younger brother, the cold elder brother was a better person to stick around.
Royan, I...
Shut up.
Amy wanted to end the awkward atmosphere, she spoke to Kieran but Kieran stopped her loudly before she could finish.
Kieran glued his eyes at the tv.
Amy then realized the drama had somehow turned into a ck and white scene with a hand inside.
The hand curled up slightly, using the back of its finger to knock on the screen!
Knock Knock!
When the hand knocked on the screen, a loud knock on the actual door of the restaurant followed promptly.
Amy turned pale, the knocks sounding like they were knocking on her heart.
Amy was badly frightened after yesterday night and she was horrified by the knocks.
She widened her eyes at Kieran, hoping for somefort, hoping the pro would solve the problem.
Then, she saw Kieran stand up and extend his hand to the tv switch.
Pak.
The tv was switched off.
Chapter 1645 - Very Confident
Chapter 1645: Very Confident
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Switched off the tv?
Thats it?
Amy looked at Kieran in disbelief.
Wasnt this a little too simple?
What about the powerful and strange? The nervous and the fearsome?
Amy wasnt nervous or scared at all, even wanting tough.
Its ov
Before over could escape her mouth, Amy saw the tv switch on by itself and this time, it wasnt the hand in the screen anymore, but a greenish-purple face with messy hair; it was unknown as to whether it was a man or woman.
The figure stood in the tv and stared at Kieran with its scary eyes.
Step by step, it walked closer to the screen.
Under Amys horrified gaze, one of its hands came out of the screen as if the screen wasnt even there.
The tv was like a tunnelafter its hand came out, ittched on the edge of the counter and pulled its body out.
Watching its body squeezing out of that tiny tv screen, Amy was frozen solid at the scene.
The urge tough disappeared, and she was left with the fear of her dead.
Starbeck was scared too, he was scared of almost everything, but with Kieran beside him, he mustered enough courage to ovee his fear.
In short, Starbeck believed that as long as he was around Kieran, he would never be harmed, and it was true.
Just as the dead spirit struggled to crawl out of the tv screen, Kieran pulled the plug on the tv.
Pak!
The tv was switched off again.
Its hand and half of its face immediately got stuck in the tv screen; as if it was frozen by some spell, it couldnt move anymore.
What in the world?!
Amy looked at the plug in Kierans hand, her world view toppled upside down once more.
She had just been thinking about what Kieran would do to dispose of this dead spirit that wasing out of the tv. Some grand spells? Or some fierce attack?
Her guesses were all wrong, as all Kieran did was pull the plug.
Wasnt it the same as switching off the tv?
Dealing with the dead was that easy?
It was rather unbelievable to Amy, but what she saw with her own eyes told her differently.
She watched as that frozen hand and face that got stuck in the screen slowly disintegrated, and she fell into heavy doubts.
There were no secret spells, no magic, and no techniques involved. Kieran just... um... improvised?
Did all the Demon Hunters work like that?
You bought this mini tv to prevent this kind of situation? Amy asked out of curiosity.
No, it was to save money, Kieran replied but his eyes were glued to the tv.
His hardened battle instinct told him that the battle wasnt over just yet, and it turned out to be true.
The next moment, the tv without a power supply turned on once again.
The hand and half a face that seemingly vanished previously appeared again, crawling out of the screen quicker than before, but Kierans sword was even quicker.
A sharp re shed over the restaurant.
The dead spirit who tried so hard to climb out of the tv was shed in half.
Its upper body fell to the floor of the restaurant, disintegrating into nothing; the lower body that was still stuck in the tv promptly vanished as well.
The tv returned to its normal ck and white scene.
Huuu Huuu!
Amy breathed heavily, her heart racing fast. She had thought everything was over once Kieran pulled the plug, but never did she expect that the scene would continue.
If the scene wasnt too fast for her to react, she would have screamed.
I-Is it over now? Amy asked carefully.
As she asked, her eyes stared at the tv.
She was afraid that something would happen once she asked.
Em. Kieran nodded and turned to Starbeck.
Starbeck smiled to answer that he was fine, also not asking why such things happened.
Both of thems tacit knowledge had transcended beyond words, all they needed was a nce to deliver their thoughts to each other, but this did not apply to Amy.
She looked at Kieran and then Starbeck.
What in the world happened? Can someone tell me why this kind of thing happened? Amy believed that everything had a cause and effect, including the supernatural ones.
Something happened here earlier. Although Ive dealt with it, the tight pace of the incident made this ce look like a spotlight, hence this kind of thing urance in the restaurant, Kieran exined.
Since Amy agreed to help Kieran in the information gathering, some things must be made clear to hear.
Which means this ce is also dangerous? Amy looked around nervously.
If youpare it to most of the regr ces out there, it is, Kieran nodded.
I suddenly remember I still have things to do! Amy stood up, wanting to leave.
Wait. As my assistant, you have to investigate this, Kieran called Amy back and pointed at the tv.
I got it. Ill try toe after business hours if I get anything. Amy knew what Kieran was referring to, as she wasnt stupid, but she didnt want toe to this restaurant at night.
You maye after 3 p.m., Kieran emphasized.
Kieran was fine with any time, but not Starbeck. Thetter was as weak as a normal person, so he must rest regrly.
Amy waved at him and ran outside in a hurry.
The door shook a couple of times before closing, for Amy pushed it too hard as she left.
However, as the night breeze seized the window and came in, Kieran clearly felt Starbecks body shivering in the face of the wind.
He frowned at the door and reminded himself to warn Amy about it next time.
Kieran then took out an electrical heater from under the counter.
John Dickson left it behind, and Kieran found it while cleaning. After making sure it could still be used, he cleaned it up and ced it under the counter.
After plugging it in, warm air came out right away and made Starbeck slightly flush.
Better buy some essence oil tomorrow. This heater may be warm, but its dry, Kieran said.
Em. Starbeck nodded.
He would listen to whatever Kieran said.
Although he could avoid the cold inside the kitchen, if he could stay longer at the counter, it was also a good thing for him.
He was used to the silence around Kieran, knowing he wasnt much of a talker.
He sat by and quietly watched him turn on the tv again before going back to his newspaper. Starbeck curled his lips into a smile.
The warm air from the heater expelled the coldness and warmed his heart as though it was melting.
A cold night was supposed to be long, but staying beside Kieran made it feel faster than usual.
Unknowingly, they were near closing time.
Starbeck stood up and stretched, wanting to prepare breakfast for Kieran in the kitchen.
Starbeck didnt want to eat anything before bed, but Kieran was different.
Only with sufficient food and energy could he afford burning his stamina and keeping his brain moving at all times.
A soup mixed with a herbal smell was served.
Its beef soup. Ive added some herbs to replenish your energy.
While Starbeck introduced the dish, Kieran picked up the bowl and drained the soup dry, swallowing the beef and herbs without being concerned about the heat.
The clear soup reflected the light beautifully, tasting even better.
The beef was tender and melted in his mouth.
Those herbs that Kieran thought would be bitter were sourish and sweet; it was unusually delicious.
Seemingly normal, yet unexpected.
This was what Starbeck was good at, and Kieran was never disappointed.
Is there more of this? I think I need more, Kieran said.
Of course! Starbeck went back into the kitchen and brought the whole pot out.
Kieran smiled.
Nothing wasparable to someone who understood you.
Kieran grabbed the whole pot and gobbled it down. Starbeck watched him drain the soup until the veryst drop, like always.
After the soup was finished, Kieran brought the pot and bowl into the kitchen while Starbeck stood up and tidied up the counter, arranging the magazines and newspaper in an orderly fashion.
Suddenly, the restaurants door opened.
A middle-aged man in casual wear walked in.
Im sorry, we are closed, Starbeck said apologetically.
Im not here to eat. Im here for someone, the middle-aged man said.
He shifted his gaze from Starbeck to Kieran, who had juste out of the kitchen.
Royan? the middle-aged man asked.
You are? Kieran subtly pulled Starbeck behind him and walked forward.
While he asked, his right hand was already on the hilt of his sword, leaving only the counter between them.
Im a Herder, an acquaintance of Ed Wong. The man introduced himself.
The introduction, however, did not lower Kierans guard. He looked at the man quietly, waiting for more exnations toe.
This man wouldnt havee without a reason, especially after he imed to be Ed Wongs acquaintance.
Rx, I mean you no harm. My identity is genuine, and you should know by now that if I really wanted to do something to you, you wouldnt be able to do anything to me. A real Herder isnt someone a Weirest could oppose. The man smiled.
As if trying to prove himself, he reached his hand out to grab Kieran, even with the counter in between.
His hand wasnt just fast, but there was some kind of technique involved as well, as his palm switched ces repeatedly in mid-air. A second ago, he was going for the neck, but the next moment, he went for the shoulder or chest; his deceptive movements made it hard for one to tell what was his real target.
Kieran did not care about the fancy techniques used. He twisted his wrist and thrusted [Sharp Standard-Issued de] at the man.
Compared to the myriads of movements, Kierans attack was much simpler and he went for the mans throat, the simplest and most fatal point.
More importantly, Kierans thrusting speed seemed to have exceeded the mans expectation.
Huh?!
A cry of shockter, the man retracted his hand suddenly. His grab changed to a tap on the de in Kierans hand, but just as his palm was about to touch the de, he was forced back once more because Kieran twisted his wrist again, turning the edge to palm.
Kieran seized the window. Not waiting for the man to perform his technique, he swung his de upwards by moving his wrist up.
The sword performed a vertical upward sh with its edge aimed at the man.
The man quickly stepped back, and the de grazed the tip of his nose.
However, never did the man expect that another invisible force wouldsh on his defenseless back.
Bash!
The physical hit on the mans strong back was nothing serious, but what followed was the tremble of his soul, forcing a heavy grunt from him.
The stinging pain from his soul slowed his movements down for a split second.
Kieran jumped over the counter like an agile monkey and put his sword over the mans neck.
The slightest push would perforate the mans throat.
The pain from his neck made him raise his hands up in the air wisely. At the same time, his heart was cursing Ed Wong.
What bullsh*t is this? What son of a friend who came from the mountains that sought protection?
This kind of skill set requires protection? What the hell, Ed Wong! He might even be on par with you!
And that invisiblesh on my back...
The mans eyes were examining Kierans wrist, but Kieran wisely covered [Gordors Chain] with his long sleeve, rendering the man unable to see it.
However, guesses still popped up in the mans mind.
An Eckertist? the man said.
The term wasnt new to Kieran, as Ed Wong mentioned it before.
Weireist, a new recruit of the Herders.
Harstarty, a soldier after a certain level of training.
Bringepeist, a veteran.
Toriari, an experiencedmander in charge of a sector. Ed Wong was a Toriari.
Other than the mentioned, there was also a special rankEckertist, someone with special skills or tools.
Or in other words, a knight.
I really mean you no harm! What I did was just a little test. A harmless test, I swear!
The man scolded Ed Wong for his unreliable info in his heart as he tried to dissuade Kieran with his mouth.
The killer intent from Kieran was as keen as the de on his neck.
It seemed like he would have to leave his head here if he did not provide an exnation.
Prove it, Kieran said.
In my coat pocket, theres an ID that proves that I am a Herder, the man said.
Not enough. Call Ed Wong out and ask him to prove your identity, Kieran said.
The middle-aged man immediately smiled bitterly.
Well, you see, the reason why I came here is to search for Ed Wong or anything rted to him. Hes missing.
Oh, is that so?
Kieran nodded and pushed the de further.
Chapter 1646 - A Beautiful Day
Chapter 1646: A Beautiful Day
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The edge cut into the mans neck, tearing the outer skin but not really damaging the throat, but Bain got frozen.
The throat was a humans biggest weak spot, as weak as the heart and the brain. Compared to the heart, which had the ribs and chest, and brain, which had a skull cap, the throat was exceptionally weaker as it was exposed on the outside.
Even though the target was a Herder who hadpleted all the necessary training and been into countless battles, the throat was still a weakness.
Bain saw Kieran right in front of him and felt killer intents from his eyes, faint but real.
So, without further hesitation, Bain said loudly, Im sorry! I apologize for my rash actions! Ill make it up to you!
Bain was nervous as he tried to save himself from Kierans de and he finally heaved a breath of relief when Kieran slightly pulled back the de.
30 Crossing Copper Coins, said Kieran.
Bain just got a little breathing window after the de was pulled back a little but his heart skipped a beat when the number was heard.
Its too much, I... No problem! I have 30 Crossing Copper Coins!
Bain tried to negotiate but the de pushed back into his throat again, and without a second though, Bain agreed to the terms.
Compared to [Crossing Copper Coins], his life was more important.
Once dead, the coins would be useless to him.
However, after Bain agreed to the terms, Kieran swung the de downwards.
Bain closed his eyes at the metallic re on the de, he thought Kieran was backing on his words, but at the next moment, his upper body felt cold.
His jersey and vest were sliced by the de.
His clothes fell on the floor and Kieran was checked them with the tip of his de.
Witchcraft is at y?
Bain saw what Kieran was doing after he opened his eyes, he wasnt an idiot and he quickly realized the situation.
You stepped on those bastards tail? Bain asked.
Em, Kieran nodded.
Kieran had no need to hide. Although most of the people didnt know what happened, the Herders were different, they could easily know what was happening with some investigation.
As expected.
Bain nodded with a serious face after he heard what Kieran said.
His mutters attracted Kierans gaze.
Ed Wongs disappearance should be rted to these bastards as well. Although I dont have solid evidence, Ed Wongsst mission was to investigate a game of summoning the dead yed by high school female students. After that, he went missing. Unless its a very special situation, as the person in charge of 7 Sector of Ai City, he has to report his well-being to us every 8 hours and heste for 5 cycles. The safety period is over. At the same time, I found traces of witchcraft in that high school, Bain exined.
What else? Kieran asked.
Nothing. Those witchcraft practitioners are much more cunning than you can imagine, even us Herders had a hard time tracking them down, Bainid his hands open.
Notify me when you find anything.
Although it was only one of the practitioners who showed interest in Starbeck, Kieran wasnt sure about the rest of them, what would their stand be?
More so, Kieran wasnt that naive to rely on his enemies mercy for his and Starbecks safety.
He always liked to take the initiative against his enemy and eradicate them from the roots.
Bain knew nothing about Kierans true thoughts, looking at Kieran in surprise.
Although he follows thew of the jungle, he isnt that bad, at least hes good to acquaintances. No wonder that stupid Ed Wong did so much for you guys, Bainmented on Kieran as such in his heart, nodding and wanting to leave.
Wait, Kieran stopped him.
Dont worry, I always jog bare topped, I dont need clothes, Bain smiled and waved his hand.
I dont care about how you jog or what people call you, I want to remind you about the coins that you promised, the 30 Crossing Copper Coins, Kieran emphasized.
Im your uncles good friend! Bain raised his voice but when he saw Kieran tighten his grip on the hilt of his sword, he switched a tone, I dont bring that many coins with me everytime I go outside. Let me go home and Ill deliver them to you.
Kieran didnt say anything, raising his sword and pointing it at Bain.
It wasnt about identity or stance, it was just that Kieran wasnt going to trust a stranger who he had met just a short while ago.
No matter what Bain said or did, before he could get more evidence to prove his words, Kieran tended to believe that Bain was speaking just to secure his safety and advantage.
Bain stared into Kierans eyes.
1 second.
2 seconds.
3 seconds.
...
Time flew, Kierans eyes didnt even blink and Bains eyes started to feel dry.
Bain felt like this young man had seen through his deepest thought: backing out on his words.
He had to save up for a few years, that 30 [Crossing Copper Coin], if he could continue to keep it in his possession, he wouldnt mind, but the consequences that followed?
Well, what kind of consequences would follow?
At most he would have to hide from Kieran, and it wasnt the first time he had done such despicable things.
When youre covered with lice, you dont itch; when youre up to your ears in debt,you stop worrying.
Kieran would be an insignificant addition to the fray.
However, never did Bain think Kieran would be so persistent and stubborn.
Stubborn! You are really stubborn! Cant you people be flexible?
Bain held on to hisst hope, trying to struggle and argue, but Kieran didnt buy all that bullsh*t, thrusting the sword in his hand.
This time, the tip of the sword thrust deeper than before, Bain was certain an inch deeper would cut his throat.
Wait! Give! Ill give it to you!
Bain dared not try to y tricks anymore, feeling a distinct killer intent from Kierans eyes.
If Kieran was just trying to scare him off earlier, Bain was sure that Kieran would really kill him this time if he did anything stupid.
I just owe you some money, why are you so grumpy, you stingy ass! Bain said as he pulled out his wallet from his cks.
He carefully searched for a silver coin which looked simr to [Crossing Copper Coin] without the hole in the center, the markings of sun and moon on both sides looking more intricate.
[Name: Crossing Silver Coin]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: None]
[Attribute: Cover the presence of souls leaving for the farawaynd more effectively.]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: No]
[Remark: Crossing Coin appeared much earlier than the Herders. No one knew why it was created but after covering the presence of souls leaving for the farawaynd, it has be themon currency for the Herders and the mystical side.]
...
When Kieran touched the [Crossing Silver Coin], the Origin Forces in his body cheered, Gluttony even yearned for it, but it was not the time.
Kieran saw how unwilling Bain was, he then gave a meaningful look to Starbeck.
Starbeck then quickly brought out [Cursed Paper Man] and [Vengeful Spirit House (Broken)] from under the counter.
The two items immediately captured Bains attention, but he quickly said without showing much concern, Cursed Paper Man, used, not worth a penny. Vengeful Spirit House, broken, also not worth a penny.
Oh, Kieran nodded. He went over to the counter and kept the two items away.
What?
Bain was rather shocked.
Mister, we are closed for now. If you need anything, pleasee back tomorrow, Starbeck said with a smile.
After that, he walked to the door, opened it and invited Bain out with a polite gesture.
Ill offer 10 Copper Coins, no, 20! 20 is the best I can give, nothing more!
Bain quickly offered when he saw Starbeck inviting him out.
[Cursed Paper Man] was worthless, it was only around 1 Copper Coin but [Vengeful Spirit House] was different. [Vengeful Spirit House] was already hard to create even among the Witchcraft Sects and most of the practitioners would destroy their own creation when they died.
Therefore, there were less than a handful of the cursed items outside.
Bain remembered there were a lot of people who showed interest in [Vengeful Spirit House] back in the Herders research facility.
Even if it was broken, it could easily fetch a high price.
He could probably get 3 Crossing Silver Coins for it, let alone the 20 Crossing Copper Coins that he was paying for it. If he really got such offers, he could make up for his loss and earn a great sum at the same time.
However, Kieran was not moved by the offer, Bains excitement slowly died off.
He felt like he had met his bane.
Other than that, Bain felt weird about Kieran.
You learned your fighting techniques and trained yourself in the mountains, but dealing like a cunning merchant, where did you learn that from?
Ive caught a fox before, she told me that she will provide me with a months worth of food if I spared her. I did, but I never saw her again, Kieran said as he reminisced about the past.
A fox?
He learned how to be cunning from a fox?
Bain thought in his mind but something reced that thought immediately and he asked, Can a fox even talk? And she? What kind of bullsh*t are you talking about.
Yeah right, who are you bullshitting? Kieran nodded and looked at Bain seriously, his keen gaze that seemed to see through his thoughts causing difort throughout his whole body.
One Crossing Silver Coin, nothing more, Bain too wanted to stop this farce, because he realized time was not on his side. The longer he stayed, the more harsh he would fall.
Bain wanted to end this quickly, so he offered a new price.
The door is right behind you, Kieran said.
He didnt know the true value of [Vengeful Spirit House] in this world but he knew what the price was for a Rare item; [Crossing Silver Coin] was a Rare item.
However, as a currency, its number was sure to be many, its value and usage could never rece [Vengeful Spirit House], in spite of it being broken.
Hmph!
Bain was angry at Kierans attitude, turning around and walking out.
Neither Kieran or Starbeck cared though, Starbeck didnt even close the door once Bain left, standing at the entrance and looking outside.
Influenced by his surroundings, Starbeck wasnt a stranger in running a business, he was rather skillful at it too. Starbeck could tell Bain was eager to get his hands on [Vengeful Spirit House].
Therefore, fate had been sealed once the thought came into fruition.
A few secondster, Bain strode back into the restaurant.
2 Crossing Silver Coins!
The price he offered hurt his heart.
3.
The number Kieran requested almost suffocated Bain but Bain knew no tricks would work anymore. He widened his eyes and saw Kieran bring up the [Vengeful Spirit House] again on the counter. He clenched his teeth, nodding painfully. No matter how thin the mosquitos leg was, it was still meat.
Okay. Bain tossed his wallet to the counter.
There were a few more paper notes in the wallet other than 3 [Crossing Copper Coin].
Kieran took the coin and then tossed the wallet, together with [Vengeful Spirit House], to Bain.
You evil merchant! I wonte again! Bain said loudly as if he was swearing a vicious oath.
Thank you very much, Kieran said with a smile.
The sun was already hanging in the sky. In the midst of autumn, Bain, who was not wearing any shirt, walked in the windy weather with a bowl-like item in his hand. He was rather eye-catching.
Some showed disdain, someughed at him and some felt sorry for him.
An elderly woman even walked to Bain and ced some change in Bains bowl. She also took a piece of bread from her breakfast bag and gave it to Bain, who was stunned by the action.
Im not...
I understand, life is hard for everyone but as long as your heart is strong, you can stand back up one day. Im looking forward to the day you do.
The elderlydy smiled mercifully after she interrupted Bain.
Humans tend to conform to what they see.
After the olddy gave Bain some money, many others also generously spared some change for the poor man.
I am not a beggar! I am really not a beggar!
Bain exined anxiously when the change in his bowl increased, but the people thought he was just trying to save his face, smiling at him with an understanding look.
Of course you are not a beggar.
This is just some temporary trouble!
I believe you will ovee this hurdle with your own hands one day.
That olddy even took off her scarf and wrapped it around Bain, smiling mercifully as she walked away under the morning sun.
The other people scattered off too, leaving the dull Bain on the spot, muttering to himself.
I am not a beggar!
I am not a beggar!
...
Kieran clearly saw the funny scene from the second floor window, shaking his head and turning to the sofa beside the bed.
Kieran watched Starbeck sleep, enjoying the smile on his sleeping face. He grabbed the [Crossing Silver Coin] in his hand and leaned back on the sofa, showing a smile.
What a beautiful day!
Chapter 1647 - Chocolate Ice-Cream
Chapter 1647: Chocte Ice-Cream
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran held [Crossing Silver Coin] in his hand, and Gluttony reacted very lively to it.
Even without Kierans guidance, Gluttony started to consume [Crossing Silver Coin]s power.
[Spirit broke through ayer of seal, increased from C- C]
[Spirit broke through ayer of seal, increased from C C+]
[Spirit broke through ayer of seal, increased from C+ B-]
[Spirit broke through ayer of seal, increased from B- B]
...
The first three broken seals were simr to the previous ones; they were sessfully achieved after consuming two pieces of [Crossing Silver Coin].
The only thing that surprised Kieran was the fourth time: Spirit grew from B- B and consumed two pieces of [Crossing Silver Coin] just for a single rank; it was ratherly costlypared to the first three times.
B rank, eh?
Kieran frowned at the sudden increase in cost.
One [Crossing Silver Coin] was equivalent to 30 [Crossing Copper Coin].
Calcting from there, the first three times, which consumed only two [Crossing Silver Coin], in total, was equivalent to 20 [Crossing Copper Coin] each time. Plus the two times earlier, every rank below B- required only 20 pieces of [Crossing Copper Coin] to break through the seal.
However, above B- rank, the requirements of [Crossing Copper Coin] surged drastically!
It required 60 pieces of [Crossing Copper Coin] for each rank!
Kieran had expected changes above B rank, but not by this much, and it wasnt good news to him.
Based on his knowledge, B rank was just the first threshold of many, as there were the Advanced Rank and rank V.
If B rank already required 60 pieces of [Crossing Copper Coin] for one minor rank break-through, what about Advanced Rank? What about rank V?
Although Kieran still didnt have a clear understanding of this dungeon world, he understood the value of [Crossing Copper Coin].
The coins would be more valuable than gold itself even if they weighed the same.
Those who could get a hold of the coins wouldnt have a lot though.
Its more troublesome than I thought.
Kieran raised his right index finger, wanting to tap on the handle of the sofa, but after the slightest movement, he realized Starbeck was still sleeping. He switched his usual habit into a chin touch.
He had to form a better n to quickly recover his strength and without affecting Starbeck.
...
The sun flew across the sky from east to west.
At 3 p.m. sharp, Amy knocked on the door.
Amy couldnt help but heave a breath of relief when she saw Kieran answer the door; she was afraid that she wouldnt be able to see him today.
She wasnt concerned about Kieran, but she knew that as long as he was alive, she would be safe, especially after that supernatural encounterst night.
Its nice to see you. Here, have a look at the documents I gathered. Just as you thought, that bastard wasnt doing this for the first time.
Amy passed Kieran a document envelope, went into the restaurant, sat down at the counter, and poured herself a ss of water.
After draining the water in one gulp, Amyid down on the counter.
Even though she was considered a workaholic, she really needed to rest for some time.
Kieran locked the door and returned to the counter. He then reviewed the contents of the document envelope.
The documents inside were neatly organized, the details very precise too.
Zhao Xiong, male, 30 years old, fitness coach; died of a heart attack (21/1/09).
Lee Cheng, male, 29 years old, martial arts coach; died of a heart attack (20/3/09)
Leonard, male, 25, outdoor survival coach; died of a heart attack (22/5/09]
Aike, male, 26, diving coach; died of a heart attack (25/7/09)
Xanxus, male, 25, famous weightlifter; died of a heart attack (30/9/09)
All the victims of heart attack died in front of their tv, with a horrible look.
All the victims had strong bodies and were healthy males.
The police opened a case but were without results.
This is what I can get on the suspicious points, it may not beplete.
The incidents only happened in the East Section.
...
The first page was a brief introduction, and photos were arranged behind it with a general description. Thest page was filled with detailed information about the victims.
Kieran read through the documents carefully.
He wasnt surprised that Amy could get her hands on this kind of information; what he was surprised about was thest victim, Xanxus.
Compared to the others, this weightlifter was much stronger and more buff, and even though the photos only showed a portrait of him and some of his daily life, his looks alone were impactful to look at; his arms were thicker than an average mans thigh. One of the photos in particr showed him raising two grown men with each of his arms over his head. He would definitely turn heads.
However, Kieran was very concerned about the time of death: the 30th of September 09.
The date wasst night, or more urately, today, when the encounter happened.
Not only was this not the first case, but it could also attack multiple targets at once? Kieran thought deeply.
This kind of opponent was definitely cumbersome, and no one would wish to face an opponent that had the ability to split up.
Tap, tap tap tap.
While in deep thought, Kierans finger tapped on the counter, the noise awakening a frowning Amy, who only had an hour of sleep.
Herzy eyes were looking at Kieran.
What the hell? Do you know I have had less than three hours of sleep since yesterday? Amy whined like a sleep-deprived girl.
Theres only four, Kieran corrected her mistake and put the documents back into the envelope.
What, you found something? Amy was captivated by Kierans action.
When she was researching and investigating the casesst night, chills constantly ran down her back.
Her research alone showed five casualties this year, and what about earlier than that? What about the other ces outside of East Sector?
Amy dared not even think about it, and for once, she did not scold the police for being useless.
She knew the police really had their hands tied this time because the opponent was not a regr one.
The opponent this time was very special, and average people couldnt do anything about it. Only the special professionals could deal with this kind of stuff.
Amy showed the utmost anticipation in herzy eyes, and Kieran did not let her down.
Yep. Kieran nodded.
What did you find? Amy asked eagerly.
Three points, to be exact. First, this thing, or whatever it is, doesnt know me well. Second, it seems like the fifth victim, Xanxus, is important. Third, after acquiring this Xanxus, this thing will surelye for me.
Kieran did not hide the details from his temporary assistant.
It wants revenge? Amy widened her eyes.
What else? Causing one of its men or clones to vanish out of carelessness and then grow stronger all of a sudden, if it isnt here for revenge, that would be really weird, Kieran replied.
The dead can grow stronger? With suitable targets? Amy quickly realized the situation.
Yep. Kieran nodded.
Are you confident enough to go up against it? Amy asked.
Kieran showed a smile.
Tired and nervous, Amy fell in a daze when she saw his smile, because at this moment, she suddenly realized that although Kierans looks were nothing ster, his smile was something else.
It was not only reliable, but it also felt warm, at least it calmed Amy when she saw it.
You...
Amy wanted to say something, but Kieran stood up and looked toward the stairs.
Good morning.
Just like the smile on his face, Kieran was very soft in his tone as he greeted Starbeck at the stairs.
Good morning. Lunch will be ready soon, Starbeck also replied to Kieran with a warm and soft smile.
However, when Starbecks smile shifted to Amy, it felt a little reserved and pressured.
Amy skipped a breath. It wasnt the first time she felt pressured, but she still couldnt bear it frankly.
She felt like she was a shiba inu that walked into a lions den; as dangerous as it was, she could end up in the lions te. However, being the strong and stubborn person she was, she wouldnt show it on her face.
Morning! Amy held herself together and greeted Starbeck.
Starbeck nodded without reply, and the pressure got tenser.
Amy felt like there was a lioness behind Starbeck, roaring at her, telling her to get off her territory or she would be eaten.
Amy knew she was seeing things because of working overtime and her tense mental state.
It was just some visions, nothing real. The next moment, the visions went away and Amy was sure she was exhausted, mentally and physically.
She did not realize Starbeck went into the kitchen because she then saw the documents on the counter.
You and your little brother are really different. Amy heaved a sigh of relief after Starbeck went into the kitchen.
In terms of looks? Kieran asked.
No, in terms of the feeling. Dont you think your little brother is always watching people from high above? Like a king looking down at his subjects. Amy shook her head.
That is because you dont know Roye well enough. If youe to understand him, you will realize your hunch or feeling is correct. Kieran said.
Har? Amy widened her eyes in surprise. She thought she was hearing things now.
We learned to be cautious against strangers from the mountains, and this kind of cautiousness isnt going away after a day or two since meeting.
Kieran then put away the documents and continued, You should go home, take a bath, and sleep.
No meal this time? Amy smelled something cooking in the kitchen, and she was already salivating.
No. Kieran said decisively.
Im your assistant! Amy widened her eyes even more.
So you should listen to me, right? Kieran looked at Amy with a dull stare.
When the grumpy Amy caught the stare, it wasnt just chills that ran down her spine anymore. Her body froze entirely, and she thought she was seeing things again.
It wasnt the lioness anymore, but the devil!
The devil with wings, who clouded the sun and sky, it was looking down at her with a domineering pressure.
She felt like she would be torn to shreds if any word escaped her mouth. Her instinct told her to leave immediately.
Amy grabbed her bag and began heading out. When she was at the exit, the vision vanished, hence she mustered up enough courage to say, Youll lose a good assistant if you continue to be like this!
Amy then strode away without waiting for a reply from Kieran.
After Amy left, Starbeck brought out food from the kitchen, and he couldnt help but shake his head at Amys back.
Loser. Starbeckmented on Amy in his heart, all the while still showing the usual sincere smile to Kieran.
ck Pepper Steak and borscht soup; Ive added some cornbread and broli. Also... chocte ice-cream!
Starbeck brought out the little te he was hiding behind him as if showing off a treasure.
There were three scoops of chocte ice-cream on the white te. The faint cocoa smell had entered Kierans nose a while ago, but he still yed along with Starbecks smile, saying, Is this even a surprise?
Yes! Surprise! Have a taste.
Starbeck eagerly put the te of ice-cream in front of Kieran.
Back in Ro Street, Starbeck had noticed that Kieran was exceptionally fond of ice-cream, always buying a lot for himself.
After that, Starbeck tried making ice-cream. Originally, he thought of inviting Kieran for a tasting back in his own room in the big city, but the sudden forced entry caused him to dy his n.
Fortunately, he was able to make some here too.
Kieran picked up the spoon and scooped the ice-cream into his mouth. Starbeck watched with a smile.
He loved to watch Kieran eat what he cooked.
Kieran quickly gobbled down two of the three scoops, but when he was going for the third, he thought for a while then scooped it and fed Starbeck.
Starbeck was stunned but obliged and opened his mouth, biting on the spoon.
When the sweetness spread on his tongue, happiness spread in his heart.
Your mouth is covered with it, dont waste it.
While Starbeck was soaking in his own happiness, Kieran raised his finger, wiped away the ice-cream beside Starbecks mouth, and licked it.
The unknown dizziness and burning sensation rushed into Starbecks brain. He had to hold himself together by leaning on the counter with his hand.
Whats wrong?
Kieran continued eating the rest of the ice-cream and then subconsciously looked at the other food. He did not notice Starbecks unusual reaction.
N-N-Nothing. Ill go make you more! Starbeck said loudly and ran into the kitchen.
Kieran looked at Starbeck with a confused gaze. He then picked up the chopsticksthe steak was served as a whole but was actually cubed beforehand.
Starbeck realized Kieran preferred using chopsticks when eating, so he tended to go the extra mile to serve the convenience.
With this little mimosa around me, its really great.
Kieran eximed from the bottom of his heart, for he appreciated the convenience.
His exims also raised Starbecks safety priority to a higher level.
Likewise, he also needed to be more careful about the possible attack tonight.
Not just tonight, but every other night in the foreseeable future!
Kieran stopped thinking and snapped his finger.
Bloody Mary the Superior Demon appeared right away.
At your service, boss.
I want...
Chapter 1648 - Arrival of Ill Customer
Chapter 1648: Arrival of Ill Customer
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The sun set in the west and nightfall arrived.
The deep autumn breeze made the pedestrians hasten their steps, especially in the East Sector, a quiet ce without many bars or clubs. The whole sector fell asleep after 8pm, no pedestrians were walking on the street, only a patrol car strolling down the streets asionally.
Outside Leaf Dining, the little ckboard was hung up.
Closed for today.
The words were written clearly in neat handwriting.
Huu!
The door of the restaurant was opened though, the autumn breeze entering easily.
The temperature in the restaurant plummeted, especially when something came along with the wind, feeling extra chilly and gloomy.
Kieran sat on his stool like always, like nothing happened, reading the newspaper for the day with his sword [Sharp Standard-Issued Sword] ced on top of the counter.
Dap, Dap Dap.
Heavy footsteps came from the alleyway ahead.
A tall, buff, probably even gigantic, man walked over.
With each step he took, it was like tyre bumping on an asphalt road, the loud steps promoting his ferocity.
Tzzzzt! Tzzzt!
The streetmp outside the restaurant flickered rapidly, putting the menacing face of the man between light and dark.
The man saw Kieran in the restaurant, widening his mouth and revealing sharp teeth, like a shark.
A tasty prey!
His tongue licked his lips in a circr motion as he walked into the restaurant.
Squeak!!
His heavy footsteps caused the wooden floor to squeak, but the giant dead did not care.
It knew how heavy its body had be in the path of pursuing power.
It was only natural that his steps would cause the wooden floor to squeak. It treated the squeaks aspliments to its strength, simr to the disdain it showed when he nced over the [Sharp Standard-Issued de] on the counter. They were all part of its instinct.
Of course it knew the standard-issued de for the Weireist and Harstarty of the Herders.
It has eaten more than one of the Herders in the past and it was delicious!
Ever since the first tasting, after it confirmed that its prey was a Weireist or a Harstarty, it would go for a hunt eagerly.
Although it hadnt fully digested its previous prey, it wouldnt mind a second round, a Weireist or a Harstarty was rather hard toe by after all.
After it entered the restaurant, it opened its arms and jumped on Kieran like a bear.
A Weireist or a Harstarty was still a rookie in the Herders but they were already different from normal people, tricks no longer working on them. More so, it preferred to use its powerful arms to tear its opponent apart. Only then could it enhance the vour of their soul.
What else tastes better than a Weireist or a Harstarty soul?
A tortured and scared one!
Fuung!
A violent wind followed the giant dead spirit as its arms crossed the counter, its hands going after Kieran.
Kieran tossed the newspaper in the dead spirits face and his right hand grabbed the sword, thrusting towards the throat.
Ding!
The sharp sword tip sessfully touched the dead spirits neck but all it did was produce a clear clink.
[Sharp Standard-Issued Sword] had a natural Strong attack rank. Together with [Scorch], it would inflict +1 damage towards the dead, reaching a Powerful attack rank.
However, the de failed to stab into the giant dead spirits throat.
Hehe. Rookie, I am not like the previous idiots you have met!
The giant dead spirit grabbed the newspaper away from its face andughed coldly.
It didnt even care about where [Sharp Standard-Issued de] stabbed it, it raised its hand and tried to grab Kieran again.
Fung!
Another violent wind came and assaulted Kierans face, messing up his hair.
Kieran moved his body away, dodging the hand and swinging the de in his hand along with the motion.
Ding!
The sharp edge produced sparks when it grazed the dead spirits gigantic arm. Simrly, no actual damage was inflicted.
The giant dead spiritughed in delight again. It liked this kind of rookie, who tried so hard yet ended up with only despair.
Therefore, when it saw Kieran take two steps back and enter a thrusting stance, the giant dead spirit didnt even stop him, instead pointing at its chest, provoking Kieran with a wave.
The provocation was obvious.
Kieran raised a brow, seemingly angered by the provocation.
Next, Kieran jumped forward and pointed the sword in his hand towards the dead spirits eyes.
Souuu!
The de cut the air, like an arrow let loose.
The dead spirit wasnt scared or frightened by the thrust, raising its hand and blocking his face.
Ding!
The little stinging sensation from his forearm eased the dead spirits heart and calmed its mind even more.
This thrust should be his strongest, it was already considered a very decent attack among all the Weireist and Harstarty it encountered, at least he stung its arm.
But relying on such a weak attack to defeat it?
It was far from sess!
Its useless! How can a rookie like you understand how strong I am? Let me eat you, be a part of me!
As it mocked Kieran, the giant dead spirit grabbed the de body in front of its arm and pulled it.
Kieran was forced to let go since he wanted to keep a distance, but even with his effort, he was dragged across the counter by the superhuman strength, tumbling down on the floor.
When it grabbed the sword, the giant dead spirit thought the battle was in the bag. What could a Weireist or a Harstarty do without a weapon? Its a tiger cub without ws!
It didnt take Kieran seriously from the start and after disarming him, thest bit of cautiousness was thrown out!
The giant dead spirit wanted to turn away, but then it saw Kieran was holding a gas tank with a hose reinforced with iron.
The tip of the hose was spraying blue embers and when the valve was turned open, a fierce me, like dragons breath, sprayed at the giant dead spirits face.
Gas mes werent as miraculous as dragons breath, but its thousand celsius degree temperature invoked a painful cry from the dead spirit when the me torched its face.
The giant dead spirits upper body was instantly charred.
Aaaaa! Ill kill you! I WILL KILL YOU!
Shouting, the giant dead spirit charged towards Kieran based on instinct for its face was burning.
However, it did not realize that there was an illusive chain at its feet. Its forward charge was halted after it tripped over the chain and fell on the floor with its burning face down.
Crack!
The weight of the giant dead spirit pushed the integrity of the wooden floor over its threshold, finally crumbling.
The giant body fell onto the floor andnded in the basement, which was the storeroom, of the restaurant.
BANG!
The heavy bang echoed in the basement, the giant dead spirit felt dizzy after that fall. It wanted to crawl up but it suddenly realized something sticky was holding its body down.
Maltose syrup?!
When the giant dead spirit looked at the thick, rather golden syrup around the area, it couldnt help but to be surprised.
Then, itughed savagely.
Do you think you can hold me down with tricks? the giant dead spirit yelled and tried to stand up, but the more it struggled, the more anxious it got. The maltose syrup that filled half of the storeroom didnt loosen up as it struggled, quite the contrary, it got stickier.
What was worse was that the cunning bastard appeared over its head with the gas tank and a... barrel of gasoline!
The lid was uncovered, the pungent smell telling the giant dead spirit what it would face.
Hold on! I...
It tried to say something but Kieran cut the bullshit and poured the gasoline down, lighting it up with the self-made lighter.
Aaaaaaaaaaargh!
Agonizing cries followed after the lighter was thrown in, the dead spirit struggling even fiercer, but it was not useful.
The special maltose syrup Starbeck made was very sticky even in normal condition, and after it was heated up, the stickiness would multiply; the specially made maltose syrup also acted as aburent!
The dead spirit was covered in ayer of special made maltose syrup. It was roasted like a chuck of meatced with honey, roasted to a golden and crispy state.
After some time...
Bang!
The dead spirit exploded!
Translucent souls then flew out from its burst body.
Kieran nced over all the souls, he spotted 5 familiar ones, which were the victims that Amy found early on and listed them in the documents; there were many other unfamiliar ones, probably more than 20.
Among the souls there were two young men equipped with swords around their waists.
Unlike the other souls, these two young men looked at Kieran, more urately, the [Sharp Standard-Issued de] which Kieran held back in his hand. Their translucent faces showed relief and appreciation.
The other souls disintegrated into light particles, flying away to the farawaynd, while the two young men bowed together before following the mass.
Right away, the Origin Forces grew rapidly once more.
[Spirit broke through ayer of seal, increased from B B+]
[Strength, Agility, Constitution, Intuition, broke through ayer of seal, E E+]
...
It was expected that Spirit would break through anotheryer of seal but the rest of the attributes surprised Kieran.
Kieran didnt spare any thoughts for the moment, because as the souls left for the farawaynd, the dense energy had attracted many dark presence.
Without further ado, Kieran carried the gas tank on his back, wielded the sword in one hand and holding the hose on the other before he charged outside the restaurant, prepared for this.
The sword shed and chopped; the mes burned and torched.
All the dead that were attracted by the energy were being eliminated with an exponential speed. They didnt vanish though, sent back to the farawaynd
Those other dead spirits who were invited here for a show by the giant one cursed relentlessly at that freaking dead muscle head.
What consumes a Weireist, Harstarty?
What exposes a huge secret?
What forms an alliance after tonights battle?
In the end, the big guy who said all that bullshit died a few times over!
Damn it!
Why did they listen to that bastards subordinate and ask for a problem here?
Once these dead spirits thought of that bastards subordinate, everyone of them cursed with gnashing teeth.
That bastard was too good at lying!
But what about that miraculous ability which allowed that bastard to walk under the sun?
Were there really some secrets?
Doubts appeared in the dead spirits mind, but the butcher behind them ceased them from thinking, forcing them back to their old nest.
Some returned to the dark sewers, some returned to an old abandoned house, some returned to the morgue in the hospital.
But no matter where they ran to, that butcher seemed to have seen through everything, hed knock on every door, questioning the spirits with the sword in his hand and help themplete their final wishes with the me.
The urge to hang others? Iparable to dancing in the mes, so lets dance!
Stabbing people with a knife? No, you should seek for understanding in the mes, so that you canplete your wish on your own!
Your final wish is granted? No, no, without the baptism of me, its not even close toplete!
...
zing mes burned, areas covered in faraway energy appearing all over Ai City, Sector 7.
As the person in charge of Sector 9, Bain had rushed himself to the restaurant when the massive amount faraway energy surged.
Even though he swore to nevere again, his duty as a Herder forced him to break the oath.
He saw Kieran wielding the sword and holding a hose, burning those dead spirits like an exterminator, his mouth twitching at the unbelievable scene.
He had never seen such a weird way of fighting! It was a disgrace to the Herders!
But... this little bastard wasnt one of them and his methods seemed to be working.
Bain watched the modified gas tank spray mes at the dead spirits, engulfing one after another. He was unknowingly moved by it, but he quickly shook his head.
No! This isnt right! This is sphemy! This is wrong! This... may be useful sometimes.
WHEN Bain saw one of the dead spirits, which had previously escaped his mens grasp, he started to doubt his choices. He knew how cumbersome these dead spirits were since they were able to escape from his pursuit, but every single one of the ones that escaped through his fingers were engulfed in mes.
It was...It was...
He tried to find a word to describe what he saw and thought but none came out after some serious thinking. In the end, Bain shook his head and concentrated on Kieran.
At the same time, another question was raised.
How did he find the secret hideouts of these dead spirits?
In fact, not only Bain was doubtful, the other Herders who rushed to the scene shared the same though also. They looked at each other in confusion before looking at Bain.
Why are you guys looking at me? He is Ed Wongs junior from the mountains, not mine! Who knew what kind of techniques he learned there? Bain said, answering the questioning gaze.
Wheres Ed Wong then? He hasnte back? one of the Herders asked.
If I had a capable junior, I would give myself a holiday too. Why would Ie back so early? another Herder said.
After thest statement sounded in the air, every Herder nodded in agreement, including Bain.
But at the next moment, Bain froze because he saw Kieran charge into Sector 7s high school.
There was where Ed Wong went missing!
Bain frowned.
A coincidence?
Chapter 1649 - Black Color
Chapter 1649: ck Color
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Coincidence?
Are there that many coincidences in the world?
All coincidences were merely meticulously arranged events.
After ordering Bloody Mary to spread false news in disguise as one of the dead spirits, Kieran had decided to eradicate all the unstable variables in Sector 7.
It was natural that the high school where Ed Woong disappeared would be prioritized.
The danger that caused a Herder to go missing would probably be something serious, something even more dangerous than usual.
Bloody Mary also returned from its investigation with results.
It didnt mean Bain did not search carefully at the high school, it was just that Bloody Mary had gifts that allowed it to be superior over Bain in certain aspects.
After fulfilling manyst wishes of the dead, Kierans attributes broke through the seals once more.
His Spirit was still stuck at B+, but the others, Strength, Agility, Constitution, and Intuition had reached C+ in one go.
Savouring the unusual enhancement in his body, Kieran quickly adjusted his condition with the breathing methods from [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art].
It wasnt the first time Kieran ran into such an unusual condition, so he knew what to do.
More so, sending a great amount of dead spirits to the other ce in the shortest period of time was part of Kierans n for tonight.
...
The night on campus was quiet.
Without the energy and liveliness of the students during the day, the silence would send chills down ones spine and cause goosebumps.
The school and library were such magical ces. At night, they werepletely different from the day, the spacious, darkness and silence converging, producing a very scary atmosphere, especially in certain rooms in the building.
Li Jiajia, as a first year high school student, had researched thoroughly the rumours of the school a long time ago, like the vanished 13th step of stairs, moving biology ss model, etc. She had tried to encounter every rumour but the results were disappointing, like the rumours.
False! False! All false!
But Li Jiajia did not give up, hoping to get in touch with that mysterious world.
She hoped to borrow the power from the mysterious world to change her life, so here she was tonight.
She heard that three freshmen had disappeared while ying some supernatural games yesterday. The freshmen disappeared mysteriously, with no sight of them alive and no bodies found.
Even the police bore no results in their investigation, which was good news for Li Jiajia.
She wasnt after the missing students for some ill-intentions, she hoped to prove herself by finding them and saving them.
Carrying her bag with all the tools she needed, Li Jiajia jumped over the wall and walked along the shadows to avoid security, walking into the upper year ssroom, 1-4.
This ssroom was where the three freshmen disappeared.
She carefully made her way to the rostrum and took out the tools she prepared.
A bottle of crow blood, a piece of mirror that was pried off from a makeup box, and nails, hundreds of messy nails in various shapes and sizes.
Li Jiajia poured the nails on the mirror, arranging them carefully so the nails covered the mirror entirely and then poured the crows blood over it.
She was looking forward to what would happen.
Her round almond eyes widened in the dark ssroom, her hands holding the rostrum nervously, her nails starting to turn white from the pressing.
10 seconds.
20 seconds.
30 seconds.
...
Suddenly, a beam of light appeared!
Aaarh!
The nervous Li Jiajia was frightened, her ponytail swinging left and right as she jumped here and there, her eyes looking at the origin of the beam of light in horror but the blinding light prevented her from seeing clearly.
What are you doing? Why are you still here after school?!
The security shed his torchlight at Li Jiajias face, looking rather upset.
Li Jiajia pushed the torchlight away and regained her sight, looking at the security as she gave her excuse, I forgot to take my homework, Im just here to get some books.
Books? Are you 1-4s student? I dont remember seeing you here before! the security looked at Li Jiajia with a doubtful gaze.
I have a general face, hardly anyone remembers me.
Li Jiajia was fortunate that she instinctively blocked her face with her bag, otherwise she will be kicked out of the school again, like the few times before this.
In order to quickly end the doubts of the security doubts and make sure she would not walk the same path again, she quickly ran to a random seat, pulled out a book, and put it into her bag.
The security guard watched her during the entire process.
I-Im a little scared, can you take me out of the school? Li Jiajia put on her acting, showing a scared and weak face.
You kids really... Fine,e with me. the security guard sighed helplessly.
After that, he shed light over the corridor and walked out of the building.
Remember, dont stay behind thiste next time, said the security guard.
Why? It isnt safe? Li Jiajia simply asked to brush him off.
Yeah, bad things happened to the student beforebefore I took this job, there was also a student who came back for homework but in the end, she was found dead and her blood was sucked dry. So the school increased the security guards, from one to three, and even installed surveince cameras. I spotted you two through the monitors, so I came to check, the security nodded after a slight hesitation.
Blood was sucked dry? Wait! Did you say two of us?
Li Jiajia felt like she heard of the story before, but she reacted to what the security guard said.
She came alone, who was the second person?
She did try to invite her friend before but she realized she had none, she was alone during her search and also alone during normal times.
Yeah, two of you! You and this quiet girl here, said the security guard, he even shined his torchlight beside Li Jiajia.
Li Jiajia skipped a breath, she turned around slowly, but... there was nothing!
She even moved her hand over the space, and it was still nothing!
Are you sure about this? Li Jiajia asked.
I am very sure! How can I be wrong! Last time I told him theres someone beside him, he didnt believe me, so he died. And now... you dont believe me, do you want to die too?
The security guard shook his head, his tone suddenly turning heavy and gloomy, slowing down and switching off the torchlight in his hand.
The moonlight shone through the window of the corridor, allowing Li Jiajia to have a clear look at the security guards face, which had turned rigid and green.
His kind looks were reced by a menacing face.
Li Jiajia took a step back, but the security guard got closer, he looked down at her with a domineering manner, asking, What color do you like? Red? White? Or blue?
Li Jiajia had no intentions of replying, turning and running for her dear life but the seemingly rigid security guard ran quicker. He caught up with her in a few steps and forced her into a corner.
What color do you like? Red? White? Or blue? he asked again.
I like ck! Li Jiajia said loudly and at the same time, she pulled out a talisman charm from her pocket.
The talisman charm was actually a wooden nk with carvings, the profound patterns or words written on it too messy to read but presenting a sense of mystery.
Evil begone!
Li Jiajia shouted loudly while pointing the talisman charm at the security guard.
The security guard stood there nkly.
Effective...
Wrong! Wrong answer!
Li Jiajia was on the verge of being overjoyed when she saw the expensive talisman charm work, she ought to heave a breath of relief but the security guard suddenly screamed, pulling out a knife from somewhere and stabbing her.
Aaaarh! Li Jiajia screamed, wanting to dodge the sudden knife attack, but without any kind of training, she couldnt achieve anything.
All she could do was wait for the knife to stab her, so she closed her eyes.
Though... the anticipated pain did not arrive. She opened her eyes and she was stunned by what she saw.
She wasnt in the school corridor anymore, but a humid underground room with many torches, yet it was still cold. Further away was some water source because there was water dripping.
The walls and floor were made out of bricks, moss filling the seams. She pressed her fingers on the moss and it felt slippery.
She wanted to move her hand away but she realized she couldnt move at all.
A heavy force constricted her, freezing every inch of her body, she couldnt even turn her neck.
What happened? She thought.
She remembered she was facing the unusual security guard and was being stabbed, but how did she get here? Li Jiajia had no memories of arriving in this ce.
Dap, Dap, Dap.
While she was trying to remember, a series of footsteps sounded.
Li Jiajia wanted to have a look but the constricting force stopped her from moving, all she saw with her limited mobility and sight was a hooded figure.
She was then picked up and ced down.
She wanted to ask but the constricting force even silenced her, her hearing was fine though.
Zazashi, Zazashi, Nashinazashi...
Incantations?
Li Jiajia realized the situation quickly and the incantations sounded a little different from what she had studied before, this one worked!
She clearly felt her back getting hot, light starting to shine and the ceiling lit up.
A magic formation of a square enveloping a circle appeared on the ceiling. There were intricate patterns inside and it looked like liquid flowing.
Li Jiajia felt the evil and wicked based on a single nce. She felt disgusted from the bottom of her heart, like she was looking at a dead body or a rat.
She wanted to move and this time, she could.
The constricting force went away after the magical formation appeared, but... after she had a clear look of her surroundings, she got stunned.
She was surrounded by people, translucent people!
She herself was also bing translucent. Sthe looked at her illusive body and then the man in hood.
What are you doing! Stop! Stop it! She shouted.
The hooded figure turned a deaf ear, drawing a sharp knife, a very familiar sharp knife!
It was the same knife from the security guard!
However, Li Jiajia was sure this man in hood wasnt the security guard because she saw the security guard in the group of translucent figures.
The security guard looked dull and dispirited, standing there like a walking dead.
Step by step, the man in hood walked closer to Li Jiajia.
She wanted to dodge but the constricting force descended upon her again as the man waved his hand.
Be my offering.
Witness my immortality.
You should be honoured.
A voice came from under the hood.
Li Jiajia couldnt tell how old the man was based on the voice alone but she was sure the figure was a woman.
Unfortunately, the womancked the tenderness in her eyes, the tenderness in all females eyes. What reced the tenderness was menacing ferocity.
Li Jiajia wasnt sure what was going on with the group of translucent figures, she wasnt sure whether or not the woman killed them all, but she knew she would be the next to die.
Help! Help me! Please, someone help me!
Constricted, Li Jiajia prayed helplessly.
The hooded woman heard the prayers andughed coldly.
Prayers? Are they even useful? If they were, they wouldnt have had to die in the first ce. As do you.
Li Jiajia looked at the hooded woman in anger after she heard the words.
The souls around her were the victims of the hooded woman, she killed them all!
Dont look at me like that. Isnt reality always this harsh? Survival of the fittest? I am stronger than you, so I killed you, whats wrong with that? Moreover, Ive given you a choice! Remember the color?! the hooded woman sneered.
The colors decide the way you die. Death by stabbing, or bleeding to death, or even drowned to death! Look how merciful am I! But you, you chose ck! Do you know what ck color means? The night? No, the night has stars and the moon. ck mist? No, any mist will disperse eventually. The abyss? Some dwelled down there.
So, ck color isnt pure enough! Youve chosen ck because you are beyond saving!
The hooded womanughed frenziedly, she raised the knife up high and thrusted towards Li Jiajia and then...
Dong, Dong Dong!
Heavy and powerful knocks came from the ceiling.
Dust and little pebbles were shaken off by the force.
The magic formation even started to move out of ce, and then, under the horrified gaze of the hooded woman, the sturdy brick ceiling crumbled just like that.
Kabam!
Bricks fell down like a waterfall.
Being translucent saved Li Jiajia from physical harm, looking up in a daze and seeing a ck figure jump down with the raining bricks.
That longsword flew like aet.
The me burned like a dragons breath.
The hooded woman wanted to move away but she was also bound to the spot, the sword perforating her and the me engulfing her.
Aaaaargh! ck! The impure ck! the hooded woman screamed in agony.
Her voice got weaker and weaker and eventually went out of breath.
Li Jiajia saw that ck figure walk over to the dead woman, pulling the longsword out and picking up the sharp knife.
Words then entered her ears.
The night is beautiful because the stars and moon sets it off. The mist dispersed and the sun will shine. Life extends even into the bottomless, dark abyss. All purity is the essence of self-cultivation, ck is an exception.
The dirt on the sword was shaken off before Kieran turned around.
me burned in the underground, shedding light over the limited space.
Countless translucent souls surrounded him and showed an eager gaze.
The ck got darker, darker than ck.
Chapter 1650 - B
Chapter 1650: B
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The ck figure stood tall in the room, the hole above his head allowing the night breeze to pour in.
His hair waved and his sleeves fluttered, but his eyes were as cold as ice.
He spun the knife in his left hand around his finger tips, and a perfect circr motionter, the tip was pointed at those souls, translucent yet simr to the dead spirits.
His provocative movement seemed to have angered the unusual souls with the hostile gaze.
Grrrr!
Amid the heavy growls, the translucent souls jumped at Kieran frenziedly.
Careful! Li Jiajia cried in shock, but what she saw next made her cover her mouth.
The sea of translucent souls failed to drown the ck figure, the ck figure instead jumping at the souls and cutting them apart swiftly.
The ck figure was like the sharp knife in his hand, sending chills down ones spine.
He moved like a shadow, leaving a keen re in his wake.
The wind blew and carried away the dusted bodies.
Stab, sh, chop.
All were simple techniques but they looked remarkable in Kierans hands.
His left hand wielded the sharp knife, his right hand wielded the longsword.
Each attack he made took away one translucent soul.
He went on a rampage back and forth from right to left. It was as easy and natural as breathing or drinking for Kieran.
Li Jiajia watched the scene in a daze.
She didnt know whether it was her own thoughts, she found out that this ck figure seemed to be getting more and more rxed as the battle went on, and at the same time, an unknown presence started to appear in the room.
The presence was leading her to a ce that she yearned for, as if she could achieve tranquility when she arrived there.
Out of control, Li Jiajias translucent body started to float away, but when she left the ground, a tremendous suction force appeared.
The suction force appeared very suddenly and caught her off guard, causing her to grow dizzy.
When she regained her senses, she suddenly realized she was back in the school corridor again. The security guard was nowhere to be found and there werent any injuries on her body.
Just now... was that an illusion?
Li Jiajia was shocked, but then she heard amotion from underground.
No! It wasnt an illusion! That ck figure...
Li Jiajia subconsciously stood up, but when she did, she felt dizzy again.
Bam!
She fell back on the floor, unconscious.
Experiencing the umon and supernatural meant she had to bear the following consequences.
Her soul was extracted from her body, so things must have changed.
Was it a blessing or misfortune?
Who knew.
...
Pak!
Another translucent soul was stabbed by the knife, disintegrating into dust.
The faint faraway energy appeared in the ruins.
Compared to normal dead spirits, these translucent ones werent exactly the same. The faraway energy was supposed to be weaker than usual but to Kierans surprise, it was much higher.
The cost these translucent souls provided was naturally a lot higher thanmon dead spirits. In addition to that, there were many translucent souls in the room. A single nce saw a sea of them and had no sign of decreasing, despite Kieran having killed many already.
When the quality and quantity were far better than the usual, Kierans attributes weed another round of breakthrough.
His Spirit remained at B+, while his Strength, Agility, Constitution, and Intuition had all reached B- rank.
All these had surpassed Kierans expectations, just like this sharp knife he had picked up.
[Name: Acard Knife (Fragmented)]
[Type: Weapon]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Attack: Powerful]
[Attribute: 1. Soul Hunt; 2. Fear; 3. Absorb]
[Effect: Consume Soul]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: No]
[Remark: This is one of the fragments of Acard Knife. Although it is fully utilized, it is just a fragment, but its fearsome traits should not be looked down upon.]
...
[Soul Hunt: When Acard Knife attacks any being with soul, inflict extra +1 damage to the soul.]
[Fear: When posing an offensive stance against soul or formless beings, the target is forced to undergo a Spirit authentication no lower than C. Failed and target will be induced with Fear debuff for 1 second.]
[Absorb: When Acard Knife inflicts damage on the soul, it will absorb the soul energy and replenish itself and also recover the wielders Stamina.]
...
[Consume Soul: Acard Knife has a special requirement of its wielder, even though it is just a fragment, the wielder must have Spirit B- or above to wield it properly, otherwise the wielder will be bewitched by the knife.]
...
A Legendary item, which was a fragment of another item.
Kieran could only imagine how high its rank would be if it was aplete item. It must be at least rank IV, or even rank V!
However, Kieran had no intention to repair it.
It was restricted from being brought outside the dungeon world, so it had sealed its fate as a temporary weapon for Kieran, simr to [Sharp Standard-Issued de] and [Gordors Chain], but much stronger.
Its Powerful attack rank with [Fear] and [Absorb] allowed Kieran to enter an unrivaled state in front of these witchcraft puppets.
A mere second of Fear debuff was enough for Kieran to inflict multiple fatal hits and [Absorb] allowed Kieran to stay at his peak after some time in battle.
These witchcraft puppets were like tofu being sliced and diced under [Acard Knife (Fragmented)]s fury, unable to defend themselves or retaliate.
They couldnt even react properly to Kierans stabs and cuts. Kieran was tireless in reaping the souls, and soon enough, the witchcraft puppets were ughteredpletely.
As more and more faint, yet pure, faraway energy appeared, the Origin Forces in Kierans body became more livelier than ever, but it stopped breaking through the attribute seals.
After all his attributes reached B rank, the energy required skyrocketed, and Kieran wasnt displeased by it. Quite the contrary, he was quite satisfied with the results at hand.
B+ Spirit and B- other attributes would be enough for him to deal with most of the problems at hand.
Of course, Kieran would never give up the chances to continue breaking through the seals.
Therefore, he spent another 10 minutes searching the underground room. He jumped back to the surface with a sigh after his search was fruitless.
The entrance to this underground room wasnt within the school campus, it was in a residential house near the school. It was the reason why Bain and the other Herders did not find it in the first ce.
Another thing was, Ed Wong didnt disappear in this ce.
Bloody Mary had searched and investigated the ce thoroughly.
With Bloody Marys mapping and the clues Kieran had found earlier, this underground room was the ce where that hooded woman had sumbed to the bewitchment of [Acard Knife].
Kieran also knew that Ed Wong might have been in this room but he left in the end, otherwise Ed Wong would have ended up as one of the translucent souls.
The woman might be crazy but she wouldnt just give up on such nice material, like that female student.
Kieran didnt want toment on the female students action. Maybe she had her own reasons for doing this, maybe she was just looking for excitement, but none of that had anything to do with him.
He didnt even wake her up when he saw her fall unconscious.
Since she had chosen this path, she would have to endure the bramble on the path and the difficulties that blocked her way, not just enjoying the glory and smooth ride.
Unless someone before her paved the path for her, she would have to learn to give first before taking.
Kieran walked out from the main door and spotted the terrified Bain and the other Herders outside at first nce. The other Herders looked worsepared to Bain, because they had never truly seen Kieran.
They only knew about Kieran from Ed Wongs report, describing him as the son of an old friend in the mountains and Ed Wong had entrusted to take care of him before this old friend had died.
This son of an old friend learned many skills in the mountains, skills that average people could only dream of, and because he grew up in the mountains, he had some weird habits with him.
Everything in the report, other than learning skills in the mountains and some theory about Kieran eating some special things in the mountains, hence strengthening his body a little, was nothing special that caught the Herders attention.
As Herders, they had seen too many strange things, but...
Was Kieran only strengthened a little?
The lingering energy from the room told them that there were at least 20 dead spirits exorcised in a short period of time.
The speed was something none of them could rival.
As for his skills?
They saw it with their own eyes, as if Kieran was tempered through countless battles, each strike clean and fatal, and that beastial instinct that seeked out his prey... he was a lethal weapon!
None of the Herders at the scene dared to step into Kierans crosshair. His speed, his technique, his instinct, and his informal attacking methods, it made the Herders heads numb. They wouldnt want to be burned and smashed by a gas tank.
Damn it Ed Wong! He must have taken us as some clowns!
All the Herders shared the same thought in their mind spontaneously. Then, they looked at Bain because only Bain had contact with Kieran before.
Their gazes ushered Bain to approach Kieran once more and he too stepped up.
Ahem!
Did you locate Ed Wong?
After clearing his throat, Bain asked in a pretended seriousness for he remembered the words he said before. From how Bain saw it, Kieran must have charged into the secret room for Ed Wong.
No, he isnt here. There are traces of witchcraft here but that woman has gone mad. Other than endless massacre, theres nothing in her mind. The reason why you guys located the traces of witchcraft is because the woman didnt hide it at all, Kieran shook his head.
Massacre? The female student and the recently missing people? Bain said in surprise.
Not recently, I saw some wearing old-fashioned clothes in the sea of witchcraft puppets, probably from a decade ago, Kieran corrected Bain.
Witchcraft puppets?! How many? Bain cried in shock and then looked at Kieran with widened eyes, his mouth shivering.
Witchcraft puppets was shocking enough but the number that Kieran encountered would be sufficient to stop a heart from beating.
The other Herders came closer and surrounded Kieran, looking at him with a dull gaze.
At least a hundred, probably more than that. I dont really count how many souls I kill during battle, Kieran said while he walked outside.
He has been gone long enough.
Although Bloody Mary was with Starbeck, Bloody Marys current power level was only enough against amon man. Should any trouble arrive, it would be cumbersome.
Therefore, even though Bloody Mary didnt send any rm, Kieran ought to return swiftly.
Astonished, Bain stepped aside, opening a way for Kieran, the other Herders not stopping him. They were also astonished by the numbers.
At first, they had deduced that Kieran must have encountered many dead spirits in this ce based on the intensity of the faraway energy, but who knew it was witchcraft puppets! And a hundred of them!
Sending Kieran off into the darkness, a Herder suddenlyughed bitterly, Is this considered as rival a hundred?
Of course! Not just amon hundred, he just took out hundreds of powerful witchcraft puppets that are much stronger thanmon dead spirits! another Herder replied.
Is that even possible?
Suddenly, the quiet Bain asked.
It was not that Bain didnt trust Kieran, it was just that the numbers were too shocking, too unbelievable!
Lets go have a look!
The first Herder nodded and then walked towards the academic building.
Although witchcraft puppets would disintegrate into nothing after death, the Herders still had some tricks to locate traces.
As one of the Herder went into the building, the others swarmed in behind him, Bain too.
They wanted to know the answer and soon they got what they were seeking.
When the Herders confirmed the numbers of witchcraft puppets, every one of them looked at each other in silence.
More than 10 secondster, Bain said with a sigh, B ss eh?
The other Herders trembled when they heard the word B ss, they knew what this ss represented.
B ss! A real, authentic B ss!
The Herder who led everyone in nodded eagerly, looking at Bain with a gaze yearning for something.
In fact, not just him alone, the other Herders also looked at Bain in the same way.
No! I cant! Go look for Ed Wong, ask him to persuade that Royan! I dont have the confidence to do so!
Bain waved his hands in denial for he knew what his colleagues wanted.
He would never go back to that restaurant!
How could he!
He wouldnt just have to face that annoying brat, he would also be reminded of the disgraceful memories!
How could he go back!
Stop joking! He would never go back!
...
The next day, when Leaf Dining opened, Bain knocked on the door, full of smiles.
Chapter 1651 - Battle of Winter Night
Chapter 1651: Battle of Winter Night
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Knock Knock Knock.
After the rhythmic knock, Bain didnt enter but waited at the entrance instead.
Although it was a public restaurant, he decided to behave because of the intention that ushered him for the visit.
A few secondster, Kierans voice was heard. Come in.
Bain entered.
Good evening, Royan.
He pretended to be familiar but actually shameless. Bain then walked to the counter.
Kieran was still reading his newspaper, listening to the evening news from the tv in his seat. The only extra thing was a cup of tea beside him that Starbeck made for him.
Both of them went tea shopping in the afternoon, and after getting some tea leaves and a tea set, Starbeck eagerly prepared them for Kieran.
He was skilled in cooking, and his tea-making skills werent bad either.
Themon tea leaves felt different in Starbecks hands.
The first taste wasnt bogged down by the bitterness; it felt rich and left a sweet, pleasant taste in the mouth.
Kieran smiled after a quick sip.
His already bright mood from recovering part of his strength was elevated further.
With simr experience, after a full day of buffer, Kieran could already adapt to his new body, which had a portion of seals unlocked. He could fully bring out the potential of his body in the current state, and for a person like Kieran, being strong was necessary.
However, he must have total control over his own powers. Kieran had no need for powers he couldnt control, no matter how powerful.
More importantly, after recovering part of his strength, he would have more choices to proceed in this dungeon world; Starbeck would also be safer.
It was killing two birds with one stone.
Therefore, Kieran looked at Bain with a rather pleasant expression.
What do you need?
Fried rice and chicken soup, Bain answered.
Because of the battlest night, the worried Starbeck did not prepare the ingredients beforehand, so the dishes he nned for today that required curing couldnt be served.
Only fried rice and chicken soup was on the menu today.
That will be 250, service charge 10%, Kieran told Bain.
What?! You cunning merchant! Your food isnt just expensive, but you are also taking service charges too? Is there even service here? Bain ranted in his heart. His face, however, was all smiles as he paid up joyfully. He knew why he was here, so he would rather not lose the bigger deal because of personal skirmishes.
Even though his smile was stiff and hurt his face, he continued the act.
After putting the money into the moneybox, Kieran walked to the kitchen, lifted up the curtain, and said, One fried rice.
Okay. Starbeck smiled, nodded, put on his bandana, and started to prepare the dish.
Unlike his cowardly self during normal times, Starbeck was serious during cooking and his eyes looked sharp.
Kieran leaned on the door frame and watched Starbeck in his cooking mode, his gaze showing admiration.
He wasnt just admiring Starbecks seriousness in cooking, but also his smooth and skillful techniques too.
Looking at the cooking brought joy to Kierans heart, so never once did he ever think that the price for a te of fried rice was expensive.
As for the service charge? It wasmon sense because Starbeck was preparing the food seriously.
Three minutester, a te of golden radiating egg fried rice waspleted by Starbecks skillful hands.
Its done.
After finishing cooking, Starbeck, with the te of fried rice in his hands, returned to his usual self: the weak and scared Starbeck.
Wanna have tea together? Kieran took the te of fried rice and asked.
Starbecks eyes shined.
What did they buy a tea set for anyway? And a set for two?
It was exactly for this moment!
Overjoyed because his little n worked, Starbeck removed his bandana and apron before he walked out of the kitchen.
He nced over at Bain but didnt pay him mind. He went on and brought out the can of tea leaves and the cups.
The water for making tea was filtered and by Starbeck himself. It wasnt exactly sweet but was very tender.
The pot was an iron pot; the stove was a charcoal stove.
Starbeck pinched a little bit of tea leaves, put them into the pot, and poured the water in, not till it was full or overflowing though, just half the pot.
He lit up the stove, the charcoal turning red, and he put the pot on top of it. It boiled rather quickly.
A little bit of red sugar and ginger slices were put into the cup.
Unlike Kierans in tea, Starbeck preferred this kind of mixed tea.
The boiled tea was poured into the cups. Starbeck waited for 10 seconds before taking it with both his hands. He sat down in the newly purchased sofa chair and showed Kieran a smile.
Kieran replied in kind and also took his cup.
Bain watched dully.
What the...
Why did he feel that he was the extra?
Couldnt these two brothers get a room just for tea?
But...
The egg fried rice was really good!
Aromatic!
The chicken soup was not bad either!
It has been a while since he had such delicious food. Although it was expensive and the portion was small, it was worth it.
Looking at his empty te and bowl, Bain wanted to order another, but when he saw Kieran and Starbeck looking at each other with meaningful smiles while holding their tea cups, he felt like he was excluded from the scene entirely.
He tried to speak but he couldnt find an opening for his words. Every time he opened his mouth, his heart would race as if afraid that his words would attract some kind of disaster.
The Herder believed in his instinct though. Having opened his mouth many times but not managing to squeeze a single word out, he sat down in silence.
The night was still young. He still had time, right?
Listening to the stray dogs barks was quite nice too.
Woof! Woof!
Bain listened to the barks and watched the hour hand of his watch moved three blocks around the dial.
Finally, Starbeck started to tidy up the tea set.
What do you want to eat tomorrow? Starbeck asked Kieran while tidying.
Its getting cold. Lets have mutton, Kieran said after some thought.
Em. Mutton it is. Starbeck nodded and walked into the kitchen.
Inside the big refrigerator, there was all kinds of meat that they bought from the market, all handpicked by Starbeck.
After taking out a b of mutton and cing it on the chopping board, Starbeck thought for a while before washing the meat with cold water.
The water flowing in the kitchen raised the anticipation in Kieran; he looked forward to eating it.
What could it be? he thought.
Staying with Starbeck had its own perks.
Each meal was a surprise; each meal was an experience in itself, worthy of being reminiscent.
Since they started the restaurant, Kieran got used to spending some time guessing what Starbeck would prepare for him, and it was his favorite part of the day.
Food brought joy, right?
Bains patience finally wore off. The heart pounding somehow went off on its own, thus providing him with courage.
He looked at Kieran, who continued to neglect him, and couldnt help but knock on the counter.
Having been Interrupted, Kieran looked at Bain with a displeased look.
Is there something? Kieran asked.
Do you know about the Dark Moon Treaty? Bain asked the obvious.
He knew from Kierans documents that his father left for the mountains because he wasnt happy with the conditions of the Dark Moon Treaty.
Independent from the average, the treaty was made between the mystical Demon Hunters and the monstrous; both sidespromised to reach an ord. Kieran nodded.
Ed Wong did exin the Dark Moon Treaty to Kieran before in order to maintain cover.
Without the Dark Moon Treaty, the Demon Hunters and monsters might fight all year long.
The fights were fierce, and sometimes, certain houses or factions would end up annihted.
The Demon Hunters grouped themselves by family, and the bond from the same blood allowed them to trust theirrades with their backs.
Fathers, sons, brothers, husbands and wives or even the whole family would be in the demon-hunting business.
When did the tradition start?
Probably after one of the monsters killed amoners wife and then the moner trained himself, along with his children, into Demon Hunters.
Since then, the houses of Demon Hunters became mainstream, andpared to earlier methods, it was much more effective with fewer casualties.
Although casualties were lower, they werent exactly eradicated.
During a Demon Hunter operation, an important figure in themon world was affected and led to his death.
The whole world plunged into panic.
The Demon Hunters and monsters entered a prolonged war, and casualties went on the rise.
Themoners suffered as well, as coteral damage.
The chaossted for around a month. In the end, when themoners casualties reached a certain height, those important figures couldnt stand it anymore and used the name of peace to drag the Demon Hunters and monsters to the negotiation table.
After that was a long and tedious process where all three sidesbed out their mess,promised, and met in the middle.
In the end, the Dark Moon Treaty was formed.
Its name was a remembrance of the dark, moonless month filled with death.
Everyone was forced toply with the treaty, which was to never harm themoners.
Should either side harm amoner, both the Demon Hunters and monsters would have to work together to erase the party responsible. At the same time, monsters who followed the rules were protected from the Demon Hunters ughtering.
Some agreed while others disagreed, but the majoritys votes ushered the formation of the treaty, and then it was signed by every party.
However, those who disagreed did notply at all. Some Demon Hunters that held blood grudges with the monsters took extreme measuresa part of them died along with the monsters, a part of them left in silence.
Likewise with the monsters.
In order for the treaty to stay in effect, the three sides worked together and spent a whole year to ease every tense party, but something else also happened during the process.
This something was the reason for Bains visit.
If you know about the Dark Moon Treaty, do you also know about the Battle of Winter Night? Bain continued to test Kieran.
Battle of Winter Night? Kieran was stunned.
Ed Wong never told him about this battle before.
A year after the Dark Moon Treaty was formed, the Battle of Winter Night was createdit was to ease the grudge between Demon Hunters and monsters. Rather than forcefully stopping both sides, might as well let them have it. Grudges would not die off with time, but only continue to fester. The Battle of Winter Night was created for this purpose.
Bain paused for a moment before continuing, During the winter solstice, the Demon Hunters and monsters choose representatives to participate in the battle at a certain location. The battlests for seven days. The winner of the battle receives a huge amount of Crossing Coins or some miraculous items. The reason why I am here is for the hope that you, Royan, can represent Ai City East Sector in the Battle of Winter Night! Bain stated his true purpose.
Represent the East Sector of Ai City? Kieran raised a brow.
Yes, the East Sector of Ai City. We dont really need you to win the battle, only make sure Ai City East Sector does not end up inst ce among the four sectors in the Herders Election. We are sick of carrying the title of weakest sector! If it werent for the age restriction, I would have kicked those bastards asses! Bain looked at Kieran with a sincere and hopeful gaze.
You dont have to worry, we wont let your efforts be in vain. As long as you agree to participate, we can pay you 10 Crossing Silver Coins. Whether you win or not, the 10 Crossing Silver Coins will be yours, and if you do win, the reward will be yours to keep. Bain stated the offer.
10 Crossing Silver Coins? Kieran went into deep thought.
Exorcising the dead, absorbing the coins was his key to recovering his strength and if he could get a huge amount of silver coins through official channels, he would love it.
However, Kieran remembered how dishonest this man before his eyes was.
He thought things through without providing an immediate answer.
The very next moment, when Bain realized he had a chance since Kieran didnt reject immediately, he quickly stated a new price.
15 Crossing Silver Coins! said Bain.
Kieran remained quiet.
16 Crossing Silver Coins!
17!
18!
Thats the best we could do! 18 Crossing Silver Coins, nothing more than that!
Each time he stated a number, Bains face got redder, blood streaks even starting to show in his eyes.
20! Kieran finally gave his answer.
The number almost choked Bain, but he clenched his teeth painfully. Deal! 20 coins!
The title of weakest sector had brought them too many arguments and disadvantages.
Although 20 coins wasnt a small number, it was possible with thebined help of all the Herders throughout the 11 sectors in the East Sector.
Moreover, a ss B was definitely worth the price.
Pay up first, Kieran said.
Fine! Wait for me!
Since Kieran already agreed, Bain had no reasons to hesitate anymore. He stood up and walked out.
Less than half an hourter, Bain returned and tossed a bag of coins on the counter.
20 Crossing Silver Coins. Count them, Bain said.
Kieran opened the bag up and counted the coins carefully before looking at Bain.
When does the election start? Kieran asked.
A week from now. Ille for you by that time, said Bain.
After getting a nod from Kieran, Bain left.
But why did he leave in such a hurry?
Other than Ed Wong, all the other Herders from the different sectors were waiting outside the restaurant as well. He had to deliver the good news to his colleagues.
Kieran saw Bain off and then looked down at the bag of coins. His mind was adding and perfecting his future ns.
It was at this time that the phone on the table rang.
Ring Ring Ring!
Chapter 1652 - Hot Spring Trip
Chapter 1652: Hot Spring Trip
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Song Shi Hot Spring Hotel, its name didnt originate from the well-known Song Shi Mountain or turquoise itself. Rather, the two words, Song and Shi, were derived from the name of the first owner and his wife, thedy owner; even the mountain got its name from the two of them. Back then, the first owner was the son of a wealthy merchant in the city, and he met the pure and kinddy owner for the first time during an outing to the rural vige...
The tour guide walking in front was exining the origin of Song Shi Hot Spring Hotel.
The tourists were very interested in the story, while only Teddy was looking around nervously.
The tour guides story and the decent mountain view couldnt draw Teddys attention; to be more specific, he didnt even care about those things.
He was concerned about those unusual things.
Even though the only Demon Hunter he knew said that those monstrous things wouldnte out during the day, he was still nervous nheless.
He was a stranger to the surroundings. Who knew what might possibly happen?
Up until now, Teddy thoroughly regretted signing up for this Hot Spring Cultural trip. He should have stayed back in Ai City, using the familiar environment to prepare himself against the unusual things, not adapting in a new environment while facing the unknown.
It was the worst feeling Teddy ever had, and just when he was thinking about leaving the tour to return to the city, a storm came all of a sudden!
The tour guide and tourists all ran into the hotel.
Thedy owner of the hotel, an exceptionally beautiful woman with delicate makeup and proper manners, weed them with warm smiles.
The moment the guys stepped into the hotel and saw this fourth generationdy owner that the tour guide mentioned, they were all infatuated, including Teddy.
Unlike the other guys, however, Teddy quickly regained his senses.
He frowned at the heavy rain outside the window; leaving the mountain under the storm was basically impossible.
The rain blocked sights and caused the road to be slippery, and any misstep would end up in an unwanted ident.
Mister, is there anything that I can help you with? While Teddy was thinking about the weather, the fourth generationdy ownercoincidentally named Song Shicame over with a cup of hot tea.
Its fine. Thank you. Teddy courteously epted the cup of tea and didnt say anything else.
Thedy owner smiled sweetly and made no furtherment. She bowed to Teddy before going to serve the other customers, asking them whether they needed help.
Looking at the voluptuous back of thedy owner, Teddy had reason to believe that regardless of historys legacy, any establishment with thisdy owner running the ce would be blessed with great business.
As a matter of fact, it was.
Other than Teddys tour group, another batch of tourists ran into the hotel shortly after them.
Simr to Teddys small group, they came in to avoid the rain and there were only five of them, including the driver cum tour guide.
What heavy rain!
This sucks!
Its all your fault, saying that you want toe to bathe in the hot spring!
Behind the tour guide were four young adults, two males and two females. Judging from their looks and behaviour, they should be two couples.
The plump guy with sses was trying to please his rather good-looking blonde girlfriend, but she didnt appreciate the effort.
The blonde red at the plump guy and even ordered him to fetch her a towel. The unreasonable and self-centered behaviour turned eyes and many questioning gazesnded upon her, but the blonde did not behave, instead speaking even louder. Hurry up! I knew I should have gone shopping with the girls!
Her rants made Teddy shake his head in disapproval. He then looked at the next couple behind her.
This second couple was much better. The guy was wiping the hair of his girl, who smiled.
It seemed normal.
Teddy only nced over at the second pair before he went over to the corner of the lobby, waiting patiently for thedy owner to allocate the rooms.
Fortunately, even with two tour groups entering at once, both were small groups, so the small hotel could fit everyone in just nice.
Teddy was given room 201. It was on the second floor, right in front of the stairs.
To the left of his room was rooms 202 and 203 and on the right was rooms 204, 205, and 206.
The room beside the stairs was open to all, having a snooker table, sofas, and a tea table; it was probably an activity room. On one side of the activity room was a balcony with rails, from where one could see the center garden of the hotel and Song Shi Mountain. The view would have been great if it was a sunny day.
Teddys fellow tour mates were a family of three that were allocated to room 206, the biggest one.
The tour guides of the two groups obviously knew each other, so both of them shared room 205.
The remaining couples got room 202 and room 203 respectively.
Room 204 was empty.
Teddy got the keys for room 201 and the moment he opened the door, he went in and examined it from top to bottom. After making sure there was nothing unusual, he heaved a sigh of relief. It was a habit of his, probably already a second instinct, trained by the force, and after knowing this world wasnt as simple as he thought, his upational instinct swiftly rose to a new height, like now.
Promptly after he heaved a breath, Teddy brought out an electric baton and two blowtorches from his bag.
The electric baton wasnt a traditional one; it waspact, as small as a mobile phone, and had two metal tes at the tip. Although small, the explosive electric current could easily knock out a grown man in less than five seconds.
The same went for the blowtorch; it was shaped like a small kettle or a weird gun, but when the trigger was pulled, the me from the mouth could reach 300 degrees celsius easily.
After knowing how to deal with those monsters from Kieran, Teddy spent a lot of money on acquiring these items. He wasnt anticipating any kind of encounter, he just liked to get his defense up.
Ever since thest encounter, Teddy couldnt sleep properly without these things beside him, and even then, he would still wake up in the middle of the night.
However, today was different, for he felt sleepy after he entered his room.
Once he examined the room and counted his weapons, the sleepiness assaulted his eyes. He shoved the baton and blowtorches onto the bed.
Have I been too nervous these few days?
The thought ran through Teddys mind before he fell asleep.
Snores then sounded as he truly fell into slumber.
Dok, Dok, Dok.
After some time sleeping, Teddy was awoken by a rhythmic noise.
His mind was blurry when he pushed himself up. He frowned as he walked to the door, opened it, and walked toward the noise.
Down at the lobby, Teddy realized the noise wasing from the kitchen.
Teddy finally understood what the rhythmic noise was.
Chopping ribs? Teddy mumbled as he lifted the curtain to the entrance of the kitchen.
Teddy liked eating ribs, especially the part with the cartge; he was infatuated by the crunchy bite.
However, when he lifted the curtain up, his eyes widened uncontrobly.
What did he see?
He saw himself!
Naked and on top of a long chopping board! The beautifuldy owner was to the side, holding a sharp, broad knife, swinging down on the board.
Every single time she chopped, a heavy thud followed.
Blood also sprayed everywhere each time she swung the broad knife.
Teddy gasped in fear and stepped back while quivering, but something behind him tripped him, causing him to fall down.
Pak!
The heavy thud startled thedy owner, who was chopping meat in the kitchen.
She lifted the curtain and stepped out.
Thedy owner was as beautiful as Teddy remembered, and though her face, hands and chest were sttered with blood, her beauty wasnt affected; instead, it added an unusual, eerie feeling to her face.
Teddy jumped up and ran over to grab a chair from the lobby, throwing it towards thedy owner.
The chair flew straight into thedy owners face, but she swung her knife and cut the chair in half as if it was tofu.
Teddys pupils shrank in fear. A person who could cut chairs like tofuhe knew he wasnt a match for her, even though she looked weak.
Without a second thought, Teddy ran towards the second floor, but after a step or two, something tripped him again and he fell down like before.
The worse thing was that thedy owner was already beside him, the knife in her hand swinging down toward his chest.
Aaaarh!
Teddy jumped up from the bed, panting heavily, and then examined his chest in panic.
He realized what he saw was just a dream.
But... it felt unusually realistic.
Recalling the scenes that happened in his mind, Teddys forehead became covered in beads of sweat.
Teddy got off the bed and went to the bathroom, wanting to wash his face, but just when he turned the water tap on...
Aaaarh!
A sharp scream sounded.
His police instinct urged him to turn around and run to the door.
The whole floor was quiet, so he easily pinpointed that the scream came from room 204.
The room of the young couple, the plump guy and the blonde girl!
What happened?!
Teddy aimed a kick at the door knob.
Bang! Bang!
BANG!
Three kickster, the rather old door opened forcefully, but he couldnt find the couple anywhere in the room.
What he saw was a person hanging up from the beam.
He only saw the back, but the familiar coat and pants told Teddy that they were his clothes.
What the...
Confused, Teddy looked at the hanging person with furrowed brows. The hanging person slowly turned his body around as if moved by the wind.
It was him! It really was Teddy himself!
Although the face was a dead purplish and the tongue stuck out, how could he be mistaken?
However, he was standing right there...
Fooosm!
The very second the thought appeared in his mind, Teddys sight shifted away and before he knew it...
He was hanging up high.
He felt suffocated, his hands and legs struggling, but the rope around his neck got tighter.
Teddy saw his other self on the ground, looking at him with a very eerie smile, watching him asphyxiate.
Theck of oxygen to his brain slowly muddied Teddys mind, his vision blurring beyond recognition.
Snap!
The rope that was hanging around his neck was suddenly cut, sending Teddy falling down from the ceiling. Hended very hard on the ground and the pain woke him up.
Huh!?
Teddy opened his eyes, only to find that he was still on his bed!!
His hands were holding the electric baton and blowtorch, but his body was soaked in pain, especially around the neck. He could still feel the suffocation.
Is this a dream too?
Teddy grabbed his weapons, went into the bathroom, and looked into the mirror.
There was no rope mark around his neck, nor did he find any bruises on his body.
The scene, however, felt all too real, to the point that it messed up his mind. He couldnt tell whether he was conscious or... still dreaming!
He looked down at the electric baton and the blowtorch in his hands.
He remembered that he did not have these weapons in the dream, and it felt like he instinctively neglected these two items when he heard the scream.
And then there was room 204!
He remembered that no one was staying in that room, but in the dream, it had somehow be the couples room.
The dream reeked of suspicion and strangeness, yet he treated all of it like it was natural.
Based on his habits as a police officer, it shouldnt have happened, unless...
Did I encounter some monster or spirit? Teddy couldnt help but wonder.
Knock Knock Knock!
A sudden knock on the door stopped his train of thought.
Who is it? Teddy asked nervously.
Good evening, mister. Dinner is ready. Would you like to have it now?
Thedy owners voice came from behind the door.
Dinner?
Teddy looked out the window and realized the sky had darkened unknowingly, but it was still drizzling.
His stomach was growling.
Hold on a moment, Ill be right there, said Teddy.
He grabbed his coat and stuffed the electric baton and two blowtorches into his pockethe purposely picked the coat that resembled a raincoat because of its huge, spacious pockets, just so he could bring his weapons to deal with any special situation.
Okay, thedy owner answered.
However, after getting ready, Teddy did not answer the door. He went to the window instead.
He still remembered what Kieran warned him about.
The first thing to do when encountering a strange situation wasnt fighting, but escaping.
Teddy tended to believe in professional advice.
As for the other tourists?
Up until now, Teddy had no idea whether he was really touring with humans or not.
Without his bag, Teddy regained his agility. He stealthily jumped out the window and moved towards the garden.
Jumping from the second floor was nothing to the well-prepared Teddy. Hended with a front roll to ease the impact, but when he moved to stand on his feet, he tripped and fell again.
Ssh!
Teddy fell into a puddle of dirty water. He quickly got up and turned around to see what tripped him, and then he became stunned.
A body!
A body tripped him! It was the blonde girl who coupled with the plump guy!
The body wore the same attire as when he first saw her, her face washed pale by the rain.
Phew!
Teddy heaved a long breath, thankful that the body wasnt his own again.
If it were his body again, he wasnt sure he could hold his sanity together.
However, before his long breath could finish, screams came from inside the hotel.
Sherly? Sherly?!
Two callster, the plump guy that coupled with the blonde rushed out. He saw Teddy beside his girlfriends body in the rain.
Behind the plump guy was the other couple and the family of three, both of which had been helping him search for his missing girlfriend; the two tour guides also arrived just in time to witness the scene.
The timid girl, the child, and the two tour guides screamed in horror.
The other two guys each blocked their girlfriend and wife behind them respectively, looking at Teddy with utmost cautious.
Teddy raised his hand quickly in innocence.
I can exin. I am actually... a cop.
TL Note: Song Shi ʯ = turquoise
Chapter 1653 - I Have To Go Make A Call
Chapter 1653: I Have To Go Make A Call
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
A cop?!
Everyone was skeptical when Teddy stated his identity, especially the plump guy whose girlfriend was dead; his face was filled with disbelief.
What proof do you have? the guy said with a re.
I am Teddy, a superior officer. My police number is C:1204666. Make a call and you will get the proof, Teddy said.
However, he hid the fact that he was temporarily suspended by the force. Telling the truth at such a sensitive moment was irrational and inappropriate. Teddy was fine following rules but he wasnt a pedantic person, so he did not proceed with the normal procedures.
More urately, the situation seemed a little too simple.
For an experienced police officer like Teddy, he could tell what was wrong with one nce.
After scanning the surroundings, Teddy looked at the crowd in the drizzle, especially the boyfriend of the dead blonde.
Why did you kill her? Teddy asked.
When the question was asked, the scene went silent. Other than the drizzling rain, nothing was heard.
Everyone else stood there nkly, their gazes shifting between Teddy and the plump guy, whose face showed sadness and anger.
They had no idea what happened.
What are you talking about? Is this a joke? the guy shouted.
A joke? Well, let me ask you guys, where were you people before this? What made you guyse out in the rain? Teddy chuckled and looked at the crowd.
My family and I, along with the others, were having dinner on the first floor. And then this man here was shouting his girlfriends name and running around in panic. I was worried, so I came out to see what happened and the others followed me.
The husband of the family of three acted as representative and spoke for all of them.
The others nodded in adherence to his ims.
Did you guys see this girl? Teddy pointed at the body on the ground.
No, we didnt see her. The dining area has a door and its rather cold during the rain, so we closed it after we went to have our dinner, the husband answered.
Very well. Teddy nodded and then looked at the plump guy.
Are you trying to use me of killing because of this?! the guy shouted again.
No, of course not. Let me ask you, why did youe here first? The whole hotel is divided into two sections; other than the hot springs in the other section, our rooms and the lobby are all located on this side. So, other than the center garden on the left and the entrance, the corridor and the only entrance are further down there. Should someone run out, this someone would go straight, not making a turn into the center garden, unless they knew the body was here beforehand, Teddy said after shaking his head.
I saw hering to the garden, so I followed! How is that a problem?! the guy shot back.
Nope, no problem at all, but can you exin why shes wearing slippers? It has been raining for some time and the ground is muddy, yet shes wearing slippers while youre wearing running shoes. If you really saw her, how could you not have been able to catch up to her? And... can you tell me why her slippers are so clean? Did she fly over the dirt?
Teddys voice sounded heavy as he tried to force answers from the guy.
The guy went silent and the crowd subconsciously drew a distance from him.
The answer is, she couldnt fly, so she fell down here when she was pushed out from the window on the second floor, Teddy exined.
The guy sighed and nodded. Youre right. I strangled her and then threw her out the window. Thedy owner was knocking on my door and I was scared that she would find out, so I took some drastic measures... If you were not here, it would have been perfect with a little more follow up...
The tour guide that led the two couples couldnt hold back his burning question, Why did you do it? Werent you a couple?
Couple? What couple? Us? She only knew how to squeeze money from me! The day my money would have beenpletely drained by this vampire is the day I would get kicked away! I knew this a long time ago, but I still loved her. I thought I could cure her with my sincerity and love, so I listened to her in everything, tried my best to fulfill her needs. But in the end? I will still be left with nothing! Nothing at all! I dont want that to happen. I only want her beside me, alive or... dead! The guy mocked himself with augh.
Teddy shook his head.
He had seen this kind of twisted love more than once.
I devoted my life to you, so you must love me, this kind of saying rang more than one time in his mind.
Love is unreasonable.
If showing sincerity could get the same amount of sincerity in return, it wouldnt be love anymore, but a fairytale.
What is love?
Other than the looks and money, it is the morals behind the person.
A person with morals could give birth to love that people admire.
Without morals, the person would be no different from garbage.
Men would be jerks; women would be sluts.
This guy here shouldnt be considered as a jerk, because he was much more pitiful than one.
Sucking up to people will cause you to lose everything!
Unlike me with all the freedom in the world, even though I am still alone.
Teddy eximed in his mind as he walked towards the guy but when he was less than two meters from the guy, thetter regained his senses and pulled out a fruit knife from his pocket.
Donte over! Stay there! The guy pointed the knife at Teddy.
Teddy frowned and just when he was going to disarm the guy, the guy turned the knife around and ced it over his neck.
HEY! Calm down! You...
I cant go back like this! I borrowed a lot of money in order to make her my girlfriend, but I dont have any money to pay back. Now that shes dead, theres no meaning left in my life anymore!
The guy smiled pitifully and thrusted the knife upwards into his jaw.
Hold...
Teddy tried to stop the guy, but the knife embedded itself into the guys throat. What happened next was something no one expected.
The knife was deep inside the guys throat, but not a single drop of blood came out.
Other than that, the guys body started to turn transparent.
Everyone else could see the shape of the knife in his clear throat.
The scene struck fear in everyones heart; it was even scarier than if blood gushed out!
After all, everyone expected to see blood sshing. They already knew it would be gruesome but the scene that unfolded went beyond their imagination and logic altogether.
As a police officer, even Teddy was horrified, for it was his first time encountering such things, but it was worse for the others.
In fact, the reason why the others did not fall to the ground was because they were frozen on the spot, none of them daring to move.
Teddys hands were covered in sweat.
An anomaly! The guy is an anomaly! Teddy thought.
The suspended chief immediately stopped his forward step and retreated quickly. His hands reached out for the the electric baton and the blowtorch, his eyes glued to the guy.
So he was behind all this?
Bang!
While Teddy had been troubled with doubts, the guy, too, looked down in disbelief. When he saw his translucent body, he fell into a panic and dropped on the ground. He then looked up to Teddy, the only one who could provide a sense of safety because of his identity.
T-T-This... W-W-What happened!? H-Help!
The guy screamed in panic and reached out to Teddy, hoping for help.
And as he screamed, his translucent body started to disintegrate with exceptional speed. It wasnt the usual firefly light; it disintegrated into some smaller particles.
As though his body was burnt to ashes, it piled up on the ground and flickered a few times before disappearing.
The lingering scream also went silent.
Teddy instinctively walked up and tried to grab the guys hand but missed.
What he got was some ash on his hand.
The scene fell into silence again.
The drizzle also started to dim down.
Everyone was at a loss for action and words. A minuteter, Teddy regained his senses.
More thoughts popped up in his mind, causing him to turn around quickly.
When he saw the blonde still lying on the ground, dead, he couldnt help but heave a sigh of relief.
Phew!
When the others saw Teddys reaction, they too knew what he was thinking, and after seeing that the blondes body had not moved, they too heaved sighs of relief.
A single persons breath was soft and light, but when many people heaved them at the same time, the breathing noise became different.
Although the breaths were still light, it became obvious to the eyes.
Then... their breaths got stuck in their throats because the body of the blonde really moved!
One of her fingers slightly twitched, but they thought they were seeing things.
I-Is it me or did that finger just twitch? Maybe I am too nervous, I must be seeing things. Right?
The husband of the family of three said in a light tone, attempting to ease the atmosphere and assure himself.
However, at the very next moment, his son pointed at the dead body and said, Dad, look, the big sister came back to life!
When the husband noticed the stiff reaction on his wifes face, his hardened neck turned around and he saw the dead body slowly stand up wobbly.
RUN! Teddy shouted and ced everyone else behind him.
The crowd was stunned at first, but when the husband pulled along his wife and carried his son, running back into the hotel, the others reacted and ran too.
The running steps were messy, someone even fell down.
The mud on the ground became the most fatal obstacle they had to ovee.
In order to buy more time for the others to run, Teddy stood there with clenched teeth, taking deep breaths over and over, and telling himself, I can do this! I can do this!
Electric, fire! I can do this! I can do this!
Simr to his first gun practise with actual bullets back at the police academy or the first time he chased after a criminal, he did it.
There was no reason for him to fail right now.
They are civilians, I am a police officer; I should stand up and protect their lives! For the oath I made on the badge and the uniform! Teddy mumbled to himself repeatedly, as if attempting to hypnotize himself.
The girls body stood up on its feet; it was rather blurry and nk. It didnt know what happened, but the instinct of the dead told it that it was hungry and there was... food in front!
Its mind slightly cleared up and it growled loudly at Teddy.
Roar!
The fierce growl interrupted Teddys mumbles.
Teddys sweat covered his forehead and face, and drenched his back.
He carefully wiped the sweat off his palm and pointed at the dead girl.
YOU, BRING IT ON! He shouted his lungs out.
Roaar!
The dead charged forward like a beast and pushed Teddy to the ground.
Bam!
Upon falling, time stopped.
The dead on Teddy stopped and Teddy did too.
More than 10 secondster, Teddy moaned painfully and pushed the dead away.
In the head of the dead, there was a ck hole, and at the mouth of the blowtorch, the blue me burned as long as 8 cm.
Huu haa! Huu haa!
Teddy panted heavily and rolled over. He grabbed his blowtorch tightly as he watched the dead body turn transparent and disintegrate.
He won!
Teddy wanted to celebrate his victory with a clenched fist, but the pain from his right hand made him clench his teeth instead.
The victory came at a cost.
Hed used his left hand as a shield, holding off the deads charge and seizing the window to point the blowtorch at its forehead.
Why the forehead?
Teddy instinctively chose to go for the weak spot; since the forehead was humans weakness, it must also be the weakness of the dead, right?
Messy thoughts rumbled in his mind as Teddy tried his best to stand up.
His adrenaline slowly dropped, making his well-trained body weaker.
He picked up the electric baton and other blowtorch, and wobbled his way into the hotel.
Bang bang!
Teddy knocked on the door with his left hand loudly, not caring about politeness anymore.
Open the door! Teddy shouted.
Yes, its Chief Teddy! Joyful voices came from inside the hotel, but the door didnt open.
A whileter, the husband of the family of three stuck his head over the wall of the garden. He carefullytched on the wall, watched Teddy for quite some time, and then saw the girls body crumbling into bits. He then jumped down from the wall, headed to the door, and opened it for Teddy.
Chief, are you alright? he asked nervously.
The others were worried as well, and it seemed like everyone had taken Teddy as their spine after the freaky scene just now.
Chief Teddy? the husband asked in a muffled voice.
What now? Teddy also lowered his voice and subtly walked to the corner with the husband.
Before this, that... said thedy owner knocked on the door?
The husband couldnt think of a proper word to describe the plump guy and brushed it aside.
Yes, so what? Teddy nodded and then looked at the husband, whos expression turned ugly.
About that... thedy owner had left the hotel around evening to go have a look at the blocked road caused by andslidemy wife, my son, and I saw her off, the two servants of the hotel too.
The husband sounded like he was going to cry.
Its not that he wasnt strong enough, but just that the situation was beyond hisprehension; he didnt know what to do.
You didnt tell the others, right?
No! I even told my wife and kid to stay calm, and not to spread it! The husband shook his head.
You did well! Teddy tapped on his shoulder.
What should we do now? the husband, calmed by the tap, asked.
Now? We call in the professionals!
Teddy then walked away from the corner and headed to the phone in the lobby.
With everyone watching, he picked up the phone and dialed a number.
Chapter 1654 - Crow!
Chapter 1654: Crow!
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Hello? Kieran answered the phone.
Although the phone call interrupted his thoughts, Kieran wasnt irritated or angry.
He knew there were only a handful who knew the number and those who could make the call at a certain time slot was even fewerduring the day, Kieran would unplug the wire.
Its me, Teddy. I ran into some problems, I am not at Song Shi Hot Spring Hotel...
Teddy knew Kieran was a straightforward person and the situation at hand was rather urgent, so he did not start with a chat andid it all out right away.
Kieran didnt stop Teddy, listening carefully and patiently.
Teddy told Kieran what happened at the hotel and tried his best to maintain all the details.
From entering the hotel to the nightmares to jumping out of the window and the battle with the dead spirit, Teddy spilled everything.
How are you doing? Kieran asked after Teddy finished.
My right hand is slightly hurting, Teddy answered honestly.
Will it affect your attacks?
Teddy threw a few punches. Feeling c the pain ease up a lot, he replied firmly, Im good.
Okay then, now listen to me very carefully. Put the phone on speaker and get your weapons ready, Kieran said.
Then?
A rather bad feeling rose in Teddys heart but he followed instructions and turned on the speaker.
He would rather ce his trust in the pros.
Then? Leave it to me, Kieran said, his voice somehow sounding cold.
I dont know whether you lost your life in thendslide or were originally one of the dead spirits in Song Shi Mountain. I dont care, I dont want to know what you wanted to achieve because it makes no difference to me. All I want is to destroy you, burn you to ashes. I am the owner of Leaf Dining, Royan, and also Chief Teddys friend...
Before Kieran finished speaking through the phone, he heard a growl clearly.
He was sure it was the growl of the dead.
Teddys voice then came through, Its the other couple...
Grab your weapon and fight! One more piece of advice, do not simply trust any stranger.
Kieran then hung up the phone.
After getting the busy tone from the other side of the phone, Teddy saw the remaining couple looked at him with hostility, his face looking very sour.
Does he mean Ill leave it to you?
Teddy couldnt hold back his curse in his heart.
He thought Kieran had some better ideas to help him but who knew Kieran would tell him to go fight the dead spirit!
Although Teddy himself preferred to fight those things off directly rather than hide away with doubts, facing two at once was a little too much for him.
The couple, who looked loving and caring, suddenly turned pale and purplish, their eyes turning morbid and a headache struck Teddy.
He could barely handle one dead spirit and now he had to handle two at once?
Teddy turned to the crowd and said loudly, Go to the kitchen and get me some gas tanks!
...
Whats wrong? Starbeck stuck his head out of the kitchen out of curiosity.
Nothing, Teddy ran into some trouble. He will be fine if he can handle it calmly, Kieran answered.
Starbeck lost interest when he heard Teddys name, returning to the kitchen to prepare meals for tomorrow.
And Kieran?
Just like what he just said, he believed in Teddys position as a police officer and his experience. Give. that he had weapons with him before he went into the fight against two freshly formed dead spirits, he wouldnt fail.
Not everyone was as cowardly as Starbeck, he didnt have to worry much.
Still, Kieran called Bain just in case.
Song Shi Hot Spring Hotel?
S-O-N-G, Song; S-H-I, Shi?
Through the phone, Bain, who had left earlier, sounded a little strange.
Yes, Song Shi Hot Spring Hotel. Are there any of your Herders in that area? Kieran asked.
Its OUR Herders now, Bain emphasized.
...Our Herders.
Kieran looked at the bag of coins in his hand and didnt argue with Bain. Since he agreed to participate in the Battle of Winter Night, representing the East Sector, he would not go back on his words.
Dont worry, if its really that area, nothing serious can happen, Bain was satisfied with Kierans answer, replying with augh.
Kieran clearly sensed the pleasure taken of the misfortunate from Bain.
Nothing serious can happen, meaning... Kieran continued his question just to make sure.
Literal meaning. Nothing serious will happen to your friend, he will live but I cant guarantee him from bruises and stuff, Bain said with augh.
You are saying? Kieran squinted his eyes, wondering what Bain was referring to.
I didnt say anything, I dont want to be marked by that lord. Remember Royan, you know nothing, all you did is help your friend, understand? Bain warned Kieran.
I understand, Kieran agreed verbally but the questions in his gaze remained.
So... there is someone higher in the ranks?
While he recalled the information about Battle of the Winter Night from Bain, Kieran hung up the phone and chose to absorb the power from the silver coins in the bag.
20 Crossing Silver Coins werent a small number, even for Kieran in his current state.
Based on the ratio 1 Crossing Silver Coin being equal to 30 Crossing Copper Coin, 20 silver would be equal to 600 copper. Back then, when Spirit broke through the seal and rose from B- to B rank, it only consumed around 60 copper coins.
Based on rough calctions, exorcising a dead spirit equalled 1 copper coin.
Now, with approximately 600 copper coins in his hand, it was a lot more energy than what Kieran had reapedst night from the sudden assault on the school.
Things turned out as expected.
[Spirit broke through ayer of seal, increasing from B+ A-]
[Strength, Agility, Constitution, and Intuition broke through 3yers of seal, increased from C+ B+]
...
Spirit cost almost 200 copper coins just to break through a single seal.
The rest of the stats broke through 3yers and eachyer only cost around 100 coins.
On top of that, the other stats had reached rank B, hence the requirement of copper coins had increased, otherwise the total cost would be lesser than that.
Savouring the change to his body, Kieran again used Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Arts breathing method to adapt himself to the new body swiftly.
Of course, he wasnt just sitting there breathing air, he continued his preparation, doing it all very slowly.
Adapting, adjusting, reading, recording. It wasnt an easy task to do all of them at once, even for Kieran.
He was working on his body until Starbeck brought breakfast out of the kitchen, only then did he put down the newspaper.
Mutton soup?
Kieran smiled when he smelled the unique aroma of mutton.
What was better for breakfast than a bowl of mutton soup on a cold morning?
It would be the mutton soup from Starbeck.
Brilliant green scallions and coriander were sprinkled on top of the milky white soup.
Slices of crescent-shaped mutton wereid on top of the bed of white noodles, floating on top of the soup. Beside the bowl of soup was a little te with two pieces of golden Fried Dough Twist. The white te set off the golden goodness and the looks of the crispy edge was alluring.
Crunch!
Kieran took a mouthful of soup and then a mouth of the Fried Dough Twist, eagerly.
The crispy, sesame-filled bite made Kieran chew more before he shoved another spoon of soup into his mouth.
The savoury vour of the soup bloomed on his tongue.
The soup and Fried Dough Twistbined into the perfect taste.
Kieran put the spoon aside, picking up the bowl and drinking it in big gulps. His hand wielded the chopsticks and grabbed the mutton pieces and noodles.
Slurp!
As if he was slurping a big bowl of noodles, the mutton and the noodles themselves were swiftly gobbled down. The soup was drained to itsst drop with a few big gulps.
Another bowl! Kieran passed the bowl to Starbeck.
Smiling, Starbeck brought the bowl back into the kitchen.
Bowl after bowl, Kierans appetite returned as his body recovered a little.
The good thing was Starbeck would increase the portion size with each meal.
When the mutton soup in the pot reached the bottom, Kieran squinted his eyes in utmost pleasure, heaving a long breath and resting for a few minutes before going into the kitchen to wash the dishes.
Starbeck walked to the door and turned the ckboard.
Closed.
The sun rose again.
Starbeck stretched in front of the sun, skillfully cleaning up the front and closing the door.
A normal day for themon started, yet it was time for the night owls to go to bed.
Those who woke up early were energized; those who sleptte fell asleep soundly.
Different lives, different choices.
As for the good and bad?
No one can decide good and bad for others.
Some things are very subjective, like water tastes different in different mouths.
Beyond that?
Answers forced out were nothing but excuses under themon mask, there was nothing true to it.
It would be astonishing to find even 1% truth in those excuses, so Kieran never forced secrets from others, but this others did not include his enemies.
Therefore, Kieran wished others would respect his way of living.
Around noon, before the clock ticked sharp at 12...
Bang Bang bang!
The restaurant door was banged on, not amon knock but a fierce one.
Starbeck opened his blurry eyes but Kieran pressed him back to bed.
You sleep, Ill go have a look, he then grabbed the sword downstairs.
Bang, Bang, Bang!
The fierce knocks continued, it was Li Jiajia and she was leaning on the door, her knocking hand red but she did not give up.
She knew only this ce could save her and she would not give up on thest thread of hope.
Again, Li Jiajia raised her hand to knock but before she couldnd, the door opened.
Li Jiajia missed the knock and staggered into the restaurant, before she truly fell, she saw Kieran with the corner of her eyes.
She quickly reached out and tried to grab Kierans shirt but Kieran stepped back without any expression.
Li Jiajia missed a second time.
Ah!
A surprised screamter, Li Jiajia fell on the newly furnished wooden floor.
She was moaning in pain, seeing Kieran and wanting to speak her heart but before she could, she saw that ring [Sharp Standard-Issued de].
The words that she wanted to say changed when they escaped her mouth.
Im sorry to interrupt! But I dont have any choices left, thats why I am here!
As she spoke, Li Jiajia climbed up from the floor, showing a pitiful look and standing on the other side of Kieran so she could be away from the sharp sword. She continued, I am cursed! Please help me!
Kieran didnt care about what she said.
He walked to the counter, plugged in the phone, and called Bain.
Kieran had turned the incident in the high school of Sector 11 to Bain and Bain assured him no following troubles would knock on his door.
In short, Li Jiajia should not remember what happened that night, yet she came.
Kieran thought Bain should be responsible for this, including disturbing his and Starbecks sleep.
A whileter, Bain arrived at the restaurant.
Bain was rather shocked when he saw Li Jiajia standing in front of his eyes.
He cleaned Li Jiajias memory himself and he made sure nothing was left behind, but now?
The girl came to Leaf Dining, and when she saw him, she averted his gaze.
Bain knew something was wrong.
You were faking it back then? Bain said.
His words made Kieran look at Li Jiajia in doubt.
The ways of evading [Memory Wiper]s effect were not too many, yet not too few. The easiest and most direct way was when Spirit attribute reached E+ or above.
E+ was the peak for amon man, but very few could reach this level.
Kieran did not expect a rather inconspicuous high schooler achieved it.
Compared to Kieran, who knew everything with a single nce, Bain wasnt slow either.
You are an Eckertist? Bain asked.
Li Jiajia was very cautious when Bain asked the question, quickly hiding behind Kieran.
So you people are the urban myth, hunters that eat peoples memory? Li Jiajia asked.
Urban myths? Bullshit! If we are the hunters that eat peoples memory, what about him? He is one of us!
Bain frowned, he thought of the less pleasant rumours and pointed at Kieran, speaking angrily.
He? He is different! He is my Guardian of the Dark Night, Crow! Li Jiajia said righteously.
Crow?
Kieran raised a brow.
Bain grunted in disdain.
Another little girl bewitched by urban myths. What guardian? The Guardian of the Dark Night is nothing but us, the powerful Herders! And... what the hell is that Crow?
Bains words made Li Jiajia flushed, not because of embarrassment, but anger.
Dont you insult Crow!
She wanted to go up and p Bain but she dare not step out from Kierans back, shouting and trying to prove that she wasnt lying.
Li Jiajia then took out a book from her bag.
The book was as thick as a brick, she had to hold it with two hands.
The book was thoroughly red and on the top a ck icon was branded... a crow.
Chapter 1655 - Sacrificial Offering
Chapter 1655: Sacrificial Offering
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
When Bain saw the book pushed to his face, he couldnt help but twitch.
Although the creator of the book tried very hard to give the book an aged feel, the craftsmanship was very poor, the materials chosen very crude.
The outeryer was dyed red with red ink; the icon of the ck crow was fine, but far from being lively.
After flipping the book, Bain saw there was nothing inside, the whole book was nk!
I havent written it down, but when I do, it will be the most important event that will be remembered for ages toe...
Stop spreading your eighth-grade syndrome to others! Bain couldnt help but stop Li Jiajia.
Rumours have it that in a certain period in a humans life, their mind would be filled with fantasy, dragging them away from reality and society, eventually forming a unique syndrome.
The duration of the syndrome depended on the specific persons financial status and rtionship with the opposite gender.
The stronger the status and rtionship, the shorter the duration.
The weaker the status and rtionship, the longer the duration.
Some even bore the syndrome for the rest of their lives.
It was a harmless syndrome though, if met and said person did not severely affect others, he or she could be treated as a friend.
I dont have eighth-grade syndrome! I am the one and only follower of the ck...
The following titles and names caused Bain to facepalm himself.
Kieran, on the other hand, was listening with interest.
He never felt disgust against these kinds of harmless people, he was curious how she could speak all those names, titles, and prefixes in a single breath.
More importantly, Crow.
How did you know about Crow?
Kieran took the book back from Bain and gave it to Li Jiajia.
That day, I saw you descend from the sky and somehow I thought of Crowrumour has it, a crows eyes and blood can be used tomunicate with the spirits, Li Jiajia told Kieran honestly.
Then, what about this curse you mentioned? Kieran continued.
Im not that sure either, but theres a voice in my head, telling me to find you, only you can save me, Li Jiajia said, looking nk and confused.
Bain beside her shook his head helplessly.
From his point of view, this case was nothing but a severe case of eighth-grade syndrome in y.
Voice? What kind of voice? Male or female? Kieran continued asking.
Its like a voice that appears out of nowhere, it tells me what I should do. I cant tell whether its a male or a female, its weird and a little hoarse, though not disgusting, Li Jiajia answered.
Really... Kieran nodded slightly, turning his eyes to an empty spot, and thrusting [Sharp Standard-Issued de] into the air.
Grrr! Grrrrr!
Everyone could hear a heavy growl from the air, like there was a ferocious dog in front of them.
This is it! The curse! Li Jiajia was frightened and fell on the floor.
Bain, who showed disdain at first, finally took it seriously after he heard the growls, his expression turning heavy.
Compared to Li Jiajia, a little girl who wasnt even an amateur, Bain was much more professional as a Herder.
Be careful, its the Hound from the Witchcrafts! They are very strong...
Bain warned Kieran but before he could finish, he was stunned because he saw a supposedly invisible Hound perforated by [Sharp Standard-Issued de].
This Hound was as big as a calf,cking the timidness of amon canine, its fangs sharp and showing, its eyes green and extremely ferocious.
Even though its body was perforated by the sword, it still tried to bite Kieran.
Kieran twisted his wrist and then the Hound was destroyed into nothing with a bang.
He didnt stop there though, he strode out the restaurant, wielding his sword in a flurry, stabbing and shing at the air.
With each strike, a Hound was destroyed.
Bain watched with a jaw-dropping look.
Hounds, also known as Witchcraft Hunting Hounds by the Herders, were picked from the witchcraft practitioners from puppies. The selected Hound would consume its siblings from the same mother and then bite its mother to death. The practitioners then used the foul and malicious emotions to create a special follower, not only making it invisible but hiding its presence altogether.
On top of that, Hounds appeared in packs, amon Herder would be in trouble facing a pack of them suddenly.
What kind of enemy was the worst?
The invisible kind!
Among the Herders, Weireist, Harstarty and a certain Bringepeist were advised to stay away from the Hounds. They were the kind of monsters that the Herders should run away from.
In fact, even for Bain, he had no confidence to win against a pack of Hounds without being properly equipped.
Now?
Bain watched Kieran ughter those Hounds that caused him a headache with precise strikes.
There was no need for support, no need for special technique, his methods were simple, a single strike exchanged for a single Hound.
No! This method was a special technique itself!
Instinct even more fearsome than a beast!
Did he learn it in the mountains? Bain wondered.
The joy in his heart was unconceble.
If his heart was still hurting because he spent 20 Crossing Silver Coins to hire Kieran to participate in the Battle of Winter Night, after this little scene, the pain went away and was reced by gratitude! He had bet on the right pool!
What Kieran disyed now was far stronger than thest time Bain met him.
Given his current strength, although Bain dare not guarantee a high spot in the whole Battle of Winter Night because it had too many changing variables, he knew it wouldnt be a problem now for them to secure a spot in the Ai City Election!
While Bain was drowning in joy, he saw Kieran walking away from the street in front of the restaurant.
Thoughts popped up in his mind and it turned his face sour.
The owner of the Hounds is nearby?
Bain then looked at Li Jiajia, who was still frightened, his gaze changing entirely.
Li Jiajia attracted the Hounds and even the owner was on her trail, so she must be someone special, not just a random Jane Doe.
He pulled out the specialmunicator and made a call to the other nearby Herders in East Sectors.
Kieran required support and the restaurant required protection, but Bain alone couldnt be at so many ces at once.
...
When Li Jiajia entered the restaurant and more than 10 seconds after Bain arrived, Kieran already sensed something chasing Li Jiajia to his permise.
He sensed hostility! Not just to Li Jiajia but also to him!
With his Spirit and Intuition slightly recovered, the familiar support perception returned to Kierans arsenal.
Although it wasnt as direct as [Tracking], it was still useful in situations like this.
Therefore, Kieran started to take the curse Li Jiajia mentioned seriously.
After destroying Hound after Hound, it proved that being cautious was very important.
If his strength did not recover earlier, it would be an ugly battle fighting these kinds of invisible opponents.
Now it was a lot easier!
Kierans Intuition told him there was no hostility from the Hounds anymore, so he looked towards the opposite alleyBloody Mary yed its role as scout perfectly.
While the Hounds were identified, Bloody Mary had already searched the area and swiftly located its target.
Kieran strode into the alley. Bloody Mary had used its body to clear the lurking danger in the alley to ensure Kierans safety.
The target, a white-haired old man with no wrinkles on his face, was standing there.
Kieran was sure the man was old. Maybe his face was wrinkle free but that aged feeling was very obvious. Besides, the man reeked of a rotten smell, like the dirt in a cemetery buried in the dark, never seeing the light of the sun again.
When the old man saw Kierane in, he showed a smile.
Royan? You started to gain poprity recently in the East Sector. As Ed Wongs junior, you are much better than he is, the old man said.
Kieran kept quiet, walking closer to the man.
Conversing with his enemy?
Unless his tactic required him to, Kieran would never spare a word.
Young man, stop! You may be strong but yourck of experience prevents you from judging the situation properlyI am willing to give you this chance! Hand over the offering, and I will tell you where Ed Wong is, and of course, you will be rewarded too!
The old man flipped his hand and revealed a silver ring in his palm.
The thoroughly silver ring had no gemstones embedded on it, only patterns carved around it, forming a twisted dog head at the point where the patterns converged.
The Hound Ring. Ive left three Hounds inside to service you. Unlike the Hounds I sent out earlier, these are the true elites. What do you say? the old man asked.
Kieran smiled coldly, thrusting the sword in his hand.
He would never believe what his enemy said.
Aside from his shady hiding spot, there was another Hound that smelled different approaching Kieran silently. The old mans wed words would never buy Kierans trust.
The old man did not send out the stronger Hound and wanted to initiate a deal here?
Only an idiot would do something like that.
As for the missing Ed Wong?
Ed Wongs disappearance was no longer a secret. It was widely-known on the mystical side, along with the fact that the Herders were searching for him.
Souu!
The sword went straight for the old mans throat.
The old man smiled coldly, wanting to close his palm with the ring in it.
He was originally deceiving Kieran to buy time, and now that his specially trained Hound was ready, words were no longer necessary.
He had absolute confidence in his specially trained hound.
However, right before his palm closed, another translucent palm swept past his own with lightning speed.
The Hound Ring was taken just like that.
What?!
The old man widened his eyes in shock, ring at the sudden appearance of Bloody Mary, but it was thest expression he showed on his face.
Kierans thrust suddenly elerated and the tip of the sword perforated the old mans throat.
Even without his skills, Kieran had trained himself in practising and mimicking some simple movements and basic skills. He could still could perform a crude version of his skill [Sword Skill, Fast Sting]!
Although he couldnt achieve the desired effect, acquiring a certain book in speed and attack was absolutely fine.
The old man looked at the sword that perforated his throat.
His wrinkle free face quickly withered and aged like dried orange skin. His eyes even dried out like fish vesicles.
Unwillingness filled his heart, he couldnt just ept defeat!
He had the upper hand, why did he fail in the end?
Regardless, facts couldnt be altered. His life faded away and it stopped the old man from resisting the sword.
Woooooo!
Wooooooooo!
As the Hounds howled, five translucent canine figures that appeared around the old man and jumped on him, pinning him down to the ground.
There were no agonizing screams, the old mans chest expanded several times before it stopped by the worrying from the Hounds.
Even more so when the special Hound behind Kieran, which was as big as a tiger, jumped in and joined the fray, the old mans body was devoured into nothing within seconds.
After they worried about the old man, the Hounds turned around to Kieran.
Kieran had already taken the Hound Ring from Bloody Mary.
All 6 of the Hounds sniffed at Kieran, who held the ring in his hand. At first they were doubtful, but then they seemed to have realized something, every single Hound looking scared and crawling on the ground with a series of whimpers. When they saw Kieran put on the ring, these Hounds wagged their tail and eagerly flew back into the ring on Kierans left pinky.
[Name: Hound Ring]
[Type: essory]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Attack: Average]
[Defense: Strong]
[Attribute: 1. Hound Dominate; 2. Elite Hound Dominate]
[Effect: Rear]
[Prerequisite: Spirit B]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: This ring is created by a master skilled in witchcraft. At first the creator only wanted to protect his own wealth but as time flew, the true intention of this ring was slowly forgotten.]
...
[Hound Dominate: Dominate five stronger Hounds to serve you. They can understand simple orders. (Every single Hound has Strong attack and Average defense, has Master level Undercover and Invisibility)]
[Elite Hound Dominate: Dominate a single experienced, older Hound to serve you. It can understand moreplicated orders and carry it out effectively. (This Hound has Powerful attack and defense, has Pro level Undercover and Invisibility.)]
...
[Rear: Each time you use the Hounds, you should feed them (Can be food or points. The normal Hounds cost 10 Points, the Elite Hound cost 50 Points.]
[Note: Because of your bloodline, the Hounds are suppressed to not ask for any food from you but in order for them to serve you better, you should really feed them.]
...
Animals instinct? Not bad, Kieranmented.
Thement wasnt just towards the pack of Hounds, but after acquiring the Hounds, he could do things with more convenience.
More importantly, this ring could be brought out of this dungeon world!
Compared to the other items that he had acquired in this world, none of which could be brought out, Kieran had finally acquired his first true spoil!
Kierans mood was elevated.
Of course, he did not forget the offering the old man mentioned.
He turned out from the alley and went back to his restaurant.
When he stepped in, Bain had just hung up hismunicator.
Its done? Bain asked in astonishment.
Yep, Kieran nodded and looked at Li Jiajia, asking, Do you know what the offering is?
Li Jiajias face turned sour right away.
Chapter 1656 - The Right Way to Open
Chapter 1656: The Right Way to Open
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Offering... Ive be an offering?!
Li Jiajias eyes lost focus when asked, leaning back on the counter helplessly.
Kieran saw how she reacted, not pressing her for an answer, instead standing there and waiting patiently, as did Bain.
From a certain aspect, Bain was much more experienced than Kieran, having seen this kind of situation too many times.
Back when Bain became a Weireist, he had to face the likes of Li Jiajia, people who identally came in contact with the supernatural, almost everyday. His job was to get details from them.
Bain had nothing but patience.
A few minutester, Li Jiajia slowly recovered her senses.
When I was trapped in that magical formation, that hooded woman said she wanted to offer me to something. Although you, my guardian, stopped her, that thing remembered me and listed me as an offering. It started to find others who could host the offering ceremony, said Li Jiajia.
The voice told you this also? Kieran asked.
Em, Li Jiajia nodded.
Kieran looked at Bain.
Due to the difference in Mystical Knowledge, Kieran could only guess about many things in this dungeon world. He wasnt sure at all, so he didnt mind asking confirmation from a true pro.
Im not sure either. Wait for the others. Huai Cuike of Sector 1 should know about this, Bain was very careful against this kind of situation.
The Herders who Bain called over earlier didnt make them wait either, they soon arrived at the restaurant.
There were both the old and the youthful but no women.
ording to Bain, a woman could hardly be an official Herder but once anyone did, she would be extremely powerful.
The natural traits of a woman have destined their path.
Hello, Royan, I am the person in charge of Sector 1, Huai Cuike. Its great to finally make an official acquaintance.
An old Herder with white hair, yet an extremely good physique, walked over.
The old man smiled, his countenance elegant and polite. If it wasnt for his white hair and the wrinkles around his eyes, he would be no different from a middle-aged man in his prime.
Hi, how do you see this offering? Kieran greeted him and went straight into the topic.
What she said should be real. The Witchcraft practitioners have their own power system. Unlike amon cult offering, such an offering ceremony is rare but not entirely absent. Its quite easy for them to go lower than their bottom line, for the sake of power of other things. Those who have chosen the path of witchcraft have basically no bottom line anyway, the old man shook his head helplessly.
What are they offering to? Their gods? Kieran asked the question that he was more concerned about.
Gods? Maybe in the past, but in the current mystical side, a lot of people assumed the gods back then were nothing but some powerful mystical individuals... Or in other words, monsters.
The old man did not conceal his thoughts in front of Kierans question.
Because of Ed Wong, Kieran was already one of them, and now that Kieran had agreed to participate in Battle of Winter Night, the rtionship between them had shortened.
As long as no confidential information was involved, Huai Cuike would never hide.
Are there any records of their offering ceremony? Kieran asked after some thought.
Offering would naturally produce Power of Faith and those who could use the Power of Faith would at least be rank V, or higher than that.
Kieran needed to know what the level of the higher beings in this dungeon world was, so that he could better deal with the situations at hand and form better ns.
A n should be able to change at will, improvised ns should always cope with change and not stay stagnant until the end.
There are some, but very vague. Theres no procedures recorded, no ceremonial speech, and definitely not a precise name, Huai Cuike answered.
What about the scale? Kieran asked.
The scale was the key factor that had direct influence on the Power of Faith, it was also the key to make judgement.
Depends. There are small ones and there are big ones. The small ones can range from the tens to hundreds, thats what the records said; the big ones can go up to thousands or ten thousands. There are very few records on the big ones but in simr records, theres a mention about a 10,000 men offering ceremonyits just bits and crumbs, even I dont know anything more than that, Huai Cuike exined in detail.
10,000 men!
Kierans heart throbbed.
Excluding the possibility of wasting resources and manpower, those who could host this scale of offering ceremony would surely not be rank V anymore, Kieran knew because he was also at rank V himself.
Unlike overflowing Power of Faith, epting 10,000 mens Power of Faith at once was his own personal limit.
Rank VI?
Kieran wondered but he didnt forget his manners.
Thank you, Kieran said.
No need. This is what you should know, Im just going beyond my duty to deliver the information to you on behalf of Ed WongIve already have a clue about that bastard Ed Wongs whereabouts. If Im not wrong, he should be able to make it back before Battle of the Winter Night.
The old manughed, treating Kieran as his junior.
Though Kieran wasnt concerned about Ed Wongs whereabouts, even more so when he heard what Huai Cuike said, it sounded like Ed Wong would be fine.
He turned to Li Jiajia.
This girl would be the key to the incident.
Dont worry, we have enough experience to deal with Li Jiajias problem, the old man stood up and walked to Li Jiajia.
Kieran remained where he was.
The limited distance and space in the restaurant would not hinder his sight and hearing, so he heard Li Jiajias rejection.
My guardian is here! I wont leave! Li Jiajia was being persistent.
You know, being with us is much safer, and you wont trouble Royan too, Huai Cuike tried to persuade Li Jiajia, but his persuasion was everything but useful.
The voice has told me being around Royan is the safest! Li Jiajia sealed her thoughts.
Huai Cuike sighed helplessly.
The Herders were allowed to wipe the bystanders memory but they werent allowed to interfere with peoples choices without valid reasons, especially when this person had presented unusual gifts.
Huai Cuike went back to Kieran.
Although we are much more experienced in dealing with Li Jiajias problem, it seemed like she trusts you more.
The old man showed a bitter smile and suggested, Li Jiajia shall stay here temporarily. Ill tell Bain to look after her and Ill consider you, Royan, havepleted a task for the HerdersYou will be paid handsomely, not in Crossing Coins, but cash. What do you say?
Okay, Kieran nodded.
After knowing the witchcraft practitioners woulde looking for an offering, Kieran already had the idea of making Li Jiajia stay. She represented a bait that could be recycled multiple times, hence providing him with many more corresponding spoils. The appearance of [Hound Ring] excited Kieran a lot.
There was no reason for him to reject the suggestion and although he had a very low requirement of materialistic needs, keeping the restaurant running with better food was also a decent idea, so he didnt mind.
More so, Starbeck also needed more money to buy clothes for the winter.
Ill leave her in your hands then, Bain will do his best to help you.
The old Huai Cuike stood up and smiled after Kierans agreement.
The other Herders also left after saying goodbye politely, except for Bain.
The Herders werent exactly free and unupied. Even if they had their respective assistant helping them, they would not leave their own sector for a long time. Even in the day, they tended to stand guard in their own sector, unless there was some special mission.
Other than the master bedroom, there are a few more rooms on the second floor, you guys can choose whichever one suits you. But try to walk with lightsteps and keep it quiet. I usually sleep around seven in the morning and wake up at three in the afternoon, so if theres nothing of importance, dont knock on my door.
Kieran locked the door after the Herders left, pulling the plug out of the telephone line while he reminded the two new tenants.
Li Jiajia nodded, stating that she understood, so did Bain.
Unlike Li Jiajia, Bain did not go up and choose his room.
Ill sleep here then, Bain pointed at the main floor.
As you like.
Kieran nced over the man, understood Bain was considering safety. He did not tell Bain that he had eyes better than a mere outpost, so after nodding, Kieran went back up.
He quietly snuck back into his room, Starbeck still soundly asleep.
As if Starbeck sensed Kierans return, he turned around and asked in a blurry voice, You are back?
Yeah, its fine now. Go back to sleep.
...
At three in the afternoon, Starbeck automatically woke up.
He slowly opened his eyes and saw Kieran was already up.
Morning, Starbeck greeted Kieran beside the bed out of habit.
Em, morning. Weve gained two extra tenants.
Kieran greeted and then briefly exined Li Jiajia and Bains arrival.
Having extra ie is also good, Starbeck smiled, his eyes curved like the crescent moon.
Starbeck truly weed the two new tenants who brought extra ie to Leaf Dining, because it would mean more money for him to buy better ingredients, hence cooking better food for Kieran.
After both of them cleaned up and headed down, Li Jiajia and Bain were already sitting in the lobby. Kieran introduced everyone before Starbeck went into the kitchen and got busy.
Kieran sat in his seat, took out the map of Ai City he bought yesterday, and started to examine it.
Ai City was divided into 4 major sectors, North, East, South, West; each major sector has 11 minor sectors in it.
Kierans eyes were looking at the North Sector.
Unlike the rather peaceful East Sector, the slums which gangs roamed were located in the North Sector, a hot spot for monstrous gatherings too.
It was also Kierans next target.
After reaping a harvest in the East Sector and unsealing his strength a little, Kieran would not just sit back and watch the other three sectors.
Even more so when he got verification from Huai Cuike about the so-called offering ceremony. Kieran felt urged.
Of course Kieran didnt want to meet those things in this kind of situation but he understood change was constant and being prepared for everything was the best he could do.
After he carefully examined all the sectors in the North Sector, a thought bloomed in his mind and was sent out to Bloody Mary on the roof. Bloody Mary then went off.
After that?
Kieran waited patiently, wiping the tables, chairs, and counters and even cleaning the floor.
Although he wasnt expecting a lot of customers, since he was the owner of the restaurant, he hoped to work in a clean environment.
While he was working, he was also listening to Bain and Li Jiajias conversation.
When facing those monsters, the most important thing is to ovee fear! When you ovee your fear, youve already won a quarter, Bain said with his index finger sticking up.
What about the other three quarters? Fight them? Li Jiajia asked.
No! Fighting them is thest resolve, 50% of the three quarters is to persuade them with words, Bain shook his head.
Persuade? Can monsters be persuaded? Li Jiajia was surprised.
Of course! The dangerous ones arent as many as you think, most of the spirits are in a very confused, helpless state. They are lost in front of death, so we need to guide them with our words and solve their problems with our sincerity, Bain exined.
So if the talking does not work in the end, the fightinges in? Li Jiajia asked.
No! Because with my patience, all of the spirits will have their problems solved! There will be no need to fight each other! Bain said confidently.
After that, Bain borated on the points about persuasion.
Kieran listened to all of them, not reallymenting on Bains methods.
He didnt agree, but neither did he disagree.
Everyone had their own choices, nothing was truly good and bad.
Like now, Bain had obviously treated Li Jiajia as his apprentice, not a Weireist, and trained her. Without a doubt, Li Jiajias gift had moved Bain, or rather, Huai Cuike.
Simrly, given how gifted Li Jiajia was, she would know what Bains intentions were, yet she learned what he thought.
Kieran would never be a busybody in this, as long as it wouldnt affect him and Starbeck.
Time flew by fast, after the sky went dark, the aroma of rich mutton souping out from the kitchen and Kieran put the little ckboard outside.
Unlike previous nights where customers hardly came in, after the ckboard was ced outside tonight, the first customer promptly arrived.
His unusual looks and cold presence stated who he really was.
I need help. Someone told me I can get help here. Im dead, I know I am dead but what should I do now? Will I still have a life? Is it good to wander around aimlessly? If so, whats the difference? Ive been aimless all my life! Will my wife and kids miss me? Where are they?
...
The dead spirit sat in front of Kieran amidst the relentless, incoherent gibberish.
Though before Kieran said anything, Bain signaled him with winks, meaning Leave this to me!
Kieran remained quiet and watched Bain bring Li Jiajia over.
Death is a new start. You may feel lost at the start but let me help you adapt, Bain spoke softly.
Beside him, Li Jiajia widened her eyes, in hopes of capturing every single detail in the practical lesson.
Help me? Will you give me a house? Money?
The relentlessly dead spirit asked back.
The dead dont need a house or money. You should figure out what you truly seek, and only with those answers can you go to the farawaynd, Bain exined.
But I want a big house, I want a lot of money! I want a yacht, a private jet with the cutest girls on it, and...
The relentless dead spirit spilled out his unreasonable requests quickly.
All those are just materialistic thoughts, you are already dead... But I want them when Im alive, so I should be obsessed with those after I die, right?
The dead spirit interrupted Bain and questioned him with unreasonable words.
You can say that, but...
Do you want all of those?
Bain was cut off again and this time, the words rendered Bain speechless, because he really wanted the good things in life!
Arent you people helping the dead fulfill ourst wish so that you can exorcise us? Fulfill my wish, send me to the farawaynd!
The dead spirit looked at Bain with anticipation.
Under the anticipated gaze, Bain subconsciously turned away, looking rather guilty.
The dead spirit looked at Li Jiajia.
Li Jiajia wasnt even an official apprentice, she felt even more lost than the dead spirit.
Bang!
The dead spirit mmed the table angrily at their reaction.
Liars! You are all liars! I will tear this ce apar...
Pak!
A cleap pping noiseter, the dead spirit was silenced.
Kieran pped the dead spirit on the face with his sword back.
The dead spirit was sent spinning in the air before falling back on the floor.
Kieran followed the spinning dead spirit like its shadow, using the back of [Sharp Standard-Issued de] to p its face.
House? Money?
Pak, pak pak!
Yacht? Private jet? Cute girls!?
Pak, pak pak!
Do you feel them now?
Pak, pak pak!
[Sharp Standard-Issued de] kept pping the dead spirit, moving in a flurry and creating afterimages in its trail. The dead spirit tried to resist but before it could, it was pped back on the floor.
A few more roundster, the dead spirit cried out loud.
Stop! Stop! Dont p me anymore! I know Im wrong! I shouldnt wish for free food from the sky! But can I go see my wife and my kids? the dead spirit cried loudly.
Thats not free food from the sky?
How could a bastard like you have a wife and kids? Stop dreaming, know your own limits, idiot!
Pak, pak pak!
The ps from the sword continued and the dead spirit eyes turned dull, as if it had lost the meaning of bing a ghost. It slowly disintegrated into firefly light and floated to the farawaynd.
Kieran then put away his sword and returned to the bar counter.
Bain looked at Kieran with a jaw-dropping look.
Li Jiajia was deep in thought, feeling like she had found the right way to exorcise the dead.
Chapter 1657 - Satisfaction
Chapter 1657: Satisfaction
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The day in the North Sector was rather peaceful, the streets at night lit up brightly.
The lights werent from streetmps but neon signs.
Rows and rows of little houses had colorful neon signs installed at the front. It wasnt to shed light over the road but it acted as a sign for the locals of the North Sector.
The red and yellow stripes represented gambling spot.
The red and blue stripes represented tobo stores.
The red and pink represented brothels.
The purely red represented the cleaners, cleaning the things, or people, that shouldnt be around.
Each color represented a different meaning. It may seem weird for outsiders but it was obvious for the Northerners.
A few patrol cruisers parked at the entrance of North Sector punctually, the patrolling officers ncing over everything in the North Sector with disgust and helplessness but keeping quiet.
The authorities had tried to clean up the North Sector before but the results had been less than ideal.
Things would clean up during raids and spot checks, but it wouldst for two to three days before everything returned to the way it was before. The city council of Ai City had tried many times in the past, but after losing a councilman, a station director, two superior officers and more than 30 officers, they gave up. They changed their policy of clean up to watchan outpost was set outside and the whole North Sector was isted, anyone who wished to in or out would have to go through serious checkings.
As for what happened inside?
It was all up to the local Northerners, they were responsible for themselves.
Given what had happened in the past, as time flew by, the situation with the North Sector grew moreplicated. The messy streets, the short houses in rows, gangs that reproduced like cockroaches, it had slowly be awlessnd.
A lot of wanted criminals deemed it heaven; most of themon civilians viewed it as hell on earth, all except Danis.
Danis was a typical born and bred Northerner. He had no idea who his father was, his mother was a prostitute, and the closest person to him was a pimp.
After his prostitute mother died of illness, he ended up as a low level gang member.
He ate the cheapest food everyday, indulged in the worse quality of drugs and weeds and slept in the worst brothel.
Whenever his boss needed him, hed go out; whenever he was free, hed spend time in the gambling joints.
Today was a normal day, like any other. Danis had spent his whole afternoon and half a night at Old Harrys gambling joint.
The only thing different from usual was his luck. Danis had always sucked in gambling but this evening, he was winning non-stop.
In front of him were a few thick stacks of money.
From the biggest notes to the smallest change, it was attracting jealousy from the crowd.
Danis, however, wasnt a Mr. Good Guy either. He knew the rules very well as he was born here. He backhanded a bastard who tried to fish in the muddy waters, ands when the bastard fell on the ground, Danis stabbed the man in the stomach and then pulled it out right away.
Ssh!
The blood sprayed Danis face and the stack of money beside him.
He gazed at the crowd like a bloody, hungry wolf.
Everyone who saw his bloody face stepped away.
After he was left alone, he collected his money, stuffed it in his pocket, and wobbled to the next door.
Northerners had no habit of keeping money. Theyd spend whenever they got a penny, and that was what made them Northerners.
Danis went into the tobo shop, tossed half of what he won from next door on the table and yelled at the owner, Give me the best you have.
The owner didnt even hesitate, he counted the money and didnt even care about the blood on it, a box of weed brought out.
Unlike themon, low quality weed, the weed in this box was carefully selected and been through processing, at least 10% purer than others.
Danis took a heavy puff, his vision bing blurry as he leaned back spitting clouds of smoke.
Almost 20 minutester, Danis came back to his senses.
He shook his heavy head, feeling like shit, as if he had fallen down from the clouds.
He wanted another round, but he remembered the promised time to meet that person. Danis clenched his teeth and kept his weed before he wobbled away.
He didnt even have to recognize the way, he followed the neons signs and soon reached the rather secluded ce, even for Northerners.
There was no gambling joint, no tobo store, no brothels, nothing except for a big area of broken down buildings. Maybe this ce was once the base for some gang, maybe another gang woulde upy this ce in the future, but for now, it was empty.
It was considered secluded whenever a ce had no people, so the Northerners thought and so did Danis.
If it wasnt for the trade, he would note to this worn down ce.
ording to the persons orders, Danis walked around the two most front buildings, had to spend some time in recognizing the ce in front of the third building before he finally located the underground entrance behind a pile of garbage.
Danis walked in without knocking, no one in the North knocks.
Danis had never knocked on a door his entire life. After he managed to sneak into an empty house, his habit stayed until now.
He assumed his no-knocking was his source of good luck.
The basement was darker and colder than expected.
There was only an oilmp in the corner and with that weak light source, Danis saw the person he was looking for: a man with a broken windcoat and a fedora.
The fedora covered most of the mans face, only exposing his bearded chin.
Hey mate, how did you do it? My luck today is off the charts! Danis walked closer.
Some little tricks, the man said in a heavy voice.
Can you teach me? Danis asked on behalf of his greed.
Its hard, you wont be able to learn it all, the man shook his head.
Danis smiled, he smiled like a jackal curled up its lips, baring its sharp teeth.
That little knife tainted with blood appeared in his hand.
What about now?
Danis twisted his wrist in a circle, the bloody knife drawing a perfect circle in the air with the light from the oilmp, showing of his skills in handling a knife.
Now?
The man in the fedoraughed like he had expected this and strode towards Danis.
Stop! STOP, you f*cker! I told you to stop! Do you think Im joking!?
Danis shouted at the man, and when he realized the man had no intention of stopping, he thrust his knife at the man.
The life in the North told Danis it was important to strike first, so it was natural that he didnt hold back.
His knife managed to stab the mans body, so he looked at the man with a menacing look, but the menace was reced by horror.
He realized he couldnt pull his knife out and the mans body was sucking the dagger, the suction force also dragging Danis closer to the mans body.
Danis wanted to let go but his hand was somehow glued to the hilt. He couldnt let go.
What was worse was that even his throat was glued together, he couldnt even make a sound.
All he could do was watch as his sight turned ck and his body got sucked into the mans body.
Until death, Danis had no idea what happened.
What a nice appetizer.
The man in the fedora spat out Danis shirt and shoes before hemented.
The man was looking forward to his main course.
...
Sitting on hisfortable sofa while crossing his legs without any shoes on, Hollun was cutting his nails.
Behind him were two bodyguards on both sides, like a door guardian protecting him.
Beneath his feet was Rope, crawling in shivers, like every single gambler who was brought to Hollun.
Rope, you sold your wife for 1,500, your son for 1,000 and despite all that, you still owe me another 17K, what are you going to do about the money? Hollun said in a leisurely manner.
I...I...
Rope wanted to exin but he had lost everything he had, there wasnt even a dime in his pocket now.
His life?
The most worthless thing in the North Sector was a human life.
Look, Im a reasonable guy, Ill give you a chance. I am going to bring you to a ce and as long as you can get rid of the person there, Ill wipe away your debt, whatd you say? Hollun asked.
OKAY! Rope answered very quickly as he had no other options left.
If he said no, he would die.
If he said yes, at least he would live longer.
As for the person that Hollun wanted Rope to kill?
Consider himself a bad luck.
Hollun smiled and waved his hand, the woman beside Hollun helping him put on his shoes and then Hollun himself stood up, walking outside.
Rope followed tightly behind.
They boarded a car and drove all the way to a deserted building area.
Hollun looked at the deserted area with a passionate gaze.
Compared to his current ce, this deserted area was much more suitable for development. All he needed to do was upy this ce, furnish it up, and he could rope himself bigger earnings in the North Sector.
Of course, before his ns could work, he had to satisfy the local rascal.
Inside, Hollun pointed at the door behind the pile of garbage.
Rope got a knife from the bodyguard and walked towards his destination.
Oh, I forgot to tell you, your wife and kids are inside also, and if you are quick enough, maybe you can see them, alive.
Hollun told Rope when he was about to push the door open.
When Rope turned around and red at Hollun with a grudgeful gaze, Hollun couldnt hold back his sneers and evil smile.
Rope then disappeared beyond the door and the sneers and theughter got heavier.
A gambler still wants to be a good husband and father? What a lousy joke!
Hollun said and started to calcte the time.
Minutester, he strode to the door with the bodyguards behind him.
Hollun never believed in the so-called promise, he only believed in himself.
After he saw the man with the broken wind coat and fedora inside the room, Hollun gave the signal and told his men to seize advantage position against the man.
Like what we agreed upon, this ce is mine, Hollun didnt ask where Rope went.
Like all the garbage he threw before Rope, he never asked and never cared. He only cared about his own gains and benefits.
Yes, its yours then.
The man in wind coat then walked to the corner and wanted to pick the oilmp up but one of Holluns men blocked him.
The man turned to Hollun.
I said this ce is mine, including that oilmp and also... You! Hollun said seriously.
Like what we agreed upon, you can already get what you seek. the man in the fedora said.
Yes, I am acting on the agreement, everything here is mine! Hollun asked.
You are really a viin from the bones! But its the kind that I am waiting for, I am eager to taste you! the man said.
Is that so? Me too, Hollun said.
The bodyguard that had been hiding behind him jumped out and pulled out a methrower, pointing it at the man.
Fuaaaaa!
A fiery breath engulfed the man instantly.
Since I said I want this ce, I came prepared, otherwise...
Then did you think I came unprepared to deal with a viin like you?
Hollun looked at the man in fire,ughing coldly, but it ceased shortly after as a familiar yet strange voice sounded behind him.
The familiar feeling was because the person behind him was his best man, thats why Hollun assigned his man to protect his back and deliver the fatal blow.
The strange thing was, his best man suddenly spoke in a weird way and without a second though, Hollun jumped forward, but it was toote!
Fuaaa!
The fire from the methrower engulfed Hollun whole and together with the men he brought, everyone was lit up into a human torch.
After burning all the others, Holluns best man turned off the methrower and rammed into the wall like a mad bison.
St!
The mans head burst after a loud thump.
Its not original but I dont mind having a roasted meal. I thought you were smarter than the others, but too bad... I guess I have to find myself my next coborator.
The man in the broken wind coat and fedora walked out from the shadow, sighing heavily.
Despite the sigh, he did not spare the burning bodies and consumed all of them.
The man picked up the oilmp and the mes in the room, including those burning the bodies of Hollun and his men, were all absorbed into the oilmp. The charred bodies all fell to the ground after the mes were absorbed.
Every single one of them were then sucked into the mans mouth, even the bodyguard with the methrower.
The man pulled his fedora down a bit, sighing in satisfaction, and then held the oilmp in his hand as he walked out with a good moon.
Pak!
The moment the man opened the door, a sharp re shed.
A de perforated his throat.
Chapter 1658 - Differences
Chapter 1658: Differences
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The man in the wind coat and fedora widened his eyes in disbelief at the ck figure in front of him.
When did...
His throat moved a few times, wanting to voice his question but [Acard Knife]s Powerful attack and attribute [Soul Hunt]plemented each other well, boosting its attack to Extreme and also inflicting a fatal blow to the man. All the man could do was raise his hand at Kieran in shivers, but before his finger could touch Kieran, his body started to crumble.
Fuuuuu.
A powerful wind blew into the underground room, like a hurricane happening in a limited space, translucent souls appearing one after another.
There were a lot of them, standing together and ovepping, making them look like sardines in cans at first nce.
Most of the translucent souls were in a daze, their eyes dull and their flimsy bodies fragile, like mist itself.
Some of them were soaking in fear, looking at each other and Kieran in fear.
Each one of them floated in the air, wailing, screaming, shouting their lungs out.
Despite their wails, nothing was heard, yet the silent voiced souls trembled.
Spirit authentication popped up one after another in Kierans vision, he raised a brow and plunged [Acard Knife] into the first translucent soul that screamed.
Tsssk!
The stab produced violent sizzles, like water being poured over a hot iron te. After smoke rose, that soul was weakened down to the point that even the wind could carry it away.
All the other souls stopped wailing right away, looking at Kieran in fear and it kept growing.
Kieran then said, with extra emphasis on each and every word, Now you all are free, so go to the ce where you should go. NOW! RIGHT AWAY! IMMEDIATELY!
His powerful tone pressured the souls.
They looked at each other in hesitation. Then, one child moved, turning into light particles and floating away. Anotherdy followed right away.
More light particles floated away, and like falling dominoes, the rest of the souls turned into light particles and floated away, even those who were at a loss for action.
Countless lights of the firefly converged and shed light over the area of deserted buildings.
The Northerners watched the lit up area in confusion.
Many curious and busybody fes ran to the light to have a look but the majority stayed behind and watched from afar.
Those who knew what the lights represented were pale and horrified.
Some of them even ran to the most prosperous street of the North and before they even reached the short houses filled with neon lights, one of them was already screaming, Lord Yutenta! Lord Yutenta!
After a few calls, a huge man, bare top even inte autumn, squeezed himself out of one of the short houses.
I got it, I got it, whats all the fuss about?
A huge, fat man with a pugnacious look stared down at the few men angrily.
These few men who were considered big shots in the North trembled under the re from the fat man.
Im sorry, Lord Yutenta, but...
I said I got it. If you people want to live longer, stay away from that, the fat man then squeezed himself back to the house. A yfulugh from women then came out from the door.
The few men outside the house obviously knew this fat mans temper, so they didnt disturb him anymore. They then ran back to their own turf and started to warn their man, pulling them away from the light.
Meanwhile inside the small house, Yutenta lifted his head up from the girls for a nce outside the door.
Where did this bastarde from, killing off Fedora like that? Its not wise to step on his tail, I wont risk my life for this. Thankfully Ive sent Linda to the South, otherwise it would be troublesome!
Yutenta grumbled in a muffled voice before it was reced by a pervertedughter, then he buried his head back into the girls.
...
Back at the deserted building area, more and more Northerners gathered around and it wasnt good news to fellow Northerners.
There was no such thing as living together in peace between Northerners, anyone in the north could fight one another for a bottle of beer. They probably had more enemies than friends.
Soon, among the busybody viewers, someone spotted their own enemy.
Quietly, a knife was pulled out, the man walked over and stabbed his enemy in the back of the waist.
Remember the bottle of beerst month? Didnt expect me to...
The man with the knifeughed coldly at his enemy falling to the ground, baffled by confusion, the mans heart was filled with joy but before he finished, a wind blew from the back of his head.
Fung! Bang!
The man with the knife didnt even have the space to dodge and he was smashed on the back of his head.
He copsed on the ground without even making a noise.
Another man with a stick did not let the man with a knife go, aiming at the weak spots and beating them in a flurry.
Bang Bang Bang!
The metal baseball bat was smashed on the man with a knife, heavy thuds together with bone-cracking noise instantly attracting all the other Northerners in the area.
Compared to those confusing lights from the buildings, the Northerners were used to these kinds of brutal noises.
Even more so when more men noticed their own enemy, rivals, and some worthy targets in the crowd.
There were no signs, no prologue or whatsoever, all they needed was a gaze, or a disdainful smile, and a messy fight broke out.
Screams and shing noises sent the deserted building area into mours.
However, several of the biggest gangs in the north did not participate in the messy fight, neither did they try to fish in muddy waters. They sat back like an obedient kind and hid in their own dens.
They were not cowards or had no intentions to fight, but their boss forbade them from getting near. They didnt assume their boss was too weak or scared though, anyone who earned the title boss was known for his boldness and brutal fights. Those who could live long enough to enjoy life in the north were the most cunning of human beings.
Every singleckey thought their boss had some ns in their heads, so every one of them waited in anticipation, rubbing their palms in eagerness.
Beyond theckeys eyes though, their boss paled and trembled in fear.
Damn it!
Bastard!
Those idiots, have they no brains?!
Why did they divide the cleaners?
Do they really want to clean up the ce?
One of the bosses shouted angrily at his special-made walkie-talkie.
If they have brains, we wont get to perform.
A voice full of contempt came from the other side of the walkie-talkie, followed by several differentughs.
Do you think those things will show?
One of the voices asked through the walkie-talkie and it immediately silenced theughter.
What does it have to do with us? As long as we stay away from that ce and go out in the day, we will be fine. Besides, decreasing the number of men is also good for us, Im heavily provokedtely, the voice of contempt said again.
Me too!
Yeah, thats right.
The boss who got so angry at first also nodded in agreement with the voice.
Duen, the owner of the voice of contempt, looked even more contemptuous.
A bunch of short-sighted fes!
They have seen this kind of supernatural transcendent power yet they are willing to stay in their own turf and do nothing to seize the chance.
The conversation through the walkie-talkie ended soon.
Duen locked his walkie-talkie into the safe.
The North Sector has its own rules.
However, no one would expect the rules were set using a mere walkie-talkie and what more astonishing was the bosses who treated each other like arch-rivals had teamed up in the dark.
Duen, who worked his hands up the alliance between the bosses, was very happy with the result.
He thought he had reached the peak of his life, that was until he saw that lord and before he got in contact with the mystical powers.
Duen checked his safe again. Even though he had no more concerns about this alliance that he had cooked up, he wouldnt just let go of his advantages.
After making sure it was safe, he walked into the secret room beside the safe.
Unlike his extravagant office, the secret room was simple. There were no extra decorations, only a concrete floor with a magical formation, plus the required ingredients ced in it.
Duen walked into the middle of the magical formation and started to mutter the incantations.
A whileter, a body buried deep underground moved.
...
The killing continued, Kieran standing on the top of the building and watching.
Every man for himself.
Only a few grouped up together, but that didnt mean they would secure the upper hand. Quite the contrary, after such a group was noticed, the other solo fighters would team up and tear the group apart before they went back to their own fights.
There were no rules, the main weapons were cleavers and sticks, while chains and knives were used as support.
Some who lost their weapons continued to fight with the bricks they picked up, and those who failed even to pick up a brick fought with their bare hands.
No doubt, those who were in this messy fight fought in a barbaric way, using whatever they could get their hands on.
As the men fought like barbarians, chaos and death intertwined and created a gruesome show.
A whileter, the whole area was filled with bodies.
At least a hundred men had lost their lives.
Blood painted the area red.
Kieran watched coldly, waiting for his opponent to make a move.
ording to Bloody Marys intel, the monster, known as Fedora, who he had killed earlier, was one of two notorious bastards in the North Sector.
The other one was War Ghost.
Unlike Fedora, who was rather inconspicuous and preferred toy low, War Ghost had a much higher profile.
He would appear in every big scale fight and kill everyone, regardless of ally or enemy.
He knows no tiredness and pain.
War Ghost, as his title suggested, was a battle fanatic in the battlefield, going into a frenzy rampage until he killed the veryst person on the battlefield.
The legend surrounding War Ghost was so well known that one wouldnt even need to find out from the monsters, other civilians in the North knew him as well.
Given how unusual his title was, Kieran kept an eye out for this War Ghost, he would be even more vignt when facing such an opponent. That was why he chose to take out Fedora first, he had to further unseal his power and as a matter of fact, the situation at hand was better than he expected.
Fedora, who was already a legend in the North, had consumed souls far more than Kieran could imagine and after he exorcised those souls, his attributes were unsealed again.
Spirit was still stuck at A- but the others, Strength, Agility, Constitution, Intuition had reached A- together.
The night breeze blew.
Kieran again used the breathing method from Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art to adjust and adapt to his stronger body.
Suddenly, something beneath the building caught his attention.
A gigantic, buff person in armor appeared.
The armor covered most of the persons body, including the head, the face and the weak spots.
No one had seen the face underneath the helmet before and it seemed like the heavy armor did not hinder the persons movements at all.
The moment the person appeared, he started to run, like a rhino charging into battle.
Bang Bang Bang!
Everyone in his path was knocked away, suffering from broken bones and torn muscles.
The armored giant was like a paintbrush painting a straight line on the canvas, or a knife cutting through a tofu, his charge through the battlefield divided it into two.
When the armored giant turned around, the whole messy battlefield fell into silence.
Secondster, a shock cry sounded, War Ghost! Run!
The cry sounded like a signal for everyone to run and scatter, the boldness of killing each other was gone.
War Ghosts legend in the North was too scary and widely known.
One man rivaled a hundred, or even a thousand.
Such an unbelievable legend became a fact of War Ghost, hence everyone believed it without hesitation.
Therefore, theres a saying that every Northerner agrees with: never fight, never resist, when encountering the War Ghost.
Running away had be a standard reaction, no one wouldugh at you for doing so.
Quite the contrary, those who could escape War Ghosts grasp would earn admiration from the Northerners and weed words like lucky or lifes on your side.
A lot of people tried to outrun the War Ghost but all were shredded to pieces but the stampede, like now...
Tssssst!
War Ghost reached out to the man nearest to him and tore the man in half like ripping a piece of paper in two.
After a semi-circr motion, War Ghost threw two half a body out left and right.
Bang bang!
Two loud and heavy thudster, several running men were mmed to the ground.
War Ghostughed in a profound manner, he didnt go after the running men, instead he went over to those who fell down.
Those who fell and managed to get up would run again for their lives and those who failed?
Theyd cling onto those who ran.
The Northerners had nothing like sacrificing for the better good or helping a friend in desperate times.
Even if I die, Ill drag you down to hell with me, thats the true creed of the Northerners.
Those who were dragged down by their enemy struggled fiercely, theyd punch and kick the burden away and as War Ghost closed in on them, they went all out and disregarded all consequences.
An unknownugh came from under the helmet again, War Ghost enjoying this kind of moment.
A prey had no meaning if it was killed directly; ying with them and teasing them was the most enjoyable way.
By torturing, War Ghost grew stronger.
Come on!
Come on!
More! More power! More transcendent power!
The urge in his heart raised his foot over the men, War Ghost wanted to crush the bones of his prey with his stomp but just as he raised his foot, a ck figure descended from the sky and stepped on him first.
BANG!
War Ghosts fat, heavy body was stomped into the ground.
A sharp knife was stabbed into the seams of the armor.
St!
Thick, smelly, ck blood gushed out of the helmet, but War Ghost didnt stop struggling after being stabbed. He reached his hands out and tried to catch Kieran, but Kieran was faster, the sword in his hand ring and shing over the seams at War Ghosts elbow armor.
Then the waist, followed by the knee.
When Kierannded on War Ghosts chest, all War Ghost could do was wriggle like a fat, helpless worm.
Kierans attack didnt stop there, he was just getting started.
Chapter 1659 - Go Along
Chapter 1659: Go Along
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
sh after sh, [Acard Knife] in Kierans hand was like a precision cutting tool, cutting the sharpest diamond. Each shnded precisely on the seam of the armor, inflicting the most direct damage to War Ghost.
Soon, War Ghosts struggle was reduced to a wriggle, and eventually gone altogether.
As for his screams?
Kieran had silenced him a while ago when he shed his throat with the knife.
Kieran continued to cut War Ghost sh by sh, torturing the monster with [Acard Knife].
The Northerners who were running away stopped, watching the jaw-dropping scene with astonishment.
What is this?
He defeated War Ghost and is torturing him?!
How is this possible?
Disbelief filled the Northerners faces, the scene uneptable for them, likewise one of the bosses of the North Sector who controlled War Ghost.
Impossible! This is impossible!?
The boss screamed loudly in his secret room.
He could not believe that War Ghost, a fearsome monster who was immune to guns and explosives, was being tortured by a little knife.
Stand up! STAND THE F*CK UP! TEAR HIM TO SHREDS!
The boss screamed out of anger as his mind was reading the incantations but it was useless.
The joints on War Ghosts physical body were all destroyed, he was like a puppet without strings. Even if War Ghost could reply to the boss, he couldnt perform any actions.
Bang!
The boss punched the floor angrily, his knuckle bleeding but he didnt care.
He knew his War Ghost had failed.
I knew remaking War Ghost was too difficult! Even with the geographical advantages, its hard to achieve the peak level. Maybe I should... UGH!
The boss was mumbling to himself but before he finished, a small dagger was stabbed into the back of his neck.
The knifes stabbing angle was very delicate, avoiding the neck bones and piercing through the soft spots, going out from the boss mouth.
St!
Blood gushed out from the boss mouth, he widened his eyes at the figure behind him and fell to the ground.
He didnt die just yet, his stronger-than-average vitality allowing him to hold on for a little longer, but the longer he clinged to life, the more he had to suffer.
The figure that appeared behind the boss simply took away a test tube from the boss pocket in his jacket.
The figure even removed the bangle from the boss hand.
Dont look at me like that. These things arent that secretive to me, I can simply sense it if I want, let alone if you keep checking these things, Bloody Mary said with a delighted smile.
H-H-How...did you f-find me?
The boss wasnt speaking from his mouth anymore, it came from his stomach, like some kind of ventriloquism.
Its simple. I asked the people around about the War Ghost, then I found out it isnt the legendary living being that it used to be, so someone must have controlled it from behind. The person who controlled the War Ghost wanted it to arrive at the battlefield with perfect timing, so this person must know a thing or two about the North Sector, Bloody Mary continued with a smile.
You found me based on that ?! the boss was not buying what Bloody Mary said.
Of course not, but to locate you is also simple. With a puppet like War Ghost in hand, not many Northerners would continue to stay in the north, everyone wants to leave this shithole. Even if this someone wanted to power up the War Ghost, he should have temporarily changed his living environment for the better, but based on what I found out, theres no one in the north that fits the criteria. Adding in the perfectly timed appearance of War Ghost, theres only one possibility left: this person must have already changed his life for the better and is living decently in the North Sector. So given all those clues, how hard is it to find you? Bloody Mary asked.
Its not hard! But... you talk too much!
The bossughed coldly, and then...
Bang!
The boss stomach burst, a monster with the body of a baby and the head of a rat jumping out from the hole and throwing itself towards Bloody Mary.
Bloody Mary stood there without moving a muscle, as if it was frightened terribly, allowing the monster to jump to its face.
But just as the monster was about to push itself down, Bloody Mary showed a delightful smile.
Shit!
The monsters heart skipped a beat, its jumping forward posture immediately defying thew of physics, freezing in mid air before swiftly flying backwards, drawing distance from Bloody Mary.
Though... nothing happened, no sudden ambush, no unexpected change, only a smiling Bloody Mary standing there.
You bluff me!?
The monster yelled and threw itself at Bloody Mary again, but before it got to Bloody Mary, it went back again.
Nothing happened during the second time either.
The monster looked at Bloody Mary with a doubtful and anxious gaze.
It didnt know whether Bloody Mary was bluffing or it really had some tricks under its sleeve.
If there were tricks, why wasnt it activated?
Did Bloody Mary see through the monsters action?
If it was a bluff?
Bloody Mary was too calm, wasnt its acting a little too good?
On the other hand, Bloody Marys smile remained after the monster retreated twice, yet deep down in its heart, it was praying non-stop, rushing Kieran.
BOSS, HURRY UP! I CANT HOLD IT ANY LONGER!
It was at this time, the monster threw itself at Bloody Mary a third time and this time, it didnt coward out anymore. It stuck its tiny, sharp w out to test Bloody Mary.
Bloody Mary kept away its smile, put on its serious look and raised the little dagger in its hand up high.
GOD SLAYER SLASH!
Its loud yell echoed in the room.
The monster with its sharp w stuck out retreated right away.
There IS a trap!
Lucky I am careful enough!
Dont you dare bluff me!
The monster thought in its head, and while it was watching Bloody Mary with the utmost caution, Bloody Mary turned around and ran for it.
The monster jolted, a heavy insult rising from its heart and attacking its mind.
HOW DARE YOU BLUFF ME!
Infuriated, the monster chased after Bloody Mary.
Finally, the angry monster didnt hold back anymore, its sharp ws went through Bloody Marys chest but the empty feeling caused the monster to jolt again.
Although Bloody Mary was also greatly weakened by the system, it retained some of its special traits. It may not be what it was during its prime, but its current state of power was enough to deal with this little monster.
Bloody Mary neglected the sharp w through its chest and raised its little dagger again.
GOD SLAYER SLASH!
Trying to fool me again? Do you think it will work this time?!
The monsterughed repeatedly, did this bloody bastard really take it as a fool?
It was enough to be tricked once, did this bastard really think it will fall for it a third time?
Stop underestimating me!
The monster raised its other w without further ado, it did not believe Bloody Mary was truly an undead.
If its attack could umte to a certain limit, it would surely kill this insulting bastard.
The monster dished out its ws again.
Another sharp knife quietly approached the monster.
Just as the monster plunged its ws into Bloody Marys chest again, the sharp knife went through its ugly head.
St!
The monsters body trembled violently, trying to struggle, but it was futile as its head was stabbed by a knife.
Kieran slightly twisted his wrist and opened the monsters head, prying out its brain.
The monsters brain burst, Kieran stepping back to avoid the whites and reds.
Bloody Mary turned illusive to avoid the spilling brains.
After its brain and body fell on the floor, a lit up molotov cocktail was tossed on it.
Aaaaargh!
The supposedly dead monster suddenly screamed in excruciating pain.
Its body swiftly burned to cinders by the fire, but despite that, Kieran still used [Acard Knife] to check it carefully, making sure the rat faced monster was truly dead.
Bloody Mary stood straight beside Kieran, remaining as quiet as it could, not daring to even breath loudly.
This isnt being scared!
Why should I be scared of my own boss?
I just dont want to disturb the boss!
Thats right, I dont want to disturb him.
Bloody Mary got used toforting itself and when Kieran turned to it, it took out the test tube and the bangle that it got earlier with both its hands.
Inside the test tube was a 20ml red liquid.
[Name: Healing Potion (Witchcraft)]
[Type: Potion]
[Rarity: Great]
[Attribute: Heal Lethal damage once]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: No]
[Remark: This is a special potion crafted by a certain master in the Witchcraft Sect,bining it with the traditional witchcraft and potionology. It has miraculous power and can save your life in a critical moment!]
...
The bangle was thoroughly ck, on the surface was ayer of white bones carving. When both ends of the carving converged, it looked like a skeleton lying down, or rather the bones of a beast.
[Name: Soul Keeper Bangle]
[Type: essory]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: Strong]
[Attribute: 1. Keep; 2. Rear]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: Spirit D]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: No]
[Remark: Souls are irreceable, indispensable ingredient for witchcraft practitioners, so they figured out ways to keep the souls intact and fresh. The Soul Keeper Bangle is created for this purpose, but it already a decent item to begin with.]
...
[Keep: Keep wandering souls (Kept souls has to go through a Spirit authentication no lower than D rank. Failed and the souls will be kept in the bangle) 372/400]
[Rear: The kept souls can go through a certain rituals or rear them to achieve certain goals.]
[Note: Rear requires Master level Mystical Knowledge Witchcraft.]
...
Kieran examined the two items, then put [Healing Potion (Witchcraft)] into a reachable position his backpackhe bought the outdoor backpack in the supermarket, it wasnt as useful as his original storage items, but better than none.
He then chose to release the souls from the bangle without a second thought.
Arge group of souls appeared in the room.
Unlike the souls devoured by Fedora, these souls were rather clear-minded and able tomunicate through words.
It became easy conversing with the souls since Kieran was holding [Soul Keeper Bangle].
Go, go to the ce that you should be going, Kieran said.
Yes, my lord.
Thank you my lord.
Words of gratitude sounded from this group of souls and arge area of light particles floated away, to the farawaynd.
What followed was the notification, telling Kieran about his enhancement.
[Spirit broke through ayer of seal, increased from A- A]
...
Exorcising almost 400 souls at once released Kieran from another Spirit seal. It was expected though, because before this, when Kieran reached rank A-, he had spent 200 Crossing Copper Coins, hence he got the hint from there.
When his mind got clearer, Kieran happily called Bloody Mary out of the room to carry a big bag.
Boss, what is this? Bloody Mary looked at the bag with a curious look.
The War Ghosts armor, Kieran answered.
You werete because you were busy stripping its armor?
When Bloody Mary thought its boss waste because of stripping the armor, it felt rather hurt.
It was lower than some armor?!
No.
Kieran shook his head decisively.
While Bloody Mary was feeling a little better, he added, I waste because I was carrying it.
Phew!
Bloody Mary took a deep breath, it tried to keep its smile even though its face was twitching.
The autumn wind in the night was cold.
It somehow thought of the West Coast again.
The warm, dazzling sun, thefortable, endless waves, that was its home, but... it could never return.
Nothing would ever be the same!
Looking at the back of the ck figure, Bloody Mary once again felt that its future will be as dark as the person it served, without a bit of light.
Do you feel any changes? Before going, Kieran asked Bloody Mary.
Changes? Bloody Mary flinched.
The contract between you and me has far exceeded this dungeon worlds limit. As I slowly recover my strength, you should too. Since the number of contracts is high enough, when you reach a certain threshold, you should be stronger, like I did, Kieran exined.
Huh? It sounds true! Its weak but I do feel strongerpared to the moment we came into this world, Bloody Mary examined its body before it said in surprise.
En.
Kieran nodded and walked away.
Bloody Mary followed him without a second thought.
What sun?
What sunshine?
What waves?
The Superior Demon was a being of darkness, it should be in darkness.
Staying around the boss was its best choice.
Kieran too smiled when he felt the joy from Bloody Mary through the contracts power.
Suddenly, he stopped. He quietly stepped into the shadow and Bloody Mary dived into the wall.
A few secondster, human figures appeared nearby.
Chapter 1660 - The Best Path
Chapter 1660: The Best Path
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The fat Yutenta Dako was walking behind two men with a helpless expression.
Truth be told, Yutenta had no intention to join any kind of events tonight.
After Fedora was killed, Yutenta felt something was wrong, and when War Ghost appeared in the messy gang fights, his bad feeling turned real.
Therefore, Yutenta had been an obedient fat guy and stayed in his little den but reality would never bend towards wishes.
While Yutenta was waiting for dawn in his little den, Hoen and Stina from the South Sector appeared and forced him to leave his safe house.
The closer they got, the more Yutenta felt in danger, like he was walking towards the den of a dragon, step by step.
He wasnt just scared, he was also having a hard time breathing.
I think its best for us to stop here, I have a feeling that if we keep going forward, we will be in danger! Yutenta stopped.
Feeling? Did you be a Herder based on your feelings?
The youngdy Stina mocked him.
Stina was wearing a set of leather armor with a sword at her waist, her hair tied into a ponytail. She didnt like Yutenta at all. Whenever she thought about their first meeting, Yutentas attitude angered her, making her want to draw the sword from her waist and cut his fatty meat away.
She really had no idea how Yutenta became a Herder with all that excessive fat.
Stina!
The other middle-aged man stopped his partner in an unpleasant tone. Hoen, who wore sses and dressed like a schr, looked at Yutenta and asked, Is the feeling strong?
Very strong! Its like walking towards the dragons den! Or a devil is waiting for us ahead! Yutenta nodded nervously.
The middle-aged man went into deep thought.
As the elite of the Southern Herders, Hoen knew Yutenta was actually much more useful and powerful than how he usually presented himself.
Otherwise, with that excessive fat, Yutenta would have vanished like the other Herders in the North Sector or died in the messy gang fights, not holding the position for more than 10 years.
Any Herders who held their position in a sector for more than 10 years should not be taken lightly.
The long duration represented the familiarity of the sector he was in charge of, knowing every single alley and hole in the sector like his own palm.
As for his strength?
Any Herder who managed to survive longer than 10 years would surely possess a certain level of strength. It was just that the Weireists around him had insufficient experience, thus leading to underestimation of Yutenta as a Herder.
Yutenta, what do you suggest? Hoen asked.
I suggest we go back where we came from, the fat Yutenta was being straight.
Hoen shook his head, sighing. You know thats not an option. As Herders, we have our duties to uphold.
Our DUTY is not to die! Yutenta emphasized.
The young Stina was even more displeased with Yutentas words, deeming the fat bastard a coward, an insult to the Herders.
Stina wanted to speak but Hoen beat her to it, Is there any other way?
Hoen sounded helpless.
Send someone in for reconnaissance! said Yutenta.
Stina widened her eyes in anger.
You want someone else to bear your risk?! You f*cking coward...
Stina!
Hoen yelled, stopping his assistant cum half a disciple from the rude words. He looked at Yutenta apologetically and dragged Stina aside, drawing some distance from Yutenta and unbeknownst to them, getting closer to Kieran, who was in the shadow.
He scolded her, Stina! Do you know what you are talking about?
Am I wrong? The youngdy didnt want to step down.
As a Herder who survived the North for more than a decade, Yutenta is the fittest candidate for the job. You have no idea what the North looked like before Yutenta came. I taught you before, do not simply speak without knowing the truth.
Hoen didnt give Stina the chance to argue, turning back to Yutenta.
Stina stomped angrily at her partner cum teachers back.
Is that unwillingness?
Do you feel angry?
Do you know why you feel this way?
Its because they are looking down on you!
They never realize your talents, nor will they understand your strength.
You need to prove yourself! Go! Go search for the truth yourself!
An unknown voice sounded in Stinas ears.
She should be rmed and cautious but anger got the best of her, thus lowering her guard.
Aside from that, she thought the voice in her head sounded very reasonable.
She nced over at Hoen and Yutenta, who were still discussing. Deciding to go alone, she quietly continued forward by herself.
However, from Kierans point of view, the youngdy behaved like a joke.
The funny thing was, the youngdy thought she was being stealthy but Yutenta had her in his eyes all the time. The fat Herder did not stop her though, even stopping Hoen from holding Stina back.
Kieran wouldnt ask and didnt want to know what this youngdy sought to do.
Whether it was the fat Herder who wanted to use this chance to teach this youngdy a lesson, or simply just wanted her to hit a stud, nothing mattered.
Kierans mission for the night waspleted, he even over-delivered and if he continued, he would fall short for overextending.
Even during his prime, Kieran was used to being vignt, let alone now when his strength was sealed. He knew how much he should reach out and maintain within an eptable limit.
His top priority was to unseal his strength as quick as possible while doing it inconspicuously.
Hooded, Kieran pulled his cor up over his nose, blocking his face even better with the hood over his head.
Foolingmoners werent hard with some facial cover, but fooling those with special abilities?
Nearly impossible.
After Kieran made sure the three Herders went off, he quickly returned to Leaf Dining.
He did not go in through the main door but the window on the second floor.
A Hound hidden in the shadow came out wagging its tail, sticking its tongue out at Kieran.
Go to Roye.
Kieran touched the Hound on the head and gave it a new order.
The Hound immediately ran out of the room.
In fact, not only this particr Hound, the other 4 Hounds who were guarding each corner of the restaurant converged on Starbeck also.
As for that Elite Hound?
It hasnt left Starbecks side from the start.
Kieran changed into some fresh clothes, walked down, and saw Starbeck put on the little ckboard outside.
The menu for tonight was lesser than before, only fried rice and chicken soup.
What happened to the main dish though?
Aside from Kieran eating most of it, the rest were fed to the Hounds by Starbeck.
Bain and Li Jiajia were still on the main floor, with Bain teaching Li Jiajia the ways of a Herder.
Remember, Hounds are a very scary kind of beast. They are created through witchcraft. Not only are they stronger than they look, they even move in packs. More importantly, theye and go like the wind. You wont know when they will pop up and tear your throat... Hey, Li Jiajia, are you listening? Bain was sharing his experience seriously.
Every senior in the Herders thought their juniors, disciple the same way. Bain went through the same learning when he was still a disciple.
Though, he never expected to teach someone else this soon, so he tended to be serious in his first time teaching others.
He seriously prepared all the teaching materials by asking Huai Cuike for advice and experience, especially since the teachingst night ran into some studs. Bain adjusted his condition to the best tonight and gave his best in teaching tonight.
However, as the student, Li Jiajia was drifting away and it angered Bain.
The worse thing was, even after Bain questioned Li Jiajia, she didnt regain her senses.
Bain, look!
Just when Bain was about to throw a tantrum, Li Jiajia pointed behind him.
Bain turned around and saw a group of Hounds surrounded Starbeck, trying to win his fondness. They wagged their tails, pushing their heads against Starbecks leg and even whimpering like a spoiled child.
T-This...This...
Bain was sure that those were the infamous Hounds. Whether its ugly looks or its ferocious gaze, they were solid signs that verified his thoughts but why did the Hounds behave like normal dogs?
No, no no! Not normal dogs! The way they wagged their tails, they were like tamed pets that had followed their master for years!
This...This...
Unreasonable!
While Bain was doubting his life, Starbeck brought out sausages from the kitchen, feeding the Hounds one each.
The sausages werent bought, they were made by Starbeck himself and the taste spoke for itself.
Every single Hound was very satisfied.
They surrounded Starbeck by lying down on the floor beside the counter, revealing their tummy for Starbeck to rub them.
Li Jiajija saw the Hounds wriggle happily as Starbeck rubbed their bellies, unconsciously showing admiration for the cute interaction.
So these are the Hounds? Li Jiajia muttered softly, as if she was absorbed in her thoughts.
She stood up and wobbled to Starbeck.
The Hounds, who were rolling around like a spoiled child just moments ago, jumped up when Li Jiajia approached, every one of them standing up in a defensive stance, baring their teeth at her together with a low growl.
The Elite Hound took a nce at Li Jiajia and didnt care, continuing to behave in a spoiled manner in front of Starbeck.
It felt a veryforting aura from Starbeck, plus the delicious food. It wasnt just delicious, it was healthy too.
Eating healthy food, having its belly rubbed, the Elite Hound was living the life!
Its dog life was fulfilled!
It didnt care about the human who came over, it treated her existence with disdain.
This human should be just an appendage of her own kind, simr to the other one sitting at the entrance, they were the kind who would be used as reserved ration when in need, it didnt have to care about this kind of human.
Should anything happen, it would chomp their heads off.
In its newly found pack, all it has to do was assure the safety of the person rubbing its belly, then it could live a high life.
It wasnt just because of the order it received from its leader, it was also because its leader needed none of its protection, so it could focus on thisforting person wholly.
Sit.
Starbeck pped his hands at the Hounds who bared their teeth at Li Jiajia as warnings. Every single one of them kept away their sharp fangs and sat on the floor obediently.
Though, out of instinct, they were still watching Li Jiajia cautiously and it sent chills down to her spine, further solidifying her belief.
Is there anything that I can help you with? Starbeck looked at Li Jiajia politely and warmly.
Anyone who knew nothing about Starbecks true nature would deem everything he presented as perfect manners.
He treated people humbly, politely, and kept his own countenance high.
It was a pleasure to talk to him and it wouldnt feel too over.
Li Jiajia felt that way and with the feeling lingering in her heart, she spoke her burning desire.
Teach me how to cook!
Har? Starbeck jolted.
Even Kieran, who was reading his newspaper quietly at the counter, lifted his head up and looked at Li Jiajia with surprise.
Bain, who was further away, was dumbstruck on his seat, like he was struck by lightning.
Li Jiajia, you, you...
Ive decided! I want to be your disciple! The voice in my head told me learning from you is the right way but my heart told me learning in this ce is the best, Li Jiajia stopped Bain with her own words.
But it will be a waste if you learn cooking with your talents! Wasted! Understand?
Bain stood up and wanted to get closer but the Hounds bared their teeth at him. He wisely stopped but he did not stop talking.
Do you know how talented you are?! You can be a prophet! A irvoyant! Or even a sage!
NO! I feel like being a cook is better than being a prophet or a sage! she argued loudly.
Li Jiajia nced over at the Hounds surrounding Starbeck and then slightly peeked at Kieran, who seemingly sat at the counter without being concerned but he subtly ced Starbeck behind him.
Would a prophet get protected by a group of hounds? Would a sage have the same level of protection?
No! But a cook could!
Maybe not any cook but a cook like Starbeck, he could use his food to attract many powerful people around him, protecting him!
Therefore, a cook would be the best choice!
Please teach me how to cook!
Li Jiajia turned back to Starbeck, requesting sincerely.
Starbeck didnt answer directly, he looked at Kieran and after Kieran nodded slightly, he agreed, Okay!
Great! When do we start, teacher? Where do we start?! Li Jiajia was overjoyed and she asked repeatedly.
Follow me, we will start with recognizing the ingredients, Starbeck then headed into the kitchen.
Other than the Elite Hound, the rest of the Hounds went back to their position in the dark after Starbeck went into the kitchen.
Bain then walked to the counter.
I am not a good teacher, right? he asked with a bitter smile.
You are wrong. A bad teacher is also a teacher, but you were never a teacher, Kieran said frankly.
Bain felt even more helpless. He wanted to continue but themunicator in his pocket rang and his face turned sour when he saw the contents of the message.
Chapter 1661 - Mayden
Chapter 1661: Mayden
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Secondster, Bain put down themunicator.
Something happened in the South Sector, Bain said with a serious face, his eyes looking at the kitchen. It seemed like Bain hadnt given up on his initial thoughts.
The Herders had alwayscked manpower, otherwise the South Sector wouldnt request aid from the East Sector on their own problem.
Ill take good care of her, Kieran replied.
Since the deal was made and Kieran had acquired the sweet end, he tended to keep his promise.
Em, Bain nodded and went off.
However, right before he stepped out of the door, Bain turned around to Kieran and asked, Do you know about what happened in the North Sector?
North Sector? What happened there? Kieran looked confused.
Nothing, Ill be back soon, said Bain. He then walked into the night without a pause, swiftly vanishing from sight.
Kieran saw Bain off with squinted eyes.
Some things were better kept between him and Starbeck. In short, Kieran still didnt fully trust Bain, or more urately, the organization itselfthe Herders.
Even though until now, everyone that Kieran had met from the Herders were rather decent people, they were merely associates in pursuing the same goal and trading partners, the facts didnt change.
So it would be ideal for Kieran to keep another trump card for a rainy day.
Kieran continued reading his newspaper and turned on the tv for the evening news.
The front page of the newspaper was about the big incident yesterday.
Kieran simply nced over it and ced his attention on the tv.
Unfortunately, the Herders did a good job, not a single bit of news about yesterday was reported, or rather, the news was covered up.
Kieran thought about it for a second before he picked up the phone and called his assistant.
...
I am a reporter! I have the right to interview him!
Holding the phone in her ear, Amy wanted to ram into the dinner venue but she was stopped by two buff security guards at the entrance, not even able to take a step forward.
The security guards didnt care about Amy causing a scene.
One of them even said to her, Ms. Amy, the reason you are here is because of your identity as a reporter, better appreciate it. As for the interview, someone will tell you how to write it.
The security guard then returned to his emotionless face, neglecting every single curse from Amy.
Amy, calm down! This isnt a ce that we can simply stomp in.
The assistant cameraman behind Amy dragged her to the corner, dissuading her softly.
Amy wanted to argue but she ultimately lost her breath and gave up.
I know but Im not buying it! Amy grumbled softly.
Yeah! Why do we have to listen to them!?
One of the young men in the interview group said loudly in agreement but when his words escaped his mouth, everyone in the group, including Amy, red at him.
The young man who thought he would win hearts was instantly stunned. He didnt know what just happened.
Why do we have to listen to them? Because the owner here owns 90% of the shares of ourpany! Is that enough?! Amy scolded the young man.
Scared, the young man shrunk back and kept his mouth shut.
Amy chuckled out of disdain in her heart when she saw the young mans reaction.
She knew what the young man wanted to do based on how he looked at her.
That disgusting gaze filled with lust was simr to most men, likewise his capability.
His thoughts and skills could not match, thus making a fool of himself.
Another idiot fell to the grasp of lust!
Thats how Amymented on him in her heart.
A strong unwillingness rose from her heart again. She really wanted to know what happened here, because of her persistence of a reporter and also the curiosity of a woman.
Though, she perfectly understood the consequences of finding out the truth.
Should someone find out about her sneaking about, she would have to pack her bags and leave again. No newspaper firm or television station would ever hire her again.
She knew what the owner of this ce could do, but to give up...
While Amy was in a dilemma, choosing between her pride or her life, her phone rang.
The newest model flip phone in a pink color, when she flipped it open, Kierans voice came through.
Can you find out what happened in the South Sector?
His tone was t, emotionless, even as he was making a request.
Amy didnt tangle with him on manners though.
I probably already know what happened in the South but I cant get the details because it happened in the house of my boss boss. I cant just walk in and demand the truth, I may even have to write an article with somebody holding my hands, probably even harsher than the intern reporters, Amy replied frankly.
Then what are you doing to do?
Even through the phone, Kieran could feel the grudge in between the lines of Amys words.
Do you want to elevate my status as a full time assistant? Amy asked.
I do not, Kieran replied straightforwardly.
... You dont want to know what am I going to do? Amy asked curiously.
I already know, Kieran answered straightforwardly again.
Then arent you supposed to support me or something? Amy asked again, in hopes of testing Kierans intention.
I am not going to, because even without me, you are still going to do it, Kieran said.
You know, men are all big, fat, disgusting pork knuckles! Amy shouted into her phone.
She closed her phone without giving Kieran time to speak anymore, knowing she shouldnt hope for any support from that cold man.
Both of them were of an equal status, Kieran didnt want to rely on a woman to get the upper hand and Amy didnt entirely disagree, she even felt happy about it.
In a way, she had been chasing after this kind of equality.
But... why did she feel so strange when such equality came suddenly?
It must be that bastards fault, he is confusing my concept of equality!
I really shouldnt care about him, I should focus on what I should do!
Amy nced over the production crew who were waiting patiently, then quietly made her way to the back of the vi.
She wasnt a stranger to the ce.
The ex-wife of the owner was one of her best friends, so she used toe here frequently to attend some parties.
That was until that ex-wife, her friend, assumed her ill-intentions against her husband and cut ties with her.
As a matter of fact, Amy only met her friends, the ex-wife, husband once, and spoke less than 3 words.
As for what happened in the end?
Amy had no idea.
She only knew after two months the ex-wife cut ties with her, then the ex-wife left the vi and went dark.
Amy was way over losing her friend, she didnt want the sadness in her life.
Though she was grateful that her friend would introduce every single inch of the vi to her, like a curator introducing an art gallery, everytime she came here for a party, thus increasing her knowledge of the ce.
She knew there was a side door somewhere around the vi.
Unlike the back door which had guards, the side door led to the garage and recording room.
The garage and recording room were part of the vi in terms of structure.
Therefore, once she got in through the side door, she would be making her way inside the vi, but it wasnt that easy.
There were two guard dogs at the side door.
The whole little garden where the side door was located was guarded by these two guard dogs and because of the fierce dogs, there was no need for security here.
Coincidentally, Amy was quite close with the two dogs.
Hey, Tom! Hey, Jerry! Amy called out to the dogs quietly.
The cautious guard dogs immediately wagged their tails at Amys appearance and their tails wagged even faster when Amy took out the pack of ham from her purse.
She fed the dogs the pack of ham, touching their heads intimately and then pushing open the door.
She didnt choose the way to the garage though. When she was arriving at the vi, she saw many cars parked along the road, the garage would have been filled and there must be many drivers on duty.
So, the recording room became her best bet.
Through the long corridor, Amy snuck her way in the recording room.
The recording room wasnt big, around 50 sq ft, with a wide sofa that allowed a person toy down on it, and a diamond spotlight hanging on the ceilingeven though it wasnt switched on, the dazzling diamond making the ceiling look like the milky way.
All four walls, except for the one where the sofa was facing which had a screen, were equipped with thick noise-isting foam, guaranteeing zero noise would leak from inside the room.
The door leading into the vi was behind the sofa.
Amy walked around the sofa to reach the door but before she opened, it was opened from the other side.
Amy was shocked, hiding in front of the sofa without a second thought.
The door then closed. Amy heard the door shut but she didnt see the lights on.
You said its just an experiment! Why the hell did it kill?! A voice sounded.
Amy recognized the voice, it belonged to the female butler of the vian experienced, polite looking middle-aged woman.
It was an ident! idents happen!
Another voice replied but Amy couldnt recognize this one.
Do you know who the ident killed?! The female butler asked in a heavy tone.
Who? Some big shot? The other voice replied without being really concerned.
The beloved youngest daughter of the vis owner! If he found out your little ident killed his little daughter, you can imagine what will happen to you! The female butler said coldly.
Are you threatening me? Dont forget you and I are on the same boat, we have no ce to run! The other voice answered with a coldugh.
Thats why I want you to leave Ai City for the time being! At least wait until the dust settles, dont show yourself here...
Money! I need a lot of money to leave! Before the female butler finished, the other voice cut in.
Go find a hotel in the East Sector that doesnt require you to check in,y low, and tell me when the coast is clear, Ill send you some money, the female butler replied.
Fine, Ill call you when I get to the ce.
The voice replied and the owner opened the door, leaving the recording room, as did the female butler.
After making sure the two of them left, Amy stood up from the sofa.
Richard Maydens little daughter is dead?!
Amy was astonished.
Richard Mayden, the big boss behind Amyspany.
In fact, Mayden Group had a lot of shares in manypanies in Ai City.
Foodservice, clothing, transportation, housing, almost everything in Ai City had a direct or indirect rtionship with Mayden Group and the chairman on top of the pyramid was Richard Mayden.
Richard Mayden was a living legend, there were too many astonishing feats about him.
Amy could list more than 10 of Richard Maydens inspiring examples and the encouraging stories in his path to building his empire.
However, despite the name, his little daughter was also very well-known.
A typical spoiled princess born with a golden spoon.
Before Mayden Group bought all sorts of newspapers or media firms in the city, her name would pop up on the headline frequently but the majority of it was bad news.
Amy persistently assumed that the reason why Mayden Group bought all the media and newspaper firms was because her father was wiping his daughters ass.
This is big news!
An exclusive scoop!
Amys eyes almost outshone the diamond in the sky, but it was not enough for her.
She needed more details to cover her story, she decided to go deeper, so she went closer to the door, but when she opened the door, she was dumbstruck.
A security guard was also trying to open the door and Amy ran into him face to face.
The noise istion of the recording room was too good, Amy did not notice the security guard outside the room, likewise the security guard to Amy.
Both of them looked at each other for a second.
Amy wanted to turn around and ran but the guard pulled out his gun at Amy.
Amy put her hands up in the air honestly.
I can exin! She said, but the guard didnt care, he pushed the gun at Amy, telling her to go up.
Having a gun pointed at her head, Amy was pushed to the main hall of the vi and instantly caught the attention of everyone.
The owner of the vi, Richard Mayde, stopped conversing with another person and looked at Amy.
Richard Mayden had grayish hair and was slightly chubby but his dark blue suit made him look like a gentleman.
His expressionless face however increased the pressure on Amy, especially when he sized up Amy carefully. Amy found it hard to breathe.
She didnt suffocate though, and somehow, she thought of Kieran in this kind of moment because she had that suffocating feeling in front of Kieran.
From the recording room to the hall, Amy has already figured out what excuse she was going to say and when she caught Richard Maydens eyes, she spilled her script in an organized manner, Ie in peace, I am here for the truth, thats why I snuck in here.
Oh? Then what did you find out? Richard Mayden asked.
His voice sounded calm, definitely not sound like someone who just lost his little daughter.
I just heard your butler discussing your little daughters death with someone in the recording room. Based on what I heard, they are directly rted to this incident! Amy said honestly.
She didnt try to y tricks, she knew who she was facing, the man who was considered a legend and tricks would only kill her, instead of helping her.
Richard Maydenughed when he heard what she said, then pointed behind Amy.
Amy turned around and her face turned ugly.
She saw a body! With a single nce, she was sure the body was the female butler!
Amys heart fell into panic.
I got nothing to do with her death! Amy exined.
Of course, when you said that Carrie was dead, I assumed you were a crazy woman.
Richard Mayden turned around and raised his hand.
A young, beautiful girl in an evening gown walked over with a smile on her face, cing her hand on Richard Maydens.
Carrie Mayden!
Richard Maydens little daughter!
Wasnt she dead!?
Why is she here?
What the f*ck happened?
Amys heart further plunged into confusion.
A few secondster, under her confused gaze, something even more bizarre happened.
Richard Mayden pulled out a little handgun and pointed it at Carrie Maydens head.
BANG!
Chapter 1662 - Carrie
Chapter 1662: Carrie
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The muzzle shed.
The heavy smell of firepowder entered Amys nose.
It was the first time she realized how pungent firepowder was.
She widened her eyes at Carrie Maydens bursting head, like a watermelon being squashed by a truck.
Blood and brains flew everywhere but no one in the hall seemed to be frightened.
Quite the contrary, everyoneughed out loud, dancing around Carrie Maydens body like it was some kind of festival.
Even the female butlers body was pulled over by two men. One of them held her hands and one of them held her legs, making her dance like a puppet. The dead female butlers head wobbled left and right along with the dancing.
Then, under Amys horrified gaze, the female butlers body was tossed up high in the ceiling.
It didnt fall back down though, she was impaled into the chandelier on the ceiling.
Amy didnt know chandeliers nowadays were so sharp.
Drip, Drip, Drip.
Blood dripped off the body and as the wound got bigger, blood starting to shower the hall.
The party had begun!
Everyone cheered and screamed loudly, taking off their coats and dancing in the bloody shower, including Richard Mayden. The millionaire in a proper suit ripped the buttons off his shirt and strode over to Amy.
Amy stepped back, instinctively scared, even more so when Richard Mayden extended his blood-stained hand, turning around and running for her life without a second thought.
However, the moment she turned around, she missed her step.
Arh!
The falling sensation made her scream but she realized something wasnt right.
She didnt fall on the cold hard floor, but the sofa.
The sofa?!
Amy was astonished, sizing up her surroundings.
The big, specious room, the sofa, the ceiling full of diamond spotlights, and the big screen on the wall.
The recording room?
Before Amy could react to what actually happened, the door to the recording room was pushed open.
You said its just an experiment! Why the hell did it kill?!
It was an ident! idents happen!
...
The familiar conversation that happened before happened again right before her eyes.
Dumbfounded, Amy hid herself in front of the sofa, waiting for the two of them to leave.
After they left, she didnt go on anymore, instead returning to where she came from.
Through the long corridor, Amy reached the side door leading outside but when she pushed it open, she was dumbfounded again.
She returned to the recording room!
Unwilling to believe it, Amy went back where she came from again but she ended up in the recording room again.
She tried a third time but she got the same result.
After the third try, Amy was exhausted, running with all her strength for thest two times.
She widened her eyes at the surroundings, her gaze was full of fear of the unknown.
Calm down! Calm down! That guy told me to calm down!
Amy muttered to herself while breathing heavily.
She didnt know what she was facing.
She looked at the door leading to the vis hall, hesitating, wondering if she should open the door?
Would the security guard appear behind the door?
Would she end up in the vis hall once again?!
The worst thing was... her mobile phone had no signal!
It became impossible for her to contact that guy!
Damn it! Men are always so unreliable!
Amy cursed softly, clenching her teeth as she walked to the door with light steps and then carefully opened the door.
Simr to thest time, she saw the security guard and the security guard saw her, but this time, before the security guard pulled out his gun, Amyunched a kick at his crotch.
OUCH!
The security guard covered his crotch with both his hands, falling to the floor with his mouth opened wide, as if he was experiencing the most painful sensation that a man could possibly feel.
Amy didnt hold back at all, poking the security guards eyes with her right index and middle fingers.
Aarh!
The security guard covered his eyes with one of his hands while the other remained on his crotch, curled up like a cooked shrimp on the ground.
The painful moans from the security guard soon stopped because Amy smashed her handbag on his neck heavily.
The urate blow plus the precise strength knocked the security guard out.
After making sure the security guard was out cold, Amy strapped her bag across her shoulder and stuffed her heels into her handbag.
She also took the gun from the security guard.
Clumsily, but not a stranger, Amy unloaded the magazine for a check.
For the sake of her own safety, Amy always practised mixed martial arts in the gym. She was also a regr at the shooting range, it was just that the assault rifles in the range were a little different from the handgun in her hand.
Still, the training from the shooting range allowed her to quickly get her hands around the handgun, then she carefully moved deeper into the vi.
With the freaky experience earlier, Amy managed to sneak herself to the other side of the hall.
She saw a body on the floor covered in white cloth and Richard Mayden, looking peaceful as ever.
The guests in the hall were also the same from before, but this time she saw the female butler!
The butler isnt dead?!
Then who the hell died...
Amy shifted her gaze to the body covered with white cloth.
Could it be Carrie Mayden?
Amy wondered and soon, she got her answer.
Richard Mayden walked to the body covered in white cloth, lifted a side of the cloth and revealed a beautiful yet pale face.
Richard Mayde carefully examined the face, he had no expression on his face, his gaze dull, like the body under the cloth wasnt his own daughter but someone irrelevant.
He lifted the cloth further, examined the body from top to bottom carefully.
The cloth was then tossed on top of the body and Richard Mayde turned to his butler.
What happened?
His voice was just like how Amy remembered, t yet pressuring.
I dont know. Miss Carrie was drinking earlier, but all of a sudden, she fell down.
The female butler exined nervously.
What about the ss? Richard Mayden asked.
Its safely kept, She answered.
Em. Have it checked and I dont want anything that happened today to get out of this house. Tell the outside world Carrie died of a sudden heart attack, no ident, no killer, understand? said Richard Mayden solemnly.
His words werent just for the female butler, it was meant for everyone else in the hall.
All the guests nodded in agreement, no one dared to reject him. They did not want to offend someone as big as Richard Mayden because of this kind of trivial matter.
All agreed except... Amy!
Amy was always good at reading the situations and judging the bad and good, but when she saw this scene, anger got the best of her.
As though she was showered by gasoline, her anger burned hot.
HOLD ON! She shouted and rushed out from the corner.
All the guests were shocked and horrified when they saw Amye out with a gun in her hand.
The security guards quickly stepped in and ced Richard Mayden behind them, pointed their guns at Amy.
Amy had transformed into a fearless warrior at this moment.
She is your daughter! Is this how you should treat her?! She questioned Richard Mayde behind the wall of guards.
I do not need some woman to teach me what I should do with my daughter! Richard Mayden waved his hand.
Many more security guards appeared in the hall and jumped on her.
Amy resisted but all she knew was somemon martial art practises, she was no match for these professional guards. She didnt even have the chance to fire her gun and she was pressed down to the floor.
Ridiculous.
Richard Mayden walked to Amy, grabbed the gun from her and pointed it at her head.
Without a second thought, Richard Mayden pulled the trigger.
BANG!
Amy saw her brains sttered. She saw herself in an evening gown, lying on top of her own blood puddle, the people around herughing and cheering, watching her run away.
Then..
She saw herself in another elegant dress, sitting in a luxury car she dare not even dream of with her sry while attending all sorts of high end ces.
She saw the people around her kneel on her arrival, everyone looking at her with utmost ttery and care. She then realized behind her was her father, Richard Mayden!
She preferred to call the man Richard Mayden, not father.
The man who shrouded her life like a giant shadow in the sky wasnt her father, it was Richard Mayden.
She hoped to be like normal people, but countless shackles, chains, and constrictions bound her down.
Threads from the heavens came down and tied all four of her limbs, her torso and her head up, and on the other end of the threads was Richard Maydens hand.
She was like a puppet on strings, allowing Richard Mayden to do whatever he pleased to her.
He yed her, teased her, put her in arrangements against her will.
She tried to scream but her vocal cord was cut off.
She tried to write but her arms were broken.
She tried to flee, but her legs were also broken.
She was Carrie Mayden only when she stayed quietly under his grasp.
The slightest resistance would turn her into something less than a criminal, even a criminal has a death option.
And her?
She couldnt even choose to die!
Death in this world wasnt the end.
Amyid down, she couldnt move at all.
Time felt like it was prolonged unlimitedly.
After a very, very long time, she came back to her senses and she found herself on the sofa of the recording room. Beside her was Carrie Mayden, whose head was smashed beyond recognition.
Is this what you are trying to tell me? Amy asked softly at the body beside her.
She wasnt scared, she wasnt afraid, all she felt was sadness and pity for the dead girl.
For a moment back there, she was Carrie Mayden, she had been through Carrie Maydens life in a sh, including her death!
Nothing in the world could get a hold of someone elses secretpletely, not even the parents, or the wife or the husband, yet Amy got to know everything about Carrie Mayden.
The secrets that Carrie Mayden wanted to keep, wanted to bury, everything was made known to Amy.
Amy wanted to adjust Carrie Maydens posture, so that she could sit properly and probably feel better, but the moment she touched Carrie Maydens hand, tears rolled down her eyes.
Carrie Mayden also fell on to the sofa, ck blood flowed out from her head and the tears from Amy converged with the river of blood.
You ced your hopes in me because you dont trust anyone in this vi, even the person closest to you. Instead you chose to trust an outsider like me.
Amy wiped her tears, taking off her coat and covering Carries ck blood, even though it was less than helpful to the dead Carrie. Nevertheless, Amy thought it was necessary out of respect, just like how she thought it was necessary to tell the world about what happened to Carrie.
Some men must be punished.
Amy stood up, and after another nce at Carries body, she went back through the side door.
Tom and Jerry were still on guard in the garden and when they saw Amy, they ran over to her with wagging tails.
Sit.
Amy caressed their heads after telling them to sit, then left with a heavy heart. Throughout Carrie Maydens life, she too trusted these two guard dogs but no matter how good they were, they failed to protect Carrie.
They still could protect Amy though.
Grrrr!
Just when Amy was about to go out from the door, the two guard dogs growled rmingly in another direction.
Footsteps came from inside the vi and it didnt stoping closer. The two guard dogs jumped and threw themselves at the footsteps.
Amy ran even faster, she really wanted to help Tom and Jerry but she knew she would be no help at all.
All she could do was to dial the number in her phone.
Help!
When the call got through, Amy screamed.
She felt danger was closing in on her and her female instinct proved her right.
Right after she screamed for help, a palm reached out and grabbed the back of her neck, dragging her back. Another hand easily grabbed the phone from Amy.
When the person saw the name on the screen,ughter sounded.
Leaf Dining? Are you out of your mind? You are calling a restaurant at this kind of time?
The personughed at Amy and then answered the phone since the call had gone through.
Wrong number. You heard nothing, understand? the person said.
Yeap. I know nothing, Kierans voice clearly entered the persons ear through the phone.
Ho? I saw a lot of idiots overestimate themselves in the past but in the end, I snapped their necks. I dont think you want to be the next, right? Dear owner of Leaf Dining?
The personughed in disdain before he crushed the phone into pieces, he then dragged Amy into the vi.
While Amy was being dragged through the garden, she saw Tom and Jerry on the ground.
The two guard dogs limped on the ground, whimpering weakly when they saw Amy being dragged back. They wanted to struggle but all they did was twitch before they lost their lives.
Amys tears burst.
With Carries experience in her, Amys feelings for Tom and Jerry had surpassed her previous feelings, turning to the person who dragged her back and starting to beat him.
It was useless though.
The person didnt care about Amys struggle, he kicked the two dying dogs with the tip of his leg.
Stupid dogs, the person then looked into Amys eyes.
You are as stupid as these dogs! Or do you really think that Leaf Dining owner wille and save you? Outrageous! Stop dreaming, if he reallyes, Ill feed myself to these stupid dogs!
The peronsughed out loud in a sinister way.
Amid theughs, growls like hunting hounds, yet stronger, came from behind the man.
Grrrrr!
Chapter 1663 - Don’t Be Too Stubborn
Chapter 1663: Dont Be Too Stubborn
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The growls were unlike those ofmon hunting hounds and shocked the man who caught Amy.
When the man was about to turn around, a canine bigger than a calf jumped on him and pressed him to the ground.
Its growls sounded more like a tiger or a lion than a hound. As a matter of fact, it was fiercer than a lion and tiger.
The moment the man was pressed to the ground, his neck was ripped away by a powerful chomp and his lifeless body was flung left and right like a ragdoll.
Amy was freed from the captive and when she got back on her feet, the man who tried to pull her back to the vi was left as a pile of meat.
It felt hard to breathe as she froze in front of the huge and weird looking dog with the bloody teeth.
She stood still until Kieran slowly walked out from the shadow.
W-Why? Why are you here? Amy was surprised by Kierans arrival.
Theres something that concerns me, Kieran replied.
But werent you on the phone just now... Thats your brother?!
Amy quickly reacted to the situation.
After she screamed for help, her phone was taken by the man and destroyed, she barely heard who was on the other side of the phone.
As for the unlucky bastard who got chomped to shreds?
He would never know whether it was Royan or Roye who answered the phone.
You came here for Carrie? She didnt hurt me! She didnt hurt anyone! Shes just a... and them, I...
Amy regained her senses, she quickly exined and when she mentioned Carrie, she tried to find an appropriate word to describe the bad princess in the eyes of the public.
Too bad she couldnt find any.
She instinctively changed the topic and switched her gaze to Tom and Jerry, the two guard dogs.
Tears rolled down her cheeks again.
Kieran squatted down and checked on them too.
The guard dogs had lost all signs of life, the lingering warmth on their body fading slowly.
The bloody Hound walked over to Kieran and whimpered sadly.
Although a Hound was abination of alchemy and witchcraft and in some aspect it was no longer within the canine category, it never hated the canine which shared resemnce to themselves.
Is there any possibility...
No, Kieran shook his head.
His hand was tied in reviving the dead, it wasnt possible for him even if he was in his prime form, let alone now, in this weakened state.
After listening to what Kieran said, Amy couldnt hold back her tears anymore but she covered her mouth.
She weeped and tears kept falling on the two guard dogs.
More and more tears showered the two guard dogs, because other than Amy, Carrie was also weeping!
An illusory figure which had merged with Amy was also weeping for the deceased guard dogs.
Both of their tears merged into one!
When more and more tears drenched the guard dogs body, the bodies suddenly moved, or more urately, two translucent dog souls jumped up from their body.
The two dog souls were a little confused but when they saw Amy and Carrie, in her special state, they ran over happily. They jumped and hopped, their tails wagging like a windmill.
The dog souls didnt go to the farawaynd though, neither did they disintegrate, instead they started to materialize at an exponential speed.
If it wasnt for the bodies on the ground, Amy would assume the dogs were still alive and nothing had happened to them.
W-What is this?!
Having mixed feelings, Amy looked at Kieran with teary red eyes, asking for an answer.
I dont know. Maybe you should ask her, Kieran replied honestly and then looked at the other figure, which almost merged with Amy.
Due to the time spent in this world, Kieran had limited understanding of the mystical system of this world. He was just scratching the surface, but he was still able to tell the good from the bad, like Amy and Carrie bing one.
Carries soul bore no ill intentions, it kept Amy inside and protected her, and Kieran could sense the intention perfectly.
Carrie?! Youre fine?! You escaped?!
With Kierans reminder, Amy finally noticed the new difference with her body in surprise.
Em. Hello Amy, Carrie spoke.
Only Amy could hear her words.
Can I have a few words with this mister here? Ill have to borrow your body, is that okay? I wont do anything to your body, Carrie said.
Sure, Amy who knew everything about Carrie agreed without a second thought.
At the next moment, Amy and Carrie truly became one.
Hello, Carrie greeted Kieran.
Hey, Out of manners, Kieran replied but he did not ask questions, he waited patiently for Carries exnation.
Im dead and due to some special conditions, Amy and I have be one. In order for me to truly leave this ce, Ill need my dollits a present from my mother and it holds my memories. I want to ask for your help to retrieve my doll. I wont ask you to do it for free though, I have some savings and collections that only I know of. Its not much, but also a considerable amount and if you help me retrieve the doll, they will be yours, Carrie exined.
Sure, Kieran agreed without hesitation because even without Carries request, he would run this ce down by himself.
It was not because of curiosity, it was to prove a certain guess in his heart.
Thank you. Amy and I will wait for you in a safe ce in the meantime. This is what I know about the vi.
Carrie briefly exined the structure of the vi and then vanished.
Amy regained control of her body again.
Ill go back to the restaurant first.
It seemed like when Amy was ced in an observer seat, she was able to see and hear the conversation between Carrie and Kieran. She knew everything and also knew where the safest ce was.
Given how nervous this man was about his little brother, since he was able toe here by himself, there must be an imprable defense line set up around the restaurant.
Kieran didnt stop her, he saw Amy and the two guard dogs off before he went into the vi.
He chose to go in through the side door though, not jumping in through the window.
The reason why he snuck to the second floor, not through the window but the door, was because the vi was equipped with a very advanced security system. Although it was a piece of cake for Kieran, it was better safe than sorry.
Other than the surveince camera, ording to what Carrie told him earlier, each window of the vi was equipped with two infrared sensors that formed a crossnot even a cat could sneak in unnoticed.
Kieran managed to sneak past two batches of security guards and got spared from Amys lousy experience, arriving in the vi without any hindrance.
Standing in the shadow of the hall, Kieran saw Richard Mayden, but he was much more concerned about the person opposite the owner of the vi.
All the guests had left, leaving Richard Mayden alone with the man opposite him.
The man was in his early 40s, had a trimmed beard, and slightly whitish hair; he wore a decent looking ck suit with a gray wind coat over his arm.
His eyes were looking sharp, the keen gaze on par with an eagle seeking for prey.
Kieran didnt look the man in the eyes because his experience told him so.
He nced over the man with the corner of his eyes before he went back into the shadow.
The conversation between Richard Mayden and the man continued though.
I got the big picture now. Im sorry about Carrie, leave the rest to me, Ill give you a satisfying answer.
The mans voice was firm and steady, sounding very reliable and convincing.
I dont need an answer! I want that guy dead! AND! The reason I funded the Herders every single year is for you people to protect me and my family but youve failed to deliver the promise! Aison Den, you better give me a reason to continue funding you people, or else... Richard Mayden said coldly.
The reason will arrive soon. Im sorry once again.
The Herder named Aison Den then stood up and walked out.
After the man left, Richard Mayden sat down in deep thoughts.
Some timeter, the millionaire stood up and slowly walked to the second floor.
He did not return to his room, but to Carries room.
Kieran was certain because Carrie told him about the structure before.
However, the moment Richard Mayden entered his daughters room, the calmness on his face went off and it started to twitch in an unknown anger.
Do you really think you can escape by death! Too naive, girl! There is nothing in this world money cant solve!
Richard Mayden then walked to the cab beside the bed as he grumbled.
On top of the cab was a broken doll that did not seem fit in the room.
He grabbed the broken doll and looked menacing.
I guess you are better dead! At least I can worry less now and we can y something that we couldnt before! Dont worry, you seem to have found a nice vessel! Mark my words, I will find her! Your soul and body is mine and it will never change!
Richard Mayden wanted to bring the broken doll out of the room but just when he turned around, intense pain struck his neck and he cked out.
Kieran had no intentions in holding him, allowing the man to fall on the floor before he took the broken doll into his hands.
[Name: Carries Doll]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: Strong]
[Attribute: 1. Locate; 2. Tame]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: No]
[Remarl: This is the doll was given to Carrie by her mother when she was young. It has been with her since she was a baby and after Richard Mayden discovered it, he hired someone to do something to the doll.]
...
[Locate: The user of the doll can locate Carries location, dead or alive.]
[Tame: Carrie has owned this doll for a long time, so her soul has been through a certain rearing process, she became different.]
...
Just as I suspected!
Kieran squinted his eyes at the description of the doll.
If it wasnt for this doll, even if Carrie died in a very coincidentally and timely manner, she would not have been able to acquire such unusual strength in a short time.
She couldnt even use those illusions on Amy, let alone possess her.
Surely, the coincidentally and timely manner was also Richard Maydens meticulous arrangement.
He knew what his little daughter wanted to do, including his female butlers contact with that mystical individual.
Though he let them happen, he allowed the female butler cause the ident and indirectly created his little daughters death.
As for why?
To distract the Herders attention!
Kieran couldnt think of anything else other than this!
In fact, when Bain mentioned something happening in the South Sector, Kieran already had some guesses in his mind.
He came all the way here to verify his guesses, not to purposely save Amy, and now with Richard Mayden in the mix, his guesses had been further solidified.
Why would he want to distract the Herders?
The North Sector!
Something concerning had happened in the North Sector tonight, the Herders had sent a lot of men there, and it seemed like Richard Mayden wanted the Herders to not find out the secret there.
In short, Richard Mayden was the person who funded the Herders, and not just the Herders alone, he should be the person behind the Witchcraft practitioners as well!
It was all that impossible for the likes of Richard Mayden.
Even amoner knew not to ce all his eggs in a single basket, let alone Richard Mayden, who expanded his business all over Ai City.
In fact, Kieran guessed that Richard Mayden was a supporter of the Witchcraft Sect before the Herders. He then cut all ties with the practitioners and waited for this kind of critical moment to effectively distract the Herders.
The doll in Carries room was the best proof, it was probably a mastercraft from the Witchcraft Sect.
Should the Herders discover the doll, it was easy for Richard Mayden toe up with some excuses, as long as he yed it carefully and staged a y with the witchcraft practitioners. He could use the chance to magnify his love for his little daughter, despite the disgusting, unusual hobby.
Kieran wouldnt care about all these though, before all the connections were made clear, he was more concerned about the North Sector.
It seemed like the North Sector of Ai City yed a more important part in all this than he initially expected.
However, Kieran didnt rush himself from the South to the North right away, because he had already sent Bloody Mary the Superior Demon to the North as his eyes before he came to the South.
He trusted Bloody Mary, or rather, other than himself, he trusted Bloody Mary the most.
Therefore, he was not in a rush to leave, the incident at hand hasnt been solved after all.
He grabbed the unconscious Richard Mayden and headed to the highest floor of the vi.
The floor had a balcony, which was used for afternoon tea during normal times.
Looking down at the city from the balcony, even though it waste night inte autumn, it had quite the view. Kieran could very well imagine how beautiful the view might be during spring or summer.
Too bad themoners couldnt see such views and those who couldnt appreciate it.
The unconscious Richard Mayden in his hand had too many weird fetishes.
Given Kierans personality, he wouldnt care at all but when this weird bastard wanted to carry out his fetishes, hence creating this broken doll, it would be a different story.
Carrie and Amy had be one, and they were heading to the restaurant.
Starbeck was at the restaurant.
If this weird bastard wanted to bring Amy, with Carrie inside her, back to himself, he would pull some tricks.
Kieran wasnt really worried about these tricks though, he was confident to deal with Richard Maydens little tricks but he didnt want to put Starbeck in harms way.
Therefore...
Kieran held Richard Mayden over the balcony, and he released his hand.
Richard Mayden fell all the way down to the ground with his face down.
Bang!
Brains sttered.
Kieran nced over the body from the balcony and then disappeared.
Chapter 1664 - Rumour Kills
Chapter 1664: Rumour Kills
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Five minutester, a patrolling security guard discovered Richard Maydens body and broken head in the garden.
Without a moments notice, the security guard reported it to the chief security guard.
The chief didnt call the police, but instead made a call to Aison Den.
As the chief security guard in charge of Richard Maydens safety, the man seemed to know something, something secretive.
Another 10 minutester, Aison Den, the boss of the Herders of the South Sector, came back to the vi again.
This time, he wasnt alone.
All the idle Herders of South Sector, plus many others from the other sectors were called in, Bain included.
Bain was less than pleased about being here; he pouted and grumbled.
Come on, I have my own missions, too! Dont keep calling me down here, wont ya? Bainined to Hoen.
The fact that you appeared here shows that the so-called mission you are on isnt that important, or rather, you are not indispensable in your mission. I trust Huai Cuikes eyes and... based on my experience, there is only one reason you wouldin to your acquaintance on the first meeting: you must have stumbled upon a stud in your mission.
Hoen pushed his sses, which reflected a meaningful re.
A stud?! What kind of stud? And, do I know you well?! Stop kidding me, Bain argued stubbornly and turned around.
How could he have the heart to tell others about the stud he stumbled upon?
Should he tell Hoen that his seemingly talented and smart disciple that had the potential of bing a prophet ditched him and went to be a cook?
If he really did, he would be a joke among the Herders and everyone in the organization would know before sunrise.
Although, Royes dishes were really good!
They smelled good, tasted scrumptious, and were fulfilling!
Ah, I want to have another bowl of soup!
Unknowingly, his mouth started to salivate, especially when the autumn wind blew into his face. His mind imagined himself being in Leaf Dining, sitting by the warm heater and drinking a bowl of hot, tasty, aromatic chicken soup. He talked to Royan asionally, and although it was mostly him talking and Royan listening, it felt good for him. At least, Royan never refuted his statements; he was a perfect listener.
Except for theck of alcohol, Leaf Dining was like heaven!
Phew!
While Bain soaked himself in his imagination, a stronger wind blew at him.
He was just wearing amon jersey, so when the cold wind struck him, he shrunk his neck and walked to a corner of the wall. He nced over at Aison Den, who was checking on the body, and then lost interest.
Bain knew he wasnt here to help with the investigation, and nor did the Herders of the South Sector require his help.
As the strongest sector of Ai City, the Herders of the South Sector required none of his concern.
The true reason for him being in the South Sector was purely for show, a show for those who supported the Herders financially. It was to tell them that the Herders took them seriously.
Thats all!
Locating Richard Maydens killer would also require none of his help.
The youngsters of the South Sector Herders were eager to find the killer.
Leaning on the wall, Bain watched as Stina, the hot-tempered youngster with decent strength, questioned several people in a rush and then shook her head in the end.
Moving fast was good, but no matter how fast, efforts without results were futile.
Bain believed Stina would return empty-handed, just like the mysterious surroundings of Carrie Maydens death.
This was the kind of rich man that Bain disliked the most; he ought to keep his distance and was reluctant to even make contact. A millionaire like this represented huge trouble.
Hey, Bain.
Yutenta Dako, the Herder from the North Sector, squeezed his big, fat body into Bains corner. When he felt that the blowing wind had weakened a lot, he widened his mouth into a smile. This is a good ce to avoid the wind.
It would have been better if you hadnt squeezed in.
Bain rolled a white eye at Yutenta, as half of his body was squeezed out. He then pinched Yutentas fat belly. Mate, you should go on a diet. He sighed as he felt the fat in his hand.
Yutenta touched his belly and said proudly, Are you giving me advice after feeling its cuteness?
Bain shook his head and said seriously, No. I think you are rearing a pile of ungrateful freeloaders! Feeding your belly to the brim, but during critical moments, it cant help at all! I suggest that you better cut the fat away!
No! Im not cutting any fat, and Im not dieting! Only food can make me feel the good side of being alive!
Yutenta waved his hand in denial and then pointed at Aison Den, asking, What do you think?
Think about what? They can only summon the guys soul back in order to locate the killer quickly, Bain said affirmatively.
Then... what if something were to happen during the soul summoning process? What do you think will happen then? Yutenta purposely prolonged his tone.
What do you mean? You know something, dont you? Bain frowned.
I know nothing, but something strikes me as strange. A series of events happened in the North and when the support from the South arrived, something like this happened in the South. We havent even started an investigation at my ce! This is already the second time, dont you think its strange? the fat Herder said to Bain.
Bain was in deep thought. He didnt deny Yutentas words because just as he said, Bain also felt something was fishy, but he couldnt get a grasp of the details here and there.
What have you found in the North? Bain asked.
What could I find? I scraped thend for more than a year, yet I couldnt even locate a dime. Dont you think Im a little thinner than before? Yutenta sighed.
Bain rolled a white eye again.
He knew how dark and wicked this fat guy was. Originally, the North had two Herders in charge, so there was still someone else keeping Yutenta in check, but when the other Herder died in a messy gang fight, the whole North Sector fell into this fat guys hand, bing his own yground.
It was impossible for Yutenta to scrap a fortune from the North Sector, but he had definitely grown stronger than normal Herders.
Otherwise, he would not have been able to send his own daughter into the military camp for training.
Those training camps were ck holes of money.
Whats that all about? Bain muttered in a muffled voice.
Further away, Aison Den had sprinkled some sparkling dust around Richard Maydens body. The sparkling dust was sprinkled meticulously, as if sprinkled by a machine after precise calction. The dust formed a perfect circle and encircled Richard Mayden inside; mystical wordings were then written on the circle of sparkling dust.
In the end, a diamond as big as a pinky finger nail was used.
Yutenta couldnt help but drool when he saw that diamond. Aison Den really went all out on this!
Bain didnt say anything, for he was very familiar with the scene.
Throughout the entire Ai City, probably only Aison Den, the boss of the South Sector, had the rights to simply use such a big diamond as an offering in the soul summoning ritual.
The others could only use some nice food as offerings and even that was already considered extravagant.
Muffled incantations came from Aison Den.
A translucent soul then slowly floated up from Richard Maydens body.
The soul was at a loss, its consciousness all over the ce.
So it was natural that the secrets Richard Mayden used to keep when he was alive were all exposed after his death.
A slight menacing, depressing, and ufortable aura started to emanate from Richard Maydens soul, and all the Herders on the scene became astounded.
It was... the aura of witchcraft!
The Herders were very familiar with the presence of witchcraft!
When Bain and Yutenta felt the sinister presence, they spoke in one voice, The North Sector!
Aison Den, who led the soul summoning ritual, looked extremely ugly at the reaction.
As his gray wind coat fluttered in the autumn wind, his sharp gaze revealed killer intent, and he then waved his hand.
All the Herders in the area rushed towards the North Sector right away.
...
Times running out!
When Bloody Mary the Superior Demon calcted the time in its heart, it moved even quicker.
It was onthest of the strange spots that it got from those wandering souls and monsters, so it intended to be even more careful.
It had a feeling that thisst search would be as dangerous as the previous times.
To be on the safe side, Bloody Mary transformed into Bains image, along with the jersey.
Bloody Mary, in Bains image, approached the sewers of the North Sector.
Although most of the public facilities and buildings at the surface of the North Sector were all destroyed, the underground was a different story. The facilities were all kept intact, just like how it used to be.
The Northerners might be boorish thugs, but they were not idiots.
They didnt want to live in a big shit hole either.
Bloody Mary didnt need the blueprints that were left behind from the old age; the dirty water and walls werent a hurdle at all.
It went into its ghost form and swiftly flew down to thest floor.
Bloody Mary paused for a while on thest floor and examined the ce before diving deeper.
This time, it arrived in a dry area, though it was still filthy.
It wasnt dirty water and shit anymore, but a myriad of organs that were ck and rotten.
The confined space reeked terribly. Bloody Mary nced over at the arrangements of the organs and noticed that some weird markings were stuffed in between, so it wisely kept its distance.
Even its own Mystical Knowledge could tell what the markings were about, but when using Kieran as a model, it knew it shouldnt touch things it wasnt familiar with.
The organs filled the space, which looked like a passage dug out by someone.
It was simple and crude but effective as a trap!
At least for other people it was effective, but for Bloody Mary?
The trap was non-existent!
If it couldnt go through this passage with organs, it would just find another way!
Bloody Mary dove deeper. It threw itself into the bottom of the passage, and relying on its decent perception to tell the direction, it soon circled around the blocked passage and arrived at the end of the passage.
More precisely, the location that the person who dug the passage wanted to reach.
It was an ancient ruin!
It wasnt huge, only the size of a basketball court.
There were murals on the walls, but they were rotten beyond recognition, and only bits and pieces were made clear.
In the middle of the room was a cube tform as big as a billiard table. Other than its surface, which was as white as snow, the other sides were all ck.
In the middle of the tform was a ck colored rack with a gemstone as big as a red date.
The gemstone was as clear as ss, but it emanated a colorful glow. Bloody Mary didnt get close enough, but its body bathed in the colorful glow and felt that its faded energy was quickly replenishing.
It must be good!
Bloody Mary looked at the gemstone with shining eyes, but it wasnt in a hurry.
It meticulously examined the whole room and moved its head closer to the tform. When it saw certain arrangements around the tform, it grinned.
A very simple and crude trap was installed in the rack; once the gemstone was taken away, the trap would be triggered and theck of pressure on the rack would activate the contraption.
Simple and crude!
Bloody Mary then flew up to the passage above the ceiling, found a cobblestone of the same size, and returned to the room.
It then reached out to the rack with one hand, pressing the contraption down, while its other hand took the gemstone.
Then, it ced the cobblestone on top, recing the original gemstone.
After switching out the gemstone, Bloody Mary heaved a sigh of relief but quickly realized something unusual.
It was recovering! Very slowly, the sealed power in its body was recovering!
Dumbstruck for a second, Bloody Mary shook its head.
Too slow! Bloody Mary sighed.
This kind of slow recovery wasnt useful to itself and may even be considered useless.
It could already recover after it left this ce because as long as its boss recovered, it would also recover.
However, Bloody Mary did not ditch the spoils, as it wasnt its decision to make, but its boss. The gemstone also belonged to its boss.
As for the credit of locating the gemstone?
Was that important?
Its whole existence belonged to its boss, let alone the things it located.
Holding the gemstone tightly in its hand, Bloody Mary dove into the ground and returned to where it came from. It worried that it might expose the aura of this gemstone, so diving deeper into the ground and returning to the restaurant was its best bet.
Less than 20 minutes after Bloody Mary left, the wall of the secret room opened up.
A person walked in.
The Philosophers Stone! It is finally mine! the man cheered, but when he saw the cobblestone on the rack, he felt doubtful and confused.
The people behind the man shared the same expression too.
This is the Philosophers Stone? one of them asked.
The leader of the bunch quickly reacted and scolded his men, Of course! Isnt it magnificent? It looks exactly like a normal stone so people wouldnt be able to discover its secret! Did you really think it would emanate its magic at first nce, like the other magic stones?
This was the Philosophers Stone!
He spent his life locating it, and he would not allow others to insult it!
Insulting the stone was like insulting his hard work and wisdom!
When the others heard what the leader said, they nodded in agreement.
Infatuation with the mystical!
The men heard the rumours before, and it wasnt all that weird if the stone was really the Philosophers Stone.
Only this stone was the true Philosophers Stone!
If it were a stone emanating a colorful glow, it must be a trap!
When the thought spread into everyones mind, theynded their gazes on that cobblestone.
Burning gazes!
Raging eagerness!
Endless greed!
Despite the feelings, they didnt move because they knew there must be danger or traps lurking around the tform that held the Philosophers Stone.
They must be careful!
However, a series of footsteps sounded through the passage they dug up.
Aison Den led the Herders into the passage, and when he saw the group of men ahead of him, his eyes overflowed with killer intent, which became heavier when he saw the cobblestone on the rack through the seams in the group of people.
Without a second though, Aison Den drew his sword.
From the start, Witchcraft practitioners and Herders were arch nemesis, and now, there was the Philosophers Stone in sight!
Chapter 1665 - Gaze
Chapter 1665: Gaze
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Aison Den! Richard Mayden, you useless garbage!
The leader of the Witchcraft practitioners shouted at Aison Den with gnashing teeth when he saw the man.
Part of the grudgeful scream was for Richard Mayden but most of it was meant for the boss of the Herders of the South Sector.
The Herders deemed the Witchcraft practitioners as their arch nemesis.
The Witchcraft practitioners also deemed the Herders as their mortal enemy.
Neither side would stop unless the other perished.
Especially since both of them were the leader of their own faction in Ai City, the Witchcraft practitioners leader, Mazmu, had a grudge against Aison Den that dated far back, a time where the Dark Moon Treaty didnt exist.
After the Dark Moon Treaty came into y, both sides were put under control but the grudge between them never faded.
Quite the contrary, their grudge brewed like whiskey, the longer the time, the spicier the taste. It was tormenting like a venomous bug eating the heart, the constant anxiety making it hard for either side to live their lives.
Therefore, it was natural that both of them switched their open fight to a secretive one, like this particr encounter.
Mazmu treated Richard Mayden as one of his pawns.
He originally nned to use Richard Mayden to stab Aisen Den in the back during a critical moment, but that unannounced intruder in the North Sector attracted the attention of the Herders. So in order to keep the Philosophers Stone under the Herders eyes, Mazmu had to expose his pawn, Richard Mayden, prematurely.
He didnt expect Richard Mayden to hold the Herders for long because he knew how scary his old rival was.
Though to Mazmus surprise, Richard Mayden was so useless that he couldnt even hold the Herders back for a single night.
The more he thought about it, the more angry he got.
His mortal enemy was in front of him and the Philosophers Stone was behind him.
Mazmu made his move without further ado, throwing a dozen balls of paper forward.
When the paper balls fell on the ground, they transformed into Papermen wielding swords. Each of them looked exceptionally lively, other than the thinness, they looked not more different than a normal human being, even the swords in their hands ring like a real iron de.
When Mazmu moved his fingers, the other Witchcraft practitioners attacked en masse.
Illusive, ferocious, wandering souls and fierce Hounds that hid in the shadows instantly filled the entire passage.
The Witchcraft practitioners didnt ask why the traps they set up beforehand failed. Those traps were set for dealing with outsiders, not their old rivals who knew every trick in their book.
Hmph!
Facing the oing onught, Aison Den drew out the sword hidden in his walking staff and charged forward.
Aison Den was like a soaring eagle in the narrow passage, fast and keen, and he pointed his sword at Mazmu.
Wherever the tip of his sword swung, the Paperman, wandering souls, the Hounds, everything was cut in half.
Mazmu smiled coldly and lifted his hand again.
Tzzzzzt!
A dark green beam was fired out from his hand.
Aison Den, however, didnt have the slightest intention to stop. Even though the beam was fired at him, all he did was slightly turn his body, moving his weak spots out of the beams trajectory and continued thrusting his sword forward.
The Philosophers Stone was in front of his eyes!
Any kind of dy would result in the wildest consequences! He must end this as soon as possible.
Tzzzzt!
The dark green beam hit Aison Dens left shoulder. Sizzling noise like acid corroding metal sounded, a vile stench following. The coat and the shirt around his shoulder were instantly corroded away, revealing his bare flesh underneath, his skin starting to rot in exponential speed too, yet Aison Den held his sword firmer and faster.
Mazmu was shocked.
Having rivaled Aison Den for so many years, Mazmu knew what his rival ought to do and because of that, he understood how troublesome it would be.
Aison Den was determined to get the Philosophers Stone!
As for Mazmu?
He too located it through many difficulties, how could he just give it to others, especially his old rival!
A fierce re shed over Mazmus eyes, he too didnt want to step back. Instead, he moved his step aside, allowing Aison Dens sword to graze his right chest.
Spat!
Fresh blood sprayed out as the de cut through the chest.
The dark green light gathered around Mazmus hand again but as the light shone, Aison Den swept his sword sideways.
The dark green light exploded in front of Aison Dens chest, the sharp de slicing half of Mazmus chest open.
That was still not the end!
The two of them raised their legs and kicked each others crotch, likewise no one was stepping back either.
Bang! Bang!
A unified thump echoed in the passage. Aison Den and Mazmus faces turned pale, both of them clenching their teeth tight as no one wanted to step back. However, their body reflexes forced them backward uncontrobly.
Both of them put their thighs together, holding on to their crotch and enduring the excruciating pain and as the pain spread throughout their body, they stared at each other with the utmost hate.
As the new hate and old grudges added up, both of them growled at each other and then threw themselves towards one another. Neither of them would stop until one of them was dead.
Since their respective bosses were at each others throats, the other Herders and Witchcraft practitioners would not just stand by and watch.
They too ran into each other, attacking each other frenziedly with everything they had.
des cutting flesh.
Ferocious monsters tearing limbs.
Strong corrosive beams corroding swords.
In addition to all the messy noises, explosions followed and sounded throughout the dug up tunnel.
Less than two minutes into battle, half of everyone in the tunnel had fallen.
The battle between Aison Den and Mazmu got even fiercer.
Aison Den was badly damaged, looking like he had just swam out from a pool of acid. Not a single piece of his meat was intact, he reeked badly and couldnt even stand still.
Mazmu, on the other hand, was drenched in blood, his stomach cut open, only a thin veil holding his innards inside and his left armpletely cut off.
Despite the serious injuries, both of them were still fighting.
Souuu!
Aison Den thrusted his sword again.
Compared to the first strike, which was sharp and fast, this strike was a lot slower, the keen aura from the de was left with a little, yet Mazmu did not dodge it.
Mazmu allowed the sword to stab his throat.
Tssss!
As the de swiftly thrust through Mazmus throat, the distance between them rapidly shortened.
When the two of them came close face to face, Mazmu stuffed his right hand into his stomach, broke the veil that was holding his innards. He pulled his intestines out and wrapped it around Aison Dens neck.
The intestines came alive, catching Aison Dens neck, automatically tightening around him.
He started to suffocate but Aison Den wasnt really concerned, he twisted his wrist and cut Mazmus throatpletely.
After losing his necks support, Mazmus head fell aside but his face showed almost no expression. Only the menacing, ferocious look remained and it didnt change even after the head was cut off.
Cough, cough cough!
Aison Den choked on the intestines around his neck and as he was suffocating, he fell on the ground helplessly.
He had managed to cut Mazmus head off but he too was at his end, a dying candle in the wind.
However, when he nced over the living Papermen, Aison Den realized something was not right.
Mazmu was the controller of the Papermen, yet after his death, the Papermen continued to attack the Herders.
Aison Den looked up and saw Mazmu in soul form had somehow floated into the secret room, reaching out to the Philosophers Stone.
In this critical moment, Aison Den no longer cared about why Mazmus soul was unharmed by his sword, he only knew he could not allow Mazmu to seed.
GET YOUR HANDS OFF THE PHILOSOPHERS STONE!
Aison Den shouted loudly, throwing himself into the room and as he was charging towards Mazmus soul, Mazmu already got his hands on the Philosophers Stone.
Kak!
The contraption was triggered, the whole room started to shake.
At the next moment...
A myriad of arrows were fired from the walls.
Fooooosh!
Aison Den and Mazmu were drowned by the arrow storm, and it was just a start!
Aison Den was hit by multiple arrows and Mazmus soul was fading rapidly. They then saw the tform in the center of the room start to shake violently.
The tform looked like it was formed naturally, yet it split up left and right.
A ck hole was revealed underneath.
Mazmu, whose soul was fading and was eager to escape with the stone, dived into the hole without a second thought.
Aison Den too gave chase without any hesitation, for he was determined to retrieve the Philosophers Stone.
Then...
Kabooom!
The entire North Sector of Ai City trembled.
The whole of Ai City felt the shake, including Leaf Dining.
What happened? Starbeck, who was cooking soup in the kitchen, stuck his head out of the curtain.
Nothing, probably some explosion caused by a gas leak. Go back to your cooking, Im here, Kieran turned over to Starbeck with a smile and after Starbeck went back to the kitchen, he looked at Amy, or more urately Amy/Carrie.
This is the doll you asked for. Its a little special though, it is the reason that you are what you are now and it can also track your location, dead or alive.
Kieran told Carrie honestly when he passed her the doll.
From how Kieran viewed it, it was no good to hide the facts.
Since he agreed to trade, he ought to make it a win-win situation and it seemed like Carrie shared the same thought.
She controlled Amys hand and wrote down an address and listed down a list.
Kieran nodded in satisfaction after he read through the list.
Happy working together! said Kieran.
Carrie smiled and nodded, letting Amy hold the doll and went back into Amys body.
Amy looked down at the broken doll, touching it, and a strange feeling bloomed in her heart, familiar yet unknown. It was a very weird feeling and unknowingly, Amy soaked herself into the sensation.
Kieran saw her reaction, then signaled the Elite Hound beside his feet with a meaningful gaze before he quietly went upstairs.
The Elite Hound stood up, walked to the kitchen entrance andid down horizontally.
It lowered its head on its paws but its ears were up, it wasnt asleep and its teeth were barely showing, its eyes were also sharp.
The Elite Hound who was summoned by Kieran treated Kieran as the alpha male of its pack, following orders from the alpha male became utmost important.
More so, it didnt dislike Starbeck, hence it tended to carry out its duty fully.
Having 5 normal Hounds and one Elite Hounds was a great help for Kieran, at least he didnt have to overly worry about Starbeck.
The night breeze came through the window onto the second floor.
Kierans jacket was fluttering when he got up. Seeing Bloody Mary appear in Bains look, he quickly strode over.
The Superior Demons disguise was perfect in front of other people but in front of Kieran with the contract, it was useless.
Boss! Unexpected discovery! I found a high quality magic stone!
Bloody Mary took out Philosophers Stone and gave it to Kieran with utmost ttery.
When Kieran saw the crystal clear Philosophers Stone with its colorful glow, he felt energized, and when he touched the stone, his eyes were overflowing with astonishment.
[Name: Philosophers Stone (Shard)]
[Type: Wonder Item]
[Rarity: I]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: I]
[Attribute 1. Energy Recover; 2. Expel]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: No]
[Remark: This is the epitome of ancient alchemy. It isntplete but it has astonishing power.]
[Note: You have to have rted Mystical Knowledge to truly use it.]
...
[Energy Recover: Shower in the colorful glow of the shard and you can recover your HP, Stamina and Spirit quicker.
[Expel: It can slowly expel the negative effects on your body.]
...
Due to the contract, Kieran knew Bloody Mary had stumbled upon something good.
Just that he had never expected Bloody Mary would get its hands on the Philosophers Stone. Even though it was just a shard, it was astonishing enough.
Based on what he knew about the Philosophers Stone, the stone could bring the dead back to life and was a necessary item toplete a Prayer Spell!
This was just a piece of shard and its rarity was already in Advance Rank, its attribute was very good also.
Using that as a reference, Kieran could very well imagine what theplete Philosophers Stone would look like.
On top of that, using it to recover Hp and Stamina wasnt the true usage of the shard.
If it was the true usage...
Kieran squinted his eyes in deep thoughts.
Though when he nced over the unable to bring out of dungeon line, he sighed helplessly.
Since it couldnt leave this dungeon world, its value was halved, unless...
Kieran instantly thought of something, turning to Bloody Mary.
You know what to do? Kieran asked.
I do.
Bloody Mary nodded and then vanished from the spot.
It had to infiltrate the Herders or the Witchcraft practitioners to find the true ways of using the [Philosophers Stone (Shard)].
It was nearly impossible for others, but for Bloody Mary?
It was only a little harder, and after tonights battle, it will have a lot of chances.
Seems like my arrangements are worth it!
Bloody Mary returned to the North Sector with the lingering thought.
Kieran was about to close shop. He put [Philosophers Stone (Shard)] in his pocket and headed to the restaurant entrance.
He took the little ckboard off the window and got ready to go back inside, but when he was about to push the door, he felt a gaze on his back.
The gaze was at random, it had no malicious intent, yet it caused goosebumps all over Kierans back.
Danger!
Chapter 1666 - Song Shi
Chapter 1666: Song Shi
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The danger instinct that was tempered through countless battles did not fail Kieran, even when his body was weakened.
Quite the contrary, the weaker he was, the more vignt he was, and he was rmed like never before.
Without a second thought, Kieran hurled the ckboard towards the source of the gaze and reached out his right hand to his waist.
His hand was so fast that it left afterimages in its trail.
[Acard Knife] was drawn but Kieran didnt turn around to the target, instead he jumped back into the restaurant and when he crossed the door, his left hand pushed the door backwards.
Bang!
The door was mmed shut.
Kieran took a few more steps forward before he finally turned around at the door with a heavy face.
A powerful foe!
A foe that could make Kieran this rmed. The danger level was raised to its peak and it was a never before seen powerful foe ever since he stepped into this dungeon world.
His brain was thinking quickly.
His fingers behind his back were signalling Starbeck.
Starbeck was attracted by the mming noise from the door,ing out to have a look, but when he saw the signal from Kieran, he covered his mouth and stepped back into the kitchen quietly.
Elite Hound stood up and entered a defensive stance, its muscles all tightened, ready to strike any time; the other five Hounds growled lowly.
Even Carries soul came out from Amys body.
What happened? Amy asked herself in her heart.
She had never seen Kieran so serious before. Even when he was facing those Witchcraft practitioners, he was at ease.
Theres something very powerful outside, Carrie answered her.
Powerful? How powerful? Amy had no idea what powerful meant.
It can probably kill all of us in matter of seconds, Carrie gave Amy a direct answer and continued anxiously, Get behind Royan, try to get close to Roye, its the safest there.
Amy trusted Carrie like herself, she didnt say a word more and walked to the counter, carefully walking around the Elite Hound and sneaking into the kitchen.
She then saw Starbeck stirring the pot of soup slowly with the spoon. Amy was confused, it was not a scene that she expected.
Shouldnt Roye pray nervously or even look scared? Why was he still cooking?
Was he thinking of cooking more food for Royan to increase his fighting capabilities?
When the thought came into her mind, Amy felt a heart-throbbing aura came in from the main floor outside.
She felt like she was on a battlefield.
She saw mountains of bodies and a sea of blood, she saw a throne built with bones and the person slumbering on the throne was slowly opening their eyes, as if the person was about to wake up.
She trembled, she feared!
In fact, not just Amy, even Carrie, who had be one with her, felt the same way.
Carrie in her soul form felt even more, she sensed hundreds of thousands of grudgeful souls crawling outside, wailing, screeching, and crying, yet none of their cries attracted the attention of the person on the throne.
No forgiveness, no mercy, nopassion, there was only the cold, merciless, and endless ughter.
The killer intents increased the killer aura, the killer aura was like arge area of dark cloud, shrouding the heaven and earth.
This...This...
How many people has he killed in the past? Carrie asked Amy nervously.
Amy had no answer. The killer aura robbed her mind nk, she was at a loss for what to do.
Starbeck was not affected at all, though. He was adjusting the fire on the pot like nothing had happened and added more special spices that he prepared himself into the soup.
Amy looked at Starbeck nkly. She didnt know how Starbeck could be so steady and get used to the intense aura. Simrly, they also didnt know what the enemy was feeling outside the door.
Perhaps the enemy had started to regret provoking Kieran.
Thats right, Song Shi had started to regret her decision.
Thedy owner of Song Shi Hot Spring Hotel was standing at the corner of the street, looking at the entrance of the restaurant with her beautiful eyes, her delicate face looking serious like never before.
Wasnt thisd a greenhorn with some skills from the mountains?
Whats with the killer aura?
Whats with the intense killer intents?
Hes scarier than the warlords who killed a myriad in the modern ancient times!
How many souls had this youngd reaped?
No, that didnt sound right! There was no news of a massive massacre anywhere in the past few decades!
Could he be God of ughter reincarnated?
Unlikely either way, otherwise those guys wouldnt just let him be.
On top of that, under theyers of killer aura and killer intents, theres something even more terrifying hidden inside, like the shadow in the river of blood. It made the owner of the hotel doubtful and anxious.
Teddy, who was tied up, saw the looks on Song Shi and it was a first for him.
He saw it with his own eyes how powerful this woman was.
Those monsters who could even survive gas explosions with only a few scratches were like paper in her hands, she tore them apart with ease and she tore more than one at the same time!
Teddy never thought the people he met back at the hotel that night were all monsters!
The two couples, the family of three, even the servants and the fakedy owner, were all monsters.
Other than the hotel itself, everything he saw was fake and when he was on the verge of falling into despair, this woman appeared and saved him.
She cleared all the monsters upon arrival but before he could thank him, she knocked him out.
When Teddy woke up, this woman had gotten what she wanted to know through some special methodsit was a painful process, not only to the body but to the mind as well.
Everyone had their own secrets that no one liked to be asked about. Teddy was no exception but this woman got everything from Teddy.
She didnt just know his secrets, she even teased him with all sorts of ugly words.
If Teddys mental will wasnt as stable as iron, he knew he would have killed himself.
For a few days, Teddy survived with clenching teeth as he was dragged back to Ai City, little by little.
He knew what this woman wanted, the smile on her face was very obvious, like a child who had found some new toy.
Yet Teddy was helpless against it. All he did was pray in his heart, hoping that the worst wouldnt happen.
The closer he got to Ai City, the more he prayed, and when he was dragged to the street corner opposite the restaurant, Teddy prayed with his knees on the ground.
But now?
Teddyughed, everything was not expected!
He knew Royan was stronger than himself, but he never thought Royan was this strong, to the point that his aura alone could pressure this woman, stopping her from acting beyond consequences.
What are youughing at?
Song Shi nced over Teddy, pointing at Teddy and Teddys widened mouth was silenced.
Though the smile on his face got brighter.
The more Song Shi reacted nervously, the more Teddy knew his guess was right.
This woman was afraid of Royan! And it was great news for Teddy!
At least Royan would be safe for the meantime and it would be enough!
He didnt want to feel guilty for outing his friend.
Teddy felt a sense of relief at the moment.
Song Shi saw the expression on Teddys face, really wanting to p him on the face.
She wasnt truly a viin, she just wanted to have a little fun to cure her boredom.
She nned to make it up after her little pranks but never did she think she woulde across someone like Kieran in her harmless pranks.
It was like she was teasing a little rabbit in its hole and after she pulled it out, a tiger followed.
Its aplete lie! This is deceiving!
Song Shi scolded angrily in her heart, she really wanted to walk away this instant. Whether did Kieran kill that many people or was a God of ughter reincarnated, he wasnt someone that she could mess with.
Especially that shadow in the blood, it made her heart throb.
If she could, she would leave, but...
Teddys gaze and expression made her very ufortable.
Just leave like this?
Will I look shameful?
Will it affect the name Song Shi?
If others knew I chickened out this time, how could I face others in the future? Where would I hide?
Some thoughtster, Song Shi clenched her teeth. She couldnt just walk away like that. She must at least show off herself before leaving.
Little by little, the aura originating from her bloodline shrouded her.
Glimmers of light gathered above Song Shis head and a pair of animal fox ears popped up. Sevenrge, fluffy tails behind her started to form, and although the tails were in illusory form, they looked very real.
The ears and the tails moved and it increased Song Shis power. A very unique aura showered her body.
The aura could bewitch all men and enchant all life, even Teddy, who was very afraid of Song Shi, became nk and dull after the aura was released, infatuated with her beautiful looks.
Song Shi nced over Teddy in disdain. She then looked at the restaurant, the aura around her getting denser.
She believed Kieran behind the door would surely make a move.
In fact, Kieran behind the door also sensed her change.
After Song Shi revealed her ears and tails, the strong feeling that felt like a precognition turned real all of a sudden. When the Spirit authentication notifications popped up one after another on Kierans vision, the killer aura around him got denser.
The enemies who could affect his Spirit in his current state ought to be very powerful!
He could not afford to be careless at all in front of such an enemy, he must take out the target with a single fatal blow!
Huuu Haaa!
Although many of his skills remained sealed, Kieran trained himself through practise of the skills, not solely relying on the skills buff. He may be some distance away from wielding those skills at will, he knew the hows but not the whys, so using a weaker version of the skills wasnt a problem for him.
Perhaps it would consume more time, or its power wasnt as ideal, but he acquired more freedom!
[Dawn Sword] and [gue Arrow]!
Bright radiance from the void shone in Kierans hand and darkness from the abyss brewed in his hand.
An unknown aura started to appear around Kieran and caused much difort to Amy in the kitchen.
As a matter of fact, Amy was having a very bad time, her condition was at its worst.
After Song Shi revealed her ears and tails, Amy, uncontrobly, wanted to walk out the kitchen, open the door, and wee her arrival.
If it wasnt for Carrie holding her back, she would have done it.
Now?
Something even scarier appeared.
W-What is he doing? Amy asked in a shivering voice.
Im not sure.
Control yourself, dont let the enemy outside enchant you!
Carrie shook her head and reminded Amy.
Starbeck, on the other hand, gave Amy a piece of green leaf.
Keep it in your mouth, it may be useful.
T-This is mint?! Amy was surprised.
She quickly put the piece of mint in her mouth and when she felt the freshness, the difort eased up.
You have mint in your mouth too? Amy asked Starbeck.
Starbeck shook his head with a smile. He needed no mint, with Kieran beside him, he was afraid of nothing. All he had to do was wait patiently and serve the bowl of hot soup to Kieran after his victory.
His conviction put him back into cooking.
Amy looked at Starbeck with a dull look, Carrie as well.
They thought they were looking at a quivering little white flower, kind and tenacious, unwavered by the storm and dancing in the wind.
Am I seeing things?
The thought came into both their minds.
Song Shi also felt the tenacity, frowning in a weird way.
The tenacious aura wasnt as scary as the one behind the door but it made her feel more nervous and a bad feeling rose from her heart.
Instinctively, she split a part of her aura and tried to attack the restaurant kitchen, as a test.
Kaboom!
The tense killer intents behind the restaurant entrance skyrocketed instantly, killer aura ten times stronger surging to the sky.
Even the space above the restaurant started to distort because of the killer aura and the worst part was, a gray arrow, forgedpletely out of despair, was fired out from the restaurant
Before the arrow even hit her, Song Shi already felt the despair from the keen presence.
It froze her, she felt like she had returned to her weakest self, no protection from her parents, no reliance, helplessly following the arrangements of fate.
No! I am not who I used to be!
I will never bow to fate again!
A strong feeling surged from the bottom of her heart, shattering the aura of despair. The seven tails behind Song Shi covered her immediately.
Bang!
The gray arrow shattered uponnding on the barrier formed by the seven tails, though a little bit of ashe tained the white tails and caught on like cancer.
Disgust rose from the bottom of her heart but Song Shi didnt care because more danger was upon her.
The area went dark when the arrow was fired out from the restaurant, the electric supply destroyedpletely, but the restaurant did not fall into darkness.
Quite the opposite, inside the restaurant was a sharp, tenacious light that expelled all darkness.
That pair of eyes in the brightness was as red as blood, as hot as burning fire, rage filling Kierans heart.
Above the restaurant, the space which got distorted by Kierans killer intents resonated with Kierans rage naturally.
Kakrroooom!
A bolt of lightning came down from the sky but it did notnd on anything, instead swirling around the air.
The scene terrified Song Shi to her core.
Affecting even the weather? Is he really a God of ughter reincarnated? What a lousy joke!!
Song Shi couldnt care anymore, she turned and ran for her life but after the first step, the light sword gathered in Kierans hand embedded itself onto [Acard Knife]. The knife instantly grew 2 meters, transforming from a kitchen knife into a broad greatsword.
The greatsword overflowing with light was raised up in the air as Kieran jumped up.
The greatsword of light was swung down fiercely.
Kaboooom!
Chapter 1667 - Compensation
Chapter 1667: Compensation
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The light sword shed through Song Shis body without the slightest dy and plunged deep into the ground.
The ground shook, followed by a heavy thump.
While the quake went on, Song Shis body burst like a bubble, disappearing into thin air.
Kieran frowned.
He sensed that Song Shi was already gone the moment he swung the light sword at her, and after the illusion popped, not a bit of her scent was left behind, like she never came before.
Some kind of secret spell?
Kieran furrowed his brows before he went over to the tied up Teddy.
Every secret spell has its own uniqueness, but it wasnt almighty, Kieran could go another route to locate her.
Who was that? Kieran asked after he untied Teddy.
Song Shi! Thedy owner of Song Shi Hotel, where I stayed before! Shes the real owner!
Teddy told Kieran what exactly happened.
Song Shi? Kieran raised a brow at the name.
Bain did tell him before about this Song Shi.
Our men didnt want to provoke that lord, or something like that came afloat in Kierans mind, so it altered his thoughts for a bit.
Kieran then went back to the restaurant.
Teddy curiously saw Kieran off. The chief officer hadnt spent a lot of time with Kieran but he knew Kieran wasnt exactly a generous person.
Since he was provoked by that woman, he would not just let her slip without consequences, unless...
Theres profit that he could get out of all of this!
Or more urately, theres a bigger gain beyond the picture on the surface!
As a matter of fact, there was.
After Kieran made sure the woman he fought off just now was Song Shi, he already knew what he should do.
The Herders of the East obviously had less funds, but the South was different. Regardless of attire or weapons, the South had them in higher quality and not just a little bit.
Bain addressed Song Shi as lord, so the Southerners would also do the same.
Meaning, if Kieran soughtpensation and East Sector couldnt cover his lost, the South Sector would eventually step up, even the North and the West might offer a little help.
As for whether or not he could get that much profit from the Herders, he would have to see how valuable this lord was.
Still, it didnt mean Kieran would simply forgive her.
If she dared to move against Starbeck, she would have to be prepared for Kieran to skin her alive and make a scarf out of her pelt for Starbeck.
The day had gotten bright, a fox pelt over the neck should be warm enough, but that was a matter for another time.
Now?
Kieran had sided with the Herders and was considered on the same side as Song Shi.
Though it was just temporary, once the Battle of Winter Night was over and he regained his true powers, it would be time for clearing debts.
The thoughts lingered in his mind as Kieran looked into the kitchen.
Starbeck brought out a ypot.
Before he opened the lid, Kieran smelled mutton, chinese yam, and lotus and his attention was captivated.
Eight Treasure Tonic soup, mutton, chinese yam, and lotus are the main ingredients, Ive also added milkvetch root, noodles, and muttonrd. I even changed the yellow wine and dates, Starbeck exined softly with a smile and as he was exining, preparing a bowl of soup for Kieran.
Teddy smelled the soup as he was following Kieran into the restaurant, he couldnt help but swallow his saliva. However, wise enough, Teddy did not go over and ask for one, instead he walked over to the corner quietly, as did Amy.
She was rather envious of the Eight Treasure Tonic soup that she barely heard of before, but Carrie told her not to go over there, unless she had a death wish!
The milky white creamy Eight Treasure Tonic soup was served to Kieran by Starbecks hands.
Hold on, theres one more thing!
Starbeck ran into the kitchen and brought a saucer out with brilliant green leaves.
Chives? Kieran was rather surprised.
Yea, cured chives, they will go nicely with vinegar.
Starbeck smiled and nodded, his other hand holding a little pot, pouring a drop of ck vinegar on the chives, a rich aroma of vinegaring out.
Kieran picked some chives with his chopsticks, put them into the soup, and stirred it. A sense of freshness came from the aromatic, herbalish soup, especially that little sourish taste, increasing Kierans appetite. Kieran picked the bowl up and started to drink.
The creamy, sticky soup was infused with the essence of mutton, the soft chinese yam and the crunchy lotus lifting Kierans spirit.
Another bowl!
Kieran finished the first bowl in two mouthfuls and then he pushed the bowl back to Starbeck.
Starbeck prepared another bowl for Kieran and then went back into the kitchen.
A whileter, Starbeck brought a big pail out, he put the big pail on the floor and then he pped his hands.
p, p!
The Hounds who were on guard duty around the building flew towards the big pail but they didnt jump in altogether.
The other Hounds let the Elite Hound have the biggest, most deliciousmb spine before they dug in and they didnt fight over the food.
Not a single bit of meat was spilled out on the floor.
In fact, there were six dog bowls ced on one side of the restaurant.
The biggest bowl belonged to the Elite Hound, the rest were the normal Hounds. Each of them took the bone with their mouth to their respective bowl and then chewed on it with wagging tails.
Teddy and Amy heard the chewing noises from the Hounds, watching Kieran drink bowl after bowl of the Eight Treasure Tonic soup, their mouths couldnt help but salivate like waterfalls.
They subconsciously looked at Starbeck, hoping that he would go easy on them and spare them a bowl.
Unfortunately, Starbeck was leaning on the counter with both his palms under his chin, his eyes smiled a crescent moon as all his attention was ced on Kieran. He didnt even notice the two of them and their pitiful gaze.
Kieran noticed it though, but he turned a blind eye.
What a joke!
The soup was his dinner!
Why should he share it with others?
Its not Lawless or Starbeck anyway.
Teddy and Amys stomach growled, hunger beating not only their body, but exhausting their hearts too.
Momentster, footsteps came from the door.
Huai Cuike, the person in charge of East 1 Sector, arrived with two others. Kieran nced over them, seeing the familiar Huai Cuike, Hoen, the Herder who he secretly saw before in the shadow, and another face.
After their identities were made clear, Kieran buried himself in drinking thest bowl of soup.
Huai Cuike did not enter with Hoen and the other man, standing outside, examining the shattered door and the messy floor, smiling bitterly.
Kieran wasnt exactly the best person to have dealings with, he wasnt really a savage though. Quite the contrary, Kieran was very reasonable most of the time.
He had his own view and bottomline in every single matter, and because of that, Huai Cuike knew how hard his current task was.
Kieran viewed this world with his own perspective, he held on tightly to his bottomline, and it was hard for anyone to move it, at least Huai Cuike had no confidence in it, but had toe.
Whenever he thought about the lord appearing in the premise and leaving in an ugly state, Huai Cuikes gaze on Kieran was full of shock; when he thought of the word God of ughter reincarnated that the lord mentioned, his heart was throbbing like war drums.
He admitted Kieran was strong, but not this strong!
The theory of reincarnation was acknowledged among the Herders, because there was more than one example.
Though it was a first for Huai Cuike to see it with his own eyes and it wasnt any just any reincarnation, it was the reincarnation of God of ughter!
There were many Gods of ughter throughout history but the one who could rm the lord to this extent must be the top of the strongest bunch.
They didnt know which reincarnated God of ughter Kieran was, but regardless, all of them were extremely hard to deal with and had to be treated with the utmost care.
Burying people alive, eating people alive, annihting entire ns, massacring an entire city...
All the infamous achievements of the God of ughter throughout history made Huai Cuike stand up straight. Despite the white hair and the old age, he politely knocked on the remaining door frame.
Knock, Knock Knock.
The knocks sounded, everyone heard it clearly, but Kieran turned a deaf ear.
What he wanted was to steer the conversation and in order to get the right to steer, he didnt mind using some tactics.
Huai Cuike looked at Kieran with a bitter smile. He knew it was hard from the beginning, but not too hard.
He hit a stud right at the beginning.
Royan, I willpensate for your loss.
Huai Cuike didnt hesitate at all and stated his intention, then signaled Hoen with a gaze.
The elite Herder of South Sector pulled out a pouch made out of deer pelt and ced it outside the door frame.
10 Crossing Silver Coins, Huai Cuike made an offer.
Kieran didnt care.
Huai Cuike raised his hand, and another pouch was ced outside the door frame.
Finally, Kieran turned around for a nce, he nodded and said, Come in.
20 Crossing Silver Coins wasnt the ideal number, but it was just the start, everything had to proceed step by step.
Huai Cuike stepped in. Hoen behind him also heaved a breath of relief, picking up the two pouches and walking in.
It was easier than he thought. He prepared many but he did not expect 20 Crossing Silver Coins to seal the deal.
Huai Cuike heard the breath of relief from Hoen, the bitter smile on his face getting heavier.
It was still manageable if they had to pay a high price upon arriving, meaning the incident will soon be over but now they made entry with a mere 20 Crossing Silver Coins, meaning this incident would not just end like this.
Things unfolded just like Huai Cuikes thought.
After the three of them came in, Kieran didnt invite them to sit down, pointing at the two pouches of coins which were ced on the counter, and said Entrance fee.
Entrance fee?
Hoen was shocked, his face turning rather pale.
20 Crossing Silver Coins was the entrance fee? Then how much did he have to pay for the rest?!
The breath of relief had no meaning now, Hoen looking at Huai Cuike, yearning for help.
Take everything out, Huai Cuike sighed.
Everything? Hoen replied in shock.
Yes, everything, Huai Cuike nodded.
He knew Kieran was a person who held his convictions close and dear, the gentle and harsh ways would not work on him and to sessfully persuade him, disying sincerity became a must.
Hoen hesitated for a while, clenching his teeth, and then took out all the deer pelt pouches.
Three more pouches were taken out, simr to the previous two, the deer pelt pouches bulging heavily, except for thest one.
Thest pouch was much thinner than the others but it was also the one Hoen had a hard time putting it down.
After Hoen struggled with his unwillingness, Huai Cuike grabbed the thin pouch and put it on the counter.
Ding!
Even though the pouch was made with deer pelt, a clear chime entered Kierans ears when the item inside hit the counter. On top of that, the Origin Forces in Kieran throbbed, Gluttony even screaming loudly, EAT!
Kieran had never heard Gluttony scream this eagerly since he set foot in this dungeon.
His attention was immediately captivated by this thin pouch and Huai Cuike also opened it up.
A golden radiance appeared in Kierans sight as it reflected the light.
Crossing Gold Coin? Kieran asked.
Yes, its very rare, Huai Cuike nodded.
He reached out and held the coin in hand, the attributes of the coin instantly popping up in his vision.
[Name: Crossing Gold Coin]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: None]
[Attribute: Other than effectively cover arge amount of faraway energy from leaving souls, it can also slowly recover the holders spirit and grant the holder Spirit authentication advantage.]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: No]
[Remark: Crossing Coin appears much earlier than the Herders. No one knew why was it created but after the covering the presence of souls leaving for the farawaynd, it has be themon currency for the Herders and the mystical side and Crossing Gold Coin is an item that is far beyond its value as currency, it can be traded for something rare from a certain someone.]
...
Kieran slightly sensed the changes in his body when he held the gold coin in his hand. It was weak but it was there. All five of his Origin Forces were operating swiftly.
Consuming this coin would provide him with bigger gains.
Kieran realized something, but he didnt say anything else and put the one gold coin and 40 silver coins into his pocket.
Huai Cuike finally heaved a breath of relief when he saw Kierans eptance. He wasnt worried about Kierans personality. If he epted the coins, that meant he had agreed to thepensation.
A person like Kieran would not go back on his words.
Im sorry, Royan. Lord Song Shi didnt mean anything ill, she just...
A little naughty. What she did to Chief Teddy was for his own good, Huai Cuike exined.
For my own good? By dragging me around like a dog? Teddy grumbled.
She did that to let you better adapt to your powers. Didnt you realize your body has grown stronger in a couple of days? This is just the start, theres more surprises waiting for you, Huai Cuike looked at Teddy with a smile.
Kieran frowned a little but he didnt say anything.
He didnt want to lie, but it didnt mean he would forgive her for peeking into his soul.
Another grunt sounded and Teddy leaned on the counter without a word.
After all that conversation, the second person behind Huai Cuike hasnt spoken since bowing at Teddy.
I apologize on behalf of our youngdys impoliteness. If you have any trouble or dissatisfaction, please do not hesitate to tell us. Of course, Sir Royan too.
The man then looked at Kieran.
His hand had been hiding inside his sleeve and he revealed it, several hand signs in an angle which only Kieran could see.
The mans eyes were filled with anticipation.
Chapter 1668 - Impossible to Guard Against
Chapter 1668: Impossible to Guard Against
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran clearly saw the hand signs in the mans sleeve and he understood the meaning instantly.
The Reincarnated One?
Kieran wondered.
Other than the Reincarnated One, what else would the man be testing out?
Besides, based on Huai Cuikes righteousness in this incident, it also stated the Herders werent surprised by a Reincarnated One. He didnt even have the intention to ask about the battle earlier.
It seemed like in this world, a Reincarnated One was not something unheard of before and some sort of rules already formed around them.
The man, proimed as Song Shis servant, knew the rules well.
Kieran subtly nced over Huai Cuike. He wasnt sure whether Huai Cuike was aware of such rules or not, but since Song Shis servant kept the signs away from the old man, the rules revolving a Reincarnated One should be rather secretive, not even a veteran Herder knew such secrets.
Kieran also wouldnt simply create stories around himself, he furrowed his brows naturally and showed confusion on his face.
Seeing the reaction from Kierans face, Song Shis servant did not react in surprise or shock. He quickly said, Of course, our youngdy might have identally offended Sir Royans brother, she is very regretful of that and please believe me when I say our youngdy didnt do it on purpose. On top of that, after knowing Roye is good at cooking, our youngdy has meticulously prepared a little present, in hopes for Royes forgiveness. Fret not, this little present will only allow Roye to further heighten his cooking skills with convenience.
Cooking skills? Kieran turned to Starbeck.
If it was something else, Kieran wouldnt care as much but if it was rted to cooking, he had to care, so did Starbeck.
Having many things thatmoners couldnt even imagine, Starbeck paid very little attention to most of the items out there, but not cooking, because it was something that concerned Kieran.
Unknowingly, Starbecks eyes showed curiosity and anticipation, and after Kieran saw the reaction, he nodded.
Ill be looking forward to Song Shis present, said Kieran.
It will not let you down. It will be delivered to you at dawn.
The servant wearing a gown with a mandarin jacket over it and cloth shoes smiled with assurance.
Come after 3 in the afternoon. Its our resting time before that, Kieran said with a shake of his head.
Not a problem. Ill deliver it on time. This is my phone number, please contact me anytime if you have any questions. Our youngdy, Song Shi, is keen to form a good rtionship with you.
Song Shis servant took out a piece of paper and presented it to Kieran with both his hands.
The piece of paper was two fingers thick, less than 10 cm long, yet the quality of paper was very delicate. It felt like Xuan paper with ayer of coating, the feeling of holding it in hand was nice and it had a nice weight to it.
On top of one side of the paper was a name: Mian Yi; the other side was a phone number.
After Kieran epted the piece of paper, the servant, named Mian Yi, bowed slightly and left with a smile. He didnt talk further with Huai Cuike or Hoen, nor did they talk to him.
Although all of them came together, they werent as close as they looked.
Mian Yi left the premise, his footsteps finally going away and Huai Cuike sighed.
I know we worked together more than once, but I can never get used to it, said the veteran Herder of East Sector.
Hmm. If it wasnt for the Dark Moon Treaty...
Hoen nodded in agreement, the words slipping out of his mouth and he quickly reacted to what he had said. They werent in their own base, but Kierans restaurant, so Hoen quickly shut his mouth.
Huai Cuike waved his hand though, Its fine, Royan is one of us. He is not a stranger to the Dark Moon Treaty. His father is one of the people who disagreed with the treaty back then.
The words of the veteran Herder of East Sector were not to be doubted and after Hoen heard it, he instantly showed a smile to Kieran, not the courteous one but the kind and warm one.
It seemed like the fake identity of Royans father that Ed Wong forged was very effective, especially when said character stood against the Dark Moon Treaty.
Where is your family from?
Royan, Roye...Ro... are you from the East? The Dragon City or the Imperial City? Hoen asked straightforwardly.
I dont know. My father didnt tell us anything about our origin. He just told us toe to Ed Wong when he died, Kieran replied honestly.
Your family retreated from society?
I guess it couldnt be helped. After that incident, most of the Demon Hunter family chose to move away from the current societyI am Hoen, one of the Ellen Family of the Far North.
Hoen sighed with realization before extending his right hand, Kieran replying with his shake.
The shakested for less than a second. Hoen smiled brighter after that.
Hoen was also one of the Demon Hunter family descendants, his family chose to retreat from society as well and the descendants, including himself, hunted monsters and protected the civilians. This simrity made Hoen show more kindness to Kieran. He had obviously treated Kieran as one of his own.
Royan, you better be careful of Song Shi. Although they have a part of the human bloodline, hence sided with us humans, the name of their family isnt that good, especially the elder daughter of the family, Song Shi. She has reached a suitable age for marriage, thats why she left Song Shi Hotel, you have to be careful. Judging from how humble Mian Yi was earlier, Song Shi might have her eyes on you...
Ahem! Mind your words!
Before Hoen could finish, Huai Cuike stopped him with a rough grunt.
Its an undeniable fact that Song Shi is an ally to the Herders. They are also kind enough, and other than the asional pranks, they didnt do anything malicious. Anything beyond that is not something you should be worried about Royan.
Huai Cuike drew a conclusion on the topic and pressed the topic away. A few seconds in deep thoughtter, Huai Cuike asked, Royan, are you familiar with the term Reincarnated One?
Kieran shook his head honestly.
Then, have you ever experienced anything weird in your dreams? Huai Cuike continued his question.
Kieran shook his head again.
Dream? Are you kidding me?
Due to his nature of being rmed and cautious all the time, he had to rest in a very special way, especially in dungeon worlds, where he recovered his energy and stamina with catnaps most of the time. Dreams never happened in his light sleep.
Then... Nevermind, forget it, its inappropriate for me to ask this kind of thing, and even if I did, you wouldnt tell me either. Remember, dont ever harm a civilian and keep yourself above your bottom line.
Huai Cuike originally wanted to ask more but when his words came out, he shook his head in denial.
The veteran Herder then stood up.
I am looking forward to your performance in the Battle of Winter night.
Huai Cuike then walked out from the restaurant.
Come to the South Sector for a visit some time, Ill introduce you to other Demon Hunter family members, Hoen smiled and Kieran before he caught up to Huai Cuike.
Kieran saw them off quietly.
Monsters that stood on humans side.
Reclusive Demon Hunter families.
Reincarnated One.
Kieran had once again learned more about the mystical side of this dungeon world.
Next, he would have to figure out ways to deal with the troubles caused by the mystical side and try his best to maximize his gains.
Ignorance is bliss. The lesser one knows, the safer one is.
Sometimes, the saying wasnt just to bluff people even though its original intention was messing around.
After Kieran fell into deep thoughts, Starbeck quietly tidied up the messy floor.
He knew Kierans habits well, it was best to not disturb him during his thinking.
Simrly, Kieran would also not disturb Starbeck when he was cooking.
Tacit understanding came from mutual respect.
Amy and Teddy saw Starbeck tidying up the ce, joining him.
They followed Starbeck, keeping the noise down and putting the things back quietly.
Leaf Dining was returning to its original state in an orderly fashion.
Meanwhile, it would be a sleepless night somewhere else.
Ai City, South Sector.
Inside an independent vi, Song Shi was smashing her pillow angrily.
A few hitster, the pillow burst.
Feathers danced in her spacious bedroom.
One of the servants quickly cleaned up the flying feathers and when Mian Yi came back from the meeting, he passed another pillow to Song Shi.
Song Shi got stunned.
Smashing pillows is better than smashing people, Mian Yi smiled.
His words and smiles got Song Shis angry re in return.
I am just careless...
Careless?
If it wasnt for the protection charm that master gave you, you would have died in that street corner, that light sword would have sliced you in half! Your meat would end up in a pot, feeding the one who killed you. Your skin would probably be knitted into a scarf, curling up on his brothers neck.
Mian Yi stopped Song Shi, not only did he stop her, he didnt hold back in dissing her.
He wasnt really unhappy with Song Shi. Quite the contrary, Mian Yi had looked after Song Shi since she was young. As the earliest servant in Song Shi Family, Mian Yi had treated Song Shi as his junior.
He wished nothing would happen to his junior but his juniors attitude would surely cause some big trouble sooner orter.
Therefore, whenever he had a chance, he would use it to teach Song Shi a lesson.
What happened before this encounter was insignificant, but this time, Mian Yi deemed it a perfect opportunity.
How dare he! I am...
Of course he dare! I know you are the daughter, the precious jewel of Song Shi Family, but he might turn out to be a God of ughter reincarnatedI dont know how those fools let a God of ughter reincarnate, but since he is here, it proves that he isnt afraid of anyone, anything, or any kind of existence. Whoever shall step on his tail, or even provoke him, he will show no mercy, like those stories throughout history. Killing one is kill, killing millions is also kill. The God of ughter isnt something you can understand withmon sense.
Mian Yi interrupted Song Shi again.
Song Shi widened her mouth, wanting to argue but couldnt think of any words to, because she knew what Mian Yi said was the truth.
A Reincarnated One of God of ughters, no one understood them better than the monsters, like Song Shi and her family.
Practically speaking, those Reincarnated Ones werent really human, they were even more monstrous than real monsters.
At least a monster like Song Shi would show mercy based on mood or hunger, but a God of ughter would not!
Their existence was to kill and to kill only!
ughtering lives, hundreds of miles ofnd tained red.
Fortunately, a true God of ughter and a Reincarnated One of God of ughter were different.
Thetter still had chances to turn back, otherwise Song Shi Family would haveunched an all out onught on Kieran. It would not stop until either one of them was annihted, and judging from how history panned out, Song Shi Family would probably be the one to perish.
A Reincarnated One of a God of ughter wasnt something anyone could mess around with.
Recalling the earlier scene, if it wasnt for her fathers protection charm, she might really have ended up like what Mian Yi said, her meat eaten and her skin knitted into a scarf.
Whenever that picture entered her mind, Song Shi trembled in fear.
Mian Yi saw her reaction, heaving a breath of relief.
Finally she understood fear!
Sometimes, fear wasnt a bad thing, it taught the living to live in reverence.
With reverence, the living would grow quicker! At least they learned their limits, knowing what they could do and what they couldnt.
You were too reckless in the past. With the golden name of Song Shi, no one in Ai City and the neighbouringnds would dare to offend you, but you have no idea how big this world is. There are a lot of ces that your father cannot reach and there are a lot of existence out there that your father cannot oppose. So you must be careful. This world is much more dangerous than you think, Mian Yi said after a deep breath.
I-I... understand!
Song Shi stubbornly wanted to argue but when she saw Mian Yis anticipated gaze, her arguments were lost in her throat, all she could do was sulk and agree.
Mm, its great if you really understand. I tested him before, it seems like he hasnt recovered his memory but it doesnt mean you can go step on his tail. Im saying this because I hope you can mend the rtionship and if its possible...
NO! I dont want to marry that bastard!
Song Shi had calmed down but after she heard what Mian Yi said, she was infuriated, angrily tossing the pillow on the floor, stomping on it and going out of her room.
Mian Yi watched her back as she stomped away, sighing.
Oh dear, youngdy, the Reincarnated One is much scarier and stronger than you can imagine.
If you can really unite with him by marriage, your safety in the future would be secured.
After all, master cant...
Mian Yi didnt tell Song Shi everything, he was afraid that it might be too harsh for her.
He had to find a better way, a milder way, to persuade hisdy.
While Mian Yi was thinking about how to deal with Song Shi, he turned his head around all of a sudden. A sense of rage shed over his calm face and he instantly appeared outside the vi.
A hole on the ground opened up quietly, and someone was swiftly heading towards the hole.
Mian Yi shouted loudly, Do you really think Song Shi Family is bulliable?
His voice was as loud as thunder, spreading deep into the hole on the ground.
Bloody Mary was following Mazmu in the tunnel quietly, sensing that Mazmus reinforcement was on their way and it was almost out of ways to make its move. However, when it saw Mazmus body freeze for a moment, Bloody Marys eyes shined brilliantly.
It had heard Song Shis name before, but it wasnt important now.
The important thing was, it had seized the chance to make a move!
While Mazmu was hesitating and doubting, Bloody Mary dived out from the tunnel wall, grabbed the brick that it had prepared earlier and smashed it on to the back of Mazmus head.
Bang!
Mazmu had just changed a new body, it never thought it would be ambushed in this underground tunnel, so before he could react, he got knocked out on the ground.
Despite falling unconscious, Mazmu held the cobblestone tightly in his hand.
No, not cobblestone, it was the Philosophers Stone.
Mazmu highly believed the normal looking stone was indeed the Philosophers Stone.
So, Bloody Mary thought it should go with Mazmus strong beliefs.
It dragged the unconscious Mazmu deeper into the tunnel and it didnt take away the Philosophers Stone in his hand. It let Mazmu keep it in his hand.
Chapter 1669 - Hold No Grudge
Chapter 1669: Hold No Grudge
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Mazmu slowly woke up.
Gasp!
The pain from the back of his neck made him gasp painfully, his mind dizzy and nk.
What had happened?
I was digging for the Philosophers Stone, then I ran into those ck dogs.
Thankfully I prepared for this beforehand and made the ck dogs suffer a great loss! That bastard Aison Den, he wont be recovering anytime soon from that damage.
Still, that bastard set me up with his dogs, chasing me like cancer.
I was forced to jump into that dangerous tunnel and ended up here.
This seems to be Song Shi Familys vi in Ai City. It should be empty during normal times, but I guess Im unlucky this time for running into Song Shi Familys servant.
My reinforcements...
Better forget it, none of them would have escaped Song Shis servant.
Even though his mind was dizzy, Mazmu had a very good understanding of the Song Shi Family.
The family wasnt some foe that he could fight alone. Even if he could gather all of the Witchcraft practitioners in Ai City, they still might not be a match, otherwise those ck dogs wouldnt have addressed Song Shi as their lord ordy.
But... who attacked me? My Philosophers Stone!
As Mazmu recalled Song Shis name, he subconsciously thought of the Philosophers Stone and he quickly cleared his mind.
After he regained his senses, all he could think of was the Philosophers Stone and when he realized the stone was still in his hand, he heaved a breath of relief, but his rxed state was reced by worry soon enough.
Are you sure youve handled everything?
Of course! Mazmu didnt even expect me to follow him. This is our chance!
A conversation entered Mazmus ear, one of the talking voices was rather familiar but not the other one.
Judging from the volume of the conversation, the owners of these two voices werent far, but not exactly near either. He moved a little bit, slowly opening his eyes and he saw a persons back.
The back was also familiar, but Mazmu couldnt really tell who it was.
The Philosophers Stone isnt something that you can take and go, the unfamiliar voice said.
Then will you give up like that? The familiar voice chuckled coldly.
The unfamiliar voice went silent.
Right? You wont either! What we need to do now is make everyone believe Mazmu got his hands on the Philosophers Stone and then escaped to some far away ce. Since the Song Shi Family are involved, as long as it is carefully taken care of, mess around the facts with the lies, no one will ever suspect us! Dont you want the power of the Philosophers Stone? The familiar voice sounded anxious.
The unfamiliar voice continued to keep quiet, seemingly hesitating.
I want! But theres only one stone...
I have a way to divide the power inside! Now, all you have to do is pretend to be Mazmu, attract everyones attention, and when the coast is clear, meet me at the usual ce.
The strangers voice finally replied after 4 to 5 seconds but just as the voice wanted to go on, the familiar voice stopped him.
Okay, the strangers voice gave an affirmative answer then went silent.
It seemed like the owner had left.
More than 10 secondster, the familiar voice muttered to himself.
Do you really think I will split the power of the stone? I dont even know how to, and even if I knew, I wont share it! said the familiar voice and then the owner turned around.
Mazmu finally saw that familiar face, and he instantly remembered who the person was.
Also a Witchcraft practitioner, a very shady person with secretive whereabouts, possessing decent strength, especially that [Vengeful Spirit House], it was quite well known among the practitioners in Ai City.
So its him! No wonder what happened earlier...
Mazmu immediately thought of Aison Dens sudden appearance and interference, he should have been distracted yet he arrived in an untimely moment.
Some doubtful spots were cleared.
This guy must have exposed Richard Mayden prematurely, thats why that garbage failed so miserably, and he must also be involved with Aison Den, thats why those ck dogs located him so quickly.
As for why all the fuss?
It was too obvious!
It was because of the Philosophers Stone!
Too bad! It seemed like this fellow practitioner had underestimated Mazmus recovery capability.
Despite Mamzu being heavily weakened after he changed his body, he would not go down with just a single ambush.
Maybe he passed out for a few seconds, but he would soon recover to his peak.
Dak Dak Dak Dak.
Footsteps sounded.
After confirming the persons identity, Mazmu closed his eyes and pretended to be unconscious. The loss of sight didnt stop Mazmu from making his move though, because when the person reached out to his hand for the stone, Mazmu thrusted his other hand into the persons neck.
St!
The persons neck was perforated. He widened his eyes in disbelief.
Did you really think Id lost all my self-defense ability after I change a new body?
Mazmu opened his eyes,ughing coldly at the rat behind the scene and pulling his hand out.
Pak!
The man fell on the ground without any sign of life, his eyes still big and filled with disbelief, a restless death.
Mazmu didnt even care about the body on the ground.
Even if this person could return in soul form, it required time for the forming and conjuring power, it wasnt something that could be done quickly.
Until then, Mazmu would have recovered to his peak or further.
Why would he be afraid of a mere soul?
After Mazmu confirmed that he was still in the tunnel, at the split path, he quickly made a decision.
In front him was the servant from Song Shi Family; behind him were the ck dogs chasing him.
His reinforcement wouldnt hold the servant of Song Shi family for long, getting wiped out was almost certain.
Even if his reinforcements were able to escape death, Mazmu wasnt sure he could find a ce for him to be in Ai City for the time being.
The moment he showed himself, he would attract hostility from his enemies.
It wasnt just because he was in a weakened state, it was also because of the stone in his hand.
So, the best way for him to get out of this sticky situation was to channel the stones power.
Using the Philosophers Stone to recover his strength or even push him to new heights, only then would he have the power to ovee the danger before him.
Having the Philosophers Stone yet weakened and consuming the Philosophers Stone to be stronger were two different concepts.
Mazmu grinned at the cobblestone in his hand.
A bunch of fools! You people really thought I didnt have a backup n?
He then plunged his hand into this bodys stomach and pulled out an item the size of a cigarette box.
The package was wrapped in oil paper and had a heavy herbal smell, the bloody stench overpowering and the opening healing rapidly.
Mazmu carefully opened the package and took out the Purity Stone, which was a diamond, the leaf of a hundred year old oak tree, and a tube of seawater during a storm. He arranged all three items to form a triangle and then put the Philosophers Stone in the middle. He bit his left index finger and dropped a drop of blood on top of the stone, incantations following.
Purity, once was your soul.
Oak leaf, once your body.
Storm, once your scream.
Born from darkness yet shining in light...
The long incantation echoed throughout the split paths and when the echoes stopped, Mazmu looked at the stone in anticipation.
But nothing happened.
What the... Did I remember the incantation correctly?
Mazmu was surprised, starting the ritual again, but he got the same result.
After the second time, Mazmu was a little nervous. He knew he had staked his future on this ritual and if the ritual truly failed, it was the end of him!
Without further ado, Mazmu started the ritual again, nervously.
His incantations started to stutter, but did not miss, and simr to the previous two times, nothing happened.
What happened?
Where did I go wrong?
Does the stone have a secret that I dont know of? Mazmu thought in his heart but before he finished wondering, the back of his neck hurt again.
Bam!
The same brick that knocked him out the first time was smashed into the back of his head again.
Though this brick attack was unlike the previous one, Bloody Mary didnt hold back at all this time. It went all out and swung its arm in a circle, the precise hit plus the strength imbued in it cracking the brick upon impact.
Mazmu fell unconscious on the ground without making a sound.
Blood Mary then walked out from his back.
Piece of cake.
Even after Mazmu was out cold, Bloody Mary didnt return to its original look, still disguised as the Witchcraft practitioner who attacked the restaurant before. It took all the items on the ground, including that Philosophers Stone before it smashed the brick into Mazmus head again. It has to make sure Mazmu would not wake up anytime soon.
Bloody Mary sensed the battle at the surface wasing to an end, quickly diving back into the ground without further ado.
A minuteter, Mian Yi, who had fought off all Mazmus reinforcement, came down from the hole.
He frowned when he saw the swelling on Mazmus face. He searched around but found nothing, then pointed his finger at Mazmu.
Mazmu immediately woke up.
Philosophers Stone!?
My Philosophers Stone!
The moment he opened his eyes, Mazmu realized the stone was taken away, screaming in panic, and then he saw Mian Yi.
He couldnt care anymore, even if Mian Yi was one of Song Shis servants, he jumped forward to Mian Yi.
Give me back my stone!
Mian Yi stepped aside, Mazmu grazed him, and Mian Yi delivered a chop to the back of Mazmus neck.
Pak!
Mazmu fell unconscious, again.
Mian Yi was overjoyed as he looked at the unconscious Mazmu.
Philosophers Stone? Who wouldve thought it would be the stone!
Mian Yi was excited, grabbing Mazmu and swiftly going back the way he came.
Outside the vi area of South Sector, Bloody Mary walked out from the shadow.
It was still in a weakened state, carrying things in its illusory form was very exhausting.
It panted heavily but when it turned around and looked at the vi area, it smiled.
Its easier to fish for a fish in muddy waters!
It wasnt purposely here to deliver trouble to Song Shi Family because its boss felt unhappy about the sudden visit.
Have a wonderful day.
Bloody Mary threw the cobblestone beside and then vanished into the shadow.
...
When Bloody Mary returned to the restaurant, it was already morning.
The civilians started their work and Starbeck fell asleep 10 minutes ago.
Kieran was on the sofa, waiting patiently.
After he sensed Bloody Mary had returned to the basement of the restaurant, he stood up, giving a signal to the Elite Hound at the corner, and then walked away from the room.
There was another Hound in the corridor, it wagged its tail when it saw Kieran.
Kieran touched the Hounds head, pointed at the master bedroom, and then walked downstairs.
He did the same to the other Hounds on the main floor before he headed to the basement.
These Hounds felt no tiredness, all they needed was some food and they could carry their duty to the fullest. Kieran viewed them as the best guards.
He praised the Hounds by touching their heads.
The basement was originally a wine cer and after Kieran tidied it up, it became a storeroom.
Bloody Mary was inside.
Boss.
Bloody Mary presented the Purity Stone, a hundred year old oak leaf, and the tube of seawater during a storm to Kieran with utmost ttery when it saw Kieran walk in.
As for the incantations?
With the power of the contract, Bloody Mary believed with its boss intelligence, he had carved the incantations into his mind after listening three times.
Kieran didnt start the ritual right away despite having the items in his hand.
His usual vignce made him reserve a little bit of cautiousness for the stone.
So, he tended to be more carefree in using the Crossing Coins since it wasnt the first time.
He didnt go back to his room, he used the 40 silver coins in the storeroom.
40 silver coins equalled 1200 copper coins, which was also equal to exorcising 1200 souls, based on rough calctions.
The 4 digit number increased all of Kierans stats once more.
[Spirit broke through ayer of seal, increased from A A+]
[Strength, Agility, Constitution, Intuition broke through ayer of seal, increased from B+ A]
...
Spirit consumed around 600 copper coins for a singleyer breakthrough, the rest of the stats consumed 150 coins respectively to break through 2yers at once.
His body powered up again, savouring the feeling and using the breathing methods from [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] to regte his breaths.
Each time he broke ayer of seal, he would adjust himself.
Practice makes perfect, so in addition to his concentration, Kieran adapted to the newly enhanced body in matter of seconds.
He then took out the gold coin.
Simr to trading silver to copper coins, 30 silver coins could be exchanged for 1 gold coin.
However, because of the rarity and its special usage, the conversion rate was a little higher, 35 silver coins to 1 gold coin this time.
If it was any other time, Kieran would have exchanged it for silver coins to maximized his gains, but this time wasnt any other time.
It was the first time Kieran would consume a Crossing Gold Coin, and Gluttony in his body was yearning for it.
He signaled to Bloody Mary and decided to consume the gold coin in his hand.
But when the thought came into his mind, the coin in his hand changed drastically.
Chapter 1670 - Chains
Chapter 1670: Chains
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Golden brilliance shone brightly in the basement storeroom.
The golden brilliance wasnt from the light or reflection, it was all emanated from Crossing Gold Coin.
Kieran bathed in the brilliance, and momentster he saw many ck, tiny chainsing from the void, tying his torso and his limbs down.
Kieran was shaken.
He moved his hands and his legs and twisted his body. He seemed to move just fine, there wasnt any restricted feeling or weight on him, but the chains he saw were real.
The seals?
Kieran immediately knew what was going on, he then carefully examined the scene, especially the chains.
The chains were all ck, seemingly naturally formed out of some iron, there were no traces of being forged, neither did it have any mystical runes.
Though whenever he sized up the chains in concentration, his heart would feel disgust.
Other than the ck chains from the void, there were some other thinner chains, as fine as a strand of hair and almost invisible, poking into his head. They were nothing like the visible ck chains.
Spirit is really different from others!
Kieran suppressed the disgust in his heart and examined the nearly invisible chains, he also realized there were more chains around him that were flickering.
These chains appeared and disappeared repeatedly, and unlike the nearly invisible chains, these chains were like illusory images, flickering quickly.
If Kieran didnt pay attention, he would miss them.
These are the skills and Talent? Kieran wondered.
While he was pondering upon the topic...
Kak!
One of the nearly invisible chains on his head snapped.
After the first one snapped, a chain reaction happened.
Ka Ka Kak!
The ck chains tying his body also snapped, one after another.
The scene around Kieran had also returned to the basement storeroom.
[Spirit broke through ayer of seal, increased from A+ S-]
[Strength, Agility, Constitution, Intuition broke through ayer of seal, increased from A A+]
...
System notifications popped up on his vision. Kieran then looked at the gold coin in his hand, the gold coin had lost its shiny radiance, heavily mottled and broken in an instant.
If Kieran didnt know it was a coin before, he wouldnt have known based on the mottled and broken look.
Crossing Gold Coin, eh? Kieran muttered to himself.
If he was still having second thoughts of the gold coin being different, his guesses had been verified after this transformation.
The coin didnt just let him see the seals around him, the energy contained inside helped him break through the seals more efficiently. During hisst seal-breaking session, his Spirit consumed a total of 20 silver coins just for one minor rank, and ording to his calction based on experience, this particr seal-breaking cost at least 26 silver coins, or more than that.
The rest of the stats consumed around 3 silver coins respectively.
Meaning, if he would convert the gold coin into silver, he would need at least 38 silver coins.
ording to the market conversion rate, 1 gold coin equalled 30 silver coins but because of how rare the gold coin was and the unique usage, the conversion rate tended to spike higher; people would trade 33 to 36 silver coins for one gold coin.
After some meticulous calctions, Kieran grinned. Even if the conversion rate was good, he would get around 35 silver coins, should he exchange it and now consuming the gold coin alone had provided him with extra profit.
He saved up around 3 to 5 silver coins this time and he could have exchanged for a gold coin with all the silver coins he saved.
What he saved was what he earned.
Plus the unique usage of the gold coin, Kieran had a new decision in his mind: try to use only Crossing Gold Coin for breaking through the seals from now on.
As for the conversion method?
Given his current identity, and stand, it wasnt exactly hard for him to exchange a gold coin from the Herders.
The only problem was, how could he earn more silver coins.
Kieran simply sat down on the box in the storeroom and pondered upon the question.
Bloody Mary became a loyal guard on guard duty outside the door.
It had no idea what its boss had just been through, but it knew not to disturb its boss when he was thinking.
Seconds turned into minutes.
The sun was hanging high in the sky, and then started to slide to the west.
Kieran took note of Starbecks body clock, returning to the bedroom a moment before Starbeck would wake up and a few seconds after he sat down on the sofa chair, Starbeck opened his eyes slowly.
Starbeck struggled with the sleepiness and then slowly sat up while rubbing his eyes.
Morning.
Starbeck greeted Kieran as usual, standing up and walking into the bathroom in his pajamas.
He cleaned himself up and when he put on the apron, he was already looking energetic and lively.
What do you want to eat today? Starbeck asked Kieran.
Ill eat whatever you cook, Kieran spoke his mind.
Starbecks cooking was the best he had ever seen, having such a wonderful chef to cook breakfast, lunch, and dinner for him was the best thing that had happened in his life.
He didnt need to make an order, Starbeck could let his creativity run free. Having anticipation and guessing was the right way to enjoy the masterpiece. It would raise the taste to a new level.
Kieran prefered it that way and he would never get tired of it.
It will be ready soon.
Starbeck showed a smile at Kierans reply, he then walked into the kitchen. Elite Hound was lying down at the kitchen entrance with its tongue out, looking forward to what its second master would prepare today.
Although every meal it had until now was the leftover of his first master, it didntin at all.
Quite the opposite, it felt it was the best way.
It felt how powerful its first master was, and although it was covered up now, that terror hidden in his bloodline was obvious, it knew what it should do.
Submit to the strong, it wasnt something uneptable for the Hound.
In fact, it had prepared to work itself to death under a new master but who would have thought it would be blessed with a miraculous existence like its second master.
Delicious and healthy food.
Its canine life was at its peak, it had no regrets anymore!
As for its job and mission?
Protecting its second master wasnt its job or mission, it was its lifetime pursuit!
The work in its second masters hand was its lifetime conviction!
Till death do it apart from its duty!
Kieran nced over the Elite Hound at the kitchen entrance.
His sharp perception felt something had changed in the the Elite Hound and it wasnt the bad kind.
The differences between Elite and normal?
Kieran wondered after he nced over the other Hounds.
He then shifted his attention outside the restaurant.
For better venttion, the door of the restaurant was opened wide during afternoon, so that the warm sun could share its warmth during autumn. Standing at the counter, he had a clear view of what was happening outside.
The alleys, the street, the streemps, the busy traffic, the pedestrians.
Though most wouldnt notice the restaurant in the alley.
It was hard for a modern person to stop his or her step to look around, everything had to be fast.
They had to quickly finish their job, quickly eat their meal, and quickly earn money so that they could quickly clear the loans and feed their family.
Exhausting right?
It really is.
But then what?
Everything had been determined.
You cant jump, cant run away.
Escaping reality would only result in a quicker, harsher death.
Facing reality heads on with clenching teeth might result in a thin lining of hope.
Other than pure coincidence, or some familiar acquaintances, or even people who had business with Kieran, there would be very few customers knocking on the door.
However, today was an exception.
Moments after Kieran opened the door, a girl in casual dressing popped her head over the door frame, peeking inside. When she saw Kieran, she looked more curious than earlier.
We are not open for business yet, said Kieran since he did not sense any malicious intentions from the girl.
He wasnt fond of being watched curiously, it made him feel like he was a monkey in the zoo.
Im sorry, Is this a restaurant? The young girl apologized before asking.
Yes, Kieran nodded and continued cleaning the ce for opening.
He wiped the table, mopped the floor, removed any visible dust. He didnt care about the customers but he cared about the hygiene of the ce, since he was having all 3 meals here.
Kieran would clean the ce before opening and after closing.
The young girl saw Kieran was busy cleaning, so she didnt interrupt him. She took out a small notebook and started taking notes.
asionally, when she realized Kieran was looking at her, she showed a smile and signaled that she would not disturb his cleaning.
Kieran furrowed his brows but didnt say anything.
Since the little girl wasnt hostile and did not disturb him, Kieran tended to be generous.
After cleaning up, a rich smell of potatoes came out from the kitchen.
Kieran returned the cleaning instruments to the corner and then went back to the counter, waiting patiently.
2 to 3 minutester, Starbeck came out with a tray.
The white and steaming soy milk wobbled left and right in therge body with Starbecks steps.
10 caramelized, sweet, deep fried dough cakes were ced on the tray neatly.
The thinly sliced cabbage was on the little saucer and 5 hard-boiled eggs with their shells removed were in another.
Without saying anything, Kieran took over the trap and put it down. He grabbed the fried dough cake, split it in half with both his hands, red sugar falling out andnding on the tray. Kieran picked up the specks of sugar one by one and put them in his mouth. He didnt want to waste anything.
The fried dough cake was perfectly caramelized, the sweetness and crispness together with the warm soy milk presenting Kieran with an utmost satisfaction. He squinted his eyes pleasantly.
The fried dough cake was still steaming, despite being torn in half, and after drinking the soy milk, Kieran delivered the fried dough cake into his mouth.
Crunch, cruch!
The outeryer of the fried dough cake was crispy, the inside was chewy. After another mouth of soy milk to deliver the chewed dough cake into his stomach, Kieran put the rest of the fried dough cake into the soy milk.
After dipping the fried dough cake into the soy milk, he put it into his mouth.
The crispness was still there yet it exploded with soy milk with each munch.
It was addicting and Kieran showed no signs of stopping.
The fried dough cake was decreasing rapidly, so was the bowl of soy milk.
After he tried the thinly sliced cabbage, that fermented sourness converging with the sweetness of the fried dough cake, it lifted Kierans appetite a lot.
No extra exnation was needed for the eggs, he ate one egg in a single bite and finished all in five.
Gulp!
Saliva gulping sounded from outside the restaurant door.
Kieran concentrated on his food, not even caring about the gulping noise.
Starbeck nced at the little girl, politely smiling, and then went back to the kitchen.
Compared to the cold older brother, the little brother is better and more handsome. He cares for the customers.
Luna outside the restaurant was talking to herself.
Therefore, she added a star beside the name of the restaurant in her little notebook, and if the food could satisfy her, she would add another star.
As long as the star went above 3, this ce would be quite a decent choice for a meal. Although there was no need to drive herself here purposely, whenever she passed by here, she coulde in for a meal.
Luna was very confident about this as a rather well known food critic. Anticipated, she looked into the kitchen.
She was waiting for Starbeck to bring out some food and invite her in for tasting, she was also looking forward to Starbecks heartfelt gratitude after she published her article about the restaurant.
Then, she saw Starbeck brought out a big pot.
A pot?
Luna was confused. She quickly felt disappointed.
She wouldnt expect a little restaurant like this to serve a dish delicately, but at least serve the food in proper dining ware. Bringing out the pot like this made her think the wife of a farmer throwing out the leftovers and rice water to the livestocks after the cooking.
As a matter of fact, the leftovers in the pot were indeed meant to feed the Hounds.
As for the smile earlier? It was just a disy of manners.
There was no other meaning in Starbecks smile.
Luna watched Starbeck pour the bean dregs and the red sugar leftover into the dog bowls. Ferocious looking dogs then came out of nowhere, ran towards their respective bowls, burying their head in the food and gobbling it down. Luna was shaken.
It wasnt for me?
It was for the dogs?
Then whats the smile all about?
Luna stood outside nkly, Starbeck stood up after distributing the food and smiled at her politely again.
He went back into the kitchen.
Luna was petrified outside the restaurant for more than 20 seconds before she regained her senses.
You people...
Excuse me,ing through!
Just when Luna was about toin, a polite yet cold voice sounded behind her. She turned around instinctively and saw a middle-aged man in a gown with a mandarin jacket plus a pair of cloth shoes.
In the mans hand was a box, behind the man was a luxurious car and beside the car was the driver in a neat-looking suit.
That buff physique of the driver told Luna the man was more than just a driver, and the person who moved around the city in this kind of luxurious car and had a driver cum bodyguard was not someone that she could afford to provoke.
Luna wisely stepped aside and made way.
Luna then saw the cold middle-aged man, who seemed rather familiar, walk into the restaurant with the most sincere smile and bowed in the most polite, most solemn way at the owner of the restaurant.
He even raised the box in his hand over his head.
T-This...
Lunas eyes widened, she didnt know what was going on.
After the middle-aged man presented the box to the owner, he walked towards Luna.
Please do not disturb the owners daily lives, said the man, coldly.
Y-You know me?
Luna stuttered at the cold tone.
The man didnt answer, he nced over Lunas face and returned to his car.
Watching the car drive off and smelling the smoke in her nose, Luna suddenly cried in shock.
She finally remembered who she was talking to: the CEO of Song Shi Group, Mian Yi!
The CEO of thergepany that has business in multiple regions came all the way here and presented a box to a restaurant owner, with profound respect and humility?
Luna couldnt help but look at the owner behind the counter.
Who are you?
Chapter 1671 - Suspect
Chapter 1671: Suspect
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
No one had an answer for Luna.
Kieran would only show vignce against a stranger and ignore their existence.
Starbeck?
He only had Kieran in his eyes most of the time and could no longer fit another irrelevant soul in his urate sight, being able to show a polite smile at people was the sess of his good family background.
Therefore, after waiting for two hours and not finding a chance, Luna chose to leave for the time being.
Why not try to force an entry?
She was just a food critic, her identity had sealed her fate from doing anything rude or improper and aside from that, based on what she saw from Kieran, she dreaded.
I wont give up this easy!
Luna took a deep breath, encouraging herself when she walked to the entrance of the alley.
In order to make the encouragement more effective, she purposely turned around and faced the restaurant door, ready to pull her fist down but when she turned around...Bang!
The door was mmed shut by Kieran.
Luna clearly saw the expressionless face on him from start to end, and being neglected by that nk face, her fist froze in the air.
Luna couldnt hold it any longer after the door was shut on her.
So what if you are rich! Hmph!
She shouted, looked left and right in panic before she left.
Kieran heard her inside the restaurant, but did not care.
A loser barking like a dog was nothing important.
Moreover, this dog was just a puppy without teeth.
He was more concerned about the pensation present that Mian Yi had delivered.
He opened the delicate box and sawyers of silk inside it.
After he liftedyer afteryer of yellow colored silk, a stone the size of a grown mans fist appeared. The stone was lustrous, looking like a beautiful jade, even a person who knew nothing about stones would understand how valuable it was based on a look, let alone Kieran, who got the description from the system.
[Name: Water Purity Stone (Small)]
[Type: Wonder Item]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: None]
[Attribute: 1. Water Purify; 2. Water Rear]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: No]
[Remark: This is a magical stone, some say it is the product of ancient alchemy, some say it is from mother nature, but as for its true origin, no one knows until this very day. Everyone seems to use its power just fine though.]
[Water Purify: Purify water, making it sweeter, when used for cooking, the ingredients will be fresher.]
[Water Rear: Put the water into an aquarium (No bigger than 3 cubic meters), the quality of the fish, shrimp, and other aquatic animals will increase with a small chance after 12 hours.]
...
An item to purify water and boost rearing? Kieran was rather surprised.
Back in the [Name of Food] dungeon, he heard of simr items before but they were rare and he had never came across one.
Who wouldve known he would get one in this Unique Dungeon.
Kieran swallowed his saliva.
He thought of the rice and soup cooked with the purified water.
Cheese baked lobster, M crayfish, abalone sashimi, brandy roasted escargot, Bi Feng Tang crab, fried octopus, snapper cream soup, onion grilled sea cucumber, seafood risotto...
Kieran felt like he saw the sea, the waves crashing in his ear and his nose filled with the smell of the food that he had imagined.
Eagerly, Kieran took the stone and went into the kitchen, his eyes shining in anticipation as he put the stone in Starbecks hand.
[Water Purify Stone]?
Starbeck was also shocked, then smiled naturally, Big brother, I bet you want Cheese baked lobster, M crayfish, abalone sashimi, brandy roasted escargot, Bi Feng Tang crab, fried octopus, snapper cream soup, onion grilled sea cucumber, and seafood risotto, right?
Yes! Kieran nodded affirmatively.
Then we will need a bigger aquarium and some rearing tools. The kitchen is a little tight, so I suggest we move the aquarium to the side of the counter, what do you think? Starbeck asked.
You call the shots! Kieran said.
Let the professionals do their work, Kieran always believed in that.
In terms of cooking, Kieran had never seen a person as professional as Starbeck.
Therefore, Kieran and Starbeck brought back a lot of things from their grocery trip. From the necessary aquarium to an oxygen pump to the myriad of fresh seafood.
When Bain came back to the restaurant in an exhausted state, he saw the half filled aquarium beside the counter.
You like rearing fish too? Bain asked curiously.
Em. Its better if they are edible, Kieran nodded.
What do you mean edible?
Arent the fish in the aquarium for disy?
Bain was confused, but he quickly came back to his senses. He saw Kieran show a philistic smile, lowering his voice and said, Many big things happened around Ai City yesterday night, interested? Ill tell you everything for just 1 silver coin!
Not interested, said Kieran.
His eyes were glued to the aquarium as he watched the sea creatures swim around, putting an rm clock beside the aquarium after he set the timer.
20 copper coins! Are you not interested at all?! Its about a magical item! Bain emphasized again.
He knew Song Shi Family of the South had bled their wallet because their youngdy had made a mistake yesterday.
Bain wasnt asking for thepensation they gave Kieran, but if he could make Kieran buy information from him with a little bit of coins, it would be a good choice for him.
He had spent almost every dime in his savings to buy that broken {Vengeful Spirit House].
To Bains surprise, Kieran shook his head again.
No.
15!
10!
5! 5 copper coins will do!
Bain couldnt help but reduce the price even more.
What about 1? You cant even spare 1 copper coin to buy information?
Bain pressed his hands on the counter, widening his eyes at Kieran, waiting for an answer and when he saw Kieran nod without any expression, Bains energy leaked rapidly, falling limply on the counter.
Stingy guy! Bain grumbled.
Thank you, Kieran said.
He always treated thements of him being stingy aspliments for saving money.
Suddenly, the limp Bain sat up straight.
No! Thats not right! You must have gotten the news through some other channel! The news about Philosophers Stone! Bain looked at Kieran.
Kieran didnt deny.
What happenedst night may be a secret from the start but as the battle broke out, the incidentnded in everyones ears, it was impossible to even cover it up.
The most the mystical side could do was keep the news from the civilians.
Kieran knew it, so he wasnt worried. Quite the opposite, after Bain opened the conversation with the topic, he didnt have to worry about subtly shifting the topic to the Philosophers Stone anymore.
Is the Philosophers Stone that magical? Like how its rumoured? Kieran asked vaguely.
He didnt ask what kind of magic the stone possess, he was aiming for Bain to spill it all out himself.
Vignt as always, Kieran has to make sure the [Philosophers Stone (Shard)] was the Philosophers Stone he read before in other dungeon worlds.
Em. If it really is the Philosophers Stone, just like the legend says, it can bring back the dead and can cause a prayer in a small area, but... After I listened to what they said, that Philosophers Stone seemed a little weird. I dont know about the details but since the stone ended up in Song Shi Familys hand, no one else in Ai City would go after it anymore.
After his intention of earning some extra buck shattered, Bain was exhausted once more, he simply answered Kierans question.
Is that so?
Kieran replied softly as he looked at a lobster hiding behind some seaweed.
He was very soft, Bain didnt even hear him, or he did but he didnt want to exin further.
There were many rumours about the Philosophers Stone anyway, those who were part of the mystical side knew about it, simply asking a random John Doe would get the general answer.
There was no response verbally but Kierans eyes responded.
The lobster in the aquarium seemed to feel a sense of danger, it swiftly swam to the fake coral and Kierans eyes followed tightly.
The lobster moved again, but the catastrophic feeling followed it like its shadow.
Less than 3 minutester, the lobster was exhausted and stopped swimming around.
Roye, it seems like its dying. Lets cheese bake it while its still fresh!
Kieran then grabbed the and caught the lobster.
Isnt it still moving? Its lively!
Bain couldnt help but grumble at the lively lobster behind the counter.
No, you are wrong.
Kieran shook his wrist and smacked the on the wooden counter, the lobster then stopped struggling.
Starbeck came out from the kitchen and saw the dead lobster in the, smiling and nodding.
Leave it to me! he said.
The curtain at the kitchen entrance was lifted up again, the Elite Hound lying down there started to stick its tongue out.
Of course it wouldnt get the best bit of the lobster but having leftovers was fine, and once it thought about the delicious meal that Starbeck was preparing, the Elite Hound nced over at Bain at the behind the counter in a despising gaze.
Bain, who wanted to speak, stopped when he caught the gaze, clearly getting the meaning from the Elite Hounds gaze. It was scolding him for being an idiot!
Royan, your dog seems to be despising me, Bain frowned.
No, you are overthinking. Like the lobster, you must be too stressed outtely, thats why your mind is fooling you.
Kieran said seriously and the seriousness made Bain doubtful.
He was indeed exhausted and stressed out recently.
Carrying out consecutive missions, dealing with sudden urrences, even if he had a chance to sleep, he wasnt actuallyfortable, he was sleeping on the restaurant floor with a in nket.
Am I really that tired? Bain talked to himself.
Em. I would suggest you go home, have a good rest, otherwise you may not be able to deal with the uing matters. The ce where the Philosophers Stone is found needs you, Kieran nodded.
I know right, the South Sector suffered a great loss, especially Aison Den. His injuries are serious, its impossible for him to recover in a short time. Hoen has taken over control of the South Sector for the time being. Though I really hope Aison Den wonte back, that pretentious face of his makes me sick, Bain didnt hide his own thoughts.
About that ruin, what do you think? Kieran asked.
I guess that Mazmu bastard got lucky, dont you think? said Bain.
Lucky, eh? Kieran muttered to himself.
Thest bit of doubt in his heart lingered, because locating the Philosophers Stone in that ruin and taking it away just like that seemed all too easy.
Those who possessed the Philosophers Stone, even if it was a shard, would not be some random John Doe, but what about that ce?
That ce, the ruin where the stone was found, had a trap only effective to normal people and nothing else.
Strange, wasnt it?
It was like someone put the stone there in a rush, simply put up a trap, and waited for someone to get in whenever the ruin was found.
You said the Philosophers Stone had fallen into Song Shi Familys hands? Kieran asked.
Em. Mazmu was caught by Mian Yi, hence the stone falling into their hands... Thats the Philosophers Stone! The legendary item! Even if it couldnt be used on oneself, selling it for a good price was also a decent choice!, but Song Shi Family...
Bain sighed in regrets.
Those who werent in Ai City wouldnt know how scary Song Shi Family was.
Those who werent in Ai City mystical side wouldnt know how powerful Song Shi Family was.
The things Song Shi Family sought wasnt something a mere Herder, like him, could interfere with, even if he knew it, he knew it, thats all, nothing else he could do.
Kieran, too, remained silent, like he acknowledged Bains words.
His true thoughts though?
Only he knew his own thoughts.
After that, Kieran and Bain returned to their daily routines, Bain mumbling gibberish and Kieran turning a deaf ear.
It went on until the aroma of cheese baked lobster came out from the kitchen, Bain stopping his grumbling.
He looked at the kitchen nkly, drooling.
When Starbeck came out with a brilliant red and golden yellow cheese baked lobster on the tray, Bain stood up instinctively.
Dont move. Its mine. Sit down.
Kieran looked at Bain, warning him, and took the tray.
When Bain watched Kieran dig into the lobster, his spoon scooping the cheese, he couldnt help but swallow his saliva endlessly.
His eyes then turned to Starbeck, he wanted to ask for something but before he could, he was interrupted by a warning growl.
The Elite Hound at the kitchen entrance stood up, the other Hounds at the corners also quickly gathered around Starbeck.
6 Hounds looked at Bain with subtle hostility, ready to bite his head off if he spoke.
They knew how big the lobster was, the leftovers were only that much, so if the talkative food had one, the Hounds would lose one.
Listen to the first masters order, so that they could eat second masters food.
The Hounds found it very enjoyable.
Should someone interfere with their happy lives, they would chase him to the end of the world.
Dont worry, they dont bite.
Starbeck touched the Hounds head and assured Bain with a smile.
Bain smiled awkwardly. What else could he say?
Yeah, they dont bite. They wanted to eat me!
Bain kept quiet, he didnt want to challenge the Hounds bottomline. He watched Starbeck take out another bowl of lobster sauce infused rice.
The rice was poured into the dog bowls and the Hounds ate happily, Bain drooling again.
Damn it! It must taste like shit!
Theres no lobster meat left, only some sauce, how good can it taste?
But... it really smells damn good!
Chapter 1672 - Changes
Chapter 1672: Changes
Bain ultimately chose to leave the restaurant.
Watching others eat, but not himself.
It was torture for him, might as well leave the saddening ce.
Besides, eating with his own mouth would be the best, not watching others putting the food in their mouths.
Bain walked to another street and stopped in front of a 24 hour hot dog stand. Heforted himself and said, I want an extrarge hot dog, with three sausages, extra meat sauce, cheese and stuff all the carrots and pickles in it, I want the bread to overflow!
He paid the owner 3 bucks and received his special extrarge hot dog. A huge chomp bit off one third of the hot dog, and Bain squinted his eyes. He also drank half of theplementary soft drink in one gulp and then shoved the rest of the hot dog into his mouth.
As the gassy soft drink and warm hot dog converged in his stomach, he burped loudly.
Happiness rose from his stomach and then to every inch of his body.
Without a second thought, he turned around to the hot dog stand owner and said, Another one!
...
While Bain was enjoying his hot dog in another ce, an uninvited guest arrived at Leaf Dining in the middle of the night.
Before this person stepped into the restaurant, she stood outside and sniffed.
Cheese baked lobster?
Without even looking, her super smelling quickly allowed her to know what the lingering aroma belonged to.
Simrly, she could also tell how skilled the chef was based on the smell alone.
Calm down! Calm down! I am here to challenge him! I cant be tempted by the food! the uninvited guest warned herself.
The door was then pulled open.
The light in the restaurant shone over her figure, revealing a long red dress that set off her voluptuous figure. The delicate face features, without any makeup, made her look pure under the light. It was a little enchanting, amon man might find it hard to breathe in front of her beauty.
However, not Starbeck. He was holding the little ckboard when he saw Song Shi at the entrance, showing a smile instead.
Having dinner? Pleasee in! We have a special dish today, lobster risotto.
Starbeck hung the ckboard outside the door as he invited Song Shi.
With the light from the streemp, Song Shi saw what was written on the ckboard.
Lobster risotto, chicken soup.
Even the words written with chalk couldnt hide its elegance.
You have only two dishes in total and only one main course? Is this how you people run a restaurant? But since youve invited me, Ille in to try it for the sake of your sincerity.
Song Shi wanted to mock and tease Starbeck for his invitation but the aromatic smell of food from Starbeck was too alluring!
The smell changed the words in Song Shis mind, hence what she said was different from what she had in mind.
After that, she eagerly went into the restaurant.
Behind the counter, Kieran was flipping the magazine and did not even spare a look at the customer.
Amy wasmunicating with Carrie with her eyes closed, only Teddy saw Song Shi.
Though Teddys gaze showed anger and disgust mostly, if she had not saved Teddy before and presented him with rather decent gains, he would have fought her with his life, even if Teddy knew he wasnt a match for her.
Now?
Difort and difficulty filled his heart.
Im going out for some air, Teddy then went out without sparing another nce.
He was worried that he might cross his principle in life should he stay inside any longer.
Song Shi didnt care, she eagerly walked over to the counter and waited for Starbecks food.
What about Kieran?
Even though she came for Kieran in the first ce, she had temporarily lost her interest because of the food.
Still, that didnt mean Kieran would continue to sit back and do nothing.
He stood up and knocked on the counter.
Lobster risotto 2000, chicken soup 100.
Kieran never held back in raising the price against someone he disliked.
Paying in card! Song Shi twisted her wrist and revealed a ck card in her hand.
Cash only, Kieran said.
You!
Song Shi thought Kieran was picking a fight with her, but when the good smell entered her nose, it suppressed her hot-temper.
She brought out her little pouch and took out a stack of money, putting it on the counter.
I want 10! Song Shis tone sounded very provocative.
She thought Kieran would fall for it and make it hard for her, but to her surprise, Kieran quietly took the money, counted it carefully, and then put it into the money box.
He then walked into the kitchen and helped Starbeck and Li Jiajia serve the food.
The whole process was in silence, the unexpected scene stunned Song Shi quite a bit.
Money face? No no! A reincarnated God of ughter would never be a money face, which means... he is holding on to his principle! Since he opened a restaurant for business, he tends to follow the rules. As long as he is paid, he will serve food to his customers! Just like papa and mamast time when they were running the hotel! They ought to provide the customers with the best service and experience.
The very first thought of Kieran being a money face appeared in her mind, but was quickly discarded. Why would a reincarnated God of ughter be a money face? What a lousy joke.
Therefore, when the second thought appeared in her head, Song Shis gaze on Kieran showed extra meaning but she was quickly captivated by the food.
Delicate arrangements, rich vours and aroma, she quickly picked up her spoon.
The lobster sauce and soft risotto spread on the tip of her tongue, Song Shis eyes shone sharply.
Delicious! It was much more delicious than it smelled!
The sauce made from lobster essence carried a savoury taste, it consisted of lobster roe and ginger ale and also chopped bay leaf. Adding a little pepper covered the fishy smell of the roe and brought out its hidden vour to the peak, the explosion of vour together with the mouthful of risotto rice making an excellentbination.
The spoon in Song Shis hand was moving so fast that it left afterimages in its trail.
Two secondster, the first te on the counter was emptied out.
Kieran cleaned it up and served a second to her.
Two more secondster, it was emptied out again, and then followed by a third.
10 consecutive servingster, even with Song Shis body, she had reached her limit but she still wanted to eat. She pouted and made a lightning fast decision.
She took her phone out and dialed a number.
Mian Yi, bring me some highly effective digestion pills, and some cash. Song Shi then hung up the phone.
She didnt state an address because she knew Mian Yi would locate her.
While she was waiting, her eyes were glued to Starbeck who was helping Kieran in tidying up. Her gaze was glimmering like never before, like she was looking at some precious jewel.
Starbeck reacted normally, he became immune to this kind of gaze a long time ago.
Since the day he was born, he knew his identity and his duty in his family, so he had learned to live with this kind of gaze.
Be my personal cook! Ill pay you a million yearly! Song Shi said.
Li Jiajia, who was helping inside, heard a million yearly and her hand trembled, the tes falling.
A million a year!
A million a year!
As once an ult lover and deeply troubled by money, Li Jiajia knew what the number meant.
If she could get the astronomical amount in her pocket, those good things that she once missed would all be hers!
I knew it! Cooking is the best way!
What prophet, what philosopher? Nothing is better than a cook!
Kieran caught the falling te and looked at Li Jiajia with a less happy face.
The te was meticulously picked by him and Starbeck in the supermarket, it was a private item and it was expensive.
As for the rudements from Song Shi?
Kieran didnt even respond to that, he knew Starbeck would take care of it, and as a matter of fact, he did.
Turned around, Starbeck looked at Song Shi.
Thanks but no thanks, I am used to staying with my big brother. Its good here.
When Starbeck mentioned Kieran, his face showed a true smile and it stunned Song Shi.
She had never seen someone with such a beautiful smile, or rather, she never thought the opposite sex would smiled so beautifully.
Especially for a guy with a faint food aroma around him, Song Shi somehow was a little shy and dare not look at the smile. She awkwardly averted his gaze and turned to Kieran, with a cold face.
I...
Song Shi wanted to hire Kieran instead, so that she could bring Starbeck to her ce, but when she opened her mouth and the first word came out, she saw the killer aura in Kierans eyes.
Song Shi regained her senses, remembering how dangerous this man was.
If she dared to even ask, she would get nothing but death and he would not stop.
Song Shi wisely shut her mouth right away, but more thoughts rose from her mind. She smiled and asked, You are representing Ai City East Sector in the Battle of Winter Night?
Kieran didnt answer, meaning he acknowledged it.
It wasnt a secret anyway, one would be rewarded with urate news by simply asking. Song Shi already knew the answer but she hid it and purposely asked Kieran the obvious.
But this years Battle of Winter Night is a little different. The rules have changed, the candidates do not have topete in their own sector to get selected to the next round and fight other candidates of other sectors. This time, all the candidates will be transferred to a ce and the 7 Day Battle will be held. What? Dont believe me? Dont worry, this particr news will spread to every single sector by dawn and you will get it soon enough, Song Shi exined on her own.
Kieran, on the other hand looked at Song Shi calmly, waiting for Song Shi to follow up.
Song Shi was made rather uneasy by Kierans calmness.
Do you even know what I am talking about? Theres no more sector battle! All the representing candidates will be sent to a single spot for a royal rumblean unknown ce, fighting strangers, the danger level skyrocketing! Im not saying scary things just to raise an rm! I got news that several troublesome asses have joined the Battle of Winter Night and they are not just here for sightseeing. For you, you might win against one of them, but what about two at once? Three at once? Or more?
When Song Shi mentioned them, her face looked rather serious and Kieran also noticed how her tone changed when she mentioned them.
Monsters? Kieran spoke for the first time in the entire conversation.
Em. Some disgusting, vomiting bastards! But every single one of them is very troublesome to deal with, but... I am Song Shi, I have my ways to deal with the most dangerous situation and I am confident, but what about you? Have you ever thought about it? What will you do?
Song Shi nodded, her face showing disgust when she mentioned those things but it was soon reced by delight.
She didnt care about Kierans reaction because her words werent meant for Kieran.
Although she did n to stimte Kieran with provocative words at first, she changed her mind.
She didnt need to at all. She looked at Starbeck and her mind was speaking to her.
Come! Beg me! Beg me to protect our brother! And I can make you my cook!
Song Shi showed the utmost anticipation but she was destined to be disappointed.
She couldnt find a bit of fear or nervousness in Starbecks eyes, which still held that warm smile and warm gaze. When he looked at Kieran, trust was added into the warmth.
Kieran felt Starbecks gaze, smiling and nodding, reaching out to Starbecks forehead to caress him.
Both of them needed no words tomunicate, they knew what the other was thinking.
Starbeck and Li Jiajia collected the tes and walked into the kitchen. Kieran was supposed to wash the tes but today was a special asion, so Starbeck volunteered to wash the dishes instead.
When the water flowing and scrubbing noise entered his ears, Kieran sat back to his spot and said, You asked me have I ever thought of it? Well I did think of it just now... Kill.
Kieran paused before he uttered the word kill.
No overflowing killer intents, no wails and screams of the wrongful souls.
He said that word very casually, like he was being asked what was for dinner and he answered braised pork.
Though the more ease Kieran showed, the more Song Shi took it seriously, she dared not underestimate Kieran.
She could already picture the bloody scene during the Battle of Winter Night.
Then, have you ever thought about the monsters that you kill have the same organization and blood kin as humans? Although elders are not allowed to participate, what about after the Battle of Winter Night? Do you think the Herders can protect you? Or do you really think those monsters are that obedient that they will abide by the Dark Moon Treaty?
Song Shi didnt want to give up just yet, trying her best to persuade Kieran.
I never put my hopes of living on my enemies mercy andpassion. I prefer to use direct ways to deal with the problem at hand and the problems that might happen. If they dare to show up, Ill chop them up with my own hands and feed them to my dogs, Kieran replied, confidently.
In short, since the rules of Battle of Winter Night had changed, the rewards in the end would also increase!
The more good the items, the more Crossing Coins he could exchange them for.
The more Crossing Coins he got, the faster he could break the seals and regain his original strength.
Kieran still remembered why he agreed to participate in the Battle of Winter Night.
Moreover, those participating candidates, since the rules had changed, would they just go in less prepared?
They must have something good on them, and aside from the Demon Hunters, Kieran didnt n to go easy on the monsters.
He could already see a great harvest ahead of him.
Chapter 1673 - Fall Into a Wrong Path
Chapter 1673: Fall Into a Wrong Path
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Song Shi looked at Kieran.
When she confirmed that Kieran wasnt joking, she couldnt help but pout.
Do you know what you will face? Even if you are a reincarnated God of ughter...Nevermind, if you die, Ill take care of your little brother for you.
Song Shi showed a ttering smile. She saw it as a decent oue.
Compared to Kieran, the big brother, Starbeck, the little brother, tended to win her heart more.
Starbeck looked good, had a great smile, was excellent at cooking, and looked clean and delicate, making Song Shis heart throb.
If it wasnt for the fierce and cold big brother, she would have snatched Starbeck away.
Now that the fierce big brother wanted to step onto the path of demise, what reason did she have to stop him?
It would be better for him to die, so Song Shi could get the little brother for herself!
Of course, given how this fierce big brother did things, it wasnt that hard for him to protect his little brother.
But! Song Shi wasnt alone! She still had her father behind her!
Should she fail, her father would step up and deal with the matter!
Song Shis mood turned bright all of a sudden, but what followed was a loud scolding behind her.
Youngdy! Please watch your mouth! I am so sorry, Sir Royan, it seems like our youngdy is misbehaving! Please forgive her!
Mian Yi had heard what the little miss of the family said at the entrance of the alley. He couldnt care less about the manners of Song Shi Family anymore and rushed into the restaurant in a sh.
As he apologized on behalf of Song Shi, a pouch of coins appeared in his hand and the rattling noise of Crossing Coins could be heard in Kierans hearts.
Kieran was very certain that the pouch had 10 silver coins, even without touching or opening it.
The noise produced by the friction between copper, silver and gold coins was very distinguished. After a rough calction, Kieran got a general number and it was a piece of cake for him.
It wasnt just because of his powerful Intuition and Spirit, it was also because Kieran was naturally sensitive towards money, like how he knew Mian Yi still had a lot of paper currency on him.
Kieran took the pouch of coins into his arm. Mian Yi heaved a breath of relief, then looked at Song Shi helplessly.
He knew what the little miss said about I wont step on Royans tail or provoke him was totally unreliable and thankfully he arrived just in time, otherwise Song Shi would end up on fire.
Sometimes, Mian Yi really wanted to tell Song Shi about the truth behind the Song Shi Family and the hardship the family was facing right now, but whenever he thought about the little miss attitude...
Sigh!
Mian Yi sighed in a muffled voice before giving Song Shi the stack of money that she requested earlier.
I want another 10 servings!
Song Shi was pouting like a balloon a moment ago, but when she saw the money, she cheered and took the money before mming it on the counter.
Kieran counted the money quietly and put it into the money box.
Li Jiajia behind Kieran was utterly dumbstruck.
20,000!
Kieran had received 20K earlier and now another 20K... a total of 40K in less than an hour!
I knew it, being a cook is the best!
Li Jiajia was counting in her heart, filled with energy instantly, and ran into the kitchen without anyone telling her so.
As long as she continued to learn cooking from Starbeck, she would not only be free of her daily trivial problems, like food and shelter, she would also be on the path to sess!
Elite Hound was lying down in front of the kitchen and yawning, casually ncing over Song Shi and Mian Yi out of boredom, its eyes showing arrogance and contempt.
It acknowledged that the two of them were stronger than itself but as long as master No. 1 was around, Elite Hound wasnt scared of them at all.
Moreover, thedy had to pay to eat master No. 2s food, where it could eat for free.
Eating the same food yet she had to pay, Elite Hound felt excellent about it, realizing following the two masters was the best decision it had ever made in its dog life.
That dog seems a little weird! Its... looking at me with contempt? Song Shi whispered to Mian Yi.
Miss, arent you overthinking? Though this dog is really different, it should be a Hound from the witchcraft background, not just any other Hound. Being able to tame such a Hound was proof of how powerful Sir Royan is, so you must...
Mian Yi was describing the Hound before he started to lecture Song Shi again.
Song Shi turned a white eye at Mian Yis lecturing and then turned away.
So persistent!
So troublesome!
So much nagging!
Of course she knew how scary Royan was, didnt Mian Yi notice Song Shi was holding back her urge to snatch Starbeck away?
Give me a break!
Frustration beat her heart in relentless waves but it was soon reced by a joyful smile when the lobster risotto was served.
Actually, not only Song Shis mood was lifted, even Mian Yi beside her was rather surprised.
He never expected Kierans restaurant could produce food of this level.
The reason why he presented [Water Purity Stone] to Kieran before this wasnt because he noticed something, he thought it would be fitting for a restaurant, hence the present.
I never thought you possessed this level of cooking skill!
Mian Yi took an extra nce at Starbeck.
He had decent looks and a nice countenance, but... other than cooking, utterly useless.
It would be hard for him to survive in this harsh world.
Sighing, Mian Yi took a step back and waited for Song Shi to finish her meal.
The special digestion pills she took before eating helped her digest the food better and increase her appetite.
Another 10 consecutive servingster, Song Shi tapped her full belly in satisfaction. Her gaze went around Kieran andnded on Starbeck, showing a heartfelt smile.
Thats all for me today. Ille again tomorrow! Song Shi then went out of the restaurant.
Teddy, who was squatting outside the restaurant, saw Song Shie out. He put up a cold look, standing up to go back in, but Song Shi stopped him.
What the hell? Teddy asked in a cold tone.
He wasnt afraid of Song Shi, not just because it was Kierans turf, but also because of his personality.
Teddy had been short and petite since birth. If he wasnt as fearless as he was, how could he put all those nefarious criminals behind bars throughout his career?
Though to his surprise, despite his poor attitude, Song Shi replied in a solemn manner, Thank you.
Teddy was dumbstruck.
Did she eat something wrong? Did she just thank me?
Teddy looked at Song Shi in utter confusion.
I thank you because you allowed me to find what I am looking for, so to repay the favour, Ill give you something that you can only get with 10 years of your life, in advance.
Song Shi then pointed at Teddys hands.
Teddy wanted to dodge, but he couldnt.
When Song Shis finger touched his hands, a burning sensation and numbness spread from his palm.
At the very next moment...
Fuaaa!
Bzzzzt!
mes covered his left hand, burning fiercely; electric sparks swirled around his right hand, zipping back and forth energetically.
Teddy was stunned by the jaw-dropping scene, losing himself for quite some time.
When he finally regained his senses and wanted to ask Song Shi what she did to him, Song Shi was long gone. Who he saw in front of him was Huai Cuike, the Herder who he had seen several times now. Huai Cuike was sizing him up.
Good evening, Mr. Huai Cuike, Teddy greeted the man politely.
It wasnt just because of the elderly Herders age, it was also because of what the elderly had contributed to the Herders and Teddy respected that from the bottom of his heart, it was like seeing a colleague.
The only difference was, Teddy was in charge of cases revolving normal people, while Huai Cuike dealt with the supernatural, which was much more dangerous.
Like what I told you before, Ms. Song Shi meant you no harm. Shes just a prankster, and anyone who she pranked before will bepensatednow that youve received yours, how do you feel? Huai Cuike asked with a smile.
Feels great! At least I dont have to carry an electric baton and a blowtorch anymore! Teddy shrugged.
The humorousment made Huai Cuikeugh out loud, tapping Teddys shoulder before walking into the restaurant.
He really wanted to ask Teddy to be a Herder but he knew being anxious would get him nowhere. More so, he had much more important things at hand.
Aaah!
Amy, who was in the cornermunicating to Carrie, screamed out of shock when she saw the fire and electric sparks around Teddys hands.
After she knew what happened from Carrie, her eyes shone in jealousy.
What a lucky bastard! Amy said.
You wouldnt say that if you are dragged around like a dog for a few days, Teddy refuted.
You were given these powers because you were dragged around like a dog for a few days? Believe me, many people would jump in line to be said dog in order to get this kind of power, let alone doing something more than a dog or eat a dogs shit! Amy red at Teddy.
After understanding the situation and Teddys condition from Carrie, Amy felt unbelievable about Teddy getting powers beyond themon mans by paying such a small cost.
Teddy raised a brow at Amys words, opening his mouth, seemingly wanting to argue, but nothing came out from his mouth, all the words were swallowed back.
He was very concerned about the newly acquired powers but someone else wouldnt be as concerned.
The Witchcraft practitioners that he came across had shown him what kind of crazy and absurd things they would do in order to get more power.
Killing people and destroying peoples lives were the basics of basics, let alone eating dogs shit.
He met a lot in the past. Those who were lucky escaped, but for those who were unlucky, not even their souls could rest.
Should I help them? I had no powers before, but now...
Teddy looked at the me in his left hand and the electrical sparks in his right hand, falling deep into thought.
Kieran was behind the counter, seeing Teddys newly acquired powers and feeling how Teddys body grew to the peak of amon human. The mes and electrical sparks around his hands were Weak to Average attack rank.
Despite what he saw and heard, Kieran kept quiet.
Everyone had their own choices, some good, some bad.
No one could interfere with anothers choices, simr to how one could never share the burden or consequences that followed the choices that were made.
Quite a fe, ya? Huai Cuike said.
Kieran didnt say anything.
Having a kind heart was better than having malicious thoughts, more so when the person wasnt reckless and boorish.
Kieran wouldnt mind having an extra person like that.
You are here because of the Battle of the Winter Night? Kieran asked Huai Cuike.
Yes. The eager Ms. Song Shi should have told you, but Royan, you are not a true Herder, you are participating in this election because you agreed through a deal to represent the East Sector. Now the rules to the Battle of Winter Night have changed, so we wont and cant force you to participate in it anymore. So, I am here to ask whether you are still keen on joining the Battle of Winter Night. The deposits we paid you earlier are yours to keep, this unforeseen ident isnt your fault, Huai Cuike nodded and said frankly.
Although Huai Cuike had limited contact with Kieran, his experience in reading people was enough for him to judge what kind of person Kieran was.
Dwelling on the trivials would not be a wise choice in talking to the likes of Kieran.
Honesty and sincerity was the best and only option, so Huiai Cuike came forth with the truest heart.
Whether Kieran participated or not, Huai Cuike would ept the answer regardless.
Just like what he said earlier, the changes of the rules was an unforeseen ident, he would not and could not force a young man to risk his life.
Kieran lifted the jug on the counter and poured Huai Cuike a cup of water, then said, Ill participate as promised.
Huai Cuike went silent for a while after epting the cup of water.
Ill do my best to make it up for you. Although the East Sector isnt rich, if we search hard enough under our beds, we might make something happen, said Huai Cuike.
Humans worked with mutual understanding.
When conditions change, something must follow, like the rewards.
Kieran didnt reject it, he knew his value and he was worth every penny they spent on him.
Ill try my best to get the details on the new rules of Battle of Winter Night, Ill check in with youter. Wheres Bain?
Huai Cuike assured Kieran before he realized Bain, who he assigned to guard the restaurant, wasnt around.
I have no idea, Kieran answered honestly.
Huai Cuike frowned.
Most of the Herders of the East Sector were reliable people, except for some. Bain was one of the some.
There was also another one though, but when Huai Cuike looked at Kieran, he temporarily erased that persons name from the unreliable list.
After all, having an excellent junior could make up for all those trivial mistakes of the past.
Huai Cuike took hismunicator out and wanted to call Bain in.
He wasnt going to school Bain though, he was just trying to remind Bain of his duty.
Before he made the call, Huai Cuike saw Li Jiajiaing out from the kitchen. This potential student who Huai Cuike also deemed worthy had an apron around her and was tidying up the washed tes.
A hard working girl.
Add in some proper guidance and she could be a powerful Herder.
Huai Cuike showed relief on his face, but soon froze.
Teacher, the lesson on slicing and dicing, when does it end? Can you teach me how to spice things up? And the lobster risotto today, do you have a secret recipe for it?
...
Teacher?
Slicing and dicing?
Spice?
Secret recipe?
She became a cook?
The student that I deemed worthy became a cook? What in the world happened?
He looked at Kieran helplessly, hoping for an answer, but Kieran didnt even look at him while reading his magazine.
Huai Cuike immediately contacted Bain after he got no reply from Kieran.
Where are you?
The hot dog stand the street next to the restaurant. The hot dogs here are great, you want one, Huai Cuike?
Em. I want one, wait for me.
Huai Cuike hung up themunicator and tried his utter best to hold back his veins from popping.
Royan, Ill be back soon, theres something I have to attend to.
Kieran pointed Huai Cuike out of the restaurant with a please gesture.
Huai Cuike turned around and left.
1 minuteter, a faint screaming came from outside to the restaurant, followed by an angry growl and messy rattles.
Eat your damn hot dogs! Lose your damn student! Eat! Eat more you bastard! Youve lost a prophet and a philosopher! She has deviated from the rightful path!
...
Kieran looked up in the direction where the scolding came. He told Teddy, Close the door, will ya? Its getting noisy.
Chapter 1674 - Family Matters
Chapter 1674: Family Matters
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Bain did note back even when the sun rose and the restaurant closed.
Bain finally came back with Huai Cuike in the afternoon of the second day.
Although he had his injuries treated, the swollen cheeks and bruises on Bains face remained, especially the lips and around the eyes, the bruises making him look like a panda.
Even though he came in with a serious look, his injuries made him look funny.
Amy evenughed out loud at his swollen look.
You wont get a boyfriend like this! Bain told Amy in a serious manner.
What rights does a single dog have to criticize me? Amy pouted at Bain in disdain.
Bain was heavily impacted by her words, starting to wobble.
The facts were indisputable.
He, too, didnt want to end up single all his life.
The girls he liked did not like him and the girls who liked him, he did not appreciate.
I am single because I can and its my freedom! Right, Teddy?
Bain looked at Teddy, who was watching in the corner quietly. He hoped to rope Teddy to his side so that he could have a more powerful stance.
I have a girlfriend though, Teddy said after a little hesitation.
WHAT?!
Not just Bain, even Amy, Huai Cuike, and Kieran behind the counter looked at Teddy in astonishment.
No one could imagine a person like Teddy, who viewed the force as his home and solved cases all day long, had a girlfriend.
Is it that surprising? Cant a police officer have a girlfriend?
The surprised gazes from the crowd made Teddy grumble, especially the gaze from Bain. Teddy really wanted to punch his swollen face.
Keep your doubts away! Shes not a cup with water, not a sex doll! I dont go to clubs and dont have a so-called VIP card!
Teddy sted hisints at Bain before he strode to Huai Cuike. He didnt ask his question right away though, he looked at Kieran, and after Kieran gave him the signal and a please gesture, Teddy then asked Huai Cuike, Mr. Huai Cuike, is there any requirements to join the Herders?
Huai Cuike smiled at Teddys question.
It may be hard for others, but not for you.
So can I still be a police officer? Teddy asked the burning question.
I dont see a conflict in that. In fact, more than one third of the Herders arent full time. Other than the person in charge of each sector, most of the members are usually busy with their daily work and will onlye out when needed, Huai Cuike exined.
Does it mean that I can be a Herder right now? Teddy asked with joy.
Of course not. Youve just joined us, and you arent exactly a Herder yet. You are currently a Weireist rank, and you would need a veteran to lead and guide you for at least 10 to 15 weeks. After all that, a test will be carried out and when you pass, you can finally be a Herder, an official one. If you dont mind, I can be your guide, Ill teach you about the knowledge of the mystical side, Huai Cuike looked at Teddy with anticipation.
Teddys potential was self-exnatory, he could at least rise to Eckerist in no time, and with a little more guidance, he could grow to be a decent, independant Herder.
Even so, Teddy wouldnt actually require Huai Cuikes personal guidance, anyone else could fit the criteria but with what happened with Bain earlier, Huai Cuike was more worried than ever. He had lost a potential candidate like Li Jiajia. Should he lose another, like Teddy, Huai Cuike would stab his own heart.
Huai Cuike couldnt help but re at Bain when the thought came into his mind.
Bain, who was doubting his own existence, shuddered, feeling cold all of a sudden.
Whats wrong?
Did I catch a cold?
Sigh, I guess its a cold.
Even if I got a cold, no one is here to take care of me.
Even Teddy has a girlfriend, but not me, life is meaningless...
Bain shrunk deeper in the corner.
His pathetic reaction made Huai Cuikes blood pressure rise.
Huai Cuike really wanted to beat him up again.
Single, so what? Ive been single for 55 years, did Iin to anyone before?
Huai Cuike grunted deep in his heart and kept his re away.
He didnt want to look at Bain anymore for it was an eyesore.
Really? This is great! Teddy heaved a breath of relief.
Teddy was really worried that Huai Cuike would let Bain guide him or something simr.
He was really determined to be a Herder, but that didnt mean he would simply want Bain to be his guide this uing path.
Although the East had a saying, The master initiates the apprentices but their skill depends on their own efforts, Teddy knew how important it was to have a good and reliable master.
Bain?
Bain was anything but reliable.
Lazy, reluctant to work, greedy, taking advantage of people, and alwaysining.
If Bain really became his guide, Teddys world would have been shrouded in grayness, but thankfully he wasnt.
Teacher, Ill wait for you outside.
Teddy then walked out of the restaurant on his own. He knew Huai Cuike still had matters to discuss with Kieran.
Huai Cuike saw Teddy off with a gaze of admiration and satisfaction.
Teacher, the term had a special meaning in the Herders, but Huai Cuike did not correct Teddy.
Maybe Huai Cuike really needed a heir.
Delighted, Huai Cuike turned to Kieran.
The Herders are in dire need of fresh blood, he eximed, but Kieran did not respond. He knew why Huai Cuike said that: Huai Cuike wished Kieran could join them too.
However, the thought never crossed Kierans mind.
He and the Herders maintained a very simple rtionship: working together.
He had no ns to change it at all.
This elderly man wasnt the one who called the shots in the Herders, he was just an overseer in one of the sectors of the East Sector. In the whole East Sector of Ai City, there were another 11 more overseers like him, so there were a lot more throughout the whole city or even the whole region.
The Herders was a veryrge organization without a question and in such arge entity, even though it imed it had a lot of freedom, how much freedom would there be?
The answer was obvious with a little thought: very limited.
Kieran wouldnt want to be exhausted by order after order. He preferred to hold the initiative in his hands.
Huai Cuike sighed helplessly at the quiet Kieran, taking out a sack from his pocket.
This is ourpensation to you, he said.
He really hoped that Kieran could join the Herders, but he would not want to force him against his will because he knew what kind of person Kieran was.
Should Huai Cuike forced him, the friendly rtionship between them would shatter to pieces.
Em, Kieran nodded and took the sack.
10 Crossing Silver Coins.
He poured them out and put them into the money sack Mian Yi gave him earlier.
Kieran had a total of 20 Crossing Silver Coins now but he didnt want to simply use them. He wanted to save up the silver coins to exchange for a gold coin.
Huai Cuike allowed Kieran to keep the coins first before he continued.
The changes to the Battle of Winter Night this time are unpredictable, every other party has reacted ordingly. The 4 major sectors of Ai City are discussing whether or not we should team up. Simr discussions are going on as we speak in other sectors as well, and...
Huai Cuike lowered his voice, to the point that only the two of them could hear, Ive heard that the winner of this Battle Winter Night can get a total of 100 gold coins, a number 5 timesrger than the previous winners and on top of that, a shard from the Philosophers Stone!
Philosophers Stone shard?!
Kieran squinted his eyes.
He didnt touch the shard which he kept in his jacket pocket but he was more rmed and suspicious than ever.
A shard of the Philosophers Stone had just appeared in the North Sector of Ai City and now the ultimate prize of the Battle of Winter Night was another sharp of the Philosophers Stone?
So much coincidence?
What else? Tell me more details, Kieran asked without showing any excessive emotions.
Other than the ultimate prize, the Philosophers Stone shard, Ive also heard that there will be all kinds of prizes given out, not after the Battle of Winter Night but during the battle! Huai Cuike said.
During the battle itself? Questions rose in Kierans mind.
Prizes given after and during battle were two entirely different concepts.
The simplest example was, if a participant acquired a decent item during the battle, the other people, or monsters, might very well give up inpeting and would just try to survive until the end instead.
7 days might not be a lot to these people but whosoever acquired a decent item would have a high chance of being ganged up on.
A mans wealth is his own ruin by causing anothers greed!
Seems like this Battle of Winter Night is much more interesting than expected, Kieran said.
That isnt what I am concerned about. The more concerning point is the venue for thising Battle of Winter Night will not be held in past ces, but in an entirely new location. Meaning, no one will know where it will be. The past experiences are all useless now, we wouldnt be much help even if we wanted to be, Huai Cuike couldnt hold back his bitter smile.
You guys might not know where it will be held but is there someone else, or monsters, that might now about it? Kieran asked.
Impossible! The lord who officiates the whole event knows everything but he will not spill any details about it. He is fair and just, the world knows him for that, Huai Cuike said in a firm tone.
Kieran didnt say anything, without experiencing for himself, he would not simply judge people and tend to be cautious.
Then, when are we departing? Is the ce somewhere close to Ai City? Kieran asked.
This may be the only good news. The alleged venue is not far away from Ai City, probably around 3 hours by car. So we would just have to depart a day before. Tune yourself up Royan, we will make sure no one disturbs you for these two days, Huai Cuike assured Kieran.
Okay, Kieran nodded.
After some more simple chatting, Huai Cuike stood up and left.
The elderly Herder went to the corner, picked Bain up, and went. Bain, who had been waiting, greeted Kieran before he went after his new teacher.
After the Herders left, the curtain in front of the kitchen fluttered and Starbeck came out.
Big brother.
Starbeck pulled Kierans sleeve and pointed at the kitchen.
Kieran knew what Starbeck was referring to, so he signaled the Elite Hound and walked into the kitchen.
Danger! The voice tells me this Battle of the Winter Night is dangerous!
Li Jiajia in her apron said anxiously right after Kieran stepped into the kitchen.
Any details? Kieran asked.
Blood, death! Fire, destruction! The voice kept telling me all these, but when I asked for details, the voice kept quiet, Li Jiajia spoke her mind.
She would not want anything to happen to Kieran.
She didnt really care about Kieran, but because Kieran was her teachers big brother, should something happen to Kieran, her teacher would be devastated.
Whenever one falls into sorrow, all hopes would be shattered.
Once all hope was shattered, the dream of bing a cook, which she had just started, would perish prematurely too!
Did you ask the voice where it would be the safest? Kieran asked after some thoughts.
Yes! The safest is to get away from the Battle of Winter Night, the farther the better! Li Jiajia answered.
Is that so? Kieran muttered softly.
So you are going to forfeit the Battle of Winter Night? Li Jiajia looked at Kieran with anticipation.
No! I am looking forward to it! Kieran said with a smile and then he looked at Starbeck.
Starbeck also showed a smile to Kieran, seemingly understanding what his big brother was thinking, he wasnt at all surprised.
Quite the contrary, Starbeck showed support in his eyes, or more urately, whatever Kieran wanted to do, Starbeck would fully support him, despite the danger that followed.
Though, everything in the game was dangerous.
Those who were afraid of danger would never survive in the big city.
Fearlessness was the only right way to live!
If you backed away once or twice, a third time would surely follow, and when one noticed there wasnt any ground left to back away, it was already toote for the situation, it was too dire for redemption.
Starbeck had fallen into such a dilemma before, and fortunately he had met Kieran.
Starbeck knew he was breathing because Kieran saved him many times.
Otherwise...
The wronged souls in the big city couldnt even spare a cry, so despite how cowardly he was, Starbeck chose to deal with the problem head on.
Never putting himself in a desperate situation, that was Starbecks truest thought.
Of course, the reason why he was able to do it was because he had a big brother around him who kept encouraging him, allowing him to be worry-free.
Master, please dissuade your brother, he...
Go ahead! Ill wait for you here.
Starbeck stopped Li Jiajia with a wave of hand, and looked into Kierans eyes with his bright eyes, his gaze giving a solemn promise to Kieran.
Kieran reached out to Starbecks forehead and caressed him.
Dont worry, Ill be prepared, Kieran then walked out of the kitchen.
After the kitchen curtain wasid down, Starbeck turned around with a red face, preparing food for the day while he pondered upon his thoughts.
7 days, I wonder what kind of environment it will be? Will it affect the quality of food?
If its beef jerky, it can pull through the majority of the harsh environment.
Even dried vegetables would do the trick but it will not be as fresh.
But if its canned food, itcks nutritions.
What should I do?
...
Li Jiajia watched Starbeck pondering upon the questions while he prepared the ingredients, unable to keep her shining eyes down.
She noticed even when her masters heart was somewhere else, hed never make any mistakes while cooking.
The chopping skills whipped up a flurry.
The spices made her drool.
That little lily in her heart bloomed again, but Li Jiajia got used to it.
In this ce, she hade across every kind of strange thing.
Her face would not change even if a man-eater nt bloomed, let alone a lily.
Li Jiajia widened her eyes at Starbecks cooking, watching every step in the process.
Meanwhile in the vi deep in the South Sector, Song Shi smashed her te into pieces.
This is shit! It tastes like this! Is this soup some washing water from the tap? Not even a dog would eat this!
Song Shi was throwing a tantrum. She changed her attire and wanted to go to Leaf Dining as soon as possible.
Mydy, please wait for a moment! The East Sector Herders have told you not to disturb Royan these two days, he is preparing for the Battle of Winter Night...
Who the hell cares about that icy refrigerator? Im going there for Roye! Song Shi argued.
That is not an option. Roye is in the restaurant and he is also Royans brother, you...
What? What is not an option? Roye is Royans little brother, but Roye is my future husband! Im just going to see my future husband, what is wrong with those guys?
Song Shi stopped Mian Yi and grabbed her coat before she ran outside.
As she ran, she turned around to the dumbstruck Mian Yi and shouted, Tell them this is a family matter! Stop butting into peoples business!
Chapter 1675 - Suggestion
Chapter 1675: Suggestion
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Leaf Dining.
Song Shi entered the restaurant like it was her own house, walking to the counter and sitting down.
Todays special, 10 servings!
Song Shi then mmed a stack of money on the counter.
Kieran took it, counted it carefully, and put it into his money box before he told the kitchen, 10 servings!
Okay! Starbeck replied.
Song Shi curled up her lips into a sweet smile when she heard Starbecks answer.
After she left thest time, she had been waiting to hear this voice again and now that his voice entered her ears, her mood was lifted, even more so when the smell of food entered her nose, she couldnt help but take a deep breath.
Good smell! she said.
She then asked Kieran, Does Roye have a girlfriend?
No, Kieran replied.
Then does he have a fiance?
No. Kieran replied the same again.
Then what do you think about me? Song Shi was very persistent with her question.
Kieran frowned, he felt vexed by her relentless questions but Kierans habit made him cover up his emotions and he answered, Nothing special!
What?! What do you mean nothing special!? Im not pretty enough? Is my body not good enough? Or is my family background not good enough?
Song Shi went crazy over Kierans remark, ring at Kieran in hopes of a reasonable exnation.
Kieran stared back frankly, his eyes as calm as still water, a slight sense of coldness starting to emanate.
A secondter after the staring happened, Song Shi averted Kierans gaze.
His gaze was too scary!
Being stared down by him was listening to the requiem of death sounding in her ears!
However, thisdy, Song Shi, wouldnt want to give up just yet.
You are not Roye, how do you know? she asked in a muffled voice.
She was very soft but her words would not escape Kierans ears, the calm and cold gaze of his revealing an additional sharpness, like a knife stabbing Song Shi.
As Starbecks friend, how would he allow a yful girl who was obviously here for some excitement to approach him?
Song Shi was terrified by his gaze. It wasnt the first time but she still couldnt get used to the pressure simr to a sea of bodies crashing onto her.
How many souls had this guy reaped in his past life?
The terror that rose from her heart made her reveal her illusory animal fox ears and tails again.
It wasnt for battle though, it was the natural instinct from her bloodline to protect herself.
The kitchen curtain was then lifted up.
Starbeck brought out a bowl of chicken soup with fresh shrimp wonton, carefully serving it before Song Shi.
What you have is great, but not to my liking.
Starbeck spoke as slowly as his movements, together with that soft, shallow, warm smile. It sounded very resolute.
Song Shi widened her mouth, trying to say something but nothing came out.
She lowered her head and ate her bowl of wonton.
Starbeck turned to Kieran, his meaningful smile reduced to a simple and in smile; Kierans eyes also turned soft only for him.
Ill get you some also, said Starbeck.
Kierans smile got brighter.
Li Jiajia stood in front of the kitchen, quietly clenching her fist.
See! This is the power of a cook!
A delicious dish can solve every single problem!
This is my life goal!
Li Jiajia was even more determined than ever, returning to the kitchen and wanting to repeat the basics her teacher taught her another 10 times.
Starbeck then brought out a bowl of special made wonton soup for Kieran.
Unlike the one he served Song Shi, this bowl of wonton was more meticulously cooked and much more heart was poured into it, even the aroma was different.
Song Shi, who was busy eating, got interrupted by the sudden smell, her nose moving as she looked up to Kierans bowl of wonton.
She looked back to her own bowl and frowned hard.
Why is there a difference in treatment!?
We are different.
Kieran picked his spoon for a mouthful of soup. The clear soup had brilliant green scallions and coriander but when it was put into Kierans mouth, the thick chicken broth spread on the tip of his tongue. There wasnt any fishy taste, only the rich and delicious chicken soup.
I paid for this! Song Shi argued.
That is why you are sitting here, Kieran replied and picked up a wonton.
The wonton skin was almost invisible under the light, the reddish shrimp paste inside shallowly reflected, and after a bite, the springy shrimp meat exploded between his teeth. The sweetness of shrimp and freshness of chicken converged into a perfect taste, Kieran swallowing the whole wonton in one bite.
He didnt care about Song Shi anymore. One bite, one wonton, a bowl of 10 wontons were cleaned up in matters of seconds. He picked up the bowl and poured all the soup into his stomach.
Phew!
After he drained thest drop, he heaved a breath of satisfaction.
At the same time, Starbeck brought Kieran his second bowl of wonton.
No customer wille for this, you know! Song Shi protested loudly.
Starbeck looked at her apologetically and bowed. It was necessary for the restaurant owner to feel sorry about being unable to satisfy his customer, butpared to the concern for Kieran, the apology was nothing.
To Starbeck, the restaurant was important because he and Kieran worked together to run the business and if Kieran wasnt happy about it, why would he want the restaurant?
Starbeck always had his priorities clear.
Therefore, all Song Shi did was sit back and swallow her frustration back into her stomach, watching Kieran gobble down a total of 10 bowls of wonton before she received her second bowl.
Song Shi was starving when she arrived at the restaurant, so she didnt care anymore, ditching the arguments and picking up her spoon for the meal.
The clinks that stopped a moment ago continued, and itsted longer than before because Song Shi ordered 10 servings.
This time, Song Shi required none of Mian Yis help in delivering the digestion pills.
She came prepared, when she felt she was at her limit, she took out a digestion pill, tossed it into her mouth and mmed another stack of money on the counter.
Song Shi grinned when she saw Kieran counted the money again.
You money face! If you arent the reincarnation of a God of ughter, you are no different from those greedy, stingy bastards! Song Shi said resolutely.
Kieran didnt argue, he admitted that he was greedy for money.
He didnt steal or rob, he earned the money with his own hands, what so shameful about that?
He calcted the money in the money box and then looked at the empty fish tank beside the counter. The aquarium was filled with seafood yesterday, but now it was empty other than water.
He remembered he bought lobsters, escargot, abalone, crabs, octopus, and even sea cucumber, where did they go?
He split the tank himself and ced all the seafood into their respective sections, how did the seafood vanish so fast?
He didnt remember eating a lot...
Also.. the fish tank... was too small!?
He should have modified the space under the stairs into a pond and with a bigger fish tank, he could keep bigger seafood inside.
Knock Knock, Knock!
Song Shi couldnt help but knock on the counter.
What is wrong with this guy? He dazed off by looking at an empty aquarium?
Is the aquarium more attractive than me?
Song Shi had always been confident about her charms, yet she was forced to doubt it.
However, the doubts did not make her forget the other reason why she came to the restaurant.
Lets team up, Song Shi said all of a sudden.
Kieran finally turned around to Song Shi and looked at her with a rather surprised look.
What kind of eyes is that? Am I that reckless and spoiled in your eyes? Am I thatzy and only know how to enjoy life, and dont even care about the serious matters, a spoiled youngdy?! Song Shi questioned him.
Em, yes, Kieran nodded.
YOU! Ahem! Fine, I dont want to argue with you on that!
Song Shi angrily stood up from her chair, but sat back down quickly enough. She crossed her arms at Kieran, nodded and said, This Battle of Winter Night is unlike the previous. I really dont think I will run into problems, but if I can have an extra helper, I think it would be better and more appropriate. It will allow me to halve my effort in looking for those special items.
Special items? You mean the things ced in the Battle of Winter Night this time? Kieran asked.
Of course! One of the items is sponsored by my family! Of all the special rewards in this uing Battle of Winter Night, more than half of them are sponsored by various families, some from monsters, some from Demon Hunters, Song Shi exined.
What about the rest? Kieran asked.
The rest are raised by the Herders, though most of them are just Crossing Coins. Useful items are only a few and barely any of them have value at all, Song Shi showed a sense of contempt in her words.
In Song Shi eyes, money was near worthless, but not for Kieran.
After he heard what Song Shi said, he squinted his eyes.
Crossing Coins was better than those rare items for Kieran, because with enough Crossing Coins, Kieran could unseal all his attributes and return to his prime form, and with that aside, he could easily get his hands on all the items.
Do you know where the items are? Kieran asked the burning question.
Song Shi flipped a white eye at Kieran, her countenance of ady swept away. She said How would I know? In fact, other than that lord, no one knows where all the things are! Based on the news Ive gathered, even after that lord put the items in a specific ce, he too couldnt make sure the items would stay there!
Kieran frowned, doubts appearing in his heart.
Where is there? He asked.
I dont know!
Song Shi shook her head, she couldnt hold back her urge anymore and asked, What do you say? Team up?
Im better off alone, Kieran answered.
The more manpower, the more powerful we will be! Song Shi emphasized.
You will be nothing but in my way, Kieran said calmly.
You are unreasonable!
Song Shi was pissed, standing up with a pouty face and left.
Kieran saw her off and after she waspletely out of sight, he grinned and muttered to himself.
Disguising yourself in front of your closest yet revealing your true intentions in front of me, a stranger? Gosh, these rich people are all so tricky and cunning.
Kieran wasnt sure whether Song Shi was being sincere in teaming up or had other ulterior intentions, but she had left an impression in Kierans mind and raised his rm.
Kieran was utterly sure whosoever treated her like a weakdy that could be easily deceived or cheated. The one who did so would be the unlucky one in the end, and those unlucky ones would surely exist in the Battle of Winter Night.
There might even be some stronger ones participating in the event.
This is getting more and more interesting, Kieran thought in his heart.
Though he did not forget what his current priority was: he had to be fully prepared in order to leave the restaurant temporarily and assure Starbecks safety.
...
Inside an abandoned factory garage, three men huddled around a makeshift heater, heating themselves up.
The heater was an abandoned gas barrel, wood pieces put inside as fuel for the fire.
The fire in the gas barrel shed light over the three mens faces.
All three of them looked different but all were pale and gloomy.
One of them had a big scar on his face, it was daunting to look at.
Enough. Its too bright, the man with the scarred face said softly.
The one on his left took the lid and covered the gas barrel to suppress the fire
He also asked, Are we just going to hide here?
Hiding here is better than dying. Or do you want to end up like Mazmu, falling into the hands of the Song Shi family? the scarred face man said coldly.
The man on the left pouted and ultimately went quiet.
To Witchcraft practitioners, they were happy to bring death and terror for others, but when the same was being done to them, it was hard to ept.
Moreover being worse than death, and ending up in Song Shi Familys hands was exactly that.
The three of them could only imagine what kind of torture Mazmu had to go through.
Hey, do you guys think the Philosophers Stone is real? the man on the left said.
Real or not, it matters not to us! What we need to do now is wait for the coast to be clear! And once it is, the other turfs in Ai City will be ours, together with their wealth and properties! said the man on the right.
But when will it be fine to go out? the man on the left asked with a tormented look.
Soon! The Battle of Winter Night is around the corner!
Ive got news that this years battle is unlike the previous onesit will surely draw attention and then it will be our time to move! The vengeful spirit I reared is anxious for some action. One guy told me before that he found a very special soul in a restaurant, I really want to have a look there!
The man on the right said with utmost confidence.
The man on the left also showed interest whenever the soul was mentioned.
Both of them discussed the matter enthusiastically, but after a while, they noticed something wasnt right.
The scarred face man in the middle was too quiet.
Although he wasnt really much of a talker, he would never be this quiet about a special soul.
Both of them looked at their leader in the middle, seeing the scarred face man sitting there without budging. One of them pushed him with a finger.
Pak!
The scarred face man fell on the ground!
Both of them ought to stand up out of fear but their eyes were blinded by a sh.
Pak Pak!
A sword grazed their neck simultaneously, blood gushing out like geyser and spraying the ce red.
Chapter 1676 - Along The Way
Chapter 1676: Along The Way
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Blood sshed, the fire in the gas barrel flickering.
Kieran stepped out from the shadows, pointing [Acard Knife] towards the fallen Witchcraft practitioners hearts and gave them an extra stab.
With the [Soul Hunt] attribute in the knife, when the three practitioners sustained the first sh, their soul was damaged, they could never return anymore.
Giving them a second stab in the heart was just vignce out of habit.
After securing the skill, Kieran checked his spoils.
Other than a [Gordors Chain] from the scarred face man, one of the two dropped nothing and thest person dropped a wooden voodoo tablet.
[Name: Witchcraft Voodoo Tablet]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: Magic]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: None]
[Attribute: Curse]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: No]
[Remark: This talisman tablet is better than the Cursed Paper Man, but it required a much moreplicated hand gestures and incantations (Your current Mystical Knowledge level is too low, unable to further read rted information)]
...
[Curse: Acquire the targets name, date of birth and blood to cast a curse. Negative effects such as nightmares will be induced to the target (Have to undergo an E rank Spirit authentication, it wont work if the target passed the authentication)]
...
The [Gordors Chain] from the scarred face man was simr to the one Kieran had acquired before, there was no difference in attributes and looked the same in terms of looks, both were thin long chains that resembled a bracelet.
Kieran equipped the newly acquired [Gordors Chain] onto the same wrist.
Even though [Gordors Chain] had less than ideal attack and defense, he would never look down on any item and equipment, especially when he was in dire need of one and had limited options to choose from.
[Witchcraft Voodoo Tablet]?
Without rted knowledge, Kieran couldnt put it to use.
He put the [Witchcraft Voodoo Tablet] into his backpack, together with the one he previously got and the three [Cursed Paper Man].
These were all his spoils prior to tonight.
These three practitioners werent Kierans first target. In fact, following his methods of mixing things up, this would be thest stop in his Witchcraft practitioner hunting.
As for the spoils?
It was obvious that these practitioners were a lot weaker than those who participated in the battle for the Philosophers Stone, he knew it by the spoils he gained.
Though these men wouldnt just sit back quietly without engaging in any battle, hence escaping their demise. Therefore, Kieran did not expect to get anything from them either.
Being ble to secure two [Witchcraft Voodoo Tablet] and three [Cursed Paper Man] was already beyond Kierans expectation.
After he checked the surroundings once more and made sure he did not miss anything, Kieran left.
He returned to the restaurant without pausing.
He entered through the window, got changed, and returned to the main floor.
The Elite Hound who had been guarding the main entrance ran to Kieran with a wagging tail as he came down. Kieran caressed its head and signaled to the kitchen entrance.
Elite Hound quickly ran to the kitchen entrance for it understood Kierans signal.
Throughout the little outing, Starbeck and Li Jiajia in the kitchen had not noticed Kierans absence.
Amy and Carrie were already asleep for they were still trying to cope with their condition. They wouldnt have the slightest idea that Kieran had left the building.
All except... Superior Demon, Bloody Mary!
Bloody Mary had justpleted the task its boss assigned to it, cing a little package on the tea table and turning on the rather old heater.
It found the old heater in the storerooms corner. It might be old, but it ran perfectly fine.
A whileter, the storeroom started to be warm.
Bloody Mary took a stool over and sat down, humming the melody that Kieran used to hum.
It was simple! Too simple!
Those Witchcraft practitioners hid their things like children!
As long as Bloody Mary located their hideout, with its ability, it was a piece of cake for it to get the items, and other than being worn out from carrying the things back, there wasnt any trouble or difficulties at all.
It has been a while since Bloody Mary had received such an easy task.
Compared to the previous life and death situations, in which it ended up dying multiple times, Bloody Mary was drowned in happiness.
Bloody Mary suddenly thought of something, standing up from the little stool and going over to the corner of the storeroom, an old tea set sitting there.
The tea set wasnt just old, it had sustained quite the damage, that was why the tea set ended up in the storeroom.
Though Bloody Mary didnt care.
It carefully wiped the tea cups andid it all out on the tea table in front of it.
Even though it had no water to make tea, Bloody Mary enjoyed its personal time with ease.
Its current life was perfect! It hoped that this life couldst forever.
That was what it thought in its heart but it knew very well that the thought would best remain a thought. Enjoying life once in a while was good enough, now it wanted it tost long?
Impossible!
It had only one boss to serve.
Its not that its boss was a trouble ma and liked to cause trouble, but because its boss started off from a whirlpool of troubles, if its boss didnt give his best in escaping the vortex, he would be crushed.
As the most important contractedpanion of its boss, once its boss died, it would not end up well either. It still wanted to exist, despite it having died too many times during assignments.
So, it ought to cherish the moments!
With such beliefs in its head, Bloody Mary rxed for two minutes before it stood up again, put the tea set, tea table, and stool back to the corner and waited beside the door.
A momentter, Kieran came in.
Boss, the things you wanted, these are the properties... I mean whats left of it, from those dead Witchcraft practitioners.
Bloody Mary passed the package on the floor to Kieran.
Kieran received the package. He didnt take a good look yet he grinned.
Through the weight and noise, he had a general idea of what was in the package.
At least 50 Crossing Silver Coins and 200 Crossing Copper Coins!
As for the gold coin?
There was none in the package.
Its not that the Witchcraft practitioners didnt have any gold coins, but because of the specialty and rarity of one, the practitioners did not treat the gold coin as their personal belonging which they would take anywhere with them.
Nheless, the package was a decent earning.
In addition to the previously earned 20 silver coins and the extra copper coins for the sake of bargain, he could easily get himself two gold coins.
Nicely done. Did you find anything in the ancient ruins of the Philosophers Stone?
Kieran praised Bloody Mary before he asked about the very concerning Philosophers Stone shard.
Nothing! Ive checked that ce from top to bottom, but I found nothing, not even a suspicious spot! I even eavesdropped on the conversation between Song Shi Family members, they said that ce was supposed to be a tomb, yet there lies a shard of the Philosophers Stone.
Bloody Mary told Kieran everything it found out.
Bloody Marys trip wasnt just to search for the missing Witchcraft practitioners location and secure those spoils from the dead ones, finding out about the Philosophers Stone shard was actually the priority.
Unfortunately,pared to its former task, it got very limited information on the shard.
Maybe Mian Yi from Song Shi Family knew something, but Bloody Mary dare not approach the man. Its instinct told itself once it got near the man, the man would surely expose itself.
Kieran nodded and stopped asking.
Continue to keep an eye out for any movements in Ai City. I want you to gather more secrets from the souls and monsters, said Kieran before he headed upstairs.
The tasks are as well asplete! Bloody Mary said in ttery.
It was delighted because the tasks were very easy, it wouldnt have to break a sweat. Why would it be unhappy?
After Kieran went up, Bloody Mary vanished.
The sun rose as always and set when it reached the west.
A minute after the little ckboard was hung outside, Song Shi appeared in the alley entrance,
nodding in satisfaction when she saw the elegant words written on the ckboard.
It wasnt just because the words were beautiful, it was also because the menu made her happy.
Abalone sauce on rice!
One of her favourite dishes!
Therefore, after she stepped into the restaurant, she mmed a stack of money on the counter as usual.
10 servings!
Kieran took the money, counted it with ease and put it into the money box before he sent the order to the kitchen.
I hope you can be this rxed when you get into that ce, Song Shi said in a slightly upset tone. She then added, based on her feelings and trying to make her stance clear for Kieran, If something happens to you, dont even hope that Ill save you! Even if I see it, I will turn a blind eye, even if you are near to me, I will give you the cold shoulder!
Song Shi was being loud and clear.
Kieran replied by tossing a package on the counter.
When the packagended on the counter, the clinks from the coins inside surprised Song Shi, she then crossed her arms and teased Kieran, You are trying to buy me? Dont even dream about it, with this little amount of Crossing Coins...
Im exchanging it. 70 silver coins, plus an extra 20 copper coins, for the 2 gold coins on you, Kieran stopped Song Shi from her delusional thoughts.
You are proposing a business deal with me? Song Shi was once again surprised.
As the eldest daughter of Song Shi Family, she was blessed with unimaginable resources since she was young. She never had to worry about money, let alone making a business deal.
All she did was prank other people, so having a serious business deal like this with Kieran was a first for her.
Thoughpared to her first business deal, this youngdy was much more concerned about other things.
She looked at Kieran in an interested gaze.
One gold coin is equivalent to 35 silver coins, so 70 silver coins would be enough for 2 gold coins, plus 20 more copper coins as extra, its fair isnt it? But... why do I have to exchange it with you?
Song Shi prolonged her tone.
She was hoping to see Kierans shocked or baffled look, but she was disappointed with the results.
Kieran was still as cold as ever, taking back the package and sitting back down in his chair, pretending like nothing had happened.
Arent you frustrated at all? Song Shi couldnt hold back her curiosity.
Why should I? Kieran asked.
I obviously yed you, didnt I? Song Shis curiosity was at her peak.
I know, thats why this is yourst meal here. You are not wee here after this, Kieran nodded and said in a serious manner.
You!
Song Shi red at Kieran with her beautiful fox eyes.
Song Shi loved Starbecks food from the bottom of her heart.
She would pay 10 times the price or even 100 times, let alone the current price for the meal, she never cared about the money but once she realized she could no longer taste Starbecks food, she breathed heavily and anger shone from her eyes.
Though her sanity told her not to engage Kieran!
She could not afford it! If she really did, everything would fall beyond redemption!
I want food!
I want Roye!
Royan is a big fat piece of pig, bloody trash!
I cant be agitated!
I cant be agitated by him!
Song Shi reminded herself repeatedly, breathing deeply multiple times before showing a kind smile and said, You were proposing an exchange? I think its a good deal.
Song Shi then took out 2 gold coins from her purse and ced it in front of Kieran.
Kieran tossed the package back to Song Shi without a second thought and received the 2 Crossing Gold Coins.
The gold coins do have some special effects but umting it in numbers will not stack the effect, so dont hope for anything good to happen, Song Shi reminded Kieran.
6 more silver coins.
Kieran took out thest 180 copper coins.
What do you think I am? Im warning you, this is thest time!
Song Shi shouted in frustration, yet she took out 6 silver coins for the exchange. She then saw Kieran bring out two wooden sculptures and three pieces of paper man.
These are probably worth around 30 silver coins. Plus the 5 from the 6 you just gave me, I want another gold coin, Kieran said.
The Witchcraft practitioners that diedst night, you did it? Song Shi reacted quickly when she saw the items ced on the counter.
No, these are my savings, some were thepensation from the South Sector and some are my collection, Kieran denied it.
All these?
Song Shi pointed at the [Witchcraft Voodoo Tablet] and the [Cursed Paper Man], unwilling to believe Kierans words.
Although all these items were justmon things, they werent that easy to obtain either. [Cursed Paper Man] was rather normal, but [Witchcraft Voodoo Tablet] was something else, its creation process was much moreplicated.
Of course, the price of thetter would far surpass the former, despite both seeming to be the same in the eyes of a newbie.
Em, Kieran nodded.
Song Shi grunted.
Who the hell believes you!??
Shemented in her heart, but she didnt want to argue with Kieran anymore. She took out 2 more gold coins and swept everything into her purse: the silver coins, together with the [Witchcraft Voodoo Tablet] and [Cursed Paper Man].
The small purse did not bulge ridiculously because of the amount of items stuffed inside.
It seemed like Song Shi was much wealthier than he imagined. After a quick nce, Kieran took the 2 gold coins which he exchanged for and thanked her, Thank you.
Simr to what he deserved, Kieran would never ask for extra or receive less from a deal, since Song Shi helped him, he should thank her by all means.
Song Shiughed out loud when he thanked her.
You are really from the mountains! At first I thought you were some spy from some other rival families but if you are one, you wouldnt use these kinds of cheap tricks to get close to me. So what do you think, do you want to team up with me? Song Shi tried her proposition again.
Kieran, again, shook his head. He turned around and took the te of abalone juice on rice from Starbeck and served it to Song Shi.
Then, he turned around and took his own dinner: braised abalone.
Lets eat, said Kieran.
Chapter 1677 - Campsite
Chapter 1677: Campsite
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
5 am on the second day, the restaurant closed shop on time.
Kieran took back the ckboard that acted as a sign, while Li Jiajia, who had spent the whole night and her heart in studying and working, yawned as she woke up.
Starbeck was still busy in the kitchen.
Container after container was arranged neatly behind him, Starbeck carefully putting the half-cooked food into the containers and wrapping them with stic wrap.
That wasnt all, beside the cooking table was processed beef jerky, piled up like a mini hill, and bags of dried vegetables packed and ready to go.
Starbeck prepared instant edible food, food that required no heating and many other preserved food for Kieran, prepared ording to how long Kieran would be away.
Kieran saw Starbeck was busy, remaining quiet and stepping out of the kitchen.
He then sat back down in his hair and took out the 4 Crossing Gold Coins.
After he released the restraints on the Origin Forces in his body, the gold coins emanated their brilliant radiance outrageously, or more urately, the golden radiance was sucked out.
Gluttonys cheers echoed in Kierans ears, Kieran once again greeted by the chains from the void.
Numerous thin, ck chains were still around his body and limbs, the nearly invisible and hair-like threads still connected to his head.
Nothing had changed from before, even those translucent chains remained the same.
The breaking of chains was also simr to the earlier one.
Kak!
Kak Kak Kak!
The invisible chains broke first, followed by the ck chains and when the ck chains broke, the constricting power on his body was slightly lifted, Kieran seizing the window and reaching out his hand to grab the translucent chains.
nk nk Clunks!
The chains rattled
The ck chains that wrapped his body rattled fiercely when Kieran grabbed them, but the most violent one was the one chain that Kierantched onto.
That particr chain came alive, struggling violently in Kierans hand and kept flickering repeatedly like a lightbulb.
It was hard and cold and unknowingly disgusting.
The feeling of disgust flooded Kierans heart in an instant, wanting to pull the chain off, but the hardness of the chain far surpassed his expectations.
The chain didnt even budge under his strength, it even caused an extreme sense of danger in his heart.
Without a second thought, Kieran released the chain.
nk, nk Clunks!
The rattling noise of the chains went quiet, the other chains also slowly going away. Kieran was returned to the restaurant, behind the counter.
What is that sense of danger I felt? Kieran squinted his eyes.
He trusted his instinct very much. It wasnt just because of his naturally powerful Spirit, it was also because he tempered it through countless battles, hence he had cultivated a sixth sense that others didnt have. His sixth sense tended to be even sharper than a beast against danger, like what happened just now.
He tried to pull the chain off but a danger that might be rted to life and death rose in his heart, like there was a sharp knife in front of his chest.
The sharpness and stinging sensation rose a lump in his throat, but he did not panic.
He was used to lingering around the edge of danger, so he knew what he should do in this kind of situation: be calm!
Being calm sometimes triumphed over being powerful.
Calm Kieran knew what he needed.
I need more Crossing Golden Coins! Kieran looked at the mottled coins in his hand.
He needed more coins to better observe the situation and the chains, and on top of that, he still had many more seals to break through.
[Spirit broke through 3yers of seal, increasing from S- SS-]
[Strength, Agility, Constitution, Intuition broke through 4yers of seal, increasing from A+ SS-]
...
Kieran used the breathing methods from [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] to adjust himself to his newly strengthened body.
Two breathster, Kieran opened his eyes. He didnt stand up though, remaining seated, and used [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] to detect the changes to his body.
After he made sure everything was in ce and he could utilize everything in his body to the fullest, he started to check his equipment and items.
Despite Kieran always carrying his items with him, hed still habitually check and inspect his items and equipment before any kind of important matter.
The process of tidying up equipment and items allowed Kieran to double check whether or not he had missed something.
Actually, it wasnt just for the items and equipment, he was also tidying up his ns.
[Sharp Standard-Issued Sword] was hung over his waist.
[Acard Knife] was hidden in his sleeve because of its short length.
Two [Gordors Chain] tied around his left hand, together with [Hound Ring].
The [Healing Potion (Witchcraft)] and the [Philosophers Stone (Shard)] was also kept on him at all times.
After releasing all the souls from [Soul Keeper Bangle], Kieran equipped it on his left hand too. Although he never thought of keeping souls, treating it as an extra wrist guard was a decent choice.
When Kieran finished his check, the curtains to the kitchen were lifted up.
Starbeck pushed out a big backpack loaded with food, but it wasnt easy for him to push such a heavy load.
The backpack, whenid on the floor, was as tall as a person, its size requiring at least 2 grown men to hold it together. If the kitchen was any smaller, Starbeck wouldnt have packed such a ridiculous load.
Kieran lifted the backpack with one hand and put it outside the counter.
He then turned around to Starbeck.
Close the restaurant for a few days. Ive put the Hounds on guard in the area. Superior Demon is also on guard. Huai Cuike will send Bain and another Herder over to keep an eye on the ce 27/7, said Kieran.
Em. I understand, Starbeck nodded his head obediently.
Starbeck knew he wasnt much help in battle. He wouldnt recklessly say something like lets go together, it would only create trouble for Kieran, and Starbeck knew the best was to listen to Kierans arrangements.
Kieran caressed Starbecks head.
Ill be going then, Kieran then walked away.
When he pushed open the restaurant door, sunlight shone across the sky from the horizon.
Huai Cuike, who had been waiting for Kieran, was dumbstruck when he saw the big backpack. He pointed at the car outside the street and smiled bitterly, thinking the backpack wouldnt fit in the car.
Hold on, Huai Cuike said and then made a call.
10 minutester, a truck arrived.
Kieran didnt want to sit in the front seat of the truck despite Huai Cuike inviting him, instead jumping on the trucks back with the huge backpage and sitting down at the little window to the drivers seat while facing the window.
As the trucks engine roared to life, the vehicle went further away from the restaurant.
It eventually turned blurry and a moment before the restaurant went out of sight, Kieran saw a persone out from the restaurant, put his hands up in the air, and wave.
The familiar voice was also carried into Kierans ears by the wind, Come back safety! Ill be waiting for you with more food!
Kieran curled up his lips into a smile, he didnt shout his reply but simply said softly, Wait for me.
Kieran knew Starbeck wouldnt have heard what he said but he knew Starbeck would cook a lot of good food while waiting for his return.
He had to return as quickly as possible, he wouldnt want Starbeck to wait for him for a long time.
...
The truck made many stops along the way in the city but after it drove out to the outskirts, it sprinted with full speed towards a single direction like a horse on loose reins.
The modernized buildings gradually decreased as the truck went further.
The scene eventually turned into farms and forests and when the asphalt road became a muddy path with holes, a campsite was visible ahead; the truck also slowed down to a stop.
Huai Cuike came down from the truck.
We can only send you this far. You need to be careful on your own from here on. Remember, if you really cant do it, just give up, Huai Cuike said after a little pause.
Em, Kieran nodded.
Huai Cuike actually wanted to speak more but when he saw Kierans reaction, his original intention failed toe out from his mouth. Instead he said, Follow me.
Huai Cuike then took the lead into the temporary campsite.
The Herder on duty outside the campsite was familiar with Huai Cuike, both of them hugging each other upon meeting and the man seemed very passionate about Kieran also.
Im Daliphen, this old mans friend. You will have to follow me around for the uing schedule.
The tall, buff Daliphen said with augh.
Royan, Kieran replied the mans enthusiasm with his alias.
A great name! Hope your name can shine brightly in the Battle of Winter Night. Okay, my old friend, this may be a transfering point, but you cannot enteronly when you let the fletchings fly, can they surely soar.
Daliphen smiled at Kieran again before he talked to Huai Cuike.
Be careful, Huai Cuike gave hisst reminder before he left.
Kieran saw the truck drove off and thennded his attention on Daliphen.
Rx. Theres still time. Do you need me to guide you around the campsite? Daliphenughed.
No thanks. I can manage, but are there any off-limit ces here?
Kieran rejected Daliphens goodwill with a shake of head.
The campsite was as big as a football field. Even with many camps set up across the field, Kieran could easily get the general picture with a single nce.
He needed no guide or receiving party, though he still had to ask about the forbidden ces.
Kieran wasnt scared of attracting trouble, he was worried about unwanted troubles that could potentially affect the Battle of Winter Night
No! The ones who participate in the Battle of Winter Night are youngsters like you. If you have friends among them, feel free to go find them; if you dont, simply find an empty camp, or make one yourself, to rest. When the timees, Ill inform everyone, Daliphen answered.
Kieran nodded to express his understanding, then took his huge backpack to a corner of the campsite.
He had no friends here.
Why not rope in the other participants?
Kieran would never do it because he found it hard to trust a stranger.
He simply set up camp by putting his backpack on the ground, pulling out the rain cloth, tying it on the fence on one end while the original end remained at the backpack. Kieran then sat underneath.
It was a simple, probably ugly and crude, camp.
Starbeck did suggest bringing a real camp but Kieran insisted this would be enough.
If he had space to stuff apact camp in his backpack, might as well put more food in it.
The sun rose up high in the sky, and when it was hanging up in the middle, Daliphen arrived at the entrance and yelled loudly, ITS LUNCH TIME!
The quiet campsite instantly turned merry and noisy.
Herders representatives came out from their respective camps.
There were men and women, fat and thin, short and tall, and everyone was in various attires and outfits.
Some wore casual clothing like Kieran, others wore robes, light armor, leather armor.
There was one man who bared his top yet covered up in a bear rug, the bears head acting as the hat on the man. He was very eye-catching and the special look made Kieran take another nce.
The man didnt seem to see Kierans gaze though, or more urately, the man was captivated by the food.
Daliphen had prepared enough food for all the participants.
A giant basin, which was used for showers, was filled with vegetables and potatoes that were fried and steamed; the other basin had rice in it.
Though the captivating food wasnt any of the mentioned, behind Daliphen was a little cart with 10 translucent foodboxes.
The foodboxes were big, as big as a big pot of soup and each box was divided into 10 sections; each section had different kinds of food, from fried chicken to braised beef to shrimp and crabs.
The color was very alluring, when the two big basins of carbohydrates were in front of them, the carefully prepared food looked even more mouth-watering.
There is an old rule when ites to having a meal.
Ill exin it one more time for the newbies.
These two basins of food are free for all, but those 10 boxes behind me requires you guys to think. Whether you buy everyone with money, or beat everyone with brute strength, or even cause a scene and grab one amid the chaos, as long as you can get your hands on it, the food inside the box is yours. Casualties are not tolerated, or else you will lose not only the food but also the qualification to participate in the Battle of Winter Night. Now, begin!
After a loud start, all the anxious Herder representatives jumped towards the boxes.
Only Kieran sat in his spot without budging.
Kieran was never picky about food, but if he already had Starbecks handmade food, why would he eat someone elses?
Those food in the boxes was nothing but the best ofmon cooking.
They were nothing, iparable to Starbecks cooking.
Kieran also knew what Daliphen was trying to achieve: Daliphen was giving a chance to the participants to get to know each other.
Therefore, Kieran sat back and watched the fight between the representatives in zest.
The man with the bear rug was indeed eye-catching, a single swing of his hand throwing a fewpetitors away. He allowed the attacks from others tond on his body, but he didnt care as he reached out to one of the foodbox.
Thats Lucan. The representative from the North Forest, very powerful, always hungry, he can eat 3 servings in one go. Though the other young ones are also decent, everyone has an appetite! Arent you hungry? If you dont hurry up, there wont be anything good left.
Daliphen went up to Kieran and emphasized on the word appetite.
Are those foods even nice? Kieran smiled.
He reached into his backpack, took a thermal container out and slowly opened the lid.
The food that Starbeck prepared for him emanated a ridiculous aroma, instantly spreading all over the campsite.
The fierce fight among the participants instantly paused, everything falling into silence as they were attracted by Kieran.
Kieran slowly picked up his chopsticks while everyone stared at him.
Chapter 1678 - Not The Same
Chapter 1678: Not The Same
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Everyone saw Kieran move his chopsticks into the container and take out a shrimp which radiated gold under the sun, then put it into his mouth.
Crunch, Crunch!
The crispy skin, the juicy shrimp, the delicious noise entered everyones ears. Lucan, the big wild man who got to the boxes of food first looked at Kieran in a dull state, the food box falling out of his hands and onto the ground.
Bam!
The thump broke the silence in the campsite, everyoneing back to their senses.
Their gazes shifted between the fallen food box and Kierans one, ultimately they couldnt help but sigh.
The sigh sounded very sour. They were passionate about fighting each other for the food box, but now it seemed a little meaningless.
Many of them knew where each others strength levels were at after a few times fighting each other for the food box before Kierans arrival.
Some, who had the idea of teaming up, formed an alliance.
Some, who preferred to work alone, stood their ground.
As for the rest?
It would be better for them to rest their minds and hone their edges.
They would, however, fight each other again for the food boxes, but that was before Kieran took his thermal container out.
Now, all thoughts of fighting faded away and the scene ended abruptly.
The smell of the food in the boxes wasnt that amazing, why would they fight over the food for the past 2 days?
The participants must be nervous, hence making them overreact.
Thats right, their nervousness affected their performance.
All the young men and women looked at each other.
The few widely acknowledged powerhouses stood out from the ground and walked to the cart full of food boxes, the rest of them automatically walking to the two huge basins of rice and potatoes, including the eye-catching Lucan.
Like what Daliphen said earlier, Lucan had a great appetite. Even though the portion of food in the box was sufficient, it was not enough for him.
If it was two days earlier, after Lucan finished the first box, he would fight others again for the second.
Today was different.
While Lucan had a bowl of rice with potatoes, he saw Kieran enjoying his food from the thermal container: fried shrimp, egg roll, beef, broli, fried sausages, all the food was stuffed into his mouth endlessly.
In fact, not only Lucan was staring at him, the others did the same as well, including those who got the food boxes.
All of them stared at Kieran, some even moving their noses to capture the smell, as if sniffing more would make the in rice and potatoes in their hands taste better, or rather, it would be easier for them to swallow.
Unknowingly, these men and woman got closer to Kieran.
The closer they were, the better they smelled.
The one closest to Kieran was, of course Daliphen, who facepalmed himself when he saw how the young men and women reacted.
He understood that this warm uppetition that he held had failed miserably.
With better food in the mix and out of reach for them, it was almost impossible for Daliphen to arouse the young men and womens fighting spirit with food anymore, unless...
Daliphen looked at Kieran, who had just finished his food in the first container.
You are good at cooking? Daliphen seized the window for a question.
I dont know how to cook, but my little brother does. Hes very good, Kieran answered honestly.
Can hee here and cook for us? Daliphen was being very direct.
He did not soften his voice or hide any of it, hence everyone around him heard what he said, the young men and womens eyes shone bright.
Song Shi Family is willing to pay my brother a million a year, Kieran said.
The shining eyes of the young men and women instantly dimmed down.
An annual ie of a million!
The Herders werent that wealthy to begin with, so a million was an astronomical figure for them. Maybe one or two of them could earn such an amount, or higher, once in a blue moon plus a huge deal of luck, but men could not always rely on luck because it wasnt always sunny in the sky.
Lingering on the verge of poverty, relying on the organization for three meals, there were many, or the majority, of the Herders like that, why else would the majority of Herders be part time?
Many of the Herders were just normal people with normal gifts and strength. Trying to make a living or feeding their family by being a Herder full time was a very hard mission.
The young participants of the Battle of Winter Night indeed possessed a certain level of strength, plus some natural talents, but it didnt mean they had a great sum of savings.
These young participants might not even understand the concept of saving, they tended to invest their money into their equipment and items, not savings under their pillow or in the bank.
To them, youth was power, youth was money.
Therefore, no one was able topete with the astronomical figure. Moreover, they also understood not even a million a year could move Kierans little brother.
Ahem! Daliphen coughed slightly to cover his embarrassment.
He had zero intention of continuing the topic.
Song Shi Family, annual ie of a million, it was something beyond his league, it would be better for him to stay close to reality.
You and your brother are really close I see. He prepared that much food for you to participate in the Battle of Winter Night, but you should also try to get used to the camp life. You are having dinner here, with our food, Deliphen said, in reference to the food.
The young participants instantly heaved a breath of relief.
Right!
Its just a meal!
Well get through it in no time!
After this meal, he will have to eat the same food as us, the camp food!
The thoughts rose in everyones mind, instantly making the young participants feel that the food in their hands werent all that bad.
Then... They saw Kieran take out another container from his backpack.
Everyone, including Daliphen, was dumbstruck.
They looked at the huge backpack and a bad feeling rose in their heart.
Royan, how much food did you bring? Dont tell me your backpack is full of them! Daliphens voice started to shake.
Em, yeap, Kieran nodded.
He then opened his second container without giving much care about Daliphens twitching face.
Twice Cooked Pork Rice!
Nice!
Kieran smiled and put a piece of meat into his mouth, the pork didnt lose its original taste due to time.
Great! How did Starbeck prepare this? His cooking was far beyond anyones imagination.
Kieran squinted his eyes subconsciously.
Everyone else looked at Kieran, the aromatic smell of pork assaulting their noses and throwing them into despair.
Why?
How did this guy bring such a huge load of food here?
Shouldnt he be prepared for the Battle of Winter Night and bring all sorts of supplies?
It was just food??
What about medicine? Other supplies? Extra weapon? The backup supplies for emergencies?
Everyone could barely hold their burning questions in, yet they did because they saw the ugly tent Kieran built. All the questions were swallowed back.
They couldnt bear looking anymore! Anymore nces would drive them crazy, they might jump on Kieran to rob his food!
Everyone discarded the bad thoughts away from their mind.
Personal conflicts between Herders were forbidden. Once broken, it wouldnt just be a simple punishment.
Such punishment was extremely scary to these young participants.
Daliphen watched Kieran gobble down his second container. He opened his mouth, trying to say something but nothing came out. He sighed and returned to his own tent.
Lunch started noisily, yet ended in silence.
After the young men and women finished their meal, they returned to their respective tents to rest.
In order to perform in the Battle of Winter Night, every one of them ought to keep their best condition. They could only afford to rx during meal times.
As for the rest of the time?
Kieran heard sword grinding and gun loading noises. It seemed like this group of young men and women were constantly prepared.
Kieran put away the three thermal containers in front of him, loading them back into his backpack and taking out the thermal sk, which was also Starbecks handy work. He used the cover as a cup to hold the tea.
The aroma of tea spread, the sword grinding and gun loading noises paused, before all of them got fiercer and more violent.
Kieran didnt care at all. Three cups of teater, he put the thermal sk away, carried his backpack, and closed his eyes for a catnap.
Song Shi wasnt around!
Kieran was very certain he did not sense her in the group!
Not only did the monsters have their own camp, even a half-breed like Song Shi got their own?
Humans, monsters, hybrid.
A triangle war?
Kieran pondered upon the question quietly. The sun slowly slid down to the west.
When the sun was on the horizon, fire in all sizes were built across the campsite, the light from the fire recing the sunlight in bringing light and warmth to the people.
When the fire burned bright, Lucan with the bear rug came out from this tent and walked to Kieran.
Give Lucan food, Lucan protect you!
Lucans northern ent was very heavy.
Kieran didnt say anything, giving the big man a nce and showing a little bit of killer intents.
The buff and tall northern man got terrified, his face turning pale as though he saw the infamous ferocious beast deep in the woods of the north, faltering backwards.
Seven to eight shaky stepster, Lucan stopped, sizing up Kieran from top to bottom once more with dreadful gaze mixed with a little bit of fear.
Why did someone like you get arranged here in the normal camp? You should have gone to the Inhuman camp!! Lucan said.
He subconsciously stepped back again and stopped in front of the nearest campfire, as if the heat and light from the fire expelled the coldness from his body.
Scary! Too scary!
Lucan was never a coward! Yet he had never thought he would meet someone that could frighten him away with just a gaze, especially in this normal camp.
He thought he was the strongest and most special one among the others.
Unless...
A sudden thought popped up in his mind.
You are here to search for something? What are you searching for? If your goal is different from mine, we can team up! Lucan would never hide his thoughts, nor did he think he had to, so the question was very direct.
Im used to working alone, Kieran rejected.
Lucan tried to think of something to persuade Kieran to take back the rejection, but after a while, not a single good excuse came out from him. Ultimately, the man from the north said, Im looking for a sculpture of a bear the size of a palm, its made of wood and its not painted. If you find it, tell me, Ill pay you handsomely.
The man from the north took out a pebble the size of a marble from his bear rug and ced it in front of Kieran.
If you want to contact Lucan, crush this stone. Lucan will know and Lucan will find you.
Lucan beat his chest and bowed in a very unique salutation, then returned to his tent.
Kieran thought about it for a while before he picked up the pebble.
[Name: Communication Pebble]
[Type: Wonder Item]
[Rarity: Magic]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: None]
[Attribute: Communication]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Remark: Communication Pebble is one of the specialties of the northernnds. It is made out of ancient alchemy together with modern alchemy.]
...
[Communication: Crush it, the owner of the bigger piece will be able to locate your location, but unable to trulymunicate via voice or image.]
...
Kieran read through the description of [Communication Pebble], then put it aside without muchment.
He would never simply ept someone elses item, despite it seeming pretty harmless.
The reason why he picked it up was because he thought [Communication Pebble] might be somehow rted to [Water Purify Stone], but the Remark proved him wrong.
The sun had sunk into the horizon.
When thest bit of sunlight disappeared, the campsite swiftly fell into darkness, leaving only the individual campfires lighting up the ce.
The young men and women had their own lighting devices but no one would choose to use them here, due to the uing Battle of Winter Night being the more suitable location and much more valuable to use.
Daliphen came out again with dinner, but unlike lunch, all the food was loaded in translucent food boxes and it was scrumptious. It made the young participants very happy and shocked at the same time.
The dinner before the Battle of Winter Night would be a feast for them.
Subconsciously, the young men and women looked at Kieran, who reached out to his backpack again.
A lot of them started to chuckle in sneers.
The thermal container might keep the food warm, but the function wasnt forever.
Starting from afternoon...No, starting from Ai City, the food was put inside the thermal container from day to night, it was a very long period of time and no matter how good the thermal container would be, it would no longer function in this kind of timing.
Regardless of how good the food was, once it became mushy and sticky, the taste would be ruined.
So, the young men and women did not expect another assault of aroma from the container anymore, but when Kieran opened the container, the aroma inside spread like a strong wind, blowing in every single direction.
The young men and women paid the cost due to their naiveness.
H-How is this possible?
Why is the food inside the container glowing?
This is unreasonable! Its crazy!
...
The young men and women were baptised by the the aroma from the food Starbeck cooked, further plunged into despair, but what pushed them deeper was the steam flowing out from the container, like it was freshly made.
It was definitely not something a mere thermal container could do! Its not some magical item!
Daliphen saw the scene, his eye twitching.
Being vastly experienced and knowledgeable, the veteran Herder knew what he saw.
Transcendence!
Transcendent level of cooking!
What a bad joke!
Its impossible!
How could someone with such skills exist?
It must be some secretive technique!
Spections formed in Daliphens head but he was unwilling to believe it due to such talents being a dream to many people. A lot of talented men and women sought after it yet many of them were trapped by hurdles and obstacles. Yet, someone had reached the transcendent level with culinary skills. It wasnt something that was easy for him to ept and believe.
He shook his head hard, trying to discard the thought out of his mind, and in order to kill the thoughtpletely, he shouted to the other participants.
Hurry up and eat you people! We have some distance to cover after dinner! The Battle of Winter Night is about to start!
Chapter 1679 - Misty
Chapter 1679: Misty
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
With Daliphen on their backs, dinner ended in 10 minutes.
Everyone returned to their tents and started to pack, and a whileter, even their tents were packed into their travel bag.
Daliphen nodded, very satisfied with the youngsters packing speed but his eyes still twitched when he saw Kieran, or more urately, the backpack on him, which was taller than a person.
After dinner started, Daliphen decided to not spare any attention to Kieran for the sake of his heart, but... the backpack was extremelyrge!
It wasnt just tall, it was wide too. Kieran with the backpack was extremely eye-catching, it was hard for him to not enter anyones sight.
Daliphen, at the front of the group, saw him in a single nce. He saw Kieran naturally go to the back of the ground, the scene making him forget everything that he was prepared to say to the group, the script that was prepared in his mind discarded.
Every time he saw Kieran, his mind reminded him of the thermal container with the tasty food inside.
It smelled really good!
Daliphens mouth started to salivate, yet he managed to keep away his thoughts and suppress the hunger in his stomach.
Move out!
The script that he had prepared for days became a very simple two words.
Daliphen walked to the campfire, picked up the lit torch, and headed out.
The other young men and women followed.
No transportation was prepared, everyone had to travel on foot.
In the middle of the dark, torches lined up along the long path, like a fiery snake moving through the dark.
The line wasnt long, but by no means was it short. Not a sound was made, everyone had nerves and anticipation on their face. Such expressions did not go away even when they had reached the destination, instead the expressions intensifying. Each and everyone of them tried to hold their attention in one piece, adjusting their breathing to concentrate on themselves, trying to be as calm as possible so that they could be prepared for what wasing next.
Only Kieran was different.
Kieran had been through so much, his mental state wasnt affected in any way.
He had time to size up his surroundings and even the people around him.
Up until now, the group has been walking for 2 hours and they had arrived in the wilderness; not too far in front of them was a mountain.
The mountain wasnt too tall, but it looked like a monster crawling on thend in the middle of the night, a heart-strickening scene.
The group finally arrived at the foot of the mountain and Daliphen was talking to another middle-aged man.
The Inhumans and the Monsters have arrived and gathered up, you guys are thest to enter. Those guys are really anxious, eh. Though this Battle of the Winter Night is unlike others, its unprecedented and probably doesnt even hold the same meaning anymore. Thats why I dont suggest these young souls join. Daliphen, be wary, some things are not anything you and I can change.
The unacquainted middle-aged man disyed helplessness.
Kieran saw the man pass Daliphen a box and then stepped aside. Daliphen then walked back to the ground with the box.
Okay guys, this is thest thing that I can do for you. Daliphen stood still and opened the box.
Inside the box were many neatly arranged watches.
Daliphen took one and started exining, This is a tracker, it is also yourst hope! You can simply use it as a watch but the most important part of this watch is thissee this white button? Whenever you run into danger that you cannot ovee, press it! It will disqualify you from the battle but it will save your little life!
Daliphen was extra serious during the exnation.
Daliphen, you are telling us to give up, to concede?
Lucan wasnt happy about it, his background as the wild soul from the north and the teachings he received throughout his life taught him to never give up, the word concede wasnt in his dictionary.
No! This is not giving up, not conceding! Its hope! Just like what I said, it is and will be yourst hope!
Daliphen shook his head and raised his voice, the white haired elderly with the buff body ncing over every single one of the young participants.
He continued, Its not just yourst hope, its also... ours! Im not married, I dont have a wife, I dont have a child, Im going to retire as a Herder yet I dont have an heir. There are many others like me in the Herders. Im considered a lucky one because I didnt have anyone from the very beginning, but not everyone is as lucky. They had someone from the start, but they lost them due to various reasons! Believe me, that kind of pain is unimaginable unless you experience it yourself. Thankfully, they have you guys! You call them teachers, uncle, aunt, father, mother, all sorts of names. You may call them differently but every single one of them treated you all the sameas their child, their hope! You are thest light in their life! Do you really want to kill thest light and send them into darkness, for the rest of their lives? So, before you do anything reckless, or act on impulses, think, think of them! They are waiting for you to arrive home! Come and take your watch, one each!
Daliphen subtly turned to Lucan, then tossed him a watch.
He carefully looked at every young participant who stepped up and took the watch, having no idea how many of them woulde back alive from the Winter Night.
Although he and the other old men tried their best to fight for their st hope, the battlefield was constantly changing, no one could guarantee whether or not the young participants would have the chance to even press the white button.
I hope every single one of you return safely.
Daliphen looked up to the dark sky and gave his blessing in his heart.
Then, a shadow shrouded the night sky.
Daliphen was startled by the huge backpack that shrouded even the night sky.
A weird feeling rose from his heart, it was indescribable with words, but he was sure it brought along hunger.
Hey boy, you are the one who owns a restaurant? Daliphen asked when he saw Kieran size up the watch he took.
Em. Leaf Dining, Kieran answered.
Ill go there for a meal if I have a chance, remember to give me a discount, Daliphen joked.
No discount, Kieran replied seriously.
Daliphen took the seriousness from Kieran as a joke, the old Herder already felt better.
Be careful, now go along!
Daliphen pointed at the mountain.
Kieran didnt say anything else, following the other participants, going closer to the mountains base.
There wasnt a line anymore; after everyone took their watches, they started to climb the mountain.
The middle-aged man also saw the young participants off, and when Kieran, thest one, started to climb, he took hismunicator and wanted to report it in.
Though before he could, Daliphen snatched themunicator away.
I feel terrible. Drink with me, Daliphen said.
There were only a few words but the meaning was substantial.
Daliphen, you know its useless right? Even if I dont report it in, HQ will also contact the Inhuman camps and Monster camp on time.
The man pointed at themunicator in Daliphens hand and said with a bitter smile.
Then? Daliphen rolled a white eye.
Then... Ill drink with you! the middle-aged man sighed at Daliphen.
He then took two bottles of beer out from his backpack, tossed one to Daliphen, and opened the other one for himself before he gulped down half a bottle.
The mans face turned red soon enough.
The alcohol started to take over his sight. He fell on the ground and leaned on a rock, looking at the mountain.
A minute longer is a minute longer, good luck.
The man put his bottle up in the air and then he started snoring.
Everything happened lightning fast. When Daliphen realized what happened, the man was already soundly asleep.
Daliphen was surprised, pushing the man with the tip of his foot.
Dishonest fe.
Daliphen sat before the man and also looked at the mountain.
Thete autumn breeze blew in the middle of the night.
A cloud of mist suddenly appeared around the peak of the mountain, even the cold wind couldnt blow it away.
It has begun, Daliphen muttered.
The snores beside him got louder.
...
When the mist came, Kieran frowned.
The mist didnt just appear abruptly, when it appeared, Kierans senses, perception, and intuition were all blocked: not just his sight, but his hearing as well.
Deep inside the thick mist, Kieran could only see 2 meters ahead of him and only hear his own footsteps.
The stranger thing was, the mist kept a 2 meter distance from him, the visible and hearing range following him as he climbed the mountain, like an invisible barrier had covered him.
The mist felt like it came alive with its own consciousness.
Kieran stopped walking and looked at the rumbling mist, squinting his eyes.
He immediately activated [Gordors Chain]s illusive form, the chain appearing around him and slowly wriggling towards the mist.
This time, the mist did not move along with the chain.
The mist behaved like a normal mist when [Gordors Chain] swirled around, it rumbled and dispersed and not only the part where the chain swirled dispersed, the whole cloud went away altogether.
Like how it appeared, the mist came and went abruptly.
Sunlight shone down from the sky and showered over Kierans body.
Sunlight?!
Kieran squinted his eyes at the unusual radiance on his hand, feeling the warmth and the light.
He remembered they had started their journey in the night and when he started climbing the mountain, the sky was still dark.
He had probably spent at most 20 minutes, it was impossible for the sky to turn bright.
On top of that, not only had the time changed, even the surroundings changed together.
Before this, he was on the rocky path of a mountain in the wilderness, and now, he found himself in an abandoned street.
The street was heavily mottled and filled with moss.
The buildings, some intact and some broken, were covered in green as well.
The closest trash can to him was also heavily mottled, its original color far beyond recognition.
There was no one around him and not a sound was heard.
It was utterly silent.
Kieran looked down at the moss that filled the street. After he made sure he was alone, he carefully moved towards the shadowy spot beside him.
When he covered himself in shadow, he carefully sized up and examined his new surroundings.
The structural style was simr to Ai City, yet a little bit different.
The age of the te was very simr also.
There were streetmps, signs for public transportation, trash cans, all kinds of public facilities, but within Kierans sight, he couldnt spot a single vehicle, regardless of bus or private cars.
They all left in an organized manner? Is this another ce? Or another... world? Kieran wondered.
He then looked at a particr building. The building was 50 stories tall, very eye-catching even for Kieran, who hid in the corner.
The tall building would surely be a good observation point and he was certain that if someone else came into this city, or this world, with him, they would also head to the highest vantage point.
The watchers would be around also and some of them might bear ill intentions.
It was not only the Herders who came into this ce, there were Monsters as well!
Kieran didnt want to be watched by others, Herders or Monsters, he tended to be the watcher himself.
For the sake of safety, Kieran did not go straight to the tallest building, instead choosing another nearby building as a vantage point.
The 50 story building was an office building and the one Kieran chose beside it was a mall.
The reason for his second choice was, other than it being a decent vantage point, it was because the mall was spacious enough. Kieran could simply find a decent location and do not have to worry about being noticed if the numbers of participants suddenly increased.
He believed only the minority would be willing to stay as being watched, the majority would prefer to be the watcher.
Since everyone was trying to be the watcher, the options for ideal locations werent that many.
Compared to the other tall but risking exposure building, the mall would be a better choice.
Kieran moved along the wall and arrived at a coffee shop located at the corner of the mall, carefully putting his backpack down and hiding behind the counter.
The coffee shop used French windows, inside and out.
In short, Kieran behind the counter could easily see what happened outside and inside the mall with a slight adjustment of his viewing angle.
Those from outside would have to get close to the coffee shop and the counter to find Kieran.
A moment after Kieran hid in the coffee shop, a tall and buff figure appeared on the street outside.
Lucan didnt even check his surroundings, he strode straightaway towards the tall building.
His straightforward personality determined how he did things and he didnt want to waste time.
He hoped to settle everything before those troublesome ones came in.
As for the potential danger?
Lucan had absolute confidence in his own strength.
He strode straight into the building without pause.
Momentster...
BANG!
A loud bangter, Lucan flew out from the building and crashed into a streetmp.
The streetmp was heavily crooked, Lucan covering his chest with his hand and blood gushing out of his mouth.
Yet he did not care about his injuries for he was astonished at the direction of the tall building.
Chapter 1680 - Fish
Chapter 1680: Fish
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
What happened?!
Lucan asked himself.
He remembered striding into the building and then he was ambushed but he was sent flying back out without any proper reactionhe didnt even get a glimpse of the attacker!
He couldnt even tell whether the attacker was human or not!
Huaaa!
He took a deep breath, the pain and mouth full of blood not causing this northern young man to retreat. Quite the opposite, his battle intentions rose higher.
Aaaaaarh!
A loud growl came from Lucan, the northern young man started to tighten his muscles and it made his already buff body bigger and stronger.
There was no vignce from the young man, nor did he observe the situation further for a precise move. He stood up, bent over, and dashed back into the building like a football yer.
BANG!
Another loud bang sounded, Lucan sent flying out again faster than the first time.
After the second attack, Lucan was in a more miserable state than before.
Blood gushed out mouthful after mouthful, Kieran even saw that his ribs had caved in but it seemed like Lucan couldnt feel the pain. He stood up again and growled loudly at the building.
Growl after growl, it eventually got louder and ultimately sounded like a lion or bears growl.
With each growl he made, Lucans muscles got stronger, his physique getting bigger and his hair getting thicker.
When the growls finally stopped, Lucan had transformed into a towering bearman of 3 meters.
The ws on his hands sharp and shiny.
Lucan stood on all four limbs and then charged inside the building again.
With each step he took, the ground would shake.
When the concentrated steps sounded together, Lucan was like a heavy truck elerating full speed ahead.
Then...
Bang!
Lucan in his bearman form was sent flying back out again, even farther than the previous two times.
Lucan flew for at least 40 meters, crashing through several trees in the greenbelt area before hended.
Muddy gold brilliance shone from his bear rug, somehow protecting Lucan from being damaged but the dizziness from the crashnding made him shake his head ufortably.
Secondster, Lucan stood up, his body rapidly shrinking to his original size.
When he returned to his human form, he looked at the tall building with a heavy gaze and then he left.
Northerners feared no death, but it didnt mean one would simply die for nothing, especially this kind of meaningless death.
Lucan knew what his mission was on this trip, and before he aplished it, he couldnt afford to die.
Lucan came and went like the wind. Other than leaving a mess in the area, the littlemotion also attracted much attention.
Kieran sensed several more people enter the mall after him and they were eager for a go after Lucan left.
2 to 3 minutester, another young man jumped out.
His face, hands and legs were rather long and he was wearing a ck outfit with a bag behind him.
When he walked to the tall office building, he didnt charge recklessly like Lucan did, instead he took out a hook rope from his bag.
Swirl, swirl swirl!
The young man swung the hook rope rapidly, tossed it upwards, and the hooktched on the outer wall of the office building.
He pulled the hook rope hard to make sure it was properlytched on and after the confirmation, he climbed up swiftly like he was rock climbing.
A few leapster, the young man arrived at an opened window, bent over, and snuck inside.
Aaaaaargh!
A hurried agonizing cry sounded after the young man went in and it stopped all of a sudden.
The wind blew, causing the hook rope to wave along with the motion, but every other young participant who saw the scene felt chills down their spine.
What was in the tall office building?
Lucan was sent flying back out when he charged in.
Now, the young man who climbed up and snuck in...
The other young participants might not be old enough, but none of them were newbies. The fact that they were able to participate in this Battle of Winter Night had proved how excellent their skills were. Hence, they had experienced many things, including the cry of agony before death. The cry from the opened window was exactly that!
There were still many other ways to get a hold of the geography of this city, like acquiring a map or something, there was no need to take the risk!
The thought bloomed in several young participants who stood guard on the premise, making them turn around and walk away.
After the first few left, many more who hid in the area followed.
Unknowingly, the tall office building became a forbidden ce for the young participants.
Kieran was still in the corner of the coffee shop after all that had happened.
He looked at the office building, or more urately, the window where the young man climbed in.
More than 10 minutester, a figure appeared at the window!
It was the young man!
The young man who was assumed dead was carrying his bag and an extra box in his hand. He leapt out from the window and grabbed his rope before he slid down.
Behind him, at the window, was an irritated, upset roar that sounded relentless.
The roars lingered around the window and went on for quite some time.
The young mannded on his feet on the ground, the hook rope was retrieved, and he looked up to the window, showing a delighted smile.
Pdia had the right to be delighted.
All he used was some little tricks and he was able to trick a great amount of other participants, so how could he not be delighted?
Moreover, he also had some extra gains.
Though he really wanted to check what he got, Pdia knew his priority and it was to find a ce to hide.
He sized up his left and right and when he saw the coffee shop at the mall opposite him, his eyes shone.
Carrying the box, Pdia ran towards the coffee shop.
Pdia pushed the door open and went into the coffee shop. He slightly heaved a breath of relief but before he could further do anything, pain struck the back of his neck and he immediately cked out.
Kieran grabbed the unconscious young man behind the counter and tossed him on the ground, then went over to check the box.
Wooden and gilded, it looked like some essory box and it wasnt locked, so Kieran opened it up to check the content.
Inside the box was a vial of potion.
A 20 ml test tube, the liquid was a clear bluish green and the outside of the test tube had mystical carvings.
[Name: Expel Potion]
[Type: Potion]
[Rarity: Magic]
[Attribute: Potion]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: No]
[Remark: Expel Potion in the early days was used by Demon Hunters to secure their safety during their rest time.]
...
[Expel: Able to effectively repel souls and evil spirit, 12 hours duration within a single standard unit of measurement.]
...
This is the so-called special prize? Kieran thought as he looked at the potion in his hand.
Although it was nothing but a slightly decent vial of potion, with its appearance, it granted Kieran a more straightforward impression of this Battle of Winter Night.
It was obvious that there would be a lot of special prizes scattered over the venue.
Though it was a little hard to obtain them.
Were they randomly scattered throughout the venue or... after the distribution, it was gathered to a single spot by some local bastards?
Kieran tended to lean towards thetter based on the information he gathered.
Based on what Huai Cuike revealed to him, the lord who officiated the Battle of Winter Night knew every detail, but his just and fairness ensured that he would never leak any information.
Despite what he heard, Kieran had his own suspicions and now, he got an answer to one of the questions in his head: inside this city, the good things were hidden in dangerous spots.
After the thought subsided, Kieran put the vial of potion into his pocket and looked to the young climber.
Kieran knew he exerted too much strength on the young man.
Based on the young mans performance, he should have woken up by now.
1 second.
2 seconds.
3 seconds.
Finally, under Kierans watch, the young climber opened his eyes in difort.
Hello, Royan. Im Pdia, from the Southern Gemstone Sector.
Pdias heart throbbed when he saw Kieran in front of him.
He never expected someone would stay behind and hide in the coffee shop, waiting for him.
Pdia thought his imitation was exceptionally great, and with the limited viewing angles, no one should have seen the real situation inside the office building.
Plus Lucans brainless performance, which suited Pdias action, he thought his n was wless.
However, Kierans appearance told him he made mistakes.
Pdia dare not ask where did he go wrong though, just like how kept quiet after he saw his box was opened and the content was missing.
This ce was no longer the outside world, its the Battle of Winter Night! The battle that promoted fighting and killing of one another!
Even though most of the Herders would choose to make peace with each other, it was only limited to normal circumstances.
Once anything unexpected happened...
Pdia from the Southern Gemstone Sector would never ce his safety on top of other peoples mercy, even more so when this someone could simply knock him out yet did not kill him. Pdia was wise enough to know what he should do: tell him what Kieran wanted to know, the secretive keypoints.
Pdia always lurked around the Gemstone Sector, so he made up his mind without a second thought.
The office building that I climbed into, its dark inside and before I ventured any further, I found this body in the corner of the corridor. When I picked it up, I think I must have triggered something, hence releasing monsters from the corridor. The monsters are around the size of a dog, but skinless and bloody, like they were skinned alive! There were only sharp fangs on their face, I cant see their eyes, nose, or ears properly. But they are extremely afraid of sunlight, even the light from my torchlight frightened them away.
Pdia told Kieran everything he saw inside the office building.
Kieran looked at him quietly, the pressuring gaze from him starting to make Pdia sweat.
I swear! What I told you is all real! If I did say anything false or lie to you, Ill die a horrible death!
Pdia took a vicious vow to give more credit to his words, his heart throbbing even faster as anxiety troubled him.
Kieran in front of him still did not show any expression, neither did he want to speak.
If it wasnt for the pressure from his eyes increasing by the moment, Pdia would take him as a statue.
Damn it!
You are not a mute!
Say something!
Looking at me without saying anything freaks me out!
I didnt lie!
What I told you is the truth! I just... skipped some details, but thats not important!
Pdia prayed in his heart.
His prayer was answered for Kieran finally moved, walked closer to Pdia, grabbed him by the cor, and dragged him out of the coffee shop.
Pdia was shocked when he was dragged out.
He had no idea what Kieran was going to do at first but when he saw Kieran going closer to the office building, his face turned pale.
He knew what Kieran was going to do to him.
Royan, what are you doing! Sorry! I was wrong! I admit that I left out some details! Other than the little bloody dog monsters inside, theres something else... Aaaaaagh!
Before Pdia could finish, Kieran tossed him inside the office building.
An agonizing cry came from Pdia.
He was flying closer to the main entrance of the building and his heart plunged into despair for he knew what was inside.
It was just a glimpse but it was enough for him to know what was inside the building and it was something that he could not afford to provoke.
Otherwise, those little bloody dogs alone wouldnt have chased him out of the window in the first ce.
Damn it!
Pdia shut his eyes as he flew closer and closer.
Just when he was about to wee death, he felt a pulling force on his body.
Pdia was pulled back from the air by Kieran, flying straight back into Kierans hands.
He looked down at his waist and saw his hook rope on him, he had no idea when Kierantched it on him but he was d and he heaved a breath of relief.
I knew it! I knew you were just scaring me! Royan, lets us have a good talk to remove the misunderstanding betwe- Aaaaaaarh!
Before he even finished, he cried again.
He was tossed out by Kieran again and he was flying towards the main entrance a second time.
Simr to the first, he was pulled back again before he crashed his face into the door.
The process repeated again for a third time.
Pdia wasnt stupid, he knew what Kieran was doing to him when he was tossed out the second timea spinning top!
Pdia always yed the game when he was a kid, and he was very happy back then, he even trained his use of ropes from spinning the tops, but he didnt want to be the top himself!
It was so scary!
ying the spinning top was a childhood game, but it would only be fun when he wasnt the top itself.
The monstrous presence behind the main door was getting restless by the teasing.
Pdia almost cried his tears dry. He knew the monster was getting restless, he could already smell death!
No, he wasnt getting closer to death, he was grazing death every single time he was tossed out!
The terrible feeling started to break Pdia, he thought he was a strong-willed person but after being tossed out and pulled in many times, he was on the verge of crumbling.
He pleaded with Kieran, it was useless.
He then scolded Kieran viciously, it was also useless.
He repeated the pleading and scolding again and again, just like how Kieran tossed him out again and again.
Both of them were repeating the cycle without end.
Kieran turned a deaf ear at the pleading. He had decided to y with Pdia after he found out Pdia was lying.
Moreover, Kieran was actually captivated by the presence behind the door.
It was something different.
Kieran felt how rushed and angry the presence was, he curled his lips into a grin. Everything unfolded as he expected: the fear of sunlight forced the monsters inside, guarding their turf and expelling troublemakers.
Though the passive state wasnt always constant.
Lucan didnt take anything from the building with his reckless attempts, so the monsters chose to bear with him.
As for Pdia, who took the box out, the monsters wouldnt simply let him go, let alone the repeating teasing from Kieran.
Even though the monsters were afraid of sunlight, how long could they hold back?
As a matter of fact, Kieran had already reevaluated the monsters danger level after they didnt strike after so many times.
The monsters seemed to have animalistic instincts, yet possessed a certain level of intellect and were extremely afraid of sunlight.
A general conclusion formed in Kierans heart, he then tossed Pdia out again.
Aaaaaaa!
Covered in tears and snot, Pdia cried in mid-air again.
He cried louder than before this time because a giant figure had charged out of the door.
Chapter 1681 - Ways
Chapter 1681: Ways
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The giant figure was wholly red, its blood and flesh throbbing as the figure charged out.
Like Pdia said, the monster had no skin and no eyes, only a head of sorts with fangs attached on top, covering more than two thirds of the surface.
Unlike what Pdia had described, the monster was almost 4 meters tall, ridiculously buff, and its front limbs were long while its hind legs were rather short. Despite its weird physique, every part of its body was thick and robust, looking like a giant red pir moving around. In addition to that menacing presence, it wasnt something that everyone could simply mess around with.
BUT!
It was only that menacing in its own turf!
Now that this giant monster had charged out ande in contact with sunlight, its body was sizzling, like it was showering in acid.
While it threw itself over, the monster growled uncontrobly mid-air.
The pain on its body pulled it back from its blinding rage and returned its calmness.
It tried to hold its jump so it could return inside the building but before the monster could perform any effective move, the hook rope, which was attached to Pdia, was swung towards the monster and sessfully bound to it. Kieran turned around and pulled the rope with all his might, dragging the monster, together with Pdia, over his head like a shoulder throw.
Fung!
Its own weight plus Kierans strength caused it to fly uncontrobly over Kierans head andnd in the square right in front of the office buildingwhich was an open area without any cover and where the sunlight shone the brightest.
Kaboom!
A loud bangter, Pdia, who was bound together with the monster, got knocked out and the monster itself got dizzy after crashnding, but it was the sunlight that was lethal.
Tsssst!
Under direct sunlight, the sizzling on the monsters body got louder and fiercer, red smoke starting to spring out from its body.
Its strong muscles and bones offered no resistance against sunlight, causing excruciating pain right into its core.
Its survival instincts urged the monster to climb up, but Kieran stomped his foot onto the monsters head.
Crack!
The monster might be big, but under the sunlight, its head was weaker than usual, getting crushed under the stomp.
After twitching a few times, the giant body died out. The flesh and blood melted away with exceptional speed before the pile of goo exploded.
Bang!
A heavy thud sent the blood and flesh flying.
The bloody skeleton of the monster was then revealed to Kieran.
Glimmer emanated from the skeleton, very inconspicuous under the sunlight, but Kieran caught it on first nce.
He reached out and grabbed the glimmer, which revealed itself to be a stone the size of a grown mans pinky. It was emanating colors of jade.
[Name: Ouna Stone (Cracked)]
[Type: Wonder Item]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: Extreme]
[Attribute: 1. Moonlight Shield; 2. Low Light Hiding.]
[Effect: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: No]
[Remark: This is a miraculous stone, some say is a product of ancient alchemy; some say is the product of Mother Nature. Regardless of what it is, no one knows, even today, but that doesdnt stop people from using it.]
...
[Moonlight Shield: Gain a Powerful shield barrier, viable only under the moonlight, 2 times per day]
[Low Light Hiding: While in low light or dark environment, Undercover rank +1]
...
Simr to [Water Purify Stone], its remark told Kieran where the stone came from.
Kieran put the stone in his pouch around his waist.
Even though he couldnt bring it out of this dungeon world, it was useful for his current state.
After losing the stone, the skeleton and the remaining flesh and blood withered rapidly.
It seems like the sunlight is even more lethal to these monsters than I thought!
Kieran squinted his eyes at the withering scene.
Before this, Lucan transformed into a bearman and went up against the monster, yet he was beaten away, proof of how strong and sturdy the monster was.
However, when Kieran engaged the monster, he couldnt feel the strength and sturdiness of the monsters body.
The monster was only slightly stronger than an adult male, let alone facing a bearman face to face.
As for the sturdiness of the monsters body?
It was much weaker than an adult male, it couldnt even withstand a blow from Kieran.
If thats the case...
Kieran looked at the office building.
Deep inside the shadowy spot, growls started to sound uncontrobly after Kieran put [Ouna Stone] into his pouch.
It seemed like the stone meant something substantial to the monsters.
Without a second thought, Kieran returned to the mall to execute his n, having gotten what he sought.
A few minutester, Kieran returned in front of the office building with a mirror as tall as two men stacked together.
Kieran reflected the sunlight using the mirror and shot it through the main door of the office building.
Agonizing growls followed.
Rooooooar!
Dog-like monsters, like how Pdia had described, exploded under the sunlight reflection.
Unlike the bigger monster, which was able to move a little under direct sunlight, the smaller ones exploded right away as the sunlight was reflected, like they were bathing in the most lethal poison.
Less than a minuteter, Kieran easily cleared out the entire floor by reflecting the sunlight using two mirrors.
He then moved even more mirrors out of the mall and started to arrange them to reflect even more sunlight, as if he was ying a game.
Mirror connected to mirror, mirror reflected to mirror, Kieran cleared out the second, third, fourth floor, all the way to the 20th floor without any resistance.
Box after box in each floor was picked up by Kieran.
The boxes were simr to the one holding [Expel Potion], wooden and gilded.
Pdia finally woke up, seeing four boxes ced in front of him neatly but realizing he was tied up tightly.
He never thought about clearing the monster infested floors with such a peculiar method.
I can tell you everything I know, we can team up and get our hands on these prizes even faster! Pdia said when he saw Kieran was moving the mirrors back and forth.
Kieran turned a deaf year at Pdias words, continuing what he was doing.
Believe me! I have something you dont know and its very important to you!
Pdia started to grow restless after he got no response from Kieran.
He could only imagine how many good things were hidden in this tall office building.
If it was before, he wouldnt be able to do anything about it, so he wouldnt feel any different, but after he saw Kierans method, he was moved!
He knew Kierans method would work!
As long as he was careful enough, he could get himself many good items! That was if he could join Kieran in picking up the loot!
He had to join Kierans side, otherwise he would get nothing!
For him to realize his short-term goal, he has to say something to move Kieran, regardless of truth or not.
Kieran stopped what he was doing.
See, we can sit down and have a good talk...
Bang!
Pdia was overjoyed when Kieran stopped, but before he could finish, Kieran presented him with a chop on the back of his neck.
He then simply grabbed some grass from thewn and stuffed it into Pdias mouth.
Kieran would never simply believe a stranger, let alone a stranger who tried to trick him on their first meeting.
In his point of view, every word that came out from these kind of people was untrustable.
In fact, if Pdia wasnt that useful, Kieran would have killed him.
After knocking out the noisy Pdia, Kieran hastened his work. He knew his time was running out.
Those Monsters hadnt show up yet, but that didnt mean they wouldnt show for the entire event. The Monsters should beter than the human group and probably someone in the likes of Song Shi would alsoe into y.
Kieran wouldnt say anything about this kind of obvious partiality since he was the one benefiting from it, it would only increase his carefulness.
The Herders might look casual, but they were extremely proud of themselves.
Forcing the proud Herders to lower their pride in order to stall, what would it mean?
Those Monsters and the likes of Song Shi were extremely powerful!
To the point that if the young Herders werent given a handicap of extra time, they would face total suppression and probably annihtion!
This was no doubt bad news for Kieran, but he had some good news too: the empty mall had nothing but mirrors!
A whole row of boutiques were constructed using only mirrors even!
Mirror after mirror was moved into the office building.
The monster infested floors were cleaned up, one after another.
Box after box was found and taken out by Kieran.
When Kieran reached the 40th floor, he found a metal box.
The design was simr to the other wooden boxes, probably an essory container, even the gilded part was the same.
Aside from the material, this iron box was tightly sealed and had many mystical runes carved on it.
A closer look revealed some bite marks on it.
It seemed like the skinless monsters had tried to open this box but they had failed. However, when Kieran touched the box with his finger, one of the mystical runes glimmered and the box opened up by itself.
Inside wasnt a vial of [Expel Potion] but a petite flying dagger.
[Name: Scorching de]
[Type: Weapon]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attack: Strong]
[Attribute: Scorch]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Remark: Scorching de was forged by the Demon Hunter Family of the North, Torkemore. These daggers might be small but powerful, especially when used against negative energy beings, it contains explosive powers against one!]
...
[Scorch: Lock on to a target and when the flying dagger hits the target, inflict an Extreme fire damage. After the trigger, Scorching de will be damaged and the damage is irreversible!]
[Note: You have to hurl it yourself and hit the target]
...
Kieran picked the small flying dagger up and felt its weight. He skillfully swirled the dagger on the tip of his finger before he put it into his shirt pocket, a spot where he could easily ess.
After that, he headed up to the 41st floor.
Just like before, he used the sunlight reflection to open a path up, but unlike the previous floors, the 41st floor had no monsters at all, even with the traces of monsters lurking around on the ground.
The windows were simr to the other floors, sealed up with ayer of goo to prevent sunlight froming in.
Kieran listened carefully, able to hear those rattling noises moving towards a higher floor.
It seemed like no matter how stupid these monsters were, as long as Kieran continued to move up, they would be exterminated, so gathering up to a single spot would increase their survivability.
Yet it was what Kieran wanted!
This office building was the tallest in this city, but the middle and lower part of the building had trouble getting sunlight because of the shadows cast by neighbouring buildings.
However, the blockage would be removed at the highest floor.
Kieran diligently used the mirrors to destroy the monsters, because other than allowing the monsters to be familiar with his attacking pattern, hence numbing them, he was also trying to create an environment where he could annihte every single one of them once and for all.
Kieran set up all the mirrors on the 41st floor to point at the stairs leading up, then walked to the window covered in goo, pulled out [Acard de], and sliced everything off, allowing the sunlight toe in. He then opened a window and nimbly climbed upwards from the outside, like a monkey.
A leapter, Kieran silently arrived at the rooftop.
Kieran could finally get a clear view over the city from the vantage point, the sun even more blinding from up here!
He raised both his hands and two [Gordors Chain] extended out into 3.5 meters illusive chains.
The chains wriggled like a lively snake before the chains started to smash the ss windows on the rooftop.
Despite the sses being reinforced with metal, [Gordors Chain] whipped it to pieces with a single strike.
The goo might be a little troublesome but it couldnt stop [Gordors Chain]s whipping.
Floor after floor, [Gordors Chain] smashed every single ss window from the rooftop all the way down to the 41st floor. The gooey protecting the ss was whipped to pieces as well.
Those monsters scattered in panic but their running and jumping could not outspeed [Gordors Chain] whipping.
The skinless monsters were destroyed by direct sunlight. Most of the monsters were the dog-like skinless ones; a few were the huge ones who Kieran killed outside the office building.
The huge monsters cried in agony, struggled as hard as they could and trying to escape to a safe spot, but none of what they did worked.
The bright sunlight forced them out of hiding, tormenting them under the sunlight as they weed death.
However, they werent the ones who suffered the most.
The most tormented one was a tree-like monster on the 50th floor.
The monster had a tree trunk as body but had no leaves at all. Thin branches, as long as four to five meters, grew from the trunk and at the end of the branches were its fruit
The fruit had noses and eyes, like a real person.
There were men and women, old and young, and after the sunlight shone in, these fruits cried and wailed in pain from their abstract mouth.
Spirit authentication notifications popped up on Kierans vision one after another, but the wails and cries were ineffective against Kieran.
The sunlight, however, was super effective against the tree trunk.
Bang Bang Bang!
A series of bangs happened, all the fruit bursting, spraying juices all over the ce and when the juices touched the floor, it produced a sizzling noise like it was corrosive acid.
The tree trunk withered quickly and when it had copsedpletely, a golden box appeared inside it.
Chapter 1682 - Seodi Stone
Chapter 1682: Seodi Stone
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Under the sunlight, the golden glowing box looked even more astonishing and dazzling.
Both [Gordors Chain]s wriggled closer to it like two long snakes.
The chains were fast and somewhat anxious, but when the chains were 2 meters away from the golden box, the two chains spun on the spot andshed out one end at the fallen and withered tree trunk with a loud p.
The presumably dead tree trunk moved back quickly and dodged the whish.
An illusory and withered face popped up from the tree trunk and growled loudly at the two [Gordors Chain]s, but the growls stopped abruptly.
Kieran jumped down from the ceiling and swung [Acard Knife] down across the wooden face, leaving a straight, cold line in its motion.
Starting from the center of the brows to the bottom of its chin, the cut line was very straight.
The ugly, illusory face twitched and its lips moved a few times before it broke into pieces.
Pak!
Like a mirror shattering, the pieces turned into smoke and got carried away by the wind.
After the illusory face got vapourized, the dazzling golden box swiftly turned gloomy.
The box was still intact but it had started to decay, the contents inside vanishing along with the decay.
Kieran wasnt anxious though, he knew what he should do to locate his spoils, like how he never underestimated any opponent.
Kieran had no idea whether this box was a trap or not, but his habitual vignce told him what he should do.
Two [Gordors Chain]s whipped the withered tree trunk again.
This time, nothing extra happened, the tree trunk got whipped into shards and a stone the size of a fist fell out.
Kieran used one of the chains to pick it up, examining it carefully before he touched it.
[Name: Seodi Stone (Intact)]
[Type: Wonder Item]
[Rarity: I]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: I]
[Attribute: 1. Oath of Allegiance; 2, Dominate]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: Spirit A]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: No]
[Remark: Seodi Stone is considered rare even among the miraculous stones. Its existence far surpassed peoples knowledge towards ancient alchemy, it also strengthened the argument of those who imed the stones were a product of nature. In order to use it, you need to have a powerful spirit energy]
...
[Oath of Allegiance: Use the stone as a medium to form an alliance with any living being you see. Requires the targets blood and oath and a Spirit authentication of the targets Spirit level +1 will happen. When passed, both sides will form an alliance of trust]
[Dominate: On top of the alliance of trust, initiate another Spirit authentication of the targets Spirit level +3. When passed, you can have full control of the target, but a Spirit authentication of the same level will happen every 24 hours.]
[Note 1: When Seodi Stone is lost from your possession, Oath of Allegiance and Dominate effect will wear off.]
[Note 2: Specialized items can free target from Oath of Allegiance and Dominate effect.]
[Note 3: When the number of dominated targets is more than 3, 7, 9, +1 to Spirit authentication to each threshold.]
[Note 4: When the number of dominated targets is more than 12, your spirit energy will be upied, highest Spirit rank -1. As the number further increases, the more the Spirit rank decreases. This effect is irreversible even if the dominated target dies, unless Seodi Stone is damaged, otherwise you cannot recover your Spirit rank.]
...
Kieran squinted his eyes at the many notes of [Seodi Stone].
A powerful and dangerous stone! Kieranmented.
Over-relying on [Seodi Stone] will eventually lead to self demise, but the feeling of dominating others to gain rapid growth of power and forces was intoxicating enough.
Though for Kieran, it wasnt really a problem because he knew his own strength!
He had witnessed powers far more powerful than this stone, so he would never be tempted by this kind of power.
It, however, did not stop Kieran from using it.
Kieran nced over the setting sun, quickly cleaning up his battlefield, but to his disappointment, from the top floor to the 41st floor, there was nothing noteworthy at all, those several huge monsters not dropping anything like the first one.
Kieran raised his hand, allowing the two [Gordors Chain]s to return to their physical chain form on his hand before he went down.
Outside the main door, Pdia, who was still tied up, saw Kierane out. He twisted his already wriggling body fiercer, not trying to hide his intention of escaping because he knew his thoughts would not escape Kierans eyes.
Although it was but a few hours, Pdia knew what kind of person Kieran was.
Never trusting others, calm, decisive, and always doing things in an extreme way.
Once he deemed someone as hostile, that person would not end up well.
Pdia, who tried to hide his true thoughts and trick him, would naturally be categorized as a hostile.
So what would happen to Pdia since he was still breathing?
Pdia already had spections in his mind due to being the bait earlier, but he would rather not specte what would happen for it was too scary to think!
A single experience of grazing death was enough for him.
A second time would frighten him to death even if he did not end up in the monsters stomach.
Therefore, Pdia chose to save himself, but... whats wrong with the rope tying his body?
The rope didnt just lock all his joints, it even tied his arms and calves together and his palms were ced together without any seams in between. The worst thing was his body was tied up in a way that his body would arch forward, hence forming an irregr circle and robbing him of the ability of exerting strength.
If he was tied up in such and was ced on the ground, he would have been able to wriggle away with tiny movements. It was possible if there wasnt another rope tying his waist to the marble pir outside the office building.
Pdia racked his brain for methods of escaping, but none came to mind.
His joints and fingers were all locked down, he couldnt exert strength at all, and he felt even more despair than before. More so, when Kieran returned from sweeping the building clean, the despair level had fallen to a new low.
Ugh, Mhmm, Mhmmmm!
The grass and dirt in Pdias mouth prevented him from speaking properly.
Kieran took out [Seodi Stone] right away, having no intention of having a chit-chat with Pdia.
Understand? Kieran asked.
Pdias eyes shrunk when he saw [Seodi Stone]. It was obvious that he knew the stone but he denied it with a strong shake of his head.
Since Kieran was right in front of Pdia, he saw every single expression change on his face, so he gave Pdia a p on the face.
Pak!
The loud p sent Pdia to the ground.
Blood, together with dirt and teeth, sprayed out of his mouth.
Understand? Kieran took out [Acard Knife] and poked Pdias finger, then asked again.
U-Understand! I understand!
Pdia nodded repeatedly, then said, I, Pdia, am willing to be an ally... obeying to... the oath... of allegiance...
He spoke in a blurry way but it was definitely not because of some missing teeth.
Kieran gave him another p without a second thought.
Pak!
Pdia was pped to the ground again and this time was harsher than the first. Pdia started to see stars before him and despite the dizziness, he dare not lie down anymore due to the fact that [Acard Knife] was pointed at his neck.
I, Pdia, am willing to be an alley with this person in front of me, obeying to all the rules he forms and...
Before he finished, [Seodi Stone] shone but it onlysted for a second.
Kieran then cut the ropes with a quick swing of [Acard Knife].
Pak.
The ropes were all cut off but Pdia wasnt happy at all. He looked depressed, probably even losing the hope to live yet he stood up.
He knew about [Seodi Stone], this stone was one of the items he fantasized of getting by participating in this Battle of Winter Night. Though what he fantasized was forming an alliance with others with the stone in his hand, not the other way around and was forced to submit.
Fantasies were perfect, reality was harsh.
An alliance was an euphoric way to describe the rtionship and the more realistic word would be ve contract.
Now, Pdia had agreed to a ve contract, he had agreed to ruin his future and put his life in Kierans hand.
Would he work to death?
It was highly possible based on what Kieran did to him, he would probably be the most suffering worker in history.
Life had just ended for him.
Pdia obediently stood beside Kieran, as if he had epted his fate, waiting for Kieran to toss him out like bait again.
Surprisingly, Kieran tidied up his loot and went off and based on the direction he was walking... he was going out of the city?
Pdia was astonished.
Are we leaving? he asked.
It might be hard for him to ept though.
There were many monsters lurking in the city and they had many mirrors in their possession. Should they work on it, they would get themselves some scrumptious loot.
Although the sun would eventually set, it was still a little early for that. There were at least three to four hours left and it will be enough time for multiple hunts!
Could it be that Kieran was satisfied with a single [Seodi Stone]? He was going to hide under a rock and wait for the Battle of Winter Night to end?
Pdia was running through all kinds of thoughts in his mind while he looked at Kierans back.
Pdias questioning gaze would never escape Kieran, plus [Seodi Stone] in effect, Kieran knew what Pdia was thinking.
The reason Kieran wanted to leave the city was indeed because of [Seodi Stone] but he was not satisfied, not at all.
How could Kieran be satisfied with a single stone after he deemed the whole city as his loot and spoil production factory?
He rted more things through the acquisition of [Seodi Stone] though.
Which ce in the city would be the darkest, where the sunlight could not reach?
The answer was obvious, it required almost no thinking at all: underground, or more urately, the sewers!
Tha tree-like monster did not move underground and chose to settle down in a high spot because it was immobile from the start. Kieran had made sure of that because he examined the monster carefully.
Even though the monster was being burned by direct sunlight, to the point that its face started to distort because of the pain, it did not move at all.
But that wasnt the case for the other monsters!
The other monsters had legs, they wouldnt just root themselves in a single spot and wait for their demise.
In fact, Kieran was certain that the little skinless monsters would have ran underground if the tree trunk monster didnt use [Seodi Stone] to control the bigger skinless monster, hence indirectly controlling the smaller ones.
Using sunlight reflection to control and eliminate the monsters above and underground were two different concepts.
Underground had a much moreplicated environment, the mirror method wouldnt work anymore, unless Kieran could move step by step, little by little and build his mirror fortress and venture inside to clear out all the monsters, but this kind of work was impossible toplete with one or two men.
Even if Kieran had a team, it would be hard for him to truly aplish it.
Aside from therge amounts of mirrors, the limited daylight would be the biggest problem and obstacle that he would have to ovee.
When the sun set and the night rose, without the lethal sunlight, those monsters wouldnt just sit back and watch the idle mirror without doing anything to them.
There was a way though, which would be the most direct and simplest way: destroy the whole sewer infrastructure.
But before Kieran got a clear picture of the situation underground, he would never blow up the whole thing.
With Pdia following him, Kieran quickly left the central area of the city and arrived at the edge before he stopped abruptly.
Within his sight, he saw a puddle of blood and Pdia reacted fairly quick as well.
Pdia looked around in vignce when he saw the blood puddle and Kieran slowly walked closer to it.
The distribution of blood was unnatural, sprayed left and right on the ground, like abstract art, and there were some leftover bone shards and meat, but not much.
Kieran could tell the victim was human.
He looked around and examined his surroundings, searching for more blood or bones.
After he got nothing from his surroundings, he looked up to the sky.
Judging from how the blood sprayed on the ground, this person got ambushed without knowing, he couldnt resist at all, and was killed within one chomp by a monster from the sky.
The monster flew off after several munches on the person.
Being able to chomp off a whole human being stated that the monster was definitely huge and was also able to render a Herder representative helpless against such an ambush, meaning that other than its size, it was powerful and its flight ability was rather inconspicuous and fast.
More importantly, this aerial monster appeared in broad daylight!
It wasnt afraid of sunlight!
Kieran noticed the details on first nce.
Pdia wasnt slow either, the Gemstone Sector representative opened his mouth and wanted to speak but before he could, Kieran pushed him into the bush in the woods.
A momentter, a monster with a crocodiles head and a chickens body, with wings as long as 10 meters, silently appeared above the spot where they stood.
Pdias face turned sour as he looked at the pping monster, the motion on the monster defying physics because the pping did not produce any sound at all.
He knew if it wasnt for Kieran, he would have ended up in the monsters stomach like the unlucky victim from before.
Pdia then looked at Kieran, wanting to know what Kieran would do against the monster, and hoped to spot something different from his expression.
However, Pdia shockingly realized Kieran didnt even care about the aerial monster. Instead, he was looking at the direction where they came from.
Chapter 1683 - Scarlet Beginning
Chapter 1683: Scarlet Beginning
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Pdia followed Kieran and looked towards the direction where they came from.
Unbeknownst to him, a figure was standing there, but the figure was surely not a human!
A broken cape covered its body but the seams and holes on it revealed its scarlet red bones underneath. Under the hood, soul fire was burning in its eye sockets. A string of prayer beads were being twisted in its hand and as it walked forward, itughed in a weird way that sounded like croaking.
The aerial monster seemed to have noticed this hooded skull and it was utterly frightened. It flew up higher and tried to fly away without a second thought but right when the aerial monster was about to leave Pdias sight...
Karooom!
The aerial monster exploded, blood and flesh raining down.
There were no signs before the bursting, the aerial monster turning into a pile of bones under Pdias shocked gaze and falling down from the sky, but it did not fall to the ground.
Together, with the pieces of flesh and puddle of blood, the aerial monsters bones flew towards the red hooded skull.
Quack, Quack, Quack.
Itughed in croaks again and opened its mouth, sucking in the flesh and blood, together with the big pile of bones, which was somehow turned into bone shards before getting sucked in through the seams and holes of the mantle, but the red skulls size did not change at all. Instead, its red color got more saturated and a fishy smell started to spread around the area.
The prayer beads in its hand were twisted even quicker.
Pdia saw how fast the prayer beads got twisted, he somehow felt dizzy and wanted to throw up.
It wasnt just the twisting speed that made him sick, disgust and fear also rose from his body in response, like what he felt when he firstnded sight on the red skull.
It was the suppressive feeling from beings at the highest point of the food chain towards the prey at the lowest point.
If Kieran didnt hold him up, Pdia would have fallen limply on the ground.
What kind of monster is this?!
Pdia was horrified, he had never seen this kind of monster before, let alone heard of it.
Throughout all the information that he spent so much effort in gathering on the Battle of Winter Night, there was nothing mentioned about the red skull monster.
Though the worse and even more frightening thing had yet toe.
The red skull raised its hand to the sky.
The bright sky with thete afternoon sun instantly turned dark!
A crescent moon reced the bright sun and its minimal moonlight shed its pure white glory over the city.
The quiet city then came alive.
Roars, growls, mours, wails, battle noises, all kinds of noises sounded in session.
The red skull seemed to like the scary noises, opening its arms and hugging the air before turning around and slowly walking back the way it came from.
Pdia tried his very best to move his gaze from the red skull. He wasnt sure if the red skull noticed him or not but he knew the red skull was far scarier than what he could go up against.
Changing day into night!
It was considered rare even in legends and those who could perform such a feat had their own title, people also came up with a general term to address them: God!
Is that red skull a God?!
Or is it the bones of a dead God?
Why is he here?
Question after question popped up in Pdias heart, but none met an answer.
Pdias ugly expression turned sour, he thought of the other Herders going up against the red skull...
No! The red skull wouldnt even need to do anything! Those monsters, without the sunlight holding them back, would be enough to deliver a catastrophic end to the others.
Pdia hoped nothing would happen to the other Herders, he had some friends in this battle too, but he was helpless against it.
He had no confidence to go back into the monster-roaming city to save everyone.
Asking Kieran for help?
Aside from their current identity and position, even if it was under different circumstances, Pdia didnt know what cost he had to pay to make others risk their lives for his goal.
Disregarding his own life and die trying?
Pdia wasnt that great of a person yet.
Sorry.
He apologized in his heart, and prepared himself to follow Kieran away from the city.
He also felt admiration for Kieran from the bottom of his heart. If it wasnt for this cold person in front him, he would have fallen into despair against the red skull.
However, just when he was grateful about being saved by Kieran, he was dumbstruck by Kierans action.
Kieran was walking back to the city!
W-What are you doing?!
Kierans sudden action made Pdia stutter.
Going back, Kieran said.
Are you out of your mind!? Do you know what will happen if you go back right now? That ce is filled with monsters, you will be dead in no time! Pdias voice got louder as he spoke.
Despite being under [Seodi Stone]s effect, he was rather reluctant against death.
He didnt want to die, otherwise he wouldnt have submitted to Kieran and [Seodi Stone] after a little struggle with himself.
He submitted to Kieran in order to stay alive, even without pride, but now Kieran was going back to die! He couldnt ept it!
Im not going! Im staying here, this ce is safer! Pdia ought to be firm in his tand.
It will be a mess, but there will be more chances. The monsters have moved out, so their dens are defenseless! Kieran walked further away as he exined.
Pdia got stunned.
The monsters dens were defenseless!
Fear still lingered in his mind but a sense of burning passion rose from the bottom of his heart and he couldnt hold it down!
While watching Kieran walk away, the burning passion eventually defeated his fear.
Pdia didnt just expel the weakening feeling, his body was filled with burning energy!
He ran and chased after Kieran.
W-Wait for me! We still have the Oath of Allegiance, remember? Of course Im following you!
...
Pangnard, with the burning red hair, was rather eye-catching among the Herders and it surely wasnt just before of the hair color.
He was recognized because of his strength!
Back in the temporary campsite, aside from Lucan, Pangnard was the publicly acknowledged strongest one.
Pangnard assumed himself stronger than Lucan because he has more brains than the boorish bearman.
It was widely known that northerners were reckless and boorish, those who lived along the coast area were known for their wisdom.
Whether in terms of business or economy, the coast area far surpassed the northernnds, or any othernd in the region, and the people of the coast area took pride in it.
So did Pangnard.
Should he go against Lucan head to head, he knew he would be outmatched by the brute strength but the Battle of Winter Night wasnt about brawn!
It required brains! And talent!
Pangnard trusted his intellect very highly, his talents even more!
He was confident in himself, otherwise he wouldnt have spent such a great cost topete for a spot in the Battle of Winter Night representing the coast area.
Pangnard was tempted by the items scattered throughout the city.
When he stepped into this city, his talent told him the tall building held some very valuable items, he rushed towards the building excitingly, but he did not act recklessly like Lucan did, staying behind and observing.
When he realized Lucan failed to break into the building in his bearman form, Pangnard shifted his target from the tall office building.
Valuable items were great but his life was much important.
His talent guided him, allowing him to see those secretive and hidden areas.
Deep inside several alleys, Pangnard had gotten a little something after dealing with several skinless monsters.
The several vials of potion could fetch a high price back in the outside world and most importantly, he acquired it with ease and did not get into trouble.
Unlike back in the outside world, his talent allowed him to detect a lot of treasures but every single one of them were dangerous on its own or it would put Pangard in the center of a whirlpool of danger.
As for money?
Pangnard came from a wealthy family, money was nothing for him, he didnt think money was almighty.
He was in pursuit of higher value things and that was the reason why he became a Herder.
Compared to his current life of a treasure hunter, how would his original life fair out?
He had no worries about food and shelter, he could easily obtain opulent clothes and essories, plus unlimited women.
Though he wanted nothing from all those!
What he truly sought was his current life, as a Herder!
The process and result of chasing after his own gains was what he sought his entire life.
Gain after gain, Pangnard felt joy, so he promoted his target to a better ce with more difficulty: the bank, or more urately, the abandoned bank in the city.
The attraction he felt from the back was just slightly lower than the tall office building, but what truly attracted Pangnard was the underground!
Pangnard knew what the skinless monsters were weak against after fighting off some.
The monsters were afraid of sunlight, so hiding underground was understandable and it was also reasonable for the monsters to hide the treasures they found there.
Though Pangnard would never go down there!
He looked up at the sun moving towards east, a decision made: he would head to the abandoned bank for the treasure he detected and then leave the city for the time being.
He would need to wait for the second days morning to restart his treasure hunt or when the Inhumans and Monsters joined the battle, so that he could fish in muddy waters.
Pangnard held the dagger and magic pistol in his hands tightly and strode into the bank.
There was no need for a top to bottom search, his talent tracked down the treasures presence and let him down straight to the bank vault.
The security system in the bank was destroyed, so that titanium vault door was wide open.
After killing some skinless monsters, Pangnard arrived in front of the vault without further hindrance.
He spotted a silver glowing box, but Pangnard did not throw himself over right away.
He pulled out a specially made grenade from his belt. Simr to the magic gun in his hand, the grenade was also made from ancient alchemy.
Ding!
The safety pin was pulled and the grenade was tossed inside.
Kaboom!
After the loud bang, a dazzling light shone like an artificial sun.
The giant skinless monster who hid in the shadow next to the silver box burst into a thousand pieces without making a noise.
Pangnard smiled at the smithereens.
His talent allowed him to detect the presence of the treasure and at the same time, the monsters also lethally attracted to the treasures.
The better the treasure, the stronger the monster around them.
Pangnard was certain the reason why the monsters lurked around the treasures was to figure out a way to open the box and consume the content.
However, the organizer had prepared for this from the start.
Other than the bait from the beginning, all the treasures scattered in the city had protections and those boxes holding the items inside werent just for the sake of holding.
The box was a product ofbined creation from human, Inhuman and Monster, it wasnt something some low level monsters could break.
Pangnard stepped up and opened the box, he saw a ring inside and he couldnt help but smile.
Judging from the mystical runes on the ring, Pangnard deduced this ring possessed extremely high rarity, a very rare offensive ring.
As for what the ring really did, he had to take it back for trials and experiments.
His level of mystical knowledge wasnt high enough to tell what the ring was on first sight.
He wasnt in a rush to put the ring on, taking the ring together with the box and putting it into his backpack before he headed out of the vault.
He was ready to leave this treasure city for the time being but when he stepped outside of the abandoned bank, his face turned pale as paper as it was already night!
Pangnard looked at the dark sky in disbelief, quickly taking his potion that dispels illusions and swallowing it.
His mind was instantly refreshed, but the sky was still dark.
It wasnt an illusion!
But when he entered the bank, it was just afternoon! How did the sky change so fast?!
Pangard widened his eyes in shock.
The unexpected change let him know things had gone south.
The rattling noise and roars that sounded throughout the dark street made Pangard retreat back to the underground vault.
The underground vault of the bank was made out of titanium, it would be enough to fend off most of the potential danger.
On top of that, when he entered the underground for the first time, he checked the titanium door and found out it used an old fashion lock that locked both ways.
It would require three keys and a set of password to open from the outside, but one would only need to pull the lever inside to open it.
Having an extra backup n was a good habit as it would keep up with unexpected change.
Bang!
Right after Pangnard went down the stairs to the underground vault, a big, buff figure crashed behind him.
Lucan?!
Pangnard cried in shock when he saw who barged in, then he saw another minotaur monster outside that was 10 meters tall and looked ridiculously buff. His face instantly turned sour and the worse thing was, that minotaur saw him!
The minotaur grinned, revealing its sharp fangs.
Without a second thought, Pangnard grabbed Lucans arm and dashed into the vault.
He really wanted to ditch this dizzy piece of burden but he had no confidence to deal with the 10 meters tall minotaur.
The titanium vault door might not even hold the monster back effectively!
Though the height of the passage to the vault could stall the minotaur for a while, he wouldnt bet on it.
He dashed towards the vault, tossing Lucan inside and locking the vault door.
Just when the vault door was about to close, Pangnard had a clear view of that giant minotaur and the monster was shrinking!
The monster shrunk to a size that could fit through the passage.
WHAT KIND OF MONSTER IS THIS!?
His heart screamed in horror, Pangnard pulling the door with all his might in hopes to close it before the monster got to him.
BANG!
The vault door finally closed and Pangnard pulled the lever to seal it tight.
He heaved a breath of relief.
Lying on the ground, Lucan shook his head to ditch the dizziness.
You bastard, you almost get me ki-.... Aaaaaaarh!
Before Pangnard could say the word killed, he screamed his lungs out.
The floor inside the vault started to crack and the cracks spread very fast!
Almost instantaneously, the whole floor copsed.
Pangnard and Lucan fell into the hole before they could properly react.
Chapter 1684 - Name
Chapter 1684: Name
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
His head was a little dizzy but his body felt no pain. The ground wasnt as hard as Pangnard thought, it felt a little... soft?
Pangnard slowly woke up after falling deeper underground, looking around to check his new surroundings and touching the floor beneath him.
Had enough touching?
A muffled voice entered Pangnards ears, shaking him.
He quickly realized he was on top of Lucan.
Pangnard jumped up, and with the minimal light in the area, saw many cracks caused by a heavy impact below Lucan.
Lucan waspletely embedded into the ground, so Pangnard could only imagine how much force Lucan had sustained after falling.
If it was Pangard, he would be crushed to death!
Pangnards gaze on Lucan turnedplicated, because a while ago, Pangnard deemed Lucan as apetitor but thispetitor had saved him.
Pangnard didnt know how he should face Lucan all of a sudden.
Lucan seemed to notice Pangnards awkward gaze.
I didnt want to save you, its just that I am heavier than you, thats why I fell down first.
Lucan said while he clenched his teeth to stand up, but he fell back down halfway through.
Even Lucan, the Herder from the North who was known for his strong physique, would have suffered serious damage without question after falling from such height and acting as a human falling pad.
Are you okay?
Pangnard regained his senses after Lucan fell back down, running over and squatting down to check on Lucans injuries.
Im fine, Lucan said in a heavy tone.
Your ribs are broken, your leg is broken, your internal organs suffered multiple degrees of injuries...
I said Im fine! Ill get better after some rest!
Lucan stopped Pangnard and simply shut his eyes, but right after he shut his eyes, he felt warmth poke his mouth and then liquid that smelled fishy ran down his throat.
Lucan opened his eyes and saw he was sucking on a test tube.
He wanted to spit it out but his exhausted body prevented him from doing so.
Pangnard took a few more test tubes from his pocket and stuffed all of them in Lucans mouth.
I dont like owing debts. This is the healing potion that I found earlier. You should be back on your feet in no time, Pangnard said seriously.
Pangnard then helped Lucan up, putting Lucans arm over his shoulder and grabbing the belt to move the injured Herder to the side.
Theynded in arge, dark hall, neither of them able to see properly but Pangnard knew they couldnt stay any longer because that minotaur woulde for them.
After witnessing the shrinking ability from the minotaur and his brute strength, Pangnard didnt think that titanium vault door could stop the monster. Lucan knew it as well.
Lucan wanted to ease Pangnards burden but whenever he tried to use his strength, his body would hurt from top to bottom, from inside to outside.
The injuries he sustained from the fall was much more serious than he thought.
You better stay still. The potions I gave you are everything I got, if you are hurt beyond this, I dont have any left to save you, Pangnard said as he looked around.
They had arrived at one side of the hall with a tall and sturdy wall that had some broken reliefsfv on it.
Pangnard touched the wall and felt cold, a mixture between rocks and metal.
Where are we? Have you seen anything like this before? Pangnard asked in a muffled voice.
No, I thought we fell into the underground sewer, Lucan said.
Underground sewers wont have reliefs like this, and... the air here is fresh, it doesnt feel stuffy at all. There must be a specialized air vent for venttion.
Pangnard licked his finger after he touched the wall, carefully tasting the coldness and texture and then pointing at a certain direction in the dark.
There.
Pangnard held Lucan up and moved forward to the designated location.
They arrived in front of a tunnel, which was also covered in darkness.
Both of them could feel the refreshing wind just by standing at the entrance.
Pangnard brought Lucan together and ventured forward.
400 to 500 meterster, Pangnard was already panting heavily because of the weight.
Heavy!
He felt like he wasnt holding a man but a bear!
No! Even a bear wasnt as heavy as Lucan!
Let me down. I feel better now, I should be able to walk on my own, said Lucan when he heard the heavy breathing from Pangnard.
He knew how heavy he was and he also understood what Pangnard was good at.
In fact, Lucan was already surprised that Pangnard was able to hold him this far.
Though Pangnard didnt take the advice.
Pangnard looked down and held Lucan tighter over his shoulder, his face disying his stubborn side.
Like all the other Herders, regardless of who they were during normal times, they would always hold onto their beliefs during critical moments. Pangnard was no exception.
Pangnard could allow other irrelevant people to die in a heartbeat but Lucan saved him from that fall, so he had to return the favour.
It wasnt about kindness, it was about his life principle.
Another 400 to 500 meters forward, Pangnard finally saw where the wind came from: there was an open door at the end of the dark passageway.
The door wasnt opened up the usual way though, it was smashed through.
The thick wooden door was shattered to pieces and scattered all over the ground, some pieces of the door still lingering on the frame.
What the... Pangnard frowned.
After a quick check, his brows furrowed tighter.
The wooden door is around 20 cm thick, its soaked in tung oil, so its super sturdy. I cant see a cutting mark or traces of a blunt weapon smashing through; theres no explosives in sight either, only a set of shallow footprints. Meaning...it was kicked open!?
Pangnard was frightened by the answer he came up with.
He gasped and looked at Lucan.
I might be able to pull it off during my prime, but definitely not this easy. Lucan said frankly.
Do you know who else in the campsite is able to do this? Pangnard asked.
None, Luan shook his head.
He really had no idea who else in the campsite possessed this kind of monstrous strength.
Kierans name shed over his mind but Lucan quickly shook his head.
Kieran should be stronger than Lucan, but not ridiculously much, otherwise he wouldnt end up in the human camp but the Inhuman camp.
Could it be...
The Inhumans have entered the arena? Lucan whispered.
It might be the Monsters too, Pangnard looked extremely ugly.
The Herders reserved their real opinions towards the Inhuman, but they were still considered allies.
As for the Monsters?
Both sides were arch nemesis!
Otherwise, the Battle of Winter Night wouldnt exist at all.
What should we do? Pangnard was hesitating as he looked at the path beyond the broken door. Lucan went silent.
While both of them sunk into their own silence...
BANG!
A loud bang came from the hall behind them.
Both of them looked extremely ugly at themotion behind them: the minotaur was already behind them!
Without further ado, Pangnard held Lucan and strode forward.
Both of them had no idea who they encountered in front but they knew that minotaur was chasing them!
If the minotaur caught up to them, they would both perish.
Ahead of them was the unknown.
Should they meet an Inhuman, they would get an instant ally and it would be the best case scenario; should they meet another Monster, it would also end up in an ugly fight and it would be exactly the same as if the minotaur caught up with them.
So, hesitations aside, they moved forward!
With their lives on the line, Pangnard showed explosive power again, he could even jog while having Lucan around his shoulder.
However, the jogging duo looked uglier and paler as they moved forward and saw what really happened.
Monsters carcasses were all over the passage, door after door was smashed to pieces, and many boxes were opened up without the contents inside.
It seemed like this person or thing did not stop at all, neither did he or it get stopped by anything.
Monsters? Killed!
Doors? Smashed!
This person or monster rammed forward, destroying obstacles one after another and going on a rampage.
Both Pangnard and Lucan pictured the fearsome scene in their mind.
At the same time, a question appeared in both their hearts: Who is this? Or what is this?
Even more so for Pangnard, he was very confident in his talent, but until now, he did not pick up any presence of treasure.
He met simr situations before in the past though. Back then when he was still very new and weak, he encountered a colossal crocodile guarding some treasure and even though he saw the treasure with his own eyes, but he didnt sense its presence.
Back then, he was as weak as a normal man, but now?
He was the Herder representative of the coastal area!
Even if he would face that colossal crocodile again, he wouldnt be helpless anymore and although he still couldnt win, he could run!
However, his quiet talent pped him in the face and told him he was still as weak as he was before, against this unknown person or monster.
Subconsciously, hesitation rose in his heart but the sound of running hoofs behind him didnt let his hesitation slow him down.
He continued forward as fast as he could.
More than 15 secondster, both Pangnard and Lucan saw a giant figure.
This figure had the head of a horse with a giant de in its hand and was charging towards them in a fearsome manner.
F*ck! Its a monster!
Pangnard and Lucans hearts sank when they saw the monster that looked nothing like a human and felt the menacing aura.
Without further dy, Pangnard put Lucan down and pulled out his magic pistol and magic grenades.
He was prepared to go all out.
Getting caught without a fight? Stop joking!
He was Pangnard, the representative of the coastal area! Even if he would die, he would drag one of the monsters with him.
I dont know how long I can hold them back but...
Pangnard was talking to Lucan without actually looking at him but before he finished, he was tossed up into the air.
He flew up quick and the toss was very precise too.
Right after Pangnard grazed the horsemans head by sticking close to the ceiling, Lucan rammed into the horseman heads on!
BANG!
RUN!
A loud bang sounded together with Lucans roar. Lucans body then bloated up like a balloon and at the next moment, a brown grizzly bear roared loud.
The brown grizzly bear shouted at the horseman who got rammed on the floor and the minotaur behind him, COME ON!
The grizzly bear roared like a p of thunder and rumbling lightning.
The dust at the ceiling got shaken and fell off, the dark passageway instantly getting dusty.
Amid the dusty scene, Lucan, who was prepared to die, noticed something wasnt right.
That horseman who he rammed on the ground was panting heavily, angry and grieving, looking at Lucan with an unwilling gaze. The horseman wanted to retaliate but it dare not move a finger, like a girl being bullied.
Further away, that minotaur acted even stranger, it stopped running and turned around, but when it showed its back to Lucan, it froze on the spot, like a statue.
What happened!? Did I break through my limits without knowing it? I suppressed these two with my fierce aura alone? Lucan scratched his bear head.
He even had a moment to turn to Pangnard, who was also confused.
Pangnard was utterly confused but he knew the situation had turned to their favour.
While Pangnard spected what was going on, a set of footsteps came closer and gradually sounded clearer.
Dak Dak Dak Dak.
The pair of boots stepped on the ground, the footsteps werent quick at all, like the owner was taking a stroll.
Pangnard and Lucan looked towards the source of the footsteps, which was the direction where the minotaur was trying to run to.
Shadows covered that direction and darkness blessed it with its abysmal presence.
Lucan and Pangnard saw the strong minotaur who had been chasing them fly towards them like a speeding truck had rammed over it. The minotaur crashed andnded beside the horseman.
Both monsters trembled as they looked at the direction where the footsteps sounded.
Submit, or die.
A calm and cold voice came.
Both monsters quivered hard, looking at each other in utmost hesitation.
At the next moment, killer intentions as intense as a mountain pressured the two monsters.
The two horseman and minotaur stuck their faces on the cold hard ground for they chose to submit to the voice.
The battles before this told these two monsters this intense killer intents wasnt a joke.
They would really die if they chose not to submit.
I, Deus, hereby agree to submit to the person in front of me and follow his footsteps, treating him like a king...
I, Kantes, hereby agree to submit to the person in front of me and follow his footsteps, treating him like a king...
The minotaur and horseman spoke in a single voice.
At the end of their vows, both monsters paused unusually.
The brands deep in their soul that they had bore since birth made them submit in their own way. They knelt on the ground on one knee, held the greatsword and pitchfork up high with one hand and the other hand was ced in front of their chest, their heads were slightly tilted downwards while they said out loud, Lord Yan Luo!
Yan Luo?!
Lucan and Pangnard were shocked.
They did hear about some cultures and customs of the Monsters in teachings they received in the past, so they quickly reacted to the scene.
Yan Luo! The ruler of Hell!
No!
It was actually Royan! The Ai City representative who arrived at campst!
Chapter 1685 - Appearance
Chapter 1685: Appearance
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Why Royan?
How could it be Royan?
Lucan and Pangnard looked at the person that walked out from the dark and made the minotaur and horseman submit to him in disbelief.
They never thought it would be Royan.
Their brains went nk when they saw Kieran.
Until Kieran left with the two monsters, both of them finally came back to their senses.
W-Wait! Lucan called out loud.
Kieran didnt stop.
To Kieran, neither Lucan and Pangnard were worthy to make him stop.
Kieran continued forward. Lucan was scratching his head anxiously but he didnt know what to say.
Pangnard then spoke on behalf of him, Do you want to get more treasures? Bring us along! We can help you!
The coastal area representative spoke with respect and humbleness. He knew what attitude he should put on when begging, let alone he was begging a powerful human... Inhuman like Kieran!
Thats right! An Inhuman!
A person as powerful as Kieran must be an Inhuman!
Why would he be assigned to the human campsite anyway?
Doubts appeared, one after another, in his heart, but Pangnard didnt show anything on his face.
Everyone had their own secrets and prying too much would kill them.
Help me? Kieran turned around at Pangnard.
Em. Help, this is my talent! I can sense the presence of treasure and he can be thest line of defense. We can not only help you in pathfinding, we can also save your precious time! Pangnard said seriously.
He didnt mind revealing his talent to Kieran.
He might be protective of his talent during normal times, against otherpetitors, he would never reveal it, but now? It wasnt necessary.
He could sense the treasures presence but at the same time, he also knew they were guarded by monsters and there were some other dangerous presence that he couldnt pick up.
Especially thest point, every single one of them would be some fearsome existence.
Being in the middle of this battlefield, the danger level was unimaginable.
Oh, Kieran nodded without anyments.
Pangnard immediately understood what Kieran meant, he said Theres a wooden treasure box around 500 meters ahead, theres another at the right side 700 meters in front...
Based on what he had gathered, Pangnard had categorized the boxes.
Kieran didnt say anything.
He looked at the minotaur and horseman.
He spent a great amount of effort to tame these two monsters, who obviously had extremely high intellect and it wasnt just for fun or to make him look good. He took the two monsters in because he wanted to have a clear picture of the underground.
When he made up his mind to venture underground, he already knew what to expect and what he would run into but when Kieran finally arrived, he realized he took it too lightly.
The underground of the city wasnt a simple sewer system anymore, but a true underground city.
It wasnt just huge, its terrain was extremelyplicated too.
The paths opened up by the monsters were all random, they simply dug holes and excavated paths wherever they preferred. The end of a passage might be a dead end but making a turn at a rocky path might end up in a broad street.
Kieran did try to explore the underground himself but the randomness of the passage and tunnels were too much for him. After running into multiple dead ends, Kieran gave up on trying his luck, hence he got himself a guide.
Among the monsters, the horseman that had a strong presence eventually became Kierans target.
After he left Pdia behind, Kieran had been chasing the horseman.
As for the minotaur? It was just something extra.
Two guides were better than one, thats what Kieran thought.
However, after he saw the minotaur and horseman nod to acknowledge Pangnards words, it seemed like the extra gain was the Herder representing the coastal area.
What would be better than a map in an unfamiliar andplicated ce?
Two maps and a treasure finder!
Of course, a sturdy pathfinder was also quite okay.
Kieranmented on Lucan after a quick nce over him.
Lead the way, Kieran said.
My pleasure, Pangnard smiled and grabbed Lucan to the front of the group.
Lucan didnt say anything or disagree, the Northerners were stubborn but they werent stupid and took things for granted.
He knew why Pangnard did what he did: to keep his own hidden talent under wraps!
This was a huge favour and a Northerner would return the favour whenever possible!
Therefore, after the group continued onwards, Lucan gradually recovered with the help of the potions, he then charged further ahead to open up the path.
Soon enough, Kieran had acquired some wooden boxes, all of which were potions.
Up until know, Kieran already got a general understanding about the pattern of the contents in the boxes.
The lowest rank would be the wooden box that held potions, followed by metal, copper and silver boxes. Lastly, the golden boxes.
As the rarity of the boxes increased, the contents would also be different. From the simplest potion, to Advanced Rank items, all things were possible.
It seemed like some parties had invested a lot in this Battle of Winter Night.
Were there any boxes above the gold rank?
Kieran had no idea yet, but based on his deduction, there should be.
His deduction came from the scarlet red skull.
Kieran frowned when he thought of the monster.
The red skull was without a question a powerful foe for Kieran ever since he stepped into this dungeon world, and until now, Kieran still didnt have absolute confidence in defeating that red skull.
Pangnard, how far is your detection range? Kieran asked.
Around a kilometer. If the numbers are less enough, my detection range can go further but most of them were already in my range, Pangnard didnt hide any details about his talent.
Since the deal was struck, Pangard tended to lower the pride in his heart. He would not go back on his words and would not use some lousy tricks that couldnt even prove useful.
Only a kilometer? Kieran thought for a while before he looked at the two monsters.
The two, minotaur and horseman, understood Kieran based on a single gaze.
Without further ado, both of them started to draw a map on the ground for Kieran.
5 minutester, a messy looking map was drawn.
The map was just an overall map with a square holding a circle inside. The square was irregrly shaped, so it was just a rough idea.
The inner circle was almost perfect though, ring after ring, starting from the outer circle, there were 6 connected rings to the center.
A dot representing their current whereabouts was drawn on the outer circle.
Lord Yan Luo, we are currently here. If we want to go ahead to the Mou Sector, we have to go through a hang bridge guarded by the White Guard. That guy is a troublesome one.
The minotaur and horseman spoke one after another and quickly exined the situation clearly.
How long until sunrise? Kieran nodded before asking.
He didnt want to face endless waves of monsters all of a sudden while he was doing other things.
After hearing what Kieran asked, Pangnard and Lucan looked at the two monsters. Both of them remembered what theyd been through earlier.
After the wooden ppers p 12 times, the sun will rise.
The minotaur answered in a muffled voice and right after its words subsided...
Bang!
The ppers pped.
The faint roars that came above ground paused for a moment.
So coincidental? Pangnard was surprised.
I dont know. Its not me who ps the ppers, its that weird guy and no one knows what that guy is thinking but that guy is very powerful. That guy must have formed some agreement with those bastards in the Jia Inner Rings, right?
Those bastards forming an agreement with that weird guy? Are you kidding me?
Whos kidding right now? You dumb horse-face!
What did you say? You bullhead?!
The minotaur was exining before the horseman joined the conversation, and soon, both of them were arguing with one another.
Right before the pitchfork was going to hit the greatsword, Kieran gave a strict face and the two monsters went quiet right away.
This wasnt the simple Oath of Allegiance anymore, both monsters knew what was under the surface: contracts!
The worst thing was the one holding to the Oath of Allegiance was a scary person.
Everytime these two monsters looked at Kieran, their hearts would throb and their body would quiver because after forming the Oath of Allegiance, they could see what this person did before in the past.
Colossal crocodile.
Bloody sorcerer.
Assassins from the dark.
Giant serpents that covered the sky.
Although what they saw from the vision was blurry, that lingering image of that giant serpent made their soul shiver, let alone this person who chopped the serpents head in a single blow.
Both monsters were terrified to their core!
So the minotaur and horseman dare not oppose Kieran, it was their natural instinct to follow thew of the jungle. Even though they werent exactly from jungles, thew worked all the same.
Lets leave for the meantime, Kieran said, which represented the groups decision.
The group returned the way they came from swiftly.
Pdia was on guard at the entrance and when he saw Kierane out with Lucan and Pangnard, he wasnt at all surprised, but when he saw the minotaur and horseman, his eyes twitched.
The former were still useful and as Herders, it was usible for Kieran to spare them, but for thetter?
There was only one exnation: [Seodi Stone]!
Even though Pdia knew Kieran would somehow use [Seodi Stone] after acquiring it, he never thought Kieran would use it on the monsters.
Did he even consider the consequences?
It would surely attract voices of disagreement from the old-fashioned Herders.
Some family that was much more extreme would view him as hostile too.
Then, it would be reasonable for them to reject help whenever Kieran ran into trouble, he would even be purposely picked on!
The worst thing was because of [Seodi Stone], Pdia was strapped onto Kierans chariot, like a grasshopper on a string, no longer able to run away.
Once he thought about the despair in the rest of his life, Pdia saw nothing but darkness ahead.
So, his gaze on the minotaur and horseman was less friendly and it was very direct.
The two monsters noticed the sharp gaze at first nce.
Is he looking down at us?
Hmm, I dont like this gaze.
Lets skewer him and roast him.
Agreed.
The monsters understood nothing about tolerance and their dictionary had the word tolerate opted out, so they too retaliated with a less than friendly gaze and words.
However, all three of them were under [Seodi Stone]s control, so the monsters knew this human was one of their allies, it was just that this ally was less than likable.
Beef and horse bezoar are quite good. Braise the beef and cook the bezoar in gravy, Pdia fired out his sneers without stepping down.
You want some?
The minotaur and horseman brought out their pitchfork and greatsword; Pdia started to swing his hook rope.
Lucan scratched his head, trying to hold them back but Pangnard held him back by pulling his bear rug.
Pangnard knew this was someone elses affair, they had no reason to meddle with it as mere coborators.
However, to Pangnard surprise, Kieran didnt even care about the tense situation between his subordinates, instead looking around at the surroundings.
What happened?
Pangnard was confused.
With one encounter under his belt, Pdia stopped his useless argument with the monsters and looked around nervously. The encounter with that red skull was still fresh in his mind.
After losing their opponent, the minotaur and horseman lost interest in fighting.
Both of them looked at Kieran subconsciously.
Lord Yan Luo, what happened? the minotaur asked.
Neers, Kieran said.
Neers?
The minotaur and horseman were confused, but the 3 Herders knew what Kieran was referring to and because they knew, they furrowed their brows hard.
It shouldnt be! We should at least have 2 days of head start! How did it shorten to 1 day? Lucan asked in confusion.
Maybe something happened, Pangnard exined.
Bang!
The pper sounded again.
The sound of the pper was obviously enchanted by some power, whether on the surface or underground, the p clearly entering everyones ears, including the monsters.
The first p and second p had a very long interval but after the second p, the third p sounded faster.
Bang Bang Bang!
A series of ps sounded.
The monsters who were swiftly leaving the surface fell into panic.
When thest p sounded, the crescent moon hanging in the dark sky vanished, the sun skipping the rising process and straightaway hanging up in the east.
Sunlight bathed the city again.
Blood, bones, and sttered bodies were everywhere.
Some belonged to humans, some to monsters, some were the wounds on the bodies.
The dead humans had wounds caused by humans and the dead monsters had wounds caused by monsters.
A messy and fierce fight happenedst night.
Under the sunlight, the human bodies got more eye-catching, the bodies of the monsters started to melt and burst.
Bang Bang Bang!
Amid a series of bursting, a 7thick mist of blood shone brilliantly under the sun and it was an unusual scene to look at.
While the city was covered in thick bloody mist, figure after figure appeared out of thin air.
The Inhumans had arrived in the city! As were the Monsters!
Chapter 1686 - Misunderstood
Chapter 1686: Misunderstood
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
A group of young men and women appeared from the bloody mist.
Some of them looked arrogant, some looked cold, some were filled with anticipation, but soon enough, their various gazes were reced by seriousness.
At the other side of the bloody mist, the group of young men and women saw another group that looked almost nothing like humans.
Some had human figures but were in soul form, some had two heads, and some had a big hole in their stomachs with organs spilling out.
Some even appeared in non-human form, with sharp ears and fangs, wings on their backs and fins around their arms, it was a monster carnival!
The scene alone would send chills down the spine.
The Inhumans saw the monsters and vice versa.
The monsters were swallowing their saliva as they arrived in the blood-filled city and when they saw their rivals, their battle intents rose and they salivated even more.
In the outside world, because of the Dark Moon Treaty, these traditional monsters rarely had a chance to taste human flesh and blood, but that would change in the Battle of Winter Night.
They were free to kill and had no rules to abide by!
Some of the monsters joined the Battle of Winter Night just so they could taste human flesh and drink human blood righteously, especially the blood and flesh of the Inhumans!
The taste was unforgettable, and it wasnt just the taste they sought, eating the Inhumans proved to be beneficial to the monsters too!
Some, who had no patience, dashed towards the Inhumans uponnding.
A lot of the Inhumans reacted the same way, they did not step back and replied to the monsters with their own intimidating charge, but not all of the Inhumans did the same.
Some of the Inhumans looked around cautiously and slowly retreated from the messy battlefield. The Herders who arrived the earliest had already scattered into the wind and hid in the shadows the moment the bloody mist rose.
The sudden battle cost them severely.
It was already rare enough to get a breathing chance, they had no intentions of wasting time on the chaotic battlefield.
The Herders had learned their lesson, none of them chose to remain in the city as every one of them went outside.
They were all cautious and vignt. The battle of life and death made these excellent young men and women better.
As for the dead Herders, their demise was regretful but... their deaths had no value in this kind of timing, it couldnt be helped no matter how regretful their demise was.
Amidst the fighting and leaving group, Kieran and his group stood in their spot firmly and it made them every eye-catching.
Kieran said nothing and watched the messy battle between the monsters and Inhumans.
The minotaur and horseman stood guard behind Kieran like two door guardians.
Pdia wanted to run, but he felt helpless and exhausted when Kieran had zero intentions of retreating.
Theres a good chance! Why didnt he run!
Staying here and watching the messy battle, what does he seek?
Can he really spot something unusual?!
Pdia was criticizing Kierans choices in his heart.
Pangnard felt the same, he wanted to run too but Lucan did not budge either, so he ultimately chose to stay.
Pangnard knew what Lucan was thinking, he was just trying to pay his debt.
Pangnard really wanted to tell Lucan that it wasnt necessary to do this right here, right now, but when the words reached the tip of this tongue, it got carried away by the wind.
As for leaving Lucan behind?
Pangnard hasnt repaid the debt of saving his life, if he would ditch Lucan behind, he himself would look down on his own despicable act.
Therefore, Kieran and his group stood firm.
Their proud stance naturally attracted the attention of the Inhumans and monsters despite being busy fighting each other.
The Inhumans were a neutral force to humans, as long as the humans didnt step on their tails, the Inhumans couldnt care less, but the monsters were different.
A goat-like monster was searching for food on the ground and when it saw Kieran and co. standing up there, its eyes glimmered.
The excitement for blood had gotten the best of it, the goat-like monster had forgotten itself and did not care why a human had two monsters behind him.
It threw itself towards Kieran, who was standing at the front of the group.
Hey, blood, flesh! Mine! All mine!
The monsterughed, muttering in blurry, short words and then dashed towards Kierans face but Kieran didnt even spare it a look.
Kieran was concentrating on the messy battle further away and when the goat-like monster saw no response from Kieran, it became bolder and fiercer.
It thought Kieran was stunned by his own astonishment, like the other humans that it ate before.
Its bloody ws rose high into the air and then... it was severed from its shoulder.
Its w, together with its entire arm, fell on the ground. It didnt even feel any pain, somehow feeling its body grow taller.
The goat-like monster looked down, seeing a metal pitchfork through its chest. It tried to speak but its head was twisted off by a giant hand from the pitchfork, like picking an apple from the tree.
Thest thing the goat-like monster saw was the giant mouth of an ox.
The moment its head was crushed by that hard teeth, its consciousness faded.
Spat!
What the hell is this? Why are there so many bones in the head?!
The minotaur shook its head in denial and then spat what was left in its mouth out.
It then looked at the messy battlefield, it really wanted to charge in and grab a good meal but...
Kieran did not move at all, so the minotaur gave up the thought.
It shook its body and reverted its giant size back to a human size.
However, the little scenended in the sights of the Inhumans and monsters in the messy battlefield. Despite engaging in a fierce battle, the Inhumans and monsters looked at Kieran, and then both sides split in an instant like they suffered an electric shock.
The Inhumans and monsters were fighting fiercely a moment ago but now, they were all looking at Kieran and co. in utmost vignce, especially the minotaur.
A single thought appeared in the minds of the Inhumans and monsters: a monster that enves humans?
It was heard of in history books but every time such a monster appeared, the people that it enved would end up terribly.
Monsters treated their human ves like how humans treated their food, probably even worse.
Humans have high intellect but monsters were much more ruthless than normal beasts!
When the thought bloomed in their heads, the Inhumans looked at Kieran and the other Herders, who looked human, with pity.
The monsters, however, looked at them in glimmers.
A monster who enved humans! Despite this monster appearing in this abandoned city, it would only mean one thing:munication!
Communication meant talking, and as long as they could talk, endless possibilities would follow, like forming an alliance!
Once the alliance was formed, the monsters could easily wipe out the Inhumans!
As for that goat-like monster who got eaten? It was stupid enough to die at the hands of the minotaur. Going after food that already had an owner was like a deration of war in the view of the monsters!
It was the goat-like monsters own fault that it died!
As a matter of fact, it wasnt just limited to food, every monster had its own turf for hunting and whenever another monster trespassed another monsters territory, the conflict wouldnt end until one of them was dead.
It was obvious that this battlefield was the minotaurs turf!
The other monsters that had just arrived were the trespassers!
If things could remain as they were, all would turn out fine, but once the minotaur made a move and without evaluating its strength... the other monsters would end up like that goat-like one.
No one would help the goat-like monster, it would end up as an after meal joke between the monsters and everytime the goat-like monster was mentioned,ughs were bound to follow.
Now?
They would give their best in maximizing their gains!
Hey oxen brother, we dont mean to trespass on your turf, that idiot had nothing to do with us! We will follow your rules around here.
A monster with the form of a human and the mouth of an insect and no eyes stepped out from the group, representing the monsters. It sounded very sincere, so the horseman also sincerely swung its greatsword and sliced it in half.
Just following his rules? What about mine?
The horseman snorted and looked at the other monsters.
The insect man that got chopped in half widened its eyes at the horseman, how did it not think about these two horse and ox monsters werent on the same side?!
But if these two werent on the same side, why did they stand so close together?
Just to scam the other monsters?!
The insect man widened its mouth, it wanted to say something, but nothing came out and its body twitched for a few seconds before it died off.
The other Inhumans saw the insect man get chopped in half, sneering and mocking the fool.
It was fact that the Inhumans behaved in such savage ways, they spoke with their strength and words would not be reasonable.
The same went for the monsters, they had nopassion for the insect man and mocked its death.
A fool who hadnt got the clear picture and vainly attempted to maximize its gain?
It was natural that it ended up dead.
The insect man would be better dead because only after that could the others truly benefit.
However, there was always someone else who was faster than the rest.
Right before a few monsters wanted to step up, one of them beat them to it, jumped out and said, Ahem, Im sorry, we just...
Pam!
One of the monsters spoke, but the minotaur thrust its pitchfork into the monsters chest with lightning speed. It shook the pitchfork and tossed the monster up in the air, it thennded into the minotaurs mouth, which became big again.
Sorry? You are saying sorry to that horse-face? Are you ignoring me right now? Wheres my respect? Damn it, why so many bones! Meat! I want meat!
The minotaur chewed and then spat out the bones as it grumbled.
The sticky pile of goo that got spat on the ground was melting the remaining bones swiftly.
The other monsters who got upset because of losing the chance jolted and then heaved a breath of relief.
The ox and horse werent together, but they had a grudge with each other?
No, it shouldnt be a grudge, it was more like a quarrel!
The Inhumans and monsters finally regained their senses after they saw the minotaur and horseman stand together.
It would be best for them to not stop those two from their quarrels, the best way would be go to either one of them and voice ones request.
It might not work for a single monster or an odd number but for numerous monsters, it wasnt that hard.
At the next moment, two monsters flew out from the group, thinking they had grasped the situation good enough.
One of them stood in front of the minotaur, the other in front of the horseman.
My lord! the two monsters spoke in one voice.
Who allows you to speak to him first?!
The minotaur and horseman also spoke together, the pitchfork and greatsword swinging up and splitting the monster in front of them in half.
They controlled their weapons very well with the right amount of strength and did not spill a drop of blood on themselves.
The two monsters who jumped out got sliced in half.
The minotaur wasnt picky with its food, it shoved the two monsters into its mouth and munched happily, but there wasnt a lot of meat for it to chew on, so it simply spat out the remains again.
The horseman looked at the minotaur with a despising gaze, like it was looking at some boorish fe from the rural areas.
The minotaur got pissed off by the look, returning its re to the horseman.
The minotaur and horseman were locked in their own staring contest and this time, no monsters dared to jump out again. They finally realized the minotaur and horseman were the weirdos among the monsters, they were savage and lived only by their own rules in their own world.
It would be best for the monsters to keep their distance from them, otherwise the monsters would suffer instead of getting anything in return.
Sharing a tacit understanding, the Inhumans and Monsters slowly retreated to the opposite direction.
This ce was the minotaur and horsemans turf and if the Inhumans and monsters continued to fight, they might step on the quarreling duosndmine.
The strength the minotaur disyed in a blink of an eye was powerful enough to tell the Inhumans and monsters what they should do.
Law of the jungle was a normal rule for the Inhumans and monsters.
Both sides reached a silent ord right away: leave this ce first and then continue the fight!
However, before the Inhumans and monsters could step away, the minotaur made its move again.
Who allowed you people to leave? Come as you like? Go as you like? What do you think this ce is? A public toilet?
The minotaur was infuriated by the reaction, its body instantly growing to be 10 meters tall, its pitchfork growing bigger as well and the muscles on its buff body twitching.
It threw its pitchfork out.
Fung!
The power infused in the powerful pitchfork tore the air apart and created many wind des flying towards the monsters. The monsters closest to the pitchfork and those that had physical bodies were sliced to shreds.
When the pitchforknded on the group of monsters, those who failed to dodge were smashed to a pile of meat, none survived under the pitchforks wrath.
After the iron pitchfork got swung around, a huge area of monsters were wiped clean, and the remaining ones started to retreat.
You all are scared of him so you came to me? You bastards really think Im that bulliable?!
The horseman snorted a few times, it was also upset by the reaction and grew its body as big as the minotaurs. The greatsword in its hand was swung out like the iron pitchfork, cleaving the monsters in half.
There was no technique involved, they were just big and strong, and because of that, it was extremely hard for the monsters to fight back. The only way to deal with this kind of savage monster was to have a certain level of technique of a unique set of skills.
It was obvious that none among the monsters had what it took to deal with the two giant monsters.
Those monsters who were in soul form were shattering under the absolute strength.
They werent Superior Demon who coulde back from the dead.
Fung!
Fung Fung Fung!
The iron pitchfork and great longsword swept left and right, creating bursts on every monster they killed.
A few breathster, a great amount of monsters were ughtered, the ones who survived looking at the infuriated minotaur and horseman in fear.
The Inhumans looked at the scene in a weird gaze. None of them were hurt in this onught, they didnt even lose a strand of hair!
The two powerful monsters ughtered many other monsters and during the process, whenever their pitchfork or greatsword were going to hit the Inhumans, the two of them would hold it back to prevent hitting them.
It might be coincidence once or twice, but even a pig knew it was unusual when the numbers umted.
You are doing this on purpose! one of the monsters shouted in fear.
You know too much!
The minotaur grunted and smashed the monster into a pile of meat with its iron pitchfork.
Let me go, I dont know anything, another monster screamed.
You dont know anything? You are too stupid, so you die! the horseman pouted and swung its greatsword, smacking the monster into the ground.
Run!
The other monsters finally knew what was happening, all of them scattering away in panic.
The Inhumans didnt go in pursuit of the fleeing monsters, instead looking at the minotaur and horseman returning to their human size and standing behind the man.
After all that, the Inhumans would not treat the man as some ve anymore.
It was obvious that these two powerful ox and horse monsters served the man.
This young man was the one in control, but the Inhumans didnt say anything.
They knew what happened to the monsters who spoke, they saw what happened with their own eyes and they wouldnt want to bet on it even if they did not disy any hostility.
Of course, they dare not simply leave the scene either.
They were curious and reverent, their hearts pounding endlessly.
Finally, under the many curious gazes of the Inhumans, Kieran regained his senses and looked at the group of young men and women. He asked, Which one of you is the strongest?
Chapter 1687 - Tie
Chapter 1687: Tie
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Who is the strongest?
The Inhumans were stunned when they heard what Kieran said.
They had to choose the strongest as a representative to negotiate with Kieran?
Or... was he preparing to make an example out of the strongest?
No one knew what Kieran meant but there was still someone who walked out from the Inhuman group.
A tall and fit young man with a handsome face came out. The young man wore a blue and white chinese robe and despite it being tainted with blood, it did not diminish his countenance.
It even made the young man look a little bewitching.
The Inhumans didnt say anything to stop or object the young man, it seemed like the young man was indeed the strongest among the Inhumans who stayed, but when Kieran saw the young man, he frowned.
Weak!
Too weak!
Weaker than he expected!
This Inhuman young man was even worse than Song Shi.
Even Song Shi...
The question popped up in Kierans mind and was quickly discarded with a shake of head, but his shake of head was misunderstood by the young man who walked out.
Dear sir, you dont agree that I am the strongest in the group?
Even though he was scared of Kierans powers, he asked nevertheless because it was rted to his pride.
Besides, he didnt think Kieran would do anything to him.
When the two ox and horse monsters ughtered the other monsters, Kieran told his subordinates to avoid hitting the Inhumans, plus the other Herders standing behind him. It was enough evidence to prove that Kieran was on the Herders side.
The Herders and Inhumans were allies and it was widely known.
From a certain aspect, the Herders had to rely on the Inhumans, so whenever the Inhumans faced the Herders, they had a natural advantage and this kind of advantage would sometimes cause them to make the wrong decision.
Kieran didnt care about the question asked, he wanted to leave after getting what hs sought.
The young Inhuman got anxious when he saw Kieran leaving.
Wait, make yourself clear be-...
The Inhuman tried to stop Kieran but when the words escaped his mouth, Kieran sted his killer re at the Inhuman. The sheer coldness struck the Inhuman like a bolt of lightning, making him stagger back a few steps and fall on the ground on hisst wobbly step.
Pam!
He fell on the ground in a very ugly posture, but none of his peersughed at him because they too were frightened by the killer re from Kierans eyes. It was cold and chilly, like snow during June!
None of the Inhumans dared to speak as they saw Kieran andpany walking away.
They were horrified beyond words.
Before running into Kieran, they had never thought a person could be this scary, a single re could cause the heart to pound anxiously.
After seeing Kieran and co. off, the Inhumans looked at each other with confused looks. They had no idea what Kieran wanted to do.
To be honest, even Pdia, Lucan, and Pangnard behind Kieran felt as doubtful as the Inhumans, so it was natural that the unfamiliar Inhumans knew nothing.
As for the minotaur and horseman?
Both monsters were there to carry out Kierans orders only, they didnt think that much.
Both of them were enjoying the sunlight which was the ability that they had gained through hardship, they were pretty excited.
[Seodi Stone] might bind them with shackles, but it also granted them protection, at least they wouldnt have to hide like mice from the sunlight.
The minotaur moved its hoof over the horsemans shadow and stepped on it happily; the horseman used its greatsword and poked the minotaurs shadow, as if it was really poking the real thing.
Both monsters were ying around like kids.
The delightsted until the group got out of the city and arrived at the edge of the outskirts.
My lord, the predator is in this area!
Please be careful!
The minotaur and horseman warned Kieran.
By predator you mean the crocodile head, chicken body monster that can p in silence? Pdia asked.
Yes! Youve ran into that monster?! I guess you are still alive because the lord is beside you, right?
The minotaur nodded and replied with his question.
Pdias face turned sour, grunting and then turning away.
He ought to argue with the bull, but what it said was the truth.
If it wasnt for Kieran, Pdia might have ended up in that monster chickens stomach.
Pangnard then walked up to Pdia and asked him softly about the encounter with the predator. After getting the general idea, the coastal area Herder looked even heavier.
This ce was much scarier than he thought.
There were monsters lurking around, regardless of day or night.
If he would move alone, it would be hard for him to assure his own safety because humans required rest.
No one could guarantee to open their eyes and stay awake while taking a rest, so teaming up became a must.
Fortunately!
Pangnard looked at Lucan and then Kieran and Pdia, heaving a breath of relief.
Lucans strength was undoubted and Kieran was ridiculously strong.
Pdia also performed great back in the temporary campsite. Although he wasnt the strongest, he could easily be in top 10, and Pangnard was suspecting that Pdia was hiding his trump card, like himself.
So if Pangnard had such a team around him, he could be rest assured about security.
However... Pangnard quietly looked at Kieran, feeling the man was too hard for him to grasp and understand, like what he did just now was totally unnecessary in Pangnards point of view.
When the Inhumans and monsters appeared and fought, leaving quietly and hiding the ox and horse monsters as a trump card for a critical moment was probably the best choice.
Plus that question for the Inhumans, asking who was the strongest, it also confused Pangnard badly but he knew how much he was worth so he did not ask why.
He didnt want to break the seemingly ideal situation, or rather, he knew how much he was worth in Kierans heart.
The group moved forward with the minotaur and horseman taking the lead. They then arrived at a forest, the horseman sniffing before it snorted.
My lord, this ce is free of those bastards scent. Its safe! said the horseman.
Set up camp.
Kieran looked around to double check and then he nodded.
The minotaur and horseman quickly went to work.
Both of them swung their weapons and cleared out an empty space in the woods, Pdia building a fire in the center.
Lucan, who was injured, fell asleep beside the fire when it was built.
Pangnard went hunting for several rabbits in the woods.
He cleaned and cut the rabbits skillfully, skewering them and cing them over the fire, the aroma of roasted rabbit spreading a whileter.
Wanna have a taste? Pangnard asked the minotaur and horseman.
Although both of them were monsters, since everyone was on the same side, getting to know each other wasnt a bad thing.
In Pangnards point of view, buying their hearts with food was an easy task.
In fact, in the eyes of most of the Herders, they viewed the monsters in a in way. Other than a grudge, what was left in the monsters were purely predatory instinct.
However, what monsters eat and what humans eat were different altogether, so when Pangnard was roasting the rabbit, he purposely added in some soul shards.
Soul shard, the crystallization of a soul.
Theres a percentage to obtain one when eliminating evil spirits.
It was one of the necessary items for alchemy and also the favourite food for monsters.
Though the minotaur and horseman werent tempted by the invitation because they were staring at Kieran, or more urately, Kierans backpack.
The backpack contained the food Starbeck prepared for Kieran.
The minotaur and horseman yearned for a taste, hoping that Kieran would spare them some food from his backpack. The food inside made them drool and if the backpack wasnt Kierans, they would have snatched it.
Kieran wasnt bothered by the stares from the minotaur and horseman at all, reaching out to his backpack and taking out a food container.
Gravy beef rice.
The gravy was frozen into jelly and wrapped around the rice.
When the container was ced on the fire for a few minutes, a rich aroma filled the mini camp.
Lucan woke up from his sleep, Pdia also came back from his deep thoughts, and Pangnard was the first to be attracted.
Even more so when Kieran opened the container, the aroma exploded and spread in every direction, far stronger than before.
The minotaur and horseman looked at Kieran with a pitiful look while they drolled.
After they realized Kieran wouldnt even spare a nce at them, they snatched the roasted rabbit from Pangnard while holding a grievance.
Pui!
This is disgusting!
What kind of cooking is this?!
Waste of food!
The minotaur and horseman stood on the same size and dissed the roasted rabbit without holding back.
What the f*ck?!
Pangnard felt so stupid because he thought of getting along with the two ox and horse monster. These kind of boorish, savage monsters could never be roped in!
After the heavy dissing, Kieran finished his first container.
The minotaur and horseman threw the rabbit away and ran to Kieran.
My lord, do you need me to wash the container for you? Please leave it to me
No, my lord, leave it to me!
The two monsters rubbed their hands, lowering their heads and speaking with ttery.
No need.
Kieran simply replied and put the empty container back into the backpack. Another new container was taken out and put beside the fire.
The two monsters went back to their spot like they had lost the battle of their lives, staring at the new food container and then picking up the roasted rabbit again.
Its like eating a candle.
Its like eating the fire beetlest time, the thin kind.
Pangnard didnt show any expression on his face as the conversation entered his ears but his heart was scolding them with the F word and the C word, greeting the monsters family with all sorts of vulgarities in his mind.
The rich aroma exploded again after a few minutes.
The woods they were in failed to cover up the smell of Starbecks food, even though it wasnt cooked on the spot.
Many animals were attracted to the camp by the smell but none of them dare to step closer to thendmine because of the presence of the minotaur and horseman.
However, not all were afraid of the two monsters.
ROAR!
A loud roar came from the sky.
The crocodile head chicken body predator appeared right above the group.
The minotaur and horseman grew back to their original size, picking up their respective weapons and looking at the predator in caution.
Lucan, Pangnard, and Pdia were nervous too, only Kieran reacting differently.
He sat there with his second food container calmly and opened it up.
Kak!
Inside the container were two giant buns.
The fillings were unknown but the golden caramelized exterior tingled their appetites, hence distracting the minotaur and horseman.
The Herders knew they should be rmed in front of the predator but they couldnt stop their noses from sniffing.
The aerial predator did the same also, shaking its crocodile head and diving down at the ground.
It came for food and with the smell tingling its senses, it wouldnt just glide in the air without doing anything, but someone else was quicker.
A moment before the predatornded on the ground, a white handkerchief pped the crocodile face!
Go away!
After a feminine shout, the giant aerial predator was sent flying away.
Kamboom!
It crashed through the wood, bringing down several big trees before crashing on the ground. It felt weak afternding, shaking its head, trying to stand up but it failed to do so.
It seemed like that p wasnt just sheer strength.
Lucan, Pangnard, and Pdia looked at the person who pped the predator away in a heavy look.
The minotaur and horseman, who could perceive more, were very rmed, like they were facing their greatest enemy.
However, the person wasnt here for the Herders or the monsters. She used a very special moving technique, sliding through the guys and arriving in front of Kieran.
I knew it! Only Roye can cook such good food with such a good smell! Spare me some? If you spare one third of your food, I will team up with you throughout the Battle of Winter NIght!
As thedy stood on her feet, she voiced her proposition to Kieran but Kieran did not care, stuffing the second bun into his mouth.
The response from Kieran upset thedy, forcing her illusory tails and ears out but it was just a sh.
Pdia stared at thedy who stood before Kieran. She already felt familiar when hended his first nce on her and after the ears and tails making an appearance, Pdia finally knew who he was looking at.
Song Shi! Pdia screamed in shock.
Lucan and Pangnard heard the name too and they looked even more nervous.
Song Shi wasnt exactly a decent name among the Herders.
You bastard!
Why are you always so cold?!
Dont you want to be the victor of the battle?!
I tell you, I will stop you!
If you dont spare me food, Ill make a mess!
Song Shi said in an angry grunt.
She was the first of many Inhumans that left the city upon arrival, thinking about finding a quiet ce for observation, but who knew she would pick up the smell first before she found an ideal spot.
Subconsciously, Song Shi chased the smell, and she had a guess where the smell came from. She wasnt exactly surprised when she saw Kieran, though she didnt think anyone else other than Roye could cook such food, simr to the fact that she didnt think there would be another person who was as cold as a rock as Kieran.
They were considered familiar acquaintances and yet Kieran did not spare any food for her.
There wont be a victor in this Battle of Winter Night, Kieran shook his head.
What do you mean? Song Shi frowned.
Although she hated Kieran, she knew Kieran wasnt a person who would draw attention with fancy words.
In short, Song Shi believed Kieran must have discovered something to be saying something like that.
Under Song Shis curious gaze, Kieran took out the watch he got from Daliphen before he entered this city and tossed it into the fire. Song Shi tossed hers into the fire right away too and did not even hesitate about it. She did not care about those watches, she was curious about what Kieran found out.
With the restrains from [Seodi Stone], Pdia had no choice but to follow.
Lucan followed too simply because he believed in the person who saved his life.
Pangnard hesitated for a while before he too mimicked everyone by tossing the watch into the fire. He didnt want to get kicked off this little group.
After everyone tossed their watches into the fire, Kieran looked at Song Shi and said, Its simple, we were all deceived. We are in a giant trap now, especially people like you. Youve be someone elses hostage.
Chapter 1688 - Good News
Chapter 1688: Good News
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Trap?!
Hostage?!
Doubts shed over Song Shis clear eyes.
The youngdy from Song Shi Family did not understand what Kieran meant. She asked in an attempt to find out more, You are talking about the battle just now?
The battle was the only thing she could think of.
The Inhumans and monsters entered the abandoned city separately, simr to the Herders that entered first.
In fact, not just this Battle of Winter Night, the sequence was the same for every other year.
The Battle of Winter Night tended to be biased towards the Herders, which consisted of normal people.
In short, the main protagonist of the battle would never be themon Herders.
That was just a smokescreen. Since our entry yesterday, the sky suddenly turned dark and then turned bright again and all the killings are to set up this smokescreen, in order to make the short-tempered Inhumans and monsters fight each other. They needed this messy fight to attract all the attention. You guys are just the tag along, those outside are the real targets, Kieran shook his head.
Smokescreen? Those outside are the targets? Royan, what did you find out?
Song Shi wasnt stupid, Kierans words raised an rm in her heart.
Ive found out someone or something in this ce that has the ability to change day to night and night to day. On top of that, under this city, theres another city with a fully functional ss system. More importantly, that thing that can change the day and night seems to be working together with the one who controlled the underground city, Kieran said very calmly but his words shocked Song Shi.
As the eldest daughter in the family, she knew a lot more than the Herders, especially some mystical news and myths.
Changing day into night and night into day!
It might seem impossible in the eyes of themon, probably not logical to even think about it, but Song Shi knew someone who could perform such a grand trick.
However, that someone that she knew of would not have appeared in the Battle of Winter Night, neither would they have anything to do with the monsters in this ce.
But if someone who had the ability to change the day was somehow connected to the monsters in this ce...
Song Shi dare not ponder upon it anymore.
If before this, Song Shi considered herself as the protagonist of the battle, then after she heard about this someone that could change the day, all the participants wouldnt even be considered as supporting characters, at most a passerby or canon fodder!
Song Shi knew the strength level of her peers that participated in the Battle of Winter Night very well. She wasnt the strongest of them all, but definitely top 10, yet it wouldnt change anything.
She made it into top 10 of the power ranking, so what?
Against that someone that changed day and night, she would be less than a child.
Could Kieran lie to her?
Song Shi might hate Kieran but she hated his cold character only, she never doubted him for a second, never even thinking he had reason to lie.
Can you tell me everything that happened? Song Shi asked.
Kieran didnt say anything, looking at Pdia instead.
Pdia was taking many deep breaths to calm himself down after hearing the terrifying words from Kieran, finally regaining his calm after a while.
I never rted all of this in that way. I was curious why Lord Royan would go against the monsters directly and why he asked who was the strongest of the Inhumans, but now, I think I know why. Ms. Song Shi, its like this...
Pdia smiled bitterly.
Other than Pdia, even Pangnard understood and reacted properly when Kieran mentioned that someone who changed the day. He lowered his voice and exined the situation to Lucan beside him.
Following Pangnard and Pdias exnation, Lucan looked more serious than ever.
Someone set this whole battle up? We are being hunted as prey? Lucan said.
Prey? That would be the best case scenario. What I worry about is that we somehow became sacrifices! Pangnard said in a pale look.
After hearing what Pangnard said, other than Kieran and the two ox and horse, everyone looked extremely ugly.
They knew what Pangnard said sounded very reasonable, and other than that, they knew what would be of themselves if they were treated as sacrifices.
If normal death was feared, death for sacrificial reasons would be worse than dying!
No peace wille to the dead! No one would want to die a restless death!
But that lord organized this years Battle of Winter Night! How can he do such a thing?
Song Shi frowned in disbelief.
It wasnt just Song Shi who frowned, after hearing what that lord did and the stories revolving around him, Lucan, Pangnard and Pdia felt the same way.
From their view, that lord wouldnt have done these kinds of things, there was no reason for him to do so.
The lord wasnt just respected by the Herders and Inhumans, even the monsters respected him!
It was because that lord truly did things with utmost fairness and justice. He would never favour a side. Even if his own blood made a mistake, punishment will be delivered.
There were many times in the past that the lord came out to solve tricky situations and every decision he made satisfied everyone, including the Inhumans and monsters.
Therefore, when Kieran imed the Battle of Winter Night, which was organized by that lord, waspromised, it was rather hard for people to ept the fact.
The ce was chosen by that lord.
Wouldnt the lord know what was inside?
It was rather impossible.
Besides, what was the reason for the lord to do this?
Did he really view every participant as a sacrifice?
Question after question popped up in everyones heart.
Naturally and subconsciously, all eyes were on Kieran.
The little group had fallen into a messy state, their minds bogged down by the facts they discovered, so eventually they treated Kieran as the leader, the core of the group, but Kieran ignored the gazes and took out another food container, putting it beside the fire.
The heat from the fire made the oil inside the container sizzle.
Kieran looked at the container in anticipation, wanting to know what was inside it.
There was the smell of beef, the sweetness of onions, and a little bit of tomato sourness.
Beef brisket stew? Kieran wondered.
As forforting the others?
He wasnt Starbeck, why would he do such a thing?
More so, from how Kieran viewed the current situation, since they agreed to participate in the Battle of Winter Night, they must be resolute enough to face the worse case scenario.
Even though things would only go worse from here onwards, they should face it boldly and not be scared for the rest of the battle.
Besides, things werent that bad yet, and for Kieran, it was the best situation!
Chapter 1689 - Prelude
Chapter 1689: Prelude
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran entered the Battle of Winter Night as a Herder and he did not forget about that.
However, while his identity granted him the qualifications to enter the battle, it was also holding him back at the same time.
He represented Ai City, so he could not do something over, therefore, even though he knew the abandoned city had good things lying in the shadows, he had to search for them in a more subtle way, for his hands and legs were bound.
Although it was merely a deal, since he had made a promise to Huai Cuike, he intended to keep it.
BUT!
Things were different now, something unexpected had happened!
The lord, the big shot who organized this Battle of Winter Night, was actually plotting something!Read more new novels on
Regardless of what this mastermind sought after, Kieran was freed from his shackles.
So even Huai Cuike couldnt say anything about Kierans action anymore despite him striking the deal with Kieran.
Huai Cuike might even agree with his actions to save himself.
Thats right, he was saving his ass!
No one could force him to sit down quietly and wait for his demise!
Though Kieran wasnt in a hurry to make a move.
He had to find out what that lord and the red skull were after, or more urately, what they were plotting.
Outside world, eh? Kieran muttered to himself.
He put the empty container back into his backpack and then took another new one out and put it beside the fire.
In his heart, Kieran was contacting his Superior Demon, Bloody Mary.
With countless contracts binding Bloody Mary and Kieran together, the distance between Kieran and Bloody Mary was non-existent.
It has transcended through space!
...
Beep Beep Beep!
Themunicator at Daliphens waist beeped.
He checked the contents of the message and his face turned ck.
The middle-aged man who was snoring a moment ago, presumably passed out because of the alcohol, jumped up with beeps from themunicator.
Whats wrong? the man asked.
Take a look for yourself, Daliphen passed hismunicator to the man and then walked down the mountain
The man scanned over the contents and he too followed Daliphen down the mountain without a second word.
The content of the message was a simple one, there was only one sentence: the monsters entered earlier than expected, the Herders and Inhumans have suffered a great loss.
The engine roared to life, Daliphen driving his car towards a secret base 10 kilometers away from the little mountain. His car sped so fast, it looked like he was gliding on the ground.
Ahead of the car was a wooden barricade but Daliphen did not n on stepping on the brake, the modified jeep ramming through and knocking it into pieces.
BANG!
The furious Daliphen came down from the jeep after a hard brake, pushing the guards who came for questions away and storming into the tent in the center of the campsite with the middle-aged man.
Ciroc! Tell me what the hell happened?! Why did the monsters get in earlier!?
Daliphen mmed the table and questioned the man behind it.
The man, Ciroc, nced over Daliphens angry eyes and then lowered his head, looking at themunicator on his table quietly.
Under the tents lightning, the silver hair looked rather obvious among the golden ones, wrinkles spreading from his eye corners, his handsome face looking a little aged but that calmness on his face adding a sense of maturity and charm to his countenance.
BANG!
Answer me! Daliphen mmed the table again with a shout.
Ciroc wasnt bothered at all, even when Daliphen grabbed him by the cor, his expression not changing.
SPEAK! Damn it! Daliphen yelled.
What? The number of casualties? Or you want to go in yourself so you can kill those monsters? Ciroc said coldly.
Then why the hell you didnt do anything? Daliphen asked.
I already did! Before you two arrived, I already did what I could and Im waiting for news now, Ciroc answered.
Daliphen stared into Cirocs eyes, and Ciroc looked back without flinching.
In the end, Ciroc let Daliphen go.
He took a few deep breaths to calm himself down.
Tell me what happened, Daliphen asked.
The monsters broke the rules, Ciroc replied.
I know! Im asking who the hell did that? I will snap its neck! Daliphen said in gnashing teeth.
Im on it, Ciroc answered, as cold as before.
When his words subsided, themunicator on his table beeped and he answered it right away.
Its me, Ciroc, he answered.
Ciroc, weve got a big problem here. I suggest you bring all your men here. Lord Victor was murdered! the voice from the other end of themunicator was trembling.
The trembling voice clearly entered everyones ears in the tent, the angry Daliphen and the middle-aged man stunned.
Victor!
The name might sound normal but everyone on the mystical side knew what the name represented: justice and meticulousness!
Any matters would be treated with the utmost justice and fairness in front of Victor.
Like the Judge in legends, all injustice would be exposed and all wrong would be righted!
In fact, many already addressed Victor as Lord Judge a long time ago.
Those whom Victor helped called him that way, including some monsters, some monsters who were treated with injustice and wrongly used.
It was because of the trust from the monsters that Victors title of Judge spread like wildfire and that was 20 years ago.
Now?
Anyone who mentioned the name Victor would automatically add the prefix of lord, including those rulers of certainnds.
Mian Yi was the best example!
Due to the early entry of the monsters, Mian Yi was furious and his expanding head still couldnt wrap around the suddenness of the incident. He never thought those monsters were so bold that they would attack Victor.
It was an act of war!
Did those bastards lose their minds!? Mian Yi grumbled.
Due to the special traits of Song Shi Family, Mian Yi certainly didnt wish for a war to break out.
Song Shi Family might be recognized as Inhumans but its origin and roots were from monsters!
The identity might not be a problem during normal times, it could even achieve great results and sess in many things everywhere, but during the time of war, this kind of double identity was not to be trusted.
Humans would deem them as monsters and monsters would mark down what they did.
Damn it!
Mian Yi cursed out of anger but he wasnt slow at all, transforming into flowing light and flying towards another camp: the monster camp.
Transparent souls, translucent spirits, weird looking monsters gathered in this shady and dark cmp, but none of them looked scary or ferocious at the moment.
Quite the contrary, on their ugly looking faces was a sense of dullness.
As for the reason for the monsters to go nk, it was the body in the center of the camp.
A body sat in the center of camp, without a head and heavily damaged.
Strictly speaking, it wasnt even a body anymore, it was just a pile of skeletons with a little bit of flesh lingering around.
The monsters knew a group of ghouls attacked the camp earlier.
Unlike the monsters, who couldmunicate with others, the ghouls were mindless monsters and ferocious, fearing no death and the couple of Witchcraft practitioners among them created quite the problem for the monsters at camp.
However, looking at the skeleton, the monsters knew the real trouble was only beginning.
Victor was dead! Dead in their camp and more importantly... the shard of the Philosophers Stone on Victor was gone!
When the monsters discovered the skeleton, they had examined the body and the surroundings thoroughly, yet none of them found the shard of Philosophers Stone.
The worse thing was, when Victor was still alive and possessed the shard of the Philosophers Stone, some monster asked to see the shard out of curiosity and Victor did not reject the request.
Although during trial or judgement, Victor was just and strict but during most of the time, he was just a kind man, not just to fellow humans but to monsters as well.
He even went to extensive lengths by not bringing any guards with him while he settled down in the monsters camp, it was to prove his trust for the monsters, but...
Reality was a harsh one.
Victor died in the ambush and following his death, everything changed!
Exnations no longer worked, evidence was no longer relevant!
Everyone else would think the monsters killed Victor because they were after the shard.
The atmosphere in the camp was tense, the situation was so heavy that many monsters were looking at each other, doubting one another, whether any of them took the risk andmitted such an atrocity.
Victor was a nice man, no one would deny that but the temptation from [Philosophers Stone] was also undeniable.
Who was responsible for Lord Victors security before this? a monster with scales asked.
Its my Lord Du.
A spirit with the look of a young girl floated out from the crowd and replied softly, looking at the headless skeleton in sorrow.
Em. You shall die for this!
The monster with the scale raised its hand, fire engulfing the female spirit.
The female spirit felt the me but it did not struggle or dodge, allowing the fire to burn freely.
It had failed Lord Victor, so it would atone her wrongs by dying.
However, when the fire burned its translucent body, it sensed a very familiar presence.
It was the Philosophers Stone!
It started to struggle and scream, Its you! It is you who killed Lord Victor!
Chapter 1690 - Touch
Chapter 1690: Touch
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The wail of the female spirit entered the ears of every monster at the scene.
The monsters were already doubting each other and after the wail, the doubts exploded.
Fung!
A heavy whistle sounded, a ball of muddy water appearing in front of the female spirit and spraying water on her, extinguishing the fire in an instant.
Her fading body also returned to normal after the fire was killed.
Tsui Zui, what the hell are you doing?! the monster in scales questioned loudly.
What the hell am I doing? Im trying to make things clear, we want to know the truth!
A hoarse voice came from the muddy water but the one who spoke was too blurry to be seen.
You are suspecting me?!
The monster in scales spoke heavily, its voice indicating its rage and its scales ttering violently, as though they sensed his fury.
Im suspecting you? Only me? Wake up, open your eyes, look around!
Augh came from the muddy water, it then twisted and grabbed the female spirit to another side of the camp. Du, the scaled monster, wanted to chase, but several others stood in its way.
Let Tsui Zu question her.
You know what his powers are towards a spirit.
No spirit can lie in front of Tsui Zu, so just wait, it will be over soon.
Several monsters spoke one after another. They sounded messy but they did not step back at all, they even subtly ced Du in the center, surrounding it.
Further away, more monsters grew hostile against Du.
Du knew once it made its move, it would be ganged up, but... he felt the power of the shard of the Philosophers Stone inside its body and it made his heart sink.
It discovered the shard purely out of coincidence and it was natural that he wouldnt go tell everyone that he had obtained a treasure of such rarity.
It wanted to keep it as a secret and keep it safe, so it hid the shard into its body without further thoughts.
It was trying to use the power of the shard to nourish its flesh and blood so that he could grow quicker.
Compared to the other monsters, the power of the Philosophers Stone was very effective for him, the changes the shard brought very big.
It felt its body getting stronger by the moment.
Therefore, after it heard Victor had one shard of the Philosophers Stone and was giving it away as the prize for the victor of Battle of Winter Night, Du participated without a second thought.
It was determined to get the other shard, therefore it resolved to some despicable moves.
It told its subordinate to sneak in earlier than the designated time but it swore it never told its subordinate to attack Victor!
Du was also clear what Victor stood for!
Should he really attack Victor, Du would be the public enemy of all three parties: humans, Inhumans, and monsters.
Before its strength reached a certain level, it would never do something like this.
However, the unexpected drove it into a desperate situation.
It had no idea how that little spirit sensed the presence of Philosophers Stone in its body but it knew it must do something, otherwise it would die a graveless death!
Exin? Stop joking!
If exining could work, it wouldnt have to hide the shard it found and keep it a secret from everyone.
It knew how greedy its peers were. Even if it was right and reasonable, they wouldnt listen, let alone Du itself was dirty to begin with.
Du calmed its scales, its face still hidden under theyers of scales, but its eyes were looking at Tsui Zu and the little spirit further away, paying attention to the conversation, as if it was waiting for Tsui Zu to clear its name.
The other monsters frowned slightly when they saw how Du reacted.
It wasnt Du? the other monsters wondered.
However, at the very next moment, Du shrunk his scaley body and transformed into a ball, bouncing away.
The change happened very fast but the monsters reacted quickly.
As many different monsters chased Du, attack after attacknded on the bouncing ball of scales.
Under the rain of attacks, the sturdy scales were swiftly beaten into an ugly state but the wounds recovered exponentially.
The scales didnt just recover, they were even sturdier than before!
The monsters in pursuit were shocked by the scene and then greed came afloat in their eyes.
Du did not possess this kind of recover ability before this, the only exnation was the shard of Philosophers Stone!
That bastard killed Victor and snatched the shard of Philosophers Stone!
Kill him! Take back the shard!
All the monsters in pursuit were thinking the same thing.
As for the rules set for the Battle of Winter Night?
Victor was dead, his soul dispersed into the air!
There were no rules to abide by anymore!
Now, whoever got their hands on the shard, they would possess the power of the Philosophers Stone!
The monsters swarmed towards the direction where Du escaped.
When Mian Yi, Daliphen, and Ciroc arrived at the monster camp, the whole camp was almost empty, only that female spirit guarding Victors skeleton was left.
Yu, what happened here? Where are the others? Daliphen asked.
Du killed Lord Victor and snatched the shard of Philosophers Stone! It was his dirty work that sent the monsters into the Battle of Winter Night earlier than the designated time, the female spirit, named Yu, exined.
Du?! That bastard! Daliphen yelled loudly.
Although there was the Dark Moon Treaty, not all monsters followed it ordingly.
Simr to those Demon Hunters, who retreated to the mountains because they disagreed with the terms of the treaty, many monsters disagreed too but they did not leave in a peaceful way, quietly disrupting the peace and destroying the treaty in the dark.
In ces where themon couldnty eyes, the monsters roamed freely and Du was one of them.
The Herders once linked and suspected Du to five missing cases before, but theycked the evidence to charge Du.
Du wasnt just ruthless, it was cunning too and it was on the cklist of the Herders.
As for Du killing Victor and disrupting the Battle of Winter Night, Daliphen wasnt surprised at all. He had a hunch that Du was behind all this, same went for Mian Yi.
He was scolding Du in his heart while he left.
The killer had been confirmed, staying in the camp proved useless.
Compared to the killer, Mian Yi was more worried about his young mistress.
Please be safe! he prayed and hastened his steps.
He had to find the young mistress before things went beyond redemption.
Watching Mian Yi leave, Ciroc did not stop him.
As the person in charge of the Herders in this Battle of Winter Night, Ciroc knew what his priorities were, he had to bring back the young men and women inside the battlefield.
However, out of vignce, Ciroc carefully checked the skeleton again.
He meticulously examined every part of the skeleton and when he saw that red ring ring on the left index finger, he sighed.
It belonged to Victor and this body should be him, the respectful man of justice.
The ring of bloodline could never go wrong.
Yu, my condolences. Do you need us to help bury Lord Victor? Ciroc asked.
No thanks, Yu said softly.
Daliphen wanted to say something else but Ciroc pulled his sleeve and stopped him. They bowed at Victors body again before they too left the monster camp.
Yu did not care about Ciroc and Daliphen, her eyes never leaving Victors body.
She hoped for a miracle but nothing happened.
Victor did note back from the dead, he did not show her the warm smile again, even the presence of his soul wasnt around.
Victor was truly gone, gone before her eyes.
She was helpless against it.
She felt a grievance, she felt rage, she felt a grudge!
The negative feelings were like three long chains intertwining around her, constricting her like a venomous viper. The feelings fought inside her and strengthened her by the second, her translucent body slowly materializing, the gloomy and cold presence freezing the ground when she stepped on it.
A whileter, she moved closer to Victors body.
She wanted to bring the body along for revenge, she would make those bastards pay with blood!
Yu swallowed Victors body and vanished.
The whole monster camp was empty, only the night breeze whistled in the air.
More than 20 minutester, a figure sprung out from the ground at the corner of the camp.
The scales on its body was badly broken but not a drop of blood was spilled, Du chuckled menacingly.
It wasing after the shard of Philosophers Stone, how could it not be prepared?
It didnt just prepare itself on the battlefield of the Winter Night battle, it even set up a lot of traps in this camp, where Victor chose to settle down during the event. As a matter of fact, Du had prepared to lose in the battlefield and then snatch the shard back in camp.
Therefore, it had dug out many underground tunnels around the camp.
Some were for escaping and some were for ambushing.
It also knew that its tricks could only fool those bastards for a while, so it had to hurry.
Du strode to its own tent and with each step it took, the pain stung him hard and it clenched its teeth tightly.
Even with a shard of Philosophers Stone inside its body, it only elerated its recovery, not nulling its pain receptors.
Just you wait! I will get my hands on the other shard of Philosophers Stone! And then I wille for you all!
The excruciating pain from the broken scales stung its heart. Du swore loudly and at the same time hastened its steps. It reached its own tent and found the materials it prepared earlier.
The materials wereid on the ground and a magical formation was drawn quickly, low incantationsing from its mouth and its lips slightly curled into a small grin.
It was confident enough that those bastard would never expect it to go into the battlefield of the Winter Night.
Dus n was to go in, find a ce to hide, and spend 3 to 5 days to recover to its prime!
Until then... Hmph!
It coldly grunted in its heart and then quickened the incantations.
When thest part of the incantations were uttered, smoke rose from the magical formation. Du then stepped into the center but when it stepped inside, a hand came out from nowhere and grazed its body.
A dazzling glow was taken away from Dus body.
Du immediately knew what went wrong since he was very aware of its n.
The Philosophers Stone! My Philosophers Stone!
Du shouted loudly while the mist rose and gradually enshrouded it, struggling and trying to break free from the mist but the transportation formation was irreversible once activated. After the spell was activated, it was impossible to stop it, whether from the inside or outside, Du had to let the spell carry on.
All Du could do was watch the owner of the hand smile at itself delightfully.
Thats right! The owner of the hand did not run away!
Instead, the owner showed a despicable smile at Du, provoking it.
The worse thing was, this person held the shard of the Philosophers Stone in its hand and waved at Du!
Du was infuriated! Like a live volcano erupting!
I WILL KILL YOU! I SWEAR I WILL FIND YOU AND I WILL KILL YOU! Du shouted.
The badly damaged scales broke and shattered as Du got riled up, blood gushing out like a fountain from the injuries but Du didnt care. It couldnt care as its Philosophers Stone shard was stolen!
The shard was its root! Its everything! And it was stolen just like that! The thief was even provoking it!
No! I have to go back! I have to find that thief and crush him!
After losing the shard, Du couldnt care about anything else!
What recovery, what hiding, without the Philosophers Stone shard, everything would be meaningless!
So after it stepped into the city, the venue of the Battle of the Winter Night, Du started to prepare a transportation magic formatio again.
It had to go back right away!
However, just when it was halfway through, a figure appeared in front of Du.
This time, it was a young man with a normal look yet cold gaze, plus a veryrge and eye-catching backpack.
If it was any other time, Du wouldnt mind adding more on to its te, but it couldnt care less about the irrelevant now.
Get the f*ck off, or Ill eat you! Du shouted.
Kieran replied with a kick!
Bang!
His bootsnded on Dus face, which was covered inyers of scales, the immense power sending Du flying backwards and crashing into a building.
The concrete wall crumbled and buried Du underneath. Du waspletely stupefied by the kick.
F*ck! A mere human dare to kick me...
It shook its head and shoved the rubles away, but the following kicknded on its head again and the shout stopped abruptly..
Bang!
Again, Du was sent flying away and crashed into the neighbouring building.
Then before Du could get up a second time, the third kick arrived, followed by the fourth and the fifth.
Bang Bang Bang!
It was as though Kieran was practising ser, with him as the yer and Du as the ball, the ball kicked away again and again. At first, Du was still conscious about being kicked, but as the kicks went on, its consciousness started to fade and a series of doubt rose in its heart.
Who am I?
Where am I?
Why am I the ball?
Why am I being kicked?!
Du had no idea how long it had been kicked around and when the kicking finally stopped, it looked up and saw the young man in front of its eyes.
The sun was blocked by the young mans figure and set the normal looking face in darkness.
It wasnt just dark and abysmal, it was mysterious, and that voice of his was as cold as ever. Submit to me!
Chapter 1691 - The Virtues
Chapter 1691: The Virtues
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The cold voice entered Dus ears.
The monster filled with broken scales, despite losing its consciousness,ughed coldly.
Submit?
Why would I submit to you?
I am the soon to be king of monsters, Du!
I will be a legend!
I will be A GOD!
Even if I die, I will never submit!
Du lifted its head up, its face holding its pride and arrogance, but what it got in return was a kick.
The arrogance on Dus face instantly swelled.
The pain woke Du up from its consciousness and after it regained its senses, Du saw Kierans cold eyes.
It shuddered out of instinct.
It swore it had never seen such a terrifying gaze.
The eyes were cold and nk, as if they cared for nothing, yet were filled with killer intents.
The pair of eyes were like the abyss, destroying life and devouring souls.
Du slightly dazed off and felt like it was devoured into the abyss.
When it came back again, all Du saw in Kierans eyes was sheer killer intent, it felt so real!
Du felt like the gaze was a sharp knife over its neck and the sharpness was stinging its skin!
It wasnt a joke, it wasnt metaphoric, neither was it a bluff. It was very real, it felt very real!
Kieran was going to kill Du!
What should Du do in this kind of situation?
Du knew what it should do but the remaining pride in its heart caused it to hesitate. However, after its face was smashed down to the ground, it cried out loud, I submit! I hereby submit to the man before my eyes! I will be your most loyal servant, I will be the sword in your hands, paving paths and openingnds. I will be the shield in your hands, blocking the arrows from the dark to protect you from harm!
The vows sounded weird, who knew where Du heard it from but [Seodi Stone] acknowledged the confession and categorized it as the Oath of Allegiance, it was already enough.
Du was stunned when it felt an extra restriction from the Oath of Allegiance in its body.
It originally nned to submit temporarily just so he could live, like what it had always done in the past, but how did it turn out like this?
Du had fallen under the Oath of Allegiances control! And it would be the start of its nightmare!
Next, Kieran chose to use [Dominate].
Spirit authentications happened for both Kieran and Du, and this time it was faster than the previous one due to Dus Spirit being suppressed without resistance.
Master!
Du knelt on one knee and devoted his life and loyalty to Kieran.
Tell me everything you know, Kieran ordered.
Right away, Du told Kieran everything it knew and had done, and after connecting it with what Bloody Mary saw outside, Kieran immediately painted a clear picture in his mind.
Victor, eh? Kieran went into deep thoughts.
The shard of [Philosophers Stone] was no doubt a bait, a bait to seduce this scaley monster to do his bidding!
Create chaos and fake his death to escape!
But none of the listed was part of Victors true goal!
What Victor sought after was far bigger than this spection!
Doubts appeared in Kierans mind, but he reached out for a healing potion he got earlier and tossed it to Du.
Kieran had plenty of healing potions and if he could recover a decentbatants abilities by using them, he would be d to do so, especially since Du still had use.
Multiple vials of potion were poured into Dus mouth and its injuries recovered in an exponential rate.
Kieran then brought Du back to the temporary camp.
When the group saw Kierans return, they heaved a breath of relief but it was soon reced by doubts when they saw Du.
They knew Du, and those who did not also heard of its name before, and Du was everything but good, notorious for various reasons.
Now, Du was walking behind Kieran with utmost respect and reverence. It felt surreal for the group.
Royan, how did you do it? Song Shi asked out of curiosity.
I moved him with my virtues and reasons, Kieran said.
Song Shi squinted her eyes into a re, Do you think Im stupid? It still has footprints on its body!
Thats not footprints, thats lessons,! Kieran said affirmatively.
BULLSHIT!
Song Shi went away after being upset by Kierans bullshit.
Pdia took multiple deep breaths, trying to make himself look normal and suppress any kind of emotions showing on his face because he knew what had happened: [Seodi Stone]!
Other than the stone, there was no other exnation!
Pdia shuddered whenever he thought about the stone robbing peoples mind.
He had no intentions ending up like Du, a mindless puppet, but...
Subconsciously, Pdia nced at Kieran, and probably because of the viewing angle, or maybe he was overreacting, when Pdia looked towards Kierans direction, he felt like Kieran was looking at him too, like a chef looking at a fish!
The tormenting feeling almost pushed him to tears.
Whats wrong?
Pangnard realized something wasnt right with Pdia.
Nothing. I just realized something. I thought my life before was regretful but after Ive decided to follow Lord Royan and fill up the void in my heart before its beyond redemption, my life is given a meaning and I will keep it that way! Pdia said loudly.
Are you sick?
Pangnard rolled a white eye at Pdia.
Lucan, on the other hand, scratched his head. He thought Pdia was sick and unconsciously, Lucan looked at Pdia with an extra sense of pity, but on the outside, he was still sturdy and resolute.
He too didnt want to end up as a puppet, he had his own thoughts and consciousness.
Kieran didnt care about Pdias begging.
Pdia might be good but only for themoners and with his level of power upying a precious [Dominate] slot in [Seodi Stone], unless Kieran had lost his mind, he would never do it.
In short, Kieran looked down on him.
Using the Oath of Allegiance on Pdia was to quickly gain the basic trust only, nothing more than that.
What happened after that was all Pdias own overreaction.
Kieran looked at Du.
With Kierans permission, Du stepped up and caught everyones attention, it then spilled everything it knew and did frankly.
After hearing Dus confession, everyone looked heavy and serious, including Song Shi.
Song Shi might be reckless at times but she was by no means stupid.
She knew what they were facing, any misstep would cause them to die without a body.
No one would ever expect the Judge, Victor, tomit something like this.
Some hidden powerhouse lurks in the battlefield of the Battle of Winter Night and the organizer of the event, Lord Victor, died an unexpected death. I may sound stupid and I dont want to admit it but... Lord Victor is the biggest suspect behind all this! Pangnard said in furrowed brows.
It was obvious that the Judge, Victor, had deeply rooted his image into the peoples heart.
Until now, Pangnard still couldnt believe all of this was Victors scheme.
In fact, not only Pangnard, Lucan, Pdia, and Song Shi felt the same way too, especially the three Herders, who had a hard time epting it.
Quite the opposite, Song Shi, the Inhuman, quickly tidied up her emotions.
Did you guys ever think why Victor is doing this? Song Shi asked.
Unknowingly, Song Shi altered the way she addressed Victor, the title Judge was removed.
Pangnard, Pdia, and Lucan were stunned.
Subconsciously, all three of them thought of the term hostage that Kieran mentioned earlier.
With the hints given to them, they reacted fairly quickly.
The organizer of the event, Victor, is dead, so if theres any kind of unexpected situation that happened in the battlefield, it would seem normal too!
Like the monsters causing an uprising, or the monsters caught us off guard and take us hostage!
Each camp will surely send someone over and when that hidden powerhousees out again, we and the people whoe for us would never be able to escape!
Everyone came up with their own point of view on the situation and soon a terrifying fact was painted in front of everyone.
The group gasped when they had to face the horrifying fact.
However, Kieran quietly denied what the group said in his heart. He wasnt denying the guesses they came up with but the guesses were too one-sided, or in short, Song Shi and the others did not find the core of the whole situation, the shard of the Philosophers Stone!
Victor had nned so meticulously, why wouldnt he know Du was going inside the venue?
Or in other words, the scheme was so grand, how could the final target be a couple of young men and women from various camps, plus the people who woulde for them?
Victors ultimate goal was to go after the entire mystical side and get everyone with a single blow!
It might seem hard but it was actually very easy!
The whole venue of the Battle of Winter Night didnt just hold the shard of Philosophers Stone that Du brought in, it still had many other treasures acting as prizes hidden all over the te!
A bird dies for food, a man dies for money!
When those men who came into the venue searched for the shard of [Philosophers Stone] and realized the treasure prizes hidden all over the city, especially when the treasures were much better than expected, what would it turn out to be?
All the core forces from various camps would have a ughterfest in the venue!
In the end, the ughterfest would escte into a full-fledged war!
A slight thought painted a river flowing in blood in Kierans mind.
If the highest forces in the mystical side joined the war, it would be catastrophic!
It was without a doubt that Victor changed the whole Battle of Winter Night just for this particr moment and Kieran was sure Victor would still have many tricks under his sleeve as insurance and a backup n.
Aftering up with such a meticulous n, Victor was considered a very careful person, and if such a careful person had zero backups or insurance, Kieran would be the first to not believe it.
As for himself?
Kieran ought to be careful of the backup ns, and at the same time, he would get his hands on those treasure prizes that were treated as bait!
......
Somewhere underground.
The dirty water flowed out through the drains, rumbling loudly like a rapid current, but it wasnt as grand as a real river, especially with that terrible smell.
Each time the water rumbled, the bad smell would spread.
The smell had been around for a long time and the sewer reeked heavily.
Even rats couldnt take the smell and the monsters barely came down here, so it became a very ideal location for a secret meeting.
The red skull with the broken hood came down, its mantle waving as it walked and the soul fire in its eyes bing the only light source in the dark sewers.
Even though the soul fire brought light, it showed nothing but coldness.
Anyone who basked under the soul fire would never feel warm, they will only feel despair, despair from the bottom of their soul.
The prayer beads were twisted one after another.
The lower jaw of the skull opened and closed repeatedly, muttering an eulogy that no one understood and it entered the ears of the one the incantations summoned.
It was a spell and a calling.
Fuaaa!
The smelly river rumbled fiercely.
A figure jumped out andnded in front of the red skull.
Ive been waiting for you, said the red skull. It raised its hand and gave the person a gunny robe.
The person epted the robe and then started to wipe his body. After he cleaned himself, he put on the robe without any disagreement.
Im sorry. I only have a robe here for you to wear, and you wont like the other outfits I have here.
The red skull pointed at its broken mantle and said with a grim smile, but the smile was hard to ept. It showed fear and ferocity only.
After I made my choice, nothing matters anymore. Dead or alive, its the same to me, let alone a piece of robe, the man said as he walked closer to the red skull.
With the light from the soul fire, it revealed a slim, handsome face. His grayish hair was messy and wet because of the current but his eyes were keen and shining under the light.
It wasnt crystal clear though, it was shining with substance, like fire.
His eyes were very attractive, like they had seen through everything on earth yet remained untainted by the mundane.
His unique eyes set off his handsome look better and it unconsciously made one forget about his age.
Of course. You have left life and death behind, otherwise you wouldnt be this... crazy!
The scarlet red skull thought for a while beforeing up with thement on the man. It sized up the man carefully, not knowing what the man was going to do or had done. The red skull could not imagine how a normal man like him couldmit something so terrifying.
Strength was one of many ways to transcend, but the heart was the one and only.
Unknowingly, the red skull thought of a phrase that its master used to say when it was still alive.
Though transcendence and the matters at hand had zero rtions, it was just simr.
The man before the red skull had zero power but his heart was very strong, probably even scarier than many other things!
The red skull dare not ck off in front of such a coborator, so it asked again Are you sure about this? Are you going to give me your heart, your flesh, your soul after you achieve your goal?
Didnt we agree on this? We even signed a contract, the man asked back.
Contract? In my opinion, thats the most unreliable thing! the red skull said and then turned aside.
Come! Let me bring you to them. Without them, your n may still fall shortbut if you want them to bring out their preciousness, you have to show equivalent value or effort. And you have to promise to not have extra thoughts about those precious treasures. To me, those are also real treasures!
Chapter 1692 - Outside Mou
Chapter 1692: Outside Mou
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Treasure?
The man didnt say anything, his eyes were nk as paper and it made the red skull a little disappointed after sizing him up.
It hoped that its coborator had more emotions, even a little greed would be good but...
Sighing in its heart, the red skull hastened its steps.
The red skull and the man were at the edge of the outer ring, but to get to the Jia Sector they would need to travel quite the distance and go through a guarded hang bridge.
Although the red skull had many ways to get into the Jia Sector, it was different this time, it had to be frank and righteous.
Hehe.
Frank and righteous?
How long had it been since the red skull used this phrase, let alone carry out the meaning?
It had been a very, very long time, to the point that it felt ridiculous to humans; the red skull wasnt human though.
In the uing journey, the red skull kept quiet, as did the man.
A monster and a man walked through the outer ring and reached the entrance to the Mou Sector: a hundred meters long, the wobbly hang bridge felt like it would break any moment.
Under the hang bridge was a dirty river with muddy water, which smelled better than the sewer where the man jumped out from, but the current was fierce.
More importantly, under that rapid current there were manyrge shadows swimming over from time to time.
Something bad was swimming in the river.
At the other end of the hang bridge, a white monster in full white attire was standing straight there.
The white monster stood as if it was frozen, staring without blinking at the red skull and the man.
General White.
The red skull showed its atrocious face and handed over a token.
The white colored monster didnt say anything, stepping aside and making way for the red skull and the man into the gate of Mou Sector.
This is General White, the most loyal guard among our coborators. It is dutiful and it doesnt need to rest at all. It has been around the gate of Mou Sector for almost a hundred years and has never made a mistake.
The red skull exined to the man as they both went through the gate, slowly vanishing beyond sight. Its voice was fading away but the white monster didnt even react.
At first, this General White felt delight for thepliments but as time went by, it got used to it, so much that it never reacted topliments anymore.
Now, it felt likeughing, not theugh of delight but theugh of self-mockery.
The general that stood guard in front of the gate was nothing more than a gatekeeper, even though others called it general, its duty never changed.
If it knew it would end up like this, it would have gone to herd the horses instead. It wouldnt even mind if others called it the protector of horses, at least it woulf be better than standing in front of the gate without moving.
It was very boring!
Despite its heart grumbling and regretting, General White never lowered its guard. When some figures shed over the opposite of the hang bridge, it quickly noticed it.
Though General White did not feel nervous at all. Instead, itughed.
The only time when it felt happy during its gatekeeping duties was when intruders arrived, especially the weaker ones!
Although this intruder was very careful, General White could tell this intruder was only slightly stronger than a normal human.
An ant stronger than the other ants was still an ant, not much effort was needed to crush it.
In order to make sure its uing time wouldnt end up in boredom, General White had decided to hold back and y with this intruder for a while.
Even so, General White did not forget its duty; it stuck its weapon of choice, a stick filled with vengeful spirits, into the ground that it was standing.
The vengeful spirits from the stick immediately flew out and became soul guards, looking around the area.
Ten pairs of eyes were better than one.
The reason why General White never made a mistake in the past 100 years was because of its vengeful spirits, they held most of the credit.
After all, it was impossible for General White to never rest in a hundred years.
It nced over its vengeful spirit guards in satisfaction before chasing the intruder with anticipation.
It hoped to get rid of its boredom.
On the other hand, Pdia, who acted as Whitet, ought to cry a river.
He knew he shouldnt have articipated in this years Battle of Winter Night, living his life in the Gemstone Sector was much safer!
Living in the streets, searching for his next target, tackling the girls around the neighbourhood and the mother of the girls chasing him down nine streets or more, those days were so nostalgic!
If he could get his hands on a can of bear and a bag of fried chicken, it would be heaven!
But now?
Pdia was Whitet!
He could lose his life any second now, let alone getting girls and fried chicken!
Should he disagree to the suggestion, the cold expression from Kieran made his heart shudder.
When Pdia regained his senses, he was already en route to distracting the white monster.
Pdia felt the presence behind him hunting him with leisure. He knew what the hunter wanted to do because before he left the group, the two ox and horse monsters in his side had told him everything about this white hunter.
Other than the dutiful side, the white hunter hated boredom and resented loneliness.
Pdia understood the feeling very well, anyone who stood there for a hundred years would end up like that. Therefore, Pdia also hoped that the white hunter would spare somepassion for himself. Being the Whitet wasnt easy and he hoped when he got struck down, the white hunter would hold back.
Pdia was praying non-stop in his heart, but unfortunately, he had no religion and never believed in any gods, so even if he devoted his life to praying in this desperate situation, no god would answer.
Huaaa! Fuaaawaaaa!
The air-breaking whistle sounded behind him.
Without even looking back, when the rattling whistle sounded through the air, Pldia knew it must be from some chains or a hook rope or some simr weapons because he too was very skilled in range weapons.
Therefore, Pdia knew exactly how to respond. He did not alter his escape route right away.
The rattling chains sounded louder and closer in his ears.
When the noises reached a certain loudness and transformed into a heavy whistle, Pdia made a sharp side roll.
The iron w with chains behind it grazed Pdia and plunged deep into the ground in front of him.
The w strike missed.
The white monster was surprised and then it got more excited.
It pulled the chain back, the w in the ground bursting out and flying towards its prey once more.
However, unlike the previous prey, this prey seemed very familiar with this kind of range weapon. When the white monster attacked, the prey already performed a dodge and even seized the moment to sneak into an alley, thuspletely escaping out of the ws range.
General White showed a cold smile.
As the game to cure its boredom, it didnt mind the prey running because the prey could run but it could never escape.
General White knew this ce like its own body, to the point that he could walk around with its eyes closed.
The alley that the prey ran into was an abandoned one. Other than many bushes and greens, there was nothing and it was a dead end!
In short, other than hiding in the bushes, the prey had nowhere else to run!
After knowing where its prey would hide, General White got even more rxed.
It walked into the alley and then turned to the dead end, then strode over to the messy bushes.
The bushes were as all as a man, and they were not just any type of grass. This kind of grass was a native special to this ce, it required no sunlight and could grow on dead bodies.
As for how the grasses grew so tall and lush?
There were too many people solving their personal grudge here.
However, no matter how many humans or monsters died here, it had nothing to do with General White. All it cared was its prey.
The w in its hand had stopped spinning, it wasnt wise to use the w as a weapon in such a limited space, but it didnt mean it would give it up.
It held the w at the iron part and treated it as a dagger, General White then slowly walked to the bushes with a cold smile.
Then...it saw 3 extremely buff figures smiling grimmly at itself.
A horse-face, an ox-head, and a grizzly bear.
Each one of them was bigger and more ferocious than thest.
Shit!
General White wanted to retreat out of instinct but it had no chance to.
The horse-face grabbed it lightning fast and the ox-dead stuffed a handful of grass into its mouth with utmost teamwork.
Slightly slower but the stronger bearman mped it down like an iron mp, robbing it of its ability to exert strength.
After that, attacks were unleashed on the white monster like the storm.
Ox hooves, horse hooves, everythingnded on the white monsters face.
How dare you stop me from going in!
How dare you snatch my food!
How dare you look down on me!
As they beat the white monster up, the horse-face and ox-head scolded furiously.
Lucan, the bearman, ought to join the fight too, the battle instinct of the Northerner causing it to roar furiously but it had to stay behind and mp the monster down.
He was bound by his task, so he had to give up on the urge to pound the monster, but it hugged the monster even tighter.
Grack!
Crack!
General White felt the grizzly bearman break several of its ribs but it couldnt care about all that now.
This was a trap! A trap specifically targeted at itself!
The white monster looked at the horse-face and the ox-dead with utmost viciousness, remembering who these two were.
General White hated these two monsters the most during normal days. They followed no rules and liked to cause trouble here and there, therefore it has never let these two bastards into Mou Sector unless either one of them brought a token. That was only one time in a hundred years but that token was a fake and General White saw through their little tricks.
It chased the two bastards for hours and almost tossed them into the smelly river for a bath.
Now, it was their revenge at itself!
Who gave you the balls to! General White yelled in anger, but its mouth was full of grass, so its yell became a muffled whimper instead.
The minotaur frowned, grabbing more grass and stuffing them into its mouth,pletely silencing the whimpers.
General White couldnt resist at all or even make a noise, its body constricted by the bearman and its mouth stuffed with grass.
The minotaur looked at the scene with utmost satisfaction, its hoofnding on General Whites body again.
It felt very good when its hoof stomped General Whites stomach!
It had imagined beating up this white bastard more than once, and now, its dream came true!
It felt great!
The more the minotaur stomped, the happier it got, the same went for the horseman.
Compared to the minotaur, the horseman was more skilled in kicking its enemy with its hooves, each kicknding precisely at the weakest spot on the body and delivering the most pain to the white bastard.
A few minutester, General White couldnt hold it anymore, its white outfit was stained with hoof marks, its white hat was nowhere to be found, and its hair was messy. It red at its attacker and prepared to activate itsst resort.
Lucan, who held General White tight in his hands, felt something was wrong.
Careful! Lucan warned the others.
At the next moment, General White transformed into its soul form and went through Lucans arms.
After it broke free from its constraint, General White did not run, but turned around at the minotaur and horseman.
Very good! Very good! I have never been in such a ugly state before! You guys did it! And you guys also sessfully made me angryI guess I wont be bored in the next hundred years anymore, Ill hang you all in front of the gate and slice you everyday for the next hundred years!
The angry to twisted voice sounded from General White, anyone who heard its furious voice would shudder without the cold, but not the minotaur and horseman.
The two of themughed at General White.
Ive said it right, this guy has some decent abilities, its troublesome to deal with but it has lost its mind in its hundred years guard duty, it still has no idea what is going on.
The minotaur slightly pushed its arm at the horsemans shoulder.
I think its mind is really gone, its so stupid!
It was rare for the horseman to agree with the minotaur but the fact was undeniable.
It tried to argue with the minotaur but it couldnt find any facts to support the idea.
The white bastard was really stupid.Read more new novels on
Subconsciously, the horseman looked at General White with an extra sense ofpassion.
General White got stunned for a second before recovering.
It wasnt stupid, it got slow because of the long period of time in gatekeeping, but sometimes, life and death were decided in a split second.
More so, General White got stunned more than a second.
Just before it wanted to turn around, a longsword perforated its illusive body.
Excruciating pain like it never felt before spread in its soul, but General White did not have the chance to even scream because another knife was ced over its neck.
Compared to the longsword, the knife felt even more terrifying.
It had no wish to take a stab from the knife unless it had a death wish.
Right away, General White rxed its furious soul and used its action to tell the owner of the knife that it was harmless, but the knife did not move from its neck.
The hand holding that knife didnt even budge and the owners voice was colder than the arctic wind.
Pledge your allegiance to me.
The cold voice sounded very resolute and when the voice entered General Whites ears, the knife had cut its skin.
The pain from its soul being cut almost drove it crazy. It was nning to stall to form a n but it seemed like that wasnt an option anymore.
What the hell?
I didnt even reject and he is killing me?
At least wait for my answer and then kill me!
You dont y ording to the rules!
General White screamed in its heart and quickly made up its mind.
Chapter 1693 - Three Kings
Chapter 1693: Three Kings
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
I pledge my allegiance to the person behind me!
General White spilled out the words almost without consideration.
Compared to its own life, temporarily pledging allegiance to the person behind it was nothing!
However, never did General White think even after it shouted its allegiance, the knife on its neck did not go down, instead it cut its flesh quicker.
Thats why I said you are brainless. If my lord wants your allegiance, how would he not know what you are thinking? These kinds of bluffs will only kill you faster!
The minotaur and horsemanughed together.
The shackles of truth!
General White instantly reacted to the situation.
It had multiple contacts with the kings of Ring City, so it knew how scary those things were and once formed, it would be equivalent to handing over ones life and death.
Even those kings in Ring City wouldnt simply use this method!
It wasnt because of mercy orpassion, it was because the toll and the cost was huge.
It was not possible for one to only form a contract with a single target. Should that happen, the person who initiated the contract would have to consider the peoples reaction and in order to eradicate chain reactions caused by ill-intended parties, forming contracts with everyone inside was the best option and it was something those kings couldnt bear.
Only the false king on the surface was forced to resolve matters in this extreme way because he couldnt move. While he gained many loyal subordinates, at the same time, he had lost the qualifications of the true king.
General White really hoped that it wouldnt fall under such a contract but... it had no choice!
The knife was almost halfway through its neck, if the knife went further, even with its monsters traits, it would perish!
A secondter, General White sighed helplessly.
I pledge my allegiance to the person behind me!
This time, [Seodi Stone] captured the vows quickly and the Oath of Allegiance was in effect after a breaths time.
However, Kieran did not choose to use [Dominate] on General White.
Unlike the cunning Du, this white monster was obviously less smart, so he wouldnt waste his effort.
The power of the Oath of Allegiance started to spread in its heart, General White standing still like a dead person, as though it was really dead, but after a while, it realized it still retained its own thoughts and mobility, feeling delighted.
Im not a puppet?!
General White looked at the minotaur and the horseman.
Of course you are not a puppet! We are not those bastards who think they are so smart and do all those things!
The minotaur and horseman replied frankly.
Without a doubt these two monsters were at the same rank with the white monster in Kierans point of view. They were all not that smart, so Kieran could save his energy.
My lord, what do you need from me?
Since General White retained its self-consciousness and did not lose its mind to the stone, it turned around to Kieran and asked him.
I want to know everything that is going on inside, Kieran said.
You mean Ring City? I understand, I will tell you everything.
General White did not keep any secrets, it told Kieran everything it knew.
Unlike the minotaur and horseman, who had never been into Ring City, General White had a better understanding of what went on beyond the gate.
Mou City Sector, the farthest outer ring. In fact those unnamed sectors were all considered part of Mou Sector and it was the biggest area of Ring City. Many monsters that served the kings in Jia City Sector lived here.
Ding City Sector, the secondary outer ring. The ce for the monsters who got recognition from the kings. There were secret magic formations cast by the kings around the area to generate more negative energy.
Bing City Sector, the outer ring, was also the military base. The soldiers of the kings lived here, so the negative energy there was denser. The part connecting to the secondary outer ring had a market and would only open every 15 days. Those monsters in the secondary outer ring could pay some cost to get into the outer ring.
Yi City Sector, the inner ring. The ce for the generals,manders of the army of the kings.
Jia City Sector, the core of the whole Ring City, the ce where the kings lived.
Pay some cost when the market opens? Kieran asked about the part that caught his attention.
Yes. Have you heard of Crossing Coins? General White asked.
Crossing Coins?! This kind?! Kieran was shocked, he quickly took out a Silver Crossing Coin and showed it to General White.
Yes! General White nodded.
Kieran squinted his eyes at the fact.
This world used Crossing Coins as a currency unit? So what was the rtion between here and the outside world?
This world was once part of the outside world?
Or the Crossing Coins from the outside world came from here?
Many thoughts popped up in his mind but it didnt stop him from seeking more answers.
The kings, how many are they? Kieran asked.
There were 4 kings from the start but only theres only 3 left now. The 3 kings are King Liao, King Reow, and King Qi. They were all the founders of Ring City, together with the missing King Ren. Legend says when Ring City was born, the four kings had been around.
General White showed respect when it mentioned the kings of Ring City.
So is that King Ren dead? Kieran asked.
I dont know, he should be missing though. When King Ren went missing, Id just gotten the post of gatekeeper outside Mou City Sector. I dont know a lot about him but in my blurry memories, Ring City was in chaos back then, wars would break out once every few days. However, the monsters said because King Ren was missing, it allowed the enemy to seize the chance to attack, replied General White.
When General White mentioned the enemy, it looked rather strange.
The minotaur snorted at the exnation.
What enemy? Its a civil war! The other 3 kings were causing a scene during King Rens absence! Those three bastards! The minotaur grumbled.
The minotaurs reply attracted an angry re from General White.
It stared at the ox-head and the ox-head stared back without stepping back, but both of them did not fight, knowing who was in charge here.
The horseman?
There was no expression on its horse-face but it stood by the minotaur. It was ready to beat up the white monster with the minotaur should a fight break out.
Kieran wasnt interested in the monstersment. Whether it was a civil war or an invasion, he had no interest at all.
He waved at it and continued asking, What about that red skull? What is that thing?
He is an ally to the kings. He came to Ring City after King Ren went missing and lived in the Jia City Sector but most of the time, he wanders all over the city and rarely goes back. Though he just brought a man into the city to meet the kings.
White monster then described the mans look and emphasized on the smell from the man.
That man must havee from the Reek River. Rumour has it that the Reek River is connected to the outside world. I never knew it was true, the minotaur eximed.
That guy is a warrior! The horseman was also astonished.
The minotaur and the white monster knew what was in the Reek River, so they nodded in agreement.
Reek River was scarier than a fermenting cesspool and someone swam through it toe into Ring City.
Although the distance in between was unknown, it wasnt something that could be achieved in a short period of time.
The three monsters pondered upon the fact and showed respect to that man from their heart.
They would rather die than swim the Reek River because there was a high chance that they would drown in the rapid current. Rather than die in a filthy river with rapid current, you might as well just die on the spot.
He brought a man? Kieran pondered on it for a while.
He didnt ask who he was but based on what the white monster told him, he was sure the man was Victor.
He didnt know how Victor faked his death but he knew why Victor went into Ring City: to incite war between the humans on the outside world and the monsters in Ring City.
Just like what he spected earlier.
Then... was there any Whitet in Ring City that could incite war?
Where is the treasure vault in Ring City? Kieran asked without further ado.
Its inside King City but I dont know where it is, the white monster answered.
You dont need to, someone will guide us there, Kieran said before he headed towards the hanging bridge.
The three monsters were confused but they followed nheless.
Pdia, who acted as Whitet earlier, tended toy low and be as quiet as possible so that he would not attract attention. He really wanted to leave with Pangnard and the others but he knew it was not possible because he was different.
With the Oath of Allegiance in effect, Pdia was a grasshopper tied to a rope and the rope was in Kierans hand.
He couldnt run at all, all he could do was hop forward into the darkness.
But... could he not walk on the path of self-destruction?
Going straight into the treasure vault of the city?
This wasnt the right way, even if he had a death wish!
The treasures were good but one had to stay alive to enjoy them!
Dying over the treasures would do him no good!
Pdia fell into despair as he followed the group.
Lucan, who stayed beside Pdia, didnt mind at all. He was very happy to tag along.
He came into this Battle of Winter Night to find the treasure of the Northern Woods and he was very sure that treasure was hidden inside Ring City, plus, Kieran did save his life before.
If he could search for his treasure of the Northern Woods and help Kieran along the way, in Lucans point of view, it was killing two birds with one stone.
When they arrived in front of the hang bridge, General White went over to retrieve its stick filled with vengeful spirits but it did not open the door. Instead, it led Kieran to another side.
What are you doing? The minotaur asked with a suspicious re.
My lord wants to go to the treasure vault, so we have to go through Ding, Bing, Yi and Jia City Sector, but theres a lot of guards along the way and when we enter the inner city, the generals andmanders of the army are everywhere. Do you think my lord can bring all of us in? General White grunted coldly.
You have a secret passage to reach the vault? The minotaur got stunned.
Not secret passage, an emergency passage!
General White emphasized before it pushed the wall open, revealing a tight passageway that only allowed one person to go through at a time.
The passageway was crude and simple. It didnt look like something that was built with the city, it looked more like someone dug the passage out little by little.
The minotaur, horseman, and Lucan looked at General White in surprise.
Ive stood guard here for a hundred years, cant I get myself a hobby? Whats wrong with digging a passage? General White said while straightening its neck.
Nope, theres nothing wrong, its just that I never thought we were the same! The minotaur chuckled in an evil way.
The minotaurs hobby was robbing and snatching from other weaker monsters, it enjoyed taking food and treasures from others that it blocked on the road, hence its name was notorious even among the monsters.
General White was well aware of the notoriety too.
I hate monsters without techniques like yours, General White showed disdain in its words.
It naturally attracted an angry reaction from the minotaur, the argument starting again.
Pdia couldnt care less about the argument, turning a deaf ear and looking at Kieran with a pitiful look.
When the passageway was revealed, he knew Kieran would assign him a new task, but he really didnt want to ept it.
The passageway dug out by General White might not be safe, and aside from that, going into the passage alone and sneaking into the King City would put Pdia in a dangerous situation.
He didnt want to step into the chambers of the three kings alone.
Go scout it out, Kieran said.
Yes, my lord, Pdia walked into the passageway with a crying face.
Right before Pdia stepped inside, he turned to General White and said, You better pray the passageway is safe, otherwise I will haunt you even if I am dead!
After the passageway wasplete, I went through it once or twice every year and nothing ever happened to me, so why would something happen to you? There are markings on the wall, they will tell you which exit you are at and remember to check whether it is safe outside before you open the doors.
General White was very confident in the passageway that it dug up.
Pdia asked General White about the meaning of the markings before he went into the passageway.
...
Ring City, King City Sector.
Victor was in a guest room and was looking at the red skull with doubts.
I cant smell, so it wont affect me but the three kings are different. If you dont want to get thrown out before you even meet them, I suggest you clean yourself carefully here before the meeting, said the red skull.
Since when did the kings of Ring City add so many unnecessary rules? Victor frowned.
Since the birth of the city and when they were crowned king, everything changed after that.
The red skull then stepped outside the room and closed the door.
Looking at the closed door, Victor showed a grim smile.
What a lousy cover up, Victor thought before he walked into the bathroom.
While the water showered down, the red skull was already in the center of the King Sector: the royal hall.
Three gold-forged thrones towered over everything at one end of the hall, three figures sitting on top of it and because of the intertwining light and shadows, their faces were cked out yet it made their figures look bigger.
The veil of mystery shrouded over the three kings.
The red skull felt the grandness and the mysterious presence from the kings, its heart overwhelmed with praises.
It wasnt the first time the red skull met the three kings but it would exim how powerful the kings were every single time.
At the same time, it would also remind itself what it should do in front of the kings.
After a bow, the red skull said, Your Majesties, Victor is here and he... bears ill intentions.
Chapter 1694 - The Mantis Stalks the Cicada
Chapter 1694: The Mantis Stalks the Cicada
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The red skull behaved very politely, coupled with its respectful bow earlier, it was like the most loyal subordinate of the three kings.
However, the three kings of their thrones didnt care about what the red skull said. Disdain rose from their hearts, they shut their eyes to rest and no one believed the words from the red skull.
They knew what kind of evil being the red skull was.
Aside from the mouth full of lies, the viciousness in its heart was few times worse than the kings most cruel subordinates.
A few secondster, chuckles came from the right throne.
Ill intentions?
The chuckles were filled with sneers.
The sneers werent meant for Victor but the red skull and the red skull reacted just fine at the sneers.
It bowed again.
Your Majesty, I can assure you Victor really bears ill intentions. He is here to incite war between us and the outside world. A slight misstep will lead Ring City down a path of destruction, said the red skull.
Ring City never feared war. Blood offering is the root of Ring City. Bones piled up as walls around Ring City. And the souls of the dead are the best kinds of desert!
The voice came from the right throne but unlike the cold chuckles earlier, this voice sounded very bloodthirsty and the urge to ughter was obvious.
The aura from the right throne also filled the hall following the voice.
The whole hall reeked of blood, like a thousand gallons of rotten blood filled the space.
The soul fire in the red skulls eye sockets flickered for a moment and then returned to normal.
Of course. We never fear war!
The red skull suppressed the trembling from its heart and answered obediently.
It hated this feeling, but was helpless against it.
It wasnt because of the suppression of power but because of the very first contract, not with the three kings, but with that King Ren.
Although the three kings werent King Ren, the contract between the three kings and King Ren would still affect the contract between the red skull and King Ren. Whenever the red skull thought of the idiotic ways of King Ren, it couldnt help but chuckle in its heart.
With a more respectful look, it continued, Not fearing war has always been our strength, it made us invincible but that doesnt mean we can be manipted, it will make us a joke and even force us to bear unnecessary risks... More importantly, it will taint the name of your Majesties! So I dont think we should agree to his words!
The red skull bowed again after that.
Are you teaching us what to do? The voice from the right throne expressed its dissatisfaction.
After standing straight, the red skull bowed again after the slightly angered voice from the right king.
I dare not offend, sire! Im just giving a suggestion, a suggestion from a loyal official! The red skull said while trembling.
You little...
Enough. Wheres Victor?
Right after the right voice spoke, it was stopped by another voice from the center throne.
Unlike the grumpy and harsh voice on the right, the center voice sounded kind and pleasant.
He is washing himself up and changing into some new clothes.
Sire, do note that he came here by the Reek River, said the red skill with slight embarrassment.
When Reek River was mentioned, the center king jolted and fell backwards on his throne, even the left and right kings reacted the same.
The right king even grumbled loudly, You piece of shit! You better make sure he is clean! If he stained my carpet, Ill hang you and him on the walls until you dry up!
The power of Reek River was endless, even the three kings of Ring City had to step back against it.
No one would quarrel with a cesspool. Whosoever was stupid enough to fight with it, regardless of victory or loss, would end up in shit.
Ill make sure he cleans himself more than three times.
The red skull bowed again before it left the grand hall.
After it stepped out of the hall, the soul fire in its eye sockets flickered.
Everything went smoothly!
It was easier than expected!
A hundred years had passed, it allowed the red skull to learn how to deal with the three kings and perfect its ways.
Only obeying wouldnt work. Instead, using unorthodox ways to reason with them would grant surprising results. Though the red skull must know when to use its methods and control it with perfection, or it would end up with the opposite of what it desired.
Compared to the grumpy and easy-minded King Liao, the red skull was more careful against the soft and kind words of King Reow.
As for King Qi, who wasnt really a talker?
The red skull had no idea at all. If King Qi wasnt in his throne throughout the meeting, the red skull would not even have realized his existence.
Nheless, all three kings were serious foes of the red skull and whenever it thought about going up against them, the soul fire in its eye sockets would jolt.
Though it quickly regained its calm because it had acquired an ally, an unreliable ally with malicious intents.
But, having one would be enough!
The red skull hastened its step, when it returned to the guest room, Victor was already cleaned up.
I would tell you to put... Umm... right, perfume. You people call it perfume, right? said the red skull.
I want to know when the three kings will see me, not to put on perfume or not, Victor said.
After you put on the perfume!
As the red skull exined, it extended its hand out of its sleeve and gave a thumbs up to Victor.
Victor wasnt surprised about how it went down.
The reason why Victor picked the red skull to be his ally was because the red skull had the capabilities to carry out his n, and he knew a lot more than the red skull thought.
Do you think I will be carrying things after Ie out from that ce? Victor asked.
Of course not. I gave you the robe anyway, so I prepared some other things for you.
The red skull then took a ss bottle out from its sleeve. Inside the bottle was some ck liquid but when it uncorked, the smell of grass and dirt flew out.
The smell was shallow, one would need to give it a good sniff to get the smell but it was very good in cover ups.
When the grass and dirt smell came out from the bottle, the smell from the Reek River was instantly suppressed.
This is the essence of grass seeds I gathered from the surface, its been grinded and extracted into its purest form. I usually use it during celebrations around Ring City, the red skull exined.
Victor didnt say anything, taking the bottle and pouring half of it on his body.
The red skull watched in satisfaction.
Both of them were smart people, not all ideas must bemunicated through words. Tacit understanding and contract were always the basics.
However, some precautions must be taken before moving forward with the coboration.
The essence from grass seeds was real, but something else was mixed into it.
It wouldnt do any harm in a short time but as time went by, if the liquid wasnt mixed with another kind of substance, the target would rot.
Follow me please. Remember what I told you, you must be respectful when you meet the three kings, the red skull reminded Victor.
Victor nodded.
However, after he entered the grand hall with the red skull and saw the three kings on their thrones behind the shadow, Victor remained straight and had no intentions to bow.
The red skull pulled Victors sleeve to remind him but Victor didnt care at all, instead he stepped up boldly.
The soul fire in the red skulls eye sockets started to flicker again and just when it was about to move forward with its n, King Liao of the right throne spoke.
Hmph!
Ignorant mortal!
You are going to express your honor with your bold moves? Do you know what happened to thest guy who did that?
The cold grunt echoed in the hall like a p of thunder..
The threatening words, together with King Liaos aura, poured down on Victor like a mountain above him.
Victor turned pale against the pressuring aura but he did not step back or bent over. He gave his best effort in straightening his body.
Hang me dry on the city walls? Victor asked.
You knew? King Liao was startled.
I saw those obvious bodies on the city walls when I came in through the gates, Victor said calmly.
Dont worry, you will join them soon.
King Liao obviously felt mocked, mming his arm on his throne.
Several evil spirits sprung out from the ground and surrounded Victor, trying to take him down.
The icy chills stung his body and spread to every inch of his muscle.
Victor looked at everything calmly, as though the one being taken down wasnt him.
Right before the evil spirits draged Victor out of the grand hall, the throne in the center spoke.
Wait!
The kind and pleasant voice sent the evil spirits away, Victor then walked back to the kings again.
This time however, unlike the first, Victor bowed respectfully towards the king in the center.
Your Majesty, Victor said.
I dont like people who y tricks. The reason why I let youe back is because I am curious why you are here. If you can satisfy my answer, Ill spare you. If not, I wont hang you dry on the city walls, instead I will drown you in the Reek River.
The voice was still pleasant and kind but the contents were spine-chilling.
Victor smiled, Sire, do you want to leave this ce?
Victor spoke like always but it forced the presence around the throne to a pause.
Not only King Reow in the middle, even King Liao on the right and the quiet King Qi on the left were shook. The shadows around them were affected by their emotions, starting to gather above Victor like a dark cloud over his head. It was suffocating and lightning even rumbled across the hall.
What do you know?
Scarlet, did you leak this?!
Kill!
The first one was from King Reow.
The second was from King Liao and it came after King Reow, the hostile aura shrouding the red skull.
The third was from King Qi. The moment his words subsided, the whole hall turned cold, like the ce had fallen into an icy hell.
It wasnt an illusion!
Victor clearly saw his breath turn white!
As for Scarlet the red skull?
It already knew Victor would persuade the three kings with some special methods but not this special. Scarlet cursed Victor in its heart but the power from the contract forced it to bow.
I did not leak any information regarding your Majesties! I swear! Scarlet said.
He has nothing to do with this, I researched this ce beforeing, Victor said.
Researched?! You are lying! Ring City would never be researched by the likes of you! King Liao ferociouslyughed.
Thats under normal circumstances. What if... I used the Philosophers Stone? Victor said with a smile.
Philosophers Stone?
The three kings jolted.
The fearsome aura in the hall temporarily dispersed.
The hall returned to its peaceful state and the three kings exchanged gazes with each other in the shadow.
They heard of the Philosophers Stone before, especially of its miraculous acts.
If it was the real Philosophers Stone... They could very well get away from this ce! Away from this cage!
Eager, King Reow did not speak anxiously, looking at King Liao.
King Liao got the signal and said, So? You used the Philosophers Stone to spy on us, so that you can trick us to eliminate your enemies?
Of course not! We have amon enemy, because the stone is in their hands!
Victor corrected King Liaos words and before the king could speak, Victor added, In fact, everything is part of my n. I identally got a piece of a shard from the Philosophers Stone and through this shard, I can locate the core. Its with that group of people! However, under normal circumstances, I can never get the core of the stone.
That is why I proposed this Battle of Winter Night and I hope I can get your aid, your Majesties! I need that core, I must have it! With that core, I can revive my wife! Of course, reviving a mortal wouldnt use a lot of the stone, so it will be enough for your Majesties to get away from your cage. I assure you what I said is the truth and I am willing to form a contract.
Victor bowed respectfully after he finished.
The three kings didnt speak any further, a piece of contract flying towards Victor.
Victor nced over the content and bit his finger to sign it.
After the contract was formed, the atmosphere in the grand hall eased up, even King Liao put away his hostility.
The contract was valid, it was proof that Victor did not lie.
The Philosophers Stone was real and it would be theirst hope to leave this cage.
Tell us, what are you going to do? King Reow asked.
I need the humans and monsters whoe for their juniors to find something special in the cityit does not need to be too valuable, but must be enough to move their hearts, Victor said.
The three kings looked at each other and nodded en masse.
Very well, the kings promised.
The whole King City went to work immediately.
Precious items and Crossing Coins were moved out from the treasure vault in boxes.
The guards of the King City stood guard around it as they were waiting for the time to move out.
The sunlight would still affect them, so they had to wait for night.
While the guards waited patiently, they did not notice a pair of eyes under the ground were watching everything in glimmers.
Chapter 1695 - Completely
Chapter 1695: Completely
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Pdia anxiously ran back to the entrance of Ring City.
The moment he saw Kieran, he excitedly said, Precious treasures, boxes of Crossing Coins!
He cheered and danced as he delivered the delightful news.
He only calmed down after a while.
Pdia from Gemstone Sector had a dream of getting wealthy and the scene that he saw back there was very impactful.
He wouldnt even need a lot to achieve his dream. If he could pocket the treasures and the Crossing Coins he saw back there, he could already be on his way to his ideal life but he was still sane and rational.
Aside from the Oath of Allegiance from [Seodi Stone], the guards around the treasures and the potential danger present stopped him from realizing his dream. This was not something Pdia could solve alone, he must rely on Kieran.
Although he couldnt get everything if he relied on Kieran, it would be better than getting nothing at all.
As for how much Kieran would reward him?
Pdia has no idea, probably not even a dime.
He did pay a great amount of effort though.
Pdia silently pondered upon the question and looked at the also silent Kieran.
My lord, what should we do now? he asked.
Wait. Wait for the treasures and coins to leave Ring City and go up to the surface!
Kieran exined and then he walked into the passageway alone. He had to confirm something with his own eyes, such as the location of the treasure vault!
Since the very beginning, the treasures and Crossing Coins moving out from the vault as bait were never Kierans main target.
He was after the treasure vault of Ring City and he believed the good things wouldnt be used as bait by the three kings.
Though that didnt mean he would simply give up on the bait.
The bait and the treasure vault of Ring City, which one would he choose?
Sorry, only kids choose, Kieran takes all.
The passageway was high and low but every single path wasbelled clearly.
Every single exit and observation point was very inconspicuous. It was clear that General White was very careful.
At the end of the passageway, the intersection between the inner city and the King City had an observation point and Kieran spotted the group of monsters escorting the treasures and Crossing Coins that Pdia mentioned on first nce.
There were a total of three carts.
It wasnt horses in front of the carts but a camel of sorts: bigger, hairier and stronger. It was very obedient when tied to the cart, its head lowered, and other than tapping its hooves asionally, it never moved.
The first two carts of the three had six big boxes on it. When the camels moved their hooves, the boxes on the carts swayed and Kieran could tell five of the six boxes were copper coins and only one box was silver coins.
Approximately 2,700 copper coins and 200 silver coins, no gold coins in sight, Kieran calcted in his heart.
The actual number of Crossing Coins wasnt that much different from Kierans estimation, because if the kings wanted a decent bait, the Crossing Coins were only the supporting point, the main point was the treasure.
Kieran looked at the third cart.
Unlike the big boxes of the Crossing Coins, the boxes on the third cart varied in sizes. At first nce, Kieran made out at least 10 boxes and each box emanated the presence of at least a Rare rank item.
Not bad, Kieranmented and then looked inside King City.
The moving process wasing to an end and but not yet finished.
Two monsters were finishing up the moving at the end.
One of them was moving the boxes and the other one was counting the loaded boxes.
Kieran sharply noticed the monster counting the box was different from the others who moved the boxes and guarded the cart. The former was much more powerful, it even looked cleaner and dressed in a more luxurious way.
Although the other workers and guards werent as savage as most of the monsters, whenpared to the one who counted the box, they looked poorly dressed.
Aside from that, the convoy escorting the treasures and Crossing Coins werent inside the King City, they were outside the inner city and not too far away from the passage observation point.
The monsters could have saved manpower and time by moving the convoy inside the King City to carry the cargoes yet they spent so much unnecessary effort...
Ranks? Kieran muttered softly.
Though it wasnt a bad news for Kieran, at least he had gotten a general location of where the treasure vault was inside the King City.
If White would dig deeper, Kieran would have gotten in the treasure vault already.
It was just a wishful thought though, the three kings inside the King City werent idiots.
Should White dig deeper into the treasure vault, such amotion would have attracted the kings attention.
Kieran nced over the grand hall, which was the most eye-catching building in the King City.
Through Kierans perception, the grand hall was very special. It didnt just shield the building from Kierans senses, it prevented him from knowing the presence inside and it even subtly unified everything in the King City.
This must be some kind of secret magical formation without a question.
Anyone who stepped into the magical formation or King City itself would never escape the three kings sight.
Kieran frowned, this wasnt good news to him.
The treasure vault was inside the King City.
His brows furrowed as he pondered upon the question, Kieran realtered his n and then went back the way he came, but right before he left, his eyes caught a glimpse of red.
Kieran stopped and held his breath.
He stood beside the observation point and carefully looked towards the direction where he caught the glimpse of red.
Next time, please tell me before you do anything, Scarlet the red skull said in dissatisfaction.
The result turns out quite decent, Victor brushed Scarlet off with vague words.
But if it ended any differently, both of us would be dead! Scarlet emphasized.
That wont happen, Victor said in a firm tone.
The man and monster conversed as they walked to the front of the convoy.
Under Kierans watch, Victor obviously heaved a breath of relief after he left King City, Scarlets soul fire in its eye sockets even flickering multiple times.
At the same time, the man and monster were signaling each other with hand gestures subtly.
It seemed like they knew or were able to sense that magical formation either.
The red skull is really working with Victor?
Kieran had a heavy impression on the red skull.
The red skulls aura ranked around rank III and rank IV but what it did and the abilities it had shown was very weird. The ability to change day to night was not something a rank V could do, it was even impossible for the ranks above V.
Kieran knew it very well as a rank V himself, so the red skull must have used some special item to perform the feat, or...
This ce had an unusual rtion or effect on the red skull, the geographical advantages acknowledged the red skulls presence!
Regardless of which it really was, the red skull was not someone who should be underestimated. Plus its special identity in Ring City, it was fair to consider that it held an irreceable position in Victors n.
Yet someone as powerful as the red skull agreed to work with Victor, so it formed a question in Kierans mind.
What is the red skull seeking?
Why did it work with Victor?
Compared to how Victor persuaded the three kings of Ring City, Kieran was more curious how Victor persuaded the red skull.
Persuading the three kings with the current situation wasnt too hard.
The three kings might make a move even if Victor did not persuade them and all of this was built on top of the existence of Victors qualified ally, the red skull.
As for the red skull helping out voluntarily?
Stop joking!
Unless Victor was the red skulls son, it was impossible!
While Kieran was pondering these questions, the convoy was moving out.
The red skull put its hands together and prayed.
Victor pointed at the boxes and said, Remember to throw the boxes when you reach the surface.
The reminder was for the monsters but none of them spare a nce at Victor.
Do take note of what Mr. Victor said, the red skull said.
Yes, my lord, The monsters bowed quickly.
Lets move out, the night is here!
The red skull waved its hand and saw the convoy out.
Victor also saw the convoy leaving his sight, his face unusually calm, not mad about the discrimination he got from the monsters.
Cant you show another kind of expression? the red skull asked.
What expression do you wish to see? Victor asked.
Joy, happiness, sorrow, anger? After persuading the three kings, your face didnt show any joy. When insulted by some low level monster, you didnt show any anger. Do you know? If I dont sense your vitality, I might think I am talking to a dead person, the red skull said.
I dont have the basic emotions, what joy, what happiness, what anger? After my wife died, all I have left is sorrow and it will not go away with time, Victor answered.
The red skull seemed to be satisfied with the answer though, its soul fire flickering again, but it didnt ask anymore.
I hope our partnership is smooth sailingI start to regret that you and I are working together, the red skull said.
You dont have a choice and neither do I.
Victor then walked back into King City.
The red skull rubbed the broken prayer beads in its hand before following it up with a lightugh.
Kieran saw monster and man walk away from his sight before he returned the way he came from.
Recalling the conversation between the man and monster, Kieran found out something.
Both of them were forced to work together because of some untold reasons but their working rtionship wasnt that strong. That red skull might still test Victors fealty until now.
Of course, a part of them might be putting up an act.
When both of them were conversing, the hand gestures did not stop and it seemed like the hand gestures held the true conversation rather than the verbal one.
Judging from the unique and never before seen hand gestures, both of them must have known each other for a long time, otherwise they wouldnt havee up with such a way tomunicate, which only the two of them knew.
The red skull has been to the outside world before? Or did Victore to this ce before?
Questions lingered in Kierans head, hastening his steps.
He went offter than the convoy, but he managed to beat the convoy and returned to the entrance of Mou City Sector.
Kieran gave a meaningful nce at White and took Lucan, Pdia, and the two monsters to the other side of the hang bridge.
In order to secure ess to the passageway, Kieran couldnt afford to expose White right now, therefore the nearby area would not be a good location to jump on the convoy.
...
Gak Tzzt! Gak Tzzt!
The heavy wheels of the carts rolled over the wooden nks of the hang bridge, squeaky noises sounding as they moved forward.
The monsters handling the convoy tended to be more careful.
They wouldnt want to fall into the moat during an easy mission.
Once fallen, it would be the end of them.
The monsters that lurked in the moat would never care what fell in, everything that fell into the waters was food to them, and other than being eaten, there was no second oue.
Thankfully, the entire convoy crossed the hang bridge safely.
The leader of the convoy, a monster with feathers all over its body, heaved a breath of relief.
Hey gatekeeper, fix the bridge when you are free! It yelled at White.
The other monsters who were recovering from their nervousnessughed out loud immediately, wiping away the tense situation.
Before White could say anything, the convoy moved out quickly.
They had no interest in hearing Whites answer, he was just a gatekeeper.
Likewise White to them as they were rude. They were going to be dead monsters anyway, so it wasnt wise to argue with them.
White believed the lord that it now served would not spare any of them, and as a matter of fact, Kieran did things much more thoroughly.
When the convoy reached the surface, the ambush happened with a wave of a hand from Kieran.
Lucan in his bearman form was the first to jump on the monsters.
There was no technique involved, it was a straightforward, rampant charge at the carts.
Two monsters were crushed to bits before they could even reach. The rest of the monsters were stunned and then started to dodge the rampant charge but that feathered monster smiled coldly.
It was easy to dodge this kind of simple attack, all it needed to do was move out of the way and it was as easy as flipping its palm for the feather monster, as it could fly.
It pped its wings and flew up into the air.
Ignorant fo-... Huh?!
Before the feather monster finished, it was forced to a stop abruptly.
An iron pitchfork flew out from the shadow silently and pierced the feather monsters chest. Another chop from a greatsword followed behind it and decapitated its feather head before it could reach.
The minotaur and horseman chuckled in a strange way as they walked out from the shadow.
They raised their weapons and chopped the nearest monsters in half.
The minotaur and horseman were professional in this kind of ambush and robbing. They did it for a living before this, so they knew what woulde next.
The minotaur jumped up andnded beside the cart. Its body grew bigger and then pulled the camels into the passage beside them, it didnt want its spoils to be damaged.
Some monsters would struggle fiercely on theirst breath and the minotaur had many simr experiences before.
The horseman jumped to the third cart and swung its greatsword, chopping the monsters who threw themselves at the horseman into half. The horseman protected the back of all the carts and stopped the monsters from damaging the goods.
You bastards!
Do you know who you bastards are robbing?
This is the kings cargo!
Who gave you the balls to do this?!
The monsters from the convoy shouted, one after another, chasing the minotaur and horseman into the passage.
Then, it ended.
Du, the scaly monster, had been waiting for a while inside the passage and when the carts came in, Du sted out a ball of fire at the monsters in pursuit, setting the entire passage on fire.
The monsters fell into the sea of fire.
Du turned a deaf ear at the monsters wails and walked across the fire to Kieran, who was outside the passageway. Du then knelt down on one knee.
My lord, Du greeted respectfully.
Kieran nodded and spoke softly, I need you to do something for me...
Chapter 1696 - Boom!
Chapter 1696: Boom!
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The news on the ambushed convoy got back into King City inside Ring City after three hours.
In fact, if King City did not send scouts after the convoy which did not return after the designated time, the time would prolong endlessly.
Who!? Who the hell is it! I will tear it to shreds!
After knowing the news, King Liao roared furiously in the grand hall.
As for why it and not him?
King Liao firmly believed that those pups from the outside world had gone through many unexpected changes and were currently in panic. Before they made contact with their parents in the outside world using some bridge, they would never pay attention to the underground city.
Even if they noticed the underground Ring City, they would keep their distance because as long as they werent idiots, they knew the darkest underground without sunlight was the most dangerous.
Keeping their distance from the underground city was the safest way to survive!
Getting close to the underground city?
Stop joking.
No one would y with their lives and approach such an obvious danger.
King Liao was very confident of that and what his subordinates reported after that verified his thoughts.
A monster covered in ck armor knelt before the three kings.
Sire, the attackers tried to cover their traces with fire but we found traces of hooves at the scene where the convoy was attacked. There are also the marks of a pitchfork and a greatsword. Based on the traces we found, we have reason to believe that the attackers were Peis and Anno, a pair of monsters, the leader of the scouts reported.
Peis, Anno?
King Liao was unfamiliar with the names of the strangers.
Peis is a minotaur and Anno is a horseman. They lurked around the outer city sector and robbed others for a living. They once tried to sneak into Mou City Sector but were stopped by Guard White, hence the grudge towards Ring City. They would asionally cause trouble for us. Ive sent a team to wipe them out before but these two bastards are very cunning. Wed lose them every time and they escaped outside Ring City.
Unlike King Liao, the leader of the scouts seemed to be very familiar with the minotaur and horseman, speaking of them with great understanding.
I hope this time you wont lose them like you always do, King Liao said in a heavy tone.
Of course! I assure you sire, you will see their heads in the shortest time possible! The leader of the scout gave its assurance.
It wasnt talking big, it was confident it could capture the minotaur and horseman.
From how the scout leader viewed it, the reason why the scouts let the minotaur and horseman escaped in the past, other than the area outside Ring City being toorge for a proper search, was that the leader and its men did not treat the robber duo seriously. They simply searched for the duo due to standard operating procedures and the dissatisfaction from the monsters inside Ring City.
This time, however, wasnt the same!
These two robbers were bold enough to ambush the convoy from King City! This would be the end of the robber duo!
The scout leader looked down with bow and slowly retreated out of the grand hall.
After the leader went out of the grand hall, the door slowly closed up and it straightened its back before it strode to the inner city.
A group of 300 scout riders wearing the same armor as the leader had been waiting in formation in the inner city.
The armor was pitch ck, shadowing the riders faces and only revealing two soul fires in their eye socketsthe horses they rode were as ck as their riders, with a body of armor and soul fire in their eyes.
As dead spirits that once fought on the battlefields, these monsters were stronger and more ruthless than normal ones.
They were fond of not only killing their enemies but also torturing their prey, therefore they were King Liaos favourite.
Take Peis and Anno back! For his Majesty!
The leader chanted loudly and hammered its chest in the direction of the grand hall.
For his Majesty!
The rest of the monster riders chanted en masse.
The group of riders then turned their horses around and rode out of Ring City.
King Liao saw how vigorous and quick his favourite group of riders were, the respect from them very satisfying, causing him to nod in delight.
King Liao strongly believed this group of riders would not let him down.
The troublemakers will soon be apprehended. What should we do now? Follow that mans suggestion and send another convoy to the surface? King Liao asked.
King Qi was as silent as usual, as though he was asleep, not moving at all.
King Reow chuckled, Are you really going to send another convoy?
Of course not! We might have lost a little of our collection but its our collection! King Liao shook his head.
Em. That is why we are doing this our way. Also, I dont believe them. Whether it is that Victor or that bastard, both of them bear hidden agendas, likewise us too. Isnt it fair? King Reow nodded slightly, his action so soft but the shadows around his throne shook.
Fair! Of course its fair! Now, do I need to kill those two bastards? I have been waiting for a long time! King Liao said eagerly.
No need to rush, they cant run. What we need to do now is capture those pups. We still need to work with Scarletdid you find out where his powerse from?
King Reow then looked at King Qi.
King Qi shook his head in the shadows, he didnt speak a word but the other two kings understood the meaning.
That bastard Scarlet, always so mysterious. The robe and the prayer beads are all pretentious items, but his prayers were very suspicious in my point of view, King Liao said.
Prayers, eh? King Reow thought about it for a while before he waved his hand.
Several blurry figures flew out from the shadow and then the grand hall.
Leave Scarlet to me. Ill leave the pups on the surface to you. Remember, alive! King Reow said.
I will try to hold back. Its just a taste, I wont eat all of them!
King Liao vanished from his throne with a franticugh.
King Qi, please continue to cut the transportation link, dont stop before King Liaoes back.
King Reow also vanished after that, leaving King Qi alone in the grand hall.
Thest king on the throne remained silent, though his hand under his sleeve was moving.
...
Back on the surface, on the outskirts, Pangnard was standing straight with an ugly look.
He used every single way that he knew of to contact the outside world but none bore results.
One of the methods Pangnard tried worked yesterday, but not now.
Someone sealed us off? Or... is it the handy work of those monsters in the underground city?
Pangnard looked even more worried as he pondered. Regardless of which spection he came up with, it wasnt any good news to him.
Pangnard originally nned to return to camp, contact the Herders, and then open a passage for the help toe in to end the Battle of Winter Night earlier, so that that muscle-brain Lucan could leave this ce alive.
But now?
He couldnt even get back to camp, let alone end the event earlier.
The worst thing was...
Souu!
An air-breaking whistle sounded, Pangnard moving a bit and raised his gun.
Bang!
The magic gun hit the attacker urately, it was one of the monsters from the other camp.
The magic bullet sted a hole in the monsters chest, which was the size of a fist, yet the monster didnt care, it staggered a little before it ran towards Pangnard again.
Pangnard moved backwards while he fired his gun repeatedly.
Bang Bang Bang!
Three consecutive shots were fired, thest bullet sted off the monsters head and it finally fell down without anymore struggles.
Though Pangnard didnt stay for long, he didnt even have time to clean the battlefield before he ran to the other side of the woods.
Right after Pangnard left, the predators appeared and more than one!
Simr to the other monsters, they didnt care whether it was day or night anymore. Any living being that entered the outskirts was their prey.
These predators, as long as 10 meters with their wings fully extended, soared the sky silently. They would storm their prey whenever they picked up some unusual noise.
Many prey died like this, without knowing why.
Some victims were Herders, some Inhumans, and some monsters.
The number of all three parties sharply reduced once more, especially the Herders.
When the night suddenly befell them, the outskirts became a fearsome ce for the young Herders.
The weaker and less careful ones died, one after another.
Those who remained were either extremely strong or very vignt and most of them were the best of both.
However, even if Pangnard wanted to team up with them, it would be anything but easy because none of them trusted Pangnard.
All the other Herders would run away from Pangnard upon seeing him and those who got near would fight him.
Pangnard was helpless against it. He highly believed if he was Lucan, the result would be a lot better but still limited.
Now he was stuck in the middle. He couldnt go back and couldnt team up with others, he had fallen into a weird and ill cycle.
The worse thing was, he knew the situation before him was considered calm. If that Royan did anything stupid, the real danger will follow.
Pangnard looked up at the dark sky, sighing helplessly and ran deeper into the woods.
Other than hiding, he couldnt think of a better way.
Simrly, Song Shi was also sighing and she also ran into the same problem as Pangnard: unable to contact the outside world.
As the eldest daughter of Song Shi Family, her family had fully prepared her for this event. Other than the many methods ofmunication and escape, even her emergency ns and items had choices for her to choose.
Though should she forcefully leave the venue, she would be disqualified but it would be better than dying, right?
Mian Yi was behind all of the preparation, he hoped that the youngdy would just give up upon entry.
As for thedy he served winning the whole event?
Hmmm... impossible.
Mian Yi understood the youngdy very well.
To put it in an euphoric way, she was naive and the less than pleasant way was that she was ungrateful little bitch, especially her ability to cause problems wherever she went.
How could a person like her win the Battle of Winter Night?
Song Shi had no idea what Mian Yi thought of her, and even if she knew, she wouldnt care.
She was Song Shi, the eldest daughter of Song Shi Family. There was no need to exin the motive behind her action.
She sighed, not because she couldnt go back, but because she was hungry.
Even though she had some well-baked rations with her, every time she thought of the food Roye cooked and the food container in Royans backpack, Song Shi could barely swallow anything.Read more new novels on
After multiple failed attempts, Song Shi got grumpy and stuffed her piece of biscuit back into her pouch at her waist. She then sniffed around with her nose.
A dogs nose was very sharp, but a foxs nose wasnt all that bad either, and probably stronger than a normal dog because she was not just any fox.
Nevertheless, she still couldnt locate Kierans whereabouts.
Covered his scent? Bastard! How afraid is he? Me stealing his food? Hmph! I will not! And dont you think you can lose me this easily!
The illusive tails and ears appeared on her, and this time, she did more than just sniff around.
She used her ability from the bloodline to search for Kieran.
She always used her ability, especially against some special bloodlines, which proved useful, but not this time.
She clearly felt Kierans presence around the area but something seemed to have blocked her out.
The shielding power was special, something like the contracts but also felt like seals.
Hmph!
Song Shi grunted, she was upset. She then took a strand of fur out from the pouch.
It was a foxs fur but not her own, her mother gave it to her.
The strand of fur could greatly enhance the bloodline power and amplify her fox abilities.
Although her father told her not to use it and hoped that she could grow step by step with a stronger base, she was troubled by hunger at the moment.
She knew her parents would forgive her for using it, so she put it to immediate use.
The illusive tails and ears became more realistic, but... she still couldnt locate Kieran.
It upset her even more, she took out another strand of fox fur, and then the third, the fourth, the fifth...
When the fur in her pouch was running low, Song Shi finally got something.
She saw a figure enveloped in magma and chained down with ck chains.
Even though it was chained down, the figure was still as arrogant and untamed as ever, its eyes even showing disdain.
When Song Shi saw the arrogant look and eyes of disdain, she knew she had found Kieran even without further, careful observation because both of them looked the same!
As for the face?
Who cares, both of them looked verymon anyway.
Song Shi flew towards the direction where she spotted the magma figure, following her vision and then she went underground.
She then found herself beside the Reek River.
Ugh!
The heavy stench made her retch, she saw Kieran further ahead and shouted at him, Give me your backpack! The food is being contaminated! They are crying!
Song Shi ran to Kieran as she cried.
Does fox trick people like this?
Kieran turned to Song Shi and then pointed at his backpack, which was wrapped in 20yers of stic wrap.
Im just worried about you...
Grrrmmmmm!
Song Shi was being serious but before she finished, her stomach grumbled again.
Kieran watched her without any reaction.
What are you looking at? This is normal bowel movement, its one of the proofs that I am human! Song Shi replied with a re.
Oh, Kieran kept away his gaze and looked at the Reek River.
Song Shi wanted to say something but when she opened her mouth, the stench entering her mouth and then her head, choking her until she could barely stand.
What the hell are you looking at? This ce stinks! Lets go!
Song Shi said in a muffled voice with her hands over her nose and mouth.
Ever seen a ck firework? Kieran asked.
What? Song Shi was startled.
Kieran reached out to a lighter, lit it up, and then threw it into the hold beside the river.
It wasnt a natural hole though, it was dug up by someone and it was rather new.
Song Shi could tell the hole was very fresh, but just when she was pondering what Kieran was doing, Kieran grabbed her by the cor and ran.
Song Shi shouted loudly out of anger, What the hell are you doing...
KABOOM!
Before she finished, a deafening st silenced her hearing, the ground trembling fiercely as Song Shi stared nkly at the scene.
Behind her was... Ring City! And it was copsing!
Chapter 1697 - The Same Starting Line
Chapter 1697: The Same Starting Line
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Loud explosions sounded endlessly, the trembles getting fiercer.
The buildings of Ring City flew up to the sky and then the ground started to copse, as though a giant demon opened its mouth and swallowed the entire city.
Song Shi widened her eyes in disbelief, her mouth wide open at the jaw-dropping scene.
What the hell happened?
How did Ring City vanish before her eyes?
She was just standing right there a moment ago, how could something so big vanish in an instant?
The messy thoughts made Song Shi dizzy, she didnt even mind Kieran grabbing her by the cor and running forward. She hoped that he could run faster before the explosions were still going!
Song Shi was considered lucky, she was brought away by Kieran, who had obviously prepared for this, but the monsters in Ring City werent that lucky.
The majority of the monsters were bombed to pieces without knowing what happened.
Some stronger ones were heavily injured and moaned in pain in the rubble.
The strongest ones werent harmed by the explosions but stunned by the scene.
Who am I?
Where am I?
Where is my house? Where did it go?
Why is it so smelly?
The powerful monsters dull expressions were slowly reced by rage as they watched their homes turn into ruins and bathe in vile stench, their eyes turning red and roaring furiously.
Who!?
Who is it?!
Get the hell out!?
The roars spread to the farthest and deepest ce. Kieran could faintly hear the shouts in his ears but he didnt care. He ran even faster because his senses picked up two terrifying auras rising up from the King City in the copsing Ring City.
King Reow!
King Qi!
These two were standing in the center of King City.
King Qi was on the left wearing a grand, ck long robe with golden linings. A golden crown was over his head and some scales were glimmering on both his cheeks, making his fairly good looks more enchanting and bewitching.
King Reow was on the right, wearing a simr ck long robe with golden linings but he had bigger and longer sleeves, his golden crown had a feather of a peacock as decoration. Unlike the enchanting look of King Qi, King Reow showed off a more prestigious and noble look. He stood there like a god, injecting thoughts of kneeling and worshipping into peoples mind.
The crowns were slightly different but they represented the identity of the kings.
The two kings werent on their thrones anymore, the shadows that shrouded their faces had faded.
King City was caught in the explosions too and a corner of the grand hall had copsed, the tightly woven magical formation greatly weakened after losing one end.
The magical formation lost more than just its defense, its sensitivity was weakened to a new low also.
When the explosions went off, the two kings already knew something was off, but they were one step toote from stopping it.
King Qi was using his powers to block and intercept the transportation energy. He couldnt spare further attention for the explosions, and even if he sensed something fishy in the explosions, he was helpless against it.
King Reow was testing Scarlet and Victor with his own methods, especially the former, which attracted the whole of his attention and when King Reow realized things had gone south, it was already toote.
The two kings stood in silence in King City, ncing over the city that they ruled for a hundred years, turned to ruin. Their faces looked vengeful and the killer intents in their eyes almost materialized.
The importance of Ring City to the kings was self-exnatory, otherwise they wouldnt have stayed for a hundred years, let alone building it from rubble.
Now?
Everything was ruined!
It was fair to say that all of their effort was rendered useless and what they did in the past hundred years had all gone to waste.
Search for him! Get me that wretched bastard! I will make him regreting into our world!
King Reow yelled in a fearsome voice.
Yes, sire!
Group after group of royal guards charged out from the King City like fierce wolves and tigers.
They followed their instincts and searched each and every suspicious looking monster.
The royal guards needed no evidence anymore. Should the suspects resist, kill without mercy.
More shrilling screams came from the ruins. King Reow didnt care though, he turned around to Scarlet and Victor.
Sire, I was with you all the time! I would nevermit such an atrocity!
Scarlet the red skull said nervously when it caught the icy cold gaze of King Reow.
It knew it had to exin, otherwise the king, who was upset and going crazy, would gut its skeleton open
After all, the king was already unhappy with the red skull for a very, very long time.
Scarlet knew how serious the situation was, it lowered its head further down.
On the other side, Victor bowed camly at King Reows cold gaze.
I am sorry about what happened to Ring City, I never thought something like this would happen.
Simr to his countenance, Victors tone was calm as well but deep in his heart, the shock raged like a tempest.
Who!
Who was it!
Who the hell did what he ought to do before him!?
Damn it!
Bastard!
After he found out about the Reek River, Victor formed a very meticulous n to make use of the river to achieve his goal but it must be done at thest step, not now!
Victor frowned at the ruins of Ring City, he had to change his n and find out who the hell disrupted his perfect n!
King Reow stared coldly at Scarlet, Victor didnt say anything else.
The starested for a few seconds before the king waved his hand.
Scarlet heaved a breath of relief in its heart as it was being spared, dragging Victor away from King City after that.
King Reow saw Scarlet and Victor off with his cold gaze.
He wasnt sure whether or not both of them were involved but his Ring City was destroyed!
Someone had to pay for it!
Right before King Reow could make his move, King Qi stopped him by saying, Hold on! My separation spell has been cut up! Deal with the intruders first!
King Qis words were simple but they held substantial meaning.
King Reow frowned and ultimately nodded.
He knewpared to Scarlet and Victor, who he could squash any moment, those intruders were the true enemies.
If the intruders were not removed, they would be the ones to suffer.
How are you? King Reow asked King Qi with his soft and caring voice.
Suffered a little repulsion. One of the intruders is very strong, replied King Qi.
Take a rest down here, leave the surface to me and King Liao.
No! It must be dealt with as soon as possible! I have a strong hunch that if we prolong it any longer, death will threaten us! King Qi rejected the suggestion with a strong shake of head.
King Reow was shocked.
Death will threaten us? Are you sure?
King Reow asked in utmost seriousness, he wasnt even that serious looking when Ring City was destroyed. He knew what King Qis powers were, it was the premonition against unknown and potential danger.
It was because of King Qis powers, the three of them overcame danger many times in the past.
I am sure! And the feeling is getting stronger! I see mes burning, blood flowing, and a crow soaring in the sky, King Qi nodded.
me, blood, and crow? King Reow furrowed his brows.
He had never heard of powerful crow monsters before. Although the legendary sun was allegedly a golden crow, it was just a legend, not some reliable source.
King Reow did not further ponder upon King Qis words, he knew how uncertain King Qis premonition was, for it had too many possible oues.
They didnt have time to narrow down the possibilities, their priority should be removing the intruders from their kingdom!
The two kings vanished from the grand hall.
More royal guards charged out of King City, and unlike the previous scouts, the royal guards were going to war this time.
Shortly after that, the grand hall was left with only several guards to defend the empty ce, and most of the guards were paying attention to the chaotic scene outside the King City.
They had never thought something this bad would happen to the King City because it seemed very unlikely.
With the three kings around, and even though they were temporarily away from their thrones, King City should be the safest ce throughout the entire underground.
Therefore, none of the guards noticed the intruder lurking in the underground passageway.
...
Wung Wung!
The [Communication Stone] in Song Shis pouch vibrated, pulling her back from her trance.
Right after she pulled out the stone, Mian Yis voice came through.
Miss! Miss! Is that you?
Its me, Mian Yi.
Song Shi replied normally to the anxious butler and after Mian Yi heard Song Shis reply, he couldnt help but heave a breath of relief.
Great! This is great! Thank god you are okay! The Battle of Winter Night has been canceled! I aming for you now and Ill catch you up with the details after youe back, Mian Yi replied, going to activate his backup n.
Hold on Mian Yi! I am safe but I have something that I must tell you! Song Shi stopped her butler from taking her back.
The details that Mian Yi mentioned werent that important to her, for she knew better since she was inside the venue.
From Victor to Du to the recent consecutive explosions, Song Shi knew everything.
Unknowingly, Song Shi looked towards Kieran.
He was still his usual self, cold and calm.
Dont you have emotions?
You just blew the city of monsters to the sky, cant you be more excited about it?
Song Shi criticized him in his heart and then told Mian Yi everything that the little group found out.
She skipped the part where Kieran blew up an entire city though. She wasnt afraid to tell but her instinct told her something bad would happen if she said it.
Yes!
This must be it!
My instinct tells me to keep quiet!
Song Shiforted herself with some excuse and then spoke quickly, exining the situation clearly to Mian Yi.
Lord Victormitted such an atrocity?! Mian Yi cried out in shock.
He did not believe that Judge Victor would do something like this.
There was no obvious benefits for Victor to cause such a scene but he also believed the young mistress would not lie to him.
Who to trust between his young mistress and Victor?
The answer was self-exnatory.
Mydy, I will deliver the news to everyone else. Please be safe.
[Communication Stone] then dimmed down.
Song Shi kept the stone back into her pouch and then looked at Kieran.
What are we going to do next? she asked.
Wait, Kieran replied.
Wait? Song Shi was startled.
It wasnt what she expected from Kieran!
After blowing up the entire city of monsters, shouldnt he seize the chance and siege what was left,pleting the task with one stroke?
Why wait?
Unless...
You dont want to fight those monsters that smell like shit? Song Shi wondered.
It wasnt a joke, but a real spection.
If it was her in Kierans shoes, she wouldnt do it either. She didnt want to even get close to the monsters that smelled like shit, it was very scary!
The slightest thought about it would cause goosebumps all over he body.
Kieran shot a nce at her in silence, he wasnt used to telling others his n.
Even though the n was halfway topletion, before the other half wasplete, everything was still up in the air.
More so, whates after this was the real deal, the finale of the whole show.
Simrly, Dus importance as the monster who executed the second half of the n rose higher in Kierans list.
As a matter of fact, after Kieran dominated Du and knew it was very good in digging, its importance had far surpassed the foxy girl behind him.
After all, that Reek River was too eye-catching. The sewage gas from the river was so high that Kieran was unable to turn away from it, plus it was very near Ring City.
A bold n formed in his mind: reverse the current of the river and redirect it into the underground of Ring City.
A little spark would ignite the methane filled river and st the whole city to the surface.
The whole n was very simple, with Du on his side, there were no difficulties at all.
As for the moat outside the Mou City Sector?
With White as the gatekeeper, which was also Kierans subordinate, it wouldnt be a problem.
Everything was smooth, just like what Kieran expected.
Kieran knew that he had finally got the upper hand for the first time in thispetition with Victor and the red skull.
Kieran had no idea what Victor wanted to achieve ultimately, the same went for the red skull, but he knew once he blew up the whole Ring City, Victor and the red skulls ns would die together. The explosions would st more than just the city, they would shatter their ns to pieces!
The explosions sent Victor and the red skull back to the starting point with Kieran, or worse. There was a high chance that Victor and the red skull would piss off the three kings.
The three powerful kings of Ring City would not sit back and do nothing while their city was sted to the surface.
No one could bear watching their kingdom get leveled down to ruble, let alone the kings of the monsters.
The desperate situation of Victor and the red skull put a smile on Kierans face.
His opponent had set up a game of chess and invited him to y a game that he would surely lose.
He didnt know what others would do if they were in his shoes but he would sweep all the chess pieces on the ground, take the chessboard, and smash his foes face until the board was broken.
If he still couldnt vent his anger, he would deliver more kicks, at the face and the weak spots.
Since he was going up against his enemies, there was no reason for him to hold back.
After that, he would pick up his own chess pieces and stomp on his foes.
In fact, he was doing exactly that.
He contacted White to leave some vague evidence behind and told it to die.
Chapter 1698 - I Need A Stage
Chapter 1698: I Need A Stage
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Scarlet and Victor walked out of the outer ring and arrived at the secondary outer ring, Ding City Sector.
Along the way were ruins and endless painful moans. Scarlets soul fire kept flickering as he walked. It knew the three kings would not let this atrocity slip just like that.
It had a hunch what Ring City meant for the three kings and after the city was destroyed, it meant their efforts for the past hundred years had gone down the drain.
The three kings would wage war against the culprit that blew up the city and would not rest until they rip the culprit into a million pieces.
However...
Scarlet turned around and stared at Victor, his soul fire continued to flicker.
It wasnt me! Victor said heavily.
In his n, there was a part that he would blow the city up but he hadnt reached that part yet.
Really? Then can you tell me you had absolutely no thoughts about blowing up the city?
Scarlet argued.
No, Victor said decisively.
The soul fire flickered again, Scarlet went quiet but it was very certain of one thing: Victor was lying!
It wasnt just its hunch, it was also part of his ability to tell apart lies!
It clearly felt changes in Victors soul for a moment back there. It was weak and vague and if it wasnt for its skeletal talent, it would not have noticed.
Faint killer intentions came afloat in its heart.
It could ept a cunning and vicious coborator who would go back on his words, but definitely not someone who could potentially threaten its n, even if this coborator yed his part honestly and bore a code of honor.
However, Victor was obviously not someone of thetter.
Victor wasnt just cunning, vicious, always going back on his words, he also threatened Scarlets n.
The red skull of Scarlet couldnt find a reason to keep this kind of person around itself.
A decision was made in its heart but the faint killer intents faded away.
It wasnt time yet, it had to wait for the perfect time.
Scarlet walked forward like normal and Victor slowed down.
Unknowingly, Victor slowly put distance between Scarlet and himself.
He didnt know Scarlets skeletal talent, nor did he sense the faint killer intents in its heart, but he knew he must leave this ce.
He saw how King Reow and King Qi reacted.
Boiling rage coupled with overflowing killer intents, it wasnt just meant for the person who destroyed the city, it was also meant for Victor and Scarlet.
It was obvious that the kings wanted to vent their anger on him, but Victor would not try to exin himself, unless he had a death wish.
As for that King Liao?
He might not be around back there but he was a grumpy and harsh person to begin with. He would only be harsher and angrier than King Reow and King Qi and more eager to kill the culprit and anyone rted to the explosions.
Therefore, Victor had to leave the city as soon as possible.
What about Scarlet though?
Both Victor and Scarlet were using each other anyway, there was no bottomline or code to follow.
All men for themselves in the face of danger.
If he could kill Scarlet andpensate for a part of his loss, he wouldnt mind.
The duo walked into Ring City together but were driven apart by the events when they left. They were calcting and plotting against each other and it was only natural because both of them werent sincere in working with each other from the start.
The duo soon entered Mou City Sector.
Situated in the outer ring, which was the farthest from the explosions, Mou City Sector suffered much less damagepared to the secondary outer ring, the outer ring, and inner ring. It was only second to King City.
Mou City Sector was the gathering spot for many weak monsters, so they were never Kierans priorities. Nevertheless, the monsters also suffered considerable amount of damage, not from the explosions but from the royal guards that came after the st.
Many monsters only suffered scratches during the explosions and it was very suspicious in the eyes of the royal guards.
The secondary outer ring, outer ring, and inner ring suffered severe damage but the weakest and furthest ring sustained insignificant scratches?
Could the culprit be hiding among the weaker monsters?
The thought bloomed in the royal guards minds, thus leading them to apprehend the monsters without pausing.
Conflict was inevitable during the process.
When one of the monsters identally scratched one of the royal guards, the already tense guard exploded and chopped off the monsters head.
Blood gushed out like a fountain from its neck.
The smell filled the ce and the scene infuriated several more guards.
The smell of blood stimted their anger. It was like pouring gasoline on fire, the royal guards then started to ughter the monsters in the area.
The manageable situation instantly went out of hand.
The monsters were eptable to being apprehended, but losing their lives for some weird reasons wasnt something they could swallow down.
While the monsters resisted the capture and unfair treatment, the royal guards further suspected the culprit was hiding among them, so every one of them drew their swords, a messy fight breaking out!
The monsters at the outer ring engaged the royal guards in a chaotic and bloody fight.
The strength of every royal guard was self-exnatory, the reason why they were chosen as royal guards was because of their decent strength, plus the weapons and gears from the kings, every one of them rivaling 10 monsters by themselves.
But...
There were more than 10 monsters in the outer ring. As the biggest city sector of Ring City, more than half of the total poption lived in the outer ring.
Nothing would happen during peaceful times but when the riot broke out, the royal guards were overwhelmed by sheer numbers almost instantly.
More and more blood flowed and the smell stenched the air.
Majority of the monsters were caught in the riot, baring ws and fangs, reverting to their primal instinct and attacking their enemies in the cruelest ways possible. Some monsters managed to keep their calm though, quietly moving to the walls of the city and then the gate to Mou City Sector.
Several monsters even got to high grounds and shouted at the chaotic crowd, Stop this! Stop this right away! Calm down everyone, calm... UGH!
One of the monsters was shouting at the crowd loudly but before its words could be useful, its head was bitten off by another monster with a lions head. It was then swallowed whole by the lionhead.
After swallowing the monster, the lionhead looked at the rest of the monsters.
The others dared not make noise anymore and retreated from the conflict.
However, the smell of blood had gotten the best of the lionhead. It was in a frenzy and had no intention of letting go of its prey. The lionhead chased the rest and wore them down.
Those monsters who retreated to the city gate watched the scene with cold and uncaring smiles.
Serves you right!
They mocked the others in their heart.
Right after that, just when they were about to push the gate and flee inside the city, a white figure jumped in front of them.
Go back!
White swung its stick, filled with vengeful spirits, and pointed one end at them, several vengeful spirits consuming the monsters in front, leaving those in the back staggering backwards.
Lord White, please, let us through!
They are crazy!
We dont want to die!
The monsters plead at White.
Go back!
White said coldly.
White was still the loyal gatekeeper at the moment, performing his duty truthfully.
Just go through him!
He is just a gatekeeper!
Dont be scared of him!
When the monsters failed to plead, they revealed their true nature with viciousughter, charging towards White.
White wasnt frightened by the monsters, it swung its stick to release the vengeful spirits at the monsters, drowning them like the rising tide in less than a breaths time.
The monsters resisted and struggled, but it was useless.
The illusory vengeful spirits were immune to physical attacks.
As the vengeful spirits went through the monsters, their vitality was sucked away instantly.
One vengeful spirit sucked a little from one monster and therge number of spirits almost wiped them out upon contact.
Immediately, the monsters noticed something had gone south!
White was too strong for them, they were no match for the unimaginable power!
The monsters thought White, a mere gatekeeper, was slightly stronger than the royal guards, regardless of the rumours, but after White released the vengeful spirits, the monsters understood how wrong they were.
White simr to a royal guard?
White could rival 10, no, 100 of the royal guards himself!
Fear loomed in the monsters hearts.
White smelled fear from them,ughing coldly.
Did you bastards really think I did nothing for the past hundred years?
I may be nothing a hundred years ago, but today, a hundred yearster, I am not the gatekeeper I used to be!
The coldughter in its heart made it swing the stick with vengeful spirits attached harder and faster, more and more vengeful spirits released at the monsters.
Countless monsters tried to sneak into Mou City Sector every single year, some of them had nothing, while others had valuable drops. All the valuables, including their souls, ultimately ended up as Whites resources.
Its strength, its gears, and its weapons were not the same from a hundred years ago. It was just that White had been keeping it a secret.
White thought it required a chance to show off its strength so that it could be promoted to a higher position, but Kierans appearance disrupted its n.
It might have felt unhappy at first, probably even grudgeful, but none of that mattered anymore!
All White felt now was delight and joy!
White didnt feel happy just because the convoy of the kings got robbed, it could have robbed the convoy by itself if it wanted to. The reason why he was so happy was because the whole city was blown up and it had never thought of doing so before.
White did not feel sadness or pity for the ruined Ring City.
White was just a gatekeeper, all it got from the city was a couple of glimpses whenever he snuck in and it would have to worry that others would report him from being away from his position, so to hell with the city.
Whites restless heart was ignited together with the explosion.
As for the death order that Kieran gave, it epted it without a second thought.
It wouldnt truly die, so it ought to die a glorious death. It wanted to fight until its death!
Soon, the other monsters engaged in battle with the royal guards spotted Whites action.
The royal guards slew the monsters one by one and White wiped the monsters out group by group. Byparison, it was hard for White to not stand out.
The royal guards looked at White with weird and confused gazes, never thinking of White as strong before.
Realization then reced their confusion, they thought of the kings they served.
The kings must have sent White here as a gatekeeper because it was so strong.
When the thoughts bloomed in their mind, the royal guards got a morale boost.
Go along with Lord White, eliminate all these monsters!
The leader of the royal guards shouted to its men.
White grunted in its heart when it heard what the leader said.
Before Kieran, it would feel happy about being called a lord by the leader but now?
It felt more disdain than happiness, especially when the leader wrongly addressed its name!
It was white, but its name wasnt White.
Just when White wanted to walk over and teach the leader a lesson to remember its name, it suddenly saw Scarlet and Victor.
White was stunned when it saw the duo walking closer.
It had a fresh memory of the duo.
Other than Scarlet the red skull being a regr around the gate, Victor was the first human to enter Ring City in the past decade and on top of that, Kieran asked about both of them multiple times.
My lord has beef with them?
White recalled how Kieran reacted when he asked about the duo.
His tone and expression might not change but excessive questions had made it less than normal.
If thats the case...
A thought came up in Whites mind.
What a disaster!
Scarlet couldnt help but sigh at the scattered bodies, but Victor sharply noticed Scarlet was quietly absorbing the bloody aura in the area. Even the puddle of blood quietly moved towards its feet.
Victor drew even more distance from Scarlet.
I cant help myself sometimes. You know, after bing a monster, I always lose control of myself, Scarlet exined with a smile.
Victor didnt catch what Scarlet said, striding to the city gate on his own.
White had defeated those monsters who tried to get into the city sector and because of its effort, the nearby area around the city gate was emptied out.
When Victor, and Scarlet behind him, walked close to the spacious area, they instantly attracted unfriendly gazes from the monsters who still hadnt given up.
The monsters wanted to escape behind the duo.
GO BACK!
Scarlet shouted at the monsters and raised its hand. The blood, plus several monsters, on the ground was sucked into its body right away.
It had lived in Ring City for many years, it knew how it should deal with the monsters out here.
Coincidentally, it was rather hungry after being stimted by the bloody smell.
After consuming the blood and the monsters, Scarlet looked at White. It was still as polite as usual.
General White, you are really the best at defending the city. Me and my friend wish to leave the city for a while...
Scarlet spoke politely out of habit but shortly after it tried to ask White to move, it realized something wasnt right.
The white monster who had stood guard in front of the city gate for a hundred years didnt look at it at all, instead it looked at Victor with a pondering gaze.
Huh?
Scarlet was startled.
It was sure White and Victor hadnt met before, then what was with the pondering look on Whites face?
While Scarlet was dwelling in confusion, White suddenly thought of something. Its expression turned sour and it shouted at Victor, Its you! I recognize your presence! You are the one who caused the explosions and the unusual changes in the moat!
Chapter 1699 - Wait For Me
Chapter 1699: Wait For Me
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Silence!
After White shouted at Victor, the battlefield went silent.
The monsters, royal guards, and Scarlet the red skull all ced their doubtful gazes on Victor.
Victor was startled but managed to keep calm.
He had no idea why White used him but he had to exin himself.
What the hell are you talking
Aaagh!
Before Victor could even finish talking, White, who was fierce and dutiful only a moment ago, was sent flying backwards as though a speeding truck had knocked into it.
Bang!
Karoom!
White crashed into the gate of Mou City Sector.
The sturdy iron gate copsed after a heavy bang.
The sudden blow was so heavy that it made White look like a flying piece of paper.
White paused for a moment after it crashed into the gate, but after the gate copsed, a second blow sent it flying away again.
As there were no more gates behind it, the flimsy White then fell straight into the moat. After a quick ssh, its body was nowhere to be found.
The other monsters watched White fall into the moat, knowing very well what was inside those deep, scary waters.
Those fearsome monsters would not spare anything that fell!
White had surely met his end!
All the monsters that saw the scene followed the same train of thought, and at the same time, their gazes on Victor grew more hostile and ferocious.
Victor just killed the witness!
If he could simply dispose of the white gatekeeper as he pleased, his next target would be them!
RUN!
The leader of the royal guards couldnt care less about the other monsters anymore as it stepped back and shouted at its colleague before crushing the token hidden in its pocket.
The token was an item the royal guards used to contact the three kings inside King City, and it also had a function to store some messages. It wasnt much, but it was enough for the captain to tell the kings what happened.
Victor caused the explosions and destroyed Ring City!
That simple message was sent out after the token was crushed.
Everything happened so suddenly, Victor never anticipated that things would go down this way, but since it did, he had to amend it.
He couldnt afford to let the monsters disrupt his n anymore; he had to leave immediately!
If the three kings came forth and stopped him, everything he worked for would be in vain; therefore, none of the monsters on the scene could escape!
Victor waved his hand and released a gray mist into the area. The monsters caught in the mist dissolved into a pile of goo right away.
Scarlet didnt move at all, but the soul fire in its eye sockets flickered.
Killing the witness, eh? Its so like you, it said in a heavy tone.
It knew its coborator had ulterior motives, but it never expected Victor to be so bold as to blow up the whole city.
Or rather, Victors original n was to blow up Ring City!
What reviving his wife?
What grudge with the humans and monsters in the outside world?
Everything was fake! An outright lie!
He was still the fair and just Judge Victor that the outside humans and monsters got to know, and for the sake of the outside world, he ced his honor on the line just so he could destroy Ring City!
He must have decided to destroy Ring City ever since he discovered how potentially dangerous it could be.
You are very good at keeping secrets!
Scarlet thought it had seen through everything, and the soul fire in its eyes burned bright and fierce.
It was rage!
Its true that it had some unpleasant feelings for the three kings, but not Ring City!
From a certain perspective, Scarlet cared more about Ring City than most things, and now the city was in ruins! It was ruined by the hands of its coborator!
Its hatred for Victor instantly exceeded the hatred for the three kings.
Wung!
The blood on the ground shook and then flew up into the sky, transforming into myriads of blood arrows before raining down on Victor.
Victor didnt say anything, as he knew any exnations in this kind of sensitive timing would do him no good.
He waved his hand and covered himself with the gray mist.
The bloody arrow rain rained down into the gray mist and then everything went silent.
The gray mist slowly dispersed, along with the bloody arrows and Victor.
Hmph! Did you really think you could escape?! Scarlet coldly grunted. It transformed into a red light and then vanished.
The whole area outside Mou City Sector was emptied out all of a sudden, everything quiet.
Meanwhile, in a secluded area a few kilometers along the city gate, the moat of the city sshed and something came out of the water.
White swam out and climbed up to the surface.
It looked further away at the Mou City Sector gate, which hid behind the shadow casted by the cliff. It then turned around and caressed the fish-like monster in the water that sent it to shore, saying softly, I dont think I will be back anymore, so take care of yourself!
Wuuu!
A horn-like whimper came from the water; it was from the monster of the moat.
It looked exactly like a monster, but it had no equivalent intellect and it felt more real. It was the only friend White had that it could talk to for the past hundred years. With the addition of the consistent feeding, White was actually very close to the monster in the moat.
Go now. White waved and bid farewell to its only friend. Its goodbyes were also meant for itself, its old self.
The whimper sounded again, and a whileter, it slowly swam off.
White couldnt bring its friend along, and its friend knew it couldnt follow.
Parting ways was the best and only option for them both.
White saw its friend off and then prepared itself to go back to Kieran.
It knew that even if the three kings were held up by the powerful ones from the outside world, it wouldnt be able to stall them for long. It had to hurry up and help Kieran carry out the n to its fullest.
However, after a step, White stopped, realizing that it stood out too much with its white body.
It spun around and transformed the white into ck. Its clothes, hat and hair all became painted in ck.
Whiteno, ckthen vanished into the shadows.
...
VICTOR! DAMN IT!
When King Liao received the message from his royal guard captain, he was infuriated and shouted out in rage, but that granted its opponent a chance tond a punch on his face.
Bang!
King Liao was sent flying backwards, and he crashed into the building.
His dark golden armor was nketed with dust and even his crown tilted a bit, but King Liao didnt care. He wanted to go back to Ring City and rip that bastard, who blew up his city, into a million pieces.
Also that skull head Scarlet! If it wasnt for its bewitching words, his fellow kings wouldnt have fallen for the misdirection and his city would still be safe from the explosions.
However, even though King Liao wanted to escape the current battle, his opponent would not allow him to do so.
A three-meter tall and buff shirtless man with a white bear rug over his head and arms as robust as marble pirs stood in front of King Liao.
His eyes were bigger than a cows as he stared straight at King Liao.
I heard that you bastards are trying to kidnap my son?
The mans words were heavy, each word sounding like a p of thunder.
As he spoke, he raised his gigantic palm and mmed it down on King Liao.
Fung!
The palm generated a strong wind like a typhoon ravaging the sand and stones in the area, and it blew directly at King Liao.
King Liao was further infuriated.
Roar!
Damn it!
Another loud roarter, the fur on King Liao rapidly grew long and thick. The ck fur instantly covered his body, and his ears turned sharp; his face bulged forward and sharp fangs sprung out of his mouth.
A secondter, King Liao had transformed from a human to a standing werewolf.
His height and physique instantly skyrocketed, making him as tall as his three-meter tall opponent, but he might be falling short in terms of strength.
BANG!
His ws and the tall mans palm shed.
A stronger gale sted out into all directions upon contact. It blew the sand and dust away, and shook the tall mans beard and King Liaos fur.
The tall and buff man staggered backwards after the sh.
F*ck off! King Liao coldly grunted after gaining the upper hand, but the buff manughed out loud in reply.
Hahahaha! This is great! It has been a while since I got this serious! And you, furry assh*le! Who are you telling to f*ck off?
Thest part became a thunderous shout. A white grizzly bear as strong as a tank appeared in front of King Liao with glimmeringyers on it and swung its paw forward ferociously.
There was no technique involved, only brute strength.
As pure strength gathered in the bears paw, it became so heavy and strong that the air whistles were suppressed by its intense presence.
King Liao, in his werewolf form, saw the paw strike in shock. His eyes shrunk and he backed away, trying not to go toe to toe with the paw.
The white bear paw smashed into the ground.
Kakrrroooom!
Thend trembled, and a 10 meter wide, two meter deep crater was created upon impact. The white bear looked up and showed a ferocious smile. You dare kidnap my son and tell me to f*ck off? Stay where you are if you are a man!
Another loud grizzly roarter, the white bear pounced at its foe.
King Liao hesitated for a second before turning around and running while clenching his teeth in bitterness.
The power from the bear paw had far surpassed King Liaos estimation; facing the bear in a contest of strength was unwise. So the only way King Liao could triumph over the bear was with speed and stalling techniques. He would prolong the battle.
Thankfully, there were three kings!
King Reow and King Qi woulde back in time to kill that bastard Victor!
When the thought came into his mind, King Liao focused on his battle with the white bear.
...
King Reow was walking slowly along the city on the surface.
After bing king, he had walked the surface city for multiple times, but he was by no means familiar with the ce. He hated this kind of ce that was able to merge with the environment and utilize its terrains advantages.
Souu!
An air-breaking whistle sounded in his ear, forcing him to a stop.
He tried to move again, but the ground suddenly became sticky mud, or more urately, the asphalt road melted!
On top of that, a dozen iron bars flew out of the abandoned buildings in the area, surrounded King Reow, and aimed at his weak spots as though the iron bars were javelins.
Dak Dak Dak Dak!
A short old man stepped out from the other side of the street.
He might look like any other elderly, but his ears were sharper and his hairless head had a small ck horn.
Hehehe, you are the king of this ce? Quite decent looking, I must say. Coincidentally, I am looking for a concubine.
The weird-looking old man was smiling and so was King Reow but probably with even more disdain.
Bugs should hide in the corner. If youe out all of a sudden, I might have the urge to crush you into pieces, King Reow said.
Bugs? Its fine, say whatever you want. When the battle is over, I will cherish you in my arms. But before that, I think I should take some interest!
The old man put his hands behind him as he spoke and walked closer to King Reow.
He opened his mouth, and his purple tongue licked his lips. Sticky saliva fell on the asphalt ground, corroding a small hole with every drop.
When the old man was in front of King Reow, who was surrounded by the iron bars, he reached out his hand, wanting to touch King Reow.
However, King Reow disappeared!
There were no signs or movements at all. He simply disappeared from the old mans sight.
The old man was quick, however. He retreated swiftly and the iron bars flew to his side; the pebbles on the road also conjured intoyers of barriers in front him.
After setting up his defenses, the old man heaved a sigh of relief.
With his trusted defenses, he had the confidence to take any kind of hit.
Better than I thought, the old man spoke confidently, but the more you resist, the more I
Puk!
Before he could finish, he exploded from the inside.
On top of the pile of blood and flesh was King Reow.
His dark golden robe was free of any drop of blood or flesh.
He reached out to his crown and pushed it back in ce before heading to his destination to rendezvous with King Qi.
In order to settle the battle quickly, King Qi helped him lure away a troublesome guy.
If it was any other time, King Reow would have been confident that King Qi could deal with his foe, but having suffered the repulsion, King Qi wasnt in his best form.
Compared to the destroyed Ring City, King Qi was more important.
Of course, Victor must die!
Meanwhile, this same thought bloomed in Scarlets mind.
In order to put everything back in ce, Scarlet was forced to use a trump card.
When footsteps sounded, Scarlet bowed respectfully to the person who came. Sire.
King Qi didnt show any expression as he came. His face was as cold as ice, but the coldness made his already enchanting looks more attractive.
Scarlets soul fire jumped a couple of times before it freed itself from the lethal attraction.
It knew what would happen if it really fell under King Qis enchantment.
My king, Victor must die!
It is something that you and I must do!
Of course, the mistake starts from me, so I will make it up to you. After youve killed Victor, I will split a part of that lords legacy with you, Scarlet lowered its skull and said quickly.
After that, it left without lifting up its skull.
From start to end, King Qi did not say a single word. He watched Scarlet walk away and then headed to another direction. He had to go back to the surface again.
He knew he couldnt fool King Reows perception for long, even if his abilities were special.
The secluded corner quickly quieted down after King Qi and Scarlet left.
A few minutester, Kieran came out of the shadows. He looked at the directions where the two went off.
King Qi and Scarlet the red skull?
Kieran frowned. Ring City was much moreplicated than he imagined, but now wasnt the time to pay attention to that!
Du was already at the final phase of its digging. In shorttreasures!
Wait for me!
Chapter 1700 - Undesigned Coincidence
Chapter 1700: Undesigned Coincidence
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran returned to the underground of Ring City through the tunnel dug out by Du, and when he arrived, Du had already moved out everything from the treasure vault.
Dus digging and moving speed undoubtedly surpassed Kierans expectation.
Du even dug up an underground space to ce the treasures. Going as deep as a thousand meters and being as big as a football field, It was bigger and deeper than expected.
More importantly, the ce was filled with all kinds of treasure boxes.
Kieran wasnt stingy withpliments when he saw the treasure boxes. Nicely done, Du.
I live to serve you, my lord.
Du knelt down on one knee and received thepliments excitedly.
[Seodi Stone] and [Mesly Ring] might not work the same, but the [Dominate] effect was the same, at least for Du. Kieran was its sole belief and it realized it had to serve him with its life.
Therefore, after devoting its life to Kieran, Du served without hesitation.
My lord, when I emptied out this treasure vault, I found a smaller one further away, but it had a lot of mystical markings on the door, so I dared not simply touch it, Du reported.
A smaller vault? It must be the three kings secret stash!
Kieran wasnt surprised at Dus discovery.
Most of the time, the citys treasure vault belonged to the king, but the kings treasure vault might not necessarily belong to the city, and it seemed like Ring City followed the same saying since it was built.
The treasures in the secret vault ought to tower these treasure boxes in terms or rarity and ranks.
However, opening the secret treasure vault would not be an easy task.
The mystical markings on the gate were the biggest obstacle, especially in this kind of sensitive timing. Any kind ofmotion would surely attract the three kings attention and all Kierans effort would fall short.
A bird in the hand was worth ten in the woods.
Kieran understood the saying deeply, so he stood at the entrance and gazed over at the ce.
Du had categorized the treasure boxes when he moved them.
The boxes on the left were equipment and items, and the boxes on the right were Crossing Coins.
A path that could fit three people at once was left in the middle of the space.
The boxes with equipment and items were over 200 and the boxes with Crossing Coins were more than 500.
Half of all the equipment and items were Magic rank, and the rest were mostly Rare ranks. Only a few Legendary rank items were mixed up inside, and every single item was marked with unable to bring out of dungeon world.
Kieran frowned.
Nothing saddened him more than a huge pile of loot that he could not bring back to the city.
Fortunately, Kieran figured a way around this little problem.
Trade!
He would trade this loot for items that he could bring out or needed!
Kieran already had a perfect candidate for the job.
He then turned to the Crossing Coins.
Simr to its counterpart, more than half of the 500 boxes were copper coins, while the rest were silver coins. Only a single box contained gold coins, and it was smaller than the rest. It only held up about 100 gold coins inside, which was much lower than Kieran exoected, but he wasnt disappointed because he knew the wealth of Ring City belonged to him now. No one could take it from his hands.
Whatever wasnt with the stash must be in the secret treasure vault of the three kings, and Kieran woulde back for itter.
But for now?
He turned to Du and pointed at the equipment and items. Can your transportation formation hold on until all the treasures here are moved out?
Its hard to do it all at once but its workable if its two rounds. The boxes are big and consume a lot of spaces, but if we bring the items out, it wouldnt use up as much space. Besides, other than the casting ingredients here with me, I have a sufficient amount hidden in my temporary hideout, which will be enough for at least five transportations. Du provided a good news.
Very good. Take all the items out and move them away.
Du carried out its order right after Kieran told it to do so.
After that, Kieran went over to the boxes with the Crossing Coins.
The boxes with copper and silver coins had 500 per box, and whenever he thought about the exchange rate for gold coins, Kieran felt a heartache.
If he could convert them all to gold coins, it would be the ideal oue.
He couldnt help but feel that it was a pity, but he knew what he needed the most was to regain his strength. With the pitiful thought lingering in his mind, Kieran released Gluttony.
Only after he regained his strength would he and Starback be safe, and from there, secure more chances for more valuable loot.
Even though he had to trade in some value for the necessity now, it was a necessary risk.
Worstes to worst, he wouldpensate his loss with the three kings. It was their fault that Kieran was losing value here anyway.
Gluttony had been waiting for a long time. After Kieran released him, his energy jumped out like a wild horse to Kierans hand and started absorbing the coins power.
Through Kierans hand, the devour energy filled the entire box, and less than a breaths timeter, a whole box of copper coins turned rusty.
Then the second box, the third box...
After Kieran absorbed the 290th box, which was equivalent to 145K copper coins, Kierans attributes skyrocketed.
His Spirit, Strength, Agility, Constitution, and Intuition all broke through manyyers of seals after the energy conversion. Kieran did not stop there.
He went over to the remaining 209 boxes of silver coins.
The boxes had 500 silver coins, much like the ones with copper coins, and 209 boxes equaled 104,500 silver coins, which was equivalent to 3,135,000 copper coins.
If it was exchanged for gold coins, Kieran would have gotten more than 3400 gold coins.
Even though the gold coins had something magical about them, with the numbers aspensation, the loss was covered up.
Quantity changes quality!
Starting from SS-, Kierans attribute climbed up rank by rank.
SSS
Advance Rank!
Rank II!
Rank III!
...
After Du moved all the items and equipment to their temporary hideout and came back underground, to its shock, it realized the Crossing Coins had rusted, the shininess all gone.
More than two hundred boxes of copper and silver coins each rusted and mottled in their boxes like dirt; even the treasure boxes turned old and broken.
However, the most concerning point was Kieran!
There was no surge in aura, no outrageous transformation. He stood there just as Du remembered before it left, but it felt like something terrifying was awakening inside Kieran.
What is this?
Du didnt know and had no intention to find out.
All it knew was that the lord it served had grown stronger and that was good news.
Du stood there respectfully with his scales and hands down. It watched Kieran walk to thest box of gold coins with anticipation.
Kieran felt it but didnt care because his attention was captivated by what he was seeing.
Strength: II (Strong)
Agility: II (Strong)
Constitution: III (Strong)
Spirit: IV (Weak)
Intuition: II (Weak)
...
Other than his Spirit, all his attributes returned to their original level.
With every breath he took, he heard the flow of his blood like raging currents.
If he didnt have the habit of controlling his body with [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art], he could have fallen into a miserable state, overwhelmed by the power in his body, which Kieran didnt even want to think about.
He might cross a hundred meters with a mere step, but would he crash into the wallter?
It was as though his energy was a driller, digging deeper into the ground endlessly until the energy finally wore off.
If that was really the case, it would be the worst case scenario!
Although Kieran was underground, almost a thousand meters deep, his surging powers would very well expose his location and probably attract unwanted attention.
In fact, if his good habits did not control his surging energy, after the enhancement, his aura would go out of control and it would be enough to attract the kings.
Kieran knew how risky it was, so he used [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] again to adjust himself to the enhancement.
Inhale, exhale.
Inhale, exhale.
The raging blood calmed down, and the excitement returned to normal.
His body had almost returned to normal when Kieran stood in front of the box of gold coins, but not 100%! There was still an uneasy feeling lingering in his heart!
Even though he had branded the practise of [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] into his bones and it had now be his instinct, it was hard for him to use it to adapt to his new body after the energy surge.
He would at least need an hour or two for buffer, so that he could return to his prime form.
However, Kieran did not stop. He opened the box of gold coins because he was on the clock.
The golden radiance shone brightly when the lid was lifted.
He was showering in radiance by standing in front of it, and he saw the ck chains again.
Unlike the first time, those bulks of small and thin chains that bound his torso and limbs were all gone! The transparent needle-like chains that poked into his head had six left!
Five of the six chains were as thick as he remembered, but one of them was very, very thin.
The more drastic changes were in the faint, flicking chains around him. The flickers slowed down like a dying fish that would stop breathing at any moment.
Kieran tried to catch one of the chains and easily grabbed one with his hand.
Simr to thest time, the chain was very cold. Disgust rose in his heart; the chain wasnt as sturdy as before!
He was certain of that when he touched the chain, gripping it harder.
Kak!
Without the ck chains around his limbs, Kieran regained his power and easily forced the flickering chain to its limit, but right before it broke, a strong sense of danger rose in his heart again.
Kieran trusted his instinct a lot, so he let go of the flickering chain right away without a second thought.
He allowed the power of the gold coins to attack the transparent chain in his head.
Kak!
The thinnest one finally broke.
Kieran then saw himself back in the underground space.
He nced over his Spirit, which changed from IV (Weak) to IV (Secondary). He furrowed his brows hard.
He wasnt concerned about the changes of his Spirit but the sense of danger.
What is that? It wasnt the first time Kieran came in contact with the sense of danger, as he felt the same when he tried to break it the first time.
However, after the majority of his attributes returned to their original level, the sense of danger remained.
It didnt even feel weaker than the first time. Instead, it felt clearer and denser, like condensed blood flowing out of his body!
Is it the seal? Or is it the... Unique Dungeon? Kieran pondered on the question on the spot.
Regardless of the former ortter, his thoughts told him hecked understanding of the world he currently stood in; not just Ai City or Ring City, but a deeper, hidden world.
Kieran temporarily addressed it as another world because he had no idea how to describe what he just saw.
Those things should originate from his body, yet he felt like he had been to a spacious world. If everything he saw was real, then... what would the farthernd hold?
Did the sense of dangere from the farthernd?
Question after question popped up in Kierans mind, but it didnt stop his action. He looked at Du.
Where is the smaller treasure vault you found earlier?
Please follow me, my lord.
Du then walked to one side of the spacious ce and pushed open a sealed secret door to reveal a flight of stairs leading upwards.
Kieran followed quickly.
He was determined to get his hands on the contents in the smaller treasure vault!
Strength speaks the loudest in any context!
Whenever you have to choose, it isnt fate ying games with you or the harshness or reality, but just that you are not strong enough!
With enough strength, you dont need to choose.
With enough strength, you can level everything or reverse anything!
Kieran understood this point very well, and so did Victor.
Victor was eager to gain strength, which was why he chose to set up this Battle of Winter Night.
Unfortunately, the continuous unexpected events made his efforts fall short.
He knew he had to get away from Ring City, but he was unwilling to leave empty-handed.
He had lost everything he worked for so long in the outside worldhis name, his position, his honor.
If he returned in such an ugly state, it would take him an endless amount of years to rise again.
Therefore, after a big U-turn, he returned to Ring City and went through thest sector.
He carefully made his way to the core of Ring Citythe citys treasure vault!
He had to get something topensate for his loss!
And what else was a better choice than Ring Citys treasure vault?
When the convoy left King City earlier, Victor paid special attention to the location of the treasure vault and now his little effort paid off.
When he saw theyers of mystical markings on the door, Victor thought for a while.
If he had enough time, he could get rid of the markings, but now?
I can only break in with force and choose something valuable before the three kingse back!
Victor struck the door right after the decision was made.
Bang! Bang Bang!
A long, thin sword appeared in his hand and he threw it straight to the door.
The de and the mystical markings shed.
Poison, acid, fire, electric, and all kinds of elements flew out of the door, but none of it damaged the sword at all.
Bang!
In the end, the swords tip embedded itself in the door.
Victor smiled and retrieved his sword, then pushing the door open.
What he saw, however, froze his smile.
Chapter 1701 - Sure Kill
Chapter 1701: Sure Kill
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Empty!
The big treasure vault was empty!
Not even a single copper coin was on the floor, it was so clean!
Impossible!
Victor closed the door subconsciously and then opened it again, but he still got nothing.
He ran inside and tapped every single brick he saw and touched every single side of the walls, he hoped to find a secret room with Crossing Coins and items.
Unfortunately, taps and touches told him the whole room was solid.
How is this even happening? Victor muttered nkly.
Given the poption of Ring City and how wealthy the monsters were, the treasure vault must have a substantial amount of goods, how could it be empty?
Maybe... I came to the wrong ce?
But the direction that I came from, there were footprints on the ground and there were also mythical markings on this door, which means this ce is really the treasure vault of Ring City!
Victor stood up, full of doubt.
He suddenly realized something and ran outside, but right before he stepped out of the treasure vault, a figure jumped in front of him.
It was King Qi, one of three kings of Ring City, and his body was shaking at the empty treasure vault!
VICTOR!
An angry roar was squeezed through his gnashing teeth.
Ring Citys treasure vault might not be their secret stash but it was one of their important properties and it yed an important role in their n, and now someone had robbed them!
There were no drag marks from the treasure boxes in the area, so it was obvious that Victor must have used a transportation formation to send all of the equipment and items to his own world.
Is this what Victor was really after?
Layers of set up and even using the Philosophers Stone as the main bait just so he could rob them!?
Unforgivable!
The thought bloomed in King Qis mind and he attacked without hesitation.
DIE!
A formless wave spread towards Victor very quickly, and before he could even move, the wave drowned him.
Bang!
Victor exploded into a hundred pieces, his blood and organs flew everywhere.
King Qi spared his rage before because of the deal with Scarlet, it was more of a show on the surface and meandering around, but now he really wanted Victor dead, so he did not hold back at all.
However, to King Qis surprise, it was too easy, Victor didnt even resist at all, straying from his expectation.
Hmph!
King Qi grunted and raised his hand at one of the pieces of meat on the floor, the meat floated up and flew away. He quickly followed the piece of flying meat.
At the same time, he also messaged King Reow and King Liao.
King Reow, who was heading to King Qi, looked extremely ugly when he received the news, the killer intents in his eyes getting colder.
King Liao was still tangling with that white bearman, roaring furiously when he found out what happened.
DAMN IT! DAMN YOU ALL!
The sudden roar startled the white bearman but he quickly pulled his concentration back into the battle, he dished out another paw strike at King Liao and said, What the hell are you screaming? Someone robbed your house?!
...
Meanwhile in the shadows, Victor held his breath in concentration. He had no idea how long his clone could fool King Qi but he knew he would die a graveless death from the slightest mistake.
What happened?
How did my wless n fail so badly?
I was ever victorious before, howe all of this is happening to me?
Am I cursed?
The thought unconsciously came into Victors mind but he quickly shook his head.
If he was really cursed, the wonder item that he had with him would have showed signs.
If he wasnt cursed, how would he exin the situation?
Many thoughts flooded Victors mind in a short moment. Even the ever meticulous Victor, who precisely calcted everything, couldnt wrap his head around the situation.
Though he knew what he should do.
The citys treasure vault was empty, but what about the secret stash of the three kings?
Victor had a detailed understanding of Ring City before he even came into this world.
Other than the publicly known treasure vault of the city, there was another private vault of the three kings in the city. It was a lot smaller than the former but the things that it held inside were all truly good!
If he could take something from there, he could very well cover his loss, or even get something more than he had expected.
The reason he did not go there in the first ce was because he was afraid that he would ring an rm but now?
He didnt care anymore!
He had lost another clone, if he couldnt find ways topensate for it, he would really die next time.
Victor quickly moved out as the thought lingered.
The secret vault of the three kings was not in the grand hall but behind it, a few hundred meters away from the hall in a straight line and Victor arrived in front of the door within a few breaths time.
There were many moreyers of mystical markings and moreplicated runes on it than the first ce, Victor nodding unconsciously.
The more the mystical markings, the more valuable the items inside.
Victor pulled out his sword again and threw it at the door.
Simr to the first time, poison, acid, fire, and electricity, and all kinds of elements flew out upon contact. There was an extra unknown power that was eating up the sword too.
The power of the curse! Its not only on the door, its even on top and beneath the entrance!
Victor gasped lightly at the discovery. No one liked the power of the curse, not even himself.
When the power of the curse spread on the de, Victor chose to give up without a second thought, immediately cutting off the link between him and the sword.
Fung!
The de shook for a few times, like it was crying.
Layers of rust spread, mottling it badly, and in the end... Pak!
A clear crackter, the sword shattered into pieces.
The de fell on the ground.
Victor didnt even spare an extra nce, walking forward to the door of the vault.
The stone door had a relief of a wolf howling at the moon. On top of the wolf was a bird and a fish with one wing.
Victor read about the history of Ring City before, so the relief represented the three kings: King Liao, King Reow and King Qi.
They were using their own mark to protect their wealth. It was rather normal for a monster but very useful.
Victor was certain as long as he pushed the door open, the three kings would know what happened. This mark was much more profound andplicated than those protective markings earlier.
Though unlike the defensive markings, the mark of the kings was used to identify the intruders identity and face so that they could take him down.
Victor was wondering before he arrived in front of the secret vault but now he didnt care anymore, because his identity and his face were all made clear to the three kings.
At most, change a new identity and start over!
It wasnt the first time anyway, as long as he could secure sufficient resources, it wasnt a problem.
Therefore, he ought to save himself the trouble. He did have the thought of being careful before he came here but not now.
Victor reached out to the door and wanted to push it open, but the sense of danger that flooded his heart made him turn around, his back facing the door.
Less than a secondter, a scarlet red figure appeared in Victors sight.
You are much more ambitious than I thought, my coborator! You never thought of truly working with me and never thought of ditching your title as Judge. You even tried to prolong your legacy and make your name shine brighter! You destroyed Ring City and became their hero. After you return to the outside world, they will sing songs about you for generations toe, but you are not satisfied with that! You had your eyes on the treasures of the city... No, should I say the treasure of Ring City was always part of your n? You needed them to make your fake praise and songs into real authority! Am I right, Victor?
Scarlet slowly stepped out while telling Victor its own understanding of the situation, thest part where it called Victor by name became a loud, fearsome shout.
If I say everything is a mere misunderstanding, will you believe me? Victor asked.
Misunderstanding? Scarlet chuckled.
Its chuckle mocked Victor for trying and sneered at its own decisions.
Thats right, it sneered at its own naiveness!
Scarlet always thought it had everything in control. It was going to be the ultimate victor, but after Ring City was destroyed, it finally realized things werent how it thought it would be.
Its coborator was much more cunning and ambitious than it could ever imagined.
And itself? The red skull?
It looked down on Victor before and it cost it dearly.
Losing one time would be enough for Scarlet, it would not want to experience it for a second or third time.
Thinking about the empty city treasure vault, Scarlet quietly altered its vows, its hatred and killer intents for Victor growing denser.
Without a sign, Victor started to bleed, blood oozing out from all his hair follicles, drop by drop, instantly turning into a bloody man
He tried to resist but failed, his own blood shackling him down.
Your powers are special but your ws are also obvious! I wont give you the chance to use it!
Scarlet then clenched its skeletal hand.
Crack!
The bloody Victor was getting squeezed by his own blood little by little. It was as if he got thrown into a squeezer and the pressure was crushing his bones and organs.
Scarlet had ways to kill Victor immediately but it didnt want to, it wanted Victor to suffer and so did the three kings!
The eyes of the relief of the wolf, bird and fish on the stone door were glimmering, the three kings were watching the scene too.
They saw Victor being crushed by the red skull slowly, causing them to react with a pleasantugh.
When they heard the painful growls from Victor, the relief on the stone door almost came alive, moving around the stone door and cheering pleasantly.
The bird chirped happily and that jumping fish with a single wing flew around and sang songs!
You monsters will regret this!
Victor managed to talk despite his body being squeezed.
His voice was hoarse and filled with rage, but none of them cared.
You are talking about your clone?
Dont worry, even if its just a clone, with King Qis abilities, we will find you and you will end up like this clone of yours. We will tear you to shreds, little by little! Scarlet said sinisterly.
It knew his coborator had many tricks under his sleeve and truly killing him wouldnt be easy.
Though Scarlet didnt mind spending more efforts for more attempts, it swore it would deliver the most pain to Victor or any clone of his. He would wish he was dead instead!
To carry out its vows, Scarlets red skeletal hands twitched, many white maggots, as thick as a thumb, climbing out slowly.
The maggots looked fat but moved very fast, crawling into Victors squeezed body in a few breaths time.
The maggots crawled into Victors body and started to bite his squeezed organs.
Victor cried out in pain again, which satisfied Scarlet.
Now, now, we are just getting started!
Scarlet then controlled even more maggots and made them crawl into Victors eyes and to his brain.
They will eat off one of your eyeballs first, and then they will crawl out from that eye socket, pry open your crown and then make their way to your brain. Why all this effort, you ask? Because I want to see you suffer!
Just like what Scarlet said it would do, after Victors eyeball was bitten off, his crown was pried open, the pain unimaginable.
He really wanted to pass out, but while the maggots kept biting him, they secreted a kind of liquid, refreshing his brain, which kept him awake and fresh!
His brain clearly felt each bite from the many maggots in his body, it was really tormenting!
Therefore, when the first maggot jumped onto his brain, Victor chose to self-destruct.
Bang!
A loud bangter, what was left of Victor turned to a pile of blood and meat.
Scarlet grew gloomy when he saw the pile of bloody meat, not expecting Victor to kill his clone like this.
More importantly, Scarlet had gotten something secretive from Victor.
Right before Victor exploded, the maggotnded a bite on his brain, it wasnt much but the maggot managed to chew off a very tiny piece, enough for Scarlet to know its ex-partner had been nning to destroy Ring City with the Reek River to create chaos the moment he discovered the dirty stream.
Damn it!
He had been nning for so long but I did not notice it!
Scarlet med itself.
It then dutifully told the three kings what it discovered and after the three kings heard what Scarlet said, the mark of the three kings on the stone door reacted differently.
The wolf, King Liao, howled furiously.
The bird, King Reow, jumped around.
The fish, King Qi, did not react at all.
King Qi was not much of a talker and his reaction instantly attracted the other kings and Scarlets attention.
Victor had nned this for so long and so carefully, will he really give up the most valuable part of his n? Our treasure vault?
King Qi sounded like he was asking and answering his question at the same time, but after his words, King Liao and King Reow were shocked, even Scarlet trembling for a moment.
Scarlet! Open the door! King Liao said anxiously.
Scarlet didnt obey right away, looking at King Reow and King Qi.
Both the bird and the fish nodded.
Scarlet walked to the door right away and reached out its skeletal hand, attempting to push the door, but somehow its skeletons were shaking.
What King Qi said left Scarlet in shock, and if what the king said was true...
The soul fire in its eye sockets flickered, Scarlet not daring to think anymore, pushing the door open.
Tsssk Gak!
The stone door opened.
Inside... was empty!
Scarlet fell on the ground weak.
F*ck!
Everything is f*cked now!
King Liao took a hit right in the face from the white bearman, then turned around and ran back to Ring City without any further concern about his opponent.
King Reow, who was also moving ten times faster, had an expression that was a mix between a frenzied smile and sadness.
King Qi also returned from his chase, his face as still as dead water and the killer intent erupting from his body.
The three kings returned to Ring City.
They flew through the city in ruins and the empty city treasure vault and when they stood in front of their own personal vault, which was empty of any contents, their expressions turned extremely bad.
One of them flushed and the other looked green.
Ssh!
King Liao already had injuries on his face because of the white bearman, his blood gushing out because of his indescribable anger.
With blood rolling down his face, he shouted, VICTOR! I WILL KILL YOU!
Chapter 1702 - Fact
Chapter 1702: Fact
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Rage and killer intents filled King Liaos heart, causing him to release himself from the restraints and allow his aura to st up into the sky.
All the monsters in Ring City felt a minor dy after the aura sted up.
King Reow and King Qi also joined him, all three kings merging their aura into one, distorting the space above Ring City.
The monsters in Ring City trembled in fear.
The red skull watched the scene in silence, not joining or stopping the kings. It was their business and it was not appropriate to stop them, at least as kings. They must do this for the sake of the monsters.
Terrifying aura!
Meanwhile, in the temporary hideout underground, Pdia noticed the aura overflowing in the sky. He looked to the direction of Ring City and his neck unconsciously shrunk, muttering softly, All we did was rob a convoy, why the intense rage?
I dont think thats the case. It should be rted to the explosions. Sending a group of scout riders to chase us for robbing the convoy was already very serious for them.
The minotaur walked to the corner, mimicking Pdias action and popping its head over the edge, looking at the city beyond sight.
It sounded very certain, even the horseman nodded in agreement, but Lucan seemed to disagree.
The tall and young Herder stood vigntly beside the convoy, protecting it and watching his surroundings for any suspicious movement.
However, he realized this convoy that they robbed was too rich!
The boxes of Crossing Coins, items, and equipment, especially thetter, every single one of them were good stuff, and there were ten of them!
Ten! It was considered a veryrge amount of wealth!
If the kings were mad because of this amount, in Lucans point of view, it was understandable.
The young Herder from the Northern Woods had never seen so much treasure before.
Back then, when he left the Northern Woods, the most valuable thing on him was his bear rug, followed by his pants and shoes. He had nothing more than that.
The Northern Forest was and troubled by cold and poverty, very few resources found there. Themoners had a hard life and so did the Herders, probably even more than the former.
The Herders of the Northern Woods had a very special lineage which increased their appetite 3 times the normal amount and could eat ten times their size, like Lucans family.
Lucan knew how great of an appetite he had, eating five mens worth in one go.
As for his father?
The three meals for 10 grown men was a single meal for his father and his grandfather.
His grandfather was very old, sitting at the entrance of the cave to sunbathe every day, not moving a muscle at all, as though he was asleep. When he woke, however, he would eat a hundred mens worth of food for a day.
Given howrge their family appetite was, even if they received aid from the Herders HQ, Lucans family had it rough, especially when Lucan was in his puberty. Everything edible in a hundred miles was eaten, all that was left was snow and trees, even birds fled away from his hunger.
Just when Lucan was questioning whether to eat a tree or not, the registration for the Battle of Winter Night started.
Lucan signed up without a second thought so that he could retrieve the bears sculpture and have a full meal!
So far so good!
He had many full meals in the camp and grew his knowledge and experience in this world, he even made friends!
Now his friend was not around, so he had a duty to protect his friends treasure!
No one was allowed to get near, not even Pdia!
Im just trying to check our spoils!
Pdia went over to the treasure boxes after he came back from the alleyway but before he truly got close to the cart, Lucan stopped him.
The rming gaze made Pdia facepalm himself.
We are on the same boat! Im just checking it, not simply touching it!
Pdia tried to talk some sense into Lucan.
It was torture for the Herder from Gemstone Sector after he was denied being able to touch and check the spoils by Lucan.
He had tried countless times in the past 12 hours and every time had ended in failure.
He had heard about the stubbornness of the Herders from the North but he didnt know they had muscles in their brains!
They knew nothing about improvising and always resolved things with brute strength!
The big hand tapped on Pdias shoulder, like the many times before, and pushed him away.
Dak Dak Dak!
Pdia had quite a decent physique, even among the Herders, yet he was pushed backwards seven to eight steps and couldnt put up any resistance, staggering backwards until his back touched the wall.
The pain on his shoulder and back made him clench his teeth.
This belongs to Royan, not you or me! Lucan said solemnly.
But I am a part of this! I am the most important part of this! Pdia argued strongly.
Bait has no rights to receive rewards. Baits are like reserved rations during war time, Lucan exined seriously about the rules of the Northern Woods to Pdia.
I am a human being! HUMAN BEING! You want to eat a human being?! Pdia red angrily.
That is why you are still breathing. You should be grateful and wait here for Royan, Lucan showed a stupid yet grateful smile.
Pdia was seriously upset by the stupid smile, he was suffocating!
What reserved ration?
What gratefulness?
He didnt be a bait just for fun!
He had a lot of credit in all this!
Like, like...
Pdia wanted toe up with a good argument to win Lucan but his brains squeezed all the juices out and did not find anything solid. He shockingly realized other than bait, he did nothing in this whole robbery.
He felt lost all of a sudden.
Am I just some reserved ration?
Lucan smiled and tapped on Pdias shoulder after he saw how lost Pdia was, then walked back to the cart and waited patiently.
The horseman and minotaur watched the scene silently, treating this as some entertainment to kill time.
As for the treasure boxes, the duo never cared.
For them, robbing was part of life around Ring City, they never cared what they get in the end, like they wouldnt care how full they were after every meal.
Who would care whether they were full or not after each meal?
If they werent full, they would just go on and eat a second round, robbing another monster or convoy!
The horseman and minotaur had simple thoughts, so they surprisingly got along well with Lucan.
Savages!
Brutes!
Pdia criticized his teammates while squatting.
A momentter, everyone stood up because they heard footsteps.
A series of clear footsteps entered their ears, followed by Kieran into their sight.
A ck monster was following behind him like his personal bodyguard.
Royan, you are back! Great!
Lucan weed Kieran back with excitement, as he called out to Kieran loudly, he ran over and then said, Watching your things wasnt easy, especially when Pdia was trying to open them and I couldnt really hurt him...
Kieran frowned and then looked at Pdia.
The less than friendly gaze made Pdia shrink his neck lower.
I just wanted to have a look, Pdia exined with a pale look.
Those are mine, Kieran dered his possession over the loot in a simple manner.
He then turned to Lucan with a smile, Thank you, he said courteously.
He clearly knew who treated him with sincerity and who had ulterior motives, and no doubt Lucan was the sincere one.
As for Pdia?
Neither was he the former ortter, he was just bait along the way.
How dare a bait have other thoughts?
Kieran was thinking about switching him out and while he was at it, Pdia noticed the atmosphere was getting weird, causing him to tremble in fear.
Im not trying to split the spoils with you, Im just...
Split the loots? You are just bait, why do you have the right to split the loot? Kieran frowned again and then stopped his naive thoughts.
Pdia was shocked, looking at Kieran in disbelief.
You are not giving me anything at all? He asked with a widened gaze.
You are just a bait and before that, you were my captive. As captive, where do you get the confidence to ask me for spoils? Kieran looked at Pdia with an unpleasant gaze.
Captive?
Pdia was shocked, again.
He then lowered his head in despair and sorrow.
He finally remembered who he was, a captive.
How dare a captive ask for distribution of spoils?
I-I am just a captive!
Pdia walked aside in despair, squatting down and not speaking again.
Royan, what should we do now? Leave this ce? Lucan asked.
Lucan was eager when he talked about leaving the ce.
He dide underground before but everything was a weird experience for him, he wasnt used to the feeling. The longer he stayed underground, the more his hands would sweat and his breathing would mess up.
Em. Leave this ce. The coast is clear back at the surface, Kieran said and then turned away.
ck understood what Kieran meant, following Kieran without uttering a word.
There was no going back now for ck, it didnt want to go back as a gatekeeper anymore.
Following Kieran was the best choice that it could possibly make.
More so, Kieran earned more of its respect by the second.
Kierans opponents were a bunch of kings who thought they were so smart yet they were toyed by Kieran like children.
Victor?
Just wait and see, this wasnt the end yet.
ck curled its lips into a grin as it had a hunch what Kieran was going to do.
Minotaur and horseman were being themselves, pulling the camel with the cart along and following Kieran.
For the duo, after the Oath of Allegiance and addressing Kieran as lord, they would serve him for life, what else was there to think?
Wherever their lord went, that was where they would go.
Among the group, the happiest one was surely Lucan.
He cheered and grabbed Pdia before tagging along.
Pdia tried to resist but it was useless, so he gave uppletely.
He was just a captive.
Being carried away by a big fe was not so hard to ept somehow.
The group moved very quickly, with minotaur and horseman as guide, soon locating a secret exit and going back to the surface.
The night was long gone back at the surface, the sun shining mercilessly while the outskirts of the abandoned city were extra quiet.
Sparks from fire sounded, many huge aerial predators skewered by giant tree branches and ced on top of the fire. The tall man with the white bear rug watched the fire with full concentration.
He spun the skewers from time to time to make sure they were fully roasted.
Not a bad ce. Lots of food! Hemented, yet none around him agreed to his point.
Daliphen looked at the remaining Herders with a painful gaze, half of the original numbers gone.
Before they came into this world, the Herders were lively and youthful but now... even their bodies were not intact.
More importantly, the Judge, Victor, was the mastermind behind all this.
The thought made Daliphen turn to Ciroc, he had to confirm this point above anything.
If it was a fake, he would find the one who fabricated the lie and ask for an exnation.
If it was real, he would find that bastard and make him pay for the lives of the young ones.
Ciroc answered Daliphens gaze with a never before seen hesitation, too was unsure whether or not it was a lie.
Unconsciously, Ciroc looked at the Inhumans further away.
The Inhumans too suffered a great loss, like the Herders. More than half of them were dead or missing.
As the person in charge of the Inhuman camp, Mian Yis head was killing him.
The only good news out of all this was that Song Shi was fine, the silver lining during ominous weather for Mian Yi.
As for the rest, that will be a problem for another time.
Mian Yi had made a decision in his heart and when he caught Cirocs gaze, both of them averted each others gaze.
Victors situation was very sticky.
Both people in charge remained quiet, but not the young ones of their respective camps.
Losing their friends and family in this major scheme riled them up.
They questioned authority and demanded an answer.
Why did the venue change in unpredictable ways?
Why were they sent to face enemies far stronger than their own?
Why was everything unlike what they agreed to in the first ce?
Question after question flooded the young ones hearts and they made it verbal.
Pangnard was sitting among the survivors quietly.
He was a smart person, he knew his answers would only cause a bigger panic, so after he simply brushed off Daliphen, the coastal area Herder has been quiet.
Song Shi ought to spill the beans, her attitude of a spoiled youngdy of the famous house fueling her urge, but it was killed by Mian Yi with utmost efforts.
Please consider the situation, Mian Yi told Song Shi.
Song Shi sealed her mouth when she saw how miserable Mian Yis begging was, but someone else spoke.
Consider the situation? So they became pawns and were sacrificed for nothing? Are you people still protecting Judge Victor? Isnt the fact obvious enough? He took lives for his own selfish gain, is he worth your protection?
The loud and clear voice echoed in the air, the youngsters captivated by the question and every one of them turning to the convoy further away.
In front of the convoy was Kieran, epting everyones confused gaze frankly.
He did not step back, neither was he afraid of authority because what he said was the truth!
Chapter 1703 - Thank Victor
Chapter 1703: Thank Victor
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Right after Kierans words subsided, the youngsters got further riled up.
The observers had the clearer picture but could never understand the situation more than the people involved because it was a personal experience.
Kieran knew it very well, so he continued.
Maybe Victor deserved your love before this, but after he treated us like disposable pieces of trash, the love should die. Rece it with hatred instead! Some may ask for forgiveness on his behalf, but sorry. As one of the participants in this Battle of Winter Night, I cannot forgive him. Those who speak of forgiveness but were never in the battle have no rights to plead for him.
Kieran paused and looked at the youngsters.
Even though the youngsters were safe in this temporary camp, everyone of them was troubled by sorrow, definitely having seen better days.
Kieran took a deep breath.
These people are just making irresponsiblements. Pretty words cane out of everyones mouth, except for the dead! Who is responsible for them? Those who were irresponsible? Or us, who grazed death because of someones selfish gains?
Kierans voice sounded like battle drums, beating at the youngsters heart.
Every beat further riled up the youngsters, fueling their motivations and emotions.
One Herder, who still had blood on his face, stood up.
Daliphen, Sir Ciroc, I wish to know the truth, he said.
I wish to know the truth too!
A hairy Inhuman with long nails and bandages all around his body looked at Mian Yi.
Truth!
We want the truth!
Kierans words started a chain reaction, everyone standing up and demanding the truth, like falling dominoes.
One after another, the youngsters stood up for themselves, looking at Daliphen, Ciroc. And Mian Yi for answers.
The three of them looked at each other.
Ciroc gave an unhappy re to Kieran but that was soon reced by helplessness.
He didnt want things to unfold this way because Victor was involved in too many things. If Victors name and image as Judge were overthrown, many more things would only furtherplicate itself.
However, if Ciroc didnt provide the truth for the angry youngsters, they wouldnt stop either and might further exacerbate things.
Ciroc had reasons to believe some smarter ones had already learned the truth. They didnt speak a word because they were observing the situation and if Ciroc were to disappoint these smarter ones, the so-called Herders might end up as a big fat joke.
In fact, not only the Herders name would be jeopardized, even the Dark Moon Treaty and many others that followed. All would be nothing but a bunch of nk papers.
The whole world would go back to the dark days where chaos and ughters roamed free.
The hesitation sank in while Ciroc considered the pros and cons of telling the truth, and then he chose to speak.
Royan is right. Based on what we know, this years Battle of Winter Night was indeed Victors scheme.
Right after Ciroc finished, the youngster reacted in mours.
Damn it!
Its real then!
My brother died in this chaotic scheme?
Kill him!
I want revenge!
......
The voices mouring for revenge sounded in session.
Some of them started to weep but they wiped their tears away and clenched their teeth in grievance.
Calm down! Everyone calm down! We still dont know why Victor did this...
Dont know? Let me tell you idiots! He did this because of Ring Citys wealth! Hes already on the run with the treasures!
Ciroc attempted to exin but before he could, a hoarse voice interrupted him and a scarlet red figure appeared in the temporary camp.
Mian Yi, Daliphen, and Ciroc noticed the scarlet red figure at first nce and they were rmed, as though they were facing their greatest foe.
Lumor nced over the red skull and then shifted his gaze at the predator skewers on the fire.
To him, meat was far more attractive than bones.
Now, now, dont get too excited. Ie in peace! Ie bearing the goodwill of the three kings of Ring City. We are all Victors victims after all. We shouldmiserate with each other, right?
Scarletid open its skeletal hands and looked around, then bowed at Mian Yi, Daliphen, and Ciroc. If it wasnt for its red skull, it would qualify for a real gentleman and not a gentle-skull.
Why should we believe you?
Mian Yi looked at Scarlet with utmost cautious, subtly cing Song Shi behind him.
Because I am telling the truth and if I really wanted you all dead, none of you would be able to escape from me.
Scarlet then raised its hand to the sky to prove its intentions.
The bright day instantly turned into the dark night!
The sun vanished and the moon took its ce.
Growls and howls sounded in the area.
Everyone was shocked, especially the youngsters, every one of them holding their weapons tightly.
They did suffer a lot here because of the sudden change of the day.
Rx, rx, dont get so riled up. I said Ie in peace, I am an emissary of goodwill.
Scarlet pointed its hand at the sky again.
The moon vanished and the sun came back up.
While bathing under the sun, the red skull smiled but it felt more like a ferocious grin.
It slowed down and said, Victor lied to me and the three kings with the Philosophers Stone as bait. He distracted us by diverting our attention to you, intruders to ournd, and then robbed the city treasure vault clean. A hundred years of umted wealth of Ring City was taken away, just like that. The three kings are furious. They dont have the time and patience to talk anymore, that is why I am here. I hope everyone can calm down and have a good talk, we do have amon enemy. right? said Scarlet. It bowed politely at Mian Yi, Daliphen and Ciroc again.
The wealth of Ring City?
Mian Yi, Daliphen and Ciroc exchanged gazes, half of the questions in their heart met with answers.
They finally understood Victors goal, but they did not fully trust Scarlet yet.
However, none of this had anything to do with Kieran anymore.
The moment Scarlet appeared, he knew Victor must die!
No matter Ring City or the outside world, Victor would have no ce to stand anymore, he would be hunted down.
Thank you.
Kieran sincerely thanked Victor, the Judge that he had never met, in his heart, before walking to a side of the temporary camp.
As for the conversation between the trio and the red skull?
Both sides had no intention to continue their squabbles, their conversation would be nothing exceptpromising and disputing over trifles.
Kieran had zero interest in that, simr to the three kings without their wealth. They were worthless to Kieran now.
Enemies that couldnt provide spoils were the kind that Kieran wouldnt want to meet, they were unworthy of his time and energy.
Though Kieran was stopped by someone else.
You have the scent of my son! You know Lucan? The big and tall Lumor looked at Kieran.
Em, Kieran nodded.
There was nothing to hide about it, Lucan was on the other side of the camp watching the two carts together with the minotaur and horseman anyway.
Of course, the most important point was this man in the white bear rug shared a heavy resemnce with Lucan.
His looks and equipment, other than the color of the bear rug, looked almost the same.
Kieran didnt doubt the man a bit when he imed he was Lucans father.
Great! Can you bring me to him? Lumor asked again.
Follow me, Kieran then went on ahead.
Lumor grabbed the half-roasted predator, chewing on it as he followed Kieran, even asking Kieran, Do you want some?
Kieran nced over at the weird looking predators head.
Although it was half-roasted, the taste wasnt anything ster, especially when he still had the food Starbeck prepared for him.
There was no need to choose at all.
Kieran grabbed a white biscuit from this backpack, which was kept in the specially made thermal container that Starbeck bought, ensuring Kierans ess to warm food at all times.
The biscuit was crispy and hot on the outside and soft on the inside. It was like minced pork sandwiched in between, the bnce between lean and fat coupled with the right amount of juices a delight to bite on.
The taste lingered on Kierans lips and teeth, especially the taste of bell pepper and egg.
The bell pepper was fried beforehand, the oiliness locking in the special aroma of bell pepper and making it extra crispy.
The egg wasnt chicken egg but quail egg, cooked together with a big piece of pork so the essence of the meat was infused into the egg, yet it retained the creamy texture.
Treated in cold water after its cooked? Kieran wondered in his mind.
Although he didnt have Starbecks cooking skills, he had the tongue to taste and appreciate all of Starbecks dishes.
It allowed him to taste Starbecks dishes better, but the downside was he couldnt really eat anything else.
Slurp, Slurp.
Lumor was walking beside Kieran, looking down at the biscuit in Kierans hand and drooling a river. He couldnt help but gulp back the saliva and would wipe it away with his hand when his saliva began to overflow.
He would stuff a piece of meat into his mouth to stop his drooling but the meat that he felt was very tasty suddenly tasted like wood.
It was dry and tasteless, hard to swallow.
Can you...
Cannot.
Lumor wanted to ask for a taste but Kieran rejected him before he could finish.
Lumor scratched his head and thought to try another approach, like money, but he searched every inch of his body and found none.
As one of the protectors of the Northern Woods, Lumor was well known for being poor.
It wasnt just because his vows forbid him to be rude or bully others, it was also because of his familys great appetite. Being able to rely on aids from the Herders to meet ends on a daily basis was considered a blessing for them already, there was no such thing as savings for them.
As for robbing others?
No matter how hard, the protector of the Northern Woods would not resort to such savage acts.
Going against an ally defied their vows but what about the enemy?
As long as the enemies werent idiots, no one would bring hostility to the Northern Woods.
Therefore, most of the time, the protectors of the Northern Woods chose to barter for things rather than using money.
Using the skin and teeth of animals and monsters to barter for daily resources.
However, right now, Lumor had nothing.
He didnt think his roasted predator could be swaped for that white biscuit.
Do you have anything that you want to achieve but couldnt? Lumor suddenly asked.
If he couldnt barter food with food, he could try to trade food withbour, like how he appeared in Ring City in the first ce.
No, Kieran shook his head.
Of course he had goals that he ought to achieve but was unable to, yet it was his secret to keep, not something to tell others.
More so, he was used to working alone, not relying on others.
Is that so? Lumor showed a pitiful face, but soon it was reced with a smile because he saw Lucan.
Lumor ran over and hugged Lucan, the 3 meters tall father managing to hold the more than 2 meters tall son in a single hug. Heughed and said, Son, youve thinned down! Do you have enough to eat? Here! Try this!
Lumor shoved the roasted predator into his sons mouth and at the same time looked at the minotaur and horseman with glimmers.
The gaze of hunger sent chills down the monsters spine.
Ahem... They are allies, not food! Lucan said in embarrassment.
Really? Lumor said and then looked at the cart beside them.
This is Royans spoils, he saved me so I am helping him to guard it, Lucan answered honestly.
Very good son! The warriors of the Northern Woods are considerate in return!
Lumor nodded and then praised his son.
His gaze then naturallynded on Pdia.
He is Royans captive from the Battle of Winter Night. He acted as bait but was not very good at his role. He always had his eyes on Royans spoils, so hes not an honest man, Lucan introduced Pdia.
You should break this kind of dishonest mans legs, Lumor lectured his son seriously.
Pdia rolled a white eye at the father and son, his heart scolding endlessly, but he kept it to himself.
What is not so good as bait?
I did my best and put my life on the line!
Pdia turned away from the father and son while he criticized them.
He deemed the father and son a bunch of muscr idiots, their head filled with muscles instead of brain and they were the type that he couldntmunicate with.
In fact, after returning to this temporary camp, Pdia had the thought of running away. If he wasnt scared of [Seodi Stone], he would have been gone without a sign.
Pdia thought he had to talk to Kieran about this.
Royan, can I redeem myself with money? This goes along with the Herders rule and I swear I will keep my mouth shut about everything that Ive been though as your captive, Pdia walked to Kieran and spoke softly.
100 Crossing Gold Coins.
Kierans price almost suffocated Pdia.
Pdia wanted to say f*ck you but before he could do so, he realized Kierans eyes werent on him from the start but behind him.
Chapter 1704 - Victor Must Die
Chapter 1704: Victor Must Die
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
After noticing Kierans gaze, with a previous encounter under his belt, Pdia rolled aside and hid behind Kieran without a second thought.
He scaredly stood up for a peek after that.
When he first saw Scarlet the red skull, Pdia was trembling in fear, and now, he saw the scarlet red figure again.
The scarlet red skull was a nightmare to the young Herder of Gemstone Sector because of that day changing scene. It left a very deep impression and it was safe to consider that it toppled his world view and logic.
The modern education given to the Herders opted out of the so-called Gods.
In fact, in this modern age, most of the mystical side would not acknowledge the existence of Gods, assuming that Gods were powerful individuals deified by people.
However, the more they denied it, the scarier the red skull felt to Pdia.
A foe that could be considered a God was something unimaginable for Pdia, who had always set his opponents around normal people or monsters slightly stronger than the usual.
A foe that couldpete with God?
Pdia never even dreamt about it!
He thought himself bold and braver than the others by standing straight and not kneeling down in front of the red skull.
Though more importantly, Kieran was in front of him.
If he was alone, it would be impossible for him to even stay conscious.
Pdia had acknowledged himself as Kierans captive, so wherever Kieran went, he went too.
Reasonable, right?
While Pdia was thinking about the messy thoughts seriously, he carefully shrunk his body behind Kieran, hiding himselfpletely from the red skull.
Kieran felt Pdias little action, but he did not care.
His attention was on the red skull.
It wasnt the first meeting but the first time meeting face to face.
The skeletons clothing choices were still as profound as always, its hands twisting the prayer beads endlessly as it walked closely, probably a habit of many years.
There was no flesh and blood on every piece of bone on its body but it was very read, which made it very strange looking.
The soul fire in its eye sockets was burning firmly, and although small, it felt like two steadily burning torches to Kieran and deeper inside its skull stayed some unknown power.
Kieran didnt further pry into the unknown, at least not now.
He had to make Scarlet ce its attention on Victor, so he looked into the soul fire frankly.
Anything? Kieran asked.
Nothing in particr, Im just curious about you, Royan. You are Royan, right? Sir Daliphen introduced me earlier, and although thenguage of your kind and Ring City originated from the same line, the subtle differences between the two caused some changes. ording to what we speak in Ring City, I should call you Yan Luo, Scarlet said with a smile.
The skull face couldnt have shown a real smile and its hoarse voice had no obvious humour, but it was simr to what it wanted to deliver, as if Scarlet was expressing its goodwill.
As you wish, Kieran said without care.
Royan, Yan Luo, it was just a name, like how he named himself 2567.
Now matter what people called him, he was still Kieran to himself.
As for the alleged goodwill from Scarlet?
Not even a ghost would believe it.
Kieran knew exactly what Scarlet was doing here and he obviously didnt want to y alone.
Youe for them? Kieran turned around and purposely pointed at the carts.
No, no no. Those are just trivial things. Although Ring City was robbed, we are not a stingy ally, we do not have the face to ask for the spoils that we lost during the previous battle. If I really do, the three sires would hang me to dry outside Ring City... Oh right, the city is destroyed.
Scarlet waved its skeletal hands repeatedly, the soul fire in its eye sockets flickering.
It wasnt just observing Kieran but the others within his proximity.
Kieran seemed normal, the two monsters and the human trio behind him also seemed normal.
I was overreacting! All this young man did was coincidentally stumble upon the treasures, everything is still Victors fault!
VICTOR MUST DIE!
The thought of Victor fooling itself and causing Ring Citys destruction made Scarlets soul fire flicker quicker and fiercer.
A distorted hatred emanated from the deepest of its soul.
Kieran clearly sensed all of those but he pretended to not see it and sighed.
I am sorry about that. Weve never thought Victor would use us as bait to steal Ring Citys wealth. We are considered the lucky ones, many others died without knowing the cause, Kieran said with a sense of sorrow hidden in between the lines.
The sense of sorrow caused Scarlet to resonate with him.
I will find this criminal and deliver him to the three kings, they will tear him to a million pieces! Scarlet said fiercely.
Of course. If you need any help,e for me at Ai City, I will try to help, Kieran nodded and said seriously.
Great! I will go there if I have a need! Scarlet said in a seemingly happy tone.
In the uing few minutes, Kieran and Scarlet talked about Victor and the conversation intensified quickly. Even until both of them had to part ways, Scarlet still hadnt truly finished expressing itsments about Victor.
When I catch Victor and execute him, I will surely tell you, Yan Luo.
Ill be looking forward to it, Scarlet.
The conversation ended and Scarlet left.
Pdia heaved a breath of relief after he saw the red skull walk away.
I would suggest that you dont meet this pile of bones that much, its very...strange, Pdia said softly. He actually wanted to use the word scary but he felt embarrassed when he noticed the others around him, that was why he changed the word.
At least we have amon enemy now, Kieran replied without showing any reaction.
The people and monsters at the scene were not made clear about Kierans true n, that was why they came back to the camp with him.
Like ck, the ex-gatekeeper, who had vanished when the group came back from the underground, and simr to Du, who had returned in advance with the contents in the secret vault of the three kings.
Kieran would never leave such a big opening for his enemies, even though he knew his men had tight lips.
No one knew what kind of powers Scarlet had under that skull. At least during the conversation, Kieran was very certain that Scarlet has some searching and detecting abilities.
More importantly, Scarlet still hadnt given up.
Kieran nced over the spot where Scarlet stood with the edge of his eyes, seeing a tiny maggot hidden in the grass.
Royan, where do you think Victor is now? Pdia changed the topic after some thoughts.
I dont know, but no matter where he is, he must die! Kieran said in a heavy tone.
Pdia did not argue with that, even Lucan nodded repeatedly at the words.
Traitor! Unforgivable! Lucan had zero tolerance towards traitors.
But if that traitor had nned all this so meticulously, he must have a backup n or an escape route! It will be hard to find him, he might even have vanishedpletely, Pdia said while touching his chin.
He put himself in Victors shoes while guessing, sure that Victor must have found the best escape n, otherwise he would not have taken the risk.
Everyone went quiet, even Lucan knew Pdia was telling the truth.
If I cant find him for a year, Ill go on for another 10 years! I will find that traitor, even if it takes forever! Lucan said seriously after thinking for a bit.
The straight and honest Lucan had an unyielding and tensile personality, he would face any kind of trouble dauntlessly.
Lumor, the protector of the Northern Woods, tapped his sons shoulder, for he was gratified.
Dont worry, the Herders are not as weak as you think, we still have the Inhumans! Many families are behind each and every one of them, their powers might not be anything during normal times but when they team up, it will be something substantial. Victor cannot outrun us! Lumor said each and every word clearly and with confidence.
The confidence instantly spread to Lucan and Pdia.
Pdia even walked up to ask more questions. It seemed like the Herder from Gemstone Sector had developed quite the interest in Victor, or more urately, the treasures Victor stole.
Kieran didnt intervene, sitting there and listening while his eyes subtly watched that tiny maggot.
...
We will find Victor first, even if you have all kinds of terrain advantageous!
Scarlet said while eavesdropping on Kieran and the others through that little maggot.
It was very certain now that the young man, Yan Luo or Royan, had nothing to do with Ring Citys destruction.
Though Scarlet wasnt concerned about the Herders locating Victor before them, because they had what the Herders didnt: King Qi.
King Qi was slightly hurt because of the repulsion earlier, but when he had arge amount of blood and flesh as ingredients, locating Victor was fairly easy.
With that thought in its skull, Scarlet returned to Ring City.
When it went through the outer ring, the inner ring of the city already in ruins, the hatred in Scarlet towards Victor intensified
After he entered the King City and saw that empty vault, the hatred almost materialized.
Victor must die!
Scarlet reminded itself again, then hastened its steps. It was eager to track down Victor for revenge.
Your Majesties.
Scarlet bowed after it entered the grand hall but the three kings didnt care.
King Liao and King Reow were looking at King Qi.
On his throne, King Qi was holding a piece of flesh from Victor.
Tzzzzzt!
The piece of flesh burned like a lighted fuse.
Smoke came shortly after the burning and it was sucked into King Qis nose.
When thest bit of smoke was sucked in, the king saw a vision of an asphalt road with thick greens on both sides, a sign on one side clearly stating the location: Roxas State Route 63.
Roxas State Route 63. He was just there, King Qi said slowly.
Sire, leave it to me, Scarlet replied right away.
The three kings didnt say no.
Ring City was destroyed, a hundred years of effort all down the drain, but the three kings werent ready topletely ditch the destroyed city just yet. Between building a new city on top of the ruins of the old one and searching for a ce to rebuild anew, the former was undoubtedly easier.
The three kings had to work on the rebuilding with their own hands, needing the surviving monsters of Ring City to know of their existence, therefore Scarlet had automatically be the best choice to go after Victor.
It is up to you now, you know what to do, right? King Reow spoke on behalf of the others.
Of course! Victor must die! Scarlet said again
...
While Scarlet was in pursuit of Victor, the Herder and Inhuman camps started to return to the outside world.
Unlike the misty haze when they arrived, the passage to return outside was very stable.
Kieran led the minotaur and horseman inside.
The monster duo pushed the carts forward while looking at the passage in curiosity.
Its like a corridor, Minotaur said.
That is because you made your living ce all sticky and dirty, Horseman replied.
At least its better than some dark corner filled with fodder! Minotaur argued.
Horseman wanted to further the argument but its eyes shone in glimmer all of a sudden.
They had arrived at the little mountain where Kieran entered the venue in the first ce.
Standing on the higher spot, the two gazed around excitedly.
Unlike the limited space of Ring City which had a limit around the city, the sky andnd of this world was endless, neither of them able to see the end with a single nce.
From here to there, my territory! The excited minotaur said.
Based on what? I saw that ce first! The horseman snorted as replied.
Bullsh*t! I saw it first!
The minotaur bumped its forehead against the horseman, but the horseman didnt want to back off either, and both of them started a contest of strength to determine a winner.
The Herders and Inhumans behind them saw the weird scene, an extra curious nce was given, but nothing more than that.
A fight between monsters?
They had seen too many.
Monsters that served humans and Inhumans existed in the outside world.
However, Daliphen, who also saw the scene, came over.
Royan, yourpanions need to go through some procedures. You need to prove their legality and of course, they arent allowed to make mistakes. Harming humans without reason will put them on trial, Daliphen said.
Em. Follow me, Kieran called out to the minotaur and horseman who were bumping each others forehead.
The two of them cut the little squabbles right away and walked to Kieran obediently.
Daliphen nodded in satisfaction when he saw how tame the two monsters were. He never denied the Herders from getting monsters aspanions or followers, but they must know how to behave.
While Daliphen was processing the minotaur and horsemans documents to prove their legality, back in Leaf Dining, Li Jiajia, who was cutting potatoes, suddenly looked up.
Inside her head, a voice kept repeating itself.
Blood, death!
me, destruction.
He has arrived!
Run!
RUN!
...
The voice in her head frightened her, her hand slipped while cutting the potatoes and almost cut her hand.
She got angry and shrieked, AH! Shut up! I am not a philosopher, not a prophet! My dream is to be a cook! A COOK, understand?!
Li Jiajia shouted at the voice.
Whats wrong?
Her shout automatically attracted Starbecks attention.
Teacher, the voice in my head spoke again, its talking about blood, death, me and destruction, it even kept saying that he has arrived...
Its okay, you just need to get used to it.
Li Jiajia did not keep a secret from Starbeck.
Starbeck smiled andforted his student with a warm style.
He then turned around and put on the apron, the smile on his face growing warmer.
He had returned!
Chapter 1705 - Counting Spoils
Chapter 1705: Counting Spoils
Kieran returned to Ai City that very night.
When he returned to the alleyway where Leaf Dining was, he couldnt help but take a deep breath.
The aroma of mutton! And without the stench!
The smell was pure meaty essence!
Kierans spirit was lifted. The minotaur and horseman even started to drool a river.
This is our new house? This is great! I like this ce! said the minotaur.
I like this ce too. Its better than I thought! The horseman showed a smile.
Stop copying me! Minotaur scolded the horseman.
You are copying me, you shameless ox-head! The horseman turned around and mocked.
What did you say, you ugly piece of horse-face? The minotaur stepped up to argue.
Kieran didnt care about the little squabbles between his followers. He strode to the restaurant door and then went in.
Starbeck was waiting behind the counter in an apron, showing a smile when Kieran came in.
Im back, Kieran said when he saw Starbecks smile.
You want to eat something first or bathe? I have mutton stew and warm water ready.
Starbeck went around the counter and then took Kierans coat off to hang it over the side, his eyes glued to Kieran the moment he came in.
As for the newpany?
Starbeck saw them but didnt care.
No matter how scary the monsters were, Starbeck believed deeply that those who came in with Kieran were harmless.
Ill eat first, Kieran said.
Mm, Starbeck smiled and nodded. He went into the kitchen, and a whileter, brought out a ypot.
Steam, carrying a fragrant aroma, came out of the steam hole.
When Starbeck lifted the lid, the smell filled the entire restaurant.
The tender, white mutton slices, which were crescent shaped, were arranged in the pot neatly.
Lush coriander, spring onions, and fresh chilli with a little goji berry were sprinkled on top as garnish.
The rich soup, which the mutton slices were simmered in, was still boiling.
Kieran took a deep breath, receiving a spoon from Starbeck, and tasted the soup first.
Fresh!
When the tip of his tongue came in contact with the soup, a shallow yet ungreased vour spread on his tongue, followed by the taste of coriander, spring onions, cooking wine, bayleaf, anise, bell pepper, and chilli, appearingyer afteryer.
It didnt feel out of ce, it was woven smoothly with the soup, especially the goji berry, which added a little bit of sweetness to it.
After the first mouthful of soup, Kieran went for the second spoon and this time with a piece of mutton on top.
The mutton wasnt too dry or greasy, the tenderness just right, lifting Kierans appetite.
He gobbled down all the mutton on the surface, the other ingredients like chinese yam, carrot, and ss noodles revealed underneath.
The chinese yam was soft, the carrots retained a little crunchiness and the ss noodles was smooth.
Kieran didnt use the chopsticks, he picked the ypot up and shovelled everything into his mouth with the spoon.
After this pot was emptied out, Starbeck came out with the second.
Two more buns appeared in his hand and were handed out to the monster duo.
Ive made some mutton oil buns with the leftovers of the mutton stew, if you dont mind...
DONT MIND!
The minotaur and horseman grabbed the buns and tossed it into their mouths.
When they chewed on the bun, their expressions frozeDELICIOUS!
They had never eaten something this delicious!
The duo mostly ate raw meat throughout their lives, roasting some other monsters once in a while, but had never really cooked food before. Starbecks cooking instantly conquered their hearts.
I swear this is the life that I will be living!
This is great beyond words!
The minotaur and horseman said one after another.
Elite Hound, who was lying down behind the counter, showed disdain for the duos reaction.
Bunch of narrow-sighted clowns!
Elite Hound woke up, stretched, shook its fur, and then lowered its head to push it against Starbecks leg, whimpers sounding.
I did not forget about you. Hold on, Starbeck returned to the kitchen with a smile.
He then brought out another basin of cookedmb bones.
The bones of the spine had tendons and meat attached and it instantly attracted glimmering gazes from the monster duo.
Although they were poured into the dog bowl, the duo didnt mind eating from it.
The Elite Hound felt the lousy thoughts from the duo, turning to them and baring its fangs. The other five Hounds came out from the corners too and were looking at the minotaur and horseman with cautious hostility.
The minotaur and horseman didnt care about the five little puppies, but their faces were heavier when they looked at the Elite Hound. They felt this particr Hound was different from the others, but will it be the reason for them to give up on the food?
Come,e, its time to eat.
I still have some buns left, anyone wants a refill?
Just when the minotaur and horseman were cracking their fingers, Starbeck called his guardian hound back and then offered the monster duo more buns.
YES! The two of them nodded repeatedly.
Then sit down. Ill be right back, Starbeck said.
Okay!
The duo behaved like children in nursery school, sitting down straight and waiting patiently.
Starbeck brought out two big tray of buns
The buns piled up like a little hill and were ced in front of the minotaur and horseman.
Youre wee, Starbeck smiled.
The two did not hold back either, they grabbed the buns with both their hands and tossed it into their mouths.
Starbeck wasnt even startled when he saw how quickly the two ate, he was used to such eating speed by always being around Kieran.
Therefore, Starbeck brought out two more trays of buns and even provided them two bowls ofmb soup, leftovers from Kieransmb stew.
The two monsters didnt care, they were very happy to eat anything that Starbeck brought them.
Starbeck smiled and sat back on his chair behind the counter, touching the Elite Hounds head, who was munching on the bones. He then nced over the two monsters, who lost themselves in the buns, and ultimately shifted his gaze at Kieran, who was still gobbling down the food.
There wasnt any verbalmunication, but a single gaze made Starbeck happy.
Starbeck loved what he had right now. There was no need to fake it, no need to pretend to be something that he resented.
As long as he could cook well, people would admire him and his talent.
What else was better than that?
Being admired by Kieran.
Munching and slurping filled the quiet restaurant, undoubtedly making the food tastier. Starbeck poured a ss of water for Kieran after he finished another pot and was finally full.
Ive put some lemon and mint inside, it will cure the oiliness, Starbeck said.
Mm, Kieran nodded and drained every drop of the water.
He then stood up, grabbed the apron he had hung at the side of the counter, and brought the empty dishes inside the kitchen.
The minotaur and horsemen were stunned for a second before they copied what Kieran did: they brought their own trays and bowl into the kitchen.
The manners struck a sense of danger in the Elite Hounds heart, as if its master was there to clean up its bowl and it hadnt noticed until now.
Too careless!
The Elite Hounds heart sank. It quickly held the empty bowl in its mouth and walked into the kitchen.
The spacious kitchen was crowded by the amount of people, but Starbeck watched the scene with a smile.
Kieran was only gone for a couple of days, but for Starbeck, it was years of torture.
Now?
Everything had returned to normal.
Ding Dong!
The bell rang and Song Shi, the eldest daughter of Song Shi Family, walked in.
Food! I want food! Song Shi cried out loud.
We only havemb soup and some buns.
Starbeck showed a very polite smile to his regr customer.
Lamb soup and buns it is.
Song Shi pulled out a stack of money, as always, and ced it on the table.
Soon, her food was served.
Song Shi dug in without any concern for her image as ady.
Even when she saw Kieran and the two monsterse out from the kitchen, she did not stop.
Food was more important than Kieran, period.
After a dozen buns went down her stomach, Song Shi, the food grinder, finally slowed down.
Phew! I am alive! Do you know, Roye, I lived some inhumane days in Ring City! Aside from the danger and worries, I had nothing to eat! Now,e to think of it, I do not want to live that kind of life for a single day for the rest of my life! Song Shi eximed.
Her words immediately attracted resonance from the minotaur and horseman.
Thats right! Those days in Ring City were inhumane! I will never go back! Its like some rural vige troubled by poverty! said the minotaur and horseman, even the Elite Hound nodded in acknowledgement.
Right, you two are some short-sighted clowns.
After thement on the two monsters, Elite Hound wagged its tail and thenid down in front of the kitchen entrance, closing its eyes as though it fell asleep instantly.
The monster duo obviously sensed the contempt from the Elite Hound, but they held back their urge to start a fight when they saw Starbeck.
They were not too familiar with the people and the new ce, yet they ate peoples food and at first nce, they knew the cook had an unusual rtionship with their boss.
They couldnt simply start a fight!
They were nning to stay for a while, mixing around a little more to observe the situation before they made any rash moves.
Just like how they robbed carts and convoys back in Ring City, they never failed for so long because they knew themselves as well as their target.
Kieran didnt care about the little thoughts of his followers, he sat back down in his ce and looked at Song Shi.
I have a business proposal, I was wondering if Song Shi Family would be interested, Kieran asked.
Business? The convoy you robbed from Ring City? Song Shi asked.
Mm. I want to exchange all of those Crossing Coins, items, and equipment for Crossing Gold Coins, Kieran said frankly. Song Shi knew what had happened, so he had no reasons to hide it from her.
Sure, Song Shi nodded.
She then frowned and continued in a softer voice, The explosion in Ring City, is that your handy work?
No! I really wanted to, but Victor beat me to it. If it wasnt for my sensitivity towards danger that I had cultivated in the mountains, we both would have drowned in the Reek River, Kieran shook his head certainly.
I am eating! Dont you dare mention that ce! Song Shi grumbled.
The Reek River, with a stench that rivaled feces, really toppled her appetite.
A major reason why she never wanted to go back to Ring City was because of the Reek River.
Not talking about it doesnt mean it doesnt exist...like Victor.
Kieran switched the topic back to Victor.
Victor? Dont tell me you want to go after him too? Song Shi paused and looked at Kieran with some doubt.
Why not? He did steal a hundred years of treasures from Ring City, Kieran replied.
If you know he stole the treasures from Ring City, do you know how many eyes are on him right now? Song Shi frowned.
I can imagine, Kieran replied.
No! Its beyond your imagination! If the Battle of Winter Night was dangerous, this pursuit of Victor will be lethal! What we went through in Ring City is like childs ypared to this! The Battle of Winter Night was only participated by a portion of youngsters representing each of the mystical factions, but this hunt will involve the whole mystical world! Song Shi raised her volume.
Kieran didnt answer her this time, quietly taking a sip of water.
Song Shi sighed when she saw Kierans reaction.
I dont care what you want to do, but dont you dare bring Roye into your business!
Roye is...
Wait a freaking moment! You said all that right into my face, are you trying to ask me to take care of Roye for you?! You twisted bastard! You can just tell me to take care of him frankly, no need for so many detours!
Song Shi looked at Kieran with realization on her face, thinking she had seen through Kierans intention and stood in front of him with her hands on her waist, waiting for Kierans reply.
You can leave after you have had your meal, we are closing early today, Kieran chased her off.
Her self-assumed thought remained unchanged, but she wasnt unhappy when Kieran chased her out. Instead she chuckled.
Mian Yi will deal with you tomorrow morning. Of course, if you really want me to take care of Roye for you...
Thank you very much, pleasee again.
Before Song Shi could finish, Kieran pushed her out of the restaurant and grabbed the little ckboard back before shutting the door on her.
You two, go pick an empty room on the second floor.
Kieran told the monsters before he gave a meaningful gaze at Starbeck, then headed down to the basement.
Bloody Mary the Superior Demon had been waiting.
Boss, Bloody Mary bowed.
Bloody Mary then walked into the room that it stayed in, moving the junk and abandoned goods aside to reveal stairs leading further down.
Bloody Mary walked down and Kieran followed.
More than 15 minutester, they finally saw the end of the stairs.
Du was standing there.
My lord.
The scaley monster saluted Kieran with utmost respect and then pushed the stone door open.
Golden radiance shone brightly and dazzlingly.
It was finally time to count the spoils.
Chapter 1706 - Lying On Top of a Golden Mountain
Chapter 1706: Lying On Top of a Golden Mountain
Grrr!
Heavy dragging noises came when the stone door was pushed open.
Du, a loyal andpetent follower, bowed and invited Kieran inside.
Kieran stepped into the golden brilliance.
In order to avoid the public infrastructures and underground pipes, the newly opened basement of Leaf Dining was only the size of a basketball court.
However, anyone who entered the room would be overwhelmed by the contents that it held.
Crossing Coins, not silver, not copper, only gold!
There were 50 boxes of Crossing Gold Coins in the room and each box had a hundred coins!
All 50 boxes of the coins were arranged neatly on the ground with the lids opened.
It wasnt Dus idea but Kierans request.
He liked bathing under the golden radiance.
What else was more soothing for a stingy soul like Kieran than to enjoy his loot?
More loot, like what he was looking at!
He took a deep breath at the sight of the 50 boxes, curling his lips into a small grin that showed faint intoxication.
Great!
If the satisfaction on his taste buds provided him pleasure, a great amount of Crossing Gold Coins excited him to the peak.
Kieran did not forget about the sense of danger that came after the chains on his body.
How should he deal with the danger?
Getting stronger would be the only choice!
What else was more effective in growing his strength than arge amount of Crossing Gold Coins?
None!
The answer was very solid.
However, Kieran did not absorb the gold coins right away, turning around around.
Du arranged the Crossing Coins on one side and items and equipment on the other side, simr to the treasure vault in Ring City.
Kieran saw the first 200 items and equipment that he got from the city treasure vault and another 50 from the kings secret vault.
Du purposely arranged the 50 items and equipment in the most obvious ce.
Not a single one of the 50 items were lower than Legendary rank and many more were at least Advanced Rank or above.
The happiest news was, three out of the 50 could be brought out of the dungeon!
Two of which were Legendary and one was Advance Rank.
The Legendary rank items were both rings.
[Name: Twine Stinger]
[Type: essory]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Attack: Average]
[Defense: Extreme]
[Attribute: 1. Tentacle Bind; 2. Absorb Soul]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: Spirit A+]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: This isnt truly a product of orthodox alchemy, it is the core of a monster that has ill-intentions towards Ring City. After processing, it became very weird, rejecting the kings or anyone in Ring City, not letting them wear it; even a normal person must have a very strong willpower to utilize its power.]
...
[Tentacle Bind; Tentaclese out from the void to bind the enemy. Target has to go through a Strength authentication not lower than A rank before they could be freed. When the target fails the authentication, inflict Lethal damage.]
[Absorb Soul: When target is inflicted with lethal damage, the soul will be absorbed and converted into one time Medium Healing to the wearer or charge the Twine Stinge. (Maximum charge count is 50, each charge is equivalent to five and will increase authentication rank by one plus target number +1. Unable to exceed highest rank I, once Healing effect is used, the counter will reset; when the charge count is maxed out, able to bind every living being within sight no farther than 25 meters.]
...
[Name: Sight of Light]
[Type: essory]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Attack: Average]
[Defense: Average]
[Attribute: 1 Conceal Watch; 2 Silent Guard]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: Intuition A]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: This isnt truly a product of orthodox alchemy, it is the core of a monster that has ill-intentions towards Ring City. After processing, it bes very weird, rejecting the kings or anyone in Ring City, not letting them wear it. Even a normal person must have a very strong sense to utilize its power and not fall to its enchantment.]
...
[Conceal Watch: Sight of Light will provide the wearer with three invisible units thatst 48 hours. Wearers can decide to attach them to any kind of surface (fire, ice, poison, lightning, will affect and weaken the units function and existence). One invisible unit will regenerate every 24 hours, maximum three at once (regardless of being used or not). Units: 3]
...
[Silent Guard: Sight of Light will provide the wearer two silent guards thatst 12 hours (The guards have the traits of shadow being, with Strong attack and immune to most physical attacks, fire, lighting will still damage the guards). One silent guard will regenerate every 48 hours, maximum two at once (Regardless of being used or not), Guards: 2]
...
The Advanced Rank Item was a mail.
Rather than considering it as a mail, it was more like a ball of water.
It was slightly cold and sticky.
[Name: Ghost Skin]
[Type: Mail]
[Rarity: I]
[Defense: I]
[Attribute: 1. Formless; 2. Ghost Form]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: Spirit SSS]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remarl: When Ring City was first founded, a group of wandering souls intruded the city and were captured by the three kings as the best experiment ingredients. Unfortunately, the experiments ultimately failed, this mail was the only product that was left behind but it rejected the three kings from using it.]
...
[Formless: The mails original ingredient was soul, it has no form in the eyes of normal beings but it could be equipped and its defense has zero blindspot.]
[Ghost Form: When equipped with Ghost Skin, the wearer can transform into a soul with extra movement speed and able to walk through walls, unable to use originally equipped items or weapons but immune to sunlight;st 1 minute, 1 time per day]
...
Without a second thought Kieran equipped [Ghost Skin] on its body and [Twine Stinger] and [Sight of Light] on his fingers.
Perhaps these items were some distance away from his original equipment, but without having an option to choose from, Kieran weed any kind of item.
More so, the equipment wasnt all bad, they could be very useful when used at the right ce.
After taking the three items that he would bring out of the dungeons, Kieran looked at the others, which he couldnt bring out.
Some of them automatically attracted Kierans attention.
[Name: Water Purity Stone (Big)]
[Type: Wonder Item]
[Rarity: I]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: None]
[Attribute: 1. Water Purify; 2. Water Rear]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: No]
[Remark: This is a magical stone, some say it is the product of ancient alchemy, some say it is from mother nature, but as for its true origin, no one knows until this very day. Everyone seems to use its power just fine though.]
[Water Purify: Purify water quickly, making it sweeter. When used for cooking, the ingredients will be fresher.]
[Water Rear: Put the water into an aquarium (No bigger than 20 cubic meters), the quality of the fishes, shrimps and other aquatic products will increase with a small chance after 1 hours.]
...
[Name: Airon Stone (Complete)]
[Type: Wonder Item]
[Rarity: I]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: None]
[Attribute: Repair]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: No]
[Remark: Unlike the other wonder stone, this is a special one created by the people who wished to repair the other wonder stone. It is also considered a wonder by itself most of the time.]
.....
[Repair: Repair any wonder stone below rank I]
.....
[Name: Dan Stone (Complete)]
[Rarity: Wonder Item]
[Rarity: I]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: I]
[Attribute: 1. Sunfire Sword; 2. Strong Light Sting]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: SSS+]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: No]
[Remark: Dan Stone is great against monsters and souls, it didnt require special usage either, ce it within the vicinity to form a small barrier that repels monsters and souls, but the user has to possess great spirit power.]
...
[Sunfire Sword: Under any source of sunlight, able to form a longsword with Strong fire element and rank I attack, 2 times per day]
[Strong Light Sting: Charge the stone under sunlight for an hour to form a Sunfire Javelin. Has rank I attack and when thrown, create a 10 meters Strong fire st damage upon contact with target, 1 time per day]
...
[Name: Skeletal Ride]
[Type: Wonder Item]
[Rarity: I]
[Attack: Strong]
[Defense: Extreme]
[Attribute: 1. Extremespeed; 2. Air Stride]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: Spirit S+]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: No]
[Remark: This is the carcass of a pegasus. Through the research of alchemy and necromancy, it became a ride for summon. It is very fast and has the ability to assist its rider in attack, it requires no mastery in skill to ride but the rider has to have very strong spirit power tomunicate with it. Of course, its usage counter is its bigger weak point, 5 times remaining and each ride summon is no longer than six hours.]
...
[Extremespeed: Stride in the sound of speed, canst sixhours in a single stride]
[Air Stride: Skeletal Ride can ride through any kind of terrain.]
.....
The bigger piece of [Water Purity Stone] made Kieran want to change into a bigger fish tank.
[Airon Stone] was used on [Ouna Stone] without a second thought.
[Ouna Stone], another one of the stones from the bulk of treasure, had the rarity of Legendary but the [Cracked] tag, and after the repair, the rarity jumped up to rank I.
[Name: Ouna Stone: (Complete)]
[Type: Wonder Item]
[Rarity: I]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: I]
[Attribute: 1. Moonlight Shield; 2. Gleam Conceal]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Remark: This is a magical stone, some say it is the product of ancient alchemy, some say it is from mother nature, but as for its true origin, no one knows until this very day. Everyone seems to use its power just fine though.]
...
[Moonlight Shield: Able to form an energy barrier of rank I defense under any source of moonlight. When shatter, the attacker will receive a Strong moon beam attack, 2 times per day]
[Gleam Conceal: +3 to Undercover under low light or dark environment.]
......
[Ouna Stone] and [Dan Stone] obviously came in a pair.
One for daytime use and the other for nighttime use.
Kieran even suspected there was another stone for rainy day use.
The most surprising loot was [Skeletal Ride], the carcass was only as big as a palm, but contained unimaginable power.
The way this could progress Kierans n further and faster made his n easier.
He put all the selected items and equipment, plus some extras, into his backpack and stepped back, taking a deep breath.
Kieran held back the urge to put every single item and equipment on himself with sheer willpower.
These items could not see the day of light just yet and he needed to exchange these less useful items and equipment for more gold coins, even though he already had 5,000 in front of him.
Watch the door for me, Kieran said.
Bloody Mary and Du walked out and stood outside the door, left and right respectively.
Kieran then poured all the gold coins on the ground.
5,000 gold coins formed a little hill of gold, the golden radiance emanating a very special presence.
Kieran turned his back at the golden hill, put his backpack down, and leaped backwards.
aaaa!
Kierannded on top of the golden hill amidst the clinks of the coins.
He had a dream of lying down on a mountain of gold very early on in his life, it was just that he didnt have a chance to make ite true.
He did it now!
As for the feeling?
How worse could the feeling be after achieving his long-time dream?
It was marvelous!
aaa!
Kieran waved his hand up and down and sunk himself deeper into the gold coins, really wanting to swim in it but the coins werent sufficient.
What if there were 10 times more?
No, that wouldnt be enough either!
It should fill a room the size of a basketball court! Only then could he swim in it!
That day would eventuallye, sooner thanter.
Now?
Kieran released Gluttony after taking a few deep breaths.
Gluttony jumped to the gold coins with cheers after waiting for a very long time.
Kieran didnt even need to touch the gold coins anymore to absorb them, his whole body was absorbing the power from the coins!
It was good news for Gluttony because he could eat all he could.
The golden energy from the Crossing Coins was consumed and converted into pure energy to fuel the Cardinal Sins, Devil, Dawn, gue and Saint Thorn.
With the increment of all five of his Origin Forces, Kieran entered that weird space with chains again.
The chains in the surrounding were still flickering.
Kieran nced over them and then concentrated on the five chainsas thin as a strand of hair that poked into his head.
His Origin Forces pulled one of the five chains, trying to break it.
Endless energy from the gold coins fueled his Origin Forces in the pull, Kieran didnt have to worry about exhausting his energy.
Pak Pak!
It broke!
There were four chains left and a few momentster, the fourth one also broke.
A greater catastrophe descended on the remaining three, but the chains did not react.
Pak Pak Pak!
Thest three chains in Kierans head were broken easily with the enhanced power of the Origin Forces.
When thest invisible chain broke and vanished, Kieran felt lighter, as if he had removed his sweater during summer.
He squinted his eyes pleasantly.
Energy gushed out from the bottom of his soul, having been a long time since he felt it.
Huuu!
A ball of fire appeared right in front Kierans eyes.
The darkness and chaos that upied Kierans soul burned fiercely.
Half of the darkness and chaos was scorched to cinders after a moment, the remaining half grew thinner and started to fade.
Kieran didnt chase after the darkness with much experience under his belt.
He didnt chase, not just because he knew it would be useless, but also because something was happening outside this weird space.
A heavy sense of danger came down from above.
Kieran looked up instinctively.
Chapter 1707 - Interupter
Chapter 1707: Interupter
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
A door slowly appeared from the void, like how those flickering chains appeared around him.
Kieran got a clear look at the door amid the flickering.
The door was ck and felt a lot like stone, the surface very rough. Other than the rectangle shape that resembled a door, it had none of the other criterias of one.
There was no door frame, no door knob, no decorations at all, but it had a guard.
Heavy sense of danger flowed out from the flickering door, yet even with Kierans sight, he didnt see anything.
Invisible beings?! Kieran quickly rted the situation.
Kieran had seen too many invisible beings throughout his adventures. When his [Undercover] reached Transcendence, together with [Dark Movement Technique], he could achieve an effect simr to invisibility, therefore he had quite the knowledge about invisible beings.
Being unable to see something did not mean it did not exist, even subtle details still had differences.
It wasnt just the presence it emanated, there was also the standing position.
The former could achieve a certain level of invisibility through rigorous training but the standing position would never change. Every single ce has only that much ce for one to hide. If it wasnt this one, it would be the other.
Through countless battles, Kieran had already branded all the possible locations to hide from sight in his instinct. Plus, with his ever growing Intuition and Spirit, he immediately and urately knew where the invisible being was hiding based on the position of the door.
Kieran locked his gaze at a spacious spot above him.
He slowly moved away from his spot, not retreating, but experimenting, and soon he had results.
When he moved away from that flickering chain, the sense of danger went away, the invisible being even started to move slowly towards that door and... swirled around it?
Kieran squinted his eyes.
Defense mechanism. Very strong but simple. Wont attack, only guards the door passively.
All the answers he got were no doubt good news for him but none of those was the most important point!
What concerned Kieran the most was the reaction of the defense mechanism.
Would it chase Kieran until it killed him once triggered? Or would it just counterattack once and then go back to the way it was, waiting for the next trigger to the contraption?
If it was the former, Kieran had to reevaluate his actions and raise his cautiousness.
The sense of danger he sensed told him this kind of defense mechanism would be lethal to him.
If it was thetter... everything would be easy, but unfortunately, he couldnt test it for an ideal result.
In short, he only had one shot at this! The energy from the golden coins was running low.
Kieran then took a deep breath, scanned the surroundings of this unusual space, and branded every detail in his mind.
The next moment, he returned to the secret basement.
Kieran lied on top of the pile of rusted coins and thought for quite a while.
When he opened his eyes, he called for Du.
Du, I want you to build me another room. 500 meters long, 300 meters wide, and around 200 meters tall. I also need a door in the middle of the room, hang it up at around 150 meters. Use chains to stabilize it here and here.
Kieran squatted down and drew a rough blueprint on the ground with his finger.
My lord, you will have your room by morning, but I cant do anything about the door and chains, Du expressed the difficulties of the job.
You dont have to worry about the door and chains, when the room is done, they will appear, Kieran answered.
Leave it to me then, Du said, examining the blueprint on the ground and then preparing himself for the job.
The scales on its body shuddered and Du crawled on the ground like a giant armadillo, starting to dig around, butpared to a normal armadillo, Du was countless times faster.
On top of that, the dirt that it dug out didnt pile up into a hill, going into Dus special stomach.
Du could spit it out when needed or transform the consumed dirt into hard rocks.
It was part of Dus talent, which wasnt much of a use during other times, but it could achieve wonders at the right timing.
Kieran knew it after looking at the mountain of items and equipment in the room.
Bloody Mary, who shared a link with Kieran, didnt even need to wait for the order. It went up to Kieran and asked, Boss, what type of chains and door do you need?
After Kieran described the door and chains to Bloody Mary, the Superior Demon nodded.
Leave it to me, boss!
Bloody Mary then vanished.
After that, Kieran turned around and looked at the rusted Crossing Gold Coins. Sighing, he knew he did the right thing, but he still couldnt hold back his emotions.
It felt wasteful and pitiful, with a little heartache and all of the emotionsing from the bottom of his heart and soul.
Kieran counted his spoils a second time before walking back to the surface.
Starbeck already finished cleaning the floor, and with the monster duo helping out, the cleaning process was quickened.
Starbeck then went on to teach Li Jiajia cooking.
The weathers starting to turn cold, so meat like mutton, which provides warmth, is a must. Carrot and chinese yam, plus other garnishes need a refill. If you are making soup, I would suggest getting a charcoal stove.
Starbeck told Li Jiajia as he checked the refrigerator, very serious as he went over the list.
Kieran quietly went to the entrance, leaned on the door frame, and watched Starbeck quietly.
He liked serious people who treated their work with zero carelessness.
Other than the fact that he was one of those serious people, seriousness would also provide a higher sess rate and no one disliked sess, even with the saying failure is the mother of sess.
When all the dishes were done with preparation, Starbeck noticed his student kept looking behind him. He turned around and saw Kieran was watching him.
I think you might need this.
Kieran took the [Water Purity Stone (Big)] and handed it to Starbeck.
Starbeck was overjoyed when he saw the big stone.
Although he already had one, this bigger one was better and more efficient.
To a cook like Starbeck, acquiring excellent ingredients quicker was like adding wings to a tiger. It made him happier than ever because the stone came from Kieran.
Starbeck went over and took the stone, looking at Kieran with a smile.
What do you want to eat tomorrow? he asked.
Anything you cook, Kieran answered.
Kieran was very confident in Starbecks cooking and Starbeck had not once let him down.
Em, Starbeck nodded in determination and then started to n what to cook tomorrow.
While he was at it, he put the bigger piece of [Water Purity Stone] into the water tank beside the kitchen.
Stop thinking, we still have a lot of time, dont stress yourself out in this particr moment. Get some rest, Kieran reminded Starbeck when he saw how concentrated Starbeck was.
Em.
Starbeck nodded again, the glimmers in his eyes telling Kieran that Starbeck was still pondering about the recipe.
Only with constant thinking would the mind keep going, otherwise it would rot on the spot.
Kieran didnt mind since he has a simr attitude, holding Starbecks hand and waving at Li Jiajia before they both headed upstairs.
Li Jiajia saw Kieran and Starbeck up before she took the chinese yam and started peeling.
I am not jealous! I am not envious! When I am as good as teacher, I will have strong followers like him too! Probably even stronger!
Li Jiajia muttered while the determination in her heart strengthened.
She ignored the voice in her head straightaway.
What blood, what death?
What me, what destruction?
Everything was not real!
Royan may be cold but he was very kind to teacher, so he is not the terrifying catastrophe that the voice said!
He is cmity!
Shut up!
You will never know his true face!
Shut up!
And you wont be able to know!
Shut up!
Because the moment you find out, that will be the moment you die!
Shut up!
I dont want you to die, because we are one! If you die, I die!
SHUT UP!
Even though she had decided to not listen to the voice, she could not stop the voice from ringing in her head. It didnt stop even if she told the voice to shut up after every sentence it said.
The voice didnt want to stop.
His body has the most wicked desire and the most terrifying devil!
Get away from him! Get away from him!
Shut the hell up you bastard!
Li Jiajia shrieked and cut the chinese yam into half, finally having enough of it and erupting.
Her shriek seemed to prove useful though, as the voice was gone.
Li Jiajia heaved a breath of relief and continued to peel het chinese yam with a casual heart.
She did not notice Kieran in the shadows. The Elite Hound at the entrance of the kitchen, plus the others, wagged their tails at Kieran.
Kieran told them to stay and every one of them went back to their own spot, like before.
When Kieran returned to the room, Starbeck was already in bed with his pajamas.
Is she okay? Starbeck asked.
Nothing serious, her Spirit isnt high enough, thats why shes affected by some voice. Ill try to talk to the voice, it should know what to do, Kieran replied.
Great! I am quite worried about Jiajia talking to herself sometimes.
Starbeck cared a lot about his student. As for how Kieran intended to speak to the voice?
Starbeck didnt ask and wouldnt ask.
All that mattered was that he had been given an answer, right?
Go to sleep, Kieran leaned on the sofa.
Em, good night, Starbeck pulled the nket over himself.
Good night, Kieran replied.
At the next moment, the room quieted down and only long, steady breathing was heard.
Starbeck sneakily peeked at Kieran on the sofa through the seam of his nket, feeling very safe, the sense of security slowly sending him into a deep sleep.
After Starbeck truly fell asleep, Kieran opened his eyes.
He smiled at the soundly asleep Starbeck.
The room had quieted down but not the kitchen.
Li Jiajia questioned the voice with doubts, wishing the voice would leave her alone, but the constant crying frustrated her even more and she couldnt work in peace.
What is wrong with you? Li Jiajia asked.
N-Nothing. I am very strong and dauntless... Waaa, its so scary!
The stare from the depths of the abyss!
The roars from hell!
I want to leave!
Why is there such a terrifying existence?
The voice stuttered and tried its best to maintain its calm, but one or two wordster, it cried out loud.
Muffled and blurry words followed the weeping and it further confused Li Jiajia, who didnt know what to do.
Suddenly, a light thud came from the ceiling.
Dong!
It was very soft but the voice stopped its loud weeping and sobbed quietly.
Dong!
Another thudter, even the sobbing stopped.
What happened? Li Jiajia asked out of confusion.
Two timester, Li Jiajia stopped asking, wishing she could be left alone to work.
Meanwhile, in the deepest part of her soul, a figure was squatting there, covering its mouth, its shoulder was twitching.
It was sobbing but no cries came out, it dare not make another sound because it was scared it would be eaten.
...
The night passed and the sun rose.
The whole restaurant was quiet.
Everyone, including the monster duo, was sleeping. The mours from the noisy street were blocked by thick curtains on the window and the heavy door.
When the sun hung up high in the sky, Starbeck slowly opened his eyes.
The first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was Kieran.
Morning!
Starbeck greeted him out of habit and woke up to wash himself.
After he pressed the toothpaste on the toothbrush, he couldnt help but chuckle.
Kieran was really back!
It wasnt a dream, like thest time!
Great!
What are you smiling at? Kieran asked while he made the bed.
I know what I am going to cook for you today! Looking forward to it?
Starbeck looked at Kieran while he brushed his teeth.
Very much, Kieran replied with a smile, but he quickly frowned.
Whats wrong? Starbeck noticed the changes in Kierans expression.
Its nothing, Ill deal with it.
Kieran tapped Starbecks head and then headed downstairs.
He pushed the door open and went out of the restaurant.
The alleyway was empty of people, only a piece of letter was ced on the ground.
Kieran didnt touch it, looking at the end of the alleyway.
Sometimes, people tended to think they were very smart, yet they never evaluated their actions, especially with malicious intentions. It would get zero tolerance and mercy from Kieran.
The Elite Hound and the other 5 Hounds appeared behind Kieran suddenly and even without orders, the six Hounds knew what they should do: they jumped out and lunged towards their target.
Chapter 1708 - Core
Chapter 1708: Core
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The Hounds were quick, their ferocity undoubted, especially with the lead from the Elite Hound, the group hunting with even more efficiency.
Three Hounds jumped on the emissary that hid in the corner of the alley and when the worrying started, blood and flesh sttered everywhere.
He-...Ugh!
The emissary tried to speak but one of the Hounds bit him on the neck, ripped its throat off, but despite the horrible wound, he did not go down yet.
The emissary covered his neck and tried to run, even though he had sustained a lethal injury for amon man.
However, he suddenly realized two more Hounds blocked his path of retreat and what was even more disappointing was a bigger sized Hound appeared behind him.
This bigger Hound did not growl and roar at him, it didnt even make a noise, yet the more silent it was, the more the emissary felt scared.
Dogs that bite do not bark.
The emissary knew the saying very well and if it was a Hound instead of a dog, it would kill and eat!
Let me go! I will tell you...
Unfortunately, the Elite Hound did not give the emissary chance.
The order was given and all 5 of the Hounds jumped on the emissary.
Already injured, the emissary was torn into shreds in less than 2 minutes.
The Elite Hound showed contempt for the enemy who died without an intact body through its eyes.
It saw the lousy trick of poisoning the envelope before but it was a first, seeing a bold idiot who tried to poison their master with them around.
Didnt the emissary know the Hounds were very sensitive to poison?
The Elite Hound brought the others back to Kieran with a joyful jog.
Go wash yourself up at the back door, dont bring the blood inside.
Kieran told the Hounds to clean up before he tiptoed and kicked the poisoned envelope into the drain.
The Elite Hound brought the other five to the back door.
Behind the restaurant was an empty space, originally a parking lot for the hotel and the water tap on one side was to provide convenience in washing cars, but the empty space became a ce where stray dogs and cats sunbathed.
The water tap and the little pool underneath became the bathing pool for the Hounds and strays.
The strays, who were sunbathing, scattered away quickly. Other than a few, who joined the Hounds, the rest looked at them in utmost vignce.
When the strays saw the Elite Hound sit beside the water tap and turn it open with its paw, the vignce slowly faded off.
The murmurs of flowing water made the Hounds line up in an orderly fashion to wash themselves up.
It wasnt the first time the Hounds came here for a bath.
Other than the initial mouring and noises, the strays gradually got used to them as time went by.
After washing themselves up, the Hounds shook their body, twisting the water away before they returned to their guard post.
The Elite Hound closed the water tap, then opened the kitchen door and went back into the restaurant. It pushed its head against Starbecks leg to win fondness before it curled up beside Kieran.
A bunch of greedy bastards, dont worry about it!
Kieran said to Starbeck and Starbeck nodded.
People who were greedy for money appeared too many times in Starbecks life, therefore he never cared how they ended up. He turned around and went back to the kitchen.
The cooking shovel and wok went to work and nks quickly sounded from the kitchen.
Kieran squinted his eyes outside the restaurant.
Song Shi Familys car appeared at the entrance of the alleyway. The eldest daughter of the family got down from the car and smelled blood.
The driver was rmed,ing in to check before he ran back and reported to his employer softly.
You handled the small fry, right?
Song Shi waved her hand without giving much concern.
As for why the small fry suddenly had their eyes on Kieran?
Song Shi knew better than most, it was because the small fry knew Kieran got his hands on the cart of treasure which Ring City used as bait.
A dozen Magic rank items might not be anything to a big family, but for these small fry, it was enough for them to risk it.
Unfortunately, they picked on the wrong opponent.
Going against Royan?
Song Shi shook her head and walked into the restaurant.
Can I order something to eat? she asked.
We are not open for business yet. Kieran replied.
Cant you bend the rules for once? Why dont I find those small fries for you and you tell Roye to make me something good, what do you say? Song Shi proposed.
Not really attractive, Kieran shook his head.
The small fries were no one but some scattered mystical side individuals blinded by greed. They were less thanmon Witchcraft practitioners and came here just because they felt lucky.
Kieran wouldnt care about these people, there were too many of them outside, and like wild grass in the wild, it was hard to erase them all.
Therefore, he could have just stayed back and waited for them toe at him, so that he could kill them, wave after wave, eventually erasing every single one of them.
Kieran was very confident in his Elite Hound, the guard dog of the restaurant, plus the other five Hounds.
Stingy guy! I hate discussing business with men like you, so calctive!
Song Shi then posed a gesture with her hand.
The driver and one of the two bodyguards saw the sign.
They then pulled out a box from the trunk of the car and walked to the restaurant.
Based on the sound of the steps and the nks in the box, Kieran had a precise knowledge of what was inside.
200 Crossing Gold Coins.
A decent gain.
For Kieran, who was extremely in need of Crossing Golden Coins, using less than 10 items and equipment to trade for gold coins was a bargain, especially when he could get a lot more on his end.
ording to what Kieran understood about the pricing, the items and equipment could probably fetch 180 to 220 gold coins and 200 gold coins was in the middle.
If he wanted to maximize his gains, he would need more time, but for Kieran, who was always on the clock, it was not possible.
Ive seen those things before, here is a rough estimate...
Deal!
Song Shi was trying to deliver Mian Yisments but before she could finish, Kieran stopped her. She was startled.
What did you say?
I said deal, Kieran repeated.
Song Shi furrowed her brows.
She had some clue about how stingy Kieran was a while ago.
He never gave her food, not now, not even back in the Battle of Winter Night, yet he agreed to the deal so easily this time?
Could it be...
A thought suddenly came afloat in her head.
Are you having dirty thoughts about me? Song Shi shrieked.
Before Kieran could even react, she continued, Let me tell you this, dont you even dream about it! You are impossible! No, no, no! But if you be a son-inw by adoption together with Roye, I might consider... it!
Song Shi couldnt help but sutter in the end, her face starting to turn red.
Her family had high hopes and views of Kieran.
The identity of the reincarnated God of ughter was very tempting for Song Shi Family and after he sharply exposed Victor and his schemes in the Battle of Winter Night, the family raised their opinions andments about him.
If it wasnt for the power and authority of Song Shis parents in the family, the other good-for-nothing rtives would have used some tricks to make her marry Kieran.
Though even if she had her parents on her back, Song Shi was very cautious of her own marriage. If she came of age and her parents put her in an arranged marriage, what would she do then?
It was her life that they were meddling with!
Otherwise why would she run to Song Shi Hot Spring Hotel, the ce where her parents met, in the first ce?
Wasnt it just to find a potential son-inw for adoption?
Kieran was obviously out of the topic. Regardless of how high her family thought of him, he wasnt what she seeked.
But Starbeck was good! Yet none in her family had hopes for the little brother.
So if Kieran could agree to the adoption and bring Starbeck in together, wouldnt it be a win-win situation?
It satisfied her familys request and also her needs.
Song Shi was very convinced of her quick wit, yet Kieran reacted with an ugly expression.
Get out!
The loud voice told Song Shi what Kierans stance was.
Huh?
The harsh reaction from Kieran caught Song Shi off guard.
Can you consider it? Song Shi looked at Kieran with her puppy eyes.
GET OUT! Kieran shouted decisively.
If it wasnt for the box of gold coins on the counter, Kieran would have taught Song Shi the meaning of the kick of death.
Royan you should really consider it, my family is bigger than you can imagine, its richer and if you... Song Shi obviously didnt want to give up.
She continued to persuade Kieran and even borated her point with facts, both pros and cons, but before she could finish, the kitchens curtain was lifted and Starbeck walked out.
He was looking as cute as ever with that smile, and when Song Shi saw him, her heart throbbed.
Good day, miss! We are not open for business yet. Can you pleasee backter?
Song Shi instinctively stood up, nodded repeatedly at Starbecks kind question.
O-Okay! I wille back at night!
Song Shi then wanted to leave.
Wait, Starbeck called her back.
Is there anything else? Song Shi turned around like a robot, her body frozen by Starbecks words.
We are not some restaurant that chops customers. Since youve paid the money, you can wait at home around evening and I will send someone over to your house to deliver the food.
Starbeck smiled warmly.
Song Shi felt like she saw a little white flower. The little flower waved along with the wind and transformed into a huge cannibal nt.
There were no roars, no growls, only a silent gaze.
Keep quiet and stay still or get eaten!
Song Shi clumsily walked out of the door after her fearsome vision popped.
When she got out, the wind blew on her face and she felt chills down her spine.
Song Shi realized her back was drenched in her own sweat without her knowing, a throbbing fear rising from the bottom of her heart.
What?
What happened?
Song Shi asked herself.
Am I afraid of Roye?
No!
No way!
Roye is harmless!
Royan! It must be Royan! That guy!
He held Roye for himself and used his presence to scare me!
Jerk!
Song Shi stomped her feet angrily, but she dare not go back into the restaurant, quickly running back to her car.
The engine roared to life and the car drove away from the alleyway.
D-Did I scare Song Shi just now? Starbeck got stunned, shrinking his neck and looking at Kieran in a cowardly look, his hands unconsciously reaching out to grab Kierans clothes on his shoulder.
No, I told her to get out. Go make lunch, Im hungry, Kieran tapped Starbecks hand andforted him.
Em, it will be ready soon.
Starbeck regained his smile and hopped back to the kitchen.
Kieran looked at the kitchen curtain sliding down, not entirely startled.
With Starbecks wealth, acquiring something in the big city that far surpassed this dungeon worlds limit wasnt something bizzare at all.
As for the rage?
Anyone would get mad if they were considered aplimentary gift to some lousy marriage.
The little miss from Song Shi Family really picked on the wrong person.
Kieran didnt care about Starbeck scaring Song Shi away.
Which side should he pick?
Wasnt it obvious?
Starbeck was ten thousand times more important.
Kieran knew but he had some guesses about why the family sent Song Shi here for a business talk and not Mian Yi, who was obviously much more appropriate and mature.
Song Shi was by no means a straw bag. In terms of strength and intellect, she was far superior than many others, but her family was overprotective of her.
She was reckless and only cared about herself most of the time, a person like her wasnt the first choice in talking business.
On the opposite, Mian Yi was very considerate in every aspect.
Mian Yi would havee over during normal times, yet Song Shi appeared this time.
Meaning...
Song Shi Family has located Victor? Kieran wondered.
Other than this point, he couldnt think of any other exnation.
However, locating Victor within Ai City was rather surprising for Kieran.
Coincidence?
Or?
Kieran looked up while in thoughts and snapped his finger.
Pak!
Bloody Mary appeared right away following the snap.
At your service boss.
I want you to keep an eye on Song Shi Family, inform me if anything weird goes down.
It was hard to locate Victor, who hid so well but it was not that hard to locate the men from the Song Shi Family.
With Bloody Marys skill set, it was a piece of cake for it.
Very well boss, Bloody Mary then vanished.
Kieran stood up from his seat, stretched his body, and smelled the aroma from the kitchen.
The meal was almost ready.
...
Victor strapped the linen clothes on his body tighter but it was useless because he couldnt feel his feet, or more urately, his legs below his knee. They were seriously numb because of the dirty water, which was very cold.
The coldness continued to spread the numbness, his body was getting colder by the moment, and Victor didnt know how much longer his clone could withstand this.
He could die at any moment, but he had no other choice.
All he hoped now was the tricks he left outside were enough to distract the others, so that he could have enough time to get... the core of [Philosophers Stone]!
Chapter 1709 - Farm
Chapter 1709: Farm
A few hours earlier...
At the brink of dawn, before the sun truly rose, something was happening in Roze Farm on the outskirts of Ai City.
The farm owner, Roze, was standing outside with a nervous look. Even with three strong cowboys armed with weapons beside him, the owner wasnt even close tofortable.
He knew he ran into something that normal people couldnt solve.
Moooo!
One of the cows mooed heavily.
Roze switched his gaze to the cow barn right away.
A cow without flesh and blood and only the hide over its bones appeared right in front of Roze eyes, making him unconsciously hold his revolver tighter.
The three cowboys behind him were shocked, cold sweat breaking out and drenching their backs, one of them even started shivering.
W-What is that thing? said the shivering cowboy.
The other two looked at Roze, hoping for a reasonable answer.
The farm owner was the only calm person at the scene and on top of that, he was the one who told the cowboys to arm themselves after he saw this cow roaming around.
I dont have the slightest darn idea, Roze shook his head frankly.
He knew about the mystical world because of an old friend but never really stepped into it.
He did not dare and did not want to, but things always unfolded opposite to ones will.
Keeping oneself from the unknown did not mean the unknown wouldnt appear before ones eyes.
What should we do? The cowboy asked Roze.
The calm farm owner became the leader of the three young cowboys.
We wait! Roze pressed his hat down.
Wait? The three young cowboys were stunned.
Ive contacted a professional, so before he arrives, keep your asses safe and wait! Roze said in a heavy tone.
The three cowboys looked at each other and ultimately stood by Roze, waiting for the professional to arrive.
The wait wasnt too long, a truck was driving towards the farm, and when Roze saw Huai Cuikee down, he heaved a deep breath of relief.
If you came anyter, my boys and I would have left our home!
Roze and Huai Cuike hugged it out and then he was pointed towards the farm, trying to lift up the bitter mood.
There were 10 of those weird looking cows in the farm when Huai Cuike arrived and more were being converted in the barn. The weird cows didnt just stand there, they walked around and grazed on grasses like normal cows, but that green fire at their eyes sent chills down ones spine.
Dont worry, leave it to me, Huai Cuike said and then walked to the farm.
He had a magic pistol in one of his hands and a potion in the other.
Pak!
He tossed the vial of potion on the ground and when it broke, smoke came out and swiftly swirled deeper into the farm.
The smoke killed the green fire in the cows eyes when it touched them, the cows then falling on the ground and truly dying.
Bain put his hands in his pocket and whistled casually after the scene.
What a pity, the beef would have been nice on tes. If its delivered to Royan, the steak would be delicious.
Bain then took his hands out of his pocket, reaching out for his magic pistol and a magic grenade before he stepped into the farm. He maintained a 10 meter distance from Huai Cuike and locked his gaze at the barn.
He might seem unreliable in many aspects but as the Herder who worked together with Huai Cuike during operations and got entrusted by the veteran to watch his back, Bain was excellent, both in strength and mobility.
He was far better than any othermon Herder, therefore, when a ck figure jumped out, Bain shot the target with a single fire.
Bang!
The shot was fired and the figure dispersed!
Spiritual beings!
Bain frowned. As Herders, he hated these kinds of monsters the most.
It wasnt just because of their formless presence, he hated them mostly because they came and went without a sound. He never knew when they would pop up behind him and kill him. Huai Cuike shared the same feelings as Bain.
Orders were given right after the first dark figure was shot.
Lets teach them whos in charge here! said Huai Cuike.
No problemo! Bain smiled, then released the safety pin on his grenade and tossed it into the half closed cow barn.
Kaboom!
The roof was sted to the sky, a sharp wailing from inside the barn.
That sharp and irritating voice was definitely not from a human or any normal living being.
The next moment, with the searchlight from the farm shedding light over the st scene, Roze and his cowboys saw a scene that they would never forget for the rest of their lives: a 3 meter tall humanoid monster with 3 cow heads and the hands of a man and the legs of a monster running out of the barn in pain.
Bang Bang Bang!
Huai Cuike and Bain fired their pistols at the monster.
Two magazines and 26 rounds of bullets, everythingnded on the monsters head.
Each time the bulletnded, the monster would stagger backwards and wail louder and fiercer than ever, yet it did not stop the two Herders from shooting.
After they emptied out their bullets, they did not stop, they reached out for another magazine at the back of their waist, reloading the magic pistol and continued to fire by squeezing the trigger endlessly.
Bang Bang Bang!
Continuous shots sounded again and again, and after the second round, they reloaded their magic pistols and continued to the third.
Fire, reload, fire, reload, rinse and repeat.
Until the monsters heads were all shot into a beehive and its body started to break down, the two of them didnt stop their shooting.
Huai Cuike and Bain adjusted their positions and closed in on the fallen monster from left and right. After making sure the monster was really dead, both of them looked to the destroyed barn together.
After Bain pushed a piece of wreckage away from the ground and revealed a deep, bottomless hole, Huai Cuike frowned.
This is trouble, Bain muttered.
Nothing could be worse than entering the monsters territory and starting a fight with them.
Call for backup, Huai Cuike ordered.
Bain ran back to the truck and called for backup.
Huai Cuike nced over the hole again and then walked to the nervous and anxious Roze.
Roze, is there anything weird going on around heretely? he asked.
No, Roze thought about the question for a while and shook his head firmly.
The farm owner then chuckled bitterly.
You know me, Im a scaredy cat, and because of you, I dont even dare to buy and or take any weird stuff, let alone going to some notorious ces. Besides, I followed your advice to shed sunlight all over the farm, not a single corner is in the dark.
As a normal man, after having a friend like Huai Cuike, Roze once doubted his existence.
Fortunately, Huai Cuike was a good man and he helped Roze ovee the tough days.
After that?
Roze lived a careful life.
He swore that he would never go near the notorious ces and never buy or take any kind of simr items.
Huai Cuike knew how his friend lived these days but because of that, he was more worried than ever.
There was only one possible exnation left: someone was after his friend.
Did you meet anyone recently? Huai Cuike asked subtly.
Huh? I provide supplies to you guys only, so I rarelye in contact with others.
Roze then looked at his three cowboys.
As the farm owner, he had to take care of many things, therefore, other than arge business deal, all the trivial ones werepleted by his men.
The three cowboys looked at Huai Cuike in fear despite being much bigger than him.
The horrifying scene that had just ended frightened them to their core.
The monster was scary enough, then what about the person who killed the monster?
Scarier than the former!
Rx! We are buddies, dont worry, say what you want to say.
It wasnt the first time Huai Cuike had dealt with humans, so he knew what to do.
After some persuasion, the three started to speak.
Their stories dealt with trivial things, nothing wrong in any part but the more they talked, the harder Huai Cuike frowned.
You said you ran into a very handsome man? he asked the cowboy.
Yes! A very handsome man, his eyes were bright and I cant really tell his age. At first I thought he was around our age yet he acted like an elderly, but he was very kind, he bought 5 kg of beef and then left... is there a problem with him? The cowboy asked carefully.
If the person you mentioned is who I think it is... then it will be a big problem! Huai Cuike said.
Victor!
The picture of the ex-Judge appeared in Huai Cuikes mind after hearing what the cowboy said, but the title had gone down the drain.
Victor was resented by the people and after the Battle of Winter Night, people started to call Victor a liar and a schemer.
Wealth moves hearts.
A lot of people cling onto him, just so they could get a chance to get near the treasures he robbed.
Victor had a hundred years worth of wealth from Ring City.
How much was that? How much would a city filled with monsters that lived underground for a hundred years possibly hold?
No one could tell, but one thing was for sure: find Victor and anyone could get rich overnight.
The Herder HQ also gave the orders to the members to hunt Victor down, and as one of them, Huai Cuike epted it without a second thought.
He was indeed moved by the hundred years worth of wealth but he knew the saying no man is content. He didnt want to end up with too much in his stomach,so much so that he couldnt digest.
Rich! Thats a lot of money! But... its none of our business.
Bain kept muttering, shrugging and pocketing his hands before he squatted down beside the road.
From a certain aspect, Bain had it better than Huai Cuik. He had seen through this unrealistic dream, or in other words, he knew his limits.
He was just a normal man, at most trained, so no matter how strong he could be, he would only be stronger than normal people. Going against those monsters and Inhumans with his bare hands would be suicidal, he wouldnt be a match at all.
Bain would go after small money but in the likes of Victor and the treasure mountain behind him, he would beg to be spared.
Like now, all he wanted to do was return to that alleyway back in Ai City and drink a bowl of warm chicken soup, not squat out here in the outskirts, seeing all sorts of parties weigh the pros and cons.
Mian Yi arrived the earliest after that. He brought the guards from the family and formed a perimeter around the entire farm.
Mr. Roze, are you selling your farm? Mian Yi asked Roze in a courteous way.
Roze looked at Huai Cuike.
Huai Cuike knew what Mian Yi was after, so he nodded at Roze without a second thought.
He didnt want his old friend to be caught up in the uing events.
The uing events would prove too much for a normal man... or evenmon folks of the mystical side. They would be nothing but cannon fodder.
A lot of intentional parties didnt care about potential coteral damage, but Mian Yi was considered good enough for following the rules and being an easy person to talk with.
Sell! Roze said without hesitation.
Dont worry, I will provide you with a fair price!
Rozes attitude made Mian Yi happy, he smiled and waved at the servants of the family before walking to the hole.
As for negotiating the price with Roze?
It wasnt something the chief butler of the family should do, his priority was locate Victor before any parties reacted to this little incident.
It would be hard but they were already one step ahead, right?
Mian Yi stood in front of the hole, looking down at the bottomless hole, the smile on his face getting heavier.
He felt the luck of the family was getting better recently.
First the [Philosophers Stone], now Victor, everything barged into their territory unconsciously and it turned out to be great for him!
I dont care if you are really in there or this all is just a trick of yours. You cannot run, Mr. Victor!
Mian Yi talked to the hole slowly.
Right after his words, a group of Song Shi Family guards started their work, exploring the deep hole.
Two detectors in the likes of a remote control car were sent inside, one after another.
The screen in front of Mian Yi was showing him what was going on down there.
Seconds turned into minutes, minutes to hours.
The sun rose from the east, then hung up high in the sky and then set in the west.
Roze Farm became very crowded with people.
All sorts of people came here to have a look, some outright barged in, while others hid in the corners, watching in the dark.
Why the hell are we not allowed to go in? One Inhuman questioned the guard with furrowed brows.
Because this is Song Shi Familys private property! You folks are trespassing on privatend and we have the right to stop you here! The guard said without any expression on his face.
The Inhuman furrowed his brows tighter. He didnt know whether the guard was telling the truth or not, but ording to the list of properties under Song Shi Family in Ai City and several others, this little farm might very well be under Song Shi Family.
If thats the case... it would be nothing but trouble!
The Inhuman muttered in his heart.
The others who knew more insider news scolded the family shameless.
As for the majority, especially the monsters, rules were not made for them to follow.
The reason why they stayed put until now was because they wanted Song Shi Family to act as a pathfinder for them. They were just waiting for nightfall.
The monsters were greatly limited under sunlight, but something else couldnt bear the wait.
Bloody Mary, standing in the corner, was looking left and right. After it made sure no one noticed its sneaky presence, it vanished.
It ignored the resistance of the ground and dove deep into the earth.
Soon, it discovered something unusual.
Chapter 1710 - One Step Ahead
Chapter 1710: One Step Ahead
The underground was huge.
The hole, including the hundred meters deep entrance, was just the surface.
After the entrance, there were some extremelyplicated underground paths that spread out like a spider web. Intersections would appear every dozen meters and each path was equipped with many booby traps.
Some were loaded with arrows, others were bathed in acid, there were evenndmines buried under the ground.
Regardless of which type of trap, it wasnt a problem for Bloody Mary as it could very well picture how difficult it was for those normal humans and monsters to get down here.
Every step was filled with difficulties and that was just the start.
Bloody Mary went further down and saw tons of worms wriggling around.
It made Bloody Mary very ufortable by looking at them.
The worms were eating each other,ying eggs, and then dying on the spot.Read more chapters at L.istnovel. The carcasses became nutrients for the eggs and the eggs would hatch in mere minutes. Thervae then rapidly matured and the disgusting process would repeat itself over and over again.
If Bloody Mary was doubtful about theplicated paths filled with booby traps, after it saw the disgusting worms, it was sure that this whole undergroundwork wasnt built in a hurry!
It was built a very long time ago!
This was also the reason why Victor returned here after failing back in Ring City.
No! That wasnt right!
Even if he did return, he wouldnt create a scene about it.
Unless... all this was to divert attention?
Bloody Mary squinted its devilish eyes habitually.
After spending a ridiculous amount of time beside Kieran, it was influenced by what it saw and heard, so some little habits resembled Kierans.
Of course, it wasnt just the habits that it picked up, Bloody Mary also learned how to think like Kieran!
After the doubts appeared, Bloody Mary dived in deeper and faster.
Layer afteryer, the Superior Demon was able to ignore every resistance with its ghost form, like a drop of water moving through the sea.
A whileter, it arrived at a deeperyer and saw Victor.
Victors eyes were closed, his breaths long and steady, like he was asleep, but Bloody Mary sensed a source of energy inside his body.
The slightest touch from any outside source would cause it to erupt and Bloody Mary had no intention to be a victim.
It was undead but it didnt mean it liked dying.
Moving around freely without pain was good enough, it wasnt a masochist that was fond of being tortured.
Bloody Mary quickly got away from Victor. It didnt go back to the farm. Instead, it went back to Ai City straightaway and when it finally walked out from the shadow, the sky was already dark.
Bloody Mary looked up to the night sky, its mouth muttering softly, sounding like incantations, but not entirely either. It was some little trick that it got from the Witchcraft Mystical Knowledge.
The gloomy night breeze blew.
The low temperature duringte autumn further plummeted, and when ayer of mist appeared, the temperature dropped below freezing point, droplets of water turned into ice in an instant.
Illusory figures and voices came out of the icy mist, one after another.
They were actually mindless souls and were part of the spoils that Bloody Mary collected throughout its kills.
Everyday, after it finished its tasks from Kieran andpleted the patrol of the premise, Bloody Mary spent most of its time collecting subordinates.
Thats right, the subordinates were a group of mindless souls!
As Kierans strongest follower, Bloody Mary knew better than anyone how convenient and important it was to have a good subordinate to carry out tasks, especially in this Unique Dungeon.
It believed its boss would do anything to prepare himself and recover his strength to his former glory, and as for the other trivial stuffs like information collecting, taking care of spoils, following and watching targets, all of that would naturally be part of Bloody Marys responsibilities.
So, there was nothing wrong in collecting a workforce to help itself out, it was doing this so that it could carry out its boss orders better.
Moreover, those Witchcraft practitioners had a poor practise of protecting their knowledge. It didnt want to see it at first but those practitioners kept wandering in front of its eyes.
Its targets muttered non-stop and asionally wrote down notes in their little book, so there was nothing wrong for it to learn the tricks during its free time.
It was because it wanted to serve its boss better. Everything it had done was for its boss, it wasnt because it wanted to ck and hand the tasks to the mindless souls, despite the fact that the number of subordinates that it collected was a little too many.
Bloody Mary voiced out its order to the thousands of souls in the mist.
Find this guy!
Bloody Mary took out a portrait of Victor, colored and high definition.
It stole the piece of portrait from one of the monsters that it bumped into earlier at the farm.
When Victors schemes were exposed, Victors portrait became the hottest selling item. A lot of Inhuman and monsters were buying them but most of the portraits sold were blurry. Therefore, this kind of colored, high definition portrait was the best of the bunch.
Bloody Mary had zero reasons to let the portrait slip through its fingers, its mission was to find Victor after all.
Deep inside the mist, thousands of mindless souls bowed at Bloody Mary before vanishing into the dark.
The temperature returned to normal as the souls went off, the mist also dispersing on the spot.
Bloody Mary stretched its body and curled up in the corner without caring about the dirt on the ground.
It wasnt worried about punishment from its boss, it knew what kind of person its boss was: distinguished reward and punishment.
Despite being a little stingy and always holding a grudge against others, as long as things were done, everything was good and Bloody Mary was confident of that.
Since Victor attracted all the attention around Ai City, he would be around Ai City too and his true goals lie somewhere around the corner.
As for where exactly?
Bloody Mary had faith in its army of souls, just like how its boss had faith in itself.
It never let its boss down and those souls had never let itself down.
Less than 20 minutester, results came in.
Underground sewer? Bloody Mary chuckled.
Among all of the familiar ces in Ai City, the underground sewer would be on top of the list.
Most of the souls that Bloody Mary collected came from the underground sewer and now they located him at the very same ce!
Great!
Bloody Mary jumped up and vanished with a smile lingering on its face.
...
Victor felt cold.
His clones were dying, one after another, plus after he burned thest trick on his sleeve, that temporary hideout, he was exhausted to hisst straw, even though he had borrowed the power from the core of [Philosophers Stone].
He had to get his hands on the core of the stone again, but it wasnt an easy task.
In order to safely secure the [Philosophers Stone], Victor spent a great amount of effort to arrange this ce.
To open the secret room holding the stone, the corresponding incantations were required, together with proper gestures and keys. It was under 3yers of protection and missing anyone of them could not work.
The key had always been with Victor, on his real body, so the incantations and gestures were branded in his mind.
Now, all he needed to do was chant the incantations, pose the gestures, remove the cover of the room, and disable the security mechanism before he could open the door with the key.
However, with his current state, the long and tedious incantations required a lot from him, especially where the hand gestures were concerned, draining his life force even more.
The cold had him like a snake trying to constrict his body, numbing the majority of his body, especially his feet, which he put inside the dirty water, which felt ticklish.
Victor knew he had to hurry, otherwise he wouldnt be able to save his legs in the dirty water.
Zazasi...
X.zazasi...
After thest verse of the incantations, Victor lowered his arms down.
Kak!
A tick sounded behind the wall.
The t wall then produced waves outwards, like a stone that was thrown into calm waters.
When a ruby appeared in Victors hand, he held it tight and put it inside the center of the wall.
The waves vanished at the next moment, revealing a door at the wall.
The door was verymon, like any wooden door in a cheap apartment.
Victor reached his hand out to the handle, but before his palm could touch the handle, his palm fell off his hand.
A scarlet red figure appeared at the end of the sewer.
The soul fire in the eye sockets of the skull was jumping furiously,ughtering promptly.
Victor, my ex-partner!
Did you think you can run from me!?
Or did you overthink your abilities? Scarlet asked in a casual manner.
The pain from his wrist forced Victor to stagger back, leaning on the wall so he wouldnt fall to the ground.
The potion from before? Victor asked.
Yes, the potion from before. My potion doesnt just work on the body, it works on the soul as well. Although not too effective, but enough to track you down, Scarlet nodded.
Its not me! Victor growled heavily.
Do you think I will believe anything you say after all that has happened?
You bastard, you ruined my hundred years of nning!
I ought to skin you alive and rip your bones apart!
Dont worry, I am the skeleton of my words!
Scarlet raised its skeletal hand as he talked, and then he swung it down at Victor.
Tssss!
Victors other hand fell off his wrist, followed by his legs, and then his penis.
In the end, Victor became a human sausage, falling down into the dirty waters of the sewer face first.
The cold dirty water washed his face and injuries, the immense pain and anger twisting his handsome face beyond recognition, the insult that it felt twisting even its soul.
As a man, after his penis was cut off, even if he wasnt a psycho before, there was a high chance that he would be one after that, if he survived that was.
The urge to shout at Scarlet wanted to erupt but he held it back by closing his mouth tight, clenching his teeth tightly and closing his eyes, the slightest seam on his lips allowing the dirty water to go in.
Victor knew, as did Scarlet, that it cut off Victors penis on purpose. It wanted to insult Victor in the harshest way possible and never wanted him to stand back up again, only then could it ease its grievance.
Everything was just a start, it still had many ways to insult Victor but it wasnt the time to settle its personal grudge.
Scarlets priority was to retrieve the wealth of Ring City!
It reached out its skeletal w and grabbed Victor by the cor, putting him in front of itself.
Scarlet then went over to the door and opened it.
The room wasnt big, it could even be considered small, probably around one square yard.
Rather than saying the ce was a secret room of sorts, you might as well call it a safety box, but there was nothing inside this safety box.
Victor was the first to see the empty ce, his eyes widening in shock.
Where is the Philosophers Stone core?!
Why isnt it here?
I put it right here!
While Victors heart was going through some shocking moments, Scarlet saw the empty ce too, reaching out its other skeletal hand and searching the little room back and forth.
After making sure there wasnt anything inside, the soul fire in its eye sockets jumped violently.
It grabbed Victor by the cor with both its hands and pressed its skull on his forehead, saying, Speak, where did you hide the treasures of Ring City?!
Victorughed when he heard Scarlets threats, the astonishment in his heart hidden pretty well, just sneers left on his face.
He didnt know who beat him but at least it wasnt Scarlet, which was good news to Victor.
You really think you can locate the treasure?
Or do you think you can pick on my ws so easily?
This is also part of my n!
As for why?
I bet you came here alone. The three kings dont know you found me, right?
If the three kings realized you came here alone, do you think your little tricks would work on them?
The sneers and mocks on Victors face grew dense, verbally stimting Scarlet frenziedly.
Although none of this was part of his n, as long as he could make Scarlet believe it was, he would be able to take revenge on the skull face and the sense of defeat would drown Scarlet.
Victor felt delight in his heart when he saw how furious the soul fire in Scarlets eye sockets.
Then... something in his heart was activated. It was hisst resort, not a trump card, but extremely useful.
At the very next moment, Scarlet tossed Victor away.
Bang!
Victors body exploded in mid-air.
The explosion was huge, his blood and flesh flew everywhere, going off like a ton of explosives.
The whole underground sewer was blown to bits, a deep hole appearing on the road back on the surface. The patrol cruisers heard themotion, putting on their sirens and speeding to the scene.
Scarlet stood there with utmost hatred.
I WILL FIND YOU!
It growled before it vanished.
Meanwhile,underneath Roze Farm, Victor, the bait, opened his eyes.
This body was actually the bait but now it became his real body.
The sudden reverse damaged his soul again.
Although he survived, his mind was messed up, making him forget important things, such as his own name.
He sat there, looked up at the ceiling and pondered over it all.
Who am I?
Where am I?
What am I doing?
...
At the same time, Kieran was also thinking deeply after he got the core of the [Philosophers Stone] from Bloody Mary. The description of the item made him grind his gears.
[Name: Philosophers Stone (Core)]
[Type: Wonder Item]
[Rarity: V]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: V]
[Attribute: Equivalent Exchange (1/1)]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: No]
[Remark: This is the epitome of ancient alchemy, it is notplete but it has astonishing powers!]
...
[Equivalent Exchange: What you pay is what you get in return, in equivalence.]
[Note: Equivalence is the core of everything, exceeding the value may cause unexpected results!]
...
Kieran tapped the table lightly.
This core... could achieve wonders!
Chapter 1711 - Unexpected Customer
Chapter 1711: Unexpected Customer
Equivalence?
What is equivalence?
Its hard to define the word.
The most obvious example, for a person like Lawless, was that friends and family were priceless. He would never exchange his friends and family for anything else. Instead, one would have to worry whether or not Lawless would beat the hell out of their brains after asking him to exchange his friends and family.
However, Broker was different.
As long as he could get benefits from it, he would exchange anything.
As for feelings?
What a joke, that cunning bastard must have traded his feelings for other things of the same value.
Kieran would also be d to exchange, but unlike Broker, he knew what he could exchange and what he couldnt, simr to how he could never hurt Starbeck and Lawless because both of them treated him with the utmost sincerity.
If people treated him sincerely, he ought to return the favour. It was what he learned from the principal back in the orphanage.
He etched the words in his heart, because even though he was troubled by poverty, it didnt change his mind.
Perhaps people wouldugh at his naive, childish thoughts, but Kieran didnt care once.
After all, if he lost his bottomline, would he still be himself?
Maybe, but he would not want to meet his other self, he didnt even want to try.
From a certain aspect, his thoughts were also considered a kind of equivalent exchange. It was just that most people didnt recognize his methods.
Bang Bang!
The tapping stopped, somethinging into Kierans mind, causing him to look up.
Yes boss? Bloody Mary bowed.
Go search everything in a 10 kilometer radius starting from the location of the [Philosophers Stone] core, leave no stones unturned, Kieran said.
Understand, Bloody Mary replied quickly and vanished.
Kieran smiled.
Lets hope for surprises, he said.
After all that, if Victor wanted to retrieve the core of the [Philosophers Stone], it was reasonable for him, but if he wanted to rely on the stones core to regain everything that he lost, he must fulfill one condition: provide things of equal value.
ording to what Bloody Mary said, Victor wasnt looking too good after he set up everything.
Should he take out the stones core, he would use the Equivalent Exchange as fast as possible, so branching out from there, it was natural that the offerings were ced not far from the location.
A 10 km radius was an appropriate distance.
Kieran leaned back on his chair, thanking Victor from the bottom of his heart again, a heartfelt gratitude.
Victor had helped Kieran a lot of times, back in Ring City and again now. He didnt just prepare the items for the Equivalent Exchange, he also provided Kieran with some important references.
Especially thetter. If it was usible, Kieran could achieve some of his goals earlier.
Kieran didnt go out from the underground storeroom, waiting patiently inside and Bloody Mary did not let him down.
Half an hourter, the Superior Demon returned with a box.
Boss.
Bloody Mary opened it and passed it to Kieran.
Inside the box was a short knife, the de narrow and long and the handle arched a little bit. It glimmered red and green under the light.
[Name: Gothe de]
[Type: Weapon]
[Rarity: II]
[Attack: II]
[Attribute: 1. Slither; 2. Silent Scorch]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: No]
[Remark: Gothe de came from the legendary Demon Hunter Gothe from a hundred years ago. This de and the Demon Hunter enjoyed the highest level of honor and glory.]
...
[Slither: Any living being (including souls and spiritual beings) damaged by Gothe de will undergo a Constitution authentication no lesser than rank II. When passed, inflict Strong rank damage for 2 times; when failed, inflict Bleeding status to the target, target will be unable to self-heal or recover.]
[Silent Scorch: When Bleeding status is inflicted more than 12 hours, inflict another rank II fire damage. Fire will burn from the wounds and engulf the whole unit target (a unit is equivalent to a human figure). When Silent Scorch is triggered, it will overwrite Slithers effect.]
...
Kierans eyes shone when he saw the short knife in his hand.
[Gothe de] was a very good short knife, its attributesplementing each other, but what concerned Kieran was the value of the short knife.
Using items and equipment as the cost for the Equivalent Exchange?
Kieran muttered to himself, his lips slowly curling up into a smile.
What he had was an abundance of items and equipment!
Stay here.
Kieran ordered Bloody Mary and then walked down.
Bloody Mary bowed and sent Kieran off before it sat on that broken old chair. Although it was curious about what happened in the farm at the outskirts, it would not disobey Kieran.
However, Bloody Mary still had ways to know what was going on outside, it had a lot of subordinates after all.
Pak!
Bloody Mary snapped its finger like how Kieran always did to summon itself.
Several souls hidden around Roze Farm instantly shared their vision with Bloody Mary.
Kieran was on the way down, but he knew what Bloody Mary was doing and he didnt mind. He was happy that Bloody Mary did it because he knew how rewarding it would be.
As time went by in this dungeon world, what Kierancked wasnt his sealed powers anymore, it was manpower!
Kieran never thought himself as almighty, he had his own forte and had things that he couldnt do well.
Like learning the Mystical Knowledge of the Witchcraft practitioners. Kieran would have had to spend a great amount of concentration and time before he could even reach Entry level but Bloody Mary learned it by simply taking a nce.
This involved the difference of natural talents.
If the Old Book Canbenor was around, Kieran believed the Old Book would learn faster than him and could help him deduce a more suitable way for him to learn, thus making everything easier.
Quantity incites quality changes!
The rule never changed!
Therefore, Kieran never minded adding more manpower to his arsenals, but of course, it had to be within the limit and control.
My lord.
Du and the white monster, who had returned silently, bowed to Kieran.
These two monsters were very trusable and they were a help that Kieran was happy to have.
O, I need you to do something for me, Kieran looked at the white monster, who was once the gatekeeper. Its real name was revealed to be O, and not White or ck.
My lord, please do tell. As long as its not gatekeeping, I am willing to do anything, O said honestly.
O had been a gatekeeper for over a hundred years and it hated its job, requiring it to stand there all the time without moving. The scenes before its eyes had always been the same, it wanted to move around and see the world.
I need you to move around the world as quickly as possible. First, collect information. Second, collect manpower, Kieran ordered.
He had some understanding of this dungeon world but it was not deep enough, he needed a helper to discover more secrets hidden in the depths of the world and if he could gain more helpers along the way, it would be even better.
Who else was more suitable than O?
It possessed decent strength and had a restless heart.
My utmost pleasure!
O bowed respectfully, it couldnt hold back its excitement on its face.
Du will tell you about the rules of this world. After that, you can go get your travel fees from the restaurant and tell Li Jiajia that I am training down here. Tell her to deliver the message to anyone who asks about me. And... All the best, O, Kieran said.
I will carry out the task with perfection, my lord! O said seriously.
Kieran smiled and nodded, pushing the door open and walking into the treasure room Du made for him.
The door behind him slowly closed and Kieran could hear all kinds of honest reminders from Du to O, every piece of advice very useful.
Kieran worried nothing with [Seodi Stone] around.
He then looked at his spoils, it wasnt the first time he checked them but he felt happy every time heid eyes on them.
Simr to the food Starbeck cooked, it was all great!
As if he was the king of his kingdom, Kieran walked around the treasure room, ncing over every single item and piece of equipment.
A total of 273 pieces!
He branded the looks of the items and equipment into his mind, remembering the weight in his heart and the feeling of holding them in his hands, even the smell of each item.
Kieran didnt want to be overly obsessive but he couldnt control himself.
What should he do?
He was helpless against it, he couldnt suppress his bodily reflexes, so rather than holding it back, he might as well let it out.
He cleaned every single one of them, carefully and meticulously.
After all that, he went deeper underground.
Du had opened up a bigger secret room beneath the treasure room, just like how he had ordered, and it looked exactly like the space with the chains in his mind.
He already had the core of the [Philosophers Stone] in his hand. It allowed him to solve things in a better way but his attitude had determined that he would always go with the safest and most secure way.
He looked at the chains and the door hanging up in the air, taking a deep breath before starting the very first round of practise: he was practising how to avoid the invisible attacks while he broke every single chain!
...
Wheres Royan?
Song Shi sized up the empty floor after she came in the restaurant and didnt see Kieran.
The owner is training in the basement, Li Jiajia delivered per request.
She didnt spill Kierans location on her own, O told her what Kieran wanted her to do earlier, so she delivered the message to whoever asked about his whereabouts.
Li Jiajia had no idea why Kieran requested that of her, it didnt match the personality of the Kieran that she knew but she didnt overthink it, all she needed to do was follow orders.
As for the rest, she believed her boss would handle it all.
If it wasnt enough, she still had her teacher.
To Li Jiajia, her teacher was always the strongest.
Standing on the peak of culinary equaled to almighty and invincible?
Invincible! She believed no one in the world could resist her teachers cooking, just look at Song Shi!
She asked about Kieran but her eyes were looking into the kitchen.
Why doesnt Roye want toe out? Song Shi asked the obvious.
What do you think he is doing? Li Jiajia replied in an upset tone.
If it wasnt for Song Shi, she would have continued to earn from her teacher, not sit outside serving the youngdy.
I bet he is cooking. I want 10!
Song Shi smiled, wiping her drool as she widened her mouth.
The way Song Shi smiled put more admiration into Li Jiajias gaze, not towards Song Shi obviously, but towards her teacher!
Song Shi was a ve under her teachers cooking!
Li Jiajiamented on the silly smile on Song Shis face.
After that, she cleaned the bar counter, which her teacher told her to do. Even though the counter was clean enough, she didnt mind making it squeaky clean.
Ding Dong.
The restaurant door was opened.
Amy, with thetest bag of the season, walked in.
Is my partner back? Amy asked.
He is in the basement training, Li Jiajia repeated the same thing to Amy.
What a boring fe, so what is Roya cooking? Amy grumbled before she switched the topic.
Mutton soup and stuffed biscuits, Li Jiajia answered.
I want a set.
Amy then looked at Song Shi and furrowed her brows.
A foxy look, decent attire...Huh? Isnt that the new design that came out... like yesterday?
Even her shoes! That lipstick, is that Amida 999?
Damn it!
Who is she, how can she get her hands on the newest things so fast?
Amy criticized Song Shi in her heart.
An unknown jealousy rose, further brewing into hostility.
Song Shi unconsciously straightened her back when she sensed Amys gaze.
She too examined Amy with the corner of her eyes.
Decent makeup, normal looks, normal clothes,st seasons stuff.
Even her shoes... Huh?! That bag, isnt that the one that came out yesterday?
How could I forget to bring it out today! Too careless!
Song Shi too spoke to herself in her mind.
Sparks were ignited between the twodies.
Li Jiajia looked at the twodies, who gazed at each other with hostility for god-knows-what reason, in confusion.
Whats wrong with them? Are they sick?
Also a woman, Li Jiajia had no idea what caused the jealousy and hostility. To her, if she had the free time to size up other women, she might as well use the time to improve her cooking skills.
Ding Dong.
The doorbell rang again.
The short and slim Chief Teddy walked in with his curly hair.
Wheres Royan? Teddy asked, his eyes subtly sizing up Song Shi..
The grudge between them...no, not exactly a grudge, its ratherplicated...Whatever...
Teddy decided to put his opinion aside for now.
The boss is training in the basement, you want to go see him? Li Jiajia asked.
Nope, no thank you. Whats on the menu?
Teddy waved in denial and sat in the corner after an awkwardugh.
He came here to eat, not to see Kieran, what he said were just courteous words.
Li Jiajia flipped a white eye at Teddys action.
He was here because he was attracted by her teachers cooking, yet he had to ask about the owners whereabouts.
Hypocrite!
After anotherment on Teddy, Li Jiajia went back to grind her cooking skills, but before she entered her trance, the doorbell rang again.
Ding Dong!
Run!
Run!
Something scary is here!
The voice in her head spoke again, which made Li Jiajia furrow her brows.
Before she could even scold the voice away, she realized Song Shi and Teddy looked at the entrance with a strict look.
Could it be?
Li Jiajia went nk for a moment.
She wasnt an idiot, she knew something was going south and before she could react properly, a new customer walked in.
The customer wasnt old at all, around early 30s, his handsomeness out of this world, and it somehow confused his gender for being too pretty.
However, the customer was wearing a rather old and broken windcoat and pants, even his shoes were dirty.
His face looked a little rushed and his nose was sniffing non-stop.
The customer bowed awkwardly and asked Li Jiajia, Sorry to interrupt, can I have something to eat? I will pay.
The worry in Li Jiajias heart instantly flew away.
There was nothing to be feared as long as the enemy ate her teachers food.
Chapter 1712 - Fountain
Chapter 1712: Fountain
When the mutton soup and stuffed biscuits were served, everyone in the restaurant gasped uncontrobly.
It smelled amazing!
Everyone eximed the same way.
As the first customer of the restaurant, Song Shi was served with her order first.
The mutton soup was milky white, crescent shaped mutton slicesid on top neatly, spring onions, coriander, chilli, and vinegar ced on 4 little saucers around the bowl of soup.
The stuffed biscuit was fried golden, crispy on the outside and substantial on the inside. A single bite produced a crunch sound and the stuffings inside spilled out.
If it was soaked in the mutton soup, it would be much better. Song Shi dipped the stuffed biscuit into the soup and then took another bite, the crispiness remaining but the stuffings inside getting juicier, and coupled with the taste of the mutton soup, it was a pleasant feeling.
Anyone would exim how good it was to be alive after having thebination of soup and biscuit, at least Song Shi cherished her life even more.
She didnt care about Amy, who she fought with earlier, anymore. Every time she ate Starbecks food, she forgot all the bad things and only retained the good ones.
A mouth of biscuit, a spoonful of soup, and then followed by a piece of tender mutton.
She then grabbed the ss noodles beneath the surface, picked up her bowl, and shoved them into her mouth.
A little whileter, Song Shis forehead was drenched in sweat, but she didnt mind at all.
She quickly emptied the first bowl and then went for the second.
Amy swallowed her saliva, the more she watched Song Shi eat, the more she resented thedy in front of her.
Thedy wasnt just prettier and had the newest clothes and essories that she didnt, she even ate that much right in front of Amys eyes!
Teddy was also restless. He glued his eyes to the mutton soup and biscuit while he tried his best to keep his calm.
It will be my turn soon!
It will be my turn soon!
Dont rush!
Wait for the food patiently, it will taste better!
Teddy hypnotized himself to wait and tried his best to keep himself seated.
Thest customer was very polite and well mannered, he sat there without any big movements, but his nose was sniffing quicker than before.
More and more servings were brought out from the kitchen.
Soon, Song Shi was done with hers. She took her digestion pills out and wanted to continue her eating spree but Li Jiajia did not serve her any further, going to serve Amy, Teddy, and the newest customer.
Firste first serve. It was a rule a chef had to abide by, and taking care of every single customer was also the golden rule of running a restaurant.
It wasnt one of Starbecks lessons though, Li Jiajia realized this rule by herself.
As for the effect?
The joy on Amy, Teddy, and thest customers face had said it all.
Huuu huuu!
Song Shi was emanating a faint grudge with her less happy gaze, yet no one cared, and munching noises filled the restaurant with slurping and lips being burned.
Amy was the first to finish among the second batch. She burped out of satisfaction, wanting to have more but she knew if she didnt want her stomach to suffer tomorrow, it was best she stop right now.
Otherwise, she would not be able to eat nice food tomorrow.
Amy forced herself to lower the chopsticks using the made up reason, the same thing went for Teddy.
The officer looked at his empty bowl with a heavy gaze. He still hadnt had enough of the delicious mutton, he really wanted a second bowl, but when he reached into his pocket and counted the money, he gave up helplessly.
The sry of a senior officer was decent but he was still suspended without pay.
As for his savings?
What a joke!
Teddy spent every penny of his sry every month, there was no such thing as saving for him.
As for the part-time Herder job?
Even though he was good at his job, he still had to go through the necessary procedures.
In short, he was still an assistant and he couldnt go on missions alone, hence no ie there.
Sigh!
After a heavy sigh, Teddy started topartmentalize his next months sry, intending to stop spending on instinct, otherwise he couldnt even have a full meal.
As he pondered over his sry, Teddy looked at thest customer.
The man was still eating andpared to the gobbling of Song Shi and Amy, this customer ate politely.
He didnt just chew slowly, his gestures were elegant too. Coupled with that handsome face, this customer looked more like a person from some big family than Song Shi, despite his attire being old and broken.
Subconsciously, everyonended their gaze on this customer.
The customer obviously sensed them, his face flushing a little but he did not avert their gazes because he was captivated by the food in front of him.
Delicious! Very delicious!
He had never tasted something so delicious before!
Compared to the mutton soup and the stuffed biscuit he was eating, the food that he had been eating for his entire life was garbage!
It should be fed to the pigs! No, not even pigs would eat that garbage!
Those ingredient-wasting bastards!
It was rare for him to hold a grudge against those chefs that cooked for him before.
He grumbled heavily, it was something that almost wouldnt happen to him, but he did not care about it at the moment.
The food in front of his eyes made him toss every unusual thought outside his mind.
One more! He said.
Simr to that unusual grumble, he unconsciously raised his voice louder.
Im sorry, mister, we are sold out for the day. If you want more, pleasee again tomorrow, Li Jiajia said with apologies.
The mutton that was used in serving everyone was the leftovers from breakfast, the best part of themb was eaten by her boss, so it was natural that not much was left at night.
Oh, is that so? The customer looked a little disappointed, but he quickly showed a smile.
Ill be here tomorrow.
The customer took a stack of money out as he said, cing the money on the counter and nodding at Song Shi, Amy, and Teddy before he went out.
Until the manpletely vanished from their sight, Song Shis brows were still furrowed together, the same went for Teddy, who was in heavy doubt.
He too sensed the presence of a monster but... it wasnt entirely the same.
As a newbie Herder who still couldnt go on missions alone, he was quite cautious with him. He didnt make a move recklessly but chose to ask the professional for advice.
Ill see you tomorrow, Teddy stood up and bid farewell.
Li Jiajia nodded and didnt say anything. Teddy was a regr anyway, no words of courtesy were needed.
However, right before Teddy pushed the door open, Song Shi, who had been quiet, spoke.
I would suggest you stay away from that person.
Song Shi nodded at Li Jiajia and beat Teddy in walking out of the restaurant.
Teddy was startled.
Although he did not have much fondness for Song Shi, he recognized her strength, especially after he got some understanding from Huai Cuike about what Song Shi Family represented. He knew how far he was from Song Shi.
Yet, despite all that, he saw worry and anxiety on Song Shis face when she mentioned the man.
Who is that guy?
Teddy grew curious.
He too walked out and went into the night without a pause.
Amy, a reporter, wasnt an idiot. Observing the situation and peoples faces was the basics in her field of work, so she sharply sensed something fishy.
What happened? Amy asked.
I have no idea, Li Jiajia said but the voice in her head was screaming loudly and relentlessly.
Go! Go tell your boss! Tell him!
This is what he is waiting for! If he is happy, we will be safe!
The screams made Li Jiajia frown.
You are scared of that guy? Li Jiajia asked the voice with her mind.
No! I respected him! He is a very important person that I respect!
The voice said loud and clear.
Li Jiajias mouth was twitching. It was the first time the voice sounded so righteous and it made her not want to talk to the voice.
It was so embarrassing!
What prophet, what philosopher?
It was nothing but a lie, those people were liars who bullied the weak and feared the strong.
A chef earned more respect than those liars!
Whats wrong? Amy noticed the unusual look on Li Jiajia.
Nothing, Li Jiajia shook her head.
Amy didnt ask. As Kierans temporary assistant, she had seen enough and got to know thingsmoners couldnt, she herself even started to be weird.
She knew those that stayed around Kieran were strange and it wouldnt be surprising at all, including Li Jiajia.
Amy also knew that if she wanted to be safe, it would be best for her to stay in the restaurant.
Moreover, Carrie Mayden and Tom and Jerry strongly requested her to stay.
I think going out can be very dangerous!
After everyone was gone, Carrie Mayden appeared in her ghost form, floating beside Amy. Tom and Jerry, the guard dogs, lied down beside Carrie Mayden.
Elite Hound lifted its head up at the two dog souls.
It saw the two before, they were considered half of its kind and although the two of them lived decently,pared to itself...Tsk, pitiful mutts, probably couldnt even chew on bones.
The unknown feeling of superiority came and Elite Hound closed its eyes.
I got it.
The trust Amy had in Carrie Mayden made her stand up and walk to the corner, cing a row of chairs together and lying down, seemingly to be very skilled at this.
Li Jiajia didnt stop her, knowing that Amy, as Kierans temporary assistant, had her ce in the restaurant, just like her to her teacher.
After Li Jiajia cleaned all the things on the counter, she walked to the entrance and went to take the little ckboard in. It wasnt closing time yet but theyd already sold out, so the ckboard wasnt appropriate anymore.
The moment she picked up the little ckboard...KABOOM!
An explosion went off from afar.
It was very far away but the explosion was huge. Li Jiajia didnt just hear the st, she even felt the ground tremble.
Is that the outskirts?
Li Jiajia looked at the direction where the st came from, frowning, and then quickly took the little ckboard in.
To her, regardless of what happened, as long as it wasnt in front of her eyes and did not affect her, it wasnt her concern.
However, not all were as frank and calm as Li Jiajia.
Huai Cuike and Bain gazed upon the monsters that kepting closer with a heavy gaze.
The guards of Song Shi Family were overflowing with killer intents, knowing a brutal fight would go down soon, yet they were the ones facing disadvantages this time.
A few hours ago, Mian Yi went down to the underground hole, but he wasnt seen until that tremendous explosions went off.
The whole Roze Farm was sted to the sky, all the construction that Song Shi Familys men built on top of it all destroyed, only a crater left behind.
In fact, if it wasnt for Mian Yis warning through the radio, the guards who were standing on top of the st point before the explosion went off would have ended up in a million pieces.
Although they survived and were in one piece, the danger did not go away just yet.
Quite the opposite, the danger level rose to an all time high because Mian Yi had gone missing after the explosion!
The guards and men tried to contact Mian Yi, but after that st, all kinds ofmunication methods were ineffective.
It fueled the anxious monsters, making them surround the giant crater together.
Back off! The guard shouted.
The chief guard even pulled out his sword and pointed it at the monsters.
The mystical runes branded on the de were glowing red and green. It was enough to scare off monsters during other times but it did not work against these.
The monsters werent scared at all, instead theyughed menacingly.
I bet Mian Yi is in a million pieces now right?
Victors treasure is ours now!
Yeah!
So what if you people are from the Song Shi Family?
We will catch Victor and get the treasures from Ring City from him, and when you people finally react, we will be long gone!
Sneers and mocks sounded from the army of monsters consecutively.
They restless monsters bared fangs and ws at the guards and suddenly, one of them shouted, Charge!
As though the breaking point was reached, the monsters swarmed towards the family guards like rising waves crashing onto the shore.
Kawooooosh!
Both sides shed, and upon contact, blood and flesh flew everywhere, the noise of bone cracking sounding endlessly.
The defense line the family guards put up was instantly broken through.
The guards werent weak by any means but the amount of monsters was outrageous, they were overwhelmed by sheer numbers.
There were less than 50 family guards at the scene and they were going up against foes 10 or 20 times their numbers. Some special monsters that ignored physical attacks inflicted huge damage to the family guards. The chief guard was armed with a sword that could damage the spiritual beings, making up for his shorings, but it wasnt useful at all.
The outrageous amount of monsters surrounded him tightly, backup and support couldnt reach the chief at all.
Huai Cuike and Bain fired their magic pistols endlessly but it was an inadequate measure.
The breach in the defense line was getting bigger, the monsters flooding in quicker than before, the guards and Herders forced back by the ridiculous waves.
Huai Cuike looked extremely ugly when they were being pushed closer to that crater.
He knew what the monsters were trying to do: push all of them into the hole!
Whether falling to their death or surviving after the fall but having to find a way out, either one was sufficient for the monsters and they were happy to see it happen.
Damn it! Bain clenched his teeth and took out another magic grenade.
Kaboom!
The magic grenade exploded after being thrown, clearing a big group of monsters but more filled up the empty space and dashed towards them frenziedly.
Bain couldnt stop the monsters from dashing towards them even after he threw a second grenade. His face was getting bitter and uglier and it wasnt just because he had used up the grenades, he heard screams! Screams from the chief guard of Song Shi Family!
Bain heard it, Huai Cuike heard it, and so did the guards!
Huai Cuike looked left and right, feeling helpless against the situation. He knew they were going down eventually, and if they stood ground, every one of them would die.
Retreat! Everyone retreat!
Huai Cuike shouted to the men without a second thought.
The veteran Herder fired both his pistols repeatedly, trying to attract the attention of the sea of monsters with stronger firepower so that the others had the window to fall back.
Unfortunately, the monsters didnt care about Huai Cuike at all.
Run? Dont worry, none one of you can run from us!
One of the leaders in the sea of monsters said coldly.
The other monsters around that particr oneughed ferociously.
Hehehehehehe.... UGH!
However, theughter stopped abruptly the very next moment.
As though their throats were stuck, the monsters couldntugh anymore.
In fact, not just those particr few, all the attacking monsters reacted the same way, as though they were petrified on the spot.
Then...
BAM!
Blood gushed out from the monsters, thousands of monsters bing blood fountains in an instant.
A handsome man in broken and old attire and boots covered in dirt was strolling under the blood fountains, ignoring the blood and bodies around him, looking as calm as still water.
When Huai Cuike and Bain saw the handsome man, they were overjoyed!
Lord Anna!
The two of them straightened their body and bowed together.
Chapter 1713 - A Big Shot
Chapter 1713: A Big Shot
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The man known as Anna felt a little embarrassed.
The embarrassment looked extremely weird under the bloody fountains.
The remaining guards from Song Shi Family looked at the handsome man with utmost vignce.
This man was powerful and his power was further set off by the pile of monsters around him.
What frightened the guards the most was the man felt embarrassed in this kind of gory scene!
Could he be... a psycho? Or some serial killer?
Only people with such sick minds could show embarrassment in a bloody scene like this.
The handsome man obviously noticed the vignt gaze from the family guards, jolting for a moment before realizing why the gazes were on him.
He immediately bowed to the family guards apologetically.
Im sorry, I just want to stop them quicker. I didnt mean to cause so much trouble for you all, I am really... Ugh!
As the man apologized, he gave his best effort in holding back the urge to throw up but he eventually failed and vomited on the spot.
The sourish and disgusting smell came afloat and mixed in with the bloody stench.
The guards of Song Shi Family stepped back en masse.
It was so smelly!
At the same time, the thoughts in their mind were discarded away, this handsome man could never be a psycho or a serial killer, the embarrassment on his face was real!
Yet how could a powerful person like him be embarrassed?
Because of his girlish name?
Questions rose in the family guards mind while Huai Cuike and Bain ran up to the man.
My lord, your illness of throwing up in front of blood isnt cured yet?
Huai Cuike tapped the mans back lightly while asking softly.
Duh, isnt it obvious? Cant you see how badly he is throwing up? But he is a lot better than before, at least he is just throwing up, not passing out, Bain said without much concern and went to help the man up.
Ive tried some treatment, it made me feel...Ugh! Anna exined to Bain but before he could finish, he threw up again, even fiercer than before, his stomach juiceing out.
Well, I guess the payment for the treatment has gone down the drain, Bain shook his head and felt bad for Anna.
Bain tried to continue his teasing but he sensed Huai Cuikes re, so he stopped.
The two of them then helped Anna away from the bloody ce and he took almost 10 minutes to get back on his feet.
Im sorry, Huai Cuike, Bain, Ive troubled you again. The treatment I took experimented with a little blood. I was fine before but who knew its useless with arge amount of blood, Anna looked at the two apologetically.
Then how much did you use for the experiment? Bain asked curiously.
Anna hesitated before he lifted one finger.
A person worth of blood? Not bad, its a great improvement! Bainughed.
As one of the absolute high ranks of the Herders, Anna was the most favourite among the lower ranks.
He was powerful, kind, and humble, and was never haughty to others. He was also happy to share his spoils with others but there was one weakness: he was allergic to blood.
Like he said, Anna didnt just throw up, he even passed out in front of blood before, but other than this particr weakness, Anna was a perfect person.
Now, Anna got treatment for his weakness... Uh, although the effect wasnt obvious, it was a lot better than before, right?
Bain felt happy for Anna from the bottom of his heart, but Anna shook his head.
Not a persons worth, he said.
A can? Bain posed to disy a can size with his fingers.
Anna shook his head again.
Dont tell me its a cup, Bain frowned.
He thought Anna must have been cheated by some trickster, how could a cup of blood be effective in curing those allergic to blood?
Anna shook his head again, then raised his finger higher.
Bain was confused, looking down at the finger.
Three to four secondster, Bain stuttered and asked, Dont tell me its as much as your finger.
Anna felt even more embarrassed, lowering his head and speaking like a fly, A drop...
Bain facepalmed himself.
Huai Cuike also furrowed his brows uncontrobly.
Lord Anna, the effects may take time to kick in, so you should continue your treatment. We will work with HQ and the other high ranks to deal with the matters in Ai City, Huai Cuike said softly.
Ive endured almost 60 treatment sessions, of course I wont give up now! But when I started the 61st treatment session... the clinic was empty, even the devils ivy that I liked so much was moved away. I didnt even have the chance to say good by to Dr. Tygor. The doctor left me a letter and said hes going back to his hometown because of some life difficulties. He told me not to find him. I was nning to invite him to a theatre show after he treated my illness.
Anna looked very troubled.
Huai Cuike opened his mouth, wanting to say something from his mind, but when it escaped his mouth, it became It mustve been hard for you.
He then quickly switched the topic, Do you know what happened here?
Em. Ive got a general idea about what Victor did. I never liked him, but I never thought he wouldmit such crimes.
Anna nodded and looked serious, looking at the giant hole in front of him.
He is hiding underground? Anna asked.
ording to our intel, yes, but after the explosion, Im not so sure anymore, Huai Cuike said honestly.
You are referring to Mian Yi? He is fine, I can sense his presence and... Huh? I have to go settle some matters.
Anna seemed to have noticed something, standing up and jumping into the hole without leaving any exnations.
Lord Anna, Lord Anna!
Huai Cuike called out loudly but there was no reply from inside the hole.
The veteran Herder looked at Bain with furrowed brows.
Hey man, dont tell me you want to...
We cannot sit by and let Lord Anna jump into the face of danger.
Huai Cuike then grabbed Bain and jumped in also.
Aaaaaaaaaaaaa! Im afraid of heights! Im afraid of darkness!
...
Bains terrifying screams echoed in the giant hole.
Many heard it. Anna smiled and was ready to receive both of them at the bottom.
Mian Yi heard it through the echoes too. He was actually moving deeper underground and he frowned following the screams.
He had located the key path to Victor and he didnt want the Herders to be a part of this.
The Inhumans and monsters who slipped in looked at each other when the screams entered their ears, then hurried up and moved deeper.
They didnt know where Victor really was, but the path led straight down, so all they needed to do was follow the path.
As a matter of fact, Victor was indeed at the end of the path, but he wasnt the Victor that he used to be.
The death of his clone, plus his true body dying once, and all the damage he suffered had damaged his soul and his core.
Victor couldnt even remember who he was. He forgot his name and would eventually forget every other thing in his mind.
Right after he woke up, Victor had been thinking deeply, hugging his head in pain.
Who am I?
What am I doing?
Why am I here?
The questions came one after another, but none were met with answers.
However, after the loud explosion, Victor regained his senses.
It was true that his soul was damaged and he lost his memories, but that didnt mean he became an idiot too.
Quite the opposite, because he lost all of his ns and schemes, Victor reacted even quicker than before.
Leave!
He had to leave this ce and then think of something else!
After the decision was made, Victor searched for the path to leave the underground.
Going back up was certainly not going to work. Victor felt the immense pressure just by standing at the exit to the surface. It made his head numb.
The other way?
Victor searched the underground carefully, and soon, he found one.
The tunnel wasnt big, but long and narrow, forcing him to bend forward in order to go in.
After a while, he switched to a crawl. In order to buy his true body more time, Victor poured in all of his power into this clone of his and he even added a lot of secrets that he gathered throughout the years into the body, yet it was subtle enough to not stand out, therefore this clone of Victor, or his current true body, was very powerful.
Even though he was crawling forward, it was as fast as amon jog.
Victor crawled straight ahead, the tunnel feeling t at first, but after a while, it started to go up, Victor clearly feeling the upward arch.
However, after moving upwards for around a thousand meters, the tunnel led downwards again after a sharp turn.
This time, the tunnel did not change direction until Victor arrived in an undergroundke.
The huge cave was glowing in green light and a big darkke was in front of Victors eyes.
What captivated Victor wasnt the undergroundke though, it was the figure that floated on top of it.
It was a female figure that looked sad.
However, Victor felt nothing but fear and horror when he saw her, because the body was translucent.
A monster!
The term popped up in his mind and the fear almost froze Victors hands and legs.
He had no idea whether the knowledge in his mind was true or not but the ghost in front of his eyes was very real.
Subconsciously, Victor wanted to return where he came from, but that female ghost was far stronger than what Victor imagined.
Who!
A cold shriek frozen theke beneath her instantly.
The female ghost appeared right in front of Victor, as if she had teleported, and when she saw Victor, she cried in shock.
Lord Victor?
Lord Victor!
The first call held doubt and disbelief.
The second one was joy after she verified what she saw.
For You, Victors death meant the end of the world for her. If it wasnt to locate the killer, she would have died with Victor.
Even after she heard the news that imed everything was Victors schemes, her stance did not change, she didnt believe the ims.
She persistently assumed that someone was trying to frame Victor for this tremendous crime and she swore she would find the culprit and expose the malicious intents behind.
However, the killer hid too well, to the point that You had no clues where to go.
Just when she was about to give up, someone sent her a message.
Do you want to know the truth behind everything?
Come here. (the location of the undergroundke was drawn)
The message was without a senders name and title, except for the location of the undergroundke.
Anyone withmon sense would be cautious against this kind of message, but You didnt care. She flew to this ce right away and hoped that she could find important leads.
To her surprise, she found Victor instead, ecstatic about the reunion.
Victor jolted when he saw the female ghost.
You know me? Victor asked, in attempts to make things clear.
Yes! Lord Victor, I am your follower, You! she nodded.
You? Victor looked even more confused.
He had zero memories of the name. It didnt feel familiar at all, but the joy on her face was genuine.
Whats wrong, Lord Victor? You asked out of worry.
I dont know, I woke up and I found myself in a dark underground hole. I dont know who I am, I dont know why I am here, and then an explosion went off. I felt threatened, so I decided to leave the ce. Then, I met you.
Victor bitterly exined what had happened with his limited memories.
Youve lost your memories? You tested him.
I suppose so, Victor helplessly nodded.
Can I have a look? You asked again.
Sure.
Victor nodded, for he did not sense any malicious intent and danger from her.
You ced her hand on Victors head, and a whileter, her ghostly face was shocked.
The soul of this person was undoubtedly Victor, she wouldnt be wrong for she had confirmed his presence, but this soul of his was badly damaged!
Any soul that had sustained this level of damage would break instantly, yet Victor retained his sanity. Losing only his memories was considered a miracle.
Whats wrong? Victor asked You after he saw her expression.
Your soul is damaged, thats why you lost your memories. Those bastards! Dont worry, Lord Victor, I will find them and rip their skins off alive. I will make them pay for what they did to you!
Youforted Victor before she cursed her enemies viciously.
Can you tell me what happened? Victor asked in a pitiful look.
You are the fair and just Judge that everyone respects, you favour no one and have a lot of followers, but also a lot of jealous enemies. They had always wanted to destroy you, but they saw a chance in this Battle of Winter Night that you organized, that is why all this happened. A body was found in the camp of the monsters and they imed that was you, and then they impersonated you to get into Ring City...
You told Victor everything that happened, she did not lie because she assumed it was all the truth.
Victor was shocked, his expression changing multiple times during the exnation.
He never thought he was someone this prestigious.
The Judge?
I am the Judge?
Victor bitterly smiled, feeling unreal, and at the same time, he did not hide it from You.
My lord, your fairness and justice is without a doubt, and your kindness... The moment you questioned yourself about all these bizarre ims, it proved that your kindness is still in your heart. If you are really a fake and greedy person, you wouldnt question yourself, instead you would seize the chance to go further, You exined.
Thats because it felt very surreal to me...
That is because a part of your soul, the part that represented your Judge status, was taken away. That is the only way those bastards can impersonate you so perfectly. Those damn bastards!
You grumbled sharply. She really wanted to catch those bastards and rip them to smithereens.
You, dont think like that, there may be some misunderstanding.
Victor tried to persuade thedy ghost before his eyes, his instinct telling him to do it, it wasnt part of his schemes or whatnot.
Lord Victor, your kindness..
You wanted to say more but eventually shook her head.
Wasnt it Lord Victors just and selfless kindness that made her want to follow him?
How could she tell Victor to not be kind towards his enemies?
Lets go, let us leave this ce, said You.
Sure, where are we going?
Victor was eager to leave this dark and humid ce and if someone was to guide him away, it would eventually be the best case scenario.
I met some other ghosts before I came here, they are the followers of someone big called the Dark Dominator, and that lord serves someone bigger, Lord Bird of Death. I think we can go to them for help, said You.
Will someone so big and powerful help us? Victor was worried.
You was confident though.
Of course, because we have something the two lords seek.
You then took out a brilliant shining stone out, or more urately, the shard of [Philosophers Stone].
Chapter 1714 - Bluffs
Chapter 1714: Bluffs
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Victor arrived back at the surface with You leading the way.
They came out 10 km away from Roze Farm and were very close to Ai City.
One of the lords subordinates is around here. They had this entrance to the city watched at all times, You said and then floated to the wood beside the entrance.
Victor followed right away, and soon, he saw another ghost hiding in the shadow of the trees.
He sized this new ghost carefully. Unlike You, this ghost was much more gloomier and shallower, it even felt a little dull, as if it was a puppet on strings.
Sir emissary, I request a meeting with Lord Dark Dominator, You said respectfully.
Victor also bowed slightly.
He did not feel anything unusual about this emissary. It was like any other normal spiritual beings but since it was chosen as the emissary for the Dark Dominator, it must have something ster under its belt.
The reason why Victor couldnt spot the difference was because of his own strength, he was too weak.
The ghost stood there without budging, as if it did not see them both.
No?
You sighed deeply. It wasnt the first time she contacted these seemingly normal ghosts, but she would be astonished by their loyalty every single time.
Nothing could change their loyalty towards their master, not even death.
Of course, should anyone cause the death of these loyal ghost servants, that Lord Dark Dominator would surely take revenge.
Although You had no idea what it would be, she had no intentions of finding out.
Therefore, You chose a better and more appropriate approach: she took the shard of [Philosophers Stone] out.
When the rainbow glow came from the shard, the static ghost servant moved, or more urately, it came alive.
This is what my master seeked, you can enter and meet the great lord!
The ghost servant spoke in a gloomy way and then led the two of them away.
Victor looked at the back of the ghost servant in shock.
Common ghosts or spiritual beings didnt have the ability tomunicate. In fact, not onlymon ghosts, even evil spirits and demons could hardly do so.
It was like You, the ghostdy beside him. Victor deemed her as a very special existence and he never thought he would meet another so soon.
I knew it!
The ghosts that were selected as the Dark Dominators servant were something else!
Unknowingly, Victor had an extra sense of anticipation towards the Dark Dominator.
On the other hand, the ghost servant who led the way took a deep breath.
THANK GOD I REACTED IN TIME! Otherwise I might have blown it!
It was actually Bloody Mary in disguise and it muttered anxiously in its heart.
A while back, when Bloody Mary coincidentally met You, the specialdy ghost, its sole purpose was to pull her under its wing, hence the made up Dark Dominator story and other kinds of bluffs. So in order to make You buy its story, Bloody Mary used its quick wits to fabricate all kinds of arrangements.
However, never did it think this specialdy ghost had something to do with Victor, and the more surprising thing was she had a piece of a shard from [Philosophers Stone]!
Everything was unexpected for Bloody Mary!
If it wasnt for its habitual arrangements of cing its watchers around the city, the cover would have been blown by now.
BUT!
Since its first step wasnt seen through, Bloody Mary regained the confidence to pull this through, because it wasnt fighting alone, it still had its boss!
Using the power of the contract, Bloody Mary contacted its boss.
Kieran, who was training underground, stopped right away after he heard the shocking news.
What did you say? Kieran asked.
The power of the contract was slightly disturbed in this Unique Dungeon, hence Kieran couldnt keep an eye on Bloody Mary at all times.
He knew Bloody Mary was roaming free and improvising but not to this bizarre extent.
Dominator?
Those who could live up to the title Dominator should be at least rank V or above.
Werent you afraid that some Dominator in this world would discover your little trick and kill you?
Kieran asked while he wiped his sweat.
In my humble opinion, you, my boss, are far superior than those Dominators! And since you are here with me, I believe no matter whates before you, they are here to deliver kills and give you loot! Bloody Mary said with utmost ttery.
Maybe, but I bet if that really happens, not even your ashes will be left, Kieran said.
Boss, what I do is for you and for you only! You know me, I have to make this move so that I can gather more men under your wing! And now, we are rewarded with an expected surprise! The good news is, its not a real Dominator, Bloody Mary smiled.
Dont worry, if a real Dominator shows up, I will use the boxes that I store my loot in to make you a coffin. Ill write to my loyal yet stupid servant, Kierans calmness in his voice never changed.
Thats something we will have to worry aboutter, what should we do now? Bloody Mary asked.
Bring them to your base, Ill be there as soon as possible, Kieran said before he headed upstairs.
O had left but Du was dutiful enough to stand guard in front of the treasure vaults entrance.
My lord, Du bowed when it saw Kieran.
Kieran nodded and walked up, he had no intentions of revealing Du to the public eyes anytime in the near future.
Although he deemed himself secretive enough, hed never underestimate people.
He couldnt guarantee that others would figure out something based on Dus natural talents and it had quite the possibility!
Du was in the monster camp before! Du itself was the lure in the camp!
Therefore, before Kieran settled everything, putting Du underground was the best option, like the Hounds he ced on guards around the restaurant.
After Kieran came back to the surface, the Elite Hound wagged its tail and pushed its head against Kierans knee.
Good boy, stay here, Kieran squatted down as he caressed the Elite Hound, making the giant dog wag its tail faster.
When Kieran stood back up, Elite Hound went back to Starbeck.
Im heading out for a while, Kieran said.
Mm. Hurry back, Starbeck reminded Kieran.
One never exined, one never asked.
Their trust for each other granted them a deep tacit understanding for one another.
Kieran smiled at Starbeck before he went out.
At the door, the minotaur and horseman came out from the shadows.
Boss, the two of them greeted Kieran.
Lets go, time to work for a living, Kieran said.
No problem boss!
The monster duo nodded repeatedly and followed Kieran into the streets.
...
Victor and You followed Bloody Mary around in circles.
Victor sharply noticed they were going nowhere but he didnt say anything.
He thought it was normal of Bloody Mary. Should the Superior Demon bring them straight to the destination right after they showed up, it would feel more like a trap.
He didnt know why he would think that way but he felt it was the right thing.
Are my past memories affecting me?
Victor spoke to himself.
Promptly, he sighed.
His lost memories were affecting his thoughts and actions but not a single piece of the puzzle was in his head.
It was more difficult for Victor to ept it than others. It was like a voice telling him what to do but didnt tell him why.
The feeling sucked!
Though soon enough, the little trivial emotions went away because Victor was captivated by what he saw.
Ghosts!
Countless ghosts!
A sea of ghosts appeared in Victors sight!
Victor had seen a lot of ghosts before but he had never expected so many to appear at once right in front of him.
How many were there?
Victor gazed upon theyers and waves of souls ovepping each other, his head feeling numb but the more astonishing thing was just happening.
Chapter 1715 - Theatrical Act
Chapter 1715: Theatrical Act
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Bang Bang Bang!
Amid the loud and heavy thuds, the ground shook.
Therge crowd of ghosts split up left and right neatly, and tworge figures approaching from afar.
Victors eyes unconsciously widened, his jaw dropping because that suffocating pressure from the giant figures rendered him speechless.
Next, Victor was shrouded by the shadows casted by the giant figures.
He looked up at the two towering giants, his throat dry. He wanted to swallow his saliva to ease the dryness but he realized he couldnt, petrified by what he saw!
The monsters that appeared in his sight went far beyond anything that he could ever imagine.
An ox-head and a horse-face!
The two towering monsters were at least 10 meters tall, even the crown of the trees couldnt reach them, the tallest trees in the area only as tall as their waists!
More importantly, the vicious presence of the monsters was off this world. It wasnt just because of their strength, it was also because of their killing intents and every sign told Victor these two monsters werent just there for decoration.
Guards, they came with the item his lordship seeks.
Bloody Mary, who had been guiding the man and ghost, bowed at the two guards.
Victor and You also bowed after Bloody Mary and this time Victor did not even hesitate.
Even if he had no memories, he felt these two towering monsters were the kind that kill without blinking.
Enter! Minotaur said in a low, heavy voice.
Its voice sounded like a p of thunder in Victors ears, cramped his chest, but he didnt care because of what happened next.
The horseman bent over and grabbed several trees in front of it.
Pak Pak Pak Pak!
A single pull uprooted several trees together.
A giant entrance to a cave was shown to Victor and You, and with the low light from the moon, the two of them saw a flight of stairs leading down, but it was too dark to see where it was leading to.
His lordship is waiting inside, just follow the stairs to him, Bloody Mary pointed at the cave entrance.
I understand, Victor and You nodded before they walked down the flight of stairs.
They did not suspect a thing!
Or rather, when the sea of ghosts and the monster duo appeared, even Victor, who suspected a little, believed everything.
The stairs were long and had many steps, yet they were straight and neat.
The mystical runes etched along the walls were enough to astonish even the mystical individuals.
Bloody Mary had already made up the name Dark Dominator, so it had to pay attention to details.
Plus it had lots of manpower to help, so it made this long corridor look even better, filled with a mysterious and unpredictable aura.
The negative energy here is so dense! You eximed and then squinted her eyes pleasantly.
For a special ghost like her, this kind of special negative energy was exactly what she sought.
Victor, on the other side, twisted his neck out of difort, but he was soon captivated by the mystical runes on the walls.
He couldnt read them, without his memories he couldnt tell what the words meant, but his feelings told him these runes were very powerful.
It felt very profound and fierce just by looking at it.
You, can you read these runes? Victor asked softly.
I cant but its powerful. Ive followed you for many years and seen a lot of mystical runes and wordings myself but none are moreplicated and more profound than everything here. If the Dark Dominator can utilize these kinds of mystical runes, he may be stronger than we thought, You spoke softly.
Is that so? Maybe his lordship can really help us, Victor heaved a long breath.
He wasnt worried that the Dark Dominator wasnt strong enough, quite the opposite, the stronger the Dark Dominator was, the better.
Only then could he secure his own safety.
ording to what You told him, Victor knew what kind of atrocity he hadmitted.
But I worry...
While Victor felt relief, You felt uneasy.
It was her idea to work with this Dark Dominator and she suggested it because she was confident enough. Even if the worst case scenario would unfold, she could still bring Victor away safely, but after she saw all these mystical runes, her confidence was defeated.
Dont worry. Big shots like him always have their own bearing. They wont simply embezzle things they could get the proper way, Victor said confidently.
You sighed and nodded, epting what Victor said, despite his words feeling naive most of the time.
Though, wasnt that the very reason why she decided to follow him in the first ce?
The human and ghost pair walked further.
Bloody Mary then slowly showed itself from the shadowy spot after the two of them went ahead.
It looked at the back of the pair and curled up its lips into a grin.
It wasnt any kind of big shot or important figure, but its boss was a true big shot!
Lucky fe, Bloody Mary eximed.
It never thought a person could be as useful and valuable as Victor. From the start at Ring City to the potential problems that could appearter, Victor was the whole package!
He could be awarded model worker of the year!
Bloody Mary put all those fake mystical runes on the wall just for show and all of its efforts did not go to waste!
Thats right, all the mystical runes on the wall were fake. They seemed veryplicated and profound but they were useless.
Other than a confusing look, they were nothing but specially designed patterns.
As for the negative energy?
Thousands of ghosts gathered in one single ce, even if there werent any in the first ce, would be filled with negative energy when they appeared.
Of course, everything until now was just the prelude. The real show started from here onwards.
Bloody Mary dived into the ground and beat Victor and You to the end of the corridor.
At the end of the corridor, the hall that wasnt evenplete, but Bloody Mary popped up.
It looked at the stone door and its body started to fade.
Even though it was still in a sealed state, it still kept some of its traits, especially when they were only one door apart.
Bloody Mary had the confidence to perform this y with perfection.
Tendrils extended from its shallow body swiftly, ck as ink and a little bit of wicked energying out from the ends.
Bloody Mary used the Cardinal Sins Beast as reference, its weakened body allowing Lust, Greed, Gluttony, Wrath, Sloth and Envys presence to go beyond the door.
It was only a little bit but it was sufficient to stop Victor and You right away.
The two of them felt difort.
The power that triggered their mixed emotions hurried their breaths and made them sweat.
The Dark Dominator was beyond the stone door?
If they already felt this level of difort with a door apart, what would happen if they went in?
Victor and You believed the Dark Dominator had already suppressed his aura, the level of energy they felt was thepressed version.
So, what if it erupted?
They might fall into a realm of endless illusions and their heads would explode.
The aura they felt was already this strong, so how strong would the real thing be?
With lingering fear, Victor suppressed all the desires and fear that tried to break free from his heart, slowly walking to the door and knocking on it.
Knock, Knock.
Chapter 1716 - Roadblocker
Chapter 1716: Roadblocker
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The knocks echoed throughout the long corridor.
The flow of time carried the echoes away and made the already quiet corridor even quieter.
The silence could drive a person mad!
Victor dared not even breathe loudly, his eyes locked on the stone door, waiting for it to open.
You controlled her ghostly form and tried her very best to keeping her fear in check.
Scary!
Even a door apart, she could feel the terrifying existence beyond it.
How scary was this Dark Dominator? He could probably squash her with a finger, right?
You tried to think highly of this Dark Dominator before they came but when she arrived right in front of the door, her frightened condition told her she underestimated him.
The slightest level of aura from that lord was enough to strike fear in its core.
This is the Dark Dominator?
Then...how powerful is the Bird of Death that this dominator serves?
How could such a scary existence lurk on the grounds of Ai City?
Are there some secrets of the city that I dont know of?
The messy thoughts in her mind raising her caution, she clenched her teeth and took the glowing shard of [Philosophers Stone] out with her hand.
She raised it above her head.
Victor saw how she reacted and didnt stop her, believing she was doing the right thing.
They had to show sincerity if they wanted a working rtionship.
Without an honest basis, everything could be fake.
The silence continued, yet Victor and You were quite patient.
The two of them didnt move a muscle as they waited.
Minutester, after Bloody Mary deemed it was long enough to open the door, it asked them, What do you seek?
Its voice was heavy and husky, like it wasnt used to speaking themon tongue or a giant opening its mouth and a gale woulde with every word it spoke.
The sudden voice made Victor and You heave a breath of relief.
Both of them exchanged a gaze before You encouraged Victor to step up.
The respectful Dark Dominator, your lordship, I am Victor... a man without memories because of some peoples schemes. I hope to retrieve my memories, and if you can tell me who did this to me, I will be forever grateful, Victor tried to speak as cleanly and simply as possible.
Retrieve your memories? Hmph! That isnt enough.
Bloody Mary chuckled and said with its heavy voice.
Its little chuckle had serious disdain, which it did it on purpose.
Bloody Mary had some thoughts about Victors current state.
His soul must have gone through too many cuts, hence the irreversible damage. Most of the time, people who damaged their soul too much would die straight away or fall into aa forever, bing an empty shell.
Yet Victor stood in front of the door... it should be the miraculous traits of [Philosophers Stone], not the little shards that got split up but theplete stone!
Of course, there was still the possibility of it being something else entirely.
It might also be that Victor had sufficient preparation to face the unpredicted, hence the reason why he was still alive.
However, idents happen, no one could entirely escape being controlled by something, not even Victor, let alone its boss, which was meddling with the scene in the dark.
Bloody Mary sensed its boss wasing closer quickly, and so it concentrated and yed its part better.
If you want to retrieve your memories, you will need at least aplete Philosophers Stone. One shard is far from enough!
Bloody Marys voice clearly entered Victors ears.
Victor wasnt really disappointed. In fact, he felt rather happy.
What he worried about was something like I cant do anything or it cant be helped.
Although aplete [Philosophers Stone] was hard to find, there was still hope, right?
Huuu!
Victor took a deep breath, the most concerning matter in his heart met with an answer. He took the shard of the stone from You.
Then what can this get me? Victor asked straightaway.
He did not negotiate at all, neither did he test the validity.
First, Victor in his current state wasnt used to such vignce.
Second, he didnt expect to walk out from here in one piece if he really did test the absolute force.
He knew the situation very well, he knew what he was dealing with and who had the rights to call the shots.
Its enough for me to help you to solve an uing crisis. A lot of people and monsters are looking for you outside, right? Go to Ai Citys Leaf Dining. Go to the owner, that lord will be able to help you.
Bloody Mary mentioned Kieran with utmost respect.
That lord?
Victor and You jolted.
Another existence that this powerful Dark Dominator addressed as lord, how terrifying would that person be?
Could it be that Bird of Death?
The two of them quickly rted to the possible answer with their clear minds.
While they were wondering, Bloody Mary added.
However, the cost you pay and the protection that you will receive isnt exactly equivalent, there is still a little gap. So, you have to follow that lord for 10 years, helping him to deal with the trivial things before he truly awakens. Are you willing toply?
I AM! Victor answered without a second thought.
He was forced into a desperate situation.
With 10 years of service and aplete [Philosophers Stone] for his survival and well-being, Victor couldnt imagine himself being the loer.
On the other hand, You was muttering to herself.
Truly awakens?
Leaf Dining?
Is it Royan, the God of ughter reincarnation?
Her body shook, finally realizing why a powerful existence like the Dark Dominator appeared in Ai City: the lord he served was in the city itself!
Even though the lordship hasnt truly awakened and was still bound to its mortal body, everything made sense now!
Victor respectfully ced the shard of the [Philosophers Stone] in front of the stone door and then went back the way he came. You followed behind him.
Thedy ghost told Victor what she knew softly.
Leaf Dining is that famous? Victor asked in a muffled voice.
Em. Normal people might not know, but it has quite the reputation on the mystical side. The eldest daughter of Song Shi Family is a regr there, said You.
That Roye is really lucky, I bet he has no idea what his brother truly is, Victor eximed and then said in surprise.
Reincarnation? Who knew it was real! Based on what I read, there were a few times in history but... Who exactly is that Lord Bird of Death, I have no idea.
You was pondering upon the title.
She felt like she had heard it before, but was unable to figure out where and when.
We dont need to know who that lordship is in his past life. All we need to do is keep our promise, Victor said seriously.
I understand, You nodded.
Both of them walked out of the underground corridor and arrived back on the surface.
The emissary bid them farewell and then returned to the underground corridor.
The sea of ghosts dispersed and the minotaur and horseman went away too.
The underground corridor vanished promptly, leaving only a few marks behind.
Victor and You werent surprised.
If the Dark Dominator decided to protect the lord he served in the dark, it was natural that he wanted to keep it down and away from sight.
If he were to ignore everything and go in with a high profile, it would attract unwanted suspicions.
Lets go to Leaf Dining, Victor said.
You led the way right away.
Both of them swiftly left the woods and reconnected to the major highway.
However, a few minutester, both of them were forced to a stop because a scarlet figure appeared in front of them.
VICTOR!
Scarlet the red skull locked its grudgeful, fiery gaze on Victor, its soul fire jumping vigorously. It ought to grab Victor and torture him with every possible way, but it did not.
In Scarlets sight, it saw a figure slowly appearing behind Victor and it was very concerned
Chapter 1717 - Surprising Attack
Chapter 1717: Surprising Attack
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
From the moment Scarlet appeared, Victor and You hadnt moved their eyes away from him, noticing the unusual reaction on its skull face the very first moment.
Victor moved his body subtly to try to have a look behind him. You glued her eyes at the skull face, worried that it did it on purpose.
However, when Victor saw there was really someone behind him and got a clear look on the face, he was surprised by the breathtaking features.
The handsome face on the man was out of this world, like the murals and stained ss in churches that depicted deities and angels.
However, the clothes he wore were old and broken. The edge of the windcoat was badly damaged, threads sticking out around holes. The same went for his pants around the knees. His boots were even dirtier, as though he had stepped on vomit.
If Victor hadnt seen his face and only scanned over his bad attire, he would assume the man was a drunkard with heavy addiction.
Victor was sizing up Anna and vice versa.
Huh?
Almost instantaneously, Anna realized something wasnt right about Victor.
Victors eyes were as pure as water, as if he was a newborn. There wasnt the sense of secrets and hidden motives behind them, all the gaze showed was purity and liveliness.
What had happened?
Anna had no idea.
You finally turned around and saw Anna, crying out in shock, Lord Anna?!
Anna? Victor jolted before he looked at You with a questioning gaze.
Lord Anna is one of the high ranks of the Herders, he is very powerful, You exined softly.
Which means we are safe? Victor heaved a breath of relief.
No! Lord Anna is actually one of the few enemies you hadhe always thinks you were hiding something or some kind of hidden motives, but he had no evidence to prove it, so he had always been passive about it. But now...
Before You even finished, Victor bitterlyughed.
It was obvious that this Anna came to him in a hurry after his n was exposed.
As for what?
The answer was obvious.
Victor grabbed You and slowly moved aside. Scarlet didnt move, Anna didnt move, and soon, the three different parties formed a triangle in the middle of the road.
Victor and You looked at Scarlet and Anna in utmost cautious.
As for the other two?
They ignored the man and ghost as they only had each other in their eyes.
An invisible aura emanated from Scarlet and Anna, forcing Victor and You back further.
Yous body started to fade, and the effect on Victor was even more obvious: he couldnt breath and his limbs started to harden, as if he was drowning in deep waters.
Lord Victor, you are only suffering like this because your soul is damaged and you lost your memories, otherwise you would be this strong too! Youforted Victor.
Victor understood her crystal clear, so the bitter smile on his face grew heavier.
When You mentioned the word strong, Victor didnt pay much attention before, but now he had a slight understanding of what strong represented.
Was I like this before I lost my memories?
Who the hell am I really?
Questions popped up in Victors mind, one after another, swelling his temples and nking over in his mind.
Aargh!
A painful cry came from Victor and then he fell on the ground.
You turned around and checked on him, the cry of pain like a signal for Scarlet to make its move.
Scarlet didnt go for Anna, it went after the fallen Victor.
It was so fast that it moved like a dash of red light in the dark, appearing before Victor in an instant and trying to grab the shocked Victor.
Go away!
You raised her hand and unleashed her gloomy aura, turning it into a dark gale that was blown at Scarlet.
However, Scarlet didnt even dodge, flying through the gale and reaching out to Victor.
Right before Scarletnded its skeletal hand on Victors neck, a fair palm grabbed the skeletal hand instead. Anna appeared beside Scarlet without it knowing.
Im sorry, he is important to us, I cant let you take him away. Even against his enemies, Anna spoke as softly as usual.
Hmph! Scarlet grunted and exerted more strength, yet Anna mped the skeletal hands tighter. It wasnt just its whole skeleton, even its strength from its soul was locked down. Scarlet couldnt use its strength at all, and as seconds went by, Scarlet shockingly realized the power that it had cultivated for a hundred years was slowly slipping away.
Get your hands off! Scarlet shrieked.
I cant do that unless you promise me you wont harm Victor, Anna shook his head.
Keep dreaming! Scarlet shouted out of anger.
How could it give up on its target just like that!
Victor was the bastard responsible for all of its efforts going to waste!
It ought to squeeze out the location of the treasures of Ring City from Victor and then skin him alive! It didnt even want to spare Victors soul. Victor would hope that he was dead instead!
Hatred!
Hatred that could shroud the sky made Scarlet ditch the fake mask that it put on during other times. It didnt want to meander around and wait anymore, it wanted to simply rip Victors limbs first as interest for its revenge!
DIE!
The soul fire in its eye sockets burned fiercely, as though it wasing out any second.
The minimal flesh on its skull even started to twitch under the anger, some bursting into blood and dripping onto the ground.
Scarlet conjured the hidden power in its body, wanting to go all out with this weird guy that grabbed its hand, but before it could finish its casting, it suddenly realized something was not right with the man.
That kind and warm face of his suddenly seemed... sick?
His hand started to loosen up, and his power, which had been canceling Scarlets, started to fade.
What happened?
A trap?
Is he trying to lure me into making a move?
Scarlet looked at Anna in doubts, it didnt move recklessly, but then...
Ough!
Anna couldnt hold back the disgust anymore once he saw the blood on Scarlets face, throwing up right away.
Before this, Anna had eaten an energy bar after his stomach got better, but now he vomited it out in a gooey, disgusting state with some stomach juice, sshing Scarlets facepletely.
The sticky and smelly vomit dripped from Scarlets skull to its thin cheeks before it fell to the ground.
Scarlet was petrified. From the moment it came back to life, it had never been attacked like this.
It was fair to consider this was the first time Scarlet felt heavy disgust from the bottom of its soul.
If possible, it would rather not experience something like this. It would rather get beaten to the ground than have vomit on its face.
Insult!
Shame!
The disgust from its soul transformed those two emotions into rage, as if its soul had erupted like a volcano.
I will kill you! I WILL KILL YOU, YOU BASTARD! Scarlet shouted in anger.
I am so sorry!
Anna expressed his apologies with utmost sincerity yet he couldnt help but vomit again onto Scarlets face.
Ough!
The sticky vomit sprayed all over its face again.
The power in his body was getting softer and he might very well throw up again, therefore Anna released Scarlet right away and grabbed Victor and You before running.
Anna had no confidence in winning against Scarlet after throwing up like this.
To Leaf Dining! Someone will be able to help us there! You said softly.
She clearly felt how powerful Scarlet was,mon Herders werent even a match to its ferocity.
Other than the unpredictable Dark Dominator, who they unfortunately couldnt locate anymore, there was probably only one person left that could rival the red skull: the Bird of Death that the Dark Dominator served.
She knew where to find this Bird of Death.
Therefore, even if this unawakened Bird of Death wasnt a match to the red skull, the powerful Dark Dominator wouldnt sit back and watch either, he would surely intervene.
With that thought in her mind, You spoke with confidence.
Although Anna was rather curious and confused as to why the restaurant that he had just been to had the power that could rival the red skull, he clearly sensed the confidence and firm beliefs in You, so Anna ran straight to Leaf Dining.
Could it be the chef?
Anna hastened his steps while guessing.
Even though his body was weak and sore after vomiting, Annas speed shouldnt be looked down upon. Right after Scarlet wiped the vomit away from its face, Anna had vanished into the horizon.
Scarletughed ferociously at the direction where Anna ran off.
The red skull too vanished at the next moment and when everybody went away, Kieran and Bloody Mary walked out from beside.
What a surprising attack, Bloody Mary eximed.
Scared of blood? Kieran muttered before he too vanished.
Bloody Mary knew where its boss was going but it didnt follow.
It realized the identity of Dark Dominator was rather useful, so it ought to prepare for a bit to maximize its effectiveness.
...
Back in Leaf Dining, other than Amy, who had stayed behind, Li Jiajia was working to close shop.
After wiping thest stool on the floor, Li Jiajia happily headed to the kitchen.
Run!
Run now!
The signs of cmity have appeared!
The voice in her head spoke again.
Li Jiajia didnt even care.
What run? What cmity?
It was all a bluff!
However, that voice was screaming to Li Jiajia tirelessly and it was more persistent than ever, forcing Li Jiajia to pause.
Shu up! Li Jiajia shouted back.
Although she was very frustrated with the voice in her head, after spending a lot of time together, she learned how to municate with this voice.
No! The cmity...
Shut up! If you dont shut up, Ill ask teacher or the boss to pull you out from my body, Li Jiajia said.
Her words worked on the voice effectively, it became quiet right away.
Li Jiajia heaved a breath of relief, feeling better after venting her frustration. She continued into the kitchen.
She liked the period of time after the shop closed because she could train her cooking as much as she liked and her teacher would be with her, teaching her all of his knowledge.
However, today was a little special. She saw her teacher together with her boss in the kitchen.
She didnt know why her boss would be up here after he said he was training underground, but she knew all she had to do was keep quiet and smile.
One sec, I have to deal with some problems, Kieran said to Starbeck after he came back to the restaurant before Anna.
Mm. I cooked soup for you, I even added some new herbs that I mixed up earlier... its good for your body, Starbeck nodded with a smile.
Starbeck became used to these kinds of danger-filled days after he followed Kieran around.
In fact, this little danger was nothing at all. Those ambushes that Kieran didnt even have the chance to warn him about had happened way too often, yet nothing happened to him.
Therefore, Starbeck kept calm and continued minding his own business.
Kieran smiled and then walked back out, nodding at Li Jiajia when he walked past her.
Although Li Jiajia had something weird in her body, he knew this something was just a thought, a consciousness.
In short, this voice knew what it should say and what it shouldnt.
The curtain of the kitchen was put down again.
Phew!
Li Jiajia took a long breath.
Teacher, dont you feel a pressure when you face the boss every time? Li Jiajia asked Starbeck.
Her heart would throb every time she saw Kieran, like she was in the wilderness in the middle of the ck night, empty and silent yet filled with danger.
A little bit at first, but I slowly got used to it. He is a... kind person, its just that he isnt that good at expressing it, Starbeck said with a smile.
Really? Maybe because you are his little brother. As an older brother, it is his responsibility to take special care of you, right? Li Jiajia asked with a tilted head.
Big brother? Starbeck smiled and shook his head.
Li Jiajia couldnt understand the shake, but she could tell whenever her teacher mentioned her boss, his face would look kinder than usual.
The special bond between each other?
With that thought in heart, Li Jiajia walked to the chopping board and started a new lesson with Starbecks guidance.
Meanwhile, at the floor of the restaurant, Kieran concentrated on his preparation.
He did not let the outside voice distract himself, so he did not hear anything in the kitchen.
Whats wrong?
Amy, who stayed behind, saw Kieran walk out from the kitchen and sharply noticed something wasnt right.
Go wait in the kitchen. Trouble ising, Kieran said calmly.
Okay, Amy epted the suggestion obediently and went inside the kitchen. She had been through dozens of special incidents now, so she was smarter than before.
The next moment, hurried footsteps sounded from outside the door.
Bang!
The door was rammed open.
Anna, with Victor and You in his hand, rammed in.
Behind them was the red skull, Scarlet.
Are you the owner of this restaurant? Victor got up on his feet after some struggle and asked.
Yes, I am, Kieran took a sip of tea from his cup and then pointed at the broken door, that will be 1000.
Chapter 1718 - Unable to Wait
Chapter 1718: Unable to Wait
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
You jolted.
1000?
She looked at the broken door and was utterly confused.
Victor, on the other hand, reacted quickly.
Im sorry, it was our carelessness that made you suffer an unnecessary loss. We will pay, Victor said sincerely.
There wasnt any hypocrisy in him, he really wanted to pay Kieran for damaging the door.
While he was at it, Victor reached inside his pockets but quickly felt embarrassed.
He had no money, or more precisely, he hadnt even seen the money in this world, he only had an idea what money does.
Victor looked at You out of awkwardness, thedy ghost immediately pulling out a golden pea and cing it on the counter for Kieran.
Kieran took the golden pea, inspected it, and then ced it into the money box. He then said, Im sorry, we are closed, if you want anything to eat, pleasee again tomorrow.
No, no! We arent here to eat! We are here for protection! Ive ran into some unsolvable problems and I need your help...of course, we are willing to pay the appropriate cost, You said quickly.
She did not mention the Dark Dominator though, let alone the Bird of Death.
Even though all these were real, and the owner of this restaurant was the Bird of Death himself, she didnt know what would happen if she simply called them out.
If it was something good, that would be great. If it was something bad...
Terror that she felt from the Dark Dominator ushered her to be more careful.
Oh? How much is that? Kieran replied like any other business man.
Even if this was exactly how he wanted things to progress, he had to have a reason to intervene.
A pouch was then ced on the counter.
The string that tied the pouch up was loosened up and when it was ced on a t surface, the content was revealed: a pouch full of golden peas!
They dazzled brightly under the light.
The trouble that you are referring to is that thing? This wont be enough.
Kieran took the pouch and weighed it for a second before he pointed at the red skull and spoke to You.
We have this much for the moment, we will make it up to you when we are safe! You said.
She brought the golden peas with her just for emergencies and it wasnt a lot.
Kieran shook his head.
You cant open a tab like this, he said seriously.
The seriousness from his words made Scarletugh when it walked in.
You are really a man of principle! Its been a while, Sir Yan Luo, Scarlet greeted Kieran.
Mm, Kieran nodded coldly.
His reaction suited the identity and standing of a Herder.
Scarlet didnt care at all, what concerned it was Victor and the bastard on the ground who vomited onto its face.
Under Scarlets grudgeful gaze, Anna, who fell to the ground after he came in, stood on his feet after a shaky struggle, looking at Scarlet with an apologetic gaze before he too took a pouch from his pocket and went to ce it on the counter.
Scarlets soul fire jumped furiously, reaching out its skeletal hands and trying to grab Anna but it missed.
Anna was dragged over the counter from the back of his cor by Kieran, and that pouchnded right on top of the counter.
Pak!
Strong nks sounded uponnding on the counter. It wasnt purely metal or iron but something more valuable.
Kieran picked the pouch up and curled up his lips when he saw the gemstones inside.
Deal done, Kieran said, he then tossed the pouch beside the money box.
He then turned around to Scarlet.
Please leave, you are not wee here, Kieran invited Scarlet out.
I thought we could be friends, Scarlet said in a heavy tone.
Of course we can be friends, and because of that, shouldnt you understand the difficult position that I am in now? Kieran smiled.
Scarlet didnt say anything but the soul fire in its eye sockets jumped up high, the scarlet energy from its body glimmering like a neon light.
An unknown aura started to fill the restaurant.
Victor felt the suffocation again.
No! It wasnt just suffocation this time! Victor felt like its soul was leaving its body!
As a matter of fact, it really was.
Yous body was starting to fade and distort.
Anna, who was weak after vomiting, frowned, his face showing a painful expression.
You know, I really dont want to do this. I would have tried to sort things out in a peaceful way but there is always someone in my way. So...
BANG!
Before Scarlet even finished, a sudden kicknded on its face lightning fast and interrupted its big speech.
It never expected Kieran to move in its soul-restricting spell.
In fact, Kieran did more than just move. The kick that he delivered straight to Scarlets face had surpassed the skull-faces expectation.
Kak!
The boot mark printed itself on the skull and Scarlet was sent flying, as if it was knocked by a speeding truck. Scarlet fell to the end of the alleyway, little cracks from its crown starting to spread downwards to the center of its eye sockets.
However, the cracks on its skull were the least of its concern now because Kierans second kick followed like its shadow and the kick went for the skull again!
Bang!
Kieran further stomped his foot on Scarlets skull like a hydraulic hammer of some iron forge, all four of Scarlets limbs swinging upwards as it plunged a few meters deeper into the asphalt road, and that was not the end!
Scarlet kept sinking down into the ground because Kieran kept stomping on its skull.
Stomp after stomp, each stromp stronger than the previous one, Scarlet struggled heavily, but its efforts were rendered useless!
It raised its arm and ced it in front of its skull in hopes of performing an effective block but its skeletal body, which was harder than reinforced iron, couldnt withstand Kierans stomping!
As though the one stomping on its skull wasnt human but a devil from the abyss. The moment the boot came in contact with the bones on Scarlets arm, both arms were pressed down into its face and its whole body sank deeper into the ground.
Kaboom!
A heavy buzz rang in Scarlets skull but it didnt care, it knew it had to counterattack.
Fuuung!
Red mystical wordings around Scarlet started to appear, and right after that, murmurs sounded everywhere.
Some sounded ferocious, some wicked, some bewitching and so on, all the signs pointing to the murmurs being very powerful.
Careful!
Victor called out in shock as his soul trembled, Anna even trying his best to chant a set of incantations in hopes of helping Kieran.
As for You?
When the red wordings appeared, she fell to the ground and couldnt move at all.
Kieran, on the other hand, turned a deaf year, stomping on Scarlets skull.
Scarlet replied with augh.
Arrogant! Or do you think you can use this kind of savagery to win against me? You underestimate me! Now, be part of me! Scarlet said loudly.
Right after the loud shout, the scarlet red wordings came alive and flew towards Kieran and Scarlet like red vines, covering both of thempletely.
Anna finallypleted his incantation, a light arrow fired towards the red wordings, but it did nothing.
The scarlet red vine cloud of wordings shook for a moment before returning to normal, even slowly expanding in size.
The cloud of red that contained Kieran and Scarlet inside it started to expand to the street.
Anna was shocked by what he saw.
What is this? Victor asked.
Some unknown spell, it can devour everything and convert them into energy to buff its caster, Anna said in a heavy expression.
Victor was shocked.
Is there no other way? There is!
Anna nodded, then walked forward slowly, and as he walked, he said, This kind of secret spell has quite a lot of restrictions and also has an obvious w, its devouring limit! As long as the limit is reached, the devouring process will result in a repulsion to its caster! Leave it to me!
Anna stood still less than 10 meters away from that red vine cloud, yet at that very moment, a dash of blood painted over the red vines. It was real blood and Anna could prove that.
Ough!
Anna vomited like there was no tomorrow.
The minimal energy that he had recovered went down the drain again.
The bloody red vines swirled, rumbled, and gathered into the shape of a skullit was Scarlet!
First its skull, then its rib cage appeared above the red vines, and when it formed until its pelvic bone, the formation stopped.
You are powerful, but your weakness is too obvious, Scarlet said coldly, then looked at Victor with its brightly burning soul fire.
The strong soul fire was emanating sheer killer intentions.
You! You are to me for everything! I said you had better wish you were dead! And I intend to keep my words!
Scarlets voice was like the arctic wind, sending chills down ones spin but not Victors. He did not feel scared or worried at all.
In a more urate sense, Victor indeed feared Scarlet at the beginning, but when he sensed Scarlets current presence and aura, the worries went away.
Wasnt Scarlet powerful?
Very! The red skull was very powerful!
Victor didnt have even a tenth of Scarlets power!
All Scarlet needed to do was raise its skeletal finger and it could kill Victor right away!
BUT!
Red skull was very different from the Dark Dominator.
The power from Dark Dominator was the suppression from life itself, like the gaze from the top of the food chain!
The Dark Dominator was already so ridiculously powerful, so how powerful would the Bird of Death, the lord that the Dark Dominator served, be?
Victor was looking forward to it, and because of the anticipation, Victor showed a smile.
When Scarlet saw the smile, a bad feeling rose from the bottom of its soul but it couldnt tell exactly why and where it came from.
BLUFFS! Scarletughed coldly.
Its power had spread into the prey inside the vines. Scarlet was going to end this meaningless battle. Yet, at that very moment...
An unrivaled power of devour appeared within the red vines.
It wasnt part of the secret spell that Scarlet casted, it was from Kieran! The power of devour was from Kierans body!
This power of devour was something that Scarlet had never seen before, yet it certainly felt the fearsome presence.
Dong Dong Dong!
Its heart, which should be silent, throbbed suddenly, and each beat sounded loud and lively, yet with each beat, Scarlet felt its secretive powers being devoured.
On top of that, that power that it feared used its own secret power and invaded its skeletons!
Its powers were further devoured and quicker than before. It had to stop it from invading but it couldnt do anything to stop it! Scarlet was the one who invaded Kierans body first!
A trap?
As it was moving closer to the cliff of death, the thought of all this being a trap popped up in its skull, yet it was too stubborn to admit it. It hadnt lost yet!!
DIE! You freaking monster! Scarlet rose both its hands up and shouted frenziedly.
Wung! Wung Wung!
Scarlet branded many mystical runes throughout the bones in its arms. They were the source of nourishment of his trump card, instantly turning into invisible des and plunging into Kierans soul.
However, when the des plunged in, there was no reaction and sound at all, as if the des stabbed a piece of cotton. Quite the contrary, the invisible des were being devoured quickly.
What Scarlet feared the most was the munching and chewing noises that sounded in its head!
Amid the irritating, scary noise was a blurry phrase: Delicious.
Delicious? Scarlet jolted.
Promptly, it felt something bite its bones, pain starting to spread uncontrobly.
Get your mouth off of me! Scarlet screamed in pain.
What it got in reply was...Kak!
Its left arm was bitten off, followed by a series of munching noises. The invisible power of devour munched and ate Scarlets left skeletal hand, and before it could even react, its skull was bit.
NO! Scarlet screamed in despair, yet it did not stop Gluttony.
The more Scarlet suffered, the happier Gluttony was in eating the bones. Kieran didnt stop the cardinal sin either.
When he first saw Scarlet the red skull, Kieran already simted the possible ways of its attack and tried his best to anticipate potential attacks. When those scarlet marks appeared around him, Glutton jumped happily and expressed his hunger to Kieran. After Gluttony assured Kieran these powers were delicious and fragile, Kieran released Gluttony and let him go on a rampage.
Kieran had started to trust Gluttony, despite having to point Gluttony in the right direction most of the time. Though no one could disagree on Gluttonys power and its uniqueness.
Right now, Cardinal Sins Force surged as Gluttony ate Scarlet, the energy that he devoured converted into nutrients for the other Origin Forces.
Devil Force, Dawn Force, gue Force, and Saint Thorn Force surged high.
Unlike the breakthrough when consuming Crossing Coins, all five of the Origin Force surged on their own this time.
This savage increment made Kieran squint his eyes. He could feel the Origin Forces in his body skyrocket, but it was only at Basic level, not even Entry!
Even though all five of his Origin Forces kept growing, it still couldnt cause a qualitative change, despite the quantity having surpassed the requirement.
The seals?
Kieran muttered the only possible reason for this hup, his eyes once again seeing the space with chains again, plus that door hanging in mid-air.
He took a deep breath and told himself, I cant wait anymore!
Chapter 1719 - Origin
Chapter 1719: Origin
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The scarlet vines started to wither and the scarlet runes started to dim, and Kiean, standing in the middle of all that, slowly opened his eyes.
Wung!
A powerful st of air burst from inside, turning the withered vines into ashes. The gloomy runes around the bones were lost and Scarlet, with only half of its upper body,nded beside Kierans feet.
You, you!
The soul fire in its eye sockets flickered repeatedly, wanting to say something, but Kieran didnt give the skull a chance.
He ced his foot over the skull and slowly pressed down into its face.
Crack!
The red skull was stomped to pieces and the soul fire was extinguished, but Kieran didnt stop there.
Kieran repeatedly stomped on the red skull until every single piece of its skeleton was crushed to powder. After that, heid his eyes on that string of prayer beads that Scarlet carried with it all the time.
It was a little broken, but that didnt stop Kieran from picking it up.
[Name: Scarlet Moon]
[Type: Wonder Item]
[Rarity: IV]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: None]
[Attribute: 1. Expel Day; 2. Moon Pull]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: No]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: No]
[Remark: The scarlet red moon always hangs high in the night sky, it represents the start of cmity and its the hymn of ughter!]
...
[Expel Day: Expel sunlight in a small area (10 km radius), and turn the day into night,st an hour, 1 time per 3 days]
[Moon Pull: Bathe in under the moonlight for 12 hours can increase the duration of Expel Sun for an hour, able to store up to 12 hours. Hours stored: 0]
...
Rank IV?
Kieran showed shock through his widened eyes.
He knew the items on the scarlet red skull would be anything but normal, but he did not expect this item to be at rank IV.
This probably would be the highest rank item that he had gotten since he entered this dungeon. Unfortunately, it couldnt be brought out of the dungeon.
The limited usage had determined the prayer beads value, however, its power was still magical to Kieran.
Kieran remembered how Scarlet switched day into night during their first encounter.
Ring City was more than just 10 km in sze!
Its not possible to achieve what the red skull did back there with just one [Scarlet Moon], it must have used some special spells to boost the effect, thats why it could bring out the prayer beads full potential and affected such arge area like Ring City, Kieran spected.
As for what special spells or methods, Kieran had no time for that now.
It wasnt just because the red skull was already dead, it was also because the Origin Forces in his body were growingthey were growing in Basic level. ording to normal times, his Origin Forces would have reached Grandmaster level or higher by now, yet since the key part was missing, the Origin Forces grew in their earliest form, enhancing his body slowly.
The growth was far from its limit though, but ording to Kierans calction, no matter how the Origin Forces kept on growing, they would hit the limit soon.
2 hours, or less, the Origin Forces in his body would reach said limit.
What would happen next?
Kieran knew exactly what would happen, so he looked at Victor and the others.
He had to solve the problem at hand as fast as possible.
After they caught Kierans gaze, Victor and You trembled.
Kieran had just destroyed Scarlet so easily. They even saw how he stomped the skeleton into powder and it was too overwhelming for them.
He was fierce! So fierce that it caused Yous heart to throb.
She would never want to face this kind of enemy and the same went for Victor.
It was fair to say Victor had a better understanding of the situation because he knew he had to deal with this ferocious Bird of Death for a very long time from here on.
Therefore, Victor stopped hesitating and said, Lord Royan, thank you for all this! You and I wish to follow you from now on, to serve you andply with your orders.
Victor knelt down on one knee.
You did not hesitate either, following Victor in kneeling down.
Mm.
Kieran didntment on anything since he already knew what happened from Bloody Mary, looking at Anna, who got back on his feet.
The handsome manid his hands wide open with a bitter smile, expressing that he was harmless.
Im sorry, I didnt mean to dirty your ce. I just cant help myself... Ill make it up to you!
Anna tried to exin but he sharply realized the impatience in Kierans gaze, so he quickly switched his words.
After he saw a satisfied nod from Kieran, only then Anna did heave a breath of relief.
Anna didnt want to fight Kieran because he too was frightened.
He wasnt scared of his menacing aura but the terrifying power that was contained within his body.
The power was very weak but the extremely invasive sense from the power was enough for Anna to know how scary it would be, because right after he sensed the hidden power in Kieran, Anna saw a vision of a pitch ck monster and it was just the start of his nightmare.
He was engulfed in sky-drowning mes at the next moment, he couldnt resist at all and his ears kept hearing a loud shout.
Kill!
Kill!
Kill!
The scorching mes and sea of bodies pounded on Annas soul.
If he wasnt powerful, he knew he would crumble in a second.
God of ughter reincarnated? No! It must be something scarier, something more ferocious!
Anna recalled the information in his mind but quickly shook his head.
He saw a God of ughter reincarnated before, and although powerful, the reincarnation wasnt as scary as Kieran.
The fear that he felt from Kieran had surpassed everything he knew.
Therefore, what Anna said next represented the right choice made.
Sir Royan, do you know Victor and the matters that revolve around him? Anna asked in a courteous way.
Yes, but not him, at least not this him that I see, Kieran nodded and said surely.
The words made Victor ecstatic. He was moved unknowingly and looked at Kieran gratefully.
Someone believed him! Someone was willing to believe him!
From the moment he woke up in that underground cave, Kieran was the first man to believe him!
A real human being! Not a ghost like You!
Even Anna, when he first saw Victor, showed judgmental gaze and doubts, let alone the red skull, who showed hostility before it even introduced itself.
My lord!
Victors lips were trembling as he called Kieran, cing his right fist in front of his chest and bowing with utmost respect.
The promise was made, so he ought to carry it out wholeheartedly. He would never have a change of heart because it was part of his vows.
Victor had decided to give his all in carrying out whatever Kieran ordered him to do, otherwise he wouldnt be able to repay the trust he got from Kieran.
Thats right! It isnt him! My abilities told me he would never do something as horriblebut we need more people to know about this! Anna said.
You want to testify publicly? Kieran had a hunch what Anna wanted to do, looking at Victor with the question.
I am willing to stand out and prove my name, Victor said loudly.
Time? Kieran looked at Anna with the question.
Tomorrow, midnight. Your ce, what do you say? Anna said with a smile.
Sure, Kieran nodded and then returned to the restaurant.
Amy hade out from the kitchen when Kieran came back.
Its over? The temporary assistant asked.
I need you to fix the door for me, Kieran said as he walked to the kitchen without pause.
I am your assistant, not a repairman!
Amy grumbled for a while but she obediently picked up the toolbox beside the counter.
She really did not want to repair a damn door but she had to sleep on the floor of the restaurant at night. If she left it broken like that, the cold wind would freeze her at night or probably make her sick the next day.
Ill help. Im sorry, it was a little bit of an emergency back there.
Victor came over, together with You, to offer a hand.
Unknowingly, Anna was left alone at the entrance.
He somehow felt left out.
No, not left out, he felt isted!
Anna bitterlyughed.
It wasnt all that strange though, they were a family and he was just a customer.
A deep breathter, Anna walked away.
He had to deliver the news about everything that had happened here to the other high ranks of the Herders, plus he had to stop those bastards blinded by green, otherwise things would go out of hand and it would end badly.
As for the one that hid behind the scenes?
Anna squinted his eyes, his gaze looking sharp for a moment.
He would not simply spare the mastermind, he ought to get to the bottom of this.
However, at the next moment, his sharp gaze went away and started to turn weak.
At the entrance of the alleyway, where Scarlet was stomped to powder, there were still some blood stains at the scene.
Ough!
Violent vomiting noises echoed in the alleyway,
Anna, one of the high ranks of the Herders, threw up and fell limp on the ground again.
...
The noise of the violent vomiting clearly entered the kitchen.
Kieran frowned.
Jiajia, go clean up the entrance. I dont want the restaurants entrance to reek. Call Huai Cuike and tell him to pick up his boss and remember to take the cleaning fees from him, Kieran said.
Yes boss, Li Jiajia ran out immediately.
She didnt want the restaurant to reek either, so she hurried.
Starbeck saw Li Jiajia off and lowered the curtain of the kitchen again before turning to Kieran.
Whats wrong?
The tacit understanding he had with Kieran allowed him to sharply notice that Kieran purposely ordered Li Jiajia away.
A little ident.
Kieran didnt exin verbally, taking Starbecks hand and writing on his palm with the finger.
The ticklish feeling made Starbeck flush, but he replied to Kieran quickly in the same way.
Very troublesome?
Mm, very. So you better keep this. If something happens to the restaurant and I am not around, you should drink this, Kieran replied while giving Starbeck the little bottle he had prepared earlier.
The little bottle was made of metal, the size of a palm and was tightly sealed.
The content should be liquid because Starbeck heard the water waving at the walls when he took it over.
Starbeck didnt ask what the liquid was, keeping it carefully and then bringing out the soup from the ypot.
Kieran smiled and epted the bowl of soup.
The soup was crystal clear, inside were some cordyceps floating around and meat with a herbal taste. It didnt taste bitter or smell heavy, instead the vour and tasteplemented each other.
Kierans eyes shone after a sip.
The meaty taste fused perfectly with the herbal taste.
It was not oily at all and felt refreshing, like Kieran was eating a bamboo shoot with extra vour and smell.
What soup is this? Kieran asked as his stomach warmed up.
Supplement soup I guess, I still havent gotten the name right. When I get my hands on all the real ingredients, Ill name it properly.
Starbecks round eyes showed delight.
The medical ingredients that he had been researching werepleted without his knowing.
Great!
When every ingredient was collected, he could proceed to the next step!
Charge up through eating, eat to ascend to newer heights.
Starbeck himself didnt even dare believe it. Bybining the knowledge and information from [Duyers Recipe] and [Index of Eat], hepleted this step with some simple ingredients!
Aside frompleting this medical ingredient, he even got an extra talent: [With Gods Help]!
This talent appeared suddenly in Starbecks talent tab when he finished making the supplement soup.
The description of the talent was simple: when you concentrate on doing something, even Gods will stand by your side to aid you.
Following the new talent [With Gods Help], Starbeck realized his older talent, [Nimble Heart Agile Hands] had also recovered.
The other skills, however, were still sealed but he did not mind it at all.
Starbeck didnt keep the new talent from Kieran either, writing on Kierans palm to inform him of [With Gods Help].
With Gods Help?
Kieran raised a brow, expanding his perception and senses to the max to search for any kind of weird gaze or presence around the premise, and when he made sure there wasnt anyone or anything watching them, he eased his furrowed brows.
A nice talent you got there, but be careful, Kieran reminded Starbeck.
Mm, Starbeck nodded obediently.
As the citizen of the big city and a yer that had been through multiple dungeon runs, Starbeck might be a coward but his experience far surpassed any others.
Starbeck knew sometimes being overly favoured would end up the other way, especially when the one who favoured him was the almighty and high above and he himself was just a weak, helpless boy.
Kieran smiled when he saw the worrisome face on Starbeck, reaching out to caress his head.
Dont worry, I am here with you, said Kieran.
He then drained every drop of the soup and walked out.
After Kieran made sure Starbeck was out of sight, his face turned cold.
You better hope that I dont find out about your dirty work! And those who are attracted by all this, its best you bastards stay away! If anyone or anything dares to evene close... Kill without mercy!
Kieran made a vicious vow in his heart before he walked to the basement.
Meanwhile, Li Jiajia, who came back with the broom and mop, heard the voice in her head again, and this time, it sounded more irritating than ever.
It was screaming its lungs out.
Godyer!
Destroyer!
The origin of cmity!
...
Shut up!
Li Jiajia coldly grumbled at the crazy voice and didnt care about it anymore, returning to the kitchen and preparing to finish up before she went to bed.
She thought the voice was muttering gibberish.
She thought everything the voice told her was unbelievable.
However, in the oldest temple of Ai City, the fire known as the eternal holy light suddenly died off.
Then...
Under the devoted archpriests gaze of disbelief, a crack appeared on the statue of the God.
Pak!
The statue broke into pieces.
Chapter 1720 - Divert Attention
Chapter 1720: Divert Attention
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Back in the big city of the game, on the street where the malicious wind blew, Lawless, Hanses, Coll, and Raven the Loner were searching around.
However, other than knowing Kieran and Starbeck vanished from this spot abruptly, they had zero clues.
The four of them regrouped at the crossroad and exchanged heavy gazes before returning to Harvest Inn.
They hoped that the others could find some useful clues.
As Lawless and the others left, many pairs of eyes shone with an evil re and then faded into darkness.
Although none knew what happened here, the lingering aura in the ce attracted much attention, and one of the auras they picked up was the ming Emperors.
As for the other one?
Many of them were doubtful about the second aura, and some puzzled over it, but very few knew who it belonged to. Alisritter the Swordsmith was one sandwiched in between.
He knew some but not enough to paint the big picture, so he got in touch with his good friend.
The Swordsmith swiftly shuttled across the wilderness, which was once the edge of the city, and arrived at an abandoned building in a deserted area.
Dust and pebbles were everywhere; even the clouds were gray and dusty, and the wind could easily whip up a dust storm.
Even those robots who worked 24/7 couldnt clean the ce in time because all the dust and pebbles were from the many abandoned buildings in the area.
Alisritter walked in and immediately felt thend shake.
The buildings in the area felt like they were breathing. They started to expand and copse like a humans chest.
Countless dust and pebbles fell from the buildings, and nketed the ground in an instant.
Coincidentally, when the wind blew, Alisritter was buffeted by the dust storm.
Ouh!
Ac! This is how you wee a friend? Dont forget that you still owe me 1,024 Points!
Alisritter knew what was happening, so he shouted at the dusty environment instead of panicking.
He knew his friend was in closed cultivation somewhere around the area, but he did not know exactly where.
After Alisritters loud shout, the wind stopped and the noise of a door opening sounded somewhere.
A man in monk robes and a blurred face came out.
Ive paid the debt!
His voice was as clear as the murmurs of a natural spring and almost as pleasant as bird chirps in a forest, and despite being filled with helplessness, his voice would linger in ones ears.
The moment his voice subsided, he took a step; however, this single step from him crossed almost a thousand meters in distance as if the space in between had folded up and allowed him to reach Alisritter in an instant.
Its been a while, Alisritter, the man said.
Even though the face was blurred out, Alisritter knew his friend was smiling.
As for the reason?
Alisritter knew why, and it wasnt because of seeing a friend for a long time.
Is it really necessary? Every single time we meet? Alisritter tapped the dust off his shoulder and rolled a white eye at Ac.
Each meeting is a new start, and each new start is...
Ok, thats enough! You are a fake monk, not a real one! A real monk wouldnt be as vexing as you are!
Alisritter waved his hands in denial repeatedly to stop Ac, and before Ac had the chance to even speak again, he continued, Crazy woman no.2 is looking for you!
Is it because of the aura earlier? Im sorry, I cant do anything.
Ac pointed at the direction where the malicious aura exploded and shook his head straightaway.
Do you want me to tell her exactly what you say? Alisritter raised a brow.
Ac went silent.
After a few seconds, Ac asked in the hopes of getting a better answer, Can you tone it down a little?
What do you think? Alisritter replied.
You know what I think. I have a contract with that guy, and I owe a debt to Rachel, so all I can do is stay away from both sides, Ac said with a bitter smile.
Even you too... Its all that bastards fault! This is what he hoped for! Alisritter said in a heavy tone.
Acs smile grew bitter. It cant be changed. Back then, none of us would have expected things to turn out like this, or should I say... we did not expect for that person to know what is going to happen right after he came in here. He had started to n from there on, and theres nothing we can do now.
The bitter smile on his friends face made Alisritter curse in a muffled voice.
All sorts of vulgarities and harsh words escaped his mouth softly.
Ac didnt stop him though because he thought the same.
Unfortunately, the power of the contract forbade him from doing it.
Is the repulsion strong? Alisritter asked all of a sudden.
It hurt a lot at first, but I got used to it. Dont worry, its just a piece of contract. It may shackle me for now, but not for life, Ac said slowly.
You be careful, tell me if anything happens.
Alisritter tapped his friends shoulder and left.
Ac saw his friend off before he returned to his short and suffocating room.
Heid eyes on the ferocious portrait of the Enlightenment King that saw in space with three heads and six arms. He slowly sat down.
Promptly after that...
St!
He sprayed a mouthful of blood.
Ac quickly fell back from his sitting posture.
Repulsion? Hmph.
Ac didnt mind the repulsion at all. Lying there limp, he chuckled, looking even more rxed and at ease after the ssh of blood.
Compared to Acs rxed state, the folks at Harvest Inn had heavy expressions on their faces, and it even suppressed the atmosphere.
Simr to Lawless and the other four who came back with him, Ramont, Rhino, Lemour the Alchemist, the newly joined ire and Garwen, Doctor Derder, and J. Pearlman, included, had no results in their search.
ireid his hands open helplessly. I asked everyone in my friendlist, but no one seems to know where the aura came from.
Its normal. There shouldnt be anyone around you who knows that aura. Rarely did Raven the Loner speak.
Are you saying... ire reacted right away, he wasnt an idiot.
Other than the earliest batch who acquired a certain level of strength, no one would know what that aura is. This aura did appear back before the Witchs Cmity. Even back then, only a few sensed it, but most of them didnt care because it was weak. Then... When the Witchs Cmity started, everyones attention was attracted by that crazy woman, and thus, many forgot this aura, but not all. They think that the aura is rted to the Witchs Cmity. They even went on to deduce the sudden change of personality in the Witch because she came in contact with this aura. Lawless finally spoke, not hiding anything from his friends and brothers-in-arms.
Everyone exchanged gazes of doubt and confusion when they heard the secret stuff because everyone thought of a single person: Kieran.
Kieran and the Witch shared uncanny resemnce.
Simrly powerful, simrly bloodthirsty.
Then, could 2567... Coll sounded worried.
No! He wont! 2567 will not be that crazy woman! Lawless shouted.
Despite saying that to protect his friend, Lawless showed obvious worry through his gaze, and it made his breath hurry. The worry was soon reced by frenzy.
Pak!
Right before Lawless went out of control again, Rachel, who appeared behind him at an unknown time, smacked the back of his head.
Stop overthinking! Dont mislead others! Rachel said angrily.
Her words immediately attracted everyones attention.
Lawless regained his senses and covered the back of his head. He looked at Rachels face, which, behind her system blur, was full of anxiety.
Let me say this straight: the aura and the Witchs Cmity are somewhat rted, but it was not the aura that caused the disaster. 2567 and the Witch are two different people. That crazy woman did whatever she liked; she went out of control and gave into her killer impulses. On the other hand, 2567 has total control of himself; he knows how to put his mind in check and understands that he should never cross the line. Even if both of them have the same power, 2567 wouldnt simply go around killing innocents, unless they stepped on him first, Rachel said calmly.
But...
But what? You idiot! Cant even tell apart rumours from the truth now, can you? Rachel said angrily.
Rumours? Lawless and the others jolted.
Yes, rumours! Some bastards spread rumours just so they could protect their schemes. They deliberately nned all this early on and made many kinds of arrangements to counter 2567. This is just one of the many traps the bastards had for him! Rachel nodded.
Bastards? You mean Broker!? I will search the earth for that piece of shit! Lawless squeezed those words out of his gnashing teeth.
Yea, yeah, yeah musclehead. Hespletely in the dark now, not even Wu can find him. Rather than paying attention to him, why not focus on that special aura? If you pay close enough attention to the host of the aura, you might find something unexpected, Rachel said to Lawless and the crowd. Before they even made a noise, she went off to the little living room.
Inside the living room, Wu was on her knees atop a piece of carpet.
In front of her were 12 Legendary rank items surrounding a crystal ball.
The golden glow from the items dyed the crystal ball with the same color and radiance.
The golden energy kept gushing inside the crystal ball like a river stream. It then swirled towards Wu before ultimately turning into a sparkling crystal.
Kak!
All 12 Legendary rank items quickly rusted and broke, a crack even appearing on Wus crystal ball.
Wu didnt mind at all as she grabbed a dagger, intending to slice her wrist, but it did not happen and no blood was spilled. Rachel had snatched the dagger.
Are you out of your mind? Do you know what youre doing?! Rachel scolded her.
I know. Crow is in danger. I have to go help him, Wu said calmly.
So you are trading lives now? Rachel said coldly.
Wu didnt answer, but it was obvious that that was her intention.
Do you think its meaningful for you to die like this? Or do you think you are helping 2567? I assure you, if you cut that wrist, 2567 will indeed ovee the difficulty easily, but at the same time, you will also put him on a path of destruction beyond redemption, Rachel emphasized.
Wu looked up, her eyes fixating on Rachel.
You are lying! This is just your little n to stall me! You want to...
I want to what? Your gifts, your talent, and your title is enough for you to know something secretive. If you dont trust me, you can foretell a bastard called Broker. When you see the results, you will know what is happening.
Rachel crossed her arms and stepped back, allowing Wu to test it for herself.
Wu jolted for a moment before she took out her 12 cards.
Three rows of cards, from top to bottom; the first row had five cards, the second row had four cards and the third had row three cards.
She quickly picked up the middle card of the upper row.
A person with a knife and mask was looking at the golden cross in the sky.
Then, she pulled her second card: the first card on the left of the second row.
The golden crow radiated brightly, and the masked mans knife broke, but he was instigating others.
Wy squinted her eyes.
She then went for the middle card of thest row.
This final card didnt show the golden crow, yet the masked man stood high on stage, epting the praise of foolish people.
When she saw the card, Wu clenched her fist.
Broker!
Cold harsh words escaped her gritted teeth.
Rachel heaved a sigh of relief after she saw her friends reaction.
It was better to let it flow than stop the current.
After Rachel noticed how madly in love she was with Kieran, she changed her ways in approaching her.
If Wu wanted to take 2567 as Crow, 2567 would be crow.
If her friend wanted to help 2567, she would also help, but within her own means and definitely not out of.
What Wu was trying to do was give help to Kieran by extending herself into the Unique Dungeon.
It would really kill her if she managed to go in.
As for going up against Broker?
They were already in conflict with Broker; they were like mortal enemies, to begin with.
Now, pinning more me on the criminal didnt seem wrong at all.
Understand now? Inside the dungeon, 2567s power can settle everything. But simr to how Crow was stabbed by a dagger in the dark, 2567 is facing a simr situation, and what you need to do now is help 2567 locate the dagger in the dark, Rachel said.
En, Wu nodded. She took a deep breath and shook her robe.
Two white candles appeared; the mes on the candles were a pale green and ominous to even look at.
A straw doll appeared in Wus hand right away.
W-What are you doing? Rachel asked, stuttering.
Wu made a sof reply before she ced the straw doll in the center of the two candles. She then pulled out a spiked club from her sleeve and smashed the straw doll into pieces.
Boom!
...
Registrar Zorl, Brokers most loyal subordinate, was beside his boss at that moment.
Hope everything goes well, Zorl prayed softly when he saw Broker go to sleep.
The Registrar suddenly noticed Broker twitching violently, blood gushing out of his nose and mouth.
Zorl opened the supplementary meal and tried to wipe off all the blood.
However, after he wiped the blood away, he realized his bosss body was swollen.
Wh-what is this?
Zorl was very anxious.
...
In Leaf Dinings basement training room, Kieran appeared to be calm. He wiped his loot clean and then took the core of [Philosophers Stone] out.
He nced at the dazzling shine and took a deep breath before saying, Initiate Equivalent Exchange!
Chapter 1721 - Unseal
Chapter 1721: Unseal
As Kierans voice subsided, the shining core of [Philosophers Stone] shook.
It radiated blindingly and within a breaths time, [Philosophers Stone] turned into a mini sun.
Amid the endless light, a hymn of sorts started singing.
Knowledge is like stairs, climb and you will reach the peak!
Life is like gemstones, embed and you will shine!
Wealth is like mountains, hold and you will be burdened!
Fate is like wind, swirl and never predict it!
What...do you seek?
The hymn was loud, like a p of thunder, and it attracted Kierans attention right away.
But soon after, Kierans attention was captured by the ce where the light couldnt reach: his back!
Bathing under the light of the core of [Philosophers Stone], his body cast a shadow behind him, and with the strong light in front, his shadow looked dark and heavy, like ink swirling around, distorted endlessly.
Knowledge is the key to death!
Life is the stone beside your feet!
Wealth is the gem in your heart!
Fate is the game of the high!
You see me, you call fate!
Under Kierans watch, his shadow came alive as the heavy mutters echoed repeatedly in his ears. Kieran squinted his eyes and stood still in the middle of light and darkness.
The hymn in the light grew louder, while the voice in the shadow grew stranger.
However, his powerful Spirit allowed him to ignore all the effects on him.
He carefully examined and observed the differences happening on the core of the [Philosophers Stone].
His examination seemed to have attracted dissatisfaction from the two voices.
The light became pressuring, like a mountain falling on his body.
The shadow became cold, a spine-chilling feeling moving around his neck like a de.
It was fortable, it was fair to even call it torture.
The feeling went straight into his body and it made him frown. He activated the Origin Force in his body and released Gluttonys presence all of a sudden.
The light stopped and the shadow froze.
Both light and darkness were like rabbits in front of a beast when Gluttonys presence came out, shrinking back from where they came from.
The core was still the core and it somehow felt rushed.
The voices Kieran heard vanished, as if nothing had happened.
Only Kieran himself knew what happened, though it was a little precautious, or more urately, some defensive mechanism.
It might be a natural defensive mechanism or something Victor added in at ater time.
Regardless of which, they were dangerous.
Kieran was certain he would not end up well should he answer to either one of the voices.
As for what would actually happen?
Kieran didnt want to know or think about it.
He preferred to solve problems with his own methods, not stepping into enemys turf and following their pace.
Therefore, when Kieran ced his hand over the core, Gluttonys presence came out again.
This time, a speck of light flew out from the shining core and wanted to escape, yet before it could move further away, Gluttony came out and chomped it down.
This speck of light must be the sensor Victor set inside the core. It tasted rather decent.
The five lively Origin Forces in Kierans body surged again at an absurd speed, yet all were limited to Basic level.
Just like what Kieran predicted earlier, even if he reached his current states maximum limit, there were still no signs of his Origin Forces leveling up, as if he was on total lockdown by the chains in that space.
As though the space sensed Kierans thoughts, it appeared before him again.
Kieran looked up to that stone door, the chains around him still flickering.
He reached out his hand to one of the flickering chains and grabbed it. Simr to every other time, the sense of danger appeared again.
The feeling was just like how he remembered it: lethal danger.
Is this one of your schemes as well?
Kieran released the chain and looked at that stone door, suddenly speaking in a very leisurely tone.
He was rarely seen in such leisure ever since he entered this Unique Dungeon, and the reason for the leisure was that he had finally located clues to Brokers true goal.
Thats right, Broker!
When that malicious wind forced him and Starbeck into this dungeon world, Kieran was utterly sure it was from Broker, or at least someone very closely rted to him.
Other than Broker, Kieran couldnt think of anyone who could simply send men to him just to sacrifice.
Therefore, he was very cautious and careful ever since he entered this dungeon.
He didnt expect Broker to opt out all of his goals after spending such a great amount of effort to bring him here so that he could simply enjoy a Unique Dungeon run.
There must be secrets in this world!
The secrets must be the ones that could help Broker, such as further unsealing the seals in his body.
Or... pushing the stone door open.
Of course, all these werent part of Brokers arrangements.
He was very powerful and Kiera admitted that, yet he wasnt powerful enough to ignore the rules of the big cityhe was cunning though.
He would never mind using the rules of the big city to aid himself, and if he could simply erase Kieran, the thorn in his side, along the way while going around the rules, it would be an ideal situation.
Broker must have quite the confidence to pull this little trick.
After all, starting frommon sense, after Kieran removed the chains on his torso, he would eventually notice the flickering ones and that stone door.
Although the danger sensor in the heart was going crazy, the majority of the people would take a try.
Even those cowardly and careful people would have try, and if you cant, run type of thoughts, yet such an attempt would bring catastrophic results.
Kieran trusted his instinct a lot, and the same went for his strength.
The sense of danger struck him when he hadnt fully unsealed his strength and he epted that wholeheartedly, yet as he gradually returned to his prime form, the sense of danger lingered, the eptance in his heart reced by doubt.
In short, he would still feel danger, even if he was at his prime, so the danger behind the chains must be VI+ or even VII!
From what he saw in this dungeon world, even those powerful three kings were only around IV or V. Of course, there was a possibility of this world having some unknown existence that surpassed all.
BUT!
That was the dungeon world itself, not the seals on his body.
Kieran only dared to imagine his skills or talents reaching its limit, such as VI+ or VII. He didnt think the big city would think so highly of him.
Moreover, this seal of his powers from the start wasnt actuallyplete: his Spirit limit reaching rank V, the contract power with Bloody Mary was beyond the seal and the talent and Unique Title, The Warden and de of the Daybreaker, were all beyond the seal, meaning that the seals limit should be around rank V, nothing beyond that.
Therefore, Kieran was suspicious.
His instinct wouldnt lie to him, and the seals indeed cut off the majority of his powers.
Then... where did the sense of dangere from?
When the question came afloat, he unconsciously thought of how he entered his Unique Dungeon when the malicious wind attacked.
He killed a malicious invader, thats why he was granted a chance to enter this Unique Dungeon.
With the hint in his hand, a bolder spection appeared in his mind: what if those flickering chains and stone door werent the seal, but a protection?
The moment the bold thought appeared, his thoughts expanded like a sh flood.
It might seem like a seal but it was actually a protection.
Protection for him, an outsider, so that he wouldnt be targeted by the outside world.
Therefore, only the dangerous outside world caused the lethal sense of danger in his heart.
Once he opened the protection chain and door, he would expose himself in front of everyone in this world.
What kind of situation would that be?
Simply the thought of it numbed his scalp.
Since he made a bold spection about all this, he still needed a crucial point to verify it.
He ought to locate the positions where his skills, title, and talents were really sealed.
Kieran had some guesses for the locations already but in order to precisely locate it, he had to get help.
Kieran looked towards the core of the stone.
I offer a part of the equipment and items in this room, and in exchange, I wish to see the location where my abilities are sealed, Kieran said, carefully selecting his words.
He avoided the words skills, titles, and talent because the carefulness he disyed was part of his instinct.
Wuing!
The core shook for a bit.
After a dozen equipment and items in the room disappeared, Kieran saw his own skeleton, from top to bottom.
The spots where the mystical runes were branded in his bones were being wrapped around by chains as thin as hair, and although it did not affect his mobility, it limited his transcendence.
Then, his heart. Both his hearts had simr chains around them, one of the chains extending to his right hand, wrapping around it like a bandage.
Kieran curled up his lips into a grin when he saw the scene. He had evidence to support his spections!
The chains from the void and the door werent sealing him down.
Next, things became easier.
I offer a part of the equipment and items in this room, and in exchange, I wish to see the seals on my bones unsealed, Kieran said.
The moment his voice subsided, arge amount of items and equipment started to disappear.
In return, system notifications popped up repeatedly.
[Hand-to-hand Combat, Transcendence Kick Combat unsealed!]
[Firearm Weapon, Light Firearm unsealed!]
[Tracking unsealed!]
[Evading unsealed!]
[Undercover unsealed!]
...
Notification after notification, Kieran saw the mystical runes on his bones lit up again and they once again nourished the flesh and blood around it.
This time, the chaotic darkness was absent, thus the mystical runes reached their prime form in a moment.
Huuu! Huuu!
Kieran took a few deep breaths to adjust himself to the difort of enhancement. After it quickly went away, he looked at his two hearts wrapped around by chains.
The two hearts were the source of the Origin Forces without a doubt.
Only when he unsealed them could he truly return to his prime form.
Though...
Quantity really couldnt cause qualitative change?
He felt the Basic Origin Forces in his body grew denser. Kieran hesitated for a moment and then prepared himself to give it a shot.
Kieran believed that quantity could cause qualitative change.
If it couldnt, the quantity wasnt enough!
Just like what he was experiencing at that moment!
He had enough, but his body couldnt contain that amount, hence being unable to cause qualitative change.
So, it was natural that he ought to make his body stronger!
I offer the item and equipment in this room, and in exchange,my Constitution will increase to its maximum limit! Kieran was very clear with his wording.
Since all the items in the room couldnt go back to the big city with him, he ought to maximize his gains. He watched the bulks of the item and equipment vanish, sensing his body rapidly getting stronger.
[Acquired the Power of Wish, Constitution III (Strong) IV (Weak)]
[Acquired the Power of Wish, Constitution IV (Weak) IV (Average)]
[Acquired the Power of Wish, Constitution III (Average) IV (Strong)]
...
The change of a major rank happened every time the notification popped up and a dozen items and equipment would vanish each time. When thest notification popped up, the Legendary and Advanced Rank items from the three kings secret vault turned into smoke, one after another, absorbed into the core of [Philosophers Stone], but that wasnt the end of it.
[Philosophers Stone] core kept shining brightly!
A little more!
Without second thoughts Kieran tossed [Sharp Standard-Issued de], [Gordors Chain], [Acard de (Shard)]. [Healing Potion (Witchcraft)], [Soul Keeper Bracelet], [Scorching de], and much more into the light.
Lastly, [Philosophers Stone (Shard)] too!
Yet it did not cause the expected reaction from the core of [Philosophers Stone].
It wasnt enough and Kieran frowned.
He still had some more items on him.
Other than the items and equipment which he could bring back, there was one more item which he nned to keep for a rainy day: [Seodi Stone (Complete)].
A little hesitationter, Kieran took [Gothe de] and [Scarlet Moon] out too.
When he tossed the twho rank II and rank IV wonder items, respectively, inside, [Philosophers Stone] shone to its brightest.
[Acquired the Power of Wish, Constitution IV (Strong) V (Weak)]
...
Dong, Dong, Dong!
When his Constitution reached V, both his hearts beat vigorously.
The chains that wrapped around the hearts almost lost control of the heart,tching themselves onto his heart tightly and giving their best effort to hold the two hearts in shackles.
Gluttony was the first to sense his big brothers enhancement, so he stopped holding back in the energy conversion and went all out to convert the energy he absorbed.
A momentter, the Basic level of all five Origin Forces skyrocketed.
Two to three breathster, the energy level broke Kierans original bodys limit and the energy started to match itself to Kierans new body.
Kieran observed everything carefully. He had prepared himself to fail this time, yet a part of him really hoped this would work.
Things unfolded smoothly and headed in the ideal direction.
When all 5 Origin Forces reached the limit of his new rank V Constitution, some bizarre changes happened!
They started to evolve on their own!
Quantity finally caused qualitative change!
Kierans tight lips curled into a smile.
Through his eyes, he saw the chain that bound both his hearts down... snap!
Chapter 1722 - Next Step
Chapter 1722: Next Step
Pak!
The snapping of the chains lingered in his ears, yet the energy from his heart gushed out and flowed to every inch of his body.
Kieran squinted his eyes pleasantly.
It had been a while since hed experienced a fully energized body.
The Devil Force roared.
The Cardinal Sins Force cheered.
The Dawn Force was warm.
The gue Force was strange as usual.
The Saint Thorn Force was hidden and mysterious.
All kinds of Origin Forces came from his hearts and were moved outwards.
This sensation was nostalgic to Kieran and his gains were more than just returning to his prime.
A scorching hot sensation flowed out from one of his hearts, going through his left arm and into his palm. There was no Devil me on his palm, but the air around his left palm was distorted because of the heart. Lines of words popped up in Kierans vision.
[Shattered the wall, Devil Burning Musou leveled up to Transcendence]
[Name: Devil Burning (Transcendence)]
[Rted Attribute: None]
[Skill Type: Offense]
[Effect: Create a rank III attack Devil me from your left hand. Able to burn continuously and can not be extinguished by water, sand or other elements. Has the ability to burn souls and consume life energy.]
[Effect: Devil me (Your bloodline contains fire, it is your natural gift and also the proof of your identity. You can trigger Devil me at will with attack ranks that varies from None, Feeble, Weak, Average, Strong, Powerful, Extreme, rank I, rank II, rank III. When charged up to 4 seconds, +1 fire elemental damage, has Great chance to trigger me Burst effect)]
[Transcendence Option 1 (Devil Burning): Rapid umtion (Shorten charge time to 2 seconds)]
[Transcendence Option 2 (Devil Burning): Malicious Spread (After using a charged up Devil me, the me will linger for a certain amount of time (Depends on your Spirit, Basic is 1 second, Advanced Rank is +1 second, rank II +1 second and so on). You can control the lingering me at will.]
[Devil Mastery 1: You can create 3 fireballs at once or alter the original shape of the fireball based on your will. (You can only create 1 fireball when charging and can not alter the original shape)]
[Devil Mastery 2: The mese from your blood and were born from your soul. When you need it, it will appear; you can create a ball of Devil me at will without using your hand. When this ball of Devil me appears, it will not affect the original attributes, effects and transcendence option]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Constitution IV]
[Remark: This was originally a special spell that doesnt requires incantation and casting movement. It was forged by the alchemy master fusing ancient hidden techniques and his knowledge! However, it showed extra unison with your bloodline and it called out to the shattered soul in your bloodline. The shattered soul also triggered the spells original potential in the same way and causing both inseparable,plimenting each other.]
[Note: You relied on learning and mastery of your bloodline to acquire this skill. Unable to rely on Points, Skill Points to level up.]
[Note: This skill has reached its current limit]
...
Fuuaaa!
A fiery flower bloomed in Kierans open palm, curling up his lips as he looked at the red flower.
Devil me was one of Kierans main offensive skills regardless of situation at time.
Compared to the other skills, which required many setups, Devil mes straightforwardness was undoubtedly the most powerful.
This unexpected level up boosted its strength to a whole new level.
Rank III Devil me had be the new norm!
Even without the buff from Fire Raven, using the charge andbining it with his Talent, Kieran could easily reach rank V with the me, which was good news for him.
Though more good news was just popping up on his vision.
[Shattered the wall, Dawn Sword (V+ to VII)]
[Dawn Sword VII: When you can truly utilize the Dawn Force, it means that you are truly a Knight of Dawn, despite the way you utilize it was one-of-a-kind. Charge Dawn Force for 2 seconds, consume half of your total Stamina to fire out a 100 meter, rank V attack power light sword, doesnt have cooldown]
[Note: Detected Constitution has reached rank V (Weak), Stamina consumption decreased)]
...
[Shattered the wall, gue Arrow (V+ to VII)]
[gue Arrow VII: You are undoubtedly a Knight of gue with your transcendent body tempering art. You have sessfully mastered the unique attack way of a Knight of gue. Spend 1.0 hours to create a gue Arrow that could fire at target within a 1800 meters without using a bow. Inflicts 1 IV+ pration damage and IV+ gue Infection (Even if the arrow did not inflict any damage on target, the gue damage will still spread) You can store the arrows created, 6 at most)]
...
The special skills that branched out from [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] and [Knights of gue Body Tempering Art] received a major level jump.
With Dawn Sword at VII, its uniqueness and grandness had undoubtedly be Kierans other killer move. gue Arrow was hidden in the shadows as usual by Kieran.
Perhaps the IV+ pration damage was slightlyckluster against the V damage of the sword, but the sword could only be fired once and the arrow has 6 when charged up to the maximum! It even has a IV+ gue Infection!
Quantity causes qualitative change.
Kieran understood this saying a long time ago and believed it deeply, so he would hide [gue Arrow] in a secret spot for a surprise attack.
This move was part of his personality and also one of the ideal ways to deal with danger.
Never ce all your eggs in one basket, keeping a few somewhere else would be better.
Kieran didnt learn this from the old principal of his welfare home but the security uncle at the gate. The uncle had only one arm left, so Kieran had a deep impression of him.
Devil Force, Dawn Force, and gue Force showed very obvious changes.
Cardinal Sins Force couldnt show the changes in a direct way but Kieran was able to sense that his bond with Pride, Sloth and Gluttony grew closer. Even the other cardinal sins, who still behaved like animals, could be better controlled by Kieran.
However, Saint Thorn Force was unlike the others, only changing a little and its rank staying at IV.
[Saint Thorn IV:If you did not choose to activate Transform Devil IV or Desire Summon IV, you will resiste 75% of the damage when youe across holy energy. When you receive damage (regardless of holy damage), of Average, Strong, Powerful, Extreme, I, II, III, IV level, you can activate a Halo of Thorns with different level, to reflect the damage you receive by 10%, 15%, 30%, 50%, 65%, 70%, 75% (Including rank IV damage) respectively. You will also be healed with Light, Medium, Heavily, Lethal (Including rank IV damage) wounded state respectively. When you choose to activate Transform Devil IV or Desire Summon IV, Saint Thorn will not go off but its effect is halved 30%]
...
The changes were minimal: the effect decreased during Transform Devil IV or Desire Summon IV went down from 40% to 30%.
Though that one line of changes was enough to make Kieran happy.
Even 1% could alter the final oue of a battle, let alone 10%.
Kieran knew it very well, taking deep breaths and subtly adjusting Saint Thorn Force.
Being firm and tenacious yet silent was the unique point of Saint Thorn Force.
Other than Kieran, no one could spot the unique point of the Origin Force.
Even Devil Force and Cardinal Sins Force, two very distinguished and evil powers, matched unusually well with Saint Thorn Force. Although it seemed a little bit weird, it wasnt a problem for Kieran.
Kieran sharply realized the beat of his heart grew vigorous by the second, as if he would enter a whole new level at the next moment.
It made his soft smile grow brighter.
A little more! Then he looked around the room.
Empty.
His smile slowly went away, his lips puckering up tightly.
The vigorous beat that he felt from his hearts was reced by an obvious heartache.
The pain that he felt was actually from his soul.
He put his hand over his chest and panted heavily, like he was a rescued drowning victim.
None! All gone! Not even a penny left!
Kieran told himself to be calm and ept it with a clear mind, but when he saw the empty room, he couldnt hold back his sorrow.
The core of [Philosophers Stone] absorbed the items and equipment together with the boxes!
The boxes that the three kings chose to hold their items must have been handpicked and surely it would fetch a nice price.
Kieran sat in the middle of the empty room with the dimmed core of the [Philosophers Stone] in his hand, which had lost its function, other than being a pretty crystal decoration.
He looked a little lost but he swiftly reced the loss with determination.
Broker! You! Its your fault! If it wasnt you, how could I lose this many items!? I swear, I will take back whats mine, 10 times...No! 100 times more! Kieran swore in his heart.
At the same time, he ced his full attention on Brokers goal.
Why did Broker lure him into this dungeon world?
Was it just to mislead him so he could expose himself?
It might be possible because the misguidance was very subtle and hidden, but if it was Broker, he must have more than one goal.
And!
This kind of obvious goal wouldnt be his true motive!
He wanted me to leave the big city?
Or...
This ce still has some hidden lethal danger to me, and even if I dont expose myself, it will endanger me.
Kieran sat on the floor, his right palm holding his left elbow and his left fist clenched up under his chin with his thumb sticking out.
He was deep in thought.
He had quite the confidence in his strength but he would never be arrogant about it.
He did not think his short absence from the big city could cause some irreversible change.
The big city was unlike other ces.
It had its own rules and as long as one was careful, it could be an absolute safe haven.
As for whether Broker had the ability to shut this safe haven down?
Kieran wasnt sure but he was sure of one thing: Broker wouldnt meddle with the city, unless he wanted the whole poption to go against him, or the city itself.
With the appearance of the malicious wind and the defeat, plus the prizes before his eyes, Kieran knew the big city had more than one defensive mechanism. It wasnt simply the cyberw enforcers.
However, the more it seemed that way, the more Kieran worried, especially in the prize section.
He wasnt familiar with all this, he was a total stranger.
Broker?
He was the one who designed everything, he must have exceptional knowledge of this ce.
I have to get out of this dungeon as soon as possible!
Kieran made up his mind.
No matter what Brokers goal was, he must get out.
Then, Kieran got stunned because he realized this might very well be one of Brokers goals!
The only way a yer could speed through the dungeon and get out fast was to excavate the secrets of the dungeon world in a grand scale, hence triggering an unusual event.
By doing so, unimaginable enemies woulde forth in this dungeon world...
Kiean squinted his eyes, putting his hands down, his right hand over his knee and tapping it repeatedly.
It was his usual habit in work, he would always tap his fingers when pondering upon difficult situations.
While he was in heavy thought and hesitation, he sensed somemotion back at the surface.
The most obviousmotion was the man named Anna.
Anna was very obvious in Kierans perception, like a spotlight. His presence made the other followers inconspicuous and some of his followers purposely hid in his radiance.
So anxious? Kieran slowly stood up.
He knew why Anna and his men came here.
Victor!
[Philosophers Stone]!
The treasure of Ring City!
All kinds of deadly temptations attracted their arrival.
Although Kieran had used up every single treasure plus the [Philosophers Stone], they knew nothing about that yet.
It was almost certain that if he couldnt put this problem into a good end, unwanted problems would pop up infinitely.
When the thought came, Kieran put the core of the [Philosophers Stone], which was already amon crystal, into the upper pocket of his jacket and then walked back up to the surface.
...
Because of the repair of the door, Leaf Dining had to closeter than usual.
That was the reason why Anna was able to get a reply, yet he did not feel happy, instead showing embarrassment.
Im sorry, I shoulde tomorrow, but... Anna said to Starbeck apologetically.
Behind Anna, Huai Cuike gave the same vibes.
As for the others, who hid themselves under the hood, they didnt eveny eyes on Starbeck, for they were glued to Victor.
One of them even stopped Anna abruptly, Victor! Do you think your little tricks can fool us? Hand over the [Philosophers Stone] and the treasure of Ring City!
The heavy voice had obvious frustration. It was loud but his actions were louder.
The hooded figure jumped torward Anna, who was apologizing, and mmed his palm on the counter heavily.
Bang!
The wooden counter broke into pieces, shocking Starbeck.
Hey, so this is the backup you relied on? Hes nothing...Huh!? Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!
The hooded figureughed and sneered, but before he finished, agonizing screams reced everything.
Red mes burned from the void and engulfed the hooded figure without any noise.
The man instantly turned into a giant human torch.
A series of footsteps became louder and clearer as the man burned.
Dak dak dak.
Chapter 1723 - Taste It
Chapter 1723: Taste It
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Everyone looked at the direction where the footsteps came from.
At the very next moment, Kierans look imprinted itself into their minds.
Starbeck obviously heaved a breath of relief. He didnt know what Kieran did down there but as long as he coulde back safely, it would be enough.
Li Jiajia and Amy found their support, their spine, for that rough situation, the panic in their hearts fading off.
The same went for Victor and You. They were even more confident in Kieran than Li Jiajia and Amy.
On the other hand, Anna and Huai Cuike looked even more uneasy and awkward.
Im so sorry, Sir Royan, Anna apologized again.
Huai Cuike looked at Kieran with guilt, subtly pointing at the few hooded figures behind him and expressing that his hands were tied.
The few hooded figures who bore malicious intents looked at Kieran with utmost cautious.
Even with the hoods over their heads, Li Jiajia and Amy could tell how heavy their expressions were.
In fact, not only the hooded figures, even the girls reacted strangely.
That me that burned from the void wasnt just strong, it instantly engulfed a seemingly ferocious man, turning him into a human torch, yet it did not burn any other things.
Even the wooden floor of the restaurant didnt have any burned marks despite the me burning above it.
Although the scene had zero direct rtion to Kieran, he wasnt even at the scene when the man lighted up, even an idiot would be able to tell who was responsible for the burning.
The hooded figures started to regret their actions and how rash they were.
They werent scared of Anna, a discipline and powerful high rank of the Herders, because he abided by the rules.
Kieran was different though. The moment he came up from the basement, he went straight to Starbeck and asked whether he was hurt or not. He didnt even bat an eye at the hooded figures.
If the strange me did not burn out of the void, Kieran would just be a loving big brother.
However, with the strange me in the mix...
More thoughts about Kieran being the reincarnated God of ughter appeared in their minds.
They exchanged scared gazes with each other before one of them spoke.
Ahem, Sir Royan, what happened just now was all Feis personal choice. We arent familiar with him. We will alsopensate you for your loss.
This hooded man walked out, putting his hand over his chest and saluting in an ancient salutation, together with a sincere exnation.
3000.
Kieran checked on Starbeck carefully and after he made sure his little brother was merely shocked, not hurt, he turned to the hooded figures with a price.
It was a fair price, no one would argue with that.
While they prepared the money forpensation, Kieran suddenly added, Another 30K, for scaring my brother.
When he demanded the hooded figures pay more for scaring Starbeck, his voice had zero emotions, especially those still eyes that sent chills down their hearts.
Without a second thought, they nodded repeatedly.
They strongly believed if they anyhow argued or denied the price, Kieran would kill them in a heartbeat.
After they agreed to pay more, the burning me killed itself.
Simr to how it appeared, it went away abruptly.
When the me went off, nothing was left of Fei, not even ashes.
The hooded figures uncontrobly twitched when they saw the scene, their faces under the hood cramped together. The monsters among the figures unconsciously stepped back and drew distance from Kieran.
Is this a threat? Anna thought.
Although he strongly objected to any kind of violent methods, he felt unusually happy when he saw how the hooded figures reacted, Huai Cuike too.
As the oldest Herder in Ai City, he was respected but had to obey thews of the organization most of the time because the Herders was where he got his honor.
As for the rest, all heaved a breath of relief, including Victor and You.
When the hooded figures appeared, they were fierce and made Victor and You uneasy, but when that me burned from nothing, it horrified them both.
Victor felt like he would be burned to ash if the me caught him.
You?
The strange presence from the me alone made her feel like she was breaking apart.
As expected!
Lord Bird of Death!
No...not lord anymore! His Majesty!
His Majesty Bird of Death, he is stronger than what I expect!
And the mes...the title revolving a bird...
Is he rted to the phoenix?
You thought on her own and her eyes quietly moved to Kieran.
Kieran sensed many gazes on him, but he didnt care because Starbeck pulled his sleeve back.
Kieran turned over, seeing worry in his little brothers eyes.
Starbeck was worried about Kierans status because he had just finished dealing with some big trouble and he might suffer from some after effects or trauma.
Kieran curled his lips into a smile, subtly tapping Starbecks hand, and when he saw Starbeck returned to normal, he turned back to Anna.
We had a deal, Kieran said.
Yes, and I broke it. I ept any punishment thates to me and willpensate you for your loss, Anna lowered his head down in guilt, together with Huai Cuike, who expressed his apologies.
Kieran slightly nodded and then looked at the few hooded figures.
He knew these few hooded figures were the ones who forced Anna and Huai Cuike toe to the restaurant.
They saw the cold gaze from Kieran again and it forced them to bow down.
My lord, we didnt mean it!!
We will also make it up to you!
And also obey what you have in mind!
Although the mystical side did not follow the rules of the jungle, the stronger ones would still be able to decide how things flow, and coincidentally, Kieran had the strength to call the shots, together with the idea to do so.
Come back here tomorrow after 3 p.m, He said.
The hooded figures left the restaurant in a hurry, as if they were spared from execution.
Anna and Huai Cuike bowed before they left.
Clean the ce up.
Kieran then pulled Starbeck into the master bedroom upstairs.
Amy heaved a long breath as she saw Kieran and Starbeck go up.
The temporary assistant muttered to herself, Why do I feel like I cant breathe whenever I stand beside my partner?
Its because he is scary, Carrie Maydens soul spoke to her softly, and Tom and Jerry, the soul of the two guard dogs, nodded in agreement before shrinking behind Amy.
The two dogs showed a heavy sense of fear, as if they had met something horrifying.
Animals were more sensitive than humans, even in soul form, but there were also exceptions.
I see it!
I see it!
Fear! gue! Cmity! Destruction!
He is...
Shut up! He is my boss and he is powerful! Teacher is also good to me! Thats it! If you dare to speak another word, I will tell the boss about you! Li Jiajia threatened the voice in her head.
It was super effective.
The voice in her head stopped right away, only a shallow weeping heard.
Li Jiajia was immune to the weeping, more concerned about the irritating loud screams.
Victor and You, on the other hand, started to clean up the messy restaurant, bearing Kierans orders in mind.
Itspletely broken now. It will be hard to put it together.
Victor checked the damage before saying.
It must be rebought then. I wonder if the color will match the others, You eximed.
Wait for His Majestys order, we will clean and disinfect the ce first, Victor said.
You told Victor about the title, His Majesty, therefore Victor addressed Kieran with a very solemn tone and he was fine with it.
It seemed reasonable in his point of view.
It wasnt just the contract but the strength as well. Kieran had already kept his promise, so Victor was happy to oblige.
Victor and You started cleaning up, the others promptly returning to their senses and joining the fray.
The Elite Hound shook its body and stood up slowly.
It nced over the busy group, wagging its tail, and went upstairs to lie down in front of the master bedroom.
It didnt know a lot of things, or rather, it knew who it served and it also knew it should stay beside its master at all times, listening to what its master had to say.
It should be responsible for its duty, regardless of how strong its master was.
Coincidentally, its master was very strong.
Elite Hound started to recall what it heard and saw before, remembering that it peaked into the origin of power before, but ultimately it shook its head.
An unprecedented power!
As the thought lingered in the Elite Hounds head, it ordered the others to stay in position before it yawned and closed its eyes. Its breath became slow and long because it was asleep.
...
In the master bedroom, Starbeck looked at Kieran with surprise.
Youve recovered?
Starbeck tried to avoid the word seal.
Although he wasnt strong, he had been through enough to know what he should pay attention to.
Mm, Kieran nodded and smiled.
Starbeck heaved a breath of relief.
Great! This is great!
2567 has recovered and even unsealed himself!
This is marvelous!
But...
Does it mean we will go back to the big city soon?
Mncholy floated up from his sea of joy.
As a teammate, Starbeck understood Kieran quite well and he wasnt a person who would waste time. Seize the moment toplete what had to be done and use the time he earned to enhance himself, that was Kieran. Other than the asional joy that Starbeck spotted from the real Kieran, he couldnt imagine how Kieran would be free.
Kieran was probably a clock, he never stopped ticking.
Starbeckmented on Kieran in his heart before he adjusted his moon.
What should we do next? he asked.
As Kierans most qualified partner, Starbeck knew he shouldnt dy Kierans n.
Wait, Kieran answered.
Wait? Is it because of that guy? The smart Starbeck immediately understood what Kieran was referring to.
Mm. Get some sleep.
Kieran nodded and ended the conversation.
Starbeck obediently went into the bathroom to clean himself up and when he came back out, Kieran was already on the sofa.
Starbeck went to bed, switched off the light, and watched Kieran use the dim moonlight as he slowly merged into the shadow.
Unknowingly, Starbeck fell asleep.
Starbeck didnt have any dreams that night.
When the sun rose to the center of the sky, Starbeck woke up, and simr to before he went to sleep, Kieran was still on the sofa.
Morning~
Starbeck greeted Kieran shyly with his head over the nket.
Morning, Kieran stood up from the sofa, greeting his little brother as he walked to the window.
Why dont we eat some sd for breakfast? I feel a little heavy from having too much mutton, Starbeck asked as he walked to the bathroom.
Anything you make will be fine. Meanwhile, Ill go deal with something before breakfast.
Kieran then opened the door, touching the Elite Hound on the head before he walked down.
Elite Hound knew what the touch on its head meant, so it stood up right away and went on guard.
Its ears stood up high and its eyes were rmed.
Kieran went downstairs.
Amy had left early for work.
Li Jiajia was still asleep after grinding her cooking skills for the whole night.
Only Victor and You sat quietly at the chairs.
Good morning, sire.
The two of them bowed and greeted Kieran when they saw him.
Open the door. Kieran said.
Victor and You quickly went over to the door.
The moment the door was opened, a group of people barged in.
Anna and Huai Cuike were still the leader and behind them were a huge group of humans, Inhumans, and monsters. It was a few times more than the number from yesterday.
Even Song Shi and her butler Mian Yi were among the group, but they were among the smart ones who got the news. They did not say anything and allowed Anna and Huai Cuike to deal with Kieran.
Good afternoon, Sir Royan. I came as promised. And this, this is from me and these are from the group yesterday.
Anna greeted Kieran like an obedient kid before passing him two boxes.
One of the boxes held a feather the size of a palm.
It wasnt the pure white colored one but yellow.
[Name: Light Float Feather]
[Type: Wonder Item]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: Strong]
[Attribute: 1. Light Body; 2. Leap]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: No]
[Remark: Do you want to run faster? Jump higher? Wear it.]
...
[Light Body: When walking or running, reduce body weight by 50% (limit 150kg). The effectsts continuously as long as it is equipped, but it is unable to reduce the weight of handheld items.]
[Leap: When you jump, reduce body weight by 30%, or exchange it for a transcendent jump chance (unable to jump further than 20 meters) 3 times per day.]
.....
The other box was a cheque, with the amount of 100K.
The box with the [Light Float Feather] was from Anna and the other one with the cheque was undoubtedly from the hooded figures, the amount of money including the damage to the counter and thepensation for scarring Starbeck.
After making sure of everything, Kieran nodded.
We can start now.
After the words subsided, one man walked out from the crowd.
The man wasnt tall, had short ck hair, and had only one functioning eye, while the other eye had an eyepatch over it. He was wearing a rarely seen ck robe and his hands were inside his sleeves.
Greetings Lord Royan. I am the prophet recognized by the Herders and all the renowned families. I am here to judge Sir Victor.
The man introduced himself.
Victor nced over Kieran and with Kierans nod, Victor walked out eagerly.
He was eager to prove himself and clean his name.
I will need some hair, a nail, or a drop of blood from you, the man said.
Victor didnt hesitate at all, pulling a few strands of his hair and just to be safe, clipping some nails and even poking his finger for a drop of blood.
Victors frank manner surprised the crowd.
They frowned and suspected what they saw.
It wasnt Victor?
The prophet smiled.
Dont worry, these are only used in this particr session of divination. I assure you they wont end up elsewhere.
The prophet then tossed everything into his mouth and tasted them carefully.
Promptly, the prophets expression drastically changed.
Chapter 1724 - Fear
Chapter 1724: Fear
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The prophet, who looked extremely ugly, faltered backwards all of a sudden, almost falling down if it wasnt for some extra help.
The crowd seemed to have been prepared for the reaction.
Two men rushed out to the prophets left and right and helped him to a chair, enabling him to rest properly.
Everyone looked at the prophet with a heavy expression, especially Li Jiajia.
She was a potential candidate to be one before this and the girl felt nothing but gratefulness in her heart.
Eating hair, nails, and blood? I might as well die! Thank God I became a chef!
Li Jiajia eximed as her scalp went numb.
Kieran was looking at the prophet with a very interested gaze. It wasnt the first time he came across these kinds of people. Nikorei, the God of Earth and Vanessa, Lady of Thorn, were simr existences.
Though the twodies were much more high ranking than his old man here, Kieran had never seen Nikorei or Lady Thorn asking for hair, nails and blood when they performed a divination.
Bothdies looked at things at a much higher position.
Kieran has limited understanding about Nikorei.
Lady of Thorn though, she brought Kieran into the River of Fate before, so he knew more about her than the God of Earth.
One gaze from above and the others is... a peak over the wall? Kieranmented.
The differences between the prophet and the twodies were very obvious.
Thedies were at ease when performing divination, able to see through all with a single nce but this old man prophet had to give his full effort to jump high enough and had to hope that the wall wasnt that tall.
As the prophet recognized by the Herders and renown families, he still possessed some kind of abilities.
The shocking statested for a minute or so before he calmed down. His face was pale but considered normal, able to speak for himself.
I saw something, not much but I can prove that Lord Victor is framed!
The prophet said in a neutral volume yet it was clear to everyone at the scene because of the utmost silence.
Framed?
He didnt plot against all this?
He didnt steal the treasures of Ring City?
The discussion from the crowd heated up right away, even Song Shi looking at Victor differently.
Based on what Kieran spected back there, other than Victor, there wasnt anyone else.
What happened?
Song Shi looked at Kieran, and Kieran shook his head, expressing that he didnt know anything.
He really didnt know about how the prophet got this answer? He had no idea what the prophet saw?
Or was he bluffing?
Given how the prophet was recognized by the Herders and the renown families, the old prophet had a higher trust value yet... everything was actually Kierans handy work.
Did the prophet see...him?
Kieran didnt show any reaction on his face, looking at the prophet calmly.
The prophet continued as if he didnt feel any gazes on him.
Lord Victor did not steal the treasures of Ring City, nor did he touch the three kings personal vault. This is all the scheme of an unknown mastermind. Theyre hidden very well... Thats all I was able to see, nothing more than that.
The prophet then went silent, the same went for the crowd.
A whileter, some people, Inhumans, and monsters quietly left.
They were after Victor because of the wealth from Ring City and after being told Victor wasnt the mastermind, they had no reason to stay anymore.
The only difference between the people who left was some of them left quietly, while some of them apologized to Victor before leaving, like Song Shi Family.
We are so sorry, Lord Victor. We shouldnt have doubted you, Mian Yi, the butler apologized on behalf of his family.
Victor calmly replied with a wave of hand.
He had lost his memories, so he didnt know what had happened, and as long as he could be at peace and free from danger, his life would be good enough.
After his name was proven, he had gotten what he sought for, so what else could he ask for?
His memories! If he could retrieve his memories back, that would be the best!
Victor looked at Kieran confidently after the thought came afloat.
At the same time, Song Shi moved closer to Kieran.
You seem stronger! A part of your abilities has awakened? Or memories? Song Shi asked, attempting to find out more.
Kieran didnt answer her verbally, instead giving her a cold gaze.
It made the youngdy twist her body ufortably, feeling like there was an invisible hand trying to grab her neck.
It wasnt just ufortable, it was embarrassing as well.
Hmph! You are still a jerk after awakening! You should learn something from your little brother, otherwise nody will like you!
A cold gruntter, Song Shi left in a hurry.
Mian Yi apologized for the young mistress rudeness before he too strode out.
As the biggest family in Ai City and the other neighbouring cities, Song Shi Familys absence gave a strong sign for the others. Those who were still having second thoughts or observing the situation ultimately left.
Soon, only Kieran andpany, plus Anna, Huai Cuike, and the prophet were left in the restaurant.
Kieran looked at the three of them, waiting.
It was obvious that the three of them still had something on their mind.
Is there anything else that you cant reveal to the public? Anna asked.
No, the prophet shook his head.
Just like what you said before? Anna asked again.
Yes, just like what I said before, the prophet nodded.
Phew!
Anna heaved a long breath, he was grateful that there was no anomaly within his reach and capabilities. Joy came afloat on his face, striding over to Victor and striding, This is great Victor! It isnt you after all! Dont worry, I will work on recovering your name and honor!
Anna showed true sincerity in his words, it affected Victor, and despite not caring anymore, he showed a smile as reply.
Anna, Huai Cuike, and the prophet finally left.
Shouldnt you pay up more for interrupting our business?
Li Jiajia said without the least courtesy when the trio wanted to leave.
I think theyve included it in here, Victor pointed at the box.
This is thepensation from yesterday, not todays! Li Jiajia continued with zero courtesy.
You, beside her, nodded in agreement .
Thats right! Those guys made a mess here and we have to clean up before we can open for business! I dont want our customers to get something bad from the restaurant! You said to express her righteous stand in this.
Victor scratched his head, because even though he had no memories, he felt like he should keep his mouth shut.
Unknowingly, Victor turned to Kieran, hoping to know what Kieran wanted to do today, but when he turned around, he realized Kieran was nowhere to be found.
Wheres sire? Victor asked.
The boss doesnt care about the restaurant most of the time. Other than sitting at the counter at night, teacher is in charge of everything here. We need to clean the ce up, buy some ingredients for tonightteacher has struck a deal with the supplier a while ago, so they will save the freshest ingredients for us even if we go over around afternoon, Li Jiajia said.
Victor and You who joined the crew nodded repeatedly.
...
Huai Cuike was driving, Anna was in the passenger seat, and the prophet behind them both.
Cold sweat broke out on the prophets forehead, his hands shaking uncontrobly.
How?
How did that terrifying existencee here?
Why did the terrifying existence appear in this abandonednd?
The prophet asked himself.
With each question, his heart throbbed and pain started to spread all over his body. It felt harder to breathe.
Suddenly, he felt a warmth beside him. The prophet looked up and saw Annas hand glowing softly. The prophet was extremely grateful and said, Thank you.
He sounded very troubled though.
This is what we should do for you. Your divination saved us a lot of unnecessary conflict. So we have to take note of your condition, Anna said seriously.
As one of the high ranks of the Herders, Anna knew what the prophet had to endure and how demanding the divination was on his body.
If the matter didnt revolve around Victor, he wouldnt have requested for the prophets help.
Anna wasnt a person who could simply neglect peoples life, even though he had given sufficientpensation.
Thank you.
The prophet thanked Anna again, yet he buried the things he found out in the deepest part of his heart, where it could never see the day of light.
After Anna turned back to the front, the prophet lowered his head and wiped away the guilt on his face.
It wasnt that he didnt want to say it, it was that he couldnt say it.
Once said, not only him, anyone who listened would die.
Drop me off at the chapel, I want to rest at my friends ce, the prophet said.
Sure, Huai Cuike nodded and turned around.
There were many chapels in Ai City but the one the prophet mentioned was the oldest one and it was managed by a mysterious old man.
The old man wasnt clergy, neither was he an archpriest, yet he was around the chapel as something like an apostle.
The Herders checked on the old mans background a few times. After they made sure the old man was harmless, they allowed him to move freely.
The car drove into a secluded, quiet alleyway.
A building made out of stone appeared in Huai Cuikes sight.
It wasnt the generic chapel with the sharp or round roof, it was something simr to amon residence with a t roof.
In fact, other than the ever burning candle and a statue that resembled some god, the building looked nothing like a chapel.
The prophet left the car after rejecting Annas help.
Ill put the money in your ount. Is there anything else? Anna asked politely.
Lord Anna, I would suggest you take a look at the North Sector of Ai City. There is someone there that you have been wanting to see for a while, the prophet said with a smile.
Someone that Ive been wanting to see? Anna was surprised for a moment before he was overjoyed.
Is it my doctor? Thank you very much!
After Anna got the nod from the prophet, he went back into the car and told Huai Cuike to go to the North Sector.
The prophet watched the car drive away before he sighed, then hastened his steps into the chapel.
His old friend was wiping the only altar with the statue and after seeing his old friend, the prophets old face showed shock before it was reced by an unknown despair.
You feel it too? the apostle asked.
Mm. Thats why I am here, the prophet said.
You shouldnt havee.
The apostle put down the cleaning tools, walking to the front of the altar and kneeling down. After some soft prayers, he pointed at the statue and then the extinguished candle that hid among the lit up ones.
The prophet saw the cracked statue and the candle, whose fire shouldnt die.
His face turned uglier than ever, feeling utterly lost.
What now? What do we do now? The prophet asked the apostle and himself.
Though neither he or the apostle had any answers to the question, all they could do was look at the statue.
The statue was an abstract humanoid figure. The prestigious feeling from the statue faded away following the crack in the center, the crack even extending further downwards.
Thest bit of magical powers in the statue was gone.
Did you see him, or her, or it or something else? The apostle asked.
Hell, abyss, death, everything mixed together. The Demon Overlord, the Duke of Evil, the Death Dominator, anyone is possible, but I also saw something else, the prophets body trembled in fear.
Something else? The apostle turned around.
A monster of darkness without an end. The wicked power that falls in the world. The unpredictable fate that intertwines with death.
The prophet shook even more as he spoke, on the verge of having a crackdown, but the apostle went over to him and put a hand over his head, praying softly.
A whileter, the prophet regained his senses.
It shouldnt be in this era! The Old Gods are dead! The External Gods have left! This ce has no attraction anymore, why is it still here? The prophet shouted.
Maybe this is fate. Calm down. If we cant stop it and are not qualified to intervene, then let us wait and see. Lets see if its the end or a new start.
The apostle was calm when he said that, but the calmness was interrupted by augh.
I dont want to know whats ending and whats starting, I just want to know... wheres my treasures!
King Liao strode in wearing elegant, ck attire, the jewels embedded on his crown dazzling brightly.
Right before King Liao entered the chapel, the calm apostle stood up and shouted, Leave immediately, you filthy soul!
Following the shout, mystical runes appeared on the walls of the chapel, glowing gold and forming an invisible power, rejecting King Liaos entrance.
Hmph! If that piece of stone hadnt cracked, you might still be able to stop me. But now, its broken! What do you have to hold me down? King Liao said in disdain.
He looked at the pale apostle and the prophet, who had juste back to his sensesthe prophet was again on the verge of breaking down as he cried loudly.
King Liao showed even more disdain.
He knew this little chapel was old and busted but not to this extent, but momentster, the king realized something off.
The apostle was actually looking behind him and that crying prophet was covering his face but through the seams on his fingers, King Liao could tell the prophet was also looking behind him.
How?
King Liao didnt sense anyone behind him! He had the protection charm that King Qi gave him.
It must be a lie! A foolish, childish lie! King Liao thought.
He unconsciously turned his head around, but he couldnt get a clear look because a powerful hand covered his face.
Fuuuua!
The charged up red mes exploded from the palm and burned King Liao instantly.
Kieran walked up front and passed the burning King Liao.
The golden mystical runes shattered when Kieran walked into the chapel.
He saw the pale apostle and the prophet, who was crying loudly with his face behind his hands.
What are you afraid of? he asked.
Chapter 1725 - Table Manners
Chapter 1725: Table Manners
The voice was clear but without any emotions, like Kierans emotionless face.
The pale looking apostle was frozen, he couldnt move his body at all due to fear.
The crying prophet stopped his loud crying but he wept softly, making him look more pitiful than before.
The two knew a lot about the mystical side, so their instincts reacted naturally when they saw Kieran in front of them.
As for more?
They did hold their trembles back though.
The prophet held back the apostle and shared his vision. The apostle saw a darkness filled wilderness without any signs of life, despair starting toe afloat in his heart.
He saw what the darkness really was. It t wasnt the natural one, neither was it themon supernatural darkness, it was... the darkness of devour!
The horror that devours everything!
The monsters in the darkness lookedzy and arrogant yet none of them bothered to cover their hunger, like they were gods from up above looking down at the mortals.
Their gazes were filled with disdain.
Clenching his teeth, the apostle did not bow but that was the best he could do, and when a zing light appeared further away, the apostle fell down on the ground.
His widened eyes spotted a magma devil.
Unlike the monsters in the dark, this magma devil emanated a chaotic aura and before he even got closer, the apostle realized his heart and soul was tainted by the presence, wicked whispers starting to appear in his ears.
The scariest thing was the apostle could not do anything to stop this!
He finally knew why the prophet cried out loud like a baby.
Death was inevitable.
A bitter look appeared on the apostles face.
He tried his best to sit straight and hoped that he could go frankly when death arrived.
If he could, he would want to stand, but his limping legs failed him.
The magma devil came closer and then...
Everything vanished!
The apostle returned to the little chapel.
Behind him was the weeping prophet and he himself was sitting in a rather decent posture.
There were no monsters in the darkness or the magma devil with its menacing presence In front of him. He only saw Kieran, a rather cold but normal looking young man.
Yet the apostle understood how scary Kieran was.
The Demon God!
He who had been through death yet escaped samsara and came back again with its devilish presence.
Recalling the darkness and zing light in his mind, the apostle was utterly sure of the young mans identity. The wicked aura from either the darkness or the zing light provided a strong confirmation on first nce.
Sigh, is this our end?
The apostle sighed in his heart before he tapped on his friends shoulder, trying to calm him down.
He tried to maintain his sitting posture straight and said, Ive seen your Majestys background and also understood your identity. You are one of the many who left, or one of the many who withered. We cant request anything from you, neither do we dare. All we hope is that you follow the ancient contract...
As he spoke, the apostle took a dagger out from his sleeve.
The dagger wasnt long but by no means was it small. The de was broad, making it look like a cleaver.
The apostle pointed the dagger to his heart and his voice started to tremble.
My soul will be your offering...for you to use as you please!
The strange dagger was pushed towards his chest but it did not go in or pierce his chest.
The prophet, with a face full of tears and snot, grabbed the apostles hand just in time and shook his head strongly. His tears and snot sprayed all over the apostles clean yet patched up robe.
Kieran quietly stepped back.
Ive seen some disgusting things in my life but that doesnt mean I like it.
After getting a safe distance, Kieran looked at the prophet.
Your return, your awakening, Ive seen all of it. Ive also seen what you seek, so I hope to strike a deal with you.
The prophet begged softly.
What I seek?
Doubt shed over Kierans eyes.
Truth be told, Kieran did not believe the prophet about what he imed he saw. Even if he did see something, he was just scaring himself with that, and...it seemed like the prophet was quite shaken.
Though it did not stop Kieran from testing the man.
Deal? Kieran asked slowly with his ever cold tone.
Yes, a deal! I can provide you with some intel and it will point you to your foe...that foe is who you seek right?
The prophet nodded strongly, the remaining snot flying out and spraying all over the apostles robe, a line of crystal clear snot hanging from his nose.
Kieran couldnt help but avert his eyes a little.
He suddenly realized this prophet seemed to know a lot more than he imagined. He should even know something secretive about this world.
As for the foe that he imed to see?
Kieran didnt think the prophet was referring to Broker.
Aside from the fact that Broker would have setyers of protection around himself, he wasnt someone amon prophet could find him. If it was so easy to locate Broker, the grass around his grave would have grown to a jungle, those who wanted to kill the bastard were numerous, like a school of carp moving down a stream.
Besides that, the protection from the big city would render thismon prophet useless. Moreover, he was just someone who could peek at the surface, how did he see so many things at once?
Then, what caused the prophet to say something like that? Something so urate?
It was simple.
It was a kind of negotiation tactic.
If he was really how the prophet imed, it was natural that he had more than one enemy and among these enemies, there must be someone that he really wanted to remove.
Given the circumstances, it wasnt that surprising if the prophet said he could find the enemy for Kieran. It was fair to even consider it as urate.
Although he knew it was false, Kieran was very happy to know what kind of secretive news the prophet knew.
The prophet was ecstatic when he saw Kierans nod, he said, Your foe is hiding here!
His mouth then moved but nothing was heard, as though he was a fish pulled out from the water.
However, it seemed like the prophet did not realize what he had done for he continued to speak silently.
The apostle realized something was wrong, reaching out and covering the prophets mouth but it was toote.
The sun outside the window started to turn gloomy, the shadows bing darker.
The gloomy sunlight lost its radiance and the dark shadow felt colder than before.
Crack, crack!
Ayer of ice formed on the floor of the little chapel, noises due to freezing filled the room and everything that the ice touched was frozen and distorted. the table and chairs were twisted like a towel, the candles and candlesticks were reverted to its liquid state and gathered into a puddle. A human figure started to take form from the puddle of melted candle, reeking of oil.
The apostle and the prophet were frozen, they couldnt see what had happened.
Kieran was also frozen but his sight captured everything that happened.
He looked at the world around him slowly losing its color and he curled his lips into a smile.
It wasnt the handy work of a monster, at least not anymon monster!
The culprit behind this had possession of a very chaotic power of faith.
A god simr to the Old Book? Or...
The guesses in his heart made Kieran stand there quietly, waiting for the culprit to show itself.
The human wax figure finallypleted its formation and walked to the apostle.
Foolish idiots! Itmented.
Damn coward! Itmented on the prophet and then looked at Kieran.
Arrogant Idiot. You have no idea who you are messing with! Who you say? Its...
The wax figure wanted to talk further but it suddenly realized something was wrong. It wanted to retreat but it was too slow.
Kieran, who should be frozen, raised his hand, the ice on the surface shattering and his left hand grabbing the wax figure by the neck. With a little strength, the neck, made of wax, started to crack.
However, the wax human figure didnt panic. Instead, itughed coldly.
It transformed its wax hands into a pair of sharp des and thrust them towards Kieran.
Suddenly, the wax figure felt a terrifying heat from its neck.
Its body and hands melted fast, even quicker than how long it took form earlier.
The wax liquid then started to vaporize!
It wasnt scared of melting because it could simply reform but being vaporized?
It was impossible for the wax figure to regain its body!
The fear in its heart instantly upied its mind and it said, Spare me! Ill hand over the key forever...
The cries ended abruptly, the fierce Devil me drowning the wax figure and melting its body rapidly. Kieran watched quietly, not even caring when the melted body revealed a floating crystal ball inside it.
He waited until the wax figure truly died, then Kieran turned his attention to the crystal ball.
The crystal ball was the size of a fist and it was reflecting Kierans image.
[Name: ???]
[Type: Wonder Item]
[Rarity: ???]
[Attack: ???]
[Defense: ???]
[Attribute: ???]
[Effect: ???]
[Prerequisite: ???]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: ???]
[Remark: ???]
...
The series of question marks made Kieran frown.
It seemed like either his level of Mystical Knowledge couldnt decipher this item or he had to get himself some specialized knowledge to decipher this.
Facing the unknown, Kieran didnt simply touch the crystal ball, he allowed it to continue floating while he looked at the apostle and prophet.
The ck and white faded, the two of them freed from the frozen state.
Both of them looked at Kieran again.
One of them had a hardened posture and one of them was weeping badly.
The pale apostle then sat straight and said, Ive seen your Majestys background and also understood your identity.
...
The apostle was saying the same thing from earlier.
His expression did not change at all.
Even that weird looking dagger returned to his sleeve, and when he pulled it out, the prophet stopped the apostle again with the same exact words.
Then, the monster from the wax appeared again.
Kieran grabbed it again and burned it with Devil me.
The wax figure was instantly vaporized and another crystal ball appeared in front of Kieran.
The same thing happened again, the apostle, the weeping prophet, the dagger, and the wax monster forming for a third time.
Kieran frowned, he didnt perform any extra movements.
He waited for the cycle to move on and burned the puddle of wax before the figure even took form.
The crystal balls increased to 3.
The three crystal balls swirled around Kieran like a satellite.
...
Meanwhile, in an unknown space, someone was watching the scene with the utmost attention, the culpritughing heavily with malicious intent.
Its just the third time! This is just the start for you!
The culpritughed again. It had been a while since he yed games like this.
The qualified target that appeared all of a sudden made him very happy. He was eager and disregarded all consequences to pull his target into this little game.
It had been a while since he saw this kind of delicious food, but he was still holding back.
Perfect table manners would surely make the food taste better.
So he waited patiently, waiting for his food to make a mistake.
When the food made a mistake, it would ferment and bring out the true taste.
However, the culprit realized his food was unlike others.
10 times!
20 times!
30 times!
The food did not change his target, not even once! He was burning the right option every single time.
Hmph! Very careful I see, but how long can youst? You will eventually change your target! Its like those Sanctuary Knights who swore never to harm the innocent. Around how many times did the knight change his target to the apostle and prophet? 101? Or 102? Dont worry, I will wait patiently.
Seconds turned into minutes.
Kieran was still attacking the wax figure for the 200th times and it made the culprit a little restless.
The wax figure did not form out of nothing, the table manners werent something he could simply use either. Everything that happened came from his powers and each time the wax figure died, his powers would decrease a little.
For every second that went by in the table manners, his powers would decrease more.
I have to change the n!
He thought.
He then utilized the power outside the dining table.
The ck and white in that world started to change.
Little scales started to appear on the apostle and covered his entire body, his nails growing and his teeth bing fangs. In a breaths time, the apostle transformed into a scaly monster.
Crunch!
The monster turned around and chomped the head off the prophet, then started to eat the prophets body.
Blood and flesh flew and sprayed the ground red.
Kieran watched everything, he waited for the wax figure to appear and then vaporized it into steam with his Devil me again.
Why! Why dont you attack the monster!
The apostle has transformed into a monster, you should attack him first!
Angry roars echoed in the void.
The culprit was not happy with the result, so he tried again.
This time, the apostle monster did not chew on the prophet anymore. After it quickly chomped off the prophets head, the scaly monster jumped to Kieran.
Kieran didnt counterattack though, he dodged and waited for the wax figure to burn it into steam.
Even after the prophet became a monster, it didnt change Kierans choice.
Another 300 timester, the culprit in the void went silent.
He realized this qualified prey was unlike any others that he had encountered in the past.
His body was growing weaker by the second and it was a sign that he had lost this prey.
He sighed and released the prey from the hunt, imprinting the preys image into his mind.
He swore he would never y games with this person again, so he turned around and went to leave.
While he was cleaning up his traces, he heard something swallowing its saliva.
Based on the noise alone, he could tell this thing was very hungry, and more importantly, it wasnt himself.
Without a second thought, he hastened his speed but an invisible mouth bit his tentacles and dragged him outside.
Get off me! Damn it! Bastard without any table manners! Get off me!
He shouted loudly but the mouth did not release him, instead dragging him away faster.
He was also munched on as he was dragged away.
Chapter 1726 - Unbearable Pain
Chapter 1726: Unbearable Pain
The unknown existence in the void roared repeatedly.
It had no idea what it had gotten itself into!
All it wanted to do was get away from this troublesome guy yet Gluttony hung on tightly.
As for all the so-called table manners?
What a joke, table manners matters or not, only eating and swallowing mattered!
Therefore, Gluttony clung on with munches and bites to the unknown existence.
D-Delicious!
Gluttony delivered the thought to his big brother.
If its delicious, eat more, Kieran replied softly.
Kieran never worried about Gluttony eating too much. In fact, it was quite hard for Gluttony to ever feel full recently, he could only be slightly satisfied at the restaurant where Starbeck prepared all the food.
The food, or the unknown existence, delivered itself up to Gluttonys doorstep. Kieran did not mind Gluttony helping himself.
With Kierans permission, Gluttony went all out.
He was holding back at first and after receiving permission, his mouth clung on that unknown existence and started to swallow quicker, like a whale swallowing water.
The unknown existence was frightened, crying out loud in agony. It finally knew what Gluttony wanted to do: stuff it into his mouth and then swallow it whole.
The unknown existence did not doubt Gluttony a bit. It knew the cardinal sins would be able to swallow it alive because even though his body wasnt that big, its huge body would only provide more satisfaction to Gluttony.
It couldnt allow this to continue!
The unknown existences heart sank, its indescribable body suddenly split into two.
The upper half was freed from the horrifying bite but the lower half was swallowed by Gluttony.
The unknown existence was suffering a heartache, its heart bleeding as it lost its lower body.
Not only did it lose half of its power, which it umted over a very long time, its divinity was also damaged and its divine position was at risk of being demoted.
Anger!
Grudge!
It wanted to swallow Gluttony but it knew should it be so reckless, it would be the one that ended up in Gluttonys stomach.
It had tried before, but it couldnt locate Gluttonys body. All it saw was a mouth, a non-stop eating mouth!
The things that the mouth ate were delivered out of the void and entered that powerful ants body.
Even it couldnt understand what was going on.
Howe the world had this kind of illogical monster?
The unknown existence saw the mouthing closer to its upper body after swallowing its lower half. It shouted right away, You boorish bastard that knows no table manners! I expel you!
A part of the table manners was activated right away, Gluttony was expelled out of the space all of a sudden and bounced back to Kierans body.
The unknown existence heaved a breath of relief, but before it could catch a full breath Gluttony returned!
Gluttony moved along the table manners ritual that it had set up and relied on the spiritual energy that shouldnt have existed in this space to fly closer to the unknown existence.
How is this possible?!
The unknown existence shrieked in disbelief when it felt the spiritual energy that was as vast as the sea.
It didnt have eyes, but if it did, they would have been as round andrge as a billiard ball.
This level of spiritual energy could alreadypete with its own divine position, yet the target pretended to be weak, especially that divine fire in the targets head, which didnt match the targets personality at all!
Could it be... a trap!?
The unknown existence suddenly realized the possibility, recalling its old foes and remembering the enemies that sought to kill it a thousand times over. The more it recalled, the more it believed this was a trap.
This was really a trap! A trap specifically targeted at itself!
I wont let you get what you want! the unknown existence shouted fiercely.
Right before Gluttony returned to the table manners ritual, the unknown existence made a move.
A round table appeared in the void.
On top of the wooden table was a ss tray slightly smaller than the table surface and on top of the ss tray was a ck vase with nothing inside.
A pure silver tray appeared beside the ss tray and Kierans image was reflected on it.
Kieran sized up the scene with an interested gaze.
He saw that unknown existence in the void at first nce. He couldnt really describe the existences look though, couldnt put it in words because the unknown existence was constantly changing.
It was a giant octopus a second ago but it transformed into a starfish the very next moment.
The former was suitable for a frying pan and thetter could be used in soups.
Kieran looked at the unknown existence and the unknown existence looked at Kieran. It was natural that some of Kierans thoughts spilled to the unknown existence.
You shall not escape! It said.
The unknown existenceughed when it sensed Gluttony was only a step away from its body.
I admit Ive miscalcted, but I did not fail! It emphasized before it continued in delight, Table manners, food shouldnt be wasted but can be traded. If you have food that you dont like, you can pass it or trade it with others. Since you are still in my table manners, I can perform such a tradedont worry, it wont be just a simple trade, you still have the curse from me, the officiant! I curse you! You will meet the enemy that you hated the most!
Right after the voice subsided, the ck vase on the table sprayed out a mist as dark as ink.
An invisible tray twirled the ss tray, twisting the illusory Kieran on the silver tray further away from the unknown existence.
Where Kieran went was truly the farawaynd.
After Kierans image disappeared from the tray, something else took his ce: a wagon.
The golden wagon rode out of the tray in an instant, crushing the whole table uponing out.
The unknown existence didnt even have the chance to grunt before it was run over by the sky wagon, crushing it into nothing.
The four figures in the wagon didnt feel anything though.
A man and two women were sitting opposite each other, with a little girl sitting on top of the mansp.
The man on the seat was sittingzily yet he had an indescribably prestigious feeling around him. He sat there like a shining sun, warm and glorious.
The little girl who sat on hisp was young and pure, sharing a great deal of resemnce with the man.
The little girl would touch the mans stubble andugh asionally.
The mans face was melted instantly by the pureughs, showing the smile of a kind father.
The twodies opposite the father and daughter showed smiles too, but the smiles were for the man and little girlboth of them had a rather weird atmosphere between them.
One was strict and just, while the other was bewitching and self-righteous.
The twodies nced over at each other and turned away instantly.
The little girl saw her mothers reaction, pulling her fathers sleeve.
Papa, Ive turned the wagon around, we are going back to the hotel soon! I missed Auntie Lanecruix so much!
You shouldnt call her auntie, call her big sister, thedy knight who was strict and just corrected the little girl.
Yes, you should call her sister, not auntie, the bewitchingdy beside the first added.
After that, the topic somehow went adrift, the atmosphere in the carriage instantly warming up. The little girl winked at her father happily, and her father quietly gave her a thumbs up.
Like any other kind and loving father, the man caressed his daughters head.
While his daughter was looking away, the mans eyes shimmered gold for a second.
The wagon moved quicker and then vanished into the void.
When the wagon vanished, the void became empty, like a true void, as if nothing had happened.
...
Inside an extravagant pce, Broker took threeplete [Philosophers Stone]s out and ced them into the magical formation before him.
The magical formation was formed by a circle and three triangles.
The triangles were outside surrounding the circle and each triangle housed a special item.
The top triangle had a severed head and the snakes, which was the heads hair, hissed ferociously.
On the left triangle was an eye, only as big as a fist but was sparkling energetically with electricity swirling around.
On the right triangle was some snake sloughs. The sloughs should have been as light as paper but it sunk into the ground, like it was holding a world inside it.
Three [Philosophers Stone] was ced in the intersection between the triangles and circle.
After double checking everything, Broker heaved a breath of relief.
Now for thest step! Broker muttered to himself.
It was at that moment, Broker sensed the power of the curse.
That damn crazy woman! Broker chuckled coldly.
He knew what was happening.
Even though he had chosen to slumber to push this n of his forward smoothly, he knew everything that had happened in the big city.
Wu, the renown Wisher, was a person that he would eventually go up against because she was standing on Kierans side.
Her abilities were an eyesore to him. Although he had prepared manyyers of protection, he wasnt a hundred percent sure about bewitching her and once she saw through his little tricks...
With that thought in his mind, Broker chose to go with a simple setup.
When he was first cursed by Wu, he chose to take it head on so that he could numb her, only counterattacking during the second time.
Broker then stepped into the magical formation without further ado.
This would be the key point of the next phase of his n. He had to pour everything out to achieve todays result. If he had to endure the crazy womans curse just so he could progress, it would be considered a waste of resources.
Therefore, Broker quietly waited for the crazy woman to learn her lesson, only then could he vent his anger.
However, Broker immediately realized something was off: the power of the curse was so much stronger than he anticipated!
No! It was absurdly powerful!
It wasnt something the Wisher could achieve, not even a yer with a Unique Title of the curse category could achieve this level!
Hiss! Hiss!
The snakes on the head hissed sharply, and like a domino effect, the eyeball that sprayed lightning started to look left and right and the snake sloughs showed images of mountains and seas.
The three [Philosophers Stone]s shimmered brightly.
Broker, in the middle of the magical formation, was affected right away.
No! He couldnt afford to let this continue!
He felt the power of the curse spreading. He knew things had gone south for some reason, so he had to activate his backup n, but right before he did that...
A crushing pain came from his legs.
Broker instinctively defended with his hands and tightened his legs but before he could save any of his body, the crushing pain appeared a second time.
One, two, three times in total.
Veins popped up on Brokers forehead. He couldnt even stand straight anymore, kneeling down in the magical formation.
Promptly after that, the magical formation automatically entered its counterattack mode.
The magical formation carried out Brokers orders and countered with the strongest attack to the next person thatid the curse on him.
Three [Philosophers Stone] was enough to perform a Grand Wishing that could bring forth divine miracles, but Broker had many offerings prepared!
The processpleted smoothly, it was fair to even consider it perfect, but Broker wasnt happy at all.
He felt the aura wasing closer to him at an absurd speed and he didnt know what went wrong, so he was forced to endure the pain and carry out his escape n.
A blinding lightter, Broker vanished from the pce.
...
I dont think that bastard Broker will let you curse him a second time. He must have some defensive measures or even some counterattacks!
Rachel couldnt help but try to dissuade her friend when she saw Wuy out 10 straw dolls on the floor.
I know, thats why I had a divination! This is my best chanceWisher isnt good at cursing, but I will use what I am good at to make the curse more effective!
Wu then took a big mullet from her sleeve and started to hammer the straw dolls fiercely.
Bang Bang Bang!
Rachel facepalmed herself as she watched the straw dolls get hammered. She knew where her friend was aiming when she hammered the dolls.
Scary!
Rachel quietly walked out of the living room.
...
A blinding light shone.
Kieran appeared in the pce.
He vigntly sized up the extravagant pce and thennded his gaze on the magic formation on the ground.
The items at the outer ring had lost their powers, their forms heavily distorted and Kieran couldnt tell what they were but he recognized the [Philosophers Stone].
Threeplete [Philosophers Stone]s! As I expected... that bastard was here! Kieran squinted his eyes.
The reason why he held Gluttony back on the eating and allowed the unknown existence toplete the table manners ritual was because he heard what it said.
With the half body that Gluttony ate and digested earlier, Kieran was sure that the existence wasnt lying.
It was just that he did not expect Broker to run so fast, but he still had clues to cling on.
Kieran checked around.
There were things in the pce that stated Broker had been staying here for quite a while.
He has been staying here after he went missing? This magic formation...
While Kieran was observing, a white-blue light suddenly appeared in the middle of the pce and quickly formed an oval door.
The moment the door appeared, a voice followed.
I will pay the cost you speak, so please help me!
The voice sounded hurried but weak and was very familiar.
It was Borl.
Chapter 1727 - Freezing Land
Chapter 1727: Freezing Land
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Borl?
All this really had something to do with that bastard!
Kierans squinted eyes glimmered brightly.
Kieran had always reserved his opinion towards this Borl, who proimed himself a victim of the Witchs wrath.
In fact, Kieran held a doubtful side towards any stranger that he came across, especially with Brother opposite him, so had to be even more vignt than ever.
So this is what youve been nning?
Kieran sized up the pce again and ultimately locked his gaze on the oval dazzling door in front of him.
Please help me, Borls voice came through again.
Kieran could literally feel the urge and weakness.
ident? Injuries?
Kieran wondered.
Though it wasnt the reason for him to step into the oval door.
Kieran would never make a reckless move without assessing the danger.
As for how?
Snap!
Kieran snapped his fingers and Bloody Mary appeared beside him.
Your most loyal, humble servant at your service 24/7, Bloody Mary appeared with a bow.
Following Kierans recovery to his prime, Bloody Mary had returned to its best as well. The recovery further solidified its thoughts of staying beside Kieran. It would never leave him now because not only did it feel the power of the contract had seeped into its roots, the power of the contract was changing its body from inside out.
It wasnt sure whether that was good or bad for now, but it had a hunch that it would be good given that its boss was happy to continue using it.
The contract and the working rtionship was built around its boss. What its boss said was final.
Blood Mary?
It had no ground to resist at all, it didnt even dare to think about it.
No one understood better than itself what kind of man its boss was.
It would never want to end up opposite its boss.
Therefore, after it straightened its body, Bloody Mary walked into the dazzling in blue oval door.
Of course, before it stepped in, Bloody Mary had reported to Kieran everything about Starbeck.
After knowing Starbeck was all good, Kieran was relieved, his eyes following Bloody Mary into the world beyond the oval door.
...
A wagon arrived at a hillside, the thick woods and the magical light that shrouded the wagons tracks providing a temporary safe spot for Borl. He panted heavily, not just because of exhaustion but also because of the severe injuries that he had sustained.
The injury was at his abdomen and it was caused by a stab by his enemy during a fight. If it wasnt for the specific item that he carried with him at all times, he would have died during the fight with the sword through his body.
Despite the fact that he barely escaped death, he wasnt in a good shape by any means.
The person who stabbed him wasnt any better either, Borl managed to cut the mans head off. The dead man was the leader of the group of attacks on Borls tail, messing the group up. Thankfully due to that, Borl managed to buy himself some breathing window. He used some other items he had and temporarily escaped to the hills and hid in the thick woods.
Mr. Borl.
A muffled yet surprisingly loud enough voice sounded.
A man two meters tall walked over to Borl.
The man wasnt just tall, he was also very buff. He wore a linen singlet coupled with a pair of rough jeans and leather boots. His hand was holding a halbert, which was bloody and had a strand of intestine hanging over its tip.
The hunk walked forward for a few steps before he noticed the intestine on the tip of his halbert. He shook it off before he walked to Borl to check on his injuries. After he noticed the injuries did not harm Borls organs, he heaved a breath of relief and passed him a water bottle.
Drink some, its good for your injuries.
The water bottle was uncorked and it reeked of bad liquor, Borl couldnt help but choking on it.
The rough reaction affected his injuries. He couldnt help but moan in pain after coughing a little. The hunk wanted to help patch him up but Borl said, No thanks, Aschenkano, Ill fix it myself.
Borl had seen Aschenkanos patching skills before and as long as he still wanted to live, he would not let the hunk touch his wounds.
The hunk scratched his head and squatted down beside Borl. He watched Borl take some gauze and alcohol out before, his eyes glued to the bottle of alcohol.
Smells good, Aschenkanomented.
Dont you dare drink it! Borl emphasized.
Why? It reminds me of the Water of Life, Aschenkano asked.
His reaction caused a headache in Borl. Borl finally understood why Father Novan was so happy when he offered to hire Aschenkano with two Gold Purton.
It wasnt the delight in seeing two Gold Purton. It was because Father Novan had his trouble taken away from him!
It reminds you of the Water of Life but it is not the Water of Life! And shouldnt we focus on the situation at hand?
Borl tried to talk some sense into Aschenkano to understand the situation, but his attempt was replied by despair.
They are just hundreds of potatoes, I can kill them all in a second! Come, stand, we shall fight together! Aschenkano said in determination.
Aschenkano, you and I are different. My injuries are enough to rob me of my mobility and render me useless for a while, Borl pointed at his injuries and said.
You cant fight anymore? Aschenkano got stunned, scratching his head again and waved before he said, Dont worry! You wait here, Ill go cut all those bad potatoes in half!
Aschenkano then stood up with his halbert.
W-Wait! Come back!
Borl screamed at his bodyguard, who rushed down the hill. Aschenkano heard his employer but he waved as a reply and shouted back, Ill be back in no time!
Aschenkano then vanished into the pinewood forest after that.
Borl lowered his hands helplessly. He wasnt worried about his bodyguards safety and never worried about his bodyguard lying, he knew his bodyguards strength and personality quite well.
Once said, it would be done.
But...
Their enemies were not just limited to the bunch of robbers downhill!
The robbers were just some pawns sent by the mastermind to test the water, the true killer move had yet to arrive!
Borl chuckled bitterly.
He couldnt even deal with the pawns the mastermind sent to wear him down, what use would there be for him to figure out the killer move? It would be useless, he would probably die during the next wave of attacks.
Borl was shaken when he thought about his death.
He feared death. He struggled many times against death, but in the end, he was unable to escape deaths grasp.
Borls bitterness grew as he recalled the hard work he did back in the big city.
He did notin about getting the cold shoulder from the other yers, nor did he hold a grudge against the injustice.
The world wasnt fair to begin with.
The word fair was just a term people used to lie to themselves.
In fact, if it was him, he would be cautiousprobably even show hostilityagainst these kind of unknown people who asked for help.
Those bastards, I guess Ill be seeing them soon. I cant escape in the end, just like you all. I would probably end up worse than any of you.
He recalled his friends who entered the game with him in the early days and did not make it to the end. Shaking his head and taking a potion from his pocket, he drained it to thest drop. He still hadnt given up.
Borl knew his enemys personality and attitude. He who had foiled his enemys n multiple times would not just die in his enemys hand, he would end up a lot worse, and torture was inevitable.
After that?
It would be worse than death for quite a while.
The best way out for him now was to take his own life, yet he was afraid to do it.
Before the worse than death experience fell upon him, he still feared death.
I am really a coward!
Borl sighed, holding his sword tightly to help himself up.
The injury around his abdomen still hurt him, and even if he had finished the healing potion, a simple motion like standing up still caused his gauze to turn red and exhaust his stamina.
He leaned on the wagon and panted heavily again.
He should rest for a while after suffering a bad injury, yet he had to do this because his enemy was at his door!
It wasnt the visible enemies this time but the invisible enemies!
With the special item that he bought from Lawless, Borl clearly spotted those invisible beingsing closer, the temperature in the area starting to plummet.
Borl knew how he should deal with these bastards: fire was the only and most effective way.
Unfortunately, he dare not use any kind of fire rted moves or items at the moment because it would expose him to his other enemies.
The invisible enemies were trouble and the visible enemies were trouble.
If both of them would gang up on him, it would be the most troublesome oue for him.
Thankfully, Borl was prepared for this.
When he left Mozaar, he didnt just spend 2 Gold Purton to hire Aschenkano as his bodyguard from the War God Temple, he also spent 20 Gold Purton to supply his wagon with some other thingsthose things were finally useful.
Borls ced his hands over the blood-stained gauze on his abdomen.
With his bloody hand, he pressed it against the carriage.
The magic formation that was etched in the carriage was activated instantly.
Roar!
A roar, as loud as a p of thunder, sounded in Borls heart and those invisible beings hearts.
Unlike Borl, who got courage from the thunderous roar, the invisible beings felt a catastrophic fear.
Pak Pak Pak Pak Pak!
Like breaking ss, each and everyone of the invisible beings were destroyed, but Borl didnt have the time to care about that.
He turned around and headed to his horse.
He got the horse from outside Mozaar, the best kind that he could get his hands on. The horse could gallop at explosive speeds and had a durable stamina. It required some meticulous care but it would definitely be a great aid in the battlefield, either passing through or retreating.
Borl spent a fortune to buy these two horses exactly for this moment.
He loosened the reins but before he could get up, the two strong horses neighed hard.
Neigh!
Amid the noise, the two tamed horses went rampant, kicking their hooves and shaking their heads anxiously. Ultimately, they fell on the ground without further reaction, and if they werent panting heavily, they looked like they were dead.
Borls body shook too, requiring him to rely on the wagon to stop himself from falling to the ground.
An area of darkness appeared in his sight.
Coldness then followed and spread rapidly.
The blessing from War God Temple allowed Borl to counter the iciness but the situation was not looking too bright. The coldness gushed into Borls body endlessly, beating away the blessing from War God Temple little by little.
Since he wasnt truly a believer, Father Novan wouldnt have blessed him if it wasnt for his Gold Purton.
However, even after being blessed, the effect was limited. Even a true believer could barely get blessed from the God of War. Aside from the God of War, after the ck Cataclysm, the Gods had barely turned their eyes on humans.
A lot of the Gods now were nothing but wicked existences, especially Lady Cmity, who allegedly caused the ck Cataclysm. She received more worship than ever after that disaster.
Despite people searching the entire Northern Land, they still couldnt locate Lady Cmity, but her influence was spread far and deep.
Like in this very moment, Borl felt the Punishment of Cmity affecting him, knowing what he was going up against.
The priest of Lady Cmity? NO! If it really is the priest, there wouldnt be this many little tricks, a single move and Id be dead! It should be someone who bought some blessed transcendent item from Lady Cmitys priest off some secret spot!
Borl quickly made his situation clear yet he felt even more despair.
He was prepared for this but so was the enemy! Probably even morepetent than he was!
What now?
Death? Was there no other way else?
In the belly of despair, Borl lost his energy. The remaining blessing from the War God Temple wore off too, all that was left in his body was the cold.
Borl was ready to ept his sorrowful fate.
Right before he fell over the cliff of death, a voice appeared in his head.
You seem to be in need of help.
The voice was kind yet unfamiliar, but in Borls ears, it was a life-saving rope.
Yes! I need help! What do I need to pay? Borl asked.
Payment huh? I dont need much, its practically free! The voice replied.
There was no free lunch in the world.
Borl knew that saying and knew that free things were usually the most expensive.
Even more so when the free things appeared in such a strange way from an unknown. A thought struck Borl: he was afraid that he might have stumbled upon those wicked existences.
But he had no choice!
The hesitationsted for less than a second before Borl shouted, I will pay whatever you demand! Please help me!
After his voice subsided, nothing happened.
The cold still spread and he was being pushed closer to the cliff of death.
Borl couldnt stand it anymore, falling down beside the wagon. His face came in contact with the cold hard ground, reminding him of his repeated failures back in the big city.
This is really the worst possible oue, Borls lips moved.
He thought of the promise he had with Lawless...and Kieran.
It seemed like he would be breaking them.
The young man had chosen to treat him, a loser, with the utmost justice and fairness.
Borl thought of it more than once, thinking that if he could recover his strength, he would team up with Kieran to clear a dungeon run, giving his best effort to help Kieran achieve the highest rating possible and secure the best loot.
It was nothing special, it was just because Kieran treated him fairly. Borl ought to repay the action.
The fairness was the thing that made Borl feel that this world wasnt as dark as he thought after he woke up from his slumber.
But...it was over now.
Face on the ground, the helpless Borl waited silently for his judgement.
Suddenly, a calm voice sounded.
Is the icy cold ground that aromatic?
Borl was shocked by the words,
He knew whose voice it was, so he looked up in disbelief.
Right away, he saw a very familiar person, the cold attitude was just like how he remembered. The person casually stood on the icy cold ground in the woods, and with the pure white moon above the sky, the persons figure looked extra dark.
2567!
Chapter 1728 - Ask
Chapter 1728: Ask
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Borl didnt say anything out loud but his heart was screaming.
As a solo yer who had just woken up from slumber, he managed to keep somemon sense with him.
Regardless of how shaken he was because of Kierans appearance, he had to try to stay calm.
Though the calmness onlysted a moment.
Krank!
Kieran, under the moonlight, was shattered all of a sudden! As if he was a mirror hit by a hammerstrike, broken into many pieces with a nk.
Ah! Borl shrieked out of surprise.
Then, he saw the shattered Kieran reconstruct himself and stand under the moonlight again.
This...
Aah!
Before aplete thought came afloat in Borls mind, Kieran shattered again and then reconstructed himself.
At the third round, Borl was no longer surprised, the fear that loomed in his heart also gone. He sat up, leaned on the wagon, and wiped the dirt off of his face, quietly watching Kieran shatter and reconstruct, again and again.
After around 10 times, Kieran finally stopped. He then walked into the darkness, followed by a scream of pain from the shadows.
Borl knew what Kieran did: he went after the hidden watcher!
Unwanted eyes must be eliminated.
What is your rtionship with Broker?
Kierans voice suddenly came from behind.
Borl went dull for a while before he turned around. He saw Kieran behind him and greeted him with a bitter smile, I really want to have something to do with him, at least I wont end up in such a passive state.
Kieran looked at Borl without uttering a word.
2 secondster, he nodded without actuallymenting on the topic.
They are not rted, right?
Bloody Mary sized up Borls expression and gaze during the question.
Of course, its boss still has to determine whether or not the im was true.
Colin, thank you for your help. I should go to Aschenkano and give a helping hand! Borl suddenly uttered a name.
Bloody Mary nodded slightly. It had many adventures with Kieran through multiple dungeon worlds, so an alias was nothing surprising.
Colin, a fake name which should be fitting to this dungeon world.
Back in the pce, Kieran saw everything through Bloody Marys eyes. He looked up and turned to the side of the pce.
The pce started to fall apart without his knowledge and behind the mourous walls was a pitch ck void.
It seemed like Broker had set more than oneyer of insurance in this ce.
The firstyer was the blue oval door, anyone who walked through it would be attacked.
Second, the copsing pce.
Everything was linked together, which suited Brokers style.
Was it safe to enter the oval door now?
A simple test would provide more answers.
Snap!
Kieran snapped his fingers again.
Bloody Mary appeared beside Kieran once more, walked through the blue oval door again, and the shattering happened, just like before.
At the same time, the pce copsed even quicker.
When Bloody Mary went through the blue oval door for a third time and the shattering happened as usual, half of the pce had fallen apart.
Forceful at every step?
Kieran waved to stop Bloody Mary from going through the blue oval door after the third time, pointing at the ck void and said, Try that ce.
That ominous ck void reeked of danger, yet Bloody Mary walked over without any expression on its face, its heart on the verge of breaking down.
It had died more than 30 times just now! It was painful being sliced into many pieces!
Now it had to face more unknown danger?
The moment Bloody Mary touched the ck void, it started to reminisce about the sun of the West Coast again but at the next moment, Bloody Mary surprisingly found itself in the woods full of pine trees beside the hill again, this time unscathed.
The ck void was the correct way?
Cunning bastard!
Bloody Marymented on the boss enemy.
Bloody Mary even spected this ck void was the escape path Broker saved for himself.
Think about it, if intruders raided this pce and the blue oval door appeared in the middle in a timely manner, where would the intruders go next?
The blue oval door!
The pce would then fall apart, the ck void would follow, and under the pressure, more intruders would swarm into the oval door.
The tricky thing was, people from opposite the oval door couldnt see the pce!
In short, a little trick easily put the intruders in a troublesome situation.
Even if the smarter ones or assumed smarter ones forced Broker in the oval door to test water, they would still lose more than they would gain. Bloody Mary was very sure Broker had some immunity against the damage of the oval door or had control over the activation.
Once Broker went through the oval door, the tides would change instantly.
The safe ck void would be the real danger and the situation would plummet into despair.
Scary bastard! Thankfully, the boss isnt that naive!
Bloody Mary saw Kierane through the ck void and arrive beside itself. With Kierans order, Bloody Mary went into the darkness.
Kieran, however, frowned on the spot.
He felt sluggish! Like he had walked into a swamp and was constrained by something.
On top of that, he even felt a heavy sense of wickedness.
The heavy sense of wickedness was like mist, shrouding the spots where Kieran could see.
Is it only this ce? Or the whole dungeon world?
Thetter made Kieran frown harder.
ording tomon sense, the reason for such a heavy sense of wickedness must be heavy negative energy. Normal beings couldnt have survived under such an environment yet everything in this world seemed normal.
It had a heavy sense of wickedness but no negative energy!
A strange and unique world!
Broker didnt just want to hold back Borl, he wanted to use him to enter this world? Or both together?
Kieran sized up this misty world and his gaze unconsciously located Borls figure, who was walking further away. Borl had a sword hanging over his waist and was holding a musket in his hands.
The musket was a very early invention of firearms yet it was meticulously crafted. The body was ck and had a trigger, buttstock, and a scope like every other modern firearm that Kieran knew of, but it had an extra round magazine slot on the left side between the buttstock and the trigger.
Under the moonlight, the magazine was emanating a faint magical glow.
Bang!
Borl pulled the trigger, the muzzle shed, and a robber who tried to jump on Aschenkano was shot.
The magical glow on the magazine glimmered and the fire powder which should have been cleared was automatically reloaded again. The fire powder was refilled and the pellet was loaded inside, allowing Borl to fire the musket again.
Bang!
Another shot fired, another robber fell.
This one had it worse than the previous one as his head was shot open like a flower.
It seemed like other than the amazing reloading speed, the musket had firepower that surpassed its peers of the same generation.
Kieran collected his gaze and looked down at the empty ground at the foot of the hill.
Numerous robbers mored and gathered around Borls bodyguard, surrounding him, but those who truly damaged Aschenkano were only a handfulmany more of them were shouting and swinging their weapons at the air.
When Borl returned to the battlefield, the robbers further plunged into panic.
Behind! Behind! Look out! Behind you! the robbers shouted messily.
There was no organized formation whatsoever in them, so they scattered away in an instant. A part of the robber looked behind them and a part of them hid behind objects, avoiding the potential firing.
Kieran even saw two panic robbers bump into each other because of the panic, falling on the ground and getting trampled over by the other robbers.
A motley crowd!
They had never received any tactical training and they were very weak on their own.
Kieran saw the bodyguard, Aschenkano, swung his halbert left and right, slicing and dicing his enemies, charging forth and back, as if he had entered a trance.
Each swing took down several robbers, and a few minutester, almost half of the robbers fell under Aschenkanos halbert.
The rest of the robbers scattered away in fear.
Aschenkano grew excited when he saw his enemies running away. Roaring furiously, tore his soft mail away and went chasing after the fleeing robbers bare top.
Borl, on the other hand, heaved a long breath, putting away his musket shortly after that.
He knew how good his bodyguard was. A group of robbers, despite having hundreds in numbers, who relied on individual strength and not sheer numbers to oppress their enemy, could never do any harm to his bodyguard. Yet Borl was still worried because Aschenkano was one of his important assets for his uing n.
If he lost Aschenkano, it would truly affect his overall n.
That aside...
Borl quietly looked at Kieran, remembering the voice he heard earlier.
The voice sounded unlike Kieran. Although cold, it felt arrogant. It wasnt the sense of neglect that Borl felt.
Was that someone else? Borl wondered but dared not ask Kieran.
He knew the person in front of him very well.
It wasnt just because of the fairness that he upheld, it was also because of the title of ming Devil, especially thetter. Borl feared the title and, at the same time, had fresh memories about it.
Aschenkano, this is Colin.
Borl introduced his bodyguard to Kieran.
He was much more at ease in front of his bodyguard, and rather than asking, he continued to introduce Kieran in a neat order, He is our reinforcement, and thankfully for him, I am still breathing.
Thank you Colin! If anything happens to Borl, I really wouldnt know what to do! Im Aschenkano. You seem like a fighter yourself, why dont we..
Aschenkano, your job is to clean the battlefield. I dont want to face a group of walking deadter!
At first, Aschenkano made Borl smile with his words but as he talked, Borls expression turned sour, quickly stopping his bodyguard and ordering him away.
Sir Colin, I can assure you Aschenkano didnt do it on purpose...
Is there something about this ce? Or something about this world? Kieran asked straightaway.
This world! This world is one-of-a-kind! Borl replied.
He thought for a while to rearrange his words before he continued, A few decades ago, active Gods roamed this world, the very powerful kind, but after the ck Cataclysm, all the Gods disappeared and some wicked existences started to pop up, especially the whole Northern Land! It has been twenty years since thest believer, blessed by the God of War, appeared in the War God Temple. On the other hand, the wicked, especially that Lady Cmity, unt their abilities too often.
Borl purposely paused for a moment, waiting for Kieran to ask about Lady Cmity, but Kieran was quiet as stone.
A whileter, Borl continued after no response from Kieran.
Some say Lady Cmity is a God worshipped in a little city in the south, so in the eyes of the North, she is a Demon God. A few decades ago, 10 thousand Northern armies sieged the city and were vanquished overnight, but that only marks the start of the disaster! The returning troops fell ill, one after another, fever and unknown bleeding spreading throughout the camp. The troops were almost annihted before they even set foot in Edatine Castle. But scarier things had yet to happen: disaster spread throughout the Northern Land. Numerous people died: civilians, knights, nobles, even royalty, he said.
The War God Temple has no clue how to stop it and it even became the epicenter of the disaster! Those fierce warriors who rivaled one hundred during their prime were no different than a civilian during the disaster. Some said it was the curse of Lady Cmity! A lot of people believed it too, because when people started to worship her, the disaster started to fade. The disaster was eradicated when a temple was erected to worship Lady Cmity in the very castle! Therefore, many other ces throughout the Northern Lands started to build temples for Lady Cmity. The numbers surged over the time and it rivaled the War God Temple. Though rivaled is a euphemistic way to put it. In my opinion, it is fair to say the War God Temple is living theirst breath.
Borl exined the Northern Land in detail.
Gods?
Kieran muttered to himself.
He encountered the so-called Gods more than once.
Some powerful, some weak.
Some real, some fake.
Regardless of which, Kieran understood one thing: no matter how weak the God was, one should not treat them like mortals.
Therefore, before getting into details about the God of War and Lady Cmity, Kieran refused toment on the topic.
He marked down what Borl told him and then asked Borl about things that concerned him.
What about you?
Me? Im just a normal merchant, I get supplies from Mozaar and sell them in the inner Northern Lands. I have some savings after a lot of hard work and am currently going to Edatine Castle. Edatine VI just released a royal decree: anyone can buy a dukeship with Gold Purton. I know its just the lowest dukeship but I viewed it as a chance. Ive hit a bottleneck in my business, but if I have a dukeship, I can ovee the difficulties. Of course, a lot of people dont share the same ideals as mine. Thats why I am attacked. Even though I yed coy by setting up many dummy convoys and traveling light, I was still caught up with Aschenkano, Borl exined his background in detail.
Kieran, as a fellow yer, quickly understood Borls main mission must have something to do with the dukeship.
As for the dungeon difficulty? It would be anything but easy.
Although Kieran spotted the person through Bloody Marys eyes, he clearly felt that the watcher that Bloody Mary took out earlier was very skilled and decently powerful. He even had specific understanding about Borl and his whereabouts.
Kieran was sure if it wasnt for his unannounced entry, Borl would have bitten the dust here and now.
Regardless of the watcher or Broker, neither of them bore good intentions towards Borl, especially thetter.
Broker wasnt someone who would give up easily after a small loss.
Broker must have returned to the big city to n and scheme for aeback to make up for his loss.
Kieran then asked after some thought, Borl, can you afford to fail your main mission?
Chapter 1729 - Target
Chapter 1729: Target
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Can you afford to fail your main mission?
Borl was surprised when Kieran asked that, but after a little hold up, he finally understood what Kieran was aiming for.
Borl was no idiot by any means. He had some guesses when Kieran brought Broker to the table.
It seemed like the voice that he heard earlier, which wasnt Kierans, belonged to the infamous person from the big city.
It wasnt that hard to know whose voice was whose. The real question was what did Broker want from him?
Though, regardless of what, once Borl dropped dead, everything would be over, even Brokers n.
And Borl himself?
He would be able to return the favour to Kieran with his death, so when the thought came afloat, he said, Yes.
He tried to sound as normal as possible but his heart sighed heavily.
If he could really afford to fail this main mission, he wouldnt be struggling this much. This would be his end should he fail his main mission, but at least his life was worth something, right?
Unknowingly, the fear of death went away. Borl felt no fear, he even ridiculed the concept of death. He suddenly realized he could frankly look death in the eyes.
It seemed like death wasnt as scary as he thought it would be.
Was it because of the light that he saw from Kieran earlier?
Borl was pondering quietly in his heart.
Kill me and the mission can fail, Borl said straightforwardly.
Though, he suddenly realized Kieran looked at him with a weird gaze and before he could react...
Pak!
A pnded on his cheek.
Insult and grievance gushed to his mind instantly.
What the hell? Borl shouted.
Nothing special, it seems like the wicked presence in this world has affected you, so I woke you up. Are you awake now? asked Kieran.
Awake?
Borl was shaken. He shook his head strongly, the expression on his face suddenly reced by horror.
What happened?
I might have owed this great sir a debt but how can I even think about repaying him with my life?
This...This...
Is that me just now? Am I still me?
Borl went through his system notification but he did not find anything unusual, looking up at Kieran with a face of horror.
The system isnt almighty. Theres always things that go beyond its control.
Kieran carefully reced the word big city with other simr terms, then looked at the wicked presence, which was invisible to normal natives.
They seem to be more dangerous than we thought. Didnt you just look death straight in the eyes just now? asked Kieran when he turned back to Borol.
Right! I felt nothing against death just now, I even deemed it as a release for me! It felt so dutiful and honorable!
Borl nodded, with his face showing horror after the realization.
The unknown always causes fear in people, especially when something familiar turns unfamiliar.
When I was in Mozaar, I felt this presence also but it did not affect me! Is it the woods? Borl asked.
Maybe its the woods that is acting up, or maybe its that Mozaar ce being a special one. Or...the wicked presence just grew stronger! It started to affect peoples hearts!
Kierans calm reply made Borl gasp hard. As a fellow qualified solo yer, he knew if things were really as Kieran said, this world would be a lot more difficult for him to move around.
His mental would be affected without his knowing and the fact that the wicked field gradually grew stronger numbed his scalp.
What now? Borl asked out of instinct.
Just follow your original n, answered Kieran.
The reason why he asked whether Borl could afford to fail his main mission or not was because he really wanted to do this in his own way, which was making Borl fail the main mission. However, after Kieran reacted to the situation, his way was no longer viable.
If it were others, his brutal way might really work but he did not forget he was going up against Broker.
Considering how that cunning merchant made his move in the past, he must have also included this kind of direct way to end the dungeon in his n, hence there would be countermeasures from him.
Kieran was almost certain if he really killed Borl to end this, something unexpected would pop up.
But if he chose not to kill Borl or sabotage Borls main mission, they would not end up well either because it was exactly what Broker wanted.
Broker wished for Borl to survive because he wanted Borl to help him achieve a certain task.
Otherwise he wouldnt have wasted so much effort to set all this up.
Being sandwiched in the middle of both difficult ends did not cause Kieran to lose his way.
He had been through a lot, he wasnt intimidated at all. He even had the urge to challenge Broker because he had the upper hand right now!
An unexpected oue granted him the advantage over the cunning merchant!
The next thing he had to do would be to understand this world, search for Brokers true goal, and from there, sabotage the n to further expand his advantages.
To do that, Borl was needed as the bait.
In short, Borl had to survive toplete his goal that he had set before this.
As for Kieran, he had to search for Brokers true goal while Borl was at it.
Would it be the royals of Edatine?
Or the religion of Edatine? Or something else entirely?
Kieran would slowly ponder upon it and categorize them.
Borl finally calmed down, heaving a breath of relief.
He had no idea what Kieran wanted to achieve but he knew he would really die for sure if Kieran decided to kill him and end all this. There would not be any other way.
Even if Borl dragged his bodyguard in this, both of them could never be a match to Kieran.
Compared to Kieran, those robbers who held them back were nothing.
Judging by the looks of things, the infamous ming Devil seems like he is joining me in my main mission, then...does it mean I dont have to worry about my safety anymore?
Borl reacted to the situation and joy smeared all over his face.
The joy was obvious in Aschenkanos eyes after he cleaned up the battlefield.
Mr. Borl, you are happy because of your spoils too?
The tall and buff bodyguard carried stacks of des and muskets on his shoulder, the smile on his face brighter than the moon.
Borl promised him that part of the loot would be his.
Of course! Let me see what we got here.
Borl did not exin explicitly, going over and starting to count the loot.
These swords and sabers are decent, and with some sheaths, they can be sold at some secondary stores. These muskets are decent too, and although theyck maintenance, selling one for 1 Gold Purton wont be a problem. Is there any armor or horses left?
Borl quickly entered his professional mode and started to assess the loot.
No, the few horses they had were harmed in battle and so was the armor, Aschenkano shook his head.
Thats a pity. Come, Aschenkano, wrap the loot with our asphalt felt and strap them on top of the wagon. They will be transformed into dazzling Gold Purton when we reach Sicar Land. Dont worry, a part of them will be yours and it will be enough for you to buy a set of sturdy armor.
Borl sighed but he did not forget the promise he made to Aschenkano.
With the assuring words from Borl, Aschenkanos morale was boosted.
When the bodyguard started to move the loot, Borl then looked at Kieran respectfully.
Of course, you will receive the biggest share of all this. said Borl.
No matter whether Kieran wanted them or not, Borl thought he should be like this in front of Kieran.
Kieran turned around to the wagon without saying yes or no.
When Borl strode over to the wagon before Kieran to open the door for him, the piled up bodies of the robbers started burning. The hill of bodies were soaked in gasoline, therefore the fire spread rapidly and incinerated the leftovers.
Dark smoke rumbled up into the sky, fierce fire devouring every trace and evidence.
The pinewood in the area were chopped off by Aschenkano and despite the seemingly careless look, the bodyguard was meticulous enough to clear up the space so that the burning bodies wouldnt cause a forest fire.
Kieran looked through the window in the carriage when the fierce fire burned.
The fire grew fiercer but the gray mist in the area wasnt affected, still shrouded over the burning fire and somehow growing thicker.
Theres no negative energy around but the wicked presence grew stronger because of death... Kieran muttered to himself.
Almost instinctively, he thought of the Lady Cmity.
ording to what Borl said, Lady Cmity caused death on arge scale.
Could she be rted to the wicked presence?
Pondering in his heart, Kierans eyes started to size up the inside of the carriage.
It was a 4-wheeled leisure wagon, hence the carriage being very spacious. It didnt only have seats opposite each other with a table in the middle, there was another little tea table attached to one side of the carriage.
The little tea table was opened up with a warm teapot on top.
The teapot was metallic with a set with the cups and saucers, heated on top of a palm-sized stove and the water inside boiled with steaming out from its mouth.
Borl put a cube of tea the size of a nail inside the pot and then added two spoonfuls of honey and several green plums.
A minuteter, Borl had finished setting up several pieces of pastry on the saucer, then picked up the teapot and poured a cup for Kieran and himself.
Sir Colin, please have a taste. This tea is popr among the nobles of Edatine Castle. I learned how to make it from the War God Temple. The pastries are from the best pastries house in Mozaar, Borl exined to Kieran.
Kieran always had an undying passion and unyielding persistence towards testing food.
He took a sip from the cup and tasted the warm sweet and sour tea, which left a delicate taste.
The pastry however wasnt soft enough, somewhat rough to the mouth but not entirely hard to swallow. The sweetness was off the charts, as if the whole piece was baked with pure sugar.
Kieran took another sip of tea to flush away the sweetness in his mouth.
The tea is nice, Kieran said honestly.
As for the pastry, he did notment.
He automatically thought of the biscuits and pastry from Starbeck.
Kieran then quietly pushed the saucer with the pastry to Borl.
You dont like sweet things? Borl asked as he grabbed two and tossed them into his mouth.
Everything needs to be bnced out, anything over would be hard for the mouth.
Kieran did not answer the question directly, euphemistically rejecting it for the sake of the food.
Then you may not enjoy Edatine Castles food as much as the others. The folks there favour sweetness over anything. The sweeter the better. They even use sugar in roasting meat, especially some royal dishes. Its known for its sweetness and its very widely known throughout the Northern Land, Borl said in pity.
As he exined, he shoved several more pastries into his mouth.
It seemed like Borl was fond of the sweetness.
When there was one piece of pastry left, Borl knocked on the window behind his seat.
Knock, knock.
Aschenkano, do you want a piece of pastry before breakfast?
The wooden window opened up right away with the bodyguard smiling behind it.
This is just what I need.
The bodyguard did not take the saucer altogether. He just took the pastry and put it into his mouth. Compared to Borl, Aschenkano enjoyed it much better. Kieran even heard the bodyguard licking his fingers after eating.
Since the battle with the robbers, the bodyguard had not washed his hands and before the wagon moved out, he even went to release himself in the bushes.
Kieran didnt want to ponder upon the disgusting question that could potentially affect his appetite, tapping the table and attracting Borls attention.
Are you prepared to mix around with the upper ss of Edatine Castle? asked Keiran.
His question had some hidden meaning that only Borl could understand.
Its not that easy! A Dukeship bought with money is recognized by the king but not the traditional nobles. Even if someone is there to introduce me into their social circle, I will be looked down upon. Those who have wasted their family fortune and ended up in debt will treat me all the same because they have a glorious historical background that can be traced back to Edatine II or farther, Borl exined to Kieran with a bitter smile.
Its not easy but not impossible, Kieran asked the question that interested him.
Mm. If... I have and, even if its a little vige, I canpletely change my current situation! Borl nodded without hiding anything.
In the Northern Land, the biggest advantage a noble had wasnd. Estates with ntations and endless supplies of various crops, it was an honorable achievement for those nobles.
Can you get it then? Kieran continued.
Im not sure yet, Ive found some ways but I stillck some true acquaintancesI cant tell whether that guy is reliable or not and that guy is also testing me.
Borl then lowered his voice to the point that only Kieran could hear what he said,
Since Edatine II approved the royal decree that states privatend cannot be vited by private means but the king has the right to inspect them, selling and buyingnd between the nobles is not something new but is limited to the nobles only. Commoners dont even think about it. Some declined nobles would rather starve to death than sellnd tomoners, because even if he would sell it out, he couldnt survive the kings guard. He will be apprehended, stripped of all titles and privileges, and hung to death at the city walls. Those who bought thend will also be hung together and thend will be taken back by the king.
At first, some people tried to take the risk but after Edatine II hung his own uncle, everyone stopped. The royalty of Edatine have zero tolerance of nobles selling and buyingnds, unless a rebellion is happening. So, if I want to buy and, first I must have a legal noble status and its not only me who seeks this status.
Kieran nodded, getting a general picture of how this dungeon world operated.
Borls rivals would never want to see him with a legal noble status, trying to stop Borl by any means necessary.
The robbers and the watchers were the best example of the ill intentions of his rivals.
Those rivals would never give up this easily.
Kieran looked up to the roof of the carriage.
At the roof of the carriage, where the spoils were loaded, a very soft noise sounded.
Chapter 1730 - Gaze
Chapter 1730: Gaze
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The setups that followed were more tightly linked than he thought.
After Kieran picked up on the soft noise, he increased the danger level of Borls rival.
He wasnt in a hurry to make a move though, he wasnt alone anymore.
As for Borl?
He did not notice the soft noise. It was not that his perception wasnt sharp enough but whoever was on their tail blended all the noise into the moving wagon. The noise of the wheels rolling on the ground, the nks from the spoils at the roof of the carriage, everything was meticulously calcted.
Given the circumstances, most people could never notice the uninvited assassin, hence fueling the assassins confidence.
The assassin squinted his eyes at the bodyguard, Aschenkano, his face showing disdain.
Nothing but a dumb big fe, he had at least 10 ways to kill Aschenkano.
The targets in the carriage? He had more than a hundred ways!
A son of a declined businessman who identally got rich because of some lousy tricks, yet he didnt know how to cover his trails and did exactly the opposite by publicly getting himself a noble statusit was suicide!
Plus that helper that came by, what a pity!
He might not even know how he would die, right?
Like a crocodile shedding tears, the assassin showedpassion in his eyes as he took a little box from his pocket.
There were many reasons why he stood out from the manypetitors, and other than his specialty in hiding and going undercover, this little box that was passed down from generation to generation in his family was the most crucial part of it all.
Let the evil spirits devour you!
The assassin opened the box and muttered in his heart.
Ghosts sprung out from the little box, one after another.
The dark sky became darker.
When the ghosts came in contact with the wicked presence, they swiftly grew stronger.
The temperature started to plummet.
Even with the heater inside the carriage, it failed to counter the cold outside.
The wagon stopped the next moment.
Borl wasnt an idiot, noticing something was wrong the very first moment.
Aschenkano!
Borl knocked at the wooden window behind him but he got no reply from his bodyguard. He grabbed his magic musket and looked at Kieran with a questioning gaze.
Lets go down and have a look, Kieran said calmly.
The door of the carriage was pushed open, a cold wind blowing towards Borls face and the coldness sending chills down his boneshis body shivering uncontrobly.
When he saw there were a dozen ghostly figures around the wagon, his face turned sour.
Evil spirits!
1
Borls heart skipped a beat, his hand instinctively reaching out to the bottle of holy water that he spent a fortune on.
Evil spirits, a higher tier ofmon ghosts. Not only could it greatly affect the temperature in its surroundings, a slight touch from the evil beings could cause frostbite and a longer touch would easily freeze a grown man.
However, the mentioned attacking methods required direct contact. The most fearsome part of an evil spirit was its shriek, which could affect peoples mental state.
It required no contact, all it required was the target to be within the proximity.
Anyone who heard the shriek would die!
Coupled with a telekinesis ability, dropping cupboards or beds from the air was deadly enough, but it still had invisibility and a phasing ability. In short, the evil spirit could easily catch people off guard.
One needed to know that the invisibility and phasing ability of an evil spirit might share simrities with amon ghost but theirs were at a higher level. They were no longer exposed by higher temperatures and their phasing speed was as fast as a gale.
The most troublesome thing was that evil spirits had their own consciousness.
Thats right!
Evil spirits were no longer a mindless soul like amon ghost. Not only did they have normal consciousness, one could be very cunning too, doing things like deceiving humans to prey on them weremon predatory methods for them.
Therefore, even if one had a countering item, going up against an evil spirit would still prove difficult.
Now 10 at once?!
Borls heart beat like a war drum but it quickly calmed down because of Kieran.
What was the ming Devil famous for?
Everyone in the big city would say his mes and me would be the bane of the evil spirits.
Evil spirits could resistmon high temperatures but were certainly unable to fight the Devil me. So Borl heaved a breath of relief at the fact but promptly, he realized something wasnt right.
The evil spirits that surrounded the wagon looked a little different than those evil spirits that he faced in the past.
They shared a simr presence, but they were not so... smart?
Doubts lingered in his heart but he worried about his bodyguard more. Borl then looked at Kieran, and after he realized there wasnt any reaction from Kieran, he mustered up enough courage and shouted, Aschenkano?!
He got no obvious reply but he heard...snoring?
Loud snoring like drills working came from the wagoners seat.
He fell asleep?!
Borl jolted before he heaved a breath of relief.
He didnt want anything to happen to his bodyguard. It wasnt just because of how strong he was but also his absolute loyalty.
On the other hand, the assassin chuckled coldly when he saw Borls reaction.
He was concerned about his bodyguard despite the timing?
What a fool!
After the harshment, the assassin gave an order to his evil spirits.
Tear them to smithereens!
His order echoed among the evil spirits but none reacted to it, like they were translucent statues.
The assassin jolted, never having encountered this before.
Tear them to smithereens!!
Again, a new order was given but simr to the first time, the evil spirits did not react.
A bad feeling came afloat the assassins heart, lowering his body and looking into the carriage.
Then, he saw his targets helper.
The helper was looking at him with a calm and cold gaze.
Im exposed!
The assassins heart turned cold in an instant, and after losing control of his evil spirits, the assassin didnt care anymore and wanted to run away.
But before he could make a move, pain struck the back of his neck.
Pak!
The assassin fell off the carriage roof.
The startled Borl quickly turned his musket to the fallen assassin.
Bloody Mary, who hid in the shadows, tossed the stick away and pped the dirt off its hands, looking at the unconscious assassin with a disdainful smile.
Due to the bits of memory from its early days, Bloody Mary looked down upon these kinds of unskilled assassins.
True strength is what one possessed, relying on items to achieve power was nothing but false power.
Even more so when the said item wasnt even that powerful to begin with.
Trash! Bloody Marymented on the assassin.
After it cleaned its hands, it carefully picked up the little box, jumping off the carriage roof and presenting it respectfully to Kieran with the utmost respect.
No matter how strong the item was, it wasnt its decision to make, it was his boss loot.
Bloody Mary knew it by heart.
Kieran took the box from the Superior Demon.
[Name: Box of Trickery]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attack: Average]
[Defense: Strong]
[Attribute: Disguise Evil Spirit]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: Spirit C+]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: The one who created this box just wanted to y a harmless prank but it wasnt funny at all when he died under the arrows of the Demon Hunter.]
.....
[Disguise Evil Spirit: Collect mindless ghosts in the box to transform them into controble souls, disguised as evil spirits. The presence could reach a very simr level to an evil spirit but it only has one tenth of an evil spirits power. Able to disguise a soul once per week and unable to revert after disguise. The controller has to go through a Spirit C+ authentication during each control session, collected numbers cannot exceed 10 and when the maximum number is reached the controller has to undergo an extra B- Spirit authentication every week. Number of disguise evil spirit: 10]
...
Exactly like its name! Kieranmented.
Though Kieran did not throw it away, he kept it in his pocket instead..
Never underestimate any items, you never knew when you could use them.
Kieran believed the saying heavily, even more so when it could be exchanged for Points and Skill Points.
Go do your work, Kieran gave an order in his heart.
Bloody Mary bowed, nodded, and then vanished in front of Borl.
Borl looked envious at the vanished Superior Demon.
ming Devil having a powerful follower was not a secret in the big city, anyone could spend a little points to get their hands on the news but as for what kind of follower, no one knew.
Was that it?
A demon-like follower that can hide at will and mastered high-tier assassin techniques?
Borl wondered in his heart.
His mind couldnt help but paint a bigger picture: when the ming Devil is locked in a fierce fight with his foe, a dagger woulde from the dark.
Borl shrunk his neck in fear, quickly shaking his head.
We are friends, we are on the same boat! He is on my side!
Borl told himself.
Sir Colin, what are we going to do next? Borl did not act on his own.
Wake your bodyguard, answered Kieran.
Borl went over and woke his bodyguard right away.
Why do I feel like Ive drank Water of Life?
Aschenkano shook his head after he opened his eyes to expel the dizziness, but when he saw the captured assassin on the ground, he finally knew what happened.
I was knocked out by this bastard? Damn it! Aschenkano grunted fiercely, wanting to stab the assassin with his halbert but was stopped by Borl.
Wait! We still need to ask some questions, said Borl.
Unlike how he woke up his bodyguard, Borl delivered a kick to the assassins stomach.
The pain woke the assassin right away.
After he realized he was tied up and his attempts at escaping were futile, the assassin clenched his teeth and said, Kill me, I wont say anything!
Oh, kill him then, Kieran waved at Aschenkano.
The bodyguard was eager to carry out the order, raising his halbert high.
The assassin jolted at the sharp halbert raised up in the air.
What? You are going to kill me just because I say so? Shouldnt you ask questions or interrogate me?
Not only the assassin, even Borl was caught off guard.
So this is how the ming Devil works?
Aschenkano on the other hand smiled ferociously and swung his halbert down.
WAIT! Ill talk!
The assassin shouted loudly at the swinging halbert but Aschenkano went all out on that swing. It was impossible for him to hold the sh back, he couldnt even if he wanted to, but Kieran slid in and held the halbert, stopping right before the assassins head.
Fuuuu!
The halbert was stopped but the gust of wind that followed made the assassin cry and snot. Looking at the sharp end of the halbert, which was less than a centimeter away from his head, his energy slipped away and he even peed his pants.
Kieran slightly stepped away.
Ill leave him to you, Kieran told Borl before he went back to the carriage.
He was not interested in the uing confession because he knew the assassin didnt know much.
The assassin was hired muscle, he was nothing but a self-righteous fool, and even if he managed to kill Borl, his death would follow shortly.
The one who put Aschenkano to sleep without his knowing would surely silently kill the assassin after the job.
Now?
Hope he could have a good time.
Kieran added some coal into the heater, the temperature in the carriage rising. He took the teapot on the heater and poured a cup of tea for himself.
A sip of the sweet and sour tea made him squint his eyes.
He missed Starbeck.
1
Regardless of time and ce, Starbeck was always able to surprise him.
He could use the simplest ingredients to cook the best of food.
If this tea was made by Starbeck... it would taste a few times better, right?
Kieran thought in his heart but he could not bring Starbeck with him to his world.
Even if he could, he wouldnt.
Getting caught up in Brokers schemes was not something good.
Kieran ttered himself that he had to be careful at all times. If he would bring Starbeck along, his little brother would surely distract him. So to Starbeck, returning to the big city was the safest way and Kieran already got solid confirmation from Bloody Mary.
I should have gone back to the city and visited Starbeck for good food, yet I am stuck here searching for a way to break your schemes...Tsk, Broker, our debt grows deeper, Kieran grinned coldly.
He decided to add an extra kick to Brokers face when he had the chance to finally kill him.
As though they sensed Kierans killer intentions, the misty wicked presence in the area trembled, naturally wanting to affect Kierans emotion but it did not work, even after multiple attempts.
Kieran was like a monolith standing there without any emotions, even Gluttony, who was always hungry, went silent.
Many more times, the invisible tomoners misty wicked presence boiled like water, but it still couldnt affect Kieran.
Kieran had been through the roars of the devil and the whisper of the cardinal sins, his spirit was like tempered steel, its tenacity far beyond what anyone could imagine.
Soon, after many futile attempts, the wicked mist returned to normal.
BUT!
Ten secondster, an unknown gaze from the sky started to search the area.
The gaze nced over Borl, Aschenkano, and the unconscious assassin, finallynding on Kieran, who was sitting in the carriage. The gaze examined Kieran carefully a few times and somehow determined he wasnt the anomaly, then swiftly went away.
The gaze headed towards the direction where Bloody Mary had disappeared.
Kieran held his thoughts back, picking up his cup of tea as if he did not notice the gaze, and under the cover of his hand, he curled up his lips into a grin.
Chapter 1731 - Why Me Again?!
Chapter 1731: Why Me Again?!
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Bloody Mary had quite the attainments in hunting down its enemies.
In fact, not just hunting, ambush, stealing, poisoning, assassination, all were part of its forte and it wasnt just because of its natural talents and skills, it was also part of its broken memories.
I am an assassin.
I have no feelings.
I am cold and blood-thirsty.
Based on the fragmented memories in its mind, Bloody Mary concluded its past life, which somehow existed.
Then... there was no then after that. Other than taking experience from its fragmented memories, the rest never affected Bloody Mary.
It was still a Superior Demon, shackled by countless contracts, longing for a true holiday and yearning to sunbathe at the beach.
As for the feelings in the memory, they were non-existent.
Those fragmented memories were like a book to Bloody Mary, it was reading someone elses life and it would never be its own.
Though the experience that it absorbed from there proved very useful. When coupled with its talent and skills, it was like a tiger with wings.
Bloody Mary got closer to its target as it hid in the air.
Its target was hiding underneath an area of frozennd.
Based on the color of the ground, Bloody Mary was certain that this area was the hiding spot that its target had prepared earlier.
It wasnt just secretive, it was loaded with manyyers of traps.
Hiding nearby? Not a bad choice indeed.
Bloody Marymented on the targets hideout and then dived into the ground and went through half a meter of disguises before it reached the secret hideout.
It was very easy for the Superior Demon though, like eating and drinking.
Bloody Mary saw its target curled up on the ground, like it was hibernating.
It wasnt in any hurry though. Bloody Mary removed the pouch at the targets waist, and then the dagger by its hand and another one hidden in the boots.
After disarming the target, Bloody Mary dragged him down into the ground.
The sudden changes caught the target, in his special condition, off guard.
Suffocation forged the target to open his eyes, trying to break free from Bloody Mary but it was useless. Bloody Mary wasnt afraid of this kind of lousy attack, so it dragged the target deeper into the ground.
It finally stopped when the target passed out due to suffocation.
Bloody Mary pulled the target back to the surface, but not entirely.
Only the targets head was pulled back, the rest of his body was still buried underground.
Amon man would have died from suffocation after being buried like that, yet the target slowly woke up.
When the target opened his eyes, he saw Bloody Mary in itsmon man disguise. He started to recall what had happened and after the realization, the assassin, who was an amateur in Bloody Marys view, looked ugly.
The assassin puckered his lips tightly, knowing why Bloody Mary kept him alive and because of that, he would not speak, at least not now.
Can we talk? Bloody Mary spoke slowly.
The assassin buried in the ground kept quiet, even closing his eyes.
Bloody Mary grinned at the uncooperative attitude.
Do you know? You are lucky that you ran into me, not my boss. If it was my boss, you would already be a dead man. But me? I am not that rough, said Bloody Mary. It then mimicked Kieran by snapping its fingers.
Its special skill [Illusion] shrouded the assassin right away.
Closing his eyes did him no good, it suited Bloody Mary even more.
Tik, Tok, Tik, Tok.
Water drops sounded in the assassins ears, a very familiar smell entering his nose and as a qualified assassin, he was certain that it was the smell of blood, very fresh blood.
Dak, Dak, Dak.
The noise of boots stepping on blood entered his ears, the footsteps heavy, probably belonging to a rather fat person, the person within his proximity.
As the footsteps closed in and the smell of blood got heavier, the assassin couldnt help but open his eyes.
He saw a two meters tall bloated figure with a bloody apron in front, holding a sharp meat cleaver and a meat hook in both of its hand. Behind the bloody figure was an unlucky bastard with its throat ripped open, hanging upside downblood spurted out from the throat and it was almost drained, the remaining blood on the body dripping on the floor. It was the noise and smell from earlier.
The assassin looked around with a nk gaze.
His new surroundings seemed to be a windowless room, there was a sealed iron door further away, and all four walls were heavily stained by blood, meat chunks all over the floor as though it was a ughterhouse.
Was I buried in the ground?
Why am I here?
The assassin wanted to move his arms and legs but he suddenly realized he was tightly strapped to a metal chair, he couldnt even budge a muscle.
The struggling noise attracted the bloated figure.
Oh, youre awake now. Dont worry, it will be your turn soon, said the bloated figure as it grinded the sharp meat cleaver against its hook.
The hook was ck and emanated a cold, eerie presence, and as it was grinded against the sharp meat cleaver, sparks flew out.
His pupils shrunk, suddenly realizing the hook with the body hanging over it and the ck hook in the bloated figures hand were exactly the same.
Then, before he could even react, the bloated figure grabbed him by the back of his neck, pressed him down and exposed his back. The assassin tried to resist but the strength on him was ridiculously powerful, none of his struggles were useful.
He heard the butcher figureugh ferociously, but the most irritating noise was from the swinging hook.
Fuuung!
Pam!
The noise was seamless together, showing off how skilled the butcher was and how merciless it could be. When immense pain spread throughout his body, the assassin couldnt hold it anymore and shrieked panfully, Aaaaaarh! Stop it!
He shouted at the butcher but it was useless. The butcher continued what it was doing: perforating his body with the meat hook.
The assassin felt that icy cold meat hook shuttled through his body, piercing his ribs andtching onto his spine.
He finally understood the usage of those tiny little spikes on the meat hook.
For every inch the hook moved through his body, the tiny spikes would cause excruciating pain.
When the hook finally stopped moving, his body was drenched in cold sweat. Even when the butcher released him from his chains, he could not move a muscle. He allowed the butcher to hang him on the iron chains from the ceiling.
Fuaa!
The chains ttered, the momentum extending towards that lifeless unlucky bastard and causing its body to turn around, its soulless and morbid eyesnding straight into the assassins.
Unknowingly, panic rose in the assassins heart.
He saw a lot of dead people before, he even took many lives with his own hands but he never knew a dead person would look so scary.
Looking at the dead man, he thought of himself.
He might end up like the dead man a few secondster.
No! NO WAY!
He shouted in his heart.
Wait! You cant do this to me! We can reach an ord, a deal if you may! I give you what you want and you release me, how about that? said the assassin.
The butcher who was moving the chair jolted, looking up to the assassin, its ugly face showing a weird mocking smile.
Are you an idiot? Did you forget how you ended up in this ce? Think carefully, it must be in your memories, replied the butcher.
Being hung up in the air, the assassin was stupefied by the question, muttersing out from his mouth.
My hideout was exposed, I was captured, interrogated, and I lost my value. Then I was sent here... NO! I have lost my value! I still have something that I havent revealed! You people still dont know who hired me!
The assassin shouted loudly as he recalled the scenes that had happened.
He didnt care about the so-called assassins code anymore, surviving was the only concern in his mind now.
He hoped that his butcher would deliver the intel on the mastermind, who he was about to reveal, to the higher ups and then, he would get the leverage to negotiate.
From there, he could live another day.
However, against his expectations, the butcher shook its head.
No, this is not workable, said the butcher in a decisive tone.
You dont know how important this intel can be, you have no idea...
I know, very clearly in fact. Isnt the mastermind Duke N?
The bloated butcher waved its hand and stopped the assassin.
The assassin jolted, looking at the butcher in disbelief.
How did you find out? he asked.
How did I find out? A good questionyou told me yourself!
The bloated butcher then snapped its fingers and the ughterhouse went away.
The assassin was still buried in the ground and standing in front of him was still the man who captured him.
I-Illusion!? The assassin stuttered and then swiftly shook his head, No! Impossible! Impossible! That is not an illusion, THIS IS!
Yes, this is just an illusion!
Bloody Mary showed disdain at its captive, who tried to hypnotize himself.
Looks strong, but just on the outside. He cant even stand a blow. A lousy fe who tries to escape reality, how the hell can he be a great assassin? Useless trash.
[Demon Instinct] provided an insight of the assassins mind to Bloody Mary. It didnt care anymore after getting the name. It then looked at the misty wicked presence in the area.
While the assassin was muttering on his own, the misty wicked presence started to rumble restlessly.
A secondter, it gushed into the assassins body.
The mist shrouded the assassins head only and the little mutters became a loud shout.
YES!
THIS IS NOT MY FAULT!
THE WORLD IS AT FAULT, NOT ME!
With that in the air, the assassins body expanded rapidly, scales growing on his skin and hismon looking face starting to distort, all facial features going out of ce during the transformation.
The ground that was holding him back was easily broken free with the increase in size.
I will correct this fault!
He jumped up on the ground, shouting furiously at the sky.
His body grew to two meters tall and the shout sounded like a p of thunder.
He then started to search for Bloody Mary, the first wrong that he had to correct!
Right when he lowered his head, a palm came from behind him and grazed his beck.
The monsterfied assassin maintained its posture of shouting into the sky, its body frozen straight, but the head was silently twisted off from its body by Bloody Mary.
Spurt!
Blood spurted out from the neck and gushed into the sky.
Bloody Mary dodged the bloody rain like it was taking a stroll in its backyard, simply tossing the head away.
Enemies without basicmon sense are the easiest to deal with.
While it wasmenting on the monsterfied assassin, the misty wicked presence flowed out from the body and Bloody Mary was sure that the wicked presence was stronger and thicker than before.
Devoured? No, doesnt seem right. Boss clone is not that cheap and ineffective, this should be... assimtion!
A term shed over Bloody Marys mind.
It then picked up the loot and prepared to return to its boss.
At that very moment, an unknown gaze that came down from the sky was scanning the area,ing closer to the scene and making Bloody Mary squint its eyes.
The gaze came from the direction of the boss, meaning the boss must have noticed this gaze yet he didnt inform me, which also means I am once again treated as a pathfinding pebble.
Bloody Mary missed the West Coast and its sun again.
Why me again?
Pride, Sloth, and Gluttony are around!
They can do it too!
I dont want to die a horrible death every time!
Bloody Mary was crying in its heart but its movement wasnt slow at all. Right before the gaze came close enough, it pretended to notice the gaze and run for it.
The gaze paused for a moment and then started to chase Bloody Mary, like a hunting hound discovering a fox.
...
Nicely done.
Kieran in the carriage saw the scene through the power of the contract. He couldnt help but slow p for Bloody Mary, as if he was cheering for Bloody Marys reaction.
Hope theres something good.
Kieran thought in his heart before he looked out the carriage window.
The interrogation of that assassin was over. Borl did not get what he wanted, not even the least bit of useful information.
The assassin took the mission from the Bounty Guild.
I never thought my head was worth 500 Gold Purton.
Borl frowned and said after he returned to the carriage, the captive dealt with and Aschenkano told to continue moving.
Is that a lot? Kieran asked.
He thought it was necessary to understand the mary value of this dungeon world.
It was what a good solo yer must do, it had nothing to do with his instinct.
Its quite a lot to amoner! A brand new musket cost around three Gold Purton, a healthy, strong woodcutter that works at the outskirts of Mozaar receives around eight to 10 Copper Krak a day as sry. In Mozaar, a whole load of ck bread costs 6 Copper Krak. Its a little more expensive in Edatine, probably around 7 Copper Krak. People in Edatine also work with a higher wage. 20 Copper Krak for one Silver Sol, 16 Silver Sol for one Gold Purton. You can roughly calcte how much my head is worth in Copper Krak. The dukeship that I am buying is only 3000 Gold Purton, Borl bitterly smiled.
8,000 Silver Sol.
16,000 Copper Krak.
Around 26,666 loaves of ck bread.
Kieran got an answer as he was very sensitive towards numbers.
He paused for a while and pointed at the spoils above the wagon.
How much are my spoils worth? Kieran asked seriously.
Probably around 70 to 80 Gold Purton.
Borl also became serious as he sharply noticed the change of Kierans tone.
What about my captive? Kieran continued.
We have to see whether he has a bounty or not, but with the likes of him, there usually is. Plus he is still alive, so the number wont be too little, Borl said after some careful thought.
Borl might be overthinking but he felt after he gave a precise answer, the ming Devil seemed a little... happier?
Could he be concerned about how much money he could get for his spoils?
No way!
Impossible!
How could the infamous ming Devil care aboutmon currency?
There must be some secrets that Borl hadnt noticed.
Borl started to search around and ponder deeply in hopes of finding the differences that he missed.
Chapter 1732 - Aspiration
Chapter 1732: Aspiration
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Borl did not find anything, even when the wagon had reached Sircar Land.
In the end, he med himself for not being sharp enough.
He assumed that Kieran must have noticed something.
Shortly after they reached Sicar Land, Borl tossed the thoughts aside because a group of riders came up to their wagon.
The group had 50 riders, all equipped with iron breasttes, with muskets on their backs and swords at their waists, extra crossbows at their saddles. The group of riders were fully equipped, not just in terms or arsenals but killer intentions too.
On their breastte was the sword emblem representing the viscount of Sicar, and above that was the blood-stained sword, which was the emblem of War God Temple.
The viscount of Sicar was a devoted believer of the God of War, so it was natural that his house emblem would fall under the War God Temple emblem.
Good morning sir.
The leader of the riders greeted Borl courteously, his eyes sizing up Aschenkano and the spoils on the roof plus the captive. His gaze showed vignce but also jealousy.
The vignce came from the instinct to battle, the jealousy also came from the instinct of battle.
Battle makes us strong and wealthy but death wille alongthe famous saying from War God Temple had etched itself into the hearts of all Northerners.
Good morning to you.
Borl pushed the door open and walked down. He did not remove his leather coat, clenching his fist and knocking on his chest lightly as a salutation.
The salutation of War God Temple lowered the leaders vignce a little and when Borl took the identifications to prove his and Kierans identities, the leader finally eased up.
After that, an extra bottle of wine was given to the leader, putting a smile on the leaders face.
Brewed wine from Mozaar, Borl said with a smile.
Leather coats and wine, the best of Mozaar!
The leader nodded with a smile before he lowered his voice and continued, Sicar Land isnt safetely, some bastards are looking for problems, with or without reason. Best for you to reach the town before sundown, and when you go in, tell them you are Carls friends, you will be treated like you deserve.
Thank you very much, Sir Carl.
Borl knocked his chest lightly again and a small pouch of coins fell off his sleeve, it was subtly hung over the horse saddle of the leader.
The leader smiled as a reply, lightly knocking his chest and then led the rest of the riders towards the direction where the wagon came from.
Borl saw the riders off before he returned to the carriage.
I really have to thank Father Mona. If it wasnt for the multiple identity proof, we would be in trouble just now. The riders of Sicar Land wont simply ride out, something must have happened in the area, Borl spoke softly and then looked at Kieran.
Borl thought Kieran should know about this, since the ming Devil did notice something he did not.
Were the riders of Sicar attracted by the robbers they killed earlier?
Stop joking.
If it really was because of that, the riders wouldnt be so polite.
Kieran picked up his teacup calmly while being stared at.
Something must have happened, but as for what, Kieran would never tell Borl or anyone else.
Things that involve a God should remain as thoughts and thoughts alone. Any kind ofments towards the divine should be buried in ones heart. It would be the safest option, wouldnt it?
Going up against a God head on?
Not at the moment, it wasnt necessary just yet.
Kieran needed more information, not a sudden fight with a God.
More so, his greatest, highest value, fearless, undying and adaptivepanion had gone out to try and make contact. Kieran believed Bloody Mary would soon return with news.
Kieran didnt say anything and Borl dared not ask anything.
We will continue our journey then. Giddy up!
Borl tapped the window behind him and told his bodyguard.
Alright Mr. Borl! We will reach Sicar before sundown! Ill have to go write a letter to that Old Mona at War God Temple and also send him some money from this trip. It should be enough for him to buy a new set of fur-coats and stock up some meat, said Aschenkano.
The wagon then continued forward and it was faster than before.
Father Mona, Aschenkanos foster parent, a working priest at the War God Temple at the edge of Mozaar, the only clergy recognized by the War God Temple of Edatine Castle and also a very kind old man.
Kieran heard about the father from Borl earlier.
ording to what Borl said, he gained a lot of help from the father, not just the powerful bodyguard but also some guidance during the early stages.
Of course, the help also included those identifications.
In the Northern Land, nothing was better than the identification from War God Temple, even Edatine royalty was lower than a single temple, let alone the lords of the variousnds.
The identifications from respective lords could only be used in their respectivends. Once out of theirnds, one has to be careful not to stumble into a rival, or even hostile,nd.
It would only attract problems.
Borl had expected this since the beginning, using Monas identity as priest to get identifications from War God Temple and just to be on the safe side, even preparing extras.
Kieran epted his own identification from Borl.
The identification had no portrait, only a rough sketch, below the sketch was the name and a simple description: Colin, a young man with dark hair, dark eyes.
The sketch was actually ast minute work from Borl. It was considered good, not exactly lively, but it matched Kierans characteristics.
Sir Colin, its best for you to hold on to it at all times. The identification checking here can be rougher than you thoughtalthough the gaze from God wasnt around at the moment, we should continue to watch the evil of the mortal realm on behalf of God. It was amandment carried out by both War God Temple and Lady Cmitys believers. Even the lords of variousnds believed it as well. After all, no one would like something weird to happen to theirnds.
Borl reminded Kieran before he looked towards the heater and added more coal inside.
Winter in the north was extremely cold, especially on the outskirts of Mozaar, Sicar and Edatine Castle. If choices were avable, most nobles would go to Levia to spend their winter, including royalty.
However, not this year because Edatine VI had just released a royal decree.
Kieran leaned back in his seat and adjusted his posture to afortable one before listening to what Borl had to say.
He finally understood the reason why Borl and Lawless could be friends, it must be the single trait that the two of them shared: being talkative.
Lawless was the obvious kind, he could talk for hours without stopping.
Borl was the subtle kind, was quiet in the big city but going out of control once he entered a dungeon world, like now.
The wagon kept on moving as Borl spurted his stories non-stop in the warm carriage.
After the ck Cataclysm wreaked havoc across the region, many weird things happened throughout Northern Land. When I first came here, I heard non-stop babbling in my ears, regardless of day or night and I was sure it wasnt an overreaction or some ghosts. I didnt know what it was and I couldnt sleep for three days. In the end, I went to War God Temple and asked for Father Mona, and with his help, I broke free from the whispers. Sir Colin, do you know what it might be? Besides that, when I followed the merchant convoy in crossing the borderline of Mozaar for the first time, I heard the babbles again at night during camp, even more obvious than before. Fortunately, I had the blessing rune from Father Mona. I held it tight that night andsted until sunrise. The babbles finally went away, but other than myself, everyone in the convoy went missing! They left their goods behind and vanished without a sign. And, and... Borl continued.
Father Mona and the blessing rune were repeatedly mentioned throughout Borls stories.
The priest even yed a crucial role in saving Borl everytime, piquing Kierans curiosity.
Can I have a look at that rune? Kieran asked.
Of course, Borl did not reject the request, taking out the rune.
It was a cobblestone as big as a palm, many lines carved on it, making it hard to tell what the lines formed. It was messy yet maintained a certain pattern and it wasnt that hideous to look at.
However, after Kieranid eyes on it, he somehow felt... repulsed.
He felt repulsive and disgusted towards the rune but did not feel any danger, neither was there malicious intent. It was like looking at a big pile of poop in front of him with flies swirling on top, the repulsive and disgusting feeling rising from the bottom of his heart.
Kieran frowned and leaned back further.
Sir Colin, do you want to hold it? Borl pushed the rune closer to Kieran.
Nope, please keep it, Ive felt how extraordinary it is, Kieran rejected it quickly.
Of course it is, Father Mona said as long as I dont do something ridiculous when I encounter strange things, it will ensure my safety.
After getting assurance from Kieran, Borl treated the rune in his hand with extra care, caressing it carefully and then putting it within his arms like a baby.
Kieran saw how Borl reacted, pulling his teacup back a little and trying to stay away from him.
He didnt want Borl touching his teacup or him anymore, but... Borl had already touched them.
Unknowingly, Kieran felt repulsive, holding the thought of purifying it with Devil me and forcing his thoughts to spread out.
Borl saw Kieran in deep thought, wisely shutting up and adding more coal to the heater, making the carriage warmer.
The warmth in the carriage during winter energized Kierans thought very much.
First, he had locked down on one point: this world had changed after the ck Cataclysm.
Since this world had Gods, the changes of the world would mean the changes with the Gods, without a doubt.
The authority of the Old Gods were challenged, the New Gods growing stronger day by day.
Amid the conflict, some unknown and strange fe jumped into the mix.
It might be a Demon God, it might be a demon or even a devil, it might possibly be a... human!
Those strange fes started to create chaos in hopes to maximize their gains and regardless of who they really were, they had their eyes on their own turf. They werent just highly nervous, they even tested out each other and because of the intense rtionship, when Kieran sent out some sirens, some rted parties quickly responded.
Kieran was no longer a newbie, so he concluded what he had on his hand and then squinted his eyes.
What are those wicked misty things? Kieran muttered to himself.
Sincemoners couldnt see it, it should be a part of the supernatural, yet this world had Gods roaming in the sky, so anything supernatural or transcendent would easily rte itself with the divine.
That gaze back there, is it from War God Temple? Kieran was unsure with his spections.
He couldnt find connections between the wicked mist and the War God Temple, despite the God of War being evil and ughtering for sport.
It didnt justck the test of blood and fire of the battlefield, it didnt even have the presence of war. All the wicked mist had was indescribable strangeness and it seemed very fitting to that Lady Cmity.
Is it her, then? Kieran spected and then thought of the fully armed riders from earlier.
If it was really Lady Cmitys handy work, the fight in this world would be much fiercer than he had imagined.
With any movements from the one side, the other side would immediately react by sending troops out.
Its already that intense?
Kieran crossed his arms, putting his elbows on the table and covering his nose and mouth.
He was wondering whether or not Broker had a hand in all this.
Therefore, he sent a new order to Bloody Mary, who had just phased into the ground: actively participate in conflict.
...
Actively participate? Im just a demon, not a God! My generous, great, grand, powerful boss, can you let me live my normal way!?
Hiding in the ground to escape the gaze, Bloody Mary prayed and begged Kieran.
Kieran, however, replied very decisively, No. Demon is not a human, you cant live a life.
His straightforward words almost made Bloody Mary cry on the spot.
It knew it wasnt human, but it had rights at least?
24 hours per day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year without break. Fine.
Aside from that, no sry, no bonus. Fine.
But could it at least get some respect?
What a bully! What a tyrant!
If I dont do something to oppose this, I am not a demon!
Hurry up and work, Kierans calm voice sounded in its head again.
Okay boss, ready to serve with all my best!
Bloody Mary bowed respectfully before it went to work
As for the grumble in its mind?
What grumbles? Those were just pranks!
But of course, not all were pranks.
At least it was really working hard to carry out its boss order.
Bloody Mary sensed that patrolling gaze was going away, so it decided to show itself. Its face was pale at the moment, as if it had just suffered from a repulsion, its body bulging left and right, like it was hiding something inside and the something could burst out any moment.
Anyone who saw how ugly Bloody Mary was would believe something extreme was going on inside its body.
Despite its state, Bloody Mary ran at full speed.
The moment it sprung out of the ground, it ran towards the direction where the wagon rode away.
COMMENT
In the same direction, that fully armed rider squad was riding closer.
Chapter 1733 - Sicar
Chapter 1733: Sicar
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The group of 50 riders rode like lightning and gale, ayer of faint radiance shining from their armor, lifting their weight a lot and even granting their horses magical powers.
The faint radiance was a spell unique to War God Temple, allowing the galloping horses to regenerate their stamina even during traveling.
To the believers of the God of War, a horse was the best partner they could ask for.
Some believers only picked one horse throughout their life and would even spend countless magical ingredients to prolong their horses life span and power; Carl was one of them.
The horse Carl was riding was the one that he had been meticulously training and rearing since he was 15.
From the age of 15 to 20, Carl had never slept on a bed, sleeping on the grass with his horse. His horse was around him even when he trained in swordsmanship during the day, meal time included.
It was fair to say that Carl and his horse had developed a strong bond in the 5 years.
With the feeding of countless magical ingredients, the value of his horse would cause a dozenmon families to go bankrupt overnight.
The reason why Carl could afford the rearing was because Carl originated from a traditional noble family in Sicar and he was also rted to the viscount of Sicar, his mother being the younger sister of the viscount.
However, the reason Carl was able to be themander of this elite rider group wasnt because of his uncle, it was his true strength that got him promoted.
He relied on the sword in his hand to fend off challenges from his fellow soldiers, who were not convinced of his strength.
After being ever-victorious, he was promoted to themander of the riders.
A rich family background, a vast knowledge in every field, and having a self-contained inheritance.
This was the traditional noble family of the Northern Land.
As for their virtues, they werent exactly noble but by no means despicable either.
As a believer of God of War, Carl had his own bottomline, therefore he split the Silver Sol he got from Borl to his men.
His men showed even more respect to Carl.
Powerful yet generous in giving to his men, no man would dislike a superior like Carl.
Therefore, when Carl gave the order to ride full speed ahead, not a single riderined, despite maintaining the speed for almost 2 hours straight.
Suddenly, Carl straightened his bent over body and raised his hand.
All the riders following Carl in stopped, and none of them saying anything. They drew their swords, lit up their muskets, and watched the surroundings vigntly, every one of them having a role to y in the group.
The pinewood forest on the icynd was quiet at noon.
The sunlight slightly hid behind the clouds, ayer of thin mist started to shroud this path to the outskirts of Mozaar once more.
Carl locked his gaze further ahead, feeling something wasing closer.
It was very subtle yet it emanated a very repulsive presence.
Could it be those bastards from the dark trench?
Carl gripped his sword tighty, the ruby at the crossguard shining brightly.
The icynd immediately felt hotter and it came from ones heart, like the boiling courage of a warrior going into battle.
The blood of the riders boiled at that very moment, seeming to have acquired endless courage from the warmth.
With the support from the extra courage, their strength and speed were enhanced to different extents. Their sight was also enhanced, the riders holding the muskets able to see clearer and farther.
Bang Bang Bang!
Without a second thought, the muskets were fired.
They didnt need to report the shot either because Carl granted them permission.
It was the best option that a veteran of the battlefield could provide, understanding that many unstable variables gued the battlefield, things changing in a split second during conflict and it was something that could only be tempered through countless battles.
The burst of the fire powder sprayed the pellets out of the muzzle.
Even though the muskets the riders wielded werent the heavy type, after being loaded with 2 ounces of fire powder, its firepower could rival a heavy musket that required 2.5 ounce of fire powder.
Plus, with the meticulous crafting from War God Temple, these muskets were better and more reliable than many others, not just in terms of firepower but its precision was also at the next level. It was loved by many, especially for its self-defense ability.
The muskets had never let their wielder down, including this time.
Pak!
Everyone heard the pellets hitting something and the following noise of the target falling to the ground, the riders even saw a blurry figure fall down further away.
Carl smiled, giving a big thumbs up to his men who fired and then waved in front.
Carls aide led 5 riders forward to investigate the fallen target.
Carl and the others stayed back and formed a perimeter while they waited for results from their peers.
This wasnt some improvisedmands though, it was done through shifts.
Carl and his aide yed the part of leader every time and the other 5 riders took turns leading their own small group.
There was nothing special in this, even if Carl was a noble.
The God of War disliked a coward and the soldiers would never follow a coward into battle.
Carls aide brought 5 riders into the mist, the mist rumbling fiercely and suddenly turning thick. The blurry view of the pine woods and paths disappeared altogether.
The mist came alive and jumped towards the remaining riders.
Carls heart throbbed, quickly warning his men, Heads up!
A loud warningter, Carl held his sword tighter, the ruby on its crossguard shining brighter.
The rumbling mist immediately stopped in front of the group but a vine snuck through everyones sight and headed to the hooves of Carls horse quietly. After that, the vine jumped up like a venomous viper and went straight for Carls back.
Carl did not notice the sudden attack at all, but his horse did. The horse jumped up with all four of its hooves and nimbly dodged the sudden attack.
Carl immediately went along with the motion and swung the sword out.
Kachak!
The vine was chopped down.
A spark of me burned at the cut where the green sap gushed, the me spreading with exceptional speed and the cut vine was burned into cinders in an instant. The other part with the roots waspletely engulfed in fire.
Aaaaa!
Everyone was d to hear the agonizing scream.
The first group of musket riderspleted their reloads, and together with the second group, they pointed their musket at the source of the scream.
Carl touched his horses neck with utmost gratitude.
It wasnt the first time his horse saved him, every single time just as critical and dangerous as thest.
Because of that, Carl liked to sleep with his horse and that was the reason why he was still single, despite already being 30 in age.
The horse, however, stomped its hooves when Carl touched its neck, trying to tell Carl its worries.
Something ising! Leave now!
What? Whats wrong, Phernesa?
Themunication between Carl and his horse had always been smooth, yet in this particr moment, he couldnt hear what Phernesa was trying to tell him, feeling like his ear was ringing or someone else was bbering in his ears.
Something ising! Leave now!
Phernesa grew anxious, clearly feeling something horrifying was approaching, bearing malicious intent. Carl, who it shared a connection with, was affected by the presence despite the target not having shown up yet, but Phernesa couldnt do anything.
It neighed. It hoped that Carl could understand its warning.
Phernesa, what are you trying to say? Carl still couldnt hear his horse but it didnt stop him from realizing something was wrong.
However, unknowingly, he couldnt act properly or even give orders to his men, because he felt he was doing the right thing.
As for his previous behaviour?
It must be an illusion!
He must be overthinking!
Thats right, overthinking!
Huh? Hardar, why are you guys pointing your muskets at me? Carl looked at his men in confusion.
His men were looking at him like a hungry tiger.
The swords and muskets were all pointed at him, yet none of the riders spoke, their faces hidden under their masks, showing ferocious smiles.
Carl tried to say something but Phernesa couldnt wait anymore, stomping powerfully and bringing its master away. It didnt gallop forward, or backward, instead it galloped to a hill and rode upwards.
The riders with the ferocious smiles did not chase Carl, changing their targets. They looked at their peers around them with a strong gaze, then...
The swords were raised and the muskets were fired.
Blood soaked the icynd, a thick mist gushing up and shrouding everything in an instant. After the mist scattered, a group of elite riders disappeared without a sign, no one knew what happened.
No!
Someone knew! Someone... some demon knew!
Bloody Mary, who hid underground, saw the whole process, frowning hard.
Theres something else in here? Bloody Mary talked to itself.
The disappearance of the riders was not the handy work of that gaze from high above. In fact, when the gaze knew it would eventually encounter the riders, it went away.
However, after the gaze disappeared, something else took its cesomething bloodthirsty.
This bloodthirsty something was not satisfied, not yet, still searching for Bloody Mary, but unfortunately it could not lock onto Bloody Marys whereabouts.
Blind, Bloody Marymented.
Without a second thought, Bloody Mary reported everything it saw to its boss.
As for what cameter, it would be his boss new order.
Before that, it could lie down in the ground peacefully for now.
It might not be long, but a rest is a rest.
Too bad there was no sun underground. If there was a cup of fruit juice, it would be awesome.
I wish there were also some crashing waves.
.....
The wagon reached Sicar around afternoon after riding for a whole morning.
Rather than calling Sicar a city, it was more of a town in Kierans view.
The only difference from a town was its walls were tall and thick, with a lot of patrol soldiers.
As the hub between Edatine Castle and Mozaar, Sicar is very safe and also prosperous, but iparable to Edatine.
Borl introduced the ce after he returned to the carriage.
By mentioning Carls name, the soldiers at the city gate did not bother them at all despite seeing the spoils on the roof and the captive, turning a blind eye.
It seems like Sir Carls name is much more useful than I thought. What a good person, I hope everything is fine with him.
Borl then knocked on the wooden window behind him
Aschenkano, we will go to Anan Hotel, Ive booked a room there.
Alright, Mr. Borl.
It wasnt the first time Aschenkano was in Sicar, skillfully driving the wagon through the streets and alleys and heading to his destination.
The owner of Anan Hotel is very generous and weing. The ce left quite an impression on me since myst visit. Thats why I booked an independent suit this time. We will stop here for a day to tidy up, sell the spoils, and replenish our supplies before we head out to Edatine. You can take a stroll in the city if you have nothing to do. As the transfer hub between Edatine and Mozaar, the market of Sicar is a must visit ce for tourists. Theres also a lot of good stuff on sale here, since not all are willing to travel to Mozaar.
Borl further introduced his n and then took a bulging pouch from the hidden drawer in the carriage, giving it to Kieran.
It was gold, a hundred pieces to be exact.
Kieran got the precise information the moment he held it in his hand.
Your spoils should be worth around 70 to 80 pieces, so consider this an upfront. After I deal with the captive, we will calcte everything again, exined Borl.
Mm, Kieran nodded.
He wasnt worried about being scammed by Borl because Borl was no idiot.
Kieran put the pouch away and looked outside the wagon.
The streets in the city were rather neat, there wasnt any eyesore in sight and even the corners were packed, Kieran automatically shifting his gaze.
Many merchants came and went.
As the biggest hub between Edatine and Mozaar, Sicarcked everything but merchants and goods. Camel cart after camel cart, merchant convoy after merchant convoy, plus a sea of merchants, filled the crowded streets. Armored soldiers were patrolling along the wagons, warning merchants who misced their goods and at the same time watching over the streets, prepared to move in case of anything.
Their man target wasnt the merchants, but the other sneaky bastards who mixed into the fray along with the wagons.
Wanted criminals, robbers, bandits, all were sought after by the soldiers.
As for the local gangsters?
The soldiers were obviously very lenient towards the locals. Kieran spotted a few pickpockets that swam in the sea of merchants and when they passed by the soldiers, they even greeted them politely.
Kieran didnt step in and be a busybody.
Every ce had their own set of rules and he was happy to follow them, given that the locals kept a distance from his own rules.
The wicked presence in the city is much less strong. It still lingers but it isnt as frightening as the misty state in the wilderness. But... something else has changed!
Kieran looked up to the sky, the crowd in the city seeming to disperse the wicked presence. There was only a limited amount that lingered but it caught Kierans attention.
In Kierans eyes, this lingering wicked presence was more lively.
In short, the wicked presence in the wild felt dull and lifeless, but those in front of his eyes looked very alive! Like a very fresh fish.
Sacrifice to a cult? Kieran wondered.
After that thought, Bloody Mary reported what it saw to Kieran and the scenes appeared in Kierans mind.
Kieran frowned.
It wasnt because Bloody Mary did a poor job, but because in his Transcendence [Tracking], the lingering wicked presence expanded twice its size in exponential speed visible to themon eyes.
After that, more wickedness from the wild was attracted to Sicar and quietly spread into the alleys.
The process was very fast but not entirely quiet.
It was just that other than Kieran, no one noticed the changes, including the War God Temple of Sicar.
In Kierans eyes, that building was dazzling and shone brightly, but inplete silence.
Kieran squinted his eyes further when he saw the weird scene.
Chapter 1734 - Malicious Intents
Chapter 1734: Malicious Intents
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
He saw the unusual changes in the wickedness in Sicar through his Transcendence [Tracking].
So, could War God Temple not see it?
The God of War could have fallen, but through Transcendence [Tracking], the temple was dazzling and radiated brightly. The God of War must have suffered some damage during the ck Cataclysm, but it shouldnt be lethal, so he must be alive and kicking.
Then...
Why did he turn a blind eye?
Going for the long shot? Or... Is there a working rtionship between them? Kieran wondered.
He quickly pushed away his thought and deactivated [Tracking], sensing a malicious gaze on himself.
It was very subtle and cautious, appearing only in a sh.
Kieran did not catch the owner of the gaze but a whileter, Kieran curled up his lips into a grin.
...
The wagon stopped.
The wagoner cum bodyguard, Aschenkano shouted loudly, Mr. Borl, Sir Colin, we are here! Anan Hotel! I hope the owner has some honey-roasted meat and sausages prepared, it tastes the best with some extra honey, Aschenkano said eagerly.
Aschen, I think you should add some mint, its better for your teeth. We should settle our spoils first, dont forget that you have a part in this.
Borl reminded his bodyguard when he came down from the carriage. He then stepped aside and respectfully weed Kieran down.
This is Anan Hotel, its at the corner of Sicar. Its quiet, clean, and the owner is very weing, Borl said as he pointed at the hotel ahead.
A two-story building madepletely out of stone, there was a main gate at the first floor and three big windows, which allowed a clear view of the hustling people inside. The second floor had a smaller window, which was obviously from the guest room. However, Kieran andpany headed to the independent suite beside itit was still a part of Anan Hotel as there was a sign simr to the main building at the front gate, just smaller.
The sign was a big beer mug with overflowing beer and it had obviously seen better days. The color was almost bleached and was heavily mottled, but just like Borl said, the owner was very weing.
Wee, Borl! And Aschenkano!
A bloated man walked out from the door. He wore a padded jacket and had only a few strands of hair left on his head but the smile on his face was very kind. He gave a big hug to Borl and both of them tapped each other on the back, the same scene happening with Aschenkano. As if apetition was going on, Aschenkano and the owner tapped each other strongly, loud thumps could be heard out lord.
When the bloated owner came over to Kieran, enduring the pain on his back with clenched teeth, but he managed to say, I had a little too much beer yesterday, otherwise dont expect me to react to that weak tap! Good day, Im Holuff.
The bloated owner did not give Kieran a hug like the others, instead extending his hand for a friendly shake.
Hi, Colin, Kieran gave his alias.
Colin, meaning powerI can see you are a guy who lives up to your name, because there are no useless people around this fe, Holuffughed at Borl and Borl looked at Kieran with a worried gaze.
When he noticed there wasnt anything unusual with Kieran, he wasnt upset or anything, he heaved a breath of relief.
Then, for everyones safety sake, Borl cut in to stop Holuff from talking, Holuff, I need your help. I have spoils and a captive.
Leave them to me, Ill provide you with a satisfying price.
The bloated Holuff easily grabbed the stack of spoils and the captive at once. He did not return to the main lobby of the hotel though, instead heading towards the other side of the courtyard.
There was also a sign stating Anan there, meaning it was also Holuffs property.
It was almost certain that Holuff was more than just a simple hotel owner.
Simrly, the reason why Borl chose Anan Hotel wasnt because of Holuffs weing attitude.
Holuff is a reliable guy. He was a bounty hunter, but as age caught up to him and his physique started failing him, hustling around was not for him anymore, so he chose to settle down in Sicar. Of course, his first choice was Edatine Castle, but you know, the property price there scared him, so hepromised with himself in the middle, the more Borl revealed, the softer he got.
Colin, if you have any needs, just go to him. He has many VALUABLE collections. Unfortunately my power is unworthy of his valuables, so he doesnt want to sell me, but you, Colin, should be fine.
Really? The word collection instantly piqued Kierans interest.
Borl purposely emphasized valuable, Kieran also caught the obvious hints. He knew what Borl meant by valuable.
However, Kieran did not go after Holuff. He asked Borl, What should I pay attention to?
Holuff is a very open-minded guy. He doesnt believe in gods and is somewhat resentful. So it would be best for you to skip the divine and god stuff, and as for the rest, Gold Purton, Borl said seriously.
Kieran nodded and headed to the little courtyard, Borl then brought Aschenkano to the other side.
Before Holuff returned with the payment, Borl thought it would be better for him to take care of the two horses and inspect the wagon, just to be safe. Aschenkano would never say no to giving a helping hand.
Aschen, if you dont want to eat lunch during dinner, you better hurry up, Borl said.
Okay! Aschenkano nodded strongly and moved faster.
Kieran was already in the courtyard when the other two started moving.
The courtyard had a simr architectural style with the main building of Anan Hotel, both rigid and strong. Several braziers in the courtyard expelled the coldness of winter.
Holuff had removed his padded outfit and was checking the stack of spoils with only ayer of clothes when he saw Kieran behind him, raised his hand to his young and strong worker and a chair was immediately brought over.
Kieran sharply noticed the worker had thick calluses in the area between the thumb and index finger and his steps were light but firm. The worker must have trained in swordsmanship.
Thank you, Kieran said politely.
The worker smiled shyly and then stepped down.
That Borl introduced you to my collections? Holuff asked.
Kieran nodded brazenly.
That bastard is really a natural merchant. Too bad, at first I thought he could be my student, thats why I showed him those things, but... oh well,e, let me bring you inside for a quick look.
Holuff pped his hands, then stood up and walked into the room beside him.
The worker then took Holuffs ce in inspecting the spoils.
Kieran took another interested nce at the young man.
Holuff exined, He knew what he should be doing here, I was just curing the itch on my hands just now.
Kieran nodded again but said nothing.
Holuff opened the door in front of him then stepped aside and invited Kieran inside, but Kieran did not budge, standing there showing a weird expression, something between a smile and a frown.
That cautious? Dont worry, son. I, Holuff, may not be a good man by any means, but I will never touch my customer. More so, that Borl introduced you to me, Holuff said.
The bloated Holuff didnt show a bit of ferocity when he said that he was kind. Especially with his smile, it was easy to win fondness and his body shape would easily earn trust.
Even in Kierans eyes, Holuff was looking very sincere.
So Kieran nodded and replied bynding a kick on the fat man.
BANG!
Holuff was sent flying inside the room and the opened door shut immediately.
Bang!
Aaaaargh!
Noises of bones and flesh being grinded to pieces plus screams of agony came from inside. Even with the solid door in between, the screams echoed throughout the whole courtyard but the shy worker behind Kieran did not react, like he didnt hear it at all. He was still busy counting the spoils and inspecting the condition, he didnt show any signs of stopping, even when Kieran walked up and stood beside him.
Kieran watched the worker brazenly.
Seconds turned into minutes.
Kieran didnt mind wasting time, he stood there like he had all the time in the world, his face calm and somewhat dull, as still water.
The shy worker then somehow gradually became nervous, starting from the meticulous concentration in his work to the trembles of his body.
Blood then started to ooze out from the workers face, drops of blood forming over his pores. A momentter, his intact face became as red as a cherry.
He didnt just simply bleed out furiously, the blood that came out from his face also corroded his body.
A whileter, together with his clothes, the worker had melted into a puddle of blood. Kieran did not even spare a nce at the puddle and walked out of the courtyard.
Outside the courtyard, Kieran ran into Aschenkano.
The tall and buff Aschenkano was running around at the entrance looking nervous, and when he saw Kieran, the nervousness was reced by joy.
Sir Colin, great! My head is missing, can you help me find it?
As Aschenkano exined, he swung his halbert over his neck and chopped his head off.
Pak!
His big head flew up then it fell down on the ground and then rolled up beside Kierans feet.
The mouth was still speaking non-stop.
Head! My head! Help me...
Pak!
The voice from Aschenkanos head was clear but it was stopped, or more precisely, stomped right away. Kierans foot crushed the head like a watermelon.
The headless body with the halbert was frozen on the spot, it did not expect this oue. What surprised it further was Kieran, who crushed the head,nded another kick on the body, kicking its body down. Kieran then grabbed the halbert and minced the body, like he was making minced meat filling for some dumplings.
Sir Colin, what are you doing? Borl ran out from the courtyard after he heard themotion, he was in horror when he saw the scene.
Then, Borl was cut in half by the halbert.
Borl was confused until the veryst moment of his life, he had no idea why Kieran killed him.
The main gate of the hotel opened up, the customers inside looking at Kieran with all sorts of fear.
Some back away and ran, others screamed in horror.
The patrolling soldiers of Sicar arrived at the scene and a fight broke out.
Kieran fought the iing soldiers and he owned every one of them, the whole patrolling squad ughtered.
The elite soldiers of Sicar joined the site shortly after, but it made no difference to Kieran.
The battle, or massacre, continued.
The whole of Sicar was dyed red with blood.
The sun set from the sky and a blood moon rose from the horizon, right above Anan Hotel.
The living were decreasing by the second and the dead increased rtively. When the body piled up to a certain number, the bodies started toe back alive.
They climbed up from their own blood.
Some maintained the look from their past life, while others transformed into monsters.
Kieran was the strongest monster among the bunch without a doubt.
Standing in the sea of monsters, he howled at the sky, ripped his bloody clothes away, and his body started to expand rapidly, his face bulging and fangs growing, sharp ws extending out of his fingers and fur growing all over his body.
A secondter, a giant ck werewolf stood under the red moon and howled strongly.
...
I did it The kin of my lord has appeared!
A frantic voice sounded from Sicar underground.
A man without legs shrieked in excitement, the excitement even making his voice tremble.
Opposite him was another man without arms who shared the same unusual excitement.
The best kin! The best truth! Everything in the illusion will be real when the kin awakesit is to praise the great lord!
As the man without arms spoke like a zealot, he crawled on the ground in a weird way, as though he was a worm.
He wanted to listen to his God, he wanted to listen to the next step of the grand n.
Just like what he did before: search for a powerful outsider with a legal identity and position and make him a kin.
He found Kieran, or more urately, he recognized Aschenkano and knew he served Borl; Borl was a merchant who kept hustling around to fight for his promotion to noble status.
The person who Borl respected the most must bear quite the position and identity.
As for the strength?
The man felt it, he truly felt the strength from Kieran!
Before he even got close to Kieran, his body was already trembling out of fear.
Powerful! Undoubtedly powerful!
It perfectly matched the criteria his lord requested from him, so he eagerly made a move.
When the wagon stopped in Scair, he started praying, so that his lord would notice the kin.
He believed with the gaze of his lord, it would force the powerful kin, which trembled him, to submit wholeheartedly.
Kieran would be the kin they had been waiting for!
Then...
They would use the kin to offer the entire Sicar as sacrifice, to wee their lord and savior!
And now?
The man had to listen! Listen to his lord!
Before that, he had to pray with utmost devotion first.
Oh, the great unrivaled lord! Please hear my prayers, we carry out your will, bow to your greatness and bear your name, you will descend upon the world and all will be given to you...
The two men without arms and without legs started to pray, as devoted as always.
However, the difference this time was that they were not the only who prayed.
Their lord and savior also prayed, because they clearly heard their lords voice in their head and it sounded a little bit shaken, as it screamed, SAVE ME!
Chapter 1735 - A Capable Man Is Always Busy
Chapter 1735: A Capable Man Is Always Busy
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Save me?
The two believers who prayed on the ground thought they heard their lord incorrectly.
Then, they used the method their lord taught them to block the illusions.
As the core believer of the God of Mist, they were unlike the other believers. They possessed more than just higher rankings and position, they even possessed the abilities their lord gifted them.
A gray mist spread and shrouded the room.
Their armless and legless figures were hidden in the mist but the sense of safety that they felt in the past did not appear.
What they heard were endless screams and worry, plus swallowing.
Get off me! Get off me you monster!
D-Delicious!
The screams that belonged to their lord sounded together with another strangers voice.
The two of them looked at each other in confusion.
The mist did not block their sight, instead it made them see clearer, they saw the fear and disbelief on each others face.
It was real! Their lord was being attacked by some unknown monster!
What should they do?
Panic rose and spread in their heart.
Then...
Bang!
Both of their heads exploded like watermelons, brains sttering everywhere and blood tainting the room red.
The two, who once sacrificed their hands and legs to their lord, had now offered their life and soul together.
Willingly?
Unwillingly?
None of it mattered.
Simr to these kinds of matters, it wasnt something that two goons could participate in, they didnt even qualify as observers.
Two blurry, grayish souls flew towards another secretive spot without any guidance.
They fused with a giant gray croissant-shaped monster which had no eyes, only a tiny mouth in front that resembled a maggot.
No, it wasnt a monster! It was the God of Mist!
This god appeared in Sicar after the ck Cataclysm and it was by no means a rightful god.
This God of Mist liked offerings very much. It was a must to offer it blood and flesh and its worship statue was an abstract cylindrical pir.
The statue had no eyes and no nose, which represented being unable to look straight into the evil of the realm, and the tiny mouth was to tell its believer to break free from the roots of suffering.
After the first few divine miracles, those who were tormented by the ck Cataclysm yet unable to receive protection from War God Temple and Lady Cmity chose to believe this God of Mist.
Although the majority of the believers became insane or went missing after a few months, many more people joined the fray and it didnt seem to end.
First, the protection from the God of Mist really worked.
Second, among the believers, there were two who imed to be the agents of the God of Mist, advocating and performing many divine miracles for the public.
Kieran originally had no idea about all this but when the two agents took the initiative and invited him, Gluttony clung onto that so-called God of Mist, information starting to spill.
He looked around and sized up this undergroundir.
Using Gluttonys eyes to examine and sense the area, Kieran was sure this undergroundir was still within Sicar.
The smell of the icynd and the feelings were enough for Kieran to confirm that.
The other thing that he confirmed was that there were two decent items on top of the sacrificial altar further away.
Unwillingly, Kieran moved his gaze and concentrated on the God of Mist.
The croissant-shaped god was still struggling with Gluttony.
More and more gray souls fused into the body. It was obvious that it hoped to break free from Gluttony using its believers power, but it seemed like the God of Mist underestimated Gluttony a little too much, or more urately, Gluttonys appetite.
The reason why Gluttony did not devour the croissant in a single bite was because he was waiting, it was not that it did not have enough strength or a poor appetite.
He remembered what Kieran told him before: wait and the food would be tastier.
Everything turned out exactly like what Kieran told him because two minutester, this croissant tasted a few times better. Another two minutester and Gluttony realized this food hadnt changed, so he slightly released his mouth, allowing the God of Mist to jump forward.
A chance! A chance to escape!
It had no idea why Gluttony released his mouth, it only knew it was given a chance to run. It was now or never, so it flew forward quickly and did not slow down at all.
Then... it flew into the invisible mouth of Gluttony, which he had opened wide and waited for the croissant to fly in.
A few munchester, Gluttony swallowed the whole thing.
Gluttonys unique power acted as the hub, digesting the God of Mist into pure energy and supplying it back to Kieran steadily as fuel for the Origin Forces.
As the God of Mist slowly melted away, the invitation power slowly faded too and Gluttony returned to Kierans heart once again.
The energy that he consumed wasnt much but very pure, much better than earning little by little through umtion.
Kieran opened his eyes slightly, finding himself in the wagon and opposite him was Borl, waiting to disembark.
Sir Colin? Borl showed worry on his face.
Kieran suddenly went quiet for a few minutes, so Borl knew something must have happened and the things that could silence the ming Devil and capture his attention must be something big.
Though Borl understood his position and identity, he did not dare ask Kieran in the face. Instead he knocked on the wall of the carriage, trying to wake Kieran up.
Its nothing. A beautiful afternoon tea indeed, the pastries are nice. It really makes me hungrier.
Kieran waved at Borl and looked outside the carriage window.
Simr to the situation in the invitation, Anan Hotels rigid style was a memorable scene.
The difference was, Aschenkano already helped Holuff, the owner, move the spoils to the little courtyard beside the main building.
The bodyguard and owner were actually standing beside the wagon after that.
Afternoon tea? Borl was confused.
He couldnt rte Kierans reaction to afternoon tea, but he thought he saw a smile from Kieran.
What kind of afternoon tea made the ming Devil so happy?
Or...
Was the food really that nice?
Confused and uncertain, Borl kept away his thoughts, pushing open the carriage door and weing Kieran down. Borl and Holuff hugged it out again, and simr to what he saw in the illusion, both of them were smacking each others backs.
The loud thumps made the two of them clench their teeth hard.
The difference was, when Holuff sized up Kieran, his gaze was unlike the one in the illusion. He was weing but there was a lot of caution behind it. Even when Kieran arrived with Borl, the caution did not go away.
Holuff and Borl split after the hug, the bloated owner then walking to Kieran and sizing him up again. He showed a heavy expression but the owner still extended his right hand for a shake. Im Holuff.
Colin, Kieran gave his alias, and shook Holuffs hand.
Both hands split in a moment, Kieran and Holuff both putting their hands away.
Holuffs left hand was around his waist and the muscles under theyers of fat were tight, proof of utmost caution. His condition did not ease up even after Kieran left.
He saw Kieran into the main floor of the hotel and then raised his hand to his forehead to wipe away the sweat, which drenched him wet without his knowing.
Is he reliable? Holuff asked.
Believe me, no one is more reliable than him, Borl exined.
However, the exnation did not buy Holuffs ease of heart. He continued and emphasized, I wish to live my retired life in peace and safety, I dont want to get involved in some big mess, got it?
Holuff looked Borl in the eyes, and under the stern gaze, Borl felt a little guilty.
The reason why he chose Anan Hotel to lodge in was, other than Holuffs hospitality and remarkable powers, the owner was a kind person and was never stingy in giving help.
In short, Borl hoped to increase his safety level.
He nned to pay Holuff extra when he left aspensation for the trouble, but since Holuff asked, he had to tell the truth.
He knew only with the truth could he continue to stay in the hotel.
Holuff, I am in trouble. But dont you worry, I will deal with it myself, I wont trouble you at all. In fact, with Colin around, I will be safe most of the time but shit happens, so I hope you can spare a helping hand during a critical moment.
Borl walked closer to Holuff and exined softly.
Being around him is safe? Damn it, do you know what I feel when I am around him? Its like sitting on needles! Thest time I felt this way was when I am 16 and I have to face the Crazy Dead alone! A piece of advice, if you value your life, stay away from him.
Holuff advised Borl because of their decent friendship.
Borl replied with a bitter smile.
Its harder to send off a God than inviting!
If he could, he too wished to be more independent and move around freely, but the situation at hand forbade him.
Aside from the fact that he has to rely on Kieran to survive, Kierans personality alone was pressuring enough to make Borl a scaredy cat, he dare not even ask too much of Kieran.
Kieran was a man who sought fairness in all things.
Before he repaid the debt of saving his life, he thought he should keep his thoughts to himself and be honest.
Otherwise, the ming Devil who saved his life could very well take it away, and it wouldnt be too hard.
Holuff understood when he saw the bitter smile on Borls face.
He raised his fat palm, tapped Borl on the shoulder and then walked into the courtyard beside the hotel.
Dont worry, you will get what youe for before dark. Ill be wishing you all the best tomorrow at sunrise. I dont want my hotel to be in ruins, Holuff said as he walked away.
What in ruins? Aschenkano scratched his head.
Nothing. Its just an ardent blessing. Aschen, go fee the horses and then check the wagon. We will have a good meal after thatIll pay for the meal today, so just eat all you can.
Borl diverted the topic and made a promise to his bodyguard.
While his bodyguard cheered happily, Borl looked up to the afternoon sky, which was suddenly filled with dark clouds.
It should be alright...right?
I did nothing!
Right, I did nothing!
Its quite impossible for those who want my life to drag Sicar into this.
Unless they have a death wish!
Everything will be fine!
Ill leave Sicar tomorrow and once I am out of Sicar Land, those people can no longer touch me! Then Ill quickly enter Edatine toplete my main mission.
After that... Ill go back to the big city, find Lawless in Harvest Inn, and buy him a drink.
I have to thank him for the help he gave me and the luck he blessed me.
With those thoughts clear in his mind, Borl pushed open the main gate of the hotel. A heatwave gushed into his face and expelled the coldness from his body.
However, the crowded and merry hotel main floor was silent, everyone staring at the table in the middle.
Aschenkano was sitting there and Kieran was opposite him. The bodyguards eyes were wide open and his jaw dropped on the table as he looked at Kieran in disbelief.
More precisely, the three stacks of tes that reached the ceiling of the hotel!
The tes were loaded with honey roasted meat around 10 minutes ago, and now... they were empty!
The tes were clean, as if they were washed!
Gulp!
Aschenkano gulped out of fright as he watched Kieran, who gobbled down 20 servings and his stomach didnt even expand, the bodyguard starting to doubt his existence.
C-Colin, you really ate a lot! I cant even finish a single te, and you just finished 20 times mine, its...its...right, no wonder you are so strong, Monas words make sense now, those who can eat are strong.
Aschenkano was already bbering at the stunning scene..
He then turned to the waiter beside the table, I want a te of honey roasted meat... No, give me two! One honey roasted and one salt roasted! I also want to be stronger quicker!
I am sorry, mister, we are out of food.
Aschenkano was stunned by what the waiter said. Getting angry, he stood up to the waiter, looking down at him like a hungry tiger and said, Why are you lying? How can Anan Hotel be out of food?
We did have food a while ago but it was cleared out by your friend here! The waiter said in a scared tone.
Bullshit, Colin only ate 20 tes! How the hell is there no food left?
Aschenkano grabbed the waiter by the cor and pushed his forehead at the waiters, his eyes as big as an ox and not exactly friendly. The waiter was trembling in fear, almost breaking down in tears and said, He ate a hundred servings, not just 20 tes!
Aschenkano was once again stunned, releasing the waiter and the waiter slipped away.
He finally remembered what his kind foster father told him when he left Mozaar, When you are out there, order 5 servings, not 1.
1 serving equaled 5, so how many were 20 servings?
Aschenkano stood there and counted with his fingers, but before he could get a clear number, he unconsciously wanted to take off his shoes and include his toes in the calction.
Borl quickly came over and stopped his bodyguard. He didnt want Holuff to think his hotel was under a poison attack.
Please prepare another 6 servings for me, said Borl as he took 2 Copper Krak and paid the waiter. He then looked at Kieran.
70% full is just nice. Ill go take a walk, Kieran tried to look normal as he stood up under Borls gaze.
He didnt want to admit that he ate too much and went out of control because he heard someone was buying a meal.
It must be the sweet honey on the roasted mean, the sweetness increased his appetite.
After the immense sweetness, he wanted something savoury, so he added more salt roasted meat but it tipped the scale the other way. So in order to bnce out his palette, he unconsciously ate too much.
Thats right, that must be it!
Kieran wiped his mouth in satisfaction and then headed out of the hotel. When he opened the door and walked out, a p of thunder came from the dark sky.
Kakrooom!
Thunder on a winter day made the people of Sicar look up to the sky.
Amid the quick shes in the sky, they thought they saw War God Temple lit up, but after a closer look, nothing had happened.
Kieran stood in front of the hotel, his eyes showing a heavy sense of ridicule.
Trying topete for loot?
Too naive!
He was not alone on this trip!
Chapter 1736 - The Lord of Mist
Chapter 1736: The Lord of Mist
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
An able man is always busy.
It was the perfect saying to describe Bloody Mary, except it wasnt a man.
It was hard working, had high endurance to hardship, and wasnt afraid to die.
The moment it received a new order from its boss, it quickly phased towards the secret hideout of the God of Mist.
It was not that Bloody Mary didnt want toin, but it knew War God Temple had sent someone out and if it did not want to encounter the opposite, so it had to hurry.
As for battle, Bloody Mary admitted that it wasnt good at fighting face to face, preferring to stand behind its boss shadow and strike from the dark, catching enemies off guard.
Locating the secret hideout of the God of Mist was not an easy task. Even if one had information about the whereabouts, it was difficult because the ce was loaded with many traps.
Though it was actually easy for Bloody Mary to go through those traps, since it could phase.
After it went into the secret hideout, it clicked its tongue and sized up the ce in a disdain.
What a lousy worn down ce! This is a sore to the eye! Its so in here! How dare he call himself a God? Even my basement is cleaner than this shithole!
Bloody Mary went around for a quick check and then lost interest.
Other than the two items, which its boss deemed decent, there was really nothing else.
The altar was made in the most primal way, with a few porcin containers at the corner and other than the mentioned, there was no secret room, no hidden passage, nothing at all. It was like a nest for worms underground.
Bloody Mary grabbed the two items and then left the underground hole.
2 minutes after Bloody Mary left, a morbid looking crystal, the size of a palm, appeared out of nowhere and fell to the ground.
The crystal was sturdy and very heavy, a loud thud was produced when it hit the ground.
As the surface shimmered brightly, an image of a croissant shaped maggot with only a mouth appeared on top.
The maggot hissed ferociously at the direction where Bloody Mary left.
Little by little, it dragged the crystal to a corner.
The maggot then swiftly dug into the ground at the corner, trying to dig its way out.
Less than a minuteter, a straight little tunnel that led up to the surface was dug up, the maggot then pushing the palm-sized crystal up.
Then... a palm appeared from nowhere and grabbed the crystal.
The maggot did not expect someone else to take its crystal, shocked and looking at Bloody Mary in disbelief.
You really have nothing left? So poor!
Bloody Mary reached out and pped the maggot away from existence and swiftly disappeared with the crystal in its hands.
As for the hiding maggot?
It noticed the maggot back in the underground hole when it first stepped in the ce.
Bloody Mary was at Grandmaster level in terms of hiding in the void and the maggot was at most Entry level. It wasnt enough, and somewhat pitiful, in front of Bloody Mary.
An hour after Bloody Mary truly left, a group of 10 appeared near the underground hole.
The leader of the group was a middle-aged man whose body was as buff as a wall, even with the heavy te mail not diminishing his solid muscles. With each step he took, his armor would squeak. He probably could break the te mail on his body by exerting the least amount of strength and no one would dare doubt him.
Bishop Sinkavolt, we are here!
Another young man who was twice as small as the buff man walked over with an instrument in his hand, which highly resembled apass. It was pointed at a single direction, which was the entrance to the underground hold; it was actually a cave.
The middle-aged man double checked before he walked into the cave.
On the first step, highly corrosive acid was sprayed out from the wall.
The man didnt have the slightest intention to dodge, allowing the acid to spray on his face. He then simply wiped it away with his hand, like he was washing his face before he pressed on.
Sou Sou Sou Sou!
A few stepster, arrows were fired out in bulk. All the arrowsnded precisely on the middle-aged man, but other than causing a few sparks, the arrows did nothing.
When the whole area was filled with poisonous gas, the man took a big, heavy breath and sucked in all the gas, his stomach able to digest even the most poisonous gas!
He was on a rampage!
The man did not stop after he set his goal and 10 minutester, he arrived at the deepest part of the cave.
The man saw nothing in the underground hole except for a little hole at the corner, which caused him to smile coldly.
Do you think you can run?
The man strode over and punched the corner with the little hole.
Karrooooooom!
The earth shook and the mountains trembled!
The icend, which was sturdy enough to break bones with a fall, was turned into a pile of dirt and was sent flying upwards to the sky. The man carved a path with sheer strength and jumped up the tunnel he opened.
Then, he frowned.
The rebellious presence had gone away.
Ecker? The middle-aged man turned around and asked.
The young man who followed tightly behind took hispass out again but the hands on it did not move at all.
Lord Bishop, that rebel has dis-... Lord Bishop! Theres something else!
The young man cried out in shock in the midst of his exnation.
The hands on hispass spun furiously, like it was attached with a motor.
Not only that, the evening sky, which still has some light, hadpletely turned dark.
Hmph!
The middle-aged bishop grunted coldly at the scene and swung a punch into the air.
Fuuung!
The air-breaking sound from the punch was like a giant hammering the walls of a fortress with a sledgehammer. When the sound reached its maximum limit, the air current converged and transformed into a flying air cannon ball.
Aaaaarg!
An agonizing scream followed.
An intact body of a person waspletely destroyed, including the head.
As the blood from the body filled the air, more and more figures appeared.
The figures had heavy expressions on their faces, weapons gripped tightly and bodies waving as they walked. With each step they took, their mouths would breath heavily, a loud ha could be heard.
Its the riders from Sicar!
The young warrior, Ecker, cried out in shock when he got a clear view of the emblem on the figures chest te. Those veteran soldiers around Ecker were used to encountering an enemys ambush, drawing their weapons and engaging their enemies.
It was just random soldiers, their lord bishop had no reason to make a move.
Only when the true and powerful enemy showed up would their lord bishop have reason and value to strike.
The veterans who charged towards their enemies did not notice that the lord bishop, who they thought was invincible, suddenly looked pale.
The new recruit Ecker saw it though and it wasnt the first time.
Lord Bishop, how are you feeling? Ecker asked softly.
Since the very first time Ecker spotted the bishops unusual look, it became a little secret between them.
Sharing a secret naturally put Ecker and the bishop in a better and closer rtionship and it was also the reason why a new recruit like him was permitted to participate in this scouting team. The close rtionship had all the credit.
Im fine, the bishop shook his head coldly.
Please tell me if you feel anything wrong. We are close, arent we?
Ecker then turned around after that.
It seemed like he unconsciously said that to the bishop, yet it felt like he said it on purpose.
No one knew what exactly happened, neither would people care about it because... Ecker died.
Ecker looked down at his chest, at the w that punctured his chest.
The w was dark and sharp.
When Ecker turned around, he suddenly noticed the bishop had grown stronger and bigger in size, but the hair on his body grew harder and rougher, his face bulging and sharp fangs springing out from his bulging mouth.
What the hell happened? Ecker asked himself before he weed his death.
The other veterans asked themselves the same question also.
What the hell happened?
Unfortunately, no one could provide answers.
What weed them were not the answers they sought but the cruel death, including the riders from Sicar.
When the sky turned bright again, the evening glory shed light over the ce and highlighted the torn limbs on the battlefield. The bloody battlefield looked extra dazzling in the warm tone.
Hey, a little more.
A blurry voice spoke and the words echoed in the air for a while before it was carried away by the wind.
...
At night, Anan Hotel was crowded and there was a merry atmosphere.
The businessmen who were busy for the whole day gathered at the main floor, chit-chatting with each other,ughter and jokes heard asionally. Those mercenaries who came to Sicar with their respective employers, other than those who were on duty or nightwatch, lowered their vignce and rxed for the time being.
The topic for today wasnt who sold the most goods or what incredible items they found in the market, it was actually about Colin and how good his appetite was during lunch.
My God!
A hundred tes!?
Is he a descendant of a giant?
Cries of shock sounded, one after another.
Some doubted the story at first but as more and more witnesses joined the conversation, the doubts were beaten away.
They had started to anticipate how much Kieran could eat during dinner and many bets were opened.
To the businessmen, these kinds of times were the best.
You people...
The owner, Holuff, shook his head and was helpless against it.
He really wanted to tell these ignorant customers how dangerous Colin was but... he couldnt.
Aside from whether or not the customers believed him, he couldnt say it just because he begged to be excused from trouble. Once said, his beautiful life would be broken.
Give me a Sweet Egg Beer, Borl walked over with a smile.
Things progressed surprisingly smoothly, everything settled.
With the title deed in hand, as long as he could get to the declining noble family in Edatine Castle, he could truly ascend to nobility, despite only being granted a very smallnd.
That N is really a wastrel, Holuff served the Sweet Egg Beer to Borl as he shook his head.
Borl did not hide anything from Holuff, the owner knew everything from the start.
It was because of knowing that Holuff treated Borl with increased generosity.
Simply selling off something as important asnd. If the wastrel was one of his descendants, he could never rest in peace.
Thankfully, it wasnt and the wastrels father and grandfather wouldnt climb up from their grave.
Even if they were to climb up, someone else would deal with it beforehand.
Times are changing. The nobles might still be high up on top but... definitely not as high as before, Borls words had another meaning.
Then why are you still so keen on bing one? asked Holuff
Because I need this identity, including the convenience thates with it, despite it not being as noble as before, Borl raised his cup and performed a toast for Holuff, smiling and drinking it.
Holuff shook his head, obvious that he disagreed with Borls words.
Power! Power is the root of everything! Like that Colin that travels with you, if you are as powerful as him, problems will solve themselves! said Holuff.
Borl got stunned for a moment. In the end, he put down his cup with a bitter smile.
Powerful? Powerful is an understatement to him... the most appropriate way to describe him is...
Holuff was all ears at the answer, anticipating how Borl described Kieran but Borl stopped after that, picking up his cup and taking a sip of beer again. Somehow the sweet beer that he drank a moment ago started to taste bitter.
Powerful?
Of course I know!
I did exactly the same!
But to be as strong as him?
Borl shook his head, he dare not even think about it.
...
Kieran curled up his lips into a smile as he sized up the three spoils in front of him.
One was a staff, which recently gained poprity among the nobles in Edatine Castle.
The other one was a short musket and thest one was the crystal.
[Name: Question Staff]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: Rare]
[Attack: Strong]
[Defense: Powerful]
[Type: Question]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: Spirit, Intuition A+]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: When you are hesitating or lost, this can be your greatest helper. It can also be a decent weapon.]
...
[Question: Hold the staff tight with your right hand and after you release it, it will guide you towards the right direction, two times per day]
...
[Name: Dark Shining Musket]
[Type: Weapon]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Attack: Powerful]
[Attribute: 1. First Shot; 2. Reload; 3. Charge Up]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: Strength A]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: It was one of the products researched by War God Temple but when the ck Cataclysm arrives, it was leaked out and everything changes from there]
.....
[First Shot: The first shot requires no loading, fire a Powerful attack air bullet at the target, 6/day]
[Reload: When you reload the normal way, using fire powder and pellet, the pellet fired will be granted a Powerful attack and will gain an extra Strong fire elemental attack (has the option to activate the effect or not during each reload), three/day]
[Charge Up: Charge the First Shot air bullet for one second to perform a 120 scatter attack (requires at least three air bullets), one/day]
......
One rare and one powerful; The former was a melee weapon with a unique design, thetter was a decent ranged weapon.
More importantly, both could be brought out of the dungeon world.
What concerned Kieran the most was actually the morbid crystal in the size of a palm.
[Name: Lord of the Mist]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: I]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: I]
[Attribute: 1. Mist Control; 2 Poison Mist Assault]
[Effect: Land of Sicar]
[Prerequisite: Spirit SSS]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remarl: A product of ident during the ck Cataclysm]
...
[Mist Control: Summon a 100 meter radius mist and shroud everything in sight, two/day]
[Poison Mist Assault: Targets in the mist will be poisoned of Powerful rank, Constitution authentication will happen and those who failed, a lethal rank poison damage will be inflicted.]
...
[Land of Sicar: Within the Land of Sicar, the title of Mist has been recognized and you who possess the Lord of Mist can move natural mist at will and induce them with poison, but it will consume your stamina ordingly.]
......
Land of Sicar?
Kieran muttered to himself as he picked up the crystal.
He tapped the table in front of him with his fingers a few times.
More spections appeared in his mind and then prayers suddenly entered Kierans mind, one after another.
Oh the supreme lord! Please hear our prayers! We will carry out your will, bow to your greatness and bear your name! You will shed your light on the world and everything we have is a gift from you...
Amid the prayers, Kieran sharply realized t Phatower of Faith was umting in him through the [Lord of Mist].
At the same time, he also felt a malicious and hungry gaze.
Chapter 1737 - Night Veil
Chapter 1737: Night Veil
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The malicious and hungry gazes were hiding quite well.
They stared at the believers of the God of Mist faintly and made them very scared. The believers prayed and hoped their lord and savior could hear them.
Some believers started to disappear, so it seemed like the owner of those hidden gazes was using this kind of method to force the God of Mist out of its hold.
Kieran could very well imagine what would happen if the God of Mist appeared, the heavily injured Lord of Mist surely ending up in smithereens and getting swallowed alive.
Kieran wouldnt even doubt it because the hunger he sensed was very obvious.
Now, he had to do something to change the oue.
It wasnt just because the identity of God of Mist could provide a lot of help in understanding the current dungeon world, it was also because of the effect [Land of Sicar] on [Lord of Mist]. It raised quite an interest in Kierans mind.
The item currently only affected Sicar, but should it expand, would it reach Edatine or even the whole Northern Land?
Kieran pondered upon the idea for a while before snapping his fingers.
At your service, boss.
Bloody Mary appeared from the shadows right after the snap, bowing slightly and waiting for a new order from Kieran.
The God of Mist requires an emissary to provide salvation to its believers, Kieran said.
Understood, boss, Bloody Mary then stepped back into the shadow and vanished.
Kieran then put away his spoils, standing up and walking to the main floor of the hotel.
It was dinner time and he still hadnt eaten anything.
Although the cook of the hotel was by no means at Starbecks level, Kieran always had an increased tolerance towards food: as long as it was edible, he would swallow it.
The suite that Kieran was staying in was only a wall away from the main floor but in order to get there, he has to go out and make a turn.
When he was outside his room, he saw the owner, Holuff, and it seemed like the bloated owner was expecting him.
After he saw Kieran, Holuff asked away, Can we talk?
Here? Kieran asked.
Of course not, my ce. Dont worry, I wont take a lot of your time, dinner is on me, Holuff smiled and pointed at the other courtyard of the hotel.
The courtyard pointed by Holuff was very simr to the one he saw in the illusion, but the shy young worker wasnt there, what reced him were many cooks moving in and out of the kitchen.
Inside the said courtyard was a big square table and on top of it were food containers being opened up, one after another.
Potato biscuits, fish soup, sausages, there was enough food for two.
If you dont mind, shall we? Holuff asked.
Of course, Kieran nodded after he saw his portion of the food was 10 times more than the opposite.
The potatoes were fried with eggs inside, extremely crunchy and each bite producing a crunching noise. The fish soup was white, the meat of the fish hadpletely fused with the soup, leaving the remaining bones on the surface to be scooped up by the cooks.
What surprised Kieran the most was the sausage. It seemed like a normal one but it was actually made by cartges, every bite on it provided a lot of texture to the mouth.
A mouth of potato, a spoon of fish soup and another bite on the sausage.
Holuff, who proposed a talk, lost interest in speaking in front of the food, gobbling down all the food on the table like a tornado.
Kieran was faster, afterimages created behind the motion trail of his hands.
Less than 10 minutester, the food was all cleaned up.
Holuff wiped his mouth and tapped his stomach in satisfaction.
Kieran looked at the cook and asked, Anymore?
Holuff jolted, You are not full yet?
What Kieran just ate was simr to what he ate for lunch: a hundred tes! And this time, everything was prepared extrarge for him.
Based on what Holuff calcted, Kieran should not be able to finish all these. It was already surprising enough to Holuff after Kieran swept the hundred extrarge servings clean, yet he still wasnt full... Holuff did not expect this at all.
Did you hold back during lunch? Holuffs eyes were as wide as a golf ball.
Its better to keep my stomach at moderate full during lunch, Kieran replied seriously.
Then what about dinner? Holuff pointed at the clean tes on the table which looked like they were washed.
The sausages are nice, I n to eat dinner and supper together, Kieran was being frank.
Y-You really have an appetite.
Holuff tried to say something but it came out differently at the end. He waved at the cook and the cook ran back into the main floor.
Back at the main floor, the heated discussion about Kierans appetite was still going on among the businessmen.
The cook quietly shook his head when he saw the scene, like a wise manughing at fools.
Still discussing? We are out of food!
Sighing in sorrow, the cook started to move the food outside.
When the cook moved thest box of food out, one of the customers felt a little hungry.
Is there anything on the menu? Give me something to eat, asked the customer.
Nothing, we have nothing left. The food prepared for dinner was all taken by the customer from lunch, the waiter said, smiling bitterly.
The moment his words subsided, the whole floor went quiet. Borl, who was sipping on his beer, was stunned on his chair.
The customer f-from lunch? Is that my friend? Borl stuttered.
Yes, Mr. Borl... The corner of Borls mouth twitched when he heard the affirmative answer from the waiter.
At first, Borl nned to take care of Kierans meal and lodgingpletely but given how great Kierans appetite was...
Dont even talk about buying myself a dukeship, I think before we even reach Edatine Castle, Ill go broke because of his appetite!
His appetite is too scary!
If I only take care of his lodging, would Sir 2567 understand my difficulties?
Borl was in a dilemma.
The whole floor of the hotel raised a mour because of the shocking revtion.
The mour was heard in the room beside the courtyard.
Holuff puckered his lips and sympathized with those bastards who were so free. He looked at Kieran, who continued eating with the same speed, the bloated owner starting to doubt his entire existence.
Holuff himself could eat a lot because of his fat body, his appetite stronger than the average.
But the young man before his eyes?
After that ridiculous amount of food, his stomach was still t! It was like the food that went into his mouth did not end up in his stomach, but a different dimension.
Holuff started to recall simr examples in the past and his eyes on Kieran gradually turned weird.
He really found a close example of Kieran but... looking at how human Kieran was, Holuff shook his head.
Those things were undoubtedly powerful yet they did not possess the shape of a human. They were the monsters from the dark, existing only to eat and never stop, They did not even possess sanity.
Kieran?
He was very sane and exceptionally vignt.
All traces of observation proved to be subtle, but regardless of whether he was walking, sitting or even lying down, he maintained a very highly alert state.
If he could be...
What am I thinking!
Ive been through a lot to retire, how can I rmend someone else to do it?
Holuff mocked his thoughts with a smile.
He then quietly watched Kieran destroy all the food.
After the meal, the cook served a cup of tea to Kieran, the owner then started the talk.
What do you think of Sicar? Holuff asked with a smile. If Kieran did not know he was the owner of the hotel, he would take him as some official of Sicar and this whole talk happened because the bloated man wanted to cover up some sandal or secret.
Not too shabby, quite prosperous, Kieran answered.
After the answer, Holuff wriggled his fat body and caused the chair to squeak, then lowered his voice and continued, You know what I am asking. Im not asking about the surface stuff, I want to know what you think about the other side, those you cannot see but can hear. Or... did you stumble upon any trouble?
As Holuff exined explicitly, he tried to use more appropriate words to describe the situation.
His exnation was undoubtedly confusing to normal people but Kieran understood it pretty well, leaning his body forward and putting both his elbows on the table, supporting his chin.
In what position are you asking? Kieran did not answer the question right away.
I am just a poor old man who wants to live my retired life in peace and I just bought you dinner.
Holuff even winked to win mercy but his fat face wasnt convincing at all, instead making him look a little ridiculous, but Kieran did not mock him.
Kieran didnt take his identity seriously but it was a fact that Holuff bought him dinner, especially that cartge sausage, it was proof of Holuffs sincerity.
Therefore, Kieran thought seriously for a while before he gave a reply.
Ive discovered the danger, but I am not sure to what extent. It might be something small that could be prevented easily without making a scene or it might be a big incident that can shake the heavens and tremble the earth. Its not here yet, so I cant tell for sure.
Is that so? Holuff took a deep breath, a bitter smile hanging over his fat face. As he spoke, it was as if he was muttering to himself, I thought everything would be different after I left Edatine Castle, but it seems nothing changed, even in Sicar. This soft bber still echoes from time to time, the innocent souls always vanish overnight. Those with ulterior motives in the market wouldmit all sorts of atrocities just for Gold Purton. In name, the management of Sicar turns a blind eye to this kind of criminal activity but in the dark, they have a leg in this. The voice is getting clearer, a lot of people have joined them since then. Some joined because they wanted to escape from reality, some for reliance, and some to realize the dirtiest thoughts in their heart. As an observer, I am helpless.
The bitter smile on Holuff grew heavier and more helpless.
Kieran didnt say anything tofort him though. He didnt think they were that close, just like how Kieran would never take Holuff as an observer of all this.
When the birds nest is overturned, no eggs are left intact.
Kieran understood the saying.
Fine, fine. Speak your heart sometimes, its good for venting your frustration. Better sleep early today and leave at first light tomorrow. All the best, Holuff then waved at Kieran.
Thank you for the dinner.
Kieran stood up and parted ways with the owner. Holuff remained seated, seeing Kieran away into the little courtyard before he stood up slowly and walked inside the room.
It was his sleeping ce and other than a big wide bed, it was only coupled with a closet.
Holuff touched his closet intimately.
What is our mission? The hunters honor...
His voice gradually grew softer and eventually went silent, all that was left was a bitter smile on his face.
Holuff did not notice how he liked to smile bitterly and right after that, the bitter smile got frozen on his face.
He heard the voices again.
Get out! Get the hell out! I will not fall to your bewitchments!
He held back the shouts in his throat strongly, pressing his hand against the wooden closet harder, a clear mark of his palm left on top after he moved his hand away.
His fat body wobbled and then fell on to his bed.
He kept muttering, The hunters honor, protect the hunters honor, protect...
...
After leaving the courtyard, Kieran frowned on the way back to his room.
The wicked presence suddenly turned thick.
He quickly activated [Tracking].
In his special vision, he clearly spotted that lively wicked presence that he noticed during the day grew vigorous. If the wicked presence was a turtle crawling around during the day, it was as lively as a jumping rabbit during the night.
On the contrary, War God Temple had a totally different scene.
It was dazzling brightly under the sun but under the night sky, it became gloomy. It was still bright enough though.
Kieran watched the few wicked presences attempt to get closer to War God Temple, but before they truly came close, the wicked presences were burned ferociously, the sudden scorching forcing them to retreat.
Undoubtedly, even if the wicked presences came at the right time, they would still be unable topete with War God Temple, the power differences between them too great.
Yet it did not mean the wicked presences attempt was futile.
More soft bbers appeared, and this time, Kieran heard it.
There was no special ability involved, the voices appeared straightaway in his ear.
It was unclear what the voices were speaking but they were stimting his emotions.
Unlike the specific targets during the day, these kinds of stimting voices were affecting the whole of the Sicar poption.
A lot of people screamed loudly out of panic and a lot of more of them looked around vigntly.
Some even started to praise the name of God of War, hoping for the divines protection.
There were also many believers of the God of Mist and they were even more devoted than before, because... they saw the lord emissary.
The almighty lord emissary was helping them ovee the difficulties at hand.
More than 200 believers of the God of Mist gathered in a newly opened underground hideout, which was just beside the civilian district.
This wasnt all of the believers but it was the biggest group and also the one group stared at by multiple malicious gazes.
Bloody Mary was standing in front of everyone, looking down at the believers kneeling in front of it, worshiping itself. Its heart was filled with disbelief at the ridiculous scene.
A demon worshiped by mortals?
It really had to thank its boss for this bizarre experience.
Therefore, Bloody Mary spoke in a solemn tone slowly, God knows what you all think! He will protect wherever you are! He will...
Blood Mary was reciting its lines but before the praising ended, a dried vine pierced its chest.
The pain troubled Bloody Mary. It looked down at the vine with a frown and felt very upset.
I thought I dont have to die this time... but damn this is painful!
Chapter 1738 - Act? My Profession!
Chapter 1738: Act? My Profession!
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Death was something no living being could ept, even the Superior Demon.
Although from a certain aspect it was undead, the pain that came with death was real and it was something Bloody Mary could not escape from or reject. It was like facing its own boss, something it had to endure.
Though the difference was, it could never disobey its boss, but those who killed it...
It ought to let those bastards know it wasnt some lousy demon that every John Doe could kill!
Bloody Mary clenched its teeth and grabbed the vine on its chest with its right hand. It turned around suddenly and wrapped the vine around its shoulder, its left hand grabbing the remaining vine and pulling hard!
Bang!
The vine was uprooted, together with the soil attached.
Everyone who saw the root of the vine cried out in shock.
The root... was actually a head! A human head! And it was still alive!
The head widened its eyes in shock and stared at Bloody Mary.
Ignorant interrupter, who are you?
The voice from the head was cold and arrogant, like someone from amanding position spoke the moment it opened its mouth.
If it was during another time, Bloody Mary would not mind kicking the head in the face and then chopping it into pieces, but now it was representing its boss and the God of Mist, so it must react and behave ordingly.
Under the gazes of the believers, Bloody Mary showed a sense ofpassion on its face.
Oh lost sheep, are you trapped in the mist? Fret not, dont fear it, say the name of my lord and you will receive salvation!
Bloody Mary released its vine and turned around, breaking free from the constriction.
Other than that, it picked up the head and used its sleeve to wipe away the dirt on the face.
I understand the taste of the icynd. Its cold, right? Dont worry, you wont feel cold from now on.
Bloody Mary spoke softly as it raised the head up to its eye level, the words spoken directly to the head.
Even though the vines kept stabbing and whipping at its body, its merciful voice did not change.
It was warm andforting, like the sun!
The underground hideout, which felt a little cold was suddenly filled with warmth, like the winter sun shedng its warm light through the ground.
Watching the scene, the believers of God of Mist teared up.
No words or reactions were necessary at that moment, the believers knelt down one after another, praising their lord and savior, the God of Mist, in utmost devotion.
This is the God we believed in!
Merciful and kind.
Maybe he works in extreme ways at times but... he must have been forced to do it, right?
The God had lost his eyes and ears. As believers, offering a limb or two was nothing, right?
Moreover, werent they alive now?
Staying alive was enough.
Standing in front of the group was the emissary who kept a kind and warm smile on his face despite being hurt by the vines.
Around him were the frantic believers, showing utmost devotion to their God.
The head in Bloody Marys hand was stunned by the scene.
Wasnt the God of Mist some small fry God who rose to prominence during a messy time?
God of War and Lady Cmitysparison aside, the small fry God wasnt evenparable to them.
Because of that, it chose to strike first when it received news about the God of Mist disappearing after being heavily wounded.
It hoped to devour the God of Mist to acquire the authority to expand on its own. It also wanted to snatch the believers away so that it could expand the numbers of its own religion.
Should it happen, it would surely be one of the best among its peers.
It might not be on par with the God of War or Lady Cmity, but it would acquire more power and have more potential. At least it could be prepared should any chances swing by its side. It might end up as the second Lady Cmity.
However, all delusional thoughts aside, the scene told it the God of Mist that it once knew wasnt the real one, at least the old God of Mist did not have an emissary.
It was also sure its peers around itself had no emissary or whatnot. It was certain that this emissary wasnt the others in disguise because it sensed this emissary had utmost devotion and the conviction to discard everything towards a certain existence.
This kind of devotion and conviction would never appear in the likes of the head, it would only be found in the most frantic believers.
Such believers would surely be their emissary.
Unfortunately, it had no emissary like this.
Not only the head, the others around itself didnt have one either.
There might be one in the War God Temple, or even under Lady Cmity, but...
Those emissaries would never possess abilities like this one.
The majority power of an emissary was granted by the one he serves, only a littlees from himself.
In short, the power level of the emissary varied depending on how strong the belief or the bond he had with the God he served.
This particr emissary had reflected the fact that the God of Mist, who they had always neglected, was very strong!
Of course, the God of Mist could never surpass the God of War or Lady Cmity, because this emissary should be those one in a myriad zealots who matched the power of the God of Mist very much.
No! He was not just an emissary anymore!
Hes a... kin to God!
Damn it!
What a lucky bastard!
Why cant I have this kind of believer?
Why cant I have a suitable kin?
The head was filled with jealousy, but it stopped.
After knowing this clone could never get what it sought after, why waste the energy to even try?
Offending a powerful pagan God was not a smart move.
What itself and its allies needed were more allies, not enemies.
A heavily wounded and weak God of Mist certainly did not qualify, but a powerful one could!
After all, all of them had amon enemy.
As the kin of God of Mist, I think you must know something about the current state of Sicar, right?
The head adjusted its tone and asked once more.
Of course I dont!
If I knew what the hell was going on, do you think you still have the chance to speak? Stupid head!
Bloody Mary grumbled in its heart but the smile on its face grew warmer.
I know a little. The believers of my lord require protection, thats why I am here.
As Bloody Mary answered the question, it looked at the believers who knelt on the ground, all who exchanged gazes with Bloody Mary, tearing up again.
Naturally, the conviction in the believers hearts grew stronger.
Oh the supreme lord! Please hear our prayers, we will carry out your will, bow to your greatness and bear your name, you will shed your light on the world and everything we have is a gift from you...
The prayers sounded again. This time, however, wasnt just any prayers with request. It was the gratitude the believers had from the bottom of their hearts for their lord and saviour.
The slightest changes could cause a qualitative change.
The head grew more and more jealous at the pure Power of Faith that it felt.
Uncontrobly, it grunted coldly.
Running away cannot ensure your survival! Ill admit we underestimated your god, we treated his low profile as weakness, but now he has revealed his true power. Do you think those two Gods will continue to sit back and watch your God continue this?
The headughed coldly at the end.
How could the God of War and Lady Cmity sit back and watch the already exposed God of Mist?
They must have noticed some clues before this, that was the reason for the following tests.
The God of Mist didnt want to sit back and wait for its end either, thats why it sent its kin here to wait for its arrival, and the God of Mist had prepared sufficient manpower!
Look at those pitifulmoners, they wished the God of Mist could just die, right?
Little bastards who were bought by the least amount of gains, pitiful!
The head thought it had seen through all, looking at Bloody Mary with shimmering eyes.
My lord is powerful, but he has a lot to worry about! We are lost sheep in the mist, and my lord worries about us the most. My lord gave away his eyes, closed his ears just for us, and now he has to fight for us...
Bloody Mary started to choke on its words.
Its body started to tremble, trying its best to close its eyes, hoping to hold its tears back but everyone saw the glimmering trail on Bloody Marys cheeks.
They looked at him nkly.
Their aroused hearts exploded when the first teardrop fell off Bloody Marys chin.
Each and everyone of them cried loudly.
They knew their lord gave up his eyes and ears for his believers but had never been in such pain, like now.
It was all to protect us!
It was all to protect us!
Now...
He has to fight for us again so that he can protect us.
What are we doing?
Other than praying here, are we just going to stay back and do nothing?
No! No, it cannot be like this!
A believer equipped with leather armor and sword, who resembled a guard of some sort, looked up, his eyes showing never before seen sternness, his gaze blessed with indomitable determination.
Lord Emissary, I am willing to follow my lords foodstep! I am willing to fight for my lord! I am willing to die for my lord!
The guard then drew his sword, grabbed the de with his left, and pulled with the hilt with his right. Blood gushed out and dyed the de red.
An oath! The oath of God of Mist!
The guard started a chain reaction and everyone stood up, like a set of falling dominoes. The other guards pulled out their swords and pledged their oath to the God of Mist, the other believers taking out daggers and doing the same, those without sharp objects biting their fingers instead.
Again and again, the oath sounded and echoed in the underground hideout.
I am willing to follow my lords footsteps! I am willing to fight for my lord! I am willing to die for my lord!
...
A steady and unified voice with an indomitable determination.
The determination was viewed as the most straightforward Power of Faith by the head.
It was much purer than before, it was surging!
Damn it!
Jealousy filling the head again, it didnt want to wait it out anymore.
Is the God of Mist willing to join our rebellion? asked the head.
Bloody Mary slightly nodded.
After the affirmative answer from Bloody Mary, the head twirled and fell off Bloody Marys hand. Itnded on the ground, wriggling around for a moment before vanishing into the ground.
Go to the viscount of Sicars mansion tomorrow during nightfall. The mansion will be the ce we gather this time!
The voice entered Bloody Marys ears right before the head vanished.
Bloody Mary subtly watched as the head went away.
After the head finally went off, the believers turned their eyes on Bloody Mary.
My lord, what should we do now?
The young man who stood in front asked boldly.
Heal your injuries of course. Our lord protects us from outside harm but he cant save everyone from injuries, said Bloody Mary without changing expression.
If it was possible, it wouldnt mind performing a divine miracle on behalf of its boss but unfortunately, although it was nearly undead, it was not good at healing, especially for humans.
It was a demon after all, loving the sun already made it a deviant, and if it could heal...
It might have to start to question its fragmented memories of an assassin from the past.
In order to save some face for its boss, he had delivered the words more skillfully.
Boss protects you but your injuries are not something the boss can protect you against.
Its excuse easily bought peoples hearts.
It was like raising vignce could prevent idents, but if one sought out trouble on his own, no amount of vignce would be enough.
Its reason won the unified trust of the crowd.
Everyone simply patched up their injuries while Bloody Mary walked to the young guard that caught its attention.
Shegal, Bloody Mary called the young guard.
After everyone came into the underground hideout, Bloody Mary had almost remembered everyones name, a natural gift that came together with its creation.
It was partly because of the memories of an assassin and partly the talent of a demon.
My lord.
The young man came over and replied respectfully after simply patching himself up.
The identity of kin to a god made every believer maintain a level of respect for Bloody Mary.
Gather all the believers here as soon as possible, a war is inevitable. We have to be prepared for everything and this will be the sanctuary from our lord! Bloody Mary said slowly.
Sanctuary? Arent we going to war? The young guard was stunned.
Going to war is my responsibility, your mission is to protect this ce, protect those defenseless believers of our lord, Bloody Mary showed the pitiful andpassionate look again.
The young man trembled, looking at the kin in front of him, his gaze showing even more admiration.
If he respected Bloody Mary before this because of its power and identity of kin, now he respected Bloody Mary because of the sacrifice that it was going to make.
Yes, a sacrifice!
Sacrificing himself in exchange for the survival of the masses.
The war of Gods was not something mere mortals could participate in.
Therefore, the young Shegal had a strong resolution to die, the same went for the others.
And now?
Everyone looked at Bloody Mary nkly.
Everyone heard what Bloody Mary said due to it having no intention to cover up.
My lord!
My lord!
Bloody Mary waved its hand amid the hurried cries.
When I received blessings from our lord, Id already prepared myself for this, just like all of you. The only difference is Ive be a burning torch, so I should go fight the cmity and darkness. All of you are the seed of fire! You must stay and spread the lords light over Edatine, over the entire Northern Land! Let everyone know our lords true power!
COMMENT
The moment its voice subsided, Bloody Mary raised its arms and hugged the air, a faint image appearing above its head.
Wings that tore the sky apart, burning continuously.
Horns that pierced the heavens, going up in spirals.
The powerful body stood on thend with an indomitable will.
A dark cloth covered the bodys eyes and ears, but did not cover his mouth and the kindness that hung over the corner, his hand eholding a little white flower.
That flower was like everything to him!
His everything, his whole world!
Chapter 1739 - Into Character
Chapter 1739: Into Character
All of the believers were in shock as they saw the image above Bloody Marys head.
It was the first time they saw the true look of the god they believed in.
Compared to their abstract first impressions, the detailed look made much more of an impact in peoples hearts.
It was like the God of Mist looked like this from the very start.
He had the rampant horns and a powerful body and also the heart to fully protect the believers.
Yes, protect!
That was what the white flower in his hand was, it is the protection of our lord!
Unknowingly, every believer viewed themselves as the white flower.
They knelt down and prayed again.
After another round of praying, everyone looked at the faint image excitedly.
This is our lord?
They looked at the image deeply and branded the image in their hearts.
Several believers who were good at drawing started to sketch with paper and pencil.
As the strokes moved, the look of the God of Mist was drawn on a piece of paper.
Bloody Mary dispersed the image after 7 portraits were drawn.
It could put up the image for as long as it liked but it did not do so.
The number of portraits fits our lord, said Bloody Mary as it pointed at the seven portraits.
Every god has its own symbol, therefore the God of Mist should have one too. However, the current God of Mist, Kieran, who was also its boss,cked an intact symbol, so it ought to perfect the symbol for its boss.
Bloody Mary deemed the number 7 fitting, its boss was very fond of the number.
We shall follow our lords will.
The believers bowed after one another.
Sevenplete portraits were ced on top of the altar set up in the temporary hideout, the iplete portraits tossed into the mes after a quick prayer.
Fire and me is our lords weapon, it is also a skill that we must learn to use.
Bloody Mary raised its left hand and an ember sprung up on its left index finger.
The ember it pulled out was a fake, an illusion. It could never fool a powerful person but it was enough to convince the believers.
They couldnt tell apart the truth from the false.
Of course, even if they could tell the difference, Bloody Mary could just simply talk its way out.
Ding!
While the believers were staring at the me on Bloody Marys left finger, a piece of Gold Purton appeared in its left hand. It tossed the coin up with its thumb, producing a clear chime as it swirled up, caught by its left hand and then pressed against the back of its right hand.
A gold coin is the shield our lord granted us. When you feel lost, it will give you an urate answer. Heads to agree, tails to deny. Our lord peeks into the mist and provides us with answers.
Bloody Mary uttered thest symbol of the God of Mist it had in mind.
It understood its boss too well, especially how diligent and thrifty he was.
Stingy?
Thats your word.
It had a contract , so it could only speak honestly: he is diligent and thrifty.
The number 7, fire, and gold coin.
After telling the believers the three main symbols of God of Mist, Bloody Mary turned to the exit.
All the believers quieted down, they knew what would happen next.
Even for the kin of God of Mist, he was unable to guarantee his own safe return, that was why he eagerly told the believers the symbols of our lord.
Though the further Bloody Mary walked away, the more suffering they felt.
My lord, Ill send you out!
Shegal stepped up to Bloody Mary and spoke on behalf of the believers
Mm, Bloody Mary nodded and then nced over every one of the believers in the temporary hide out, as though it was imprinting their faces in its mind. It stared at the believers for almost 10 seconds.
When Bloody Marys figure vanished beyond the door, some believers couldnt hold back their tears anymore, but none cried out loud, covering their mouths and weeping silently.
Their lord had gone into the battlefield for them, they shouldnt burden their lord anymore with the trivial.
Bloody Mary heard the soft weeping, showing a verypassionate look once more.
Dont need to feel bad for me. Dont feel sad, we will eventually meet again in our lords kingdom. Im just taking my leave now.
Bloody Mary nodded slightly and said softly, and before Shegal could reply, it quickly walked into the night.
After Shegal saw Bloody Mary off, he came back to his senses and stood straight, leaning forward a little and uttered softly, My lord, please go well, we will try our best to catch up to your footsteps.
He took a deep breath and felt the cold of the night in Sicar. His eyes, however, were stern and burning with determination.
He then stood straight and continued, We... will meet again in the divine kingdom!
After his voice subsided, Shegal went back into the temporary hideout.
Lord kin was clear about leaving Shegal in charge of the temporary hideout, hence the young man became a leader for the believers.
We will follow our lords will, we will bring our brothers and sisters here, to our lords protection! Not only Sicar, even around Sicar City, anyone who believes in our lord will be considered one of us!
Split up into East, South, West, North, four groups, spreading out and searching for the others. All of you must return tomorrow, by nightfall, Shegal said.
Yes sir!
Naturally, the four armed ex-guards became the leaders of four different search groups.
Under Shegals cover, they rode out of Sicars west gate.
Shegal was originally the person in charge of the west gate and most of them once served at west gate as guards.
The night grew darker.
No one noticed four search groups riding out of the city.
Or more urately, even if someone noticed their absence, theyd turn a blind eye because of some special influence.
In the dark, Bloody Mary deactivated its illusion and then walked up to the city walls. It stood high up and watched the four search groups ride out. The sky was dark, the stars were dimmed, and the moon shyly hid behind the dark clouds..
Fuuuuuu!
The night wind from the north blew ceaselessly, the fire in the braziers waving left and right. Bloody Mary turned around and walked slowly into the city.
No one noticed its body, only it could hear its own footsteps.
Its mission wasnt over yet.
Bloody Mary always did its best to carry out the missions given by its boss, including this one.
Though it still had time left, so perhaps it could perform better?
Bloody Mary suddenly looked beyond the walls and into the horizon.
Some thoughtster, it vanished.
...
Carl bit his tongue strongly. The pain woke him up immediately and the bbers in his ears turned quiet, lowering his body and touching his own horse.
Phernesa, where are we? Carl asked.
He wanted to use a simpler way to find out their location but his eyes were blinded.
A while ago, when the bbers exploded in his ears, it robbed his vision, his eyes unable to see the light of day.
Darkness descended all too suddenly, panicking him, and he ALMOST became a monster back then!
Fortunately, he struggled and broke free at the veryst second, but he was also blinded in the process.
He touched his eye sockets and noticed his eyeballs were missing.
Before he could feel sad or furious about losing his eyes, he told himself that he must calm down. Only with calmness would he be able to oppose the bbers in his ears.
We are almost at Sicar, Phernesa, the horse, replied urately.
As though because of the danger that they overcame earlier, Carl and Phernesas bond grew stronger, thest wall in theirmunication torn down, now they could easily understand each others thoughts.
Phernesa seemed to have be smarter as well. It did not just care about Carl, it evenforted him after he lost his sight.
Carl, we are arriving soon.
Phernesa delivered the thoughts to its master and its gallops grew louder and clearer, but at the very next moment, the gallops were forced to an abrupt stop.
A malicious presence wasing closer.
Carl couldnt see but his perception became sharper.
He grabbed his sword and performed a forward sh
The blessing from War God Temple on the crossguard was long gone, the ruby gloomy, but the de was still as sharp as ever.
As a noble with a wealthy family and having pride in his strength, the sword Carl used wasnt just some rusty iron. Other than the blessing of War God Temple, the sword was had extra enchantments to increase keenness.
While shing with anothermon sword, Carl would only need two strikes to break the opposites de.
The forward sh was infused with Carls full strength and it shed the malicious presence precisely.
Through the feedback from his ck, Carl could tell what he just cut was a spear.
A wooden pole with an iron tip at the front end, such weapon was issued to the lowest rank infantry and many bandits resolved to such weapons as well.
It wasnt just cheap, it was simple and effective. It would only require four to five trained men to form abat group that one could not afford to underestimate.
Most of the time, spear infantries would never move alone.
After he cut the spear into two, Carl leaned forward on his horse. Carl was a strong young noble that required no riders with him during a mission, so he knew what he should do against a spear infantry group.
Right after Carl leaned forward, four long spears grazed his back.
Although he couldnt see, Carl could picture the disappointment on the infantries face after their attacks missed. At the same time, Carl seized the moment and slipped down his horse, calcting the length of the spear and lunging out to close the distance between him and the attackers, swinging his sword horizontally.
Pak! Pak!
Blood spurted and hot blood sprayed all over Carls body, his hands and face dyed red, but Carl didnt have the time to wipe the blood away. He turned around and slid under Phernesas belly, lunging forward with his sword on the other side.
Pak Pak!
As his sword stabbed into the attackers body, blood spurted out like a fountain. Carl, who was closest to the attackers, was showered by blood from head to toe.
Carl unconsciously touched his face, and then... he saw blood!
It was very blurry but he did see the red in front of him.
What?!
Carl shook his head strongly. He had touched his eye sockets before and was certain that he lost his eyeballs, all he had left were two hollow eye sockets, so how could he see?
A bad thought appeared in Carls mind.
He turned around to his horse Phernesa.
The horse was absent of a strong body, it had lost its wavy fur and did not have the energetic eyes, all that was left was a carcass, the carcass of a horse, strong white bones coupled with the soul fire burning in its eye sockets.
Carl raised his hands and saw no flesh and blood on it, skeletal fingers moving ording to his will.
I am dead? Carl muttered in disbelief, but he did not make a scene out of it.
The soul fire that burned in his eye sockets jumped vigorously.
Then, he suddenly thought of something and lowered his head for a check.
He saw the attackers dressed in a very simr way to the soldiers of Sicar.
Shock!
Carl was shocked as though a lightning bolt struck him, his body wobbling weakly.
I killed my own men? I killed my own men?
He questioned himself.
The bbers in his ears got clearer. Carl curled up his body, the soul fire in his eye sockets jumping rapidly again. It wasnt vigorous jumps though, it was like the flickering me of a dying candle.
Carl, dont give up! Carl, believe in yourself!
Phernesas voice came into his mind.
As a horse, Phernesa had no idea what had just happened, but it knew if this continued, that bastard who had been watching them would get what he sought.
In fact, that bastard already came forth.
Are you in pain? Do you want to scream? But you cant even make a sound, right? Isnt it painful?
As the ghastly voice sounded, a deer casually walked out from the woods.
When the deer came out, Phernesa neighed cautiously.
Its not enough! Its still too far away! When I watched my children be ughtered by your hands and watched my guts ripped away from my body, I too wanted to shout, but my tongue was ripped away. I couldnt make a noise back then. I could only watch, watch in silence.... said the deer as it moved closer.
The deer finally came out from the dark and revealed itself under the dimmed moonlight.
Its head was still intact, with several scars on it, but the antlers were broken, reced by dried twigs. There was only a small amount of flesh on its body and on its bones were many cut marks and concentrated bite marks.
Its not us! We did none of that! Phernesa argued.
But they are the same as you, invaders of my home! Bow, suffer the pain of the curse!
The skeletal deers eyes shone in a scarlet brightness.
No! We are just running away from our enemy...
Sigh.
Phernesa wanted to exin, to dissolve the misunderstanding but a sigh suddenly sounded at the critical moment, shocking both sides right away.
Phernesa and the skeletal deer looked towards the source of the sigh.
There was a man in a hoodless long, gray robe. On his normal looking face was utmostpassion and he was walking closer to them. He ignored the malicious presence of the skeletal deer and stood beside Carl,ying his hand on the crown of the skull.
Oh, lost child, you have suffered.
His voice sounded sad, like he himself was the one who suffered.
Carl, who was troubled by the wicked voice, trembled, looking up in a lost state.
He saw the man in front of him, who showed the same amount ofpassion to his skeletal face, the gaze from the man grew pitiful.
W-W-Who are you? asked Carl.
When he asked, he remembered that his voice couldnt be heard by others, so what was the use for asking?
However, to his surprise, the man in front of him heard him, and the man replied calmly.
I was once a man who suffered, just like you. My lord saved me and bore my pain for me. At the same time, my lord saw your suffering too. Thats why I am here, my brother, Bloody Mary said with utmostpassion.
It then moved to step in front of Carl and block him. Its chest was then perforated by the twig antlers, yet the smile on its face did not diminish a bit. It looked at Carl with a kind look and said, I will bear your pain for you.
Chapter 1740 - Wait And See
Chapter 1740: Wait And See
Carl stared at the twig antlers nkly.
He waspletely stupefied.
He couldnt imagine why a stranger, who he had never met before, was willing to stand up and protect him, especially in his current state.
W-Why? Carl asked, looking up at the warm smile.
Even though he couldnt really speak with words, his voice trembled.
Because this isnt the pain you should bear, said Bloody Mary, then turned around and performed a roundhouse sh with its hand.
Fung!
Its hand was like the sharpest de drawn out of its sheath, vibrating in the air and slicing the weird antlers off the skeletal deer cleanly.
The strange deer tried dogging but it was not as quick as Bloody Mary.
The deer watched Bloody Mary pull its antlers out from its chest and simply throw it on the ground like it was trash. The strange deer went silent for a while before it spoke again with a heavier tone.
Kin of the Mist, are you trying to stop me?
Bloody Mary wasnt surprised that the deer revealed its fake identity.
The power that it felt from the twig antlers was simr to the head, originating from the same roots and if both of them were unrted, Bloody Mary would be the first to doubt it.
As for the speed of knowing its identity?
Technology wise, theres smartphone and other kinds of messaging methods.
Mythical wise, it was much more convenient and probably could provide better details, for example: the power of contract!
The strange deer reeked the presence of a contract.
It seemed like this group of whatever-it-is truly formed an alliance to go up against the God Of War and Lady Cmity.
All the spections and guesses shed over Bloody Marys mind, its face still showing thepassionate look.
Its not stopping, its salvation. He shouldnt end like this. In my lords eyes, this should not have happened.
Bloody Mary was being very vague with its ambiguous words.
Since it didnt know how to answer and could not remain silent, it went with bluffing and brushing the deer off with weird and profound words.
It was what the boss always did and it agreed to the method a lot because it would misguide the opposite to think that it was trying to cover up a crucial point.
The Mist is onto this preys potential!
The spection appeared in the deers mind.
Without a doubt the prey in front had amazing potential. He was much stronger than any other prey that it met in the past, and if it could polish him carefully, he would certainly be its exclusive warrior.
A qualified warrior was something of luck, not demand.
The strange deer didnt want to give up, yet it dreaded the Mist, who had beenying low.
He trespassed into my territory, he should be punished, said the deer heavily.
He has suffered enough, I... will take his ce.
Bloody Mary sighed before it walked towards the strange deer.
The deer got shocked before it stepped back vigntly. When it realized Bloody Mary didnt do anything out of the blue, except for stand in front nkly, the deer doubted.
What do you want? asked the deer.
Endure your wrath in his ce, until you deem sufficient, said Bloody Mary.
The zombified face of the deer showed disbelief.
Are you sure about that? It emphasized again.
I am certain, Bloody Mary nodded.
After the nod, killer intents rose from the strange deer, a bare killer intent!
The others around Sicar were highly alert about the sudden rise of the Mist, even though they, in name, were going up against the God of War and Lady Cmity.
To them, the shocking point about the Mist was how hidden it had been all the time.
Thinking about it, if they would go to war against War God Temple and Lady Cmity and the Mist suddenly jumped in out of nowhere, what would the situation be?
A single thought sent chills down the deers spine.
Fortunately, although they did not notice the Mist, War God Temple and Lady Cmity did.
Of course, those two bastards had zero good intentions, they were trying to disrupt their alliance from the start.
The same thing happened in the Mists hideout.
As for this Kin of the Mist having a death wish, it must also be the disruption n from the two.
Withering Branch wanted to devour the believers of the Mist, it wouldnt mind converting the Kin of the Mist into its own warrior either.
Pak!
Without any sign, the strange deer lowered its head and lunged towards Bloody Mary. The twig antlers stabbed into its body again.
The deer shook its head and the antlers moved like des, slicing Bloody Mary into many pieces.
Pain! It was very painful!
Bloody Mary cursed the damn deer in its heart but its face maintained a smile.
Even if it was cut into smithereens, or its head were smashed into pieces, its mouth would maintain the upward curl.
Even if the others couldnt differentiate anymore, I have to maintain the quality of a professional actor!
A full minute!
Bloody Mary stood there, allowing the strange deer to attack its body endlessly.
Its body was sliced over a dozen times, its head crushed more than that, yet it was able to recover every single time. The smile remained after its head reformed and it continued to look at the strange deer.
From the overflowing killer intents from the start, the deer felt a little horrified after killing Bloody Mary many times.
It was born after the ck Cataclysm, those like itself were more or less the same age and they knew each other very well, even to the roots.
Therefore, the strange deer thought the Mist, which shoulde after the ck Cataclysm, was like itself, the Mist would have certain undying traits but it should have a limit.
Being able to revive once or twice was the maximum, but this Kin of the Mist had already revived himself more than a hundred times.
The harsh reality told the strange deer that the Mist was unlike itself.
Maybe...
The Mist wasnt born in Sicar or the neighbouring ces at all!
Only then did it make sense!
Then, what was the Mists goal to be here?
A thought came afloat in the deers mind, it didnt want to waste time here anymore.
It was just a warrior, nothingpared to the Mist.
Again, Bloody Marys body was cut into pieces and then reformed.
The strange deer stepped back as it watched Bloody Mary reappear.
Enough? Bloody Mary asked softly.
Hmph!
Anxious, the stranger deer coldly grunted before it swiftly vanished into the pinewood forest.
Bloody Mary saw the deer off before it turned around to Carl, who was cautious yet grateful.
Carl was grateful for his life, but at the same time, he was cautious against the God of Mist.
Bloody Mary once showed heavy disdain against the old God of Mist. Aside from the merciless methods, it had no skills and was overly fond of blood sacrifice.
Anyone with a sane mind would never ept that and be cautious against such existence, especially a noble like Carl, with a decent educational background.
In fact, Bloody Mary was very certain if it didnt just save his life, Carl would have stabbed it.
Since Bloody Mary had decided to make a move, it ought to reap the fruit in the end.
Cautious? Prevention?
What are those?
If you cannot remove it, you can only me yourself for not being able to act properly.
With good acting, everything wille into ce naturally.
Bloody Mary lightly shook its body and showed Carl the warm smile again.
Its fine, my brother, I...
Before it could finish, Bloody Mary fell on the ground.
It was hurried and sudden, there were no signs before the fall and Carl wasnt prepared for this.
In Carls perspective, that strange deer earlier was already a formidable foe and Bloody Mary naturally categorized as untouchable.
Carl witnessed Bloody Marys undying traits first hand, but right now, the untouchable Superior Demon fell down before his eyes. Its face wasnt just pale, its presence was weak.
How are you?
Without a second thought, Carl helped Bloody Mary up.
Regardless of who Bloody Mary was, it helped him before. It was a fact, an undeniable fact.
Im fine, my brother. Compared to the pain my lord suffers, this is nothing.
Bloody Mary was extremely weak, and despite its condition, it kept its smile on while it looked at Carl.
The smile was very dazzling in Carls eyes.
Why did you save me? I will never believe in the God of Mist! I will never be your brother!
Carl couldnt hold back his true thoughts.
Bloody Mary didnt reply verbally, shaking its head with a smile.
Can you send me back to the west gate of Sicar? it asked.
Sure, Carl nodded right away.
Carrying Bloody Mary by the shoulder, Carl walked towards the west gate of Sicar, Phernesa smart enough to follow behind them. Carl knew his current state would not allow him to pass through the gate, even if he was once a noble of Sicar. Should he approach the gates of Sicar, he would be greeted with merciless attacks, yet he agreed to deliver Bloody Mary back there. He hoped to repay the debt.
After the debt was cleared, only then he would think about his goal and how he should ovee the situation.
With that thought in mind, Carl carried Bloody Mary all the way back to the west gate of Sicar carefully. To his surprise, before he even got near, a group of soldiers of Sicar ran out.
Lord Emissary!
The young leader of the group called out loudly, sounding worried, but that didnt stop him expressing his gratitude.
Thank you sir for delivering our emissary back to us. I am forever grateful, the young man then bowed at Carl. In fact, not just the young man, the others behind him bowed together as well.
If you require help or are troubled by something, please look for me here, I am Shegal, said the young man.
He then took Bloody Mary from Carl and the whole group swiftly vanished into the night, leaving Carl and his horse behind.
Carl knew Shegal, he was one of the rather well-known soldiers among the city guards.
He was strong, young, and had outstanding swordsmanship.
Though Carl never thought Shegal was one of God of MIsts believers, simr to how he did not expect the scene to unfold after he arrived at the west gate.
There werent any attempts to try to rope him in, it wasnt even mentioned at all!
Neither was there fear towards him or Phernesa in their current skeletal form, everything happened naturally.
The reaction from Shegal was what he should show towards a lifesaver, the gratitudeing from the bottom of his heart and it wasnt some pretentious acting.
Carl could tell the difference, but because of that, Carl felt bad.
I am the one who was saved! Carl muttered softly.
Unfortunately, other than Phernesa, no one else heard what he said.
Phernesa might be smart but was unable to understand such aplicated emotion, widening its soul fire eyes at its master quietly.
A whileter, Carl regained his senses.
He decided to leave this ce.
With his current state, the wilderness would be the best option for him.
After checking the direction, Carl jumped on Phernesa and rode to the east of Sicar.
The east of Sicar had an area of forest where the patrols of War God Temple would patrol once a month.
The patrol finished their duty three days ago and that ce would be a decent choice for a temporary hideout. At least he wouldnt have to worry about people finding him in the next month.
As for what came after that?
He still had time to figure that out once he settled his current condition.
...
Nicely done, praised Keiran.
Through the power of the contract, Kieran saw everything and he had to give a big round of apuse to Bloody Mary for its perfect reaction.
If he was in Bloody Marys spot, he honestly couldnt do better than his follower in handling the situation.
Bloody Marys undying ability was really useful at times.
Though because of that, Kieran thought Bloody Mary still had many raw potential waiting to be discovered.
A capable man, or demon, is always busy, right?
Kieran looked down at the [Lord of Mist] in his hand, the pure Power of Faith gushing out endlessly from the crystal and consumed by Gluttony, which was then converted into pure Origin Forces and operated in his body.
It might not be a lot at once but its source was endless.
Both Kieran and Gluttony were very satisfied with it, therefore Kieran was interested in the gathering the head spoke of earlier.
The gathering of the local pagans? And its held in the mansion of the viscount of Sicar.
Kieran tapped the table with his fingers, his eyes showing a ridiculing gaze at the topic.
A viscount who was a believer of the God of War and even put the divine emblem above his own house emblem on the soldiers breastte was affiliated with a group of pagans?
It was something no one would expect.
Or rather, the real viscount of Sicar was dead and the one in the mansion was nothing but a puppet.
Hmmm, it didnt make any sense.
The viscount was a devoted believer of the God of War, hed go to the temple for prayers everywhere. If he was a fake, War God Temple must have known.
Branching off from there, if the viscount was affiliated with the pagans, War God Temple would also discover something.
Unless... War God Temple already knew everything!
What the viscount did was all part of the God of Wars will!
If that was really the case, the viscount must have spent quite a lot of effort in winning the pagans recognitions.
As for how the viscount did it, Kieran didnt care.
What he cared about was Borl arriving at Sicar. Is this particr point part of Brokers expectation?
Or was everything that unfolded part of Brokers n?
There was also another crucial yer in this game, Lady Cmity.
Kieran thought of her, frowning unconsciously.
Chapter 1741 - Interupt
Chapter 1741: Interupt
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran did not have much of an impression of Lady Cmity.
In fact, not only Kieran, even the natives of this world had a vague impression of her. They only knew she had unsevered connections to the ck Cataclysm.
Other than that, nothing was known about her.
Powerful, mysterious, unknown.
In the eyes of the natives, she represented fear, but in Kierans eyes, she was very suspicious.
Putting Broker in the mix, her suspicion was elevated to an eye-catching level.
This so-called Lady Cmity is rted to that bastard Broker? Kieran wondered.
His fingers tapped on the table as he pondered the topic, this little habit an unconscious action whenever he thought.
Meanwhile, outside the suite room, Borl finished double checking the wagon and was talking to Aschenkano.
Aschen, we dont need that much alcohol! Food! We should be concerned about food! Traveling from Sicar to Edatine Castle is quite the journey and purchasing enough food for the trip is not something easy, especially in a harsh winter, Borl emphasized.
Kierans appearance disrupted all his ns, for the better and for the worse.
The good part was he was safer; the bad part was that he might need another wagon to carry the food alone.
He temporarily could not afford such spending.
As for the rewards for the spoils?
Holuff was a trustworthy person, the rewards were already given to Borl.
The captive was worth more money than Borl thought. Together with swords and muskets, Holuff paid Borl a total of 800 Gold Purton. Using the money, buying a wagon with two horses was more than enough, but the unfortunate thing was that he had to pay Kieran 90% of what he got.
Half of the remaining was Aschenkanos and the other half was his.
His portion of money was not enough to buy a wagon for a long journey. In fact, it wasnt even enough to buy those single-person wagons.
On top of that, replenishing supplies required money as well. Therefore, all he could do was try to figure out a way around this situation on his own wagon.
Fortunately, his wagon was purposely picked to travel a long journey. The carriage wasnt just wide and warm, the roof was extremely sturdy as well. It wouldnt be a problem even if 4 to 5 men stepped on it. Behind the carriage were two independent racks to store items, requiring some ropes to steady them down.
What Borl did was put all the dried meats and bread that he just bought on top of the carriage, the other, less important things were strapped on the racks behind the carriage. He then checked how tight the rope was and made sure everything was in ce.
Aschenkano, who had just returned from War God Temple, helped Borl in moving.
Its done.
After he strapped the items on the rack, Borl pped his hands to remove the dust, heaving a breath of relief at the wagon loaded with food.
Before this, Borls impression of Kieran was stuck at powerful, cold, and staying true to the promise he made.
Now, gluttonous was added into the list.
Aschenkano had a first hand experience about the gluttonous part, because he starved that very night.
My son, the world is huge. There are always mountains beyond mountains and people stronger than you. You must be careful.
Unknowingly, his foster fathers words rang in his head.
Those words never felt so right before.
From now on, he must eat before Kieran, otherwise he would die of hunger.
In order to prevent that, Aschenkano was already considering buying more food for a rainy day with his newly acquired reward.
Borl didnt care much about his bodyguard, who was deep in thoughts. He grabbed the box filled with Gold Purton from inside the carriage and headed to Kierans room.
Knock, knock, knock.
Come in.
Borl got a reply after the knock, he then took the box into the room.
Sir Colin, Ive already gotten the reward from Holuff, a total of 800 Gold Purton, this is your portion, 720 Gold Purton, Borl ced the box on the table.
That bounty hunter was worth a lot more than we thought. He must havemitted some crimes, hence the heavy bounty, Borl said as he opened the box to Kieran.
Under the kerosenemp, the Gold Purton dazzled brightly, making Kieran squint his eyes and joy shed over.
Gold would always make him happy, even though sometimes it was nothing but numbers.
Though the increase of numbers would also spark joy, right?
Thank you.
Delighted, Kieran thanked Borl.
Its part of my duty. Sir Colin, we are moving out at first light, do you have anything you want? Borl asked.
No thank you, good night, Kieran shook his head.
Although Borl was a yer like him, some things were destined to be a secret and Kieran would never reveal his secrets to another yer.
It was because of the loose rtionship between them and also for security sake.
Before he could get a grasp of the situation at hand, he temporarily wanted nothing to do with the God of Mist.
Therefore, even if he had to make an extra run tomorrow night, he wouldntin at all.
Well then, good night. Sweet dreams.
Borl smiled and went out, telling Aschenkano to check the gates of the courtyard before he too returned to his own room.
The whole courtyard quieted down promptly.
A whileter, the mouring main floor of the hotel also started to quiet down.
After hustling for a whole day, there were only a few who could stay upte. Even the night owls chose to sleep early, considering tomorrow was a working day.
Same thing went for the whole of Sicar City.
Work during the day, rest during the night, the cycle repeated itself for many moons now. Even Mozaar and Edatine Castle, which were neighbouring cities of Sicar, were no exceptions.
Other than the necessary patrols in the streets, the whole city went into slumber.
However, the study room in the mansion of the viscount of Sicar was an exception that night.
The viscount of Sicar, a thin man with a reddish face and white hair, looked very energetic. He was lightly wiping a two-handed sword with a piece of red linen cloth.
The de of the sword was as long as 1.5 meters, as wide as a palm and extremely thick, the hilt thick and long like a spear. The counterweight was ck, as big as a grown mans fist, and looked like a lock.
The two-handed sword was extremely heavy based on the looks itself, but it was like nothing in the hands of the thin viscount, who was ying with it like a twig.
A twig, of course, wouldnt attract such care and tender from the great lord of Sicar Land.
The viscount wiped his weapon inch by inch.
His eyes were secretly overflowing with excitement and anticipation.
How could he not be excited?
How could he not anticipate?
The things that he had nned for a long time had finallye to fruition.
Those pagans who defiled thend would soon perish, the whole of Sicar would wee a new light of hope and return to the arms of God of War while basking in glory.
As the exciting thought lingered in his mind, Viscount Sicar uncontrobly held his sword tighter, performing an upward sh and then a forward thrust.
It wasnt any special technique, just the simplest of swordy but after the little swing, a horrifying presence spread from the study room.
The mist-like wicked presence that was invisible to themon eyes grew livelier.
They quietly moved closer to Viscount Sicar, but he did not notice anything.
The wicked presence felt the viscount was getting stronger, stronger than his younger days.
Thank you for all your gifts.
After Viscount Sicar finished a whole set of practice with his two-handed sword, he prayed softly.
He then calmed himself down and waited patiently.
Half an hourter, a strong middle-aged man, who was as buff as a wall, appeared in the room quietly. Although the man wore a breastte and a pair of iron boots, he did not make a single sound.
Viscount Sicar wasnt surprised at all, neither did he show hostility towards the man.
Quite the contrary, he weed the man wholeheartedly.
Wee, Sincavolt.
Viscount Sicar did not greet the man using the noble salutation, opening his arms and hugging the bishop like a warrior instead.
The bishop of Sicar also replied with a simr hug.
How are things? asked the viscount.
Mm... its fairly smooth, replied Sincavolt.
Fairly?
The viscount got stunned but he did not press the topic as he knew how the bishop would react, waiting patiently for a follow up.
A momentter, the bishop continued, The Mist is much more cunning than we thought. He hid himself and waited to reap benefits during the chaos. If it wasnt for His Majestys hint, we would have fallen short with our efforts.
After that, the bishop started to pray softly to the God of War, the viscount following. When the prayers finished, Viscount Sicar lowered his voice and asked, Will he be a problem?
He wont, the bishop shook his head at the worried viscount. He continued in an affirmative tone, He might have been a problem if he continued hiding in the dark, but after we discovered him, he wont be anymore. The only unfortunate thing is... Ecker.
The bishop looked a little dark when he mentioned the name of the new recruit.
He is a really goodd, just like Carl. They should have a bright future ahead but in order to protect the glory of God, they had to be sacrificed. When all this is over, I will tell the public about everything in my name. They are heroes, they should not be buried in history, said Viscount Sicar seriously.
Mm, the bishop nodded sternly.
Not just Ecker and Carl, anyone who sacrificed their lives for the cause should be treated the same wayI assure you they will receive what they deserve, Viscount Sicar assured the bishop.
I trust you are a man of your words, but we should minimize the sacrifice and perform damage control, said the bishop as a warning to his ally.
Are you talking about the curfew? Wouldnt it startle them? The viscount frowned.
It wont. Trust me, Carls disappearance is enough for you to do it. Lock down the city during the day, people cane in but cannot go out; curfew at night is normal standard operating procedures, since Carl is your sisters sonthose wicked monsters are bloodthirsty and inhuman, yet they possess intellect and can make the right judgement, said the bishop.
Noted, I will make arrangements, the viscount nodded.
Chit-chat happened after that for around a quarter of an hour, the two of them then standing up and parting ways.
May God be with you.
May God be with you.
After giving each other their blessing, the viscount held his sword tightly again, the mist-like wicked aura in the area growing more lively.
The bishop who left the study room looked stern and his eyes shimmered red.
.....
What?! The city is on lockdown? We cannot go out?
At sunrise, when Borl finished cleaning himself up, he heard the bad news from Holuff.
Holuff, are you ying with me? Borl looked at the hotel owner with a doubtful expression.
It was not that Borl didnt believe Holuff, but he had never heard of Sicar being in lockdown.
Thest time Sicar was in lockdown was during the ck Cataclysm.
Borl, you have to believe me, I want that gate to open and you to leave more than anyone else. Every time I see that Colin, my heart throbs. Its like bad things would happen to me anytime. And my instinct is mostly urate!
The hotel owner scratched his head out of frustration, the few strands of hair on his head erecting after the movements from his hand, further setting off his bald head and making it extra shiny under the morning light.
He had a bad feeling something bad was going to happen and the feeling grew stronger by the minute.
Though he was still exining with his mouth, it was to inform Borl and also tofort himself.
The kin of Viscount Sicar, Captain Carl, has fallen. His uncle loved him very much and now that he is dead, the viscount will surely get to the bottom of this. But I think he will lockdown the city for that long, at most three days. Three dayster, you can leave this ce. Dont worry, it wont hold you up for long.
Holuff knew exactly what Borl wanted to do and he had nothing against it.
The hotel owner was a retired man anyway. An impressive identity to him was nothing, living the rest of his life in stability was the best option.
Three days? Borl frowned.
Three days of course wouldnt affect his n but it would make it more tight and nervous.
He might even have to rearrange things.
Is themunication at War God Temple still open to all? Borl asked.
Of course, the viscount would never bring War God Temple into this. He is a devoted believer and would never rte his nephews death to the god he serves, Holuff said.
Ill go pay a visit to War God Temple.
Ill leave you to prepare Colins breakfast.
Borl then took out 5 Gold Purton and put them in Holuffs hand before he ran out.
Leave it to me, Holuff smiled when he saw the Gold Purton in his hand.
If every customer was as straightforward as Borl, he would live to a hundred years old.
Of course, those customers did not include the likes of Kieran.
Whenever he thought of the feelings he got from Kieran, Holuff frowned.
Though it did not stop him from telling the cook to prepare extra food.
After Kieran finished washing up, a big tray of milk, toast, sausages and vegetables appeared in his room.
The milk was hot and the toast smelled good.
The sausage had its own unique aroma and it went well with the freshness of the vegetables.
It lifted Kierans spirit since he hasnt slept for the night.
Right after he picked up a toast and made a sandwich out of the sausage and vegetables, the [Lord of Mist] in his arms suddenly buzzed.
Kieran unconsciously frowned.
He hated to be distrubed during a meal.
Chapter 1742 - The Attack
Chapter 1742: The Attack
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Inside a forest outside Sicar...
A thickyer of snow nketed the icynd, like the hard-as-iron icynd was granted a suit of armor. The leaves of the pine trees were sharp, like small little daggers, poking and cutting anyone who walked through.
Every year, there would be one or two unlucky bastards in the patrol team who suffered cuts and from there, the team would grow rapidly.
Carl was the unlucky one back in his days.
During his first patrol, he rejected his captains offer to wear a thick gunny mantle, insisting on wearing his own armor, therefore the body parts which his armor couldnt cover were all poked and cut into a bloody state.
As for the parts the armor covered, they werent any better either.
Exercising for a long period of time would produce a great amount of sweat. It didnt just cause a lot of difort to Carl, because that night, his skin and inner shirt werepletely frozen on his skin. His captain and his colleagues had to boil water to unfreeze him. It was an unforgettable experience for Carl and because of that, he was gued by a cold for a week.
After that embarrassing experience, he again rejected his mothers idea of joining the army as an adviser and returned to the patrol team.
He returned to the patrol team for a whole year, which was dull and dangerous, but those were the happiest days of his life.
There was no politics, no murderous intent behind the smile and everyone was as close as brothers, trusting each other with their backs.
Reminiscing on the past, Carl unconsciously wanted to curl his lips into a smile but he suddenly realized he was already a skeleton, so he did not have lips.
Carl lowered his jawbone, wanting to cry out loud, but again, he was a skeleton, so he couldnt even cry.
All he could show was flicker his soul fire in his eye sockets.
He couldnt go back to Sicar.
He couldnt go to a crowded ce.
Would the wilderness be his new home?
He couldnt see his mother, father, and uncle again!
If he went back to his family, would they cut him instead?
Mncholy gued his mind whenever he thought about his future.
He never thought he would end up in this state yet he did not hate or hold a grudge.
After all,pared to his dead colleagues, he was considered the lucky one, right?
Phernesa, do you still remember where the captain and the others were buried? Carl asked his ride.
Yes, around Great Sparrow Valley, Phernesa answered.
Bring me there, Carl caressed his Phernesas back out of habit, even though the horse was also a skeleton now.
Sure! Phernesa nodded and elerated its stroll to a full speed gallop.
When Phernesa was still alive as an excellent war horse, it was nourished with all kinds of magical ingredients, plus the higher intellect, strength, and speed that surpassed the other horses. After Phernesa ended up as a skeletal horse, all its attributes underwent some qualitative changes, at least Carl felt its horse was at least a few times faster than before.
He could see the captain before morning.
The captain he was referring to was the captain of the patrol team when he first joined.
The captain meant a lot to Carl. It was fair to say that the captain was the guide who changed Carl from a slightly hard working noble young adult to a true warrior. They were very close, as teacher and student and as friends.
If the captain didnt die during a patrol because he wanted to save his team from an enemys ambush, he would have be an important figure in the Sicar military.
The same thing went for his colleagues, brothers, and teammates as well.
Carl was the sole survivor in that ambush.
His teammates protected him and covered his escape, one after another, and sacrificed their lives for him, the youngest and simplest member of the team, to survive, just like their captain did.
He hated himself and was gued by anger and guilt.
He hated how useless he was.
He was angry about how dumb he was.
He was guilty... because the captain and his teammates didnt know his true identity.
He joined the patrol to cover up his background, he lied to them that he was from a declining noble family and hid his true lineage.
Then, he lost the chance to exin to them.
Even though after the incident, he begged his uncle to send elite troops to eliminate the bandits, his captain and teammates would nevere back to life.
Due to the promise he made to his brothers and teachers during a chit-chat, he buried everyone around Great Sparrow Valley.
That ce was beautiful during summer, where they would go for a pic during their off days.
Before he ended up like this, he would go there to pray every season.
Thest time he was there was two months ago, before the season truly turned cold. He brought liquor, sausages, bacon, and potatoes, which were everyones favourite.
Maybe I should be with the captain and the guys.
I probably look like them now...
Carls messy thoughts were running wild as he rode Phernesa.
When Phernesa finally stopped, Great Sparrow Valley was in sight.
Great Sparrow Valley in the winter wasnt as beautiful as summer, a thickyer of snow nketing everything. During summer, when the windy breeze blew, the whole field would wave alongfortably.
Now?
Each step he took consumed a lot of his energy and Carl was walking on the path that he purposely opened from his previous visit. If one woulde to Great Sparrow Valley without a proper path during winter, it would be nearly impossible to get close.
Squeak, squeak, thud, thud.
With each step hended on the snowy ground, a thud would follow and the same happened when he pulled his foot out for the next step.
Other than the windy roar, there was no sound in the area.
Soon, Carl reached the graveyard of his captain and his teammates, his body no longer human and therefore able to reach the ce easier.
The graveyard was built halfway on the slope and was grinded out of stone.
It wasnt huge by any means and had a total of nine chambers, each of the chambers arranged ording to the position during their patrol.
The captain would take the front, and the vice captain at the back, the arbalest were sandwiched in the middle by two otherncers on both sides; Carl was one of thencers back then.
Tzzzzzz!
Carl walked into the graveyard after he pushed the icy stone door open.
Like always, he started to clean up the graveyard.
Every visit, in order to keep the captain and the others remains safe, Carl would shoo the animals away and spray some tiger urine in the area to repel them.
Though not this time, as hecked offerings this time and couldnt even shoo the animals away.
There were barely any animals outside during the winter and as for the tiger urine, it wasnt needed anymore because he would stay here from now on.
This graveyard was the home of his teammates.
His captain, vice captain, and brothers all rest here.
He could say whatever he wanted here, he could rant without scruples about his uncle and how he disagreed about his uncles way in ruling the city, even if he couldnt say a word back in his home.
His mother or his father, who died early on, did not allow him to say anything disrespectful.
Im so tired, captain. I feel the most rxed whenever I am here. Thankfully, I kept a spot for myself here. Ill wait for spring and then Ill get some rocks to build myself a chamber... Uh...I dont think a skeleton has to eat, right? I guess its not all that bad.
Carl sat with his legs crossed on the spot that he cleaned up, speaking softly at the tombstone in front of him.
It was a harsh winter, but Carl felt none of it, the temperature no longer a trouble, feeling like he was back in a pic during summer with the people he held dear. They gathered around the fire, joking and dissing each other, drinking alcohol and dancing.
A warm feeling faintly spread in Carls soul.
In that instant, the anxiety in its mind and the bbers in his ears were all gone.
Carl was utterly rxed, and then...
KILL!
A shout woke Carl.
The soul fire in his eye sockets flickered vigorously but he suppressed the anger that followed.
This graveyard was the ce for his captain and teammates to rest, no blood shall be spilled here.
Carl told himself to calm down, looking towards the origin of the shout, which was on the other side of the valley.
I will be back.
He spoke to the tombstones and then jumped on his horse.
The path of the valley was steep and bumpy but Phenersa galloped through the terrain like it was t ground. A few breathster, Carl reached the highest spot of the valley and saw what happened at the other side of the foot.
Two groups were engaged in a fight.
One side had the advantage of numbers and the other had only a few.
However, the side with the numbers was at an absolute disadvantage because it consisted of mostly women, children and the elderly, plus a whole lot of injured people. It seemed like the fight had started a while ago.
The opposite side had less people but they were sharper. The whole group had less than 30 men yet they executed every order without fail and worked together outstandingly, undoubtedly veterans of the battlefield. If therger group didnt have the advantage of numbers and werent fearless against death, they would have died long ago.
Which new group of bandits is this? Carl was confused.
Throughout thend of Sicar, Carl knew most of the bandits that once roamed free and everyone that he knew would never make it to the next season alive due to ruthless extermination.
Carl had zero fondness for the bandits. It wasnt just because of his duty but because his teammates and his captain died at the hands of bandits.
Carl hated them to his bones.
Instinctively, Carl reached out for his sword, wanting to charge in and kill the bandits but right after that, he hesitated.
His current state was not suitable to appear before people.
More importantly, Great Sparrow Valley was the resting ce of his captain and teammates. Should he appear in his skeletal state, even if he saved the civilians, a thorough search of this valley would be inevitable.
He knew how his uncle worked and did things.
The grave of his captain and teammates might be preserved but he would lose thest ce he could call home.
But...
Am I going to just sit back and watch the bandits kill innocents?
The soul fire in his eye sockets flickered, Carls emotions going through some rough waves. His calm heart rumbling and the bbers sounding again.
While he was gued by his emotions and the bblers, therger group at the valley foot was on theirst stand.
Although when the group left from Sicar, Forv had fully prepared themselves, he still wrongly estimated the number of believers and their resolution, almost the whole vige following him away.
The increased number didnt just slow down the entire convoy, it made them a juicy target for the filthy bandits.
The journey from the outskirts of Mozaar to Sicar wasnt always safe and peaceful. Even though the viscount spent quite the amount of funds every year trying to eliminate the bandits, the situation wasnt exactly remedied.
The bandits were like wild grass, multiplying endlessly.
Sometimes, it was rather hard to identify a bandit because most of the time they were just nomads but when valuables were thrown into the mix, they would transform into bandits.
In order to return to Sicar quickly and safely, as leader of the convoy, he convinced the believers to give up a portion of their properties and foods to the bandits. He hoped the filthy bandits would be satisfied with it and let them be.
But, the bandits didnt care about the lure, chasing the believers like persistent hounds and forcing them into a desperate situation.
It was obvious that the bandits werent after money and food, their target was the believers themselves.
Are the enemies of my lord? Or people with malicious motives?
The thought came afloat in Shegals mind.
Although he was without an exact answer, the hesitation didnt stop him from lunging forward and cut the enemy off his horse.
The de ripped the bandits neck and sent the head flying.
There was a helmet on the bandit that covered his face but the scream before his death rang of unwillingness.
Forvughed coldly. He wasnt fond of using his brain but using his sword?
Aside from the blessing from His Majesty, his swordsmanship was already stronger than Shegal, he was unrivaled!
The headless body followed the horse forward a few steps before it fell to the ground.
Forv didnt say anything, the believers quickly running up to drag the body and the horse back into the group and remove the armor and weapons from the body.
The other bandits wanted to stop the believers but more believers fended them off with arrows.
The believerscked swords, armor, and horses, but they were born in the mountains, which made them excellent hunters. Their archery was outstanding and if they werent burdened by their families and had brought enough arrows, they would teach the bandits the meaning of death.
The bandits noticed the believers disadvantage as well.
The bandits werent in a hurry to take the win, surrounding therge group and slowly chipping them off, like a pack of wolves hunting their prey.
Theycked everything but patience and they were very confident that they would take the victory.
They believed they would be the one who emerged a victor.
The believers of God of Mist locked their fierce gazes at the bandits. Those who were on guard were vignt and cautious; those who acted as medics carried out their tasks well by helping the injured. The whole group operated closely and intensely.
A lot of them knelt on the ground and prayed softly.
Oh the supreme lord! Please hear our prayers, we will carry out your will, bow to your greatness and bear your name, you will shed your light on the world and everything we have is a gift from you...
Prayers from a single person were soft and weak but when a group of people prayed together, despite the soft volume, things would turn out differently.
The believers basked themselves in the prayers, their eyes growing stern and steady.
The bandits heard the prayers too, but they showed disdain in their gazes.
God of Mist?
Of course they heard of it before!
As a matter of fact, the God of Mist was actually their target!
Though, their lord would deal with the God of Mist himself and they were only responsible for erasing these persistent and stubborn believers.
God? A bloody lucky bastard is worshipped as a God?
The leader of the bandits mocked loudly.
Forv held his sword tight. The other young men around him, who met the Superior Demon before, wanted to answer the mocks by going after the leader but Forv stopped them.
They are trying to pick on us, dont fall for it!
He himself also had the urge to chop the head of the leader but he still reminded hisrades.
The opposite leader heard what Forv said and he replied with a louderugh.
Pick on you? You think too highly of yourself! Just like your so-called God! If he is really God, what would he do to me now that Ive defiled his name, bared malicious intents, and talked bad about him? Would he punish me with his divine sanction? Let me tell you people, its impossible!
The insolent words echoed throughout the valley. The more the bandit leader mocked, the more excited he was. He saw the expression on the believers of that fake god and knew they wouldnt hold up much longer. A few more teases and provokes would break them, swarming him like bees only fire him to ughter them like ants.
The bandit leader was prepared to continue but before he said anything, he heard a whimper behind him.
It sounded like the whimper of a hunting hound, but it was heavier and thicker, more of a tiger.
Though, how could a tiger appear in the valley?
Behind him were his men, who were in a fortified formation.
Even if there was a tiger, it wouldnt have slipped in unnoticed.
Despite the thoughts, the leader still turned around and tried to find out what it was.
Then, he saw a bloody mouth behind him.
Chomp!
Chapter 1743 - The Mist Rise
Chapter 1743: The Mist Rise
A hound that was twice the size of a calf, looking like a cartoon tiger with a disproportionatelyrge head and small body, appeared all of a sudden behind the bandit leader.
Without showing any mercy, the hound chomped off the leaders head and dashed into the other bandits like a gale. It went on a rampage in the group, toppling men from horses and stomping over them after they fell.
The well-trained bandits wanted to counter, but the buff and somewhat swelled hound was unusually nimble and agile.
No! It wasnt just nimble and agile anymore, but its movements were also remarkable!
A moment ago, the hound was in front of them, yet it had now vanished from sight. A momentter, it appeared behind the bandits and delivered a lethal chomp to the back of their necks.
A few chompster, when the surviving bandits saw the increase in headless bodies, chills went down their spines and all of them had intense goosebumps.
Right at that moment, Forv gave the order to retaliate.
Forv had no idea where the hound came from, but he knew this would be their chance!
Kill!
A loud shoutter, Forv charged towards the bandits. He wielded his sword along the horses neck, grazed the seams of the enemys armor, and sessfully stabbed the bandit in the stomach.
St!
The bandit fell with his hands over his stomach, and before he could react, a second strike from Forv thrusted his sword into the seam of the armor around his neck.
The dead bandit fell off his horse, allowing Forv to snatch it quickly. He grabbed the spear hanging at the saddle, leaned forward, and charged toward the other bandits.
The other young men behind Forv followed behind him with loud and energetic shouts. The believers who were once hunters drew their bow strings back and loaded them with arrows.
In an instant, the tide had turned and favoured the other side.
Carl, who was at the peak of Great Sparrow Valley, heaved a sigh of relief.
He had prepared himself to go down and help the believers. He wouldnt even have minded if he exposed himself because if his captain or teammates were still alive, they would do the same.
They were the patrol team, they were assembled to protect everyone in Sicar Land.
It was his duty and honor to protect, even in death; that would never change.
Thankfully, right before he rode down, the situation on the battlefield took an unexpected turn.
Therge hound that came out of nowhere turned the tides arrow. Carl sensed how remarkable the hound was.
It wasnt just because of the hounds ability, which was simr to undercover. Its speed and strength far surpassed othermon canines, and even a tiger would feelckluster in front of that hound.
Carl pictured another oue in his mind. If the hound changed its approach and went toe to toe with the bandits, they wouldnt be able to do anything to stop its fury.
The gap of strength was far too great, a total suppression.
Is it simr to Phernesa?
No, I think its more thorough than Phernesa. Its a natural transcendent being! Carls soul fire flickered vigorously.
There were a lot of transcendent beings mentioned in legends and transcripts, but there were only a few in reality. Before the ck Cataclysm, there were still some myths that floated around, but after the disaster, everything died, even the rumours.
Carl was very curious about the transcendent being, but again, once he remembered his current state, his curiosity died off.
After all, technically speaking, he himself was a transcendent being, a skeleton that had transcended beyond life.
Should he be caught, he would either end up staked and burnt to cinders or sent to Edatine Castle for some cruel experiments.
Carl was once in the noble ranks, he heard many things about the research facility in Edatine Castle, and he hoped that he would not end up on their dissecting table.
And of course, he wouldnt want to die a second time, so he turned around and readies himself to head back to the graveyard.
He didnt want to talk to the people down there, even though they were the believers of the God of Mist. However, after he turned around, he felt something behind him. He immediately turned back and saw nothing in sight. However, the judgmental gaze he sensed was real.
The gaze felt like it was from an ally and also an enemy.
It even possess a high level of intellect? Carl thought quietly. He raised his hands to show that he was harmless and also told Phernesa to stand down.
Soon, the judgmental gaze faded.
An excellent hunter, Carlmented before he disappeared from the peak.
At the valley foot, the battle was nearing its end.
After the hound bit off thest bandits neck, everyone stopped. They looked with confusion and doubt at the hound, which was as big as a grown man when it sat down. In the end, as the representative of the group, Forv came down from the horse.
Are you here on behalf of our lord? Forv asked respectfully.
Other than their lord and savior, Forv couldnt think of any other being that could tame such a ferocious hunting hound.
Thats right, it was actually a hunting hound. As someone from the mountains, Forv was certain that it was a hunting hound.
Even though it was bigger, stronger, and faster than themon and even had the ability to hide itself, it still highly resembled amon hunting hound.
The hound sat there and tilted its head sideways, as though it was figuring out what Forv just said. It then nodded.
The believers discarded theirst bit of worry when they saw the nod. Everyone cheered happily.
Oh, our supreme lord!
Excited cheers sounded continuously.
They were still worried about returning to Sicar City before this; however, after the battle, after the appearance of the hound, the believers were boosted with confidence.
What else was moreforting to the believers than their god looking after them?
That would be protection, like what the hound did!
My lord, please wait for a while. We will clean the battlefield quickly and then prepare to return to Sicar.
Forv tried to sound as calm as possible, but the trembling proved how excited he was.
Forv was also one of the younger ones, a devoted believer of the God of Mist. How could he not be excited?
If he wasnt the leader of the group, he would have shrieked out of joy.
The other three groups of believers were also ambushed by attackers, and the other hounds also saved them from danger.
Kieran, who was having breakfast, watched everything through the power of [Lord of Mist] quietly.
The Hounds were a safety measure that Kieran sent out just in casehe wouldnt want anything to happen to the group of believers who could potentially be his strength.
Judging from the scene, the bastards who had their eyes on his believers were much faster and vigorous than he thought.
Kieran?
He was also quick and somewhat more straightforward than his enemies.
After he finished thest cup of milk, Kieran looked at the Elite Hound who was lying down beside his feet.
[Hound Ring] was able to summon 5 Hounds that were stronger than theirmon counterparts and 1 Elite Hound.
Kieran sent out four of them to watch over the four groups of believers; one more was sent to follow Shegal, the young man who stood out from the bunch of believers, as Kieran thought he should pay more attention to him.
The strong Elite Hound was always beside Kieran.
Got the smell? asked Kieran.
Perhaps the others would have a hard time tracking down the enemies behind the scenes who ambushed his believers, but it was a piece of cake for Kieran.
When the Hounds came in contact with the attackers, their smells were exposed to the Hounds nose, and as the boss of the Hounds, Elite Hound was able to receive the smell from the others.
Elite Hound nodded obediently.
Kieran curled his lips into a smile and said softly, Find them... and rip them to pieces.
He ate everything but loss.
Therefore, he deemed it necessary to teach the enemy a lesson.
Of course, for the sake of safety, other than summoning the Hounds to his aid, he also had the two [Silent Guards] from [Sight of Light]. The two guards couldst for 12 hours and were able to be on guard in the dark. Although they only possessed a Strong attack, their elusive presence and the ability to ignore most physical damage made them a great helper to Elite Hound.
Wuuu!
Elite Hound softly whimpered before it brought the two Silent Guards along and vanished on the spot.
Kieran turned his attention to the [Lord of Mist].
It was still a morbid crystal that was the size of a palm, but its attributes changed a little.
[Name: Lord of Mist]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: I]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: I]
[Attribute: 1. Mist Control; 2. Poison Mist Assault]
[Effect: 1. Land of Sicar; 2. Reply]
[Prerequisite: Spirit I]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: A product of ident during the ck Cataclysm]
...
[Mist Control: Summon a 150 meter radius mist and shroud everything in sight, 2/day]
[Poison Mist Assault: Induce Poison to the targets caught by the mist. Targets will have to go through 3 B rank Constitution authentications. Targets who fail all three times will be inflicted with lethal poison damage; targets who fail twice will be inflicted with Powerful poison damage; targets who failed once will be inflicted with Strong poison attack; targets who pass all three will be immune but still be trapped in the mist.]
...
[Land of Sicar: Within the Land of Sicar, the title of Mist has been recognized. You, who possess the Lord of Mist, can move natural mist at will and induce it with poison, but it will consume your stamina ordingly.]
[Reply: You, who are treated as the God of Mist, can use the Lord of Mist to reply to the simple prayers of your believers. It will consume your stamina ordingly.]
......
[Lord of Mist] was powered up once again on top of its original stats.
[Mist Control] and [Poison Mist Assault] was nothing ster in Kierans eyes, but its effect, [Land of Sicar], was different. With the item in hand, Kieran was like a bird in the sky, looking down at all of Sicar. The other ces were blurry, but as long as there was mist, Kieran could see.
On top of that, he could even move the mist at will.
With a single thought, a cloud of mist blocking the believers was moved into the pinewood forest beside the path.
The mist moved so fast, as if it had legs.
The believers who were traveling were slightly stunned before they cheered the name God of Mist in a more frantic manner.
Kieran wasnt just looking after this particr group of believers, but also taking care of the other three.
Of course, he didnt do it just to feel great. He was also experimenting with something.
Simply moving the mist around consumes less stamina than I thought. Its like how I wield my sword at normal times, but if I keep this up, the consumption will multiply and... The poison mist!
As the thought came afloat, Kieran looked into the city of Sicar.
Elite Hound, with the two Silent Guards, entered a rather nice-looking civilian residence.
Though the building only looked like a civilian residence, inside the building was an offering altar and some fanatic zealots.
Kieran had no idea which pagan believers they were, but he was sure they werent from God of War or Lady Cmity.
Those two would never ask for bloody worship or offerings.
When Kieran saw the head impaled on the altar, he raised his alertness to the surroundings.
There was no danger inside the building. Having Elite Hound and two Silent Guards would be enough, but outside on the streets, many more unfriendly people were approaching.
They might be in different attires, but the urge on their faces and the overflowing killer intent told Kieran what he should do with them.
The mist quietly shrouded them.
A whileter, when the mist scattered, they had fallen to the ground as their bodies rotted badly.
Poison mist consumes quite a lot of stamina, probably 10 times that of simply moving the mist around, but its still eptable. What a convenient ability, Kieranmented as such.
He was ready to release his birds-eye view over the city when he suddenly noticed a wicked presence over the city that shook vigorously.
It was a mix of anger and killer intent!
It reacted to the altar that the Elite Hound raided, and the presence from the wickedness felt exactly the same as with the altar!
A sense of coldness shed over Kierans squinted eyes. He curled his lips into an icy grin.
It was much easier than he thought, as the mastermind behind the scenes came out on his own.
Everything had to continue as nned.
Repay the favour of a single meal, take revenge for a single gaze.
Moreover, the Mist required a boost in its name and a proper grand entrance.
The appearance of this mastermind would make a good entrance.
...
Fuuu!
In the morning, the people who were forced to stay back at Sicar because of the emergency lockdown felt a sudden strong wind.
No, it wasnt the wind, but the mist!
Thick mist came from the wilderness. The soldiers on top of the city walls clearly saw it surround the city walls and crash onto the walls like endless waves.
A few breathster, the walls of Sicar were shrouded in blurriness.
The soldiers on the walls were petrified; they dare not move a muscle.
Mist that could surround a city?
A monstrosity!
The voice in their heads told the soldiers not to move recklessly.
The soldiers who heard of the God of Mist before hesitated. They carefully and subtly prayed in their hearts.
This was the soldiers reaction though. As for Shegal and the other believers who were camped at the west gate, they danced and cheered excitedly in the mist.
They wished they could pray out loud, but their sane minds told them not to expose their identities just yet.
They held their urge back and prayed loudly in their hearts instead.
Purer Power of Faith appeared in the young peoples hearts and transferred to [Lord of Mist]. Gluttony again licked his lips in anticipation, but without his big brothers order, he dare not move.
He looked at his big brother and noticed that he was in a good mood.
He seemed like he found something... interesting?
Gluttony watched in confusion as his big brother quietly left Anan Hotel and went outside the city walls.
He had no idea what Kieran was doing. Simrly, he was also confused about the wordsing from the food that hid in the city; they were heard through the mist.
Mist, stop! What are you doing?
Mist, dont forget who you are!
Mist, are you trying to ruin the alliance?
There were three voices in total.
The first two were familiar to Kieran; one belonged to the head who controlled lines and the other was the skeletal deer. Thest one was a new voice.
There was another pagan god who did not speak because it was anxiously heading towards the altar that Elite Hound raided.
Kieran controlled the mist and stopped them from moving forward.
He sculpted the mist into a human figure: a giant with blurry facial features.
The walls of the city were only at the giants knee. A single punch from the giant could destroy the whole street.
However, it simply stood there silently like a descending god and gazed over the ces where the pagans were.
The three pagans who spoke were forced to a dy; even the one running stopped.
It looked up at the mist giant nkly.
In fact, not just the four pagans reacted that way. All the Sicarians who saw the scene were bbergasted. Seizing the window, Kieran quietly entered the mist giants body.
The next moment, killer intent that almost materialized shrouded thend.
The divine might of the God of Mist was as harsh as purgatory on earth.
Chapter 1744 - Changes
Chapter 1744: Changes
Kieran hid in the mist giant, his killer intents flooding the entire city.
Those with ulterior motives sensed the killer intents and trembled in fear.
Those pagans with many other thoughts that sensed the killer intents drowned in disbelief, especially Withering Branch and Resting Deer.
Considered one of the few who came in contact with the Mist, these two pagans widened their eyes at the mist giant that shrouded the sky, feeling the almighty gaze from the giant, their absolute confidence in their n shaken.
Beside them was Decaying Water, which was astonished at first before it became furious, not towards the Mist, but towards the other two coborators.
This is what you meant by insignificant? This is what you meant by dont worry about it? Or... were you two trying to set me up since the beginning?
Decaying Water used a very special method inmunicating with Withering Branch and Resting Deer. While it wasmunicating, it instinctively drew distance from the two of them.
It was taking precautions against those two and it was being very explicit about it, there was no need to conceal it anymore.
The other Crippling Cold who trusted the two had fallen into a desperate situation, as it could neither break free or press on forward.
Decaying Water had no intentions of being like Crippling Cold.
Withering Branch and Resting Deer tried to exin themselves, but they had no words.
They really had no idea the Mist was this powerful, simr to Crippling Cold.
Its most important altar in Sicar raided and destroyed, Crippling Cold was furious, disregarding any consequences and rushing to the ce.
All it wanted to do was crush the bastard who destroyed its altar. Never did it think it would provoke the Mist, who it never expected to be this powerful.
It wanted to say it was nothing but a misunderstanding, but would the Mist ept the excuse?
Or if Crippling Cold was in the Mists shoes, would it ept it?
The answer was no.
It wouldnt just deny the excuse, it would retaliate with harsher means too.
As the thought came afloat, Crippling Cold ran for its life.
Running away would eventually cost Crippling Cold the believers that it had spent much effort to gather but that wasnt anything serious. They were nothing but foolish humans and it had ways to gather them again.
It was just leaving for the moment. Once it figured out a way to reach an ord with the Mist, everything would return to normal.
Or so it thought.
Crippling Cold turned away and ran towards the street filled with its believers.
In such desperate times, only its oldir in Sicar could provide itself with a sense of safety, not just hypothetically, but also literallyCrippling Cold had a thousand souls of the dead hidden under that street.
Some were its believers, while others were its prey.
Everything ended up as its trump card for a situation like this, a trump card that could protect itself.
Sincavolt, who saw Crippling Colds reaction, chuckled coldly.
Looks impressive, but nothing solid.
He nced over the Crippling Cold and thennded his gaze on the mist giant, the bishop of God of War was being very outspoken.
Beside him was Viscount Sicar and he nodded in agreement.
The mist is formless. Other than poison, the mist cant cause any actual harm, its just scaring us...
Before Viscount Sicar could finish, he was interrupted by a shocking scene.
A ball of zing fire fell from the sky and crashed onto Crippling Cold fiercely.
This ball of zing me was hot enough to distort the air and came too suddenly, Crippling Cold never thought the Mist could perform such a fiery attack.
It only reacted when the scorching air flooded itself.
The ball of me fell from the sky, so it had no ground to dodge at all. All it could do was endure it with clenched teeth.
Fuaaa!
Ayer of freezing air as thick as a meter shrouded itself, reeking of decay.
Myriads of concentrated souls sprung out from the ground and fused themselves with the decaying presence.
The formless decaying presence started to turn ck, causing anyone whoid eyes on it to tremble in fear.
Some weaker ones fell to the ground right away.
As the ck color rumbled, ruthlessness appeared on Crippling Colds formless face.
It was getting ready to release the shriek of the dead.
The thousand souls that fused into the decaying presence looked up to the mist giant, a special energy starting to brew inside them.
Decay is my shield. Cold is my sword. Mist, do you really think you are the only one with hidden...
Kaboom!
Kieran had zero intentions to bullshit with the pagan, Devil me crashing onto the ck decaying presence.
It was like white snow melting under the bright sun.
The zing mes destroyed the decaying presence with the utmost destructive force, then shed with the freezing air.
Kaboom!
Another explosion sounded, even the ground was shaken.
The freezing air melted instantaneously.
Everyone clearly heard an unknown painful shriek.
Crippling Cold was hit by Devil me right in the face.
Even though Devil me crashed through two protectiveyers, decay and cold, it wasnt slowing down at all. With the Transcendence option [Malicious Spread], Devil me obeyed Kierans will and burned exclusively on Crippling Colds body.
The painful moans became shrill begging.
S-Spare me!
The begging spread as the mes rumbled and swept over the streets.
The street where Crippling Colds believers stood was devoured by the mes and everything was burned to cinders.
Crippling Colds voice grew softer and eventually silent.
The wind blew again, carrying the mist giant away, not a single trace left behind.
The people of the city were astonished by the jaw-dropping scene, the pagans stupefied and even Viscount Sicar and Bishop Sincavolt left terrified.
Viscount Sicar took a deep breath to suppress the shock that rose from his heart before looking at Sincavolt.
Sincavolt, who was as buff as a wall, didnt show any expression on his face but that slightly hurried breath told Viscount Sicar that he was as shocked as him.
We should change our ns. Withering Branch, Resting Deer, Decaying Water, and Crippling Cold took too much of our attention, thats why we overlooked the Mist. I think we should be concerned about the Mist more from now on, said the viscount.
Agreed. Terminate the n right away, we need to reconsider everything, Sincavolt nodded.
Terminate? Is there no other way? Viscount Sicar frowned.
It was worth taking note that he had spent a lot to gather the pagans together, not just Gold Purtons but also lives, including his beloved nephew Carl.
A direct termination of the n was uneptable, yet his logic told him it was the best way. His emotions, however, fantasized a better oue.
No! But with our powers alone, we are not equipped to deal with pagans that we do not understand, Bishop Sincavolt shook his head.
Then... what about His Majesty? A little hesitationter, the viscount asked softly.
His Majesty is concentrating on dealing with the disaster caused by Cmity, he shouldnt be distracted. You should know thatpared to that woman, these pagans are not even considered minor ailments. If we cant share His Majestys burden, at the very least we shouldnt burden him with more, the bishop shook his head.
I understand. Ill make the arrangements ordingly, replied the viscount.
Ill head to the wilderness and search for more about the Mist and his origins. Ill contact you if I get anything, said the bishop before he left the tower.
After Sincavolt went away, a strange and eerie smile popped up on the viscounts face, making his face look twisted to some extent.
He knelt down on one knee towards War God Temple.
Your Majesty, I will do my very best! I will be able to share your burden.
The bbers in his ears almost became praise towards the God of War. Viscount Sicar got even more excited, his face twisting to its limit, like his facial features were moving away.
Sincavolt didnt leave the mansion through the main gate but through the secret passage.
When he got back to the surface, the sun was shining all over Sicar again, as if the great mist was nothing but a dream yet the scene of a whole street plunged into a fiery sea kept reying itself in his mind, it told the bishop that everything that had happened was real.
idents, eh? What a damn.
Curses and unheard ng came out from the bishops mouth.
A deacon armed with a sword, who had been waiting for the bishop outside War God Temple, saw him and was surprised by the jaw-dropping reaction.
He never thought the always noble, quiet, and reliable bishop had such a dark side.
Especially the ng he spoke, it shouldnt belong to Sicar Land but the bishop was home grown, so why would he speak in ng?
Doubts appeared in the deacons heart but he had no chance to clear it because his neck was snapped by the bishop.
Pak!
The emblem of War God Temple was taken away and the body was simply discarded in an alley.
Sincavolt wasnt concerned by the kill at all. He knew someone would discover the body soon but no one would deliver the news to War God Temple because no one would want to attract trouble and they were eager to make some extra money.
Since the identity of the body was not known, a pouch with substantial coins could solve any kind of problem, and inside Sicar, there was nock of such people to take care of it.
After the kill, Sincavolts heart grew calm, striding towards the other side of Sicar.
He was vastly experienced, of course he wouldnt go to the wilderness to search for answers.
Searching for clues in the wilderness would only be useful against those pagans that appeared during the early days of ck Cataclysm. The Mist was different and with that kind of power, he obviously wasnt some random pagan.
The Mist was on a whole different level, he shouldnt bepared to previous foes and the bishop would beg to be excused from going up against it toe to toe.
Besides, the arrangements in Sicar werepleted. Even though it was dyed by some unexpected idents, it did not affect the general n.
Now, all Sincavolt had to do was sit back and watch the show.
As the thought lingered in his head, his buff body rapidly shrunk and his face transformed into amon man. A few stepster, he naturally converged with the endless flow of people.
...
Borl was having some luck after he sessfully sent a letter out from War God Temple.
His letter described what happened in Sicar City in detail and hoped that the noble would spare him two more days and to show his sincerity, Borl would even add a 50 Gold Purton draft bill in the letter.
Draft bills were used by the Edatine royals as a guarantee and it was viable for use not only in Edatine but throughout all of Northern Land.
Thank you for your help.
Borl tipped the clergy beside him.
It was a necessary fee for delivering a message and also considered a mary offering to the God of War.
However, the clergy didnt ept the tip with his hand, reacting with a rather dull look.
Borl followed the clergys gaze and looked outside of the temple.
The War God Temple of Sicar wasnt big at all. Ifpared, it was almost identical to the War God Temple in Mozaar, and other than some extra extravagant decorations, the temple consisted of a main building and square in front of it.
The main building was the ce for prayers, other than that was a room to repent sins in and the clergys quarters, plus daily infrastructure.
Most believers were only allowed to perform their prayers in the square, so it was rather difficult for them to enter the main building.
Borl was considered a normal believer and he was currently in the War God Temple Square.
The War God Temple might not be big but it was tall, therefore standing in the square allowed Borl to see everything in Sicar from a higher view, including outside the city.
Borl widened his eyes at the mist giant that appeared outside the walls and that zing fire ball that fell from the sky.
Unknowingly, he thought of the ming Devil.
No! It cant be! Using the mist wasnt 2567s Style!
Besides, he had no reason to make such a move! He wasnt a person who would act recklessly!
Borl was baffled by the thought, shoving the Gold Purton into the clergys hand and then running towards Anan Hotel.
Even though his heart denied it, he was still a little doubtful and curious.
He flew back to the hotel and headed straight to Kierans room.
Eight before he knocked on the door, he stopped.
In what attitude should he visit Kieran?
In what position was he asking from?
Should he identally provoke the ming Devil, he might...
Borl quivered when the thought came, quickly calming down and retracting his hand from knocking, slowly turning around and heading to the main lobby of the hotel like nothing happened.
I am certain that wasnt 2567s style, theres nothing for me to confirm anymore.
Dont waste my time and energy on unnecessary confirmations!
Curiosity is unnecessary!
Borl freed himself from the hard options, then joined the crowd in their heated discussion with a normal look.
The hotel owner looked at Borl dubiously, wanting to ask but a sudden pain spread from his head.
Holuff turned ugly, grabbing the liquor beside him and taking a few big gulps.
He heaved a breath of relief after the pain subsided.
As for the question he was going to ask Borl, it was discarded beyond the heavens.
He was troubled with new doubts: had his illness grown severe?
Holuff became worried.
On the other hand, Kieran, who had just returned to his room, looked at the [Lord of Mist] with a smile on his face.
New changes had happened to the crystal and they were surprising!
Chapter 1745 - Hand Gestures
Chapter 1745: Hand Gestures
Thee crystals the size of a palm, [Lord of Mist] slept quietly on Kierans hand, the morbid texture on the surface slightly decreased, looking a little bit clearer than before, but only slightly.
The changes on the outside were subtle, Kieran had to pay extra attention to notice it.
Yet the changes to its attribute were obvious.
[Name: Lord of Mist]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: I]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: I]
[Attribute: 1. Mist Control; 2 Poison Mist Assault; 3. Icy Air Assault]
[Effect: 1.Land of Sicar; 2. Reply; 3. Bless]
[Prerequisite: Spirit I, bears the title of Mist]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remarl: A product of an ident during the ck Cataclysm. Unlike how your predecessor crudely used it, its true potential is being brought out in your hands. After a perfect kill, you start to gain total control over it but when you use it, you need to have a powerful spirit power and willpower, plus a corresponding title.]
...
[Mist Control: Summon a 200 meter radius mist and shroud everything in sight, 2/day]
[Poison Mist Assault: Induce Poison to the targets caught by the mist, targets would have to go through 3 times B+ rank Constitution authentication. Targets who fail all three times will be inflicted with lethal poison damage; targets who fail twice will be inflicted with Powerful poison damage; targets that fail once will be inflicted with Strong poison attack; targets who pass all three will be immune but still trapped in the mist.]
[Icy Air Assault: Able to create a Weak to Average freeze attack inside the mist, the icy air cannot go outside the mists range]
...
[Land of Sicar: Within the Land of Sicar, the title of Mist has been recognized and you, who possess the Lord of Mist, can move natural mist at will and induced them with poison and ice (unable to exceed the range of the poison mist and icy air), but it will consume your stamina ordingly.]
[Reply: You are treated as the God of Mist, you can use the Lord of Mist to reply simply to the prayers of your believers. It will consume your stamina ordingly.]
[Bless: Inside the Land of Sicar, when your believers prayed to you, you can consume stamina to bless them with the Blessing of Mist (Blessing of Mist: provide resistance against poison and ice wherever mist is visible)
......
The original attributes grew to a different extent respectively.
The new attribute [Icy Air Assault] was undoubtedly from the kill on that Crippling Cold.
Kill, eh? Kieran squinted his eyes at the remark in the description.
He started to wonder if this would be the reason why Broker wanted to enter this world?
This dungeon world was obviously unlike others.
Whenever a special item was in hand, one could directly kill another target and acquire the powers, together with the support behind the target.
Kieran looked at the new effect [Bless].
He could already picture what would happen if he put [Reply] and [Bless] together: bing a God wasnt all that impossible now.
All it required was some precise control and it could be achieved to perfection.
As his forces grew and expanded, the effect of [Land of Sicar] would surely follow.
Being a God in this world, thats your goal? Or... part of your goal? Kieran muttered.
Kieran could never be too careful against an opponent like Broker.
He didnt want to fall short on his efforts because of a little mistake.
Therefore, after he sent some messages to Bloody Mary, he put the crystal away and walked out of his room to the main lobby of Anan Hotel.
He had to reconfirm some details with Borl.
As for Borl lingering in front of his door before this?
Kieran didnt care at all, Borl didnt interrupt him anyway.
Back in the hotel lobby, everyone was discussing what had just happened.
The Mist was mentioned repeatedly.
Some were heavy in doubts, some were excited and full of anticipation, others were just here for the show.
Those who were full of heavy doubt were obviously believers of God of War.
The excited ones were just some random believers.
Those who came for the show with popcorn were just bored, people like this would never be the lesser anywhere.
Kieran, who walked in, didnt stop the discussion either. They would also never know the God they were discussing had just walked past them.
Morning, Colin. Fancy anything? My treat.
When Kieran sat down opposite Borl, Borl asked out of instinct but right after the question, the not-so-wealthy merchant instantly realized what kind of hole did he had just dug up and jumped into.
What if the ming Devil got an increase in his appetite and demanded to eat everything in the hotel again?
I-Impossible!
He has just finished breakfast, he shouldnt be too hungry!
Yes! He shouldnt be too hungry!
Borl wasforting himself.
Thankfully, things were exactly like what Borl though, Kieran wasnt too hungry after breakfast.
But...
Since someone else was buying, rejecting wasnt Kierans style either.
So, he turned to Holuff and waved at him.
The hotel owner walked over with a face full of smiles.
Although he suffered a headache earlier and it caused quite the difort, he still heard the generous words from Borl and knew how good Kierans appetite was. He had no reason to reject it. It was business involving Gold Purton after all.
Only in times like this did Holuff feel Kieran was a good customer.
A person who had the appetite of a hundred.
Regardless of the venue, as long as one could afford to pay, one could be a good customer and would receive a warm wee.
I want roasted meat for 10 first. Plus pickled vegetables, skip the bread and if you have extra steam egg cakes, bring them too.
Kieran made an order before Holuff even said anything.
He wasnt far away from the kitchen anyway, his nose easily picked up every single dish being cooked inside. The menu for lunch was roasted meat, bread and pickled vegetables plus steam egg cakes.
Okay,ing right up. Holuff smiled and called the waiter over.
Borl, on the other hand, was calcting how much he had to spend on this meal.
Meal for 10 was nothing, but what Kieran ordered was a prefix of first.
If the roasted meat suited his appetite...
Borl covered his wallet tightly. If Kieran ate like this along the way, he felt that before they could even reach Edatine Castle, he would have to go and find another way to make more money.
Dont worry, I wont eat you broke in a single meal.
Kieran was habitually thrifty, he spoke after hemented in his heart, Before this, when we first met, who were you praying to?
I dont know. The voice contacted me first. When I was in danger, the voice spoke in my mindthe voice was kind and seemed harmless, telling me the help was free. But I know the most expensive kind is the free kind.
Borl shook his head without hiding the details.
It wasnt the first time he answered a question from Kieran, so he wasnt bothered or felt impatient about the question. He tried his best in giving the details but what he knew was limited.
Mm, Kieran nodded and killed the other questions in his heart.
The point of intervention was Borl.
Broker wanted to enter this world through Borl to seize the authority from the Mist or other pagans. From there, he would grow stronger.
Although he hadnt truly understood this dungeon world to its core, based on how hostile Withering Branch and Resting Deer were, Kieran knew that the pagans in this world werent exactly allies, killing each other much more suitable for them.
Sitting there, Kieran once again deduced what Broker could have done should hee into this world.
He hoped to figure out Brokers goal from the deduction.
It was natural that Kieran would connect to the War God Temple and Lady Cmity. Among all the possible paths that Broker could have taken, these two were the inevitable.
Among the two, the Lady Cmity, who caused the ck Cataclysm, was much more concerning.
What do you know about Lady Cmity? asked Kieran.
Believe me, I dont know any more than you. I am just a lucky merchant on the side of Mozaar that relied on quick-wits to make a bucket of money. Before that, I wasnt in any good shape. Otherwise, I would never strive for a better identity and position, Borlid his hands open with a bitter smile.
He believed Kieran would understand what he just said.
Or rather, any yer would easily understand what he meant.
Before attaining absolute power, the yers priority wasnt to explore the dungeon world, but to do things ording to their identity. Kieran experienced something simr, so he nodded in agreement.
He acknowledged Borls point of view, but that didnt mean he would give up.
Who do you think would know all of this? asked Kieran.
Borl didnt answer, looking at Holuff instead.
The answer was obvious and self-exnatory.
Given his hearing and the distance, Holuff heard everything they said.
Holuff instinctively wanted to reject answering but before he said anything, he hesitated.
His illness was getting severe and he wasnt sure when he would suddenly die. Rather than dying a blind death, might as well find someone and tell them everything.
A decision had been made in his mind.
Lets eat first. We will talk after the meal.
The roast meat was served.
The full rib was cured with coarse salt, roasted golden before it was cut into many chunks. The ribs filled out a big te neatly, a little bit of green pepper served as a side in the te beside the main, served together. There wasnt usage for pepper or cumin powder though. To the Land of Sicar, spices were scarce. Even though Edatine Castle had its own spice garden, since Edatine Castle was close to the south, spices were still scarce in the north.
Raremodities meaning higher price. It was something amon hotel like Anan couldnt afford to serve.
One would have to prepare it himself if he wanted to eat or go to the restaurants in Edatine Castle.
The steam egg cakes were put in a big bowl with some scallions as garnish, the gold and green a scene that would increase appetite.
The sides were a kind of vegetable found in the wild. It was all over the wilderness, no one would particrly grow it because it sold cheap. It was loaded in a bowl and ced beside Kieran.
Kiera grabbed the roasted meat with some green pepper and delivered them into his mouth.
Crunch, crunch.
The juice of the meat and the crunchiness of the green pepper matched very well.
The substantial vour of the meat even suppressed the slight bitterness of the green pepper.
The green pepper was imported from the south, but unlike other vegetables that were less potent, the green pepper was the embodiment of vigorous life energy of a vegetable, able to be grown anywhere. When the Northerners realized the slight bitterness in the green pepper could cure oiliness, it was instantly loved by many.
After all, not all were high ss nobles, who used tea to cure oiliness after a meal.
After he swallowed the meat, Kieran picked up the spoon and scooped a big piece of steam egg cake into his mouth.
It was perfectly steamed, not too shaggy, not too shallow, with a decent bite to it.
Although it was served only with some coarse salt, the freshness of the eggs was a thing to praise. Simr to the little sides, all the ingredients used were fresh and brought a lively texture to Kierans mouth.
A mouthful of roasted meat followed by a spoonful of steam egg cake.
Kieran cleaned up the meal for 10 like a tornado.
As Gluttony quietly told him that he still wanted to eat, Kieran suppressed the urge to eat more.
One shouldnt keep shaving a sheep for its wool, especially when theres only one.
The sheep should be carefully taken care of and loved.
Kieran lectured Gluttony while he looked at Borls anxious look.
He didnt even care about whether Gluttony listened or not and turned to Holuff.
You done? asked the hotel owner.
Its not lunch time yet, I have to hold myself for lunch, said Kieran.
Youve already eaten lunch for 10!
Holuffs mouth twitched for a second before he headed to the courtyard where his room was.
Kieran followed behind, Borl too after a little hesitation.
Back in the courtyard, Holuff invited the two of them into his room.
It wasnt the first time the two of them entered the in room.
Other than the necessary, there was no extra decoration. It was rather unusual because not even amoner would decorate his room like this, making it seem like Holuff lived like an apostle.
Sit.
Holuff dragged two stools from outside for the two and then he sat on his bed.
Do you know anything about the Demon Hunters? said Holuff frankly.
Hm, Kieran nodded.
It wasnt a lie, he knew a lot of Demon Hunters, just not from this world.
Borl knew better.
Rumour has it the Demon Hunters were annihted during the investigation on the ck Cataclysm, right? Borl looked at the hotel owner as he spoke.
Dont try to test me. I am one of those Demon Hunters that should have been annihted and I am not the only one! Holuff said in a rather annoyed tone.
Borl rubbed his nose out of embarrassment and sized up Holuffs fat physique.
Hmmm, how should I put this... he doesnt fit the image of a Demon Hunter that I have in mind...
What? Cant I get fat after retirement? Holuff red at Borl.
He then turned to Kieran.
Holuff performed a very unfamiliar hand gesture to Kieran. Both hands were put together, the right hand then turned counter clockwise and when four of the fingers interlocked with the left index finger, the left pinky tilted down a little, both thumbs lifted straight.
The morning sun shone in through the window and cast a shadow on the wall through Holuffs hand. The shadow on the wall showed a wolf.
Seen this before? asked Holuff.
I have in fact, Kieran nodded.
Right when Holuff showed surprise on his face, Kieran added, I havent just seen it before, Im good at it also. See, I can do more than just a wolf. I can make a pigeon, a fox, and even a snake.
Holuff was rendered speechless as Kieran yed with the shadow with his hands.
Chapter 1746 - Untold Harship
Chapter 1746: Untold Harship
Holuff watched Kieran y with his hands and perform all sorts of shadow tricks on the wall. He went silent for a while before he shook his head.
Its not the same. They dont have a soul, said Holuff.
Soul? Yours is also a normal shadow trick, theres no soul in it, right? Borl was surprised.
Holuff cleared his throat a few times, the first time he realized how vexing Borl could be.
You dont even know how to negotiate with people, how the hell did you be a merchant?
Did you buy your name and position with money?
Holuff red at Borl and Borl scratched his face awkwardly, then went silent.
Holuff then looked at Kieran again.
Do you think Im lying to you? asked Holuff.
Before Kieran had the chance to reply, he continued, Sometimes, when you cant see something, that doesnt mean it doesnt exist. If you have enough talent, you should be able to see it. I really think you can do it, but too bad...
Holuff shook his head out of pity, looking full of regret.
Borl didnt say anything, but in his heart he assumed Holuff was just bluffing.
He saw simr methods back in Mozaars outskirts.
Some people would im to be Demon Hunters, or even called themselves a demi-god, and then theyd use this kind of profound sentences as starters to connect into a series of stories that sounded concerning, but in the end, it always revolved around Gold Purton.
In short, Gold Purton was almighty, Gold Purton could solve all problems.
Conclusion: conmen trick people for their money.
There wasnt even a middleman fee in the process!
Of course, Holuff was different. At least Borl viewed him as a more capable con-man, otherwise he wouldnt make it to retirement in the first ce.
Boy, I saw something in your eyes, something disrespectful to me. I think I should teach you a lesson, Holuff told Borl in a less friendly way.
He swear if he wasnt retired, he would have hung Borl on the city gates a whole night just so he could taste how cold the wind was at night.
I know sometimes reality can be hard to ept. I understand those who try to be someone else, the feeling is so intoxicatingyou still need to wake up when its time. You are Holuff, not some random John Doe. You might be someone else in the past but you are Holuff now, the owner of Anan Hotel, a rather mysterious retired old man. I cherish a friend like you, I dont even mind your past.
Borl tapped on Holuffs shoulder.
What he just said was all from the bottom of his heart.
From the very first dungeon, if it wasnt for Holuffs help, he wouldnt have made it this far. He might even have died multiple times around, let alone bing a merchant with a little poprity in the outskirts of Mozaar.
Borl bore the debt of gratitude in his heart, so he didnt mind boasting with Holuff sometimes, but... he wasnt alone now, Kieran was with him, a person whose sole existence terrified people.
Although Kieran had many titles, ming Devil was the most well-known and what would happen to Holuff should he bluff a person who was known as the devil?
Borl didnt expect Kieran to tolerate Holuffs bullshit, therefore he tried to dissuade Holuff and signal Kieran with his gaze.
He looked at Kieran with a sense of begging, he didnt want to lose a friend like Holuff.
However, to Borls surprise, Kieran didnt even bat an eye at him, instead looking at the wall where Holuff disyed the shadow of a wolf with his hands.
The unusual reaction from Kieran naturally attracted Holuffs attention.
Holuff pped Borls hand away and looked at Kieran with a sense of suspicion.
What did you see?
Holuff learned his lesson from what Kieran replied earlier. He hoped his excitement wasnt for some lousy answer like Im good at ying with shadows, not just wolf, I even know pigeon, fox and snake, or anything simr.
Though, just for the sake of confirmation, Holuff cast the shadow of a wolf with his hands again.
I think its because your hands are fat, the wolf looks a little puffy, like an skan husky, replied Kieran sincerely.
Borl got the hint, checking the shadow carefully and then nodding in agreement seriously.
It really does! Borl agreed.
Holuff was once again rendered speechless.
He swore if he wasnt retired, he would have hung the two of them on the city gates a whole night just so they could taste how cold the wind was at night.
Huuhaaaa!
Huuhaaaa!
A few deep breathster, Holuff decided to move away from the topic.
He could tell the two of them were onto him purposely.
They purposely diverted the topic with mockingments.
As for why?
It was definitely because of theck of trust between them, even though Holuff single-handedly thought they had enough trust to further the conversation.
The two of them obviously didnt share the same thought.
Holuff wasnt exactly familiar with Colin, so he had noments on him.
Colin was always so cold and quiet, it was hard for Holuff to get a grasp of his mind, but Holuff was very familiar with Borl. Looking at that embarrassed smile and apologetic face, if Holuff knew nothing about how Borl came to be, he would have fallen for the lies.
Bastards!
The thought of being mocked and yed caused difort in Holuff. He started this conversation like it was hisst words, yet he wasnt trusted enough.
It felt bad.
gued by his feelings, Holuffs voice turned cold and stern.
Do you want to know about Lady Cmity? I have some exclusive news, but you must understand, news revolving around a God doesnte cheap.
How much? Kieran asked right away.
5,000 Gold Purton! Holuff gave a price.
Kieran turned to Borl right away, because he did not have enough money.
H-How much? Borl stuttered.
It was worth taking note that the dukeship that he was going to purchase was only 3,000 Gold Purton. A small fry merchant from the outskirts of Mozaar only had abined worth of around 5,000 Gold Purton.
He did it on purpose! Holuff did it on purpose!
Otherwise he wouldnt give a price that perfectly matched his totalbined worth!
Borl instantly understood something, quickly looking at Holuff with a pitiful look.
He didnt want to beg, but he was forced to. The one calling the shots was the ming Devil beside him. Borl was nothing but ackey following orders, why put him in such difficult situations?
The thought in his mind made him look more pitiful than ever, but Holuff turned a blind eye at him.
No tabs or installment, cash, right now, Holuff crossed his arms and tilted his head up.
Borl smiled bitterly and then started to take off his shoes.
He took a piece of draft bill from the sole that had 5,000 written on it.
The smelly piece of draft bill was then ced on the table.
Holuff looked at Borl in surprise and doubt when he saw the draft bill.
The missing horse robbers around the outskirts, you did that?
It was a question but it was asked like a statement.
Holuff once again sized up this little merchant who he thought he knew.
Kieran?
He sat there without any expression. Ge wasnt pretending to be normal but he really knew what happened. During their first meeting, Kieran already noticed the unusual noise in Borls shoes, plus that unique smell of money. Although he didnt know how much Borl hid in there, his instinct told him it must be a lot
He always trusted his instinct, this time included, thats why he chose to make the deal in a fair way.
Holuff went silent for 2 seconds before he took the smelly draft bill and said, Lady Cmity is much more mysterious and scarier than you think.
She isnt one of those little Gods that people worshipped in small towns or those pagans in the area. She brought the ck Cataclysm upon us. A great amount of us, the Demon Hunters, died because of that, even though we did not go after the disaster at first.
Amid the rather elusive words, Holuff showed a subtle sense of sadness on his face.
Kieran and Borl didnt say anything and listened quietly.
Though Holuff didnt exin straightforwardly.
Do you know about the Silent Night Secret Society? he asked.
Kieran shook his head, he didnt know a lot about this dungeon world.
Borl experienced this dungeon world before but he didnt get in touch with those secretive organizations, hence the shake of head.
It is an organization with a history. It has been around since Edatine I built his empire. Not only that, but based on intel from the Demon Hunters, Edatine I received help from them to unite the Northern Lands. This particr intel is very real though, its not some rootless rumours. As for why they helped the king, I have no idea. No one in the Demon Hunters knew either, but we know why this organization suddenly decided to assassinate Edatine I.
Why? Borl asked in surprise.
He knew it wasnt polite, but he couldnt hold back his shock.
Unlike Kieran, who knew nothing, Borl spent some time in this world and he knew what Edatine I meant and represented.
The king was so powerful that he could y a dragon and so great that he built an empire by his own hands.
The forces under hismand were from different principality. Some were arch-enemies in the past but they were charmed by Edatine Is irresistible charms, hatred and grudges wiped off and surrendered to the great kingsmand.
Not only that, rumour had it that back then Northern Land was the home to a hundred countries at war. Edatine was just a small noble in some vige. He didnt just lose hisnd when he came of age and got expelled from his principality, he was exiled to the ce known today as Edatine Castle. Back then, Edatine Castle was known as Enpeters Castle, thend of a Grand Duke.
After Edatine arrived in Enpeters Castle, he had made up his mind to survive through the harshest condition but right before the king-to-be got himself in some lousy jobs to make a living, the Grand Duke of Enpeters summoned him and married his only daughter to him. A month after the marriage and bing the son-inw of the Grand Duke, the Grand Duke passed away due to illness.
Several neighbouring principalities saw a chance to take over Enpeters, immediately forming an alliance and summoning 300,000 armies to march straight to Enpeters gate.
The Grand Duke died not long ago and the only daughter inherited the throne, yet inside the principality itself, dark schemes were brewing for a coup detat. The new female Grand Duke had to deal with the internal conflict and was exhausted from the process, yet the enemies from outside were already at their gate. As the husband of the Grand Duke, Edatine stepped up and led 100 riders outside.
Edatine nned to reach a truce with the alliance army, just so he could stall.
However, when Edatine appeared in front of the alliance army, a meteor shower came from the sky and destroyed the army of 300,000.
Several Grand Dukes died in the meteor shows too, their respective principality following their Grand Dukes footsteps and plunging into chaos.
On the contrary, Edatine and his wife quickly settled the internal conflict and then marched towards the other principalities gued by chaos.
ording to records, the great king didnt even spend lives in the process of taking down the other principalities. Everytime he marched to a new city, the city surrendered right away and the people fell under the great kings charm, weing him into the city with open doors and knees on the ground.
The phenomenonsted until the whole of the Northern Land was united under one g.
Other than dying of assasination in the end, Edatine I lived a legendary life.
Edatine I was assassinated by Silent Night Secret Society?! Wait! I remember Edatine I was at his prime when he was ready to conquer the South. The ck Cataclysm also came from the south... could it be? Borl wondered and looked at Holuff with shimmering eyes.
Its simr to what you suspect. Traces are left behind. When the ck Cataclysm happened, the Demon Hunters discovered the trail, so everyone gathered up and wanted to get to the bottom of this. In the end?
Holuffughed loudly and stopped, but the sadness in hisughter was self-exnatory.
The Demon Hunters almost getting annihted during the investigation of ck Cataclysm wasnt a rumour, it was a fact.
A lot of people assumed that they were extinct.
If the Silent Night Secret Society instructed all of this, its because... Borl frowned.
He connected many more details.
After the ck Cataclysm, the whole Edatine Empire almost fell apart.
God of War, who was quite active in the past decades, vanished without a sign, and Lady Cmity, who came out of nowhere, shone brightly and stole the limelight.
The answer was obvious.
God Creation!
No! It should be God Ascension!
The society used everything that happened to forge the image of Lady Cmity.
Borls heart skipped a beat when he reached that point, thinking of all the pagan activities and weird things that had happened throughout the Northern Lands after Lady Cmitys appearance
It was obvious that Silent Night Secret Society didnt just spend all those efforts to forge a single Lady Cmity.
Unconsciously, Borl looked at Kieran, hoping for a more urate answer, but to his disappointment, Kieran was expressionless.
Borl believed Kieran must have gotten something from Holuffs words but why the calm reaction?
Did he know beforehand?
Impossible!
Borl shook his head, but then he thought of how unusual Kierans appearance was.
Unknowingly, Borl also thought of the mist giant.
He thought of the zing fireball from the sky and then the God Ascension of Lady Cmity.
When he connected all the dots, Borls eyes at Kieran changed.
His gaze at Kieran now showed caution, fear, and worry, like a rabbit looking at a tiger.
Holuff didnt notice the gaze, continuing, Yes, we Demon Hunters were almost wiped out. Those who survived were weak and old. Fortunately, we managed to protect some training bases to ensure our legacy continued. As for that Lady Cmity? She had it no better than us. The gift we prepared for her stopped her from truly ascending to God status until now, but we are destined to be unable to stop her ascension. We just stalled her. Time is almost up and we need help. Its not for free, of course. The thousand year savings of the Demon Hunters and the chance to ascend to God will be part of the reward!
Holuff then looked at Kieran sincerely.
Kieran nodded to express that he understood but then he said, I reject it.
Chapter 1747 - Value
Chapter 1747: Value
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
At first, Holuff showed joy when he saw Kieran nod, but after he heard Kierans rejection, the joy on his face froze instantly.
Reject? Then why the hell did you nod?
Holuff clenched his teeth. If only he could beat the young man in front of his eyes, he would hang this rude young man at the city walls all night to let him know how cold the night wind is.
Breath.
Breath.
After a few deep breaths, Holuff returned to normal
Colin, did you understand what I just said? Or do you think Im lying to you? I swear the thousand year savings of the Demon Hunter is a lot more than you can imagine. As for the chance to ascend to God, its bigger than you think, Holuff exined again, with more sincerity.
I understood what you said and I dont think you are lying to me, Kieran shook his head then stood up and wanted to leave.
Then why...
Holuff was utterly confused whilst looking at Kierans back.
Kieran didnt answer, walking out without a pause.
Borl looked at Holuff with an apologetic smile before he chased after Kieran.
The both of them returned to the courtyard where their rooms were located one after another, Borl then quickly kept away his smile and reced it with a serious look.
Is there something wrong with Holuff?
Borl didnt express it verbally, asking via hand gestures.
Borl didnt think about it at first, he just looked up to Kieran for direction and advice, but following the terms that Holuff offered and Kieran rejected, Borl instantly realized something was wrong.
yers from the big city didnt go into a dangerous dungeon world just to have fun.
Every single run was an adventure where danger and opportunity coexisted.
Now, opportunity presented itself, despite it being coupled with danger. A popr Advanced Rank yer like Kieran shouldnt just give up like that, unless... there was some unpredictable, unimaginable danger thaty beneath.
It might be a trap!
Only with that would Kierans rejection make sense.
Otherwise, Kieran wasnt a newbie, so how could he not seize the chance?
Though Borl was extremely conflicted when he knew his friend, the hotel owner, might be a problem for them. He really hoped there was some misunderstanding or he was forced to act against his own will.
However, his logic told him that things would remain unchanged regardless of the oue, but at least he could feel better about it.
Mm, Kieran nodded slightly but didnt borate.
Kieran of course wouldnt tell Borl about things that concerned himself, Borl wasnt Starbeck after all.
After Borl left with aplicated thought, Kieran, who was left alone in his room, squinted his eyes slightly. Even with the curtain as a cover, it was hard to conceal that sharp re.
Kieran reached out to the Elite Hounds head, who was hiding beside his bed, caressing its head as a reward before using the power of the contract to contact Bloody Mary about what he discovered.
Mastermind eh?
Interesting.
.....
Somewhere in the sewers of Sicar, an altar madepletely out of bones looked extremely eerie under the candlelight.
The bones that made up the altar consisted of those of humans, domestic animals, cows, sheep, and wild jackals. In the center was a bowl of liquid that reeked badly.
Although it reeked, the liquid was actually as clear as water.
A withered old man knelt down in front of the altar and listened with concentration.
Yes, my lord. I will bring everyone away from Sicar and hide in the mountains.
After the old man devotedly replied to his own God, the priest of Decaying Water stood up and carefully picked up the bowl of crystal.
He then drank it to itsst drop.
Gulp, gulp, gulp.
The power of his God spread throughout his body and the old priest looked very intoxicated by the feeling.
Then, he moved.
Divine orders from his Gods were sent out to the believers, one after another.
When thest order was sent out without any hindrance, the priest was ready to leave but looked heavy at heart.
However, telling them to leave was his Gods order, he couldnt defy it.
But if I can inflict some pain to those bastards who forced my Lord to leave before I go, my Lord should feel happy about it right?
Even though my Lord would punish me to death in the end...
I should make my Lord happy!
Yes! This is what I should do!
An unknown thought popped in his mind, then grew rapidly and instantly became his top priority.
The priest was ecstatic, to the point that he ignored a lot of unusual details of his surroundings.
The mumbles that shed over his ears were ignored, the same went for Decaying Water.
If Decaying Water was in its normal state, it would have noticed it but for the sake of safety, it entered a slumbering state after it went into the priests body. Unless the priest would receive some fatal damage, Decaying Water would not simply wake up.
It trusted its loyal believers very much, believing that he would carry out every order it assigned to him.
From the Power of Faith, it knew this old priest would die in the name of religion.
So what else was there to doubt?
None!
A loyal, devoted believer who would sacrifice his life for the sake of religion waspletely trustworthy.
However, it seemed like Decaying Water had never heard of the saying good intentions in doing bad things.
Therefore, something changed.
...
On the west side of Sicar, just right beside the market, there was a three-story wooden building.
It was inconspicuous, like the other buildings of its style, looking rather aged and somewhat broken, yet it was the first choice of lodging spot for the traveling businessmen and merchants.
Not all were fond of or willing to go to Anan Hotel.
The businessmen cared about price more thanfort, and as long as they could eat, sleep, and shit, everywhere would be the same.
Therefore, this inconspicuous lodging spot became the most crowded spot with the most traffic of all Sicar.
The believers of Withering Branch and Resting Deer mostly gathered around here too.
Nothing delighted Withering Branch and Resting Deer more than this prosperous yet messy ce. Here, they had endless believers and ess to unlimited resources.
The fact that the two pagans were able to settle down in a single district and not fight each other to death proved their unusual rtionship.
In fact, Withering Branch and Resting Deer were extremely simr from a certain aspect.
Withering Branch was once a dying tree. A mother who had lost everything to the ck Cataclysm hugged her child in the cradle and hid inside the trunk. She was running away from the ferocious soldiers.
Unfortunately, the cry from the child burst the bubble of hope.
The muddled child in the cradle was hung over the spear and was forced to watch the soldiers raped the mother over and over again.
The soldiers did not kill the mother after they raped her, they hadnt satisfied themselves.
However, when the child was hung to death, the mother followed.
Their bodies were hung over the dying tree that night.
Then, Withering Branch was born.
It felt like abination of the tree, the mother. and the child.
It was very muddled at first, seeing the soldiers torturing the deer they hunted. Suddenly, it realized it could move, and not only itself, even that dead deer moved.
It seemed like some extraordinary powers were granted to it, the same went for the deer.
Rage then came afloat, which was from the mother. Withering Branch felt like it had be that mother and ought to take revenge for herself.
As for the deer, it was much more straightforward. It wanted revenge for itself and its fawn.
None of the soldiers walked away alive.
Withering Branch and Resting Deer were born from that incident. They used their magical powers and roamed thend of Sicar, gradually gaining intellect and starting to make a fool out of those humans, lying to the humans and iming that they were Gods.
Religions worshipping Withering Branch and Resting Deer were born soon after, expanding rapidly.
Following the decline of War God Temple, the two pagans even made their way into Sicar City, a ce where they dared not step in before.
Now, they were preparing for their final descent.
They could break free from the shackles that bound their old vessel, they could acquire a real body and be a God!
But... when they recalled the scene with the mist giant and fireball falling from the sky, Withering Branch and Resting Deer went quiet.
The power they witnessed had surpassed their knowledge.
Or rather, based on their own knowledge, the Mist they knew shouldnt even possess powers like this, yet fact is stronger than thoughts. Everything they saw was real and it was by no means good news.
Knowledge that surpassed their own could only mean one thingthe Mist hadpleted its descension! He had acquired a real body!
Although the two had no idea how the Mist did it, they knew how they should react.
Leave! Leave Sicar at once! They must or they would perish!
The God of War wasnt a merciful god, and since the Mist had gotten the upper hand, the excuses and tricks they had prepared beforehand were not necessary anymore.
It would be useless!
Yet leaving Sicar, the ce the both of them managed and worked through hell for a long time, was a little hard.
Throughout the whole Northern Lands, only Sicar was a city with a poption. The rest were some viges and towns. Further away was the outskirts of Mozaar, and although it had quite the poption there,pared to Sicar, the numbers were heaven and earth apart.
What should we do? asked Resting Deer in its eerie and ferocious face.
Perhaps since Withering Branch inherited the worldview of the mother, it was much smarter than Resting Deer, which was used to following the ns set by Withering Branch.
All it needed to do was carry out the order and shower itself with the blood of humans.
Other than that?
It didnt mind listening to shrieks of agony either.
Leave. Decaying Water has left. If we stay and the Mist arrives, we wont end well, said Withering Branch out of difficulty, even the head that it possessed showing an ugly expression.
Fine, Resting Deer nodded.
Withering Branch then controlled the head and showed a frank smile and before Resting Deer asked anything, it continued.
Decaying Water has gone to meet with that viscount. Although the viscount has always stated he has abandoned his useless God of War, we all knew it was just a fluke. His beliefs in God of War never changed, he even got closer to that bishop. Based on our n, the descension offering starts from this viscount. But now, Decaying Water would surely tell the viscount everything. Given how deep the viscounts belief in God of War, he would never allow a Demon God to truly descend in the world, hence he would try his best to take out the Mist and will not tangle with us. At least he wont care about us before the Mist is cleared. After all,pared to that Mist, we are nothing.
Following Withering Branchs words, Resting Deers eyes shimmered.
In the end, the deer asked eagerly, What should we do?
This is our chance! If we make it, not only can weplete the descension, we might even be something like Lady Cmity. One thing worth taking note is that the offering this time isnt just the possible clone of the God of War and the whole Sicar, theres even a Demon God who haspleted the descension! Lets go! To Viscount Sicar mansion!
As the voice subsided, Withering Branch controlled the head and fused into the wall of the secret room.
Resting Deer followed and disappeared.
...
Bloody Mary was lying on top of a soft mat, experiencing a never before feltfort.
The soft bed, the warm heater, the tonic soup on top of the tea table beside the bed.
Beautiful!
Everything was beautiful! Like it was a dream!
When it returned to Sicars west gate heavily wounded, Shegal brought it back to the previous secret hideout right away.
It didnt even have to say anything, all the believers volunteered to take care of their beloved lord emissary.
Bloody Mary had never been bandaged or patched up, yet it got a bandage on its chest now. The refreshing feeling under the patch almost made it tear up.
First time! First time in its entire existence!
It relied on its self-recovery during normal times, so it didnt even need a piece of bandage, let alone potion.
Now, it didnt only tasted like a potion, ity on a soft mat and had a bowl of tonic soup beside it, everyone else looking at it with respect.
The respect grew when Shegal told his brothers and sisters how Bloody Mary stood in front of the Resting Deer and helped others, the respect growing into admiration.
What West Coast?
What sunbathing? What beach?
I dont want to go anywhere else!
From today onwards, this will be my home!
Bloody Mary made up its mind as it was being carried away by thefort.
Then, Kierans message appeared in its mind.
Bloody Mary, who was reaching cloud nine, was instantly pulled back to the hell of his reality.
After it deciphered the message it received, its lips moved and its heart trembled.
It... wanted to go back to the West Coast once more.
Being stranded on the sea wasnt all that bad.
Really! It wasnt that bad!
It was nothing but loneliness and boredom! But at least that better than dying over and over again.
Boss new mission wouldnt bepleted by just dying once or twice.
Bloody Mary curled up its body slightly.
If death was inevitable, then it should at least enjoy thisfort at the moment. Every second counted.
At least it would die with a greater meaning, right?
Chapter 1748 - Work Together
Chapter 1748: Work Together
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
At sunset, Bloody Mary got up from the soft mat with a heavy heart. It carefully folded the mat, including the sheets underneath, and arranged it neatly at the side of the bed.
Shegal came over right away but didnt say anything, watching Bloody Mary tidy up the bed.
This young man had never seen an emissary of God perform such a mundane chore.
Even though Bloody Mary was the only emissary that he had met before, ording to legends and transcripts, every one of the mentioned emissaries bore a domineering manner, as though they were above all.
Making his own bed? What a joke.
Even the most extravagant life couldnt satisfy the other emissaries.
What about the emissary of the Mist?
All Shegal saw was a love towards life. He saw the lord emissary tidy up the bed sheets neatly and arrange them in an orderly fashion.
Other than the love towards life, what would be more appropriate to describe him?
Shegal took a light breath and bore the moment in his heart.
He then told everyone else about what he saw.
He thought this little practice should be widely spread and learned.
I should get going. Ill leave the rest in your hands, Bloody Mary said after it turned around from touching its bed onest time.
Yes, my lord. I wish you a safe return, Shegal bowed respectfully.
The other believers bowed together, including those believers from the outskirts of Sicar who came in a hurry just to seek shelter. Theyd heard about the stories of this lord emissary and after the little scene, more respect came from the bottom of their hearts.
With an emissary who loved life very much, the God he served shouldnt be a Demon God!
Its sphemy!
It was a vition from the other disrespectful bastards towards our God!
We must believe in our lord! Anyone who dared to vite or defile our god anymore will be met with punishment!
Unknowingly, the belief of the believers was strengthened further by the blooming thoughts.
Bloody Mary looked at the believers and said in a warm tone, I will, I have things that I simply cannot leave behind.
The warm tone caused a misunderstanding among the believers, they thought Bloody Mary was referring to them.
Please take care, Shegal said while choking up, doing his best to hold back his tears.
Lets go.
Without further exnation, Bloody Mary tapped the young mans shoulder and the young man sent Bloody Mary off the secret hideout again. Bloody Mary then headed straight to the mansion of the viscount.
However, before Bloody Mary could walk any further, it was stopped by someone.
An old man with a withered look and ragged clothes.
Dear sir, can you please hold up for a moment? Standing in front of Bloody Mary, the old man asked.
Of course. May I know whats the matter?
Bloody Mary replied with a bright warm smile.
I am a believer of His Majesty Holy Water. I hope to reach a deal with you, His Majesty Mists emissary. It would be a win-win situation for us both.
Right away, the old man stated where he came from, the name Holy Water actually how the believers of Decaying Water addressed their God.
The old man then subtly pointed at the direction of the viscounts mansion behind him.
Do tell, Bloody Mary replied without showing any extra emotions.
There is an emissary of God of War in there. Withering Branch and Resting Deer had their own hidden agendas, so His Majesty Holy Water hoped that we could team up with you, the great Mist, and take them all out. His Majesty Holy Water only wishes for a chance to descend, the others will be yours to keep. Perhaps taking all three of them out is nothing for the great Mist, but doesnt the great Mist hope to approach this in an easier way? The old man bowed.
Bloody Mary purposely jolted and paused, as if it was asking its lord.
As a matter of fact, Kieran already gave Bloody Mary permission to take care of everything.
In short, as long as the final oue remained the same, Bloody Mary could be creative with the process.
Two secondster, Bloody Mary nodded.
Very well, replied Bloody Mary.
Well then, when you appear in the mansion tonight, I will do my best to assist youI will go after the viscount first. He is the emissary of God of War after all. If he is able to use all his power, unwanted troubles might ur. said the old man.
He then walked aside and made way for the Superior Demon.
Bloody Mary didnt look at the man anymore, continuing towards its destination.
After going through two more streets, Bloody Mary already saw the structure of the mansion in its sight.
The location of the mansion was slightly lower than the War God Temple.
It upied quite the space, but it looked like a military camp from the outside.
While Bloody Mary was examining the viscounts mansion, a voice came from the wall beside it.
Kin of the Mist, we meet again. Dont be afraid, please maintain your posture and position. I dont want others to know that I am talking to you privately.
Withering Branchs voice clearly entered Bloody Marys ears.
Its nice to meet you again.
Bloody Mary pretended to enjoy the scenery as it walked to the other side, not staying long at the spot.
The way Bloody Mary reacted made Withering Branch happy.
Smart guy, I like working with smart people. Lets kill the others and make Sicar yours and mine, whatd you say? Dont worry, I will only upy one third of thend, the other two third will be the Mists and he can choose first! said Withering Branch.
Not enough, what my lord sought after isnt justnd. Even if we seek a coboration, wed seek out apetent candidate. What about you? Bloody Mary didnt borate further, but the meaning was self-exnatory.
Do you think what I presented is my everything? Besides, I represent not only myself. I am also here on behalf of Resting deer. If both of us joined the Mist, do you think I wont be qualified then? Withering Branch returned its question.
I cant make the decision, I have to ask my lord, said Bloody Mary.
Of course, you are just the messenger, said Withering Branch without much concern.
Bloody Mary pretended to contact Kieran with a pause again before it continued, Okay, my lord has agreed, but my lord requested three fourths of the entire Sicar and you and Resting Deer must deal with that Viscount Sicar first, said Bloody Mary.
Not a problem. said Withering Branch before it disappeared without a trace.
Bloody Mary stayed on the spot for a few seconds, and after it heard nothing more from Withering Branch, it continued on its journey.
Hold on right there!
Before it truly got close to the viscounts mansion, it was stopped by the soldiers.
Good evening, I am the emissary of Mist, Ie here by invitation, said Bloody Mary with a smile.
The soldiers seemed to be informed beforehand about the emissarys arrival, one of them quickly saying, Sir, please follow me.
The soldier then guided Bloody Mary into the viscounts mansion.
Bloody Mary traveled without obstacles along the way and reached the hall of the mansion.
The owner, in name, of Sicar was waiting there patiently for its arrival.
Good evening, Lord Viscount, Bloody Mary bowed and greeted politely.
Its smile and manners were wless. If the viscount didnt know Bloody Mary was an emissary of a Demon God, he would take it as a noble from some well-known family.
However, the more polite Bloody Mary was, the more cautious the viscount became.
He knew the Mist was unlike the other Demon Gods he approached in the past.
There was no blood shed or ughtering innocent lives from the Mist. It even maintained a systematic form, which was of a cylinder.
With the newly received news, the viscounts heart grew anxious by the minute.
His Majesty already has an enemy to deal with, he doesnt need another enemy to distract him!
After the thought, the viscount spoke, Lets work together.
The viscount sided up to Bloody Mary as he said this, yet there was no extra expression on its face.
With its warm and bright smile, Bloody Mary nodded slightly and said, Of course.
.....
After the sunset glory sunk below the horizon, the city of Sicar quickly quieted down.
The night curfew was carried out as ordered, many groups of soldiers patrolled the quiet streets.
Even inns and hotels killed the lights earlier than usual.
The only light source were the streemps on both sides of the streets and the braziers in the city walls.
Of course, those were just what the civilians saw.
Behind the viscounts mansion, in his backyard, was another independent building and it was lit up brightly, the guards and servants looking at the bright scene with a weird gaze.
Viscount Sicar was a strict person and aw-abiding ruler.
After the order for curfew was issued, he was the first to follow it, but not this time.
The viscount didnt just disregard the order he issued, he even went out of character and told every guard and servant to stay in the front yard, everyone forbidden from entering the backyard.
The guards and servants felt strange about the order but they dare not disobey. All they could do was look with curiosity.
The backyard was where the viscount truly lived.
Unlike the extravagant lifestyle that happened after Edatine IV, the ce maintained the minimalism of the nobility of Edatine, with a military style. The majority of the decorations there werent tapestries or paintings, but weapons, shields, and suits of armor.
The thin viscount with white hair was standing in front of a suit of armor, his face looking stern as he slowly put on the armor.
Beside him was the priest of Decaying Water, standing straight with his hands down, not uttering a single word.
Withering Branch and Resting Deer were exchanging gazes asmunication.
Pretentious.
Resting Deer checked the armor meticulously before this, and other than the emblem of the God of War, there was nothing special about it and for that, the deer showed disdain.
Before it arrived at the mansion, it was expecting to spend a great deal to persuade the viscount. Who knew hed agree with a single word from Withering Branch.
Based on the viscounts attitude, even if they didnte forth, he would go to them sooner orter, for the sake of the God of War!
Hmph!
Resting Deer coldly grunted when it thought about the God of War.
The God of War was just a ruthless hypocrite, like the viscount.
Like God, like believer.
Yet it had to work with the viscount that it deemed a hypocrite.
As the thought came, Resting Deer felt a little uneasy, but soon, with aforting gaze from Withering Branch, the deer put away the uneasy feelings.
Withering Branch heaved a breath of relief when it saw the calmed deer.
It knew why its partner hated the God of War so much: the deers child was killed by soldiers, who were believers of the God of War.
As a matter of fact, the branch hated the God of War too, hoping the bastard would just drop dead, but that didnt stop the branch from seeking a coboration with the viscount for the sake of a bigger gain.
These thoughts werent from the dead mother, who was weak. The branch used the mothers intellect and slowly learned all of this.
It was very effective though!
Of course, what it learned the most was how to be cautious against anything.
It subtly nced over the priest of Decaying Water and chuckled coldly in its heart.
It knew what the priest was up to, it must be simr to itself.
Descension! To be a true God!
Unfortunately, there would only be one who could achieve descension, and it would be the branch itself!
Nothing changed, even if there was an extra offering, which was the Mist.
The extra Mist would only make it stronger and perform the descension smoothly. The branch might not be of match with the God of War or Lady Cmity in the end but it definitely surpassed its peers.
The thought alone made Withering Branch unusually excited and anxious, though it kept the feelings down quite well.
It was calm on the outside and didnt show a bit of anxiety.
It watched the viscount slowly put on his armor.
The viscount skipped the helmet, holding it with his left arm, clipping it under his armpit. He then looked at the two pagans and the priest.
Fellowrades, I think we have reached an ord: move against the Mist together. Well then... I wish everyone well in this coboration.
The viscount sounded a little hoarse but very powerful.
This is exactly what I want, Lord Viscount, the priest of Decaying Water bowed.
I have no problem, said, Withering Branch controlling the floating head. Resting Deer didnt say anything, nodding instead.
The viscount wasnt unhappy about the reaction.
He wasnt a simple-minded noble anymore, he was willing to walk with the pagans as a Dark Walker for the sake of the God he believed in. Any kind of insult and unwillingness would be transformed into his thrusting force and power!
He felt the suppressed raging power in his body getting riled up, taking a deep breath and turning to his ride.
Resting Deers eyes shimmered maliciously at the viscounts back.
It really wanted to stab the viscount in the back, but it ultimately gave up.
The deer put away its gaze on the viscount and noticed the priest of Decaying Water was looking at it.
What are you looking at? the deer scolded angrily.
I dont mean any disrespect to Lord Resting, but... what do you think of yourself? The priest asked with a smile.
What do I think? asked the deer.
Of course its about the descension. Do you really think you can achieve it? asked the priest with a smile.
The deer smiled too.
Sowing dissension so directly?
It might not like to use its brain but it didnt mean it was an idiot.
It knew what the priest was trying to say and it had no reason to be concerned about it.
It trusted Withering Branch.
In fact, the very next moment after the question, a branch from Withering Branch extended out and seized the priest by the neck. The branch was as sharp as a sword unsheathed, striking chills down the priests spine.
Mortal, keep your little thoughts to yourself, warned Withering Branch.
Im just simply saying, please do not mind my words, the priest awkwardlyughed and slightly pped himself as apology, behaving like a clown in front of them.
After that, clear footsteps sounded.
Bloody Mary, the Superior Demon, came with its long, white robe.
Chapter 1749 - Descending From The Sky
Chapter 1749: Descending From The Sky
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Bloody Mary, with its warm and bright smile, calmly nced over Viscount Sicar, Withering Branch, Resting Deer, and Decaying Water.
I am here as invited on behalf of my lord, said Bloody Mary peacefully.
Wee.
The priest showed a delighted smile and walked up to wee Bloody Mary.
However, the smile looked very forced, a single nce could tell it was fake.
Bloody Mary still followed the priest into the viscounts chamber.
Simrly, as host, Viscount Sicar also showed how well-mannered he was, stepping up to around 3 meters away from Bloody Mary and showing a very shallow polite smile on his stern and old-fashioned face.
Good evening, emissary of Mist, said the viscount.
Good evening, Lord Viscount...
Now!
Right when Bloody Mary replied to Viscount Sicar, the priest of Decaying Water shouted and then waved at the viscount.
Thick steam immediately enshrouded the viscount.
In fact, not only the priest of Decaying Water moved, Withering Branch also subtly entangled the viscount with its vines quietly.
Resting Deer stepped back, lowered its head and entered a charging stance before it dashed towards the viscount.
Dak, Dak Dak.
The gallops sounded very concentrated as it rapidly ran across the bstone floor. Next moment, the antlers made out of tree branches stabbed into the enshrouding mist and then into the viscounts body which was entangled by the vines.
The seemingly sturdy armor was perforated like paper.
Spurt!
Red blood sprayed out and dyed the ce red.
Bloody Mary walked over to the viscount and raised its hand as promised to the priest of Decaying Water and Withering Branch.
Simrly, it was also the promise it made with the viscount: it would free the viscount from the shackles and then both of them would team up to take out Resting Deer first and then Withering Branch.
As for the priest of Decaying Water?
The old man was just a mortal, musket and crossbow were enough to deal with him.
Right before Bloody Marys fingers touched the vine of Withering Branch, the vines retracted and released the viscount from the entanglement. The enshrouding steam faded away together and revealed the viscount, who wasnt harmed and had held the vine in his hand and wore the steam on his head.
Immediately, a horrifying aura emanated from the viscounts body. Layers of faint light images then adhered to his body, thus providing a sense of holiness to the horrifying aura.
Standing there, the viscount felt like a saint of some sort.
Light shone through the seams of his armor and it felt somewhat apologetic.
I am sorry that I lied to you. It might defy my oath but I do not regret my decision if its for my lord, God of War! I am willing to bear all the sins! said the viscount before he slowly drew the sword at his waist.
Chang!
The noise from the sword rubbing against the sheath slowly turned sharp and irritating, but Bloody Marys gaze wasnt captured, still glued on Viscount Sicar.
The viscount suddenly became stronger.
After the viscount said the word sin, he grew even stronger.
Using the beliefs in his heart and applying it oppositely?
It would not damage his beliefs, instead making them even purer.
Promptly, Bloody Mary determined what state the viscount was at using the Mythical Knowledge that it mastered, very sure this state wasnt at its fullest.
Every zealot shared a simr trump card: burning themselves to gain power.
It was like every demon lied as if it was breathing to them.
Bloody Mary turned around and looked at Withering Branch and the priest of Decaying Water.
I dont want to lie to you either, but my lord is at a disadvantage.
The priest apologized pretentiously but he didnt slow down at all, the thick steam enshrouding Bloody Maryyer afteryer and starting to corrode its body.
Bloody Mary reacted frankly, like it wasnt damaged.
It made the priest frown a little, but promptly, the withered old man smiled.
I know you must have the resolution to die since you decided to show up. In fact, its not just you. can also do the same for my lord! If I can clear the obstacles for my lord, Id be happy to die 10 times over, let alone a single time.
The moment his words subsided, the old mans face turned wicked and frantic.
Though Bloody Marys gaze wasnt on the old man, looking at Withering Branch in concentration.
Withering Branch was using its vine to draw a mythical magic formation on the ground using its own blood and Resting Deers blood.
The core of the formation was a circle and a horizontal line was drawn in the middle. On one side of the horizontal line, a pentagon was drawn and a triangle on the other.
At the tip of the pentagon was the blood from Withering Branch and Resting Deer, the tip pointed towards Bloody Mary.
After it was pointed at with the triangle, Bloody Mary certainly felt a sense of suppression, like when it was phasing through ground. It still could move but was unable to do it freely, feeling sluggish and slow. When Resting Deers antlers constricted it, Bloody Mary couldnt move at all.
You are the Kin of Mist. The mist, who achieved his descension without anyone knowing, is much stronger than we thought, therefore you are granted simr powers. But, so what? No matter how strong you are, you are just a pitiful soul that fell into our trapoffering you will surely affect the mist, it might even deliver a powerful blow to him. Until then... hahahahaha!
Withering Branch couldnt hold back itsugh when he spoke of the delighted points.
It never would have thought a kin was this easy to trick.
It was a simple n yet it sessfully tricked Bloody Mary into a desperate situation.
Did he really think based on how powerful the Mist was, he could make thempete for a spot to work together with him?
What a joke!
The more powerful the Mist was, the most they wanted to kill it.
Something worth taking note was that thend of Sicar was only this big, it couldnt house more than 2 Gods who had achieved descension.
Itself and Resting Deer would be sufficient, there was no need and no slot for anyone else.
As for Decaying Water and Viscount Sicar, they were also the offerings for itself and Resting Deer, it just wasnt time to make a move against them.
While it was drawing the mystical formation on the surface of the ground, it was also drawing another one, which was the true formation, underground. The head that Withering Branch controlled showed a mocking smile.
After all that, Viscount Sicar finally drew his sword.
The seemingly normal longsword glimmered in white and felt like it had the weight of a thousand mountains.
Even with both hands holding the sword, it felt hard for the viscount to walk to Bloody Mary.
The de reeked of danger and Bloody Mary clearly noticed that.
If it would suffer a cut, it would surely be damaged, but it didnt care! This was its mission! More importantly, its mission had beenpleted.
As I expected, said Bloody Mary slowly as it nced over the humans and pagans at the scene.
It wasnt showing a lot of expression, instead it looked a little rxed, like it was being relieved of a heavy burden.
Its expression attracted difort from Viscount Sicar.
The difort appeared all of a sudden, like when he had decided to be a Dark Walker, those bbers that would sound asionally in his ears and made his heart feel uneasy.
Even Withering Branch and Resting Deer couldnt help it as their hearts throbbed.
Decaying Water, who went into slumber in the priests body, also woke up for that moment.
After capturing the reaction from the humans and pagans, Bloody Mary smiled.
Am I really stupid? Maybe, but it is only whenpared to a smart person. Thats why when I met you, you, and you, I did not believe a single word you said.
Bloody Mary pointed at the priest of Decaying Water, Withering Branch, and Viscount Sicar.
Stop giving excuses! If you didnt believe us, why did youe here? Do you have a death wish? the priest of Decaying Water smiled coldly.
Although they disagreed with the petty tricks of the priest, Withering Branch and Resting Deer nodded in agreement.
Viscount Sicar wielded his sword over his head, although he didnt show any expression, admitting it from the bottom of his heart.
Bloody Maryughed again after it saw the reaction from the crowd.
Yeah, I am here because I have a death wish, Bloody Mary admitted frankly.
Ridiculous! Outrageous!
Voices of reprimand came, Viscount Sicar, with the sword over his head, aimed for Bloody Marys head and crashed it down.
Bloody Mary didnt care anymore, it said so much to them just because it was trying to stall them.
Now?
The time was perfect!
Standing there, Bloody Mary tilted its head up, facing the crashing sword fearlessly, shouting loudly, Bathe in the wrath of my lord!
The next moment, Bloody Mary was cut in half by the sword, but Viscount Sicars face behind the mask didnt show joy from the kill at all.
Withering Branch and Resting Deer looked heavier than ever.
Decaying Water, who was slowly waking up, got startled and jumped up right away.
They then looked up to the ceiling, their gazes seeming to have seen through the roof and watching the night sky.
A ball of zing wrath wasing down from the sky!
KABOOM!
A fully charged Devil me did not spare any of them ground to dodge, engulfing the entire building in an instant.
Even without the infusion support from Fire Raven, after [Devil Burning] reached Transcendences, relying solely on the Devil bloodline [Fiery Sulphur]s buff still managed to bring Devil me to rank V after charging.
The image of the devil roared furiously in the rumbling sea of me.
The light images from Viscount Sicar resisted for a while before it shattered into many shimmering pieces and then quickly disintegrated into the Devil me. Viscount Sicar also followed as his body was burned.
Impossible! My Lord is the God of War! How can I lose?
Shouting in disbelief and agony, Viscount Sicar was burnt to cinders, together with the priest of Decaying Water and... Decaying Water itself.
Decaying Water, who got startled from its slumber, didnt even get to know what happened and ended up in cinders.
Devil me also caught Withering Branch and Resting Deer, the branch wrapping the deer and pulling it into the ground, hoping to extinguish the me with soil.
Unfortunately, Devil me wasnt amon me that could be killed with water, sand, or mud. It even had the ability to burn ones soul and devour life.
A while after they went into the ground, Withering Branch truly withered. Resting Deer relied on its powerful willpower and managed to survive for a little longer but it was chased by Devil me like cancer, then swiftly burned to cinders.
The me kept burning.
In a breaths time, Viscount Sicars living ce was leveled to ashes, together with many other buildings in the backyard, everything devoured by the mes.
Fire!
Fire!
Panicked shouts came one after another, and amid the mours, Bloody Mary slowly regenerated itself out of difficulties.
Feeling the sense of weakness in its body, Bloody Mary really wanted to cry out loud.
Did it have it easy?
In order to act as bait and provide coordination for its boss, it had to die in such unforgettable ways every single time.
Thats right! It was sent out as bait and for coordination.
In short, regardless of what the dead viscount and pagans said, all it needed to do was gather them all in a single ce so that its boss could wipe them out altogether.
Bloody Mary did a good job without a doubt, gettingpliments from its boss and then a full day of holiday!
HOLIDAY! A never before received treatment!
Bloody Mary dare not even believe it, its boss giving it a day off? Was this a dream?
It pinched itself and felt the pain, wanting to make sure it wasnt dreaming and then it cheered.
It then ran towards the hideout of the Mist believers! It wanted to go back to its bed!
...
In a hidden corner of Sicar, Luncar locked his gaze on the burning mansion.
His face was pale, his instigation failing, his n having gone to waste.
His steady n had actually failed.
It wasnt just the failure that shocked him, it was also because of the immense amount of resources he poured in. Pretending to be Bishop Sincavolt wasnt an easy task. He couldnt escape the viscounts detection if he hadnt used up some magical items.
Aside from that, he even quietly instigated the priest of Decaying Water and it cost him more than the former.
He had to perform the instigation under the eyes of a God. Even though it was just a puny Demon God who hadnt achieved descension, anything that had rtion with the Gods was not something good to provoke.
Luncar instigated several Demon Gods who hadnt achieved descension to team up with Viscount Sicar to go up against the Mist who rose out of nowhere. Even though the Mist quietly achieved descension, Luncar thought his ns were almost certain.
He had experienced a Demon God who had achieved descension and it might be powerful but it had its limits too.
After descension, said Demon God had to regrow, and only when the whole process of growth waspleted could one truly be a match for a real Godbut it would still be a demi-god though.
A demi-god wasnt invincible in the mortal realm either, let alone those who hadnt even been through the growth process.
Therefore, Luncar was very confident, but... the mes that he saw told him that the Mist was already a demi-god.
A demi-god in thend of Sicar!
It might not be invincible, but definitely not something Luncar could oppose.
Run!
Luncar turned around and ran for it without a second thought, but right when he turned around, a musket was pointed to his forehead.
Luncar was frozen, raising his hands up in the air and shrieking in panic, Dont shoot!
Chapter 1750 - Hidden Snake
Chapter 1750: Hidden Snake
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The barrel was cold and the body was extremely intricate, obviously not one of those standard-issued muskets and based on the patterns on the handle, it told Luncar the musket had unusual power.
It was without a doubt a very decent weapon and would be a whole lot better if it wasnt pointed at his forehead.
I think we might have a little misunderstanding.
Hands up in the air, Luncar pleaded softly but his intonation was clear and his body did not move.
He didnt want a hole in his head.
Likewise, there was no reckless action or resistance from the person who appeared behind him.
It mattered not how the person snuck up behind him or what he used to achieve it, the person behind Luncar got an absolute advantage and the right to call the shots.
As a rather smart person, Luncar knew he must go along with the person in order for him to get a chance to continue breathing.
As a matter of fact, it was what he always did.
Misunderstanding? I dont think so. Why are you onto Holuff? Kierans voice was cold and overflowing with killer intents.
It wasnt fake, it was cold and authentic killer intents, causing Luncars forehead to be covered with ayer of sweat.
Holuff?
Wasnt this person here for Viscount Sicar, Withering Branch, Resting Deer, Decaying Water, and the Mist?
The unexpected question caught Luncar off guard, causing him to mumble softly and attracting a rough reaction from Kieran.
Kieran raised his foot to Luncars neck. His kick was sharp and fierce and the air-breaking sound that came with it sounded like a snake hiss.
Hiss!
Amid the snake hisses, air streams followed the kicks and rose like the tide, feeling like many venomous snakes had sprung out from the bushes and bit Luncars exposed skin.
Bang!
After the kicknded on the neck, Luncar fell on the ground as though he was struck by lightning.
That kick almost snapped his neck and took his life!
A heavy dizziness filled his mind, making Luncar want to throw up but the musket was pushed up against his forehead again.
Why are you onto Holuff? Kieran asked again.
I-I did not! stuttered Luncar.
That kick didnt just make him dizzy and raise the urge to throw up, it seemed like his ability to speak properly was obstructed and his eyes were turning blurry. However, he noticed this unfamiliar man seemed to have peaked aside in a sh, it was very subtle, like he noticed something but...
Bang!
[Dark Shining Musket], which required no reloads, was fired.
The firepower from the air bullet fired was no less than a real bullet, sting Luncars crown away from his head.
Then, Kieran searched the body quickly and grabbed every valuable item from the body before disappearing.
10 minutester, the patrolling soldiers arrived.
They werent slow, neither did they ck off to some ce, but the fire in the viscount mansion captured their attention, which rendered them numb against a gunshot.
The captain of the guards ordered his men to quickly move the body on the ground.
As for inspection?
It was not necessary, no one could survive when the crown was sted off the head.
Besides, the captain had no time to deal with the questions.
His priority was to kill the fire in the mansion.
The body was temporarily tossed into City Security Stationthere were 5 City Security Station in Sicar, situated in the north, east, west, and south respectively and thest one was in the middle, which was also the nearest to the viscount mansion and closest to the guards.
The body was delivered there and temporarily ced in the basement morgue.
Seconds turned into minutes.
Luncar suddenly opened his eyes.
He gasped in pain and put his hands over his broken head, preventing his brains from further slipping away.
Damn it! Damn it! Where is my crown! he shrieked.
The guards who moved the body here were too nervous, they didnt search for the crown at the scene and as a matter of fact, quite a lot of Luncars brain spilled out on the way.
Feeling the pain in his head, Luncar unconsciously looked at a corner of the morgue.
There were 2 more bodies lying there.
Dead people were nothing new in Sicar.
One or two dead bodies found in the bustling and prosperous Sicar was very normal, and this was the station near the viscount mansion. If it was other stations, which were closer to the crowded market, the bodies would pile up even more.
Hu! Hu!
Luncar panted heavily.
Step by step, he walked to the two bodies and then he revealed his teeth.
His teeth were sharp after death, like the fangs of animals.
The way he worried the two bodies were in the likes of a beast.
Less than five minutester, two dead bodies were worried into a pile of bones.
Luncar returned to his normal state.
His brain regenerated and his skull had regrew.
After the pain faded, he started to ponder about what happened.
He came for Holuff? Demon Hunters, eh? But most of the Demon Hunters are dead, those who are left are lone wolves, they shouldnt have anything to do with Holuff, Luncar thought.
Luncar had researched Holuff and knew everything about him.
It wasnt a difficult task for him though, both were archenemies from the start, the Demon Hunters the thorn that Silent Night Secret Society always sought to remove.
In fact, not only Holuff, some truly powerful Demon Hunters were under their watch.
The reason why they did not make a move was because the timing wasnt right, like this time.
After inciting Viscount Sicar, Withering Branch, Resting Deer, and Decaying Water to engage in a messy rumble, Luncar was nning to go stimte and lure Holuff out, using him to create more chaos and plunge the whole of Sicar back to itswless state. It would eventually attract more attention from various parties, hence allowing the other lords to carry out their ns smoothly.
Who knew the Mist would pop out from nowhere. It didnt only achieved descension silently, it even became a demi-god.
The unexpected entry of the Mist messed up his n.
The mysterious man who ambushed him even took his life once. If the man wasnt distracted by something else, he believed the man would have noticed the unusual spots with a simple check.
As the archenemy of the Demon Hunters, a member working under the Silent Night Secret Society, Luncar knew his opponent too well.
As long as they were able to, the Demon Hunters would throw any kind of enemies into a giant grinder and turn the enemies into a pile of minced meat, then shower the pile of meat with oil and burn it away from existence.
They were nothing if not persistent. If it wasnt for that ident, the Demon Hunters would have wiped out the Silent Night Secret Society, though fate favoured the society more than the hunters.
Those Demon Hunters were now losers in the game of fate.
Whenever he thought about the war with the Demon hunters, Luncar couldnt help but show a delighted smilehe wasnt a participant, neither was he a nner in winning the war, he was just enjoying the glory of his organization.
Though, his smile sunk away promptly after that.
As a member of the society, whilst he could enjoy and take pride in the achievements, Luncar knew how severe the punishments were to those who failed to carry out the missions, especially when the consequences would affect the lords ns. Simply the thought of those punishments sent chills down his spine.
No! It couldnt end like this!
He wasnt the one who made a mistake! There are too many unknown variables in y!
Thats right, this must be the Demon Hunters scheme!
The scheme of a group of hunters that hid in the shadows of the normal ones!
The normal hunters were wolves with pride!
These hunters in the dark were snakes!
The snakes that hide in the shadow of the wolves!
This group of hunters had always been on the move secretly, they sought to right the mistakes from thest time, hence the Mist descending and bing a demi-god.
Even the Mist might not know about this due to how deep the snakes were hidden.
But!
Luckily, Luncar discovered this! The smart and lucky Luncar figured it out!
He went along with the flow and used the discovery to his advantage to lure out the hunters from the snakes!
As for the snakes motive?
Think about thatdy! Then their motive was self-exnatory!
Hu!
Luncar took a deep breath, shocked by the fact that he discovered the hunters of the snakes.
It wasnt his imagination though, it was real!!
When he thought of all this, everything became real! At least what he believed became real!
Only then could he survive this.
Although it would affect his memory, it was just a part of some insignificant memory, andpared to his life, it was nothing.
Therefore, he quickly activated the mysticalmunication formation, looking a little nervous and anxious and also a little bit proud.
An elusive figure with a blurred out face appeared on top of the mystical formation.
Is it done? asked the figure as soon as it appeared.
Ive failed my lord. A Demon Hunter appeared and stopped me. Unlike the others in the past, he works in a more secretive and strange way, Luncar exined honestly.
Waves spread from the figures image, signs of anger but they went away soon enough.
Demon Hunter? Another group of Demon Hunter? he asked.
Yes! They are like snakes, they not only...
Luncar told everything he knew to the figure and after the figure heard what Luncar said, it went silent.
I understand. Return to Edatine Castle at once. I need to know the precise details! said the figure after a while.
Yes, my lord.
Luncar bowed and the figure vanished. He didnt stay for long though. After he cleaned up the traces he left behind, he slipped out of the City Security Station.
Throughout the entire conversation, he did not notice another existence hiding in the shadows.
After making sure Luncar was gone, Kieran walked out.
Silent Night Secret Society? he muttered.
Bumping into Luncar was purely an ident or it was more appropriate to say it was because of his habitual vignce. When he picked up a certain presence from Elite Hound that once appeared in the mansion, the marketce Withering Branch and Resting Deer upied, the sewer where Decaying Water hid, and even around Anan Hotel, suspicion rose in his heart.
The seemingly peaceful and normal Sicar had fallen into a vortex of trouble.
However, he wasnt at all surprised about Silent Night Secret Societys entrance.
The way they did things matched what Holuff told him before, and... a familiar feeling loomed.
Broker!
That bastard was very good at using this kind of method.
Broker and society were rted?
As the thought popped up in his mind, Kieran returned to his room at Anan Hotel.
Once he got back into the room, he double-checked the surroundings and then took out the [Lord of Mist] from his pocket, which had been buzzing all night long.
The palm-size crystal got clearer this time around, even giving Kieran an akin feeling, like his right hand was touching his left hand.
Attribute-wise, the crystal had gone through a drastic change.
[Name: Lord of Mist]
[Type: ETC]
[Rarity: III]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: III]
[Attribute: 1. Mist Control; 2 Poison Mist Assault; 3. Icy Air Assault; 4. Acid Rain Assault; 5. Flora Communication; 6. Fauna Summon]
[Effect: 1.Land of Sicar; 2. Reply; 3. Bless]
[Prerequisite: Bound to you who performed all perfect kill]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remarl: A product of an ident during the ck Cataclysm. Unlike how your predecessor crudely used it, its true potential is being brought out in your hands. After a perfect kill, you started to gain total control over it and with the following perfect kill, it is bound to you and you only. You can use it like your own arm and you can perceive the title that it brings you.]
...
[Mist Control: Summon a 300 meter radius mist and shroud everything in sight, two/day]
[Poison Mist Assault: Induce Poison to the targets caught by the mist, targets would have to go through three times B+ rank Constitution authentication. Targets who fail all three times will be inflicted with lethal poison damage; targets who fail twice will be inflicted with Powerful poison damage; targets that fail once will be inflicted with Strong poison attack; targets who pass all three will be immune but still trapped in the mist.]
[Icy Air Assault: Able to create a Weak to Average freeze attack inside the mist, the icy air cannot go outside the mists range]
[Acid Rain Assault: Able to call upon the normal rain inside the mist, or cast a Weak to Average acid rain, the acid rain cannot go outside the mists range.]
[Flora Communication; Able tomunicate and control floral in the mist, the number of controlled targets cannot exceed your Spirit limit (50 for Advanced Rank, +25 for each rank)]
[Fauna Summon, able tomunicate and control animals in the mist, the number of controlled targets cannot exceed your Spirit Limit (50 small animal, 25 medium-sized animal, 10 big-sized animal, 1rge animal for Advanced rank, +25 for small animal, +10 for medium-sized animal, +5 for big-sized animal and +1 forrge animal for each rank (animal smaller than a rat is considered as three times the number of small animals)]
...
[Land of Sicar: Within the Land of Sicar, the title of Mist has be one-of-a-kind and you, who possess the Lord of Mist, can move natural mist at will and induce them with poison, ice, and rain, controling flora and fauna inside the mist is also possible (unable to exceed the range of the poison mist, icy air, acid rain, control of flora and fauna +1 level), but it will consume your stamina ordingly.]
[Reply: You are treated as the God of Mist, you can use the Lord of Mist to reply simply to the prayers of your believers. It will consume your stamina ordingly.]
[Bless: Inside the Land of Sicar, when your believers pray to you, you can consume stamina to bless them with the Blessing of Mist (Blessing of Mist: provide resistance against poison, ice, acid) wherever mist is visible, or provide a blessing to your teammates municate with flora and fauna in a short period of time)]
......
The feeling of total control really sparked joy in Kierans heart.
No need to resist, no need to hold back, everything belonged to him now.
His eyes could see all of Sicar clearly, and as long as his title was mentioned, he would know the whereabouts of the believer.
Even though the item was limited to Sicar only, it was enough to tell Kieran how powerful [Lord of Mist] was.
With the crystal in hand, it was fair to consider Kieran as a discounted version of a God.
Of course, the discount part was only to Kieran, he would be a true God to the natives of this world, or so Holuff thought.
When Devil me came from the sky, he realized Sicar had unknowingly fallen into a war of Gods.
The retired Demon Hunter grabbed his weapon without a second thought and called hisrades.
It was without a doubt that Colin, which was Kierans alias in the world, was the strongest that Holuff could call arade.
So, there he was, knocking on Kierans door.
Knock, knock, knock.
The knock was granted with permission and Holuff came in in a hurry.
Something happened! said Holuff.
Mm. I know, I am here because of this, said Kieran as he nodded slowly.
You are here because of this? Holuff raised a confused brow and looked at Kieran with cautious.
Kieran smiled at the cautious Holuff.
Rx, I dont have anything against you. After all, we are on the same side.
The same side? Holuff jolted, the confusion in his eyes growing heavier.
Kieran stood up, shaking his clothes and extending his right hand for a handshake.
Demon Hunter of the Snake Sect, Colin, said Kieran with utmost formality.
Chapter 1751 - Forces
Chapter 1751: Forces
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The night faded quickly when the sun rose.
Its glorious light descended upon thend once more.
The city of Sicar hadnt recovered from the three-day curfew, and even when the sun was hanging high, there were only a few people on the streets.
In fact, two days ago, when the viscounts mansion went up in fire and the respectful Viscount Sicar went missing, the city had plunged into a state of nervousness and apprehended danger in every sound.
If the younger sister of the viscount hadnt stepped up and temporarily took over the city, a massive chaos would have broken out.
A lot of people were grateful for her appearance but also shocked.
No one expected the younger sister of the viscount, who lost her husband at a young age, to possess such ruling capability.
Unconsciously, respect for the baroness rose from the bottom of the peoples heart.
Even for a man, it was difficult to restore the city right after it had plunged into chaos.
As though it was the first time they heard of this baroness, when the baroness sent her men to inform the noblewomen of a tea party, they started to meticulously dress themselves up and the husbands even gave their best effort to present their best side carefully during the social party.
They knew more about the baroness than their wives and mistresses.
When the first light shone on the second morning after the fire and news about the viscount dying in the fiery sea spread, some people in Sicar started to get restless and multiple groups of bandits around thend of Sicar even started to warm up for a big raid.
However, that very night, all of them disappeared, one after another. Those bandits who were contacted by insiders disappeared as well.
Missing when they were alive, vanished when they were dead.
The next morning, there were still some foolish and ignorant fes who jumped out to the spotlight and they too followed the footsteps of the others.
Therefore, the city and the entire Sicarnd swiftly quiet down.
All who knew the insider news looked at the baroness with dreading eyes.
The baroness was a vicious woman, as venomous as snakes and scorpions, dressed in the skin of a noblewoman.
Many even spected that the baroness had something to do with the viscounts incident.
Of course, spections remained as spections. No one dared to even make it verbal due to no one being a fan of going missing.
The baroness who everyone in Sicar dreaded did not show delight or rx like everything was in her grasp, gued by anxiety and nervousness as she circled around the viscount mansion.
She was in her own room and it hadnt changed since her marriage, always dropping by when she came back to visit her family.
After the fire, she rushed back from her manor and returned to her old room.
The sudden changes that happened in the span of several days made the baroness, who barely appeared in the eyes of the masses, frown uncontrobly.
Her son was missing, her elder brother was dead, and now she was the only lineal member of the Sicar family left.
After double-checking the facts, her first thought was to escape to Edatine Castle.
She would never go to those further rtives who bore malicious intents against her, it would only bring her more trouble than help.
She knew very well what those rtives were after.
So, when a coborator knocked on the door, she agreed without a second thought.
She was left without a choice, wasnt she?
Compared to a bunch of rtives who looked at her like hungry wolves and fierce tigers, she tended to trust an emissary of God more. Moreover, the emissary was kind and warm, his movements elegant and apanied by a rather handsome face.
The series of events that happened next proved her choices to be right.
Her coborator erased those despicable bastards and she managed to smoothly take over the city, but there was still something that had to be done. Things wouldnt end before she got over the afternoon tea party.
Though she wasnt confident enough. She rarely presented herself under that many curious gaze and wasnt used to the attention, otherwise she wouldnt have chosen to live in her manor and barelye out.
She preferred to study more.
Back when she was a youngss, she was used to petting her dog while she read in her room and after her marriage, the habit did not change. As a matter of fact, her husband once loved reading too.
The happiest times both of them had together was reading but her son did not inherit the habit from them.
Quite the opposite, her sons love for swordy triumphed over reading.
Her husband and her didnt object to their sons path though, thinking her son should have his own choice and own path to walk.
Her husband, on the other hand, thought that a man should learn how to protect himself and his familyso he did when he participated in a mandatory hunting trip and got assaulted by a grizzly bear, using his body to carry out the oath that he once made.
The baroness gaze started to drift away, thinking of her husband again.
The emissary that met her shared uncanny resemnce to her dead husband, not just in terms of looks but countenance as well.
Besides, the emissary also promised to locate Carls whereabouts.
I hope my child is fine! Prayed the baroness.
The God she prayed to wasnt the God of War but... the Mist!
Before she got in contact with the emissary, she was unlike her brother. She had no religion and mostly just adhered to her brother. If there was a book or a tome of God, she wouldnt mind believing, but only if God could provide more books for her to read.
It was actually one of the conditions in the deal for her to believe in the Mist.
Although it felt like defiling a God in this way, it was just a one-time deal.
She believed the Mist and the Mist would provide protection.
Compared to leaving her home to Edatine Castle, believing in a God wasnt anything difficult for her, especially when this God wasnt as evil as rumoured.
Well then, there goes her beliefs, she didnt mind since it didnt cost her a penny.
Knock, knock, knock.
Knocks sounded at the door.
The baroness, who had been waiting, opened the door without a second thought.
Bloody Mary stood at the entrance with a smile.
Good afternoon, Baroness Nord, Bloody Mary bowed.
Nord was actually her husbands name and after she got married, Eline Sicar changed her name to Eline Nord.
After Baron Nord died in a hunting ident, Eline Nord inherited her husbands baronship andnddue to the fact that Viscount Sicar had no heir, her son, Carl, was destined to inherit the viscountship from his uncle.
Good afternoon, Simon, the baroness greeted.
Even though her heart was soaked in anxiety, the baroness manners were wless. She didnt lift up the corner of her gown, which was what ass before marriage would do. Married women or widows performing the lift of a gown would be deemed cheap and coquettish. Married women tended to greet others with a more preservative smile, hands were ced in front of her stomach, her body straightened and knee maintained straight as she nodded with a soft smile.
One would only need to bend knees when facing a senior of higher rank or ss.
With the identity of baroness and the new ruler-to-be of Sicar Land, probably only the king, Edatine IV, could ept a knee-bending salutation from her throughout the entire Northern Land.
As for the rest, only a few shared the same rank as her and most would have to bow to her instead.
You are nervous?
After closing the door, Bloody Mary spoke casually, like to a friend.
It was what it discovered throughout the few days of contact. As long as it maintained a friendly tone, the baroness tended to lower her guard and replied with simr hospitality.
Of course, no lies or tricks should be mixed into the conversation.
Her intelligence far surpassed many peoples imagination.
She had read myriads of books in her life and she possessed knowledge that others could only dream of.
Although most of the knowledge remained as knowledge, it was still inspiring and admirable. At least the Superior Demon couldnt suffer the dryness of sitting there for dozens of hours just so it could go through a single book.
Its boss, however, had a simr interest but it depended on the books content. He wasnt as pure as the baroness, reading-wise.
Em. Its been a long time since I have to face such a situation. In fact, other than my marriage, I have never faced something like this before, the baroness didnt hide the details from the friendly Simon.
Just treat them as pumpkins, insignificant pumpkins, joked Bloody Mary.
But pumpkins wont bear malicious intentions against me, the baroness bitterly smiled.
People tended to be less confident in fields that they are unfamiliar with, including the baroness.
If it was reading or reciting books contents, she would have the confidence to triumph over anyone.
Believe me, they wont harm you, Bloody Mary assured the baroness.
It wasnt someforting words to brush her off though, it was the truth.
It was the mission assigned to it by its boss, of course it couldnt fail.
They were just a bunch of ill-intended normal people without any true power and Bloody Mary was very good at dealing with these kinds of people. It liked to press their faces on the ground and rub them against the cold hard surface, none of them able to resist.
Mm, the baroness nodded slightly at the kind Simon.
Do you want to see Carl? Bloody Mary suddenly asked.
Youve located him? the baroness asked in surprise.
We did, but he isnt in good shape. He was cursed by the Resting Deer, and although that deer was killed by my Lord, the power of the curse did not fade. It somehow became harder to deal with. Carl and the power of the curse seem to have fused into a single entity! In short, if my lord forcefully removed the curse, Carl might die, exined Bloody mary.
It had quite the impression of the skeletal knight that it only met a few times before.
A noteworthy point was that not any simple John Doe had the qualifications to block a spear.
Can I see him? asked the baroness.
Of course, but you must be prepared, Bloody Mary kindly reminded her.
It deeply knew what kind of person this baroness was.
In fact, it had seen many in the likes of the baroness since it followed its boss around.
A person like her could live her whole life in a room with basic daily needs, have electricity supply, inte, smart phone, andputer. She was the extremely harmless type.
This was also the biggest reason why its boss chose her, because Kieran didnt have to worry about any bad or hidden thoughts from her.
I understand! The baroness hesitated for a while before she nodded.
Then, in a suit of ck armor and helmet, Carl walked in. Behind him were Shegal and Fov, the two young men who had just gained the position of the leader of city guards and leader of security in the mansion respectively.
My lord, the two young men greeted and bowed politely before they stood outside like gatekeepers.
Carl stood at the entrance, gued with hesitance. Of course he saw his own mother, for the two young men had exined a lot to him when they traveled here, but...
When he truly stood before his mother, Carl was still frightened because of his monstrous look.
CARL?!
The baroness jolted a little before she got a clearer look at the armored figure, finally seeing her own son again.
The little rascal that she gave birth when she was 15 and who had sneakily joined the patrol team when he was 16, the son that never listened to her and thought he was so independent.
Two steps forward, the baronessid her hands on Carls chestte.
She didnt lift up the mask of the helmet because she felt her son was trembling.
It was fear.
He feared that his mother saw his current looks and was afraid that he might lose her.
Dont worry my son. I am your mother, I know what you think, I wont force you to take it off, and besides, the curse isnt incurable, said the baroness softly.
Carl wanted to tell his mother his current state has not much to do with the curse but he couldnt. Moreover, he had lost the ability to speak.
In the end, Carl only nodded.
In the next hour or so, the baroness didnt stop as she told stories to her son about what had happened around her recently.
Carl quietly listened. Bloody Mary read the atmosphere and left the room for the time being.
Only when the servant came forth to notify them the afternoon tea party was about to start did Bloody Mary knock on the door again.
Baroness Nord, the afternoon tea part is about to start, Bloody Mary reminded warmly.
Im ready.
The baroness opened the door and walked out, standing in front of Bloody Mary and looking at it with a pleading gaze, asking, Simon can you go to this tea party with me? I dont need you to stay by me, just watch me from the corners, that will be enough.
Of course.
Bloody Mary actually nned to follow her secretly just in case but with her invitation, things turned out to be better.
Great!
Overjoyed, the baroness walked off in thepany of the servant.
Shegal and Forv bowed to the lord emissary before trailing the baroness away.
Carl stood on the spot without moving a muscle, looking at Bloody Mary and the soul fire flickering in aplex rhythm.
Whats wrong? Bloody Mary asked.
You said before that you saved me because you saw me suffering. You were willing to share my suffering.
Since both of them were dead to a certain extent, Carl was able tomunicate with the Superior Demon.
Yes, my brother. I never mind sharing your burden and pain, whether in the past or in the future, Bloody Mary showed that warm smile again.
Then please help me to take care of my mother. I dont want her to be in pain again. In exchange, I will pray to the Mist day and night, answered Carl.
Address him as my lord. Bloody Mary reminded Carl.
I will pray to my lord day and night, for you and for my mother, Carl then walked away to the tea party venue.
He couldnt join the tea party frankly, but he didnt mind protecting his mother from the dark.
Who was insensible enough to stand out, Carl wouldnt mind dragging him into the graveyard and having a heart-to-heart talk, seeing whether the heart that he pulled out was ck or red.
For me and my mother? Bloody Mary felt weird after hearing that but it couldnt exactly pinpoint what.
Then, it quickly realized it had once again acquired a powerful and capable help for its boss.
More importantly, after this tea party, the whole of Sicar would be his boss backyard, providing endless manpower to its boss and slowing down the biggest shorings of its boss.
At the same time, it also started to n how to expand the Mists religion.
How could its boss fit in a smallnd like Sicar?
The outskirts of Mozaar, the heart of the Northern Land, Edatine Castle, all of the Northern Land should believe in the Mist!
Only then could it fit its boss status.
I am really the best follower of boss!
Delighted, Bloody Mary walked to the venue for the tea party.
It has made a promise and it intended to keep it.
It wasnt a demon who would go back on its words.
Chapter 1752 - Compartmentalize Workload
Chapter 1752: Compartmentalize Workload
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The baroness hosted the afternoon tea party in the banquet hall of the viscounts mansion.
As a matter of fact, this banquet hall was actually the council hall used by many generations of the Sicar family. From the old age, as old as Edatine I, all kinds of mattersimportant and trivialwere discussed to a decision in this ce.
Many decisions that came from this council hall had affected the entire Northern Lands.
Though it was the first that the council hall was used to host an afternoon tea party.
Afternoon tea in Sicar weas held in various ces depending on the season.
During the summer, the nobles would choose to host it in the garden so that they could enjoy the windy breeze and the pastries. During the winter, they would choose a study room or an entertainment room to rece the outdoors.
The study room was chosen to host peers or seniors and the entertainment room was for the juniors or lower ranks.
The tea and pastries served at a tea party was also a set of knowledge to learn.
The whole process was extremelyplicated, thats why the baroness spent most of her time reading in her chambers.
This time, however, she was forced to step up, clenching her teeth and bracing herself as anxiety gued her heart.
She was afraid of being drowned by questions or doubts, not very good in dealing with all of these, but it turned out much better than expected.
When she entered the banquet hall, all eyes were on her but it did not feel sharp or hostile, every attendee quite polite and well-mannered.
Hu!
The baroness heaved a breath of relief, maintaining her noble smile and nced over everyone. She then made her way to the hosts seat.
An afternoon tea party might sound a little casual but it actually had a very pronounced ranking system.
Especially in times like this, the seats that the attendees sat in and the attire they wore were all pronounced and neatly arranged.
The seats closer to the hosts seat, the higher their positions.
The higher the positions, the more morous they dressed.
Though the baroness was an exception.
She did not choose a noble Victorian dress like the other noblewomen, preferring to go with a suit instead. Her long pants were white, her clean and fitted suit ck and on top of her head was a tall hat of a horse master, her ck boots so tall that they covered her shin. Other than the little ruby brooch on her ck outer suit, there were no extra apparels on her, walking swiftly and clean like a gentleman.
It was all Bloody Marys meticulous arrangements though. It needed the true owner of Sicar Land, therefore it didnt mind using little tricks to subtly influence the people around itself.
When everyoneid eyes on the baroness, it really felt like the first meeting. They felt like they saw a general who was a veteran on the battlefield.
As expected of the viscounts younger sister?
She hid from the public eyes because the viscount was too dazzling during normal times!
The thoughts that popped up in the attendees mind made them even more vignt.
They knew what the viscount would do if he was around.
As for those who didnt know?
For them, it was unnecessary for them to know that Bloody Mary had cleaned them up this morning. Those who were able to make it to the tea party were all smart and sensible people, at least on the outside.
As for what they really thought deep down?
It wasnt necessary, Bloody Mary only needed them to maintain respect for the baroness, even though it was just for show.
Only time would tell how correct their choices were but Bloody Mary was very confident, whether in itself or in its boss.
Hiding in the corner, it curled its lips into a smile.
The baroness was also looking for Bloody Mary with a subtle scan, coincidentally locating it at the instant and when she saw the smile on its face, she took it as encouragement.
Thest bit of anxiety in her heart went away.
Ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon.
The baroness sat down in the hosts seat, half of her body basking under the warm sunlight, making her intricate look glow, instantly attracting the gazes of the attendees.
Before we start the tea party, I hope everyone can spare a moment of silence for my brother and those who were lost in the fire, said the baroness with sadness.
The baroness respected her brother a lot. Even though the rtionship was absent of true feelings, she knew if it wasnt for her brother, she wouldnt have lived so long in her own way.
She became a widow at a young age, meaning she was still very healthy and fertile, and after inheriting Baron Nords wealth and property, had her brother been ruthless and tossed her out like garbage, there would be a line of man who would be willing to be her backup husband, even the big nobles in Edatine Castle. The big nobles wouldnt mind marrying a widow for the sake of a scrumptious dowry.
As a matter of fact, it did happen in the past but the viscount rejected the offer.
The baroness was grateful to her brother.
After her words, the attendees started to look sad and sunk in pain.
Whether it was real or fake, it didnt matter.
A few minutester, when the servant beside the baroness announced the tea party had begun, the attendees put their smiles back on their faces.
I have something to announce: the curfew in Sicar will be lifted. From tomorrow onwards, everything in Sicar will return to normal.
The announcement of the new order was weed by pping from the nobles.
The nobles agreed to the new order from the bottom of their hearts.
What was Sicars biggest ie source?
The taxes from the traveling merchants, the prosperity of the market, and the price differences in the many goods on sale.
During the curfew, all the ie sources were basically nothing.
Only when the goods were allowed to be sold would the root of Sicar recover from the damage.
The nobles were excited and delighted by the news, the baroness then raised her hand and the apuse stopped immediately.
The second matter revolves around the poor performance of the city guards in their previous duties, I will promote Shegal as our new city guardmander. He will be responsible for the safety of the city, within and beyond, plus the patrol teams. And Forv, he will be appointed as my security chief, responsible for the mansions security, said the baroness.
None of the nobles objected to the appointments.
If the originalmander of the city guards or the chief security were still alive, they would step up and voice their disagreement.
Unfortunately, in the past 3 days, the two of them, who would probably react furiously to thest order, had gone missing.
The nobles at the hall could not afford to voice their disagreement at the baroness order just for the sake of two missing men, which would probably also put themselves at risk of going missing.
It was not worth it!
Therefore, after the nobles jolted for a moment, they came back to their senses. One after another, they congratted Shegal and Forv, who were standing at the entrance.
The two young men bowed at the baroness and nodded to the apuding crowd coldly.
They epted the designation because of the lord emissarys orders.
Perhaps in the past, their current designation might sound outstanding, but now?
It was just that.
No matter how honorable the designation sounds, could it be as honorable as the lord emissary who walked the earth for the lord?
Aside from him, there was still the Mist, their lord and savior!
The cold reaction from the two young men astonished the nobles at the hall.
The nobles had gathered information on the two beforehand.
They did note from some renown family, neither one of them had the status of nobles either.
Although they were better than civilians, it was just slightly. How could they react so coldly towards this kind of opportunity that allowed them to reach the heavens in a single bound?
Unconsciously, the nobles quietly put the two young men on their to-watch list.
The baroness then continued,Third, I will allow the religious sect, Mist, to preach in Sicar.
What?!
Mydy, do you know what you are talking about?
Mydy, are you nning to start a war?
...
Unlike the previous two matters, when the third was announced, the hall plunged into a mour, a few short-tempered nobles even voicing their disagreement loudly.
Preaching wasnt something easy.
Throughout the entire Northern Lands, even before the ck Cataclysm, there was only one religion: God of War!
After the ck Cataclysm, Lady Cmity had entered the sights of the people.
In short, only these two were able to publicly preach throughout thend.
The rest were nothing but deviants and pagans.
Those who were exposed or discovered by the orthodox religion could be burnt to death.
Unlike Lady Cmity, who suddenly rose to prominence after the ck Cataclysm, the God of War had rooted itself into the peoples heart long ago, especially in thend of Sicar! Viscount Sicar was the most devoted believer of them all and naturally the men of the viscount took up the religion too. Whether it was to win favours from the viscount or selfforting, theyd more or less take up the religion. It was free anyway.
Of course, there were many true believers who were devoted to the God of War too, but not here.
Those were already cleaned up by Bloody mary.
These nobles at the hall reacted so poorly because they wanted to seize the chance to create a scene, or... to seize benefits for themselves.
The nobles were much more realistic than expected.
Unfortunately, Bloody Mary was one notch higher than them.
It signaled Shegal and Forv right after the scene.
The two young men walked over to the several nobles who caused a scene without a second thought, lifted up their sheathed swords, and smashed them into the nobles face powerfully.
Pak!
Amid the clear thuds, the few nobles who caused a scene suffered a swollen face, bleeding mouths, and several broken teeth.
Shegal and Forv did not mind teaching a lesson to these nobles who looked down on their God.
As a matter of fact, smashing them on the face was an order from the lord emissary. If they were to have carried out their own will, the two of them would have cut the nobles tongue.
The two of them had never experienced the filthy wealth of the nobles before but they werent idiots.
Who would exchange gazes secretly and send each other hand gestures when they were aroused and causing a scene?
The two young men red fiercely at the nobles they struck down with the gaze of wolves, scanning around the entire hall.
The others dared not exchange nces with them.
Those who were bold enough to retaliate were already cleaned up by Bloody Mary, the rest were just some weaklings who were invited here to fill up the numbers and just so all of this looked fair.
If it wasnt for the sake of the Mists swift expansion so that it could be its boss qualified aid, Bloody Mary would never want to do all this.
It preferred to approach things in a straightforward way and the idea also came from its boss and how he did things.
It didnt mind borating it though.
Smiling, Bloody Mary looked at the baroness, who was slightly at loss for action. Under her gaze, Bloody Mary returned an encouraging gaze and the baroness immediately straightened her body.
This is an announcement, not a negotiation. I am just informing you all. Sicar is thend of the Sicar Family, and as the sole ruler of thend, I have the right to do so. Even his Majesty the king cannot object, said the baroness in a decisive tone.
Right after the words subsided, Carl, who was standing in the corner of the hall and tried his best to avoid sight, walked in.
He thought he must do something for his mother, therefore he walked up to the nobles, grabbed them, and dragged them out of the hall like he was pulling a sheep.
Spare me! Spare me, my lord!
The pleading sounded, one after another. Carl, however, turned a deaf ear.
Once a noble, Carl knew better than Shegal and Forv what these bastards in his hands were trying to do.
Create conflict so that they could halve his mothers power, devour Sicar familys gains, and strengthen themselves.
Almost instantly, all the thoughts popped up in Carls mind.
There was no reason for him to spare these bastards.
As the other nobles watched Carl in his ck armor and overflowing killer intents drag the few out of the hall, the hall returned to silence. The remaining nobles looked at the baroness like scared quail birds.
The dread and fear, it was obvious in their gazes.
What they heard would always remain as rumours. It was not as impactful as seeing the real thing with their own eyes.
Those familiar acquaintances were just sitting beside them a while ago and yet they were dragged out alive. The remaining nobles were once again warned and reminded who they really were.
Thend of Sicar belonged to the Sicar family, not them.
Of course, there were still some who had their own secret thoughts.
Should I go to the War God Temple right after this tea party?
It seemed like there were more than a few who shared simr thoughts.
Therefore, these nobles with ulterior thoughts be absent-minded throughout the entire event. No matter how tasty the pastries were, some even left the pastries on the te after a bite.
Bloody Mary frowned at the scene though.
Unknowingly, its view towards eating and drinking was influenced by Kieran.
It too uphrld the ideal of not wasting food, same went for Shegal and Forv.
Spending thest two days with the emissary, they understood how simple and in their lord was.
The two young men werent fond of the nobles initially, so the wasteful behaviour increased their hatred towards the nobles.
Fortunately, the baroness was different, she didnt waste anything.
The tea party ended on a low note.
The nobles hurried back to their wagons.
Looking at where the wagons were driving to, Shegal and Forv reached out to their swords instinctively. With only a single word from Bloody Mary, the two of them would surely chase after those nobles and take them out.
Though Bloody Mary didnt say anything, looking at the worried baroness.
Land was holy, not even the king could taint it with his name, but so were the Gods!
The divine power triumphed over the kings authority and it wasnt said just for kicks.
Decades ago, the emissaries of Gods were known as Saints, even the king had to bow before them.
Things were still recovering from the ck Cataclysm but the power of God had imprinted into itself onto peoples minds.
Simon, what should we do now? The baroness didnt hide the worry in her heart and asked out of anxiety.
Bloody Mary smiled and replied, We just have to mind our mortal business. Let my lord deal with the matters between Gods.
Chapter 1753 - Probe
Chapter 1753: Probe
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
War God Temple reacted quicker than expected.
Right after several nobles wagons drove into the small square and told the priest on duty what happened, the furious priest immediately prayed to the God of War.
Faint glimmers appeared within the temple.
The statue representing the God of War was gathering the glimmers.
The statue of God of War wasnt in the shape of a human, but weapons!
It was forged with many kinds of weapons intertwined together.
It had the most basic swords, spears, sabers, and halberts along with the ratherplicated ones like tomahawks, axes, hooks, and forks. There were even chains and morningstar maces. The glimmers swirled around the ring weapons.
Everyone in Sicar looked up to the sky.
The horses neighs, the chariots sprinting and the warriors cries all sounded from the sky.
Despite the various sounds, there werent any images of warriors riding chariots or horses, all the sky showed was a rumbling dark cloud.
The dark cloud came down from the sky and swirled on top of the glimmering War God Temple.
A whileter... KAKROOOM!
Amid the thunderous p, lightning bolts danced like malicious silver snakes.
The loud boom made the cowardly kneel on the ground and pray softly.
Those nobles who delivered the news to War God Temple crawled on the ground sincerely, at least on the outside.
Many other nobles who saw the scene had regret in their heart, asking themselves why they didnt deliver the news to the temple themselves?
If they had been the ones who delivered the news, they would have been rewarded heavily after all this, right?
Perhaps they might even get promoted to knight!
The believers of the Mist Sect prayed as well.
Unlike the believers of the God of War, the believers of Mist prayed to their God to expel the God of War.
The Mist believers showed tenacity on their faces, not one of them looking afraid, their eyes shimmering in conviction and determination.
Then...
The mist rose!
A huge area of mist flooded out of the city and enshrouded the temple high up, including the rumbling thunder cloud.
Rage!
Killer intents!
The intense emotions gushed into Kierans mind as he held the [Lord of Mist] in his hand.
If it was possible, the opposite really wanted to rip Kieran into smithereens and Kieran knew it as well, so he did not hold back.
The charged up Devil me and fired upwards.
Kaboom!
When the lightning shed with the mes, a tremendous explosion went off, as though a hundred thousand tons of explosives went off all at once. The whole of Sicar plunged into the heavy st, everyones ears ringing, causing them to instinctively cover their ears.
Kieran, hiding in the mist, was quietly feeling the lightning from the dark cloud.
Its presence was filled with destruction and violence!
The charged up Devil me did not seize the upper hand this time. Quite the opposite, it fell into a disadvantage.
VI! Kieran was able to tell urately after the little contact.
The lightning before his eyes had reached rank VI or was near it, which meant the God of War was at least rank VI, or higher, due to the fact that this was just one of his temples.
The prayers from the priest summoned only a projection of the God, it wasnt even his clone, technically speaking.
From there, one could imagine what level the true form of the God of War was.
Though that would be his true form, what was before Kierans eyes was nothing but a projection.
Karoom! Karoom!
Three balls of Devil me circled around Kieran and were sted into the sky at the very next moment.
Before the three balls of Devil me shed with the thunderous dark cloud, three more balls of Devil me sprung up around Kieran.
It was like a reverse meteor rain, for within a breaths time, a dozen balls of Devil me were fired into the dark cloud.
The force from the explosion caused the dark cloud to shake and Devil me, which had broken into waves of fire, strangely umted on the dark cloud, not only burning the lightning but the dark clouds that carried the bolts as well.
Roar!
The giant image of the devil appeared on top of the scorching mes.
It roared into the sky and was loud enough to overpower the thunder. Its twin horns almost pierced the heavens and its strong magma body neglected the lightning strikes, its zing red eyes scanning over the fire and lightning, locating its target. It raised its robust arm, as thick as a pir, andunched a punch.
Fuuuung!
It was like a ss 10 hurricane wreaking havoc.
When the zing fist stopped, a giant armored figure had a hole punch through its chest.
Crank!
The armored figure shattered like porcin and the dark cloud scattered away.
The praying priest looked up with utmost disbelief.
The statue in front of his eyes was cracking, the cracks spreading really fast from the center, and within a breaths time, the whole statue crumbled into pieces, followed by the whole hall.
Starting from the crumbled statue, the main building of the temple started to shake.
After the pirs were shaken, the whole hall copsed.
The mist also slowly faded away after that.
The few nobles who crawled on the ground saw the scene with widened eyes.
The temple copsed?!
They looked up nkly.
A mist giant appeared above them and was looking down on the entire city.
The ending was self-exnatory.
Anyone with a functioning brain knew the Mist won.
Oh the supreme lord! Please hear our prayers, we will carry out your will, bow to your greatness and bear your name, you will shed your light on the world and everything we have is a gift from you...
The Mists believers prayed louder and louder.
Many non-believers or less devoted ones saw the mist giant in the sky and heard the prayers in their ears. Unconsciously, they knelt down and prayed together too.
What is the true nature of humans?
When a phenomenon appeared and kept repeating itself, it would be the natural choice of humans.
Soon, the scattered prayers converged into blocks and then districts, growing into a city-wide action and even spreading outside the city. When the soldiers around the city gates heard the prayers and joined the others, there was only one voice left in the entire city: the praise towards the Mist, the lord and savior!
The city-wide praising made those who kept quiet a deviant, not fitting in with the crowd.
Those true believers of God of War stood there nkly, at a loss for action and nervous about what was going on, feeling uneasy, as though they were sitting on a needle mat.
They didnt want to give up on their own beliefs, or rather... they dare not give up on the God of War!
The God of War wasnt a God known for his generosity or tolerance.
During his prime, if anyone dared to offend him, the whole city of the offender would be ughtered.
Although the appearance of Lady Cmity changed this particr point for the better, people were still scared.
As mortals, they did not dare take the risk, unable to bear the wrath of God.
More than 10 secondster, a believer of the God of War ran out directly.
Right away, the true nature of humans was on disy again. Those God of War believers who stood out among the praying crowd started to run away from the city in panic.
They wanted to leave right away!
Before the God of War punished them with his wrath and before the Mist discovered them!
Kieran, with the [Lord of Mist] in his hand, clearly saw the scene, but he didnt care due to something more important appearing.
Chapter 1754 - Black Lotus
Chapter 1754: ck Lotus
A metallic cup was put on a sturdy table. The cup had no decorations and looked rough but it was sturdy and able to hold arge volume. The sweet egg beer inside the cup was shimmering under the sunlight.
Sweet egg beer wasnt just cheap, it was also many peoples favourite, especially in the Northern Lands, near the outskirts of Mozaar. The drink was able to provide warmth and sweetness and it had be a must for every person on a trip.
Holuff was one of them. Even though he had retired, he liked to have one cup in the afternoon, but not today.
Holuff held his cup of beer and stared into space nkly, his eyes were out of focus and his mind was in deep thought.
The worker beside Holuff saw his boss in deep thought and quietly left him alone.
In the past few days, the worker had gotten used to his boss going nk asionally.
People asked about what happened at first but Holuff kept quiet every time, or when he was nervous, he would just scold them for being busybodies, so the workers knew what they should do.
The door closed quietly.
A few minutester, Holuff sighed heavily.
Snake Sect?
Was there really a Snake Sect?
The retired Demon Hunter scratched his head and fondled the few strands of hair left as his mind fell into doubt.
He recalled the young man from two days ago, who imed to be Colin of Snake Sect.
Holuff didnt believe Colin at first, despite him being powerful and doing things simr to a Demon Hunter, but he had never heard of the Snake Sect that Colin mentioned, not even once throughout his entire life.
Therefore, he thought Colin was just bluffing and fabricating identities to fool him.
If Colin further exined himself during that situation, Holuff would persistently assume Colin was a liar, but Colin said nothing, not even an excuse!
After he said Those who should know will eventually know; those who should not know will never know!, he went back to his room.
In the next few days, Colin didnt even look for Holuff once.
Holuff knew this kind of tactic well. In fact, he always resorted to such tactics in the past to trick many despicable bastards, but... was it truly a bluff? Some tactic?
One day, two days, three days...
From the disbelief at the first day to the current dubious state, Holuff was grinding his gears, he realizing there was no reason for Colin to bluff him.
His hotel?
It might sound like a decent property to themons but to a powerful person like Colin, it was nothing significant.
The equipment he left behind? Less than impossible.
Those items and equipment were originally a present for Colin. Holuff decided to give Colin the items when he disyed the Mark of the Lone Wolf and he believed Colin noticed it too, otherwise it was not possible for Colin to reject so straightforwardly.
Though once he remembered Colins reply about the shadows and tricks, Holuff couldnt help but breath heavily.
What a bastard! I dont care if you are Snake Sect or not, you are a bloody bastard! But... is there really a Snake Sect? Unlike us, the Demon Hunters in the dark? Holuff muttered to himself softly.
He started to recall the history of the Demon Hunters.
He realized whenever the Demon Hunters were pushed to the verge of annihtion, theyd unknowingly stand back up and thrive to live another day. It was like some unknown force behind them protected the seeds for the future.
If there is really a Snake Sect... it could really exin all of this!
Because of that, Holuff did not contact his familiar Demon Hunter contact.
He wasnt sure the Demon Hunter that he once called a friend was trustworthy.
That war almost wiped out the Demon Hunters, although it was imed to be an investigation on the ck Cataclysm. Holuff always felt like the real problem lies inside the organization.
Otherwise they wouldnt have fallen apart so easily.
Perhaps people from the Snake Sect knew something about this.
As far as Snake Sect was concerned, they might be involved in that war secretly as well. They must have discovered something but somehow failed to spread the news, giving the Demon Hunters hints and going deeper into the dark.
They did not spread the seed of the Demon Hunters right after the disaster but chose to stay in the dark so that they could get to the bottom of this.
This Colin, whoes to me, must have gone through many tests, just to make sure I am clean, and then he hoped to know something from me.
Holuff was quietly thinking. His thoughts unconsciously leaned towards the good side.
It was part of human nature. Humans always liked the good side and resented anything bad.
Whenever things went south, humans tended to bet on a fluke. Even when disaster truly struck, the hope for a fluke didnt go away; one would never change before seeing their deathbed with their own eyes.
Even if Holuff was a Demon Hunter, this human nature of his would never change, because deep down in his heart, Holuff didnt ept the fact that the Demon Hunters were defeated miserably, even though he chose to retire after that.
Some timeter, Holuff decided to be frank with Colin, wanting to have an open talk with the young man.
He couldnt wait like this anymore, he would surely go bald if he did.
Holuff carefullybed the remaining hair from the left to right and carefully stuck them on his scalp. He drained everyst drop of his beer and endured the burning sensation in his stomach. As he rubbed his fat stomach, his eyes unconsciously looked through the window and into the direction of War God Temple, which was shrouded by dark clouds and rumbling lightening.
God of War?
Tsk.
Holuff pouted in disdain.
The reason why Demon Hunters were unlikable was greatly rted to their beliefs.
They never worshipped any God, not as pretend.
They only believed in their teachers, parents, family, and friends.
They only believed in the weapon in their hands.
They did not belong to the light, but neither did they belong to the darkness.
Strolling on the verge of death without the honor of being praised and without the songs being sung, all they had was the pride in their heart.
He unconsciously looked up, cing his hands on his chest and feeling the rigorous beating of his hearting out of his chest. Holuff grinned widely, he then strode towards his closet.
A folded battleaxe, a broken windcoat, and a worn out hat.
There was also a backpack beside the armament, looking pretty aged. In one of the side pockets was a small pistol and the other had several throwing daggers, along with some misceneous items.
Holuff grabbed the folded battleaxe and then the backpack.
His hand shook, the folded battleaxe expanding and transforming into a long polearm.
With the battleaxe in his hand, Holuff performed a vertical swing in front.
Funng!
The heavy air-breaking sound crashed on to the floor powerfully.
The wooden nks were shattered and dust clouds flew up, the whole room clouded in dust and blocking his sight.
Holuff then swung the battleaxe into a horizontal sh.
Funng!
The edge of the axe whipped up a strong wind and carried theyer of dust together, shing towards a spot which seemed to be empty.
Bang!
A person fell out after the sh.
The person was wrapped in dark grey clothes and upon falling on the floor, the body dispersed like smoke.
Holuff coldly chuckled at the scene.
If this was earlier, when he was still subtly affected by that bastards incitement, this persons hiding technique would be wless, but now?
Against a clear-minded Demon Hunter, this kind of hiding technique was of an ostrich sticking its head into the ground while exposing its body.
Holuff pulled out his short pistol.
Unlike the usual short musket, this short pistol was fatter and the muzzle was as big as a grown mans fit.
When the trigger was squeezed...
KABOOM!
The muzzle shed like a cannon.
Tiny little pellets were sted out, nketing everything in a 100 and 5 meter range in front of Holuff, including the furniture and the enemy.
The enemy wrapped in dark gray clothes was sted heavily, there wasnt an intact piece of meat on him. His dark body twitched as he widened his eyes at Holuff, losing his breath promptly after being shot.
Holuff didnt care about the kill, he exerted his strength through his feet and backed away quickly.
Bang!
His fat body crashed through the wall behind him.
Right after Holuff crashed out of his room, the dead body on the floor expanded like a balloon and then it shed.
KABOOM!
Holuffs quarter was sted into the sky.
He was away from the effective st range, so he did not suffer any actual damage, but the dirt caught his face. As he spat the dirt out of his mouth, he swung the battleaxe backwards and performed a thrust.
There was more than one enemy!
As the shockwave of the explosion nketed the area, enemies wrapped tightly in ck clothes appeared, one after another.
These enemies were simr to the one Holuff just killed. They had the figures of men but smelled like beasts, and even with the tightly wrapped clothes around their faces, the hoarse growling was very obvious.
They were like a pack of wolves, circling Holuff and scanning for his weakness.
Holuff squinted his eyes, the long battle axeid horizontally beside him and his fat body slightly bent down, looking like a giant wine barrel.
Then... he spun rapidly!
The battle axe swung up and down as it spun in a flurry!
The edge of the battle axe sliced the air with extreme speed, and as it cut the air, des of wind appeared in its trail.
A momentter, when the wind des umted together, a tiny tornado appeared.
It spun frenziedly and had a powerful suction force, dragging the enemies into the area and throwing them into the wind grinder, shredding them into smithereens.
However, more and more enemies appeared after the first wave.
They did not show fear as they stared straight at Holuff.
They were waiting! They were waiting for Holuff to exhaust his strength!
They knew this kind of heavy weapon was very powerful but only for so long!
Once Holuff slowed down, it would be his end!
irehore was very certain of it.
Standing in the middle of the crowd, irehore looked at the spinning Holuff coldly. Although he got the news about the Snake Sect from Luncar, he did not pay too much attention to it.
A bunch of sneaky bastards hiding in the dark. If it was before the ck Cataclysm, they might prove to be trouble for them but now?
Impossible!
Their target wasnt the mortals anymore!
On the other hand, the Mist was much more troublesome than expected.
irehore looked towards the thick mist that appeared out of a sudden.
This little pagan who achieved descension quietly managed to be a demi-god!
It seems like the so-called Snake Sect Demon Hunters arent so useless after all.
Wearing a ck robe, irehore smiled in disdain and spoke arrogantly.
Demi-god?
He wasnt one, but he wasnt afraid of one!
After all, the one behind him was really a true God!
Therefore, he chose a more direct way: kill Holuff and then that Snake Sect Demon Hunter.
Then?
If he could lure more Snake Sect Demon Hunters with the kill, it would be good for him.
He would never show mercy or hold back in killing them all!
In the end, his target would be the Mist!
Though it wasnt something that he should be worried about.
The God behind him would deal with the Mist perfectly.
Mortals should mind mortals business, let the Gods deal with themselves.
It was an unspoken rule among the Northern Lands.
Silent Night Secret Society might be strange and elusive, but with Lady Cmity as their support, they did not mind following the rules.
It was beneficial for them, right?
Just like this moment, where irehore could simply neglect the opponents God and achieve victory with absolute advantage.
Feeling the tornado getting smaller and Holuff slowly exhausting himself, irehores smile grew more arrogant and disdainful.
He won again!
The feeling was really incredible!
Dak Dak Dak.
Clear footsteps suddenly came from the other side. With arrogance and disdain reaching a peak on irehores face, he turned around to face the footsteps and saw Kieran walk out from the shadow.
Shouldnt snakes hide in the shadows? Snakes exposing themselves arent dangerous, said irehore slowly and then furrowed his brows a little.
The arrogance and disdain he saw on Kieran caused difort in his heart.
He was used to looking at others with arrogance and disdain but not used to the other way around, especially when the feeling was real and not fake. irehore somehow felt angry.
GO! irehore waved his hand.
The men around him immediately came out and jumped on Kieran.
Simr to how they surrounded Holuff at first, the advantage of numbers was on full disy by these men, but...
Hiss!
A series of snake hisses suddenly sounded them.
Robust snakes sprung out from the ground and constricted the men.
In that instant, those men who jumped on Kieran were petrified on the spot.
Not only the men, even their leader, irehore, was terrorized.
They widened their mouths and fell into an abyss of fear, their bodies twisting ufortably.
Aaaarh! Donte near me! Go away!
irehore shouted loudly, his hands waving in the air in order to expel the non-existent snakes.
[Sword Skill, Myriad Viper]!
Sword skill in name, illusion that is based off of Kierans Spirit in core.
An illusion would be fake if one saw through it, but when one deemed it as authentic... it would be real!
A ck greatsword appeared in Kierans hand. Without any fancy technique, it cut irehore in half.
The immense pain woke irehore from the illusory state.
I-Illusion!? Not bad at all, but the pain you inflicted on me brought me back and it will be your biggest mistake!
irehore woke up quickly after being cut in half, but he didnt die. Instead, he looked at Kieran energetically, ready to attack again.
However, he once again saw that disdainful expression that caused him a lot of difort.
I WILL KILL YOU! KILL... aaaaaarh! irehore shrieked furiously, but at the next moment, the shriek was reced by screams.
ck me burned from his body, the me of Desire engulfing him whole.
Pride didnt even look at the man and turned back to Holuff.
As Pride walked to Holuff, the ck me spread around him and engulfed everyone else from Silent Night Secret Society.
The ck me burned the bodies like ck lotuses from the abyss, blooming beautifully.
Chapter 1755 - Coward As A Mice, Horlaika
Chapter 1755: Coward As A Mice, Hoika
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Holuff gazed upon the ck burning me and then at Pride, who walked towards him. He wanted to say something but Pride didnt care, the cardinal sin walking past Holuff and going back into Kierans room before shutting the door.
Looking at the shut door, Holuff scratched his head, thest few strands on his head waving as his fingers fiddled around.
What?
Holuff was confused, he couldnt understand Kierans action and the meaning behind it.
Kieran saved him and then ignored him?
Even when they met each other during other times, they would greet each other in a friendly way.
What caused the strange reaction today?
Could it be... he is hinting something at me?
Holuff frowned after the thought popped up. He gripped his battleaxe tightly and started to search around carefully.
The other one who frowned was Hoika.
He had the exact look, with thick hair, long eyes, high cheekbones, and thin lips, that irehore, who had just died in the ck me, did. He would strike others as a harsh person with a single nce.
In fact, not just his looks, even his expression and countenance were very simr.
Hoika and irehore almost looked identical. If they were to stand together, they could be twins... No! Not twins, clones!
Hoika sat in a room, using his fingers to rub his swollen painful temples in hopes of easing the uneasy tension but it was useless.
His head was getting more and more painful by the second, like he was cut by an axe.
The excruciating pain made him inhale with his mouth repeatedly.
In the end, his shaking hands took a spare potion out from his inner pocket of his coat.
If it was possible, he wouldnt want to use this potion. Not just because it was thest one that he brought, this potion would also inflict irreversible damage to his body. His strength would greatly decrease in a short period of time after consumption.
However, he hesitated for less than a second when the headache gued him again. Hoika uncorked the potion and drained every drop in a single gulp.
Right after the refreshing potion entered his mouth, it started to quickly ease his headache.
Hu!
Hoika heaved a long breath of relief, but his rxed brows furrowed together again shortly after that.
There were many secret spells within Silent Night Secret Society yet Hazy Shadow Shifting Moon was still one of the most precious ones.
The power that came with its sess was enough to make anyone envious.
Of course, what shunned people away was the absurd difficulty and the consequences: the pain of splitting the soul!
Many who cultivated Hazy Shadow Shifting Moon failed, killed off by the immense pain.
Hoika relied on the special potion to be the only one who sessfully cultivated Hazy Shadow Shifting Moon in Silent Night Secret Society in the past hundred years.
Then, irehore was born!
In short, irehore was Hoikas shadow that he divided out.
irehore was like any other normal human being. Despite being a shadow, he had quite the intellect and possessed his own personality. He even possessed the same strength and power as his host. Other than being unable to cultivate Hazy Moon Shifting Shadow, he would live like anyone else.
Of course, this shadow waspletely under Hoikas control.
The strongest point of Hazy Shadow Shifting Moon was as the shadow grew stronger, it could provide feedback to the host. For example, even if the host hadnt learned a certain technique or spell, as long as the shadow had managed to learn it, the host would eventually know it as well.
So it was natural that whatever the shadow saw and felt, the host could see and feel the same via the power of Hazy Moon Shifting Shadow.
That was the reason why Hoika felt weird.
Why would his shadow feel so furious before he died?
And that feeling of disdain, when did it appear?
One thing worth taking note was that the behaviour and reaction waspletely different from Hoika during normal times.
The shadow came from himself, thats why Hoika knew irehore very well.
The shadow might be a little intimidating at times but against the unknown Snake Sect, he should be vignt against it. Even though he disyed a proud side, it would just be a disguise, not truly from his heart.
However, the pride and arrogance the shadow disyed earlier was authentic.
Am I affected?
That target has the ability to instruct peoples emotions and from there control peoples minds?
Hoikas heart throbbed.
Hoika knew some insider news from inside the organization, so he was at 120% cautious against the unknown Snake Sect.
Otherwise he wouldnt have waited three days to make his move during the battle between the Mist and the projection of God of War. He even sent his strongest shadow to test the water.
Yet, things were not good!
The more he thought, the more he worried. Hoika stood up, wanting to leave the city.
Being careful at all times was his life motto.
Moreover, his mission did not exactly fail, and as a matter of fact, as a pathfinder, he hadpleted his mission.
As for losing his shadow, it was nothing.
All he had to do was recover and cultivate for some time and divide another shadow with the help of the potion.
Although it would make him more reliant on the medication and hed suffer further damage to his true strength, the pain of splitting his soul was an experience he did not want to try a second time.
Besides, he didnt want to lose his current position as well!
His shadow had already achieved name and status.
The other thing worth taking note was that his shadow, irehore, was named as the Immortal: no matter how severely wounded, or even dead, all he needed was a short slumber and he would be as lively as a tiger when he woke up.
Therefore, his shadow had acquired quite the position in the society, relying on the special trait.
He even used this trait as a start to form certain forces around him.
As for Hoika, he was still no one.
It was fair to even say that after his shadow, irehore the Immortal, came onto the scene, Hoike was pronounced dead. Hoike only chose to appear when irehore was caught up in something or unable to show himself, so that he could maintain the title and pride of the Immortal.
Hoika wasnt unhappy or ufortable with it, quite the opposite, he was delighted.
Doing this would only make him more and more inconspicuous!
In Silent Night Secret Society, being inconspicuous meant being safe!
The society wasnt a charity house, any misstep would cost him his life.
Survive, let alone thriving, would require not only power, but also vignce, technique, and the ability to improvise!
Therefore, Hoika made up his mind to leave! Immediately!
He couldnt stay in the city anymore!
Hoika quickly left the temporary base and strode towards the city gates.
The patrol soldiers were nothing for Hoika since he had inherited a powerful hiding technique from his shadow despite his current weak condition.
As for the city walls, they were also nothing. He did not rely on any tools and climbed the walls with his bare hands. Swiftly crossing the city walls, Hoika reached outside the city and ran into the pinewood forest.
Hu!
After he managed to get into the pinewood forest, Hoika heaved a breath of relief.
He was worried that he might get ambushed by Snake Sect along the way, but it seemed like they did not notice him.
I mean it cant be helped right? irehore is dead in the eyes of the Snake Sect! Hazy Shadow Shifting Moon is considered a secret even within the society, let alone to an outsider! Even Snake Sect...
As he muttered to himself, Hoika habitually turned around, wanting to get another look at Sicar before he returned to Edatine Castile but... he saw Kieran instead.
Kieran silently appeared behind him without his knowledge, the mutters instantly stopping.
He widened his eyes in disbelief at Kieran.
You...
Bang!
Before his words even subsided, Hoika was kicked to the ground by Kieran.
The kick was very sudden, fast and fierce.
Hoika clearly heard the bones in his chest crack.
He opened his mouth and wanted to say something but... Crack, Crack. His wrist and ankle were both broken by the following stomps, the words that he wanted to say bing screams when they reached his mouth.
Aaaargh!
The painful scream was loud and short, then stopped abruptly because a musket appeared in Kierans hand and was pointed at Hoikas forehead.
Pain made Hoika sweat coldly, the sweat moving along his forehead and entering his eye. The stinging sensation burned his eye, arousing the urge to blink, but he didnt dare to as he widened his eyes at the young man before him.
He was shocked by the young mans straightforwardness and fierceness.
He had inherited many experiences of engaging a Demon Hunter from his shadow but even the rudest of them all had never struck his shadow down right away. Theyd talk with the shadow, give him enough time to reach, and not a single one of them made a move first before talking, like Kieran had done.
Dont shoot! Im the inspector sent by the Silent Night Secret Society! I know the secrets of the society!
Hoika spoke quickly and loudly, afraid that if he remained quiet, he would lose his chance to speak.
Kieran didnt reply, instead sizing up the man in front of him.
Something simr to a cloning technique? Kieran wondered.
Through Prides eyes, he saw Hoika once, or rather, another person with the same look. Countenance-wise, both men werepletely different.
The one Pride ran into, although affected by the cardinal sin, felt more hot-blooded and was obviously a veteran who had killed on the battlefield.
The one before Kierans eyes, however, revealed a sense of weakness behind his power.
It wasnt caused by the potion though. Before Hoika drank the potion, Kieran already noticed him and even had the time to inspect him.
Hoika was strong on the outside but weak on the inside, striking Kieran as a sheep wearing a wolfs skin.
At first Kieran thought the weakness came from the cloning technique of Hoika but when he spoke, Kieran immediately knew Hoika was truly weak.
Of course, in order to make sure the man wasnt pretending to be weak, Kieran raised his musket higher, his foot going up above the crushed ankle and slowly moving upwards.
At the same time, the hand holding the musket was shaking rhythmically.
In times like this, using [Mesly Ring] would be the best way to determine the truth but even without the ring, Kieran wasnt all that helpless.
The Mystical Knowledge that he learned came with many little techniques, which would be enough for him to determine whether the man was lying or not.
Aaaaa! Spare me! Im afraid of pain! Ask what you want, Ill tell you everything! I assure you that all the answers are true!
Tears and snot rolled down Hoikas face. Under the immense pain, his eyes unconsciously looked at Kierans palm and were captivated by the movement, yet his body dared not move an inch, crying repeatedly.
Kieran saw how Hoika reacted, lifting his foot and stopped inflicting pain on the man.
Without Kierans foot on him, Hoika did his best to crawl further away from Kieran but after a few inches, he saw the musket in Kierans hand.
Hoika then crawled back to the spot right away.
I am a person who follows the choices of my heart! I love my life! So I will do my best and use my biggest leverage to ensure my survival!
With snot and tears all over his face, Hoika sounded exceptionally serious.
What are you to the person who died earlier? Kieran asked right away.
He was a shadow I created using Hazy Shadow Shifting Moon. He had my thoughts, memories, and ablitiies but did not know about my existence. I could control him through the dark and learn what he learns and also inheritnguage and memories, plus the real power he acquired. Hazy Shadow Shifting Moon is one of the most precious techniques in Silent Night Secret Society. I identally came across this technique and then relied on medication to cultivate it. After that, I shifted behind the scenes and made my shadow me, while I became a follower of my shadow.
Hoika honestly told everything to Kieran, not even choosing to hold back the secrets of Hazy Shadow Shifting Moon.
The reason the society sent me here was because Luncar discovered the remains of the Demon Hunters and another group, named the Snake Sect, during his pawn mission. The councilmen were frightened by the Snake Sect Demon Hunters because during the ck Cataclysm, the Demon Hunters should have been wiped out, yet there were a group of them who escaped. ording to the investigations of the councilman, they should have gotten help from someone. As for the helper, the councilmen searched for it night and day but it was fruitless. They didnt even know where the helper came from. The appearance of Snake Sect this time allowed the councilmen to confirm that there must be some secrets hidden behind the normal group of Demon hunters, plus...
Up until this point, Hoika quietly peaked at Kieran.
After he noticed there wasnt any expression on Kierans face, the member of the secret society who cherished his life so much quickly continued, Plus all of our recent missions, which should have been easy ones, all failed! It was like that time when we wiped out the Demon Hunters, we failed without knowing why! Even those who carried out the mission died! The appearance of Snake Sect made the councilmen believe that Snake Sect ambushed our agents during their mission. So they sent my shadow that bears the title of Immortal.
Hoika paused after all that, trying to make sure whether or not he missed something.
After some thought, he noticed what he was missing.
The pawn mission is the n that the councilmen set up to empower the Lady. After the ck Cataclysm, many pagans appeared all over thend, all of them yearning for a descension and it made them anxious, trying to achieve it by any means necessary. So after a little guidance, they became the best prey for the councilmen! At first the councilmen were victorious, but as Snake Sect appeared, thingsplicated itself. Based on what I know, all 3 recent descensions failed. My respectful lord of the Snake Sect, is there anything else you want to know? Or are you assuming that I know a little too little? Dont worry about that my lord, I can be your spy! If you are still worried, I can take a fixed poison pill or you can use the power of the contract on me! As long as you release me, I can do anything for you!
As he pleaded, Hoika climbed up with difficulty and kowtowed in front of Kieran.
Chapter 1756 - Approaching Completion
Chapter 1756: Approaching Completion
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran frowned slightly at Hoika kowtowing in front of him.
The little tricks from Mystical Knowledge truly brought out the unexpected.
Of course, it was not that his Mystical Knowledge had leveled up. It was because Hoika was too weak, his willpower next to nothing, bursting like a soap bubble under the sun.
His level of willpower was simr to that of a childs.
Is it because of Hazy Shadow Shifting Moons after effect? Kieran dared not simply specte.
Matters revolving around the soul were mysterious. Even Kieran, who was an expert in Spirit, dare not deem himself a pro in the field. It was something even his Mystical Knowledge couldnt reach.
Though he had many other means to counter the situation, such as the Superior Demon!
Demons were originally from the soul domain and they were exceptionally good at manipting things there.
It was hard to master even with natural gifts or with learning.
It was fair to say that because of the Superior Demon, Kieran was able to im to be a pro in the soul domain.
After all.... What was the difference between him and Bloody Mary?
None.
What Bloody Mary owned was his and what was his... would still be his.
Using Bloody Mary to inspect Hoika was the best way around this situation.
Snap!
Kieran snapped his fingers.
.....
The mist giant in the sky had gone away, but the prayers to the Mist showed no signs of stopping.
Aside from the devoted Shegal and Forv, even Carl, in his dark armor, prayed in his heart.
Being born in a devoted family of Sicar, Carl did not resent a God. It was just that Carls belief in the God of War was limited to a very shallow level, like something he would simply say.
The religious doctrine of the God of War was hard for Carl to truly ept. Family, friends, andrades were more precious than war. Carl could go to war for the sake of his family, friends, andrades but would never want to lose them in the war.
Unlike the God of War, the doctrine of the Mist matched his ideal more.
One can be selfless and disregard consequences for the brothers and sisters.
As long as you are healthy and well, I can move forward with the burden.
Regardless of light or darkness, when the fire shines, I will press on forward.
Although it was just a part of the doctrine, it was enough for Carl because he found his path.
Looking at his mother, who was at a loss for action, how could he afford to be lost himself?
He knew what kind of person his mother was.
Always staying indoors, never asking about the outside world, and knowing nothing about the dark side of humans.
Even though she liked to read, it was just her way to escape reality.
Of course his mother was a kind soul, but looking from a certain aspect, it was worse.
He could very well imagine what the people around her viewed his mother as: a prey!
A delicious, fat prey that could feed many!
His mother, who always stayed indoors but was not stupid, noticed it as well, otherwise she wouldnt have agreed to work with the Mist.
But... it wasnt enough!
No matter whether it was his mother or the Mist, they were still too weak!
Change required blood!
Acknowledgement from the people would onlye with a blood bath, only then would people know fear.
If you all cant do it, I will do it!
I will protect, with the blood and bones of my enemies!
I will protect, with my skeletal body!
I will protect my own mother, my one brother-in-arms, my future friend, I will protect... Sicar!
The once captain of the scout rider, now a skeleton rider, walked towards the nobles who snitched on the Mist.
Dak, Dak, Dak.
The heavy footsteps woke up the terrified nobles. They saw War God Temple copsed in front of them, looking at each other in confusion, not knowing what to do.
Then...
Chang!
Carl unsheathed his sword and the sharp edge slid over the nobles necks.
Spurt!
Bloody gushed up into the air as the head flew up, none of the snitching nobles escaping his skeletal wrath.
Or more urately, they tried but they couldnt outrun or escape the skeletal Carl.
Resist?
Impossible!
After transforming into his skeleton form, Carl had transcended beyond what was normal, he wasnt something that normal people could resist.
It turned out to be a one-sided massacre.
As limbs were being cut off, the ck armor was tainted with blood.
Carl shook his sword and turned around after the kill.
The other Sicar nobles who were watching the massacre trembled and retreated.
They were horrified.
To the Sicarian nobles who only joined some hunting trips in the forest every once in a while, the reason why they did not pee their pants in front of the bloody scene was because they wanted to keep their image of nobility.
Shegal and Forv were unmoved. The two young men looked at Carl with a slight nod of acknowledgement.
As a matter of fact, the two young men were only waiting for the lord emissarys order to make a move against the snitching nobles. The two of them had zero tolerance towards traitors.
See the path in front of you? Bloody Mary asked softly after he walked up to Carl.
I do now, my lord, Carl answered Bloody Mary respectfully.
It wasnt some courteous words, the respect came from the bottom of his heart.
It wasnt just because of the debt of saving his life earlier, it was because of the care Bloody Mary showed to his mother in the past few days.
Otherwise, even if he could save his mother from the grasp of the filthy nobles, his mother would lose her peaceful life, and given that his mother had zero skills living outside, she could never live the rest of her life in peace.
Bloody Mary must be thanked for everything he had done.
Then walk down the path with stern determination. Tell me when you feel tired. Im willing to share your burdens with you, along with our brothers and sisters, we are all with you on the path, Bloody Mary smiled warmly.
Carl was a little bedazzled as he looked at the kind man before his eyes.
He felt like he had returned to that evening when the brown grizzly attacked. That man smiled at him warmly and waved at him and his mother before he rushed towards the bear with an indomitable manner.
Shaking his head strongly, Carl discarded the pictures out of his mind.
I will, said Carl.
Then, he suddenly quivered.
His mother walked up to him and used her sleeves to wipe away the blood on his armor, her beautiful dress dyed red by the dirty blood.
Not just Simon, you have me as well. I may not be of help much, but I am your mother. I will stand by you and give you support, said the baroness.
Mm, Carl nodded at his mother for he wasnt good with words in this kind of situation. He then stood like a pir and allowed his mother to wipe his armor clean before he looked at the other nobles.
The bodies on the ground made the soul fire in his eye sockets more pressuring and scary.
The nobles trembled when they caught the fiery gaze, many of them falling to the ground as their legs turned to jelly, their noble bearing following and shattering on the ground.
Carl chuckled coldly inside.
The prestigious dignity of a noble?
Is that even a thing?
Perhaps it was, but definitely not these nobles on their knees.
They were just the maggots chewing on the pir of honor.
He hated these kinds of useless maggots, so he was very straightforward with his next question.
Are there any more objections? I will give you people onest chance, said Carl in a heavy tone.
No one answered.
The nobles were frightened to their core, not just by Carl, but also how powerful the Mist was.
They didnt know if it was a projection, a clone, or his true form. All they saw was the Mist winning against the God of War and the War God Temple even copsing after that.
W-We hereby abide to Lady Eline Nord Sicars will and order. Your will is supreme, your will is holy.
The nobles spoke words that went beyond the rules though.
Supreme, among the nobles, was a word only used to describe the faraway king in Edatine Castle.
Holy, meaning the Gods.
However, no one dared to point it out.
The nobles purposely used ttery to prolong their lives, none of them willing to stand up and p themselves in the face.
Bloody Mary andpany were happy to see this scene.
After all, from a certain meaning, the baroness represented the highest authority of the Mist in the city and thend of Sicar, nothing could go beyond her!
Bloody Mary smiled at everything that it carefully conducted.
I guess the boss is happy to see all this eh?
Well then...
Amid its thoughts, it received the call from Kieran.
Carl, Shegal, Forv, Ill leave this to you three, Bloody Mary turned around and spoke to the three.
Simon, you are leaving? the baroness asked in a heavy heart.
I have to continue to help my brothers and sisters, just like how I helped you, Compassion shed over Bloody Marys face.
Then, will I ever see you again? the baroness asked again.
Carl also looked at Bloody Mary, waiting for an answer.
Of course. Call for me in your heart and I will do my best toe back, said Bloody Mary as he replied to both of their gazes frankly.
Everyone at the scene felt the frankness and sincerity in its gaze, the worry on the baroness face fading and the soul fire in Carls eye sockets returning to normal.
Bloody Mary then smiled and vanished on the spot.
To Bloody Mary, this baroness had be an important part in forming the Mist Sect. For the boss n, it had to protect the baroness with all its effort.
Of course, its boss was the one who called the shots, so when it received the call, it would naturally reply as fast as possible.
...
At your service, boss.
Outside the city, Bloody Mary arrived upon being summoned, seeing Hoika crawling on the ground.
Through the power of the contract that Kieran released to it, Bloody Mary had got a clear grasp of what happened here.
Come, look at me, said Bloody Mary.
Hoika looked up and his sight was immediately covered in darkness.
It was dark and cold, somewhat freezing.
A pair of eyes branded in his soul were examining him up and down.
Hazy Shadow Shifting Moon? This is soul-splitting!
Unknowingly, Hoika heard this in his ears.
He then fell into a deep sleep.
When he woke up, the sky was dark and the ceiling above his head was something new, the nket on him rather soft and warm.
He turned around and saw his own teacher.
A respectful and knowledgeable person.
His teacher showed him guidance when he was lost.
Although his teacher did not acknowledge the identity, Hoika took the man as such.
Teacher, what happened to me? Hoika tried to get up from the bed.
Dont move, you are weak now. Hazy Shadow Shifting Moons side effect has driven you to the verge of breaking down. If you do this a few more times, even I cant save you then. The potions you used, they worsen the process, and... call me Simon, Bloody Mary walked over andid Hoika down.
Its that serious now? Hoika looked nk as he sighed softly.
As the person involved, he knew his condition was not too bright but not to this extent.
Im sorry, if I meet you any earlier...
No, teacher, this is my choice.
Bloody Mary was interrupted by Hoikas solemn looks, continuing, Only people with value can continue to survive there and I chose Hazy Shadow Shifting Moon because I want to live. Though I am also grateful that I chose this technique, because if it wasnt for this technique, I wouldnt have met you and might not even know what I want to do. The old me wandered around aimlessly like a dead person, living life day after day on repeat. It was you who told me how to live a colorful life! It was you who let me know protecting others could make me happy also!
Bloody Maryid his hand on Hoikas shoulder and looked at him with a sincere gaze.
Youve protected everyone and now its time for everyone to protect you. Come home, His Majesty the Mist has be a demi-god, we have the power to protect everyone else! said Bloody Mary with utmost sincerity.
No! Hoika shook his head.
A sense of holiness and sternness appeared on Hoikas face. Disregarding his bodys condition and sitting up, he looked at Bloody Mary and said, Teacher, our enemy is much stronger than we thought! The origin of the ck Cataclysm and that woman is still a mystery. No matter how hard I try to search, I cant seem to get to the bottom of this but I am very sure there is something that we must pay attention to along the way! Otherwise, we would only repeat our mistakes! So I still cannot leave, at least not before I get to the bottom of this. And... Hoika took a deep breath before he continued.
A demi-god isnt His Majestys limit, I will try to buy more time for him!
Bloody Mary went silent for moments before he looked at Hoika and Hoika replied with a strong gaze.
Both of them spoke in one voice.
The snake lives to rattle its tail.
The snake is good at hiding in the mist.
The snake walks with the shadow and eyes the darkness.
...
It sounded like a vow but also a prayer.
Their voices were loud and many hisses followed after they ended.
Standing outside the room, Holuff listened to the words carefully and watched the snakes dance, he turned around, looking at Kieran and asking softly, This is the Snake Sect?
Chapter 1757 - Reaction
Chapter 1757: Reaction
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Yes, this is Snake Sect. We as snakes lurk in the dark, said Kieran softly.
Dark, as snakes...
Holuff stood there nkly, muttering softly to himself.
No one understood the sentence better than Holuff, the retired Demon Hunter.
Snake.
The reptile probably had zero good images in the eyes of themon people.
It wasmonly known as cold-blooded and merciless.
It was used to represent cunning and dark impressions.
Not a single normal person would want anything to do with a snake.
But of the Demon Hunters, some were willing to be them.
They were willing to rest in eternal darkness and never see the day of light again.
Holuffs body slightly quivered.
The vows that he took in front of his teacher when he became a Demon Hunter rung in his ears again.
We dont belong to the light.
We dont belong to the dark.
We walk the verge of death, without the praise of honor and without the singing of hymns, all we have is the pride in our heart.
At this very moment, he got a deeper understanding of the vows he took.
Dont belong to the light, dont belong to the dark, it is because the beliefs in thy heart walks the verge of death. You people are more of a Demon Hunter than I am, a retired old man, said Holuff with a sense of respect.
He could very well imagine what therades from Snake Sect, who infiltrated Silent Night Secret Society, had to face.
Danger was self-exnatory and once exposed, it would be death, but a lot of it was torture.
Going against the belief of the Demon Hunter and being forced to follow the society, it was torture.
It must be worse than death.
Kieran received Holuffs respectful gaze frankly, slowly shaking his head.
When we chose to be Demon Hunters, nothing matters anymore. We made our choice long ago. For our family and friends, we will never shrink from any danger, said Kieran.
It wasnt a lie, it was the truth.
The truth was the easiest to cause a resonance in others, at least it had worked on Holuff.
Holuff took a deep breath and looked down at the battleaxe in his hand.
He gripped it tightly.
There was still a group of unknownrades who pressed forward and put their lives at risk, acting as a protective umbre to Holuff and the other Demon Hunters and sharing his burden as they moved on.
Some people really needed protection because they were just civilians.
But... do I really need this?
Holuff asked himself.
In this particr moment, Holuff felt that his retirement was overly rash.
There was still another group of old men like him, who thought they had done it and sat under the sun everyday to enjoy their retirement.
In reality, there was a group of young men who were doing things which these Demon Hunters should be doing.
Shame rose from the bottom of Holuffs heart.
There was indeed a retirement option for a Demon Hunter, BUT! Holuff hadnt reached the age of retirement in the field. He and the other guys were just escaping from reality because of the ck Cataclysm.
Now?
Should they continue escaping reality?
Just look at the young man!
He might seem mature but judging from that countenance of his, how old was he truly?
When Holuff was Kierans age, he was still training under his teacher and yet Kieran had already be an independent hunter.
Were there others in the Snack Sect?
Of course there were!
But why allow a young man like him to be independent so early on?
Aside from the fact that this young man possessed outstanding abilities, Holuff was afraid that Snake Sect also suffered a severe loss to the ck Cataclysm. Those experienced veterans were all wiped out, hence a young man like Kieran had to step up to the job.
Snake Sect chose to fight despite the encounter with danger, so why couldnt Wolf Sect do the same?
Holuff made up his mind in that instant.
He had to tell the other old men that the Demon Hunters are not totally dead yet!
No! The Demon Hunters would never die!
The wolf would always run under the sky in pride, the snake would always be immortal inside darkness!
As long as Snake Sect remained, the Demon Hunters remained!
As once a member of Wolf Sect, he didnt mind getting more protection from Snake Sect so that the Wolf could run again.
However, it would need some time and some rification.
Holuff always had a bad feeling and spection towards the secretive details about the ck Cataclysm.
Ill leave you to your Snake Sect business. As for Wolf Sect, we will run again!
After that, Holuff turned around to his copsed room, and in his body, an indescribable liveliness erupted. The lethargic feeling was gone.
Kieran looked at the fat man, not saying anything as it wasnt necessary for.
Snake Sect had truly appeared and it was enough.
Broker, another unexpected chess piece appeared in your game and following this particr chess piece, another disappeared chess piece returned to the chessboard, so what would your counterreaction be in your little game? Kieran curled up his lips slightly.
He was never afraid of his opponent reacting.
There would be traces left behind the footsteps and these traces would be his most needed clues.
As long as he could get his hands on these clues, he could switch to a more active state and then search for the reason why Broker wanted toe into this world.
He was rather curious about why Broker wanted to set up so many things in this world.
Of course, there was still Borl.
When Borl came into his mind, Kieran thought about it for a while before he walked to the room at the side of the courtyard.
It was Borls room.
Inside the room, Borl was drinking a cup of tea.
He hoped to use the tea to ease the nervousness in his heart but after two sips, he couldnt help but stand up and walk around his room. Right after the curfew order was announced in the city, walking around his room aimlessly had be a habit of his.
The other new habit that he cultivated was to hunt for news in the lobby of Anan Hotel.
However, the news that he got made him even more nervous.
Viscount Sicar was confirmed dead!
The sister of the viscount would be the new lord of thend.
I wonder how the new lord will expand the wholend?
If it somehow dys the time...
Borls heart skipped a beat when he thought about the potential dy.
One thing worth taking note of was that this dy was rted directly to his life.
Otherwise, why would a yer like him care about the status of a noble in the game?
More importantly, this would be his crucial turning point!
If he could get to it smoothly, he would have the chance to rise again and probably even chase after his footsteps...
Once he thought about the ming Devil, Borl thought of the series of events that happened in Sicar recently.
Although he had no solid evidence, his instinct told him that all the things that happened recently had something to do with the ming Devil.
It was without a question that ming Devil must have gained quite the benefits through all of this.
Borl wasnt jealous or whatnot, he was just admiring the ming Devil.
The admiration of freedom once acquired absolute power.
At the same time, the admiration fueled his courage twice as high!
The ming Devil is my target! Maybe I am still very far away but one day, one day I will reach his level! And when that dayes...
As the thought popped up in his mind, Borl started to think of that woman that gued him. Uncontroble hatred appeared in his heart.
Maybe you are gone but the city still has what you left behind! They have inherited everything from you and enjoy benefits that far surpass every other yer, likewise your hatred! Borl unconsciously clenched his fist.
He did not act on impulse, calming his mind and thinking of his n.
Right after that...
Knock, knock, knock.
Come in, said Borl politely.
Although he did not see who was knocking, he knew only that person would knock.
His bodyguard knew nothing about manners on knocking before entering, despite the fact that he had told him many, many times.
As for the others?
He chose the independent courtyard rooms because he wanted to be at peace. No other customers would drop by and the owner Holuff would choose a better, more appropriate ce to have his talk, definitely not here.
Those with malicious intents would never knock.
Kieran entered after he pushed the door open.
Borl stood up.
Colin, Borl called Kieran using the alias.
What is your follow up n, after you get your dukeship, asked Kieran.
Since Broker had his eyes on Borl, that meant that Borl must have some use.
Kiean didnt know anything about that for now but it didnt mean it did not exist.
After I get my dukeship, I hope to get more of a reputation and climb higher through the ranksthough my initial thoughts were to reach my current goal, thats what my basic n is, Borl said without hiding anything.
Borl thought it wasnt necessary to hide from the ming Devil.
It wasnt just because of his power, but Borl knew exactly why Kieran asked as such.
He must have a n of his own, and the question was to ensure there wasnt any conflict of interest down the line.
Very good, Kieran nodded and said.
It wasnt to brush Borl off though, it was a truepliment.
A solo yer without the heart to achieve anything would get eliminated sooner orter.
It might even turn out worse than grouping up with others, guild-wise or party-wise.
Borl obviously understood what Kieran meant, so he nodded in agreement and smiled bitterly.
At first I set this basic goal because I dared not overextend my strength, but after changing to achieving more, its also because I am not willing to settle with the basics. Before this, I kept avoiding the question about what I should do now. At first I thought I ought to ovee the problem at hand and settle the otherster, but I missed out the fact that even if I luckily overcame the problems at hand, I might fall into another difficulty in the future. If I dont get a harvest at least once, I will be stuck in this vicious cycle forever. So... might as well gamble it!
Up to that point, Borl sounded like he had relieved a great burden, the anxiety and nervousness in his heart vanishingpletely in that instant. He sat on the chair in a more rxed state, his rxed andfortable posture huanging a true smile on his face.
So rxing. Speaking out is really better. Colin, do you know after I woke up and found out of my situation, I was anxiousI was in front of everyone at first but have now fallen behind almost everybody. The difference in the gap and the danger of losing my life around the corner turned me into someone else. In order to survive, I knelt down and thought of tricks and lousy tactics. I didnt think I was wrong though. What was wrong with surviving by any means necessary? But the unlucky thing was every time Id run into you and end up in failure. I almost fell into despair and it was the... you initiated a fair deal with me, which gave me the chance that I sought after so badly. Lawless even helped me with all his heart. The sincerity was real, not fake. I could feel that and suddenly realized I had someone to call a friend. The feeling was great!
Borl started to talk and nag. He was simr to Lawless in this, somehow even noisier.
Lawless habitually naged and teased, but Borl was released after being repressed for so long.
Fortunately, as Lawless friend, Kieran was used to the long stories, not feeling impatient at all. He listened quietly and when Borl finally stopped, he picked up the cup of tea in front of him.
To Lawless! said Kieran.
To Lawless!
Borl raised his cup without a second thought, and a little clink with Kierans cupter, he drained it to thest drop and continued with augh, I promised that guy Id buy him a drink when I got back. Hope his appetite isnt growing, otherwise Id have to work at the inn. The price there is a little expensive.
Borl shrugged.
The price at Harvest Inn was exceptionally expensive and it was very widely known.
Although it had free beers and beverages at times, thedy owners sharp knife would point at those stingy souls, and even though Lawless would stand up to block the knife most of the time, he would go down one day to the wrath of Rachel. Just to be safe, the solo yers at Harvest Inn would always prepared three to five spare Points.
Three Points for tea and five Points for beer, it would be enough to water the furious fire burning in the angrydy owners head.
Believe me, Lawless appetite is always good. Rather than wiping sses there, you might as well work harder.
With Lawless acting as a topic, Kieran replied with a quip.
I know right, hope we can get through this smoothly, Borl raised his cup again.
Another clink with Kierans cupter, the tea was drained and the cup was ced down.
Kieran then lowered his voice and asked, The identity of a God of War believer, would it be useful to you?
The identity of a God of War believer?
Borl was stunned at first before he quickly reacted.
Yes! Although that Gods glory is a little down right now, in Edatine Castle, the God of War is still the mainstream god. Many of the nobles, including the royalty, worship the God and acquiring the identity of a believer wouldnt be easy. Its not something Gold Purton can buy, Borl said in a sure tone.
As a matter of fact, the reason for hiring Aschenkano as bodyguard was because, other than his fairly decent strength, Borl had his eyes on the foster father behind him, Father Mona.
Though Father Mona wasnt someone easily moved by Gold Purton, he would help most of the time for the sake of some extra donations.
If you know a little secret that I just got my hands on, it may be of help. Ive run into some secret existence in Sicar, they should be the Silent Night Secret Society that Holuff mentioned. They are rted to the series of events that happened in the city recentlythat father must be very concerned about this particr news. If he can get the news the quickest way possible, I bet he wont mind helping out, said Kieran.
Borls eyes shimmered in brilliance.
He then nodded without any hesitation and said, I understand.
Chapter 1758 - Heading Out
Chapter 1758: Heading Out
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Borl passed a letter and some Gold Purton to the young man in front of him.
The young man wore a beige colored poncho and a grayish green cap which had a feather of a hyacinth attached to it, the obvious traits pointing out the young mans identity as a messenger.
I assure you I will head towards the outskirts of Mozaar in the shortest time and the fastest speed possible. It will take no longer than two days, said the messenger.
His assurance was effective though, not just because his promise was rted to the honor of his career, but because every messenger had a working rtionship with the lord of thend.
In short, should the messenger fail to deliver the letter, the employer wouldnt have to deal with it but the lord of the delivery location would step up and take out the messenger that failed his task.
All the best! Borl said before he parted ways with the messenger.
He had to rush back to Anan Hotel and then leave Sicar.
A while ago, the curfew in Sicar had been lifted, the gates reopened, and even though it was already evening, the merchants who were trapped in the city for days quickly made a move.
If it wasnt for Sicars cold weather, the merchants would lose a great deal.
Though even with the weather preserving goods, the dy in delivery time would cost the merchant a lot, so none of them wanted to wait anymore.
Even though going out of the city at night wasnt a good idea, they had made up their minds, as did Borl.
He wasnt a merchant but he was on the clock.
Borl returned to Anan Hotel and called for Aschenkano straightaway.
Are you ready?
After that, before the bodyguard even replied, he went to check on the wagon himself.
We are all set. Water, food, everything is prepared and Holuff even replenished some fire powder and pellets for us, replied Aschenkano.
Good, we leave at once, Borl then looked at Kieran beside the wagon with a questioning gaze.
Lets go, Kieran went into the wagon, followed by Borl. Aschenkano jumped onto the wagoners seat and shook the reins.
Hyak!
A clear pter, the wagon slowly left Anan Hotel.
Holuffs big fat body appeared at the main entrance of the hotel. He did not bid them farewell though, it wasnt a habit of the Demon Hunter because no one knew when the true farewell would be.
Still, it didnt stop him from seeing them off.
He waited until the wagon went out of sight, then turned around and headed back to the lobby of his hotel.
Ill leave Anan in your hands temporarily. I have to go on a trip for sometime, Holuff said to his workers.
Okay, boss, leave it to us.
The workers who had a hunch at their boss identity nodded, and after a little hesitation, added, Please be careful along the way, all the best.
Holuff smiled as he picked up his wooden luggage.
The Demon Hunter didnt say anything, tapping his worker on the shoulder and then leaving.
Although he had contacted his old friends through the mystical ways, there were still a few that he had to visit himself, especially those who lived in Mozaar.
I hope they didnt die in their own wine barrel.
With that thought in mind, Holuff joined the crowd in leaving the city and soon went out of sight.
Simrly, Hoika, in a body hugging ck linen robe, also joined the leaving crowd.
He had to return to Edatine Castle toplete his mission.
Snake Sect... immortal!
Muttering his beliefs softly, when he stepped out of the city gate, Hoika turned around and took in a final look at the city. On top of the walls, he saw a familiar figure: his teacher.
After a slight bow, Hoika stepped back and went into the shadow of the street and then vanished on the spot.
On top of the wall, Bloody Mary saw Hoikas action.
Beside it, Shegal and Forv saw it too.
Both young men showed envy in their gaze.
They knew the special technique originated from the Snake Sect, it was a technique the lord emissary altered and perfected before teaching the man.
It opted out the most obvious traits of Snake Sect and was still very useful.
Lord emissary, will we be able to learn this kind of technique? asked Shegal.
Of course. Our lordes from Snake Sect, we are one after all. If you want to learn, Ill teach you with all my heart, Bloody Mary spilled the answer that it had prepared.
Our lordes from Snake Sect? Curiosity appeared on the two young mens faces.
Yes. Snake Sect was once the ce of origin of our lord and coincidentally, after the ck Cataclysm, our lord truly descended to this world. But our lord remembers his own origin and even now, he is still the samethe members of Snake Sect are like us, they are also our brothers and sisters.
Bloody Mary was perfecting the setting nned for the Mist and Snake Sect.
With a diligent and thrifty boss, it knew how to maximize its benefits and gains.
I see.
The two devoted young men, who trusted Bloody Mary with all their heart, did not suspect a thing.
Lets go. After the merchants leave, we should be moving also. The king has just released a royal decree. It is an invitation to every lord in the Northern Land and Eline Nord Sicar is already one step behind We should get going, said Bloody Mary.
Yes, my lord, as you wish.
The two young men bowed together.
...
The moving wagons and people from Sicar finally slowed down after the sky turned dark.
With the lords order, the gates of Sicar did not close even at night, torch after torch and brazier after brazier lighting up the walls from top to bottom. An increasing number of guards reinforced the security and everyone who left the city was checked. At the same time, the guards warned those who wanted to enter the city.
The merciful new lord of Sicar allowed the merchants who were trapped for days to leave but she did not allow people to enter the city at night.
It was the rule within Sicar and it was somewhat of a tradition here.
As a matter of fact, not only Sicar upheld such arule, but all thends in the Northern Lands shared the same one, starting since Edatine I.
Shegal and Forv had leather armor and a linen mantle over it. Their hands and legs were wrapped with thick rabbit pelt and a scarf made out of the same material was wound around their necks, helping them to block the cold wind at night.
Both of them stared into the darkness outside the city.
As the core and pir of the Mist Sect, they had already gotten some news from the lord emissary, such as the tradition that forbade anyones entry into the city at night.
After sunset, some people might look human but it was just on the outside.
Gak Tszz~
A figure wobbled out of the darkness and walked towards the city gate.
Hold it right there!
The soldiers in front of the gate stopped the figure, swords and bows all lifted up, yet the warning call did not do anything.
The figure was still wobbling closer.
The soldiers with bows wanted to fire out of instinct but at the next moment, their faces turned pale.
A sense of numbness appeared all over their bodies, they couldnt move like normal.
Shegal and Forv were affected too but the two of them reacted quickly.
Right after they sensed something went wrong, they prayed quickly.
Oh the supreme lord! Please hear our prayers, we will carry out your will, bow to your greatness and bear your name, you will shed your light on the world and everything we have is a gift from you...
Amid their prayers, a faint glow appeared over their bodies.
The numbness went away, the two of them drawing their swords right away and lunging towards the wobbling figure.
Pak!
The wobbling figure raised its arm and tried to grab Shegal but right after it lifted its arm, Forv cut it down with a single chop.
Shegals sword then seized the moment and went across the figures neck.
St!
The moment the head fell to the ground, the body followed and all signs of life died off.
The soldiers around the gate were in shock as they recovered from the numbness because they saw the ck liquid and maggot spill out from the figures chest. Shegal and Forv looked normal though.
Get some kerosene here and burn the body, Shegal told the soldiers after a quick check.
Yes sir! A few soldiers who regained their senses replied right away.
When the soldiers approached the body themselves, their mouths were muttering prayers towards the Mist.
They saw what happened earlier with their own eyes.
The Mist was able to bless their captain, so the Mist must be able to bless them as well.
All it required was their devoted belief, and whenever they faced fear, their beliefs would automatically be pious.
At first, the prayers were soft but as time went on, the prayers started toe from every single soldier at or around the city gate due to the fact that further away, many more wobbling figures had appeared.
Hmph, as per the lord emissarys expectations. These bastards are anxious, Forv smiled coldly at the wobbling figures.
Shegal looked behind him.
There were three wagons protected by a group of riders slowlying towards them.
The wagon at the front was pulled by four horses of the same color, the carriage made out of sturdy wood and strong iron and on top of the carriage door was the Sicar family emblem, but unlike its previous iteration, the emblem of the God of War was gone.
The emblem of the Mist did not rece the previous emblem though, it wasnt time yet!
The two wagons behind the first one looked a lot more simple.
The two wagons werent nice looking yet they had quite impressive protective measures, only two jade horses pulling each wagon.
But Shegal was more concerned about the two wagons with his straight gaze. It was the seed!
The seed of the Mist!
One of them would go to Mozaar and the other one would follow the first, which was the wagon of the baroness, to Edatine Castle.
The lords glory would shine on the whole Northern Land!
The thought popped up in Shegals mind before he turned around and looked at the enemy.
Kill!
A loudmandter, the young man charged forward and reaped the lives of the enemy with the sword in his hand.
This was his mission, simr to the mission of his brothers and sisters, who would travel far away.
Staggering bodies fell to the ground, one after another.
Kerosene was poured onto them and the fire burned them to a crisp.
The burning fire was so bright that it made the front of the city gate look like the day.
The light from the fire attracted more of them from the dark.
They started to stay still and watch over the burning fire.
The presence of the soldiers made them halt their steps.
The Mist was not what it used to be, it was no longer the same rank as them.
Of course, simply giving up was impossible.
A few of them, who thought themselves smart, started to plot against it.
Prayers and shouts entered the baroness ears through the carriage window.
With a book in her arms, the baroness looked rather pale. She couldnt help but pray.
She only calmed down a little when she saw Bloody Mary sitting opposite her.
In fact, if she had a choice, she would never want to rush to Edatine at night. She didnt even want to go there, but as the new lord of Sicar City, she had to.
It was the lords responsibility.
Enjoy honor and glory and the burden and responsibility of the job would follow.
Moreover...
She looked up and had a peek at Bloody Mary, opposite her, like a youngss.
A calm face, a matured presence, and somewhat familiar, the baroness somehow felt a little bit of anticipation.
The journey from Sicar to Edatine would take two days one night and spending that amount of time together with Bloody Mary was rather great.
Simon, the baroness called Bloody Marys alias.
Whats wrong, Eline? Bloody Mary asked as it turned around.
W-Will... you leave after we reach Edatine?
When the words reached her tongue, she changed what she intended to say but when the question escaped her mouth, she started to worry again.
I wont. I have to assure your safety. The battle with War God Temple earlier will make you a target for many, Bloody Mary shook its head.
That Majesty is much weaker than I thought, otherwise it wouldnt be just a projection.
The baroness heaved a breath of relief before she continued.
As a noble who was fond of reading, the baroness knew a lot more than others.
But we still cannot underestimate our opponents. You can never underestimate a God. Besides, I am much more worried about that Lady.
Bloody Mary didnt mention the word Cmity but the baroness knew who it was referring to.
The baroness feared the Lady from the bottom of her heart.
She could not imagine what would happen if the Lady who caused the ck Cataclysm made a move.
It might be... another catastrophic disaster?
Looking at the pale face of the baroness, Bloody Mary said softly, Dont worry, you must have faith in our lordour lord is much more powerful than you can imagine. What we need to do is deal with those mortal pests. Leave the Gods to our lord.
Theforting words seemed to ease the baroness worries.
Though her worries surged again at the next moment.
Since you left with me, will Sicar be fine? she asked.
Dont worry, Carl is also much more powerful and smarter than you think. Besides, Shegal and Forv are there, they are really something. If there is really someone who dares to cause trouble in Sicar while we are gone, I can only pray for them and hope they will not regret their decision, Bloody Mary smiled.
The baroness waspletely relieved now, looking at the book in her hands.
Although she wanted to talk with Bloody Mary some more, when she saw Bloody Mary closed its eyes to rest, the baroness chose to read the book instead.
The convoy quickly left the citys gate and rode towards Edatine Castle.
A whileter, the whole convoy went into the night.
After the convoy left, the gates of Sicar slowly closed.
The city, which was still a little noisy earlier, swiftly quieted down, but...
On the way to Edatine Castle, the first merchant group to leave Sicar, which Kieran was in, fell into a sticky and noisy situation.
Chapter 1759 - Fees
Chapter 1759: Fees
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The convoy traveled forward slowly.
Nighttime outside of Sicar was very dangerous.
It wasnt just filled with all sorts of ferocious beast, it was also time for the bandits toe out. Despite thete viscount sending countless patrol teams to clear them up, all he managed to achieve was the safety of several main routes.
After the ck Cataclysm, the situation further escted.
Other than the main route that connected to Edatine Castle, which had a certain level of security because of thebined effort of the royal patrol team and those at Sicar, all the other main routes that connected to other towns and viges of Sicar Land were extremely dangerous at night.
Most people would choose to travel during the day and lodge at night in the nearest town or vige, hoping that the increased number of people could fend off the lurking danger.
If there was another option, many people would also prefer to stay away from the main route that connected Sicar and Edatine Castle at night because the security and safety werent great.
If it wasnt for the umted numbers in this trip, no one would agree to take the risk and travel at night.
Though even with the advantage of numbers, the guards from the major merchant convoys took shifts and stood guard around the traveling group.
Through the window, Borl saw the guards of the merchant convoys rode past them, his heart calm.
Danger?
Borl never worried about danger when Kieran was sitting opposite him, feeling very secure and fulfilled.
The major routes at night might be dangerous but what was danger to Borl when he was following the ming Devil around?
1It was insignificant!
Therefore, at this very moment, Borl had the mood to casually add coal into the y heater.
As the coal was added, sparks flew out and right before the sparks danced freely in the carriage, a teapot filled with water was put on top of the heater, pressing the sparks down.
From the tray beside him, Borl picked up the silver tea knife on top of the linen handkerchief and carefully cut a little chunk of tea leaf from the bigger tea cake beside the handkerchief. Right before the pot of water boiled, Borl opened the lid and tossed the little chunk of tea leaf inside.
As the water was boiling, the little chunk of tea leaf dissolved and reverted to many pieces of leaves. Several breathster, when the teapot truly boiled, the tea leaves and water rumbled and swirled together.
The aroma of tea spread in the carriage.
Borl then picked up the tea pot.
There are professional tea makers in Edatine, I just dont know how good they are. I heard from several other merchants at the outskirts that the tea makers there like to put mustard in their tea. Based on their sayings, it seems like the spiciness goes well with the refreshing tea. There are also many fish dishes in Edatine, the most famous one being fish in potato cake. The fish must be stood vertically, it would be best for the eyes to look up into the sky during presentation. The straighter it is, and the bigger its eyes are, the better and more sessful the dish is.
Borl was pouring tea for Kieran while he talked about the interesting things about Edatine Castle.
Of course, Borl did not forget to borate more on the situation at hand.
The journey from Sicar to Edatine takes around two days one night, and since we are traveling at night, it will be two night one day, but night traveling is harder, so we might end up spending more time on the journey. Unlike the journey to the outskirts of Mozaar, which is a tnd, Sicar to Edatine Castle consists mostly of bumpy mountain paths and there are only two outposts in Sicar and at the outskirts of Edatine that could provide lodging spots for us to rest. In the mentioned outposts, there is a military camp near the one at Edatines outskirts and it is also the important guarantee to our safety in traveling on this main route at night.
Kieran listened carefully to what Borl said with a cup of tea in his hand, his eyes gazing upon the darkness outside the window.
Kieran had some understanding of Edatine Castle in the past two days.
Edatine Castle, the capital of Edatine Kingdom. With a poption of over a million, the castle wasnt just an economic, political, and cultural hub, it was also the biggest city in all of the Northern Land. Even Qitar Bay in the south, which had the terrain advantage because of the coastline, wascklusterpared to the capital.
Thoughpared to the city which was admired by many natives, Kieran was more concerned about Edatine IV, the reigning king.
During the assault of the ck Cataclysm, the king spent vigorous efforts to turn the tide around.
When the ck Cataclysm happened, the great and mighty Edatine V was celebrating his achievements. Drowning in his own sess, he did not notice what kind of dire consequences his conquest brought to his kingdom.
When the fifth king finally realized the situation, it was far beyond redemption and the king himself was struck by illness.
More importantly, the only heir to the sick Edatine V was seven years old back then, so many other royalty members started to eye the throne.
Everyone foresaw all of Edatine Kingdom plunging into a civil war with the slightest misstep, possibly even bringing the end upon the whole kingdom.
In such a desperate time, the teacher of the only heir stood up.
The royal teacher, known for his vast experience and deep knowledge, set up a banquet and invited those royals with the qualifications to the throne in the name of inheriting the kingdom.
Then... everyone who attended the banquet never walked out from the venue because everyone died in the dinner hall, including those personal bodyguards. After that, with lightning speed, the teacher got the control of the royal troops and started to cleanse the royal court in the name of searching for the roots of the ck Cataclysm.
Within a week, over 1,500 people in the royal court were murdered.
Blood dyed the royal court of Edatine Castle red.
It was known as the Bloody Week in the memories of the people of the castle.
After the ughterfest ended, the seven year old heir became the new reigning king.
Despite being seven years old, under the guidance and help of his teacher, the new king swiftly stabilized the messy kingdom and then moved on to clean up the source of the chaos in the south.
The royal court reached an ord with War God Temple and was able to request a group of Temple Knights to aid the royal troops.
Again, the royal court also reached an ord with Lady Cmity, her one and only temple built in Edatine Castle.
Everyone thought a seven year old couldnt have done it by himself, so they credited the royal teacher behind the king instead.
Then, when the king was 16 years old, the teacher died.
Some said he died of a natural illness, some said the illness was caused by malicious parties.
Regardless of the truth, the might and prestige of that royal teacher was inherited by the young king.
People then started to call the king Edatine IV.
30 years had passed after that but the kings might and prestige had grown higher and stronger.
Edatine Kingdom even united the north and the south. Only those isted inds around the continents were yet to be covered by the light of the kingdom, but it did not affect how bright the king shone.
People even started topare him side by side with Edatine I, due to the fact that Edatine IV had done what Edatine I and all four of his sessors had failed: conquer the south.
Of course, a legendary king would be apanied by many legends, many even spoke of him as a Son of God.
As to which God, no one was able to pinpoint it.
Kieran was unwilling toment further on the identity, moving his concern to that royal teacher because judging from appearances, the astounding feats, and the disappearance, it all struck him as a familiar feeling: a yer!
Kieran wasnt a hundred percent sure but definitely more than 50%!
Something was fishy about that royal teacher!
Or perhaps... it was also part of Brokers n?
Kieran was in deep thought, moving his gaze sideways and looking at the front of the convoy.
Without his knowledge, the whole convoy had stopped.
Several young men with torches in their hands quickly ran backwards and would pause after several steps, shouting at the wagons, Leaders of the convoys, please head to the front for a meeting!
Soon, the few young men arrived in front of the wagon that Kieran was in.
They young men saw Borls wagon, which wasnt exactly a lowst wagon, even by Edatines standards. They were smart young men with some experience in society, so they did not shout rudely like before and knocked on the carriage door instead.
Knock, knock, knock.
Good evening, sir. Our merchant convoy leader invites you for a meeting up front.
The words followed after the knocks.
Okay, I understand.
Borl took a nce at Kieran and after Kieran agreed to let him go, Borl answered the young men.
With a firm answer from Borl, the young men stepped back and went on shouting at the other wagons again.
As the shouts came back, Borl helplessly shook his head.
It seems like someone is trying to make up for their losses again, said Borl.
Then, before Kieran asked, Borl took the initiative to answer, In the few days that we were trapped in Sicar because of the curfew, every merchant group would surely suffer some loss, and some of them are not happy with it, so they hoped to shift the loss to someone else.
Shift the loss? Kierans interest was piqued.
Mm. The bigger merchant groups would take some protection fees from the smaller ones. Its amon practise among those temporarily formed groups, especially those from the outskirts of Mozaar. They even took it as a rule rather than practise. Therefore, some bastards changed their career path, they thought taking protection fees full time would be a more profitable line of work. Ive dealt with them before and it ended up ugly. They took my goods as protection fees and I used their heads topensate for my loss.
Borl nodded and then borated. He then pointed behind him, which was the front of the entire convoy.
But this time its different. The way they called people is too rude, it should be a spontaneous idea from the merchant group from Edatine. Otherwise, the bigger merchant groups would send their guards to round up everyone in the convoy and then inform them of the meeting.
Right after Borls voice subsided, Kieran saw someone go out from the convoy.
The group left very quickly and organized.
Almost instantaneously, the group dragged their horses and wagons into the forest beside the main route.
They should be from the outskirts of Mozaar, said Borl affirmatively.
Borl then looked at Kieran.
Sir Colin, what should we do now? asked Borl.
Lets go have a look, Kieran pointed at the front of the convoy.
Borl jolted.
ording to his understanding of Kieran, the ming Devil shouldnt be interested in this kind of trivial thing, unless...
Borl instantly thought of something, but before he opened his mouth and asked, Kieran already pushed the door open and went down the carriage.
Guard the wagon, Borl told Aschenkano before he chased after Kirean.
At the front of the convoy, several wagons formed a little circle in the middle and a fire was built in the center. A young worker who was with the merchant group was adding wood into the fire.
A dozen or representatives of respective groups who arrived earlier stood aside and frowned at the three men opposite them, their gazes not exactly friendly but the three men replied with smiles.
Are you people trying to rob us during such a desperate time? shouted a man with a big cotton coat and a cloth hat from the bigger group.
The man was very riled up as he shouted, his face flush.
The other merchant group representatives behind him also red at the three men for they had the same enemy and hatred.
If res could kill, the three men opposite them would have died countless times over.
However, the three men with smiles didnt care at all
They exchanged a nce and then one of the slightly older men stepped up.
The gray rabbit hat and the same big cotton coat on the man provided quite a lot of warmth, allowing him to stand straight and not arch his body to keep himself warm when he stepped up.
His face looked extremely clean as well, no traces of age on the mans face, the beard at his chin trimmed nicely, and the gentleman staff in his hand slightly knocking on the ground before he spoke.
Everyone, we are all merchants, merchants chase after profits. This is our nature and our job, but we also hoped for fairness and justice from the bottom of our hearts. So we arent forcing everyone into this, some of the others left earlier, but did we stop them? No. I wont stop anyone from leaving and also wee anyone who is willing to join us. The price is 20 Gold Purton, not an astronomical figure that you all cant afford, said the man in a clear and organized way.
Right after the mans voice subsided, the other representatives from the other side replied straight away.
Who knows whether or not you are prepared? Or experienced in this? The question from the representative received support from the other merchants behind him.
Lets stop the jokes. As the representative of Kate Trading Company, Ive traveled the route from Edatine to Mozaar for more than 10 years. I know everything that can happen here, like... didnt you take simr fees from some other less fortunate merchants?
As the middle-aged man said, he pointed the gentleman staff at the representative.
The representative who got pointed at the nose shrunk away immediately.
Other than being instinctively frightened, the representative was shocked by the middle-aged mans identity.
Kate Trading Company, one of the renowned merchant groups in Edatine.
The headquarters of thepany was inside Edatine Castle, mainly operating in the mining business and had many sub-business including, but not limited to, newspapers, wagons etc.
To the other merchants, it was fair to consider Kate Trading Company as a titan.
However, the true frightening fact to the representative was that the man knew about the fees that he collected in the past!
Looking at the smile on the mans face and feeling the distrust from the other merchant representatives behind him, the representative quickly said, 20 Gold Purton is nothing to Kate Trading Company but its not a daily number for merchants like us!
Yea! 20 Gold Purton is too expensive!
Ive only got 30 Gold Purton of profit this trip!
...
After the others voiced up their disagreement, the merchant representative slightly heaved a breath of relief.
He knew how sensitive the group of people was behind him towards numbers and profits, hence the temporary support.
Even though he had other thoughts in mind, he wouldnt voice it out at this kind of sensitive timing, yet it would be enough! It was enough to be his leverage to continue the negotiation!
As the thought popped, the merchant representative wanted to speak, but the middle-aged man from Kate Trading Company was quicker.
That is why, after Ive considered everyones situation, Ivee up with a backup solutionthe first who is willing to pay up will only have to pay half the price, meaning 10 Gold Purton. The second one would be 11 Gold Purton, and the number grows all the way to 20 Gold Purton. What do you all think? Our solution isnt that hard to ept.
COMMENT
Kate Trading Companys representativeid his hands open and nced over everyone in front of him.
When he saw the others were looking into each others eyes with cautiousness, he couldnt help but chuckle in his heart.
Especially that guy who was a representative to the others. Looking at the dull reaction on his face, the middle-aged man was afraid that he mightugh out loud.
Wanting to negotiate with him by relying on a bunch of ragtag rascals?
He ought to incite conflict in this bunch of rascals!
Though, as the party with the disadvantage, the representative reacted extremely quickly.
I will pay first!
Due to the advantage of distance as he was standing in front, he ran up to the middle-aged man. His justice and righteous expression from earlier was reced by a ttering smile.
10 Gold Purton was handed away just like that.
The others behind him jolted at his action and then swarmed forward like bees.
Soon, the discounted slots were all taken.
Those who were slow had to pay the full price with a disappointed look on their face.
No one objected to the price of 20 Gold Purton anymore. Instead, those who were quicker took pleasure in the slower ones misfortune, delighted smiles hanging over their faces.
When Kieran and Borl arrived, they were greeted with sneers and malicious gazes.
No more discounts, you have to pay 20 Gold Purton!
The representative of the disadvantage stood beside the representative of Kate Trading Company and talked to Kieran.
Kieran nced over the representative and thennded his eyes on Kate Trading Companys representative.
You are asking me to pay 20 Gold Purton? Kieran asked.
Everyone else paid, you are the one left, said the man in a courteous way.
Kieran nodded.
The middle-aged man extended his hand to receive the fees but Kieran raised his foot and kicked the man in the face.
BANG!
Chapter 1760 - Kagu
Chapter 1760: Kagu
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The representative of Kate Trading Company was sent flying by the kick and crashed into his two guards.
The powerful impact sent the representative and the guards behind him rolling on the ground, even dragging down two more merchants from Edatine Castle along the way.
The group crashed and fell all over the ce.
Painful moans followed but it stopped right away because the [Dark Shining Musket] in Kierans hand was fired and sparks flew.
Bang!
After charging for one second, [Dark Shining Musket] fired out a total of 6 air bullets, which was the maximum number of shots that could be fired out at once.
The air bullets had a Powerful rank attack and were able to cause a burst shot of 120 range in front of Kieran, which instantly nketed and perforated any kind of living being in front of him.
From the kick to the firing of the musket, the duration was just a little over a second.
The crowd at the scene didnt even react to the attack.
A few seconds after the shot subsided, screams of shock only came.
K-Killing!
Who are you?
Why did you shoot him?
Put down your musket!
The shouts continued, one after another.
The guards who ran back from afar drew their swords and muskets and pointed them at Kieran.
Borl, who was beside Kieran, pulled out his musket as a reply to the guards, not having any intention to step back.
Borl had no idea why Kieran shot the representative, but that didnt stop him from choosing to stand by Kieran.
He assumed it right and as a matter of fact, it really was the correct choice to make.
The next moment, sizzling sounds came from the bodies that Kieran just kicked and shot.
The bodies should be lifeless yet they engorged rapidly and transformed into two to three meters tall gray-skinned and gray-haired monsters with sharp fangs.
Though the original traits on the body did not change, neither did the wounds on their body.
Death had enveloped them.
What happened?!
Why did the sirs...
Cries of shock came again, but this time, all the guards lowered their weapons. They were confused and looked at Kieran with a questioning gaze, hoping for a reasonable answer.
Kieran diverted the gaze back to the other representatives who were in the midst of the negotiation earlier.
Those merchant representatives stepped back in fear when Kierans eyes scanned over them.
They did not forget how Kieran attacked without saying anything, but after taking a step backwards, an agonizing cry came.
Aaaaargh!
The first representative with the cloth hat and big cotton coat was screaming painfully.
What followed was a scene that frightened everyone.
The representatives body started to disappear!
Starting from his limbs, chunks of his body started to disappear into the void, like he was being chewed on by some invisible monster.
Chunk by chunk, the crowd even heard blood being drunk and bones being munched on.
S-Save me!
He felt death was over his head, crying and pleading for help but his tongue started to disappear!
After the tongue, his head was swiftly eaten.
Soon, his limbs and his head had all disappeared into the void, leaving behind a torso that fell on the ground.
The crowd was as pale as paper as they all looked at the bloody torso, horrified.
What the hell happened? The leader of the guards from Kate Trading Company couldnt hold back his question, but no one had an answer for him due to the fact that more painful screams appeared!
Those merchants who paid the fees earlier fell to the ground and rolled around in pain.
They were also being eaten by the invisible monster, but the part that was being eaten and how fast they were being eaten varied.
Some were eaten starting from the hand, some from the legs, and some survived after their hands and legs were eaten but some lost half of their torso before they were done.
It was natural that thetter couldnt survive, and as for the former, agonizing screams continued.
Men, help them stop the bleeding!
Hurry up!
The leader of the guards shouted and waved to his man.
He then walked to Kieran and Borl.
After a quick size up and analysis of who was the person in charge, the leader of the guards bowed to Kieran.
Please forgive our rashness earlier, my good sir. I am the leader of the guards of my merchant group, Kagu. If its possible, can you tell me what happened here?
The leader named Kagu asked in a very polite and courteous way.
Since Kagu was the leader of security of Kate Trading Company, whod ensured the safety of the merchant group throughout the main route connecting Edatine and Mozaar, his abilities were undoubted, but more importantly, he was able to read the situation and improvise very quickly.
Kagu had escorted convoys through the dangerous routes for more than a decade, having seen too much and experienced a lot.
Using his experience as guidance, Kagu already knew what he should do when dealing with the unknown.
Sometimes, being a little bit well-mannered wasnt actually a bad thing.
Some evil pagans got mixed up with the others and they used their own traits to create a contract with them. Every one of them signed the contract out of their own willingness.
Kieran simply briefed Kagu about the situation before he headed to the forest beside the main route.
Borl wanted to follow, but Kieran was too fast. He lost Kierans figure at the second step he took.
Shaking his head helplessly, Borl turned back around to Kagu.
You are Mr. Borl, right?
Can you fill me up with the details? Or, how we should prevent this kind of thing from happening again? Kagu swiftly and precisely uttered Borls name.
Deep in his heart, Kagu thought of the precise and detailed information about Borl.
A merchant making his living at the outskirts of Mozaar, possessing decent strength, very brave, always thinking out of the box yet never causing trouble on his own. He was a safe customer.
As the leader of the guards for Kate Trading Company, Kagu knew everything about who joined the convoy, or more importantly, who he should pay attention to.
Borl wasnt surprised at all.
If Kagu didnt have at least this level of perception, Borl had to reconsider and doubt what he relied on to reach his current position.
His face? Impossible.
Kagu might have looked okay when he was young but since he spent a big portion of his life traveling the dangerous merchant routes, the marks of age had umted on his face. He was already half bald, his shiny head was reflecting the moonlight.
No matter how good looking he used to be, once he started losing his looks, it was beyond redemption.
It didnt just make him look old, it made him look like a disgusting pervert. He might as well have shaved his head and gone fully bald.
Touching his thick hair, Borl slowly said, Im still not sure about what happened, but we are safe for now, we have Sir Colin with us.
Borl was very confident.
Sir Colin? Kagu hesitated with furrowed brows.
Trust me, being out here in the wild, nowhere is safer than being around Sir Colin! Borl emphasized.
Kagu seemed convinced, nodding and then turning around to prep his men andfort the others.
However, right after he turned around, Kagu slightly tilted his head down and showed a sinister and eerie smile, muttering quietly.
Is that so?
Only he could hear what he said, so he did not worry about being heard. Yet after the little mutter, a faint and calm answer came from behind him.
It is.
Chapter 1761 - A Good Mood
Chapter 1761: A Good Mood
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kagu turned his stiffened body around.
He shockingly saw Kieran, who somehow stood behind him without his knowledge, and Borl.
The hospitality and the passion on Borls face earlier was absent at the moment.
What reced it was a look filled with sneers.
He discovered everything? He was just ying along with me?
After the thought popped, Kagu shook his head strongly.
Impossible! My n was wless!
Even if my initial n had failed, the backup could make it up and fill all the holes!
Its a coincidence! They are just being lucky and coincidentally noticed my n!
Thats right, coincidence!
Kagu took a breath after the thought.
Youve ruined my n with coincidence but dont you think...
Bang!
Kagu, who still thought he had everything under control, spoke slowly but before he finished, Kieran raised his musket and fired.
Kagus gaze showed disdain. The item in Kierans hand was indeed decent but no matter how decent it was, it had to hit the target to be useful.
A musket that couldnt hit its target?
How was it any different from a stick with fire!?
Right when Kagu was about to move his steps and perform a dodge, the space around him started to shake and ck tendrils came out from the void.
[Twine Stinger]! The Legendary item from the treasure vault of the three kings!
This legendary item was forged using the remains of a monster using alchemy and by Kierans will, the tendrils extended and constricted Kagu.
Although Kagu was able to break free the next moment, the bullets from [Dark Shining Musket] had hit Kagus head.
It wasnt the air bullets anymore but real iron pellets which were loaded earlier. It had a Powerful attack and Strong incendiary effect.
A musket that couldnt hit its target was a stick with fire, but a musket that could precisely shoot its target was a lethal weapon of destruction!
Boom!
Kagus head was sted to smithereens, the headless body falling on the ground with a thump.
A formless energy started toe from the body and gushed into the [Lord of Mist] in Kierans inner coat pocket.
Kieran wasnt in a hurry to check the [Lord of Mist], instead looking at the headless body of Kagu with an interested gaze.
The body did not change, it remained as a human figure, but it was just the figure that remained.
The inside of the body was reced by something evil.
Under [Tracking]s sight, details as small as a speck of dust could not escape Kierans eyes, especially in this world, which was majorly dominated by a wicked misty aura. Having someone with a simr aura in front of his eyes was too obvious.
After all, a true human would be like a square peg in a round hole when stood together with the wicked aura.
However, Kieran wasnt exactly surprised at these monsters that attacked the convoy because it was normal in his eyes.
When the convoy with a weaker defense waspared to a city with sturdy walls, the former was no doubt a better target to make a move against. Even though the former had less people in terms of overall numbers, it would be the same.
ording to Kierans expectation, the convoy would attract many other presences simr to Withering Branch and Resting Deer, but the numbers exceeded Kierans expectation.
It wasnt a lot, but it was surprisingly less!
In Kierans initial expectation, three to five pagans appearing wasnt surprising or a lot but now?
Kagu was the only pagan!
Those merchant representatives who transformed after death were just monsters corrupted by Kagu.
Is he a pathfinder sent out by someone? Or some idiot who eagerly jumped out to seize the upper hand?
Kieran was in thought but he saw the merchant crowding closer for a look, quickly signalling to Borl with a hand gesture that said Ill leave this to you and then heading towards the wagons.
Kieran was always cautious against strangers.
He knew a person like himself was not a suitable person to deal with.
If he was alone in this, he would have to embrace it with clenching teeth, but now that he had Borl, things would turn out differently.
Borl nodded slightly at Kierans back, knowing what he should do.
Settling things that the ming Devil wished not to participate in, it was the basic of their mutual rtionship.
Fret not people! Kagu is the same as he others before this, they are not the people you know anymore. They, or it, have been corrupted by the wicked... While Borl exined to the crowd, he nced over Kagus body.
What a smart-ass!
If the high-ranks of Kate Trading Company had fallen and transformed, as the only survivorl, Kagu was more obvious than he thought.
Borl didnt possess an inspection skill like [Tracking], but he had enoughmon sense to make judgements.
If you want to hide a piece of leaf, the best way was to toss it into the forest but when the forest was filled with dried yellow leaves and the one you tossed in was a green one, it would be suicide.
After a small sigh in his heart, Borl started to talk with the other temporary person in charge of Kate Trading Company.
When Borl finished exining and stated that he was willing to sign a contract under the witness of God to prove what he said was the truth, the temporary person in charge heaved a breath of relief.
Im sorry, Mr. Borl, this really caught us off guard. We prepared a lot but were still unable to prevent idents from happening.
The temporary person in charge, Ainte, smiled bitterly, his wrinkled face folding up tightly as he smiled, the wrinkles looking even deeper.
Ainte was truly a middle-aged man but his face looked a lot older than his actual age. His attire wasnt exactly clean, it was just enough to keep himself warm and was like heaven and earth apartpared to Kagu earlier.
However, a person like Ainte formed an important part of the convoy.
Borl also yed the role once, so he knew exactly what this kind of person was thinking.
Or in short, he knew what he should do tomunicate and negotiate with people in the likes of Ainte.
I know right, after the ck Cataclysm, idents tend to loom everywhere. Things we cant predict appeared here and there and danger looms under our eyes. But believe me, Colin is stronger than we expect. Of course, we better check the group first just in case and for the sake of safety, all of you better tell me what youve prepared, safety precautions or anything. I dont want to cause more unnecessary problems because of the misunderstandings andck ofmunication between us, Borl gave his words.
Ainte heaved a breath of relief right away.
Of course, please follow me, Ainte nodded in agreement.
He then turned around and led the way without the slightest dy.
Although Ainte was promoted to the temporary person in charge because of his age and experience, if he had a choice, he would turn down this position.
Ainte had walked the route from Edatine to Mozaar for more than a decade and he had never before felt as scared as he was today.
Despite there being many danger-filled incidents in the past, none happened from within the convoy.
One thing worth taking note of was that there was an absolute guarantee among the convoy and now this title of absolute had failed!
Ainte had no idea why it failed but he knew he was in need of someone to guarantee the safety of the convoy.
Therefore, after the initial guarantee, Ainte brought Borl to the biggest secret of Kate Trading Company without a second thought: a wagon with two horses.
From the outside, the wagon looked like the other wagons in the convoy and the wagoner looked very normal too but when Ainte opened the carriage door, an emblem was revealed.
The emblem of God of War!
It wasnt a decoration hung on walls or whatnot, it was an independent, solid, sculpture carved out of a red colored rock and as tall as half a person.
Borl jolted when he saw the emblem.
The emblem of God of War might not be as exclusive as the time before the ck Cataclysm, but it still wasnt something a person could simply use, let alone an independent one like this.
ording to what Borl knew, this kind of independent emblem could only be given by the War God Temple.
It wasnt an easy achievement though. Even thete viscount, the ex-lord of Sicar, a well-known believer of the God of War, had never acquired one before.
In fact, since the days of Edatine I, this kind of independent emblem was given out to less than 10 people.
The majority of the people who acquired it were in the royal court of Edatine and only a few renown nobles in Edatine acquired the rest.
Now then, which one would this be?
Borl wasbing the information in his mind.
Although there were only those few renowned nobles in Edatine, trying to pinpoint which would require time and more information collecting. Unfortunately, now wasnt the time.
A divine emblem! No wonder Kate Trading Company became one of the biggest tradingpanies in Edatinends, Borl feigned shock as he eximed.
Ainte beside him was proud.
The pride came from his identity as being a part of Kate Trading Company but when he realized this emblem, the biggest assurance, had lost its magical effect, his pride was reced by gloominess.
He then looked at Borl with anticipation.
Mr. Ainte, Im just a businessman. I dont even know whats wrong with the emblem, let alone solve the problem. I think you better go ask those priests about how to solve this.
Borlid his hands out with perfect timing and showed a helpless face.
I know right, how can we solve a problem of this caliber?
Borls helplessness won the fondness of Ainte, a normal man. He nodded right away and closed the door. Both of them talked for a while before the convoy continued its journey, Borl also returned to his wagon as the convoy took off.
Right after he entered the carriage, Borl saw Kieran with a curl on his lisp.
Feeling good? Borl was rather surprised.
He then instinctively blinked for a clearer look and after he regained his sight, he saw the cold Kieran he remembered.
Borl heaved a breath of relief.
To be honest, Borl was used to Kierans old looks. He couldnt get used to Kierans sudden changes. It was like when he was confessing to a girl and had prepared to be rejected and remain friends, yet the girl epted him!
Leaving the friendzone is kind of regrettable.
Colin, Ive found a divine emblem in one of the wagons of Kate Trading Company!
Borl sat down and told everything he saw to Kieran, not a single piece of detail missed, and then started to voice his opinion.
The God of War is weaker than we saw. When he fought the Mist back in Sicar, all he did was send a projection and now, even his divine emblem couldnt repel those mere pagans, I think... he might be stretched to his limits, Borl purposely softened his voice at the end.
If it wasnt because of the divine emblem in the convoy, Borl would probably use the word fallen to describe the situation. It sounded more appropriate in the situation.
Kieran declined to voice his opinion on this.
Based on the information he got, the God of War was undoubtedly at a disadvantage, but who could tell whether or not it was a fake?
Or more precisely, a God in a world that Broker spent so much time in setting up, was he really as weak and bulliable as he looked?
Kieran did not believe it, so Kieran carefully replied to Borl.
Probably but unlikely.
Borl pondered upon Kierans answer for a while before nodding heavily.
He had never met a God before, so hed take Kierans answer as reference.
Then, he realized a newbie like him had started to think about those divine things. He couldnt help but mock himself with augh.
I think I should think about my uing n, not the things that Colin is thinking about!
Edatine Castle will be the epicenter of all the problems in the uing days, I hope it wont affect me too much! Borl said with anticipation.
Kieran remained silent.
No one could guarantee things about the future.
Among those he knew, other than Nikorei, the God of Earth, no one could tell for sure. Even Lady Thorn, who had the ability to control fate, was able to only peak into the tip of the future.
This particr tip was susceptible to random changes too.
Maybe one day, he too could peak into the tip of the future butpared to all this, Kieran thought it would be better for him to seize the moment.
Unconsciously, Kieran touched [Lord of Mist] in his arms.
New changes urred to the item.
The rarity and attributes remained the same but in the Effect column, a new one had been added.
[Deceive Contract: Youve been treated as the God of Mist, you can use the Lord of Mist to ept a great amount of worship from the worshippers and then give them some rewards (rewards is not limited to actual items)]
...
A decent effect, even in Kierans eyes.
Although the Mist Sect was still in development and was not suitable to use this effect, this religion would only grow bigger, eventually reaching the ranks of War God Temple and Lady Cmity, or even surpassing the former. Until then, this effects value would be brought out.
There was strength in numbers.
The saying wasnt without weight.
Maybe Kieran could easily thrash an entire army of ten thousand but when ten thousand men were sent out to search or create something, the assistance could put even Kieran to shame.
Quantity incites qualitative changes.
The golden phrase that lived in Kierans heart, his mood instantly lifted.
The good moodsted for a while but his mood would soon be lifted to new heights.
Chapter 1762 - Food
Chapter 1762: Food
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Meanwhile, in the only outpost on the outskirts of Mozaar...
Two outpost towers, six meters tall in the mountain terrain, werent that eye-catching, and with a little bit of camouge work, it was enough to fool any careless man who passed by in this area.
The sharpshooter at the top of the tower could easily see everything that happened on the main route and the inner mountains.
Coupled with the angle of the outpost towers, the sharpshooters on each tower were able to keep an eye out for each other, hence reducing unwanted idents.
Hu!
The north wind of the winter blew.
Ruka shrunk his neck from the coldness, instinctively tightening his goatskin coat but the wind still managed to seep into his neck and sting his body, causing him to shudder.
Bloody freaking weather! This year is colder thanst year! The only thing thats keeping me from going crazy is that I can go home soon! Ruka told hisrade beside him softly.
Land of Sicar practiced the military service system. Of all the families in thend that had more than two healthy adult male, one of the two must go into service in the military for one year every three years.
The duration of service mostly began from one winter to the next.
Of course, this wasnt a voluntary service. Subsidies would be given to every household and among everything else, every family got a tax reduction.
Whenever a household had a male family member in service, the tax reduction that year would go up to one fourth of the total, sometimes more than that.
Thats why many chose the path of professional soldiers, but it wasnt an easy path to tread.
In order to acquire the identity of a professional soldier from thete lord of Sicar, who was a devoted worshipper of God of War, one must know how to fight and at least possess a name or reputation for bravery.
If there were any special talents too, that would be better.
Aibull, who was on duty with Ruka, was the perfect example of the mentioned scenario.
Compared to Ruka, who had a normal physique, Aibull wasnt just strong and buff, his eyes even gleamed in the cold night, as if the darkness couldnt hinder his sight.
As a matter of fact, it was true.
Aibull was one of five sharpshooters in the outpost station, his eyes known for their sharpness.
Of course, what towered over his sharp eyes was his instinct towards danger.
It was the reason why Aibull was paid 1.5 times higher than others and was tasked with patrol duty at the outpost at night.
Whats wrong with the camp? Aibull replied with a chuckle.
Both of them came from the same town, so they were quite close and went on shifts together.
No booze, no boobs, no warm firece... do you need me to go on? Ruka turned around and shrugged.
At least the food is not too shabby, Aibull smiled as he scanned the surroundings.
It seemed like the sharpshooter never forgot his duty despite exchanging little quips with hisrade.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, the foods good, but thats your food, not mine! I can only eat two roasted potatoes each day. Its considered a scrumptious meal for me if I can have some extra mustard and if I can get roasted garlic, its a festival! Ruka grumbled.
A semi-voluntary soldier in service was unlike a real soldier, not just in terms of strength but also in terms of benefits. The most direct example was the food.
The semi-voluntary soldiers were given two meals per day and they were served with mixed vegetables and charcoal buns. On the other hand, a professional soldier received three meals a day, and other than white bread, there was ham, eggs etc.
Ill bring you an egg next time during our night shift, Aibull promised.
Aibull took good care of his mate from the same hometown, but more importantly, both of them were more than just mere mates from the same hometown.
1Ill be waiting for your egg. Aibull, you have some holidaysing up right?
Ruka tapped his mates chest yfully before he asked with a serious look, You didnt forget about Jenny right? My poor little sister who has been waiting for you since forever?
I did not. After winter, I have 22 days of holiday in spring, I want to go back and marry her. Jenny has been waiting for me for two years now, she cant wait any longer. said Aibull in a strong stone.
Mm, you go back and get married and then give your best shot at making her pregnant. Hope the boy will be the one who inherits your talent and my sisters beautiful looks. My parents and yours will take good care of him, grooming him into a man! Damn, I cant wait to get out of here when I think about someone calling me uncle, Ruke sucked in a deep breath.
He then nced over his soon-to-be brother-inw, somehow feeling something wasnt right, or more precisely, feeling estranged from Aibull.
Aibull was still the man in his memories but he felt like he didnt know him at all.
The unusual feeling made Ruka turn around and size up his mate carefully.
Under the dark cold night, Aibull stood tall on the outpost tower. Not even the cold wind made him shudder or back down, his eyes as sharp as a hawk, gazing into the faraway at night. His gloved hands wrapped around the leather bow and his robust fingers softly pointed at the bow.
Everything seemed normal, and as always, there was nothing out of the blue.
Am I getting bored of my mind and starting to overthink things? Ruka mocked himself with a chuckle and wanted to turn away but right before he could, a new thought hit him, stunning his body.
His breath!
From the moment both of them saw each other, Ruka did not see Aibulls breath!
On a cold night like this, the breath exhaled would be white and visible to the naked eye.
No would should breathe differently, except... the dead!
Rukas scalpe felt numb instantly, taking a step back uncontrobly.
It was at that moment Aibull looked up, his sharp eyes glowing an unusual red color.
So youve noticed? Aibull sighed.
No, I did not...
Pak!
Ruke denied it repeatedly but the dagger in Aibulls hand shed and slit Rukas throat.
Blood from his throat spewed out, but Aibull did not dodge at all, allowing the blood to shower his body as if he was taking a real shower; he looked extremely pleased with the kill.
The strange thing was that all the spewed blood did notnd on the ground, not even a single drop.
It was all absorbed by Aibull.
With hisst breath, Ruka saw the scene and could finally confirm that the Aibull in front of him was not the man he used to know.
Widening his mouth, Ruka tried to scream but his throat was slit. All he could do was suck in air quickly and painfully with noises, like he was out of breath.
Then, endless darkness befell him. Rukas body fell on the ground.
Aibull didnt even look at the body, turning around andying eyes on the other outpost tower.
If he could take down this second tower, the whole military camp would be his prey.
He had been trapped in this ce for a long time and it had been a while since he had a full meal.
Though right before he made his move, he nced behind him.
At the far end of the main route, almost at the horizon, a convoy appeared.
An extra add on, eh? said Aibull before heughed because he saw one of his kind lingering around the convoy.
A weak one that hadnt achieved descension!
It would be the perfect food for him!
I am really lucky today, Aibull couldnt help but mutter softly.
...
Scouts rode on both sides of the convoy with torches lifted high up. The fire was waving left and right yet none of them discovered a small ball of snow was quietly following the convoy as it travelled forward.
The snowball wasnt big, only in the size of a fist. It was quiet and coupled with the natural color protection, it was hard for any normal man to notice.
This particr trait was one that Sucking Snow took pride in.
Unlike the other pagans in Sicar, it was considerably young. It had only been a decade since its birth but it was able to rely on its natural abilities to skyrocket its strength.
It believed that if it could wake up at the same time as the Mist, Withering Branch or Resting Deer, which was after the ck Cataclysm, it would be the strongest in all of Sicar, unlike now, where it had to hide here and there just to hunt for food.
It even had to group up with some bastard and form a so-called alliance.
Every time it thought of its ally who always acted smart but was actually unimaginably stupid, Sucking Snow couldnt help but chuckle.
Sucking Snows ally thought both of them were the same, that they were eager to make a move, and then its ally drove itself away in the name of the n.
It didnt really mind, though. If its ally seeded, it didnt mind bing the backup hunter.
If it went south?
At least it could buy itself a lesson.
As the thought of killing two birds with one stone popped, Sucking Snow couldnt hold back his delight.
Cunning Oath? Nothing but looks! This convoy though...
In order to make it seem real, Sucking Snow really went away from the convoy and only came back when the time was up, but it found out that Cunning Oath was dead.
The pagans perception towards other pagans was very clear, it could clearly sensed that Cunning Oath had dissipated.
No! More precisely, it was hunted down!
Pagans hunting each other was a verymon scene. When the ck Cataclysm first broke out, more than 10 pagans were born in Sicar but when Sucking Snow came onto the scene, there were less than 10.
A small part of them were eliminated by War God Temple and the majority of them vanished in the mutual hunting.
The pagans never got tired and took pleasure in hunting and killing their own kind.
There were even rumours about achieving descension by hunting and devouring enough of their own kind.
Sucking Snow did not buy the rumour though because he did devour one of its kind before.
It happened when it first came into this world. Another one of its kind made Sucking Snow a target yet it managed to counter-kill and devour him instead. It allowed Sucking Snow to ovee those days where it was weak and helpless but the enhancement in strength wasnt as big or as exaggerated as the rumours stated.
Though it was because of its action of proving its strength, it was acknowledged by many pagans in Sicar.
However, it still did not have the qualifications to enter Sicar City due to the city being upied by its kind, like Withering Branch and Resting Deer.
It tried to sneak in but it proved impossible, therefore it feared the Mist even more because the Mist sessfully upied Sicar in the end.
The unknown was always fearful.
Moreover, the Mist had proven its strength. Sucking Snow saw the mist giant that day and it admitted that the mist giant was a power that it couldntpete with.
That was why when it realized the Mist might have left Sicar to expand its territory, it did not seize the window and sneak into Sicar to get a piece of the pie for itself.
The Mist might have left Sicar but not truly left Sicar. Even if it left, it would stille back.
When the Mist came and saw its city was upied by an intruder, what would happen to the intruder?
As for growing to the level that matches the Mist strength-wise in a short period of time?
It was nearly impossible, unless the Mist somehow fell, but the odds were close to zero.
Although rumour had it that Edatine Castle, which was the center of conflict between God of War and Lady Cmity, was very scary, the Mist was already a demi-god. As long as it was careful, nothing would happen to it.
Having a clear mind over all the happenings, Sucking Snow naturallynded its eyes on the only viable target: the convoy!
Sucking Snow wasnt a stranger to merchant convoys.
In the days after its birth, its main target had always been convoys.
Though unlike others, who went to extreme extents just so they could stay at a single ce, Sucking Snow always picked on those convoys with less people and would change its ce after each robbery.
It knew many of its kind were eliminated by War God Temple because they couldnt improvise quickly, but this time was different.
It was obvious that the God of War had grown weak and the merchant groups who were trapped in Sicar for a few days due to the curfew all rushed out at once. If it could devour all of them at once, its strength would grow to new heights.
If the chance presented itself and Sucking Snow still did not capture it, it ought to be punished.
However, Sucking Snow never thought someone else of its kind would beat Cunning Oath and itself and sneak into the convoy.
Who would it be? Could it be... Mist?!
Sucking Snows heart skipped a beat.
It instinctively wanted to leave but its eyes, which were different from usual, showed heavy unwillingness to leave the convoy, but it was prepared to give up.
The Mists powers were undoubtedly powerful. Cunning Oath wasnt a match for the Mist, and even if it could join its ally, nothing would change either.
Besides, after the Mist consumed its ally, Cunning Oath, it would surely grow stronger.
The Mist was already a demi-god, something Sucking Snow couldntpete against anymore.
Stronger than that?
Stop joking!
It didnt want to end up as prey that was being hunted down.
As the thought popped, Sucking Snow stopped.
It wanted to stop following the convoy and return to Sicar, lurking around the city in search of delicious prey, but when it turned its unwilling gaze at the direction in which the convoy was heading, a sudden realization hit it.
After the Sicar outpost, the convoy would enter Edatine Castles territory. If they were there, the Mist would surely be noticed by God of War and Lady Cmity! A serious fight might even break out! I dont have to join a fight of that caliber, but consuming the convoy when the fight breaks out, that wont be a problem, right?
Sucking Snow stopped in its steps as the thought came into its mind.
It then followed the convoy once more with a greedy stare.
From the beginning until now, it did not notice a figure behind it.
Aibull looked at Sucking Snow quietly, licking his lips and starting to drool.
Then... Gulp!
An irresistible gulping of saliva sounded, stunning Aibull because it wasnt him who gulped that loud.
Chapter 1763 - Influenced
Chapter 1763: Influenced
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Aibull slowly turned around.
He saw a mouth, an extremely big mouth with unrivalled suction force that was going to eat him!
Aibull wanted to fight back, but the suction force was unfathomable to him.
Like sucking jelly with a piece of straw, the big mouth sucked Aibull inside, together with Sucking Snow.
Sucking Snow got sucked in even quicker because it didnt even resist.
The disappearance of both pagans did not attract attention from the convoy.
Everything happened too quickly!
That big mouth closed up and puckered its lips as though it enjoyed the taste very much.
Though even after devouring two pagans, the rumbling drum of a starving stomach sounded ceaselessly.
It had just eaten something yet it was still hungry.
...
Kieran sat in the wagon with a piece of pastry in his hand.
It wasnt from Anan Hotel but baked by the famous pastry shop in Sicar, Lilise Bakery. It was golden on the outside and it tasted like a cookie when bitten.
Crunchy and sweet, too bad there isnt any cream or chocte, Kieranmented.
Likewise Gluttony to the food that he ate.
A pagan almost reaching descension and a weaker pagan tasted very crispy and the taste was okay, but it was not much of a meal.
Dont worry, there is much more than what you just ate, Kieran smiled and assured Gluttony.
Deep inside Kierans heart, after getting the assurance from his big brother, Gluttony nodded repeatedly, the drool flinging up and down as his head nodded strongly, making it wave like noodles being stretched into a shape.
Gluttony never doubted his big brother and never cared what his big brother was doing, all he had to do was follow his big brother wherever he went.
Kieran tossed thest piece of pastry into his mouth and then picked up the cup of tea.
The warm tea carried the crunched pastry from his mouth to his stomach.
The refreshing aromatic taste reced the surfeit of sweetness, also prolonging the sweetness in a sense that it didnt linger on the tongue. Savouring the sweetness, Kieran unconsciously thought about the pastries that Starbeck baked himself.
It was not that the pastries from Lilise Bakery werent good, butpared to Starbecks, it was more than a littleckluster, miles apart.
While he was thinking of the pastries, Kieran took out the [Lord of Mist].
Gluttony devoured the pagans on Kierans behalf yet it did not affect the evolution of [Lord of Mist].
After all, from a certain aspect, Gluttony was born from a part of his desires, so technically speaking, both of them were the same.
Hence, after consuming two more pagans and absorbing their traits, [Lord of Mist] evolved again.
After going through multiple evolutions, [Lord of Mist] was still the size of a palm but the crystal was glistening and clear, like it was the best looking crystal around and after it absorbed the power of the two pagans, it even gleamed faintly, like the brightest diamond under the light.
More importantly, the overall attributes of [Lord of Mist] went through drastic changes.
[Name: Lord of Mist]
[Type: Wonder Item]
[Rarity: III+]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: III+]
[Attribute: 1. Mist Control; 2 Poison Mist Assault; 3. Snow and Rain Assault; 4. Acid Rain Assault; 5. Flora Communication; 6. Fauna Summon]
[Effect: 1.Land of Sicar 2. Edatine Castle Border; 3. Reply; 4. Bless; 5. Deceive Contract]
[Prerequisite: Bound to you who performed all perfect kill]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remarl: A product of an ident during the ck Cataclysm. Unlike how your predecessor crudely used it, its true potential is being brought out in your hands. After a perfect kill, you started to gain total control over it and with the following perfect kill, it is bound to you and you only. You can use it like your own arm and you can perceive the title that it brings you. And now, you have brought it on a new journey, it is growing on you.]
...
[Mist Control: Summon a 500 meter radius mist and shroud everything in sight, 2/day]
[Poison Mist Assault: Induce Poison to the targets caught by the mist, targets will have to go through three times A- rank Constitution authentication. Targets who fail all three times will be inflicted with lethal poison damage; targets who fail twice will be inflicted with Powerful poison damage; targets that fail once will be inflicted with Strong poison attack; targets who pass all three will be immune but still trapped in the mist.]
[Icy Air Assault: Able to create Weak, Average, or Strong freeze attack inside the mist, the icy air cannot go outside the mists range]
[Snow and Rain Assault: Able to call upon the normal rain or snow inside the mist, or cast a Weak, Average or Strong acid rain or hailstorm, the cast effect cannot go outside the mists range.]
[Flora Communication; Able tomunicate and control floral in the mist, the number of controlled targets cannot exceed your Spirit limit (50 for Advanced Rank, +25 for each rank)]
[Fauna Summon, able tomunicate and control animals in the mist, the number of controlled targets cannot exceed your Spirit Limit (50 small animal, 25 medium-sized animal, 10 big-sized animal, onerge animal for Advanced rank, +25 for small animal, +10 for medium-sized animal, +5 for big-sized animal and +1 forrge animal for each rank (animal smaller than a rat is considered as 3 times the number of small animals)]
...
[Land of Sicar: Within the Land of Sicar, the title of Mist has be one-of-a-kind and you, who possess the Lord of Mist, can move natural mist at will and induced them with poison, ice, and rain, control flora and fauna inside the mist is also possible (unable to exceed the range of the poison mist, icy air, acid rain, snow, hailstorm, control of flora and fauna +1 level), but it will consume your stamina ordingly.]
[Reply: You are treated as the God of Mist, you can use the Lord of Mist to reply simply to the prayers of your believers. It will consume your stamina ordingly.]
[Bless: Inside the Land of Sicar, when your believers pray to you, you can consume stamina to bless them with the Blessing of Mist (Blessing of Mist: provide resistance against poison, ice, acid) wherever mist is visible, or provide a blessing to your teammates municate with flora and fauna in a short period of time); you can also bless them with Blessing of Bloodthirsty (depends on how devoted the believer is during the short period of time), the blessed will be enhanced with 100% Strength, damaged received decreased 50%, able to absorb the blood of enemy to replenish own life.]
[Deceive Contract: Youve been treated as the God of Mist, you can use the Lord of Mist to ept a great amount of worship from the worshippers and then give them some rewards (rewards is not limited to actual items)]
......
From an Etcetera item to a Wonder Item.
Increase of rarity, enhancement of attributes and effects, all these signs pointed out to Kieran that [Lord of Mist] had gone through a thorough change.
Especially when the Remark has a sentence like this And now, you have brought it on a new journey, it is growing on you, it allowed Kieran to branch out his thoughts even more.
It was obvious that [Lord of Mist] was different from other items. It was a special one, an item that could continuously evolve.
As long as Kieran could continue to devour those pagans, evolving [Lord of Mist] to rank V wasnt impossible!
On top of that, and more importantly, the Power of Faith that [Lord of Mist] gathered from the worshippers and the feedback to Kieran were converted by Gluttony into the pure energy, which allowed the Origin Forces in his body to operate even more livelier. Although it couldnt reach exponential growth, it grew substantially and Kieran could feel it because he clearly felt the darkness and chaos in his mind dissipating away, only slower than his Origin Forces growth speed.
Moreover, this was just Sicar and its surroundings.
What if... the name of Mist spread into Edatine Castle, or even to the entire Northern Land?
His Origin Forces would probably grow at an astounding speed, and until then...
Could [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] break through its original limits?
Kieran remembered what the old knight said before about an advanced rank of the skill.
Other than that, there was [Knights of gue Body Tempering Art]!
The faint feeling of connection could not escape Kierans attention.
Simr to how he looked forward to when the darkness and chaos in his mind waspletely cleared off, what would happen then?
The thought of it excited him!
Kieran was sighing on his own but the sighs did not muddle his sight or make him feel lost.
What he had in his mind was thoughts for the medium and long term ns.
Suddenly, Kieran sensed something and lifted his head up.
He activated [Tracking] at that instant and then he saw the carriage disappear from his sight.
What was left around him was a wicked misty presence.
The mist was thin yet seemingly endless, as it umted and dissipated. It felt like the rise and fall of the tides but Kieran didnt pay attention to the wicked presence, his eyes looking further away.
At the farthest point which his eyes could reach, a rampaging and powerful yet destructive aura was causing loud bangs, like a thunderous p.
Further away from said presence was another presence, as still as dead water, silently releasing its coldness to the area.
These two presences were quite far away from each other, yet the confrontation between the two was obvious.
God of War!
Lady Cmity!
Kieran almost instantaneously identified their identities, and after that, Kieran corrected the mistake that he made during his first nce.
No, it wasnt a confrontation! It should be whats left after a short engagement.
Recalling the information that he had collected recently, Kieran was very sure of it.
After the identification, Kieran didnt continue [Tracking] anymore, returning to normal sight and letting go of [Lord of Mist].
He returned to the carriage immediately and in front of him was Borl, who seized the free time to catch up with some sleep.
Kieran adjusted his posture to feel the softfort of the cushion behind his back before he started to analyze and recall what happened in that vision.
It wasnt the real God of War or Lady Cmity, it was just what was left of them, but even so, the lingering presence was very close to rank V. It was enough to raise rm in Kierans heart.
The lingering presence was at rank V, so what would the true self rank be?
At least rank VI!
Facing off against a possible rank VI unknown enemy, Kieran dared not be careless. And with the uniqueness of the dungeon world, who could guarantee that those two didnt have any special tricks hidden up their sleeves?
So, leaving before he got noticed would be the best choice.
Though a quick glimpse allowed Kieran to realize a lot more.
Other than how powerful and how evenly matched they were against each other, the conflict and hostility between God of War and Lady Cmity was deeper than he thought.
And the cause of the conflict and hostility seemed to be... him, roaming freely outside the battle.
It seemed like God of War and Lady Cmity hoped for him to join this ongoing war, not as an outsider, but as a reinforcement to either side, so that the side he joined could fight back against the opposite and obtain the final victory.
So this is the chance you are looking for? Kieran muttered to himself.
It was obvious that if he did note into this dungeon world, Broker would take his ce and probably face the same situation.
Given Kierans understanding of Broker, the cunning merchant would not be satisfied by being a mere reinforcement for either one of them.
In short, Broker would surely join either one and then be the final benefactor from all this.
Kieran believed he had the ambition and capabilities to achieve it.
Besides that, Brokers setups and schemes would be worth it if it was for the two potential rank VI existences.
Kieran unconsciously extended his right and index finger, tapping on the table softly.
As always, every time he tapped his finger, it meant that Kieran had run into some problems.
Although the theory he came up with made sense and sounded reasonable, Kieran always had the feeling that Broker had something more than what meets the eye nned ahead.
Uncontrobly, Kieran started to recall the few times that he encountered Broker, especially Brokers appearance from his diving state in the Unique Title Dungeon [de of the Daybreaker].
Everything seemed reasonable, everything seemed to follow a logical train of thought.
However, when Kieran connected the reasonable setups at hand and the logical performances from before together, his brows furrowed together tightly.
Could the gains from two at least rank VI natives reallypensate Brokers loss?
Or in a more urate way, could Broker ignore everything in the big city after he acquired the gains from these two at least rank VI natives?
The answer tended to lean towards no due to the fact that Broker would never kill the God of War and Lady Cmity openly, and from there, perfectly acquire all the gains from two at least rank VI natives.
If Broker had this kind of power, it wouldnt be necessary for him to go diving for so long and set up to this extent. He could have just walked out of his door and killed all those who opposed him and then conquered the entire game.
If the theory wasnt usible, why would Broker still do it?
He was obviously not a person who liked losing on purpose.
Which means... there is still something I dont know in this world?
Kierans fingers stopped, following his pause in thinking.
He turned his gaze to outside the window, the first light slowly shining on the horizon.
Under the rising sun, a big area of buildings and houses faintly appeared in the woods further away.
We have reached the military camp of Sicar! said Borl after he opened his eyes from his catnap and saw the scene.
...
St!
A mouth of blood spewed out uncontrobly from Brokers mouth.
He took the white linen handkerchief from Registrar Zorl and carefully wiped his mouth.
The white handkerchief being dyed red raised worries on Zorls face.
Sir? Zorl asked in an attempt to find out about his masters condition.
Dont worry, Im fine. But that woman, does she really think she can control all of this?
Broker smiled coldly and then stood up, walking outside.
Sir, where are you going? Zorl asked after being denied the following.
To see an old friend.
After leaving such words behind, Broker strode out of the door and quickly vanished from sight.
Chapter 1764 - Visitor
Chapter 1764: Visitor
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
What? The outpost station is in lockdown and a curfew has been imposed?
Ainte, the temporary person in charge of Kate Trading Company, stood in front of Sicar outpost, blocked by the soldier. After the soldier exined what happened, Ainte couldnt help but turn to Borl beside him.
Although Ainte had been in service in Kate Trading Company for a decade, he followed orders and carried them out most of the time. Suddenly bing the decision-maker was strange to Ainte, he wasnt used to it, especially after what happened earlier.
And now, the temporary lodging spot which the convoy had nned to stop by was denied ess to them due to some unforeseen circumstances. Ainte was perplexed.
The perplexed Ainte did not bother to cover up his emotions and Borl spotted it with a single nce but he did notugh at the poor man at all.
In order toplete his main mission, Borl was spending all his effort in roping in anyone he could get his hands on and Ainte turned out to be a decent candidate.
More precisely, when the independent divine emblem of the God of War appeared in the convoy, Borl knew Ainte was a man worth investing in.
Just think about it. The convoy had run into some unhappy idents along the way, the leader of the convoy and the leader of the guards died one after another, Ainte then stepped up and led the entire convoy back to Edatine Castle safe and sound alone.
As long as the boss of thepany wasnt an idiot, Ainte would surely be heavily rewarded and promoted.
Likewise Borl, who helped during the difficult times, would naturally enter the boss sight.
Right away, a decision was made in Borls heart. He quickly said, We have enough food with us. We might not be able to enter the outpost station but we can set up camp outside here and rest.
O-Okay, I will make the necessary arrangements, Ainte nodded repeatedly and then headed off to carry out the suggestion, as always.
Borl thought for a moment and then he stopped Ainte by calling him.
Whats wrong, Mr. Borl? Ainte looked at Borl in confusion.
Mr. Ainte, you are now the person in charge of the merchant convoy, albeit temporary. You should have your own stance and make yourself stronger, dont simply be obsequious to any suggestions. Moreover, a leader can influence the entire team. Do note we still have to travel for a day and night to reach our final destination.
Borl reminded him.
Some things were better to keep it to himself in this kind of delicate situation, otherwise being frank would get Borl the opposite result.
He knew he needed allies, not enemies.
Ainte nked out for a moment.
I understand, but its a habit that I cant change overnight. Thank you, Mr. Borl.
Ainte chuckled bitterly and expressed his gratitude truthfully.
Borl also smiled at the truthful gratitude, having achieved his goal.
Next?
Start a fire and cook!
That sir had quite the requirement for food in terms of quantity.
Under Aintes lead, the convoy reached a side of the outpost in an organized fashion and then started to rest. Aschenkano, who saw Borl, quickly tidied up and then checked the wagon, also releasing the horses from the reins after galloping for a whole night. The horses were pulled to the side, fed with fodders and then allowed to rest.
Bean biscuits were crushed and then added into the fodder bags by Aschenkano.
The bodyguard caressed the horses mane as he turned around and looked at Borl, or more precisely, the big iron pot in front of him.
Two big stones were moved in to form a crude and simple firece, the fire burning fiercely as wood was added. Inside the pot was cured meat, potatoes, carrots, and onions swirling and rumbling as the soup boiled.
Several eggs encased in mud were tossed into the fire by Borl and several big breadcakes stood up beside the iron pot and soon emanated the fragrance of wheat.
Aschenkano sniffed repeatedly and kept swallowing his saliva.
Though the bodyguard knew who was the boss around here, going to the wagon and knocking on the door.
Knock, knock, knock.
Sir Colin, its time for breakfast, said Aschenkano loudly.
Got it, Kieran pushed the door open and came down.
Kieran never rejected food, albeit the normal taste. Hed also dly ept food that was cooked with effort and heart.
It was without a doubt Borl cooked with his heart, despite the not-so-great cooking.
I never learned how to cook. I am more concerned about breathing another day, Borl sincerely handed a bowl to Kieran.
Mm, Kieran understood the meaning and nodded, taking the bowl.
yers, especially newbie yers, would never care about culinary skills when they entered a dungeon world. Focusing on enhancing their strength and strengthening their skills and items quickly was the top priority.
This situation never changed, even for an Advanced Rank yer.
As for Starbeck?
He was a special one, the rules did not apply to him.
With the thought of Starbeck lingering in his mind, Kieran lifted the bowl and took a sip.
The cured meat hadpletely boiled into the soup, the potatoes were mushy, the carrots were soft, the breadcakes were crispy, the eggs were also standard. Like all the other food, there was no conflict of taste but there was nothing ster either.
But... it was filling!
Therefore, Kieran didnt think much and dug into his breakfast.
Borl couldnt help but heave a breath of relief when he saw Kieran start eating.
To him, no changes on Kierans expression would be the best thing.
As for anything more than that? Well...
He had decided to learn cooking when he got back to the big city, but that was a problem to solve on another day.
Now?
Aschen, time to eat! Borl called his bodyguard.
Aschenkano had been waiting for a while, quickly joining the others.
In fact, not just Kieran andpany, the whole convoy was having their breakfasts.
Some had it simple, charcoal bread and warm water; some cooked porridge or rice like Borl.
Starting from sunrise to noon, when the sun hung in the center of the sky, the whole convoy was resting.
After that, they would continue their journey in the afternoon, but not all of them.
Some merchant groups decided to temporarily stay around the outpost station after what theyd been throughst night. They ought to rest for a full day and continue their journey on the next first light, which would allow them to reach the next outpost station, Edatine outpost, before dark.
However, taking a full days rest was not a viable option for Kate Trading Company and some other merchant group who had to get to Edatine as soon as possible.
If they had a choice, they wouldnt take risks by traveling at night either, but they were out of options.
Most of it was because of contracts. There was a time limit for the merchant group to deliver the goods and once they were over the time limit, the merchants would have topensate a hefty amount of Gold Purton.
The heftypensation fee would bring them back a night before the curfew was lifted in Sicar, or straightaway go broke.
They were already living a considerably wealthy life, albeit without honor. They would definitely refuse to return to the poverty level, hence the courage to take the risk.
After breakfast, other than the necessary guards, the whole convoy fell into silence. Many fell asleep, and after a night of terrifying experiences, the merchants could finally rest beside the outpost station, though not Kieran.
After checking his surroundings out of habit, Kieran looked further away, looking into the direction of Edatine Castle.
More than 10 minutester...
Groooom!
Gallops as loud as thunder sounded.
The sleeping merchants were woken up, instinctively grabbing their weapons and the guards of the convoy even drew their swords and lit up their muskets.
The soldiers of Sicar outpost even headed up to the wooden defense structure of the station, looking towards the direction of Edatine Castle with cautions.
It wasnt until that group of hundred riders appeared in sight and the leader raised a golden swallowtail g that everyone heaved a breath of relief.
The golden swallowtail g waved along the wind.
The icon of an eagle was painted in its soaring pose; it was the emblem of the royal court of Edatine.
When the group of hundred riders arrived in front of Sicar outpost, they pulled the reins and stopped their horses en masse, one of the armored riders jumping down and running towards the outpost.
A whileter, the rider ran back and the group rode towards the direction of Sicar once more.
Throughout the whole process, this group of riders did not speak, or even look, at the merchants.
The merchants went along as well. They did not make noise while the riders stopped in front of the outpost, chattering onlying when the riders rode off.
They are the guardians of the royal court!
They are the elite troops founded by His Majesty Edatine I who built the Edatine empire!
Why would the guardians of Edatine Castlee all the way here?
Are they going to receive the new lord of Sicar?
It seems like His Majesty Edatine VI thought highly of that new lord!
Of course!
Throughout the whole Edatine, no, the whole Northern Lands, who else is more eye-catching than that new lord of Sicar? Dont forget she is an extremely rich widow!
The national reserve of our king might not be that wealthy, otherwise he wouldnt have released such an order.
So, you know.
...
The merchants were obviously well-informed and soon enough, untrue rumours that were hard to differentiate from the truth started to spark and spread among the merchant group.
After Borl heard the news, he quietly observed Kierans expression.
In Borls thoughts, the series of events that happened in Sicar must have something to do with Kieran. In short, Kieran used the abruptness of the events to his advantage and controlled the entire Sicar City.
Now, someone else popped up and wanted to reap the fruits of victory, someone was trying to reap HIS fruits.
Based on the rumours revolving around the ming Devils personality, this group of royal troops would die without a grave soon.
However, to his surprise, Kieran didnt react at all, leaning on the seat of the carriagezily, like he was falling asleep.
Since Kieran didnt show any expression, Borl dared not ask.
He continued to mind his own business, adding coal into the heater to make the carriage warmer.
Sparks sounded when the coal was added to the heater and the noise entered Kierans ears ceaselessly. Borls little nce, which he thought was inconspicuous enough, did not escape Kierans perception, but he did not exin further.
Likewise, he also would not tell Borl that he had everything prepared.
Otherwise, why did he send Bloody Mary to stay beside the baroness?
To let the Baroness Eline look at Bloody Mary like ass fallen in love?
Kieran wasnt thatme, all he did was pay some attention at Bloody Mary at times.
...
Bloody Mary sat opposite the baroness, its eyes closed as though it was asleep.
Suddenly, it opened its eyes and curled up its lips.
Everything is as expected by the boss. Its hard even for a king to not be moved by a hugend like this.
The Land of Sicar had fallen into an unusual situation.
After the viscount died and his son missing, plus a bunch of rtives were executed, the baroness became the only one truly qualified to inherit the position, despite the fact that she hadnt truly inherited thend.
Still, her status wasnt what it used to be anymore. It was fair to say that she was highly in demand because no one would mind marrying a widow like her, and through her, absorb a great amount ofnd under Sicars rule.
Thends are holy and invible!
This was a fact recognized by the whole of Edatine, the whole of Northern Lands, and even the south.
However, there was also another fact recognized by many: a married couple sharing the same wealth and property.
Especially when one side had fallen into a disadvantage, the second fact was disyed at its full glory.
Bloody Mary had purposely researched this beforehand in order to serve the boss better.
At the same time, Bloody Mary also understood another saying better: never overestimate a persons bottomline against temptation.
So, it looked at the baroness.
Whats wrong Simon?
The sensitive baroness noticed Bloody Mary when it opened its eyes, and when it looked at her, the new lord of Sicar quickly asked, not with a questioning tone, but with a weak and soft tone.
COMMENT
Eline, my lord informs me of trouble, Bloody Mary did not hide the details.
Trouble? From...
Baroness Eline did not utter the precise term but her hand was pointing towards the direction of Edatine Castle.
Bloody Mary nodded.
She sighed and worries smeared all over her face.
As a baroness from a noble background, despite her being a person who liked to stay indoors and was afraid of socializing, she wasnt stupid by anymeans. Quite the opposite, a great amount of reading granted her knowledge that surpassed many others.
Therefore, the baroness knew what situation she was in.
Otherwise, she wouldnt have traveled to Edatine Castle first thing after her brother passed away. She knew she would be able to grasp on to a silver lining of survival there whilst being surrounded by a bunch of greedy bastards.
But now, things were different.
The greedy bastards from inside the family were wiped out.
It was good news, but good news always came with bad news too.
The bad news was she had to face the greedy bastards outside the family.
They ought to be more ferocious and cunning and the leader of them all would definitely be the king, Edatine IV.
The baroness was at a loss when the thought popped in her mind.
A great amount of reading granted her an exceptional amount of knowledge but it did not bless her with the rted capabilities.
It was all empty talk.
Perhaps it was the best way to describe her life but fortunately for her, she wasnt in this alone.
Without a second of hesitation, she grabbed Bloody Marys hand and sandwiched it with her own, putting it down under her chin, looking like she was praying with that sense of begging in her eyes.
Simon, help me.
Of course, mydy, that is why I am here.
Bloody Mary smiled and nodded, then subtly retracted its hand behind its back and wiped it against its clothes when the baroness wasnt looking.
Chapter 1765 - Unusual
Chapter 1765: Unusual
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
A demon has no gender.
Speaking from a certain point of view, it didnt even possess a thought of its own.
All it had was a persistent grudge of the dead towards the living.
Of course, a demon wasnt categorized as a dead spirit. It was a lot smarter and a lot harder to deal with, not just because it was good at hiding, but also because of its powers and traits.
The undying traits of a demon could cause a headache in everyone easily.
A Superior Demon was a special one, even among the ranks of demons.
It was in [Hetero-form] from the start!
Its undying trait, which had gone through multiple enhancements and was far stronger than amon demon, its extremely high intellect and rted Mystical Knowledge, all its enhanced traits made it different from amon demon.
Especially after it consumed two Advanced Rank items [Figure Chess (Broken)] and [Bloody Chess Piece], plus two rank III items [Voodoo Pir] and [Voodoo Soul Crystal Remains. Bloody Mary had been through changes that even it couldnt understand.
It started to have memories, memories of the past.
From the fragmented memories, Bloody Mary was sure that it was an assassin in the past, an emotionless, extremely cold-blooded assassin.
And... it was actually a she.
Although she did not want to admit her gender and addressed herself as it out of habit, in the memories, it was indeed a she.
It didnt want to admit that it was affected by the fragmented memories but when the baroness held its hand, the twisted feeling that came afloat was difficult.
What a joke! How can I be affected! I am Bloody Mary, no, I am a demon! I have no emotions and I serve my boss with all my heart, as a demon!
Whats wrong Simon? Baroness Eline sharply noticed something unusual about Bloody Mary.
Its nothing. Im just thinking about how I should deal with those royal court riders.
Bloody Mary shook its head with a smile then put away its thoughts and naturally diverted the topic.
The simple-minded baroness did not suspect a thing and she was also captivated by something else.
The guardians of Edatine royal court are very powerful. Based on what I read in some secret books, the reason the royal court of Edatine could ovee the crisis of being conquered and annihted multiple times during the Second, Fifth, and Sixths reigns was closely rted to this group of guardians, said the baroness softly.
During the Second, the Fifth, and the Sixths reign? Bloody Mary asked on behalf of its boss.
During Edatine II, it was the royal decree on nds are holy and invible Back then, the second king issued the royal decree to stop his uncle, the king regent who almost rewrote history.
The unfortunate thing was following the issue of the royal decree, the king regent made a wrong decision and resulted in a coup dtat. He was then beheaded by the royal guardians in the pce of Edatine Until the reign of the Fifth and Sixth... it was the ck Cataclysm!
Up to that point, the baroness showed fear on her face.
She had to suck in a deep breath to regte her emotions.
Im sorry, Simon. I was really terrified by the ck Cataclysm.
The baroness apologized then went into deep thought before continuing.
Those few years when the ck Cataclysm broke out, everyone in the Northern Lands was filled with fear, including me. I was in Sicar back then. Although I didnt really experience its horror, I was caught in the aftereffectback in the days, I always saw my father with tightly furrowed brows and my mother filled with worries. More and more guards appeared but regardless of the numbers, someone would always die in a strange way. Back in the lords mansion, first the servant, then the cooking maiden, followed by our butler, the guards, and in the end... my mother. I saw how my mother died with my own eye: my father wielded the sword and decapitated my mother, but her body was still standing... From that day onwards, I didnt want to stay in the mansion anymore, nor did I want to join any kind of social gathering. My brother went to the God of War and prayed.
The baroness couldnt continue anymore beyond that.
Bloody Mary suppressed the difort from its fragmented memories, leaning forward, hoping to tap the baroness on the shoulder tofort her but right when it leaned forward, the baroness threw herself into its arms.
Its body instantly froze, endless weird and twisted feelings gushing out from its heart.
Bloody Mary held the thought of stabbing her back, all it could do was sit there like a statue, its raised arm stunned in mid-air.
The baroness put her head on Bloody Marys chest and wept softly, venting her emotions
More than 10 secondster, the baroness came back to her senses.
She nkly looked up and looked at Bloody Mary, whose chest was wet, flushing hard like a little girl looking at her first love.
I-I am sorry! S-So sorry! I-I didnt mean it! she stuttered.
Its fine, those who worship my lord are my brothers and sisters. I will deal with the royal guardians, you dont have to worry.
Bloody Mary forcefully squeezed out a smile then pushed the door open to get down from the carriage.
My lord? Beside the wagoner, a young man as strong as a bear also jumped down.
The young man wore an inner leather armor coupled with a big goatskin coat which made him look extra hairy, like a bear when he walked to Bloody Mary. His movement were as nimble as a dancer despite having a dual-edged battleaxe on his back.
He was one of the first few guards of the Mist religious sect, like Shegal and Forv.
With hisrge physique, it was natural that he possessed the most outstandingbat capabilities.
In fact, it was fair to consider this young man the strongest among all the guards of Mist religious sect. He wasnt just powerful, his techniques were very good too.
Rogart, enemies that block our way have appeared, Bloody Mary said indifferently.
Although the baroness was a pain in the neck, with the boss orders around, it could put up with her.
Where is our enemy? Leave them to me, my lord!
The young man, Rogart, spoke in a low and muffled voice, attracting many eyes from the surroundings. The other young men who hid in the guards, plus the handpicked preachers in the wagon behind them, showed a frantic look on their faces, as if they were eager to rip their enemies to shreds.
No, Rogart, your mission is to protect everyone. The bramble path to Edatine Castle shall be opened by my hands.
Bloody Mary shook its head with a smile, devotion appearing on its face and the spirit of self-sacrifice mixed in between the lines of its words.
Bloody Mary was really good at getting into disguise, entering the character of a gods kin almost instantly.
The young men cum devoted believers and the prechears bowed at Bloody Mary with heartfelt admiration and Bloody Mary enjoyed the moment, albeit it was all false.
1It knew very well all the glory it received should be credited to its boss.
It was only an emissary who carried out orders quietly.
Though, you should enjoy life to its fullest at every moment. If it could enjoy an extra second, it would be an extra second longer, so why not take pleasure in it?
Bloody Mary brewed its emotions for preparation to say something great, yet at that very moment, the voice of the baroness came from the carriage behind it.
Simon, you must be careful!
Heartfelt concern, overflowing care, and... that strange twisted feeling.
Bloody Mary subtly shuddered, then walked forward without looking back.
Chapter 1766 - Path of the Rat
Chapter 1766: Path of the Rat
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
As the horses sprinted, the golden swallowtail g waved in the air.
The eagle on the g was lively, as if it was soaring in the sky.
Beneath the g were hundreds of riders from the royal guardians of Edatine, sitting on their horses that sprinted forward in a horizontal line, their bodies moving along with the motion and even the galloping pace of their horses synchronized.
Anyone who saw the group of riders would be in awe of how scary and sharp they were.
A hundred riders rode like a single entity, it wasnt something easily achievable.
It required a huge amount of money, supplies, and a very long period of training together.
Moreover, this group of riders didnt just look impressive, they also emanated a trace of killer intents as they rode and such killer intents would only be visible on veterans of the battlefield.
Therefore, as the leader of the riders, Feliquex was very proud.
As a trusted follower of Edatine IV, Feliquex had helped the king to remove and clean up many obstacles more than once.
And this time, it would not be any different.
Moreover, this mission was very easy. Not assassination, not assault, not even a battle, it was just a mere escort mission. His mission was to escort the new lord of Sicar safely to Edatine Castle.
Whenever he thought about how easy this mission would be, Feliquex couldnt hold back his chuckles.
Coming from a noble background, Feliquex knew what the king meant: control the baroness in their hand tightly. Otherwise the king wouldnt have sent him, the youngest and most handsome leader to carry out the mission.
As a matter of fact, Feliquex had heard of the well-known widow baroness, who had lost her partner at a very young age.
She did not fit into the noble social circle, loving reading and possessing vast knowledge.
Of course, her beautiful looks were vastly discussed throughout thend when she was young. If it wasnt for her weird personality and persistence in rejecting the proposal of the royal court, she would have ended up as a wife of some member of Edatines royal court.
Now?
She was just stepping into 30, her looks would definitely not have changed that much. She was in between the youthful beauty of a girl and the maturity of a woman and Feliquex extremely liked this kind of mature and beautiful looking woman, let alone that tremendous amount of wealth that would follow.
If I can conquer this widow, I might not be a little branch leader anymore in the future! And my familys status will rise because of mine and... I could even build a new mansion in Edatine!
Falling into his beautiful fantasy towards the future, Feliquex was filled with energy.
He eagerly whipped his horse to make it gallop faster and appeared in front of the baroness so that he could disy his charms and act like a gentleman before her, winning her heart.
As for his fiance back in his home?
He couldnt care about her anymore.
If the fiance did not mind following him after this little important step and did not concern herself about the name, Feliquex would still ept her, but if she minded?
Well sorry, she was just a fiance to him. How could she be more important than his future and his entire family?
After the decision was made, Feliquexs eyes grew determined and strong.
Even if there was a lion in his way, he might even have the courage to wrestle it.
However, a lion would never appear in thend of Sicar. Sicar was cold and filled with snow, only animals born to resist the cold or possessing extremely good adaptability could survive, like rats!
The rodents apanied a great cloud of mist and silently appeared in the dense woods on both sides of the main route. They were extremely good at hiding, their sneaky eyes gazing upon the royal guardian riders who slowed down because of the mists appearance.
There was no order, so there was no attack from the rats, watching the riders like an audience.
The sudden appearance of the strong mist slowed down the riders and eventually forced them to a stop.
Feliquex was looking in front a dozen meters into the mist, he couldnt help but coldly chuckle.
After he epted this mission from the king, he had paid close attention to everything that happened around thend of Sicar.
He knew about the so-called Mist religious sect, but he didnt take them seriously due to the fact that he had Edatines royal court behind him!
A mere demi-god who has justpleted descension dares to disregard the rules and roam free? If Edatine royal couldnt even deal with a mere demi-god, they would have been annihted by their enemies long ago! Coldly chuckling in his heart, the leader of the riders raised his hand.
The riders under hismand drew their swords one after another.
The swords red brightly, on the broad body were many strange patterns, and under the morning light, the patterns shimmered with their unique shine.
Magical weapons! And not just one but hundreds of them, in sets!
The magical weapons resonated and reciprocally buffed each other.
Finally, all the powers gathered on Feliquexs body and a sharp and strong aura appeared.
Feliquex couldnt help but suck in a deep breath as he savoured the strength of a hundred.
Although it wasnt the first time receiving such powers, Feliquex would still be in awe at his current state.
Powerful! Power that was unrivalled!
What could those pagans do in front of such power?
Aside from those who hadnt evenpleted their descension, even if they did, Feliquex had killed two before in his empowered state.
A demi-god?
Unconsciously, a sardonic smile coupled with killer intentions appeared on Feliquexs face once more.
He raised the golden swallowtail g, which he tied behind him earlier.
He might beckluster against a demi-god even in his empowered state but he had his war g with him!
Without a second of hesitation, Feliquex diverted all the power in his body to the g.
Fung!
An eagles caw, powerful enough to shatter stones or gold, echoed in the sky.
The lively eagle on the swallowtail g came alive!
It twisted its neck, then looked at the mist, its sharp eyes seeming to have pierced the blurry sight and seen everything in the mist.
Then, it flew out from the war g.
The golden war g turned gloomy after the eagle flew out but at the next moment, a denser golden shine appeared on the eagle, soaring up to the sky powerfully and quickly, like a sun rising from the horizon.
Even the sunlight was absorbed by the eagle! The light and heat from the sun gathered on the eagle and two breathster, the golden aviary shone even more dazzlingly
The light was warm and blinding, as if it was a second sun.
It kept climbing up, not just its body but its powerful aura also.
When it flew up to the furthest point where eyes could reach, the eagle dived down like a suicide bomber ne and shot itself into the mist.
Fung!
The powerful wind that followed the dive whistled over Feliquexs face and the others, causing them to squint their eyes instinctively. Even the well-trained horses couldnt hold still and staggered backwards.
The mist that was blocking their way rumbled, like water boiling.
At the next moment...
Kaboom!
A huge explosion went up into the sky.
The golden shine swept across everything in the area and even the ground shook for a few seconds before stopping.
After the ground stopped shaking, the mist dissipated, together with a human figure.
It was unclear and vague but Feliquex saw it, along with several of his sharpshooters.
Neither Feliquex nor his sharpshooters felt surprised at the dissipated figure.
It was normal to them!
After all, this war g was purposely prepared to deal with those so-called demi-gods.
The sun shone upon thend again.
All of the royal guardian riders clearly saw a huge crater a dozen meters in width in front of them.
Not only was the main route damaged, even the dense woods on both sides were caught in the explosion.
Disengage! We will go around the crater! A new order came from Feliquex.
The two meters deep crater wasnt something their horses could cross, even if the horses were carefully handpicked.
Every single one of the riders came down from their horses, pulling them by the reins and carefully going around the deep crater.
In order to hasten this process, Feliquex split the group into two and told them to move from both sides.
There was no pushing and squeezing but the team was messed up. Feliquex didnt say anything or scold them though. He knew no matter how elite his troops were, it was impossible for them to move in a neat fashion.
Moreover, the biggest enemy was wiped out.
Whats left was for Feliquex to receive his spoils of victory.
As he thought about the beautiful baroness again, Feliquex started to set up a n to woo her.
As a young man from a noble background, he not only had a myriad of methods for wooing a girl, he also knew which one would be the most suitable for which target.
As many scenarios ran through his mind, the branch leader of the royal guardian riders couldnt hold back his smile on his face.
While he was carried away by his thoughts, some tiny, grayish ck figures were quietly approaching him without his notice.
Then Feliquex was further distracted by how bad the road was.
Due to the heat from the explosion, the icynd around the area turned soft, and together with the melted water, Feliquex felt like he was treading across a muddy ground.
Looking at the gooey mud sticking onto his clean boots, Feliquex frowned. In order to not trip or fall, he had to pay full attention to the ground as he went around the edge of the crater.
It wasnt just Feliquex who suffered the unpleasant experience. The other riders went through the same, not even the several vignt veterans were excluded.
After all, their biggest enemy had been wiped out by the eagle, wasnt it?
None of them wanted to fall into the gooey mud and be an after meal joke for their colleagues.
Until...
Aaaargh!
A loud scream came from one of the riders among the group.
Everyone else immediately drew their swords and looked towards the source of the scream.
A member of the guardian was covering his arm and beneath his foot was a rat that he stomped to death.
Damn rat! the rider cursed, then signaled to his colleagues that he was fine.
You must have gotten honey on your hand, otherwise why would the rat bite you?
I know right!
Laughs then followed.
Feliquex wasnt concerned about theughs as it entered his ears but a sense of danger unknowingly rose in his heart and made him size up the surroundings.
Then, the branch leader with exceptional eyesight discovered something wrong. He was instantly shocked.
Heads up! he warned his men loudly, but it was already toote.
A sea of rats swarmed the guardian riders.
150 rats split into two and moved in an organized manner. Each and every single one of the rats targeted one guardian rider and the remaining 50 went for the horses.
Squeeeeak!
The rats bared their sharp teeth and worried the horses neck and hip without restraint, continuing to the next horse after a few severe bites on thest one.
The pain forced the horse to shake its body painfully and its master beside the saddle was badly affected.
The guardian riders were already caught off guard by the rats and when their horses struggled furiously, those who stood beside them were knocked to the ground or dragged away.
The strength of these guardian riders wouldnt have set them in such a desperate situation but after eliminating their biggest foe, they lowered their guards.
Additionally, the gooey mud on the ground greatly restrained their abilities, therefore a strange scene happened: a group of rats emerged as the temporary victor against the most elite guardian riders of Edatine.
The reason why it was a temporary victory was because the teeth of the rats couldnt have inflicted any fatal damage to the troops unless the rats went for the neck, but the odds were too slim, probably next to zero. But what appeared werent just rats and Feliquex knew very well that this wasnt the end.
He shouted loudly, Assemble! Assemble!
The rat that attacked him was crushed to death very early on but Feliquex did not loosen his guard this time. He knew the rats were just tools to mess up their pace, the real killer move had yet toe.
In such a desperate situation, the group ought to regroup and channel their powers again but before anyone could fall into position, the shadow beneath Feliquexs feet distorted, Bloody Mary jumping out and slicing its palm over his neck.
Pak!
Blood spewed as Feliquex covered his throat with his hands and fell down in disbelief.
From the appearance of the rats, Feliquex, who was very cautious, dared not even believe the true enemy hid in his own shadow.
Looking at the fallen Feliquex, Bloody Mary curled up its lips. It had been hiding for a while and used its illusory techniques to create the mist.
It was a lot easier than it expected.
These riders came prepared and had a clear goal.
It wasnt good news to any othermoners but to Bloody Mary, it was decent news.
COMMENT
Since they came prepared, they must have set up specific methods to deal with a particr situation.
In short, going up against enemies who were prejudiced by their first impression was far easier than dealing with enemies who had their guard up at all times.
Though Feliquexs capabilities still surpassed Bloody Marys expectations.
That guy is really something for being able to build an empire in thend with Gods, Bloody Mary muttered softly.
Bloody Mary dared not underestimate the way Feliquex battled with that kind of methoda group of men channelling their powers just to empower a single person.
Bloody Mary and its boss had a simr view in this: quantity incites qualitative changes.
This was a group of hundred, what would happen if it was a thousand?
Even its undying traits might suffer some irreversible damage against the spected scenario.
What if there were a hundred thousand?
Probably the God of War and Lady Cmity, or in the likes of them, had to step down.
Of course, the weakness of such method was obvious in that the single person who would be empowered wasnt a simple selection.
It wasnt just the person, even his sword was the same.
Having a sufficient level of Mystical Knowledge, Bloody Mary picked up Feliquexs sword without any hesitation. It smiled at the other rider who was charging towards it, waving and then disappearing on the spot.
Then, the mist came back.
The raging shouts became horrified screams.
Then, all went silent.
Chapter 1767 - Edatine Castle
Chapter 1767: Edatine Castle
As the mist dissipated, Kieran retracted his vision but his brows were knit together tightly.
It was too easy!
A king who inherited the throne from the age of seven and then eradicated all obstacles when he was sixteen, there was no way this legendary king could be this careless.
Or rather... there was no way he would send some rash men here.
Revealing all the hidden trump cards during the first meeting?
Kieran didnt disagree with the method, a lion going after a rabbit with all its might was a good thing and Kieran was quite fond of doing so, but that was built on top of a clear investigation and grasping everything about the target, yet this king didnt even test the water... It was like the ways of an idiot!
Edatine VI was no idiot, yet hemitted to such a move.
Interesting. It seems like the king is much more interesting than I thought.
Kieran reevaluated the king and added a newment on him, then used the power of the contract to clean the battlefield and after he got a clear reply from the Superior Demon, his eyes looked outside the window.
The convoy, which had split up in two, chose to continue traveling into Edatines territory.
Although there were still mountains and dense forest, such scenery had started to slow down.
During nightfall, Kieran already spotted fields of crops, albeit covered in a thickyer of snow, after the snow melted away it would surely be a fertilend.
Borl, opposite Kieran, finally heaved a breath of relief at knowing the convoy was safe.
Since the convoy had entered Edatines territory, there were more than just sentry soldiers in watch, there were also the elite patrol from the castle. Tnhe robbers and bandits would never dare to appear so close to the castle.
As for pagans, it was also off limits.
One thing worth taking note was that this was God of War and Lady Cmitys territory.
As a matter of fact, it really was.
After Kieran entered Edatines territory, he activated [Tracking] and observed his surroundings.
The wicked presence was a LOT less than what was present at Sicar. There wasnt any trace of the mist at all, even if they were scattered and tiny clouds of mist dissipated quickly.
It seemed like God of War and Lady Cmity had a much more dignified bearing than imagined.
Under such circumstances, the convoy travelled forward safely.
On the second morning, a huge object appeared in everyones sight at the horizon.
Right after the huge object entered everyones sight, Kate Trading Company, which was at the front of the convoy, cheered, followed by the rest of the convoy.
Mr. Borl! Sir Colin, we have arrived at Edatine Castle!
Aschenkano knocked on the carriage and delivered the good news to Borl and Kieran.
Borl suppressed the urge to jump down and have a look at the castle for himself and quietly looked at Kieran.
Kieran opened the window and tilted his head slightly to have a look at the structure further away.
Looking from far away in normal sight, the structure looked like a mountain or a gigantic sleeping beast.
In [Tracking]s vision, the light belonging to God of War rose to the sky, dazzling, eye-catching, and awe-inspiring for anyone who looked at it. However, under the light there hid a cold, gloomy darkness, restraining the light from shining with full power.
Everything was as Kieran expected.
Confrontation and evenly matched.
At the next moment, Kieran retracted his gaze and leaned back into his seat.
Borl quickly looked through the window to have a look at the never-before-seen Edatine Castle, almost pushing half of his body outside the window.
Borl finally sat back in his seat after more than 10 seconds.
As expected of the Mountain Castle, Edatine, it really looks like a mountain. Legend has it that before Edatine I was a king and still a declining noble, this ce was the firstnd he was given. Back then, this ce was just a remote vige. There wasnt even an opennd suitable for farming, let alone building a city. It was and with only rocks, but Edatine I converted the wastnd into treasure. He dug out the stones one by one and slowly built his own castle, which also became the firm fundamentals for him to build his empire. Throughout his legendary life, there were a total of three total crises that happened. For the first two times, the king used the castles defense and managed to ovee the difficulties but he failed to do the same for thest time. The castle that could defend against a myriad of troops failed to block the dagger from his back.
Borl shook his head as though he felt pity for the king.
Kieran, on the other hand, was unmoved by such stories.
It was not that he doubted Borl, but he doubted the roots of all these legends and rumours.
Legends were known as legends because of how unbelievable they sounded. Plus the history books were written by the victors, so it was natural that many things were altered to suit the flow.
Unless it was seen by ones own eyes... no, seeing with ones own eyes might also be false.
Analyse things carefully, otherwise others would make a fool out of you.
Kieran didnt want to be made a fool, so he grew more vignt.
Borl saw Kierans disinterest in the background of Edatine Castle, so he wisely shut up and minded his own business.
Although Edatine IV had issued a royal decree that citizens of thend could buy a dukeship with Gold Purton, Borl wouldnt be satisfied just with a mere dukeship, it was just the lowest requirement of his main mission.
What he needed was toplete his main mission to greater length.
Maybe I can negotiate with that duke. He is in a poor financial state and this will be my best opening.
Decisions made, Borl started to calcte his Gold Purtons, then frowned.
The 3,000 Gold Purton to buy the dukeship was off limits, the 5,000 Gold Purton he hid was all spent, and aside from all that, all the avable funds that he could use was 479 Gold Purton, 14 Silver Sol and 7 Copper Krak.
A little hard to meet ends! Borl knew the duke was not phnthropic, it was fair to consider the man a blood-sucker.
Borl wanted topletely acquire the viges under the dukes name and it would cost him a total of 1,000 Gold Purton back and forth, and if he wanted to get thend from the duke, 479 Gold Purtons wouldnt be enough, he would at least need an extra 500 Gold Purton!
No! Factoring in that the duke was unwilling to be a noble with just the name, the price would probably double!
It might at least cost me 1,500 Gold Purtons!
Where am I supposed to find this kind of money?
Instinctively, Borl looked at Kieran.
Kieran had acquired quite the amount of reward before this and if it was possible... NO!
I dont want to die!
Borl then kept away his troubled gaze.
Although he didnt know the reason, his instinct told him if he really borrowed money from Kieran, he would probably die a graveless death.
Borl trusted his instinct a lot because it had saved his ass more than once.
Money or his life?
Borl picked thetter.
He could earn more if he spent all the money, but if he died?
It would be game over.
Hu!
Taking a heavy breath, Borl leaned back and started to think. He had toe up with a way to earn Gold Purton in a short amount of time.
While he was at it, the convoy had elerated.
After the destination came in sight, everyone was eager to get into Edatine because it didnt just meanpletion of their task and could get paid, it also represented a warm bath and soft bed!
Ainte, the temporary person in charge of Kate Trading Company, was no exception.
He wanted to fly back to his home this instant and hug his wife and kids, but whenever he thought about the merchant group leader and the guard leader Kagu dying on the way here, Ainte couldnt help but frown in his troubled mind.
The owner of the tradingpany wasnt some petty character. Quite the contrary, the owner had quite the reputation. Even Ainte received his help in the past but that did not mean he was a dummy to be made a fool of.
Anyone who tried in the past was made a fool by him now.
As a senior in the tradingpany, Ainte would never do that.
He raised a hand and called a guard to his side.
Go inform the boss, tell him everything that happened along the way, ordered Ainte.
The guard immediately moved out.
Ainte then hesitated for a while before he tapped his horse and headed to Borl and Kierans wagon.
Mr. Borl, Sir Colin.
Borl, who was in deep thought, heard Aintes voice, nking out for a moment before his eyes shone. He notified Kieran and then opened the window.
Yes, Mr. Ainte? Borl asked with a smile.
Mr. Borl, there is something that I would like to request: I hope you and SIr Colin here can go meet my bosster, to speak on my behalf and to testify about what happened. Please do not worry, I mean nothing else, Ainte said,cking the confidence to persuade them.
Your boss? Sir Kate Harl? Borl asked.
Kate Harl, the name had spread through the northern region of Edatine with the famous name of hispany, Kate Trading Company. There were many others who heard of his name throughout the Northern Land, the merchant who started his business from scratch and became a well-known wealthy merchant in a mere 10 years.
Or in short, the legendary merchant!
Rumour had it that his first bucket of gold came from an abandoned iron mine.
The abandoned iron mine actually belonged to another merchant and that merchant tricked Kate Harl into taking the mine as mortgage for a lump sum of 300 Gold Purtons, then he ran away with the money.
When Kate Harl found out, the merchant was already long gone.
300 Gold Purtons was undoubtedly a big amount of money for Kate Harl back then. After he was tricked, he walked into that abandoned iron mine dispirited.
Some said that Kate Harl was trying to die in the mine, but things took an unexpected turn.
Maybe because the frustration in his heart surged before he sought death, the young merchant back then grabbed the iron pickaxe on the ground and smashed it into the wall, venting out his frustration.
Then... Kate Harl found gold!
Thats right, it was actually a gold mine! And it wasnt running low, it was exceptionally rich with gold!
Kate Harl came back from the dead.
Relying on the gold mine, he swiftly rose to prominence and became one of the few powerful merchants in Edatine.
Borl knew everything about such a big merchant.
Yes, Kate Harl is my boss, Ainte exined as he sized up the uneasy Borl, afraid that Borl might decline his request.
It wasnt Borls duty or something that he should do, so even if Borl rejected, Ainte couldnt say anything.
Should I offer some payment of sorts?
If I give some payment now, will the boss misunderstand my intentions?
As an honest man, Ainte was wrestling with his thoughts, but the next moment, Borl nodded.
Sure, Ill go. As for Sir Colin...
Borl prolonged his tone and looked at Kieran, and when he saw Kieran did not show any obvious rejection, he quickly answered, He is also okay with it.
Looking at the quiet Kieran agreeing tacitly, Ainte was overjoyed.
Thank you! Thank you very much! He thanked Kieran repeatedly.
Then, he tapped his horse and returned to the front of the convoy.
Borl looked at Aintes back nkly, and after a while, he rubbed his nose and said, Even an honest man is dishonest at times.
It was obvious that Ainte came for Kieran, Borl was just a tag along.
Borl was certain even if he disagreed and Kieran agreed, Ainte would still be overjoyed.
Feeling the insignificance in his existence, Borl shrugged, but was not mad.
Ainte had his own goal, but so did Borl.
A favor for a favor, consider it even.
Borlforted himself.
He then started to simte the meeting with that legendary merchant, trying to make it as wless as possible.
An hourter, the convoy started to slow down.
Edatine Castle, which was at the horizon earlier, was a very short distance away.
Looking from afar, Edatine Castle looked like a mountain.
Looking up close, Edatine Castle looked like a city that could reach the sky.
30 meter tall walls surrounded the city at the bottom but none of them blocked the buildings, which were built in a ring structure heading upwards. People were moving along the ring structure and the rings were connected to the golden dazzling castle all the way at the top.
Because it was noon, the castle under the bright sun made it look like it was connected to the sun, also looking like it was holding the sun at its tip.
Anyone who saw Edatine Castle for the first time would be in awe, including Borl.
Judging from the productive power of this age, building a city like this is really unimaginable, Borl eximed.
Kieran did not object, but his eyes were absent of the simr joy.
Perhaps there wasnt any technological advancement or scientific methods in this world but this world was filled with gods and pagans, so nothing was impossible. Even things that could not be exined by science happening in this world would be seen as normal.
Kieran kept his gaze from sizing up the city and then looked at the city gate.
The gate wasnt fully opened. Instead, a smaller one, 2 meters tall and 5 meters wide, reced the main one.
Everyone moved in and out of the small gate, merchants and civilians included.
Soldiers on both sides were inspecting the moving crowd strictly.
Beside the soldiers was a fat, middle aged man with two buff servants beside him.
When the middle-aged man saw Kate Trading Companys merchant group, he quickly walked up and weed them.
Kierans eyes did not move together with the man, locking his gaze on the gate instead
There, a seemingly honest civilian in line to enter the city suddenly jumped out when the fat middle-aged man walked past him. The civilian dashed through the two servants and pulled out a hidden dagger, stabbing the middle-aged man in the back of his waist.
Aaarh!
Chapter 1768 - Questioning
Chapter 1768: Questioning
The assassin struck his target in a clean blow, shrinking his body and dodging the attacks from the two servants of the fat middle-aged man like a nimble cat.
The des grazed the assassin by inches yet the assassin did not panic or get nervous, calmly tossing the dagger out of his hand and at the same time pulling the trigger on the hidden contraption.
Sou!
Puak!
The short yet sharp arrow that was fired from his small crossbow on his left arm perforated a servants neck and the dagger plunged into the other servants neck.
The two buff servants who wielded their swords to attack fell to the ground with their hands over their neck.
The assassin still wasnt nervous, standing straight, then grabbing his dagger and pulling it out.
Pak!
The noise of blood spewing sounded again.
The assassin swung the blood off his dagger then put his left thumb up at the soldiers charging at him and slowly moved it over.
Then...
Bang!
Thick smoke filled the surroundings.
The charging soldiers and the people in line to enter the city were enveloped by smoke.
Quiet! Maintain order!
The leader of the soldiers shouted loudly, but it was useless.
Blood and bodies shocked the civilians.
Panicked screams and nervous staggering plunged the area in front of the city gate of Edatine into chaos.
Borl stood there without moving. Such a scene was not often seen but he wasnt a stranger to it.
Blood and bodies were an extremely familiar scene for yers.
Other than a newbie, every veteran yer knew what they should do when encountering a chaotic scene like this: stay in cover and only do things fitting to ones identity.
Never try to change it to your benefit, because it wasnt the time and it would only exacerbate things.
Therefore, Borl wasnt surprised that Kieran kept quiet at the scene.
One thing worth taking note was that this ce was in front of Edatine Castle! The castle that housed God of War and Lady Cmity!
Even the ming Devil couldnt do as he pleased and disregard all consequences!
Though Borl was much more concerned about the dead body.
Hope that guy isnt who I think it is, Borl prayed softly.
When you are in between good and bad, bad things tend to happen with a much bigger possibility, answered Kieran.
Borl looked helpless, knowing that the fat middle aged man might very well be the legendary merchant, Kate Harl, but his heart still tried to feel lucky.
However, as the smoke dissipated, Aintes face showed horror and was at a loss of action as he rushed towards that body. Borl then showed a bitter smile.
Finished.
His most direct and simple channel of getting a loan died right before his eyes and that still wasnt the worst.
The worst thing would be that following the legendary merchant Kate Harls death, more and more soldiers appeared at the city gate and everyone at the scene would have to go through strict inspection, especially the outsiders who would be the primary targets for questioning.
Looking at the soldiers who surrounded the merchant group with their unsheathed swords and lit muskets, Borl cooperatively raised his hands, signalling that he was harmless.
Kieran expected this scene to happen so he was already back in the wagon.
The soldiers were there to control the scene, the real interrogator wouldnt be them.
Rather than wasting time with the soldiers down there, might as well have some tea and eat some biscuits.
The tea was aromatic and the biscuits were sweet.
Although it wasnt as crispy as freshly baked biscuits, it still had an unusual taste with it, feeling like it had sunk through time.
Kieran was certain if the biscuits were put there for a couple more days, bluish green spots would appear.
Fortunately, the spots hadnt appeared and it was still edible at the moment.
Standing outside the carriage, Borl, with his hands in the air, clearly heard Kieran chewing on the biscuits and sipping on tea. As the cold wind blew into his face, he couldnt help but shrink his neck.
Uh... C-Can I go grab a coat? Borl asked the soldiers.
The soldiers replied by pushing their muskets straight to Borls forehead.
Okay, okay, I got it, Borl quickly stood still but his eyes were sizing up his surroundings.
The people who were in line to enter the city were apprehended on the other side by a team of soldiers. Several uniformed men were checking their identifications, one after another, the same went for the merchant group.
The only difference was there were a lot more soldiers at the merchant group side and tension was at an all time high between them.
Why?
It was simple. The guards of the merchant group.
The armed guards who had a buffer body and fitter physique than normal men threatened the soldiers presence-wise, making them feel like they were facing a great doe.
Borl shook his head quietly.
The assassin should be long gone and he was certain about it.
Thest smoke bomb the assassin tossed out allowed him to vanish without a sight and it made Borls heart sink deeper.
He was not worried about that assassin doing anything to him, he was worried about the soldiers, because judging from the assassination, everyone would acknowledge that this was a meticulously nned assassination.
The most important point of all was how did Kate Harl appear at the city gate?
Aside from that, when did Kate Harl appear?
He must have received a letter from Ainte and the letter was sent to Kate Harl because of what happened to the convoy along the journey.
He and Kieran had solved the little incident but of course Kieran was the one who did the heavy lifting, he was just there to p and cheer.
But... those interrogators would never agree on the same page, albeit both of them were truly innocent!
In order to quickly suppress the assassination, those interogators would never spare any suspicious details and if there were some descpiable souls among them, in order to hasten the process, they might even create false evidence and frame someone to make them a scapegoat.
Right away, Borls mind painted out a scene about the interrogators being burned to cinders when they tried to interrogate Kieran
It was true that the ming Devil could control himself but definitely not to the point that he could swallow up grievances after being bullied. It wasnt his style.
Ive just arrived at Edatine Castle and havent evenpleted the lowest requirement of my main mission and I have to face something like the God of War and Lady Cmity? I know I might have decided to achieve more than the lowest requirement, but... isnt this a little too hasty? Im not ready!
Borls bitter smile grew heavier.
Once Kieran striked, going up against the God of War and Lady Cmity was almost certain.
There was no extra space to turn this around and Borl only hoped that this fight woulde at ater time.
However, Borls expectation did note into fruition. A man in uniform talked to Ainte, who squatted down beside Kate Hars body nkly, and asked some questions before he walked over to Borl.
The man was rather young, the tip of his nose a little crooked, making it look like a hawks mouth. His eyes were sharp like an eagle and his long golden hair touched his shoulder, shallowly covering that silver shoulder medal.
The medal represented his identity: a knight.
Although he wasnt a chief of the knights, he was far higher in rank than normal soldiers and captains, probably in the same rank as the deputy chief of an infantry squad.
Considering his age and the little details in his walk, Borl could tell the young man was from a noble background, not just any noble background but one with an extremely long history.
Otherwise, a young man of his age could not have gotten the position.
On the other hand, there was also something good about a big noble family with a history: good manners and the ability to keep his countenance.
When the young man was in front of Borl, his eagle-like eyes had sized up Borl many times over, so he said directly, Kuer Horton.
The young man stated his name.
Horton?
The family name immediately rang a bell in Borls mind: the deputy finance minister of Edatine Castle, Marquis Horton.
A noble family with quite the reputation and a long history.
Rumour had it that the marquis was also a blonde.
Borl had a better look at the young man before he bowed slightly to show his manners.
Borl. Its a pleasure, Sir Kuer Horton. If you have anything to ask, please do not hesitate, I wont hide any of the details.
Borl replied like a merchant that matched his identity.
Can you tell me about the attack that you saw right here? Kuer Horton asked.
Sure.
Borl nodded and told everything that happened without missing any details. In the end, Borl even added, We RUSHED to Edatine Castle because of some urgent matters, there are a lot behind me who shared the same situation and problem.
Kuer Horton heard Borls boration and nodded without truly giving his opnion on the matter.
The young noble of course understood what Borl was say, since Borl purposely emphasized the word rushed but he did not have the slightest intention of letting them go.
It was not that he did not believe Borl. When Borl was exining, Kuer Horton had been scanning Borl and he was certain that Borl did not lie, plus his words matched Aintes.
Kuer Horton didnt know much about Borl but he understood Ainte quite well, which gave him theconfidence to say that Borl did not lie, at least for now.
Though Kuer Horton at the moment did not care about the truth anymore, he showed strong interest in the person who was able to clean up the pagans.
Kuer Horton unconsciously looked towards the carriage.
Is that Colin inside? asked Kuer Horton.
He is, Borl did not deny but his heart was sighing.
I knew it! Im going to challenge Hell mode right away!
As a veteran yer, Borl clearly knew the rules of the dungeon world.
Whenever a yer chooses to carry out orplete the current main mission with extra difficulty, the main mission would change, and from there, the ratings and rewards would increase correspondingly.
Borl wasnt against that but... could he proceed step by step?
At least let me finish the lowest requirement of the main mission first before throwing me into such a situation! Let me cope, please!
After Borls confirmation, Kuer Horton did not care about him anymore. He reached out to the carriage door and intended to open it, but his educational background made him stop the moment he tried to forcefully open it.
He released his hand and changed to a knock instead.
Knock, knock, knock.
Come in.
After Kierans voice sounded, the young noble did not hesitate anymore, pulling open the door and boarding the carriage, then closing the door.
He signaled Kieran with a gaze then sat on Borls seat and started to size up Kieran with his sharp eyes.
ck coat, ck pants, ck boots, a sheepskin overcoat hung beside him.
A normal looking face, young but mature, half leaning on the seat, seeminglyzy, with a calm and casual gaze; had long hands but no visible calluses.
But...
Unknowingly, Kuer Hortons heart throbbed endlessly,like it was looking at a tiger sleeping in front of him.
No! Not even a tiger can affect me like this! Only when in front of those councilmen do I feel so pressured!
Dont wake him up! Do not wake him up!
A voice in his mind kept telling him that and Kuer Horton was definitely not an ungrateful young man.
He paused for a while to bury the words he was going to say deep in his heart, putting away his sharp gaze and switched to a kind tone before he asked, Sir Colin, I assume?
Yes, Kieran nodded.
Kuer Horton, The young noble introduced himself again and extended his right hand.
After making sure the young noble did not bear any malicious intent or had any hidden traps around him, Kierans manners also made him reply to that shake.
Both hands split quickly after a firm shake.
Kieran leaned back on the seat again while Kuer Horton savoured the feeling of Kierans hand.
It was like what he saw, there were no calluses, but it was unusually powerful.
The hand could easily crush even steel.
With suchments in his heart, the young noble immediately showed a delightful smile.
Sir Colin, why are you here in Edatine Castle? he asked.
Its because Borl invited me. I saved Borl on the way and he invited me as his guard to escort him to the castle, Kieran said without revealing the whole truth.
Oh I see, I guess the journey here isnt all that peaceful. Ive asked Sir Borl about the encounters earlier. Those pagans arent that easy to deal with, right? The young noble went around the question.
Its fine I guess. They are used to hiding in the dark but if you can find their weakness, its not that hard, replied Kieran.
This was theplete truth.
This dungeon world might be unique, but it still had rules and traces to follow, including those pagans.
As long as the pagans movement patterns were exposed, taking them out wouldnt be that hard, especially those who hadnt even achieved descension.
If it was against those who were just born, with enough willpower, a single musket would be enough.
Its only for... people like you. About the assassination that just went down, what do you think about it?
The young noble paused and hid the words that he was going to say, then diverted the topic.
Nothing in particr, Kieran said brazenly.
The young noble jolted.
Although it was toned down a lot, he could tell Kieran truly did not care about all of this.
Kuer Horton doubted for a second before he tested the water again.
Then... how do you see the new royal decree? Allowing the purchase of dukeship using Gold Purton.
The young noble unconsciously lowered his voice.
Nothing also, Kieran shook his head again.
It was something Borl should be concerned about, not him.
The young noble was bedazzled at Kierans reaction.
Did I guess wrongly?
Kuer Horton started to doubt his own deduction, but he did not reveal it, instead taking out a small pack of candy and cing it on the tea table.
I see you are fond of pastries and sweets. Consider this a little something for your time. They are quality candy from Snowy Owl Candy House. I like them and always carry some with me. This pack is a new one, I havent opened them yet, said Kuer Horton.
Thank you, Kieran thanked him softly.
He then pointed outside the carriage and said softly, Be careful.
Chapter 1769 - Enter the City
Chapter 1769: Enter the City
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Be careful?
Kuer Horton jolted, but reacted right away since he was no idiot, nodding at Kieran gratefully before pushing the door open.
Outside the carriage, Borl was still surrounded by the soldiers.
I really dont mean any harm, I wont cause any trouble either. Im a legal merchant!
Borl exined to Kuer Horton in a bitter smile.
The soldiers around him also looked at the young noble, waiting for a new order.
Kuer Horton waved his hand. He was actually on guard but he did not show anything on his expression.
Its fine, he...
BANG!
Before the young noble finished, one of the soldiers suddenly pulled the trigger.
sh shone at the muzzle of the musket and the pellet shot out was flying towards the young noble.
As though he could predict the future, right after the soldier pulled the trigger, Kuer Horton stepped aside then drew his flintlock pistol along with the motion, then pulled the trigger.
Bang!
The pistol was certainly not amon good, the pellet that flew out was so fast that it looked unconceivable.
Almost instantly after the second shot sounded, the soldier who fired the musket fell to the ground.
Blood spewed out from his chest but the shot did not kill him.
After falling to the ground, the soldier rolled away and tried to run towards the convoy.
He wanted to create a scene and escape using the chaos, but Kuer Horton was quicker.
Bang!
Without loading, the young noble pulled the trigger again.
The pistol wasnt directly pointed at the rogue soldier, it was slightly tilted forward and when the pellet was fired, it precisely hit its target.
It seemed like other than boosting the speed of the fired pellet, this flintlock pistol also had the ability to fire multiple times.
The rogue soldier fell on the ground again, and this time, he stayed down.
Kuer Horton waved his hand.
The other soldiers who were still in shock regained their senses and gathered around the fallen soldier... assassin.
Those who werent too stupid could already tell what was going on.
Kate Harl wasnt the real target, Kuer Horton was, but the young noble had been prepared and was able to foil the assassins n.
Unconsciously, the soldiers gaze at Kuer Horton had a trace of admiration.
Borl was shocked too.
He looked at the young noble in an astonishing gaze but quickly shifted his gaze to the carriage, thinking this little incident could be rted to Kieran.
While he was pondering the question, the fallen assassin was tied up.
Is it him? Kuer Horton asked Borl.
Its not. The previous assassins were thinner and had longer face structures, their eyes are different too, Borl replied firmly.
Although he was a little far away from the previous assassin, Borl thought it was not possible for him to see wrongly.
Is that so. Fairly organized I see.
With ridiculing words, Kuer Horton waved his hand and smashed the handle of the pistol on the assassins face. The assassin once again fell to the ground and this time, all his teeth falling out too.
Check him again, see if he is hiding any of those poisons with him. Find a doctor to treat him, I dont want him to die just yet, Kuer Horton told several interrogators in uniforms, who ran over because of the second attempted assassination.
Yes, Sir Horton, the leader of the interrogators assured the young noble.
Then, a syringe appeared in his hand and was poked into the assassins neck.
The struggling assassin was instantly silenced, and other than the fact that he was still breathing, he was no different from a dead man.
The interrogators then carried the assassin away. The soldiers also followed them and left the scene because they would also be questioned.
After all, the interrogators had run a quick inspection on this assassin. This assassin did not put on any makeup, neither did he alter his looks, his face was the same as when he first appeared.
In short, this assassin was a spy who had been hiding among the soldiers for quite a while now.
Kuer Horton knew the odds were slim but he didnt mind trying.
It wasnt just because it was a necessary standard operating procedure, it was also because everyone tended to hope for the best oue in their hearts.
Though he was grateful that he didnt try to be lucky in front of real danger, otherwise it would be him who got carried away.
Kuer Horton turned around and headed to the carriage again.
This time around, the young noble was much more polite than before because he knew if it wasnt for the hint, the situation would have ended differently and it wouldnt be pretty.
He knocked on the door lightly.
Knock, knock, knock.
Come in, Kierans voice sounded again.
Kuer Horten entered the carriage and bowed by bending his waist forward 90 degrees.
Although it was quite ufortable bowing to such extent in the carriage with limited space, the young noble insisted and then expressed his gratitude.
Thank you. I know words cannot express my gratitude enough, so if you run into any problem in your time at Edatine Castle, you can alwayse to me at Marquis Horton mansion. I will do my best to return the favour.
The young noble gave a promise which sounded like it had no upper limit.
Kieran looked at the young man and shook his head.
No need for that. Youve thanked me enough, they tasted quite nice.
Kieran pointed at the packet of candy from Snowy Owl Candy House on the table. The packet was opened and the red, green, blue, and yellow candies inside were revealed.
Each candy was round and sparkled like a crystal, the clear parts reflecting the sunlight and shining an unusual color.
Kieran picked a red one and tossed it into his mouth.
A faint watermelon taste came, the sweetness rich but not overwhelming.
It seemed like the quality product of Snowy Owl Candy House was not some half-baked product.
Looking at how Kieran responded, the young noble got stunned. He then thought of something and shook his head helplessly.
As you wish then, but my promise is still valid, said Kuer Horton.
He bowed again before he left the carriage.
Kieran didnt stop him and saw the young noble off, having the least intention of keeping him inpany.
As for the promise he gave?
He might be able to solve some normal problems but against problems that exceed hisprehension, it would be useless to ask him for help, so Kieran wasnt moved at the promise without an upper limit.
One must always be vignt, and on top of that, know ones self-worth.
Both elements were crucial for anyone.
Borl returned to the carriage, saw the candies on the table, and smiled.
Everything was just as his expectation, Kuer Horton received a hint from Kieran.
What a lucky guy! Im a little bit jealous! said Borl.
He was saying that from his mouth but he mimicked Kieran and leaned on the soft cushion of the seat.
As for the other matters, like the rtionship with Kuer Horton and solving the problem at hand?
Borl never thought of it because he knew how Kuer Horton would treat a merchant.
Perhaps because Borl and Kieran travelled together, discounts and benefits would be given but there was definitely a limit.
Unless... that young noble could rope Kieran into his own side, but would it be possible?
Borl wished not to sabotage the decent rtionship with Kieran. Once broken, no amount of Gold Purton couldpensate him.
Speaking of Gold Purton, he woulde up with a way to get around it.
After all, Edatine Castle was huge, there would always be some dark corners which should not be seen by the public, right?
After he made up his mind, Borl released the worries in his heart and rxed,cing the teapot on the heater.
When the water boiled, Borl casually started to chat.
Edatine Castle is much more dangerous than I thought. There arent just those two Gods, things behind the scenes are brewing fiercely also. An heir to the marquis was almost killed in front of my eyes. Thankfully he did not, otherwise our Edatine trip would have to end before it even began. Colin, who do you think is aiming for that young mans life? Could it be Marquis Hortons enemy? Or those... who do not agree with Edatine VIs royal decree?
As he talked, Borl unconsciously sat straight.
It was impossible for everyone to favour the new royal decree issued by Edatine VI, there must be resistance among the people.
Though going up against Edatine VI directly wasnt a good idea for the resistance, they ought to do something in the dark.
Therefore, as one of the most loyal people to Edatine VI, Marquis Horton was a decent target.
It wasnt just because Marquis Horton was extremely loyal to the king, it was also because the marquis was Edatine Castles deputy financial minister. Many rumours suggested that he was the one who suggested the new royal decree to the king.
Given such circumstances, the situation revolving the marquis was quite self-exnatory.
All is possible, but unlikely. Its too obvious. It might act as a deterrent but it would only make things worse and loud, I dont think those old nobles are willing tomit to this extent either, they are more towards getting benefits and gains for themselves. Though... there is someone who is likely to see this happen.
Kieran voiced his opinion.
Regarding the situation in Edatine Castle, Borl had spoken about it more than once during the casual chats, plus the information he collected along the way. The scene that happened just now wasnt that hard for Kieran to decipher.
Borl also quickly reacted to the hint.
You are talking about... the king? Borl softened his voice.
Mm, Kieran nodded.
Only the king, the one responsible for issuing the royal decree, hoped to make things worse and from there, the king would have a valid reason to make a move against those who opposed him, cleaning them up in the end.
It doesnt sound right! Marquis Horton is on the kings side, even if it is a ruse of inflicting injury on oneself to win the confidence of the enemy, wouldnt the cost be too huge to pay? Borl frowned.
Since he is going the hard way, paying the greater cost would make it look real, said Kieran.
Earlier in the carriage, Kieran clearly sensed a faint and vague killer intent outside. The faint feeling told him that he wasnt the target.
So if it wasnt for his hint, the assassin disguised as a soldier would have had a very big chance to heavily injure Kuer Horton.
As for truly taking his life, it was impossible.
Based on what his Intuition picked up, Kieran was sure the young noble had at least 3 magical items with him and one of them was to save lives.
Borl did not have the powerful Intuition like Kieran but he too had deducted a simr scenario.
Kuer Horton would die? No, thats not right. As the heir to the marquis, he must have one or two items on him to save his life, therefore he would surely end up only severely injured. The old marquis would go lodge aint to the king, followed by the kings fury and starting to investigate this assassination attempt. Wait! Since we kinda messed up the kings n, will hee to us for revenge?
Borl then looked at Kieran with a rather worried look.
He knew all the rumours and legends surrounding Edatine VI, he would never want to end up as an enemy to the king.
From a certain aspect, offending the king would carry more severe consequences than offending the God of War and Lady Cmity because the whole of Edatine Castle belonged to him. All of his subjects were supposed to be loyal to their king and only a portion of the subjects were believers of Gods.
In short, Edatine VI had the advantage of numbers and manpower.
Perhaps the number of powerhouses under the kingsmand might not be as many as the two Gods, but he definitely had the ability topletely seal his enemys movements in his turf.
Borl would not want to see such an oue.
He wont. What he wanted is exactly this, not Kuer Horton severely injured or on the verge of dying. More so, speaking of death, someone is already dead, Kieran shook his head.
You are talking about Kate Harl? Mm. The person behind Kate Harl should be that old Marquis Horton. Only under such circumstances can Kuer Horton appear the fastest after Kate Harl was assassinated. Otherwise, given his identity and position, unless it was the assassination of some nobles, he would never havee to the scene, said Kieran slowly.
After listening to Kierans exnation, Borl heaved a breath of relief.
Borl wasnt surprised at Kierans sharpness in noticing the details of the scene.
Viewing it from a certain aspect, Borl thought this was the true face of the ming Devil.
Among all the solo yers, relying on brute strength and zero brains, he could never havested long in the game. Even if they were lucky enough to clear the newbie stage, it would be hard for them to tread forward.
Brains and brawns are both as important, not one should be missed out!
As for why the ming Devil preferred to solve problems with force?
It was because solving those problems with force was easier than solving them with brains!
With the spections lingering in his heart, Borl picked up the teapot and poured a cup of tea for Kieran.
While he was pouring tea, the wagon finally moved again.
All the interrogators had retreated, returning the gate of Edatine Castle to its normal operation.
As things were proceeding at a normal pace, the wagon travelled forward a lot faster.
Half an hourter, Borls wagon was released from inspection.
The soldiers werent idiots.
The scene that happened earlier told them the people inside this particr wagon werent people they should give a hard time to.
The thickness of the gate was half a meter and the walls were over 40 meters wide.
COMMENT
When the wagon travelled through the gate, it was like moving through a tunnel.
On both sides of the wall, there was a torch installed every five meters.
The fire on the torches was fluttering, the shadows cast by the light distorted.
A hidden figure in the dark locked his gaze on the wagon and muttered repeatedly, Snake Sect? Snake Sect? Snake Sect...
Chapter 1770 - The Night Before
Chapter 1770: The Night Before
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The night breeze whistled over Hoikas long hair.
Compared to the time taken by the convoy to arrive, Hoika took twice as less time for he was travelling alone, having arrived back at Edatine Castle a day before.
He did not enter the city through the city gate but through a secret tunnel at the side of the gate.
The secret tunnel did not lead straight inside the castle, leading downwards instead.
It was natural that the secret tunnel belonging to Silent Night Secret Society was heavily guarded.
When Hoika walked down the stairs...
Who goes there?!
A loud shout came from the shadow.
Hoika did not reply verbally, instead tossing a token into the shadow.
A whileter, the token was brought back to him respectfully.
Please continue on carefully, Sir Undying, said the guard respectfully.
Among the Silent Night Secret Society, other than the councilmen of the higher ranks, the name Hoika the Undying was definitely polished, and from a certain aspect, he was even more well-known than the councilmen.
After all, the 17 councilmen were very high up, the lower ranks barely had a chance toe across them. On the contrary, the lower ranks had more contact with the field agents like Hoika and Luncar.
Hoika maintained his usual countenance when he was greeted respectfully.
His high cheekbones were filled with arrogance but those long and thin eyes shimmered sharply.
He did not forget his identity as a member of Snake Sect.
If it wasnt for his teachers repeated reminders and telling him not to do anything rash, he would have burned this ce to the ground and avenge the dead Demon Hunters.
Wolf Sect on the bright side, Snake Sect on the dark side.
For the sake of safety, both sides barelymunicated but it did not mean a stale rtionship.
Based on what Hoika knew, Snake Sect had helped Wolf Sect from the dark countless times and the past leader of Wolf Sect also provided countless help to Snake Sect in return.
Unfortunately... After that cataclysmic disaster and following Wolf Sect leaders death, the rtionship was cut off all of a sudden.
Of course, it wasnt just that.
Some with ulterior motives are hiding in Wolf Sect.
Hoikas heart throbbed when he recalled what his teacher said.
It was obvious that Silent Night Secret Society was doing exactly what Snake Sect was doing.
His mission for this trip was to find the potential spy, which wouldnt be easy, especially when he had to ensure his own safety. Though Hoika did not step down from the mission.
Snake, hides in the Mist.
Snake, moves with the shadow.
Infiltrating and investigation is my profession, so let us see who is the better one at the job!
Hoika said in his heart as he strode forward.
He was walking along a corridor and after this corridor, there was another flight of stairs leading downward.
After the same scene had repeated itself multiple times and when he was almost a hundred meters underground, depth-wise, a town appeared in his sight.
Standard-sized houses, a tarven, a stable, a cksmith, everything was there.
Silent Night Town!
This was one of the biggest bases of Silent Night Secret Society that Hoika knew of. The members of the society and their family members lived here.
The members who lived here werent those of the outer ring, the outer ring members didnt even know of this towns existence.
Those who lived in Silent Night Town were all recognized members who had been through tests, the backbone of the lower ranks of Silent Night Secret Society.
Of course, Hoika did not live here before. He had a much better, more suitable ce to stay.
He came all the way here to submit his mission.
The person in charge of this town, Mieren, was the manager of the field agents. Rumour had it that he would be running for the councilmen seat at the next election.
Hoika bought nothing of that rumour because he knew what the councilmen of Silent Night Secret Society representedthey had transcended above human limits and were moving towards God status.
It was obvious that this rumour was a smokescreen released by the person in charge for him to better manage the town.
Hoika had no intentions of exposing the lies.
Everyone bowed respectfully at him as he walked past the people.
Hoika in his cold face walked into Mieren office.
Mieren was a scrawny middle-aged man who wore a long robe with golden thread woven on it, like hanging a robe on a stick, and as he stood up, the robe on him waved.
Wee back, Hoika. Hows Sicar for you? Did you see that rumoured worm hiding in the shadow? He wouldnt be as pitiful and helpless like the little doggies we hunted and killed, right?
He sounded very passionate when he mentioned Snake Sect, disdain also appearing on his face at a perfect timing.
I saw them. They are powerful, Hoika said coldly.
The cold reaction wasnt because of the rage at Mieren mocking Snake and Wolf Sect, it was because Hoika always treated everyone else in Silent Night Secret Society with this cold attitude.
Dont be so cold, we are familiar acquaintances right? Then what about that Mist religious sect? What did you hear about them? Mieren asked with a smile, not at all upset by Hoikas attitude.
Mieren, we barely know each other. The Mist is already a demi-god. He and Snake Sect are heavily connected.
Hoika emphasized on their rtionship before he reported honestly.
This information couldnt remain hidden even if he wanted it to.
Even if he kept it to himself, someone else would discover some inkling with some investigation. Rather than keeping it to himself, he might as well reveal it honestly so that he could save himself some trouble.
Hoika knew exactly where Silent Night Secret Societys power ranked.
Is that so? Okay then, I got it. This is your reward for this mission. If you need any kind of special service, I can also help you with that, Mieren nodded and then handed a bag of Gold Purton to Hoika.
I dont need anything else Hoika received the bag then left.
Looking at Hoikas back, Mieren put away his smile.
Hmph! Ungrateful bastard! You will regret it sooner orter!
Mieren clenched his teeth hard and muttered to himself viciously. He then switched back to a smiling face and walked to the back of his office.
Behind his office were two hawks.
Mieren tied the letter that he had just finished writing onto one of the hawks legs, then freed it from the shackles. The hawk then dived into the tunnel and disappeared.
There were other quicker ways to send a message but they werent as safe!
Usingmunication spells in Edatine Castles proximity could very well attract attention from War God Temple and Mieren had no way to cover it up.
Therefore, amunication hawk became necessary.
Then, he tied another letter on the other hawks lead and also freed it.
The two hawks werent going to the same destination and the receiver would not just be a single person.
Listening to the hawks sounds gradually going into the tunnel, Mieren returned to his office and sat down on his chair, trying to cover his expression with a smile, but that excitement in his heart was brazen.
This is a rare chance! I must seize it! Mieren screamed in his heart.
...
Luncar, in a body offortable robes, was sitting in the chair.
In front of him was a round tea table with several white-as-milk ceramic teapots and teacups.
The tea set was imported from the east, highly valuable and was one of Luncars favourite tea sets. Likewise the tea that he was drinking, its value wasparable to gold.
The tea cake was cut with a silver tea knife into a small block, cut squarely and ced on the white ceramic saucer. The dark green tea block and the white ceramic saucer formed an appealing scene.
Luncar purposely learned how to make tea in order to wee the uing important figure.
Simr to the ceramic tea set, he wouldnt take it out during other times but since he was expecting a guest, he thought it would be better for him to go all out.
Seconds turned into minutes.
When the knocks came from his door, Luncar flew over like an arrow and opened it.
Good evening, Councilman Colipo, Luncar respectfully greeted the man in a hood over his head, which covered most of his face.
The man nodded slightly and then walked into the room before he removed the hood to smile.
An old face was behind the hood and with a smile on his face, the wrinkles on his face got deeper, though a pair of bright eyes made him look a lot younger than his real age.
Good evening, Luncar. Is this tea from Auspicious Tree? I am eager to have a taste.
Colipo saw the tea set and tea leaves on the table and reacted eagerly.
Please hold on a moment.
Luncar really wanted to tter this councilman and express how humble and low he was but he remembered what the tea master taught him: be neither supercilicous nor obsequious
Though that waist of his could barely stand straight.
All he did was push his shoulders backward to make himself look like he was standing straight, yet he looked more like an ostrich.
His ways around the tea set and preparation of the tea were very precise and standard though.
Luncar learned the skills through resilient practice.
If you cant cover up your shorings, attract people with what you are good at.
He remembered what the tea master taught him.
From boiling water to making tea, every step was performed with the utmost precision.
When the hot water was poured from the top and into the tea cup, the fragrance of the tea spread into the air. Luncar picked up the tea with both his hands, bent his body, and offered it to Colipo.
Please.
ording to the tea master, this please should be firm and clear yet when it was spoken by Luncar, it sounded more ttering than firm.
Colipo received the tea, not caring about how hot the tea was, and finished it with a single gulp. He then squinted his eyes as if he was savouring the aftertaste. Secondster, he smiled and said, Not bad.
Luncar wasrelieved when he heard this littlepliment.
It seemed like the investigation from the Undying shared a great resemnce to his own report.
It might differ in some parts but so what?
It was obvious that Luncar the Instigator did not research the matter as detailed as the Undying.
If the investigation results were the same, how could the Undying be the ace among the field agents?
Sir councilman, another? People say the tea of Auspicious Tree only tastes better as you drink on, said Luncar.
Youve never drank it before? Colipo returned the tea cup and asked.
Of course not. The tea of Auspicious Tree is very hard toe by. It has a market in Edatine Castle but no one could afford the price. Those who want to have a taste of the tea have to order it from Qitar Bay of the south and a round trip to the east via boat would need at least 5 months, which is too long. Thankfully for you, I was able to drink it.
While Luncar exined how hard it was to get the tea leaves, his face showed a rather exaggerated fortunate smile.
In fact, Luncar wished that he could exaggerate the way of obtaining 10 times more.
The harder for him to get the tea, the more he would look humble and low which would also set off how prestigious Colipo was.
But Luncar dare not act recklessly, he knew who Colipo really was.
Overextending was as bad as falling short, Luncar new the saying very well.
If there were lies in what he just said?
He would then wee his death.
Councilman Colipo seemed to be quite satisfied with the honesty coupled with some nice exaggeration, nodding in satisfaction.
His cup was filled with tea again and he finished it in a gulp before he said, irehore is back.
Although he already knew, Luncar still stood straight and was all ears at what Colipo had to say.
He has confirmed the existence of Snake Sect and also confirmed the connection between Snake Sect and the Mist religious sect, but... thats all he got.
Colipo paused for a moment and looked at Luncar.
Luncar got the hint right away, he knew what Councilman Colipo wanted to do.
The power of Silent Night Secret Society was undoubted, especially after the ck Cataclysm, when the power had reached its zenith.
Things always went downhill when they reached the highest point!
After the society was at its zenith, a downhill path ought toethe 17 councilmen who fought together seemed to have encountered some problems because of the ck Cataclysm.
Luncar did not know what it was but he knew Councilman Colipo in front of him was opposing another councilman of the same rank, Councilman Kurtzargert.
Coincidentally, the Undying was considered a field agent under Councilman Kurtzargert, just like how Luncar was for Colipo.
Their positions werent something that a mere field manager, Mieren, could control anymore.
Likewise, the height of their positions was also closely rted to the councilman they pledged loyalty to.
So Luncar sucked in a deep breath.
Given the Undyings abilities, investigations would be done better by him than me. Its hard for me to beat him in this particr field, but we have our advantages as well. Do you remember those captives we held in the cells?
Bending over, Luncar moved closer to Colipo inorder to whisper softly.
When Luncar mentioned the captives, Councilman Colipo instantly knew what his man was trying to do, quickly showing a smile.
Do as you wish. I dont want Kurtzargert to take all the credits on the next council meeting, understand? said Colipo.
I understand! The reply from Luncar was firm and decisive.
Very well.
Colipo stood up then tapped on Luncars shoulder. While Luncar was overwhelmed, Colipo slowly left the house, which was located at the Center Second Ring.
The door slowly closed and out of respect, Luncar stood behind the window and saw the councilman off.
When the councilman merged with the darkness, Luncar grabbed his coat and put on a mantle before he strode to another secretive location.
This secretive location was along the way to the prison and it was handpicked by Luncar himself.
Striding along the shadow, Luncar did not leave any traces behind and when he strode past a back window of a building, he knocked three times on it, one long and two short.
He then continued forward as if he had done nothing.
After more than 10 seconds, a person appeared in the shadow in front of him.
Looking at the person that appear, Luncar showed a smile and greeted him casually, Good evening, Undying.
Chapter 1771 - Reciprocity
Chapter 1771: Reciprocity
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Hoika slightly nodded as a greeting, very cold.
Hoika was never fond of the Instigator who stood before him.
In his eyes, the Instigator was the typical Silent Night member. Not only would he harm others for the sake of his own benefit, he was also a greedy and ruthless person. If it was possible, the best oue after the meeting would be killing him right away, but it was not possible for they were working together.
In order to root oneself firmly in Silent Night Secret Society, strength was mandatory and other than that, one would need urate and quick intel.
As the direct subordinate of Councilman Colipo and Councilman Kurtzargert respectively, Luncar and Hoika each possessed secret intel.
In order to make everything convenient, a reciprocal cooperation was inevitable.
Of course, Hoika hoped to find out more about the Demon Hunters through him.
After all, Councilman Colipo was always responsible for punishment in the society.
The councilman doesnt want you to steal all the limelight. Therefore, he is ready to send me to destroy the remaining Demon Hunters.
Luncar was used to the arrogance of the Undying, so as he walked, he muttered.
He was very soft but he made it clear enough for Hoika to hear him.
Hoikas heart throbbed but he didnt show it on his face.
The councilman is contacting others and is currently preparing to impeach Colipo. You will be treated as a priority target, he said softly.
Then, both of them walked past each other and headed towards different directions in the shadows.
The meeting was very short, but to both Hoika or Lucar, it was more than enough.
Luncar knew what kind of trouble would be waiting for him and Hoika got the intel on the remaining Demon Hunters.
With sufficient gains, both of them were satisfied with the oue, especially Luncar.
As he sought to move a step ahead, he started to think of countermeasures and ways to gain rted opportunities.
With that thought in mind, Luncar headed into his secret hideout.
This hideout of his was located near the market in the Central Second Ring.
The noise of the day was absent, only the silence of the night remaining.
Group after group of patrolling soldiers with torches shuttled back and forth. There were also sharpshooters at high vantage points, looking down at everything.
Luncar, in the shadows, nced over the direction of the market but did not move forward, moving into the room beside him. Inside the room, a well-prepared member of the society immediately opened up the entrance to the secret passageway.
The passageway led all the way to the dungeon of Silent Night Secret Society, which was under Councilman Colipos control.
As he walked into the secret passageway, Luncar slightly heaved a breath of relief.
The sharpshooters in the high vantage points pressured him a lot.
As a matter of fact, every time he came down to the dungeon, Luncars heart couldnt help but feel scared.
He couldnt understand why Councilman Colipo built his dungeon in this kind of ce.
Although the sharpshooters were intimidating and could easily deter anyone, their high vantage point also exposed them.
As for bribing the sharpshooters?
Luncar wouldnt even think of it, for he knew how loyal the royal court guardians.
Simr to the Demon Hunter locked up in the dungeon, they were all stubborn knuckleheads.
How are those three Demon Hunters?
Luncar asked the member who stood guard in the passageway.
The same as always. One is still crazy, one is still nk, and one is still in aa. They are like garbage now, said the member.
Garbage? No matter how useless a piece of garbage is, it still can find use, let alone a person, said Luncar with a smile.
On journey to the dungeon, Luncar was talking to the guard in a delightful manner.
The topic of their conversation was vast but it was all for the sake of collecting intel.
It was very inefficient but Luncar had no choice.
Not all were like the Undying, who was able to be his coborator.
A small fry like a guard would only cause catastrophic trouble should he be Luncars coborator.
Luncar was sure the guard would sell him out in a heartbeat.
As for taking the guard under his wing?
Just forget it. Everyone knew who the boss was in this dungeon.
It was Councilman Colipo, not Luncar.
But... Its only for now! Luncar said to himself.
Soon, when an iron door appeared ahead of them, the conversation stopped.
The dungeon guard took out the key to the door.
Behind the door was a dark and humid passage.
On one side of the wall were many tools for torture, on the other side of the wall was the dungeon cell.
There were a total of 11 cells in the dungeon. They once held the enemies of Silent Night Secret Society and not all of them were Demon Hunters, but now only the Demon Hunters were left.
In the first cell, on top of a pile of dirty grass,y a woman who looked like a mummy.
Her breathing was extremely weak, nearly undetectable except for a careful scan.
When Luncar walked past the first cell, he couldnt help but pause his steps.
He too had no idea who the mummy-like woman was, all he knew was that this woman was a strange one. Since her capture, this woman had fallen into a slumber and had never eaten or drank for over a decade, the slumber slowly chipping away at her body.
She transformed from a healthydy into a mummy and it was obvious that she was on herst string, barely hanging on. She might die in a few weeks time.
Due to that fact, the hidden guard that had always been around her left the cell.
A dead person was nothing to be concerned about, right?
Neither could heplete his mission!
With that thought in mind, Luncar continued forward.
When he was at the fifth cell, a sillyugh was heard.
This fifth prisoner was much more of a relief than the dying mummy at the first.
This person had lost his original memories to the experiments of the councilmen, his mind messed up, leaving him with the intellect of a 3 year old childall he did all day was eat, sleep, and cry when he was hungry.
If the dungeon guards werent afraid to exin to the councilmen about their missing experiment subject, they would have taken him out.
Luncar stood in front of the iron gate and looked into the little window to see the prisoner inside.
Eat! Eat! I want something good to eat!
The prisoner, sitting in his own feces and urine, jumped over when he saw Luncar.
The wicked stench followed him right away, Luncar taking a step back and shutting the looking window tight.
This prisoner wasnt suitable either.
Luncar continued forward.
He finally saw that crazy prisoner in thest cell, which was also one of the councilmans experiments.
However,pared to the previous one, this one was much more aggressive.
Right after Luncar opened the looking window, the prisoner threw himself over.
Ill kill you!
Ill kill you!
The prisoners hair and beard were long, his eyes red and the killers intentions felt very real, but right away...
Aaaa!
Stop! Donte near me! Go away!
Agonizing screams sounded.
The dungeon guard lifted his hand off of the iron door and on his finger was an iron ring with electrical sparks shing.
A decent lightning ring, Luncar praised.
He is always like this. He is probably the most troublesome one. If you dont electrocute him a few times, you cant even feed him. Thankfully, he only gets a meal every two days.
The guard showed a humble smile to Luncar.
Then, under Luncars instruction, the iron door was opened.
Right after the door was opened, the crazy Demon Hunter wanted to throw himself over again but when the electrical sparks shed on the lightning ring, he shrunk back at the cell corner with agonizing moans.
Tsk, tsk, tsk. What a pity! I may not know who you are but once a Demon Hunter, now locked up like a dog. How regretful. No, you are worse than a dog! If a dog barks, it will be kicked, but you? You will be electrocuted! Luncar sighed
Curled up in the corner, the crazy Demon Hunter didnt even care about what Luncar said.
He curled up like a cooked shrimp, covering his head with his hands when the electrical sparks shed, his body shivering uncontrobly.
Luncar was extremely pleased with this.
The little test that just happened allowed Luncar to confirm that this Demon Hunter wasnt faking it, he had really lost his mind.
Although the councilmen would have checked this prisoners mind, Luncar trusted only himself.
He could not be at ease if he did not verify it himself, so that he could proceed with his uing n.
He shook his sleeve and a test tube appeared in his hand.
He lightly uncorked it and a rich fragrance came out.
The vile stench in the cell was swept clean the moment the cork was uncorked.
The shivering Demon Hunter calmed down immediately.
However, the dungeon guard quickly ran out of the cell with his hands over his mouth and nose and strode towards the main iron gate like an arrow let loose. He panted heavily outside the iron door and looked behind him with a frightened look.
He knew about the title Instigator, therefore he wished not to end up as a puppet under strings.
Ending up under the Instigators strings would be worse than death!
As for that crazy Demon Hunter?
With the lords order, it wouldnt matter as much.
Moreover, this was reusing useless garbage, right?
With that thought in mind, the dungeon guard showed a sinister smile.
Though when his nose picked up a faint fragrance, his smile turned sour and face turned pale, running far away.
Luncar listened to the rapid footsteps quietly.
After he made sure the dungeon guard was far enough away and it was impossible to eavesdrop on him, Luncar showed a smile.
He came here toplete the task he got from the councilman. He was here to carry out the lords order but at the same time, he wouldnt mindpleting some of his own tasks along the way.
With that thought in mind, Luncar spoke.
Demon Hunter, do you know? I thought other than you three, all the other Demon Hunters out there were living on theirst breath and would nevere back from their deste state. Or should I say, annihted? However... never did I expect a backup n from you persistent guys.
Luncars voice gradually turned heavy and powerful, fanning out all ten of his fingers and shaking them in front of the Demon Hunter rhythmically. At first, the Demon Hunter did not respond, but more than 10 secondster, under the stimtion of the medication, his nk eyes uncontrobly followed the waving of Luncars hands.
Luncar was delighted by the scene.
Even a tough guy with the will of iron could not resist his words and his hand gestures, let alone a madman with a muddled mind.
More so, he added medication just to be safe.
Snake Sect! The Snake Sect that hides in the shadow! Unlike the straightforwardness of the Wolf Sect, they preferred to hide in corners and bushes and watch the death of yourrades with cold gazes. Only with you people dead could they have the right to step up to the light!
Spilling his wed lie, Luncars hands waved even quicker.
He wasnt worried about his lie getting exposed, it was not that he looked down on a madmans intellect, it was just that his trust in the secretive existence of Snake Sect fueled his confidence. Only a few in Wolf Sect knew about their counterpart and many more knew nothing about them.
There might be only one who truly knew but that particr person was dead 10 times over a long time ago, even his soul was dissolved into the best nutrients.
As a matter of fact, not only that particr person, the other well-known ones followed the same footsteps.
Therefore, Luncar became bolder with his words.
Do you feel anger? Do you feel hatred? You lived worse than a dog and they enjoyed the peace built on your sacrifice! Now, an opportunity has arrived! Kill him! Kill the Snake Snake that is going to enter Edatine Castle! Only then can you be at peace, only then can you be free! Only then... you can truly find yourself back!
Luncar was getting quicker with his words.
He could be heard at first and the meaning was pronounced, but as he went on, his words muddled together and became a reverberating buzz.
His dancing hands whipped up a series of illusions and his face looked more and more flushed.
In the end...
A mouthful of blood spurted on the crazy Demon Hunter.
The blood transformed into mist and was absorbed by the Demon Hunter, Luncar smiling again.
Everything went smoothly!
Now, given the hatred and anger in the crazy Demon Hunters heart, he would surely kill that Snake Sect Demon Hunter.
Then, this crazy Demon Hunter would be Luncars puppet, a real puppet.
As for all those lies about finding back himself?
It was obviously a lie.
Follow me, said Luncar.
The crazy Demon Hunter stood up slowly and followed Luncar out of his cell.
Luncar turned around for a nce and saw an obedient and tamed Demon Hunter. He then started to n how he should arm his newly tamed Demon Hunter so that he could recover his strength to his prime in a short period of time.
Going after the Snake Sect Demon Hunter in this state was suicidal.
Luncar always cherished the puppet he tamed.
Under the ttering smile of the dungeon guard, Luncar brought his puppet away.
Bang!
The iron door of the dungeon closed heavily.
The mummy-like Demon Hunter in the first cell did not react at all, her breathing slow, as if nothing happened.
Meanwhile, in the fifth cell, the silly Demon Hunter covered in feces and piss had a sharp gleam in his eyes, but it was quickly reced by a muddled gaze.
.....
Snake Sect... Snake Sect...
Mutteres echoed in the passageway of the city gate.
The crazy Demon Hunter found his target.
A sharp daggerced with poison appeared in his hand. He swapped his striped prisoner clothing for a ck and gray mantle which made him look like a shadow. He quickly approached the wagon.
Right before he opened the carriage door, it was opened from the inside first.
A soft delighted voice followed.
Youve finally arrived, brother of Wolf Sect.
Chapter 1772 - A Helping Hand
Chapter 1772: A Helping Hand
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The crazy Demon Hunter was stunned.
His muddled mind failed to understand the meaning of the words that came out from the person inside the carriage but the rage from the bottom of his heart and the urge to ughter that apanied the feeling did not decrease a bit.
At the next moment, he jumped into the carriage.
The daggerced with poison went straight to the person who spoke and plunged deep into his chest.
The surprised smile on the persons face halted for a moment and was followed by a look of relief, as if he had released countless heavy burdens.
I guess this is right. I owe you all this strike. I should bear the burden, said the person.
Then, with that relieved smile on his face, he hugged the crazy Demon Hunter who had just stabbed him.
The person hugged the crazy Demon Hunter the Northern way: hug tightly and tap the back strongly.
The rhythmic taps were heavy but absent of malicious intent.
The crazy Demon Hunters instinct was able to tell the difference.
Especially after that stab, the rage in his heart had dissipated away, a sense of logic taking its ce, and he started to think.
Who am I?
Where am I?
What am I doing here?
However, before he could get the answers to his questions, his ears were filled with the passionate and delighted voice of the hugger.
Wee back, my brother.
Amid the voice in his ears, the crazy Demon Hunter couldnt help but widen his mouth.
B-Brother? His voice was hoarse and muffled, one could not hear him at all, except if they stood close to him.
Yes, brother! My brother of Wolf Sect! I knew all of you would never perish in that war, there must be some of you who survived! But please forgive our ipetence, we tried our best yet failed to find out the location where you were held captive. In the end, Colin had to take the risk by making himself bait to lure Silent Night Secret Society into striking. Those bastards were sinister as always, they were trying to make us fight each other, but they seemed to have underestimated our willpower, the will of the Demon Hunter!
Bloody Mary the Superior Demon was speaking into the crazy Demon Hunters ears.
A little bit of its demonic illusions were quietly in y as it spoke.
The crazy Demon Hunter calmed down.
Although he had no idea who he was, he knew this person who hugged him bore no ill intentions.
On top of that... there was another person with a cold look sitting in the opposite seat.
Even though this person was expressionless, the presence around him... felt familiar.
It felt like... he too should bear such a presence.
With the title [Demon Hunter] equipped, Kieran sat there quietly and looked at the crazy Demon Hunters countenance, sighing helplessly.
Thesh marks under the sleeves and cor, all 10 fingers without nails, a broken ear and a sh mark on his face. Despite all the horrible wounds having been temporarily cleaned up, the details was enough for Kieran to understand what kind of torture the man had been through in the past.
Inhumane tortures! Otherwise his mental state wouldnt have copsed.
No! It did not copse but it was messed up!
It seemed like a soul which did not belong to his body was stuffed inside through a certain experiment.
With Bloody Mary scanning the man, Kieran got more precise information about the mans condition.
Research on souls? Kieran frowned all by himself.
He knew very little about Silent Night Secret Society but judging from Lady Cmitys existence, their power was undoubtedly strong, and now?
The societys danger level had escted to a new high.
Anything rted to the soul was a matter that should not be underestimated.
When his Spirit first broke through into rank V and started to replenish his own body, Kieran already had the resolution and understanding, let alone all kinds of benefits his powerful Spirit brought him during his early game.
Through the power of the contract, his thought was delivered to Bloody Mary and thetter spoke.
My brother, the pain is in the past now. Leave everything to me, okay?
Bloody Mary released the crazy Demon Hunter and looked at him with a solemn gaze.
Dont worry, I can assure you as long that as I am here, you will not be harmed. Anyone who wishes to harm you may go through my dead body!
The crazy Demon Hunter was already affected by Bloody Marys [Illusion] without even knowing, and with Bloody Marys [Demon Instinct], all of the secrets were revealed.
Thest sentence dissolved the worries of the crazy Demon Hunter, looking at the dagger embedded in Bloody Marys chest.
The poisonous dagger was still there.
Bloody Mary smiled as the crazy Demon Hunter stared at it, then simply pulled the dagger out of its chest.
This little dagger cant hurt me, Bloody Mary tossed the dagger on the table and seated the crazy Demon Hunter before saying softly, You will fall asleep in a little while but fret not, I am just helping you to find your true self.
The crazy Demon Hunter quickly fell asleep under Bloody Marysfort.
Kieran wasnt surprised at all.
For a demon that was a natural in bewitching people, bewitching a single person was a piece of cake, let alone a crazy man.
More so, the demon who bewitched the crazy Demon Hunter was not any demon.
Kieran was self-conscious enough to keep quiet.
After they entered the city gate passage, with Kierans signal, Borl got off the carriage and sat with Aschenkano in the wagoners seat. He had no idea what Kieran was doing but he knew keeping quiet would be the best.
Therefore, he specially ordered Aschenkano to drive slower and steadier and to try not to make any noise.
The wagon slowly moved forward, not attracting attention from other people due to the fact wagons were supposed to move slowly inside Edatine, especially around the crowded city gate.
Likewise, Bloody Marys [Illusion], it too did not attract any unwanted attention.
What changed was only the crazy Demon Hunters heart.
...
Anderson! Using a dagger is unlike wielding a sword! A dagger is not suitable for shing, only stabbing. Whenever you use a dagger to sh, it means that you are in a difficult spot and you should prepare a hand crossbow just for a situation like that, its much more suitable than a dagger. Of course, you can also equip yourself with a bigger crossbow, but you would have to buy that with money you earned, I dont have extra Gold Purton to spare.
In the empty space in front of a wooden house, a little boy wasbing two straw dummies and cleaning a wooden dummy.
The 12 years old Anderson couldnt help but pout when he heard what his teacher said.
He preferred to wield a sword but unfortunately, his teacher was not good at using one, only a dagger.
Therefore, all he could learn were dagger techniques.
Though deep in his heart, Anderson swore that once he was independent enough and able to hunt monsters alone, he would leave and find a better teacher to teach him how to wield a sword.
Of course, he wouldnt tell his current teacher about his future ns.
...
Anderson, your dagger wielding sucks! Its not a flying knife! You must hold it tight when you attack, dont think about tossing it out. You need to treat it as your best partner, your best brother-in-arms!
The drunk teacher, with a sk of alcohol and a missing leg, guided Anderson, who was 16 years old at this time.
Anderson did not care about what his teacher said as the teenage stubbornness started to take shape.
He did things his own way as he preferred to toss the dagger andnd it on the targets throat.
Dok!
After a clunk of metal and wood, the wooden dummy that Anderson trained with was struck by the flying dagger. Almost half of the iron edge of the dagger plunged into the wood.
Anderson looked at the scene in satisfaction, then nced over at his teacher with even more delight.
He was sure that even his teacher couldnt achieve this result.
The old Demon Hunter with a missing leg saw it too. Shaking his head, he took a big gulp from his sh and looked up to the moon hanging in the sky, his mind in deep thought.
...
It was another sessful hunt.
22 year old Anderson had be a rising Demon Hunter with increasing poprity among the others.
He was known for his technique in the sword, crossbow, and his most skilled one yet, the flying daggers.
After receiving his bounty and buying a barrel of good rum, Anderson headed back home to visit his teacher with two more deer legs in his hand.
What a lengthy hunt!
Anderson couldnt hold back his excited feelings as he recalled the hunting trip.
He was eager to tell his teacher about everything that happened.
As a matter of fact, since he was 18, every time after he finished a hunting mission, he would go back to tell his teacher stories. At first his teacher would say a bit but as time went by, the teacher would drink the rum he brought back and listened quietly.
Anderson viewed it as evidence that he had surpassed his teacher.
...
25 years old, Andersons name gained more poprity by the day but he still did not receive a title that everyone recognized.
Anderson was gued by this set back, going back to his teacher and grumbling about it before making up his mind to do something big.
Then, he discovered an organization that hid deep in the shadows.
He was prepared to take down this organization alone, and should he seed, he would get the title that he sought so badly.
...
The process of tracking down the hidden organization was nothing but difficult. There were barely any clues and all Anderson could do was rely on his luck.
He hasnt paid a visit to his teacher for a whole year but hed send some money back once in a fortnight.
I hope teacher is fine!
Wait for me! I will return with a real title! And it will be something that even you did not achieve back in your day!
...
Another year had passed!
Everything came to those who wait!
He finally located the organizations whereabouts!
He eagerly struck but fell into a trap! A trap set up specifically for him!
He was badly wounded, he thought he was done for.
Then, his teacher suddenly appeared before him in a casual manner, with a walking crutch and a sk of rum.
No! It wasnt a sudden appearance! His teacher appeared behind him!
Looking at the grass and dust on his teacher, all the signs pointed to a single fact: his teacher had been following him all along.
Teacher!
He opened his mouth with the thought of saying something, but all that came out was a call to his teacher.
His teacher turned around and looked at him, his gaze no longer muddled and blurry, only a sharp gleam shing over.
Boy, you shouldnt use a dagger like that.
As the teacher said, he bent down and pulled out the dagger he hid in his only boot.
The tip of the dagger spun on his finger tip, his teacher turning back around and moving his crutch.
Look closely, Ill teach you again, and this... will be thest.
As the words subsided, his teacher instantly vanished and the 30 men from the organization fell into their own puddle of blood instantaneously.
Cough cough cough.
He was awoken by his teachers cough.
He charged into battle but was stopped by his teacher.
The dagger was tossed back.
Boy, you are still very far away.
With the words echoing in his ears, his teacher vanished, dissipating into a thin mist and carried away by the wind.
....
30 years old, Anderson finally got the publicly acknowledged title that he sought after so badly, Hunting Knife.
There was no sword, only daggers.
One was given to him by histe teacher and the other was forged by his own hands.
He also has a mini hand crossbow and a proper crossbow with him.
Muskets were invented already but he did not like them, they were too troublesome for him.
As for the better quality items among the arsenals?
They were too expensive, he couldnt afford them.
He uncorked the sk with his mouth and drank the low quality rum that his teacher once loved. The clear rum entered his mouth, absent of any kind of fragrance, harsh to the mouth and extremely pungent, like fire burning his mouth, but he liked the burning sensation.
He drank half a bottle in one gulp.
The remaining bottle was poured in front of his teachers grave.
Ive found the leads on those bastards. They called themselves Silent Night Secret Society. Ive killed 137 of them and the next will be 138.
...
Trap! This is a trap! Ive dealt with these bastards before, they would never allow themselves to be caught this easily! said Anderson loudly.
Dont worry, I am confident!
The one who replied was a man, sounding firm and charming as he influenced everyone who heard him.
...
A losing battle.
Looking at his heavily injuredrades and dying brother-in-arms, Anderson tossed his teachers dagger around. He, too, was heavily injured by an ambushing councilman, the enemy almost breaking all his ribs, but he got a good counterattack by stabbing the councilman in the heart, which was a fatal blow.
Even if the enemy could survive, he would be permanently crippled.
Though, what use would it do, the lost was irreversible.
Lets go, bring thest seed and leave, Anderson stood up and told the others, who could still move.
Those who were unable to move anymore were aroused by Andersons words, everyone of them looking lively and flushed as they stood in line with Anderson.
There were no words, no orders, nothing. They stayed behind to buy a chance for theirrade to survive.
Neither were there grudges held, because if the positions were swapped, theirrades would do the same.
...
The dying strugglested longer than the final battle.
While they were holding back the enemy, Anderson had no idea how many of hisrades managed to escape, neither did he know how many died, but he found that goal, that goal for people to believe in.
He wanted to charge in and question his target but right before he got to his target, the target vanished into thin air!
His fatal blow missed and he too lost hisst bit of strength to fight back.
As he plunged into the ground heads on, that councilman whom he stabbed before and who should be crippled appeared with a ruthless smile on his face.
He knew what this councilman wanted to do to him, therefore he mustered strength and delivered onest strike.
.....
Experiments!
Countless experiments!
His body was badly damaged!
His sanity started to blur out, he knew he was running out of time.
That bastard had stuffed too many evil things into his body, he could barely hang on now.
Then, an opportunity came.
He managed to fake his death and lowered that bastards guard.
The bastard wanted to chop him into pieces but he managed to ambush the bastard and bit off the bastards throat.
How ridiculous! In the end, he ended up using the wicked powers stuffed into his body.
The evil things inside his body started to fight over the vessel but how could he let the evil things do what they wanted to his body?
The fire beside him was burning fiercely, the gasolenemp was on the table.
He broke the gasolenemp, showered himself with gasolene and jumped towards the fire.
We who do not belong to the light nor darkness walked along the edge. There is no praise of honor, no songs of hymns, only the pride in our heart.
As he shouted loudly, he and the bunch of evil things inside his body were burned to cinders.
...
He woke up again.
His mind was still blurry.
What was his name again?
The dungeon guard kept interrogating him, the other bastards in his heart were also interrogating him and they were much more anxious than the guards because they too had forgotten who they were.
...
Everything shattered like ss, he was interrogated and beaten up endlessly.
He was angery, he felt rage, he wanted to kill the person in front of him.
His rage merged with the bastards inside his body and it turned him into a frenzied monster, but he was extra weak during lightning.
His weakness was discovered by the guards, so the despicable guards changed their way of interrogation.
The power that had justbined in his body shattered again, splintering into many worthless pieces.
Being imprisoned was considered a treatment for him.
He asked himself who he was every day but got no answers.
It wasnt until that young man appeared, that young man who bore ill intentions.
Snake Sect... Snake Sect...
Inside the empty darkness, the crazy Demon Hunter... no, Anderson muttered to himself softly.
He looked down at himself and then at hisrade who stood in front of him.
Hisrade looked worried but the gaze was sincere, unlike the ill-intentions of the young man who instigated him.
We are sorry for not being able to find you earlier, my brother, said the person in front of him.
Anderson looked at him and shook his head slowly.
Wolf Sect, Anderson, he said.
Snake Sect, Simon.
Bloody Mary extended its hand for a shake. Anderson was not used to it but still extended his hand. Both of them shook hands and the smile on Bloody Marys face grew more passionate.
Its great meeting a Wolf Sect. To be honest, you are much more of a Wolf Sect than that Holuff, Bloody Mary said as it pointed out how fat Holuff was.
Holuff?
He was still alive?
Andersons mood was lifted when he heard the familiar name.
Is he well? Anderson asked.
Very well, you will know when you see him next time. He is...
Huh?
Bloody Mary feigned a slow reaction as it sized up Anderson.
Under Bloody Marys gaze, a blood mark came afloat on Andersons body.
Anderson looked at the marks and then waved at Bloody Mary.
Dont worry, these are parting gifts. I will make sure I return the favour.
Anderson then wiped away the blood marks and continued asking, What did you say about Holuff?
Bloody Mary smiled as it was able to sense everything, bringing Anderson back to the wagon and telling him in a serious tone, He is gathering up the remaining Demon Hunters! We are nning for a... big counterattack!
Chapter 1773 - Carrot
Chapter 1773: Carrot
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
A big counterattack?
Anderson looked a little absent-minded at the term.
Back when he woke up from that dungeon, he thought of something like this too but as time flew by, everything changed. Especially after the souls of the evil pagans were forcefully poured into his body, hisst bit of hope vanished without a trace.
But now?
Anderson sat straight and looked at Kieran.
Kieran emanated a very familiar presence, a presence which only a Demon Hunter would give.
On the contrary, the guy who smiled gave him a very ufortable feeling.
If he didnt know this guy was on his side, he would have stabbed him.
I will participate in this counterattack! But I need some time, I need to go rescue two of my friends in the dungeon. Miers and Tandeker. They should not have endured such insults.
Anderson made a promise to Kieran and also voiced his request.
It was very reasonable, so Kieran nodded.
Sure, but please hurry up. My men can assist you, said Kieran.
Bloody Mary immediately looked at Anderson with all smiles but Anderson shook his head.
Im used to working alone. After I rescue them, I will find you.
The old Demon Hunter thought of leaving after that and Kieran had no intention of stopping him. Bloody Mary even gave its blessing and wished him all the best.
I wish you all the best in your rescue attempt.
Anderson snuck out from the carriage right before the wagon drove out the city gate passage, then hid in the shadows and watched the wagon drive further away before he slightly heaving a breath of relief.
There was no hindrance, meaning the words that he heard were quite trustworthy, plus one of them had the presence of a Demon Hunter...
Snake Sect, eh? Anderson muttered in his heart.
He then dashed towards the Central Third Ring district with killer intents hidden in his gaze.
Something must be settled, once and for all.
...
The wagon continued forward, Kieran and Bloody Mary down face to face.
Boss, did I look askance just now? Bloody Mary looked at Kieran with an innocent face.
Em, Kieran nodded.
But I woke him up from his crazy state! I am his savior! How can he look at me like that? Bloody Mary grumbled in an upset tone.
You are not human, Kieran spilled out the simple truth with a blunt face.
...
Bloody Mary was rendered speechless by the face but millions of words were floating in its heart.
Dont underestimate those true Demon Hunters. Even if he was imprisoned for a long time, his instinct is still with him, he can at least differentiate the roots of something, Kieran reminded his follower.
As the n unfolded and his followers role in all this became more and more important, he wouldnt want non-essential issues to mess up the entire n.
A person who takes his enemies with him to hell is of course scary!
Bloody Mary couldnt help but furrow its brows as it recalled the memories it saw in Anderson earlier.
The scene about the unyielding and tenacious Anderson pouring gasoline on himself and running into the fire would never be forgotten by Bloody Mary for the rest of its existence.
Likewise, they too must pay more attention to Silent Night Secret Society, who fought Anderson and emerged the victor.
Boss, I need to return to the convoy. Although weve already gone through the Edatine outpost, Im afraid that Edatine IV has much more tricks up his sleeves, suggested Bloody Mary and Kieran nodded in approval.
After a bow at Kieran, Bloody Mary entered its ghost form, sinking into the ground and flying outside of Edatine Castle.
When Kieran sensed Bloody Mary had left Edatine Castle without any hindrance, he shifted his posture and squinted his eyes.
He was recalling the scenes he saw in Andersons memories.
What Bloody Mary saw in Andersons mind was transmitted to Kieran through the power of the contract and it allowed Kieran to view it more objectively.
With the talent [Memory Pce], it granted Kieran a retentive memory and allowed him to remember anything in a single nce. After watching Andersons memories once, he already had quite a clear understanding and knowledge about the once big faction in this dungeon world, the Demon Hunters.
The Demon Hunters usually extended their line through family or teachers.
The former would work together in groups and thetter would be lone rangers.
It also allowed thetter to surpass the former in terms of strength but it wasnt definite.
ording to Andersons memories, the Demon Hunters who acquired titles for themselves were not all lone rangers. There were around 40% of Demon Hunters who acquired titles from a group or a family.
The other way was a lone ranger Demon Hunter who had acquired a title and decided to build a family and change his way of operating.
On top of that, the Demon Hunters had many branches throughout thend and they survived by operating in hotels or taverns.
Of course, there was also a headquarters: it was located outside of Edatine Castle, inside the forest beside Yuwen Road, which was the road connected to the south.
Though it should have fallen a long time ago.
What caught Kierans attention the most was the power the Demon Hunters possessed.
For example, Andersons teacher, that crippled and retired old Demon Hunter, was undoubtedly a powerhouse in the Advanced Rank. He even had secret techniques which allowed him to perform explosive actions in split seconds; such power would be enough to turn eyes.
Next would be the high ranks of the Demon Hunters.
From normal Advanced Rank to rank IV, there were more than 5 rank IV Demon Hunters in the higher ranks; there were more than 20 Advanced Rank Demon Hunters.
What Kieran saw was just part of Andersons memories, he had no idea whether or not there were more powerhouses hiding there. Kieran clearly noticed that Andersons memories were iplete, and the most crucial point of all, were the mans voice.
Regardless of what he heard or saw, it seemed like there were some kind of restrictions implied, hence it was forced to change.
A spy from Silent Night Secret Society, Kieran thought.
The appearance of this voice and the fragmented memories of Anderson was enough to let Kieran deduce that Silent Night Secret Society didnt simply target the Demon Hunters all of a sudden, it should have been nned a long time ago.
As for why?
The pagans!
Silent Night Secret Society had many pagans souls at their control, they were even using the souls to perform experiments, experiments that involved live human subjects.
This undoubtedly had gone against the beliefs of the Demon Hunters.
Protection on one side and destruction on the other.
It was fair to call the society and the hunters archenemies.
Given how Silent Night Secret Society operated, it wasnt all that strange for them to strike preemptively.
The strange thing was taht after the society eliminated their biggest foe and achieved victory, they went silent too.
One thing worth taking note of was that the society did not clutch at the victory, they truly won in andslide victory over the hunters. They had no reason and no need to rest up.
Based on how they operated in the past, they should have gone all out and reaped the fruits of victory boldly and resolutely, not go back into hiding andying dormant for so long.
Unless...
Lady Cmity?
Kierans index finger tapped twice on the arm of his chair then squinted his eyes slightly.
It was without a doubt that Lady Cmity was the key factor in the entire incident.
Regardless of Edatines royal court or the Demon Hunters, or even Silent Night Secret Society, everything revolved around her but Kieran had extremely limited info on her.
The identity of Mist was too widely known and the identity of a Demon Hunter from Snake Sect was too sensitive.
Maybe he should search for a better and milder entry point?
While Kieran was in thought, the wagon slowed down.
Borl knocked on the window.
Colin, we are here.
Kieran opened the door after that.
He sized up his surroundings and went to confirm their whereabouts.
They should be in the passage between the Central Third Ring and Lower Seven Ring.
Edatine Castle, from bottom to top, had a total of 17 rings. The lower 7 rings were the civilian district, the central three rings weremercial and the upper 7 belonged to the nobles. A military camp was also established in every ring and the patrolling soldiers were on duty almost all the time, especially the entrance of every single ring, where there were at least 30 soldiers on guard duty at the entrance at all times. The numbers rose to 50 at the upper 7 rings entrance.
Standing here, Kieran looked outside the city gate.
His spot allowed him to clearly see the passage of the city gate, which was still crowded as ever, the real city gate was absent from sight though.
Other than that, following Kierans watch, his sharp perception picked up several gazes on him from the soldiers on guard at the Central Third Rings entrance.
A sharpshooter is hidden among them? Kieran talked to himself.
He yed along and kept away his own gaze, then sized up the ce which he would be living for the next couple of days or a week or two.
A three story building.
The door had two nks and opened on both sides, the wide living hall inside was visible through the seam. The first floor had a total of 8 windows3 windows on the left, 5 on the right. The second floor had 12 and the third had a balcony. The third floor had only 6 windows as the rest of the space was for the balcony.
Standing at Kierans spot, he was able to clearly see the pine trees nted on the balcony.
The dark green pine trees had great resistance to the cold, they could even survive in the northern winter and its strong life power brought a different color to others.
Especially in this hotel, where the main building was built with a mix of wood and stone, coupled with fading orange tiles and garnished with a dash of green, one would easily feelfortable by looking at it.
The signage on the hotel would also leave an impression: it was in the shape of a carrot and its name was... Carrot.
Dont worry, this hotel might sound weird but it is very reliable. The beef they offer is quite decent too, exined Borl.
Carrot braised beef belly? Kieran asked.
He then pushed the door to go inside.
Right after he entered the hotel, Kieran sharply noticed the gaze on him went away but he was a little disappointed.
The hotel had the smell of steak but not braised beef.
Though soon enough, as the ck pepper and the sizzling steak collided, the smell it produced captured Kierans attention.
While Borl was arranging their rooms and settling their wagon with the hotel owner, Kieran already ordered one for himself, the hotel waiter rmending the signature ck pepper steak to him.
The steak chosen wasnt the best but it was quite substantial.
The edge was seared to perfection, it locked the juice inside and wasnt overcooked.
The side dish was... a carrot.
It was sliced and ced beside the te, half boiled and half raw. The spoon was used to scoop up the gravy to draw a beautiful arc around the empty space of the te.
Kieran used his fork to dip a little bit of gravy for a taste and the taste of mushrooms spread on his tongue.
Not bad,mented Kieran.
Being able to taste food cooked by a decently skilled chef in a random hotel, what else would be happier than this?
It would be... eating 10 servings of this steak!
After Borl arranged everything, he returned to the dining area and saw the stacked up tes in front of Kieran. His heart throbbed ferociously.
Although he had a premonition that it would go down like this, when he truly saw the scene for himself, it was still quite hard for him to handle.
The expenses in Edatine Castle were totally different from Sicar City.
The food tasted better and was more delicate looking, meaning the price would also be more expensive.
Fortunately, the Carrot Hotel that he had chosen was situated in the passage between the civilian andmercial district, not the passage between themercial and noble district, otherwise...
He would probably go broke.
With gratitude for surviving a disaster in his heart, Borl also ordered two servings of steak from the waiter.
Right before his bodyguard, Aschenkano, ordered another 10 servings for himself, Borl stuffed one te to him.
This is Edatine Castle, not the outskirts of Mozaar or the transfer hub Sicar City. The expenses here are not what you can imagine. Given how much I pay for your sry, should you eat without limit, three to five dayster, we would be in debt. If you dont want to eat charcoal bread for the rest of the days, try to keep the expenses in check, Borl told his bodyguard.
Aschenkano then looked at Kieran and the highly stacked tes.
Colin is different from us, Borl exined.
Dare he reject Kieran?
Please be reasonable, he is the ming Devil!
He didnt want to be a human torch and get burned into cinders.
Follow the hearts option in front of death, it was the way of survival.
Borl branded it in his mind.
As for Aschenkano?
The bodyguard was exceptionally easy to persuade, he didntin at all and after finishing the steak, he went out to buy charcoal bread.
He was not yet full, and since he had sent a big portion of his money to his adopted father Mona, all he could settle for was the basic food, like bread.
8 Copper Krak? Wasnt it 7? Are you trying to trick me?
Aschenkano remembered some of the price of the goods that Borl told him before, so when the price differed from his initial expectation, the bodyguard reacted exactly like a person from outskirts Mozaar, he widened his eyes and clenched his fist, his reaction was saying if he couldnt get a satisfying exnation, he would punch the seller.
It was 7 Copper Krak for a whole loaf of charcoal bread two weeks ago, but that was 2 weeks ago. Now its Copper Krak, and if you werent staying at my ce, I would have charged you 8.5 Copper krak.
A short old man with a goatee and white hair came out and stood in front of his frightened nephew, exining to Aschenkano.
Really? Aschenkano turned around to Borl instinctively.
Borl nodded.
The old man was the owner of Carrot, Old Hank, and beside him was his nephew from his hometown, Little Hank. Borl found out about their identities when he was arranging the rooms.
While he was arranging the rooms, he also verified that Old Hank was indeed a good person, as it was rumoured.
Borl didnt tter Old Hanks character just because Old Hank gave him a 5% discount on the lodging fees.
Im sorry, my bodyguard is a little rash, but he is a good person.
Borl came over and exined with smiles, even tapping Little Hanks shoulder a few times.
After he saw Little Hank look better, Borl immediately offered to buy Old Hank a drink.
Looking at the rather empty hotel lobby, Old Hank did not reject.
Naturally, Borl and Old Hank returned to Kierans table and Aschenkano followed Little Hank into the kitchen for his charcoal bread.
The price of goods this year is really surprising, who knew even charcoal bread would get a price raise, Borl clinked his ss with Old Hank then drained it to thest drop and grumbled lowly.
Old Hank also finished the drink in a single gulp without any hesitation.
A red flush immediately appeared on the old mans face.
Edatine Castles alcohol was the traditional liquor of the Northern Land.
The liquor was brewed with potatoes and grains, pungent and spicy but loved by the Northerners who lived in the harsh cold, including Old Hank.
It cant be helped. In the previous years, the nobles would have gone south right now and stayed there for the winter. Together with their servants and those leeches that suck the blood out of the nobles, at least a quarter of Edatines poption would go away, but not this year. After His Majesty issued the new decree, people could buy a dukeship with money now and the decree stated that all nobles must be present to witness the ceremony. Therefore, these migrant birds stayed behind and had a good meal every day. On a rted note, the price of goods had gone up but it also retained a lot of work for the people here. Its neither good or bad I guess.
Old Hand, a native to Edatine Castle, had sufficient understanding of the situation in the city.
His mind was also very clear, conversing in a style unlike other small establishment owners, which was exactly what Borl needed.
He treated Old Hank a second drink.
What do you think about the new decree? asked Borl.
I guess the king is running low on money.
Old Hankughed, cing his empty ss on the table, and before Borl could treat him another cup, he walked back to the counter and took a whole bottle of alcohol out.
On the house, Old Hank said as he poured Borl a ss.
He then poured himself one and finished it in one gulp again.
Three continuous sses of liquorter, the old mans conversation switch was turned on.
He talked to Borl in a straightforward manner.
Do you know the war in the south? We won but the gain were not as much as we imagined, and our king eagerly ced his eyes on the inds in the south. Our overambitious king wants to achieve the achievements that his predecessors failed to achieve during his reign. And every single war required a substantial amount of money, especially when we dont have enough time to rest. It made money extra important. You are asking me what I think of the new decree? What can I think about it? I dont have the money to buy it.
The old man then lied down on the table after a quick wobble.
Borl, whose face flushed, made sure that the old man was drunk before quickly carrying him into the kitchen.
A series of messy noises followed after they went into the kitchen.
From the start to the end, Kieran was a listener, not minding Borl ying his little tricks.
As a matter of fact, Kieran was always fond of using the least cost to get the biggest gains.
Of course, Kieran reserved his opinion at Old Hanksment iming that the king was overambitious.
Based on how patient and secretive the king was during his younger days, Edatine VI was surely not an overambitious person.
Though it was hard to say for sure, since those people would stay the same through the changes of time.
Still, Kieran had other thoughts in his mind.
While God of War and Lady Cmity were in a weird stalemate, he moved on to the inds in the south so that he could get away from the epicenter of the war, then expanded his forces further!
With that guess in mind, Kieran was thinking about how he could seize an opportunity in all of this.
Then, a well-dressed servant came in from the outside.
When he saw Kieran, his eyes showing a gleam, he bowed.
Good day sir, may I know are you Sir Colin?
Yes, Kieran replied coldly and shortly at the strangers question.
I am a messenger from Horton House, Young Master Kuer wants to invite you to dinner tonight, said the servant respectfully.
Kieran frowned a little, instinctively wanting to reject because he did not like participating in a strangers dinner, especially when he might run into other strangers.
Though soon enough, Kieran changed his mind, because...
Young Master Kuer has invited Snow Owl Candy House, Moose Pastry Maker, and the chef from Gray Bear Restaurant to cater the dinner.
Kieran thought he should answer to the sincere invitation, so...
Okay, Kieran replied firmly.
Chapter 1774 - A ‘Pot’ From The Sky!
Chapter 1774: A Pot From The Sky!
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Anderson was walking slowly around Edatine Castle.
It wasnt his first time here. In his memories, Edatine Castle was always prosperous and cheerful. Back then, despite the fact that it was the middle of the cold harsh winter, the sea of people was endless and showed no signs of stopping.
Now, several decades had passed, Edatine Castle growing even more prosperous and crowded, but... there wasnt anyone that he knew anymore.
He looked at the street filled with hotels in the civilian district.
In his memories, one of his friends used to run a tavern here and many were happy to drop by.
His friend loved tough and was quite young back then but he was rather strong, hed even run on the streets naked after a few drinks.
Then... he should have died in that battle.
That friend of his smiled even in his death because his friend used to say that rather than dying in tears, might as well go with a smile.
He was a very free and easy guy and Anderson was iparable to his friend.
Andersons heart was filled with hatred and grudges now.
He was eager to charge into the dungeon and kill those bastards but he couldnt simply walk in.
It would only startle his enemies!
He had to wait for a while and only then would more targets would appear
...
Sitting in his house at Central Third Ring, Luncar had a book in his hand but his out of focus eyes stated that he was just pretending to read the book.
Why hasnt anything happened? Did some idents happen? Impossible! My n is perfect!
The anxiety in Luncars heart made him shake his head quickly. Unlike previous attempts, he couldnt afford to fail this time.
Luncar suppressed the bad feeling but the anxiety grew quicker than he could control, to the point that he couldnt even pretend to read the book anymore
Bak!
He mmed the book on the table and thought of going out but right after he opened the door, a pain spread from his heart.
Bang!
After his chest bulged, it exploded.
Luncar fell to the ground, his heart bursting into many pieces.
The flesh, coupled with little pieces of fat, spewed all over the door
The room plunged into silence.
More than 15 minutester, Luncar climbed up again. He looked extremely gloomy.
He didnt bother to clean the scene and headed down to the basement straightaway.
The entrance to the basement was in the kitchen. After he pushed aside the cupboard which was a cover, he quickly dashed in and jumped towards the body that he prepared.
As he worried and chewed on the body, Luncar recovered to his former self.
He tore the bloody clothes off him and took a set of new clothes from the closet beside him.
The closet didnt just hold new clothes and boots; there were wigs, fake moustaches, three pieces of 1,000 Gold Purton nameless money drafts, some change, and a brand new musket with pellets and a dagger.
Luncar wore the wig and attached the moustache.
After some thought, the three pieces of 1,000 Gold Purton nameless money drafts were put inside his coats inner pocket. Money was useful at any time, anywhere
Then, he put the change into his outer pocket and grabbed the weapon that he had prepared beforehand while he was at it. The weapons might not be useful against some powerful foe but it would be enough to deal with some unnecessary problems.
His n had undoubtedly failed.
The puppet was either killed or something else happened and him being exposed was an undeniable fact.
Then... what would happen next?
Luncar was imagining his sess earlier, so he really didnt want to think about the failure but he must force himself to think, which swelled his temples.
First, he must escape from this ce, it was not safe anymore.
Second, contact Councilman Colipo.
Finally, think of an excuse to persuade the councilman... No, this time was unlike others, he had no reason to persuade the councilman.
He believed once the councilman learned about the truth, he would be killed.
Or he would be tortured first before being killed.
Things had yed out in the worst possible way.
So, might as well...
Gasp!
Luncar grew ruthless in his heart and suddenly felt a stinging sensation from deep inside his brain. It made him gasp hard.
He knew it was the repulsion from his spell.
The spell that controlled people wasnt some trick to fool kids, it was one of the most ferocious and vicious spells out there.
Enduring the pain, Luncar turned around and headed towards the closet.
Inside a hiddenpartment of the closet, he took out a potion that he had hid beforehand.
In order to deal with the potential danger, Luncar had spent a lot of effort in the preparation in the basement, which was just for one-time use.
Sighing, Luncar finished the potion in the tube in a single gulp. With the pain in his mind easing away, he headed to the secret passage.
The secret passage led straight to the next street block and the exit at the end of the passage was located in a civilian house.
The house was actually a temporary lodging spot for a merchant who arrived in Edatine for business, but there wouldnt be any problems since Luncar dug up the passage without the merchants knowing.
After he pushed open the modified secret door, Luncar came out from under the bed of the merchants servant.
He then opened the window, jumped to the yard, and went around the servants in the porch, sessfully arriving at the main street.
The whole process was quiet and inconspicuous.
Luncar scanned his surroundings quickly and after he didnt notice anything unusual, he headed straight to the civilian district.
He would never go back to the dungeon, for he was confident that there would be an ambush waiting for him.
He knew how the Demon Hunters operated and understood every detail of their tactics.
Therefore, he had to return to Silent Night Town! Only there would he be able to catch his breath.
In order to prevent the possible watchers on his tail, Luncar kept using his anti-detection techniques to cover his trails but he would leave his own mark behind from time to time.
It wasnt to misguide the watchers, it was to lure them.
Only then would those possible watchers keep their eyes on him and then... lure them to Silent Night Town!
The moment the watchers found out about Silent Night Town, he would be safe because he believed the town would captivate the watchers easily.
Of course, he had to control the timing perfectly.
He shouldnt move out too early, otherwise he couldnt escape. Neither could he move toote, it would be useless if he missed the timing and his n would go to waste again.
Strolling on the street, Luncar felt the cold wind of the Northern Land, the pain in his mind slowly going away with the help from the potion. He had to breathe long and slowly to speed up the recovery process.
It was at this moment that he started to think about other matters.
No! A n like this is too cheap! Its full of ws! And... the powers my allies possess are too weak, I am not insured at all! I need to get myself more insurance, I must at least get to someone who can provide me with a sense of safety for now! Luncar shook his head.
He wasnt denying his previous n, he was just hoping that he could add a little bit more insurance to the n.
Therefore, he thought of a possible candidate: Undying, irehore!
The Undying was undoubtedly a good candidate!
Either his strength or the councilman behind him would be happy to see my n into fruition.
Of course, the excuse must sound good in their ears.
With the thought in mind, Luncar turned around.
He returned to the Central Third Ringsmercial district from the civilian district and headed towards the lodging spot of many merchants.
Houses were connected in a single line and extended down the street.
Every single house was a three story independent building coupled with a garden but no fountain or statue.
Compared to the rundown scene in the civilian district, this ce looked a lot more grand and morous, but whenpared to the nobles history, this ce was still too shallow and not big enough.
This ce was actually the address the Undying left behind for him.
He could contact the Undying as ast resort.
When Luncar knocked on the door, he saw the Undying irehore with a pair of locked brows.
Ive said it before, do not look for me if it isnt yourst resort!
Hoika looked at the Instigator in front of him and spoke coldly, but deep down in his heart, he was surprised.
Why had Luncar knocked on his door?
ording to his guesses, after the failed attempt in assassinating the target, Luncar should have gone to Councilman Colipo toin and tter him.
Could his teacher fail?
Hoika never even thought about the possibility.
Even if those councilmen decided to make a move, it still wouldnt be possible, let alone the Instigator.
His teacher was not an ordinary John Doe.
Could it be...
Hoika immediately thought of something and he was frightened by his own thought because it sounded outrageous yet it was the only exnation that could exin why Luncar came for him.
Suppressing the shock in his heart, Hoika remained calm.
This is really myst resort! My previous mission has failed. Can Ie in? I dont want people eavesdropping on my words. Even though I should have shaken them, I dont want to frighten you with what I am about to say, Luncar showed a very real bitter smile on his face.
You... Damn it! Hoika grunted coldly but he stepped aside and made way for Luncar.
Luncar went in right after Hoika stepped aside. The moment he walked past Hoika, his bitter smile showed a trace of delight, he knew his coborator too well.
Although his powers were magical, he was extremely vignt.
He wouldnt take the risk and would never seek for a bigger gain. He would only listen to orders most of the time.
It was extremely suitable to use danger to deter a person like him.
The delight appeared in a sh. When Hoika closed the door and came to him, Luncar turned around and said, Ive found the Snake Sect hidden among us!
HUH?!
I AM EXPOSED?!
Hoika squinted his eyes instinctively and killer intent started toe afloat, but he quickly put it away.
If he was really exposed, it would be the Instigator knocking on his door, or a councilman.
So, was the Instigator bluffing?
As expected... it was a mistake contacting teacher using the Mist in such a hurry, but never mind, I can fix this!
Hoika thought in his heart.
Luncar, who was so immersed in his acting, did not notice the unusual reaction from Hoika.
He continued, Thats right! It was because of this Snake Sect that my mission failed! Thankfully, I have a backup n and it allowed me to know who this Snake Sect is!
Luncar then turned to Hoika, waiting for Hoikas question, but to his disappointment, the Undying kept quiet, looking calm, at least on the outside.
Damn it!
He is such a coward? To this extent?
He is afraid that he knows too much and will get himself in trouble?
He didnt even want to take a tiny bit of risk?
While Luncar cursed heavily in his heart, he asked Arent you curious about his identity?
You should go find Mieren or Councilman Colipo! They must be interested to know!
Hoika said calmly while the right hand he hid behind him was clenched tight.
He was ready to strike at lightning speed.
No! I cant go to Councilman Colipo! Because... he is the one from Snake Sect that has infiltrated Silent Night Secret Society! Luncar shook his head and said loudly.
What?
Hoika couldnt keep calm anymore, even his right fist behind his back was shaken.
Is it shocking? Believe me, when I got the news, I am much more shocked than you. I never thought a member of the Snake Sect would be able to infiltrate the society. But think about it this way: in the recent years, or even in thest decade, did you feel anything weird about the societys performance? We had the absolute advantage before but we failed without a solid reason. I was already suspicious before this, so I was careful about every mission, and this time, I was able to catch the spy!
Luncar looked at the frightened Hoika, the delight in his heart growing, praising his own quick wits in his heart. The more he spoke, the quicker he sounded, and in the end, he himself had believed all the lies that he made up.
An infiltrator in Silent Night Secret Society!
The infiltrator was Councilman Colipo!
Hoika hadpletely calmed down, looking at Luncar, who got aroused with his own words and a sense of doubt shed over his heart.
What caused Luncar to wrongfully ce Hoikas credits on Colipo?
Hoika had no idea what caused it but he was d that it happened.
He was d that someone else was taking the me on his behalf.
What else would be better than that?
A powerful and influential person would be the scapegoat .
Hoika could already imagine what would happen should everything go smoothly.
One of the 17 councilmen was a Demon Hunter from Snake Sect!
A huge quake was bound to strike Silent Night Secret Society!
With the thought in mind, Hoika spoke without hesitation, Lets go to Councilman Kurtzargert.
No! We cant! Because... we dont know whether or not Councilman Kurtzargert is one of Snake Sect! Luncar said with a serious look.
Hoika was bbergasted, looking at Luncar nkly. If he himself wasnt a Demon Hunter from Snake Sect and knew he had very fewrades, he would suspect Luncar after what he heard.
Then what should we do? Hoika asked heavily.
After this, he thought of finding a chance to use the power of the Mist to convey this message to his teacher.
At the same time, Luncar stood straight and stared into Hoikas eyes and said word by word, Ring the Silent Night bell! Summon everyone in the society! Initiate a Council Meeting!
Chapter 1775 - Instigate
Chapter 1775: Instigate
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Initiate a Council Meeting?!
Although Hoika already knew and had experienced first-hand how crazy Luncar was, he was still shaken by the suggestion.
Based on what he understood, the Council Meeting of Silent Night Secret Society had never been initiated since the society was founded.
It wasnt even held during the final battle against the Demon Hunters or the ck Cataclysm, because neither of those events put the society in a life or death situation.
As an infiltrator from Snake Sect, albeit Hoika didnt want to admit it, the fact was undeniable.
However, now Luncar wished to initiate the Council Meeting...
Hmph!
This might be a chance for us Snake Sect!
Hoika considered the Demon Hunters current situation, then looked at Luncar.
First, the Council Meeting has never been held. Second, if you want to initiate the meeting, you must be a councilman yourself. Lastly, among the 17 councilmen, there must be at least 3 who agree to hold the meeting before it is even approved, said Hoika slowly.
A never before held meeting would be the best oue for us! Besides, among all the 17 councilmen, there must be some who stand by our side. More so... we dont need to do this ourselves.
Up until this point, Luncar couldnt help but smile.
Hoika frowned slightly, confusioning afloat in his gaze.
Believe me, there are some who are more eager than us. What we need to do is deliver this information to them.
Luncar looked like he had everything in the bag.
Hoika didnt ask anymore, already thinking how he should convey this message to his teacher.
.....
Mieren was reading documents in his office, but it wasnt his office in the underground Silent Night Town. His current office was a shop located at themercial district of Central Third Ring of Edatine Castle. It belonged to Mieren Trading and it was also his surface identity.
Unlike the Undying and Instigator, who were field agents, as a supervisor, Mieren mostly stayed in Edatine Castle, so he needed a cover for himself, albeit one he wasnt really fond of.
It wasnt just because Mieren Trading was a very small trading organization, to the point that his merchant convoy had to be an appendage to the bigger tradingpanies, like Kate Trading Company, it was also because the more he stayed up here, the more he felt estranged from the center of Silent Night Secret Society.
He knew nothing about the exclusive techniques of Silent Night Secret Society.
He even had to learn the basic techniques of the society through standard procedures, let alone the secretive techniques.
He had heard of said techniques but had never seen them with his own eyes before, and he deemed this the reason why he wasnt respected by others.
The others had a bold excuse to why he wasnt respected: a tradingpanys boss shouldnt be too strong, the stronger you are, the more eye-catching you would be.
Mieren epted the excuse, but... why wasnt it others? Why him?
At first he thought of this as a test, as long as he could perform well, he could win trust and then get the secret techniques he sought.
As a matter of fact, a councilman once promised him.
Three years! If he could run Mieren Trading well enough for 3 years, he would be granted a set of secret techniques.
However, the first three years had passed, followed by another three years, then another three years. It was three years after three years and Mieren Trading was already on track, it was running great but the things he was promised were long overdue.
As for the title of the person in charge of Silent Night Town?
It was apensation, and he didnt care about it at all because in his eyes, the title was like a discounted version of Mieren Trading, it would only distract him further!
However, Mieren did notin at all, he did not dare.
The way Silent Night Secret Society operated let him know he would be the right choice to make, but the unwillingness and grievances in his heart umted even more, which drove him into testing out something. He was careful and patient with his tests and from the looks of it, the results were rather decent.
After he arranged the marked documents neatly, Mieren started to think about the reply from that important figure.
That important figure needed a lot more secretive intels but it would undoubtedly affect Silent Night Secret Societys benefits and once they discovered it was him who leaked the intel... he would die a graveless death.
Though whenever he thought about that alchemy potion that could increase his constitution quality, it burned his heart and mind with eagerness.
By wasting a great amount of time, Mieren understood that even if he was extremely talented and gifted, he needed a lot of support and supplements to boost himself to the level of the Undying and Instigator.
Among all the supports, the alchemy potion was indispensable.
Likewise, the potion was locked up among the higher ranks, it was impossible to buy it from the civilians or market, even if a lot of money was involved.
This was one of the important reasons why Mieren took the initiative to contact the important figure secretly.
Only a person with such a high rank like the important figure had ess to the alchemy potion but the risk of dying caused Mieren to hesitate in pressing forward.
Sou Sou!
While Mieren was sinking in his hesitation, the window of his office was opened up from the outside and two figures dived in.
Mieren instinctively wanted to pull his drawer and get his pistol but when he saw the two figures standing in front of him, absent of any extreme actions, Mieren moved his hand away from the drawer. Most importantly, the two figures were familiar acquaintances.
Undying irehore and Instigator Luncar.
Both were very well-known field agents and they were the goal that he yearned to reach.
Almost instinctively, Mieren showed a ttering smile.
A very warm wee to the both of you! Do you want anything? Tea? Or some liquor? Mieren stood up and walked to the wine cab.
We dont need any. We are here today to discuss something very important with you, Supervisor Mieren. It is about the life and death of the organization, Luncar said in a solemn look.
Mieren looked at Luncar, and after he made sure Luncar wasnt joking, he walked to the bookshelf.
Behind the bookshelf was a meeting room, safe and reliable.
After he brought the two of them inside, Mieren closed the door.
What happened? he asked.
There is an infiltrator from Snake Sect in the organization, said Luncar brazenly.
WHAT?! Mieren was shaken.
He widened his eyes at Luncar and then turned his stiff neck towards Hoika.
Hoika nodded under Mierens stare.
How did it turn out like this? Mieren muttered but he soon thought of something and he looked up all of a sudden.
You guys didnt go to Councilman Colipo or Councilman Kurtzargert because...
Mieren dared not continue anymore.
Yes! I am sure something is wrong with Councilman Colipo, and I am also suspecting Councilman Kurtzargert! Before this, Ive epted a mission...
Luncar nodded and then started to tell Mieren the fishy things he noticed during his mission in detail.
It wasnt fake though, it was all real, it even appeared in Luncars memory.
It was Councilman Colipos idea of suddenly going against the Snake Sect Demon Hunters, yet he did not send any members from the society, instead brazenly asking Luncar to release that crazy Demon Hunter to test the water.
As suspicious as he was, Luncar vigntly did something to that crazy Demon Hunter, then the Demon Hunter disappeared and he suffered repulsion.
However, while he was being gued by the repulsion, he saw the person who saved that crazy Demon Hunter: it was Councilman Colippo!
Then?
Assassins and watchers started to appear around him.
Luncar was very aroused as he told his story, in a rage, as though he was really betrayed by someone.
In the end, Luncar even mmed the table with his hand and Mierenpletely bought his story.
I see! No wonder they would give up on that great opportunity! There is a traitor among us! Mieren said softly. A little pauseter, the field agent supervisor continued, Then what should we do next?
We want to initiate the Council Meeting! And we are unable to contact the other councilmen other than Councilman Colipo and Councilman Kurtzargert, so we need your help, Luncar said, stating the true intention for the visit.
Of course, Mieren agreed verbally but his heart was spinning rapidly.
He thought of this as a chance, a chance to kill two birds with one stone!
The Council Meeting of the society was considered top secret, so if he could trade this intel away, that important figure would surely reward him with the alchemy potion.
At the same time, he also thought of exposing Councilman Colipo as the infiltrator, which would also make the other high ranks of the society look at him differently. He might even get ess to a real secret technique.
Though the details and key points in the process would have to be considered and carefully nned out, and that included... the two people in front of him.
Should he trade away the intel with the names of these two, even though his own name was included, it would dim down his credits significantly and everyone would just assume that he was lucky that he benefited from the two of them.
Therefore their names must not be spoken! It could only be his name and his name alone!
With that thought in mind, Mieren showed a smile.
You guys rest up for a bit, Ill go deliver the news.
Without waiting for their replies, Mieren went out of the meeting room.
They did not stop him, neither did they ask any questions, which relieved Mieren.
The excuse that he had prepared didnt get a chance to be used.
The infamous Undying and Instigator were nothing but this?
With that thought in mind, Mieren left.
Luncar was watching Mierens back as he went off.
When the door closed up again, Luncar couldnt help but slightly sigh.
Our supervisor is even more ambitious than I thought, but we need a helper like him right now. Too bad... this little team up is only one time. There will not be a next time, Luncar then smiled.
He could already imagine what would happen to Silent Night Secret Society when the intel appeared before all the councilmen.
He hadnt forgotten what his coborator beside him, the Undying, told him when they exchanged information yesterday.
The councilman is contacting others and is currently preparing to impeach Colipo.
This councilman was Councilman Kurtzargert.
It was also the main reason why he denied the Undyings suggestion to go straight to Councilman Kurtzargert, because he couldnt guarantee that he could be wless and make no mistake in front of the councilman.
However, with a middleman conveying the message, it would turn out differently.
Mieren became a real witness.
As for ways to verify the witness?
It would be nothing short of cruelty, but what did that have to do with him?
He was just delivering the message, he did not instigate anyone.
A few more chuckles and smilester, Luncar turned to his coborator.
We still have one more thing to do next, said Luncar.
To Councilman Colipos dungeon? Hoika guessed.
Yes! We need to face that Demon Hunter who has recovered, we need to prove that he is alive and kicking...
Sorry but I wont go with you this time. I know how the Demon Hunters work, the dungeon must be filled with traps waiting for us.
Hoika stopped Luncar before he could finish.
Although deep in his heart, he really wanted to meet that Wolf Sect Demon Hunter, he still hadnt forgotten his identity as the real infiltrator.
But you are the Undying! Who else is more suitable than you for this job? Luncar asked back.
Do you really think me dying has zero cost and I can die infinitely? Hoika strengthened his resolve.
That is why Ive prepared a correspondingpensation.
Luncar then took the three pieces of money draft, which was worth 1,000 Gold Purton, and passed it to Hoika.
Not enough! Hoika nced over the money draft but did not ept it.
Of course not, treat this as a deposit. After we are done with this, Ill give you no less than 10,000 Gold Purton as a reward! Luncar said confidently.
Both of them had worked together many times before, so he knew how much Gold Purton meant to the Undying.
It wasnt exactly greed but his undead spells required a great amount of expenses.
Luncar got to know the details through some inklings and clues and he was certain of it.
Besides, Luncars own secret technique cost a lot also. The supplement potion cost him around 500 Gold Purton per vial but the difference was, he could get a huge amount of return every investment.
The Undying?
He was too much of a coward!
He even gave up on things that should be his for the taking.
A little bit stupid but he did not mind working with a person like thim because, as cowardly as he was, the Undying was very easy to control.
Simr to Luncars expectation, the Undying hesitated for a while before he took the money drafts.
Remember, no less than 10,000 Gold Purton after we are done, Hoika emphasized.
Of course! Luncar smiled and nodded.
Then, without saying anything else, Hoika stood up and left the meeting room.
He had to deliver the news to his teacher as quickly as possible.
Luncar saw his coborator off.
After he repeatedly confirmed that the Undying had left, the Instigator stood up.
He stretched his body. The smile on his face grew brighter than ever and he said with a casual tone, as if he was humming a melody, After so many years, the Demon Hunters and Silent Night Secret Society will fight again in Edatine Castle, the capital of the Northern Lands! The bell of war will ring again! Now then... as the host of the city, how can War God Temple sit this one off?
Chapter 1776 - Making Friends Through Eating
Chapter 1776: Making Friends Through Eating
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Dinner starts at seven.
However, around four in the afternoon, the wagon from the Horton family already appeared in front of Carrot Hotel.
It was still the decently dressed servant.
Old Hank had just woken up from a hangover, and under his drowsy gaze, the servant walked up the stairs.
204 was Kierans room number.
The servant lifted his hand and knocked on the door rhythmically.
Dok Dok Dok.
Sir Colin? I am here to escort you to the mansion, said the servant respectfully.
Got it, please hold on for a while, Kierans voice sounded behind the door.
The servant from the Horton family stood straight with his hands down and waited patiently; there was no sign of impatience on his face, only smiles and a peaceful look.
The teachings and bearings of a big family was on disy to its fullest.
Three minutester, Kieran came out of the room.
Good afternoon, Sir Colin, greeted the servant respectfully.
Hello. Kieran nodded in reply.
In his mind, he was still thinking about the message that Hoika just sent him.
The Instigator really surprised him by a mile, but he didnt mind slightly ying along with the n.
Silent Night Secret Society had been brewing their n in Edatine Castle for a long time; their influences were too deep. If things werent messed up, Kieran would have no chance to find an entry point at all, let alone the key point of Brokers setups.
Sir, can we depart now? asked the servant.
Of course. Kieran nodded and the servant immediately led the way.
When they were down to the first floor, Old Hank waved his hand behind the counter.
The door is not locked here at night. Little Hank will be on guard. Old Hank smiled.
The little drinking session with Borl was very effective in shortening the distance between them; they knew each a lot better after a few drinks.
Kieran nodded in reply. He followed the servant out of Carrot Hotel then saw a ck wagon.
The ck color was actually paint, not the color of the wood used.
The ss window had a white silk cloth as curtains.
The wagon was a big four-wheeled model with the wagoner in front and two gasolenemps on each side; it was afternoon, so themp wasnt lit.
Kieran nced over the wagoner. The wagoner had a strong, buff physique and a pair of long hands. In between his index finger and thumb was a very thickyer of calluses; he was obviously a veteran in wielding a sword.
Shifting his gaze downwards, he realized the box-like chair that the wagoner was sitting on must be holding a weapon.
Kieran then moved his gaze to the carriage.
Although there was a silk cloth hanging over the window as a curtain, the people inside had no intention of hiding. The curtain was lifted up right away.
Kuer Horton.
He had changed into a knights suit from his uniform set. He opened the carriage door before his servant had the chance to then invited Kieran in with a respectful hand gesture.
Wee, my most esteemed guest of the night, said the young noble as Kieran boarded the carriage.
The servant sat beside the wagoner, and as the wagoner shook the reins, the wagon slowly drove away.
At the same time, the young noble brought a new pack of candy out.
This is also from Snow Owl Candy House. Its made from pure cocoa. It might taste a little bitter at first but the aftertaste is amazing.
Kuer Horton passed the candy to Kieran.
Kieran didnt reject, he simply took it and thanked the young noble. Thank you.
Watching Kieran change from his cold expression to a rather softer look, Kuer Horton slightly heaved a sigh of relief, and he too showed a smile on his face.
Kierans friendly reminder earlier made the young noble notice that Kieran was different from others, and because of that, he decided to invite Kieran to his dinner tonight.
Of course, it was also to repay the debt of gratitude for saving his life.
A mere thank you wouldnt be enough to repay the debt.
Though, looking at Kierans countenance after he received the candy, Kuer Horton confirmed Kierans love for food, and it lifted his mood a lot.
As he watched Kieran open the packaging and taste a piece of new candy from Snow Owl Candy House, Kuer Hortoon eagerly asked, How does it taste?
The bitterness is just right and the sweetness is perfect. Not bad. Kieran gave a fairment on the candy, which resonated with Kuer Hortons ownment on the candy!
His answer made the young nobles eyes shone brightly. He then grabbed a box of food from the trunk and started to bring out all kinds of candies and pastries to share with Kieran.
There were gummy candies, jawbreakers, milk pudding, and chiffon cakes.
Among all the sweets and cakes, the cheesecake won Kierans heart, and he deemed it delicious.
Other than being bothered by questions about the taste from time to time, the afternoon truly felt great to Kieran, likewise Kuer Horton.
He never thought he would meet another person who loved food as much as he did.
In the past, whenever he introduced good food to his colleagues, they would always reject his suggestion.
As a knight, you shouldnt be blinded by gluttony!
A tenacious heart requires restraint!
Sweetness is not as good as bitterness!
For a long time, these bunch of excuses gued Kuer Horton, who liked to share a lot.
He didnt mind training bitterly, going into battle or participating in a war, but why couldnt he eat a little better in his life?
Life is already so hard and bitter, cant he taste a tad bit of sweetness?
With the question lingering in his mind, the young noble endured a huge load of training every single day and at the end of every day, hed enjoy good food quietly, especially sweets and candies.
Having a few bites of sweetness after training was joy to Kuer Horton.
Therefore, when Kuer Horton encountered a powerful person like Kieran, who also disyed a love for food, the young noble felt really happy from the bottom of his heart.
Kierans appearance was enough to prove that the love of food could also be fuel for a powerhouse, not a burden in the journey to power. Otherwise, how could Kieran be so powerful at such a young age?
Having found the best excuse to refute his colleagues arguments, Kuer Horton was eager to celebrate his joyful discovery.
But how?
With another cream strawberry cake!
Kuer Horton picked up a piece of strawberry cake with extra cream and took a small bite of the sharpest part. When the tip of his tongue tasted the sweet delight, the young noble widened his mouth to its fullest and shoved the whole cake into his mouth. His eyes squinted uncontrobly as he savoured the sweetness of the cake, he leaned back on the seat and snorted in delight.
However, right after he snorted, he realized the little behaviour did not suit his identity, but made him look rude.
The young noble sat up straight right away. He nced at Kieran and noticed that he had immersed himself in eating, to the point that he did not notice the rude manners, which made the young noble heave a sigh of relief.
He was then captivated by how Kieran focused on eating, saliva in his mouth secreting uncontrobly.
After the saliva filled his mouth, the young noble couldnt hold it anymore.
Today is really a day worth celebrating!
I will eat another! No, I will eat two more!
Only two cream strawberry cakes can fully express the true essence of celebration!
Kuer Horton reached out both his hands and grabbed two cakes with each of his hands. Opening his mouth, he chomped on the cake. As he chomped left and right, twice the satisfaction appeared on his face.
As he was filled with satisfaction, that rigid look of his turned soft and tender, especially his hawk-like sharp eyes, which were now round and watery like a puppys.
His originally sharp crooked nose, which matched his sharp presence a lot, became very abrupt but neither of them cared about such details.
Kuer Horton was so immersed that he could not extricate himself.
Kieran?
He watched as Kuer Horton brought out another hidden food box and unveiled the... roasted meat inside!
It wasnt frozen roasted meat but a steamy hot one! Its as if it was taken fresh off the grill; however, inside that hidden food box, there was no coal or fire.
Some kind of spell?
Kieran thought of it.
After catching Kierans inquisitive gaze, Kuer Horton took the initiative to exin. I asked a warlock to help me cast this spell on this box. This food box can maintain the foods freshness and temperature to the utmost extent! Even if you keep it in the box for over a week, it would be the same as if it were freshly roasted!
As he exined, he conveniently brought out seasoning, like ck pepper, and fork and knife from another box.
The seasoning bottle was twisted and the ck pepper was sprinkled on the roasted meat evenly.
Kuer Horton eagerly forked a piece of meat and mimicked Kierans way of eating. He didnt cut the meat before stuffing it into his mouth.
He wasnt used to it at first, but when the roasted meat was stuffed in his mouth, the unusual delight of chewing on the meat made the young nobles eyes shone brightly. He couldnt help but bring out another te of roasted meat from a second hidden food box.
Unlike the bigger piece of beef that was cut off the hind leg, this second piece of roasted meat was a wholemb leg, and thankfully, there were two this time!
Kieran simply grabbed one of themb legs. Kuer Horton also learned how Kieran ate by using his hand.
Although it went against the noble table manners he had learned, Kuer Horton no longer cared.
It took only half an hour to shift from sweets, pastries, and cakes to roasted meat, but Kuer Horton felt like he was reborn.
Unfortunately, when thest piece of bone was tossed into Kierans mouth, chewed up and swallowed into his stomach, the young noble finally regained his senses.
W-What have I done?
How did I finish a whole week of ration in one seating?
What should I do tomorrow, the day after tomorrow and the days toe?
Will I have to live like an apostle for a week?
The presence of despair appeared and clouded the young noble.
Whats wrong? Kieran took the initiative and asked.
Kieran had a better impression of Kuer Horton after the food sharing session, so if it wasnt any big problem, he would be willing to give a helping hand.
This was my food for a whole week. The military camp that I am stationed in cooks very healthy food, but... its not very tasty. The worst part is, the military camp is semi-closed, so other than every weeks holiday, I cant step out of it, Kuer Horton exined.
So you need to refill your food in those hidden spots? Kieran provided a solution. The dinner is at seven, the time now is five, so we still have a lot of time to order the food in advance. Then, when you send me back after dinner, just go to the restaurant and collect your orders. Although youve invited Snow Owl Candy House, Moose Pastry Maker, and the chef from Gray Bear Restaurant, Edatine Castle is so big, Im sure there are some other chefs in the same rank, right?
But... can I? Would you mind, Colin? Kuer Horton was a little hesitant.
In his point of view, it slightly went against his noble manners again, bringing the invited guest for food shopping.
Should others hear of this, it would be very shameful.
Of course I dont mind. I wished to know about more restaurants that you deem tasty in Edatine! Kieran smiled kindly. There was a trace of anticipation in his smile.
Although the young noble was nothing ster in terms of strength, his tongue was quite decent, the restaurants he deemed tasty would surely be great.
Kieran had already decided that after Kuer Horton guided him through the restaurants, he would spare some time in the uing days to try all the rmended food.
Just look at how sincere Kierans smile was.
Kuer Horton tapped on the carriage window, told the wagoner to make a turn, and changed their destination.
Kuer Horton started to introduce Kieran to themercial districts that were worthwhile. Colin, do you know that all the best foods in Edatine are concentrated at themercial district at Central Third Ring? Of course, I dont mean to look down on the lower seven rings, which is the civilian district; they have a lot of great food there too. Unfortunately, time is not on our side today.
Up until this point, due to the sweat from all the eating, Kuer Horton had lifted the silk curtain and cracked open the window. The windy breeze blew in, bringing afortable feeling to the two of them inside and also washed away the smell of the food.
While Kieran was listening to Kuer Hortons rmendation, he also spared some attention to size up themercial district.
Unlike how a normal person paid attention to the scenery and the crowded spots, Kieran instinctively scanned over the corners and shadows.
Then... he saw Anderson.
Anderson had disguised himself meticulously and was squatting down in a corner, looking like a tradingpany worker that was cking off. Right after he noticed Kierans gaze, he instantly became rmed, but he did not turn to the wagon straight away. Instead, he nced over it from the corner of his eye.
When he saw the wagon that rode along the main street, Anderson was shaken.
Why is that guy from Snake Sect here? And... what is with that scent of sweets, pastries and roasted meat that flew out from the carriage?
Gulp!
When he picked up the smell, the once crazy Demon Hunter couldnt help but curl up his body tighter.
He was truly hungry. He had spent decades in a dungeon, so it was natural that he barely had anything normal to eat. He was starving most of the time.
Now after waking up to his senses, he came back with vengeance. He quickly returned to the surroundings of the dungeon without any dy.
The temptation of food to Anderson was self-exnatory, but he had to endure it. He couldnt afford to lower his guard.
But... starvation seriously affected his stamina.
Maybe I should go get a biscuit in the market behind?
Such a thought appeared in Andersons mind and then he couldnt hold himself back anymore.
Just when he was about to stand up, he suddenly realized a figure was closing in on him in a very cautious and vignt manner.
Anderson vigntly gripped his dagger tight, but at the next moment, his nose sniffed several times because the approaching figure smelled like fried chicken.
Chapter 1777 - Replace
Chapter 1777: Rece
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
When hungry, the smell of fried chicken was the utmost temptation.
Even Anderson, who had a title for himself in the past, fell into a daze for a moment.
Though at the next moment, the Hunting Knife came back to his senses. He gripped his dagger tight and was ready to take down this approaching figure.
As for killing the figure directly?
He didnt sense any malicious intents from the figure, therefore he had no intention of killing.
However, Hoika was quicker.
Snake Sect.
Right before Anderson striked, Hoika spoke softly to him and at the same time disyed a hand gesture only few Demon Hunters understood.
Snake Sect? Anderson was shocked.
Hoika didnt care about the surprise, he quickly pulled out the fried chicken that he bought from the market.
Although he had no idea why his teacher wanted him to deliver the fried chicken to Anderson, Hoika did not question anything, as his teacher must have his own nning.
He would just have to listen and do as he was ordered.
When Hoika put his hands into his coat, Anderson was filled with utmost caution.
It was without a doubt that should Hoika do anything out of the blue, he would receive a fatal blow.
However... fried chicken?!
Anderson was stunned again. He really did not expect Hoika to bring fried chicken from his coat.
For me? Anderson asked nkly.
Mm, Hoika nodded.
After some hesitation and several loud growls from his stomach, Anderson took the fried chicken, checking it carefully before gobbling it down like a hungry man.
Hoika was shaken when he saw how Anderson ate.
I bought too few? Hoika asked himself in his heart.
In less than 5 seconds, the fried chicken was devoured by the old Demon Hunter, including the skin and bones.
Do you need more? Theres some biscuits on sale at the market, Hoika asked.
No thanks. Anderson casually replied, though the oily stains about his mouth were glistening.
A quick nceter, Hoika shut his eyelids and looked away.
Im here to tell you something about Silent Night Secret Society...
Hoika then told Anderson the Instigators n.
That bastard! In the old Demon Hunters squinted eyes, a cold gleam coupled with killer intents appeared.
The old Demon Hunter wasnt a stranger to the Instigator, plus his identity as a member of Silent Night Secret Society. The old Demon Hunter would surely go after his life.
Though before that, he looked at Hoika.
You are a spy?
Anderson lowered his voice, not moving his lips and his voiceing out directly from his throat.
Although this member of the Snake Sect in front of him had hidden some traits of his, if Anderson couldnt notice a thing or two on him, he should really retire.
Hoika nodded.
Before he arrived, he knew he must make his identity clear to Anderson, therefore there was nothing to hide.
The old Demon Hunter stared at Hoika for a few seconds after the nod. He then bowed slightly.
It was how Demon Hunters showed respect to each other because he knew how dangerous it would be for a spy to infiltrate the enemys organization. He also understood what kind of responsibility and burden Hoika had to bear.
Hide yourself in the shadow and... be one with the enemy? Anderson sighed in his heart.
He recalled all three of the Snake Sect Demon Hunters that he had met.
One was a very traditional hunter, that sharp presence could never fool him.
The other one had a very obscure presence, which rmed him a bit.
Then, there was this sleeper agent, who was willing to infiltrate the enemys organization.
Up until now, the old Demon Hunter finally had a better understanding of Snake Sect.
They were simr to the Demon Hunters of Wolf Sect but worked in a different way.
Hope he can remember the rules of the Demon Hunter.
After a blessing from his heart, the old Demon Hunter spoke.
So I need to act as a fuse and detonate this whole thing?
Thats right. You need to kill me, then quickly break into the dungeon and rescue the others. Carrot Hotel is our temporary lodging spot. After the rescue, you can find us there.
After Hoika finished, he hid in the shadows and left in a hurry.
This wasnt the end of the mission his teacher assigned to him, he still needed to put in more effort.
The old Demon Hunter waited until Hoikapletely went away before he walked out from the shadows. He didnt make his move right away, instead heading to the market to buy some necessities, like biscuits.
...
Luncar was walking in the Central First Ring of the castle.
The Central First Ring was still a part of themercial district, but since it was near the Upper Seven Ring, everything here was cleaner and tidier, even the shops here were much more morous and high-end. Many rare jewelries and essories weremon products in this ring.
Some higher-end restaurants were also all over the ce, but Luncar wasnt concerned about all of that.
He had to locate a hidden outpost, a hidden outpost from War God Temple.
War God Temple once had many guards and hidden outposts throughout Edatine Castle.
However, after the ck Cataclysm, the guards retreated to the Upper Seven Ring, where War God Temple was located and the hidden outposts greatly decreased, to the point that not a single trace of them was left behind. At least that was what it looked like in the public eye.
As for the truth?
The numbers of the hidden outpost truly decreased but actually, many of them had decided to go into hiding.
It became hard to differentiate them from the deacons from the Inquisition.
Fortunately, as one of the infamous field agents of Silent Night Secret Society, Luncar wasnt the name, he knew there were only less than 5 hidden outposts of War God Temple left in Edatine Castle.
Though he did not make a scene about it, he needed the hidden outposts to bring him bigger value, such as now.
Why this particr outpost?
It was because this particr outpost had the highest value to him.
Luncar had multiple contacts with this particr outpost and based on his experience, the person in charge of this outpost was at least a priest, a priest armed with a sword.
Therefore, when he stepped into this Etorin Tailor, he was extra careful.
He tried to present himself as a member of the Silent Night Secret Society who did not realize this shop was a hidden outpost and treated it as a normal tailor.
He was doing this in his heart while his habitual smile hung over his face.
COMMENT
Any differences in his actions or countenance might attract unwanted cautions from the tailor.
The priest from War God Temple was not someone he could simply fool.
Ding!
The wind chime rang.
Etorin, Im here again.
Luncar greeted the shop owner cum tailor.
The owner was a white-haired old man, with a pair of sses and slightly hunched body, but his movements were clean and quick. A strap of measuring tape hung over his neck, and even when he talked, the scissors in his hand did not stop.
Wee, Lun. What do you need this time? The old tailor called Luncar by his alias.
I need a formal suit. I have a meeting to attend in a few days, said Luncar with a smile.
He wasnt lying, the meeting he referred to was the Council Meeting.
Oh, what kind of meeting would that be? The old tailor pushed his sses upwards.
A meeting with many trivial things to deal with.
Luncar toned down his smile then shook his head, brazenly expressing that he didnt want to linger on the topic.
What else should I prepare other than the formal suit? Luncar asked.
Id suggest you get a silver brooch as the only essory for a dark color suit. As for a hat, it depends on the situation, but a pair of leather shoes of the same color are inevitable, said the old tailor professionally.
What about the shape of the brooch? I think Ill also make the shoes with you, you know my size anyway, said Luncar.
Sure. Try not to go with a fancy one, keep it as simple and clean as possible and try not to wear an intimidating one. How about a four leaf clover? It represents luck, the old tailor guided Luncar through his dress code.
Luck, eh? Sure, I guess Ill be needing a lot of that. How much will it be? Luncar took his wallet out straight away.
85 Gold Purton in total: 50 for the suit, 20 for the shoes, and 15 for the silver four-leaf clover brooch. If you are in a hurry, you have to pay an extra 10 Gold Purton for me to rush it for you.
The old tailor stated a price that matched the location of his shop, which was located in the Upper Seven Ring.
Luncar counted the money in his wallet and took out the precise amount, then put it on the old tailors table.
Please be quick, its urgent, Luncar said before he left.
Dont worry. Come for it in two days time, the old tailor assured Luncar.
The two of them interacted and parted ways like a real tailor and his customer.
However, when the tailor shops door closed, the old tailor straightened his hunched back right away.
His eyes were sharp all of a sudden, not even the sses he wore could cover them.
After he closed the door, he walked up the stairs.
Luncar heaved a breath of relief when he got out of the tailor shop.
Everything was smoother than expected.
Next?
It would be waiting for the result but sitting back and waiting was not Luncar style.
He chose a high-end restaurant and sat down on the second floor.
A ss of lime water, butter cake, and cocoa cake please.
Luncar took 2 Gold Purton and put them into the waiters hand.
Butter and cocoa were not cheap ingredients but it didnt cost 2 Gold Purton.
Half of what he paid was tips. Luncar knew the importance of Gold Purton.
In less than 2 minutes time, what he ordered was served on the table, and when he requested to sit beside the window, the waiter immediately went over to that table and negotiated with the customer.
The customer at that table was a young man. His attire might look in and simple but was actually very intricate; he looked normal.
When he heard the request from the waiter, the young man stood up without any rejection.
Thank you, Luncar smiled and thanked him.
Its nothing. the young man waved his hand. With the waiters guidance, the young man sat down at Luncars original table.
Everything seemed pretty normal.
Exchanging tables in a restaurant was something verymon, it happened almost every single day, so no one was bothered.
Luncar also failed to notice anything eye-catching about the young man.
As for his attire?
Come on, the ce was the Upper Seven Ring of Edatine Castle! For a person who lived in an upper ss te, his attire was toomon! Had he worn broken clothes, then he would be turning eyes in the ce.
Therefore, Luncar soon ced his attention somewhere that was worthy of his attention.
He did not touch the cake on the table, holding the ss of lime water and gazing outside the window.
The position allowed him to see a certain part of the Central Third Ring, the ce where Councilman Colipos dungeon was located.
Seconds turned into minutes.
Half an hourter, thick smoke suddenly rose from Edatine Castlesmercial street.
Noise and mouring were faintly heard, despite it being some distance away.
The people in the restaurant were looking at that direction in shock, including that young man.
Perhaps it was his age, but the young man did not sit down, standing up and walking to the window.
Since he agreed to swap tables with Luncar earlier, Luncar slightly moved his chair to let the young man pass through, an act meant to repay the goodwill.
The young man nodded and Luncar also replied with the same.
Thats the market of Central Third Ring right? How did the fire break out? the young man asked all of a sudden.
Maybe because the furnace wasnt covered up properly, some fiery sparks flew out and burned something. Or maybe its a coal bucket. Things like this always happened in Edatine Castle throughout the year.
After he heard the question, Luncar couldnt help but stand up and exin, which was also an act to repay the goodwill.
Is that so? The young man looked dubious.
Of course, idents happen throughout the year, Luncar simply replied.
Edatines nobles were really failing generation by generation.
Although the young man was well-mannered, his knowledge was too poor.
Given a young man his age, had he been born in Sicar or elsewhere, he would have been in battle already.
Even if he came from a noble family, he should have joined the patrol team, unlike now, being a greenhouse baby and protected by his family.
No wonder His Majesty showed this much dissatisfaction for his knights.
Following the publishing of the new royal decree, everyone knew what the king sought.
It wasnt just because of his ambition to conquer the south, it was also to voice out his dissatisfaction to those under hismand.
However, it wasnt really an easy task trying to push for a new decree.
Luncar got news about some old nobles having the idea to form a secret alliance.
As for the king? He should know about this too, but he decided to turn a blind eye.
Why? The king wanted to snatch everyone in a single sweep.
Luncar knew it very well, but he would never tell the young noble beside him.
He grabbed his hat on the table and thought of leaving.
You havent finished your cake! the young man reminded Luncar.
No thanks, the taste really isnt that great, Luncar waved his hand.
You are wasting food, said the young man.
Sometimes wasting isnt all that shameful, it even represents your strength.
Looking at the young man with his typical noble bearings, Luncar totally lost the interest to talk.
What was there to talk to a single-minded log?
Strength? But boss said wasting food is always bad and I think my boss is right!
The young man smiled. His smile wasnt exactly kind but not cold either, it just felt weird.
Luncar immediately felt dizzy.
Shit!
His heart clenched tight at that moment. He grabbed a potion from his pouch and went to uncork it but the Superior Demon beat him by arriving in front of his face. It grabbed the potion and then chopped Luncar at the side of his neck with its hand.
Pak!
After the clear thud, Luncar was knocked out.
Bloody Mary conveniently slung him on its shoulder, like a sack of rice.
It packed the two pieces of cake on the table and walked out of the restaurant.
Everyone in the restaurant acted like they did not see Bloody Mary at all.
After Bloody Mary left far enough, it snapped its fingers and the people back at the restaurant woke up, but their attention was swiftly captured by the thick smoke.
No one noticed Luncar had gone missing.
A whileter, on the streets of the Upper Seven Ring, a new Luncar appeared.
Chapter 1778 - Words
Chapter 1778: Words
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Wiping off the cream on the edge of its mouth, Bloody Mary stood beside the street and looked down at themercial district which had returned to normal.
The speed was just as boss expected.
Other than the pre-stationed sharpshooters, there were also members from the royal guardians, who possessed spell-casting abilities.
Bloody Mary scanned over several spots in themercial district, then turned around and looked at the other side of the street. At one end of the street, a hooded man was striding towards it and at the other end of the street, another hooded man appeared.
The moment the two hooded men appeared, the icy cold killer intents were locked on it.
Bloody Mary was very certain had it been someone else, they could never break free from the killer intents, even if they jumped down from the Upper Seven Ring, because it wasnt just pure killer intents, it was killer intents coupled with some mystical spells.
Though for Bloody Mary, breaking free forcefully was an option, but why? Why would it want to break free?
One thing worth taking note of was that Bloody Mary was wearing Luncars face, the man who talked himself into every crack and crevice.
Therefore, before the two hooded men truly approached it, it raised its hands into the air.
The two men were obviously surprised about how cooperative Luncar was, slowing down and looking at him in a dubious gaze.
Bloody Mary also sized up the two of them. Its gaze was able to prate the shadow from the hood and allowed it to clearly see their true faces.
A rather familiar face allowed Bloody Mary to confirm their identities almost instantaneously, but they werent men from Councilman Colipo, which was the info it got from Luncars memories, they were from another councilman.
Luncars setup worked!
Councilman Colipo was heavily suspected!
No, more precisely, a lot of other councilmen were hoping to see Councilman Colipo fall!
Right away, Bloody Marys heart turned calm and it talked frankly.
I dont want to resist because I know what I did and I am not guilty about it! Everything that I did was for the society! It sounded very decisive, hence it slowed down the killer intents of the two men.
We are just carrying out orders to bring you back. You can tell the councilmen yourselfter, said one of the men.
Has the Council Meeting been confirmed? asked Bloody mary.
No. They are still not sure whether or not to hold the Council Meeting, since...
CORRUPTED! As I expected, the continuous victories have changed the society from the roots, it is no longer the society that I know. We are in a life and death situation yet they hesitate!
Before the man could finish, Bloody Mary stopped him with its own words. Filled with righteous indignation, Bloody Mary said strongly as it pointed at themercial district, Did you know what just happened here? The Demon Hunters are back but our councilmen is still being so calctive about trivial matters! No! I guess in their eyes, this isnt some trivial matter because it it is closely rted to their power and benefits.
Bloody Mary chuckled vaguely thenughed loudly with mocks.
The two men looked at Bloody Mary and listened to its mocking in silence.
Deep in their hearts, they somewhat agreed with what Bloody Mary said because it was the truth!
Meanwhile, Bloody Marys sharp instinct allowed it to grasp the thoughts and emotions of the two men.
It said in a heavy voice, Im sorry, I cannot go with you. I might not be a match for the both of you but I will have to try, because I still have friends in Silent Night Town! I dont want them to sacrifice for the councilmen as they fight for power and gains!
Bloody Marys words were like a heavy mullet hammering the hearts of the two men.
It was simple actually, they too had friends in Silent Night Town, or even close ones.
Silent Night Town would be caught in this incident?
The two of them were in thought, yet they found it hard to believe.
Bloody Mary, who had a grasp over their thoughts, was slightly relieved.
Great, not a bad start, It said in its heart.
It was a fact that Luncar had friends in Silent Night Town.
Although Luncar feigned every friendship that he had, no one knew that, Bloody Mary was sure of it.
The other thing that it made sure of was that those friends had already fallen under the councilmens control.
This would be the best entry point after the decent start.
My friends had fallen under the councilmens control right? Are they... hurt? Bloody Mary asked all of a sudden.
No, they did not resist...
That will be enough, Bloody Mary showed a smile as if a great burden had been lifted.
Its truthful smile immediately won some fondness in the two mens hearts.
A very small part of the fondness was real and most of it was because of Bloody Marys influence. It was simr to the Instigators abilities but much more subtle.
As the situation further unfolded, the man who spoke earlier spoke again, Things arent that bad right?
It is worse than you can ever imagine! The councilmen are too careless by allowing the Snake to infiltrate our society! And there is more than one! Bloody Mary changed its tone after thest sentence, How can you be sure that the councilman you pledged loyalty to and serve isnt a Snake?
The two of them went quiet, unable to tell.
Bloody Mary sighed when it saw the reactions on their faces.
That is why I wanted to initiate the Council Meeting! Believe me, the Snake is very elusive and also very dangerous, but it is impossible for them to infiltrate the whole society! They might be able to corrupt one or several members but definitely not all! Only when all the councilmen are summoned together and prove themselves, can we be safe! Otherwise... if we meet anyone or two of them alone, we might get silenced! Think about it, yourrades that went missing mysteriously in the past few years. Some had a great future ahead of them but they lost their lives in some easy mission and it wasnt only once! Those missions that were bound to seed failed mysteriously! Can you guys understand and look at the big picture now?
Bloody Marys tone grew heavier and its pitch went higher.
The two mens bodies quivered slightly following what Bloody Mary said.
They couldnt help but recall what had happened in the past few years.
Cold sweat broke out from their forehead.
Bloody Mary, who had its eyes on the two of them since the start, smiled in its heart.
After a decent start, herees the decent progress.
What it said was the truth but such situations might happen in any kind of organization.
After all, idents or perceived idents were everywhere.
During normal times, it was nothing significant, but during a critical moment, it could be a fatal point.
More so, it was erged indefinitely by Bloody Marys own techniques.
The demonic traits from its roots quietly bewitched the two of them. The two of them had taken precautions against the Instigator, but how could the Instigator bepared against the Superior Demon?
Should they be measured in a scale, the Instigator, who relied on his skills and medications, was around 1; a normal demon could reach the scale of 1.5 to 2.
However, Bloody Mary wasnt a normal demon, it was a natural Hetero-form!
Aside from that, with help from Kieran, it had ascended to Superior rank!
This ascension was extremely rare, there might not even be one among 10,000!
Therefore, Bloody Mary should be ranked around... 100!
You guys want to be one of them? Well, I dont want to, so I fought back!
Bloody Mary looked up to the two men with a sincere gaze and spoke word by word.
Join us!
The two men looked at each other with hesitation.
Do you want to be a sacrifice and die without knowing why? Without name and achievements? Have you ever thought about your friends and family once you are dead? Or maybe... if you guys are lucky enough to survive, what about your friends and family? They might die! Do you really want to see it happen before your eyes? Do you want to live in silent regret for the rest of your life?!
The loud and strong words were thest straw that crushed the camel.
The influenced and shaken men clenched their teeth and nodded at the same time.
We will join you! said both of them in one voice.
I swear you guys will not regret the choices you made today! Now! Let us gather more of us! I strongly believe other than us, there are many more out there who are not happy with the situation! We must band together and stand united! Only then... can we hope to survive this! said Bloody Mary loudly.
Bloody Mary then extended its hand, with its palm facing downwards.
The two members of Silent Night Secret Society too extended their hands andid them over Bloody Marys.
For our friends!
For our family!
For our important ones!
Lets fight!
Following each word that Bloody Mary spewed out, their eyes grew stronger and firmer. When thest fight was spoken, the two men werepletely brainwashed by Bloody Mary.
They might not follow everymand but they would now advance towards amon goal.
Thismon goal was exactly what Bloody Mary sought, or more precisely, what Kieran sought.
He didnt need aplete and powerful Silent Night Secret Society as his foe.
A Silent Night Secret Society on the brink of copsing would be better, and if he could take in a part of the members under hismand, it would be the best of the best.
Sitting in the wagon, Kieran watched Bloody Marys performance.
When the performance was at its climax, Kieran couldnt help but apud.
He leaned back in his chair and started to carefullyb through his entire n, searching for any potential ws.
Kieran knew he wasnt an extremely gifted person, it was impossible for him to be wless in nning.
What he did was think about the n for a long time and be vignt at all times.
Tapping the table lightly with his fingers, he looked outside the wagon.
Kuer Horton, who had just finished cing his orders, was returning to the wagon with a bright smile. There was a sea of people around him and they moved around like an endless current. It was a quarter before evening, themercial district of Edatine Castle in its peak hour.
Morning and early noon was the time when the merchant group returned to the city, so that particr time slot belonged to the merchants.
The quarter before evening belonged to the civilians, when they woulde out and buy food for the next day and replenish some daily supplies.
Of course, the civilians who were able to shop in themercial district were mostly wealthy families, at least a lot wealthier than normal civilians.
Therefore, their purchasing power and options were a lot wider, not just limited to bread and vegetables.
Some meat, like beef jerky and sausages, were on their purchasing list.
Some restaurants and eateries became the main ce for them to visit.
Those restaurants Kuer Horton selected were by no means bad, the price they offered was a lot cheaper than those in the Upper Seven Ring. The fact that they set up shop in themercial district had determined that the price they offered wasnt that ridiculous.
A decent taste coupled with a considerate pricing, it was natural that thismercial district became the favorite ce of many.
When Kuer Horton walked out, a lot of other civilians walked past him, most of them wealthy civilians, yet they tried to keep a certain distance from the young noble.
It was considered respect to the nobles but their way of showing respect made the traffic even worse.
A little figure had fallen down amid all the pushing.
Waaa!
The loud weeping attracted Kuer Hortons attention right away.
Excuse me! Excuse me!
The young noble said loudly and carved a path to the little figure, the people around him also making way for him quickly.
Civilians were unlike nobles, they were the heart of the poption but not all agreed to that.
Two figures acted differently in the crowd.
While the crowd made way for the young noble, the two figures ran towards him.
The daggers in their hands were aimed towards Kuer Horton.
Kuer Horton calmly pulled out the flintlock pistol that he carried with him all the time.
Bang!
Smoke came out from the muzzle after the shot and a person fell down immediately. The pistol switched to its next target and the trigger was pulled again.
Bang!
The second assassin joined his partner in crime in the other world.
Kuer Horton slightly shook his head. It wasnt the first time that people tried to assassinate him, so the scene before him was nothing.
Compared to how vicious the assassination attempts of the past, this one didnt even make top 10.
The only thing he had to be concerned about was keeping the civilians away from harm.
Hey kid, are you okay?
After he put the pistol at his waist, Kuer Horton looked towards the child who had fallen on the ground.
The child wore a red linen dress and had long braids.
She fell down earlier, with a slightly blushing face and eyes that were teared up.
I-Im fine.
The little girl was scared after she noticed Kuer Hortons attire and understood the differences in ranks and status.
Kuer Horton smiled, he squatted down right away.
Dont worry. Im a knight, I will protect the wea-...
Kuer Horton said with a smile but before he could finish, the ground suddenly shook.
A sharp and narrow scimitar burst out from the ground behind the little girl, like a shark that lunged itself towards Kuer Horton.
The little girl was the first to bear the brunt though.
Without even thinking, Kuer Horton grabbed the little girl and retreated as fast as he could, but he was too slow!
Right before Kuer Horton managed to step back, the scimitar suddenly extended itself, the edge of the sword flying towards Kuer Hortons face in an instant.
The sharpness of the de stung Kuer Hortons face.
Shit!
Kuer Horton instinctively wanted to toss the little girl to safety but before he could, a ck figure came from the sky andnded behind the scimitar.
Bang!
A loud thumpter, a ssh of blood spewed all over the ground.
The scimitar that went for Kuer Hortons face was frozen in the air for a moment before it fell to the ground heavily.
Chapter 1779 - Timing
Chapter 1779: Timing
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The patrol soldiers in Edatine Castle were quicker than expected.
It was merely 3 minutes after the attempted assasination and a team of fully armed soldiers appeared in the public eye.
The leader of the team saw Kuer Horton at first nce, so he hastened his men and ordered them to maintain order at the scene before he walked to the young noble.
Knight Horton, are you alright? the leader asked respectfully,sounding like he was slightly afraid.
The chief of the guards knew what the young noble represented.
The young nobles background alone was sufficient enough to earn respect from everyone at the scene, and coupled with the identity of knight, it made him even more extraordinary.
When a noble background came together with the identity of knight, it would mean a lot more than having multiple identities.
The situation was like 1 + 1 > 2.
If the young noble before him was hurt, it wasnt just the chief who would suffer, his superior and his superiors superior would all get punished more than they could endure.
Fortunately, Kuer Horton had no intention of making it difficult for the chief of guards.
Help me find her parents. And, dig that bastard out! said Kuer Horton to the chief of guard.
He then smiled at the little girl, waving his hand and walking to Kieran.
Thank you. You saved me again, Kuer Horton thanked Kieran softly when he was beside him.
Im just expressing my gratitude for the afternoon tea, Kieran spoke truthfully.
He already noticed something wasnt right when he was in the carriage, so he decided to extend a helping hand, mostly because of how scrumptious Kuer Hortons afternoon tea was, which made him look forward to the dinner.
To a not-so-lousy person who was willing to provide him with tasty food, Kieran wouldnt mind extending a helping hand in times of danger.
Listening to Kierans reply and feeling how cheap his life was, Kuer Horton couldnt help but smile bitterly.
I know you might not care but I think I owe you big time. Tonights dinner was held because I want to repay you the previous debt, but now I owe you another one. I think I must prepare more good food to repay you.
In order to heighten his own value, Kuer Horton decided to treat Kieran to a real feast.
Kieran did not reject that suggestion.
Even though deep in his heart, he knew no matter how hard Kuer Horton prepared, he could never reach Starbecks level. However, since Starbeck wasnt around, Kieran mustpromise.
I miss Starbeck, Kieran thought in his heart, while his nk and somewhat cold expression still hung over his face.
After being together for a whole afternoon, Kuer Horton got used to Kierans countenance.
Plus some other prejudiced information, he wasnt surprised at all.
Then, both of them turned to the assassin who got dug out from the ground.
It was a man inmon attire, the height and size of a Northerner and an especially fit physique; his face looked vicious because of Kierans stomp earlier but was still able to make out a general look.
Kuer Horton squatted down to have a closer look at the unfamiliar face, furrowing his brows tightly together.
This man wasnt the assassin that he met before, he was apletely new one.
It wasnt any good news to Kuer Horton though, because it meant his foes influence and power hadpletely gone out of his expectation.
Quietly, Kuer Horton stood up and waved at the chief of guard.
Bring him back to the city guard station, a specialist will drop by to inspect the body, said Kuer Horton.
Yes, Knight Horton.
The chief of guard bowed, then ordered half of his men to quickly bring the body away.
As for the remaining half, they stayed behind and questioned the crowd.
Even though the chief of guard did not think questioning the crowd would be of any use, he still had to follow standard operating procedures.
Kuer Horton and Kieran walked side by side back to the wagon.
However, before they boarded the wagon, the young noble turned around to the civilians who were being questioned by the guards and bowed apologetically.
There was no further exnation for his actions but it was enough.
In fact,pared to other nobles, Kuer Horton was considered a deviant for treating civilians equally.
It it was some other nobles, they might look as cold as ice and leave in a bad mood, and had this little assassination happened out of Edatine Castle, the hot-tempered nobles would surely make an example out of the unlucky civilians.
The wagoner shook the reins to the horse and slowly drove away, though the servant and the wagoner had their swords in hand after the little incident.
It was obvious that the assassination attempt shook them, afraid that another attempt on their masters life would happen.
Therefore, the wagon drove straight to Marquis Hortons mansion.
Along the way, the crowd was smart enough to make way for the wagon when they saw the two highly tense servants and the emblem on the wagon.
Kuer Horton saw the civilians dodging the wagon nervously through the window, so he couldnt help but tap on the nk behind him to notify his men. The education he received and the knights creed that he believed in forbade him to turn a blind eye.
After he felt the wagon had slowed down, Kuer Horton turned to Kieran.
Im sorry, I might have involved you in some trouble. But dont you worry, I will do my best and settle everything as soon as possible, said Kuer Horton in a very sincere tone.
I said it before, it was to thank you for the afternoon tea, Kieran repeated himself.
Its not the same! Colin, you dont understand what I mean, Im saying...
The young noble wanted to exin further but after some thoughts shed over his mind, he hesitated, but soon enough the hesitation was reced by a steady look.
Colin, you saved me twice, so I dont think I can keep it a secret from you anymore. What do you think about His Majestys new royal decree? asked Kuer Horton.
Kieran suddenly thought of what Old Hank, the owner of Carrot Hotel once said, You ask me what do I think? What can I think? I dont have money to buy it anyway.
...
His words might sound rough and crude but the meaning was not, so Kieran delivered the meaning instead.
Its not rted to most people, said Kieran.
Yes, it is not rted to most people, but to me and others who share my background it is closely rted! It represents the biggest honor of the nobles: thend! Therefore, people like us instantly split up into two factions; some agree with the new decree and some reject it to the roots. My father is a firm supporter of His Majesty, so...
Before he even finished, Kuer Horton showed a bitter smile.
Everything became clear now.
The nobles who rejected the decree dare not say anything towards the king, at least they dare not do anything on the bright side, but to the supporters of the king, the nobles werent that courteous anymore.
Assassination were thest and the worst option that they could ever resolve to, due to the fact that it broke the rules.
But...
In desperate times, assassination also represented their attitude: they stood firm on their bottomline and no one should challenge them, otherwise it would be a life or death struggle.
This isnt the first attempt on my life. In the recent months, Ive been targeted three times... No, counting this one, it would be the fourth time! The first two times were solely to scare me, but the third and fourth time, it seemed like whosoever was behind this had taken things seriously, albeit they did not go after my father but me. Still, it represented their determination and resolution: those who stand in their way could never walk away safely. Colin, you may not care about all this but no matter how strong a person is, he has to sleep or rest. Can you guarantee that youll be awake 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and never take rest? For your own safety sake, I wish to invite you to temporarily stay in the marquis mansion. Or I can assign two guards around you. Dont worry, they are vignt enough and possess sharp sword-wielding skills.
Kuer Horton emphasized potential danger after he saw how calm Kieran was, evening up with a solution to the situation.
Im sorry, but I am used to working alone.
Kuer Horton was very sincere, but Kieran did not ept.
Firstly, it was what he said: he got used to being alone.
Secondly, he had too many secrets that could never see the light of day.
Starbeck? He was an exception.
I will have my own way around situations like this. Otherwise, I would have been dead long ago. Do you know what I have to face on a daily basis?
Kieran quickly talked first when he noticed Kuer Horton wanted to borate more.
He even hinted to himself as a Snake Sect Demon Hunter.
Kieran didnt overly hide his identity as Snake Sect Demon Hunter.
In short, only maintain a simple cover for that particr identity. Normal civilians would not know about him but those who wanted to know and spent a little effort to find out would know.
Kuer Horton was obviously thetter, likewise the nobles who rejected the new decree.
Therefore, Kieran had quite the confidence that that faction of nobles wouldnt simply provoke a Demon Hunter, especially a Demon Hunter who walked with the shadow, a Snake Sect Demon Hunter.
Of course, there would surely be some testsing after him. Kieran didnt mind, he was eager to meet those tests.
Only when he rooted his identity as Snake Sect Demon Hunter in peoples heart would his other identities be safe, such as... the Mist!
No one would ever expect that the two of them were actually the same person.
People would only think the Mist and Snake Sect were working together, like Silent Night Secret Society and Lady Cmity.
Kieran needed such an impression from the people, because he didnt want people to check and investigate his trails back and forth.
Although he considered himself having done a good job in keeping it under wraps and had sufficient preparation, he was still unable to get to the bottom of everything, especially when God of War and Lady Cmity could enter the ring all of the sudden.
Therefore, he had to hasten some matters at hand.
Coincidentally, the timing was great!
With that thought in mind, Kieran gave Bloody Mary a new set of orders.
Kuer Horton, sitting opposite Kieran, had no idea what happened. The young noble was looking very sorry at the moment.
Im sorry Colin. I was just curious when I read the documents sent back from Sicar City. Please believe me, I dont mean anything else, the young noble exined anxiously.
Kieran nodded a tad.
Judging from Kuer Hortons breathing and heartbeat, Kieran believed him.
As for the other matters, time would tell.
After the nod from Kieran, Kuer Horton couldnt help but heave a breath of relief.
He wouldnt want to lose a friend because of some unintentional reading of documents.
After all, a friend who acknowledged his ideal of life is bitter, it needs more sweets was very rare toe by.
It was fair to even consider Kieran was the only one, hence he must learn to appreciate him.
.....
Looking at the five submissive and obedient members of Silent Night Secret Society, Bloody Mary appreciated the moment.
Perhaps during normal times those who fell under its brainwash easily were not in the least, but this particr timing was different!
Time! Time was not on their side!
The boss new order just came in and Bloody Mary knew that these five men before it were like the seed of fire! They must be the seed of fire that could burn an entire field!
Two of the five were the first two who tried to ambush it earlier; the other three beside them were their friends. With Bloody Marys fancy persuasion, they forsake the darkness and joined the light, officially joining the side of justice.
It used [Demon Instinct] to sense the thoughts and emotions of the five.
Bloody Mary knew perfectly well that it was still a tad bit away from achieving total control.
The five of them still had a little anxiety left in their hearts.
So, it stood up and looked them in the eyes.
Following Bloody Marys action, the five of them shifted their gaze to the Superior Demon.
You are all worried, or even scared.
After what Bloody Mary said, the five of them lowered their heads again and dared not look at Bloody Mary.
Bloody Mary sucked in a breath and then shouted loudly, HEADS UP!
The five of them immediately lifted their heads up after being shouted at.
They looked at Bloody Mary, not seeing the anger or contempt that they were expecting.
All Bloody Mary showed was kindness and acknowledgement.
Bloody Mary knew perfectly well that there were two kinds of people in this world: ones that lived for themselves only, looking strong on the outside but fragile on the inside, and ones that lived for others, looking weak on the outside but their hearts were strong as a shield.
Thetter would be the real strong ones and a lot of the time, they were known as heroes!
The fact that these five men were able to stand before it had proved that they had the potential to be thetter.
Now, all they needed was a spark to ignite the fire in their heart.
So, Bloody Mary said word by word, There is nothing to be ashamed of, because... I am also worried and scared, I also felt the same as you. We are facing a scary foe after all, death might evene for us all and we might not have a choice. Our friends and families need our protection, they are all at Silent Night Town and they dont even have the slightest idea of whats going on. I hope they keep it that way because I am willing to bear the burden on their behalf! I hope they can live their lives well because I am willing to bear the burden and walk forward! Everyone, I cant assure you anything else, because I dont know whether or not I cane back alive. But if I do, I will protect you for the rest of my life, and as my friends and brother-in-arms, your friends and families are my friends and families! I hereby swear on my name!
Chapter 1780 - Change
Chapter 1780: Change
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The five members of Silent Night Secret Society hadpletely calmed down after Bloody Marys vows.
They looked at Bloody Mary with bright eyes and nodded, one after the other.
Me too!
Me too!
...
They did not speak exactly in one voice but it was not in any particr order either.
The five of them looked at each other. A never before felt feeling of trust rose in their hearts.
It was trust that only appeared when people fought for amon goal and were able to disregard ones life for the sake of their beliefs.
The five of them were strangers to this feeling but they did not dislike it.
Being able to trust others felt great! And being trustworthy to others felt even better.
Sensing the emotions and thoughts of all five of them, Bloody Mary smiled. It seized the perfect timing and said, Guys, we are running out of time, we must seize the moment to recruit more to our cause and initiate the Council Meeting!
Understood! replied the five of them.
Another nce at each other and a nodter, the five of them joined the never ending traffic of Edatine Castles street and swiftly disappeared.
Standing in the room, Bloody Mary heaved a breath of relief.
Although it was nearly undead, its abilities were not almighty.
Being in a higher position, controlling and navigating everything felt strange to it but with a sessful experience under its belt, it represented the direction of where it would be going next.
It believed the next time would be a lot easier.
Now?
It has topensate for the biggest w in Luncars n on behalf of him.
It was not that Luncars n wasnt perfect enough, it was just that the n had to be adjusted to various human factors.
What Luncar sought after was purely survival, therefore his n was mostly stirring up a mess.
As for its boss?
He didnte all the way here just to mess things up, for it would be too easy and too few of a gain.
It quickly tidied up its attire and made sure it didnt leave out anything, then walked out of the room righteously and headed to the street outside.
The ce was the Lower Six Ring, the slums of the civilian district.
However, as the capital of the Northern Land, even the slums of Edatine Castle maintained a certain level of cleanliness and tidiness, not much of a mess present.
Fully armed patrolling soldiers even raised the sense of safety in peoples hearts.
As a matter of fact, speaking from a certain aspect, the safety in the Lower Six Ring was not much poorer than the Central Three Ring.
Due to the fact that the civilian district was near the city gate and the city guard station, many guards were stationed there.
Bloody Mary nced over the civilians who had just finished work under the sunset glory.
Their faces were filled with delight due to getting paid after a hard day at work.
Even though the pay wasnt exactly a lot and it was probably only enough for the days dinner, it might not even be a scrumptious meal, they were satisfied nheless.
In this world, nothing was easier to satisfy than these civilians.
As long as they were able to breath for another day, they would not resist.
After all, to the civilians, staying alive was the most important thing.
Bloody Mary saw a mother with two little girls, ages 7 to 8 years, walking beside the street with a giant wooden pail.
The wooden pail was big enough to fit a person, its weight anything but light.
The mothers waist had suffered terribly because of the weight. The two young daughters were following their mother, reaching out a helping hand and hoping to ease their mothers burden.
These two little girls knew this wooden pail was the most valuable item in their home.
Everything relied on this wooden pail.
Their youthful hands were a little swollen and frozen but they did not loosen up on the wooden pail a bit. It was because they were touching ice for a long period of time under such cold weather.
As for hot water?
It would cost a lot more.
The pay of a washer could not provide the mother and daughters the option of getting ess to hot water.
It was obvious by looking at the mothers frostbitten hands.
As a mother, she had to bring her child to work just so they could survive.
Enduring hardship for her children was the responsibility of a mother.
That pair of hands must hurt a lot, but the mother and the daughters showed traces of a smile because in the gunny sack beside the mother, there were not only two loaves of charcoal bread but also an egg.
If we save up properly, the bread canst for at least 3 days.
The egg... it can also provide enough nutrients for Erin and Ellie, but they cant have it everyday.
I must work a little harder next week and make sure Erin and Ellie get an egg each!
As they moved on, the extremely exhausted mother was thinking about her daughters.
Therefore, she did not notice there were a few figures in the corner looking at her daughters with gazes like a jackal.
Light reaches every crack and crevice yet darkness follows it like a shadow.
Light and dark are always together.
Even though this ce was very close to the city guard station, some would not mind taking the risk for their benefits.
Human traffickers.
They existed in every single city, even in Edatine Castle, they were just a little more elusive here. They would not simply move on a target, they had to carefully choose it first.
A pair of young little girls who looked extremely mellow were great targets, especially since they were sisters. They would be sold like hot cakes!
Coincidentally, a certain duke had issued a heavy reward for a pair of youthful sisters right now.
When the mother brought her daughters away from the main street and turned into the alleys of the slums, the men made their moves. They already had a clear grasp on which route the mother and her daughters would take, they even remembered the address as if it was their habit.
The neighbours in the street were all loners like the mother and her daughters, some were old and ill and they would not offer much resistance.
Should something go down, all they could do was wait for the soldiers to arrive and deal with the problem.
Footsteps due to hurried running attracted Erins attention.
Ellie, the younger sister, immersed herself in the joy of getting an egg during dinnerter; Erin, the older sister, already knew she was in a dangerous situation.
She raised her guard at the very first moment, but when she turned around for a look, she saw nothing but the sunset glory.
It was the first time Erin noticed how beautiful the sunset was; it wasnt just red, it was gorgeous.
However, she was unable to have a prolonged gaze at the sunset. She still had to help her mother and take care of her sister. She turned around at the next moment.
The shadows of the mother and daughters were stretched under the glorious sunset, only going away when they turned away from the slum alley.
Pak!
Mimicking its boss, Bloody Mary snapped its fingers and released its illusion.
Behind it was the human traffickers, who stood there nkly, their faces looking rather twisted, as if they had experienced some horrifying things.
Bloody Mary didnt make a direct move, it knew it wouldnt solve anything and it wasnt its style either.
It walked to the human traffickers and whispered, Do you want to break free? Go find the person who gave you the orders and then... kill him. Only then you can be free from this horror, otherwise all of you will fall for eternity.
In between the lines were techniques used for its strange illusions.
If Bloody Mary was a kind instructor to the five members of the Silent Night Secret Society earlier, it would be the harshest ruler now as it forcefully imnted the orders into the human traffickers mind.
It hadpletely messed up the human traffickers mind, forcefully imnting the orders and telling them to go back to the person who gave them the orders to kidnap kids.
Then?
The human traffickers would be free.
Was it too cruel?
Come on, it wasnt human at all, why would it feel merciful orpassionate?
It was a demon, just a tad special.
Seeing the human traffickers wobble away, Bloody Mary turned around and left in a hurry.
It felt that gaze approaching quickly and an alley in the slums was obviously not a good ce to fight.
Running like a rabbit, Bloody Mary ran through the city gate passageway without pause and reached outside of the city. It headed to the nearby stable and bought a strong... jade!
It was not that there were no other good horses, but it had no money.
The money that it used to buy the jade was the hard-earned money that he saved up from mission to mission.
As for applying for mission allowance?
Well... it didnt want to die a dozen more times, so...
It hopped onto the jade and rode south.
The jade couldnt gallop as fast as a horse, but it still managed to cover several kilometers before the sky turnedpletely dark.
Edatine Castle, which was as big as a mountain, was getting smaller behind Bloody Mary.
When Edatine Castle hadpletely disappeared into the night and from his sight, Bloody Mary jumped down the jade and tied it onto a dry stump beside the road. It waited patiently.
Four to five secondster, a figure slowly came into Bloody Marys sight.
Not going to run anymore? the figureughed.
Can I? Bloody Mary asked back with a smile.
You can try again, Ill give you another chance as a reward for surprising me.
As the figure spoke, he walked out of the shadow and revealed the long robe that he was wearing. On top of his hoodless old face, wrinkles piled up together because of the wide grin, yet his bright eyes did not show a trace of a smile. All it had was a chiliness, as cold as the arctic wind and able to freeze anyone on sight.
Bloody Mary shrugged after being stared down by the man.
It didnt say anything else, as if it had epted its fate.
You are nothing like yourself during normal times. During normal times, the more you are pushed into a life or death situation, the more you talk with your silver tongue. Why are you mute today? asked Councilman Colipo with a smile.
Then, without waiting for a reply from Bloody Mary, the councilman continued, Every single time I tolerated you, even if you were talking crap, I treated it as the truth because every time you stood in my position and thought for the sake of my benefit. I dont mind getting deceived given that I could get enough gains, but why didnt you do what you did in the past this time? Dont tell me that you were unable to persuade me anymore! This isnt your style! Or, should I assume that youve finally revealed the dagger youve hidden all this time, Snake Sect Demon Hunter who has infiltrated Silent Night Secret Society?
Up until this point, Councilman Colipos smile grew even kinder, like he was someones kind grandfather with that smile hanging over his face, but the frost in his eyes grew colder as well.
The temperature of the surroundings seemed to have plummeted following his cold stare.
Bloody Mary acted like it didnt feel the coldness.
It really wanted to tell the old man that Luncar really saw the bigger picture and more gains, he really thought he could no longer persuade the old man. Snake Sect was also a fictional story that its boss made up, it didnt really exist but while it was thinking quietly, its silence was misunderstood by Colipo.
Whats happening now? Did I get it correctly and frighten you? Its not that hard to guess your true identity, more so when you exposed yourself!
Colipo then sucked in a long deep breath.
The smile on his face started to fade and the coldness in his eyes started to get sharper.
You saved the mother and her daughters earlier, right? The man that I knew would never do something like this. You are selfish and like to take pleasure in peoples misfortune. Everything you do has a very clear goal, yet you saved them. Its obvious that the normal you is nothing but a disguise! I might have allowed you to deceive me for the sake of gains and benefits but I will not allow betrayal!
The moment his voice subsided, the north wind whistled.
Fu!
The north wind whistled hard.
Bloody Mary stood in front of Colipo, frozen by the north wind, and a few breathster, an ice statue appeared on the road of the wilderness.
Colipo looked at the ice statue, the hatred that was hidden deep in his gaze finally showing.
You bastard! Do you know how much trouble youve caused me? That bastard Kurtzargert had agreed and was eager to initiate the Council Meeting!
A trace of mocking appeared between the lines when Colipo mentioned the Council Meeting.
Hmph! Council Meeting? Those whom you bewitched are really a bunch of naive bastards! Do they really think Silent Night Secret Society is still what it was in the past?
The tenacity in the past has transformed into selfish battles, everyone would only fight for their own benefits! I am one of them and so is Kurtzargert and the other councilmen! Our methods might differ but... we are all the same!
The councilman chuckled coldly and walked towards Bloody Mary.
He didnt check on the ice statue because he firmly believed the person under theyer of thick ice was dead.
There was not a trace of life from within, what else would it be other than a dead person?
Even more so when he shattered the ice statue with a finishing punch, the councilman who hadnt been in battle for several decades lost hisst bit of cautiousness.
The body was shattered into smithereens, how could he still be alive?
Colipo grabbed the head with his hand. He wanted to bring it back and it was something he had to do, both officially and unofficially.
Officially, Luncars head would be able to calm this internal conflict. There were still several naive bastards who would throw a tantrum but they couldnt do any harm.
Unofficially, how could he swallow the grievance if he did not torture the head?
Fret not, I will turn your head into a vase and make an example out of you, how betrayers...
Puk!
Before Colipo finished, he was stopped by a palm through his chest.
He looked down in utmost disbelief and saw the hand that crushed his head.
1The hatred from his eyes almost materialized!
DO YOU THINK YOU CAN GET AWAY WITH THIS?!
The rigorous life energy did not kill Colipo right away after losing his heart. He put his hands on Luncars head and crushed it to smithereens.
But right after the head got crushed, it started to reform.
Colipo watched Luncar reform in front of his own eyes, unable to hold back his shock anymore and asked, how?!
Bloody Mary did not answer.
It raised its hand and decapitated Colipo, then sliced the whole body into many pieces and grabbed the gasolene from the jade, pouring it over the pile of meat and burning it.
A dead enemy was the best enemy.
It fully agreed to its boss saying, so it carried the saying out with utmost effort.
Amid the zing light, Bloody Mary changed its looks again.
A momentter, Councilman Colipo, in his long robe, appeared again.
It looked at the burning body with a solemn look.
Dont worry, Luncar, you will not die in vain! I will finish what youve started! The changes to the society are inevitable, it will continue!
Councilman Colipo then turned around and headed back to Edatine Castle.
After all that, the dinner at Horton Mansion had finally begun.
Chapter 1781 - Before The Dinner
Chapter 1781: Before The Dinner
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Marquis Hortons mansion wasnt as big as he imagined, it wasnt even decorated morously, yet it retained a very aged architectural style.
Kieran had no idea how to appreciate an antique, let alone the antique in the current dungeon world. His powerful Spirit and Intuition, however, allowed him to sharply pick up the aged presence.
For example, the life-size stone statue in front of his eyes that resembled a knight holding a shield.
This is my favourite statue, it is also the symbol of our family and our prized treasurerumour has it that it was ordered by Edatine I and was given to our family by Edatine II.
Kuer Horton looked proud as he introduced the statue in the garden in front of the main entrance.
It is... good, Kieran nodded.
Kieran did not just repeat in agreement. Most of the time, he was never a person who liked to simply go along with peoples ideas unless necessary.
Now? It was unnecessary.
Kieran simplymended on the statue for its sculpting technique and the meaning behind it.
The sculpting technique was undeniably good, it was very lively even in the eyes of an amateur like Kieran, so it muste from the hands of a master.
As for the meaning behind it?
It was easy to know after one understood what Marquis Horton did.
Amidst the voices of rejection from most of the nobles, the marquis stepped up in front of Edatine VI and blocked the rejection for the king. He was like the knight with the shield, the most loyal guard to the king.
Besides that, Kieran was certain that Kuer Horton must have inherited his fathers thoughts.
Although they had only spent a limited amount of time together, Kieran had quite the confidence in judging people.
Kuer Horton was a straightforward and loyal knight, simr to his reaction now.
After hearing Kierans praise, Kuer Horton, who took Kieran as his friend, smiled brightly.
I knew youd love it! After the dinner is over, Ill bring you to my other collection. I really wanted to bring you into our family treasure vault but I am still not the person in charge of the family.
As the young noble exined to Kieran, he was guiding him into the main hall behind the front garden.
Collection?
Treasure vault?
Kieran got stunned for a moment.
He then turned to the young noble. After a closer look at him, Kieran noticed that the young noble did not notice anything and was relentless with his introduction. Uncontrobly, our Bounty Hunters excitement and anticipation started to build up, though he quickly got his excitement under control.
Some things could be done, some things could not, Kieran knew it very well.
He didnt want to end up as a ve to his desires.
He preferred to control his desires rather than the other way around.
His urge to eat however... it should be fine letting it free once in a while.
After all, he should be rewarded by keeping his desires under control, right?
Life is bitter, only you taste like strawberry.
Unknowingly, Kieran thought of Starbeck again.
Kierans mind fell into a daze, so as he travelled from the front garden to the main hall, he did not even listen to what Kuer Horton told him, all he did was nod like a machine.
Colin, please wait for me. Ill go get changed into some new clothes and Ill be right back, said Kuer Horton after he brought Kieran into the main hall, then waved at the servant behind him.
The servant went up to Kieran and stood there, ready to take orders from him.
Mm, Kieran expressed his understanding.
Kuer Horton then left.
Kieran automatically headed to the corner of the main hall.
The gazes from the crowd who arrived earlier at the hall were following Kieran as he moved.
Although it wasnt time for the dinner year, out of respect and manners, the invited nobles arrived early at the mansion and waited patiently.
The nobles knew the reason why this dinner was held very early on, therefore, when they saw Kuer Hortone in with Kieran, their eyes shone.
Especially the nobledies who were just the age, when they realized Kieran and Kuer Horton were chatting withughs and smiles, gleams almost materialized in their eyes.
A young man who saved the heir to Horton Family! Even if he wasnt a noble, he would be investment worthy.
Besides, following the new royal decree, who knew what would happen?
These nobles who were invited were obviously on Marquis Hortons side, at least on the surface.
Even if they had any ulterior thoughts, they wouldnt show it on their faces.
Therefore, Kieran clearly felt the desiring gazes on him.
He furrowed his brows slightly. After a quick nce over them, he simply turned his attention outside the window.
If he couldnt see it, it wouldnt be a problem.
However, it seemed like Kieran had underestimated these nobledies.
They knew they should behave like ady with dignity but... they also spotted an opportunity before them.
Four to five secondster, three youngdies who thought highly of their looks stood up from their seats. They too noticed each other at first nce and showed a polite smile on their faces.
Then, the three of them strutted towards the corner where Kieran was at the same time.
One of them, in order to beat the other two, lifted her skirt and strode.
The other two reacted a little too slow. When they realized they shouldve ran, it was already toote.
The firstdy was already in front of Kieran.
Good evening. Are you Sir Colin?
The youngdy who outwitted the other two and made it to Kieran first showed a smile. The dimples on her face were very sweet, and with her mellow voice, she was lovable and not a single man would hate her.
I am not.
So you are, Ive heard about you before...
The youngdy replied right after Kieran but she only realized after the words escaped her mouth.
She widened her eyes in disbelief at Kieran.
She flushed and her eyes turned misty, tears starting to pool up in her eyes, on the brink of crying.
Kieran looked at her coldly, the coldness from his gaze as sharp as a knife.
The youngdy was instantly frightened, stumbling backwards.
Her face turned pale instantly, the tears that she feigned forgotten and falling off her cheeks.
Right at the moment, the other two nobledies seized the opportunity and strutted over. Unfortunately, before the two of them could speak, Kieran nced over them with his sharp cold gaze.
Thetter twodies reacted even worse than the first, falling on their bums and heavily frightened.
The Kuer Hortons servant watched the scene in a nk daze behind Kieran.
The servant had thought of every possible scene unfolding and was prepared to handle all sorts of situations, but he never thought he was still underprepared.
A direct rejection, with a little deterrent force.
It... didnt seem to fit the noble manners, thought the servant in its heart.
Then, he remembered that Kieran wasnt a noble at all, he was a Demon Hunter.
It seemed to... match his identity?
The servant couldnt differentiate much but it didnt stop him from signalling to the other servant before he went up and dissolved the awkward situation.
After getting the eye signal and watching everything, the second servant ran like an arrow let loose towards the back of the main hall.
He had to report this to his young master.
Your friend is a little unexpected, we could not handle him!
...
Behind the main hall was Kuer Hortons private house.
Even though Horton Mansion was by no means huge, whenpared to other nobles and civilians, its size was still far beyond ones imagination.
As the heir to the Horton Family, Kuer Horton had his own house equipped with a courtyard inside the mansion.
It was within the mansions premise but it was an independant building. Likewise the servants and maids inside there were directly under him.
Young master.
Ady servant weed Kuer Horton home.
I want the white colored suit and please go to my desk, at my study table... Nevermind that, Ill go take it myself. You go ahead and prepare the white suit for me.
Kuer Horton thought of something else all of a sudden and changed his orders.
He then strode to his study room, then his desk.
He went around the desk and reached the second drawer from the bottom on his right.
Under the book found inside the drawer was a metal box. The metal box held special pastries made by Moose Pastry Makerthis box was made to order, it could not be found in the market.
The taste of the special pastry was one of a kind and it cost him quite the price.
Even an heir like him couldnt have it all the time.
Laying his hand over the metal box, unwillingness came afloat Kuer Hortons face but it was reced by a smile right away.
Good things should be shared with a friend.
Colin would surely be surprised by this special pastry, said Kuer Horton as he turned to his changing room.
Inside there, his personal female servant had prepared the white suit for him and was waiting for him to change into it.
Without waiting for the help of his servant, Kuer Horton took off his clothes himself.
Quickly and neatly, Kuer Horton put on the white suit and was eager to bring the special pastry to his friend, but right after he returned to the study room, he saw his father sitting there.
Father, Kuer Horton put away his smile and greeted his father respectfully.
Mm, the old marquis nodded with a stern look, the sharpness in his eyes intimidating.
Under the sharp gaze, Kuer Horton instinctively straightened his body.
It was a habit that he had since he was young, so even after he came of age, it did not fix itself.
I know you have your little special hobby, everyone does, but you shouldnt reveal it in front of a stranger, said the old marquis calmly.
Colin is a friend, Kuer Horton replied directly.
His straightforward answer was responded to with furrowed brows by the old marquis.
Ive told you before! As heir to Horton Family, you cannot have friends. All you can have are allies! The old marquis raised his voice.
Kuer Horton kept quiet but his persistent look told the old marquis what his own son was thinking.
Or rather... As a father, he knew what Kuer Horton was thinking in his mind.
You are still too young. You will never know how severe these so-called friends will damage you, just like you will never know what kind of consequences will follow when your secrets are exposed.
Kuer, you are different. When youve decided to be the heir to the family, you are DIFFERENT, The old marquis sucked in a deep breath before he continued, So bear with it.
After thest word came out from his mouth, helplessness, sorrow, and pain came afloat on the old marquis face.
It was the trauma from a sad and painful experience.
Looking at his fathers response, Kuer Horton was shaken. He bit his lips and his gaze showed that he was fighting his own thoughts.
I cant even have a single friend? Kuer Horto tried to retort for onest time.
The old marquisnded his heavy gaze at his son, wanting to nod, but right before he could, he caught his sons strong gaze and his heart of stone immediately softened.
He owed his son a lot, a little too much to be honest, but he knew from the bottom of his heart what was the best for the family.
Maybe...
As the thought came into his mind, the old marquis said softly, Do you trust this friend of yours?
Mm!
Kuer Horton nodded strongly as he recalled how truthful and serious Kieran was when he ate.
Fine then. Tell him your secret, Ill find someone to test him.
If he can keep a secret for you, then I will acknowledge him as your only friend; if he cant... I hope you can put away thatst bit of naivety in your heart.
What do you say? asked the old marquis.
Sure!
Kuer Horton nodded without even thinking. Although he knew how capable and how good his father was in ying tactics, he believed Kieran deeply.
This is a trust in a friend!
I cannot hesitate!
Then its done! The old marquis smiled when he saw how stern and decisive his son was.
Fine.
It would be a good thing to let his son look clearly at the dark side of this world.
As for convincing that Colin?
The old marquis was very confident of that.
Right after the father and son made a promise, hurried footsteps sounded outside the door.
Kuer Hortons personal servant ran in. After he saw the old marquis in the study room, the servant bowed quickly and respectfully before he looked at Kuer Horton with a dubious gaze.
The old marquis wasnt unhappy because of this. Quite the contrary, he looked at his son in admiration.
Being able to achieve this meant that his son was excellent.
In noble families, power yed a part,mand over the subordinates yed another part, andmunication yed thest part.
Carrying out strict discipline and exerting kindness and power at the same time, these were the key points of being a strong leader.
As for loyalty? It would be the result, a result that required one to be vignt at all times.
Ill wait for you outside, said the old marquis before he walked out.
After the old marquis left, the servant spoke quickly, but clearly, about what just happened in the main hall.
Hahahaha! As expected of my friend! He must have known what those people are deep down in their bones.
Kuer Hortonughed brazenly and wiped away the stress from the conversation with his father.
He then strode outside to join his father.
You look happy, why?
The old marquis asked as he walked side by side with his son.
Mm. Just now...
After Kuer Horton told the old marquis what happened in the main hall, the old marquis was stunned before he pressed his lips and shook his head.
He is too rash! He will only attract hostility without reason and...
Out of habit, the old marquis wanted to analyze the situation for his son but Kuer Horton didnt want to hear all that.
He hastened his steps back to the main hall, but when he finally got back, the jaw-dropping scene that weed him astonished him.
Chapter 1782 - It Is Just That The Distribution Of Work Is Different
Chapter 1782: It Is Just That The Distribution Of Work Is Different
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kuer Horton knew his friend Colin wasnt used to a dinner scene in a noble house, which was why he left his personal servant with Colin and hoped that the servant could act as a buffer to the situation.
Kuer Horton had quite the confidence in his servants improvising capabilities, but...
As he looked at the fallen or frightened guest throughout the main hall, Kuer Horton suddenly realized he had underestimated how straightforward his friend was.
Most of the time, Kieran was a straightforward person because it would save him a lot of time and allow him to focus on the important things and things he liked.
It was without a doubt that dealing with strangers did not fall in the category of things he liked.
Therefore, when facing a bunch of gentlemen who felt aggrieved at how coldly treated thedies were, Kieran swept his cold gaze over them before they could even get near.
He didnt go all out at them, all he did was release a bit of his presence, and despite how reserved he was, it was enough for the hot-headed greenhouse wallflowers who knew nothing better to understand cruelty.
Smelling the pungent smell in their noses, a sea of bodies appeared before their sight, dying wails echoing in their ears ceaselessly.
These noble young men, who aggrandize themselves as bold and brave and could brag about how they hunted down a rabbit for three months, fell on the ground one after another, some even peeing their pants.
Even those guards who were meticulously handpicked had a hard time standing up.
On the other hand, Marquis Hortons servants took it better than them, the looks on their faces not changing at all, only their breathing hurried.
Then, the gaze of the servants at Kieran went through multiple changes, especially the personal servant of Kuer Horton.
He knew a little more than others and wasnt surprised at how strong Kieran was, but..
Isnt this a little too strong? Its just a gaze!
I think he is at the level of the captain of the royal guardians, right?
But its good news to the young master!
The servant thought of something and couldnt help but heave a breath of relief in his heart.
However, when the servant turned around to the noble guests in the hall and saw the mess that single gaze created, his face turned bitter.
He would surely be scolded by the lord marquis!
Once he thought of the scolding from the strict and rigid face of that lord, the servants bitterness extended to his eyes and it looked even more brazen.
Marquis Horton, the deputy finance minister of Edatine Vi, has a very strong sense of prestige that no one couldprehend in his own mansion.
Therefore, when the marquis came into the main hall, all the servants bowed in union.
Aside from the neatness, the salutations they performed were of noble standards.
It made the old marquis nod in satisfaction as he was very particr about manners.
Though a trace of unpleasant shed over his eyes right after that.
The fallen and limp nobles across the floor of the main hall were all from the smaller appendage family to his, though he would never look down on them because he once used to be like them, one of them to be precise.
If it wasnt for the wise eyes of Edatine VI, he would have fallen into the sea of nobles.
Therefore, he was willing to give a chance to anyonegiven that they were of noble background and understood the importance of manners.
It was without a doubt that Kieran did not match either of those criteria, and with the rashness that he disyed, the old marquis was not fond of him. It was fair to even consider that he hated Kieran.
What Kieran did was no different from those boorish mercenaries, he might be even more ignorant in this case. After all, those mercenaries still knew to hold themselves back in a marquis mansion and not cross the line.
If it was possible, the old marquis wanted to expel Kieran from his mansion, but he couldnt.
The debt of saving his son was real, twice to be exact.
Had he expelled Kieran without repaying a single bit, he would go against the manners that he believed in deeply. So, the old marquis held it down.
Beside the old marquis was his son. Kuer Horton felt the hurried breaths from his father and knew what was going through his fathers mind, so he quickly went up to Kieran.
Colin, this is my father.
Kuer Horton practically turned a blind eye at what happened in the main hall, going over with a smile and introducing his friend to his father.
Hello. Out of manners, Kieran stood up to greet the old marquis.
Mm, the old marquis nodded with a grunt and did not say anything else. He then walked over to the nobles who shamed themselves in front of Kieran and chatted with them, in hopes of subtly dissolving the awkward situation.
The dinner is going to be dyed, Kuer Horton whispered.
The number of nobles present in the manion were not many but not exactly few either; there were a dozen of them.
The old marquis chatted with each and every one of them, so the process would be time-consuming.
Come, Ill bring you to a good ce.
Kuer Horton pulled Kierans sleeve and then headed to the corridor beside the hall. Kieran quietly followed.
Everyone in the main hall saw the two of them leave but they decided to turn a blind eye to it because when Marquis Horton arrived at the hall, the protagonist in the main hall had changed.
Only Kuer Hortons personal servant was left behind, standing there with an ugly look.
He knew the old marquis attitude.
Had the young master stayed back obediently and born the consequences of the mistake with his friend, it would end after a mere scolding. But leaving prematurely?
Finished!
The young master would have to be caned again!
And he himself?
As the personal servant of the young master, he would have to bear the punishment as well.
If the young master received 10 canes, he would receive 20 canes.
Immediately, an imaginary burning sensation ravaged his back already.
Even more so when the servant saw where his young master and friend was headed to: the kitchen. He closed his eyes in despair.
Young master, please eat less with your friend.
The dinner is about to begin.
If the marquis is embarrassed, I think I will be caned to death.
...
Tada! Its the kitchen! Surprised?
Kuer Horton pointed at the building further away and boasted to his friend.
A kitchen was nothing to be proud of or boast in many peoples minds but Horton Familys kitchen was an exception because of Kuer Horton.
Kuer Horton had disyed an unusual talent for eating since he was young. He didnt just rebuild the kitchen into a two-storey independent building, he even opened up the two floors in the basement to store all kinds of ingredients.
The interior of the kitchen was spacious and wide.
There was a row of cooking stoves lined up in the center of the room.
With enough space reserved for walking, surrounding the row of cooking stoves were tables specifically built around them. There were many chopping boards and knives on the tables and there were 20 cooks working in an organized fashion under their respective chefs orders.
The scene in the kitchen reminded Kieran of Theorate in the dungeon world [Meaning of Eat].
He had seen such a big scale kitchen before. Back in that [Meaning of Eat] dungeon world, ingredients and culinary skills had reached the epitome of its state.
Unknowingly, the saliva in Kierans mouth started to flow out like a river.
Perhaps the food in this world was quite far away from the food in [Meaning of Eat], but it was still satisfyingly delicious.
Beside Kieran, Kuer Horton was gulping his saliva uncontrobly, his eyes gleaming brightly, as if it was going to materialize.
Though the heir to the family knew what he should do.
Lets go up to the second floor, whispered Kuer Horton.
Kieran quietly followed him and went up to the second floor.
The chefs saw them off to the second floor but none of them bowed.
It wasnt arrogance or pride, Kuer Horton ordered them not to.
He thought it was important for one to concentrate on what they were doing, not focusing on window dressing. Therefore, he gave special permission to all the chefs that should anyone of them be busy in their work, they were exempted from the greetings.
After all, should they miss the timing in cooking just because they had to greet him, the food would go bad and it wasnt something that he was willing to see.
Compared to the first floor, which was spacious and wide, the second floor was a little smaller and tighter.
Of course, the definition of tight in this context was whenpared to the first floor, which was as big as a basketball court. In other peoples eyes, the second floor was still very spacious.
The second floor had a table, two chairs, and many cabs surrounding the walls.
Sit, said Kuer Horton before he strode towards one of the cabs. He brought two delicate looking sets of eateries out, then set them up on the table and headed to another cab to bring out a tea set. He then went to the cab behind Kieran and brought some pastries out to go with the tea.
Did you know? Ive always dreamed about having a friend in my secret hideout so that we can eat and drink together. Now, my dream hase true! I am so happy! said Kuer Horton excitingly, his face even starting to flush.
I am also happy being able to taste these pastries, said Kieran honestly.
Kuer Hortons happiness doubled after Kierans honest remark.
He arranged the pastries on the te in front of Kieran and put a small piece of tea cake into the teapot before he ced it over the coal heater.
After all the preparation, Kuer Horton sat opposite Kieran, then grabbed a piece of lemon tart and ate it with a single chomp.
The sourness of the lemon and the sweetness of the biscuit intertwined to form a unique taste in his mouth.
The cabs were specially enhanced by secret spells, so the food stored inside couldst for a long time before going bad, still tasting as if it were freshly baked. The taste made Kuer Horton squint his eyes pleasantly.
Kieran also picked up the lemon tart.
The taste was okay, the ingredients used were top-notch, the seasoning was meticulous, and the control over the fire was handled with skill.
As thements came afloat in Kierans heart, he picked up the pastries from the te one after another and tossed it into his mouth.
Before Kuer Horton realized it, the pastries on the te were swept clean.
Kuer Horton was stunned.
What happened? Wheres all his pastries?
They were just there a moment ago!?
The amount of pastries were enough to serve 5 pax! It was that much yet it was gone?
After the sharing earlier in the afternoon, Kuer Horton thought he had a certain level of understanding of Kierans appetite but the scene that happened right before his eyes told him that he was wrong by a mile or more!
Then...
Colin, you didnt eat enough during lunch? Kuer Horton asked softly.
His countenance was a little embarrassed because he really thought he had treated his friend well enough.
It wasnt scrumptious but it should be sufficient.
Now though...
Mm, Kieran nodded frankly.
The embarrassment grew heavier on Kuer Hortons face after Kierans nod.
Please hold on for a moment!
As his first friend, Kuer Horton cherished Kieranspany a lot. He quickly jumped up and headed to the cab, more specifically the special ones.
A whileter...
It wasnt just pastries that were served, there were golden loaves of bread, big pieces of ham, and a wheel of uncut cheese, plus many more small tes of sliced cheese were put on the table.
After that, grilled beef ribs, the back of a wholemb, and a bowl of fish and vegetable sd the size of a face washing pail; the soup served was mashed potato mixed with cooked milk.
It tasted a little bit weird, so Kieran grabbed the bowl and finished it in a single gulp.
Eat the less tasty food first before eating the tastier ones, it would make the tastier ones taste better.
However, the way Kieran started to eat shook Kuer Horton.
He stood there full of hesitation before he clenched his teeth and headed to the biggest cab.
Inside the biggest cab was the extra meal that he kept for the harvest season.
He also went the extra length to hide it away from his father, putting it here.
Now he had to bring it out in advance!
To serve it to his only friend though... it was fair to say that his efforts in getting this particr dish were worth it!
Gak Tssk! Gak Tssk!
Amid the squeaking noise of the wheels of the cart, Kuer Horton carefully pushed it over to the table.
On the cart, was a cow! A fully roasted whole cow!!
Kierans nose was tingling.
He didnt just pick up the smell of beef, there wasmb, pork, goose, duck, chicken, pigeon and quail also! All types of smell of meat were mixed together.
Kuer Horton took a pair of gloves from underneath the cart, put them on, and flipped the whole cow over. Holding the sharp knife in his hand, he stabbed it into the cows stomach and started to slice it open with a strong arm.
The roasted cow opened up like a blooming flower.
Layers of meat bloomed like flower petals under Kuer Hortons skilled cutting technique, not a single pause in the motion.
When the roasted quail stuffed inside the whole cow was cut open, a golden grape appeared inside, as if it was the stamen of the flower.
Fragrance! A very strong fragrance!
The peculiar thing was, the strong fragrance of meat didnt smell muddled up. Instead, every single type of meat emanated its own unique smell and was very distinguished, especially that golden grape. The fragrance that it emanated was unlike the heavy meaty one, it was the refreshing smell of a fruit.
Under theyers of meat, the refreshing fragrance was like bringing the entire dish to life.
Kierans eyes were locked on the golden grape.
Inside his heart, Gluttonys saliva was already watering like a river.
Gluttony tried his best to control his drool but he failed, drooling ceaselessly.
B-Brother, I want to eat that! said Gluttony with the purest of thoughts.
Kieran nodded a tad, then stood up as Kuer Horton carefully scooped out the golden grape for Kieran.
Thank you, Kieran thanked Kuer Horton sincerely.
The fact that the special roasted whole cow wasnt revealed at the beginning stated that this dish meant a lot to Kuer Horton, let alone the essence of the entire dish.
Since he was willing to share with Kieran the most delicious food in his possession, it was natural that Kieran thank him.
No need, we are friends. Give it a taste, it is the tastiest now! said Kuer Horton.
Kieran delivered the golden grape into his mouth.
With the lightest bite, the whole grape exploded in his mouth.
The sweet juices filled his mouth.
Awhuuuu~
Gluttony howled pleasantly, the Cardinal Sins Force ran ludicrously and then the energy was converted.
Unlike the Power of Faith, this particr eat and convert felt a lot purer, a lot more from the heart!
Meanwhile, Bloody Mary had run into some hups.
Chapter 1783 - Noisy Night
Chapter 1783: Noisy Night
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
War God Temple, the Dark Hall.
Without the glorious holy light shedding over the dark, the pungent bloody smell in the shadows grew thick.
Many men with cold expressions and gazes were quietly walking across the wet floor.
A painful cry would sound throughout the corridor from time to time but no one cared.
It was like this since the temple was first built.
The darkness was the base, the painful cry was the regtor and the blood... was the main part.
Compared to the normal priests and deacons who had to look kind, eptable, and truthworthy while preaching, the armed priests and deacons of the Dark Hall only had to fit two criteria: power and loyalty.
The order of the criteria stated that power was the most important one.
As long as one was powerful enough, even if the loyalty was at a very surface level, no one would dare say anything.
After all, this was a world with Gods.
Mortals could be as powerful as they liked but against a God, they were still too far apart.
However, things started to change recently.
As one of the armed deacons, Sivalka felt as such.
He wasnt born a member of War God Temple. 15 years ago, he was just amon mercenary. Then he ran into a pagan during a mission and the whole team, including the captain and vice captain, were all killed. He was the only survivor of the onught.
It was not his strength that saved him, it was luck.
That pagan had a full meal after eating his group, so he was saved for the next meal.
However, before the pagan could have its next meal, the War God Temple Dark Hall team appeared and erased it from existence.
He was saved and at the same time unknowingly acquired the power to control the remnant of the pagan.
Following the course of matter, he became an armed deacon of the Dark Hall, but sometimes he missed his mercenary life.
He used to drink, he used tough out loud, he used to sunbathe whenever he felt like it. Here, all he faced all day long was darkness and the cold, yet he couldnt resist, even though he could control that remnant of the pagan.
In this particr Dark Hall, many others were like him, probably even stronger than him, otherwise he wouldnt just be a mere armed deacon in this ce.
Touching the remnant that he hung over his neck, the unknown bbers started to sound in Sivalkas head again.
At first, he could not understand what the bbers were about, he even lost sleep and was unable to eat because of the disturbance, but after spending 15 years in Dark Hall and with their guidance, he slowly but surely understood the meaning of the bbers in his mind.
This was what he made out from the bbers.
First, a grown mans left index finger and thumb.
Second, a grown womans eyes.
Third, a liter of blood from a virgin.
Complete any one of the listed criteria and he would be able to use the power of the remnant once.
Was it too cruel?
No.
Compared to the other remnants that he heard and knew off, his remnant was a lot milder.
It was still not bad since it was able to provide him with powers, like listening from a distance or seeing from further away.
There werent any real side effects.
He would be stationed in the back row of every mission, this time included.
He poured the fresh blood over his body. The remnant that hung over his neck absorbed the blood like a sponge. Then, his ears gradually picked up voices from some distance away.
I hope they keep it that way because I am willing to bear the burden on behalf of them! I hope they can live their lives well because I am willing to bear the burden and walk forward! Everyone, I cant assure you anything else, because I dont know whether or not I cane back alive. But if I do, I will protect you with the rest of my life, because as my friends and brother-in-arms, your friends and families are my friends and families! I hereby swear on my name!
...
A strong and resolute vow.
What he heard allowed him to confirm the intel that he got earlier: an internal conflict within Silent Night Secret Society.
Coincidence? Probably not.
Sivalka was thinking deep in his heart but his hands were not slow at all. He picked up the quill and signed his name on the document before him. Then, as per official procedures, he made a vow, I hereby swear on his Majestys divine might, everything I heard is real.
Deacon Sivalka, thank you for everything youve done for all of us.
A normal deacon bowed and left with the document in hands.
As for what would happen next, Sivalka had a clear idea.
War God Temple would not let this opportunity slip, those bastards would surely be hung to death!
No, half of them would be hung to death, inciting hatred in the surviving half.
Hatred could blind peoples eyes. Even if there is something unusual about the matter, one would easily turn a blind eye against it.
For the sake of stability, Dark Hall had sent enough hidden armed deacons disguised as Snake Sect to carry out the mission.
If two parties fought, a third party benefits!
As I thought, the rumours are true! Sivalkas heart was throbbing rapidly.
He didnt precisely think or picture anything, not even the slightest thought.
He was in the Dark Hall and it was just underneath War God Temple, any kind of disrespectful thought would be made clear to Him.
Hu!
Sucking a deep breath, Sivalka washed himself up with warm water.
Although the blood was absorbed by the remnant, Sivalka felt like it wasnt clean, simr to when he first ate a roasted rabbit and couldnt eat the rabbit head.
He carefully washed himself for a full ten minutes before he changed into a set of light casual clothes and walked outside the Dark Hall.
Everytime a mission was carried out smoothly, he would have around 6 hours of free time.
However, the freedom granted was rtive.
At first, Sivalka was really unhappy about it, who would want to be watched when doing something extremely private?
However, he gradually learned to adapt.
How could he not adapt?
Would he just forsake the free time he had?
Stop joking!
Hed cherish every moment that he could feel the sun, even if it was during sunset.
This time was no exception.
Looking at that blood-like sunset, Sivalka was intoxicated by the scene.
Then, he thought of sunrise.
What was sunrise like again?
He had forgotten what it looked like.
For 15 years, other than that one particr day when he was imprisoned as food, he had never seen the sunrise. The best time he could have was sunset, and most of the time, when he was able toe out, it was already deep in the night.
A free night?
Sivalka chuckled uncontrobly, his chuckles meant to mock himself.
He once favoured the night, but now he liked the morning a lot more.
The warm morning and the mellow warm breeze...
Soon! Everything wille soon!
With his eyes closed, Sivalka opened his arms as if he was hugging the setting sun.
The watcher pouted in disdain, not noticing the movement at Sivalkas cor because of the moments of his arms. Neither did he notice the little shake on the remnant around Sivalkas neck.
...
What is Snake Sect?
Until now, no one had a clear impression of the mysterious shadow organization, but one thing was for sure: the Snake Sect belonged to the Demon Hunters, which was confirmed by many sources.
Divano knew everything about the Demon Hunters.
A bunch of unappreciative bastards.
He was once an emissary who paid a visit to them.
War God Temple did not mind their background and the mistakes they made in the past, they were given a chance to turn over a new leaf, but how did it turn out?
Not only did those bastards show zero appreciation, they even voiced their disrespect and insulted his Majesty.
The important thing was, back then, the emissaries had no strength to fight back against the insults to their God and it seemed to have be the shame of Divanos life.
Fortunately, those unappreciative bastards were all dead.
A little trick was used and those God-defilling bastards died in that ident. It was great.
But... a part of them survived!
Unforgivable!
Divano was furious when he first heard of the news, but as time went by, the fury was reced by excitement.
Back then, he was weak and unable to carry out that n himself, but now he was an armed priest of the Dark Hall.
His powers were iparable to his old self.
He had obtained the power to fight a Snake Sect Demon Hunter.
He looked forward to the day where he could cut off their heads with his own hands.
While he was soaking in his anticipation, a mission came, as expected.
Although it wasnt the expected mission of erasing the Snake Sect Demon Hunters, he was still quite happy to incite internal conflict in Silent Night Secret Society.
After those unappreciative bastards went away from the scene, these sneaky bastards became bolder.
They must have forgotten the days they lived in the sewers with rats!
Now, he ought to make them remember who they used to be!
Picking up his ck windcoat, then cing a hat on his head, he sheathed his dagger into one of his boots and strapped flying knives around his waist. A silver-ted sword hung over one side of his waist and his potions were loaded in the specially sewn pocket of his vest. Right before he left, he put tworge caliber muskets, loaded with pellets, on his back.
Divano stood in front of the mirror and checked his appearance.
After making sure he wasnt missing anything, he turned to the five men behind him.
The other five men were just like him, the most devoted believers of the God of War. All of them had been through some forceful past before they ended up in Dark Hall, yet their faith and beliefs were not shaken.
Quite the contrary, they were more devoted than ever.
At that particr moment, the five armed deacons were dressed like a Demon Hunter, or at least how they looked like in the rumours.
Are you ready? Divano asked.
Yes, lord priest, The five of them replied in union.
Remember, I am not a priest anymore, I am a Demon Hunter, we shall address each other asrades! And do not forget that our mission is to kill half of them and release the remaining half. We must also kill three of the five leaders. If any of you spot Luncar, eliminate him by any means necessary!
Divano repeated the orders to his men once more before heading out.
The prioritized hunt on the Instigator was a direct order from the archpriest.
Divano had no idea why the archpriest would order a prioritized hunt on a silver tongue bastard, but he knew that he must carry out the assigned mission.
COMMENT
Right after sunset, the group of six rode the darkness and went off.
...
After the sun set behind the mountain, Stones heart grew restless.
As one of the five Silent Night Secret Society members who Luncar converted, Stone possessed decent strength, otherwise Councilman Colipo wouldnt think so highly of him and take him under his wing.
As Councilman Colipos subordinate, he knew more about his superior than others and it was because of that, he believed what Luncar said.
Some of Councilman Colipos actions hadpletely gone against the purpose of Silent Night Secret Society.
Not only that, Councilman Colipo would sometimes harm others without benefit to himself, it was like the actions of an idiot!
An idiot bing the councilman of Silent Night Secret Society?
It was obviously impossible.
Therefore, Stone was bedazzled by what he was told at first, he thought the councilman had the wisdom to see things that he couldnt and n things further ahead.
However, following what Luncar revealed to him, everything made sense, the knot was untied!
Councilman Colipo wasnt a real member of Silent Night Secret Society, he was a Snake Sect Demon Hunter!
The shock from the news was ludicrous, to the point that not all were able to ept it.
But, Stone turned around to the hundreds of men in the temporary secret hideout.
Most of them were his friends and friends of friends.
The numbers unknowingly increased and it was obvious that he wasnt the only one who noticed something was not right with the society.
His friends, his friends friends, all of them noticed something fishy.
It was just that a lot of them were the silent majority, they dared not reveal their thoughts during other times.
Now, after Luncar took the initiative and exposed the fact behind it, everything followed the course of matter.
When Luncar appeared in his mind, Stone thought of the vows he took earlier.
I wish you all the best!
Stone already had a hunch what Luncar was going to do, therefore he prayed silently in his heart for Luncars well-being.
However, his prayers did not provide him with closure, his heart was still restless.
Quite the opposite, his heart throbbed faster and he shuddered in fear.
Bill, you need to regroup the men and assign them in hidden sentry points, Stone told his friend.
Bill, a scrawny man with long hands, was also one of the five members. Without further questions, Bill nodded and headed out.
Bill was not much of a talker, remaining quiet most of the time and used to expressing himself with actions.
Therefore, after befriending him, Stone trusted Bill a lot.
He viewed Bill as a reliable person, likewise Bill to Stone.
So, during the selection, Bill handpicked the man himself.
Swords and muskets were not a problem for a member of the secret society, some of them even brought their self-made explosives.
The men followed Bills arrangements and spread out, hiding in the shadowy spots in the Lower Six Ring civilian district. They formed a contrasting scene with the four men who stood guard at the gate.
Torches were embedded on the wall, braziers nted on the ground. With sufficient zing light, the building behind the four men was lit up.
Stone Storage.
The wooden signage was brand new and big enough, anyone could easily spot the signage from far away, let alone Divano, the armed priest with outstanding powers.
He masked himself with a ck cloth, revealing only his eyes and then waved his hand to his men behind him.
The five men behind him spread out and dived into the shadow like racoons, approaching their respective targets.
A hidden sentry?
It was non-existent to them.
Divano chuckled, unconsciously wanting to touch the remnant that he wore around his wrist but when he touched it, he was surprised.
The remnant around his wrist was gone!
Chapter 1784 - Minor Matters
Chapter 1784: Minor Matters
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
WHO!?
Cold sweat broke out from Divanos forehead and started to drench his back.
The winter north wind whistled through the night and made the armed priest shudder.
It was cold and scary.
As an armed priest, Dvano had quite the confidence in his own strength.
Even if he would resolve it with hand-to-handbat, he had the confidence to easily take out at least 10 fully armed soldiers without the remnant that he wore on his wrist.
Had he used the remnant on his wrist?
The numbers would go up at least 10 times or more.
Up until his level, he wasnt just crudely using the raw abilities from the remnant anymore, he had learned its ways and adapted to its powers.
The remnant had started to empower his body.
Unlike abilities that provided instant results, this kind of empowerment was a lot slower, but basically had no side effects, so he didnt need to replenish his remnant.
Of course, the levels of empowerment of the selected traits varied depending on the different remnants.
For example, his remnant, the Eye of Judgment, enabled him to sense his enemies within a certain range after killing a chicken.
Therefore, following the empowerment of his body, his senses and perceptions had grown to an outstanding level.
Simr to where he was currently standing, even though he was still some distance away from the storage, the hidden sentry spots in the area had already popped up under his perception, nothing was hidden from him.
However, despite him having his remnant with him, someone was able to remove the remnant from his wrist without his knowing.
If what the person took wasnt his remnant but something else, what would happen then?
More cold sweat breaking out on his head, Divano thought of calling back his five men right away but right after he opened his mouth, a figure walked towards him.
The figure wore a long robe and looked rather old.
Colipo!
Divano was able to tell who the person was at first nce!
As one of the armed priests, Divano knew a lot about the councilmen of Silent Night Secret Society. Other than those who always stayed in hiding, a councilman like Colipo, who always showed himself in public, was within his knowledge.
Therefore, he was certain that Colipo wasnt capable of taking away the remnant from him, but that didnt mean Colipo couldnt do it with other means.
This is all a part of your trap? You... No, it should be those in the shadows who did this, right? Divano spoke in a heavy tone.
Silent Night Secret Society had 17 councilmen.
Other than Colipo, several councilmen, who always stayed in hiding, were the ones people dreaded.
Even with the influence of War God Temple and their powers, they failed to find anything about those hidden councilmen.
Not just their powers, War God Temple didnt even know their name, gender, and age.
Listening to Divanos words, Bloody Mary disguised at Colipo frowned subtly.
It was without a doubt that some unforeseen idents had happened, which was what Bloody Mary hated the most.
It was not that it had no confidence in its improvising capabilities. As a matter of fact, in terms of improvising, Bloody Mary took pride in it because it was the natural ability that a demon relied on to stay in existence, but Bloody Mary was afraid of trouble.
If the matters could bepleted smoothly without any unforeseen idents, it would be the happiest news for it.
If trouble popped up halfway?
It would have to finish it with clenched teeth. These matters werent its own to begin with, they were its boss.
You seem to know a great deal about us, said Bloody Mary in Colipos voice and tone.
Hmph! Bunch of filthy bastards who slept with rats, even until now. The ugly habits never change! Divano coldly grunted before he drew his sword.
Up until this point, a fight was inevitable.
Divano didnt think Colipo would spare him.
As for his five men?
Since Colipo was able to appear before him, they must have been faced with a grim end.
Sou!
The broad de glimmered in ayer of light that belonged to the God of War. With an air-shredding noise, it went straight for Bloody Marys throat very quickly, to the point that the air-shredding noise of the de sounded like a sharp arrow whistle.
Bloody Mary didnt move its steps, tilting its neck slightly and letting the de graze its neck.
The forward stab immediately changed into a horizontal sweep.
At the same time, Divano lifted his right knee like a mountain goat in a battle stance, showing off its sharp horns.
With the horizontal sweep of the sword, regardless of how Bloody Mary moved, leaning forward, moving sideways or even leaning backwards, it was impossible for him to dodge the sweep.
Should it lean forward, it would face the knee instead.
Should it move sideways or lean backwards, the calf would extend from the tightened knee and transform into a fully charged kick. The fully charged kick would be powerful enough to crush rocks, let alone the private parts of a man.
Oncended, it would have been ball-shattering.
However, Divano didnt think his kick would cause any real damage to the enemy before his eyes.
It might be sufficient for dealing with normal enemies, but definitely not Colipo!
One thing worthy to take note was that Colipo was a councilman of Silent Night Secret Society!
Therefore, right after he performed the forward stab, Divano had prepared his right hand for a follow up attack.
The light of God of War didnt just empower his sword, it also flowed to every inch of his body via the blood pumped out from his heart. He had to prevent himself from getting frozen, then counterattack with all his might!
Divano knew a lot about Colipo, to the point that he could recite all the information on him backwards.
He might not grasp Colipos personalitypletely but ability-wise, he knew everything.
The freezing ability that could catch one off guard was repeatedly warned about, causing Divano to be extra careful.
Although he was reluctant to admit it, he had no confidence in going up against the mysterious freezing ability.
However, at the next moment, Divano was stunned when he saw Bloody Mary move its body sideways along with the horizontal sweep.
The daze was quickly reced by an overjoyed expression!
A chance! A rare chance!
Looking at the chance in front of his eyes, Divano felt like he had escaped deaths grasp and didnt even consider it a trap. Right when the broad de grazed the tip of Colipos ear, the fully charged kick wasunched.
Bang!
The kick shook the air, a heavy thud sounding like a powerful beat from a drum.
A vicious smile appeared on Divanos face.
Even for a councilman of the Silent Night Secret Society, he would fall severely under the powerful kick.
A severely injured councilman would not be a match for Divano!
However, when the tip of this foot touched Bloody Mary, Divanos look turned sour.
He didnt feel anything, as if he was kicking air!
The twisted feeling of unleashing his kick wrongly immediately dislocated Divanos center of gravity.
Right when the armed priest went to regain his center of gravity with a firm step, Bloody Mary appeared beside his right arm in a sh and grabbed his elbow joint and wrist with lightning fast speed, going along with the motion and pushing the arm inwards.
Puk!
The sharp de cut through Divanos throat. Blood spewed out like a fountain.
Until hisst breath, Divano was unwilling to believe that Colipo, other than his infamous freezing ability, had the ability to move like a ghost.
If he had such speed, why didnt he kill me at first nce?
I could not have guarded against it! Is he toying with me?
The frustrated answer widened Divanos dying eyes, yet it was useless.
Bloody Mary didnt even bat an eye at Divano.
As a matter of fact, if it wasnt for the light of God of War in his body, Bloody Mary would have killed Divano with a single p, like how it took out the five men.
It had no reason to waste so much effort.
After that, a more concerning matter popped up.
Its eyes were staring at the shadow where Divano stood earlier.
Under the special vision of the demon, a bone bracelet was left on the floor, as though it was left behind by a careless owner.
Chapter 1785 - You People Don’t Even Know Who You Really Are
Chapter 1785: You People Dont Even Know Who You Really Are
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Under Bloody Marys gaze, the bone bracelet on the ground suddenly shone with a jade-like radiance.
It was mellow and alluring.
Any man would have the urge to go up and put it on his hand but it was useless against Bloody Mary, it wasnt a man.
Bloody Mary wasnt affected or moved, yet the bracelet didnt seem to give up just yet, the radiance around it growing brighter.
An alluring voice started to appear in Bloody Marys ears.
It was a faint female voice and it was singing softly, arousing peoples deepest desires.
However, the voice sounded differently in Bloody Marys ears, it sounded like, Come, be alive!
It didnt just fail to move Bloody Mary, it sounded very funny instead.
Bloody Mary was a demon, a Superior Demon of Hetero-form.
Bewitching people was its natural gift which had been leveled up to the max since its birth.
What the remnant was trying to do looked cheap and childish in Bloody Marys eyes.
However, it still went over to pick it up and hide it in its sleeves because Bill, who was assigned as the hidden sentry, hade over with his men.
When the group of men came close enough and saw Bloody Marys disguise, they cried out in shock.
Councilman Colipo!
The cry of shocks sounded one after another, fear smeared all over their faces.
Although they were aroused by what Luncar, who was also Bloody Mary in disguise, said earlier, when they had to truly face a councilman, these men who were trained by the secret society since they were young couldnt help but feel scared.
It wasnt anything shameful though, it was caused by their habits and habits could be scary.
Kieran acknowledged that point, as did Bloody Mary.
As a matter of fact, Bloody Mary was very relieved that these men didnt run away after they saw its disguise. It at least proved how sessful it was with its earlier disguise.
Bill.
Mimicking the arrogant tone of Councilman Colipo, Bloody Mary spoke.
Councilman.
The scrawny Bill with his long hands showed fear in his eyes, yet he did not hesitate and walked over.
He knew he couldnt outrun the councilman and dodging would be useless. Since it hase down to this, might as well take the risk.
At least he could create a window for the others behind him.
Anyone who was able to escape would be ounted for by the survivors!
With that thought in mind, a resolute aura appeared aroud Bill. Two daggers quietly appeared in his hand before he dashed out like an arrow let loose at Bloody Mary while also shouting at his men at the same time, RUN!
His shout was as loud as thunder, pping the men back to their senses as they ran for their lives.
The one closest to the storage even remembered to activate the rm but he failed because a hand stopped him.
Everyone was shocked by the owner of the hand; it was the hand of Councilman Colipo!
Councilman Colipo had Bill in one hand and blocked the man from activating the rm with another.
Everyone instantly fell into despair.
Among them, Bill was the strongest, yet he was captured almost instantly.
What should they do?
Lost, the men looked at Bill, who was in Bloody Marys hand. Bill looked extremely dull, as if he was dead.
Bill knew the councilman was powerful, he would not be a match for the councilman, but not to this extent!
As one of the field agents, Bill was only second to those few without titles, yet when he dashed up to Councilman Colipo, he hadnt evennded his attack before he was captured.
As for how he was captured, he didnt know at all.
Finished! Facing against this kind of ghostly speed, Bill knew neither him nor Stone were a match to the councilman, none of his men at the scene could outrun the councilman.
All that was left was death!
Unconsciously, Bill closed his eyes and waited for his end.
Was it regrettable?
A little bit, but not too much.
Compared to being unable to find out the truth earlier, being prepared for this and regret due to failing was much more worthwhile to Bill.
So rash.
The cold and arrogant tone echoed in Bills ears, followed by footsteps.
Bloody Mary nced over everyone before it pushed open the door to the storage.
Come in, said Bloody Mary to the guards.
The guards lowered their heads one after another and dared not even look at Bloody Mary. With fear looming in their hearts, they were controlled by Bloody Mary; all of them went into the storage facility.
Bloody Mary, with Bill in its hand, was thest to enter, closing the door after it went in.
After he turned around, Stone had Bloody Mary surrounded with his men.
There were at least 30 muskets pointed at Bloody Mary.
The leader Stone saw Bill in the councilmans hand, his eyes showed fear mixed with a little bit of scruples.
Inside the storage, Stone was gued by anxiety and he noticed something was wrong when the first guard came in with a lowered head. He drew his sword right away, as did his three friends behind him.
As the field agents of Silent Night Secret Society, they had powers far surpassingmon men, their six senses extraordinary.
With someone taking the lead, these men who were persuaded by Stone and Bill made a quick move.
However, when they saw the person who told the guards toe in was Councilman Colipo, fear came afloat on their faces and some even started to shudder.
Stone saw the fear on his mens face. He knew the men behind him would copse in a single blow, let alone engaging the councilman in a fight.
There was no need to say anything else. Councilman Colipo standing in front of them was the biggest despair that they could ever feel.
Could he me his friends and friends of friends for being cowards?
No, because Stone himself was afraid as well.
Imagination wasnt real.
Only when facing the real thing would one understand cruelty.
An absolute loss? Stone bitterly chuckled.
He knew how scary Councilman Colipo was, being able to capture Bill without his knowledge and rendering him defenseless in his hand. The councilman was even scarier than the rumours!
One thing worth taking note was that this councilman was known for freezing his opponent during a fight, nothing else about him was heard of anymore.
There might have been but before anyone could say it out loud, they would be frozen.
With that thought in mind, Stone lowered his sword.
Following Stones bitter motion, as though he had epted his fate, the others around him also lowered their weapons, but no one said anything.
They were waiting for fate to befall them, or death, or something worse than death.
Sometimes death was a relief.
The scarier thing would be worse than death.
With that thought in mind, their faces turned as pale as paper.
Neither one of them dared to look at Bloody Mary and when it scanned over all of them in a single sweep, they lowered their heads to avert its gaze.
Bloody Mary was extremely happy with the result.
Its efforts in the arrangements did not go to waste.
It didnt need a bunch of brave warriors, the best thing that it could ask for was a bunch of normal men with a bit of courage yet hesitance in their hearts.
You all are too rash.
Bloody Mary spoke, at the same time releasing Bill from its hand.
It didnt toss Bill on the ground, it put him down carefully.
Bill, who had the resolution to die, was stupefied when his feet touched the ground, looking at Councilman Colipo in utmost confusion.
In Bills original n, he was already dead. The same thought went through everyones mind as well.
Bill once served under Councilman Colipo, so he knew it was going to happen. Stone and four of his friends shared the same thought.
They all once served under Councilman Colipo, so it was natural that they know the councilmans attitude. The councilman might seem nonchnt, but deep inside, he was a hot-tempered man with a dash of ruthlessness.
Given what they had done, they would not have survived this.
Is he going to cruely torture us?
The thought came into Stone and the other fives mind together.
You all really think that I am going to torture you cruely? Bloody Mary suddenly spoke.
Stone, Bill and the others were shocked.
Reading minds?!
The five of them dreaded Bloody Mary in disguise as Colipo even more.
They never would have thought the councilman possessed such powers.
The others around them had fallen into a constant state of fear, their mental states pressured to a limit. Any more intimidation would snap their minds.
[Demon Instinct] allowed Bloody Mary to sense every emotion in them, so it knew it was almost done.
Itughed coldly immediately.
To be honest, I really want all of you dead, including that bastard Luncar. If it wasnt for you bastards, I would have found the answer that I sought! Bloody Marys furious voice echoed in the storage facility.
Its voice was loud and the rage was obvious.
However, amid the rageful voice, Stone, Bill, and the others did not sense a bit of killer intent.
Even the hundreds of men behind them sensed the same thing.
They knew the councilman was furious but there was no killer intent, let alone the rumoured ruthlessness.
What is going on?
The men looked at Bloody Mary.
Are all of you confused? Cant seem to understand why I didnt kill all of you? I really want to, but I cant! Because we are on the same side, Bloody Maryughed coldly.
On the same side?! Everyone looked at each other in utmost confusion.
Only Stone, Bill, and the others showed a tad of realization, but it was quickly reced by shock.
Among the other men, there were some with quick minds as well.
Colipo was a member of the Snake Sect, it was undisputed.
So, when Colipo said that they were on the same side, it somehow made them Snake Sect but they were the members of Silent Night Secret Society... could it be...
When a new thought appeared in their mind, they looked at Bloody Mary with a terrified expression.
Bloody Mary feigned a sigh when it felt the gazes on itself.
It is what you think. The Silent Night Secret Society is actually Snake Sect.
When Bloody Mary spilled the words out, the quiet storage facility was filled with gasping noises.
The members of Silent Night Secret Society never expected things to take such a sharp turn.
Even Stone, Bill, and the others who were mentally prepared for this couldnt help but widen their eyes in disbelief.
Dont believe me? I guess its natural. If it was me, I wouldnt believe it either. Silent Night Secret Society being Snake Sect seems like a lie but it is a fact. Otherwise, why are all of you still breathing?
Bloody Maryughed coldly with its question.
The storage facility fell silent again.
Yeah, if we arent on the same side, why were they still breathing?
But what about the things Luncar said?
And, if they really were Snake Sect, then what was it with the conflict with the Wolf Sect Demon Hunters in the past?
Internal conflict?
Up until that point, many were still baffled by the confusion.
Sensing everything in their minds, Bloody Mary touched the bone bracelet that it got earlier.
It was ready to use other reasons to bluff them, but when it held the bracelet in its hand and felt everything that was contained inside, a new thought reced its original one.
Are you all wondering if we are Snake Sect, why did we eliminate the Wolf Sect Demon Hunters during the ck Cataclysm? It is because... of the pagans!
Bloody Marys voice unconsciously grew softer, sounding like it squeezed those words out of its gnashing teeth.
With the killer intent that was contained in the words, the temperature in the storage facility began to fall. Those who felt the sudden drop in temperature couldnt help but shrink their necks and look at Bloody Mary in fear.
All of you looked nothing like Snake Sect, but you are the seeds of Snake Sect. If its possible, I would really want to clean up everyone and raise a new batch, but time is not on our sidethe corrosion from the pagans is far more severe than what you can imagine. Other than me, the other 16 councilmen are all corrupted! They had be it. Silent Night Secret Society of Snake Sect has turned into the secret society of pagans! I cant reveal borate details to all of you now, but you can go to irehore at Carrot Hotel. He will tell you the rest. That bastard Luncar, always as rash as he is, he is really a trouble ma!
After the big speech, Bloody Marys body started to distort and then vanished on the spot.
Looking at the spot where Bloody Mary disappeared, everyone was heavily stunned, shifting their gaze to the leader, Stone.
Four out of the five also looked at Stone for guidance.
Facing the gazes of hundreds of men, Stone had to clench his teeth and step up to his responsibility despite the fact that he was in a daze.
Divide into five groups and go to Carrot Hotel for irehore, Stone ordered his men.
Are we really going there? Bill asked softly when the men started to group up in five.
What else? Are we going to continue staying here? If what the councilman said is true, we might be the ones who have just passed the test, we are members of Snake Sect who just got recognized. Would those corrupted Silent Night Secret Society councilmen spare a bunch of recognized Snake Sect members? Besides, we still have our family and friends, they are all at Silent Night Town. If we dont rely on the Snake Sect identity, we cant save them, Stone smiled bitterly.
Bill fell into silence for a while.
In the end, the scrawny man muttered softly to himself, Luncar really is a bastard!
A bastard? Maybe he is, but he is still quite an honest man. He is much better than those sinister bastards in the corrupted Silent Night Secret Society, Stone sighed, raising his hand and ordering the groups to move out right away.
The group of five men quietly approached Carrot Hotel.
Seeing the groups off, Bloody Mary slowly walked out from the shadow.
It really had hoped that it could deliver the speech a little better, but reality wouldnt allow it.
The more it talked, the more chances there were that it would make a mistake.
Moreover...
Bloody Mary looked down at the bone bracelet that it took out.
A swirl of mist came afloat on the bracelet, forming a face which started to speak with its mouth.
Liar! Shameless liar!
The voice sounded strange, yet it prated into ones heart easily.
A normal man would fall into a craze or end up as its puppet with a single sound but to Bloody Mary, it was not enough.
Bloody Mary even counter-seized throbs and scanned the bracelets emotions.
[Demon Instinct]!
[Illusion]!
Both skills were activated instantly.
It looked at the misty face with a nonchnt look, its voice sounding like it was enchanted with magic. As it spoke, it prated deep into the bracelets soul.
Tell me your true goal.
Impossible! I will not tell you that weve already allied up and are ready to destroy all of Edatine Castle...
Chapter 1786 - Start Of The Show
Chapter 1786: Start Of The Show
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The mist swirled slightly, the face that it formed getting distorted along with the motion.
The lively misty face instantly became strange.
The stranger thing was, the misty face spilled out all the answers in a daze when asked by Bloody Mary.
I will not tell you we are not what bloody remnants!
I will not tell you we originally nned as such.
I will not tell you that weve already gained advantages that you could never imagine!
Sentence after sentence.
Bloody Marys countenance gradually turned heavy and strict following what the misty face revealed.
As for this dungeon world, Bloody Mary knew what was going on as it had been following Kieran around.
Its boss and itself were intruders; that Broker was also an intruder.
However, Broker had many preparations and arrangements setup for him.
Even though Brokers current target was locked on Borl alone, Bloody Mary believed that since Broker wanted to use Borl as an entry point, Borl must have something unusual with him.
Bloody Mary was also certain that its boss was following Borl because of this particr point.
Otherwise, with its understanding towards its boss, he would have executed his n to maximize the profits and gains, not pressing forward step by step and improvising as he went.
He was thinking of nothing more than what Broker was after, and now...
So this is what that bastard is after? A riot?
As Bloody Mary pondered upon the thought, it delivered what it saw and heard to Kieran.
A new order then arrived, Bloody Mary quickly putting the bone bracelet into the small pocket inside its sleeve.
It would be impossible for it to barge into the enemys lines heads on, so all it could do was rely on its wits and illusions to meet its boss expectations.
Thinking about its boss mission, Bloody Mary muttered softly.
The night wind whistled and it carried Bloody Marys figure away.
...
Hu.
As the windy night wind blew, a lot of people instinctively shrunk their necks into their cors.
The night wind of the Northern Land was never as pleasant andfortable as the wind of the South.
It was cold and the coldness could pierce bones.
Even with a thick padded coat, standing in the wind for more than half an hour without moving would cause freezing and risk numbing ones face, especially the nose and ears, which were exposed outside. They would not be able to escape the harsh frostbite.
So when everyone walked past Sivalka, they looked at him with a surprising and curious gaze, seeing he was wearing a set of casual clothing without any padded coat or hat or scarf.
He stood in the night and looked up to the moon, his mouth slowly curled up, as if either he was smiling or showing a disdainful look.
It was hard to pinpoint what the exact expression he was showing was.
Some thought they saw a crazy man, an idiot, they couldnt help but pucker their lips into sardonic smiles.
Some left quickly, thinking they were looking at a madman.
There were also some who were afraid and they were the kind who had witnessed the supernatural, confirming whether or not Sivalka possessed such outstanding powers.
Sivalka didnt even care about the peoples gazes.
His rest time was limited, he didnt have extra time to waste it with them.
Back when he first got his rest time, he had some conflict with someone else, which ended his rest prematurely plus canceled another rest time. Sivalka had learned to be calm.
Or else, what could he do?
Kill himself?
No!
Sivalka knew how afraid he was of dying.
Back when he was a mercenary, he had a title given to him: Coward Sivalka.
Though he didnt care. The important thing was that he could still breathe and live another day, right?
As long as he was alive, there would be hope.
If he was dead... then everything would be over.
He always admired those who were brave and took charge in the frontline, therefore every time he went for a grave visit, he would pluck extra flowers along the way.
Liquor?
It was considered a decent day when the coward Sivalka had eaten a full meal, so there wasnt any extra money for him to purchase any alcoholic drinks.
After he became an armed deacon, Sivalka was able to have a full meal every time and he even got a ss of red wine everyday. It was something that he dreamt of before and could never have.
The sweet and sourish taste was nice. If the color wasnt red, he would like it a lot more.
Whenever he thought of the red colored liquid, Sivalkas throat started to itch and his stomach started to cramp.
Ugh!
Sivalka put his hand on the wall beside him and started to retch.
It was the after effect of the remnant.
While he had the option of having a grown mans thumb and index finger, a grown womans pair of eyes or a liter of virgin blood, the Dark Hall always provided him with thest option.
COMMENT
Thest option was reusable but it was a liter! Even if it was water, he would take half a day to finish it! Let alone blood!
If Sivalka wasnt worried about getting punished because he was unable toplete his mission, he would never touch those things.
It made him feel like he was no different than those blood-sucking vampires.
No! Those blood-sucking vampires were much bolder than him!
What was he? He was just the coward Sivalka!
Uncle, are you okay?
A meek voice of a girl sounded in his ears.
Sivalka looked up and saw a little girl with in and patched clothes in front of him, looking at him with a gaze full of concern.
Sivalka looked around. He suddenly realized that he had wandered to the slum area of the Lower Seven Ring of Edatine Castle.
The Lower Seven Ring housed the slums of the city.
Some bankrupt merchants and cripples who were unable to work anymore would eventually find anding ce here.
Of course, it also included some weak women and their children; this little girl was one of them.
Im fine, Sivalka shook his head. He didnt want anything to do with the slum because it would be troublesome.
He could barely care for himself. Should he involve himself with more things, it would be nothing but trouble.
Hold on, uncle, said the little girl before she ran into her house and brought a cup of warm water out.
Mother said it is best to drink some warm water when you are in pain. Remember uncle, if you are alive, there is hope.
It was without a doubt the little girl was treating him like a wandering bankrupt merchant.
COMMENT
No exnation was given though. Sivalka took the warm water and finished it in one gulp.
Thank you, he said with a smile. He moved his hand into his pocket for his wallet.
As an armed deacon, he was never short of money.
The Dark Hall practised a sry system, and although the pay wasnt something lucrative, it was still a lot better than normal people.
However, when his hand went into his pocket, he was stunned: he did not bring his wallet out.
He yearned for his rest time too much, to the point that he left Dark Hall in a hurry and forgot about his wallet.
Damn it!
He thought of using money to solve this little trouble, but now it seemed like...
While Sivalka put his hand in his pocket and frowned, the little girl saw it and hesitated for a while. She ultimately ran back into her house and then brought out a scarf.
It wasnt woven using cotton but patched up using old broken clothes.
It was small, it belonged to the little girl.
Here uncle, for you. It will keep you warm a bit. There is also a bed here, it belongs to Uncle Cripple. He has a bad temper but if you can talk to him nicely, he might let you open a tab and sleep there for a bit. Besides, Uncle Cripple can also introduce you to a job. If you have a job, you can rent an old big coat from Uncle Cripple and if you want to eat, you can go to Auntie One-Eyed, she also allows you to open a tab but after you have earned some money, you must pay her back, she has four kids to bear...
Sivalka looked at the little girl in a daze as she provided the guidelines of how to survive in the slums.
He could tell the little girl knew he had no money.
Judging from the patched up scarf that was given to him, Sivalka also knew that the little girls family wasnt rich, somewhat on the line of poverty.
All of you are already so poor, why still... Sivalka couldnt hold back his question.
We are able to live because someone else helped us before. Thats why mother said we should help the others who are like us, said the little girl with utmost naivety, her pure eyes looking at Sivalka with faint delight.
There wasnt any profit behind her action, neither were there any schemes, she just wanted to help and only that.
Okay, thanks. Sucking in a deep breath, Sivalka thanked her again but he did not take the scarf.
He didnt need it, the little girl did.
He saw the little girls hands start to swell, Sivalka then pointed at the ce where the little girl pointed at.
I know where I should be going now. You better run home, and... do not simply speak with strangers, its dangerous.
Hurried footsteps came out from the door that Sivalka was pointing at, it seemed like the little girls parents had found out that their daughter was missing.
With a smile on his face, Sivalka headed to the ce where the little girl was pointing earlier and left before the parents showed up.
Of course he wasnt going to look for a job, but he couldnt bear letting the little girl down, so... it was just for the help she mentioned.
Sivalka walked away and the worried cries of the mother had sounded behind him.
Ellie, I told you not to simply go out! Come inside!
The little girl was brought back into the broken old house by her mother. Sivalka turned around for ast nce and saw the little girl waving at him, expressing goodbye.
Sivalka also replied with a wave. The houses old door mmed shut.
After Sivalka made sure he was away from the little girls sight, he made a U-turn and headed back to the Central Third Ring.
His hastened steps were proof of his newly made decision: he would bring enough Gold Purton in his next rest day.
Repay goodwill with kindness.
Ellie was worth his kindness.
It might not be a lot but it could at least free Ellie from the poverty situation.
He knew what was going to happen in the slums soon.
If the little girl didnt help him earlier, he wouldnt have to worry about it, but after he received help from Ellie, he wouldnt want a pure little girl to go through something so cruel.
This will be another big sum of unnecessary spending.
This is why I should really bring my wallet with me!
I could have solved this with two or three Copper Krak. Now I will have to put out at least 50. No, she still has a mother and a sister, and if they want to move to somewhere near the Central Third Ring, they will need at least 100 Gold Purton.
There goes my pension.
With that thought in mind, Sivalka looked a little sad, but his heart felt warm.
People always unconsciously felt warmth from others.
Then they would choose to spread the warmth to others.
Maybe at times, everyone forgot about the original intention and became cold and selfish, but when warmth expelled the coldness away, who wouldnt take down the masks they put on?
There might be some whod never remove their masks, but definitely not Sivalka.
He was a coward, but not a cold person.
Humming a tune from his hometown, Sivalka wanted to stroll for a while longer, but the hateful person always appeared when he was in a good mood.
COMMENT
The Watcher came out from the shadows of the street corner.
What? My rest time isnt over.
Sivalka raised a brow and said in an unfriendly tone.
He had zero fondness for this cold Watcher.
It wasnt just because he was watched, it was also because these Watchers did things coldly. These were the guys who could never feel warmth.
An ident happened during the mission. Priest Divano is dead. You need to go back and verify the situation, said the Watcher coldly.
The tone of his voice was t, his voice so cold that people would shudder upon hearing it.
ident in a mission? Sivalka was rather surprised.
It wasnt that he had never met a situation where the mission went south. idents could happen anywhere, anytime, but the head who carried out the mission dying in one was a first for him.
On top of that, Divano was a very troublesome person.
He was one of the direct line of descents of the Dark Hall, favored by several important figures.
Now, Divano was dead and he, Sivalka, would be in trouble.
Fine.
With the thought in mind, the coward Sivalka nodded repeatedly.
He didnt want to waste time anymore because it might very well be evidence against him.
Following the Watcher, Sivalka was pondering over what he would face next and how he should ovee it.
After the duo went through an alleyway, Sivalka instinctively noticed something was wrong.
This wasnt the way back to the Dark Hall.
Sivalka immediately halted his steps but he was forced to resume because a musket was pointed at his back.
Due to his remnant, his body had surpassed normal men but was definitely not imprable. A weapon like the musket would be enough to harm him.
If he was shot, he would bleed, and he might very well bleed to death.
Sivalka knew what he should do.
Sivalka was seized by the musket as he continued to follow the Watcher, soon arriving at a new ce: the residential area near the Upper Seven Ring.
Many merchants liked to live here, plus there were many hotels in the area, Carrot Hotel only nearby.
The person behind Sivalka stopped, as did the Watcher.
The person behind Sivalka did not show his face but the Watcher spoke, Sivalka, you should have awakened already, right?
Awaken? What do you mean? Sivalka asked out of confusion.
Awakening your own self! Do you still want to be treated as a remnant? Or.. do you think I am lying to you? said the Watcher as he fluttered his mantle.
Tentacles came out from underneath his mantle and his face was revealed after the hood was removed. He had no nose and in its ce was a mouth that connected to his original mouth, sharp fangs showing on the edge of the lips and the tongue licking back and forth.
COMMENT
Release your power! Join us! And then fight back! Our time is finally...
Puk!
A dagger shed over from the shadow and swept past the Watcher and the person behind Sivalka. The dagger thennded in the hands of an old man.
The dark gray windcoat of his fluttered in the night wind and the wind carried his voice into Sivalkas ears, You are also a pagan?
Chapter 1787 - Night
Chapter 1787: Night
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The cold voice, as cold as the arctic wind, froze Sivalka, even his bones starting to hurt, but he dared not move a muscle at the moment.
He knew who this old man was, Hunting Knife Anderson!
Although he looked a lot older in the pictures, the basic contours of his face were still recognizable and... that dagger that moved like a ghost!
The automatic dagger that required no wielding and was able to hunt down its prey was the signature move of the Hunting Knife!
Factoring in thements about how ruthless he was towards pagans, Sivalka shook his head repeatedly, despite the fact that he didnt know why a dead person would appear before his eyes.
No! I am not! As for how the Watcher became one, I only know a few details about it. My remnant kept whispering in my ears recently, it wanted me to do something but I was too much of a coward and didnt follow. Im just someone who is able to use the remnant and before I came out from the Dark Hall, I left my remnant back there! said Sivalka in a confirming tone.
Anderson didnt even have to ask and Sivalka spilled the beans on his own.
It wasnt about boldness or courage, it was just that in that little notebook about titled Demon Hunters, it clearly said that one better be honest in front of a titled Demon Hunter if he wanted to live. A Demon Hunter disliked beating around the bush and bullying the weak.
After the quick exnation, Sivalka looked at the old hunter with a pitiful expression.
Honor?
Dignity?
He was the coward Sivalka, not a noble or knight. He didnt care about the mentioned traits, all he wanted was to live.
The old hunter nced over Sivalka with a curious gaze and furrowed brows.
His experience told him the person before him wasnt lying but because of the honesty, things took a turn for the worst.
Anderson knew nothing about what a remnant was but he knew what had happened to the Watcher that he just killed. Deducing from there, everything came into the light.
War God Temple was using the pagans in their assimtion experiments!
It was exactly what Silent Night Secret Society did back then!
Have the folks at War God Temple gone mad? Do they know what they are doing?
The old hunter questioned Sivalka in a heavy grumble.
I-I am just an armed deacon, Im a very foregin member from the core, I dont know what the details are, Sivalka was on the brink of breaking down as he replied.
It was the fact, he didnt lie.
Although he had the title of an armed deacon, he didnt have the corresponding rights and authority. He even had to exchange his rest time with mission time.
As a matter of fact, throughout the 15 years that he had been in the Dark Hall, other than that one particr high rank who taught him before, he had never seen other high rank officers before.
Or, Sivalka was avoiding them intentionally. He just wanted to live his life steadily and had no intention to involve himself in something big.
However, at this very moment, he had a premonition that he couldnt escape what wasing.
The next moment, the old hunter stared at him with those intimidating eyes of his and said What did that remnant whisper in your ears? Tell me everything.
O-Okay, Sivalka nodded.
Following Sivalkas revtion, the furrowed brows on Andersons face locked tighter than ever.
Things were much moreplicated than he thought, the pagans were much more cunning than before.
No! Not cunning, they had evolved! They had grown!
Spending several decades in the battle with man, these pagans werent those predatory instinct monsters anymore, they had evolved into much moreplicated creatures that understood the importance of scheming and nning.
This incident was the perfect example of their evolution.
The pagans were nning to ride on the experiments performed by the War God Temple and cause an uprising to destroy Edatine Castle, turning the whole city into their dining ground.
Whether or not the Silent Night Secret Society was involved, the old Hunter still had no idea, but he knew if he just sat around and did nothing, huge trouble woulde.
With that thought in mind, he drew the silver dagger from his waist and sliced it over Sivalkas palm.
Aaa!
The sudden slice shocked Sivalka and made him cry out sharply.
Shut up! This is just a test! Anderson shouted at Sivalka to stop him from making a fuss.
Looking at the cut on his palm, tears pooled in Sivalkas eyes.
Pain! It was really painful!
Other than cutting his finger ten years ago when he was cutting his nails, there was no other time that he had bled.
The red blood from the palm slightly eased up the old hunter, at least this Sivalka hadnt been assimted.
Take this.
The old hunter tossed a roll of gauze and a dagger to Sivalka.
Sivalka looked at Anderson in a daze.
He knew the gauze was for him to patch himself up, but the dagger... he didnt want to fight at all!
I am not good at fighting, can I...
Are you a coward? You have a body better than normal people and are quite skilled inbat techniques yet you want to hide like a coward? Anderson was obviously angered by Sivalkas cowardliness.
Sivalka shrunk his neck, looking down and keeping quiet, but his attitude said it all.
Anderson the old Demon Hunter took another nce at Sivalka, ultimately grunting coldly and disappearing from the spot.
A Demon Hunter would never force others into submission.
Neither would they force others topromise or to join their ranks.
Everything about a Demon Hunter was voluntary.
Life and death were rted in his line of profession, so no one could make the choice on behalf of others.
It is your life and you should be responsible for it, even if it is running away.
The old Demon Hunter vanished like the wind.
Sivalka heaved a long breath.
It seemed like what the little notebook wrote was real, a Demon Hunter would not force others into submission, otherwise he would have died here.
As he quickly wrapped his hand with the gauze, Sivalka was thinking about the situation.
He couldnt go back to Dark Hall anymore because he couldnt exin how the Watcher died.
Even if he could provide an excuse, he would still have to go through some interrogation.
He knew he wouldnt make it through the harsh torture.
Other than that, it was the uprising!
Dark Hall would be the epicenter.
The bbering whispers in his ears were telling him how strong they were inside Dark Hall.
Once he headed back and exposed that he wasnt one of them, death would be waiting for him.
So...
All I can do is run? Sivalka sighed helplessly.
He unconsciously headed to the fences beside the road and looked down.
The night in Edatine Castle was quiet.
Even the most prosperousmercial district was left with scattered lights, let alone the Lower Seven Ring.
Other than the several permitted taverns, military camps, and on top of the walls, all other areas were nketed by darkness.
Sivalka looked down at the slum area at the Lower Seven Ring.
His gaze was apologetic.
Im sorry, Ellie. I think I might have toe back a littleter...
Before his whispers finished, his eyes were widened out of shock.
Fire!
A zing fire burst up into the sky from the slums.
What followed was an ear-deafening explosion.
KABOOM!
The whole of Edatine Castle was awoken, lights lit up one after another.
The sleeping citizens woke up and walked out from their houses while wearing clothes. They were looking at the slum area in the Lower Seven Ring in shock, as if they had no idea what had just happened.
Sivalka knew, so he shook his head repeatedly.
Impossible! It should be the Dark Hall! Why the slums?! Impossible!?
As Sivalka shook his head, he stepped backwards, and because of his astonishment, he did not notice the crevice between two stone tes and stepped into it, causing him to fall on the ground.
When his face touched the dirty, cold snow on the ground, he finally realized it.
He turned and climbed up, then grabbed the dagger he got from Anderson and jumped down from the edge of the Central Third Ring, dashing towards the Lower Seven Ring.
...
Ellie was extra happy due to receiving half an extra egg for dinner.
The egg white was soft and chewy, the egg yolk was rich and aromatic.
Erin even gave her the bigger half.
Ellie wanted to reject it at firs but the boiled egg was too delicious.
She couldnt hold back and agreed to take it.
The porridge cooked with charcoal bread had the dried herbal leaves she and Erin picked during summer and it tasted great.
Especially when Ellie could have a whole piece of charcoal bread in the morning, her anticipation rose to its peak.
With the anticipation rumbling in her heart, she couldnt sleep.
She wanted to talk to Erin but Erin was already asleep beside her.
On the other bed beside theirs, their mother was also snoring.
Their mother tends to exhaust herself more than the two little girls.
Knowing how tired her mother was, Elli obediently shrunk herself into the nket and tried to force herself to sleep.
Only with a good night of sleep could she gain enough energy and be able to share the burden with her mother.
As she wrapped herself around the thought, she started to get drowsy.
Dong, Dong, Dong!
A sudden knock on their door woke Ellie up.
The knocks were slow but heavy.
Ellie wasnt just the one, even Erin and their mother had woken up.
Being abruptly awoken from a winter night, their mother did not grumble at all. Instead, she was cautious about the knocks.
She grabbed the woodcutting knife in her hand.
Erin grabbed the chopping knife from under her pillow and Ellie had a sharp stick with her.
They had to rely on everything in the slums to survive but their house and living environment were by no means a happy home, especially at night.
If they were careless, they might not even see the sun a second morning.
Dong, Dong, Dong!
The knocks continued, and they were heavier than before.
Thetch was knocked off after several more knocks, the door opened up into a crack as the mother blocked it from opening fully with a table.
Scarlet red eyes peeked into the crack.
The mother shuddered with fear when she saw the eye.
It wasnt what she thought but much worse than what she expected.
Erin, Ellie, run! Go to Uncle Cripple! said the mother softly.
Erin, who was old enough to understand the situation, didnt say anything and grabbed her younger sister towards the kitchen.
There was an emergency exit located in the kitchen.
The wooden walls of this broken house had started to rot due to the poor environment and harsh weather, hence a rather sizable hole was opened at the bottom of the wall. The hole was big enough for a child to squeeze through. During other days, the mother used snow to cover the outside and blocked the snow using a wooden nk inside.
Erin removed the wooden nk and used the chopping knife in her hand as a shovel, shoveling the snow away before she brought her sister out from the hole.
Holding hands, Erin ran straight to Uncle Cripple.
After the two little girls ran about a dozen meters away...GROOOM!
The house they once lived in copsed.
A three meter tall monster stood on top of the ruins and was chewing on blood.
Sis...
Shut up! Run!
Erin stopped her sister before she could even finish.
She knew what her sister wanted to say, but not now, neither of them could afford to stop!
They had to run away before the monster came for them.
The chewing noise gradually grew soft.
Uncle Cripples house was already within their sight.
Compared to their own, Uncle Cripples house was bigger and much more crowded with people.
They would surely have a certain level of defensive capabilities.
More importantly, the quirky Uncle Cripple was a nice person.
Otherwise, no matter how safe Uncle Cripples ce was, Erin wouldnt dare toe.
Holding her sisters hand, Erin ran faster, but it was at that moment that a fire started to burn.
Fire burned from inside Uncle Cripples house, followed by relentless explosions.
KABOOM!
The explosive shockwave sent the girls falling down the floor.
The two of them gazed at the fire engulfing the house in a daze.
Ellie waspletely lost, Erin was also lost but she managed to regain her senses right away.
They couldnt stay any longer!
The fire was too bright!
Go there!
Erin brought her sister to a pile of firewood and pulled her sister inside with her.
This little hiding spot was the safest that she could find.
The two little girls hid behind a bunch of firewood, looking at that weird one-eyed bird, that three-headed giant, that jackal with a giant mouth on its back, and many translucent ghostly figures. Their petite bodies were frozen, not by the cold but in fear.
They had no idea why so many monsters would appear in the slums but they knew one thing: they couldnt make a single noise if they wanted to live.
But not making a sound was not a viable option either.
The jackal with a giant mouth on its back was sniffing the air, closing in on the pile of firewood.
The tongue on that giant mouth kept licking disgustingly.
A vile stench was carried by the night wound into the pile of firewood.
Erin gripped her chopping knife tightly. She didnt throw it away when they were running away, and Ellies sharp stick was there too.
The two little girls looked nervously at the monstering closer to them.
However, when the monster was three meters away from the pile of firewood, a gunshot from far away attracted its attention.
The monster turned around and ran towards the source of the gunshot.
The two little girls heaved a breath of relief at the same time, but at the next moment the firewood in front of them was lifted away.
They werepletely exposed! The pair of scarlet eyes were staring at them.
That three meter tall body was drenched in blood.
Delicious food! mumbled the three meter tall giant. It then moved its hand to grab the two little girls.
Erin pushed her sister behind her and raised the chopping knife against the monster.
She hoped to protect her sister, but the hand holding the knife was shaking endlessly.
She knew it was impossible because of the gap in strength.
Tears rolled down from the tough and mature youngdy, screaming her heart out.
Someone please save us!
Anyone!
Please save us!
God of War!
Lady Cmity!
Can you hear our call?
Save us! Or just save my sister!
I am willing to exchange my own life for my sisters life!
Screams and prayers overflowed from her heart but she didnt get any reply.
The giant palm was getting closer and closer, pressuring her with despair.
She was drowned by darkness, but right before she gave up, a voice sounded from her heart.
Are you willing to worship the Mist?
Chapter 1788 - Snake
Chapter 1788: Snake
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The voice was clear and distinct.
When the voice sounded in her heart, Erin, who had fallen into despair, didnt even hesitate.
I am willing to!
She screamed the words out, her pale face flush with excitement.
Right after her voice subsided, message after message popped up in the little girls head.
From the first vision of a fire, to the gold coins that came out from the burning fire, followed by the lively number 7 on the stack of gold coins.
When the figure whose wings covered the sky and had a ck cloth blinding its eyes plus a small white flower in its hand appeared in the little girls mind, she had already knelt down and prayed.
Oh the supreme lord!
Please hear our prayers, we will carry out your will, bow to your greatness and bear your name, you will shed your light on the world and everything we have is a gift from you...
The prayers came out from the little girls mouth.
The giant hand grabbing her suddenly froze mid-air, and when the prayers came, the giant hand vanished!
No! Not vanished! It was sliced into smithereens!
Small chunks of meat scattered all over the ground.
The messy slum instantly fell into silence.
Then...
Oh the supreme lord!
Please hear our prayers, we will carry out your will, bow to your greatness and bear your name, you will shed your light on the world and everything we have is a gift from you...
More and more loud prayers sounded, and this time it wasnt just Erin alone. The other residents of the slum also started praying.
These people who survived the onught of the pagans were like drowning victims holding onto thest straw of survival. All Bloody Mary did was give them a little guidance and they willingly joined the Mist religious sect.
With guidance from Bloody Mary, these slum residents started to gather around the epicenter of the explosion and soon, hundreds of them were here.
Anderson, who rushed to the scene earlier on and engaged in some battle with the pagans, heard the content of the prayers and couldnt help but raise a brow.
Though he did not stop them from praying.
Snake Sect Demon Hunter and the Mist religious sect had many unsevered ties, he knew about that.
As a Wolf Sect Demon Hunter, he was not in a position to say anything, simr to how he would never force others.
He too wouldnt take the fight to the Mist religious sect on his own.
As long as the Mist religious sect stayed away from the pagans, he wouldnt do anything about it.
Should the sect mix up with the pagans?
The old hunters eyes were cold as he thought of Silent Night Secret Society and War God Temple.
Kill!
The cold presence ushered the old hunter to raise his hand.
Sou!
Another dagger flew out and pierced the strange looking jackals throat, spinning around its neck and then decapitating the entire head.
The one-eyed strange bird who managed to sneak up on the old hunter hadnt evennded its attack on him and its body was perforated by another dagger.
The two daggers were like the best hunters under Andersons control, reaping the vile souls of the pagans around him.
However, there were far too many pagans. Or more precisely, the monsters infected by the pagans were too many.
As a Demon Hunter, Anderson knew that if they couldnt locate the source, these monsters would pop up endlessly.
However, the pagans hid it very well. They had nned for a long time and wouldnt simply just expose their whereabouts.
Besides, all thismotion in the slum should be just bait!
Releasing this many infected, what they were after werent just destroying a mere slum. The n was to destroy the slum as bait so that it could lure out those two in the dark, God of War and Lady Cmity!
It was without a doubt that the two of them were the main targets.
The old hunter who knew what was going on controlled his daggers in a flurry, reaping the monsters left and right.
The daggers flew quicker and quicker.
He knew those two would never care about the people. These people in the slums were like grass to them, whether dead or alive, both were the same to them.
If all the people died, they could just get another batch.
The most praiseworthy traits of human beings is their ability to reproduce and the instinct to forget the past!
It was once said by those bastards of Silent Night Secret Society.
Anderson was reluctant to admit it at first, but he eventually had to because it applied to reality most of the time.
Regardless of right or wrong, he wanted to protect the people.
Why?
Because he was a Demon Hunter!
KILL! A powerful shout sounded.
The two daggers were likeets grazing all over the slum.
A dozen monsters that failed to dodge them were cut into half by the lightning fast daggers.
The old hunter stood in front of the people and carried out his beliefs with his actions.
Was it lonely?
A little.
Was it painful?
Yes
But...
Ellie! Ellie! Where are you! Ellie!
Outside the slum area, Sivalkas voice traveled across the air. When the nervous and hurried armed deacon found the little girl squashed among the people, he heaved a breath of relief.
He then stood beside the old hunter.
The old hunter curled up his lips slightly.
How could a Demon Hunter not be lonely?
Traveling in the wild, traversing in darkness, hunting monsters and lingering on the edge of death.
How could a Demon Hunter feel no pain?
No understanding from people, no praise, no admiration, only doubt and suspicion.
But!
It was worth it! It was all worth it!
Every timewhen Anderson was on the brink of giving up, an idiot would always appear beside him, therefore he held on.
Sir Anderson, what should we do next?
What should we do? Kill!
The old hunter showed a smile and replied to Sivalka calmly.
At the next moment, the two daggers flew out again.
Sivalka got stunned for a moment before he too dashed out.
He didnt know what was wrong with him. His head was boiling with worries and when he realized it, his body had brought him here.
He heaved a breath of relief when he saw Ellie was safe.
Maybe that ss of warm water was a little too warm, to the point that it warmed his heart and mind.
Whatever, staying warm is always better than staying cold.
A cold person was referred to as a dead person; Sivalka was still alive, so he was very warm and in order to live longer and stay warmer, he ought to fight hard!
Puk!
The dagger left a cut on a giants back. When the giant tried to grab him, Sivalka dived down and reached for the giants leg, slicing the giants ligaments and ankles before he went for the second one.
He didnt directly kill the giant, but the cut created an effective obstacle for the monsters.
The obstacles allowed the two flying daggers to reap the monsters lives much easier.
Not too shabby, praised Anderson.
The praise came from the bottom of his heart, as he could tell Sivalka had spent some effort in his technique. Although it was by no means a fancy technique, it was simply and effective.
The old hunter then nced over to the military camp further away.
The slum area had plunged into total chaos, yet the military camp was still silent. There wasnt even a squad of patrolling soldiers at the scene.
Hmph!
The old hunter coldly grunted as thoughts came into his mind.
It was almost certain that theck of attention to the scene was rted to those two.
That king wasnt a quiet person by any means.
Or should it be that all kings were not quiet people?
As for Edatine VI in particr?
He had an extra sense of ruthlessness.
Sensing the evil presenceing closer, the old hunter looked extra heavy.
It wasnt any evil presence, it was a pagan that hadpleted descension and it wasnt just one... there were 3 together!
Is it time to use that technique?
The old hunter was rather reluctant with his thoughts.
But right after that, his expression changed again because the three presences of the descended pagans vanished into thin air.
All that was left were... snake hisses.
Chapter 1789 - Slash
Chapter 1789: sh
A moment before Cripple Inn of the slum exploded, Kieran put down the cake and started to lick his fingers clean without caring about the despising gazes in his surroundings.
It was the best way to not waste food in Kierans perspective.
As for hygiene?
To others, it wasnt as hygenic but for Kieran, it was really nothing.
He could now digest almost anything he consumed, both alive and dead.
It was nothing more than whether he wanted to eat or not.
Kuer Horton wanted to mickmick Kieran but when he caught his fathers judgmental gaze, he wisely picked up a handkerchief to clean himself.
Why dont we go for a stroll in the garden? Kuer Horton asked as he wiped his hand.
Sure, Kieran nodded.
The dinner was over and he didnt want to face a bunch of judging gazes from a bunch of strangers, so going away seemed a decent option.
The garden in Horton Mansion was simr to its decoration of the building, focusing on the delicacy and not the mour.
Pine trees were the main nt in the garden as many were nted on the premises.
There are a lot of flowers here during summer, but I dont know a lot of them. The butler takes care of the flowers most of the time, said Kuer Horton honestly.
He didnt think he should keep hisck of knowledge of flowers a secret from his friend.
Every one of the upper ss in Edatine Castle knew Kuer Horton was skilled in swordy, shooting, and military tactics.
As for the other aspects, well, he wasnt as all-rounded, therefore he still couldnt differentiate a hyacinth from a hedyotis diffusaa type of Chinese herb.
Leave the professionals to their work, Kieran voiced out his opinion in this.
Kierans words were met with apuse from the young heir to the marquis.
As expected from my friend, Kuer Horton smiled and then pointed at a corner of the garden.
A pavilion was located there, a decent ce to take a break during the summer. It would be cool andfortable.
In the winter though?
It wouldnt be half bad either.
There was a heater installed in the pavilion and the symmetrical walls blocked the wind, making it a decent ce for people to take a quick rest here before moving forward with their duties.
It seemed like the workmen who built the garden had thought of every detail and they knew who would be using the garden, therefore the heater was very delicate touch in terms of design.
Kieran could already feel the warmth as he moved towards the pavilion.
After he stepped in, even his feet felt warm from the floor.
A heater? Kieran asked
Mm! Its the earliest model, probably made duringte Edatine IV but even with todays technology, it is still a timeless piece, Kuer Horton nodded and told Kieran to sit down.
When both of them seated themselves, Kuer Horton went into deep thought for a while.
Colin, I must apologize. I have something that I kept secret from you. I know friends shouldnt keep secrets from each other, so I want to let you know about my...
KABOOM!
The young heir was interrupted by an explosion that came from far away.
While Kuer Horton was looking towards that direction in a daze, Kieran already disappeared from his seat.
Im sorry, theres something I need to attend. Ill be leaving now, Kierans voice came from afar after he had gone away.
O-Okay.
The young heir nodded and looked in the direction where Kierans voice came from nkly.
He didnt notice how Kieran left. Had Kieran remained quiet, he wouldnt even know where Kieran had gone off to.
Is the gap this huge? The young heir muttered to himself, followed by a heavy sigh.
He had mustered up enough courage to tell his friend his secret but who knew idents would happen and his friend would have to leave.
Next time.
Next time... I might not be able to say it out loud?
The young heir bitterly smiled, but when he heard the footsteps of his servant, he put away his emotions. After the servant came to him, he asked What happened? Whats with that explosion just now?
Its the slum area... The servant quickly exined what happened to the young master.
What?! Pagans?! Call in the men, I will... Hold on!
The young heir was stopped by the old marquis before he could do anything.
The old marquis also came into the garden without the young heirs knowledge and waved at the servant, telling him to stand down. The servant bowed and quietly left the father and son alone.
Father, is there anything of importance? The slum area of the Lower Seven Ring is suffering...
I know about that, said the old marquis in a resolute way.
You knew? Then why didnt you send the men there?
The young heir looked at his father in a daze, the burning question following right after that.
Kuer, I am disappointed. Until now, you still havent truly be an heir worthy of my position. You are not even a qualified upper ss noble. In this kind of situation, you should think about why I did it, not why I didnt go do it. The old marquis sounded heavy and disappointment smeared all over his face.
Looking at his disappointed father, the young heir wasnt actually frustrated.
His voice, however, sounded aroused, Is this another conflict? Who is it this time? The veteran orthodox nobles? Or the newer faction of nobles who split up from your subordinates? Or is it him...
PAK!
The old marquis pped his son on the face to stop those aggrieving words. He didnt give a chance for his son to speak again and chose to leave the garden.
At the same time, a figure strolled out from the shadows.
Young master Kuer, please follow me, said the figure.
The young heir was quiet, following the figure and going back to his own courtyard.
He knew what his father had arranged for him to protect him and prevent him from sabotaging whatever n his father had.
Temporarily grounding the young heir was necessary.
As for how long he would be grounded?
It would have to depend on how long this incident would extend to.
However, based on his fathers reaction from earlier, this incident mightst for a while and... would be dangerous.
The worst thing was that his friend was involved in this.
I hope Colin is fine!
Sitting in the chair in his study room, the young heir prayed in his heart.
It was all he could do at the moment and also the only thing he was happy to do.
He knew only with his friends well-being would the situation be solved.
After all, he had befriended a... Snake Sect!
...
Three figures were heading towards the Lower Seven Ring.
They were neither slow nor fast and wobbling somewhat as they moved.
One of them had a big head that looked like a dipper.
One of them had long arms that dragged along the ground as it walked.
One of them had long legs, almost 2 meters in length.
The reason why they were wobbling was because the one with the long hands was riding the one with the long legs and the one with the head of a big dipper was sitting on the shoulder of the one with the long arms. With each step they took, theyd wobble.
Those Demon Hunters are really troublesome.
Lousy temper, stubborn as rock, rude, arrogant and always followed those lousy sh*t rules.
After that trap from ck Cataclysm yet they are still alive after all these years, what a miracle.
But... they are going to die now!
The three pagans in human form said brazenly as they walked.
They already knew what had happened in the slum area.
A Demon Hunter causing a mess.
A should be dead Demon Hunter helping the other one to aggravate the mess.
What a damn!
But I think we shouldnt be doing this, said the pagan with the longest legs and smallest head.
Mm. We should beying low for now and then reap the fruit of victory in the end, said the one with the long hands.
But we dont have a choice! Those damn bastards! I will eat them soon enough! said the one with a big head in an eerie manner.
Speaking of eating, the pagan with the biggest head felt a little hungry.
It has been a while since it tasted fresh blood and meat.
It had to survive on leftovers everyday and if it wasnt for that n, it would have run.
There were a few who couldnt bear the torture and ran in the past though.
I wonder if they managed to leave Edatines proximity or not?
I heard they went dark at the road to Sicar Citys outpost.
I bet they are hiding after having a good meal, eh?
They might evene back and fight for a share!
Hmph!
How can theye back after leaving?
This ce has been segmented properly!
That old guy is getting older, he isnt as brave as he used to be. Whats left in him are just the intimidating looks but he is actually dying inside.
I have to give it to him for putting up a good act though, scaring us for so long.
Now? It is time for us to make aeback!
From tonight onwards!
Many thoughts ran through that big head of the pagan.
Then... Grrrr!
A loud growl from its stomach sounded.
The big head pagan looked down at the other two with a smile.
What? Cant hold it anymore?
Due to some special conditions during their birth, these three were one. Other than having different bodies, their hearts and minds were connected.
Often their thoughts affected each other, especially the extreme thoughts like hunger.
However, when the big headed pagan looked down to its brothers, it realized its brothers were looking at it instead.
The big head pagan got stunned.
It wasnt you guys?
It wasnt you?
The questions sounded at the same time from top and bottom.
Three pairs of eyes of various sizes looked at each other in confusion.
They saw the suspicion in each others eyes and that suspicion was thest thing they ever showed in the realm of humans.
A shadow enveloped then.
Gooey saliva then trapped them on the spot and a huge suction force started to suck them into that ck hole.
Sou Sou Sou!
Three continuous slurpster, the three pagans were swallowed.
Gluttony remembered what Kieran told him, so he chewed before swallowing.
N-Nice!
Gluttony gave a rather high review to those three pagans.
The texture was like eating a piece of rib with cartges attached and evenly distributed lean and fat meat.
The energy that filled the Cardinal Sins Force was then converted into nutrients for the others with the best seasoning.
Some of the nutrients were absorbed by the [Lord of Mist] though.
The dazzling crystal [Lord of Mist] went through some changes again after consuming three descended pagans in one shot.
Its rarity was still III+ and neither did the attributes change, but the effect of [Edatine Castle Border] changed and lost the suffix of border.
[Edatine Castle: Within Edatine Castle, the title of Mist has slowly gained recognition and you who possess the Lord of Mist can move natural mist at will and induce them with poison, ice, and rain, control flora and fauna inside the mist are also possible (unable to exceed the range of the poison mist, icy air, acid rain, snow, hailstorm, control of flora and fauna +1 level), but it will consume your stamina ordingly.]
...
Even the remark changed.
[Remark: A product of an ident during the ck Cataclysm. Unlike how your predecessor crudely used it, its true potential is being brought out in your hands. After a perfect kill, you start to gain total control over it and following the perfect kill, it is bound to you and you alone. You can use it like your own arm and you can perceive the title that it brings you. And now, after expanding the territory, it can never leave you.]
...
Its not just the border anymore. Is it because of Erins prayers and the killing of local pagans? Thats why the effect changed? Kieran wondered.
He had a trace of understanding towards this weird dungeon world.
Pagans.
Gods.
Humans.
These were the three major category that inhabited this world
The first two were high on top of the hierarchy, the humans suffered and probably ended up as food for the first two.
The first two could exchange identities at will but at the same time, they were also restricted by the humans.
Simr to now, the Mist was able to enter Edatine Castle because of the new followers.
Based on what Kieran understood, this new theory should be the correct one.
However, starting off from that point, Kierans confusion about the God of War and Lady Cmity grew dense.
In his vision, those two were still fighting, as if they turned a blind eye at his invasion.
Or could it be... they were unable to free themselves to take care of the invader?
With that thought in mind, Kieran squinted his eyes and thought for a while. He moved faster than before.
All the infected monsters that he met along the way were met with a brutal kick from Kieran.
His kicks were like two pythons out of their dens. It was not only strong, the flurry kicks even whipped up a bloody storm.
Hiss!
Spheres of torrential air that could tear the air itself wreaked havoc across the street, forming into a series of snake hisses. It sounded like a myriad of snakes hissed at the moon.
The monsters of the slum area stopped what they were doing and turned their gaze at the end of the street.
Those who prayed also looked up in surprise.
Under many pairs of eyes with strong gaze, a figure walked out from the shadow quietly.
When the figure appeared, he was at the end of the street, and a stepter, he was in front of the monsters.
The figure appeared abruptly in front of the monsters, yet the afterimage of the figure at the end of the street hasntpletely gone away, ying tricks on their eyes and making those who stared at him ufortable.
The other ufortable thing was the figures presence and aura.
The monsters hated it, were disgusted by it and dreaded it a lot!
Growls sounded, followed by boiling killer intents.
The killer intentions of the monsters were at an all time high as they charged towards the figure.
Unlike previously, when they killed for the tasty blood and flesh, now all they wanted was to tear the strong opponent into shreds.
The heavy growls pierced the clouds and shook the night sky, met with a nonchnt voice.
sh.
The voice wasnt loud, not all at the scene could hear.
Only Anderson, the old hunter, and Sivalka heard it.
The next moment, everyone widened their eyes in shock as the man lifted his arm upright, forming a light sword of a hundred meters in length from thin air.
The hundred meters light sword was swung horizontally as the man moved his arm.
There wasnt any resistance, neither was there a dy in that sh.
Whether monsters or buildings, everything within the range was shed into half by the destructive force.
Chapter 1790 - Conferred
Chapter 1790: Conferred
The light sword swept across everything, freezing even the air.
Everyone was stupefied as they looked at everything that was cut in half before their eyes, including Anderson and Sivalka.
Powerful!
Much more powerful than any Dark Hall priests that he had ever met. A very straightforward impression popped up in Sivalkas mind.
Anderson was different though, he saw more.
Nearing a demi-god? muttered the old Demon Hunter, his stunned look quickly returning to normal because he had seen powerhouses nearing a demi-god level, more than one to be exact.
His teacher and several of his oncerades were able to reach this level. Even he, should he go all out, could reach a simr level.
However... Snake Sect was much stronger than expected!
The old hunter looked at Kierans youthful face and uncontrobly heaved a breath of relief.
Although age wasnt an absolute factor among the Demon Hunters, the stronger the young ones, other than the natural gifts, the more powerful his teacher or family was.
This was good news to the old Demon Hunter, who was in desperate need of power right now! No matter what the source of the power was, Wolf Sect or Snake Sect.
The old hunters judgmental gaze had a trace of kindness.
Kieran sensed the change of gaze but he didnt express himself further. He nodded at Anderson, then walked to the side.
The majority of the monsters in the slums were just sliced in half by his light sword and those remaining, restless pagans were gone. However, in the corners and alleys, the infected monsters were still atrge, he had to go clean them up.
His action would fit his identity as Snake Sect Demon Hunter.
As for the minor change of gaze in the old Demon Hunter?
Expected. All he needed to do was follow the steps nned ahead.
The old Demon Hunter saw Kieran cleaning up the remaining pests, joining immediately and observing Kieran constantly. He saw how quick and clean the techniques were and the ability to predict the enemies next move, Anderson nodding again.
Youve been through theplete Demon Hunter training and learned the techniques and others, otherwise you wouldnt be this familiar with the monsters habits. Able to be calm and deal with the situation with a clear mind, it seemed like youve passed the Green Grass and Summer Branch tests with flying colors. What a young man,mented the old hunter.
Sivalka didnt spare further attention to the two of them, squeezing himself into the crowd and seeing Ellie, who hid behind her sister Erin. After seeing Sivalka, the little girl finally had a trace of color returned to her pale face.
Uncle, are you okay? asked the little girl.
Mm. I was attending some other business, I didnt go into Cripple Inn, Sivalka nodded, exined.
Thats good, thats good, mumbled the little girl.
The tears that pooled up in her eyes rolled down uncontrobly.
She thought of her mother, of those she could never see again.
Perhaps she was still very young, so she didnt know a lot of things but the feeling of losing someone was purer than ever, there werent any gains or benefits mixed up in it.
She wept silently, remembering when her father passed and she cried out loud, her mother scolding and beating her fiercely, telling her not to cry.
Now, her mother was not around but she remembered the lesson.
A soft hand wiped the tears away from the little girl.
Elli looked at her sister.
There are a lot of people here, dont cry. You can cry when theres no people around, Ill be with you, Erin said in a mellow voice.
Erin felt the miracle from God after her prayers were answered, but...
The miracle did not make Erin feel good or acknowledge herself more outstanding than others, she still felt bad, hurt, and in pain, missing her mother and those she once knew.
Though she would not hate the miracle, she thanked it with her heart. Because of it, she lived, so she thought of repaying the life-saving debt.
Even though the God that just saved her required none of that, she thought it was what she should do and her mother once said: all debts must be paid.
Hello, are you Lord Mists emissary? Erin asked Sivalka.
Mist? I have heard of his name, but I am not an emissary.
Sivalka shook his head honestly. He really wanted to admit but as a Dark Hall deacon, he knew what the consequences of impersonating a Gods emissary were, especially when said God was at its prime.
Even though his work as a Dark Hall deacon had nothing worthy of his reminiscence, it allowed him to understand something more than the normal folks.
And right away, Sivalka was d that he did not say yes.
Excuse me, you are looking for me? A voice came from behind the crowd.
Bloody Mary, in Simons look, came out with a warm and kind smile, its eyes tender. Anyone who exchanged a gaze would feel refreshed and would intuitively feel rxed.
He was exactly like the preacher than the books described!
Sivalkamented as such.
Back in the Dark Hall, Sivalka had seen a lot of preachers but none wereparable to the one before his eyes.
Regardless of looks or bearing, the distance between was too far away.
When Bloody Mary walked past Sivalka, Sivalka couldnt help but bow.
It was an intuitive habit that he cultivated in Dark Hall.
Before he realized it, Bloody Mary hadid its hand over his head.
Thank you for what youve done for the sect.
The words he uttered were no different from those preachers than he knew off, but when it came out from this Simons mouth, it nted a different feeling in Sivalka: sincerity!
Sincerity that he never before felt!
Sivalka looked up at Bloody Mary, while thetter pointed at the two little girls.
Sivalka instantly realized what Bloody Mary was referring to, worries following right after.
The Mist religious sect seems to think highly of Elli and Erin, is there any problem?
Sivalka couldnt help but curl up his hands into fist as he heard some insider news.
Do not worry, neither should you be anxious about it. The Mist is here to protect, nothing else.
As though Bloody Mary read Sivalkas mind, it said with a smile before walking further to Erin.
A short encounter earlier in the evening left an impression on Bloody Mary, it remembered the sharp little girl.
Although there were many diforts, this little girl was worthy for it to strike.
Whether for itself or for the need to ease up the situation in Edatine Castle for its boss.
Hello. Lord emissary, I am Erin, the little girl held her little sisters hand and introduced herself.
You can call me Simon, all of you can.
Bloody Mary then went on stage and gave its best performance ording to what it had rehearsed.
Everything felt so skilled and easy.
Kieran turned away after a quick glimpse at his best follower. He knew no one else could best Bloody Mary in its own game.
Not even himself, he couldnt be as natural as the Superior Demon.
Every living being had its own traits, Kieran would never deny that. Simr to how he barely solves matters with his own hands after owning a plethora of followers.
What he should do was ce the respective followers in fields they were skilled at.
Just like how he was looking at God of War and Lady Cmity, going after the big boss was what he should be focusing on.
Pawn versus pawn, rook versus rook, and king versus king.
However, the response from God of War and Lady Cmity somehow went over Kierans expectation.
Both Gods were still fighting, simr to before.
The situation was considered weird. Based on what Kieran knew about Gods, even if they were shackled down and couldnt spare a moment, they would have shown some signs when Kieran invaded their turf righteously.
Is there something that I dont know of? Or... they care nothing about Edatine Castle? Kierans thoughts started to expand further.
It was natural that when Edatine Castle came into his mind, he thought of that kind, Edatine VI.
The Lower Seven Ring and the Upper Seven Ring were quite far apart, it was an undeniable fact, but up until now, not a single soldier showed up. It was extremely strange.
Plus the silence from the two fighting Gods.
Everything instantly became interesting.
What else is there that I dont know? Kieran frowned slightly.
An unknown situation would always invoke Kierans vignce, especially when Broker, that cunning merchant, was involved.
Kieran kept having this feeling that something else was hiding in this dungeon world, otherwise it wouldnt seem right.
ording to Brokers habits, if he had to have a cover for his schemes, there would at least be an obvious one and a secret one. The obvious cover would be very straightforward; the secret one would make everyone think that that is his real goal. After these twoyers of cover, there would be his true goal. Now the obvious cover is Borl. Theorize using Borls position, the secret cover would be expanding the Mist to Sicar. Then... is he using the Mist to seize Edatine Castle? Kieran put himself in Brokers shoes and pondered it from his perspective.
Quickly, he shook his head.
The Mist seizing Edatine Castle would certainly be a trend. In short, as long as Broker became the Mist, it would surely happen.
Hold on!
Just before Kieran discarded the thought, he thought of something else: Brokers habit of hiding his true goal.
What else would be more suitable than hiding the true goal behind either the obvious or secret cover?
Intuitively, Kieran touched the Lord of Mist that he had with him.
This was just a theory.
The other theory would be... Borl.
Or more precisely, the likes of Borl.
What if Broker designed aunching board? Or had hidden anotherunching board?
Up until this point, Kieran couldnt help but squint his eyes.
Then, the old Demon Hunter came over.
Edatine VI is much more ruthless and cold-blooded than he looks. Hes acting like his ancestors now. This bastard, it wouldnt be strange if he really did something outrageous.
The old Demon Hunter seemed to have misunderstood something, but Kieran didnt exin.
What are you doing to do with these people? Anderson pressed the question.
The people from the Mist religious sect wille and settle them down, Im not good at this, replied Kieran.
Anderson nodded withoutmenting.
He was an action-taker, he was good at fighting enemies. Likewise, he too was not good at settling people after a disaster. As a matter of fact, during the prime of Wolf Sect, there were specialists who woulde over and take care of things.
Now?
He was almost alone, so he was not capable of bearing the burden.
At the same time, the thought in his mind strengthened itself and was almost at the verge of erupting: rebuild Wolf Sect!
Of course Anderson knew it was a heavy undertaking, there was much still remaining to be done, it wouldnt build itself with a word or two.
He would at least... need some Gold Purton and a safe location.
Fortunately and coincidentally, Snake Sect had those things.
Young man, I want to have a talk with you, an honest and frank talk, said the old Demon Hunter.
Sure, but not now, said Kieran.
Of course, Anderson smiled widely.
Both of them knew they would have to face the wrath of Edatine VI next.
Considering the kings reputation, the revenge wouldnt be outright taken out on them, they still had to be prepare for whatsing.
Anderson would at least have to move his two severely tortured Demon Hunter friends from Carrot Hotel to a safer ce.
The old Demon Hunter walked side by side with Kieran as they headed back to Carrot Hotel.
Anderson was going back for his old friends and Kieran had something to tell Borl.
It was what their cooperation was built on in the first ce.
...
Inside the pce, Edatine VI quietly listened to his men reporting to him about the incident that broke out in the slums of the Lower Seven Ring. He subtly waved his hand.
The reporting soldier immediately bowed and exited the council hall.
The king was left alone after the soldier left. He stood up all of a sudden.
The king had the height and physique of a Northerner, tall and fit. Despite his face having aged, his back was straight as a pole as he stood in the council hall. He looked up at the ceiling with an obscure gaze.
A few minutester, a series of footsteps came.
There wasnt an announcement.
Marquis Horton walked in straight away.
Your Majesty, the old marquis greeted and saluted his king.
Our n has failed, said Edatine VI brazenly.
This is just the test phase of our n, a single failure doesnt affect or mean anything. To be honest, we havent failed at all. As long as this incident is out there, victory will eventually be ours, said the old marquis with a meaningful smile.
Yes, you are right. As long as it happens, victory will be ours. Unfortunately, we are unable to aplish the whole n within a single stroke, Edatine VI sighed in a slight regretful tone.
Yes, that is unfortunate. Those Demon Hunters always appear at the wrong time and wrong ce.
Sire, do you need me to...
No need to. The Demon Hunters arent out enemies. Quite the opposite, they are our natural allies from the beginning, Edatine VI waved his hand.
You are saying? The old marquis looked up, he saw the smile on the kings face and the sudden realization hit him.
After that, the old marquis left the council hall.
Another half an hourter, a squad of royal court guardians appeared outside of Carrot Hotel.
A pce attendant arrived together with the squad, bearing the decree from the king
Snake Sect Demon Hunter Colin is credited for the elimination of the pagans wreaking havoc in the slums. He is now conferred as duke by His Majesty Edatine VI.
Chapter 1791 - A Tale of the Night
Chapter 1791: A Tale of the Night
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Wearing a loose red official suit with golden linings, the attendant had ayer of powder on his face and showed a ttering smile when he met Kieran. The yellowish and ckish stains in between his teeth were obvious under the light from the front torch of the hotel.
My lord, this is your conferring letter.
The attendant passed the letter to Kieran with both hands as he voiced his following reminder. Inside the letter you will find the acknowledgement of your dukeship and proof of your ownndits located not far away from Edatine Castle, a quite wealthy town. Now all you need is a family emblem and you are all done.
May I ask if you are choosing an emblem from the list or seeking the aid of a professional?
Is there a difference? Kieran asked.
Of course there is. If you choose from the list, the list would consist of all the family emblems that once shone in thisnd. They had fallen alright, but they are still respected by people, therefore you would have to pay extra Gold Purton...
Second one, Ill design myself.
Kieran stopped the attendant before he could even finish.
Paying Gold Purton was impossible for Kieran, not even in an alternate reality or a different dungeon world.
Kieran knew what the king, Edatine VI, sought and he was also d that the king did.
Still, that didnt mean he would pay extra on top of the heavy lifting in all this.
The base of a trade was fairness, wasnt it?
As for thend granted to him, it was a reward for all the hard work.
The attendant showed his rotten yellowish teeth, the smile seeming a little forced this time.
He knew the Demon Hunters were a bunch of people who lived by their own rules, but he didnt know the Demon Hunters were this stingy.
One thing worth taking note was that as an attendant, he earned most of his ie through selling the emblem of the old glorious families and gettingmissions from the designers that he introduced.
Now Kieran said that he would design the emblem himself, hence his ie instantly flew away.
It was rather aggravating for the attendant. He ought to deliver his sales pitch and work with his silver tongue, but Kieran didnt give him the chance to by walking into the hotel.
Looking at the shut door, the smile on the attendant froze.
He really wanted to teach Kieran a lesson but thinking about the temper and personality of the Demon Hunters, he carefully hid away his true thoughts. He stomped on the ground angrily and left.
He didnt want to die.
Sitting in Room 203 and watching the attendant board the wagon going away, Borl looked at Kieran, who just came in, with utmost envy.
Kieran didnt actually do anything yet he acquired the entire progress of Borls man mission line, what else could Borl be envious about?
It would be the progress escting to a whole new level.
One thing worth taking note was that Borls main mission required him to acquire the status of noble and havend under his name.
The status could be the lowest ranks among all the dukeship and thend could simply be a vige, that was the basic requirements.
Kieran easilypleted all of that.
And him? Still a work in progress and somewhat rough.
Many morepetitors came into y, even more than he initially expected.
3000 Gold Purton was not enough in the current stage, he had to bring some of his ns forward.
However, before he did, he had to discuss it with Kieran, it was the base that their cooperation was built on.
Sir Colin... Ugh, my lord, congrattions, Borl joked in a friendly way.
As the time he spent with Kieran got longer, Borl slowly got a grasp of Kierans personality. If things didnt cross the bottom line, the ming Devil would not mind joking or harmless ridicules.
He wasnt the capricious killing machine that people imed he was.
You need to be careful in the uing days, Kieran stated the reason why he came to visit.
Borl immediately looked serious.
You mean...
Kieran wasnt being obvious but Borl had a vague guess.
Yes, its what you think. You better keep Aschen with you 24/7 and that talisman, bring it with you at all times, Kieran nodded.
Understood! Thanks to Father Mona, this talisman has helped me more than once.
As he exined, Borl brought his blessing talisman that looked like a cobblestone out again. The talisman with many lines on it was ced in between his palm while he thanked the father with a grateful look.
When the cobblestone talisman came into sight, the uneasy feeling appeared again.
He subtly moved backwards and kept his distance. If he wasnt waiting for Borls status report, he would have gone out of the room.
Thankfully, Borl realized the situation quickly enough.
Ive run into some problems but its still under control. I have to gather more Gold Purton to reach my original goal. Morepetitors means higher prices. That seller isnt a gentleman, so raising the price on the spot is almost certain, Borl sighed.
Kieran didnt ask about the sigh. Both of them exchanged information from what they had gathered and a whileter, Kieran stood up and headed to Room 205.
His own room was 204; 205 was the room Anderson rented.
Knock, knock, knock.
Come in. A firm reply from the old hunterter, Kieran went in.
The moment the door opened, a heavy herbal smell entered his nose. Kieran nced over the mystical writings on the inner frame of the door, Pro level [Mystical Knowledge] allowing him to know that these writings were used to iste smell, but as for how it was activated and operated, Kierans skill level was still unable to decipher it.
After going in, in order to contain the smell in the room and not attract attention from the hotel owner, Kieran quickly closed the door.
Old Hank was a decent man, Kieran would not want to involve him in the vortex of trouble.
It was definitely not because the hotel owner left him supper.
Standing at the door, Kieran scanned around Room 205.
Simr to other rooms, it was a small contained unit with an independent washroom, mini parlour, and sleeping area.
The old hunter was sitting in the mini parlour.
On top of the short tea table were many bottles and vials.
The old Demon Hunter put a dried lizard into a beaker with ck liquid. When it touched the liquid, it started to melt exponentially. The old Demon Hunter shook the beaker skillfully and when he stopped, the ck liquid inside had transformed into deep blue liquid with shards of crystalite, looking very beautiful.
The old Demon Hunter then cocked his head backwards, pouring the entire beaker into his mouth and swallowing it.
Judging from his expression, Kieran could tell the potion that he crafted seemed effective but the taste was not something to expect.
Ive suffered some inhuman torture back in the dungeon, I need something special to treat my body. And these are all the basics of a Demon Hunter, most I got identally, exined Anderson.
Though he didnt seem to linger on the topic identally for he switched the topic right away.
That king has made his move? asked Anderson.
Mm. He says that I am credited to the elimination of the pagans, he conferred me as duke. Thend that I am granted is not far away from Edatine Castle, a quite wealthy town, Kieran exined as he tossed his conferring letter on the tea table.
The old Demon Hunter stared at the letter in silence for quite some time.
In the end, he asked What do you want?
Anderson was perfectly clear what Kieran meant by revealing the letter.
He believed Kieran must have noticed his desperate situation.
If Wolf Sect had to rest and recuperate, a turf of their own was a must.
Anderson nned to search for one around Sicar initially but now with thend around Edatine Castle... better!
No one could deny how prosperous the capital was, not even a lonely, independent Demon Hunter.
The Demon Hunters lived by their own rules but they were not blind.
Being near the capital, they had easier ess to weapons and herbs plus many more resources that they required. Should they rebuild in the aforementioned town, it would take 5 years... No! 3 years! And the Wolf Sect would be alive again.
If things progressed smoothly, 10 yearster, when the new generation of Wolf Sect Demon Hunter were born, they would probably return to their prime!
However, there are no free lunches in this world, Anderson understood it well enough, hence the direct question.
What do you have? Kieran asked.
Anderson got stunned.
Yeah, what does he have?
He wasnt the famous Hunting Knife anymore. He had no honor, no savings, not even his old collections.
Given such a desperate situation, what else could he offer?
Offering help to exterminate the pagans in Edatine Castle?
No!
Andersoon shook his head slightly.
He wasnt that low to trade his specialty for a chance.
Then, what else did he have in his possession?
Intuitively, the old hunter looked down to his own boots, or more precisely, the dagger sheathed beside his boots.
You want to learn some dagger skills? asked Anderson.
Sure. Ill draw an area outside the town for you to use it as you wish, Kieran nodded after some thoughts.
He had seen Andersons dagger techniques, it wasnt just any flying dagger techniques, it had reached a whole new level.
To Kieran, who kept perfecting and enhancing his offensive means, it was quite a deal for him, especially since the technique was exchanged for literally no cost.
The old Demon Hunter smiled widely. He was perceptive enough to not ask Kieran what he would do with the town he got.
Aside from the original residence there, the people from the Mist religious sect alone were enough for Anderson to understand that town would surely be the base of operation for the religious sect.
As for if the king would nt his men in the down beforehand?
Anderson thought it wasnt his problem, the people in the Mist religious sect would surely be able to ovee it.
A religious sect with their own God, what would they be skilled at?
Searching the deviants among them, including traitors.
Though another question popped up: what were those two doing?
The rebellion was all too obvious yet they did not notice it and put a stop to it?
Those two Gods might be cautious against each other, but what about Edatine VI?
As a king, he remained stagnant.
Was he terrorized by those two?
No, not right!
If he was deterred, he should have turned a blind eye and deaf ear to it, not confer Colin a dukeship.
Neither would he mention the so-called eliminating the pagans out loud. His actions were like stomping the two Gods faces onto the ground.
A shameful matter would incite rage in people, let alone Gods.
Based on Andersons understanding of those two Gods, sometimes their faces were enough to incite a divine war. Yet they kept quiet now.
Could it be... the king has some powers that I dont know of?
Afterpleting his initial n, the old Demon Hunter couldnt help but expand his thoughts. Kieran didnt interrupt him, sitting there quietly and waiting until the old Demon Hunter came back to his senses.
Im sorry. This might be a trauma left by those bastards in the dungeon. What do you think about Edatine VI?
Anderson looked at Kieran apologetically before he went straight to the point.
Kieran was very fond of this way of conversing.
Anderson wasnt fond of covering stuff up, neither was Kieran.
Strange. Hes able to achieve bnce in between those two Gods. At first I thought it was some skillful maniption, but the scene earlier told me... the king is not as simple as we thought. I am quite interested in his new royal decree, Kieran expressed his honest thoughts.
In Kierans initial thoughts, Edatine VI would have swirled around God of War and Lady Cmity, maintaining the veryst dignity of a king and keeping a subtle bnce between things.
However, the conferring that just happened inserted other thoughts in Kierans mind.
There werent just two forces confronting each other in Edatine Castle, there were three!
A three-way battle!
The God of War, Lady Cmity, and Edatine VI!
Mortal versus Gods!
It was natural that Kieran suspected Edatine VI of being the spy of Broker since things had unfolded this way, but he quickly denied his own thoughts.
If Broker had a spy like Edatine VI, he wouldnt have gone after Borl, so Edatine VI couldnt have been one. Still, his true motives and identity was something worthwhile to ridicule with.
The old Demon Hunter smiled and exchanged a gaze with Kieran before he continued, About this Edatine VI, I dont know a great deal about him. When I was active, most of the people cared more about Edatine V.
Edatine V? What was he like?
Kieran didnt mind knowing more about the king through these smaller routes, the kings father would be a very good entry point.
Greedy and smart. Overambitious and powerful. Loved morous dresses and food but not women. After his queen died, he never had another woman in his life, not even getting close to one, said the old Demon Hunter after some thoughts.
Powerful? To what extent? Kieran asked for the key point.
Simr to the light sword that you just unleashed, its almost on the same level, replied Anderson.
Rank V? Kieran squinted his eyes.
If I remember correctly, the king fell ill and passed away in the end, right? Kieran asked.
Mm. He did fall ill, the true cause of death was Silent Night Secret Society. They used the pagans to snatch the kings lifeit was because of this revtion that we went after Silent Night Secret Society. Then... its the prelude of the ck Cataclysm and Im sure youve heard of what happened next.
Anderson paused for a while to suck in a deep breath before continuing.
On his face, there was aplicated countenance, a mix of rage and pain.
Kieran paid attention to the expressions, only speaking when the expressions faded away.
What did the Demon Hunter do to the Cmity? What was their backup n?
Holuff, the hotel owner back in Sicar, once frankly revealed that the reason why Lady Cmity didnt truly be a God was because of what the Demon Hunters did to her, setting her up.
Holuff didnt finish the story that time, so Kieran hoped to get the answer from Anderson. For the sake of safety, he purposely opted out Lady and avoided mentioning her full name, only mentioned Cmity.
To his disappointment, Anderson shook his head.
I dont know. I did participate in that war but I didnt reach the end of it. I stayed back to buy time for my friends but when I woke up, I was imprisoned in the dungeon. I have no idea what happened after that, Anderson said apologetically.
Is that so... Kieran muttered in disappointment.
Right before they continued conversing, a loud thud came from the sleeping area.
Bang!
It was the noise of something heavy falling to the ground.
Chapter 1792 - Infiltrate
Chapter 1792: Infiltrate
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The noise subsided.
Kieran and Anderson stood up together, but rather than dashing into the bedroom like Anderson, Kieran looked outside.
Cleaning up and changing into a set of fresh new clothes, Tandeker fell off the bed and onto the floor. The little fall made the once famous Demon Hunter cry like a baby.
Even more so when he saw Anderson rush into the sleeping area, the crying getting louder and snoting out from his nose, making his clean clothes dirty.
Its fine, Tandeker. Its fine. Everything will be over soon, you will eventually remember who you are. Your name is Tandeker, Colossal Beast Tandeker, Andersonforted his friend by uttering his name and title softly.
Withfort from Anderson, the child-like Tandeker finally calmed down.
Watching his friend go back to bed, Anderson showed helplessness on his face; when he saw his other friend, who was confined in a mummy state, a trace of rage was shown on top of the helplessness.
Quickly enough, Anderson kept his emotions in checkhe would never let this go, he ought to take back everything for his friends.
Turning around, Anderson walked out.
Noticed anything? Anderson asked Kieran.
Mm. Someone is looking at this ce, with malicious intent. He should have felt it just now. Kieran pointed at Tandeker, who had just gone to bed.
Kieran had sufficient understanding about the allies Anderson brought into the hotel from Bloody Mary.
The one who was confined in a mummy state was Miers.
The one whose mind was damaged was Tandeker.
Both of them were once titled Demon Hunters.
Anyone among the Demon Hunters who had acquired titles were the strongest among the powerhouses.
Even though Tandekers mind was damaged, he still felt the malicious intent.
Though it was also possible that Tandeker was under someones control, he resisted control.
It seemed like Anderson also realized it. He nodded at Kieran.
Dont worry, Ive taken enough precautions with him. He is clean, but it would be hard for him to recover to his former self. Damn Silent Night Secret Society! cursed the old Demon Hunter.
Kieran didnt furtherment on the atrocious acts of Silent Night Secret Society. Likewise, he had sufficient trust in the old Demon Hunters professional skill set.
Everything was very obvious.
As a foe, Silent Night Secret Societys strangeness and powers were undoubted.
Not only Kieran, even Anderson the old Demon Hunter acknowledged the fact.
They are powerful. We failed to realize it before, what we dealt with in the past was just the tip of the icebergdeep down, what they hide behind, those are the scary things.
As Anderson spoke, he started to search for a wine cer.
He preferred to have a ss of liquor whenever a heavy topic was being discussed.
Most of the Northerners had a simr habit, including the Demon Hunters.
Kieran wasnt fond of alcohol, but he liked to observe.
He knew what the old Demon Hunter wanted by looking at his face, he passed him a cup of water instead.
Thank you. A good habit I see.
The old Demon Hunter raised a toast at Kieran as a token of respect.
Holuff once mentioned that Wolf Sect had a spy back then, Kieran nodded then returned to the topic.
Mm, The old Demon Hunter sucked in a deep breath before he said, That spy was someone that we least expected. That was why I gave up on the training base and stashes of the Demon Hunters, because it might be a trap!
Can you tell me about the spy? Kieran asked.
He was very interested about the spy sent to infiltrate the Wolf Sect Demon Hunters by Silent Night Secret Society.
Sure. We were once mates. The old Demon Hunter took a sip from his cup, the tastelessness making him frown a little but it didnt stop him from spilling more words, He was just a civilian back then, at least he was when we saved him from the pagans mouth. He was extremely talented. He passed the training that would take a normal young man three years in three months, with flying colors too! In fact, he wasnt just talented in learning, he was also great inpleting missions. He was able to carry out tasks alone and also performed great in teamsback then, many people liked to team up with him. He had an indescribable charm on him which made people love to be around him. However, the most terrifying thing was that all that he had shown was just the disguise! It was his disguise that led us into Silent Night Secret Societys trap, said the old Demon Hunter.
The way Anderson described the spy struck a sense of familiarity in Kieran: the spy felt very simr to a yer!
A yer who entered the same dungeon world at a different time period!
Do you still remember what he looked like? Kieran continued his question.
A little, but its very vague. My memories are damaged to a certain extent, I only remember his voice, not his face, Anderson smiled bitterly.
Kieran frowned. It was not good news, or in short, it was too coincidental.
Kieran wasnt a person who believed in coincidences.
He intuitively looked at the direction of the bed.
I assure you they are not who I described. Besides, that bastard wouldnt put himself in such a dangerous ce, Anderson uttered his assurance as he knew instantly what Kieran was thinking.
Which means we have to be cautious at the dagger from behind when we deal with those pagans in the future? said Kieran.
You mean the ck barrel of a musket? A musket is usually stronger than a dagger inmon peoples eyes, Anderson emphasized.
Then, he pulled out his dagger from his boot.
What I promised you before: some dagger techniques, said Anderson.
Lets do a rain check. I have to deal with what just happened, Kieran pointed outside the window.
They are too far away by now, and they would never leave any traces behind. If Miers is conscious, she might be able to find something but... Anderson shrugged weakly before he even finished. The answer was self-exnatory.
Shes good at tracking? Kieran halted his steps.
Miers the Tracker, you should have heard of her title before. Any kind of trace could not escape her eyes, Anderson was proud when he uttered his friends title.
Really? Kieran replied without actuallymenting on the topic.
Anderson immediately understood the meaning behind Kierans words.
Shes good at tracking traces, not peoples thoughts and minds. No matter how good she is at tracking traces, she cant see through peoples hearts. Just like you can never stare at the sun for too long. Besides, the betrayal had quite the impact on her too. Otherwise she wouldnt have ended up like this, exined Anderson.
They were close?
This time, Anderson did not answer Kierans question, he waved his hand to express his intention to leave it behind.
Kieran didnt walk out from the door, he jumped out of the window instead.
His heart took note of the name Miers the Tracker.
Miers was close to the traitor in the past.
Compared to the damaged Tandeker, this Tracker was much more suspicious.
It wasnt malicious suspicions though, it was just habitual.
Kieran always had the same amount of vignce and cautiousness against all strangers.
That was the main reason why he had only a few friends.
Fortunately, the handful of friends he had were reliable and trustworthy.
Anderson the old Demon Hunter?
Not among the trustworthy list.
After Kieran jumped out of the window, Anderson quickly shut the window.
The night wind during winter in the Northern Land was no joke.
Anderson would be fine under the cold, but not his two friends.
Turning around, he sat back in front of the tea table and started to think and arrange the knowledge that he shouldnt know.
He resisted the knowledge from the pagans.
It wasnt just because of his identity as Demon Hunter, which put him on the opposite side of the pagans naturally, it was also because every time he essed these knowledge in his mind, it would remind him of the torturous days in the dungeon.
But now?
He didnt care anymore. He was almost certain that normal means would never heal his two friends.
All he could do was rely on the knowledge that normal people didnt have ess too.
Without giving up hope, he wanted to give it a try.
Hmph!
A painful gruntter, Andersons face flushed and veins popped up on his forehead.
Strange bbers started to echo in his heart, skipping his ears.
He relied on his powerful willpower to resist the bbers then started to arrange the knowledge hidden in his body.
It was slow, it was difficult, he had to concentrate. Due to the concentration, he did not notice Kieran, who hid in the shadows after he came back.
Seeing with ones own eyes might not be real but listening from somewhere else would surely be false.
Kieranpletely hid in the shadows right before Anderson got used to the bbers.
He was able to confirm something.
As for more? With Anderson around, he knew he couldnt infiltrate without a sound.
He couldnt, but that didnt mean others couldnt as well.
For example, his undeadpanion who was loyal and reliable, bearing burden withoutining and could exist until the end of time as long as it wasnt dead.
Of course, it needed a chance.
Now was not the time.
With [Tracking] activated, Kieran scanned the air for traces left behind.
The traces faded off very quickly though.
It was obvious that the traces were carefully dealt with in a professional way.
Had it been any other normal means, Kieran would get nothing, but his [Tracking] was special to begin with and he leveled it up all the way to Transcendence, it couldnt hide everything from the skill.
Right before the traces vanished, Kieran located the whereabouts of the culprit: a two and a half story independent bungalow located in Upper Seven Ring.
Despite the fact that it was winter, the garden in the bungalow was filled with greens with high resistance to the cold, the snow in the premise cleaned up neatly. Someone must have always been cleaning.
This bungalow should be the permanent base of the culprit, Kieran deduced.
The culprit was confident that no one would find him, therefore he returned to the bungalowwhich gave Kieran a chance.
...
Those damn Demon Hunters! Ludus cursed out loud in his study room.
He wasnt worried that he was overheard by others.
Firstly, his study room was specially built, the noise istion was excellent.
Secondly, everyone in this bungalow was his ally, there was no need to worry.
So Ludus vented his anger brazenly.
He had been in this field for so many years, yet this was the first time that he was noticed before he truly got near.
It was an insult to him.
He could already hear theughter and mocking from the other bastards, especially Kurtzargert and Colipo.
Those two were restless in recent years, Ludus knew exactly what they were after.
As one of the councilmen, he too sought bigger authority and power.
The authority and power he sought werent the normal kind, not the kind that normal people would understand.
Or more precisely, power in Silent Night Secret Society wasnt just about the so-called faction influence, it was the very essence of power!
That was why he involved himself in all this mess, otherwise he wouldnt care at all.
Wasnt umting strength through honest steps the right way and the best way to go?
Yet the ident that happened just now made the councilman furious and showed no signs of slowing.
Thats right, it was an ident!
How could a bunch of almost annihted Demon Hunters notice him?
He was just careless! It was his carelessness that caused all this!
Bunch of bastardsing back from the ashes! All of you are nothing but grass! Ludus mumbled softly.
He then pulled his drawer and took a piece of parchment out.
Dipping his quill pen into the bottle of ink, he started to write on the parchment.
When thest word was written, Ludus blew the parchment to dry it and showed a delighted smile.
Since these grassy bastards want to initiate a Council Meeting, how can I not agree to it? This time, I will make sure to uproot every single one of them! Total elimination!
The thought ran through his mind as he stood up.
Unlike the tall and buff Northerners, Luds wasnt just skinny and weak, he was also short. He might not be as short as a dwarf but he was almost there, his height far shorter than a normal man.
However, not a single person would dare to underestimate him because of his height.
The fact that he was able to be one of 17 councilmen of Silent Night Secret Society had proven it all.
If that fact wasnt enough to prove himself, Ludus would be d to personally converse with anyone who doubted him, very harshly at that.
Ruthlessness was the signature of this particr councilman.
Therefore, after the order was given to a member of the secret society, the member dare not dy it any further and brought the secret letter straight to Silent Night Town.
Turning around, Ludus went back to his study room.
He wanted to carefully and quietly think about how to increase his gains in the uing Council Meeting.
He knew his opponents very well, every single one of them were as cunning as foxes and as dirty as jackals.
The slightest misstep would cause him to be devouredpletely, not even his bones could escape the deadly fate.
With that thought in mind, Ludus walked into his study room.
He didnt close the door himself because the door had a pivot installed, so it closed on its own.
However, before the doorpletely closed, the figure of a man slowly took shape.
The figure lifted his hand slowly and quietly approached Ludus neck from behind.
When the fingers were millimeters away from the neck, Ludus noticed an unusual sensation all of a sudden.
But it was toote.
The hand hadpletely seized his neck, followed by a cold, nonchnt voice.
Dont move.
Chapter 1793 - Lacking One
Chapter 1793: Lacking One
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Ludus was very cooperative, standing there without moving a muscle.
He had no idea how the infiltrator snuck into his ce but the technique used was out of his understanding.
Among all those that he knew, there was only one person who could pull this off.
Of course, his temporary stagnant state didnt mean he would really y along with the infiltrator, he only submitted on the surface. Deep down inside, inhuman powers started to umte.
It was very subtle, normal people could never sense it. Not even a Demon Hunter could easily sense it, unless the Demon Hunter had a natural gift in tracking.
However, based on what Ludus knew, the famous Tracker of the Demon Hunter was as good as dead. In short, he had no worries.
Freed from his worries, he could boldly teach this bastard who thought he had control over the situation a lesson, presenting him a graveless death.
He was eager to see it happen, yet it required some cooperation from this infiltrator.
Ludus started to grind his gears, pondering over the questions the infiltrator might ask him.
He prepared many vague answers, both true and false at the same time. He believed his answers would earn the infiltrators trust. He even figured out what kind of face he should show, but at the next moment, Ludus felt a scorching sensationing out from the palm at the back of his neck.
The scorching sensation turned into a zing me, engulfing him.
The pain made him widen his mouth, giving him the urge to scream, but before he could, the fire burnt off his vocal cords.
Ha, ha.
A few twitchester, Ludus was burned to cinders.
Until his death, this councilman had no idea why Kieran would kill him off without even asking any questions.
ording to normal procedure, shouldnt there be an interrogation session?
Did Kieran notice the unusual umtion of energy in his body?
But even if he did notice, shouldnt Kieran have pressured Ludus even more to get the absolute upper hand, get the right to call the shots and from there get more answers?
Did you get it? Kieran asked the shadowy spot beside him.
Yes, I got everything clearly, Bloody Mary walked out from the shadow.
Right after Bloody Mary stepped out of the shadow, it already took the form of Ludus.
It was a piece of cake for the Superior Demon. On top of that, its boss was there to buy it some time so that it could scan its target meticulously.
Kieran always believed that the best enemies were dead ones.
He held back just now because he was buying time for Bloody Mary to scan its target.
As for the alleged interrogation, it was also just a way to eliminate his enemies.
Kieran would lean towards a more direct way when he had the option, and even though the former would provide him with more information, he still stood by his beliefs.
He didnt think the interrogation methods that he mastered could get him any kind of truly secretive news from this councilman.
His interrogation methods might be useful against normal people but to a Silent Night Secret Society councilman? It wasnt enough.
Of course, what he did was an act of improvisation. Had hee into this dungeon world fully equipped and prepared, he would go with a simpler way, not using Bloody Mary repeatedly.
In Kierans mind, Bloody Mary could be more useful in other kinds of situations, much better than this one.
Colipo and I had agreed to initiate the Council Meeting. Now, all we have to do is settle that one... Kurtzargert, Bloody Mary entered character quickly and removed the [Illusion] it casted in the room.
Mm. Contact him as soon as possible, said Kieran.
Taking the risk to infiltrate the enemys turf or luring the enemy into his own before striking, even an idiot knew what the best option was.
However, some things were needed to lure the enemy into his own turf.
Luring and baiting wasnt a difficult task for Bloody Mary though.
It went through Colipo and Hoikas memories before this and it knew very well how it should invite this old rival to their own turf.
The door of the study room was pushed open, Bloody Mary walking out.
Kieran stayed and sat down on the chair.
He took [Lord of Mist] out.
The crystal on his palm was dazzling brightly.
After killing Ludus, the crystal changed again.
It wasnt just the simple increase of effective range and change or remark like thest time anymore, it was a whole new level of enhancement.
[Name: Lord of Mist]
[Type: Wonder Item]
[Rarity: IV]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: IV]
[Attribute: 1. Mist Control; 2 Poison Mist Assault; 3. Icy Air Assault; 4. Snow and Rain Assault; 5. Flora Communication; 6. Fauna Summon; 7. Conceal ]
[Effect: 1.Land of Sicar 2. Edatine Castle; 3. Reply; 4. Bless; 5. Deceive Contract]
[Prerequisite: Bound to you who performed all perfect kill]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: A product of an ident during the ck Cataclysm. Unlike how your predecessor crudely used it, its true potential is being brought out in your hands. After a perfect kill, you started to gain total control over it and with the following perfect kill, it is bound to you and you only. You can use it like your own arm and you can perceive the title that it brings you. And now, after expanding the territory, it can never leave you.]
...
[Mist Control: Summon a 600 meter radius mist and shroud everything in sight, 3/day]
[Poison Mist Assault: Induce Poison to the targets caught by the mist, targets would have to go through 3 times A rank Constitution authentication. Targets who failed all three times will be inflicted with lethal poison damage; targets who failed twice will be inflicted with Powerful poison damage; targets that failed once will be inflicted with Strong poison attack; targets who passed all three will be immune but still trapped in the mist.]
[Icy Air Assault: Able to create a Weak, Average, Strong, Powerful freeze attack inside the mist, the icy air cannot go outside the mists range]
[Snow and Rain Assault: Able to call upon the normal rain or snow inside the mist, or cast a Weak, Average, Strong, or Powerful acid rain or hailstorm, the cast effect cannot go outside the mists range.]
[Flora Communication; Able tomunicate and control floral in the mist, the number of controlled targets cannot exceed your Spirit limit (75 for Advanced Rank, +25 for each rank)]
[Fauna Summon: Able tomunicate and control animals in the mist, the number of controlled targets cannot exceed your Spirit Limit (100 small animal, 50 medium-sized animal, 15 big-sized animal, 2rge animal for Advanced rank, +25 for small animal, +10 for medium-sized animal, +5 for big-sized animal and +1 forrge animal for each rank increased) (animal smaller than a rat is considered as 3 times the number of small animals)]
[Conceal: Inside the mist, your traces could not be detected; Effect: Undercover +2, Undercover Advanced Skill +1]
...
[Land of Sicar: Within the Land of Sicar, the title of Mist has be one-of-a-kind and you who possess the Lord of Mist can move natural mist at will and induced them with poison, ice, and rain, control flora and fauna inside the mist is also possible (unable to exceed the range of the poison mist, icy air, acid rain, snow, hailstorm, control of flora and fauna +1 level), but it will consume your stamina ordingly.]
[Edatine Castle: Within Edatine Castle, the title of Mist has slowly gained recognition and you who possess the Lord of Mist can move natural mist at will and induced them with poison, ice, and rain, control flora and fauna inside the mist is also possible (unable to exceed the range of the poison mist, icy air, acid rain, snow, hailstorm, control of flora and fauna +1 level), but it will consume your stamina ordingly.]
[Reply: You are treated as the God of Mist, you can use the Lord of Mist to reply simply prayers of your believers. It will consume your stamina ordingly.]
[Bless: Within Land of Sicar and Edatine Castle, when your believers prayed to you, you can consume stamina to bless them with the Blessing of Mist (Blessing of Mist: provide resistance against poison, ice, acid) wherever mist is visible, or provide a blessing to your teammates municate with flora and fauna in a short period of time); you can also bless them with Blessing of Bloodthirsty (depends on how devoted the believer is during the short period of time), the blessed will be enhanced with 100% Strength, damaged received decreased 50%, able to absorb the blood of enemy to replenish own life. Able to grant Blessing of Conceal (depends on how devoted the believer is, Undercover level will be increased by 1 to 2 levels.]
[Deceive Contract: Youve been treated as the God of Mist, you can use the Lord of Mist to ept a great amount of worship from the worshippers and then give them some rewards (rewards is not limited to actual items)]
......
The increase of rarity granted [Lord of Mist] a new attribute and many other effect improvements.
What caught Kierans attention the most was the newly added attribute [Conceal].
It must have appeared after Kieran killed Councilman Ludus.
Recalling the burning sensation from his hand and how Gluttony consumed the man, Ludus tasted very simr to a pagan!
Factoring in the pagan uprising earlier at the slum area, Kieran slightly squinted his eyes.
Remnant... not only is Dark Hall of War God Temple experimenting with it, even Silent Night Secret Society? No! Silent Night Secret Society must be a lot more thorough! This isnt just a simple takeover, it must be a fusion of some kind, a true fusion that fused man and pagan into a single entity. Which means... Colipo is also one?
With the thought in mind, Kieran felt a little heartache.
Judging from the feedback from [Lord of Mist], these fusion monsters seemed to provide much bigger gains and benefits to the crystal than normal pagan monsters.
The taste changed from a normal cookie biscuit to an Oreo, the 3+2 kind. The taste of satisfaction was doubled instantly.
There are 17 councilmen in Silent Night. Excluding Colipo and Ludus, there are 15 more of them.
Kieran shifted his focus to the councilmen after he realized the idental loss.
The thought of the 15 other councilmen hurried his breathing.
[Lord of Mist] was already at rank IV, it was almost certain that rank V was bound to happen soon!
In his original thought, he was thinking of spending more effort to reach rank V with the item, even forming a n to hunt down the pagans.
It was absolutely reasonable for a Demon Hunter to hunt pagans.
But now though, Kieran felt like he was sitting at the dining table, waiting for his food to be served.
The 15 councilmen were on the menu tonight and they were just within his reach.
There was no need to search, no need to try his luck. This was nothing but great news to Kieran.
The only thing that he had to worry about was how he would hunt these councilmen safely.
Kieran thought quietly.
A whileter, his lips curled up. He had a rather immature thought and without a doubt, his identity of Demon Hunter would be the key factor in all this.
Hunting pagans was his job and duty as a Demon Hunter and hunting these councilmen down for revenge was also viable, no one would say anything about it.
It was an absolutely reasonable and viable way to approach this.
Its really convenient having an extra identity! Kieran thought.
...
Having an extra identity is really tiring!
Walking down the stairs, Bloody Mary grumbled.
My lord.
The on-duty member of the Silent Night Secret Society saw the returning councilman, bowing and greeting him at the same time.
Although not knowing why the councilman returned, being respectful and showing manners was the right thing to do.
Throughout the entire encounter, the member did not notice anything unusual.
Whether it was the illusion cast earlier or Bloody Marys performance, everything was wlessly disyed.
Bloody Mary was a natural spy.
In order to make itself feel better, Bloody Mary praised itself deep down in its heart before it spoke in Ludus tone.
I need you to deliver a message to irehore, tell him to deliver the message to Kurtzargert.
When the Undying and another councilman were mentioned by the one in front of him, the member of the Silent Night Secret Society tended to respond seriously, his face solemn as he received his orders.
Do you want to know Colipos secret? If you do,e here for me. Ill wait for you before sunrise, said Bloody Mary softly.
Understood, my lord. I will deliver the message right away.
The member repeated the words before Bloody Mary to make sure he did not miss out anything before going out immediately.
After the member left, Bloody Mary called upon another member and gave him a new set of orders.
Prepare some tea and pastries. Im waiting for an old friends visit.
...
Lower Fourth Ring.
This was still part of the civilian district of Edatine Castle, thoughpared to the Lower Seventh Ring, it was a lot better.
The streets were a lot cleaner, the houses werent simply built but nned out carefully ording to the streets and avenues. Those who lived in the Lower Fourth Ring were those who had umted a certain amount of wealth and were better than normal civilians.
These people were either a most trusted worker in a shop who had 3 to 5 apprentices under him but was still not yet a master himself or a corporal in the military camp.
However, there were only a few who could read and write among them.
Knowledge was precious, its applicable everywhere.
Edatine Castle was also a ce that rewarded knowledge.
As long as one could read and calcte, seeking a respectable job in the Central Third Ring wasnt a difficult task. The pay would be considered scrumptious as well, it would be enough to support an entire family living in the Lower Third and Second Ring.
COMMENT
Therefore, old Kurtzargert was quite well-known in the Lower Fourth Ring, respected as well.
He could not only read but calcte also and he had two shops under his name here.
They were iparable to the big retail shops in the Central Third Ring but they were still something people admire and adore.
Spitting a piece of nail and wiping away the blood at the corner of his mouth, old Kurtzargert walked to his bedroom slowly after having an extra supper meal.
Having supper at night was not healthy, but he was forced to do so every month to suppress the urge in his body.
However, this consumption wasnt just to suppress the restless urge, it was because of something else.
There goes another ration. I have to find two more to rece the missing one before winter ends. Thankfully, this is the Lower Ring, old Kurtzargert smiled.
As one of the councilmen of Silent Night Secret Society, he could have lived in a better ce yet he decided to settle down in the Lower Ring.
He did it because it was convenient for him to search for food.
Missing people in the Lower Ring was amon happening, no one would get to the bottom of every missing case because a lot more would flood the ce soon enough.
Of course, he was also the least suspected one because he was old Kurtzargert, the man with two shops under his name.
Lying down on his bed, old Kurtzargert shut his eyes slowly.
After his sight turned dark, the ring on his finger vibrated a bit.
Kurtzargert widened his eyes right away and showed a smile full of anticipation.
Youve finallye, eh?
Chapter 1794 - Exchange
Chapter 1794: Exchange
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kurtzargert climbed up from his bed.
He started to tidy up his things and equipmentalthough they were just items that he might useter, he was still very meticulous with the process.
A narrow, short knife and a long stinger.
Leather armor that could be concealed by his long robe perfectly and a pair of boots that had extra cowhideced outside.
As one of the councilmen of the Silent Night Secret Society, he knew his old rival, Colipo, very well.
Cunning and seeking nothing but profits.
It was a fitting description to Colipo because he would betray anything as long as there were enough profits.
Loyalty? Honor?
These righteous words had nothing to do with that person.
If Colipo had really involved himself with the Snake Sect Demon Hunters, Kurtzargert wouldnt be surprised.
As for Ludus?
Kurtzargert also knew the councilman who rooted himself in Edatine Castle and had a very strong sense of presence very well.
Vignt and arrogant.
He was very careful at everything yet took pride in his abilities. He was considered a very easy person to grasp because his ambition was widely known.
Kurtzargert was certain that as long as a chance was presented to him, Ludus would surely get himself involved in this mess.
Everything was as he expected.
Ludus couldnt hold it anymore and had agreed to hold the Council Meeting, there was even a letter from him.
Kurtzargert had no idea about what secrets Colipo held, he only knew that if he wanted to uncover Colipos secret, he would have to agree to Ludus suggestion to hold the Council Meeting.
Ludus wanted to force Colipo into the curb and Kurtzargert was happy to lend a hand.
However, there were still some details that he would have to think it over.
Therefore, Kurtzargert answered to the meeting.
...
Bringing his right-hand man, irehore, with him, Kurtzargert travelled to Upper Seven Ring, Ludus bungalow, without taking the wagon.
Wait here, said Kurtzargert.
Yes, my lord, Hoika bowed right away before walking into the shadow, hiding himself away from sight.
With the Undying watching him from the dark, Kurtzargert strode into the room.
My lord, good evening. Please follow me.
Ludus attendant had been waiting for Kurtzargerts arrival the whole evening, quickly weing the guest with a bow before guiding Kurtzargert to Ludus study room.
The door was pushed open. The rich fragrance of tea and sweetness of pastries weed the guest immediately.
Kurtzargert smiled, ncing over the pastries on the ceramic te quickly. Ludus was much more anxious than he thought.
Snow Owl Candy Houses candy and Moose Pastry Makers pastries, they do taste good. Too bad my age has caught up to me, and my teeth have failed me, I cant eat these anymore, said Kurtzargert in a casual way.
He hoped to use his casual tone to get through this certainly delightful conversation.
One thing worth taking note was that both of them shared amon goal and what they needed was to segregate the minor parts only.
He believed Ludus would surely tolerate him in this matter.
After all, Ludus came for him in the first ce, meaning he had the right and initiative to call the shots, didnt he?
Kurtzargert sharply noticed that after he revealed his casual tone, Ludus opposite him seemed to have heaved a breath of relief.
Right away, Kurtzargert further solidified his own guesses and did not think of anything else other than that.
If it wasnt his meek attitude that made Ludus feel his goodwill, then could it be because he didnt touch the pastries on the tea table, Ludus heaved a breath of relief?
1Stop joking, its impossible.
Oh really? Its a shame then. That aside, lets talk about Colipo. What do you think? I want to hear your opinion on this, Ludus went straight to the topic after the breath of relief.
I want 70%! Kurtzargert voiced out his ideal number, which he had in mind very early on.
Impossible! Its impossible! Bloody Mary shook its head, emphasizing with a heavy tone to express its firm stance.
Kurtzargert wasnt surprised at all about the resistance.
If Ludus agreed in a heartbeat to the number that he offered, Kurtzargert would have to think it over, suspecting that Ludus and Colipo had teamed up and ganged up on him.
The other thing worth taking note of was that the 70% that he asked for wouldnt just consist of Colipos wealth and properties, it also represented his power, the very core of his power!
Thetter was very important, whether to him or to Ludus, so neither of them could just give it up like that.
Therefore, the number Kurtzargert uttered was just a test, including what he was about to say.
I think its fairly appropriate for me to get 70% out of all this. Its not just because you need me to agree to hold the Council Meeting, its also because I will face Colipo myself!
Kurtzargert stated his reason behind the number and at the same time observed Ludus.
When he saw the agitated Ludus swiftly calm down after what he said, he couldnt help but smile.
Everyone knew how to y dumb. Kurtzargert knew and so did Ludus.
The agitated shout from Ludus just now was just to fight for a better gain at the end and after Kurtzargert stated his true intention, the calmness that followed was the true emotion.
Think about it. You dont have to do anything and can get 30% of the shares. What else would be better than this? Kurtzargert asked back.
Are you sure you can handle Colipo alone? Bloody Mary asked heavily.
I wouldnt have confidence if it were the others, but Colipo? I am very certain! Give me a chance to be with him alone and I will show him a graveless death, Kurtzargert said with a smile, expressing his confidence.
Bloody Mary squinted its eyes, as if it was really thinking about what Kurtzargert said carefully.
Was Colipo powerful? Undoubtedly powerful.
The icy ability he possessed was utterly strange, but at the same time, the weakness was also very pronounced.
The weakness wasnt from the icy ability, it was from Colipo himself. His mental state had a huge w. As long as one could grasp the w, anyone would be able to deliver the killing blow under one strike.
Coincidentally, a demons forte was finding the ws in peoples mental state, let alone a Superior Demon and how well it could perform.
Bloody Mary didnt just locate the w in Colipos mind, it even found and got ess to many of his memories. Kurtzargert was among the memories Bloody Mary found. Colipo viewed him as an arch nemesis, as did Kurtzargert to Colipo.
Your enemy was the one who knew you the most.
Bloody Mary believed the saying deeply, therefore Kurtzargert really thought he could deliver the fatal blow to Colipo under a single strike.
As a matter of fact, Colipo was also waiting for the chance. He too had a simr confidence to achieve what his enemy was trying to do to him.
If both of them were put together in a room, Bloody Mary had many reasons to believe both of them would die altogether.
Unfortunately, Colipo was dead, having died by Bloody Mary hands, but the good thing was that Bloody Mary knew that particr method Colipo saved up for Kurtzargert.
Although it couldnt apply the method as effectivly as Colipo would have done, it would be enough as an entry point.
Seconds turned into minutes. Kurtzargert waited patiently.
Matter of utter sess had no reason to fail in his mind.
As expected, things went smoothly and ording to n.
Half a minuteter, Ludus nodded.
If what you im is true, I can agree with the numbers but it must be you! If others intervened...
Kurtzargert understood the unfinished words right away.
Others? Dont worry. Even if those guys at Edatine Castle have any thoughts of their own, they wouldnt have the power and willpower to carry it out. As for the south... that ce is much more dangerous than expected, Kurtzargert said with a smile.
Then... deal! Bloody Mary extended its hand. Kurtzargert also extended his for a shake.
Things were being carried out smoothly after that.
The bell in Silent Night Town was rung.
The Council Meeting was officially held.
Colipo struggled to hisst stand, but it was useless!
Everything was just as Kurtzargert expected. He killed Colipo ording to n, absorbed whatever power his arch nemesis had and grew his own rapidly. His growth boosted him to the level of those Southern Councilmen.
The only unfortunate thing was that he had to split 30% of the power hed gotten, causing him to be unable to surpass the Southern Councilmen once and for all.
Though it wasnt anything severe.
He still needed Ludus as an ally to attract other peoples attention.
It wasnt time for him to consume Ludus powers year, but he would very soon.
Time flew by quickly.
Three years passed since then.
He finally achieved thest part of his n and subtly took control of the entire Silent Night Town. He even started to extend its ws to many aspects in Edatine Castle. Ludus identally died at the hands of Edatine VI.
Kurtzargert finally surpassed the Southern Councilmen after all those years of scheming.
Although Ive lost the advantages at first, the final victor will be me! Kurtzargert thought in his heart and did as such.
He then went after the Southern Councilmen. It was difficult.
Before this, he spent almost 20 years and couldnt even achieve half of what he nned.
Now, the Southern Councilmen had reacted to Kurtzargerts schemes but it was already toote.
Kurtzargert had far surpassed them. The reason why heid low and schemed in the dark was because he wanted to achieve it smoothly.
But since he was exposed, there was no need to fake it again.
A war involving the entire Southern Land broke out.
Three months after the war broke out, the entire Southern Land was set aze by the fire of war, bing a wastnd. Farms were abandoned, ports were destroyed, and bodies piled up into a bloody mountain.
And Kurtzargert finally emerged as the final victor.
All the councilmen had fallen under him, all the powers he reaped powered his body to a new height.
The only thing left was to fight those two monsters.
This war with the Gods was truly a devastating one.
Compared to this war with the Gods, the war with the Southerners was childs y.
The sky cracked, the ground copsed, the sea flooded thend.
As though a punishment from the divine, the whole world started to fall apart.
Yet, he still won! He became the supreme lord, transcending above every other living being.
The survivors, both humans and animals, were saved by his mercy; they knelt down and worshipped him as the new God.
The flood started to subside and life was bestowed to thend once more.
Cities were being built after the catastrophe and in the middle of all of them, temples worshipping him were built.
He received worship every single day from that day onwards, from sunrise to sunset.
The days of blessing extended into years and many, MANY, years passed since then.
He had long forgotten about the time.
To him, the supreme lord, time was no longer a unit of measurement.
The only thing that he could measure his existence by were the things that interested him, such as a bunch of enemies who thought so highly of themselves.
He never thought his enemies could be this cute. He carefully raised his enemies just so he could get more excitement from the fight.
Unfortunately, even the strongest among them only aroused him for less than 3 seconds.
His enemies werent weak by any means. As a matter of fact, the strongest one had reached the level of the two monstrous Gods in the past.
But so what?
He was too powerful, to the point that his power exceeded everything.
Even he himself had no idea how powerful he was.
Nothing could stop him anymore, but at the same time, everything became boring.
He then fell into slumber. He would wake up for a while from time to time but he would go back to sleep soon enough because he noticed that every time he woke up, the world changed drastically. It ushered an idea into his mind: go to sleep and wake up in a more exciting world.
He didnt mind taking a longer slumber, it would only increase his anticipation.
Even if his temples no longer exist, he didnt mind because his powers werent from temples, he had no use for the temples a long time ago.
The new world excited him more.
Looking at the iron birds that soared the sky, the iron boxes that shuttled on the widest road of Edatine Castle, the giant boat that was made out of iron, he was utterly aroused.
When he realized the mortals started to seek for worlds beyond theirs, he joined them eagerly to seek for more excitement.
He spent only days and learned what the mortals studied for their entire lives.
The newly acquired knowledge granted him many top-tier achievements. He, as a mortal, became one of the explorers of outer space and the first batch to search for worlds beyond theirs.
He reached outer space in the space shuttle, looking back at the world he once ruled.
It was too small! It was very, VERY, small.
Thankfully, he had gotten away from that blue sphere.
Then... WHAT?!
A giant figure of darkness towered over thes in space.
That pitch ck figure absorbed all the light in space; that wing on its back shrouded millions ofs. Darkness filled the figures eyes yet it stung him like the bright sun.
However, the figure didnt even budge. It stood in the middle of space with a small white flower in its hand.
Quietly, without moving a muscle.
Who?
Who is this?
I should know him!
He is...
Kurtzargert searched his memories for answers but the pain from the back of his neck ended everything.
He was still in the study room.
He saw Ludus sitting in front of him and his arms helplessly lowered down.
Good job, better than thest time, Kieranmented on Bloody Marys extensive illusions.
As the owner in the contract, Kieran was able to see Kurtzargerts growth history through Bloody Marys eyes.
Some matters that he once felt suspicious of became clear.
Of course there were still things he left out but it was enough for Kieran.
He had already gotten what he had to know. He wasnt stingy withpliments.
Praising with words wouldnt cost him a penny, so praise away!
More importantly, Kurtzargert brought him actual spoils.
Kieran looked at the long, narrow short knife, the long stinger, the leather armor, and the pair of boots.
The golden radiance from the items rose and shone under Kierans stare.
Chapter 1795 - Counterattack
Chapter 1795: Counterattack
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The importance of equipment and items to a yer was self-exnatory.
Some yers, who chose the extreme paths, had equipment that would upy half of their total strength or more.
Kieran wasnt an extreme yer.
His vignt personality had decided his path to a more well-rounded build.
Given that he could expand his powers in all directions, Kieran wouldnt mind at all but it didnt mean he would give up on equipment and items.
You never knew what you woulde across in a dungeon world.
When in crisis, equipment would be a timely assistance; when flourishing, it would be icing on the cake.
This was Kierans understanding towards equipment. Since the abrupt start of thest dungeon world then extended to this one, Kieran temporarily lost all of his original equipment. He got some earnings during thest dungeon world through great efforts but only a few.
Among them, [Box of Trickery], as its remark suggested, was merely a toy.
[Hound Ring] was a decent Legendary rank item. Regardless of casual or critical timing, it could be effective either way.
[Twine Stinger], an item that could be used offensively and defensively, was an indispensable item for his current state.
Simr to [Twine Stinger], [Sight of Light] and [Ghost Skin], the two items from the three kings secret treasure vault, were his very important items.
As for [Question Staff] and [Dark Shining Musket], the items matched his identity as Snake Sect Demon Hunter.
[Lord of Mist]? This dazzling crystal was Kierans most important gain in this dungeon, he strongly believed in that.
The listed equipment was all Kieran had at the moment.
He was still very far away from his prime, where he would have armed himself to the teeth.
Therefore, when 4 Legendary rank items dropped from Kurtzargert at the same time, Kieran was overjoyed.
He picked up the narrow, short knife and long stinger.
[Name: Winkerton Short Fang]
[Type: Weapon]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Attack: Powerful]
[Attribute: 1. Silent Strike; 2. Night Cover; 3. Enve Soul]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: Constitution A+]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: Winkerton is a monster found in the south only at night. It can silently sneak up to its prey and use its fangs to worry its preys neck. It also has the ability to control the soul of the prey it hunted.]
...
[Silent: Strike: Enable the wielder to wield Winkerton Short Fang silently]
[Night Cover: During the night or in shadow, Undercover +1]
[Enve Soul: When Short Fang and Long Fang is dual-wielded, this effect is activated: the soul of the prey will serve the wielder even after death (depending on how strong the prey is before death, it wille back as a ghost, spectre or a demon to help. Automatically dissipates whene in contact with sunlight)]
...
[Name: Winkerton Long Fang]
[Type: Weapon]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Attack: Average]
[Defense: Extreme]
[Attribute: 1. Block; 2. Long Fang Guard; 3; Soul Guard]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: Constitution A+]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: Winkerton is an excellent hunter and possesses outstandingbat capabilities. It is not afraid of a sudden encounter for its long fang would protect it.]
...
[Block: When blocking using the Long Fang, Blocking skill +1, 3 times per day]
[Long Fang Guard: After a wless block, grant the wielder a Powerful rank shield barrier,st 5 seconds]
[Soul Guard: Control the enved souls to charge the shield barrier (the time is prolonged depending on the quality of souls offered)]
...
Kieran looked at the short knife and stinger in his hands in surprise.
He never thought these two weapons were a set and the attributes were remarkably strong. The offensive and defensive capabilitiespensated each others shorings.
As long as this pair of des were put into good use, their true power would surely shine.
Skipping the generosity, Kiean hung the two des at his waist.
He then looked at the leather armor and boots.
[Name: Govorson Remnant]
[Type: Leather Armor]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Defense: Extreme]
[Attribute: 1. Govorsons Cunning; 2. Govorsons Cruelty]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: Consume a grown man whole (including organs)]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: Govorson was a pagan that lurks outside Edatine Castle before the ck Cataclysm. Back then, pagans were umon and would stray away from crowded human gathering ces. Govorson was different though, it was cunning and cruel, it hunted humans non-stop until it ignorantly massacred a group of Silent Night Secret Society convoy...]
...
[Govorsons Cunning: Each sessful dodge of enemys attack will increase Strength and Agility by 1, able to stack up 3 times.]
[Govorsons Cruelty: Each sessful kill of an enemy and smeared its blood on the leather armor, grand the next attack a +1 attack buff (cannot exceed rank II)]
...
[Name: Great Thief Boots]
[Type: Boots]
[Rarity: Legendary]
[Defense: Powerful]
[Attribute: 1. Mute; 2. Conceal]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: This pair of boots were once the favourite of a notorious thief. After that thief had his eyes on the garage of Silent Night Secret Society, the owner of these boots switched.
...
[Mute: When you stand or stroll, mute all possible noise; when you walk at normal speed, reduce the noise produced by 50%; when you stride, reduce the noise produced by 20%; when you sprint, unable to reduce noise produced (it can only mute your own noise, does not include backpack and other items)]
[Conceal: Standing or walking in shadow grants Undercover +1]
...
Kieran simply nced over [Great Thief Boots] for his attention was captivated by [Govorsons Remnant].
After reading a part of Kurtzargerts memories, Kieran had a better understanding of these remnants.
After a pagan died, a part of it would be left behind and these items, or remnants, had special powers to them, simr to an equipment that a yer acquired from drops.
The difference was that the requisite to use these remnants were too stringent and many, one had to satisfy a particr or multiple conditions before using. The stronger the remnant, the more requisites it had, like [Govorsons Remnant]!
Judging it from an objective perspective, it was a very powerful item, but the requisite was something Kieran couldnt ept.
He liked to eat, but humans were definitely not on his menu.
Though the leather armor [Govorsons Remnant] looked rather tasty itself.
Noises of saliva gulping came from Gluttony from Kiearns heart.
B-B-Brother, Gluttony stuttered.
The stutter wasnt a w in his character, neither was it fear towards Kieran, it was because he was gulping his saliva while speaking, hence the weird voice.
Kieran knew why Gluttony was calling him for, so he nodded.
Right away, the energy from Cardinal Sins Force appeared in his hand and enveloped the leather armor whole.
As though a catastrophic fate had befallen it, a faint image of a figure appeared floated above [Govorsons Remnant], wailing fiercely.
The figure looked like a tiger with the head of a monkey. With each wail from its mouth, its sharp fangs were shown.
They were vicious and scary. Any normal man who saw those fangs would surely go limp on the ground.
However, there were no normal men in the room.
Kieran, a yer who had been tempered by countless dungeon runs. Coupled with his powerful Spirit attribute, it allowed him to maintain a clear mind around anything.
Bloody Mary the Superior Demon, relying on its undying trait and ability to transform into anyone. Coupled with its award-worthy level acting, even if the sky cracked open, it wouldnt surprise Bloody Mary at all.
Gluttony?
Hmm...
In his mind, all that mattered were the things his brother allowed him to eat, plus the things he wasnt allowed to eat.
Things that he was allowed to eat, tasty.
Things that he was not allowed to eat, not tasty.
In ordance with the simple ideal in its mind, Gluttony widened his mouth at Govorsons image and ate it.
The substantial energy that Gluttony had gotten from consuming Govorson was converted into nutrients for the 5 Origin Forces and acted as fuel to burn away the darkness and chaos deep in Kierans soul.
A certain portion of the energy was absorbed by the [Lord of Mist] in ordance with the special trait of the dungeon world.
Soon, new changes urred in [Lord of Mist], but Kieran didnt go through it at the very first moment.
He was savouring the chocte taste on his tongue.
The rich cocoa vour coupled with sugar and cream was delicious.
Right after Gluttony ate Govorsons image, the chocte taste spread on his tongue and itsted for half a minute before it started to fade.
Not too shabby, Kieranmented with a smile.
Kieran then turned to Bloody Mary with a new order, Use your three acquired identities to gather more fo-...I mean remnants.
Yes, boss. What do I need to pay attention to in the uing step? asked Bloody Mary after a nod.
Nothing. Just believe in yourself, you are the best actor on the stage, Kieran said surely.
Who else had the ability to transform into anyone and skillfully imitate its target?
Other than Bloody Mary, Kieran couldnt think of anyone.
Kieran walked to the study table and sat down.
He nced over the changes on [Lord of Mist]. The basic attributes didnt change, only [Blessing] and [Deceive Contract] had something more.
[Bless: Within Land of Sicar and Edatine Castle, when your believers pray to you, you can consume stamina to bless them with the Blessing of Mist (Blessing of Mist: provide resistance against poison, ice, acid) wherever mist is visible, or provide a blessing to your teammates municate with flora and fauna in a short period of time); you can also bless them with Blessing of Ironwall Bloodthirsty (depends on how devoted the believer is during the short period of time), the blessed will be enhanced with 105% Strength, damage received decreased 60%, able to absorb the blood of enemy to replenish own life. Able to grant Blessing of Conceal (depends on how devoted the believer is, Undercover level will be increased by 1 to 2 levels.]
[Deceive Contract: Youve been treated as the God of Mist, you can use the Lord of Mist to ept a great amount of worship from the worshippers and then give them some rewards (rewards are not limited to actual items. When you choose an actual item, you can +1 to a defensive attribute permanently, requires a great amount of stamina)]
...
In the [Blessing] attribute, Blessing of Bloodthirsty became Blessing of Ironwall Bloodthirsty, Strength buff blessed to the target increased from 100% to 105%, damage received reduction also increased from 50% to 60%.
It may only be a 5% and 10% increase for this time but Kieran would never underestimate the percentage increment.
He knew if his base stats were high enough, the percentage increase would be a powerful, probably scary, enhancement.
However, if he woulde across a powerful believer, his stamina consumption would be drained drastically.
I have to be careful with my choice, Kieran told himself.
Then, he shifted his attention to [Deceive Contract]. It was a much easier read.
Having a huge amount of stamina consumption as a requisite, it was sufficient for Kieran to understand the message in it.
As for blessing a defensive level of 1 to an actual reward?
It was just to exchange for more gains and rewards.
Where would the rewards be without incentives?
Winning big with the least amount of effort, Kieran understood such a method well enough.
Maybe I can give it a try.
Thoughts formed in Kierans mind after some careful thoughts.
COMMENT
While he was at it, the first light shone from the horizon.
The sun rose up as usual and breakfast was a must.
Although the tea was cold, the food on the table was tasty enough; likewise dawn at the moment, it wasnt the warmest but was morefortable as it represented the start of a day.
Think about it. Sleeping through the night and waking up in the morning, bathing yourself under the soothing light of dawn with a bowl of soya milk in your hand and two fried dough in the other, coupled with some pickled vegetables.
Comfortable.
Of course, swapping anyone of them out for mutton soup and fried biscuits, or douhua and wanton, was also a viable option,
The important thing was the feeling.
Kieran quietly savoured the feeling.
Bloody Mary had left quietly, knowing its boss didnt like to be interrupted during a meal. More so, it had matters to attend to.
COMMENT
Walking down the stairs with Ludus face, it told the attendants Do not go up and disturb the V.I.P.
The attendants nodded one after another.
They knew who the important figure upstairs was: Kurtzargert, a councilman simr to the lord they served.
Bloody Mary walked out of the building, shuttled through the streets of Central Third Ring, and transformed into Kurtzargerts face after it went through a shadowy alley.
Using Kurtzargerts face, Bloody Mary easily got ess to the Lower Fourth Ring, the shop that once belonged to thete councilman.
The workers at the shops were obviously members of Silent Night Secret Society.
They bowed en masse after they saw Kurtzargert.
Bloody Mary replied to the workers using Kurtzargerts tone and temperament before it returned to the councilmans bedroom.
Inside the bedroom was a letter whose contents stated that Kurtzargert had agreed to hold the Council Meeting.
A member of Silent Night Secret Society in the shop was tasked to bringing the letter to Silent Night Town. After the member left with his assignment, Bloody Mary started to summon its own army.
A whileter, irehore the Undying walked in.
The Undying was in utter shock when he saw Kurtzargert inside the room.
He had just received a message from his teacher, telling him toe to Kurtzargerts shop.
Although heavily doubtful about the validity, Hoika still came because of the trust he had in his teacher.
However, when he did not see his teacher and instead saw Kurtzargert, Hoika raised his guard to the peak.
Did something happen to the teacher?
As the thought came into his mind, killer intents filled Hoikas eyes.
To Hoika, Bloody Mary was his teacher in life, the light in the darkness and where his beliefsid.
Had someone harmed Bloody Mary, he would get to the bottom of it even if it kills him.
Looking at Hoikas reaction, Bloody Mary waved its hand with a chuckle.
Rx, its me, Hoika, Bloody Mary changed its look to Simon from the Mist religious sect.
Teacher!
Hoika looked at Bloody Mary in surprise.
A momentter, Bloody Mary transformed back to Kurtzargert and said, I have agreed to hold the Council Meeting. I want someone to ring the bell during midnight. irehore, are you willing to bear this responsibility?
It will be my pleasure.
Hoika reacted quickly and bowed.
Deep down in his heart, he was utterly aroused and excited.
We Snake Sect are finally making aeback!
Chapter 1796 - Hostile Intent
Chapter 1796: Hostile Intent
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The sun rose as usual.
Edatine Castle was blessed with liveliness once more on a new day, as though the chaosst night was just a nightmare and was melted away by the warmth from the sun.
The merchants opened shops at Central Third Ring.
The soldiers went on patrol duties.
The civilians went to work as usual.
Other than the sealed up slum area of the Lower Seventh Ring, it was no different than other days.
Marquis Horton stood in front of the entrance of the sealed slum area. He was listening to the temporary person in charge of the sealed area talk about what happened. Although the person in charge was young, the old marquis dared not treat her poorly because he knew who the young girl represented.
It was not just the Mist, there was also the Snake Sect Demon Hunter.
Especially thetter, the elusive organization had be a part of Edatine VIs n.
The old marquis couldnt allow anything to go wrong.
We will listen to our lords arrangement and head to the temporary shelter. Before that, we would need some food and water, plus some tents, Erin stated her own request in a steady tone and tried her best to pronounce every word clearly.
She forced herself to remain calm in front of a marquis. In her heart, she was repeating the Mists name.
It seemed like the words in her heart worked, at least Sivalka, who hid in the crowd, heaved a breath of relief.
He could tell the old marquis did note bearing ill intentions. As long as Erin remained calm and nothing went wrong, they could easily acquire the food, water, and tents they sought after badly, especially thetter!
Winter in the Northern Lands was no joke! It was really scary!
Without food and water, one could survive for days, miraculously a week; without a tent to defend against the cold, a single night could take ones life.
Very well. The food, water, and tents will be delivered here in the afternoon. I give you my word. Please send my regards to that lord, The old marquis showed a kind smile.
Erin nodded a tad.
Thank you for everything that youve done for us.
After thanking the old marquis, the little girl went back to the crowd and delivered the good news to those who waited.
Cheers sounded.
Thank you Mist, thank you my lord!
Thank you Mist, thank you my lord!
Thank you Mist, thank you my lord!
...
The grateful cheers sounded one after another continuously.
The old marquis watched with a smile but right after he turned away, the smile on his face disappeared.
He had predicted things would unfold like this, he was prepared to handle a situation like the one that happened before his eyes.
However, seeing with his own eyes only allowed him to understand how much that one had influenced the civilians. It had surpassed his wildest expectations.
All of you seem to have forgotten that a king is the most important figure in a country! The others... are just appendages! Theyre minor! Including... the Gods!
Seeing the scene with his own eyes, the old marquis thoughts were further strengthened.
The authority of God transcended above the authority of the king, since when did that happen?
After the first king was assassinated?
Or after the revolution the second invoked?
The old marquis had no idea, but he knew the first king was a great king with unparalleled wisdom; the second king brought the city to its prime, blessing it with utmost prosperity.
A great and wise leader was the countrys everything, not a God that fought day and night.
Another greedy, wild jackal appeared in Edatine Castle! Lets hope you are not blinded by your greed andmit some sorry atrocities. Otherwise you will taste regret! uttered the old marquis in his heart before he strode to the city gate.
There, a squad of royal court guardians were waiting for him.
After the old marquis returned to the group, they travelled through the passage of the city gate and reached the outside of the city before they got on their horses.
The old marquis was gazing at a faraway spot when he saw a group of men appear at the horizon. When the g the group was waving came into the marquis sight, a trace of a smile appeared on his face.
It wasnt feigned, it came from the bottom of his heart.
The g had a sword icon on it.
Throughout Edatine, everyone knew the icon of a sword represented the viscount in Sicar, it was his family emblem.
The difference in the g that the marquis saw was that it did not have the old icon, which was a bloody ming sword; this g had only a sharp sword.
The bloody ming sword was a symbol of War God Temple and it had always been the family emblem of the viscounts family. It was widely known since thatte viscount was a devoted God of War believer.
Now though?
The old marquisughed.
Lets go wee the new lord of Sicar! said the old marquis before shaking the reins on his horse.
The royal court guardians followed tightly.
Further away, the group from Sicar spotted the weing royal court guardians of Edatine yet they didnt stop. They followed orders from their own lord and rode on.
Sitting inside the biggest wagon, Erin Sicar was a little nervous.
Thest time she was at Edatine Castle was with herte brother to attend the kings ball.
It has been 10 years since herst visit.
Back then, her old butler and brother took care of everything for her, all she did was sit there quietly and be ady. The old butler had passed away a while ago and her brother had died recently.
Fortunately, Simon was with her.
Intuitively, Erin Sicar held Simons hand. She soughtfort.
Bloody Mary clearly sensed her thoughts.
Dont worry, I am here, said Bloody Mary confidently.
It followed its boss order andpleted all the arrangements that led to this meeting.
Both the Mist and Snake Sect had beenpleted. The only thing waiting in the line was the convoy from Sicar, or more precisely... Edatine VI!
Its boss had confirmed that that king bore ill intentions.
As a matter of fact, they had Kurtzargert to thank for this. The memories he provided helped a great deal and made a lot of things smoother.
At least it filled in a lot of the nks for them, allowing them to have a clearer insight on what to do next.
Do I have to do something?
Hearing thefort from Bloody Mary, the baroness heaved a breath of relief, but she hoped to get more guidance, as though it could further calm her.
Just be yourself, like you always have. Answer if you can answer, and if you cant, leave it to me, said Bloody Mary.
I understand, the baroness nodded.
Then the convoy stopped.
Rogarts powerful and rough voice sounded, My lord, mydy, the weing emissary is here.
I understand.
Bloody Mary gave an eye signal to the baroness before it pushed the door open to get down.
At the same time, the old marquis also skillfully came down from his horse.
Both were 10 meters apart and were sizing up each other upon entering the others sight.
A normal looking face but the eyes are kind. Emissary of God? I guess all these have trickery involved. I hope you can maintain your countenanceter on.
The thoughts ran wild in the old marquis head as he sized up Bloody Marys look.
Bloody Mary was much more direct. [Demon Instinct] allowed it to acquire more information from the marquis than him from it.
Calm but has a sense of malicious intent and taking pleasure at the unfortunate? Are you trying to get a front seat to watch the Mist and God of War fight? I guess you will be disappointed soon.
Bloody Mary had a rough idea on the current state of God of War and Lady Cmity, chuckling coldly deep inside itself. Its face was as kind as always with that signature smile, it didnt even change after being sized up by the marquis.
Greetings, Marquis Horton, Bloody Mary bowed.
It bowed not with the etiquette of the northern nobles, but the etiquette of the Mist religious sect.
It put both its hands together in front of its face, five fingers fanned out at one hand and only two fingers at the other, showing the number 7 before bowing slightly.
Greetings, Emissary Simon.
After a set of meticulous northern noble etiquetteter, the old marquis straightened himself from the bow.
Neither Bloody Mary nor the old marquis asked the stupid question about how did the opposite heard of their respective identity.
Both of them also decided to overlook the fact that Edatine VI once sent a group of royal court guardians to Sicar.
They exchanged a smile before conversing like standard operating procedure.
Wheres the baroness? asked the old marquis.
The new lord of Sicar is in the carriage. Traveling continuously has exhausted her. The windy weather from yesterday night even have given her a cold, so she is currently in no condition for meetings, said Bloody Mary with its kind smile.
Is that so? What a pity. The royal court has many great doctors, do you want me to make the necessary arrangements? asked the old marquis.
We would be utmost grateful for that, replied Bloody Mary.
Then what are we waiting for?
After Bloody Mary nodded, he got back on his horse and Bloody Mary returned to the wagon.
When both of them were out of each others line of sight, they despised each other in their hearts.
The old marquis knew everything that happened in Sicar. He hoped to rope in Sicar as the kings ally but unfortunately, through that little test just now, it clearly stated that the new lord of Sicar wouldnt lean towards Edatine VI.
The new lord was nothing different from those orthodox parties, all they cared about were their dukeship and turfs.
They had never tried to view things from a higher vantage point.
What a pity, the old marquis sighed.
Bloody Mary also sighed, That Edatine VI is much more ambitious and eager than expected.
Bloody Mary exined it to the confused baroness after getting a questioning gaze.
The new decree is just the beginning. The new nobles are nothing but subjects to test the water sent out by the king. Once sessful, he will then snatch all thend for himself and put them under his control.
How could it be? The decree from Edatine II isnt something that Edatine VI can simply change! the baroness said out of surprise.
It cant be changed but... without an heir, it would automatically be his eventually, Bloody Mary reminded the baroness.
You are saying... the southern inds? The smart baroness immediately understood what Bloody Mary was referring to.
Edatine VI plotting against the southern inds was not a secret to many.
Anyone who followed the countrys updates would know that after the south got suppressed, the southern inds were the kings next tactical target.
A war could break out any moment but Edatine did not fall into a miserable atmosphere. Quite the opposite, the whole of Edatine was excited.
Both the new nobles and the orthodox party felt as such because opening newnds was the most anticipated event for every single noble. It was also the fastest way to rise through the ranks.
As for failure? No one would even think about it.
Compared to the entire Northern Lands, the southern inds were insignificantly small.
Although there were numerous inds in the south, there were only some natives living on the inds and pirates lurked in the waters. They were no match for the regr army of Edatine.
Therefore, all nobles were eager for a test.
But, what if the war ended up in failure?
Or worse, a great amount of nobles lost their lives to the war?
With that question in mind, the baroness shuddered out of fear.
She could already picture how the dead nobles without an heir would get patronized as heroes; those nobles who survived or had an heir would be used as guilty!
The guilty ones responsible for the failure of this war!
The crimes of the guilty were all made up on the spot: missing the tactical advantage, snatching military merits, framing colleagues, etc.
Hu, hu, hu!
The baroness breath sharpened.
She shook her head, hoping to discard those images out of her mind. She knew if everything were as she expected, Sicar would be a thorn in the kings flesh. What followed would be Sicar being on the bad side of the king.
If the king had the thought of preserving peace at home and repelling foreign threats, Sicar would be greeted by a heavy blow right away.
It wasnt a difficult thing to achieve.
The simplest and quickest way would be to kill her and then her son.
Sicar, without an heir, would eventually fall under Edatine VIs control.
The baroness countenance went through many ups and downs, intuitively grabbing Simons hand tightly.
She was thinking about how she could change her situation, so that she could protect herself, and at the same time, thend of Sicar.
If she failed to find a way... using thend to trade for her safety would also be viable.
A naturally smart woman, the baroness wasnt a stubborn person. She understood what the important things were.
Otherwise she wouldnt have prepped herself toe to Edatine Castle shortly after her brother was killed. Back then, she really had thought of using Sicar to exchange for her safety.
Feeling the extreme thoughts in the baroness mind, Bloody Mary couldnt help but put its hand on hers.
I told you before. Things are not as bad as you think. Its even... good to us from a certain perspective. Dont forget who you are! You are a noble and a believer of the Mist, Bloody Mary reminded the baroness.
Our lord will help us? asked the baroness.
Of course. As a matter of fact, he is already working on it, said Bloody Mary.
It then whispered to the baroness, informing her about its boss getting a piece ofnd and Demon Hunters being stationed there for guarding duties.
The baroness eyes gleamed strongly.
She read about how strong the Demon Hunters were through some books in her collection.
If there were more Demon Hunters here to aid her, even the king couldnt do anything about it, hence rendering the kings methods useless. The king would then have to resort to using other secretive means.
A smile hung over the baroness face after hearing what Bloody Mary said. Bloody Mary subtly pulled out its hand and wiped it against its back.
It still couldnt get used to it. It was a strange feeling, albeit a demon had no gender.
However, its memories originated from Mary, its past life.
The memories made it very uneasy. If it wasnt for its boss, it would have cut the baroness once and for all with its hand de.
Uncontrobly, Bloody Mary sighed. It knew the obstacle that it had just ovee was just the first of many.
The second and third would be on their way soon and would be much more difficult than the first one.
It wouldnt be something that it could ovee with some bullsh*t.
Hope it wont hurt too much, Bloody Mary prayed in its heart.
Another group appeared at the city gate of Edatine.
They bore a remarkable manner and were aroused with battle intentions.
They wore the attire of War God Temple.
They were looking at the convoying in their direction with hostile intent.
Chapter 1797 - Bishop Simon Is On Stage!
Chapter 1797: Bishop Simon Is On Stage!
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Riding on his horse, old Marquis Horton saw the guardian squad of War God Temple further away, a smile hanging on his face. Everything was as expected.
Against an outsider, Lady Cmity might turn a blind eye as long as the outsider didnt mess with her own benefits, but the God of War who was known for his hot-blooded attitude and would react differently.
He would surely make a move, even if he was confronting Lady Cmity.
Looking at that group of guardian squad, which obviously consisted of the elites of War God Temple, the old marquis couldnt help but sigh.
He suddenly thought of their allies.
Other than the royal court guardians, there were no other troops that could reach such a level.
As for the soldiers in the military camp situated inside Edatine Castle?
Even the strongest one among them would never be a match for the elite warrior from War God Temple, he might not even withstand a single blow.
Those soldiers were once civilians, so many things were determined before they even became a soldier.
No meant no!
No matter how hard the soldiers worked or fought, it was impossible!
On the contrary, the private militia of the nobles had some potential to rival the temple guardian squad.
However, other than resorting to some strange methods to create more soldiers, those private militias could barely match the elite warriors.
It was good news though. At least it would be easier to deal with the nobles and their private militia in the future.
For example...
Unconsciously, the old marquis turned back and nced over the convoy.
I originally thought you could be on our side, but unfortunately, all of you have chosen the wrong path.
Muttering deep in his heart, the old marquis subtly signaled to the royal court guardians around him. The guardian riders who were escorting the Sicar convoy quickly changed into a march, which was performed subtly, but things had turned out differently.
With the royal court guardians out of the way, the elite warriors from War God Temple could go after the Sicar convoy directly. They wouldnt need to go around the royal court guardians anymore.
Rogart, as big as a bear, drove the wagon carrying the lord emissary and the baroness.
The young man saw the subtle formation change in the riders, a sense of coldness shing over his eyes coupled with a very subtle grin.
There was no need to be afraid of an expected matter.
When they departed from Sicar, they already knew what they would have to face sooner orter.
Quite the opposite, the temperament of that prestiged noble earlier struck a sense of falsity in the young mans heart.
Thete Viscount Sicar might be a noble but he was much more straightforward. The rules he set were abided by himself too, there would never be any exception.
However, the prestiged noble that weed them earlier reeked of falsity from inside to outside.
It wasnt the first time the young man met a noble with such falsity.
As a matter of fact, most of the nobles he met were the same as the prestiged noble.
Speak of one thing but do another.
The nature of the behaviour was nothing but endless enjoyment of a prestiged position.
Anything that came out of their mouths or any actions they took were just something for them to climb higher and faster.
Stopping? Impossible.
Greed was a bottomless abyss.
When you gazed into the abyss, the abyss gazed back at you.
The scarier thing was, other than the abyss itself, there were many more unknown existences watching you as well.
The young man hoped that he wouldnt be that guy.
Therefore, while he was saying the Mists name in his heart, he knocked a bit on the carriage behind him.
The knock was soft but the young Rogart was certain the lord emissary could hear it.
As for the rest, leave it to the lord emissary!
If a fight broke out, Rogart would charge heads on; if a negotiation happened, the brothers and sisters behind the convoy would be a much better candidate than him.
Now all he had to do was prepare himself quietly.
The change in his mind changed his presence slightly too.
A moment ago, Rogart felt like a giant,zy bear but now he became a grizzly bear, ready to throw himself at the target, wing his enemies away.
The change of presence caught the old marquis attention, but he quickly shook his head.
Thend of Sicar was considerably huge, producing a slightly stronger young man wasnt some inconceivable thing to happen. Quite the opposite, if there wasnt any powerful youth from Sicar, it would be strange.
Too bad, one person cant change anything, the old marquis was utterly sure with his thought.
The convoy moved closer to the city gate and ultimately stopped.
The convoy from Sicar faced directly against the elite warriors from War God Temple.
The royal court guardians had stepped away. The civilians and merchants that hoped to go into the city also kept their distance. Some prestiged nobles popped their heads over the city walls, looking down at the bunch.
All of them had cruel anticipation on their faces.
They hoped for blood to shed, they hoped for bodies to scatter, they hoped to see a bloody dancefloor, after all... they were not the one on the chopping board, right?
Inside the carriage, the baroness intuitively prayed to the Mist.
She had no idea what to do in times like this to help Simon, so all she could do was pray.
Bloody Mary smiled, nodded, and then pushed the door open to get out.
He showed a warm smile at the other brothers and sisters in the convoy who travelled with it.
It then took the first step forward and slowly walked to the ground of elite temple warriors.
Humans are the most conflicted beings. They are weak but strong at the same time; they are valiant but they ughter; they are merciful yet ruthless. They showpassion but are selfish. They are respected by others but always helpless and alone; they have good in them but the bad is also obvious. But so what? They are human, its their nature to be as such. They need to grow into a better self and my lord is willing to burden all this, witnessing their growth. Bishop Simon of Mist, sending my regards to everyone from War God Temple.
Bloody Mary put its hands together in front with one hand fanned out and two fingers put up on the other, forming a number 7 before bowing slightly.
The number had its meaning. It never forgot its boss pseudonym: 2567.
This salutation that it created bore the meaning of its boss pseudonym.
As for the number 6, it represented everyone who bowed and saluted.
The number 6 had the meaning of blessing.
This little trivial knowledge was from its boss, it had always been in awe about a simple number holding that much meaning.
The meaning that left an impression in its mind was smooth progress.
Number 6 represented the blessing of smooth progress. It was hard for it to understand and thankfully it had no need to understand, all it needed to do was bear them in mind.
Now Bloody Mary felt very 6, it ought to tell others to call it 666ter as it was going to start performing.
Bishop Simon of Mist debut stage.
It wanted this moment to be carved into history and remembered for generations toe.
Therefore, when the silent elite temple warrior drew his sword, Bloody Mary kept smiling and did not show a bit of fear, neither would it step back.
Quite the contrary, it stepped up.
Killing cannot solve every problem, said Bloody Mary.
Its voice was kind and soft but strong enough to be heard clearly by the others around it.
The temple warrior nced over to his captain and after he got the permission, the temple warrior plunged the sword into Bloody Marys chest.
Puk!
The de was sharp. It cut flesh and bones like butter.
The whole sword went in deep, only the hilt was left outside.
At Bloody Marys back, blood spewed and sshed all over the ground.
The civilians and merchants who were looking at the scene all screamed in shock.
The nobles at the top of the city walls showed a grin.
It started so fast?
Great!
This would be the first one! They would be next!
The nobles on the city walls nced over the convoy from Sicar, they were anticipating a bloody river to flow shortly after.
Although the thoughts were shared between the nobles and the old marquis, the old marquis slightly frowned instead. He stared at Bloody Mary, or more precisely, the smile on Bloody Marys face.
That kind of smile would never appear on a man who was dying.
At the next moment, the old marquis saw Bloody Mary grab the temple warriors hand and pull the sword out of its chest. The furrowed brows on his aged face locked together tighter than before.
Undying ability? Or something simr?
As the highest rank in Edatine, second only to the king, the old marquis had been witness to many, MANY, mystical techniques.
Some were born with it, some were cultivated, and some were gotten through unholy means.
Regardless of which, none of them could perform their abilities as easily as Bloody Mary did.
Even the rumoured Hazy Shadow Shifting Moon of Silent Night Secret Society, which was crowned as the hardest technique to cultivate, could hardly be performed with such ease.
Hazy Shadow Shifting moon required time to be casted.
Could there be other kinds of techniques involved? The old marquis wondered, like the wise young temple warrior who just stabbed Bloody Mary.
As an elite warrior from War God Temple, the young warrior had acquired the title of deacon at a young age. He was able to carry out elimination missions along during normal times, the boldness and courage allowed him to recover from his initial surprise and calm down swiftly.
The young warrior chuckled coldly when Bloody Mary returned the sword to him by holding his hand.
This kind of method was met more than once during his pagan elimination missions.
He could not afford to panic!
He must stay calm and hold it together!
Panic would only cost him his calm judgment and the fear that followed would be the worst as it would blunt his sword and dy his thoughts and movements.
Therefore, right after Bloody Mary left go of his hand, the young warrior swung it around.
Puk!
It wasnt a forward stab this time, it was a sh!
The quick sh decapitated Bloody Mary. The head fell to the ground, followed by the body.
Hu!
The young warrior heaved a breath of relief.
He had seen undead monsters, so he knew the monsters weaknesses.
The head was the most direct and obvious one. If he could decapitate the monster, any kind of undead would fall under his sword.
No exceptions!
He swung the sword to shake the bloody away. The young warrior ought to sheath his sword but right when he turned his sword around, the headless body recovered immediately and stood up like a normal person.
Its body was painted brown by the blood and dirt but the smile on his face was still warm.
The crowd in the surroundings instantly went wild.
Whether it was the civilians and merchants or the nobles on top of the city walls, every single one of them widened their eyes in utmost astonishment at the jaw-dropping scene.
Their widened mouths were bbering nonsense.
If the first stab missed its target, they still could ept it as a mistake from the warrior but the second sh decapitated the bishop. The dead person, with the head cut off, stood up again, alive and kicking. The scene was hard for them to ept andprehend.
Some civilians were terribly shocked and kneaded on the ground.
The merchants called their bodyguards forward and hid behind them.
The nobles exchanged looks before shifting their astonished gazes to the young warrior who backed away after being frightened.
As though he noticed the eyes from his surroundings, the horror on the young warriors face swiftly changed into shame, regretting severely that he backed away, especially under this many pairs of eyes.
It was shameful!
The young warriors breathing sharpened.
He twisted his wrist and performed another sh with his sword again.
Bloody Mary was once again decapitated.
This time, the young warrior did not stop after decapitating Bloody Mary, he swung his sword in a flurry at the flying head before he switched his target at the fallen, headless body.
A whileter, Bloody Marys body was sliced and diced into a pile of bloody meat.
Huhaa, huhaa.
Continuous rapid shes were a little too much for the young warrior to handle despite the fact that he had trained for a long time. He panted heavily and loudly.
Everyone who watched the scene looked pale as paper.
Some of them even started to retch.
On the opposite, the nobles on the city walls became excited.
Their faces flushed and breaths sharpened, their hands and legs shuddered as though they were about to dance.
But right away, they were frozen like ducks seized by the neck, the excitement in their bodies dissipating, reced by horror.
A white warm light shone, and from it, Bloody Mary reappeared.
It didnt just reappear, it came back refreshed.
The bloody stains on its body were all cleaned up.
Its long, slightly holistic robe bathed in the white light and the warm countenance on his face would arouse admiration from peoples hearts.
Most of the civilians and merchants felt admiration, yet it did not include the young warrior who panted like a cow.
It looked at Bloody Mary in a dull state, more precisely at Bloody Marys warm looks.
The warm looks on its face never changed from start to end.
The gaze, the smile, it remained warm, even for the young warrior who sliced and diced its body to smithereens, as if it was looking at its family or brothers and sisters.
Are you fine? asked Bloody Mary softly.
The question struck the young warriors heart like a bolt of thunder.
His chest copsed and expanded rapidly, his eyes showing confusion, at a loss for thoughts.
Is this man the enemy? He is, but why does he treat me like his own family, even after I killed him over and over again? Is a kind person like him still the enemy?
Confused thoughts popped up in the young warriors heart.
GINO! A loud shout entered his ears.
The young warrior turned to the source of the shout, seeing his captain, the leader of this mission.
The middle-aged man was utterly strict during normal times and he was extra serious in times like this. His face looked like a sturdy rigid rock.
PULL YOUR SWORD! shouted the captain at the young warrior.
Captain...
PULL YOUR SWORD!
The young warrior intuitively wanted to say something but he was interrupted by the captain before he could do so.
The young man was at an utter loss. He had no idea what to do.
Then, Bloody Mary walked up to the young warrior. It lifted its hands and reached out to the young warrior, guiding his hand to his sword and... the sword swept over Bloody Marys neck.
Puk!
Its head fell on the ground again.
The young warriors hands turned limp right away, followed by the headless body falling down to the ground.
The young warrior was utterly stunned. He looked at the body in front of his eyes and his weak hands holding the sword shuddered uncontrobly.
Dang.
The sword fell out of his hands.
Chapter 1798 - Confrontation
Chapter 1798: Confrontation
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The quick clunk of a sword dropping on the ground echoed like an iron bell throughout Edatine Castle city gate.
Everyone was utterly stupefied as they stared at Bloody Marys body.
W-What is this? Is he killing himself? But why? Is it because he doesnt want to put that young warrior in a difficult spot? I-Its impossible! They are enemies! Why would he be so considerate of his enemy? Impossible! IMPOSSIBLE!
Messy thoughts gushed into everyones mind like the rising tide. Whether it was shock, fear, or disbelief, their gazes were glued to the body on the ground, including the young warriors captain.
As a matter of fact, the captain was utterly astonished by Bloody Marys action but he responded very quickly.
Chang!
The sword was drawn and ayer of radiance, belonging to the God of War, covered it. It was swung out like a powerful gale.
Within a breaths time, Bloody Marys body got shredded into pieces.
If you have a death wish, Ill grant it to you!
The captainughed coldly in his heart.
Sufficient amount of experience in life coupled with countless missions and solid belief in God of War turned the captain into a cold-hearted person.
He wouldnt care, neither would he overthink.
All he needed to do was follow the priests order and carry out the will of God of War: kill the enemy before him.
Nothing would change, even if this enemy seemed to be an undead.
He knew very well the so-called undying was nothing but trickery and illusion!
Other than the almighty God of War he worshipped, no one could escape death!
As long as the death reached a certain limit, the so-called undying would be exposed as a joke.
Coincidentally, War God Temple has such a specific spell among their myriads of mystical means.
Coupled with his powerful sword technique, the pagans that fell under his sword could never be revived!
The captain was utterly confident in his sword. He turned around and sheathed his sword.
He looked at the young member of his squad behind him, his brows unconsciously furrowed together.
The captain looked highly at the young Gino in his squad.
Clean background, outstanding talents, with sufficient training and cultivation, he would be a qualified armed deacon. He could even be a solid choice to be promoted to an armed priest after that, through specific trainings
Unfortunately, he was still too young! He was blinded by the illusion before his eyes!
The captain sighed deeply in his heart.
Gino, do not let...
The captain prepared some words to lecture his young subordinate but he saw the nk Gino get frightened all of a sudden at something behind him. The others in the area shared a simr reaction too.
Right away, the experienced captain took a step forward along with his motion and performed a roundhouse swing with the sword.
It was aplete act of battle instinct.
Whenever there was someone behind, continuing to move forward would surely get him ambushed, so the backward swing would prove to be a miraculous act. Even if the swing did not severely harm the ambusher, it would disrupt their pace, snatching the initiative away from them.
But the captain missed his swing, there was no one ambushing him from behind.
More precisely, Bloody Mary, resurrected once again, stood at the spot and looked at the captain with smiles.
If it was any other time, the situation would be extremely awkward for the captain but not now. The captain saw Bloody Mary standing back up in front of him, so embarrassment was absent, all he had was shock on his face.
HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?! Why is my de with the divine energy buff ineffective against him?
The doubts in the captains heart did not slow him down at all. He swung his sword once more and chanted the name of the God of War.
Almighty lord, make my de sharper! Almighty lord, make my will stronger! The will of my lord is where my de points!
Amid his loud chants, the captains sword shone with the radiance of God of War again. He once again sliced Bloody Mary into pieces, this time into much smaller chunks.
Then, he widened his eyes at the chunks of body on the ground. White light amassed on top of the body and brought Bloody Mary back to life.
Bloody Mary was as clean as before, its smile was as warm as before. Its smile had not changed, and would not change, just because he was killed multiple times over.
It was like the sun that rose from the east every morning. No matter what you did, it would still shine on you and bring you warmth and light.
The thought was shared among everyone who witnessed Bloody Marys miraculous resurrections.
This is the Mist religious sect?
The old marquis gasped. Despite the vast knowledge in him, he too was astonished by the repeated resurrections that happened before his eyes.
It was obvious that the resurrection means had surpassed everything that he knew off.
More importantly, the people who saw the resurrections already had a firm impression of the Mist religious sect!
Look at their eyes! Their eyes showed fear and disbelief, yet many of them showed admiration!
Thats right! Admiration! The old marquis was utterly sure of those gazes, he had seen too many simr gazes in people before.
He was also certain that if this man, who had resurrected multiple times in front of these fools, waved at them, they would kneel down and wag their tails like obedient pets.
Dangerous! The Mist was much more dangerous than God of War and Lady Cmity!
They must be stopped!
The old marquis intuitively thought of the Mist believers in the slum area of Lower Seventh Ring.
Maybe it was time for him to bring the n forward.
Thinking about activating the trump card that he had other ns for earlier than nned, the old marquis squinted his eyes in grievance.
If he had a choice, he would not want to use this trump card.
No! Its still not time yet! The old marquis quickly denied his thought due to the fact that the trump card of his was for one time use only.
Using it other than the critical moment would be too wasteful!
The situation now was far from being critical.
As for being discovered?
Its true that the Mist was a God, but not all Gods were omniscient. More so, not even God of War and Lady Cmity noticed it, so how could the Mist?
If it wasnt for the overall situation, the old marquis had many ways to destroy the two big... no, it should be two big and one small religious sects.
The old marquis did not feel frustrated at losing the heart to use his trump card.
If this way couldnt work, use another.
As the Mist confronted the God of War, the old marquis quietly put up a sign behind him, signaling the spy from the royal court that hid among the civilians.
The spy caught the sign quickly, feigning surprise and saying loudly, Ignoring the sharpness of des, is this a blessing from His Majesty Mist?
The loud voice spread throughout the city gate as everyone was silenced by the scene.
The astonished captain immediately reacted to the voice that he heard.
Ignore the sharpness of de? Then what about the others, like fire!
With that thought in mind and the sword in his right hand, the captain grabbed a ck ball the size of a quail egg with his left hand and fired it at Bloody Mary.
Before the ck ball evennded on the Superior Demon, it already had a general idea what the captain was trying to do by reading the extreme emotions from his mind.
Fire! zing fire!
Though Bloody Mary had no intentions of dodging.
If it still was its old self during the early days, it was of course afraid of fire.
However, following its multiple level ups and reaching rank II in the end, the fire attacks that were deadly to its former self could only damage it for 60% of the damage. 60% of the damage was not a big deal for Bloody Mary due to its [Quick Regeneration].
It was also that attribute that allowed Bloody Mary to withstand the shes buffed with the power of God of War earlier.
Of course, it hurt like hell, but for the boss, everything would be worth it.
From a certain perspective, the fire before its eyes was exactly what it wanted and needed for the sake of a smoother progress in the uing n.
Bang!
The ck ball hit Bloody Marys body.
Kaboom!
zing fire burst up into the sky, it engulfed Bloody Mary whole in an instant.
Dead? Is he finally dead? The captain glued his eyes at the zing fire, as did the other viewers, but not the members of Mist religious sect.
They looked at the zing fire with a calm expression.
How could mere fire harm the bishop of Mist?
They hadnt forgotten their religious creed: fire is our lords weapon, it is also a technique that we should learn to use.
...
The old marquis who had been watching the religious sect members saw the expression on their faces. He couldnt help but furrow his brows before twitching uncontrobly.
He saw the Mists emblem in front of the members chests: it was a burning gold coin with a number 7 carved in the middle.
A bad feeling rose from the bottom of the old marquis heart.
A momentter...
Oh the supreme lord! Please hear our prayers, we will carry out your will, bow to your greatness and bear your name, you will shed your light on the world and everything we have is a gift from you...
Prayers came from the zing fire. Bloody Mary slowly walked out of the fire, unharmed.
This time around, the watching civilians couldnt help but kneel on the ground out of awe.
The repeated unconceivable scenes, or phenomenons, impacted their logic and world view.
Several among the civilians had a weaker mental defense, Bloody Mary naturally caught them with its sharp instinct. They were then focused by Bloody Mary.
It didnt need all of them, a few would be enough.
Humans are always blinded by their own eyes, they follow like sheep when someone leads the way, everything bing simpler.
It was human nature after all.
The oue was as Bloody Mary expected. When an influential civilian knelt down, the others fell like dominos, a chain reaction starting.
Groups of people started to kneel down, both civilians and merchants.
The soldiers and nobles were still hesitating.
The captain who tried to burn Bloody Mary looked extremely ugly, knowing what the situation had turned into and what it represented.
The Mist was shaking the roots of War God Temple!
You will be punished by the divine! shouted the captain.
He then knelt down on one knee and lowered his head, his sword ced in front of his forehead and prayersing from his mouth.
Behind him, other than the young warrior Gino, all the elite warriors from War God Temple followed their captain, kneeling down and praying.
Promptly, a dark cloud formed in the sky.
Lightning rumbled in the dark cloud. Bolts of thunder that looked like gigantic silver serpents danced and swirled around frenziedly.
Bloody Mary smiled from the bottom of its heart when the scene happened.
This was the moment that it had been waiting for.
It put its hands together and slowly knelt down.
The other Mist religious sect believers knelt down together, including Rogart. The bear-like young man tried to make himself as inconspicuous as possible, but even kneeling down, his huge body made him stand out from the crowd.
Though no one paid attention to the bear-like young man anymore.
They were captivated by the prayers before them.
When the prayers from the believers sounded, an area of mist amassed from all directions.
Kieran felt the calling in his heart. He put down the cookie smeared with honey and butter and took [Lord of Mist] out from his pocket.
Bloody Mary had prepared the stage for him, and now, it was time for him to perform.
The Lord of Mist, appearing on stage!
Chapter 1799 - A God…Has Three Flavours?
Chapter 1799: A God...Has Three vours?
The captain from War God Temple wasnt surprised when Bloody Mary and the believers of the Mist started praying.
When war was inevitable, people ought to use the most direct and destructive way to destroy the enemy.
For a religious sect that worshipped a God, nothing would be more direct and destructive than asking the God himself to destroy their opponent!
Victory! We will surely win!
Recalling the glorious war achievements of the God he believed in, the captains heart calmed down quickly.
The God of War, as its name suggested, was a battle fanatic, and after acquiring a divinity which matched his personality, the title matched him even more as he was able to emerge a victor against almost all his opponents.
ording to the records in War God Temple, the God of War once battled the Twelve Giants that wreaked havoc across thend. He ughtered them and built his throne using their bones.
Then he fought the Six Sea Demons, won, and added their whiskers beside his boney throne as a garnish.
Lastly, he hunted down the three-headed hawk that reigned the sky, using the feathers and talons to build his kingdom, ascending to godship there onwards.
All these were plucked from the legends of God of War.
Whether it was true or false, one could hardly tell.
However, one thing was for sure: the God of War was used to war and battles and he was very powerful.
Before the wretched Lady Cmity came into y, he was the only belief in the whole of Northern Land.
The captain had solid reasons to believe they would triumph over this little confrontation.
The Mist religious sect would be eliminated!
After all, the Mist religious sect was nothing but a rising small sect. The only notable achievement they had was the battle with the pagans back in Sicar.
That kind of skimirish was nothing in the eyes of God of War.
Some higher ranking priests could even single-handedly ughter those pagans who had just achieved descension.
As a matter of fact, not only the captain thought as such, the others surrounding him shared the same thought too.
The power of God of War had rooted itself deeply into peoples hearts.
Even with the appearance of Lady Cmity, she failed to truly turn it to her favour, at most matching the God of War.
What a pity, bishop!
The people in the area stared at Bloody Mary with a pitiful gaze.
The old marquis who oversaw everything from aside couldnt help but smile. This was the scene that he hoped to see.
Whether it was the God of Wars power or the sudden rise to prominence of Mist, as long as both of them confronted each other and fought, his goal would be achieved.
He and his king needed the two religious sects to fight each other, not team up as allies.
Only then could the authority of the king truly make aeback and rise to the top.
Gods assigning royal authority to the king?
Hmph!
The old marquisughed coldly deep in his heart, then looked up at the dark cloud in the sky.
Countless bolts of lightning amassed and rumbled fiercely.
He then shifted his gaze back to the ground.
Thick mist concealed the believers of Mist whole. Even from where he was standing, he couldnt make out anyones figure.
Lightning versus mist?
The old marquis put away the grin on his mouth and looked serious.
Although his goal was met, the old marquis wouldnt mind observing his opponents strength.
To know ones strength and the enemys was the sure way to victory.
The old marquis understood that saying.
As the old marquis bathed himself with anticipation
KAKROOOM!
A bolt of lightning fell from the sky.
...
Kieran had been paying attention to the changes at the city gates. Using [Lord of Mist], he replied to Bloody Marys request without dy and granted it [Blessing].
A scarlet glow shed over Bloody Mary quickly.
Feeling the empowerment from Blessing of Bloodthirsty, Bloody Mary used the mist as cover and jumped into the air, jumping straight to the bolt of lightning.
The bolt of lightning precisely struck Bloody Mary but it didnt inflict any damage on its body.
After reaching rank II, Bloody Marys special attribute, [Phantasm Body], granted it immunity against all physical damage and reduced energy damage by a hefty 60%; Blessing of Bloodthirsty increased its strength by 105% and reduced damage taken by 60%. It could also absorb the enemys blood to replenish its own life force.
With the two attributes ovepping each other, Bloody Mary was immune at the moment to any kind of energy damage, yet it didnt mean invincibility.
The bolt of lightning carried more than just pure electric damage, it also carried the will of God of War!
It was also a pure mental attack!
It was vast and powerful! The keen mental attack invaded Bloody Marys body upon hitting it.
Bloody Mary shuddered fiercely.
An unfamiliar willpower invading its body was definitely not some beautiful experience. Even though it was prepared to withstand the attack, the tremendous pain twisted its face to the extreme.
The willpower inside its body did not hold back at all, it wanted to tear Bloody Marys soul into shreds, but...
Inside Bloody Marys body, that willpower couldnt locate Bloody Marys soul!
What it found was another substantial and unbelievable energy: the power of contract!
The willpower of God of War quivered.
Sensing the vast as the milky way power of the contract, it thought it saw a God with contracts as divinity, otherwise why would the power of contract be so vast?
Was the amount of power umted by pieces, contract after contract?
Who would be some, forming that many contracts?
Shouldnt forming a contract cost a lot?
Doubts gued the willpower of the God of War with hesitance, somewhat at a loss of action.
But quickly, the willpower followed its instinct and fought through theyers of contracts before it.
The soul of its target hid behind the manyyers of contract. It could easily pinpoint where it was, but to its surprise, beyond theyers of contract, there were no cover ups.
As though it was a broad empty avenue.
Without a second of dy, the willpower charged into the broad avenue.
Since it couldnt destroy the body of its target, it ought to destroy the contract target!
The contract power was vast, had it destroyed anyone of them, a chain reaction would happen and a catastrophic damage would spread.
The willpower of God of War was utmost certain.
As for the possibility of the contract power being a trap?
The willpower of God of War didnt care.
The other one was confronting its true self on the other side.
Other than that wretched hag, who else could be his match?
If it was under normal circumstances, that wretched hag would only cost him more time to kill. The situation at hand was a little special, that was why the wretched hag was able to seemingly be a match to him.
As the one and only God in the whole of Northern Lands, the God of War was proud.
The pride in being the supreme being in thend extended to the willpower that he sent out.
Therefore... when the willpowernded in an expanse of wilderness, it got lost.
As it gazed upon the dark, chaotic wilderness that no life could survive in , it couldnt believe that its targets soul would be here.
Any kind of normal soul would be driven mad by the loneliness in the wastnd.
Or should it be the one on the other side of the contract was a madman?
Otherwise, there was no reason for him to form that many contracts.
The guess in its mind did not dy the willpower of God of War from moving out.
It started to conjure its own power to disrupt this wastnd, this bleak world.
Although the world inside a madman would be much sturdier than a normal one,pared to its true self, it would be nothing.
Even though this wastnd was the soul world of the so-called Mist, it worried about nothing.
Quite the contrary, it hoped for it to be like this.
A demi-god was powerful, far more powerful than a mortal, butpared to a true god, what would it be?
Therefore, the willpower of God of War started to spin, releasing its own energy into this soul world.
However, secondster, the willpower realized something was wrong.
This dreaded soul world was unusually sturdy.
It was far sturdier than what a demi-god could achieve, and...
While the willpower of the God of War pondered the question, it sensed something and looked up intuitively.
It saw a gigantic palm of me falling from the sky above it!
Thest thing that it could remember was being mmed into the ground by the gigantic zing palm and cracks all over its body echoing in its ears.
Crack!
Kieran was munching on a cartge.
This piece of pork rib was specially chosen, almost every single piece had substantial meat coupled with fatty oil. In between the fat and lean mean was the small cartges, like the treasure hidden underground.
With the explosion of vour when his tongue tasted the meat juices and the crunchy feel as he munched on the cartges, Kieran couldnt help but praise it.
The simplest way of cooking could bring out the best taste of the ingredients.
There was no need for extra seasoning, neither should there be extra procedures to cure it.
Gluttony also agreed to the thought as it was munching on the willpower of God of War with a nodding head. He agreed with his big brother with all his heart, just like always.
The happy munches from his mouth expressed how delighted he was.
Today was a good day for Gluttony for it was the first time he was able to taste the willpower of a God.
He didnt have to spend any effort or say anything, the food was delivered to his mouth and all he had to do was open and eat it. What else was better than food that was fed to him?
The food that was fed was utmost delicious.
The willpower of God of War rivaled the tastiest soup.
It wasnt just rich, it was fresh to the mouth and not oily at all, even with a prolonged drinking.
When the initial taste fading, a richer vour followed. The substantial taste of the willpower of the God of War this time became the bone marrow of a cows big bone. The tenderness of the bone marrow remained and it tasted very simr to sucking on meat. A single slurp could suck all the bone marrow into his mouth.
After the initial taste faded, the aftertaste kicked in and spread. The willpower of God of War turned soft and crunchy, like a giant squid being fried on the iron pan. Oil was brushed over one side, seasoning paste on the other, sesame and peanut crumbs scattered on top of it as garnish. The moment Gluttony put it into his mouth, he couldnt get enough of it.
I-Is there anymore? Gluttony asked as he slurped his saliva and stuttered.
There is, Kieran said in a sure tone.
Losing a part of his willpower without a reason, the God of War would not let this slip.
Simr to Kierans expectation, after the first willpower was eaten by Gluttony, the sky above Edatine Castle city gates and the dark rumbling cloud became fiercer. A momentter, three bolts of lightning fell down simultaneously.
Bloody Mary acted like a lightning rod, catching all three bolts of lightning precisely.
Its body then twitched non-stop. It too wanted to react to the bolts of lightning calmly and pretend that it was fine, but it was too excruciating. The best it could do was keep its painful screams at bay.
Three more willpower of the God of War gushed into Bloody Marys body and without further ado, they followed the path of the first through the vast amount of contracts and arrived at the vast expanse of wilderness.
Compared to the solo entry before, these three will power stood back to back, scanning around in a vignt state.
They had no idea what happened to the first but they knew something was wrong with this ce.
Any careless misstep would put them on a path simr to their predecessor.
Therefore, despite having conjured their powers and hoping to destroy this strange soul world, they were quite reserved this time and held back a lot.
They conjured powers only 50% stronger than the previous one to attack, the rest of their powers were reserved for defense and precautions.
Their vignce seemed to reward them with results!
When the wilderness started to shake, the three willpower of God of War looked at the figure that appeared at the furthest part of the horizon simultaneously.
At the very next moment, as though they traveled through space, the three willpower of God of War appeared before the figure.
This figure was a knight kneeling down on the ground.
The knight was fully armored, looking at the sea and gazing upon the rise and fall of the tides.
The knight wasnt even affected by the abrupt appearance of the three willpower.
He sat there without moving, not even lifting his head.
The three willpower channeled their powers andunched their strongest attack at the knight.
Sword! Spear! Battle axe!
Three different types of weapons appeared in their respective hands with a single thought and were swung at the knight in union.
The sword went for the throat, the spear went for the abdomen, and the battle axe swung down from above his head.
The knights armor?
They saw it but they didnt think the knights armor could stop their materialized weapons.
They believed their weapons could shatter the armor, together with the person inside it.
Kaboom!
The three different attacksnded at the knight at the same time, then... the three of them were shattered to pieces together.
The willpower of God of War dissipated again.
Gluttony, who had been waiting, cheered and sucked in all the shattered willpower into his mouth like a tornado, loud munches sounding from his mouth.
During other times, Gluttony preferred to swallow, then chew, but this was an exception because the food was tasty enough!
Kieran sensed the Origin Forces in his body growing at an exponential speed. He didnt feel any difort. He was used to this kind of empowerment, neither did he dislike it.
Simr to how he wouldnt mind heating up his breakfast before eating every morning.
A meticulous charcoal stove appeared on the study table before him.
The charcoal stove was used as a heater but Kieran used it for its original purpose: to heat up food. The intricate porcin te was ced on top of the stove, the slightly cold pork rib then ced on top with added soup.
With the high temperature from the burning charcoal, the soul boiled after a while.
Bup, bup, bup.
The boiled soup was poured back into the pork rib.
The fragrance of food spread in the study room.
With a smile on his face, Kieran put several sausages into the soup.
He then waited for the food to be tastier and the next attack from God of War.
It was without a doubt that God of War ought to be cautious after failing twice in a row.
The dark cloud rumbled and thunder ps were restless, but no bolt of lightning came down.
The God of War was charging his powers, for he still hasnt located the source of the problem.
But he knew with enough power, he could destroy the question entirely.
He did it before and he would do it again, this time was no exception!
Kakroooom!
Amid the ear-deafening p, blinding light shone and a bolt of lightning, as thick as a dozen meters and reeking of destruction, struck Bloody Mary whole.
Chapter 1800 - Arrow
Chapter 1800: Arrow
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The huge lightning bolts caused Bloody Mary to tremble fiercely. Compared to the previous lightning strikes, Bloody Marys eyes turned white and it almost passed out.
Pain! Unimaginable pain!
It was more painful than decapitation, cut in half by the waist, being burnt alive, or drowning.
Even if it was torn into shreds, the pain was not even 1% of what it felt right now.
Bloody Mary really wanted to scream out loud, but it couldnt due to its boss n.
Should it scream in pain, even if it wouldpensate for its mistake at ater time, mistakes would have been made.
It wouldnt allow that to happen! So it diverted its own attention.
Diverting its attention was a method that Bloody Mart discovered while it was suffering from the pain.
It was imagining the warm sunlight above its head, waves crashing in its ears: it was its home, West Coast!
A sea breeze blew into its face, it wasnt exactly soft but he yearned for it. Until today, it still regretted not going to shore and lingering on that ship.
Had it gone ashore earlier, maybe it would have a different life.
It might not have met its boss, its boss would never exploit its values, and it would surely live a pleasant, enjoyable life.
Waking up every morning and being greeted by the warm sunlight. A scrumptious breakfast waiting for its arrival and the waiter weing it with a kind smile, as though the fireworks under the starry sky, dazzling and beautiful.
In the afternoon, it would go to the best restaurant for steak ormb shank.
It better had cumin and ck pepper added, the taste would... what would it taste like?
I HAVENT TASTED IT BEFORE, HOW THE HELL DO I KNOW WHAT IT TASTE LIKE?
F*CK, (sF)sߩ.
Bloody Mary couldnt write the stories anymore, the pain was tearing it apart.
Its heart wailed in pain but at the very next moment, the excruciating pain stopped.
The energetic willpower of God of War, overflowing with hostile intents, finally entered the soul world of its boss through the power of contracts.
I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST IN HELL!
Gradually recovering from the excruciating pain, Bloody Mary gave its truest blessing to the energetic willpower of God of War.
Though rather than considering it a blessing, Bloody Mary said it like a solid fact.
...
Kakroom!
The energetic willpower of God of Warnded in the expanse of wilderness like a bolt of lightning.
Compared to the earlier versions, which one could tell they were unreal with a single nce, this energetic version of willpower looked very real. If it wasnt for the trace of mystical light swirling around his body, he would look like a real person.
Hmph!
Gazing upon the wilderness, the energetic willpower grunted out of cold disdain.
His previous clones provided a lot of information regarding this unusual ce, so he understood this ce was filled with traps, especially that knight! He was the biggest trap!
Tricking invaders using the figure of a knight and then robbing the invaders of their power, destroying them in the process!
The energetic willpower recalled the knight figure with gnashing teeth.
Losing three willpower at the same time wasnt any substantial loss to the God of War, but the insult that apanied the loss infuriated him.
Damn it!
Thinking about the insults he received from a demi-god, the energetic willpower that carried the thoughts of God of War grew more furious, flying towards where the knight like an arrow let loose.
His three normal version willpower were destroyed by below the belt attacks. He wouldnt just sit back and let it slip, he ought to tear the knight into shreds!
He ought to teach the knight the consequences of infuriating a true God!
Waves sounded.
The energetic willpower saw the figure of the knight. Without further ado, he jumped up, holding a greatsword that appeared out of thin air.
It was a fact that the knight could use his own energy against him but the usage must have a limit!
Compared to the normal version of willpower, this energetic version was countless times more powerful, he would surely surpass the mentioned limit!
It wasnt blind confidence, it was raw intuition! The intuition of the God of War, tempered through hundreds and thousands of battles. He had the confidence to ovee the knights limit!
At the next moment, the knight representing Saint Thorn Force disappeared from the spot, as though it allowed the energetic willpower to verify his thoughts.
Trying to run? The energetic willpower of God of War coldlyughed and jumped off the cliff, diving towards the relentless waves.
Kabooom!
Due to the energetic willpowers extreme traveling speed, upon contact with the waves, a loud explosion went off.
The moment it dived into the sea, his speed slingshot him to the bottom of the sea in an instant.
The current was fierce down there, the pressure that could crush rocks didnt cause him any trouble at all.
As though he was walking on tnd, the energetic willpower pursued the knight.
At the same time, he scanned his new surroundings.
When he noticed a figure forming in the dark waters, his eyes shone.
As I expected! The wilderness and the cliff are not your soul space! This is it! The bottom of the sea is your soul space!
Although unable to clearly see the figures face, when the energetic willpower sensed the arrogance that only a God would possess, he immediately thought he had located his real target.
Without a second thought, the energetic willpower ran up.
He didnt care about the knight anymore, albeit the knight turned around and chased after him, he didnt care at all.
The knights purpose was to deceive.
As for the real attack, the energetic willpower didnt care at all.
On the other hand, this arrogant figure pressured him, as if he was facing his greatest enemy. Even within his intimidating presence, heavy arrogance continued to emanate from the figure.
A demi-god could not have achieved this! Did he hold back earlier?
The energetic willpower suddenly heaved a breath of relief, the rage in his heart lessening up.
Had he faced off against a demi-god and lost 4 of his clones, it would be unforgivable and infuriating.
If his target had surpassed the level of a demi-god, he wouldnt have to care anymore.
Quite the contrary, it made him happy as he detected another bastard with ulterior motives at the cost of four of his willpower clones.
Having one troublesome bastard was enough, anymore than one would have to die!
The energetic willpower swung the greatsword in his hands down at the figure.
Chang!
The next moment, the sea before the energetic willpower was shed in half, like he was cutting tofu. The sea water vapourized quickly. The st of wind, formed by pure energy from the greatsword, swept over the arrogant figure.
However, the energetic willpower didnt even bat an eye at his target, turning around and performing another sh.
His battle instinct told him that his target was still alive. What he had just cut was just an illusion.
Roar!
The dragon bellowed and the tiger roared!
The fierce energy in the shape of a dragon carried the phantasmal image of the tiger, crashing onto the backward sh of the energetic willpower.
KABOOM!
The sea water rumbled. The energetic willpower remained firm on his stance but the arrogant figure took a step back. However, the arrogance from the figure grew heavier because an arrow, as ck as ink, embedded itself in the willpowers knee.
Chapter 1801 - Continual Deluge
Chapter 1801: Continual Deluge
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The energetic willpower of God of War looked down at the arrow in his knee.
Since when did he take an arrow to the knee?
He had no idea when he was shot, or more importantly, how did the Mist know his weakness?
Doubts and disbelief appeared on the energetic willpowers face and quickly froze up.
When the gue Arrow representing Cmity exploded, the frozen willpower of God of War shattered!
Pang!
As though ss had fallen on the ground, a clear nk scattered the pieces everywhere.
Gluttony, who had been waiting, opened his mouth and swept all the shattered pieces into his mouth then swallowed them into his stomach.
Sloth looked at his little brother gobbling down the pieces with a pampering gaze. He intuitively yawned, then rubbed his swollen temples.
Although he told Pride to create the dragon mellow and tiger roar to cover the arrows whistle, the most difficult part was to locate the weakness on the energetic willpower.
Fortunately, his big brother was right.
In the fight between God of War and Lady Cmity, the God of War had an obvious weakness against sickness and gue, it was fair to consider them his bane!
Otherwise, the ck Cataclysm wouldnt have broken out, neither would it have given birth to the so-called Lady Cmity.
Sloth had no idea who discovered the weakness of the God of War in the first ce but he knew the weakness was greatly exploited during the confrontation between both sides.
Still, even with his big brothers guess, Sloth was utterly exhausted.
Ill leave the rest to you, said Sloth to Pride before he fell asleep, snores echoing in the area.
Curling the edge of his mouth into a shallow grin, Pride grabbed sloth by his hand and Gluttony by the back of his neck and disappeared in a sh.
The knight and the sea also followed them away.
...
Sensing thest changes in his body, Kieran slowly opened his eyes.
He took the handkerchief on the table and wiped the saliva on the edge of his mouth and palms. Those spots were covered in meat juice and oil stains before, but after licking them clean, only his saliva was left behind.
Was it an act of proper table manners?
Kierans table manners was not wasting anything.
As for the rest, keep it simple.
Kieran stood up from the chair and stretched his body.
A decent breakfast,mented Kieran.
The dark cloud with rumbling lightning outside the city gates of Edatine Castle had gone away.
The God of War withdrew from battle, or more precisely, he was frightened away.
He was frightened, not scared.
The God of War must be suspicious about why a so-called demi-god had powers simr to Lady Cmity. Then, would he suspect that the demi-god and his arch nemesis were rted?
Kieran was sure suspicions had started to gue the God of Wars heart due to the continuous fights with Lady Cmity. This was exactly what Kieran wanted.
Thank you, Kurtzargert, said Kieran as he expressed heartfelt gratitude to Kurtzargert while his mind was still pondering on the memories of that councilman.
The Silent Night Secret Society councilman hadnt just brought him actual spoils, his memories and schemes yed a vital part in Kierans n.
Through the councilmans memories, Kieran verified more than just a single guess, which was that the God of War was helpless against the power of sickness and gue during the ck Cataclysm. He even uncovered a lot more than he expected, such as the councilmen restrained in the south and the origin of Lady Cmity.
This is much moreplicated than I thought. What role do you y in all this, Broker? Kieran thought quietly.
He knew the cunning merchant must be a key factor in all of this, but... he still couldnt pinpoint who exactly.
Nevertheless, Kieran had rounded up the list of candidates.
More so, Mr. Key Factor was obvious, right?
...
The big city.
The sun was bright and the wind blew over Reedey Bridge, fluttering Brokers hair.
Standing at the start of the bridge in a set of newbie attire, he squinted his eyes and enjoyed thefortable wind and pleasant sunlight. His blurry face had a sense of tranquility that was indescribable by words.
He liked the atmosphere a lot, or else he wouldnt have chosen this ce to meet up.
Minutester, Broker opened his eyes.
He looked down at the flowing river, everything had returned to their old self.
A smile hung over his face while his heart continued to plot schemes; his eyes were energetic.
After resting for sometime, he had returned.
Under the bridge, the rapid current fluttered loudly.
Broker turned around to the person who came as promised.
I know theres the system blurring out your face, but please dont smile, you remind me of a skunk.
The person who came to the meeting dressed very simrly to Broker, but the presence he bore was as keen as an unsheathed sword. It didnt just re coldly, its sharpness was on full disy, his nonchnt tone holding a sense of hostility.
Dont worry, I dont have ill intentions. Otherwise, I wouldnte to you directly.
Broker did not take in the suggestion, continuing to smile, which infected his tone, making him sound delighted.
Ho? You failed? the person replied with a cold grunt.
Mm, Broker frankly admitted his mistakes.
I told you before, she is one-of-a-kind. No one had ever surpassed her in the past, and it tends to stay the same until now. As for the future, its impossible, said the person in a firm tone. The nonchnce in his tone gradually faded away, his voice growing louder and more frantic.
Yeah, yeah yeah. You are correct. Then what are you going to do? Broker asked.
The person did not answer, he didnt even speak a word and left with a cold chuckle.
Broker did not pursue his question, nor did he stop the person from leaving. He stood there and saw the person off.
Watching the person disappear from his sight, Broker turned back to the flowing river beneath the bridge.
Still so arrogant and proud. Too bad, I wonder, can you keep up the attitude until our next meeting? Lets hope the water isnt too cold...
Muttering, Broker jumped off the bridge.
Ssh!
The rapid current rumbled and carried Broker away.
A momentter
Wung!
A buzz simr to a fly appeared in the air and disintegrated the whole Reedey Bridge into powder.
The wind blew and carried the powder away, as though the whole bridge never existed before.
A whileter, angry bellows from thete cyber enforcers could be heard around the ce.
...
The dark cloud was gloomy, making everyone who looked at it uneasy, but it wasnt as intimidating without the rumbling lightning.
Guesses and doubts appeared in the peoples heart as they looked up at that piece of dark cloud.
Then
PUK!
The captain of the elite temple warriors spat out a mouthful of blood and fell to the ground.
Not only the captain, the temple warriors who prayed together fell limp on the ground too.
Simr to their captain, blood spewed out from either their mouths or seven apertures, their presence growing weaker.
With the body of a mortal taking on the will of God, even though they had trained for a long time, they couldnt get away unscathed.
It was a qualitative change and no mortal could sustain the burden.
Not all were simr to the undying Bloody Mary.
The old marquis signalled with a wave of hand.
The royal court guardians went up immediately and checked on the wounded elite temple warriors. Wagon after wagon also came out from the passageway to carry the injured back inside the city.
After all his men boarded the wagons, the captain thanked the old marquis.
Thank you Marquis Horton, said the captain sincerely.
The old man before him might not be a true devoted believer of God of War but his decision to save thest stand of War God Temple and retain their faces was enough to be thanked.
This is what I should be doing, the old marquis replied with a smile.
No matter which side fell in the end, the old marquis would lend a helping hand to the fallen.
It had been decided earlier on and also the kings order. He knew what he must do, but... the Mist was surprisingly powerful.
The old marquis with his vast experience could tell the God of War was serious just now after the two initial tests. Yet under such circumstances, the Mist disyed tenacity and was able to resist the fearsome attack!
The ns against the Mist must be altered to cope with the unexpected. The believers of the Mist in the Lower Seventh Ring should be treated better, and...
Pondering over his thoughts, the old marquis unconsciously looked at the area where the mist shrouded.
In fact, not only the old marquis, everyone at the scene also shifted their gaze at the thick mist, including the elite temple warriors captain, who could only stand up with help from others.
They were looking forward to seeing the current state of the believers of Mist, so that they could get more information to further deduce things.
Under the anticipation filled gazes, the mist slowly dissipated.
When the bunch of believers of Mist appeared from the dissipating mist, everyone who had their eyes on them were stunned, especially the captain. The captain couldnt help but shout, Impossible! This is impossible!
Yeah, it was impossible!
The thought spread in everyones mind when they saw the current state of the Mist believers.
No injuries were spotted at all, even their attire was as clean as new.
The warm smile on Bishop Simons face didnt even diminish a bit, it was as warm as the sun.
The people shifted their gazes back to the ground of elite temple warriors, who were either covered in blood or limp down on the ground, a new thought appearing immediately: could the Mist be stronger than the God of War?
The thought uncontrobly spread in every viewers mind quickly. Even the old marquis thought as such but his logic regained the upper hand.
The God of War has spent too much energy restraining Cmity, he couldnt spare his whole self to deal with a foreign enemy! But... the Mist would be much more worth it to rope into our side.
The old marquis quickly covered up the surprise in his heart and then walked to Bloody Mary.
Bishop Simon, pleasee with me. His Majesty has arranged a lodging spot for you and the new lord of Sicar, said the old marquis as he bowed.
Behind him, his hand quickly performed a sign.
The royal court guardians immediately and quietly escort the injured elite temple warriors back to War God Temple.
The dust had been settled. He had gotten the most wanted information.
The rest wouldnt be necessary anymore.
Should it press forward, it would be toote.
God of War and Mist going after each others neck was the most ideal oue that he and his king would like to see.
Bloody Mary looked at the old marquis, who was as cunning as an old fox. If it wasnt for its boss n, it would have killed the man.
People like the marquis might not be powerful but their influence during a certain critical moment shouldnt be underestimated.
When the marquis came out to receive them, he moved his guardian riders subtly to make them look neat. A bit after that, the bunch of warriors from War God Temple coincidentally appeared at the city gates. If it was purely coincidence, Bloody Mary would kill itself a hundred times.
My lord informed me our brothers and sisters are inside. I should be with them, Bloody Mary pointed at the direction of the slum area in the Lower Seventh Ring and said kindly.
The lingering pain still tormented its body though. It was obvious that the willpower of the God of War was much more powerful than it expected.
After this, I will go to the boss and apply for a holiday! At least three... ONE HOUR!
I want to bathe in the sunlight without worrying and then have a meal of steak ormb shank with cumin and ck pepper, half of either dish! At least when I am suffering from pain, I can recall the taste and not make up some stupid imagination!
As you please, the old marquis had no intentions of denying the request. He nodded before he continued, The slum area was ambushedst night, so everything is still in the process of rebuilding. Ill try my best to move the supply around, so I ask for your forgiveness before this. Those damn pagans!
The old marquis cursed at the end.
The cursing did not fit the old marquis identity, it made him look rude but it was also enough to prove how furious the old marquis was at the pagans.
At the very next moment, the old marquis noticed his rudeness.
Im so sorry. I really couldnt hold back once I thought about what happenedst night. Those pagans are locusts! They bring nothing but cmity to the people of Edatine! Thankfully the Demon Hunters reappeared and stopped them, otherwise things would be worse. Im grateful for those Demon Hunters help!
The old marquis nodded apologetically at Bloody Mary before he praised the Demon Hunters.
They deserved to be praised, whether in the past, present, or future. They always carried out their own ideals and followed it tensely.
Bloody Mary agreed with the old marquis words as it knew what was the meaning behind them.
It wouldnt be so stupid to reveal any information regarding the Demon Hunters to the old marquis, neither woud it cut ties all ties with the Demon Hunters.
Up until this very moment, the Demon Hunters were nothing but an empty vessel, a seemingly powerful yet fragile empty vessel.
It needed to make the Demon Hunter look more powerful, therefore obscurity became the main tactic to perform the trick.
Of course, it wouldnt take long, after tonight, everything would change.
The old marquis nced over Bloody Mary yet failed to get rted information. It wasnt surprising to him but once again, he was able to confirm that the Demon Hunters had unspeakable ties with the Mist religious sect.
Having that point alone would be enough.
As for finding out whether the Mist religious sect was close to the Wolf Sect or Snake Sect Demon Hunters?
Was it important? Not anymore!
Be it Wolf Sect or Snake Sect, all of them were Demon Hunters! All of them were potential allies that he could rope into his and the kings side!
With that thought in mind, the old marquis spoke again, Tonight, His Majesty will host a banquet to wee the new lord of Sicar, I hope you can join us too. Of course, Duke Colin is also invited. The old marquis looked at Bloody Mary with anticipation after speaking of Kieran.
I will be punctual, Bloody Mary gave its assurance.
The old marquis smiled at the satisfying answer. He pulled his horse around and entered the passageway of the city gate side by side with Bloody Mary; the convoy from Sicar followed them slowly.
The civilians and merchants in the surroundings also closely watched the group.
Their eyes showed either excitement or admiration, even those nobles on the top of the city walls couldnt hold back the gleam in their eyes.
Compared to civilians and merchants, the nobles had more thoughts in their mind and they would not mind making the first move.
After a noisy night in Edatine, the city ought to be noisier than before.
Unlikest night, there would be no killing or shedding of blood, yet schemes brewed in the dark.
Further away at the horizon, strange figures from the south appeared, one after another.
They exchanged a quick look before they snuck into Edatine Castle.
The stage, bigger thanst night, had been built
Chapter 1802 - Sivalka’s Warmth
Chapter 1802: Sivalkas Warmth
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Sivalka called over several stronger civilians.
We cant afford to trust them. Before ourrades of the Mist arrive, we can only rely on ourselves, Sivalk said softly as he pointed at the guards outside the slum area.
Mr. Sivalka, what are we going to do? The leader of the civilians asked back softly.
Sivalkas performancest night caught everybodys eyes, and other than the two main lifesavers, Sivalka was the most trusted person to the civilians.
Plus with Sivalkas identity as a mercenary, it was pretty convincing.
As for the soldiers of Edatine Castle, they did not show up during the monster uprisingst night but they did now.
What weed the soldiers were cold gazes and hostility from the civilians. Even a child understood these soldiers were unreliable.
We need to set up several patrols and watch points. Ill try to figure something out about the weapons. Have any of you practised swords or hand to handbat before? asked Sivalka.
Everyone shook their heads in denial. Sivalka wasnt disappointed though, it was expected of them. He asked again Then can you guys fire a gun?
Yes!
Everyone nodded this time.
Great. Follow my orders and divide into groups. You, you, you, and you are in the patrols. Once the fourth shift steps down, the rest of you will be the fixed watch point, Sivalka meticulously divided the civilians into groups.
He had to admit that even in his mercenary days, he had never been this serious, but he wasntining because after feeling the warmth once, his heart was heating up. The feeling was veryfortable, he didnt want to lose the warmth.
He almost didst night, so it frightened him. He was scared and almost fell into despair. Fortunately, he was able to recover what he almost lost.
What else was better than recovering the lost? It would be keeping the things he cherished, keeping the warmth, and protecting it with all his heart.
Whosoever dared toy a finger on his warmth, he ought to freeze them to the core.
After dividing the civilians into patrols and watch point groups, Sivalka nced over the soldiers with a sense of coldness shing over his eyes.
They imed to protect the slums but judging from their formation, they were on watch duty! They treated the people in the slums like prisoners! Keeping them at bay!
Filthy people, said Sivalka in his heart.
What happenedst night was strange and abrupt.
Until now, War God Temple had stayed quiet and the royal court had not issued an official statement about the attack.
If there was nothing fishy about this, Sivalka would be the first to doubt it.
Therefore, he needed the civilians to protect himself. It would be best if he could leave as soon as possible because he couldnt guarantee the civilians safety and whether or not they would be caught in danger again.
Bait was a good thing, especially a reusable bait. It would be sought after like hot cakes.
Hope the Mist can arrive as soon as possible.
With the thought in mind, Sivalka nned to contact the old Demon Hunter again.
Compared to the younger one, he had a friendlier rtionship with the older one, but more importantly, the younger one was much more terrifying.
It wasnt just about the power he disyed, but also his presence. Although Sivalka did not truly experience the pressuring presence, a single nce over the young Demon Hunter turned his legs to jelley.
He had to admit that even though he was a coward, the only thing that struck him with a simr feeling was the statue of the God of War back in War God Temple.
As the thought baffled his mind, Sivalka expressed shock to the Snake Sect Demon Hunters again.
He heard of the Snake Sect Demon Hunters before.
After the ck Cataclysm, where the Wolf Sect Demon Hunters were almost annihted, the Snake Sect had stayed hidden for decades and only resurfaced because Silent Night Secret Society ughtered their breathens of Wolf Sect.
Aside from the fact that the young Demon Hunter would be really as scary as a venomous viper had he stayed in the dark, the fact that he alone disyed that amount of power was enough to fuel peoples guesses.
Sivalka wouldnt assume the young Demon Hunter could rival the God of War though. After all, what he witnessed before was just a statue of the God.
But the young Demon Hunter wasnt alone! He hadrades by his side!
Sheep move in herds, tigers walk alone.
How could there be weaklings around a powerful person like him?
If the young Demon Hunter was already that ridiculously powerful, what about his teacher and his elders? How strong would they be?
One thing worth taking note of was that based on the Demon Hunters tradition, those elders who hadnt die would be the scariest and the most dreaded of them all. They were not just vastly experienced, they still possessed their powers and were not afraid to die!
Yes, they were not afraid of dying!
Compared to dying on their bed, these elders preferred to die on the battlefield.
Facing an enemy who was not afraid to die, it would cause a headache in anyone.
Im afraid that this particr point is what silenced the Dark Hallpletely, right? And those unusual changes of the monsters... this is quicker than I thought. Troubled times ahead! Sivalka sighed.
Sighing will only push away the good luck and invite ominous ones! A youthful female voice came from behind Silvaka. It was Ellie with a cup of warm water.
Thank you. Those are some true saying you have there! Sivalka bent over to receive the cup of water and expressed his gratitude.
Well-known sayings were all over the Northern Lands, but other than children, no one believed them, but especially in Edatine Castle, even children did not believe them.
My mother told me that, mother said we need to be strong, Ellie said in a serious look.
Under the morning sun, the sunlight bounced off the little girls face, making her look pure and simple, but in her big round eyes, a trance of sorrow came afloat.
Im sorry, said Sivalka softly.
Had he arrived earlier, things might not turn out the way they did.
But who could change the past? Alter the things that happened? No one.
All Sivalka could do was cherish the moment and change the future. At least he could change Ellies future!
The little girl reached out her hand and pressed her fingers against Sivalkas furrowed brows. Her petite yet swollen index and middle fingers rubbed the furrowed brows. As she rubbed the brows, the pustule at her finger joints burst because of the strength exerted, the puss dripping.
Sivalka quivered in his heart.
Damn it! How can I forget this!
Maintaining his bent down posture, Sivalka tried his best to keep the smile on his face.
There, all straightened. You look better now, Ellie smiled.
Ellie, wait for me. I will be back very soon, said Sivalka and returned the cup of water to Ellie; he signaled to Erin, who was further away.
Compared to the little sister, the older sister was much more mature.
Besides, after experiencing the miraculous divine blessingst night, an indescribable presence shrouded her, as if she was really being watched by some great being. She would be revered by people at first nce.
It was a blessing, at least it could guarantee her safety while he was temporarily away.
After Erins confirmation, Sivalka went out of the slum area and dashed towards the Central Third Ringsmercial district.
Medicine for frostbite was on sale at Lower Fifth Ring but the effect was nothing noteworthy. The medicine required a longer time to be effective and it would sting the patient when applied. The truly effective medicine to ease frostbite pain could only be found in therger drug store in Central Third Ring.
Striding through the Lower Seventh Ring, Sivalka suddenly furrowed his brows.
Someone was following him!
Back in his mercenary days, he practised tracking and anti-tracking techniques before.
Now, as an armed deacon, he had a sharper sense towards being watched and followed.
It wouldnt require much. If anyone with ulterior intents so much as nced over him, he could feel it. Just like now, Sivalka had goosebumps all over the back of his neck.
Who is it?! Is he from the Dark Hall or royal court? Sivalka asked himself.
The former, based on his understanding, wouldnt have spared time to keep him in check.
Thetter, before truly understanding the strength of the Mist religious sect, shouldnt make any rash move either.
Then, the only possibility left was...
As his gears were spinning, Sivalka jumped into an alleyway behind a shop in a sh. He didnt hide or dodge after that, he stood there quietly.
If he was right, the person on his tail wouldnt bear direct malicious intent.
If he was wrong, dodging wouldnt help him either.
The person on his tail obviously came prepared.
Dak, Dak, Dak.
Around 10 secondster, a series of footsteps, with the purpose of notifying him, sounded.
A dark cotton robe, hat, and scarf made out of rabbit pelt on a man who looked no different from any passerby appeared in Sivalkas sight.
The person was slightly caught off guard when he saw Sivalka standing there, waiting for him, before he reced the reaction with a smile.
Good morning, Deacon Sivalka.
The person precisely addressed Sivalkas name and position, meaning he had known it all.
It was almost certain that the person wished to get hold of the initiative in this conversation.
Sivalka heaved a breath of relief though. He was right.
This person had no direct malicious intent, meaning the initiative would be his!
Good morning, are you Count Valentines man? Or Viscount Reedrals? Or some other lord that I dont know of? Sivalka went straight to the point without showing scruples at the persons identity.
The persons presence turned sluggish.
The name Valentine originated from the era of Edatine II. The name was one of the most powerful representatives of the orthodox nobles. The name did not just disy its rich family background, it also represented its many private militia under itsmand.
The name Reedral came at ater date, around the era of Edatine IV. Despite itste presence, the names appearance left an impression in the northerners heart because every leader of the family was a famous general, not only powerful in battle but also an outstandingmander in war tactics.
These two names shared amon point: the orthodox party!
The party that objected to Edatine VIs new policy!
You are much smarter than the documents said you are. I hope your wisdom canst throughout our conversation.
Exposed, the person wasnt frustrated at all, but the intimidating presence made Sivalka ufortable.
Of course, what troubled Sivalka the most was he knew why the person came to him.
Other than the civilians protected by the Mist religious sect in the slums of the Lower Seventh Ring, what else could it be?
The king provided protection, so the orthodox party that initially went against the king ought to put themselves into the mess.
Its not about how smart I am, its just that I cant do anything about it, Sivalka shrugged.
What you say differs from the news we received. You and the sisters, Erin and Ellie, seemed close enough and Erin even became the middleman for you to speak directly to the Mist. So, all you need to do is keep it up, maintain a rtionship with the sisters. Of course you wont go unrewarded as well. From our side of the trade, we are willing to offer you...
The person went on by himself and did not notice that Sivalkas eyes had turned cold.
Kakrooom!
Suddenly, the repeated thunder ps from outside the city gate interrupted the person.
Damn it, those madmen at War God Temple, causing trouble so early in the day?
It seemed like the person knew a thing or two about themotion, turning to the direction of the city gates and cursing.
He did not even realize Sivalka was quietly approaching him.
Puk!
A cold re swept across his neck.
The person covered his neck and turned back to Sivalka, looking at him with utmost disbelief.
He had no idea why Sivalka was bold enough to kill him. He had already mentioned the sisters Erin and Ellie, shouldnt Sivalka hold back whatever urges he had for the sake of the sisters?
COMMENT
Could it be that Sivalka and the sisters werent as close as the information he had gotten?
Sivalka coldly wiped away the blood on his dagger using the cotton robe of the man.
You people really think you can control everything? No wonder he never takes you people seriously. You dont even understand the situation and you simply popped up like this. Stupidity kills, you know?
Speaking those words into the dying mans ear, Sivalka looked towards the direction of the city gates. Although he forced himself to calm down, his body still trembled out of excitement.
The Mist won!
The situation would be entirely different now!
Chapter 1803 - Wait For The Sky To Turn Dark
Chapter 1803: Wait For The Sky To Turn Dark
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Sivalka brought the newly purchased frostbite medicine back to the slums at Lower Seventh Ring.
While he was applying the medicine to Ellie, the folks from Sicar finally entered the city after going through the city gate passage and guards. They headed to the slums right away.
Erin had been waiting for their arrival.
Rogart and the preachers of the Mist religious sect walked up to her right away.
Both Erin and the folks from Sicar had gotten the orders from their lord.
When the orders were from the Mist, everything was possible.
After a quick conversation, an area was cleaned up for the new lord of Sicar in the slums. The preachers then headed to the civilians, trying to approach their brothers and sisters of Edatine Castle.
The rest prepared meals for everybody. Fires were built, pots were taken out.
Food was always the best medium to shorten the distance between people.
When a bowl of steaming hot soup appeared before the people, their good rtionship got strengthened further.
Sivalka got the set meal for himself too, the bowl had some vegetables and meat and without a second thought, he finished it like a tornado.
Sivalka then waved, stopping Ellie from getting him another bowl. He signaled her to hold that thought and stood up, quietly walking to Bloody Mary.
Lord bishop, Sivalka greeted with a bow.
Good day, Mr. Sivalka, Bloody Mary replied.
Sivalka wasnt a believer of the Mist, Bloody Mary was utterly sure, therefore addressing as mister would be the most appropriate.
More importantly, Sivalkas identity was a little sensitive: the armed deacon of the Dark Hall of War God Temple.
Bloody Mary wasnt afraid of course, it was just worried that Sivalka couldnt provide its boss and itself with more information.
Its boss seemed to pay an unusual amount of attention to the unusual attack that happenedst night in the slums.
Bloody Mary, too, did not view it as purely an ident, therefore Bloody Mary maintained his kind side.
I have something to discuss with you, Sivalka whispered.
Follow me, Bloody Mary thought about it for a while and pointed at the wagon of the baroness further away.
After Bloody Mary and Sivalka boarded the wagon, Rogart stood guard in front automatically. His bear-like physique and energetic presence formed an unusual deterrent force and, at the same time, attracted peoples curious gazes.
Many whoid eyes on the bear-like young man had gleams in their eyes.
Wearing a thick outer coat, the baroness slightly shook her head.
Edatine Castle is as unpredictable as always, she sighed.
Not all things needed to be peeled to the core to find out the truth, a single nce could provide enough information to know it all.
Soon enough, the baroness was captivated by the little girl who shuttled across the crowd. The little girl looked like a mature adult, albeit her size was petite.
Beside the fire, another little girl who shared 60-70% resemnce to the matured little girl sat down quietly with her hands supporting her chin. Her eyes gazed upon the fire as she waited.
Her gaze was pure and clear.
Sisters? With doubts in her heart, she couldnt help but walk up to the little girl, bent down and said with a smile, Hi, Im Erin Sicar.
I am Ellie. Thats my sister Erin, Ellie showed the baroness a pure smile as she replied.
What a coincidence, my name is also Erin.
The baroness seemed to have been infected by the smile, sitting down and starting to talk to the little girl.
Sivalka, who had been keeping his eyes on Ellie, saw the baroness walk over to Ellie. He couldnt help but worry, but after he realized the baroness meant nothing ill, he was quickly relieved.
Turning around, he saw Bloody Mary looking at him with a warm look. Sivalka shrugged.
Ellie is cute and kind. People in aplicated state like me tend to get attracted by her kindness, Sivalka didnt hide his feelings.
Firstly, it was obvious.
Secondly, in order to proceed with the uing conversation, he should be honest.
The more you dwell in darkness, the more you walk towards the light, especially when you are once warmed by the light, Bloody Mary said slowly.
When those words escaped its mouth, Bloody Mary couldnt help but think of its holiday. Its face looked extremely moving and the feeling seemed to have resonated with Sivalka almost immediately.
I know right. I always fantasize that I am still a mercenary. The freedom is nice, even with the danger. Now though... I hope to be a guard so I can guard Ellie, watching her grow. Thats why I have something to tell you, Sivalka looked serious as he spoke.
Dark Hall has been collecting remnants of the pagans. They used the remnants to revive the dead pagans and forced the revived ones to pledge their loyalty to the God of War. At first the experiment was a sess with substantial progress, but some strange things happenedtely. Those remnants of the pagans start to produce their own thoughts... or more precisely, they had been covering up their true intentions all along. A disguise!
When the word disguise was mentioned, Sivalkas brows furrowed tightly together.
He couldnt understand why the dead pagans disguised themselves, covering up their own thoughts.
The world is huge, anything is possible. More so, what you are talking about are the pagans. Their existence has defiedmon logic, its natural that you cant judge them withmon sense, said Bloody Mary.
Mm. But this would be a chance for the Mist! Based on the information I got, Dark Hall suffered a severe loss from the battlest night and so did War God Templeotherwise, it wouldnt be a single squad of elite temple warriors outside the city gate today. We should seize the opportunity and take down War God Temple! Nodding, Sivalka stated his true intentions.
Take down War God Temple? Bloody Mary chuckled.
The God of War was currently fighting Lady Cmity, meaning its boss had a great chance to expand his power and develop his influence. If he took down War God Temple, the situation would take a sharp turn for the worse.
Should that happen, the God of War wouldnt just send out willpower clones to test the Mist anymore, albeit he was frightened away earlier. He ought to take furious action against the Mist.
Bloody Mary was utterly sure of it.
As for Lady Cmity?
Under heavy restraints, she would be eager to swap ces with the Mist in fighting God of War.
Why? Lord Mist has fought the God of War and forced him to retreat! What are we worrying about? Cmity? Her situation is somewhat special, so it will be enough for us to deal with her after we consume everything the God of War left behind.
Unable to see the bigger picture, Sivalka looked at Bloody Mary in confusion.
Bloody Mary did not provide a direct answer, it nced over Sivalka and asked, Did you get your information from the bbers in your ears?
Yes, Sivalka nodded.
Bloody Mary chuckled again.
Sivalka caught the chuckle, stunned for a moment before he managed to realize something.
However, he still couldnttch onto the key point.
...
Anderson called over two wagons and put his friends, the mentally damaged Tandeker and Miers, who was confined in a mummy state, inside. He then looked at Kieran beside the wagon.
The sharp Demon Hunter noticed something different about Kieran. It was weak but something had definitely changed. As for what, the old Demon Hunter had no idea.
Colin, meaning powerful. What a good name. Your teacher must be proud of you, the old Demon Hunter eximed.
Kieran did not correct Andersons mistakes, neither would he exin himself.
He nodded and signaled with his gaze, telling Anderson that he got the message.
Did anyone ever tell you that your cold attitude is popr with thedies? No I assume you do, but do you know why? Because its all dicks and old men like me around you. You should go experience what the youngsters experienced for onceit will do your strength some good, make you stronger and more tenacious, Anderson guided Kieran with his teasing and dirty jokes.
As an old Demon Hunter, especially a man, his attitude was not to me but Kieran wasnt used to it.
He preferred the Anderson where he first met, vignt and cautious at all times, not the current Anderson, who behaved like a drunkard in a tavern, guiding some inexperienced youngsters with ridiculingments and teasing.
Do you know why my teacher was able to live until a hundred years old and still remain healthy? Kieran asked coldly.
Why? Anderson got stunned for a second before asking back seriously.
A hundred years old Demon Hunter should be respected by any other Demon Hunters out there.
It wasnt just because of his age, it was also because of all the things that he did in the past.
ording to the Demon Hunters rules, after finishing the Green Grass trials, one would be eligible to hunt pagans.
Normally, a Demon Hunter would pass the trial around 18 or 19 years old, meaning the 100 years old teacher would have 80 years of experience in hunting pagans under his belt.
How precious would those experiences be!?
If such a Demon Hunter could be here to train the younger generation...
Unconsciously, anticipation rose from Andersons heart.
Its because he always minded his own business.
Kieran then turned around and went back to Carrot Hotel.
Anderson got stunned hard by the answer as he looked at the mmed door nkly, regaining his senses several secondster.
This young man is not cute at all! the old Demon Hunter grumbled but his mouth curled up slightly.
In that short moment, Anderson felt like he had returned to the Demon Hunters inn, drinking and chatting with his friends, living the blissful life.
Although it was a moment, it was enough for the old Demon Hunter to savour.
Just you wait! Everything will be rebuilt! muttered Anderson to himself. He then told the wagoner to go to the Lower Seventh Ring.
It had been decided that the estate outside Edatine Castle would be the new base for the Demon Hunters but it would still require a buffer to ease things up. Carrot Hotel was obviously not suitable, the surroundings were tooplicated and it was the perfect ce to be put on watch. It was not as suitable as the slums, which were leveled to the ground yesterday night.
Besides, he still had to confirm something about the Mist.
The Wolf Sect was living on theirst breath, Snake Sect could never follow the footsteps of its counterpart.
As an elder, Anderson thought he must do something himself and be there himself to witness it.
With that thought in mind, Anderson adjusted his emotions. He kept theughter and teasing in his heart, for the vignt and cautious Demon Hunter had resurface.
...
Are you sure you want to bring me to the kings banquet?
Sitting in room 203 and worrying about the funds, Borl looked at Kieran with utter shock.
Then, more thoughts swiftly entered Borls mind and he stood up.
Thank you Colin. What do I need to pay you? Borl asked and went straight to the point.
Both of them were yers, extra courtesy when there was no one else around them was not necessary. Negotiating with the price tag was the mainstream method in dealing in the big city, asking directly and saving each others time would be the best for anyone.
I have to confirm some things about that guy. It might be dangerous, but Ill do my best to keep you safe, Kieran was being frank.
That guy Kieran referred to must be Broker, Borl knew everything about it.
He had no idea how he ended up in between the battle of these two major yers but he knewpared to the notorious Broker, following the ming Devil would be the safer bet.
Although the title literally spelled Devil, Kieran was a trustworthy person, all the promises he made would be kept.
On the other hand, scamming people had be an instinct for Broker.
Okay! Borl nodded without even thinking. He had limited choices anyway, his main mission was on his tail and after the unusual changesst night, the difficulty for him to gather funds had just skyrocketed.
His n of gathering enough funds in the uing days so that he could buy his dukeship had be an impossible dream, but should he follow Kieran around, things might turn out differently.
It was widely known that Edatine VI had granted Kieran a dukeship andnd. As long as he could stay with Kieran, he could eventually get some benefits for himself.
Buying a dukeship at a discounted price might be a possible oue too! Getting a dukeship directly could also happen with a high chance.
You better get ready then. We will head to the banquet at night. Bring Aschen as well, Kieran paused and mentioned the bodyguards name.
Borl nodded.
Things might just turn out more dangerous than he expected!
With that thought in mind, Borl went on to prepare himself.
It was 7-8 hours before dark, he had to hurry up.
...
The other one who was also preparing was Hoika.
Unlike the pressured and tense Borl, Hoika proceeded with his preparations in an organized fashion. With his teachers arrangements, everything had progressed well enough but the nervousness, anticipation, and excitement in his heart did not diminish at all.
Sitting in Mierens office back in Silent Night Town, Hoika adjusted his hurried breaths.
When Mieren came in, Hoika was able to keep his emotions in check.
Is it true what you said? The Council Meeting has been passed through?
Mieren did not question why Hoika was in the office without his permission.
He was used to it already anyway, he knew his position and status.
A so-called field agent manager could never bepared to the infamous field agent the Undying.
More so, behind the Undying was a councilman!
Mm, Luncars n worked effectively, Hoika pushed everything to Luncar.
As expected of him! Mieren praised on the outside but cursed him deep down in his heart.
That damn bastard! Foiling my ns! NO! I have to make up for my loss, or else all my efforts will go to waste!
Mierens heart spun rapidly. He then suddenly realized Hoika was looking at him tensely.
His heart skipped a beat and he feigned a normal look, asking Whats wrong Hoika?
Nothing. When it gets dark... I want to borrow your head.
Chapter 1804 - Sunset I
Chapter 1804: Sunset I
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
At four in the afternoon, the whole of Edatine Castle was warm.
It was only during this time that the northerners would remove their thick scarf from their neck, enjoying the wind while itsted.
Of course, it was only applicable for the people in the city. If it was out there in the wilderness, the wind would still be too harsh and ufortable.
Borl opened the window for a change of air.
He had donned a body of formal wearhe prepared the formal wear for himself before arriving here. It matched his physique, was decently styled to not embarrass himself yet not conspicuous. In order toplete his main mission, no amount of preparation would be considered too much.
Beside him was his bodyguard Aschenkano, who had also changed into some new attire: a knight suit of the traditional northern style.
The knight suit focused on minimalism, the buckle on his waist allowed him to carry a sword and a dagger; the other buckle at the back of his waist was reserved for some heavier weapons.
Though Aschens halbert was a little too heavy, the buckle couldnt be of use at all, he had to hold it with his hand.
On top of that, the knight suit made it hard for him to breathe, causing him to unconsciously try to pull the cor to ease his difort.
Aschen! Borl bellowed at his bodyguard before his hand was even lifted.
Aschen showed a face of grievance, so Borl had to exin the situation to him again.
We are going to the banquet of the king! Manners are very important! This is very important to me, I will not allow any mistakes during the banquet, do you understand?
Borl was exceptionally strict when he emphasized thest part.
Okay, Aschen scratched his head at his strict employer, ultimatelypromising.
Borl heaved a breath of relief and tapped his bodyguards shoulder. He didnt want to be strict on his bodyguard either, but just like what he exined, this banquet was indeed very important to him.
It wasnt just directly rted to the sess or failure of his main mission, it was also rted to his future development.
He never wanted to be helpless against things that happened before his eyes anymore.
This time, with the help of 2567 and Lawless, he was considered lucky, utmost lucky to be exact. He was utterly grateful about the help but what about next time? Would he be able to secure luck for his next dungeon?
The answer was obvious, therefore he had to recover his strength. In order to do that, he had to clear the main mission of this dungeon world with flying colors.
Hu!
Borl sucked in a deep breath to adjust his emotions. He knew he was stressed out and he was behaving unlike himself.
But...
When life and death were in the light, who could really be calm and stagnant?
Sitting down, Borl intuitively looked at the quiet Kieran, whose eyes were closed, as though he was asleep.
I think he is the only one who could be calm in front of death, Borl sighed in his heart.
The more time he spent with the ming Emperor, the more he felt it.
At first he thought Kieran distanced himself from him because of the Witch, but not anymore. He understood that even though he and Kieran started on the same line, the gap between them was too far apart.
Strength and power aside, he couldnt even think calmly at all times in any situation, especially in those continuous, difficult dungeon worlds!
How many continuous dungeons has he been through now? Is this the third? Or the fourth? Borl wondered.
As once a veteran yer, in order to get a better life for himself, he did not venture into a dungeon world at the veryst minute but hepromised in the between. He would get sufficient rest and strengthen himself before starting onethere was an urban myth in the big city saying that if a yer procrastinated until thest moment to enter the dungeon world, said yer might be affected by some unknown factor.
Although no one was able to verify said myth, a lot of people believed it, hence the choice of the majority yers.
There were only a few who would actively venture into dungeon worlds, especially these kinds of continuous ones. Continuous dungeons wouldnt just test a yers strength, they also tested the yers mental state and stamina.
An intertwined,plicated dungeon world plus the asional main mission without any clues, all those were extremely exhausting, especially to the mind.
One time, it was still manageable but a continuous one...I think I might die very early on.
Once again, Borl felt the gap, sighing. Kieran too opened his eyes after he sensed Borls gaze at him, returning the gaze.
His eyes werent questioning Borl, only the usual nonchnce.
Yet the nonchnce pressured Borl a lot.
He pleaded by raising his hands into the air and whimpered, Im just curious about whether or not you are tired! Not physically, but mentally!
Think about the good things, it can relieve stress and ease your strains, Kieran replied after a quick thought.
Good things, eh? I guess you are right, they really can ease the exhaustion and strain.
Borl nodded, intuitively wanting to recall the good things in life but all he got in his mind was the insult and rage when the Witch robbed him of everything. Borls breathing hurried.
That wretched Witch! He cursed in his heart.
He then looked up at Kieran with a shrug.
It seems like your methods are not applicable to me. All I can feel is the gloominess of life, Borl mocked himself with a chuckle.
Think about Lawless then. He is still waiting for you to go back and buy him a drink.
As an ally in the current situation, Kieran reminded Borl that he had something to go back to.
He wouldnt want his ally suffering from any kind of mental problem, especially in this pagan-filled dungeon world. The slightest misstep could get him affected and it might affect the entire n.
Lawless?
The thought of the man being exploited by the owner of Harvest Inn made Borl curled up his lips into a smile.
It wasnt a ridiculing smile anymore, it came from the bottom of his heart.
He had no idea how a person could have the personality of Lawless, but he liked to befriend someone like him.
Or in other words... having a friend like Lawless was great.
I have to go back and buy him a drink! 10 Point limit, Ill let him choose whatever he wants.
When Borl mentioned 10 Points, his voice turned muddled.
It was the habit of a yer when it came to points.
I guess you can only buy him malt beer or normal Ardifell. You know, Rachel isnt your typical ck-hearted woman, albeit her wine brewing technique is great.
Kieran stood up as he spoke, stretching his body and grabbing his coat off the hanger from the stand behind the door.
Borl turned to the window and looked outside.
A wagon under the escort of some soldiers slowly approached the hotel. On the door of the wagon was an eagle emblem, representing the royal court. It shone in its glorious golden color under the bright sun.
My lord.
When Kieran came out of Carrot Hotel, the vassal who once brought Edatine VIs decree to Kieran appeared before his eyes again.
The vassal was still wearing his red loose dress with golden lining, his face still had a thickyer of powder and his smile at Kieran was as ttering as ever, including the ck and yellow teeth in his mouth.
Mm. I want to bring two more followers with me to the banquet, Kieran pointed at Borl and Aschen.
The two of them came up to Kieran right away.
They had an agreement before this, both of them would apany Kieran as his followers. It was probably the most suitable identity for the two of them.
Of course. Its only appropriate. As a duke yourself, its natural for you to bring your own followers.
The vassal smiled and finished his words before bowing at Borl and Aschen, not caring a bit about their identities as followers.
Perhaps the vassal might not be perfect in many aspects but as the diplomat vassal of the royal court, his manners in weing people was absolutely impable, there was no intimidating presence, neither would hemit some cheap mistakes.
For example, during his trip to Carrot Hotel this time, albeit only to receive Kieran alone, he brought two wagons with him, meaning he had anticipated the situation before him.
He walked to the wagon and opened the door for Kieran with a bow.
My lord, please.
Kieran stepped up into the wagon and then saw Borl and Aschen boarded the other one before allowing the vassal to sit in the wagoners seat.
Following themand of the vassal, the wagons of the royal court slowly drove into the Upper Seventh Ring.
It was not the first time Kieran went to the Upper Seventh Ring, but it was the first time he strolled around this casually.
Continuous rows of houses were built on one side of the avenue, with each house having its own little garden and balcony.
Some buildings with signage even had a parterre set up in the garden.
They were colorful when viewed from outside and extra captivating.
These were all the shops in the Upper Seventh Ring.
Kieran paid attention to a few shops as he travelled along, it wasnt because of their attractive decoration but because of the nice smell of food that he picked up with his nose.
Passing through the Upper Seventh Ring, the wagons were about to enter the Upper Sixth Ring.
The roads in the Upper Sixth Ring were wider than the previous one, the residence in the area was much more reserved as well. Even if the building was a shop, it wasnt as pronounced as the one before, one could hardly tell judging by the looks alone. Many vines curled up around the buildings and covered the windows.
It was hard to get a clear view inside the building from outside.
Privacy was sought after by the people here, especially those with identities and position.
After entering the Upper Fifth Ring, it was officially the noble district.
People with different countships, dukeships etc. all lived here.
The size of the houses they lived in was determined by the height of their position and status.
In the center of the district was a big theatre hall where opera performances would be held during festivals.
Of course, the theatre hall had other activities during other days toothough the tickets for the other activities were much more expensive than the opera performance, not even themon nobles could afford it.
The Upper Fourth and Third Ring had noble residences also but the majority who lived in these two rings were mostly rted to the military.
The wagon turned into a big avenue and continued to climb up the rings.
A building instantly appeared in Kierans sight after the wagon turned in.
It wasnt the pce of the king, it was War God Temple!
No extra confirmation was needed, neither did he rely on the architectural style to determine the ce. Under Kierans [Tracking], the holy light of God of War overflowed uncontrobly from the temple.
The light was filled with a sense of rage, mixed with the very faint smell of blood.
It seemed like the unusual attackst night and the frightening encounter earlier made the God who once reigned supreme in the Northern Lands furious.
Even his clones are affected? Kieran had his attention on the other side: he was thinking whether he could expand his gains tonight.
As for the real God of War?
Kieran looked up and scanned over everything with [Tracking].
Above the city, two terrifying energy aura confronted each other, just like what he saw when he first arrived in the city. Though this time around, there was a tad difference: the two terrifying energy aura became more vtile.
It was without a doubt that the series of changes that happened in Edatine Castle gave these two Gods other ulterior thoughts.
It was good news for Kieran though.
If the water wasnt muddled enough, how could he fish and get away?
Still, he still had to get a clear grasp of how deep it was.
Slightly altering his sitting posture, Kieran tapped the table with his fingers and started to ponder on the questions.
The wagons continued to climb higher.
After going through a passageway beside War God Temple, they finally reached the pce.
The pce wasnt outrageously huge, neither was it morous and shiny enough. Other than the two groups of weing guards standing in front of the day, one could hardly tell that the ce was a pce.
In fact, viewing it from the passageway earlier, everyone would see the War God Temple on first nce, not the pce.
Right at this moment, the two groups of guards blew the bugles loudly, so loud that it was deafening.
Kieran couldnt hold back his chuckle. Royal authority? Divine authority? he muttered in his heart.
If the king was a worthless puppet, he wouldnt care about the arrangements from War God Temple but the king was ambitious and wise, he wouldnt have endured it.
Even if he could endure it for some time, he wouldnt have endured it for his whole life.
Edatine VI was exactly thetter.
All the tactics he pulled seemed to go against the orthodox party nobles but in Kierans view, the king was going after War God Temple.
After all, the majority of the orthodox party nobles worshipped God of War, including thete viscount of Sicar.
Thats right, thete viscount of Sicar!
Kieran was directly involved in the viscounts death, but he deemed it as part of the kings setup, simr to the unusual attackst night.
The soft bbers in peoples ears, the overflowing amount of pagans, and the ck Cataclysm!
Do not forget that after the ck Cataclysm, the numbers of pagans multiplied!
There were pagans lurking around before the ck Cataclysm but the numbers were scattered.
More importantly, before the ck Cataclysm, the God of war reigned supreme!
Lady Cmity had no ce in this as the whole Northern Lands only worshipped a single God.
But after the ck Cataclysm?
Her appearance did not just split the beliefs of the northerners in half, sharing it with the God of War, the ridiculous amount of pagans further exhausted War God Temple.
Connecting the dots to the kings attitude and the work he did, some details started toe afloat.
Therefore, Kieran decided to bring Borl.
He wanted to find out what kind of role Borl yed in the ck Cataclysm.
A rising lord who identally inherited histe fathers wealth or an ambitious yet despicable character who only cared about his own benefits?
If it was the former, Kieran had nothing to say.
But if it was thetter?
He wouldnt do anything about it either. He was just doing things like the Demon Hunters.
After all, the Wolf Sect Demon Hunters almost got wiped out during the ck Cataclysm.
As a Snake Sect Demon Hunter, he assumed he had the responsibility to seek justice for his counterpart and if he could discover some secrets in the process, it would be the best oue.
Using all the people as chess pieces, who else would be more suitable for the role than the king? Am I right, Broker?
As Kieran spoke to himself in his heart, the door was opened up by the vassal.
We are here, my lord.
When Kieran stepped down of the carriage
WUNG!
WUNG WUNG!
Two rows of guards blew the bugles in their hands powerfully, the sound was even louder than before.
Kieran stood in front, with Borl and Aschen behind him. The trio walked along the red and gold carpet in the middle of the soldiers.
On one of the balconies of the pce stood several figures.
The youngest one glued his eyes to Kieran, mumbling, Is that him?
It is him, said the vassal beside the young figure.
The young figure curled up his hands into fists with gnashing teeth, his eyes furious enough to spew fire.
Chapter 1805 - Sunset II
Chapter 1805: Sunset II
COMMENT
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran sensed the furious gaze the very moment itnded on him, but he did not care.
He had all sorts of guesses before he came, and what he sensed was just one of many guesses he had in his mind. It was the easiest among everything to deal with.
If the opposite did not do anything upon his arrival, Kieran might be more suspicious and cautious.
Growing restless so fast? It seems like the pressure on you is much heavier than I expected, Kieran thought in his mind while maintaining his nonchnt look. He maintained his pace as he walked through the two rows of soldiers and made his way into Edatine pce.
Simr to the looks from the outside, the interior of the pce wasnt as morous as expected. It might even look inferior whenpared to some manor or estate of some prestigious nobles.
The pce looked very simr to old Marquis Hortons mansion, the designs and architectural style very reserved.
It was also fair to consider that the architectural style of Edatine VIs pce influenced his closest subjects.
What the superior loved, his inferiors would be found to love it exceedingly. It seemed fitting to apply in this situation.
When Kiean walked up the stairs and into the corridor, he saw that the clean b paving and the two walls on each side had no decorations at all, no tapestries or paintings, nothing. There were only two sets of armor hanging there for symbolization purposes. A giant chandelier with candles, each as thick as an arm, hung in the middle of the ceiling. The light lit up the whole corridor brightly. He walked down the corridor for several more steps and the grand hall of the pce woulde into sight.
Compared to the sorry state of the corridor, the grand hall had a slightly better feel of a pce.
Red and gold streamers hung along the walls, tied to the pirs, which had silver candlesticks embedded on them, by a gold rope. The setting brought out the warm feeling of the rock wall when the candle light shone on it.
Oak wood tables were lined up straight in the middle of the hall and filled with food.
There were also sofas around the hall, providing a space for people to chat during casual times.
Why not put the sofas together?
It was obviously due to the differences of position and identity of the people and their different social circles, especially among the nobles.
My lord, please wait here for a while. The banquet will start shortly. You can take the food on the table and choose whichever sofa you like, said the vassal.
After a nod from Kieran, the vassal quickly headed to the door beside the hallthe hall was the ce where everyone assembled, not a ce for the king to hold meetings or councils.
As a matter of fact, every kings council hall would be the core of the entire pce, but as a guest, Kieran had no rights to barge in.
Besides, Kieran showed no interest in that ce too. He knew what Edatine VI was plotting.
He even had a general idea what the king would discuss with his close subjects in the council hall, but was it important?
Those meaningless conversations were nothingpared to the delicious food on the table. Kieran looked forward to tasting the food rather than listening to what the king had to say.
The roasted meat, which consisted of a fair amount of lean and fatty meat, looked utterly delicious.
Kieranmented in his heart before he strode to the dining table.
Borl, behind Kieran, got stunned for a moment by Kierans action.
By spending a long time with the ming Devil, he knew how much Kieran was fond of food and he had nothing to say about it.
But he also liked to eat, it was just that he didnt have the appetite of the ming Devil.
The appetite which allowed him to eat like a ck hole, it was something Borl couldntpete with.
However, never did Borl think the ming Devil would still act on his own way even in the pce.
Perhaps... he is only going for a little?
Borl wondered and his hand reached out to his bodyguard, pulling him back.
The reason why the ming Devil dared to do it was because of his ridiculous powers.
Should Borl and his bodyguard feast on the food, they might die a horrible death before they even know it.
After all, Edatine VI wasnt known for his mercy, and he was by no means a kind king.
A king who built his capital like a gigantic fortress had nothing to do with mercy.
It was important to note that during Edatine V, the pce wasnt this in.
There were giant French ss windows, providing an overhead view over the entire city.
The sunlight would also shine through the giant windows, both during sunrise and sunset.
When the wind blew, the streamers would flutter in their unique noise, as if they were singing.
During a storm, the rain thatnded on the giant ss window was as powerful as the opening act of an opera show.
The beauty of the night sky was also visible, the vast sky of darkness could be easily captured by the eyes with a slight lift of head.
For the sake of his main mission, Borl did his homework. He had collected many literature works describing Edatine Castle, those writers and poets described the pce of Edatine extensively.
Some even described Edatine Castle as a pearl.
Unfortunately, after Edatine VI ascended to the throne, the pearl was long gone and was reced by an iron pellet!
It wasnt just sturdy, it hid its fierce res in the shadow too.
Borl could already make out more than one watch point hiding in the shadows.
These watch points... No, it should be the secret agents of the king. They didnt just watch beyond the pce, they also kept an eye all over the pce interior.
Borl was certain that the slightestmotion would bring these secret agents out and they would solve the problem.
Hope things can progress smoothly to-
Borl prayed in his heart for a smooth evening but before he could finish his prayers, he noticed that half the food that nketed the whole banquet table was gone.
Since when did it... wasnt it full a moment ago?
Borl looked at Kieran, who continued to chew chunks of meat with his furious eating, in utter astonishment, a bitter smile uncontrobly appearing on his face.
He then saw several mening towards them, in a less than friendly way.
Herees trouble, Borl sighed softly.
Though he hadnt forgotten his identity, or more precisely, he remembered the deal he had with Kieran.
Before the few men were able to disturbKierans eating, Borl and Achen stood in front of them, stopping them from getting close.
Go away! the youngest among them shouted loudly.
The young man was dressed beautifully, his presence filled with the arrogance and sternness of a high ss noble, but the unknown rage made his rather handsome face look vicious.
Im sorry my lord. We are Duke Colins follower and guard, Borl addressed the young man respectfully and stated his identity.
Duke?
The young man reacted like he had heard a joke, opening his arms wide and looked left and right.
The people who followed the young manughed out loud when they caught the young mans nce.
Hahahaha!
Duke? What a lousy joke!
Do you know what ce this is?
Do you know who you are talking to?
The men beside the young manughed out loud as they questioned Borl.
I dont know, Borl replied frankly.
This is the son of His Majesty Edatine VI!
You are speaking to the prince!
He is the heir to the entire Northern Lands!
And also the future king!
The introduction given by the others around the young man made Borl frown.
Judging from the attire and the bearing, Borl knew the young man was not some John Doe but never did he think he was talking to the prince, the only son of Edatine VI!
Rumour has it that when Edatine I was building his kingdom, in order to unite the entire Northern Lands, he ughtered many and his actions were condemned by the Northern Witches, who proceeded to curse him.
Your kingdom shall copse overnight!
Your bloodline will stop abruptly!
Everything that you own will eventually be nothing but garnish for someone elses splendor!
...
The overall idea of the curse was something simr.
However, no one believed that the curse worked because back then, Edatine I had the blessings of God of War, but it was also a fact that he had very few children.
No matter how hard Edatine I worked on it, he only got one son, which was Edatine II. The same thing went for Edatine II, whose son was Edatine III. The patternsted until Edatine VI and had never been broken before.
Therefore, people started to think the curse of the witches worked, at least a part of it.
Of course, the recent rumours only spread among the people due to the appearance of Lady Cmity constraining the God of War. Before her appearance, no one even dared to think about the rumours.
Therefore, Borl had limited understanding towards the royal lineage, but he knew this prince before his eyes had failed the qualities of a ruler to a kingdom.
The prince had none of the temperament of the heir to Edatine VI, neither did he possess the respective shrewdness.
Go away! the young prince shouted again.
If Borl was native, he would step aside obediently but Borl wasnt.
He scanned the young prince from top to bottom and shook his head a tad.
For the sake of his main mission, he had to keep the promise he made with Kieran and now would be the time for him to perform.
Besides, he strongly believed that what happened in this grand hall would soon enter the kings ears.
In a short whileter, the king, Edatine VI, would be here at the grand hall.
As for the jealousy and rage of the prince before him?
Borl wasnt worried at all.
He came for his main mission, not for some natives, so his reverence towards a prince was near zero.
However, to Borls surprise, within his sight, those secret agents of the king who paid attention to the little encounter did note forward, not even a single one of them. They stayed in the shadows, as if they were waiting for the show to start.
Is there some othermunication method that I dont know off? Borl wondered.
The young prince before his eyes was restless.
He raised his hand into the air and his followers surrounded Borl and Aschen.
Borl looked at Kieran, but Kieran did not respond at all.
Kieran was picking up a piece of cut mutton with his chopsticks and sprinkling cumin powder over it.
Without excessive eye contact or words, Kierans actions were enough to let Borl know what he should do.
Without a second thought, Borl dished out a punch. He held back and did not hide any weapons in that fist.
Aschen saw Borl punching the man in front of him, so he too followed in swinging his punches like a tornado.
Aschen really wanted to use his halbert but the halbert and the swords were temporarily confiscated when they entered the pce by that cynical vassal.
Bang!
The man in front of Borl fell to the ground after the thud. He might not be good at hand-to-handbat but that didnt mean he couldnt throw a punch, or at least the man couldnt stop him.
Aschen was even more brutal. Hisrge fish spun in a flurry, simr to a windmill, as he swept his opponent around him to the ground. After Borl struck down his second opponent, Aschen had knocked down all of his.
The bodyguard then looked at the young prince with a ferocious gaze.
For a person as simple as Aschen, regardless of who stood before him, being the prince or the king didnt matter, he only cared about his boss and Colin, who was on his side. This young prince showed hostility towards Colin, so he must be an enemy! If the young prince was an enemy, Aschen would beat him up fiercely!
The young prince seemingly unable to react to the situation in time. He was quite confident in his followers. It wasnt just because his followers were decent in fighting, it was also because he handpicked every one of them himself.
He never would have thought the men that he handpicked would be knocked down in a few breaths.
It was only when Aschen walked up to the prince that the prince reacted to the situation.
WHAT DO YOU WANT?!
The prince was able to hold back his body from staggering back out of fear, shouting loudly, but it sounded like he was scared inside.
I want...
We dont mean any harm, dear prince. It is you who tried to pick on our lord, Borl exined, stopping Aschen before his bodyguard could do anything rash.
It wasnt until this moment that Borl finally noticed something unusual.
If the secret agents of the king hiding in the shadows did not make a move against him due to the unknownmunication method they had, then up until now, after Borl and Aschen beat up the princes men and the secret agents still didnt do anything, things would be worthwhile to ruminate over.
Could it be that His Majesty...
As though he had connected the dots, Borl was struck with shock.
However, he forcefully suppressed the shock back into his heart and used words to prove himself innocent.
Borl sounded righteous and reasonable because it was the fact!
At the same time, Borls mind started to spin rapidly.
He had no idea why the king would specifically target 2567. They were fine before this, but he knew he must control the situation under a bnced state, in which he could secure his own safety and prevent things from truly getting ugly with Edatine VI.
COMMENT
They were in Edatine Castle!
Should things go ugly with Edatine VI, it would be the worst for them!
However, the worst had yet toe as Borl thought of something new in his mind: could Edatine VI be rted to Broker?
Everything before this was just a disguise and now he finally decided to reveal the hidden dagger?
If that was the case...
Borls heart skipped a beat uncontrobly.
After the little confrontation, Kieran had finished thest piece of pastry on the table.
The pastry tasted like an egg cake, it had milk, butter, and sugar added when baked.
The texture was smooth and slightly sweet, as if he was eating pudding. The unfortunate thing was the fire overcooked it a little, making the egg cake less springy.
In fact, it was not just the egg cake that was wed, all the food served on the table had some mistakes to them.
Though Kieran was used to it, it wasnt from Starbeck anyway, so it was considered not bad for making it to this level.
I want to eat the food you cook...
2The thought came into Kierans mind before he turned around and walked to the prince.
Borl and Aschen naturally stepped aside when Kieran came over, standing behind him after he walked past them.
COMMENT
HOLD IT RIGHT THERE! STOP MOVING!
The young prince couldnt hold back his shudders when he saw Kieran walking over. He had no idea why he would shudder, he only felt that the person walking to him was very scary.
He was not as tall or as big as the guard but the prince felt a sense of suffocation under his presence, as though a mountain had fallen from the sky, robbing him of his ability to breath.
I AM WARNING YOU! I AM THE...
Bang!
Mustering all his strength, the young prince shouted loudly, but before he could finish, Kierannded a kick on his face.
After the loud thud, the prince was sent flying backwards and was embedded on the rock wall, like a painting. Two whole secondster, the prince started to slide off the wall.
Blood spewed from his squashed head.
Chapter 1806 - Sunset III
Chapter 1806: Sunset III
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Edatine pce, council hall.
It was not a big one but a smaller one located near the edge of the pce.
However, everyone knew this smaller council hall was the real ce where all important matters that affect the whole of Edatine or even the whole Northern Lands were discussed and decided.
Every single order or decree that came out from this council hall was substantial enough to affect millions of lives.
Therefore, no normal attendants were allowed to approach the vital ce.
Other than the subjects summoned by the king himself, only the royal court guardians and the close vassal of the king, Monte, were allowed to approach.
Even Montes arrival had to be notified beforehand.
Standing in the corridor outside the door, Monte shook his red dress with golden linings, making sure his attire and looks were clean and neat after he had perfectly carried out the order assigned to him by the king. He smiled at the royal court guardian chief, who was on duty at the door.
He did not smile in a ttering way, but a normal one.
The normal smile with the presence of the thickyer of white powder on his face did not make him look neither fish nor fowl, instead it granted him an exceptional steadiness, increasing fondness in people when looked at.
Everyone wore a mask.
As for Monte, he wore multiple masks on his face. Hed choose different masks to put on when facing different people.
Hed put on the ttering mask when facing Kieran, the respect and equality mask when facing the guards.
When facing Edatine VI?
Please go in, Lord Monte, said the chief guard.
Thank you.
A very polite thank youter, Monte entered the hall as the chief opened the door for him.
The small council hall was not big, less than 165 square meters.
The fire in the firece at the wall burned strongly, providing warmth to the room. A big study table was on the right with quail pens, ink, and documents ced on top, looking messy but actually organized, on the left wall was a wind rackbined with a book rack. The wine rack took up two thirds of the ce and held many kinds of alcoholic drinks which could be found all over Northern Lands, plus some from the south.
The book rack had only a few books. The center part had a big ship model instead of books.
Edatine VI was sitting in the only tall back chair in front of the firece. The other chairs around him were empty. The king was only in his 50s but his beard was white, cheeks bby, eye bags puffed, bloodshot eyes that made him look like a ferocious hound, especially when he looked at you, the pressure would double.
Sire.
Monte stood straight like a knight, then knelt down on one knee and lowered his head.
His actions and postures were meticulous, not a bit of ttery was found, as if he was a real royal subject.
This was the mask Monte put on when facing the king: upright and loyal.
He wasnt actually fond of his straight looks but the king was.
To an ambitious king, all treacherous court officials werent allowed to truly exist, which was why he made an example, a decoy, to attract other peoples attention.
For example, Monte. He knew he was the decoy but he knew it was what the king wanted to see him, not the king himself.
As a close vassal, he has to be dutiful. His job was to distinguish the corrupted bunch from the upright ones and search for the truly capable to help the king.
After that, it would be Edatine VIs job.
As a king, Edatine VI was exceptionally outstanding in Montes view. Whether it was his capabilities or means to approach things, he drew much admiration from Monte.
This time was no exception either.
The new lord of Sicar and the Snake Sect Demon Hunter having dinner together!
It wouldnt just be a simple dinner though, Monte was able to sense a thing or two from theplicated ns but dared not and could not make guesses. He was just a close vassal after all.
How is it? asked Edatine VI.
The kings voice was hoarse and heavy, as if metal was being grinded on sandpaper. The rugged voice would strike chills down ones spine.
The guest is here, Monte answered.
Did you see Svenson? Edatine VI asked all of a sudden.
Svenson, full name Svenson Edatine. In short, Edatine VIs only son and heir to the throne.
The abrupt question did not send Monte into panic mode, neither did his expression change.
I saw His Highness earlier. He was in the grand hall.
State what he saw, avoid irrelevant details and skip the unnecessary guesses.
Monte bore his identity in mind, he would never cross the line.
He is a young man and young men always act on impulse. More so, a young man like him tends to be rebellious at times. Even though I am king, I cant stop my son from being rebellious. So I asked someone for help, someone that wouldnt hold back just because of his identity.
Edatine VI sounded like he was talking to himself but at the same time telling it to Monte.
Snake Sect Demon Hunter would be a good candidate, Monte seized the moment and voiced his suggestion during the little pause in the kings words.
Of course. Both Snake Sect and Wolf Sect are very ideal candidates, Edatine VI smiled, the loose bby cheeks on his face waving as he curled up his lips.
Monte, who knew a little bit more secrets than others, lowered his head further.
Knowing more wouldnt necessarily be good, at least it applied to this situation.
The ck Cataclysm was a great shuffle for the north and south. The forces that got annihted in the cmity were countless.
The most famous among them was the Wolf Sect Demon Hunters. Many people even thought Demon Hunters were a relic of the past, and they would have continued doing so if it wasnt for the reappearance of Snake Sect.
Everything seemed to be secured but with their appearance, things would have to go through reevaluations.
Unlike those people or factions, who could be easily moved by gains and benefits, Demon Hunters worked ording to their heart. They were stubborn as rocks and should they discover the truth about the ck Cataclysm, they... might very well get to the bottom of this, even if it cost them their lives.
Monte had the theory in mind, his lowered head showing a faint sorrow and sighs.
He would never want to be on the opposite of the Demon Hunters.
They were proven to be the best against the monsters, but against normal enemies, they would also be the best assassins.
They didnt have the honor of knights, they couldmit all kinds of acts in order to take out their enemies. The thought of losing his head while he was asleep tightened Montes neck.
As for persuading the king? Forget about it.
Should the Demon Hunterse after him, he would die at ater date.
Persuading Edatine VI, however, might kill him on the spot.
More so... it was already toote.
Svenson Edatine would have already made a move against that Snake Sect Demon Hunter.
It was actually the kings arrangement.
After that?
The secret agents on stand by would swarm over, there would be no fights, only questioninga disy of strength in front of a ridiculously powerful Demon Hunter was not a wise move.
But given that Demon Hunters wouldnt hurt normal people if they werent in danger, the king would surely win this round.
A Snake Sect Demon Hunter under control would surely attract more Demon Hunters forward, both Snake and Wolf sect.
After these Demon Hunters understood the truth, they would surely be apologetic, especially after the king disyed his generous bearing.
This was the deal that the king sought after.
A small conflict leading to his son getting beaten up and he would be able to tie the Demon Hunters on his chariot, it was a bargain!
On top of that, there wouldnt just be the Snake Sect Demon Hunters, there was also the Mist religious sect!
This religious sect that had proven its strength was also a group the king would like to rope in.
Of course, it also included the new lord of Sicar, Erin Sicar.
Monte was utterly sure that his king would surely throw the bomb of revtion at the perfect timing, exposing the real culprit behind the ck Cataclysm.
Until then...
Sweat broke out of Montes forehead as more dots were connected.
The sweat rolled down and entered his eyes, carried powder with it, which stung, but Monte dared not wipe it. He lowered his head and waited for the king to speak.
Fortunately, the wait was not long before the king spoke again, Have the bunch from Silent Night Secret Society entered the city?
The representatives of all 14 councilman entered the city in the afternoon! They are now at Silent Night Town, Monte reported.
Silent Night Town!
A faint grunt came from Edatine VI as he mentioned the town.
To a king, what else was more frustrating than unable to make a move against the foregin town built within his own city, his own turf?
It would be having two of said towns on his turf.
Edatine VI leaned back on his tall back chair, the crown on his head not moving. His bloodshot eyes were staring in a certain direction.
Monte didnt lift his head up but he knew where his king was looking at.
As a matter of fact, many knew what the king was truly furious about and dreaded: God of War!
The divine existence that had unsevered ties with Edatine.
Some time in the past, the God of Wars actions or words affected the entire kingdom.
Although after the ck Cataclysm, the God of Wars influence had declined greatly, he was still a thorn in the kings flesh.
What about the south? Edatine VI asked calmly, tucking his emotions away.
Our docks are hard at work. When summer arrives, our ships will be able to fill the entirety of Qitar Bay, Monte unconsciously raised his volume.
He was excited and it was hard for him to hide his excitement.
As the subject of Edatine VI, he feared the king but also admired him at the same time. He knew should the kings n seed, the situation surrounding Edatine would change entirely.
The slumbering kingdom would be given a new life!
Edatine VIs achievements would surely race up to the first king.
Summer, summer, Edatine Vi muttered softly.
The king then stood up. The old-looking king had the physique and height of a Northerner, time left some severe marks on his face but not his body.
Absent the face, no one would treat him as an old man, especially with his fit physique.
People would treat him as a man in his prime, a very strong king.
He walked to the book rack and picked up the ship model.
It was crafted by the craftsman of the pce.
It wasnt just the scale that was precise, the sail, the ropes, the hatches, and the cannons looked exactly like ones on the real ship. It was like the whole boat was shrunk down and ced on his book rack.
Edatine VIs fingers caressed the canons, his bloodshot eyes showed a sense of vicious anticipation.
That gaze was of a conqueror and something a victor was used to.
How did they react? Edatine VI seemingly asked a casual question as his mind fantasized about something else.
They tried to rope in the Mist religious sect to their side but the men they sent out failed. Before this, they also tried to contact the Demon Hunters but before they could even get close, our agents took them out.
Monte knelt down on one knee and slightly lifted his head up, reporting in detail as he looked at the back of his king. His voice had a trace of contempt.
He knew what kind of attitude he should use when speaking of the orthodox party.
He also agreed that the orthodox party deserved to be treated with such a poor attitude.
A bunch of straw bags!
Maybe some among them were admirable and rming figures but the majority of them were straw bags who could achieve nothing but were good at spoiling things!
Just think about the person earlier today, who tried to persuade the Mist religious sect.
Did he really think of himself as an important figure, showing mercy to the religious sect?
He didnt even know his position and yet he rushed forward to propose a coboration, did he really think of himself as the protagonist of a biography novel?
If I had such resources, I would have...
The thought came afloat in Montes mind but he quickly stopped himself from imagining things.
He waited quietly and patiently for Edatine VIs next order.
He knew the orthodox party must be dealt with before summer, otherwise Edatine VI could not proceed with his conquest with a peace of mind.
Right at the moment
Ring ring ring!
A bell behind the study table suddenly rang.
Monte looked at that direction in utter shock. He never knew there was a bell hidden behind the study table but after he saw the slight change in Edatine VIs look, he understood the importance of the bell.
Or rather, it was normal that such a bell existed in the small council hall.
The king before him preferred to be prepared for any kind of danger.
Edatine Vi strode behind his study table and pulled the hidden lever to stop the bell from ringing.
What happened? Edatine VI bellowed.
His voice was heavier and louder than at normal times, sounding extra pressuring and intimidating, shaking the one in the dark.
S-S-...
Stuttered words plus the trembles made the words iplete.
Edatine Vi frowned.
It was rare but a bad feeling rose up in the kings heart.
What happened? Suppressing the uneasy feeling, Edatine VI emphasized the question once more.
Its His Highness, Svenson! His Highness Svenson... was kicked to death by the Snake Sect Demon Hunter!
The voice finally became clear.
Bam!
Monte fell limp on the ground from his kneeling. At that very moment, there was only one word that ran through the close vassals mind: F*CK!
Chapter 1807 - The Rise of The Moon
Chapter 1807: The Rise of The Moon
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Huha, huha.
Monte sprinted full speed across the pce with his hands dangling behind him.
This would be the first time he ran around the pce in such an ugly way. If he had a choice, he would never want to show this side of himself but... Prince Svenson was dead! In the hands of the Snake Sect Demon Hunter!
Until this very moment, Monte still dared not believe what he heard. His mind was nk, as white as paper with only a single sentence written on it, which was Edatine VIs direct order: bring that Snake Sect Hunter to him!
With the order in mind, as the close vassal, Monte had to put in the extra effort.
When he ran back into the grand hall and saw the royal court agents confronting the Snake Sect Demon Hunters, Monte slightly heaved a breath of relief.
Still manageable! Still manageable! Things hadnt gonepletely south!
Monte couldnt help but feel lucky in his heart, but when he saw Svensons body on the side, the luckiness in his heart flew far away, leaving him with swollen temples and a suffocating chest.
Monte was dizzy, as if he was punched in the face, stars swirling around his head and his body wobbling, falling to the floor.
The situation before his eyes was the worst!
What else could be worse than the situation before his eyes?
It would probably be the death of the king.
When the thought popped up in his mind, Monte shook his head quickly, discarding the disrespectful thought out of his mind.
He then breathed quickly and looked at the Snake Sect Demon Hunter.
The Demon Hunter stood there with a nonchnt look.
Behind him was the follower and the guard, who stood tightly to him. Especially the guard, his eyes viciously gazed over all the agents and pce guards who had them surrounded.
It seemed like with a single order from the Snake Sect Demon Hunter, the guard would throw himself towards the pce guards and agents, ripping them apart.
Of course, it also included the follower.
As a matter of fact,pared to the vicious looking guard, Monte was more concerned about the follower because of the two flintlock pistols in both of his hands.
It wasnt the normal flintlock pistols but the upgraded version with a bigger muzzle,parable to a cannon!
Damn it!
Where did he hide his weapons? Monte cursed deep down in his heart.
It was without a doubt that he had neglected his duty.
When he guided the three of them into the pce, he was the one who confiscated their weapons for safekeeping.
Now, a weapon for mass killing had appeared in the followers hands...
Monte couldnt help but smile bitterly when he thought of the punishment that he could suffer.
Svensons death would surely drag a bunch of people with him and Monte didnt want to be one of them.
So, he walked to the two groups confronting each other.
Calm down, Duke Colin! Everyone calm down.
Monte was loud as he tried to control the situation.
How could he escape his deadly fate?
It would be by carrying the kings order to perfection and going the extra mile so that he could win mercy and get a pardon from the king!
As the close vassal of the king, regardless of his reputation outside the pce, his words had weight and served as a decent deterrent force. His appearance immediately eased up the tense agents of the king and the pce guards.
Although the agents and pce guards were undoubtedly elites of their ranks, they had never met a situation like this before.
The heir to the kingdom was murdered in the pce?
How ridiculous would it sound in peoples ears? Who would believe it?
No one could! Neither could they!
They were utterly lost when the murder happened before their eyes yet all they could do was report it to their superior and their superior passed the news to the higher ups.
Thankfully, Monte arrived! Everyone shifted their gaze at him.
Monte nodded slightly. The pce guards and kings agent opened up a path for him, allowing him to walk up to Kieran.
My duke, Monte greeted Kieran with a bitter smile.
Things were far beyond redemption, but basic manners and etiquette must remain. It was not an old-fashioned thought, it was just that Monte didnt have a death wish.
If he failed to carry out the kings order, his fate would be sealed without a question.
If he voiced any disrespect to the Snake Sect Demon Hunter before his eyes, he would also be dead. Monte clear knew what the Demon Hunter was capable of.
Both going forward and retreating led him to a grim fate, the only way he could escape alive was to handle things with the utmost caution.
At that very moment, Monte felt helpless and pitiful.
If I can escape this alive, I will retire early! Even if I have to move to Mozaar, the outskirts of the north, I dont want to spend another day in this ce.
Unknowingly, the decision was made in his mind and it seemed to calm Monte down.
His Majesty summons you and wants to hear what you have to say about what you did, Monte respectfully delivered the message.
At the same time, his mind was thinking about excuses to make the Demon Hunter go to Edatine VI.
Threats could not work, Demon Hunters were not afraid of threats.
Meaning his only way was to try to win empathy from the Demon Hunter.
Monte opened his mouth and started to beg pitifully.
My dear duke, please pity...
Mm.
What? What did you say?
Kieran nodded before Monte could even finish. It caught Monte off guard and the question came out intuitively.
Lead the way, said Kieran calmly.
V-Very well. Please follow me.
Monte had no idea why Kieran agreed to meet the king so straightforwardly. The mission that he deemed almost impossible waspleted with such ease!
Borl also had no idea why Kieran agreed to meet the king, but he knew Kieran must have his reasons.
The ming Devil was not a rash and reckless person.
Therefore, Borl quickly followed when Kieran started to move; Aschen also followed his boss and hisrade.
The hunk from the outskirts bared his teeth at the pce guards and agents when he walked past them though. Aschen was a simple man, and because of his simple thoughts, he was able to tell who bore ill-intents and who were the bad guys.
These agents who hid in the shadows earlier were the bunch who bore ill-intents.
They only came out after things went out of hand and far beyond redemption.
When Svenson announced his presence, Aschen already knew he was the prince and heir to Edatines throne.
Yet the prince was murdered by his big boss and his big boss agreed to meet the king.
He wouldnt assume Kieran was going to have a chat with the king, there must be a fierce fighting.
The boss pistols can seize the upper hand against them. Ill have to get to my weapon and clear out all the enemies as quickly as possible. We cant go back the route we came from anymore, too many enemies. The only option is... jump off the cliff from either side?
It was rare but Aschen started to think with his head.
The hunks presence then started to change. His killer intents sharpened his killer presence.
The secret agents of the king around him sharply noticed the change of presence, their gazes at the simple hunk bing dangerous as well.
But at the next moment
A freezing pressure froze their nerves from top to bottom.
A killer presence ten times, hundred times denser than Aschens befell them, as if they were drowned by the sea of blood and squashed by the mountains of body.
The pungent smell of blood tightened the kings agents body, forcing the pce guards to stagger backwards, the other attendants falling limp on the ground.
Everyone intuitively looked at the origin of the powerful presence.
It was the back of a figure. It was dark and abysmal and it didnt look back.
Footsteps sounded as the figure moved forward; it was the Snake Sect Demon Hunter!
Everyone else was stunned on the spot, especially the pce guards and kings agents who had the thought of taking him down with the advantage of numbers, chills going down their spine and their hearts bing cold.
The presence of a person wasnt everything, but a powerful presence was enough to prove how powerful the person was, especially the bloodiest kind that felt like he had ughtered millions!
This is a Demon Hunter?
Everyone in the grand hall watched the figure walk away. Borl and Aschen were tightly behind.
Borl thought he must present himself decently since he came here as Kierans follower.
Therefore, before Borl left the grand hall, he turned around, crossed his hands with the pistols in front of his chest and bowed slightly.
It was considered manners and a popr one among the nobles.
Aschen saw his boss bow, so he would also follow.
Aschen did not perform the salutation of the nobles though, he did the one that people practised in Mozaar. The big hunk turned around with gnashing teeth, lifting his left hand and putting his thumb over his throat.
After the provocation, the big hunk habitually showed a vicious smile before he walked away, side by side with his boss and following his big boss footsteps.
One in front, two at the back.
After the trio left, breaths of relief sounded across the grand hall nervously.
It sounded like ones heart was lifted to the throat, causing difficulties in breathing, and then suddenly heaved a breath of relief.
Such breath of relief wouldnt be loud if there was only one, but when a group of people did it at the same time?
Monte could even hear the breaths after he walked out of the grand hall but he decided to turn a deaf ear, simr to how he turned a blind eye at the killer presence of the Snake Sect Demon Hunter and the etiquette of the follower and the guard.
All he had to do was bring the Snake Sect Demon Hunter to the small council room.
The rest was none of his concerns and not something he could handle.
As for the rest after that, he wouldnt even want to spare a thought to think. He was just a small figure who carried out orders obediently. He begged to be pardoned from all kinds of revenge.
Thats right! Revenge!
Monte had already calmed down, his mind thinking about all the possibilities and he was able to make sure one thing: the Snake Sect Demon Hunter must have found out the despicable role that the king yed in the ck Cataclysm, hence murdering the prince.
Otherwise, what else would have caused the Snake Sect Demon Hunter to murder His Highness Svenson?
Could it be the prince disturbed his eating and made his mood sour?
When the vassal of the king thought of what the royal court of Edatine did in the past and what the Demon Hunters had to go through, he couldnt help but shudder uncontrobly.
Get to the bottom of this even if it cost them their lives!
There was no other possibility except this!
Monte was also afraid that not only this young Snake Sect Demon Hunter, but his friend and his teacher should have infiltrated Edatines pce quietly.
There would be a fierce battleing their way!
I hope his Majesty is prepared for this!
The thought made Monte walk faster.
He kept having the feeling that someone was watching him from the shadows.
Therefore, he made up his mind to fake his death after he led the Snake Sect Demon Hunter into the council room.
Why not leave right away though?
He believed the Demon Hunters came prepared, attempts to escape would only lead to a quicker death.
The best choice would be find a secluded ce and y dead.
Monte almost cried out loud when he thought of what would happen next. He was actually nning to escape to the outskirts with his years of saving but now, it seemed like being able to escape with his life was good enough.
PITY ME!
Crying in his heart, Monte brought Kieran andpany to the door of the small council room.
Fully armed royal court guardians were on guard in front of the door. Their gazes on Kieran andpany were extremely hostile.
It seemed like they, too, had heard of the death of the prince.
His Majesty will only see you alone. The two of you have to stay outside, said the chief of the guardians.
Borl gripped his pistols tighter and Aschen was ready to brawl, but Kieran signed at them with a wave of a hand.
Stay out here, said Kieran.
As you order, my duke, Borl bowed, Aschen followed.
The door of the small council room was opened.
Monte, as the vassal, also stayed outside. Only Kieran went in.
Bang!
The door was mmed shut behind him, locking all the guardians outside.
The guardians never worried about their kings safety. More precisely, in the whole pce, or the whole of Edatine Castle, nowhere was safer than the room behind them.
Not even the God of War or Lady Cmity could harm the king inside the room.
Inside the small council room, Edatine VI was still sitting in his tall back chair.
His bloodshot eyes stared at Kieran furiously as he walked closer.
Kieran, unlike others, who were scared by the kings gaze and dreaded by his presence, reacted calmly, if with a bit of arrogance.
His reaction infuriated Edatine VI.
Are you showing off in front of me? You are trying to say that the Demon Hunters had found out the truth? Or do you think a dead son will pain me? Edatine VI bellowed.
Just like what he said, Edatine VI showed no sorrow, only anger. He did not look like a father who had lost his son.
Why dont you use that smart brain of yours and think about why I would react like this? Of course, you figured out: Svenson is not my blood. He appeared so that I can use him as a shield to block some rumours. If this one died, I can simply breed another.
Edatine VIs gradually slowed down as he spoke, his anger also slowly fading away but what remained wasnt calmness but the coldness and ridiculing words of a predator towards its prey.
He continued, But you only live once. Risking yourself for an imposter that should not have existed, do you think its still worth your while? Or do you think that with your strength, you can just walk away unscathed?
Edatine VI lifted one of his index fingers.
Ater of phantasmal mirage, appearing like ss, surrounded him and protected him in the center.
Then, pagan after pagan walked out from the mirage.
The pagans mostly maintained their human looks but they either looked vicious or had twisted limbs. The moment they appeared, they groaned in pain and anger, hatred and killer intent filling their presence.
But...
KNEEL!
Edatine VI bellowed and the pagans knelt down beside his feet.
Power. You or your kind never know what true power is. I am the king but I rule not only humans, but these pagans too! This is the reason why Edatine exists! This is also the other reason that you Demon Hunters must die!
Under the mirage shield, Edatine VI raised his volume once more.
Tactic wise, I toyed with your kind within my palms; strength wise, your kind are nothing! So... how dare you offend me? How dare you go to war with me? How dare you ruin my n?! On what grounds?
In his almost frenzied state, Edatine VI stood up and raised his hands, swinging them into a flurry.
The king failed to notice that the tall back chair behind him was slowly transforming.
The chair slowly transformed into a human figure.
The figure quietly lifted its right hand and simply perforated the chest of the king.
Edatine VIs question stopped all of a sudden. He looked down at the hand holding his beating heart and in his ears, he heard a whisper, On my ground, of course.
Chapter 1808 - Stealing The Day
Chapter 1808: Stealing The Day
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Edatine VIs heart was ripped out of his chest and disyed before his eyes, yet he did not die right away.
The king disyed a vitality far stronger than normal people.
He tried to reach his hand out and grab his heart but Bloody Mary didnt give him the chance.
Right after its mockingment, it clenched its fist.
Pak!
An unusual crushing noiseter, the heart was crushed into a pile of meat paste.
Edatine VIs half lifted hand froze before it fell back down, all the signs of life fading quickly.
At the same time, the already old-looking Edatine VI aged with exponential speed.
That lustrous and stic skin of his quickly dried up, bing like tree bark; those bloodshot eyes that people feared dried uppletely.
An instantter, the eye balls evaporated, leaving behind two empty eye sockets.
Edatine VIs hair started to fall off like leaves in autumn. The skin on his face loosened up, as though ayer of skin covered his skull.
His teeth fell off one by one, the tongue in his mouth disintegrating, leaving behind a deep dark throat, simr to the eye sockets.
Many more pagans came out from the dried eye sockets and mouth.
Bloody Mary shook its hand and Edatine VI, who had turned into a mummy, fell to the floor.
Bloody Mary watched the drying process in silence.
Just like what you expected, boss. The ck Cataclysm didnt just give birth to Lady Cmity, but this Edatine VI who can control pagans also. What a surprising revtion!
Eximing in its heart, Bloody Mary thought of the guesses its boss provided earlier
In the age of Gods, the rise of a kingdom would surely attract hatred.
No one would believe that the kingdom rose to prominence all on its own.
At first, Kieran thought it was Silent Night Secret Society due to all the evidence pointing their way.
Since the age of Edatine I to present day, Silent Night Secret Society has had unsevered ties and an equivocal rtionship with the Edatine royal court.
The fight between God of War and Lady Cmity further proved that point, if... there was no ck Cataclysm!
Given that the ck Cataclysm had happened and deducing from the initial thought, Edatine royal court must have teamed up with Silent Night Secret Society to set God of War up.
But in the end?
Lady Cmity was born.
The forces of God of War had to shrink down, at least on the outsidethe truth was God of War was still the major religion for most of the Northern Lands and reigned powerfully, it didnt shrink a lot and the size was not much of a difference whenpared to its status from before the ck Cataclysm.
Judging from that point, the God of War wasnt the biggest loser, but there were the Demon Hunters!
The Demon Hunters who existed to protect the people from the evil grasp of the pagans were almost wiped out.
Lady Cmity was undoubtedly the biggest winner in that unusual war; God of War neither lost nor won.
However, the Demon Hunters were the biggest losers, from top to bottom, to the point that they lost everything.
Wasnt the bleak ending for the Demon Hunters a sight sought after by Edatine royal court at first?
It was!
One thing worth noting was that Kieran had multiple confirmation that Demon Hunters once chased after by Silent Night Secret Society.
As a matter of fact, speaking from a certain perspective, the Demon Hunters were lured into the trap by none other than Silent Night Secret Society.
The equivocal rtionship between Silent Night Secret Society and Edatine royal court could also be viewed as an allyship.
Given the circumstances, Kieran had a bold theory: Edatine royal court wanted to erase the Demon Hunters from the books.
With the theory in mind, a very interesting question followed: why did Edatines royal court want to erase the Demon Hunters?
Based on how the Demon Hunters worked, other than their entric behaviours, they were practically harmless. They could even be of help to Edatine royal court in ruling the Northern Lands.
There was no unconditional love in the world, neither was there an unreasonable hatred.
How did the Demon Hunters spend their time?
Other than training and drinking, theyd spend most of their time hunting.
Training couldnt generate hate, neither could drinking, meaning the problemy with hunting!
The Demon Hunters hunting monsters and pagans didnt just stand in the way of the Edatine royal court, they somehow made the royal court hate them to their soul, to the point that the royal court had to devise a n to erase them all.
The Edatine royal court stood with the pagans!
Kieran got the answer from his theories.
Then, he thought about the pagans that gued the entire Northern Lands, plus the whispers in the ears, especially thetter which turned out to be very specific ones.
Clue after clue was added into the newly found answer.
In the end, all his findings fueled his answers to a bolder one: could the Edatine royal court have the ability to control the pagans?
It might sound ridiculous and unbelievable but excluding all the impossibilities, the rest would be possible.
After additional thought about how Edatine I built his kingdom, the dots seemed to have connected and started to make sense.
Therefore, before arriving at the banquet, Kieran told Bloody Mary to infiltrate the pce in advance.
He knew the king must have absolute confidence since the invitation was sent to him. Had he stayed unprepared, he would surely be forced into a passive state.
After all, all of this might very well be part of Brokers n, an interconnected n that spanned from Edatine I to Edatine VI.
In simpler words, Broker nted a seed in Edatine Is era. The seed then took its time to grow, day after day, year after year, spreading and growing further, expanding its coverage and finally during Edatine VIs era, the seed had turned into an expanse of field and it was time for him toe back to reap what he sowed.
Based on how the big city shortened the time in dungeon worlds, it made perfect sense.
Therefore, Broker had his eyes on Borl.
Given Brokers old influence in the big city, achieving this wasnt too difficult.
Broker wanted to create an army of pagans!
Just like how he used to have control over an army of robots!
It was just that this pagan army was much stronger and mysterious.
But now?
Bloody Mary looked at Pride.
Correct, the one who entered the small council room wasnt Kieran himself, it was Pride, which shared high resemnce to Kieran in terms of presence.
If he had a choice to avoid danger, why wouldnt he go with it?
Bloody Mary couldnt retort his boss suggestion and at the same time admired its boss.
It also wanted this kind of safe way to do things, but...
Sensing the contract power between itself and its boss, it wisely chose the other option: asking for an hour holiday.
Pride didnt know what was going through Bloody Marys mind, but even if he knew, he wouldnt care.
Other than his big brother and his little brothers, he wouldnt even care about anything else. Although this cynical Superior Demon seemed to serve his big brother well as a tool, Pride wouldnt react differently.
Smile and be friendly? Impossible.
Pride looked asquint at the tool and then shifted his attention to the pagan-filled room.
It seemed like this room had a special effect of containing the pagans.
The pagans couldnt leave the room and couldnt move freely.
The pagans even maintained their kneeling posture and didnt change a thing because of Edatine VIs death.
The restraint left behind by big brothers enemy?
Situations such as the subordinates surpassing the superior obviously wouldnt ur on that cunning enemy. The cunning enemy was like his big brother, both of them were very cautious.
The cunning merchant had predicted the possible situation during the harvest.
He also predicted his failure and the oue where he couldnt reap his harvest.
That cunning merchant would never willingly seed others and waste his own effort.
Therefore, these seemingly obedient and controble pagans must have a set of insurance installed, not on them, but in the source!
Pride looked at Edatine VIs body.
The special phantasmal mirage did not fade with Edatine VIs death, the defense was still strong as ever. Therefore, Pride looked at Bloody mary.
Me again? Bloody Mary pointed at itself with its right hand, looking utmost unwilling toply.
Pride did not say anything, looking at Bloody Mary in silence.
A secondter
Fine, fine, fine! I get it! Im inside here anyway.
Bloody Mary raised its hands up, surrendering to the gaze.
It then started to check Edatine VIs body, and soon, it found something.
It wasnt any belongings the king had with him, it was... inside his body.
Bloody Mary wasnt exactly sharp in this search but it was too obvious for it to miss!
Something red shone through Edatine VIs dead chest. Without even cutting the body open, Bloody Mary could tell it was a ruby the size of a quail egg.
The ruby must have attached itself to the heart. Now without the heart and the blood all dried up, it revealed itself under Bloody Marys sight.
The ruby glowed as if it was breathing.
Under Bloody Marys gaze, the ruby floated out from the body into the air right in front of Bloody Marys eyes.
It wasnt exactly weird, but even Bloody Mary felt numb on its scalp.
It was not the situation that was weird, it was the power!
Bloody Mary clearly sensed the weird power contained in the ruby.
Bloody Mary looked at the ruby, then Pride.
Ultimately, again under Prides gaze, it reluctantly reached out to the floating ruby.
When its fingertip touched the ruby...
Death arrived!
Immense power sted out from the ruby and smited Bloody Mary into dust.
Not just once, but ten times continuously!
In less than 2 breaths time, Bloody Mary died over ten times. It reappeared with a pale look.
It was an undead but its ability wasnt almighty.
The special energy attack from the ruby exhausted a huge amount of his energy and inflicted substantial pain.
Recover yourself and continue, said Pride.
The first half of what Pride said sounded like the melody of heaven, but the second half?
Bloody Mary looked at Pride bitterly.
Continue? Ive died 10 times over! it said.
Pride did not answer, the meaning self-exnatory.
He didnt believe the enemy of his big brother would only set a singleyer of insurance.
He was right.
After Bloody Mary rested for the tenth time, meaning it had died over a hundred times in a short span of time, the strangeness of the ruby faded away and theyer of defense shattered.
However, Pride did not touch that floating ruby, he turned aside and saw Gluttony drooling as he walked out.
Right after he appeared, Gluttony threw himself to the stagnant kneeling pagans and started to munch on them.
Careful not to choke, Pride looked at his youngest brother with a pampering look and said softly.
Bloody Mary looked askance at Pride.
When Pride turned around, he returned to his arrogant looks.
Its still problematic, just not to us. It must be a trap specifically targeted at yers.
Pride was rather happy as he watched his youngest brother consume the pagans, finding the mood to exin the situation to Bloody Mary.
I know, Bloody Mary was no idiot, it knew what kind of methods Broker would use. It was almost impossible for him to not put severalyers of defense on the ruby.
Unfortunately, no matter how precise the ruby was, its boss would never touch it himself.
To its boss, an army of pagans was far less important than delicious food, especially when the food could provide him with energy.
Sparing a moment of silence for Broker in its heart, Bloody Mary asked, What are we going to do next?
Follow the n, said Pride.
...
Outside the small council room, Monte stood there nervously with sweat all over his forehead.
He already had the thought of escaping, so he wouldnt stay for long, but sensing the stern gaze from the guardians, Monte couldnt help but sob in his heart.
It was not that he didnt want to run, it was that he couldnt run at all.
Monte was sure that should he run, the guardians would surely draw their swords and kill him.
Damn it! Cant all of you open your eyes to the situation?
Monte bellowed in his heart and then looked at Borl and Aschen.
These two, a follower and guard of the Demon Hunter, stood still and vignt since the Demon Hunter went inside the small council room. From evening until night, the two of them didnt even change pose.
However, their gazes told Monte that they had prepared for the worst case scenario.
Once they got confirmation, theyd surely cause a riot.
Unfortunately, Monte would be the primary target.
He was the weakest anyway.
Seizing him to threaten the guardians would be the best choice.
Though Monte knew that it was wrong. Should he get seized by the two of them, death would follow.
The royal court guardians would kill him together with the two of them without a second thought.
I dont want to die like this! There must be a way! There must be!
Monte lowered his head and grinded the gears in his mind.
Right at that moment
Gak Tsk!
The door opened up.
Everyones eyes were captivated instantly.
The members of the royal court guardians gripped their weapons tightly and subtly surrounded Borl and Aschen.
They were waiting for the order from the king to slice the two of them into shreds.
But right away, the guardian members were stunned because it was Kieran, the Demon Hunter, who walked out.
COMMENT
More importantly, their king was beside the Demon Hunter, holding his hand tightly. The aged face was filled with prestige, yet looked utterly guilty. His bloodshot eyes looked puffy and redder than before, it seemed like...the king wept?
The Demon Hunter looked very tired, as if he hadnt slept for a long time or realized some shocking news and couldnt ept it, hence the exhaustion.
ncing over their looks, everyone outside got a simr message and were stunned by it.
What happened?
Everyone looked at each other, wondering what happened inside.
While everyone was lost in their own guesses, they heard the king spoke softly.
Son, you have suffered... I know... what you have endured... I did it for your own safety. I was forced to send you off to your teacher... He? Nevermind, he was just a fluke... you are the real... you must treat this ce as your home now... I know its difficult for you to ept in such a short time but... dont worry, I am here, you can rely on me.
Edatine VI spoke meekly and softly.
Everyone else could only hear bits and pieces but the merciful look on the kings face was never before seen.
He wasnt even this merciful when he was with Prince Svenson.
Right away, everyone was drowned by an astonishing fact.
They looked at the Snake Sect Demon Hunter in shock and with furrowed brows, especially Monte.
The vassal who thought he was going to meet his end soon was overjoyed at the scene.
Not only he could live, he seemed to have found his big drumstick, which he could chew on forever and live a carefree life!
Without a second thought, Monte knelt down on one knee in front of the Snake Sect Demon Hunter.
Your Highness.
Chapter 1809 - Bell Ring
Chapter 1809: Bell Ring
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The wagon branded with the sword emblem of the lord of Sicar departed around evening from Lower Seventh Ring.
The sunset shed ayer of red glow on the sword emblem, making it look like it was on fire.
After the bloody sword emblem, representing the God of War, was removed, it was reced by a single sword. It looked like it was sheathed, reserved but not cowardly, never backing down against difficulty and always relying on oneself.
Erin Sicar leaned back on her seat in the carriage, reminiscing the story that her face one told her about her family.
She had forgotten a lot though, all she remembered was her father emphasizing striving to be stronger and humility and politeness.
However, after her brother, thete viscount and a devoted believer of the God of War, took over the house, everything seemed to have changed.
Now with her back on the top, everything would return on track.
Sicar house once again became the lord of Sicar.
Erin Sicar might not be a qualified lord, but shed try her best.
As she recalled how the two little girls stayed around her for the whole day, the baroness reckoned that she had to do better, at least try not to disappoint the girls should they travel to Sicar.
The elder sister behaved like a mature adult and the younger sister was simple and cute.
The thought of the sisters having the slightest chance of being disappointed made the baroness feel that she couldnt let this happen.
The two little girls were exactly the same as Carl when he was young. Too bad Carl stopped her from dressing him with dresses at the age of 7 or 8. The dress was cute, why couldnt he wear it for a little longer?
Now, after befriended Erin and Ellie, she knew they would love those little dresses.
I want to go back to Sicar and make some dresses for them! No! The best tailor must be in Edatine Castle, I should ask for one tomorrow!
The baroness seemed to have thought of some beautiful things, her mouth unconsciously curling up.
As for the restless feeling that gued her on the way to Edatine Castle?
It was gone!
She believed Simon truthfully as he assured her multiple times.
Since Simon told her to leave everything to him, shed trust him.
The rest?
She would have to consider the color and the patterns of the skirts, and hoped that she could find a reliable tailor.
The wagon drove steadily to the pce while the baroness was dreaming.
Due to his oversized body, Rogart, the wagoner, exposed half of his back when he sat on the wagoners seat. It was natural that the seat was too small for him.
If he had a choice, hed rather walk, but he couldnt disobey lord emissarys order: protect the baroness at all cost.
Therefore, he sat down at the most eye-catching spot.
Six of hisrades rode horses and escorted the wagon from both sides and behind; in the shadows, there were six more men following them quietly, just for the sake of safety.
Edatine wasnt Sicar, their home, so they must be careful.
Even more so when they saw the War God Temple that towered over Edatines pce. The young men had a trace of disgust and reluctance sh over their eyes.
Hypocrites and cruel bastards!mented the young men.
Rogart, the protector of the baroness on the bridge side, didnt conceal his action, looking askance at War God Temple and... Pui!
He spat on the ground and the spit drowned under the wagons wheel.
Originally, in times like this, there should be an armed priest with two armed deacons and no less than 20 deacons on guard duty in front of the temple, but unfortunately, the attack on the slumsst night messed up the whole temple.
Rogart even picked up the smell of blood when they moved past the temple.
I hope all of you die a horrible death!
As a loyal believer of the Mist, the young man did not hold back when he cursed the ones responsible for the multiple destructions of Sicar City and the shady bastards who hid in the shadows.
Simr to how they wouldnt care about the young girls.
Hanging them to death and decapitating them was considered a mercy for those bastards.
They should be crucified and burned alive, zing hell was the only ce these bastards should go.
However, the young Rogart quickly adjusted his emotions because he knew it wasnt time yet.
He and the others had to wait patiently, but it wouldnt be long.
The thought in his mind strengthened the beliefs in his heart.
He then shifted his attention to Edatine pce.
A momentter, the bear-like young man frowned at what he saw.
The buff and huge physique did not blunt the young mans perception and instinct. He sharply noticed something wasnt right in the pce before his eyes.
The looks on the pce guards were strange.
They did not possess the sharp presence of an elite, instead they looked like... they were in a daze!
As if they had suffered some tremendous shock.
What happened?
Asking himself in his heart, young Rogart stopped the wagon.
The dazed off guards regained their senses when the wagon stopped, following their standard operating procedures and weing the baroness.
Kingdom defender of the north, ruler of Sicar, blessed by nature, Lady Erin Sicar has arrived.
When the baroness stepped on the red carpet, the weing chants came from the two rows of guards and it extended into the pce one after another.
The first two phrases were uttered out of respect, it was her title and the honor of the Sicar family; thest phrase stated how she isted herself from the masses and lived in peace.
It definitely wasnt uttered to mock herte husband, who had wrestled a bear before.
The baroness walked in front and Rogart, her protector, went behind her.
Even the slow baroness noticed something was wrong with the guards and the pce.
What happened in the pce? the baroness wondered.
When the baroness entered the pce, she saw Kieran at first nce.
Kieran was very eye-catching as he sat in the middle of the grand hall.
It wasnt just because Kieran wore all ck and did not follow the dress code like the other invited guests, it was also because all the people around him were looking at him.
Their gazes showed fear, doubt, reverence and... a sense of ttery!
Correct, a sense of ttery!
The baroness would never be wrong about this! She had seen too much of this type of gaze.
Many normal people also looked at her father, her brother, and herself with simr gazes, but this was Edatine Castles pce!
The people around Kieran were everything but normal!
Taking a quick nce over, there were a dozen dukes, a few viscounts, counts and marquises, but every single one of them used the same gaze at the Snake Sect Demon Hunter.
But it still wasnt the most astonishing fact to the baroness.
What astonished the baroness the most was Edatine VI.
The king smiled and nodded at her, then looked at the Snake Sect Demon Hunter with a loving and merciful gaze. It struck a sense of difort in the baroness.
After all, she expected difficult hurdles to cross when she was on the way here, and Edatine VI would be first among all to test her.
But now? The king looked nothing like himself.
The feeling of missing a punch after a fully charged up stance caused grievance in the baroness heart, but what followed was heavy curiosity.
The kings vassal, Monte, led the baroness to her seat respectfully before the baroness opened her ears to listen to the soft discussions going on in the hall.
The more she heard, the wider her mouth opened up.
Manners she had with her since young made her cover up his mouth with her hands, but the shock in her eyes was unconceble.
The Snake Sect Demon Hunter was the heir to Edatines throne?!
Prince Svenson was nothing but an imposter to attract attention!?
Information after information painted the baroness mind nk.
She never expected things to unfold this way.
Soon, she further expanded her thoughts.
If Edatine VI put his true son under the Demon Hunters care and now he called back his son righteously, that meant... there was no need to worry about certain matters anymore?
The God of War? Lady Cmity?
Was everything dealt with?
The particr guess did not just pop up in the baroness mind, the other nobles in the hall shared the same thought as well.
Most of the nobles were delighted with the news, even the orthodox part shared the happiness as well. They only disagreed with the kings new decree, they were not really rebellious, neither would they deny the existence of the royal court.
Now, a better heir had appeared and it seemed to be a good thing.
There were also a small part of the nobles that reacted differently.
Although they looked fine, their eyes had worry and viciousness intertwined.
Not all of the nobles supported the king.
Those nobles were originally pawns nted beside the king. Or more precisely, they were the product ofpromisation of Edatine royal court. They of course understood the source of the viscounts wealth.
Therefore, they were audacious to do something. They couldnt at the moment but they might have a chanceter.
Bloody Mary captured everything with its sharp gaze. It quietly remembered the faces of these nobles with ulterior motives and checked them off the list of guests which it had seen before.
It didnt have any extra thoughts, Blood Mary just wanted to prevent the unhappy things from happening.
After all, it had be king, it had to be responsible for its kingdom.
Of course there was also...
Bloody Mary intuitively looked at its boss.
A sharp and cold gaze shed over its boss eyes. Bloody Mary immediately replied as if it was making a plea.
Everyone saw Edatine VIs response to his son and they believed that it was because of the guilt in Edatine VIs heart.
Then, the people further solidified their thoughts because Edatine VI stood up from his throne and walked to the Snake Sect Demon Hunter.
The Snake Sect Demon Hunter responded coldly and pulled his seat beside the throne.
Everyone knew what the spot represented. They also expected Edatine VI to announce the Snake Sect Demon Hunters identity soon and at the very next moment, he said, My loyal subjects, today is a joyful day...
The banquet began with Edatine VIs announcement.
Compared to the initial expectation, the banquet turned out to be merrier.
After the announcement, the nobles swirled around Kieran like butterflies, introducing themselves while maintaining their bearing as they ttered him.
The scene was extra lively, but it had nothing to do with Hoika the Undying, at least not on the bright side.
No one would rte a member of the Silent Night Secret Society to the heir of Edatines throne.
While the banquet was happening, Hoika slowly walked towards the center of Silent Night Town under all the townspeoples gaze.
Midnight wasing, it was time to ring the bell!
Chapter 1810 - Next Game
Chapter 1810: Next Game
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
ncing over the merry scene, Bloody Mary sat on its throne and counted the time.
It didnt mind the noise. Truth be told, it was fond of the noisy and merry scene from a certain perspective.
Attending a banquet as the king was a first for Bloody Mary too. The admiration and respect it got from its subjects was very fresh and it tasted good. Do note that it usually ended up dead, with its head separated from its body or sliced in half, sometimes it even got sted into a pile of ashes. It had never been treated this way.
If there was no uing mission, it would really be a fine day.
Thinking about what it had to face next, Bloody Mary couldnt hold back its sigh.
Why couldnt it clone itself? Why couldnt it be at two ces at one time?
If it could clone itself, it would tell its clone to work and it would stay back and rest, enjoying the feeling of being a king. How good would that be?
Sire.
The vassals voice sounded in its ear.
Bloody Mary turned around to Monte and his ttering expression.
His Highness is just not used to it, Im sure he will get better with more time to adapt.
Monteforted Bloody Mary with obvious lies time couldnt do anything against the knot in someones heart. Most of the time, when one ims that time will wash away everything, the truth was time had grinded the persons life to the very end, hence the helpless emotional sigh.
In many situations, one was just trying tobel himself with a I dont care tag, since being calctive against a dead person would lead to nowhere.
As for the living one, they would be even sturdier and stronger, like tempered iron, pressing forward in life.
Montesfort incited dissatisfaction from Marquis Horton.
The old marquis looked askance at the well-known petty character and then said solemnly, Sire, His Highness seems to have some trouble with his thoughts. Solve the problem and he will be better.
The old marquis sounded very sincere. As the most loyal subject of Edatine VI, the old marquis was astonished at the scene that unfolded in the pce.
He knew Edatine VI always kept some secrets from him and rarely paid any attention to Prince Svenson, yet he never would have thought Prince Svenson was nothing but a fluke.
However, after finding out about the truth, the astonishment subsided. Quite the contrary, he felt relieved.
This WAS the method of the king he served.
Why would his king ce such an obvious weakness on the table to attract hostility?
He wouldnt. The so-called weakness was a fluke and the real one had been hidden in a safe ce for a long time.
What else was more suitable than the elusive Snake Sect Demon Hunters?
The old marquis recalled the situation when the king heard about the Snake Sect Demon Hunters and showed aplicated expression, which was a mix of worries and anger, everything making sense now.
He was worried because His Highness Colin was caught in the trouble.
Anger? Other than War God Temple, the one who was responsible for all this, there was no one else to be mad with.
Besides, this reunion...
His Highness Colin must have heard of his true heritage from his teacher, thats why he killed Svenson, the imposter.
Especially when the imposter mocked the real heir for his identity, anyone would be mad in that situation, let alone a young man who had left his family and father for more than 20 years, Demon Hunter or not.
It turned out better than expected because it proved that His Highness Colin hadnt forgotten his true lineage and identity. Therefore, it was a good thing that he was mad at the imposter.
Reacting to the situation with nonchnce would be the scariest oue.
Though the trouble that gued His Highness mind must be solved too, otherwise things would exacerbate and unhappy incidents were bound to happen in the future.
Those bastards had their eyes on the kings throne!
The old marquis always probed for danger and was cautious against those persistent and resilient bastards, who grew and multiplied like grass!
Sire surely has the right away around this, you dont need to voice your reminder so often!
Monte inconspicuously mocked the old marquis.
It was amon scene. The old marquis didnt even care about the vassal, his eyes were on his king.
The old marquis knew who was the ruler and decision-maker.
Horton, what advice do you have? I have many ways around many things but Colin... the guilt and regret in my heart stopped me from judging what was best and what was worse calmly. I need you Horton, use your wisdom and aid me, Edatine VI asked softly.
Hesitation and worry appeared on the kings face, a rather rare expression for the king, at least it was something the old marquis hadnt seen in the past.
Though what was so strange about it?
The old marquis was also a father himself, he resonated with the kings feelings, despite the fact that he himself wasnt a good father.
I think we should leave the problem in the hands of a capable and suitable person. A young man should be able to help another young man with his problem. My son, Kuer, and His Highness Colin seem to know each other well. I think sending Kuer to approach the problem subtly and provide help would be a decent option.
Your son?! My dear lord marquis, dont assume that I dont know what you are thinking! Sire is anxious about His Highness but he isnt without wisdom!
After the old marquis words subsided and before Edatine VI even got the chance to speak, Monte squealed sharply.
Monte squealed but he had control over his volume, only the three of them could hear him.
But other people who had been paying attention to them noticed something unusual.
Monte knew it as well, in fact he did it on purpose.
This was exactly the purpose of his existence.
He was a bait thrown out by the bait-holder, to distinguish some inconspicuous and muddled matters; the bait-holder was Edatine VI, the king before his eyes.
The thoughts that ran through the kings mind, Monte couldnt wait for them to be uttered before he carried it out, he had to n ahead and be prepared, that would make him a qualified vassal.
The old marquis looked asquint at him and did not say anything. He too had some guesses about the existence of a vassal like Monte.
Otherwise, the audacious and ambitious Edatine VI would never tolerate a petty person filled with nothing but ttery around him.
Of course, his decision to rmend Kuer to the job had his own intentions as well.
It was not necessary to utter everything verbally.
Bloody Mary was in deep thought for a while, but deep down inside, it was contacting its boss.
Kuer? Okay
When Kieran thought of the young noble who had good virtues and a simr hobby with himself, he couldnt help but agree to the suggestion.
Lets continue in the councilroom. Monte, Ill leave this event in your hands. Horton, bring Kuer here and let him be with Colin.
Bloody Mary stood up as it gave its order, its huge physique turning heads in the hall and under everyones gaze, it walked to Kieran.
Colin, can youe with me for a while?
All noises in the grand hall went silent that very moment, even the royal musicians slowed down their musical instruments. Edatine VIs question was heard by everyone around him.
It was a first for everyone in the hall to hear the begging tone in the kings question.
Immediately, thest bit of doubt in the peoples heart disappeared.
Other than his role as a guilty father, what else could make the king speak like that?
More importantly, the Snake Sect Demon Hunter reacted coldly at Edatine VI and his begging tone.
At the same time, everyone also acknowledged Svenson was nothing more than a fluke, a shield to protect the real heir. Didnt everyone see how Svenson behaved like a freezing cicada in winter in front of Edatine VI?
He was nothing like Prince Colin, who was calm and steady, generous with his etiquette and well-fitting.
The power of lineage proved him different.
A fluke would always be a fluke.
The authentic, even if it was buried for some time, would still shine dazzlingly.
Mm, Kieran nodded.
Under everyones eyes, Bloody Mary and Kieran walked side by side and went away from sights.
The honor of walking beside the king made everyone exim at the tolerance the king had for his heir.
Monte grabbed his ss and stood up.
Ding!
The silver spoon clunked against the ss, a clear chime attracting peoples attention.
People, today is a special day, a day worthy to be celebrated. Of course, I hope everyone remembers your own identity, the vassal uttered words fitting to his identity.
Many of the nobles showed contempt on their face when they heard the words.
They knew if the vassal could kneel down to the princes shoe and lick it, he would without a second thought, unlike them, who pondered about it and hesitated for a while. Theyd hold back until the veryst line of defense before they too went up to lick the princes shoes.
Likewise, the nobles also noticed Marquis Hortons temporary absence.
Though before the nobles could find out why the marquis left, they saw Monte run up to the new lord of Sicar and grovel in front of her.
Some were surprised, some were confused, but many were able to figure out the reason for the behaviour from the vassal soon enough, as realization hit them.
Prince Colin came from Sicar!
Damn it! This shameless vassal beat them to it again!
The slow nobles reacted with gnashing teeth, then all of them simultaneously flocked towards the baroness.
Monte chuckled coldly in his heart when the nobles flocked over.
A bunch of fools! hemented.
The reason why he grovelled in front of the baroness was to create a diversion for the old marquis, distracting the people from noticing Kuer Hortons arrival.
It was what his king wished for, so he must perform it without shame.
Though when he thought about the old marquis... that cunning old fox!
Monte suddenly choked on his frustrating breath.
Why didnt he possess the long sight in the first ce? If he knew things would go down this way, he would have gotten married early on.
Seconds turned into minutes.
Inside the small council room, Bloody Mary sat on the tall back chair of Edatine VI as though it was sitting on a mattress of needles.
Its eyes were following Kieran as he walked in circles in the room.
If it wasnt for its boss strict order to y the role of Edatine VI well, it would have stood up and let its boss sit down instead.
Both of them did notmunicate verbally but through the power of the contract and the content of the conversation was simpler than expected.
The bell in Silent Night Town is about to ring, Kierans voice rang in Bloody Marys mind.
COMMENT
A very simple statement, but Bloody Mary understood what its boss was trying to convey.
I know. Maximize the gains! Bloody Mary assured its boss.
Mm, Kieran nodded then looked at the book rack.
The book rack of a person held much information about that particr person.
Other than a hobby, many people preferred to hide things inside.
Some hid money, some hid letters from mistresses.
Edatine VI didnt have any of those habits, but the books and information he read were concerning to Kieran.
After a quick flip through the books, he noticed all the books were about Edatine I and things during that era.
The contents ranged from the smallest detail, like how he dressed and ate, to bigger events like war and annihting countries.
It wasnt some exaggerated novel, but a biography.
Searching for his ancestors? Kieran wondered as he went through the information and recalled the life of Edatine VI.
Soon enough, his attention was captured by a horizontal line drawn on the book he had in his hand
Before meeting that prophet, Edatine I never thought he would transform from a declining noble to a king who built his kingdom.
Prophet?
The former was thebel and thetter was written by Edatine VI himself.
The question mark proved the doubts in Edatine VIs heart and it seemed like thete king also noticed something. It was just that he was a step toote.
Kieran shook his head.
He didnt deny thete kings capabilities but he had fallen into Brokers trap and clung onto the bait hard. Given the situation, no matter how capable the person was, his fate would be sealed.
Broker would never spare a chance for his enemy to make aeback, just like how he was good at concealing himself
Broker really wanted to create an army of pagans? Is that what he really wanted?
It wasnt that the army of pagans werent strong enough. Quite the contrary, consuming the pagans didnt just increase Kierans Origin Forces several times, the darkness and chaos in his body were expelled to their maximum limit.
Even [Lord of Mist] received a huge bump in power.
It ranked up from IV to V straight away! Rank V was a qualitative change to the attributes, to Kieran and to the [Lord of Mist]!
[Name: Lord of Mist]
[Type: Wonder Item]
[Rarity: V]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: V]
[Attribute: 1. Mist Control; 2 Poison Mist Assault; 3. Icy Air Assault; 4. Snow and Rain Assault; 5. Flora Communication; 6. Fauna Summon; 7. Conceal ]
[Effect: 1.Land of Sicar 2. Edatine Castle; 3. Reply; 4. Bless; 5. Deceive Contract]
[Prerequisite: Bound to you who performed all perfect kill]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]
[Remark: A product of an ident during the ck Cataclysm. Unlike how your predecessor crudely used it, its true potential is being brought out in your hands. After a perfect kill, you started to gain total control over it and with the following perfect kill, it is bound to you and you only. You can use it like your own arm and you can perceive the title that it brings you. And now, after expanding the territory, it can never leave youyou truly own it, it will be your hands and legs, you can use it at will and it is also happy to be used by you.]
...
[Mist Control: Summon a 1000 meter radius mist and shroud everything in sight, 4/day]
[Poison Mist Assault: Induce Poison to the targets caught by the mist, targets would have to go through 3 times A rank Constitution authentication. Targets who fail all three times will be inflicted with lethal poison damage; targets who fail twice will be inflicted with Powerful poison damage; targets that fail once will be inflicted with Strong poison attack; targets who pass all three will be immune but still trapped in the mist.]
[Icy Air Assault: Able to create a Weak, Average, Strong, Powerful and Extreme freeze attack inside the mist, the icy air cannot go outside the mists range]
[Snow and Rain Assault: Able to call upon the normal rain or snow inside the mist, or cast a Weak, Average, Strong, Powerful or Extreme acid rain or hailstorm, the cast effect cannot go outside the mists range.]
[Flora Communication; Able tomunicate and control floral in the mist, the number of controlled targets cannot exceed your Spirit limit (100 for Advanced Rank, +25 for each rank)]
[Fauna Summon: Able tomunicate and control animals in the mist, the number of controlled targets cannot exceed your Spirit Limit (150 small animal, 75 medium-sized animal, 30 big-sized animal, 3rge animal for Advanced rank, +25 for small animal, +10 for medium-sized animal, +5 for big-sized animal and +1 forrge animal for each rank increased) (animal smaller than a rat is considered as 3 times the number of small animals)]
[Conceal: Inside the mist, your traces could not be detected; Effect: Undercover +3, Undercover Advanced Skill +1]
...
[Land of Sicar: Within the Land of Sicar, the title of Mist has be one-of-a-kind and you, who possess the Lord of Mist, can move natural mist at will and induced them with poison, ice, and rain, control flora and fauna inside the mist is also possible (unable to exceed the range of the poison mist, icy air, acid rain, snow, hailstorm, control of flora and fauna +1 level), but it will consume your stamina ordingly.]
[Edatine Castle: Within Edatine Castle, the title of Mist has slowly gained recognition and you, who possess the Lord of Mist, can move natural mist at will and induced them with poison, ice, and rain, control flora and fauna inside the mist is also possible (unable to exceed the range of the poison mist, icy air, acid rain, snow, hailstorm, control of flora and fauna +1 level), but it will consume your stamina ordingly.]
[Reply: You are treated as the God of Mist, you can use the Lord of Mist to reply simply to the prayers of your believers. It will consume your stamina ordingly.]
[Bless: Within Land of Sicar and Edatine Castle, when your believers pray to you, you can consume stamina to bless them with the Blessing of Mist (Blessing of Mist: provide resistance against poison, ice, acid) wherever mist is visible, or provide a blessing to your teammates municate with flora and fauna in a short period of time); you can also bless them with Blessing of Ironwall Bloodthirsty (depends on how devoted the believer is during the short period of time), the blessed will be enhanced with 120% Strength, damaged received decreased 65%, able to absorb the blood of enemy to replenish own life. Able to grant Blessing of Conceal (depends on how devoted the believer is, Undercover level will be increased by 1 to 3 levels.]
[Deceive Contract: Youve been treated as the God of Mist, you can use the Lord of Mist to ept a great amount of worship from the worshippers and then give them some rewards (rewards are not limited to actual items. When you choose an actual item, you can +1 to a defensive attribute permanently, requires a great amount of stamina)]
......
All-rounded power up!
On top of that, with a thought from Kieran, he didnt have to hold [Lord of Mist] with his hands anymore, it floated in front of him and swirled around with his thought.
The dazzling glow also dimmed down with Kierans thought, looking like a normal crystal the size of a palm.
Ultimately, when [Lord of Mist] flew into his inner pocket, the feeling of yearning rose from his heart.
It was not unfamiliar. He had the same feeling when he first got his hands on [Judgment Scale], but that was weaker, unlike the simple and pure one with [Lord of Mist].
Based on his guess all this while...
A smile appeared on Kierans face.
He seemed to have found a shortcut to rank VI, and of course it was not an easy one. He had to be prepared for it and... it wasnt the time yet.
He still has to confirm something else.
Dok Dok Dok!
Knocks sounded at the door.
Your Majesty, Your Highness, Marquis Horton and Knight Kuer have arrived, the voice of the guard came in.
Come in, Bloody Mary sat straight right away.
The door was opened, the old marquis and the young noble came in.
Your Majesty.
The two of them saluted at the same time, their salutations impable, but Kuer Horton couldnt help but take a peak at Kieran.
His eyes showed surprise, shock, and disbelief.
Kieran had seen too many simr sights in a single night, but Kuer Horton was different, he was considered a friend.
When in front of a friend, Kieran tended to show patience and friendliness.
Therefore, when he caught the peak from the young noble, Kieran returned a smile.
There was no concealment or anything, Kieran reckoned it wouldnt be necessary.
The young noble flushed and lowered his head.
The old marquis beside him showed a smile and signalled to Edatine VI with a quick nce.
Bloody Mary had no ess to all of Edatine VIs memories, so all it did was squint its eyes subtly and avoidmenting on the subject.
The old marquis was at peace when he saw Edatine VIs reaction.
Ahem, Kuer, can you guide Prince Colin around the ce? Remember, its time for you to be honest with your secret! said the old marquis.
Intuitively, Kuer wanted to retort but when he saw the king, he sighed a bit and agreed.
Yes, father, said Kuer.
He then walked out and Kieran followed.
Kieran didnt greet Bloody Mary or anything but he nodded at Marquis Horton.
The problem in his Highness heart requires tim,. exined the old marquis as he looked at the king.
Mm. I know. Horton, Im a little exhausted today, I want to restI left Monte in charge of the hall but you still have to attend to some details yourself, Edatine VI nodded.
The old marquis immediately bowed at the king when he saw the bloodshot eyes.
The king might have a good body but rest was mandatory.
Of course, with Prince Colins appearance, the king would have to adjust himself as well and no one could be there to see that side of the king.
Which ruler of a country would want someone else to see his soft side?
Therefore, the old marquis stepped out.
The door then closed up, leaving Bloody Mary alone.
It stood up like a king and walked to the bedroom hidden in a corner, seemingly trying to get some rest but its mouth was muttering non-stop.
The mutters were soft and quick, one could only hear it if they were close enough, it sounded like Next show! Next show!
Chapter 1811 - Set A Target
Chapter 1811: Set A Target
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Midnight, the bright moon hung up high in the sky.
The underground Silent Night Town also felt the moonlight through some spells.
14 figures stood straight under the center tower of Silent Night Town. Under the moonlight, the shadows of these figures intertwined, as though they were overcooked noodles.
The 14 of them looked cold and filled with malicious intent, as if they were the ferocious wolves that had their eyes on Hoika, who was walking closer.
Hoika looked back at them calmly. He didnt just stand boldly. Quite the contrary, the gaze of the Undying was pressuring. He knew he couldnt afford to be weak now.
Unlike the normal members of the Silent Night Secret Society, these field agents who were like himself no longer represented themselves but the councilmen behind them.
Although Councilman Kurtzargert had turned into his teacher, and because of that, Hoika couldnt allow himself to step back one step.
Sharp gazes shed ceaselessly, invisible sparks were ignited in the air.
Respective auras were brazenly emanated.
Strange, gloomy, and wicked.
All sorts of auras made the residents of Silent Night Town instinctively step back, but they had no fear in their looks.
It wasnt just because these men were all members of Silent Night Secret Society, the stronger they were, the better it would be for them. It was also because among all 15 of them confronting each other, Undying Hoika was obviously the strongest.
He might not be as gloomy or wicked as the other 14 but the strangeness in him was great, only a glimpse of it would numb ones scalp.
[Hazy Shadow Shifting Moon]!
The one who mastered the technique deemed rare by Silent Night Secret Society themselves would not be a simply John Doe.
Especially with his teachers exnation, Hoika had a deeper understanding towards [Hazy Shadow Shifting Moon]. He was now confident enough to kill any field agent who was once regarded as the same rank as him in a single blow.
But... if it was 14 of them at once, it would be beyond his capabilities.
Quantity incites qualitative change.
It wasnt just an empty phrase. Moreover, his teacher had other ns.
With the thought in mind, Hoika didnt stop and continued forward.
When they saw Hoika walking on by himself, the 14 field agents, representatives of their respective councilmen, who rushed back from the north, shrunk their gazes, their auras bing stranger.
They heard of the Undying before, but it was the first time seeing him in person.
He was much stronger than rumoured, then... how about his immediate superior? That Councilman Kurtzargert?
What about Councilman Colipo who had always been Councilman Kurtzargerts rival?
And that inconspicuous Councilman Ludus?
Before they arrived, the 14 of them had done sufficient homework on investigating the three councilmen of Edatine and their surrounding members, no one liked to fight a cloud of mysterious mist.
But now?
The danger level that they concluded from their investigation was elevated once more.
The 14 of them stood in a semi-circle, watching Hoika walk towards the towers door and walk up the wooden stairs.
Tsk, Tsk, Tsk.
The wooden stairs couldnt bear his weight and squeaked everytime a step was taken forward.
Hoika bore the way of walking that he got from his teacher in mind, not daring to make even the slightest misstep.
As the tower in Silent Night Town, though most of the time it was merely a decoration, had anyone thought it would be easy to tread forward, such a thought would be a grave mistake.
Either the door opening, the way of walking forward or the way of ringing the bell, all had their own unique way.
The slightest mistake would present a graveless death to the careless.
Hoika even sensed the presence of death swirling around him.
Fortunately, his memories were decent enough, allowing him to remember every single step clearly.
When Hoika finally stood in front of that bronze bell the size of a flower pot, he bit his left index finger and oozed his blood out 3 times separately.
Wung!
A light vibrationter
Dang, Dang, Dang!
The bronze bell rang.
It didnt require anyone to ring it. In fact, no one could have rung the bell. Blood was the only medium and the only safe way to activate the bronze bell.
Kakrooom!
Following the echoes of the bells, the ground of Silent Night Town started to tremble. Beneath the tower, a brand new building rose from underground.
An ominous ck color was the exterior and it had no windows.
The door was wide open yet the interior was as ck as a ck hole. Anyone who gazed upon it, his soul would tremble.
The tower became its roof, making the whole building look stranger. Even more so when the vines that crawled all over the tower started to swing down and cover the entire building underneath, making one feel unusually eerie.
It was the first time anyone at the scene saw the council hall of the Council Meeting.
Everyone frowned. They never thought the council hall looked like this, everyones attention was unconsciously captivated.
They pried on the council hall, as if they tried to expose the danger within.
Then, a figure appeared without footsteps.
The silent figure quietly stood behind the field agents that represented their respective councilmen.
Gentlemen.
The figure suddenly spoke, shocking all 14 of them, who were focusing on the building. They took a step forward then turned around and looked back with utmost caution.
And when they finally got a clear look at the figure, the 14 of them were deeply astonished.
Kurtzargert!
They had seen the portrait of this councilman before, theyd never be wrong about it.
However... The information didnt seem to mention that the councilman was skilled in undercover techniques. It should be the other councilman, Ludus, who was skilled.
Despite the fact that most of their attention was ced at the council hall, being able to quietly approach them had clearly stated the suppression of power.
If it was Councilman Ludus who was skilled in undercover... they might not even notice if he was staring at them right now.
With that thought in their minds, the 14 of them ufortably twisted the muscles on their back, unconsciously scanning their surroundings. Unfortunately, they found nothing.
Bloody Mary paid no attention to the 14 of them.
Let us go in, Bloody Mary said as it stood in front of the door, walking in first, followed by Hoika behind it.
The 14 field agents exchanged a gaze. They followed the n that they made before they arrived: one of them would move first.
Dak, Dak, Dak.
Heavy footsteps sounded intentionally, yet amid the footsteps, everyone entered ordingly.
Even the secondst of the line maintained the intentional steps, and thest one of them listened with utmost concentration.
After realizing the 15 breaths in the council hall didnt change, they stepped in.
The abysmal darkness was like a water veil. After going through it, they were weed by light.
On top of their head was light from magical candles, shedding light over the council hall.
A round table was ced in the middle of the council hall with 17 chairs surrounding it.
Other than that, there was nothing else.
Kurtzargert sat down on one of the chairs and Hoika stood behind him. The other 13 field agents who came inter also stood behind their respective chairs, including thest one who came in.
It might be intentional, or it might not, but both chairs beside Kurtzargert were emptied out.
They were obviously reserved for Colipo and Ludus, even though neither of them didnt attend the meeting.
14 field agents stood behind the chairs, then simultaneously took a prism-shaped crystal, the size of a palm, out of their inner pocket.
After the crystals power was activated, the 14 of them let the crystals float on top of the chair. There was nothing supporting the crystal, it just floated in the air by itself.
Projection images then formed above the crystal.
Every single one of the projections had a thick mantle over their head, blocking their faces. Even their body or hands had no essories that would leave an impression.
Its been a while Kurtzargert.!
The councilman at the left of Bloody Mary took the initiative to speak first.
Other than him, the other projections of the councilmen kept quiet, but the gazes underneath their hoods were concentrated on Bloody Mary.
Hmph.
Bloody Mary wasnt nervous at all when it was stared down by the 14 councilmen of Silent Night Secret Society. It chuckled before ncing over all the councilmen at the meeting.
Its confident look seemed to be making a statement that the mantles on the councilmen were unnecessary, it had seen through everyones expression.
Its gaze naturally attracted dissatisfaction from some of the councilmen, but before they could voice it out, Bloody Mary, seized the moment. Speaking first, it said, Theres a traitor among us!
As its voice echoed, the council hall plunged into silence.
The councilmen who ought to speak halted their words.
The field agents behind each of the councilmen heightened their concentration too.
They knew why they were here.
After all, they already knew how the councilmen fought in the bright and the dark side, yet the internal conflict had always been carefully contained, they had never involved outsiders, especially the Demon Hunters, whom they annihted a long time ago!
Whats the matter with the Snake Sect Demon Hunters? asked an impatient councilman.
Just like their name, they are like snakes, a Demon Hunter Sect that hides in the shadow. Being different from the traditional one, the Wolf Sect demon Hunters, the Snake Sect Demon Hunters hid themselves during other times and only showed up during a critical moment. This time, if it wasnt for Luncar going after the survivors of the Wolf Sect, we might not even have known about the so-called Snake Sect Demon Hunters. But because of their appearance, we discovered some huge secrets, Bloody Mary spilled out the script that it had prepared.
Just as it expected, the moment its words subsided, one of the councilmen spoke.
Colipo could never be a Snake Sect Demon Hunter! he said.
It was without a doubt that the councilman who defended Colipo had a tight rtionship with him. They might even be allies and they werent worried about their rtionship being exposed.
Bloody Mary felt it was a little bit wasted.
If it had sufficient time to prepare, it would have used this rtionship to send the entire Silent Night Secret Society deeper into chaos.
Instigation and whatnot was its forte!
Unfortunately... it did not have enough time!
Bloody Mary sighed softly.
Since when did I say Colipo was a Snake Sect Demon Hunter? Bloody Mary asked back.
Its question stunned everyone at the meeting.
Those field agents who stood behind their councilmen didnt even hold back as they lifted their heads and looked at Bloody Mary.
All of them indeed received the message from Silent Night Town. The message clearly stated that Colipo was suspected to be a Snake Sect Demon Hunter.
Could it be...
A quick dazeter, they regained their senses.
The subordinates understood quickly enough, meaning the councilman got it too.
Its not you who released the news? asked a hot-tempered councilman.
No, it was Mieren,Bloody Mary shook its head.
Then why didnt you stop it? You wanted to watch us run back and forth like monkeys? Or... you are trying to confirm something? asked another councilman gloomily.
Do I still need to confirm those things? Isnt it obvious enough?
Bloody Mary mocked the councilman who asked, pointed at its temple with its fingers and continued, Use your rotten brain and think about it. Why didnt I stop it?
Bloody Mary sounded merciless, sting the question without holding back.
Then, before the councilman could answer, Bloody Mary added, Of course Ive discovered something and I think it is necessary to hold the meeting. So I went along with the n. Do you think I missed you people? Dont worry, this kind of disgusting thing would never happen.
After that, Bloody Mary signed Hoika with a wave of hand.
Hoika then took a box out of his backpack and put it on the table.
Then, the box opened up.
A humans head was in the middle of the unveiled box.
The head was obviously shaved and taken care of, it didnt smell too bloody, yet a single nce at it would still send chills down ones spine.
Though not a single one in the room was a normal man.
The councilmen and the field agents behind them looked at the head with a nonchnt look, even though they were familiar with the headit was Mieren!
The manager of Silent Night Town and the supervisor of the field agents in name.
But this time around, no one spoke anymore, even the councilman who emanated malicious intentions earlier.
He was just trying to mock Kurtzargert with his words earlier, even he didnt believe Kurtzargert, the old fox, would do something without a solid reason.
If he imed there was a problem, there would be a problem.
Mieren?
If his head was on the table, there would surely be a reason for his death.
Moreover, he was just a mere field agent supervisor in name, what was there to be concerned about?
Under everyones gaze, Bloody Mary slowly opened its mouth, He betrayed us. He thought he concealed himself well enough but never did he expect Colipo to find out. In order to lure out the person behind him, Colipo purposely feigned it and intentionally caused a misunderstanding with Luncar. What happened next is what you people know, but... all of you have no idea whos the person behind him.
COMMENT
Other than War God Temple, who else could there be?!
A councilman replied with disdain at Bloody Marys intentional ridicule.
The rest of the councilmen nodded, one after another.
To Silent Night Secret Society, they never took anyone or any organization seriously since a long time ago, all except for War God Temple.
As a matter of fact, it was indeed as such.
With Lady Cmity on their side, other than the God of War, who else could rival her?
War God Temple? Hmmm, you can say that but you are not entirely right, Bloody Mary chuckled.
Theres others?
The councilmen sounded dubious.
Did every one of you forget how things unfolded into the current state?
Bloody mary was being vague, it purposely removed the words like ck Cataclysm.
Instantly, all 14 of the councilmen thought of something and were shaken by their own thoughts.
However, before any one of them could continue asking
BOOM!
The sound of a loud explosion suddenly came into the council hall.
Chapter 1812 - Step By Step
Chapter 1812: Step By Step
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Amid the tremendous explosion, everyone in the council hall was captivated by it, especially Bloody Mary!
Using Kurtzargerts face, Bloody Mary showed a horrified, dreadful expression.
The next moment, it dashed out of the council hall without saying anything; Hoika followed tightly.
The rest of the councilmen looked at each other before they said, Follow them!
Immediately, the 14 representative field agents immediately grabbed the prism crystal and dashed outside.
When the 14 of them came outside, they saw a smokey spot in Silent Night Town. Hoika was running towards it and Councilman Kurtzargert was already there.
Without any further orders, the 14 of them, with the prism crystals, ran towards the smokey spot.
Then, the 14 of them saw Kurtzargert standing in the middle of the st point, looking down at the body on the ground with a heavy, gloomy look.
The 14 representatives saw it, as did their respective councilmen.
Who is the body? asked the anxious councilman.
Kurtzargert didnt reply, signaling Hoika with a wave of his hand instead.
When Hoika started to push the surrounding crowd backwards, the other councilmen who watched the scene through their spells reacted sourly.
Hoikas reaction, Kurtzargerts heavy look, and the words spoken just now...
A bad premonition appeared in their hearts.
What happened next seemed to happen just to prove their guesses correct.
Kurtzargert didnt say anything, and with a sour and heavy look, he returned to the council hall.
Everyone else also returned and went to their respective seats, and other than Hoika maintaining order outside, everything was the same as before.
That ce is where Ludus was held captive. He was watched by Colipos right hand man, Luncar! Bloody Mary spoke after it sat down.
Its voice was heavy, it had a sense of never before heard seriousness.
When they heard what Bloody Mary said, the 14 councilmen instantly looked sour.
They werent idiots, so they understood well the meaning behind those words.
The problematic one wasnt Colipo, but Ludus!
Kurtzargerts investigation discovered those unusual inklings, so he worked with Colipo to go along with the n and capture Ludus, and from there, they initiated the Council Meeting.
However... It seemed like Ludus was much more powerful and influential than they thought.
Colipo should be dead, as was Luncar.
The explosion that went off earlier was to inform them of that and at the same time a necessary move to remove any traces left over.
It was to provoke them, it was to show them disdain.
With such thoughts gushing up into the 14 councilmens representatives minds, they felt anger in the bottom of their hearts, but most of it was fear, because they understood very well what Kurtzargert said earlier.
Did every one of you forget how things unfolded into the current state?
The 14 representatives understood it, as did their respective councilmen, probably understanding it better than their subordinates.
After all, that matter had a vast influence, to the point that they were unable to leave their respective turf.
Kurtzargert, I... We need a detailed exnation on this, The councilman who first disyed goodwill spoke.
This time around, all the other councilmen didnt do anything extra, all of them looked at Bloody Mary en masse.
Exnation? It is exactly what you think, but... its toote.
Bloody Mary didnt have the intention of replying to the councilman. Itughed instead, itughed augh filled with heavy self-mockery.
With theughter going on, Bloody Mary continued, Ive set this up for so long, but I never thought Id fall short of my efforts. Butpared to that Colipo, Im much better, at least Im still alive. Everyone! We have reached our most critical momenta new and unknown God has appeared before us. He has allied himself with the God of War and might even originate from thetter. The God of War was helpless against Cmity before this and its obvious that he is unhappy with it. Thats why he chose another way to ovee this. I dont know about the details but a new and never before met God has appeared in Edatine Castle. And he is hostile! If we dont do anything, we will be weing our death.
Bloody Mary started to spew lies based on Kurtzargerts memories.
Its lies obviously had a major w, to the point that any councilmen in the council hall would easily find it out with some investigation, but unfortunately for them, all the councilmen present couldnt leave their own turf, even that Lady Cmity couldnt leave.
As for the representatives?
Bloody Mary had a ton of ideas to make them believe. They wouldnt just believe, theyd be utmost certain about it after this.
Thank you, the backup of Wolf Sect Demon Hunters!
Blood Mary thought in its heart quietly while its face maintained self-mockery.
It didnt spare the chance for the councilmen to speak.
I need help. If all of you cant provide me with aid, I will choose to surrender to the new God, Bloody Mary was being very direct.
Kurtzargert!
Including the hot-tempered and the gloomy councilmen, many of them bellowed en masse.
There were some who didnt say anything but they, too, were looking at Bloody Mary with a furious gaze.
Whats there to be surprised about? Why so angry? If, and I say IF, all of you were in my shoes, what would... you do? Bloody Mary asked back in a casual manner.
Right away, the 14 councilmen went quiet.
It was obvious that when they thought of the method theyd take if they were in the situation, it seemed like it was the same as Bloody Marys.
However, the necessary criticism was still a must.
Kurtzargert, dont forget your initial oaths! said the gloomy voice.
I did not. Did you? Then why dont we swap it around? Bloody Mary wasnt at all courteous.
Through Kurtzargerts memories, it was clear that there was no friendship or rtionship between the councilmen. Such things might have existed when Silent Night Secret Society was first formed but with the arrival of the ck Cataclysm, everything had changed.
Betrayal, setups, those were the new norm between the councilmen.
If it wasnt for the restrictions, Silent Night Secret Society would have copsed due to the internal conflict.
Hmph!
The gloomy voice coldy grunted and went quiet.
What followed was a long period of silence.
Bloody Mary didnt say anything, it knew very well not to overextend.
Now, it had already opened up a decent start, and as for the rest? It was up to the councilmen to think.
And Bloody Mary was very certain that these councilmen had already started to imagine things.
Otherwise, why would they contact each other under the table?
Themunication that it saw was definitely not the only one.
When the councilmen decided to send their representatives to Edatine Castle, they ought to keep a spare one beside themselves just so they could contact each other, and probably more than one way.
Some might join a group alone and some might join multiple groups altogether.
There were 14 of them, splitting up into 16, 17 groups was a normal thing to happen.
Bloody Mary was sure of it.
It didnt require any of its deduction or whatnot, it was just that this was human nature.
Therefore, Bloody Mary was very patient.
Seconds turned into minutes.
2 more minutester, the councilman who disyed goodwill to Bloody Mary spoke.
What do you want? he asked.
There was no need to beat around the bushes anymore in this kind of timing.
Aid! Manpower, money, all sorts of special resources! This ce will be a war zone! And Im defending the frontline... if I fall, all of you would be next, Bloody Mary was even more straightforward.
It knew what its boss preferred.
So it didnt mind getting something extra along the way while it waspleting its mission.
It didnt surprise the councilmen though.
How much? It was still the goodwill councilman who spoke.
The more the better! Bloody Mary demanded a great deal.
Are you extorting from us? The gloomy councilman couldnt hold back his question anymore.
Then can you tell me what we should do in front of a true God? Bloody Mary kicked the ball back to him.
The heavy breathing of the gloomy councilman echoed in the council hall.
No one would doubt how furious the gloomy councilman was right now.
Everyone was certain that if the gloomy councilman was sitting opposite Kurtzargert right now, a big fight might have gone down.
The rtionship of the councilmen of Silent Night Secret Society was much worse than expected!
Bloody Mary got even more confirmation of that point.
But there must be a limit!
The goodwill councilman also sounded harsh from this point onward.
I dont know whats the limit, because until now, Ive never truly gone up against that God. Whats his divine authority? I only have guesses, so I dont know, said Bloody Mary.
This time around, several of the councilmen couldnt help but nod a bit.
They, too, understood the Gods.
They might even be the humans who understood Gods the most, speaking from a certain aspect, but it was because of that that they understood how scary a divine existence was.
If they had an option to not face the Gods directly... theyd never face them directly.
Although doing as such would cost them, it would still be better than going up against the Gods themselves, right?
On top of that, with the first line of defense, which was Kurtzargert, they too seemed to have the space to turn around.
Of course, the smaller the cost, the better.
Another short moment of silenceter, the goodwill councilman spoke once more.
We will try our best to provide you with aid, but they will be overseeing the whereabouts of the resources delivered. Only the resources, not you. Other than that, they will be yours tomand, emphasized the councilman.
Bloody Mary feigned being in deep thoughts, then nodded.
Deal, it said.
The other councilmen also nodded in agreement.
The proposal to send aid to Edatine Castle had been passed. Next, it would naturally be the intense discussion and preparation for said aid.
Watching the projections go off one after another, Bloody Mary sat there without moving a muscle, as if it was thinking how it should handle the uing situation.
The 14 representatives dared not even breath loudly at the moment. They heard what their respective councilmen told them clearly.
Now, they were all temporarily Kurtzergerts subordinates.
Even though it was temporary, something must be maintained.
Moreover, which war wouldntst for a long time?
Therefore, the field agents who werent idiots quickly corrected their attitude.
Bring Hoika in.
More than 10 secondster, Bloody Mary gave a new order to the 14 of them after it reported back to its boss.
Yes, my lord, one of the field agents replied right away.
Soon, he returned with Hoika.
Bring two of them with you to confirm the lead that Luncar got. The rest of you, split into 3 groups. One will be stationed in Silent Night Town, the other will go to the slums in the Lower Seventh Ring to monitor those Snake Sect Demon Hunters. Remember, your task is to monitor and monitor only. Thest group will be responsible for receiving the aid resources.
After quickly splitting up the field agents into groups, Bloody Mary waved its hand.
Hoika then brought the 14 of them out of the council hall.
The grouping was simply made, there was a lot of room for control but it wasnt something that Bloody Mary had to be concerned with, neither would Hoika, they were the options for the outsiders.
Bloody Mary believed these people would provide it with a satisfying answer.
And itself?
It would have to proceed with the next step of the n.
Silent Night Secret Society had stepped into the setup, but how could it work without the response from War God Temple?
...
Kieran watched the entire meeting and did not object to Bloody Marys report.
To Kieran, his natural vignce made him want to repeat the previous scene over and over again because he needed more details, albeit he already got ess to Kurtzargerts memories.
Fortunately, with the talent [Memory Pce], it was enough for him to rey it.
Kieran half leaned back on the pir of the corridor, a soft cushion behind his waistit was sent over by the pce servants attentively.
The breeze blew softly, absent of the slightest cold.
The pces secret spell turned the spine-chilling wind into a warm one, asfortable as the breeze of early summer.
With thefortable breeze blowing, Kieran squinted his eyes at the flowerbed further away, which themp shed light over, his mind reying the Council Meeting from earlier.
Kuer Horton stood beside him.
He looked at his friend with aplicated expression. He never thought his good friend would have such aplicated background, nor did he expect that he would have to tell his good friend his secret under such circumstances.
Embarrassment, awkwardness, and all kinds of other emotions gushed out, wave after wave.
Kurt Horton was somewhat lost, he didnt know what to do.
He stood there nkly and looked at Kieran, who was in a trance with his thoughts.
At first, the young noble was out of words, hence the nk stance beside his friend, but as time flew by, the young noble suddenly realized his friend had an unusual charm while he was thinking.
The concentration... was very attractive, it was like the joy from the bottom of his friends heart when there was food ced in front of him.
Now he too concentrated himself wholly in his thoughts.
Maybe this isnt such a bad decision after all.
With that thought in mind, the young noble cleared his throat.
Ahem, Colin, I have something to tell you. I am a... she. I didnt mean to lie to you but because of my background, it is destined that I must pay the cost while I enjoy the resources of my family. If I frightened you, I hope you can forgive me, I really do not mean it.
The secret buried deep in the heart was uttered out with hesitance, the young noble exined intuitively right after the revtion.
Especially after a while when he... she didnt get a reply from Kieran, the young noble started to feel anxious.
Amid the anxious exnation, Kieran looked up with a calm look on his face and said, I know.
Chapter 1813 - Enter The Setup
Chapter 1813: Enter The Setup
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Colin knew?!
Kuer Horton was stunned.
She had thought of many replies but definitely not this one.
After all, her disguise wasnt as simple as wearing a set of male suits, which could automatically blind the men around her. She really used all kinds of mystical spells to pull off this disguise.
If she didnt remove the spell, naked eyes could never differentiate her as a female, even in terms of organic structure.
Could it be some mystical spells of the Demon Hunter?
Rumour had it that the Demon Hunters were good at tracking and differentiating their targets, they were able to easily and quickly pinpoint a pagan in a crowd of humans.
The young noble looked at Kieran with doubts in her heart.
Then... she grew embarrassed and shy.
At the thought of appearing before her friend in a seemingly wless male disguise yet in her friends eyes she was a female, a heavy blush appeared on Kuer Hortons face, not even the mystical spell covering that up.
Then, then...
Kuer Horton tried to say something to cover up the awkwardness in the atmosphere but her nervous mind and panicked state robbed her of her words, putting her at a loss of what to say.
Likewise Kieran, who didnt have the intention to speak.
The reason why he knew Kuer Hortons real gender wasnt because he discovered something but a part of Edatine VIs memories were searched by Bloody Mary.
At the same time, it also saw why the dead Prince Svenson purposely stepped up to look for trouble. It was because Svenson liked Kuer Horton and he had tried to ask Edatine VI to marry each other for more than once.
Unfortunately, Edatine VI had already arranged a marriage for his son and the wife was the granddaughter of another royal court elder, not Kuer Horton.
Edatine VI arranged the marriage because it would undoubtedly help to bnce the power in the royal court, but Svenson didnt share the same thought.
The young prince thought he should have the right to choose, even more so after he was crowned prince.
A person getting something must definitely lose something else.
Trying to get the best of both?
Possible, but extremely unlikely.
Besides, Svenson obviously didnt possess such capabilities.
Aside from the fact that his identity was fake, the fact that he stood in the way of Edatine VIs n would be enough for this so-called prince to be treated with the cold shoulder.
Kieran also wouldnt sympathize with him.
Other than the once hostility, Kierans personality wouldnt do so either.
Since he killed the prince, he KILLED the prince and he wouldnt feign benevolence just so he could sigh emotionally.
Of course, he would never tell Kuer Horton the truth about everything.
Both of them were friends in the world of eating but it didnt extend to other aspects.
Therefore, Kieran kept quiet.
Kierans silence made the young noble more at a loss for action.
L-Lets go for a flower viewing? stuttered the young noble after holding up for some time.
Sure, Kieran nodded and walked first to the parterre not so far away.
With support from the mystical spells, the parterre in the pce, despite it being in the middle of winter, bloomed in a myriad of beautiful colors.
Kieran had limited understanding towards nts. He couldnt tell the species of the flowers nted, all he could tell was that they were not poisonous and free of dangerth. Oer than that?
2They might not taste as good as they looked.
Kuer Horton read about the flowers a while ago, so in order to sooth the awkward atmosphere, she started to grind her memories, searching for the exnation her home teacher taught her, but no matter how hard she recalled, all she could remember were the seeds of several types of nts that could be used as seasoning in cooking.
The young noble grew shy.
Kuer, what are you doing? You should pick a topic that Colin would like and you are good at it... Huh? A topic that Colin likes?
Finally, the young noble caught the key point.
How did she meet Kieran in the first ce?
Because of Food!
The assassination or whatnot wasnt important, the important thing was the food!
Colin, do you want to go visit the royal kitchen? The young nobles tone had anticipation when she asked.
She had always wanted to visit the royal kitchen but unfortunately, with her identity, she was destined to never get ess to the ce, but now it was different. With Colins identity as prince, getting to the kitchen would be problem-free!
Kieran noticed the anticipation in Kuer Hortons gaze, he knew what she was nning but he didnt dislike this kind of harmless intention.
After all, he too was looking forward to visiting the pces kitchen.
Lead away, Kieran said straightforwardly.
Okay! Kuer Hortons eyes shone brightly, turning around and bringing Kieran to the side.
The whereabouts of the two would never escape the eyes of the pce guards and the agents.
Soon enough, the old marquis had a clear grasp over the location of his daughter and the true heir to the throne.
Monte, as the vassal, knew also.
Kitchen? The old marquis was caught off guard, thenughed.
He praised his daughters wits.
Although it was just a quick meeting, the news that he had gathered was sufficient for him to know what the heir to the throne liked.
Monte, on the other hand, had his brows locked tightly together.
He thought he was the one who arrived first, yet how did he allow this old fox beat him to sucking up to that prince?
Was it so great to have a daughter?
The old fox was always worried sick and had always forced his daughter to be in disguise.
What a petty snob! Montemented on the old marquis in his heart, yet his face was covered with a smile.
He knew that as long as Kuer Horton got close to the heir of the throne, hed have to do this, albeit unwillingly.
Sir marquis, His Majesty had rested, you will have to officiate some of the ceremoniester, said Monte respectfully.
Ill do my best to aid His Majesty toplete the tasks, replied the old marquis appropriately.
It didnt look or sound over, neither did it lose its decency.
Since the upper hand was seized, he ought to keep it up. Showing a pressuring bearing wasnt a good option. Quite the contrary, showing a bit of humility wasnt exactly the worst thing to do.
Both men, with respective ulterior motives, walked side by side as they returned to the grand hall.
At this point of time, a zing light appeared!
It wasnt the pce, neither was it from anywhere within the Upper Three Rings, yet it was near the noble district. Otherwise the fiery scene wouldnt be so clear.
The two of them exchanged a quick gaze before they strode towards the pces gate.
The secret agents automatically vanished into the shadows in a much quicker way.
...
Hoika brought two field agents with him as they walked along the edge of the noble district of Edatine Castle.
The increased patrols and sharpshooters hidden in the shadows slowed them down by a lot.
Fortunately, as field agents of Silent Night Secret Society, both Hoika and the other two field agents possessed rather skilled undercover techniques, so they were not exposed.
After another squad of patrol walked past them, Hoika stopped, standing in the intertwined shadows cast by the house and trees; the other two field agents were hiding nearby too.
Luncars discovery is there: Etorin Tailor Shop. Its a tailor on the bright side but actually a hidden sentry outpost for the Inquisition. This is the ce where Luncar discovered the traces of that unknown God, said Hoika inaudibly.
The two field agents switched their gazes to Etorin Tailor.
Both of them of course heard of the Inquisition, they knew it well.
Compared to the notorious Dark Hall of War God Temple, the Inquisition didnt exactly have a good reputation either, but most of the people had never heard of the name before because it was a department which was founded specifically for spying and intelligence gathering, not only on enemies, but allies as well.
Therefore, most of the time, even the internals of War God Temple begged to stay away from the Inquisition.
What should we do? asked one of the two field agents.
Since they were assigned to follow Hoika here, both of them of course knew their responsibilities.
First, follow Hoikas orders.
Second, confirm the facts.
Even though they never once doubted Councilman Kurtzargerts words, things that needed to be confirmed must be confirmed, but the second point must be carried out in a more inconspicuous way.
Both of them were smart, they knew that rather than being on the dark side and ultimately defying the first point, they might as well obey the first one while secretly carrying out the second.
All we have to do is watch him, the rest... leave it to Councilman Kurtzargert, replied Hoika.
A very steady suggestion, it matched their intention and they had no reasons to reject it.
We will watch him together today but after dawn, we split up into 3 shifts, with 8 hours each shift, any objections?
The two of them nodded at Hoikas question once more.
A reasonable suggestion.
It was impossible for all three field agents of Silent Night Secret Society to stay in observation all at once.
Many spots in Edatine Castle at the moment were in dire need of manpower.
After double confirming, Hoika took the lead and walked to Etorin Tailor, the two field agents following closely.
Although it waste at night, there was light at the first floor of the tailor.
The three of them exchanged a nce and split up quietly, Hoika picking the window on the left and the two on the right.
Beyond the window was an elderly man with white hair and sses, sitting in front of his work station. A measuring tape was around his neck and he had scissors in his hand, with a short, slightly hunched back but every move he made was clean and rhythmical.
With a clear chopping noise, the cloth under the isors de was turned into roughly the shape of a shirt.
There was no alteration or pauses throughout the whole process, it waspleted in a single move.
Anyone who saw the cutting would never doubt the tailors identity, but the two field agents at the right window didnt think as such because when the old tailor cut with his scissors, they saw the shadow of a sword being wielded in a flurry.
The old tailor might seem like a tailor cutting cloth but he heavily resembled a sword-wielder attacking his target.
A master who merged his sword skill into daily routine!
Even in Silent Night Secret Society, there were only a handful of such masters, probably only one because no one in the secret society would be satisfied with the mon.
Something was wrong with the tailor!
Both field agents exchanged a gaze intuitively, then continued watching.
However in the uing time, the tailor didnt show excessive expressions, because other than cutting cloth, he was measuring.
The tailor finally stopped after working for two continuous hours.
Seeing the tailor putting down his scissors, the observing duo were refreshed, yearning for more information, but to their disappointment, the tailor didnt stay for long. Instead, he headed to the basementthere was another flight of stairs under the stairs to the second floor, which led to the basement.
Although they couldnt see, they could hear.
The secrets were hidden underground?
Both of them frowned.
If it was true, it would be a lot more difficult for them to pry into the secrets of the tailor, unless they snuck in.
But if they snuck in, it was also difficult for them to guarantee that the old tailor wouldnt notice anything unusual; if they disguised themselves as customers, there was also a high chance that the tailor could expose them. They knew how much they were worth under the eyes of an unknown God.
Right when the two of them weremunicating via eye signals, they simultaneously noticed a ck figure that appeared in the garden behind the shop. The figure popped up from the secret exit hidden under a withered flower pot.
It seemed like it wasnt the figures first unannounced exit.
Skillfully cing the flower pot back to its original spot to cover the secret door, the figure walked away.
Follow him
One of the field agents signaled to the other and the other instantly nodded.
But before he left, he signaled Hoika.
After getting Hoikas permission, he vanished into the shadows.
Etorin then appeared in the room again.
Like before, he continued cutting cloths.
It seemed like business was rather good for the old tailor, he had to put in extra time toplete his orders.
Seconds turned into minutes.
Half an hourter, the field agent returned from following the figure who exited through the garden.
After his return, Hoika and the other agent returned to their previous hiding spots.
How did it go? Hoika asked.
Its War God Temples person! said the agent surely, he then added, I just dont know whether he was from Dark Hall or Inquisition!
Is there any difference to us? Hoika chuckled, then the two of them followed.
Up until this point, the two field agents had almost made sure Etorin was the hidden sentry of War God Temple.
The only thing left was to watch the old man and search for clues leading to the unknown God.
Returning to their watch spot, Hoika on the left and the two of them on the right, nothing changed at all.
It was exactly the same as before, but Etorin, who was cutting the cloth in the room, suddenly put the cloth down.
As His Majesty said, there ARE rats around! said Etorin as he looked at the right window, the scissor in his hand was fired out like an arrow from a bow.
Pang!
The ss window was shattered.
The scissors grazed one of the field agents faces, cutting a bloody line on his cheek.
As a matter of fact, if he didnt realize something had gone south, hence dodging in advance, his throat would have been perforated by the scissor.
However, he still failed to escape his grim fate.
His cheek, where the cut was, rotted with exponential speed.
Aaaarh!
Painful screams spread uncontrobly. Under Hoika and the other field agents watch, the field agents head was corroded into a skull in a breaths time.
RUN!
Without any hesitation, Hoika signaled with his hand and dived into the shadow.
The other one didnt stay long either, tumbling and running towards the Center First Ring.
After the two of them escaped, a fire appeared from inside the shop and swiftly grew, engulfing the whole shop quickly.
The body of the field agent was tossed into the fire.
Etorin inhaled the scorching air deeply.
Just nice!
As his voice faded, Etorin vanished on the spot.
A whileter, Edatine Castles patrol, the elite knights of War God Temple, appeared simultaneously at the fiery scene.
Thetter looked at the zing building and their faces turned sour.
Chapter 1814 - Inside The Setup
Chapter 1814: Inside The Setup
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Extinguish the fire! bellowed the elite knights captain of War God Temple.
The knights behind him rushed towards the fiery scene.
They didnt use any traditional method to extinguish the fire. Instead, they used the swords in their hands and started to cut the zing shop, at the same time sshing sand over the fire to kill it.
The swords shed the zing walls and the sand quickly followed and covered it up.
Several minutester, the ze was extinguished.
The cause of the fire was also located, together with 2 burnt bodies.
The bodies were heavily burnt, but the captain managed to recognize that one of the bodies was Etorin due to some very familiar traits, which wouldnt change even after the body was burnt beyond recognition: the lingering energy in the body.
Therefore, he easily deduced where the other body came from: the arch rival of War God Temple, Silent Night Secret Society!
The elite knight captains face was heavy, his eyes filled with killer intent, waving and signaling to his men to bring the two charred bodies away. After nodding to the patrol squad, he walked towards the cathedral.
From the beginning, the elite knights and the patrol didnt make anymunication except for exchanging gazes and sizing up each other, as if they were abiding some rules.
The captain of the patrol saw the group of elite knights from War God Temple away, then he signed towards the dark with his hand.
Right away, the secret agents in the dark split up into three groups.
One headed to the pce.
One followed the elite knights quietly.
One went evidence collecting.
The patrol squad left some men behind to protect the fiery scene. The surroundings swiftly calmed down, as though nothing happened, except for that charred ground.
...
War God Temple, Inquisition.
Unlike Dark Hall, which waspletely hidden underground, the Inquisition was hidden in the shadows of the cathedral.
Right after the captain of the elite knights returned to the cathedral, he headed to the shadows.
Correct, the captain of the elite knights was from the Inquisition.
As a matter of fact, every single member of War God Temple might be from the Inquisition, but most of the time, they had another righteous identity to show, including Sean.
On the bright side, he was the ninth captain of the Apologetics Chivalry.
On the dark side, he was the second branch captain of the Inquisition.
To Sean, who grew up in War God Temple, the double identity wasnt something uneptable, because everything he did was for War God Temple!
I want everything on Etorin, especially the recent things, said Sean as he stood in the shadow.
There was no reply, only the whistle of the wind.
When the breeze paused, a tied up scroll appeared beside Seans feet.
Sean fluttered his cape, and as the scarlet red cape waved, the scroll on the floor disappeared.
He strode back to his own room, locked the door, and opened the scroll on his study table to read it carefully.
The information at the start was very normal, almost simr to what Sean deduced, but he soon locked onto a certain point.
Etorin discovered the internal conflict of Silent Night Secret Society. Thest meeting before Etorins death, he looked a little hesitant and somewhat afraid.
Sean crossed his fingers in front of his forehead while his thumbs pressed against his temples, rubbing them softly.
He preferred to think in this posture, it made his mind lively.
He knew about Etorins previous reports and also knew about the failure of the incitement on Silent Night Secret Society to cause a bigger internal conflict.
Therefore, Sean had no other thoughts on this.
If Silent Night Secret Society was this easily incited, they wouldnt be the subordinate of the rival of the God of War.
However, Etorins final appearance was something worth ruminating over.
What caused the hesitation in Etorin?
What made Etorin afraid?
Sean wasnt familiar with Etorin, but he knew, as a spy for the Inquisition, that his biggest merit was loyalty and a dauntless heart.
The firm beliefs made them dauntless.
ording tomon sense, hesitation and fear would never appear on them.
What kind of tricks is Silent Night Secret Society ying this time? Sean naturally thought of the only lead he had.
Then, the knight with a double identity stood up.
He tidied up the documents on the table, took his quail pen, and started to write down the whole incident in detail, objectively adding his own deductions. He then went back to the cathedral.
The cathedral had a confession room.
Although most of the time it was used by themon worshippers, it didnt stop Sean, as a clergy, from using it. He walked into the third room and knocked on the wooden window in a unique rhythm.
If it was another time, there would be a priest on the other side to listen to the confession of the worshipper; in a special situation, the knock was more of a report.
Sean was thetter.
Kak.
The wooden window was slid aside.
From Seans angle, he couldnt see anything inside, but Sean was used to this kind of reporting procedure. He put the reports on Etorin and his own records into the darkness, as if he was mailing letters at a mailbox.
The scroll and the paper was swallowed by the darkness on the other side without any pause.
The wooden window closed.
Sean didnt leave right away though, he sat down in the confession room for a whole 15 minutes before he went out.
It was the rule, meant to keep suspicious eyes away.
A confession session usuallysted that long, except for some special situations.
Sean didnt stroll around the cathedral. He returned to his room, rested up, and waited for the next mission to be assigned to him.
...
Marquis Horton kept his promise.
Shortly after noon, he had sent over arge amount of resources to the slums at Lower Seventh Ring, including but not limited to, the most needed tents, cotton attire, food, and arge amount of clean water.
The believers of the Mist in the slums moved right away.
A quarter before nightfall, all the tents were raised and fires were built.
The most arousing thing was on top of the fires were iron pots emanating with the delicious smell of food.
Ellie was helping the housewives.
Her actions were quick and neat, carefully saving the best portions for those who were on duty.
No one objected to her actions at all, more work, more pay was recognized by everyone, moreso those who were on duty were protecting them.
As the temporary captain of those on duty, Sivalka even got a drumstick for himself.
There wasnt any extra seasoning, but it was stewed in a mushy state, together with the steamy soul. It was tasty enough, especially when Ellie served him the meal, which warmed his heart a lot.
Delicious, said Sivalka as he gobbled his food.
Chicken mixed with a bowl of mashed potato, which was cooked like porridge, was really tasty for him.
The saltiness and spiciness inside even reminded Sivalka of his old mercenary days.
He missed it, but he wouldnt neglect his current duty because of his own memories.
Ill leave this to you Ellie, Sivalka stood up after he gave Ellie the empty bowl. He then looked at his men behind him.
Unlike the handful of men during the day, the brothers of the sect had joined the ranks.
The number of guards suddenly went over 30, it would be enough to divide them into two-three groups.
Most importantly, the brothers from the sect brought weapons with them!
It wasnt a cleaver, wooden stick, or a broken musket anymore. It was real swords, bows, and arrows, plus real firing muskets.
It increased Sivalkas confidence in protecting Ellie.
Were done, captain.
The guards, consisting of the natives of the slums in Lower Seventh Ring and the young soldiers Sivalka led, stood up one after another.
They had rested up for a while and had their dinner, now it was time for them to take their colleagues shifts.
Sivalka took the lead and headed to his post.
The post was actually a watchtower built with the leftover materials of the ruins. Of course, appearance wise, it looked nothing like a watch tower but it had a simr function.
A decent dinner.
Anderson sniffed his nose when Sivalka climbed to the top of the watchtower.
The old Demon Hunter stretched his body and stood up, leaving the watch position to Sivalka.
As two of the strongest people in the temporary base, no one was more suitable than them to be the watcher.
The old Demon Hunter didnt mind the tasks assigned to him as well.
Exchangingbour for a lodging spot and food did not go against the rules of a Demon Hunter either.
Moreover, he was originally here to understand the Mist.
Nodding at the old Demon Hunter as a greeting, Sivalka started to scan the surroundings.
Everything okay? asked Sivalka.
He knew things wouldnt just end like this.
The unusual attack might seem to be over but what about about War God Temple, who had suffered a loss?
They wouldnt do anything on the surface, but Sivalka, once an armed deacon of Dark Hall, was very familiar with War God Temples methods.
Those people were much more persistent, crazy and... cruel than expected.
Those people would not care about moral orw, all they cared about was the honor of God of War!
In order to preserve the honor of God of War, they would do anything, such as searching a camp filled with heretics.
Many of the believers of War God Temple would even be eager to do it, because after being affected by the unusual attack, War God Temple direly needed something to help them regain their honor.
The old Demon Hunter caught Sivalkas meaning. He said straightforwardly, Its quieter than expected.
However, right after the old Demon Hunters words faded, he looked towards a high spot.
There, a zing light was eye-catching in the night.
However, it seems like someone is attracting attention on our behalf! determined the old Demon Hunter.
Thats themercial district near the noble district. Which is also the favourite ce to get together for the agents of the Inquisition of War God Temple, said Sivalka.
Set up in between civilians and nobles, just like light and darkness? Its been so many years, yet those guys never change. They are far less, simply from the Mist prying through the daze, eximed the old Demon HUnter.
Pry through the daze? Yeah. I agreed with the creed. Now that Ive seen through my own daze, I know what I must do and I hope to protect the people that I want to protect. Its very fitting to the creed isnt it? You might think its a coincidence but I think its magical. Do you know that a day before, I was still a guy who drifted along in life. The most exciting thing in my life wasing out from the hole for fresh air. Now, I... have decided to protect Ellie. My sword will fight those invaders to the very end.
Sivalkas eyes looked tender when he mentioned the little girl.
Since when did warmth influence him?
Did it start from that cup of warm water? Or that scarf? He couldnt remember.
Although it was just a day, he knew watching Ellie grow in a safe environment would be the best. Then, he could witness Ellie get married...
I cant simply give Ellie away like that, he must go through the 12 trials to get her!
Wait, wasnt there a brat who kept staring at Ellie in the afternoon?
NO! Its too dangerous! Ill have to warn himter! Warn him to stay away from my Ellie!
Unknowingly, Sivalkas face turned weird as those thoughts gushed into his mind.
The hand holding his sword unconsciously tightened.
The old Demon Hunter who watched in silence raised a curious brow.
Whats wrong, the old Demon Hunter asked, attempting to find out.
Nothing, Ive just thought of something important, life and death important, answered Sivalka with a heavy look.
The old Demon Hunter shook his head and prepared to leave. He did smell chicken though. It had been a while since he had dinner in anything other than a wastnd.
An unknown reminiscence appeared in the old Demon Hunters heart, together with... rm!
It was the intuitive feeling thatbined the Demon Hunter instincts that lingered on the verge of life and death all year long and the weird experiments done on him.
It wasplicated, but precise enough.
Therefore, three daggers were fired out inaudibly.
Puk, Puk, Puk!
Three unique thuds of metal plunging into meat sounded almost instantaneously.
The old Demon Hunter dashed further away; Sivalka was a stepte but he wasnt slow either.
He rang the bell, which was made up of iron scraps, before he jumped down from the watchtower.
He followed the old Demon Hunter closely.
When he arrived at the scene, he saw three bodies fallen in the shadow and the old Demon Hunter checking them up carefully.
Anything? Sivalka asked after the old Demon Hunter stood up.
Of course. I picked up their scent from a kilometer away. Damn Silent Night Secret Society!
The old Demon Hunter widened his mouth and bared his bleached teeth, as if he was a hungry wolf that picked on his target.
Killer intent numbed Sivalkas scalp.
...
Silent Night Town, the Council Hall.
Kurtzargert, whose face was as still as dead water, looked at Hoika and another field agent, Horfe.
I told you to watch him, not startle him! said Kurtzargert coldly.
Hoika didnt answer, he simply knelt down on one knee as if he acknowledged his mistake.
Horfe, on the other hand, exined.
My lord, that Etorin is much stronger than we thought, he should be the emissary of that powerful existence that we suspected. He channeled the power of that powerful existence, hence exposing us.
Horfe was still afraid, despite escaping death. The look on his face had said it all, because it was luck that allowed him to dodge that dagger, not his capabilities.
In short, if that scissor had been fired at him, he would be the one who died.
Coming back from the verge of dying, even if Horfe was a field agent of Silent Night Secret Society, hed still be grateful for being alive.
Therefore, he did not notice the unusual gleam in Councilman Kurtzargerts eyes.
Right when Horfe was about to calm down, hurried footsteps came in from outside.
Chapter 1815 - Restart
Chapter 1815: Restart
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
A persons voice could express their emotion.
In fact, not only could the voice do that, many other voices or sounds could achieve it too and one of the most rming ones was footsteps.
Some skillful people could even sense emotions through footsteps.
Hoika the Undying and Horfe the Edge were one of those people.
Their missions determined that they had to master this set of skills, therefore, after Horfe heard the messy footsteps outside the door, his calm heart tightened right away.
What happened? Could it be...
A bad feeling appeared in Horfes heart, and a whileter, it came true.
All three of his colleagues who watched the Lower Seventh Ring had died, killed by Anderson, the Wolf Sect Demon Hunter.
Bang!
After hearing the report, Kurtzargert punched fiercely on the table.
Ive said it clearly before! Watch them! Just watch them! Cant any one of you understand my orders?
Horfe wisely lowered his head when Councilman Kurtzargert bellowed.
He didnt know how his colleagues who were sent to watch over the Lower Seventh Ring were discovered but he knew things were about to get a lot worse.
They were already in a disadvantageous situation and now they hadpletely fallen into the passive side.
He had no idea what he should do next.
War God Temple!
Demon Hunters!
Mist Religious Sect!
The thought of the society being surrounded by all three enemies sank Horfes heart. When he realized Councilman Kurtzergart was looking at him, the arrogant field agent couldnt help but feel numb at his scalp.
Go call everybody in!
Right after Kurtzergarts voices sounded, Horfe ran out as if he had been spared from death.
He didnt notice that after he turned around, there was an unusual gleam in Councilman Kurtzergarts eyes and a slight curl to his lips.
Nicely done, Anderson!
Bloody Mary wasnt fond of the Demon Hunters.
It was fair to consider that without its boss, it would never get close to one.
It wasnt just because those hunters were dangerous, it was also because they were persistent, as if they were real wolves which never let go of their prey once they locked onto them.
Plus, with its own background, the Superior Demon and the Demon Hunters were enemies more than allies.
But now?
Bloody Mary cheered from the bottom of its heart.
It could finally die less times!
ording to its n, it would eventually go after the three representatives of the southern councilmen who were tasked to watch the slums in Lower Seventh Ring, not in a straightforward way, but more of a natural one.
In order to make it all look natural, dying once or twice in the process was almost inevitable.
For example, when a night guard identally discovered three hostile watchers in the dark, it would surely be killed, and at the moment of death, the sorrowful cry would rm the others.
Inside Bloody Marys mind, it had already nned how the sorrowful cry would spread, but none of those were of use now!
That old Demon Hunter hadpleted it on behalf of itself!
Thank you!
Bloody Mary thanked Anderson from the bottom of its heart.
If one could live, who would want to die? Especially Bloody, Mary who deeply experienced the pain of dying.
The curled up lipssted for a second. Bloody Mary then looked at Hoika.
Describe the previous incident again, Bloody Mary kept using Kurtzergarts tone.
Hoika wasnt that stupid to acknowledge anything in this kind of timing.
Likewise, he wasnt so stupid as to ask his teacher why he had to describe again, he just described it again with all the details.
Bloody Mary carefully listened to Hoikas description. It was searching for possible ws in the words.
This was also something that it learned from its boss.
There were no wless ns in the world, only perfecting the n endlessly.
It once heard its boss say that, so it remembered it and carried it out itself.
Its boss carried it out himself, so it had no reasons to not learn from him.
At the same time, it also kept perfecting its own setup.
Horfe the southern councilmen representatives had fluctuating emotions just now and it was enough for Bloody Mary to pry a little of his memories.
Not much, but enough.
While Hoika was describing, the other 10 southern councilmen representatives came back to the council hall once more.
Unlike their cold and stately previous selves, even though it was just looks, Bloody Mary was able to detect anxiety in the representatives hearts clearly through its [Demon Instinct].
After all, several hours earlier, there were 14 of them and now, in the span of a few short hours, they had lost 4 of their colleagues.
Even as the elites of the southern councilmen, it was impossible for them to not be moved by the loss.
Anxiety! Nervousness! And the fear towards the unknown!
Everything was just as Bloody Mary expected, but something was stillcking!
Bloody Mary quietly sensed them and a momentter, it knocked on the table.
Knock, knock, knock.
After the first, the next two continuous knocks were also heavy, sounding like the knocks were knocking at the representatives heart.
I want to have a Council Meeting again! I need to speak with the councilmen you serve! Bloody Mary said decisively.
The representatives, who were somewhat at a loss, didnt object, bringing themunication crystal out once more.
Kurtzargert! What the hell are you doing?!
The moment the hot-tempered councilman appeared, he bellowed.
Dont push it, Kurtzargert! said the gloomy voice.
Kurtzargert, anything happen yet? asked the friendlier voice.
The rest of the councilmen shared their reactions too, some even looking like things were none of their concern, at least on the outside.
Ask your men, Bloody Mary coldly chuckled, with no intention to speak at all.
At this point, the southern councilmen finally realized something wasnt right.
Some of their men were missing.
Wheres my man? asked the hot-tempered one.
The gloomy one did not speak, instead looking towards the rest of the councilmen.
Under the councilmens gazes, Horfe walked out from the representative group.
He bowed at the friendly councilman. It was obvious that this councilman was the one he served. He then told the others what had just happened.
After getting confirmation from one of their own about the unknown God, Bloody Mary was able to tell that these southern councilmen unconsciously tightened their body.
Hmph, a bunch of cowards!
Dont worry, I still have some bigger surprisesing up for yall!
Bloody Mary chuckled in its heart.
Horfe paused uncontrobly, then continued after he adjusted his condition, speaking with a smoother flow.
We... ran into the emissary of that powerful God. We were careful in our watch but the gap of strength was too wide, if the emissary wasnt toying with me, I wouldnt have made it back to Silent Night Town. And the slums of Lower Seventh Ring...
Saying up to this point, Horfe hesitated.
What happened there? asked the hot-tempered councilman.
Horfe didnt say anything, looking at the councilman he served.
His looks and reaction were enough to provide all the southern councilmen with a single theory.
Or rather, when their men first arrived at Edatine Castle, all the southern councilmen had made some specific arrangements, which was to cause trouble for Kurtzargert when necessary.
idents happen, said a councilman after he cleared his throat.
Yes. They are decent men, what a pity that they left us like this, said another councilman.
Then, more and more councilmen spoke.
The topic of the meeting was slowly diverted by each and every word from the councilmen. After waiting for a while, Bloody Mary mmed the table powerfully.
Bang!
You people treating me like a child? Or an idiot? bellowed Bloody Mary.
Right away, all the mouring councilmen around the table stopped.
The hot-tempered councilman even tried to exin but Bloody Mary did not give him the chance.
Enough! I dont want to listen to your exnations! All I want to say is that from now on, I will have nothing to do with Edatine Castle! I will leave this ce at once! Bloody Mary said as it stood up.
Hold on!
Kurtzargert! I think we can talk about this!
Dont be so reckless! Calm down!
All the southern councilmen spoke in various attempts to stop Bloody Mary, then one of them spoke in a very irritated voice.
Are you sure that you wont end up like us? If our positions had been swapped, you wouldnt do the same as us? the gloomy councilman spoke.
Bloody Mary, who had turned around, really wanted to give the councilman a big hug, he went along with its n too well! It was actually thinking how it should explosively round it up, but now?
Hu!
As though the sigh came from Bloody Mary, it turned around.
It nced over all the southern councilmen before it emphasized each word, We are all the same, therefore if our positions are swapped, I would do the same.
Bloody Mary purposely paused at that point, waiting for them to y along with its little farce.
As expected, that gloomy voiced councilman opened his mouth and mocked itself once more.
Then what else are you talking about? We are all the same...
Dontpare me to yourself, idiot! Bloody Mary bellowed.
Its face flushed and eyes widened. No one would doubt how angry Kurtzargert was right now.
I also have the same thought but I wont do it! I am not that stupid when the enemy is right before our doorsteps and still dumb enough to make more enemies for myself! Do you all have a detailed understanding of the Snake Sect? Do you know that the newly risen Mist religious sect has connections with the Snake Sect? Do you all know that the remains of Wolf Sect had been epted into Snake Sect? Your bodies are bound, together with your brain? What is your brain holding? Grass?
Question after question, it rendered the southern councilmen speechless.
Even thest sentence, an insulting phrase, was neglected by the councilmen, because they really knew nothing about the Snake Sect Demon Hunters.
Everything they knew about Snake Sect was from the filtered information that they got from Edatine Castle.
In short, their understanding of Snake Sect was limited to what Edatine Castle wanted them to know.
They, however, knew more about the Mist religious sect, because their men witnessed the confrontation between the Mist and God of War.
They were evenly matched!
Even though God of War had most of his energy concentrated on thatdy, it was still enough to prove how powerful the Mist was.
It was just that... How was the Mist religious sect rted to the Snake Sect?
Kurtzergart, can you exin to us the rtionship between the Mist religious sect and Snake Sect Demon Hunter? asked the friendly councilman.
Mist shoulde from the Snake.
Gasp!
Right after Bloody Marys words faded, gasps sounded throughout the council hall.
As the organization that gave birth to Lady Cmity, how were they not clear about what it meant?
Is the Mist this powerful already? The hot-tempered councilman sounded a little afraid this time.
Not yet! They are stillcking a crucial part, but its not something mortals can fight anymore! Now, you people pushed me up and made me go against a divine existence, plus another one whos near divine status. I have reasons to suspect that some among you wanted me dead! said Bloody Mary.
Its mockery silenced the southern councilmen once more.
Several of them even looked at the gloomy voiced councilman. They seemed to be suspecting something.
The gloomy voiced councilman intuitively wanted to retort but when the words reached the tip of his tongue, he was stopped by the friendly councilman.
Horfe, can you prove it?
The friendly councilman looked at his man, his voice sounding heavy, his reaction big, to the point that even with a hood over his head, one could tell he had turned around.
Yes, councilman. I can swear on it. Both Etorin Tailor and the Mist or Snake Sect, I can prove them, Horfe swore without a second thought.
Bloody Mary didnt even need to influence him, because it was what he saw with his own eyes.
So it was natural that he could swear on it.
As the leader of the representatives of the 14 southern councilmen, Horfes words had weight.
The silence simr to before appeared once more.
The southern councilmenmunicated with each other under the table again.
Bloody Mary didnt choose to return to its seat, instead it talked to Hoika, Pack your things. We are leaving Edatine Castle tonight for the outskirts of Mozaar.
Yes, my lord, Hoika nodded and walked out right away.
Horfe and the others wanted to stop Hoika when they saw it but dared not; they wanted to say something but didnt know what was appropriate.
Deep in their hearts, some of them even had a simr thought, the difference was that theyd return to the south.
One thing worth noting was that going up against a divine existence was horrifying enough for them already, and now with another one who was near divine status, would there still be any hope of winning?
In fact, not only the representatives thought as such, even the councilmen whomunicated with each other shared the same thought.
What should we do? Are we going to give up on Edatine Castle? the hot-tempered councilman asked.
NO! Once we give up on Edatine Castle, it willpletely expose us in front of God of War and the unknown God. Kurtzergart is the best candidate to attract all the fire power, at least he must stay in Edatine Castle to be the target before we solve our own problems! said the friendly councilman straightforwardly.
The other councilmen nodded in agreement.
But what do we have to do to make Kurtzergart stay there? He has sounded his retreat against a God, let alone another one nearing divine status, the hot-tempered councilman failed to find the solution to the problem.
Who said the one nearing divine status is our enemy? The friendly councilman chuckled.
The rest of the councilmen were stunned. Then, they thought of something else and they too showed a smile.
Chapter 1816 - Over Demanding
Chapter 1816: Over Demanding
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The smiles of the councilmen were weird yet bright.
Thats right! Who said the Mist was their enemy?
Should it be the enemy of your enemy is your friend?
They were very familiar with this kind of trope, even more so when they had God of War as their target.
After all,pared to them, the Mist, who was almost a true God, must be more concerned about his own ascension and the God of War, who upied Edatine Castle.
But we would have to pay a great cost, and more danger might pop up in the negotiation process. Is Kurtzargert even willing to do it? said the hot-tempered councilman with furrowed brows.
Although hot-tempered, the fact that he was able to be a councilman had proven that he wasnt an idiot.
Oh, he will be willing. He wont simply give up on everything he has right now because hes like us. We know how he thinks, likewise him us, said the friendly councilman.
So we need to give him more aid? asked the gloomy councilman.
The gloomy councilman was very calm with his tone right now, there wasnt any anger in it.
Everything was just a disguise.
If someone had chosen to be the bad guy, another person must have chosen to be the good guy and there must also be a middleman to bnce things out.
As for the rest, the role assigning had been done, all they needed to do was sit and watch.
Mm. Its a necessary move. After all, we need Kurtzargert to put in all his effort, the friendly councilman nodded. The rest of the councilmen also followed.
Then, themunication under the table came to an end.
All of them returned to the council hall once more.
Kurtzargert, dont be so anxious. We wont let anything happen to you, we can provide you with more support and you can use the resources to persuade the Demon Hunters! said the friendly councilman.
Persuade the Demon Hunters? Are you kidding me? If those bastards are so easily persuaded, the incident back then wouldnt have happened, Bloody Mary chuckled coldly.
It all depends on the person! Back then, its the Wolf Sect Demon Hunters and now... its the Snake Sect Demon Hunters! Both of them worked in different ways, so we are determined to aplish some results. Besides, are you willing to give up on everything you have now? asked the friendly councilman.
Bloody Mary yed along and kept quiet.
Its silence aroused ridicule in the southern councilmens hearts. They knew Kurtzargert was moved.
Now, all they had to do was figure out how great of a cost theyd pay, which wasnt worrisome for them.
Simr to how it was difficult for amoner to imagine the ie of a lord, the leaders of the supernatural forces that ruled almost all the ces in the south had unimaginable resources as well.
However, they also underestimated Bloody Marys ambitions.
I want at least 300 pieces of magical items and equipment. Quality goods, dont try to fool me with fakes!
Bloody Marys demand caused the southern councilmen to skip a breath.
They were prepared to spend a fortune on this but they never expected Kurtzargert would demand such a huge amount.
300 high quality magical items and equipment were not some small amount.
In fact, 300 high quality magical items and equipment in most peoples mind was a substantial cost. As for after the enchantment? Even a lord like thete Viscount Sicar could not provide such an amount.
Only a lord with an open port could consider that amount, but even if said lord could provide the ridiculous amount, hed go broke.
Therefore, the councilmen rejected en masse.
No!
Impossible!
Its too much!
The councilmen were loud and stern.
Bloody Mary crossed its arms and sat back down, chuckling away.
Theres 14 of you, not 1. Whats gathering 300 magical items and equipment to you? Dont think I havent heard of your shady deals in Qitar Bay, Bloody Mary lightly tapped on the table.
They did not doubt that Kurtzargert would find out something. simrly, they too knew about Kurtzargerts own shady deals. It was a mutual understanding, but asking them to coboratively fork out 300 high quality magical items and equipment was still too much.
Unconsciously, the southern councilmen shifted all their gazes to a single point.
As the owner of Qitar Bay, the friendly councilman received all the questioning gazes. He deeply thought about it for a while before he said, Kurtzargert, thats a little much! 150 is all we can do!
150?
Bloody Mary squinted its eyes, it was more than what it expected.
The amount that it was expecting was 100, but now?
280! Every one of you can simply give 20 each! Bloody Mary said in a calm way, as if it was negotiating about two biscuits, not wealth amassed from severalnds.
Impossible, Kurtzargert! You...
Then the negotiation is off! Ill go to Mozaar right away! Ill leave the rest to you guys! If we still can meet in the future, Ill throw you a toastthank you, foolish ones, who made things the way they are and were still able to survive and also, thank me for staying alive.
Bloody Mary then stood up again, walking out without stop.
Kurtzargert!
Kurtzargert!
Wait!
The calls sounded furiously behind him, yet Bloody Mary turned a deaf ear.
Act until the very end. Bloody Mary knew the saying.
Therefore, after it stepped out of the council hall, it shut the door straightaway.
Then, it headed to Hoika, who had packed everything and was ready to go.
Baggage that could fill a whole wagon was very eye-catching in Silent Night Town.
A lot of Silent Night Secret Society members gathered around, looking at Hoika in confusion.
Due to the ranking system of Silent Night Secret Society, these normal members dared not simply ask, but they knew things were different after the Council Meeting was held.
Then, Bloody Mary came by.
The normal members even had a premonition that something bad was about to happen.
Bloody Mary walked to the baggage and paused its steps, turning around to the normal members around itself and looking rather down and unwilling.
A quick hesitationter, Bloody Mary spoke after a sigh.
Im sorry everyone. A crisis that puts everyones lives on the line happened earlier. It involves everyone and the whole organization, so Colipo and I initiated the Council Meeting, but it still happened, which puts us in a very passive side. Things were further exacerbated when the representatives of the southern councilmen acted on their own, it made our passiveness even more fatal. Ive decided to leave Edatine. If you all wanted to leave, please do. I assure you this isnt betrayal and none of you will be hunted down! Be it to the north or to the south, hide and alter your identities, do whatever you like. Remember, live!
The sorrow on Bloody Marys face went out of control, its voice was heavy and it sounded like... it was choking up on its words.
Councilman, what happened?
Yeah, councilman, what happened?
Why are you leaving Silent Night Town?
The gathered crowd asked one after another.
Humans were social animals, especially towards their home, which they had unsevered sentiments for.
Now, someone told them to leave their home, no one would be able to ept that, especially when the reason was caused by outsiders!
Thats right! Outsiders!
The southern councilmen, in the eyes of the residents of Silent Night Town, were outsiders.
They were not responsible for the residents lives, neither would they protect them from harm, even bringing tremendous trouble upon them. What were they if not outsiders?
Unconsciously, many of them looked towards the council hall with killing gazes.
The killing gazes that hated one into their core!
Their home was at risk, anyone would risk their lives for it. More so, the residences of Silent Night Town werent a bunch of weak, bulliable people.
Everyone of them had outstanding bodies,bat techniques, and many of them mastered mystical techniques too. Their presence was naturally different from othermoners.
Right now, every single one of those presences gathered and it made Horfe, the leader of the southern councilmen representatives, numb at his scalp.
They knew if Silent Night Town broke down, they wouldnt make it out alive either because before the residents left the town, they would surely skin the representatives alive.
Instinctively, the representatives reported to their respective councilmen.
The councilmen looked at each other.
They werent as resolute as Kurtzargert, he didnt even want topromise... no, he didpromise but that step that he took was too small.
What should we do now? asked the hot-tempered councilman.
Things are much worse than we thought. Kurtzargerts attitude made me feel like he was purposely putting us in a difficult situation, then he could leave Edatine Castle reasonably. Just listen to his voice just now, unnatural and false! replied the gloomy councilman.
I know! Im asking what we should do now! And didnt you order your men to create a mess? The hot-tempered councilman waved his hand.
His question seemed to agitate the gloomy councilman.
The gloomy councilman did say something simr when his men left for Edatine Castle, therefore he really had no idea whether it was his men who caused trouble for Kurtzargert.
His men were dead after all, who would he go to for answers?
However, deep in his heart, he acknowledged that it was almost certain that his men caused the trouble for Kurtzargert.
But...
That damn bastard! Doesnt he know the priority of things?
The gloomy councilman cursed in his heart.
Meanwhile, on the outside, his voice grew gloomier.
Everyone agreed on that, including you! he retorted.
Hmph! So? Are you trying to hold us responsible for your mistakes? asked the hot-tempered councilman.
You want to back off now? Do you think you can run? mocked the gloomy councilman.
You wouldnt know if you didnt try, the projection of the hot-tempered councilman stood up.
Although the projection only showed the councilmans body, based on his movements, he must have kicked the table in front of him away.
The gloomy councilman sat down without budging, but the aura on his true body distorted even the projection.
Both of them were on the verge of breaking out.
There was a temporary alliance from the start, there were no solid conditions to begin with, let alone both of them fighting on the bright and dark side for the gains in the south.
In that particr moment, it was as though every grudge they had in the past was about to erupt at once.
Enough! said the friendly councilman.
It was hard for him to keep his friendly look anymore in this kind of timing. He knew what these guys were trying to do, it was none other than trying to avoid bearing the expensive cost.
They wanted him to be the one to do it.
The argument between the gloomy and hot-tempered one?
It was all an act, for the sake of benefits.
Kurtzargert did the same, the two of them also did the same and even himself.
He really wanted to spit on their faces and tell them it was delusional of them to think as such, but... he couldnt do that.
An unknown God, a guy nearing divine status.
These were all unexpected happenings that he had to deal with, and even if he couldnt deal with it in a clean way, he ought to stall his enemies, so he needed Kurtzargert for that.
Qitar Bay could not fail! The ce was his crucial base!
Hu!
Inhaled deeply, the councilman spoke, Ill fork out 20%, and you guys settle the rest? Dont push it, this is my limit.
After the other councilmen heard what the friendly councilman said, they heaved a sigh of relief but at the same time felt a little pity.
They were too straightforward?
Should they be more mild and indirect?
It was all Kurtzargerts fault, he left in a hurry and didnt even give them space to turn around.
Criticizing in their hearts, the councilmen started to give new orders to their men.
Horfe ran out of the council hall right away.
Under many hostile gazes, he ran up to Bloody Mary.
Councilman Kurtzargert, the councilmen had agreed to your terms.
They agreed? Bloody Mary feigned surprise.
Its reaction made the councilmen who watched the situation through their projection chuckle coldly deep in their hearts.
As expected, he was just trying to find an excuse to run away! Well, you cant just run away like that!
Another quick exchange of gazester, the southern councilmen had an answer in their mind.
They wouldnt drag this out!
Theyd send 280 magical items and equipment to Edatine Castle, and after that, they wanted to see the representative of Snake Sect Demon Hunter right away for negotiation.
Under the gazes of the residence, Bloody Mary returned to the council hall.
It didnt show any expression on its face but the southern councilmen could make out a trace of unwillingness in Bloody Marys eyes. Therefore, they did not hesitate at all.
The friendly councilman signaled his men, Horfe, with his eyes.
Horfe was thest one who came in and he purposely left the door of the council hall open.
We agree to your terms, Kurtzargert. We will use 280 magical items and equipment to trade for the forgiveness of Snake Sect Demon Hunter. Now, we need to see their representative. Can you go contact the Snake Sect Demon Hunter? said the friendly councilman.
He was loud, to the point that the residents of Silent Night Town outside the door could hear it properly.
I want high quality goods! Bloody Mary emphasized, though its words, in the ears of the southern councilmen, were nothing but a dying struggle.
Unknowingly, the southern councilmen who felt a little unwilling earlier suddenly eased up and felt a lot better.
Of course, I assure you, said the friendly councilman, looking at the other councilmen at the same time.
We assure you too, the other councilmen said, going along with the assurance.
Fine, Bloody Mary clenched its teeth and waved at Hoika.
Its reaction made the southern councilmen more and morefortable, sitting back down at their seats and waiting patiently
Chapter 1817 - A Grateful Heart
Chapter 1817: A Grateful Heart
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Hoika left Silent Night Town.
When he walked out of the secret passage and returned to Edatine Castle, he went around in circles many times to make sure he wasnt followed. Then, the Undying could no longer hold back the excitement in his heart.
He could already see the rise of Snake Sect!
Silent Night Secret Society would surely be doomed!
As a member of the Snake Sect, he was eager to announce his identity, but he knew he couldnt, at least not yet. He still had to wait for the dust to settle once and for all.
Inhaling deeply several times to calm himself down, Hoika was ready to head down to the slums of Lower Seventh Ring. That was the ce where he could contact his allies in the most straightforward way possible.
However, before he even took a step forward, a dagger silently appeared at his neck.
Even when the edge of the dagger touched his neck, he still failed to notice the presence of the dagger, and when the icy cold feeling appeared, Hoika was astonished.
Theres someone behind me? Since when did...
Hoika assumed that he was vignt enough, even drowned in excitement just now, still keeping an eye out for his surroundings, but he failed to notice the person approaching his back.
This person behind him was powerful, it was the first impression Hoika had.
Then, Hoika started to think about where this person came from.
War God Temple? Or the internals of Silent Night Secret Society? Or the Edatine royal court?
The thoughts in his heart did not slow him down or cause him to hesitate, raising his hands in surrender.
Since the person had the chance to kill him directly but didnt, it meant that there was still ground for negotiation.
If he could negotiate, it would be easier.
He was the Undying after all!
Although sustaining death would cause some serious after effects, it would be better than dying for real.
What do you want? My purse is at my right waist. If you are looking for answers, ask away, said Hoika.
Ho? Since when did Silent Night Secret Society be this kind and true to the heart? A cold chuckle came from behind him.
Hoika clearly felt a cold presence behind him. The moment the person spoke, the presence seemed to materialize, pushing against Hoikas back strongly as if it were a knife.
Powerful! The person was much more powerful than he expected! At least a councilman level!
Hoika evaluated this in his heart and tried to make himself look rxed and harmless, knowing his struggle would be useless against a councilman level opponent.
Even though he was confident in his own abilities, the gap in strength shouldnt be neglected.
Hoikas rxed state was obviously felt by the person, who chuckled.
Bring me to Silent Night Town, as he spoke, the dagger pushed against his neck.
Hoikas neck immediately bled.
F-Fine! Illply, but... do you think I can bring you in like this?
Hoikeid his hands open with his back at the person. He actually wanted to shrug but the dagger had cut his neck and any big movements would erge the wound, so Hoika wisely gave up.
There wasnt an answer.
The dagger then left Hoikas neck. Not only that, Hoika even got to see the person behind him, the person appearing right before his eyes righteously.
Under the ck mantle was a leather armor of the same color, and other than a dagger in his hand, a row of daggers were strapped to his waist. The daggers gleamed coldly in the night.
The man wasnt hooded, hence his aged face was revealedit was Anderson!
Hoika immediately recognized the old Demon Hunter.
He had never trulye in contact with the old Demon Hunter before but he heard of Anderson due to his identity as Wolf Sect.
It was also because of this that Hoika instantly knew what Anderson was trying to do.
Wolf Sect Demon Hunters would never wait passively.
Since Silent Night Secret Society had appeared in the slums in Lower Seventh Ring, then Anderson ought to make the folks at the secret society know what kind of cost theyd have to pay for the unwanted visit.
A very straightforward thinking, stubborn in a sense and likewise, not likable.
Many higher-ups hated this kind of straightforward method, but not Hoika.
Do note that he too was a Demon Hunter, despite the fact that his identity was hidden, so he too preferred the straightforward way.
However, he knew the important thing was to hint Anderson about his identity.
Otherwise he would be the first Snake Sect to die under an allys de.
ording to how Wolf Sect carried out their work, theyd never spare mercy to their enemies.
Therefore, at the next moment, Hoika signed with his hands quickly and cast a shadow of a wolf on the wall, his mouth the hissed.
Hes Snake Sect?
Anderson got stunned.
The old Demon Hunter would never have thought that the person that he simply seized would be one of his own.
Of course, the old Demon Hunter would never believe Hoika easily either. He sized up Hoika with a dubious gaze.
Lets talk somewhere else. You pick the location, Hoika was being direct.
The old Demon Hunter thought for a second before he nodded slightly, Fine.
...
The old Demon Hunter never expected things to unfold this way.
He was going to do exactly what Hoika expected of him: teach Silent Night Secret Society a lessonkill one or two councilmen and create chaos in the organization.
He knew how Silent Night Secret Society worked a little too well.
While the southern councilmen hadnt truly broke free from their shackles, using assassination against the secret society would be the best approach.
Both the Mist or Snake Sect would be the same, at least before this.
Now? He was forced to alter his n.
The old Demon Hunter really never expected Snake Sect to sessfully infiltrate Silent Night Secret Societys ranks and acquire a certain position for himself.
In his original thought, even though Snake Sect was inconspicuous, being able to sessfully infiltrate Silent Night Secret Society as a normal member was already good enough. Who would have thought the spy would be an elite field agent. He didnt even dare to imagine. These elites of Silent Night Secret Society were only second to the councilmen and above everyone else after all.
Of course, a validation of his identity would still be necessary.
Therefore, the old Demon Hunter brought Hoika to the pce of Edatine.
He needed Colin to help him verify Hoikas identity.
But...
Right after the old Demon Hunter snuck into the pce, he was astonished by the news he heard.
Colin was the true heir of Edatine VI!!!? How was it possible?!
That was what the old Demon Hunter had in mind when he first heard of the news.
As for Hoika, he was surprised.
As expected of Snake Sect! This is what Snake Sect should be!
Unconsciously, a sense of pride appeared on Hoikas face.
The old Demon Hunter saw the sense of pride, and he started to believe Hoika was truly a Snake Sect member because the pride came from the bottom of his heart and it wasnt something that a Silent Night Secret Society member would simply show.
I think we need to be more respectful when we meet Sir Colin, said Hoika.
As for the respectful address of sir, it wasnt because of the identity of prince but because Colin had a very special position in Snake Sect as well.
If things went smoothly, Colin would be the leader of Snake Sect.
It was what his teacher told him.
Hoika had zero intention of arguing on that point, the thoughts of his teacher were something a student like him could never understand, all he needed to do was learn andplete the tasks his teacher assigned to him, like what he was doing now.
Hoika suddenly understood why Colin would be the leader of Snake Sect in the future, because nothing would be better than the king of a country being an ally.
As he thought of Colin ascending to king and taking over Snake Sect as leader, Hoikas eyes shone brightly.
The rise of Snake Sect was never as simple as he thought.
Silent Night Secret Society would eventually be reced, together with... War God Temple!
Fight! I want to fight! I want to help Snake Sect return to its peak!
I want to let the world know how powerful Snake Sect is!
Hoika was aroused with the thoughts of the future in his mind.
Looking at Hoikas reaction, the old Demon Hunter once again confirmed that Hoika was indeed a member of Snake Sect and might even be a core member.
The old Demon Hunter could even guess what Hoika was thinking because he was young before too.
He understood a young man would always have some ridiculous ideas risen in their mind at a special point of time, and theyd think they were right and others were wrong. Of course, as they got older, the idea would change and they probably would be ashamed of the idea that they once embraced wholeheartedly.
But, so what?
If a young man has no dreams, what is the difference between him and a salted fish?
Even if hed be a salted fish, hed be the saltiest one!
The old Demon Hunter nodded as he understood Hoikas thoughts and also agreed with Hoikas suggestion.
...
Monte strode to the kitchen.
He had a clear grasp over His Highness whereabouts and also knew why His Highness would go from the garden to kitchen with Kuer Horton. Among the higher-ups of Edatine Castle, the hobby of the young noble wasnt exactly a secret.
In fact, in the eyes of the higher-ups, there was barely a secret.
There were sufficient agents and brain trusters to deduce things urately, but the vassal cared more about his Highness.
His Highness is fond of eating, muttered the vassal, thinking about how he could win over Kieran.
The vassal wasnt at all conflicted about sucking up to Kieran, it was his forte after all.
Of course, he also knew that he should finish his own tasks first.
The royal kitchen was behind a corridor beside the garden.
The vassal, who strode all the way, arrived there quickly and was stunned on the spot.
What did he see?
20 chefs were sweating like fountains as they cooked, and despite that, they still couldnt keep up with Kierans eating speed!
Meat slices the size of a palm were stacked into rolls from a side and stuffed into his mouth directly.
Small chunks of steak with a little cinnamon powder over them were tossed into the mouth for several chews before he swallowed even the bone.
A wholemb was being roasted on the roaster, the golden exterior alluring. His Highness tore a strip of meat with his hand, the skin crispy and the meat juicy. The juicy oil rolled down from the edge of his mouth, but before it truly fell off, his Highness sucked it back into his mouth.
Then, even his hands moved in a flurry, so fast that they whipped upyers of afterimages.
In a blink of an eye, the wholemb was gone, the same thing went for the beef.
The roast beef that required five people to work around was left with that iron stick after His Highness got near, not even the bones left behind.
There were no table manners, let alone the bearing of a gentleman.
However, the vassal did not feel rude at all, he felt an unknown happiness, a happiness towards food blooming from the bottom of his heart.
Gulp.
Unconsciously, the vassal gulped his saliva, suddenly feeling hungry.
He was eager to grab a piece of roast meat, mimicking his Highness in curling them up and then delivering them into his mouth.
However, his instinct told him that it would be best for him not to.
Monte trusted his instinct a lot, so he walked over while swallowing his saliva.
When he got near, only then did he realize Kuer Horton was hugging her stomach from eating too much, leaning back and panting heavily.
It was obvious that she overate.
Your Highness, Demon Hunter Anderson requests a meeting.
The vassal wisely kept his eyes away after a very short nce and reported to Kieran.
Although the two of them still hadnt verified their rtionship, whod know about the future or anything about it?
He couldnt afford to offend the future king, same went for the future queen.
Let them in, said Kieran after he chewed and swallowed a piece of meat fried with egg batter.
Through Bloody Mary, Kieran saw everything and was not at all surprised.
It was time to put the Wolf Sect Demon Hunter onto his chariot, thought Kieran from the bottom of his heart.
Then, he swiftly swept the food on the tes clean.
He stood up and walked outside.
A holy ground like the kitchen shouldnt be used to discuss proper matters.
A holy ground must be protected, its purity must be retained.
The chefs finally heaved a sigh of relief after they saw Kieran walk out.
It was too scary for them, they had never seen someone with such a ridiculous appetite.
His stomach was like a bottomless pit, not even legends or myths mentioned something this scary before.
It was truly terrifying.
Suddenly, Kieran, who was walking out, paused.
The chefs, who had just heaved a breath of relief, were frightened once more.
Kieran stopped, turning around and saying in a solemn manner, Thank you for the food, it was delicious.
Kieran then bowed and left.
The chefs were stunned. When Kierans figurepletely vanished from their sight, only then did they regain their senses.
It seemed like... his Highness wasnt scary at all, its just that his appetite was a little big.
What was so strange about a person with a great appetite?
Who never felt extremely hungry at one point in their lives before?
The nervousness in the chefs vanishedpletely.
Kuer Horton felt the change, her eyes gleaming colorfully.
She felt like she found the most anticipated moment in her life. She held the table and carefully stood up, struggling to bend over and said, Thank you for the meal.
Chapter 1818 - Shattered
Chapter 1818: Shattered
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The pces garden.
Hoika stood under a small tree, Anderson habitually standing in the shadows.
Demon Hunters werent thieves, but when they hunted, necessary undercover techniques would always halve the work and double the result, branding some habits into his bones and changing it was totally impossible.
The old Demon Hunter stood there silently, ncing over the garden around him.
It was the first time he came to the pce of Edatine.
He was quite satisfied with the arrangements before his eyes, not in terms of aesthetics but in terms of security.
Within his sight, there was not a single tree taller than 3 meters, all were trimmed necessarily.
All it needed was a guard stationed in the watchtower outside the garden, watching over this ce, and he would be able to see everything in the garden.
It was able to maximize the security in the garden and protect whosoever was in there and at the same time able to save manpower to distribute it somewhere else.
The location of the agents are reasonable and the patrols are decent as well,mented the old Demon Hunter one after another.
Simr to his undercover instinct, his instinct of looking at things changed a long time ago.
Practicalism was always what the Demon Hunter sought, but Hoika was different.
His mind was thinking over and over again about whether or not he missed something.
It wasnt the first time Hoika went out for a mission, but a mission rted to whether or not Snake Sect could rise smoothly was a first for him.
As a spy for Snake Sect, Hoika couldnt help but feel nervous.
Fortunately, when Kieran appeared within his sight, the calm and nonchnt face and the casual walking pace swiftly calmed Hoika down, as if as long as Kieran was around, things would be fine.
It also felt like any kind of problem would solve itself in front of Kieran.
It was a very strange feeling but Hoika didnt dislike it.
Greetings, Sir Colin. I am Hoika, here on behalf of Silent Night Secret Society, Hoika greeted respectfully.
He wanted to call Kieran lord or perform a Demon Hunter salutation, but now was not the time, not yet.
He wasnt sure whether or not this ce was under the surveince of the southern councilmen.
Kieran nced over the old Demon Hunter who hid in the shadows, then ced his attention on this ex-Silent Night Secret Society member who Bloody Mary tricked with its acting (illusion).
His follower seemed to have poured quite the effort into this Hoika, at least it made it easier for him to converse with this ex-member.
Hoika would feel an unknown calmness andpliance when he saw Kieran, he would never have the thought of disobeying KieranBloody Marys abilities were really useful here, but unfortunately, it was useless against most of the people as it was only effective against those whose soul was damaged or had a weak willpower; people with weak willpower could hardly be of use to Kieran.
As for soul damaged ones? Simrly difficult.
Hoika was an extremely rare case.
Under normal circumstances, no one would ever choose to learn the mystical spell that would damage his own soul.
Hoika? He was just a pitiful soul deceived by Kurtzargert. That councilman wanted a good tool to use, hence the Undying Hoika.
Kieran was utterly sure about it as he got ess to Kurtzargerts memories but Hoika had no idea about all of those.
Maybe before Hoika came forth, he had doubts but now in his heart, he was reborn as a Demon Hunter and in order to win Kurtzargerts trust, he was forced to cultivate the mystical spell [Hazy Moon Shifting Shadow].
Kieran feigned a cold expression at Hoika.
Hoika needed a suitable identity for himself, as did Kieran.
A little while ago at the slums of Lower Seventh Ring, it seems like a little misunderstanding had happened between us. Councilman Kurtzargert is willing topensate you, Hoika bowed once more after briefly exining.
Compensation? Silent Night Secret Society? Hmph, he said with a chuckle with an indescribable sense of mockery.
But on the other hand, the old Demon Hunter had verified Hoikas identity as Snake Sect.
Kierans eyes werent cold at all and there was not a bit of killer intent from him.
Although the old Demon Hunter did not spend a lot of time with the Snake Sect Demon Hunter, based on Kierans way of conducting business, the old Demon Hunter was quite confident of it.
Other than the special vignce and carefulness of a Demon Hunter, conducting business in a clean way was the most straightforward impression that the old Demon Hunter had on Kieran.
In short, if Kieran was meeting a non-relevant Silent Night Secret Society member, he would have taken Hoika down or even killed him right away.
Yet until now, Kieran didnt make his move.
The fact that Hoika was a Snake Sect member had slowly floated up to the surface.
Silently, the old Demon Hunter sighed.
He once again sighed about the secrecy of Snake Sect and at the same time rted into more things.
If Hoika was the spy from Snake Sect, then... would there be other spies of Snake Sect in Silent Night Secret Society?
The answer was almost certain and the old Demon Hunter was happy with the answer.
Given that Wolf Sect had fallen, the stronger Snake Sect was, the better it was to the Demon Hunters.
The only thing that he had to consider was how to make the strongst.
While the old Demon Hunter was pondering upon the question, Hoika hadpleted his official mission.
A ck invitation was passed to Kieran.
Please believe me, this benefits me and you both, after all... given your identity, you should know about that incident as well, Hoika said inconspicuously.
Kieran nced over the invitation, then nodded without reallymenting on the topic.
Ill be looking forward to our meeting again in the afternoon, said Hoika. He then bowed at Kieran and the old Demon Hunter before walking out of the garden.
Outside, the pce guards had been waiting for the meeting to end and they were there to guide Hoika out of the pce.
Monte, said Kieran. He wasnt loud but the moment his words faded, the vassal appeared beside Kieran like the wind.
Your Highness, the vassal bowed.
Send some reliable men to escort him back, said Kieran.
Understood, your Highness, the vassal nodded and then disappeared.
After making sure the vassal was gone, Kieran finally turned to the old Demon Hunter.
Act until the very end.
Do note that his audience wasnt just those in the pce, it also included those who had their eyes on Hoika.
Kieran believed that once Hoika stepped out of the pce, the people from War God Temple would surely tail him.
Although Hoika was the Undying, Kieran didnt want his followers to die too many times to the point that they became useless, especially in a critical timing like this.
Do you need me to follow him? asked the old Demon Hunter straightforwardly.
Anderson wasnt an idiot, he knew what Hoika would face once he stepped out of the pce.
He didnt want something to happen to his allies either.
Kieran shook his head.
I have something much more important to ask of you, Kieran then passed the invitation to the old Demon Hunter.
The old Demon Hunter immediately caught Kierans intention.
He nodded, then strode away.
After half of the prying gazes vanished from Kierans perception, he frowned.
The infiltration level of Edatine pce was far more thorough than he expected, no wonder Edatine VI spent most of his time in the small council room.
Only there could the king make sure that he wasnt under peoples watch.
If the pce is already like this, then the slums of Lower Seventh Ring... Please dont let me down, Kieran muttered to himself.
Then, he turned around and headed to his chamberthe vassal had arranged all the trivial things properly and made sure they were properly carried out.
Since his current identity couldnt escape eyes, he might as well expose himselfpletely under the watchers gaze.
Kieran believed that by doing so, he would get some unexpected gains, like what had just happened.
In fact, it was exactly like what Kieran expected.
His meeting with a Silent Night Secret Society member in the garden of the pce had be widely known following Hoikas absence.
When those with ulterior motives saw the news delivered to them, they were either in deep thoughts or silence, some even reacting with gnashing teeth.
Duke Valentine was thetter.
The noble, whose family was very well-known throughout the long history, was currently smashing a wine ss on the floor fiercely.
The ss, made out of metal, didnt shatter. It didnt even produce a heavy thud but the wine spilled over a white goat skin carpet, tainting it red.
The red was very eye-catching, to the point that Duke Valentine, with his bloated body and short limbs, stepped on it to vent his anger.
Damn it! Damn it! How did it be like this? bellowed Duke Valentine as his neck thickened.
On his temples and forehead, green veins popped up, making him, who maintained his looks, seem extra ferocious, especially the ruthlessness in his eyes. Itd shock people to the core.
Calm down, Valentine.
The one who spoke was also a middle-aged man.
With long, silver hair over his shoulder, narrow eyes, thin lips, and a slightly crooked nose, he looked like an eagle. Even with him sitting there, one could tell he had a long physique, an elegant temperament emanating from him the moment his hand was lifted.
Reedral, how can I stay calm? The efforts we spent in locating that bastards weak spot... now, everything has gone to waste! I-I am not going to sit back on this! bellowed Duke Valentine, though the ruthlessness in his eyes gradually faded away.
It seemed like as a friend and an ally, Viscount Reedrals words were effective against Duke Valentine.
Do you think this is a coincidence? asked Reedral.
Coincidence? To hell with coincidence! That bastard must have realized we were investigating Svenson, thats why he put a stop on us, once and for all! Damn it!
Whenever Valentine thought of the spending he used to investigate the fake prince, his heart ached.
Do note that what he spent wasnt just money, there were many things that money couldnt buy.
Then, do you think that Colin is the real heir? Reedral continued his question.
Valentine got stunned.
You are saying? The duke turned to his ally.
I didnt say anything, Viscount Reedral smiled and shook his head, making him look like a fox with an eagles beak.
Valentines eyes shone.
Then, should we do it? Valentine sighed with a clenched fish.
Of course we should. We all hoped that his Majesty would retract that foolish decree of his and retract hisrger than life ambitions. That is why we kept searching for the truth, and before we get to the bottom of this, I will not say anything and so will you, Viscount Reedrals words held some strong meaning in between the lines.
I understand, Ill keep an eye out for that pawn, Valentine nodded.
The two nobles then discussed further in mutters.
Half an hourter, the two prestiged nobles left the study room at the same time.
Reedral boarded his wagon and headed to the slums of Lower Seventh Ring; Valentine boarded his wagon to the cathedral.
At this time, the first light of the sun had appeared over the horizon, the brightness from the sky gradually expelling the darkness of the night. Those with experience could tell today would be a sunny day.
The people started to wake up after resting for a whole night.
A new day had begun, together with the work for the day.
Being able to stay in bed at such a time was considered a luxury, attracting jealousy from others.
Gino was the one that people were jealous of.
But if he could choose, he would never want to lie down on his bed.
He was more used to waking up early in the morning and grabbing his sword to train with everyone else at the field.
However...
After the scene that happened yesterday morning, Gino obviously sensed a change of attitude in everyone else.
An invisible barrier appeared in between his teammates and captain, and when he was ordered to rethink his actions in his room, the barrier started to grow and suffuse.
The attendants and deacons looked at him with a strange gaze, as if they were looking at a... prisoner.
The young man shook his head strongly right away. Hed never acknowledge his current identity.
He was still in his room, he wasnt cuffed up, he wasnt a prisoner!
So he told himself. Again and again, he inhaled deeply and when everything calmed down, he wore his coat, grabbed his sword and went to go to the confession room to confess his sins.
He shouldnt feel lost because of a heretic, he wasnt strong enough yet.
He shouldnt forget the tenacity of God of War just because the Mist showed him tolerance.
Its because I am not strong enough! Its all my fault! I have to confess my sins!
The young man opened the door and what he saw stunned him.
Outside were two deacons, obviously from Dark Hall, guarding his door.
Knight Gino, without permission from an armed priest or the lords from the higher-ups, you are not allowed to leave the room.
One of the deacons straightforwardly told the young man when the door was opened.
The other deacon saw the sword in the young mans hand.
Please leave your sword with us.
Looking at the vignce and hostile gazes of the deacons, the young man handed over his sword in a daze. He didnt even know how the door was shut on him.
He sat back on his bed nkly, some part of his strong heart seeming to have shattered.
A cloud of darkness following the shattering silently appeared in his room and started to whisper in the young mans ears.
Chapter 1819 - Gino
Chapter 1819: Gino
Do you feel injustice? Do you feel rage? Why not choose to resist?
The whisper in his ears sounded abrupt, loud, and soft at times, making the young man dizzy. Thest bit of caution rose from the bottom of his heart, raising his hands over his ears and covering them, but the voice continued whispering as if it was singing, appearing in the young mans heart instead.
The shattered beliefs of the young man couldnt stop the invasion of his heart.
It was only a whileter that the young mans face started to twitch and twist.
No! No! This is not what I want! bellowed the young man.
He jumped up from his bed and tried to run outside, wanting to call for help!
In such timing, other than asking for help, the young man couldnt think of others anymore.
Bang!
His hand pushed hard against the door but it didnt budge at all.
Locked from the outside? The young man was stunned, then started to knock on the door furiously.
Bang, bang, bang!
Help! Help me! Please help me! shouted Gino.
His shouts were obviously heard by the two deacons outside his door but the two of them werent moved by it.
They were assigned to watch Gino, not save him.
As for his life and death? Neither of them cared.
He was just a traitor bewitched by a heretic after all.
...
Valentines wagon drove into the outer court of the cathedral, the sun already hanging up in the sky.
The crystal reflected the sunlight brilliantly, making the entire cathedral look utterly holy.
It wasnt the first time Valentine saw the view but everytime he saw it, he eximed from the bottom of his heart.
How rich! If all the crystals are traded for Gold Purton, how much would that be? At least a million? If it can fit in the vault of my castle... Valentie dared not to continue beyond this point.
The ce he arrived at was the cathedral of God of War, he couldnt act unbridledly, he must at least show some respect, even though what he thought of just now, in most peoples eyes, could send him straight to the stake and burn to death.
But!
No one noticed it, so it didnt count asmitting a crime!
Withholding his beliefs, Valentine entered the cathedral with a deacon leading the way.
There were many people in therge cathedral, all praying, but they were not clergy. Quite the contrary, the majority of them were nobles simr to Valentine.
After each noble finished praying, theyd walk to the front of the cathedral, where the donation box was and donate the Gold Purton they prepared.
The most donation was a bag of coins; the least also had around 3 to 5 coins.
Valentine chose to donate 10 Gold Purton.
As a matter of fact, if he had a choice, he wouldnt even want to spare a copper, but he had no other way, he must do it because he didnt want to stand out.
After the donation, Valentine started to converse with the other nobles while his eyes scanned the surroundings.
He was trying to locate his target.
Based on the information he got, there was a high chance that the target would appear in the confession room but all the confession rooms that he saw, the doors wide open, were empty of people.
Could he be out on a mission?
After the thought popped up, Valentine shook his head.
He bore in mind the schedule of his target, the mission assigned, the training time, everything. It was impossible that the target was on a mission or training right now. The target was just amon temple knight, so he was already determined to be normal.
It was because of that that Valentine felt safe to put him in this ce, as a trump card against the king.
Valentine believed that they spent a great cost in finding the target and the king would never pay the cost, he might not even hear of the targets existence.
As for War God Temple? They would never know either.
Every year, many orphans, simr to the target, were sent here to receive training and education.
The target wasnt extremely talented, he would never attract the attention of the higher-ups in the temple.
Where is he though? Valentine wondered.
At the same time, he was also thinking whether or not to bring the target back.
Coming down here every time was such a hassle for him, but his allys persuasion seemed to work magically again.
Sire is much more powerful than he looks. That kind of power isnt just from his influence, its also from his... power.
When he thought of how afraid his ally was when the power was mentioned, Valentine couldnt help but twist his neck.
As one of the orthodox noble families, he knew about the rumours surrounding Edatine royal court, especially the few that made him lose sleep and meal.
Maybe there was a smokescreen somewhere among all of them but who could guarantee that all the rumours were false?
Damn it! Valentine couldnt help but curse in his heart.
Duke Valentine, is there anything troubling you?
With the question out in the air, the ninth captain of the Apologetics Chivalry, Sean, walked over.
The captain, who had another secret identity, had smiles on his face, his suit of armor making him look extra valiant. His presence attracted thedies andsses in the area.
Nothing in particr. Its just some troubling news fromst night.
Valentine showed a sense of anger on his bloated face in a timely manner.
Is it because of the new prince, his Highness? Snake Sect... so surprising, eximed the captain.
Its still not confirmed whether it is true or not, Valentine coldly grunted.
Leave the judging to his Majesty, we dont have to worry about all those. Lord Duke, have a good day ahead. Ill take my leave for I have matters to attend to, said the captain.
Very well, Valentine nodded repeatedly, then saw Sean off. He then returned to his own wagon.
After the wagon left the cathedral, Valentine, the prestiged noble, who showed aggrievance, suddenly looked gloomy.
He did hear about rumours regarding the chivalry captains secret identity before, albeit notplete. It was enough to tell Valentine what he should do.
Did War God Temple notice something? Impossible! No one else knows about this! wondered Valentine.
He kept hinting to himself in his heart but he felt like his heart was beating in an unusual rhythm, as if something was about to happen.
Hurry up, we must return, Valentine told the wagoner.
...
Sean walked along the military camp of War God Temple.
The guards and knights along the way bowed and greeted him, the captain, until he stood in front of the room guarded by two deacons.
My lord, the two deacons bowed.
Open the door, ordered Sean.
One of the Dark Hall deacons opened the door. Bright sunlight shone into the room, shedding light over everything inside, including the young knight Gino.
Looking at the dispirited young man, Sean couldnt but curl his lips into a grineverything was within his expectations.
Chapter 1820 - Next Round
Chapter 1820: Next Round
Seans grin quickly reverted back to normal but he furrowed his brows after that.
Gino, what are you doing?!
Bellowing, the chivalry captain walked in and closed the door along the way.
Although the two deacons at the door were trustworthy, for the things that were going to happen next, the less who knew, the better.
After all, the Inquisition didnt just activate a single spy to deal with the slums in Lower Seventh Ring, where arge amount of heretics amassed, it wasnt that simple. The Inquisition needed a n with more specific targeting, like the well-known pair of sisters plus... the traitor, Sivalka!
The traitor must die! It was a decision from the Inquisition, but sacrificing a spy in the process was unforgivable, even though it was directly rted to the dignity of God of War his Majesty.
However, as the news spread, the higher-ups of the Inquisition made some changes.
They changed from the initial watch to the new assassinate!
The swift change of order of the Inquisition, the untimely death of Etorin, all those made the captain feel a sense of anxiety in the bottom of his heart.
He felt like there was something important hidden beneath the surface, yet he was unable to grasp it.
Therefore, he investigated all the recent happenings in Edatine Castle, then listed out several key characters from his findings.
Colipo, Ludus, Kurtzargert.
Kuer Horton and Marquis Horton plus Edatine VI, the king.
Anderson, Simon and Colin.
Three groups, nine suspects.
Everything that happened recently was somehow closely rted to all nine of them.
Though thest suspect, Sean initially wrote down Erin Sicar, the new lord of Sicar, but it was right after he got the news from the pce, he changed it to Colin.
Simrly, the Inquisitions target was also this newly crowned prince, his Highness.
A worthless heir who only knew how to eat and drink and an heir brought up by Demon Hunters were two very different concepts.
Sean understood why the Inquisition suddenly changed their target, because he too never expected the king, Edatine VI, to hide his real son so deep and away from the public eyes.
As he recalled the unusualmotion that happened in Edatine royal court back then during the ck Cataclysm, Sean was really eager to fly over to the pce and kill the king.
How dare the king work with the Demon Hunters to fight back against the God of War, his Majesty!
Those wretched bastards!
With the grudge in his heart, he conveyed his thoughts to the higher-ups of the Inquisition, then he was sent here.
The higher-ups of the Inquisition assigned this mission to him, granting him maximum authority.
Now, he could do more than just assign the Apologetics Chivalry of the cathedral, he could even move all the known spies on the list, yet the captain did not do so.
In his point of view, it would be best toy low and not cause a scene, therefore he needed Gino.
A pawn on the bright side to cover the assasination of the spies.
With Gino attracting all the attention, the spy in the dark could maximize his potential. Besides, this young knight here, who was obviously bewitched by a heretic, would surely attract the heretics attention with his appearance, he was the best bait!
If it wasnt for the bait, why would Sean be here?
A guy with weak willpower like Gino should be pinned on the stake and burned to death, that would be the best ce for him.
His heart filled with disdain and killer intents, but his face showing anguish, the captain walked closer to Gino.
This is just a test! Do you understand me? This test is to see whether or not you can be independent!
The voice with slight disappointment made the absent-minded Gino lift his head, the young mans face showing bewilderment.
The captain did not avert his gaze, instead looking straight at him.
What we face isnt just monsters that bear fangs and ws, we also have to face those wretched and tempting words. Before we move forward, thetter is much scarier, it will rob your body of its strength, rush your sword. As a person who is favoured, everyone has to go through the test just now... and Gino, you have failed the test, sighed the captain.
Failed? Ive failed? It was all a test just now? muttered the young man. Then, as if he was reborn, he stood up suddenly, grabbing the captains arm and saying excitedly, Captain Sean, give me another chance! Give me another chance!
The strength of his hands, the arousing words, all of those made the captain understand that the young man before his eyes remained simple and naive.
A young man that had never seen the dark side would never grow.
Sean chuckled in his heart when he thought of the famous saying in the Inquisition.
He didnt care whether or not it was a lie, all he cared about waspleting his mission.
As for the sense of guilt?
He was troubled by it the first time, but then, he slowly got used to it and forgot about it.
An orphan without any special gifts, what was there to remember?
The thought in his heart made the captain perform with more calm.
I can give you another chance! But bear in mind, this is thest chance, and if you fail, you will lose everything, said the captain solemnly.
I understand, the young man also replied solemnly.
Very well. Follow me.
The captain then turned around and walked out. Since he was so confident, he did not notice that the moment he turned around, the solemn look on Ginos face suddenly turned gloomy.
Same! Its exactly the same as the voice said! I was abandoned a long time ago, if they didnt need me for something... Id be executed right away.
The young man curled up his hands into fists, his nails sinking deep into his flesh.
Pain suffused him, making him feel like he was going to suffocate, but he didnt stop there, he followed the captain outside.
He wanted to live.
......
Cough, cough, cough.
Pinching the red ruby from Edatine royal court, Bloody Mary lightly coughed.
It has been a while since it spoke in that gloomy, eerie tone, especially in a ce like the cathedral, it pounded its heart furiously. If it wasnt for its boss, it would never havee.
But...
The limits on God of War are much bigger than we thought. Southern? Hehehe, the south!
Bloody Mary thought of something and couldnt help but reveal a trace of delight in its eyes.
The situation at hand had finally turned from a passive one to an active one.
Next?
It would be its on-stage performance once more!
Getting hold of the initiative wasnt enough, the boss wanted absolute victory! Therefore it must work hard towards that goal!
Returning to the pce via phasing underground, Bloody Mary appeared in the small council room. The moment it appeared, it transformed into Edatine VI with a crown, the tall physique, gleaming eyes, and aged face looking refreshed after the transformation.
When Bloody Mary opened the door of the small council hall, the royal guardians in the area obviously noticed the changes on their king.
Everyone felt delighted without surprise.
A father that longed for his sons return was finally able to see it happen before his eyes, and after a good rest, it would be strange if the king didnt look refreshed, right?
As for his presence that grew fierce and keen?
It was also good news for the royal guardians!
How many years had it been since theyst saw their king present himself in such a sharp form?
It was great!
Sensing the aroused emotions in the royal guardian members heart, Bloody Mary nodded in subtle acknowledgement, then it asked, Wheres Colin?
His Highness is heading to the Upper Seventh Ring... replied the royal guardians honestly.
Bloody Mary listened nonchntly and after the guardians finished reporting, it said, Summon Monte over.
Yes, Sire, the guardian quickly left to carry out the order.
Around five minutester, Monte appeared before Bloody Mary.
Your Majesty, the vassal bowed and greeted.
What happened? Bloody Mary asked dumbly, but the vassal knew what his king was asking.
What else was more important and more concerning to the king than the prince right now?
Its the people from Silent Night Secret Society, they somehow unintentionally offended his Highness, so they wanted a peaceful meeting to solve the misunderstanding, the vassal reported honestly.
Silent Night Secret Society? They are not people who are good with words. Last night when I was resting, what happened throughout Edatine? asked Bloody Mary.
A fire broke out at Etorin Tailor and the old tailor is dead. At the same time, theres a body of a Silent Night Secret Society member found at the scene. Based on what we know and what happened after that, the old tailor seemed to be an armed priest and rather powerful. Both of them must have perished together in a fierce fight, said the vassal.
Etorin, eh? Oh, Monte, things are not as simple as you thought. He isnt just a tailor or a spy, Bloody Mary chuckled.
Immediately, Monte shuddered.
Not just a tailor or a spy? Meaning, he must have other identities!
But of course, none of that is important, the important thing is Sire is telling me all this!
He never told me any of this in the past, could it be... His Highness?
Monte thought carefully and unconsciously looked at Bloody Mary.
You should be made clear about something now, because there are many trivial things that Colin needs your help with, said Bloody Mary as it turned back into the small council room.
As excited as he could be, Monte, looking at Edatine VIs back, inhaled deeply several times before he walked in.
The door was closed once more.
The royal guardians stood guard outside the door, the secret agents were all over the ce, as if an iron defense was put up, and not even a fly could pass through.
Anyone who saw the level of security would only think of one thing: safe.
However, most of the time, the safest ce was also the most dangerous ce, because people knew it was safe, hence all the eyes on it, watching every move and action.
A quarter of an hourter, the news of Monte going into the small council room had spread to the cathedral.
Captain Sean, who was performing thest preparation, locked his brows tightly when he heard the news.
Monte wasnt an easily aroused person, he was as cunning as a rat or a fox, the only thing that could arouse that old fox must be Etorins matter...
Some deep thoughtster, he walked to the praying room of the cathedral.
The moment he entered the room, the captain sliced his palm. When blood started to drip, he pressed one side of his palm, allowing the blood to drop on the carvings of the mystical formation.
This was amunication method used only during an emergency.
Sean never used it before, but this time, he thought hed put it to good use.
Whats the matter? A cold voice sounded.
I think theres something wrong about Etorin, said Captain Sean without a single doubt.
Chapter 1821 - Take Turns To Get On Stage
Chapter 1821: Take Turns To Get On Stage
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Do you know what you are talking about?
The cold voice became colder.
The obvious rage from the voice grew brazen.
Seans forehead was slightly covered with sweat.
The pressure from higher-ups and the power of a powerhousebined into a presence that made Sean suffocate. He could barely catch his breath but he managed to clench his teeth and nodded.
O-Of course!
Captain Sean tried to speak as clearly and crisply as possible but under the pressuring presence, his voice couldnt help but stutter.
Etorin is a loyal and reliable guardian. In life, he protected my Lordsnd; in death, he will enter my Lords kingdom, basked in the protection that he deserved.
The icy cold voice sounded without any emotion, it was stating a fact that everyone in War God Temple knew.
Sean knew what the voice meant, so after the voice faded, he quickly added, I am willing to confront Sir Etorin. If I am wrong, I am willing to pay the cost for my act.
Then, Sean knelt down on the ground on one knee.
He used his words and actions to disy his resolution.
The icy cold voice didnt say anything else, standing in the shadow and praying to its lord.
As one of the two bishops in council above all the other 15 bishops, Mortor was undeniably the highest rank in War God Temple and also the most trusted and favoured believer of God of War.
He didnt require repeated procedures like the priests, all he needed was to pray in his heart and he was able to contact the God of War, but this time was different.
Mortor, what is wrong? When the vast voice sounded, Mortor knelt down in the shadow.
My great lord, there is something that I cannot solve at my hands. Its about a believer, Etorin. One of your other believers, Sean, thinks that something is wrong with the former, but he died yesterday night, so we seek your judgment on this! Mortor reported honestly.
Then, he waited patiently for the God he worshipped to reply.
It wasnt the first time Mortor sought the judgment of God of War, therefore he soon realized something wasnt right. It was a little... long.
Before this, a single request took no more than 3 breaths to get a reply, but now, 10 breaths had passed.
Could it be... theres really something wrong?
Mortors heart skipped a beat.
If something was wrong with Etorin...
Almost instantaneously, many thoughts gushed into the mind of this bishop in council because he knew how important Etorins role was.
As an armed priest level spy, Etorins position in the Inquisition wasnt at all low. He had total control over almost 50% of all the spies in Edatine Castle, which included but were not limited to the real identities and the cover up identities of the spies.
If something was wrong with Etorin, the existence of the Inquisition in the Edatine Castles system was problematic itself.
Anxiety filled Mortors heart, but the bishop in council did not rush his own God.
As a belieber, loyal beliefs made the bishop in council believe his own God devotedly and unconditionally.
1Everything the God said, he had to listen.
Everything the God uttered, he had to spread.
Second after second went by, and almost a minuteter, the vast voice sounded in Mortors mind once more.
Something is wrong with Etorin. Sean is right. You need to consult Sean about the details of the happenings.
I understand. replied Mortor.
When the vast presence left his heart, Mortor stood up and looked towards Sean in the confession roomthe confession room was specially built, it wasnt just a normal mechanical secret room, it was enhanced with mystical spells too.
Standing inside this space, the people in the confession room could never see through here and those in the space could carefully observe the people on the other side.
As its name suggests, it was a 360, all rounded space without a single dead angle.
To a person who underwent special training, the observation proved to be very useful.
They could easily see the people in the confession room, whether or not they had secrets to hide or were there to lie.
Mortor was one of the best at this, therefore, he wasnt in a hurry.
He quietly observed Sean on the other side, hoping to find out more, but to his disappointment, although Sean showed a sense of unease, the unease was just towards the unknown, he wasnt hiding anything.
What did you find out? Mortor asked after he was fruitless with his observation.
Its the news from the pce, answered Sean.
News from the pce? Mortor asked back.
As the only bishop in council in the north, Mortor had many matters that required his attention. His most important work was to sign his own name on top of the documents which had gone through many stages of selection.
Therefore, he had no idea about the news that just came in.
As for doing everything himself?
Well sorry, unless its the God of War, his Majesty, Mortor assumed that no one could attend to everything personally.
After all, his Majesty God of War was almighty.
Standing there, Mortor listened to what Sean had to say, his already cold countenance growing stern.
Seal this news at once. Without my permission, no one can have ess to it, Mortor gave a direct order.
Yes sir, Sean replied, a spark of delight lighting up his heart.
He knew he had done the right thing.
This was fate, no one knew when fate would favour you and what you needed to do to be prepared at all times, just like Sean did.
If it wasnt for his constant and keen observation, how could he notice the problem behind Etorin?
How could he use it as a trigger to win his superiors favour?
Seans beliefs towards the God of War were stern ones, together with an aspiring, ambitious heart.
He wished that he could be closer to the God that he worshipped, therefore he worked hard endlessly.
This time, he managed to seize the change.
A branch captain was far from enough.
An armed priest? Also not enough.
He ought to be at least one of the bishops to better feel the glory of his Majesty, and in order to quickly achieve the goal, Sean stated his n in the uing 2 minutes.
Colin must die! Of course, not by our hands! Or at least, it should not look like us.
Mortor listened to the n quietly.
Regarding Silent Night Secret Society actively seeking out a meeting with Snake Sect and the representative from Snake Sect being the heir of Edatine VI, Mortor had repeatedly gone through the urgent documents earlier and he did not object to the n.
A powerful royal court wasnt beneficial to War God Temple.
Do as you nned! said Mortor. He then left the secret space.
He has to report everything to the God of War himself.
...
Kakroom!
The sky was clear for thousands of miles in the afternoon, yet a sudden p of thunder cracked and shocked everyone in Edatine Castle.
The people looked up into the sky, muttering to themselves in confusion. The civilians had no idea what had just happened, or more precisely, almost everyone didnt know what just happened.
Those with some knowledge and experience, however, knew it was a disy of the divines wrath.
But what caused the Gods fury? They had no idea.
Kieran knew, therefore he showed a smile on his face.
He had to admit that Bloody Mary was getting more and more useful!
Perhaps after all these, he should give the Superior Demon a holiday?
Hmm, what about an hour... No, 10 minutes would be a good choice.
The wagon steadily traveled forward, Kieran leaning back on the soft seat, picking up a cup of tea and taking a sip, his mind made up.
Then, he looked outside the window.
Next, it would be his turn to be on stage.
Chapter 1822 - Fabricate
Chapter 1822: Fabricate
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The wagon continued forward steadily.
Around 15 minutester, the wagon stopped at the entrance of White Deer Restaurant of the Upper Seven Ring.
Kieran selected the venue, Silent Night Secret Society picked the time.
Both picked a criteria for the meeting, it was fair, wasnt it?
Your Highness, we are here.
The royal guardian captain who escorted Kieran to the location knocked on the window to inform him.
Monte jumped down from beside the wagoner, making sure it was safe before he opened the carriage door.
Your Highness, please be careful.
Compared to before, the vassal was more attentive than ever.
After the conversation he had with Edatine VI before this, abelt the king did not promise him anything, he understood the kings intention.
After the prince before his eyes ascended to the throne, he would be named honorary minister, appointed by thete king to help the new to rule over the kingdom.
Not the only one, but one of the few, it was still enough for Monte though.
It was an identity that he dared not even dream of.
Do note that he was just a vassal, a role simr to a royal clown, and his role was quite well known.
Now, he managed to use his identity of vassal, a royal clown, to obtain the title of honorary minister. It wasnt just a title change, it changed his identity, status and dukeship altogether.
And in order to make sure that there were no mistakes, Monte was extra vignt and careful.
It was without a doubt that Monte would take a stab for Kieran without a second thought now.
Likewise, Kierans enemy would be his enemy too.
Therefore, when he saw the representatives of Silent Night Secret Society, Hoika and Horfe, the vassals eyes showed vignce as he sized them up. It wasnt until he got confirmation from the secret agent who followed them that the area was safe did the vassal retreat behind Kieran.
Sir Colin.
Hoika and Horfe bowed to Kieran.
Hoika looked calm, there was nothing unusual with him, but Horfe was a little unnatural.
As a member of Silent Night Secret Society, other than the councilman he served, Horfe rarely bowed to others. Even if he would bow, he bowed at the higher-ups of the same organization.
Bowing to another organizations representative? This was his first time.
It was an unfamiliar feeling for him and it felt... miserable!
Although the councilman didnt say anything, Horfe wasnt an idiot, he had his own guesses at the situation.
The situation was not kind to Silent Night Secret Society as they were in a disadvantageous position.
I Hope everything can go well!
With the prayer in heart, Horfe cursed his several deadpanions once more deep down in his heart.
If it wasnt for those three bastards who couldnt set their priorities right and be considerate of the situation, how could they be on such a passive side?
Damn it!
Another curse from the bottom of his heartter, Horfe turned around and walked into White Deer Restaurant beside Hoika.
The entrance of the restaurant was a wooden door that opened both sides. The floor was simr to the signage, clean. It seemed like they were intentionally cleaned up, simr to the chefs at the restaurant, all of them were wearing fresh new attires.
However, the most concerning was the food on the table.
A big oval table that could sit 20 people was ced in the center of the restaurant, filled with food.
Golden bread, fried potatoes, and roasted venison and bear meat were all put together.
Jade and scarlet colored fruits were on one side and a liquor of barrel color was on the other side.
Following the identity of the heir being made known to all higher-ups of Edatine Castle, his love for food also came under the spotlight.
Kieran didnt conceal his hobby, at least he didnt think he should.
First, he loved the taste of food, it was real.
Second, he needed another point to easily garner attention.
Rather than nning and grinding his gears when his other sides were revealed under the spotlight, might as well take the initiative and reveal it, at least he had a natural advantage in terms of eating.
Of course, he would not take the initiative to show it.
He walked into the restaurant in silence. The old Demon Hunter, Anderson, who had been waiting for his arrival, snuck into the line behind Kieran in a sh. Monte caught a glimpse of the old Demon Hunter but he didnt say anything.
The special identity of the prince he served would definitely attract some other people with simr identities.
With Anderson the old Demon Hunter around, he was much more reliable than the royal guardians in terms of security.
Though he did not lose his guard because of it. Taking a step ahead, he went to check the food on the table, the royal guardians even stood guard at every entrance and exit, the security tight.
Although it was checked before, Monte dared not to be careless in such timing.
There were far too many cases of poisoning at the veryst moment, Monte didnt want anything bad to happen to the prince.
A whole five minutester, the vassal turned around and signalled to Kieran that the food was safe.
While the vassal signaled Kieran, Hoika and Horfe ced crystal after crystal at a side of the table.
At the next momentBuzz!
Following the buzz in the air, the projection of Kurtzargert and the 14 councilmen of the south all appeared in Kierans sight.
Good afternoon, your Highness Colin.
The moment they appeared, the friendly voice of the southern councilmen spoke first.
As the person in charge over Edatine Castle, Kurtzargert kept quiet.
Councilman Eindefern? Kieran confirmed the voices identity.
The intelligence personnel of the royal court are much more capable than I expected. Of course, it might also be... from Snake Sect.
Laughs came from underneath his hood.
Monte, on the other hand, slightly frowned at theughs.
The vassal sharply realized that this Eindefern, the southern councilman, was testing Snake Sect and Edatines royal court, or in short, he was trying to sow dissension between Snake Sect and the royal court.
If something went wrong in between the two, it would further exacerbate like gasolene added into fire.
If nothing happened? That would be fine too.
Many a little makes a mickle, quantity causing qualitative change was also a viable option.
The vassal was sure that Eindefern had nned as such.
He proposed a meeting yet held ill intentions here...
The vassal started to wonder and almost instantly, he shifted his attention to the quiet Kurtzargert.
As the person in charge over Edatine Castle, him being silent was strange.
Could it be...
The vassal quickly thought of something and his eyes gleamed sharply.
Monte subtly signalled to Kieran with a meaningful gaze and after a nod from thetter, he walked out slowly.
Greetings, Sir Eindefern.
As the representative of the heir to the throne, Monte did not shame himself or his prince, bowing before saying slowly, His Highness, as the heir to the throne and at the same time Snake Sect, regardless of what his intelligence sources are, what difference does it make?
It seemed like Silent Night Secret Society did not get the news that Colin was the heir to Snake Sect, hence after Monte revealed it, all the southern councilmen were stunned.
Though Kurtzargert wasnt moved by the words.
The contrasting reaction from the one and the 14 others fueled Montes confidence.
Kurtzargert wasnt on the same boat with the other 14 southern councilmen!
This is great! An iron nk might be hard to break but with cracks? Hehehehe...
The vassalughed cynically in his heart, this was his forte after all.
Whats wrong? Oh, you didnt hear about it, Sir Eindefern? I thought Sir Kurtzargert had informed you, said the vassal exaggeratingly.
Eindefern red at Kurtzargert sharply.
Even through with the hood over his head, one could easily feel the coldness in the re.
Einderfern knew this would allow the vassal to grasp more behind the scenes truths of Silent Night Secret Society.
He was frustrated about Kurtzargert hiding it, how could he conceal such important information from them?
The other 13 councilmen shared the same feelings and thoughts, ring grudgefully at Kurtzargert.
As the confirmed heir to the throne, Colin as a member of Snake Sect and as the heir to the entire Snake Sect were two entirely different concepts.
The former could be considered as a close working rtionship.
Thetter, they might as well view him and the organization as one!
Judging from this point, would there be any other Snake Sect members inside Edatine royal court?
Could there also be Snake Sect members in the military? The secret agents, the servants, the maidens?
Was Snake Sect born from within Edatine royal court?! Or the other way around, did the sect give birth to the royal court?
Otherwise, how could Snake Sect gopletely silent in the past with no written or spoken record of them?
There must be a bigger organization concealing their existence!
Excluding Wolf Sect, who was blinded, who else was more suitable than Edatine royal court?
Just think about the asional unreasonable performance from the king and the royal court...
Instantly, everyone present at the restaurant changed looks, their eyes on Kieran growing even stranger.
It was obvious that Snake Sect and Edatine royal court had reached an ord, hence promoting an heir that would seed both.
And when the heir ascended to power, the situation of the whole Northern Lands and Southern Lands would change drastically.
Such an heir should not be allowed to exist!
Instinctively, the thought appeared in all 14 councilmens heads, but at the next moment, they remembered the situation that they were currently in.
That unknown existence! That demi-god or already God who hid in the dark, and the Mist who was operating on the bright side!
Damn it! Since when did the situation in Edatine be soplicated?
The southern councilmen had no questions about the hidden existence in the dark.
Since it was able to convert a believer with beliefs as strong as a monolith, it must have existed.
As for the inconspicuous reputation before?
Just look at the mist!
Before the battle in Sicar happened, who had heard of the Mist?
It was obvious that that existence was simr to the Mist, expanding its strength and influence quietly, waiting for the day to finally astonish people.
But... they ruined the n.
Eindefern could only imagine how furious that existence was.
Colin shouldnt be killed just yet, it wasnt time yet! The unknown existence behind him was the priority!
Colipos death and Ludus absence exhausted Kurtzargert, forgetting some things is only normal, Eindefern said, then looked at Kurtzargert once more.
His gaze had a very obvious meaning: y along or break up.
Eindefern wasnt worried about this though.
If Kurtzargert wanted to break up, he wouldnt have waited until now.
As expected, Kurtzargert nodded a secondter.
Mm, the nasally voice sounded dull without any extra expression as Kurtzargert nodded.
Although everyone present could tell how fake he was, no one burst his bubble.
They turned a blind eye and acknowledged it tacitly, including Monte, the vassal who spoke up on behalf of Kieran.
It wasnt a suitable time to pursue the victory, the necessary step at the moment was to seekpensation!
The vassal cleared his throat after he got some hints from Kieran, he said, Sir Eindefern, we arent too convenient to know about your family matters, but your men invaded without a reason, and that, I think, we should have a talk about.
Of course. We are also here because of that unfortunate incident. After all, its not time for an internal conflict.
Eindefern did not spare ground for the vassal to interrupt, continuing straightforwardly, 280 true magical equipment and items. We are trading them away for the forgiveness of Snake Sect and Edatine royal court.
280 magical equipment and items?!
Monte was stunned on the spot when he heard what Eindefern said, his jaw dropping.
Despite the fact that he was more of a clown, Monte was quite wealthy himself.
He might not be as rich as those families with a long lineage, but he was almost 10 times richer thanmon knights and other simr ranks.
Yet even with his level of wealth and his own value, all he could purchase were three to five magical items and equipment at most.
Therefore, it was natural that Monte got stunned.
The other one who was stunned was... the old Demon Hunter, Anderson!
Anderson was a man who had seen many things, but what the councilman offered was 280 magical items and equipment! True items and equipment, not those made for tricks and shows!
If used properly, not all were needed, only a very small portion of the 280 pieces could help Anderson reform Wolf Sect in one or two years of training.
The old Demon Hunter was quite reluctant to join this meeting before this and almost instantaneously, the reluctance was gone. Ge started to think how he would ask for a share of thepensation from the heir of Snake Sect.
His flying knives technique was taught, what else could he use as a bargaining chip?
Though the iron cock personality of the heir made the old Demon Hunter lock his brows tight.
Deal, said Kieran. He epted the proposal swiftly, there was no negotiation at all.
It made Monte, who had just regained his senses, anxious.
Since the councilmen had offered such a high number, that meant that they still had a lot more behind them, and with some simple techniques, the gains would surely have been a lot more!
Damn it! Damn me! Ive made his Highness suffer such a heft loss!
As a future honorary minister, the vassal, who was already in character, was eager to p himself, but it was already toote to say anything.
Damn it!
A bunch of bastards who bullied the loyal, honest, and naive side of his Highness!
The vassal red at the southern councilmen, listing all 14 of them on his own cklist.
Eindefern and the others also sensed the grudgeful re from Monte, but none of them cared.
They were much more concerned about how clean Kieran was in making the decision.
They would not believe that the quick decision was because of Kierans youth, neither would they believe that Kieran was blinded by impulses after hearing such a huge number.
As for Kieran knowing their bottom line from the very beginning?
Utterly impossible, unless there was a traitor among them.
They might always fight and deceive each other, but it was the internal conflict of Silent Night Secret Society. Even Kurtzargert wouldnt involve an outsider in all this.
Therefore, there was only one exnation left.
Not only had Silent Night Secret Society noticed the unknown existence, Snake Sect had noticed it too.
With that thought in mind, the southern councilmen exchanged gazes, then turned their attention to Kieran at the same time.
Compensation aside, I think we can work together very closely in the future. What do you say, Prince Colin? Eindefern asked, attempting to test the water.
Sure, Kieran said as he waved his hand.
Right away, other than the old Demon Hunter and the vassal, everyone went out.
Eindefern also ordered Hoika, Horfe, and the others to go out.
Soon, the whole of White Deer Restaurant was left with only Kieran, Anderson, Monte, and 15 projection images.
After some slight thoughts, Kieran spoke.
All of you noticed him too?
Chapter 1823 - Shed The Wool
Chapter 1823: Shed The Wool
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kierans intonation wasnt high, it habitually had coldness with it, but his words shook all 14 of the southern councilmen at once.
Even Eindefern, the leader in name of the 14 southern councilmen, couldnt escape the shudders.
The southern councilman, who was always kind with his tone, couldnt help but inhale deeply to calm his surging heart.
He...Are you sure its a he?
The kindness in Eindeferns usual tone was absent, all that was left was strictness and heaviness.
Kieran didnt say anything though, he nced over Eindefern and remained quiet.
Eindefern was stunned once more, then he quickly responded.
His question was terrible!
It didnt just expose his ignorance towards that unknown existence, it even exposed that the southern councilmen never truly understood the situation in Edatine Castle.
It was without a doubt that they were currently in the passive.
The worse thing was, the other councilmen would not share the consequences of his mistake, and as a matter of fact, it indeed happened as such.
The other councilmen who also just realized the stupidity of the question were looking at him with a disappointed and ming gaze.
A bunch of hypocrite bastards! cursed Eindefern in his head before he sighed softly.
Too careless! The appearance of a new God seemed to mess up his ns.
However, as the top councilmen of the southern bunch, Eindefern swiftly regained his calm.
Your Highness, what do you seek? Eindefern asked.
Information about a God, what do you think I can trade for, Councilman Eindefern? Kieran asked back.
Any information regarding a God had extremely high value, it could even be considered as priceless treasure from a certain aspect.
Normal Gold Purton could never be used as a negotiation chip on the table, it must be at least a Rare rank magical equipment to be fitting, and because of this, Eindefern was ced in a difficult situation.
A Rare rank magical equipment wasnt some cabbage that could be bought in the market. He too would feel heartache should he give out a little too much.
But giving too less? It was impossible for him to exchange that amount for the information that he sought.
Therefore, after some hesitation, Eindefern said, Prince Colin, can we discuss it for a while?
Go ahead, Kieran nodded.
Right after that, the 14 southern councilmens projection images fell into some kind of stagnant state. Kurtzargerts projection image looked even uglier and sour.
It seemed like following the exposed clues about them falling into turmoil, plus the understanding of Edatine Castle, the southern councilmen had chosen topletely break up.
Monte looked at Kurtzargerts projection image, his eyes couldnt help but turn white.
Sir Kurtzargert, sometimes, fighting alone doesnt mean you are the hero, the vassal had ulterior meaning behind his words.
Kurtzargert nced over the vassal in silence and then shut his eyes.
Deep down inside, the Superior Demon gave a big thumbs up to Monte.
NICE!
It was actually figuring out how it could subtly get on the same page as his boss without arousing suspicion, then the vassal spoke.
If it wasnt disguised as Kurtzargert at the moment but Edatine VI, it would surely praise the vassal with utmost delight, saying that the vassal understood itself very well.
Anderson the old Demon Hunter at a side did not care about all of those.
The old Demon Hunter had zero interest and fondness towards Silent Night Secret Society and all he cared about at the moment was that him.
Anderson looked at Kieran.
Kieran pointed at the projection images of the 14 southern councilmen. The old Demon Hunter immediately nodded and waited patiently.
Neither Kieran nor Anderson worried that the 14 southern councilmen would reject it. It was rted to a God in such a close range after all, not a single organization would reject it, let alone the likes of Silent Night Secret Society.
...
Back in the secretmunication formation, all 14 southern councilmen, except Eindefern, looked at each other without any of them speaking first.
The situation at hand was utterly obvious.
The heir of Snake Sect and the throne would never easily reveal information about that God to them, they must somehow pay a great cost to get it.
However, they had just amassed 280 true magical items and equipment and didnt want to fork out another lump sum.
Therefore, after exchanging gazes with each other, they shifted their gazes to Eindefern.
Even though Eindefern had just paid the extras in thepensation of 280 true magical equipment and items, it didnt stop them from hoping that Eindefern would pay more this time as well.
Do note that he upied the wealthiest Qitar Bay in the south.
Other businesses aside, the ve trading alone was enough to let him swim in his own wealth.
Eindefern felt the questioning gazes from his allies and couldnt help but show a heavy look.
What is the meaning of this? Am I supposed to continue to pay the extras? Eindefern said in an upset tone.
Shouldnt you? Eindefern, you upied Qitar Bay, your annual ie alone is almost twice as much as all ourbined ie! said the hot-tempered councilman.
Thats right.
If I upied Qitar bay, Id bear the cost of getting the information this time.
Yeah.
Compared to Qitar Bays ie, whats a trading cost to you?
The other councilmen added theirments and nodded in agreement.
Among them were several councilmen who seemed to be in agreement but were actually at odds and were giving Eindefern a hard time.
Every single one of them were jealous of Eindefern upying Qitar Bay for himself.
Qitar Bay didnt just represent Gold Purton, it even represented... the poption!
From a certain aspect, thetter was much more concerning to the councilmen.
Huu, huu, huu!
Eindefern couldnt help but breath heavily.
If everyone before him werent just projection images, hed teach these hypocrite bastards a lesson that sometimes dying is better than staying alive.
Qitar Bay had the envious ie and poption, but it was all because of his blood and sweat throughout the years, it wasnt built overnight.
From a small fishing vige to a major port that housed many exports and imports, Eindefern had poured unimaginable effort into it. He was busy for almost a decade just making his turf flourish. Now, when everything was at its peak, the others were jealous because of his hard work?
What happened back then?
He never forgot the mockery andughter he got from them.
Damn bastard! When all this is over, all of you will meet your end!
Killer intents were boiling in Eindeferns heart, but he remained calm on the outside.
I can bear the cost of this trading, but... the content of the information will be made known to me alone, said Eindefern.
What do you mean, Eindefern? Have you forgotten that we are a union?
The other councilmen retorted loudly.
Eindefern didnt care, he chuckled coldly, Since you know that we are in a union, then what was all that about? Since all of you want me to pay the bigger portion, of course I would get the bigger share of the gains. If any of you want to know the content of the information, show me some sincerity, or else...
COMMENT
Eindefern did not finish, but his intention was obvious.
For a moment, all the councilmen plunged into silence.
....
This time around, the wait was long.
Three minutester, the vassal brought a chair over for Kieran.
Your Highness, please sit. You are really wise, a simple word and you are able to cause an internal conflict among them. I think they are eager to choke each others necks, said the vassal softly.
They are originally a temporary union. Theres no family, no friends, not even a clear view of the gains. Its only a matter of time before they crumble, Kieran sat down and conveniently replied.
He had to admit that Monte was a person who read the atmosphere well, as he listened to Kieran while Kieran was sitting down, went over to the table, and grabbed a cup of tea for Kieran.
Bloody Mary looked at Monte, who acted like a suck up, quietly raising a brow with a mocking gaze.
Trying to move the boss with such attentive actions? Naive!
Only doing things withoutint can truly win over boss fondness, like me!
Then, it contacted its boss through the power of the contract.
Boss, the specialty of this restaurant is venison stew and antler soup, Ive ordered them to prepare the dish. After the mission here is over, you will be able to taste it.
What about War God Temple?
Dont worry boss, Ive got it all sorted out. Those guys are in for an unforgettable encounter!
Through the power of the contract, Bloody Marymunicated with its boss and its eyes on Monte grew even more disdainful.
Getting close on the surface is never going to triumph our bonds on the soul level!
Monte seemed to have noticed the disdain from Bloody Mary, but he didnt care.
He had no less of those gazes in the past.
The officials, ministers in the pce, the leaders of noble families, the knights, the guardians, almost everyone that he knew of looked at him with disdain. Even somemon maidens would show simr gazes at times, but he didnt care!
So what if he was a clown? So what if he was a suck up?
COMMENT
Was he not capable enough? No!
Its just that he hadnt been in a position where he could bring out his potential and be useful.
Now, he would soon be the honorary minister! He would make others look at him differently!
He would make the future king an even wiser king than Edatine VI!
Those who once looked down at him would be in awe and envy!
With an ambition of bing a capable honorary minister that could help the future king, Monte served Kieran with even more respect and politeness. He took an apple, skinned it without his fingers touching the meat and ced it into Kierans hands. Same went for the other fruit and food.
After Kieran ate a quarter of the food on the table, the stagnant projection images finally returned to normal.
Sorry to make you wait, your Highness, Eindefern apologized.
Although he returned to his friendly and kind tone, Kieran sharply sensed the cold confrontation between the southern councilmen.
It seemed like their private conversation that happened just now did not end on a happy note.
So what have you decided? What are you using to trade with the information? Kieran asked with a wave of hand.
We will offer a part of the Rare rank magical equipment and items plus some pagan remnants, Eindefern replied.
How much is a part? And the pagan remnants... Are you joking with me?
As he spoke, Kieran leaned forward and a sense of coldness appeared in his eyes.
The calm atmosphere instantly became keen, as if the air was filled with des, slowly moving towards the enemies throat.
Due to his identity and status, Monte did not have ess to all the information regarding the pagan remnant, but it didnt stop him, who had sworn to be Kierans honorary minister, to do what he had to do.
A flintlock pistol appeared in Montes hand. The muzzle was small, it wasnt for killing but to convey a message.
I do hope that Councilman Eindefern can give his Highness a reasonable exnation. Otherwise, you and the others will know why the pride and prestige of the heir of Snake Sect and the throne should not be insulted.
Monte stood beside Kieran, chuckling, his mouth slightly wide, baring his rotten teeth, like a ferocious hound protecting his master, ready to chew on any hostile.
Please dont take us wrongly, Prince Colin, we dont mean any hostility. In order topensate you, we have given a great cost and now buying the information from you... each and every one of our savings has reached the bottom. A Rare rank magical item or equipment isnt something that you can buy in the market after all, its not amon thing.
The others did not speak at all, only Eindefern spoke on their behalf.
Kieran seemed to have acknowledged Eindeferns exnation, he nodded slightly, but his tone was still harsh.
What you say might be the truth but it doesnt mean I understand. Dont you know what a pagan remnant is? Or you are testing the intelligence system of the Snake Sect and Edatine royal court?
Kieransst words became sharp and fierce. Monte beside him quickly raised the signal pistol. It seemed like all it took was a nce from Kieran and he would fire the pistol.
Of course not! Maybe these pagan remnants have some consequences that are worth taking note of but it wont be an issue to his Majesty, Mist! Eindefern smiled, attempting to ease the atmosphere.
Can you guarantee that the pagan remnants that you provide are the very first batch? If you can, I dont need the Rare rank magical item, I only need the pagan remnants, 10 will be enough.
Kieran was no longer a newbie in this dungeon world, he already knew many things about the rules of this special dungeon world.
Pagans preyed on each other, but other than the first batch of pagans who got the greatest benefits, which granted them zero consequences, the pagan remnants who grew on devouring others would more or less have some side effects with them.
The pagans of this world didnt possess the digesting capability of Gluttony after all.
In fact, if it was possible, Kieran wouldnt mind getting more pagan remnants, but he would never reveal his trump card.
It was time to shed the wool after all!
The first batch of pagan remnants, even with all of usbined, we have never seen 10 of them. We are willing to make it up to your Highness with 30 Rare rank magical items and equipment and the same amount of pagan remnants, Eindefern smiled bitterly as he voiced his offer.
30? Too few. At least 50. You can also subtract the number of pagan remnants appropriately, Kieran shook his head.
30 Rare rank magical items and equipment are our limit, but we can offer you up to 50 pagan remnants, the bitterness in Eindeferns smile grew heavier.
30 Rare rank magical items and equipment were of course not their limits, but it would be ideal to lower their cost as much as possible during the negotiation.
They had even figured out a way to discuss with the heir of Snake Sect and the throne.
The other southern councilmen were ready for a longsting battle.
However, Eindefern and the other councilmen were in for a shock. After the first offer, the heir of Snake Sect and the throne stopped, looking at them coldly.
His gaze felt like he was looking at some wealthy animal.
Fools. You are beyond redemption. Wait for your end then.
Kieran then stood up and walked out of the restaurant.
Chapter 1824 - Name
Chapter 1824: Name
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The southern councilmen were stunned when they saw Kieran walk out of the restaurant.
They, the highly ranked councilmen, had forgotten what a discussion used to be. They had forgotten how people used to fight each other with words, attempting to outwit each other to get the best out of a deal. They had long forgotten the straightforward way of conversing and discussing because most of the time, they were doing it to others, not the other way around.
Others were all lower than them in their point of view.
Now, the tide has changed.
The southern councilmen were not used to it, but they adapted themselves to it due to Kierans worth and value.
Either the heir to the throne or the heir of Snake Sect would be worthwhile of their effort, let alone when the two identitiesbined.
More importantly, the initiative was in Kierans hand.
Hold on, your Highness! Eindefern said quickly.
I dont have time to waste with you people, time is running out after all.
Kieran stood there without turning around. His words, however, made the councilmens hearts skip a beat.
Time was running out?!
His words had many meanings to them, to the point that all the southern councilmen felt depressed and scared.
They exchanged gazes. As the representative of the southern councilmen, Eindefern stopped hesitating.
Your Highness, we will do our best to fulfill your request, but please understand, Rare rank magical equipment and items are too rare. Even if we give our best effort, the best we can do is around 40, we will try topensate you in other ways for the missing number, said Eindefern sincerely.
Kieran showed hesitation.
Two secondster, he walked back to them.
I dont need Gold Purton, said Kieran after he sat back down.
Weve alreadypensated you 280 pieces of practical use magical equipment and items...
After you havepensated the practical use magical equipment and items, you can substitute the others with pagan remnants. Sometimes, those remnants have uses that you cannot imagine.
Kieran stopped Eindeferns words and stated his true intention.
Though his true intention in the eyes of the southern councilmen was justpromising to the second option.
After all, as long as the obsession in the heart was removed, the pagan remnants could still be quite helpful.
Snake Sects way of doing things was drastically different from Wolf Sect.
Or rather... the situation at hand was much harsher than they thought, to the point that the Demon Hunters had topromise.
With the thought in mind, Eindefern stated his offer again.
40 Rare rank magical equipment and items, 50 pagan remnants, would that be okay?
Unlike his previous question, Eindefern chose to test the water with the question, and in order to keep the unwanted misunderstandings away, he added, The number of pagan remnants is of course negotiable.
At least 60 pagan remnants. I think its a fair price, it has very minimal usage anyway.
With Kurtzargerts memories, Kieran had a general idea of the collection of the southern councilmen.
As for the minimal usage? It was also the truth.
The requirement to use a pagan remnant was very harsh. The stronger the remnant the harsher the requirements.
For example, tounch an attack that could destroy any army of a hundred would require a sacrificial offering of at least 200 to 300 people or items of simr value.
Therefore, other than some critical moments, no one would ever use them.
Or, the pagan remnants had some very special traits, like Sivalkas.
However, Sivalka was just an independent case, he couldnt represent all of them.
So, Eindefern and the other councilmen gave it some thought before they all nodded, one after another.
Sure. We will tell our men to deliver the negotiated goods andpensated items to you as soon as possible, under the witness of a contract!
After everyone passed the vote, Eindefern gave Kieran confirmation.
The power of the contract was applicable in this dungeon world too.
It didnt have that special personification with it here but in a certain aspect, it was invible.
A contract was prepared beforehand. Monte, as the vassal, drafted the contract and after the southern councilmen went through the contents, they signed it.
In the end, the contract was given to Kieran.
After a careful check, Kieran too signed his alias, Colin.
When thest stroke was ced, the paper glowed.
The southern councilmen heaved a sigh of relief when they saw the faint glow.
The glow represented that both sides had established a fairmunication base and in the added conditions of the contract, there was an obvious written rule which stated that either side could not offend one another and during times of need, help must be provided to one another.
Now, let us talk about him!
Kieran put the contract away and said solemnly with a strict look.
The southern councilmen, including Bloody Mary in disguise as Kurtzargert, sat up straight instinctively.
However, before he said anything, Kieran looked at the old Demon Hunter.
Anderson, would you be so kind, said Kieran.
The old Demon Hunter nodded, knowing what Kierans intention was.
Leave it to me.
Anderson then hid into the shadow.
Demon Hunters were good at tracking, likewise anti-monitoring.
The southern councilmen all knew about it, so none of them objected. Instead, they nodded in agreement.
Matters regarding a God should be treated with utmost vignce and solemn.
He first appeared in the ck Cataclysm, said Kieran.
Right after the first revtion, the southern councilmen were already surprised, followed by a sigh of relief.
As expected!
I knew it, that incident was never that simple!
Damn it!
How long have we been fooled?
The hot-tempered councilman and some others argued.
Bloody Mary sat there quietly, its eyes showing a perfectly timed surprise while its heart was chuckling.
Baited!
The Superior Demon was not at all surprised that the councilmen took the bait.
Its boss had an authentic script to take references from after all: it was Kurtzargerts memories.
In the memories of the dead councilman, the winner that emerged from the ck Cataclysm wasnt Silent Night Secret Society, not the Demon Hunters, or even War God Temple. The true victor was Edatine royal court!
Aside from the fact that the Demon Hunters were almost annihted, War God Temple had its sealed line breached by Edatine royal court.
As for Silent Night Society?
The answer could be found with the southern councilmen, who were shackled down in their respective turf.
They might have gotten gains from the catastrophic event, but the consequences were obvious too.
Kieran crossed his arms, put his elbow on the table, and supported his chin by the back of his hand, continuing after the discussion subsided.
We dont know how he came to be, but one thing is for sure: he is not an appendage, neither will he help without a reason. He has been stirring up trouble from the dark, he yearns to see chaos in our realm. He exists solely for trickery, schemes, and destruction!
Chapter 1825 - Lending Strength
Chapter 1825: Lending Strength
Each time Kieran said something, the looks on the southern councilmen grew more sour.
When they heard the words, trickery,schemes, and destruction, their looks were beyond ugly.
As councilmen of the Silent Night Secret Society, they too once hid among the people and had experienced the catastrophic aftereffects of the ck Cataclysm. They were clear that words that were used to describe a God werent mere decorations, it was a summary of their powers.
For example, God of War! He was valiant and fierce in a battle.
Another example, Lady Cmity! She was unstoppable when the gue wreaked havoc.
Then, this new God with trickery, schemes, and destruction...
All the southern councilmen shuddered en masse.
They were not afraid of a face-to-face brawl, even if they were going up against a true God. With their current power and influence, plus their trump card, they would be able to fight if they teamed up.
But what if this God hid in the shadows?
A frontal assault wasnt scary, the scary thing was the dagger from the dark.
Kieran, who had been observing the southern councilmen, saw the expected scene.
He then continued, Do you all think theres a little too much coincidence in the things that we experienced? Things that shouldnt be able toplete,pleted, after a series of coincidences; things that should be in the bag, failed, simrly after a series of idents. And it always happened at the most critical moment! Kierans voice suddenly became heavy.
The southern councilmen felt the same way as they looked at Kieran, they understood what Kieran meant.
Everything was very obvious.
Things that happened in Edatine royal court, things that happened with the Demon Hunters, everything was a little too coincidental.
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Others aside, the sole fact that the Demon Hunters were almost annihted back then was something they pondered upon!
It was too easy!
Although there were elements of a trap, all of them were resolute enough to die in battle!
Yet how did it turn out?
Everything was inconceivably smooth!
Not only that! After that unusual incident, things that followed which should have been smooth sailing ran into many obstacles, which made them into who and what they were now.
The southern councilmen expanded their thoughts following Kierans words.
The first thing they could think of was matters that they were closely rted to. It was verymon of a human being though, likewise it was also the setting up that Kieran provided after he considered the consequences of doing so.
He hoped the the southern councilmen would believe there was indeed another God in y.
And as long as the councilmen believed this, his goal for the date would be halfpleted.
As for the other half, it would be finding the God. No, it should be locating the traces left behind by Broker.
Thats right, it was Broker!
Kieran went through all those setups, not just because it was rted to his gains, it was also because of Broker. Thetter was more important.
Simr to how Kieran never believed Broker picked Borl out of random, he too did not believe that Broker picked Borl just because of a simple pagan army.
Based on Kierans understanding of Broker, the cunning merchant must have some hidden goals to achieve, otherwise he wouldnt have gotten this far for all this.
As a matter of fact, Kieran already had some thoughts on it, but...
He needed solid evidence to prove his thoughts and it wasnt something that he could achieve alone.
Therefore, he needed his identity as Edatine and Snake Sects heir.
The higher the numbers, the bigger the power, simr to how quantity incites qualitative changes, it tends to seep into peoples hearts.
If he could bring Silent Night Secret Society into the setup, he wouldnt mind at all.
Besides that, in certain times, Silent Night Secret Society tends to find those traces and inklings in the dark a little better. It was not that the Edatine royal court wasnt strong enough, it was just the royal courts forte was in another field.
With brazen sorrow, Kieran deeply inhaled. He said, May the dead rest in peace.
Right away, the southern councilmen, who were still in guesses, got verifications.
It seemed like ck Cataclysm was also the handy work of that God, but maybe because he wasnt this strong back then, all he sent out was an emissary of sorts to do his biddings.
Coupled with the traitor in the Demon Hunter ranks, the disruptor from Silent Night Secret Society, the death of Edatine V, the damaged prestige of God of War, and the stagnant state of Lady Cmity...
Hey, before this, I thought we clutched a win that time, but now it seems like...That he is the true victor in the end, right? Many parties are being toyed with in the bastards hand like nothing! said the hot-tempered councilmen fiercely.
Following his words, the presence of the other councilmen started to fluctuate, to the point that the projection images that they used formunication started to ripple.
These councilmen felt a sense of rage without a doubt. No one liked to be toyed, let alone these proud high ranking elders.
However, as higher-ups themselves, they too had their forte.
Soon enough, the presence of the councilmen calmed down.
Is Snake Sect hiding in the dark because of the investigation of this particr God? asked Eindefern.
No. At first, Snake Sect was just a precaution. In fact, before ck Cataclysm happened, Snake Sect never thought ofing into the limelight. We are used to living lives in other identities but the annihtion of Wolf Sect shocked us. As an observer, we discovered many unreasonable things, so we started to investigate silently, but that God and his men were too cunning. Theye and go like the wind and are very good at controlling peoples minds. They almost never left behind any traces and even if they did, the traces would be wiped quickly enough. If my teacher hadnt confirmed that Gods existence, we all would have thought it was something that doesnt exist.
Kieran shook his head, using Broker as his reference and spewing the lies that he had scripted before this.
His lies won recognition from the southern councilmen right away.
The southern councilmen were already brought into the scenario, nodding one after another.
Yeah. If we were unable to confirm things that shouldnt have happened, we would also never believe the existence of something like this. Is his Majesty Mist one of your preparations? Eindefern asked casually.
Kieran didnt say anything, he looked straight at Eindefern.
The atmosphere came to a standstill.
Two to three secondster, Eindefern smiled awkwardly.
Your Highness, I dont...
The Mists appearance is simr to Lady Cmitythis is my answer and at the same time, I hope that Sir Eindefern can understand although we are allies now, we are not that close. We are not there yet, telling each other about our bottomline. I also hope that your little test can stop so that you dont cause some misunderstandings between us, just like what happened before.
Kieran interrupted Eindeferns words right away and the councilman did not say anything else.
After that, both sides double confirmed thepensation and the negotiated goods plus the time for the trade, then the meeting came to an end.
Everyone from Silent Night Secret Society left in a sequence.
The royal guardians re-entered White Deer Restaurant.
We are going to the slums at Lower Seven Ring, said Kieran, but he did not move out right away. Instead, he headed to the dining table.
Right away, Monte handed Kieran a piece of napkin.
After gobbling down the food like a tornado, Kieran wiped his mouth and then boarded the wagon.
Leaning back on the seat and looking at the setting sun, Kieran squinted his eyes.
He knew what he would have to face next.
His true test awaited.
Chapter 1826 - Compensation
Chapter 1826: Compensation
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
When Viscount Reedral arrived at the slums of Lower Seventh Ring, it was already 9 in the morning.
The believers of Mist had started their busy day in the slums.
Although they were given sufficient resources and it wasnt necessary for them to work at the moment, cleaning up the ruins, cremating the bodies, and rebuilding the defensive structures required a great amount of manpower.
The only fortunate thing was that the winter in the north was always cold, so there would be no worries about the rotting of bodies and the gue that would arise from them.
But out of the worries about friends and family, the people in the slums still tried to finish up everything as quickly as possible.
Therefore, when Viscount Reedral arrived, he saw was a busy and bustling scene.
There was also a watch tower in the area, since the heir of Edatines throne and Snake Sect was the same person. The heir of Snake Sect had a close rtionship with the Mist religious sect, to the point that the guards who were obviously there to watch over the people switched up their role and protected them instead.
Adding in the patrols and watch tower, which consisted of the Mists believers themselves, the defenses in the slums were no longer weak.
Reedral was from a military background, so the moment he arrived, he instinctively evaluated the situation and simted if all the people in the slums were enemies, how he would take them down in the quickest way with the least cost.
His invasive gaze was soon discovered.
Hey, you better keep your gaze in check.
A young man, as strong as a grizzly bear and with a huge double-sided axe on his shoulder, appeared beside Reedrals wagon without a sound and criticized him.
It wasnt until the young man spoke that Reedral realized that he was there, his gaze shrinking out of shock.
He started to size up the young man, and when he saw the young mans physique, he instantly knew who the young man was: Rogart!
Rogart was one of the core members of the Mist religious sect!
His own strength coupled with the divine spells of the Mist? wondered Reedral, yet his face showed a kind smile.
Good day, Im Viscount Reedral. Is Bishop Simon around?
His narrow eyes made him look even more like a fox than he already was when he smiled. Even that crooked nose of his, which looked like an eagles beak, got more pronounced, like a fox with an eagles beak.
The young Rogart was not fond of foxes. He used to hunt when he was young but the foxes would always steal from him. Even if he hung it over the trees, the foxes would bite the ropes off. So, the young Rogart said without any courtesy, Lord bishop is not around!
Reedral wasnt frustrated at all by the harsh tone.
Then what about Mr. Sivalka? he said with a smile.
What do you want? The continuous questions rmed the young Rogart.
Dont worry, I mean no harm. My reputation might not be glorious but its not bad either. Likewise, no one can ever impersonate me, the soldiers behind you can prove my identity.
As he spoke, Reedral walked near to the wagon and pointed at the soldiers of Edatine further away.
Rogart saw the soldiers bowing at Reedral from a distance, frowning.
He wasnt actually suspecting. Following Lord Colins status as heir to the throne being made known to all, the soldiers protecting the slums could be viewed as allies, no suspicions were necessary.
He frowned because of the man before him. He heard of Viscount Reedrals name.
When he arrived here, the respectful baroness, now Lord of Sicar, had informed them about who in Edatine Castle should they be careful of.
1Among the listed ones, the viscounts name was there.
Of course, the most important thing was Sivalkas reminder.
Be careful of the orthodox party, they mighte with ill intentions.
Sivalka once told about his encounter with the orthodox party and how they were used to doing things. It wasnt exactly exaggerating though, they were still nobles who had to preserve face after all.
But to say they had morals or followed the code of knights?
It would be a ridiculous joke, not even a ghost would believe it.
The young Rogart really wanted to shoo the viscount away, but when he thought of the bishops orders, he did not do so.
Wait here, said the young Rogart coldly before he turned around to the camp.
Inside the camp, which was on its way topletion, Sivalka was applying frostbite medicine for Ellie.
You are recovering great!
A huge part of the bruises on the petite hand had recovered, so Sivalka couldnt help but smile. In order to let Ellie recover better, he even bought the most expensive frostbite medicine.
Now it seemed like his decision was right.
Two to three dayster and you will be as healthy as before. Remember Ellie, dont touch cold water within these two days, remindered Sivalka.
But I still have to help everyone with their work! I am not strong enough to clear up the ruins, but I can wash the tes and boil water. If I cant touch cold water... Ellies petite face disyed a difficult look.
Sivalkas gaze was filled withpassion and love. If he had a daughter, hed never let his daughter to do all those rough chores.
No! He already had a daughter! And if his daughter wished to do so...
As a father, he had to support her unconditionally, even though it cost him tears.
Then Ellie, promise me that you will be careful. Ill go buy you a set of gloves at the marketter. The kind that allows you to touch water.
Sivalka rubbed Ellies head.
But mother says I shouldnt take things from other people...
I am not other people! You saved me Ellie, you are my life-saver. Its only natural that I repay you, Sivalka said with a smile before he pointed further away and continued, Now go, go help Ellie, everyone is waiting for you.
Okay.
The little girl nodded, smiled at Sivalka and then ran outside.
After his daughter figure disappeared from sight, Sivalka turned around to Rogart.
Whats the matter? Sivalka asked.
Shes a nice kid! eximed the young man, then he started to feel the gaze of hostility, alertness, and suspicion of a father.
What do you want? he asked in a heavy tone, clenching his teeth.
Please dont misunderstand! I was simply praising her! Besides, Sivalka you are too tense, not all are...
Horny pigs should be castrated, Sivalka stopped Rogart with some cold words.
Looking at how serious Sivalka was, the young man felt pity for the boys who would fall for Ellie in the future. It would be difficult for them to pass Sivalka, but it was not his concern.
Its the orthodox party. That Viscount Reedral is here himself, said the young man, wisely returning to the topic.
As expected, said Sivalka as he headed outside the camp.
When he knew the heir of the throne and Snake Sect were the same person, he knew the orthodox party would never sit back and do nothing.
He knew very well about the nobles temperament.
What are we going to do? asked the young man.
Leave it to me. Lord bishop has told me what direction we are heading next. As for the rest, Illpromise, said Sivalka.
The young Rogart kept quiet.
Firstly, the love and respect he got from Bishop Simon made himpletely obedient to the bishops orders.
Secondly, the young Rogart assumed that this was a test given by the bishop to Sivalka.
Although Sivalka had announced that he was going to join the Mist, given his identity and status, it was rather troublesome. Back then, lord bishop did not deny or agree with Sivalka.
It seemed like he was waiting for Sivalka to pass this uing test.
Therefore, the young Rogart slowed his steps down, retreating from a side by side walk with Sivalka to following behind him.
He had to witness the whole process and at the same time protect Sivalka.
Although the noble just now looked resentful, he was also a formidable foe.
If without his Majestys blessing, young Rogart might not even be a match.
But with his Majestys blessing? Rogart could choke the noble to death single-handedly.
Sivalka didnt say anything about the changes in Rogart, it was only reasonable.
If he wanted to jump into the arms of the Mist from the Dark Hall of War God Temple, he had to disy his worth and capabilities, otherwise why would the Mist protect him?
If it was before the encounter with Ellie, it would be fine for him, he would just go to the outskirts and live as a different person.
But with Ellie? He had to give it his best.
...
Standing outside the camp, Viscount Reedral suddenly felt a little cold.
Looking up at the bright and radiating sun, the noble from the orthodox party couldnt help but shake his head.
Winter in the north was really scary, even in Edatine Castle.
He was used to spending his winter in the south in recent years, so he started to feel ufortable in the winter in the north.
That damn decree!
Whenever he thought of the kings new decree, Viscount Reedral couldnt help but furrow his brows.
Do note that since he spent his winter in the south in recent years, he had moved more than half of his overall properties to that warm ce. Farming, mining, handcrafts etc. were all fields that he was willing to join.
Not just him, Valentine and many other smaller nobles behind them also shared the same thought.
Should the fire of war spread to the south...
He could very well imagine what his investment would be like. Therefore, the new royal decree wasnt just a simple buying of noble status ornd, it was directly rted to every familys survival and existence.
These were things that he would neverpromise!
For an instant there, Viscount Reedrals eyes became sharp and fierce, but it was reced by a smiling look at the very next moment.
He saw Rogart, who came back, and Sivalka, who appeared with the former.
Good morning, Mr. Sivalka.
Viscount Reedral stepped up as a wee and to show his sincerity.
Sivalka didnt say anything, neither was he surprised. He reacted like he was meeting a normal friend, walking over and saying with a smile, Good morning, lord viscount.
Im so sorry, Mr. Sivalka. The things that happened yesterday caused some unnecessary misunderstanding between us. Today, I am here with my utmost sincerity.
Viscount Reedral then pointed at the wagon.
The wagoner opened the carriage door and right away, Sivalka and Rogarts eyes squinted into a narrow line.
A mountain of dazzling glow shone before their eyes.
Both of them took a while to regain their senses and return to normal.
Sivalka didnt even have to count, a quick nce over the mountain of gold and he could tell there were 2,000 Gold Purton loaded in the box.
Among the nobles, the boxes holding Gold Purton, other than its sturdiness and higher quality, the size was also the same, as if only with this they could look different from others.
If it was before Sivalka met Ellie, he would surely be moved by 2,000 Gold Purton, but now? It was not enough.
It wasnt just because of the task from Bishop Simon. He also had to feed his daughter! Raising a child was costly!
As for Rogart, he didnt even spare an extra nce.
He even held his axe tight when the golden mountain shone, afraid that it was an attack.
When the wagoner opened the door, Viscount Reedral had been observing their expressions and when he saw neither of them were moved, the viscounts heart couldnt help but sink deep.
While he cursed Valentines men for not beingpetent enough deep in his heart, he pointed at the wagon with a smile.
Mr. Sivalka, Ive also found two decent relics, are you interested in having a look? said Viscount Reedral.
Of course, but two is a little less, it would be better if there were more, Sivalka nodded and strode to the wagon without even waiting for Viscount Reedrals invitation.
Bishop Simons order was to y the fat goat! Why should he be courteous with the viscount?
He would be an ass if he couldnt punch a hole in the viscounts pocket and his heart.
Looking at Sivalka walking to the wagon and sizing up everything inside the carriage, Viscount Reedral remained smiling but deep in his heart, he was cursing out loud.
Sivalkas attitude had stated it all. If the viscount wanted to erase the incident that happened yesterday, he would have to pay up.
He didnt want to but he had no choice, because behind Sivalka was someone whos bad side the orthodox party wouldnt want to get on just yet.
The heir of Edatines throne and Snake Sect was too scary.
Although the orthodox party still had a backup...
If he could leave it untouched, he would never use it.
Holding his trump card in hand was the most ideal situation.
If he used it right now, he would have no ground to retreatter.
Heforted himself in his heart but what Sivalka said next almost made the viscount draw his sword and stab him.
The wagon is nice, so are the things inside. What about this, two more wagons with the same content and well talk! Sivalka said in a humorous way.
Although he was eager to stab Sivalka, Viscount Reedral had to maintain his noble temperament.
Is that so? Two more wagons? Very well, Ill tell my men to send them over around afternoon, said the viscount with a smile.
Sivalka was obviously caught off guard when he saw the viscount agree so quickly.
Sh-t! He demanded too little!
His heart was filled with frustration but if he would back off at such a timing, it wouldnt be suitable or appropriate.
So, all he could do was nod with regret.
Viscount Reedral saw the regrets and frustration on Sivalka, his hand already holding the hilt of his sword.
I cant kill him! I cant kill him! I cant kill him!
Viscount Reedral kept reminding himself to smile while his heart bled.
As a hereditary noble, Reedrals family was extremely wealthy but after he invested almost all of his wealth in the south, hed go broke in giving such a heftypensation.
Though, as long as he could temporarily calm the heir, it would be worth it.
After that?
Viscount Reedral smiled coldly.
With that thought in mind, Viscount Reedral wanted to board the wagon and leave, for he had no intentions of staying here for a second longer.
Right at that moment, Rogart, who had been silent, stood in front of the carriage door, blocking the viscount.
This is ours already, said the young man righteously.
Viscount Reedral was rendered speechless.
Chapter 1827 - Stab
Chapter 1827: Stab
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran boarded a wagon and returned to the temporary base of the Mist at Lower Seventh Ring. He caught the unusually decorated wagon at first glimpse.
The wagon of a merchant focused on its practical uses.
The wagon of a noble focused on how it could disy the status and nobility of the owner.
Therefore, both were drastically different in terms of looks.
As formon civilians?
Well, to the civilians, walking was the best option.
Your Highness, its the wagon of Reedral family, Monte came up to Kieran and said softly beside him.
The vassal did not further exin Reedrals family yet his countenance had a sense of caution.
As the leader of the orthodox party, Reedrals family had always objected to the attitude of the Edatine royal court. It was already a euphemistic way of saying it. In a much barebone sense, it should be considered hostility.
Of course, everything happened in the shadows, and where people couldnt see, darkness surged.
Under the light? Everything was prosperous and flourished.
Both Edatine VI and the orthodox party nobles needed the illusion for the sake of their respective gains and benefits.
However, if either of them could get things done once and for all, both the king and the nobles would not hesitate to break the illusion of peace.
As for Edatine VIs biggest weakness? It would be Colin, the newly found prince.
Therefore, at the next second, the vassal quietly signalled to the royal guardians behind him with a wave of hand, the guardians moving forward subtly.
Unlike the vassal, the guardians werent look in the direction of the wagon. Instead, they looked behind them.
Three more wagons were slowly approaching, and a whileter, the leading wagon stopped.
Viscount Reedral, in a fresh new suit, as elegant and morous as usual, came down.
The attire was one of the most important elements to judge whether or not a noble was noble enough.
As one of the traditional nobles, Viscount Reedral would not just dress elegantly and morously, he also had to give his best effort to wear different attire at different times and different asions.
But the changes werent obvious most of the time.
A noble like Viscount Reedral had his own family attire. Most of the time, his main attire would consist of red with golden threads around the edges and his pants would be pure ck. The differences were only in the details, which was the emblem on the golden button.
Likewise, the Edatine royal court, which was technically the biggest noble family in Edatine Castle, but the character Kieran was ying was an exception.
Having the identity of the heir of Snake Sect allowed him to remain in his Demon Hunter look. To Kieran, unless absolutely necessary, the first rule of wearing clothing wasfort.
If the clothes could allow him to move quicker and faster, it would be better.
His attire made Viscount Reedral look at him differently. He seemingly had a shallow sense of contempt, but the contempt was gone quick enough.
Good afternoon, Prince Coliin, your Highness.
The viscount strode over and slightly bowed out of respect. He then straightened his body and pointed at the wagons behind himself, Here are the two wagons that I promised topensate Mr. Sivalka, including the one behind you.
After that, the viscount paused before he looked at Rogart, who walked out.
I really have to thank that young man. He made me take an hour long walk around Edatine Castle, which is rare for me. The sun and the windy breeze left a heavy impression in my mind.
There wasnt any brazen hatred, neither was there anger. It was as if the viscount was telling someone elses story.
However, his eyes at the moment were unusually cold, the killer intents overflowing.
The young man from the north was never afraid of a fight, neither would he be afraid of being challenged, even though his opponent was powerful.
Bullying the weak and never fighting the strong was not part of the northern tradition. They were more than happy to challenge a powerful foe, even if it would mean their death.
Therefore, Rogart was prepared for this scenario. The others around him also had an idea about his thoughts, but no one would stop him..
A weak person challenging someone strong would not be stopped but to his surprise, the killer intents in the viscounts eyes faded in a sh. Next, a warm and kind smile came on.
Well done. I am looking forward to the end of your growth, said Viscount Reedral, as if he was a senior praising his junior.
The young Rogart looked at Reedral in shock. If he looked any different in the young mans memories, Rogart would probably think he met a fake Reedral.
The viscount before his eyes and the one that he met this morning were a little different.
The vassal, on the other hand, stared at the eagle beak fox with caution.
Because of his thin eyes and crooked nose, which resembled an eagles beak, Viscount Reedral was also known as the eagle beak fox.
Of course, the title carried a heavy sense of mockery.
A fox represented cunning, it was a favourite hunting target of the people in Edatine.
Hunting a fox in the autumn symbolized wisdom and wealth.
And the eagle represented valiantness.
Being able to tame an eagle would always win respect from others, even in this current era where muskets were the preferred weapon. A person who could tame an eagle would still be admired highly.
After all, things that fell under the musket would be dead, not alive.
Heres a new question, what would it bring when one tamed the eagle beak fox?
It would be a rare honor!
But who could tame the eagle beak fox?
It would be the king, his Majesty Edatine VI.
The vassal even spected that the title of eagle beak fox was released by the king himself, just so he could anger the viscount.
Unfortunately, the eagle beak fox wasnt just cunning, he was calm too.
He proved to be a formidable foe for the king!
The vassal, who automatically deemed himself as the honorary minister, started to think about how he could get rid of this troublesome orthodox party leader, who might be the biggest problem for his Highness in the future.
But before Monte could think of anything, the royal guardians in the area moved.
Muskets were raised to a single direction.
Who goes there! Show yourself! shouted the captain of the royal guardians towards a certain direction.
Dont shoot, its me, the meek voice of a young man came out.
When the young man came into everyones sight, all brows were furrowed together.
It wasnt just because of how dirtyly dressed the young man was, it was also because his face showed nothing but worry and loss, a sense of despair emanating from him.
More importantly, everyone present at the scene knew the young man.
Before this, at the city gate, where the War God Temple intercepted Mist religious sect and allowed the reputation of the Mist to grow, it also made a young man well-known to others: Gino!
COMMENT
The Apologetics Chivalry knight of War God Temple!
The young man ended up as a joke for everyone in Edatine in recent days and it wasnt some delightful joke.
So, everyone else present at the scene eased their furrowed brows. They seemed to grasp the reason for the look on his face and the reason why he came forth.
In fact, everything was as they expected.
May I know where Bishop Simon is? asked the young Gino.
The royal guardians lowered their muskets, even the vassal and Rogart lowered their cautions.
But right at that moment, out of everyones expectations, Viscount Reedral drew his sword and tried to stab Kieran.
Your Highness, be careful!
Voices full of worry came from all around, but Kieran was as nonchnt as ever.
He looked at Viscount Reedral, who attempted to stab him with a sword, his eyes showing the faint trace of a smile.
Chapter 1828 - Life Is Such A Hurry
Chapter 1828: Life Is Such A Hurry
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
What else was happier than when everything progressed smoothly?
It would definitely be an extra gain whilst everything went on, just like Kieran at the moment.
Kieran had already expected War God Temple to make a move a while ago, he even knew a thing or two about the methods they would use.
After all... he had a very reliable follower who helped him dissect War God Temples entire n, but Viscount Reedral remained a surprise.
Kieran never thought that War God Temple would choose Viscount Reedral as a disguise target.
To him though, it was good news.
If he would go after Viscount Reedral directly, it would be too obvious, but if it was War God Temple... everything would be much more interesting.
With that thought in mind, Kieran straightaway gave a set of new orders to Bloody Mary.
Find the real Viscount Reedral.
There wasnt any further exnation attached to that order, Kieran knew Bloody Mary would be able to understand him perfectly.
As for how to locate Viscount Reedral?
The vision from [Tracking] already allowed him to track down where this fake Viscount Reedral came from. The real Viscount Reedral would surely be nearby due to the fake one having no time to properly settle down the real viscount.
As for killing the real Viscount Reedral?
The fake viscount wasnt just aiming for a simple massacre, or more urately, only Kieran would be killed and the fake one would use the killing as a chip to bargain with Viscount Reedral.
If Kieran died, how furious would Edatine VI be for losing an heir? What would Snake Sect do for losing their heir too?
Should that happen, Viscount Reedral wouldnt have a choice at all.
Exnation?
Sometimes, if exnations were useful, there would be this many killings and massacres.
The human heart isplicated and indirect.
Therefore, Kieran always tended to resolve in the most direct way against his enemies.
The sword grazed Kierans body by an inch.
A dazzling sh came off the sword all of a sudden, its blinding light making everyone in its near vicinity close their eyes instinctively.
A dozen sword shes were fired out from the de, shredding the stone ground of a 5 meter radius into smithereens, but they did not harm Kieran at all, not even a single strand of hair. Even the armed imposter failed to locate Kierans figure anywhere in his sight.
All that was left was
Hiss! Hiss!
A series of snake hisses sounded, ying like the prelude before the appearance of the grim reaper.
An airstream appeared out of nowhere, swirling and spinning, enveloping the imposter whole.
Tsssk!
The imposters clothes were torn to shreds the moment they came in contact with the airstream, followed by his flesh, as though many invisible snakes in the air were worrying him, ripping his flesh away.
The feeling of being cut by a myriad of des made the imposter squeal in pain.
Aaaah! The painful squeal sounded loudly but stopped abruptly.
A kick hidden in the airstreamnded on the imposters head urately.
Bang!
A loud thumpter, the imposters body trembled. As if he was a drunkard, he faltered several steps back and fell on the ground.
Bright red blood apanied by crushed brains oozed out from his nostrils, ears, and eyes.
Until thest moment, the imposters eyes remained wide.
He had to admit that he had heavily underestimated the power of Snake Sects heir.
But what about the sense of delight that shed over the eyes of the Snake Sects heir?
On his dying breath, the imposter looked towards the spy that he nted, then he saw the simr sense of delight in Ginos eyes, feeling happy, as if he had sessfully taken revenge.
Its him!? He leaked my n?!
The imposter wanted to push himself up and shout, but a momentter, eternal darkness descended on him.
The imposter lost all signs of life.
Your Highness! Your Highness!? Are you alright?
Monte, who Kieran pushed away earlier, ran back and was worried about the prince he served.
The vassal heaved a sigh of relief when he saw Kieran was well and unharmed. Then, with overflowing killer intents, he looked at the rest of the followers and guards of Viscount Reedral.
Take them down! I want them alive!
Although the vassal was eager to chop every one of the bastards into meat paste, he had to expand his thoughts ording to the gains and benefits of the prince he served.
Maybe this is a chance? thought the vassal.
Rogart, who went up to check on the dead body, verified the vassals thoughts.
The dead viscount was not the real one.
Sean!? Sivalka urately called out the dead imposter.
The ex-armed deacon of the Dark Hall in War God Temple furrowed his brows tightly.
He suddenly remembered some bad rumours that revolved around War God Temple.
The Inquisition! It must be the Inquisitions handy work!
COMMENT
Sivalka looked at Kieran with a worried look.
Kieran, as calm as water, walked up to the body, picked up the sword that Sean left behind, and turned around to the temporary base of the Mist.
There was no further order or any signs at all.
The people present at the scene looked at each other in confusion.
No one seemed to grasp the thought of this heir to the throne and Snake Sect.
He had just been through an attempt on his life, wasnt he furious about it?
How could he be this calm?
Everyone else was wondering the same question.
On the other hand, Bloody Mary, who knew everything, was busy.
Although its boss had provided a rough location of the real viscount, they were in Edatine Castle, where the poption flourished and buildings rose. Searching for a single person in such a crowded ce was not an easy task.
Fortunately, it was quick enough.
Phasing through the void and flying through almost 20 buildings, Bloody Mary finally located Viscount Reedral in the basement of a house.
The viscount was not in a good shape when he was found. There were multiple injuries on his body, and although attended to, the wounds were still bleeding.
He looked pale and his forehead was boiling.
When Bloody Mary appeared before the weak viscount, he seemed to have noticed the presence of someone but he didnt have the strength to move a finger. He couldnt even open his eyes.
COMMENT
Bloody Mary couldnt help but shake its head and sigh.
It easily determined that this viscount was ambushed by at least 4 people at once, but the critical attack that robbed the viscounts mobility was an arrow, a poisonous arrow.
It was because of the poisonous arrow that the viscount ended up as captive and in such a poor state.
My lord hears the loss, my lord hears the doubts. Ie following the holy order of my lord, to save you from the loss and to solve your doubts, Bloody Mary, in Simons disguise, said slowly.
Its voice was warm and filled with love towards life.
It extended its finger and a warm white light enveloped Viscount Reedrals body.
...
The icy coldness spread throughout his body.
Reedral never thought he would die in such a condition.
COMMENT
Yes, he was dying. He smelled the scent of death.
The sword and knife injuries werent serious, they were mere skin wounds, but the poisonous arrow started to destroy his life.
Maybe a whileter, I will be a dead body, thought Reedral.
Fear and despair naturally rose in his heart.
Who wasnt afraid of death? Reedral had no idea but he was. However, what scared him more was the grievance and the unheard silence before his death.
What would that bastard do using my appearance?
Fear spread despair, and at thest moment of his life, Reedral started to think.
It was natural that he thought of the bastard who took on his looks.
Then?
He thought of what his family would have to deal with after his death.
He also thought of the decisive and harsh attitude of the king and War God Temple!
Thats right, it was War God Temple!
A trace of hatred suffused in Reedrals heart.
Although the ambush surprised him, he still managed to find out where those wretched ambushers were from.
War God Temple!
Connecting it to the incident that happenedst night, Reedral soon came up with a deduction on the matter from the start till the end.
War God Temple would not allow a powerful royal court in their presence, especially a royal court which had many unsevered ties with the Demon Hunters. It was prohibited!
And him?
He was just a fish caught in the moat fire.
Anger! Grievance!
The negative emotions rose but soon faded.
Reedral knew all those negative emotions were useless. He was to me for not grasping the situation properly, hence falling into such an ugly state. There was no one else to me but himself.
Death became his only option.
The icy coldness gushed into his body like the rising tide.
Reedral struggled onest time, but what he felt was more helplessness.
Right before he gave up on everything, a muddled voice came into his ears.
The voice was muffled but it was warm.
The coldness slowly dispersed.
Basking in the warmth, he unconsciously recalled his entire life.
He remembered when he was 16, where he walked past a girl in funny clothing when he strolled along the streets of Edatine Castle.
He remembered when he was 20, and for the sake of the family and the benefits, he had to marry a woman that he had never met before.
He remembered when he was 22, and in order to match the trends of the upper sses in Edatine Castle, he started to have two mistresses.
He remembered when he was 23, and that woman found out that he had mistresses, what he got was contempt and mockery.
He remembered when he was 25, and that woman moved back to her family mansion and died of depression.
He remembered when he was 30, when he brought the children of his mistresses back to his own family, the hardship and torture that he received.
He remembered when he was 33...
Life was like a spinningntern, spinning fast and quick, everything else became unimportant and somewhat insignificant.
When he felt that warmth, he felt like he had returned to his teenage years, when he was 16.
He saw that girl in the funny clothes once more. He couldnt help but cry, tears rolling down his cheeks ceaselessly. He unconsciously stopped his steps. He opened his mouth and asked, Hi, I am Reedral. May I know your name? with utmost politeness.
There was no reply, only a sweet smile from the girl.
It was so dazzling under the radiant sun.
Reedral looked at the smile in astonishment.
What was he pursuing back then? For what?
Why was he only now realizing what he had been yearning for?
The next second, Reedral opened his eyes.
He saw Bloody Mary, in Simons look, standing before his eyes.
Is it a dream? Reedral muttered.
Is it a good dream? Bloody Mary asked back.
Good dream? It was. It was the best dream that I ever had. My heart... it felt like it came alive, said Reedral.
He regained strength as he wiped the tears away from the corner of his eyes, managing to push himself up and kneeling down before Bloody Mary on one knee.
With a never before heard solemnity, he said, Reedral hereby greets lord Bishop Simon!
Chapter 1829 - Fish
Chapter 1829: Fish
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
When Bloody Mary brought the real Reedral back to the camp of the Mist religious sect in the Lower Seventh Ring, themotion that had urred earlier had faded and been cleaned up.
Or more urately, with support from Edatine royal court, War God Temple, Mist religious sect, and the orthodox party, themotion and panic was minimized. It didnt go out of control.
However, the atmosphere was tense, especially for Duke Valentine, who came down here in a hurry.
He widened his eyes in anger and red at the emissary of War God Temple.
The dead Sean wasnt some nobody. As the ninth captain of the Apologetics Chivalry of War God Temple, many nobles were familiar with him and he was also rather well-known by the lower sses.
It was because of his status and reputation that things were getting more and more difficult to handle.
Im sorry everyone, there must be some misunderstanding among all this.
The emissary of War God Temple was an elderly.
His hair and beard were white, his face had wrinkles but he was quite energetic.
He was also a person well-known by the publicPriest Termino
He was the representative of War God Temple in many, MANY, public appearances.
Most of the time, hed joke and chat with many of the nobles, but now, at this moment, as he walked along the nobles and civilians, Priest Termino was unusually embarrassed.
He, of course, knew what happened. He also knew about the existence of the Inquisition inside War God Temple.
However, he never knew how bold those bastards were and how... ipetent they were.
Since they had targeted the heir to the throne and Snake Sect, why not make it a clean and quick strike?
It shouldnt have ended like this, failing an assassination and surrendered their weakness to the opponent.
Damn it!
Whilst cursing Seans ipetence, the priest started to grind his gears to figure out a way out of this but Duke Valentine wasnt that patient.
Wheres Reedral? Tell me where he is!? The duke jumped out and shouted at the priest from War God Temple.
One would not doubt that with the overflowing rage in his eyes. If the duke couldnt get a proper answer, he might do something crazy.
Edatine royal court was not surprised at the dukes reaction though.
Reedral was more than just amon ally to Valentine.
Because of how their families came to be, Reedrals family and Valentines family benefited from each other for a very long time. Since Edatine IVs era, both families had been strengthening their rtionship through marriage.
Speaking from a bloodline rtionship, Viscount Reedral was Duke Valentines cousin from his fathers side.
Both of them even grew up together. Some rumours even said that the reason why Valentine became a duke was because of Viscount Reedral.
In short, there wouldnt be a Duke Valentine without Viscount Reedral.
Therefore, it was understandable that Valentine was furious.
Huhaa, Huhaa!
Valentine held the hilt of his sword tightly as he panted heavily.
He told himself to be calm but he failed to do so.
Only he himself knew how important Reedral was to himself, what his cousin meant to him.
In fact, he was more than just a cousin, it was more than just helping each other out. Reedral was the... spine of both families!
Most of the time, all Valentine had to do was carry out the things Reedral arranged for him.
Now, with Reedral missing, Valentine had no confidence in ruling over the leftovers of both families, let alone therge properties and industrial investments in the south. He wasnt even capable of taking charge of Edatine Castle.
He knew his own limits, he knew what he was good at. Without the intricacy of Reedral, there wouldnt be any oversight over the overall situation.
Damn it!
Damn it!
Damn it!
The more Valentine thought, the more furious he was and he could no longer hold it back.
Chang!
The sword was drawn, the sharp tip was pointed at Priest Termino.
You will go down with Reedral!
Valentine wanted to lunge forward with his sword.
Hold on, Duke Valentine! calm down! said the vassal loudly, but he did not move a single step forward.
In Montes thought, the orthodox party was an enemy to the prince, as was War God Temple. Enemies fighting each other to the death? Why would he stop them?
No, he wasnt an idiot! He ought to fan the mes and make things even worse for the both of them.
Therefore, whilst he was speaking loudly without taking a step forward, Monte was thinking about how he could truly incite a fight between the two of them.
To his disappointment, Duke Valentine did not stab the priest.
It was not that Duke Valentine changed his mind, he was stopped.
Viscount Reedral appeared beside Duke Valentine without his knowing and grabbed Duke Valentines wrist, preventing him from stabbing.
Valentine, dont rush. Im not dead yet, said Viscount Reedral jokingly.
Reedral!? You are alright? Reedral?!
Valentine was ecstatic when he saw Reedral beside him, shouting out of excitement, but a secondter, the duke saw the many injuries on the viscounts body.
The injuries were bandaged up but still bleeding, making them very eye-catching.
Reedral, your injuries? Valentine asked nervously.
Its fine, even if something happens to me, we can slowly deal with those who are responsible at ater date.
Reedral then looked at Termino, his meaning obvious.
Right after the gaze, Priest Termino was anxious to publicly flog the dead Sean.
The dead captain didnt just fail to assassinate Colin the heir, he even left Reedral alive, which would be an endless problem for War God Temple!
Thinking about the dead captains ipetent methods, Terminos head started to hurt.
I think theres some misunderstanding in all this, said Termino, who was socially resourceful, awkwardly.
Really? Reedral coldly chuckled and stopped saying anything.
Kieran stood there as if none of them had anything to do with him. Hepletely released the powers of the cardinal sins.
Rage was easier to affect ones sanity, especially towards someone who was at a loss.
Now? Rage wasnt needed, as the best actor had arrived.
Dak, Dak, Dak.
Amid the footsteps, the bishop of Mist religious sect walked over.
Lord bishop!
Everyone at the scene bowed, one after another, at the bishop. Even Termino from War God Temple was no exception, although deep in this priests heart, he viewed the Mist believers as heretics, so nothing had changed.
Before any fallout, everything should remain as it was.
Bloody Mary returned a bow to everyone, then it signalled to Rogart.
Bring some medicine and a hare skin coat for lord viscount here.
Yes, my lord, Young Rogart immediately ran back to the camp.
Lord bishop, please dont address me as lord, you can just call me Reedral.
Reedral turned around and bowed at Bloody Mary.
Beside him was Valentine, looking astonished at the action of his cousin.
He could tell that his cousin wasnt just spilling some courteous words, those words were truly from the bottom of his heart.
Did he save Reedral? With that thought in mind, Valentine too bowed at Bloody Mary, and it wasnt just any bow, it was the salutation of the nobles, where one had to bow 35 forward.
As long as his cousin was alive, a little salutation like this was nothing for Valentine. Hed even kneel on his knees if he had to and hed do it willingly.
The vassal saw the scene, his eyes starting to twitch, shifting his gaze to the bishop.
He has already won over the fondness of the orthodox party? And he seems to have a close rtionship with his Highness. This fe... Monte unknowingly raised his caution.
He felt that all this had gone beyond the role of a bishop.
He unconsciously tugged the prince by the sleeve, as a reminder.
When he saw the nonchnt expression at his princes face and that he wasnt at all moved by the scene, the vassal heaved a sigh of relief.
It seemed like his prince had also noticed it and it would be enough!
Not only was Monte worried about the scene, Termino was another person who shared his troubled feelings.
Looking at the Mist and orthodox party, who obviously became unusually close after this, Termino really wanted to flog the dead Sean again and again.
A religious sect who gained reputation from the lower ss civilians and a religious sect who gained reputation from the lower ss civilians AND a friendship with the nobles were two entirely different concepts.
Although the former might win with numbers, the deciding powers werecking.
Thetter? It would really be troublesome.
Do note that the power that Reedral and Valentine represented was not something a rural noble like the lord of Sicar couldpare with.
Termino was thinking hard, hoping to dissolve the alliance, but he was out of ideas.
A life-saving gratitude wasnt something that could be easily abandoned.
Whilst Termino was heavy with his thoughts, a more unexpected thing happened before his eyes.
The young man and a knight from the Apologetics Chivalry, Gino, who had been neglected all this time, walked up.
My lord, please save us, the young man suddenly knelt down on one knee.
What is wrong, young soul? My lord is not stingy with his light but the light of God of War is still with you, bask in it and you will be protected, Bloody Mary looked at the young man in astonishment, the same went for the others at the scene.
What Bloody Mary said was the truth.
With the light of God of War still active on Gino, why would he seek help from the Mist, who was obviously weaker than the former?
The young man did not say anything though, he looked at Bloody Mary with a pleading gaze.
Do you want to have a talk with me? asked Bloody Mary with utmost kindness.
Yes my lord, please. I am not sure whether or not his emissary is hiding among all this, answered the young Gino.
I see. You too have realized it... Lets go. I will bring you to a safe ce.
Bloody Mary then helped the young Gino up and brought him inside the camp.
Watching the two of them walk away, Kieran seized the timing and perfectly showed a look of realization.
The vassal, on the other hand, thought of the meeting that happened before. He, too, was in deep thought.
Reedral and Valentine were confused but it was none of their business. They maintained their noble bearing and with the guidance from the Mist members, they headed to the camp.
Only Termino acted differently.
He was utterly confused, his head stuffed with question marks. His instinct told him the things that happened before his eyes were closely rted to War God Temple, but he had ways to know what was going on.
The feeling was the worst!
No! He couldnt let this happen anymore!
Termino quietly signalled to a follower behind him.
A secondter, the follower quietly went away.
Everything happened in a blink of an eye. Termino thought he was inconspicuous enough but Kieran caught everything.
Baited.
A sense of delight shed over Kierans eyes.
Chapter 1830 - Prize
Chapter 1830: Prize
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran was invited to the empty space beside the tent while Bloody Mary brought the young Apologetics Knight, Gino, inside.
It was not that the Superior Demon didnt want to arrange a better ce for Kieran but throughout the entire camp, only this tent was suitable and appropriate for discussing matters.
As for the rest of the tents, they were filled with mattresses. It was hard to move them in such crowded tents.
In fact, even this spacious tent belonged to the lord of Sicar, and was not the Mistsspeaking from a certain aspect, the Mist religious sect was much poorer than expected.
Good afternoon, your Highness.
The once baroness, now lord of Sicar, Lady Erin Sicar, greeted Kieran in a friendly way.
Good afternoon, Lord Sicar, Kieran replied politely.
Both of them then went silent.
Without a mission, Kieran was not a person who would take the initiative to speak first, let alone heat up the atmosphere.
As for the new lord of Sicar?
Who would expect a woman who spent most of her life indoors reading books to be good at socializing?
Hence the silence, but it wasnt awkward, because Kieran concentrated on checking his own spoils and it made lord Sicar heave a sigh of relief.
Then the lords gaze unconsciously spotted the sword in Kierans hand.
Forged by high quality iron, the de is broad and the length is a fist longer than normal swords, and those magical markings... a quality item from War God Temple?
Although the new lord of Sicar wasnt good at socializing, her vast knowledge granted her outstanding insight.
As a matter of fact, the information that popped up on Kierans vision was the same as the lords description.
[Name: Glorious Sword (Replica)]
[Type: Weapon]
[Rarity: Above Rare]
[Attack: Strong]
[Attribute: 1. Sharpness; 2. Sword Strike; 3. Praise]
[Effect: None]
[Prerequisite: Have the basic level of belief in God of War]
[Able to bring out of dungeon: No]
[Remark: It is just a replica, its initial intention was to be mass produced but that failed. Still, it has proven to be a rather decent item]
...
[Sharpness: Forged in special iron and branded with mystical markings, its sharpness is enhanced, attack rank +1]
[Sword Strike: Unleash a Strong rank sword aura at a single target within 15 meters effective rage, 3 times per day]
[Praise: When you believe in the God of War, your sword aura will envelope a 5 meter radius. The sword aura has Powerful rank attack. 1 time per 3 days]
...
Insignificant, Kieranmented.
If it didnt have the prerequisite, believe in the God of War, it would be quite the sword.
But it did and it was rendered worthless, let alone being unable to be brought out of this dungeon world.
Items like this would be the best fodder to fill Gluttonys appetite in Kierans point of view, but definitely not now.
Wait, wait a little longer, its not time yet.
Kieran pacified the drooling Gluttony, his eyes looking at the new lord of Sicar.
Erin Sicar instantly caught his gaze and flushed.
I am just curious about the sword. I once read about it in a book. Its origin is quite legendary. Rumour has it that it was a token of friendship between Edatine I and his Majesty God of War, exined Erin Sicar.
Token of friendship?
Kieran reacted in disdain as he gradually grasped over the truth about this dungeon world.
ording to Kurtzargerts memories, a friendship between Edatine I and God of War was impossible, or more urately, in the earlier stages, both of them were half rival half allies, but as things progressed to ater stage, they hadpletely be enemies.
As a coborator to Edatine I, Silent Night Secret Society also once fought War God Temple.
Unfortunately, following Edatine Is untimely and idental death, Silent Night Secret Society was forced to retreat and hide in the shadows.
They only came back under the light when the ck Cataclysm broke out and gave birth to Lady Cmity.
Of course, Kieran would never exin all of that to Erin Sicar, all he did was just nod without reallymenting on the topic.
Kieran thought his rather cold response would be enough to make Erin Sicar, who wasnt good at socializing, retreat, but to his surprise, after his nod, Erin Sicar continued to talk on her own.
You and Simon seem to be cose. May I ask...if... does Simon have a life partner? stuttered Erin Sicar.
Kieran was shocked. He was utterly shook by the new lord of Sicar, Erin Sicar.
If she was a strong and fierce person during normal times, it wouldnt be much but for a person who lived most of her life indoors, it was really astonishing, but praiseworthy.
Especially Bloody Marys recent performance. All the performances were praiseworthy too, somewhat awardworthy.
Therefore
No, he is always alone, Kieran said in a firm tone.
He wasnt lying, Simon was really alone all the time.
This is great, Erin Sicar cheered joyfully.
Kierans attention didnt linger on the joyfuldy anymore, looking towards the entrance of the camp.
That Priest Termino was standing in front of another elderly with utmost respect and politeness.
The elderly was wearing gunny clothes, like the civilians around him, somehow looking even shabbier. He didnt even have a coat over him and the shoes he wore were rathermon.
His face was also very simr to many people on the streets, but when the priest of War God Temple bowed to such a man, everything became different.
More importantly, seeing the elderlys eyes and gaze, anyone who looked at him would shudder in fear. It was a gaze unique to the higher-ups and powerful people, a gaze that could decide life and death with a single blink.
None of the guards from Edatine pce who were on guard duties at the entrance dared to look at the elderly. Even the members of the Mist religious sect endured the pressure and fear by repeating the Mists name in their hearts, only then could they look at the man.
But soon enough, every single one of them cried and faltered back. Even Rogart couldnt hold on, but the bear-like young man clenched his teeth strongly and tried his best to not take a step back.
The elderlys eyes showed a sense of praise, then it was reced by a muddled gaze, like every other elderly else.
I am the bishop in council of War God Temple, Mortor, I wish to meet Bishop Simon, the elderly introduced himself and stated the intention of his arrival.
My lord is having a meeting with his guest, the words were harsh and unfriendly, Rogart didnt even have the intention to invite Mortor into the camp.
War God Temple wasnt an ally to the Mist, they were considered an enemy from some aspects.
So no courtesy was needed when facing an enemy.
If Rogart didnt know he wasnt a match, he would have swung his battleaxe and fought the elderly bishop to the end. Still, it didnt stop him from being cautious. He held his battleaxe tightly as he looked at Mortor.
Mortor wasnt overly concerned about Rogarts attitude, he was just a rather decent young man.
Mortor had seen many young men like Rogart, there were also many younglings back at War God Temple, so it wasnt worth his concerns at all.
It wasnt just because these young men would take a long time to grow into shape, it was also because no matter how strong they grew, they would never be his match.
Blowing or squeezing someone to death with his palm was not much of a difference to this bishop in council.
On the contrary... Mortor looked at Kieran who sat further away, his muddled eyes gleaming all of a sudden.
The heir to Edatines throne and Snake Sect.
Such an existence was a mistake by itself, he shouldnt exist, but Sean had failed and made a huge mistake in the process.
Sensing the grudgeful gaze of Reedral and Valentine, the nobles of the orthodox party, the bishop in council couldnt help but sigh.
He thought Sean was a capable candidate but he had turned out to be just an opportunist.
With such ament lingering in his mind, Mortor looked towards that tent.
Thick curtains coupled with defensive mystical spells prevented him from seeing the situation inside or hear the conversation that was going on.
It raised Mortors curiosity.
The information from Edatine pce was much more important than he imagined.
Etorins head indeed held an ulterior truth, even Gino could be a special one.
As for Seansments towards Gino?
Just look at what Sean did, hisments were bound to be unfair or shaded by some other matters.
Seans heart might have been corrupted by the desires of acquiring power within his reach, never objectively viewing and handling certain matters.
Then, Mortors doubts circled back to its starting point.
What did Gino find out?
Seconds turned into minutes.
Following Mortors arrival, the whole Mist religious sect felt extremely pressured and oppressed, especially Sivalka, the ex-armed deacon. He even hid in the crowd and dared not show his face.
Only Kieran reacted normally, which made Monte, who stood beside him, sigh in relief.
He hoped that the prince would not have to lower his head in front of War God Temple.
Of course, when one hasnt fully developed, one should be too stubborn or hard, advancing with vigor and tenderness.
As expected, there is still much to be done in my mission!
While the vassal was eximing by himself, the people in the tent finally walked out.
Simon, or Bloody Mary, looked stern, but young Gino looked relieved.
Mortor was also relieved with their appearance because Gino straightened his body and bowed respectfully when the young man saw him.
Mortor smiled and raised his hand, signalling Gino to be at ease before he looked to Simon.
Please, Bloody Mary said with its signature kind look, inviting Mortor into the tent.
Mortor then entered the tent as per the invitation.
Can I know what happened here? Mortor asked straight away after he entered the tent.
Given his current status, he barely had to do things the inconspicuous way.
As the ambassador of his Majesty God of War, from his perspective, everything was merely a negotiation, the only difference was the number of bargaining chips.
However, to the bishop in councils surprise, Simon did not raise the price or demand an exorbitant price. Instead, he nodded.
Sure.
When Bloody Mary saw the doubts in Mortor, it couldnt help but show a bitter smile. It said To be honest, even if you didnte all the way here today, I still would have paid you a visit.
Why? Mortor raised a confused brow, realizing things might be moreplicated than he expected.
Because we now have amon enemy, an enemy hidden in the dark, instigating and bewitching our people! He controls over trickery, schemes, and destruction! He brought chaos upon the realm! He is the culprit behind ck Cataclysm and everything thates after! said Bloody Mary word by word.
With each word that entered Mortors ears, his brows would furrow harder.
When Bloody Mary finished its revtion, the bishop in council repeatedly shook his head.
Impossible! Its impossible! If there is an existence like this, howe his Majesty never realized it? Mortor argued.
Did you know about my lord, the Mist? If we didnt stand out on our own, would you have noticed us? What about Lady Cmity? If it wasnt the gue that broke out, would you have noticed her? Bloody Mary asked.
These questions were not really questions to Bloody Mary, it had prepared for this for a long time. It wasnt worried about people asking, it was worried about people NOT asking.
As long as people asked, it had the confidence to drag the one who asked to its own pace.
As a matter of fact, it managed to do so.
Mortor raised a brow and stopped arguing with Bloody Mary.
Bloody Mary seized the window and continued, Before this, we have reached an ord with Silent Night Secret Society. They are now our ally, we have formed an alliance. We have also started to search for that bastards emissary.
What?! You and Silent Night Secret Society had reached an ord?
Mortor was stunned when the secret information was revealed to him.
The bishop in council looked at Bloody Mary with disbelief.
Silent Night Secret Society and the Demon Hunters were arch enemies, and the Mist religious sect had a close rtionship with the Demon Hunters. They wouldnt have given up on their original ally under any circumstances.
More so, said ally was standing outside, so it was obvious that both of them were close.
Unless... there really was some formidable foe in the dark.
As for it being a lie?
Mortor didnt think Bloody Mary would use these kind of weak lies to try and deceive him, but for the sake of safety, he still said, I want to ask his Highness Colin myself.
Of course, Bloody Mary nodded.
Kieran had been waiting for a long time,ing into the tent.
Prince Colin, do you know that the Mist religious sect and Silent Night Secret Society have formed an alliance? Mortor asked politely.
Not even him, the emissary of God of War, dared to be careless in front of the heir to Edatines throne and Snake Sect.
Yes, I am the one who suggested the alliance, said Kieran.
The lunch back then? Mortor had obviously clung onto some clues.
When he heard no answer from Kieran, only a nod, utter astonishment rose from the bottom of Mortors heart.
Do note that the young man represented Edatine royal court and Snake Sect, and now he suggested an alliance. It would mean that Edatine royal court and Snake Sect were on board the alliance too.
Which meant, other than War God Temple, all the forces in the Northern Lands had came together.
No! They didnt juste together now! It should be when Edatine VI sent his son to the Snake Sect Demon Hunters, a seed that was nted and had started to sprout.
Is that him so scary? Mortor asked.
Kieran had no intention of answering.
Bloody Mary sighed. Is God of War powerful?
Its question rendered Mortor utterly speechless.
...
The discussion in the tent went on for a long time.
When the sky turned dark, only Mortor came out with a heavy look.
Lord bishop, Gino, who waited for a long time, came over.
Son, youve done well. Thankfully you noticed something was wrong with Sean. Otherwise we might all have to sustain an unimaginable loss. What do you want? You should be rewarded,
Mortor looked at Gino with a kind gaze.
I want to learn more and further my training in swordsmanship, only then can I protect the cathedral. said Gino. He sounded sincere and brazen.
Mortor looked at the sincere young man, nodding.
I will give you what you deserve, said Mortor. He then nced over the [Glorious Sword] at young Ginos waist.
Before Mortor could ask, the young Gino said, This is a reward from Prince Colin, he said its a token of gratitude for my courage.
The young Gino then removed the sword with its sheath and went to pass it to Mortor.
No, son. This is your gift. Mortor waved his hands.
He wasnt moved by a mere replica. He had seen the real sword before, what was a replica to him?
With that thought in mind, the bishop in council took his attention off the replica.
He had more important things to do: seek advice from his God.
Kieran stood in the shadow, watching as Mortor left, his lips curling into a grin.
Were his things so easily taken away? Even if it was something that he didnt need.
Chapter 1831 - Deceive
Chapter 1831: Deceive
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
At night, a p of thunder cracked over all of Edatine Castle.
The people were woken from their early slumber, yet none stood up and looked, all they did was grumble unhappily for a few moments before shrinking their heads back into their sheets.
Do note that in Edatine, the most intolerable thing was toe out of ones sheet at night during the harsh winter.
Even Gino, the young knight, had fought with his bed in the past due to the midnight duties and patrols. Everytime he managed to lie down in his bed, he felt like he was sealed on it, not wanting to move a muscle.
Back then, he always felt like other than his bed, all ces were out of reach, but he ultimately had to reach the ces farther away.
It was a sense of duty that once drove him to that goal.
But now?
Touching his sheath, Gino showed struggle in his gaze, then it was reced by determination.
All he yearned for was to live.
Dok Dok Dok!
Knight Gino? An unfamiliar voice came from behind the door after the knocks.
Coming, Gino opened the door after a quick reply.
There was no hesitation and caution at all, he was absolutely safe inside the cathedral, wasnt he?
Standing outside the door was a deacon from Dark Hall. Judging from the edge of attire, Gino noticed that this deacon was the same as the two who used to stand guard in front of his room.
The difference was the two deacons that stood guard in front of his room were cold and this one had a smile on his face.
Deacon, are there any matters that I can help with? Gino asked in a friendly way.
Lord Mortor wished for a meeting, please follow me, said the deacon respectfully.
He then stepped aside, slightly bent over and posing an inviting gesture to Gino.
A normal Apologetics Chivalry knight was not worthy of a deacons respect and politeness but a knight summoned by the bishop in council was.
Sure, Gino nodded. He didnt tidy up or anything and followed the deacon into the deepest part of the cathedral.
As a knight of the cathedral, Gino hasnt truly understood the ce he served.
In fact, most of the Apologetics Chivalry knights had limited activity areas, only allowed to move around at the front part of the cathedral. The back part of the cathedral only allowed people with special status to enter, otherwise no one would be able to step in.
Following the deacon, Gino arrived at the back part of the cathedral without any hindrance.
Gino curiously sized up his new surroundings. It wasnt as morous as rumoured, neither was there blood all over the ce.
It was simr to the front part of the cathedral, the same architectural style and decorations, except... It had a great number of Dark Hall deacons.
Gino inhaled deeply when he nced over the numbers, the deaconsing out of the shadow. He never thought there were that many deacons in the Dark Hall, it was a lot more than he expected.
Then, he instinctively prepared himself to pray, pray towards the God of Mist.
But quickly, the young man reacted and swiftly altered his prayers.
The prayers to the God of Mist were altered to the God of War, and following his prayers, Ginos face couldnt help but be sincere and devoted, his eyes pure and determined, as if what he experienced before this never existed.
...
Sitting inside the parlour, Mortor looked strict.
The message he got from his God was much worse than he expected.
God of War didnt just confirm that there was another divine existence in y. ording to his Majesty, this divine existence seemed to have appeared a long time ago. It was far beyond what Snake Sect imed, which was before ck Cataclysm.
Of course, the bishop in council didnt think that Snake Sect was lying to him, it was nothing more than Snake Sect themselves not even realizing it themselves.
Therefore, Mortor assumed it as something understandable.
Do note that the divine existence could even deceive the God of War, and not just that, the emissary of the divine existence even managed to sneak into their ranks.
Whenever he thought of what Sean did, the bishop in council couldnt help but clench his teeth tightly.
They must be erased! Mortor clenched his fists.
Compared to this hidden divine existence, the Edatine royal court, Demon Hunters, and Silent Night Secret Society were rtively less of a threat, due to the fact that all the mentioned factions were on the bright side, they knew everything about the others.
War God Temple even branded some of their methods and ways into their own bones. All it took was a glimpse and they would know what each other was doing, hence everyone following the same set of rules.
But the hidden divine existence was unlike the others.
Just look at what he had done. If it wasnt for the heir to the Edatine throne and Snake Sect being cautious and discovering him, once the hidden divine existence achieved his goal, a real war would be inevitable.
War God Temple was never afraid of going to war with any enemy, but they couldnt forgive being used by someone, especially by someone in the dark!
Bring chaos upon the realm? How can I let you do that? The realm belongs to my lord to rule! Mortor muttered in his heart.
Then he looked towards the main gate.
The door to the parlour wasnt closed. Therefore, Mortor was able to spot the young knight, Gino, following the deacon into the premise.
I hope you wont let me down, young knight! With that thought in mind, Mortor stood up.
Lord bishop.
The deacon and Gino bowed in union.
Mortor waved at the deacon, signalling him to step back before he looked at Gino.
Gino, are you loyal to his Majesty, God of War? Mortor asked.
I am willing to trade my life to protect the honor and prestige of his Majesty, the young knight showed no hesitation as he knelt down on one knee, replying with utmost determination.
The moment his words faded, the young knights body emanated a faintyer of brilliance.
It wasnt truly white in color but people perceived it as white.
It was tenacious and strong, representing loyalty to God of War! Or in other words, it was the beliefs!
Looking at the strong and determined beliefs in front of him, Mortors strict face showed a sense of smile.
Stand, my child, Mortor then helped the young knight up by reaching his hand out.
Ive already arranged someone to teach you all kinds of knowledge, including the swordsmanship that you yearned for. Not just the basics but also the advanced skills, said the bishop in council softly.
It seemed like after confirming the strong and determined beliefs in the young knight, Mortor waspletely relieved.
It was a test set up by his Majesty himself, Mortor didnt think there was anything that could fool the God of War.
Likewise, this smart and sharp young man that showed loyalty deserved to be raised as the way he should.
.....
Deceive a God? Its difficult! Too difficult in fact! I cant do something like that!Bloody Mary sighed.
But a momentter, an evil smile appeared on its face. It shook its finger at its boss and said in a delighted tone, But deceiving a normal person is extremely easy. People are good at lying at themselves anyway.
Youve hunted him? Not a bad choice, but be careful, Kieranmented and reminded Bloody Mary.
Dont worry boss, I dont turn the false real, and I have more than just one backup, Bloody Mary assured Kieran.
Kieran didnt say anything else. Since Bloody Mary had assured him, the Superior Demon would get the job done. He believed in his own follower.
Bloody Mary easily felt the trust from its boss, it wasnt feigned but authentic.
Just look at the power of the contract deep in its soul, it was already shining brighter than the sun.
Bloody Mary didnt have a surge of emotions though. It had already epted its fate, albeit it still longed to return to the West Coast.
Dak, dak, dak.
Familiar footsteps came from outside the tent.
Lord bishop, Prince Colin, Viscount Reedral and Duke Valentine requested a meeting. Rogarts voice sounded outside.
Invite the two of them in, said Bloody Mary and exchanged a quick gaze with Kieran.
Kieran nodded and went out of the tent straightaway.
He had no intention of participating in an already determined matter, just leave that to his follower.
If he didnt use Bloody Mary, the useful follower, and still attend to things himself, he would either be an idiot orcking 10 stacks of contract scrolls.
Fortunately, Kieran was neither.
...
Are you sure you want to do this Reedral? Forming an alliance with the Mist doesnt do us any good, right? Besides, it is worth it for us to trade away that secret? We spent a huge cost to get it into our hands! Duke Valentine couldnt help but ask anxiously.
As a matter of fact, it was his fourth time asking already, and each time he would get the same answer.
This time was no exception either.
It will be worth it! The benefits of forming an alliance with the Mist will surpass our wildest imagination.
Reedrals squinted eyes made him look like a real fox. One would assume him to be a cunning person when looked at and rte him with all kinds of sinister terms.
The same answer made Valentine scratch his head in confusion.
He wobbled his bloated body, stepping forward with his short legs as he walked in circles around Reedral.
Valentine never doubted his cousins wisdom, but his way of revealing half of the details and hiding the rest was resentful.
If he was someone else, Valentine would have sliced him with his sword, but his own cousin?
He couldnt do it.
Hu!
Following a heavy sigh, Valentine deted like a balloon as he lost the energy to think anymore.
Whatever, just leave it to my dear cousin. Its always like this anyway, Ill just listen to hismand and carry out my tasks.
With such a thought in mind, Valentinepletely rxed himself, then started to size up the temporary camp of the Mist religious sect.
It was crude, but the defensive measures held up decently.
As he nced over the tents in the camp, Valentine couldnt take them seriously or view them highly as he was a hereditary noble, but the education he received in his youth made him understand that the arrangements and setups were necessary and reasonable.
Just look at that watchtower that looked more like a ruin than a proper one, it was tall enough to capture every detail around and inside the camp. A group of 4 to 6 on guard up there would bring ten times the effectiveness of a watchtower.
If they could dig a moat, coupled with several battle hounds and antlers as defensive barricades, this ce could easily fend off an attack of four or five hundred people at once.
The one who arranged all this is a professional but is not from a military or mercenary background? Valentine wondered.
As for rting it to Sivalka?
Sorry, Valentine was not good at thinking. He preferred to leave all the thinking to Reedral.
What he had was an instinctive thought.
His pattern of thinking and actions taken never changed even after he met Bloody Mary.
Good evening, Bishop Simon.
Saluting in a noble salutation, Valentine stepped aside and left the talking to Reedral.
How is your body holding up? Feeling better yet? Bloody Mary asked Reedral.
Thankfully, due to your help, I was able to recover after the toxin was expelled. I am basically fine now. I have to thank you again for saving my life, Reedral replied with a smile and his eyes showed a sense of intimacy.
No one was surprised at the intimacy that Reedral showed, it was a life-saving debt after all.
Only Bloody Mary knew what the intimacy represented, therefore it grew kinder and more natural in its acting.
You dont need to thank me twice or more, you have thanked me enough for the day. My reply will always be the same, saving you is just a coincidenceI thought I caught his tail when I ran into you, exined Bloody Mary.
Him? Reedral felt surprised.
Valentine, who was doing nothing at the side, was also interested in the him.
Yes, Bloody Mary nodded, looking like it was in some heavy thoughts before it smiled bitterly. Although I should really tell you everything, please understand. I have my difficulties as well. This is bigger than you and me, I cant exin.
I understand. We are always forced into things that we are not used to but forming an alliance is still something that we can decide for ourselves, Reedral nodded and then said with a smile.
Alliance? Bloody Mary showed surprise.
Yes, alliance! To show our sincerity, I am willing to reveal a secret to you: the true identity of that young temple knight, Gino, Reedral softened his voice.
Knight Ginos true identity? Bloody Mary was truly surprised by the revtion.
Yes, he is also a direct descendant of the royal lineage. ording to the lineage, he should be Prince Colins younger cousin. In short, he is the son of the sister of Edatine VI, Reedral exined.
Edatine VIs sister? Bloody Mary was confused this time.
COMMENT
Based on what it discovered, Edatine royal court had always maintained a single lineage, and with the curse of the witch back then, there shouldnt be any sisters starting from Edatine II.
He is a mistake left behind by Edatine V when he traveled south back then. I have detailed evidence to prove that what I said is real and there are also some mystical spells that can prove ones lineage.
Reedrals words made Bloody Mary grind its gears rapidly.
It suddenly smelled the scent of an umon opportunity, maybe it could do something to maximize the benefits and gains.
Thoughts started toe afloat in Bloody Marys mind, but on the outside, it didnt stop.
This secret really does shock me. I hereby ept the secret and am also happy to ept your suggestion to form an alliance. Likewise, I will also tell you the secret that I mentioned before. Up to this point, Bloody Mary then inhaled deeply.
In Edatine, other than the God of War, the Lady, and my lord, there is another God in existence. A true God. He hides in the dark and brings chaos upon everything.
WHAT?!
Reedral and Valentine cried out in shock together.
Bloody Mary continued without being affected by the surprise from the two of them.
And we, the Mist, the royal court, War God Temple, and Silent Night Secret Society have teamed up to fight him. And now, we have... you!
Chapter 1832 - Wolf Sect Technique
Chapter 1832: Wolf Sect Technique
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
When Reedral and Valentine ended the meeting and left, their faces were as heavy andplicated as the bishop in council, Mortor.
They never thought there would be another God hidden within Edatine.
Reedral, what should we do next? Valentine asked out of worry.
Stand strong and stand by the Mist. If the heir of Edatines throne wasnt the heir of Snake Sect, we could still choose the Snake Sect but now? Other than the Mist, we have no other choice left, said Reedral affirmatively.
Valentine nodded.
Right, they had no other choices left other than the Mist!
Edatine royal court waspletely out of the question, it was impossible for them to reach an ord with Edatine VI, the king was as cunning as a jackal.
War God Temple? Same! They might even be more worthy of caution than the king.
Silent Night Secret Society?
Valentine would never get close, or get himself involved with those bastards who experimented on live human subjects.
One thing worth taking note was that many of his family and Reedrals died in that gue.
Therefore, the Mist was the only option left.
The Mist didnt only have a mild creed, they were quite powerful too.
They were really the first choice to form an alliance with.
Valentine sighed, Then should we spread out our investment?
Spread out our investment? No! We need to go all in with this! Reedral smiled.
WHAT?! Valentine was stunned, but as the duke started to think about the situation, he believed Reedral wouldnt do things without solid reasons.
There must be a reason for him to go all in with this.
Although he had difficulties figuring it out, if Reedral deemed the Mist worthy of all his effort, then so be it.
You call the shots, said Valentine.
Reedral nodded slightly, sitting in his wagon, his eyes seeming to daze off. Once again, he thought of the girl of his memories, the girl that he walked past way back then.
How is she now? Reedral couldnt help but wonder.
The silent influence was like a shifting shadow. The seeds were nted and time was the best nutrient.
It would one day sprout and then bloom into a fruitful nt.
...
Boss, thest path has been connected. Be assured about the uing gains, said Bloody Mary in a ttering way to Kieran.
It spent a great amount of effort not just to unite all the factions just so they could search for the clues that Broker left behind, it was also to ensure that thepensation from the southern councilmen of Silent Night Secret Society was safely delivered to Kieran. It was also one of the top priorities.
It might even be just as important, from a certain aspect, as searching for the clues left behind by Broker.
Bloody Mary was absolutely clear since it was very familiar with its boss character.
Mm. Theres still one more thing, Kieran nodded and said.
You are saying... the Demon Hunters? Bloody Mary asked after some thoughts.
Yes, the Demon Hunters, Kieran eximed and then walked outside the tent.
Bloody Mary didnt follow. It knew that for its own good, it would be best for itself to stay out of the matters revolving the Demon Hunters.
The people who dealt with evil beings practically all their lives were utterly scary for Bloody Mary, not only strength-wise but also instinct-wise.
Even though Bloody Mary was very good at disguising itself, it was still worried about exposing itself in front of the Demon Hunters, and should it identally expose its ws at such a delicate time...
It wouldnt just be a simple all effort falling short, it would be going against the whole dungeon world!
With the single thought of that terrifying oue, Bloody Mary couldnt help but inhale deeply to calm its mind.
It had to return to the pce now. The king, Edatine VI, had to show up and remind people that he exists.
Otherwise, as time went on and the king was out of the picture, it would attract unwanted attention, even though Edatine VI barely came out to the public eye.
However, just before Bloody Mary left, it picked up a set familiar footsteps.
It was the lord of Sicar, Erin Sicar.
Whats wrong Erin?
Out of their rtionship, Bloody Mary thought it should stay for a little while to check up on her.
Erin Sicar entered the tent.
Bloody Mary sharply realized that Erin Sicar had changed into a beautiful new set of clothes and even put on perfume, rose coupled with musk.
The clothes couldnt prove anything but the perfume? It revealed her intentions bare.
In Edatine, musks had a special meaning.
Thinking about the different treatment that it received from this new lord, Bloody Mary felt numb on its scalp.
It was a Demon, without gender! Without freedom!
Even though its memories had a name called Mary and the life of an assassin, it was still a Demon!
Of course, during necessary moments, it could be considered a she, but that didnt mean it could ept the affection of a lord.
Rejection! It must be done euphemistically so that it wouldnt hurt her dignity after rejection.
Bloody Mary swiftly spun its gears in its mind, its mouth uttering some ttering words.
Erin, you look nice in your new dress. It suits you.
As a matter of fact, it wasnt actually ttering, she was really beautiful, whether it was the dress or herself.
Never doubt the genes of the nobles of Edatine. Even though their first generations were nothing ster, after going through hundreds of years of tempering and grinding, their descendents would be transformed into handsome and beautiful people.
After all, their ancestors would never marry an ugly woman.
Of course, it did not include those who had a problem in the sense of beauty.
Thank you.
Erin Sicar blushed as she expressed her gratitude at thepliment, shivering as she passed the letter in her hands to Bloody Mary.
Bloody Mary epted the letter in a daze, Erin Sicar then flushing and running out of the tent.
An indoor person confessing face to face?
Naive! It was already bold of her to appear in front of Bloody Mary.
Looking down at the pink envelope, Bloody Mary couldnt help but heave a sigh of relief.
Its still okay, I guess. I thought I had to escape with illusions.
Bloody Mary sized up the pink letter in its hands. It didnt open it, putting it under its arm and then disappearing.
As for opening the letter? Bloody Mary didnt even think of it!
It would never read it, not in this life!
...
Whats wrong, Colin? When Anderson looked at Kieran, who suddenly went absent-minded, he couldnt help but show some concern.
Nothing.
Kieran was actually keeping an eye on his follower, yet he disappointedly shook his head after what happened. He swiftly recollected his thoughts and attention and focused on the matters at hand.
1Can you tell me about the person that has you so concerned? Kieran asked.
Anderson and Holuffs stories had a person that both Demon Hunters were very concerned about.
ording to Kierans guess, that person might very well be Brokers other agent or might even be Broker in disguise.
Before this, when Kieran asked, neither one of them were willing to speak about that person.
It was obvious that they had qualms about that person.
Demon Hunters were never afraid to challenge power and authority. They viewed money as dirt but even such Demon Hunters had weaknesses of their own.
Stubbornness!
Every single Demon Hunters was stubborn like an ox!
Especially when they were facing people that they were rted to, the stubbornness would rise to new heights.
Kinship, friendship, love; all would be fuel for their bonds, even though betrayal was hiding among them.
They would deal with the problems themselves, not trouble others with their own matters, albeit doing so would only make things worse.
Even if they had to risk their lives, it was nothing to a Demon Hunter, but now it was different!
It wasnt just because the real culprit had started to show itself now, the culprits existence might very well threaten the entire Edatine kingdom!
It was closely rted to the duty of the Demon Hunters.
So, even they hesitated when choosing between duty and stubbornness.
Kieran believed that the old Demon Hunter, Anderson, would make the right choice.
The person asking Anderson the question was also a Demon Hunter and the person, under theseplicated circumstances and timing, was chasing the culprit behind the scenes tirelessly.
I told you before, he was just a normal man. When we saved him from the pagans mouth, I am utterly sure that he was a normal man, but he was really talented and possessed a unique charm, Anderson emphasized.
Kieran nodded quietly.
These particr traits were evidence that he used to determine whether or not this person was Broker.
I kind of forgot his look, but I remember his voice. Everytime he spoke, it sounded calm and steady, as if he had everything under control. Maybe because of that, he easily won fondness from everyone. His name... I think is... Gasp!
Right before the name coulde out of Andersons mouth, pain spread in his head and forced him to stop.
Whats wrong Anderson? Kieran asked, holding him by the shoulder.
I cant remember, my memories are too damaged for me to remember anymore. Sorry for being no help at all. Im now starting to suspect that my current state is caused by him. That bastard! Anderson said in an apologetic tone.
No, it will suffice, said Kieran.
It wasnt a courtesy talk, it was from the bottom of his heart.
The brain is aplicated organ, the stronger he was, the more Kieran confirmed it.
Even with his current rank V Spirit, he still couldnt see the whole picture of his own brain.
Targeting someones particr memories and erasing it was not something any John Doe could do, but Broker could!
Brokers power level should be on par with Kieran, but the cunning merchant had more tools at his disposal and Kieran admitted that, which was also his biggest qualm.
The other thing was... the big city!
Brokers Unique Title forced Kieran to calcte and include even the big city in his n, albeit doing so would cost him a great amount.
However, if his previous deduction was correct, Broker would do it.
Regardless of which, among all the yers that Kieran knew, only Broker could do it.
Now I got your tail! thought Kieran and he continued to ask.
Anderson, do you have any news on Holuff?
Holuff has amassed men and is currentlying to Edatine Castle. He should be here soon.
The old Demon Hunter showed a smile when the old friend he hadnt seen for a while was mentioned, and even though his head still hurt, it did not diminish the smile at all.
He looked forward to reuniting with his old friend and anticipated fighting side by side with his old brother in arms.
He believed in the future, in Edatine, and there would be nock of such experience.
If Miers and Tandeker can recover, that would be great.
The old Demon Hunter couldnt help but sigh at his two badly damaged friends.
How are they? Kieran asked.
Tandeker still has the mind of a child and Miers, shes even worse. The worst thing is, I couldnt find anyone to cure them, Anderson furrowed his brows.
Maybe I can help. Snake Sect might not be good at healing but the pce has many good doctors. The royal doctors wille hereter and check up on them, Kieran then stood up.
With the basics of his goal achieved, there was no reason to stay anymore.
As for the rest, his follower would be there to settle it for him.
But to Kierans surprise, right before he left the tent, the old Demon Hunter held him back.
Colin, do you want to learn more things? I dont mean anything else, neither do I look down on Snake Sects technique but I think there is also some uniqueness to Wolf Sects technique. If you want to learn, I will teach you with all my heart, said the old Demon Hunter as his eyes showed anticipation.
He really hoped that someone could inherit the Wolf Sect techniques.
Although he had made up his mind to rebuild Wolf Sect, it would take him at least 3 to 5 years to train a new batch of Wolf Sect members, and it was under a very wishful situation where everything progressed smoothly.
If it was not too ideal, it would be at least a decade.
As forpleting the apprenticeship earlier?
Impossible!
The teacher and student rtionship of the Demon Hunters transcended any kind of blood rtionship. The teacher would never allow his own student to die without a reason.
More importantly, Anderson seemed to sense the calm before a raging storm.
A huge war might very well break out soon and casualties were inevitable in the conflict.
And him? He wasnt sure if he could survive this uing conflict.
Then, saving a thread of hope for Wolf Sect to rise would be necessary.
Who else was more suitable than Colin?
As the heir to the throne and Snake Sect, in Andersons eyes, he was also the most suitable heir of Wolf Sect.
Ones strength would directly reflect how powerful a faction is.
This was a safety insurance
As for what would happen when the heir of Snake Sect, Wolf Sect, and Edatines throne was a single person?
Anderson never thought of that. From what he could see, since Colin was already heir to Snake Sect and Edatines throne, adding Wolf Sect to his resume wouldnt be too difficult.
Kieran thought for a while under Andersons gaze.
It was not that he didnt want to learn Wolf Sects technique, he was thinking about the time.
In the end, he nodded.
My pleasure, but Im afraid we dont have a lot of time, said Kieran.
Dont worry, with your talents, we will be done in no time, Anderson smiled.
...
The river current was fast and cold.
There were many rivers in the big city and every single one of them had their own branches, some even interconnecting with others. With the non-stop expansion, no one was able to tell which river came from where or what the name was.
But Broker was an exception, he knew everything about the big city.
Climbing out of the river, he twisted his clothes dry and poured water out of his boots. He quickly nced over the surrounding buildings and knew he was near Morington Path.
He walked forward with utmost familiarity and took a ck robe out.
When he walked into the little path, several yers jumped out from the shadow and stopped him.
This is private property, outsiders arent wee here, said one of the yers.
Broker didnt say anything, raising his right hand and turning it around.
A strange looking, crying face appeared in the eyes of the yers.
Victorious, Resistance!
When the crying face was shown, the yers spoke together loudly and opened up the path for him to move forward.
Chapter 1833 - Development
Chapter 1833: Development
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Learning makes me happy.
Kieran told himself that as he stabbed dummies in the eye with the dagger in his hand.
Wolf Sects technique was much more vast andplicated than he had expected.
Thats right, it was vast andplicated!
At first, Kieran assumed Wolf Sect technique was just some battle techniques, but after he started learning, he realized Wolf Sects battle technique only upied a very small portion of the overall technique, not even a quarter of it all.
The rest consisted of all sorts of knowledge, from minor ones like medicinal knowledge, sword forging and armor tempering, to the major ones like stargazing and tide records.
In short, Wolf Sect had aplete and intact inherent knowledge.
From the minor to the major, starting from a single point and then suffusing wholly, and with all kinds of varieties, including almost everything.
Naturally, learning such substantial knowledge would be an extremelyplicated process.
Fortunately, Kierans talent, [Memory Pce], was a huge help.
It didnt just let him remember everything he read, it also increased his memory capacity for learning things in life.
Anderson was extremely astonished with this feat, but he felt it was only natural and logical.
After all, if he didnt have such a high level of talent, how could he be the heir to Snake Sect?
And now, he wouldnt just be the heir of Snake Sect, he would also be the heir of... Wolf Sect!
Colin, your gifts are the best among all those Ive met. A week! Youve spent only a week and you have managed to learn more than three years of knowledge!
The old Demon Hunter eximed highly about Kieran learning 3 years worth of Wolf Sect knowledge in under a week.
Kieran reacted calmly, knowing what made it possible and recognizing his own limits.
Wolf Sects techniques might beplicated but the things he had learned were alsoplicated itself. Regardless of whether it was the techniques or the knowledge, they were allplicated.
The simplest example was the weapons that Wolf Sect used and mastered, like daggers and polearm weapons. Kieran learned all of them before and were all leveled up to Transcendence level. Learning Wolf Sects techniques under such conditions would be easy, he could master them with a single stroke.
Much of the knowledge in Wolf Sect also shared simrities and roots with some of [Mystical Knowledge].
Given the conditions, plus his [Memory Pce], if he was unable to finish learning everything, only then Kieran would start to doubt his life.
At the same time, the knowledge he mastered appeared in his skill tab.
[Name: Wolf Sect (Unable to level)]
[Rted Attributes: None]
[Skill Type: Anciry]
[Effect: Sharp Weapon Type Skill Level +1, Mystical Knowledge (Wolf Sect) +1]
[Effect: None]
[Consume: None]
[Prerequisite: None]
[Remark: Wolf Sects technique isnt just about the action, its also about the knowledge. This is the culmination of many generations of Demon Hunters, requiring a very long time to master it all. But you are different, with a rather high base level, so you quickly mastered this but what you have mastered is just the basics, you still need to find a grandmaster Demon Hunter if you want to learn advanced skills.]
...
A rather decent anciry skill.
The Sharp Weapon Type Skill Level +1 alone was enough for Kieran to fork out his time to learn it.
Transcendence and Transcendence +1 were different, even though the description in the skill tab had no additional changes.
These things were like how people drink water and only the person knows whether it is warm or cold.
As for the advanced skills?
[Name: Guard de]
[Rted Attribute: Spirit, Intuition]
[Skill Type: Offense]
[Effect: Use powerful Spirit and Intuition to control dagger and sword weapons, the flying speed and distance depends on the rank for Spirit and Intuition. You need to be at least S rank in Spirit and Intuition to use this skill. Control a targeted weapon within a 5 meter radius and grand it a Strong attack eleration attack (Every rank on Advanced Rank Spirit will grant it Advanced Rank speed and attack +1, distance +10 meters, and so on; every rank on Advanced Rank Intuition will grant an extra target and extra controlled weapon, and so on.]
[Effect: None]
[Consume: Stamina]
[Prerequisite: Spirit, Intuition S]
[Remark: Grandmaster Demon Hunter Andersons personal unique skill, he taught you with all his heart.]
......
Sou!
Without any preparation, Kieran slightly sucked in a breath, raised his hand, and the dagger that was stabbed into the dummy flew back to his hand.
It was a clean and quick action.
After the scene, Anderson couldnt help but apud.
If I wasnt sure that you have never learned simr technique before, I might have assumed you learned Guard de a long time ago, said the old Demon Hunter. Then he added, Since you have mastered Guard de, you need to pay attention to how youmunicate with the weapon in your hand. Dont ask me how, I dont know myself, I just bring them with me all the time out of experience.
The old Demon Hunter then showed the rows of flying daggers that he hid on himself.
Its done. I have nothing else to teach you anymore. You should attend to your own business. If I keep you here any longer, Monte might barge in here furiously, chuckled the old Demon Hunter.
Spending a weeks time with Kieran made the old Demon Hunter, who already looked highly at him, think of him as his own junior, especially when he taught Kieran his own signature skill [Guard de]. In Andersons eyes, Kieran was already his disciple, just without the name.
Demon Hunters were always lenient towards their juniors and disciples.
They might be strict at times but that was the farthest they could go with one of their own.
Of course, if the disciple reallymitted some unforgivable mistakes, the Demon Hunters also had their own ways of punishing the sinful.
Kieran heard what Anderson said, but he didnt leave straight away. Instead, he stood straight and bowed to the old Demon Hunter.
Thank you for your teaching in the past week.
Knowledge is priceless.
No amount of politeness and manners were considered too over those who teach you knowledge unconditionally. Its something they deserved.
The old Demon Hunter smiled and waved.
He saw Kieran off, then sighed softly.
Too bad you cant be my disciple in name, but... its enough for now. Its enough.
The old Demon Hunter then turned around and walked to the next tent.
There, his friend Tandeker was ying with the little girl Ellie cheerfully and happily.
For the past week, the little girl Ellie thought she too should exchange food withbour but she was too young and there was not really much work she could do. It was definitely not because of Sivalka standing behind her every single time, intimidating others with a if you let my daughter work, Ill work you kind of look.
In the end, Ellie came to the old Demon Hunters ce and took care of Tandeker.
She was there to take care of Tandeker but she was actually just there to y with him.
Tandekers mind was damaged, so he had the mind of a 3 years old and even lost some of the ability to take care of himself. With a new environment and the treatment from the royal doctors, the once titled Demon Hunter was smoothly on the path to recovery. His intellect even recovered to that of a five or six year old and he could take care of himself on a basic level.
Anderson couldnt help but smile at his friend when he saw how happy Tandeker was as he yed with Ellie.
Then he headed to Miers tent.
The one who needed peoples care was the Tracker. She was still in a mummified andatose state, there was no good news about her recovery at all. Even the royal doctors were helpless against it.
Lady Miers must have sealed herself away on her own. She must release herself from the seal, only then we can heal her, or else we are helpless against it.
Anderson couldnt help but sigh when he thought of what the royal doctor had said to him.
He never doubted the doctors validity a bit.
It wasnt just because of the doctors great reputation, it was also part of his own judgement.
Miers, wake up please. Our darkest times are over. We have a newrade in our ranks now, Anderson sat beside Miers and muttered to her softly.
It was also something the royal doctor suggested Anderson do, hoping that the constant talk would wake her up one day.
The old Demon Hunter did as was suggested.
Then, Tandeker brought Ellie towards another side of the camp.
Although Anderson was concentrating in talking to Miers, he still noticed Tandekers movement. He didnt stop his friend though.
The camp had sufficient guards, he didnt have to worry much.
Besides, it was not the first time Tandeker and Ellie left the tent and yed throughout the camp.
Either Tandeker and Ellie were still kids, or, in terms of intellect, both of them needed some time in their lives to y.
Unbeknownst to Anderson though, the two kids were ying something that surpassed his wildest imagination.
Ellie, Ellie, remember to breathe, remember your strength. Take it, take it.
Using the ruins as cover, Tandeker was pointed at a rock as big as a millstone at the corner of the camp.
Ellie wasnt afraid, neither did she step down. Instead she was eager to try. Right after Tandekers voice faded, she reached out her little hands and grabbed a corner of the rock, bearing in mind the breathing techniques and how to utilize her strength the way Tandeker had taught her. She exerted strength through her hands and then... she lifted the rock as big as a millstone easily above her feet! She managed to lift it up to her knees before she ran out of breath and was forced to put it down.
Ellie, Ellie. Remember, eat! Eat more, get strong! Eat more, get muscle! Muscle is power!
Tandeker tapped on his chest, which was strong as a wall.
Ellie nodded in a daze.
Both of them had no idea what they were doing.
Tandeker was only sharing his secrets with his only friend and Ellie thought it was really a game, at most training her strength in the process so she could do more work and earn more money in the future to raise her sister. Plus, when Uncle Sivalka got old in the future, he wouldnt need to work anymore.
As for anything other than that? Ellie couldnt understand.
Likewise, no one paid attention to their little game. Everyone knew about Tandekers situation. Other than sympathy, no one would spare any attention, let alone watch over this pitiful Demon Hunter.
Though Sivalka always paid attention to his daughter, it was after he finished his duties and patrols, and Tandeker would pick the time when Sivalka was not around, or more urately, Ellie would only drop by Tandekers tent when Silvaka was not around.
Erin didnt notice the changes in her sister too.
It was not that she didnt care about Ellie, it was just that Erin was too busy.
After bing the youngest priest of the Mist, she had to spend most of her time throughout the day learning the creed of the Mist.
Even though the creed was simple, it was for adults only. For a little girl, it would still take time and energy for her to master, even more so when this little girl couldnt read or write.
Therefore, studying and writing also became part of Erins daily routine.
Every afternoon, Erin Sicar, the new lord of Sicar, who shared the name with the little girl, would spend around an hour and a half teaching Erin to read and write.
Then it was martial art sses for the young girl.
Rogart was the teacher in charge of the lessons.
At night, she had to study the creed of the Mist.
Basically, when all her lessons ended, the little girl returned to her tent and would head to bed right away after saying hello to her little sister.
Ellie had several times where she wanted to share her secret with her older sister, but when she saw how tired her sister was, she kept quiet and tried her best not to make noise.
She didnt want to wake her sister.
Then she too trained harder, hoping that one day she could share the burden.
She would when she was strong enough! Ellie naively thought.
The two little girls were growing secretly.
The slums in the Lower Seventh Ring had alsopletely transformed into the camp for the Mist.
For a weeks time, with a lot of help from various parties, the slums had transformed anew.
The fences, antler barricade, watchtowers, all of them wereing to shape.
Swords, spears, armors, and muskets even appeared in the guards hand.
At the same time, the guards from Edatine pce also slowly joined them, and when one of the pce guards showed interest in the creed of the Mist, he was weed.
There was no hindrance, no criticizing at all.
The heir of Edatine and Snake Sect had an unusual rtionship with the Mist anyway.
War God Temple, who had just teamed up with the heir, also wouldnt say anything about this.
Turning a blind eye was the best option for now.
And as the one who orchestrated everything from the dark, Bloody Mary continued to be active among all the factions with its several identities, Simon, Edatine VI and Kurtzargert, and it was getting more and more skilled in its disguise.
It even thought that it had the time to y several more roles but the setups were done. It has no need to take up a new role for now.
Today, as Edatine VI, after it returned to the small council room, Bloody Mary immediately transformed into Councilman Kurtzargert.
After it quickly checked its wless disguise, Kurtzargert immediately appeared in a room at Silent Night Town.
Outside the door, Hoika and Horfe had been waiting for Bloody Mary.
My lord.
Sir.
Hoika and Horfe greeted Blood Mary in different titles.
Then, Hoika stepped aside and left the reporting to Horfe.
Although he was also part of Silent Night Secret Society, the north and the south were clearly distinguished. Even though Edatine Castle was Kurtzargerts turf, nothing would change.
Since the report was on the southern councilmen, it would be Horfes responsibility to report.
Horfe was also extremely grateful for that.
In fact, Horfe realized Edatine Castles environment was far better than the south.
It was not about the resources or the living condition, it was the atmosphere.
Everyone waspetitive, but no one made a move behind ones back. Even when Colipo and Ludus had fallen into misfortune, Kurtzargert was never in a hurry to make his move. Instead, he calmed everyone down first.
Even for outsiders like him, as long as they didnt get on the councilmans bad side, they were all treated equally and were fair in receiving punishments and rewards.
It was impossible to find these qualities in the southern councilmen.
Therefore, after some slight difort, all the representatives of the southern councilmen, including Horfe, started to like this ce, hence more effort was poured into their work, such as now.
When the internal news he received allowed him to decide whether or not to report it, Horfe chose to report it without a second thought.
Sir, thepensation for Prince Colin is here. And... about that him behind the scenes, we have some new discoveries.
Chapter 1834 - The Beginning Of The Next Phase
Chapter 1834: The Beginning Of The Next Phase
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
New discovery?
Bloody Mary maintained its calm.
After utilizing almost all the factions and the power in Edatine, if they still couldnt find anything that Broker left behind, it would suggest its boss retreat right away because it would only mean two things.
First, Broker had power that exceeded its boss imagination. This dungeon world was molded into his own backyard.
Second, a trap! A trap to stall its boss in this world!
Although the flow of time in the dungeon world and the big city was very different when they werepared, several minutes were able to change everything, let alone 1 to 3 hours.
ording to Brokers schemes, flipping over the whole big city might be a possibility at some point.
Fortunately, it wasnt the two worst oues.
Without the need to even adjust, Bloody Mary disyed the habitual solemness of Kurtzargert.
What discovery? Bloody Mary asked.
Theres several base points which should be the backup that his emissary left behind. We have captured them and are questioning them right now, replied Horfe. He then added, Councilman Eindefern will not stand in the way on this matter.
Horfe rather liked and adapted to the current atmosphere of teaming up, he didnt want some unwanted misunderstandings to ur.
Having clues is good. As for Councilman Eindefern? I know him well. said Bloody Mary and the solemness on its face never decreased a bit, instead bing heavier.
Hoika, who was silent throughout the conversation, stepped up in a timely manner.
Whats wrong my lord? asked Hoika.
We are losing the initiative, everything ising to an end. Before this, he did not notice that wed discovered him and now with these base points raided, what do you think he will do? What is his response? Bloody Mary asked.
Horfe was shocked. He was only thinking about how to steady the internal, he never thought about anything beyond that.
Now, with Bloody Marys reminder, he regained his senses.
Right! They might not have had enough clues before this but they owned the initiative, they were on the active side! Now, they werepletely exposed! What would that God do now?
As he pondered, Horfe started to sweat.
Horfe, Bloody Mary suddenly called the representatives name.
Yes, sir? Horfe bowed after regaining his senses.
Be careful, the real fight is just starting. Deliver my words, as they are, to Eindefern, ordered Bloody Mary.
Yes, sir, Horfe nodded. He didnt move away though, instead directly contacting Councilman Eindefern.
Horfe didnt think that he should move away, since both sides were allies right now.
Moreover, they were one organization after all.
Looking at Horfes action, Bloody Mary didnt show any reaction but in its heart, it chuckled.
Unconscious influence was the scariest.
What kind of ability was more useful than its [Demon Instinct] and [Illusion] to influence others?
The more time it spent in contact with them, the more confident it was at grasping peoples hearts, and from there, secretly influencing all their decisions.
There wouldnt be any caution or strange feelings. Everything under its influence would feel like something they wanted to do themselves. they might not even know when they hadmitted some huge mistakes.
The reason why a Demon was called a Demon was because of this scary point.
Unfortunately, it was useless against its boss.
It had never seen a person as vignt and as calm as its boss. Kierans vignce had surpassed the mortal level and reached some transcendent state.
Bloody Mary had no idea whether it was a talent of its boss or if its boss adopted it.
It only knew that if the situation required it, its boss could sleep with his eyes open.
Soon, themunication formation was set up.
The representative of all the councilmen of the south, Eindefern, appeared in the room as a projection image.
Good morning, Kurtzarger, Eindefern still used his signature friendly tone, but Bloody Marys response was extremely cold.
I dont want to talk to you, Horfe will tell you everything. said Bloody Mary, before it really shut up.
Going through Kurtzargerts memories, Bloody Mary knew very well what kind of person this Eindefern was.
Other than being known as the smiling tiger, he was one of the most powerful among all the southern councilmen. He was tenacious, meticulous, and wise, a small fishing vige was able to develop into a major port with just his own efforts alone.
Bloody Mary had no intention of dealing with such a man. Even though it thought it was ying Kurtzargert well enough, who could guarantee that Eindefern wouldnt see through its disguise?
Therefore, Blood Mary adopted the stay away tactic that it used earlier, misleading Eindefern to think that it wanted to escape but was forced to stay in Edatine, going up against the God.
As a matter of fact, Bloody Marys tactic was quite sessful.
When Eindefern saw Kurtzargerts response, he didnt doubt a thing. He politely smiled and then started to ask Horfe questions. After he heard Horfes reports, the southern councilman signed Horfe to leave him alone with Kurtzargert.
Simrly, Hoika also left the room after he got permission from Bloody Mary.
Tell me, why did youe to me? Dont use that excuse you used just now, if you can figure it out, so can I. We are not idiots, Eindefer put away his false friendliness and asked in a straightforward manner.
I want a ship leaving Qitar Bay, said Bloody Mary heavily.
Are you kidding me? Eindeferns projection raised a confused brow.
No, Im serious. Ive always deemed your resistance useless since the very beginning. Now, after what happened, it strengthened my thoughts, Bloody Mary inhaled deeply and bellowed as if he was venting his anger.
Calm down, Kurtzargert. The situation is beneficial to us! Eindefern frowned and tried to persuade Kurtzargert.
Beneficial? Its been a week, what have you got? What did you find? Did you even think about what youre going up against? Bloody Mary continued to bellow, as if it had turned a deaf ear at the persuasion.
A sudden realization hit Eindefern after he saw how aroused Kurtzargert was.
Youve seen him! Thats right, you must have seen him! Otherwise, why are you so scared now? The Kurtzargert I know is not a coward like you! The only exnation is youve seen him before and what you saw turned you into a coward!
The words escaped Eindeferns mouth and gradually sounded firm.
Being a coward is better than being dead! Besides, you think death is the end? He is much more cunning and fierce than you think, you really think you can get information from the captives? Let me tell you, stop dreaming! Did you ever think that these captives might be... a trap?
Right after that, Bloody Mary showed an evil smile.
Eindeferns brows locked tightly together.
ThenBOOM!
A huge explosion went off at Eindeferns side, causing his projection to shake violently.
Eindeferns face was twisted by the shake and looked very ugly.
Bloody Maryughed out loud though.
Amid theughs, Eindeferns projection vanished for now.
Bloody Mary continuedughing for a few more seconds before it calmed down and pondered upon the situation with a heavy look.
Of course, it was also a performance.
Everything was as its boss expectations.
Brokers usual tactic had two goals, one on the bright side and one on the dark side.
The captives that Eindefern caught would only be a trap. The capture also served as a sign for the real and valuable secret agents to retreat, or... get disposed.
What a troublesome opponent! Bloody Marymented.
Against an opponent like Broker, the simplest way Bloody Mary could think of was to decapitate the man before he could start any of his ns and schemes.
Other than that? It had no idea at all.
Once Broker started his schemes, no one would be able to find an entry point, because no one understood what he was after.
Besides, even the n of decapitating the man was difficult to carry out.
Broker wasnt a brave warrior.
He must have meticulously nned out his own safety and set up manyyers of traps around him.
While thinking about how to make a move against Broker, Eindeferns projection image came back online, causing Blood Mary to lift its head up.
Eindefern acted like before, but Bloody Mary discovered fear in his eyes. It seemed like Eindefern had just experienced something that surpassed his imagination and it was what Blood Mary wanted.
Do you understand now? Bloody Mary asked.
This time, Eindefern didnt speak right away. He went quiet for several seconds before he said, Do you have any ce to go in the southern inds?
Not many but a safe spot housing several is still manageable. Bloody Mary said.
Count me in then. Ill provide the necessary ship, sailors and resources, After that, Eindefern limped weakly like a deted balloon, muttering softly to himself, Qitar Bay is gone.
...
Qitar Bay vanished on Edatines map in the explosions and fire.
Edatine already received the news around afternoon.
Immediately, people were fearful and horrified, even starting to criticize the factories making firepowder and their ill-practices.
Thats right, Edatine royal court revealed to the public that it was a malfunction in the firepowder factory that caused the explosion.
As for the real reason?
Only few knew the reason and all those who knew were tense, as if they were facing their greatest enemy.
One of them was Mortor, the bishop in council of War God Temple that Kieran invited into his n.
The bishop in council received news that he has be the only bishop in council left out of the original two.
His old friend, his rival inpeting for the archbishops position, had died in the sudden explosion when he was observing the interrogation of that captive.
Together with him was a doze more elite priests, all of them returning to the kingdom of God of War.
What happened?
It was what Mortor wished to find out, therefore he lent the strength of God of Wars divine spell: the Eye of War.
He hoped to find some clues and traces, but he returned fruitless.
All he saw was a giant crater, which was Qitar Bay, a port city so wealthy that even Edatine Castle was jealous of it.
Now... all that was left were crystallized shards formed by high temperature. Everything was vapourized in an instant, including theyers of mystical defensive measures.
It was not because the defensive spells were useless, otherwise there wouldnt be survivors from the st, but among all the survivors, none were from War God Temple.
Damn it!
A fruitless result infuriated Mortor. He mmed the table fiercely as he assumed that this was Silent Night Secret Societys doing.
After that, the bishop in council started to think how he could minimize the damage to the lowest.
Qitar Bay was a ce that War God Temple had high attention on, the wealth generated by the port city very well known. Even War God Temple required a wealthy ie, therefore the other bishop in council headed down to the south and built another cathedral for War God Temple. He even infused the energy and manpower into the War God Temple of Qitar Bay relentlessly.
Compared to Edatine Castle which had already shaped up, Qitar Bay was much more worthy of investment. Everyone knew it that half of War God Temples overall strength was all invested there and now, it was gone! Everything! Gone!
What they lost wasnt just the strongestbatants, the loss of the main force was the most terrifying and most severe.
Mortor realized in shock that War God Temple had suddenly plunged into a gap between two harvest, meaning the younger members were still young and unable to keep up with the dead veterans.
He had to fill in the gap as soon as possible!
Mortor was wrapping his head around this incident and he naturally thought of the young knight, Gino.
Gino was loyal, young, and energetic, he would be a perfect candidate.
As for his strength?
The God of Wars blessing could solve it, it could make up for hisckings.
Besides, with Gino being a role model to attract enough attention, Mortor would have time to deal with the loss.
Tell Gino that I want to see him, Mortor said to the deacon on duty.
Yes, my lord, the deacon bowed and went off quickly.
A whileter, the young Gino appeared before Mortor.
His rather handsome looks coupled with a set of shining knight armor made him look good and valiant. As he walked, his movements were clean and crisp, the Glorious Sword at his waist even emanating an aura that granted the young man a sharp yet not pressuring presence.
Mortor nodded quietly in acknowledgement.
Very good! He needed a pawn exactly like Gino!
Son, your performance is exhrating, thats why you will be worthy of this honor. I will arrange for you to receive the blessing from our Lord. You will then be a warrior that wields the strongest of our powers, Mortor said as he made up his mind. He spilled his intentions straightforwardly.
As per his expectations, the young man before his eyes was stunned on the spot.
A-Am I qualified for it? asked young Gino in a shaking tone.
Of course. Other than you, no one else is qualified. Go get ready. Tomorrow at noon, it will be time for your baptism, Mortor said with a smile. His words left no room for doubts, hence Gino never rejected the suggestion.
The young knight thanked Mortor once more before turning around and leaving.
When he returned to his own room, the young knight showed a sense of darkness in his eyes.
I cant dy this anymore... Am I going to do this?
I dont want to do this either, I just want to live!
Conflict, anxiety, and hesitation. Theyers of negative emotions put the young Gino at a loss, but his hand unconsciously held the hilt of Glorious Sword tightly, the replica that Kieran gave him.
In the next second Chang!
The sword was drawn and the sheath was shed at.
Pak!
Amid the clear thud, the sheath was cut in half.
An ominous ck started to flow out.
Chapter 1835 - Assemble
Chapter 1835: Assemble
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
In the afternoon, the sun shone brightly over Edatine Castle, a sense of warmth added into the cold air after a while.
A rare, warm winter day lifted the peoples mood, except Horfe.
He knew what happened in Qitar Bay.
The explosion! A heaven-shaking, earth shattering explosion!
He also knew what Councilman Eindefern was preparing to do, therefore Horfe didnt say anything else about it.
No one knew better or was more familiar with the power of God than the members of Silent Night Secret Society themselves, but...
Horfe looked at the peaceful afternoon in Edatine Castle. He looked at the tired yet smiling faces of the working civilians and he couldnt help but squint his eyes.
Do I really have to give up on everything? Horfe couldnt help but mutter to himself softly.
What else? Hoika asked Horfe back.
Yeah right, what else? Horfe bitterly smiled.
Behind them, Stone, Bill and the other five also remained silent.
After the Luncar incident, the five of them did not receive any punishment at all. Instead, they were praised by Councilman Kurtzargert and were rewarded with actual rewards, not just verbal praise. Even their status was promoted ordingly. They could now evenmand over the people that they gathered under their cause before this and it made the five of them feel like they were dreaming.
But soon enough, the sweet dream turned into a nightmare.
They were once again at a split road of hard choices, but fortunately for them, neither Stone nor Bill nor the others were as afraid and felt loss as they were during the first time.
Humans ability to adapt to the situation was astounding!
With such exmation, Stone hastened his step so that he could walk side by side with Horfe and Hoika.
How many can you bring away? Stone asked calmly.
Horfe immediately paused his steps.
Not a lot, we can only bring the elites, said Horfe in a dry voice.
Stone nodded to express his understanding.
What else he didnt understand? Horfe had made himself very clear.
Other than only a limited number of people that could leave, the rest would be left behind, including their own family members, or themselves.
It was impossible for Stone to not grumble or hold a grudge in his heart about this.
Why were the chosen ones not him or his family but others?
The grudge and grumble would surely appear in his heart but it wouldnt keeping out.
Huu.
He exhaled a heavy breath. Then he looked at Bill and the others.
After experiencing life and death together through battles that they fought side by side, the five of them had bonds surpassing anyone else.
All it required was a gaze and they were able to make up their mind.
Humans can never always rely on other humans, they have to save themselves!
Hoika was staring at Stone, Bill, and the others and when he saw their tacit gaze, he said to Horfe with a slight daze, Horfe, please continue to lead the men to deliver thepensation. I have something to talk to Stone and the others.
Sure. Horfe didnt ask why, he knew what Hoika was going to tell Stone and the others and he also knew the oue.
It might very well be the worst.
No one would ever give up on hope of living, right?
Then who would be willing to die?
Disappointment after the hope? Might as well keep the hope away from the start!
This damn harsh reality!
Clenching his teeth, Horfe brought the men and continued down to the Mist camp in Lower Seventh Ring.
Hoika saw the group away before he turned around to Stone, Bill and the others, who showed caution.
Rx. You guys dont seem to agree with Councilman Kurtzergerts decision and have chosen another path, am I right? Hoika asked.
Councilman Kurtzergert is good to us, he tolerated our foolishness and forgave our mistakes, but we also want to live, with our family and friendsLuncar was right, by living alone, we are nothing but walking dead bodies, we are only... human when we are able to protect the ones we love.
Stone sensed that Hoikas aura had locked on to him, and without a second thought, he held his sword tight.
He knew about the title Undying, and even if he wasnt confident to face the Undying in a fight, he had to at least try, for the sake of his family. The same thing went for Bill and the others.
The five of them scattered up and formed an attacking formation, surrounding Hoika.
The atmosphere instantly froze, and in that tense moment where a fight would break out any second, Hoika smiled.
Congrattions. Youve passed the test, Hoika pped his hands.
The clear ps stunned Stone, Bill and the others. They hadnt realized that this was a test of some sort.
Maybe you guys can listen to the councilmans other n, said Hoika with a smile.
Other n? Stone, BIll and the others were stunned.
Councilman Colipo should have mentioned it to your guys before, Hoika hinted at them.
Mentioned before? Another n?
Stone, Bill, and the others looked at each other in confusion.
Suddenly, Stone managed to figure it out but right away, he couldnt help but shake his head in denial.
Impossible! It cant be! He denied repeatedly.
Following his denials, Bill and the others also realized something, their looks instantly turning ugly and sour.
After all five of them reacted sourly at the realization, Hoika put away his smile and said in a strict manner, We are all Snake Sect!
...
Monte was arranging the news collected from all over thend.
His clothes were as loose as usual but the white powder on his face was cleaned up, the habitual ttering smile also reced by strictness.
Cough, cough, cough.
When a fierce cough sounded, the vassal immediately looked up and saw his king.
The valiant king of Edatine had grown older overnight, even his body started to shudder.
Sire, Monte ran over and tried to lend a hand.
The king waved and denied the vassals goodwill but a single wave of hand made him breath heavily and quickly, he then coughed again.
Monte kept tapping the king on his back, trying to ease the difort.
The coughing only stopped after more than 10 seconds.
Monte, said the king.
Sire, Im here. the vassal replied quickly.
Take this to Colin. A box was handed to the vassal.
When Monte looked at the box, his eyes turned teary and red because the box was a traditional tool used by the royalty to hold their will.
Sire, its not time yet, Qitar Bay was just an ident, his Highness still needs time to...
MONTE! A bellow stopped the vassal.
Edatine VI was like an old lion. He had aged but there still remained a sense of prestige and power.
He red at Monte with stern eyes.
Monte was afraid.
Failure means failure. I wont give myself so many excuses, neither will I escape from the consequences of failures. Regrets? Of course I have regrets but I dont have time. Bring this to Colin and help him, said Edatine VI before he turned around to his chair.
When he sat down, his eyes unconsciously looked at the model of the ship which was rebuilt.
A little bit more, a little bit more, Such mutters echoed in the small council room.
The vassal walked out with a sour feeling, his heart paining him.
When he reached the exit, the vassal stopped suddenly.
Sire, I swear on my life that the southern inds will eventually be Edatines! His Highness will also be a king that people respect, said Monte word by word.
Edatine VI waved his hand.
Tssss bang.
The door of the small council room was closed.
Monte turned around and left in a heavy mood.
The royal guardians who were on duty at the door saw the vassal off with a heavy gaze unlike before.
Then, when they looked at the door of the small council room, the royal guardians couldnt help but feel sad.
Their king was dying!
Inside the small council hall, Bloody Mary tapped its chest and heaved a sigh of relief.
Thank goodness I temporarily lured that old marquis away, otherwise I might have blown it. It would be bad for me to blow it at this kind of timing. The end of the old king and the rise of a new one. It cant be too in, it must be legendary! Thankfully, I am fully prepared! said Bloody Mary as it disappeared in a sh at the next second.
It still had a show to rush to and perform with its marvelous acting.
...
260 true magical equipment and items aspensation and 40 Rare rank magical equipment and items as payment for the information and 60 pagans remnants. Please have a look.
Horfe respectfully passed a stack of checklists to Kieran and then pointed at the three wagons behind him.
The wagons had two horses each, the carriage wide and filled with items inside.
Move them to the tent at the back, Kieran didnt count, it wasnt necessary.
He believed if Eindefern hadnt lost his mind, the councilman would never lie to him on this.
Moreover, Bloody Mary counted for him already.
Yes, Prince Coliin.
Horfe bowed again and sent his men to move the preciouspensations to the tent that Kieran appointed.
The whole process was carried out in an orderly fashion.
After everything was tidied up and arranged, Horfe ushered the members of Silent Night Secret Society away.
Around half an hour after the men left, Hoika brought Stone, Bill, and the others to that tent.
Your Highness, Hoika bowed.
Mm, Kieran nodded.
It was just a nod but it was terrifying for Stone, Bill, and the others.
Its real! It was real! Snake Sect! Councilman Kurtzargert was part of Snake Sect all along!
No! It should be that Colipo and Kurtzargert were all members of Snake Sect.
By this time, Stone, Bill and the others were done finding out whether Colipo and Kurtzargert were Snake Sect members from the start or after they betrayed Silent Night Secret Society and converted. They were more interested to know what the other n was.
Huu, huu.
The five of them adjusted their breaths and looked at Kieran together.
Demon Hunters will never give up friends and family. We might not have the praise of honor, we might not have the songs to sing our tales, but we have pride in our heart!
As he talked, Kieran pointed at his left chest, where his heart was. He didnt stop there, he looked into their eyes and said word by word, And my pride is... from my friends and family!
His voice was not loud, neither did it sound arousing. It sounded very normal, as if he was telling some fact but because of that, it further aroused Stone, Bill, and the others.
What Kieran said was the truth, a real Demon Hunter should be like this. A real Demon Hunter would never give up on friends and families, it was a well-known fact.
With themon agreement, plus the hints that Bloody Mary left behind in their minds, Stone, Bill, and the others stood straight and then knelt down on the floor on one knee, saying together, Your Highness!
I cant assure you guys anything. I cant promise you anything, but I can tell you that when the fight arrives, I will take charge! Kieran was as calm and steady as always, but the calmness was exactly what Stone, Bill, and the others needed at the moment.
I am willing to follow your charging footsteps! I pledge my life to Snake Sect without regrets! Long live Snake Sect! Hoika, who hadpletely assumed himself as one of Snake Sect. could no longer hold back his emotions anymore, he said aloud and full of emotions.
Up until this point, it wasnt necessary to hide anymore.
Snake Sect, had risen!
But at the same time, the sect had to face a never before met enemy!
So, as a member of the sect, he had to fight for a chance of survival for his juniors. It was the only thing that he could do as a Snake Sect member.
We will follow your charging steps! We pledge our lives to Snake Sect! Long live Snake Sect!
Stone, Bill, and the others were as loud.
Are we at such a dangerous and disastrous time? Anderson lifted the curtain and walked in.
Sir Anderson, Hoika, Stone, Bill, and the others bowed at the same time at the old Demon Hunter.
Just call me uncle. I think Im only old enough to be your uncle. said the old Demon Hunter as a faint smile hung over his face. It has been a long while since he received such respect from his juniors.
The feeling was... really good!
Thats why the feeling should linger longer!
With that thought in mind, the old Demon Hunter looked at Kieran.
Its still not time for you to take charge. Even if it is time to charge our enemies, it should us, the Wolf Sect, who takes charge ahead, said the old Demon Hunter.
Kieran remained silent, he didnt say anything, but his reaction had obviously stated his thoughts.
Simrly, Hoika and the others didnt think they should leave such an arduous task to the old Demon Hunter alone.
Uncle Anderson, you alone are a little...
Alone? A wolf never fights alone! You fes,e with me! said the old Demon Hunter before he turned around and walked out.
He left the tent, then the camp, followed by the city gate.
He stood outside the city gate of Edatine and was staring at the farthest point on the horizon.
He cocked his head up and shouted loudly, like a wolfs howl.
His shout was bleak and long and at the next moment
Awhoooooooowl!
The same wolf howl sounded and resonated with the old Demon Hunters.
A lot of ck figures started to appear over the horizon.
They were in ck mantle, their size and weapon choices were vastly different but every single one of them had a proud presence and powerful aura.
Pointing at the ck figures, the old Demon Hunter said loudly, A lone wolf dies, but a pack of wolves LIVES!
Chapter 1836 - Coming Relentlessly
Chapter 1836: Coming Relentlessly
1
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
The gallops of horses rumbled. There were only a dozen horses that came from the horizon but to Hoika and the others, it felt like a march of tens of thousands of soldiers.
The closer the gallops came, the more pressuring they were.
Stone, Bill, and the others felt intense goosebumps on the backs of their necks.
This... is the remains of Wolf Sect?
They sized up the Demon Huntersing closer to them.
Most of the Demon Hunters they saw were either missing a limb or an eye, there were only a few who were intact, but each and every single one of them was intimidating.
As if any single one of them could simply step up and squeeze them to death.
Sweat covered their foreheads.
Gulp!
Bills Adams apple moved up and down nervously as he looked around. He realized that other than Hoika, Stone and the others were terrified.
This is Wolf Sect? Bill asked in a dry voice.
This is Wolf Sect. The Wolf Sect thats simr to the Snake Sect during its prime, Hoika said calmly.
Was Wolf Sect powerful?
Undoubtedly powerful!
Hoika would never deny this fact but Snake Sect was stronger. It was what Hoikas memories told him. Aside from what his teacher told him or the heir of Snake Sect, the power of Snake Sect hidden in the shadow alone was a hundred times more than the Wolf Sect!
With such memories in his mind, Hoika would never be deterred by the numbers.
Still, he couldnt be stingy on the manners, he was a Demon Hunter after all.
When the Wolf Sect Demon Hunters reined their horses to a stop in front of them, Hoika bowed ording to the Demon Hunter salutation. Stone, Bill, and the others followed. Since they were also Demon Hunters already, they were Snake Sect Demon Hunters!
With that thought in mind, Stone, Bill and the others quickly put away the shock on their faces and reced it with utmost calmness and a sense of indescribable pride.
Unlike Silent Night Secret Society, which hid in the dark, Snake Sect, which was also in the dark, was able to provide them with such a proud feeling.
They were not surprised about this though because the former, the secret society, was a coward, a deserter.
Thetter? They were real warriors! Even though they might end up broke like the current Wolf Sect, they would never take a single step backward!
Conviction in this moment rose in Stone, Bill, and the others hearts.
Bloody Mary, who was busy in other ces, smiled at this and didnt say anything.
After the seed was nted, although it had to go through some storms before it could sprout healthily, it was just a matter of time.
The changes in Stone, Bill, and the others were obvious in the eyes of the Demon Hunter who led the Wolf Sect to Edatine Castle. He jumped down the horse and gave Anderson a hug before pointing at the five of them.
They are the young blood youve found? Quite decent.
Presence never lies, especially after going through a certain transformation. Their presence was so obvious that everyone present noticed it, including Anderson.
However, because of that, all the old Demon Hunter could do at his friends question was bitterly smile.
They are ourrades from Snake Sect, they just joined today.
Snake Sect!
As an image of Kieran shed over Holuffs mind, he couldnt help but grin.
That unlikeable little bastard? How is he? Holuff asked.
Although Kierans character was unlikeable, Holuff was still concerned about Kierans recent well-beingA Demon Hunter will always remember therades that they once fought side by side with.
Him? Well, no one is doing better than him, said the old Demon Hunter after some serious thoughts.
Hmm, seems like something that we arent aware of happened, Holuff smiled as he nodded. He then put away his smile and tapped on the pocket at his horse saddle. In a serious tone, he said, Likewise us, something you might not be aware of happened at our side too. Is there a safe ce? Its not that good to take it out into the public eye.
Follow me, said the old Demon Hunter after a quick nce at the pocket of the saddle.
He knew there must be something that dyed his friends arrival.
As for what it was? He would find out soon!
...
Lower Seventh Ring, the camp of Mist religious sect.
The appearance of a group of Demon Hunters attracted curious gazes from the people.
But with Anderson in the lead, no guards came up and asked questions. Soon, the adults put away their curious gazes and returned to their work, only several curious children lingering around.
Of course, their curiosity was for a reason.
The old Demon Hunter smiled and grabbed a pack of candy from his pack, giving them to a boy.
Go, go share it with the others, said the old Demon Hunter.
Cheering, the boy led the children away.
The cheerful scene put a faint smile on the serious-looking Demon Hunters face.
What a nostalgic scene. There was also a group of kids in the camp of the Demon Hunters back then, said Holuff.
Its the same here. Although its not Wolf Sect, its still Demon Hunters. The Mist will not reject Demon Hunters, they are the kindest and friendliest clergies that Ive met, said Anderson.
You are saying like youve met believers other than that war maniac and crazy hag before this, ridiculed Holuff.
Holuff was prepared to receive a punch from his old friend.
The Demon Hunters were always like this. They ridiculed each other with sarcasm and sometimespeted in drinking in their own tavern.
It was a habit, much more of an inheritance, but Holuff sharply realized after his friend heard what he said, the look on his face changed. The heaviness in him was heart-wrenching.
Whats wrong? Holuff asked.
I guess you are right, Ive really seen them before. You and the others have also seen them before. Come, lets talk inside.
The old Demon Hunter pointed at the tent which was used to discuss matters.
A group of people swarmed inside.
Hoika, Stone, Bill, and the others stood guard outside.
They knew what the old Demon Hunter wanted to reveal, and they were already clear about that. So might as well stand guard outside the tent.
The old Demon Hunter stood in the middle of the tent, ncing over all his friends and a whileter, he said, I hereby assure you what I am going to say is the truth, there is not a bit of lying. You might think it sounds ridiculous, but it is a fact and reality is always so.
Then, the old Demon Hunter told his friends about what happened in Edatine Castle recently.
When the group of Demon Hunters found out Kieran wasnt just the heir to Snake Sect but also the heir to Edatines throne, shock was smeared all over their faces.
On top of that, when they heard there was another God who maintained trickery, schemes, and destruction while hiding behind the scenes, the Demon Hunters brazenly gasped out of horror.
The tense atmosphere in the tentsted for more than a dozen seconds.
I finally know why those Snake Sect guys decided to keep hiding after we are almost annihted. So this is what happened, Holuff sighed a breath of relief.
Thest knot in his heart was finally loosened, the same went for the other Demon Hunters.
Demon Hunters helped out each other, this idea never changed.
Therefore, when Snake Sect finally popped up under the limelight, the first reaction of Wolf Sect was why didnt Snake Sect help them back then, during their most desperate times?
Despite the fact that the Snake Sect were proven as Demon Hunters in the following time, from a certain perspective, their doubts in Snake Sect grew heavier.
But now? The doubts in their hearts were met with answers.
A more terrifying enemy was hiding in the dark.
If Snake Sect revealed themselves back then, they wouldnt even be any help to Wolf Sect and would probably have been sacrificed without a purpose.
The reason seemed to be enough to convince the Wolf Sect Demon Hunters.
Without any hesitation, Holuff pushed the leather bag that he took off his saddle to Anderson.
Maybe you should tell Colin to have a look at this thing. It might be very well rted to...him.
The leather bag had something heavy inside, to the point that the bags shape was slightly molded after the content inside.
However, after the old Demon Hunter received the item, he realized it was heavier than he thought and when he opened it up for a look, he raised a curious brow.
An arm? Not of a man, but an arm forged out of metal!
It was safe to say that other than the fact that it was obviously forged out of metal, it looked no different from a human arm!
The craftsmanship on the metallic arm was far beyond what he knew, even the best smither Anderson knew could never produce such a lively metallic arm.
Dang!
He lightly knocked on the metallic arm and a clunk sounded.
The sensation that he got at the tip of his finger told Anderson that this metallic arm was much stronger than he thought.
After a quick check, the old Demon Hunter immediately headed to Kierans tent.
...
Although Kieran had the identity of the heir to Edatines throne, he did not move into the pce.
It wasnt just because he needed to provide support to his follower, Bloody Mary, it was also because the Mist camp was much morefortable for him.
Secret agents were everywhere in the pce, every crevice and crack might be watched, and that disgusted him.
But of course, the disgust was before.
Now, looking at 280 true magical equipment and items which was thepensation from the southern councilmen and the 40 Rare rank magical items and equipment plus 60 pagan remnants as the payment for the information, Kierans smile was brazen. It was going out of control.
There would be no reason for him to leave the Mist camp anymore.
He has to stay back and protect his wealth.
A dragon will sleep on top of its treasure, so he will too!
He could even roll around on top of the treasure mountain for a change of position.
Of course, he had expectations that these equipment and items were unable to be brought out of the dungeon. His previous experience was enough to tell him what he should do with the spoils.
Gulp!
Amid the rumbling hunger, Gluttony restlessly voiced his request to his big brother.
Eat, eat. A simple and direct request.
Wait. Wait for a little longer. Its not time yet, said Kieran with a thought in his mind.
Although it was difficult to bear, Gluttony still obeyed his big brothersmand.
O-Okay. Out of respect to his big brother, enduring his own hunger was the simplest thing that Gluttony could do.
If he didnt have such a level of endurance, he wouldnt have appeared here either, so Gluttony knew what he should do.
After a firm answer from Gluttony, Kieran stood up and walked outside. He picked up the footsteps of the old Demon Hunter.
He also knew when Holuff and hisrades had arrived.
The eye that he set up on the walls informed him of everything.
Likewise Anderson, he wasnt surprised that Kieran came by on his own.
Theres something that I think you should have a look at, Colin. Holuff found this, said the old Demon Hunter.
Mm, Kieran nodded and headed to the big tent for discussion.
However, before he left, Kieran activated [Sight of Light, Silent Guard].
Unlike the hidden eye of [Conceal Watch] from the same [Sight of Light], [Silent Guard was able to fuse into the shadows.
The appearance of two [Silent Guards] attracted the attention of the old Demon Hunter but soon, he was captivated by another group of giant hounds.
Before he came, he did not realize how the group of hounds appeared, but because of that, it has also proven that these seeminglyzy hounds thaty down around Kierans tent were something outstanding, let alone the faint scent of mystical spell from the hounds.
Are those war hounds? asked the old Demon Hunter with slight envy.
War hounds were once raised in the north of Edatine, but the process wasplicated and the requirement for the bloodline and methods were too high. Other than a true noble, amon man could never afford the expenses, and the same thing went for the Demon Hunters.
There was a time when Demon Hunters suggested a war hound for a constant battlepanion but unfortunately, they were deterred by the extremely high cost. They did rear one or two normal hounds as afort though.
Mm, Kieran gave an affirmative answer.
Calling them war hounds were better than exining to Anderson that they were demon hounds.
He then nced over his own setups, calcting the distance between both tents. He made sure that he was able to get back to his own tent if anything happened before he headed to the discussion tent.
Colin, its been a while, Holuff opened his arms and walked over to Kieran.
Its been a while, really, Kieran didnt dodge Holuff, he too gave a hug to the man.
He tapped at Holuffs back strongly like how the man did to himself too.
Holuff then released Kieran as he clenched his teeth in pain.
Dont you know anything about respecting the old and love the young? Holuff was certain that his back was red from all that tapping.
If you know that yourself, you wont do that to me. Kieran said.
He didnt feel anything though.
His body was powerful enough, and with the protection from [Ghost Skin], the tap was nothing, even though the inner mail that he wore was just a recement.
Laughter sounded off in the tent.
From the moment Kieran appeared, the Demon Hunters who had been watching himughed and smiled.
They did not feel the sense of pride simr to a noble on Kieran. Instead, they felt Kieran was very simr to them.
He stayed in a tent, didnt have the so-called persistence, and was very powerful.
The heir of Snake Sect, eh? Quite decent.
The Demon Hunters exchanged a quick gaze and opened up the path, revealing the metallic arm on the table to Kierans eyes.
Kieran was utterly sure when he saw the metallic arm, it must be from Broker!
Because he once saw the exact same arm on the robots of Broker back in the secret bazaar, but Kieran didnt say anything right away.
He walked to the metallic arm, picked it up, and checked it for a bit before he sighed, Its from him. He doesnt want to stay in the dark anymore?
Right after his words faded, a panicked voice sounded from outside the tent.
Prince Colin! Prince Colin! An urgent matter has just risen! A gue broke out at War God Temple!
Chapter 1837 - The Start
Chapter 1837: The Start
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Sivalkas face was just like his voice, panicked and afraid.
In fact, it wasnt just Sivalka who reacted that way.
Inside the tent, the atmosphere was like a mute button had been pressed.
Every Demon Hunters was frozen by what they heard at that moment.
ck Cataclysm!
All the Demon Hunters in the tent had experienced the ck Cataclysm firsthand.
Although they survived the initial wave because of how strong they were, the gue failing to take their lives, they had seen too many cases of the gue reaping the lives of the innocent.
No one was willing to experience that horror again, but soon enough, the veteran Demon Hunters quickly regained their senses.
They looked at Kieran.
The only one who kept calm was Kieran, as if everything was within his expectations and from a certain perspective, it was the truth, a truth that no one would have guessed.
Qitar Bay, the north, and now War God Temple? Kieran muttered to himself.
The people present in the tent all skipped a beat in their heart. They all thought of something.
Right! It was too much of a coincidence!
Right after Eindfern, the southern cou, noticed some inklings, Qitar Bay was blown off from the map. Then, the Demon Hunters discovered that metallic arm in the north, followed by the gue breakout in War God Temple.
If it was a single individual case, they might be serious but nothing catastrophic. But when put together...
Is it... Him? Anderson asked heavily.
Mm. A very high chance.
Kieran did not give a precise answer, looking at Sivalka, who was shocked out of his mind, Calm down, Sivalka, tell me what you know.
Yes, your Highness, Sivalka took a deep breath and nodded.
...
As the camp slowly came in line and Sivalkas burden eased up a lot, he had more time to apany Ellie.
Of course, the most important thing was that as the rtionship with War God Temple eased up, he was able to reim his properties.
It was undoubtedly good news!
Even though Sivalka wasnt concerned about the 5-600 Gold Purton before this, when it was time to raise his daughter, Sivalka was in dire need of funds.
Of course, as a father, he couldnt do something that might disappoint his daughter, so those dishonest practises that he once used during his mercenary days were off the table.
Without those ways, it was difficult for Sivalka, so he really hoped that Ellie could have a happy childhood.
Even though they were in the Mist religious sect, he ought to get the candies, dresses, and dolls that the other little girls had for his precious Ellie, and it wasnt a small sum of money.
Even more so when he was chasing perfection. The alreadyrge cost evolved into a substantial amount that a normal man couldnt bear.
Therefore, when he got news from the young knight, Gino, Sivalka was actually delighted.
As for the possibility of a trap?
If there wasnt an alliance, it might be.
But once allied up, Sivalka didnt think that War God Temple would ruin the alliance just because of a petty fry like him
Sivalka saw the young knight Gino near themercial district of Edatine Castle.
The young Gino was wearing a suit of bright armor with a warm and bright smile on his face, not a bit of a sense of the dispirited man he was before. The aura on him had also strengthened a bit.
It seemed like after the previous incident, this young knight had gone through some dramatic changes in War God Temple in terms of his position and status.
Hello, Gino, Sivalka waved his arm and greeted the young knight.
Coming from a mercenary background, Sivalka didnt have a lot of restraints. He might be a little reserved when he was in War God Temple, but now?
As long as he wasnt beside Ellie or on duty, he was used to the casual andzy attitude. He tends to do things in delight.
Mr. Sivalka, you seem to be in a good mood? The young Gino saluted officially before he smiled and asked.
Of course. Im going to get some extra ie soon! I can buy dresses and dolls for Ellie!
Sivalka did not hide Ellie from the young Gino.
Most of the time, whenever he mentioned Ellie, Sivalka always disyed a boasting manner. He would then look at the others who saw his vignt boasting.
How should he put it?
It was like a farmer nting cabbages yet scared that a hog woulde to grubble on it but at the same time scared that there wouldnt be a hog there to gobble it up . It was a veryplicated mental state, that of a father.
I cant help you on this. I am not familiar with dresses and dolls, but if you are looking for swords and armor...
No! My Ellie is ady! A realdy, not a boorish female who wields swords!
Sivalka interrupted the young knight before he could even finish and counteracted him with some strict words.
As a mercenary, he knew exactly how thosedies who wielded swords ended up.
Except for a handful of them, many of them wouldnt end well.
If his daughter was missing a limb or had a scar on her face...
Shaking his head, Sivalka immediately discarded the scary thoughts out of his mind.
He would never let Ellie tread his old path.
Thud!
Back in the Mist camp in Lower Seventh Ring, Ellie lightly put a rock as big as a millstone down on the ground after lifting it over her head. The light thud did not attract any attention in the camp.
Ellie then looked at Tandeker and flexed her biceps.
Am I strong? She sounded like a boasting child, which she was.
Tandeker was also like a child, even though he was slowly recovering. He still had the intellect of a child.
S-Strong. Ellie, eat more, eat more, be strong! Muscle is power!
Once known as the Colossal Beast, Tandeker looked down at Ellie, who was only as tall as his knees. He felt that Ellie was still too thin and short, she must grow up to his height and be as strong as he was.
1Em! Ellie nodded seriously.
Then, she lifted the rock again and started to breathe in the method Tandeker taught her.
Tandeker looked at Ellie, giving her best effort, and a quick thoughtter, decided to give Ellie a boost.
The power in his body started to amass quickly. He extended his index finger and touched Ellie on the forehead.
Roar!
A beastly roar echoed in Ellies ears. She felt like she was looking at a towering titan, reaching the sky.
The titan looked down at Ellie, who was like a nkton, a wide grin appearing on his face.
Instantly, the aura turned fierce and valiant, the hundred-armed titan bing simple and straightforward, as if he was a in farmer. It was just that he was... too tall.
The hundred-armed titan wanted to speak but when he looked at the tiny Ellie, he didnt know what to say. In the end, the titan scratched his head and said, Remember my name, Dand.
His voice was as loud as thunder, to the point where Ellies ears started to buzz.
Im sorry. It has been a very long time since someone chose my legacy and its the first time I have met a girl who chose to tread my path.
Looking at the wobbling Ellie, the hundred-armed titan felt embarrassed, instantly switching his way of speaking. The voice appeared in Ellies mind instead.
Mr. Dand? Ellie called out the name of the hundred-armed titan.
Yes Ellie. Dont feel surprised. Since youve epted my legacy, its logical that I know your name. Well then, I have to leave now. When your name is sung under the starry sky, you cane find meall you need to do is call out my name.
The hundred-armed titan then disappeared.
Ellies eyes returned to normal.
D-Did you see it? Tandeker asked anxiously.
I saw it, Ellie nodded.
Tandeker immediately smiled.
The power of the cyclops is what I always admired...
Cyclops?
Wasnt it a hundred-armed? Didnt that titan have two eyes?
Ellie was a little bit confused, but she didnt say anything when she saw how excited Tandeker was.
She knew Tandeker was a patient who required care.
Ill tell him when he gets better! thought Ellie.
She couldnt help but be attracted to the knowledge that appeared in her mind, the knowledge about a secret technique named Chariot.
...
Gasp!
A sudden palpitation in his heart made Sivalka gasp.
He felt like something bad was happening at that particr moment, but he had no evidence to prove his premonition right.
Maybe... Im too tired from all the work recently?
Sivalkaforted himself as he followed the young knight, Gino, on the stone path to the cathedral.
Sivalka could already see the cathedral from where he was standing, and when he saw groups of War God Temple clergies walking in and out of the cathedral, he furrowed his brows.
He was once a deacon, so he was very familiar with the procedures at the cathedral. Therefore, some particr changes could not fool him.
For example, although the cathedral of War God Temple did not set up a rule to tell all its visitors to keep quiet, it wouldnt be as noisy and busy as a morning market.
What happened? Sivalka looked at the young Gino.
Young Gino was also at a loss for what to do.
When I left earlier, things were still very normal, said the young Gino before he went up to a deacon on guard duty at the entrance.
Hold on! Hold on knight Gino!
The deacon called out loudly before the two of them even got close.
Whats wrong, Gino looked at the deacon in confusion.
Its...
The gue!
The word gue wasnt uttered out, it was signed by the deacons lips gesture and then the deacon added, This area is in a total lockdown, no one is allowed to leave.
gue?!
When Sivalka made out the word, he faltered backwards as he still had a fresh memory about the ck Cataclysm, even the young knight Gino was stunned on the spot.
I want to see the lord bishop!
After being stunned for several seconds, young Gino made his request.
His lordship is currently dealing with much more dangerous things, he cant meet you now. And the lord bishop gave an order saying that all the clergies who left the cathedral are temporarily forbidden to return, including you, sir, exined the deacon patiently.
Ginos name was already in the sight of the higher-ups of War God Temple. The news about him going through a baptism proved that this young man was destined to be a bishop or something simr.
Therefore, respect was a must.
What is the current situation? asked the young Gino.
I dont know. I am only in charge of guarding the entrance, answered the deacon.
Is that so.
The young Gino turned around to Sivalka and said, Im sorry, it seems like I cant keep my promise this time. If this crisis is over, Ill double yourpensation.
Right after that and before Sivalka could answer, young Gino dashed past the deacon and went straight into the quarantine area.
Both Sivalka and the deacon failed to react to the sudden dash in time and when they did, it was already toote, for the young Gino was already close to the cathedral.
T-This... The deacon looked at Ginos back nkly.
It was at that moment that the deacon understood why the young Gino was looked upon highly by the bishop in council.
After a quick bow, the deacon turned around to Sivalka.
Sir, please go, the deacon raised his hand and asked Sivalka to go away.
Sivalka didnt have the least intention to stay either, quickly leaving.
On his way back, he started to buy lime powder.
He remembered that lime powder was quite effective in fighting against the gue.
What else? Clean water, fire and... istion!
What if the istion failed?
No! It cant be! It wont be!
Many messy thoughts appeared in Sivalkas head as he ran back to the camp of the Mist in panic.
...
After the Demon Hunters heard what Sivalka said, all of them frowned.
Contact Rogart to temporarily put the camp on lockdown. The food must be meticulously checked and... I want to see Councilman Kurtzargert, said Kieran before he looked outside the tent.
Hoika caught the gaze and nodded, then vanished into the shadows.
No walls in the world couldpletely block off the wind.
Soon, the news about the gue spread across the camp. Everyone was afraid and frightened by the news, and even though they were working, their minds were absent.
The fear from the ck Cataclysm branded itself in peoples heart and what else was moreforting than a God in this particr time?
Unconsciously, the people in the camp started to pray after their work was done.
They prayed with a devotion far stronger than before.
Night came. Prayers sounded all over the camp.
The royal guards that stood guard at the entrance even joined the crowd in praying.
It attracted many more curious minds.
Curiosity killed the cat.
One of the civilians managed to get solid news from his guard friend, the news about the gue breakout then spreading like wildfire.
The whole of Edatine Castle was in a state of total panic before dawn.
COMMENT
And when the sun rose, ck smoke rising continuously from the cathedral of War God Temple, it increased the panic to a whole new level.
What did ck smoke mean?
No one understood better than the elders in Edatine.
The smoke from burning the bodies!
Why would they burn the bodies straightaway without any final confirmation?
The answer was self-exnatory: the gue had descended upon them again.
The news was real, it wasnt a lie!
Boom!
The whole of Edatine exploded like a pot of boiling oil.
Everyone swarmed towards the hidden temple in the corner that belonged to Lady Cmity, albeit they avoided the ce like the gue during the normal times.
But the gue was on the other side now, so would their arrival before Lady Cmity be of any use?
Chapter 1838 - Choice
Chapter 1838: Choice
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Anderson and Holuff stood side by side in the shadows.
In front of them was a stone alleyway and at the end of the alley way was the temple of Lady Cmity.
This ce was usually filled with puddles of filthy water and dirt, and even though several priests of the temple cleaned it up daily, it was hard to make the ce clean.
But now?
COMMENT
It wasnt just cleaned up, it was filled with many devoted people.
Everyone showed utmost devotion as they knelt down on both knees, put their hands together, and prayed, as if they had forgotten the qualms and hatred towards the ce that they showed during other times.
Humans are always so realistic, Holuffs eyes showed a sense of mockery.
As a Demon Hunter, Holuff had been through countless simr situations. Simr things happened to different people. If it wasnt because the Demon Hunters had a strong belief in themselves, they would have crumbled a long time ago.
Still, a little grudge was inevitable, Demon Hunters were not saints after all.
They were just a bunch of pitiful groups of people from a certain perspective.
If they hadnt lost something important to the cruelty of life, who would want to be a Demon Hunter?
Many Demon Hunter parents even considered sending their children to a normal family, but in the end, they did not do it.
They were unwilling to part with their own blood.
Bloody was thicker than water.
Moreover, even if they sent their children to a normal family, the children would still encounter danger.
Pagans and monsters were never picky eaters.
If any normal family encountered the evil beings, they wouldnt end well.
Therefore, the Demon Hunter parents might as well keep their children by their side and teach them crucial techniques to protect themselves.
The important decision would be dyed to the day where the children came of age.
Of course, every single descendent of the Demon Hunter basically inherited the familys duty and became a Demon Hunter themselves when they came of age.
Since the children were heavily influenced by their parents throughout their whole lives, they would eventually tread the path that their parents took.
There were also some rebellious civilian children who thought it was cool to be an inherited Demon Hunter. They were then beaten up by their parents together and still couldnt change their childrens minds.
Humans are conflicted beings after all. Its not just that, we are also the same, Anderson sighed.
After spending decades in a dungeon, the old Demon Hunter gained tenacity and tolerance that other Demon Hunters didnt have. When he saw the scene before his eyes, other than sighing with emotion, he did not mock the people.
Or rather, the old Demon Hunter was paying attention to other things. He looked at the end of the temple.
There, everything remained the same.
Several priests stood there in either a muddled state or astonishment as they looked at the situation before their temple. They had no reaction to the unexpected situation.
The statue inside the temple didnt even have a speckle of light, one would have to climb up and wipe the dust away.
Nothing has changed. That one is still... hey.
When Holuff also saw the situation in front of his eyes, he couldnt help but shake his head.
With something as catastrophic as the ck Cataclysm happening in the past, when the temple of Lady Cmity was first built, it was flooded with people.
But as time went by, people soon realized the differences in thezy.
She would not respond to her believers, let alone blessing her believers with powers.
Even the statue sculpted based on her looks did not have the rted divine glory.
At first, people thought it was just a test from Lady Cmity, but a year went by, followed by two, three, four.... Everything remained the same.
Lady Cmity didnt eveny an eye on her believers.
On the other hand, a new batch of War God Temple believers hadpleted their baptism and acquired powers beyond themon.
Paling whenpared, Lady Cmitys temple started to decline in the fifth year.
With instigation from some people from behind, the temple was quickly left with only several truly devoted believers. They didnt have any powers, all they could do was clean the ce and perform other misceneous choresthat was the reason why they were able to survive until now.
10 yearster after the ck Cataclysm, people had nothing but disgust and qualms for Lady Cmity.
If it wasnt for the gue outbreak, the people would probably continue their resentful attitude.
In the end?
Two or more generationster, Lady Cmitys image will be fixed. It would be difficult for her to make aeback from there.
It was without a doubt an ideal scene that War God Temple wished to see, but they failed in the end.
The gue came again, and this time, the outbreak happened in the cathedral of War God Temple.
People amassed before the temple of Lady Cmity and prayed.
Although the Lady did not and would not care, following the arrival of death, more and more people amassed in front of the temple.
Holuff could already picture the crowded scene, he didnt have any further thoughts about it.
Both God of War and Lady Cmity were a threat in this retired Demon Hunters eyes.
Their divine duty was sufficient to prove it.
The former had to ceaselessly instigate conflict or war to be able to grow strong.
Peace? It was non-existent.
Thetter? The Lady was much more dangerous.
Compared to the God of War who had emotions, thetter was much more of a beast. Even up until now, all she could do was follow her instincts andy dormant in the south. She had no divine abilities but had simr powers.
Of course, she wasnt like this initially.
When she was first born, she was like the God of War. She had emotions like a normal human and was able to move freely, but after the Demon Hunters got involved, everything became different.
The leader of Wolf Sect used his life and a legacy Demon Hunter relic as offering and sealed Lady Cmity into her current state. Likewise, the Silent Night Secret Society councilmen as they were also caught by the seal.
Even though the seal wouldntst forever,sting for several hundred years was not a problem.
Holuff knew it, Anderson also knew it.
The reason why they were here was to further their investigation.
It was an order from the Snake Sect heir.
The heir wanted urate news about the gue.
As a matter of fact, even without Kierans orders, the two of them woulde here for investigation.
No one could afford to be careless in front of the gue.
That Lady is still in her beast mode. The more people amass here, the more unwanted trouble they might cause. If the gue breaks out here... the casualty rate will only go up!
Holuff was very worried as he had experienced the ck Cataclysm firsthand...
Then are you going to persuade them to go away? Anderson asked.
Holuff replied with a bitter smile
Persuade? He would if they would listen.
He was certain that if he really went up to the people and persuaded them to leave, the bunch of devoted believers of Lady Cmity would surely throw him out.
If he ran into some hot-tempered ones, a brutal fight would surely break out.
Lets go. Lets go to Colin, he should have a better way around this, said Anderson before he headed to the direction of the Mist camp.
Holuff took another nce at the increasing number of people. He sighed in the end and followed his friend.
...
Meanwhile, in the cathedral of War God Temple, dinner was going on with a suppressed atmosphere.
Pak!
Suddenly, a deacon drinking soup passed out on the floor.
The clear clunk of the spoon when it hit the floor was louder than the falling thud, as if it was a pebble tossed into a calmke.
All the people in the mess hall quickly covered their mouths and noses, avoiding the fallen deacon like the gue, all except for one.
While everyone was avoiding the fallen deacon, a person went up to attend to the deacon.
Gino! The young knight who gradually gained reputation in War God Temple and acknowledgement from many others.
Gino went up to the unconscious deacon and helped him up.
Can you hear me? Gino asked softly.
C-Can! I am fine, please dont burn me.
The deacon was weak, his mind muddled, but his survival instincts allowed him to clearly express his thoughts.
Dont worry. You wont be burned to death, Gino assured the deacon.
He helped the deacon up by holding his waist and headed to a room in the corner of the cathedral.
Everyone made way for them nervously, but when they saw Ginos running figure, they all showed aplicated expression.
Respect? A little.
Mocking? Probably a little too.
Disdain? There were also some.
Humans areplicated beings.
The believers wereplicated and so was Gino.
As the one who caused the gue outbreak, his guilt exploded when the bishop in council ordered the men to burn the infected bodies.
I just want to live! he kept telling himself.
Then, he begged the bishop in council to assign him to take care of the infected.
Was it redemption? Not exactly, but Gino knew he would feel better by doing so.
Painful moans and groans filled this corner.
This corner was once the storeroom of War God Temple. Gino asked for the storeroom to be transformed into a temporary care center.
Inside the care center, there were almost a hundred infected and plus the one he was holding... there should be a total of 100.
Gino thought of the number in his heart, he didnt actually count the people because he was afraid that the number would decrease.
The heavy wooden door opened up.
Several infected believers inside the care center who still remained conscious looked up and saw Gino bring in a new patient. The infected believers showed a grateful look.
Gino smiled and quickly lowered his head. He dared not ept the grateful gaze from the infected.
After heid the deacon onto an empty bed, Gino went ahead to check and take care of the others, as if by doing so he could decrease his sense of guilt.
Thank you. Thank you Knight Gino.
Everyone who remained conscious expressed their thanks to Gino when he checked up on them.
Whether it was a prestigious priest or a normal deacon and knight, they all thanked him sincerely.
There wasnt any false gratitude at all because they knew this young knight had saved them from the fiery end.
Every single thank you was like a needle poking into Ginos heart.
He started to feel suffocated, hence he had to do more things to distract himself, but by doing so, more thanks came his way.
It was like a vicious cycle and only Gino himself knew what was going on in his heart.
The others?
They thought they were looking at a real knight, a knight with noble traits, only heard of in legends or literature.
The moonlight shone through the window and cast ayer of pure white brilliance over him.
Several priests looked at Gino quietly and exchanged gazes, sighing softly.
Compared to him, we are really despicable, said one of the priests.
No one argued about that. The slightly younger priest wanted to argue but when his lips moved, all he said was, This is just an order from the lord bishop.
They were just on guard duty.
Mortor agreed to Ginos request but that didnt mean the bishop in council didnt have any precautions taken.
He knew how contagious the gue was. The slightest misstep would end in a catastrophic end. Therefore, precautions were a must. Likewise, some secret orders, like killing the infected who tried to leave the quarantine area.
However, that didnt mean the bishop in council didnt actively seek for a way to solve the situation.
Do note that all these infected were his Majestys important property.
As the most loyal believer of God of War, he ought to protect those properties on behalf of his god.
Therefore, from the second where the gue broke out, Mortor the bishop in council had been contacting his God.
As for the result?
The increasing number of infected in the storeroom was an obvious answer.
God of Wars powers were destined to be unable to truly counter the gue unless he poured in more of his power to expel the gue, but... his efforts would pale inparison to the situation.
He could manage if the infected numbers were a few.
Trying to bless all of his believers? Totally impossible!
In fact, aside from all of his believers, he couldnt bless all the clergies in the cathedral alone with his power.
More importantly, as the gue spread, his beastly rival started to grow restless in her dormant state.
Trickery, schemes, destruction!
Mortor clearly heard the shout from his God and it was without a doubt that the gue was the Gods handy work.
After War God Temple decided to team up with the other factions, they were wantonly attacked.
Other than that, what else could this gue be? Everything was too coincidental.
The great explosion at Qitar Bay, Edatine VI falling ill, all followed by the gue in War God Temple. Disaster after disaster caught people off guard, the cascading events seeming like the deliberate nning of someone.
Is there a spy of that God among us? Mortor wondered.
Although the alliance with Snake Sect definitely wasnt a secret, it wasnt something the public would know either.
While Mortor was pondering upon whom the spy from the God could be, knocks sounded on his door.
It was Cabio, the bishop in charge of Dark Hall and also the vice director of the Inquisition.
The director of the Inquisition was none other than Mortor himself.
Donning a ck robe, Cabios face looked rather aged but his eyes were sharp.
Right after he came in, he said, My lord, you are way too merciful.
What he said was without reason and end, but Mortor knew what he was referring to.
Gino is a talent, but we cant afford to lose the big ones because of the smaller ones. Besides, who could guarantee that the store room is safe? Dont forget that they are breathing the same air as us. Burning them all would be the safest way.
Cabio finished with a nonchnt tone, looking at Mortor.
Several secondster, the bishop in council sighed.
Ill leave it to you then, Cabio.
Yes, lord bishop.
A bowter, Cabio turned around and left.
Looking at Cabios disappearing figure, Mortor sighed once more.
Im sorry my child. This is all for the sake of our lords glory.
Chapter 1839 - Spread
Chapter 1839: Spread
Gino fell asleep in the middle of all the caretaking. He was extremely exhausted.
Even though he had trained to be a knight since he was young, taking care of a hundred people at once had proven to be an extremely difficult thing.
Standing in the shadows outside the storeroom, several priests watched over the scene.
As guards, they carried out their duty faithfully.
As for being infected by the gue?
Since they were able to be within the gues proximity, its proven that they wouldnt get infected.
By experiencing the ck Cataclysm firsthand, the members of War God Temple could easily differentiate who was infected. The powerful members didnt even have to be worried about being infected, such as the armed priests.
During the ck Cataclysm, not a single armed priest was infected despite the fact that they stayed in the infected zone for a long period of time.
Therefore, the priests outside the storeroom were all armed priests.
The armed priests were certainly the higher-ups of War God Temple. They were only second to the bishop, bishop in council and the archbishop, a position that had been empty for a long time.
It was rare for so many armed priests to be gathered up at a single spot during normal times.
As a matter of tact, the armed priests were in charge of their respective sectors throughout Edatine Castle, so it was difficult to get all of them together at a single spot.
Since the opportunity was hard toe by, the armed priests, who were usually stationed in their respective sector, caught up with each other. They talked about everything from the petty misceneous stuff to the hidden secrets that were not made known to the public. Everything was part of their conversation.
The conversation was rather exciting at first but as time went by, all the armed priests fell into a state of silence.
Their attention was ced on the young knight Gino.
Lets hope that he will be fine.
The younger armed priest who tried to say something earlier truly prayed and wished for the best for the young knight. He had never seen such an honest young man, he might even beparable to those fabricated legendary characters written in tomes and legends.
No, young Gino might have surpassed them! This young man was truly honest!
Our lord will bless his believers. If its possible, I hope that he cane to my sector, said the other older armed priests sincerely after a soft prayer.
Yeah, with a young man like him around, we can save ourselves a lot of trouble. But the bishop in council would never agree to let him go. If he is baptised, he will be a bishop... no, he should be the ideal candidate for the next bishop in council, said another armed priest.
This armed priest obviously was looking at the bigger picture.
All the other armed priests nodded in agreement at their colleagues words.
How could the bishop in council let such a decent young man go?
The bishop might have already requested for his Majesty to protect the young man.
The armed priests wondered. They then looked behind them together as a series of footsteps sounded.
Dak, dak, dak, dak.
A group of men appeared in their sight.
Lord bishop, the armed priests bowed.
Cabio, the bishop in charge of the Dark Hall.
Cabios reputation might not be widely known to the public but he was well-known by all the members of War God Temple.
Every single higher-up of War God Temple knew Cabio as the Inquisitions vice director.
What was the Inquisition again?
Everyone present at the scene knew exactly what the Inquisition was good at.
Mm, Cabio nodded coldly. He nced over the armed priests with his sharp and unpleasant gaze and when he spotted an ufortable reaction from one of the armed priests, Cabio retracted his sharp gaze out of satisfaction.
His Majesty required dignity!
And this would be the most important line of defense that he had to hold up for his Majesty!
Cabio believed it deeply, therefore he was fair to everyone! To the point that it made him harsh and cold.
Anyone who made a mistake would be sanctioned ordingly if they ended up in his hands, no one would be exempted!
With a wave of the hand from Cabio, the deacons behind the bishop, who seemed to be from Dark Hall but were core members from the Inquisition, carried firewood towards the storeroom.
The armed priests saw the firewood being carried to the storeroom, their eyes twitching.
They werent idiots, they knew what Cabio wanted to do, but... no one dared to voice their objection to stop him.
It was Cabio! The cold and ruthless Cabio!
The armed priests watched the firewood being stacked up at the storeroom door and walls.
Can after can of gasolene was poured on the firewood and a torch was passed to Cabio by a deacon.
Right before the torch was tossed towards the firewood, the younger armed priests couldnt hold it anymore, Lord Bish-
Huu!
Before he even finished, Cabio had tossed the torch towards the firewood and when the fire came in contact with the gasolene, the whole ce was set aze instantly.
Standing beside the fiery structure, Cabio turned around and said, Whats wrong?
Under the fiery light, his eyes grew dark and deep, as if there wasnt any temperature in the man.
The younger armed priest looked at the storeroom engulfed in mes, his jaw dropping and not a single wording out of his mouth.
...
Gino had a nightmare.
He dreamt that the infected, who were burned to death, came after him.
Every single one of them was engulfed in mes, the fiery mes burning his mouth and nose, making him suffocate and stinging his eyes.
I didnt do it on purpose! Im sorry! Im sorry!
Gino repeatedly apologized as he failed to distinguish the dream from reality.
Thick smoke soon entered his mouth and stung his lungs
Cough, cough.
Fierce coughs woke Gino up from the unpleasant dream and he saw... fire!
Fire from outside the window!
Wake up! Everyone! Wake up! Theres a fire!
Gino shouted for everyone to wake up after a quick daze.
The infected clergy, knight, deacon, and priest were all awoken by Ginos shout.
They saw the fiery mes burning into the storeroom. They had a hard time getting up from their sick bed, but they wanted to escape the fiery fate.
Its useless, we have nowhere to run.
A voice sounded all of a sudden.
All the infected turned to the source of the voice, seeing a middle-aged man in a priest robe, looking dispirited as he sat down in the corner in despair.
This is an act of arson, its not an ident! As for why? Dont you understand?
Under the gazes of the crowd, the middle-aged priest gave a bleakugh.
Kaboom!
A huge explosion went off. Those who managed to stand up after all that effort fell back to the ground as the shockwave knocked them off their feet.
Those who were able to stand were at a loss for action.
Of course, there were also some who couldnt believe the situation.
Impossible! The bishop in council wouldnt do something like this!
Several of them shouted out of disbelief and ran towards the exit.
Sou Sou Sou Sou!
Arrows then rained in through the window beside the exit, shooting the infected who got too close.
The infected patients were dead after they were pinned down on the floor by the arrow. They didnt even get to touch the door and they had lost all signs of life.
Everything went silent right away.
When the people in the storeroom looked at the fallen bodies in a daze, all they could hear in their ears were sparks as the fire burned away at the wooden structure.
Why are they doing this to us? a young deacon sobbed.
He started a chain reaction as many more started to sob. The thought was shared amongst all the patients.
Why were they treated with such cruelty?
Werent they the believers of God of War?
Your Majesty, I beg of you, please save us!
The young deacon continued to sob louder.
His voice spread far in the night but there was no response at all.
Its useless. We, the infected, are destined to be abandoned. Our survival will only threaten others. Only with our deaths and our bodies burned can those higher-ups can sigh a breath of relief, the priest said once more.
The dispirited voice and the despairing look influenced all of the others around him.
Many of the patients fell weakly to the ground.
Death was scary, no one could ever ignore death.
Gino looked at the dispirited patients around him, the guilt in his heart growing heavier.
Im sorry. Its my fault. Its me...
His apology suddenly sounded in the burning storeroom.
The apology was very inappropriate for the timing. Those who were in despair looked at the young knight. They saw the guilt on his face and it made their hearts skip a beat.
He is guilty because he is unable to save us?
The thought rose in everyones heart and it moved every single one of them strongly.
There was also a sense of warmth to it.
After they were abandoned by the bishop in council, the sense of warmth became very precious and rare. Even the priest who fell into despair first felt the warmth.
He stood up and walked to the young knight, cing his hand over the young knights shoulder.
You are not wrong. We are the one who are wrong. It was our fault that we couldnt see what kind of God that we believed in. Its self-deception to think that God will save us, we deserve to be abandoned! The middle-aged priest said loudly, tears flowing out from his eyes and rolling down his cheeks. He said this with utmost grievance and grudge.
The grievance and grudge soon infected the others who were in the bleak situation.
Yeah! Until now, what are we still hoping for? If we can really be saved, would we stille here? Would this ce be set on fire?
The sobbings went quiet, everyone weeping in silence.
The middle-aged priest then continued, I think after we die, we wont end up in that Gods kingdom, we might not even have a soul left. After all, its best to keep this incident a secret from those naive believers, but I am unwilling! I am unwilling to be burned to death like this, dying in silence. I might not even have a soul after this, but those people out there will surely im that Ive returned to that Gods kingdom.
The middle-aged priest was able to captivate everyones attention in the storeroom with his words. He then looked down at the kneeling young Gino.
Gino, can I ask a favour? Tell the people what happened here.
The middle-aged priest begged the young knight and thetter unconsciously nodded.
Then the middle-aged priest looked at all the other patients in the storeroom.
Are you guys willing to take onest risk for this young man who truly tried to save us? There is nothing in return, no reward, only death, simr to how he never asked us for anything in return. He did this without reward and even risked his life to help us! said the middle-aged priest loudly.
Yeah!
Right after his voice faded, the young priest replied immediately and a chain effect started as many more of the patients voiced their agreement.
I am willing to!
We are willing to!
The patient fought and stood up.
Very well, you did not disappoint me like a coward. The middle-aged man nodded and then said louder, He shouldnt die here with us! Now, let us fight for a path for him to leave!
Right after his voice subsided, the middle-aged priest charged towards the storeroom door.
Cabio saw the movements from outside the storeroom, but he coldly chuckled.
Struggling until yourst breath, maggots? Fire!
Right after themand, arrows rained down on the zing storeroom like the storm, but unlike before, the arrows were all blocked by the middle-aged priest. He was quick and nimble, afterimages left in his trail. As if he was plucking flowers, he gathered all the arrows into his arm.
On top of that, at the next second, the arrows were tossed out by the priest and flew back with a sharp, air-breaking whistle!
Sou Sou Sou Sou Sou!
Pam!
The deacons who fired the arrows were all shot to the ground.
Cabio dodged the iing arrows but his eyes showed astonishment.
The priest that counterattacked was rather familiar to him and although he couldnt remember the name, he was certain about one thing: given the priests power, he shouldnt be just a priest, he should be at least an armed priest.
However, armed priests shouldnt be infected by the gue.
Many thoughts gushed into Cabios mind in an instant but before he could carefully filter them, the door of the storeroom was kicked down by the priest.
The door shattered into pieces as it flew towards Cabio and the others with a zing trail.
The knights and deacons from the Inquisition managed to dodge the door.
The middle-aged priest then shouted loudly at Cabio, RUN, EVERYONE, RUN!
Right away, all the infected patients from inside the storeroom gushed out from the door.
They might be weak and couldnt even stand still on their feet but those who were supposed to stop them avoided them like the gue.
No one wanted to be infected.
The armed priests standing on a side were shocked by the abrupt scene. They were at a loss of action and even when the infected patient ran past them, they didnt move a muscle, as if they were sculptures.
All of you will die! said Cabio in gnashing teeth as the situation went out of control.
He swore he would teach these infected patients a good lesson after he killed the priest that made this happen.
Layers of keen holy light enveloped his fist and when he dished out his holy punch, theyer of holy light was sted into the priest, perforating his bodypletely.
ThenKaboom!
The middle-aged priest was sted to pieces.
Although the priest seemed suspicious, Cabio would not hold back at such timing.
Not a single one of the infected could escape!
With that thought in mind, he turned around.
Rays of holy light were fired from his body, tearing the infected patients into shreds.
The vice director of the Inquisition did not notice that the shredded body of that middle-aged priest was quietly disappearing. He would never pay attention to a dead person.
He had to gain control over the chaotic situation.
Soon enough, under the indomitable power of the vice director of the Inquisition, the situation was under control, but at that very moment
Cough, cough, cough!
Cabio started to cough fiercely, a sense of weakness spreading from inside his body.
Cabio was shocked, his face turning sour.
HOW IS IT POSSIBLE? he shouted loudly in his heart.
His body started to wobble and his fierce attacks stopped. Everyone looked at Cabio, whose body had started to fall ill.
Everyones faces instantly turned sour.
Then, the knights, deacons, and priests of the Inquisition started to cough and feel weak.
The gue spreads.
Chapter 1840 - Change!
Chapter 1840: Change!
Bloody Mary finally was able to heave a sigh of relief after it left the cathedrals proximity.
It wiped away the sweat that didnt exist on its forehead and grinned.
It was much easier than expected.
Bloody Mary had actually prepared five backup ns should the first one fail, but in the end it didnt use any of them.
The higher-ups of War God Temple yed along better than it expected, they simply delivered the ideal oue to it.
Thats right! Its... or rather its bosss target had always been the higher-ups of War God Temple. Compared to the lower and medium rank believers, the higher-ups had much more value.
Even though they were the believers of God of War, even though War God Temple imed that people should have an equal life, and even though they imed that the believers of God of War would return to the holy kingdom after death, it was all different in the end.
Whether it was the resources or the concerns received, they were all different, especially thetter, which made Bloody Mary extra careful.
Then, it realized it was not just overthinking, it was being lucky as well.
That God is still concerned about Cmity, eh? But Cabio, I guess he will have to do! Bloody Mary eximed and then showed a mischievous smile.
When you are an observer and sit high up at the audience seat, you act as you please without considering peoples emotion, you are cruel towards others as you decide the fate for all around you, but now... its time for you to be on stage! Please dont embarrass yourself too much!
Bloody Mary disappeared into the void with its own mischievous intentions.
...
Cough, cough, cough!
Cabio couldnt straighten his waist as the fierce cough kept him down. He wanted to maintain his dignity but with the coughs troubling him, it made him curl up like a shrimp, especially under the fiery scene, as if the shrimp was almost cooked and ready to be eaten.
Cabio nced over the priests who kept a distance from him, feeling a sense of malicious intent on their faces.
Leave! He must leave! He couldnt stay any longer!
The thought appeared in his mind and swiftly became his priority.
He couldnt stay.
Why not go to Mortor?
It was useless, Cabio had been infected, would Mortor see him now?
Cabios only hope left was his Majesty, the God of War!
He had to find a quiet ce and pray to the God of War!
With that thought in mind, Cabio discarded his hesitation.
He could feel the weakness in his body growing and if he stayed any longer, he would have to stay for good.
As for the consequences? It would be a no-brainer.
Cabio nced over the burning storeroom.
If he could burn people alive, so could others to him, and he didnt want a fiery end.
Sou!
Moving so fast that he left an afterimage of himself on the spot, Cabio vanished.
It was only when Cabio vanished that the priests at the side regained their senses.
They saw the members of the Inquisition fallen down in a weak state, a weird feeling uncontrobly rising in their hearts.
The sanction of fate? asked the younger priest.
His voice sounded very prominent beside the fiery storeroom, but after the priests looked at each other, they became silent.
They were thinking and... tacitly acknowledged what the younger priest said.
They were still recalling the scene that happened just now.
They did not stop those poor infected patients, but Cabio did.
Then, Cabio, who was much more powerful than they were, got infected and they remained untouched by the gue.
No matter how they viewed it, it struck them a strange feeling but it also had a sense of unknown resonance.
Maybe its really fate. He couldnt bear watching this anymore.
This dungeon world did not have a so-called God of Fate, but the oldest among the priests said as such and none of his colleagues argued about that.
After the oldest priest finished, he looked at his colleagues and he was greeted with nods.
The priest then continued, We need to report this to Lord Mortor, tell him exactly what happened here.
The other priests got the order and nodded once more.
Yes, tell the bishop in council EXACTLY what happened here.
The important matters must be reported meticulously and the less important ones should be opted out from the reports, such as their own sense ofpassion.
Perhaps it wasnt reallypassion, it was just a feeling that made them feel pity for others.
The feeling that brought them good luck.
Those that shouldnt be in the public eye would naturally be opted out, but what was opted out still existed, so they had to bury it deep in their hearts.
Then? What they buried in their hearts would certainly sprout.
As time went by, it would certainly sprout.
It might be a very, VERY, long process but it woulde.
And if someone gave it a push, the sprouting speed would surely be faster.
...
Mortor received the news several minutester.
He was stunned for several seconds before he punched heavily on the table.
Bang!
Damn it! The heavy thump was apanied by cursing from the bishop in council.
He didnt verbally vent his anger, but he really hoped that Cabio could simply drop dead in his heart.
He had never been so disappointed in a person, Cabio was definitely the first!
Aside from screwing up a very simple mission, that idiot made things countless times moreplicated!
Mortor could already picture the uing matters that he had to face.
When the infected patients revealed to the public what happened there, the believers of God of War would surely plunge into panic!
Theres a high possibility that the core of the faith would be shaken!
No! He could not allow this to happen!
With the thought in mind, he gave an order.
Tell the public Bishop Cabio is a spy from that Demon God. He released the gue in the cathedral and he himself decided to burn the infected believers of our Lord. Everything is his fault! A little pauseter, the bishop in council added, Mobilize everyone that we have and hunt Cabio down. No need to capture him alive, kill on sight!
Yes sir! the oldest priest among the group replied solemnly and then left the room.
Bang!
The door was heavily shut and with a loud thud, the old priest couldnt help but sigh.
Sigh!
He looked up at the pure white moon and eagerly moved away from the room behind him, as if the room had the filthiest and baddest in the whole realm.
Under normal condition, a mere door could never block Mortors senses, he could clearly hear what happened outside his door but he was concentrating in themunication with the God of War, therefore he did not notice the sigh from outside the door.
So, it had been determined that something would change.
Lose a nail, lose a horseshoe; lose a horseshoe, lose a horse; lose a horse, lose a king; lose a king, lose a war; lose a war, lose a kingdom.
At first, everything started because of that little knight who wished to live.
But now?
That little knight was bringing the people around him running beyond the walls of Edatine.
The number of people that Gino led away was less than half of the initial number, albeit when they broke out of the fiery storeroom, more than half of them had fallen in front of the door.
As for the rest who managed to escape, they helped each other.
The young Gino carried a weak patient on his back and tied another one around his neck using his belt. Everyone else tried their best to help each other.
They were a disaster to the eyes, but their eyes were burning a me unlike before.
It was clear and bright.
Hold on everyone. We are almost there. The Mist will surely save us! said young Gino.
He wasnt doing this without a reason, it was what the voice in his head told him.
The Mist would be the ce where they would be saved in the end.
Until now, the young Gino had no idea where the voice in his head came from, he wasnt sure whether the voice was friendly or hostile, he even spected that the voice came from a certain emissary of the God.
As for the God himself? Impossible.
He didnt think a petty character like himself was all that important to capture the attention of a God, an emissary of God would be more usible.
Though he deeply knew being watched over wasnt exactly a good thing, the voice must have a reason or a goal to achieve... but the voice had never lied to him!
More importantly, the bishop of the Mist religious sect!
Whenever he thought of the warm smile of that bishop, the young Gino couldnt help but feel strengthened.
If its Bishop Simon, he will be able to save us!
The young Gino somehow held a strong belief in Bishop Simon.
When did the confidence in Bishop Simon appear in his heart?
Young Gino had no idea as well.
Maybe it was when Gino swung his sword at Bishop Simon in front of the city gate and the bishop did not dodge his sword at all, even smiling at him.
Maybe this voice is from the emissary of him! Bishop Simon must have a way around this!
That thought in his mind hastened Ginos steps.
Instantly, the people around him were infected by his confidence, seeming to have sped up too.
The group of infected patients did not go unnoticed along the way, but their War God Temple attire allowed them to safely reach the Lower Ring.
Following the appearance of Cmity and Mist, the light of God of War had gone weak, but was not totally dark.
No one would be crazy enough to provoke them, except for one of their own from War God Temple!
As a matter of fact, Gino was worried that they might be hunted down by the other War God Temple deacons, but even after they saw the Mist camp, there wasnt a single pursuer on their tail.
Thank Go-
One of the infected deacons prayed out of instinct but right after the words escaped his mouth, he cut them off and smiled bitterly.
Was he still receiving protection from the God of War?
When that fire burned in the storeroom, everything changed.
What else could he say? Self-deception?
Whatever, it didnt matter anymore.
There was someone that was worthy of his gratitude more than the God who abandoned him.
Thank you Gino, said the Deacon.
Thank you Gino.
Thank you Gino.
...
After the many thanks from the infected patients, the young knight slightly lowered his head.
He dared not look at them with their sincere gazes. All he did was try his best to help them out to decrease the guilt in his heart, anything that would make him feel better.
So he only nodded and kept quiet as he carried the patient on his back to the Mist camp.
Who goes there! The guards stopped the young knight and the infected, but they did not further obstruct them because Bloody Mary was already there.
In fact, not only Bloody Mary, even the old Demon Hunter Anderson, Sivalka, and the others were there.
Sivalka showed heavy vignce in his eyes at Gino and the infected.
After experiencing the ck Cataclysm for himself, Sivalka feared the gue more than anything.
Or rather, those who had never seen a whole town die overnight could never understand Sivalkas fear.
So, when Bloody Mary walked towards Gino and the infected, Sivalka stopped it right away.
Lord bishop, the gue.
He wasnt loud, but clear enough.
The guards instantly showed fear, consciously stepping back. The guards would never take a step back against the most ferocious enemies but against the gue?
No matter how brave a person was, he could never win against an enemy that he couldnt see.
The reaction from the guards caused Gino and the others to skip a beat in their hearts.
The anticipation on their faces was frozen.
Even thest ce of hope would fail them?
Hope was going down the drain, despair rose again, it was a very bad feeling.
Without experiencing hope, one would never know how scary despair was, even the young Gino couldnt help but pucker his lips.
He was worried that the uneptable scene would happen, he was worried that he would fall into the abyss.
Fortunately, what he was worried about did not happen.
With a warm smile, Bloody Mary walked to them without pause.
I know, but I am willing to bear the burden. I am willing to ept everything for them, even death. After the words, Bloody Mary stood in front of the young Gino and ced its hand over his forehead.
Are you tired? Dont worry, you can have a good rest now, I am here.
White radiance shone from Bloody Mary.
The light was dazzling and bright under the night sky, causing everyone to squint their eyes or look away.
When everyone regained their sight, the white radiance had faded, but an astonishing scene appeared.
The infected, who were weak before, were able to stand still once more.
Those who were unconscious woke up.
The gue... had been cured!
It was cured?!
Everyone looked at the scene with utmost disbelief.
I-Is everyone okay? Gino stuttered.
I am no longer weak.
Me either.
Me too!
Affirmative answers sounded one after another, the once infected patients that escaped the fiery storeroom of War God Temple were basking in joy.
This is great! This is great! muttered the young Gino. His tears covered his eyes and then rolled down his cheeks.
me, guilt, and regret almost crushed the young knight.
Now? He felt a little better.
In the end, only by experiencing despair would one know how precious hope was.
While Gino wept behind his hands, he heard the clunks of armors and rustling of clothes. When he moved his hand away from his weeping face, he saw the people kneeling down in front of him on one knee.
Everyone looked solemn and serious.
We cant express our feelings with words but we will follow you with our action. We hereby swear, said everyone in one voice.
Its not me, its Bishop Simon... Whats wrong, Bishop Simon?
The young knight waved his hands repeatedly, looking at Bishop Simon before he realized the bishop looked pale and was wobbling.
I-I am fine, theforting words came out of its mouth arduously and right after the words faded, it fell down on the ground.
Chapter 1841 - Ferment
Chapter 1841: Ferment
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Hurry up! Hurry up! Get me a stretcher! GET ME A STRETCHER!
Bloody Marys sudden passing out sent the Mist camp into chaos.
Sivalka shouted loudly, the old Demon Hunter Anderson even dashed up to Bloody Mary in a sh.
Anderson saw the pale look on Bloody Marys face but his breathing was still fairly stable and after he checked there wasnt a fever, Anderson heaved a sigh of relief.
He was really worried that this kind and merciful bishop would resolve things using the wrong way. Thankfully, things did not end in the worst possible way.
Bloody Mary was carefully moved onto a stretcher and carried away quickly. The old Demon Hunter then looked at the young knight who was in a daze,unable to hold back his sigh and said, The gue is not something that is easily cured.
Not that easily cured? The young Gino was shocked by the revtion
Looking at Bloody Mary being carried away by the Mist believers with an empty gaze, he couldnt help but ask, Sir Anderson, what do you mean by that?
The gue doesnte from nothing, neither would it disappear into nothing without a reason. It is just moved, moved from one body to another. He is taking the suffering away from all of you, just like what he said earlier. He is willing to bear your burden and everything else, including death!
The old Demon Hunter couldnt help but inhale deeply. His voice even sounded heavy.
What a foolish person. I thought Id never see one again for the rest of my life.
The old Demon Hunter then walked to the watchtower.
With a powerhouse down, the camps defenses had suddenly been weakened, and before the bishop woke up, Anderson decided to protect the camp on his behalf.
It was a one-sided decision and it wasnt rted to anything else, it was just because fools like the bishop were appearing less and less in this world.
The young Gino stood there nkly.
The old Demon Hunters words were crystal clear, the sense of guilt appearing in his heart again.
When the sense of guilt spread, the young Gino quickly walked to Bloody Marys tent but he didnt go in, just standing guard outside.
Those who pledged loyalty to the young knight followed too, all guarding outside silently.
The believers of Mist who got news about what happened were worried as well.
The young Rogart was walking in circles outside the tent with his battleaxe over his shoulder.
Hed re at the young Gino asionally and then looked at the tent with a worried gaze.
Erin Sicar, with a white fur coat, put her hands together and prayed to the Mist.
In fact, most of the Mist believers prayed.
They believed their God would protect their bishop.
Meanwhile, inside the tent....
A soft bed, afortable pillow, a warm nket. Bloody Mary couldnt help but smile due to thefort.
It was sofortable, it wanted to be sealed in the bed and never leave.
Let me see, how much time do I have left? I need an average time, not too long, not too short but enough to make people worry. A moment before dawn? No, no, no. Its a little short, its not good enough for the boss performance. But after dawn would be too eye-catching...Hmmm
Why not a quarter after sunrise!? It allows me to sleep for another 10 minutes! Oh yeah! 10 more minutes of rest!
Bloody Marys heart was in utter delight as it nned out the timing.
Then, a secondter
Light snoring sounded.
Bloody Mary was almost immortal and from a certain perspective, it would never be tired, but it was really exhausted recently.
ying multiple roles at once and having to perfect every single one of them; it was always worried about getting exposed and worried about over-exhausting its power. Even though it was a hetero-form demon, it was quite difficult for it to endure all of it at once.
It needed some rest.
Kieran had nothing to say about it, he felt Bloody Marys condition.
He then stood up from the soft mat.
He looked at the pagan remnants sent over by the southern councilmen of the Silent Night Secret Society.
A total of 60 pieces of pagan remnants, in all kinds of shapes and sizes, some looking like ws, some in the shape of a hoof, ear, and eye, most of them were a part of the pagans body after they were killed.
Different parts of the bodies also represented different powers.
Some weak, some strong.
The strongest ones wereparable to rank II or rank III in terms of power, but the requirement was also outrageous.
ording to the remarks and requirements, unleashing a single attack of such caliber would require the offering of a hundred living souls at least.
The weakest ones were like a magic trick, the requirement also rtively low, only requiring a chicken or something simr that had meat.
In short, all sorts of weird powers came with all sorts of weird conditions.
However, merely satisfying the requirements wasnt enough.
The uprising of the pagans from War God Temple and the gemstone from Edatine VI, all the signs pointed out to Kieran that the power of the pagans were best left alone, they shouldnt be simply used without a strong heart.
Fortunately, Kieran didnt need to use the remnant powers either, all he needed was... for them to taste good!
With a thought from his mind, Gluttony appeared in the tent.
Right after it appeared, Gluttony looked at its big brother with a pitiful and begging look.
He was starving, especially in front of a bunch of food that he wasnt able to eat. It was torture for Gluttony.
Hed even settle for a quick lick but without permission from his big brother, he dared not even look.
Go on, but only these. You cant have those yet.
Kieran nodded at the teary Gluttony, pointing at the boxes with the pagan remnants.
Gluttony cheered happily right away. He dashed towards the boxes, opened the lids up and went to grab the pagan remnants with his bare hands, but right before his hands touched the food, Gluttony suddenly thought of something.
He stopped. He raised his hand and the chopstick [Seven-inch Six-part. Jiaolong Chopsticks] appeared.
His brother once said eating using his brothers form must show table manners.
Gluttony bore the lesson in mind as he moved the chopsticks into the boxes. The pagan remnants instantly felt a sense of danger, wriggling like worms, but before they could do anything, they were pierced by the chopstick.
Several pagan remnants were skewered by the chopstick and with [Jialong Saliva] in effect, the pagan remnants taste elevated to the next level.
The already alluring taste made Gluttony go wild.
Without a second thought, he opened his mouth, put the skewer into his mouth, and then pulled out the chopstick. All the pagan remnants skewered by the chopstick, regardless of size, were put into Gluttonys mouth and chewed on.
Crunch, crunch!
Amid the crunches, juices spilled out his mouth but did not touch the ground as Gluttony slurped them quickly back into his mouth.
Not wasting food was his big brothers ideology and he carried it out wholeheartedly.
Likewise, Kieran also carried out his own ideology thoroughly.
The energy Gluttony converted was infused into all five of his Origin Forces.
The deep and dark Cardinal Sins Force.
The chaotic and ruthless Devil Force.
The sharp and reserved Saint Thorn Force.
The Dawn Force and gue Force that existed like a pair of chopsticks were surrounded by Cardinal Sins Force, Devil Force and Saint Thorn Force, forming a steady triangle.
Then, all five of the Origin Forces amassed and imbued the ember.
From a single spark to the current ember, this ember in the deepest part of Kierans mind was growing vigorous.
On the other hand, the darkness and chaos were decreasing, leaving only nine dark threads behind.
However, these nine threads of darkness were far more sturdier than Kierans expectation.
It wasnt burned away by the ember, instead continuing to create more and more chaos and darkness.
Kieran was sure that if he temporarily killed the ember, the deepest part of his mind would be filled with chaos and darkness again.
So, as long as he hadnt lost his mind, he would never do it.
Although he still didnt know what would happen after the chaos and darkness werepletely expelled, the difort from the chaos and darkness told Kieran what he should do.
Huu!
The Origin Forces received a staggering 60 pagan remnants worth of fuel in a single go and the fuel was all poured into the ember, causing it to surge high all of a sudden.
Right away, one thread of chaotic darkness was burned to cinders, followed by a second thread.
The second one burned slower than the first one and when the ember reached the third, it started to feelckluster.
All the ember managed to burn off was half of the third thread before it entered a stagnant state.
Its stronger than I thought!
Looking at the six and a half threads of chaotic darkness, Kieran unconsciously looked towards the 280 magical items and equipment and 40 Rare rank magical equipment and items.
Ultimately, he shook his head.
Its not time yet, Kieran told himself in his heart.
He then looked at Gluttony.
Holding the chopsticks, Gluttony was full of unwillingness as he parted ways with the remaining food, ultimately vanishing back into Kierans heart.
He couldnt defy his big brothers order.
The instinct was branded in the deepest part of Gluttony long ago.
Right after Gluttony vanished, Kieran took [Lord of Mist] out.
Consuming a total of 60 pagan remnants at one go also benefited [Lord of Mist] greatly. Although the rank did not go higher, the rted attributes surged, with several new addition of attributes and effects.
The most straightforward one was that by holding [Lord of Mist], the range of Kierans powers had expanded from Sicar and Edatine to the south, including the once prosperous, now erased from the map, Qitar Bay. There was also Schwenko Hignds and Hills, Aishanko Valley etc.
At the same time, there were also two new attributes added to the crystal, [Eye of Mist] and [Sense of Tide].
[Eye of Mist: Within the area under your control, wherever the mist appears, you will be granted clear vision over everything that the mist envelopes. The farther you are from the location that you are seeing, the more stamina the Eye of Mist will consume.]
[Sense of Tide: The sea isnt your enemy, but you still couldnt truly control it. You can only faintly sense when the next high and low tides are and whenever a storm arrives.]
...
It was obvious that the new attributes and effects were closely rted to where the pagans were originally born.
The sea? Kieran muttered and then slowly shook his head.
His power still wasnt there yet, the south was his current limit.
Technically speaking, he didnt even have a single person to use in the south.
Otherwise, he wouldnt require Bloody Mary to y so many roles at once.
But... Bloody Mary was really a useful follower!
With the thought in mind, Kieran walked out of the tent.
His appearance attracted the peoples attention.
People showed respect and reverence towards the heir of Snake Sect and Edatines throne, and in this particr timing, an extra sense of anticipation was added in their gazes.
Can he save Bishop Simon?
Everyone had the same thought, but no one dared to voice it.
Compared to Bishop Simon, who was approachable, Kieran was always cold, his presence revered.
Kieran was already used to their gazes, nodding at Anderson and the others whom he was familiar with before he walked into Bloody Marys tent.
Right after Kieran entered the tent, Bloody Mary woke up.
In order to maintain the disguise, it had to lie down for a little longer, but now it had to wake up.
Bloody Mary sat up after it woke.
Nicely done! Kieran praised Bloody Mary through the power of the contract.
Thank you for thepliment, Bloody Mary answered.
Then? What then? Actual reward? Stop kidding.
Its boss would never give it some actual reward, the mini rest was the greatest blessing already.
Bloody Mary estimated that it would be a year...no, at least three years until its next rest.
Bloody Mary was fully prepared with utmost resolution.
Both of them stayed quiet in the tent for around five minutes before Kieran walked out first ording to n.
He has awakened, said Kieran after he came out.
Great! Lord bishop has awakened!
Cheers sounded off right away.
When the pale-looking Bloody Mary walked out the tent, the cheers from the people got louder.
Amid the delightful cheers, Kieran returned to his own tent like how he had arrived.
You should learn to enjoy the cheerful atmosphere.
Anderson quietly caught up with Kieran and reminded him as a senior.
Im not used to it, Kieran said honestly.
Thats why you choose to offer in silence? Before this, I was still a little bit doubtful about your identity as a Demon Hunter, but now I am sure that you are a Demon Hunter to the core. The very traditional kind, said the old Demon Hunter withughter. Lets go, Ill buy you a drink.
I dont drink, Kieran said simply, rejecting the invitation.
Let me correct myself. You are not just the most traditional kind, you are the weirdest as well, said the old Demon Hunter as his gaze shifted to a shadowy spot.
Kieran was already looking at the spot.
Hu, hu! Help me!
Falling out from the shadow, Cabio was in an ugly state as he called for help loudly.
He was only loud to himself, his volume was nothingpared to the cheers from the crowd.
Cabio realized this too and when he mustered up enough strength to call out louder, a series of snake hisses stopped him.
Hiss!
The snake hisses vibrated through the air as Kieran walked past Cabio.
Swirling air streams immediately enveloped Cabio whole, slicing and shredding him into smithereens.
Chapter 1842 - Under Control
Chapter 1842: Under Control
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Aaaaaaah!
Cabio screamed in pain. The loud scream attracted the cheering crowd instantly but when Gino and the others noticed the one screaming was Cabio, they stopped and watched coldly.
Sympathizing with a cold blooded executioner?
Then whats the difference between that and warming up a frozen snake?
Of course there was a difference. At least you would be cautious at thetter because it was a snake, hence dodging the possible venomous bite from the dark.
As for the former? You would be killed without a question.
Cabio would go into disguise and seek out a hard toe back opportunity to kill you.
Never hope that he would be grateful after saving him.
Facts had proven that gratefulness was a burden to people like Cabio.
Hed only discard the burden and continue forward lightly to get what he wanted.
Save me! Save me! Cabio shouted for help, but no one would ever sympathize with him, not after what he did to the infected patients.
Soon enough, Cabio noticed the cold shoulder, causing the vice director of the Inquisition to reveal his true self. Despite the fact that he was still tortured by the gue, he started to curse and mock the people around him.
You people will die a horrible death, I bet on it! You hypocrites! Do you really think Im cold-blooded? The real cold-blooded and ruthless one is Mortor!
His vicious words soon involved the bishop in council.
Then, the situation started to go out of control due to the words that escaped his mouth somehow revealing some secretive information of War God Temple. They were all getting exposed.
The surrounding people widened their eyes in shock one after another, never thinking that War God Temple was so dark.
Assassination for the sake of gains had always been the basics, they were even involved in human trafficking, and not just a mere one or two person, it was arge amount, hundreds of thousands!
The young Gino and the people around him reacted to the words sourly. It was the first time they heard of such resentful acts from War God Temple.
As a matter of fact, it wasnt just these ex-members of War God Temple, even Sivalka and Anderson reacted sourly as it was also the first time that they heard of the resentful dealings of War God Temple.
Kieran was also shocked in his heart, but right after he thought of the tactic War God Temple used to fight the south, he was released from his shock.
Manpower or poption was utmost crucial to the God of War. As for how to convert all the people into his own believers, that should be given primary importance over all the priorities.
What else was more suitable than the gratitude from liberating a group of ves?
It would be a self-directed scenario.
He and Bloody Mary were doing the exact same thing, and so was War God Temple.
The difference was, he and Bloody Mary were much bolder and had a much bigger stage.
Holuff, can you help me confirm what he said? Kieran turned to the once retired Demon Hunter.
Leave it to me, Holuff nodded and walked out of the crowd with Anderson.
Although Wolf Sect was heavily damaged, they still retained some of their secretive informationworks and channels. Thesework services and channels werent just limited to Wolf Sect after all, he had to pay for it too
irehore, Kieran then looked at Hoika, the Undying.
Understood, Hoika nodded. Silent Night Secret Society had their ownwork and channels to receive news as well and with some inklings on hand, investigating the matter would be much easier.
The vassal, Monte, already knew what he must do when he caught Kierans gaze, Kieran didnt even have to say it out loud for the vassal.
After those who were ordered to find out about the revtion left, Kieran shifted his gaze back at the vice director of the Inquisition.
It seemed like this Cabio was much more useful than he thought.
ording to his initial n, the young knight Gino was just a start to dissolve War God Temple internally. It would then slowly amass through time and when the damages were umted to a certain level, the real trouble would then befall them.
Now? It seemed like the arduous process was no longer needed, but some procedures must still go on as they were necessary.
Kieran was pondering upon it as he turned around to his back.
Thest bishop in council of War God Temple was striding up towards Kieran from his back.
There was no notice at all.
Mortors face was as still as dead waters, the cold gaze in his eyes was locked at Cabio, who was living on hisst breath.
The sharp aura around Cabio had dispersed. He was badly damaged and in a bloody state, all he could do was breathe heavily on the ground, as if hed die any moment.
However, his eyes were still looking at Mortor with a grudgeful gaze.
Do you think you can be safe and sound with my death? His Majesty... no, his bias in you made him neglect my sacrifice. He didnt even want to protect me anymore. I will let him know what kind of mistake he hasmitted, Cabio mustered up all his strength and shouted his lungs out
Everyone who saw and heard what Cabio shouted would only think of one thing: a crazy dog!
Thats right! A crazy dog! A crazy dog who was forced to a dead end and would bite anyone that came close!
When Cabio prayed to the God of War, in hopes of getting protection but didnt get any response, Cabio went mad. He even suspected it was Mortor who was doing this to him from behind his back.
After the thought sprouted, Cabio started to rte into more things.
Starting from the appearance of the gue, to his actions, everything was nothing but Mortors meticulous n, just so he could remove him from y!
As for why? There were a plethora of reasons! The more straightforward one was Mortor wanted to achieve total control!
After the other bishop in council died in the explosion of Qitar Bay, there were only two more real higher-ups in the whole God of War, Mortor and him, and if he was dead... Mortor would be the only one!
Mortor would then acquire everything War God Temple had!
As for the God of War? He was so high up in the heavens, a God would not care about the squabbles of ants, he would only pay attention to the opponent of the same caliber.
He had been doing so for the past several decades.
Other than Lady Cmity, it seemed like no one was able to raise his attention anymore.
The more he rted it all, the more Cabio thought he was right.
Cabio strongly believed that he was set up by Mortor, everything was part of the bishop in councils scheme.
Then, he hoped to get a new protection and without a doubt he had chosen the Mist.
It was a wise choice.
Compared to Edatine royal court and Silent Night Secret Society, the mist would only grow stronger in Edatine Castle. It didnt just have the support of the Demon Hunters, there was still a demi-god behind the religious sect, especially thetter, which was the utmost important.
A demi-god should be able to expel the gue by consuming a great amount of divine power after all, but Cabio never thought that he would be in for an astonishing result: the bishop of the Mist alone was able to expel the gue.
Driven mad by the gue, Cabio dashed out right away. He did not wonder why he did it, he only assumed that it was his own choice.
The truth? It was actually Bloody Mary.
Bloody Mary gave itself a big thumbs up.
I am great! It praised itself.
While it was influencing Cabios emotion, it was able to peek into some of Cabios memories and transmit them to its boss.
It wasnt much and it was not that Bloody Mary didnt want all of the memories, it was worried that the God of War might notice.
Unlike the councilmen of the Silent Night Secret Society, Bloody Mary always had qualms and dreaded the believers of the God of War. Even though their beliefs were shattered and they had strayed away from the God of War, it still wouldnt change.
Its boss n was at its most crucial stage, so it could never be too careful.
If all his nning and effort fell short, Bloody Mary estimated that it would have to work for Kieran to pay off the debt not only in this life, but it would have to stay until its next life, next next life or even next next next life.
Reading the information in its mind, Kierans eyes were glued on Mortor.
Is he telling the truth? Kieran asked coldly.
Will you believe a crazy dog? Mortor asked. He then sighed deeply, Cabio has gone mad in front of death. The fear of death made him forget the oath that he had once taken. All he wishes for is to live and as long as he can take another breath, hell do anything, including selling his own soul.
Mortor then sighed once more, the pain on his face was very eye-catching.
The people around him exchanged a curious gaze.
What Cabio said was false? The people wondered, but not Kieran.
The information that Bloody Mary transmitted to him after reading Cabios memories told him that he was not wrong.
War God Temple really didmit such an atrocity, and not just once or twice, it was more like a routine that spanned for years. When it was time for harvest, theyd reap it.
Mortor, you are still faking it until now? This heir of Snake Sect and the throne has sent his men out to investigate, your hideous dealings will be exposed soon, Cabioughed coldly.
Mortors eyes grew colder than ever.
If he could, he would eagerly take out this rival of his, but he was thinking about how to minimize the damage and put everything back in order.
The thoughts in his mind did not stop the bishop in council from say, What are you going to do with him? Keep him? He is infected. Bishop Simon can cure the gue but it isnt without a cost, right? Its just like what you consumed to save him, Mortor said in an organized fashion.
He even pointed out that Kieran had consumed the pagan remnants to seemingly save Bishop Simon.
Kieran wasnt surprised at all about this.
Or rather, he did not purposely conceal this because he wanted everyone to assume that Bishop Simon consumed his own life energy to cure the gue and he consumed thepensation from the southern councilmen to save Bishop Simon.
It formed a very good form, the pagan remnants curing the gue.
In the future, itd surely evolve into the idea that anything with value that could cure the gue.
Kieran wouldnt mind getting extra gains while he couldplete his original n at the same time.
Therefore, Kieran remained quiet at Mortors words. He acknowledged it.
I suggest you burn him, said Mortor coldly.
Mortor you son of a bitch! You piece of sh-t! You motherf-cker!
Mortors words were responded to by Cabios cursing, but Mortor wasnt moved at all. He calmly added, His existence is a time bomb, unwanted danger is imminent as long as he is alive.
The bishop in council then looked at the people around him.
Although the bishop in council had many precautions taken at the moment, the people could not help but acknowledge what the bishop in council said was right.
It was the gue for crying out loud! If the gue spread in the camp... the oue would be unimaginable!
Even if Bishop Simon was able to cure the gue, it would cost him greatly...
Thinking about the situation, the people swiftly reached an ord.
Simr to how Cabio suggested burning the infected patient several hours ago, gasolene was being poured over his body and firewood was piled up around him.
Cabio struggled to push the firewood away, but more and more firewood was tossed at him, squashing him down at the ground.
You bastards! I curse you!
Cabio had forgotten that he was the one who ordered the deacons to shoot the infected and burn them alive, so he was cursing the people with all the vicious words that he could think of.
As if a butcher whose hands were tainted with blood, he was screaming innocence as he was being pushed to the guillotine and imed that he was bewitched by the cleaver in his hand.
Sivalka walked over with the torch.
Wait, Gino suddenly spoke.
The cursing Cabio was stunned for a second before he was overjoyed.
I know you Gino, you are a straight and honest man! You are willing to stand up for the innocents. I saw your noble bearings!
Cabio started to praise Gino, thinking he had seen hope.
But the young Gino wasnt moved, he walked to Cabio and looked down at the face under all the firewood.
He stared at Cabio in silence, his stare sending chills down Cabios heart as a bad feeling rose.
A secondter
Can you give me the torch? The young Gino looked at Sivalka, thetter stunned but passing the torch to the young knight as requested of him.
Ginos words to Sivalka sounded like salvation because he was sure Ellie was watching himself right now.
He didnt want his daughter to see a father killing people, but he had to due to his position.
After the old Demon Hunter and the others left for investigation, there was no one else in the camp more suitable than Sivalka to burn Cabio.
And now, someone requested to take his ce, someone whose identity and status was much more appropriate, so Sivalka was happy to do so.
The young knight raised the torch high and looked down at Cabio.
You and I... are unforgivable, Young Gino then tossed the torch down.
Fuuu!
The fire burned fiercely and ck smoke rose.
The zing light shone over the young knights face.
Cabios cursing sounded amid the fire, but the young knight couldnt hear it anymore.
All he heard was the noise of arrows raining down.
Im sorry, said the young knight deep in his heart.
When the fire burned and made sure that Cabio was engulfed whole, Mortor heaved a sigh of relief.
He has ovee the hardest obstacle!
Without Cabio, the heir in front of him would have to spend a longer time to get to the bottom of the matters, which allowed him to destroy all the evidence.
You are really decent, but... a little too young and too merciful.
Mortor looked at Kieran and thought as such.
If Kieran could strengthen up and ignore the gue, he would have been a bigger threat to Mortor and the God of War.
But now?
The situation is still under my control!
Mortor was very confident of it.
Chapter 1843 - Declining
Chapter 1843: Declining
Nothing is absolute.
During dawn, Mortor thought he had total control of the situation, but after the sun rose above his head, his total control of the situation was gone.
Information regarding the human trafficking dealings that War God Temple made was all over Edatine Castle and was spreading to the north and the south at an exhilirating speed.
More importantly... worrisome evidence had started to pop up.
Before he even gave the order to destroy the secret base not far away from Edatine Castle, Silent Night Secret Society had raided the ce.
Mortor was not concerned about a mere base being destroyed, but the orphans inside terrified him.
The only thing that relieved him was that he could still handle a bunch of children with ease.
You are a child, what do you know?
Words like that cemented him in victory.
The people looking after the children didnt know anything either, so that was one less worry for him.
However, while he was searching his brain to figure out a way to deal with the situation, a more solid piece of evidence appeared, in ways that he never thought possible.
The Dark Hall priests and deacons confessed to their crimes.
Damn it Cabio!
Standing at the top of the cathedral, Mortor looked down at the people in themercial district.
From where he was standing, he was able to see that several of the men on the stage who confessed their crimes were the ones closest to Cabio before his death.
At the same time, he was also able to see the rage and confusion in the peoples faces.
Finished! Everyone was done for!
Helplessness surged through Mortors body.
He turned around and leaned back against the wall, preventing himself from falling down on the floor.
He tried his best to breathe deeply and calm his emotions. He had to figure out a way to help his God ovee the obstacles on hand but was it usible?
Kieran never liked to drag things out, especially when the matter could affect the overall situation. Since he made a move, it would be a thunderous move that his opponent could never recover from.
Disguised as Cabios subordinates, Bloody Mary stood on the stage, full of regret.
I am sorry that it took me so long to confess, I was too afraid. I was scared of Cabio and Mortor. Their intimidating presence stopped me from fighting back, their ws of terror made me like a little obedient sheep, but what I saw yesterday was a true warrior! A real brave soul!
Bloody Mary then started to tell Knight Ginos story.
From the very beginning at the city gate to the incident that happened in Mist camp, all the details were revealed brazenly.
The crowd gasped in shock, one after another.
The respect for Knight Gino increased and likewise, the disgust for Mortor.
Even more so when Bloody Mary influenced the other subordinates of Cabio to make them expose Cabio and Mortors shady deals, the crowd was further aroused.
Have you ever wondered why there are so many missing people in Edatine? Have you ever wondered why you were suddenly fired? Have you ever wondered why the price of the daily needs spike all of a sudden? Its all because of Mortor! He is using the name of the God of War to control everything in Edatine! You follow him, you will get a job; you follow the God of War, you can buy things at a lower price.
Bloody Mary started to fan the fire, something it did best.
At the same time, a thought was sent out from his mind to the people in the crowd, who it had hinted beforehand, who quickly responded in loud voices, We want an exnation! We want to hear what he has to say!
...
Several men spoke loudly as they led the crowd to the cathedral.
With someone taking the lead, the aroused crowd swarmed towards God of Temple like a hive of bees.
The royal guards looked coldly as bystanders, not stopping the crowd from marching towards the cathedral.
The mercenaries of the nobles?
They also received orders from their employer to keep their hands out of this.
As long as there wasnt someone who tried to fish in troubled waters, it would be all good.
Standing inside a three-storey building beside the main avenue, Valentine was looking down at the marching crowd.
So scary, sighed the duke of the orthodox party.
There is no end to humans strength, especially when they rally up against something, even a God has topromise, said Reedral straightforwardly.
You are saying? Valentine widened his eyes in shock.
Reedral nodded.
There is only one way for War God Temple to calm the angry crowd.
Reedral looked towards the direction of War God Temples cathedral, a sense of mockery appearing in his eyes.
If the God of War really chose that option, it would mean the end for War God Temples future.
If he didnt go with that option, War God Temple would end right then and there.
Since it would be the end of War God Temple regardless of the choices, the first one was more eptable.
Of course, the best way would still be resolved with force.
If Lady Cmity and the Mist werent in the equation, Reedral was sure God of War would surely do it.
But now? Since his main self was restrained, the projection and clone of God of War was no longer strong enough to fight the MIst.
What a delicate setup! Reedral eximed in his heart.
He was recalling all the events that had happened recently, and although he had no solid evidence, he could sense that there was an invisible hand behind everything, controlling everything to its favour.
Is it the Mist? Reedral thought of the new Gods name, but soon enough, he emptied out his mind.
It was inevitable for the God of War to walk down his altar, so there was no stopping the rise of the Mist.
A mortal like him wouldnt want to be involved in the process.
Regardless of who stood in the altar, what difference would it make to him?
Regardless of who it was, theyd still require his help.
Reedral knew his position in the situation, so he wasnt worried at all, he knew all he had to do was hold on tight to everything he had right now, then it would be a smooth ride for him in the future.
Compared to this, he was much more concerned about another thing.
Valentine, did you get anything on the matter that I asked you to investigate? Reedral asked his cousin.
Reedral, you know, its been a very long time. Ill try to pour more manpower into the investigation, Valentine smiled bitterly.
As one of the leaders of the orthodox party, Valentine had quite the influence and power throughout Edatine Castle or even the whole kingdom, but searching for a nameless person who had disappeared for decades seemed like an impossible task for him toplete. It was like searching for a needle in a haystack.
Is that so? Then put a hold on it. Focus the manpower in the south first, that ce is where we should pay attention to, Reedral sighed and said in a logical sense after he sealed the smile that he kept dreaming about deep into his heart.
I understand, Valentine heaved a sigh of relief and nodded strongly.
...
Mortor is finished!
Further away from the building where Reedral and Valentine were, the old Marquis Horton was also looking at the amassed crowd and gave ament simr to Reedrals.
From a certain perspective, he sounded even firmer. Since he was on the royal courts side, the old marquis had dealt with War God Temple more than once in the past.
He was very clear about how War God Temple did things.
Is Mortor not prepared for this at all? Kuer Horton frowned in a puzzled state.
Even if he is prepared, its useless now. He is just an ambassador who receives powers from his God. The true power still lies in the God of Wars hand, the old marquis words had hidden meaning between the lines.
Kuer Horton looked at her father, hoping to understand more.
She was quite curious about War God Temple too but the old marquis did not spill another word about it, instead changing the topic.
Hows your progress with his Highness Colin? asked the old marquis.
What progress? Kuer Horton asked out of confusion.
Kuer, you know what Im talking about. You also know what I want you to do, the old marquis was being very direct.
Theres no progress between us, nothing! We are just friends, Kuer Horton was also being direct, she didnt n to retreat due to her fathers words.
She cherished her friend deeply as it was hard for her to find one, she didnt want to put her friend in a difficult situation because of her.
Friends can be lovers as well. At least its better than bing lovers with a stranger. Besides... you have to consider the familys status, think about Horton family!
The old marquis used his own way to persuade his daughter but his words seemed to have attracted the opposite effect from Kuer Horton. She red at her father and said, Then why dont you go be a lover yourself?
If I can, I wont mind, but I cant. So, the family and I need you. Dont forget that Edatine VI has started to stray away from usHis Majesty is spending a lot more time with the vassal Monte and gotten closer to him. It is his Majestys way of telling me what to do, the old marquis inhaled deeply.
He knew the king very well.
Every single action that seemed casual or unconscious had a special meaning to it, let alone when it was his heir that they were talking about.
Distancing himself from the marquis was almost necessary because Kuer Horton would be the wife of the heir.
So the king had to keep his distance from the old marquis. Of course it was just a big circle, the king would eventuallye back to the old marquis.
However, if Kuer didnt end up as the heirs wife, the distancing would mean Horton family waspletely out of the center of power in Edatine Castle.
It was something the old marquis could not ept and tolerate, he would not allow it to happen.
Therefore, at the next second, the old marquis looked at Kuer Horton with a strict gaze.
This time around, Kuer Horton felt afraid, but still did not agree. She turned around and left the room instead.
Bang!
The mmed door represented the counterattack from Kuer Horton, but it was useless to the old marquis.
Old Marquis Horton was already looking at the cathedral of the God of War, or more urately... the pce of Edatine, further behind the cathedral.
...
The crowd swarmed to the cathedral.
Stop! Theres a gue happening here, everyone please stop! shouted an Apologetics Chivalry knight in hopes of stopping the crowd.
If the gue is still happening, do you think you can stand here and stop us? Even Cabio was infected, do you think that a little knight like you is immune to the gue? Can the whole of Edatine be free of the gue?! Dont listen to him everyone! The gue was already dispelled by Bishop Simon. They are just stalling to destroy the evidence now! shouted Bloody Mary.
After the shout, the crowd swarmed into the cathedral once more.
The knights tried to draw their weapon to stop the raging crowd but all they did was hold their hands tightly to the hilt. They werent idiots, they knew if they really pulled their swords at the raging crowd, things would go far beyond redemption.
Lets hope Bishop Mortor can handle the situation.
That was the only thought in the knights mind as they were knocked over by the raging crowd.
In fact, Mortor was able to hold on, but just for a bit.
Please stop, everyone! Mortor was already in front of the cathedral with his loud words in hopes of trying to stop the raging crowd.
He was going to give his best effort to control the situation but an unexpected scene happened before his eyes.
A part of the crowd really did stop after his words, but the other part dashed towards the secret entrance of the Dark Hall and Inquisition.
The bishop in council raised a brow.
There were things in the Dark Hall and Inquisition that could never see the day of light.
He had already ordered his men to move the things away but they still needed more time, so he had to stall the crowd.
Everyone, please calm down! bellowed Mortor, a divine glow emanating from his body.
Divine power was useful regardless of time and ce, especially against a group of civilians. It was enough to deter them.
Mortor was hoping to buy time with the divine glow, trying to scare the crowd back but to his surprise, right after the light of God of War shone on him, Cabios subordinate, who led the crowd to the cathedral, flew backwards right away, as if he was hit by a truck.
Aside from crashing into the crowd, the priest was spewing blood from his mouth.
You are trying to kill the witness, you are vicious! said the priest as he red at Mortor.
Then, before Mortor could say anything, BANG!
The injured priest exploded into pieces.
His body was in pieces, he couldnt be more dead than that.
The crowd was utterly stunned.
Then
Murder!
War God Temple murders people!
RUN!
Amid the continuous shouts, the people who had just gathered to confront War God Temple ran backwards faster than they arrived.
They swarmed like bees but scattered away like frightened birds.
Those who dashed towards the secret entrances of the Dark Hall and Inquisition lost their thoughts, covering their heads and running for their lives.
In fact, neither Kieran nor Bloody Mary had any thoughts of exposing Dark Hall and Inquisition. It was unnecessary.
As long as Bloody Mary was able to step into War God Temple, everything would be fixed.
Glowing in the divine light, Mortor was stunned before his looks turned sour.
The bishop in council obviously thought of something but he couldnt care anymore.
He turned around and looked at the huge God of War statue.
The dazzling statue of God of War dimmed down at an exponential speed.
At the same time, a faint singing sounded in the sky in the south.
It was melodious and it was the voice of a woman.
Kieran, in the camp of the Mist, looked to the south.
While he squinted his eyes, a grin appeared.
Everything was unfolding ording to his n.
Kieran raised his hand and Monte the vassal came over.
Your Highness, Monte bowed.
Go get Borl for me, I wish to see him.
After that, Kieran went back to the tent where he kept the hundreds of magical items and equipment.
It was about time to start the next phase.
Chapter 1844 - Transformation
Chapter 1844: Transformation
Borl, Kierans follower in name, leaned back on a sofa, the soft cushion almost wrapping him whole, thefort easily dispersing his thoughts.
What happened? Who am I? What am I doing?
I was just a follower a few days ago but now I am a vassal to the heir of the kingdom?
Isnt all this a little too fast?
Borl was having a difficult time epting the facts, especially when he received news that Kieran wasnt just the heir to the throne and Snake Sect, he even united War God Temple and Silent Night Secret Society. Borls worldview was toppled upside down.
He put himself in Kierans shoes.
Although it was disappointing, he had to admit that he couldnt achieve what Kieran had, probably not even half of Kierans achievements.
Is this how the pros y the game? Is this their world? Borl thought in his mind.
He remembered how recalcitrant he was when he first met Kieran. Now he felt ridiculous about his own behaviour because he knew that even if he did not go through what he did, he still couldnt catch up to Kieran.
Not just strength-wise, but also intellect-wise and capabilities, plus that charm that could make everyone submit to him.
Borl had none of the above. Other than the fact that he could still be stronger, the rest were already fixed from the beginning, it was difficult for him to change anything.
Thinking about it... Borl grew even more disappointed.
Compared to Borl, his bodyguard Aschen did not have that many thoughts.
With enough food and no duties to carry out, the bodyguard trained himself madly every single day.
He focused on hand-to-handbat, while swords, battleaxes, and spears were all anciry training. Hed train with muskets asionally.
It was not that he didnt want to train with muskets, but training with muskets was too troublesome for him. From loading the pellets and firepowder to aiming at the target, it took him almost two minutes and that was the best he could perform.
In order to break through his limit, he would need to find a musket that was built ording to his hand size and arm length, otherwise he would be stuck at the bottleneck.
Besides, customizing his own musket was too expensive, he couldnt bear the cost.
Therefore, he spent all his energy concentrating on other types of training.
Hu, hu, hu!
Aschen was on the floor doing push ups with his hands. He quickly switched to one arm as he fanned out his fingers on the floor. Then, he slowly retracted his fingers until there was one finger left, his body starting to move up and down.
Every one of his muscles were tightened and clenched.
Sweat gushed out like a fountain, flowing along the edge of his muscles as if they were drains.
His breathing became heavy but the pacing did not change.
He continued with his right hand after he was done with his left hand.
After repeating this for a dozen times, Aschen jumped up and walked to the dining table.
He grabbed the whole roasted chicken, tore it into pieces and stuffed it all into his mouth.
After he eased his hunger, Aschen saw the disappointed Borl.
My father told me dontpare other peoples forte with your own shorings. It will only give you frustration, Aschenforted Borl.
Butpared to Colin, what am I good at? Borl asked with zed eyes as he looked at Aschen.
Hmmm... for example, you dont like to read and have more time to lie down here to enjoy your life? Aschen answered after some thoughts.
It was obvious that his answer stimted Borl further. Borl curled up on the sofa and his voice almost came out from the seam as he covered himself.
Yes, I know I am like this. Colin is naturally gifted, hes more talented than other people and even more hard working than I am. Thats why I am disappointed in myself.
Before he voiced hisment, Borl straightened his body, but after that he curled back up and fell back onto the sofa.
He knew Kieran wasnt at his prime at all, there must be some restriction on him.
What would it be like if Kieran was at his prime?
Would he dominate everything? Yeah, hed surely dominate everything and not with these kinds of mild methods.
As for the saying that equipment wasnt a part of ones strength?
It was justints from the bastards who had no good equipment.
If they had any, theyd work harder too.
Therefore, those sayings were not to be taken seriously.
Aschen scratched his head, he didnt know how tofort his employer cum friend anymore because he too acknowledged what his friend said.
A person as gifted as Colin would easily be admired, and with his hard work, he would be so dazzling that people could no longer look at him, as if he were the sun!
For a moment there, the two of them fell into silence, so Montes footsteps were unusually pronounced.
Borl, Aschen, Monte greeted them in a friendly tone.
As the honorary minister of the heir of the kingdom, he had been paying attention to his Highness followers and guards.
They were quite decent! Both of them were top picks whether in terms of strength or capabilities.
His Highness must have known this, thats why he recruited such talents under his wing.
Biased by his first impression, the vassal immediately had such thoughts in his mind. Then his voice sounded even milder, His Highness summons you, Borl.
Since they might be working together in the future, there was no wrong in building up a connection.
His Highness is looking for me? Borl was stunned for a second before he stood up from the sofa.
He already knew why Kieran was looking for him.
ording to the contract, after Kieranpleted the first phase, he would proceed to help Borl with hisalbeit until now, Borl had no idea what Kierans first phase of the n was, it didnt stop him from looking forward topleting his main mission. It was rted to his life after all.
After that? Hed have to work hard to try to y catch up to Kieran!
Kieran wasnt a God, if Borl put in some hard work, hed eventually catch up to Kieran.
When are we moving? Borl asked as he regained his confidence.
Right away, Monte answered.
...
Kakrkooooom!
Thunder rumbled fiercely in the sky, failing to overpower the faint singing from the southern sky.
Quite the contrary, the voice of the woman got even clearer.
The people of Edatine Looked up at the thunderous night sky, listening to the faint singing in their ears, fear and anxiety filling their hearts.
Although they had no idea what was going to happen, they had a feeling that something bad was about to befall them.
Kieran sat in his tent calmly as if nothing happened outside, quietly watching Gluttony eat.
280 magical equipment and items and 40 Rare rank magical equipment and items were decreasing, one by one.
Kieran wasnt having a heartache because he clearly felt that after Gluttony consumed and converted the items and equipment, the energy was easier to absorb.
The six and a half threads of chaotic darkness started to decrease.
Six, five, four...
When all the equipment and items were consumed, the chaotic darkness in his mind hadpletely disappeared.
Fuuu!
The zing me surged high.
Kieran felt like his mind had cleared up to a never before felt state.
His thinking speed, his memories, everything in his mind was undergoing a qualitative change.
The more straightforward change was Kierans Spirit, spreading from the deepest part of his mind to every inch of his body, and he could feel the flow clearly.
All the glowing mystical runes of the Basic skills branded on his bones and muscles lit up brighter than ever when the Spirit energy flowed through them.
All sorts of changes started from there.
Kierans body, under his own eyes, was changing from the deepest part of his soul and core.
He was stronger, faster, sharper and... memories of all the battles that he had been in appeared in his mind. It wasnt the memories of others but his own.
Kieran watched the memories from the angle of an observer, the battle techniques that he once thought perfect had their ws revealed under his observation.
Then hed perfect it.
Observer Kieran used the calmest and most logical methods to perfect his battle techniques.
At the same time, a weak suction force appeared in the me, it was... the Lord of Mist!
The crystal the size of the palm had shrunk down to the size of a nail. Never before seen words were branded on the crystal, but Kieran was able to understand them.
Mist, Poison, Icy Air, Rain and Snow, Fauna Command, Flora Communication, Conceal, Watch, Tide!
Rows of words appeared in the most direct way possible in Kierans heart.
Without even understanding the words, the exnation had already appeared.
Touch, receive, and possess? Kieran muttered.
He then touched the Mist.
There was no need for a test or hesitation anymore.
The observers angle allowed Kieran to determine what was harmless and what was dangerous.
The scene before his eyes was safe.
The tip of his finger touched the Mist.
Light then appeared in the space the chaotic darkness used to upy.
The light was dazzling, the color confusing, and it upied around two percent of the original space.
Capacity and upancy? The exnation appeared in Kierans heart once more.
Then, his finger touched the words on the crystal.
Poison (1%)
Icy Air (2%)
Rain and Snow (2%)
Fauna Control (1%)
Flora Communication (1%)
Conceal (3%)
Watch (3%)
Tide (2%)
All of them had 1 or 2% of upancy, only Conceal and Watch were different with 3%.
Nine rays of light appeared in the original space, taking up 17% of the space, and it was not the end, it was just the beginning.
It can be leveled up but it will take up more space? Kieran looked at the burning me.
The crystal of the Lord of Mist was still there and new words had appeared.
Trickery (5%)
Scheme (5%)
Destruction (10%)
Three words appeared on the crystal.
The upancy rate had appeared without Kieran touching it.
The high numbers, whenpared to the previous states, made Kieran raise a brow but he did not hesitate.
He reached out and touched the three words.
He could sense how powerful the three words were. Aside from the highest upancy rate of Destruction, either Trickery or Schemes alone was higher than all the others before.
Things were as per Kierans expectations.
The light appeared once more, but unlike the nine rays, this time it was only three rays.
The thickest ray was Destruction, which consisted of Poison (1%), Icy Air (2%), Rain and Snow (2%), Tide (2%), and Destruction itself (17%)
Followed by Trickery (10%), Fauna Command (1%), Flora Communication (1%), and Conceal (3%).
The surprising one was Scheme, which was also (10%) like Trickery and consisted of Mist (2%) and Watch (3%).
Watch is also considered as Scheme? After observing and nning ordingly, its categorized as Scheme?
Kieran thought there should be a more appropriate categorization but it seemed like it couldnt show at the current stage, just like his most skilled Fire!
My abilities arent brought into this... No, thats not right. It should be that they did not appear in words but they can still be amplified!
Arranging the knowledge in his mind, Kieran raised his hand and touched the vigorous Devil me.
It felt like the original Devil me but something was different. Simr to himself, he looked like his old self but a closer look could make one notice the differences.
It was hard for a normal person to tell the difference, only Kieran himself knew the differences.
But I cant say it out loud? Kieran tried to speak the differences that he felt but all he could do was open his mouth, not a single word came out.
Of course, there were other things that changed too.
Strength: V (Strong)
Agility: V (Strong)
Constitution: V (Strong)
Spirit: VI (Average)
Intuition: III (Strong)
...
His attributes were also powered up and they jumped in ranks, especially Spirit. After the chaotic darkness was expelled, it surged to rank VI straightaway.
The data before his eyes told him the changes that happened to his body but the more important changes were beneath the surface.
[Destruction: With this divinity, you will be empowered when carrying out simr action. Destruction divinity is currently at Weak rank, you will receive +1 in simr action that you perform.]
[Trickery: With this divinity, you will be empowered when carrying out simr action. Trickery divinity is currently at Feeble rank, you will receive +0.5 in simr actions that you perform.]
[Scheme: With this divinity, you will be empowered when carrying out a simr action. Scheme divinity is currently at Feeble rank, you will receive +0.5 in simr actions that you perform.]
...
Divinity? As Kieran muttered, he looked at the Lord of Mist crystal in the me.
The crystal had beenpletely melted by the me and what followed allowed Kieran to sense the whole of Edatine.
Then Reply (1%), Blessing (1%), and Deceive Contract (1%) appeared and were categorized under [Trickery].
[Trickery] then leveled up, going from Feeble to Weak and the empowering value increased from 0.5 to 1.
Savouring the changes in his body quietly, the light before Kieran faded away.
Then
My lord, protect me!
My lord, protect my child from harm and malicious intent!
My lord, please bless me with your divine touch!
...
Voice after voice gushed into Kierans mind like the tide.
The difort made Kieran frowned.
The more ufortable thing was that the external light started to gush into his mind and into the me. Most of the light was vapourized by the me. Only a very small part, probably the essence of the light, was fused into [Destruction], [Trickery], and [Scheme].
The conversion of Power of Faith!
Kieran instantly understood what kind of process it was!
At the same time, he also understood how important the me in his mind was.
The divine fire ignited the divinity and the divinity granted the divine position. If the divine fire somehow extinguished itself... everything will cease to exist! Kieran inhaled deeply and muttered to himself.
As expected, I still have to rely on myself? Not even a God is an exception and if there is an exception... it will be broken!
As he muttered to himself, he looked up at the thunderous night sky, listening to the singing from the southern sky, and couldnt help but curl up his lips into a smile.
He started to understand what Broker was trying to achieve in this dungeon world.
Chapter 1845 - Partner
Chapter 1845: Partner
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
When Borl saw Kieran, it was already 12 hourster.
After he walked out from the parlour tent of the Mist camp, Borl couldnt help but look at the gloomy sky.
Lighting shed from time to time, the dark clouds depressing, all signs that told people that terrible weather wasing.
Up until this moment, most of the people couldnt tell whether the lighting was natural or caused by the wrath of the God of War.
Regardless of which, life had to go on.
The gue was controlled and Edatine Castle was revitalized, but when the people looked at the cathedral of War God Temple, their gazes were telling a different story.
Some things could not be concealed even if one decided to, especially when someone else was pushing from behind.
Was 2567 in this? Borl asked himself.
The answer was certain, it was also safe to say that 2567 was the engine that pushed the whole situation into what it was now.
But facing a God...
I Hope there wont be any unexpected idents, Borl prayed deeply in his heart.
He admitted that 2567 was absurdly powerful, ming Devil was one of the top yers in the big city after all.
But no matter how powerful 2567 was, he couldnt have gone against a God.
Only a God can fight a God.
It was a well-acknowledged saying.
If its that person...
Unknowingly, Borl started to think of the woman who put him in his current situation.
A terrifying existence, to the point that when the thought of her came into his mind, the first emotion he had wasnt anger, but fear.
Instinctively tightening his outer coat, Borl temporarily discarded the memories of that woman out of his mind. He started to n out his future path: try his best toplete all missions and catch up to 2567 and the others.
He would get back what he lost!
With that thought in mid, Borl lifted up the drapes and saw Kieran behind the dining table.
The food on the table was already finished, there were only empty tes, cleaner than when they were clean, not even the smell remaining.
Borl couldnt tell what Kieran just ate from the table, but of course he wasnt interested in what Kieran just ate.
The reason why he was concerned about what he ate was that he sharply noticed a slight change in Kieran, but he couldnt urately tell what the change was.
It was like looking at the scenery for a very long period of time, or even years, and for a moment the scenery felt very unfamiliar, but soon enough the familiar feeling returned.
It was very bizarre and indescribable with words.
Borl stood at the entrance of the tent nkly for a second before he regained his senses.
He stopped noticing the changes in Kieran and focused more on his surroundings.
Then, he realized something different: whenever Kieran ate, smells would still linger in the air.
But this time, there wasnt any scent.
Did he ventte his tent? Borl wondered.
Kieran then signaled him to sit on the other side of the table.
After Borl sat down, Kieran spoke straightforwardly.
What do you think about the Witch?
It was an abrupt question that stunned Borl once more.
This time, he was stunned for four to five seconds before bitterly chuckling.
If I can, I dont want to see or touch anything rted to her for the rest of my life, but her madness and cruelty feel like they have embedded in my soul, to the point that I feel scared whenever I think of her name. Im not lying, I was just shaking right there, Borl kept his bitter smile and instinctively went to grab the cup in front of him, even if there wasnt anything in it.
He hoped to divert his attention away from the Witch, but he failed.
Right after his fingertips touched the icy metal, he shuddered.
It was as if he returned to the moment when he first met the Witch.
Do you want to embrace death?
Do you want to wee new life?
I... wont give you any of that.
Her voice sounded again in his mind and Borl started to shake.
His sight started to turn ck and a figure was slowly appearing from the abysmal darkness.
H-Help! It was as if he was drowning, just sitting there and stammering.
Kieran replied with his fire.
The me expelled the darkness.
Huhaa, huhaa.
Borl panted heavily. His hair got stuck on his forehead and his shirt was drenched with sweat, as if he had been through a longsting battle that exhausted him to the limit.
Im sorry, I dont feel right, said Borl.
No. Its not your fault, Kieran shook his head and then asked in a serious manner, I will grant you a dukeship with my status as the heir of Edatine, if you are willing to ept it. Dont rush to give me an answer just because its rted to your main mission. Once you ept the suggestion, I hope that you can leave, but of course, you call the shots.
Amid Kierans assuring words, Borl showed a grateful smile.
Borl already thought of the possible oue before he came to the tent, and even prepared for the worst case scenario.
Fortunately, the ming Devil, The Fire Emperor, did not go back on his words. He even provided Borl with rewards that far exceeded his expectations.
In Borls heart, getting a noble status would be enough, a duke was already beyond his expectation.
Thank you for everything that youve done for me. Happy working together, Borl said, trying his best to stand up.
He knew if he continued to participate in the uing content of the dungeon world, he could get a lot more gains and rewards but he knew his own limits.
A war against a God wasnt something that he could currently participate in.
Got all your stuff? Kieran provided a friendly reminder.
The big city would not grant the yers extra time to stay behind once theypleted their main mission.
Of course. Im not a newbie after all, Borl tapped on his pouch.
He paused for a second and continued, If its possible, please help me to take care of Aschen, he is quite a decent helper.
Of course, he is my bodyguard after all, Kieran nodded.
Kieran suddenly thought of something else and asked, What do you think about Broker?
He was giving a titude as he had asked Borl about Broker more than once and every single time, the answer from Borl was the same.
He is a cunning, sinister, and ambitious bastard. You need to be constantly careful around him! answered Borl with a heavy look.
Kieran nodded slightly, not asking anything else.
He then looked at Borl and asked solemnly, Borl, are you willing to pledge your loyalty to me and be a duke of Edatine?
I am!
This time, Borl followed the salutation of Edatine and knelt down on one knee as he replied.
Right after his answer faded, Borl was enveloped with a faint glow. 10 secondster, Borl vanished with a smile on his face.
It was the first time Kieran saw an outsider get sent back to the big city.
Starbeck? He wasnt an outsider.
Right after Borl vanished, Bloody Mary walked in with Simons look.
He is much more important than we expected, at least the defense is very strong. I can feel his emotions but I cant pry into his memories, not even a little bit, said Bloody Mary in a hurry with furrowed brows.
It was obvious that Bloody Mary was a little too carried away by the smooth sailing recently, it couldnt ept such a blunt and helpless oue.
Kieran listened with a calm and nonchnt look.
He has returned. He is the past now, we should be focusing on ces that are worth our attention. And Borl, someone else will continue to look after him, said Kieran.
Boss, are you not worried at all? Bloody Mary couldnt help but ask when it thought of its boss n.
This would be a team up without any conversation ormunication beforehand, it was like gambling blindly.
Dont worry, that guy will be prepared. Besides, do you think Rachel and the others dont have some extra tricks up their sleeves? Kieran asked with a sure tone.
He stood up and walked out of the tent.
Bloody Mary thought for a while before it shook its head and followed its boss out.
Things were much moreplicated than it thought, but who cared how it would turn out?
All it had to do was follow its boss.
...
Amid the familiar feeling, Borl regained his senses.
He was certain that he had returned to the big city.
Inside his crude looking room, he was safe enough. Without a second thought, Borly down on the mattress.
Huu!
He heaved a sigh of relief. He had tried his best to adjust himself and adapt in the dungeon world but the exhaustion still troubled him. Anyone who was as tense as him at all times would be exhausted as well.
He believed even the ming Devil was not an exception.
Simr to how the ming Devil kept his promise, Borl would do the same: he had to buy Lawless a drink.
Along the way, hed sell some things that he couldnt use and purchase some essential items.
Although the trading section in the newbie channel was decent, Borl believed that Harvest Inn would have something better.
He rested slightly and tidied up his luggage before walking out of his room.
Borl then arrived and entered Harvest Inn without any problem.
Perhaps he arrived at a bad time but there were only a few souls in Harvest Inn.
The terrifyingdy owner wasnt there either, the familiar Hanses, Coll, and the others were absent too.
Though Raven the Loner was there, and as always, he had a cat in his hands, gazing at the door with who knew what was going on in his mind.
None of that mattered when Borl saw Lawless.
Lawless was wearing an apron, holding a pail full of water and mopping the floor attentively, just like how Borl saw him do several other times.
Hey, Lawless, Borl called him.
Hey Borl, want anything to drink? If you order a drink thats worth 20 Points or above, I think I can temporarily remove the apron, Lawlessughed brightly.
Ill get two. One for you, just like I promised, Borlughed too.
Lawless tore his apron off and ran behind the counter. Although he wasnt as skilled in tossing liquor as Rachel, he was still able to do the basics and the 20 Points range was the best he could do.
Five minutester, Lawless brought two sses to the table where Borl sat.
I always like a man of his words, and... congrattions!
Ding!
The sses clinked.
The clink rang through Borls heart and made himugh.
He didnt just keep his promise, he evenpleted the hardest part of hiseback, which was the beginning.
In the uing days, or in the next three to five dungeons, it would still be difficult but definitely not as difficult as the one that he just cleared.
Therefore, Borl was happy about the congrattions from Lawless.
Ill leave these to you, follow the market price and you can take a percentage, as market price,
Borl passed all the items from the dungeon that he couldnt use to Lawless.
After the name Treasure Hunter was made known to the yers, many yers came to Lawless and asked him to help sell items.
Lawless did not reject any of them, because they were all his friends. He would never reject a friends request.
As for the fees? It was basically next to nothing.
Lawless would always figure out a way to make it up to his friends to cover up the fees.
Do you want to purchase anything? If its not something too wild, I can get it for you, asked Lawless.
Im looking for... Borl then stated the list of items that he sought.
After that, he drank with Lawless for a while and even ordered extra to celebrate.
Borl then left the inn.
When he reached his own room, Lawless had already kept his end of the promise and delivered all the goods Borl asked for.
Standing in front of his door, Borl checked the goods he received. He was in a good mood, hence the humming of the familiar melody.
Soon enough, his humming stopped abruptly because a familiar person appeared behind him.
To what do I owe this visit, Ms. Be?
Borl turned around and voiced his question directly at thedy from the Resistance.
Although familiar, his voice was cold because Borl sensed that Be came with malicious intentions.
The malicious intents didnt just appear during their first meeting but every single meeting after the first.
My boss wants to meet you, said Be.
Your boss? Borl asked.
The mysterious leader of the Resistance that no one knows wanted to meet me?
The rm in his heart was ringing madly when he heard the question.
Is that so? Borl prolonged his tone. His hand was on the handle of the door, ready to rush inside at any moment, but Be was quicker, or more precisely, the ambusher.
A sack came out of nowhere and enveloped Borl whole.
Right after he was caught, Borl lost consciousnesspletely.
When he woke up, he found himself in a room and sitting opposite him was... Broker!
He wasnt actually familiar with Broker but the Registrar Zorl was standing beside the man.
As a well-known follower of Broker, Zorl would only appear beside Broker.
Right away, cold sweat broke out from his forehead and all over his back.
The boss of the Resistance is Broker? What the hell is he going to do?
Such thoughts gushed into Borls mind.
Very good. Since you know my identity, then you should also know... No, no no, not you, 2567 should also know my ultimate goal.
Ignoring the fear on Borls face, Broker couldnt help but chuckle as he checked the lingering presence on Borl.
His chuckle was soft but it had an indescribable confidence to it.
After all, 2567 was the partner that he handpicked out of countless candidates.
Chapter 1846 - Pawn—Flip The Table!
Chapter 1846: PawnFlip The Table!
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Fate is like a river.
It was a metaphor but also somewhat true.
Kieran once had the help of the God whomanded over fate and was able to take a peek at the Fate River.
Although it was just a glimpse, it left an impression on Kieran.
The materialization of the concept that merged time and space, mixed with a little coincidence, was astonishing.
Even the coincidence that Kieran was always vignt again felt the same.
You hate it, but that doesnt mean it does not exist, that doesnt mean it isnt beautiful, just like death.
Everyone fears death, but who can escape its grasp?
Even if one fights till the end, one could never escape that grim fate.
For example, the female Demon Hunter who was locked up for many years.
While Kieran was thinking about Brokers n, Anderson came in and interrupted him.
Miers has passed, Anderson delivered the news to Kieran with a sorrowful look.
Kieran was stunned. He wasnt too familiar with this female Demon Hunter, Miers, also known as the Tracker, but he paid attention to her.
It wasnt just because of her gender, which was rare among the Demon Hunters, it was because she was a titled Demon Hunter. In addition to her rtionship with Anderson, Kieran was always cautious against her.
His cautiousness was without malicious intent, it was just a habit.
As time passed, the cautiousness would certainly decrease.
Even after he ignited the divine fire and acquired his divinity, Kierans energy wasnt limitless.
He couldnt pay attention to every single thing, all he could do was focus on the important parts.
Likewise the sudden death, it was one of the important matters that he was concerned about.
Again, Kierans cautiousness was raised by the news, but he remained shocked on the outside.
How did it happen? Wasnt she in a stable condition before this? asked Kieran.
After I rescued her, she was never in a good condition, even the royal doctors couldnt do anything except treat her with care and their effort for Miers was an inadequate measure. If we were a few years earlier... The old Demon Hunter couldnt continue anymore, looking down in sorrow.
Holuff also came over and tapped on his friends shoulder.
She was strong, she liked tough, and herughter was empowering to us. Keep your tears, dont you want her to rest in peace? Holuff said softly.
Then, the retired Demon Hunter walked to the middle of the group of Demon Hunters, scanning over his surroundings before raising his voice.
Today, we are sending away a friend by funeral. Now... go get prepared.
The retired Holuff couldnt help but choke on his words when he made the announcement.
Then, he walked back with his head down.
Its the wind, its too strong, He said to Kieran stubbornly, even though his tears and snot were already mixing together.
Mm. The wind is strong today, Kieran nodded and looked at the group of Demon Hunters tearing up in the wind.
Beside him, the vassal Monte also appropriately showed sorrow, but it was just on the outside.
Death to a person who makes a living in the royal pce was all too normal, but it was time for Monte to perform.
Your Highness, do you need me to help prepare anything? Monte looked at the prince he served.
Go prepare everything thats necessary, said Kieran.
Yes, your Highness. The vassal bowed then left in a hurry.
Soon, the items that were used in the funeral of the northerners started to appear in the camp.
A coffin, a flora ring, and alcohol were the basics.
Only the noble and the rich were able to use expensive golden essories for a funeral.
After inquiring with Anderson, Monte didnt use any golden essories. The Demon Hunters needed none of that, what they needed was a weapon, a silver dagger would be enough.
Amid the busy preparations, Kieran walked over to Anderon and asked, Can I have a look at Madam Miers?
Of course, the old Demon Hunter did not reject, lifting up the drapes of the tent for Kieran.
Kieran walked in.
There were already flower rings in the tent, decorating the coffin that Miers was lying in. A in white dress was worn by the female Demon Hunter and a small linen handkerchief was ced over her face, blocking her mummified face.
A metal rack, which was half a person tall, was set up in front of the coffin. Candles were lit on the rack, making the whole tent appear brighter.
Kieran didnt touch the body, he only looked at it carefully.
Looking from the surface, Miers was really dead. There was no breathing, no warmth to her body, but...
To Kieran, death wasnt just about the body anymore, it was also about the soul!
In short, death could only be considered done when the soul and the body died together, andmon souls could not have escaped Kierans eyes.
Under [Tracking]s sight, everything will be revealed.
But what he saw with his [Tracking] was very normal.
There were no traces left behind, it was just a simple funeral to bid farewell to the dead.
The only difference was that the sky had the divine light of God of War and Lady Cmity fighting each other at the moment, thunderous ps sounding from time to time.
What a unique farewell. May you rest in peace, said Kieran before he left the tent.
Bloody Mary was already waiting for him outside the tent.
With Bishop Simons appearance, Bloody Mary nodded at Kieran before it went inside the tent.
As the person in charge of the Mist camp, whether in name or not, it had to show up.
A whileter, Bloody Mary came back out.
Prince Colin, I have something that I need to inquire of you, do you have some time for me? asked Bloody Mary.
Sure. Lets go to my tent, Kieran replied.
It was a verymon conversation, no one would suspect anything, especially when all eyes were on that Miers.
Inside Kierans tent...
Boss, isnt it a little too coincidental? Borl just left and she died? There must be something wrong with her. Besides, shes also a WOMAN!
Right after the two of them entered the tent, with the hounds and Silent Guards on duty, Bloody Mary brazenly voiced its own thoughts, specifically emphasizing the word woman.
Yeah. Anyone would pay attention to such a coincidence. The more coincidental thing is that this all happened after we discovered that bastard Brokers true goal, Kieran nodded.
Bloody Mary wasnt an idiot, sp after a quick daze, it reacted to the situation right away.
1You are saying that she was used by that bastard too? Using her death to distract our attention, so that the other woman can do what she wanted to really achieve? Bloody Mary asked.
No. If I were him, I wouldnt only do as such, I would even mobilize all the power within my reach to fight me. Just like what we did before, Kieran shook his head in a confident manner.
She wants to expose us? Impossible! She can only rely on the Demon Hunter and the Demon Hunters are on our side, unless... As Bloody Mary expanded its thoughts, it thought of something suddenly.
Unless we moved her body. It will cause suspicions and doubts in the Demon Hunters and she will use it to counterattack us. But if we dont touch her body, she will have time to search for a chance to grow powerful swiftly, said Kieran as he inhaled deeply.
This is really a difficult situation, we can neither go forward or move back. Hence she gave us only one other option: y the God of War!
y the God of War? Bloody Mary was stunned heavily this time.
Yes! She has always been in the camp. Although Ive made some necessary arrangements, I believe she can clearly sense my changes. Borls departure isnt the condition that triggered her death, it was me getting my divinity. She couldnt allow me to continue to grow stronger. Thats why shes forcing me to choose: do I turnover all of my setups and risk a battle with her or y the weakening God of War to gain more divinity before I am confident enough to go to battle with her, Kieran nodded and slowlyid down on the sofa.
He slightly adjusted his posture so that he could sit up straight in a morefortable way.
Then, he smiled and continued, And that Broker must have predicted this oue, thats why he lured me into this dungeon world! The dungeon world that Starbeck and I went into when we were attacked was a bridge to his one. It was done just so that he could guarantee my entry to this dungeon world, he even used Borl as bait and set him up like a target in this dungeon world. Besides, he gave me quite a lot of hints notifying me to be prepared. What a bastard! Kieran sighed.
He finally knew Brokers true goal.
It wasnt toote. Right after he gained his divinity, Kieran had rted guesses about the endgame.
It was simple. While Gluttony converted the items into energy, Kieran couldnt help but expand his thoughts: could Broker predict such an oue?
The answer was yes.
Broker might not be able to precisely predict the whole process, but the ultimate goal wouldnt stray that far, which was Kieran getting his divinity in this dungeon world!
The situation and settings of this dungeon world and Kierans way of maximizing his gains had determined the path that Kieran would take.
Then there was the million dor question: was Broker a person who would fund his enemy?
No! The answer was also a solid no!
Then, under what circumstances would Broker do it?
It must be facing an even more powerful and scary enemy.
Among everyone that Kieran knew, other than the Witch, there was no other yer that could make Broker feel like he was facing his greatest foe.
Likewise, Broker also gave his tip to Kieran a long time ago: it was Borl!
Borl was a person who was closely rted to the Witch.
He didnt just bear the Mark of the Witch, he was also an ex-member of the Guardians.
More importantly, Borl once went missing.
Kieran described the absence as missing but Borl described his absence as a slumber.
Missing and being in slumber were two different things.
Borl wasnt lying.
The slumber was just something Borl thought he was going through, but as for what the truth really was? Borl had no idea and no one else had any idea about that.
Except for Kieran.
After he discovered that those who bore the Witchs Mark could kill each other and absorb a part of the opponents powers, Kieran was already wondering what would happen if the Witch herself killed all the ones who bore her mark?
She could get more power from it? Or everything from her killed targets?
Of course, by rting the unusual and strange images that he saw when the Witchs Mark appeared, the Witch must have some harsh conditions to fulfill before she could kill the bearer of the mark.
However, there was one thing that remained unchanged: death!
Due to the normal bearers of the Witchs Mark having to kill each other to absorb a part of their opponents powers, no matter how harsh the conditions were, death was inevitable and somewhat the first step to all, more and more conditions would pop up after that.
Thats why Borl was dead before! Meaning, when Borl imed that he fell into a slumber because of the Witch and woke up after a long time, it was actually a process ofing back to life.
The revival process was actually ushered in by Broker, but of course the process was notplete, all the process could do was extract a part of the whole.
Or rather, Broker purposely wanted to extract this part because in Borls time, the Witch existed!
The Witch that once disappeared from the big city, in that particr time, in this dungeon world, truly existed.
Kieran didnt know in what ways Broker resolved to revive Borl or what methods he used to trick the whole big city to set up the current situation, but his ultimate goal became obvious.
Broker wanted Kieran to kill the Witch in this particr time.
In fact, Broker didnt even have to do so many things, Kieran was already a thorn in the Witchs flesh.
Even though the Witch in this time didnt understand a lot, nothing would change because Kieran had robbed her of her resources.
With Brokers intentional selection, all the resources that Kieran snatched were key to the Witch, such as the Lord of Mist, which he had always absorbed, and the resources in the south.
If Kieran didnt enter this dungeon world with Borl, what would happen?
The answer was self-exnatory, all of Kierans gains would be the Witchs instead. Hu!
Sitting on the sofa, Kieran exhaled a heavy breath.
Boss, what should we do now? If we are going to y the God of War, we better be prepared soon. After losing most of his believers, he wontst long under the Ladys onught.
As the one who orchestrated and arranged everything, Bloody Mary was eager to turn the tide on the current situation. So it was natural that it was thinking how to y the God of War.
Who says Im going to y him? Kieran asked.
Didnt you say...
Only an idiot will move ording to the enemys pace.
But we are stuck in this situation, we cant move forward or back off now...
Then I wont choose.
Then what are you going to do?
Ill flip the table!
After Kieran finished, he stood up and walked out of the tent.
Mist started to amass and within a breaths time, the mist enveloped the whole of Edatine Castle.
Leave! This is not the ce for you to have your war! Leave! This ce is under my protection!
Under the night sky, a heavy bellow, as loud as thunder, sounded from the mist.
The next second
A titan formedpletely out of mist stood tall in the middle of the sky.
In the titans hand, a zing me burned fierce, the scorching wave flying out in all directions, the blinding light shining and shedding light over the night sky.
The people of Edatine looked at the zing titan in a nk state, many starting to instinctively kneel down, let alone the believers of the Mist.
They were already praying, no one noticing three figures slipping out of the Mist camp.
One of them was arrogant, one of them kept yawning, and one of them was drooling.
The arrogant one headed straight to War God Temple.
The yawning one headed to the temple of Lady Cmity hidden in the alleyway.
The drooling one was looking rather absent-minded.
K-kitchen... no, pce, he said amid the mutters, making a sharp turn away from the kitchen and heading to the pce instead.
Chapter 1847 - Difference
Chapter 1847: Difference
The zing mes rumbled, the scorching waves burning even the air.
The Mist titans appearance instantly attracted the attention of the battle happening in the heavens.
God of Wars killer intents were overflowing, Kieran could sense them even without [Tracking]; the icy cold and gloomy presence also locked onto him instantly.
The former was a bloody presence that reeked like rust.
Thetter was strict and stern like a machine.
Kieran felt like he was standing in a very old workshop filled with bodies at the moment.
Then... his feelings came true!
The scenery before Kieran drastically changed, his misty body fading away.
He sensed some very minor changes inside him, it felt like his real body was whispering and his muscles, bones, and blood were being reced by something else.
[Destruction]! [Scheme]! [Trickery]!
The three divinities intertwined to form a new body and then he found himself, with his new body, inside a workshop.
Before his eyes was ck machinery and below his feet was scarlet blood. The machinery before him operated ceaselessly, apanied with loud clunks, but soon enough the clunks were reced by battle cries and painful moans.
Or more precisely, the machinery produced new battle cries and painful moans to rece its original clunking.
The battle cries were loud as thunder, the shockwaves rippling as if they were going to tear the sky apart.
The painful moans were endless and ghostly, as if they could seep into Kierans body and tear his soul.
Ka, ka, ka!
Amid the armor clunking, a three meter tall giant appeared in Kierans sight as he walked around the ck machinery.
His face was hidden behind the armor, only his eyes, as bright as lightbulbs, showing.
The sneer in his gaze felt very real.
Know your limits, said the armored figure.
This armored figure was certainly the God of War, finally revealing his true body before Kieran.
As for Lady Cmity?
In the dark corner of the workshop, a lump of darkness rumbled and its eyes were sizing up Kieran.
The eyes were red and sharp, its gaze felt like it could sting.
The Mist titans shell waspletely useless in this ce, Kieran was left with his own body and the Devil me in his hand.
Kieran wasnt in a panic.
God of War and Lady Cmity had fought more than once but not a single time did they truly damage Edatine.
It was an unbelievable feat by itself.
One thing worth taking note was that battles nearing the divine level could already easily destroy cities, let alone a real battle between two real Gods!
It was a little bit of an exaggeration to say the battle was catastrophic but destroying cities was a fact.
However, nothing happened to Edatine at all, causing Kieran to specte that the two of them must have fought somewhere else.
But... he never thought it would be a giant workshop factory.
On top of that, this factory did not fit the time and style of Edatine at all. Instead, it felt much more like something in the recent ancient.
Is this the next tip? Kieran muttered.
It was almost certain that this factory had many more clues hidden in its cracks and crevices, or the existence of the factory alone was a tip by itself.
Broker must have left this ce behind as well, and although there was a high chance that this factory wasnt built by him, there were sufficient tips in here!
The machinery! The blood! Or more urately, the ughter!
As for who built the ce?
There was one person that was worthy of Brokers schemes and nning, and other than the Witch, Kieran couldnt think of anyone else.
As for why the Witch built such a factory?
It must be for the power! Or more urately, it must be to inherit the power!
Kierans eyes shifted to the darkness in the shadow. Even his senses couldnt pry through the darkness but the scarlet red eyes were enough for him to determine a rough contour of the face.
Without a doubt, the Devil me was tossed out, not at Lady Cmity but at... the God of War!
Huu!
After charging, with the buffs from his bloodline power and [Destruction] divinity, rank VI Devil me was tossed out.
God of War chuckled coldly and effectively dodged the me.
Your attacking trajectory is too obvious. You pesky little rat, you think you can hide here and there? Let me tell you whats
God of War bellowed, he wasnt an idiot.
After he saw Kierans true body, he quickly understood the truth behind the series of events that happened recently.
Everything was this pesky little rats doing.
He was deceived, the supreme God of War was deceived by a demi-god! It was unforgivable!
So he prepared to shred Kieran into a thousand pieces, but before he could finish, the tossed out Devil me made a U-turn and flew back, quicker than before.
Hmph! God of War groaned.
His huge figure vanished like a phantom. It wasnt his speed that allowed him to do that, it was some kind of teleportation ability.
But when he reappeared, he was in the trajectory of Devil me and the fireball crashed into him.
Kaboom!
A fierce explosion sounded, apanied with a zing me that burned high.
The God of War was caught off guard and was in a daze as he was engulfed by the me.
He was certain that he had dodged Kierans attack, both the first and the second time.
One thing worth noting was that this factory was unlike the material world. If he had dodged the attack, he would have dodged the attack, even if the attack had some homing attributes.
Unless... the pesky rat had a divinity higher than himself? But was it possible?
A demi-god? How could a demi-god possess a divinity higher than his?
The spections and guesses in his heart made the God of War struggle, his destruction divinity starting toe into y as he was able to expel the Devil me.
Then, three more giant fireballs crashed into the God of Wars body simultaneously.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The Devil me burned once more.
While he was burning God of War, Kieran was carefully observing Lady Cmity.
However, Lady Cmity did not attack, as if she, too, was observing Kieran, an unannounced intruder.
Or rather, she didnt know whether or not she should attack Kieran or attack her old rival, God of War.
Shes even more dull and stiff than I thought, Kieran thought and then raised his hand.
Kakkrooom!
Three more balls of Devil me exploded on God of War.
Although the mes were expelled quickly, Devil me reignited itself with such an exponential speed that it surpassed God of Wars expectation.
Then, for quite a while inside the whole workshop, the God of War was forced into a vicious cycle in which he expelled the mes and Devil me reignited.
After about a dozen times, God of Wars wrath made him bellow.
You rat! Dont expect to use these kinds of tricks to win against me in battle! I will let you know the gap between our strengths! You puny bastard! God of War bellowed furiously, disregarding the consequences and charging towards Kieran.
Kieran dodged the charge by moving his steps. A set of rhythmic movements that seemed to understand the rules of heaven and earth appeared, as if the dodging move wasnt performed by Kierans body but a part of a natural phenomenon.
The changes of the divinity in this space? Kieran spected.
After God of War charged past Kieran, he stopped and stood at the spot where Kieran was standing. From there, further in front of the God of War, was Lady Cmity. He stopped charging but Lady Cmity saw an intimidating God of War before her eyes.
Without a second thought, Lady Cmity jumped out.
Stop! Stop you crazy woman! Stop it! The real enemy isnt me! shouted the God of War.
But Lady Cmity didnt care, continuing to fight God of War.
Kieran didnt do a thing anymore, watching the two Gods fight.
Destruction?
While the two Gods fought, the presence they emanated was clearly sensed by Kieran and he had a better and more straightforward perception.
It was a very pure destruction divinity, but the direction was different.
The God of Wars destruction was more focused on battle, using his body and weapon to kill his opponent.
The other one, Lady Cmity, used the gue to cause destruction.
Kieran was able to differentiate it clearly as he, too, had [Knights of gue Body Tempering Art] in him.
At the same time, he really felt the difference of this ce.
There werent any fancy techniques or tricks, its just a head-on brawl.
Whos divinity was stronger, who would emerge the victor.
Of course, it must be under the condition where their true bodies were at the same level.
Kieran didnt know whether it was the ce that caused it or the way the two of them fought had really no techniques at all, but he wasnt used to this kind of brawl out.
Other than the fact that it was his first time fighting with his divinity, it was also his battle habits that he trained through many fights.
But... everything here provided him with a huge advantage and he had more than just one backup.
Looking at God of War and Lady Cmity, whose Destruction divinity was a rank higher than himself, brawl it out, Kieran stepped back and activated his Trickery divinity, then concealed himself in the dark.
...
Pride didnt have the intention to infiltrate War God Temple, he just brazenly walked in.
Hold it right there! You are... Prince Colin?!
The members of Dark Hall on guard duty outside War God Temple shouted and stopped Pride.
They were a little uncertain of Prides identity.
As the heir to Snake Sect and Edatine, Kierans portrait was sent to all families, houses and factions. Everyone should remember his face by now, there were many who purposely came out to have a look at the real Kieran.
Pride, who had the exact same face as Kieran, was obviously going to be treated as him, but his aura and presence didnt seem to match.
Kierans was much shallow, and unless one was really close with Kieran, it would be difficult for those who werent to differentiate between him and Pride.
The same went for the guards. They werent sure about what he saw but they couldnt be hesitant about it either.
Pride didnt give the guards much time to think, striding forward on his own.
The ck me started to spread.
The me that could burn souls touched the Dark Hall member instantly and he was engulfed whole.
Aaaaah!
These Dark Hall members with ulterior motives and a ruthless hand all fell to the ground.
Every single one of them fell into an illusory realm where they were greeted by their worst nightmare.
It was something theyd never wanted to experience at all.
Pride nced over these men, who did atrocious things in the name of God, with disdain. He didnt stay for long, then walked forward.
He could feel his own powers be stronger. It seemed like it was because of his big brothers divinity, though Pride didnt have the time or attention to get to the bottom of this, because in his point of view, it was all natural. Otherwise, why would he acknowledge Kieran as his big brother?
Likewise, those who stood in his big brothers way should all be dead.
Standing in the way of his big brother was a shameless thing to do!
Pride strode into the cathedral.
He ignored Mortors existence and looked at the statue of God of War.
Its you! Mortor rounded his eyes in shock as he looked at Pride, managing to notice something different but it didnt matter at all.
Even if Pride wasnt Kieran, he would still assume that Pride was because only then could he redeem his losses and rebuild the glory of the God of War.
From a certain perspective... it was great!
Edatine royal court, Snake Sect, everyone else would be gone soon!
Surrender, Prince Colin! said the bishop in council as he walked to Pride.
A faint glow appeared around the bishops body.
A small sword was pointed at Pride.
Pride didnt even spare a nce at the sword, a giant ck greatsword appearing from the void and swung down at the bishop.
The dragon and the tiger roared!
A faint image of a giant dragon rose to the sky and the illusion of a tiger descended from heaven.
Stop being so stubborn! said Mortor.
He then vanished, the dragon and tiger illusions passing through his afterimages and when Mortor appeared, he was behind Pride, the small sword thrusted into Prides back.
An effective strike.
Mortor was stunned and he immediately thought of something, which caused him to look extremely ugly.
He looked up and saw the illusion of the dragon and tiger make a change in direction and head for the God of Wars statue.
NOOO! Mortor squealed, but he could no longer change the oue.
Kaboom!
...
Inside that hidden and avoided alleyway, Sloth yawned countless times.
He was waiting in silence.
With his sleepiness troubling him, Sloth really wanted to sleep on the spot, even if there was no mattress around.
He was very tired. The calctions that he just performed exhausted him once more.
Big brothers enemies are really troublesome, thought Sloth deep down in his heart, his eyes looking at the entrance to the alleyway.
A figure appeared at the entrance. The figure wore a wide robe and the face was covered.
Sloth didnt have any intentions to avoid being noticed or to dodge, because he knew in front of the robed figure, avoiding and dodging would feel useless, like childs y.
Rather than hiding in the dark, might as well step out righteously.
Good evening, greeting the figure.
Sloth yawned again.
The figure kept quiet and nced over Sloth.
The figure then headed straight to Lady Cmitys temple.
Sloth did not stop the figure, instead inviting the figure in with a polite gesture.
The figure stopped and fell into deep thought when Sloth performed the inviting gesture.
What did you do? The voice of the figure was rough and heavy, as if the throat was made out of sanding paper.
A quick night breeze blew and the hood over the figures head moved slightly, revealing the mummified face beneath.
I didnt do anything, Madam Miers. No, I should call you... Madam Witch, Sloth replied withughter.
Chapter 1848 - Sought After
Chapter 1848: Sought After
Laughing, Sloth was still sleepy.
Even though he was bound mid-air the next second, his countenance did not change.
The invisible power shackled Sloths body, as if an invisible giant hand had grabbed him by the back of his neck and moved him to the Witch.
The visible chin under the hood was dry and sharp, as if it was a tree branch that forked out from the trunk, trying to pierce Sloth in the head. Sloth, despite being bound by the invisible force, widened his eyes and looked down at the branch.
The Witch obviously didnt like others looking at her like that.
After she bound Sloth, she floated up into the air. In the night of the harsh winter, she was like the devil that walked out from the dark, looking down on the mortal realm.
Anyone who looked at her would be frozen instantly. Sloth was an exception, because when her freezing gaze arrived, Sloth closed his eyes.
If he could, hed take a mirror and show the Witch how she looked and reflect her icy gaze back at her, but unfortunately, he couldnt do such a thing.
Even if he could, it would be useless.
The Witch wasnt someone who would be harmed by her own powers, even if... she still wasnt the mature version of herself.
ording to big brothers theory, the Witch before his eyes was the Witch a moment before she became the one who was feared by all.
They had entered a time which was purposely extracted, a very important time.
Based on the observation that he had, Sloth was certain that his big brothers theory was correct.
This would be a lot easier. Sloth heaved a sigh of relief.
You know me? I hate your smile.
Amid the question, which sounded in an affirmative tone, the Witch raised her dry hand, her branch-like fingers touching Sloth by the cheek and starting to move.
A line of blood was drawn by the motion.
A deep cut that revealed Sloths bones appeared across his face in an arch.
Thezy looking Sloth instantly looked ugly, especially when the Witch purposely connected the cut to the edge of Sloths mouth, a very strange look appearing on Sloths face.
Looking down at Sloth, the Witch was admiring her masterpiece.
She carefully lifted Sloths face and tried to wipe away the blood.
You are really out of your mind, Sloth sighed sadly in his heart.
Through the plethora of information, he had already known enough about the Witch before his eyes.
Other than being an acknowledged powerhouse, she was scary and crazy.
Most of the people would think that being scary and crazy were just an extension of her powers, but after Slothnded his eyes on the Witch, he was certain that the description was not the extension of her powers, it was something else.
His natural gifts and the adopted, altered abilities allowed him to easily pry into peoples emotions, or even memories, as long as the target was standing in front of him.
Besides that, he could also send many hints into the targets mind through different kinds of influence.
But now? He wasnt able to sense any emotions that a normal person should have in the woman before his eyes. All he sensed was a messy excitement.
No! It wasnt exactly messy, only a normal person would assume it was messy.
In her own thoughts, messy was a norm. She had no problems with herself and the most straightforward example was drawing a smiley face on Sloths face.
You look a lot better now, said the Witch.
Is there a mirror around? I want to have a look at your craft, said Sloth.
He has anticipation in his words, as if he was really looking forward to the smiley face on his face.
The Witch was obviously surprised. Then, she took a mirror out from her robe and put it in front of Sloth.
The arch is not too good, you can draw better, said Sloth after a careful look.
Then, before Sloth could continue with his banter, the Witch put away the mirror.
Do you think you can fool me? The Witchs voice started to turn sharp.
Amid the messy excitement, an extra sharp emotion was added on top.
Puk!
Before Sloth could carefully sense her emotion, his chest was perforated.
The Witch was slightly stunned after she plunged her hand into Sloths chest. It was like she was wondering why she stabbed Sloth with her hand, and after a quick thought, she felt like it was nothing, but the habit that stayed in her body told her that she should do something.
She removed her hand from Sloths left chest and punched another hole in Sloths right chest to make it even. She moved backwards in panic but a happy chuckle sounded from her mouth.
Hehehe.
It only sounded for a second.
The Witch then hopped around Sloth for several rounds before she pulled Sloths right hand and pinched the fingers with her dry fingers.
She asked as she pinched, Did you see my little bear?
Her voice wasnt rough anymore, it sounded pleasant this time.
If it wasnt for that mummified face, Sloth would think hed met a little girl, a very naive and pure little girl.
Why arent you talking? You dont want to y with me?
Amid her pleasant voice, a clear cracking noise sounded.
Each time the Witch spewed a word, shed crush a section of Sloths finger by pinching it with her dried fingers.
Pain stung Sloth again and again, but he wasnt moved at all. He tilted his head and looked at the Witch, widening his mouth as if he was trying to say something but no words came out.
Pak!
The Witch pped him.
I told you to speak louder! The voice of the Witch changed again, it was loud and powerful this time, sounding like a mans voice.
Her conditionsted for a very short time, and around ten secondster, the Witch returned to her normal self, like when Sloth first met her.
She looked at Sloth coldly, Youve discovered my secret!
Sloth couldnt help but flip a white eye at the Witch.
What was there to discover? Arent you putting it on disy?
I feel like you are thinking about something that frustrates me. Nevermind, I will forgive you, the dead are always worthy of forgiveness, The Witch then swung her hand in circles.
Kak!
Sloth, who was bound in the air, felt an irresistible force at his neck that spun his head 720, his head only stopping after spinning for two whole rounds, but the stop was just for a second.
At the next second, Sloth cocked his own head up and his head spun the other direction for two more rounds, returning to his normal position.
I feel like my eyes are able to see better after Ive twisted my head back. What do you think? Sloth showed a smile as he tilted his head, the smile looking very weird considering the corner of his mouth was cut open.
Immortality? The Witch sounded surprised but she quickly put her hand on Sloths body.
Unlike before, when she did not really touch Sloth, she truly put her hands on Sloths body.
Bang!
Right after the Witchs hand touched Sloth, Sloth exploded, not in a bloody and gory way but he disintegrated into powder.
Fuuu!
The night breeze blew, carrying the powder into the night sky.
Several secondster, the powder reformed into a human figure.
Bloody Mary took shape and faltered backwards, looking at the Witch with an ugly look.
It was heavily damaged like never before, the Witchs power threatening its very core.
I can hold on two more times, TOPS! Bloody Mary told its boss through the power of the contract.
The moment the Witch saw Bloody Mary, who was disguised as Sloth, her insane mind immediately reacted to what happened.
Demon! she muttered.
Her mummified face twitched.
Then, a white light started to gather around Bloody Mary.
Tssssss!
As if a chunk of butter was tossed onto a sizzling te, Bloody Mary melted right away.
Whilte it was melting away, its immortality trait felt like it had vanished, the power from the Witch seemed to counter its own. The pain that it suffered was amplified ten times, a hundred times, and then a thousand times.
Aaaaaargh! Bloody Mary squealed in pain.
The Witch then sprinted towards the temple of Lady Cmity without sparing another gaze at Bloody Mary.
Inside the temple, the real Sloth was standing under Lady Cmitys statue. The priests and believers of Lady Cmity around him were put to sleep by him.
The Witch appeared in the temple, but before she could do anything, Sloth yawned and disappeared.
The Witch didnt chase after Sloth. She looked at the statue of Lady Cmity and checked it carefully.
Then, questions appeared on her face.
...
A whileter, back at the Mist camp...
Do you think we can fool her?
The weak Bloody Mary curled up in the corner of the tent.
It could no longer maintain its human form anymore after sustaining that kind of damage from the Witch. The best it could do was appear in a small body to continue existing in the public eye, like a ck cat.
No we cant. Shes crazy, not an idiot. All I hope to do is stall her slightly. It was her backup to devour Cmity, after all. The little tricks we came up in a short time could only stall her for a very short time and thats the best we can do. Anything better than that is almost impossible, Sloth shook his head firmly.
Then you shouldnt stand there just now, at least do something to the statue, beat it or something, so that you can stall her for longer, Bloody Mary, in the form of a ck cat, raised its paw and extended its nail, showing a mischievous look.
Its useless. It will only expose our stalling game quicker, we didnt really do anything you know, Sloth shook his head again.
Bloody Mary didnt argue with that because it was a fact.
ording to their initial n, Sloth was supposed to destroy Lady Cmitys statue, but the seemingly normal statue of Lady Cmity was a lot sturdier than the statue of God of War, which was covered in his own divine light.
From a certain perspective, it shouldnt be described as sturdy anymore. Technically speaking, the defense of the statue was at least rank V or above.
Sloth was helpless against such a ridiculously high defense, but it also proved that the statue of Lady Cmity was the key for the Witch to take over Lady Cmitys powers. In short and simple terms, as long as she got her hands on the key, with a little ritual, the Witch could easily be Lady Cmity, or in a more appropriate way, she would be her true self!
Therefore, after some thoughts, Sloth called Bloody Mary to buy him some time.
Lets hope the boss can deal with the trouble soon, Bloody Mary inhaled deeply.
The trouble that big brother has to deal with isnt just those two Gods. And speaking from a certain angle, I am not worried about big brother at all. I am worried about things that we cannot touch, Sloths words had some other meaning in between the lines.
Bloody Mary kept quiet, knowing what Sloth meant, but it was something that it couldnt touch or provide the slightest help.
Lets go. Lets do what we can for now and hope that the backup of that Witch isnt too harsh. I am not good at fighting, Sloth pointed at the simple funeral that was happening further away.
The funeral was held for Miers.
Although Miers had transformed into the Witch, Sloth couldnt confirm whether Miers was reced or if she had a title like his big brothers 2567?
But one thing was for sure: that crazy Witch wouldnt ept a simple funeral.
She ought to attract more attention so that people would neglect the changes that were going to happen to Lady Cmity.
It was good news though.
It didnt just clearly state that the process would be very long, it also stated that the Witch would be very weak in the process. Otherwise, given how crazy she was, there was no reason for her to go to such an extent.
It would be an opportunity for his big brother!
And the purpose of their existence was to increase the odds for his big brother!
Are you sure you want to bring a ck cat to a funeral? the weak Bloody Mary reminded Sloth.
You can be a white one, Sloth suggested.
I am a heavily injured personnel, I cant even fight a kid! Bloody Mary grumbled.
No, your existence alone is something thats noteworthy. Believe me, you are stronger than you think, said Sloth as he carried cat Bloody Mary.
Right away, a bad feeling rose from the bottom of Bloody Marys heart.
Hey hey hey hey, what are you doing? What are you trying to do? Bloody Mary squealed.
Like big brother, I dont like to stay on the passive and y defense. We must take the initiative to attack!
Right after Sloth finished, he raised cat Bloody Mary high over his head and threw the cat powerfully at the coffin, as if he was throwing a baseball.
FUNG!
The irresistible force sent cat Bloody Mary across the air, a sharp air whistle sounding in its cat ears. By relying on its new feline instinct, itnded steadily with its paws... on the coffin.
Then...
The Demon Hunters who were around the coffinnded their fierce gaze on Bloody Mary in its ck cat form.
Bloody Mary instantly felt numb on its cat head, but the more unsettling thing was it could feel a very small buzzing out from the coffin underneath its paws.
The buzz then grew stronger, as if...
RUN!
Shouting loudly, Bloody Mary jumped high into the air.
Right after cat Bloody Mary jumped up into the air, the coffin that its paws had just touched exploded.
BOOM!
Chapter 1849 - Surge
Chapter 1849: Surge
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
ck cats and crows were deemed as an ominous sign by people, their appearance always apanied by death or something rted to death.
The folklore of Edatine also had simr sayings but to the Demon Hunters, who were always hunting evil pagans, the sayings were not mere myths or legends, they were real.
Therefore, after Bloody Mary appeared on the coffin as a cat, Anderson, Holuff, and the other Demon Hunters were rmed.
As for the squeal of cat Bloody Mary?
The Demon Hunters saw a talking stone before, a cat talking was nothing to them.
Kaboom!
The coffin exploded, Demon Hunters quickly dodging.
Dark green mist from the coffin gushed out and filled the area in an instant.
Tsssssss!
A sizzling noise sounded from the ground, as if something was being corroded, and inside the dark green mist, a figure wobbly stood up.
Vigor mortis!
The Demon Hunters exchanged quick gazes and reached out to their respective weapons.
Anderson even tossed a potion out.
Pak!
After the sound of breaking ss, a strong wind blew.
The dark green mist was carried away and the figure inside the mist was revealed.
It was Miers in her mummified state wearing her coffin attire.
Or more urately, Miers was arranged to show up by the Witch.
Looking at their revived old friend, the Demon Hunters showed hesitance in their eyes for a few seconds before they reced it with a determined look.
The friendship would never be forgotten, but they would also never forget their duty as Demon Hunters.
Leave the professionals to do their thing.
Sloth always acknowledged the saying and carried it out wholeheartedly.
Who else was more suitable than the Demon Hunters in dealing with monsters and pagans?
Even though this evil being was once a Demon Hunter, it wouldnt change anything.
You bastard! What have you done?
Cat Bloody Mary ran back with its angry bellows. Compared to its previous state, its ck fur became drier and arge area on its body had gone bald.
Is there anything easier than this? Sloth pointed at the battle that broke out further away and started to calcte in his mind, not paying attention to Bloody Mary.
His mind was filled with several sets of numbers as he calcted, and after he filled in all the nks with answers that he knew, the odds slowly became clear.
Brother, time is running out, Sloth told Kieran.
He then looked at cat Bloody Mary.
What are you trying to do? Cat Bloody Mary looked at Sloth vigntly.
I am not good in battle, Sloth was being honest.
I am not suitable to battle in my cat state either! Bloody Mary emphasized.
No, no, no. I need you to do what you do best, said Sloth with a smile.
What I do best? Role ying? Bloody Mary was surprised.
Sloth didnt say anything else, pointing at the panic crowd.
His answer was obvious.
...
Back at the mysterious factory workshop space, the battle was still going on, and it had gotten fiercer.
God of Wars armor was filled with battle scars and his movements were slowing down, like an old bullock pulling a broken cart.
Lady Cmity, on the other hand, was different.
She wasnt just attacking fiercer, she was quicker than before.
Kieran was adapting to his new body in this space while he observed their battle.
He hoped to get some knowledge about this particr space through observing the battle.
It was without question a very effective method.
Kieran could now better control his body and clearly felt the changes, his original skills all avable to him once more and he had a deeper understanding of his current body.
His current body was formedpletely out of his divinity, albeit it was modeled after the blueprint of his original body.
However, if he would get hurt in this space, what he would be losing wouldnt be blood but his divinity!
That was why the God of War wore a set of heavy armor and Lady Cmity hid in the dark.
They were all instinctively protecting their divinity.
As for where the armor and darkness came from?
The Power of Faith!
Kieran was very sure of it because everytime God of Wars armor was damaged, the battle scar on it would give out the presence of the Power of Faith.
Kieran was not a total stranger towards the Power of Faith. Therefore, he had arranged some backups for himself.
From how things were looking, his backups were much more useful than he thought.
Quietly adjusting his breathing and his divinity body, he was waiting for the chance to strike.
When Pride swung his sword at the statue back at War God Temple, Kieran felt it and he squinted his eyes, diving into the shadow and quietly sneaking behind God of Wars back to deliver a kick.
The crescent moon shaped qi energy wave was detected by God of War, but he did not turn around.
Compared to his old rival Lady Cmity, a demi-god was nothing important in his eyes.
With that thought in mind, God of War punched Lady Cmity away from him and then suffered a great loss.
Bang!
The crescent moon shaped qi energy wave struck God of Wars armor, causing the damaged armor to shatter after a vigorous shake.
Pak!
As though the armor was a breaking ceramic pot, the shattered armor fell on the ground and further broken into smaller pieces.
God of War was shocked but Kieran wasnt.
A split second in the battlefield was enough to determine victory.
The charged Devil me roared and was fired out at God of War again.
Kaboom!
As the zing waves rumbled, God of War squealed in pain.
It was obvious that without his armor protection, God of War was not as powerful as rumoured.
Even with his armor, the God of War was far from Kierans initial expectations.
That kind of battle instinct and techniques were a total insult to the name God of War, but Kieran didnt exactly hate it because everything that happened granted him a huge advantage!
What else was better than an enemy who had nothing but brute force?
It would be the enemys slow reaction and absence of any battle techniques.
Boom!
Booom! Booooom!
After the first fireballnded, Kieran did not hold back and Devil me was fired like a barrage of cannon shots, every single st relentlesslynding on God of War.
Injuries soon started to appear on God of War, his divinity starting to slip away.
Energy is conserved. While one side was losing energy, the otherside would surely acquire the energy.
Maybe the methods varied ordingly but nature never changed.
[Absorbed Destruction divinity 0.1%]
[Absorbed Destruction divinity 0.1%]
[Absorbed Destruction divinity 0.1%]
...
Endless notifications popped up in Kierans vision.
As I thought! So this is Edatines own recursive rule? Or the special rule in this space? Kieran squinted his eyes, tending to lean towards thetter because only thetter could exin why the God of War and Lady Cmity insisted on fighting in this factory workshop.
Plus, it also exined why God of War declined after the ck Cataclysm. It wasnt just the thinning of his believers, it was also because when he first entered this space, he identally fell for the trick.
As for why the God of War and Lady Cmity insisted on fighting in this space, was it to keep Edatine away from the coteral damage?
If Lady Cmity had the same level of intellect as the God of War and was not driven by her beastly instinct, Kieran would believe it, just like what happened now.
Roar! Roar! Lady Cmity growled at Kieran. She couldnt even voice aplete word, let alone a sentence, as if she was an animal.
Kieran couldnt help but shake his head. It was obvious that the Witch had done an outstanding job.
In order to better enjoy her own investment, the Witch must have nted more than one line of defenses.
Otherwise, even if she hadpletely lost her mind, with her divinity intact and nock of Power of Faith, she would have regained her sanity.
His notorious reputation had proven that the Witch had meticulously set him up before this.
Though... in the meantime, it seemed like Kieran was the biggest winner.
Three more balls of Devil me crashed into God of War.
Unlike the charged one, Kieran just simply tossed them out but the Devil me was already at rank VI.
Right after the first wave of Devil me, [Destruction] divinity had reached 21%.
[Destruction: With this divinity, you will be empowered when carrying out simr actions. Destruction divinity is currently at Standard rank, you will receive +2 in simr action that you perform.]
...
Unlike the 1%-15% range, which was at Feeble rank, the divinity was raised to Weak rank at 16% and now reaching 21%. It was considered Standard rank.
Would new ranks or changes appear in the future, Kieran had no idea.
For now, the threshold of a single rank was 5% and it provided Kieran with an advantage.
The changes to Devil me were the most straightforward, it was a change of quality.
A charged up Devil me that had rank VI attack and simply tossing out a rank VI attack Devil me were two very different concepts. They were not in the same category anymore, even when they shared the same attack rank.
Moreover, the charged up attack of thetter would increase the attack rank to rank VII!
It would be his strongest attack at his current stage.
Without a second thought, Kieranughed at a rank VII Devil me!
Immediately, his surroundings were distorted by the heat.
A heat that could burn ones soul gathered in Kierans hand.
Grrrr! Grrrr!
As if she sensed danger, Lady Cmity started to back away.
God of War also sensed the danger despite him being engulfed in mes, running towards the exit of the workshop right away.
He ran towards the exit with all his might but it was already toote.
While charging up, Kieran was prevented from using Devil me at the same time but he could move freely, appearing in front of God of War in a sh.
Get away from me!
God of War growled angrily and swung his strong arms at Kieran, trying to shove him away.
Those powerful arms formed by pure divinity were empowered by ayer of obvious Power of Faith.
The Power of Faith made God of Wars attack extremely terrifying, especially his momentum.
His arms were like two falling meteors, trying to bring destruction upon thend.
But... it was too slow!
It was so slow because while Kierans hand had touched the God of War, his arms were still lingering mid-air.
Rank VII Devil me then exploded!
The whole mysterious space seemed to have been dented by the power, ayer of ck appearing above Kierans palm before the blistering light exploded.
The high temperature alone could vapourize the metal and iron in the workshop.
The whole factory workshop fell into silence.
ThenKaboooooom!
After an ear-deafening st, half of God of Wars body was sted away. The other half of his body was also quickly melting.
His huge body shrunk smaller than amon man as he fell to the ground. On the remaining half of his head, his only eye widened as he stared at Kieran in front of him, surrounded by the Devil me and looking like he was descending from a zing heaven.
Lies! These are all lies! I-I was tricked! said the God of War.
The God of War finally realized something on the verge of death, but it was toote.
Since the God of War was an enemy, Kieran would never hold back.
Wait! I will tell you a secr-
Kabooom!
Before the God of War even finished pleading, Kieran charged up his Devil me and sted straight into God of Wars remaining face.
This time, the God of War finally died.
Kieran didnt like to chat with the enemy that he was fighting.
The best enemy in Kierans mind was the dead one.
Moreover, Kieran knew what the God of War was trying to say: it was none other than the Witchs setup.
The setup could be categorized into two parts.
The first part was that God of War first entered this ce identally and was ambushed by Lady Cmity, who still wasnt her current self but a demi-god. The God of War was utterly shaken when he realized the demi-god Lady Cmity was able to absorb some of his divinity and at the same time, she had her eyes on this mysterious space, so she instigated Edatine V tounch an attack at the south.
Then, it was the start of the ck Cataclysm that the Witch had plotted for a very long time.
The astronomical amount of deaths catalysed Lady Cmitys growth.
At the same time, in order to not lose his believers, the God of War cast his divine miracles oftenly at the mortal realm so that he could absorb the Power of Faith that was obviously way beyond his limits. Hence his current form, which was seemingly powerful but actually weak on the inside.
The shackle from the peoples beliefs... a double-edge de?
While Kieran savoured the divine mes burning around him, the filtered Power of Faith became the purest of energy and nourished his body. Kieran then looked at Lady Cmity, who kept dodging the mes since the first burning.
Kierans [Destruction] divinity was raised to 30% after killing the God of War.
[Destruction: With this divinity, you will be empowered when carrying out simr actions. Destruction divinity is currently at Strong rank, you will receive +3 in simr action that you perform.]
...
Buffing Devil me with [Destruction] divinity, it was safe to say that Kieran could easily apprehend Lady Cmity, who was as damaged as the God of War.
Although she was much quicker and not as slow as a snail like God of War, she was also burdened by the mixed Power of Faith.
Plus, the mysterious space wasnt a spacious area to begin with, the exploding Devil me easily able to create a scorching environment quickly.
More importantly, the only exit was behind Kieran.
In short, Kieran had everything under control at the moment with absolute advantage.
He could have simply swung his hand and destroyed Lady Cmity to acquire stronger powers.
Kieran raised his hand, Devil me burning and roaring once more, but it wasnt fired this time.
In a threatening tone, Kieranmanded Lady Cmity, Sit!
Chapter 1850 - Start!
Chapter 1850: Start!
Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion
Kieran looked straight into Lady Cmitys eyes, the Devil me in his hand continuing to burn.
Roar after roar, it echoed in the mysterious space, the scorching hot temperature distorting the environment once more.
Lady Cmity was afraid of the high temperature.
She had no intellect but she had her instincts. Her instincts told her what she must do in front of such a threatening presence.
A quick hesitationter, Lady Cmity chose to obey and sit down.
Very good, Kieran nodded.
Then he took a piece of contract out after Lady Cmity chose toply.
When the contract appeared, Lady Cmity twisted her body with unease, she even groaned slightly.
Quiet! Kieran bellowed, slightly raising the hand with the burning Devil me.
The me swept over the top of Lady Cmitys head.
Lady Cmity instantly quieted down.
Do you want to live or... die? Kieran asked calmly.
The quiet Lady Cmity once again grew restless.
Death is fair, no one can escape or neglect death, likewise looking death straight in the eye.
Kieran, Lady Cmity, and everyone else were the same.
In fact, if he had a choice, Kieran would want to resolve this in a more direct way, such as killing Lady Cmity, but then he thought of Broker and the Witch.
Broker had always been cunning, Kieran wouldnt believe that things would go smoothly after he grasped Brokers goal. The smooth progress that he was having now must have some traps from Broker that he still couldnt notice.
Against Broker, Kieran could never be too careful.
As for the Witch?
A character that Broker spent all his efforts and turned his mind over to set up, would she be a simple Jane Doe?
The answer was self-exnatory.
Otherwise, Broker wouldnt go to such an extent and choose a time where the Witch hadnt grown into power to set up this many arrangements.
Therefore, Kieran spected that there must be something else on this Lady Cmity that he still hadnt discovered, something that would only trigger with her death!
Of course, forming a contract with her might also be a trigger, so just to be on the safe side...
The one forming a contract with Lady Cmity wasnt Kieran.
As for who? Who else was better than the immortal follower to do the job?
It would be the immortal and obedient follower.
Therefore, on the host side of the contract, Kieran wrote Bloody Marys name.
The final oue was exactly as per Kierans expectations.
After the Devil me roared onces more, Lady Cmitys instinct told her to submit.
Her name was written down on the contract.
ThenBANG!
Cat Bloody Mary was instantly disintegrated into powder.
It seems like brother made it, said Sloth as he was ready to open the door in front of him.
Gluttony had been waiting for a long time behind the door and when he saw Slothe in, he eagerly pointed at the treasure behind him.
Treasure? Thats right, treasure.
The treasure here referred to the things behind the door, which were Edatines savings throughout the decades.
Gluttonys task was to consume all the treasures and convert all of them into energy to supply Kieran with the energy he needed.
Now?
It was time for Kieran to use the energy.
Go, said Sloth as he caressed his little brothers head.
Gluttony cheerfully jumped into the treasures.
Sloth then started to draw a spell formation on the ground.
He wasnt drawing with ink or other material, he was drawing the formation with his own blood!
The spell formation was extremelyplicated and delicate.
It has the symbol of Dawn and also the symbol of Cmity, plus the aura of the Devil. It consisted of mostly contracts and orders.
After he finished drawing the whole formation, Sloth added the words that appeared in Kierans [Trickery] divinity: Reply, Blessing, and Deceive Contract.
When Gluttony started to digest the treasures wantonly, the words representing divinity lit up first, followed by the whole spell formation.
An abundance of energy was channeled through the power of the contract, which was as substantial as the whole world, and gushed into Bloody Mary, or what was left of it. Bloody Mary couldnt even maintain a steady form and was forced to revert to its spirit form after the damage it received.
Right away, the ghostly Bloody Mary, who almost vanished, reappeared in its cat form.
I thought I was going to die for a second back there, said cat Bloody Mary, and right after its voice subsided
BANG!
Cat Bloody Mary was disintegrated once more into powder with an explosive bang, but it was able to reappear right away this time.
Then...
BANG! The disintegration process happened again and repeated itself for quite a while.
The disintegration finally went away after the 60th time.
It was not that the power that disintegrated Bloody Mary vanished, but Bloody Mary was able to adapt to the destructive power, it was able to sustain the explosive power and stop itself from beingpletely disintegrated, though a part of its body would still disappear without a sign and then regrow on its own.
After the process was repeated for another 60 times, the disappearing body parts stopped too.
Cat Bloody Mary clenched its teeth and sat down, exhausted.
Damn that bloody Broker! Damn that wretched Witch! Dont you let me find the chance or Ill return the favour a hundred thousand times! Or more than that! grumbled Bloody Mary as it looked at Sloth with a grudgeful gaze. You damn liar, you said you want me to do what I do best!
Bloody Mary was loud with itsint.
Isnt this what you are good at? Sloth leaned back on the corridor wall and repliedzily.
Bloody Mary got stunned for a second.
Thats right, taking hits for the boss, being med for stuff that he did was what Bloody Mary did best.
Then why did you point at the others just now? asked Bloody Mary.
I wanted to distract you because Im not sure whether Broker or the Witch had any more backups that would allow them to notice all this in advance. Fortunately, they did not and thats a relief. Sloth then looked at Bloody Mary and asked with a smile, Besides, dont you feel a little stronger now?
Of course! But I hope to be stronger in a much milder way! Not after being disintegrated hundreds of times! Bloody Mary nodded at the fact that it became stronger, but even though it was a fact, the process was still unbearable. It really pained it to the core.
Its whole body was disintegrated into powder and then parts of its body started to disappear without a sign!
Until now, it still felt like there were countless needles poking its body.
The world of the grown ups isnt that easy, but... if you are willing to sacrifice, you will be rewarded. Now then, please receive your rewardits what brother told me to tell you, said Sloth.
What do you mean? Bloody Mary was stunned, a bad feeling unknowingly rising from the bottom of its heart.
You didnt think the whole Edatine pce had only this tiny bit of treasure right? Note that the treasures have umted since Edatine I. It never stopped until Edatine VI, thats more than 200 years! The essence of the entire Northern Land is right here! Close your eyes and enjoy it.
Bang!
Right after Sloths words faded, Bloody Mary exploded once more, but it didnt disintegrate into powder. Its body engorged and then exploded!
Its immortal traits then came into y, Bloody Mary reappearing. Then the same thing happened, engorging and exploding.
Digestion was a very weird process. A good digestive system is envied by many, not all were as powerful as Gluttony.
From a certain perspective, Bloody Mary, who was almost immortal, had the same traits too.
Throughout its demon existence, it was the first time Bloody Mary felt full from eating. It also felt, for the first time, that it had overeaten and it was also the first time its body exploded because of eating too much.
Then, the process repeated itself for more than a hundred times.
When the dust finally settled, Bloody Mary instinctively remained in its cat form, covering its head with its paws and curling up its body in the corner.
It looked helpless, weak, and pitiful, but a powerful aura was faintly emanating from its body.
[Name: Bloody Mary]
[Type: Superior Demon (Hetero-Form)]
[Rarity: IV+]
[Attack: IV+]
[Defense: IV+]
[Attribute: 1. Illusion; 2. Phantasm Body; 3. Hand de; 4. Blood Suck; 5. Quick Regeneration; 6. Demon Instinct; 7 Indomitable Will]
[Effect: 1. Form Change; 2. Mystical Knowledge (Pro); 3. Noble Knowledge (Master) 4. Life of an Assassin (Musou)]
[Prerequisite: Willingness to submit]
[Remark: A Superior Demon that was born from the Blood Queen Tiara because of an ident. After consuming the Voodoo Pir, it had reached the limits of amon demon but it wasnt one to begin with, therefore it was smart enough to not simply fuse with those seemingly powerful things, all it did was choose those that benefited itself. After many times feeding it with rare items, its strength was elevated to new heights and surpassed itsmon peers. After you help it go through an important transformation, it is reborn into this world with a new powerful form]
...
[Illusion: Create Illusion that requires authentication no lower than III- Spirit, rank III Intuition (Failed once, target will suffer II- rank mental impact; Failed twice, target will suffer rank III+ mental impact). When there are multiple targets, Spirit and Intuition authentication will decrease based on the increased targets and when the targets had unstable emotions, authentications will increase.]
[Phantasm Body: Transform body to phantasmal form, immune to physical attack, 30% damage mitigation against energy attack. +5 in Undercover]
[Hand de: Hands are sharp as des, attack rank +1 (Cannot exceed rank V)]
[Blood Suck: Any single part of your body is able to consume the blood of living beings and parts of the soul to rapidly regenerate injuries and stamina, cleanse debuffs. Regeneration +5 when munching]
[Quick Regeneration: Consume a little amount of Stamina to quickly regenerate HP; consume a very little amount to regenerate even limbs, including but not limited to the head.]
[Demon Instinct: Only a very few demons possess this skill and Bloody Mary is different from them. It can not only clearly sense the emotions and thoughts of the living beings that is near to itself, it can also use a medium (including but not limited to mirrors and other misceneous items) to perform the same feat in long range (living beings includes but not limited to humans and when the sensing target is in an unstable state of mind, it can better perform this feat) It has very high chances to see through illusion, illusory realm too.]
[Indomitable Will: Mary had been through too many in the past, but its tenacity (gifted by you) made it stronger by every defeat. What cannot kill it makes it stronger. Defense level +1 (unable to surpass rank V). Gains a +1 advantage against any Spirit authentication]
...
[Form Change: Able to change into anyone, things or living beings (possessed own abilities and a certain level of the targets aura), the size of the transformed is no bigger than arge being (A blue whale is the limit of arge being); or change into a Blood Tiara (When contractor wears the Blood Tiara, able to choose 4 attribute from Bloody Mary as skills)]
[Mystical Knowledge (Pro): Getting more and more skilled in all sorts of mystical knowledge, Mary can learn even more but it has to be given by you]
COMMENT
[Noble Knowledge (Master): Familiar with knowledge that nobles has to master, though Mary isnt really interested in this]
[Life of an assassin (Musou): These are the memories of when Mary was still human. It is able to acquire great benefits from it and is also extremely interesting too.]
[Note 1: ve Contract doesnt requires point to summon]
[Note 2: Strengthen Contract, even if it somehow broke free from Fantos Manuscript, it will still be your ve.]
[Note 3: Solidify Contract, you spend a speechless amount of contract to solidify the bond between you and Mary.]
[Note 4: Outstanding amount of contract, the amount of contracts that you spent on Mary had reached an outstanding level, the invisible power of contract had started to take form]
...
Through the power of the contracts, Kieran clearly sensed the changes in Bloody Mary.
Not bad, its more useful now,mented Kieran.
He then looked at Lady Cmity.
Lady Cmity, who was enveloped by darkness before, had transformed into a ck cat. Other than its unusual scarlet red eyes, there was nothing wrong with her.
She looked no different from a cat, not a normal cat but cat Bloody Mary.
Lady Cmity in her cat form had an obvious spirituality and a trace of remarkable aura.
Kieran didnt know whether it was the contract that caused the changes in her but he saw cat Lady Cmity kept nuzzling at his leg. Shed flip around asionally, revealing her white fur tummy, so Kieran couldnt help but bend down and caress her head.
Then Kieran turned around to the exit and headed out.
The cat followed by jumping up onto Kierans shoulder.
Kieran didnt stop her either.
The two of them pushed the door open and disappeared beyond the exit.
...
Back at Lady Cmitys temple...
Bang!
The Witch, in her mummified form, punched the wall fiercely.
She confirmed that this was all a trap to purposely deceive her but it was already toote.
Her opponent had taken and possessed her most important spoil.
Her n had failed, but... not entirely.
She turned around and nced over the sky.
I will remember you, said the Witch before she disappeared into thin air.
...
Aiayaya, how vignt can you be? Its really over at times, Broker rubbed the center of his brows as if he seemed to have sensed something.
COMMENT
The n was only half finished, but up until this point, he didnt care that much anymore.
This was a rare chance that he went through countless efforts to create.
Inhaling deeply, Brokers eyes instantly calmed down and looked determined. His voice then spread out in all directions in the secret base.
Siege the dome clock tower!
Chapter 1851 - Break!
Chapter 1851: Break!
Right after the order was given, hundreds of yers charged towards the dome clock tower.
Broker sat back and did not follow the group, instead looking at Borl, who was stunned at the spot.
Right, I forgot to give you back your most important possesion.
Broker tapped his head softly and took a crystal ball out, tossing it to Borl.
Borl wanted to dodge but after everything that happened before his eyes and toppled his world view, he seemed to have lost the ability to dodge.
The crystal ball hit him, but it didnt bounce away or break. Instead, it merged with Borls body.
The crystal ball was actually Borls memories!
Memories like the rising tide gushed into Borls mind, impacting his brain heavily.
Aaaaaaargh!!! Screaming in pain, Borl went down on his knees.
Edatine! He saw Edatine once again!
He saw the Witch descending from hell!
He saw the destruction of Edatine!
He saw the gue wreaking havoc throughout the Northern Lands!
Death! Endless death! No one was able to escape, including himself!
He might even be the most pitiful one because he was caught by the Witch and was sliced up bit by bit.
His body, his soul, everything was cut into pieces. His power was then extracted and absorbed into the Witchs body, bing a part of her.
I... was dead? Borl muttered to himself.
The questionable spots that used to trouble him finally got a clear exnation, he had finally gotten to the bottom of everything.
He was dead a long time ago and now he was revived by Broker.
He had nothing with him when he came back to life, nothing except for a set of memories that he wasnt sure were real or not.
Borl went silent, but soon enough he thought of something.
2567! 2567 is still inside the dungeon! The Witch will appear, 2567 is in danger!
With that thought in mind, Borl gave his best effort to stand up and slowly step back.
The restraining force on him was gone, but against Broker, he dared not be careless.
It wasnt just Brokers strength that he dreaded, there was also his forces.
No one would ever expect Broker to be the mysterious leader of the Resistance, right?
On top of that, Broker wanted to siege the dome clock tower!
He was going to siege the only ce that had a rtion with the Witch after she was gone from the game.
Is it somehow rted to 2567 back in Edatine?
As for how Broker revived him or how he extracted time, Borl didnt have the mood to think about it at the moment, all he wanted to do was leave.
He originally thought it would be tough to escape from Broker. He even messaged Lawless for help but until he retreated back to the exit, Broker didnt even move a finger to stop him, he just smiledalthough there was the facial blur from the system, Borl was sure Broker was smiling at him.
I have achieved my goal and you have done your duty. So you are free nowconsider it your reward, Brokermented without touching on the important aspects, but his casual tone did not ease Borls heart. Instead, it sank it like an iceberg did to the Titanic.
Broker was a professional business man, it was an undoubted fact and acknowledged by everyone in the big city. Therefore, Broker would never make a losing deal.
The cost of bringing someone back to life...
What did you do to 2567? Borl asked directly.
Him? Nothing. I never had any malicious thoughts for him, Brokerughed his mind out, then waved to Borl and said, But idents always happen. If you people dont figure out a way to help him, he might really run into a serious problem, not a life-threatening problem, but he might be... lost!
Lost?
Yes, lost. He will be lost in Edatine forever and never be able toe back. If you want to help him, you better hurry.
Broker then strode out and Zorl the Registrar followed tightly behind him.
Looking at Brokers vanishing figure, Borl kept messaging Lawless. He then quickly headed to Harvest Inn.
He felt like there must be more than one trap in all of this and he thought that Lawless had to know about this.
It was not about anything else, it was just that Lawless was 2567s friend and he was friends with 2567.
...
Stealing a sip of liquor while Rachel is gone for a kicker. She looks like a bitch to me and doesnt even wash her hands after she shits...
Mopping the floor, Lawless was singing a weird song that only he knew.
If it wasnt wooden and something else, Lawless was certain that the floor he scrubbed would be as reflective as a mirror.
But Rachel told him to mop the floor three more times.
Three more times it was then. He was used to it already, there was noint at all about that but how did she notice the stolen liquor?
Lawless was sure that when he hid the bottle of liquor, Rachel wasnt in the inn and there was no one around him.
Besides that, Rachel seemed to have kept a secret from him. Shed been missing from the inn recently.
On top of that, cksmith and Lemour the Alchemist hadnt shown up for a while now.
Hanses and Coll, whod drop by everyday before this, were also quite mysterious recently.
Ramont even rejected his suggestion to go explore the outskirts of the big city, though Derder always dropped by and talked to him.
What a great fe! Its too bad that he doesnt drink. Compared to him, Borl is much better!
When Lawless started to think about his friend who left not long ago, he couldnt help but smile in a silly way. It was at that moment the messaging tab lit up with a message from Borl.
Without a further thought, Lawless opened it.
When he checked the content of the message, the smile on Lawless face vanished.
An aura as keen as a de appeared on his buff body.
BROKER!!!! he shouted loudly.
Then, a second message from Borl came.
There were a lot of words this time.
In summary: 2567 is trapped in a dungeon world!
Without further thought, Lawless contacted Rachel.
Lawless: 2567 is trapped in a dungeon world, its Brokers doing and its rted to the Witch.
Rachel: Iming back now. Wait for me.
...
After a short and quick conversation, Lawless sat patiently and waited for Rachel.
The smoke from his cigar quickly filled the inn.
Huuu! Haaa!
Amid the heavy breathing, the image of a crouching tiger with its eyes closed slowly took form.
...
That idiot Lawless got the news from another idiot, said Rachel to Wu, her friend.
What are you going to do? Wu didnt look at her friend, instead offering Magic rank items, one after another, for a sacrifice.
Are you confident enough? Rachel didnt answer Wus question, asking another one instead.
2567 will be fine, he wont be disappointed and I wont disappoint him either.
Wu then knelt on the carpet and started wishing.
She was wishing for Kierans return by paying the cost using all the conditions that she could bear.
Rachel looked at her friend. She wanted to stop Wu but she couldnt even utter a word. All she did was quietly step out of the ce and informed all her partners to assemble at Harvest Inn.
After all of that, Rachel hesitated for a moment before she sent a message to... Starbeck the mimosa.
...
The golden sugar is a little less. I need to use the eye of a hydra to rece the eye of a wing dragon? The heart of a plutonium dragon, the blood essence of a devil overlord, the breath of the primal lord.
Starbeck was putting the raw ingredients, one after another, into the big wok.
[Duyers Recipe] and [Index of Eat] inspired Starbeck greatly.
It allowed Starbeck to properly use the ingredients to carry out his vows to Kieran.
Never be 2567s burden, be someone who can support 2567.
Its almost done.
A radiance of indescribable color shone from the [Big Wok], and slowly emerging from the wok was a... steam bun.
Starbeck smiled so happily that his eyes squinted into the likes of a crescent moon.
With this, 2567s power will surely reach a new level.
Overjoyed, Starbeck started to prepare a feast to wee Kieran back.
It was a habit to him, albeit he obtained this habit not long ago.
Starbeck was serious and serious about this.
It wasnt a reduplication, Starbeck had twice the seriousness.
He was serious about food and he was serious about Kieran.
Ding!
The ping from the message tab stopped Starbeck from what he was doing.
When he saw the message from Rachel, Starbecks look turned ugly. His face turned slightly pale and he even faltered backwards.
Starbeck only regained his senses after a few seconds.
He ran to the living room to reach his bag.
The bag was a normal one and had scrolls that he needed inside it.
Starbeck dug out all the scrolls from the bag.
[Wishing (Small)] x 12
[Wishing [Medium)] x 12
[Wishing [Big)] x 12
[Wishing (Extra Large)] x 12.
A thick stack of [Wishing] scrolls that varied from different ranks were taken out.
He actually prepared all of them for himself because he knew hed always run into trouble.
Of course, Starbeck had prepared more than just a stack of scrolls, he even has [Auspicious Potion] x3!
Three radiating gold potions were ced in front of him and without a second thought, Starbeck grabbed one and finished it, but he didnt use the stack of [Wishing] scroll next. Instead, he put his hand back into the bag.
A very old scroll was taken out this time, looking no different from those abandoned scrolls.
However, with a closer look, one could feel the glow of the moon on the scroll. It was very dim, one wouldnt be able to tell without a very meticulous look.
The scrolls name was [Diens Blessing]! He once found it at a historical ruin and it still wasnt hisst trump card.
Starbeck grabbed another [Auspicious Potion] and drank it, then put his hand back into the back and took another piece of scroll out.
This second golden scroll was radiating brightly like the sun, it even had a faint dragons growl emanated from it.
The illusory image of an hourss shed over the scroll.
[Leafs Blessing]!
After he saw the scroll, Starbeck heaved a sigh of relief.
Then, Starbeck finished thest vial of [Auspicious Potion]
Swiftly, he tore all 36 pieces of the [Wishing] scroll, then [Diens Blessing], and finally [Leafs Blessing].
A low hymn of blessing echoed in the room.
The moon and the sun appeared together at the ceiling.
Unified Shine of Sun and Moon!
Starbeck didnt notice any of that since he was praying with his eyes closed, but the others saw it.
The room system that should be able to block everything failed to block the moonlight and sunlight from radiating from within.
Starting off from Starbecks room in the center, a crescent moon and a sun appeared in the sky of the big city.
The crescent moon was pure and white; the sun was golden and blistering.
The sun and moon called out to each other and a wonderful resonance started to appear.
...
Those who knew Rynester would be infected by his kindness.
His casual and polite way of speaking allowed him to easily win others trust.
But Yu was different. He was cold and ruthless, the most revered among the Guardians, but most of the people were looking at the eight magistrates.
Compared to the two mysterious Supervisors, who hid away from the public eye, the assembled eight magistrates attracted more attention from the Guardians members.
The Magistrate of Sword, Lee.
The Magistrate of Shield, Hark.
The Magistrate of Spear, Elder.
The Magistrate of Bow, Rodd.
The Magistrate of me, Gue.
The Magistrate of Ice, Rosso.
The Magistrate of Wind, Gike.
The Magistrate of Earth, Glove.
The people were looking at each other in confusion. They didnt know what happened, but they knew what the assembled eight magistrates represented and what the situation meant.
Therefore, everyone was serious and patient while waiting.
Several secondster, a series of footsteps came from one side of the Y-stairs.
A person with a blurred out face and an eagle on his shoulder walked over.
When the eagle entered everybodys eyes, everyone skipped a breath.
They were very familiar with this particr eagle.
It was safe to say that without the eagles selection, they wouldnt have be one of the Guardians and the shoulder that the eagle wouldnd on belonged to...
The leader?!
All the members of the Guardians started to specte.
Everyone. I apologize for meeting all of you under such circumstances. We originally should have met in a more solemn situation but unfortunately, because of some unexpected events, we have to move the schedule up a notch. You can call me Ling, but please dont call me leader because only that lord has the rights to be addressed in that title. And we are all the lords Guardians! We guard the lords treasure and wait for her return, but now, there are some with ill intentions who have their eyes on our lords treasure, Ling was being very straightforward.
The lord that Ling referred to was the Witch without a question, but Ling continued to call her using the honorary title.
Likewise the members of the Guardians, they too maintained the necessary respect for the Witch.
To them, the Witch was an idol that they admired highly.
There was no need for instigation, those who stayed here had their battle intents aroused.
KILL! shouted the members of the Guardians en masse.
KABOOM!
Amid their shouting, an explosion happened outside the door.
The door, which should have been indestructible, was destroyed by the st.
Broker, leading the Resistance, walked in with a smile.
Ling saw the hatred in Brokers eyes, but he was soon captivated by the unusual phenomenon of a sun and a crescent moon appearing at once in the sky above the big city.
Unified Shine of Sun and Moon?! How is this possible?! How did you do it? shouted Ling in utter disbelief.
Chapter 1852 - Truth
Chapter 1852: Truth
The surprising cry attracted everyones attention instantly.
If it was from some normal yer, it might be nothing but the one who cried out in surprise was the leader of the Guardians, Ling!
The heir of the legendary Witch, whose power level and strength was at the pinnacle of the big city!
Nothing is impossible. You think you are so strong and powerful, but when you are in front of another powerful force... you are too insignificant to even mention, Broker said with augh.
Hisugh was filled with contempt.
Broker then pointed at the surroundings and said word by word, Absolute safe room? What a joke, its nothing but a cage! Outside this small little cage, theres a bigger cage and these cages exist to only shackle down our freedom, andyer byyer, we will eventually be... ves!
His words were loud. Broker then nced over the Guardians members, the two Supervisors and all eight magistrates, his eyes showing a sense of ridicule once more.
Do you all want to know the truth about the Guardians? Do you?
SHUT UP! Ling stopped Broker after he regained his senses from the shocking scene.
The leader of the Guardians had brazen killing intents overflowing from his eyes. He said with a cold chuckle, You are ying with your tricks again. Do you think we will listen to you? You traitor! You betrayed the lord!
Ling then raised his hand and swung down powerfully.
All eight of the magistrates dashed towards Broker at once.
Repent for your sins in the afterlife, said Ling.
Ling was very confident in his eight magistrates.
Even though Broker brought several hundred men over, they were mostly veteran yers, the high-rankers were less than one tenth of the number.
The eight magistrates were the elite of the elites among the high-rankers, they could easily kill the normal high-rankers in a matter of seconds.
Chang!
The Magistrate of Sword, Lee, drew his sword first, the aura of his keen sword extending for ten meters!
Fuuung!
Amid buzzing that shook even the air, a spear with a sharp re pierced space itself and went straight for Broker.
Sou Sou Sou Sou!
An air-breaking whistle sounded, several hundreds of arrows raining down from above, sealing any possible retreat for Broker.
Fuua!
Fire burned from the air and a powerful wind blew.
The wind catalyzed the fire and the fire borrowed the might of the wind.
A cone-shaped, fiery cyclone spiraled towards Broker with blistering speed.
Broker couldnt dodge at all. Not only did thend beneath his feet suddenly sink, the hole that caught his feet had ayer of frozen solid ice that sealed his movements, binding him down on the spot.
Front and back, left and right, top and bottom, all the attacks were going after Broker in every possible angle, there was no way for him to escape.
More importantly, the seemingly simple attacks didnt justpliment each other very well, the power of the attacks were more than met the eye.
Protect the lord! several members of the Resistance shouted loudly. Advanced Rank items on him shone and force field barriers appeared in front of Broker, in hopes of shielding him from harm, but...
Puk, puk, puk!
As if the barriers were made out of paper, right after the keen sword aura came in contact with the barrier, the barrier was torn into shreds, followed by the barriers owners, they were also cut into pieces. There wasnt any bit of resistance at all, the keen sword aura was a hot knife cutting butter.
The only good that came out of this sh was that when the keen sword aura cut them, its near rank IVs power exploded on the spot.
The Magistrate of Sword was a powerhouse nearing rank IV.
As for the other seven magistrates shared the same status and position, they were also powerhouses of the same level.
The thought of facing eight powerhouses of nearing rank IV sent the normal members of the Resistance into heart-pounding fear.
They knew what kind of organization the Guardians were, but knowing and truly experiencing themselves were two very different concepts.
Even those elite core members of the Resistance shared the same fear, only Broker maintained his countenance.
He didnt even stop talking, as if the iing attacks were nothing.
Whats wrong now? Trying to kill the witness? Its so you, Ling. Broker eximed.
At that very moment, the spear of the Magistrate of Spear had overtaken the keen sword aura, the tip of the spear inches away from piercing Brokers throat.
The minimal distance seemed fatal, the Magistrate of Spear, Elder, showing a trace of delight in his eyes.
Of course he didnt think he could kill the infamous Broker, but as long as he could hurt the man, hed be happy about that. Evennding a scratch would be good enough!
It was notable that his spear was a special one: as long as his spear could cut Broker, even if it was a tiny cut, a continuous Bleeding status will be inflicted.
Elder believed even THE Broker would be unable to dodge such an attack.
Until then, the victory of this battle would lean towards the Guardians side!
With that thought in mind, the Magistrate of Spear thrust his spear quickly, but a split second before the tip of his spear touched Brokers throat, the spear... deviated?!
There were no external forces that disrupted the thrust, it was as if Elder was aiming to miss from the beginning. He was stunned.
Then, he realized in shock that not only had his attack deviated from the target, his seven colleagues also missed their attacks unknowingly, even the sinking ground and the frozen ice that caught Brokers feet suddenly missed him entirely.
All eight magistrates looked at the spot where their attacks were deviated to.
A hooded yer was standing in that spot without anyone knowing. He stood there quietly but those who saw him felt like they were looking at a monolith.
In fact, the hooded yer was much sturdier than a monolith, because neither the keen sword aura, the spear, nor the fire and ice could harm him. Their attacks didnt even wrinkle the mantle!
WHO IS THAT?!
The thought rose in everyones mind instantly and then they saw an unbelievable scene unfolding before their eyes.
A sword aura! Simr to the one that the Magistrate of Sword unleashed, it appeared from the hooded yer and was fired at Lee.
The Magistrate of Spear, Elder, was attacked by a lighting barrage, forcing him to retreat.
The raining arrows seemed to have a mind of their own as they flew back with the fiery cyclone.
A giant shield appeared in the nick of time. The shield, made out ofposite iron, blocked all the bounced back arrows and the fiery cyclone.
Ding Ding Ding Ding!
Amid the clinks of the arrow hitting the shield, the Magistrate of Shield, Hark, didnt even budge, but when the fiery cyclone crashed on to his shield, he was sted away.
It wasnt just the fiery cyclone that was bounced back, there was something extra mixed into it when it came back.
Dang!
The iron shield fell on the ground.
Those with sharper eyes noticed a crack in the powerful shield.
At the same time, the yers who were very familiar with the urban myth of the big city thought of a single person.
The Enlightenment King, Ac!
One of the strongest Supernovas, second only to the Witch!
The man was known for his outstanding feat of going up against thousands of magical species army alone and emerging unscathed and victorious.
Mirror Reflection! Its the Mirror Reflection! He is the Enlightenment King, Ac!
Amid the revtion cries, the hooded yer removed the hood and the mantle, revealing his ascetic monk attire.
Ac! Youve sided with Broker now? Lings voice was heavy as he bellowed.
Among the list of enemies that Ling didnt want to face, other than Broker, the Enlightenment King Ac would certainly be on the top of that list.
He never would have thought Broker would be able to persuade the Enlightenment King Ac to team up with him.
I didnt side with him. Im just returning the favour, Ac said peacefully.
Right after he revealed his motive, several figures appeared beside Ac, the most eye-catching one being the Swordsmith Alisritter.
As one of the best, if not the best, smithers in the big city, Alisritters name was certainly widely known among the veterans and high-rankers, like a thunderous p to the ear.
Yet none of them expected Alisritter to stand by Broker too.
Dont look at me like this. Im also just returning the favour, Alisritter rified.
Truth be told, Alisritter had no intention of standing by Broker, who he deemed an utterly unreliable bastard. He was afraid that the cunning merchant would sell him out in a heartbeat, but what could he do? He was the one who owed Broker a favour, the same went for the others around Alisritter.
Their eyes showed helplessness, but they were forced toe forth.
After all, it was the power of the contract binding them to their promises.
Broker would never deal in a losing business.
Do you think your victory is secure? Ling said, then looked at his other two Supervisors.
Rynester was as warm as ever but Yu was looking ferocious.
After a nce from Ling, the two of them stepped up.
Im sorry. I dont want to fight any of you but I have to, Rynester said in an apologetic way, his body engorging like a balloon.
Blue scales appeared on his skin and wings bulged out from his scaps. His warm-looking eyes instantly turned ruthless and cruel, his pupils constricted into a thin line. Robust hind legs grew and crushed the floor behind him.
Kak, ka, ka!
Amid the cracking noise of the floor, the figure grew bigger and bigger. The yers were looking at the growing figure in utter horror and when a pair of horns appeared on his head, the yers faltered away in fear.
D-D-Dragon! Elder Dragon!
A 200 feet blue elder dragon appeared where Rynester was standing.
Roar!
As he lifted his head up, dragon Rynester roared fiercely. Blue electrical bolts were charging in his mouth as he was ready to unleash his dragon breath.
Everyone opposite him saw the bolts in the dragons mouth, and one after another, anxiety and nervousness struck hard.
An elder dragon was not something to be trifled with, especially a mature blue dragon!
Just feel the draconic might! Every single one of them might be electrocuted into ashes by the electrifying breath.
The thought ran wild in everyones mind, unconsciously moving towards the Enlightenment King Ac.
Ha! The scene caused Ling to sneer heavily.
Then
A fierce downpour of dragon breath drowned Ling whole.
Immense pain! Numbness!
Ling was utterly shocked. Rynester betrayed him?
The immense pain told Ling that it would be best for him to avoid the dragon breath. He tried but before he could, a long chain tied his hands and legs, binding him on the spot.
Yu also betrayed him! Ling was further stupefied.
He couldnt imagine why his right and left hand men had betrayed him.
The ck chain on his hands and legs came with a Spirit st, robbing Ling of the ability to resist, causing him to fall to the ground.
A whileter, the dragon breath stopped.
Heavily damaged, Ling looked up to Rynester and Ling.
W-Why? Ling asked.
Im sorry, I dont want to be a prisoner, Dragon Rynester lowered his head in guilt.
Hand over the leaving key! I dont want to be here for another minute longer.
Yu was much more straightforward. Since they had a fallout with Ling, courtesy was no longer needed.
The conversation ended quickly and it wasnt loud at all, but those who heard the conversation were specting.
No one present was a newbie, neither were they an idiot.
They were familiar with the big city and knew what was happening, a burning passion rising from their hearts in that very moment!
Key? The leaving key? The key that can let us leave the big city?
The gazes of the yers changed instantly.
Both the Resistance and the Guardians looked at Ling in a strange way.
Ling felt the strangeness despite his body being badly damaged. He gave his best effort to stand up and look down on everyone.
Everyone else looked away or lowered their heads at Lings gaze, not daring to look him in the eye but some were unswerving enough and among the stronger ones was Broker.
He wasnt just unswerving, he even showed a sense of anticipation in his eyes.
You really are a bastard! You pulled everyone into your little game of chess just for your own sake? Ling said to Broker in a heavy tone.
He then looked back at the other yers and said loudly, Whats wrong with being alive? Even if we have to grovel and bow, at least we are still alive!
His words made the yers look at each other in doubt. They didnt know why Ling would say such a thing but before they could think about it, Broker retorted loudly.
If living like this is considered living, you are nothing but a walking body. Mr. Guardian, or should I call you... Mr. Gatekeeper? You can open the door now.
Broker even bowed and gestured an invitation to Ling.
Ling looked at Broker.
He then looked up to the sun and moon in the sky of the big city.
Using an inconceivable existence to break the inconceivable defense, my lord will surely sense the changes. I dont need to open the door, my lord will be back. Didnt you all realize the eagle on my shoulder is long gone?
It wasnt until Ling revealed it that the yers realized the eagle was missing.
Broker, on the other hand, sighed with regret.
His sigh seemed to have invoked misunderstanding in Ling.
What now? Is that regret? Ling chuckled coldly.
No, no, no! Why would I regret the things that Ive done? I just felt a little pitiful for letting go of a precious ingredient.Otherwise, Id apologize with even more sincerity, Broker waved his hands and said with joy.
Ingredient? Ridiculous! Still ying your little tricks on the verge of death? Ling sneered.
He thought it was Brokers n to fool him again.
He then knelt on the floor. He sensed it, he sensed that the lord was...ing back!
A whileter, everyone sensed it too because it was too irritating to the ears.
Gassssssssssstk!
The irritating screech filled the entire big city.
Everyone then looked up at the sky.
They saw the sky was spinning and then the sky was moving further away from them, as if they were inside a jar and its lid was being twisted open.
When the lid was covered, the big city was a ce of its own but when the lid was opened, thend was open too.
It was opened by its owner and thend had to face its owner, including the lives that lived on thend.
Everyones heart skipped a beat.
What did they see after the sky was twisted away?
An eye! A blinking eye! As if the eye was peeking through the mouth!
Chapter 1853 - The Last Moment
Chapter 1853: The Last Moment
What was that?!
Every single yer in the big city looked up at the sky.
They knew they were looking at an eye but... it was a first for many, seeing such a huge eye. Even Broker, who was prepared for this, wasnt spared from the awe and shock.
Broker skipped a breath at the eye that took up more than half of the sky, but he managed to return to his calm self soon.
What a pleasure! We meet again, Lady Witch, said Broker as he bowed solemnly.
The huge eye did not care about him though, it was just looking at the people around Broker.
Then, it blinked.
The whole big city trembled fiercely following the blink.
Buildings shook and the earth trembled. It wasnt just a simple quake, the blink actually shattered the whole city!
Huge cracks appeared on the ground and extended straight to the horizon, followed by the sky.
The buildings and rooms that were once an absolute safe haven for the yers started to copse.
Within a breaths time, the whole city was shaken and in ruins.
The only thing left was a tform, a stone tform with all the yers in the big city on top.
The yers who stationed themselves in the big city and those who temporarily left the big city, everyone was gathered on the stone tform.
All the yers exchanged puzzled and terrified nces, having no idea what had happened.
Then, before they could find out what happened, they started to disintegrate into white light, disappearing into the air.
The remaining yers wanted to reach out to hold theirrades and friends but they failed, their hands going through the white light instantly. All efforts to save their friends andrades were useless.
Didnt I tell you, whats wrong with staying alive? Even if we are living in a cage, whats wrong with taking another breath? Ling had fallen on the ground and muttered to himself.
His voice wasnt loud but it was heard by everyone on the utterly quiet stone tform.
Or more precisely, those who managed to stay, with their power level, were able to hear what Ling said clearly.
What did you say?
ir and Garwen, who joined the solo yers recently, were utterly confused.
What I said? Why dont you go ask that bastard opposite you? Ling coldly chuckled and spat where Broker was standing.
Broker stepped away slightly to avoid the spit, then turned around to Ling, trying to continue the conversation but he was punched to the ground all of a sudden.
BANG!
The punch was powerful to the point that Broker was embedded on the ground, but he wasnt frustrated at all. Instead, he keptughing.
Lawless, who threw the punch, delivered several more punches without hesitation.
He was finally stopped after Rachel held him back by the shoulder.
Broker was already beaten beyond recognition, his original face blurred out by swelling and blood, no need for the system blur to cover his face anymore, but he was stillughing.
You know, I didnt stop this idiot here to listen to yourughter, Rachel said coldly.
But Broker continuedughing, hisughter filled with utter delight.
Everyone else was surprised.
They knew Broker by his reputation, the man was certainly not crazy or an idiot, but in this kind of desperate timing, heughed his mind out.
What happened? What was worthy of hisughter and delight?
Everyone shared the same question.
We all survived, right? Isnt this good enough? Broker said after a while.
What do you mean? Rachel frowned.
Just like what you thoughtRachel, youve alsoe in contact with that bastard right? Didnt you notice any difference? That unusual feeling that felt like the center of the whole world, arent you curious about why? Broker asked.
Rachel didnt speak anymore, the others were looking at Broker.
Its because SHE IS THE CENTER OF THE WHOLE WORLD! Broker said in a maddeningugh under everyones gaze.
She is the center of the whole world? Impossible. How could she be the center of the whole world, unless she created... Aliritter paused all of a sudden and couldnt continue, as if he was crushed by a giant mountain.
Of course she didnt create the whole world. She sought out the chance to acquire her current powers. Then, in order to strengthen her powers, she started to act on her own and cleansed those she couldnt control, Brokers words made everyone look ugly.
They thought of the very first Witchs Cmity.
Yes, yes yes! Thats right! Its exactly what you are thinking! She meticulously plotted the Witchs Cmity, then she started to build her own forces, turning the big city into a giant cage. Us? We are nothing but ves in the cage! She snatched out gains and rewards whenever she liked, she selected those who were qualified to join her forces. Then, she hid behind the scenes and became the one and only Witch who is the mastermind behind all of this. In order to make things more natural, I came into y, so did the Supernovas second only to the Witch. Back then I was just a puppet, and most of the ten Supernovas were puppets too, but the sad thing was, they didnt even know they were being controlled as puppets, they were happy for being the top ten strongest yers.
Brokers words had a trace of a sneer as he spoke. He then looked up at that huge eye.
Oh respectfuldy, the pridefuldy, dont you have anything to say? Oh, I forgot! You made a tiny bit of a mistake, otherwise how can I be here and talk to you in person? Broker thenughed again.
Unlike the softughter before, heughed his heart out this time.
Theughter made him curl his body uncontrobly and made him run out of breath.
You filthy bastard! How dare you insult the lord even in this timing! Ling angrily rebuked Broker.
Broker looked back at Ling with a pitiful gaze.
What a pitiful soul. You really think that the reason you are alive is because our deardy here showed us mercy? She didnt kill you before because she cant! Just like now! She must be dying to kill me now, but she cant! Because theres something wrong with her, and... didnt you notice, the sun and moon are still here?
Right after Broker finished his sneers, he stood up and bowed solemnly at Starbeck the mimosa behind Lawless and the others.
Compared to the fake bow that he showed the Witch, Broker bowed in a never before seen seriousness to Starbeck.
Please forgive me for everything that Ive done. I am forced to drag you inside this game, because you are the key to this game, said Broker.
Me? Starbeck was shocked.
Then, under everyones gaze, Starbeck couldnt help but shrink his body, hoping to get away from all the attention that he was receiving, but it wasnt very effective.
You are referring to this big, fat sheep? What a joke! Ling rebuked once more.
On the other hand, Lawless and the others were thinking about something else.
Starbeck wasnt stupid either, Is it... 2567? he asked softly.
Yes. He is the key to fighting the Witch, said Broker honestly.
Oh?
A suspicious question entered everyones ears.
Then, everyone felt the chills without the cold and it started to spread quickly.
It was a natural reaction towards the predator at the top of the food chain.
Everyone looked around and checked their surroundings instinctively.
A figure soon appeared before everyones eyes.
The figure was enveloped in light, preventing others from having a clear look. Those who looked at the emanating light would be stung and burned but the more terrifying thing was everyone realized their powers had been sealed away.
Their bodies were as heavy as mountains, they could hardly stand still, and everyone was wobbling and almost falling.
Broker faltered. Bak! He fell on his knees.
This is your freedom? Ling sneered.
Of course its not! Freedom is whates after! Broker replied and then started to pray.
The heir of dawn, the bearer of sunrise, the controller of gue, the guide of mist, the devourer that consumes all in the world, the protector of table manners, I pray to you...
Amid his loud and clear prayers, the sun and moon converged slowly.
Then, a huge door appeared in the sky.
KABOOOM!
A huge ball of Devil me with a diameter of a hundred meters gushed out from the door. The zing me burned hot as it flew towards the eye in the sky.
When the Devil me exploded, everyone heard a painful cry.
That figure covered in light even shook vehemently.
Then... shadow covered the figure in light.
Fuuung!
A kick that tore the air apartnded on the figure in light, sending it flying backwards.
A crack then appeared on the figure in light, with sparks of ember spewing out from the crack.
Pak!
The figure in light popped like a giant soap bubble.
How is this possible? Ling looked at the scene in disappointment.
In fact, not only the leader of the Guardians, even the other yers present at the scene didnt know what just happened. They were at a loss for thoughts when they looked at the figure that stood in the center.
The pressure from the Witch that they felt earlier was real, but now?
The figure in light was defeated by a powerful kick?
A ridiculous feeling rose in the yers heart.
That is just a clone. Taking it out with a single blow is nothing surprising, said Broker.
He then looked at the figure of his memory, raised his hand up and said, Dont kill me, Im still useful.
...
Edatine was unified under one ruler.
It wasnt just the old Northern Lands. The south, the inds, even thend on the other side of the sea was all united under one ruler.
Kieran used a year to achieve it.
Throughout the whole year, he had been waiting for the system notification to return to the big city, but there was nothing.
However, when he ascended to the throne as Edatine VII, he felt a calling! It was from Wu!
A door appeared before him.
Kieran was delighted to see the door. Although he was a little reluctant because of Wu, it didnt stop him from acknowledging her powers. However, when Kieran was about to step through the door, a bigger door, as if it could pir the sky and earth, appeared on top of the smaller door.
Starbecks voice came through the huge door, and... the smell of food!
Kieran was certain that it was the food Starbeck prepared for him! It smelled very good!
Without a second thought, Kieran chose to enter the door with Starbecks voice.
But the return to the big city took a much longer time than Kieran expected and the way to return was to move forward.
A stone path was beneath his feet.
Kieran strode and then he ran.
He continuously sprinted for three whole weeks before he saw the door at the end of the path.
When he touched the handle of the door, he heard Brokers words and saw what happened in the big city.
Kieran looked at the huge eye of the Witch in the sky.
Without a second thought, he sted a charged Devil me at the eye, then jumped out and fly kicked the Witchs clone.
It was a very effective kick, but more clones of the Witch appeared.
Kaboom!
The Devil me cleaned up all the clones and projections, everything the Witch threw out was burned to cinders, but a little whileter, they reappeared.
You need to locate her real self, shes hiding in there! Kill her real body to end all of this, otherwise, no matter what you do, its useless! Leave this ce to us. GO!
Broker voiced his reminder loudly as he pointed to the direction of the remains of the big city, but right after his voice faded, a wave of projections and clones of the Witch appeared where he pointed.
There were millions! It was as if a wall of humans were blocking Kierans way.
The Witchs projections and clones also started to appear in all directions and the numbers were endless.
Their goal was simple and clear: destroy the stone tform or flip it over to send everyone to hell.
What a bad situation this is! said Lawless. He took out the weapon that he put at the bottom of his boxa seemingly normaluncher of sorts.
Lawless carried it over his shoulder and took a deep breath before he pulled the trigger.
PEACE! shouted Lawless.
Souuu!
Boom!
A zing ball of light was fired out with a smokey trail and when it hit the army of the clones and projections, it exploded into a mushroom cloud.
The sea of clones and projections were vapourized.
Everyone was shocked, looking at Lawless nkly.
Lawless put hisuncher vertically on the ground and said with the cigar dangling out of his mouth, Who doesnt have a trump card or two?
Yes! Who doesnt have a trump card? Rachel nodded. She raised her hand and a ss appeared.
She lifted the ss high and then smashed it vehemently on the ground.
Pak!
Kabooooosh!
Pirs of blue fire burst out from the ground, freezing the projections of the Witch on another side but even more of the projections swarmed over.
The projections and clones started to merge and form into a bigger Witch projection within a breaths time, its monstrous clone charging towards the stone tform.
Hanses and Coll exchanged a quick gaze.
The former stood in front and thetter took a capsule out and tossed it onto the ground.
Puff!
Smoke rose when the capsule broke.
A giant blue and red robot appeared from within the smoke, wielding aser sword and a tower shield in both of its hands with Coll sitting in the cockpit at the center.
Leave this to me.
Coll piloted the robot and flew towards the battlefield.
The giant Witchs clone was stopped by Coll and her robot, but in the shadow, something simr to the souls of the dead started to pop out.
Tsk, trump card, eh? Ramont muttered to himself. He merged the fire and ice swords together and formed a weird-looking axe in his hand. As he swung the axe in a flurry, a cyclone of ice and fire was sted towards the soul of the dead in the shadow.
Raven the Loner nced over Lemour the Alchemist.
Unlike the sneaky peak from before, he looked at the Alchemist brazenly this time, but it was just a quick nce.
After that, he turned around and revealed a stack of scrolls as tall as a person.
Wolf, tiger, lion, elephant, all sorts of animals were summoned out from the scrolls.
The most eye-catching animal of them all was a two-legged wyvern.
Fuuu!
A zing wyvern breathter, the beastly army started their march into the battlefield.
As the beastly army charged towards the Witchs clone and projections, a holy light shone from their paws and limbs and buffed the animals with increased attack and defense greatly.
Raven turned around and Lemour winked at him.
The battle on the stone tform broke out fiercely and entered its climax in an instant with more and more yers joining the fight, even Starbeck.
While he tried his best to protect himself, he pulled out scroll after scroll and tore them.
The scrolls Starbeck used werent just strong, he had a lot to spare too, the endless amount of scrolls that he used managing to block an entire wave of attacks from the clones, but danger always seeped in from the dark.
Lings shadow beneath his feet flew towards Starbeck.
He didnt purposely choose Starbeck but he was able to tell that amongst all the yers on the stone tform, without all the scrolls and tools, Starbeck was weak. Hed die in a single blow.
Then, Kieran appeared beside Starbeck and stomped on the moving shadow.
The shadow twisted in pain but it could not break free from Kierans stomp.
Ling wanted to attack but another figure appeared behind him.
A sharp chop sliced over Lings neck.
Bloody Mary bowed to its boss and then appeared beside Starbeck.
Protect him, ordered Kieran.
Roger that! Bloody Mary bowed.
Killing the enemy? Bloody Mary didnt care.
Acting? It also didnt care. All it cared about was its boss order, because it was the reason and value of its existence.
2567! Starbeck called out in shock and then looked down with a guilty face.
He felt like he was dragging everyone behind again.
Youve done well. You shouldnt be here in the first ce, I prefer to see you busy in the kitchen, said Kieran calmly.
Ive prepared food, but, but... I guess its done, Starbeck stuttered.
Youve prepared it for me? Kieran asked.
Yes, Starbeck nodded affirmatively.
Its a pity that I dont get to eat it. Now close your eyes and cover your ears, said Kieran word by word.
Oh, okay, Starbeck closed his eyes and covered his ears as ordered.
Kieran didnt want Starbeck to see or hear scary things about him. After all, he didnt want to frighten Starbeck.
A fiery me burned from his body, the heat starting to wreak havoc in the area.
Devil form? Ive seen it more than once, nothing in the big city can escape my eyes! I can know everything as long as it appears in the city, The Witchs voice echoed above his head.
Then I am relieved. Let me show you something that you havent seen before, Devil Kieran nodded.
Then
Greed, on!
Wrath, on!
Envy, on!
Lust, on!
Sloth, on!
Gluttony, on!
Pride, on!
His voice was louder than thunder.
With every single on he shouted, Devil Kierans presence and size grew twice as strong and twice as big.
After he switched on all seven of the cardinal sins, when Devil Kieran extended his zing wings, they were already big enough to cover even the sky.
Spikes grew out from Kierans body, making him look scary and ugly.
The scarier thing was the wicked and chaotic aura sting the big city, which was already in ruins, like the milky way falling down.
All the projections and clones were wiped out instantly. Only the real self of the Witch was left and she was shouting in disbelief at Kieran.
S-Seven personalities!? How is this possible?! The Witch floated out from the ruins and questioned Kieran.
Personality? No, this is a return. Humans are living beings with desires. Since the day we gained intellect, our desires started to form. Some sumbed to their desires, some suppressed them, and I? I choose both! I suppress and sumb to my desires!
During normal times, every single one of them grew on their own. Only when I need them did I call them back to me, bing part of my powers once more. I call them... my Seven Grand Limits!
All the emotions returned to Kieran, his voice no longer t.
As he shouted, his gigantic body flew towards a corner of the city ruins.
The Witch tried to hide in the shadow again but she realized she was locked in by Kieran.
Air, gravity, space, time. Everything was suppressed in that moment.
Air and gravity were suppressed after Kieran activated Devil form and then started his Seven Grand Limits.
Space and time... were Brokers doing!
Holding a golden feather, Broker waved at the Witch as if he was bidding her farewell.
And that was thest thing the Witch saw.
She could no longer move and Kieran was diving closer to her.
A single kick from Kieran sent her back into darkness.
Then... the city ruins started to copse, everything fading away into nothingness, but a new city was also being rebuilt at exponential speed at the same time, as if everything that had happened had been an illusion.
All the illusions vanished, together with the yers on the stone tform.
Only Kieran in his human form stood in the center of the rebuilt city.
[yer has killed The Witch, authenticating...]
[Authenticating...]
[Authenticating...]
[Dear yer 2567, you have acquired control over the new city!]
Chapter 1854 (END) - Wedding
Chapter 1854: Wedding
Hanses wiped the grease off his hand, then turned around to his wife, Coll, who was tuning the car seriously. He couldnt help but giggle.
After they left that goddamn ce, he and Coll opened up a workshop and worked as mechanics.
Business wasnt good, but it wasnt bad either. It was enough to feed a few mouths. He could even afford a vacation once in a while with his wife.
Hanses was very happy about his life.
As for getting rich?
Well, sorry, he had been through too much in the past. All he wished for was to live the rest of his life with Coll in peace.
Coll also shared the same thought, looking at her husband and giggling too.
Then, the two of them quickly tidied up their work and cleaned up the workshop for the day.
They had an event to attendter, so they must prepare to get going.
Lemour and Raven Veterinary Hospital.
As a veterinary hospital that was famous across the region, Dr. Raven was loved and respected by all the pet lovers. It wasnt just because of Dr. Ravens outstanding clinical skills, it was also because the fees were affordable.
Hurry up, Raven! Lemour, his wife, called out loudly.
Coming, Raven ced the cat on the table and walked over.
Lemour was already in a dress, which was rare for her, and was holding his formal wear, standing there waiting for him.
We are going to bete! Hurry up! Lemour reminded Raven once more.
Raven smiled and nodded.
Lemour was in charge of everything in the house, all he had to do is listen and obey.
Maybe, in other peoples eyes, he loved his wife a little too much, but whod understand how happy he was?
Some drove antique motorcycles or cars, some drove the fastest and newest supercars and some were walking.
Regardless of what they were traveling in, many were heading to a rather secluded location at the outskirts of the city.
The ce the people were heading to wasnt a farm, but an inn. It was Harvest Inn!
The big signage outside clearly stated the inns name.
Lawless, in his tuxedo, was standing at the entrance nervously. He kept asking Crow, How is it? Hows my tie, hows my hair?
Crow couldnt help but chuckle at his friends nervous look.
Its fine, everything is good, Crow nodded.
But a whileter, Lawless turned to his other friends, who came back to life, and asked them how he looked. His other friends alsoforted him by saying he looked fine.
Monien stood further away with his arms crossed, chuckling as he looked at the scene.
Why are you here? I didnt recall you being invited.
Ramont and Rhino, also in their formal wear, were ring at Monien.
Hey, I am the one who paid a great cost to bring most of the dead back to life, Monien said, pointing at Lawless further away.
Oh, you think? Otherwise why do you think 2567 let you live? Ramont grunted.
Hmph! I have my eyes on you Broker! said Rhino.
Broker is in the past now. My name is Monien, but whatever, said Monien, trying to put his title behind him.
Monien then took his invitation card out.
Ramont and Rhino were surprised when they saw the invitation.
That guy really has gone out of his mind.
The two rugged hunks grumbled as they walked away from Monien.
cksmith, in a bright red dress and heels, was very busy in the room. As one of the bridesmaids, she was in charge of Rachels makeup and other misceneous things.
These were all undoubtedly trivial matters but it was interesting.
cksmith looked enviously at Rachel, who was in her pure white wedding dress. She then somehow felt depressed.
Still thinking about that guy? Rachel asked.
Nope, no I am not thinking about him. He is erased from my life. What a bastard, it was I who got to him first cksmith tried to be tough but after a few words, her emotions started to overflow.
Its still not toote. You have to fight for your happiness, Rachel put her hand over her girlfriends head and whispered to her.
But that mimosa
Shes not important. A youngss in a big family, having no control over her life, forced to disguise herself as a boy even though shes a girl, do you think she and 2567 can get together in the end? Rachel reminded her friend.
But a momentter, Rachel looked at the entrance.
Starbeck was standing there in a white T-shirt and jeans, the smile on her face heartwarming.
Congrattions on your wedding. Im here to congratte you in advance and at the same time, I have good news to spread I am now the leader of Starbecks family. Let me reintroduce myself, I am Mimosa Starbeck Thai, Starbeck then left after she reintroduced herself.
What else would she need to say?
It wasnt necessary anymore, she knew it was enough.
Her steps were casual and her elegant temperament held a sense of prestige.
No one would treat the current Starbeck as the mimosa that she once was.
Humans grow, especially after having a goal to work towards.
Starbeck or Mimosas goal was Kieran.
In order to make everything possible and smooth, she forced herself to grow, but somehow he grew distant from her.
It had been two weeks since shest saw Kieran.
All the messages and voicemails were fromst week.
With that thought in mind, the prestige in her bearing vanished without a sign.
Sigh. She sighed uncontrobly again.
Then
Munch, munch, much!
Munching and chewing noises entering her ear, Mimosa looked towards the source of the noise in shock, as if she had been electrocuted. She saw a familiar figure gobbling away at the appetiser stand.
2567!
Mimosa already knew Kierans real name but she preferred to call him 2567.
Ugh, ugh, mmmm.
He stuffed his mouth with a lot of food as he waved at Starbeck, then turned back around to the appetiser stand.
After he finished eating, a robust arm curled his neck.
You little bastard, you are my best man, why are you here at the veryst minute?! Lawless grumbled.
I got lost, you know I dont go out often, Kieran exined but heughed before he could finish.
He too deemed the excuse a little weak but he couldnt tell Lawless the real reason.
Since his friends had all gotten off the game, they had no reason to return anymore.
He would bear their burden together and move forward.
You little bastard! Lawless knocked Kierans head.
Kieran feigned a painful reaction and faltered.
The guests couldnt help butugh at the funny scene, even Mimosaughed happily. The worries that she had a moment ago were gone when she saw Kieran.
Ahem! Everyone, may I have your attention? The wedding ceremony is about to begin. Let us wee our bride.
The emcee, J. Pearlman, spoke through the loudspeaker and gathered everyones attention.
With the wedding background music ying, Rachel, in her wedding dress, appeared at the end of the isle.
Without even waiting for J.Pearlman to speak, Lawless dashed up and hugged the woman he loved in his arms.
Now then Uh Okay I guess thats fine too, as long as you are happy.
J.Pearlman touched the tip of his nose at the eager Lawless. He was wise enough to stop speaking and start pping.
All the guests apuded and congratted the newlyweds
Lawless hugged Rachel for several minutes before he released her unwillingly.
Rachel, with a bouquet of flowers, flushed.
You are really beautiful, Lawless suttered.
Starting from tomorrow, mop the floor twice a day, said Rachel.
Okay! Lawless scratched the back of his head andughed in a silly way.
He was very happy because he usually had to mop the floor thrice a day.
Rachel rolled an eye at Lawless silly reaction, but a sweet smile hung over her face anyaway. She then tossed the bouquet of flowers backwards.
The bouquet flew across the air in an arch andnded precisely in Mimosas hand.
Mimosa was surprised, as was Kieran.
He swore all he did was think about it, he didnt even make a move.
Is this considered good luck? Mimosa asked Kieran.
I guess so. Since the day I met you, I have been lucky ever since, Kieran nodded seriously.
The two of them looked at each other for a few seconds before they turned around and said loudly at the newlyweds on the stage, Happy Wedding!
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